Chapter 2:
It wasn't a long flight and soon enough the riders were clambering off of their saddles to examine exactly what Hiccup had said he'd found. Before the Great Battle, the teens would never believe the crazy stories he told. They would always turn out to be some sort of joke or screw up and the things Hiccup described didn't hold much truth to them. This all changed after he had bested them in dragon training. They held a respect for Hiccup now they thought they never would, and today it was being put to the test.
Hiccup stepped out in front of the group, eyeing the motionless boat suspiciously, it's only dweller appearing unconscious and badly shaken inside. From what he could tell, the boy in the boat seemed to be about the same age as Hiccup and his friends. He wore an outfit the likes of which he had never seen before…it certainly didn't belong to any tribe that he was aware of. The clothing appeared to be some sort of black leather suit. There was thicker padding around the shoulders, chest, and shins. Armor? He wondered silently as he noticed the various straps and shiny silver buckles that were attached to the suit in rather specific positions. However, the most notable items in the ensemble had to be the gloves and boots the figure wore. The boots were quite sleek, and their fabric flowed flush with that of the pant leg well above the ankle. The gloves were also made of leather, and they appeared thick and hardened on the hands of their owner, almost as if they were built for strenuous tasks as well as owning a swift look.
Upon closer inspection, the teens could finally make out the boys facial features. He had a light but slightly tanned tone, a chiseled forehead and jaw, and very dark brown hair, which was both messy and alarmingly matted with red blood. Other than the boy himself, the only things in the boat were 2 trunks. One made of a light brown wood, and the other of a black leather similar to the kind on the suit.
"No oars…" Hiccup began to think out loud. "They must have been lost at sea."
"Yeah…something tells me he wasn't exactly trying to end up here." Fishlegs chimed in.
Astrid huffed behind him. "Guys…shouldn't we be asking a more important question? Is he even still alive?"
"Who cares?" Replied Snotlout. "I wanna know what's in those trunks!"
This prompted an elbow to the ribs, courtesy of the pissed off Astrid. Snotlout winced and stepped away, not saying anything more.
Hiccup quickly uncapped the flask on his waist and spared no time approaching the boy. Tipping it sideways, he let water fall over his face. It didn't take long for that action to elicit movement, and the figure's eyes shot open as he lifted his head up to gaze at the band of people in front of him. He was about to speak, but instead a wave of pain hit him and his hands flew up to his head as he tilted it back into the boat, groaning in agony. He shut his eyes again but was obviously aware of the teens' presence, because he started to speak to them from his laid back position.
"Is this real?" The boy asked in a low voice.
"Yes." Came Hiccup's voice. "You're alive. You're safe now."
"Where am I exactly?"
"This is Berk. It's an island on the Meridian of Misery."
No more words came in response, just a defeated yet very audible sigh. Hiccup took the opportunity to ask a question of his own.
"Can you tell me your name? We are people who can help you."
"My name is…Arkyn." He paused as if trying to remember it.
"Alright Arkyn…just relax. We're going to take you somewhere a little more comfortable than this beach." Hiccup stumbled on the irony of his words. What am I saying? Who the hell doesn't feel comfortable on a beach? But now was not the time for that. Arkyn didn't seem to notice though as he had slipped into another spell of unconsciousness.
Soon after, Hiccup delivered the moving instructions to the rest of his friends and they prepared to relocate Arkyn to the arena, where they could help patch his wound and explain more about who they were. A silent agreement was made among the group to cancel the afternoon's plans in light of the new situation. The day was going to be an interesting one indeed…
