The Rebellion

by KatieMarie999

Growing Up Haddock Story 9: After years of plotting his revenge, Brandyn Anderson is back. Welcome to The Rebellion. Join Hiccup, Astrid, Fearless Finn, Adrianna, Erick and their friends on the epic conclusion to the Growing Up Haddock series. Will they prevail against evil, or will their entire world be destroyed? Only HTTYD and R/DoB are canon. T for limes and mature situations.

12. The Mark of a Man

Ohai there, friends! It'sa May! Get it? Itsa' me but today is May- yeah okay, not one of my better jokes. I'm sleepy, okay? haha Silliness aside, I hope everyone is doing well! This chapter is another emotional doozy, as always, so brace yourselves! Thank you for all the incredible feedback. As always it's so much fun to read everyone's reactions :}

Loads of music inspiration for various scenes in this chapter! If anyone is interested in knowing what scenes are paired up with what music, let me know! I may even just share in the Discord, which has continued to grow! Welcome to all our new friends! If you haven't joined yet and you're interested, please join us! We're a wholesome, lively bunch :)

In other news, I am doing quite well. I have been doing lots of adulting things, like trying to find a new car and potentially a new place to live. Adulting aside, I do have some very important news that may affect when the next chapter drops…

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom drops on May 12! AHHHH NOBODY PANIC

There will surely be tears in my kingdom, that's all I'm saying. I planned well ahead and worked my buns off to get this chapter out before it dropped and I'm already mentally preparing for the creative hit my brain is going to take when the game drops. That said, I'm hoping that with my attempts at preparing ahead that it won't derail me too much, and I'll be back in give or take a month as per usual.

TR is right on track! It's been so much fun to write and I can't wait to get the next chapter out. Grab a tissue and a snack and something comfy. Here we go :}

~Em

Inspiration: Hardline by Brand X Music, Darkest Night by Tony Anderson, The Moonless Midnight by David Arkenstone, Wir Sind Gleich by Tony Anderson

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Chapter 12: The Mark of a Man

---

The crackle of fire, the bitter tang of smoke and weeping were a jarring cacophony in Finn's ears. Combined with the crushing weight of three men on his back, one planting him firmly into the dirt by the neck, the others holding him down by the shoulders, there was little hope of getting up again. Even if he kept telling himself to get up. To fight back.

But after fighting for what might have been hours, after being whipped through the air and landing painfully with a near bone-crushing impact, his body refused to respond.

The clatter of weapons, rushing footsteps and scuffles filled his ears as he tried to breathe under the crushing weight. His people were fighting back, or at least trying to. But it was utterly useless.

The sound of the women, both young and old, and the children weeping was like a spike to his heart.

Stubbornly Finn tried to extricate himself again. One of the soldiers cursed savagely as he yanked his right arm free, but he was quickly subdued again. The hand on the back of his neck tightened painfully.

"Knock it off, or I'll knock you out."

"Let me up and we'll see who knocks who out." Finn bit out.

From the corner of his eye, Genevieve had stretched herself over Zap's neck and was crying softly.

"You are such a brave, brave girl." Genevieve whispered. "You rest now."

Zap keened quietly and turned her eyes toward him.

Finn groaned. "It's okay, Zap." He could hardly breathe for the three brutes crushing him into the dirt, but he would not falter now. "Good girl."

Suddenly the soldiers throughout the square all stood at attention. Though he couldn't see much save for the gravelly dirt beneath his nose, he could tell by the way the men standing around the square, hovering over his people all hopped to attention, their armor and weapons clanking. A group of people was approaching and all the Berkians seemed to go silent with fear. Genevieve's expression hardened.

Everything was quiet for a long minute. And then-

"Get him up."

Finn saw red. That voice.

The guards yanked him to his feet and struggled to keep his arms behind his back as he lunged forward. Brandyn Anderson stood before him in a black sleeveless leather jerkin and a satisfied smirk on his face. The scar on his face was stretched maliciously.

"You-" Finn spat. "Filthy, disgusting coward-"

Without warning Brandyn drove a fist into the soft space beneath Finn's breast plate. He went to his knees hacking and gasping, only vaguely hearing the laughs of the men around him. The whimpers of his people. He growled through the pain, unwilling to show weakness. Not like this-

"Stubborn." A new voice said. "He will be fun to break, I think."

"Not before I've had my turn, Anton," said another smooth voice. "I know you like to play with your food before you eat it, but I prefer my prey in one piece."

Gasping and clutching his abdomen, Finn glared up at them. The two men standing beside Brandyn were new. One fair and chiseled, the other dark and broken. Both looked at him like he was their next meal.

"Fearless Finn," Brandyn said, raising a hand to the blond one. "Meet Slaver Anton."

His stomach dropped.

"And," Brandyn said, clearly relishing whatever expression he saw on Finn's face. "An old friend of your dad's. Viggo Grimborn."

Gobber spat on the ground nearby as a murmur rippled through the captured Berkians, particularly the elderly.

"A pleasure to meet you at last, Fearless Finn." Viggo smirked slightly. "I expect your father told you all about our advent-"

"No."

Viggo blinked. "No, what?"

Anton cocked his head to the side.

Finn smirked. "Never heard of you."

Viggo looked affronted.

Brandyn sniffed in derision. "Don't worry, Viggo. You can have his Shockjaw to nurse your wounds."

Dragon hunters.

To emphasize the point, Viggo snapped his fingers and pointed at Zap. Finn struggled as a pair of soldiers wrenched Genevieve to her feet and another dozen began hooking Zap to a series of hooks and pulleys. Struggling against her bonds, Zap snarled at them as she was slowly dragged away.

Genevieve was deposited beside him, her dark eyes fierce with rage despite the tear tracks on her grimy face. She met his eyes briefly before glowering back up at Brandyn and his other cronies. Her fearlessness gave him courage and he straightened.

"Golden curls, betrothed to the heir to Berk…" Slaver Anton said. "The singer. Genevieve Sullivan."

Genevieve blinked in surprise. "How do you know my name?"

"We've become quite well acquainted with a friend of yours. He sang your praises as he bled." Anton said, reaching down and lifting her chin with a finger. "Tell me. Will you sing too, little bird?"

He retracted his hand a mere second before Genevieve's teeth met open air.

Wiggling his fingers, Anton laughed. "We'll find out soon enough."

"She's nothing to fuss over." Brandyn said. "Unlike some who require a little more focus." He looked down his nose at Finn.

Finn opened his mouth to reply but suddenly a group of soldiers marched around the corner with someone in tow. It was Erick, his wrists bound with a length of rope. His mismatched steps combined with the heavy booted steps of the guards were the only sound as they approached.

He was shoved onto his knees beside Finn, who looked him up and down. He didn't seem to be injured except for a cut on his brow that had stopped bleeding. There was dried blood down the side of his face but it was the look in his eyes that sent Finn's heart thundering.

"What?" Finn breathed.

"Ah, Erick. Nice of you to drop in." Brandyn said.

Erick said nothing. He didn't even blink.

And Finn knew something was terribly wrong.

---

Erick's head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. He knew where he was, what was happening. Brandyn was questioning him in front of the remainder of their village. He was on his knees in the dirt beside Finn, who was looking at him with growing horror.

He knew something was wrong.

Genevieve sat in the dirt on Finn's other side, guards hovering close by with hands on their weapons. Everyone in the village who'd been left behind… everyone who had survived anyway, was now gathered in a large group in the village square. He could feel their presence like a brand, thousands of eyes flickering with fear and rage.

And yet he didn't spare them even a glance. How could he? Not when his first love was gone?

Adrianna… His Annie… was gone.

Darin had lost his mother.

He… was a widower.

The sounds around him were dulled and distant, as if his head was underwater. He needed time to think, to grieve-

A pair of knuckles struck him across the face and he caught himself on his forearm as he hit the dirt.

Sounds returned in a rush, as did the pain. Gasps and whimpers echoed in the otherwise silent crowd. Two soldiers grappled with Finn as he tried to retaliate.

A hand grabbed Erick by the scruff of the neck and yanked him up. Suddenly he was nose to nose with the man he hated most.

"Earth to Larson." Brandyn said loudly. "I asked you a question. Wake up and pay attention."

Erick felt a sharp pulse of rage deep in his gut.

"Better. Where is Adrianna?"

The sharp pulse of rage grew. "S-she's gone."

Finn went still and stared up at him with wide eyes.

Brandyn blinked. "What do you mean, gone?"

Erick swallowed thickly. "She was in the Great Hall. When it exploded."

Genevieve and others gasped in horror. Finn went white.

Brandyn's blue eyes flicked between his, searching for the lie.

"It's true, sir."

Brandyn glared up at the soldier who'd spoken, one of the few brutes who had brought Erick here. Who had kept him from saving his Annie. Even now the man had a hand pressed to a wound on his forearm, where Erick must have stabbed him to get free. To get to her. Not that it had mattered in the end.

"We ran after the girl and tried to catch her, but she went into the Great Hall right before it exploded. Stupid thing to do, but… "

A muscle ticked in Brandyn's jaw before he let Erick's collar slip through his fingers. "Alright. Unfortunate, considering I had many plans for her."

Erick's stomach twisted in rage.

Without warning, Brandyn kicked his prosthetic. Erick slammed to the ground and barely managed to catch himself before eating dirt. Shaking, he gritted his teeth and returned to his knees in the calmest way he could. He hoped nobody could see how much his hands were shaking.

"Where is Darin?"

Though he'd expected the question and despite his roiling insides, Erick kept his face blank.

Brandyn sniffed in derision. "Well, we've got plenty of time before daddy tries to save the day. We'll pick up that conversation again later."

Erick hoped not.

"Viggo, why don't you bring out our friends?" Brandyn asked suddenly. Finn seemed to blink out of a trance.

Viggo snapped his fingers and four of his men disappeared. Brandyn strode up and down the force of captured Berkians, all of whom watched him with wide or enraged eyes. Erick glanced around to see who else had survived.

Helga and Thuggory sat side by side, glowering at Brandyn. Morgan was sitting beside Thorein, her hand clutched in his. She was weeping silently. His mother Lara sat a few rows behind them. Her back was ramrod straight. She glared up at Brandyn without an ounce of fear. Magnus and Greg were clustered around her with their children. All of his nieces and nephews were staring at him with wide eyes. He didn't linger on them. Mel and Ellie sat with them too, though Nikolas was in a group of men who'd been separated. He couldn't see Gustav's wife or their kids. He prayed they were just out of his vantage point.

Lofn was nowhere to be seen. Good.

A flash of auburn hair caught his eye and he spied Taryn, looking straight at him. Good, she and Cliff-

Erick blinked, the haze lifting for only a moment. Where was Cliff?

Taryn glanced up at Brandyn, who was some feet away. "Have you seen Cliff?"

Erick shook his head.

Her eyes welled up with tears. "I don't know where he is. I haven't seen him since-"

"Mrs. Smedley." Brandyn said suddenly. "Did you have something you'd like to say?"

Taryn covered her mouth and shook her head, tears streaming down her face. She didn't look up at him.

"Good choice." Brandyn said, gazing down at her belly. "I wouldn't want something terrible to happen to you or the baby. That said, send out a search party for Cliff. He never shuts up and he's clumsy to boot. I'm sure he'll out himself eventually." He kept walking and smirked as a few dozen men peeled off from the mass of soldiers and disappeared down various streets. "I was wondering why it was so quiet."

"-e down, you filthy, disgusting piece of trash!" A shrill voice echoed up the ravine.

Finn swiveled on the spot.

Inga Jorgenson appeared at the top of the docks, her hands bound. She was thrown over a beefy guard's shoulder, her long braid swinging in the air as she dangled. Her blue eyes blazed like an inferno.

Without warning, the guard flopped her onto the ground like a sack of potatoes beside Genevieve. Inga growled and struggled to her knees.

"Inga," Finn breathed. "You're alive."

"Of course, I'm alive, you idiot."

Despite himself and despite everything, Erick smiled slightly. Adrianna would have laughed.

A second group appeared at the top of the stairs. A dark skinned young woman appeared first with scars on her face and shorn hair. She looked around with wide, curious eyes before dropping them and hustling to Viggo Grimborn's side.

Next came a pair of guards, who had someone held tightly between them. It was a boy, judging by his build, but a bag had been thrown over his head. Clearly whoever he was, he'd suffered at the hands of someone evil because his arms and chest were wrapped in bandages beneath his shirt.

Inga sucked in a breath.

"Ah, about time." Brandyn said, approaching the group. "People of Berk, I have an announcement for you. Everything that has transpired in the last few weeks, especially the last few days, is all thanks to our honored guest here. As a final gift, I thought I'd return your little homing pigeon back to you for hard work well done."

And then he yanked off the hood.

Gasps rose up from the crowd, including shrieks from Taryn and Joann Brand.

Alton Brand hissed in the morning light, his eyes squinting against the brightness. His normally golden skin from long days in the sun was pale and wan. His usually confident hazel eyes blinked open and widened with horror at what had become of his home.

The scars on his face and on his body spoke volumes to the things he'd endured. And they'd done so little to save him. Erick's rage bubbled beneath his skin.

Brandyn smirked and gave Alton a hard shove. Clearly weak and unable to catch himself, Alton collapsed and coughed. "Behold, your betrayer." His soldiers laughed.

Inga growled and started forward, but was wrenched back by a soldier.

"Everything that's happened here is your fault, Brand." Brandyn said, staring down at Alton with a look of disgust. "You should never have left Berk to begin with."

Alton squeezed his eyes shut and shakily got to his hands and knees.

"But," Brandyn said in a light tone. "I'm not a monster. I'm not without mercy. Let Joann collect her son, whatever's left of him."

Erick's heart twisted in his chest as Joann hustled from the crowd. Taryn wept nearby, clearly wishing to go to her brother.

Joann's steps slowed as she approached her son. She slowly knelt before him and lifted his face until their eyes met. "My son, come home to me."

Alton's face broke. "Mom. I'm sorry, for everything-"

"No no no," Joann said in a firm whisper, sweeping her hands over his face, ever so gentle over his healing injuries. "What you have endured, my son, has made you so brave and strong. Hear me. This is not your fault."

Alton buried his face in his mom's shoulder and for a moment, she sat there and held him. She made no acknowledgement of Brandyn looming over her or the soldiers around them. She looked strangely serene, a mother comforting her ailing child and nothing more.

But a few moments passed and she slid a hand into his hair. "Come."

He stubbornly bit his lip against any pain he felt as he rose and they returned to her seat in the crowd. Clyde helped Alton sit, but not before he threw Brandyn a scathing look of hatred. Once settled they wrapped comforting arms around Alton, who closed his eyes. As if trying to feel comfort from their embrace. As if trying to forget. As if he thought he didn't deserve it.

Erick added these to his long list of things that never should have happened. Fueling his rage.

"Now that that's out of the way," Brandyn said. He seemed to be filled with an intense sort of pleasure, as if he'd been planning every second of this in his head for years, and was finally able to play it out. "It's time to discuss Berk's future. It's unfortunate that we don't have our beloved Chief and his wife here, along with everyone else, for this important speech, but they'll be along shortly I'm sure." Brandyn gazed out across the people. "How many of you were aware that you've been led under false pretenses for years?"

Confusion flickered across many faces. Even Erick frowned, unsure what sort of nonsense this was referring to.

"Yes. Now I can't completely blame you for your ignorance, considering you were never told. But if it was me, or many other leaders across the Archipelago… across the world, really, it would be paramount to treason to keep certain things secret. Such as… the legitimacy of the right to rule."

Brandyn smirked savagely and looked directly at Finn, who blinked.

"Fearless Finn has every right." Gobber sneered. "As heir to the Haddock line-"

"Oh he's the heir." Brandyn said, strolling forward. "I don't dispute that. But that's not the issue. Is it Finn?"

Finn glowered up at him.

Without warning, Brandyn grabbed a handful of Finn's hair and yanked his head back so far, Erick thought his neck might break. Shouts and cries of shock went up from the crowd as Finn was dragged forward, hissing in pain.

Genevieve launched to her feet. She didn't make it more than two feet before she was quickly subdued. Erick's rage coiled in his gut like a snake poised to strike, but he froze at the sight of the burn mark seared into Finn's temple. A snake curved into an S. The mark that had been hiding in plain sight for years.

Genevieve seemed to notice at the exact same time he did and began to thrash. "No! No-"

"Do you see it now?" Brandyn bellowed. "The proof of his own weakness? The slavemark doesn't lie or discriminate. It nullifies the bloodline of any who bears it. And unfortunately for you, Finn," he hissed. "That includes you."

Brandyn shoved Finn hard enough that he barely caught himself on his forearms. He struggled into a crouch and glared up at Brandyn, but at the sound of the soldiers' laughter and mocking jeers that rose up in the air, a flush began to creep up his collar.

"Weak!"

"Fake!"

"Worthless fool!"

The gathered Berkians stared at Finn in dismay and confusion as Brandyn's men bellowed and laughed, the sound rising like a wave. It didn't change anything, not really, but the knowledge was still a shock. It was slight, but Finn seemed to curl into himself ever so slightly as the voices rose and the shock and confusion flickered across the faces of his people. He couldn't lie to them. He couldn't defend himself against the truth. For years, Erick had suspected it. Had wondered and been too cowardly to ask.

As a joke, he'd once asked Finn, "What am I, your slave?"

And he'd been so utterly confused when the amusement vanished from Finn's face in an instant, and he'd turned away. He hadn't understood it then. But now, as he saw what he didn't see then… the shame mingled with sadness…

Fearless Finn had been a slave, just as Benen had been.

Erick's rage thrashed in his chest. His friend… no, his brother would not be shamed like this.

Adrianna would never stand for it.

"And soon enough," Brandyn continued, his voice cutting through the jeers and laughter. "You Berkians will all find yourselves with one to match."

Finn whipped around, aghast. The Berkians stared and then clamored suddenly. Their panic began to churn.

"Yes, my friend Slaver Anton and I have made an agreement." Brandyn said, relishing the fear he was inciting. "In about a week, slave ships will be arriving. We will separate you all, one by one, give you the slavemark, and you'll be sent across the world. In a week, Berk will no longer exist. But," he smiled. "Only after Hiccup returns. I plan to scatter you all to the winds, and I'm going to make him watch."

Even as his people began to cry out and weep and fight against the guards again, who quickly ended the skirmishes, Finn seemed to be at a complete loss. As if he was living out his worst nightmare.

Erick exhaled through his nose. Maybe a tiny part of himself was glad that Adrianna wasn't here to witness this. To see her people branded and sent out across the sea, never to be seen or heard from again. A small silver lining amongst all this darkness.

Brandyn had tried in vain to take everything from her. He'd failed back then, but now he was doing everything in his power to take everything from Berk. Their leaders, their heir, their safety, their home, and now their freedom. It wouldn't stop here.

He would break Finn down until there was nothing left if that is what it took to keep Berk under his thumb. To make Hiccup submit when he returned. And if that happened, then Darin was truly lost. Lofn was keeping him safe for now, but he knew that had its limitations. It couldn't last forever.

Darin. His sweet boy, who had saved both his parents in ways he could never understand.

Adrianna… his best friend, his wife… gone.

Finn, his brother and friend, shamed in front of his village after failing to protect them.

Genevieve, who struggled against her guards with every ounce of strength she had to get to Finn. Whose entire family could be dead at Brandyn's will.

Hiccup and Astrid, victims of Brandyn and Dagur's evil schemes for decades.

Cliff, his best friend, who was missing. Taryn, clutching her hands to her belly as if her unborn child could tell her where he was. If he was still alive.

Alton, who stared blankly forward, as if wondering why he'd been kept alive and tortured and brought back to Berk just to be sent away again.

Evan… his friend, whose candle had been snuffed out too quickly. Morgan, who still wept for him.

Each person fueled every layer of his rage. He kept his face blank and he remained utterly still. Brandyn was still jeering over Finn, his back to Erick. He seemed to have forgotten about Erick entirely.

Across the square, Erick was surprised to find Nikolas staring at him. His brother made no outward acknowledgement, the Larson mask securely in place. And yet his brows twitched ever so slightly as Erick's fingers tightened against the rope restricting his hands. He couldn't do much. In fact, he wished he had a blade. But his Hjartan steel had been taken from him upon his capture, tossed into a pile of Berkian weapons somewhere in the village.

Erick closed his eyes, shutting out his burning village, his people, his friends and family, the jeering. He briefly thought of Adrianna and the years they'd had together. They hadn't been married long, but he'd been incredibly blessed regardless to have found his best friend so early in life. To have shared his life with her. To have waded life's dark waters with her. To have found such joy with her.

And he thought of Darin. He thought of the day he was born, to the first time he held his son in his arms. He thought of Darin's first set of hiccups and his first laugh. His first steps. His first escape out the door and toddling down the street before he and Adrianna had decided that a bell on the door might be wise. He thought of the joy he felt when his son began speaking more than just simple words, but began talking in full sentences. When his intelligence began to show, and his bright blue eyes crinkled with joy.

Adrianna and Darin were a balm to his soul. They were his everything, the lifeblood in his veins and the beat of his heart, which pounded near painfully beneath his shirt.

When he flicked his eyes open at last, he was not afraid.

---

Finn had never felt shame like this before. He thought he knew what it felt like. To feel ashamed for the things he'd done, to carry the burden of his sins wherever he went. Even finding peace within himself didn't always soothe that inner guilt, that he'd hurt people, that he'd caused Erick to be crippled for the rest of his life, that he'd nearly thrown his entire life away. That he'd ever gotten himself into such horrible messes. That he bore the mark of slavery.

No one understood what that sort of burden felt like. It had been, perhaps, his most closely guarded secret all these years. And seeing the truth of it reflected in the eyes of his people, whom he'd failed to protect… hearing the jeers and laughter of Brandyn's men echoing around him…

He'd never felt so small.

Or perhaps, he hadn't felt so small since the day he'd been lined up on a platform with men twice his age and hardened by life's cruelty and been sold to an old, evil man. Even back then he'd had a fighting spirit. He'd been afraid, just as he was now. He didn't know what would happen next. The thought of his people being branded one by one and sent away on slave ships… never to be seen again…

It was his worst nightmare. All these years he'd wanted to stop the slave trade. Now, not only had it trickled into the Archipelago, his own people would be the first to go.

Fight it, his heart seemed to say. Don't let them break you. Not like this.

He was outnumbered, exhausted, and surrounded. His people were panicking and quickly subdued. His father might never return.

Only Gobber stared directly at him from the crowd, his blue eyes intense, his jaw tight. The old man had been around his entire life. He'd always been a steady force, always supportive and guiding him. Just as he'd guided his parents when they were young.

Gobber lifted his chin. Though he said nothing, his words were clear as day.

Don't give in, lad.

Finn swallowed his fear, a tongue of fire rising to replace it. He would not be cowed like this. There was little else he could do, but he would not let Brandyn break him down in front of his people. He would not show weakness. If his parents should never return, he was the one they were looking to. The ball stopped with him. He'd do whatever it took to keep it.

So Fearless Finn squared his shoulders and straightened. No matter what happened next, he would not yield. Not to Brandyn. Not to Slaver Anton or Viggo Grimborn. Not to any of them.

Brandyn seemed to take note of his rising courage. "It's futile, you know. There's no point in putting on a brave face. And when Hiccup returns, he won't stand a chance."

"We'll see." Finn said. "You should do yourself a favor and leave now."

Brandyn and his men laughed. "Why would I do that?"

"I'm warning you, Brandyn." Finn said in a low, firm voice. "This island is mine. Pack up and go now."

Brandyn rolled his eyes. "I didn't realize you were delusional, Finn. Whatever is left of Hiccup's army is no doubt on its way, but it's not enough to take Berk back."

Finn said nothing.

"People have always joked that the stubbornness of Haddocks would get you all killed one day. That day has finally come-"

As Brandyn continued, Finn rolled his eyes and caught sight of Erick, still kneeling in the dirt a few feet away. It was strange to see him covered in soot and dried blood. For all outward appearances, he looked calm with his eyes closed, as if he was blocking everything out.

Perhaps he was. A sharp pain of grief threatened to rip open Finn's chest but he stamped it out. Adrianna… his twin… gone. It was too much to consider. But why would Erick lie? And if it was confirmed by the soldiers…

But where was Darin? Surely he wasn't with her when it happened… But no, he knew Erick. If something happened to Darin, he was sure Erick would be inconsolable. Unlike now, when he looked so… calm.

Which was utterly strange. Adrianna was his best friend, his closest companion since they were toddlers. In the past he'd been borderline crazed in his need to protect her, to make sure she was safe. And yet now that she was gone… Maybe he was trying to keep himself from falling to pieces?

But then Erick's teal eyes flicked open, glaring up at Brandyn, whose back was to him and completely unaware. And for the first time in his life, Finn saw the mask drop to reveal nothing but complete and utter rage in his brother's eyes.

Without warning Erick launched upward and yanked the length of rope binding his wrists around Brandyn's throat. Finn stared, deaf to the shocked shouts of Berkians and soldiers alike as Erick yanked him backwards with every ounce of strength he had.

Brandyn recoiled and thrashed, his eyes bugging for a moment before a flash of rage took over. He shuffled backwards with quick steps and slammed Erick up against the nearest wall of a building. Erick growled but didn't let go.

Erick was past consolation. He was beyond peace and talking and letting his enemy roam free. He was the embodiment of fury. He would avenge his wife, who'd been put through Hel time and time again, and had lost her life in the end anyway. He would protect his son with everything he had left.

He might have been successful as Brandyn's face began to turn bright red and he struggled, but they were surrounded by soldiers, who quickly converged on the pair.

Finn leaped to his feet and was quickly tackled to the ground.

Brandyn slammed Erick against the wall again, loosening his grip at last. He shoved a hand through the loop of rope and fought against Erick's strength. "Back… off!" He wheezed, glaring at his men, who screeched to a halt. "He's MINE."

Without warning, Brandyn slammed the back of his head into Erick's forehead. Dazed, Erick's grip loosened and with his arms held up, he was unable to block Brandyn's elbow as it slammed into his stomach. Gasping, he rebounded by kicking the back of Brandyn's knee, which buckled. They crashed into a heap and struggled, Erick growling in frustration as Brandyn kept his hand firmly in place, blocking his windpipe. His other hand scrambled for a sheathed dagger on his thigh, which he raised to the rope-

"Erick!" Finn bellowed, struggling beneath the guards just as the rope snapped.

Erick flew backward with the momentum and hit the ground hard. He only had a second's recovery before Brandyn was on him. The dagger fell and he barely managed to throw up his forearm to block it. He threw up his prosthetic and kicked Brandyn in the stomach as hard as he could, a flash of pain scorching his own face before they rolled. The guards started forward again.

"No!" Slaver Anton bellowed from somewhere over Finn's shoulder.

Finn had never seen Erick fight more ferociously. He'd trained his brother-in-law to be faster and stronger, to know how to fight with weapons and in hand-to-hand combat. Erick had dragged his feet at first, not wanting to learn.

Now he got to see his friend's hard work come to fruition as he blocked every strike, made well-placed hits of his own, and somehow blocked out the shouting of the crowd. His single-minded determination was clear: if he could end Brandyn today, they could end all of it today. Finn struggled against his captors again and a knee was driven painfully into his back between his shoulder blades.

Brandyn struck out with the dagger again. Erick blocked the oncoming hit with a quick strike to his forearm and the force of it sent the dagger flying out of Brandyn's hand. Momentarily distracted, Brandyn didn't see Erick's other fist until it drove into his nose.

The Berkians gave a shout as Brandyn recoiled. In a second, his face contorted with rage. He didn't seem to notice the blood, but the pain seemed to sharpen his senses. With a bellow he rushed forward in a flurry of attacks, faster than Erick could block. As one of his fists got past Erick's guard and landed him squarely in the jaw, Erick lost his footing and Brandyn seized his advantage. Grabbing him by the shirt, he shoved backwards until he bodily slammed Erick into a window, which shattered and sent glass everywhere.

Erick gasped and recoiled as he was slammed into the window pane again. Fresh blood slid down his face. He tried to kick and squirm out of Brandyn's hold but suddenly Brandyn threw him to the ground, his hands tight on his throat.

"No! No!" Finn shouted.

He wasn't the only one shouting and struggling to break free as Erick struggled, his face quickly going red. Nikolas and Greg were tackled to the ground among others. Lara gave a wail. Thorein and Gobber, Thuggory and Helga and Genevieve-

Brandyn hovered over Erick's now purpling face. "I will end you here like the weakling you are. You just be thankful Adrianna died before you had to listen to her scream." Erick thrashed, stubbornness breaking through, but he was quickly slammed back to the ground. "And when I find Darin, oh. Don't worry, I won't hurt him. I need him for the life we're going to build. But I'll tell him the truth about everything. About how you were nothing but a fake, who never wanted him anyway-"

Erick's movements turned sluggish.

"Brandyn, if I may-"

"Shut up, Viggo!" Brandyn growled, his gaze focused entirely on Erick.

"Where is the boy, Brandyn?"

His strong words stirred something in Finn's mind.

"If Adrianna is gone, and the boy was not with her, then where did she leave him? Perhaps Erick is the only one who knows. Vastly outnumbered as he is, he couldn't have expected to actually win this fight." Viggo said quickly, his mismatched eyes flicking between them. "But if he's the only one who knows where Darin is, then his location dies with him."

Finn saw the flicker of rationality cut through Brandyn's rage before he suddenly withdrew his hands.

Erick sucked in a breath and began hacking. His face turned bright red and his eyes streamed. Still he shook his head, confirming Viggo's words.

"Oh gods." Finn growled, muscles quivering with exhaustion.

"Clever fox." Brandyn hissed before slamming a hand over Erick's mouth, pressing his skull into the dirt and looming over him. "I will find him no matter what you do. You won't get out of this so easily."

Despite everything, Erick glared up at him with nothing but hatred.

Brandyn shoved himself out of the dirt and glared down at Erick as he slowly sat up, coughing painfully. He cocked his head and then kicked out.

Erick never saw it coming.

Brandyn's boot connected with his jaw and his body went slack. Erick was unconscious before he hit the ground with a dull thud.

Amid the cries from the crowd and many struggling bodies, Genevieve let out a feral screech that Finn had never heard before.

"Brandyn, I'll take you apart piece by piece-"

"Unless you also want a boot to that pretty face, Miss Sullivan," Viggo said, cutting off Brandyn before he could speak. "I suggest you pipe down."

Brandyn shot Viggo a scathing look. The look in his eyes was nothing short of deadly. The crazed, deranged look of someone who was on the verge of snapping altogether. Erick had surprised him. He didn't take kindly to surprises. Too many might be his undoing.

Finn filed the information away for later as Brandyn turned his murderous blue eyes on him. "Get him out of here."

He could do nothing as he was hauled to his feet and carried through the crowd through the village. Genevieve shrieked behind him and he struggled against the men ushering him onward, unable to see what was happening.

The smell of smoke accosted him at every turn as they marched through the village. Streets that he'd walked his entire life were destroyed, covered in carnage, broken buildings and debris. He tried not to focus on the faces of the fallen, but he couldn't help it. The faces of those he couldn't save.

The farther they walked and the more faces and broken bodies he saw, the more he realized a pattern. All of the fallen were elderly.

Saving the young and strong for the slave trade, he thought weakly, his stomach churning.

So many of the fallen had been retired men and women, who'd volunteered to help since they were so shorthanded. He'd allowed them to help, thinking there was no harm in it. Maybe he shouldn't have put them on the front lines. Maybe it didn't matter either way.

Guilt and shame prickled through his insides with each step. His body ached with every breath. He had been Berk's last line of defense and he'd lost.

The fires from the Great Hall still burned and the smoke still billowed upward. The sun had begun its steady rise, preparing them for a clear beautiful day. He wished it wouldn't. Sunshine didn't match the mood for everything that had happened today. For everything that was coming.

The smothering smokebreaths had been the perfect cover for Brandyn, cloaking them in fog and darkness, allowing him to creep up on the allied clans unawares. First Sven and Berserker. Then Kara and Brawn. Camicazi and Bog Burglar. And now Berk.

His stomach twisted with dread as they approached the jail, built into the cliffs a short distance away from the Great Hall. Finn tried not to think of his sister as the door was opened with a screech of rusty hinges. They strode down the hall until he was yanked to a halt. A ring of keys jangled nearby, the nearest cell door opened, and he was swiftly shoved inside.

Finn didn't fight it. There was little point to fighting now, not when his body was exhausted beyond its usefulness. The door slammed behind him and he slowly turned around to glare at Brandyn, who peered at him through the bars with a mixed expression of glee and satisfaction. The murderous glint seemed to have faded.

More guards followed, one dragging Genevieve in as she kicked and thrashed. She was quickly deposited into the cell beside him. He watched as she was thrown in without preamble. She spun and crashed against the door as it was slammed in her face. He'd never seen her so feral. He was quite satisfied to see many scratches on the bare arms and hands of the men who'd had the misfortune of dragging her in.

A final guard strode in with Erick slung over his shoulders, limp as a rag doll. The cell to Finn's right was opened and he was unceremoniously dumped to the floor. His eyelids didn't even flicker with the abuse his body was maintaining. Finn wasn't sure if that was good or bad. More blood had dried on his face, mixing with the grime and soot. That was nothing on the bruising that was beginning to reveal itself on his neck and face. Overall, he looked awful and Finn hoped he'd stay unconscious for a while, so his body could try to recuperate.

"Well," Brandyn said in a prim voice. "I trust you'll make yourselves comfortable. I'll be along to fetch you when daddy arrives to save the day."

Finn said nothing.

Genevieve, however, had other ideas. "What do you plan to do with us? What are you doing with everyone else?"

"We'll break them up into groups and keep them comfortable." Brandyn said. "As for you, I suggest you rally your strength. Try to rest," he said in a low, sarcastic voice. "You're going to need it."

With a sudden grin, Brandyn strode away. Finn watched him go with a look of hatred. As he disappeared out the door, he found himself staring at Viggo Grimborn, standing near the door with a curious look on his face. Finn raised his chin and glowered.

Viggo merely gave him a small smile and left, the door swinging shut behind him with a loud bang.

Once they were gone, the jail was mercifully quiet except for the occasional drip of water.

Finn gazed around and exhaled. The place was still cold, still dark, still unforgiving. He hadn't been here in a long time, except this time he was in here for a very different reason.

Sighing, Genevieve broke the silence and dropped onto her bunk with a creak. She shook her head bitterly. "How did this happen?"

Finn said nothing. There was too much and too little to say. Slowly, he sat on his own bunk and slid a hand through the bars toward her. Genevieve glanced at it briefly before taking it. Her fingers were soft and warm as they slid through his. She slid closer so her shoulder was pressed against his through the bars. At least they were together.

Suddenly he thought of Adrianna, how Erick would never get to hold her again, how Darin would never see her again, and the emotions he'd suppressed came flooding upward. What would he tell his parents? As if losing Berk wasn't enough, the guilt of his lost people wasn't enough, how could he tell his parents their only daughter was gone?

Genevieve made a soft noise and reached through the bars to caress his face. "I'm sorry."

Finn shook his head. "I don't even remember the last thing I said to her."

Genevieve pressed a kiss to his shoulder, tears slipping down her own face.

Together they cried in the silence of the jail, grieving for Adrianna and the other lives lost. There was nothing else to be said or done.

---

Everything felt heavy, like a thick blanket was covering her senses. Her limbs. Her consciousness.

Things came to her slowly. Something crackled in the distance. Hearing.

Touch. Her fingers twitched, slipping through… sand? No, something softer, like powder.

Smell. The acrid scent of burning leather and hair.

Taste came next with a swift viciousness that she began to choke. The same acrid thing she could smell overwhelmed her mouth, her throat and lungs. Soon she was hacking.

And pain overwhelmed her.

Adrianna cried out as everything came to her in a rush, her brain awakening with a confused flurry. The only thing that didn't come to her quickly… was her sight. Everything was black.

She raised a shaking hand to her eyes and whimpered, realizing she couldn't see it. A feeling of panic set in and she hissed, realizing suddenly that she was being crushed beneath something large and heavy.

"Breathe." Adrianna whispered. Her voice was weak and brittle from coughing. "Breathe." She said again, firmer this time.

Gingerly she reached over her shoulder and felt something hard and unforgiving. It was long and stretched over her back at an odd angle, but she soon realized it was propped up by something cold on her left. A wooden beam propped up on a boulder.

And then blessedly, her eyes became accustomed to the darkness with each passing moment. She wasn't blind. It was just dark. Very dark.

Tears threatened to overcome her but she shoved it aside. "No. Breathe." She had to get out of this place. She had to free herself from this beam and try to find a way out.

Memories accosted her as she struggled to her forearms, choking on a mixture of dust, dirt and ash. That was the odd texture she could feel beneath her palms, covering her skin in a fine layer of powdery dust.

The Great Hall, the secret tunnel, the explosion… Erick.

Adrianna's eyes flew open. Oh gods. Darin.

She'd promised to find Erick and go back to Darin. She'd broken that promise.

The thought of her husband and son sent a burst of determination through her. Gritting her teeth she pushed upward. The beam began to move, sending pebbles and broken wood and another cloud of ash and dust upon her. She struggled to her knees, her body whining in protest as she moved the brunt of the beam to her shoulder. Panting, she hoped she wasn't about to do something supremely stupid, and hefted the beam up before launching forward.

The beam came down with a crash, but she pulled herself out of the way just in time. Rocks and wood tumbled forward and she yelped before covering her head and waited out the small rockslide. It didn't last long though and she slowly raised her head, unharmed.

Sighing, she crawled forward on her hands and knees before she attempted to stand. A sharp, throbbing pain made itself known the second she tried and she crumpled with a cry. Panting, she realized that now her body was free, her body was aware of an injury that she hadn't felt before.

"Oh gods." Adrianna hissed, then began feeling her torso. Nothing seemed to be wrong until she found a piece of wood, blunt and sharp wedged into the armor of her flight suit beneath her armpit and she gave a yelp of pain. "Ow! Ow. Oh gods."

Her left arm decided then that moving was not preferred. It was quickly becoming difficult to do much of anything now that her body was taking stock of pains and cuts, bumps and bruises. Gods, how did anyone function through injuries all the time? It was quite cumbersome.

And the pain of the wood impaling her flesh was the most painful of all. For a moment she wanted nothing more than to rip it from her body and be done with it, sure that it would fill her with relief. But her brother's voice overruled that notion almost instantly.

If you're stabbed, don't pull it out. You'll bleed out before you can get the help you need. Leave it in until someone can help you, preferably a healer.

But all the healers were rounded up by Brandyn's army by now. Inga was missing in her attempts to find Alton. No, she'd have to do this alone. But not here.

Gingerly, Adrianna began feeling in her pockets. Her parents had always told her and Finn over the years to never leave home without certain necessities. Before her flight-suit wearing days, she'd carry a satchel with all the necessities. Snacks, skin of water, gauze, needle and thread. When you lived with dragons, accidents were almost as common as breathing.

She didn't have a satchel with these items now, but she did have a few things. Her daggers were still in their scabbards on her hips. A small pouch was on her waist, in which she'd stored Darin's cloth butterfly, some money (which was utterly useless to her), and…

"Yes!" Adrianna hissed, pulling out a long wooden stick. She flicked it against the nearest rock and a spark of flame came into view. She'd put the matches in here just last week after lighting a candle and felt too lazy to put them back in the box. Now she was grateful for them.

The brightness of the flame was short lived as her eyes quickly adjusted. She found herself in a tunnel, mostly caved in from the explosion that overtook the Great Hall. There was lots of wood scattered around, which was rather confusing. The sound of crackling filled her ears again and she slowly looked up.

High above her, the entrance into the Great Hall, or what remained of it, was smoldering. It was clearly buried by rubble, but still burned from the wreckage. Flames licked down wooden beams that had once been a long staircase, which had been destroyed.

Adrianna exhaled slowly, realizing just how lucky she was to be alive. The wound in her side gave a screech of pain as she turned away and she hissed.

Well, most of her. Gobber's voice said in her ear and she giggled.

"Alright," Adrianna whispered and crept forward, careful to watch the match's flame as it slowly crept down the small length of wood. "Time to get out of here."

She walked what felt like forever but could have been about twenty minutes. It was a long tunnel, clearly manmade, and though she was fairly short for a woman, she still had to stoop at times to keep from knocking her head on the earthy ceiling. She had to stop on a few occasions to light a new match. Counting them up, she only had four, which encouraged her to quicken her pace as much as she could. If she ran out of matches, she might wind up trapped down here forever. The thought didn't sit well.

On her second to last match, she found herself at an old staircase, clearly made of hardened clay. But looking upward, she could see no opening. Her heart quickened in her chest.

"Alright, where are you? Finn told me there was a trap door."

Despite the darkness, Adrianna squinted at the ceiling and raised her match as high as she could. The ceiling was covered in dirt and rocks and roots sticking out at odd angles from various plants, except for a square section of wood.

Adrianna glanced at her match, which was almost out and sighed. Waving it to snuff it out, she stood in darkness for a moment. The light was easier to see now. Climbing up the stairs and gritting her teeth against the pain, she pushed upward. To her immense relief, the trapdoor budged. Gathering her strength, she heaved upward with every ounce of strength she had. She bit back a scream as the wound in her side gave a screech of dismay.

The door heaved upward and landed on the ground with a crash. Panting, Adrianna paused, hoping against all hope that if anyone was in the vicinity, they hadn't heard it. But after waiting a full minute, she heard nothing aside from the chirp of birds.

Biting her lip against the pain, Adrianna tiptoed up the stairs. She collapsed onto a bed of pine needles and leaves and lay there panting, her side positively throbbing. When the pain subsided enough to move, she pushed herself to her hands and knees and looked around.

The woods were utterly quiet. There was nobody around, no sound of voices or movement. It took a moment to gather her bearings, but she quickly deduced that if the tunnel she'd come from, which had been fairly straightforward, led north, then it was a safe bet that the Great Hall and the village beyond was north. Indeed the sky in that direction looked gray and smokey compared to the rest of the sky. She glanced up at the sun and marked its location.

She sat for a moment, memorizing the area in case she needed somewhere to hide. To her knowledge, very few people knew about this tunnel. The Great Hall might be destroyed, but the tunnel itself was fairly safe. So long as nobody could find it, she could come back to it if needed.

So she carefully hauled the trap door back down, gritting her teeth against another scream as the wooden spike digging into her flesh seared painfully. As soon as it was down, she took stock of her body.

Everything seemed to be in working order, though she had a few cuts and scrapes on her hands and face. One cut on her jaw was particularly painful, but it seemed to have stopped bleeding. Her skin was covered in a dark ashy soot.

Her flight suit seemed to be in proper working order. As Lily was a Fire Class dragon, it was covered in her scales and her oily secretions that protected the material from fire. The thought of her dragon and not knowing what had become of her sent a pang through her chest, but she pushed it aside.

Then she pulled her braid over her shoulder and gasped in dismay as it crumbled in her hands.

Adrianna stared in shock at the burned hair and then choked on the acrid scent. Suddenly tears welled up in her eyes. Erick had always loved her long hair. She had always loved her long hair, even if she whined about it sometimes.

Now…

Tears splashed down her face and she shoved them away roughly. It was just hair. There were so many things wrong right now, so many things that had gone horribly. The silence was too much and had too many connotations. She needed to investigate to find out what was going on. She needed to stay focused so she wouldn't get caught. She needed to find Erick and Darin and Finn…

And she wouldn't be any use to them crying in the woods over her lost hair.

Still… she set the crumbled braid down on the ground with a sense of loss. She gave herself three seconds to mourn its loss before shaking her head and combing her fingers through what was left of it. The more she combed, the more it crumbled away. She bit her lip to ignore the emotions as it continued to fall away… and gradually stopped.

Sighing, she patted what was left. It felt so short compared to what she was used to. Though she had nothing to look at it with and there was no water nearby, she thought it might be an inch or so above her shoulders.

Taking a deep breath through her nose, Adrianna gazed upward. The sun was rising steadily into the sky, but hadn't quite risen as high as the trees yet. So it was still sometime in the morning. While she didn't very much love the idea of sneaking around in the dark, it would make her a lot less visible. For a long moment she wasn't sure what to do…

Eventually she rose to her feet and began walking west. She wasn't exactly sure where to go, but she had to get some idea of what was happening. Had Berk been overthrown? What was happening with all the villagers? Had her daddy returned yet with the rest of the army?

No… if they had returned, surely the air would be filled with the sounds of battle, however muted by distance. She wasn't that far inland.

Adrianna walked for some time, the wound in her side pulsing with each step. She crept around trees and listened for sounds of movement almost constantly. The few times something moved, it was a bird or a squirrel. There were usually more creatures out at this time of day, like wild boar and deer. Perhaps the sounds of battle had scared them off into the farther reaches of the island where it was safe.

As she walked, her thoughts returned again and again to Erick and Darin. Were they alright? Were they safe? Had Lofn gotten Darin to safety? Surely she had. But Erick… had he escaped from the blast unscathed?

A bark of laughter echoed through the trees and Adrianna ducked behind a row of thick bushes. She pressed her back against a thick tree trunk, her heart thundering. A flighty sense of terror pulsed through her chest as the voices grew closer. Two, perhaps three men.

Calm down.

Slowly she breathed in through her nose and back out her mouth. So long as she kept calm and they didn't get too close to her, they wouldn't find her. So long as she kept her head.

"-the faces of those welps when he said they'd be shipped off to the slave trade? The sheer terror. Imagine falling to pieces so quickly-"

"Well, to be fair they did just get annihilated."

"Yeah but really. The fun is just beginning! The Chief ain't back yet. You'd think they'd be filled with hope at being rescued-"

"I'm sure many of them are, but they're old or female. Weakness on both counts, I say."

Adrianna grit her teeth.

They stopped perhaps twenty feet from her location.

"Look at it all. Green and fertile. This is where I'll build my house, Bert. Right here."

"So long as you're allowed to pick where you put a house-"

"Why would he care? Brandyn's up to his eyeballs in his own plan. Why should he care where we set down some roots?"

"I'm just sayin', don't get excited. For all you know, he plans to ship us back to Berserker."

"And rebuild that ole rock? There's nothing left but rubble! At least here there's timber."

"Knowing him he'll have all this stripped and the timber sent to Berserker. Something tells me he wants to build his empire there, not here."

"Well that's stupid."

"Maybe one day when you're Chief, you can decide where to build-"

"Sh! Did you hear that?"

Adrianna froze. She hadn't moved, but there was indeed the sound of crashing in the distance. She prayed it was a deer. But how could it be? Deer didn't make that much noise…

The crashing came to a halt, as if the owner suddenly realized they weren't alone.

Adrianna's heart beat so loudly she wondered if the men could hear it.

The sound of metal sliding out of scabbards echoed in the following silence. "I'll take the left, you take the right."

Gulping, Adrianna peeked around the bark of the tree. If they were heading in her direction, she had to know sooner rather than later. Blessedly the two men were moving further away from her location, their weapons drawn. They were a pair of tall, beefy men, broad in every way except in their strangely narrow hips and legs. Adrianna briefly wondered how anyone could be so vastly disproportionate and then shook herself.

Now was her chance to get out of here!

Creeping back to her feet, she tiptoed back the way she'd come. She kept to the soft, mossy patches covering the dirt, and avoided the ones on the rocks. Moss growing on rocks usually made them very slippery, and being so close to the soldiers clearly hunting for escaped Berkians, she couldn't afford to draw their attention.

Though she sincerely hoped that whatever had made all that noise was an animal, and not one of her fellow villagers.

After a while she began to relax. She could no longer see or hear the men.

She leaned up against another tree, fanning her face. In the growing summer heat and the leather flight suit, she was beginning to sweat profusely. Not to mention the stick of wood still in her ribs was growing ever more painful.

The snap of a twig caused her to duck back down, her green eyes wide. From her crouched position, she swiveled, but couldn't see anyone in any direction. It was wildly disconcerting. Perhaps those men had doubled back and somehow caught up with her.

Then from about thirty feet away, she heard the unmistakable sounds of movement from behind a large boulder. It was thoroughly blocked by a large oak tree and surrounding ferns and other foliage. Anyone could be hiding back there and she'd be none the wiser if they hadn't given away their location.

Heart in her throat, Adrianna drew her daggers. For Erick… for Darin… for her family… she had an advantage out here. She could do… well, she wasn't quite sure what, but she could do something. She couldn't afford to be captured.

So on light feet, she tiptoed to the boulder and raised her weapons. She lifted up a swift prayer for grace and speed and then whipped around the boulder, her daggers poised.

She swept out the legs of her assailant first. He landed on his back with a strangled "oof!" and she drove a knee into his chest, crossing her blades at his throat. A pair of familiar gray eyes widened and his hands went flying upward.

"An-na! An-na, -t's me!"

Adrianna stared, her mind not quite processing what she was seeing. Cliff Smedley was beneath her, his face smudged with dirt, his gray eyes wide in terror, his clothes filthy. And worst of all, his neck was covered in deep purple bruises.

"Cliff?" Adrianna squeaked.

He nodded, his hair bobbing despite being crushed into leaves and needles. Without warning, his eyes filled with tears.

She dropped her daggers as he surged upward, their arms clamping tightly around each other. Her eyes burned and she pushed a hand through his hair. Cliff was out here. She wasn't alone after all.

"Cliff, what- what are you doing out here?"

"-'d ask th- same," Cliff said, his voice broken and hoarse. He swallowed thickly and pulled away, his long fingers catching in her short hair. "What -appened?"

"I… Gods, it's a long story. But your voice… your neck… Cliff-"

He shook his head, his gray eyes shooting away quickly. "Nothing. I- We'd better find someplace safer than -his. There are a couple guards nearby searching th- woods. I might have made too much noise-"

"That was you?" Adrianna demanded, then sighed. "Of course it was you."

Normally he would have smiled, cracked a joke. Instead he rose on unsteady feet and peered around the rock. Well, of course he wouldn't make a joke right now. They were hiding, fighting for their lives. Now was not the time for fun.

Still her gaze landed on the purple bruises as he swallowed and touched his throat gingerly. It must hurt badly. What had happened?

"Cliff, I-" Adrianna stepped forward and then let out a gasp. She dropped to a knee and clutched her side. The sudden flash of pain in her side took her breath away.

"An-na! An-na, what is it?" Cliff's eyes were wide as he dropped to his knees. "What- oh gods."

Adrianna lowered her arm. "I… I guess tackling you to the ground didn't do me any favors."

Cliff bit his lip and looked around again. "We -ave to get that out."

"How? We have no supplies, nowhere to go. The village-"

"-s probably overrun." He cleared his throat again at its raggedness. "An-na, there are ways t- take care of wounds in the wild. We just need t- find the right items."

Adrianna blinked. "Like what? You're not a healer-"

"You forget," Cliff said. "My Aunt Mara is the village -ealer. Whether I wanted t- or not…" His voice faded and he cleared it again. He shook his head with frustration. "- know more than people think. Our biggest worry is finding somewhere safe. Plus, th- longer that stays in… th- worse it's going to get."

Adrianna nodded. He was right. Already she could feel the pulsing, throbbing pain grow in intensity compared to how it had been before. If they were found now, she'd be easy to catch.

"So where do we go?" Adrianna asked. "It's not as though we have any safe houses out here or… or hideouts."

Cliff held out her daggers and watched as she sheathed them at her hips. "The catacombs?"

"No, that's where our people were trying to hide. I'm sure they are overrun by now, or at least being watched. They were corralling everyone into the square." Adrianna ran a hand through her hair, momentarily surprised at its short length.

"Did… did you see Taryn?" Cliff asked. His gray eyes were filled with a new sort of fear she'd never seen in him before.

"No. I'm sorry. I was running to the Great Hall… Erick and I got separated, and I saw the library burning. I…" Adrianna tried to stamp out the emotions rising in her chest. "I was such an idiot."

Cliff bit his lip. "Is Erick okay?"

Adrianna swallowed thickly. "I don't know."

They were quiet for a few moments. The silence of the forest aside from buzzing bugs and twittering birds was a balm, but it felt wrong. It felt the exact opposite of how they felt. Lost, confused, hurt. Terrified for their loved ones.

Cliff took a sudden deep breath through his nose. "We'll talk more about everything later, but we really are sitting ducks -ere. We -ave to find somewhere safe, and before you can't move. I'm not F… I'm not strong like th- others, so I probably can't carry you very far. Uh… no offense."

Adrianna gave him a weak smile. "That's quite alright. But you're right, we need to think."

"Would it be terribly -gnorant to go to your parents' -ouse? It's so far removed from th- village… but maybe -t's being watched."

She chewed her cheek. "You know… that's not a half bad idea. My parents aren't here, at least not yet. Finn is… Finn is probably captured, as is Genevieve." Saying the words felt wrong and yet she wouldn't consider the alternatives. "Why would Brandyn waste the manpower for an empty house? No doubt everyone thinks I'm dead, so-"

"Wait, what? Why would -hey assume you're dead?"

Adrianna sighed. "I… well, I escaped through that secret tunnel in the Great Hall." She quickly explained what had happened, watching as Cliff's expression tightened. When she finished, she added, "No doubt Brandyn's men have told him what happened by now. For all we know, everyone thinks I'm dead."

Cliff was quiet. "I wish Erick -adn't seen it."

"I… I know." Adrianna's voice wobbled. "After everything with Aud… and I did the same thing. But she didn't look back, did she? And I did. Maybe that's worse. Because instead of running to him-"

"Stop." Cliff said firmly, taking her by the shoulders. "Don't you do that."

"But he probably thinks I'm dead. He thinks he watched me burn just like her." Adrianna whispered, fighting to not let the tears fall. "How could I do that to him?"

"You had a split second to decide. And once you decided, there was no changing that. Erick knows that. I'm sure he's fine and… probably hurting, but -e's stronger now than before. I don't think -e's given up. After all, whether you're dead or not, -e still -as Darin to fight for. That's not nothing. That's everything."

Adrianna raised her head, the words cutting through the waves of emotion. She still felt like such a fool, but Cliff was right. Erick might be knocked down and she couldn't know yet if he was alright. But he would get back up again, whether she was alive or not. He would fight for Darin, no matter what.

And whether they knew it or not, she was coming for them both. Her husband and their son. She wouldn't… couldn't falter now. Not while she still had breath in her lungs and strength in her body.

Well… mostly.

Nodding, she dropped her forehead to Cliff's shoulder. He patted her back and held her for a long moment. Suddenly she was incredibly grateful that he was here.

"Come on." Cliff said. "Let's see if we can check out your parents' -ouse. If it's safe, then we can take care of your wounds there."

"And maybe make you some tea-"

"No." Cliff said firmly. "If we light a fire, then they'll know someone is there. I'm fine."

Even though you're not, Adrianna thought but didn't say. Even when he'd had that horrible cold a few years ago and his voice had been raspy for weeks, now it was hoarse and broken. Clearly he'd been attacked by someone, someone who had damaged his vocal chords. But how had he escaped?

She set her questions aside as he stood and held out a hand. Opting to ask him later, she took it and rose to her feet with a hiss. If they were going to creep through the woods for a few miles undetected, then they'd really better get going.

Xxx

Brandyn wasn't sure he knew what real happiness felt like. But today, after successfully fooling Hiccup into leaving Berk with the army and laying siege to Berk, he was sure this was the closest he could get to the sentiment.

His men had split the people up into groups, mixing the young and old so nobody could rally and whisper amongst themselves too much and threaten any uprisings. He only really had to worry about Finn, who was contained, and the young adults in the guard. Helga and Thorein shot him scathing looks as they were separated. Thuggory of Hjart thrashed as he was dragged away from Helga, who watched him go with a raised chin. Too bad Brandyn knew the stalwart expression was a front.

The true test lay in the arrival of Hiccup and the rest of Berk's citizens. He had a good idea of how to make them submit without much issue, but… well, unpredictability was his worst enemy, and right now Hiccup was out there. Hopefully worried sick and rallying his people to once again ride, but this time to attempt a harrowing rescue of his village. Well, it was too late for that.

Or maybe he wouldn't return to Berk at all. Maybe he would rally his forces and perhaps even try to gather more assistance from other villages. As Camicazi and Ivan were both occupied with their own sieges, and the other villages plundered and leaderless, Hiccup would have very little hope of rallying enough forces to his cause. He'd have his freedom, but he'd be wasting time. Allowing Brandyn to do whatever he wished with his people. With Finn.

But with Hiccup's track record of obsessing over his loved ones' safety, he'd return to Berk. He would never value his own safety over his children's lives. And with Adrianna gone, the truth of it wouldn't take much for Hiccup to submit. Brandyn hadn't wanted to believe it, but the shake of Erick's voice, the grief-stricken look in his eyes… He knew Erick. It hadn't been a lie. Adrianna was gone. Even if he was a bit disappointed he couldn't have the reunion with her that he'd always envisioned, to watch as she fell to pieces at the loss of her homeland and all her people, he could at least relish Hiccup's grief. So long as he didn't do anything rash like Erick.

Erick.

Brandyn resisted the urge to touch his throat as he stepped into the large circular office Hiccup kept beneath the bones of the Hatchery. He hated surprises and in a moment of arrogance, he'd turned his back on one of his greatest enemies. His greatest competition.

He'd never make the same mistake again.

But, as he turned on the spot and surveyed the massive office lined with bookshelves and shelving units covered in vials and jars, notebooks and tools and riding gear, Brandyn had to admit that he'd never expected Erick to become so ruthless. But maybe if push came to shove, even Erick could become a monster. Maybe for the boy he hoped to protect, to even die for, even he would sell his soul.

The scuff of boots preceded the low whistle. "He's quite organized."

Brandyn turned his eyes toward the entrance where Slaver Anton and Viggo Grimborn sauntered in. Always on his heels, panting like a pair of wild dogs. "Yes and no. He's organized, but his creativity makes him a slob."

Viggo snorted. "How rude. Creativity makes the small tasks mundane, but save for papers and Night Fury scales littering the ground, I'd say this office is quite well-kempt."

"He works more when he's stressed." Brandyn said. "So of course it's cleaner than usual."

Slaver Anton slid a scarred finger along a row of aged books. "So do you care to share the next phase of the plan, Brandyn? Or do you wish us to merely wonder in the coming hours?"

"I would have assumed that was obvious. We wait for Hiccup to return." Brandyn said, gazing at the desk littered with gears and nuts and bolts. "Once they're subdued, we split the rest of the village up into groups, just as we did with the old and young. And then we wait for your ships to arrive."

"How odd I find it that they're not here already." Viggo said, his nose in a book on ciphers.

Anton turned on the spot. "They were caught in a massive storm, putting them behind schedule. My correspondence said they should be here in a week's time. They had to drop anchor or lose the ships entirely, which, as you can imagine, would be catastrophic for us all."

"Mainly your money pouch."

"As if you'd think any differently if it were your ships." Anton sneered. "And unlike me, you're in a lot of debt, Viggo. If your ships were to be lost to the sea and all the dragons with them, you'd better hope to go down with them for as much trouble as you'd be in."

"Trouble follows us humans where'er we shall go." Viggo said, nonplussed. "I trust I'd find a way to soothe the ruffled feathers of my debtors."

"In other words, you'd connive your way out of a noose. Again." Anton said in a snide tone. "You could work for me, you know. You'd make thrice the price and pay off-"

"I have no interest in working for you or the slave trade, Anton, as I've stated before. We would drive each other batty. However," Viggo said, raising his head at last with a smile. "I appreciate your concern for my well being. Perhaps I should consider your offer. I might have a retirement with you at the helm of my life."

Anton sighed and strode for the door, the only sign of his growing irritation. "I leave him with you, Brandyn. I have no further interest in bandying words with fickle men."

Viggo chuckled as Anton disappeared and shut the book with a snap. "He is a man with near infinite patience."

Brandyn squinted. "And yet he raises a valid point, Viggo. You're a fickle man."

"Does that worry you? I'm flattered."

"I don't like surprises."

"Indeed. No doubt why you went ballistic when Erick nearly killed you today."

Brandyn scoffed and kicked a Night Fury scale out from under his shoe. "He did no such thing. He only caught me off guard."

"Of course."

He glared at Viggo as he replaced the book and began surveying the rest of the shelves. "Why do you do that? If you disagree, just spit it out."

"But you don't like surprises, Brandyn. I thought it more polite-"

A flush began creeping up Brandyn's collar. Suddenly the sleeveless leather jerkin felt too hot, too thick. "Don't patronize me."

Viggo turned a look over his shoulder. All amusement vanished from his face. "Ah, there it is."

Brandyn blinked in surprise. He realized his hands were fisted at his sides and they were trembling. He forced a breath out his nose and unclenched them. "What."

"You say you don't like surprises, Brandyn, and I agree." Viggo said, folding his hands behind his back and approaching with even steps. "You are controlling and so obsessed with the plan you've been shaping in your head since such a young age, that the moment someone does something off script, you lose control entirely. That is why you were so angry when Erick attacked you. That is why you cannot stand me. Because Mr. Larson and I have something in common: we don't like being told how things are going to be. We like to find different moves on the board."

That flush began to rise again. Brandyn's heartbeat felt rather loud in his ears.

"Now while you are in charge and what you say does go, which I will not dispute," Viggo said. "I would appeal to you to not lose your head. To become so focused on a plan that you cannot allow room for small changes. People, I have found in my life, do not live by a script. They do what they want. Every man, woman and child, regardless of age, has a motivation, and those motivations are fueled by emotions. Or perhaps the emotions are fueled by the motivation. Who can tell, really? An irrelevant question, but the point stands. Lose out on something small and irrelevant for the big picture, or lose the big picture entirely because you lost focus on something irrelevant. This is a decision only you can make."

Brandyn didn't trust himself to speak. Many thoughts flitted through his head-how on the cusp of victory he shouldn't have to be lectured by a failure indebted to people who wanted him dead, a has been whose ultimate failure had left his victories behind along with his prime. But it was a moot point. To argue would be childish to his own ears and would only prove Viggo's point. This was a small dot on the map of the future he would build. Today was a day of victory.

And yet the flush of rage still pulsed beneath his skin. But what made him more angry? The rebuke, the audacity, or the impressed tone Viggo used with Erick, just as he did with Hiccup?

"Leash the Berserker, Brandyn. Or we lose everything." Viggo said quietly, and turned away.

Brandyn watched as he left. He was visited by the sudden urge to seize Viggo around the neck and end his worthless existence right here. Spare himself the trouble and lectures and scheming once and for all. But if he lost Viggo, he'd lose the dragon hunters, and he needed them to keep the Berkians and dragons in check. If the dragons weren't muzzled, the Berkians would have more fighting power, and Hiccup would have the upper hand because the dragons worshiped the ground he stood on, and that could dismantle everything, everything, everything…

He wanted to shout. He wanted to tear apart the room for fury. Something burned in the pit of his stomach, something hot and painful. Red stained the edges of his vision.

Shoving the heels of his hands into his eyes, he forced a breath into his lungs. He couldn't lose his grip on his temper now. Not when he was on the cusp of another battle. No, the cusp of victory. His plans would come to fruition. The Archipelago would be his. Every last Haddock would die, his son would be his, and together they would build a new empire that the world would fear and history would remember.

But not if he lost his temper.

Spots danced in his vision beneath his hands, but the red faded. The anger coiling in his gut loosened, like an enraged venomous snake being lulled back to sleep. The cool air was soothing to his lungs. The pounding in his veins slowly ebbed away, replaced only by the even beating of his heart.

Slowly he lowered his hands. He found himself alone in the dim darkness of Hiccup's office. He'd been here multiple times over the years he lived on Berk. He'd visit Hiccup under the pretenses of getting to know his future father-in-law, though Hiccup didn't know it at the time. He'd given it his greatest effort, too. He remembered attempting to learn all the intricacies of the weapons, flight and riding gear, and other inventions that Hiccup concocted. He thought it was crazy, but filed it all away for later. Every bit of information had its usefulness, no matter how small.

Sometimes he'd get so lost inside himself, burying the lost heir to Berserker so deep that he'd forget his mission. Playing the role of boyfriend, future son-in-law, teacher, friend… he'd slipped into their lives without effort. It could have been real. It could have been his.

But that rage always pulsed deep within. Buried, sometimes long forgotten, but in a word, it would come surging back. The arrogance of the Berkian people for the way they changed Viking society. Their audacity at assuming that everyone enjoyed their way of life, that the world was better off without Dagur the Deranged and Alvin the Outcast and countless others.

Why should Hiccup get away with destroying the lives he did while his men and women, his friends, his family, stood by and watched? Why did he get to walk away from a battle that had taken away Brandyn's idol? What was so bad about the Haddock kids living on Berserker Island anyway?

Their arrogance and pride and snobbishness was what had led them all down this path. Their own selfishness. Just like Adrianna's. He'd known she would fight against co-parenting their son the second he found out she was pregnant. When his plan to make the claim at the Convocation had failed, he'd had to think quickly. The only thing he could do was pretend he never wanted the child. That he had no interest in an unfortunate side effect.

Well, perhaps that bit was true. An unfortunate sound effect Darin might be, but Brandyn had a lot to gain from his existence regardless of their opinions. Signing the document so Erick could take the mantle as the boy's adoptive father was irrelevant. When all of the Haddocks and Larsons were exterminated, he would watch as Darin learned to fight, maim and kill on the bones of his heritage, just as Brandyn did. It had been his greatest teacher and a balm to his soul, that the strength in his body and the cunning in his mind were honed and sharpened on the dust of his ancestors.

Darin would be the jewel in his crown. The final nail in the Haddocks' coffin.

But… where was he?

Brandyn blinked out of his trance and gazed around the office. He would find his son soon. They would be properly introduced and they would start life anew. A part of him would always be grateful to Adrianna, despite everything. For providing him an heir, for taking care of the cumbersome parts of raising a child. But from here on out, Darin would be his.

And he wasn't without mercy. Just as Dagur had done for him, Darin would still have the female touch in his life. He would spend time with his grandmother, Lofn. She could take care of those still cumbersome parts of dealing with children, just as she'd done for him as a boy. That is, if he could find her. She had settled on Berk these last few years, but surely she wouldn't hesitate to come back to Berserker with him. She'd do it to protect Darin, futile as it would be. But Brandyn needed someone to take care of the child until he was older. No one else fit the bill better than Lofn.

A door slammed open at the top of the stairs, bringing him back to the present. Muffled feet on the stairs preceded a pair of burly soldiers, who nearly toppled over themselves to get to him.

"Sir, they're coming."

Finally.

Brandyn smirked. "Find Roscoe and tell him it's time. No doubt he's already started."

They saluted and sprinted back up the stairs, Brandyn on their heels. As he left the dark office behind, he felt a rush of satisfaction and anticipation that the Chief of Berk would never enter this office again.

---

The jail was silent, save for Genevieve's pacing. Normally Finn might have encouraged her to sit, to save her energy, but he didn't. After their capture and Berk's fall and the news of Adrianna's death, he had nothing else to give. She was likely still filled with adrenaline and nervous energy, perhaps even fear of what might happen next. He should say something comforting.

But he didn't.

Finn knew himself and knew that at times like this, it was best to allow his body to rest, his mind to process… his heart to grieve.

He couldn't believe that his twin sister, an annoying girl, who had grown into an incredibly strong woman in more ways than he could have imagined, who had become one of his closest friends, was gone. It was too much to consider. It was too… strange. Even if they could somehow make it out of this alive, life would never be normal again. Erick and Darin's lives would never be the same again. His parents would be devastated. Their already small family would now carry an empty space.

He wondered who would light his sister's pyre? Would Hiccup have the strength to do it? Or would Finn do it for him? No, he would. To spare his dad that pain, he would do it.

And the faces of the fallen joined her's in his mind's eye. His heart gave a lurch and he exhaled slowly. Perhaps now was the time to allow himself to weep, to grieve in whatever way he could… but he couldn't. Not yet.

He wondered how long they would be stuck in these cells. How long would it take for his parents to return to Berk?

A low groan interrupted the silence from the cell to his right. Finn blinked out of his trance as Genevieve wheeled around, her hands snatching at the bars.

"Erick?"

Finn was already on his knees, reaching through the bars and touching Erick's arm as he slowly came to. "Hey. Can you hear me?"

He didn't think Erick could with the way he sluggishly turned over. Slowly he got his arms beneath his chest and tried to rise. His face went red with the effort and he exhaled heavily.

"Easy. Breathe, Erick, you can't go anywhere."

Erick dropped his forehead to the floor with another groan. "What… happened."

"You became well acquainted with Brandyn's boot. Amongst other things." Finn bit his lip as Erick tried to rise again. "Please, don't push yourself-"

"I… have… to get out…" Erick hissed, grabbing the bars and pulling himself up. "Darin…"

"Where is he?"

"I… can't tell you."

"Don't give me that crap."

Erick leaned against the bars, breathing heavily. Now that he was sitting up, Finn clenched his jaw as Genevieve sucked in a breath. Erick's face and hair was matted with dried blood, dirt and sweat. Combined with the smattering of bruises on his neck and jaw, not to mention the swelling, he truly looked terrible. As if on cue, he gripped the sides of his head and hissed painfully.

"Gods, I'm sorry."

Lowering his hands, Erick's eyes flashed. "Don't you start. How long have we been here?"

Finn allowed the conversation to be steered away. Erick never had been one to focus on his injuries or let others pity him. "Couple hours."

"And have either of you figured out a way to get these cells open?"

Finn scoffed. "There's no opening these cells from the inside. Trust me, I helped build them."

"There has to be a way-"

"Erick, I know you want to get out of here and find Darin, but I'm telling you it's not possible. Even if it was, don't you think they've got the door heavily guarded?"

Erick pursed his lips and glared at the door a few empty cells away. "We can't stay here."

Finn shook his head and glanced at Genevieve. "I think Brandyn addled your brains-"

"It would be nice if you'd use yours." Erick said calmly. "What do you think they're going to do, ask where Darin is nicely? How do you think they got information out of Alton? The cuts on his face are proof enough of what to expect. We need to get out of here."

Genevieve's fingers were white against the bars. "But what can we do? We looked, and they took all of our weapons, everything sharp. They even took Finn's flight suit. There's noth-"

Clamoring voices rose outside before the door slammed open. A tall, dark-haired brutish man-Roscoe, Finn remembered with a scowl-marched in with half a dozen other soldiers on his heels. Finn stood as Roscoe paused in front of his cell and surveyed his stance. A soldier approached with the key ring, which jangled in the silence.

"Are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way, boy?"

"Open the door and find out."

Roscoe smirked and twitched a finger in Genevieve's direction. Instead of going for Finn's door, the soldiers approached her's. Finn's heart leaped into a gallop, though he fought to keep his expression calm.

Genevieve straightened and raised her chin as the door was unlocked and the key withdrawn.

In the split second it took the guard to withdraw the key and reach for the door handle, Genevieve threw up her foot and slammed the door outward. It smacked the man in the face and he crumpled backwards in surprise. Genevieve was already out the door as the other soldier reached for her, twirling around him and shoving him face first into the cell. Roscoe surged forward as she yanked a sword out of the first guard's belt and shrieked as Roscoe took a handful of her hair.

"No!" Finn surged into his door.

Genevieve dropped the sword as Roscoe dragged her forward and slammed her almost face first into the door of Finn's cell. Though her face was crumpled in pain and her hands grappled at Roscoe's wrist, she still stared up at Finn. He admired her fighting spirit, but he couldn't watch her be killed. Not like this.

"Stop. Genni, stop. This won't get us out." Her face crumpled but he touched her elbows, only his fingers able to reach through the door. "Stop."

Genevieve swallowed thickly and blinked back tears of pain. "Okay. Okay."

"Good girl." Roscoe said, smirking at Finn before burying his nose in her hair. Genevieve squirmed as Finn's fingers tightened on her elbows. "The scent of smoke and dust on a woman are better than perfume. Don't you think?"

Finn clenched his jaw but said nothing. He wouldn't rise to the bait, even if it killed him to see her handled in such a way. His fingers suddenly met open air as Genevieve was yanked away, squirming and yelping in pain. The other guards opened Erick's cell and quickly subdued him, injured and weak as he was. He too was paraded out, his hands tightly bound behind his back.

The final four guards smirked at him. Daring him to retaliate as his door was opened. Angry as he was, he didn't fight as his hands were bound tightly behind his back and his mouth was tightly gagged with a strip of cloth. He needed to conserve his strength, and besides, he'd gotten the message.

Behave or watch Genevieve get hurt.

Besides, he wanted to know what was happening with his people. What was going on? Where were they being taken?

As he was shoved into the sunlight, he found much of the village had been somewhat cleared. The fires were out, though many buildings still smoked. The only exception was the Great Hall, which still burned and belched smoke high into the air. The bodies of the fallen had been moved out of the streets. He prayed his people had been treated with dignity as they'd been removed from their fallen places.

The sun was high in the sky as they approached the town square. The villagers had already been gathered there in groups, gasping and murmuring as he was paraded into their midst. He kept his expression blank and shoulders back, trying to encourage them despite this whole situation. He glanced through the crowds for any of his friends, for Erick, for Genevieve, but he saw none of them.

He faced forward and nearly lost his footing.

The Berkian harbor was full of the armada that had overtaken them. In the clear daylight, it was amazing to see how many ships Brandyn had procured. They were all armed to the teeth with soldiers, as was the village. Archers and catapults were prepared, their weapons ready to be fired at any moment. And the clear blue skies were filled with black dots approaching fast.

Oh gods.

Brandyn emerged from the front of the crowd and snatched Finn by the collar amid cries of the villagers. "You're with me."

Finn bit down on the strip of cloth, frustrated that he couldn't even speak.

Brandyn strode forward and approached the cliff's edge, which had a soldier stationed every few feet to the left and right as far as he could see. The protective fence that had been built when he was a child was gone. There were deep holes in the dirt every few feet from where the posts had been pounded. Brandyn yanked him to a halt and kicked the back of his knee. Finn went to his knees painfully and gazed down at the hundred foot drop not six inches away.

"Finn!"

He looked to his left and blinked at Helga, her blue eyes wide. Inga sat in the dirt to her left, held in place by Viggo Grimborn. And to his surprise, beyond Inga was tiny Ava Thorston. The soldier at her back kept a firm hand on her shoulder as she stared down at the drop. Further along the line were Helga's siblings, each of them held firmly in place by a soldier. Finn turned to his right and found Erick, Genevieve, and Thorein. Beyond them were more. Kaelan, Jackie, Morgan, Vidar and Dustin Jorgenson, Gustav Larson's children, and others. More children, regardless of age. The children of the men and women who were returning home to save them. As if in slow motion, he watched as every one of the soldiers holding his friends and the children-the future generations of Berk-lifted a blade to their throats.

Crying out behind the gag, Finn tried to rise, but Brandyn clamped a hand on his shoulder. A dagger rested on his collarbone less than a second later.

"Don't even think about it." Brandyn growled in his ear. "Don't give me a reason to slit your throat before daddy's eyes."

Finn tried to steady his quailing heartbeat. The dragons had come closer, close enough to pick out their species now. Close enough that he could see the people in their saddles, watching on in horror at the devastation of their village.

He could hear the anguished cries of his people high above them. He could see the way Toothless and his dad froze at the head of the large force, his mom holding onto Hiccup's waist tightly. A part of him flooded with relief that she was here; Finn hadn't seen her in days, but the relief was quickly quashed. His dad's spyglass was out. Finn raised his chin despite the blade.

Go, Finn screamed, wishing for all the world that they could hear him. Anna is gone, you can't win this. Just go.

But almost as if Brandyn could read his mind, he yanked Finn's head back by the hair and tilted the blade. Finn panted through the gag, refusing to show pain. Hiccup lowered the spyglass high above them.

"Come on." Brandyn hissed.

And Finn's heart burned with wretched stillness as Hiccup raised an arm, signaling the Berkian forces to lower their weapons.

---

The seconds ticked by. Each one felt like an hour. The hours felt like an eternity.

It had taken too long to vanquish Brandyn's forces at Brawn. It had taken longer to rally his people and explain what was happening. To urge everyone to not rush off to Berk without a plan, without thinking of the consequences. To consider what they might see upon their return.

It was so much worse than Hiccup had imagined.

Kara and Frederik had begged them to stay. To wait, to call for help. Hiccup and Astrid had refused, though she was more adamant than he was. All he could do was stare at the horizon, to Berk. To his family, whom he'd foolishly left behind. Unguarded, unprotected.

It had taken every ounce of willpower to not release Toothless and allow him to fly as hard and fast as he could, to leave his people behind. But that wasn't fair to any of them, who had followed him into battle. He would not take that dignity from them. They would handle this together. He would lead them home just as he'd led them to battle.

And now that they had returned, gazing down at the torched husk of the Great Hall, from which black smoke still unfurled, at the survivors of Brandyn's scourge on his homeland, at the innocent and fearless eyes of his friends' children staring up at him pleadingly, he felt his heart clench painfully.

Astrid's arms were like a vice around his chest. "Finn. Finn is there, is he alright? Where is Adri? Hiccup, where is Adrianna?"

Hiccup shook his head. His breath felt tight in his chest. He took a deep breath through his nose and exhaled out his mouth.

"Hiccup." Snotlout said, his voice quavering. "My boys… Inga!"

Ruffnut let out a cry as she lowered her own spyglass. "No, not my babies! Please!" Fishlegs was mute with terror.

Hiccup had never in his life heard Ruffnut make such an anguished sound, nor had Fishlegs ever been so silent. Tuffnut bellowed something indecipherable. He'd spotted Ava, his only child, with a knife held to her throat.

Around him, he heard them all. His friends, his council, the hundreds of men and women who had just hugged and kissed their children and loved ones goodbye mere hours ago. Who had fought to protect them. To return home and see them on their knees, weapons raised to their throats.

He couldn't do it. There was nothing he could do, if he made the slightest error… all of them would die. All of their children. Not only his son, who stared up at him with fearless challenge, urging him to flee while he still could.

"HICCUP!" Snotlout bellowed, his voice shaking him out of his stupor.

Hiccup lifted a hand and every person in his army went silent. Astrid's arms tightened around his chest. The eyes of the young and old, the strong and weak, were on him. Waiting for the fist. For the command to attack, to dive. But it didn't come.

Shaking, Hiccup gave them another command. To lower their weapons. To land.

Confused, Toothless crooned up at him. Exhaling shakily, Hiccup set a hand on his dragon's brow. "It's okay, bud. No matter what happens next, we have to do this."

And so he was the first to lead his dragon toward the ground.

Toothless's wings buffeted the air as they landed behind Brandyn, who had watched him land with a savage look in his eye. He dragged Finn away from the edge of the cliff, the dagger still poised at his throat.

The Berkian army landed, one by one on any strip of land they could find. They were quickly surrounded by soldiers, their weapons raised. Everyone seemed to be watching Hiccup as he dismounted. Astrid's boots hit the dirt beside him a second later. The air had never been so silent.

"About time you showed up." Brandyn said, breaking the silence at last. His nose was swollen and a strange red line marred his throat. "Except we both know even now this fight isn't over. One wrong move and all of them die." He angled the dagger against Finn's throat for emphasis. "So, what's it going to be, Chief?"

Finn's blue eyes blazed despite everything. Urging him to act. To do something.

Toothless let out a low snarl. Slowly Hiccup set a hand on his nose. Urging him to be quiet. One wrong movement might set Brandyn off.

Carefully, Hiccup glanced around his gathered people, those who had been here. Gobber was still alive as were many others. But other faces he didn't see. There could be a great many reasons for that. His friends had landed near their children, each of their faces tight with desperation. Helga and Inga and Thorein all gazed up at their parents without fear. Others wept silently, for fear that these might be their last moments. Tuffnut sat in the dirt before his daughter, all pretense of rage gone.

But everywhere he looked, he couldn't find her.

Hiccup swallowed and looked at Brandyn. "Where is she?"

The words were soft and quiet without venom.

Brandyn sniffed with derision. "Typical. I'm about to split him open right-"

"Please." Hiccup whispered. "Where is Addie?"

Finn's expression flickered. He clenched his jaw and tried to bury some unnamed emotion, but he'd never been good at that. Brandyn smirked.

And Hiccup saw Erick then, sitting a few feet away with a knife at his throat, too. He was covered in blood and bruises and soot. He'd clearly fought with everything he had, his throat covered in bruises. In all his life, Hiccup had never known Erick to be much of a fighter, save for one time. When defending Adrianna's honor.

Erick's teal eyes flooded as a hole opened up in Hiccup's chest.

"No." Astrid bit out. "She's not- she couldn't-"

"She could, just like anyone." Brandyn bit out. "I admit it wasn't part of the plan, but she apparently decided to get herself blown up in the Great Hall. Erick witnessed the whole thing. Kinda poetic, don't you think? Just like Aud, Adrianna is dead."

Though he could see the symbolic blade coming, it was no less painful when the blow landed. His baby girl, his second child, his friend, the mother of his grandchild… He tried to touch the wrath that he kept buried deep. He tried to find the man who rose up with a vengeance when people dared to harm his children.

But he couldn't find him.

---

"Just like Aud, Adrianna is dead."

Finn's heart was beating in his chest like a dragon's wings on a torrential day. He'd give everything in his body to spare his parents this, to do something to change this. But there was no stopping the crumpling of Astrid's face with a look of mourning he'd never seen from her. There were rare occasions that he'd seen a flicker. But he could do nothing for her as she raised her hands to her face and wept.

And his dad… the change was instant.

It was like something had been stripped from his skin. Something that gave him hope and confidence and joy fell away, leaving him less than what he'd always been. He bit his lip and looked away, but his green eyes still filled with tears. And all around him he saw his friends on their knees, staring in supplication at the soldiers' holding their children. Panic flashed across his face.

Finn squirmed, a desperate emotion rising in his chest. Not like this, don't give in, don't yield-

Hiccup's tearful eyes snapped to him. Some of that bravery returned. Likely remembering that despite Adrianna's loss that could never be filled, he was still a father. He still had a child that he needed to protect.

Finn shook his head. He didn't care that he almost cut his throat open, he didn't care that angry tears slipped down his face in front of everyone. It couldn't end like this. They could still fight. For Adrianna, to protect Darin, they could win this.

But Hiccup merely looked at Astrid, who lowered her hands at last. Her face was red and her blue eyes bright as she sniffed and met Hiccup's eyes. He raised a hand to her cheek and swiped a tear away, just as Adrianna always had.

And together, they lifted their hands in surrender.

---

As their knees hit the dirt, Brandyn lowered the blade from their son's throat with a victorious grin. Finn thrashed and let out a bellow of rage from behind his gag. Erick closed his eyes and lowered his head. The captured Berkians cried out in dismay as one by one, every Berkian lowered their weapons and knelt in the dirt. The dragons roared in confusion at this strange display. Toothless nosed at Hiccup's elbow, urging him to stand.

"I'm sorry, Toothless. I can't."

Toothless growled at Brandyn, who shoved Finn into the arms of a massive soldier. "Get him out of here."

With a nod, he bound his arms around Finn's chest and dragged him away, still bucking and shouting behind the gag.

"Sir, what about the children?"

Hiccup closed his eyes. It might be weakness, but he knew that Brandyn wanted him to suffer. If he begged or tried to plead for mercy, Brandyn might not grant it just to prove he could.

"As much as it would give me savage pleasure to see you both shatter into a million pieces at the deaths of all your friends' children," Brandyn said quietly so only he and Astrid could hear. "I've got to think of the bigger picture. No, I've got better plans for both of you." To the soldier, he said, "As I've said before, I'm not without mercy. Release them. Let them go to their parents while they can."

Hiccup opened his eyes at the sounds of relief, the scuffling feet from all directions, the weeping. Snotlout and Heather had their arms banded tightly around Inga and both boys. Snotlout's red-rimmed eyes met his through the crowd and he nodded.

Hiccup didn't acknowledge him. Fishlegs and Ruffnut were surrounded by their children, Helga watching over them all with a tragic expression. Strong, not broken, but for the first time, truly shaken.

Tuffnut still sat in the dirt, his arms banded around his tiny daughter, whose eyes peered over his shoulder as she looked around in shock and confusion. Svala tore from the crowd and banded her arms around them both a second later.

Ava's wide-eyed curiosity and confusion stirred a memory in Hiccup's mind. Darin had that same expression on his face, just as Adrianna had as a toddler. His eyes slid to Erick, who met his eyes at the same moment. He looked tired, heartbroken, and yet he glared up at Brandyn as he turned away at the approaching footsteps of a few men. Erick still had something to fight for. Darin. But where was he?

"My men have begun bringing in the dragons, Brandyn." A deep and crooning voice said, strangely familiar. "Apologies for the coming ruckus, but as we start capturing them, the others may start to realize what is happening and either try to flee or they will stand and fight to protect their riders."

Astrid straightened, as if realizing something. "Hiccup-"

"Use whatever means necessary, Viggo. Get the vermin out of the village so we have room to work. Your role here is almost complete and I won't be sorry to see the back of you."

"Eager for my departure? How unfortunate. And here I thought the fun was just beginning."

And as Viggo Grimborn stepped around Brandyn as if he was just a useless decoration, Hiccup blinked in shock, stalling the grief, the desperation and fear. Viggo stepped forward until he was before him.

Hiccup's shock morphed into a glower. "What are you doing here?"

"Come now, Hiccup." Viggo said, crouching so they could see each other eye to eye. "We never bothered ourselves with pointless questions in the old days. You'll need to be sharper than this in the days to come."

Viggo's scarred face, one cunning dark eye, one white with blindness, was not one he'd forgotten easily. Nor had Astrid. However, their adventures and battles had faded into the backdrop of memory as they'd grown from teenagers to adults, when they'd married and had children and he'd taken the mantle as Chief. It had been a sorrowful affair, his coronation, and by that time he would have forgotten all about Viggo.

Except for that part of him buried deep inside that longed for the old days, when he and his friends would wander the Archipelago and rescue dragons from dragon hunters. When that was the most important thing. When things were simpler.

How far they had come.

Viggo had a small frown on his face. "Life has changed you, my friend."

Hiccup's jaw tightened. "What are you going to do with the dragons?"

"Do you really wish to know such gruesome tales? Only be grateful that your Night Fury is so rare, killing him would be a waste."

Toothless sniffed in derision.

Brandyn marched forward with another man in tow. "Now is not the time to gossip, Viggo-"

Without warning, Toothless unfurled his wings and let out a bellow. Surprise flashed across Brandyn's face for only a second before it morphed into something challenging. He slid a twelve inch dagger from a sheath at his waist. "Come on then."

Toothless made to pounce and Hiccup launched to his feet, reaching for his saddle. Not to mount, not to fight, only to stop his best friend from getting himself and perhaps all of them killed. Regardless, it was the wrong move to make.

There was a flash of silver and then the dagger caught him in the shoulder.

Screams erupted from the Berkians as he was lifted off his feet and hit the ground. The pain hadn't yet registered as Astrid appeared instantly at his side, her blue eyes wild.

Hiccup struggled to sit up. "Toothless, no-"

The Night Fury's eyes narrowed to slits at the scent of his friend's blood. He turned murderous green eyes onto Brandyn, who cocked his head and drew another weapon. Except this time he was joined by two dozen other soldiers. Toothless snarled and approached with his wings poised, ready to strike. Brandyn grinned.

Astrid kept shouting at him to stay down, but Hiccup struggled, barely registering the pain. It wasn't bad, it was nothing. He couldn't lose Toothless, not after Addie, not like this-

Toothless inhaled to fire a blast and the men scattered, save for Brandyn, poised and ready to retaliate. But a lone man leaped between them with a hand upheld.

"No, Toothless!"

Hiccup and Astrid froze. It was Viggo.

With great effort, Toothless swallowed back the blast and stared at Viggo, whose mismatched eyes were firm. Toothless snarled.

"Look at him. He is fine." Viggo said firmly, lowering his hand at last.

Growling low in his throat, Toothless looked over his shoulder and gazed at Hiccup. Those green eyes penetrated his soul just as they had all those years ago. Love mingled with compassion and protectiveness.

"It's okay, bud." Hiccup whispered. "Don't fight. Please." It was all he could manage before his throat closed up.

But he knew if Brandyn willed it, Toothless would die.

Before anyone else could react, Viggo whispered something low and quiet. Hiccup didn't catch it, and neither did Astrid it seemed because she blinked. Nor did Brandyn, who squinted. But Toothless did and as if he hated to obey, he slowly tucked in his wings and sat on his haunches, glowering at them all.

"What the Hel did you just do?" Brandyn demanded, stalking forward.

"I merely told him to calm himself before he got himself killed." Viggo said primly. "Is that a crime? He's a rarity amongst all dragons, Brandyn. Even you can't destroy that."

Brandyn looked between Viggo and Toothless with a skeptical eye and then sheathed his weapon. He looked properly fed up with all of them.

"If you're so well-acquainted, perhaps you'll do the honor of removing his flight gear. Before the chief gets any other bright ideas."

Viggo said nothing. Hiccup, and the rest of Berk, watched in surprise as Viggo undid various clips and belts, hooks and pulleys as if he'd built the saddle himself. The saddle fell to the ground with a dull flop. Toothless snarled as Viggo approached his tail.

"Toothless, no." Hiccup whispered. He bit back a hiss, the pain of the dagger registering in his shoulder. He wondered if it wasn't that bad, his body protected by his armor, or if perhaps adrenaline was keeping the pain at bay.

Viggo made short work of the tail and brought it to Brandyn, who snatched it from his hands and sliced off the parts attaching it to the rest of the saddle. Approaching Hiccup and Astrid, who glowered up at him, he began wrenching wires, gears, springs, and leather from it. Hiccup tried not to think of every piece hitting the ground as pieces of his soul as he watched Toothless's tail destroyed. The crowd murmured in dismay.

And then Brandyn removed the connecting rod. He tossed the destroyed tail to the side and bent down, holding it up for Hiccup and Astrid to see. She glared at him, her arms wrapped protectively around his shoulders, but she could do nothing to protect him from Brandyn's piercing blue eyes.

"I wonder if you recall the symbolism. It was your idea, after all." Brandyn whispered, relishing whatever expression was on his face. "Your daughter is dead. Your grandson is missing, for now. Berk is mine until I brand every person on this rock with the slavemark and ship them off one by one. Your son is the last of the Haddock heritage and his days are numbered. Your wife's, too." Astrid's arms tightened around his shoulders. "And then there's you… don't worry though. I plan to make sure you survive to a ripe old age in which you can spend your days alone, with no one and nothing left-"

"Stop it!" Astrid hissed.

"And all of it will have been your fault." Brandyn whispered.

And without warning, he snapped the connecting rod in Hiccup's face. Despite himself, he flinched. Brandyn laughed low in his throat and stood, tossing the pieces into the dirt.

"Take the Chief and his wife to their cells."

A pair of guards yanked both Hiccup and Astrid to their feet amidst cries of despair from the Berkians. A spike of pain flashed through Hiccup's shoulder, the pain finally registering in full throttle. He tried not to react to it as his people were staring up at him in horror.

"But before you go," Brandyn said, grabbing the hilt of the dagger and yanking it out. Hiccup bit back a yell at the pain and then stared down at the blood that seeped down his flight suit. "Try not to bleed to death."

"Brandyn, you don't have to do all of this. It's ME you want." Hiccup finally cried as he was dragged away. "Just kill me, don't hurt my people-"

"It's already a done deal, Hiccup." Brandyn said, throwing up his hands in an "oh well" gesture. "The slave trade is a cruel mistress, and I plan to take my time with her."

Hiccup stopped fighting, hating himself for it. The pain in his shoulder grew as the blood seeped through his clothes beneath his flight suit. Enraged, Astrid thrashed at his side. His people cried out in dismay as Toothless was muzzled and his wings bound. Toothless turned baleful green eyes on him right as he lost sight of his best friend.

Through the tumult, there was only one who stood silently. Watching, pondering, thinking as always. Viggo watched him go with a frown.

Life has changed you, my friend.

And despite everything that he once stood for, everything that he'd ever fought for, the fear and grief and hopelessness of it all rose up in his chest like a wave. He closed his eyes and turned his face away from Viggo, ashamed and broken.

In every way imaginable, he'd failed them all.

---

Whooooaaaaaa, so good! I was on the edge of my seat!

Also my game is out! You can find it on GameJolt, it's called Ace Attorney: Truth and Consequences. And there might be a little shoutout to this series in there. So if that's your thing, feel free to give it a look! I poured my heart into it! But Case 4, now that one's going to be my masterpiece.

Anyway, I know the Discord link is around here in one of these chapters so feel free to join us for nonsense and shenanigans!

~Katie