They'd been defending themselves for something about two hours, and while it didn't seem like a lot of time, it was still rather an unexpected, impressive duration for such the force power they had. It was obvious from the beginning that Hiccup and Astrid didn't have any chance, that they would have been overthrown after maybe minutes, or even seconds, but that didn't prevent them from trying, and that even has its successes.
There was no plan, every move was a simple improvisation, and while it might seem like the stupidest thing to do, it worked from time to time, well, more precisely, to time when they weren't given any other choice. They went through various attempts, various ideas, various traps, catches, tricks, ambushes, and while most of them went rather triumphantly, there came the moment when there was no other choice, but to surrender, shamefully.
Their main difficulty was, of course, the number of people they had, which was, in this case, less than three, primarily because Hiccup wasn't very able to do much with the injury of such volume, and also, because it wasn't sure if Stormfly could've be counted as people. Anyway, they used everything they had, by separating each other into sections: surface, air, and the base, as well as working on them as much as they were able to.
Astrid, herself, at first wanted to concentrate on the close combat, but as time passed, and noticing that was getting only harder for her to attempt, she focused on setting the traps - the most prosperous one was the one made of Zippleback's gas, which knocked somewhere around twenty soldiers.
Stormfly, having probably the best position, was attacking the ships themselves, holing them with her spikes, striking as well as melting them with her fire, and kidnapping the troops from them, who were at duty over harpoons, dumping them into the cold water.
Hiccup, in the meantime, kept the guard over the mentioned base, more precisely on the clubhouse, which became their last resort of defense, having her arm still bandaged, and because of that, she toiled with her other one, by shooting from the crossbow that was resisted onto the wooden bar, into incoming people.
So, that's how these two hours went for them, but alas must have passed and ended with their failure as Astrid was surrounded, having the mark of a stab of the sword on her forearm and the arrow pierced into her back, forced to surrender, while Stromfly, attacked by the volley of poisoned arrows, hit by one of them, collapsed onto the enemies' deck.
Glimpsing these occurrences from a distance, realizing the defeat, Hiccup was about to give up, but not before catching glances with the same, mysterious man on the main ship, who drew a bow in her direction, and having no time to react, she felt how the arrow went through her thigh, and sank to the ground, painfully.
It was two hours that it took the enemy to conquer them, but it also took minutes only to take care of them, afterward.
With her hands tied by the thick rope, that already made bruises on her skin, Hiccup stood still, relying her whole body weight onto her healthy leg, glaring to the front of her, exhausted. There, behind his desk, sat the mysterious man himself, who introduced himself under the name Ryker, resisting his extended legs on the wooden object, wearing a bright smirk on his tattooed face, leaning his hands against the hairless neck.
By his side, the woman was able to glimpse no one else, but Dagur, who similarly to her stood straight, with his arms behind his back, not even glancing at her, staring somewhere forward to himself, blankly. Wishing that he noticed that, Hiccup, from time to time, was sending him betrayed scowls, but ultimately, she must have gazed back at the man, who, suddenly, sat straight, closing up his expression at her.
"The longer you stay quiet, the longer we'll stay here, and believe me when I say that we might stay here all day long," Ryker stated, lifting his chin, before pointing to the paper before himself. "Where is it?"
At it, Hiccup could've glimpsed the same, oval, archaic object she had once stolen from Dagur with Heather, with the written title out over it -The Dragon Eye - but even so, answered negatively, "I don't know what is this," and later on closed her eyes shut as well as flinched, when he impacted his palms into the desk, hard.
"We, both, know that you do know what is this," he growled, boring his eyes into her, to which she reacted by lifting her sight over his bald head. "You'd better say me that now, you fucking slut, before you won't be able to speak, at all."
In response to his words, inhaling, Hiccup dared herself to gaze into his murderous eyes, and mumbled, "We're just simple women who chose to live among dragons. All day long, we either sow or gather hay and fruits. There is nothin' exceptional about us, really, and we don't want any trouble. We, also, don't know anythin' about this object, so please, let us go."
Into her little dog and pony show Hiccup put all the remnant strength she had, but ultimately, it was all for nothing, because the man just snorted, and pointed with his eyes toward Dagur, reminding her about, probably, his source of every information he had about her. Subsequently, she hardened her expression and gazed to the side, ignoring his presence, but eventually, as a reminder of it, after seconds of dead silence, appeared the sharp crack of wood pushed against the wood.
It seemed that Ryker moved away his chair from his desk, evoking that sound, and still gaping through the nearby window next to her, Hiccup heard the hard, heavy footsteps, which were getting only louder, and alas, closer. Within just a moment she felt the cold breathing against her neck, and turning toward it, furrowing her brows at the source, she glowered at Ryker, just inches from her, still wearing the same, serious expression.
"I don't like repeating myself, although I just love breaking people, figuratively and literally," he snarled, causing a shiver down her spine. "I'll give you the last chance, and you'd better answer me, correctly. Where is the Dragon Eye?"
Gnashing her teeth, Hiccup went poker-faced, before replying, "I don't know what is it, where it might be, or what it does, so back, fuckin', off, finally."
Instead of fuming at her, as she predicted he would, he just grinned, brushing his fingers against her cheek. "I hoped you would say that," he whispered, before, abruptly, grasping her neck in the choke hold.
Unable to breathe, feeling the fat fingers stab into her skin, Hiccup wriggled around, as her instinct attempted to save itself, but unsuccessfully, because second after second she was losing any touch with reality. Ultimately, her legs went limp, and Ryker's strong grip was the only reason why she still was up, even more, he lifted her merely, so her, almost lifeless, eyes met his pleased ones.
As her eyes were getting cloudy, her own body began giving up on her, although before that could've happened, just as she was about to faint in his hold, there was some kind of exchange of sentences between the two men, because of which Ryker let go of her, finally. Immediately, her body fell onto the ground, flabby, while she coughed over it, getting as much oxygen into her lungs as it was even possible.
After the occurrence, her vitals were at their lowest, and because of this, she didn't even notice when two soldiers lifted her off the ground, leading her out of the room, sharply. Hardly recognizing the reality, Hiccup just observed the bloody content of the lower deck they were going through and the cages they were passing, until they stopped by one of them.
Inside it, she caught a blurry sight of Astrid, sitting on the ground, crossing her arms, with the gauze on her two injuries, kept there by the low-quality material, who at the glimpse of her presence, rapidly, stood up, widening her eyes. As one of the soldiers opened the entrance to their closing, the other one pushed Hiccup inside it, and once she was about to collapse onto the ground, Astrid caught her in her arms, glaring at the two men, who after closing the cage again, walked away, leaving them on their own.
"My gods, Hiccup," Astrid stated, helping the other to sit on the ground and lean her back against one of the walls there. "Ya look just terrible."
"Don't mind it," Hiccup mumbled, panting while relying her head on the wooden structure behind herself. "I'm fine."
Despite her words, Astird couldn't not mind, and gazing at her friend, having her eyes bloodshot, pale skin, and puce, fresh bruises on her neck, she, outright, scowled at her, frowning her eyebrows at her. Unaware about that Hiccup just focused on the even breathing, although hissed, once her thigh brushed itself against the wet wood under her, and stabbed her fingers just over the latest injury.
At it gazed the other woman, who glimpsing the paleness of skin around it, the blackness of veins around it, as well as the leftovers of green poison around, but also, into it, concerned even more. Sitting the same way she did, just next to her, Astrid resisted her forearms on her bent knees, before turning toward her, sighing, and then speaking with the calmest voice possible.
"It doesn't look good," she remarked, and when Hiccup gazed at her, puzzled, pointed at her thigh, gritting her teeth. "Are ya sure that the poison didn't affect yer body?"
"It didn't affect yers, then why would it have affected mine," Hiccup muttered, closing her eyes, tired out.
"Well, as we saw, it had an effect on Stormfly's one, so," she paused, analyzing Hiccup's figure, cautiously. "It might have an effect on dragons, only."
"It, surely, has only effect on dragons, so not on me."
"I wouldn't say so," Astrid snarled, narrowing her eyes. "Maybe if we told them about, well, ya, then maybe they'll give ya their antidote. They wouldn't like ya to die, right?"
"If we tell them who I am they'll kill me, Astrid," Hiccup replied, snapping at her with her blank eyes. "We won't do anythin' about the poison, so just don't bother yerself with it, because 's no worth."
"Okay," Astrid agreed, finally, although still tensed each time she, even barely, gazed at the blood covering Hiccup's leg. "At least tell me how are ya feelin', what's goin' on with ya, so I know what to do in case."
"Well, I'm very dizzy, that fuckin' entire room spins, I don't feel my legs, and to add to that, I just want to sleep," Hiccup answered, stroking her forehead with her fingers. "Although I think some of it is because of the stranglin', not poison."
"Ya can't be sure of that," Astrid muttered, embracing Hiccup's back with her arm, "but fine, I won't mention that again. Just rest, Hiccup."
"Thank ya," Hiccup responded and leaned her head on the other's shoulder. "Ya should relax as well, after all, they're headin' here just now, probably," she added, heaving a sigh and closing her eyes. "They'll be back soon."
"Ye're right, they will be," Astrid affirmed, and smiled, glancing at Hiccup, consoling. "He will be back, soon."
"I know that, already," Hiccup reacted beaming at Astrid's words. "He promised me that."
Eventually, they stayed still in their positions, and from time to time, passed by soldiers who kept guard over them, but they didn't bother themselves with that, focusing on the recovery of their bodies, as well as patiently waiting for the rescue. While Hiccup's body was starting to loosen itself in Astird's hold, the blond-haired woman did everything she could, forcing the Auburn-haired one to stay awake, to stay alive.
The task, although it was more like duty, was getting only more complicated, because Hiccup was getting only more lightheaded and more unaware of the danger, so started to resist her. It went to the point that she even attempted to wrestle out of Astrid's grip, while her eyes were filled with tears, her vitals were cloudy, and her common sense didn't even exist.
Over time Hiccup quit being up against her, however, Astrid, also, was about to as well, exhausted herself, in need of sleep, and while they two were laying, with half their eye opened, the deck shook, suddenly. The movement caused Astrid to rouse, and then, gazing at Hiccup almost asleep on her shoulder, she woke her up, not very gently, yanking the braid of her Auburn hair, worried.
"Don't sleep," she ordered, to which Hiccup only moaned, unpleased. "Come on, ya must stay awake."
"Why?" Hiccup groaned, fighting to keep her eyes open. "I'm tired."
"I don't care," Astrid exclaimed when Hiccup leaned her cheek on the wooden wall, avoiding her presence. "Hiccup!" she yelled, and the quoted woman wailed, when she pushed her shoulder, strongly. "Ya do know what might happen if ya do, so stop with the fight!"
"I just want to sleep," Hiccup mumbled, while her face contorted. "Please, please, let me sleep."
"We both know I can't let ya for that," Astrid pointed out, and inhaled calmly, resisting her hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "Hold on, he'll be here soon."
Despite her words, Hiccup didn't look very convinced, although respected them, and her hardest managed to think clearly as well as stay conscious, crossing her arms over her chest, firmly. Catching the view of so, Astrid smiled weakly at her, kneeled next to her, and stroked her shoulder, hoping that the movement could soothe her, at least slightly.
At some point, suddenly, yet another time the ship shook, and surprised Astrid asked, "Did ya feel that?" to which Hiccup replied by murmuring.
"Feel what?"
"The shook," Astrid explained, and once she almost fell forward as the situation repeated itself, widened her eyes. "It's not normal for the boat to shake on the lagoon at a standstill, right?"
"What do ya mean?"
That question Astrid wasn't able to answer, not because she couldn't, not knowing it, but because she didn't need to, while the both of them heard a high-pitched roar, which caused Astrid to stand up rapidly and Hiccup to straighten, even so slightly. Afterward, the muscles on Astird's face worked themselves, resulting in her bright grin as well as giggle, and Hiccup loosened her nerves, out of happiness, but also, relief.
"They're here," Astrid muttered, and laughed, suddenly throwing her body against the metal bars and screaming, "They're here, motherfuckers, and ya are fuckin' fucked!" she cheered and glanced at Hiccup, who attempted to show some weak smile, beaming at her sympathetically. "He's here."
*final boss music playing in the background*