At the Southern Markets, not many Vikings had jobs that made them want the Berserker. A few had little tasks like repairing a storehouse or cleaning some ships, but there was not much else. Everything was done quickly. It was hardly past noon by the time the ship was returning to Outcast Island. As it did, a Terrible Terror saw this and flew back to Berk. This was the alert system Hiccup had set up so that he would know when they had returned. He saw the dragon and managed to sneak away with Toothless. Training in the Academy had already finished, so he was not missing that and his father was busy handling chiefly matters. Journal in hand, the Berkian took off for the island. The guards looked annoyed when they saw him, but Dagur looked excited.
"Hey, H. Hey, T," he said, in the middle of a one-handed handstand.
"Hey, look what we found."
Hiccup held up the journal, getting the Berserker to return to his feet and approach the bars. Remembering what Alvin had said, he stopped instead of reaching out. Hiccup realized what he was doing and put the journal inside. The Berserker accepted the item, inspecting it closely.
"Do you recognize it?"
"Not specifically, but I know Dad kept a bunch of these."
"I couldn't make sense of it."
The boy shrugged. "I don't even think it's possible to make sense of this. If Dad has any crazy bone in his body, it shows itself in these. They're always weird."
"Do you know why he made them?"
"He said they were going to be sold one day. He was going to make a lot of them so that Vikings everywhere could read about his travels." Dagur flipped the pages and noticed some dirt on the binding. "Did you find this buried in the ground?"
"Yeah, which also was strange. Why bury it?"
"Actually, I know that part. Dad said he'd leave his journals by the bushes in all the islands he visited until he was done."
Hiccup tried to understand what he had heard, then gave up on that. "I'm sorry, what? Why would he write something and then just abandon it for the worms to eat?"
"I thought it was weird too, but he claimed that it would let him travel lighter if he didn't have to worry about hauling a million books with him."
"He couldn't have just brought them back to Berserker Island?"
Dagur had a sad smile on his face. "That would require him to actually come back–something he didn't plan on doing."
"So, he told you that he was going to just leave one day?"
"No, he never said that, but he said that his idea would be best if the Viking had no ties to any one place. That way, there'd be nothing holding you back so that you could go to as many places as possible. He said that he'd keep a map on himself that had everywhere he'd gone marked off." He frowned at the journal. "Where did you find this one?"
"It was just outside the archipelago and on an uninhabited island. Did he mention one like that?"
Dagur shook his head and kept looking through more pages. After a few moments, he stopped and made a face.
"Is that a happy face or an upset one?" Hiccup asked, still not sure how to interpret the Berserker's expressions when they were neither smiles nor scowls.
"Neither," Dagur answered. "It's a confused one mixed with a bit of excitement. He's mentioning 'suns on land.' I remember him saying that before."
"What does that mean? The sun's in the sky."
"He's talking about Fireworms. When he tried to get all poetic, he'd describe things instead of just saying what they were. Judging from the rest of this, he's talking about their island, I think. And this part where he mentions 'thrice dusk where the light leaves,' that's saying that he's going to spend three days and nights sailing west since that's where the sun sets."
Hiccup could feel his head beginning to ache. "Did he always want to be poetic?"
"More often than I preferred. He liked to go the long way around when he'd talk. Don't ask me why. I could only understand every other sentence out of his mouth on a good day." His eyebrows furrowed at the other pages of the book. "I don't know what he's saying in the rest of this."
"That was something at least. I can use that to follow his trail. It looked like the dirt wasn't packed too tightly and there weren't any weeds or anything on top, so this could have been newly buried. If it was, then we might be able to catch him while he's at that other place."
Dagur slid the book towards the bars, pushing it so that it would be where Hiccup could reach. The Berkian took the journal and looked pensive.
"What you said before about trying to see if I'd feel bad for you, did you mean it? Was that why you said some of the things you said?"
The Berserker paused before shaking his head. "I don't want anyone's pity."
"Then, why say all that? It seemed like you wanted to just make me angry."
"I did." Before Hiccup could ask why, he elaborated. "Al's worried that if you stick around, I'm not going to break. He thinks I'll get out of here one day and come after him. That's why he made me agree to try to convince you to stop visiting. Stoick came here to tell me to back off too, so when he finds out, I'd appreciate it if you could convince him to not skin me alive."
"I didn't expect him to show up here."
"He's protective."
"You're right about that." Hiccup hesitated as he looked at the prisoner.
"What?"
"I was just thinking about what would've happened if I'd tried to attack Berserker Island and got arrested."
This made Dagur laugh, surprising the Berkian.
"I didn't think that was a particularly funny idea."
"Just a ridiculous one," the redhead said. "Bold of you to assume that Stoick wouldn't just have killed anyone who tried to come at you with chains."
"But if I'd broken the treaty…"
"He would have probably taken the punishment for you." Dagur got back into a handstand, switching to his other hand this time. "You can think what you want, but you're not convincing me that Stoick the Vast would actually let his son rot in enemy territory. No way."
"If we find Oswald, he'll probably be the same. From what I've heard, he's the only Viking outside of Alvin who can change this."
"How?"
"He never technically gave you the position of chief, so it might be more of a tribal issue. It's basically treason against him more so than war against us. He'd be able to argue that in front of the counsel and decide a new sentence."
Dagur's eyes dropped gloomily. "You might be wasting your time."
"What do you mean? We could find him."
"You could, but he's not going to do anything. He's never fought for me."
"It's never been this bad, though," Hiccup pointed out. "Even if he's not the most protective dad in the world, this would have to get to any parent."
The Berserker looked doubtful. "I don't know, but it would be pretty cool if he came here to get me out."
"If he did, you wouldn't go back to trying to hunt Toothless and me, would you?"
"No, I'd hunt Alvin and his men," the boy whispered, a violent look in his eyes.
Feeling a little disturbed, Hiccup gestured to the journal. "Well, we're going to follow this lead and I'll be back tomorrow to tell you how it goes."
Dagur's expression brightened and he nodded, waving goodbye to the Viking and dragon. Hiccup had to walk past Alvin who was entering the prison. He and Toothless glared at him and the Outcast sneered back.
"New plan," Alvin said when he reached the back cell. "When Hiccup and the dragon return, you're going to attack my guards."
Dagur tilted his head before scoffing. "He already knows you're keeping an eye on my Berserkers if I get out of line. He won't buy that I suddenly start attacking everyone."
"Then, make it convincing."
"You know, most Vikings don't want to get attacked. You're weird. Has anyone ever told you that because I don't mind being the first."
The Outcast unlocked the cell and entered. Dagur tried to stand his ground but was lifted off the ground by his head and slammed into the wall. The flat side of a sword was pressed against his throat. Instead of giving into fear, the Berserker glared at him.
"If you're going to slit my throat, just do it."
"I'm not."
"Then, don't tease me, Al."
Alvin's eyes became more dangerous and he removed the sword, stabbing the Viking in the side. Dagur grimaced and slumped forward a little. The Outcast went over to his ear.
"Things can always be worse, boy," he threatened.
He yoked the prisoner by his hair and dragged him to a large cell near the front. Next, he went and unlocked the other cells. The prisoners regarded him in confusion for a few moments.
"Have at it," Alvin encouraged, gesturing to the first cell.
Dagur applied pressure to his wound to stop the bleeding and moved back. The other prisoners were entering. It was difficult to stop all of the blood and move quickly. It was also difficult knowing that no attack would be tolerated. Someone came up on his right, grabbing his arm and preventing it from pressing on the gash. Another prisoner came and jabbed the open wound with his thumb and pointer finger, drawing more blood. More Vikings were coming and Dagur quickly counted them. Individually, they might have been weaker than the guards, but they were greater in number. If the other Outcasts were not armed and well-fed by comparison, the prisoners might have been able to overrun the prison. Seeing as that was not how things were, they settled for having a nice time when they could and this was one of those moments.
The Berserker got his arm free and dodged a punch to his core. He was unable to dodge a blow to his face and shook his head to clear the dizziness. A foot kicked him behind the knees, sending him forward so that he could be caught by the group. Their combined grip seemed impossible to break and panic rose in the Viking. He was about to attack when the jailer saw the deranged flash in his eyes.
"Don't hurt anyone," Alvin reminded him, to his chagrin.
Dagur miserably looked at him and kept trying to get free. It was not working. He was nearly being suffocated by the group. Someone wrapped a tight arm around his neck and another bit down on his shoulder. Two more were clinging onto his legs to prevent him from kicking one of them out of instinct.
"Fine!" he yelled out.
Alvin just watched the Berserker with a blank expression on his face. The prisoners started forcing the redhead down to his knees on the grimy floor.
"I said fine! I'll fight you!" Dagur shouted, concern in his voice.
No longer could he see the Outcast as his face was being smashed into the ground. It seemed like he was getting crushed by the combined weight of the prisoners. He hated knowing what was next.
"Alvin!"
Suddenly, the weight of the crowd lessened. With a heaving chest, the boy looked up and saw Alvin ordering the prisoners back to their cells, kicking some for good measure. The Outcast turned to him with a smirk and pulled him by his shirt.
"So, you see, Dagur, you might think that things can't get worse than they already are, but they can. Do you want them to?'
The Berserker shook his head. Alvin smirked and began dragging him back to the last cell. Along the way, Dagur saw the leers from the other prisoners. He wanted to glare back, but he lacked the confidence. He felt more shaken than he would have liked to admit. If he did poorly with this task, he would be right there with them all again. The only difference would be that Alvin would not come intervene. They reached the cell and the large Viking tossed him in, locking it up.
"This means you're going to attack us and you're going to make it convincing. You'll make Hiccup afraid of what you might do. Got it?"
Dagur quickly nodded and the Outcast chuckled. They did not go to the Southern Markets the next day. Alvin wanted to make sure that they would be available for Hiccup's arrival–whenever that might be. During the wait, Dagur paced in his cell. He had never been so nervous at the thought of seeing a Berkian, not even when he first went to convince them all that he would be a fearful chief. He had been anxious, but that paled in comparison to what he was feeling this time.
"If you fail…" the annoying inmate trailed off, smirking.
The Berserker did not respond to him, only covering his ears to make it easier to not want to lash out. It would not have helped him to yell at the other prisoner. What would help was to build up his anger for the release. Head lifting slightly, he heard the familiar sound of dragon claws scratching against the prison floor. He had visitors. Hiccup and Toothless walked by the other cells, feeling uneasy with the looks the inmates were giving them. Snarling for good measure, the Night Fury eyed the cell bars to be sure that no one would break out and attack them. When they reached the Berserker, he was holding onto a piece of the ceiling. He had pulled himself up so that he was upside down. Doing so restricted his breathing which is not something he normally would have enjoyed, but it was calming.
"Find anything?" he asked.
Hiccup jumped, not having seen him at first. He looked up and saw the Viking.
"Yeah actually. Um, why are you doing that?"
"I want to. What did you find?"
"Okay then. There were some signs of life with a few chopped down trees and footprints on an island that otherwise didn't have anyone living there besides dragons."
"Cool. What's next?"
"We're going to keep heading that way and seeing what happens. It at least seems like we're going in the right direction. He hasn't been gone for years or anything, so I think we'll be able to find him soon."
Dagur hummed in response. "I hope you do," he said quietly.
His eyes moved to one of the guards. It was Magnar. He was bringing a cup of water.
"All right, maggot, don't say I never gave you anything," the Outcast said bitterly.
He was about to push past Hiccup when he got a warning look from Toothless. Instead, he just moved around him to unlock the bars and enter. As soon as he was where Dagur needed him to be, the Berserker let go of the ceiling. Landing on top of the Outcast, Dagur dug his fingers into his eyes, then took them out. Magnar cried in pain and for help. Three more Outcasts hurried over to the cell, entering. They stepped back in horror as they watched their comrade fall to the floor. His throat had been ripped out and was still in the Berserker's grip. Dagur looked at the lifeless body and took in a deep breath.
"That's nice," he said, sighing and closing his eyes. "I want to do it again."
When he reopened his eyes, he sent chills down the Outcasts' spines. They no longer liked Alvin's plan. Hesitance was their enemy and as one tried to decide what he would do, Dagur lunged at him, dodging a swing of a club to disarm the man and hit him in the temple. He used the club to start bashing his head in. Blood splattered the walls and sounds of the blows reverberated off the walls. When the other two Vikings came to stop him, Dagur maneuvered again, taking one of his stolen knives off Peder. He dropped low and used it to cut the man's Achilles tendon in both ankles. This sent the Viking forward with a yell, falling into his comrade who could not push the weight off himself before the same blade was pushed through the center of his throat. Peder, whose ankles were bleeding, tried to crawl away from the Berserker.
"Dagur," he pleaded, "s-stay back!"
He was against a cell wall, hoping he could push through. The former chief's eyes were deadly and there was a deranged smile on his face. Dagur spotted a sword that had belonged to one of the guards and took it for himself, admiring the handiwork first. Swallowing hard, the Outcast shut his eyes as he watched the weapon get lifted above him. Suddenly, there was a blast and the sound of clanging metal. Hiccup had told Toothless to shoot the sword away from Dagur. The boy looked at the weapon as it hit the wall, then back at the whimpering Outcast.
"You can't kill him," Hiccup insisted.
He had felt frozen during the attack, but he finally found his voice. Toothless had not been frozen, but he was fine with the Outcasts being slain. The dragon had never grown a liking for them and their recent activity did little to help this. Still, his friend was a merciful Viking and he respected that. Dagur did not look at them, still glaring at the Outcast.
"I have to kill him," he said, half to himself and half to the visitors. He thought, "If I don't scare you away, I'll be the play thing for this whole prison."
"No, you don't," the Berkian stated. "You don't have to be a killer."
Dagur chuckled and gestured around at the corpses. "I already am. What's a few more?"
"You can show mercy."
The redhead spun to face Hiccup, pointing at the still scared Outcast. "He's never shown me mercy! Not since the moment Alvin gave the guards the okay to do whatever they wanted. Not once! He's even worse than the others. He comes in here way more than everyone else. He just doesn't want to be here now because I'm the one attacking him this time. So, he doesn't deserve any and definitely doesn't get any. Can't turn back now anyway. I've already hurt him. If he survives, I'll be the one to pay for it later. I know from experience."
Dagur approached the Viking without a new weapon. Hiccup's body tensed as he watched.
"Dagur, the Outcasts are technically Berk's allies."
"Berk's, not mine."
He grabbed Peder's neck, targeting the windpipe and squeezing. When the Viking tried to punch, he blocked him and kept blocking off the air pathway.
"Dagur," Hiccup warned, looking at Toothless. "I can't let you kill anyone else."
The other boy looked at the Night Fury who did not appear as though he wanted to blast him. His rider did not want that to happen either.
"You do what you have to. I know I will," the Berserker told him.
Dagur let go so that he could step on the man's throat, applying pressure until he heard a sickening crack. When he was done, Dagur glanced at the cell bars. They had not locked them again. It was too nice and definitely part of Alvin's plan. He could not oppose it, so he went past the Berkian and dragon, running for the exit. Just before he could experience placing a foot beyond the territory without wearing chains, he felt a hard blow to his head. Alvin was armed with a club and had used it to strike the Berserker. When the impact knocked the prisoner unconscious, the Outcast put him over his shoulder and brought him back to the cell. Shaking his head, Alvin looked at the bodies. Hiccup felt shaken as well and did not know what to say. The Outcast saw this and almost failed to keep in his smile.
"He's dangerous," he said, turning to the boy. "You can waste your time coming here if you'd like, but you'll never get through to a psycho like him. He's beyond help. Now, if you don't mind, I've got some funerals to prepare."
Hiccup moved back as the Outcast leader collected the corpses. Leaving, the Berkian got on Toothless's saddle and flew off.
"It's not right," he said to his friend. "Something happened. He said that the Outcasts would attack if he fought back. He wouldn't kill some of them unless he had a good reason. Alvin also just seemed to show up exactly on time." He began frowning and pulled out a map. "Let's keep searching, bud. The only Viking who can put an end to this is Oswald. We've got to find him."
The two traveled to the islands near where they had been the previous day. To their dismay, they found nothing and only seemed to become more disappointed as time passed. Eventually, Hiccup was about to suggest they return home. Before he did, something caught Toothless's eye. He saw smoke and fire. Alerting his friend, Toothless got Hiccup to notice as well.
"Let's check it out," the Berkian suggested.
The pair flew down, hearing the sounds of crackling embers. They felt hopeful, but they also wanted to be on alert. Whoever was there could have been an enemy. This was unfamiliar territory and charted by traders only, no one they even knew personally. They crept further into the island carefully. Toothless's ears perked up and he turned his head, beginning to snarl. Hiccup followed his gaze and saw a muscular Viking with dark hair and a graying beard. In his hand was a crossbow and on his face was a look of intrigue.
"A Night Fury," he said in awe. Then, he took notice of the other Viking there. "Hiccup?"
Hiccup quickly stepped between him and Toothless, hands out to calm him down. "It's me. We were trying to find you, Oswald."
