~HHH~
The morning sun shined over the waking Hiccup and Toothless. It has been three days since they left Arendelle to search for dragons. Hiccup wanted to do this for a long time, but never had the time. Now as the cold wind blew against him, he couldn't help but smirk. It has been so long since he felt this wind. This Archipelago was his first home. Memories of Berk flooded his mind. The smells of lamb and chicken from the Great Hall during celebrations. The burning ash from the raids while he once tried to prove himself. How things have changed.
As the Rider stood near a cliff, Toothless nudged him. "Yeah, I know." Hiccup said, scratching his friend's chin. He climbed onto the Night Fury's back. "Let's go." The two launched up into the sky, flying for some time.
~J~
Days of being stuck in Arendelle have made Johann testy. He needed to see Elsa's powers before reporting to Krogan and Viggo, an alliance out of temporary need. But for now, he is among the crowds at the town square, waiting for her majesty to grace these peasants with her presence. He didn't truly believe in her magical powers, but these people are strong supporters of her gifts. When the royal family eventually arrived, the people rejoiced while he watched.
Her Highness greeted the people before waving her hand and what happened next, truly surprised the trader. Magic flowed from her hands to create a majestic sculpture out of ice. Now he believes in the stories. The Snow Queen was truly magical. And a scheme hatched in his head. To rid himself of Krogan and Viggo. To achieve power over this world. But first, he will need to fool his 'allies'.
~HHH~
Landing on an isolated island, Hiccup and Toothless took a moment to rest. They had been flying for hours without any luck in locating a Monstrous Nightmare. The Rider hopes that this island can bear fruit. But as he was taking a drink of water, a dragon's cry caught him off guard. Grabbing Inferno from his belt, the two friends moved towards the cry. Pushing through thick brushes and tree branches. Until they found a Deadly Nadder chewing at something around its leg. As Hiccup walked closer, the Nadder noticed him and snarled. He ignited Inferno and waved it slowly, relaxing the dragon.
"I'm not going to hurt you." Hiccup said looking at the dragon's leg.
A metal trap was embedded in the poor thing's leg. Retracting Inferno, he held out his hand, letting the dragon trust him. Its head was warm and smooth. But it trusted him. Kneeling, Hiccup examined the trap. Two crescent bars had snapped into the Nadder's leg. A painful and cruel trap. He looked up at the dragon. "This is going to hurt. A lot." he warned and the dragon groaned. Hiccup grabbed the metal bars and pulled them out of the Nadder's skin, revealing spikes. The dragon roared in pain. "Go!" he yelled and the dragon limped away.
Letting go of the trap, the bars snapped together. Hiccup stood up and petted the Nadder. "It's alright friend. It's alright." he comforted the dragon. Toothless walked over and the Rider opened the basket, searching for bandages. When he round them, he kneeled and wrapped the wounds. "This should help, but it'll take some time to heal." The Nadder moaned. When all was done, the Dragon flew away, free. Hiccup smiled, seeing some good from this day.
But there are answers left unsolved. The Rider went over and examined the trap. It was much too large for a wild animal. This was made to trap dragons. Why is a different question, but someone left this here and would come back for it. And when they do, he and Toothless will be ready.
~HHH~
Above the dragon trap, Hiccup and Toothless waited on a cliff, waiting for the trap's owner to arrive. The warm day had turned into a cool evening. If they hadn't found the Nadder, it may have died to the elements. A terrible fate. So many ideas flood his mind. Had this been Berk? Have they gone on a brutal offensive against the creatures he cares about? Could he have stopped this years ago, if he wasn't a coward? The more he thought, the more angry he gets at himself. When Toothless cooed, the Rider smirked. "Thanks, bud." he said to his best friend.
As they waited a little longer, their foe appeared. Two men armed with spears. When they arrived at the trip, they were agitated that there was no dragon. Toothless growled and Hiccup patted his friend. "Don't worry bud. Let's see where they go." he whispered, watching as they reset the trap. When the hunters walked off, the two friends watched patiently. When they were a good distance off, the friends landed down. Hiccup grabbed a thick branch and placed it in the trap. It snaked, nearly cracking the branch. The two launched into the air, taking refuge in the high cliffs following the hunters.
The hunters checked on other traps and the two friends repeatedly set off the traps before taking the high ground. These hunters weren't going to hurt any more dragons. Eventually, they reached the shores where a rowboat was on the beach and a large ship in the sea. The sun was too low to see whose ship it belonged to. The hunters rowed out to their ship and the two friends began forming a plan.
When the hunter arrived at their ship, the friends jumped off the cliff and glided in silence. Toothless hung onto the Port Bow. Hiccup looked over the deck to see a majority of the crew was likely below deck. Only two men were on deck. Hiccup grabbed a Zippleback canister from his belt and threw it at the Quarter Deck. A small, yet successful distraction. The guards were distracted and he climbed aboard. He quickly got behind the mast, just in time before the distracted faded He heard their footsteps get closer. Grabbing another canister, he tossed it off the Starboard side.
The guards looked over searching for something. Hiccup rushed up behind them and pushed them off the ship. He took a sigh of relief and Toothless jumped onto the deck. The Rider grabbed Inferno and descended below deck. He found cells filled with dragons. Each one growled under their muzzles. But those growls quiet as Toothless came behind him. He opened the latches, releasing the dragons from confinement. They let him undo their muzzles and he led them out of the ship.
Hiccup climbed on Toothless's saddle and they all launched off the ship. Before they left the area, Toothless fired several plasma shots at the ship's hull, flooding it. Whoever those men were, they wouldn't hurt any more dragons any time soon. Hiccup and Toothless led some of the Dragons South where they would be protected. Others flew off to continue living their life out in the wild. But the two friends knew that those hunters may not be alone and that they just caused a conflict.