Chapter 10
As soon as Eddval left the room, the young man ran forward and slowly put his hands on my arms.
"Easy, easy, mate...don't move." He softly asked.
He had nothing to worry about, I wasn't going anywhere.
I felt sick and I wanted to punch this guy or punch someone simply to relieve the anger inside that I couldn't express. But reluctantly, I didn't move,
I couldn't.
"Okay, I'm gonna lift you up, don't move to fast. On my count, one, two, three."
I shoved myself up with the help of the lad and the pain that shot through me was excruciating.
"Aghhh...oh boy...!" I winced, scrunching my eyes shut, as if it would help.
I saw the man's face closely for the first time.
He was no man. He was just a boy. Maybe, seventeen or eighteen years old.
"What...are you...doing? You shouldn't be...helping me...You're leader is...against me." I groaned through the aching and the stings.
The boy chuckled and began checking my arm where Eddval had been standing.
"Not all of us are against you." He smiled.
He squeezed my shoulder and I yelped with the pain.
"Sorry...it was dislocated." He apologised, checking my leg where blood was seeping through my pants.
I grimaced and chuckled trying to catch my breath.
"You'll be dislocated in a minute." I warned sarcastically.
The boy laughed out loud again and checked my ribs for damage.
"You won't be dislocating any one any time soon. With a broken rib, a dislocated shoulder, a sprained ankle and minus two weeks of food, you're a mess." He admitted, ticking off my injuries on his fingers.
"Thank you for...summing that up."
I smiled, rolling my eyes.
He picked up my hand before giving it a gentle shake. "I'm Luca."
I gave him a lop-sided half grin and licked my cracked lips weakly.
"Hiccup."
I turned to Toothless again.
His bright yellow eyes were closing and he was breathing slow.
His smooth gentle rhythm I found so calming hadn't changed.
It was nice to have something from home.
The dragon nuzzled my hand gently, releasing a rumbling sound while
Luca watched on in amazement.
"How did you do that? He's so gentle...even when he's angry he's virtually harmless. Furious Furies are extremely dangerous." Luca mused, his eyes trained to my beast.
I grinned proudly for my dragon.
It was about the only thing I had energy to do.
"I trained him. He's my best friend. I don't know where I'd be without him. You can touch him, he won't hurt you."
Luca very slowly neared his hand then Toothless growled suspiciously.
"It's alright, bud, he's a friend." I assured him.
At my word, Toothless nuzzled Luca's hand and Luca gasped in awe.
"Wow...I can't believe it, he's so calm compared to the others!"
I ran my hand across Toothless's ears one more time. "This is what dragons are meant to be like. The dragons you are faced with every day are mistreated, abused and forgotten. What you know and do is wrong. Once you've earned a dragon's loyalty, there's nothing he won't do for you." I explained, staring into space.
So many times I had said that. How did people think anything other about them?
"So you earn them instead of demanding them. That sounds a whole lot wiser." Luca decided, laughing lightly.
I agreed as Toothless rumbled innocently, craving the attention he had solely missed.
"Don't worry bud, I'll get us out of this." I assured him, reaching under his chin.
Luca leant against the cage next to me and a smile rolled slowly off his face.
"So you're...the Dragon Master?"
I groaned and rubbed my hand across my face in doubt. "I'm no master...I've messed up so bad...I am a dragon trainer though. But that face won't get me out of this situation."
Luca shuffled around so he was looking right at me. "I know what you mean...I've been stuck here for a long time...and, I'm under Eddval's care and command, just like everyone else."
I remembered my mother saying that about the bewilderbeast. Eddval was certainly the controlling type, but he was a dictator, not a leader.
"I see...does he treat you well?"
Luca laughed out loud and very slowly rolled up his shirt. On his chest were several small, stout scars and scrapes.
"This is what Eddval gave me when I was in your position. He starved you, he starved me...but there was a difference, I got sick and instead of healing me, Eddval tried to kill me but he couldn't get rid of me that easy. After an escape of another captive, he trained me up and here I am reluctantly obeying his rules. He could have finished me off though, but he didn't and for that, I'm thankful."
I sighed and rubbed my stinging eyes.
"Do you have a family?"
I was asking any questions I could think of just to keep myself conscious.
He chuckled sadly and rubbed his arm nervously, his eyes flashing with pain.
"Had a family...They were out fishing when the dragon attack took place and thankfully they never came home. It was just me and my little sis. Then, one day, the day when Eddval tried to kill me, I never saw her again. Either Eddval killed her or she escaped...I couldn't tell you which, but I pray every night that she escaped this place..."
"Well, at least you know they're safe from him." I paused a moment, gulping back the worries. "My wife, Astrid, and my little girl, Lucy, they're in constant danger of being attacked by Eddval. Their survival is depending on me...if I fail in keeping them safe from him, Eddval will maybe use them to his advantage just like he did when he caught me and blackmailed me into captivity using Astrid..."
Luca looked down at his feet and cupped his knees to his chest.
"I see...you're not the person everyone thinks you are...you're not a murderous assassin...you're just a guy with a gift..."
I smiled and exhaled long and hard.
"You're okay, Luca. You're okay."
As I began to feel gradually weaker again, I saw a familiar face come through the door.
"Lia..." I mumbled, rubbing my closing eyes.
She was close to Sonya Marie's side. As Sonya got nearer, I could see she looked angry. When she reached me, she slapped me across the face, sending stings rapidly through my skin.
Luca jumped up. "Sonya! What was that for! Hiccup's getting enough grief from Eddval without you joining in!" He snapped defensively.
Sonya pulled the loose tunic across Lia's back down and exposed to us criss-crosses of whip lashes bleeding and scarring across her spine.
"This is what Eddval gave Lia for just speaking to the dragon filth! I will not hesitate to give him what he deserves." She hissed, holding the tear-stained child closer.
Avril stepped forward trembling and shivering with fresh tears standing in her bloodshot eyes. "No Mama, it wasn't his fault, you know that."
Sonya fell to her knees and rested her forehead on the icy-cold floor.
"Why, why?! Why did you have to kill Drago! None of this would have happened if you had just let him win..."
I frowned and leant forward using up what little strength I had left.
"What do you mean?
Drago was a blood-thirsty monster with a heart only for death...a man like that is too dangerous to be left alive. Besides, I didn't kill him! He killed himself." I argued defensively.
Sonya took a deep breath. "That blood-thirsty monster was Lia's father."
I gasped and looked back to the little child who began to silently let the tears fall down her face.
"Sonya I....I didn't know he had a child..." I muttered, aimlessly through the shock.
I could hardly imagine how I would feel should Drago have killed me and left Astrid, and now I had Lucy to worry about also.
Sonya waved her hand as she began to compose herself. "I figured...Look Hiccup, Drago was Eddval's closest, probably only friend. When he died, revenge poisoned his mind. Eddval was never a good man, he has always been dark and selfish, but Drago, was once a good soul. Ten years ago, I and Drago were enjoying a peaceful night that was short of dragon attacks. We were young and frivolous, and dreamed only of adventure-"
I found it hard to imagine a young and energetic Drago and look past all the hate I had for him.
"-As we enjoyed the silence and the open sky, suddenly, out of nowhere, came a whistle...it was ear-piercingly loud and high-pitched as it spiralled towards us. Drago grabbed me and pulled me to my feet and we ran. Seconds later, a house burst into flames in a drastic explosion. Then a few moments after, that same sound from behind and another house blew. Drago hurried to the alarm bell and sounded it. Soon, villagers were everywhere. Though, we had a problem, the dragons we were faced with, were invisible against the black sky. Only when they came near the light could we see a vague outline of a black dragon.
After our village was in flames and many were dead, only one dragon had been shot down. Drago hit one of the beasts with a Serpent's Arrow, a black, slender arrow coated in the deadly poison of the Blue Oleander. This flower is harmless to people, but-"
I cut her off, "But murderous to dragons, I know, I've seen it." I sighed, protectively stroking Toothless.
"Yes...the monster fell to the ground and Drago finished it off. When the dragons were finished with us, only I and Drago were left. Our village was, burnt, our families were taken. We were great warriors and skilled in defence but others weren't as strong as us. Children were easy meals, the elderly, a crunchy snack, the Vikings were the dragons prey. Drago took his anger out on the Night Fury by making himself a thick cloak out of its skin and I, a belt. Drago and I knew we were no longer safe, so we built ourselves a boat made from any timber we saved and set sail.
We sailed for days and by each hour, Drago grew more and more angry and deceitful. It was here, when we met Eddval.
A strange man floated towards us on a self-built raft. He was suffering with blood wounds and we brought him aboard. When he was strong enough to talk, he told us that he had also been attacked by NightFuries and when his girl was killed, all he wished was to escape. The three of us, a strong team, found a foreign land, far from our homes. It was small and perfect for us to live on.
We began our lives.
For seven years we raged on. I built our homes and the men worked the land, together, we built ourselves a safe haven in which for us to live. Then, a great dragon attacked in the day. It was the most grave dragon I had ever come across. It was colossal in size. It had silver scales, like the armour of a warrior and blood-red and blue eyes that seemed to stare through your soul.
It destroyed our fields with one blast of its green ice. The dragon draped our home in impenetrable ice then turned to us. It blasted Eddval, encasing him in an ice coffin. It turned to fight Drago and I, but he was brave. My hero snatched a stick from the ground and waved it at the dragon, yelling like a mad man. He began to march towards it yelling and waving like crazy. Instead of freezing him as the dragon succeeded with Eddval, it couldn't look Drago in the eyes and simply breathed white frosty dust all over us. He had won the dragon's loyalty.
Drago now had the power to train any dragon he wished. Starting with, the Bewilderbeast, as we named this great species unknown to man. We began our life again, but this time, we were in control. Every time a dragon came near, Drago forced it into submission. We were always safe as long as he was with us. Gradually, Drago had controlled a small army of dragons. We had built ourselves a good life, protecting our little island from the foul monsters, then one dark quiet night, a Night Fury took a strike at us.
Drago and Eddval shot it down and began to try and control it. This dragon refused commands and rebuked our rules, eventually, it escaped our grasp and flew off. Eddval blamed Drago for this and they began a fight. It was terrifying, they yelled for hours until Eddval's blood-thirsty plan crept into action. He, somehow, persuaded that together he and Drago were more than dragon trappers, but dragon leaders. As a team, he told Drago, that they could conquer the world, control all dragons including Night Furies and protect all people from attacks. Drago believed his foolish notion and they built a ship.
A few months later, they set sail for the nearest island. Drago told me I would be safe if he left me on our island, so I stayed back. Alone, I worked the fields, raised the cattle, repaired our home and all, bearing our first child. I received letters from Drago with news of them conquering new lands and new dragons. He told me their crew was getting bigger as they picked up young men to help them fight the battle by persuading that he alone could protect them from the dragons. Another year passed by and I received no new letters. Alarmed, I set sail from our island, the Robin's Crest, and arrived at a main land port. The men told me there that Drago and Eddval had taken different paths because Drago told Eddval they wanted different things. Drago wanted to protect people by controlling dragons, Eddval wanted to train all Night Furies and use them to his advantage. Drago had sailed North and Eddval turned South. I never saw him again. He didn't even know he had a daughter...All Drago wanted was for people to be safe...but he was turned off his path by a monster and when people refused to help him, he grew hard and cold. My Drago lost everything and Eddval gained everything he ever wanted. When he heard Drago had been killed and the Bewilderbeast had retreated, he returned to the Robin's Crest and dragged me aboard his ship to be used as his servant. I worked hard for him with my young daughter close beside. He forced us to watch him terrorise and beat young Night Fury dragons into submission and fear. All feared his name for miles around. Eddval brought us to Berdwick Island and he decided to call it home.
He enslaved the villagers to rebuild the village on the island, except this time, out of stone and metal instead of wood. We worked day and night and built this kingdom with our own hands...and for what? The purpose of keeping both dragons and people prisoner."
She sighed after explaining the entire story. Sonya ran her hand over the rock wall she was sat against, like it meant something to her.
Avril Lia scooted forward and hugged her mother.
"It's okay, Mama, everything's okay."
Sonya tucked her head in her knees and cried, this sight and the story left me feeling very guilty.
Luca had sat very quietly through the whole thing, seemingly listening intently and drifting off in thought, until he stood and stretched.
"Well...It's getting late..." He decided slowly.
My head hurt and all I wanted to do was eat and sleep.
Luca slipped an arm under my arm and lifted me to my weak feet.
"Let's get you to a bed."
"No...I don't wanna leave Toothless!" I asserted.
"Toothless'll be fine! Come' on, you're much worse off than he is." Luca continued.
I was reluctantly dragged away from the only face I knew and into a small room.
The room had one bed and a little fire sizzling in the corner with a pot of hot soup hanging over the top on a spit.
"It's not much, but it's better than your cell." Smiled Luca.
I gave Luca a smile in return and sat down on the floor.
"Thanks."
Luca looked at me blankly.
"The bed's yours? Don't you want it?"
I shook my head.
"You have no idea how much of a privilege dirt is when you've spent two weeks sleeping on stone."
Luca chuckled and sat down on the bed.
"Yeah, I guess..."
~*~*~*~
~ Normal POV ~
After Sonya had put Lia to bed she started for the largest stone building in the Granite Skull, the Strike Tower.
It was similar to a cursed tower from a fairy tale.
It was dark, grey and had tall black windows impaling the circular edge and four small turrets surrounded the large one in the centre of the top. Crowning the tip of the centre turret was a Strike Class Symbol with an arrow through it to resemble the war symbol.
Sonya entered in through the two night guards on the door and up the spiral stair case to the room at the top. She nervously knocked on the door and waited for the growl from the other side.
"Who disturbs my peace?"
"Sonya Marie." She answered.
She opened the door and Eddval was sitting by the open window looking out across the icy, black ocean that spread for miles around.
"Well? Did you succeed?"
"Yes. He believed every word."
"Good. Now we can begin his training. He will do it for Lia."
Sonya sighed and swallowed hard.
"You are cruel...Hiccup is a good man! He doesn't deserve the hurt he shall endure! The hurt you will make him endure! You're a liar Eddval!" She spat, clenching her fist in anger.
He spun around and slapped Sonya's face knocking her to the floor.
She glared back up at him, tears in her eyes.
"He deserves every ounce of the pain that I will make him pay for! He killed my brother! If a lie is what it takes, it is a lie I shall draw his blood with. The blood of Chief Haddock will pay for the death of Drago Bludvist. An eye for an eye, a life, for a life."
Sonya stood and stared him down one last time before taking her leave.
"You are just like him...Drago was a heartless liar and I can see it now. It was in his blood." She breathed, viper-like.
Drago grabbed her tunic and dragged her forward so she was close to his face, making his stagnant breath waft over her pale skin.
"And the Chief spilled that blood! My blood! The blood of my brother! I will avenge him! If that means war, if that means sacrifice, if that means death! I will make him pay the price!"
He threw her to the floor as she gasped for breath and tried to refocus on the conversation.
He bent down by her and stared into her big dark eyes.
"You know what the penalty is for one who spills a secret," He raked his first finger along the middle her thin neck from her collar bone up to her chin.
"A spilling of blood."
~*~*~*~
The end of chapter 10! I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave comments and feedback, good or bad, in the comments section! Thank you for reading! :)
~ Httyd_2014 <3
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