frowzy

(adj.) habitually unkempt

"Erland!" You shouted upon noticing the sandy haired boy dropping boxes on the ground. He stopped midway and looked around to find the source of the voice, a happy grin found its way on his lips when his eyes landed on you.

"(Y/N)! Hey!" Erland exclaimed pulling you into a hug which you returned right away. He parted soon after and spun around, calling out for a young boy that happened to be standing in front of his shop.

"Watch over for a while, will ya?" Erland said and received a nod of agreement in response. The boy only gave you a deadly glare while Erland was too busy picking up something from the stand, the boy's glare twisted into a fake smile the moment Erland rose up and looked at him.

"I'll come back later." Erland ruffled the boy's brown hair and then made his way back to you. The boy's eyes still remained on your form and you glanced away, not wanting to be bothered by his intense stare.

"Who's that kid?" Your voice was quiet when you asked Erland and then took a look at what he was holding. A single water bottle in his hand.

"Oh him? He's my new apprentice, helps around, you know?" Erland chuckled and you pursed your lips.

"Yeah... Does he always glare at people? He was glaring at me like crazy." You couldn't help but ask since that was the only thing on your mind right now.

"Pretty much." Erland nodded to himself and you felt kind of relieved knowing it wasn't just you. "But besides his behaviour towards people, he's actually a pretty nice kid."

Without uttering anything, both of you knew where to go and began the walk to the cave.

The village was lively as ever and chatter was coming from each side, people were rudely pushing past each other and occasional yells could be heard in the distance. But after a moment, you managed to escape the crowd and were now deep in the forest.

"So I'm looking at the guy like he lost his mind!" You laughed and Erland shook his head in disbelief. You were telling him the events that transpired the previous day and earning different reactions for every scenario mentioned.

You took a moment to look at your surroundings, but everything seemed the same, if it weren't for Erland to guide you through the forest, you would've been lost already. It will probably take a while till you actually learn the path that leads to the cave.

The two of you were catching up the whole time you walked and a smile grew on your face when you arrived at the opening. Crystal, who was previously laying on the grass, sprung up and dashed towards Erland with a gummy smile. Needless to say, at a moments time, Erland was showered with licks.

While they were playing outside, you searched the cave for any food but it was futile because you didn't spot a thing. A loud rumble emitted from your stomach and you got up with a deep sigh. You moved around the place with idle steps, wondering what to do next until an idea popped in your mind.

"Hey Erland, do you have food?" You shouted, feeling your stomach knotting itself inside due to the hunger.

"No, but Crystal and I could go get fish if you'd like?" Erland offered and you gave him a thumbs up. You watched how he struggled to get up on the saddle and a chuckle spilled past your lips, he looked so proud of himself after successfully climbing up and it was hilarious.

"But be careful, okay? Don't let anyone see you. Circle around from there." You pointed at the direction you came from and Erland nodded. He looked like he knew what he was doing, so you took a step back and let them take off.

In the meantime, you were oblivious to the pairs of watchful eyes monitoring your every move from the bush.

"I think we stumbled on a gem. Boss would be so happy to hear we found the guy and a dragon!"

"But how are we going to capture them?"

"We don't have to. The girl will lead them to us."

Something hit the walls of the cave and it caused you to jump up from the chair in panic. It repeated another two times until you decided to investigate what was going on and what was causing that sound.

You managed to take just one step outside when suddenly a man stepped in front of you from the side and grinned wickedly.

"Boo." He spat and before you could even utter a scream or grab your weapon, a strong jab in the neck caused you to blackout instantly.

-----

The leaves and dust scattered away in every direction as Crystal landed on the ground with a gentle thud. She shook her head wildly making water drops fly off, but then she captured a faint smell of an unfamiliar scent surrounding the area.

"Whoa hey girl!" Erland breathed out in shock when Crystal harshly pushed past him, almost knocking him off his feet. While Erland casually approached the cave, Crystal speeded to there and upon reaching the entrance she let out a roar so loud it caused Erland to drop the bag in his hand and cover his ears.

"Crystal? What the-" Erland didn't have the time to finish because he was suddenly grabbed and pulled forward by the dragon. Crystal dragged the boy to the empty cave and whimpered.

"I see that (Y/N) isn't here, what's the big deal? She's probably on a bathr-" Erland stopped himself when a note on the counter grabbed his attention. "Ah! See! She left us a note."

"She was probably too hungry and went back to the village to grab food on her own, you know how she is." Erland chuckled and twisted open the note, expecting an explanation and a witty remark for them being too slow, but what he saw made his blood turn cold.

Erland's face ashened in a second, his whole body stiffened as he stared at the paper. He blinked a couple of times, thinking that his eyes might've been deceiving him, but no matter how many times he looked, the sign was still there.

Scribbled with black ink, the familiar skull took up the whole page. No words were needed for him to realize where his friend was, even so, that didn't stop the fear slowly fogging his mind. Erland crunched up the paper in his hands and gripped it tightly to the point where his hands were shaking.

"Odin help me." Erland's voice was lowered to a whisper. The fear overwhelmed his body where even standing up proved to be a challenge, he slammed his back against the wall and inhaled a shaky breath. Erland threw away the paper to the corner of the cave, it bounced off the wall and rolled on the ground, Crystal's croon made him look at the dragon and purse his lips.

"We need to save (Y/N)."

But for that to work, Erland knew he had to have a solid plan and a backup plan in case things go wrong. He also knew that going alone would be the worst idea possible and that he needed help from someone else.

So without wasting any more time, Erland saddled up and flew back to the Edge to the only person he knew that could be of any help. Of course multiple time during his flight there Erland thought of going back and facing the problem on his own, but he couldn't see any positive outcome of that situation.

It would take a day and a half till Erland reached the Edge and he prayed to all the gods not to let anything happen to his dear friend.

-----

The first thing you felt upon regaining consciousness was the throbbing pain on the back of your neck. A pained hiss escaped your lips as you attempted to rub the area, but only when you moved your hand did you realize that your wrists were chained together behind your back.

The panic spread almost instantly when you remembered what happened and how you got here in the first place. You looked around and noticed the small space you've been put into, there was a large door in front of you and to the right there was a small window with barriers which was barely providing any sunlight. This place would be a living nightmare for a claustrophobic person because there was barely enough space to move around.

With the determination of sneaking out from here, you got up in an instant, but what you didn't know was that the handcuffs were attached to the walls of the room and you didn't anticipate falling back down on the ground with full force. The chains clanked as you landed with a loud grunt from the harsh impact, your bottom hurt hurt like hell and the jerking of your head made your neck hurt even more.

The door suddenly swung open and light shone into the dark lit room, you caught a glimpse of buff man standing there, but the light was too bright and unbearable for your eyes so you shut them and looked away.

"She's up. Tell the boss." The man spoke to someone, but you didn't hear any response, only the sound of boots clacking across the floor and becoming distant with each step.

"Get up." An order came from above and you finally adjusted your sight enough to see an angry looking man that was impatiently watching you and waiting. He seemed like the person you wouldn't want to cross paths with, so you obeyed without any protests and slowly got up as the person twiddled the keys in his fingers. He walked in, now occupying the whole space, and he carefully unlocked the chain from the cuffs while cautiously observing you for any sudden moves.

You could've easily knocked him out but nothing was certain after that, if anything you might even make things worse. So you remained calm and waited for whatever was going to happen next.

The man grabbed your arm and wrenched you forward, out of the cramped room. You scanned the area and the many doors around, concluding that they definitely lead to rooms exactly like the one you were just a moment ago. Another skinnier man appeared out of nowhere and the two males nodded at each other, seemingly understanding each other's thoughts without saying anything.

The man began dragging you forward and you quickened your pace in order to walk with the same tempo. In a minute you were out of the place that was presumably a prison of some sort, it was located in a big cave that you now exited.

Two dozens of men were all hurriedly striding, some carrying weapons, some heavy chests, others were commanding with lists in their hands. It was a busy field and everybody seemed to know their orders. A scream caused you to jerk your head to the left and spot people with torn attire, barefooted and dirt specs all around their bodies. They were all aligned and one woman was on the ground choking out a sob.

Another scream came from the woman when she got a hard kick in the stomach by a brute who wore the same clothes as the man next to you. You looked away as the hitting continued, not able to look at the sight any longer. Your gaze then landed on a wide tent in front of with two guards strictly patrolling next to it, hard expressions staining their faces.

The guards eyes traveled to you and then to the man. Once again, no words were exchanged between them and the man escorting you to there took a step back and you turned faintly to see what he was doing.

He took a set of keys from his belt and searched through, while he was doing that, your eyes rapidly scanned the green environment. This base was located in what seemed to be a forest, nobody else was watching except the two guards and the man behind so now was your best chance of escaping. You would simply head right where there were no people and outrun the guards who will certainly go after you, after that it was only a matter of finding your way out of this place, wherever it is.

You heard the click of the cuffs getting unlocked and after that they slid away from your wrists, you took the advantage of this and elbowed the man in the stomach. He recoiled and doubled over in pain while you sprinted away. Everything was going to plan, though your victory was short lived because someone snatched your hair and yanked you back.

"No!" You let out a high pitched screech as the pain exploded on your scalp, your arms immediately traveled to remove the hands tightly holding your hair, but you stopped dead in your tracks when a cold blade was placed on your neck.

"Do that again and you're dead." A deep voice came from behind and you gulped loudly.

"You're so going to get it now." The man you hit growled loudly, he was now dangerously approaching you with a devilish glint in his eyes and you knew for a fact what was coming next. You narrowed your eyes and watched how he rose his hand, ready to smack your face, but the slap never came because someone from inside the tent spoke.

"You are going to get it if you keep me waiting any longer!" The voice threatened viciously. Whoever was inside there seems to have the full control around here because the man hit the wall instead of you. His eyes were ablaze with anger as your lips twisted in a sly smirk.

Before he could do anything else, you were suddenly spun around by the other person that was holding you. He opened the curtains with one hand and shoved you inside with the other. You stumbled and nearly fell due to the unexpected push, but fortunately you regained your balance fairly quickly.

"Why hello there!" The person beamed happily and you looked up in surprise.

-----

Everything was calm and serene back on the Edge. But that was soon going to change when Crystal landed in front of Hiccup's hut.

Erland quickly heaved himself off and knocked on the door with all the force he had. The knocking turned even harder when there was no response from inside and the panic was growing even more. Erland's hand was left hanging when the door opened and revealed Hiccup who was clearly irritated from being disturbed like this.

"Erland?" Hiccup's eyebrows knotted together in confusion when he realized who was standing in front of him, he got even more puzzled after seeing the anxious state of Erland. "What are you doing here? Wher-"

"I can't believe I'm saying this..." Erland interjected with a tone of disbelief. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. "I need your help, Hiccup."

-----

You stared in amazement at the woman seated behind an ornate desk, her chin resting on her steepled fingers as she stared at you with a penetrating gaze. The woman was not so much older than you, maybe a couple of years separating the two of you apart, her wavy raven-black hair hung loosely around her shoulders, softly curling along the ends and it accentuated her fierce grey eyes that were now fixated on your own.

The woman batted her long lashes as you continued to gape at her without uttering a word. The voice that yelled when you were outside was deep and bile, and you were convinced that it belonged to someone else instead of the woman even if nobody else was in the tent.

"Close your mouth dear, you'll catch flies." The woman's bubbly laughter filled the silence and you shut your lips together, feeling like a complete idiot.

"Who are you?" You asked, ignoring her quip as you stood firmly on the ground. The woman's perfectly shaped eyebrow bent up and a smile graced her features once again.

"My name is Indrix and you are?" The woman then stood up and you caught a good view of her clothing, the blue uniform that was similar to the guards suited her curves marvelously and it showed just about the right amount of cleavage. Indrix leaned on the table, her splayed fingers resting on the edges as she watched you up and down. You gritted your teeth, feeling as though you're wasting precious time.

"Where am I?" You asked, once again dodging the woman's question. You spun wildly looking at papers clipped to the boards around the tent, they all showed different maps, but the main and biggest one showed where this island was located and you gasped when you figured out where it was.

"Outside the archipelago?!" The words came out louder than anticipated. And then the sad realization downed on you in that exact moment. Escaping from here would literally be impossible, the Edge was miles and miles away and you help might never arrive. Erland might never find you and you might end up here for the rest of your life. You were a goner.

"You seem shocked, why is that?" Indrix questioned, either she was too oblivious or she was just messing with you for fun. But even so, that didn't stop you from breathing out through your nose and stare incredulously.

"Uh, I don't know? Maybe because of the fact that you kidnapped me!" You sneered. Indrix's face didn't change at all and she shrugged nonchalantly.

"It was necessary." She said plainly as if it was was nothing out of the ordinary. "Initially it was supposed to be just Erland-"

"You know Erland?" You gasped. You didn't care how rude it was to interrupting the woman while she was speaking, but you needed to know. She didn't mind though, instead of shooting you a pointy look, she chuckled lightheartedly.

"That boy nearly led me to my downfall, of course I know him." Hidden rage kindled behind Indrix's grey eyes, she was watching the fire as it sparkled and there was no doubt that she is imagining something malicious.

"What did he do?" You asked suspiciously, not believing that Erland could do anything remotely that drastic.

"You don't know?" Indrix asked, slightly tilting her head to the side. "Aren't you his girlfriend or something?"

"No." You said. "I'm his friend."

"Hm. Obviously not a trustworthy one, considering he hasn't told you." Indrix pointed out and your expression hardened in a second, you opened your mouth ready to retort but then Indrix let out a deep sigh before speaking again. "Alright, I guess I have time to chat a bit."

She walked towards the table and a set of chairs in the corner of the tent and gestured you to follow. After comfortably sitting down you watched Indrix pick up a carafe and pour out the red contains into a clear glass, she pointed it at you, inaudibly offering you wine that you politely declined with a shook of the head.

She shrugged and poured in some more.

"Lets start from the beginning then." Indrix hummed to herself, she gulped the whole wine in one sip and proceeded to fill up the glass again. Countless thoughts were pilling up in your mind as the woman took her time and you could just imagine what Erland had done.

"So about three years ago I meet this wonderful fella, cute blonde hair, pearly white teeth and a smile that instantly swept me off my feet." Indrix began speaking gleefully.

That's Erland alright.

"He acted like a complete gentleman and unlike other people, he actually listened to what I was saying. Now back then my business was still not developed yet and I was still new in the market, but that doesn't matter now." Indrix shook her head and waved dismissively. "As I was saying. We talked the whole night and I invited him over to my place and he agreed right away."

"Biggest mistake in my life." Indrix chuckled bitterly and took another big sip, her Adam's apple bobbing as the wine ran down her throat. She exhaled a satisfied breath and lightly shook the glass in her hand, admiring the thick crimson beverage.

"We arrived at my home and I told him to wait because I had to get beverage from upstairs. Now while I was too busy searching, I hear the front door slam open." You felt bad for actually enjoying the story and you internally slapped yourself for asking what happened next. Indrix smiled at that and continued.

"I rushed down to only to find an empty room, Erland was nowhere in sight and a my treasure chests were missing." Ingrix laughed. "That moron robbed me."

You pursed your lips and remained silent. That's exactly what Erland would do.

"But how can a few treasure chests lead you to your downfall?" You asked, genuinely curious.

"Oh honey." Indrix rolled her eyes at you and shrink back in her seat. She was staring at you like you had asked the dumbest question ever, but you kept your gaze firm, waiting for her to elaborate. "That's not the end of it."

"Erland vanished into thin air, like the ground opened up and swallowed him whole. I didn't saw him for year after that, but then one day as I was trading with a person on a different island, I saw Erland clear as a day." A grin spread on Indrix clear face and you bit your lip, not quite sure if you want to hear what she did afterwards.

"And needless to say, he didn't return to his home for a long time."

"What...did you do to him?" You were almost reluctant to ask.

"The same as any other thief, of course. Locked him up in a cage for a couple of months." Indrix replied without a care in the world while you were still unable to comprehend how she could think that what she did was normal. Maybe to some extents it was, but it was still a bit too extreme.

"But then, do you know what that clod did?" Indrix waited for your reply and you shook your head. "He escaped!" She threw her arms in frustration.

"And that's not even to the best part! I don't know how he did it, but Erland somehow managed to knock out a guard and change into a uniform. He moved to the docks like he was one of my people and obviously nobody found it weird, but then... Then he pirated my ship!"

Indrix now chugged the wine straight out of the bottle and after finishing it to the last drop, she slammed the bottle back on the table, almost breaking it because of the amount of force.

"Think about it, the whole ship filled with gold to the brim!" Indrix let out a laugh of disbelief while the only thing you were thinking was Erland's incredible escape. But that didn't stop you from wondering what he did with the stolen loot.

"Now that topped everything. And after that I sent my people on every island to hunt him down and you can't imagine how thrilled I was today to hear that they finally found Erland and a dragon!" Indrix was beaming with happiness, her smile stretching from one ear to the other. Meanwhile you were desperately trying to compose your panicked face and thankfully the woman wasn't watching you.

"What could you possibly need a dragon for?" You gave the woman a faked careless lopsided smile and attempted to hide the uneasiness in your tone. Indrix seemed to not notice it because she simply exhaled joyfully.

"Ah, I don't deal with dragons, dear. Viggo does, so I'll send it to him as a gift for our wonderful trades all these years. My men told me the dragon was from rare kind which is a huge plus!" Indrix explained excitedly. Your eyebrows scrunched together and you weren't concentrated enough to keep your lips shut so they remained parted. Your mind was too fixated on what Indrix had just said.

"Who's Viggo?" You quizzed.

"Viggo Grimborn, but he doesn't matter now. What matters is how Erland got his hand on a dragon?" Indrix placed a hand on her chin and the expression on her face changed to a thoughtful one. You eagerly wanted to scream at her saying that it was your dragon not his, but that would simply make things worse so you continued being quiet.

"The men who saw him told me the dragon let Erland climb on its back without attacking." Indrix was astonished by what she was saying, but you found nothing surprising in that, probably because you were already used to it.

"I've heard of a place where people and dragons live in harmony together. Pathetic really. Who would want to miss on the opportunity to capture a dragon and bash it's skull?" Indrix smile was just so sweet and dazzling, but the things she was speaking were immensely terrifying, the two were literal antipodes.

Your eyes were slightly widened and you cracked a smile in order not to look suspicious. "Totally!" You exclaimed with the same enthusiasm as the woman and after that the two of you shared a laugh. While Indrix's was one hundred percent authentic, yours was completely feigned.

You weren't scared of the woman when the two of you first started talking, in fact you could almost say that she had a sort of nice personality, but now you became feeling weary. Indrix was twisted, there's no denying that.

"I can't wait until Erland comes here!" Indrix squealed like a little child and hope sparkled in your eyes.

"Erland's going to come here? How are you so certain?" You asked, careful not to let the excitement slip by in your tone.

"My men left a trace. Now it's a matter of time until he show's up." The corners of Indrix's plump red lips curved up in a smirk when she glanced at you. "If he shows up."

The moment she said that, your heart dropped. There was a small part of you which was worried that Erland might not even save you, he might sell off Crystal to someone else and just with that thought your heart began pounding hard against your chest.

"He...He'll show up." Your voice was anything but certain and you were trying to convince yourself more rather than Indrix who huffed.

"You never told me your name?" Indrix leaned forward on the table, her eyes darted left and right as she examined your face closely. Her gaze was so intense that you looked down in order not to make eye contact.

"(Y/N)." You muttered sheepishly and Indrix nodded.

The tent's drapes moved and a man walked in, you recognized it as one of the guards that was previously standing outside. He's face remained still as he spoke.

"Ma'am, dinner is ready, do you want it to be served?" He asked with a monotone voice and Indrix looked back at you for reassurance. When you provided no answer, she simply dismissed the man and you were racked with guilt. You missed the opportunity to have an exquisite meal and now you were stuck feeling ravenous with your stomach rumbling quietly.

"What do you plan on doing when Erland arrives here?" You questioned.

"That's for me to know and for you to find out." Indrix winked and before you could reply anything she shouted 'guards' and clapped her hands loudly.
The two men from outside marched in with same pace while you clutched the chair.

"We had a fun time, dear." Indrix smiled sweetly, but then her smile feel flat and in an instant her face changed to a serious expression. "Now off you go."

Her personality switched in a split second and you were still marveled how nice she was just a moment ago and how she suddenly turned so cold.

The guard snatched you off the seat and you let out an irritated huff. You sneaked a glance back at Indrix while the guards chained your wrists together, the black haired woman was smiling with delight as if watching the show of her life.

The moment you were alone with the guard, you attempted to make a run for it but once more you weren't fast enough, the man managed to grab your arm and the plan was futile. He simply laughed darkly at your failed attempt and threw you in a dark cell which became pitch black once the door closed.

There wasn't even a window and you were suffocating in the space which was even smaller than the last cell. As the minutes ticked by you became even more fidgety, you couldn't imagine anyone being sane after being left here in the solitude for more than a week.

With nothing else to occupy yourself except your own thoughts, time passes slower than usual. You tried thinking positively, but taking in consideration your surroundings, it was hard.

Something moved on your arm and you let out a silent shriek, not knowing what the insect was only made you shake even more to get rid of it. The bug was crawling to your wrists and you didn't hesitate to slam them onto the wall, the bug was no long there yet you still continued breathing uneavenly even after finally having it off your arm.

Now after that experience you became more restless and desperately tried not to think about what else might be creeping in this room besides yourself.

You sighed in defeat and rested your head on the wall.

-----

The door bursting open caused you to jolt awake from your slumber, while you were rubbing your eyes someone uttered 'food' and placed a plate in front of you. Before you could even properly see what was on the plate, the door shut and once again you were surrounded by darkness.

Your arms traveled in every direction to find the food and then your fingertips landed on a something, you trusted your sense of touch to figure out what the food was, but it turned out to be nothing besides the end of a bread.

You chomped it down like a hungry wolf and in just a few bites the whole bread was gone. Your stomach begged for more, but that was all it was.

Laughter suddenly echoed in this quiet place and then the sound of chairs moving across the ground followed. Two men began talking and you listened intently, they weren't particularly saying anything important, just everyday matters. Occasionally one of them would say something funny and you would find yourself laughing as well. This was by far the only entertainment you got.

But as hours flied, the men left and the chatter disappeared, you were once again left alone.

-----

The room was windowless and it was hard to tell how much time has passed. It was pitch black no matter if you closed your eyes or kept them open. You heaved a sigh for the hundredth time already.

You had always been an independent person, always saving yourself without any help from others. But now you realized how fearful it is when your whole life depended on one person's decision.

The door opened, and this time it didn't startle you like usual. You were expecting food or something, but instead the man ordered you to get up and so complied. He motioned you to walk out and then said something that made a wide grin spread on your lips.

"Your buddy is here." He said with a hateful tone which didn't stop the happiness instantly fluttering throughout your whole body. The man grabbed your arm tightly and walked forward with you stumbling behind him. When the doors to outside opened, light shone directly on you and it was so bright it caused you to close your eyes. You had gotten used to the blackness so now the normal day light seemed blinding.

You blinked a couple of times trying to readjust and then heard Erland's voice.

"Erland!" You shouted joyfully at the sight of him. Erland's eyes lit up when he saw you, he opened his mouth to speak, but Indrix cut him off before he could utter a single word.

"He wouldn't speak to me until I prove you're alive, so now that you're here lets begin!" Indrix exclaimed and clapped her hands cheerfully.

"We both know how much you're in debt to me and that's why I'm giving you two chances. I'll keep (Y/N) here until you collect the whole amount of gold you owe me and then I'll free her." Indrix offered, beaming with confidence. "Or you could give me the dragon right now and I'll surrender (Y/N)."

Erland didn't put any thought in his decision and responded almost instantly. "The dragon it is."

Your heart stopped beating at the same time those words left his mouth. You snapped your head at his direction and stared wide-eyed.

"What?! Erland no!" You protested and took a step forward. Erland's face held an apologetic expression as he got off Crystal and before he could take another two steps Indrix stopped him saying that's enough.

"I'm sorry (Y/N), but if its the only way to get you out of here then I'll accept it." Erland said, glancing back at Crystal then at you.

"You don't have to do that! Listen however much you owe, I'll help you find the money okay? Just don't let her have Crystal." You desperately pleaded, but the way Erland was staring at you, it looked as if he already knows the final answer and that nothing you say could ever change his mind.

"That thing has a name?" Indrix's confused voice came from your side and you rolled your eyes at her choice of name.

"That thing is my dragon." You corrected her with a sneer.

"But I thought you hated dragons?" Indrix's baffled expression made you huff.

"Well you thought wrong." You wasted no time in replying and watched how Indrix shot you a vexed look.

"Ugh, whatever, just hand over the dragon and let's get this over with." Indrix threw her arms in air and you were instantaneously reminded about what was going on, the panic came back seeping through your veins as Erland was taking last looks around.

"Erland don't do it, please, I'm begging you." You tried to reason with the boy who now looked slightly irritated and while you were trying to figure out why, Erland pinched the bridge of his nose with one hand, while the other rested on his hip.

"Why? She's obviously gonna sell Crystal to somebody and we'll buy her back." What Erland said made you choke out a gasp because you weren't quite believing what was coming out of his mouth right now.

"Are you listening to yourself?! You want me to voluntarily let my dragon get sold?" You fumed, your voice so loud it could almost be considered as a shout, but you didn't care about that. You were still in utter disbelief at what Erland just suggested.

"Well you're not in the position to make that decision, honey." Indrix said with a knowing tone, but you plain out ignored her comment and hardened your gaze at the blonde boy in front of you.

"Listen to me Erland, if you give Crystal away, I swear I'll never forgive you." You threatened. Never in your life had you poured in so much emotion in the words you were speaking and you just hoped that Erland would understand how dead serious you are about what you said.

"You're acting foolish. How can you value a dragon more than your freedom?" Either he didn't know what to say or he thought you were joking, Erland didn't counter in any way, instead he asked a question of his own.

"In a way you'll never understand." All the anger and panic was stripped away from you as you spoke, only assertiveness remained in your tone. Erland was silent, his expressionless face matching yours to the exact detail. The two of you had an unannounced staredown and you only increased the intensiveness in your eyes as the seconds ticked by.

"Alright enough! Erland, dragon or gold. Choose now!" Indrix shouted and everyone could tell that she was done at this point. She took a step next to you and forcefully grabbed your arm, her sharp nails digging into your skin like little daggers. Your eye twitched in pain, but you tried not to show it, instead keeping your gaze directly at Erland.

"The dragon." Those were his final words before you snapped. The guards came running towards Crystal and managed to muzzle her while you watched hopelessly, unable to free her in any way. You gritted your teeth as Crystal was taken away to somewhere else and everything worsened when you realized this is the last time you'll be seeing her.

"A dead is a deal, Erland." You barely comprehended what Indrix said as you were too fixated on seeing Crystal disappear in the corner. Your hands were now free and you were thrown forward, Erland caught you before you could fall down, but you pushed him away with all the force you had and managed to stumble a couple of feet away.

"I hate you!" You shrieked. "You're a monster!"

"(Y/N) calm d-" Erland tried to speak, but you didn't give him any chances.

"I can't believe I trusted you!" You spoke with such venom that Erland had never seen before in all of his years knowing you. It was like a completely other person was standing in front of him. "I was telling everyone how nice you are, that you'll never do anything bad to us, but then you turn your back on me like this? Was-Was this your plan all along?" You seethed, spilling out your whole anger.

"Listen-"

"I should've known..." You shook your head furiously, finally remembering how your friends warned you about him. They were right when they said he will turn out similar to Mariah and use you. And that only made you hate yourself for being so blind not to notice. "You're dead to me Erland, you're dead to me."

"(Y/N)-"

"I don't ever want to see you again, you traitor!" You screamed in frustration, but then jumped in horror when an explosion burst for a nearby tent, the one where Crystal was taken. The ground shook vigorously as everyone whipped their heads in that direction. Indrix's people were beginning to run out from that place in sheer terror and their screams only increased when a familiar black dragon stepped in front of them, with a familiar auburn haired boy on his back.

"Hiccup!" His name tore from your lips in a joyous yell. Hiccup turned around and flashed you a thrilled grin, but his green eyes flickered at Indrix's direction when she began shouting at her men.

"Seize them!" Indrix commanded angrily, pointing fingers at you and Erland. And you spent no time in standing around, you stormed towards Toothless and then spotted Crystal right behind him.

"(Y/N), I'm so sorry, this was the only way to get you out of there!" Erland said through pants as the two of you kept running forward, an arrow darting past you made you yelp in fright and run faster.

"We'll talk later!" The sound of arrows being shot from crossbows followed and just when you thought that was the end, Crystal jumped over to shield you from them with her wing.

"Crystal!" You beamed happily, you wanted to give your dragon a big hug, but then Erland shouted there was no time and the two of you mounted Crystal with quick moves and she then lift off in the sky at full speed.

Even past your loud breathing, you still heard Indrix's spiteful voice screaming from down below, "This is not the end of it!"

-----

When the two dragons set foot on the first island they saw, you instantly dismounted from Crystal and ran over to Hiccup.

"I missed you so much!" You exclaimed, jumping into Hiccup's arms and hugging him like your life depended on it. He pulled you in a deep, passionate kiss that only lasted a few seconds before Erland cleared his throat from behind and reminded you of his presence. 

You set foot on the ground and looked at Erland who was staring with an expectant smile. "I can't believe you fooled me like that." You said, still not being able to fully grasp how the things played out. If all of this wasn't just some elaborate plan then you definitely wouldn't have been this friendly with him.

"Got quite the reaction there." Erland's joked. And he was correct. You weren't the type of person to lose your cool that easily and leash out on people like you did with Erland.

"I really thought that you were actually serious about what you were saying." As you spoke, Hiccup wrapped his arm around your waist and you grinned at him before continuing with the talk. "And then when Hiccup popped out of nowhere, stuff got even more confusing. Because Hiccup and Erland together? What was going on?"

You laughed your head out, but stopped when nobody else joined in. "No seriously, tell me. How did this happen?" You then asked, glancing back and forth between the two boys. Hiccup briefly explained how Erland came banging on the door in the middle of the day saying you were gone, but he stopped abruptly after that and didn't mention anything else.

I wanted to ask him to elaborate, but decided not to when Erland spoke.

"Yeah, I needed backup otherwise I would've came alone." He said with a tinge of pride in his voice.

"And get caught." Hiccup said under his breath. Erland must've heard him because he uttered a curious 'what' and when Hiccup replied with a 'nothing', Erland hardened his stare.

"Anyways!" You laughed awkwardly, trying to break the tension that was slowly building up. "I'll be right back." You were fairly uncertain about leaving the two of them alone, but surely nothing bad could happen. 

You were craving for food and decided to pick up some blueberries. That only took about five minutes and after returning back, you stumbled on Hiccup and Erland were already yelling at each other. With an irritated sigh, you made your way to them, but they were so fixated on their argument that they barely acknowledged your presence.

"Well if wasn't for me, you wouldn't have even known where she was!" Erland shouted and you immediately understood what they were talking about.

"If it weren't for you, she wouldn't have been taken away in the first place!" Hiccup retorted angrily.

"It's not like I knew they were there!" Erland exclaimed, throwing his hands in air. 

You couldn't just sit there and watch, so you piped in their conversation. "I should've been more careful, its not his fault." Your voice was quiet and gentle unlike their loud ones and you hoped that that would stop their foolish bickering about whoever's fault it was.

"No, it is his fault. He never should've left you alone like that." Hiccup said, even if his words were directed towards you, he still didn't look away from Erland and kept his cold stare.

"What's your point, Hiccup?" Erland snarled, taking a step closer to Hiccup and puffing out his chest. Now everyone could tell what his goal was, trying to act all tough and superior, but Hiccup stood on his ground looking completely unfazed.

He didn't seem the least intimated by Erland's actions and spoke with an calm tone. "My point is that its too hazardous for (Y/N) to be around you."

Erland stood offended for a moment before huffed in disbelief. "Oh so now I'm the bad guy and you're the hero, right?"

"I never said anything like that. It's-" Hiccup began, but Erland interjected right away and didn't let him finish the sentence.

"Well why don't we let (Y/N) decide?" He said, glancing back at you. Your face knotted in confusion, but nonetheless, you immediately seized the chance to intervene and say something, but this time it was Hiccup who cut you off.

"Why can't you just accept that its your fault that (Y/N) got in danger? We all know what happened."

"You don't know anything, Haddock, so shut up."

"Why?"

"Shut up."

"Just admit that you're wrong!"

"I said shut up!" Erland's voice was full-throated as he hit Hiccup square in the face.

"Oh my gods!" A mortified gasp escaped your lips and before you were even aware of what was happening, Hiccup and Erland were already engaged in a intense fist fight. They flung at each other and threw punches so fast you could barely recognize who was hitting who.

"No! Stop!" You ran towards them, your heart racing in panic. Hiccup and Erland had managed to fall down and were now wresting on the ground with continuous vigorous strikes. Toothless and Crystal jumped in before I could arrive and they separated the two boys before they knocked out the living daylights out of each other. While the dragons pulled them by their collars in opposite directions, Hiccup and Erland both tried to wriggle out of their grasp and resume their fight.

"What has gotten into you two?!" You screeched, clutching your head in disbelief, hair tingling around your fingers. You were still staring wide-eyed as Erland and Hiccup both got up on their feet, breathing heavily and wiping the blood from their faces. 

You hurriedly rushed over to Hiccup, carefully cupping his cheek and examining his face now smeared in crimson red. With narrowed eyes, you spun on your heels and went in front of Erland. "I can't believe you did that Erland! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Erland huffed in response, cracking his knuckles. "He should've watched what he was saying." Erland's voice was low and gravely as he spoke. 

Hiccup lunged towards Erland, but you stepped between them before another fight could embark. You pushed the boys both away from each other and turned to Erland and resumed the talk.

"How can you take that as an open invitation to attack him?" You snapped at him. "You're no better than those brutes back in that island."

"Why are you defending Hiccup for? He's the one that couldn't keep his mouth shut!" Erland retaliated furiously. The quarrel started almost immediately and at first it was just you and him, but then Hiccup got involved and long story short it got to a point where everyone was screaming at the top of their lungs and nobody could understand anything.

"Alright, just pick one! Who was right? Me or Hiccup?" Erland's voice was the loudest and you caught what he said, but that only made you stare at him with a bewildered look for asking such sudden question. 

"Sure. Even if we already know the answer." Hiccup replied, crossing his arms. They glared at each other for a second before looking back at you with expectant expressions, patiently awaiting for what you will say.

"I will not be choosing anyone. We'll find another way to sort this out, okay?" You said with determination filling your voice. But Hiccup rolled his eyes and before you could say anything else he began walking to Toothless.

"I'm not sorting out anything with him." Hiccup said bitterly as he got on his saddle. You heaved an exasperated sigh before making your way towards him.

"Hiccup please..." You pleaded silently. You heard footsteps coming from behind and turned around to find Erland coming in your way. Hiccup and him glared at each other once more and when Erland stopped in front of you, Toothless growled slightly.

"As much as I don't want to be here in the moment, I still need a ride back home." Erland said, taking a step back and not looking away from Toothless while you nodded solemnly.

"Build yourself a boat then." Hiccup scoffed and Toothless took off in air. You let your eyelids drop and pinched the bridge of your nose. Erland chuntered something about Hiccup even if you was right next to him, but you were too tired of everything at this point.

"Okay, let's just go." You murmured and saddled up quickly, after that Crystal flew up instantly. And not even a minute later, you heard Erland huff from behind. You rolled your eyes, wondering what is it this time.

"I know that dragon is fast, but damn, I can't even see them." You looked forward after Erland said that and sure enough Hiccup and Toothless were nowhere in sight, not a single speck of black in the far distance. But you already knew where they were and glanced up at the white clouds covering the sky above you. They were certainly up there somewhere.

Time passed excruciatingly slow when nobody was saying anything. Neither Erland nor you made efforts to strike up a conversation so the journey was filled with awkward silence. When you reached the isle of Rocksmond, it was finally time to depart and for once it was unpleasant.

Erland hopped off and a sigh pushed past your lips as you watched him go. Crystal was about to lift off when suddenly Erland shouted 'wait' and spun around, hurriedly stepped forward to you.

"Listen uh, I know I messed up earlier, big time. And I know that you probably won't forgive me, but for what its worth, I'm sorry for I did." Erland assured earnestly. The sincerity in his tone was not feigned and he seemed to genuinely mean what he was saying, the wholeheartedness touching the edge of his voice.

But either way, that was not good enough. "You literally attacked my boyfriend without skipping a beat and you expect me to forgive you just like that? And- And forget about everything?" A breath of disbelief escaped your mouth. "I know you two started off on a wrong foot, but to lead to this? Unbelievable."

Erland remained quiet as you stared at him intensely, his eyes were locked on the ground instead of you and he looked more like a motionless statue than an actual living breathing being. And when no reply came, you weren't sure if he was feeling guilty or simply didn't care at all.

"If you really want to fix things up, then apologize to Hiccup." Your offer caught Erland's attention because his head shot up and in a second the angry look was back on his face again.

"What? He should be the one apologizing to me." Erland snarled and you rolled your eyes. There were two ways this could end, either you could have another fight and try to knock some sense in his brain or you could simply just leave. And that's exactly what you did.

You didn't have the time to deal with this so after taking a long stare at Erland, sudden realization washed over you. "Maybe Hiccup's right. Maybe you are too toxic." The expression on Erland's face was more painful than the words you had said. He parted his cut lips to speak but no words came out and you didn't let them because with a pat on the head, Crystal flew away leaving racked Erland behind.

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