The youngest Grimborn

Chapter 21: Shell shocked part 5

'I'm afraid it's not over yet.'

I don't know what to do. I can't move, I feel like I can't even breathe. No. No, not again. Please not again. The gods must really hate me, the moment I start trusting my brother again, he betrays me, AGAIN!

My hand automatically moves to the hilt of my sword, but Viggo presses Astrid's axe closer to her neck. 'Ah-ah, I wouldn't do that if you want her to stay alive.'

Astrid scows and struggles, trying to do something, anything! But Viggo has her hands on her back, pressed to his chest, she can't move. 

'Viggo. Let me guess. You want the Dragon Eye in exchange for Astrid.' Hiccup says coldly, yet I hear the fury in his voice. He must be feeling just as stupid as me, maybe even worse. 

'Though it sounds so much colder when you say it like that. But, yes.' Hiccup and I glare at him, but there's nothing else we can do. 'While I do appreciate your assistance in putting brother in his rightful place, I must insist that you return it to where it belongs.'

'You used us.' Hiccup grits his teeth. Viggo just smirks and suddenly looks at me.

'You were right Thyra, I was indeed using the riders to defeat our brother, like you suspected. And now that he's gone, it's time to get, not only the dragon eye, but you too back where you belong, with me.'

What in the name of Thor? He isn't just here for the dragon eye, he wants to kidnap me too? So he does care, in his own, twisted, sick, way.

'Don't even think about it!' Astrid snarls at us.

I give a side glance at Hiccup, who also seems doubtful. Then I look at the volcano. Hiccup follows my gaze. Viggo is too busy gloating to notice.

''You know brother, it's a cruel ultimatum, willing to destroy his future for an artifact.'

Hiccup takes the dragon eye out of his bag and hands it to me. Viggo smirks as I walk toward him. 'Thyra?' Hiccup asks. 

I stop and turn back. What if I misunderstood? What if I'm about to throw this away, while Hiccup didn't mean to?

'Come, now. Are you really going to sacrifice his future, all the wonderful years you have ahead of you for that?' 

Hiccup nods ever so slightly, and I continue to walk while he starts talking again, drawing Viggo's attention away from me.

'Wow, Viggo. Well, I guess when you put it that way, no, I'm not! DO IT!'

Things seem to go by in slow motion. Viggo jumps off Stormfly, tossing Astrid aside. She's caught by Hiccup, I let the dragon eye go. It falls out of my hand, straight into the volcano. Viggo's eyes widen in shock and he freezes in his tracks, knowing he would be far too late to catch it. 

He looks behind him, Astrid is holding her weapon again, Hiccup is holding Inferno out. Then the ground rumbles.

I feel a wave of panic crash over me as I stumble, for a moment, I think I'll fall over the edge. Then I find my balance again. I look down, only to notice the cracks in the ground. 

They keep growing, and I'm frozen in place. Unable to jump away, scared that any sudden move might quicken the process, scared I'll fall into the volcano.

Then someone pushes me aside. 'I'm sorry, you deserved more.'

I fall to the ground, and time seems to go back to normal. I widen my eyes, ignoring the gashes on my hands and knees. 'VIGGO!'

I quickly turn around, only to watch him fall to his death. The last thing I see of my brother is his pleading eyes. They looked sorry. Or did I only imagine that?