Heir and Pride

Chapter 41

Forty-One

Hiccup looked up blearily, slumped against the filthy wall of the village hall, head pounding from where he had impacted against the building. Dagur had his sword raised over his head, screaming as he charged at Toothless. The Night Fury's back was arched, his eyes slitted and teeth snapped down in his plasma-filled mouth. Dagur was reckless but Hiccup could tell the man knew what he was doing. Toothless reared, batting the axe away, his tail slapping another Berserker aside. He roared but Hiccup could see the Berserker Chief was whirling a bola and Toothless would be trapped.

Forcing himself up on trembling limbs, the boy grabbed his shield, aimed and fired the concealed bola launcher at Dagur. It was based on the larger device that he used to bring Toothless down, all those months ago, so he knew it worked-unlike a number of his previous inventions. The Berserker gave a howl of rage as he was tangled in the ropes and fell to the floor as Toothless roared-and several nets landed on him. Hiccup gave a scream of anguish and staggered up, grabbing his sword and slashing at the nets, then fighting furiously with anyone who came close-until the Berserkers grabbed him, roughly disarming him. Dagur was cut free and the boy wrestled and cursed furiously.

"Brother, brother, brother-this dragon is mine," he sneered. "I'll let you have a wing..."

"No, I'm pretty much taking the whole thing!" Hiccup retorted, kicking out at the man holding him. The man yelped and he scrambled away-into the grasp of another man, who he bit. It earned him a harsh blow across the head. "Toothless-plasma blast!" The dragon instantly fired, the purple plasma blasting a hole through the nets and enabling the dragon to tear its way free. Hiccup wrestled furiously as the Berserker Chief stared at him while a dozen men surrounded Toothless, readying more bolas and nets.

"Do you and this dragon...have a relationship?" Dagur asked him suspiciously. Hiccup didn't answer, instead fighting harder. A much larger man had him easily restrained in his powerful embrace. "You and the Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death Itself? No wonder your father is mad and seeking your return at any cost!" He gave a little giggle. "I can see a way to make sure we have a proper Treaty with Berk...when I sell Stoick his runaway son...and wear the dragon's skull as a helmet!" Hiccup stared in shock and saw the Berserkers close on his dragon, firing bolas and nets.

"No! Toothless!" he shouted as the dragon struggled desperately, wings and tail trapped by a dozen bolas. His muzzle looped in three bolas, Toothless was helpless as Hiccup kicked and writhed. Dagur stared at the dragon and his pale green eyes picked out what he had missed before: a saddle strapped high on the dragon's short neck. He turned his gaze back to the struggling boy and raised a hand.

"Subdue the dragon but don't slay it!" he commanded. "The boy seems fond of it...and as such, it may prove useful." He turned to Hiccup. "I don't like being lied to," he said sternly.

"I didn't lie," Hiccup shot back stubbornly. Dagur slapped him without hesitation, the sound loud in the tense silence.

"You didn't tell me the truth, boy!" he sneered. "You're no longer the Heir to Berk. You and this...abomination...you have for a pet...you are a traitor to all vikings. Your father...well, if he doesn't want to execute you, he's a fool!" Hiccup sighed.

"It's worse than that," he said through his teeth. "He wants me back..." Dagur stared at him and his ginger brows dipped in a frown.

"So you can train dragons like this one? Make weapons for Berk against us? Ohhh, Stoick-you old dog! Did you think you could outsmart me? Maybe my father, the peaceable fool, but not Dagur the Deranged!" Dagur grabbed Hiccup's face. "So you will train dragons for us instead!" Hiccup's eyes widened.

"I'm never training you any dragons," he said stubbornly. Dagur grabbed his face, glaring into the forest green eyes.

"Oh, brother-you will...or I will start cutting pieces off your dragon," he smirked. "Take them to the ships!"