The Dragon Games (HTTYD AU)

Twenty Six - The Race

Toothless fired from above, hidden by the darkness. Alvin screeched and dived to the side. He managed to avoid the blast.

Toothlesd snarled, pupils slits. He stood guard in front of Hiccup, wings raised.

"You have no idea how glad I am to see you, bud," Hiccup ushered, mounting him.

Toothless calmed at this, but he continued to stare attentively at Alvin.

The tall man scowled. "One measly dragon won't save you. I've conquered hundreds in my time!"

Alvin stepped forwards. Toothless snarled and prepared a blast. Alvin's confident smirk sent chills down Hiccup's spine.

Alvin lurched forward, sidestepping the blast and reaching for a spot on Toothless' neck. Hiccup kicked his hand away.

"Now bud!"

Toothless roared and took off, gaining height. For a moment, escape seemed certain.

Then they fell.

Toothless roared in surprise as he collapsed. Hiccup fell forwards but managed to stay on. He turned back.

Alvin had caught Toothless' tail fins and pinned them together. "You don't get as far as I do without learning anything. I'm quite familiar with this dragon, even if I never managed to capture it."

Growling, Toothless thrashed against him, but couldn't loosen his grip. Alvin grinned, his pearly white teeth striking, and held his hook to the dragon's tail.

"Now Stormfly!" A magnesium blast hit Alvin from the side, launching him off Toothless.

Snotlout emerged from a cavern and fired at Alvin, but he managed to roll out of the way.

"Astrid!"

"Hiccup! Get out of there!"

Alvin forced himself to stand, despite the direct hit. His face was contorted with - no, not rage, but rather a shimmering, boiling hate.

"Gang! Let's get out of here!" Hiccup yelled. All three dragons stormed through the caverns at full speed. Toothless led the way, echolocating.

Hiccup risked a glance back. Alvin stood with perfect posture, as if already recovered. His face betrayed nothing. Hiccup shivered involuntarily.

"What happened?" Astrid asked, distracting him from Alvin. "Toothless came for us at top speed and then charged off. We could barely follow him. And we -" her voice broke - "we'd worried."

Hiccup wanted to reassure her, to wrap his arms around her, but he forced the motion away. "Alvin has a skrill, separate from the others."

Snotlout gasped, but covered it up with a cough. "It's dusty in here. Stupid stale cave air."

"Hiccup, did you -"

"I couldn't free it. Alvin ambushed me. He knows dragons so well, Astrid," Hiccup looked into her eyes, which reflected his own fear. "He knows how to fight them, even when anyone else would be unmatched. He almost..."

"Don't say it," Astrid said, voice delicate. She seemed surprised at the lack of strength in her words.

Hiccup rubbed his neck absent-mindedly. "We have to get these scrolls to Berk, now."

Before Astrid could respond, dragon roars echoed through the chambers. Hiccup stiffened.

"You don't think-"

"Alvin must've taken a shortcut! That was the dragons we freed!" Astrid gripped her torch like an axe.

"Well, tried to free," Snotlout corrected.