Following his father's death Hiccup is determined to do Stoick proud and fill his shoes in Berk. And he does... by slowly chipping away at himself. Sensitive Toothless knows his boy is getting lost but that's not the only troubling thing happening...
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A little silver dragon chattered his teeth nervously. He strained his eyes, peering through a fog so thick he could hardly see his shipmate.
Splash!
"Ugh when your right your right, Hot Shot." The shadowy figure of a young man tossed a bucket of water overboard. "I will never build a boat out of some weird old guy's house again. Never. I mean look at this!"
Splash!
He heard a squeak then sputtering, followed by an irritable growl.
"Oops. Sorry didn't see you there."
Hotshot jumped up on his knee and climbed up to his shoulder. Together they stared into the void of fog. The young man sighed.
No wind, no sky. They could be sitting on the edge of the world just as easily as they could be two knots from a rocky shore. He bent down and opened a sack of bread.
"Here ya go boy," he split a piece. The little dragon was not impressed but took the morsel anyway.
"You know, I'm more of a 'the mug is half full' kinda guy, but I can't help feeling like we're in trouble." He said as they ate. "I mean, it's not like you and I haven't been in trouble before it's just... I don't know how to get out this time."
The young man looked down at an unusual horn; carved from a nautilus shell it shined beautiful colors when the sun touched it, but was truly unique in its call. A soothing, yet eerie sound that could summon dragons- so his father said. He tried it and got nothing but a very happy, sleepy Hot Shot.
"Worthless ornament," he grumbled.
Up to this point Hot Shot had been gnawing his half in a bored circle. He stopped suddenly and stretched as tall as he could.
"If this fog doesn't lift soon our number's up. Personally I kinda hoped to live to my twenty first birthday. What were your goals in life? HEY!"
He scooped Hot Shot's portion out of the water. "Little ingrate. Old hard bread is no favorite of mine but it's all we got."
The dragon bounced up and down excitedly, squeaking. He scurried up the young man's neck and into his mop of golden hair.
"What? Do you see something??" The man stood.
He only saw shifting shapes of mist, but ever so faintly his ears heard the sound of water lapping against a hull.
"Oh!" He gasped, tossing both pieces of bread to the wind. "Oh thank goodness we're saved. Hey out there! Hey! HUUUULLLLLLLOOOOOOOO! Please rescue us!"
He rocked the boat so much Hot Shot spat up what little he'd eaten.
A bell and men's voices sounded.
Through the fog broke a welcome sight to the hapless sailor's eyes. The bow of a mighty ship struck awe and rekindled hope as it loomed high above their heads.
Ropes were sent down. The young man tied one to his little boat, picked up his nautilus and climbed aboard the great vessel, too relieved to notice its unusual name.
"Oh thank you!" He heartily shook the hand of the first man he met. "Thank you so very much! If you hadn't come across us we would have di.ed a slow but mildly glorious death."
His dragon, perched back on his shoulder shot him a sideways glance. The young man looked indignant. "What do you mean 'just you'?"
"Is this 'we'?"
A very tall, very intimidating man caped in red and wearing armor took over the scene.
"Yes sir," The young man recognized him as the captain of the vessel. "Just me and me friend here, Hot Sho- hey where'd you go?" He spun in a circle but the little dragon had vanished. "Little stink he was just here."
"Great. A madman. He couldn't tell us if they flew right over his head." Another man in uniform, less intimidating and more rat like, hissed.
The young man glanced around. Everyone was in uniform, muttering things in a tongue he had never heard. And though the ship was a work of art it had clearly seen some sort of battle. Burn marks and red stains spotted the deck, and beyond that were cages. Beautiful cages, but cages none the less.
"Who... who are you people?" He began to realize his mistake.
"Here's a better question. And try and think very hard before you answer it, madman." The Captain spoke very slowly. "Have you seen any dragons out here?"
He looked beyond the Captain at the cages.
"....Nnnnoooooo,"
"I told you. Worthless. We should run him through and toss him back into the sea, sir."
"Wait- what??"
"Lock him in the brigg."
"But we're short on rations as it is. Why feed the extra mouth?"
"We can use him as bait."
CLANG!
Keys jangled as the young man was roughly tossed into a cell. He tripped and splashed into the filthy water pooling in the bottommost hull.
The guard said something in his own tongue, admiring the ornate nautilus horn in his hands.
"No don't! It was a gift from my father." The young man sputtered.
"Pater?"
"Yes, father. Please don't take it."
The guard laughed and walked away with the shell.
"Why?" said the hapless young sailor, his pleads falling on deaf ears. "Why???"
"I had a bugle just like that once." Someone muttered in the corner of the next cell. The young man jumped to his feet.
"Who's there? Are you a prisoner too?"
"Wrong place, wrong time."
"...what?"
The shadow came closer. He was not a bad looking man, perhaps a good twenty years older or so but well-kept and in good health.
"You asked why, I assume by that you mean 'why did they imprison you'. You were in the wrong place, at the wrong time. In your case the worst time."
"Just my luck." He wiped the mop of wet hair out of his eyes. "I knew I should have stayed and helped Liam with his house, then I never would have been found by these pirates."
The older man chuckled. "Pirates, yes."
"Fine. Dragon hunters."
He laughed again. "You live in a very small world my friend."
"Then what-"
A clawing sound stopped him short. Little paws scurried overhead, hanging upside down from the ceiling.
"Hot Shot!" he reached out and the silver dragon dropped into his hand. "Smart move disappearing like that; they woulda snatched you up in a heartbeat."
He turned to see the other prisoner eyeing the little creature in curiosity.
