I Am Dragonblood: Secret Uncovered {Book Three} (HTTYD Fanfic)

Chapter Eleven - Venom

Grimmel's ship sailed out into the rough ocean, the Deathgrippers chained to the front pulling it along with mighty flaps. Once it was out of sight of Berk it tacked east, lurching over waves of white sea foam. Soon Hunter ships appeared, silhouetted against the early dawn sky, and Grimmel commanded his dragons to take him to them.
    Below deck, in a dark hold, the Dragonbloods stood in stiff rows, their eyes like that of the entranced Deathgrippers.
    Right at the back, Skelly's pupils dilated and undilated, fighting the venom working through his veins. In front of him Flitt sneezed, making the Dragonblood with orangey Deathsong wings beside her flinch.
    The trapdoor thumped open and dim light flooded in, followed by Grimmel. He drifted through the rows of people and inspected each of them, his hard, cold, pale eyes scrutinising. He stopped at Skelly, seeing the dark slits of pupils no longer thin lines. From his pocket he pulled a needle, the vial attached to it filled with green venom, and almost gently stuck it in the boy's arm. Skelly winced then stiffened, his blue eyes now dull.
    Grimmel slipped the needle back in his pocket and looked over his prisoners, seeing no further renegades to the venom. He climbed back up to the deck and banged the trapdoor down, hurrying to the bow as they gained on the Hunters.
    The two Hunter boats and Grimmel's ship approached Berk an hour later. Through his spyglass the pale man spotted a flock of dragons heading west, their multicoloured scales glinting in the morning light. He clicked his fingers and the dragons pulled the boat to harbour, the wooden flanks scraping on the side of the jetty.
    The Deathgrippers landed on the boat as he again went below to the hold. With a whistle he ordered the Dragonbloods to climb out and onto the jetty, then up the boardwalks to the now empty Great Hall. He spread a map on the stone floor in the shade of a statue while the Dragonbloods lined up nearby, still as statues themselves.
    Hiccup watched through fogged eyes, his mind a haze of clouded thoughts. He forced his pupils to stay as slits, no matter how much he wanted to see properly. In his peripheral vision he saw a girl peering out from behind a house, white hair shining like quartz, and a pale pinkish Hobgobbler staring from beside her. He jerked his head slightly, signalling for her to go, and she disappeared behind the house.
    'Hmmm.' Grimmel was studying him, glacial pale eyes piercing. He stood and came over to Hiccup, his tall frame menacing. 'Fighting, I see.' He pulled the needle out again and went to inject the liquid into the Chief's arm, slim fingers holding it steadily.
    It was too good a chance to be missed.
    Hiccup punched him on the jaw.
    Grimmel folded over, holding his jaw, and Hiccup ran. He heard a whistle behind him and two Deathgrippers rose up from the docks, heading towards him. Quick.
    He Shifted to dragon form and leapt unsteadily into the air, racing straight up. The dragons followed him and he sped round in a circle, trying to disorientate them but only succeeding in making himself dizzy. Below he saw Grimmel with his crossbow, and a dart tipped with green whizzing right at him. He folded his wings and dropped, avoiding the first dart, but the second hit him in the neck. His whole body stiffened and he crashed to the ground, wings bent under him painfully.
    Grimmel advanced quickly, whitish wings stretching from his back like a billowing cloak and a needle in his hand. Unable to move, Hiccup watched him stick the needle into his shoulder and the green liquid in the vial be replaced by air.
    Then his mind stopped working and his body was no longer his.

***

'How are we going to get them out of there?' The white haired girl asked the Hobgobbler. She peered around the house again and saw a Night Fury being led back to the line. Grimmel went along the line of Dragonbloods and gave them all a dose of venom, then went back to his map as Hunters approached.
    'Urr,' the Hobgobbler said.
    'Hmmm?'
    'Urrr-rr!'
    Flitt turned around and saw a greenish Deathgripper only  seven foot away, its yellow eyes staring at her. She gulped and backed into the wall of the house, breathing quick.
    The dragon shook its head and its pupils widened, a look of confusion in its expression. It snorted and came towards her cautiously, curiously. Flitt nervously held her hand out to it as she'd seen Hiccup do a few times, biting her lip to stop herself yelping as the Deathgripper pressed its warm snout to her palm.
    She laughed quietly in relief, the Hobgobbler staring at her in confusion, and rubbed the green and red scales of the dragons head. 'Looks like we have a Deathgripper with us now.'
    'Ur-rrrr,' the pinkish Hobgobbler said.

836 words