How To Break A Dragon's Hero

Chapter 8: Hiccup

There was a banging on my cell door that rattled me out of my doze. I blinked the sleep out of my eyes and looked into the face of Alvin the Treacherous. I quietly sighed.

"You ready to help me today, Hiccup?" He asked me.

I shrugged. "Eh, I'm not really in the mood."

"You sure about that?" Alvin asked. "Cuz I've got some ideas to make you change your mind."

"I know you'll need a dragon to use the flight suit," I said. "You're trying to get two things out of me. It won't work."

Alvin shrugged. "Suit yourself." He opened my cell door and walked in. The guards fixed there crossbows on me, as if I'd try to escape with only one leg. I wouldn't make it too far before I fell anyway.

Alvin cut my bonds with his ax,grabbed me by the upper arm, and started to pull me out of my cell. I couldn't get my one working leg to support me, so Alvin dragged me the entire way. He brought me to the forge where all the weapons and armor where being made. He let go of me and I fell to the ground by a table. I grabbed it and pulled myself up. I used it as a support as I stood.

"If you can make yourself a new foot in under ten minutes, we'll let you keep it," Alvin said.

"What if I can't?" I asked. "Why would you want to see me make a foot?"

"So I can test how long it will take for you to make a flight suit."

I sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you," I said. "I'm not making you a flight suit."

Alvin shrugged. "But it be nice to finally be able to stand, wouldn't it."

In truth, I loved the thought of having support on my leg again. If I did make one, I could use it to escape. I could run again. "Fine," I said. "But give me half an hour."

Alvin crossed his arms. "Fifteen."

"Twenty-five."

"Fine," Alvin said. "But you actually have to try."

I nodded. "Deal."

~

I spent the next twenty-five minutes making myself a new foot. It looked a lot like my old one and it wasn't as smooth. The metal was rough and dull. I also had to try to work everything on one foot, because there wasn't a stool or bench to sit on. I fell over a couple times and quickly pushed myself up.

I tried it on, put my weight on it, walked with it. It was pretty good for twenty-five minutes. I inspected the hand that I'd accidentaly set on a red hot iron one if the times I'd fallen over. It was bright red, but at least it didn't seem too bad.

When my twenty-five minutes where up, Alvin came up. Did I really grow that much or did Alvin shrink? I was almost up to his big nose. Alvin put out his hand in a demanding way and I handed over my foot. He inspected it for a little bit. "I'd seen better," Alvin said. "But, it'll do."

He set the foot down on the table. "You sure you still don't want to help me?"

"Certain," I said. I reached for the foot, but Alvin pushed it away. "Hey!" I said. "You said I could keep it!"

"I'm not dumb, Hiccup," Alvin said. "You really think that I'd let you use it to escape."

"Who said anything about that?" I asked. "You promised."

"I did not," Alvin said. "Besides, even if I did, I think you'd be smarter then to trust the word of a Treacherous."

I glared at him. "I thought you where smarter then to think you could make me do something by threats."

"But I can," Alvin said. "Take him back to his cell."

Rough hands grabbed me and started to drag me back to that horrid cell. I struggled to get free of the iron grasps of the Outcasts. I dug my heel in the ground. Anywhere but that cell. I didn't relise how much I wanted out until they let me.

One of the Outcasts grabbed my leg to keep it from dragging and they wjere practically carrying me to the cell. I kicked out, but its difficult when one of your legs is a stump and the other's trapped by a man stronger the you.

We made it to the cell and they threw me in. They slammed the door and locked it. There was just one good thing about this time, even if my head was ringing from when they threw me. At least my hands weren't bound anymore.

I sat there for a while, rubbing my throbbing head and wildly trying to think of a way to escape. I've done it before, I thought to myself. Its not impossible. You just have to think straight.

I wasn't expecting dinner and I didn't get any. I did, however, get a cut of water. The water was warm and not the clearest water in the world, but it was water. I leaned my head against the cool stone. Another day away from Berk. I wonder how my people are doing. I hope Astrid's doing ok...