Life on the Edge

1.02 Eye of the Beholder, Part 2

The Reaper goes nearly vertical as it sinks steadily into the water. Ragnar readjusts his grip on the bars, axe in one hand as he moves to the side and locks his feet in place while the others all scream for Hiccup to get down there.

"Get us out of here!" Fishlegs calls.

"Hiccup!" Snotlout demands.

"Get us out of here!" Ruffnut repeats.

"Move back from the door," Hiccup tells them as Toothless lands on the deck below the cage. He looks up at where Ragnar is still hanging on to the bars. "Rags."

"Yup." He drops without hesitation, easily caught by Toothless with Hiccup reaching out instinctively as well. "That door's not opening, Hiccup."

Hiccup thinks for a second then looks at Toothless. "Plasma blast."

Toothless sends a shot of purple plasma at the cage but the metal doesn't seem to be affected at all.

"Dragon-proof bars?" Fishlegs says incredulously before his tone quickly changes. "Ooh. Fascinating."

"Not the time, Fishlegs," Ragnar reminds hm.

"Whoever built this ship really knew what they were doing," Hiccup adds, reaching out to touch the already cooled metal.

"Not the time!" Ragnar says again, bracing himself against a broken piece of the deck when the ship suddenly lists to the side.

"Oh, you know what would be more fascinating?" Snotlout asks sarcastically as the ship lists to the other side and sends the trapped Riders slamming into the cage's bars. "Getting us out of here!"

"We're gonna need more firepower," Hiccup notes, tugging ineffectively at the cage door. "Guys, dragon calls."

Various roars and growls fill the air as all of them call for their dragons. Unfortunately, the sounds also seem to attract the giant eels. They all come slithering back to the ship and reach the deck just as the cage shifts.

"Why did it have to be eels?" Snotlout cries.

Toothless shoots one when it gets too close then leaps up to perch on the cage as it falls, keeping any more from targeting the trapped Riders. Ragnar protects Hiccup's back while he tries to open the door, axe swinging in a deadly arc whenever they come near.

Two of the eels strike. One manages to grab hold of Hiccup's prosthetic while Ragnar swiftly decapitates the other.

Hiccup locks his hands around the cage door as the eel tries to pull him down into the water. "Toothless!"

Toothless shoots the eel from the top of the cage and it lets go, falling into the ocean with a pained shriek.

"Thanks, bud." Hiccup looks at his freed leg and gets an idea. He pulls the prosthetic off and uses the metal foot to pry at the locked door.

Snotlout sees what he's doing and pushes from the other side of the door. Before it can work, The Reaper shifts again so it's almost completely vertical.

"Ah! Hookfang, help us!" Snotlout yells. "I'm important!"

Ragnar finds himself once again holding on to a half-unnailed plank of wood (this time with only one hand). "Oh, no," he mutters, glaring at it like he can keep it from breaking by sheer force of will. "I am not repeating that experience."

"Stormfly!" Astrid calls, dangling from the bars at the top of the cage.

"Barf, Belch, get your butts over here!" Ruffnut adds from where she hangs beside her.

"Toothless!" Hiccup and Ragnar prompt at the same time.

Toothless starts to charge another plasma blast before he hears a familiar sound. He roars toward the sky as the other dragons come into view, all of them flying to their Vikings.