Hiccup's Secret

Part 18~Stolen Dagger

Ruff followed me as we ran towards the great town hall. We got lucky, Dagger was standing outside of it. He was without any guards and was sharpening his sword.

"Dagger!" Ruff ran up to his right, screaming all the way.

"We need your help!" I ran up to his left.

"So follow us." Tuff grabbed his arm and linked it in hers.

"And don't scream." I grabbed his other arm, linked it with mine and started dragging him off.

"Let go of me!" Dagger struggled against us but we didn't let go. We took him to the nearby tunnels and let go of his arms. "Where am I?! What is this place?! I demand to know why you have brought me here!"

"Simple. Our protective little leader has gone running off," Ruff said while turning her spear to point at him.

"Because of what you said," I turned my spear to point at his chest.

"And you're going to make it up to him," Ruff threatened, a wide grin on her face.

"I will not help you," Dagger said dejectedly.

"Very well," I said, spinning my spear to my side.

"We had hoped it would come to this but, Barf!"

"Belch!"

Barf and Belch come up behind us, their eyes glowing and a low rumble rolling off their tongues.

"Dragon!" Dagger swung his sword above his head and charged forward.

"Wait!" Ruff ran out in front of his charge and grabbed a hold of his sword.

"Why are you stopping me?! Does it really escape that little brain of yours that this is a beast?" Dagger threw Ruff to the ground and turned back to Barf and Belch.

I let out a small war cry while running forward. Dagger didn't give me a second look as he threw me to the side with Ruff.

Barf and Belch let out their own war cry and hit Dagger away with their tail. Dagger felt the wind be pushed out of his lungs as he hit the rock wall and collapsed to the ground. Ruff ran forward and took his axe, pointing it at his head again.

"So, are we going to have to do this the hard way?" Ruff smirked, a malicious tint in her eye.

"Or the fun way?" I tapped my appear onto my hand while laughing with Ruff. 

Dagger looked between us in mild panic. There was no way out of this for him. He may as well just give up. "What do I need to do?"

Dagger ran his hands along the ground. Sniffing at the rocks. "It came this way," he told us while standing up and pointing down one of the lower tunnels.

"He," Ruff corrected viciously.

"Ruff, look at that. Isn't those the tunnels Hic told us to never go down?" I knelt down by the dark drop.

"Oh yeah, the ones that if you get lost in you never get out. Let go." Ruff grabbed Dagger and pulled him into the whole, jumping down without a second thought. I jumped in after her as we landed in a huge opening with a huge pool of water.

"The tracks end here, your dragon has drowned," Dagger said with a smirk, noticing the paw prints in front of the water.

"Very unlikely," I said while tapping my chin. "There must be another cave down there."

"Yeah, yeah. That makes sense. Barf! Belch!" Ruff cupped her mouth, calling for our dragon.

We climbed onto our heads and pulled Dagger onto the back. "Hold on!"

Barf and Belch leaped up and rove into the water, swimming down. We kept swimming but I couldn't breath. We did not think this through.

Black dots clouded our vision as the last gasp of air left our lungs.

I uncurled from under Athena's and Athrada's wing. Stretching myself out. I didn't know what time it was but that didn't really matter.

Getting up, I walked to the entrance, easily catching a few fish that swam too close to the surface. I brought some to their side and let them eat some. I went back to go get my own serving but I noticed something in the depths.

A Zippleback? WIth a rider. That was Ruff and Tuff!

I jumped into the depths and charged at the dragon, struggling to get them to the cave. I brought the two heads above the water and let them regain consciousness and pull themselves fully out. Ruff and Tuff fell to the ground in a thud as I turned into my nightfury form and let out a large roar.

Ruff and Tuff covered their ears. I let out a huff before turning back to fishing.

"Night Fury!" I lifted up my head to see Dagger cowering in the corner. He was feeling around him for his sword but it was missing.

"What is he doing here?" I turned to Barf and Belch, my eyes becoming slits. This man wanted to kill me and Ruff and Tuff had brought him to me.

"He was helping us track you down," Barf explained.

"Well, he did now take him back to the surface. He is not wanted here." I sent a glare to Dagger before grabbing my fish and curling up by Athena and Athrada, turning into a sea shocker while doing so.

Dagger gasped in shock while pointing at me. "It changed!"

"No duh," Ruff said, antagonising Dagger with a smirk.

"That's his thing," Tuff added as I rolled my eyes.

"Come now Hatchling," Athena crooned softly.

"Sending him away will do you no good," Athrada explained, laying herself down by my front paw.

"Turn him into an ally and your force will become stronger," Athena finished as I sighed.

"Fine," I whined. I sat up and walked towards Dagger, glaring down on him. I slowly became my human form, his jaw practically hitting the floor. "You should not be here. I do not believe you will change, but I am willing to put in the effort. I can change a dragon hunter, I can change a delusional kid."

I held out my hand for Dagger to take.

"I offer you the ability to become a rider, to be able to train dragons and to fight for a better world. Will you become a dragon rider?"