Fury of the Sun

14. Into the Nightmare

A/N: I was gonna have a lot of this in the last chapter, but I couldn't think how to link it all in which is why 13's only about 900 words. This one's 1498 not including the A/N or headers (chapter, soundtrack etc.)

I feel like this chapter'll be a bit predictable, but oh well. Good things come to those who wait. And by good things, I mean Hiccup.

I accidentally included my plot notes when I first uploaded, sorry! Luckily it was only stuff for this chapter.
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Chapter 14
Into the Nightmare

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Soundtrack: Dragon Racing (HTTYD 2)
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The next day dawned clear and Summer-y, and the snow glittered like stardust in the sunlight. I frolicked madly and joyfully in the white powder, ducking under drifts of the stuff and peeking out the other side to scare passersby.

The Race had been delayed due to strong winds and thunderstorms last night, which had luckily blown over in the early hours of the morning. I wondered where Jack was; the race would start at midday, and it was already late morning.

Abandoning the snow drifts, I leapt onto a nearby roof and searched the paths for his familiar silver hair and blue clothing. I spotted him by a fruit stall, looking suspicious. I bounded across the rooftops until I was perched above him. Jack's eyes darted around; the stall owner seemed to have disappeared. He stared indecisively at the box of apples in front of him, so instead of letting him continue what I deemed suspicious activity, I leapt down on the other side of the stall and glared at him. He immediately put on a confident face.

"Hey, ___," he beamed. "Just checking out the produce," he told me. "The woman who owns this stall is running about doing some chore," he droned lazily. I raised my non-existent eyebrow at him, and he laughed. No, he wouldn't steal. He wasn't living it rough, and he didn't need the food. Most likely he really was simply waiting for the stall owner to return.

He glanced around quickly, before huffing and blowing his silver hair away from his face with a bored look on his face. "Well, she's not coming any time soon. I guess I'll wait 'til later," he grumbled. I breathed onto his face comfortingly, causing a smile to appear.

"Let's go win a race, then!" he beamed, and I grinned toothlessly back at him. He deftly jumped onto my back, and I glided to the dragon stables. Jack fitted me with a sleek new saddle designed so it wouldn't cause drag when I was going at top speed.

Together, we took off for the course, heading for the large wooden stands built over the freezing sea. The other competitors were already there; Hiccup, Astrid, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, Snotlout, and Fishlegs, as well as Eret and Valka. Valka's dragon, Cloudjumper, regarded me respectfully as we alighted next to them, perched over the nets where sheep would be placed.

Cloudjumper was a Former, too. The huge reddish dragon had an owl like appearance, with large eyes and four impressive wings. Cloudjumper had not found a way to change back, but had accepted the way he was and happily stayed by Valka's side. Cloudjumper and I were not friends, exactly, but we enjoyed each other's company and often simply rested together on a high place, such as a rooftop, each with mutual respect for the other.

Valka gave Jack and me an excited smile, and patted Cloudjumper's huge shoulder. The race was about to begin. Each rider had their own net, all attached to a large horizontal section of wood, in which they must collect sheep. Sheep which must be collected were marked with a colourful target symbol. Riders followed a set course, trying to collect sheep along the way. After a certain number of laps, the black sheep would be released; unlike the white sheep, worth one point each, the black sheep would be worth ten. After the black sheep was scored, the race would end.

I was the fastest dragon on course aside from Toothless; Night Furies were renowned for their speed. Jack and I were bound to come first or second.

A Terrible Terror shot a tiny spurt of fire ahead of us; wings filled the air as every dragon took off. I was the third to get away from the group; Hiccup and Astrid flew ahead of me, their faces concentrated and fierce.

Jack's hand gripped my shoulder encouragingly, and my wing strokes sped up, ripping through the air and forcing my body to speed up. I passed Astrid with a mighty beat of my black wings, and set my sights on the red tail of Toothless.

He disappeared through a mountain pass as we entered the huge stone structures set near the centre of the island. Trees, roots, stone overhangs and other obstructions poked out from the walls of the narrow pass, and I weaved through them with ease, my wings still flapping furiously.

I'd lost sight of Hiccup and Toothless, but I knew the pass ended soon and we'd be heading over a small field area, where marked sheep would no doubt be found. I glided over the fields, eyes searching for a sheep with a target. I found one just as we were reaching the outskirts of the village, and swooped down to clutch it in my front claws.

The race seemed to go incredibly fast, but always with Hiccup, Astrid and me around the top 3. At one point, Cloudjumper's huge wings took all the air from under us, as he flew over where we were all flying side by side. He stayed ahead for a while, but his size was obviously at the cost of speed, and he soon dropped behind again.

When the black sheep was released, Hiccup was on 9 points, Astrid on 7 with Jack and Me, Valka on 5, Eret on 4, Snotlout and Fishlegs on 1, and the twins on none. They'd begun quarrelling about a half minute in and were disqualified when they caused Barf and Belch to blow up half a house. Snotlout and Fishlegs were caught in the blast and their dragons were dazed by the sound, meaning they were out of the runnings for about half the race.

Jack had become more and more subdued throughout the race, and the encouragement that had come at the beginning was nowhere to be seen now. I wasn't able to give that much thought though, as I once again flew through the short mountain pass. As we neared the end, I felt Jack hitting my shoulder urgently, so I turned my head to look briefly. "I know a secret shortcut!" he shouted over the whistling wind. I frowned. It wasn't about getting back first, it was about points!

"They always put a black sheep in there as a surprise. Quick! It's just there!" he yelled, pointing, and I swerved reluctantly to the right, away from the course.

I looked back, but Astrid, who was behind me again, wasn't out of the pass yet; no one would see us go. I tried to move even faster, hoping to get this 'secret' sheep, and get back as soon as possible. We'd still have to get the sheep before the others.

As we glided over a small ledge, flying low to the ground, I saw a sight that chilled me to the bone. Thade, in his mouldy cloak and beast skull helmet, raised his arm. I imagined the triumphant smile on his cruel face as clamps fastened painfully around my legs. Shaped like decorative dragon's heads, their metal teeth drew me to the ground as the men below pulled on the chains.

Jack! I cried, the roar echoing off the stone around us. I hit the ground with a loud thud, and felt as though several bones had been damaged. Jack rolled off my back with a grunt. When he stood, he seemed defensive and unsure, though not surprised. He didn't try to come to my rescue, either. On the contrary, he stood back, and watched as Thade's men tied chains around my wings and body.

I spat fire, the bright flames burning some of the men fatally, before Thade himself fitted a thick, tight headpiece over my jaws, preventing me from opening them.

I tried to roar, hoping someone would hear, but I was too far around the headland for the other riders to hear anyway. I whined, feeling betrayed. I trusted him. I trusted Jack, and he stabbed me in the back.

"Hello again. Long time no see, ___," Thade greeted in a self-satisfied way. He shot a glance at Jack, who would not look me in the eye.

"I see you've met my young friend here. What did you think? Pretty good job he did, earning your trust, playing nice. Bringing you to us," Thade drawled victoriously.

I growled deep in my throat, causing a grating laugh to come from Thade. He shot a look around at his crew. "Let's get her loaded up."