I'm back!

In case you're curious as to why updates are so slow, it's because I have secret projects in the works. I'll be releasing them soon.

"I've got it." Vius said opening his eyes. "I've got us a way out."

"Well that was fast." Only but a moment had passed since he closed his eyes. But as Vius described it, he had all the world to himself in just that moment. Just him.

"Felt a bit slow for me."

"You need to redefine "Fast."" Vius was never convinced the limit for anything had been reached. Like Hiccup, he left like he could reach out and touch the stars above.

"We ride some of the fastest and most powerful dragons in the world. I think I know what fast is."

"Well then, let's see how fast you can get us out of this cell."

"Just wait. We're on a delicate timetable here. We leave too soon and Hiccup will be unprepared for our recuse and escape. Too late and we're all stuck in a dragon killing village. I don't want a repeat of Berserker island or Outcast island."

"So we wait?"

"Sadly so." So they just sat for minute. Then two. Then Antius lost his sanity.

"Vius, if you don't mind, I need to ask you a favor." Vius was, honestly, surprised. Antius didn't ask for very many favors. But he went along with it.

"Sure, what is it?"

"I want you to look at this." Antius took off the ring around his finger. He never removed it. Not once. Not once had he ever taken it off in anyone's presence. Possibly seeing Vius's shock, he elaborated his reasoning. "It's been weighing me down. Like some heavy burden is latching itself to my soul. I need to know what this thing is." He gently placed it is Vius's hand. He was right. This thing held a burden beyond its physical weight. He held it up close to his face. He observed the fine details of it closely. Despite that he wore it every day and night, it was well-kept. Old, but very little rust for its age. A few scratches here and there. With the scratching being more common on the side that was supposed to face in, towards the palm. The symbols and runes were small, but fairly obvious. And the key factor about it, was the dragon. The dragon that adorned the center of the ring. It was killed. Or, was being killed. The sword through its heart was a good indicator of either.

"Well, it's custom made. And with a purpose. You see, the inside of it-" He was about to finish his statement, when the heavy doors of the prison were thrown open. Vius deposited the ring back in Antius's palm, and they strained their ears to hear who it was. Heavy, large boots, uniform style of marching, possible warrior's posture or stance. Their steps weren't rushed, but not slow, so the person was probably at ease, but not unaware. And there was another set of steps with his. Equal pace, but the steps were staggered. Only one foot from the sound of it, so they must've had a fake. The dragon riders looked at each other, already having a fair guess of who it was. Stoick and Gobber. The two then appeared just outside their cell. They looked at the two dragon riders, failing to notice the teens.

"Alright, no more games. We ask you questions, and you will give us answers."

"Fire away." Vius replied with sarcasm and boredom. Antius stood up and walked to the cell door, not issuing a sound, not even through his footsteps. He stared at the group in front of him, as though evaluating if he could win the fight.

"Who are you, and why are you here?" Stoick demanded, but neither replied. Snotlout was fed up with that. He reached his arm through the door to grab Antius by the neck.

"Hey, the chief asked you a quest-" Before he ever finished his statement, Antius reached one hand across Snotlout, grabbing the back of his head and shoulder, and the other hand twisting his arm, essentially pinning him. He then slammed Snotlout against the metal door, hard enough to knock him out. He stumbled backwards, words heavily slurred. "Uncle Stoick, Mr. Dragon man-" Before he could finish he fell backwards, unconscious. And it was at this time when Fishlegs had coincidentally woken up.

"What happened?" Fishlegs asked, taking note of the chief.

"You're stupid." Vius responded, chuckling.

"What?"

Gobber turned to the three teens and and unconscious Snotlout. "Get out, and take Snitlout with ya." He said, waving in the direction of the teen on the floor. He was then dragged along unceremoniously by the twins. Stoick turned to the two dragon riders.

"Let's start simple. Who are you and where do you come from?"

"Would you believe me if I told you that I'm the adopted brother of a queen?" Came the amused sound of Vius's voice. He was going to have some fun and games with their captors. Of course his previous statement was almost a complete lie, but they didn't know that.

"No."

"Well now we have a problem."

"You talk too much." Gobber said, before his chief might suffer an outburst of rage. Those were becoming more and more common and volatile since Hiccup had died.

"Yeah, but he more than makes up for it." He nods towards his human companion.

"Shut up." Is his rather ironic response. He turns back to the group outside the cell. "You'll get nothing from us. We have nothing to fear from you." His bravery was admirable, but it would do him no good against the wrath of Stoick the Vast.

"You will tells us who you are, you will tell us what demon infested land you hail from, and what kind of monster you kind of people serve." His face was contorted by anger, his anger holding a fire more dangerous than a Night Fury's blast.

"How about no." And this wasn't a question.

"Keep that up, and I will feed you to the demons that you ride when this is through."

"Oh joy, and I thought it was going to be boring here. Hiccup said they were dense, but this is ridiculous!" Said Vius. Every muscle in Stoick's body tensed up. That was a mistake on the rider's part, mentioning Hiccup. He turned back to that rider. His face was red, well, redder, and he looked like he was on the edge of murder.

"Don't you dare say his name! You filthy dragon lovers! You lie! He's nothing like any of you filth! I will avenge the taking of my son's life, even if I must take yours." and without further explanations, he stormed off.

"Where are ya goin'?" Gobber asked. Stoick was unpredictable like this. He was a volcano ready to erupt at the smallest of triggers. And this was the worst he had been in weeks. "What're ya doin'?"

"Finding ways to make them talk!" Was the only thing anyone heard before the prison doors were slammed shut.

"Well, that happened." said Vius. Gobber turned back to the two.

"Plans?" Antius whispered.

"We got time..." Vius replied quietly. He eyed Gobber with wary pupils.

"Did you know him?" Gobber asked. "Hiccup, did you really know him?"

"Why does it matter to you? Everyone here hated him, didn't they? If I recall correctly, he was 'Hiccup the useless'. Am I wrong?"

"Everyone called him that, tell me something only he knew."

"He was left-handed, and his last invention was the bola cannon that a dragon smashed in the last raid he witnessed."

"What dragon?" Gobber was sounding more desperate. They knew him! They must know what happened to him!

"Nightmare."

"How did you know that?!"

"We knew him. He came to us, and we found him."

"How?"

"The dragon of the Night Rider. He was Hiccup's."

"He really did shoot down a Night Fury, didn't he?

"The one and only."

"And he found it? In the woods?"

"And made the decision that would shape the rest of his life."

"So he wasn't killed by the Night Fury?"

"Killed? Ha! No! He would never. That dragon would rather had died than see Hiccup come to harm!"

"But it's just a beast. It can't do that! They don't do anything but-"

"Kill? I think not."

"But a dragon will always-"

"Go for the kill? Tell me, when was the last time someone died in the arena?" He paused for affect. "Dragons are more like people than you realize. They can feel hurt, they can feel love, they can feel fidelity and friendship. The Night Fury didn't kill Hiccup. He brought him to us."

"But why would Hiccup leave? This was his home!"

"Was it? Tell me, what was the last thing his father said to him in front of the village before he left to go find the nest?"

"How would I know? That was three years ago!"

"It always felt like yesterday to him. And the day he opened his heart up to us lifted the burden of what held him back in life. The village, and their treatment of the heir."

"But he always said he wanted to kill dragons, that he wanted to be one of us!"

"But as you said, 'Stop trying so hard to be something you're not.'" Gobber's jaw dropped. He had said that. It had just slipped past his better judgement. "That was what you said, wasn't it? And his father said that every time he stepped outside, disaster feel, and that he had bigger problems."

"And he told you this?"

"Every last word."

"And was he happy?"

"Excuse me?"

"Was he happy, living with you people?"

"Not at first. He was still hurting on the inside for a long time afterwards."

"And how did he... How did he..." Gobber lowered his voice. "How did he die?" The room grew cold. It was a moment before Antius joined.

"He died the way many people dream of. Using his life to allow another to live on is a sacrifice few are able to do."

"And what caused it?"

"We don't know. he was alone when it happened. We found him, dying, but happy knowing he had served something greater than himself."

"And who was it that he gave is life for?"

"It's the man who now rides Hiccup's dragon in his honor. You know him as the Night Rider."

"Why did he do it? Why would he sacrifice himself for someone? Much less a dragon rider?"

"Because he doesn't pick sides. He only sees a living being, he doesn't see friend or foe in these cases. He's the most selfless person we knew, he would always risk his life so that someone else wouldn't have to. You couldn't ask for a braver soul, or a more forgiving heart."

"Almost sounds like a different person."

"He never ran out of surprises. He stopped armies without killing anyone. He managed to even sway people like Alvin from their goals."

"Alvin? Haven't heard a word out of him in-"

"Three years. Hiccup's work."

"And he was a dragon rider?"

"Only the best. He was one of the first but was the greatest by far. He never stopped pushing for anything or anyone."

Gobber stopped for a second. He knew something was off. he had to tread carefully. "Did he ever talk about Berk?"

"Only in rare moments. But out of everyone he talked about, you were his little ray of sunshine in this desolate place." Vius pushed into the conversation

"In time, he made his own family with our people. He found someone who cared about him like a sister. He had a friend, and allies, everything he longed for in this village, lacking one thing." He cast a glance at Antius. Soon. "A true means of escape from the past." He cast a glance at his ally. NOW! And the world slowed for everyone in the room.

Antius raised his arm, and the dragon he had kept slipped out of his sleeve. Its body was glowing on the underbelly. Vius ducked down and pulled a small knife from his own sleeve. He pulled the pins from the door hinges. that side banged on the ground. A tongue of fire released itself from the small serpentine dragon. it passed through the lock, barely stopping a second before slicing and meting it into molten scrap.

The door now essentially hanging from nothing, the duo kicked the door with all their might. It flew out, flying into Gobber. He was forced back but knocked down or out. Seeing a door, the blacksmith slammed it closed, locking automatically.

"Ha! Ya thought ye could escape me eh? Ha!" He looked at them though the bars, and they looked back from behind the bars. "Well you're still locked in the prison!" The two looked at hear other, before shrugging.

"Sure, whatever you say." Said Vius before he walked out the cell door. wait... Gobber thought. He looked at the room around him. He was in the cell! Not them!

"Are you kidding me!?" He yelled as the two walked out of the prison hallway, toward the exit.

"Well, this'll be fun." Said Vius.

"We still have to grab my swords."

"Okay, less fun."

"You never stop, do you?"

"Come on, we have an escape to do!" and the two took off towards the prison exits.