“Oh, right! Our dragons too!” The speaker, a lanky boy with sun-bleached hair, barely glanced at Hiccup. He’d settle for ‘boy’ for now.
“But where *are* they? This island’s bigger than it looks…” A rounder boy, blond hair cropped short, frowned with frustration.
“Let’s ask him,” the lanky boy said, nodding towards Hiccup.
“Hello,” he addressed Hiccup with a forced cheerfulness. “Fellow dragon hunter! We’re dragon hunters too, just like you, and we were wondering if you’ve seen a beautiful mace around here…” He flinched as a blonde girl with braids drove her heel into his shin. “…and also, do you know where the dragon cages are? Because… we’d like to buy some… because we’re dragon hunters… like you.” A nervous laugh escaped him.
Hiccup frowned, suspicion tightening his jaw. “Umm… I haven’t seen any maces. The armoury’s right behind me, and there’s a forge over there,” he pointed, “And I don’t know where the dragons are. Sorry.”
“Thank you!” The girl snapped, her voice clipped. “Now we’re just going to… go. Have a nice day!”
A flicker of recognition crossed Hiccup’s face, but he couldn’t place her.
“Guys! Macey’s not here!” The lanky boy called over his shoulder. The group hurried off, leaving Hiccup watching them with a growing unease.
“Heeello, handsome boy!” A voice, honey-sweet and far too close, breathed into his ear. He turned to see a girl, mirroring the lanky boy’s build. Twins, maybe?
“You know? You’re pretty mysterious,” she murmured, her voice a silken whisper. “I like that…”
Hiccup managed a weak chuckle. “Umm… Okay?” She winked, then flowed after her companions. “Well, that was strange,” he muttered to himself.
As the girl trailed towards the forge, Hiccup headed for the dragon cages. He knew where they were, but caution was paramount, even if this group looked less like hunters and more like…lost sheep. The cage area was guarded by a single Viking, young enough to be fresh from training.
“Hey, you!” Hiccup called out, his voice firm. “I’ll take it from here.”
“But… my boss told me I shouldn’t…” the guard stammered.
“And I said: I’m taking it from here!” Hiccup snapped, raising his voice.
“Y-Yes…” The guard, intimidated, retreated, leaving Hiccup alone.
A smirk tugged at Hiccup’s lips. He withdrew a lock-picking kit from his forearm pad and began working on the Gronckle’s enclosure, knowing he needed to earn the dragon’s trust first.
Seven minutes later, only the Nadder’s cage remained. He was halfway through the lock when shouts erupted.
“You ain’t dragon hunters, you riders!” A voice screeched. Had Hiccup not glanced away, things might have gone differently…
“What are you doing?!” Someone else yelled. He turned to see a hunter barreling towards him.
“Oh Gods! That’s not good!” He jammed the lock pick harder, desperate to finish before the hunter arrived. He glanced over his shoulder, gauging the hunter’s speed, each tick of the lock a heartbeat.
Then came the glorious *click*. He grinned, wrenching open the cage and knocking the hunter unconscious with a swift blow. He raced towards the commotion, finding the odd group surrounded by other hunters.
“Guys!” the lanky boy shouted, “That guy has Macey!” He pointed at a cluster of hunters wielding maces.
*He’s surrounded by hunters and all he cares about is his mace?* Hiccup thought, incredulous.
Then, everything spiraled into chaos.
“The dragons! They’ve escaped!”