Ascendant

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: THE WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING

[GEM]

"Wait! J-just hold on!" he replied in a panic as Astrid tried not to cry out in pain, grabbing his arm with her nails to try and scratch him deep as she could.

[MELODY]

Kahu held the dagger closer to her throat showing her to stop moving. "..One last time..surrender or none of you will be spared.." He said calmly with a very sharp edge to it.

[GEM]

Hiccup's heart was beating fast as Astrid tried to be strong, her face angry but her eyes terrified. He glanced around the battlefield as he saw his people being beaten, inches away from possible death, their dragons all downed and the enemy numbers seeming just as large as before... It was clear that these were no normal ruffians. Who did they work for?

The words of his father pierced his mind like a spear, "A chief protects his own". And right now he saw his people dying--and Astrid... He panicked as the thought of her dying made him suddenly terrified. "Okay! Stop!" he said and dropped his dagger into the snow. "Stop!" he shouted again.

[MELODY]

A smirk appeared on his face as he lowered the dagger before pushing Astrid Hiccup's way. He then let out a very loud whistle. Instantly his men and their dragons stopped looking into his direction as he did. "Gather the Berkians!" Kahu told them. He wanted to know exactly who had the artifact.

[GEM]

Astrid stumbled and kept herself propped up on her hands and knees before her fingers went to her the back of her head where she felt the most pain. She got a horrible feeling in her stomach from what he did but the survival part of her was relieved she didn't just die, of course, even if it would have been an honorable end.

The man who had his blade to Uriah backed up as he hesitated, looking over at Arne who was crushed under his dragon, hoping he wasn't badly injured but now he was just confused as to what was happening, not being close enough to hear Kahu and Hiccup.

Snotlout looked around in confusion as well when they didn't kill them.

"I have a condition!" Hiccup said to Kahu before the man turned his back, a serious look on his face.

[MELODY]

"..and what may that be?" Kahu asked as he raised an eyebrow. He seemed amused by the fact that Hiccup even dared to ask for it. But he was an honorable man so he would at least hear him out.

[GEM]

"Take us to who's calling the shots here and don't harm my men in the process... Then you can have your artifact," he said, trying to sound confident but inside he was still out of his league.

[MELODY]

Moira had her eyes shut tightly when her attacker let his axe come down at her. Waiting for the impact, pain and then death she stayed still. But nothing happened..She opened her eyes confused as looked over her shoulder again at the man who just stopped. Confusion spread across her face mixed with the pain as she wondered what happened to make them stop.

Kahu sighed deeply as Hiccup suggested that. "It would be so much easier to just kill you and your friends..take it and your dragons but oh well.." he said with a shrug as he kneeled down in front of Hiccup holding his hand out to him. "..you got a deal.."

[GEM]

Hiccup's face was bloody and bruised, Astrid looking his way with dragon blood all over her own face, wondering what this meant for them.

Tuffnut looked like he was about to protest but Ruarcc put a hand on his shoulder with a stern look in his eye.

Hiccup felt nauseated but he took the man's hand reluctantly and got back to his feet.