Melodys POV

"HERO!!" I yell while gripping her saddle tight. I watch as we near the water, officially convinced we wont make it. We hit the surface hard, tumbling under the waves, slowly sinking. Hero was unable to move, we were going to drown.  I turn to see Liam and Terra in the same situation. I pull at Hero's saddle trying to get her to the surface, but it was no use. I feel my eyes get heavy and my head begin to spin. Before I knew it I no longer had a hold of the saddle and I too was sinking fast. 

Hiccups POV

"Hiccup I don't like the idea of them being alone right now. I know they are independent but we know this guy, and if its really him, they will need all the help they can get"

"you're right Fishlegs, we need to go after them" I turn to my guys, they were all clearly thinking the same thing. "its time to fly, come on bud"

.    .    .

"Alright we are getting close, come on gang" I announce. 

"What do you suppose we do if we actually encounter Grimmel." Snotlout questions. 

"kill 'em" The twins said in unison in this creepy tone.  

"We will cross that bridge when we get there Snotlout" I answer him honestly

Terra POV

 Before I lost total control, I managed to shoot a flare up into the sky, maybe someone, anyone would see it. 

Astrids POV

"Guys Look!" I shout, watching a flare shoot into the air from the water. "dive Stormfly" I command. We enter the water hard, I see the kids sinking fast. Stormfly grips ahold of Windwhip while I pull Terra onto my lap. We shoot out of the water and head for the shore. I glance back to see Snotlout holding Liam while Hookfang carries Boulder. Hiccup and Toothless have Melody and Hero. Heather and Windshear had Spike. "Wheres Kane?!" I call out. "I didn't see him!" Heather returns. "this isn't good" I mumble. 

Terra begins to cough up water as we land at the beach. "Terra! hunny!" Fishlegs yells running to us. His girls are truly the only reason that man will run. 

"K-Kane *cough* we need to get him back" She sat up slowly. 

"he wasn't in the water Terra" Heather places a hand on her back. I hear the others start to stir. 

"they took him" Melody spoke softly, leaning up against Hiccup. 

"He's gone..." Liam seems as though he's going to cry. 

"who... the deathgripper?" Snotlout asks. The teens look at us scared and sad. 

"Wait. Wheres Spike?!" Melody jumps to her feet losing her balance. 

"easy now" Hiccup catches her, " he's over here" I watch as he leads her to the resting nadder.

"Spike... Im so sorry" The dragon lets out a small whimper nudging his head into her. "We will get him back, I promise" I watch as the fear washes away as a wave of anger flashes through Melody's eyes. 

"Melody you need to tell us everything" I stand placing a hand on her shoulder. 

Kai's POV 

I watch Kane sleep peacefully. Every once in a while he twitches and pulls at the ropes I secured him with. I cant have him running away from me. It's been probably two hours since he yelled at me, which was well with in his right. I did leave him with our abusive parents. But I had an opportunity... I had to take it. Seems like he ended up getting one too... I turn to Chance and watch him spin around before curling into a sleeping ball. I stand and begin to prepare dinner for us. 

Im stirring the pot when I hear the chair begin to rustle around. I turn to see Kane awake and pulling at the ropes. "Ill untie you soon, so you can eat." a glare washes over his face. "You can be mad all you want. It wont bring your friends back." I return to my stew. I pull two bowls from the cabinet and fill them. I place each at the table and work to untie Kane so he can eat. He doesn't say a word, or touch the stew. "I know you're hungry, you need to eat," all he does it turn his head from me. "do you want me to force feed you? Im not letting you go to bed hungry." He whips his head around eyeing me up and down. 

"fine." he grumbles before spooning his first bite. "you hit me" 

"I had to, you were too worked up" I continue to eat. He watches me for a few seconds before turning back to his food. "tell me... how did you escape?" he eyes meet mine, he hesitates, but eventually puts his spoon down next to the bowl and places his hands in his lap. 

"I was 12, it had been three years since you left... I had been working hard to earn Privileges with Mom and Dad. I was eventually allowed a hour of free time each day. where I could roam the village. Under the condition that if I ran, they would find me.. and kill me. So I didn't, for a while at least. But, one day I met this boy. Liam" He pauses and stares down at his stew. I watch him pick up his spoon and stir it for no reason. 

"He was so kind, and funny. Just a year younger than me. He and I became good friends. Liam told me his plan to leave Azmar one day, to find Hiccup and his riders to learn to be a dragon rider himself."

"Was he abused too?"

"No, just the opposite, He has two insanely kind fathers. Who treated me as their own"

"two fathers?" I stopped eating and watched him

"Yes, You don't get to judge." He defends quickly. I threw my hands up in surrender as he continues. "One day I opened up to them, about everything. They told me they would help me escape. But before we couldn't jump right into things, they had to come up with a plan. It was a cold Saturday evening when they introduced me to a deadly nadder. He was just a teenager, Unnamed and in need of a rider. So every day while I had my hour of free time I would spend it with them, learning to ride him. Liam was also learning to ride a gronkle that he went on to name Boulder. I name my nadder Spike" He paused again looking up at me. 

"did you really kill him?" I gave him silence until he caved and continued the story. "the day was finally right, Erik and Tortson, Liams dads, invited Mom and Dad over for dinner. They left me behind locked in my room. But that was the plan. Liam snuck in and helped me break open the door. We left the house, mounted our dragons and never looked back. Liam and I were on the run for two years, training here and there, when we could. Then one day we met Melody and Terra." He looks back up at me. 

"liam's Dads were okay with him just leaving like that? at 12?" 

"They knew it was for the best. We knew it would be hard for him, but he insisted he come along. He was my brother, Kai. He and Spike became my family." I see him glance at the door. He cant get far even if he tries. 

"I can trust you right? I don't have to tie you back up?" I lock eyes with him. 

"what? no... you're fine" He sighs and eats more of his stew. 

"Im glad you were able to escape Kane, When I went back a few years ago and couldn't find you. I didn't know what had happened to you, Id been searching ever since." I put away my dishes. "I have something you might want to see" I have him stand and guide him outside and down the tree line a bit. 

Kane's POV 

She pushes me gently along down a path. We stop in front of this marked off site with logs and planks stacked neatly. "what is this?"

"This is where we will build your hut, brother" her words send chills down my spine. 

"I said don't call me that" I glare firmly at her. 

"fine" She grumbles before entering the site. "here is where we can build you hut, your kitchen can go here, bed here, if we find you a dragon they can go here." She danced around the plot of land totally distracted in her own fantasy. This was my chance. I booked it. I headed straight for the cover of trees. Ducking and weaving around branches and bushes. I never looked back.