Chapter 32: Under Pressure

                                    

                                          
   "You're supposed to know these Riders better than anyone!"  Ryker growled as the door shut behind Heather.  He turned his chocolate gaze to Dagur, Heather's older brother, as anger and frustration danced through his veins.  
                          
   "Yes, and?"  Dagur asked, raising a bushy red eyebrow.
                          
   "Why don't you know where the Dragon Eye is?"  Ryker asked, standing up with clenched fists.
                          
   "Hey, if one of their own doesn't know, how am I supposed to?"  Dagur snapped, narrowing his emerald green eyes.
                          
   Ryker gritted his teeth and leaned forward, growling.  "I don't care how you do it, but figure it out!"
                          
   Dagur stepped back, chuckling nervously.  "Relax, relax, I can help you."  Ryker backed away as Dagur's eyes narrowed into thought.  After a moment, his eyes widened again, and he chuckled.  
                          


                          
   Alaya's eyes opened after a few hours to see a pair of Dragon Hunters reaching down into the cell for her.  Suddenly, she was alert, scrambling back desperately to avoid their grasp.
                          
   "Aye, get back here."  One hunter stepped inside and roughly grabbed her arm, jerking her to her feet.  He led her down a few corridors to what seemed to be the other side of the ship to another hallway of cages.  One of the cages held the Riders.
                          
   Alaya yelped as the green door was flung open and she was shoved in.  She fell to the floor, making everyone's sleeping eyes snap open.
                          
   "Alaya!  Are you alright?"  Hiccup asked, surprised.
                          
   "Define 'alright',"  Alaya replied, rubbing her eyes and elbows.  "I'll be fine."
                          
   "Alaya, did they ask you anything?"  Hiccup asked anxiously.
                          
   Alaya nodded.  "They asked me where the Dragon Eye was."
                          
   "What did you tell them?"  Hiccup asked.
                          
   "I didn't know.  You guys never told me, anyway, so it's not like I had information to give."  Alaya chuckled.
                          
   "Ryker doesn't seem like the guy that would let someone go that easily,"  Astrid said.
                          
   "He wasn't going to.  Dagur did."  Alaya explained.
                          
   "Dagur?"  Hiccup said in surprise.
                          
   "He must've remembered what I'm like when I lie."  Alaya sighed.  She glanced around for a moment, making sure no Hunters were nearby, and lowered her voice.  "Where is the Dragon Eye?"
                          
   Hiccup opened a secret pocket in his pants, just big enough to hold the Dragon Eye, then quickly closed it again.  Alaya gasped and nodded.
                          
   "Can we go back to sleep now?"  Ruffnut grumbled.
                          
   "Yes, please, I am so tired."  Alaya yawned.
                          
   With a few nods between the group, everyone went back to sleep.
                          


                          
   Lusion sighed impatiently, sharpening her sword.  "We can go somewhere else.  We can wait a little longer.  Ryker and Dagur could get it out of one of them at least, right?"  She glanced at her little brother, who was staring down at his Maces and Talons board.  She scoffed.  "Could you at least look at me?"
                          
   Viggo chuckled, his chocolate eyes lifting to meet Lusion's light brown gaze.  "Patience, sister.  We're quite far, if Ryker and Dagur can pull it out of someone they will have the time necessary.  And if not..."