The passage narrowed as they pressed deeper into the cave, the walls closing in until rough stone scraped against shoulders and packs. The light behind them faded quickly, swallowed by shadow, leaving only the soft scrape of boots and the steady sound of breathing. The air was cold and stale, heavy with age, as though the cave had not been disturbed in a very long time.
Ahead, a faint speck of light glimmered at the end of the tunnel.
No one spoke, but their pace quickened.
When they finally emerged, the tunnel opening wide around them, the sight stole the breath from every one of them.
"Holy shit," Snotlout breathed.
The cavern stretched wide and deep, its floor buried beneath piles of gold. Coins glittered in uneven mounds, jewelry spilled from shattered chests, and weapons lay half-submerged in the treasure axes, swords, spears, some rusted, some gleaming as though untouched by time.
Tuffnut's mouth hung open. "I think I just fell in love."
"I'm rich," Snotlout said, a grin splitting his face. "I'm finally rich."
He bolted forward, laughter echoing off the stone as Tuffnut and Ruffnut raced after him without hesitation.
"Mine!" Tuffnut shouted, leaping dramatically into a mound of gold—
Only to slam face-first into something solid.
There was a loud bang.
"Ow."
Astrid pinched the bridge of her nose. "Every time."
Merida's brothers rushed past next, whooping as they grabbed crowns and necklaces, shoving them onto each other's heads while laughing wildly.
Merida walked forward more calmly, blowing stray curls from her face as she surveyed the chamber. "What a good haul, aye?"
Fishlegs turned slowly in place, awe and confusion written across his face. "This treasure… it's massive. But why would it all be here? No vault markings, no trade seals, this isn't normal."
"Who cares?" Snotlout said, scooping handfuls of coins. "Look around you! Gold, silver, silver, gold—how I love thee to caress and to hold—"
His hand suddenly closed around something that was very much not treasure.
He screamed.
"WHOAH—OOF—AW, MAN!" He recoiled, staring at the skeletal hand he'd yanked free from the pile. "What is with these bones?! They're ruining my treasure pleasure!"
Hiccup crouched near another partially buried skeleton, his expression grim. "Snotlout… it's not your treasure. And from the looks of things, having it didn't help these people much."
Lucian hadn't moved.
While the others were distracted by gold and noise, his eyes tracked the cavern itself. He stood near the center of the chamber, eyes scanning upward.
The ceiling wasn't rock.
It was crystal.
Smooth, glass-like formations sealed most of it, refracting light unnaturally. Only toward the northern edge did the crystal give way to cracked stone and packed sand, as if the cave had once been something else entirely.
The place felt… wrong.
A strange familiarity prickled at the back of Lucian's mind, a sensation he couldn't place.
"Lucian," Eric said quietly.
Lucian turned.
Eric was pointing toward the far side of the chamber.
Three figures lay slumped against a toppled chest, half-buried in gold. Unconscious.
They approached cautiously.
As Lucian got closer, his face tightened. Eric smirked and nudged Lucian with his elbow. "Hey. It's your brothers."
"Shut up," Lucian muttered.
The two identical men groaned faintly, blond hair tangled, faces unmistakably familiar even through the dirt and bruises.
And beside them—
[Ding! You have met a Special Character: Flynn Rider.]
[You have obtained a Special Blind Box.]
Lucian's eyes flicked to the third man, dark-haired, scruffy, unconscious but annoyingly handsome.
[Ding! You have met a Special Character: Rudi Stabbington / Westergard.]
[You have obtained an Uncommon Blind Box.]
[Ding! You have met a Special Character: Runo Stabbington / Westergard.]
[You have obtained an Uncommon Blind Box.]
Lucian exhaled slowly.
Of course.
Lucian studied the three unconscious men for a moment, his expression unreadable.
Then he straightened and glanced at Eric. "Tie them up."
Eric didn't hesitate. He gave a short nod. "On it."
Hiccup blinked, looking between them. "W–Wait, what? Why?" He gestured weakly at the two blonde men. "Aren't they… your brothers?"
Lucian was already moving, sifting through the scattered treasure with practiced efficiency. He overturned a chest and snapped his fingers when he found what he was looking for, thick ropes once used to secure the heavier crates.
"Even if those two are my brothers," he said calmly, tugging one rope free, "they're still fugitives."
He tossed a coil toward Eric, who caught it easily.
"And the other one?" Hiccup pressed.
Lucian's gaze flicked briefly toward the third man. "He's the same."
Eric said nothing as they worked together, flipping the unconscious men onto their stomachs and binding their hands tightly behind their backs. The ropes bit deep, clean knots pulled firm with the efficiency of people who had done this before.
Astrid watched silently, eyes narrowed. "You don't waste time."
Lucian didn't respond.
Astrid crossed her arms. "So… family reunions at your place usually end like this?"
Lucian straightened just as the last knot was tied. "Only when they deserve it."
Rumble!
That was when Snotlout lifted a hand.
"Guys, guys," he said slowly, backing up a step. "You might wanna save this discussion for later."
A deep, grinding sound rolled through the chamber, like stone being crushed under immense weight. Coins rattled, jewels slid. The ground trembled beneath their boots.
Something big was moving.
From the northern end of the cave, where sand had piled thick against the wall, the treasure began to shift on its own. Gold slid aside as a massive shape pushed through, scales scraping against stone with a dry, rasping sound.
The dragon emerged slowly.
It was low and broad, built like a living battering ram. Sandy-beige scales blended into mossy green patches along its sides, scarred and dulled by heat and age. Short, jagged spines lined its back and tail, worn like eroded stone. Its wings unfolded with a heavy, leathery creak, wide but thick, dusted with green stains where superheated sand had fused to the membrane.
One pale blue eye snapped open. It locked onto the treasure Tuffnut was holding.
Lucian's breath went shallow. "A Sandbuster."
Merida shifted her stance, hand drifting toward her bow. "Aye… That thing's none too happy, is it? And here I was hopin' it'd be friendly"
Tuffnut grinned nervously, lifting a golden shield while fixing his crooked helmet with his free hand. "Not happy? how? Like—"
The Sandbuster roared. A torrent of glowing sand erupted from its jaws.
"Hey, Wai—!"
The blast slammed into Tuffnut's shield. Heat flared white-hot, and then the sand hardened.
Glass exploded outward.
Tuffnut yelped as he was launched backward, skidding across the cave floor in a spray of coins while the ground where he'd stood erupted into jagged crystal spikes.
Ruffnut dove behind a pile of gold. "I hate this cave!"
Astrid ducked as shards clattered past her. "That wasn't fire!"
Lucian drew his sword in one smooth motion, steel ringing sharply through the cavern. "Superheated sand," he said grimly. "It melts, then solidifies on impact."
Fishlegs stared at the glass formations, eyes wide. "So… does that mean this dragon don't have any shot limit?"
The Sandbuster lowered its head, claws digging into stone as it charged, wings flaring wide and sending sand and treasure flying.
Lucian stepped forward, blade angled low, eyes locked on the dragon.
"Drop the gold," he snapped over his shoulder.
The dragon's throat glowed again.
"And move... Now."