Embers: An ROTBTD/PJO Adventure

Chapter 1: City of Angels (30 Seconds to Mars)

Hiccup POV

Hiccup woke to a poking in his ribs, inside an old collapsed shack.

"Who is this?" a female voice asked.

"Is he dead?" Said another, with a tinge of fear. Hiccup moaned softly, and he could feel the girls jump backward. Another person approached, and Hiccup could feel them kneel down next to him. He tried to draw in closer to himself, but his damaged body wouldn't move. The person reached out, and touched his probably shattered ribs.

Even though it hurt, Hiccup gasped and sat up, covering his face with his hands. He still didn't want to open his eyes. But he did, and looked up at his rescuers. Two girls were standing next to him, one with yellow-blond hair in a thick braid down to her ankles. The other had thick, red, curly hair that frizzed in a halo around her head. They both looked at him with horror. There was a boy couching next to him, with white, unkempt hair.

"Are you alright?" The boy asked.

"No." Hiccup bluntly stated, still reeling from the pain in his head.

"Right," The boy said, "Let's get these boards off you. But first, I'm Jack. This is Rapunzel," he gestured to the blond girl, "And Merida." The red-haired girl. Hiccup felt a weight move off his legs.

"Oh no." Jack said softly.

"What is it?"

"Well…"

"Just TELL me!" Hiccup half-shouted, with a hint of desperation in his voice.

"You-you don't have a left foot anymore."

This met the expected reaction. "WHAT?"

"Here." Suddenly the red-haired girl – Merida – was behind him, lifting him up, and he got a good look at his foot, or rather where it used to be. He almost blacked out. Tearing his gaze off of his leg, he looked up at the others.

Fighting down revulsion, he spoke, resigned. "I - I never told you my name." he said quietly. "It's Hiccup. Hiccup Norski."