Disclaimer: Any characters mentioned are all under copyright. This work is purely fan-made.
Title: From Asgard to Midgard
Author: Scarabeye 3000
Chapter 1: 'Odin, help him'
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Dragon Island
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A sleek black Night Fury's scales glimmered in the half-light as it flew through the sea spires on the unforgiving place known as Dragon Island. Turning at almost the last second, both the dragon and the young boy on its back seemed mighty and fearless to the sight of the Vikings holding their gaze at him. Behind the flying duo, almost a wing beat away, the titanic size of a six eyed, coral-skinned monstrosity barreled after them in its terrific fury
The whole village, shell-shocked at the enemy waiting for them at Helheims Gate stood agape at the spectacle. The 300 strong armed Vikings of the Hairy Hooligan Tribe steeled themselves on the coming confrontation. Both the dragon and the young boy on its back held all their sights as he cajoled his winged beast into ever shocking feats of bravery.
Swerving left and right, he evaded the snapping maw that could easily chew him into pieces.
Looking back at the past, there was actually anything remarkable with the boy, he was reedy, pretty small for a Viking and covered in reddish freckles. He couldn't lift an axe to kill a dragon, nor follow strict orders from their Chief who happens to also be his father. To sum it all up, he is, for a lack of a better term, extremely useless as a Viking.
But now as everyone watched him defy the norms of Viking order, break tradition and make death chase after him. Almost all spectators have lumps on their throats, some wait with bated breath as the gigantic dragon snapped its maw on the smaller dragon. No sea stack was safe as the great enemy bulldozed its great heft through everything, showering its prey with a deluge of smaller pebbles. Hiccup however, held fast and did not break their flight, nor flinch, nor deviate so hard as not to lose the interest of their enemy.
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Their people, his friends, all were not safe. She was not safe.
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The Hairy Hooligans held their gaze at the least of the younger generations, nay, probably the greatest of them all. For hundreds of years he was the only one to ride a dragon, both in the defense of their village and their homes. Regrettably, they can only see it now, and as both he and his dragon climbed to the clouds, they could only send their earnest prayers to the home of the Gods.
As they vanished in the sky, darkened with low rain clouds and volcanic ash spewing forth from a nearby active volcano, they continuously taunted their enemy. Hiccup urged Toothless and the Night Fury roared in defiance of their fate. From below, the last of the gigantic enemy's coral-like tail went up to the clouds and was obscured by the darkened sky, all eyes affixed to the heavens as they yearned to witness the spectacle of a lifetime. But not even the new riders, Astrid, Snotlout, the twins or Fishlegs dare to follow, lest they or anyone else would be put in harms way. All could only hope that he would survive this battle, and send whispered supplications to the Gods that whatever their faults or stubbornness, or stereo-typing in regards to Hiccup has brought them.
"Make him safe; do not deny us the chance to redeem ourselves in his eyes."
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The Chief of the Hooligan did not peel away his gaze of disbelief, when exactly had his son grow up so much, and so quickly. Is he that busy with the village and the duties of being Chief that his disappointed expectations clouded his judgments and right treatment to his son. Whatever are his short-comings; all seemed moot now, as his son flew on the back of his dragon and drew the great enemy.
Bitterly he remembered the same enemy he was trying to warn him about. Yet he was too stubborn to see what danger he was befalling his tribe, it weighed heavily upon him, as a Chief and as a father.
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With a cold churning in his gut, he peeled his eyes away from the clouds and sighed. A nervous beat in his chest signaled something catastrophic could go wrong and a feeling of helplessness enveloped the large man as he saw his son vanish into the roiling clouds.
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Suddenly, explosions behind the clouds made everyone flinch. Hidden from sight plasma fire explosions peppered the sky as the silhouette of the great enemy illuminated the black clouds like some twisted sense of shadow art. All stood transfixed, awe, fear, excitement, and raw emotions roiled within them as the battle unfolded before their eyes. Roars from the Night Fury followed by the sound of a whistling dive a second later, then the sight and sound of the plasma blast a few moments later held all faces enthralled. Time seemed to stretch as hit after hit, explosion after explosion ripped through the clouds as the great enemy screeched in frustration at its more agile enemy.
Then large swaths of clouds dispersed as a great stream of fire engulfed the heavens. The Red Death outraged with being outfoxed by a smaller dragon resorted to measures only it can do. It unleashed a fire storm from its cavernous belly, a continuous stream of fire and methane that burned the surrounding area of sky and enveloped the black sky in an orange and angry glow.
Stoick could see that the gigantic dragon spew its fire storm in wide inconsistent arcs. Its anger seemed terrible to behold, and like a wounded animal it charged blindly and fought back with a terrific intensity it shook the humans to their knees to witness such wanton show of power. Suddenly as the last of the fire storm dispersed into the air, a black blur hurtled towards the flying monstrosity, a few moments later and two explosions jarred it from the sides as it quickly passed again and executed a timed free fall dive.
Seeming to be an impossible effort, the titanic dragon slowly turned in mid-air, snapping its jaw desperately at the Night Fury's already falling form. Roaring in frustration it reared its head back and made a motion to dive after its prey. Sure enough the two dragon adversaries returned to their usual game of tag, except that this time, one would fall to a fiery death.
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As the two dragons plummeted, the Chief of Berk held his war hammer tighter and looked up into the heavens pleadingly.
"Oh great and wise, Odin Allfather- in all my years of breathing I have not called upon your name lest in vain," the whistling of the Night Fury as it dove to the ground reached their ears and his whispered prayers hastened, "-I have not fully mourned my wife, nor did I welcome nor sent her spirit in tradition to meet you in the halls of Valhalla-"
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From her safe spot Astrid Hofferson also clenched her hands together as soon as she knew what he was going to do. It was plain suicide, and she did not want to think about the results of his plan should it fail. Either way, it would always be death.
"-hear me now, Allfather, I beseech you now as a father yourself to your many children…" he looked up bitterly into the sky as the titanic dragon finally came into view, it looked even larger in the sky, "- please preserve my son Great One. Don't let his stars fall from the sky, don't let him burn to ashes with dragon fire, save him for he is mine of blood. Give me this chance, just one chance to make everything right."
The Red Death suddenly trailed greenish smoke as all held their breaths with the coming fire storm. If he should perish, then all life will perish and Berk shall be no more. The Night Fury continued its dive, almost oblivious to the danger chasing them to the ground.
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Far above them, the clouds parted exactly on their flight path as a heavenly light illuminated them from above. As the monstrous dragon inhaled, the Night Fury turned in a blink of an eye, and in a move of such controlled behavior shot a blue plasma ball into the accumulated methane gas in their enemy's gaping maw. The enemy was stunned, its six eyes unfocused and its breath seemed ragged as the attack derailed its already building offensive momentum.
Precious time was lost as Hiccup cajoled Toothless to fly back up into the sky. With their enemy winded and stunned, it was a simple task to weave away from the snapping jaws and wait for the inevitable demise of their enemy.
Finally regaining its senses, the monster's eyes widened as the view of the ground quickly flooded its already diminished eyesight. In desperation it quickly opened its wings to stop, but it felt no decrease in the dive. The enemy roared in pain and confusion, realization dawned on it as the two canvas-like wings was peppered with holes. Toothless' attack had opened the cartilaginous parts of the skin, and gravity tore it open with a vengeance as the large bulk of the dragon destroyed itself apart. The titan dragon bellowed a terrific and guttural roar as it impacted the ground, its bones breaking and skull shattering sounded like thunder as its methane reserves quickly mixed with the air and exploded in a gigantic pillar of fire consuming the body of the enemy and everything else around it.
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All of Berk saw, before they even made a dive to the ground that there was something wrong with the Night Fury. Dragons were never supposed to trail smoke, and compared to its movements from before, it seemed sluggish to all of them. But they could not comprehend the feeling of fear and dread that Hiccup suddenly felt as the leather tailfin he designed didn't even respond for a bit. They were losing height and he could feel it, even Toothless could feel it as he mightily fought the effects of gravity, but fate has already decided. From the cloud of smoke the enemy's bulbous tail loomed in front of them and easily smacked him off the saddle. Stars spun on his mind, but not before the sight of Toothless clawing for him, a piercing heavenly light, and the enveloping fire drove him to oblivion.
Astrid and everyone else, including Stoick, gasped as the roiling flame from the explosion enveloped both Hiccup and his dragon. She screamed shamelessly at the terror that gripped her, the coldness and hopelessness.
Gobber quickly grabbed his friend in the arm as he made a run for the billowing firestorm, "What are ye doin' Stoick!?"
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"My son is over there Gobber!?"
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"Aye! And what good would ye be to him!?" his face covered in sweat, soot and tears, heart pounding for the safety of his apprentice and furious at what the fates have thrown at them, "At least stay 'ere and wait 'till the fire settles a bit!"
"SON!" his cry was guttural and unshed tears almost blinded him, "HICCUP!"
Murmurs rolled around the huddled Vikings as the shock wave swept over them, ash and embers rained from the sky at the titan dragon's explosive death. Like the soft snow on a new winter morning, it blanketed everyone in ash and grime, weighing heavily on both their minds and feelings on the fate of their heroic rider. He seemed to have died, they were enveloped by dragon fire and its following firestorm, and everything seemed hopeless.
Now Vikings never feared death, they actually embrace it since it is an occupational hazard being a Viking and all, but they all knew that he didn't deserve that fiery fate after all he did for them. When the dust finally settled a bit, the Chief of Berk ran to the supposed crash site with Gobber in tow, he ran with the haste of a man whose chasing death. His old friend caught up, running much faster than his peg leg could have ever carried him normally.
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"HICCUP!" he cried out desperately, he had long ago lost Valka, please not him too, "SON! Where are you!?"
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From afar, his friend's hoarse voice called out, "Hiccup! Where are ye' lad?"
There was no other sound apart from their ragged breathing; the surviving villagers finally caught up and had begun combing the surrounding area, hoping against certainty of his fiery end.
"There's nothing here!" someone shouted from the group, "We can't see him-"
"This is not good-" Gobber sidled next to the Chief, "Fire of that intensity is one thing, but it couldn't have melted the metals he must have used on the fake tailfin."
"Melted? How can you say that!?" the Chief had panic creeping into his voice, "The fire was surely intense, but it couldn't melt metal that easily now could it- I know he's not here. We have to find him!"
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"Sir-"
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"I know tha' lad, he's my apprentice mind you," the blonde Viking shook his head and sighed, "He probably worked the metal to resist dragon fire, but not that intensity- I mean, that fire storm flayed all our ships to pieces in one go."
Stoick sighed, weariness etched in his voice, "What are you implying then?"
"Sir-"
"Maybe, he be swatted to the sea-" Gobber gestured to the sea, unsure even of his answer, "Believe me old friend, I would not like to personally think he perished in the fire storm- but in all likely-"
"He is NOT consumed by the firestorm," Stoick almost threatened his friend with his war hammer, "He's somewhere else here- everyone start looking for him!" he gestured to everyone behind them as he started calling out again, "HICCUP!"
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"SIR!" Astrid's voice finally became too insistent that both the Chief and the village blacksmith looked at her.
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"What is it lass?"
She didn't answer, instead she silently pointed into a specific spot in the ground right next to her. They approached her and they finally saw what she was talking about. A large circular symbol was burned into the ground, it was still smoldering yet no fire seemed evident can trace the perfect symmetrical shapes and ornate symbols burned to the ground. Both old men had their mouths open in confusion in surprise.
The symbol was surprisingly burned into the ashen ground, yet there were no ashes covering it. On the contrary, any ash that would noticeably cover it mysteriously degrades into powder.
All three of them looked at the center of the drawing and gaze at it in full. The symbol was a circular one, yet in the center a white tree with ornate roots trailing from the edges to the center, enveloped the tree in an interconnecting manner. The numerous runes on the sides they could not commit to memory nor can they remember the exact translations, for the exact ones were lost in the times of their ancestors. Yet one symbol remained that burned into their memories. A symbol both feared and worshiped by all Vikings in the Barbaric Archipelago and beyond where the Norse faith lies.
"Unless I've kicked the bucket and am in Valhalla- I don't think I should see that rune yet." Gobber shook his head in disbelief, "I only saw that rune once in my youth, I remember teachings made by Gothi and that one I can't really forget. That my friend is the holy rune sign of the Allfather-"
The Chief was not listening so he didn't even reply; he could only stare at it in disbelief and then looked up into the sky. Astrid, still silent after all their exchange also looked up and frowned. What they saw made them wonder in fear and disbelief.
There was a receding rainbow from the sky.
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Somewhere
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Hiccup felt immense body pain, although he was no stranger to pain, considering he was used to be picked and teased upon, this was just excruciating. He was also tired, sore and most obviously still in pain. But bright lights danced inside his closed eyes and he was getting dizzy with the loss of his own bearings. Forcing open one eye, what he saw almost made his eyes jump out of their sockets.
He can see now that he was quickly hurtling through the heavens. Thousands of stars, in numerous colors, shapes and sizes as small as a dot and as large as his eye can see flooded past him in quick succession. His dragon, Toothless was silent beside him for a few moments before he grabbed his rider and wrapped him in his wings, protecting him in his own way. They were travelling as if floating on a bridge made of rainbow, seven exquisite colors dancing merrily as it carried him away to their destination.
Moving through space, his eyes absorbed each and every detail of the universe and its great spectacle before him. Stars going supernova, exploding in an expanse of light, some black voids that suck energy, even light from a nearby star. Flabbergasted at his fortune, he was still adjusting his thoughts and internal gyroscope when suddenly their speed doubled and something yanked both of them at the front of his own Y-fronts.
The rainbow path they were travelling upon suddenly opened into a bright, well-lit room as he gasped at where he's at. With a high circular ceiling, he couldn't even believe on the material used for the chamber.
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"You use pure gold as walls?" Toothless sidled next to him as he lay on the cold floor, but suddenly went low on the ground and growled at the approaching stranger. Hiccup, both confused and afraid of these strange phenomena that just happened to him awkwardly took a look at the stranger that approached them from behind.
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He was tall, taller than his father by a good foot and a half, his face was covered with numerous scars that speak volume of his character in battle, his body covered with the most intricate of artificer armor, his eyes sparkled with a thousand stars and his spear glimmered from where he stood. Two wolves stood up on the ready, docile and silent at their master's side. On his shoulder, a black crow was perched and he looked amusingly at him, as if a village elder would look at a curiosity.
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"Heil! Herra Drakonnis… kveojan dur Asgarour," the old warrior clad in shimmering gold artificer armor smiled at him in a grandfatherly sort of way, "… nafn mitt, Ooinn Allurfaoir."
Seriously, was he going to speak also like an elder- wait a second, something rang familiar with the old man's name.
He timidly stood up and brushed himself off, awkwardly he said, "S-should I know you? I can't even understand half of what-"
The old man gave a small laugh and looked at him once more, "Forgive me child, it has been a long time since I have walked Midgard and didn't know that the language you use have degenerated even further."
Wait a sec- what the Hel- Did he say Midgard!? Another much larger man clad again in golden artificer armor approached from behind and stood at the old warrior's left side and spoke respectfully in a deep voice as he bowed his great girth to the older male.
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"My lord, the Bifrost has been closed- I shall return to my post now."
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"Very well Heimdall, do so and look out for the events unfolding in Alfheim-"
Bifrost? Heimdall? Wait a minute here, children's stories of deities flooded his mind, something about a rainbow and- wait a sec- did he just say king!?
His heart hammering through his chest he analyzed the spear and almost fainted as Toothless, to unknown reason seemed to bow respectfully without once taking a peek at the old warrior.
"My name is Odin Allfather," the shining old man's voice carried sagely, "Welcome to Asgard, Hiccup Stoickson, Dragon master of Midgard."
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As the reality sunk in, the golden room spun uncontrollably and he finally fainted ungraciously in front of a God.
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To be continued.
Author's note:
So, I rewrote the first chapter just to give a good reviewer a view because I can see that it can get pretty confusing with PERIODS as my separators for the parenthesis.
Cheers everyone,
Scarabeye3000