The afternoon sun bared down on me as I lied in my tiny excuse for a boat in the middle of the water. I've been out here for Thor knows how long and away from Berk for even longer. I had finally had enough of all the shunning, neglect, bullying, and abuse for just being a runt. My father barely noticed me, the adults ignore and/or look down at me, and those my age bullied me. The only person who showed me any kindness was Gobber, the blacksmith, and the closest thing I had to an actual father. But, even his kindness wasn't enough to keep in Berk, not after what Astrid said. I looked up to Astrid as if she were my sister, I was willing to help her out in any way I could, but she barely noticed me and when she finally did, she told me I don't belong in Berk in the most rage-filled and insulting voice I've ever heard.
So, that night, I boarded Trade Johann's ship without him noticing and got off when he docked at some village near the edge of the archipelago, did some work, bought numerous supplies, loaded them onto a small boat and rode off to beyond the archipelago, where no one could possible find me and bring me back to Berk, where I'll go through it all over, again. Problem was that I had nowhere to go. I'm just drifting aimlessly through the world, ignorant to what could be out here. Really wish I thought this through a bit more. A loud thundering sound startled me. Sitting up, I look to see a large storm heading towards at a steady speed. I could do nothing as the storm slammed into my boat with the force of a Monstrous Nightmare. I gripped the railing to try and stay standing as the boat was whipped about by strong winds and high waves. When things to calm down, a bit, I sigh. Then, I saw a massive wave heading towards me. Before I could react, I was flung into the water and barely keeping my head above the surface. I spent the next few minutes trying not to drown, but the constant waves and my lack of strength made that very difficult.
Eventually, my body gave out and I slipped under. In minutes, everything went black.
When I eventually came to, I felt cold, sore, and wet. I also noticed I wasn't in the water, but on dry land. With some effort, I manage to sit up and saw I was on a beach, my legs still partially in the tides as they came and go. I pull my legs in and try to stand. At first, I could barely stand, but I managed to muster the strength to do so. I turn and saw a dense and very mysterious forest not far ahead. I glance out at the open sea and saw nothing in sight, no other islands or passing , taking my chances, I head into the forest. Alone and without a weapon. I moved slowly, as my legs were still sore and couldn't move all that fast.
The forest, itself, was quite unusual. The trees were taller and the roots were easily seeable and in a tangled mess. Strange rope-like things grew all over them and most of the branches were close to the top, blocking out the sunlight. Some of the trees bent in peculiar ways and some even grew on top of rocks. They were wide apart from each other, but this forest was still quite dense. There were several animal noises echoing through, but none I've ever heard before. I ignored them as best as I could and just kept walking, the soreness slowly fading as time went on. I had climb down a few ledges every so often, and climb over a few large roots. I don't know how long I was walking, but when I finally saw the sun, it was starting to set. I didn't want to be caught by any night time predators, so I started to walk faster and searched for shelter. Suddenly, I hear what sounded like a primal growl, causing me to stop in my tracks. I looked up to see a sight that made my heart stop. It was some sort of cat, but looked big enough to take on Stoick, with sand colored fur and what really worried me were its two really long canines that went past its chin, but the right tooth was broken in half.
The beast growled at me as it looked down from the ledge it was perched on, making it appear even more frightening. I could see the hunger in its eyes. I was absolutely terrified and I did thing only thing that came to mind. I turned, screamed, and ran for my life. The beast leapt from the ledge and gave chase, keeping up even as the forest kept throwing numerous obstacles in its path. I just kept running, trying not to trip over something and end that thing's dinner. Eventually, my feet were going faster than my eyes and I, eventually, did trip and tumbled down a ledge and fall flat onto my face in a small clearing. I get up and turn to see the beast coming into view. I turn onto my bottom and began scooting backwards to get away. I only seemed to be amusing the beast, as it slowly approached me, believing I won't be able to get away. I stop and looked at the beast's drooling maw, utterly terrified that I'm about to die in this forest. The beast lunged, ready to finish me off, but it was suddenly knocked by by some unknown object, making it skid about several feet away from me. I feel a presence behind and I turn to see a boy.
He looked to be about my age and was just as skinny with light skin and blue eyes. He had short, shaggy blonde hair. He wore a green, long-sleeved shirt under a brown leather vest, black, somewhat baggy pants, and a pair of brown, knee-length, leather boots. Draped over his left shoulder was a red cape that went to his waist and covered the top of his shoulder. Leather bracers adorned his arms. On the right side of his waist was a red cloth that went below his knees and was attached to a belt at his waist. On the left side of his waist was a fairly large satchel. In his hand was a large boomerang, about half his size. It was predominantly made of a strange green colored crystal with a silver-colored metal outlining it. The center was also made of a silver metal with a smooth green crystal in the center. There was a handle on one end of the boomerang.
The beast glared at the boy, who remained neutral as the two stared each other down. The beast roared and charged. The boy rushed forward, but instead of charging the beast, he slid onto his back and when the beast was above him, pushed it into the air and onto its back with a thud. The boy got into a crouching position, ready to move at any moment. The beast got back up and lunged forward, but the boy dodged. The beast quickly reacted and lunged again, managing to pin the boy to the ground. He was using one of his arms to keep the beasts jaw away from him and doing pretty well despite appearing to have no muscle mass. The boy kicked the beast in the stomach, knocking the breath out of it and allowing him to push the beast off of him. The beast charged again, but the boy grabbed his boomerang and gave him a great smack across the face. The beast recovered and it must've thought this wasn't worth the effort as he ran off. The boy kept his gaze on where the ebast disappeared until he was sure it was gone. He put his boomerang into a reverse grip and slide it into a sheath on his lower back. He then turned to me and held out his hand. With some hesitance, I grabbed it and he helped me onto my feet.
"You alright?" he asked.
"I think so" I replied, quietly.
"Good. When I heard you scream, I knew old Halftooth was attacking another innocent bystander, again. He just never learns" he said. I was now confused.
"Halftooth?" I asked.
"That beast that just attacked you. He has a tendency to go after any prey he can overpower. And I'm usually there to keep him from eating any Humans. I'm Justin, by the way" he said with a warm and comforting smile.
"I'm Hicca" I said, still quiet. With how often I got bullied or shunned, I had pretty developed a small fear of interacting with people and tend to be rathre reserved when I do talk to others. This boy may seem nice, but I can't be for sure.
"So, Hicca, what's a Viking doing this far from the Barbaric Archipelago?" Justin asked, catching my off guard. He must've noticed my expression.
"Oh, I traveled around quite a bit. I never stayed for more than a week in Viking territory. They're way too stubborn and backwards for my liking" he said, crossing his arms. I felt conflicted. He seems nice enough, but it seems he has a low opinion of Vikings. Can't blame him. We aren't exactly the most open-minded of people. Finally, I decided I might as well tell him.
"I ran away from my village. I don't know if you noticed, but I'm quiet small compared to most Vikings, and quite weak" I said.
"And Vikings value strength. You must've been mistreated quite a bit" Justin said. I sighed.
"Yeah, everyone either ignored me or bullied me. The only person who showed any kindness was Gobber, the village blacksmith. But, I eventually had enough. So, I snuck aboard a ship and got off at the first island we came to, which was near the edge of the Archipelago. I did some work, bought some supplies, grabbed a boat, and rode off to beyond the Archipelago" I explained.
"So, guess the storm, last night, caused you to sink and wash up on this island, I take it" Justin said. I nodded in confirmation.
"So, what are going to do, now, Hicca?" he asked me. I just clam up, because I honestly don't know. The boat I had is at the bottom of the ocean, by now, I have no idea where I am, and I am completely unarmed. The gods must hate me or something, because nothing seems to be going my way, at all. Justin must've understood what my silence meant, judging from the look on his face. He also seemed to be thinking about something, but I couldn't tell what it is. Finally, he spoke.
"I know this may sound sudden, but you can live in my home: Heaven's Peak" he said, catching me completely off guard. I looked at him as if he grew a second head.
"Are you sure? Will your people even accept me?" I asked, warily. Justin just smiles at me.
"They will. We take in runaways and refugees, all the time. You'll be welcome" he said. I stare into his eyes, searching for any form of deception. There wasn't any. He was being completely honest.
"Okay…" I said. Justin just nods and lets out a loud whistle, making me cover my ears. A few minutes later, I hear a screech and, in the sky, I see some odd creature. It looked to be the big enough to carry Stoick on its back. Its head was like that of a bird of prey, was completely white and long tufts of feathers on either side of its head with blue eyes. It also sharp talons with its front legs being covered in thick fur and had a pair of feathered wings. The rest of its body appeared to be like a type of cat, with brown fur, and had a tail with a fan of feathers on the tip. Straps to its back was a simple, leather saddle. The creature landed next to Justin, who started petting it. I was beyond flabbergasted. What was this thing?
"Hicca, this is Silverbolt, my griffin mount" Justin said. Silverbolt stared at me with curiosity in his eyes.
"What's a griffin?" I asked.
"A griffin is a creature that is renowned for its nobility and undying loyalty to its friends. You see, I'm part of a group known as the Sky Fliers, a guild of griffin riders that defend this island from threats" Justin said.
"So, Heaven's Peak isn't the only place on this island?" I asked.
"No, there are a number of villages scattered about, full of runaways, explorers, refugees, and those who wish to leave their old lives behind. Now, come on" he replied, mounting Silverbolt, fitting snugly into the saddle. He held his hand, and I looked at him for a moment, scared for my life. I slowly take his hand and he hoisted me up onto Silverbolt, where I sat behind him. I wrap my arms around his waist and, seconds later, we're up in the air, flying at a great speed.
"So, what's the name of your village and who is your chief, Hicca?" he asked me, glancing at me.
"I'm from Berk and, you won't believe this, but my father, Stoick the Vast, is the chief" I replied.
"Stoick the Vast? Guess he has one heck of a waistline" Justin said, actually making me giggle.
"Yes. We were originally going call him 'Stoick the Vindictive', but for some reason went with Vast, instead" I said, feeling more relaxed.
"Guess it was catchier" he said.
"So, what about you? Where are you from?" I asked.
"I was born in a remote town in a place called Austria. My mom and dad made sure that I grew up to be a just and compassionate eventually came to this island, and my family followed. I stop by to see them every so often" Justin replied. He then looks ahead and smiles.
"Ah, Heaven's Peak is just ahead" he said. I look over his shoulder and I see Heaven's Peak.
It was actually built on the top of large flat plateau-like mountain and it took up the entire top. The whole place was, essentially, a walled city with numerous great stone buildings several stories high and with varying shapes. In the center was a large arena of sorts, built into the ground. Not far was a very large two story building. Around that building was a courtyard of sorts. There were many wide-open spaces about the city, as well.
"That's Heaven's Peak?!" I exclaimed, totally mesmerized by the sheer size of it. Just how rich are these guys?
"Quite a sight, isn't it? We found this old fort and decided to make use of it, adding onto it and repairing it as time went on" Justin said as we approached Heaven's Peak. We landed in the central courtyard. Justin slid off first and, like a gentlemen, helped me off of Silverbolt. I look around. This place definitely felt like a village, as the roads were paved with stone and were positioned similarly to a village's layout. There were other Sky Fliers about, all doing their own business. I quickly notice they were all around my age or slightly older/younger than me.
"There are quite a lot of Sky Fliers, huh?" I asked.
"Yes, there are. At my last count, there was a total of three hundred and sixty-five of us. And that was last year, too" Justin said. I looked at him.
"And you just happen to know exact number of your group why?" I asked, a little perplexed as to why he knows that. He simply shrugs.
"I like to calculate things in my free time. Some might even call it more of a habit than a hobby" Justin said. A crash was heard and another griffin, this one pure brown unlike Silverbolt, bursts into view and looks directly at Justin, who tenses up and has "oh, no" look on his face. Before I could ask, the griffin lunges at Justin, pins him to the ground, and starts licking like there's no tomorrow. Justin struggled to get the griffin to stop, but to no avail, and I just giggled. It amazes that he can take on a massive cat, yet has trouble pushing off a slightly smaller griffin that isn't trying to maim him.
"Khanya!" a feminine voice called out. I turn and see a girl running up to us.
She looked to be about two years younger than me, and was also just as slim, but appeared to have semblance of muscles on her. The weirdest thing was her skin. It was a dark brown color. She also black curly hair that came down to the top of her shoulder blades and light brown eyes. She wore a brown leather tunic-like dress that reached to below her knees, yet had no sleeves and a single shoulder strap on the right shoulder, leaving the other bare with a shoulder cape similar to Justin's over her left shoulder. Her right arm was completely covered in wrapings while left arm was completely bare. She wore knee-high leather, boot-like spats by her feet were completely bare.
The girl rushed up the griffin, who immediately nervous. She put her hands on her hips.
"What did I tell you about pouncing on Master Justin? You know you're not supposed to do that!" she said in a scolding tone.
"Please stop calling me 'Master'. Justin is just fine" Justin said, exasperated, as he got up.
"I can't do that, Master Justin" she said. He sighed, obviously he's been through this before. I just kept watching, as this isn't my problem.
"We've been over this!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands wide out. The girl just stood there, her face neutral, which made Justin sigh, again. Then, he remembered me.
"Oh, Hicca, meet my good friend and surrogate little sister, Zippy" he said. Zippy remained quiet and simply gave me a nod.
"It is a pleasure to meet, Mistress Hicca" she said, making me look at her confused. I barely notice Justin facepalming. Guess this happens more than he likes.
"The griffin who licked me beyond all reason is Zippy's mount, Khanya. She is extremely friendly. Thankfully, my clothes are water-proof" he said. Khanya looks at me with a wided expression and I'm pretty she's going to do to me what she did to Justin. Thankfully, she didn't due to getting a scolding look from Zippy.
"So, I take you will go to meet Master Daemon, now?" Zippy asked.
"Yes, we are, Zippy. Don't worry though, I haven't forgotten that promise I made to you, this morning" Justin replied, not even acknowledging the "Master" part, this time. Zippy looked rather excited before running off, Khanya close behind her. I look at Justin was a curious expression. What did he promise her. He noticed my expression.
"Oh, I promised Zippy I'd teach her a few hand-to-hand combat moves when I got back from my daily search for herb and other unique plants. I'm more than happy to help her grow as a person. She's really sweet, if a bit submissive. Come on, time for you to meet Daemon" he said, as he lead us through the streets before we came up to the largest building in the whole city.
"Oh, by the way. That large building there, that's the mess hall. It's open 24/7 to serve good meals to the Sky Fliers by expert chefs. So, no matter the time, if you feel hungry, you can go here. The building behind it is Daemon's office and personal living quarters" Justin said. I nodded in acknowledgement.
"Is Daemon your leader?" I asked.
"Not officially, but he was the one who has kept us all together when we first came to this island over fives years ago, and we all tree him with our lives" Justin said, which really got my attention as I stared at him, wide eyed.
"You didn't build this place?" I asked.
"No. As I said, everyone on this island is a runaway of some sort. The Sky Fliers are simply a group of young kids, orphans, and misfits who got tired of the direction society was heading in. Daemon inspired us to leave everything behind and, when it came time to leave our homes, he lead us to this island. We've lived here in peace, ever since, welcoming other refugees, runaways, and exiles of all kinds by placing them in large villages all over so they can live their own lives. And let me tell you, there have been a lot of them coming. Some of our families followed us, as well" Justin explained. By the time he finished we were in front of Daemon's office. He knocked on the door.
"Yes, who is it?" a voice asked from behind the door. Likely Daemon.
"It's Justin. I've found another runaway, who had a nasty run-in with Halftooth" Justin said.
"Again? That's the third time this week!" Daemon exclaimed in mild annoyance. I'm confused, now.
"Is he talking about runaways or Halftooth?" I asked Justin.
"Both" he said, simply. Yeesh, Halftooth must really like eating people.
"Well, come in. I'd like to meet our newest guest" Daemon said. Justin opened the door and we walked in.
The office, itself, was quite spacious. The floor was covered in a nice red carpet, the walls had a nice brown coating. The left wall was covered up by one large bookshelf filled with rows of books of different sizes. Several paintings were mounted on the other walls. Near the back was a large desk with a table next to it forming an L shape. The desk had a round map of sorts on it, along with multiple papers while the table had a massive map on it. There was a suit of strange armor on a mount next to the desk and there was a couple of soft chairs around a small table near the right wall. A chandelier lit up the room.
As we got closer to the desk, I can see a boy coming into view from a flight off stairs on the right of the room.
He actually seems to be older than us, a more athletic build and fair skin. He had slicked back black hair and equally black eye. He wore a black shirt, equally black pants, brown leather boots, a grey vest and bracers and the same shoulder cape, but it was on his right shoulder instead of the left one, and his was black.
As we stopped in front of the desk, he sat down in a black chair and gazed at me with a lot of intensity, that I began to feel uncomfortable. Justin didn't seem all that concerned, so guess he wasn't going to do anything bad to me. Hopefully.
"Daemon, this is Hicca, a Viking from a village called Berk in nearby Barbaric Archipelago. She is, as you can see, quite small and frail for a Viking and was considered an outcast for it. She eventually decided to leave and washed up on our shore this morning, I believe" Justin explained as Daemon kept his gaze on me.
"We don't get a lot of Viking runaways. The few we do get tend to cause a lot of problems. Justin, you know her better. Do you think she'll be a problem?" he asked Justin. I was now a little nervous. What if they decided they don't want me here? I don't know what they'll do to me.
"No, she won't. She seems to be of an intellectual than a brute, unlike most Vikings we've met. I'm sure she'll adjust well here" Justin replied, without hesitation. I relax, slightly. Daemon nods and makes a small hum, but doesn't say anything.
"Then, I suppose that I can let you stay here. Just so you know, Justin. If she causes any problems, you'll be held responsible" Daemon said, but the glint in his eyes makes me think he didn't really mean that.
"I wouldn't have it any other way" Justin said, the same glint in his eyes, as well.
"Well, why don't you have her bunk with Regina, for now. She can always use a roommate. Why don't you give here a tour in the meantime?" Daemon asked. Justin nodded and we left the office without another word.
"Welp, might as well show you around. I'll show you where you'll be staying, first" Justin said. He lead down a path..
"There are a large number of houses around and each one can hold up to four people. We try to give each members their own room, but sometimes, people have to bunk. So, we try to room together the people are least likely to try and kill each other" Justin said as we entered one of the many hallways. I give a blank stare.
"You say that so casually" I said, somewhat sarcastically.
"Hey, different people have different personalities and interests, Hicca. Sometimes, these two things can clash and it can get real ugly depending on the personalities and interests in question" Justin said, slightly defensively.
"Do you share a room with anyone?" I asked, changing the subject was we came up to one of the houses.
"No. I made it exceedingly clear that I do not share a room, period" Justin replied.
"Huh, you seem like a pretty social guy" I said.
"We all have our flaws, Hicca. One of mine is that I don't like sharing a room" Justin said. We entered the house.
The main room was spacious with a wooden floor and several large orbs of light lighting up the room quite nicely. The left half of the room had all of these amazing gadgets scattered about, a huge amount of different types of tools-ones I'm familiar with and ones I'm not-with schematics hung on the wall or rolled in holdings as well as a massive number of blue orbs being kept in a strange box, a large table littered with parts and other things. There were several doors.
"This is the room you'll be sharing with Regina. As you can see, she's a rather crazy but very brilliant inventor, who is quite friendly and… quite particular with girls" Justin said, pausing at that last remark. I look at him confused. He just ignores it.
"Anyway, we better get on with the rest of the tour. It'll be dark soon and I'm sure you'd want to get a good night's rest" he said and we left the house. He continued showing me around. Turns out most of these buildings were houses, but some had additions, such as forges, which are used to craft and repair weapons. He elads back to Regina's house and turns to me.
"By the way, my home is South of here, not far down the road. So, if you have problems or questions, feel free to ask. Good night, Hicca" he said before leaving. I couldn't help but smile. He sure was one friendly guy. I Enter my, new, house, where I see my new roommate, Regina, was already in the room, tinkering away.
She was my age with a muscular build and fair skin tanned by being in the sun for long periods of time. I can't see her eyes, but she had red hair styled into a really messy bun. Her clothing is somewhat revealing, wearing only a black top that covered only her rather small chest, the same shoulder cape on her left shoulder, black fingerless gloves reaching to her shoulders, dark brown suspenders attached to a tool belt filled with a multitude of tools, white baggy pants and brown boots
She continued to tinker away, completely oblivious to my presence. I decide to get her attention by coughing really loudly. It works and she looks from her work and turns to me. She was wearing a pair of strange goggles over eyes. She removes them, revealing a pair of stunning emerald eyes with her eyes also having a distinct diamond-esque shape. Her eyes light up upon seeing me.
"Ah, you must be my new roomie. It is great to meet you. I'm Regina, what's your name" she asked in a very unusual and, surprising, refined-sounding accent that doesn't seem to fit her. She walks up to me and holds out a hand. I grasp it.
"I'm Hicca. I'm glad to-" was all I managed to say before she started shaking me like there's no tomorrow.
"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Hicca! When Daemon told me I'd be getting a new roommate, I was both nervous and excited, as I didn't know who you were. I was even more worried when he mentioned you were a Viking, who are a very stubborn people. I thought you would be some hulking brute with no brains, whatsoever. But, finally meeting you has erased all those doubts" Regina said, all the while shaking me. She eventually stopped and I quickly manage to recover to find see her giving a really odd expression, but it also looks awfully familiar. It looks like the kind of look a person would give to a girl he-oh, no! My eyes widen in shock, as to what Justin meant by her being particular about girls. Before I could react, Regina wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me close, much to my embarrassment.
"Also, you look quite beautiful. It's even better to know you haven't fully bloomed, yet. I bet you'll be next to irresistible when you reach adulthood, Hicca" she said in a low, sultry voice, sending shivers down my spine. Oh, this is wrong on so many levels. Regina is mere inches from me and hse this big seductive smirk on her face, making my turn as red as a Nightmare's scales.
"I-I'm really not comfortable with this!" I squealed out as her increased her grip on my waist and stroke my chin with her free hand.
"Oh, no need to be so shy, Hicca. You can trust me and I'll show you a good time" Regina said, her voice somehow getting even more seductive than before. She slowly leans and my eyes widen in horror at what she's about to do. When her lips are mere centimeters from mine, she pulls back and bursts out laughing like a loon, letting me go in order to clutch her sides. I stared at the, possibly insane, girl.
"Oh, you should've seen the look on your face! It was priceless! You actually thought I was going to kiss you!" she laughed even harder while I glare at her, crossing my eyes. She eventually calms down and wipes a tear from her eye.
"But, all the same, sorry for teasing you like that. I just couldn't resist messing with you. Don't worry though, even though I'm a Lesbian, I won't force myself on you like that" she said.
"What's a Lesbian?" I asked.
"It means I'm romantically attracted to girls instead of boys. Most people like me tend to really shunned and considered unholy in some cases. That's one reason why I enjoy living on this island. I'm free to be myself and praised for it" Regina said. I stare at her, slightly confused by her strange behavior. One moment, she's ready to seduce me, next she's completely jovial and not-at-all odd. This girl's weird. I also will have a few words with Justin, tomorrow, as he knew about this and didn't bother to warn me.
"Justin didn't tell you I'm a Lesbian, huh?" Regina asked. She must've read my expression.
"Yeah. All he said was that you were particular with girls. I can't believe he didn't warn me" I said.
"Better get used to it, luv. Justin loves to mess with people, but avoids jokes that he thinks may hurt or offend someone. He's like a brother, in that regard" Regina said. Before I could say anything, I let out a loud yawn, and sleepiness started to come over me.
"You better get some rest, Hicca. You can have the room on the right" Regina said, pointing to the top bunk. I nod and and walk towards the room. The room, itself, was rather plain, but had a very inviting bed. Before I enter, I turn to Regina.
"What about you?" I asked as I climbed up a nearby ladder to the top bunk.
"I'll be staying up for another hour or so before I hit the sack. Good night, Hicca" she said as I climbed under the, amazingly, comfortable and soft bed. I mutter a good night and fall asleep the minute my head hit the pillow.
And done.
A/N: Yes, I'm introducing LGBT characters in this story. I'm starting to branch out as I was being somewhat hypocritical. I claim I support LGBTQ and same-sex couples, and don't reading about them, but I forbade myself from including them all because I was uncomfortable with it. How stupid of me!
Also, I don't have any idea if I'll be giving Hicca a love interest, at this moment. Just think of Regina as an overly affectionate Yandere-esque character that knows to keep herself in check… most of the time.
In the meantime, let me know what you think and send your own suggestions for future chapters. I'd appreciate the help.
