"Dagur has escaped, Master Hiccup!" exclaimed Johann.

Of course.

"And, from what I'm hearing from my fellow traders, your the first name on his revenge list!"

Yup. Sounds right.

"To make matters even worse, he's on the trail of an ancient artifact. An artifact as old as the Gods! It has been passed through kingdom to kingdom. Its power is mystifying! And in Dagur's hands…it would not be splendid."

The Gods must really love screwing me.

That last thought I must have muttered out loud because my Dad turned to glare at me. His normal scary-chief look was a little subdued, however. He must actually be concerned.

"Johann," I started in a soft voice, "you've had a long day. Why don't you go rest upstairs in my bed? My father and I have some things…to discuss."

Normally, Johann would find some way to keep talking, but to my surprise, he agreed without hesitation. "Chief Stoick can fill you on more of the details. But Master Hiccup, will you please wake me once a decision is made?"

I nodded and Johann made his way up to my loft. After I heard my door shut, I took a seat at the dinner table chair, across from Dad who was now sitting in his seat.

"So…" I began, "details?"

"Aye," my Dad began in a rough voice, "But your face looked a little troubled when ya' walked in."

Curse our improved communication.

"Uhhh, it's… nothing," I lied.

"Are ye' sure, Son?"

"Yeah, Dad. I - We can talk about it later. This is a little more precedent."

Similar to Astrid, my Dad kinda had the ability to see right through me. Despite the fact he wasn't as in-depth as Ast, much to my relief, I was pretty sure he could see I was hurting.

Nevertheless, with a nod, he let it slide. "Aye. This 'artifact' as Johann proclaimed, is more of a weapon in my opinion."

"Weapon?"

"Aye. A weapon older than Berk itself. Kingdoms have been forged through it…and empires have fallen because of it."

Shell-shocked was an understatement. "Does it have a name?"

"No. Only those who have yielded it know it's true title."

That's totally specific.

"Well," I began, a little shaken, "Why haven't I ever heard about it?"

Fishlegs loves history, and frankly, so do I. Gobber loves epic tales. And weapons. Yet, here I was, at my dinner table, hearing of an ancient, kingdom-murdering weapon from my Dad for the first time.

"As Johann said, it's ancient. It was only a matter of time before I told ya'. I was hoping it would never come to this." He sighed. "It's an ancient secret only known by royal blood. Passed down from king to king. Leader to Leader." His gaze narrowed onto my mine. "Chieftan to Chieftan. And of course, to the Heir."

My face suddenly felt like winter. The room had to be spinning, I'm sure of it. "What? Dad…royal blood?"

"Indeed."

"But look at me," I pointed to my body, a little hysterical, "there's nothing royal about me!"

To my utter surprise, a smile graced my Dad's lips, and he had the audacity to laugh. "You underestimate yourself, Son. I see the forge work and dragon riding are finally paying off - "

"Dad!"

"And I saw a couple of young lassies gazing at you fondly the other day, you must be doing som- "

"DAD!"

His booming laughter filled the room. I'm sure Johann heard it from my room. "I can't believe you're actually joking during something this serious," I muttered incredulously.

My Dad's demeanor sobered a little, but a small smile remained on his face. "I guess I've taken after you a little now, aye?"

Alright, even I had to smile at."So," I began after a moment," have you wielded or even seen this…no-name weapon?"

"No, but your Great-Great-Great Grandfather has. Hamish Haddock."

Good ole Hamish. He was actually pretty skinny himself for viking standards. But he was a revered chief and is still celebrated today. Basically, he was my role model.

"Ok, ok, ok," I said trying to gain my bearings, "so what are you proposing I should do? Steal this ancient weapon before Dagur gets his hands on it and, I don't know, hide it in my closet?"

"Well, that's the tricky part. It's not exactly…close."

A little over an hour later, I stood at the front of the Great Hall. My Dad was to my side, and the men of the Berk council were the audience. Gobber, who's a member, wasn't present. But I was grateful. No comfort would come from seeing my mentor/surrogate uncle while we discussed this crazy idea.

"So ye' suggest, "Spitelout, my actual uncle, asked, "we send Hiccup on this quest, to stop a deranged former-chief, by himself?"

My Dad and I were kinda using Dagur as a cover-up. I know, the crazy, blood-thirsty guy plays second fiddle to some weapon. I guess the secret meant for royal blood only thing was real. But still, imagining myself as royal? Laughable.

"He would be with Toothless. And fully equipped. Plus, he's trained for stuff like this," answered my dad.

"But Stoick, why must Hiccup go alone?" Asked a concerned Bucket. He's always had a soft spot for me. "Couldn't he get a little backup?"

"He can- must go alone. It would be too dangerous to send any of the Dragon Riders along. Dagur is just looking for him."

At the council's continued hesitance, my Dad continued, "And…" he paused and looked at me, "Hiccup is…more than capable. He has my complete trust that he will do what's right for him. And for Berk."

My face was starting to heat up and my neck was definitely turning red. Dad's voice was confident and fused with pride. Despite the past few years of not being a village nuisance, I was still pretty accustomed to scorn and mockery. But pride? Approval? I was still getting used to. Sometimes, I wasn't sure how to feel or what to do with it. But I stood up a little straighter and nodded at my Dad.

And with that vote of confidence, the council agreed.

It was nearing dawn when we made it back to our House.

"You still haven't told me where No-Name is," I asked my father as we entered our hut.

He shut the door and looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "No-name?"

"I have to call it something."

"That's true." He began to flex his vambraces; a sign he was nervous. "It has to be past the fog banks. Even farther than Helheim's Gate. But the exact location? I'm not sure."

My stomach lurched. The fog banks marked the edge of the Archipelago; like an ominous fence for evil sheep. Astrid and I have flown out there before, and that normally takes the whole day. Flying past it? I couldn't even fathom it.

"But I was hoping Johann could tell us," my dad continued, "or at least give us some clues for you to help. He was actually on his way to Meathead island to let em' know of the current situation but he was marooned by Dagur and company. The twins actually found him and brought him to me. By my guess, Dagur is on his way…"

Dad trailed off when he noticed my face, looking down at the details of our dinner table. My emotions must have been clear on my face.

"Son, ye alright?"

"Dad, why…me?"

"I told you Hiccup. Only someone of roy-"

"I know all that," I huffed, "But why…me?" Why is he putting his trust in me? Why, after the last three, monotonous years, am I being sent on…whatever this was? And, most of all, why am I the viking for the job? I mean, it wasn't too late for him to try yielding ole No-Name. He's still alive with…royal blood flowing through his veins. Plus, there had to be other chiefs or kings or heirs nearby, I mean…

My Dad sighed. "Listen Hiccup. An' listen close. I'm not sure why the Gods test us. And I'm not sure why certain things happen at the most inconvenient of times." Okay, he's definitely getting better at the reading-Hiccup's-mind thing. "And I am most definitely guilty of wondering why some responsibilities are bestowed upon us. Or why we should take action."

Hearing this from my Dad would be a little shocking and awe-inspiring if it weren't for the suicide mission I was about to partake in. Nevertheless, I took comfort in knowing that my Dad…felt like me sometimes. It's easy to forget that Stoick the Vast was also human.

"But," my Dad fixed his gaze upon him, that same pride radiating from him, "I know you. I know you'd do anything to protect your friends, your family, your dragons, and your village. It's what every chief does: protect their own. There's a possible danger on the horizon. Berk needs me here. And now they really, really need you out there." He paused to let me ponder.

Then he continued, his voice still filled with pride but hinting of a challenge; like every time we played Maces & Talons, "So what's your move, Son? Are you gonna' step up? For our people?"

Okay, now my Dad was coming for the mantle of pep-talk queen that Astrid so humbly dubbed herself. Or king, in his case.

And the pride… well, this time, I think I knew what to do with it.

"Yes, sir."

He braced me in a bone-crushing hug. Just before my air supply ran out, he pulled away. I could've sworn there were tears in his eyes, but he blinked them away before I could confirm.

"And Son, maybe this journey will be…good for you."

My eyebrows rose in question. The quest, that could entail death or, at the very least, bodily harm, might be good for me?

"I'm not daft' son." His face was understanding. "I know you've been a little down lately. Maybe you've lost some faith in your projects or even yourself." He sighed, "Sometimes, leaving the familiar can help you understand yourself more. Appreciate life or find purpose. Maybe out there you can…find a new project." he finished in a tone that was equal teasing and loving.

My throat felt thick and my chest was suddenly warm like mead. This time, I pulled him into a bone-crushing hug (at least by my standards), and there were definitely tears present in my eyes.

Yeah, I really do love my Dad.

After waking Johann and prodding him about the relevant details on No-Name, we got the location of a good place start: an abandoned ship graveyard.

Everything was just peachy.

Even crazier, thanks to the convincing of the ever-annoying trader, my Father agreed that I could bring at least one rider. And it was a no brainer.

So here I was, at our regular spot on the opposite side of the island. Astrid and Hiccup's cliff. Or cliff Asscup as it's formally known as. That comment made Astrid laugh for a good fifteen minutes, and made me…happy. Astrid laughing normally had that effect on me.

We normally met around this time, so I was a little a surprised to find out Astrid was not here. Normally I was the one late, and Astrid never forgets planned meetings. Especially for flights.

So I sat at the edge of the cliff and waited for her. The sunset was as breath-taking as ever, and I absently thought about how this might be my last time seeing it from Berk for a while. According to my Dad's oh-so articulate calculations, I should be out there for a month at the least.

A month. A month away from the only home I'd ever know. A month away from my Dad, Gobber, Snot, Legs, and the Twins.

And Astrid I thought with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Nah. No way she would turn this down. She loved accompanying me on crazy, stupid, and slightly dangerous adventures. And this one wouldn't be different…except with a little more danger sprinkled in. But I wish she'd hurry up.

After half an hour, it was starting to become apparent that she wasn't coming. Considering Astrid's perfect attendance to our meetings, I was slightly worried. Turning to Toothless with quick intentions, in a matter of a few seconds, we were scouring the island for her.

On our way back towards the village, Toothless spotted activity on the beach on the east side of the island. Thanks to his jet-black scales and silent flight style, we were able to get pretty close and observe the group without being spotted.

Sure enough, there was Astrid; hanging out with other members of the Guards. Although the Guard consisted mostly of older vikings, there was some closer to our age. And all of them were gathered on the soft sand of Berk's beach. Some were hanging near a bonfire, cooking food and laughing. Others were playing near the shore, playfully splashing each other. Astrid was sitting were her knees up, slightly away from the group. But there was someone next to her.

Toothless made another circle above them, and upon further inspection, the body next to her was a male viking. Halver to specific; who also had his knees up.

Astrid said something over to him, maybe a whisper, but whatever the case, it caused him to laugh. Astrid joined along with him. They accidently butted heads, which caused them to laugh even more. Then after that subsided, Astrid leaned her head on his shoulder and they proceeded to gaze at the stars in front of them.

I always thought the expression 'dying of a broken heart' was just that, and a dramatic one too. But at that moment, I felt like someone drove a double-edged sword through my chest. Probably Halver.

Not only did Astrid forget about our last minute meeting, she forgot because she was busy hanging with her new friends. With Halver. The worst part? She had every right to. Who was I to interrupt her fun evening? Maybe she got bored with our little escapades. I never once thought to ask her. Maybe she wanted to branch out; try other things and meet other people…

Halver's a cool dude I thought begrudgingly. It could just be a platonic thing. Toothless likes him, and he's never been anything but pleasant to me. He's tall, with sandy-blonde hair, he likes dragons, he's what I imagine Thor looks like according to Ruffnut…

The other vikings suddenly came over to where Astrid was and gathered around. They began playing some game; hacky sack I thought. Astrid looked happy, really happy, kicking a sack with her new, older, and better-looking friends. She was happier kicking a sack than with me.

Alright, I had to get out of there before my heart actually exploded and the blood leaking from the sky gave away my location. With a quiet whisper to Toothless, we turned back towards the village. I managed not to look back at Astrid.

Really, what right did I have to bring anyone from the gang along? They were all enjoying their lives, free from the burden of war. Could I really be selfish enough to drag them from peace? In a quest that, according to my father, could only be resolved by me?

No. No, I was not.

Toothless, who could always sense when my mood changes, crooned worriedly up at me.

"It's ok, bud," I replied in a calm and confident voice despite the tears threatening to come out. "It's just you and me."

Toothless let out a happy growl as I fitted the last bag of my stuff on his saddle. He always enjoyed night flights. And after managing to convince my father and Johann, Toothless would get his wish. We were leaving tonight.

It was a little awkward trying to explain why I suddenly changed my mind on bringing someone along. My dad must've seen something on my face because he quickly dropped the subject; much to Johann's dismay.

Before leaving, I made a trip to the forge to sharpen my sword and daggers and retrieve my shield, but also to reminisce a little. As I said, I probably wouldn't be back for a while. And the forge had been my second home. My Dojo according to Gobber.

While I was sharpening my sword, the group from the beach was making their way back into town, walking across the main plaza. The whetstone was making a lot of noise, and I almost didn't notice them until it was too late. Taking my foot off the pedal, I quickly closed up shop and went into stealth mode.

Unfortunately, Astrid, being as perspective as she was, excused herself from the group and approached the forge. I knew because I was looking through the little crack in my workroom. All the windows were closed except for the back one where I spotted the group, and I stopped the whetstone as soon as I saw them in the plaza. There was no way in Midgard she could have heard me. My stealth mode had been activated!

Nevertheless, here she was, making her way towards the heart of the forge. The only light source was the hearth located in the center. I made sure to blow out any candles in my workroom and lock the hinges to the door. I pressed my face against it and peeped through the secret peephole that only I knew about.

Here was Astrid, wondering around the forge. Normally, it was a familiar and welcome sight; one that made me overjoyed. But with everything that's happened today, the only thing I could feel was trepidation.

Her eyebrows were scrunched down low, and she was frowning. She looked like she was searching for something. My heart was beating out of my chest, and, knowing Astrid's supernatural find-Hiccup powers, I was soon to be made out.

Her face turned to my door and it felt like her eyes were on me. I held my breath with all the power I had. It would be so easy to say her name. I could ask her what I was going to ask her. Tell her how much-

"Astrid!" Someone from her group called out. I guess they waited up for her in the plaza. "You coming to dinner or not?"

With one reluctant look towards my door, like she had a strong suspicion that I was cowering in my workroom, she slowly turned around. "Coming!"

I was alone once again, managing not to get caught. Mission freaking accomplished.

With a heavy heart, I finished sharpening my sword and packed my shield.

"Good luck, Son."

I was sitting atop Toothless; the three of us were perched on the cliffs behind our house. We hugged once again. Dad managed to keep all of my ribcage intact. Barely. He sent Johann on his way with a boat. The plan was for me to reunite with him at Thor's rock, an island just on the edge of the Archipelago when I recovered No-Name.

"Thanks, Dad." I turned Toothless towards the sea. "And tell the Gang, Gobber…"

"Aye. I'll let em' know…you're on a surprise camping trip. With other future chiefs." We laughed quietly.

"Anything particular thing you want me to tell Astrid? I know how important she is to you. I trust the lass, too. I could let her-"

"No." I interrupted him, "Don't tell her about No-Name or the mission. Just tell her… she owes me a night flight when I get back."

My Dad's face was obviously confused but he nodded. "Be strong. Trust yourself. Trust Toothless." He patted Toothless's snout fondly. Then he turned towards me, and we clasped our forearms like warriors. "I'm proud to call you my Son."

"Thanks, Dad." I had to leave before I started crying again. My viking-masculinity was in serious question after today. With a quick flip of my foot, I locked Toothless's tail and we dove off the cliff in a bone-shaking free-fall. And with practiced precision, I unlocked his tail seconds later before we hit the rocks. Off we went into the night.

After we flew out a few miles past the giant, viking sentries that guarded the Northside of the island, I turned around for one last look. The lights of Berk were faint in the distance and we were too far out to hear any of the noises of my home. My home. For one last time, I let myself think about the things that I loved about it. The dragons, the sunsets, the Midsummer Festival, the forge, my friends, my dad, Gobber…Astrid.

All heroes go on epic quests, right? Beowulf, Dennis the Menace, Big-Boobied Bertha. Even old Hamish Haddock. And maybe, when I came back home, I'd be one myself. Hiccup, Wielder of No-Name.

Of course, this was assuming I came back alive and not in a body bag. Hopefully, Astrid would still be single.