How To Hide Your Spirit

So... let's see. I awoke on my birthday to find that there was a dragon attack. I was once again refused my opportunity to prove myself of any worth. Oh, and on the day of my Transformation, I turn into Berk's #1 enemy.

So, if anyone asked, my day was going great.

I was sitting in a very un-dragon like position, using a large branch in my mouth to write in the dirt, drawing something that looked nothing like anything at all; reason one being that I wasn't in the mood for some creative thinking, reason two being that, well, I was a dragon. It was near impossible to do anything but hunt. Which would have been great except for the fact that I would be hunting my own species. Wait... did that mean I could fly...

No, focus Hiccup. As I scribbled in the dirt, I had to devise a plan. Something that was convincing enough to pass it by others. I could always say I had turned into something Unwanted. But even those were used once in a while. Maybe I could just fly away... Yeah, right. I'd heard of Vikings who had left in their "other form" and were burned alive, accused of being witches (Impossible. Witches were far too fragile. We... those... Vikings were hefty people).

That lead me to one conclusion: Say that I had no transformation. It would be fairly difficult, considering the fact that once your Spirit has been released, it affects that way you carry yourself, but, who knows, maybe my Dragon Spirit was clumsy too. Plus, I could always just say that my Spirit was Human, and anything I did was just because it had perfected my abilities.

Then there was Gobber to be concerned about. He was probably able to hear my screams. That one would be tricky. Perhaps I could explain that the lack of Transformation scared me? No, I have no recollection in my lifetime of screaming so hard. I was afraid my vocal chords had fallen out. I would have to take a chance and if Gobber was skeptical, I could always use his gullible side to my advantage.

... ugh. Why was life so difficult?

.:.:.

I had gone a distance to change back because changing into Half Form was just barely less painful than changing into Spirit Form. My walk back was slow; I really wasn't looking forward to the conversations and eventual rumors that would go about. The forest was so peaceful... and if it was not, I was blissfully ignorant; something I could not say about the rest of my life.

My Half-Form was curious, though. Some of my skin had inky black scales identical to my Spirit Form, and I had smaller wings attached to my back. Astrid's wings weren't in her half form, but that could also because her wings were based off of her arms. I was still tempted to fly, but I would have to save that for another time. My isolation-induced forest navigation helped me from being horribly lost. Well, that and my new found senses. But I still would have been able to find my way around... probably.

As soon as I was back to where I had begun this horrible, awful journey fully clothed and fully human, I began to feel panic swelling inside of me. I was an awful liar. And even if I could pull this off, the results would be disastrous. I would be the ultimate failure to my family name and tribe. All I could do was tell myself that, if I were to tell the truth, things would only be worse.

Ah, the tangled web I weave.

... except I didn't weave it. The stupid gods did. It's been made pretty clear that I'm hated up there.

I cursed very god I knew and used words that would make our mead-headed sailors proud. I finally found Gobber through the thicket, and he seemed ready to hear every detail.

"So, lad, how'd it go? Did the gods land you with a— "

"My soul's Human," I said, a little more bluntly than I'd practiced in my head (through the cursing, of course). But, oh well, I was born Viking... ish.

Gobber stopped in his tracks and turned to face me.

"Are you sure, lad? You could've been a golem, the light's pretty bad in there..."

"Yes, Gobber. I'm certain. Don't you think I'd try and see every possible opportunity?" Other than my voice cracking, I'd say I was pretty convincing. And, who knew, maybe it added to my act.

Gobber and I walked in silence the rest of the way home. Dad was at the door, with a face that actually had an emotion other than a disappointed scowl, for what it was worth, but one look at our faces said that this hadn't gone well.

Dad opened his mouth, but Gobber saved him the trouble.

"The boy's 'uman. Look's like 'e's stuck in the shop." Gobber tried to look nonchalant (and, to his credit, half succeeded) as Dad looked down at me.

I gulped. Maybe it would have been better if I'd stuck with the truth and rolled the dice to see whether or not I'd end up in exile.

"I see. I've had this planned for a while. Thank you Gobber," Dad replied with a nod.

It was good to know Dad had so much confidence in me.

I was led inside where Dad stopped me on the stairs.

"Listen, Hiccup. For all it's worth, I'm sorry that you've ended up this way." Dad began, pausing to let it sink in.

I gave Dad a blank look.

"Thanks. I'll be sure to send that complaint letter to the gods later," I deadpanned.

Dad took a deep breath and sighed.

"I am planning to take a search party to find the nest. During that time, there will be Dragon Training, and I've made sure that there would be some Human training involved. In the times where there are Spirit forms, you will assist Gobber."

Oh, gods.

That was an awful idea.

"Y-you know, Dad. We have a surplus of dragon-fighting Vikings, but do we have enough... Bread-making Vikings? Or small-home-repair Vikings?"

Dad completely ignored my statement, to my dismay. Although, I didn't blame him. Bread making Vikings? It was dumb enough that I'd said it, as the son of the chief and world's greatest hellhound. Not to mention I'd probably burn the bread.

"You'll need this," Dad practically threw the axe into my arms. This was going better and worse than I'd originally thought. And those two don't go together very well. At all.

"Dad. I don't want to fight dragons." Already, the idea was making me sick to my stomach (1).

Dad looked at me sternly.

"Of course you do. Now, son, when you carry this axe... you carry all of us with you. Which means you walk like us. You talk like us. You think like us. And that means, you kill dragons."

Ugh. I used the word 'fight' and it made me sick. Imagine what "kill" did to me.

"But I don't have another form. I'm completely useless! Dragon training would do nothing— "

"No. You will, under no circumstances, will be useless to this village. You will fight dragons, powerful Spirit or not. Now, I want you to stop this nonsense and train with Gobber for the month until I get back. Do we have a deal?"

"Dad, please listen, I really can't..."

"Deal?"

I would have thrown up my hand were it not for the rather heavy axe in my arms.

"This is feeling very one sided..."

Dad gave me another one of those looks before asking, "Deal?" and I knew that I had no other choice.

My shoulders slumped, one shoulder bending farther down from the weight of the head of the axe.

"Deal." I amended.

Dad gave broad smile.

"Now that's what I like to hear."

Then we have very differing opinions, huh?

"Stay true to your word. I'll be back, probably," Dad continued, exiting the house to do anything that had to do with getting away from me. The door shut and I let the axe fall to the support of one of my hands and the floor.

"And I'll be here. Maybe."


A/N: Not as long, but, I'm telling you, a lot longer than a lot of my other chapters. I'd originally had this chapter have Astrid in it and the idea where Hiccup has that "aha" moment of the fact that he's a Night Fury, but former the idea interrupted the whole "Dragon Training" thing and the latter idea made this chapter 70% more cliché. So, there you go.

(1) I know the idea sounds silly that Hiccup, the boy who was raised to hate dragons, would suddenly hate the idea of killing dragons, but he's become part dragon. It would feel like you're in a war and you find out that your mother and her family is on the other side and you have to kill them. But, for all I know you're a mass serial killer so... think what you wanna think. Plus, though let me remind you, the original movie seemed to have the idea move in rather quickly.

I'm trying to capture as much of the movie I can into this. I'm just trying to make another version of HTTYD (in which, I by the way, don't own. But, talk about a news flash) that isn't primarily on Toothless. Or, maybe, since I've no self-control, it will.

Thank you to: Guest (first reviewer), TIgerLily the Wild, CrazyFeralVigilanteDragonLady, Mikowmer, DeathBright, Rewired105 CrackedCrow, Guest (eighth reviewer), johnnylee619, BeliveInYourDreams, AlienGhostWizard14, An onymous, MistyLeafmarkian, Guest (fifteenth reviewer)

Wow! That was a lot of people! I'm so grateful!

Thanks and R & R

~ Sam