I would have liked to post sooner, but I got three reviews when I was hoping for at least five. Thank you ktbugg, Malik the Night Angel, and Guest!
I hope to get more reviews!
"You just…remembered? Like that?"
"Yeah, like that." He pulled a t-shirt over his head and hoped into a pair of jeans. "I can't- it's not exactly like I can explain it, Dad." Every time he had tried to think about it, it had resulted in a splitting headache that stopped as soon as he thought about something else. "Hand me my prosthetic."
He did. "So…your Henrik now?" His eyes were on the wool sock until the pant leg covered it.
"I never stopped, and now I won't stop being Hiccup. Reincarnation is a funny thing." He grabbed a flannel button up. "I mean, you must have been Stoic, my dad from before. Leading a large group of people, looked up to by nearly everyone, always looking after your son…" He aimed a crooked grin at the larger man.
Erek chuckled, "Oh, my boy, of all the people the gods had to pick, it had to be Berk's worst mountain man."
He rolled his eyes and tugged the flannel on his shoulders. "I'm going out, gotta go and meet with the gang, make sure Astrid doesn't drag me off for going mad." He scratched Skoll's chin, and the wolf followed the boy down the steps.
"You mean Anneka." His dad frowned, crossing his arms halfway down the steps.
Hiccup froze, hand on the door handle. "Right. I knew that." He shifted the wrapped leg under his arm.
"Son-"
"I-" he jerked the door open, "am going to go see Frode, the twins Torger and Ragna, and probably Sigmund, who has a major attitude problem with me. See you later."
He didn't slam the door. He was not angry. He thought his father was being entirely reasonable wondering about his son's sanity. To doubt what he's saying, he doesn't entirely care for.
"Hey, look! Useless is up. Still seeing knights?" They all had the same face. All four-five, Astrid was there, scowling under her ushanka,bumping shoulders with Ruffnut.
"Well, you wouldn't be one, so how could I see them?" He rolled his eyes at the dark haired boy.
"Wait, what are you getting at?"
"Never mind. Look, go meet at the cove, I'll catch up. Have to pick something up as Gunnar's." They wouldn't be that upset of he was late, would they?
He waved at them as they disappeared into the woods, and then hurriedly walked to the shop.
In the back was an old attachment shed, used for wood storage then dust storage before Hiccup turned it into his personal workroom. Apparently Henrik's devices had slightly worse repercussions. And more explosions.
The saddle was sitting there, leaned up against the wall. Hiccup raised an eyebrow at Skoll. "Whadaya say, bud? Wanna try the leg out?"
His tongue lolled out in response. Hiccup laughed while buckling the new leg on. It took a few minutes to hook the new leg to the saddle's cables. Skoll hopped and strutted around, the metal leg moving in time with his front right leg.
"How about we go for a run?"
Hiccup had thought he wouldn't feel this here. Henrik missed this. The feeling of flying over – under, through – trees, getting whipped by branches and laughing as everything blurs by.
Gunnar had made en adjustment in the pedal so the peg could fit on and the base of it would make the small adjustments same as the foot.
They made a sharp turn around some rocks – he switched the cable to its mid-spot of less tension, then so it followed the back right leg, metal and keratin digging into the ground - and suddenly soared over a dip in the ground. A gleeful yelp escaped his mouth before it turned into a hysterical laugh. They landed, Hiccup switching the gears as Skoll gave a low howl.
Still chuckling, Hiccup asked, "What was that about, bud?" He got a snort in reply. "Fine, make me wait till I'm surrounded by people who already think I'm insane." The wolf sneezed. "Don't you laugh a-" but he was quickly distracted by a sudden turn and dip in the ground.
They continued to run for several more minutes before another launch into open air was actually the air above the cove.
In his surprise, Hiccup let go of his safety bar, and when the wolf skidded to a halt in the soft dirt, the boy rolled off and ahead of the wolf. He was laughing so hard at himself that he barely heard Torger and Sigmund snickering.
"I'm so-" he couldn't quite stop laughing, "I'm sorry, was- was I late?" A new fit of laughs hit before he coughed. "I had to try out the new leg…" he stood, dusting himself off. Glancing at their faces, he decided they didn't care. "So," he asked with a glance at Skoll, "what did you howl about?"
I was calling a gathering. It is time more of your kind befriend us.
"Befr-" but he was caught off guard by a gust of wind pushing them all downwards.
Wind-Riser, greetings. Skoll's normally level, baritone voice held a humored tone to it.
And to you, Moon-Howler. This new voice was level and no-non-sense. Once Hiccup managed to look, he was awestruck at the great Golden Eagle standing before him. She cocked her head at him, blinking one golden eye. Am I not lovely, human?
He swallowed then nodded. The raptor was three times his own height, with a beak that could crush his head if she desired. He swiveled around quickly when he heard a gasp behind him, remembering he had guests.
"Um, well, it seems Skoll and I had similar ideas…" he glanced at the wolf that was lying down. "But it looks like this might work out. A- Anneka, will you come here?" He held a hand out for her while raising a hand out to the giant eagle.
Astrid visible swallowed and took carful steps forward. When the eagle rubbed her beak against his hand, she flinched back. "What, exactly, am I going to do when I'm up there?"
He gave her a crooked grin. "We're all going to ride spirits."
But for reals, people. Reviews. Reviews will help in the story writing.
ESPECIALLY in later chapters. I'm not some superior AU writer that can come up with a million plots.
Or just…39. I think I want 39 chapters till the second movie part.
AND forget the Tumblr think, just post plots/requests/whatevers in a review. Just give me that and I will BE SO MUCH HAPPIER AND WILLING TO UPDATE FASTER seriously.