"Hiccup." A voice said softly, as if from a distance.
The boy groaned and mumbled in lethargy, pushing back into a nearby heat source, a creeping chill working its way into his body. He mumbled something incoherent before settling back down. A few moments passed before the voice spoke again.
"Hiccup." It said, with a little more urgency, this time nudging his still unresponsive body.
But once more the Viking boy merely disregarded the voice in favor of attempting to let sleep overtake him once more. For a while it seemed he had got his wish, as the voice made no more attempts to rouse him from his slumber, his mind once more drifting off into unconsciousness. However, this this was all shattered moments later.
"WAKE UP YOU LAZY CHILD!" Toothless cried, at a positively earsplitting volume.
"Almighty Thor of Asgard!" Hiccup shouted instinctively, shooting upright, any sentiments of returning to sleep shattered.
"Oh good, you're awake." The dragon said, as if he wasn't the one who had just nearly burst his boy's eardrums.
"Now what did you go and do- AHHHHH!" Hiccup snapped, before yelling out in pain as he stood up.
"Hiccup!" Toothless said in concern, catching the boy as legs collapsed from beneath him, unable to support his weight as pain overcame him. "Don't, um, try to stand right now. Or move at all for that matter."
"I guess things were a little rougher last night than I remember." Hiccup joked, still clutching his bottom in pain. The dragon was suddenly regretting waking him, among a myriad of other things. Toothless knew he might have qualms about his actions, but not so suddenly as all this.
Hiccup could see the guilt on Toothless' face, smiling through the rather cutting pain he felt, Hiccup gave the dragon a quick hug, consoling him as best he could.
"Don't worry boy, I'm fine, this is nothing."
"Oh really?" Toothless asked skeptically, eyes now half-lidded in amusement, "Why not stand up then?"
"I'm comfortable here." Hiccup replied shortly.
The dragon merely shook his head in exasperation, a faint smile creeping onto his gums.
XXXXXX
It occurred to Hiccup that with his particular "ailment" flying was going to be harder than usual. The hardened leather saddle that was usually a comfortable ride, now incessantly shot waves of pain up his spine. In addition to the now much more unpleasant ride, maneuvering was a shoddy affair. Not to mention most of his time in the saddle was a rather dangerous affair due to his lack of grip in his left arm. Nonetheless, the pair pushed on in spite of this, determined to reach their destination, the fair, yet cold, weather freshening their spirit.
"Y'know, I can't help but wonder, why did you bite my shoulder last night? Was that really necessary?" Hiccup asked.
"It's something instinctual to all dragons, it's how we mark our mates, I can't fight it any more than you can fight breathing." Toothless answered.
"Mark your mates?" Hiccup questioned.
"Didn't you know? Dragons mate for life." Toothless said, as if this were a trivial fact in the grand scheme of things.
"Oh. That would have been nice to know sooner." Hiccup muttered.
XXXXXX
"Why?" Astrid thought. That was about the only thing that occupied her thoughts as of late. Hiccup was calm, caring, compassionate, maybe a little rash at times, but it was always for the greater good, no? Always for those he cared about, so why he would suddenly leave on a mysterious quest for parts unknown was beyond her.
Toothless. He was the only thing Astrid could think of to explain it all, and it made sense too. Especially from what had transpired, something was amiss, the young Viking girl had a knack for taking notice of these sorts of things. But the strange thing was, Toothless had always been good for Hiccup, bolstering the boy's courage, giving him confidence where he had had none before, and cemented a permanent place as an integral part of Berk, rather than a mere hanger-on with the chief as his father. No, it was hard for Astrid to point her accusing finger at the Night Fury, as suspicious as she was she never really wanted to believe what her own mind told here. But there was really nowhere else to place the blame at this point. During that battle with the other Viking tribe, Toothless did something, what exactly she wasn't sure, but it changed Hiccup, slowly bent him from the nervous and klutzy boy she knew, to the cold and secretive one who now bore the name "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock."
"Astrid, do you have a moment?"
Astrid's heart jumped as the voice penetrated her ears, she had been so deep in thought that she hadn't even realized someone was speaking to her.
"Oh, Fjord, you scared me half to death." Astrid said, turning around to greet the man.
"Ohhh, that's bad news." He said seriously, crossing his arms and lowering his head, "When the likes of me can sneak up on the greatest warrior woman this little village has ever known... Maybe I'm more sprightly in my old age than I thought!"
Fjord let out a bellowing laugh, Astrid nervously smiling while he carried on, slapping his knee all the while. The old man was known to laugh at the worst times, and during completely inappropriate occasions, but the easygoing mood he held was contagious, and in light of recent events, raised Astrid's mood immensely. Before she knew it, she was chuckling along with the man as well, exchanging chummy shoves and arm clasps.
"So." Astrid said, composing herself, "You wanted a word with me?"
"Yes, yes I did." Fjord replied, his own face becoming much more serious.
"Well..." Astrid pushed, "About what?"
"That's the thing," Fjord said, looking about, as if they were being watched from on high, or there was an eavesdropper hidden in the cracks of the paving slabs. Taking one last look around, Fjord leaned in close to Astrid, his eyes darting side to side all the while. "We can't talk about it here, too open, someone might get the wrong idea. Meet me in the forge tonight, not long after nightfall."
Curiosity piqued, Astrid nodded, agreeing to the meeting, exchanging a tentative farewell wave as Fjord lumbered away.
XXXXXX
She had been waiting most of the day for this, Astrid thought she would wait until torches around the village were lit, then go off to meet Fjord for whatever it was he wanted to talk about. It didn't even occur to Astrid that she might have been getting into shady dealings, going about Berk in the dark, meeting in empty buildings, for Thor only knows what. But it was a distraction, that's what most things were to her these days, a distraction. Anything to get her mind off Hiccup.
"Ugh." She sighed inwardly.
There she was, thinking about Hiccup again. At this point, it was something of a game to Astrid: go as long as possible without thinking about Hiccup. Well, if a a game it was, she just lost it. Trudging up to the forge, footprints leaving small indents in the light snow that had settled over all of Berk, the Viking girl set herself to the current task, pushing everything else out of her mind. Reaching up, she was about to knock on the two-piece door, without warning, the entire thing opened all at once, and she was rushed inside by urgent hands.
"Ugh," Astrid groaned, wiping some of the worse heavier grime off her arms, left by the busy Vikings. But she was here for business, straightening up and taking what she thought was a professional tone, asked, "Now what's this all about?"
Fjord stood up from his spot at a makeshift table situated in the forge, the two other Viking men who had hustled her inside sitting down at it with one more man who had apparently been speaking with Fjord before she came in. It seemed that Astrid's intrusion wasn't as welcomed as Fjord would have had her believe. The three others carried on their conversation in hushed tones, occasionally glancing up at her and quickly averting their gaze once they realized she had taken notice.
"Astrid!" Fjord bellowed, embracing Astrid in his beefy arms, loud tone setting a great contrast to the three others' quiet muttering. "Good to see you made it!"
"Yes- it's, good to see you- too." Astrid gasped, through the rib shattering strength of the affectionate show. Finally released, as Fjord must have realized she was going blue in the face, Astrid once more asked, in a more pressing and urgent tone, "Now what's this all about?"
"Oh, of course." Fjord said, composing himself. "Well, where to begin?"
Astrid couldn't help but feel that he was dodging the issue, then again, the average Viking wasn't exactly brilliant, so it could be well within the realm of possibility that he simply didn't know how to say it, the puzzled and airy look on Fjord's face giving more evidence that idea. But no, Astrid couldn't help but feel that it was a sensitive matter, something Astrid wouldn't like, and he was searching for a way to make it look better to her. The true seriousness of the situation dawned on Astrid, she has stumbled into something she should have left alone, something dangerous even. If she left now, she might be able to was her hands of the matter, but curiosity stayed her feet, as Fjord finally opened his mouth to continue.
"There's something strange, that's been going around the village." Fjord started. "Something about the dragons, they've been acting out of the ordinary- unruly even! They've been getting violent, we had to pin one of the Nadders down just the other day, and it's happening more and more."
Astrid knew where this was going, and she didn't like it.
"The dragons are wild beasts, sure, their queen is gone now, but what's that to them?" Fjord went on. "It just means they can be as unruly as ever, tricks and sorcery will only pull the wool over their eyes for so long, we've got to strike while we still can, we've got to drive them out."
Astrid couldn't stand for this now.
"Fjord, don't be and idiot!" Astrid said firmly, "With Hiccup away right now, it makes sense they'd be acting a little differently. He was the only Viking to ever try to live alongside dragons, rather than meet everything they do with violence. All we have to do is wait for him to get back and things will return to normal."
Settling back, Astrid thought this was over, a potentially disastrous situation defused, Fjord stood there, merely looking down upon her, dumbstruck and speechless at what she had said, air hanging thick overhead.
"But you said it yourself lassy." One of the men at the table said, after what seemed like an hour. "There's something off with that boy, and his dragon, you said it, from your own lips! The dragon did something to the boy, bewitched him probably, and that's probably what's been happening from the start. Night Fury reckons himself king of the dragons, and with the Red Death out of the way, he can finally take that title and wipe us out- the last threat from the inside!"
Mutters of agreement and a well thought out assessment were passed around, the man was patted on the shoulder, and meaningful nods were exchanged. That sinking feeling once more settled onto Astrid, now realizing she had tied her own noose. In that moment of weakness, when she looked for anyone to put the blame on, turning it to the innocent Toothless, that was now being used for one of the most foolish acts in Viking history.
"We're going to strike first." Fjord said, taking a step toward Astrid, "We won't give them the chance to."
Panic set it on the young Viking girl, turning on her heel, she threw the door open and dashed outside before she could hear anymore.
XXXXXX
"There it is!" Toothless called back to Hiccup.
Beneath the two, a sprawling city in ruins spread away in every direction. Cobbled streets lay in waste, grass and other plants growing between the brickwork. Various statues were missing limbs, a hand here, an arm, or sometimes an entire torso, memorials of proud people moved on. Crumbling archways stood over every opening and entryway, domed ceilings cracking and collapsing under theirs' and the weight of time. Hiccup merely sat in awe of it for a while, he had only seen small villages in all his life, but this city positively dwarfed Berk, given time he would have to sketch this majestic scene, but they were on a mission now, one of the utmost importance.
"So, this old dragon you mentioned, where exactly would we start looking for him?" Hiccup asked.
But before Hiccup could get an answer, a massive column of flame shot up from deep in the ruined city. Reacting quickly, Toothless dodged out of the way, Hiccup adjusting for the dive in the Toothless' tailfin. Just as quickly as they dodged, another blast of fire caused them to change course once more, bringing them ever closer to the city below. A third blast finally sealed their fate, taking advantage of a wall that was precariously standing in their way, the ball of flame dashed ahead of them, connected with the stone, shattering it to pieces, sending shrapnel in every direction. A larger piece caught Toothless in the wing, sending both tumbling down, the dragon doing all he could to protect Hiccup from the impact.
Toothless, spread his back against the rubble, pulling Hiccup, saddle and all into a protective hold, as the ground came up to meet them, the Night Fury braced himself as they skidded against stone, landing in the bulk of the brick where the wall used to stand. Quickly recovering, the dragon released Hiccup, putting himself in front of the boy as he wheeled around, looking for the danger.
Rounding the corner, a huge dragon stood. Far larger than Toothless, close to the size of the average Berk home. Sharp spikes covered his backbone, cresting his head, and culminating in a pair of horns on the back of his skull. It walked, casting its gaze about, sniffing the air, until with one sweep it caught sight of Toothless. In a few short bounds, it stood towering above the Night Fury, looking down upon the intruder of its territory. Toothless backed away from it as far as he could, still wary of protecting Hiccup, while doing all he could to appear as threatening as possible.
The other dragon leered down at Toothless in what could only be described as a mixture of disdain and amusement. Curling its neck back, it prepared to strike the opposing Night Fury down in a blaze of fire, but as it did so, it seemed to catch sight of something. Reaching out with a clawed limb, it pushed Toothless aside with a casual shove, its powerful gaze now upon Hiccup. Hiccup merely stared up, defenseless at what would be his inevitable death. A deep rumbling came from within the dragon, and Hiccup clamped his eyes shut, bracing himself for a fiery demise. But the fire never came, instead, he heard what sounded like a giant clearing its throat, before all too human laughter met his ears. Slowly opening his eyes, he saw the dragon had sat back, resting its head on a hand, laughing all the while.
"Well why didn't you say so?" It said in a voice with noticeable inflection.
XXXXXX
"I-uh-" Hiccup stammered, confused at the sudden change of events. "You're, not going to kill us?"
"Well of course not." The dragon replied.
"So, what was all that about?" Hiccup asked suspiciously, motioning to the sky and the destruction around them.
"Ah yes, well, you see, I've been here for a very long time, and I've found that people come for two reasons, either to glean what they can from these ruins, or to seek my knowledge. And seeing as a human and a dragon are here together, I can only imagine you are here for my knowledge." He explained, before punctuating in an almost embarrassed tone, "And sorry about that."
"So you are the one we're looking for!" Hiccup said excitedly.
"Well of course." The dragon scoffed in a matter-of-factly way, "But this is no place to talk, let us go inside, where it's more comfortable."
Motioning to follow, the dragon led them deeper into the city, Hiccup struggling to keep up with his vast strides. Leading them to a pair of large oaken doors, it pushed through, the aged hinges creaking under the weight. Within, a vast hall spread out before them, a colorful mural covering the walls. The old dragon leading the way casually spat small balls of flame out to light a few torches that sat in brackets mounted to the stone. With the light now glimmering over the walls, Hiccup could see what the mural depicted. Dragons and humans, first fighting, at peace, and then living together in harmony.
"What happened here?" Hiccup asked.
"Mistakes were made." The old dragon replied grimly.
Taking the answer for what it was, Hiccup walked the rest of the journey in silence. The trio finally made it down a flight of steps into what could only be described as a dragon's study. It bore all the makings of a study, scrolls, books, a desk and various assortments of inks, quills and viewing platforms. But everything was distinctly dragon sized. Settling down at a spot on the floor, the dragon looked up at Hiccup and Toothless.
"So, what do you want to know?" It asked brightly.
Now that he was here, and an answer at his fingertips, Hiccup finally realized he wasn't quite sure what to ask.
"How can I understand you?" Hiccup asked, on a whim.
"I'm speaking in the human tongue." He replied simply.
"You taught yourself?" Hiccup pressed.
"Of course, I had to do something with my time."
Still unsure of what to ask, Hiccup tried to keep it basic.
"Do you have a name?"
"A name?" The dragon replied, as if taken aback. "Usually when people go out of their way to see me, it's not to make small talk. No matter, no matter. Draco, I was called."
Finally, Hiccup had a question in mind, or rather, was done skirting the issue, he DID come here for a reason after all. Undoing the top part of his tunic, Hiccup pulled the garment a little way down, exposing the pink scar over the heart given to him by his dragon. Draco looked on, a much more serious look taking root on his face.
"You realize that was never meant to be used in such a way." Draco said, turning to Toothless now. "This has been done only a few times, and it was never seen to its fullest extent in any of those cases."
Toothless cowered back at the sternness of the verbal onslaught.
"Wait, what do you mean, dragons have given their hearts to humans in the past?" Hiccup asked, confused.
"Yes." Draco sighed out, "But only the first time it was done did either survive. Those two shared a special bond, like I'd never seen in any others, a human and a dragon. But humans are not as hardy as we, her time came to pass, in a desperate act, he gave his heart to prolong their time together, something that had only been seen in dragons before. But greedy men saw advantage in this, they forced, tricked, and connived dragons into giving their hearts to extend their own lives. None survived longer than a day."
Hiccup's stomach tightened as he heard the tale.
"None of them survived, because there was no deeper bond between them." Draco finished, before looking to Hiccup. "I'm curious, how long have you been living with that in your chest?"
Hiccup merely stood stock still, Draco's piercing eyes staring down at him, Hiccup's silence giving him all the answer he needed. Reaching out with a single claw, he pulled half of Hiccup's shirt down further, exposing the bite pattern on his left shoulder.
"So I see." Draco said simply.
"What does all this mean, what will happen?" Hiccup asked desperately.
"You love each other, as more than friends, as more than brothers, a bond of mates. But I'm not sure why you needed me to tell you that. That mark and the very life you live should be evidence enough." Draco answered.
"Then why does all this seem so out of place- so much, more than anything I've really known?"
"You're a young man." Draco replied, almost laughing as he did so, "I should think it would be normal that you feel a little out of place in all this."
Hiccup stood in awe, all that he had been searching for, all that he had been confused about, everything he was searching for an answer to, he had known the answer all along.
"Toothless, we're going home."
