DIsclaimer: I do not own How To Train Your Dragon. If I did, I'd use the profit to genetically engineer a real dragon into existence.
Having the icy water pull them down was like crashing into an iceberg. The force of the impact ripped Hiccup's grip from the boat almost immediately, and he was thankful for Astrid's death grip, otherwise he'd have been lost to the water. He could feel the water rush past his frozen skin as the ship was pulled further and further down into its depths.
Hiccup's lungs started to burn from the lack of oxygen, but still nothing happened. They just sunk deeper. He fought the rising need to kick and struggle at the water, to swim back up for air. Still they sunk.
A sudden fear rattled the to-be chief. Maybe they were wrong. This wasn't the way they were supposed to go. They were going to drown.
And then, suddenly, the ship halted its movement in the water. Everything froze for a moment. They floated still in the water, like a sunken, corpse-riddled shipwreck stopped in time. The ocean was quiet around them as all the sounds in the water stopped. Their progress lulled in the silence of a frozen ocean.
As suddenly as they stopped sinking, the ship started to rise quickly. The deck came up, forcefully catching them against the wooden deck as they were propelled upwards.. Hiccup felt pressure in his head and chest as they rose quickly. The painful squeezing reminded him of falling off his dragon while flying at great speeds. His instincts screamed at him to take a breath.
The ship crashed through the surface with a large splash. The resulting waves flew in the air before rolling into the rocky surroundings of the new cavern they appeared in.
Hiccup heard everyone gasp in a breath at the same time, and the warm air was the best thing in existence at that moment in time.
Hiccup sucked in a deep breath, chilled water ran off his head and onto the floor of the boat. The next breath he took was in surprise as he ran his hand over the wooden planks.
Dry. As dry as a scorched sleeping stone for the dragons in the middle of Berk's summer.
He felt Astrid release him, as she turned over to cough up a mouthful of water next to him. Well...the deck had been dry.
He saw Snotlout grab at the boat railing as he hauled himself to his feet, "What the-? We're alive?"
Eirik smiled from his spot next to Ylva, who had held on to her chief in the same way Astrid had, "I told you so."
"Yeah, cause diving straight into a whirlpool is something every sane man does," Tuffnutt wrung out his hair as his sarcasm ripped into the blonde chief.
"I didn't see you coming up with any plans," said Liva.
"Shut it you little mudrat!"
A familiar, echoing bellow cut off the start of the argument. Hiccup got up with a gasp.
"Toothless?"
He looked out over the water of the cave, searching for his dragon. There was light in the cave, enough for Hicupp to see. He didn't know where it was coming from, but he didn't care. His eyes flicked frantically until he caught movement. Blending in to a dark rock near them, Toothless was perched on a rock formation jutting out of the water. He let out a low roar at them in happiness.
Hiccup ran to the side of the boat, "Toothless!"
The Night Fury flapped his tail against the boulder happily, his remaining fin slapped harshly against the stone. Glimmer appeared on his head, chirping as she realized they had arrived.
Toothless roared again and Hiccup thanked whatever gods were out there that there was only a short distance between his dragon and their vessel.
"Come on, Bud, come to me," Hiccup moved out of the way as the dragon steadied himself on top of the rock. The dragon's back end shook as he crouched and leapt the shot distance. He landed on the ship with a heavy thud and immediately pranced over to nuzzle his rider. Glimmer let out a clicking noise in protest before flying off and finding Liva, who cooed and cuddled her like a newborn babe.
Toothless butted his head roughly against Hiccup's chest. Hiccup chuckled and scratched the dragon's head affectionately, "I'm glad you're alright, Bud. What were you thinking? Jumping into the water like that?"
Toothless ducked his head innocently, his pupils blown wide in the dark. He chuffed and rubbed his muzzle against his rider as an apology.
"Toothless! Oh thank the gods!" the dragon gave a startled snort as Snotlout barreled into him.
The black-haired teen hugged the Night Fury with all he had, despite the startled way the dragon leaned his head away and pinned his ears back, "You're okay! If you had died, Hiccup would have been so much more annoying!"
"So, uh, what now? Do we just keep going?" Fishlegs asked, his fur shirt dripping wet from their plunge.
They all looked at the cavern, completely enclosed with only one way to go.
Axel sighed and went to the tiller, "It's not like we have much of a choice."
H~~~~~T~~~~~T~~~~~Y~~~~~D
Hiccup was officially sick of rocks and caves. He hated them. Every single one of them. He didn't think he'd ever be able to look at one again without some feeling of absolute repulsion. He supposed hours of pushing their longship across the water and into this particular stretch of tunnels was a good reason for the emotion. Well, it at least felt like hours. There wasn't any way to accurately tell how long they had really been in there.
There was no current on this stretch of water. It was so still Hiccup could accurately make out his own reflection in it. Their only way of travel was through rowing now. With three oars on each side, the vikings took turns in propelling them along their way down the watercourse. Once they got started, the longship flowed easily enough. They cut through the water like a red-hot sword slowly slicing against snow. Their boat moved along, casting a smooth pattern of ripples in their wake.
What seemed like a skeptical journey at the start now had merit to it. Hiccup didn't know how it worked, or who was responsible, but this particular trail of tunnels was definitely made by something unnatural. There was no denying it, not with all the evidence Hiccup had gathered. The most obvious fact was how the boat didn't take in a lot of water when they floated to the surface. In fact, the only things that were soaking wet were himself and the others. Their water was still fresh, not a hint of salt staining it. And their food, clothing, and other possessions were completely dry as well.
Another fact was the dragons. Toothless, as unfazed as he was about jumping into the maelstrom, would just stare into the tunnels ever now and again. Hiccup was reminded of the time so long ago when the Night Fury led Astrid and him to the Nest. His ears would twitch and a faint clicking sound would rumble in the dragon's throat. It was like he was having a conversation with something that wasn't there. Just as soon as Hiccup would notice, the dragon would blink and act as he normally would. It had the same effect on Glimmer, who had taken to perching herself on his Night Fury. Her white glow stood out against the dark hide like a falling star on a clear night.
Of course, there was one more thing that make the tunnels seems unearthly. Hiccup had studied the light source once Toothless was back on board. The rocks seemed to give off a light blue glow. If Hiccup wasn't looking for it, he wouldn't have noticed it, but the soft light from the rocks had solved their problems with the darkness. They could see everything clearly, they didn't even need the torches to be lit anymore. Hiccup tried to figure it out, always the curious viking, but the only idea he could come up with was a type of glowing algae, but that didn't seem likely since there was no sunlight.
Hiccup contemplated the anomaly more and more, even as he was herded over to take over rowing for Ruffnutt.
If all these facts were real, and Hiccup wasn't dreaming or in a fever-induced hallucination, then the Scale Reader could actually do as Eirik said it would. Turn humans into dragons.
The thought excited the dragon rider. Maybe Eirik would let him use the Scale Reader after they helped the undergrounders escape. Just think! All the knowledge they could gain on the dragons. What muscles were used in flying, which foods were best, what certain vocalizations meant. They would be able to communicate with the dragons. He could talk to Toothless! Ok...was getting a little ahead of himself there. But still, all the things he and his village could learn. The people of Berk would be able to help their dragons even more. Their knowledge would be passed down for generations, and the bonds between Viking and dragon would become even stronger.
Hiccup was well into this certain train of thought when Eirik called out from his place at the tiller, "Alright, let's stop here to rest."
Everyone at the oars stopped with a collective sigh. Hiccup gazed about the new "room" of the tunnel as he stretched his arms out above his head. The only thing new about it was the glow, which was more light green than the blue of the other tunnels.
"Finally! We an eat now, right?" Tuffnutt's back cracked in a way that made Hiccup worry as he bent over to stretch, his muscles stiff from sitting for so long.
There were loud exclamations of agreement to the male twin's question. Not long afterwords all the vikings were sitting together comfortable eating various breads, cheeses, and meat graciously cooked to perfection by a certain Night Fury.
Hiccup let everyone take their portions of the meal first before he thought to eat. Before doing so, he quickly threw a large portion of raw fish to his dragon who gobbled them up with a grateful roar.
Hiccup looked around for an open space amongst the group to sit down at and saw one next to Eirik.
He caught a bit of conversation between Fishlegs and Liva, something about how Glimmer used sound to find her way without eyes, as he plopped down next to Chief of Dromundr.
"So, how are you faring?" Hiccup reached and snagged a piece of dry bread as he spoke.
The corner of Eirik's mouth twitched into a small smile, "It is not as exciting as I expected."
"Um...I'm not sure if that qualifies as a bad thing," he bit at the bread and scrunched his nose at the stale taste.
Eirik brandished his sword dramatically, the green light glistened against the polished metal, "Ah, what is a quest if there are no challenges?"
Hiccup watched the blonde as he held the weapon up. He could see Eirik's reflection in the metal, his face contorted, and it made the scar across his nose more prominent. The content conversations around them seemed to dim in Hicucp's mind as his eyes went to Eirik's walking stick.
He wondered if Eirik's injury was better or worse than his missing leg. Hiccup remembered the initial pain of it when he woke the first time after his battle with the Green Death. It brought up memories of the months after, where each step caused so much agony that he'd taken to riding Toothless for weeks instead of walking. He still had phantom pains every now and again; he'd curl in his bed when they happened, needing to quench the fire eating at his left foot and failing because there was no foot there to feel pain. He wondered if Eirik's injured leg burned like fire, or if it numbed down into nothingness. Leaving him with nothing but a useless limb and a haunting memory.
Eirik cleared his throat and Hiccup looked up, abashed to be caught staring, "Sorry! Sorry, I didn't mean to-"
Eirik waved a hand at him to stop and reached down to his leg. He pulled the trouser leg up, revealing various scars that rose up along his calf. His knee looked like someone took a hammer to it. The kneecap was dented and the joint looked as if it healed at an awkward angle.
"Three years ago, my father and I were caught in a cave-in. We were traveling the tunnels. It was something we did together when he had enough time to spare. With him taking car of the village, we didn't get to see each other much, and my mother died of illness when I was young. So I treasured what time I had with my father."
Eirik let the fabric roll back down his leg, his face solemn, "We could see a storm through the hole over the village when we left that day. Lightning must have struck the outside of the island, because we could feel the ground shake. It dislodged the rocks above us. He pushed me back and told me to run, so I did. I made it, but he did not."
Eirik's eyes left Hiccup's face. They glanced about the cavern, looking but not truly seeing. Hiccup could almost see the memories unfolding across his mind's eye. The soft sound of the others' separate conversations filled up the silence as he continued.
"I managed to reach the mouth of the cave, but slipped. Rocks were falling all about, I had my hands covering my head to shield it. One piece got me across here," he traced the scar on his nose with his thumb, "And a large portion of the roof managed to land on my leg. Thankfully, it rolled off, but it not without breaking the bone in several places. The scars are from where the bone broke skin."
Eirik let out a humorless laugh, "I was surprised the healer could put all the pieces back together. Or...eh, most of them at least."
Hiccup winced at the phrase. Gobber used one similar when he filled Hiccup in on what happened after the Queen died that day. The blasted beastie saved ye, lad. Well...most of ye.
He was startled, however, when Eirik laughed a real laugh. The blonde gave his leg a few taps, "It doesn't bend right and is strange to walk on, but it works. You must know that already though, similar circumstances and all. Leg injuries. Must be a chief thing."
He gave Hiccup a sympathetic smile
"Although, I think...how did your cousin put it? "Falling into an exploding dragon", yes that was it, is a more worthy tale to be told," Eirik smiled as he go to his feet and announced that everyone should get some rest.
Hiccup sat a bit longer, processing his new-found information on the chief as he stared out at the dancing green light from the water.
H~~~T~~~T~~~Y~~~D
Hiccup had barely entered the deep stages of sleep when something interrupted it.
Hiccup bit back a groan as he woke to a strange noise. He sat up, the furred blanket slipping off his chest and arms at the motion. It was silent, except for the scattered snores from others on the boat.
That must have been what woke him up. And now that he noticed it, he'd never be able to block it out to go back to sleep.
But no, it had been something else, right? He was sure it was. Something softer.
Shaking his head, Hiccup got up from his sleeping place on the boat. He strode over to the side and ran a hand through his hair. Hiccup looked down at the glowing water. When he saw nothing, he gave a long sigh and rubbed his eyes in exhaustion. He was just tired, his mind was playing tricks on him.
A voice trilled faintly in the cave.
Hiccup picked his head back up, straining to hear.
Wait, no...there it was again. Singing?
The words were long-winded, sung in a way where they softly twisted into each other. He couldn't understand them. Perhaps they were in a different language. But, oh, how they flowed in the air, echoing and fluttering against the rocks. It was noting like the excited, bounding ballads sung in the Great Hall. No, Hiccup had never heard such beauty. It was a song that personified colored sunsets and finely chilled mornings. It was sung with such carefulness, as delicate as a butterfly's wings.
The light, trilling voice seemed to caress at Hiccup's ears. The young chieftain felt all his stress drip out, like a light summer rainfall through tree canopies. He sighed as the tension left his shoulders and his head listed to the side.
Gods, it was beautiful.
His eyes closed on their own accord, and Hiccup dipped his head towards the water. Who was singing? Someone on the boat? The voice sounded familiar. Oh, he didn't care. Whoever it was, he just hoped beyond hope that they wouldn't stop.
Hiccup opened his eyes, the song still caressing his eardrums. He flinched in surprise when he looked back at the water.
Astrid was there, smiling at him from where she floated. The tops of her shoulders bobbed against the water's surface.
Hiccup blinked slowly, confused. He could have sworn he just saw her, curled up with her nose under her blanket. How did she get in the water so fast?
Hiccup furrowed his brow, "Astrid? What the...I thought you were sleeping."
Astrid only laughed lightly at him, her voice like magic in the air, and Hiccup didn't mind as his confusion disappeared. He couldn't help it, he smiled back. He studied her, her damp skin glistening in the green light. Her eyes shone like bursts of lightning in navy blue storm clouds. Her lips a faint pink that matched the blush across her cheeks. Her golden hair was loose, and Hiccup's eyebrows quirked up as he followed the unsnarled threads down as they modestly covered her bare front. His breath hitched in his throat.
She was beautiful. More than beautiful, she was a goddess.
She was also the one singing.
Hiccup had heard Astrid sing before, it wasn't usually as captivating as this, but Hiccup didn't think too much of it. He decided to just enjoy the sound of her voice..
She reached a bare arm out of the water, shining water droplets leaving seductive trails across her skin before plinking back into the pool. Hiccup's eyes drooped, half-lidded, as her cool hand caressed the side of his face. Hiccup nuzzled into it, breathing in a lungful of her scent, as fresh and natural as rain-drenched earth. Her fingers crept into his hair, water from her hand catching in his bangs and wetting his face. At some point Hiccup pulled himself forward, his midriff coming to rest on the ship's railing as he leaned out close to the water.
All thoughts of sleep, of their quest, of the singing, vanished into oblivion. There was only Astrid. Astrid who was leaning up. Astrid who's mere presence wiped his mind clear of everything. Astrid, who's lips were like the warm rays of the sun as they brushed the side of his neck.
"Hiccup?"
The song never ceased.
Those lips that made their way up his jaw and to his own.
Her hand moved to the nape of his neck. Capturing him as he kissed her back. The other hand urgently pulled at his wrist.
The air around him cooled, and his breath was taken by the kiss. He was floating.
He should join her in the water.
"Hiccup."
The distant roar of his dragon was drowned out by her song.
He never wanted her to stop singing.
"Hiccup!"
H~~~T~~~T~~~Y~~~D
Astrid was awoken by a myriad of hisses and low, scathing growls from Toothless. She saw him crouched lowly against the boat's deck with his wings half-out threateningly and his tail lashing in anxiety. The appendage brushed roughly against Astrid's foot with ever swish. She shot up from her sleeping spot and was met with the sight of all the boys leaning precariously over the boat's sides.
She got to her feet slowly, confused as to why they were awake.
Snotlout was closest, "What's going on?"
He stayed silent, either too entranced or too dense to respond. She turned to her boyfriend who Toothless was edging towards cautiously. He stood motionless as he looked out over the water.
"Hiccup? Why's everyone up?"
He didn't seem to hear her call, captivated by something over the side of the boat.
"Hiccup. Hey, answer me."
That was when she heard splashing. The dragon put his caution aside and went to his rider. Sniffing the air, he immediately jerked away and pinned his ears back. He let out a panicked roar. Astrid looked from the defensive dragon back to Hiccup, and immediately grabbed her axe when she saw a pale hand pulling his head to the water.
"Hiccup!"
Toothless reacted faster and caught Hiccup right before...whatever it was pulled him into the water. The dragon grabbed Hiccup by the edge of his shirt and forcefully pulled him back. The creature must have done something, because Hiccup immediately cried out in pain, his hands flying to his head as if it would help.
Ruffnutt, Liva, and Ylva gasped awake at his shout.
"What's happening?" Liva shouted. Glimmer growled at her spot next to the healer and flew in between the barrels of supplies on the ship.
"We're under attack! Get the boys away from the water!" the blonde viking heard weapons being drawn as ran up to the side of the boat, her axe raised to strike.
"Under attack from...what?" Ruffnutt's words died as as she and Astrid reached the side of the boat.
Astrid froze, staring back into eyes as blue as her own.
It was...herself?
She stood still, her axe still raised behind her head to deliver a killing blow.
Ruffnutt looked over her shoulder as she passed, "What the double-headed dragon crap?"
Similar thoughts crossed Astrid's mind as she stared at a perfect replica of herself. The Astrid in the water narrowed her eyes and gave a vile hiss, her fingers clawed violently at the water.
Astrid blinked her surprise away, and glared at the creature. She heard distinct thuds and shouts of pain as the others were pulled back onto the boat by the other girls, but she dared not to take her eyes off the creature.
It was close enough for her to hit, so Astrid swung her axe at the creature The arch of her blade missed as it propelled itself backwards, revealing glittering, dark purple scales and a fish-like tail.
Astrid watched as the reflection of herself melted off, pale skin rippled before being replaced with dark scales, and gold hair melded into a ragged dorsal fin. The fish-like creature shrieked harshly as it showed its true form. Aquatic appendages, shark-like eyes, and jagged teeth making their appearance as the disguise lifted.
Wait, no. This couldn't be.
"It's a river demon!" she warned the others.
"No way!" Ruffnutt shouted from the other side of the boat, "You can't be serious!"
Astrid had to admit, yes, it was hard to believe, but the evidence was right in front of her. They all heard of the stories of these demons, the spirits that lured people to rivers and drowned them. They were told to keep children away from the dangers of the rivers on Berk. Astrid, being a fearless child, had ventured out once to hunt the shape-shifting water spirits, only to find herself disappointed when none showed up in the river. She remembered going home in a strop and yelling at her mother not to tell her stories that weren't true.
She made a mental note to make a long apology to her mother when she got back to Berk.
The spirits, she saw that there were plenty more surrounding the boat, bared their serrated teeth at them. Some still donned their flesh camouflages, all varying versions of a pretty, young maiden. The disguise used to lure men into the water to consume them.
The one before her, the one that had been disguised as herself, gave another outraged shriek for taking her prey away.
As much as they hissed and spit, both sides were at a standstill. Without taking her eyes off the spirit, Astrid said, "Liva, are the boys alright?"
Astrid heard the silence of her hesitation before it was replaced by a scrambled noise, "It, um...it looks like their heads are hurting. Don't, uh, spirits sing? Maybe it was because we...broke it off?"
Ylva's sturdy voice sounded, "I never heard any singing."
Astrid saw one of the demons try to swim back towards the boat, coming into Astrid's range. She swung her axe, and managed to hit this one. The axe blade tore through the spirit's shoulder, and it's scream echoed across the cavern, making Astrid want to cover her ears. The demon gripped the mangled flesh, and dove back underwater, dark blood leaving a stained trail in the water.
Their fallen sister was enough reason for the others to attack.
Astrid thanked the gods for her quick reflexes. The water demons didn't just come at the boat, they leapt out of the water, trying to sink their sharp teeth into their attackers. They came at Astrid like a kestrel diving after a mouse in the grass. Astrid was saved more than once by a flying bolt of blue fire, Toothless' protective snarls backing her up from his spot over Hiccup. The air was filled with loud shrieks and splashes. Astrid's heart skipped frightfully every time she managed to catch the sight of one coming after her.
It managed to get a grip on the edge of the boat, and caught Astrid's arm in its clawed hands. Astrid gasped as she was roughly pulled overboard.
The spirit grabbed bother her arms and dragged her under the water. Astrid struggled against her grip. She was at a disadvantage though, the water slowed her movements down while barely hindering her enemy.
That wasn't to say that she didn't fight back.
Kicking out at the spirit, her foot landed squarely against the creature's jaw. Stunned, the creature loosed its grasp on Astrid slightly, but it was enough for the viking to get an arm free. Astrid dug a small dagger out of her fur-lined boot, and slashed it through the water with a bit of effort.
Despite her slowed movements, she was able to stab the spirit in the side.
The demon's screech was more pronounced in the water and it released Astrid as the viking withdrew her knife.
Astrid bared her teeth back at it, ignoring the air bubbles that left her mouth. The river spirit curled in on itself, pressing its finned hands against the deep wound on its midsection. Astrid caught the pained expression of it as the water grew dark with blood, and the spirit let out a harsh trill. It darted away, along with two others that managed to escape relatively unharmed.
Despite her growing need for air, Astrid watched the female spirits swim to the bottom of the pool and disappear into a hole in the rocky bottom.
Tense and wary about the sudden retreat, Astrid voted to get out of the water. She put her knife away and kicked rapidly. She broke the water's surface within seconds. The water was cloudy with the blood of the remaining dead river spirits floating in the water.
"Astrid!"
Astrid reached out an arm and clung to the side of the boat. She spit out a mouthful of water, but waved Liva off when she came to the boat edge with a worried expression.
"I'm alright. Help the guys. Make sure they're okay."
"But Astrid-"
She gave Liva a sharp look,"Just do it."
The younger girl looked skeptical, but made an affirmed noise and left. Astrid decided to take a moment to gather herself. She let out a breath, exhausted from the fighting. As she hung there, half in and half out of the water.
She froze when she heard a strange noise.
Was that...?
It stopped before Astrid could decipher it, so she stayed still, listening. However, she heard nothing else. She looked at the water around her, searching for waves or the flutter of a scaled fin. She waited, listening and looking for what felt a long time, but nothing showed up. The viking warrior shrugged and pulled herself onto the boat.
As her feet hit the deck, and Astrid wrung the water out of her braid, she looked at Hiccup. He and the others weren't shouting in pain anymore, but the dragon rider still clung to his head, his expression scrunched in discomfort. Liva must have given them something to lessen the pain. Toothless,curled around Hiccup, looked at her with big, green eyes and grumbled.
His ears flicked and he looked toward the water, growling. In the same second, Astrid heard the noise again, but this time she wasn't the only one.
"Um...is it just me who hears that?" Ruffnutt said from her brother's side.
"Singing," Ylva started to draw her sword again cautiously.
Astrid grabbed her axe from where she dropped it on the boat floor when pulled overboard and whipped around, eyes set on the water.
Astrid stiffened, despite the voice somehow calming her. A dark shadow crept under the surface of the water, curling near her. The shape was different than the other spirits, less curved with broader shoulders. And much bigger. It slunk under the water gracefully, going up cautiously to each of the dead spirits floating in the water before swimming back near the boat. The female spirit had gone and gotten reinforcements. No, reinforcement. Just one.
The song continued and Astrid held her axe up, she wasn't going to fall for a trick like this.
As she followed the shape, some part of her screamed to shout at the others to grab their attention, but as the song crept on, a reasonable part of her didn't feel the need to. There was no danger here. And the song was so pretty.
A mop of russet-brown hair popped out of the water, followed by a pair of forest green eyes. They looked directly at her.
Astrid almost dropped her axe.
Before she knew it, Hiccu—no, no the creature sprung out of the water and into her. They both crashed on the deck. Astrid struggled, pushing at the male spirit's restraining hold. Where were the others?
It sung, calling at her to look at its face.
Astrid resisted, it was a trick! She couldn't look at his face. It wasn't him.
The song urged her to. I was alright, he wasn't going to hurt her.
But she shouldn't.
He would never hurt her.
How could she think such a thing? He would die before he hurt her.
It was said so gently, before she knew it, the fight was lost, Astrid relaxed into the song and looked up at the creature holding her down.
Hiccup leaned over her, his eyes gentle but firm. His forceful hold on her shoulders loosened as he settled down along her.
See? He was nice. She was safe. There wasn't anywhere else she would rather be, was there? He was Hiccup, and he was here. Just with her, just for her. Astrid sighed and closed her eyes as he nuzzled against her softly. She almost giggled as she felt his teeth graze her neck in a loving little nip.
Suddenly, there was a blast of heat and light, and Hiccup was forced off of her.
"Ah!" a piercing pain sprung in her head, and Astrid rolled onto her side.
What was Toothless doing? That was Hiccup! He just-
No, oh gods, no it wasn't Hiccup.
Astrid rolled over, despite the sharp throbbing in her skull and forced her eyes open.
The spirit, gods he looked so much like the boy behind her, slammed his tail against the boat, roaring and curling his finned arm against his side, which sported a horrible, blistering burn. Astrid almost gagged at the smell of roasting flesh.
Suddenly, Ylva was next to him, and the creature fought against her approach. Now that the song was gone, everyone could see him for what he was. It growled harshly, snapping it's teeth and swiping at her legs with clawed hands, frantically pushing itself to get away. His attempts were strong, but not fast. It was a fish stranded on land. And, with its main offense tactic cut off, it would die like one. Ylva planted a boot on the membranes of his tail to keep him in place.
No, not him .It's not him. It's not Hiccup. It's. Not. Him. Astrid repeated the mantra to herself, but knew she would forever keep the image of Ylva plunging her blade into the creature's heart. She would remember the wet crunch of metal breaking through bone. The scream and the blood running down his skin. The wide-eyed look of fear and pain on his face right before he slackened and hit the deck with a too soft thud.
After a moment, Ylva withdrew her sword with a sickening squelch, and wiped the bloodied blade along her shirt.
She looked at Astrid, "Be thankful to the Night Fury. If it had not stopped the song, we would have all been lost."
Astrid blinked and looked behind her. Ruffnutt and Liva were both breathing harshly, their faces scrunched in pain. Even Ylva couldn't manage to wipe out all the discomfort from her expression Toothless was still crouched over Hiccup, the real Hiccup, and the dragon pointed his muzzle as close to Astrid as he could. He crooned at her, wanting to make sure she was alright but not daring to leave his rider.
The blonde viking stood shakily, her head still pounding, and knelt next to Toothless. She placed one hand on the dragon's nose and the other in Hiccup's hair.
She didn't dare glance back at the body that lifelessly stared at the cave ceiling.
Silence reigned in the air around them.
There was no more singing.
So, as we've just seen, some things along this journey are going to by mythical (well, okay most will be mythical). And, since I mentally place Berk somewhere north and in-between Norway and the UK, I wanted to use mythology from that particular area.
The Norse had a mythological creature called the Nøkken, who was a river spirit that could change into anything to lure people into the water. So I took the idea of his shape shifting and blended it with that of mermaids (because mermaids are freaky to be quite honest).
And, while researching mythology is fun, I'm not above making mistakes. So if anybody sees anything glaringly wrong with my research, feel free to correct me.
Lots of more dangerous things to come. Yay adventure!
~Oliver
