CHAPTER 10
Walking to his house everyone in town was at the main dining hall, having dinner and drinks. Hiccup kept on walking to his house, to eat in private and not be talked to by the village about how well he's doing in training. Reaching the stairs to his house Hiccup climbed with ease.
AARRGGHH! A stinging pain went from his head down to his back. Stupid fucking headache, go away! Rubbing his head in an attempt to make his headache go away. Over the last few days his headaches were becoming more painful with each day, and more spontaneous. *GROAN* I need to make some more tea. Opening the door to his house, setting up the kettle with the grass wrapped in a little bag and set the fire, Hiccup sat at his desk. Setting his forehead on his desk with a light 'thump', wrapping his arms around his pounding head waiting for his tea to be done brewing.
"Hiccup?" Scaring Hiccup out of his seat from the sudden voice out of nowhere.
"AHH, WHO'S . . . DAD! Oh hi dad! When did you get back?" Regaining his composer and standing up to talk to Stoick.
"Hello Hiccup, and just a few hours ago." Stoick in a serious tone, looking down Hiccup.
After a few moments of awkward silence Hiccup spoke "So, what are you here for?"
"I came looking for you, you've been keeping secrets."
"I . . . I have?" Hiccup stuttering in confusion.
"Just how long did you think you could keep it from me? Nothing happens on this island without me hearing about it."
"I don't know what you're talking about dad?"
"Now, lets talk about that dragon."
"Dad, I uh . . ." WHAT! How in the name of Thor did he fucking find out!? No one knows!
"HAHAHAHA."
"Uh. . . ha ha ha?" Hiccup awkwardly laughing along with Stoick.
"This is great! I was hoping this would happen!" Stoick raising his hands into the air with excitement. "It gets better wait till you spill a nadders gut for the first time, and mount your first gronkle head on a spear. What a feeling!" Hitting Hiccup on his chest to show respect expecting him to fall over but Hiccup didn't budge. "What's this?" Poking Hiccups chest feeling muscle. "HAHA IT JUST GETS BETTER! You're finally becoming a true viking!"
"Heh, oh yeah, I've been working hard for the past few weeks." Hiccup trying to smile while his sensitive nose is picking up the stench of his father reeking of b.o. and fish, doing his best not to puke.
"Haha hit me!" Stoick patting himself on his stomach.
"What?" Hiccup questioned his father.
"Hit me, I want to see how much stronger you are now, give me your best shot! No one can hurt me." Puffing out his chest in glory of his build.
You haven't been hit point blank by someone as strong as a dragon. "Alright, if you really want me to." Have to go light on him. Cocking his right arm back, Hiccup sent his fist to the puffed out stomach of Stoick.
*Bam* Stoick stood his ground, with his chest no longer puffed out. His face turning as red as his beard. "Are you ok dad?"
"Yes, I'm good. That was a strong hit, Hiccup. Oh that reminds me I have something for you." Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a horned helmet. "Your mother would have wanted you to have it, its half of her breast plate." Hiccup cringed away from it. "To keep you safe in the ring, where it proudly."
"Thanks dad." Putting his new helmet on his desk, "Well I have to get to sleep soon, you know for training tomorrow." Letting out a fake yawn.
"Oh, right. Yes rest up, I'll see you tomorrow, good luck in the ring." Stoick waved to Hiccup squeezing though the tiny door making it creak with his massive body.
Hiccup looked over his new helmet, faintly remembering how his mother wore it. Eww but I have wear it for training tomorrow, for dad. His kettle pot whistling as if screaming to be taken out of the fire, inhaling the aroma from the tea, his headache was slowly easing away from each inhale. Not bothering to pour the tea into a cup Hiccup took big swigs straight from the kettle gulping down the brew.
Hiccup laid down in his bed, letting his memories of the day run through his mind. Training, Astrid stalking him, Hiccup scaring Astrid, Astrid kissing Hiccup, and Hiccup being 'in' Astrid. Rolling over in his bed, noticing how alone he was, he wanted Astrid to be there with him. To have company someone who actually cared for him. Wanting to be with him, it was like a dream.
[THE NEXT DAY]
Hiccup walked to the arena for another day of training, knowing he was to ace it like all the other days without anyone knowing how he was winning. But today was going to be different, Stoick was going to be there, watching along with the whole village. With Hiccup going from useless to the best in the last few weeks there was a steady build up of an audience coming to the 2 best viking trainees Hiccup and Astrid.
No one bullied him anymore, Snotlout and Ruffnut started to talk to him as friends, and be on his side, either to be popular too or out of fear of what Hiccup did to them. Fishlegs was always a friend of Hiccups, he never bothered him. With Hiccups growing popularity he started to ask questions on training tips, and how good he got at dragon training.
Walking down the empty streets Hiccup saw Astrid on her way to the arena as well. Running to catch up with her "Hey Astrid."
"What do you want Hiccup?" She said not even bothering to look at him.
"That was harsh. What's the matter?"
"I'm going to win and kill the nightmare. I'm a better viking than you!" giving a stern look towards Hiccup.
"Whoa, hey, you mad at me or something?" Hiccup said in a confused tone.
"No, you didn't." giving Hiccup a kiss, "It's just I'm going to win and you're not." Astrid said in a happily cheery tone.
"Oh and what if I do win? Then what?" raising an eyebrow towards her.
"Then no more of this!" resting her hand on her hip.
"Ah checkmate, well how about a deal then? If you win, I make you dinner and whatever you want. And if I win you have to make me dinner and cheer me on when I'm fighting the nightmare. Deal?"
"Deal." Astrid giving Hiccup a kiss in agreement.
"Well lets get going!" Astrid led the way into the arena with the crowd cheering to see some violence.
Gobber released the leaver opening the cage of the Gronkle, going after Astrid first to draw out the battle. Astrid swinging at it with her ax and missing each time, dodging and blocking each fireball it spat out, Astrid went into hiding to recover for another battle with the beast.
The Gronkle went towards Hiccup with speed. Launching more fire balls that were much more powerful than the ones shot at Astrid making things look more epic. Hiccup swung his specialty made ax with a extremely dull and blunt blade hitting the grunkle making it look like he got a good hit in without hurting him. Grabbing the gronkle around the neck Hiccup whispered "Thanks for doing this, I'll give you lots of fish later, if you look like you struggle more, I'll give you even more." With a loud growl the gronkle started to buck and struggle appearing that Hiccup was choking him out. After a minute or two the gronkle came crashing to the ground. Hiccup victorious again. Astrid calling out all the names she could in vein.
Not wanting to deal with a unhappy Astrid, Hiccup walked to the gate only to be pulled back by Gobber. "Whoa, hold on lad. You're not through yet." Gobber placing Hiccup back on the ground.
"Quiet every one! Calm down, the elder has chosen!" Stoick shouted over the roar of the crowd quieting them down instantly.
Gobber raised his hand over Astrid, only to be turned down the right to move to the next stage. Raising his hand over Hiccup, the elder accepted to be moved to the next stage, killing of the Dreaded Nightmare. To which he would have to kill.
"YOU DID IT HICCUP, YOU GET TO KILL THE DRAGON!" Gobber placing Hiccup on his shoulder and chanting "HICCUP, HICCUP!" The crowd fallowed instantly.
"THATS MY BOY!" Hiccup finally seeing that his dad was proud of him, and cheering him on.
After the adults were walking to the mead hall Hiccup walked to his house felling the effects of his chronic headache come back more painful than ever it was nearly crippling. Hiccup prepared to make more tea to numb the pain of it. Well tomorrow is the day, my plan will work, it will! Or if not I'll just set them free tonight! No, I can't, they're setting up the arena for the main event. FUCK!
Swishing around his drink Hiccup finished it up, his headache was still there but not as painful. "I'll find a way to make it work, I will somehow." rubbing his forehead, after that I'll find a way to make this fucking headache go away. It has been driving me crazy! "It's going to be a few hours before they finish cleaning the ring. I'm going to take a nap."
[LATER THAT NIGHT]
Hiccup walked to arena carrying a 3 big sacks of fish for the dragons. The streets were empty and everyone was asleep at that time of night. Rubbing his head trying to ease the pain of his headache to witch was turning into a total body ache. Hurting everywhere, walking was just tiring. I better not be getting a flu, I have no time to be sick.
Pushing open the gate to the right Hiccup opened up all the dragon cells, dumping the fish out onto the ground for the dragons to feast.
"So were 'fighting tomorrow from what I heard?" Nightmare gulping down the fresh Icelandic cod.
"Yeah, and if everything goes as I hoped, you guys will be set free. Then I'll get everyone to help spread the smell of eel over the island to prevent raids. Man, that's going to be nasty." Rubbing his arm in nervousness.
"Are you all right? You don't look so good." Aesir pointed out.
"Yes and no, my heads been killing me for days now." Hiccup stated sitting next to Nightmare.
"So what the plan for tomorrow?" Nightmare asked.
"Well, I'm not sure yet. I don't know if I can play fight you, they want to see blood and me kill you." Scratching his head in frustration of what to do. "I might have to just not fight you and hope everything goes over well, but I doubt that."
"You never know, and from what I have heard that sounds like the only way out." Aesire gulping down more fish.
"If it doesn't ill be banished from the village and never allowed to return. And if that does happen, I promise I will set you all free somehow." Hiccup poking at a fish, Nightmare blew fire onto cooking for him, "thanks."
"For what you're trying to do for us, it's no problem." Nightmare said finishing up the last pieces of fish.
Hiccup stood up suddenly looking up to the rim of the arena, "GET IN YOUR CAGES NOW! SOMEONE IS COMING!" Hiccup commanded the dragons who obeyed his order quickly making almost no noise at all. Closing all the doors one after another Hiccup snuck out of ring to see who it was.
Hiccup watched Astrid attempt to sneak to the arena but Hiccup could easily see, hear and smell her. "Where's Hiccup, I saw him go this way." Hiccup heard her whisper, watching her look into the arena and turn around giving up on trying to find him. Why was she looking for me? Hiccup fallowed after her sneaking behind her, she didn't notice that she was being fallowed.
Running in front of where Astrid was going Hiccup grabbed a rock. Throwing the rock behind her to distract her Hiccup ran up in front of Astrid, scarring the hell out of her. Astrid returned a punch to Hiccups arms, which he played along with.
"Don't do that!" nearly yelling at Hiccup. "Don't scare me like that."
Hiccup had a smile on his face. "Haha, sorry, couldn't help myself. Anyway I heard you were looking for me?"
"Yeah, I was, I wanted to give you something." Reaching into her pocket Astrid pulled out a necklace. "I want you to have this. It was my dads, it's meant to bring luck to whoever wears it. You know for the match tomorrow."
Holding the necklace up in front of him "Are you sure you want me to have this, this is important to you."
"Yes, but you can't lose it, it's special. And don't get yourself killed!" Pointing her index finger towards Hiccup like she was his parent.
"I promise not to lose it, and I will do my best." Hiccup planted a kiss on Astrid's cheek. "I'll be ok."
Kissing Hiccup back "You better, if not I will kill you. Now go get some sleep, you'll need it." Giving another kiss to Hiccup she turned and walked to her house.
Looking down at the engravings on the piece of jewelry it was passed down from generations of Hoffersons. A true family heirloom now in his hands, Hopefully this does bring luck, I'm going to need it. . . A lot of it.