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Chapter 9 – Later – Hiccup's POV

My thoughts were the only company I had the consuming darkness... and no matter how I tried to avoid thinking about it, it kept coming back:

It wasn't like it was the first time I had used my inkling abilities, and it was normal to feel drained afterwards. It was just my body telling me it wasn't used to the strain just jet, and that I'd have to practice a little more for me to adjust, and become stronger.

But this was different, I had collapsed!

No...That wasn't right...somehow my body had just shut down so it could recover this time, I must of pushed myself a little too far, and it was up to me when I woke or how long I stayed in this condemning darkness.

But what kept haunting my thoughts was that I...I had tamed the Gronkel...But, No...I couldn't have, it's un-heard of, as well as impossible. It didn't matter that I was an ink hearted, or that I was the son of the tribe's greatest worrier, it just wasn't possible and could never be done.

There were so many questions lingering in my mind, waiting to be answered.

What had happened?

What compelled me to jump in front of the Gronkels blast?

How did I get there so fast?

Did I imagine what had happened afterwards?

Then it hit me, the journal I had found a while back, the one that wall full of the inkling history, stories, secrets and myths ever recorded. I had a vague idea what could be happening, but...

But it wasn't possible; she wasn't one of my kind, Astrid's human, so It can't be possible to mate with her...right?

The one thing I did know was that once I broke free of this darkness, I was going to catch up with my reading, and I have the perfect journal in mind.

The next thing that my conscious thought was aware of, I was opening my eyes. But the sunlight was so over powering, and it took a few moments for my eyes to adjust.

But once it had, I was instantly aware of my surroundings, and Astrid.

"Okay... this has to stop; having a mate is just a disaster waiting to happen, as well as HER BEING MUNDANE! SHE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO HANDLE IT! Plus she's ASTRID; she would hate our protective nature with our mates."

I needed to get out of here; I needed my space to recover, as well to clear my head of what had just happened, and of Astrid.

"WHAT WAS THAT?" Astrid said, well ok she yelled it, but at least she got her point across. Then Hel broke loose, everyone started to panic, I could hear Fishlegs off to the side screaming with an unusual high pitch, but what really got my blood boiling, and made my jaw clench was when I heard Snotlot.

I was aware that he stood a little closer to Astrid, close enough in my opinion, maybe the next land over would be better...he was creeping closer and closer to her, I didn't listen to what he said to her, I couldn't let myself, if I did, I might not have been able to hold myself back from causing his death.

See what I mean by our protective nature with our mates yet? What who said she what my mate.

By now my eyes had adjusted to the brightness of the suns glare, I started to get up off the dirt floor of the coliseum, the movement drew everyone's attention and they all fell silent and still.

A very shocked Gobber broke the silence with "You can't be...It skipped you...so how?" His shock turned to anger in a blink of an eye, but it didn't faze me, I've been through worse.

"Can't be what! And can someone answer Astrid question, because we'd all like to know the answer!" A fuming Tuffnut demanded.

Silence stretch for a few moments, until pulled out my book of parchment and a stick with a charred end, and wrote down "Well...This has been an eventful and fun filled day, but I think I'll be going now..." and quickly showed it to the others, giving them hardly any time to read it as I was striding towards the closest exit.

But Gobber had become used to my quick exists and was able to read it faster than the others, as well as catch me when I was just at the gate. "Oh no you don't boy, ya' ant going' no were until you start and finish talking'." Gobber said now blocking my way out.

I rubbed the back of my neck; I tended to do that when in thought or was becoming twitchy and annoyed.

I could just force him to move, or fling him to the other side of the arena, and that was exactly what I was about to do, I mean him and Stoic would have done the same to me. But as soon as Astrid said "Don't even dare try to escape" I faltered.

She wouldn't have been able to stop me from leaving even if she and the others did tried together, and don't get me wrong, I'm not being arrogant, it was just what I knew to be true.

No, that wasn't it, it was the tone of her voice, when I heard it, something in me ached, I could hear anger, fascination, caution, curiousness and...Pain?

Pain!...Was she hurt? I unknowingly sniffed the air, trying to catch her scent and reassure myself that she was unscathed. But the wind was blowing roughly in the other direction and was making it difficult. I clenched my jaw, my frustration and worry eating at me.

"How?" The blacksmith demanded once again his impatience now showing.

What should I do?

What should I tell them?

The truth or should I just lie threw my teeth like I have always done?

No! no more hiding! It's time the village of Berk see's the real me, I am the son of Stoic the Vast whom is the chief and finest warrior in berk, I am the next in line to become the next village chief, I am the son of Berta, and the last descendant of the blood of the gods in his veins.

I spin around so to face the others, and stood at my full height, which was surprisingly a lot taller than the people of Berk and my father gave me credit for.

"No more slouching"

I took out my book of parchment and burnt stick, and wrote in big and bold writing, "So...What do you want to know?"

And naturally everyone started talking at once, and although I could have made it all out if I had tried I wasn't in the mood to do so. So I crossed my arms in front of my chest and waited patiently for the noise to die down.

It took a few moments, but they started to calm down and come to the realisation that I want going to answer any their questions with them all taking and shouting at once.

"HOW!" Gobber shouted, obviously had run out of patience a while ago.

I started writing once again,"Well...maybe you should explain to the others what exactly I am, it might be a little unfair to them, they don't have any idea what's going on unlike you. I would do it but it would take a bit to write it all down."

The blacksmith just stood there for a bit, but after a few moments of thought he hesitantly nodded and faced the others, and hopefully explains.

"Ah...where should I start?" He started off with asking,

"At the beginning...just an idea" Fish legs said nervously bouncing from one foot to the other.

"Do any of you remember or have heard of the stories of men who have the god's blood through their vanes?" he went on to say.