With pain in his leg subsided, and conformation that the wound would not be infected, Elina had allowed Hiccup to leave the house.
"I think it would be a good idea to take a small walk, get some strength back in your leg"
"But Astrid said for me to meet her here?" Hiccup protested.
Don't argue with me Hiccup…" Elina frowned, crossing her arms "…you may be the chief, but when it comes to your health, it would be wise for you to listen to me"
Again, Hiccup knew arguing would not work, so gradually he slipped off the bed, using the wall to support himself as he walked towards the door. Hiccup stepped out of the healers' house as the sun was beginning to rise as dawn broke. He sensed a change in the sky in the east due to the snow covered mountain tops becoming brighter. The gradual sunrise was truly beautiful as the sun peeked over the horizon.
After a few ginger steps out of the house, Hiccup was becoming more familiar on his feet. In fact, he felt almost no pain at all from the arrow wound.
The sky was pink like a sea of cotton candy, with the light of the sun colouring the clouds above with a pinkish hue. As the sun slowly ascended, the sky in the west became deep neon blue as the light reached further out. Hiccup loved the morning, the sun not yet hot, the nigh dew still clinging to the ground, making it glisten and sparkling in the morning light. Birds would sing to each other through the trees, and the honey bees were already at work.
Hiccup would often spend hours staring into the sky, whether on foot or from the back of his dragon…..
"Oh my gods, Toothless?!"
Hiccup almost felt guilty as the revelation that he had practically ignored his best friend all night hit him. He turned a full circle looking for his friend, but the Night Fury was nowhere to be seen.
"Toothless?" he called quietly, listening for a few moments at the almost silence of the village. But soon, he heard the familiar thud of footsteps approach, as his dragon reared round the corner of a nearby hut, bounding towards him in excitement.
"Hey bud, I'm glad to see you….."
OPPPHHH
Hiccup thudded hard into the ground, landing squarely on his back. Small amounts of dust swirled up into the air, covering his already dirty clothes. Hiccup shook his head, rubbing his eyes as he tried to sit up, only to be greeted by a giant wet tongue licking his face.
"GAHHH, TOOTHLESS!" Hiccup laughed. Toothless continued to lick Hiccup, covering his face and hair in copious amounts of saliva. Hiccup did his best to shield himself, but his dragon was determined to cover him from head to toe.
Hiccup dug his heel into the ground and pushed off hard, rolling backwards and away from his dragons' slobbery onslaught. Picking himself up off the ground, his hair stuck to his face, Hiccup flailed his arms, trying to get as much drool of his as possible.
"You know that doesn't wash out!"
Toothless merely gurgled in amusement. Hiccup looked around for anything he could use to wipe the saliva of his face, and spotted a few rags hanging from the porch of the healers' house. Grabbing one of them, he wiped his face clean and did his best to dry out his hair, but he was definitely going to need a wash later. Hiccup shot his dragon a look of annoyance, but also of slight happiness. He was glad his friend was okay, he wasn't quite sure what had happened after he had been hit with the arrow.
"Well I'm glad to see you're okay bud" Hiccup smiled, patting his dragon on the head. Toothless nuzzled his head against Hiccups hand, emitting a low satisfied growl. Hiccup looked around for any sign of Astrid, his mother or his friends, but all he saw was furrowed brows. The whole island was still in slight shock from the previous day's events, a huge fleet of Berserker ships bearing down on your home is enough to give anyone the jitters.
Looking around, Hiccup could see most of the men carrying large planks of wood from the mill at the edge of the woods, through the square and towards the docks, eager to being to begin the repair work. If the Berserker fleet returned, they would need their ships and sea defences ready. Hiccup made himself a little mental note to make sure he went and checked on that later. The youngest children continued to laugh and play as they always did, oblivious to the fact that their homes may be in grave danger. A small smile crept across Hiccups face at their naivety, one of the joys of youth he guessed, to be able to carry on as normal no matter what was going on in the world. The elder kids and the women huddled in small groups, quietly discussing what had happened the previous day. He never normally eavesdropped on any ones conversations, but Hiccup was sure he overheard them mention something about a strange man in a hooded robe.
Toothless gave Hiccup a gentle nudge with his snout, encouraging Hiccup to start walking. Hiccup looked down at his dragon, a small glint in his eyes that Hiccup had never seen before. For a moment, he almost thought that Toothless was trying to speak to him
"No that's crazy, dragons can't talk…" Hiccup thought to himself "…but then again, so much crazy stuff has happened lately"
Taking small, ginger steps, Hiccup started his walk through the village, Toothless following closely at his heels. A small twinge still emitted through his leg with each step, but the pain was not nearly as great as it had been the previous day, Elina truly was an excellent healer. The pair passed group after group of people, a few acknowledging them, but most keeping themselves huddled. Hiccup hated seeing his people live in such fear, and he was determined to set things right. It was his duty as chief, to keep them safe, he had done it before, and he knew he could do it again.
It didn't take long for Hiccup and Toothless to reach the front porch of their home. Hiccup led his dragon companion round the side of the house to the large dragon pen that he had constructed only a few short months ago. Toothless bounded into the pen, heading straight for the feeding station, gulping down fish after fish.
"Who, slow down buddy, you don't want to make yourself ill again"
Toothless however was far to occupied with his breakfast, and continued to swallow down the fish in large quantities. Hiccup decided it would be best to leave his friend to enjoy his meal, walking back out of the pen to his front door, pushing it open with a small creak.
"Astrid, I'm home…" Hiccup closed the door before turning back into the main room, "…I know you said you come to the healers this morning but….."
Hiccup stopped midway through his sentence. Astrid, Valka, Gobber and his friends were all seated in the chairs scattered across the living room. Thorin stood close to the window, small waves of smoke drifting from his pipe. Hiccup saw that they all had the same expression on their faces, one of extreme worry.
"Uh….what's going on guys?" asked Hiccup, looking from Astrid to his mother and back. Astrid pushed herself up of the couch, walked over to Hiccup and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a close embrace. Hiccup was quick to replicate the hug, holding Astrid close to him, taking in the strawberry scent of her hair.
"Hiccup, we…need to talk to you"
Astrid motioned to an empty chair at the head of the room. Hiccup gave her a quizzing look before hobbling to the chair and taking his seat. Astrid sat on the arm of the chair next to him, putting her arm around his shoulder. Gobber was sat in a chair directly opposite, and took a long deep breath before speaking.
"Look, Thorin came to see us all last night after we left the healers. He told us everything, and…..as much as it pains me to say this….but you have to go with him"
"What? No, I can't leave"
"Hiccup, you have to see the bigger picture here, the world is in danger and you are the only one who can save it"
"No, I won't just abandon my people…" Hiccup retorted, quickly rising from his chair "…we were just attacked by Berserkers, and if they come back, I need to be here"
"We know you don't want to leave Hiccup, but we really don't see any other choice" said Valka, who had also risen from her seat. Astrid took Hiccups hand, giving it a gentle reassuring squeeze.
"You don't understand guys, I can't just go"
Thorin extinguished his pipe, wafting the last few waves of smoke out of the window.
"Hiccup; there is someone you must speak with"
Thorin motioned his hand towards the stairs. Hiccup stared at his brother, unsure of whether to follow him. Glancing a quick look to Astrid, who also nodded her head towards the stair, he began to walk towards Thorin, who had already begun to ascend the stairs. Using the wooden rails to support his weight, Hiccup followed Thorin to the upper levels of the house, along the corridor towards the spare bedroom. Pushing open the door, Hiccup saw two men in the dark robes standing beside the bed. Lying on the bed was an old man, a strip of cloth covering his eyes.
"Hiccup, this is Mecius Vunnis, go Mecius, tell him what he needs to hear"
The old man turned his head at the mention of his voice. Hiccup cautiously approached, the two other hooded men standing aside to allow him to approach the old man.
"Ah, so this is the one…" The old man spoke with a very raspy voice, struggling to get the words out "…please come closer"
Hiccup dropped to a knee next to Mecius
"I do not have much time left. I have grown old, and ill, and my time is almost at an end. Before I leave this earth, there is something you must know. Many years ago, I lived in a land far from here as a Moth Priest. My Job was simple, to read and decipher a group of ancient artefacts, known as the Elder Scrolls, for the empire that ruled the land. These scrolls of unknown origin, contained our worlds past, present and future…"
"What is he talking about?" Hiccup asked, looking up at Thorin.
"Please Hiccup, let him speak"
Hiccup glared at his brother in annoyance, before turning back to Mecius.
"…reading these scrolls is a dangerous task, even for a Moth Priest like myself, and I with my gift, served the empire with pride. One day, I met my wife, and I decided to leave the dangerous life of a Moth priest behind to raise my family, and live a normal life. Years later…after my wife had…passed away…."
Mecius took a deep gulp, desperately trying to relieve the lump in his throat.
"…I received a letter from Emperor Titus Mead II himself, summoning me to the white tower once again. The Emperor required my skills to read one last Elder Scroll, one that prophesied the destruction of our world. Refusing the summoning of the Emperor was not an option, so I undertook one last dangerous assignment as a Moth priest. But as I was travelling with some companions to the Imperial city, we were ambushed"
Hiccup stared intently at the old man, hanging on his every word.
"You were ambushed, by who? Asked the young chief
"They took us on a ship, across the sea to their homeland. I know not what it was called, but they imprisoned us, tortured us. I was the only one to survive. Their leader is a cruel man, with eyes as a black as night, and a soul to match. His men, called him Dagur"
Hiccup's eyes narrowed, his fist clenched in anger at the mere mention of that name.
"Dagur" he growled
"Yes, he found and took the Elder scroll. I was brought before him, and forced to read the scroll for him. Amid the chaos that the prophecy foretold, I saw…..you"
Hiccups jaw almost dropped to the floor.
"What?" he asked, his voice almost at a whisper
"I saw you, as the ray of light in the darkness, and for a split second, I lost focus in my reading. The consequence was my loss of vision. When Dagur asked me what I had seen, I tried to hide it, but his methods of interrogation broke me. He knows about you, and he knows what you are. That man has a lust for power and control, and he will not rest until he achieves his goal, which means, he will never stop hunting you. He believes that the Elder Scrolls grant power, but this is not true. I tried to explain, but his arrogance blinded him to the truth. Dark times are coming, and the Elder Scrolls see that you are the key to stop the destruction that lies ahead."
The room was then silent, no one wanting to be the first to speak. Hiccup remained on his knee, staring blankly at the floor. How could any of this be real, why did it involve him, and more importantly, what was he to do next. Lifting his gaze, Hiccup looked to Thorin and his companions, his eyes almost crying out for one of them to say something, anything, but the three remained silent. His gaze slowly returned to the ground, not sure where he should look next.
"This can't be real, how do I know that any of this is true"
"Look in that box over there"
Hiccup looked across the room, where an old, rusty, dirt covered chest sat. Getting back to his feet, Hiccup walked across the chest, placing his hand upon the latch. Carefully, he lifted the lid of the chest, and what was inside almost took his breath away. A gold glimmer came from the large object inside the box. Gem stones and carvings sparkled in the early morning light coming through the windows. Hiccup had never seen anything like it before.
"An Elder Scroll" he whispered to himself, resisting the temptation to reach in a touch it. "What must I do?" he asked.
"You will soon learn the role that you are to play, but now, you must go with Thorin. You must travel with him to our homeland. That is where your destiny lies. Promise me; promise me that you will go with him"
Hiccup paused for a moment, closing the lid of the chest, getting to his feet and turning to face the three men.
"I will go with you Thorin"
Thorin nodded in approval to Hiccup.
"Thank you, you will bring peace to our world, goodbye my friends, for now, I will see you in Sovngarde"
Mecius head flopped back against the pillow of the bed, his hand fell limp at his side, exhaling a long breath, before he became completely still. Hiccup dashed to his side, grabbing his hand, which had become ice cold. He pressed his fingers against the old man's neck, but he could not find a pulse. Thorin stepped forward, placing a steady hand on Hiccups shoulder.
"He is at peace now Hiccup. We leave at dawn tomorrow"
Hiccup placed Mecius hands across his chest, his eyes never leaving the body. Thorin motioned to the other men in the room, who walked over the Mecius lifeless body, and began wrapping him inside the furs that lay across the bed.
"We should prepare a funeral pyre"
"No" replied Thorin, "we will take his body back with us. He would have wanted to be laid to rest in his homeland"
Hiccup nodded
"So, where exactly are we going?"
Thorin took his hand from his brothers' shoulder and walked over to the window. After staring out of the window for a few moments, he turned back to Hiccup.
"Skyrim"
Hey guys, so sorry for taking so long to get another chapter up, I had so many different thoughts about where to end this chapter, but decided this would be a good stopping point. Thank you to everyone who has commented and liked the story so far. The next chapter will detail the start Hiccups journey to Skyrim, what plot twist await him, who knows? Credit for the scenes involving Mecius and Hiccup have to go to Yong Yea, an amazing video maker. The scene was inspired from his Dragonborn Part I movie, so go check him out at user/YongYea