But as his eyes drifted closed he heard someone shout. "BACK! BACK YOU ABONIATIONS! BACK!" his whole body ached but he managed to lift his head up an inch or so to see who was shouting. A man stood in front of him. the man wore a set of what looked like heavy battle plate armor, with a large cross carved into the back. His head was covered in a helmet, and in his hands he clutched a shield that had been fashioned to look like a cross, while in the other hand he clutched a large broad sword. Hiccup watched as the stranger took a step forward and swung his sword at the librarians who scurried away. But his vision was fading now, even as he fought for consciousness he watched as the stranger turned and looked at him. as he blacked out he heard Rowena speak. "faith…..what are you doing here?"

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CHAPTER 11

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Slowly Hiccup felt feeling return to his body. After a moment he became aware of people speaking. "so he's the one huh? The new dragon night high priest?" after a moment Rowena's voice responded. "yes. He'll be the new priest if he passes these tests." "that seems to be a big if." "really? Doubting your own powers?" "no. the fact that's he's already awake is proof enough." Sitting up Hiccup opened his eyes and looked around. The librarians were gone. Now he sat on the ground, his clothes magically mended. In front of him the strange figure from before was leaning over him. "rest easy warrior, the minions of ignorance are gone." Hiccup's hands instantly went to his leg; where he had been stabbed. "you're wounds have been healed. But we not the time to examine you further. Come we must leave before ignorance sends more minions." Staggering to his feet hiccup slowly fell into line behind the stranger who guided them through the large maze of shelves and dusty tomes as though he had lived there his whole life. As they walked hiccup spoke. "who are you?" the stranger shook his helmeted head. "my mortal named died many lifetimes ago. Now I'm only called faith." Behind hiccup Rowena spoke. "just as there are curse lords there are virtuous lords. Being that represent the gifts of humanity. Faith is the virtue lord to ignorance." hiccup nodded.

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"ok. I think I understand." In front of him faith spoke. "few humans have ever seen me. And those who have often are in awe. It is nice to be able to talk to someone without them thinking I'm giving them a mission from on high. Tell me hiccup do you have faith?" hiccup stopped for a fraction of a step. "I'm….. I have faith in my task and that what I'm doing is the right thing." Faith nodded. "as you should. But know this. Faith just like anything else can be twisted and made monstrous. It must always be kept in check." Behind them hiccup heard Rowena scoff. "it's drivel. The ramblings of senile old fools trying to justify a lifetime consumed with the rape, murder and torture of their follow humans." Faith stopped and turned to Rowena. "those men don't have faith not true faith. Faith is not demonstrated by acting in its name or my reciting a list of supposedly holy names. Faith is demonstrated through acceptance. Complete and whole hearted acceptance of the maker's promise of a better world. That is what true faith is." Silence fell between them; for a moment before faith turned and they continued walking. "Hiccup, faith can raise people up from the darkest pits. It can also condemn them to those same pits. But this is neither the time nor the place. Look, up a head."

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Tilting his head slightly hiccup watched as they came to a large lake. On either side of the lake bookshelves created a kind of shoreline. "the attenuator for water is in the middle of this lake. I can help you reach it, but past that and I can offer no more assistance." Hiccup nodded and watched as faith unsheathed his sword and plunged it into the ground. Kneeling behind the sword hiccup watched as faith brought his hands together and bowed his head. A moment later he began speaking in a hushed tone and in a tongue that hiccup didn't understand. A moment later however hiccup had to grab one of the shelves as the ground shook. Ripples began to spread across the surface of the water, even as he watched the ripples became stronger and stronger until they were no longer ripples but waves. Then all at once faith stood up. Hiccup watched amazed as the water in the lake became perfectly smooth for a fraction of a second. Then all at once the water fountained upwards in a massive geyser of water in the middle of the lake. But even as hiccup watched stunned the geyser began to split apart, as before his very eyes hiccup watched the lake part, exposing a path of submerged bookcases for them to walk on. Turning to them faith spoke. "this is where I leave you. Ignorance is a powerful enemy, but fo the first time in a long time he might have met his match in you." Hiccup nodded. "thank you….i'm sorry but what is your mortal name?"

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Faith smiled. "if you truly wish to know of my time on the mortal plain you may look up my adventures, I wrote them all down. I believe humans call the story…..The divine comedy. As for my human name….it is….Dante… Dante Alighieri." Hiccup smiled. "thank you Dante." Dante nodded. "now go hiccup." And with that Dante simply faded away until hiccup and Rowena were left alone. Stepping forward hiccup hesitantly tested his weight on one of the bookcases that made up the path in front of them. Once he was sure it was secure, he began forward. For the most part he and Rowena walked in silence. As it was hiccup didn't think he would say much. He was too busy looking at the walls of water that towered on either side of him. Every now and then a hazy shadow on the other side of the water would catch his attention; as though some great beast was just on the other side of the water. But soon enough hiccup felt his foot connect with 'land'. Looking up hiccup felt his heart rate peak slightly as above him another attenuator towered over him. Behind him Rowena spoke. "the attenuator of water. Know this hiccup this one is different. This one will require you to make a choice. Water can both be constructive and destructive. So you will have to choose. Will you use the water to heal? Or will you use it to destroy? The choice is yours to make."

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Hiccup nodded and stepped forward onto a large pedestal in front of the attenuator. At once water rushed up surrounding the pedestal. Hiccup watched as again the water fountained upwards. But this time when the water split each part was different. To hiccup's right the water churned and bubbled, in an angry frenzy; as though whipped about by some furious storm. To hiccup's left the water bubbled, and swirled in a less violent manner. As though the water of a hot spring. Behind him Rowena spoke. "Choose hiccup." Hiccup nodded and stepped forward. Reaching his hand out hiccup felt his fingers connect with the slowly bubbling and swirling water. Almost at once the water reacted. Drenching hiccup's arm and wrapping itself around his limb as though it were alive. In fear hiccup tried to pull his arm away but found it was caught by the water's grip. Fearful hiccup watched as the water continued to bubble. However unlike before now the bubbles did not bubble upward to the surface but instead against his skin. Then all at once the water dropped back down to the ground, releasing his arm and slipping back into the lake.

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Behind him Rowena spoke. "the touch of water is a powerful healing technique that will save most from death. But know this; it will come with a price. Each time you heal someone you'll become weaker for a time. Use it wisely. But come now. A new path is open to us; and we have little time to waste." Turning hiccup found that indeed the water had seeped away and now a new path lay out in front of them. Falling in line behind Rowena hiccup continued on the path. They had been walking for a few hours when hiccup noticed something. The dust on the books seemed to be getting thicker. Indeed when he reached down to touch the dust it had the same feeling of dirt. "The attenuator of earth is next. It's by far the simplest one. No choice to make, no fancy little test to get to it. Touch it and receive it's gift." Stepped out of the large passage hiccup stood for a moment looking around him. They were standing on a hillside. Turning around hiccup gazed out over the maze of bookshelves they had come across. Far off in the distance he could just make out a beam of light coming in from the hole they had punched through the roof of the large cavernous world. Turning back around hiccup slowly began to make his way up the hill to the top where another attenuator stood.

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Reaching forward hiccup felt his fingers graze the cold stone surface of the ancient artifact. Almost at once hiccup felt the earth under him shift. Looking down he watched as the dirt he was standing on began to move on it's own. This time hiccup watched fascinated as the dirt began to crawl up his legs forming a kind of second skin. "Earth is tough, unyielding. It's perfect for creating armor. But come we have 2 more attenuators to find." Walking through the dusty passages hiccup looked up. In front of them a large structure seemed to look out from the shadows. In front of him Rowena spoke. "Ignorance's fortress. Only a fool would attack it head on. Lucky for us we're not attacking." Hiccup nodded and watched as they emerged into another large clearing. In front of them 2 passages, stood waiting. Rowena turned to him. "now hiccup you must choose. The final 2 elements cannot be learned by the same person. You must choose which to learn. The passage on the right will take you to the attenuator of lightning. And the passage on the left will take you to the attenuator of wood. But know this. This choice is more important than any one you have made before now."

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"Lightning is force. Pure force, it destroys anything it touches, and anything I can't destroy it damages beyond repair." Hiccup nodded. He'd seen how dangerous lightening strikes could be after a large storm. How it could fuse sand into glass and split massive trees in half like they were twigs. "wood is an artist's friend. It is the main building block of your human world. Even the tiniest root can make a great wall crumble to dust with time. And now you must choose. Wood, or lightning?"

AN: OK FOLKS. I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG TO GET OUT.

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I GET SIDE TRACKED WITH OTHER STORIES. AND I JUST LOOSE TRACK OF THIS ONE. SORRY.

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HOPEFULLY EVERYONE IS STILL ENJOYING THE STORY.

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SO WHAT WILL HICCUP LEARN? LIGHTNING OR WOOD?

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THE VOTING WILL GO UNTIL NEXT WEEK. AND THEN I PROMISE I'LL START WRITING THE CHAPTER.

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IF YOU REALLY WANNA THANK SOMEONE THANK 'DRAGONRIDER453' HE WROTE ME EVERY DAY FOR THE PAST 3 MONTHS ASKIN ABOUT THIS STORY. SO IT'S BECAUSE OF HIM THAT I STARTED WRITING IN THIS AGAIN.

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SEE YOU ALL IN THE NEXT CHAPTER.