It was a nice May spring day on Berk as Nissa enjoyed flying high in the sky above the island. She was too high to be spotted by any of its inhabitants. Normally she wasn't her so late in the spring. Hiccup's birthday was in February and the date they met was the second week of April. Normally, she had to quickly return for the final weeks of school and exams. This year, she had taken her exams early in order to spend the month of spring with her recruit.
Spinning around in the air she stretched her wings to the limits before pulling them in and free falling towards the ground. Faster and faster she fell until she was near spotting difference. Spreading her wings wide she caught a thermal and was pushed back up high into the sky. "Now that was fun! I really pulled that move off. I've gotten way better since the exams. Time to get back to the cove."
She came around the backway getting smaller and smaller before landing on a tree branch. Turning completely back to human, she followed the path until she was back inside the cove. Heading to her small cave, she stopped dead in her tracks. Somebody was in her cave and she recognized the person instantly. "Arkin what are you doing here?!" she yelled angrily. She entered the cave glaring at her cousin in anger. This place was her refuge. The place that held the memories of Captain Livis alive and well. Where she kept her treasures from Hiccup and was free of any responsibility for a time.
The older boy held up his hands asking her to calm down. He was giving her as much space as possible. Arkin slowly maneuvered himself until he was at the entrance of the cave and Nissa in the back next to her things. He opened his Dragon Heart trying to get her to acknowledge him. "I didn't come here to ruin your alone time. I'm trying to make amends," he told her. He stood there looking down before showing her he didn't have any weapons on him. The look in his eyes said his dragon was not going to come out. In a way he was surrendering to her.
She looked at him skeptically, unsure what to do. The last five years had been awkward between them. Whenever she saw him he was being rebellious or causing problems. Then there was that year he hurt her while under a curse. Maybe he grown out of it. He recently turned a hundred and twenty one back on the spring equinox. He might really be sincere this time.
Linking their Dragon Hearts, she entered his mindscape. Unlike the last time she entered his mindscape his mind was calm. She found herself in his bedroom. He sat on his bed gesturing for her to sit down next to him. Taking a deep breath, she lowered herself onto the bed. "You said you wanted to make amends."
Arkin nodded as he looked at the floor. Taking a deep breath, he started to talk as the ceiling transformed to convey memory and feeling. "I've been a real dunce these last few years. I've caused a lot of grief and trouble, especially to my family." Nissa nodded in confirmation. Reaching up towards the ceiling, she pulled down a wisp of memory, holding it in her palm. A single memory played.
Arkin and she were in the market place, looking for a new weapon to add to her mom's collection for her birthday. A recent shipment, found in a sea wreck, offered up some rusted swords and some hooks for sale. "One of these, should look great in mom's collection. I think she'll like this hook," Nissa's past self said, showing her cousin a small longshoremen hook. Generally used for labor it could be used as a defensive weapon to protect its owner.
Arkin snatched the hook from her hands and started playing around with it. "This tiny hook could do damage? Hah, the ones we use are much better than this! Maybe your mom can use it for a decoration." The owner and princess both told him to stop swinging that thing around before he hurt someone. Of course Arkin didn't listen as he swung the hook. It caught on the stand's supports. When he pulled it out, the whole thing came tumbling down. "Oops. Sorry."
Arkin watched as Nissa let go of that memory. It had taken the whole day to repair that stand. Once he gave the proprietor some coins for his trouble, he refused to sell his wares ever again to the Prince and Princess. He had ruin his aunt's birthday all because he wanted to avoid his responsibility. He hoped his emotions showed how sorry he was and that he understood the consequences of his actions now.
Nissa stood up and started to walk away before stopping. "It's not enough for you to say you're sorry or that you want to make amends. If you're truly sincere, then show everyone you hurt that you regret your actions." Nissa paced agitatedly trying to decide if she should leave or stay in his mind.
Arkin also was pacing. He knew he had to show he was sorry, but he didn't know how to make amends with some of the people he hurt badly. How do you earn forgiveness from someone you tortured for a year? Reaching into the ceiling he pulled down his own wisp of a memory. Holding it out he let it play. Hearing the sounds of laughter, his cousin turned to look at the memory.
It was of them, when they were children. They were playing hide and seek with their parents. The cousins laughed and giggled as they outsmarted their parents by hiding in places that their parents had already searched through. They did get caught and the whole family ended up in a heap of giggles and smiles.
"I know it was long ago and a lot has changed since that memory. Back then, life seemed so easy. Our royal duties hadn't even started yet." Letting go of the memory it floated back up to the ceiling. "I know I can't hold on to the past. I need to focus on the future. I need you show me the way. So what do you say Nissa? Help me out one last time?"
Nissa walked over and gave him a hug, the first real contact she had given him in a long time. "I forgive you Arkin. I'll help you find a way to make amends," she promised.
Nissa led the way to the village with Arkin in tow. Reaching the edge of the village, she boldly stepped out in the open. Arkin gasped pulling her back into the forest. "Are you crazy? You can't let the villagers see you!"Nissa shook his arm off and rolled her eyes. Arkin gave her a puzzling look before stepping back, unsure what to do next. His cousin sent him a ripple of annoyance and unhappiness. It was clear she was wondering if he really meant what he said earlier. He needed to trust in her that she knew what she was doing. Once more, she stepped out in the open and made her towards the village.
Their first stop was the forge. Silently, she made her way around the building keeping out of sight of Gobber as he repaired weapons. Bending down, she slid open a narrow door to the back part of the forge, Hiccup's private space. Once inside, she shushed her cousin. They couldn't make a sound right now. With ease, she found a hidden cubby and pulled out something inside. Arkin didn't get a good look at before they turned around and left.
The next place they went was the village square. Arkin hid behind some barrels as Nissa approached the square. He watched her anxiously as pulled her travel cloak over her head. Astonishingly, no one noticed her as she darted between the huge Vikings, snatching up food, a new blanket, and some other items. Once done, she slipped back in the shadows.
Now where did she go he thought? Someone tapped him on the shoulder startling him. It was Nissa, who was using her cloak like a basket. "This way, it's a shortcut." They went a few feet before coming to a house. There was a bench in the back that she used to the climb onto the roof. "Are you crazy?! Anyone can see you up there!" Arkin hissed at her.
"The Hooligan Tribe only looks up during a raid. The rest of the time, they're focused on the tasks at hand. Besides, their house heads provide cover." Reluctantly, Arkin followed her up. Swiftly, they traveled by roof top before jumping off one and landing in cart filled with used materials. Arkin nearly gagged on the smell of old boots as he kept pace with Nissa, who reached Hiccup's house. Without hesitation, she walked through the front door and into the home.
Frightened for her safety, Arkin followed after her, partially manifesting his weapons. When he got inside, he froze. There was no one in the house. He did hear sounds of someone coughing terribly upstairs, making hoarse sounds. "What's going on? How did you know that the house would be empty?" Arkin asked, as he watched his cousin assemble the items she took.
"Stoick's out chiefing right now, as much as wants to stay with Hiccup during his time of need," she commented offhandedly. "Gothi's at the annual Thing for healers and with no one available to assist, Hiccup has to suffer by himself for many hours. When I learned he came down with a case of Whispering Voice, (aka laryngitis), I knew I had to help." She started mixing the pouch of medicine that had been hidden there by Gothi, with the food she had snatched, to make a special broth. Arkin found himself making an invention to humidify the air with the blanket and spare parts Nissa had salvaged.
"How long have you known he was sick? Weeks? Is that why you took the exams early."
"I noticed his voice getting a bit weaker in my mirror. I checked with Healer Skerry if he knew what was going on, against my notes from my journeys. It didn't take long to figure it out." Once they were both finished, she headed up the stairs. Hiccup was curled up tight under his covers, making horrible noises. With his fever so high, he wasn't aware that they were actually there. When Hiccup got sick, he lost all touch with reality.
The two cousins set to work. Arkin set up his primitive humidifier next to the bed and cranked the handle. The ice in the box, got chopped then liquefied. A quick burst of heat and the mist coated the blanket that turned towards the beds, allowing the air to humidify. The hoarse sounds started to get a bit weaker, as Hiccup took a gulp of cold air. "I've set it to work for about an hour. I hope that's enough to soothe his throat pain."
Nissa nodded as she aroused the boy enough to get the medicine inside him. He coughed a bit, nearly gagging on the broth. Softly she hummed a song her parents taught her, using a cold compress to bring his fever down. "Don't try to talk. You'll lose your voice like Silent Sven, if you try to talk while you're sick." Hiccup drowsily nodded as he fell back to sleep. "Hopefully the Whispering Voice, will pass soon. Hiccup's a tough kid."
Arkin nodded, taking a closer look at the boy he once healed. Even in his weakened state, the prince noted the boy's strong will. He was using all his strength to combat the sickness. His physique made him faster than anyone on the island. A quick spell showed that his magic potential was enormous, all it needed was the right catalyst to channel it. "I understand now, why he's precious to you."
Nissa nodded, as she smiled at the boy. "Helping others out in the time of need, shows how much you care. Livis and I once had to nurse Hiccup when he was little, after he got exposed to the cold." She squeezed her eyes shut as she recalled that long ago memory. Without any real thought, she stroked Hiccup's hair, sending the memory and emotions into his mind. Instantly, his face relaxed and he smiled in his sleep. He mouthed his big sister's name.
They both stayed with Hiccup as long as they could, before taking off back towards the cove, once Stoick was home. Signs of the old Stoick returned as he took care of his son, being there when Hiccup needed it. The next two weeks, continued like this. When Stoick was gone, the cousins would attend to him using their methods to ease the pain and help Hiccup heal. When Stoick came home, they vanished without a trace. When Hiccup finally woke up and tried talking, his voice was perfectly normal.
Once the cousins had returned to Xanadu, Prince Arkin had to explain why he left the safety of the island, without permission or his Honor Guard. As suspect, Queen Rayna, was less than pleased with him at risking his life in such a foolish manner. King Aksel was pleased to hear that his son was trying to make amends for his actions these past few years.
"A good leader knows when he makes a mistake. No matter how much time has passed, you can still make amends. It just make take more effort, than you think," his father advise him. Rubbing his chin, he thought long and hard about how son should go about fixing what he broke. At last he had an answer.
Pointing his scepter at his son, he made a degree. "Prince Arkin Skandi, I hereby decree that for one entire year that you not only make amends to those you hurt, but also go beyond that, by doing something extraordinarily nice." Arkin nodded and started to rise only for his father to tap his scepter indicating there was more to be said. "Along with your regular duties, you will join the family in activities, including meals, training ect. During this time when you're working, you will dress the part of the person you're helping, not as a prince. Only those you're helping can express when you've done enough. Then you can move on to the next person." Both parents agreed to enforce this and that he could start the first thing in the morning, by helping some of the staff out.
The next morning Arkin reported for duty in the kitchens. He was assigned to help prepare the morning meal for the family. After all, he'd been nasty to everyone at one point during his rebellion. Dressing the part of a servant was a bit humiliating. He didn't know how Nissa did this during their cursed year without complaining. Taking a deep breath he entered the kitchen with his head lowered. "Prince, I mean Arkin reporting for duty."
"What took you so long?" his cousin's voice asked. Shocked, he looked up startled to see his cousin in a basic tunic, her hair tied in braid, helping wash the fruit for the morning meal. Silas smiled at the girl. "Keep it up. I need those fruits to be extra clean. I'm glad you decided to come down this morning to assist us. I couldn't have finished preparing the meat sticks for breakfast." Silas squeezed Nissa's shoulder before turning to the prince. "Follow me, Arkin. I'll need your help with preparing the meat sticks."
Arkin fell in line, as Silas anticipated his question. "Your cousin is a kind soul. No matter how busy she gets or feeling down, she's always willing to help out the staff. Before she left, she even helped my daughter out with her homework." Arkin nodded as they arrived at the stove. The smell of fresh Great Bustard cooking mixed with strips of fish wrapped around them. "I need you to stoke the fire a bit, then find me something to increase the flavor.
Arkin did as he was told, slowly increasing the temperature of the stove until it reached the heat level Silas wanted. Careful not to trip over anyone, Arkin found a cupboard where special seasonings were stored. Most of them had only been used for special occasions, considering how rare and difficult, it was to purchase them from trade ships. Searching the shelves, he pulled out a small bottle filled with a little nectar soaking some cream colored petals, with a tiny bit of a blue green leaf inside. "What is this? How is this a seasoning?"
"Because it's an extract of the different parts of the Cretan Date Tree, minus the date," Nissa explained. She had finished washing the fruit and decided to help her cousin out. "If you carefully mix the parts together and age it, you can produce a unique flavor; something sweet with a bit of crunch. A seasoning like this is used once in a while, on special occasions mostly."
I guess today is a special occasion. It's the first time I've helped make breakfast. Silas was still cooking the meat sticks when Arkin returned. Carefully, he let a teeny drop land on the meats before capping it closed. Hopefully, his mom would love the meat sticks. Once he finished with that, Nissa needed his help with getting fresh water for the staff. He would lower and raise the bucket at the well as Nissa filled small glasses and took them inside. After working so hard, everyone needed to cool down.
At last the meal was prepared. The cousins delivered it personally to their parents who complimented their children for working so hard. After eating the meal Queen Rayna decreed it as the best meal she ever had. "I'm very proud of you Arkin. Your first day at work, and already your helping out with the food."
Arkin blushed, embarrassed to be receiving so much praise. "I really didn't do much, just followed orders really. If you want to give credit to someone, you should be praising Nissa. Without her, I wouldn't have known my way around the kitchen." Queen Rayna's right eyebrow raised in surprise. Turning to her sister and brother in law, neither seemed to be in shock at learning their daughter had assisted in the preparation of the meal. "Color me surprise, I didn't think you enjoyed helping out in the kitchens."
Nissa face flushed, stabbing her fruit salad. Ola responded to her sister's inquiry. "Helping others is always enjoyable. Remember the times when we were little and snuck into the kitchen for dessert?" Both sisters laughed and the meal continued uninterrupted.
Two and half months later on Berk, Hiccup was determined today was the day he would earn some respect from his peers. Like Fishlegs before her, Astrid stopped hanging out with him. The young heir's heart felt like it was broken in half. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to show the others I'm worth more than I appear." Glancing around, he heard Gobber snoring as he took his mid afternoon nap. He wouldn't be up for at least an hour. Taking a deep breath, Hiccup left the safety of the forge looking for the others.
After searching for nearly a half hour, Hiccup managed to find them. They had gathered on the beach combing for any dragon related items. It wasn't that uncommon to find bits of dragons, sometimes an entire carcass that the village could use to improve their defenses. Snotlout was claiming he was in charge over Astrid's objections. The twins had started to dig into the sand searching for who knew what as Fishlegs sat on the rocks, too afraid to get involved with the arguing.
"Look babe, I'm the perfect Viking specimen so I should be the one in charge. Besides, I'm a natural born leader," Snotlout boasted puffing out his chest and kissing his muscles. Astrid rolled her and stomped on his foot. "Yeah a real leader could handle the pain instead of hopping around like a baby."
"Um, could we please get back to work? The chief said our job was really important."
"Job? What is Fishlegs talking about? I thought we came to wreck the beach?"
"Idiot, we came to look for trophies on the beach!"
Hiccup decided to announce his presences known. He walked right up to the group. "Hi everyone. I heard you got assigned to look for dragon parts. So I came to help."
Snotlout snorted. "Why would we need your help Useless? We don't need your cursed luck around here. Why don't you go back to forge where you belong?" He then shoved Hiccup face first into the sand. Before he could plant his boot on his back, his cousin rolled out of the way and stood up. Snotlout opened his mouth to insult Hiccup, but stopped. For a second he swore a black dragon roaring angrily took the place of his cousin. When he blinked, Hiccup stood there.
Astrid took advantage of the silence and took charge. She started giving out orders assigning pairs and telling them where to search. Hiccup ended up following her as they looked in the sea caves.
"Thank you for making me your partner."
"I only did it because at least with me, you'll stay focused." Astrid didn't look behind her so she didn't see Hiccup's face crumble a bit. Finally they reached a sea cave. Hiccup, who had brought a small lantern, lit it. Together the two of them entered the sea cave.
The dank smell of wet rock filled the air. The two of them walked through the cave scanning around, searching for something. After a few minutes Astrid grabbed his arm and yanked it down. "Dried blood, looks to be a week old. Stay behind me."
The two preceded forward with caution. Dried blood wasn't a sure sign something was dead. Astrid had her axe out ready to kill anything that got in her way. Twisting her head back, she studied Hiccup. He seemed rather calm, not a sign of fear on his face. Good, he's finally learning to be a Viking she thought.
On the inside, Hiccup was very afraid. If the injured dragon was still alive, could he stand his ground and fight? Please Nissa, I know you're not real, but please protect me. Approaching a bend in the cave, a light flash of blue appeared in the corner of right eye. Pausing, he peered into the darkness and saw another flash. Leaving Astrid behind, he followed the light.
"Hiccup come back here!" Astrid hissed in annoyance. Debating for a second, she grunted before following Hiccup. "You better have a good reason for this Haddock." Hiccup ran faster than anyone their age, but she was a close second.
Ahead of her, Hiccup followed the light. "What is that light? Its acting like it's alive. How can that be?" he whispered as he continued his pursuit. The blue light changed to yellow lighting up the entire passage. Seeing a hole in the floor he stopped. The light changed again, turning orange as it showed him a path around the hole.
"Hiccup! Wait!" Astrid shouted angrily. She was about to lecture him when she saw the strange light flickering. "What is that?"
Hiccup shrugged, "I don't know, maybe it's a dragon's flame or magic ball of light. Either way, it wants us to follow it." Taking a deep breath, he continued on the path around the hole, Astrid hot on his heels. She touched his shoulder. "Are you sure we should be following that thing? It could be a trap from a new species of dragon to catch us."
Hiccup paused for a moment, then pressed forward, making sure to keep one hand on the wall. "I don't think so. Don't ask me how, I just know that the light isn't a trap." The due continued the light as it changed to green. The light fell upon them. Both of them felt like something was messing with their heads. An image of cavern filled with discarded scales appeared in their minds. Whispering to one another they confirmed what they saw.
The light turned red as they entered a cavern. "I don't believe it! Look at all these scales!" Astrid exclaimed. Piles and piles of scales littered the ground, each of them from different types of dragons. Hiccup picked up one and examined it. "They're in excellent condition. If we take these to Gobber, he can dragon resistant weapons and armor."
"How do we get all these scales out of here and to the forge?" Both gasped as the flash of light, purple this time, spiraled around them and up to the ceiling. There was a path that led to an opening. Both of them followed the path emerging just outside the village. "I can't believe it! This horde of scales was right underneath the village the whole time. Can you get my dad and Gobber? I'm going to start bringing up piles of scales."
Astrid nodded and did what he said, remembering to give Hiccup all the credit and not mentioning the strange light. None of the other pairs had found anything and ended up helping excavate the cavern. Stoick was proud of his son and the whole village gave him praise. Even Snotlout looked at him respectfully. Thanks Nissa, for giving me the courage I needed to find these scales.
About three months later; Arkin had finished making amends to the entire castle. He also had made progress with the mythos, apologizing for disturbing their half of the island. Today, he was going to work on making amends to the entire city, starting Science Institute and making his way down the ladder so to speak. "Got to hurry, can't be late today. I'm lucky today Dad's participating in the annual deep dive hunt. I don't think I could handle him watching me so closely."
He stopped and smacked himself on the forehead. He reached up on his head and removed his crown. "I can't wear this. It's a symbol of my royalty. I better take it back to my room." Turning around, he headed back to his room which was just past his parents. The door was slightly open and he was surprised to hear his mom talking to herself. "That's weird, mom never does that. I wonder if she's okay."
Just before his hand reached the door, he heard another female voice. He could only make out a few words: destiny, future, heir, and he thought he heard the word princess, but couldn't be sure. I know it's rude to eavesdrop, but some part of me thinks I need to hear this." Slowly, he opened the door a tiny bit more so he could hear well. Taking a quick peak inside he saw his mother, talking with an elderly Khoziaik Lesa , (an elderly forest spirit), conversing with his mom. They were sitting on the cushions of a soft lounge. The forest spirit spoke in a bark and weathered tone. "As I have told you before Queen Rayna, I cannot see the future. All I can do is listen to this history of the forests and speak of what it says."
Rayna nodded as she picked up a cup of juice from a nearby table. "I understand Khoziaik. I am concerned for the future. I'm only looking for clues to help me understand the Oracle's prophecy." Hearing about the Oracle mentioned made Arkin's hair stand up. The ancient visionary reside on a mountain and lived in a special hut/cave. The citizens visited her once in their life when she summoned them. As soon as the summoned enter the residence, she would give the person a prophecy about their life in riddle form. It was up to the person to figure out what it meant. The only time the Oracle left her residence was the night before the coronation of a new ruler, to prophesize the new rulers reign.
Mom's trying to solve her prophecy? I didn't know she still hadn't figured it out Arkin's inner voice stated. Leaning a bit closer to the crack, he became hyper focus on the conversation. The forest spirit was speaking again. "Queen Rayna, only you can understand the meaning of your prophecy. While I can offer my wisdom, I cannot solve your prophecy."
Rayna stood up and walked around the room, she was very restless. "I've already figured out several things about my prophecy. Your talent and devotion shall make you a great ruler for many different people. A life of greatness awaits you, especially the family members yet to come. Joy, pleasure, and love strengthens your bonds to give you strength when your heart drops to the bottom of a chasm and madness invades. Tragic losses creates enemies as the one you love the most, is reborn in a second skin. Thy ties of family shall bring peace, as the one reborn rules the night and a banished light shall shine brightly in the day than before as your reign ends and hers begins."
The forest spirit reviewed the prophecy in her mind, listening to the words as she tried to understand them. "I sense you have unraveled the first part of your prophecy." Leaning back on the cushions she placed a bark covered finger in a cup of water, satisfying her thirst. "You're a great ruler and life has treated you greatly."
Queen Rayna nodded as she acknowledged her life was wonderful. She asked the wise spirit if anyone had ever avoided the rest of a prophecy from coming true. "I will not lose my family to some prophecy. I've done everything I can think of to protect my son and not let someone else take his birthright"
Arkin was puzzled, the prophecy spoke of the one she loved the most was reborn and ruled still. "Does she think it means I lose my life and will rule from beyond? What does that have to do with a banished light?" He reviewed the prophecy in his mind, but it just didn't make sense to him. The wise old forest spirit spoke up. No one had ever stopped a prophecy from coming true. Instead their efforts backfired and made them come true. The spirit warned the Queen that if she continued to try to avoid her prophecy, she would gain nothing except heartache.
Hearing the conversation end, Arkin hurried away. He hoped that his mother never learned that he eavesdrop on her. Whatever the prophecy meant, it could be the reason behind his mother's colder tendencies. If I figure out what the last part means, then I can figure out what she's been doing to prevent the prophecy from coming true.
High on the mountain, the Oracle sat and breathed in the sacred smoke. A scrying crystal stood on a small table. She used this to strengthen her powers and view the subjects of her prophecies. The crystal vibrate as the magical energy ran through it. Focusing all her power she conjured a visual. A picture of Hiccup appeared of him in his house sketching a picture only to be replaced by Stoick chiefing the village.
A wave of her hand and the vision changed. Princess Nissa was at the Recruiters building filling out some forms. Ola was at the forge watching her husband creating some glass. The King and Queen each doing their own thing. The prince helping out at the Science Institute as he made amends.
"All the players are where they should. Happiness reigns, but the first steps towards tragedy are on the horizon. Can all the players survive until the end?"
