And time froze for an eternity.
The horrible realization of metal on flesh to unbearable to be realized in the eyes of the Dragon Rider. The grimace on the creature's face in sickening detail as the dagger bore into the oh-so prized target. Everything in slow motion, frightened birds escaping the scene as fast as possible, yet at a snail's pace. Two uncertain allies too late to do anything on the road behind, if there were anything to be done. Shaking chains and fearful 'caw's permeate the dreadful silence.
With Hiccup's mind a light speed blur and joints stiff as iron-bark, he tried to snap something within himself and take action. He pushed his body out of it's stubborn grasp on paralyzing shock and pushed forward, a desperate thought of 'maybe it's not too late' the only last sliver of hope.
But the malicious creature vanishes, and a flash of grey light envelops the scene as Toothless falls to the ground. A ton of pure Fury collapses on itself, smiling, at peace.
Hiccup is a stark contrast, in the ruinous wreckage and bloodied ground, he screams at the Dragon to get up, wake up, please Toothless don't do this don't do it don't. Don't. Don't. And as his wails turn to whimpers and he lays his head and hands against the Drake, Astrid works her way over broken debris. Flustered, bewildered, struggling to make her way through the haze and avoid any loose wreckage. She attempts to make sense of the situation under the pressure of a dying, incredibly valuable dragon and it's hysterical other half.
She takes stock, years of fighting experience guiding her through the situation.
The coast is clear.
There's a blade in the dragon's neck, about half of it's length buried, from what she can see.
The healer appears beside her, and she looks questioningly for help. But Greisha looks calm and composed, as if she had seen this before a thousand times over. From her satchel she gathers a long wind of gauze, unravels it meticulously, pulls the blade from it's lodging and quickly covers the wound over, rolling the long bandage around Toothless' neck.
The unconscious Fury grumbles as she and Astrid manipulate his large head to fit the covering.
"No arteries were severed. A close call." But her hands are shaking, and with a pale complexion she sits down next to Toothless with Astrid and Hiccup still reeling from shock. The hybrid isn't completely convinced his dragon survived, so Greisha lays her hand on his and places it over the huge beast's nostrils. Warm air comforts his hand as the aged healer feels his scales and hums contemplation over the Hybrid's nature.
Time passes. The world revolves around the three as they sit on the worn, seemingly unused path dreading the possible arrival of scornful Daemons, waiting for the sleeping giant beside them to awake. Every now and then Hiccup inspects the bandage, rubs between Toothless' eyes, or finds reassurance with Greisha that his mate is recovering well.
Eventually she tires of this and asks Hiccup why he values the Night Fury so much if he thinks it is so weak as to die from a little cut.
"We had an Elder like you in Berk. A wise old healer... She knew healing magic." Hiccup is looking at the floor, examining blades of grass.
Astrid perks up, stops unconsciously sharpening her sword as she had been for the last hour. "I still remember the last time I saw her... I sprained my ankle, twisted it when I caught it in a hole by a tree trunk."
The hesitation she had felt at speaking freely with her two strange companions melted somewhat. At a time where they were still threatened by a vengeful injured daemon, she spoke of the past.
"Gothi had a strange way of talking. Half of the time it was with her staff, writing in the ground. But a lot of the time she could tell you a lot with her expressions as well. She did so much for us, carried the village as much as Stoick did."
"What happened? Why did you leave?" He's still looking down, and for all his newfound strength and courage Astrid can tell she still makes the Viking nervous. But the question pains her enough, all the horrible truths untold for so long... "I got scared, alright! I'm only human, Hiccup, and when I saw the opportunity to leave, I did. Spitelout's friend was going out on a trading run, and I used the chance to get out. Everyone knew the way things were going. We were never going to survive."
Hiccup looked up at the Viking woman, ruffled hair over her eyes and sweat dropping from her face. "Astrid I-" But she gets up and walks away before he can say anything, and he can see the teardrops falling onto the ground silently. For not the first time, he wishes Astrid would be a little more open.
When Toothless' eye snaps open it takes a while for the others to notice, wrapped up as they are in their own thoughts. He takes a few moments holding back a yawn to make sure everything is safe, sniffs the air and startles everyone with a massive yawn. He shifts his neck around, getting a feel for the bandage encompassing it. "That comfortable enough, Dragon?" Greisha asked. Toothless turns to her, surprised and asks Hiccup :You brought someone else along? What are you planning?:. Hiccup spins around from his daydreaming state and launches himself at the dragon, who recoils slightly.
:Yeah, I love you too, bud; Toothless chuckles, grinning a dragon grin.
Hiccup shakes his head. :Don't you ever scare me like that again, okay?:.
"Right." Astrid snaps. "We ready to go? I'm itching to move here and I think I have some idea what direction that little bastard went."
The Night Fury raises up and stretches, kneading his claws into the ground and arching his back. He growls low and ruffles his wings, ear plates wiggling a bit as a breeze rushed down the dirt track they stood on.
"Lets not waste any time then." Hiccup follows Astrid's lead into the forest, Dragon at his side.
They come across the bleeding Daemon not long after, bleeding and gasping slayed against a tree trunk. Spotting them, he raises his eyes and tenses up. :Don't hurt me. I yield:.
Hiccup looks over the sorry sight. :So long as you can move you're a threat. How do I know you won't just vanish again and bring more around to finish us off? You almost killed my Dragon! I should just end you right now:.
:If I killed that Night Fury, I'd be dead. The master would label me a failure and have me executed:. He states matter-of-factly, hood hanging low over his defeated head.
:What does the master want with me?: Toothless interjects, pacing around the tree the Deamon is splayed upon and sniffing the air.
The daemon hesitates, weighing up whether to give away his master's plan.
Astrid has been watching the silent conversation intently, and recognized the telepathy from previous experience. All Daemons used it, and some dragons as well. But was the daemon talking to Hiccup as well? Was that how he knew his dragon so intimately, a full telepathic connection?
"We have a healer, and you don't look too great. How's about some answers and we'll think about patching you up a bit."
Hiccup jumps at the comment from Astrid.
"Do you know what you're doing?!"
"I've done this before, relax."
And the bleeding creature thinks for a second, then holds out his sprained arm. Greisha approaches carefully, kneeling down to inspect the injury. It was bent slightly out of place, and could be corrected quickly, yet painfully, with a quick correction. And the daemon gives a small nod, understanding, staying still while she snaps the bone back into place. Greisha can't help but think as to the normality of the creatures physiology. The daemon appeared completely normal apart from it's mastery of various magics, and would likely pass as a normal human to the untrained eye.
:The master wants you to be at his side for when he breaks the bounds of his cave and rules the earth. You are the one who defeated the gatekeeper, or so the story goes:, he says with an oddly casual shrug.
Toothless paws the ground.
:I still don't understand much of what you and your friends were talking about when we first met:.
The daemon casts it's mind back, recalls the events in that village. :Oh. My lackey mistook you for one of our kind. We take many forms:.
:So any creature we come across could actually be a daemon?!:
:In theory, yes. Daemons are always scarred and cut. You both have many, are imperfect like us:.
"You do realize we can't let you leave, right?" Hiccup only has half of his attention on the daemon now, and is inspecting a few new scars he gained from the last fight.
:Let me come with you. I might as well, after this failure I don't want to see what the others have to say of me:.
This ruffles a few feathers, but between that and murdering the daemon on the spot, Hiccup can't bring himself to refuse. Astrid opens her mouth to object, then thinks better of it.
The day winds down slowly. Toothless, of course, demands independence from the others. Claiming the cut on his neck to be nothing at all to worry about, he takes to hunting as a way of burning his unspent energy from the day trapped. It feels good to run, if not fly. He takes at least an hour to himself in the forest finding the best prey available, although with small pickings he settles for less than he desires. Night takes hold and he makes his way back.
:Viking:.
Astrid looks up to see Toothless looming over her, perched on a sturdy branch with his eyes shimmering green and the rest of him encompassed by night. His stance radiates power, foreboding. It's a warning, telling all he needs to with his powerful muscles and hard scales so briefly illuminated by the moonlight. But he speaks anyway, for a Dragon is meant to settle manners though amicable means if possible, as fighting among nest-mates is such a waste of energy in the end. Shows of power can settle matters by themselves, and Toothless can see the figure he strikes has hit his mark.
:I know you can't understand my language, girl. I probably couldn't even teach you. But I have to tell you this; That boy is mine. You hurt him, you hurt me. I saw you every night you watched us sleep, mate, and go about our lives those weeks. You're not as quiet as me.
You think yourself tough. I know, you have a lot to prove, and you think our mission unworthy of yourself. Very well, but if I see one more finger laid on my other half, I will show you what these claws are capable of. I have a set of very particular skills. Skills that are a nightmare for people for you:.
He stretches, scratches an itch.
:But I won't prattle on about what Dragons can do to Humans, you know that well enough:.
To Astrid, it seemed he had vanished into the night immediately after that last sentence, had she recognized it as one. But Toothless had remained just long enough to ascertain his threat had taken hold before leaving.