A/N: Here's to hoping that an extra-long suspenseful chapter will re-start my uploading. Once again, roleplaying every day has helped a TON with my writing and confidence, so I hope you guys enjoy the ride, it gets better from here, I promise XD

Standing up and stretching to ease the cramps in his back, Hiccup surveyed the repairs he'd made to Gunnar's wagon. The crippled wheel had been bent and sawn back into place. The task of fixing the wagon had fallen to Hiccup as Gobber's apprentice, since the blacksmith was across the village in the boatyard. He gathered his satchel of tools and brushed the sawdust off of his best. The sun had gone down almost an hour ago and night was falling in cool blue tones across Berk and Lake Evindell. Kurak, the dragon constellation, was beginning to speckle the sky to the west. Hiccup began to head for home.

Walking briskly among the dirt roads and wooden flats of the village, Hiccup reflected on how much things had changed since Thomas had come to berk. The mysterious stranger was polite and friendly to everyone he met, but the only solid friendship he'd formed was with Hiccup. He enjoyed Thomas' company. He had so many stories to tell about the people and places he'd seen, and he continued to give Hiccup swordfighting tips. But an even greater benefit to being friends with Thomas was that it kept the bullies away. Having a six-foot lean Kosmarian swordsman on his side heightened the odds in his favor considerably if Snotlout decided to pick a fight. The teasing had practically stopped. It was like Hiccup had started a new life. He would be sorry to see Thomas leave.

Hiccup entered the forest, following a scant path through the foliage that he followed often to get back to his house. It was getting darker and darker, and Hiccup quickened his pace to be home before nightfall. No telling what would come out of the woods at night. The other teens liked to catch him off-guard sometimes, when he was alone. Luckily they didn't hurt him too badly, but it always stung for a few days afterwards. Hiccup glanced around the trees, determined not to be surprised by an ambush. I wonder where Thomas is. The stranger had odd hours. Some days Hiccup was sure that Thomas didn't get a wink of sleep, and yet he never looked harrowed or fatigued. There was something off about him, and Hiccup wasn't ready to call draconian yet, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Hiyah!"

Hiccup started. The high-pitched yell was followed by a crack of splitting wood. It happened again. "Aaaahh!" Crunch.

Hefting the bag, Hiccup cautiously moved towards the noise to investigate. The woods were growing darker as he went but he could see someone moving through the branches. There was a bright silvery flash and then the blade of an axe buried itself halfway into a tree trunk. Someone stormed forward to yank on the handle with a thin, strong arm and Hiccup's heart jumped into his throat. It was Astrid. Her ash-blond braid swung as she freed the axe from the bark, beautiful features smudged with dirt and locked in a scowl.

Something fell out of Hiccup's bag, and he looked down and frantically tried to grab the small hammer slipping out of the gaping flap. His fingers grazed the handle and it spun to the ground with a muffled clang.

Hiccup only heard a slight hiss before looking up and seeing the axe coming for him. He yelped and ducked, feeling his hair ruffle with the force of the weapon passing overhead. "Hold up!" he yelled, popping back up and raising his hands in surrender. "Don't shoot, it's just-just me!"

"Oh." Astrid swung her legs over a fallen log, scrutinizing him. "In that case, I'm sorry I missed."

Hiccup laughed nervously. "That's...that's a good one, you really...have got...yeah." She said nothing, just meeting his own eyes with her intense blue ones as she pushed past him to retrieve her axe. Twirling it upright, she inspected the blade, brushing it free of splinters.

"What are you doing out here?" she said stoutly.

"Me? Oh, I was, uh…" He fumbled for his dropped hammer, stuffing it back in his bag. "Just some really, uh, tough wagon repairs being made, ol' Gunnar needed my help…"

"Mhmm."

There was a moment of awkward silence. Hiccup fiddled with the strap of the bag. Say something!

"Hey, so, do you...I don't know...want me to walk you home? It is getting dark out-"

"Thanks. I can manage." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes. "Besides, wouldn't want your Kosmarian friend joining us."

Hiccup's stomach dropped. "Sorry?"

"You heard me." The axe blade swung down to rest at her feet and she tossed her bangs out of her face. "We've all seen him cozying up to you and we know what one of them looks like."

"Look, I don't know what you're-"

"Drop the act, Hiccup," she said aggressively, stepping forward. "What do you have to say for yourself?!"

Hiccup started to get annoyed as well as fearful. "He's not a Kosmarian!" he protested.

Astrid snorted and grabbed the collar of his shirt and he gulped nervously, leaning back. "Stop lying to me!"

"He's not."

Astrid's eyes widened and they both spun around, relief flushing away Hiccup's initial burst of fear. A dark, hooded figure stood watching them from the undergrowth. Astrid released Hiccup, stepped back and hefted the axe higher. "He's not lying," Thomas repeated, making his way towards them. "I'm not from Kosmaria."

Sighing, Hiccup turned back to astrid, gesturing broadly at Thomas. "See, what did I tell y-"

Something blurred past him, and there was a sudden scuffle. Astrid yelped in surprise and the axe went flying to bounce into the undergrowth. When things had settled, Thomas had Astrid pinned down, one foot on her wrist, a hand on her arm and something...sharp...pressed up against her neck. It was too dark to tell. "No, not lying at all," he said musingly.

She gasped, head tilted backwards to avoid cutting herself. "You're...you're one of them!"

"I'm surprised it took so long for all of you to clue in. Now...it seems as though you're too late."

"Thomas…"

Hiccup, I'm sorry. I won't hurt her. It's only a show. Can you hear me?

Hiccup's eyes widened. ...Thomas? he thought hesitantly.

Yes! Yes, it's me. I'm sorry. I'm not trying to hurt either of you, I'm just trying to scare her off. Just play along.

Astrid bucked under his grip, trying to thrash her legs. "They'll come looking for us soon," she panted, "and then they'll know about you."

Thomas, what is she talking about?

There was a pause. Do you trust me?

What?

Do you trust me, Hiccup? Something curled over Astrid's legs in a strange, serpentine way, and suddenly Hiccup started to harbor the beginnings of an awful, terrible recognition. Why Astrid was so angry, why Gobber had come to his conclusion, why there was not cold steel against Astrid's neck, but a cluster of something in his hands, shining darkly. It can't be.

Hiccup, no, please, just wait. "The others have had their suspicions, girl. I am sure they would not be surprised." Do...you...trust me? "But please, go fetch them. It will make no difference."

How can I? Hiccup cried out in his mind. You...you lied!

It was for my own protection, and yours, too. Please. I need an answer.

He hesitated, flexing his fingers, barely hearing Astrid say, "Let me up and I just might!" He wished Thomas would turn around so he could see his reptilian eyes and see if he was telling the truth, but he could only rely on their sudden mental connection. He glanced back and forth between the two, pressing his fingers together in indecision.

Yes, I do...but…

Then don't stop me."How about I don't?"

Thomas' hand suddenly flew into the air, and Hiccup's eyes widened as he caught the sharp edges of claws. Astrid gasped and tried to break free, and then the hand slammed downward.

Into the earth next to her ear.

Chest heaving, Astrid glared up at Thomas with a mix of fear and determined anger, and she leaped away from him when he let her up. "Go on. Go and tell them." He lifted himself into a crouch, backing up to stand in front of Hiccup. "But don't touch him again. Understood?"

Astrid wrinkled her nose and narrowed her eyes at him. "You can have him," she breathed, turning tail and running into the darkness. Her footsteps faded away and then they were alone.

Breathing hard, Hiccup slowly turned to look at his friend, taking in his new appearance. His hood was gone; in its place was a mop of unruly black hair and twitching, scaly ears. His wrists were speckled with dark scales, coalescing on his fingertips from which emerged ash-grey claws that shone faintly in the moonlight. A tail emerged from under his cloak, two large, flat fins running along the tip.

No, there was no mistaking it. He was a draconian.

Hiccup was reeling with shock, but he also felt an undercurrent of grim expectation. So, this is his secret. He'd thought all draconians had gone extinct hundreds of years ago. Apparently he was mistaken, along with everyone else in Traum.

But that wasn't the worst part. Kunnia's long, bloody history with the draconians ensured that if anyone in Berk found out that Thomas wasn't human, they would happily run a sword through his heart. And that was if they were feeling merciful.

Thomas backpedaled a few steps, raising his claw-tipped hands. "Hiccup, I know what you're thinking, but I swear I mean you and your Tribe no harm-"

"I know."

He blinked. "Really?"

"Really," Hiccup assured him. "You're my friend. I would never hurt you."

Thomas' strange assortment of ears perked up. "Thank you, Hiccup."

"What are we going to do, though?" Hiccup pressed, looking in the direction Astrid had run. "She's going to tell everyone, and then they'll figure out it was you!"

Working his jaw, Thomas glanced at the ground. His tail flicked. "I guess I need to leave now."

Hiccup's heart sank. "I'm sorry...you shouldn't have stood up for me."

Thomas looked up with a sudden intensity. "I had to," he said firmly. "I should have told you earlier, but you see...I've been looking for you."

A rock dropped into Hiccup's stomach. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm not just passing through by chance. I came looking for Berk specifically. Looking for you."

Everything seemed to fade out of existence as Hiccup struggled to process what Thomas was telling him. Maybe he was more dangerous than Hiccup had thought. "Why?" he croaked.

"First of all...Hiccup, I don't think you quite understand how important you are. A great shift in power is going to occur because of you. We need your help."

"We?"

Thomas spread his arm, as though to encompass an invisible crowd. "All of us-the people of Kosmaria."

Now Hiccup was truly confused. Kosmaria wanted him. Him. The Kunnian, the commoner, the runt. He laughed bitterly. "I hate to break it to you, Thomas, but you've got the wrong guy. I'm just the village screw-up. Nobody needs me or my help."

Thomas folded his arms and considered him a moment, looking thoughtful. "The day I came into the village. The day you met me. Did you happen to feel something? That somehow you knew I was coming, perhaps?"

"Wha...how did you know-?"

"Just a feeling. The same feeling I got when you were close, in fact-or something similar. What was it like?"

Hiccup recalled the day Thomas had entered the village. "It was kind of a cold feeling, a pulse. It...told me things."

"Mmh." Thomas nodded. "Different from mine. It varies."

"What varies?!" Hiccup thought he was going to explode.

"Your Call," Thomas answered. "Every mage has a different one, to tell them when other mages are near."

"Every mage...other...wait, does that mean you're a-?"

Thomas nodded with a small smile. "And not only me, but you as well. There was powerful magic present at your birth. Hiccup. It's woven into your being, your mind, your very soul. You are a mage."

Hiccup's heart thundered to a stop.

Somehow this idea seemed more ridiculous than the rest combined. The very thought that he could possess power that had been revered for centuries was madness. He actually had to lean against a tree for support. "I...no...that's crazy."

"Why is it so hard to believe?" Thomas strode forward and grasped Hiccup by the shoulders. "Hiccup, haven't you ever wished that you could make a difference? That you could be someone important? I've seen the way that they treat you in the village. It's horrible. They wouldn't dare to show you disrespect if they knew about what you can do. When I came to Berk, your Call to me was so strong it almost stopped my heart. Just trust me on this, Hic. I know magic. You're supposed to be incredibly powerful, more than an ordinary mage would be. Don't you want that?"

Hiccup hesitated. "Well, of course, but...what can I do? I've never used magic before; how am I going to use it now?"

"We can teach you," Thomas assured him, releasing his grip. "I can show you how to find and access the magic within you, but it's Pitch Black who could really teach you how to wield it.

Hiccup gaped at him. "Pitch Black?" Pitch was the shadowy leader of Kosmaria, a faceless man whom people in Traum knew little about. Hiccup had never suspected he was a mage. "But that means…"

Thomas nodded. "You would have to leave Kunnia."

A barrage of shouts started up in the distance, and Hiccup saw torches flaring through the trees. Astrid would have told practically everyone in the village by now, and it had been a long time since they'd been on a draconian hunt. Thomas' ears stood up straight and stiff.

"They're coming," Hiccup murmured.

"Hiccup, please." He was nearly begging now. "I know it's a huge decision to make, but you have to make it quickly. There's no time to think about it. We need you, Hiccup."

We need you.

It was the phrase Hiccup craved, the one that was never spoken to him. But Thomas was saying it now. And somehow that seemed to change every feeling that he had towards staying in Berk. Ravaging indecision was replaced with firm purpose.

"All right. I'll go with you."

There was an almost tangible release of tension in the air as Thomas looked relieved. "All right, then. We need everyone else off our tail. Just do what I say, okay?"

Hiccup nodded quickly, the heated rush of his decision filling him like fire. "What do I have to do?"

"Go to your house and pack whatever you need. It's a long journey and we won't be coming back." As an afterthought, he added, "And don't panic at what you hear. Just keep going."

"Wait, why would I-what are you going to do?"

It was dark, but Hiccup could just make out a gleaming, fanged smile on Thomas' face. "You'll see."

Suddenly he was gone, blurring up a tree like a squirrel, hardly making a sound. Hiccup shivered at his inhuman speed and stealth. A few branches twitched and then all was still and silent, as though Thomas had never been there. Hiccup stood for a heartbeat longer, trying to spot the draconian in the boughs of the pine.

"Go on, Hiccup," he whispered. "I'll be fine. Go get your stuff."

Hiccup started and then set off towards his house. Seconds passed and the villagers grew louder and Thomas still hadn't done anything.

Then the growl began.

It didn't even start out as a sound, just a deep, low vibration far inside Hiccup's chest. Every one of the Berkians fell silent. The hum expanded into a rumble, a throbbing beat interlaid with clicks and a throaty hiss. An instinctual, primal fear welled up inside of Hiccup as the snarl grew in volume. He's not trying to scare me, he had to remind himself. I am not being hunted. I am not being hunted.

A sharp retort sounded through the woods, and Hiccup looked back just in time to see a tree smashing to the ground, the Kunnians scattering in fear. Did he just push a tree over?! How strong is this guy? The growl crashed into a full-throated roaring screech. The torches circled in panicked confusion before making their charge, their shouts dim in comparison to Thomas' draconian call. Hiccup hurried through the woods and burst out of the undergrowth, sprinting towards his house. He was already going through what he needed in his mind. Waterskin...dagger...flint… The door screamed on its hinges and he blasted upstairs to his room, packing as quickly as he could. The roars and battle cries raged on outside, and as soon as Hiccup was finished, he thundered down the stairs and back outside, heading south towards the lake. His feet were moving so fast, he was afraid he might land badly and end up falling on his face. He couldn't believe he was doing this.

The bushes exploded in the distance; Hiccup ground to a halt, startled, as Thomas came barreling out of the undergrowth on all fours like an oversized wolf. He was very obviously not headed for the harbor. "Thomas what-what are you-?!"

"Change of plans, we have to go through the village." Behind the draconian, a bright orange light danced through the dark branches.

"Please tell me you did not just set the forest on fire!" Hiccup ran his hands through his hair as Thomas bounded upright next to him.

"Easy, bud." Thomas held up his hands defensively. "That wasn't me, someone dropped their torch." Something dark was splattered across his claws, glittering blackly in the faint firelight.

"And-and what is on your hands, exactly?"

"Fox blood. But it's supposed to be yours, so shush."

Hiccup wasn't quite sure he heard right. "Excuse me?"

Thomas looked at him seriously. "Hiccup, the only way your father won't come after you is if he thinks you're dead. So...I convinced him that you were." He flexed his claws and watched the blood glisten. "It didn't take much. They wouldn't put it past me to lure you into the forest and kill you."

Feeling queasy, Hiccup stared at the stains that supposedly marked where his lifeblood had drained out. He understood why Thomas had done it, but it was strange to think that everyone thought he was dead. "So...I probably shouldn't let anyone see me."

"Probably," Thomas agreed. "Come on, let's go." He dropped to all fours and took off. Hiccup hurried after him, still trying to untangle his feelings. I'm dead. I'm dead to Dad.

The firm dirt masked his footsteps, and Thomas might as well have been a specter for all the noise he made. They rushed through the village, ducking behind houses, taking shortcuts, doubling back to avoid being seen. The pair had almost made it to the outskirts of the village when Thomas practically tackled Hiccup into an alley and crouched down in the darkness, claws spread wide, facing the street. It was still so bizarre to see him as a half-dragon.

"Who's coming?" Hiccup whispered, back to the wooden shingles of the closest hut.

"Two search parties, both directions. There's no way around them." When Hiccup stepped forward to look, Thomas lifted his tail and pinned him back to the wall. "No. You'll stay here. I'll scare them off."

"You really think you can?" Hiccup's heart thundered against the heavy band of scaly muscle across his ribs. The draconian glanced at him, slanted eyes flashing.

"Remember when I said no matter what you hear, you stick to the plan?" he said in a low voice.

Hiccup nodded.

"Well, that unforeseeably just became ten times more important. Don't move, don't talk, just stay put until it's all clear."

A sense of foreboding stole over Hiccup. The torches and shouting grew closer. He swallowed his questions and nodded again. "Okay."

The tail fell away and Thomas quietly hooked his claws into the hut and ascended the steep slope, lithe as a cat. Hiccup shrank farther back into the alley as several men passed his hiding place, their burning torches throwing wide strips of light and shadow over the ground. He couldn't hear Stoick among them and he didn't know if that made him relieved or nervous.

"I told you, I saw him come down here!"

"Well, the devil's gone blasted missin', 'asn't 'e? C'mon, spread out, 'e 'asn't got wings, 'e couldn't 'ave gone far-"

But before the villagers could do much more than grumble, someone began to laugh. It started as a close-mouthed chuckle, low and vibrating and coming from somewhere above their heads. It grew into a full-throated laugh that rolled and boomed in Hiccup's ears and made him shiver. It was the perfect mix of contempt, malice, intimidation and eerie humor. Hiccup nearly forgot that Thomas was acting.

"Lost something, have we?" he jeered.

The Berkians exploded. "We'll mount yer head in the Great Hall, we will!" one of them bellowed. "What'd you do with the boy?"

"Ohhhh," Thomas purred, drawing the sound out. "Somebody didn't get the message. Well, why don't I just deliver it." Hiccup glanced up and saw him perched on top of the gable, his outline faintly defined by the orange firelight from below. The profile of his face was just visible; he was grinning wickedly, baring his teeth. He lifted an arm, hooking his claws, letting the light play on the scarlet stains. "I'm afraid little Hiccup had an...accident."

The men gasped involuntarily. Hiccup didn't blame them. Thomas was being extremely convincing. The smoke and flames glared and billowed behind him, the night black as ink, his tone disturbingly amused.

Thomas noticed their sudden, fearful silence. "Oh, don't worry. I've had my fun. Three hundred years of dead draconians has been avenged." His voice grew darker, deadlier. "Or maybe it hasn't. It's your choice, really. Don't give us a reason to come back and we won't. Tell that to your Chief." With that, he drew a scrap of fabric from his belt and let it fall to the ground. Hiccup caught a glimpse of rust-colored stains on a light green material. Somehow he'd gotten a hold of a piece of Hiccup's shirt. "Oh, and I wouldn't go looking for the body if I were you. Evindell's big, and besides, I'm fairly sure you'd all like some undisturbed sleep for the next few weeks."

"Yu're a monster," one of the Vikings spat, swinging his torch through the air.

"I am, aren't I?" Thomas said, satisfied. "What an honor, to go from being a mere animal to a monster. Maybe you should favor yourselves with the same promotion."

Before the Vikings could respond, he whirled around and seemingly vanished from the rooftop. Hiccup saw him climb to the back of the house and hang vertically on the wall. They both held their breath and waited for the stunned search parties to leave and take their light with them

As soon as it was dark, Thomas dropped to the ground with a soft flump and Hiccup approached him cautiously. Something told him that he hadn't been acting the entire time. "Thomas, I-"

"Not here." Yes, there was definitely something off in the way he clipped the words off and how his ears lay flat against his head. "I don't want to talk about it." Their gazes met briefly, and then Thomas' eyes flicked away as he busied himself checking his pack. "Let's just get going."

They stopped walking after a few hours, when Hiccup was finally exhausted. He hadn't said a word-in fact, neither of them had for a while-but eventually Thomas had noticed Hiccup's feet dragging and pulled them over in the forest they'd reached. Thomas lit a small fire; as Hiccup watched wearily from his seat on a fallen tree, he noticed that Thomas used no flint to start the flames. Instead he snapped his claws together briskly until a spark appeared and spread through the tinder. For a few minutes, they sat quietly, listening to the burning branches crackle with heat.

"It wasn't real," Thomas said suddenly. Hiccup glanced up at him. "Back at the village-none of that was real. I didn't mean it. That was the beast they expected to see, so I gave it to them."

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah, I know. It-it worked, though."

"Yes, it did." Off in the distance, a lone wolf began its midnight call. Hiccup became acutely aware of the draconians' inhuman gaze drilling into him, and he scuffed the dirt at his feet.

"Why?" Thomas finally said. "Why aren't you scared of me?"

The question caught him off guard. "Why should I be?" Hiccup said, puzzled. "You're my friend."

"But...you've been raised to hate my kind, your whole village revolves around killing us and fearing us. If anyone else had seen me in the woods, they would've cut my heart out. So why didn't you?"

Staring into the fire, Hiccup considered what Thomas was saying. "I don't know," he said hesitantly. "I feel like...just because you learn something new about someone, doesn't mean you should hate them. I'm still friends with you because you're a good guy, not 'cause I'm scared you'll eat me. You know?"

"I know." A twig cracked as Thomas kneaded the ground. "I'm just so used to being looked down on because I look different from humans. Honestly, you're one of the few people that actually talks to me like an equal and not a beast. There's something different about you, Hiccup."

"Yeah, you could say that," Hiccup said, laughing a bit. Then he grew quiet. "Is it really that bad, being a draconian?"

"Not bad, just...hard. Lonely, sometimes. Even with my clan, we were always moving around, avoiding humans and nymphs and other draconian clans." Thomas snorted a bit. "I don't know why we were so insistent on leaving the nymphs alone.; we're two of the few races that has a lifespan longer than a human."

Hiccup's curiosity was aroused. "How long do draconians live? How old are you?"

Leaning back against a tree, Thomas laced his hands behind his head and grinned slyly at Hiccup. "I just turned three hundred and eighty-nine last spring."

Hiccup's jaw dropped. "What?" He couldn't fathom living even a hundred years, let alone four centuries.

"Oh, that's nothing. I'm practically an adolescent in draconian circles. Still get treated like one, too."

"But-that's just-how-?" sputtered Hiccup. "Are you immortal?"

The draconian chuckled. "No, no. Nobody's made it past a thousand. We're just made of tougher stuff than your little human bodies are."

"Wow," breathed Hiccup. Thomas didn't look a day over twenty. Three hundred and eighty-nine. He tried to stifle a yawn, but it snuck up on him and he didn't fool Thomas for a second.

"You should probably sleep," he noted, ear flicking.

"Shouldn't we trade watches?"

Thomas got to his feet. "You'd be surprised how long I can stay awake. It's all right, I won't let anything eat you."

Hiccup grinned wryly. "Well, if you're sure."

"Trust me, you'll want all the rest you can get. We've got a long journey ahead of us."