Dragon Claims and Human Change
By: Selim
Disclaimer: I do not own How to Train Your Dragon. This is a piece of fiction and all persons and events are fictional. There is no profit being made from this work.
Rating: M
Summary: Hiccup didn't know it, but he's been chosen as a Dragon Mate. The world as he knows it changes, leaving him to decide – does he stay with humans or move on with dragons?
Pairing: Toothless x Hiccup (Anthro-Toothless)
Thank you: Demonboy505, Tiffycullen, Meow, Sage26, Loti_Miko, Every1s_Beta, Cheshycatgrin, Seiryuseijin, SuperSaiyanTeemo, Darkblue91, Titanicdragon, Spanky626, PrincessOfDarkness3, Guest 1, Guest 2, BlackWolf202, Alexanderlover31, Trevor4056, SoulMore, Draconic Savior, Uchiha Riddle, Brightsidetolife, Fullmoonwolf950, Naruxhinacrazy, SilverLegacy7, Faene Druin, TheKingOfDreams, Imagination-worker, Mimi011, Maho Kijutsu, MaestroANC, Yukibre94, Infinitechange, Kyuubi's Death, Vamppirre, Inuyashas-grrl97, Thunder Angel13, Crobhdearg, Kite06, Alrye, Nuriko Kurosaki, Nekoyasha12, and Angel Shinigami
DjintheHouse: I can't help you without an email address. I checked the link in my bio page for archiveofourown and it links straight to the first chapter of DCHC on their archive, which is open to the public without censor
Note: On my bio is a listing of fanart and art made by me for both this story, Dragon Claims and Human Change, and my other current story, So Much More. Fanart was done by Loti-Miko, take a look, it's awesome and each link goes straight to locations open for public view.
Thorn's cries were picked up in the wind, carried to the far ends of the land, attracting the attention of the remaining dragons in Berk. Whether the creatures had followed Hiccup out of the village, Hiccup didn't know. All he could think was how he had to catch up with Toothless, no longer visible from even the highest of ranges. Above him, he could hear the rustling of tree branches, which made him clutch his baby closer out of nervousness.
It didn't matter where those dragons came from, all he knew was that a group of dragons came with Toothless and handfuls remained after the night fury had flown off. He wished for a weapon, to defend himself but not with the baby, not even a week old. Attempting to pacify the child, Hiccup's green eyes focused on the furthest branches, where the rustling was focused on a low branch.
A Nadder dropped to the ground, its wings held back with a low hiss towards him. Strong jaws snapped near his arms. Surging back, Hiccup kept the child away. "-Spoiled everything!" The Nadder shouted. "I can't be a complete liar, now, can I?"
Behind him, another heavy weight dropped to the ground. Fixing his gaze behind him, Hiccup stepped to the side to avoid another powerful set of Nadder jaws. "Bitch just can't let things be. Demons - the lot of them." Between the two, they stalked around Hiccup, leaving no room for escape.
"Get away from him!" A burst of flames surrounded the Nadder. His once grand wings crinkled and burned, leaving a smell of rot in its wake. The Nadder screamed and rolled, the narrow bones snapped as pushed his form into the dirt.
From the trees, a Gronckle dropped to the ground. The lines under his thick cheeks were a familiar characteristic of one of the dragons living in the Berk training dungeons. Two other Gronckles and a flow of terrors rushed out of the foliage, knocking the other Nadder over as they descended on the injured Nadder. Carnage was the other thing to describe the act that began: the ripping of flesh, the soundless cries that disappeared into nothingness.
The other Nadder stepped back, terror written across his face as he watched his friends back.
Keeping Thorn close to his chest, Hiccup stepped back, keeping a distance between the final Nadder and the vicious group of little dragons. His back pressed against the warm underbelly of an even bigger dragon. Two twin heads draped over his shoulder, low growls ripping from their belly as a familiar, acidic smell soiled the air. "One move near the prince, and we will kill you." The Zippleback growled.
Hissing, the Nadder pulled his body close to the ground before propelling himself into the air. He didn't make it far before a large body knocked him back to the earth. The creature landed on its belly, leaving a gash in the ground in his wake. Sven lowered to the ground, his heavy wings flattening against his back, covering the calm form of Ragna.
"I demand to know what North is doing." Sven growled.
"The time of reckoning has come! We will purge this world of the demons called 'humans' and make it a world for real dragons to shine once more!" The Nadder hissed. "The queen will wreck this world to make it one our ancestors can be proud of before the humans ruined us!"
"Toothless said," Hiccup started, swallowed, and tried again, "Toothless said that someone had told him that I had been killed by my people. Both me and my baby."
The Nadder gave him a look, one he'd seen a lot in Hadak when he used the name he'd given his mate years before. Truth be told, Hiccup had some sick pleasure using a name that seemed so disrespectful for the believed prince. Toothless, Prince Njáll, next in line for the throne. Second only to Gronky.
Where was Gronky in all this? He never would have allowed Toothless to lead an attack against the humans. Dragons were ruled by the person who was stronger than them. The Queen, Gronky, then Toothless.
"Where is Gronky?" He demanded.
A low hiss from the Nadder followed. Sven shifted, placing more weight on the dragon's tail. "-Dead!" He screamed, face contorted with pain.
His belly dropped. No. He's lied before and he's lying about this.Sven pressed more weight into the Nadder.
When the weight finally let up, the Nadder continued, breathless from punctured lung. "The Prince was being led astray by those Human Lovers. When my mate smelled the human in those old ruins, we knew that Lord Njáll had strayed. 'I'm fattening up to eat him,' he lied to us! His own people! I told the queen that it was true that the prince was keeping a human but promised her he was going to fatten it up and eat. Fatten you up - the liar. He knocked you up, made a mate. A fool like him cannot lead us to the new world. I am the heir after Njáll in North. I will lead my people to the proper-ack!" He clawed the ground, another rib cracked.
"If Hadak and North join, Mimae is next in line."
"Bitches can be easily tamed." He growled. "Just as I tamed Njáll."
Everything his father had taught him came roaring through his head just then. This was a loyalist to a degree; a usurping loyalist. "What did you do to Vidar?" It was a hunch but he had a feeling that this was the dragon that had shown Toothless the birthing stone, the one that drove the dragon into rage, enough to destroy humans. No, Hiccup realized, rather suddenly. This wasn't an attack just to kill humans. Toothless was ready to die, at the hands of humans.
The rage in the Nadder's eyes said it all. He'd killed Vidar, another peg in his plan to fix things. "Sven." Hiccup nodded. Without blinking, the oldest dragon placed his final weight down, killing the smaller dragon with sheer force. "I need to go to North." Hiccup craned his neck, staring into the dragon's eyes.
Sliding from her father's back, Ragna fixed her skirts before offering her hands to take Thorn. Hiccup allowed it, placing a single kiss on the whimpering child's nose. "Will you tell us what is going on?"
"War." Hiccup grimaced. "Being led by my mate." Hiccup turned to Sven. "Please bring me to him."
"I'll fly you out as far as I can. Daughter," The aging Nightmare turned to his offspring, "The other dragons will stay with you. Do not leave your cavern."
A scowl crossed Ragna's face, her weak wings opening as she shifted around the baby in her arms. "Human..." She turned her attention to Hiccup. "Please think this through. Lord Njáll is not going into a favorable situation. He just flew out here and turned around. He's going with rage in his heart against a dragon whose word he is instinctively set to listen to."
Sven nodded. "If she orders him to kill you - he might. If she lets him live. You saw what our people can do when ordered," he nodded towards the carnage caused by the Terrors and Gronckles.
"I...I don't care." Hiccup straightened the blanket around Thorn one last time. It almost stopped him from leaving. "Let's go." he whispered, mounting Sven. "Keep Thorn safe from the remaining dragons." He fastened his hands around a hardened horn. "This isn't a world he needs to be brought up in. I swear, I will fix this."
Ragna's grip tightened protectively. "Do you really think one human," she emphasized the word with an uncertain glance over the brunette, "Can change a war four hundred years in?"
Sven's huge wing span, coming down with enough force to disturb the dirt under him and raise his heavy body a good distance from the ground, made Hiccup's voice waiver with the sheet of wind. "I don't know but it started with a Night Fury and a human and it's going to end with one. Let's go!"
They shot out of Berk like Thor's lightening across the sky. Contrary to his age, Sven was still a fast dragon. Not as fast as a Night Fury with intent, he explained, but his heavier form gave more distance when he really applied himself. Even though it had been years since his first free-flight, it was not lost to him how to soar faster than the remaining dragons trying to follow their leader back to North.
"I was surprised to see Ragna during the battle." Sven supplied on their trip. "We were not sure what was happening beyond those walls but Ragna came down and released us. She'd encountered the Terrors a day ago but they weren't making much sense as to why they were suddenly in Berk. She finally paired to attack too late. Scared for you, she came and freed us to stop the battle before it was too late. While the attack may have already happened, I feel we still made it in time."
"I thank you with the bottom of my heart. Both mine and Thorn's." Hiccup burrowed his face into the dragon's horns.
They arrived in Hadak an hour before they believed twelve hour mark, only to discover the beautiful city deserted. Years of schooling made Hiccup take control of the situation, telling the tired Sven to lower carefully to one of the outer walls of the main palace. It could be a siege, he warned, preparing for the worst.
It wasn't, however. Just as the gardens had been, inside the palace was devoid of life. No longer afraid of something that would attack from his very walls, Hiccup left the watchful side of Sven, looking around for any indicator that Toothless had at least stopped to wait. He could continue moving but Sven needed a break, at least enough to get a nap in. Waiting was only going to make him antsier, not knowing what was happening to his mate.
Out on the eastern gardens, where he'd taken Toothless' had forever ago, agreeing to be part of this mess as the dragons mate; he found the messy remains of a dragon. It was hard to tell at first, decay and destruction were rampant on the remains, but that had been Vidar. "Sven!" Hiccup shouted back towards the palace.
Stepping out of the wide columns, Sven took a closer look at what Hiccup had crouched at. He inhaled sharply. "You knew to expect this."
Expecting and seeing were two very different concepts, Hiccup wanted to point out as he juggled his own revolting stomach.
"I will give him the proper burial." Sven supplied, brushing past Hiccup to settle beside what was left of his cell companion. Standing back, watching with rapt attention as Sven carried the remains down to Old Berk. Around him, the remains of Hadak were eerily quiet, awaiting the presence of a ghost. Eyes wide, Hiccup looked around his environment, taking in every iota of detail he could.
The citizens of Hadak had abandoned the place. On the western tower, on a floating pillar lower than the castle's location, was clothing, set out to dry in the sun. A bird peeked out of the layer of fabric, taking off to the east with an innocent gloat around its new home.
A crash from deep within the castle startled Hiccup from his thoughts. Stiffened, he placed a foot behind him, not sure what he would do if it was one of the dragons from North. Jump to his death? It was a more honorable death than being ripped apart, to be found by Toothless (if the stupid dragon survived his own fight).
He wasn't prepared for the humanoid that stepped out from the fine castle. A medium sized Nadder of beauty that was comparative to Astrid, Mimae's blue scales seemed to darken when she saw him, her long arms pulled back with her wings to fight. "Are you friend or foe?She demanded.
Hiccup stepped closer. "Was Toothless here?"
"My gods! Njáll Hiccup! They gods have returned you to us? The Nadder rushed forward, her big hands wrapping around Hiccup's biceps. She gave him a once over before pulling him into her sturdy form. "I thought we had lost another king in such a short time when he started talking about his dead mate and baby. I've seen it before, a man who finds no restitution in killing his enemy, turning on his friends. He forgets that the power he has over his people ends in North." She kissed Hiccup's forehead, inhaling his scent heavily. "Tell me, where is Njáll Hatchling?"
"Thorn's back in Berk. I didn't want to bring him into North." Hiccup rubbed his eyes, pushing back the pain and frustration. "What do you mean 'lost another king'?"
Mimae put distance between them. "King," She growled low, Gronky's formal name that Hiccup couldn't pretend to understand, "died a week ago. Put to death for treason against our kind. He housed a human, allowed one of our own to mate, and is being accused to having started this entire war. I tried to soothe things over but most of our people had followed Njáll when he called for war against the humans. The Queen's voice summoned the remaining parties. I came here to heal travelers."
"Njáll Hiccup, I've-Get away from him!" Sven, in human form, grabbed Hiccup's arm, pulling him back. Mimae didn't even blink at the aged dragon's behavior."Back away from us!"
"It's alright, Sven. This is Mimae, next in line for the Hadak throne."
"Where is Gronky?" Sven never let his attention leave the leader he'd never met.
Hiccup swallowed the lump in his throat. "Dead."
Exhaling sharply, Sven made a grab towards Mimae but Hiccup grabbed his claw, his arms wrapped around the strong wrist. "How do you know she didn't have anything to do with it?"
"Did you do anything to Gronky, Mimae?"
"Of course not!" The female huffed with annoyance.
"There, see? Nothing." Hiccup let go of Sven's arm only when it loosened under his fingers. Rubbing his messy head, Hiccup closed his eyes. "Mimae, I need to follow Toothless."
Frown marring her beautiful face, Mimae crossed her arms, her thin wings rubbing against her hip. "How do you expect to do that? Have you learned how to fly while with the humans?"
"Take me." Hiccup breathed. Sven cursed under his breath, positioning himself between the two. Hiccup pointedly ignored him. "Toothless can't be to far ahead of us. I'm going to stop him."
"The queen will not let you walk between her and Toothless alive. If she ordered Toothless to kill you..."'
He had this discussion with Gronky before. There had been a darkness in the air that day about instincts need to listen and whether Toothless would deny the queen if ordered to kill Hiccup. To that day, Hiccup didn't want to think of the truth: that the queen's voice would override the love Toothless had for his human. These days it looked more so like that.
"Don't care," Hiccup grunted stubbornly. "Take me. Please, Mimae. Sven won't be able to fly out for a few more hours and I can't let anymore distance be put between Toothless and me."
Mimae appeared to be antagonizing over the thought. "The queen won't stop at just you."
"Then we have to stop her first." Hiccup breathed. "Please, Mimae."
The heir of Hadak breathed out. "Very well. Only because I worry of the safety of my people." She morphed with the crack of her bones, shifting into a majestic dragon just slightly bigger than most Nadders. Not even looking up at Sven, Hiccup approached Mimae before pausing. "Njáll Hiccup?" Mimae inquired.
"Give me a second," murmured the human, changing direction to go into the palace. He returned within minutes, an object wrapped to his back. "Let's go." He climbed on Mimae's back, carefully avoiding her powerful wings.
Mimae made a small series of growls, a low level of speaking that Hiccup couldn't translate. Straightening, Sven nodded. "Protect our leader, he is all us in Berk have left." Sven spoke loud and clear, his attention on both Mimae and Hiccup. The human swallowed, ducked his head in preparation for the gust of wind that took past him as they rose from Hadak.
For that second time in ten hours, Hiccup found himself flying into another direction. The climate changed, chilling even in the summer sun. They broke the barrier protecting Hadak when the sun began to set, becoming a field of storm clouds and frozen rain. Pressed close to Mimae's neck, Hiccup breathed heavily as they pushed through the storm, narrowly avoiding lightning flashes.
They passed a group of Terrors on the way, none of which knew the correct direction to go. Mimae sent them in the opposite direction of either Berk or Hadak, with the annoyed comment thrown over her shoulder thtat "likely they'll get lost long enough that things can be fixed and they can go back to actual work."
Mimae slowed down the final stretch, the tips of her wings frozen and stiff. Hiccup, snuggled against her back and fighting the need to sleep, bit back surprise as they broke the final magic barrier, entering a warm zone. There was one lone island in the distance, a huge volcano with a stewing storm above it. With a noise of concern, Mimae raised herself to one of the highest pillar, close to the mountains but out of site of the passing dragons coming in from all directions.
"Did we beat Toothless here?"
"No." Mimae growled. "He's in there, demanding to speak before the courts. The people, they speak of a battle to claim the throne." Her eyes narrowed. "Stand down!"
An explosion from the right wall of the volcano made Hiccup do just that, pressing his body into the ridge of the cliff they were hiding from. Like a gush of water, dragons of all kinds poured out of the nest. The skies filled with these dragons, trying to find a spot to cower and watch the fight just as Toothless glided out of the nest, a screech on his lips for the queen to fight him.
Taking Mimae's cue to duck low, Hiccup watched with rapt attention as the queen crawled out of her space, larger than any dragon he'd ever seen before. "What is that!" He asked, grabbing the wing of his companion. It was like watching a Gronckle, only mutated beyond belief. Green scales, thousands of teeth, six eyes. It looked more aquatic than aerial, with horns that folded back like reef.
Lava spilled from its horns as it screeched high. Ears ringing, Hiccup cowered into himself. We never stood a chance against the queen. His father would never believe this.
Toothless hissed and spat back, tossing himself forward. Like an annoying insect, he bounced off the side of the large queen's face before being swatted into the ground. Sliding along the stone island, leaving an indentation, Toothless shook his head.
"-Made my mate leave me!" Toothless hissed, striking again.
"Kill the traitor!" The queen's voice was booming, echoing across her lands like thunder. Blast of light knocked over a pillar that Mimae and Hiccup hid on. Without comment, Mimae gathered the human up, shooting for the skies once more.
Around them, the cries of dragons sounded, like a frenzy of birds. Hiccup grabbed at Mimae's horns, pulling her head back when he realized she'd started a downward slope. She screamed in pain when he dug his fingers into the soft spot just under her chin. "Don't listen to her!" Hiccup shouted. "Just follow myvoice!"
Mimae's eyes danced with uncertainty, from queen to human.
"Fly closer! Do not listen to her!"
They flew in closer, disturbing debris as they dropped altitude at an alarming rate. Reaching behind him, Hiccup grasped the item he'd brought with him, ripping the protective sheath from the blade. Mimae made a deep noise, taking in the gleam of the weapon she was familiar with as the symbol Hiccup had taken from Toothless on their mating day, promising to bear the Night Fury sons. "It's just a dragon," Hiccup told himself. "Fly closer!"
Mimae changed direction, gliding along the ground before shooting up just as the queen began to rise from the earth, taking after Toothless with a wide open mouth. "She's going to eat him!" Mimae cried out.
"Get closer!" Hiccup called again, digging his boots into the female's sides. Another screech and Mimae shot forward, towards the queen. As they aligned with one of the three eyes on the right side of the dragon's head, Hiccup waited until the thin pupil focused on him. It widened in realization just as the human went to thrust the blade into the third eye. It penetrated with a sickening noise but did little to deter the dragon from assault. "Pull back!" He used his legs to pull on Mimae, out of instinct with Toothless' saddle.
They rose higher, brushing cautiously along the heavy wings of the queen as she tried to change direction, with the intent to kill the human in her lands. "We have flexibility! Keep moving, Mimae!" He bit back a shout as he saw Toothless being attacked midair by multiple dragons, wanting to do their queen proud. "Go left!" Hiccup shouted as the air became thin and hard to breath.
With a sharp turn, they changed direction. As he expected, the queen wasn't able to keep pace. "Go back, I need my blade!"
When they came about the second time, Hiccup had to dig his boot into the soft lens of the dragon's eye as he ripped his blade out. The urge to vomit was quickly pushed down as they dropped altitude again, avoiding sharp teeth. "Go to the other side, we'll take out-"
The queen screamed, demanding Mimae kill the human. Mimae shook her head, trying to clear her senses.
"Listen only to me, Mimae. My voice. Njáll's voice." Hiccup pleased, tugging on the bone-like horns again. Head snapped back, Mimae nodded. They came around again, giving Hiccup only a second to slam his blade in the into the second eye on the left side. The queen snapped her head back, knocking both dragon and rider off.
Clutching the thin Nadder neck, Hiccup continued his orders. "Go up."
Toothless smacked into the queen again, leaving a large gash into the second, right eye. The queen screamed, causing another blast of light to spread far across the lands. Hiccup grabbed his ears again, screaming himself with the painful burn the noise left. Mimae and Toothless handled it no better. Toothless' flight pattern became erratic and uncertain while Mimae lost altitude fast, crying out in pain. Cracking his eye open, Hiccup swallowed as he saw only the wide insides of the large, unknown dragon's mouth.
She's not going to eat us, he realized as he saw the accumulation of flammable gas building up, she's going to burn us alive.
"Mimae! Toothless!" Hiccup screamed over the sound of anguish. "Fire! Fire now, into the gas! She's a bad Terror!" He hoped they could understand what he meant, that he wanted them to light up the fire before she could blow it at them. Toothless shot forward, with a purpose in all his daze. Mimae turned, breathing in deeply to call forth the best flame she could. "Now!" Hiccup screamed as he caught sight of the queen's calling forth a spark to set the gas alight.
Mimae sent a blast of fire first into the dragon's mouth. The queen's eyes widened just as her flammable gas caught spark, igniting in an infernal that tore through her flat mouth. Hiccup covered his face just as the blast of warmth filled the air around him. He heard Toothless' pained cry, barely audible over the explosion of flames.
Under him, Mimae's body went missing and he reached for a horn, only to come with air. The noise around him disappeared, becoming a call of nothingness surrounded by a world of white. He was falling, he just knew it. The air trickling down his face, his hair blowing freely. His coat was warm - was he on fire?
I don't want my son growing up in a world shrouded by her hate.
"Njáll Hiccup!"
Take care of our son, Toothless. Make him proud, not only of his human ancestry, but of his dragon's.
His body slammed into a hardness, causing something in his body to snap. His back? His neck? It didn't matter, he couldn't feel, see, or hear anything.
He is Thorn, and he will lead us into a new era, of dragons and humans - just like that on Old Berk. I wish I could see it happen.
Darkness finally took the light.