Captain Hiccup

by NatBlake

The Red Death is defeated, and Berk is at peace. However, a new evil lurks in the archipelago, one that threatens all life on earth. Hiccup and Toothless mysteriously vanish, and Berk is caught up in a terrible war that lasts for years. All seems lost, but a man returns on the back of a Night Fury, with a black mask and a flaming sword. Rated T for violence and mild adult themes.

25. Captain Kaldr

Back with a fast update! I got really into this story all of a sudden and just blasted out another chapter for you folks. I think I replied to all the reviewers but for you guests here you go.

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karateboy124: Well, I've already got a plan for Hiccup's love life, and it should be very interesting. I don't think what I'm about to do has ever been done before in any FF I've read, so hopefully it'll work out. And I like Hiccstrid too, but I feel it's mildly overworked. LOL.

Mememaster9000: Yeah, who knows what might happen when Astrid gets that (very cryptic) message! Will it be enough to stop a war and convince her, or will it do nothing at all? We'll have to wait and see! Stay tuned!

Guest1: Well, you'll just have to see where Hiccup's love life goes. *Evil laugh* As I said to karateboy124, I've already got a plan for Hiccup's love life, and it should be very fun. Hopefully you'll like it. :)

Guest2: Well I hope this post was soon enough for you, and hehe, let's go HiccupXEir! This relationship may go somewhere or it may not, stay tuned to find out!

Maerk Andrew: Yeah yeah, there's all those little hints and comments that really make you question who Hiccup really is. Who was Valka? Where did she come from? Look for more hints in this chapter, but eventually it will all come to light. And hey, are you a fan of HiccupXEir od do you prefer Hiccstrid? Just curious. :)

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And that's all of em! On with chapter 25! This chapter is a little boring, because it's mostly talking, but things get explained and it's actually very important. Captain Kaldr and his dragon Brenakir make their first major appearance, Hiccup reunites with Toothless, and back on Midgard, Astrid is disguising herself as Ruffnut even as the Bog Burglars allies arrive to help them. Enjoy!

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High Asgard, Day 14 since Hiccup's Departure

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Loki rose, staring in amazement as the door to his cell opened and Hiccup, still dressed in his fancy party apparel, stepped in.

"You shouldn't be here," Loki stated, closing the book he had been reading.

"Does it look like I care?" Hiccup closed the cell door and heard it latch behind him. "Come on, since when do you care about protocol, Loki?"

Loki shook his head as he sat down again, sliding his book into a drawer in the table. "It's dangerous to be alone with me, Vaskar." He gestured to the chair opposite him.

Hiccup frowned as he sat, sliding his chair up to the table. "We've always been alone down here, Loki."

"No, we haven't." Loki gestured to the cell, the armbands of energy on his wrists flaring. "Every time you come down here, my Father Odin observes, trying to make sure that I don't manipulate you or offer you deals like I did with Zyon. Every conversation we've ever had in this cell has been closely monitored."

Hiccup blinked. "Oh. And this meeting is not being monitored, and that's why it's dangerous?"

"Yes, because Odin does not know you're here. He's still occupied at Thor's party." Loki leaned forward. "If Odin or Asgeirr or anyone finds out that we met in secret, the results would be disastrous. People would fear that you would become my vassal, like Zyon. Your training would have to be altered and everything you do would be followed with utter scrupulousness. The best thing for you to do is to leave at once, unless you want to take that risk."

Hiccup crossed his legs. "Well, I'm already here, so I might as well," he said. "Even if I left now, they'd probably still find out I was down here, and then I'm still done for."

"As you will." Loki smiled. "So then, Vaskar. You passed your Phase One final test."

"I did!" Hiccup grinned. "I forgot about that, actually! It was terrible, but I passed. They tortured me to death, you know. It was the worst thing I have ever felt in my life, and Gods I'm glad I died so I didn't have to keep feeling it. But you knew that, and you also knew I would pass it. Thanks a lot for telling me about the test, Loki." Hiccup couldn't resist a little sarcasm.

Loki chuckled. "My apologies, but I'm not sorry. Telling you about the test would have allowed you to prepare, and with the first test it must be spontaneous. Is there anything about the test I should know?"

"Not particularly."

Loki nodded. "So, why did you decide to visit me? And oh, I'll get some tea for us. Do you like tea?"

Hiccup shrugged. "Yeah."

"Do you care what type?"

"No."

"So be it." Loki laughed, and clapped his hands. From the wall came an extending tray that held a steaming kettle of tea and several stone cups.

"To answer your question, I'm not exactly sure why I decided to come down," Hiccup replied. "Although I would like to discuss some issues with you."

"Very well." Loki picked up the hot kettle and took two of the stone cups to pour into.

As Loki poured, Hiccup tried to get comfortable, but since Hicca was strapped to his back, it made it near impossible. Impulsively, he unbuckled the sword and placed it by his chair, leaning it against the wood.

Loki slid Hiccup's cup of tea across to him and glanced down at Hicca.

"A fine sword, Vaskar," he commented, placing the kettle back on the extending tray, which retracted. "Elvish steel."

"She is wonderful," Hiccup agreed, looking down and fingering the smooth black hilt. "I didn't think it was possible to get so attached to a sword, but I -" Hiccup laughed at himself. "I'm in love with her."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "Don't cut such a wry face," he said seriously. "You should love your sword, Vaskar. A true warrior has his sword and treats it like a gem, a treasure."

"Did you ever have one?" Hiccup asked suddenly.

Loki smiled. "I was never much for swinging a sword, Vaskar," he said quietly. "But yes, I had one. When I was leading the rebellion, I needed a sword for appearances. Yes, I had one."

"What happened to it?" Hiccup asked. "What was her name?"

"Dahlia," Loki smiled. "She was beautiful, Vaskar. Sleek, curved at the tip, with a leaf-like crossguard and pommel. She made me want to go into battle and fight in the vanguard, but I was better needed to direct the battles. When we lost the rebellion, Dahlia was taken from me by Thor himself. I do not know what he did with it. He will not tell me."

Hiccup started.

"What?" Loki asked.

"It's – nothing," Hiccup answered slowly. "But I may at some point know where Dahlia is. If I should ever find her, what would you have me do with her?"

Loki smiled. "I would just like to know where she is kept. I would never be allowed to have her down here with me, but I would love to know where she lies."

"Then if I ever learn, I will let you know," Hiccup promised. "It's the least I could do in return for all the help you've given me."

"Have you used your sword in combat yet, Vaskar?" Loki asked, taking a sip of tea.

"Yes, actually!" Hiccup grinned. "Have you heard of my – um, incident with Freyja in Valhalla?"

Loki put his cup down slowly. "Oh dear. What did you do this time, Vaskar?"

Hiccup leaned back in his chair with a grin, and told the story. He told Loki how the Valhalla door warden had mistaken him for a God. He explained the music, beauty, and mesmerizing feel of Valhalla. He spoke about Freyja, her unpleasant look, and the fact that Thor was nervous. But finally, he told Loki about his bold and dangerous divulgement of the Hydra and Toothless to Freyja. When he got to the part about cutting Freyja's arm, breaking her crown, and stealing her sword, Loki was, for the first time, truly stunned.

Hiccup finished the story. "And so I hid the Sword of Death, and that was all." With a broad grin, he leaned back, placing his hands behind his head.

Loki exhaled slowly. "Wow." He breathed. "You actually stole THAT sword. No wonder the Council wanted to see you. They did, didn't they?"

"Of course they did," Hiccup grinned. "And they wanted me to tell them where it was, but I never did. Odin made it the question for my test, which I passed."

"Unbelievable." Loki shook his head. "Vaskar, you are more dangerous than you know. I hope you disposed of the Sword of Death properly."

"I did. I hid it in a spot where it will be very difficult to find and recover. I'm not telling anyone where it is, so forgive me when I don't tell you."

"No worries at all." Loki laughed. "Oh dear me. You stole the Sword of Death."

"Yes," Hiccup laughed with Loki. "So yeah, that's basically what I've been doing for the past two days, fighting Gods."

"You are demented, Vaskar," Loki sighed. "But I think the Gods and Asgeirr are going to be very impressed. I think this will actually work in your favor in the long run."

"I hope so. The prophecy says I am the savior of Midgard, so that is what they want me to be. If I can defeat Freyja, I have a chance to defeat Hel."

"Ah!" Loki smiled. "Speaking of which." He put down his teacup. "You wanted to discuss the prophecy, the one that says you are to be the only hope of Midgard."

"Yeah!" Hiccup smiled, enthused. "That's right, we decided to talk about that when I came down next. I had a few questions about the prophecy. For instance, why should the Gods put so much faith in a single prediction, and what does it mean?"

Loki straightened up and recited from memory, closing his green eyes.

"From the gates of Hel rings evil's bell,

New power has been found in the deep.

A war shall rage, but not with blades,

But with the thoughts the Dragon's keep.

Despair shall beset Midgard, and many men shall fall.

But there is yet a hero, one to save them all.

From the darkness there comes a ray of hope,

But not in the way of light.

For the Black Rider shall come unto us,

With dragon dark as night.

Against the men of Midgard Hel's watchful hand gropes,

And the Rider atop the Night Fury will be their only hope."

Loki paused, and then took a deep breath. "Well," he said. "First off, that poem absolutely – sucks. It sounds like it was devised by a sixteen year old boy trying to write a fantasy story."

Hiccup laughed. "That it does. Who did write it, Loki?"

"The Great Prophet of Jotunheim," Loki replied. "The Great Prophet is a wizened old man who sits in the Juton Tower. He is unbelievably aged, and he stays in his own room, private and forgotten, on the world of Jotunheim. He does nothing but mumble with his eyes closed, but then suddenly he spasms and writes something on paper. This was one such occurrence. His predictions have always been accurate. People believe that he is lost in time and space, and that is why he is incoherent and mumbles all the time."

"I see," Hiccup said. "So he just blurted this prophecy out one day."

"Yes." Loki was sincere.

"OK." Hiccup chuckled. "So let's have it, let's discuss it. Let's start at the beginning. The first verse."

"From the gates of Hel rings evil's bell," Loki said. "All right. This is a short, fairly straightforward line with many possible implications, but I'll start simply. 'The gates of Hel.' Niflheim, or Helheim, is called Hel also, you know that. The kingdom of the evil dead has only one entrance, a massive, sealed gate. It keeps the dead inside."

"That makes sense," Hiccup nodded. "But what about 'evil's bell?'"

Loki nodded. "You are not accustomed to our warfare, so naturally you would not understand that. On all the realms except yours, when the armies are being called out to battle, they ring bells to summon the troops. So that first verse implies that the armies of Niflheim are coming out the gates."

"I see," Hiccup said thoughtfully. "We blow horns on Midgard, so that's pretty much the same thing."

"Exactly," Loki answered. "So does that verse make sense to you now?"

"Absolutely," Hiccup replied. "The armies of Helheim are being called to battle. The gates are about to open."

"Right." Loki nodded. "On to the next verse?"

"Please."

"New power has been found in the deep," Loki went on. "Now, this line is a little trickier than the first. We are assuming that the 'new power' is the mental control that the evil Goddess Hel is using. However, we know for certain that 'the deep' is a reference to the levels of Niflheim. The deeper you go, the more wicked the people who are there become. So the mention of the 'deep' implies that the 'new power' is vastly evil."

"Well, that's not good," Hiccup chuckled. "But I guess that was obvious, any power that originates in Hel is bound to be evil."

"True enough," Loki admitted. "Next verse?"

Hiccup nodded.

"A war shall rage, but not with blades, but with the thoughts the dragons keep,"Loki quoted. "Now, these two verses give us a hint as to exactly what that evil power mentioned before is. As you know, Hel is using some form of dark magic to control the dragon's mind and their thoughts, and has been for centuries. So the new power is some form of mental control."

"Makes sense," Hiccup acknowledged. "We covered that already, but it's nice to get a little confirmation from that part."

"Despair shall beset Midgard, and many men shall fall," Loki went on. "Now, this verse you have firsthand knowledge of, Vaskar. Do you not?"

"I do," Hiccup said sadly. "All those generations of us battling the dragons… how much death was there? So much. Many men fell, as the prophecy predicted. My mother was taken by dragons when I was a baby."

Loki compressed his lips, opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. Then he lowered his head and whispered quietly.

"What was she like? Your mother."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "I hardly remember her, Loki. I was only a babe when the dragons took her. All I know is that she was very like me, she had the freckles, the big green eyes, and she was a smart one."

"Where did she come from?"

Hiccup frowned. "My dad didn't talk about it much, but from what I gathered my mother was from another tribe, which got destroyed. My grandmother was royalty from that island, and when my mother was born the match was decided between my dad and her."

"Her island." Loki was hoarse, and he lifted his teacup to his mouth. "How was it destroyed?"

"I think it got hit by a wildfire."

Loki swallowed his tea, and exhaled sharply. He tried to set the cup down on the table, placed it on the edge, and it fell, crashing to the floor. Tea spilled.

Hiccup jolted as the cup smashed, and then he looked up quizzically at Loki. Loki did not look well. He seemed pale and shaken. "Loki? Are you all right? What's the matter?"

"I'm fine." Loki blinked, swallowing. "A dizzy spell. That is all. Forgive me for the questions about your mother, I was just curious."

"Should we clean up that broken glass? Are you sure you're OK, Loki? You look ill."

"I'm fine." Loki sighed. "Sometimes I take dizzy spells when I drink that tea. Forget the mess, it'll get cleaned up later."

"All right." Hiccup relaxed again. "So back to the prophecy. What verse were we on?"

Loki nodded. "Right. We're on 'But there is yet a hero, one to save them all.'"

Hiccup smiled. "A hero. That's me being mentioned right there, I guess."

"It is." Loki chuckled. "You are the 'hero', as the next few verses confirms. This line is just a preliminary, so I'll pass over it. The next stanza is more descriptive. 'From the darkness there comes a ray of hope, But not in the way of light. For the Black Rider shall come unto us, With dragon dark as night.'"

Loki paused. "This is where things begin to get queer. The prophecy for the first time mentions 'us.' 'He shall come unto us,' not 'he shall come unto the people of Midgard.' What did The Great Prophet mean by 'us?'" Loki spread his hands. He seemed to have fully recovered from his dizzy spell earlier. "No one knows, but it is mainly those few sentences that made my father Odin nervous. 'Us' implies that not just Midgard is in danger because of Hel, but all of the worlds. If The Great Prophet was on Jutonheim, which he was, then us would mean his people also, one might assume. So Hel's power would spread on. That is why Odin decided to put a lot of effort into finding you for the past hundred years."

Hiccup nodded. "Wow. So that one 'us' caused such a big change? I wish I was the Great Prophet, to have that kind of power."

Loki laughed. "I would not want to be the Great Prophet," he grinned. "The man must have no fun with his life, or at least not by my standards. But I am having no fun as it is, locked helpless in this cell." Loki looked about him. "But yes, he has great power, and he doesn't seem to care about it. He just prophesizes."

Hiccup grinned. "Well all right then. But that line mentioned the 'Black Rider,' and 'dragon dark as night.' How do we know that they mean Toothless and I? I think Thor explained it to me when I first arrived, but I'm not sure."

"The next two lines corroborate it," Loki answered. "'Against the men of Midgard Hel's watchful hand gropes, And the Rider atop the Night Fury will be their only hope.' So you can see this line makes it quite clear. There is only one Night Fury, so the only hope for Midgard is you. However, here that confusing 'us' comes into play again. This line is ONLY referring to the 'men of Midgard.' We assume this just means all the people of Midgard, but it is important to note that it is just directed to Midgard. Instead of an 'us' there is a 'their.' So maybe you are just the savior of Midgard, and the danger to the rest of the realms, assuming there is one, is to be defeated by some other champion? Or perhaps not at all?"

Loki leaned back. "Questions, Vaskar. Questions that shall never be answered, only pondered. The only thing we can hope for is that you are the one, the one who shall defeat Hel and end her evil power once and for all."

"Well I sure hope I am, too." Hiccup bit his lip. "For the sake of all the people of Midgard. Especially my tribe. My father. Astrid."

Loki smiled. "You do love that girl back home, don't you?"

Hiccup looked up. "I do, Loki. She was the one girl I had a crush on forever. Damn, when she first kissed me, I couldn't believe it." Hiccup laughed, then grew serious. "But Loki. Would you believe me if I told you that I may be falling in love right now with the Goddess Eir?"

Loki's jaw dropped, then he blinked and laughed. "Yes, Vaskar, you and every other person in the nine realms who has seen her and has a pecker dangling from between his legs."

"No, I'm serious, Loki!" Hiccup laughed, dropping his face into his hands. "Sure, OK, she's incredibly beautiful and – and -"

"And perfectly sexy," Loki finished simply. "No, that's exactly what she is, Vaskar. She's the Goddess of healing! She can make herself absolutely perfect, from her smile to the curve of her ass."

"Come on, Loki!" Hiccup was laughing. "Look I know she's like a drop of sunshine from Valhalla itself, but she's not all beauty and sexiness, Loki. She's understanding, she's fun, she's playful, and I like all that. She also likes me, I'm sure of it."

Loki raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

"Yes." Hiccup related briefly the events of the party, ending with him boxing in the ring, defeating Thor, and kissing Eir. Loki's mouth was open in shock. But he didn't seem to care about Eir.

"You defeated THOR?" He gasped. "In a fistfight?!"

"With the help of Jarn af Vapna." Hiccup clanked his metal hands together. "And your big brother was also half-drunk and really not trying his best. He was just having fun. I'm not letting that victory go to my head. What I AM letting go to my head is the fact that Eir said, quote, 'You can kiss me anytime.' What does that imply to you, Loki?"

Loki grinned. "It implies only one thing, Hiccup."

"Exactly." Hiccup leaned back with a smug grin on his face. "And one can only ask, when a man has THAT kind of invitation from the most beautiful person ever to exist, why the HEL doesn't he jump at it?"

"And I'm asking you as well," Loki grinned, plowing a hand through his hair.

"Well, because I love Astrid." Hiccup sighed. "Astrid isn't near to being as pretty as Eir, no one is, but I love her for who she is, not what she looks like."

"They all look the same with the lights out, am I right?" Loki muttered, adjusting his shirt.

Hiccup laughed. "Gods, Loki, can't you take this seriously?" He pleaded. "I decided to bring this up with you because I thought you might help me! I guess the all-intelligent Loki gets stumped by a bit of love drama?"

Loki sat up straight. "Yes," he said curtly. "I really don't like love issues and become awkward and confused when discussing them. I never do it."

Hiccup's brow furrowed slightly. "How come? Have you ever loved anyone, Loki?"

Loki was quiet for a minute, then spoke. "No. I never have. I suppose I am interested in the more – uh - physical aspects of love, but I won't expound on that. Regardless, I do not feel comfortable when people are discussing their relationships with men or women."

Hiccup grinned. "Very well. I won't expound on how Eir's tongue danced against mine and the warmth of -"

"Vaskar!" Loki shook his head, laughing. "Look, Hiccup, I can talk about love as a business, just as a thing, but I cannot and will not discuss details and lovey-dovey things. Forgive me."

"No, that's all right," Hiccup smiled. "I'm glad I've finally found a weakness in you, Loki. I'll be sure to exploit it often."

"I'm sure you shall," Loki sighed.

"Well, if you won't talk about it, then I guess I'll go take it up with Thor," Hiccup joked. "He has no qualms about 'lovey-dovey' things." Hiccup rose from his chair suddenly.

Loki rose also, surprised. "You're not actually going to see him right now, are you?"

"No, but I just realized that I should go," Hiccup said. "Asgeirr told me to be back in my room in an hour, and that was about fifty minutes ago. I need to go; I get to see Toothless today and I am NOT going to miss that."

"Ah, very well." Loki extended his hand. "Congratulations again on passing your test, and thank you for stopping by my lonely cell to talk with me."

"Any time," Hiccup nodded, shaking hands with Loki. "It's really – fun to come down here, actually."

"Well, officially this never happened," Loki grinned, as Hiccup picked up Hicca and strapped the sword to his back. "If you ever come down here without me being under surveillance, it never happened."

Hiccup crossed his heart. "This never happened." Then he grinned, teasing Loki again. "Kinda like what I'm going to have to say if I decide to let Astrid go and have Eir."

"Hiccup." Loki placed a hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "I don't like talking love, you know that, but listen to me now." He leaned forward. "If for ANY reason at all your relationship with Eir goes a little beyond just joking kisses, make sure THAT never happened either."

Loki dropped his hand from Hiccup's shoulder.

"What do you mean?" Hiccup asked.

"Did you ever hear the story about Toothless' parents?" Loki asked.

"Yes," Hiccup said slowly. "Thor told me when I first arrived on Asgard. What does that have to do with me and Eir?"

"Toothless was created by a curse from the God Lofn, the God of Forbidden Loves," Loki said quietly. "The match between the animal/God Thunderbird and human/God Freyja was not acceptable to the Gods, and neither is a match between a mortal and a God."

Hiccup blinked.

"You've probably already doomed yourself by kissing her in public," Loki said. "At least you might excuse yourself on that score by saying you just wanted her to heal you with a kiss, but the fact remains that you have already distinguished yourself. Surely Eir knows that. You should talk with her if you actually intend to – to pursue her."

"I see," Hiccup said slowly. "So if I were to fall in love with Eir, I'd have to keep it secret."

"Freyja tried to keep her love affair secret, and look where that got her."

Hiccup grinned. "I like a challenge, Loki. Maybe I'll fall in love with Eir after all, and if I do, then I will not let Lofn or any other Gods stand in my way. I'll figure something out. I've beaten Gods before and I can do I again."

Loki smiled. "Don't underestimate the Gods, Vaskar. If you ever have an affair of any kind with Eir, make sure it NEVER comes to light. If Lofn finds out…" Loki shook his head.

"I will keep that in mind." Hiccup turned to the door of the cell and it opened for him. Then he looked back at Loki.

"Until next time, Father of Lies."

"Until next time." Loki saluted Hiccup.

Hiccup grinned, saluted Loki, and then left. The cell door banged and sealed behind him, leaving Loki standing in the cell. For once the God was not smiling at his progress in transforming Hiccup. Instead he was solemn, for something he had learned just may have answered his most important question.

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In fifteen minutes of Hiccup leaving the dungeons, Hiccup and Asgeirr were walking side by side down a corridor. After his meeting with Loki, Hiccup had gone direct back to his room and changed out of his party apparel. Then he geared up in his usual outfit, his fierce black armor.

It was while he was alone in his room, practicing his footwork, that Asgeirr came to him, telling him that Toothless had arrived in Asgard and that they were going to meet the Night Fury.

For once Hiccup was not in his soldierly bearing, and instead he was like a small child, full of excitement and energy.

"Dammit, can't we hurry, Master?" he begged, as Asgeirr kept walking at his slow, steady pace. "Come on, where is he? I want to see Toothless!"

"We are going there now," Asgeirr sighed. "Toothless just arrived by BiFrost with his companions a few minutes ago. We're going to go and meet him."

"Well can you please hurry?!" Hiccup groaned.

"Patience, Hiccup," Asgeirr admonished. "I know you want to get to Toothless as soon as possible, but relax! He's only been gone for about two weeks!"

"You don't understand," Hiccup sighed.

"I think I do," Asgeirr answered. "I've trained three Dragon Riders, and they all have the same feelings towards their dragons. They cannot bear to be parted from them for any longer than is necessary."

"And it is NOT necessary for us to walk so SLOW!" Hiccup groaned. "Can we maybe, you know, run?"

Asgeirr laughed. "My dear Hiccup."

Hiccup was about to reply, but just then they passed a group of Aesir men and women, who all looked at Hiccup and recognized him.

"Hail, Ironarm!" One of the men called. "That was a fantastic boxing match you just won! Can we see you fight Odin tomorrow!?"

"Awe, I got lucky today," Hiccup called back to the man as they passed. "Thanks, though! I'll invite you whenever I decide to punch the AllFather, the more the merrier at my funeral."

The group laughed, and Hiccup chuckled.

"We hope to see you soon, Ironarm!" One of the women called, and then the group was out of talking range.

"You're getting popular with the people, Riddari," Asgeirr commented. "That is good, but also surprising. You scared almost everyone in the entire city when you went on your rampage through the halls about a week ago."

"It's just hard for them not to like me," Hiccup grinned. "Especially the girls. I mean, when you're as handsome and sexy as I am the ability to resist the temptations becomes -"

"Do shut up," Asgeirr muttered.

"I like this subject," Hiccup laughed. "Come on, did you see me and Eir today? Do you know what it feels like to kiss her? Of course not, why would she kiss an ugly bastard like you? She really likes me, Master, her and every other eligible girl in the city."

"Riddari, be silent," Asgeirr snapped.

"Be silent?" Hiccup guffawed. "Silence is not in my creed! Especially when it comes to beautiful girls, Master."

"Riddari!" Asgeirr snapped. "I know you are excited, but the girls are fools to like you. You can't even defend yourself."

"What? I can defend myself," Hiccup said, confused.

"Really?" Asgeirr stopped and looked at Hiccup. Then, with a movement faster than Hiccup could even see, he reached up to Hiccup's back and snatched Hicca from her sheath.

"HEYYAHH!" Hiccup whirled on Asgeirr, grabbing his arm. "Give that back to me!"

Asgeirr shoved Hiccup away and held Hicca out firmly. Then he drew his own sword and laid the tip of each blade on Hiccup's collarbones. Hiccup froze.

"Do not EVER let someone take your sword from you," Asgeirr said sternly. "If I was your opponent, right now you would be DEAD. Do not ever let that happen. Your sword always stays with you and you cannot lose it. As I said, you cannot even defend yourself."

Asgeirr held Hicca out to Hiccup, and Hiccup snatched his sword back, putting it safely in its sheath. "I won't let it happen again, Master."

"Don't." Asgeirr then gestured to a door. "We have arrived at the Dragon Hall. Toothless is inside that door, waiting for you."

"What? YES!" Hiccup shouted, and leapt to the knob. Twisting it, he flung open the entry. There was a small passageway before him, and he sprinted down it, seeing a large room at the end. He passed through into the room, and took it in. There was no one in the center, but right next to him there was a familiar growl, and Hiccup whirled to see a familiar black shape directly beside him.

"TOOTHLESS!" He shouted, and without stopping to even look at him, pounced on his friend's neck, hugging him tightly. "Bud! Oh, bud, you're back! Gods I've missed you."

Toothless crooned happily, and Hiccup reached up Toothless' neck to scratch his chin. Then he froze. Toothless' head wasn't there.

Hiccup stepped back in shock and then realized what his mistake was. He hadn't been hugging Toothless' neck. He had been hugging his LEG.

Toothless loomed over him from a giant height, his teeth opening in a happy grin.

"Bud?" Hiccup stared. "Toothless? My GOD! You're enormous!"

Toothless chuckled a dragon laugh, and bent down to lick Hiccup with a tongue that was about the size of Hiccup himself.

"NO!" Hiccup yelled, and as Toothless' tongue passed over him, Hiccup groaned. He spread his hands, his entire body literally dripping in dragon saliva.

Toothless gurgled another dragon laugh, and Hiccup laughed with him, leaping up to hug onto Toothless' enormous neck. "Bud, it sure is good to see you."

Toothless warbled, and then suddenly shook Hiccup off. Lowering his giant head, he gazed at Hiccup steadily with his giant green eyes.

"I know, bud," Hiccup said sadly. "I'm changed, just like you. I'm not really the same person anymore. But I'm still Hiccup, bud. Deep down in, I'm still Hiccup." Hiccup patted his chest. "It's still me, Toothless."

Toothless blinked slowly, and then bowed his head.

Asgeirr stepped from the shadows. "It is time," he said. "You and your dragon are bonded, but not fully. This is Phase Two of your training, and this is the first step." Asgeirr walked up to Hiccup and drew a knife from his belt. "Give me your hand, Riddari."

Hiccup stared at the blade in Asgeirr's hand, wondering what was going on. He turned to look at Toothless, and the dragon bobbed his head in approval.

"OK," Hiccup said to Asgeirr. "What is this?" He extended his hand, palm up.

Asgeirr stepped forward and seized Hiccup's right wrist. Then he drew the knife across Hiccup's palm, much deeper than was necessary than just to draw blood. Hiccup yelped and sprung back, blood spraying from his hand, but Asgeirr held his arm in an iron grip.

"What are you doing!" Hiccup yelled, as Asgeirr started another cut. "Stop cutting me!"

"Be still!" Asgeirr snapped, and Hiccup gritted his teeth as Asgeirr carved a symbol into his palm with the knife. It was bleeding so much Hiccup could not see what it was.

Asgeirr finished and released Hiccup's hand. Hiccup sprung back with a cry of pain.

"What was that!?" He exploded, holding his hand, which was spurting blood.

Asgeirr didn't reply. He merely stepped over to Toothless, who bowed his head to the Warlock. To Hiccup's absolute astonishment, Toothless let Asgeirr take the knife and plunge it into Toothless' forehead, right above the eyes.

"What are you doing!" Hiccup shouted, but Toothless was not resisting. He merely closed his eyes as Asgeirr carved something into his forehead with the knife. Hot black dragon blood dripped to the floor, sizzling and bubbling.

Asgeirr stepped back, grimacing as he wiped the scorching dragon blood off his knife arm. Then he took Hiccup's mangled hand and dragged Hiccup forward to Toothless. Without a word, he placed it against the wound in Toothless' forehead. The hot dragon blood burned Hiccup's hand, and he grunted in pain. His own blood poured from his palm, mixing with Toothless'. Then Asgeirr raised his voice and shouted in Old Norse.

"Band, Band, Dreki eoa Rekkr! Moetta geo, moetta ond! Smioa sjalfr einn!"

A flash of white light blazed, and Hiccup yelled as his hand suddenly burned flaming hot, and red fire seemed to explode around his arm, pinning it to Toothless. A roar of air rushed around him, and something howled in his ears so loudly he could hear nothing. And his hand seemed to be glued to Toothless' head.

Then there was a violent blast of magic, and Hiccup was hurled onto his back, his hand coming away from Toothless. He hit the floor hard, and while he lay still on his back, the wind died away and all became still. Hiccup took a deep breath. His hand felt strange.

Blinking, he sat up and stared at his palm.

It was different. Instead of smooth skin, there was a black symbol on his palm, made of a Night Fury dragon scale. With a gasp, he looked up, and Toothless, with is head still bowed, had the same symbol on his forehead, in red.

As Hiccup's head began to clear, he felt something odd. Something strange. There was something in his head, something that was not supposed to be there.

Then a voice, quiet but strong, echoed in his mind.

"Greetings, Hiccup."

Hiccup leapt to his feet and yelled. He glanced around him, wondering what the sound was.

"It is me," the voice said. "Toothless."

Hiccup gasped, whirled, and stared at his dragon. Toothless was looking directly at him, his green eyes bright and wise.

"How is this happening?" Hiccup thought, terrified and shocked.

Toothless grinned a dragon grin. "It is the magic of the dragon bond, Hiccup. I am an Alpha, and when an Alpha picks a rider, they can share a mental connection like we are now."

"So we can talk to each other through our minds?" Hiccup said aloud.

"Yes," Toothless replied. "You do not have to talk aloud. You can just think what you want to say to me, and I shall hear."

"I don't understand," Hiccup said to Toothless, in his mind this time.

"Neither do I," Toothless answered him. "It is a power that is above our knowledge, but I am an Alpha, and I chose you. Once my blood is in your veins and your blood in mine, we become like one. We share a mind."

"This is amazing," Hiccup said with awe.

"It is, but it's wonderful!" Toothless sprang forward and pounced upon Hiccup, pinning him down with a massive forefoot. The Night Fury's claws were about a foot long, and the foot was as big as Hiccup's torso.

"How did you get so big, bud?" Hiccup asked, gasping for air under the crushing weight of his dragon.

"I ate proper food!" Toothless sounded amused. "Brenakir, my wingmate and trainer, taught me what to eat and how to eat it. I got big very fast. And my tail is fixed!" Toothless brandished his tail, which was now longer and larger. It was also whole.

"They fixed my leg too!" Hiccup replied, amused. "Magic is crazy, bud."

"We're not cripples any longer," Toothless stated. "We're the lords of the sky!"

"You're the lord of the sky," Hiccup chuckled, as Toothless let him rise. "I'm the lord of the earth."

Toothless warbled excitedly. "We need to fly together! I learned many new tricks and many new ways of bending the wind to my advantage. We can go faster, faster than we've ever flown before."

"I want to fly," Hiccup replied. "But my trainer is strict. I cannot go outside the city."

"We have a new trainer now." Toothless suddenly sat erect and folded his wings. "My trainer, Brenakir, has an elf rider whose title is Kaldr. He will be your new Master."

"Where is he?" Hiccup asked.

"He is here, with Brenakir," Toothless answered. "Would you like to see him?"

"Yes." Hiccup nodded. "I want to meet him, and Brenakir also. Can I use this new mental power to communicate with Brenakir also?"

"Yes." Toothless answered. "You can talk with any Alpha dragon and with any man or elf or being that has the mental power. Brenakir is an Alpha, and Kaldr has the power."

Hiccup nodded. "Then let me meet them."

"I will call Brenakir," Toothless said. "You call someone by thinking of their name aloud. Then you can talk to them, and they can choose to block you out or let you talk. You will learn that skill soon, for it easy."

Toothless was quiet for a little while, then spoke to Hiccup again. "I have called him. They are coming in through the large door behind you."

Toothless gestured with his wing, and Hiccup turned. The large gate clanged, and then the door began to rise, opening like a portcullis. Hiccup's gaze grew intent as he got his first glance at what was beyond. Then the door was all the way open, and the floor shook as two figures walked in.

The shaking was being caused by a large blue dragon, whose shiny scales gleamed brightly. He was almost twice as big as Toothless, and was a type of dragon that Hiccup had never seen before. He looked like a Monstrous Nightmare, but his neck was shorter, his tail and back were layered with spikes, and his front legs were longer. The dragon walked erect and proud.

"That is Brenakir," Toothless told Hiccup.

Brenakir was looking down at Hiccup from forty feet up, and his glowing golden eyes seemed both experienced and wise.

Hiccup then shifted his gaze to the second figure. He was walking alongside Brenakir, and he was garbed in gold and blue armor, which shined. His step was full of confidence and power, and he was headed directly for Hiccup.

Hiccup walked forward to meet him. This was his new trainer, Captain Kaldr of Alfheim.

Kaldr approached, and Hiccup took in his new trainer. Kaldr was three inches taller than Hiccup, and his movements were graceful and smooth. He had long brown hair, which was flowed back behind his head and showed slight curls behind his ears, which were pointed. His eyes were a friendly bright blue, and he was smiling.

He didn't say a word until he was two feet away from Hiccup, and then he stopped. He looked up and down Hiccup, looking at his form, his armor, and his posture. Hiccup, amused, decided to do the same to Kaldr. Glancing down at the elf's feet, he saw the same leather armored shoes that he was wearing on his own armor. In fact, Kaldr had the exact same armor, but it was colored differently. And instead of the Asgardian crest on his chestplate, he had a golden leaf, the symbol of Alfheim.

Kaldr then met Hiccup's eyes and gazed into them, raising his hand. It was not a handshake – his arm was a right angle. Hiccup looked down at it. Kaldr had a similar symbol on his palm, except it was bright blue instead of black.

"Shake his hand," Toothless told Hiccup. "And be strong."

Hiccup raised his right hand, and their marked hands locked, at right angles, between them. Kaldr glared at Hiccup and pushed down on Hiccup's arm. Hiccup, surprised, pushed back. It was a test of strength.

Hiccup and Kaldr struggled against each other, muscles straining, and Hiccup looked into Kaldr's eyes as intensely as Kaldr was staring into his.

Hiccup had to grin. Kaldr was using the same techniques that Loki was teaching, looking into one's eyes to discover their trustfulness. Hiccup did the same, and focused his own thoughts. Then he bored into Kaldr's deep blue eyes like a spike.

Their arms were shaking, each one struggling to push the other down. Kaldr was a lot stronger than Hiccup, but he was not trying to crush Hiccup. He was only testing his strength, and he seemed to be impressed.

Hiccup was mesmerized by Kaldr's eyes. Looking inside, he saw a dark, hallowed past, with much pain and suffering. But through it all something shone out all the clearer, that Kaldr was good, that he was loyal and true, devoted and strong. But there was something more. Hiccup stared deeper, and Kaldr suddenly flinched. Hiccup saw that Kaldr was searching – his hear was aching for something, for something he could not find. Love. Kaldr was searching for love.

Gasping, Kaldr blinked, and released Hiccup's arm, stepping back. He took one smooth, deep breath.

"By the Gods," Kaldr said in awe. "You stared right into my soul, Hiccup of Midgard!"

Hiccup smiled. "Loki said I was gifted at this. It's an honor to meet you – Captain Kaldr."

He extended his hand for a real handshake, and Kaldr took it readily.

"And I am honored to meet you, Akkeri."

"Akkeri?" Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

"You are the anchor of Midgard, Akkeri in elvish," Kaldr smiled. "You are called Akkeri on Alfheim."

"Well, I have too many blasted titles," Hiccup laughed. "Stick with Hiccup."

"And I am just plain Kaldr." Kaldr shook himself. "You look like Loki, Hiccup. Has anyone ever told you that?"

Hiccup stood still. "Yes," he answered. "It's just my eyes."

Kaldr nodded slowly. "Aye, it is your eyes – that and more. I saw the heart and soul of a hero in your eyes, Hiccup. Long ago the Giant Riders saw the same thing in mine, when they first met me and trained me. Now I shall do the same for you. Today, I and my dragon Brenakir become your mentors. You are true, Hiccup."

"Mentors?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes, mentors," Kaldr answered. "And I say mentors because we are NOT your masters. No longer are you subject to the will of one person, Hiccup of Midgard. I am here to guide you, not to command you. I am not your dictator, I am your brother. Brothers in arms. Soon, when I finish teaching you, will we be Captains together." Kaldr smiled.

Hiccup grinned back, and then he suddenly felt a presence strike his mind.

"Hiccup, it is Brenakir," a deep, rumbling voice called inside his head.

Hiccup followed Toothless' instructions and answered. "Brenakir. It is an honor to meet you, Dragon of Alfheim."

Brenakir chuckled, smoke coming from his large nostrils. "No fancy titles for me, Akkeri, I despise them even more than you. I am Brenakir, and Brenakir I am."

Hiccup grinned. "Very well, Brenakir. And you can stop calling me Akkeri. Perhaps I am the Anchor of Midgard, but soon I am to be the Rider of Asgard. Just call me Hiccup."

"That is a very odd name," Brenakir commented, bemused. "That is not a name to make the world tremble."

"Not yet," Hiccup replied. "But I'll make hiccup a title to be feared."

"Ahh!" Brenakir raised his head proudly. "A good answer! I think you shall be a respectable Rider, Hiccup."

"I'm honored to hear it, Brenakir," Hiccup replied. Then he turned back to Kaldr.

"So you are training me? When do we start?"

"We start soon," Kaldr smiled. "But first, you want to ride your dragon, and spend some time with him. Learn to use your new communication. Do not waste time, but enjoy yourself and use it wisely. I have much to discuss with you when you return."

"Yes!" Hiccup grinned. He turned to Toothless. "We get to fly now, bud!"

Kaldr turned to Brenakir and shouted. ""

With a roar, Brenakir leapt up and seized hold of a giant bar on the ceiling with both his front legs. Then, pushing off the ground with his hind legs, he slid open a massive door in the ceiling, revealing a clear, glorious blue sky above, with a slight wind whispering above. The sun was shining, and Hiccup blinked at its light. He had not truly seen the sun for a long time.

"Fly, Hiccup!" Kaldr grinned, gesturing to the open door. "For today you are free. Explore the world. Explore Asgard. Do whatever you desire, just be back by sundown."

Hiccup didn't even wait to thank Kaldr. "Let's go, Toothless!" He shouted aloud, and with a happy roar, Toothless scooped up Hiccup in one paw and tossed him onto his back, where a fine black saddle was already buckled. Hiccup landed clumsily, and for the first time realized that he could fly without his metal leg. Toothless was whole, and so was he.

"Let's go!" He yelled, and with a roar, Toothless sprung off the solid floor, hurtling through the open door and into the air above.

Hiccup screamed in excitement as Toothless thundered through the air, faster than he'd ever flown before.

"YEEEEAAAHHH BUD!" He yelled, out loud, as Toothless rocketed into the sky. "Gods, how I've missed this! Go, Toothless, go!"

With a triumphant roar, Toothless leveled himself out, and Hiccup looked down. They had just shot out of a massive gate in the roof of a large golden outcrop of Asgard. And as Hiccup looked around, he was stunned.

They were high in the Levels of Asgard, almost at the very top. The golden houses, halls, and walkways of the city all shimmered beneath him like a thousand suns. The Golden City, Asgard, was enormous, and they were flying over it.

Hiccup looked up from the majestic view of the city, and gasped again. Asgard was surrounded by mountains, and the city itself was so large that it was the height of a mountain itself. Below, just beyond the city gates, was a great lake, and beyond it a grassy valley that led through the mountains.

"It's awe-inspiring," Toothless commented, soaring higher. "I have not flown on Asgard before. In the name of the Old Ones, this is the most mesmerizing view I have ever seen."

"It is incredible," Hiccup answered.

"It is so warm, also!" Toothless sighed happily. "On Alfheim we trained high in the mountains, where the ice is thick and the snow soft. There the cold bites into your wings and makes your scales crack."

"That doesn't sound fun," Hiccup laughed.

"It is not!" Toothless cried gleefully. "But this weather is marvelous! Let us fly!"

And for the first time in two long weeks, Hiccup and Toothless were flying together. Hiccup yelled in excitement as Toothless performed intricate moves and flew at breakneck speeds over the mountains. But eventually they tired and decided they needed to do some serious catching up. They chose a mighty cliff beyond Asgard Lake, with a stunning view of the city. Toothless swooped down and landed.

"Well, let us talk," Toothless snorted, sitting down. "We have much to discuss, and for once we can easily tell what the other is trying to say."

"How was Alfheim?" Hiccup asked, sliding off Toothless and leaning against his dragon's leg.

Toothless lowered his head to the ground, and Hiccup shifted so that he leaned against Toothless' head instead. He laid his arm over the dragon's skull, his hand right above Toothless' eye.

"You're gigantic, bud," Hiccup smiled. "What did they do to you on Alfheim? Tell me all about what happened, from the day we parted."

And there, sitting on a cliff above the Golden City, Toothless and Hiccup poured their souls out to one another. Toothless explained all that he had done on Alfheim, from learning about wind angles to stories of the Old Ones, the Alpha dragons of legend, whom he was descended. About his father, the Thunderbird. About the elves.

In return, Hiccup told Toothless all about what he had done on Asgard. The Wolf, his discussions with Loki, and Aiah. He spoke of his attempt to send a message back to Astrid, and his duel with Freyja. He told Toothless about making the Zippleback bomb, to which the dragon seemed to be very interested. He talked of the Asgardian Council, and how Odin hated him. He talked about his vow to never look in a mirror until his training was over. Nothing was left out, and for hours they sat there, enjoying each other's company and getting to know each other once again.

"I'm much different, Toothless," Hiccup said, when he finished telling his story. "I'm not myself, bud. I swore I'd never look in a mirror until this training was over, and do you know why? Because I'm afraid, bud. I'm afraid that when I look at myself, it won't be Hiccup staring back. It'll be something else that I don't know."

"The Wolf is not meant to break you," Toothless said wisely. "It just needed to make your mind strong, so you can resist the temptations that Hel uses. Our bond, this bond that we share, protects me from it, but not you. You needed to master your mind, and that was all. You changed, but that's only natural, Hiccup."

"I sure hope so, bud," Hiccup replied. "What about you, do you feel changed, Toothless?"

"Other than being a gaint?" Toothless chuckled, his head shaking. "Not particularly. I am still myself, still the dragon that saw you a year ago and decided you were different. The responsibility is heavy, however, now that I know what I must do. I feel slightly burdened, Hiccup."

"As do I." Hiccup sighed. "You know, that prophecy only said I was the hope of Midgard, not that I would actually save it. Nothing is certain. Fate has a cruel sense of humor, as Asgeirr once said. We may all die, Toothless, us, Kaldr, Brenakir, and everyone on Midgard."

"Will you have Kaldr fight for you when you become Captain?" Toothless asked. "You do know that once you are Captain, you can command him to do battle at your side?"

"I know that," Hiccup answered. "Loki told me. And yes, I will definitely call on Kaldr and Brenakir to fight for me I don't care if Odin won't let me, I will do it. It's in my discretion to summon Kaldr to fight for me, and I WILL do it."

"Good." Toothless smiled a dragon smile. "I would feel much better with Brenakir by my side. Brenakir is a legend, Hiccup, and so is Kaldr. They defeated the Giant Riders of Jutonheim. We'll need them when we fight against Hel and the Hydra."

Hiccup frowned. "But why does everyone assume that the Hydra is evil?" He asked. "Just because your brother was born in Helheim doesn't mean that he is truly evil."

"But Hel has him under her control," Toothless explained. "My kin's mind will be overthrown, like the Red Death."

"Right," Hiccup sighed. "But Toothless, is there a way that you can break the mind control?"

Toothless shook his head slightly. "Not that I know of. The only way to prevent Hel from getting control of you is to bond with a rider. That is why I am safe, because I am bonded with you. Brenakir is safe because he bonded with Kaldr."

"But what if I die?" Hiccup turned to face Toothless. "If I die, what happens to you? What happens to our bond?"

Toothless was quiet for a second, then answered. "Brenakir told me once, very solemnly. If either of us die, then the other will be shattered, devastated. It will be like losing a part of yourself. And if you die, my mind WILL be able to be controlled. If you die, Hel will find me and capture me. I will die."

"That's not right!" Hiccup gripped Toothless' ear. "Bud, I can't let you take that risk! If I die, I don't want you being forced to die with me!"

"Barzack!" Toothless barked. It was the first time Hiccup had heard a dragon curse, and he jumped in shock. Toothless went on. "If you die, I will be nothing, Hiccup! I would be torn apart, this bond that binds us now will be taken away and I will be destroyed. The bond becomes stronger with time. Eventually, our minds will be so connected that the death of one automatically causes the death of another. But if you died, even now, I would be shattered. I would kill myself."

Hiccup swallowed. "That is how powerful the bond is?"

"Yes," Toothless said. "Brenakir would not speak much of it, but he claimed that if Kaldr died, he would most likely go mad and kill everything in sight, before dying of grief."

"That is not normal," Hiccup said quietly.

"Neither is talking with our minds!" Toothless laughed. "I could do it with Brenakir, and I can do it with you, and I can do it with any other being with the GIFT that I come across. If I ever fought Krelvin or the Hydra, we could speak to each other in battle."

"And what about me?" Hiccup asked. "Can I speak with other humans who have GIFT?"

"Yes," Toothless affirmed. "You can speak with Kaldr if you wish, but humans usually use their mouths. At long distances it can be used, however."

"Does this range ever grow too far to communicate with?" Hiccup asked.

"Well, it's complicated," Toothless explained. "You and I are bonded, which means we can talk to each other automatically, without asking. We can do it as long as we are on the same world. But if I were to go to Alfheim, and you stayed here, we would not be able to talk."

"Right," Hiccup nodded. "But what about any other person?"

"To talk to any other GIFTED person you have to call their name," Toothless told Hiccup. "For instance, if you wanted Kaldr, you would call in your mind, 'Kaldr!' and Kaldr would hear it. Then he could choose to talk to you or not. If he did not, he could shut you out. The range for this kind of communication is much shorter. You can only speak within the distance of a league. You also don't even know if the person is there, you have to call and answer or be called."

"So calling someone is dangerous," Hiccup said. "What if I called to Zyon while we were within range, and he heard but chose not to answer? Then he would know I was near, but I wouldn't know if he was."

"That's right," Toothless admitted. "So do not call your enemies unless you can see them or know where they are."

"This GIFT magic stuff is complicated," Hiccup grumbled.

"And you whine a lot, Hiccup," Toothless replied.

"You eat too much fish."

"Not anymore. The reason I liked fish so much was because they gave me one of the keys to growth. I was missing the second key, which was this strange thing that grows in the ground. Once I ate those two things every day, I grew like a weed. Now I don't desire fish as much."

Hiccup laughed. "I thought you told me everything, Toothless! Let's go over this again! What else did you do on Alfheim?!"

---

Bog Burglar Island, Day 15 since Hiccup's Departure

---

Camicazi, heiress to the Bog Burglars, ran her hone across her curved sword one last time. Then, heaving a deep sigh, she looked to the table at her right. The parchment lay there, the letter that the anonymous spy had written to her mother, Big Boobied Bertha. Alongside it was the knife that had pinned it to the chair.

"In ninety-six hours, you can expect to be attacked with the greatest force of dragons ever seen. Be prepared."

Ninety hours had passed since the message had been received, and her mother, Big Boobied Bertha, had treated it as gospel. For the past three days the Bog Burglars had done nothing but work, rebuilding defenses, creating a makeshift forge to replace the one that the dragon raid had destroyed, and getting prepared for a terrible onslaught. Now it was midnight, the night before the battle. Chief Bertha had ordered all the Bog Burglars to sleep, to rest and prepare for the battle in the morning. And they would do it alone, for their allies had not yet arrived.

Camicazi could not sleep, however. She was too nervous. She got up and paced the room, one of her swords in her hand.

Among the many tasks that needed to be done was releasing the dragons that they had captured. Camicazi sighed sadly as she remembered releasing the dragons who they had cared so well for. They had all wanted to be freed, but they bore no grudge against the Boggies, and they simply took off into the distance. It had made her sad to see them go, for they carried her hopes and dreams with them. She had wanted her own dragon, a smart, stealthy beast to help her. Now she had nothing, and was doomed to fight a dragon army in six hours.

"Thor dammit!" Camicazi swore, slamming her sword down on the bed next to her. She whirled to her shelf, where a large collection of stolen items sat, glorified. Walking over to it, she laid her hands alongside her most recent additions.

The helmet of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, heir to the tribe of Berk, and the bag of coins she had lifted from his belt when she kissed him the night he arrived on their island. She smiled slightly, amused. Hiccup had actually thought she wanted to bed him, and maybe she sorta did. But her original intent was just to distract him so she could steal this bag of coins from his belt. When she opened it later, she found that it was full of fake gold, utterly worthless. Hiccup had a sense of humor.

"What went wrong?" Camicazi asked herself aloud. "It was all so perfect. Hiccup was going to teach us, we were going to become a part of the next age of Vikings. We were enjoying life. His dragon was drunk, and I had fun trying to seduce him. Then somehow that dumb vortex of light came and took him. I do not understand."

With a final glance at the mean-looking helmet that Hiccup had worn, she turned back to her bed. Picking up her two vicious swords, she slid them into their sheaths and tossed her hone aside. Then she laid down on the bed, stretching her legs. Six hours. She closed her eyes.

Then, in the distance, a horn blew.

Camicazi sat bolt upright in bed, grabbing her swords. Cursing, she swung her belt over her hips. Looking down at the parchment, she cursed it for perhaps being wrong. Then, in the spur of the moment, she picked up the knife that had come with the message.

Tucking the knife into her boot, Camicazi leapt to the door, flinging it open. Her mother, Big Boobied Bertha, was emerging from the door in the opposite room.

"What was that horn, mom!?" Camicazi asked, as her mother opened the front door of their house, still strapping on her sword belt.

"I don't know!" Bertha jumped out the door and Camicazi followed. The entire Bog Burglar Island was pouring out of their homes and into the street, carrying weapons staring into the south. A horn sounded again, and Camicazi stared. Then a second horn blew. And a third.

None were the Berkian horn. They were horns that Camicazi had heard only a few times in her life. In the waning darkness to the south there were three fleets of ships, with banners flying and horns blowing.

Camicazi fell to one knee, tears of joy coming to her eyes. The Outcasts, the Murderous tribe, and the Berserkers had answered their call.

---

Two hours later Camicazi was sitting in the Great Hall, along with her mother, Big Boobied Bertha. They were sitting across from the leaders of three powerful Viking tribes, both whom had promised to fight for them. Camicazi sipped her ale and looked from left to right.

Alvin the Treacherous, chief of the Outcasts, sat on the far left, his lips curled in a menacing smirk. His gigantic size made it difficult to sit on the bench, and he seemed slightly uncomfortable. He was armored in ugly Outcast armor and had the ugly Outcast symbol on his breast.

Camicazi shifted her gaze to the man beside Alvin. He was small, lean, and mean. Savage, the second-in-command to Alvin, was an Outcast that was perhaps the most dislikeable person to ever walk the earth. He smelled horrible, and his teeth were so yellowed and crooked that Camicazi was surprised they were still in his mouth. But he was a ferocious fighter, and the many weapons he carried reflected the fact.

In the middle sat another man that was a ferocious fighter – Madguts, chief of the Murderous Tribe. The Murderous tribe were close allies with the Bog Burglars, and Camicazi actually had a special place in her heart for Madguts. She respected him, he respected her, and she never stole anything from him. It was her way of saying she liked him. Madguts was the only representative of the Murderous Tribe, for his wife and young son had stayed back on his island.

Camicazi nodded at Madguts and then turned to look at the next person. She frowned. This one she had her doubts about.

She had never seen Dagur the Deranged before, but she had certainly heard stories. He was the young new chief of the Berserker Tribe, only recently becoming a chief after his father's death. In fact, both his mother and father had died at the same time. However, Dagur most likely did not even care about his parent's death. He was truly insane. He had his mind set on killing dragons and nothing else. He hated Hiccup with every breath he took, and that seemed to be his only focus in the current discussion.

"So you are telling us you did NOT kill Hiccup!?" He asked, his eyes staring wildly. "If not, then WHERE IS HE?"

"That's what I want to know also," rumbled Madguts the Murderous. "In your message you were very cryptic, Bertha. You said he came to your island and died, and because of that Berk was declaring war. Did you kill him or not?"

Bertha looked at Camicazi, and Camicazi nodded. She and her mother had discussed this earlier.

"Best tell them the truth, mom," Camicazi said.

Bertha nodded. "Very well." She straightened up and addressed the three chieftains.

"We heard rumors that Hiccup and the Berkian tribe had learned to ride dragons, and were teaching other tribes to do the same. We didn't know how true it was, but -"

"Oh, it was true!" Dagur blurted. "Thor above, it was true! Hiccup is riding a Night Fury. The boy is trying to teach other people to train the beasts! I want his Night Fury! I want to kill it!" Dagur drew his sword and brandished it.

Alvin the Treacherous spoke up. "It is true, Bertha. Hiccup is training other tribes to ride the dragons, and he already taught the Meatheads and Bashem Island. They now ride the beasts as well. It is abominable."

"We later learned that fact," Bertha went on. "We were enraged that someone would dare to join forces with the enemy. When Hiccup arrived, and we saw him on the back of a Night Fury, our suspicions were confirmed! We were furious, and tried to capture him and the dragon. He resisted, and we killed them both."

Bertha paused, and Camicazi bit her lip. Her mother was not a very good liar. But then again, Vikings were not smart. Even though they had told the entire village to lie about killing Hiccup, and the truth was sure to be expressed by someone eventually, the leaders of the tribes across from them were most likely too stupid to grasp what that meant. They were still not gathering the basic facts.

"So Hiccup IS dead?" Alvin said, impressed. "That is an impressive thing, Bertha. Hiccup is a hard boy to kill."

"He did put up quite the fight, or his Night Fury did," Camicazi broke in. "But we shot down the beast and then I slit Hiccup's throat with this very knife." Camicazi placed her own knife on the table, catching the attention of all the chieftains. "We burned the bodies, hoping that Berk would never be able to prove that we killed them, but those blasted fools are too smart. They knew we killed him and declared war on us."

"They probably had Terrible Terrors spying on you," Madguts growled. "I've heard the Berkians use those little dragons to spy for them. It's outrageous."

"Nonetheless, that is why we sent those ships to you, asking you for assistance," Bertha stated. "And I am grateful to all of you for coming to help us in our cause."

"What is your cause?" Alvin asked, leaning forward.

Bertha paused for effect. "To kill every dragon rider in the archipelago," she said firmly. "To protect this Island, and to kill all the Viking traitors that sided with our enemies."

"Yes!" Dagur shouted. "Death to all the dragons!"

"Death," Savage muttered, a grin on his ugly face. "I like the sound of that."

"I must warn you," Bertha said. "We have a spy on our side, and he informed us that we are being attacked this morning with the greatest dragon army ever seen. With your help, we certainly outnumber them, but the dragons are deadly. Many will die."

"That is the price of war," Madguts the Murderous stated. "We must hold out. Did you send a message to Hysteria, Bertha?"

"Yes," Bertha rumbled. "And we are expecting them soon." She smiled. "Once we have Hysteria, the Vikings are DOOMED."

"YES!" Shouted Dagur. "We will kill them all!"

Alvin smirked. "We have honored your call because we are allies," he told Bertha. "But I need to know what I and my tribe stand to gain from this fight. Why should we fight for you?"

"Ah," Bertha smiled. "That brings me to the next part." She leaned forward. "When we win this war, we will have three villages conquered. Berk, the entire set of Meathead Isles, and Bashem Island will be ours. You shall have those three islands to divide amongst yourselves. You, Chief Madguts, shall have Bashem Island, for I know you have always wanted it. Alvin, your dream will come true, and you will be the Chief of Berk. And you, Dagur, you shall have the glory of the Berserker who killed all the dragons, and we will also give you the Meathead Isles."

Bertha smiled and looked at her allies.

Alvin the Treacherous had a broad grin on his face. "I want Berk," he laughed. "That is enough for me. We will fight for you, Bertha!" He grabbed his axe and slammed it into the table. "To WAR!"

Madguts the Murderous rose to his feet. "We have always been close allies, Bertha, Camicazi," he said. "And I would fight whenever you call, I ask for nothing. I will do this with you, even if it means the destruction of my own tribe." He drew his sword and stabbed it into the table, where it quivered. "To WAR!" He roared.

Dagur the Deranged picked up his sword, which was still sitting on the table. He grinned. "If it means killing dragons, then I will ALWAYS oblige you," he smirked. "We are allies, but I just want to kill the dragons. I'll take the Meathead Isles, too. I like them." He jumped to his feet and swung his sword into the table. "TO WAAAARRRR!" He screamed.

Big Boobied Bertha turned to gaze triumphantly at her daughter, and Camicazi, a huge smile on her pretty face, stood up with her mother. "To war!" She cried, and stabbed one of her curved blades into the wood, right next to Madguts'.

The Big Boobied Bertha raised her axe, and hammered it into the table with such force the entire thing shook.

"TO WAR!" She screamed.

"War!" Madguts cried. "War!"

Then all the Viking chiefs leapt to their feet, taking up the chant.

"War! War! War!"

---

Above Asgard, Day 14 since Hiccup's Departure

---

Hiccup and Toothless sailed into the sunset, the last rays of the Asgardian sun reflecting off the golden city.

"Doesn't it look amazing, bud?" Hiccup marveled, as the Night Fury swooped lower, smoothly dancing through the air. "It's so beautiful."

"It truly is," Toothless agreed, taking a slight turn to his right. "And look how big it is. Many humans must live there."

"Yeah, there's a lot of Aesir in that place," Hiccup answered, as they approached the outer golden walls of the city. "And lots of Gods, too. It's really such a shame most of them are so nasty. Have you met any Gods yet, Toothless?"

"Well, I saw Odin before I left," Toothless replied. "But when I was on Alfheim, I only saw elves except for Eir, the Goddess. She came to heal my tail."

"Eir," Hiccup smiled.

"You want to mate with her, am I right?" Toothless asked slyly. "You told me about her."

"What? No, I don't want to mate with her," Hiccup faltered. "I – I don't know, Toothless. I still love Astrid, and I can't leave her. I'm just afraid that she doesn't love me."

"Astrid always seemed to like you," Toothless sniffed, smoke coming from his nostrils. "And you wanted to mate with her, too."

Hiccup sighed. "Why do you always say 'mate with,' bud?"

Toothless flashed an eye back at Hiccup quizzically. "Mating?"

"What do you mean by mating?"

"Oh, I say that because it means you want to turn Astrid on her back and -"

"Ok, Ok, that's enough, bud!" Hiccup laughed, as Toothless shook slightly with a dragon chuckle. "I get the idea."

"Well, what do you humans call it?" Toothless asked, amused.

"That depends," Hiccup grinned. "Like, I wanted to MARRY Astrid. That means I really love her and also want to – to mate with her."

Toothless was confused. "What does marrying mean, exactly?"

"Marriage means that a man and a woman become joined together for life. They stand by each other and can't marry or mate with anyone else while they're married."

Toothless sniffed disdainfully. "You foolish humans. We dragons do not care who we mate with. I could mate with a thousand females and no one would care."

"But what if you found a dragon that was perfect for you, bud? Like a female Night Fury? Would you stay with her forever?"

Toothless hesitated. "I suppose I would," he said thoughtfully. "But that is different, I can only reproduce with another Night Fury, I think. You can reproduce with every female in your culture."

"Well, I love Astrid, and I think I'm falling in love with Eir," Hiccup sighed. "What should I do?"

"Mate with both of them," Toothless answered promptly.

Hiccup laughed, the sound echoing over the golden ramparts of Asgard as Toothless sailed over them. "I can't just do that, bud! I can't marry two people. I can only have one."

"This whole marriage thing is pathetic," Toothless scoffed. "All right then, marry one, and mate with the other."

"I can't do that either!" Hiccup facepalmed, shaking with laughter. "Bud, you don't understand."

"Clearly I don't," Toothless grumbled. "But I do understand that humans have stupid customs."

Hiccup shook his head. "If you were a human, you'd understand. I can't marry one and mate with the other, and I can't mate with both, and I can't marry both. So what should I do?"

"You are supposed to marry the one you love, correct?" Toothless asked.

"Right," Hiccup replied.

"Well then marry Eir," Toothless said promptly.

"What? Why her?" Hiccup asked.

"Because," Toothless explained. "If you truly loved Astrid, you never would have fallen for Eir."

Hiccup blinked. "Whoa," he admitted. "That actually makes sense… almost."

Toothless shrugged. "I'd just mate with them both," he expostulated. "But it's your problem, not mine. Wave to the people down there who are waving at you."

"Why?" Hiccup asked, even though he obeyed and waved at the group of Aesir who were standing on the rooftop.

"Brenakir says the rider always must wave at the common folk," Toothless answered. "It makes them like you, and when you are the Captain of the Realm, people should like you."

"I see," Hiccup answered. "But if everyone in the city decides to wave to me, I'm afraid they're out of luck."

"Oh, that will never happen," Toothless mocked. "Who would ever want to wave at you?"

Dragon and rider bantered back and forth for the next few minutes as Toothless flew down to the open gate that they had exited from. Then he changed the subject.

"This was the dragon hall, back when Asgard had an Alpha Dragon," Toothless informed him, preparing to land. "There hasn't been a dragon in it since the Dragon Krelvin, who was Lord Zyon's bonded one."

"I've heard a lot about Lord Zyon," Hiccup answered. "From what I hear, he fights for Hel, and we'll most likely have to fight him at some point in the future. Could you defeat a trained Skrill, Toothless?"

"Of course not, not now. And you could not defeat Zyon in combat."

Hiccup nodded. "We are good, Toothless, but not good enough. The ones who trained before us are better. Zyon and Krelvin are better, and Kaldr and Brenakir are better. We must listen to them, bud."

"I listen to Brenakir until my ears ache," Toothless replied. "Make sure you do the same with Kaldr. Kaldr is a quiet elf, Hiccup. You must make friends with him, get him to talk freely. Only then will you learn as much as you can – and should."

"All right," Hiccup agreed. "I will try to make friends with the elf. But we already trust each other and I think we like each other. We'll get along, bud."

"Here we go to land!" Toothless roared. "I wish we could fly forever, Hiccup, but we must do our duty. We need to find Brenakir and Kaldr, for it almost sunset. It never pays to be late."

---

In twenty minutes, Hiccup and Toothless were separate again, but Hiccup still felt his mental bond. They were in different areas of Asgard, for Toothless was flying around the city with Brenakir, and Hiccup was sitting at a table with Kaldr, enjoying a good, relaxed dinner. The two had immediately taken to each other, and in an hour became fast friends. After they talked for a while, they took off their armor, and walked back to a new suite of chambers to dine. Now they were trading stories and laughing like old friends.

"And so you became Captain of Alfheim," Hiccup said, taking a bite of the chicken wing in his hand. "It must have been a great honor."

Kaldr laughed. "Really, I was just glad the training was over," he admitted. "Phase Three, the last Phase, is a little more like Phase One, in the sense that it is seriously challenging. Phase Two was actually enjoyable, and that's what we're in right now."

"Phase Two," Hiccup said. "So this is the Phase where I learn about dragonback fighting?"

"That and many other things," Kaldr said. "I'll be teaching you most of the time, but you'll still have private trainers to take care of your other obligations. Who teaches you swordplay?"

"An elf named Alaedlar," Hiccup answered.

Kaldr nodded. "Ah. He was the same one that taught me as well. He is a good swordsman."

"He is," Hiccup agreed. "He's also very nice, in comparison to Asgeirr."

Kaldr opened his mouth to speak, then shut it again. Hiccup could have sworn he smiled slightly.

"Yes, Asgeirr is kind of a," he agreed, pouring himself another goblet of milk. "But after my final test, my opinion of him drastically changed. As it will with you."

"Will it?" Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "What's so damn special about this 'Final Test' thing, Kaldr? Is it like the Phase One final test? Will I be tortured to death?"

"No," Kaldr told him. "The final test, the test that once you pass, you will become Captain of Asgard, is much different and much harder. I'm not allowed to tell you what it is, and even if I was, I wouldn't do it, for your own benefit. In order for the test to properly challenge you, you cannot know what it is."

"Yeah, yeah," Hiccup grunted, taking another bite.

"I can tell you, however," Kaldr went on, "that your Phase Two final test will be exactly like Phase One. They will torture you again."

"Again?" Hiccup shuddered, remembering what he had endured several days ago. "Geez, can't they leave me alone? I passed once!"

"Hey, I didn't create this training program," Kaldr laughed. "And it was only with reluctance that I agreed to train you. However, you greatly surprised me. When I passed Phase One, I was utterly ruined. The Cobra ruined me, and I was revolving in and out of insanity for weeks. Did you have a Cobra?"

"No." Hiccup stopped eating. "Mine was a Wolf, a wolf-headed man."

Kaldr nodded slowly. "A Wolf. Interesting. Mine was a man with the head of a Cobra. Regardless, it destroyed me, and I almost went out of my mind. You seem very in control, and you only beat him a week ago."

"Everyone's been saying I'm passing it all way too quickly," Hiccup commented. "I beat The Wolf in about a week, and I passed the entirety of Phase One in two weeks. They say that they're hurrying me through it, because of Hel, but that's only half true."

Kaldr smiled. "They do not wish to inflate your ego."

"Well, I'm actually becoming very arrogant now." Hiccup selected a choice grape from the table in front of him and popped it in his mouth. "But I believe I have a right to be. I beat Thor in a boxing match," Kaldr's eyebrows rose, "And I defeated Freyja in single combat."

Kaldr stared. "What?"

"I fought Freyja," Hiccup explained. "I told her that her sons were Toothless and the Hydra, and she was incensed. She attacked me, and I fought back. I beat her, cut her arm, and broke her crown. Then I escaped, taking the Sword of Death with me."

Kaldr was gaping. "You did all that and GOT AWAY WITH IT?" He asked in shock. "What did you do with the Sword of Death!? You know that sword can bring something back from the DEAD, right?"

"I know that." Hiccup leaned back. "As for what I did with it, I disposed of it in a safe place, where I can recover it if need be."

Kaldr shook his head in disbelief. "That is seriously impressive, Hiccup. I assume Odin was furious?"

"Oh, he was." Hiccup laughed. "He had Asgeirr ask me where it was when he was torturing me. Obviously I never told him. I don't know why Odin had to be so obstinate about it. I would have given it to him if he had just done what I asked."

"What did you ask for in return?" Kaldr queried.

"I wanted to send a message back to Midgard," Hiccup answered. "They all thought I was dead when I was taken up to this place. I just wanted to tell them that I was OK."

"And Odin didn't agree to that?" Kaldr seemed surprised. "It would seem that a message would be worth the Sword of Death, that's for certain."

"I think it was all Asgeirr's fault," Hiccup answered. "He said that if Odin let me do it, I'd get too cocky. He said I can't get what I want. So they didn't agree."

"Ah." Kaldr dipped a piece of bread in his milk and conveyed it to his mouth. "So you never were able to send a message back?"

"Actually, I did," Hiccup returned. "Aiah did it for me."

Kaldr looked askance at Hiccup. "Aiah? Who is that?"

"Oh, yeah." Hiccup grinned. "Did you ever meet Odin's little seer?"

"Oh, the purple eyed little girl?" Kaldr nodded. "I did. She scared me, really. I don't like her. Is she still here?"

"Yes, and I actually do like her," Hiccup said. "I gave her that name, Aiah."

"Sweet Little One in Old Norse," Kaldr commented. "How did that ever come about?"

"She is sweet and she's little." Hiccup smiled. "She's a very nice person. I know her purple eyes and queer nature make her dislikable, but inside she is actually the little girl that her figure shows. She just wanted someone to finally like her, someone who realized how much she suffered. I was that person for her."

"Well she unnerved me too much," Kaldr laughed. "I saw her as someone who just did her job, which was looking into my past and finding out the information needed to drive me insane. Naturally I hated her for that."

"Well, she did the same to me," Hiccup replied. "But like you said, she was just doing her job. Like Asgeirr."

"Asgeirr be blasted." Kaldr stood up and stretched, his strong shoulders rolling under his blue vest. "The Warlock is a good being, but he could be a little more understanding. All he wants is his Godhood." Kaldr unbuttoned his vest. "Which he will get after he trains you."

"While we're on the topic of swords," Hiccup went on, "I noticed that you wear your sword on your belt, on your hip. Alaedlar told me to wear mine on my back. Why"

"Ah." Kaldr grinned. "Because you are an apprentice, Hiccup. It is a sign of authority to wear the sword on your hip. When you are not yet ready, you wear it on your back."

"Oh. Well I feel special," Hiccup chuckled.

"Well, when you get to wear it on your hip, it's a feeling of achievement," Kaldr finished, then bowed his head to take off his vest.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow as Kaldr stripped off his vest and tossed it to the back of his chair. The elf was certainly well-muscled, but what caught Hiccup's eye was the chain around his neck. On it hung two things: a very odd key, and a shining blue stone.

Hiccup nodded at them as Kaldr picked up a shirt to put on.

"What are those?" He asked. "I know what the key is, but why do you wear that stone?"

Kaldr froze in the middle of putting his shirt on. Then he tugged it over his head and stared levelly at Hiccup.

"You know what this key is for?"

"Yes, Asgeirr told me," Hiccup replied. "It's the only key to a certain box in the vaults of Alfheim, which contains a magical device that combined the magic of elves and Gods. It allows the user to take the magic of any given God and store it in a box, to be used at the possessor's discretion. You made it with your own hands."

Kaldr smiled, and sat down, his new shirt on. "Yes, I made it. And I will never do it again unless I must. I didn't realize how powerful my device was until I made it. Asgeirr told me you made a bomb. Most impressive."

Hiccup accepted the praise with an incline of his head. "I just had the right materials. So what is the stone, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Not at all." Kaldr pulled the chain out from under his shirt and displayed it. "This is a magical charm, given to me by the Prince of Alfheim. If I smash this stone, it summons 1000 elves to the spot by BiFrost. If I am ever in need of my armies, I simply have to break the stone."

"Wow," Hiccup said in awe. "When I'm Captain of Asgard, will they make me one of those?"

Kaldr shrugged. "I have no idea. Probably not. They didn't give Zyon one."

"Well, Zyon betrayed Asgard as soon as he passed his final test," Hiccup added. "I doubt they would have."

"How do you know so much about Zyon?" Kaldr asked, curiously.

"Loki takes great pleasure in telling me all about Zyon."

Kaldr frowned. "I'm surprised. Loki never talked to me much about anything except lying. I was a very bad liar, and he seemed to get exasperated trying to teach it to me. But eventually I passed."

"An honest elf, huh?" Hiccup chuckled. "Yeah, that's not the case with me. Loki says I lie like I was born to do it."

Kaldr laughed. "So anything you're telling me right now could be complete goblin-yock."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "Goblin-yock? What in Thor's name is that?"

"Oh, that's right," Kaldr laughed. "You have no goblins on Midgard. Well, on Alfheim, the Goblins are the enemy. Goblin-yock is our term for basically anything Goblin-like and disgusting. It's a saying."

"So like yakshit for us," Hiccup grinned.

"Yes, like yakshit," Kaldr laughed. "Yakshit. That's a new one for me."

Kaldr and Hiccup shared a laugh, and then Kaldr leaned forward. He didn't speak for a second, and then he spoke.

"Hiccup, I am going to call you with the GIFT," he stated. "Brenakir is going to call too. Hold on."

Immediately Hiccup heard a call in his head.

"Kaldr," It said.

Hiccup accepted the call. "Kaldr. Hiccup."

"Forgive me for doing this, Hiccup," Kaldr said mentally, while grinning. Hiccup grinned back, for it seemed ridiculous to talk in each other's minds while they were sitting right across from each other. "But Brenakir is involved in this also."

Hiccup felt another call in his mind, this time from Brenakir. He accepted it also, and the dragon spoke.

"Hello, Hiccup."

"Hey, Brenakir," Hiccup said. "Toothless, are you here too?"

"I'm always with you," Toothless answered. "They can't hear us talk to each other, and we can't hear them talk to each other, but they can both hear you when you talk because you've accepted them both. And I can hear you when you talk to them too."

"OK," Hiccup laughed.

"We have a question for you, Hiccup," Kaldr said. "We need to know. When you become Captain of Asgard, will you summon us? Will you make us fight in the war?"

"We must know," Brenakir added.

Hiccup spoke to Toothless only. "Should I tell them, bud?"

"Yes, you must," Toothless answered. "We must be honest with them, Hiccup. They are good, and they are true. They are teaching us and are our friends. Tell them the truth."

Hiccup returned to Brenakir and Kaldr.

"Yes," he said firmly, locking gazes with Kaldr. "I will. When I become Captain of Asgard, the very first thing I will do is order you to fight for me. The threat of Hel is not just against Midgard, but against all the nine realms. If Hel takes Midgard and has a force of immortal dead, then she will find a way to spread to the other realms. It is everyone's fight, and I will need you. Yes, Kaldr, Brenakir, I WILL summon you."

There was a long silence, and Hiccup presumed that Kaldr and Brenakir were conversing. Then Kaldr nodded, and leaned back in his chair.

"So be it," Kaldr and Brenakir said together. Then Brenakir vanished, and so did Toothless.

Kaldr spoke aloud, disconnecting from Hiccup's mind.

"We expected as much."

"I hope you are not offended," Hiccup replied. "But in this matter I won't put personal likes and dislikes above my goal. I like you, Kaldr, and I feel I can already call you a friend. But when it comes to war, I look at you and Brenakir as assets. You are a great warrior, and Brenakir is a great dragon. Why should I pass up a chance to have you at my side?"

Kaldr nodded. "I am not offended. Alfheim made a bargain with Asgard, and that bargain was that if they trained me, I would have to fight for you whenever you called. I do my duty as a soldier of Alfheim. But even if this were not so, I fear for Alfheim also. Hel needs to be stopped, and I want to do my part."

Kaldr reached across the table and shook Hiccup's hand. Then he smiled.

"For now, I am your trainer, your guide, your mentor, in essence, your commander. And when you are ready, our roles will reverse. You will command me." He laughed. "An odd circumstance."

"The odd circumstances are usually the best ones," Hiccup smiled. "I'm glad you will fight willingly, Kaldr. We must do this."

Kaldr nodded. "We must. And I must train you. We will get some sleep, Hiccup. From now on you no longer sleep alone, we share a room. We will spend almost all of our time together."

"Well I hope we don't share a bed," Hiccup laughed.

"What!?" Kaldr grinned. "You wouldn't want to cuddle up with all this?" He lifted his arms and made muscles.

Hiccup shook his head, and then both man and elf burst out laughing.

"No, we do NOT share a bed," Kaldr laughed, shaking his head. "Thor above. But we will be sleeping in the same room. I had to share my room with a giant when I trained. Be thankful."

"Oh, I am thankful," Hiccup chuckled. "But you'd better not snore."

---

Uninhabited Isle, 2 miles North of Bog Burglar Island, Day 15 since Hiccup's Departure

---

Horns. Horns blowing.

Astrid slowly opened her eyes. Above her was the fluttering cloth of her tent, the dull blue color flapping in a steady breeze. Astrid's heart began to beat faster. Today was the day. Today was the day of battle.

Hurriedly she sat up in her cot, flinging her blankets aside. A quick look around her showed the inside of her tent. Her parents were gone, and there was a cooked fish over the fire, which was now just coals and ashes. Her armor was laid neatly to one side, and standing beside it was her little sister.

"Hi Astrid." Elaith smiled at her from the side of her cot.

"Hey Ellie." Astrid reached out and stroked her sister's hair affectionately. "Where are mom and dad?"

"They went out to follow the horns," Elaith said. "The big men in charge are calling the fighters. That's why the horns are making noise."

"Why didn't they wake me up?" Astrid sighed, twisting her legs around and sitting up.

"Daddy said he thought you needed the rest."

Astrid groaned, and then looked down to her side. Slowly she pulled away the cloth which served as a bandage for her arrow wound. The injury looked great. It was almost healed. She looked back at Elaith, and her little sister was there, holding her shoulderplates out to her with a smile.

"Thanks, Ellie," Astrid smiled, rewrapping her side. "But wait – I'm not going to need those today."

Elaith looked confused. "What? You're going to fight, aren't you?"

"Yes." Astrid stood up and walked over to the fire, picking up the cooked fish that lay there. "But not in my armor." She looked over at her little sister. "Ruffnut and I are going to disguise ourselves as each other today, Ellie. She'll be wearing that."

"Ohh," Elaith said, setting down the armor. "That'll be funny! But Astrid, why?"

"Don't worry about it," Astrid smiled, taking a giant bite of fish. "It's complicated."

Elaith shrugged. "OK. Can I go to Gothi's now? Mommy said when you woke up I could leave."

Astrid nodded, her mouth full of food. "Yes, you can go. Make sure you don't cause Gothi any trouble."

Elaith smiled and came over to Astrid. She hugged her sister, burying her curls in Astrid's chest.

"Goodbye, Astrid," she said. "Make sure you fight good and – and don't get killed."

Astrid bent down and kissed Elaith's cheek. "Don't worry, dear," she smiled. "I don't plan on dying today."

Elaith giggled. "Daddy said the same thing when he left." She broke the hug and looked at Astrid with fearful big eyes. "Don't let mommy or daddy die either, Astrid."

"Don't worry, I won't," Astrid promised, kissing her sister again. "Now go to Gothi's. I'll be leaving soon."

"Good luck," Elaith said, and then with a final wave, she ducked out of the tent.

Astrid stared after her sister longingly for a second and then attacked her food again. In a few minutes she finished the entire fish and a mug of water. Then she rose. Where was Ruffnut?

Someone knocked on the tent post. "Astrid? Are you in there?"

It was Ruffnut.

"Come on in," Astrid called, and then Ruffnut Thorston, dressed in plain clothes, entered the tent with a bag of armor and weapons at her side.

"Hi, Astrid," Ruffnut grinned. "Here I am, as promised. I'm ready to switch places." She chuckled. "Even Tuffnut doesn't know. "Gods, this is going to be HILARIOUS, Astrid."

Astrid laughed. "It probably will be," she said. "But let's hurry up, Ruff, the army is already assembling. Give me your gear."

The two girls began to giggle and then to roar with laughter as they got dressed. Astrid tugged on a tight pair of ugly green/grey leggings and Ruffnut put on Astrid's black ones. Then Astrid tied on Ruffnut's sweaty, nasty boots while Ruffnut wowed over Astrid's well-made fur foot covers.

Then Ruffnut put on Astrid's skirt, complete with the skulls and spikes. Buckling in on, Ruffnut sighed.

"It doesn't fit right," she said ruefully.

Astrid grinned. "That's because I've got a bigger booty than you," she teased, as she strapped on Ruffnut's short skirt. "And Gods, Ruff, this thing is sooo short! You dress like a slut!"

"Oh, shut up," Ruffnut growled, as Astrid laughed. "I like to make the boys stare."

"Well they'll be staring even more today," Astrid chuckled. "They'll be like, 'hey, when did Ruffnut get such a nice ass?'"

Ruffnut shook her head and slid into Astrid's shirt. "Wow, I like this blue thing. But you've got bigger tits than me, too. No wonder Hiccup liked you so much."

"Hey!" Ruffnut dodged a slap from Astrid. "That's enough, Ruff."

Astrid squeezed into Ruffnut's shirt. "At least you're skinnier than me."

Ruffnut grinned. "I am skinny, but I'd like a little more weight. Gimme those shoulder armor. Gods, I've wanted to wear these for so long."

"Enjoy it while you can," Astrid said. "And wow, Ruff, you look a lot like me!"

Ruffnut and Astrid stared at each other, each one dressed as the other. They definitely looked believable, if not totally similar.

"Once we put on our helmets no one will be able to tell the difference," Ruffnut promised. "And I also need to put your hair in a ponytail and give you war paint. Me and Tuffnut always wear war paint."

Astrid nodded, and in a few more minutes both girls had adopted different hairstyles. Ruffnut had hers in a bundled ponytail, and Astrid had pigtails and some savage green, orange, and black war paint.

"Now we're pretty much ready," Astrid breathed, sliding her axe into its leather sheath and buckling onto her back. "Here's my backup axe, Ruffnut, you can carry that. It's sharp. I'll carry your spear."

Standing together, the two girls exchanged weapons, and then, looking at each other, donned their helmets.

Ruffnut and Astrid were now Astrid and Ruffnut.

"Wow." Ruffnut grinned, under Astrid's never-worn metal helmet. "You look a LOT like me."

"It's not perfect," Astrid said, "But unless you're really looking hard no one will be able to tell. It's funny that we're both wearing helmets with masks, but that can't be helped. Our faces are too easily recognizable."

"All right, Stormfly is outside," Ruffnut said. "I'll get to ride a fast dragon today. You'll have to walk to our tent, Tuffnut is there with Barf and Belch."

"All right then," Astrid agreed. "And Ruff, try not to talk too much. Our voices aren't similar, so keep it to a minimum."

"Don't worry, Astrid," Ruffnut assured her friend. "I'll be an even better you than you were."

Astrid hugged Ruffnut, gripping her own shoulderplates. "Don't die, loser," she grinned. "People might think it was me."

Ruffnut laughed. "I'm going to be back in the rear of the battle, shooting a bow and arrow," she replied. "You're the one who has a very high chance of dying, Astrid. Remember, don't let Camicazi make you mad, and just – just kick her ass!"

Astrid grinned. "I will."

With a flick of her wrist, Ruffnut snapped on Astrid's helmet and walked out of the tent.

Astrid stared down at Ruffnut's helmet in her hands. She could do this. She was going to do it.

Suddenly the tent flap opened, and Sven, Astrid's father, stepped in. He stared at her.

"Ruffnut? What are you going in my tent!?"

Astrid burst out laughing, the look her father's face was just too funny.

"I'm sorry, dad," she chuckled, taking off Ruffnut's helmet and tossing her pigtails. "It's me. Astrid."

"What in the name of?" Sven stared at her. "Astrid, what in Thor's name?!"

"I'm switching places with Ruffnut for this battle," Astrid stated.

Sven broke into a broad smile, but then grew serious. Very serious.

"Astrid," he said warningly. "You were ordered not to fight in the front lines today."

"I don't care," Astrid snapped.

"You're not fully healed," her father said sternly. "You shouldn't do this. Besides, if you're caught, you can be severely punished for defying orders. You know how serious that is."

"I do." Astrid stepped forward. "Look dad, I know what I'm doing. I NEED to get in there and kill Camicazi, and I can't do that unless I'm in the front lines, disguised."

Astrid's father gazed fondly at his daughter.

"I understand, Astrid," he said. "I know you want to get revenge for what happened to Hiccup. So would I, if someone killed the one I love. But that's why I don't want you to do this." Sven placed a firm hand on Astrid's shoulder. "It'll be dangerous, Astrid. Camicazi is a great fighter, and she almost killed you last time. You'll be hurt and in the front lines. I know you lost Hiccup, but Astrid," Sven looked at his daughter, "I can't lose you."

Astrid embraced her father, making sure not to get war paint on his armor. "I'm not going to die, dad," she murmured into his chest. "You'll see. I'll come out of it all safe and sound, hopefully carrying Camicazi's head with me."

Sven kissed Astrid on the top of the head. "Make sure you do that."

Astrid released her father and stepped back. "Hey, I'm a Hofferson," she grinned. "We don't lose."

Sven laughed. "That we don't."

Astrid pushed her ponytails back and put her helmet on. "Good luck today, dad. You stay safe, too."

"Hoffersons don't lose," Sven replied. "Don't worry about me, Astrid. Did Elaith go to Gothi's?"

"Yes," Astrid said. "She left. She told me to make sure you and mommy came back safely."

"Well I'll try not to disappoint her," Sven answered. "I love you, Astrid. May your axe swing true."

Astrid nodded, and, picking up Ruffnut's spear, left the tent, walking towards the Thorston's tent.

The camp was a giant bustle. Dragons were getting armored, and people were running all over. Fires were being doused and quivers of arrows were being loaded onto the backs of dragons. They were flying to the Bog in less than half an hour.

Astrid tried to imitate Ruffnut's walk as she strutted through the camp, but she kept finding herself glancing down at her apparel, making sure it was all in order. And Ruffnut's skirt was really short.

Swinging through, she arrived at the green tent that was the Twins'. Tuffnut was there, and once again Astrid had to blink at how ferocious the blonde Viking looked. With war paint on his face and three spears buckled to his back, he looked very dangerous.

"Hey, Ruff!" he called, coming out to pat Belch on the neck. "What took you so long?"

Astrid took a deep breath and said her first words as Ruffnut. She tried to imitate the voice and hoped that the helmet would muffle her voice enough.

"I was just talking to Astrid, dummy."

Tuffnut didn't notice. He went on up to the saddle. "Too bad that Astrid got stuffed in the back of the army," he said. "I'm surprised she put up with that. She seemed really mad at Camicazi."

"Yeah, I'm surprised too," Astrid said, once more dreading that Tuffnut would notice.

"Oh well, that's not my problem." Tuffnut walked up to Astrid. "Look, sis, we've got to stick with Thug today. We're his right hand, we've gotta have his back. No goofing off, no doing the usual. OK?"

"Right," Astrid nodded.

"Then let's kick some ass!" Tuffnut suddenly grabbed Astrid by the collar and smashed a head butt into her helmet.

Astrid was stunned, and then angry, and then she remembered. The twins always head-butted each other like that. With a growl, she hammered Tuffnut with a head butt in return.

Tuffnut staggered backward and then blinked. He then stood up straight and gazed steadily at Astrid, his eyes narrowing.

"You're not Ruffnut!" He suddenly shouted. "Ruffnut doesn't head-butt like that."

Astrid gulped.

"And you're too big," Tuffnut said, looking Astrid over. "And taller. And hella sexier." He broke into a broad grin. "Astrid. You look good in that skirt."

Astrid wasted no time. People were all around and any of them might be listening. She grabbed Tuffnut by the scruff of his neck and yanked him after her, dragging him into the tent. Tuffnut yelped, but didn't resist.

As soon as the tent flaps closed behind them, Astrid released Tuffnut, then pulled off her helmet and glared. "All right, Tuffnut Thorston!" She strode up to the boy. "You caught me, all right! Now you listen up, I -"

"Look, look, chill out, Astrid," Tuffnut laughed, putting his hands up defensively. "I'm not going to tell on you or anything. Geez, am I stupid? No one tattles on Astrid Hofferson. I don't want an axe in my face." He laughed again. "Besides, it'll be a lot better having you by my side. Ruffnut can't fight at all."

Astrid frowned, but inwardly she relaxed. "I'm not going to be with you the whole battle, Tuffnut," she explained. "The only reason I'm doing this is because I want revenge. I'm going to drop off of Barf as soon as I can, go on the island, and fight Camicazi. I'm not going to be in the battle with you and Thuggory, I'll be gone."

Tuffnut nodded slowly. "I can do that, Strid. I can even make sure I drop you off in a good spot to get to Cami. But all right, Astrid, listen to me. What you're doing is completely NOT allowed. You could get in serious trouble, and since I'm helping you, I could get in serious trouble too. I don't want to get in any more serious trouble, trust me, I know what that is like. So, this conversation never happened. If you are going face the consequences of this, I will deny that helped you. This whole time I thought you were Ruffnut. OK?"

Astrid slowly nodded. "All right. I accept the full responsibility, and I won't be blaming you, Tuff. Don't worry about that."

"Good." Tuffnut gave her a serious look. "But honestly, Astrid, I don't think you'll be around to blame anybody. If you decide to jump off in the middle of Bog Burglar Island just to fight Cami, then you won't have any help and you'll be alone in enemy lines. You're probably going to – to die."

Astrid gazed levelly at Tuffnut. "I'm not going to die." She said firmly.

"If you say so, Strid." Tuffnut put out his hand. "Well, I feel bad for doing this, but I will let you go and try it. Good luck, Astrid."

Astrid took Tuffnut's hand the two Vikings shook firmly. Then, impulsively, Astrid tugged Tuffnut into a rough hug. "Thanks a lot, Tuff," she said.

She released Tuffnut and he looked at her steadily. "I – I loved Hiccup too, Astrid," he said quietly, lowering his eyes. "Not in the same way you did, but I loved him, you know, as a brother. I want revenge too." He looked up. "Give Camicazi hell for me."

Astrid smiled. "I will."

A horn blew, and Tuffnut gave Astrid a ferocious grin. "That's the call! It's time! It's time to fly to the Bog and wreck shit!" Tuffnut whooped and ducked out of the tent, running towards Barf and Belch.

Astrid remained for a second, then took a deep breath. Then she placed Ruffnut's helmet on her head and took up her spear. Then she followed Tuffnut, running out of the tent. With a spry leap, she jumped in Barf's neck, and Tuffnut shouted.

"Let's go!"

And the Zippleback took off, joining the giant sea of dragon riders as they flew to the Bog, and to war.

---

Well, there it is! A purty long chapter at that, and somehow I managed to write that really any of you are confused about how the mental communication works, well, it's kinda like a messaging app. You can chat with one person or you can make a group chat, essentially. LOL! Thank you Instagram.

Hope you enjoyed, and drop off a review about anything at all! Thanks so much! :)

Till next time,
NatB.