[Dragon-thought/Speech]


Chapter 28

-Horrendous-

The task of paring Vikings with the dragons proved to be easier than he thought. Years of experience helped Horrendous and the older Toothless stem most of the problems before they got too bad. A few grumblings here and there from both human and dragon alike were quickly silenced by a combination of the duo's talks with the help of Stoick's occasional glare. As the final preparations for departure were made and Stoick taking the unconscious Hiccup aboard the lead ship, the remaining teens and their dragons gathered around Horrendous and Toothless.

"It is so cool this is happening!" An excited Fishlegs exclaimed to Horrendous. "I mean, I get to show Meatlug here all the best things about Berk! I'm so excited! Aren't you boy?!"

The gronkle rolled her eyes at the ecstatic Viking on her back. The younger Toothless just huffed glaring at the older one.

"I think calling both night furies 'Toothless' is going to be confusing though." Astrid claimed, looking between the two dragons in question. Horrendous nodded in agreement.

[I was here first! I will be 'Toothless' and he can be called 'Stupid'] the younger dragon growled, annoyed that Stoick didn't want him aboard the boat with Hiccup until they were ready to leave.

The older dragon made a face.

"Well I am the eldest so I get to be 'Toothless'! Mini-me can be….'Little Tooth'!"

[Like Hel I will called that!] the dragon protested.

Horrendous sighed at the two bickering dragons.

"I think that the younger Toothless has a point. Technically neither I nor my dragon belong here so maybe we should change our names. Besides, we need Hiccup's input before we change his dragon's name. Sorry bud, but I've already accepted being called Horrendous."

The older night fury glared at his smirking counterpart.

"Fine. If we have to change my name, then let's go with something cool….I got it! Vikings call me the offspring of lightning and death right?" The dragon exclaimed, giving a smile. "You can call me…HEL-THOR!"

The dragon punctuated his chosen name with a pose. Fishlegs and Snotlout stifled their laughter as Astrid shook her head. Tuffnut, however nodded in agreement as his sister smiled with him.

"I'd vote for it!"

Horrendous's face dropped, not amused at all.

"I am not calling him that…"

-To Start Anew-

It took several hours for the small hodgepodge collection of broken vessels and flock of dragons to break through the fog cover surrounding dragon island on their way back to Berk. Leading the pack was Horrendous and the newly christened 'Alpha' ("Fine but I still will accept 'Hel-Thor' as equally valid"). Behind them, Astrid and Stormfly flew closely, excited about the return home.

"That fog was much bigger than when we first flew in. Horrendous, we should be able to see the village in a few minutes!"

Horrendous nodded, his flight mask back on as they flew a bit lower to avoid a few windy cross currents. The peak of Berk's highest mountain appeared over the horizon, looming bigger and bigger as they neared the shore. Picking up a bit of speed, the dragons began their final decent, ready to make landfall before the much slower longboats. Horrendous suddenly felt a strange chill run through his spine as the village slid into view, feeling a shudder from Toothless as well.

Horrendous and Toothless suddenly pulled back, Stormfly and Astrid streaking at the surprise stop and everyone slowed to a hover. Several growls and complaints from both the dragons and Vikings filled the air as everyone wondered why they stopped.

"What is the deal?!" Astrid huffed, coming to hover alongside Horrendous and Toothless. They ignored her as they stared down at the village. Annoyed, she was about to slap them when one of the shield maidens shouted.

"WHAT HAPPENED?!"

Everyone turned their attention back down to the village below. Gasps of shock and disbelief rang through the crowd as they took in the sight. Berk was completely different then when they had left less than a day before. New buildings dotted the landscape and strange contraptions wound through the town. From where they hovered from above, they could see almost every hut previously there was rebuilt and repainted. The most notable of the changes included a large hall perched into the side of the cliff and a large array of wood scaffolding that appeared to support enough seats for the entire village.

"Horrendous? What's going on?!" A frightened Fishlegs asked, his gronkle also showing her confusion at the scene below.

The man shook his head in disbelief, unable to process what he was seeing.

Alpha warbled a bit, asking the question he was afraid to answer.

"Horrendous? Isn't this our Berk?"

-Stoick-

He was surprised as everyone else as they approached the harbor. The new piers were enlarged and seemed even sturdier than ever. The forward group of Vikings and dragons met them at the shore, no one daring to return to the village proper without understanding what was going on.

"Horrendous!" He shouted, the Viking waiting for him as they pulled up to the pier, Gobber jumping up to help him. "What happened to Berk?!"

The Viking whipped off his mask, looking back to the village and to the two leaders.

"I don't know! It looks like how it is in the future! But that is impossible!"

The look he gave the chief told Stoick that the young Viking was telling the truth. Despite being older than Hiccup, he can now see the similarities a little too well, especially the mixed look of confusion and fear that Stoick (begrudgingly) remembers.

"No Viking or dragon enters the village before my say so!" He addressed the crowd, many of the Vikings still whispering in fear amongst each other. "Horrendous, you and I will…Gothi?"

The small healer was making her way down to the piers followed by what appeared to be everyone who remained behind. The old woman had a grim expression, stopping before them as she looked between the two. As the remaining villagers gave mixed looks and reactions at the dragons that were now amongst them, Gothi handed over a scroll to Horrendous.

Gobber looked on in confusion.

"Gothi, what happened to the village?"

Another villager responded for her.

"We were trying to figure that out ourselves when Silent Sven found that letter pinned to the chieftain's door! Only Gothi can understand what it says but she won't tell us!"

Stoick and Gobber looked at the open scroll in Horrendous's hand, confused at the strange writing.

"I can't read it! Looks like Roman writing but it is all gibberish to me…" Stoick commented, Gobber grunting in agreement.

Horrendous, however, could read it as if it was written in plain Norse. A glance to Gothi confirmed that the healer could as well. He glanced back down, frowning as he reread the strange message

Hiccup Haddock,

It is a pleasure to arrive in your quaint little corner of this world. I must say that while it is nothing like where I came from, it is very interesting to see and experience myself. You've personally caught my interest and that is something very hard to do. For that congratulations! I will be keeping a close eye on you from now on.

I must go now before a certain egg-obsessed rabbit finds me and lectures me to boredom. Oh so annoying when people try to resist me…but I digress. Enjoy your little gift I left you, don't want this little life of yours to get too dull for me.

Enjoy it while I still can…


Author's Notes: Accidentally uploaded a draft chapter earlier. Please enjoy the actual new chapter.