(A/N) Hey guys, I'm back a week later! YAY! It's not a month or two like it was before the Hiatus. I'm hoping to start updating every Monday at this point, so look forward to that.

Guest Reviews:

tefe203: I'll keep that in mind.

Brenne: I'm honestly not sure how I can reply to this without spoiling anything, but you're on the right track.

Guest 1: If this is who I think it is, wow. I thought you were gone. But, yes, Astrid is still a part of this and I don't really see why you have a lot of penance to do. We both agree that this is not Hiccup at his best, and still that is the point of the story. Just wait until the end and I'm sure the conclusion will be something that even you are satisfied with. Now, if you are going to just continue complaining, I won't remove your comments, but I will actually start ignoring you this time if you don't come up with something new.

CajunBear73: That is for me to know and you to find out :D

rpglady76: This is my new explanation, makes a lot more sense than what I had in my head without changing anything. I was just trying to get the idea across that Hiccup is the only dragon rider of those under his command besides Toklo. Though Toklo much prefers her Polar bear.

TheWhisperingWarrior: Maybe, maybe not.

Master of Energy: I'm still not revealing once and for all what the pairing is. Give me about 4-6 chapters and I will, but I won't stop you from guessing. Also, it's great to see other Christians here too!

The-real-dragon-rider: Thanks. It's always great to get reviews like this. As for the relationship, I'm going to tell you the same thing as Master of Energy. Give me 4-6 chapters and I'll reveal to the world once and for all.

Surayo: Thanks!

dragonFANFICTION: I AM INDEED! Its always good being among the land of the living. That being said, I'm not going to be opposed to dying if God decided to send me home, but I'm quite happy being here. But thanks for the compliments.

LameJokeGuy: Don't worry, this fic will be nothing like that. I'd actually find it extremely surprising if any of you guessed what happens when it comes to Hiccup's relationships and his reactions.

Chapter 37

Three weeks of sailing had seen many leagues pass under the hull of the Night Fury, much to Hiccup's satisfaction. It was a fast ship. While it was maybe not as fast as flying on the back of a dragon, having a quick, mobile base of operations would be vital in the future.

Toklo and Astrid seemed to be grateful for it. The ship allowed Astrid and Quicksand to travel while remaining out of the suns rays. Both were currently below deck waiting for night to fall. Meanwhile, Toklo was tanning herself on the deck with Karpok. How she managed to wear only a breast binding and undergarments he had no idea. Not that he was looking or anything, not enough that she would catch onto at least.

"Enough already." Toothless groaned, with an annoyed look on his face, "Just mate with her and be done with it."

"What!" Hiccup squawked, catching Toklo's attention.

"What's wrong?" She called out.

"Err- Nothing." Hiccup answered, while his cheeks turned a shade of red.

Toklo laughed, "Come on, you can tell me."

"Toothless just- ugh…" Hiccup squirmed, trying to think up an answer. Toothless refused to let him talk his way out of this one however and grabbed him by the back of his shirt so he could drag him over to the young women.

"Toothless! Let go you useless reptile!"

The dragon grinned and threw him onto the half nude women, who shrieked with laughter. Hiccup had suddenly found himself in a tangle of limbs with the young women and staring down at her. Both of their cheeks darkened in embarrassment as they realized how close together they were, but that didn't deter Toklo from her laughing.

"Sorry!" Hiccup shrieked as he tried to get up, but before he could scramble away, Toothless had them both pinned against each other with one of his paws holding them down. "TOOTHLESS, GET OFF!" he shouted angerly, but the lizard refused to give.

"Karpok!" Toklo called, still laughing a little, but the Polar Bear refused to let this end either, content to watch the show.

"He agrees with me." Toothless pointed out smugly, even though he knew only Hiccup could hear him.

"Don't make me do it!" Hiccup threatened.

"Do what?" Toothless asked a moment before he felt nimble fingers scratching at his lower jaw. Hiccup quickly found the spot he was looking for and Toothless passed out in bliss, flopping off of the pair in the process.

Of course, Astrid chose that moment to walk out onto the deck. It was her turn for her cheeks to go red as she saw what was going on. "Wow, Toklo, that's some birthday present." She jeered.

This time Toklo couldn't hold back and let laughter flow freely from her lips as she saw the look on Hiccup's face. It was priceless. Hiccup quickly stood up and tried to think up an excuse.

"It's not like that!" He stammered as he straightened his armour.

"Oh, so you didn't want some young half nude woman crawling all over you on your birthday?" Astrid jeered.

"No… I… Uhh…" He started, before he saw the look on Toklo's face, "No… it's not like that! Just… uhh…"

Toklo was enjoying her friend's predicament and decided to continue Astrid's teasing. So, she stood up and started to drape herself over him, "Relax Hiccup. You never told me today was your birthday…" She said seductively, tracing his jaw line with one of her finger's. "I've got nothing else right now, maybe this would be a good birthday present."

Hiccup's face was going redder and redder with each passing moment and you could almost see the gears turning slower in his mind.

"Enough!" He cried out as he pushed himself away. "I uhh… I need a shower." He declared as he turned and made his way down below deck.

When Hiccup was gone, the two girls turned to each other and began laughing as hard as they could. It was the first moment the two had shared that hadn't been tense.

"Did you see the look on his face?" Astrid nearly cried.

"I haven't seen him act that way ever." Toklo said with a large grin on her face as she stared to put her clothes back on.

"The way he stuttered over his words."

"Or the fact that he had no clue what to do!"

"I don't think his face could have gotten any redder."

"He's always so sure of himself! It was fun seeing him squirm for once." Toklo grinned as the laughter began to die down.

"He's so much different from when I knew him on Berk." Astrid reminisced, "That was almost like the real him again."

Toklo narrowed her eyes as she remembered who she was speaking to again, "What you see is the real him. The Hiccup you knew is only a reflection of what he is now. He's strong, smart, capable and willing to do whatever must be done… no matter what or who gets in his way."

Astrid noticed the shift in Toklo's demeaner. It was then that she realized what exactly must be done. This woman had a hold on Hiccup. He trusted her and his treatment on Berk had probably left him desiring solid relationships a little too much. It wasn't impossible to think that he might be willing to do what wasn't right in order to keep her by his side. If she wanted to reconcile Hiccup and Berk back together, the first step she must take would be to get rid of her.

"Even you?" She asked.

"I would never!"

"Really? What is the worst Hiccup is capable of? Ask yourself, would you do it too?" Astrid asked and was pleased to get the reaction she was looking for.

A flash of pain crossed Toklo's eyes as she remembered a time Hiccup had order the deaths of over 200 slaves just because they knew too much. She hadn't been able to do it. Killing in war was something she could deal with. Forcing other, lesser beings to do her bidding, she could handle, but the wholesale slaughter of those who couldn't defend themselves… that was where she drew the line.

As quick as the thoughts crossed her mind, she expelled them. Hiccup was a great man and she would follow him no matter what. Anger radiated off her in waves, "Hell yes." She seethed.

Astrid searched the young woman's face, looking for the hint of pain that she had seen. It was gone, but it had been there, "Good to know. How long until we get to the fort?" She asked, changing the subject. She was dying to get off the ship. The trip from Dragon's Edge to the remains of Lava Lout island had taken them five days. It was an impressive feat as a voyage on any other ship would have taken a week and a half. The problem was, Drago hadn't been there. He appeared to be a paranoid individual and had sent one of his men to give them directions to his true location, that way there could be no ambush. Their new heading was taking them to the East, well off of Hiccup's expanded map. So far, they had been sailing toward the new location for 15 days and she was getting tired of being cooped up.

Toklo was still seething, "According to Drago's man, we should be arriving sometime tomorrow."

"Good." Was Astrid's reply, "The sooner we meet the demon, the better."

o~0~O~0~o

"Here goes nothing." Hiccup said to the two girls as the ship rounded a rock outcropping and their destination came into view. He turned to Toklo and nodded, "Good luck."

The girl returned the gesture and climbed on Karpok's back before the two of them slid off the stern and into the ocean. They would swim to shore and find a location from which to watch what was going on. Hopefully, she would be able to learn what Hiccup and Astrid could not as well as be able to provide some back up if things went wrong.

With Toklo safely away, Hiccup turned his attention to Astrid, "You ready?" He asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be to meet the man prophesized to destroy my village." She replied.

Hiccup nodded before digging into Toothless' saddle bag and pulling out a helmet designed to mimic the Night Fury's facial features.

Astrid rolled her eyes, "don't you think you're taking this mysterious dragon rider stuff a little too far?

"Hey, it might give me a bit of an edge if they can't see my face. It will make me a bit more intimidating."

"Have you used it before?"

"Not often. But I figured I'd start. It offers better protection in a fight anyways."

"Well a meeting with Drago Bludvist probably won't be the best place to pull it out for the first time. It will only make things awkward."

Hiccup thought about it for a second before nodding and attaching the mask to his hip, "Speaking of which, I was thinking, it might be better if I do the talking. I am the one they want to meet after all."

She nodded in agreement. Out of the three of them, she was the one who knew the least about what they were getting into anyways. Plus, he was the one who was good at coming up with plans.

Hiccup eased the ship up to the dock and ran to toss some rope to the men waiting there. Starting and stopping the ship he realized was a bit difficult with just one person. He could have gotten Astrid to help him, but he wanted to know if it was possible. From his success, apparently it was.

With the ship successfully berthed, both Astrid and Hiccup walked down the gang plank with Toothless following and took in their surroundings. The fort was a large wooden structure with high walls, ballista's, a tall tower and many, many cages, most of which were full of dragons.

An older man with greying hair, a tattooed face and fur clothing walked toward them, "Welcome to the Fort of Eret. I am the elder of the two Erets, the greatest dragon trappers alive, at your service." He greeted with a strange accent.

Hiccup chanced a quick glance towards Astrid with a raised eyebrow. She seemed to share his disgust of professional dragon trapping, but missed the true meaning in his eyes. He already didn't like this Eret, and those he didn't like usually ended up dead.

Shrugging his personal feelings aside, he addressed the dragon trapper with an outstretched hand, "Hiccup the Horrendous, and this is Toothless." He greeted while pointing to the black dragon standing regally behind him.

"Well met." Eret replied as he shook Hiccup's hand, not allowing the Night Fury to phase him in the least bit, or at least not allowing himself to show any fear. "And who might this beauty be?" he asked, gesturing to the young woman standing next to him.

"I'm Astrid." She replied and took the offered hand, "My dragon's down in the hold. He's not a big fan of sunlight."

Eret smiled and nodded, "Seems like you've got quite the catch here, such a strong and powerful man. Why, Drago's been extremely impressed by the cunning and ruthlessness he's showed in the past. No doubt his blade is coated with the blood of his enemies. You'll be well looked after by him."

Hiccup had to physically restrain himself from facepalming. He knew bringing Astrid here was a bad idea. If they continued on like this, she'd leave him for sure. Though he couldn't tell the man to shut up with her around, there was one thing he needed to make clear. "W-"

"I DO NOT NEED TO BE LOOKED AFTER!" Astrid yelled while drawing her axe, "And I challenge any man who thinks I do!"

Hiccup almost sighed in relief. Astrid was focusing on one thing and one thing only, maybe she would miss what Eret had said about his ruthlessness.

Eret raised his hands in surrender, "My apologies miss Astrid. That's not at all what I meant. It's just that you have a very powerful man here. You stand to become one of the most powerful Chieftesses in the history of Vikings, that's all."

"Were not together." Hiccup pointed out. "Astrid's just an old friend that I ran into again not to long ago. She's relatively new to the art of dragon riding and I've taken her on as an apprentice of sorts." He explained, falling back on the cover story they'd prepared.

Eret nodded, "well, Drago's waiting for you in the tower, I'll lead you there and my men will look after your crew."

"It's just me and Astrid. I have the dragons and that's it, so I designed the Night Fury to be able to be manned by just one."

"But surly a ship this size would need a skeleton crew of at least 20!"

Hiccup shook his head, "Nope."

The dragon trapper gaped at the three-masted ship, "In all my days…"

Hiccup smiled, proud of his achievement, "I'll show her to you later, but for now, it probably wouldn't be best to keep Drago waiting." Just because he didn't like the man, didn't mean he wouldn't show off to him.

Eret nodded, "Yes, of course. Right this way."

Eret led the two young adults and the dragon through the fort's main gate and to the large tower. As they passed through the courtyard, they took a look at their surroundings. The place was highly defensible for the most part. The walls were tall and sturdy and had many ballista's that could be aimed at both the sky and sea. The tower offered a 360-degree view of the surrounding area from which a war effort could be managed. However, the place seemed a little to flammable for dragon trappers in Hiccup's opinion.

"I'm sorry, but your dragon isn't going to fit through the tower, you'll have to leave him outside." Eret apologised, "I swear on my life, that nothing will happen to him as long as he leaves the men alone."

Hiccup nodded, smiling inwardly at the though of these dragon trappers trying anything with Toothless. It wouldn't end well for them, but he decided to patronize them and told Toothless to stay out of trouble.

"Me stay out of trouble?! It's you I'm worried about!"

Hiccup chuckled and followed Eret inside the fort.

The tower itself wasn't much different than the outside. It was more practical than anything, with a few dragon skulls lining the place here and there. There was an armoury on the first floor, sleeping quarters on the second, the third floor offered a mess hall with a storage room being on the forth. The fifth floor was where things started to get a bit more interesting. By the gold and silver lining the walls and the red carpet on the floor, this was obviously where the VIP's stayed, away from the hustle and bustle of the common trapper. Yet they continued on upwards to the 6th and final floor, the war room, where Drago was waiting.

He stood staring out the window with his back to them, his giant form, a silhouette against the light pouring in from outside. Eret, with his task complete, bowed and exited the room.

Drago spoke with a soft voice and without turning to the pair, "That's a nice the ship you got there." He complimented the young man. "You must have quite the crew to operate such a fine vessel."

"More like a lot of money and an overactive imagination. One man can operate her without too much difficulty."

"And yet, I wonder why a dragon rider would need such a ship."

Hiccup smiled, he'd been prepared for the question, "Why do you think it is that no one's found where I live all these years? Surly someone as famous as I am would have been discovered by now? Especially with all the people who've been searching for me. You, Viggo, the Romans… My home location is constantly changing, that way no one can ever anticipate where I am."

Astrid was surprised by the way Hiccup's silver tongue ran. If she didn't already know the truth, she'd be inclined to believe it. But she was a bit perplexed at the same time. Back before their spar, which she had won proudly by the way, he'd been trying to hide who he was, but had been unable to convince her fully. So why was he so much better at lying now? And how much had he lied to her in the past?

"Smart." Drago replied as he turned around. His appearance was intimidating to say the least. He was dressed in black dragon skin, which Hiccup suspected came from a Night Fury if the Tuuluuwaq'Atka's story was talking about this man. His face was heavily scared and black dreadlocks hung greasily from his head and beard. Much to both Hiccup's and Astrid's satisfaction, his eyes were a shade of dark green. He fit the description of the prophecy. "Still, I wonder why a man of your reputation, cunning and ambition chooses to stay hidden away in the shadows. Striking like a demon in the night and then disappearing during the day. The Vikings fear you. You should have them on their knees by now… Unless, you're not as powerful as you make the world believe."

Hiccup chose to remain silent. He couldn't let Drago know about the Lava Louts, the Berserkers or the Outcasts, but he also couldn't let the man think he was weak, so he let him continue.

"However, you have made yourself a nuisance. For instance, my efforts securing allies in the North were greatly hindered due to your intervention in the war between the Tuuluuwaq'Atka's and the Sangilak's [1]. The Sangilaks were some of my strongest supporters, and now their tribe doesn't even exist."

Astrid widened her eyes as she heard the news, she wasn't prepared to hear something like that. Hiccup was responsible for the destruction of an entire tribe! The thought appalled her.

"Then there was the Roman fleet. That was the night I was going to finally show my power to the world. A strong alliance would have been formed in the aftermath of the battle. A force would have arisen that would rival the rest of the world put together! But in less than a half hour, you managed to slaughter 300,000 people [2], before I even had the chance to arrive. Those with me saw you as too much of a threat to consider joining me and the Alliance fell."

Astrid recoiled even more upon learning this, not that either of the two men noticed. 300,000 people killed in a half hour! She wasn't sure what to think of this. Yes, it had been war and yes, they'd been coming to lay waste to the Vikings, but surly, Hiccup of all people could have found a better way.

"Why are you telling me this?" Hiccup asked.

"Are you tired constantly hiding in the shadows? You keep the Vikings in fear of you, but your forced to keep an air of mystery about you in fear that the Vikings will rise up against you once and for all. I have plans for the archipelago and the rest of the world and the means to accomplish my goals. Join my ranks and I can give you the means show yourself in the daylight. I can give you the men you need and make you War Lord over the entire Barbaric Archipelago, bowing only to me and me alone. Not only will you be feared by many, but you will rule over them and bend them to your will. There will be none that can reject your wishes."

Hiccup paused and acted like he was contemplating such a decision. He had no doubt that Drago would kill him if he rejected, but he also hadn't come here to reject him.

"I've known of you for several years now, ever since Viggo first tried to find me." Hiccup began, "I knew you were a powerful person who would make things happen. Everything I've done from that point on was to prove myself to you in an effort to join your ranks." Hiccup replied as bowed on one knee in a symbol of respect and held out his sword. "I would consider it an honor to serve under your new empire and offer you my sword when you call upon it."

Astrid, still reeling from the revelations, had enough presence of mind to notice Hiccup bowing to Drago. She dutifully played her part as the apprentice and mimicked Hiccup's example.

Drago allowed a rare smile to grace his scarred face. With this young man bowing at his feet, the one stumbling block in his quest to rule the world, his dream would soon be realized. If the dragon rider could be trusted.

o~0~O~0~o

The meeting was finally over. She needed to get out of there and get some air. Her mind was reeling with the implications of what she had just learned. Hiccup had so much blood on his hands! And that was just with the two battles she knew he was a part of. What more had he done? She had suspected something was wrong with him, known that he had killed people, but to be responsible for so much death and to feel nothing for it? Her only consolation was that the people he had killed were those that wanted to wage war against the nations and subjugate them to their will.

She went and stood on the wall, allowing the cool sea breeze to wash over her face. She watched as Hiccup reunited with his dragon, who was happy to see him. They both seemed so care free and harmless from here, but both were downright deadly as she was learning.

"Quite an impressive sight I must say." A young man with black hair and a tattooed face interrupted her thoughts as he walked up and gestured to the dragon rider and his Night Fury. "In all my days of dragon trapping, I've never seen anything quite like that, a human riding on the back of a dragon. I never would have thought it was possible."

Astrid did her best to ignore him and turned back to looking out over the sea.

"Names Eret, son of Eret."

This caught her attention and she acknowledged the young man, "Wow, your father is a bit egocentric, isn't he?"

"Not really, I come from a long line of sons of Eret. It's a bit of a family tradition you could say."

Astrid laughed, "So you're a family of egocentrics then."

Eret laughed, "you got us there. So, how long have you been traveling with him? This is the first time I've learned of a female riding with him. How many of his battles have you been through?"

"I only met him a short time ago. I don't know a whole lot about him actually, just that he's a good dragon rider and an excellent teacher." She replied, playing the part of the apprentice.

"You don't say. Maybe I could get a few lessons from him myself."

"You seem to know a lot about him."

"Well sure, he's practically a legend around here."

"Maybe you can tell me what you know about him and I could give you a ride on my dragon in return." It would be a good opportunity to learn exactly who Hiccup had become from someone who wasn't fearful of the man.

Eret brightened at the prospect, "You got yourself a deal."

"Great, meet me at the Night Fury tonight after the sun goes down."

o~0~O~0~o

Darkness fell upon the fort, but that didn't keep Toklo from watching from her perch. She would wait until all were asleep, and then count the number of guards hanging around on night watch. But it wasn't the guards that caught her attention in that moment, but the dragon that left the deck of the Night Fury. The lack of light and the distance between them made her unable to identify if the dragon was a Night Fury or a Sand Wraith, but she narrowed her eyes when she saw two figures riding on it's back.

While she was focused on the dragon riders below, she failed to notice the one flying high above her. The masked rider spied the Sand Wraith below flying away from the fort with curiosity, then took off after them.

(A/N)

Before people get mad at me, this is not going to be an Eret and Astrid ship fic. I will give my word on that.

[1] I am claiming that the people that wear polar bear skins and use blow darts to take out the gang's dragons are the Sangilaks. Drago took out the Night Furies and most of the Tuuluuwaq'Atka tribe for them in order to secure an alliance.

[2] I got some flack last time for having 300,000 people in one army. However, a Roman Quinquereme, the ship that I based the numbers off of, carried about 120 soldiers, but 300 rowers. The rowers would have been given basic military training but were not actually part of the army. So, going with those numbers, the army would have only been about 85,000 strong, while there would have been about 214,000 rowers (not exact numbers). Also, I'm playing around with history a lot already, so I don't really care about smudging things a bit.

See you guys next time.