Chapter 16: A Monster
Back on Berk, war is now officially in progress, and I am also showing a new and very informative scene from Niflheim, which features the first appearance of the Hydra, Toothless' blood brother. As always, hope you enjoy!
Berk, Day 10 since Hiccup's Departure
"It was a blatant act of war!" Spitelout Jorgenson roared, rising from his seat and slamming his hand on the table. "Sending our heir to the Bog Burlgars was a terrible idea! We should have known they were never to be trusted!"
The village shouted their agreement, banging their fists on the tables in wrath. The news of Hiccup's disappearance had spread like wildfire across the island, and every single one of the Hooligans were now enraged that Hiccup, the bright young star of Berk, had been so abruptly taken from them. Astrid was the most affected by the event. She was sitting quietly with her family, her mother allowing her to lean on her with her arm around Astrid's shoulders.
"Why, though?" Gobber demanded, lowering his mug hand down to the table. "Why did they come up with such a stupid piece a yak-shit? Why didn't they say they tortured him to death, or something a lot worse?"
"They wanted to mock us!" bellowed Ingmar Hofferson, Astrid's father. "By giving us such an outlandish lie they were jeering at our honor! They betrayed the Code of Alliances, and then they spat in our face!"
Once more the villagers agreed, nodding their heads and muttering in fury.
"I think it is obvious that war is inevitable," Fishlegs stated. The entire village turned to look at him.
"I mean, they clearly did something to Hiccup," Fishlegs continued. "They killed him. It's as simple as that. It doesn't matter if they were spitting on our honor or not, we are at war with the Bog as ofright now. The question is no longer what the Boggies meant by such a foolish and stupid falsehood. Now our concern lies in what is to be done." He emphasized by thumping his finger on the table.
"What should be done, Fishlegs?" Chief Stoick demanded, looking at the chubby boy. It was clear that Fishlegs had something on his mind, and whenever that occurred, it was a good idea to listen.
"Well," Fishlegs said, twisting his fingers nervously, "I think it the most likely occurrence that the Bog Burglars did not believe the rumors of Berk riding dragons. They sent the message with a false request to us so that they could see if the reports were actually true, not so that they could be trained themselves. When Hiccup arrived on the back of a dragon, a Night Fury, no less, it would have terrified them as much as would have terrified us if it had occurred to us before we understood dragons."
"That is no excuse to shoot down our heir!" A female Viking shouted from the crowd.
"I'm not saying it is," Fishlegs confirmed calmly. "I am only saying that as soon as Hiccup arrived, they were afraid, and shot down Toothless, probably after he landed on the island. Hiccup was killed at the same time. After realizing that they had murdered the heir to Berk and therefore begun an inevitable war, what is the first thing they would have done?"
The Great Hall was silent, and Fishlegs continued.
"They would have immediately sent ships to their allies," he affirmed, thumping his hand on the table. "They would ask for help to defend their island against the 'demons who ride on dragons.' Almost all the tribes who do not yet have alliances with the dragons would answer the call. These tribes would be the Outcasts, the Muderous, the Beserkers, and most importantly, Hysteria. These messages would have been sent at once, the day Hiccup arrived, so those boats have been on the water for five whole DAYS as ofnow. All of them should have reached or be near their destinations by now, and reinforcements will soon be coming to the Bog – lots of reinforcements. After they sent these messages, they began to prepare their island for dragon war, which is exactly what we saw while we were there."
He paused for effect, and no one broke in. They all waited for him to go on.
"The war will have two main forces," Fishlegs went on. "Our side, the Berkians, will have two allies assisting us; the Meatheads and the Bashem tribe. Our advantage is solely the fact that we have dragons. With the amount of allies the Bog will be able to get, they will outnumber us by a lot. Dragons are our only hope. This means that we MUST strike the Bog while we have the upper hand. Right now is the time when the Boggies will be weakest. We need to hit them now, and hit them hard, ending this war before it even begins. If we have control of the island when their reinforcements arrive, then they will be forced to turn around and go back, for we will have already won. However, if we wait, they will only get stronger. Vikings from all the other tribes will flock to their aid, like the Outcasts, who live very near to them. And if Hysteria goes to their assistance, then we are doomed. Hysteria has a MASSIVE army and fleet. Even with the riders from Bashem Island, Meathead Island, and Berk combined, it will be a miracle if we defeated them. We must not allow that to happen. The Bog must be crushed immediately."
The villagers nodded in agreement, murmuring among themselves.
"What do ya suggest we do first, Legs?" Gobber asked from his seat near the young Viking.
"Well, the first thing we should do," Fishlegs stated, "Is to send word to our allies as fast as we can. Get Terrors in the air at once, as in RIGHT NOW. Muster every dragon rider in the archipelago and get them on Berk as fast as possible, ready for war. In this we also have an advantage, for our transport is ten times faster than theirs. While that is happening, we need to strike the Bog ourselves, immediately."
"What do you mean by immediately?" Ingmar Hofferson asked.
"I mean, like, tomorrow," Fishlegs replied calmly.
The villagers whoaed and muttered among themselves.
"This attack would just be quick, simple raid," Fishlegs confirmed. "It would be small, but large to enough to have the goal of at least weakening them, if not destroying them. After all, it is possible, although not likely, that Hiccup is still alive and a prisoner on the island. We would search the place for him in this raid as well, and map out the area for a future assault. By the time this raid returns to Berk, our allies will have arrived, and a REAL attack will be launched, with EVERYTHING we have. We will burn their island to the ground, and then turn back for our homeland, ignoring the arrival of their allies, who will leave in disappointment when they realize we have already won. It is possible they would attack us by themselves, but without having a base like the Bog, they wouldn't get very far."
Fishlegs looked across at Stoick.
"So, in order for that to work, we need to get some Terror mail sent to Bashem Island and the Meatheads at once."
Stoick rose to his feet.
"You heard the boy!" he shouted. "Get us some Terrors, and prepare them to carry a message! War is upon us, Berkians, and we need to prepare!"
The villagers cheered in agreement, several rushing out to recruit some Terrible Terrors to carry the messages to the allies. Meanwhile Spitelout brought a paper and charcoal pencil to Stoick so he could write the messages.
"Fishlegs, dictate this for me," Stoick said, his hand ready to write.
"Okay, Chief," Fishlegs said. "Begin it with the usual courtesies, of course, and address this one to Mogadon of the Meathead tribe."
Stoick's hand danced over the paper as he started to write the letter, conveying the traditional Chief's greetings and other cultural introductions to letters.
"All right, now what?" Stoick demanded, looking up.
"Okay," Fishlegs replied. "Now write this:
Chief Mogadon, as was to be expected, war has broken out with Bog Burglar Island regarding our alliance with the dragons. We sent our heir, Hiccup Haddock, to the Bog at their request in order to teach them the ways of dragon riding just as we did with you. However, upon Hiccup's arrival, he was treacherously murdered. As a result, we are now commanded by our Viking honor to strike down the Bog Burglars for their misdeed. We are using Article 1 in the Code of Alliances to demand that you come to our aid in this endeavor. Send every available dragon rider on your island to Berk without the slightest delay. We can win this war easily if we strike quickly. In the name of the Gods, I exhort you to hurry, and come to the aid of Berk in these trying times."
Fishlegs paused. "Sign it, date it, and seal it. Then write another one that is addressed to Chief Elcroy from Bashem Island."
Stoick nodded, his head bent over the paper as he sealed it, stamping the wax with the Berkian crest. Writing another as fast as he could, he did the same with it, and then called for two Terrible Terrors. The messages were attached to the two dragons, and they were immediately released from the Great Hall, speeding towards the two separate islands of Bashem and Meathead.
"Now that that task is complete," Stoick said, "it is time to launch a raid. The attack must be sudden and quick. It will leave tonight, so that it will arrive by nightfall two days from now. I cannot send too many dragon riders on this assault, because I need to have Berk prepared. So I will only send a few, the young men of the village. Snotlout."
The Jorgenson boy leapt to his feet, waiting to hear Chief Stoick's command.
"You will lead a raid on the Bog," Stoick ordered. "You shall leave tonight at sunset, as soon as the dragons that flew to the Bog earlier are rested. You will be accompanied by Fishlegs, Astrid, and the twins, plus any other young rider that you deem old enough to join you. I leave the details of the attack to you, but I want as much of their dragon killing weaponry destroyed as you can possibly manage."
Astrid had been silent throughout the entire meeting, with her mother comforting her, but at this announcement she leapt to her feet in protest.
"Chief," she objected. "With respect, I see the idea of putting Snotlout in charge to be absurd. He has not been involved at all in the previous negotiations with the Boggies. Fishlegs and I have been, and we also know what the Island looks like and how best to attack it. I thinkIshould be leading this raid, not Snotlout."
Stoick smiled grimly.
"You are blunt, lass," he stated, "but I would not give the authority of this raid to you, for two reasons. One, like me, your grief may blind you in your decisions. Hiccup was most likely as dear to you as he was to me, and in the choices regarding what is to be done about him cannot be determined based on sorrow or anger. That is why I have been asking for suggestions – because my thoughts are even now clouded by anger and lust for vengeance. I am afraid orders you give during the course of the raid will be based not on logic, but on your desire for retribution. So I will not give you the authority to make choices that could affect others badly. Second, since my son has fallen, Snotlout is now the new heir to the Hairy Hooligan tribe."
He paused, letting the information sink in. Then he continued.
"As such, he needs to learn to lead. This is why I have given him charge of this mission. However, I will insist that he listen attentively to any suggestions from his companions, especially Fishlegs. Sit down, lass, for I shall not change my mind."
Astrid sat down heavily. It did not help her mood to remind her that Snotlout was to be the next chief, now that Hiccup was dead. It was a terrifying thought.
Snotlout, still on his feet, spoke.
"You can count on me, Chief. We'll do a lot of damage to that stupid Bog Burglar Island. If they think they can mess with us, the Berkians, and get away with it, then they can think again! They'll pay for their treachery!"
The village roared their agreement, banging their fists on the table. Snotlout was standing proud and tall, an arrogant grin on his broad, snobby face. Berk was at war.
Deep Niflheim, Day 10 since Hiccup's Departure
"WHAT!" the woman roared, leaping from her iron chair and causing the huge Skrill and his rider to shrink back in fear. "What did you say happened to the boy!?"
"He was taken, my Queen," replied the man in brown armor, bowing his head in shame. "I had an encounter with some Berkian shieldmaiden, and she informed me that the boy had gone to another island. This young bitch was also a talented dragon rider, and she escaped me. Naturally, I did not pursue her, and instead went straight for the island she mentioned. The beings on that island were greatly afraid of me, but when I asked where the boy was, I received some very discomforting news."
"Do not tell me that he was taken by the Gods," the woman said icily.
"I am afraid he was, my Queen. The inhabitants of the island saw the BiFrost appear in the sky and take him, about seven days ago right above the sea. The boy is no doubt now in the hands of Odin."
The woman screamed, a piercing shriek that echoed in the black caverns. Drawing her blood red sword, she swung it viciously at the enormous beast beside her. Black blood spurted, and an enormous black head tumbled to the ground in front of the brown clad rider, shaking the stone floor when it struck. In the place of the severed, bleeding neck there grew two more heads, and the Hydra roared in pain as it regenerated.
"Do you see that, Lord Zyon?" the woman demanded, pointing at the large detached head on the ground. "That is what will happen toyouif you fail me again."
"My Queen!" the man was angry, and he stepped forward. "Do not deign to threaten me by removing another of the Hydra's legendary heads! I have served you faithfully since I left the Asgardians, and in this instance I have done all I could to seize this Black Rider for you! I am the only one who can pass freely from Helheim to Midgard, and you know this. You would not dare to kill me, my Queen. However, your faith in me may be misplaced after all. If you threaten me and my dragon again, I swear on the gates of Niflheim that I shall abandon your evil cause! We shall see if you can manage this war without me, my Queen of the underworld!"
The Hydra roared in anger, spreading its massive wings and leaning each of its thirty-five heads down to face the man in brown. Each one was larger than the man himself. It snarled viciously with thirty-five fierce tongues, and the man was thoroughly cowed. Stepping backwards, he knelt, trembling in fear.
"Forgive me, my Queen Hel. I was too hasty with my speech. However, I do maintain my threat. I am serving you better than any devil or demon or other subject in your kingdom, and you should recognize that, not abuse me. In fact, I am one of your few subjects that will possibly be able to stand against the Black Rider when he completes his training. There have been only three deemed worthy to be trained by the one and only Asgeirr of Asgard, and I was the first. The boy – whose name is Hiccup – will soon reach my level of power, and if the prophecy is true, all will be lost for you. If I turn against you, nothing will withstand the might of your opposition. Remember that, my Queen, for not even the Hydra himself shall scare that fact away."
The woman flicked her wrist in a commanding gesture, and the Hydra folded his wings and sat down once more, removing its heads from in front of the man's face.
"I hear your position, my Lord Zyon," the woman replied. She was calmer now, and sheathed the red sword that she still held. "I do value your service, and I would not lose you if I could help it. But I tell you now, if you turn against me and my wishes, you shall suffer more greatly than anyone ever has. Even now I am tempted to murder you, but I have use for you still."
The man rose to his feet.
"I am yours to command, my Queen."
"Do you still have an agent among the Berkians? A spy that can keep you informed of any activities on the island?"
"I do, my Queen. I just spoke with the informant before coming here."
"Can your spy maintain vigilance?"
"I can see to it."
"Do so. Have your spy remain on Berk for the duration of the Black Rider's absence. The first thing the Black Rider shall do when completes his training will be to return to his homeland, unless I am mistaken. When he does, I want to know at once. Make sure that your spy remains on the island, and have the agent try to get into the commanding ranks of the Vikings, so as to be better informed of any news."
"As you command, my Queen."
"Is the spy reliable, Lord Zyon?"
"The spy is loyal to Berk and is a good friend of the Black Rider, but I have a threat that keeps the spy in my service. We will be informed at the moment the Black Rider returns to his home, be sure of that, my Queen."
"Very good. Now, I have another command for you."
"Speak, my Queen."
"How long will the boy take to complete his training? You have experienced it. How long until he is attacking us?"
"It varies, my Queen. I passed in four years myself, and the elf Kaldr, who trained after me, took longer. But I would guess that the boy shall pass quicker than either of us."
"Why, Lord Zyon? I thought your spy told you that the boy is skinny and weak. Such a person will take longer to train, am I correct?"
"I disagree with that for two reasons, my Queen. First, they will accelerate the boy's training to prepare him as quickly as possible, for they know you are close to unleashing the armies of the dead. Second, strength is not the main force you need in Asgeirr's ruthless education. It is all in your mind, the powers you need to succeed. This Hiccup is highly intelligent, and having experienced the training, I know it is intelligence that gives you victory, not pure strength alone. And believe me; Hiccup shall not be skinny when he emerges, for this boy will no longer be so small. He will turn into a warrior so menacing and deadly that even you may not withstand his might."
"Then we must act quickly, Lord Zyon. If this boy is as remarkable as you claim, then he shall use his tactics and power to tear my armies to the ground. I need my own strategist to compete with him."
"My Queen, there is no one to use."
"There is one, and he will serve me if I can get him."
"Where is he?"
Hel paused for a minute before speaking once more.
"In the dungeons of Asgard."
"NO!" the man shouted, stepping forward. "You cannot be thinking of rescuing Loki, the son of Odin!"
"I am."
"My Queen, Loki is the father of lies! Every promise he makes, every assurance that he will follow your commands, will always have to be doubted and will also need to be questioned and checked! Even if we manage to release him from the chains of the golden city, it will be inherently dangerous to have him among us. He is wily, ruthless, and cunning above all else! He will infiltrate our realm, and take it over by sheer sleight of hand and his blasted tongue of silver!"
"How do you justify this belief, Lord Zyon?" Hel demanded, leaning forward on her metal throne. "He is only a normal God with unique powers. I am not. I surpass in power all the Gods, except perhaps Odin himself. I can check him."
"I served under this God for many years, my Queen, and I can tell you now that the God Loki is themost deadly creature on every world of Yggdrasil. He is so talented in the art of lying, cajoling, flattery, and battle tactics that he nearly destroyed the entire world of Asgard singlehandedly! It was only through sheer dumb luck that Odin captured him at all! For his terrible crimes he is imprisoned in the lowest level of the Asgardian dungeons, which are impenetrable. How do you plan on removing him?"
"Leave that to me. And if he is as cunning as you claim, then we have great use for him."
"He isdangerous,my Queen."
"Let me determine that. I have already decided that I shall have him. I will devise a plan for his escape. No dungeon is impenetrable. My scheme shall no doubt take time, however. While I devise it, something else must be done for me."
"Before you command me, can I make a request?" the man replied, bowing his head.
"Speak, Lord Zyon."
"Very well, my Queen. This knife." He pulled a long throwing knife from the depths of his cloak had held it out to Hel. It was the same one that had been thrown at his Skrill. "I would have the name of the owner of this knife. She is a female dragon rider on Berk that threw it into my dragon's eye several days ago. If I ever have time to do so, I shall hunt down the bitch and gut her for her impudence."
Hel smiled. "I can get you the name, Lord Zyon. Give the weapon to my seers before you leave on the mission that I am about to give you. If you desire to kill and cause pain, then I shall always oblige you."
The man bowed lower.
"I thank you, my Queen. Command me; I shall not fail you this time."
"This order should be simple enough to carry out, Lord Zyon. I do not expect any difficulty. After you give the new task to your spy among the Berkians, I need you find a man who is now somewhere in the archipelago. He commands one of the last two Alpha dragons that I can control, and his power over the dragon is too strong for me to penetrate. He also has an army of highly skilled men in his service. I want his Alpha dragon, but I also want his allegiance. All he desires is power, and I can give it to him – in exchange for his armies of dragons and men. I would have you go to this man and offer him a deal – if he refuses, kill him."
"Who is this man you speak of, my Queen?"
"He is no more a man than a beast, Lord Zyon. He is the perfect portrayal of my subjects; ruthless, inventive, and cruel. He is less than a hundred leagues from Berk as we speak. His name is Drago Bludvist."
High Asgard, Day 10 since Hiccup's Departure
Hiccup was sitting cross-legged on his bed, meditating with every fiber in his body. Occasionally a smile would flicker across his relaxed face as he recalled some humorous memory. Asgeirr sat on the chair at the new table, watching him intently. Presently he spoke.
"Your ten minutes is up."
Hiccup slowly opened his eyes, finishing his deliberation. Removing the Nadder scale from his neck, where he had slept with it all night, he gave it a loving pat and set it on his pillow. Uncrossing his legs, he slid off the large bed and onto the floor, where he walked to the table and sat.
"Are you calmer today, Riddari?" Asgeirr asked, as Hiccup attacked the food set out for him.
"Absolutely," Hiccup mumbled through his food. "I feel awesome, except my gut still hurts a little. That Wolf was a worthless coward to not heal it yesterday. The bruise I have from that mean kick is about the size of my head."
Asgeirr gave a savage grin. "The Wolf only likes making you feel pain, Riddari," he said. "You should certainly know that by now."
"I certainly do," Hiccup replied, still gobbling his food. "About halfway through the training yesterday, he went and got a sledgehammer - you know, the kind you use for hammering fence posts. He just went and bashed me around with it. My bones broke like twigs, and he loved it. First he mashed me into jelly and then squished my head like it was a beetle. Seriously, Asgeirr, what kind of a monster is this thing?"
Asgeirr shook his head. "The Wolf is simply a devil," he stated. "His monstrous actions are solely based on the fact that he likes to kill people. He enjoys it, but it is nothing personal. He is merely doing his duty, as prescribed by my training."
"Well damn your training, Asgeirr," Hiccup growled.
Asgeirr laughed. "Hate on, Riddari. The pain shall not go away until you kill the beast. Keep fighting."
"That's exactly what I'm doing," Hiccup replied. "But I just can't quite get control of my mind. I'm improving, to be sure, but there seems to be something missing, a key to mastering your sanity that I just haven't found yet."
He grabbed his cup and drank the milk in one gulp, while staring at the food on his tray.
"What's this new kind of fruit, Asgeirr?" he asked, even as he stuffed it in his mouth.
"That thing you are eating right now is called an orange," Asgeirr replied. "And it tastes a lot better if you take the rindoff."
Hiccup was already making a face at the distaste of the rind, and Asgeirr shook his head with amusement.
"You also have watermelon and apples," the trainer added sarcastically. "And the skin on the watermelon is usually removed as well."
"Well, thanks for letting me know," Hiccup replied, as he swallowed the last bit of his orange, peel and all. "Boy, it would have been nice to know about the orange peelbeforeI ate it. Uggghh. That tasted nasty."
Asgeirr chuckled. "I have no idea how Vikings manage to survive with the amount of stupidity they possess," he laughed. "I cannot believe you didn't have the sense to realize you had to remove the peel."
"Look, the only things that grow where I live are dry and tasteless," Hiccup muttered, attacking the watermelon. "And the people are even more so. Berries are the closest thing that resembles this stuff, and even then, they don't taste as good. Nothing grows at all that need to be peeled, where I live. And if they did, I wouldn't take the time to do it."
Asgeirr shook his head. "No wonder you're a toothpick."
Hiccup pointed his half eaten watermelon at Asgeirr. "I think I'm already getting stronger, Asgeirr. In fact, I know it. I get constantly healed when I'm in Ragnarok, and for some reason that seems to be affecting my muscle growth and strength. I was able to throw a table like this across the room just two days ago, and I have already gained lots of weight. My arms are thicker than they were when I arrived, and yet I've only been working for about a week. My armor is now tighter than it was when I first got it. Speaking of which, do I get a new suit of armor?"
Asgeirr nodded and pointed behind Hiccup. "There it is, Riddari."
Hiccup spun in his seat and glanced at the new armor. It was exactly the same as the first suit, except it was pitch black leather instead of light brown.
"Well, it's cool that you made it a different color," Hiccup said, turning back to face his trainer. "The bloodstains won't show as much as they did with that light brown leather. Is it a new method of messing with my mind, the black? Because if it is, then I won't wear the thing. Honestly, Asgeirr, what is the purpose of the armor? The Wolf just tears right through it as if it's a piece of paper. Ah, yes, that reminds me. Is there any paper around here? I need to do something."
"There is paper in your desk," Asgeirr replied curiously. "But what in the name of Thor do you want paper for?"
In reply, Hiccup stuffed the last of his food into this mouth and walked to his desk. Pulling out a large sheet of paper from one of the drawers, he took a charcoal and made two long, thick swipes with it. Putting the charcoal down, he displayed the result to Asgeirr. His trainer simply stared.
"It is the letter A," he said, confused. "May I ask what the Hel you plan on doing with that?"
"It's a part of my mental training," Hiccup replied, as he put the paper down and began to don the new suit of armor. "And you never did answer my question. Why is this armor black?"
Asgeirr shrugged noncommittally. "No particular reason, Riddari. It is simply designed to throw some variety into the training. Black suits you, anyway. When you are deemed worthy to ride in the name of Asgard, you will be called the Black Rider, as the prophecy holds. So get used to the color; it is yours until the day you die,BlakkaRiddari."
Then, with a snap of his arm, he hurled the metal cup at Hiccup, who had just slid the chestplate of the armor over his head. He saw it just in time. Ducking, Hiccup closed his fingers around the missile and, in the same movement, spun around and hurled it back at Asgeirr.
Asgeirr was startled, but his hand moved quicker than the strike of a snake. He snapped the cup out of the air cleanly, and held it up. He had an astonished look on his face at first, but then it faded and his expression turned dark.
"Around here I throw the cups, Riddari," he said, with a hint of anger. "However, it was a good catch. Congratulations."
Hiccup shrugged into the rest of his armor with a scowl.
"I get enough cheap shots in Ragnarok to be ready for that one," he growled angrily, tightening his buckles. "The Wolf used a damned sledgehammer on me yesterday, for crying out loud. And here you go and throw that cup at me while one of my arms is stuck in my armor. That was a coward's move, Asgeirr."
The big man grinned savagely. "I told you yesterday that life is not fair," he said. "Believe me; you will face many cowards in your life, Riddari. Assassins will always strike at your back, not from the front. Enemies will always seek to catch you in your weakest position. I am teaching, you, Riddari, for you need to get used to the unjust ways of the world."
He set the cup down with a bang, a tight frown still etched on his features.
Hiccup finished putting on his shoe, and then picked up the sheet of paper and charcoal. Giving Astrid's Nadder scale one final adoring glance, he stepped into the hallway without a second look at Asgeirr. He was beginning to dislike the man.
Striding down the hall in his unmarked new armor, Hiccup felt refreshed and invigorated. His stomach still ached, but he ignored it and tried to maintain a cheerful attitude, for that was imperative to his mental control. With a few more brisk steps he arrived at the door to his training room, which he knew was locked. The two golden-clad guards were standing at attention.
"Behold," Hiccup smiled at them. "I don't know if you two are the same losers from yesterday, but I have a surprise for you regardless." He raised the paper in front of the guards with a magnificent swoop of his leather bound arm. A massive letter A was displayed on the sheet.
"This," Hiccup announced, as if it were the greatest thing in the world, "is the letter A. Doesn't it look fabulous? I bet you've never seen it before, so let me tell you all there is to know about it. The letter A is the first letter in what we call the alphabet. It is one of the most used letters, since it is, as my friend Fishlegs says, a primary letter. Every word should have a primary letter, and since there are only six such letters, A is used very often when you speak. Anyway, this is how you say it." Hiccup opened his mouth and pronounced the A sound very slowly and distinctly, as if he was trying to educate a baby.
"Say it with me," Hiccup pleaded. "AAAAAAAA." Neither guard did so.
"Oh, come on," Hiccup said, throwing his arms in the air. "You'll never learn to speak if you don't at leasttry. But I'll ignore it. Here's how you write it." Taking the charcoal he had brought with him, he redrew the letter slowly and carefully on the opposite side of the paper.
"See, there's three lines," Hiccup explained carefully. "One goes up like this," - he drew the first line – "The second is the exact same thing on the other side," – he drew the second line – "And the third line connects the two in the middle, you know, like a triangular meat cache that we build for storage. You've seen those, right?"
Of course, only silence answered Hiccup.
"Well, that's enough letters for today," Hiccup stated, lowering the paper. "Let's do something else. Do you guys know any funny jokes?"
Hiccup waited for a reply, and, receiving none, continued.
"Well, here's a good joke. One of you guys actually has a pretty girlfriend."
There was no sound from the golden-clad men, but Hiccup chuckled.
"Get it? It's a joke that any of you could possibly be considered handsome enough to have a pretty girl. Ha ha. Anyway, I think I can help with that. Let me see."
He dropped the paper with the letter A on it and walked up to the guards, charcoal in hand.
"Let me draw a nice big moustache on your helmet for you," Hiccup grinned, taking the charcoal and scrawling an ugly, curling moustache on the beautiful golden armor. Turning to the other guard, he did the same, and then stepped back to survey his work.
"Wow, it improves your look tremendously," Hiccup laughed. "Maybe someone will actually notice you now."
The door clicked its ominous click, letting Hiccup know that he could enter at any time.
"Well, keep trying to pronounce the letter A," Hiccup instructed, as he reached for the doorknob. "And don't even think about cleaning off those moustaches when I leave."
He was about to enter the room, but one of the guards seized his arm, pointing at his hand. Hiccup was still carrying the charcoal pencil.
"Oh, right," Hiccup said. "No 'weapons' in the training room. Is this considered a weapon?" He handed the pencil to the guard. "Happy now?"
Neither of the men replied, and, opening the door, Hiccup stepped in.
Instantly the insanity attacked his mind, trying to blot out all his connection to his normal self. Struggling mightily, Hiccup was able to delay the process, and focus on his own consciousness and being for a little while. Looking up, he saw his arch-enemy, The Wolf, standing in the same place he always did.
"Nice new suit of armor, Riddari," The Wolf mocked. "But don't worry – it will look like the last one here soon."
The voice tore deeper into Hiccup's sanity, and he replied by picking up a stone and mashing his teeth, biting back the pain. Spitting out the broken pieces, he threw the small rock at The Wolf. It bounced harmlessly off his breastplate with a dull thud.
"Showing some fight already, I see," The Wolf leered, stepping forward. "That is good to observe – Useless."
Hiccup's control snapped completely. Gnashing his jagged teeth, he howled his snarl of crazed anger and struck, swinging his claws.
The Wolf, with a big smile on his ugly face, dodged easily and ripped his own claws across Hiccup's chest. The new leather armor slowed the slash, however, and all Hiccup felt was four small scratches on the skin. Growling like a wild animal, he kept hacking madly at The Wolf. Then sharp teeth sunk into his arm as the Wolf blocked a blow by catching Hiccup's forearm in his mouth. Hiccup howled in pain as The Wolf's powerful jaws crunched down, tearing the tendons and muscles in his forearm. His left arm was now mangled and severely damaged. Facing The Wolf with only one good arm, Hiccup was helpless against the next brutal onslaught. Claws sunk into him from all sides, and, with one mighty kick, The Wolf broke Hiccup's left knee right above the prosthetic. Hiccup collapsed to the floor with a howl, blood oozing like water from his tortured body.
Crawling to his knees, Hiccup groped on the floor for a stone to throw, as The Wolf circled him menacingly.
"Ah, you are such a weak, worthless loser," The Wolf laughed. "Who can expect you to ever save them if you cannot even save yourself? The man who is unable to even stay on his feet against his own mind can never be a true hero."
The Wolf was now walking behind him, and Hiccup, on one knee, closed his eyes and tried to re-focus. It was impossible – the rage and fear in his mind was simply too much to overcome. Then there was a sharp hiss, and, opening his eyes, Hiccup saw The Wolf leaning down and looking at him from a range of several inches. The beast placed his clawed hands on Hiccup's shoulders and whispered in his face, the stench of his breath hitting Hiccup in the face.
"Astrid would be so ashamed of you," he whispered tauntingly.
Hiccup froze. The Wolf had never mentioned Astrid before, and as soon as he did, something began to change inside Hiccup's head. His crazed mind began to spin, to shake, as the name of his love began to echo in his head.
Astrid!A voice called from the depths of his being.Astrid!
Hiccup's mind cleared in an instant, all the horror that enveloped his soul vanishing, and being replaced with one thing; Astrid. The smells began to evaporate, leaving only wisps of blurry clouds in his brain.
"Get out, demons!" Hiccup roared aloud, right in The Wolf's face. "I am the master of my mind, not you! Be gone!"
The remaining insanity in his head seemed to shriek at him, and then, with a great explosion of light in Hiccup's mind, vanished completely. When his head cleared, nothing remained but Hiccup's old self. He had mastered the powers of Ragnarok.
His vision cleared. Raising his head, Hiccup looked up at The Wolf and growled.
"You know nothing of Astrid," he whispered, his voice still a raging snarl. "And you die today!"
Ignoring his terrible injuries, Hiccup lunged forward grabbed the Wolf's massive biceps, using the beast's own arms to haul himself upright. Staggering on one good leg, he wrestled The Wolf, his useless prosthetic dragging on the stone floor. He was still severely hurt, but his mind was clear. He was normal. Now he needed to think of a way to get past the iron claws and kill his most hated enemy.
The Wolf returned Hiccup's frantic grip, crushing the leanly muscled arms in his inhumanly strong hands, pushing Hiccup back while laughing.
"You will not win, Wolf!" Hiccup snarled, his face still inches from the bloody jaws of his enemy. "Evil never lingers! I will not lose to a demon the likes of you!"
"I can always linger!" The Wolf leered, almost joyfully. He had not noticed that Hiccup was now in control of his mind. "And you ALWAYS lose, Useless! It is what you were born to do. Losingisyour profession! Winning is something that you never knew, that you never achieved on your own! You saved your village, you claim, but how? Your dragon did all the work, you worthless piece of yak-shit! You didnothingbut take the credit for it. You are a failure, a disgrace, and a worthless burden to those around you!"
Hiccup wasn't listening to The Wolf. All his concentration was now on one thing – slowly adjusting his grip on The Wolf's thick bicep. He had shifted his hand so it was now no longer resting on The Wolf's bare muscle, but rather on the magical greave, the one thing in the room that could heal his injuries. If he could fix his damaged leg, he could certainly catch his enemy off guard, maybe to the point where he could get in a killing blow. Hiccup felt desperately for the buckler, and found it.
And twisted it.
The pain from the wounds in his body vanished, and relief swamped him like a flood of warm water. Regaining some of his former strength, he pushed harder against The Wolf's arms, starting to resist the beast. At the same time, his damaged knee healed, and he now had control of his balance and coordination. Soon it would be time to strike.
The Wolf was still tormenting him.
"The only thing you could ever do right was train dragons, Useless! However, that is not even an accomplishment. Thousands have done that so-called heroic deed. So what have you to be proud of? What can you look on with pride in your life? NOTHING, Riddari! You are useless! Do not think you can stand against anyone, let alone ME. I am death itself, I am the cause of all grief, pain, and despair, and you can never defeat that! You will never win, Riddari."
Hiccup smiled, even as his damaged teeth were mended by the healing powers of the buckler. Raising his head, he spoke with the command of fate itself.
"I already have."
Twisting out of The Wolf's iron grip, Hiccup spun around. Faster than the eye could see, hammered his newly healed metal prosthetic against The Wolf's knee in a solid, vicious, desperate kick. There was a sickening snap as the creature's bone broke, and The Wolf's knee buckled, his thick arms falling away from his sides.
Hiccup attacked. With all his pent up rage and energy, he tackled The Wolf at the waist, hurling the demon to the ground. The beast's broken knee caused him to have no stability, and he fell to the stone floor with a crash.
In a flash Hiccup was on top of him, pinning The Wolf to the ground and slamming his claws into the beast's side. Then with a roar of utter rage, he sunk his teeth into The Wolf's throat.
The healing process had taken away their sharpness, but it made no difference, the move worked. Hiccup felt his teeth sink through fur and skin, and then deep into The Wolf's jugular. Blood sprayed everywhere, dousing Hiccup's face with nasty-smelling fluid. The Wolf screamed in agony, making a sound so horrible Hiccup had never heard its equal.
As The Wolf struggled to get away, Hiccup realized that he was in an authoritative position. He had one hand was positioned under The Wolf's chin, digging his claws into the beast's hairy neck and keeping the sharp teeth away from his own, which were embedded in The Wolf's throat. With his other hand he was clawing his enemy's side, causing blood to spurt like water from his ribs. Hiccup was also, most importantly, using his knees to pin down the arm that held the buckler, making sure The Wolf could not access the healing device and save himself. Hiccup had utter control.
The Wolf was now screaming for air, flailing his arms and legs about like a dead fish. His one free arm reached over Hiccup's back, raking him with murderous slashes. Once, twice, three times the claws descended, shredding Hiccup's backand nearly causing him to faint from the pain. In response, he only bit down harder, the Wolf's blood filling his mouth. It tasted like molten lead on his tongue.
With one last, ear-splitting screech, The Wolf's struggles ceased. Hiccup, with his hand on the beast's neck, felt his pulse stop. Unable to believe it, Hiccup stopped stabbing the Wolf's side with his claws, opened his locked jaws, and stared down at his adversary.
The Wolf was dead.
With a cry of pain, rage, and happiness all combined, Hiccup lifted his head to the sky and bellowed his victory, his savage roar echoing in the empty stone room.
"I WIN!" Hiccup thundered, his voice now sounding more powerful than ever before. "NEVER AGAIN SHALL YOU FACE ME, WOLF! I HAVE BESTED YOU! I AM THE VICTOR NOW!"
Ignoring the searing pain that came from his back, Hiccup staggered to his feet.
"Asgeirr!" he shouted, knowing that his trainer was watching from somewhere. "I have passed your first Level! What would you have me do now?"
In reply, the door to the room opened, and the two golden-clad guards sprinted in. Hiccup stared at them as they raced past him to The Wolf, kneeling by his side. He also noted – with mild amusement – that they still had moustaches drawn on their helmets. However, he was much more interested in what they were doing. They had dropped their spears, knelt by the dead body of The Wolf, and twisted his buckler.
"NOOOOO!" Hiccup roared springing forward. He felt the cuts that layered his back begin to heal, but he had forgotten it. He only noticed one thing; The Wolf was getting up.
"YOU CAN'T!" Hiccup screamed, attacking the guards in a rage. "I KILLED HIM! I WON! YOU CAN'T BRING HIM BACK NOW! I WON!"
The Wolf was getting to his feet, and the guards grabbed Hiccup's thrashing arms. He was flailing about like a madman as the two men dragged him to the door. Hiccup resisted every step of the way. The Wolf stood up, and even as Hiccup was being taken away, he saw that the demon was smiling.
"You never win, Riddari," he laughed. "I will always be here. You never get rid of me. I am with you forever."
And Hiccup was thrown out.
Landing with a crash, he screamed like a madman, leaping back to his feet and trying to get back in. The door slammed in his face, and a latch clicked. Seizing the knob with a bloody hand, Hiccup tried to turn it but couldn't. Roaring in rage and frustration, he attacked the door, raking his claws across the solidstone. After two minutes, he gave up, and collapsed on the floor in defeat.
It wasn't fair. He had won. He had killed The Wolf. Asgeirr had lied. What had he done to deserve this? He had destroyed his enemy, mastered his mind, used his head to make quick efficient work of The Wolf, and yet they did not let him win. He pounded the floor with his fists, and then desperately tried to master his mind.
He was undergoing a different kind of madness now. Instead of the searing, destroying rage that he used while fighting The Wolf, he now felt, cold, hard, just anger. Then he made up his mind. He would not controlthisinsanity. Instead he would use it. He had all day to explore his surroundings - he would find Asgeirr and strangle him for what he had done.
Getting to his feet, he walked down the hallway, boiling with unchecked rage. He noticed now that there were only three doors in the entire hall. One led to his quarters, the other led to Ragnarok, and the third was at the end of the hall. He had no idea where it led, but he assumed Asgeirr used it to come and go. Reaching out, he tried to open it. Of course, it was locked.
But Hiccup was not beaten so easily. The locking system was one he had never seen before, but it had to be at least similar to the kinds he had noticed on Berk. If he could find something, he could perhaps pick it. Walking back to his own room, he realized with astonishment that it was locked, too! Apparently they had thrown him out here to brood in the hallway until someone decided to let him enter. It was as if they were asking him to pick a lock.
Intrigued and still fiercely angry, Hiccup examined the mechanism of the lock. It looked rather complicated at a first glance, but the concept was actually simple enough. A key of a certain shape had to be inserted to make the lock work. So all he needed was to make a device that did the same thing. But how could he make one? If he had access to the desk in his room, he could probably construct something in minutes. Now, however, he only had a few things, and Hiccup listed them out loud.
"All right, I've got sharp, long fingernails. That's one thing. Second, I've got a paper with the letter A on it lying on the floor by the door to Ragnarok. That's useless, but there's a charcoal pencil there with it, and it might be handy. Third, I've got my armor, and that's my best bet."
Reaching for the buckles on his new black armor, he tore one of them off. It was basically a bent wire that was made into the shape of a clasp. With his fingers, Hiccup bent it into the rough shape of a key. Running back down the hall, he picked up his charcoal pencil. He stuck the wire into the charcoal and made a long, odd looking device.
Hiccup, his heart beating with excitement and anger, pushed his makeshift key into the lock. It didn't work at first, but all Hiccup had to do was bend the metal a little after each failure until it slid all the way in. The entire process only took him twenty minutes.
"Suck on this, Asgeirr," Hiccup snarled, turning the key. The lock clicked. Kicking open the door, Hiccup leapt to a fighting stance, ready to take on anyone. Instead, there was only a thin hallway leading to a much larger one. On the large hallway he could see people moving back and forth.
Hiccup chuckled, but he was still enraged. "In your face, you spiteful Asgeirr," he growled. Pulling his key out, he closed the door and placed his own key in the lock on his side of the door. This would prevent anyone from unlocking it from the inside. No one could follow him now.
Taking a deep breath, Hiccup prepared to walk into the busy hall.
"I'm going to find Asgeirr and tear him to pieces!" he muttered, and then strode out into the passageway, with was full of activity and bustle.
Immediately Hiccup became the center of all attention. Every man, woman and child walking by stopped to stare in awe at the strange boy in torn black armor, his face doused in blood, with clawed fingernails on hands that were covered in ugly, black gore. The smell of Hiccup alone was repulsive, and people covered their noses as they gaped at him.
Everyone shied away from Hiccup as he began to walk down the hall, determination and viciousness in his step. Women shrank back from him with fear in their eyes. Men looked around nervously, as if for help. Children hid behind their mother's skirts or looked at him with big, round eyes. One of them could not stop staring, and Hiccup growled at him savagely as he passed, spitting out black Wolf blood from his mouth. The child's mother screamed and pulled the boy away. Someone shouted and reached at him, and Hiccup slashed back with his sharp claws, causing the yeller to fall back with a shout.
Baring his bloody teeth, Hiccup snarled at anyone and everything that he saw, daring them to yell at him one more time. Soon the hallway was filled with silent, staring, terrified people. Hiccup assumed they were all Asgardians, but he didn't really care. He was really, completely, and truly angry.
Reaching the end of the hall, he turned down a side doorway and saw guards running towards him with swords drawn. Apparently someone had reported that he was on the loose. With a demonic cry, Hiccup leapt away, sprinting down the hallways and through rooms in random directions. He shoved his way throughfrightened people as he dodged through doorways and bounded over tables and chairs. Crossing a large room, he kicked open a door and abruptly found himself face to face with three people in a crowded hallway.
Two were guards, and the other was the golden-haired girl, Odin's Little Seer.
Hiccup wasted no time. With a cry of utter rage, he sprung forward, seizing the girl's neck and throwing her against the wall his hand around her throat.
The two guards attacked instantly, but Hiccup, in his maddened state, was deadly. He kicked the first one away with his metal leg, and then, with his free hand, slashed his claws across the second one's face. Both fell to the floor, and as they got up to attack again, Hiccup raised his hand.
"ONE MORE STEP AND SHE DIES!" he roared, tightening his grip on the little girl's throat. The guards froze as Hiccup's claws sunk into the soft, glowing skin of the girl, dripping clean, red blood down her white dress and onto the floor. She was gasping for air and clutching at his arm, her eyes wide. Hiccup turned away from the guards and focused on her frightened face.
"WHY DID YOU TELL THEM ABOUT ME?!" Hiccup screamed. "THEY DROVE ME CRAZY! I AM NOT WHO I AM ANYMORE! I'M BEING DESTROYED, YOU LET THEM DO THIS TO ME! WHY! IN THE NAME OF ODIN, WHY?"
A crowd of both guards and ordinary people had gathered around the scene. A half circle of golden-clad men had their swords drawn, ready to attack Hiccup as soon as they could, and there was a knot of horrified and curious Asgardians staring at Hiccup from behind them. It was a bizarre spectacle.
The purple-eyed girl gasped for air, her small hands gripping Hiccup's arm weakly. The gore that covered Hiccup's black armor stained her soft fingers as she struggled helplessly in his grip.
"I had – I had to," she whispered. "It is what I – I have to do. I serve Odin, I have only ever served - Odin. I do as – as he bids, in everything. Please – let me – let me go." She began to kick feebly.
Hiccup was furious. He did not let go, and only tightened his grip on her beautiful neck in his rage. Her face began to turn blue, and she kicked out desperately at Hiccup. The people around began to gasp in horror at the sight, but the guards were still motionless. They feared that if they attacked, Hiccup would tear her throat out, and, in the mood Hiccup was in, he certainly would have.
"WHAT KIND OF A GOD IS ODIN!?" Hiccup screamed. "HE TOLD YOU TO DESTROY ME, AND YOU OBLIGED? HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ANYONE? YOU ARE A MONSTER!"
The girl's eyes were bugging out of her skull, and in a few more seconds, she would pass out. But she managed to gasp out one final, soft sentence.
"I am not the monster," she whispered faintly. "No. YOU are."
Then, as if by magic, her purple eyes faded, and in their place were two small round glass mirrors. Hiccup looked at them, and saw himself reflected on their surface. Shaking in fear, he realized he looked exactly like The Wolf. Hiccup was only missing the hairy face or else it would be utterly the same. He had the exact eyes, teeth, and demonic look. He had been transformed into a devil.
With a cry of fear and horror, Hiccup released the girl's throat. With a gasp, she fell to the floor and collapsed. The guards struck. Hiccup was grabbed by every limb, and two of the men hammered punches into his gut, making him double over. The guards were absolutely enraged at what he had done, and made no attempt to hide the fact. Hurling Hiccup to the ground, they kicked him, punched him, and hammered him mercilessly with the ends of their spears. Hiccup cried, tears running down his face. But it wasn't from the pain. The Wolf's training made this feel like a soothing massage.
He was crying because of what he had become - a demon