It is sad to say that I made sure to post this by the end of 2019. This should have been finished by the summer, but I have myself to blame. In any case, I hope you can understand how important mental health is to the body. If you do not wish to forgive me for being so late, I do not blame you in the slightest. All I can say is that I hope you finally can have some closure over this book. I hope it left you satisfied and eager for more. As cheesy as a New Year's Resolution is, I plan to finish the last book of the quadrilogy by the end of 2020. I am excited just thinking about it and I am positive it is going to blow your mind as I have some crazy things planned for the characters to experience. It will be unlike anything I have ever written or you have ever seen before! That and I hope you like how I tie it all in together to make it line up to the canon of the HTTYD franchise, (if you haven't seen The Hidden World or Homecoming, I highly recommend watching that!). I hope you all had a Happy New Years and here's to many blessings that hopefully will come our way! *raises a glass*
Hiccup was sleeping peacefully, cuddled to his family. He yawned and smacked his lips, eyes groggily looking about and giving himself a stretch. He was about to go back to sleep when something caught his attention. A bright light filled up his window. He could clearly see it pouring in from the window adjacent to his bed and strike the other wall; it looked like sunlight.
"Morning already?" He groaned. However, the weird thing was, as he got up to move he looked out through another window not too far from the first and it was pitch back. He now grew alert as his senses returned to him. He could feel an intense but soothing heat emanating from only that window while the rest of the house was cold as usual. Scrunching his eyebrows, he slowly grabbed inferno and activated it, the flames of the sword burning bright.
Suddenly he saw his sword flicker wildly, as if the flames were out of control. Gasping, he dropped it as the light and heat from his weapon grew hot to the touch. He was afraid it was going to burn down his house from how high the flames were touching the ceiling.
"Astrid wake up! Get Hagen we need to leave now!" He shouted as he went to shake his wife. However, he was shocked when she didn't move. In fact she felt heavier than before. He reached around to try and lift his wife to no avail. He then grabbed his baby and was panicking as he was just as heavy as his wife.
"What the…" he gasped.
Out of nowehere, the crackling of the fire then seemed to get suddenly loud. Hiccup whipped his head around and was perplexed to see the flames being sucked out of the window where all of the light was originating from. It was like something was ripping the light and heat from the sword. A few seconds later, all of the fire left through the window and inferno was left empty, the blades exposed as there was no fire to surround it. The light outside then grew brighter, flashing in syncopated pulses as if calling to him.
Hiccup was deadly silent, slowly moving closer and closer to the window. He had to know what the heck was going on. He was afraid of what he might see, but looking out was the only option that would give him an answer. A few inches from the window, Hiccup inhaled a bit shakily before turning to look out the window. His eyes winced shut a bit from how bright it was but they then grew as wide as dinner plates from what he saw standing outside.
"Hello Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. Come down, we need to have a talk."
It was none other than Sol, the goddess of the sun. Hiccup couldn't help but go silent at her presence. She was dressed in the same attire she wore back when she rescued him from the flooding cave. Her golden dress ornated with beautiful sequences of yellow and variations of red. Jewelry of the same color lined her upper body and chest, dancing around her elegant form. It then went and pulled her long lustrous blonde hair back as it wove itself into her crown. The tips of her crown arched out length wise at different alternating angles into a wide circle atop her head, resembling the shape of the sun itself. Next, to top it all off, she had that signature glow that radiated from behind her. That seemed to transform her whole appearance as her skin and clothing flowed back and forth much like fire.
She stared back at him, her eyes golden orbs like miniature suns themselves. She tilted her head and called again. "I know you are not deaf Hiccup. Come down here NOW." She announced with such a commanding, booming voice that shook the houses around her, including his own.
Hiccup was broken out of his trance at hearing her terrifying voice. He gave one long look to his family; concerned for their safety but also surprised they were apparently slept through the whole thing. They didn't even move one muscle!
"Don't worry, no one knows or will be effected by our meeting. Your family is safe." She added. "Do not make a goddess repeat herself a third time."
He then back to her and nodded, not forgetting she was there. He scrambled to put on the rest of his clothes and boots before he emerged outside of his front door. He stopped suddenly as when he rounded the corner Sol was staring right at him. Hiccup then began treading carefully as he approached the goddess.
"Umm...hello, your majesty? My lady, no...my goddess." Hiccup stated timidly as he stared up at the tall deity.
The goddess of the sun looked down, towering the chief of Berk. "Time to go."
Hiccup could do nothing as Sol grew intensely brighter, blocking out his field of vision. He shielded his eyes with his hands to block out the light before everything cut to black. When he next opened his eyes, they widened again as he was stunned by his surroundings.
They were in a far away place out of this world, it's beauty unable to be captured in simple words. What immediately captured his eyes were large, silver gates that led to an enormous glass castle in the distance. It sat in the middle of a large ocean that was far bigger than the sea surrounding the Barbaric Archipelago. Despite how vast it was he somehow felt he could see everything on the horizon. Hiccup looked up at the grand structure. To someone living in the modern days, the building was similar to that of a cathedral; the roof was slanted and a pair of large towers sat on top, near the front. The bricks were all made of glass or crystal and the mortar was made of silver. Hiccup's eyes slowly traced down to the base of the castle where his eyes landed on two familiar faces.
It was none other than Draco, the deity of dragons and…Chris. Something seemed wrong, as Draco had a stern face on his muzzle while Chris had a concerned look on his face respectively. He almost had to do a double take; Hiccup hadn't seen that dragon since back when he was at Dragon's Edge. He forgot how the blue scales mixed with the green adorning the dragon's body and even from far away he could see how striking those golden eyes and claws were.
"Come...we have much to discuss." Draco's deep voice rang out across the ocean.
Draco turned around and approached the enormous crystal doors. They opened of their own accord as Draco walked inside. The inside looked like the most grandest of churches. It had a large hallway that led up to a huge platform that sat in front of arched windows. Large silver pillars lined either side of the hallway. There were enormous doorways that led out to the ocean. Ocean water flowed into pools that lined the hallway floor. They looked like boat houses big enough to hold a oil tanker, and there were fifty on each side. Draco spread his wings once Chris had climbed onto his back and flew onto the large platform in the center back of the entrance hall, where it was elevated a few meters up. He folded his wings and knelt down, letting Chris slide off his back. Sitting on the platform was an enormous glass throne, lined with diamonds and moonstones. Draco turned back around, waiting for the other two individuals to join them.
Meanwhile, once Draco stated his words the gates before the other two opened up. Sol gracefully began walking to the castle, Hiccup catching up as he snapped out of his trance of wonder. The castle seemed so far away! Yet, somehow they were able to traverse the massive body of water in half a minute. Both were silent as they reached the entrance and stepped inside. Again, Hiccup was stunned by how regal the place was, more so as he took in the interior.
Sol was staring ahead, the royal entrance not fazing her in the slightest. She grew brightly again, and Hiccup had to close his eyes as it grew too bright. Once the flash ended and he was able to open his eyes he realized he had been transported again, now on the platform where Re and Chris were awaiting.
"So I guess nothing good will come of this talk." Chris remarked as the full realization hit him of why they were here.
"It is about the Tournament of Champions, isn't it?" Hiccup asked rhetorically as he gazed up at both deities.
"It is time you know the truth about this wicked game. Why we chose you." Sol stated as he sat, Chris by his side and Hiccup by Sol's.
"What truth…wait, what do you mean by 'us'? Sol chose us both." Hiccup retorted.
"Not by choice." Draco said bluntly, his face deadpanning.
Both humans did a double take, now looking at the two with confusion and concern.
"W-what do you mean not by choice?" Chris questioned slowly.
Sol's golden eyes turned to the black haired man, looking down at him with a sullen look. "The tournament, as you know, pits the champions of the gods against each other to showcase who is superior among the pantheon. A simple game for us, but a deadly game to mortals. I have no choice whether to participate or not; Odin makes all of us play and we have the burden of choosing one champion to play as our game piece."
Hiccup immediately picked up on that one important word in Sol's explanation.
"One champion? Then, why did you make Chris and I both your champions?"
Sol then shifted her gaze to the thin brunette. "Back when you were both drowning in the cave…only one of you was supposed to live."
The human's mouths dropped in realization that one of them should have died. A small silence broke out.
"So why…why did you save us both, knowing you could only have saved one?" Hiccup interrogated.
"Us gods cannot directly intervene in the lives of you mortals. It is forbidden. Despite us being all-powerful beings even we have to follow laws. Her claiming you as her champion puts a – how do you say – barrier around your lifeforce, meaning you will not be able to die until the tournament begins. That is how she had the ability to save your lives, and that is why despite the horrendous torture you went through Chris you could not die. The gods would not allow it. The same goes for you Hiccup." Draco responded.
"So why did you save us both?" Hiccup pressed.
"I was not supposed to. I was not allowed to…but Draco pleaded for me to do so. He cannot interfere in the lives of humans as he is the god of dragons, so only I had the power to intervene."
"So what happens to us? One of us should have died back there, yet here we are. Why? What comes next? So only one of us is spared from participating in your sick game while the other goes free?" Hiccup continued to retort.
"No…you both are going to continue participating as champions." Sol said softly as she looked away.
"But…how?"
Hiccup was left more puzzled and scared. He did not like where this was going. Chris scoffed, dejected and a bit mortified as he realized what the goddess was trying to say. Hiccup turned his head to the other human, who let out a shaky breath of fear and gulped as the weight of the situation began digging in.
The goddess then turned to Chris who stared back up at the her, eyes red and fueled with a melancholic anger.
"Hiccup, you are my champion…and Chris is the champion of Draco." She answered stoically.
Hiccup went silent, feeling like the wind was knocked out of him as the news settled in his head. None of them were able to escape this. Both now had to participate in this game of the gods. None of them were offered a way out. They had to play or die. He slowly looked over at his human friend, giving him a look of alarm, worry, and a bit of fear. Chris stared back with his own negative amalgamation of emotions.
"A solar eclipse will appear in a few weeks which will mark that the tournament will begin 6 moons from then. As permitted we are allowed to assist you to the best of our abilities, teaching you how to use our powers and hone your skills. Once the tournament begins, you can only use yourselves and your newfound gifts to win."
"This is not fair. We did not ask this! None of us did! You should have left us to die!" Chris exclaimed, aiming his anger at his grandfather.
"This was the only way to save you both Chris! I could not sit back and watch you die. The only way to ensure your survival without breaking any of the rules set by Odin was to enter the tournament with you as my champion."
"Ensure my survival?! All you did was delay the inevitable!" Chris seethed.
"How would you think Re, Aurora, and the rest of your family would react if they found out you drowned in a cave, with your body unable to be recovered. They lost you once already; do you believe they are willing to lose you again?"
Chris stared daggers at the dragon before snapping his head away, gritting his teeth and shaking a bit out of rage and frustration.
"So I was supposed to die back then?" He asked as he looked up at the god of dragons before turning to the goddess of the sun. "I was the one who was supposed to die back there? Hiccup was to be your sole champion." Chris bitterly remarked.
The Goddess stared down at the human. "None of that matters now and I suggest not speaking to a goddess in such a manner!" Sol declared, her voice booming at the end to showcase her anger at such an inferior creature raising its voice at her. Even her whole body glowed intensely near the end of her sentence. Immediately Hiccup and Chris shielded their eyes and naturally cowered, not only from the light but from the waves of heat which suddenly flooded out towards them. Her power was massive and they were constantly reminded of that. Only when she was met with silence did her bright light cease and her flames died down, not just metaphorically but physically as well. She stared at the deviant and quiet human who was too afraid to say anything else. It seemed he had learned his place.
"None of us want this. A fair amount of the gods find this competition pointless, but none of us dare defy Odin. We must work together to make the best of this and come out alive."
"How? Only one person comes out alive, and that is the winner. Like Sol said, everyone else...dies." Hiccup commented.
"Do not worry. Sol and I will take care of that." Draco reassured.
"Now...we will meet with you sooner and regularly as the day the tournament begins draws closer and closer. While there are 70 deities so far in the pantheon, only a total of 24 gods are participating so there are 24 champions. Each warrior will pair off randomly with another, with the winner moving on to the next round, so expect a total of 5-6 potential battles. You will be facing some of the deadliest, fiercest warriors the Norse realm has ever seen, and that is before they have been graced with the attributes of their respective deity. This will be unlike anything you have ever against Drago Bludvist and the Song War pale against the challenge presented to you in the coming months." Sol elaborated.
"We will do everything in our power to maximize success." Draco added.
Both mortals were quiet as they listened to the gods. As Sol and Draco continued discussing the tournament, there was one thing that Hiccup could not figure out.
"Why…"
Both immortals stopped their speeches to address the chief of Berk. "What do you mean?"
"Why us? ...why did you chose us to be your champions? I mean, Draco chose Chris because he had to. But, why did you choose me, Sol? " Hiccup pleaded, looking up at the goddess with big, sad eyes. "I mean...look at me. I am just the chief of a Viking tribe. A fishbone; people still call me that you know. You said that you did not choose both of us by choice, right? T-There...had to be someone else. There is no way I was your first choice. Someone better than me suited for this. All that you are asking for us, this tournament of champions and using these powers...you are asking for the impossible. I am not a fighter...I only do so when I have to. And you expect me to go out and slaughter everyone else to even emerge alive?" Hiccup was breathing heavily as his burden began to settle on his shoulders more and more.
Sol and Draco exchanged a glance before the goddess sighed and kneeled down. Even when on one knee she still dwarfed over the tall man. "Truthfully, no, you were not my first choice. I did not have anyone in mind at all. For the past milenia I would honestly just choose the most muscular man I could find at the last minute and see how long he would last. But you...and Chris, proved to be different. When you were both drowning, Draco came to me and persuaded me to choose you. I was initially skeptical of your capabilities because ah, well…" Sol gave a sheepish smile and gestured to Hiccup's whole body. The man sighed and adorned his signature annoyed, sarcastic expression.
"But, Draco started telling me about all that you have accomplished in your life. How a small boy, had managed to befriend the most deadliest of dragons. A boy who managed to change the mind of not only his entire village, but his father, the chief of his tribe. A teenager who was changing the minds of everyone in the Archipelago that dragons are not something to be feared, but to be loved. A teenager who had managed to defeat Drago's dragon army. And a man who is now leading his village towards the future with not brute strength, but a kind heart." Sol's fiery eyes stared into the green pools of Hiccup. "You are by far the most perplexing, most extraordinary mortal I have ever met. You are constantly defying the odds Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III."
Hiccup was speechless. It looked like he wanted to cry, and gulped to steel himself over and digest the fact that the goddess of the sun was reassuring him.
"In any case, start preparing soon." Draco reiterated as he looked between the two humans.
"Yes, it is quickly approaching. 6 moons is not a lot of time. We will keep in touch with you both. See you soon Hiccup and Chris." Sol stated before stretching out her hands. The two men looked at each other with some security, but anxiety was still worn on their faces; they had more questions to ask. But before that could happen, Sol's frame started to glow immensely and with a bright white flash that engulfed the room the two mortals were blinded.
When Chris was able to regain his vision a couple seconds later, blinking rapidly he refocused his eyes and realized Hiccup was gone. Sol had flashed the chief of Berk back to his house in the mortal realm.
"I will always watch over you." Draco told the young man before inhaling greatly and exhaling a large colorful flame that engulfed Chris' entirety. The Draconian man shielded himself and soon he was gone too, the flames burning the man off the Gods' plane of existence.
Both men had gasped and blinked rapidly. They looked around and realized they were back in their homes, their respective families still fast asleep. Nothing was out of the ordinary. They roughly paused for a few minutes, deep in thought before they finally went back to bed and attempted to sleep, the weight of it all keeping them awake still.
Draco sighed as worry and concern were still on his face as he pulled back. Sol relaxed too and grunted with frustration. "Why did it have to come to this."
"There was no other choice."
"Of course there was. There is always a choice Draco." Sol shot back, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"I could not just let my grandson die!"
"He is not your grandson and never will be. He was just a random human that should have perished as an infant, but your daughter intervened."
Draco pulled back, hurt and angry. "How dare you speak of Chris so lowly. He has dragon's blood running through his veins, and so does his wife Serenity. They are every bit of dragon as they rest of my creations. Their family and the descendants succeeding them will always have dragon within them and their is nothing you or anyone can do to change that."
"And how do you think Odin will react to this hmm? He already despises you and considers those humans abominations. And here you are creating more of them Draco." Sol faced him, staring at him with a burning gaze, quite literally.
Draco felt the directed warmth but did not mind it one bit. "I do not care what Odin thinks of me. He already hates me and took everything from me. After what he did to me...to you, he can't...hurt me anymore."
"What are you even going on about?" Sol asked, puzzled but still frustrated.
"You wouldn't remember even if you tried." Draco mumbled, ears slightly pinned as a wave of sadness permeated his body but remained steadfast in front of the other deity.
Sol shook her head dismissively and turned away. "And now you make me endanger the live of this Berk chieftain. The human was right: you are just delaying the inevitable. You know the champions of Odin's sons always win. It is all...unnecessary slaughtering."
"Use the faith the mortals below have in us. That is the point of being deities right? Having faith."
Sol was quiet, staring out at the hall. Draco slowly approached from the right, bringing his head down to her level and quietly waited for her to respond.
"You really think these two will make a difference?" she slowly asked.
"I showed you their life stories did I not? You see how extraordinary they are."
"They are...something else I will admit that. While they have shown promise, I just do not wish to blind myself with optimism that anything will be different like it was from the last tournament."
"If I learned anything about these two, is that they are full of surprises."
"Wait until they meet Loki's champion…"
Draco gave a small chuckle. "I think even they could give him a run for his money."
His smile waned as he thought of his daughter Aurora before looking back at Sol longingly. The goddess turned to him, causing the dragon to quickly avert his gaze and stare off in a different direction.
"Well, we shall see." Sol decided. She gave one last look at the dragon god before a bright light engulfed the vicinity. A millisecond later, she had disappeared and returned to her realm leaving Draco to sulk with his thoughts.
"Come on, you got this Windwalker! Just push a little more. I believe in you! You are strong, beautiful, courageous-"
"SHUT UP TENOR!"
The hybrid cowered a bit, pinning his ears back and watching his mate, awkwardly hunched over and panting. 2 weeks had past and the Night Fury couple was currently in a deeper chamber of their cave back in Draconia, away from their family as a life changing moment was transpiring.
"...and deadly" he muttered to himself.
Windwalker gave another roar before squeezing her eyes tight, shuddering before relaxing herself entirely after one last push. Tenor slowly came over, giving a soft nuzzle to his mate, cooing and showing his appreciation for her. Windwalker could only weakly nuzzle back, giving a soft lick to his ears as she laid on her side and closed her eyes. It was quiet as Tenor stared at her with big green eyes, looking down below anxiously while licking his lips. A minute after Windwalker composed herself she stared back up at him and gave a gummy smile, slowly peeing back her wing and revealing a shiny black, large egg nestled against her underbelly and legs.
Tenor's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, lowering his head and began sniffing the egg. He couldn't help but trill in delight before licking it a few times, slowly nibbling up his mate's belly, chest, neck and finally stopping at her face. Windwalker groaned, body twitching with delight at his touch and relaxing as it was quite soothing, something her body yearned for giving the task of laying the egg.
"I heard what you said under your breath." She exhaled deeply, eyes lidded as she felt more of his nuzzles and licks.
"They aren't bad qualities whatsoever, and I mean everyone of them." Tenor purred as he laid behind his mate, covering her and the egg with a wing and pressing tightly against her to envelope her with his warmth. He hugged her tight and continued licking and nibbling the back of her neck, ears twitching as she groaned and huffed with delight, melting back against him.
"Might be a bit early but, have a name for our egg?"
"I had the privilege to name Black Widow when she was born. Now that privilege falls to you this time."
Tenor's ears perked up, excited and slightly nervous as he has this responsibility now to name their new child.
"Just make it unique and nothing music related." Windwalker commented.
"Awww you sure? I think Baritone would definitely be cute and strike fear into the heart's of-" Tenor stopped short as he locked eyes with the piercing, yet tired gaze of his mate.
"Okay okay I was just teasing. Don't worry, the name will be special." Tenor reassured and laid his neck over hers. Windwalker relaxed some more and closed her eyes fully.
"Thank you."
For the next 3 weeks, Tenor was always in and out of the cave, catering to his mate's every need and desire. Not only did he want to do that, but his instincts prompted him to defend and protect his family intensely during this time. Nothing eventful happened and he made sure to rein in his protective nature, recalling how he attacked his family under the guise of instinct when Black Widow was born.
"I wonder how long it is going to take before the egg hatches" Re pondered.
"It should not take too much longer." Aurora added, waiting with her family outside, adjacent from the cave entrance. It was a maze trying to figure out the structures and pathways within the Draconian kingdom but the monarchs did their best to keep it relatively straightforward. Tenor and Windwalker's cave had a primary entrance but also a secondary one which immediately led out the side to a wide ledge on a cliffside.
"Ooooh I can't wait to meet my little sibling." Black Widow barker happily, tail wagging.
"Ooooh I wonder if it will be male or female." Apollo wondered.
"No matter, we will love them the same." Avalon added.
Chris and Serenity were smiling softly, resting against each other while they waited for their dragon's new child to debut to the world.
Edelweiss was leaning against Black Widow, staring out at the sea. It was scary that she almost lost her father and then had to re-introduce herself to him all over again. He remembered her and most of the things they did together but his memory was still spotty every now and then. Her mother reassured her that everything would be okay.
As she stared off at the sky, she couldn't help but look at the sun. Her parents always chided her to never stare directly at the sun but, she couldn't help but notice that something appeared to be off. It was, changing shape!
"Hey guys…" Edelweiss commented. Although, she was drowned out as the rest of her family were busy talking about the newest addition to their home.
"Guys…"
"Windwalker are you okay? We heard some cracking and gasps." Chris called out.
Again there was silence from within the cave. "They are probably bonding with their little one before introducing them to us." Serenity decided. The rest of the family couldn't help but agree.
"GUYS" Edelweiss shouted as she pointed towards the now crescent like sun.
The Draconians immediately turned their attention to Edelweiss, confused as to her outburst before following her finger and peering up at the sky. Their mouths and muzzles respectfully opened in stunned silence.
The magnificent sun was appearing to be devoured! They witnessed how it adorned a crescent shape, growing thinning and thinner as what appeared to be the moon moving in front of it. The dying light of the celestial body waning until it was completely engulfed by the moon before it, the only light visible from the sun was now a ring of fire. Immediately a blanket of darkness covered the entire sky, earth, and sea. It looked like it was nighttime as the eclipse was in full swing.
"Hey you guys I'd like you to meet–Draco's flame what is that?" Windwalker gasped as she stepped out of the cave with a small and tiny dragon perched on her shoulder. It literally looked like a mini version of Tenor except it had sharp, yellow eyes like her mother. It squeaked adorably before sniffing and looking around everywhere, oblivious to what was going on.
Tenor's eyes bulged out again as he stared at the sky. "Is that what I think it is?!"
"An eclipse! Woah that's...so crazy! Windwalker, how rare is this: a solar eclipse on the day out little one hatches!" Tenor exclaimed as he went over to nuzzle his mate and then lick his hatchling, chuckling as it flopped over from the lick. Windwalker nodded in agreement; it was a rare occasion indeed, silent she was as she stared at the spectacle.
"Oh my Draco! You guys, your hatchling is adorable!" Aurora squealed out as she was the first to snap out of her trance, making her way to the night fury couple and cooing at the sight of the baby dragon. It squealed and hid behind her mother's neck. Windwalker purred and nuzzled the child, slowly pushing it back out in the open. It was at that point did the rest of the Dtaconians notice the newest member to their family, coming over while keeping some distance as to not startle the dragonet.
"Oh wow Windwalker and Tenor, he's beautiful!" Apollo gushed.
"It's not a he it's a she, genuis" Avalon snapped back
"I have a little sister! And I'm a big sister now!" Black Widow roared as she was admiring her little sibling.
It gave a light squeak before tripping over its own feet, wings lazily dropping as it struggled to stand up and gaze at the peering faces.
"She's gorgeous you two. What's her name?" Re asked warmily.
Windwalker then looked at Tenor for the answer, which prompted everyone else to look at the adult hybrid. Said hybrid had to blink twice as he realized his whole family was staring back at him. Truth be told he was still stuck on a name for the child. It was making him anxious as he couldn't think of fitting name for their new daughter! He thought of names such as Booma or Milenia, Nova or Astro, even more traditional names like Dracora or Dragolith. But as he stared up at the sky again, the corona of the sun reflecting onto his eyes, he couldn't help but smile softly.
"Eclipse."
"Eclipse?" Windwalker questioned.
"Yeah, Eclipse. I think it's very unique." Tenor solidified himself as he nuzzled his mate once more to reassure her. The female Night Fury couldn't help but croon with glee.
"Everyone, we'd like you to officially meet our newest daughter, Eclipse." Windwalker announced as she showed off the warbling little dragon who crossed her eyes and sneezed lightly, falling onto her haunches as she wrinkled her nose.
An uproar of chuckles and roses rang in the sky as the celebrated the newest arrival to their family. It was such a tender moment. However, not everyone seemed to be participating. Serenity was full of joy as she took in the sight of the baby dragon. She turned to lean on her husband but noticed he wasn't there. Looking around she quickly saw him standing at the edge of the ledge, eyes wide as he seemingly couldn't remove his eyes from the solar eclipse.
"Chris...what's wrong? Did you see Eclipse? Tenor and Windwalker's dragonet is so cute!" Serenity called out. "Chris? Are you okay?" She took in his form, noticing how he seemed tense and clammy, as if he saw a ghost. The human male was in a blurred state as the omen played out before them, the eclipse hitting its apex. He couldn't even register his wife nudging and tugging on his arm as deadly events were being put into motion and there was nothing he could do about it.
"Hiccup?! What do we do? Half the village is running around in chaos at the sun going out, and the other half of the village is running around trying to stop the other side! Hiccup why aren't ya listening to me? Astrid what's with him?" Gobber shouted as he pointed to the Chief of Berk, who was equally as stupified as the man currently residing in Draconia miles across the Archipelago.
"I don't know Gobber! I came outside with him and he just froze up like this!" Astrid exclaimed as she shoved at him and was surprised he didn't budge one inch. His knuckles were white as he was clinging onto the rail outlining the porch of his hut. Even Toothless gurgled with worry, nudging his rider on the opposite side. Ever since Raeya and Kassandra left he secluded himself more, only emerging from Hiccup's house to do his daily patrol and eat, rarely interacting with anyone. He wouldn't deny that the absence of Raeya left him sulking but seeing Hiccup in this state distracted him from his depressive episode.
Hiccup meanwhile was panicking far more than he ever did in his life. Part of him tried to believe meeting the gods was just some big illusion casted upon by a sinister witch. It was just a bad dream, something that wasn't real. How could he explain this to anyone? To his friends? To Gobber? To his wife Astrid? To his child, once he grows old enough to understand? It was too much to process but the solar eclipse shrouding the village with the veil night, barely lit by the feigned moonlight that was the aura of the sun, was the Herald of the Gods and a harbinger of death. He could just explain it was a simple contest really. Downplay it to not cause any worry. It was just a competitive sport between the strongest amongst all the Vikings across the sea beyond the Archipelago, that's why no one has ever heard of it. That was the only false yet logical thing he could communicate. He gulped, despite his mind racing a mile a minute one thought was slamming into the forefront of his mind:
This was a much deadlier game he was about to play.