Happy Saturday All! I didn't get eaten by a bear! Woot woot! Lol
Ooooh Boy! Even more world building in this chapter! I love, love, love it! Seriously hope that you guys do too :D Enjoy all
CB73: I'm super impressed that you're figured out our main villain now, although there are many secondary villains always lurking in the shadows. We were always going to circle back to HTTYD eventually ;) And you are absolutely right. It is gonna be a bloody civil war. Both figuratively and literally. Really started reminding me of Game of Thrones as I went back and read it over. (Although without all the incest...)
Kevin Lazar: Nice to see you back finally! I've missed your awesome reviews and predictions. It's also nice to see the made and coming true or not as you are reading through. I seriously hope that you have been enjoying it so far. I gotta say, you are pretty bang on. Thor is a lot like an adult version of Snotlout. Lol. No wonder Hiccup didn't kill his cousin in TGoP. He was so used to Thor that Snot was no big deal. :P lol. I love Astrid's anger issues so much. Though it really does make you see why Cuithanna doesn't think she is unite ready for 'full god mode' yet. Maybe once she is a wee bit less reactive... :P I'm actually glad I was able to surprise you with both Valka and Vili. No one and nothing is ever quite what it seems, is it ;)
SL99: That is such a good visual, and so bang on! He really is like a Cheshire Cat in the darkness, and it would scare the shit out of me too. I'm sure Hiccup is not going to be very forgiving when he finally figures out what Vili is up to. Though I'm also sure that Hiccup is not quite as oblivious as Vili thinks he is. He may be flying under the radar right now, but No one fully pulls the wool over Hiccup's eyes, after all. I really wanted Vili to feel like the ultimate villain, and he ended up having something of a Hitler-ish vibe to him by the end of it. The way he talks about exterminating or enslaving the 'lesser' races kinda makes me want to run a stiletto through his throat. I'm sure we are all gonna be happy to see him die one day (and you can be sure he will. Probably in a very violent and messy way if my previous history is anything to go by...lol) I'm actually glad to have Valka back in a more positive way now. She will have an important role in this one. And now Ryker and Viggo will know to be scared of her too.
Now Account: Ch 24: They really should be just as afraid of Astrid as they currently are of Hiccup, though they should be even more afraid of Hiccup. Although, Astrid owns Hiccup, so she may honestly be the scariest. If she says jump, he will. He did say back in TGoP that Astrid was the most dangerous person in all the realms and she didn't even know it... (I'm so evil). I thought you'd enjoy Hiccup's jibe about taking Thor's soul in trade for the axe. I know I chuckled. Somehow, I'm not surprised in the slightest that you figured out about Golwen and about Hiccup's true seal. I feel like I'm out of my league if I want to try and trick you. You are just too on point with my foreshadowing! Lol. Hopefully Thor and Sif aren't quite as perceptive as you are, or Astrid is screwed... :P
Now Account: Ch 25: Viggo really would be too afraid to come out. Sure he would say it was cleverness or something, but we all know the truth. Lol. We are definitely doing a sneaky fade into this plot line. Both our villain for this story, as well as the bigger villain for the whole series, are now becoming obvious. Relationships that were formed in minor circumstances are now looking as if they are going to have much greater value than we first assumed. It is also showing that Astrid is equally important to not only Hiccup's plot line, but the bigger plot as well. After all, Amee owes Astrid, not Hiccup or Ilweran. You're absolutely right too. It is damn near impossible to totally pull the wool over Hiccup's eyes. He's too used to dirty politics for that. Me thinks Vili is going to thoroughly regret his choice to exploit the Dark Rider one of these days... BTW, I absolutely love Hiccup's entrance on Ryker's ship. From illusion to destruction, and beyond. He is every bit the sarcastic demon bastard that we have grown to love! :)
Agentwalkoff: I can't wait either. It's going to be epic when the truth finally comes out. As soon as Astrid's apprenticeship is over, which may be sooner than you think ;)
Surfy: I agree! I always hated Ryker too. He's such a goon, and I love our badass scary bois scaring the shit out of him. I really think her deserves it. I think Valka wil surprise you. She certainly surprises Hiccup, and she does play a pretty big role in this one so it's about time she came back. Thank you by the way. That is extremely nice to hear, and I love our little conversations too. Lol. I get what you mean about fanfics being easier to fit in these days. Committing to a full novel all at once is hella time consuming! I have a hard time convincing myself to start one while I'm simply busy writing and working. I can't even imagine if I had kids too... thank god for fanfics :P
soulofhorror: Well, thank you very much for that, and welcome to the party :P I'm glad that you are enjoying the series so far. It was heavily inspired by HttK to start with, but it has gone in an entirely different direction since then. After all, I love that fic as well and would never want to steal Code Musica's hard work. The world building and foreshadowing have got to be my favourite part, and I do try to make it as immersive a world as I can for the reader. As for the part with the twins Loki-worshipping him, it just seemed in their nature. They themselves worship Loki, after all. If you go by cannon at least. Although, is Hiccup truly on Loki's side? It may seem like it, but... nothing is ever really as it seems, is it ;)
_
Hiccup watched in satisfaction as Ryker and his men dropped their weapons on the deck. He had expected more of a fight from Viggo's idiot brother. The man may have been taught to shield some of his thoughts like his brother, and he had been smart enough to make his men use distracting images to hide theirs as well, but Ryker did not really have enough hunters with him to hold his own against the dragon riders for long. Not that any of these men looked willing to fight the dark rider anyways. Judging by their pale faces and trembling knees, at least. With a dark laugh, Hiccup jumped down from the railing and strolled towards them as they all cringed away.
Ilweran jumped from the other railing as Cloudjumper lowered Valka down to the deck alongside them. At a little over six feet tall, Valka may be shorter than the two Riders, but she still looked impressively intimidating in her custom armour and horned mask. She walked calmly to the helm and disabled the rudder before returning to stand beside Ilweran and leaning on her staff. Hiccup was thoroughly impressed with her so far. Effortlessly sneaking aboard and freeing the dragons while he and Ilweran distracted the men, and then cracking a sarcastic quip before making her dramatic exit. Maybe he took after her even more than he thought...
Grinning now at Ryker's look of furious rage, Hiccup walked over to the eldest Grimborn brother. Twirling the stiletto between his fingers as Ryker flinched slightly. Stopping in front of him, Hiccup summoned Ryker's custom broadsword off the deck. Looking it over as he said brightly, "nice sword. Dragon-proof gronkle iron imbued with essence of dragon root I take it. Not really my style, but I must admit that I like the colour." Ryker grumbled under his breath and glared, but said nothing. Chuckling, Hiccup rested it against his own shoulder as he added, "I think I will keep this one. The rest we can get rid of, bro."
"That colour suits you, bro. It matches your eyes," Ilweran agreed jokingly. Sending the rest of the men's weapons overboard with a careless wave of his hand and a flash of gold. Daggers that had been concealed beneath their clothes began cutting their own way out through the fabric, as those stored in the hold all flew up through the hatch to join their kin below the icy swells.
There were a few whimpers and some nervous shifting as the symphony of splashes sounded, and the three riders laughed again. "Now that you are all paying attention, how about you tell us where Viggo is," Ilweran said with a smirk.
"I'm not telling you anything," Ryker growled. Glaring at his men again as if warning them to keep their minds blank and their mouths shut.
"You don't have to," Valka pointed out. "Your men know Viggo's mooring just as well as you do."
"Agreed," Hiccup added casually with a grin at his mother. Then he rested his eyes back on Ryker. "I doubt that they feel the same loyalty to your brother as you do when it comes down to it. After all, it really is more of a choice between life and painful death, and I am sure you feel no loyalty to them either." At that, Ilweran grabbed one of the hunters up from the deck. Twisting the man's hands viciously behind his back and holding him in place with one of his as the hunter gasped in alarm.
"Perhaps you would like to tell us where Viggo is," Ilweran asked him calmly. The man clamping his lips shut and shaking his head. Even as he shied away from the prince's strange golden gaze.
"He doesn't look like he has much fight in him," Valka drawled with a chuckle.
"Not in the slightest," Ilweran agreed. "Some soldiers you have here Ryker," he stated mockingly. Still not taking his eyes off the hunter he held. "I expected a ship full of lions, but all I see is a little boat full of timid mice. So easily crushed." The hunter started trembling as he pursed his lips even tighter. Leaning his face as far away from Ilweran as he could. As if he thought the prince was going to bite him.
"I would hold that mouse at a distance if I were you. It looks like it is about to wet itself," Valka quipped then. Both Hiccup and Ilweran snorted laughs at that. Each of them reaching out to offer her a fist bump, and Hiccup just knew that his mom would be grinning behind her mask.
Hiccup was moderately surprised that the hunters were managing to maintain their mental distractions though. Even as those eerie, and distinctly inhuman amber eyes laughed at them. Though it was pretty obvious that Ilweran's wolfish wildness was still absolutely terrifying to them. As Hiccup had known that it would be. "Perhaps you can prove us wrong though," Hiccup said to Ryker then. "Show your men that you value their lives, and maybe they will return the favour and continue to hold their tongues."
"If they so much as try to speak, I will remove their tongues," Ryker countered gruffly. "You can't scare us with your little magic tricks and ghost dragons," he added. Glaring around at his men threateningly again. The three dragons all growled menacingly in response. Making the hunters pale even more as they looked between their captain and Ilweran nervously. It was obvious that Ryker was trying to call the Riders' bluff. Too bad they weren't in the mood to be challenged.
"You hear that men," Hiccup asked. Raising his voice slightly and gazing around at the nervous hunters. "His brother is more important than every single one of you. You left the safety of Viggo's hideaway for a captain that will not even stand for you. I hope he paid you well for it, though gold will do you little good in Helheim."
He glanced over at Ilweran and the hunter he held then, signalling that it was time. In one swift motion, Ilweran had forced the man to his knees. Releasing his hands and grabbing his hair instead, he pulled the man's head back as he flicked his wrist to activate the mechanism in his bracer. Grasping the gleaming stiletto, he drew the razor edge of the blade over the man's throat before anyone could even blink. Leaving a deep gash in its wake that spanned from ear to ear like a widely grinning mouth.
Blood gushed out, pulsing in time with his heartbeat, as the hunter's eyes flew wide in shock. His blood-starved mind still alive for the moment, but unable to comprehend what had just happened as his hands came up to clutch at the gaping wound. The remaining crew all shouted in alarm as Ilweran simply dropped the man to the deck where he lay face down. Gargling, gasping, and trying to grab at his throat for a few more seconds before going silent and still. A pool of scarlet slowly spreading across the planks of the deck as the men all scurried away from it in horror.
Valka shifted ever so slightly beside Ilweran to get clear of the mess, but showed no other signs of discomfort. A fact of which Hiccup couldn't help admiring. It was never easy to watch someone die if you were not already overly conditioned to it, and death by slit throat was not nearly as quick as people tended to assume. "Do you still think that we are bluffing," Ilweran asked calmly as he twirled his still gleaming silver knife. "If so, which one of you would like to be next?"
"Or maybe you would like to start talking instead, Ryker," Hiccup offered. Even as Viggo's location flooded in on him from all sides now. The men forgetting their distractions in their fear. "I do not actually think that I am going to kill you anymore. Once we get the information we need, we will simply leave you here on a broken ship with only these men to keep you company. What do you think will happen to you if you continue to sacrifice them for your own benefit?"
Ryker glanced around at the hunters that greatly outnumbered him, and sighed in defeat. "Viggo's ships are moored at Breakneck Bog," Ryker grumbled. Confirming what Hiccup already knew to be true.
"Thank you," Hiccup grinned at him. "I knew you could be reasonable, and your surrender is so much more validating than your death." Then he turned and walked towards Toothless as Ilweran and Valka made towards their dragons as well.
"Wait," Ryker called out. "You're just going to leave us stranded here? What if I lied?"
"Well then we will know right where to find you," Hiccup answered easily. "My friend, the Dragon Master," he added as he gestured at Valka, "would be happy to come back for you. I do not think the Stormcutter has eaten recently." Cloudjumper growled and licked his lips in response as he stared around at the men hungrily. Clearly playing it up. Hiccup, Ilweran, and Valka all laughed at that as they saluted the hunters before taking off into the sky. The sound of Ryker shouting curses at them ringing through the chilly night air behind them.
"That was gratifying," Ilweran said brightly as soon as they were out of earshot of the ship.
"That was gross," Valka countered. "You two are savages."
"Beautiful savages," Hiccup teased. "I did warn you that it might get messy. Do not worry though. We will grant Ryker's brother the opportunity to save him and his men before they starve to death."
"Well, that makes me feel slightly better," Valka drawled with an eye roll. Then they were all laughing again. The rest of the trip to Breakneck Bog passing in comfortable silence. Thankfully it was a wonderfully quick flight for the dragons. Toothless and Tintallë guiding Cloudjumper through the mists as they sniffed out the hunter ships.
Locating the fleet, Valka and Cloudjumper remained hidden on a nearby sea stack in case any of the hunters decided to try and sneak away. The other two dragons dropping their riders on the lead vessel before flying out of sight and range as well, but staying close enough that Toothless could easily destroy the ships at the first sign of danger. There was a chorus of startled shouts from the men at the sight of the riders. The crew on this ship all scurrying away from the two armed men as those on other ships rushed to direct bows with dragon-root tipped arrows at them.
With a wave of his hand, Hiccup casually set fire to the weapons. Ilweran doing the same to the various net launchers and ballista on the decks. Both of them smirking as they heard the satisfying yelps of hunters promptly dropping the weapons in alarm before racing to put out the new fires. Obviously alerted by the commotion, Viggo suddenly emerged from the captain's quarters. His furious expression quickly disappearing as he eyed up Hiccup and Ilweran nervously.
His gaze then settling on the distinct sword that Hiccup carried. "How did you find me and what have you done with my brother," Viggo asked quietly. Nothing in his calm voice to betray his true feelings, despite the worry in his eyes. Maintaining his coolly arrogant manner for the sake of his men it would seem.
"We coerced your position out of him before leaving he and his men stranded in open water," Hiccup replied with a shrug. "I will not take up much of your time though, as I assume you would like to rescue him before the submarippers get him. He is drifting dangerously close to their breeding grounds, after all."
"Indeed..." Viggo drawled with an arched brow. "Although he did leave without my permission, so perhaps I would not overly mind that."
"Harsh," Hiccup teased with a chuckle, before fixing a serious gaze on the head of the trappers. "Do not try to play me, Viggo. We both know that you are not cruel enough to leave your own brother to become dragon food, so let us get down to business instead of playing your usual games. I tire of your banter and I have places that I would rather be."
"Unfortunately you make a valid point. He is my brother, after all. We cannot all be as cruel as you, Dark Rider. Now, if you are not here to kill me, what is it that you want," Viggo asked. Crossing his arms behind his back and rocking arrogantly onto the balls of his feet. Hiccup resisting the urge to cut the insolent man down to size by a hairsbreadth. He could feel the pull of some sort of powerfully magical object around Viggo, which must be what had blocked him from their sight. The sooner they got the information and the object, the sooner they could get out of here. They still had to stop in Asgard after this.
"Simple," Hiccup replied. Jumping right in and allowing no room for misunderstanding. Whatever object Viggo had acquired was serving to block his discreet mental probes as well, but Hiccup did not want to attack the man if he could avoid it. Loki still needed a hunter to supply the troops, and Viggo was the best. Unfortunate, but true. "I would like to talk about your recent trapping activities. You were spotted at the Northern Markets under suspicious circumstances and your brother was on his way there with dragons in the hold when we found him. You know how I feel about that."
"Very well," the man replied loftily. "I suggest you come with me." Viggo looked around at his men pointedly as he added, "if you do not want to be fed to the eels, you will refrain from listening at the door." Then he turned on his heel and headed back towards his quarters. Hiccup signalling for Ilweran to follow him.
As soon as they had crossed the threshold, Viggo turned back to face the two of them. "Now that you have found me, what is it that you really want? Are you here to kill me," he asked nervously. A distinctly greyish colour to his skin now.
"We want to know what you were doing at the markets before we decide whether or not to kill you," Hiccup offered with a smirk.
"Clearly it was something terribly naughty. Since you felt the overwhelming need to hide in the mists for the past few months," Ilweran chimed in with a smirk of his own. Viggo gulped at that. His adam's apple bobbing erratically as he eyed Ilweran up now as well. Hiccup taking advantage of the distraction to study the lines of Viggo's tight tunic carefully. Reaching out with his mind and the darkness to zero in on the magical object the man concealed. Even as he cast a quick charm on the room to prevent eavesdropping or entry.
"I thought you worked alone, friend," Viggo said softly. Still looking at Ilweran. "Which of Master Loki's henchmen do I have the honour of meeting now." There was a slight quaver to his voice, and Hiccup bit back on a laugh at the man's obvious fear.
"You may refer to him as the Light Rider if you must speak of him at all, and he is my brother," Hiccup replied easily. "Though I assure you that he is not quite as light as he appears to be," he added as Ilweran grinned at Viggo. A dangerous gleam shining in his golden eyes as his slightly elongated ears poked through his white-blonde hair.
"So it would seem," Viggo stated with an even more pronounced catch of unease in his voice now as he took a closer look at the blonde prince. "I must admit, you two do look strikingly similar, but... You do not look as if you are from this realm, friend," he said quietly to Ilweran then. "Nor do you look completely human. Where are you from and what exactly are you," he finished. Allowing his gaze to wander over Ilweran again in mild interest. Hiccup barely suppressed an aggravated sigh as Ilweran chuckled softly. His grin widening as he rested a casual hand on Menelmacil's hilt.
"What he is and where he is from does not really concern you, now does it? You are paid to deliver dragons, not ask questions," Hiccup reminded Viggo blandly. "Now, hand over the amulet that you are wearing." Viggo visibly paled from his hairline to his collar and opened his mouth to argue, but Hiccup cut him off. "Let me stop you right there. I know that you have an amulet concealed beneath you tunic. Likely, it is carrying some very powerful runes on it that no simple human could hope to produce. Now hand it over or I will be forced to take it from you myself."
With an exasperated sigh, Viggo reached beneath his tunic. Removing a leather cord with a medium sized pendant attached to it. Handing it over to Hiccup with an angry twist of lips, but nothing more. As Hiccup looked at it, he noticed that it was a wide and flat disc made of some sort of shiny metal. Likely methril. There was a mixture of Norse and elvish runes around the edges and a large piece of softly glowing smokey quartz suspended in the centre. He had seen something like it before, but he just couldn't remember where.
Setting that riddle aside for now, Hiccup set his gaze back on Viggo. "Thank you," Hiccup said. "Now, who gave it to you, why did you need it, and what did you give them in return?"
"I do not have answers for all of those questions," Viggo countered with a shrug. "I cannot remember myself, you see. I will tell you that I was forced to give up the names of my contacts in return though." With a growl, Hiccup smashed through Viggo's flimsy human shield with immense ease now that he no longer wore the amulet. The man grimaced under the unnatural onslaught, but Hiccup could care less about Viggo's discomfort. He needed better answers than this fool was giving. Rifling through his mind instead until he found the memory of that last trip to the Northern Markets that Hel had witnessed.
There were large blank spaces in the vision Hiccup was watching. Viggo was leaving Ryker and the hunters at a camp and heading off alone one moment, only to skip a couple of days. Appearing in an unidentifiable tavern the next moment. Speaking to someone that was hidden by the shadows beneath their hooded cloak and never spoke back. Then Viggo was clutching the amulet beneath his tunic as he hurried through the forest back towards his men. The spaces between seeming to have simply disappeared.
Clearly, whoever Viggo had made contact with was relatively skilled in the mental arts, but not in illusion. They had certainly done a decent enough job of removing any incriminating memories, but they had carelessly missed one. They had also been unable to cover up their theft. Hiccup would never have been so sloppy. The thief had left their footprints out in the open for anyone to find. Not that this helped overly much, since the only memory they had missed did not contain their face, voice, or any other factor that may help identify them.
The only thing left in Viggo's mind was the two names of the now doomed contacts, and the remnants of Viggo and Ryker sailing off towards the west. Some sort of unidentifiable cargo in the hold that must have been placed there by this faceless person and was then picked up by an unmarked ship over open water, before Viggo and his men had gone into hiding. With a frustrated snarl, Hiccup pulled out of Viggo's mind. Looking over at Ilweran as Viggo dropped into his chair and clutched his hands to his aching skull. "He is telling the truth. His memory has been wiped."
"Who from Midgard could do that," Ilweran wondered distractedly.
"I doubt that it was someone from Midgard. This amulet appears to be made of Methril," Hiccup answered truthfully. Holding the amulet out and watching Ilweran's eyebrows shoot up in surprise.
"But the gateway is closed, and there are no other humans beyond Midgard aside from us..." Ilweran started quietly.
"I know brother," Hiccup answered. Tucking the amulet safely away inside a pocket of his armour. "There have always been ways around the restrictions for those resourceful or clever enough though," he reminded Ilweran pointedly. "I have long suspected that there is someone powerful playing both sides and hiding in plain sight. I just do not understand what their intended purpose for doing so is, as Loki does not know who they are either. Even Cuithanna and her sisters have been unable to see them, which means that they likely have no clear objective aside from chaos at the moment."
Ilweran arched a surprised brow at that, and Hiccup offered a half-hearted shrug. "The unfortunate bane of being a seer is that it is much like scrying. You need to know who you are looking for before you can see them. After all, where would the fun be if you could simply wish for the answers and they would be dropped into your lap," he added ruefully. "Still, it does not overly matter. The amulet will help point us in the right direction, and I know someone that can track it for us. It just means that we will need to take a side trip."
Then he turned back towards Viggo, who was still holding his head gingerly. "I know that hurts, but I am going to do it again anyways. Unfortunate necessity," Hiccup drawled. Then he paused and glanced at Ilweran again. "Actually brother, care to try your hand?"
"With pleasure," Ilweran grinned back. "I have been itching to try this since you taught me." Then the blonde man plunged into Viggo's mind as well. Hiccup watching carefully as Ilweran pulled the memory of their own meeting from it. Then the prince wove a quick, but thorough, illusion of them denying any ties to Loki and threatening Viggo about dragon trapping instead. Leaving out the knowledge of the amulet all together, before he planted it. Impressed, Hiccup gave Ilweran a satisfied nod, and they both pulled out of Viggo's mind and closed the connection again.
If the mystery contact came back for a follow up now, they would find nothing aside from two Riders threatening a dragon trapper about mistreating dragons. If they checked, they would know Viggo's amulet was gone, but not where it went. Viggo sucked in a sharp breath and eyed them angrily. Of course, Viggo still knew who Hiccup was working for, but the stranger would need to delve very deep into the trapper's subconscious to find that. Something that would take immense discipline, and a sort of refined touch that this mystery person apparently did not possess.
"Hmm," Ilweran started quietly as he gazed back at the scowling man. Keeping his voice low enough that the human could never hope to hear. "I thought that would cut into my reserves more than it did. I mean, I feel drained, but not significantly so."
"Alter the mind of someone with heavy shields, or more than one person, and you certainly will feel drained. It did not become easy for me until after I had blood-bonded with Toothless," Hiccup offered honestly before turning back to smirk at Viggo. "I do not want to hear of you trading dragons at the Northern Markets again Viggo Grimborn," he stated in a tone of menacing authority. "Remember that it is by my mercy that you continue to enjoy the simple act of breathing, and you would do well to remind your brother of this." Then he buried the blade of Ryker's broadsword into the desk in front of Viggo as the man leapt back in alarm.
"We will be watching and we have eyes everywhere," Ilweran interjected. "Do not make us return to remind you. Now, your brother is adrift about six days hard sailing northeast of here. If they are wise with their rations and the winds are favourable, you should be able to reach him before they run out of food and have to start partaking in cannibalism instead. Though we did leave them one corpse they can start feeding on if need be. Unless they were stupid enough to toss it overboard and risk attracting the shockjaws and the sharks."
The two Riders laughed evilly as Viggo blanched again, before turning and heading back towards the door. "Well men," Hiccup started in a loud voice as he and Ilweran emerged from the captain's quarters. "This has been lovely. Great weather out here," he teased. Glancing around at the cold and damp mist swirling around them, accentuated by the choppy iron-grey waters below.
"Great scenery too," Ilweran added with a chuckle. "I can understand why you would want to spend valuable trapping time hiding out in a beautiful place like this. Although, if you hang out here long enough, the smothering smokebreaths will come to you." They both started laughing as they signalled to their dragons, who swooped down barely a moment later. "Now, mind you do not step out of line again," Ilweran teased. Resting his amber gaze on Viggo, who had just walked out onto the deck with a livid scowl on his face.
"We may not be so civil if we have to return," Hiccup finished with a grin. Flashing his fangs at Viggo and his hunters before both dragons took off into the mist. Meeting back up with Valka and Cloudjumper as they made their way silently towards the Markets again. Landing on the outskirts, they all dismounted.
"So," Valka started quietly as she took her mask off and shook the ice out her long braids. "Did you get what you needed?"
"We did," Hiccup answered. "You were incredible, by the way. I would happily work with you by my side any day," he couldn't help adding. There was a shine of joy in his mother's eyes as she gave him a bright smile at that. Nodding her head respectfully, but looking too choked up to say anything. Hiccup just grinned back at her before glancing over at Ilweran. "I wish we had time to dawdle, but unfortunately the two of us should probably get going. We now have two stops to make before we go back home, and one of them may be trickier than the other."
Ilweran arched a brow at that, but left it alone for the moment. Hiccup gave him a small shrug in response. Valka looking between the two of them interestedly. "If you catch the hunter ships heading towards the Markets with dragons on again, go ahead and sink them," Hiccup added bluntly. "They have been warned."
"Certainly," she grinned back, before huffing out a sigh. "I suppose Cloudjumper and I will go and find those dragons they had in the hold and escort them back to the sanctuary for treatment now. I don't like how thin that nadder was," she said worriedly. Gazing off towards the ocean as she bit her lip.
Sure, she mothers the dragons... Hiccup couldn't help grumbling to himself. Ilweran glancing at Hiccup and giving him a discreet eye roll, as if reading his thoughts. The two of them choked back a laugh then before Hiccup turned back to his mother. "We will make sure to come and visit you properly the next time that we are in the area. There is someone that I would like you to meet," Hiccup stated simply.
Her 'mom' instincts suddenly kicked in then. Clearly serving to clue her in to what he was hinting at, and Valka smiled brightly at him. Looking ridiculously happy for some strange reason. "I would be overjoyed to meet the woman that can ensnare your heart, son. Does she know about me though?"
"She does," Hiccup replied easily. "In the five years that we have been betrothed, that woman has managed to ensnare far more than my heart. She owns my soul."
"You're betrothed," Valka gasped. Covering her mouth with her hand. "Have been for five years?!"
"Indeed," Hiccup answered smoothly. "To the single most beautiful Valkyrie in all the realms. Now you know why Minden and I were never romantically involved," he added with a chuckle. Smirking at Valka's look of shock, he simply held his hand out to her again.
Grasping it, Valka pulled him in for a hug instead. Hiccup tensed for a moment as she caught him completely by surprise. Then he sighed softly and wrapped his arms around her too. Returning the hug as he felt her body relax in his embrace. Her relief at not being rejected again, painfully evident. She buried her face into his chest then, sniffling once. Hiccup squeezed her tighter for a moment in response before releasing her and stepping back slightly. Her eyes were still glistening, but she held the tears back as she gazed up into his face.
"I'm so proud of you, Hiccup," Valka said then. Reaching up to run a careful hand over his cheek and obviously gaining courage when he didn't immediately pull away from her touch. Cupping his jaw now, she smiled gently at him. "You have the heart of a chief, and the soul of a dragon. No woman could want for more in a husband and no mother could ask for more in a son," she added kindly. "Thank you for giving me another chance to get to know you."
Hiccup just offered her his signature lopsided grin in response as he told her, "be careful what you wish for." She choked out a laugh as she dropped her hand from his face. Then she gave Ilweran a tight hug as well and donned her mask again before they all leapt back onto their dragons. Taking off to go their separate ways after one last wave. Ilweran and Hiccup heading for the northern entrance of Bifröst as Valka went south in search of the four dragons they had freed tonight.
*
As they flew over the frozen waters of the northern seas, Ilweran could not believe how light he felt. How absolutely free. Though he had not realized it, all those centuries of dancing along the line had been wearing him down. Pretending to care what Odin and the others thought of him. Trying to be the respectable crown prince they wanted on the outside while sneaking around behind their backs.
He had been keeping every emotion locked tightly away his whole life. Just incase it gave up the game. Constantly fearful of being caught and outed for who he really was. Afraid to see disappointment in his mother's eyes, or disgust on the faces of his people. How do you tell everyone that cares for you, that you will never be who they want you to be. That your whole life has just been a game of pretend, and you do not want to play by their rules anymore.
Elves did not feel guilt, doubt, or remorse. They saw in black and white. Odin was the good guy this time around simply because Loki was clearly the bad guy. Nothing anyone said would change that. The elves would never swear allegiance to Odin, but they did not question his image either. The just and fair ruler doing what was needed to maintain peace, while his shameful burden of an adopted son stirred up trouble.
Ilweran just couldn't see Odin that way. He just couldn't shake his doubt that this all felt wrong. Ilweran's people would never understand his dilemma. The guilt that tormented his hours. Split down the middle by the man he should be and the man he wanted to be; but Hiccup saw it.
When Hiccup had offered him an out, Ilweran had almost turned it down at first. The thought of losing his safety net was admittedly terrifying. Taking the time to think about it instead of using his typical knee-jerk reactions, he had realized that sometimes you just have to jump anyways. No matter how scared you are, or how far the fall looks from where you stand. So he had made the decision to go with his gut for a change. Stepping off the ledge and trusting that his brother would keep him from hitting the ground too hard.
If they fell, they would fall together, and Ilweran was surprised to find that he was perfectly alright with that. Lurking in the shadows beside his inner demons had left an immensely heavy weight on his chest. Now that it was lifted, Ilweran felt like he could truly breathe for the first time. Casting off his title meant casting off the expectations that had followed him his entire life. Out here in the badlands, there were no expectations. No rules.
He could become whoever he wanted to be without feeling shame in his choices. Didn't have to worry if it was wrong, unnatural, or improper. If they took away his claim to the throne, what did it matter? He had already renounced it himself the moment that he chose to step out of the light and into the grey. That was how a mercenary soldier should live. Should feel. Ilweran wasn't sure if he would ever be able to, or even want to, dive as far into the depths of darkness as Hiccup had, but he certainly wanted to venture away from the safety of the shoreline.
Ilweran glanced over at his best friend then. Catching his eye, Hiccup offered a lopsided smirk as he seemed to read the direction of Ilweran's thoughts. As they so often did, and had done since almost day one. It was moments like this that made it feel as if they really were brothers. Or maybe something even closer, though he wasn't exactly sure what that might be. Twins, maybe?
"Admit it. This feels good," Hiccup teased lightly. "Just let that glorious freedom sink in, and shout your feelings to the world. Really let go for the first time in your life. There is no one to judge you out here."
Holding his arms out to the side and closing his eyes, Hiccup tilted his head back. Taking a deep breath of freezing cold air before letting out a loud tribal yell as Toothless roared. The two of them performing a few quick loops through the misty clouds. The dragon's eyes closed too and his tongue lolling out comically.
Ilweran shook his head at the two of them with a chuckle. "Oh, it feels good alright," he agreed as Toothless levelled out beside him again. "I am not sure it feels quite that good though, and I do not 'let go'. Ever."
"Oh, don't be a spoil-sport," came Tintallë's laughing voice in his mind. "You're only 394-years, you know. Loosen up and act your age." She let out a tiny growl and shook her beautiful head as steam began to dance over her body in delicate waves. The regal monstrous nightmare struggling to contain her fire magic for the first time in a long time. Her excitement at finally being unleashed flooding though the bond in waves of euphoria as her yellow eyes gleamed mischievously, and Ilweran had to bite back hard on a laugh.
"You guys are seriously all going to gang up on me now. You know that I am not prone to open displays of emotion, Tintallë. I am a dignified gentleman prince, and you are supposed to side with me over those heathens," Ilweran grumbled at her as he pointed at Hiccup and Toothless. Receiving three nearly identical grins in return.
"Fine, you savages! It feels AMAZING," he shouted into the icy wind. Holding his own arms out now as he let the weightlessness crash over him. With a roar of her own Tintallë rolled over and lolled her tongue out too. Blowing a quick series of vast smoke rings and soaring through them as Ilweran and Hiccup burst out laughing.
As the nightmare levelled out again too, Ilweran settled his gaze on Hiccup and Toothless again. "Now that childish nonsense is out of my system, what is the first of the two stops, and is it the difficult one? I assume that it is, since we are heading north when we usually take the gateway in the south. We are not travelling between the top two tiers, are we?"
"You are not wrong. Helheim is actually our first stop, since we are already on this level and I do not care to backtrack if I can avoid it. Terrible waste of time," Hiccup answered calmly. As if that was a completely reasonable answer. At Ilweran's surprised cough, Hiccup lifted one shoulder in a partial shrug. "I did mention that one of the stops was trickier than the other," he added blandly.
"Tricky is a heck of an understatement brother," Ilweran countered gruffly. "How do you propose we get there, and more importantly, how do you propose we get back out? Is not being trapped there for eternity one of the enchantments placed over Helheim by Odin and his brothers? You know, to keep the monsters in and the living out."
"Not that those enchantments succeed overly well for either of those things, but essentially yes," Hiccup replied with a grin. "Are you forgetting who you are going to Helheim with?" When Ilweran simply raised a brow at him, Hiccup's grin got wider. "I am the God of Death, bro. Rider of the Storm and Gatherer of Souls, blah blah blah, and my dragon is a night fury. Sure, it comes with a shipload of responsibility, but it does have its perks. You see, Odin's magic does not work on Toothless and I. Since we walk the boundary, we can go anywhere we please. Helheim is as much our home as Alfheim is." He laughed then as Ilweran felt his jaw drop open.
When Hiccup had admitted to being the Dark God for real, Ilweran hadn't really allowed himself to consider just what that might mean. As Hiccup had crossed the veil in front of Ilweran and Astrid, it had certainly seemed like a handy skill, but Ilweran had not dwelled much on it. After all, Toothless couldn't access the shadow realm, and what Rider wanted to travel without their dragon? The fact that Hiccup could walk between all of the worlds, including those of the dead though; well, that was just absolutely unprecedented. Enough to blow anyone's mind and leave them speechless.
"Thank the Norns that Hiccup is a good man at his core," he told Tintallë. "He would be as absolutely unstoppable as that stupid hybrid dragon we fought on Nidavellir. Likely even more so. He probably could have just crossed the veil with the thing and escorted it straight to Helheim on a collar and lead if I hadn't been there." Feeling her shiver slightly in her agreement as she eyed up the massive form of Toothless as well.
Somehow, a dragon that had started out similar in size to a small nadder, had grown to monstrous proportions once released from the restrictions of Midgard. All bonded dragons were huge, but this was ridiculous. Just like Hiccup, the dragon had also gradually continued to grow after the blood-bonding ritual between the brothers nearly four years ago. At 90 feet long from tip to tail now, Toothless was 15 or so feet longer than Tintallë, which was not actually that big of a difference if you discounted the fact that monstrous nightmares were supposed to be larger than night furies.
What he lacked in body bulk though, Toothless made up for with wing span. At 150 feet easily, the night fury had the largest wing span of almost any bonded dragon that Ilweran had ever seen, aside from Elder Noldo's dramillion, Bonnefire. She was a titan wing though, whereas Toothless was just a natural born alpha. All in all, the imposing beast that was Toothless simply provided even more unnecessary proof that those two were far more powerful than any beings beyond Urdarbrunnr ever should be.
Catching Tintallë's gaze, the night fury smirked and winked one of his acid green eyes cheekily at her. Reminding Ilweran strongly of Hiccup, and he couldn't resist laughing out loud as Tintallë snorted and looked away in her embarrassment. Though all of this did raise another question in Ilweran's mind. If the Dark God was not only a real man, but Ilweran was also looking at him right now, did that mean... "Hiccup," he said softly. Likely startling his friend with the use of his first name, and Hiccup turned to glance at him with an arched brow.
"If you are the Dark God..." Ilweran started slowly. Staring down at the moonlight dancing over Tintallë's back instead as he tried to figure out how best to word his question. Hiccup hummed for him to continue, but there was a slight catch to the sound. As if he was almost hoping that Ilweran wouldn't say what was on his mind, which was strange. Hiccup never denied his friend direct answers.
Shrugging it off for now, Ilweran finished his thought instead. "...then who is the Light God? Is there not supposed to be two of them? You did mention that your seal has an opposite, which only makes sense since nature always demands balance." At Hiccup's extended silence, Ilweran finally glanced back over at him. Meeting his brother's eyes, it was easy to see that the question had made him distinctly uncomfortable.
Ilweran was about to apologize when Hiccup held up a hand to stop him. After a steadying breath, Hiccup said softly, "yes, Ilweran. There is supposed to be two of them. Right now it is only me. The Light God has already been chosen of course, but he is not aware of it as of yet. Though he will be soon enough, I would think. After all, nature does require balance, and it has been out of balance for too long already."
"Oh," Ilweran spouted in interest. Moderately surprised at how honest Hiccup was being despite his discomfort at the subject. "Who is it?! Are they one of the Riders? I understand if you cannot actually tell me a name, I guess, but can you at least tell me if it is someone we know?"
"As a matter of fact, he is a bonded rider. I cannot give you a name of course, but I can tell you that it is someone you happen to know quite well indeed," Hiccup answered easily. A slight smirk twisting one side of his mouth as Toothless rasped a quiet laugh. Confused, but sensing that Hiccup was unlikely to say anymore, Ilweran left it alone for now.
If Hiccup was right about the imbalance needing to be corrected, then he wouldn't have to wait long to find out who it was anyways. After all, Hiccup had explained that the moment Cuithanna had placed her seal on him he had become the Dark God. So Ilweran figured that he would now just have to wait to see who Cuithanna put the other seal on then. Would she wait until a future Samhain, or could she place the seal at any old festival?
According to Hiccup, he had been marked out by birth for the role, but he did not receive his full powers until that Samhain. He had also made sure to point out that it was not as wonderful as it seemed. Stating that he had actually tried to cast off her seal when he realized exactly what it meant. Unfortunately, it had turned out to be a permanent and irreversible thing that you just had to deal with. After hearing that, it made the idea of becoming a god really seem like one heck of a heavy burden to bear. Hopefully it was someone that deserved such a gift and would know how to use it. Someone good, like Hiccup.
At that thought, Ilweran couldn't help feeling a strange swell of sympathy for the unknown man. Would he be ready for the weight of it when it got heaped on his shoulders? Could you ever really be 'ready' for something like that? What if it was too much for him and he snapped? Ilweran fought back a shudder at that mental image. Better him than me, Ilweran mused to himself. Being a future king and a father had been quite heavy enough already. At least whoever it is will have Hiccup to help guide them through, rather than facing it alone like he has...
The sudden press of magic in the air called him out of his distracted thoughts then. He had been through the gateway far too many times by now to have to think about it, and though this one may be in the north, it was essentially the same. Without pause, Ilweran started weaving the spell to call up Bifröst. Hiccup's magic flowing over to blend with his in beautiful waves of gold and green. Reminding him vaguely of the fact that it was almost Yule, and he bit back a laugh. Glancing over at Hiccup, he saw him smirking too.
"Let me guess, the pretty colours are making you think about Yule," Ilweran said brightly as the huge doors materialized in front of them. Swinging open to reveal a curious wall of shadowed greenish brown instead of the brightly dappled light that he was used to. "Are you picturing how excited Astrid is going to be when she gets her presents?"
"You know it," Hiccup grinned back. "I personally think that she is going to love my gifts and will, therefore, reward me greatly." Ilweran couldn't keep from snorting a laugh at that. There was no doubt in his mind that what Hiccup said was true, but he just couldn't resist riling his brother up when given the chance. What kind of older brother would he be if he didn't?
"Maybe..." Ilweran allowed with a shrug. "She might like my gifts better though. Then you can be the one laying in your room all alone with aching loins and a stiff one while you are forced to listen to your neighbours hump like vigorous rabbits. By the way, is she always that vocal," he added coyly. Laughing as Hiccup actually choked for a moment in surprise.
Recovering, Hiccup grinned wider. "She sure is, bro. Subtlety really is not her forte. You should know that by now. Why? Does hearing how much pleasure I can give her make you jealous, Moon Pie?"
"Not in the slightest, Sweet Cheeks. As a matter of fact, it provides great entertainment and gives me something to look forward to. Seeing if I can make her scream even louder some day," Ilweran grinned back. It was pretty clear that he was only joking, but Ilweran still got a kick out of the way Hiccup's pupils contracted ever so slightly before returning to normal again. When he had first seen that happen, it had truly made him nervous. Now he just thought it was cool.
Getting himself back in control, Hiccup shot Ilweran a menacing scowl. It honestly would have been scary if Ilweran didn't know his brother so well. Hiccup would never hurt him just for making jokes. "One more word and I am going to leave you in Helheim," Hiccup grumbled.
"Too bad Sweet Cheeks, but you are not allowed to," Ilweran teased with a wink. "Astrid specifically said that we BOTH had to come back, or she would be very angry. Do you want to have to explain to her why you left me in the Underworld?"
Shaking his head now, Hiccup finally started laughing again. "You know, Astrid might just be right about us," he replied with an eye roll. "We really might be brothers. I am not sure how we could be, but you have to admit, it is a bit weird how similar we are."
"Extremely weird," Ilweran agreed with a laugh of his own now. "I would not change it for the world though," he added honestly. Then he gestured towards the doorway. "Speaking of which, I suppose you get to lead me through the Void for once. After you, little brother."
With a grin, Hiccup and Toothless shot through the alien gateway. Ilweran and Tintallë close on their heels. As he came out the other side, Ilweran realized his first glimpse had been right. This level of the Void was certainly darker than the upper tier. Stunned, he took a moment to just look around at the unexpected surroundings.
Here, there were none of those widely spaced trees of summer green with pools of the brightest blue between them. Instead there were twisting trees with oily looking leaves of mottled green and brown. Growing in sporadic clumps on scattered islands capped with spongy black dirt. Curling vines crawling up the trucks as masses of stringy mosses hung down from the boughs. It left them looking like oddly distorted and hairy spiders. The ground covered in a soupy mixture of reedy plants, fat toadstools, and brackish water as the cloying scent of decay filled the air. Fallen trees creating natural bridges between many of the islands as a chilly mist clung to everything in ghostly wisps.
The ceiling overhead was not one of dappled green and golden sunlight. It was misty and grey as an overcast day. The light filtering through it in distorted waves of sun and shadow. Still, there was an unexpected sort of beauty to the swampy land. Not in appearance so much as in the absolutely natural feel of it.
This place was not frozen in time. It was chaotic and messy. The cycle of life on full display. Glistening toadstools were thriving on the carcasses of the fallen logs as fat bullfrogs perched atop them. Belching out their low bass notes. New trees sprouting up from the rich black soil the mushrooms left behind. Compared to the immortal world between the upper levels, where the passing of time seemed completely irrelevant and nothing ever changed or died, it was oddly refreshing.
The wind gusts from the dragons huge wings battered the ground beneath them. Causing the reeds to dance and knock together, creating an impressively melodic sound like little wooden flutes. The disturbance stirring up tiny glowing bugs that took flight out of the bundles en mass. Circling the Riders a few times before buzzing away over the murky waters in every direction. Hiccup waved a gently glowing hand to close the gate then as he studied Ilweran's face closely. Obviously gauging his reaction.
Hiccup had clearly removed his serpent ring while Ilweran was too distracted by the surroundings, and his friend's elven features looked even more surreal in the odd half-light. His luminous eyes dancing and sparking through the gloom just like the fireflies. Meeting his friend's intelligent green gaze, Ilweran offered him a smile. "This place is amazing," he told Hiccup truthfully. "I never realized that the levels of the Void were so different. I just assumed that it was one continuous land of endlessly perfect and eerily empty forest that simply had different entry points for ease. I have never even heard anyone speak of this place before," he concluded with a shrug.
Hiccup laughed dryly at that. "That is understandable, since there are not many that are able to access the Void at all on the mid-level. Those that can, prefer to use the comfortably familiar land of sunshine and wildflowers above. Rather than the distasteful border of the Underworld below. Down here, there be monsters," he drawled sarcastically.
Glancing around for a moment before meeting Ilweran's gaze again, his eyes became intensely serious for once. "The tales of your people do not speak of this place because they have never bothered to come here. Why would they? They dwell in the upper tiers and cut themselves off from the other realms. Who wants to delve into the murky underbelly of the universe when you are surrounded by beauty everywhere you look?"
"If your life is already perfect, why would you ever go searching for more? Especially if that more might be beneath you, and you may have to get your hands dirty to find it," he stated. His tone somewhat harsh, and Ilweran felt a curious sense of shame wash through him. In nearly a century as a bonded rider, Ilweran had never bothered to venture beyond the known either. Midgard was the farthest he had ever tried to go, and it took a while to even convince himself to go there. Hiccup's words struck far, far too close to home for comfort and he couldn't stop from casting his eyes down in disgust with himself.
Hiccup sighed quietly and softened his tone slightly then. "I cannot really hold it against you, brother. It is the way you were raised, and the way of your people. It is never easy to be the only different one. Especially when you are expected to uphold a certain image and fill a certain set of shoes that will never, ever fit. It is never too late to right our wrongs and learn from our mistakes, though. It is never too late to change." Glancing up again, Ilweran found a lopsided smirk on Hiccup's face now, and he nodded at him as he tentatively returned the smile. Feeling properly reprimanded, yet curiously uplifted, all at the same time.
Hiccup signalled for Ilweran to follow him then as they took off through the swamp. Ilweran's mind reeling from the sheer amount of life around him. Slippery bodies slithered along the springy mosses as the silvery flashes of fish glinted through the dark water. The surprisingly large creatures poking their heads above the murk to snap at plump dragonflies that were drifting past. He heard Hiccup chuckle and glanced over at him in wonder.
"The overflow from Mímisbrunnr only flooded the upper plain. It left this one unscathed," Hiccup offered in reply to Ilweran's unasked question. "These islands you see are parts of the twisting roots of the world tree poking above the surface, and the water bubbles out from the inflow of Hvergelmir." Ilweran felt like his eyebrows might be melding with his hairline as he took a closer look at the oddly rounded islands that were actually parts of Cuithanna's roots. Making him realize just how close they were to the bottom of the worlds.
Hiccup just chuckled again. "The light here may not change or fade, and it never gets brighter than this, but life is rather resilient. It still flourishes just the same," he pointed out gently. Sounding wise beyond his years, which he truthfully was. "It is just a little grittier version of life than you are used to, your highness. Although I would say that it is about bloody time you got some dirt under those royal nails of yours," Hiccup added teasingly then. Ilweran huffing a dry laugh at that.
Before long, they arrived at a gateway built out of smoothly hewn blocks of a black stone swirled through with patterns of green. Torches carrying a dancing green fire perched in elegant silver brackets were set onto the front of it. Gleaming black doors decorated with an assortment of runes and lovely silver scrollwork filling the centre. It was an unexpectedly friendly and beautiful sight, and Ilweran found himself staring at in surprise.
Stopping to hover before it, Hiccup shifted in the saddle to face Ilweran full on now. His jaw set. "Before I permit you entry through this gate, I need to know something," he started in a tone of authority that Ilweran had rarely ever heard his brother use. Shifting to face him as well, Ilweran nodded for him to continue.
"Firstly, are you willing to keep an open mind? To throw out everything that you think you know and start from scratch? To judge not by appearance, past deeds, or the glorified tales of others that have been spoon fed to you since birth, but rather making use of this rare opportunity to form your own opinion? Free from the bias of others. I hope you understand exactly what I am asking of you, and that you do not answer before you are ready." Hiccup leant back in his saddle and folded his arms as he waited patiently for a response.
Instead of blurting out a yes, as he was wont to do, Ilweran took a moment to actually mull over Hiccup's request instead. He had always thought of himself as quite open-minded, but he had never tested it like this before. He had been raised to fear this realm and despise its residents. Hearing monstrous tales of them told over and over until he barely noticed the true words anymore. His mind simply interpreting the meaning that it was told to, instead of looking deeper. Could he throw all of that out now? Four hundred years of conditioning in the span of a heartbeat?
It was a daunting concept. To forget everything that you ever believed. Yet, as Ilweran glanced at the magical world of thriving plenty around him, he knew he needed to try. For so, so many years he had failed to dig deeper. Content to merely go on existing in his sheltered world of glistening glass and gold. All the while having no idea of the true beauty that he was missing out on.
Meeting Hiccup's gaze with a determined light in his golden eyes, he gave the only response that felt right. "I am not going to pretend that it will be easy, brother, but I would like the chance to try. I need to do this. For myself. For the man that I am not yet, but that I hope to be one day. If you are willing to help me, I promise I will do my very best to not let you down."
"Excellent. That is all I can ask of you," Hiccup said with a lopsided smile. Then he added quietly, and somewhat cryptically, "I will always be here to help you become that who you are destined to be." Before Ilweran could ask what he meant by that, Hiccup turned towards the gateway and waved it open in a flash of green magic. The torches sputtered once, and then the vast black doors swung wide to reveal a gaping tunnel of complete darkness within.
Gazing into it nervously, Ilweran muttered quietly, "what is the other thing you needed to know?" When Hiccup hummed in confusion, Ilweran clarified. "You said firstly, so I assumed that there was a secondly..."
"I did, and there was," Hiccup replied brightly. A definite grin in his voice now. Ilweran glanced at him with a raised brow, and Hiccup smirked deviously at him. "Secondly... How adverse are you to the idea of having a second girlfriend of the exiled and half-dead variety? One that you also probably will not get to have intercourse with, since I refuse to make special trips down here just for your sexual gratification."
"Umm... what," Ilweran blurted out stupidly. His already overwhelmed mind not really picking up what exactly Hiccup was asking. Did Hiccup have another girlfriend down here? One that Astrid didn't know about, and he wanted to know if Ilweran was going to out him for it?
"You will see," Hiccup answered with another smirk. Toothless rasping a quiet laugh as he and his Rider shared a knowing glance.
"Okay..." Ilweran trailed off slowly. Arching a confused brow at his brother. "How do we get to Helheim anyways," he asked then as he glanced towards the smothering blackness of the gateway. Fingers of those same creeping shadows that had surrounded Hiccup were swirling and grasping at the edges of this door. The biting cold of death wafting out towards them and sending an uncomfortable shiver down his spine. "Is there some sort of fancy spell or ritual that we need to use to get in?"
"Nope," Hiccup said brightly. "The decent into Helheim is easy, brother. Getting back out, on the other hand... I suppose you will just have to blindly trust that I did not bring you all the way here just to leave you behind for the monsters to play with." He offered Ilweran a shrug and a wink. Then he and Toothless both started laughing at the stunned look on Ilweran's face before they soared through the gateway and out of sight. With a grumble and a shake of his head, Ilweran and Tintallë followed the brothers into the oppressive darkness of the Underworld as the gleaming doors swung shut behind him. Guess there was no turning back now...
_
Can I just say, I giggled like a child when I was writing Ilweran's sequence in this chapter. I mean, I absolutely love their badass-ery of course. I love the banter between Hiccup and Ilweran, and even Valka now too. Most of all though, I love Ilweran's total cluelessness as to the destiny he's about to have dumped on his sexy, sexy shoulders. My poor oblivious Golden Boy :P
What do you think his reaction is gonna be when Cuithanna approaches him to place the seal? How long do you think it's going to take for him to figure out what's about to happen? Is he gonna need the seal on him before he gets it, or do you think he's gonna guess it before hand?