A quick clarification to what I have said in the last chapter: by saying I don't like happy endings, I meant those 100% happy, in which everyone is fine, and they all live happily ever after. I mean, it warms my heart, of course it does, but it's not real life. When there is a character I root for, I'm much more satisfied by seeing them struggle for success and experience some kind of loss/defeat in the process. I think that scenario is much more rewarding for me as a reader, and that's what I'm trying to achieve while writing. And thank you for 200 reviews!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 25

The entire village had gathered in the Great Hall as soon as the sun rose in the east. The Bog Burglars were with them, as well as the small group from Berk. It was the third day of the Snoggletog celebrations – one that was the end of the holidays. But no one was in a mood to celebrate. The dragon attack from the day before affected everyone in a negative way.

The inhabitants of Dreki weren't in accordance with what should be done. Some were demanding to search for those attackers and take revenge on them. Others stated that the recent raid was proof that the dragons couldn't be trusted and should be removed from their village – preferably killed. The majority, however, were convinced that they shouldn't do anything and simply repair the damage that was done, and prepare themselves for the winter that was already upon them.

But the final decision belonged to the chief.

Hiccup was sitting on his chair at the main table, hearing the others' conversations but not listening to them. The young chief wasn't even fully aware of his surroundings; he almost didn't notice Eret standing next to him, arguing with the people gathered in the Great Hall. His mind and eyes were focused only on the stuffed Night Fury he was holding in his hands. Hiccup was examining his daughter's toy carefully, tracing the detailed miniature of the dragon with his fingers; he felt fresh tears gathering in the corners of his eyes.

He couldn't look more different than during the wedding. His hair, previously arranged into a braid, was a mess, falling onto his face and clouding his vision. His skin was unnaturally pale, and there were dark rings beneath his eyes – a clear sign that he hadn't slept that night. His cheeks were collapsed, and his eyes were red – both from crying and one as the result of his duel with Astrid two days earlier. His entire body was trembling slightly.

The discussion was getting more and more heated with each passing minute. Eret was doing his best to calm the people down, but his efforts turned out to be in vain. Anger of some of the villagers was even directed at the Berkians as they demanded to know why they were still on Dreki. The argument that their ship had been destroyed in the attack wasn't working. More and more people were shouting, voicing their opinions.

Two groups formed in the center of the Great Hall – one was composed of those who wanted to chase the dragons that attacked them and those who thought that living with dragons wasn't possible in the long run; Hvitserk was at the front. The second one, led by Havardr, argued fiercely with them, stating that repairing the damage that was done to Dreki was much more important than seeking revenge, especially that they didn't know where to find them. It was as clear as day that the argument would transform into a fight in no time. Despite his best efforts, Eret wasn't capable of bringing the situation under control. The shouts were becoming louder and louder with each passing minute as the two groups began approaching each other menacingly; the chief of Dreki was still staring blankly at the stuffed Night Fury, seemingly oblivious to the approaching confrontation.

Slowly, Hiccup raised his head, looking at his people gathered in front of the main table. Rage filled his eyes, replacing the despair that nestled there as he observed the men and women that were claiming the right to making the decision that was only his to make.

"I have something to say!" Hiccup yelled suddenly, slamming his hands against the table. He tried to stifle a groan when his right wrist erupted with pain. His bones were still broken as he found out unpleasantly. He stood up hesitantly, pressing his right hand to his abdomen; the stuffed Night Fury was left on the table.

If his sudden outburst wasn't enough, his hateful glare has managed to silence everyone else in the Great Hall. The two groups stopped arguing almost instantly, and Eret sat back on his chair, sighing loudly. Slowly, Hiccup walked around the main table, stepping down from the wooden elevation, and approached the two groups. His bloodshot eyes were casting daggers at everyone gathered in the center of the Great Hall, even though he was younger than most of them.

"Havardr," he spoke calmly, walking up to the man that was attacked by his father over two weeks earlier. "You have two sons, am I right?" Hiccup asked, still gripping his stomach. Both his abdomen and his right hand were aching terribly. He hissed quietly.

"Yes," the scout replied hesitantly, nodding his head in confirmation. The young chief smiled slightly at that.

"How are they?"

"They're fine," Havardr answered after a few seconds of silence, unsure if that was what Hiccup wanted to hear. He still had in memory the image of him holding Zephyr's corpse in front of their burned house. The chief of Dreki let out a strange sound, something between a dry chuckle and a snort, as he nodded his head slowly a couple of times.

"Good," Hiccup commented after a moment of silence. "I'm glad to hear it," he added. "I really am," he said, turning around, taking a few steps towards the leader of the second group. "I cannot help but wonder, though, what would you be saying right now if you buried one of them yesterday, hmm?" he asked suddenly, facing Havardr once again. "Or both of them?" he clarified. "What if you saw your entire family killed?" he demanded to know. The only answer he received was silence as Havardr looked down at the floor in shame. "That's what I thought," Hiccup commented, turning around once again. "Hvitserk," he called out, approaching the other man. "Who am I?" he asked. The leader of the first group was surprised, to say the least, by the sudden question. He knitted his brows, wondering how he was supposed to reply. "Who. Am. I?" Hiccup repeated, groaning loudly because of the pain.

"My chief," Hvitserk answered hesitantly, watching as the young man's lips curled up in a smile.

"Exactly," Hiccup commented. "So why don't you leave the decision-making process to me and remember your place, hmm?" he suggested. "Now, I did not become chief out of ambition or because I aspired to be one," he said, looking around the Great Hall on everyone gathered there. "But because I had no real choice since you have chosen me to be one," he explained, walking alongside the round table that was standing in the center. "But nonetheless, I am chief," Hiccup added with a small smirk. "Chief Hiccup, that is my name!" he exclaimed with a dry chuckle; his legs carried him to the small group of Berkians that was standing at the far end of Hall. "Chief Hiccup!" he added, emphasizing his title as he glared at his former tribesmen. His gaze lingered on Astrid. "What is it that the chief does, Eret?" he asked his second in command without turning around. He hissed quietly, gripping his abdomen as he remembered the young shieldmaiden's blows.

"He rules," Eret replied after a few seconds of hesitation.

"Yes! Good! He rules!" Hiccup repeated with an awkward chuckle. "And, as a ruler, I," he continued, leaning towards Astrid. "Have the last say," he almost whispered into her ear, smiling slightly. "Me!" he yelled suddenly, causing the young shieldmaiden to flinch because of the abrupt outburst. "Not you!" Hiccup stated, turning around and pointing at Havardr. "Not you!" he yelled, pointing his finger at Hvitserk. "Not you!" he continued, facing Berkians once again. This time, his digit was pointed at Stoick. "And not you!" Hiccup finished, glaring at Astrid; she held his hateful gaze bravely. After a few seconds of intense staring combat, the young chief turned away, facing his village once again. "You are idiots if you think that our dragons should be punished for yesterday's raid!" he yelled, glaring at his people. "They've helped us to defend our home!" he reminded them. "It is only thanks to them that the casualties we've suffered are… smaller than they could have been," Hiccup explained, chuckling humorlessly at his poor choice of words. "And it's not true that we don't know where those dragons came from," he continued; the anger in his voice was slowly disappearing, and his tone was changing steadily into a broken one. "Because we do," Hiccup said, pulling out a small wrapped bundle from the pocket of his cloak. With shaking fingers, he unfolded it and raised the item high above his head; it was a piece of dragon hide. "These weren't some wild dragons that attacked us yesterday," Hiccup explained. "I've seen how the wild ones behave, and this wasn't the case. It was an organized raid, sent from Helheim's Gate," he revealed.

The people gathered in the Great Hall started talking with each other, processing the piece of information they've received from the chief. Some were whispering in disbelief, claiming that they were too far away from the nest to be attacked, while others were muttering in excitement, ready to seek revenge.

"How can you be sure of it?" Havardr countered, though there was no trace of hostility in his voice. If anything, his tone was defeated. "They could have come from anywhere."

"This is the mark of Helheim's Gate," Hiccup explained, still holding the piece of dragon hide with the pale scars in his hand. "All dragons that I know that come from there have similar scars on their bodies. Toothless has it, as well as Windcutter," he said, looking at one of the scouts. "And many other dragons in our village have it," Hiccup continued, looking around at the people gathered in the Great Hall. "I thought that we were far enough from the nest not to suffer the raids… turns out I was wrong," he said, looking down on the floor shamefully. Hiccup sighed heavily, wondering about his next words. "If these dragons came so far down south only to steal our supplies, it means that the northern tribes have already run out of food or are extremely close to it," he explained, raising his head once again. "If that's the case, then it is only a matter of time before we're attacked again. It might be a few weeks, maybe a few months, but these dragons will return and will continue doing so for as long as we have the food they can steal," Hiccup sighed heavily again, closing his eyes. He massaged his temples when the Great Hall erupted with enraged yells once more. "I know that I have said many times that I won't risk your lives by attacking Helheim's Gate," he continued, once again silencing everyone in the Hall. "And I still stand by what I've said. But it is a matter of our own survival," Hiccup said, turning around to face Stoick after a few seconds of hesitation. And avenging my daughter's death, he added in his mind. "I will sail back to Berk with you," he whispered, not looking at his father; his eyes were glued to the floor. There was no trace of his previous anger in his voice, only resignation, despair. "And from there, to Helheim's Gate," he continued hesitantly. "Release them," Hiccup ordered, looking at Torlof – the new captain of the guard – for a split second. "And I will go alone!" he added sternly, raising his head to look at his villagers once again.

The Great Hall was, once again, filled with enraged and confused yells. Hiccup sighed heavily, closing his eyes once more as he rested against the round table. His head was pounding terribly due to the sleepless night and the noise in the Hall. Words blended into incomprehensible nonsense as he tried listening to what his people were saying. Hiccup opened his eyes after a few minutes and looked beggingly at Toothless, who was sitting behind his chair at the main table. The Night Fury immediately understood what its rider meant and let out a mighty roar that somehow managed to silence everyone in the Great Hall.

"I have spoken," Hiccup said when he was sure that everyone would hear his words. "I'm not going to lead any of you to certain death since I don't believe it's possible to destroy the nest. But I can't allow yesterday's raid to go unpunished. And if I don't return, which I most likely won't, Eret will be your new chief," he declared, looking down on the floor once again.

Before anyone else could say something, Hiccup's second in command stood up slowly from his chair, stunned by his chief's declaration. He looked hesitantly at his wife, who was sitting on his left side. Cami smiled reassuringly at her husband, quickly understanding the unasked question. Eret took in a deep breath before replying.

"While it is a great honor for me," he began hesitantly, looking at Hiccup across the space that separated them. "I am forced to decline it," Eret said, watching as his chief looked at him with a puzzled expression. "And I'm sorry, Hiccup, but I have to disobey your order," he continued; Hiccup's eyes widened in disbelief. "And I'm sure many will disobey it as well," Eret added before the young chief could say anything. "I understand that some of you might be reluctant to go to Helheim's Gate," he said, looking around at the people gathered in the Great Hall. "With everything our chief has said about that place, I'm not that surprised," he said, directing his gaze at Havardr and his group. "But honestly, can't you feel your ancestors' call in the possibility of going to Helheim's Gate?" he asked them, placing his hands on the main table for support. "I know that Hiccup thinks it's impossible to take down the nest and what is inside of it, but I don't believe him," Eret continued, looking at the other Vikings in the Great Hall. "How can I believe him?" he asked rhetorically. "When all he did his entire life was prove everyone wrong! Ten years ago, no one even knew what a Night Fury looked like," he reminded them, feeling Hiccup's intense glare on himself; he ignored that. "Everyone believed that it was impossible to survive an encounter with that dragon until Hiccup shot it down in the middle of the night! He was the first one that has done something like that! Before him, no one even thought about riding a dragon; everyone would have thought that it was impossible until Hiccup, our chief, befriended Toothless and began flying with him. He has done something none of our ancestors have ever dreamed of!" Eret said, earning himself a few whispers of agreement. "And you've all seen his scars," he continued. "I've known bigger men who died of lesser wounds! I still don't know how it's possible that he had survived all of that, but he did! And when Dagur waged war on the other tribes of the Archipelago, everyone believed that it was impossible to stop him and his Berserkers. No one was able to fight back until Hiccup, our chief, stood against him. And when Dagur attacked us, Hiccup went after him! He brought him back here, and he flew out of here, all the way down to Helheim, on his own bloody wings!" Eret exclaimed, earning himself a collective roar of approval from the people and even some of the dragons. "And once again, Hiccup had proved everyone wrong! He had shown the people of the Archipelago that Dagur wasn't unstoppable! Once again, he had done the impossible!" Eret exclaimed, causing many of the villagers to yell Hiccup's name at the top of their lungs. "So I ask you once more: how can I believe him when he says that it's impossible to take down the nest?" Eret queried, looking at the villagers expectingly. "He redefined that word as 'I-haven't-done-it-yet,'" he added, earning himself a burst of laughter from the people gathered in the Great Hall. Eret chuckled as well at his own comment before his expression became serious again. "I need no further proof that the gods favor Hiccup above anyone else!" he continued. "And when he enters Valhalla, I'm sure that Odin himself will bow before him, and he will be pouring ale into his horn! And when Hiccup reaches Helheim's Gate, I want to be there," Eret said when the chuckles died down. "I want to see him prove himself wrong as well," he explained, once again causing the listeners to laugh. "And I want to do the impossible too," Eret continued. "I want to make my ancestors proud of me, and earn my place in Valhalla, just like Hiccup has," he said, pointing at the young chief. The said man managed only to stare at his second in command. "We're Vikings," he reminded everyone. "We're not afraid of death; death is afraid of us! Besides, Hiccup was there for us when Dagur attacked our villages, burned our homes, and slaughtered our families and friends. He gave us the chance to start our lives anew; he saved us. He was there for us when we needed his help," he clarified; the Vikings gathered in the Great Hall muttered in agreement. "We all know what happened yesterday," Eret continued with a sad voice. "What kind of people would we be if we weren't for him now when he needs our help?" he asked, looking around at the inhabitants of Dreki. "Even if he weren't our chief, we would still owe him. So I ask you now: who is our chief?!" Eret yelled as loud as he could. One by one, the villagers replied with 'Hiccup' or 'Riddari.' "And to whom do we owe our allegiance?!" he asked, receiving the same response as before. "And to whom do we owe our gratitude?!" Eret yelled again. This time, there was only one response as the inhabitants of Dreki yelled in unison Hiccup's real name. "And who shall we follow to war to Helheim's Gate?"

"Hiccup!" was the collective reply as the villagers screamed their chief's name. Even those that were against the idea of going after the dragons that attacked them the day before roared in agreement.

Satisfied with what he had achieved, Eret leaped over the main table and started making his way towards Hiccup. The young chief had an indescribable expression on his face as he watched his second in command approaching him.

"I can't do this, Eret," Hiccup protested weakly, shaking his head. "I can't lead them to Helheim's Gate," he explained.

"I know," Eret replied, placing his hand on his chief's shoulder. "Which is why we shall do it together," he countered. "We're brothers, Hiccup, now and always."

"Now and always," the young man agreed.

"Whatever life throws at us, we face it together," he continued. "And I swear it to you, your daughter shall be avenged," Eret promised, gripping Hiccup's shoulder. The younger man looked down on the floor, fighting against the tears that threatened to start running down his cheek. "The beast from Helheim's Gate will be killed, and its head will hang on these walls," he continued; Hiccup trembled visibly. Eret moved his hand to the young man's neck and banged their foreheads together. "We're with you," he promised.

Hiccup returned the gesture, placing his own hand on Eret's neck as well. He breathed in sharply, not bothering himself with fighting against the tears anymore; there was no shame in mourning after his only child.

"Both Dreki and Berk are our allies," Bertha stated, standing up from her chair at the main table. Hiccup backed away from Eret, directing his gaze at the chieftess. "And I cannot allow it to be known that when the Hooligans went to war, the Bog Burglars did nothing!" she exclaimed, earning herself a collective roar of agreement from her own villagers. "We will fight alongside you," she promised, looking at Hiccup. The young chief has only managed to nod his head.

Stoick and the rest of the Berkians could only watch in a mixture of shock and awe as they saw the inhabitants of Dreki yelling Hiccup's name as if he was some kind of god. The chief of Berk still couldn't believe in everything that was happening around him – mainly in the fact that his son grew up to be the chief himself – something that Stoick didn't think was possible when Hiccup was still living on Berk. And he couldn't hide the pride he felt when Eret was describing everything that the young man had accomplished in his life. And when his son's eyes turned to them, Stoick met his gaze with his own one.

"Now, I believe we have things to discuss," Hiccup stated, looking at his father with an empty expression.

That's it for today; let me know what you thought about this chapter and the story as a whole. I know you're impatient to go to Helheim's Gate, but I've estimated, although I'm bad at calculations XD, that we're somewhere in the middle of the story. Also, please, let me know what you think about me including those 'scenes' in Old Norse, like Zephyr's lullaby, and the references to the show 'Vikings.' I forgot to ask you if you like them, but, personally, I think they're great XD. Also, describing Hiccup's behavior right now is somewhat difficult. I can only imagine that the person in such a state would be switching from enraged to depressed in a blink of an eye. Please, let me know if I'm doing this correctly. And I'm sorry that this chapter was short, but, unfortunately, sometimes, it's impossible to write long chapters. Still, I hope you're satisfied with today's update. See you soon!