A/N
Good day my readers, FlighterWriter here after a short pause.
I decided to write something more happier after finishing my version of HTTYD3. Chapter 7 was really mentally demanding to write and yeah, I was really sad.
Enjoy the story.
"Step on it, Hiccup!"
Were the first words on him, which Hiccup heard today during the work.
He didn't do just any job. It was a job of the type that if it get known elsewhere that he was doing it, he would be hung on a noose or his head would be cut off for it elsewhere.
He was 18 and did this job from the age of fifteen, which he voluntarily disrupted into the Drago's army despite the "risk of doing business".
"Step on it or that damn night fury will fly again!" Viggo Grimborn, a colleague from work shouted at him again as he tried to keep the animal in place for as long as possible by pulling the rope.
It was afternoon and it was cloudy, while the sky was white. No wonder, there has been a war atmosphere lately. And an attempt by a group of hunters to catch the animal took place on a ship sailing on the sea.
Hiccup pulled so hard on the rope that it rubbed against the skin of his palms, and red dots appeared on the yellow rope after his flowing blood.
The animal roared again.
"But that damn animal has the courage!" Hiccup replied to Viggo as he was trying to stop the night fury despite the pain and he continued "Someone inject him that Grimmel's sleeping liquid!"
As soon as the young man said that, the animal suddenly began to glow light blue.
"What the.." Hiccup murmured for himself as he was still trying to stop the night fury.
Night fury looked straight up into his green eyes. They both had green eyes. During this short look eyes-into-eyes an expression of some surprise appeared on Hiccup's face that he had not yet experienced.
Hiccup was startled when the light coming from the animal began to spread and something like an explosion sounded.
There was a sound like similar to the sound which makes an air fighter flying at these days, when it gets to the supersonic speed.
He found himself stunned on the ground and just able to move. He coughed. He saw smoke around him while lying on the wooden floor of the ship and heard the screams and curses of his colleagues from work.
His eyes closed and he felt terrible pain. He just managed to look at his feet where the pain came from.
He was breathing deeply in the background of the confusion when he saw that his right leg was gone. He was bleeding and his limb was unknown where.
He fainted at the sight of his injury. For him, it all passed like a few seconds before the voices of his colleagues woke him.
"Hiccup, Hiccup! Wake up!" Viggo, his superior shouted at him.
Hiccup slowly opened his eyes. He felt tired. He was lying on a hammock that belonged to him here on the ship.
"W-what happened?" He murmured slowly waking up.
"That son of a bitch escaped." Said Viggo.
"And you lost your leg." Krogan, the only African on the ship, also a dragon hunter added.
Hiccup tried to get up, unfortunately he almost flew down because he didn't have a prosthesis.
Viggo didn't expect anything and handed his friend something that looked like a not-so-well-made wooden leg.
"Take this before you get something better." Viggo said, while Hiccup was trying to fastened the prosthesis in place of his missing leg, where the wound was still healing.
"But Little Brother." Ryker, Viggo's older brother spoke "How will our platoon explain this to Drago? Let alone Grimmel. Each of them wants the animal for something else, and if they learn about today, one of them is enough, we will all have a nice problem."
"Everybody cough it up. Even you Ryker. Sweep it under the rug and just forget it." Viggo spoke and he continued "After all, the animal suddenly appeared only today, and this was a completely unexpected attempt to catch it. Next time men it won't miss the ropes, next time men it won't fail. You know, though Dragon Hunters are a separate offshoot, we're still suboordinates to that madman. While madman number 1 is fighting with the madman number 2 in the fight who will get that stupid animal. But at least that from madman number 2 are the sleeping arrows that make this job easier."
"And I lost my leg because of that night fury." Hiccup added, and he, still sitting on the hammock and he looked at his healing bloodied abraded hands.
"Remember what I told you. Cough for today." Viggo said and he was leaving the cabin "By the way, today we will stop at the port. You know, some fun, booze, girls, especially Hiccup will need booze to get rid of pain."
"Booze?" Fell from Hiccup "I've never gotten drunk before."
"Not even in the whole time you've been in Drago's army?" Viggo asked leaving the cabin.
"I was 15. I was still a boy. The private everyone was screwing with."
"Oh, this is quite understandable. You are now sergeant and maybe you'll make it to the captain one day."
Viggo was almost out of the cabin, when Hiccup asked again.
"And when will the stop be? And where?"
"On the Berk. Tonight."
"And isn't Berk in war with the Northern Alliance?"
"Yes, they actually are, because the guy we're working for wants to conquer their island with the dragons platoons catch, but in the dark the sign of the sail should not be very visible."
Viggo left the cabin and the other men, who have been here followed him. Hiccup was still thinking, enjoying the peace, sitting on the hammock with his new leg.
"Did he said girls? I'd like to meet one."
After saying this, he decided to try to walk despite the pain he still felt. He fell to the ground with a nice blow to his face. When he could at least kneel, he got a chance to wipe his face because blood was flowing from his nose.
"Damn.." he cursed for himself and took a piece of rag he had found to stop the bleeding "The gods must have been mad at me today. The leg in the grove, the bleeding nose and the damn dragon gone."
It was quite dark in the cabin except for a few candles that were lit here, and as he tried to stop the bleeding and get used to his new leg, he decided to look out of one of the square windows that were there.
A salty sea scent, a pleasant cool sound, and the moonlight penetrated from the window.
It calmed him, but it still didn't change the fact that he needed to get rid of the damn big pain where his leg used to be.
He felt tired, but not at the same time. He was really looking forward to a stop on the island so he could somehow get rid of the pain.
After about a few minutes of watching the sea in the cabin, he heard the shouts of other soldiers from above saying that they see the land.
Hiccup immediately flew up.
This was followed by a view of the village on the island. From a distance, it could be seen illuminated by several lights, while here in the sea not far from the island were several statues of Vikings with lit fires in their mouths.
He stepped a little closer and surveyed the village as the ship approached its destination.
"Watch your time!" Viggo pointed out "The ship leaves shortly before dawn, so please return in time. All in one man. I'm not going to write a report because one man has forgotten the time departure."
Hiccup watched the island with a partial smile on his lips.
During the landing, the ship hid in a group of several moored merchant ships.
"Most importantly, don't forget your time. Shortly before dawn." Viggo as a commander of the platoon reminded as he with his men started walking on the Berkian land.
It was already dark at that time, but even so, despite the war, the people on the island tried to be cheerful.
Hiccup noticed it as he walked around and heard singing from the pub.
"I'll go there then." Hiccup said for himself and he decided to look on the smithy first.
The local blacksmith lacked one leg and one hand. He was old and working on something there, while Hiccup watched him.
The old blacksmith turned a little bit at him and as he continued working he asked.
"What are you looking for here, lad? Can't you see I'm working on something?" The old blacksmith said.
"I need to get a better prosthesis. The one I have will break in a moment."
The blacksmith started laughing.
"So you amused me boy!" The blacksmith stopped working, turned at him and continued "Do you see the sign prosthesis shop here?! Can't you see that I also have wooden prostheses and that they work beautifully!?"
"I will pay you for the commission."
The blacksmith started again laughing.
"Young man, I make weapons, not prostheses! If you want a metal prosthesis, stop sitting on your ass at home and go forge it yourself! If you want it, at least try my craft!"
Hiccup left the smithy quite offended.
He immediately went to the pub and since the pain did not go away, he decided to decide to spend the evening at the bar.
He paid for lager and sat at the bar while drinking. The singing of drunken guests could be heard here.
He sipped his beer and sighed.
It helped a little with the pain, his head was starting to shake a little, but today was the peak.
"I watched the scene at the blacksmith. Gobber can be mischievous sometimes."
Hiccup turned when he heard a female voice. He saw a young blond woman who was going to sat down next to him. Yes, she charmed him, but he tried not to pay attention to her.
"Gobber, what?"
"The blacksmith."
The alcohol was starting to show a little, so when she sat down next to him, he started talking.
"How do you talk to me when you barely know me? And why did you watch me at the smith-"
He didn't say it because the girl hit him hard in the stomach and he felt like he would fall off his chair.
"Did you really think I was a nice girl?" She said as he was recovering from the hit.
"Well, you are beautiful and you have the strength." Hiccup replied still recovering "Why you were watching me?"
"I thought there is something strange on you."
"What? That I miss one leg at my age?"
"No, when I saw you in that blacksmith you acted like you were here from the island."
"Thanks for the compliment."
"Are you a soldier?" She asked as he continued drinking.
"Why are you asking?"
"Because of your clothes."
"Well, I'm a little bit soldier. Is that why you spied on me?"
The young woman at the same age as him nodded.
"My name's Astrid. I'm from a warrior family." She said and they both shaked hands.
"My name's Hiccup. I'm a bounty hunter." He lied to her, because he doesn't wanted to have a problem because of his real profession if they both will have something together "I confess that I have never met a woman of your nature."
"I'm flattered." She replied.
But then a voice called to her.
"Who was that?" Hiccup asked looking at her.
"My Dad. He wants to prepare me for war." She said and she stood up.
"And you can't be here for a while? I'd like to talk to you."
"I must go." She said and she leaved him one could say as much in love as when he saw her.
Hiccup sighed again and he continued drinking his beer. During the conversation with her, he forgot about the pain, and as soon as she left, the terrible pain returned.
About the time he was getting drunk, he heard a shout at him from another man his age.
"What did you allow a stranger to flirt with my girlfriend!?"
"Your girlfriend?" Hiccup asked turning at that man "Don't you make it up?"
The unknown man came to him.
"I'm Snotlout Jorgenson. The local future chief and the one who wins her heart." The man said and started to thrust on Hiccup"And I won't let a stranger she barely met in a pub win her love."
Hiccup, partly out of due to drunkenness, he fell off the chair and immediately got up. But the man did not give up.
"And are you the son of a local chief at all when you say that about yourself?"
"The chief does not have a son and, I like a relative, I have the right to the throne."
But Hiccup then did a mistake.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you, prince."
Snotlout then looked at him with an angry expression on his face, but Hiccup continued.
"You know what? Don't bother her and let her choose her future king. Let it be seen whether I or you win."
"I will-" Snotlout roared in anger and at that moment attacked Hiccup, who didn't pull any of his weapons.
He was partly drunk but still managed to defend himself a little. A brawl in which he remained motionless on the ground for a while while receiving one blow after another turned the cards over when he hit the wall with the head of his enemy, but by that time he had already struck the innkeeper.
"And don't come back here! You won't bother my guests!"
He was kicked out from the pub and only now did he realize he was sick.
He fell to his knees at the nearest empty barrel and vomited.
That's not how he imagined his first drunkenness.
He wiped his mouth, looked at the sky, and cursed to himself.
He finally gathered a little strength to walk normally again.
He took a deep breath to calm himself and didn't understand what had happened all of a sudden today.
Night fury, loss of a leg, beautiful woman and an annoying suitor...?