Green-eyed shadow
Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the plot.
KEY
'Thoughts/memories'
Emphasis/yelling
*Symbiote speaking*
*Symbiote think-speaking*
(A/N: More parallels to the film.)
Review responses
Umbra Lycan: Thanks, and all good.
Arraia: Here you go, and it'll probably be toxin.
Guest: Most symbiote hosts tend to be aggressive, to what extent depends on the symbiote in question. Stoick's fatherly love is what keeps Hiccup from diving into darkness and rage. Hmm, Greed's(Avarice) counterpart is charity, I genuinely didn't know that.
Back to the Action!
Chapter 9: Looming dread
Nar POV
Nightfall, The forge, Hiccup's backroom
Hiccup flicked his pencil while resting his head on his arms, making it rattle as it traveled up and down his desk. *Hiccup*, Avarice warned him just before Stoick tried to squeeze himself through the door.
"Dad, you're back", the teen shot out of his seat. He shuffled his drawings behind him, trying to hide them from his father, "We, uh… G-gobber's not here, so-".
"I know-", the chieftain forced himself through, "I came looking for you".
"You did?", Hiccup closed his notebook.
"You've been keeping secrets", Stoick subtlety accused.
"I-we, uh, uh, we ha-have?", both teen and symbiote started to worry.
"Just how long did you think you could hide it from me?", he narrowed his eyes.
"W-we, we don't k-know what you're…", Hiccup trailed off, trying to think how they might have been discovered.
*Hiccup, there's no way he could know*, Avarice assured him.
"Nothing happens on this island without me hearing about it", Stoick sternly said.
*He's bluffing*, the symbiote growled inside his head, *We cleaned it up, I know we did!*.
"Oh?", Hiccup tried to believe his friend.
"So, let's talk-", his father stepped forward, "-about what you've been up to?".
Avarice knew his host would confess, *Hiccup don't-*.
"Oh gods", Hiccup took a deep breath to try to calm himself, "Dad, I'm so sorry". He brushed his hair back in panic, "I-I was going t-to tell you, I just didn't know how to uh…". Stoick started to chuckle, alarming the teen and symbiote, "Hehe, ha-ha, uh, y-y-you're not… upset?".
"What? I was hoping for this!", the chief proclaimed.
"Ah, you were?", Hiccup could not believe it.
*He was? He wanted his offspring to be left for dead, only to come across a being from another world and form a partnership?*, Avarice was beyond confused.
"And believe me, it only gets better", Stoick said excitedly. "Just wait till you settle your first dispute between villagers", Avarice was the first to realize their mistake. "And hold your first council meeting by yourself", the father said with absolute bliss. Stoick playfully slapped Hiccup's shoulder, "What a feeling!", almost sending the teen flying if it wasn't for his enhanced physique. "You really had me going there, son", the teen rubbed his arm.
*I really don't understand your birther, Hiccup*, Avarice muttered.
"All those years of the worst viking berk has ever seen!", Stoick raised his hands, "Odin, it was rough". "I never gave up on you, and all the while you were holding out on me!", his words stung Hiccup a bit, "Oh, Thor almighty!".
*I don't know if you should be happy or mad?*, Avarice was trying to understand the intent of his host's father, *He didn't give up on you, but did he think you were so bad too?*.
'I don't know, bud', Hiccup thought back.
"Ah, with you doing so well handling the village", Stoick pulled up a barrel to sit down, "We finally have something to talk about". Hiccup was at a loss for words as he looked around, Stoick inched closer. Both Haddocks' faces slowly fell, as they could not break the silence. "Oh, eh, I uhh…", Stoick reached behind him and pulled out a small belt. The buckle was identical to the one he wore, "I uh, brought you something". "To show how proud I am about you taking care of the village", he held out his gift to his son.
Hiccup took the belt, "Wow, thanks", gazing at his first gift that his father gave him out of pride.
"Ah, your mother would've wanted you to have it", the teen brought the buckle closer, "It's part of her breastplate".
Hiccup pulled the gift away in shock, "Uh, heh".
"Matching set", Stoick tapped his helmet, "Keeps her… keeps her close, you know".
*Nice gift, if a bit macabre*, Avarice shared his host's disbelief.
"Wear it proudly", Hiccup looked back at his father, "You deserve it". "You held up your end of the deal", Stoick said with a relaxed but proud tone.
Hiccup muttered incoherently before setting down his new belt, then yawned exaggeratedly, "We should really-uh-get to bed, I uh…".
"Yes, uh, good… ok", Stoick rose from his seat, "Good, good talk, uh, uh".
"Y-yeah, um, we'll see you… back at the house. Great, uh, thanks for stopping by".
"I'm glad to stop by-", Stoick bumped his head on a roof beam.
"Thanks for the… B-breast buckle, uhh…".
"Hope you like the belt", both father and son cleared their throats simultaneously, "Um, I… G-goodnight". Stoick ducked his way through the door, just as Hiccup put his hands on his hips and blew out a breath. On the other side, Stoick did the same in the dark. He nodded and stepped into a hanging cauldron, then stepped back and knocked over some axes in a bucket. The chief darted his eyes around the mess he had made but fixed his helmet and decided to quickly depart before he made it worse.
A few days later, Dragon arena
The gronckle hovered around the edge of the arena, scanning for potential targets. The returned villagers were cheering with the others standing at the fence. Astrid quickly ducked behind a barricade, staying out of sight of the dragon until she found an opening. Snotlout was hiding under his helmet when she stopped at his, he composed himself when he saw her, "Hey babe".
Astrid harshly shoved down his shield, "Shut up and stay out of my way, I'm winning this thing", she spat. Above, standing by his father and wearing his new belt, Hiccup watched her as she stealthily moved from cover to cover. The past few days, Astrid had come to him for help with dragon training. She mostly met him during his breaks between working with Gobber, shadowing Stoick or helping Iric, so he did not mind. Hiccup and Astrid talked while he answered any question he could, almost looking like friends to the rest of the village.
Astrid covertly moved closer behind the gronckle, getting within jumping distance. Stoick and the other adults looked on in wonder, trying to understand what the girl was planning. Hiccup obviously knew, *I must admit, I didn't like your female after she began attempting to goad you into fighting her*. Astrid climbed up on a barricade and jumped on the fluttering dragon, making the gronckle panic and spin to try to knock off its aggressor, *But now, after making the deal between you and her, her attitude has changed*. She raised her axe and jabbed the butt of its grip into the pressure point, *Mostly, I tolerate her now*.
Astrid kicked off the crashing unconscious dragon, landing on her feet and raising her axe to the crowd, 'Wow bud, that's the first time I ever heard you say something… nice about someone other than my dad, Gobber or Iric'. Behind her, the gronckle lay on its side with their tongue hanging out of its mouth.
As the crowd erupted in cheers, Astrid scanned the audience until finding Hiccup beside the chief. She smiled and waved, the teen returned her smile with his own and a thumbs up. Stoick looked to his son and Astrid, raising a bushy eyebrow at their exchange. Tap-tap-tap, "Wait…, wait!", Stoick bellowed to the crowd. The audience began to calm, "Okay, quiet down". The chieftain stepped aside to let Gothi shuffle forward, "The elder has decided". Astrid stepped in front of Gobber, Snotlout did the same albeit with some hesitation.
Snotlout puffed out his chest when Gobber held his hook over him, Gothi shook her head. Some in the crowd oohed, the teacher then points to Astrid with his remaining hand. Gothi looks down at the excited Hofferson, then after a moment smiles and lifts her finger. The audience explodes in cheers, Gobber turns to her, "Congratulation's lass, you've done it". "You get ta' kill tha' dragon!", Astrid was beyond ecstatic, the twins and Fishlegs go to pick her up and parade her around.
Beside his father, Hiccup stood by and sighed, "Well done, Astrid…, well done".
Gunther hollered, "That's my girl!", while his wife cheered with the rest of the crowd. Astrid waved to her family and then the audience, Hiccup waved back when she found him again. Amidst the celebration, Snotlout scowled and march toward the gate to his disappointed father.
Moments later, village square
Stoick and Gobber were organizing the village for the upcoming celebration of the dragon training final, "Gobber". The blonde turned to the chief, "Is there something going on between Hiccup and Astrid?".
"Eh, kinda", he shrugged, "Accordin' ta' Iric, a few weeks afta' yew left, 'e an' Astrid got inta' a scuffle while 'e was workin' with 'im". Gobber hobbled after Stoick, "Afta' clearin' up a misunda'standin, Astrid kept tryin' ta' fight 'iccup. I don't kno' wha' 'appen afta' but they musta' settled down an' began meetin' up… like friends".
Stoick rubbed his beard in thought, "Hmm, friends, eh?".
Gobber scratched his helmet with his hook, "'iccup's been busy, Stoick. Odin kno's what the lad's doin' now".
The forest, hours later
Crash, Hiccup, in full Avarice form, smashed through a fir and skipped across the ground. He picked himself up, then shook off his daze and brushes off bits of wood. The patches of dark grey harden bone scales covering his chest and shoulders flexed as he rolled his shoulder. A second later, a bluish green zippleback tramples its way through the thick underbrush. *Alright, let's go*, Avarice motions the dragon to bring it. The zippleback roars and charges at the symbiote teen, the right head leaking gas and the left sparking.
Avarice sprints at the dragon, meeting it at the center of the clearing. He leaps in between the heads, spinning in midair and launching slime threads at both. As soon as he landed on the zippleback's back, he crossed his arms and pulled. Both heads smashed together, Avarice spewed sticky gel from his mouth. The dragon's heads were doused in the viscous goo, confusing the zippleback. Avarice launched a plasma blast at the struggling heads, BOOM, the combined explosion from his shot and gel was immense.
Thud, the large dragon collapsed, *Well, that was more trouble than I wanted*.
*You best consume it before your father returns, Hiccup*, the symbiote reminded his host.
*Dad must be getting done with the council soon*, he burst open his chest and engulfed the zippleback. After absorbing the mass, Avarice concentrated on reforming his body. Large gill-like slits appeared on his inner forearm, leaking out black mist. He huffed a weak magnesium jet, bang, detonating the haze.
*Hmm, we'll have to work on how to use it later*, the other groaned, *You must get home before your birther does*.
*Right*, Avarice deactivated his new power and his armor scales. He narrowed his eyes, reforming his arms and legs. His limbs popped and cracked as they stretched out, his back following suite. After completing his transformation, he got down on all fours, *Wanna find out how fast we can go?*.
*Why not?*, His symbiote grinned. Avarice crouched then launched himself forward, breaking into a wolf-like gallop. Moment by moment, his speed increased until he was flying through the forest, weaving in between trees like a bird.
Berk village outskirts
*Hiccup, we're almost to the edge of the village!*, Avarice grunted and widen his strides. On his next one, he launched himself up to a tree, then kicked off the fir and soared to another. He rebound off that one and coasted out of the forest edge and towards his bedroom window. At the last second, Hiccup powered down and launched strings of symbiotic flesh at his window frame. When he flew through, Hiccup pulled back and slowed himself just enough not to crash-land.
Moments earlier, Great Hall
Stoick had just finished his meeting with the council, 'I wish it was Hiccup finishing first in dragon training', he thought. The chieftain was walking through the village, instinctively waving and greeting those he passed by. His mind wandered back to what Gobber had told him about his son, 'He may not be in dragon training, but my son sure knows how to send those devils running'. Hearing how Hiccup fearlessly stared down dragons and fought them barehanded to protect the students filled him with so much pride. He turned toward the direction of his home, grinning from ear to ear.
Haddock house
Stoick reached his door and stepped inside, "Hiccup, where are you son?". The chief hung his bearskin cape, Crash-thunk, then heard something from the second floor. "Hiccup!", Stoick rushed up the stairs, then burst into his son's room. He quickly scanned the room, spotting a knocked over bookcase leaning on a desk. The nasally mumblings coming from under the pile of books made Stoick rush over, "Son, are you alright?!".
He dug Hiccup free from under the pile and pulled him to his feet, "Yeah dad, we… we're okay". He fixed his clothes and looked around, "We were just trying to get our copy of the dragon manual from the top shelf".
"Oh… good, I'm glad to see you're alright", Stoick breathed out a sigh of relief. He watched as his son grab and push the heavy bookcase upright, raising his eyebrow at the feat of strength. Hiccup began picking his collection up and returning them back to their place, "Ahem, son, can I ask what your relationship with Astrid is?".
When he heard those words, Hiccup dropped the books he held in his arms, "O-oh, uh-um… I-we-". He quickly gathered what he had dropped, "We help Astrid with dragon training, like giving her advice and answering questions… why?".
"I see", Stoick cleared his throat, "I was worried you might've started something without letting me know".
"Don't worry dad, we haven't forgotten our talk", Hiccup sighed sadly. In his head, Avarice could only growl in silence at his host's bitter memory.
"Good… good, well we might as well get supper started", Stoick clapped his hands and smiled, "Tomorrow's going to be a big day".
The next day, The dragon arena
Most of the tribe was crowding around the arena, cheers almost deafening. Up on an elevated stage, Stoick walked out in between a pair of stone statues. The chieftain raised his hand to calm the crowd, "Here we are, to welcome a new warrior into our ranks". Behind the gate, Astrid breathes to steady her excitement, "Today, a girl becomes a viking". Stoick's words escalate her anxiety, "Today, Astrid becomes one of us!".
The audience erupts in a roar of cheers, "Be careful of that dragon".
Astrid spins around, seeing Hiccup standing behind her, "Hiccup?".
"Hey, we wouldn't want to miss your big day", he smiled and shrugged.
*Speak for yourself*, Avarice corrected his host.
"What if…", Astrid squeezed her hand tighter around her axe grip, "What if I'm not ready for this?".
"Astrid, listen to us", she turned to Hiccup, "You know who you are…, we know who you are".
"Hiccup, I… about our deal", Astrid tighten her lips, "Do you remember it?".
"Yes, we do", he sighed, "But that's after, what matters now is you, what you trained your whole life for". Hiccup stepped ahead of her and took a deep breath, "Astrid, the choices you make in life that really matter… are the ones you yourself make". He turned back and gave her a small smile, "No matter what you choose, we'll respect it".
"Really?".
"Yes, just promise u-me that you'll be careful... okay?".
"I will", Astrid hefted up her shield and axe.
"It's time Astrid, knock 'em dead", Gobber motioned towards the arena, letting her march inside with harden resolve. Hiccup followed his teacher out of the entrance, the chanting of Astrid's name booming from the crowd. The pair ended up standing to the right of his father on his throne, Gothi stood opposite of them.
"Ah, Hiccup", Stoick looked over to him, "Where were you, son?".
"Just giving Astrid a quick pep talk", the chieftain looked pass him to Gobber, who shrugged.
Astrid marched into the open, scanning the stands as she moved closer. Gobber, Stoick and Gothi looked on as she strode over to the weapon wall, the teen studied the collection of bludgeons and blades. Astrid walked back with her axe still in her hands, "I would've gone for the hammer", voiced Stoick.
Astrid took a deep breath, "I'm ready", the large wooden locking pins creaked as they unlatched. The door they kept sealed was heavily reinforced, steel plates upon plates covered the gates.
The enclosure burst open, ROOOAAAR, unleashing an enraged monstrous nightmare. Molten napalm splattered the inner face of the gates, glowing with intense heat. The large blazing dragon roared again, launching itself at the arena walls. It clawed along the wall, then up onto the metal fence. Foom, the nightmare spewed its fire at the audience, who parted to avoid the lethal flame. The chain roof clinked as the dragon scaled up over the arena, its sheer size casting a shadow on Astrid.
It craned its head to look at her, while menacingly growling. Thu-thud, the dragon dropped in front of Astrid, eyeing the teen like prey. She held out her shield, drawing the nightmare's attention to it. Astrid swung her axe at the dragon's head, plink, glancing off its horn and digging behind its eye socket. The nightmare roared in pain, spewing napalm at the fleeing teen.
Astrid ran towards the weapon wall, she kicked off it just before the dragon ignited the stand. She flew over the nightmare as it trampled over the burning debris, landing on its back. She jammed her shield into its mouth when it tried to snap at her, the stuck object made the dragon thrash violently. Astrid did not hesitate and struck with her axe, hacking away at the nightmare's back. The agony drove the dragon to crush the obstruction in its mouth, then it set itself alite.
Astrid stopped attacking to pat down the flames burning away at her legs. The nightmare catches sight of her with its still working eye, whipping its head back and snapping at the distracted teen. It caught Astrid's shoulder with its teeth, tearing her off its back and sending her skipping across the stone arena floor.
*Hiccup, don't*, Avarice stopped his host from jumping down to her aid.
The audience looked on in fear, watching as Astrid shakenly got back to her feet, 'I have to help her!'.
*I know you want to but there's two reasons you shouldn't*, Hiccup watched as she straightens herself up, blood running from under her right shoulder guard into her arm wrap. *One, you can't reveal us now, not yet*, Astrid brandished her axe at the wounded nightmare. *And two, she will never forgive you for humiliating her, upstaging her in her big moment in front of everyone!*, Hiccup bit his lip in silent rage, knowing he couldn't act without causing more damage.
"Stoick, shouldn't we do sumthin'?", Gobber asked his chief.
The chieftain turned to Gothi, who shook her head, "No, we must let the girl decide herself". Gobber turned to Hiccup, seeing the boy squeezing his fist tight enough to nearly draw blood.
"C'mon!", Astrid goaded the nightmare to attack. The dragon roared and charged, its galop noticeably jagged. Astrid readied herself, waiting for the right time to act. She sees the dragon reeling back to snap at her and strikes, rolling away and under its neck. Using the last of her strength, Astrid swings her axe and cleaves open the nightmare's soft underside. The dragon rolls and flops down, blood gushing from its mortal wound. Astrid tries to stand but falls to a knee, huffing as she sees her opponent slowly fall dead.
Cheers erupt from the stands; Astrid holds her axe up in triumph. Clank, it falls from her grip when her injuries catch up to her and she falls limp. The cheers turn to oohs of shock and fear, Astrid's parents rush to the gate. Hiccup runs and slides under the perimeter fence, dropping down into the arena. He sprints to Astrid's unconscious body, hefting it onto his shoulders. The crowd watches in awe as he runs back towards his father, parkouring up and delivering Astrid to Gobber and Gothi.
"She's 'urt pretty bad", Gothi motions him to carry her to her hut. The blacksmith scoops up the elder and then Astrid, before hobbling away with Astrid's parents and Hiccup in tow.
Later, Gothi's hut
Hiccup waited in the main room of Gothi's hut with Astrid's parents, the elder was tending to her in the back room. "Thank you, Hiccup", the teen turned to Gunther, "for helping our girl".
"Oh, um… n-no problem, sir", he nervously replied.
"Astrid sure is lucky", Brenna spoke up beside her husband, "Having a friend like you".
"We're not sure we're friends", Hiccup's words confused the Hoffersons, "We mean, Astrid never told us we were".
"I'm sure she does", Gunther said before looking to where Gothi was working, "She talks about you a lot at home". Hiccup's eyebrows raise up in surprise, "We were honestly worried she would go through life alone". The Hofferson patriarch leaned forward and smiled, "Thank you Hiccup, for everything you've done for our girl".
The teen smiled but it falls, "We didn't do enough, Astrid's still got hurt".
"Aye, but she faired better than the previous winners", Gunther countered. "I myself was pretty torn up, couldn't walk for a couple of days", the blonde remembered his own experience. The three waited several more minutes, until Gobber entered the healer's hut.
"Stoick wants ta' 'old off Astrid's celebration", the blacksmith relayed the chieftain's message, "Until she's back on 'er feet".
"Aye, that sounds good", Gunther replied just as the hunched small elder returned.
Gothi scribbled in the sand and Gobber translated. "Hiccup, yeh mind keepin' an eye on Astrid, Gothi wants ta' speak with 'er parrots-", Whap, Gothi smacked him, "Ow, she means 'er parents". Hiccup nods and walks into the backroom, leaving the door ajar. They waited until he sat down on the bench by the wall. "Tha' burns were severe an' 'er shoulder got torn up badly, Astrid might-", they continued on while Hiccup looked away.
His eyes scanned Astrid's unconscious body, her shoulder guards and boots were off. She laid on a cot, the smell of herbal medicine and blood hung in the air. Her legs from the knee down were wrapped in fresh bandages, as was her shoulder, *For such an adaptable species, your kind are quite fragile*.
'I can't stop feeling like it's somehow my fault', Hiccup thought back.
*You did the best you could*, Avarice countered, *Without your aid, I doubt she would've survived her test*.
'I guess', Hiccup looked back into the other room. Gobber relayed to Astrid's parents that she might not return to fighting shape, much to their horror. Hiccup turned back to Astrid quietly sleeping, dreading how she will take the news. He narrowed his eyes in frustration, 'There must be something I can do, anything!'. A realization hit him, 'Bud, you think you can fix her?'.
*Maybe*, Avarice sighed, *I've only studied your biological makeup*. Hiccup squeezed his fist tighter, *At best, I could repair internal muscle and bone*.
He thought all the way back to the beginning of dragon training, remembering what the other teens said, it's only fun if you get a scar out of it. Hiccup breathed out and rested his hands on his knees, 'Alright bud, do the best you can'.
*If that is what you truly want, I shall comply*, he opened his hands, small tentacles emerged from his palms.
The limbs snaked their way over to Astrid, 'Make sure not to unravel the bandages', Hiccup felt Avarice nod. The appendages landed on the wrappings of her shins and shoulder, then seeped through to her damaged skin. The adults kept conversing, occasionally glancing at the open door. They only saw Hiccup quietly sitting and watching Astrid, the wriggling slime tendrils hidden from their sight.
Gobber translated more of the elder's writing, "Gothi used tha' best medicine she could". Gunther's face was twisted in fatherly anguish, his wife had tears falling down her cheeks. The Hoffersons felt hope, "But, we should pray ta' Odin an' Asgard above fo' a miracle".
(A/N: And there's the dragon training finals. Hiccup absorbs more abilities, Astrid won but at a cost and everyone's waiting on how she'll recover.)