"Now tell us where Hiccup is."
Viggo looked at each furious member of the Dragon Riders through the bars of his prison. He supposed he should be thankful for the locked stable door between him and Hiccup's team. Snotlout pounded his fist into his hand, the twins brandished spears, Fishlegs looked like Ryker did on the daily, and lady Astrid looked positively ready to kill.
"Do any of you want to sit down for this?"
"Enough chatter!" Snotlout spat. "Cut to the chase!"
"I will sit down, then." Viggo tipped his head to them and seated himself on the bucket in his stall.
"Stop playing with us, Viggo," Astrid ordered.
"Have none of you picked up anything from your leader? I thought Hiccup always enjoyed our little games." Viggo bobbed his head again. "Well, some of them."
"Did. You. Hurt him?" Fishlegs growled.
Viggo exhaled. Here it goes... "Well as a matter of fact... it appears I have."
He felt the entire team brace for attack. "Where is he?" Astrid asked.
Viggo averted his focus to the landing platform outside the stables where none other than Hiccup Haddock stood being absolutely fawned over by four dragons. So dragons were spiritual enough to see ghosts, were they? Hiccup seemed to be speaking with them, touching their jaws and petting their noses as was his habit. Viggo tried not to attach human emotions to animals but the Monstrous Nightmare's eyes seemed to shine with concern as it looked the ghost boy up and down. The Nadder seemed both worried and affectionate, a little too nervous to rub her head against the apparition. Hiccup chuckled as the Gronckle tried to lick his hand only for it to phase straight through, causing the beast to jump in shock.
Hiccup stop playing with your dragons and get over here!
Astrid slammed her fist into the door, bringing the Hunter Chieftain's attention back. "Where, Viggo, WHERE?!"
Viggo analyzed her for a few seconds. He needed to give an explanation, and soon, but the words needed to be chosen carefully. Waiting too long wouldn't end well for him, but neither would rushing head on.
"Forgive me," he started. "What I'm about to say might at first seem highly strange. Unbelievable in fact. I ask for your patience."
"You said you hurt him." Astrid's chest rose and fell under her heavy breathing. "I need to know what you did with him and where he is."
"And I need to know... how much faith you put in the supernatural."
A host of eyebrows lifted up.
"How many of you believe in ghosts?"
The twins' hands shot up and their stupid grins reappeared. Cautiously, Snotlout raised his hand, as well. Great. The unintelligent half of the riders would believe him, at least.
"What do ghosts have to do with this, Viggo?" Astrid crossed her arms.
Hiccup left the dragons outside and came to stand unseen next to his team.
"Hiccup is..." Viggo's gaze locked with Hiccup's. "He's, ah..."
Hiccup sent him a wide-eyed look as if to say, "go on!"
"He is..." Viggo's eyes wandered to the rest of the Riders, who looked less angry and more frustrated and perplexed. My personal live-in ghost! "I can't say it." He buried his face in his hand.
"Why not?" the boy twin - Tuffnut, was it? - drawled.
"Because it's bloody ridiculous!" Viggo shouted, pulling his hand away from his face sharply.
Fishlegs cocked an eyebrow and Astrid uttered a frustrated huff.
"Fine, here it is then! There is absolutely no good way to say this! Hiccup's a ghost, he's haunting me, and I need one of you to wish him back to life!" Viggo fumed, face overshadowed by a stormcloud.
"Really?" Hiccup crossed his arms.
"Oh go away," Viggo grumbled. He tried rubbing out the knot forming on his forehead. It didn't work.
No one looked impressed.
"What are you on?" Snotlout snorted.
"I'm not on anything." He looked them all dead in the eyes. "I killed Hiccup."
The Dragon Riders stared at him for a good half a minute in silence.
"You're lying." Astrid's voice came out hushed.
"I'm afraid I am not." Viggo folded his arms and leaned back. "Hiccup Haddock died in the late hours of the night yesterday evening. I have been dealing with the consequences of my actions all morning, and I would..." he sagged with a heavy sigh, the anger washing off his face, "beg you to help me reverse this."
"You're LYING!" Astrid's voice cracked.
"Let me explain - "
"I don't believe you!" she screamed. She raised her axe to swing it at the door but Fishlegs stopped her. She thrashed in his arms and tried to throw herself at Viggo. "He's lying!" she insisted.
"I don't believe him either." Snotlout shook his head, mouth forming a tight line. Beside him, the twins were looking more worried and emotional than usual.
"I assure you I speak the truth." Viggo stood up. "I need you to listen to me - "
"Wait, then where's Toothless?" Fishlegs peered at Viggo through red eyes.
"How can we trust anything he says?" Astrid hissed at her friend restraining her.
"Where his dragon is, I do not know." Viggo took a step closer and extended his hand. "But I can help you get them both back if you would just listen to me."
"You mean..." Tuffnut scrunched up his nose, "take us to his corpse?" Snotlout elbowed him in the ribs.
"No. I mean, if you help me, we can bring him back. Back from the dead."
"Uh, yeah, ok," the girl twin - Ruffnut - snorted. "He's definitely crazy."
"If you'll allow me - "
"Stop." Astrid said. A single word. She didn't look up when she said it.
"Your friend is haunting me. I want to fix this perhaps more than any of you."
"I don't want to hear any more." The flaxen haired woman seemed to slipping into a state of shock. "Just tell us where to find his... where to find him."
"I'm afraid I cannot tell you the location of his body..."
Astrid's chest rose and fell visibly, her grip on Fishlegs' arms tightened, her face flushed red.
"Astrid," Viggo kept his voice soft and hopefully more personal. "I need your help."
Her head snapped up and her eyes blazed like dragon fire. "There is no way," Astrid heaved, teeth bared and bangs wild and damp on her forehead, "in hell that we will ever help you!"
She shoved Fishlegs away from her and stormed out of the building.
"Wait! Whatta we do with him?" Snotlout called after her, gesturing to their prisoner.
"I don't care! Torture him until he breaks!" Without a backwards glance, she mounted her dragon and flew off.
Tuffnut cackled and pounded the spear in his hand, his sister grinning and uttering a dark chuckle beside him. "This is gonna be fun."
"Guys, don't," Fishlegs sighed.
"Fishlegs, you're a reasonable man. Hiccup and I need your assistance. Come with me and I'll - "
"I don't want to hear it, Viggo." Ingerman bowed his head, unable to look him in the eye. "Let's go guys." And just above a whisper: "We'll deal with him later."
The four trouped out, sending glares Viggo's way as they did.
"We're not done with you!" Snotlout jabbed a finger at him.
"Yeah!" Tuffnut spat. "Until then, have fun rotting in jail!"
"Scum," Ruffnut muttered.
All of them mounted their dragons without seeming to notice the beasts were hyper-focused on some invisible thing near Viggo's cage. They all leaped off the landing platform and raced after Astrid, leaving just Hiccup standing there failing not to look awkward.
"Thank you so much for your assistance," Viggo growled at him as he walked back to plunk down on his bucket.
"That went... somehow worse than I expected," The peg-legged ghost sighed, gazing after his friends.
"This must be the worst day of my life. Without a doubt." Viggo pinched the bridge of his nose, elbows leaned on his knees.
"I think that goes for you and me both." Hiccup walked over to the heavy lock and chain on the stable door. "Now let's get you out of here."
Viggo stood as his unfortunate companion stuck his shadowy fingers into the lock and fumbled with the tumblers. The chain rattled, Hiccup let the lock thud to the floor, and Viggo pushed the door open and stepped outside.
"You couldn't have done that when we had an audience?"
"Sorry. I'll put on more of a show next time."
"Please do." Viggo lengthened his stride and he and Hiccup made their way out of the building.
In the sunlight once again, the Dragon Hunter turned his sights on the base growing out of the cliffs above them. Dragons flitted around the Riders' Clubhouse, their humans likely holding a meeting inside. Best to finish things before they sent a Terror Mail to Berk that left him awaiting a death sentence. He guessed Astrid's natural coarse of action would be to retreat to a private place to take out her anguish, then beat Viggo into a pulp until she had been convinced her partner was truly deceased, and finally send word to Berk's chief - Hiccup's father.
Oh dear. It seems I have a severe time limit.
Hiccup took off running in the direction of the huts and Viggo followed on his heels.
"We'll make a pit stop at my place and then look for the others to get them on board!"
"You know, Hiccup, your friends are far too emotional!" Viggo panted slightly. "It got in the way of both sides obtaining what they want."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah!"
Hiccup rooted around in his loft, gathering quill and parchment for his upcoming "ghost speech" while Viggo wandered around on the main floor, exploring as he so pleased. He figured he deserved a look around considering what had been done to his room. He found Hiccup's hut to be in a bit of a shambles - he deduced the cause to be a panicked episode during transformation. Knick-knacks and unfinished inventions cluttered up the corners, and he picked up and examined what resembled a mock Dragon Eye lens.
Perhaps he could kill more than one bird on this trip. His gaze landed on a chest at the very back of the hut. He moved toward it.
"Hey!"
Viggo whirled around to see Snotlout looming in the doorway.
"What are you doing out?!" The buffoon stomped inside.
"Hello again, my friend." Viggo tucked his hands behind him and strode counterclockwise around his aggressor. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Don't smooth talk me! Get back in your cage!"
Snotlout lunged and Viggo flung the tongs he had positioned himself to reach. They clanged off the boy's helmet and sent him reeling and clutching his face. "Aaaaaaagh!"
Viggo smirked.
Hiccup shouted from the loft, "Hey Viggo! Don't-don't kill each other. That is the last thing we want!"
"'Sssss tha' how you wan' it?" Snotlout slurred, eyes rolling all over the place as his blind hand grasped for the tongs laying on the floor. He managed to grab them and raised his arm for the throw... or would he try some impromptu sword-play? Whatever the case, he remained too unsteady to do anything.
"I'd actually prefer to put aside our hostilities," Viggo replied. He centered his balance to preserve the image of calm and collected and to be ready if the brute charged.
And (attempt to) charge he did. He staggered forward with angry determination, tongs raised.
"Hey Snotlout!" Hiccup now stood at the edge of the loft, an old bucket-slash-waste-paper basket in his hand. He chucked it.
"Gah!" Snotlout shrieked when it hit him between his shoulder-blades, raining parchment scraps twirling all around him. He sputtered and tried to see through the paper cloud. "Who did that?!"
"Snotlout, are we ready to talk this out yet?" Viggo remarked with a dry smile. He had to admit, it was humorous to watch Hiccup "ghost" someone other than him.
"Viggo watch out!"
Too late. Before he could even finish looking back a massive dragon slammed a clawed hand down on top of him and pinned him to the floor, knocking all the breath from his lungs.
"Ha ha! Yeah, waitta go Hookfang!"
"Brilliant," Viggo wheezed.
"Pretty exciting day, huh?" Hiccup remarked as he unlocked the stable door for the second time.
"Hmmm," Viggo grunted. He rolled his shoulders and rubbed his back as he stepped out, still feeling where the dragon's talons had marked him.
"Okay, I got a note," Hiccup held out a rolled up parchment. "It explains a few things and HOPEFULLY convinces my friends that you're telling the truth."
"Where to now?" Viggo took the scroll into his hand.
"The Clubhouse."
Snotlout, after throwing him back in the cage, had raced off to tell everybody what happened, leaving his dragon to stand guard. Hiccup had just as quickly run in, placated Hookfang, and undone the lock and chains around the cell door. The reptile watched his prisoner walk free with rapt curiosity.
"It's okay, boy, I need his help." Hiccup rubbed Hookfang's nose.
"Shall we?" Viggo gestured to the wide open barn entrance.
"Yes." The Rider slid alongside the Monstrous Nightmare's neck and swung his leg up over the saddle, seating himself without a sound. He patted the spot behind him. "Climb on."
"I am not going by dragon back!"
"Do you want this over with sooner or not?"
Viggo uttered a heavy sigh. Why was today happening to him? Because he just happened to be standing next to some magic. Of all the things... "Very well." After tucking the all important note into his belt, he walked over, braced his hands on the dragon's neck - letting Hiccup address the menacing snarl that was the beast's response - and climbed into the seat of the saddle.
"Hang on!" Hiccup took hold of the six-foot long horns and the dragon leaped into the air.
The creature's wings pounded the sky on either side of him, his pace eating the distance between the stables and the Clubhouse. Viggo felt every flex of muscle in the thick neck under him, felt the beaten wind in his ears. Seconds later, he jolted in his seat as Hookfang landed on the platform outside the Clubhouse.
He heard the riders' voices conferring inside and dismounted. Hookfang rumbled in his throat, but followed Hiccup and Viggo to the open Clubhouse doorway. Viggo knocked on the frame to get the occupants' attention.
When everyone inside, Astrid included, looked up from their heated discussion around the table and saw Viggo with one of their own dragons their jaws dropped.
"What?! Hookfang!" Snotlout yelped. "Traitor!"
"Did he just... how did he get out again?" Astrid fumed.
"Hiccup let me out." Viggo stepped inside. "We have something for you."
"Wooaah," Ruffnut said, wide-eyed and leaning forward (obliterating her already poor posture). "He really is crazy. We're dealing with someone who's lost it, people."
"My faculties are all intact!" Viggo spat. He took a deep breath, managed to tuck away his fury, and reached for the note in his belt. "This is for you..."
"AAAAAAAGH!" Tuffnut screamed, darting forward and karate chopping the parchment from Viggo's hand. "Hookfang, FIRE!"
The dragon puffed out some flame and incinerated the paper before it hit the ground.
"Noooo!" Hiccup shouted with hands outstretched.
"You imbecile!" Viggo shouted. "That was a note from Hiccup!"
Invisible to his friends, Hiccup groaned loudly into his hands.
"It could've been a weapon!" Tuffnut spouted.
"It was a piece. Of. Paper!" Viggo grit his teeth.
"Or a weapon DISGUISED as a piece of paper!"
"Enough!" Astrid ordered, stepping between the two men. She grabbed Viggo's wrist to twist it behind him.
He yanked it free. "You can direct me and I'll walk on my own, thank you!" He scowled at her.
She pointed to a chair against the wall. "Sit over there. Fishlegs, tie him up."
"There is no need to restrain me," Viggo snapped.
A minute later, he had been wrestled into the wooden chair and his hands tied behind his back. "I despise you all," he said in an even tone.
"Ok guys, c'mon, that's going a little far." Hiccup walked behind him and untied the rope. The rope fell to the ground and Viggo pulled his hands back in front of him.
Confusion seemed to be the main response from the riders. Snotlout purposely bumped Fishlegs as he walked past him. "You didn't tie it tight enough, Fishfingers." Fishlegs stammered out weak excuses as Snotlout redid the knots. Viggo grunted as the rope cut at his wrists.
"There." Snotlout stepped back, and the rope immediately "fell off" again. "What?!"
Viggo smirked. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Hiccup cover his mouth to hide his own.
"Just... leave him." Astrid rubbed her brows. "As long as he talks."
"You mean as long as you're willing to listen."
"I'm not going to take any funny business, Viggo," Astrid warned.
"And I will give none. I'll repeat myself: I require that you listen to everything I say with an open mind, no matter how bizarre."
She scrutinized him for several seconds. "Fine. Talk."
"Thank you. It's as I've already said. I caused Hiccup's death, yes," here he noted Astrid took a deep breath, "but I was not actually present for his passing." The insane events he'd experienced replayed in his mind. "I heard a voice in my camp last night offering me a wish and in my then current state of mind - courtesy of your sabotage - " he sent them a pointed look, "all I wanted was to see my greatest enemy fall."
"I'm flattered," Hiccup murmured behind him.
"I wished Hiccup would die, not knowing mere hours later he would appear in my tent, a spirit." Astrid raised a hand to prevent her team from interrupting. "Because of my wish, he was sentenced to haunt me for the rest of my life. We are both determined to undo this. We sought out the being responsible, and if you follow me to him you can reverse his spell with a wish of your own. You can bring him back."
All the Riders exchanged glances, the twins making "crazy" motions. Viggo mouth twisted, insulted, but gave them time to process the seemingly ludicrous story he'd just dropped on them. If the man he'd been two days ago had heard one his men spin such a tale, he would have had him locked up.
At last Astrid turned back to him, her skepticism still apparent. "You're telling the truth?"
"I am. And I can prove it."
She stopped to think on it for a long while, eyes glued to the floor, her only movement the occasional twitch of a finger or shift of a boot. She turned to her friends.
"Maybe he's killed Hiccup, maybe he hasn't, but I think something's happened that's too much for him to deal with. He believes what he's saying. I think he's hallucinating."
Viggo sputtered in shock. "Astrid I have had a very long day, but I am not hallucinating!"
"You could be right," Fishlegs mused. Nobody paid Viggo any mind. "Intense guilt could explain why he sought us out like this."
"Intense guilt?" Viggo couldn't believe his ears.
"Oh Thor," Hiccup cupped a hand over his eyes.
"Clearly he needs to see a shrink," Ruff pursed her lips and nodded hard.
Viggo turned on his heel and marched out the door.
"Wha- hey! Viggo!" Hiccup ran after him, both of them disregarding the Riders' shouts as Viggo legged it across the platform. "Where are you going? Just give us a minute, guys." He threw quills, maps, and three spare legs (turns out ghosts have really deep pockets) back at his crew to stall them, ignoring their shocked screams.
"I'm going to grab the imp who did this and have him tell your infernal friends what happened!"
"I mean, fine, sure," Hiccup rambled as they charged down the boardwalk, "or I could just... I guess that works too."
"Perhaps you could finally make yourself useful in the meantime!" Viggo snapped over his shoulder. The footsteps of an entire crew of Dragon Riders thundered on the boardwalk behind him.
"Hey, who busted you out of prison?" Nevertheless, Hiccup fell behind. Viggo didn't pause to check what the ghost planned to do. He made a beeline for the trough towering beside Snotlout's hut.
A spear thunked into the wood to his right. He grabbed it and twisted to throw it back but stopped his hand. Hiccup had snatched the second spear from the twins and leveled it in front of their ankles, and that coupled with the handfuls of metal nuggets he'd strewn on the ground sent them pitching forward on their faces. This caused the rest of the group to falter. Viggo set his sights back ahead of him and put on more speed.
He skid to a halt in front of the trough and banged his fist on the side. "Hey! You! Get out here!" He looked back over his shoulder to check his pursuers' proximity.
Fishlegs and the twins were tangled up on the ground with each other. Astrid watched in bafflement as Snotlout fought to get past a floating red and black tail-fin.
"Why on earth did you even think to carry all that on you?" Viggo asked incredulously.
"I was experimenting ok?!" Hiccup shouted back, still trying to block Snotlout's path.
The lug managed to dance around the open fin for a second only for his invisible leader to shove it in his way again. Snotlout crashed right on top of it, both him and the fin phasing straight through the ghost to the ground, causing Hiccup to shiver and squirm as he stood knee deep in lout. "Aaaaah that's weird!"
Astrid claimed that moment to tear past them and set her sights on Viggo, axe at the ready.
"Astrid, ah!" Hiccup hopped out of the puddle of Snotlout under his feet. "Wait!"
Viggo rapped his fist against the trough once more, not taking his eyes off his impending attacker, the spear braced in his hand.
Astrid threw herself at her now sworn enemy and swung. Viggo deftly stepped to the side, then thrust the spear - not to injure but to disarm. She brought her axe out of the way up to her shoulder, holding this stance. He could see her analyzing him. She may be angry but she maintained her control and focus. A dangerous opponent to have.
The axe aimed for Viggo's side, but Viggo outsmarted the attempt to lead his spear under its blade and instead ducked around Astrid to knock her back with his weapon's wood handle. Astrid grunted and spun to face him. Neither of them moved for a few moments, then Astrid took one stride forward and faked a swing. It proved enough to trick Viggo into jabbing at the opening she left him, and she brought her axe back down and chopped the spear in half. Viggo leaped back. Now he had nothing but a stick in hand and his feet under him. Well... and an irritating ghost side-kick.
"Hiccup, now would be an excellent time to intervene!"
"See! He is crazy," came Ruffnut's distant proclamation.
Hiccup actually rolled his eyes but picked up the point end of the spear discarded on the boardwalk. He tapped Astrid on the shoulder, pulling her attention away from Viggo. Her eyes popped and she swung at the floating spear, her blade passing right through Hiccup and affecting nothing.
"What...?" she queried. She prodded the air around the suspended weapon before turning back to the Hunter Chief. "Alright, Viggo, tell me what the hell is going on!"
"I believe I have given you the necessary information to solve the puzzle."
"But that's impossible..." Her eyes trailed back to the spearhead. "It's some sort of trick!" She spun on him and the spear plunked off the back of her head and clattered to the ground, halting her in her tracks.
She turned back slowly, staring right through Hiccup. The boy's features morphed into something of regret and sadness as he gazed back at his close friend, knowing she couldn't see him. Behind him, the rest of the team were wandering over. Hiccup bent down, picked up the spear, and walked over to Snotlout's hut. He poised the head over the wooden walls and began to carve.
'Hey guys'
"Hiccup?"
And Viggo breathed a sigh of relief. At last.
Has it really been over a year since chapter 1? Yikes!
This chapter took me longer than I expected because it just kept growing and growing! But bigger's better, right? Especially with infrequent uploads? We're almost at the end, though! One or two chapters left!
Thank you Hpfan for reviewing. I loved your comment. :) And thank you Guest! Here's another chapter!