ᛗᛁᛞᚷᚨᚱᛞ

Hiccup woke up with a severe headache. It didn't take long to realize that he was sleeping on a cold stone slab. He tried to open his eyes and found himself in a kind of cave with teal walls from whose ceiling hung flowers and other plants that he had never seen either in books or in the woods. He looked away and saw Toothless, quietly dozing at his bedside. Smiling, he scratched his head to wake him up.

When the dragon opened his eyes he immediately launched himself on his rider and licked his face.

"Aaah, Toothless. You know it doesn't go away "

"I know and I don't care"

Hiccup gave a start. Toothless had spoken ... again.

"Toothless ... is this another dream?" "

" No Hic. It is not. I too am amazed that you can understand me. We will have to ask our father later. "

Hiccup was confused. Our father? Wait. Could Stoik have found and accepted Toothless? No, impossible was surreal. So who was the father his friend was referring to.

The flow of his thoughts was interrupted by the sound of falling objects. He turned towards the source of the sound and saw a woman in her forties: her hair was auburn and closed in a braid that went down to the lower part of her back, her face and body were thin but well built. She put her hands to her mouth in bewilderment and her eyes were shiny.

"Here we go again" thought Hiccup.

"Uhm... listen... I know it could be unsettling and... and it's... strange to see a dragon that doesn't attack... but we're friends, if you don't do anything to me, he won't…"

The woman ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck.

"Oh, Hiccup. How scared you made me. " she said in a faint voice.

Now Hiccup was even more confused. How did this woman know his name?

"Uhm... should I know you?"

She could have been one of the people who had helped in the south or she was in the archipelago very close to Berk.

"What kind of situation" thought Hiccup.

Separating from him the woman replied:

"No... you were just a child."

What was happening? He didn't understand anything about this story. Who was she?!

"But a mother... never forgets."

His breath caught in his throat. Could it be?

"M... mom?" Suddenly it didn't seem so strange anymore. She was his spitting image in a female version.

The woman hugged him once more, even tighter. They stayed like this for a while and then Hiccup asked:

"But you... you were taken away by... oh. Yes."

His mother had tamed the dragon. Now many things were explained. Especially why he thought so differently from his fellow countrymen.

"Apparently I'm not the first Viking to befriend a dragon huh?"

He said trying to lighten the situation. And it worked.

His mother giggled slightly and then said:

"Oh Hiccup, I'm sorry I abandoned you, but how could I stay there when I knew the truth about dragons. They were going to kill me with Cloudjumper and... and I couldn't risk it. Will you ever forgive me Hiccup? " his mother explained with tears in her eyes.

"Well ... I did the same thing so I don't think you have to apologize to me ..."

They laughed then his mother said:

"Hiccup, I have to take you to the Alpha. He will explain everything to you. You're part of the family now. "

"A few days in convalescence are enough and immediately I enter the family. I should have caught a Gronckle's tail in my face in front of the Hofferson house. Maybe I would have married Astrid by now," he said with a chuckle.

But Valka and Toothless looked sad and Toothless said:

"Brother… you've been out of the game for a year. "

The room circled Hiccup in shock and he sat down on the bed.

" A year. I... I lost a year in convalescence... I made Astrid wait Another year… so she has waited four years " a huge pain gripped his chest as his heart wept.

"Hiccup... come to Alpha and he will explain everything to you."

Unable to think of anything apart from Astrid, Hiccup followed them quietly.

The cave was huge. Much larger than any building he had ever seen. It was a rock formation on which was placed an enormous tower of ice spikes constituting the ceiling of the cave. Light filtered through a hole in the dome from which plants and flowers descended.

But the real show was the whirlwind of dragons of all colors, shapes and species, flying over the huge hole.

"Jump on brother. Let's visit our father. "

Hiccup looked at him confused and then said:

"Toothless, but you don't have a saddle. You can't fly without one.

" See for yourself, " the dragon taunted, pointing to his tail with his head.

Hiccup followed the dragon's gaze and was amazed. A snow-white fin lay where a prothesis had been for four years.

"And I'm not the only one, look at your right side. "

Obeying, Hiccup looked down at his side. A white scar was found on his skin at the level of his ribs. He touched it with his hand and it was colder than the rest of his body as thin cold vapor, almost imperceptible, continually escaped from it
.

" It's true... the spear... hit me... "

"And you would have died if it weren't for our father. "

"Toothless you keep talking about our father but I'm not a dragon. "

"Have I ever talked about dragons?" Said Toothless.

"But... Toothless... you ARE a dragon "

"WERE you mean. Just like you WERE human "

Hiccup was confused and even a little alarmed. His friend had hit his head against a boulder like Stoik, or maybe...

" What do you mean by I WAS human?" "

"Exactly what he said, Hiccup Haddock. "

The voice was like thunder crashing on a mountain. He turned in the direction of the new interlocutor and saw him. A mammoth white dragon, even larger than the Green Death, that looked at him with piercing blue eyes, instilling fear and also... security. On his head he had a crown of feathers while on the sides of his mouth he had two snow-white fangs. Instead of wings, he had powerful fins placed on a balanced body (as much as a dragon of that size could be), the tail was long and it had tail fins. This dragon was born from the sea.

"Don't be afraid of me, boy, I would never kill my son."

"Son? In ... in what sense? Hiccup asked with awe.

"I saved you from death by giving you my blood, Hiccup Haddock. You are now like a son in my eyes.

Hiccup was baffled. So now he was a half dragon or something. He needed answers.

"So, what am I? Am I ... am I no longer human? "

The dragon looked down and said:

"I'm sorry boy, but you've never been human at all. "

Hiccup was even more confused.

"Your mother… is Freyr's daughter. "

Okay, now his head was literally exploding.

His mother was the daughter of a Vanir god. Was he... Freyr's grandson?!

"But don't think it ends here. You came into contact with Jötnar blood, my blood. A normal person would have already become a dragon but because of your divine lineage you have become… something else. "

Shock could be read on Hiccup's face. He was the grandson of Freyr, a step-son of a Jötnar but he was not one of them. So what was he? What the hell was happening.

With fear in his voice he asked the giant.

« So... what am I? "

The dragon took a breath and said:

"You are Freyr's grandson on your mother's side and Jörmungandr's on your second father's side. You are the son of Stoik the Vast and the stepbrother of the offspring of Thor and Hel. You are a Hrímþursar, the first beings to exist, who generated the gods. But first of all, you are Hiccup Haddock III. The one who will defeat the Green Death, daughter of Miðgarðsormr. "

Hiccup hesitated for a second, then understood. The Alpha was right.

Whatever he had become, he was still Hiccup.

The same Hiccup who five years earlier had formed a friendship with his sworn enemy and who loved Astrid Hofferson.

He took courage and turned to his supposed father.

" What must I do to defeat her? " he asked.

The giant dragon smiled and said:

"First, learn to change languages at will. It won't help talking Jötun with humans. "

Then he realized he was speaking a different language. A harmonious language made up of long guttural verses. Similar to roars but more complex.

Hiccup took a deep breath and then turned to the Alpha.

"That's better?"

The Alpha gave what could be considered a broad smile (fangs permitting) and said:

"You quickly learn."

ᛗᛁᛞᚷᚨᚱᛞ

Valka couldn't believe it. Hiccup had accepted the idea of no longer being human quickly before asking his "giant father" about the Hrímþursar.

He replied in dragonese so that she too would understand:

"::The Hrímþursar are much older than me boy. I don't know more than I have already told you. ::"

In addition, Hiccup's senses, as well as his strength and speed, had increased far beyond the superhuman: he could hear the rustle of boats miles away or in a few leaps he was on top of the ice tower. It was as if he was a god in all respects, and he didn't even seem to try so hard to look like one. Gods... he could destroy a mountain if he wanted to.

Toothless had also grown a lot from Jötnar blood. It had only accelerated growth in him but that only meant that he and Hiccup were even. Toothless was huge now. Much more than the average dragon but still a pup compared to the Scales. Yes, because, giant dragons like The Alpha or the Green Death were Jörmungandr's scales, which broke away when Thor fished him with the bull's head hanging from the line. The wiser ones like the Alpha belonged to the head, the part closest to the brain, while the Green Death to the tail, the furthest away.

A year had passed since Hiccup had arrived at the shrine.

By that time he had developed abilities in Seiðr, magic that tapped into the forces of nature and bent them to his will, and in runes magic, used to endow inanimate objects with magical properties. He had enchanted his armor with the rune Thurisaz (protection) and his sword with Jera (justice) so that the sword only did what was right. Had it been used with hatred or malice it would not have come out of its sheath. Of course, Hiccup also carried a Gronckle Iron sword, a special lighter type of iron that is stronger than normal, created by gronckle's droppings. Strong yes, a little less hygienic.
Hiccup's armor was made from Toothless flakes that fell after shedding and was so well crafted that to the human eye it looked like an ordinary cloth robe. Somehow Hiccup had managed to make it strong and supple. The same was true for pants, gloves, and boots.

He had grown even more and had put on lean, powerful muscles.
His face was even sharper with time but his eyes were the same as five years ago. The only difference was his pale complexion and his white scar on his side.

That day he was talking to the Alpha (who he had renamed Bigfang) when the latter suddenly stopped talking.

" Someone has found the Nest, Hiccup."

Hiccup turned to Bigfang with a shocked expression on his face.

"Are you sure? Aren't you getting old?"He said, hoping to ease the tension.

"Humans got through the Mist, Hiccup, I don't know how they did it but they got through the magic. "

He turned back to Hiccup and said:

"It's time, Hiccup, the prophecy is coming true. You can't stay here a minute longer. I don't want to put any tension on you, but I think you already know who reached the nest."

Without a word he stepped off the Alpha's fang and headed for Toothless.

"We have to go brother. My village is in danger "

Toothless snorted and said;

"Jump up. But I still don't understand why you want to help those silly humans who gave you a life of Hel. "

" I don't want to go either, but remember who is among those humans, Toothless."

" Yes, yes. The one you wanted to mate with. "

Hiccup, as much as possible, blushed and retorted,

" I didn't want to"mate". "

" If you say so... " Toothless said with a chuckle.

"Hiccup. Here we go."

His mother was ascending Cloudslide in her armor.

"WHAT?!... No... Er... WHAT?! " Hiccup said, forgetting to speak the human language for a moment.

"I'm coming with you. Remember that Stoik is there too. "

It was useless to argue so he said:

"Toothless and I will go first. He is much faster than Cloudjumper . We will try to buy time until your arrival. When you arrive, get everyone away from the island. I don't want them to know yet. "

His mother nodded and they took off.

In two powerful beats of Toothless's wings he broke the barriers of sound and in a few minutes they were at Helheim's Gate. They heard a mighty roar that made their blood run cold.

Trying to ease the tension, Hiccup said,

"Well, when Dad gets angry it's worse, isn't it? "

" Yes, it is. Toothless said with a slight chuckle.

" Come on brother "

oOo

Aaaah, we are about to get to the battle against the Green Death.

So I've already explained Seidr magic and runes in the text so I don't need to re-explain them.

Freyr (ᚠᚱᛖᛃᚱ): is one of the most important deities of Norse mythology. Worshiped as a god of beauty and fecundity, he dominates the rain over the shining of the sun and the harvest of the fields. (It's one of my favorites )

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