Hello to whoever will read this. We are approaching the first climax of the story so be prepared. Hope you enjoy.
The next day, the chieftains talked about how they will proceed. There were some disputes about the trade lines, which got ugly really fast, but Hiccup, as a neutral party, took charge and solved the problems. Stoick could only admire his son. He felt ashamed, all this time he tried to change Hiccup into someone in his image. It turned out that he, and all the Archipelago, just needed his true self. He watched, as his son talked with confidence and authority about the peace that they could achieve, if they laid down their differences. After his speech, the chieftains thought hard but didn't acknowledged. Suddenly, Heather stood up.
"I want peace. I won't rest until we can achieve it. Then I will protect it with all my Berserker might." She promptly said, making a fist and hitting her heart with it. Soon, all the other heirs, apart from Snotlout, followed her and saluted Hiccup. Stoick watched with pride and quickly stood up and said that Berk wants peace. The chiefs, looking at each other, nodded and followed the red bearded man's actions. Hiccup looked around him. He could feel more proud for himself, he just ended a war, without the need to fight. Scanning the room, his eyes fell on Alvin, who hadn't gotten up.
"I see what you are trying to do boy, but it won't work. You want to make my tribe lower its guard and then.. you will strike. Not gonna happen." Alvin said seeing the others.
"However, it seems that I would be at a disadvantage if I attacked Berk, now that it has all these allies. Rest assured that I won't attack. But I won't join your little fake alliance." He said mockingly. The chieftains of the other tribes anticipated such reaction and they agreed.
"Now that the Archipelago is at peace. It time to celebrate it!" Stoick boomed out. His voice echoed in the vast walls of the Great Hall.
The sun had just set and the Vikings had already started celebrating. It wasn't hard for them. They would find whatever excuse, if it meant drinking and eating all night. Hiccup didn't particularly liked it, which was another thing that made him non-viking. He did, however, wanted to see all the different people celebrating. When he entered the Hall, the music filled his ears. He could see at the center of the room, where several hours ago the meeting took place, all the chiefs drinking and laughing. He stood there admiring the view.
"You've done it. You finally brought peace to your homeland." A voice coming from behind him said. He looked back to see his white haired friend smiling.
"Yeah.." He said touching his stomach.
"But I didn't know it would make me starve." Hiccup said smiling. George laughed and pointed him to the table with the food. Then he returned to the table where all the Berkian teen were. After Hiccup got a plate full of meat he started heading towards the same table, when something stopped him.
He looked down at his stomach, seeing a wooden staff hindering his movements. He turned around and saw the face a man he wished he could avoid. Alas, the Gods were cruel. One of the most obnoxious people ever walking on this earth was in front of him. Mildew, a village elder and everyone's pain.
"What do you think you are doing?" He asked with his distinct voice. Hiccup couldn't keep his sarcastic side at bay and answered.
"Well, I was gonna sit down over there and enjoy my meal and the evening. But it seems that both of them were ruined." He said with a smirk.
"You? You want to eat with us? Don't be naive. You can't!" He said raising both his voice and staff. Hiccup looked at him confused, Mildew loved the expressions the auburn haired boy had and continued.
"You were exiled from the tribe. The law forbids you from joining any group. You are an Outcast. Not that you weren't before. Now it's just official." He said closing the gap between them. Hiccup didn't answered. Mildew turned to the villagers.
"For years you were the bane of our existence. You would walk out of your house and all you would bring was destruction. You were useless, no one wanted you and yet you stayed. It seems you are stupid as well, since it took you fifteen years to leave us in harmony." The old man continued.
"Harmony? Harmony? Five years of war. You call that Harmony. Maybe you are the stupid one, old man since you can't understand the difference between war and peace." Hiccup answered angrily. Mildew looked at Stoick, who hadn't said a word. Spitelout stood up and looked at Hiccup smirking.
"Mildew is right you can't eat with us boy. Go eat somewhere else." He said, giving the same emphasis on the word 'boy' as he did all those years ago. The teens protested. Tuffnut in particular called Spitelout stupid, because they have already eaten with Hiccup. The dark haired man smirked and looked at the blonde male.
"Oh. It is true that you have eaten with this traitor. However, at the time, he had his mask on. Even after he revealed his identity to us, we were too busy with the meeting to deal with him. Now that this is settled, we can return to his situation and deal with him." Spitelout said looking at the table, where the chiefs were. Stoick didn't take his eyes from his plate. There was a murmur between the other chieftains. Most of them agreed that Hiccup, since he was banished, should leave. Stoick had enough, he stood up, his massive size overshadowed everyone in the room.
"This is outrageous. Hiccup is my son. He has the right to eat with us." The red beared man said. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at their chief. Alvin laughed, his voice got the attention of the whole room.
"He has no right to eat with us. He may be your son, but you exiled him remember Stoick? He doesn't belong to any tribe. Even at the meeting, he introduced himself not as a Viking, but as Dragon Rider." The black beared man said with authority. Hiccup looked around, the only thing he could see was those eyes. The same eyes that used to haunt his dreams. He couldn't take it. He just walked to a table in the corner of the room with his head low, not wanting to see those eyes again. He sat down and started eating. Every bite was harder than the previous one. He couldn't push the food down his mouth, it was like a knot was formed in his throat. He heard someone sitting opposite of him, he raised his head and he was met with the familiar white hair. Instantly he smiled and continued eating.
Astrid was with the group watching the two Riders talking, from the corner of her eyes. She didn't approve of this ridiculous law.
'Even thought he is stupid, obnoxious, sarcastic and wrong at many things. That doesn't mean he deserves such treatment.' Astrid thought to herself.
'Besides, if we go there and play it cool, it would mean that we have made the first step' The voice said.
'What step?' The blonde girl wondered.
'The first step in building a good relationship with him. These four days showed me that the old Hiccup is still there. He just needs help.' The voice answered. Astrid couldn't answer, her feet had already started their course. Before she realised it she had already walked up to them and sat down.
'Please don't ask. Please don't ask.' She kept saying inside her head. Hiccup looked at her and smiled, then he noticed movement from behind her. Seeing his emerald eyes diverting their gaze from her, she turned around to see what he was looking. Fishlegs, Tuffnut and Ruffnut were heading their way, with their food in their hands.
'Thank the Gods I'm not the only one. Now they will think that we all support Hiccup not just me.' She thought.
'Well. We were the first ones to come. The voice remarked.
'Shut up. We are not the first. George is.' Astrid answered quickly.
'Doesn't count.' The voice said. Astrid wanted to continue arguing, mainly because it would take her mind off his continuous stare, but a voice snapped her back in reality.
"Look! He has poisoned the mind of our next generation. They have no respect for the laws. He is to blame, he should be punished." Mildew said seeing the teens eating with the auburn haired boy. The other heirs stood up. Mildew watched them as they followed the action of the group. Thuggory, Camicazi and Heather sat down with Hiccup. Thuggory, being the oldest of them all, addressed the old man.
"I respect your age old man. But you have to understand that your war has past down to us. Normally we would pick the Viking side. But this man right here has given us a third option. Peace. I, Thuggory of the Meathead tribe, declare Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third as a legendary Hero. His name shall echo through the ages, next to Sigurd and Ragnar." The Meathead heir declared gaining shouting and applause from the men in the Hall.
"Hero? Hero? Don't make me laugh boy. This worthless piece of meat, a Hero? Don't make him fool you just because his appearance changed. He is still that useless kid he used to be. He can't do anything right. He is a calamity to our world. Everyone he came close to suffered. Even his own mother thought that getting devoured by a dragon was better, than being near him." Mildew yelled. Silence engulfed the Great Hall. Many turned to Stoick, expecting a reaction, since his wife was off limits. The Berkian chief kept his gaze in the table. Others, looked at Hiccup, wanting to see his reaction. Before the young Dragon Rider could answer the old man. Spitelout intervened with a surprising low voice.
"My sister, your mother, was a disgrace to the family name. Our parents were thrilled when Stoick came and asked for her hand in marriage. They thought that had been liberated from her. Valka was... A lot like you. A dreamer, an idealist, a fool. By saving your life, it gave it value, something that you ignored and continue to do so. You are not worthy of her life. You should return it." Spitelout said straight to Hiccup's face. Astrid, George and all the others were frozen from his words.
'How can he say these things to him? She was his sister.' Astrid thought getting angry at the man in front of her. She tried to speak up but was stopped by Hiccup. The auburn haired man walked slowly towards his uncle. His eyes were covered by his hair, but George had a feeling that things would turn south.
"Astrid get Mildew out of here. When Hiccup finishes with Spitelout and sees Mildew... Let's just say that no God will save him." George said to the blonde warrior, she nodded and dragged the old man to the corner with the rest of the group. All eyes were on the two men at the center of the room. Hiccup looked at him.
"You can say whatever you want about me. You can say anything about my friends, provided that you can endure the consequences. However, you CANNOT say anything about my mother or the way she lived. Because you were related to her, I will let this one time slide. If you ever mention her name with disrespect again. I swear to all the Gods, Valhalla or Olympus, that I will make you suffer." Hiccup's look was deadly. Spitelout, feeling the bloodlust the boy emitted, stepped back. Hiccup walked out of the Hall, leaving everyone dazed. Astrid understanding how he felt, she followed him. George sighed gaining the attention of the others. Heather asked what just happened. The white haired boy refused to answer and so she asked another question. She wanted to know how he met Hiccup and how he was.
Everyone started to leave after their mood was killed. The teens decided to go to the Academy to hear George story. They really wanted to know more about their friends. While Astrid was walking towards the familiar cove, where she knew he would be.
No one was walking at the village. All of them were sleeping. Only a figure walked the empty streets. When he arrived at his destination, he knocked. Big footsteps could be heard from the inside. When the door opened, Alvin the Treacherous smirked.
"What took you so long? Is everything ready?" He asked the hooded man.
"Yes. Everyone's mind would be at him. They won't suspect a thing. Not after my brilliant performance of course." The hooded man said raising his hands to reveal his face.
"Excellent, Mildew. Now all we have to do is wait and Berk will fall." Alvin said.
Done. Longer chapter. You are welcome. Next one will be about how are two heroes meet. It will also be the prologue for the first climax. If you liked the chapter or think that something is wrong or that I could do it better please tell me. Anyway, Thank you for reading.