Author's Note:
**This chapter was REALLY long, so I broke it up into three parts. A word to the wise, it makes more sense read in order. :P
While I stick very closely to the HTTYD movie/TV show lore, I take liberties with the LoZ elements. Please read with an open mind, as if this were a new game.
New chapters on Wednesdays. The whole thing, 30 chapters plus Prologue, is written and will be posted!
The gem turned blue on impact. Immediately, the stone door between the torches opened.
"Yeah!" Link gave Hiccup a high five. "Knew you could do it!"
Hiccup grinned sheepishly. "Anything to get away from the world's stinkiest fruit."
They laughed, but as they passed through the open door into yet another hallway, Hiccup felt his heart sink. "This place is… extensive."
"From what I know, we're almost through. We just need to get through the rotunda and then cross the chasm."
"The chasm ?" squeaked Hiccup.
"I'm sure it's an exaggeration," Link assured him.
"I hope so." Chasms were easy to cross on dragon back, but without a dragon… Without dragons. Homesickness hit him like a punch to the gut. Toothless, Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruff and Tuff, his dad, Gobber, the Edge, Berk, the rolling endless ocean. How long would he be stuck here, and how was he going to get home? The maze of stone hallways seemed endless, but there was only going forward, following that blue hood. Just take it one room at a time. He exhaled slowly, then adjusted the quiver and bow on his back and followed Link.
Hiccup gazed at the rows of silent warriors lining the narrow hall, the faceless visors staring ahead. He touched a cold metal shoulder piece, tracing the embellishments wandering like threads around the armor. Never had he seen such exquisite craftsmanship. He jumped as Link yanked a few implements off one of the hollow soldiers.
"What are you doing?" Hiccup asked.
"It may be ceremonial, but it's better than what we have now," Link said, handing him a shield. It was beautiful. The thin metal front was painted with a design that incorporated the triangle-in-triangle design from the front doors and something that looked like a bird.
Hiccup hesitantly threaded it on his arm. It was surprisingly light. Then again, it wasn't concealing an entire bola launching system like his custom shield did.
"Isn't this stealing?"
"Not at all," Link answered, unbuckling a sword and scabbard. "These were left to serve Hyrule, and they will do a lot more good protecting us than sitting in here." He blew off a layer of dust and handed Hiccup a long broadsword.
Hiccup took a step back. "I'm better with just a shield."
"Come on. You want to protect yourself, right?"
"I was taught if you can have a sword or a shield to take the shield."
Link cocked his head. "But you can have both."
"No, really. I'm good," Hiccup said, stepping backwards into an adjoining side room. His foot sank on the paver, and an ominous thud froze him in place. "Link?"
Suddenly, a gate of intersecting metal bars shot up from the floor between them.
"Hiccup!" Link ran to the gate. Hiccup was already trying to force it open to no avail. "Okay, no need to panic," Link said a little too quickly. "We just need to figure out how to get this open again. Is there anything on your side?"
Hiccup spun around and faced the empty room. "Umm, not much. Just another chest." He glanced around the walls and ceiling. No clues that he could tell. Gingerly, he touched the pavers. Nothing happened. He inched towards the chest waiting suspiciously in the center of the room. It was big enough for even him to fit inside. He cracked the lid open and peeked inside.
"There's a bag," he called back. It was smaller than his saddle bag, about the size of Link's belt pouches, and very light. Hiccup felt his pulse quickening, the thrill of the unexpected beginning to swallow up the anxiety of danger.
Opening the humble pouch, it was full of… nuts—ugly, round things that more than likely needed to be roasted to break their adamantine exteriors. Hiccup huffed. "Well, if we need a snack, we're set."
"Hiccup," Link called. "You may want to step back."
"Yeah, nuts aren't my favorite either, but under the circumstances—"
"Hiccup, MOVE!"
Hiccup looked up and held up the Hylian shield just in time. WHAM! Every bone in his body rattled as the shield took a powerful hit, sending him skidding across the floor. He wheezed on the ground and tried to see what had hit him. Stalking towards him was a metal man that made even Stoick the Vast look, well, Hiccup-sized. The mechanized legs stiffly marched towards him, and the arms were readying its sword for another swing.
"It's a sentinel!" Link shouted. "You need to fight it!"
"With WHAT? It's all metal!" Hiccup scrambled to his feet, the bow and quiver bouncing useless at his side. Link slid one of the broadswords between the bars.
Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Thanks, that's really helpful." He ducked under a swing and ran the other way. "Any other ideas?"
"Maybe there's a gem?"
"Like in the last room?"
"Exactly!"
Hiccup dropped behind the chest but could hear the clanking steps approaching. He scanned the room. No windows, no patterns, no gems. Just the blue sconces high on the walls. With a terrifying crunch, the chest splintered into a dozen pieces under the sentinel's sword. That gave Hiccup an idea.
Hiccup frantically got to his feet and dashed towards Link.
"Take it! Take it!" Link pushed the broadsword into Hiccup trembling hands as the sentinel stomped closer.
"That's not exactly what I had in mind," Hiccup started. He turned to face the sentinel, now within a stone's throw and fast approaching.
Link tugged on his shoulder. "What are you— HE'S RIGHT THERE!"
Hiccup leveled his gaze at his opponent. "He's strong. Maybe strong enough to get this open."
The sentinel raised its sword. At the last possible moment, Hiccup dodged out of the way. The sentinel's sword sliced at the door. Sparks scattered from where Hiccup had been standing, but the bars remained in place and undamaged.
The sentinel spun at the torso to pursue Hiccup who was running away with the sword in his hand.
Well, that didn't work. Hiccup looked back over his shoulder, trying to find any weakness in the mechanical menace. The head was a solid dome of metal, and in the center was a large glassy sphere. The arms moved smoothly in round sockets. The torso could spin in any direction from the waist. There's gotta be something I can use! he thought as he sprinted across the room.
He should have been looking where he was going. Instead, he tripped over the fragments of the broken chest and just barely kept his head from smashing against the ground. He shook the daze out of his eyes, and they came to focus on the bag of nuts. Nuts! Hiccup grabbed the bag and ripped it open, scattering the contents over the ground. I hope these are as hard as they are on Berk.
Hiccup backed away, careful to not lead the sentinel off track. The sentinel stalked closer, and then one of its massive metal feet stepped on a nut… and slipped. The metal man pitched every which way, trying to right itself, but the slippery nuts were everywhere. With a heavy thud, the giant fell prone.
Link cheered. "Now's your chance! Hit the eye!"
Hiccup hesitated. His hands were shaking and sweating so badly he almost dropped the sword.
Link called from behind the bars. "What are you waiting for? Hit the eye! Find the gem! DO SOMETHING!"
The back of the giant was as plain as the front, even more so since the glassy eye faced the ground. Without any specific target, any place would do. Hiccup raised the sword and froze. In his mind he heard, "Fourteen years and not a single victory." Fifteen, he corrected. Fifteen years. The strength drained from his arms.
The metal head swiveled towards Hiccup. The glassy sphere glowed red. Then a blast of red light erupted from the eye with a threatening buzz.
Hiccup bounced away. "WHAT IN THOR'S NAME?!" he screamed.
The energy beam seared the walls as it chased Hiccup, leaving a black, smokey scar.
"Don't let it hit you!" Link shouted.
"REALLY? I was thinking maybe I should let it!" The beam was faster than Hiccup. As it caught up to him, Hiccup instinctively raised his shield. Instead of being incinerated, the beam bounced off the metal face, scorching the opposite wall, but even that brief interaction was enough to heat up the metal face. Hiccup had to shake off the shield before it burned him. Before he knew it, the sentinel had trapped him in a corner.
"Link?!"
"Find the gem!" Link shouted.
"THERE IS NO GEM!" Hiccup shrieked back.
Out of options, Hiccup shakily held up the broadsword. The sentinel knocked it out of his hands and raised its own sword to strike. Hiccup covered his head with his hands.
TINK. An arrow clattered to the ground behind the sentinel. The metal head swiveled around. From the grated door, a second arrow flew and bounced off the glassy eye.
There was an awkward pause.
"Well, at least we now know arrows aren't strong enough," Link called out.
The sentinel shot the energy beam at him, and Link ducked out of sight. The metal bars of the gate glowed white hot but were otherwise unharmed.
Arrows aren't strong enough. Hiccup looked from the glowing bars to the shield to the eye that had turned to face him again and was already glowing red.
Hiccup dove between its legs. The mechanical head and arms swiveled around to face him, the eye nearly blinding. Hiccup grabbed the shield and brought it up as the eye shot directly at him. The beam bounced back, cracking the glass immediately. The sentinel's entire body crackled with red energy and then crumpled to the ground, smoke seeping out of every joint.
Hiccup heaved a sigh of relief as the grated door lifted.
Link rushed to his side. "Are you okay?!"
"Yeah, I think so," Hiccup said, letting Link pull him to his feet. He adjusted the shield on his arm. "Not bad for being ceremonial. This can really take a beating." There wasn't even a dent from where the sentinel had struck it, and the metal, which moments before had been searing, was quickly returning to a comfortable temperature.
Hiccup got to his feet and dusted himself off. "Well, onto the next delightful adventure." He was about to take an oversized step.
"Hiccup." Link's earnest tone stopped the Viking mid stride. "Why didn't you just hit it? You had the chance." A shadow crossed Hiccup's face, and he began to walk away. Link gently caught him by the arm. "You could have gotten hurt."
Hiccup shrugged out of his grip and kept his eyes on the ground. "I told you."
"That you're not strong enough? Yeah, I don't believe that for a second." Link tugged on the bow across Hiccup's back. "So what is it?"
Hiccup looked up at the ceiling. "Link, you've only known me for one day."
Link stepped in front of him. "And in that one day, I've seen you do some incredible things."
Hiccup glanced at him, a mixture of hope and confusion painted across his face. Did Link really mean that or was he just trying to make him feel better?
Link patted him on the back and continued, "You need to give yourself more credit. You're more capable than you realize."
Hiccup chuckled mirthlessly. "I'm just aware of my limits." Link pursed his lips, but before he could say more, Hiccup pointed across the room. "This is new."
Link followed Hiccup to an alcove where part of the wall had slid back to reveal another chest.
"What are these?" Hiccup asked, holding the lid open.
Link picked up the three dusty, black orbs. The luster was long gone, but the strong smell of sulfur meant they were still usable.
"Bombs. These may come in handy." Link stowed them in one of the many pouches hanging off his belt. As he packed the last one, he said, "Hey, Hiccup, I'm here for you, but you can also be there for yourself, you know."
"And keep you from all the daring rescues?"
Link glanced at the smoking wreckage. "I'm pretty sure you rescued yourself on that last one."
Hiccup adopted a cocky smile. "See, I'm doing fine. Come on, there's a chasm calling." And with that, he walked away.
Link glanced at the discarded broadsword, then at the boy. He shook his head and followed.
They passed back through the hall of hollow knights and stepped onto the landing of a grand staircase.
Link caught his breath and a chill descended on him. They'd made it to the rotunda. He'd heard about this sacred place, which is why he had avoided it. If he had been barely worthy then, how could he be worthy now? But this time there were no other options. Zelda was depending on him. This time there was no going back.
He took a deep breath and stepped forward.
Author's Notes:
And THAT concludes the very long chapter. See you next week (on the menu more angst and action)!
Thanks to Ari Lewis and Luke for beta reading!