I'm sorry for the wait. But real life is killing me, and some aspects of this chapter hit a little too close.
Discretion is advised: some not at all fun stuff: misogyny and some more fun stuff: cutting people in half
Soul bind I: Marking
When the two Vikings emerged outside, sunlight danced on their naked skin. It took them a moment, a precious moment where both of them really accessed what happened in the cavern. The intimacy of the third trial just became visible, as what they mapped with their hand before, they mapped it out with their eyes. Astrid's eyes trailed over the asymmetrical legs, one metal, one flesh, where the young boy who was looked down on give to save his tribe, slowly looking up, she jumped over the waist and followed the shallow river of the abdominal muscle until it split into the broad chest, supporting two well-defined shoulders. She noticed the bulge in his throat moving slightly before her gaze jumped back down. It was that she felt so close to her. She only heard other women in the tribe describe it before, and each time, she tried to shut the babbling off, but now seeing one for real, Astrid felt her cheeks flare-up.
Hiccup swallowed thickly as he felt Astrid's gaze on his body. His self-consciousness wanted to cower away, ashamed himself, but he didn't move as his eyes were riveted on Astrid's exposed skin. His eyes trailed over the smooth skin neck, skipping over the two mounts that he worked so hard to avoid. He followed the finely tuned muscle of her abdomen before focusing on her thighs. Years of dragon-riding and rigorous training finely sculpted her legs, but as she grew up, Hiccup couldn't notice that she also gained some soft curves around her hips, usually hidden by her everyday outfit, making the blond beauty in front of him more feminine than ever. Unwillingly, his eyes locked onto the fleece of pale blond hair nestled in between. The place he had been so close to, which he had so delicately maneuver around, he was now dying to see it properly, wondering if the books he reads were as accurate. The familiar feeling of blood rushing south came back, and Hiccup bit down on his cheeks to tear his looks away.
Gods, she must be repulsed, having something as disgraceful as me touching her, and now staring at her.
Feeling the tension between them about to burst, Hiccup awkwardly cleared his throat.
"About that, Astrid, I'm"
"Why would someone even think about placing the blood worm there?" Astrid said, anger and frustration in her voice, cutting short his apologies.
"Arteries." Hiccup replied.
Astrid mentally hit herself for not realizing it sooner. It was logical to place them on the most vulnerable part of the body.
"Now what?"
"For now? I think it might be better to cover ourselves up than find a way to leave the island.
Astrid realized that she was still very exposed to the element, and shyly tried to cover herself.
The two Vikings walked along the beach, exchanging very few words, and even less looking at each other. Even though they were promised to each other, everything they just did should be reserved for after they officially tight the knot. Right now, even looking at each other's bodies feels like defying their tradition.
Forcing his eyes to stare right ahead, Hiccup discerned a fallen shape in the distance. Squinting his eyes to cut off most of the reflected sunlight, he made out the shape of a fallen ship, with sails.
"Look."
"Is that a ship?"
"I think it is."
Suddenly feeling a surge of energy in their vein, the two Vikings ran happily towards the wrecked ship.
\/—•—\/
Tearing the fabric apart, Hiccup and Astrid soon wrapped around themselves a large piece of cloth, which was then secure with a few torn nails that they managed to pull out of the planks.
"Now we just need a way to get off this island and back home," Astrid said cheerfully while fastening the last nail that holds the makeshift cloth over Hiccup's shoulder.
"Yeah…. home" Hiccup's voice trailed off.
•—0—•
The couple scoured the island, finding nothing useful. Making a raft out of the question, since the seas were not completely calm this time of the year, their only chance was to rely on a dragon. Moving a branch out of her way, Astrid stumbled on a small stream. Hiccup peered over her shoulder and immediately saw the fresh claw print in the mud.
Rushing past her, while making sure his precarious clothing wouldn't fall off, Hiccup kneeled by the claw print.
Of course, he saw it, it was related to a dragon Astrid though, remembering that fateful day that almost got them killed, which was not out of the ordinary but also got them separated. A year and some later, she looked back at this precious piece of memory fondly, mainly because of the passionate kiss that ended that sensational episode of their life back on Dragon's edge.
Joining Hiccup, just in time to be greeted with his lopsided smile, Astrid asked.
"So, dragon boy, what does this footprint tells us, how many fishes it had eaten?"
"Even better, Hiccup answered in a jovial tone. "It's a Nadder, so Milady, wants to give your best shout at the Nadder call?"
Hiccup immediately froze when the sentence left his mouth. Milady, what was I thinking, like I deserve to call her that? What does that make her? A slave too? Gods I hope she didn't notice it.
Astrid noticed the inner turmoil within Hiccup, she knows that he is hiding something from her, something important, from Hiccup's reaction. But she couldn't quite put a finger on it… yet. Making a mental note to pry the answer of the stubborn Viking beside her, Astrid turned towards the sky, inhaled deeply, and let out her Nadder calls.
Luckily, the Gods decided to be in their favor as a responding squawk cut through the air, and soon, a green and orange Nadder landed beside her. Eyeing her with a curious eye.
Her instincts kicked in, and in no time, she made friends with the dragon and hopped onto its back.
"Come on, Hiccup, let's get back to Berk." She said while holding out a hand.
Hesitantly, Hiccup grabbed the offered hand and holstered himself up on the back of the dragon. Clamping its side with his legs as much as he could. Not daring of putting his arms around the blond in front of him, he held dearly onto the protruding scale. When Hiccup judged his grip was secure enough, he gave the signal that they were good to go.
"Up boy" Astrid ordered and soon, on the rhythm of powerful wing beats, the pair took the sky.
The dragon was peacefully cruising above the ocean when suddenly, a net wrapped around it. The dragon, losing its balance, plummeted towards the ocean and with it, the two Vikings strapped on its back.
The entry in water was violent, as expected when falling from their height, the shock sent Hiccup crashing towards the dragon's back, right onto Astrid's razor-sharp elbow. Just before his vision went black, he saw the rope tied to the net pulling back.
•—0—•
Hiccup came back to the conscious world, much to his discontent, as he was met with a mouth full of crooked teeth, and a dragon breath.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here" muttered the mouth. "The dragon master, the conqueror of the Night Fury, the pride of Berk." A hand closed around his throat, and Hiccup had to displeasure to be face to face with whom the voice belonged. Sporting an unshaven mustached, and even messier eyebrows, which the left one was cut right in the middle by a diagonal scar that went across the eye, it was the face of someone desperately needing a very long bath, and perhaps a healthier diet. "I was expecting a bit more. Or maybe the girl is actually the dragon master? She sure looks like she has a lot of experience in riding." The pirate, likely the captain, let out a gross laugh, quickly followed by the rest of the crew.
"Don't touch him" A familiar hiss sounded nearby, looking to his left, Hiccup saw Astrid, blue eyes shooting dagger. If she wasn't bound like him to the mast, she will have already lunged at him. "And no, I am not the dragon master, but I am the finest Deadly Nadder trainer this side of the Archipelago." She replied proudly. The pirate chief left out a chuckling laugh, before gently tapping on Hiccup's face and kneeling near Astrid.
"You know?" The pirate chief said softly to Astrid, making her gag at the scent of the putrid smell of his breath. "Back in my village, we wash the mouth of those who exaggerated story, those so full of themselves by pouring boiling oil in their mouth, to cleanse it. But for you, I have another plan. Why do you let every fella here wash your mouth, and if we're satisfied enough, maybe I'll teach you a thing or two about the Nadder?" Nobody missed the innuendo, and some even cheered. The pirate life was rough, and women were rare. Gagging at these words, she felt something come back up when the pirate chief placed a hand on her face. She tried to bite it, but her limited movement render her unsuccessful.
"And she is feisty. I like it" The pirate stood up and "Trust me when we are done with you, you'll be begging for some more knowledge." The captain shouted, which was again met with loud cheers.
"Hey, yack dump." Hiccup swore, maybe for the very first time in his life. Watching the captain touching Astrid, and her not being to do anything about it, got his hereditary Haddock temper up. "If you ruin her, hell if you even dare to even touch her, Nadder will be the least of your concern. I will use everything in my power, that means the island of Berk, of which I am the heir, my allies, and every single dragon in the world to hunt you, your family, your island down, and burn it to ashes. I can train every single type of dragon, which means Stormcutter, Monstrous Nightmare, the Screaming Death, ever heard of that? the Skrill too. I'll bring dragons from your nightmare and even those beyond it to tear your flesh bit by bit. I'll find another Red Death... Hell, I'll even go down in Helheim and bring back the dead Night Furies if that what it takes!
The venom and fury in his voice were so thick that it lingered in the air for a moment of absolute silence that followed the threat. With his reputation preceding him, no one doubts that he may pull it off.
"Oh, my" The pirate chief let out a soft chuckle "You actually got me quite scared there for a bit. But do you think you and your puny island are the only ones that can control dragons?"
The captain clapped his finger. A dart-shaped object sliced through the air, embedding itself in the mast, right between the prisoners. Flinching by reflex, Hiccup shrieked away from the projectile, and under the motion, the piece of cloth covering came loose, exposing a fraction of his chest. Behind the captain, the pair of Vikings noticed a familiar orange shape: it was the dragon that they rode on moments before. However, the captain noticed something much more interesting, he could see the inked burn mark shyly exposing itself under the piece of fabric.
"You have a little secret to tell us, o dragon master?" The captain kneeled down and slowly reached out a hand towards the torn ship sail,
"Please don't" Hiccup, knowing full well what will happen if that mark gets exposed.
His pleas fell death on the captain years, as burly Viking yanked the fabric away, exposing the circle with a dot in the middle, a reminder of Hiccup challenge against Eir.
"Is that a brand?" the captain let out a laugh, "Odin, the all-mighty dragon master, reduced to a slave? Is that why you were ridding on that dragon? Are you fleeing your master? If I brought you back, I might even get a hefty sum of gold, don't you think lads?" The rest of the pirates all cheered loudly and whispered about how the dragon conqueror was himself conquered, and if it means the whole tribe of Berk is now considered slaves.
"Hiccup…" Astrid said softly. But all the response she got is him shrieking away, in shame, fear, and despair.
"Hiccup…" Astrid said again, albeit a little more softly, again all she got was Hiccup cowering away, and looking down.
"Well, if he has a brand, and does it means you have one too?" Astrid's attention quickly snapped back to the captain as he reached out a hand towards the piece of fabric. Astrid tried to wiggle her way around the hand, but being bound, her range of motion was limited and soon, the captain got hold of the helm that locked the fabric into place over her shoulder.
"I think the lads deserve a good look, don't they? To make sure that you aren't branded yourself?" The captain added in a lecherous tone, and like a swarm of insects, the rest of the crew gathered around, almost trampling over each other, to get the best view possible.
Astrid was almost puking, having her purity getting ruined by a bunch of pirates, and she was ready to fight her way out, or die trying, but when she looked beside, trying to see if Hiccup was having some kind of reaction, all she saw was a broken mind, disconnected from reality.
He didn't lose trust in the gods, he lost trust in himself Astrid finally realized, and running out of options, she decided to bet it all. Summoning all her will to remain immobile, she whispered softly.
"Hiccup, help me.." but her words fell deaf on Hiccup's mind.
"Hiccup, please help me." She pleaded again, and again, Hiccup remained like a statue.
"He isn't going to help you. Perhaps he even wants a look himself?" The pirate chief joke, almost pulling the fabric off. He seemed to take great pleasure to do it as slowly as possible, prolonging the torture as much as possible.
At this moment, Hiccup snapped to reality, seeing more of Astrid's torso than what was allowed, he let out a loud whistle and did of series of hand signals. The orange Nadder, recognizing his companion, quickly acted out and rammed straight into the pile of Viking.
Meanwhile, Astrid reacted in the blink of an eye. Reaching across to loop her restrains around the Nadder spine, she quickly cut herself and Hiccup free.
Feeling the ropes come loose, Hiccup tensed up, ready to test if the thirty or so days of torturous training on the island was going to show its fruits.
The pirates, reflexes sharpened from their combative lifestyle, quickly charge into action, many want after the dragon, but some stayed back to delt with the prisoner. One swung his axe at Hiccup, thinking that the dragon master will be an easy target, but Hiccup swiftly dodged out of the way and landed a small jump kick with enough force that drove the sharpened edge of his metal foot straight into the throat of its opponent.
The dead pirate fell down when his legs could no longer support the dead weight of his body and bought Hiccup down with him. Having a hard time trying to get his prosthetic free, Hiccup grabbed the axe in extremis to parry another axe swing aimed at his head. Driving the blade out of his way, he landed a precise hit in the back of the pirate legs, making him lose balance and giving the young Viking a precious time to get his prosthetic free. Still from the ground, Hiccup landed some well-time slashes on the ankles while dodging another down strike before driving his axe right into the pirate's face.
Hiccup got up, the axe in his hand was of poor quality, and he wasn't so big on axes either. Luckily, the next Viking charging at him was wielding a sword. Hiccup charged on as well, before rolling aside, a moment too late to doge a devious backstab from another pirate, but he still got a nasty hit around his right shoulder. Putting the pain away for the moment, Hiccup focused on the sword-wielding pirate, charged on and with one precise parry and followed strike, embedded the axe into its chest. Hiccup quickly got hold of the sword and raised it up to block a devasting mace strike coming straight towards his head. Kicking the Viking's legs out under him, Hiccup decapitated him and stood near the fountain of blood to make it spit over him before looking around. The pirates were now hesitant to charge up, as Hiccup just killed four of them with extreme dexterity and brutality. Taking advantage of the fear that he temporarily insured in them. When outnumbered, always kill the first few ones in the most brutal way, it will sprout hesitation in the group, and you can use this time to rest. Hiccup remembered Tyrad's words, at first, he only listen partly, but now, it showed that the Headless has a fine understanding of behaviors. Forcing the axe free from the ribcage it was stuck in, Hiccup threw the weapon at Astrid, where she just snapped the neck of one pirate who dared to esteemed her as an easy target.
Grabbing the weapon, Astrid wrapped her hands around the grip, the axe was unbalanced, a bit too heavy, but it will have to do for it now. She scouted the deck and quickly found her target, the pirate chief, that was trying to sneak up behind Hiccup. Letting out her rage, she charged on, forcing the pirate to turn his blade and parrying the devastating strike. The sheer force of the blow drew the pirate captain swords downwards, which Astrid capitalized on. Pulling her axe up and forward, she managed to slash her opponent's torso, only because he dodge backward in time. The next part of the battle was Astrid delivering blows after blows, fueled by her anger. The axes swings were so wide and fast that none of the other pirates even dared to approach her. Which left them all fighting Hiccup. Marrying swiftness and brutality, the auburn Viking made quick work of the rest of the crew. Sure they outnumbered him, but in their disorganized fighting fashion, there was no technique, no mastery of the weapon, just who can swing the hardest. Light on his feet like a dancer, Hiccup slithered between his enemies, the sword making quick work of their remaining miserable life. Inevitably, he got cuts many times, but he always positioned himself to least harming strike.
On the other side of the chaos, the fight almost came to an end. Astrid managed to chopped her axe down the shoulder of the pirate captain, locking the blade into the joint. Instead of pulling it back out, she went forward, dodging just in time a drive of the sword that still slashes across her ribcage, she drove her knee into the pirate chief's chest and brought them down to the ground together. Pinning his wrists underneath her arm, she held through a head butt, and rotated the embedded axe, making the pirate scream out his pain. Rolling over, she grabbed a fallen sword and with all her strength, stabbed it through the other shoulder, pinning him to the deck.
Slowly she got, the fury still lingering in her face.
"Please, mercy" The pirate yielded. The rules of warriors told her that she should show mercy, but the Viking in below her was a pirate, someone who lived without honor, without even decency. So no mercy she shall show.
Grabbing the axe, she walk around and first and foremost relieved the pirate of what he used to torment women, namely his hands and private part, before dislocating his jaw with a powerful kick. Then she stood there, watching the pirate bleed to his own death. When life finally flowed out of the captain via the small streams of blood, Astrid let out a sigh of relief. That scums would never walk this realm again.
Looking back, she saw the carnage Hiccup made. Severed limbs and heads littered the deck, Hiccup himself, dosed in blood, his own and the one of this enemy, was panting. She was slightly shocked by how skilled Hiccup became. She knew, from the sparring sessions that he was a skilled swordsman, and being left-handed does give him the advantage, but massacring a whole crew of pirates was a feat one can and would brag for a lifetime. It was only when he approached her that she came to her senses, and realizing that Hiccup was still stark naked, she quickly averted her head, cheeks flaring up.
Awkwardly, Hiccup pulled some clothes off the dead bodies, and shamelessly, Astrid peered at him getting dressed.
"Impressive," she said while gesturing the decks.
The compliment didn't have the intended effect, as she read on her friend's face, but Hiccup quickly shake what was bothering him away before gesturing the body on the deck, professionally massacred.
"Not so bad yourself." Hiccup replied with a smirk.
Feeling the atmosphere relaxing, Astrid reached out a hesitant and slightly peered away from the fabric that was hanging loosely on Hiccup's chest, exposing the black circle with a dot in its center. Hiccup quickly swatted her hand away before covering himself up and cowering away.
"Hiccup, why didn't you tell me about this?" Astrid asked softly
All she got as a response was him lowering his eyes, fixing a point on the wooden deck.
"Hiccup..." Astrid asked again, still not getting an answer from her friend.
After a couple of unfruitful tries, she kneeled down, feeling her temper rising up.
"Hiccup," She asked more forcefully, grabbing his head to make him look at her dead in the eye, "who am I?"
"The girl I no longer deserve" Hiccup replied, before darting his gaze at the same, recomforting dot on the deck.
Shocked by the response, Astrid froze for a brief second, before her temper got the better of her and she slapped him. It was by no mean a forceful hit, the gesture itself spoke volumes.
"Yak dung" The blonde yelled, "What makes you think that, sometimes, Hiccup, you're really annoying, putting yourself down all the time."
"What?" Hiccup yelled back, pushing her away and making her stumble on her back. "What makes me say this?" brief, crazed laughter escaped his mouth. "Look at me Astrid, LOOK AT ME! I'm branded, do you what this means? It means I am a slave, merchandise! I'm no longer someone, I am SOMETHING, the fact that I was the heir to Berk puts all the island under the status of conquered, including you. My sole existence puts everyone we know in danger, so I'm better off dead."
"If it is a brand, we can overturn it, just conquer the Headless clan, or better, kill them all. That should solve the problem." Astrid replied, shouting as well.
"Yes, it would, but I am not doing that."
"What? You, Hiccup, the dragon master, you killed the Red Death, defeated the dragon hunter and Drago so much more. And each time you were the first one to dive right into the danger, so what changed. You're scared of some eighty winter old's, Viking tribe straight out from legends?"
"You're right Astrid, I'm scared." Hiccup replied. "Look around, Astrid, look with how much ease I killed them, by just spending a moon cycle with them, they made me, ME, the one-legged fishbone of a Viking capable of killing an entire pirate crew, with almost no scratches."
Astrid had enough, she was going to use the good old way, beating sense into him. Deep down, it hurts her to see the man that she trusted, believed, and loved hating himself this much. So, she lunged at him.
To her surprise, Hiccup tanked the hits and didn't lose balance. Using her momentum against her, the auburn Viking, kneeled down and sent her flying above his shoulder. Hitting the deck heavily on her back, Astrid tried to twist her body out of the way as she saw Hiccup jumping on her, ready to pin her, but Hiccup anticipated her riposte and she fell right into the bait. Hiccup pinned her on her belly, and forcefully bend her arms backward. The amount of strength surprised her, as she was almost helpless. The auburn Viking swiftly undid his upper clothing and used it to tie her wrist together.
He then stood up and lowered himself to Astrid's profanities yelling face.
"See? Remember the time I could do nothing against you? This is what they made me Astrid. Someone, no something that can kill with ease." He hauled her up to her knees, "Goodbye Astrid." He walked away, shortly coming back with the orange Nadder, with whom he has been speaking vividly. Astrid's eyes widened in horror as she knew what would happen to her, and what will happen to him.
"Please Hiccup, don't, there must be another way." She begged
"Don't listen to her? Do you understand me? Fly straight to Berk." Hiccup instructed the Nadder, giving the direction, deaf to her pleads.
The orange Nadder nodded enthusiastically. Before flapping his wings and grabbing Astrid by her shoulder.
"No Hiccup, don't," Astrid begged. "Put me down!" She yelled at the dragon, but soon, the winds carried her voice away and the ship was just a small wooden dot in the ocean, filled with her regret, sadness, and love. Each wing flaps was a blade cutting in her heart, bringing her further away from what she longed most.
It was only when Astrid disappear above the cloud that Hiccup lets his tears fall.
"I'm sorry Astrid. I'm so sorry, but I can't, I can't keep you safe anymore. My love" He whispered to the wind and dead ears. "I can't live a life in which I am hurting you."
