The Mercenary

The Road to Redemption

Children are around 16 years old

"I remember the day like it was yesterday, the day in which my friend died" the children looked around curiously." it's not something I like to remember but I feel like it's important for you all to know the day berk was attacked, the day we lost our chief and our heir...the day I lost my friend, it's important for you all to know because I just received word let the man who did it is dead. his name is Drago Bludvist. he came to a council of the chiefs claiming that he had the answers to our Dragon problem but he had demanded our submission and loyalty. we refused to give him any, we were too proud,... that was when he burned the building in! only my friend stoick survived. he thought he was spared but it was too late, Drago had come back the next day to finish the job. he came with a large army, they came and pillaged and burned, many people died. I saw my friend fight drago himself. as I rushed to my friend's side an ax had been thrust into his ribs I saw him go into his house and I only knew one thing. his son was in danger I had to save his son! I charged with all my might but I was not able to defeat him. as I was knocked down to the ground I was knocked unconscious. the last I saw of him was when he walked out holding the young Hiccup part of me never really forgave myself that day."

As gobber looked around at all of the children looking at him. each one of them enthralled in the story that he was telling them a tear soon moves down his eyes.

"No one knows what happened to the baby some say he took it with him to kill it to make sure that he didn't take revenge for the death of his father others say he took it to be sacrificed to the gods whatever he did there's no way that babies alive."

"Is this the reason why Spitelout is in charge?" asked one of the children

"yes," said gobber "no heir to the throne for stoick so it would pass on to his brother"

"Well that's enough story for tonight kids I don't want to talk about it too much while getting too emotional but let's just enjoy the campfire," he said a tear rolling down his face

Ever since Hiccup was a baby he was abuse at the hands of his adopted father Drago Bludvist. the words you are worthless, I should have killed you, where said forever.

for the longest time Hiccup did not know why Drago had adopted him. He knew he came from somewhere else but he didn't know where. it was only until he was able to pick up a small sword when Drago finally revealed to him that the reason he adopted him was that he was 'of good stock' and that one day he would become the greatest soldier in his army.

Hiccup felt like property he felt like a slave and in all aspects he was. if he weren't training every second of every day or going on missions that his adopted father assigned he was following his adopted father cleaning up his messes and being his personal maid/assistant and at the end of each day, he would sleep in a tiny little corner underneath Drago's room aboard his ship that was barely large enough for Hiccup who wasn't even a large person.

Drago had been capturing Dragons and forcing them into slavery along with Hiccup for a long time and when Hiccup was finally ready he forced him to kill a Dragon it was one of the most traumatic experiences he ever had.

A small sick week old gronckle but still, it was nonetheless traumatic he swore that day he would train as hard as he could to free himself from those bonds. one day his adopted father told him that he would be in the ring against his most fearsome opponent.

The opponent that would earn him a proper Viking title. his adopted father had captured a night fury this night fury was kept in a cage and was only allowed to see sunlight when it was fed for only a few seconds Hiccup felt awful about this but he knew that trying to escape now was useless.

He had made friends on the ship people who he liked and who he respected and in turn, they respected him. The kid became a strong fighter in such harsh conditions.

a young hunter named Eret who was a Dragon capture and a slave girl named Heather. he had really bonded with Heather and by the time they were 16 they become very close friends. he told her that one day he was going to escape from slavery and that he would help rescue her. when Hiccup and Heather were planning their escape eret had discovered but instead of turning them in he had decided to help them, Hiccup needed a big enough distraction to cover their escape and what big enough distraction than to release his adopted father's most prized capture, the Night fury!

so when the time was right he snuck in and unleashed as many Dragons as he could and when he did this none of the Dragons came out at first. they all thought that they were about to be whipped so he had to go in and show them that they were free. he first started with the Night Fury

he walked in "hey Dragon you are really big"

the Dragon looked at him with anger in its eyes

"I just open the door and you're free now" the Dragon looked at the door wide-open Hiccup standing between it and the door Hiccup knew that the Dragon would not go between it and the door so he started to walk by back towards the door

"come on Im helping you escape"

the Dragon seems to understand him to a degree and slowly and hesitantly started to walk towards him. he was finally outside of the cage and there was visible sunlight and he could see the Dragon's face instead of just its eyes

" you're really beautiful you know"

he then pulled out fish that he had ready for him.

" here you go"

the Dragon looked at him and then opened its mouth almost expecting Hiccup to put the fish in its mouth as he opened its mouth with no teeth.

"toothless I could have sworn you had teeth" as he finished his sentence teeth immediately shoot out from his gums and he immediately bit the fish from the hand he then gave him two more pieces of fish

As hiccup looked into the dragon's eyes he realized something. " everything we know about you guys is wrong" he said to the magnificent creature.

Im going to do something stupid hiccup thought to himself. He reached out his hand tempting to touch the night fury. In almost no time at all the night fury started to growl at him.

Hiccup looked away extending his hand and letting the night fury decide to come to him.

It took a few moments but soon the night fury rested his head in the palm of hiccups hand.

The nigh fury soon pulled away and looked at hiccup

"I'm going to go release the other Dragons you go on now" the Dragon looked at him curiously. the person who just fed him and had given him fish was now telling him to go? a most peculiar human but he was not about to argue. He started to fly away and as Hiccup started to rescue more Dragons they soon came out and he soon was able to rescue them.

one Dragon seems to be in pretty rough shape it was all metal and looked as though it had been abused really badly the Dragon was so broken Hiccup had to use his hand to help it out and once he gave it fish and use his hand to touch his forehead as he did with the night fury the Dragon believed him and once he showed him the open gate he let the Dragons fly away. he did this with several more Dragons until finally, an alarm rang out his plan had worked someone had noticed that the night fury was gone and he rushed out to see that they were all rushing towards their catapult stations he knew that once a night fury was on the loose they weren't going to capture him again so he decided now was his chance to escape he ran towards where Heather was hiding and he had her follow him to where they would meet Eret who had a small boat ready to take them to a distant island.

Hiccup asked Eret to come with them and Eret agreed but as they were about to leave guards soon spotted them. Hiccup grabbed his sword and Eret grabbed his sword and the guards came at them.

both Eret and Hiccup were at this point expert sword fighters and had sparred together before and were able to fend off the guards who had come at them but they had sounded the alarm that Hiccup was trying to escape.

while Hiccup was trying to fight off the rest of the guards who seem to endlessly come, Eret made a split-second decision. he pushed Hiccup into the boat and cut the rope that was holding it. as they sailed away Hiccup saw his friend, the one who just risked his own life and the one who would surely perish, fight the guard in a hopeless last stand. now Eret looked at them as they sailed away.

Drago Bludvist soon entered the background and he could see Eret grabbed his sword and swing at Drago who then blocked with his sword and then swung down. Eret was able to block but then Drago punched him hard in the jaw knocking him out. the guards soon grabbed him and took him in pass the docks and into the boat

as Heather and Hiccup rested on the island that they made their way to Hiccup told Heather "I'm going back"

"you can't you'll die," heather said grabbing his shoulders

Hiccup knew that he would die but he owed a debt to his friend the one who had helped him escape he cannot just leave him there to be tortured by his father which would most surely happen.

Drago was an expert when it came to making someone suffer, Hiccup knew firsthand the cruelness of his adopted father.

Heather said that she would go with him and Hiccup knowing that he could not get Heather to stay on the island waited till it was dark and she was asleep took the boat and left he did not feel right lying to his friend but Heather was a slave girl she could not fight, she didn't even know how to hold a sword. only two people have to get killed tonight.

if Hiccup had to die and if Eret had to die then at least someone would be saved.

as he made his way to the ships before he got to the docks jumped into the water. he swam underneath the water and made his way to the boat and climbed up the side of the ship.

the ship was massive, one truly fit to destroy fleets. as he crawled up the side of the ship he saw guards standing watch and he could hear screams, his friend, he needed to get there quickly he got up he saw a guard walking away. he went over as silently as he could and dispatch the guard. Once he was done he made his way over to the area in which he knew Eret would be he knew he needed another distraction but he had already let out the night fury.

" no more Dragons" he saw the place where Eret was being held was below deck in a cell.

he was currently being dunked underwater and then held up as Drago was repeatedly punching him asking him "where did they go".

Eret responded in a sarcastic remark "you're going to have to be more specific sir a let a lot of people go"

Hiccup knew that the only way to get Drago away from there is if he made a big enough commotion so he went over to the ropes that were keeping the ship in port. he took out his sword and immediately started to cut he eventually was able to cut all of them without anyone noticing and as they started to drift Drago soon noticed as well " how come we are moving I ordered us to stay in port!"

as he ran up Hiccup had hidden and once they were all up they were trying to bring the ship back into port. Hiccup ran down below deck only two guards were station near there.

Hiccup had relentlessly trained for years by his adopted father since his adopted father was under the impression that Hiccup was stoick the vast son and that he was "of good stock" but in reality, Hiccup was a runt. Hiccup was a good fighter and had mastered a lot of weapons, two guards were not hard but he'd seen what they had done to Eret and it filled him full of rage. he ran at them and they pulled out their weapons one guard attempted to slash at him but he soon used his smaller-size to dodge and as the guard try to recover he took out his smaller sword and immediately stab the man in the jugular vein the other guy use his ax to slice at his head but Hiccup was able to dodge and the man got his ax stuck in the side of the boat Hiccup was able to thrust his sword into the side of the man going straight in and then he pulled it out once the man had fallen to the ground Hiccup grab the keys off of one of the men and unlock the cell to Eret and immediately helped his friend. he got him out and above deck but was greeted immediately by Drago. he pulled out his sword and attempted to make a stand.

"do you think that you can defeat me boy, not even your own real father could defeat me"

Hiccup knew he was adopted and he knew that Drago had killed his own real father but he only knew small parts of the story.

" what does that have to do with anything!"

"Your father was a great Viking you will never live up to his greatness, you don't even look like him. when I saw you in a crib after I killed your father I thought I would take you and raise you and make you a champion but seeing you here I'm surprised your own father did not leave you in the forest to be eaten by the wolves"

at hearing this Hiccup was fueled with rage he soon went to attack his adopted father, some men went to stop him but Drago told them to stop

" no-no if the boy thinks he can defeat great Drago Bludvist he should be given the chance"

Hiccup was breathing heavily after hearing these words. they were hard to hear and he was infuriated.

the men went to make room on the ship as Hiccup and Drago pulled out their weapons Hiccup sword was smaller but lighter Drago sword was massive and heavy.

they started to duel every time Drago went to swing his massive sword at Hiccup he was able to dodge using his smaller size to go underneath the massive swings using his smaller blade to slice at the larger parts of Drago.

every time Drago was able to get a hit against Hiccup it felt like it was going to be the end until he realized that if hey failed then they would kill his friend and hunt down Heather he gathered his courage and went in.

as Hiccup was dodging his attacks and slicing at Drago's larger points Drago kicked Hiccup and forced him to drop his sword he had him right where he wanted him. as Drago stood above Hiccup, sword raised about to stab the boy in an instant Drago felt the feeling of metal go through his sternum.

he looked down to a sword not too unfamiliar like his own men. he then turned around to see Eret who had rushed over to save his friend as Drago suddenly stumbled to the side he tried to pull the sword out from behind but it was no use he could not reach with only one arm as he slowly fell to one knee he reached out a hand holding it towards Hiccup. Hiccup looked at his adopted father thinking about all the pain that he had put them in end-all of the horrible things that he had done. Hiccup then grabbed his tiny sword as Drago was still on his knee Hiccup thrust it through his heart and pulled it out.

he watched as his adopted father fell to the side he soon had no life in him as soon as this happened every single solitary guard in Dragos army had surrounded him Hiccup and Eret grabbed the sword that was in Drago. him and Hiccup we're back to back with each other.

"well it looks like it's just you and me kid," eret said to lighten the grave situation

"it was a valiant effort" he replied knowing eret was just as scared as him

"how come you came back for me?" eret asked

"because no one ever stood up for me the way you did and if I'm going to go down I'd rather go down fighting with a great friend like you"

"I'll see you in Valhalla friend," Eret said with one tear rolling down his face as the guards slowly started to move in a large whistling sound was heard one person eventually said it... "night fury!" as Hiccup and Eret both looked up as soon as they did they both couldn't believe what they were seeing the boat that they were on was getting smaller and being put in the distance he then realized where they were. the night fury that he had saved had come back for him!

he looked up to see the night fury it looked down at him and smiled and an awkward weird way.

as it took him back to the island where he had left Heather hiccup looked at Eret " did you know all that stuff about my father and where I'm from, I mean my real father"

Eret looked at him and made eye contact

"I had heard some of it, I'm sorry I didn't tell you Drago would have definitely killed me and that's not even a joke" they both laughed at this.

as they reached Heather the night fury who save them it slowly kept a safe distance to them.

as Hiccup and Eret walked over to Heather who was waiting for them concerningly she then went over and hug both of them

" I'm so glad both of you are okay" as she said this she then went and slapped Hiccup "you left me"

"I know I'm sorry," Hiccup said to her

and then she went to Eret and slapped him

"you left him"

" I know I'm sorry."

Heather then looked to Eret and then back to her friend Hiccup and asked "what do we do now" Hiccup look to Eret and Eret said in his trademark accent "well that's entirely up to you lot. you are free men and women"

"I owe you my life you save me from my life of slavery." hiccup said sincerely

Eret looked at him

"I but then you saved me from dying I think that makes us even"

"don't I owe you since you saved me, Hiccup," heather asked

" well, then Heather I guess we all should just stick together with me and Eret's training and with Heather keeping us sane I'm sure we can figure out a decent living," said Hiccup

as soon as he said this a large tongue from behind him licked the back of his head it was a night fury who he had saved. as he turned around he saw the night fury wagging his tail

" and then there's you. what are you still doing here? you're free to go as well"

" I think he likes you," Eret said

"you're welcome to stay we are free men now"

" and women!" said Heather

"well if you're going to roll with us you're going to need a name...how about toothless"

Hiccup then look to Eret

"you said I was from a different place I want to find that place not to stir anything up but to just see it maybe someone from my family's alive if I could just meet them maybe get some closure that would be nice"

Eret looked at Hiccup "it would be my honor to accompany you on your journey to reunite you with your long lost family and land but I must warn you don't get your hopes up too high you don't know what will be expecting"

And that includes chapter one my idea for Hiccup the mercenary with his mercenary gang the first chapter is mainly just how he becomes a mercenary and where he learns to fight and how he meets toothless but the next chapter is more current if you will

This is a story not just about slavery and freedom but overcoming demons and regret. Redemption and learning to love your self again. A lot of this is based on my life when I fleed my country. I had to learn that it was not my fault to want to survive. This story is also about dealing with suicide and other touchy subjects so that they have meaning in my life.

In my country of Guatemala, there was a civil war and my family fought on the side of the indigene's rebels. We lost the war and I had to flee. My tribe was wiped out, My family and my home all gone. This story means a lot to me and I hope I can convey what I went through in my life to show you some real-life feelings on the war. Not just for life but for your land and for family...and what it's like to lose, as well as when I was able to find some members of my tribe that had survived the war.