Hiccup opened his eyes blearily. His room was a blur, brown mixing with black. Yellow sunlight streamed in from a nearby window. He rolled over to the other side of his bed, mentally recounting what had happened yesterday.
He had fallen asleep next to Astrid under the stars, and had only woken up a few hours prior. He had shook Astrid awake, then suggested they should return to their rooms before they were seen. Astrid had agreed, telling him to go and get plenty of sleep.
But before that, Mala had refused to let the Eruptodon go in a council meeting. He groaned in frustration. Today, he would have to push even further for Mala to free the Great Protector.
He internally sighed. Mala was perhaps the harshest out of all the Chiefs and leaders he would have to confront. Really, he knew he should be glad, that he was getting Defenders of the Wing crossed off, but it didn't make it any easier.
He flipped the covers off him and sat up. He reached for his prosthetic, discarded nearby on the floor, and attached it to his stump with a sharp click. He wearily stood up and stretched his arms.
He heard a knocking on his door, and walked over to the door. "Who is it?" He called.
The door swung open and Fishlegs poked his head in. "Hey Hiccup? Mala wants us in her council room."
Hiccup raised his eyebrows. "Did she say why?"
Fishlegs shook his head. "No. Just said to get there right now. Apparently she has important news to tell us."
Hiccup groaned. "Well, I'd better get there. Though I'm not looking forward to it. Tell her I'll be there in a minute."
Fishlegs nodded. "Hurry!" He ducked back outside and closed the door. Hiccup heard his retreating footsteps as he walked away.
Hiccup tugged on a shoe, and raked a hand through his messy hair. He redid all of his many belts and buckles, fitting them so he'd be comfortable.
He walked out of the building, heading toward the council room where they had met the day before. He saw a lamp on inside, walking faster so he wouldn't be too late.
He arrived on the doorstep and pushed the door open. He was greeted by the sight of Mala and the riders looking at him. "Sorry I'm late."
Mala's lips formed a thin line. "That's alright, Hiccup. Good morning."
Hiccup nodded and took an empty seat between Valka and Snotlout. He listened as Mala continued. "I've been thinking about your idea, Hiccup, and I've come to an consensus among my council members and I."
Hiccup stared at her, expecting her to launch into some sort of tirade. He unknowingly gripped the underside of the table, waiting for her next words.
What she said, however, was very different from what Hiccup had been expecting. Mala bowed her head and said," We have agreed to release the Great Protector."
Hiccup gaped at her open-mouthed before quickly regaining his composure. "Oh! Mala, that's great."
Mala nodded, but her eyes were sharp and narrowed. "Although I do hope you realize what this means for our village. We will have to move everyone and everything to a new island. The Great Protector was the only thing shielding us from the volcano."
Hiccup nodded. "Of course. We'll be glad to offer our help."
Mala shook her head. "No, that won't be necessary. We do have some questions about this Hidden World, though."
Hiccup leaned forward. "Go ahead."
"Our first question is, where is this Hidden World?" She asked. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at him for an answer.
Hiccup gulped. Her green glare scrutinized him, searching for lies. "It's supposed to be at the end of the world. We weren't able to map it, as Astrid and I have only been there once. By dragon back, it takes the better part of a day. But dragons should instinctively know how to find it."
Mala glanced at Astrid. "Can either of you tell us which direction it is?"
Astrid's eyes locked with Hiccup's. They both knew the direction, but Mala sounded like she planned to go there herself. Hiccup looked back at Mala, who was watching them with careful eyes. "Are you planning to go there?" He tentatively asked. The air seemed to tense, electricity seemed to emanate from Mala. She glowered at him. "It's my duty to make sure you aren't feeding us a lie. To do that I need to make sure this Hidden World exists, and our Great Protector will be safe."
Hiccup stared at her unblinkingly. "Mala, the Hidden World is sacred. Humans don't belong there. When we went there, we would have died if Toothless hadn't saved us. It's incredibly dangerous."
Mala shook her head. "No. As leader, I must justify the situation, and the only way to do that is to see this Hidden World for myself."
Inside, Hiccup shrank. Mala was adamant that she would go, yet without a dragon, how would she get back? She might not even be able to enter the Hidden World. Hiccup and Astrid were only able to enter with Stormfly, what would happen with a boat?
Astrid leaned forward and addressed Mala. "Think of it as Vanaheim. No humans are allowed to go there, because it's a sacred spot for dragons."
Hiccup smiled at Astrid. Of course, she would think of Vanaheim, something Mala understood. He could see Mala reconsidering her decision.
Mala stared at the table, deep in thought. Dagur moved to her side and whispered in her ear. She nodded, whispering something back.
After a pause, she nodded. Her eyes rested on Astrid approvingly. "Alright. No one from Defenders of the Wing will enter the Hidden World. You have my word."
Hiccup let out a silent breath. Finally, it seemed as if their troubles on Defenders of the Wing island were over.
Mala continued. "However, I do expect directions. We need information in case of an emergency."
Hiccup nodded. "Sure. I'll write them down for you."
Mala nodded briskly. "Thank you. Meeting dismissed." She and Dagur walked out, with the other dragon riders following close behind.
Hiccup and Astrid were left alone in the room. He turned to face her, and saw her face was filled with worry. He imagined he looked the same way.
Astrid walked closer to him. "Do you think we're still doing the right thing?"
Hiccup replied," I want to do the right thing, but right now we can only do the best thing. Agh, why does this have to be so hard?"
"You're right, it's the best thing. You know that dragons can't live safely with us! Stop blaming yourself."
"Astrid, if I hadn't been foolish enough to be tricked by Grimmel, over and over again, then the dragons might still be here. Toothless and Stormfly would still be here."
Astrid shook her head. "Remember what I told you, two years ago? Don't think of what ifs. What ever happened in the past doesn't change the present because no matter what, you would find yourself here eventually."
Hiccup glared daggers at the floor. "Yeah, I would find myself here, dragonless, an ocean away from my village, trying to rip dragons and humans apart."
Astrid put a hand on his shoulder. "But all of that is for a good reason-"
Hiccup jerked away. "Just because it's for a good reason doesn't mean it's ok."
Astrid watched him with sad eyes. "I know you don't want to do something you don't believe in, and that really is one of the things I love about you. But there comes a point where what you don't want to happen is the only way."
Hiccup stared irritably at the floor. "No. I found a way defeat the dragon flyers without hurting the Singetails."
Astrid walked in front of him, raising her voice. "Hiccup, this is different from the Singetails. Now you have a village and several more on your shoulders. This is the best thing you could do!"
Hiccup sighed and slowly lifted his head to meet her gaze. "It just doesn't feel like it." He quietly said.
Astrid smiled sorrowfully. "I know. It really doesn't. But it's the only way."
They stepped out of the council room and joined everyone outside. Tuffnut and Ruffnut were talking to Valka and Eret, while Snotlout and Fishlegs conversed with Dagur and Mala.
Hiccup took Astrid's hand and tugged her toward Dagur and Mala. They walked up behind them, and Mala turned to face them. She was cradling Oswald in her arms.
She smiled at them. "Hiccup, I'm sorry about the fuss, but my council members made me."
Hiccup shook his head. "Oh, it's fine. I understand."
Oswald let out a high-pitched squeal. Dagur laughed softly. "Hey H, ya wanna hold him?"
Hiccup instantly took a step back. "Hold him?" He sputtered. "No. No no no. I'd drop him."
Astrid cracked up, laughing at Hiccup's fumbling words. "You're not going to drop him. It's just holding a baby." She reached for Oswald, and Mala graciously gave her him. Astrid rocked him in the crook of her arm, then looked up at Hiccup. "See, it's easy."
Hiccup stared at Oswald's bright green eyes and laughing wet mouth, and something inside him just... melted. He held out his arms. "Alright, I'll give it a try."
Mala rearranged his arms. "You support his head with your left arm, and cradle his back with your right."
Astrid gently placed Oswald into his arms, and he felt the comfortable weight sink into his arms. He uncomfortably rocked him, afraid of dropping him.
Mala laughed, then took Oswald back. He gratefully handed the bundle of blankets back, relieved to not have to hold the infant anymore.
Dagur clapped him on the shoulder. "So, plans! Do you guys have time to stay here? Or do you have to get to the next island?"
Hiccup scratched the back of his neck indecisively. "Actually, we might need some help finding the next island. When we know how far away it is, we can make a plan."
Dagur crossed his arms. "Well, what island are you going to next?"
Hiccup looked at Astrid for help, then rolled his eyes when she shrugged. "Maybe Wingmaiden Island?"
Mala knit her eyebrows. "I think that would be just a half a day trip for your boat. The wind is in your favor today, as you would just need to keep heading past our island."
Hiccup nodded. "Great. Do you have any maps we can use? And while we're doing that, I can write down the directions for the Hidden World."
Mala shook her head. "We have only one map of the way to Wingmaiden Island, but we can give you parchment to copy it. Dagur, can you show Hiccup to the library?"
"You guys have a library?" His eyes were wide.
Dagur smirked. "Sure thing. Started collecting books a few years ago." He started to say more, but was cut off by squealing.
They looked over to see Fishlegs hopping up and down. "Did I hear someone say library? And books? Lead me to them!"
Dagur pointed left, then stumbled when Hiccup and Fishlegs ran him over in their haste to get to the library. Astrid, the twins, and Snotlout cracked up as they watched them scurry past, with Dagur chasing after them. Astrid wiped her eyes. "That never gets old."
Mala smiles at her mirth. "Does that happen often?"
"You have no idea. Even now they still geek out over new dragons." She rolled her eyes.
Mala took on a serious expression. "Can I ask you something?"
Astrid straightened her face. "Of course."
"You and Hiccup are engaged, right?"
"Oh no. I feel like I know where this conversation is headed. No, we're not married yet, and we don't plan to become married for a while."
"You have been courting for almost three years. Dagur and I courted for barely two months, and now we have Oswald."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that it might be time to think about the next step. You've definitely heard this a thousand times, but as a Chieftess myself, I know that it will do you good to get married. You're settling down on a new island, Hiccup's ruling alone; he could really use your help."
Astrid squeezed her eyes closed. "I know, and all of those are true, but I just don't think I'm ready for that."
Mala patted her on the shoulder. "Take your time, but be aware. Now, I've got to put Oswald down." The baby was drooling and falling asleep. Mala chuckled. "He's ready for the first of his many naps a day. See you later, Astrid." She walked away, presumably to Oswald's nursery.
Astrid watched her go, feeling very unsettled. Would she ever be ready?
It wasn't as if she didn't want to be with Hiccup. They loved each other, they were practically together all the time, and they had been betrothed for two years.
But marriage was a huge step. She'd always known marriage would be on the schedule, but somehow it slipped her mind that she would actually be married someday.
Maybe she could ask Hiccup? As soon as the thought came into her mind, she tried to cross it off. No, she wouldn't bother Hiccup with something like this when he already had so much on his plate.
But uncertainty still occupied her mind.
The Defenders of the Wing Library was huge, about half the size of the old Great Hall. Every wall and aisle was filled with bookshelves which in turn were filled with hundreds and hundreds of dusty books and scrolls.
Hiccup and Fishlegs pored over books they found, exclaiming over facts and finds they read about dragons. Dagur stood off to the side, smirking as he watched them study.
"Hey, you guys done geeking out?"
Fishlegs looked up with an affronted look. "We are not geeking out. We're just... so so so excited about all this! Look at this library full of treasures! And wonders! And so much dragon knowledge I can't even-" He wiped his eyes, having gone misty-eyed during his short proclamation.
Hiccup chuckled. "Well, we are sort of geeking out over this." Fishlegs shot him a look, and he hastily amended his words. "I mean just reading! Yeah, no geeking out here."
Dagur snorted. "Yeahhh, sure. Hey watcha reading?" He looked over Fishleg's shoulder. "Mmhmm. Uh-huh. Wow. So amazing. So the Seashocker swims in the sea? I never knew that." Fishlegs rolled his eyes and flipped the page.
Hiccup hummed as he skimmed over the pages, until he spotted one that made him freeze. He slowly scanned the page, his heart dropping as he did so.
He looked up at Dagur, who was now juggling three books. "Dagur?"
Dagur nodded, his attention still on the books. "Yeah?"
"Have you ever seen a Triple Stryke, other than Sleuther?"
The books fell and clattered to the floor. Dagur looked at him with a dreading expression. "No."
Hiccup winced. He turned around in his chair, the book on his lap. "You may want to take a look at this." He lifted the book and gave it to Dagur. Fishlegs watched them, confused.
Dagur read over the page, his eyes stopping as he came to the part where Hiccup had stopped. He looked up at Hiccup, then back down at the page as if he wasn't sure what he was reading. Hiccup stared at him as though waiting for a verdict.
Fishlegs looked between them, waiting for something to happen. "What? What happened?"
Dagur tossed the book onto the table. "See for yourself." He leaned against a bookcase, ribbon his forehead. "I can handle this. This doesn't change anything. I'm okay." He whispered to himself.
Fishlegs looked over the page. "Triple Stryke. Hey, it's just an info sheet! Venom, Armor..." He stopped. "Number in Existence?"
Hiccup stabbed his finger down on the page. "One in existence." They both looked toward Dagur.
Dagur looked away. "This doesn't change anything. It's fine if Sleuther is the only one! It's fine."
Hiccup shared a look with Fishlegs. "You realize the number might not apply to Sleuther?"
Dagur stared at him, realization dawning on his face. "You mean like... there might be another one? Not just my Sleuther?"
Fishlegs nodded. "It's just like with Toothless and the Light Fury."
Hiccup's heart sank for a second. The mention of Toothless and the Light Fury still hit a sad chord in him.
Fishlegs continued. "Hey Dagur, it might actually be time to think about Sleuther going to the Hidden World..."
Dagur shook his head adamantly. "No. No way, Josè."
Hiccup leaned back in his chair. "Think about what's best for Sleuther. He almost certainly is the only dragon of his kind."
Dagur glared at him. "So? How will going to the Hidden World change that?"
Hiccup crossed his arms. "There are far more chances of another Triple Stryke being there. And you know that if he's the only Triple Stryke in this area, dragon hunters will almost certainly try to capture him."
"Then I won't let that happen."
Fishlegs intervened. "Look, we know you don't want to part with Sleuther. We didn't want to part with our dragons either, but it had to be done for their survival. Sometimes we need to think of what our dragons need, and not what we want."
There was a long silence as Dagur contemplated what Fishlegs said. Then he bowed his head. "Look, I just want to keep Sleuther, alright? I've already lost Shattermaster, and I don't want to lose another."
"It's not losing Sleuther. It's just releasing him."
There was an even longer silence, until Dagur finally spoke. "I'll think about it, okay? I'll tell you later." He walked out of the room, head bowed.
Fishlegs exchanged a look with Hiccup. "Do you think he'll actually do it?"
He shrugged in response. "I don't know." He sighed. "How about we look at that map?"
Fishlegs pulled out a large dusty scroll and unfolded it. It was other than your typical map, maybe three feet wide and four feet tall. On it were the different islands in the archipelago.
Fishlegs pointed to one. "That should be Defenders of the Wing." He trailed his finger to another island, close by. "That should be the Wingmaidens."
"How about you start tracing the map and I write down directions?"
Fishlegs pulled out another blank scroll. "Sounds like a plan."
Hiccup took a spare piece of parchment and scribbled down directions. He hoped they were specific enough, because the Hidden World was... well... hidden. It wasn't meant for people to find in the first place anyway.
Fishlegs tapped the map. "We should probably get going if we're going to reach Wingmaiden Island by nightfall. And it's not going to be a pretty conversation there either, keep in mind."
"Oh, I know." Hiccup rolled up the large master map and tucked it away in a bookshelf. "Truthfully." He leaned closer to Fishlegs. "Atali's personality is... kinder than Mala's, but I expect a nasty response anyway."
Fishlegs nodded. "Well, don't let Mala heat you say that. Think we should go check on the others?"
They stood up, directions in his hand and copied map under Fishleg's arm. Walking out of the building, Hiccup felt a slight sadness at not being able to spend more time in the library. He would have felt worse if he hadn't seen Fishleg's eyes actually watering, and he choked back a laugh.
They exited just in time to see Mala walk away from a downcast Astrid. Hiccup exchanged a look with Fishlegs before hurrying over to Astrid. "Are you okay?"
"What?" She looked up at him, then glanced away. "Yeah, of course. I'm fine."
Hiccup could tell she was lying, in fact he could see she was trying to keep something from him. "Are you sure? You don't seem fine."
Astrid crossed her arms. "I'm fine, Hiccup. Okay?"
He nodded, then asked," What was Mala talking to you about?"
Astrid shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, just... stuff, I guess. Now, what are your plans for Windmaiden Island?"
She was deliberately changing the subject, that he could tell. But he decided to play along for the time being. "If we leave right now, we'll get there by sundown. Maybe nightfall, but then I guess Atali's going to take over from there."
"So, should I get everyone ready to leave?"
Hiccup nodded. "Get the riders and then make sure the boat is ready. I'll go talk to Mala and Dagur."
"On it." She smiled at him, and turned to walk away. Hiccup felt a pang of sympathy for her, amplified even more when he realized the twins must be at the boar pit.
He turned to look for Mala and Dagur, and saw Mala exiting a building made of tan wood. He walked up to her, saying," Thank you so much for letting us stay here, Mala, but we have to get going if we want to reach Wingmaiden Island by today."
She nodded, beckoning Dagur from the side. "Of course. Thank you for the help, we'll see you again soon."
Dagur met his eyes. "Hiccup, I've made a decision." He let out a shaky breath. "I'll let Sleuther go."
Hiccup widened his eyes. He hadn't expected Dagur to make a decision so soon. Mala also seemed surprised. "You're giving up Sleuther?"
Dagur sighed and looked at the ground. "It's not giving him up. It's releasing him. And yes, I'm releasing him."
Mala put her hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. I've had a while to think about it, since yesterday. I think I can do this."
Hiccup jumped in. "Okay, but only if you're sure."
Dagur nodded. "I'm sure."
Hiccup looked for Sleuther, hoping to see the dragon somewhere close. "When?"
Dagur stared at the ground more intently. "Now." He put his fingers to his lips and whistled. Sleuther immediately jumped out of the nearby bushes. Hiccup was impressed, he hadn't even known the Triple Stryke was there.
Dagur and Sleuther walked to the edge of the dock, the former sitting down and kicking the water.
Hiccup exchanged a worried look with Mala, then looked back as Dagur spoke. "Hey, Sleuthy. Wanna know something cool?"
Sleuther nudged his arm, and Dagur places his hand on Sleuther's snout. He whispered quietly," You might be the only Triple Stryke left. Or, maybe you've got a secret future girlfriend somewhere. Anything could happen, huh?"
Hiccup felt as if he was intruding on something special, something deeply private. He turned away, and walked toward the sight of Astrid with the other riders in tow.
Astrid looked past him to see Dagur sitting with Sleuther. Her blue eyes grew wide. "Is he... saying goodbye?"
Hiccup nodded, at a slight loss for words. He didn't think it would be this hard to see a human and dragon be separated because of him. Astrid placed her hand on his shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. They made their own choice for this. Stop blaming yourself."
He nodded. "I'll try." Astrid smiled, then gestured to the riders behind her.
"They're all ready to go. How about we leave after... Dagur finishes."
"Okay. I'll go tell Mala." He went back to Mala, telling her," If it's okay, we'll leave after Dagur... is ready."
Mala replied," That's fine. What about the directions?"
He had almost forgot about them. He pulled them out of his pocket, neatly folded. "They should be specific enough to get there, but only in an emergency."
Mala nodded. "Of course. I think Dagur may be ready." They looked back to see Dagur standing alone on the dock, watching as a red and black dragon flew away from him.
Hiccup felt a tightening in his throat as Dagur walked back toward his own building. His face was wet with tears. Mala trotted toward him, but stopped when he held up a hand. "I just want to be alone right now."
Mala looked after him, her eyes misty. "He'll get over it. In time." She faced back toward him and the riders behind him. "Will you be leaving now?"
Hiccup nodded. "Yes."
Mala held a hand out toward the dock. "Then safe travels, and good luck."
Hiccup smiled solemnly. "Then the same for you."
He walked to the dock, with the riders, Valka, and Eret close behind. They boarded the ship, one by one.
Eret tugged the rope free from the docks, and the wind blew their sail wide. The midday sun shone upon them. The boat slowly rocked, back and forth until the wind caught it, and suddenly they were off.
Hiccup looked back with a lump in his throat, as he saw Mala waving with dozens of her tribe on the dock. Farther away, Dagur stood on a high cliff watching them sail away. He lifted a hand in parting.
Hiccup faced the sparking blue ocean, and pointed out. "To Wingmaiden Island." Eret slowly turned the rudder.
They looked up as a beating of wings caught their ears, and watched as a Triple Stryke flew past the sun, over the edge of the sea, and toward the Hidden World.
Thank you for reading! Have a great day. ~ScribeOfTheLegends