Hands gripped the small bag on the dragon's saddle tightly as they made a sharp turn, weaving around multiple sea stacks. Normally, Hiccup would enjoy that a lot, and probably spend hours up here, weaving and dodging and laughing, but this wasn't normal. They weren't playing.
They were fleeing.
Berk wasn't safe for Toothless anymore. Not that it ever had been in the first place, but now that Hiccup refused, absolutely refused, to kill dragons, Toothless was in even more danger. And while Hiccup could accept harm coming to himself, he would never accept his friend being hurt.
Hiccup sighed as they leveled out, foot automatically clicking into position. Even though he'd only known Toothless for a few short weeks, his body already knew exactly where to go when in the sky. As clumsy as he was on land, he was oddly graceful in the sky, his entire body knowing exactly where to go and what to do and how to move. If only he was like that on land... he'd still be useless. Wouldn't kill a dragon. Too scared to stay.
An odd purple light began shining at the edges of his vision, lightening drastically as it crept towards the center. It started nearly black at the edges of his vision, then lightened as it spread, lightening to the softest of lavenders in the center of his vision.
He panicked as he completely lost his vision, pressing himself down on Toothless, trying to make himself smaller, squeezing his eyes shut, but unable to escape from the light, which shone the same whether his eyes were open or shut. He screamed as he felt himself separate from Toothless, crying out in despair for his brother.
He landed on his feet as the light faded, the purple vanishing from his vision and tears streaming down his cheeks. To his surprise, he wasn't hurt, but Toothless was also not by his side.
He searched the room desperately. All of the Vikings of Berk seemed to be in a huge pile in the center of half of the room, while he was in a corner. A transparent, shimmering barrier was right in the center of the room, dividing it evenly in half. On the other side was the dragons of the Nest, the Dragon Training Academy, and the wild dragons.
And Toothless. He was on the other side of the barrier, alive and unharmed, but screaming over the Network for him, all dark purples and furious blacks. "Havardr! Havardr! Havardr, where are you? HAVARDR!"
Hiccup immersed himself in the Network, and Toothless jumped at him, wrapping him securely in purple and black, with small hints of blue and gold, enclosing him in safety. "Havardr! I was so worried! You were seperated from me and I couldn't see or hear or feel or even smell you! I thought I'd lost you again..."
Hiccup felt guilt rise within him, shame, still tinged with his fear and worry and terrible fright that was still just fading. Toothless wrapped further around him, responding to his emotions, and Hiccup saw Toothless crane his neck, searching for him in the pile of Vikings. "I'm sorry, Tannlaus. I tried as hard as I could, but I could not Connect or find you. I was... lost."
Toothless felt of understanding, of shame, of worry and concern and fear, and Hiccup couldn't help relaxing in his brother's loving embrace. He was safe here.
He finally looked around the rest of the room. The Vikings were picking themselves up and dusting themselves up, grumbling and moaning. He giggled softly to himself as he watched his father pick himself up, grumbling angrily, from the bottom of the pile. No wonder there had been no shouting yet.
Stoick looked up, right at the dragons. His face reddened and he screamed. "DRAGONS!" He reached for an axe, frowned when he realized he had no weapons, and charged at the barrier, fists raised and the full weight of Berk behind him... except for Hiccup, who stood there, suppressing a snigger. He knew what they didn't: there was a barrier between them, one that they could not pass.
They slammed into the barrier headfirst, smashing into each other one at a time, all ending up smushed in a pile on the ground again. Hiccup stifled his giggles as he sensed the dragons' amusement and vindicative laughter. It was pretty funny.
A young woman, seemingly around sixteen or so, stepped into the room. Hiccup's eyes focused on her, and he could sense the dragons doing the same.
She had long black hair, threaded with gold and reaching all the way down to her ankles and flowing freely, a few small braids threaded with gold and beaded with the same weaving their way through. She was wearing a simple black dress that swept the ground, with long, graceful sleeves and a curved neckline. Gold glistened in her ears and at her throat. Her lips were stained red with something that Hiccup had never seen before, her eyelids dyed gold, her lashes long and black, her cheeks dyed a pale pink. She was beautiful in a sharp, abject way, her cheekbones high and her face regal. Her eyes were a brilliant green, bright emerald, with small flecks of gold enhancing their color. She looked like a goddess, and Hiccup understood without any words that she was amazingly powerful, beautiful and strong and with powers that he could never even begin to understand.
He also understood that she must have been the one to bring them to wherever they were, the power flowing off of her an awe-inspiring display of what she was capable of.
Hiccup fell to his knees, bowing his head, awed by her power. Behind him, he could sense Toothless doing the same, and the other dragons following their lead.
She laughed softly, and the laugh was amused, gentle, almost fond. "Please, rise, Hiccup. You have no need to bow before me."
She drew her hand out of her sleeve and offered it to him. Her fingers were long and graceful, her fingernails extending at least an inch past her fingertips and painted a bright ruby red, the same as her lips. Their tips sparkled with a glittering gold.
Startled, amazed, and dazed, Hiccup took it, and she pulled him to his feet, surprisingly strong for being so small. She was tall, though, tall and thin and graceful. "Who are you?" He asked, and his voice was dazed and full of awe.
She laughed. "You're still just as curious as you ever were, Hiccup. My name is Eydis. I'm from a faraway land, one that no longer exists. I'm one of the last of my kind. I'm also a seer and a sorceress, a powerful one."
He blinked, astonished. "What? Why are you here then?"
She laughed again, her voice happy. "One of the things that I saw was your story, Hiccup. That's what I'm here for. I'm going to show it to you, and your village, and your dragons."
Hiccup paled, his face whitening with shock and fear. Eydis gently took his limp hand and held it in both of hers. "Do not worry, Hiccup. You will only have to stay with the Vikings until you set Toothless free. Then you can join the dragons. That way, neither of us will have to deal with too much uneccesary shouting." She looked ruefully over at the arguing and fighting Vikings, who were still causing quite a lot of damage, even without weapons.
She drew away from Hiccup, smiling back at him, before turning her attention to the Vikings with a severe glare. "EVERYONE SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN!" She cried, power resonating through her words.
The Vikings turned to face her, falling silent. Stoick approached her, head held high and proud. "I am Stoick the Vast, chief of the Hairy Hooligans of Berk. Identify yourself, witch."
Eydis straightened slightly, lowering her head to stare Stoick in the eye. "I am Eydis the Beautiful, sorceress of the Lost Vale. I am the woman who has brought you here."
The room erupted into chaos. Eydis sighed, holding up her hand, and the room fell silent. "You are here to see a story, one held right in your own village. A tale of discovery, love, and acceptance. A journey of one of your own. A tale that many have enjoyed and loved."
She gestured to the seats. "Please, sit down. All will be shown in time. It will be a lot nicer for the both of us if you cooperate."
Stoick growled and stayed standing, but the rest of the Vikings all sat down, except for Astrid and Snotlout, who stayed standing behind their chief. Eydis ignored them, turning back to Hiccup, who the others noticed for the first time. "Hiccup, I want you to sit by me. Is that okay with you?"
Dazed, Hiccup nodded. Eydis smiled as she walked over to him, taking his hand and leading him to a seat in the back, close to the barrier, leaving Stoick, Astrid, and Snotloud just standing there, suddenly looking very obvious and stupid standing all alone in the middle of the room.
Stoick sat down with a huff, the teens following suit. Eydis smiled happily. "If you would all turn your attention to the screen, I believe the show is about to begin. Please remember that I am the one in charge here and that I fully expect your coopereration. Now, without further adieu, let us begin our story."
Inspiration for certain parts of this story was taken from Dragon Child, by Firenze Fox. I do not own any ideas taken from other authors, HTTYD, or anything but the plot and OCs.