They continued on pass the chest the barrier had protected. Hiccup once again had Astrid to his left and Toothless to his right. The corridor got darker as they walked. Stormfly, at Astrid's left, held her fire in her throat and lit the way forward. Hiccup glanced over his shoulder, finding Hookfant had set flames to his body, providing those right behind Hiccup and Astrid with light as well.
As they walked, Hiccup felt something begin to tingle all over him. He paid little attention to it. The dragons did not seem upset or worried and they would have noticed before anyone else if something was amiss. The tingling did not get worse, it just did not fade. At one point Hiccup turned to Astrid, intending to ask if she experienced the same sensation. He froze.
Neither Astrid, nor Stormfly stood there. Hiccup jerked his head around, gaze darting to and fro. None of his flock stood around him.
"Hello?" he called out. The sound echoed back to him. "Astrid? Toothless? Sharpshot? Guys?"
No one answered his cries. At least no one that could speak. Hiccup paused his yelling as he heard a screech that lifted the hairs on the back of his neck and caused every part of him to quiver. He took off, uncaring that he was alone. Uncaring that he had no idea what made that noise Whatever it was, it sounded in pain. Hiccup would not allow anything to be in pain around him if he could help. Not now, not after befriending Toothless and becoming the dragon's brother.
As he ran, he remembered an incident when he was seven. Snotlout, at the time, still tormented Hiccup though he never once hit his cousin. That did not matter to the seven-year-old as Snotlout boastfully declared he would be the next chief because he knew how to survive on his own in the woods outside of the village. Stoick would not want a weakling who coward in fear of the trees and darkness they held, even when the sun rose high into the sky.
Believing his cousin's words as Stoick was fully ignoring him at this point, Hiccup ran out of the village. He heard Snotlout's laughter but no signs of pursuit. He was grateful. He would show his stupid cousin. He would survive a night in the woods and bring back one of the animals that lived there. That would prove he was brave. That would prove he had what it took to be the chief his father wanted him to be. That would show Stoick his son was trying not to be the disappointment Hiccup saw in the chief's eyes many times when they landed upon him. After that, maybe they could be a family again. Maybe Stoick could teach him how to fight. None in the village seemed inclined to aid him. He stopped asking after two loudly rejected him in the crowded Great Hall.
Once in the forest, and the bravado he had gained fading with each unknown sound, Hiccup realized just how stupid he was for rushing into the trees. Wolves, wild boar, and bears all made their home here. Reindeer, though a source of food -even if the dragon raids were quickly diminishing the herds on the island-, could also be scary and dangerous. Gobber said many a hunter had come home with a reindeer antler gouged into various places in their body. Some of those same hunters died from their wounds.
Hiccup got turned around in those woods that day and knew he could have died if not for a moment that caused his fear to fade. In his panic he stumbled over a fallen log, landing face first in the muddy grass on the other side. As he struggled to stand, pain from the fall drowning him, he heard a soft squeak. He froze, eyes roaming, seeking the source of the sound. He found it quickly enough and had to blink a couple times to prove what he saw was not his imagination.
Even with three hundred years of war with dragons, the wildlife of the island had remained strong. That was until the year Hiccup had been born. Since that year the raids had gotten worse and too much wildlife taken for each species to cope and recover from. Much of the birds had been the first as they were often times snatched out of the air. While the bigger dragons went after yak and sheep from the villages, hunters reported many other dragons taking various other creatures.
The smaller voles that all but infested the main part of the island, had been vastly reduced in number. None of the Vikings could guess why the dragons took creatures that could sit in a child's hand and at the time none cared to find out. It was just another injustice the dragons visited upon the island in the war.
Yet, against all odds, a tiny vole baby sat just beyond Hiccup's nose. The baby could not have been longer than Hiccup's thumb, if that size at all. Hiccup also realized why the baby squeaked. The baby's tail lay under what Hiccup would consider a twig but given the width of the twig versus the size of the vole, it may as well had been the log Hiccup tripped over. Despite multiple attempts, which Hiccup could see evidence of due to tiny gouges in the forest floor, the baby had not been able to free itself. Hiccup, with soft words and gentle movements shifted the twig.
His heart broke at seeing the crooked state of the tail, so he had picked the creature up. Once he looked up he saw he was not far from the main trail woodcutters and hunters used so he was easily able to return to the village and his house. His father never knew Hiccup nursed the vole back to full health or all but raised the creature. Hiccup also did not know what happened to the vole as time wore on. One day it did not come down from the rafters of his loft and Hiccup never saw it again.
Hiccup skidded around a corner, still following that screech. He stopped short. A creature he did not recognize stumbled along the stone floor. It was no bigger than his hand and walked in a similar manner to Hookfang in that its rather large wings, that resembled Toothless', were its front paws. This one though reminded Hiccup of Firestorm, except it was clearly the wing that was the problem. Large rents shredded the wing Hiccup could see.
Not knowing how the creature would react, and still unsure where his flock was, Hiccup slowly walked forward. The creature, with ears that stood straight up and a nose that looked like a small fox Hiccup had also seen in his later forays into the woods, hissed and growled at him. The sounds were not as threatening as they would have been from anything else. Hiccup still held his hands out in a placating manner.
"Easy," he said softly, on a whim letting his alpha magic coat his words.
He had no idea if this was a furry dragon or not. It did have wings like Toothless and a muzzle full of sharp teeth. That it was small meant it was probably a hatchling and thus unable to use its breath attack. Hiccup thought his alpha magic would help, and it seemed to do so as the creature's ears twitched and its gaze zeroed in upon Hiccup.
Hiccup slowly knelt as he got close. The creature tried to stumble back.
"No, don't," Hiccup said. "I won't hurt you. I promise. I just want to help."
The creature seemed to calm as Hiccup continued speaking in a soothing voice, his alpha magic causing his words to grumble like his father's when he talked to the boys in the evening nowadays. A tone the boys seemed to eat up as they listen with rapt attention to whatever story Stoick was telling them.
Hiccup remembered only being jealous of his father's easy relationship with Toothless' kids for a day or two until Astrid cornered him in the arena as everyone but Toothless and Stormfly left. Her soft words and acceptance of Hiccup's feelings soothing the pain he felt and he was able to move on and just enjoy watching his father interact with the boys.
The creature finally allowed Hiccup to ease it into his palm and draw it close to his chest after several heartbeats of Hiccup just talking to it. As Hiccup gently stroked the fur between its ears, he smiled.
"If I can make a tailfin for a Night Fury, I'm sure I can make a wing for you. I'll get you flying again. I just need to find my friends."
[No need.]
Hiccup blinked. Onyxwing sat before him. Hiccup heard a rustle behind him and saw Astrid glare at Sunburn until the Razorwhip moved. Astrid then walked across the corridor, joining Hiccup and pointedly taking Hiccup's left hand. Hiccup saw the glare she gave Onyxwing and wonder just what was going on.
Upon realizing that Astrid held his hand, Hiccup jumped and frantically began searching for the injured creature.
[You will not find that bat,] Onyxwing said. [It was not real. The last test was to see how compassionate you were. A leader with the power you hold will need many traits. You have already passed many of the tests that others have failed. Others we were sure held all the qualities for what was to come. Kaja devised this after many seasons of study, at least according to her. That's why these were to always be the last of the tests. They took the longest to ready.]
Hiccup frowned. "Wait," he said, "that I just saw was an illusion?"
[Yes. You never were alone, Hiccup. Your flock was here the entire time. Though they had to be restrained in order for you to reach the end.]
"Okay," Hiccup said slowly.
Gyda had said a mage who master illusion could alter reality. It seemed this Kaja had done just that. Hiccup did wonder why his own magic did not react to warn him that his senses were being tricked. He would have to ask Gyda about that later. For now, he had other questions.
"What were the other tests if these were the last two?"
[A test of love. A test of loyalty. A test of courage. A test of honor. A test of forgiveness. A test of wisdom. A test of compassion.]
"And I passed all of these?"
[Aye. You held compassion for the bat that was not truly there and for Toothless, an enemy to your flock. You showed wisdom in your choice to Kaja's question and in learning what those who have gone before you already knew. You showed loyalty when you went after the brother you gained and the flock you had lost. You showed courage in fighting the Lava-dweller who believed too much of old ways and old tales that only caused harm and did not teach. You showed forgiveness to the Tall-singer who endangered your intended. You showed honor when you excused yourself even though my daughter's test hurt you, just because you did not want your presence to ruin your brother's reunion. And that's just the ones I either know of or have witnessed personally. I'm sure there are other incidences where you have shown these traits and passed the tests set before you.]
"Does that mean you can finally tell me what secrets you are holding?"
Onyxwing smiled. [Not here. You must first open the door, Hiccup.]
"What door?"
"That one."
Hiccup turned at Skulder's voice, finding him holding another tablet from another chest set against the corridor wall. Skulder was not looking at the table though. He pointed to a rather imposing wood and iron door that prevented anyone from walking forward. Hiccup blinked as he noticed seven different colored lights edging the door. Three sat on one side. Three other set on the other side. One sat at the top. Each light had a line coursing from it to a point in the middle of the door.
[Go, on, Hiccup. Only you will be able to open that door.]
Guest: First off, welcome and thank you for reading and reviewing. Second, yes, yes I did. Though I wonder if any saw the tidbits I inserted into the chapter. Tidbits that hint at certain things.
Kirika: It makes me both glad and humble that you enjoy my story. Be curious, my friend. Be always curious.
Literally Nobody: Thank you, you got me blushing with that first comment. I love that story too. And I knew when the subject of tests came up it would be part of them. Hiccup is very wise, when he allows himself to be. I hope the final test does not disappoint. Have a good day/night as well, and yes, get some sleep, my friend.