Before starting the chapter, I'd like to give a quick thanks to everyone who reviewed on the previous chapter!
Also, a response to one of the reviews that caught my attention...
...
Vin: There is a reason that this story is an AU (Alternate Universe). I don't intend on making the characters such as Astrid and Stoick completely IC and accurate in terms of how they were in RTTE. This is a story I'm writing. If you don't like it that much, you don't have to read it, my friend.
...
Now, last thing before beginning, I am warning you all that the last scene of this Chapter will be somewhat gorey from what is described, but at the same time it'll be censored out to the point where it doesn't go into too much detail. Either way, reading Mildew's execution is optional!
Now, with that set aside, let's begin chapter 19!
Everyone looked down at Hiccup as he slept and laid unconscious. The aftermath of the spar between him and Mildew left him battered and exhausted from fighting, as well as wounded, and after Stoick announced that the lad was his son, everyone's eyes widened and cheers filled the Arena.
Stoick could still remember the words that cheered from the villagers.
"He's alive! Stoick's son is alive! Hiccup Haddock is alive!" he remembered.
"Honestly, all I can say is… I have no words." began Magnus who laid his hand on Stoick's shoulder. "Never had I once thought that Hiccup would've ever been your son."
"Neither have I." replied Astrid. "I thought he just came from a distant land when I first met him - but when we learnt he was born here… I couldn't have ever IMAGINED that Hiccup would've been Stoick's son all of this time."
Snotlout nodded, sitting up in his chair. "Well, at least it means that Berk's true Heir is finally found." he said. "Which also means I can finally retire from being Heir-"
"That's up to my son on whether he would like to take the role." interrupted Stoick, eyeing the group. "He's going to have much on his plate when he wakes up. The lad fought bravely and honorably in the Arena, but I don't see how he'll be able to-"
Groaning interrupted Stoick, coming from Hiccup's weak voice as he blinked and slightly moved in his bed. The scrawny Viking's vision then became clear as he looked around and saw all of his friends sitting around him.
"Thank Thor he's awake." sighed Fishlegs. "You've had a rough time while you were out."
Hiccup groaned to say his next words. "Y-You don't say… that mace hit me hard in the back…"
"Aye, it did." said Stoick, softly patting the young Viking on his small shoulder. "But you took it like a man, and that's all that matters, Son."
"Agh… thanks Dad- wait, what?" Hiccup's eyes immediately widened at Stoick. Did the Chieftain of Berk just call him…
He couldn't have.
But he did.
Then that could've only meant…
"Wait." said Hiccup, shaking his hands side to side to clear his thoughts. "I'm… your son. But how can I… I- but- ...I don't understand. How can I be your son? You said your son was-"
Stoick shook his head with a grin on his face. "That's not what the blanket told me." he said. "My memories came back to me when my eyes fell upon that which you had when you were an infant. I remembered that there was a name written on it which was stuck out when I felt the fabric make out the letters into one word:"
"Haddock."
The young Viking gave off a soft gasp. Was this real right now? Was he dreaming? It couldn't be real - it couldn't be-
Oh, but it was…
"D-Dad." began Hiccup, nervously stuttering the word as he looked up into his father's eyes. "I- I…"
"Relax. Don't say anything, Son." the large Viking smiled. "What matters now is that you're home now, Hiccup. You're home."
Hiccup, who was wordless and uncertain of what to say, did the one thing that he could only do right there and then. He rushed towards Stoick despite the pain in his body and back, and he gave the Chieftain of Berk - his father, a hug with both of his arms around him.
Stoick's eyes widened for a short moment, but he let out a breath of relief as he placed one of his arms around his son, and the others watched with expressions of the same relief.
After all of these years, Hiccup never imagined that there would come a day where he would find the real home from whence he came from, and meet his father who happens to be the Chieftain of a tall and proud Tribe.
Both Stoick and Hiccup knew however that they'd have a lot of catching up to do…
…
"Are you sure you know what you're doing, Magnus?" asked Eira by his side as they stood outside Berk's jail cells, along with Fishlegs and the Twins.
"I am certain, Eira." he replied to her. "The old man got what was coming to him, and I think it is fitting to give them the end I believe he deserves."
Fishlegs being curious as he was then asked, "Wait, are you telling us that Stoick dubbed you to execute Mildew?"
"That he did." the older Viking responded. "Though the execution which I've discussed with Eira will be one that I do not want you to see."
Tuffnut chuckled. "Why?" he asked. "Will there be blood? Like… LOTS of blood?"
"...Yes." Magnus slowly answered. "But it will be gorey beyond your belief, and you may faint or vomit upon the horrid sight, thus I have made it so that only my eyes, Stoick's eyes, and Eira's eyes may watch the act in which I intend to do."
"Oh come onnnn! Why can't we watch?" whined Ruffnut.
"Unless you want to faint to the point where you feel like you're in Helheim, then keep it down, Ruffnut, and act your damned age! ...That's my final word."
Without saying another word, Magnus took in a fresh breath of air and widely pushed the doors to the jail cells opened. As the wintery day light from outside shimmered and revealed everything before him as he walked in, he noticed an old scrawny figure hung by two chains attached to the wall at his wrists, and his feet were pinned tightly to the ground.
It was Mildew.
"So." Mildew sighed. "I assume ye 'ave come te finish tha job an' put me outta me misery?"
"I have no sympathy for your Mildew." Magnus scoffed as he splurted in a light chuckle. "Though know that I will be the one who will execute you for your horrific crimes."
"Bah! All I've dun is try an' make Berk a better place fer us, one withou' Stoick an' 'is pathetic Council!"
"And all that you've done is caused more damage in return for trying to make Berk in your image, Mildew. You have no power over anyone now, and your loyalists have become a part of Berk once again after seeing what you truly were."
Mildew's eyes widened. "YE WUT!?"
"Yep, that's right." the younger Viking taunted. "All of your loyalists have turned against you, and now they see Stoick as their true Chieftain once again. They eagerly await your execution."
"But tha's nu fair!" the old man whined immaturely. "My loyalists ar'nt punished fer wut they did an' ye-"
Magnus slammed his foot to the ground, interrupting him. "That is because you TRICKED them into doing your bidding, Mildew. Be happy that they didn't rush into the Arena and kill you on the spot… even though your death sentence is already planned."
"Wha- wut death death sentence?"
That question made Magnus grow curious, for it was then that his face grew dark with an expression that sent multiple chills down Mildew's spine. Even then, a small smile grew across the younger Viking's face as he approached the old man, leaning down stopping a couple of feet away from his face.
"I am going to make an execution that no one in this Archipelago has ever done. Odin forgive me for such an act - though either way, I will do it."
"...I will draw Blood Eagle upon your back."
"Blud wut-?"
"You heard me." replied Magnus as he stood back up straight, stretching his arms wide out that represented wings. "You will fly with wings like an eagle. Scream if you must, for you will be sent to Helheim."
…
"And that's what happened that night." sighed Stoick. "You were taken away by the same Dragon that took your mother, though I have no idea on her whereabouts or how you two would have separated."
"Perhaps I was dropped?"
Astrid, who was sitting next to him gave a shrug. "Could've been that… could've been anything, though."
"Well, there has to be an explanation. If I was with my mother then I would've never ended up in that dump of a city back in Norway. Magnus himself told me that I was found wrapped around the blanket, thus, there should be an explanation."
"We will find out soon enough, Hiccup." assured Snotlout. "The Chief and I however have been discussing something important ever since you were unconscious, and we believe it's time to bring it to your attention."
Hiccup arched a brow, turning his head to face his father who responded with a nod.
"There's something that I must know, Son." began Stoick. "Over the two weeks you were here, I have closely watched your progress with interest. You have saved our people from near division, you have restored hope within me and made me feel like my former self again, and most of all you gave me the one thing that I thought I would never see again. My son."
"That I did but- what are you trying to ask me?"
"...I want you to be the Heir of Berk, Hiccup." the Chieftain responded hesitantly. "Though there will be Chiefly duties for you to do when I'm gone if you become Heir, you will be recognized as my son by all and they will see you as the true future Chieftain of Berk. Snotlout insists you take up the role as he's had enough on his shoulders for the many years he was Heir - but your decision is your own."
Hiccup was now slightly hesitant, but more mind blown. He didn't expect that the mantle of Heir would've been passed down to him that easily. He would've assumes that Snotlout would've wanted to keep the title because of the fame he had for being a good Heir.
And yet… there was something in him that said no.
Hiccup had only been on Berk for two weeks, that was true, but all which he had done was not him alone. Astrid, Magnus, Eira, Fishlegs, and everyone else had helped him through this struggle, so to him the credit was not for him alone. As of now he had no intelligence or wisdom of making a good Heir and overall leader, all he and his friends did were help one another which helped Berk.
And so, with a sigh, Hiccup looked up at his father and opened his mouth:
"I will not take up the mantle of Heir."
"What!?" Stoick, Snotlout, and Astrid let out. Hiccup's answer was indeed unexpected to them.
"I am simply not ready to be the Heir, in which in this case I am not ready to become the Chieftain in general when you pass away, Dad. A war is coming to our doorstep and you think this is a time to celebrate my unexpected return? The return of your son to become Heir? I'm sorry, Dad… but I'm not ready."
The smile on Stoick's face faded away. He looked at his son not with an angry feeling, not with a frown, not with a sad look - but with an expressionless face. He didn't know what to say to his son. After years of him being hidden away from him, he unknowingly returns to his home only to reject the mantle of Heir? ...But it was still his son. His decision was his own, and he couldn't object against it. And so, he did what any father would do.
He pat Hiccup on the shoulder, nodding his head. "I understand, Hiccup. There's still much for you to learn… though I probably shouldn't teach you myself. I say that you should allow Snotlout to mentor you in what he does and follow his footsteps of wisdom, especially in times of war - though they were never on a scale like this before."
Snotlout bowed his head. "I'd be honored to help him."
"Excellent." he replied, giving off a sigh of relief. "Now, I'd say that we should start with-"
Before he could finish, the door to Hiccup's room bursted opened as Magnus stood outside the door with a small hammering tool in his hand. The four of them looked at Magnus with arched brows and confusion - or well, excluding Stoick as he eyes mostly fell upon the hammer, thus he understood.
"Is it time?" the Chieftain asked.
Magnus nodded. "...It is time." he said. "This execution will be beyond anything you've seen before, Stoick. Only your eyes may be truly opened to it along with mine and Eira's."
"...Then I'm ready." responded Stoick. "Hiccup, Astrid, Snotlout, we will be making our way to the Great Hall where it shall be dark. Whatever you do, do not peak behind the execution curtain, understood?"
…
Stoick and Eira held down Mildew's hands and back onto the table as he grunted at first in pain, but then he screamed as one nail was seemingly hammered down into where his right wrist laid, followed by his left as Stoick released his right hand.
The old man's scream echoed throughout the Great Hall as Hiccup, Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the Twins stood a few yards away from the otherside of the curtain, though the shadows were still visible on the other side.
Mildew eventually stopped screaming, but for him - this was just the beginning of his execution.
"I hope you all have strong stomachs…" said Hiccup. "This is just the start."
For a moment, Magnus stepped out from the other side and walked towards a heavily lit brazier. He unsheathed a knife from his belt and hovered it over the flames for a while, with the gang watching in slight intimidation. Hiccup was indeed right when he meant that this was the beginning.
After a minute or so, Magnus stepped back behind the curtain and looked down at Mildew, and then he ripped the old man's tunic apart to reveal his bare back. Slowly he raised the knife up to his eyes, inspecting the blade that was still heavily heated and lit orange before looking back at Mildew.
"Gods forgive me for this act." he said to himself. "But it must be done."
Without any hesitation, Magnus stabbed the knife deep into Mildew's back, and the old man started to scream louder than ever.
Hiccup's eyes widened as he could make out Magnus' silhouette, watching the young man slide the knife down Mildew's back with the blade seemingly still embedded. So far, Hiccup was not sure what to make of it.
Not even a minute passed, and the slicing of metal and sparks had ceased as Magnus stabbed the knife into the wooden table. With that, it was then that Hiccup and the group heard a sound that was almost reminiscent to paper and ink, but thicker, and as Astrid stared at the silhouette of Mildew, she could make out two large flaps being peeled to both sides.
She immediately was about to vomit. The young lass turned away and nearly fainted as she held it in, falling to the floor. Hiccup noticed this and crouched down to her level to help her back to her feet.
His eyes, however, still focused on the silhouettes, and in the midst of the moment, the shape of an axe formed in Magnus' hands. To that, the older lad began hacking downwards with swift force, one chop after another.
Mildew screamed at his peak, his yelling echoing throughout the Great Hall, for pain was all the old man felt; it was the same pain that he had inflicted on so many others for a long time, yet as time continued to pass by, Mildew's voice began to soften, and with that, Hiccup spotted two cone-shaped figures being placed upon Mildew's shoulders.
And slowly but surely, Mildew died without another scream…
Hiccup could not take it anymore. He turned his back to the others, and immediately ran for shadows as he threw up on the open floor in disgust. Never had he imagined that he would witness such a horrific act, and at the thought of it, he felt the walls of his stomach go weak.
Magnus all the while was ashamed of what he done. Although Mildew deserved the Blood Eagle execution, part of him knew that there were other ways that could have been as equally as worse. To him, no human should undergo such a grotesque end, for it was a barbarian's way.
With his face covered in stripes of red, he looked up towards the ceiling and sighed.
"It is finished..." he said quietly. "...I pray to the gods that I will never do another Blood Eagle again; and I mean ever again…"