Here we are guys! The next chapter!
After the events of the three previous chapters I will say that what happens in this one may be surprising to you not just in terms of events, but also in terms of time since there is time jump due to Hiccup being out and unconscious, and it may be longer than you think...
Also, since Gobber mentioned "most of him" last chapter, you all probably know what that means for Hiccup, so no need to guess!
Anyways, please enjoy!
It was hard for him to know where he was at first. Was he dreaming, or was this all real to him? He did not know.
All Hiccup saw as his slowly eyes opened was a dim light as thunder lightly rolled around him. Judging by the sound of droplets that hit the roof of the large tent over him he could tell that he was in the camp, and that it was raining.
Another thing he could also tell by the lack of armor was that he was wearing his casual brown and green clothes
"When will he wake up?" a familiar feminine voice asked. "He's been in a coma for far too long. Everyone is beginning to worry for him."
"I don't know, Astrid." another voice replied, this time masculine. "His injuries from the Red Death were quite extensive. Having bruises is one thing, but losing part of a lim-?"
"...Where am I?"
Hiccup's voice spoke weakly as he groaned, opening his eyes up to the best of his ability until he found the strength to open them entirely. The grey morning light pierced his eyes as he looked up towards the figures that stood by his bedroll. Astrid, Magnus, Eira, Gobber, Stoick, and the Riders along with Ivar's brothers looked at Hiccup with shocked but relieved faces.
"He's woken up..." Stoick gasped with relief, kneeling to Hiccup's level and placing his hands on the lad's shoulders. "My boy…"
"Dad?" Hiccup asked, looking back at the Chieftain. "W- What happened? ...Did we- win the battle?"
Stoick sighed, nodding his head. "Aye, Son. Thanks to you, we managed to win the battle against Ivar and his Dragon… But it came with a great cost for us. Those who fought with us and died now rest and drink in Valhalla, most likely telling stories about us. You on the other hand however were lucky. You were only unconscious."
Hiccup let out a light exhale as he slowly sat himself up. "H- how many did we lose?" he asked.
"We lost nearly a thousand men in total, and that doesn't includes the Dragon riders who were lost in the firestorm - which was almost half of them." said Magnus. "But there is a bright side to this. Were it not for you, we would have been done for."
"And I have been unconscious for how long?"
"Nearly a month." answered Snotlout. "Your coma lasted longer than we thought."
Hiccup's eyes gazed with disbelief upon hearing Snotlout's words. 'This could not be real' he thought to himself, and yet it somehow was. He was out and cold for nearly a month? What happened during the time he was out?
The lad grunted, giving off a dreaded look. "Wait- What about Ivar?" he questioned."He still survived the battle! If I've been out for almost a month then- then has he been doing? What if he's been regathering his strength?! We need to pursue him and-"
As Hiccup attempted to get on his feet, Stoick easefully and lightly pushed his hand against him - preventing him from standing. "Easy, Son." he said as he patted and rubbed his shoulder. "You need to rest and not worry for right now. Ivar is not going anywhere, and unless he made a move, we would know."
"He's right." said Sigurd. "Our scouts have been keeping an eye on him and Kattegat for some time now, and from what we know, he is cornered like a rat. He's holled up, unable to go anywhere."
"And what about me?" Hiccup asked. "Why am I unable to go anywhere? What is it that you don't want me to see if I can't just-"
As the young Viking flipped the covers of his bedroll off him, he looked down at his feet and nearly lost his voice. He sat there in silence with everyone in the tent giving sympathetic looks for the lad, and as he moved both legs out of bed, he could see a better view of both his feet. Or rather just his right foot.
Hiccup saw that he no longer had a left foot, and in its place was a metal prosthetic.
"W- What happened..." Hiccup said, shuddering.
Astrid who stood nearby came closer to the young Viking, sitting criss-cross at his level to try and comfort him. She let out a sigh, shaking her head before lightly grabbing ahold of his right hand.
"When Toothless saved you from the explosion that nearly engulfed you, he unfortunately could not save your left foot in time. It was incinerated in the wave of fire. I'm sorry Hiccup, I wish that we could have-"
"It's fine, Astrid." he replied, looking down at his prosthetic. "As long as I can still walk, I will probably be fine with it… now please, help me up. I want to see if I can walk."
"Hiccup, are you sure? You do need rest after all."
"I'm positive. Now help me up."
Astrid nodded, wrapping an arm around his shoulder as Hiccup made an effort to straighten himself out and stand up. Eventually, he was up on both his foot and prosthetic.
"Make room for him, everyone. He needs to at least try." said Stoick.
Everyone in tent quickly spreaded out as soon as Hiccup was up. Astrid then gently backed up from him as her arm slipped off from around his shoulders, giving the room for him to start walking.
"Alright. Give it a go." she said. "I'll follow from behind and catch you incase you fall. Don't worry."
Hiccup nodded, taking in a few light inhales of air before deeply exhaling. With a slow effort, he took a step forward with his prosthetic first, all while hoping that he would not slip and fall.
The first step was a success.
Slowly but surely Hiccup continued his way forward towards the entrance of the tent, going step by step and not rushing himself as Astrid followed him from behind. When he was close to the flap of the tent, he increased his pacing a little bit, and as soon as he exited the tent he suddenly slipped and fell...
"Hiccup!"
However, something broke his fall.
Immediately he felt himself land on something scaly which rose up to catch him, and upon looking down he noticed that he fell on top of the familiar black-scaled head of his best friend. It was Toothless.
The Night Fury looked up at Hiccup, giving the lad a gummy smile as he helped him up.
"Toothless!" Hiccup grinned, standing back up. "How are you doing, Bud? It's been a while since we saw each other…"
…
Though it took some time for Hiccup to adapt to, he eventually started getting the hang of his prosthetic. With every step he took, it became easier and easier for him to walk, and as the remaining pain slowly passed it just made it all the better for him.
Despite what he thought about it though, his main concern was his hunger and hydration. As well as possibly Ivar.
As soon as the group left the tent, Hiccup, Astrid, Magnus and Toothless were eventually the only ones left.
The three Vikings then sat by the nearby table, sitting silence with only the soft rain and light rolling thunder to accompany them.
"So, what happened while I was gone?" Hiccup asked as he sipped from his cup of water. "Surely there has been much that has changed during my coma?"
"There has." nodded Magnus. "Though if you really want to talk about Ivar, let's just say that there's nowhere else for him to go. His dream of a Viking empire has fallen apart, and his Great Army is no more. It's just him, his Völsung Clan, and a hundred Jomsviking bodyguards at his side standing between us."
"I see." Hiccup replied. "So how many in total does he have?
"Half the amount of men we have." answered Astrid as she leaned in her chair, gripping her hands together. "After months of fighting him, he is finally outmatched and outnumbered. His chances of winning this war are zero."
"As far as we also know, Ivar has no chance of receiving reinforcements." Magnus added on. "We've recently intercepted some of his messengers returning with letters from far away Slavic and Germanic Tribes, as well as other Viking Clans. They all rejected Ivar's offer for making an alliance."
"Hm. It looks like our efforts against him have spread far and wide around Europe." Hiccup said, crossing his arms. "Though… there is something that concerns me."
"What is it?" asked Astrid.
"Well the thing is… Ivar wasn't the one who built his Dragon army, but rather someone else gave it to him. Unfortunately, I don't remember who it was off the top of my head, but whoever Ivar got help from must have been the catalyst for breaking the Red Death. I mean- does it not seem strange to you that Ivar somehow found a way to control the Red Death within just a month?"
"What are you saying?" asked Magnus. "That Ivar had the help of an outside force who already knew how to control the Dragons, and that they gave him the necessary knowledge needed to do so?"
Hiccup gave a nod. "Exactly.., but until we deal with Ivar we shouldn't worry too much about it. Right now the question is; how can we surround him? The only way we can do it is if we attack both the main gate by sea, and the rear gate by land - and yet we don't have a fleet to make landfall."
"Well consider yourself lucky." replied Astrid. "Magnus and I spoke with the other Chieftains during the time you were unconscious, and together we were able to put our resources into building a new fleet to use against Ivar. It will also be the same fleet that will take us home."
"Indeed." said Magnus. "...Now, if we're settled on this matter then you'll have to excuse me. I have to go see how Eira and our child are doing. She is still pregnant after all."
"If you must, then go on ahead." responded Hiccup, gesturing in approval to the older Viking as he made his way out of the tent and out in the rainy day. This left Hiccup alone with Astrid and Toothless who laid in the corner, sleeping.
Hiccup chuckled, staring at his Dragon. "First time he sees me again in a month and he's already sleeping. I guess he's bored already."
"Hey, aren't you forgetting someone?" Astrid giggled as she leaned closer to Hiccup.
"Nay, milady." Hiccup replied jokingly with a Nordic accent. "Still though, I will say it is good to see you again."
Astrid stood from her chair with a smirk on her face, making her way closer to Hiccup as she offered him a hand. "Want to take a walk?"
"Eh, wouldn't hurt now would it?"
She chuckled in response to his answer, but still Hiccup gladly accepted her hand as he lifted himself up from his chair. Instead of immediately taking off however, the two Vikings idly stood there in silence, holding each other's hands while staring back at one another.
Astrid smiled. "You know I missed you."
"I missed you too." Hiccup smiled back.
Although it was a little bit dramatic and embarrassing, the two Vikings found themselves leaning their heads closer until their foreheads were touching, and yet they didn't stop there. Their lips then moved towards one another until they met with a quick yet loving kiss that almost made their stomachs flutter.
As soon as they separated however, the sight of Toothless from the corner of their eyes caught their attention as the Night Fury stood there looking at them, giving a bewildered expression.
The two of them responded with a light laughter from Toothless' expression, and as the Dragon stepped closer to his rider, he lightly nudged Hiccup with his head.
"Alright, Bud." Hiccup chuckled. "...Do you want to come with us?"
…
The only thing that described Kattegat was one simple was word. Chaotic.
There were screams and shouting throughout parts of the city. Under Ivar's orders, the Jomsvikings and Völsung warriors rummaged through the town, busting into every hut and home - and restraining and arresting any man, woman and child that they could find, not caring what they said. Anyone who resisted however was immediately slain and executed without question.
It was clear that Kattegat was no longer what it once was. The city was now a fortress overrun by Vikings that marched around every corner, and with Ivar at the head of it all - the people viewed him as a tyrant. The walls of the city were fortified with wood and iron, making it impossible to get in and out, and the Great Hall now towered over the rest of Kattegat like it was a large stronghold.
As the Jomsvikings and Völsung Vikings swept through the city, Ivar sat on his throne in the Great Hall whilst sipping wine from his drinking horn. He grinned wickedly as he leaned back in his seat.
Before him stood six of his Völsung commanders who all had uncertain looks on their faces, wondering what their supposed God and Boy-King had to say to them.
"My lord Ivar." said one of the commanders. "You called for us. Is there something wrong?"
"Not at all." chuckled Ivar. "However, the reason I summoned you here is to ask about the messengers I sent out. Have any of them returned yet?"
The commanders all shook their heads, giving slightly embarrassed expressions. "We haven't received a single one so far, lord Ivar." another commander spoke. "After all the damage that Hiccup Haddock has done to us, he's made us look weak and unsuited for leading other Clans and Tribes. We think he's-"
"Hiccup is dead, you fool." Ivar interrupted, slamming his hand against the arm of his throne. "From what I am hearing from you, you are presuming that he is still alive, and yet you have no proof."
"But what about the Red Death, my God-King?" one of the shieldmaiden commanders asked. "A month has almost passed by and that thing hasn't returned. Do you think Haddock has perhaps killed it?"
"Hmm… that is a good point." Ivar said, placing a fist on the side of his head. "But destroying the Red Death would also mean destroying himself. A single blast through its mouth is it's only weakness, but it would also cause a huge explosion that would incinerate anyone nearby. However, if it is truly the case that the Red Death indeed is dead, then that means so is Hiccup."
"Now then. Would any of you like to drink to our victory?"
Before anyone could respond however, the doors to the Great Hall immediately bursted opened as nine Völsung guards came marching in with three men in their grasp, bound in chains. They were civilians.
"My lord Ivar!" the captain of the group called out.
Ivar let out a sigh. He immediately stood from his throne, placing his drinking horn aside before walking forward with ease towards the captain and his men. "What?" he asked. "What is it?"
The captain and his men stopped before the Chieftain, pushing the three civilians down on their knees in front of him. "We caught them. They've been trying to raise a rebellion in the town against your rule. They say they refuse to be taken prisoner like all the others."
"Is that so?" he asked. "And who among you three fools have the audacity to stand against someone like me - a God. Hm?"
The three men did not speak. They merely looked up at Ivar, glaring angrily as if they wanted to tackle him and beat him to death. Being bound by chains however, they were useless.
Ivar took a few steps towards the centermost civilian, kneeling down to get his attention. "You." he said, whistling before swiftly back-handing the man across the face. "What is your name?"
The man stayed silent. He only stared back at Ivar with the same look of hatred, not caring about what he had to say.
Ivar grinned wickedly. "Ah… you must be the leader, eh?" he questioned curiously. "Tell me, why do you stand against your King? Against your God? ...Though then again, you are no longer Völsung. Only the warriors who followed me into battle against our enemy deserve the title of being Viking and Völsung. You and all of those people are just slaves to me now."
"...However," he said as his expression changed, slightly smirking. "Seeing as how you had the courage to stand up against me, I offer you three a chance to redeem yourselves for who you are. Lower the plow, and take up the axe. Become a Viking, and I will restore your status as Völsung once more. Hm? How does that sound?"
The civilian responded to Ivar unexpectedly by spitting blood in his face, but as he did, the guards immediately rose the man to his feet and punched him in the stomach - knocking the air out of him.
Ivar chuckled as he stood to his feet, glancing between his guards and the three civilians.
"...Hang them, outside the prisons, and let them be shown to the people as a warning to those who dare stand up against me."
The guards without a word obliged, forcing the civilians to their feet as they quickly began dragging them away, with their screams and shouting filling up the Great Hall. As soon as they were out of sight, Ivar looked back at his commanders - gesturing them to leave as they too swiftly made their way out of the Hall.
"Hatred must never take the place of love!" he boasted. "...Then again, why be loved when you can be feared?"