Yeah, sorry about the horribly long wait. I got pulled into some things and it consumed most of my time, so I didn't get much time to write. Just bits here and there so if it seems a little weird, I apologize. Oh, and on top of that, its a little bit shorter too :( sorry, but considering how the story is progressing, this chapter was created to set up the situation that is coming into play very soon. Things are changing on Berk, so without further ado...
The wind was picking up as Hiccup walked towards his home. The air was soft and light with a touch of sea mixing into the breeze. The ground beneath his feet was hard and cold. With every step, he could feel the tough stone just beneath his aching paws. Walking all day had put its toll on the dragon. He didn't dare fly. The village was as quiet. It had been for the last month. Villagers rarely carried on with their usual habits. Many stayed indoors, preferring to keep away from any and all conflict. The air was hydrogen and the smallest spark would set the village ablaze once more.
Invisible lines had been drawn on the island. Seemingly everyone had picked a side, and those who didn't, well, they made sure they kept quiet. They would be hassled to no end until they chose. To trust the foreigners, or to trust the convicts. It was a tough choice given the situation. Many already disliked Tatsuo. Many more hated Alvin. The only reason people sided with Alvin was because Stoick had. It shocked many, maybe even all of Berk. Initial reactions about Stoick ranged from insanity to bribery to forced submission.
Then, the village suddenly went quiet. That is when the lines were drawn. Those subtle lines that curved around each house and down each road. It divided Berk like never before.
Berk was divided.
The door swung open and slammed against the wall loudly as the wind gushed in through sudden opening. Hiccup quickly rushed in, closing the door behind him before anything unwanted rolled in with the oncoming breeze. The dragon slowly turned and breathed out softly. The house was fairly active as it usually was these days.
Astrid was busy sharping her axe. She never could part with that weapon of hers. When she heard what Stoick had decided, she chose the middle ground. Her parents, however, did not. She promptly moved out to prevent further tension from growing within her home.
Toothless was standing in the kitchen slowly cutting food, trying his hardest to use utensils even with the constant torment from Astrid and the occasional teasing from Stormfly whenever she was around. The Night Fury glanced away from his paws, managing to smile at Hiccup as he walked towards the fire pit. Hiccup responded with a soft hello before sitting down. His muscles ached and the sudden weight on his body didn't help.
Hiccup let out a soft groan of pain as a short shock wave spread throughout his shoulder. A small dragon was resting there, smiling and laughing, not fully realizing the pain he was inflicting. The dragon's brilliant eyes shone in the light of the home and brought new life to the worn out vikings. Little Ryuu was keeping them happy, and they in turn, were keeping him just as happy.
Ryuu as put into their custody after Tatsuo requested the dragons take him. With the growing tensions, Tatsuo knew that they could face violent outbursts from the villagers and he'd rather Ryuu be in the care of those were much stronger, where he knew the dragon would be safe. It was an interesting strategy. He knew he was in danger, and he knew they would not harm the dragon, so he made the call.
Hiccup laughed half-halfheartedly at the small dragon as he hopped of his shoulder and ran up to Astrid, clinging to her next. She set aside the axe and rubbed his head softly and kissed his forehead, earning a squeal of delight from the small dragon. Hiccup couldn't help but smile. He felt, in a way, complete with the small dragon around. The innocence of the little one reminded him of the good old days, back when the most Hiccup had to worry about was Toothless eating too much, dealing with unhappy villagers, or trying to keep the twins from causing any damage to the village. Those times were long gone.
"How did it go?" Toothless' soft voice asked, filling the room with warmth. Hiccup glanced over at his companion, seeing his curious eyes.
"Nothing too bad happened, right?" Astrid asked. Her eyes were just as curious. Hiccup's smile slowly drained and his expression changed from content to disappointed.
"I don't really know," Hiccup said softly, "We managed to talk, for a few minutes at least. Spitelout is still convinced that Alvin is putting Stoick up to it. Dad is still firm on his stance. Neither of them are backing down or considering each other's side of the story. They both believe their version is the absolute truth. It's getting ridiculous how stubborn they're being."
"Its your, er, our father, and its our uncle. They're the most stubborn people on the island. This isn't going to be easy, and the way things have been going lately, I don't know if it Berk will be back to the way it was before any time soon," Toothless said, having stopped his cutting and moving closer to the fire pit. Astrid shrugged her shoulders in response, picking up her axe and slamming it into the dirt and leaving it there.
"Of all the pig-headed things to do!" Astrid nearly shouted in frustration, "Why does it have to be those two who disagree? Why does it have to be two very well respected Vikings that disagree? Gods, it makes me wanna punch something!" With that, the viking stood up and punched the wooden beam next to her. It creaked slightly and dust from ceiling drifted down. She sighed heavily and slumped back down, defeated. Hiccup's eyes wandered down, lost in thought.
"I did get them to agree on one particular idea," Hiccup said, still staring at the ground, "That whatever's happening, its bigger than Berk. There's more to this than any of us know. We only have a splintered theory to go on. A theory with multiple beginnings, middles, and ends. We don't know the whole story, and considering what is at stake, it's very dangerous we don't." The room was quiet for a few long moments, each individual taking their time to process the information. They knew this better than anyone else on Berk.
The divide seemed to grow more and more irrational with each passing day. Each passing day, they hear about something new and insane that's happened somewhere on Berk. It scared Hiccup, and he knew that there was going to be some sort of serious conflict soon. He'd heard rumors that a "resistance" of the sort was starting to gain following among those who sided with Tatsuo. Then again, he'd heard the same story for the other side as well. It seemed more like a witch hunt than anything else. A story created to generate tension and start real conflict among the villagers.
"We know there is an insurgent among us," Hiccup began again, "We don't know who this viking, or vikings, are, but we do know they have the intent to split Berk apart. They're destroying us from the inside out. These people aren't like Dagur. They aren't going to face us head on. No, they're much smarter than that." The room was quiet as all ears strained to hear the Night Fury. Astrid stared at the ground in front of her with sharp eyes, careful not to make a sound. Toothless sat staring at Hiccup, his pupils slits, and his ears perked. They talked about the issues at hand everyday, but it never ceases to cause aggravation.
"It doesn't help we can't trust either side," Astrid said softly, "How do we even go about finding these guys?"
"Woah, woah, who said we were going to go look for these guys?" Hiccup asked suddenly, "We don't know who or what we're facing, it could get us killed."
"Then who will protect our home Hiccup? Certainly Stoick, and certainly not Spitelout. We've all Berk's got right now," Toothless said sharply, his voice echoing throughout the room. Hiccup bit his lip lightly.
"Need I remind you that we are notoriously awful at covert operations?" Hiccup said, raising a brow, motioning towards Astrid, "You guys got caught trying to rescue Toothless way back when, and we just recently blew a mission!"
"That was a trap, Hiccup, they knew we were coming," Toothless said, raising his voice a little, then immediately regretting it. Astrid rolled her eyes a bit and stood up, gathering eyes as she did.
"Well, why you two have your little fight, I'm going out and finding whoever's doing this," Astrid said, being unnatural insincere with her words. Granted she was rather rude overall, but the way her voice edged at the end didn't sit right with either dragon. The glanced back over her shoulder and noticed the two stationary dragons watching after her.
"Seriously? Get your asses up, let's go!" She nearly yelled, obviously surprised the two dragons didn't immediately follow her. The two Night Furies looked at each other and slowly got up and walked after the young viking.
Hiccup sat outside Gobber's shop, looking around the empty streets. They used to be filled with villagers milling about, doing their own business. Now the once busy roads were desolate and barren. It was as if Berk had been abandoned and left to rot, yet, with the absence of life came a sparkling sensation. No, more of an electrified feeling. It was the tension in the air. The dragon sat alone, listening to nothing. He could hear nothing around him save for the wind howling softly and the occasional sound emanating from Gobber's shop.
"You wanted to see me?" Gobber's voice sounded from inside the shop. Hiccup turned around and saw the older viking wiping his face with a cloth. He looked terrible. Eyes sunken in from lack of sleep, skin paler than usual, and if Hiccup didn't know any better, the viking lost a few pounds. The dragon restrained his immediate surprise. It hadn't been too long since he last seen Gobber and now he could fully see the effects of stress.
"If this continues..," Hiccup thought to himself before Gobber interrupted his thoughts.
"So is that a yes or a no cause I've got things to do Hiccup," Gobber said, turning from the dragon and replacing the hammer prosthetic with his usual hook. Hiccup stared for a moment, shaking away the thoughts and trying to regain his composure. The dragon leaned in closer, making sure no one was around to hear their conversation.
"You're still with Dad, right? On this whole ordeal?" Hiccup asked softly. Gobber stopped fiddling with his hook and stared down at the floor for a few moments. He nodded softly and turned towards the dragon, a different look in his eyes. He looked angry, sad, and determined all at the same time.
"What can I do for you?" Gobber asked sharply, his voice reflecting the hints in his eyes. Hiccup swallowed hard and moved inside the shop, checking the outside world once more before he shut the windows.
"Spill it, what do you know about this resistance I hear villagers whispering about?" Hiccup whispered hard. The old viking eye's widened for a moment before relaxing. Gobber turned away from Hiccup and continued his work he had started before hand. Hiccup waited for an answer before he realized he wasn't going to receive one.
"Gobber, you need to tell me," Hiccup prodded further, "This isn't about choosing sides, this is about the fate of Berk. You should know that better than me. Considering all that's happened, the last thing Berk needs is a civil war. A coup d'etat will destroy Berk, we both know that." Gobber slammed his fist down on the table suddenly, sending several pieces of metal flying to the floor. Hiccup jumped slightly at the loud noise, cringing a little from the contact. Gobber looked towards the dragon.
"You don't think I realize that Hiccup?" Gobber said quietly, "I know you want whats best for the village, but so does Stoick, and so does Spitelout. There is no good or bad, and if there is, it sure is hard to tell them apart. One on hand, we have Stoick and Alvin. Stoick said it himself, Alvin is a manipulative psychopath, yet he still agrees with him. On the other, we have Tatsuo and his dragon and the rest of Berk. We don't know anything about them except what they tell us." Gobber opened his mouth to go on, but shut his mouth, staring at the dragon for a few moments, rubbing his chin and neck. Hiccup tilted his head, waiting for the viking to continue, but yet again, he was left with nothing.
"Yes, but what about the resistance Gobber?" Hiccup asked, pressing harder this time. He could see the discomfort on Gobber's face. His forehead crinkled and his eyes narrowed in a face of clear unrest. The viking popped his knuckles then stared at the dragon for a few moments, sizing him up.
"You love Berk as much as the next viking," Gobber said plainly, "We don't know who is apart of it, only that its called Ragnarok." The viking turned away for a moment, grabbing a piece of paper and sketching a symbol out very quickly and very roughly. Hiccup could see the viking's calloused hands work the paper like it was a machine needing repairs. No mercy was spared. Gobber quickly held up the paper with the symbol drawn on it.
It was a straight line drawn downwards. It start strong then tapered off at he end, leaving a long trail of charcoal along the paper. Attached to the right of the line was a triangle coming off of it. It started between the middle and the beginning of the line, going off at an angle and meeting another line drawn between the middle and the end of the line. Defense, Destruction, Change. Never before had change scared Hiccup so much.
"Ragnarok," Gobber said, "is very much real, but they're so damn secretive. It's almost impossible to know who is who. Stoick and I have tried and tried but we haven't been able to find out anything beyond this. Even at that, it was from rumors spreading around the village so we have no leads to go on. Stoick is starting to doubt its existence, but I know they're in Berk." Gobber slammed his hook into the table, ripping out one of the wooden boards and throwing it against the wall in frustration.
"What do you propose we do Gobber?" Hiccup asked softly, afraid to say anything that would set Gobber off. He'd seen Gobber very angry before, and it was without a doubt more terrifying than seeing his father angered. Gobber looked over at the dragon and shrugged his shoulders and slouched into a chair.
"You're guess is as good as mine, Hiccup," Gobber said, "We're stuck. We've got no where to go, no clues, nothing." Gobber rubbed his head, slowly circling his temple and letting his muscle relax. Hiccup stared at the floor, then at his paws, then at the claws that protruded from them.
Hiccup knew he was smarter than the other vikings. If anyone could figure it out, it was Hiccup. He knew if he just looked he would see things other vikings might not, but seeing the frustration on Gobber's face, it made him feel discouraged. Gobber was far from stupid, in fact, he was rather clever, he just never displayed it. If Gobber was having a tough time searching, Hiccup knew he would too.
Hiccup stared at the ceiling. The room was dark, warm, and quiet. Toothless' breathing and arms gave the dragon a great deal of comfort and reassurance, but the weight of the world seem to be on the dragon's shoulders. He could almost feel the pressure, the pain from such a heavy object being placed on him. He was anxious, nervous, unsure, and filled with worry. He had spent the remaining day looking over every piece of evidence Gobber and his father had collected. There wasn't much, and most of it seemed to be unneeded or useless information. False leads, clues that were definitely not clues, and several events that just don't fit together in any way. His head hurt, throbbing and pulsating with every breath and heartbeat.
"Ragnarok," Hiccup thought, "Resistance, Defiance, Defense, Destruction, Apocalypse, A New Beginning..." He held his claw in the air, retracing the rune Gobber had drawn for him.
"Have I seen it around town?" Hiccup thought, "Is there anything I know I'm missing?" Hiccup closed his eyes, almost drifting off to sleep before he snapped his eyes open again, realizing something.
"Vigrid, plains," Hiccup thought to himself, "Could something really be in the plains of Berk? Granted we don't really have plains just expanses that are not covered by trees. Its so obvious, how did I not see it? How have Dad and Gobber not seen it? This is almost stupid. Since when am I solving mysteries? Shouldn't I be out there doing something? Shouldn't I be fighting like I have been? It's just all so different now."
Hiccup rolled over, pressing himself into Toothless, feeling the larger dragon's arms pulling him in closer. Toothless purred softly, his breathing remaining steady. Hiccup could feel the warmth of his breath.
"Ragnarok will destroy us from the inside out," Hiccup thought to himself, "I only hope that we can stop them before its too late...damn it..."
He knew that the serpents were gathering and that the gods were watching and that the flames would come again and that the bloodshed was bound to begin.