Hiccup looked down at his chest, tracing the mark with his finger. "T-that's a-an o-outcast mark," Hiccup gasped, looking at Gothi with wide eyes. Gothi nodded and tappet the book. Hiccup opened to the first page, noticing how old the book was by lifting the cover to reveal a page ripped by its edges and looked as if someone had tried to burn it. The page was filled with pictures and runes.
Hiccup was confused by the pictures that he only could describe with one word; darkness. He looked up at Gobber with a questioning look. "What is this?" He asked, looking back down as he scrolled through the pages. He heard Gobber sigh.
"It's an old book from years back. Back to the time where people like you went through the same," Hiccup looked at him unsure of asking the next question. He looked down for a second but then back up before Gobber continued.
"People like…me?" Hiccup asked, feeling frightened but at the same time special. If Gobber referred to him like that, it meant something, right?
"Earlier heirs and chiefs," Gobber answered, noticing Hiccup breathe out in relief. "They were often the targets for other tribes who wanted to take over more lands and become stronger and powerful," Gobber explained, looking at Stoick. He had expected him to know such things, but by the look on his face he knew he had no clue about this. "They thought taking down the future and the temporarily chief, it would weaken the tribe and be easier for them to take over."
"Like a strategy?" Astrid asked with her voice still hoarse from before.
"Aye," Gobber nodded towards the lass. "The strategies," He said, using Astrid's word to explain it in the easiest way. "Became usual for the tribes who heard about it from nearby lands, and therefore it was used in wars or invasions."
"What does any of this have to do with that?" Snotlout asked, pointing to the book in Hiccup's lap. His voice just screamed of impatience. Gobber rolled his eyes.
"I'm getting there," He glared at Snotlout who brought his hands up in defense. "But sometimes the leader of the invasion would die before his or her task was complete. The legend says their souls were sent to Loki's throne where he either decided to bring them back for entertainment or let them stay like they were."
"That explains what Alvin meant about having a friend," Hiccup said, remembering how Alvin had said he'd gotten a few new tools from a friend.
"Unfortunately, most of the time Loki would send them back in spirit form to complete their task," Gobber continued.
"So Alvin is back to get his revenge on Hiccup?" Tuffnut said, putting everything slowly together. Gothi nodded.
"I'm surprised they got that," Astrid muttered, rolling her eyes.
"But why? You guys told me Savage were the one to kill him," Heather stepped in, looking confused as ever. Hiccup thought for a second.
"He was…but when I said the same thing to Alvin the night you found me in the cove, he said it was my fault because I got the outcasts to turn on him," Ruffnut and Tuffnut looked at him utterly confused. "Yes, I'm the target," The two twins nodded clearly, a bit too much, to show they finally understood it.
"What were you saying Gobber," Astrid interrupted, ignoring the twins who obviously didn't get it.
"Right," Gobber scratched the back of his neck. "Loki gives them a second chance by a little use of his power. But most people believes that's just a myth-"
"How do we get rid of him?" Stoick asked, getting straight to the point even if there was more to explain. He just wanted it all to be over. He wanted his son at piece with the spirit haunting him.
"Stoick there's more needed to be explained," Gobber tried to reason with him but Stoick wouldn't have it.
"Dad's right, we need to know if something happens before we know the whole story," Hiccup cut his father off. Eager like his father to know how to get rid of the man haunting him and his dreams. Gobber sighed in defeat, knowing the lad was right.
"You have to burn his body. That way he won't have anything personal that belongs to him. Remember, a body is always the most personal object a person can have," Hiccup nodded and stood up, taking his shirt over his hands as he made his way to the door. "Where are you going?"
"Savage knows where Alvin's body is. We need to speak with him," Stoick stood up and placed a hand on his bare shoulder, noticing how soft his skin really was.
"Settle down son, we can do it later," Hiccup hesitated but nodded before looking over at Gobber, silently telling him to continue.
"The spirits marks their targets with the symbol its most known to, which for Alvin was the crest of the outcasts. Hiccup, Alvin marked you to get access to your body," Hiccup backed away, holding his chest frightened.
"W-what?" Hiccup choked out, his eyebrows furrowed in fear.
"You mean to say this madman can possess my son?!" Stoick growled, feeling more fear than anger in his body. His mind brought possibilities out of what could happen. And none of them were even close to positive.
"Possibly, yes. But the book also says that only an important and worthy spirit is given access to such power. Whether it's a good spirit of bad spirit,"
"Good spirit?" Astrid asked, having thought only bad spirits were brought back to complete something their previous life couldn't.
"Aye, Odin himself finds a worthy one who died in the battle to stop the evil spirit, that his son had sent back, by executing the spirit," Astrid nodded understandingly.
"So…there's a chance he can't possess me?" Hiccup asked, still shaken up by the thought that an evil spirit could take over his actions. For what he knows, he could be used against the ones around him if he ever were to get possessed.
"And a chance he can," Gobber sighed, rubbing his eyes. He tried to think of anything he hadn't explained that was important for them, but luckily Stoick helped him with so.
"Didn't you say the blade went straight through you?" Stoick asked his son who nodded and looked back at Gobber. "Does this mean Alvin can't touch him as well?" Gobber nodded.
"A spirit can't touch a living human, but that doesn't mean he can't harm them."
"Like how he struck me with that blade?" Hiccup asked, wincing at the memory of how the blade had burned his insides and outsides.
"Aye, lad. The only thing we can do is burn his body and hope everything goes well," Hiccup nodded, taking it as a queue for him to go out and find Hiccup. He bid them goodbye for then, and walked to the door but stopped as a hand grabbed his shoulder. "You need to be careful. If another blade strikes you, you could die," Hiccup bit his lip at Gobber's word, walking out of the room deep in his thoughts.
Hiccup walked along with Savage to the forge after having explained the whole situation. Of course he left out the whole part about him having been dead, only an hour ago, for minutes he didn't even know. The two were discussing the situation as they made their way to the said place, to meet up with Gobber and the people his father had gathered for the mission. They decided to have a couple of Vikings with them for lookout but not too many because of the danger that were waiting for them.
The two arrived at the forge where his friends, father and Gobber with the extra Vikings, Phlegma the fierce, Spitelout and Hoark stood ready by a table. They walked over to them, Hiccup greeting them along with Spitelout before he looked at the map on the table.
"This is where we buried him," Spitelout pointed on the map. Tuffnut stood on the opposite side, looking down at the map.
"South for Tniop Nevar? Didn't know that was a place!" Tuffnut snickered but fell to the ground behind them as Astrid punched him.
"It's called Raven Point you idiot, and its north of Berk. You read it upside down," Astrid said, rolling her eyes. Tuffnut jumped up on his feet, turning his head to read better.
"Ooh," Tuffnut said, but crossed his arms. "At least I can read," He smirked, looking at Snotlout.
"Yeah well at least I have a chance of getting a lady my age," Snotlout smiled, wiggling his eyebrows at Ruffnut.
"Guys-
"Oh yeah? Well who knows how to blow up things in the village without the chief knowing?" Tuffnut silently mouthed me and pointed at himself so the chief, or should I say chiefs wouldn't understand what he said. Hiccup rolled his eyes, looking at his father who glared at Tuffnut.
"Guys would you-
Snotlout cut Hiccup, who tried to get back on topic, off again. "Then who can look good in the morning without having fixed his hair?" Snotlout pointed at himself, brushing his hair with his hand. Mostly trying to impress Ruffnut who waited for Tuffnut to get rid of him so he would stop grossing her out.
"Really? Well I can fill your mouth with dragon-
"Okay! I do not need to hear that!" Hiccup shivered a little at the thought, finally stopping the two, except for the aftermath glaring. "Can we please get back on topic now?" Snotlout and Tuffnut looked at each other with a glare, starting a staring contest, but eventually nodded. "Thank you!" Hiccup rolled his eyes, going back to the map. "Alright, half of us will be digging the body up while the other half will keep an eye out for Alvin's spirit-"
"Wait," Tuffnut said.
"Is it important?" Hiccup asked.
"Yes, it always is," Astrid rolled her eyes, leaning against a beam to relax her temper and silently begging Odin to not let them start another argument. "Anyways, how come you never told us where you buried him? I mean, me and my sister have been looking after something to explode," Ruffnut nodded at that.
"For the first time in forever Tuffnut, I actually wish we told you, but we did it to prevent you from blowing up the whole forest as well," Tuffnut nodded actually understandingly. "Now, Dad, you take Spitelout, Gobber, Savage, Phlegma and Hoark with you and keep look out with the dragons while the rest of us dig him up," Snotlout groaned, his arms falling to his side in annoyance.
"Why do we have to do all the working? They're stronger than us," He complained, not using the brain of his.
"That's why we need them to keep look out. Look, even if Alvin can't touch us and we can't touch him, he can still harm us."
"How do you know we can't touch him?" Fishlegs asked. Hiccup wanted to give him an are-you-serious-look but decided to leave it be.
"It would be strange if we could touch him and he can't touch us," Fishlegs looked up to the ceiling suddenly coming back to reason with the apparent heat. He nodded to show he understood. "Anything more needing to get added?"
"What will we do if Alvin does come?" Phlegma asked.
"Warn us and get ready. If he has weapons, dodge them," Everyone nodded. "Good, let's get going,"