~ Hey guys! Just wanted to say thank you so much for all of the amazing review i've gotten! It really means a lot. Now I was recently asked to show a picture of Hiccup as Hadrian for the story, and i did! It's actually on Pinterst. Here's the link Hope you guys like it! Also I'll be keeping it as the cover for the Story for a while. Again let me know what you think. ;D Xxx
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The trees stretched up high and thin around him, gathered together like innumerable prison bars, all black, all dead.
Withered leaves littered the ground of the cobblestone pathway in which he ran. Beyond the houses, a backdrop of deep violet bled through like a glowing parchment sheet, casting everything into eerie outline.
He looked up. Above him, beyond the spider web mesh of tangled black limbs, there roiled a storm-purple sky. Light snow drifted down around him gently. Like a thin blanket of dust, it coated the village. It clung to the sides of the trees and collected in the bowl-like bodies of shriveled grayish-purple leaves.
He stumbled forward. The sound of his steps absorbed into the silence by the powder soft snow. He sped through the maze of houses, taking sudden twists and quick turns until the clearing vanished behind him, and every direction began to look familiar.
The houses rushed by him in a blur that made his head swim. It seemed impossible that he could be moving this fast.
As he rounded his way up and down mounting hills, his drive seemed to fuel him. He slowed his pace when the chain covering of the arena came into view. Hiccup came to rest at the top of the hill, estranged to find him not that short of breathe.
Hiccup lies down, his stomach seeping into the moistened grass of the hill. He brought forward a spyglass he snatched from the blacksmith's shop, along with his knife, a sheath of twelve arrows, a bow and his father's sword.
He peered through the spyglass and could see inside the arena. Apart from a bruise below his left eye, and dry blood at the corner of his mouth, he seemed untouched since he last saw him at the prison. Hiccup couldn't get any closer since he knew he'd be spotted the moment he walked up.
There were guards bordering all around the arena. Even is climbed down the chain link from above, the guards would see him. He looked through the spyglass and saw Toothless caged next to the Changewing. If Hiccup could just break the dragon free, he might stand a chance.
He looks down and sees a gathering of barrels at the end of the stoop. He silently leaps over the top of the hill and slides down the ramp. His feet sliding with a smooth and silent swoosh thanks to the snow. He skids to a halt, not even disturbing the barrels.
He peers over them and sees the men trying to wedge the information out of Savage, whatever that information may be.
Peeking through the eyeglass again, he can see Stoick approaching Alvin. Hiccup grew rigid. He couldn't make out what exactly they were saying, but he got a fair idea. Stoick was trying to pry some, apparently valuable information from Alvin. But about what?
I need to get closer Hiccup thought to himself.
He leaves his cover of barrels and weaves over closer to a nearby guard that was parallel to Stoick and Alvin. Hiccup scanned his perimeter. There were too many guards around. He's outnumbered and they had him by a few pounds. On top of that, it was only a matter of time until someone found Bucket and see Hiccup was gone.
He had to make it quick.
But something about their conversation made him analytical. He needed to get closer and listen in. Then he'll free his father. He creeps closer to a wheelbarrow staked with sacks of flour and barrels.
Hiccup pulls out a small blow-dart shooter and loads two small darts inside. The darts contained the serum he learned to make on Outcasts Island. Made from certain berries he can't remember, it subdues the enemy for thirty minutes.
He never really needed it before since he never went stealth that often. He liked to barge right into the action, but these circumstances were different. One wrong move and he could possibly kiss his father goodbye. Some genius actually made the darts into the shape of insects to avoid suspicion, Hiccup gives him credit.
He aims the dart at the neck of the first guard closest to him. He fires and it hits the side. The man twitches, catching the attention of the other, and the guard brings his hand to his neck before clamping them both together in a prayer pose.
"Ew, bug." He says.
Hiccup slyly smiles. He aims again at the second guard, for the arm. It'll take the serum to activate longer, but he could just knock him out before that. He fires. It finds its target. The man swats his arms and rubs it a couple times before returning to his post.
Hiccup eyes the men back and forth for a minute. Soon the guard he first shot begins to looks drowsy. He rubs his head and his eyelids droop. Hiccup rises up a bit from his hiding spot. The man is definitely feeling the serum. He watches as he turns to his fellow guard.
"I'm not feeling too well, mind if I go for a walk?" he asks.
The other guard nods and says something Hiccup can't quite make out, but the guard leaves his spear propped against a nearby barrel and walks casually toward Hiccup's location. Hiccup ducks down, and when he sees the man in front of him, he lunges forward.
Hiccup constricts his arm around the man's neck and clamps his hand over the man's mouth, pinching his nose. The man makes a spastic flail of his arms before settling. Hiccup removes his hand and drags the man behind the wheelbarrow and positions him to look like he fell asleep on the job.
He looks back and the second guard was already gone. Hiccup didn't see him pass by, and no one had stopped him so he wasn't spotted. Probably out for a bathroom break. Not what Hiccup expected, but he'll take it. And with the dart's serum soon to be activated, now was his chance.
He smoothly runs over to the gateway and slips in with ease. Looking like nothing more than a shadow. The second gate inside was shut and locked so Alvin wouldn't escape if he managed to break form his chain cuffs.
Hiccup crouches down into a squat and on his hands. He slowly prowls toward the gate, placing one foot in front, toe touching the stone gingerly, dedicated not to make even the slightest tip.
Sliding closer, he drops down closer to the ground, hovering no more than an inch above it. Peeking through the small square in the bottom left corner, he can see Alvin and Stoick and Gobber. The other Vikings were somewhere huddled in the back. Dragons nowhere in sight.
Hiccup kneeled down and listened in. The conversation was much clearer, but Alvin seemed completely oblivious of Hiccup's presence. Which was good, if Alvin noticed, he might blow Hiccup's cover. That and he still needed to time it before someone discovered Bucket.
"You will tell me how to control your dragon. Or else your life will be over." Stoick threatens. Hiccup let out a low, chilling growl.
"I told you already Stoick, killing me won't benefit either you or Hiccup." Alvin says
It's like a thousand pounds of flaming catapult boulders hit Hiccup right in the chest. He lost all his breath and clutched his heart. He brought his hand to his mouth to mask the chokes in his throat.
How could it be? His own father calling him a hiccup? It's like he tugged a string tied around his heart.
His rage diminished, but it still glowed raw and bright. The gaping hole of darkness shriveled slightly. He needed to intervene, soon. If he kept listening, he'd lose his resolve. He pictured Stoick allowing Dagur to punch and kick Alvin, and the rage brightened. He took a deep breath.
He slowly grabbed an axe hanging on two metal hooks and stuck it under the metal door. One simple jerk and the gate propped open wide enough for Hiccup to slip through. But the gates hinges were a new level of rusted, and that simple jerk echoed throughout the arena.
Hiccup folds his lips in and squeezes his eyes shut, waiting for someone to yank him by the collar. He cracks on eye open and sees no one coming. They probably just though it was the gate settling.
Before he goes any further, he loads an arrow in his bow and draws the string. He aims through a one of the squares and squints one eye. A perfect aiming point of Stoick's back. He was about to let the arrow go, when a sudden shrill cry scared him into lowering his bow.
"Stoick! Stoick!"
Hiccup recognized the voice. Mulch.
Time's up.
"What is it Mulch?" he asks.
While everyone's distracted, Hiccup starts to fiddle with the axe again to widen the opening of the gate. He worked fast.
"It's Bucket! I went to go see his progress with Hiccup. And I found him in a pool of his own blood!" Mulch cries. Hiccup bites his bottom lip.
"What?!" Stoick says.
"And Hiccup was gone! I managed to revive Bucket, but I don't know where Hiccup's gone!" Mulch says.
Hiccup bit down on the inside of his bottom lip, hard – hard enough to taste the copper sting of blood.
"We need to find Hiccup. We'll organize a search party. Gobber you and-"
Before Stoick could finish, an arrow barely missed his chest as it zipped past him and landed in the wooden outlining of Toothless' cage. Toothless looks over and roars.
"No need." Hiccup says, slipping out of the crack and onto his feet in a smooth graceful motion. "I decided to come and visit you." he teases.
He readies his bow and makes his way over to Alvin shouting. "Get back! That's m father!"
Everyone remains cautious, but Stoick says. "Hiccup, this man is deceiving you!"
But Hiccup refusing to listen, turns to Alvin. "Dad, are you hurt?" he asks.
"I'm managing." Alvin says trying to sound weak.
Stoick, infuriated has had enough. He shoves Hiccup aside as he's distracted and into a Beserker holding a javelin. He's got Hiccup by a couple inches, and his body feels like a wall as he slams into him.
He swings the javelin over Hiccup's head and slams it on his diaphragm. His baseball mitt hands gripping the weapon and pressing against Hiccup's sides, virtually locks him in palce. Hiccup's screaming hysterically as he thrashes, trying to slip out of the cage. The man doesn't budge.
Hiccup's screams are harsh bursts of sound. Raw, agonized wails that flay the air with their fury.
I can't let them take him, I won't.
As Stoick approaches Alvin, Alvin only smiles and says. "I wouldn't mess with my boy, Stoick."
Suddenly, Hiccup grabs the middle of the javelin that and thrusts the man forward over him, then spins whipping the end of it against the hand of another Viking holding a sword. The weapon whirls in the air with a metallic whoosh and Hiccup catches it by the handle.
He blocks Stoick's fatal blow to Alvin and Stoick stares in shock. "Hiccup!?"
But before he could go on, Hiccup thrusts his sword off and pars before swinging the blade at Stoick's ankle, knocking him to his back.
As Stoick lands with an oof, Hiccup sternly says, "I will not let you kill my father!"
Before anyone could say anything, Hiccup chucks six daggers in a beeline for the group of Vikings. As they all dodged, Hiccup rushed toward Toothless' cage, but not before he slammed the blade of the sword into Stoick's fur cape, binding him to the ground.
Stoick looks to Alvin who now let's his smile show and widen.
The men are starting to flood into the arena. Hiccup's spinning the sword in dizzying circles. Plowing through the men as they swarm him. They block, parry and break apart.
He fights like a man possessed – swinging, thrusting, and attacking with terrifying speed and force, disarming and disabling every opponent who comes at him.
"Hiccup!" Stoick screams, but he can't hear him over the roar of the dragons as they watch the fight.
Stoick manages to remove the sword and quickly pushes to his feet. He watches as Hiccup tries to fight off Gobber and Astrid. He eases forward toward the boy, and tries to calm Hiccup.
Hiccup chucks the sword at one man knocking his weapon out of his hands. Then swooping in and sucker punches him left and right until he's to the ground. Suddenly he's body slammed from the side and sent sailing across the ground, skipping like a stone on a water's surface.
Then Dagur comes close and Hiccup slides his hand into his sheath, and pulls his knife free. Dagur whirls out of the way, knocking the Hiccup's feet out from under him and aims the blade of his sword out. Hiccup windmills up, spinning the blade of his knife out.
Dagur rushes to Hiccup, and Hiccup blocks the thrust off Dagur's sword, push off and slash Dagur's cheek. Then Hiccup spins the blade and whirls his back to Dagur. Placing Dagur's wrist on the handle of his knife, placing his heel in front of Dagur's, and using his own momentum, Hiccup vaults him over and Dagur lands a few feet away from him on his back.
"Hiccup!" Stoick calls, and when Hiccup turns he cries. "Stop!"
Hiccup whirls around and chucks a dagger at the lever that lifts Toothless' cage. The dagger slams into the lever knocking it back and allowing the gate to rise. It then ricochets off and sticks into the concrete.
"Oh no!" he heard Astrid cry, and he automatically whirls and chucks three bolas at them.
One snatches Astrid and Gobber, one for Fishlegs alone, and one for the twins and Snotlout. Then as Stoick tries to quickly think of who he should save first, Hiccup slams into him knocking every wisp of air out of his lungs. Stoick is sent sprawling onto the asphalt and once again, Hiccup drives a sword into both ends of Stoick's fur cape, securing him in place. He aims his sword as Stoick's heart.
"Don't. Move." He says before he turns and walks over to Alvin.
"Excellent work ma boy!" Alvin says. Hiccup turns and glares at him, but Alvin didn't seem to notice. Or he just didn't care. "Now, just free me from these chains and we'll conquer this island together!"
Alvin seemed so fine with everything, it made Hiccup cruelly chuckle.
"Come on boy. Cut me free." Alvin says, growing weary.
Hiccup taps the blade of his sword on his palm, staring blankly ahead, avoiding Alvin's
"Hadrian . . ." Alvin says, his tone growing more ferocious.
"Not yet." Hiccup declares, the swinging his blade so that the tips it just scratching Alvin's nose. "We need to talk."
Toothless doesn't free any other dragons, but instead stands at Hiccup's side. Hiccup looks and sees Stoick as he pushes to his feet, armed with a sword.
"What are you talking about boy?" Alvin says, his tone cautious and even annoyed.
"I'm talking about the fact that you called me a hiccup!" He shouts, slowly turning his head t face Alvin. For once, Alvin's silent.
"Yeah, I overheard!" Hiccup shouts. "You've got a lot of explaining to do!"
Stoick tries to wedge the swords free, but even for a boy like Hiccup, they're stuck pretty good. While he tries to free himself, he listens to Hiccup argue with Alvin.
"How could you, you of all people call me a hiccup?! How?! I practically handed you the throne to Berk, and I tried to convince myself that they were wrong!" Hiccup shouts as he whips his sword back and forth through the air. As if he can slice into them and draw blood. "But then you go and say the very name I've been trying so hard to deny!"
"I, I can explain, Hadrian." Alvin stutters.
"I'm sure you can!" Hiccup replies. "I can't even believe you!" Hiccup screams, clearly angrier beyond his breaking point.
"That's what we've been trying to tell you." Gobber chimes in.
"Shut up!" Hiccup screams, and Gobber goes silent instantly.
Hiccup looks out of the corner of his eye and sees Stoick free the last sword, and then slowly rise to his feet. Hiccup readies himself and raises his word above his head.
"Easy Hiccup. I just want to talk." He says calmly. Hiccup's already man enough, the last thing he needs if having Hiccup go into a rampage.
"I have nothing to say to you!" Hiccup argues.
"Please try to understand. I can help you. I know you. Alvin doesn't. You're my son, and I'm willing to help you, if you let me." Stoick says, and Hiccup seems to be listening, but the glare on his face only convinces Stoick he's trying to find the proper place to stab him.
The grip on Hiccup's sword tightened. His lips pressed into a tight straight line. He never looked more furious. But something in him calmed enough to speak in a level tone. "I, have tried to escape this hell. But I can't." he says.
Stoick looks at his son as his eyes, even when squeezed shut, produce tears. And then, he falls apart. He opened his mouth to say something, but busted into tears.
He drops his sword and falls to his knees.
"I've tried Dad! I've tried, but I'm still caged inside!" Hiccup pleas.
Stoick looks to his son, and the emerald green has flooded his eyes! He was back, but Stoick knew it wouldn't be for long.
"I need your help Dad! I can't control myself!" then Hiccup yelps in pain and gabs his head between his hands, his eyes open and they're a cold jaded green.
"So what if you can see my darkest side?! No one will ever change this animal I have become!" His voice dark.
"But Hiccup, it's not the real you!" Astrid cries.
"Or maybe," Stoick interjects. "You just need someone to help you tame it. And I can help you."
"I can't escape myself. So many times I've lied. And there's still rage inside." Hiccup says.
His tone, it was something of anther world. Dark, cruel, unforgiving. Lost faith in anything and everyone that could possibly care about him.
"Hiccup, son. Please." Stoick says, extending a hand.
Hiccup backs away. "No." he says. "I'm no longer a son. No longer a friend. I'm purely a weapon, now."
Hiccup's were so jade green, there was a gleam inside of them. Not a trace left. Hiccup raises his sword and stalks toward Stoick.
"Hiccup no!" Astrid cries.
But Hiccup wasn't the attacker. As Stoick was ready engage in battle, Toothless suddenly tackles him, they roll back and Toothless soon has him pinned under him the same way he did in the arena a year ago.
Stoick tries to toss him off, but Toothless has him pinned. Hiccup walks up. "I am not your son." he says. "You're not my father."
And a stab of pain shocks Stoick through his chest.
"Finish him off, beast." Hiccup orders. Then he merely walks away to finish Alvin.
Stoick still had one shot left. There was still one thing that could possibly save his son. He digs into his pockets and pulls out the object in time.
"Hiccup!" Stoick calls as he tosses the object without time to think if he managed to aim at Hiccup.
Hiccup miraculously turns and catches the thing in time. Stoick tries to talk over Toothless' roaring and attempts at trying pin his hands down.
"Dig deep Hiccup! Deep into your mind. You are my son!" he says.
Hiccup growls and chokes the object. "Will you get it through your fucking head old man?! I am not your-!"
Hiccup was about to chuck the item back at him, but something stopped him. He looked to it, and everything stopped. A million strings of barbed wire yanked at his heart. As he brought the object down and cradled it in his hands, he felt the barbed wire pull tighter.
"Wait," he whispers, but when he notices Toothless didn't hear him, he says it louder. "Wait!"
And Toothless stops. He looks to Hiccup confused.
In Hiccup's hands, he held an old Deadly Nadder stuffed animal. Gobber and Astrid try to get a better look at it and see it. Gobber's amazed and astonished at how and when Stoick managed to get it.
Hiccup's finger traced along the stitches, the fabric surface of the animal, and the button eyes. His name was stitched on one side. There were small singe marks here and there, but it still maintained its shape well.
"I remember this." He whimpers. "It was made for me by . . ."
Hiccup pauses, choking on a sob, but forces himself to say it. "by my mother."
"Yes." Stoick adds. Now that Toothless was off, he could talk more calmly. "Your mother Valhallarama. Your mother . . . and my wife."
"Daddy?" Hiccup whimpers.
It's like a bolt of lightning shoots through Hiccup's entire body. A simple and quick flash, but with it, everything seemed to pour into his mind. As if he had been asleep in a deep and dark slumber. He began to feel like himself, fitted in his own skin.
And suddenly he and Toothless both jump and flinch back. Toothless scrambles off of Stoick as he and Hiccup both experience the flood of memories that invaded their minds. Like a door or wall had suppressed them for oh so long, and now they've broken free and nothing can stop them.
His eyes faded and shifted as they morphed between a warm emerald and faded jade. Finally, the worse was over and Hiccup and Toothless could stand firmly. Hiccup blinks his eyes a couple times before they full opened.
Pure Green.
"No!" Alvin screeches. "Stop him!"
The Changewing's eyes glow, but the Nadder toy was the clincher. Hiccup screamed and held his head. He walked in circles, jerking left and right as he tried to fight it.
Gobber takes advantage and uses his hook hadn to slice the rope off him and Astrid. He moves to Fishlegs and Snotlout and the twins. Once everyone's free, they hustle over to Stoick.
"Hiccup!" Stoick calls and manages to catch his attention. "Fight it! You're strong! You can do it!"
"Dad," he pleas. Then he screams in pain again, falling to his knees. Toothless whimpering ad whining falls to the ground unconscious.
"I won't let you go boy!" Alvin demands, as if speaking through the Changewing.
Hiccup's slumps forward, nails dig into the asphalt. Their battle seemed to somehow affect the world around them. Suddenly, everything vibrates. Stones rumble, the air ripples and thins out, a faint ringing in everyone's ear.
"What's happening?!" Astrid cries.
Hiccup releases one last scream, one that stuns him and the Changewing. Hiccup falls forward, managing to catch himself. Palms pressed to the ground, on his knees, back curved in and his hair falling forward.
Everything stills for the moment.
"Hiccup!" Stoick calls.
Suddenly, Hiccup's head jerks up, eyes open and they glow an eerie blue light. Everyone stood amazed. Hiccup's hair floated, levitated, and swayed back and forth as if assisted by an invisible wind.
Movements so graceful and haunting, it held everyone in place. Even if they were scared, something made them want to stare.
Everyone stepped back as he rose to his feet. Alvin, Savage and all their dragons were horrified.
"You. Can't. Control me. ANYMORE!" he screams. His voice hollow, like it was echoing from the inside of a cave.
Hiccup jerks his head back and lets out a high-pitched and unworldly screech that sent goosebumps crawling across everyone's skin. The earth vibrated, the sky darkened and the Changewing screeched a horrifying shrill.
Then a shockwave rippled broadcasted form Hiccup, through the air and even rattled the sky. Like a power surge. Thunder rumbled for that brief moment. Alvin and Savage were sent flying back and slamming into the wall of the arena. The slam indented them into the stone, then letting them fall like bumps of a log.
Then the Changewing falls to the ground, dead.
"Hiccup!" Stoick called.
Hiccup fell to his hands and knees. He grunts and struggles to hold his own weight. His eyes normal, but fighting to stay awake.
"Daddy." He whimpers.
Then he collapses on the ground.