Goathi hovered her hands over the now glowing crimson marks. Hiccup's cloak hangs on Goathi's coat rack near the front of the door. Hiccup sits on Goathi's kitchen table while she inspects Hiccup's arms. There was no warmth radiating from the marks, and yet Goathi didn't risk touching it.
She draws in the dirt, and Hiccup can't thank Gobber enough for teaching him the basic of understanding her writing. After the basic, he snuck a few more of his books and possibly became an advance. Even more than Gobber. He watches her staff as she traces words into the wood.
"No!" Hiccup cried once she finished.
She had written that this is beyond her comprehension. She can still help, but they need to seek Stoick and Gobber's help.
"No! I can't." Hiccup said as he curls his legs into his chest. Hugging his knees, resting his chin on them.
Goathi taps his knees and gives him a stern look.
"Don't give me that look. I'm doing this for their own good." Goathi places a hand on her hip, unconvinced. "Look, they're still traumatized enough from what happened with Alvin and Mildew. If they find out about this, they'll just go to the island and blast the whole thing to smithereens. And I don't even think Alvin's doing this."
Goathi looks to Hiccup in curiosity. She writes in the dirt and Hiccup looks down.
Hiccup, you can't do this alone, She writes.
"I can try. You don't understand, I'm the only one who can see him. He haunts me in my dreams and no else can see him!" Hiccup piped. "I watched him touch Astrid, and she didn't even scream or shout!"
Hiccup leans forward in frustration as a mild headache started to form just below his temple. He rubs his temples. He feels Goathi place a hand of comfort on his shoulder. He looks to her and suddenly she's blurred by tears.
Hiccup sniffles and wipes it away with the heel of his hands. The looks on her face says, You need to do this. Hiccup stares at the wooden floor, pondering. Then his thoughts were ruined when the marks grew brighter. Hiccup's eyes widen and he looks to his hands.
He and Goathi both witness together live as two more mysterious marks shape and form on Hiccup's palms. "No,"
He looks to Goathi, and the look on her face discourages him highly. She stares at it in horror. As if it was the devil itself. Clearly, this was either very evil, or she didn't know what it was and it even scared her. And a sudden knock on her door scares them both, and in an instant, the marks fade away.
From behind the door, Stoick's voice was heard, but Hiccup looked down and saw four small shadow, feet as they blocked the sunlight. "Goathi, is Hiccup with you?"
She turns to Hiccup and he stays frozen, staring at the door. He wasn't ready for this. His yes flick to Goathi, and he shakes his head. Something about the look on Hiccup's face made Goathi truly see the fear swimming within them. She couldn't tell them if he wasn't ready. Especially for something even she was foreign to.
She goes and snatches Hiccup's cloak. After handing it to him, she motions with her staff, a secret back door that was only fit for someone her size. But Hiccup could make it if he crouched down. And knowing how elders are treated on Berk, no one would even consider asking if they could look through her stuff. That's just disrespectful for an elder.
Hiccup wraps the cloak around him and pulls the hood over his head. Another knock and Goathi urges him on.
"Thank you." Hiccup mouths and Goathi simply brushes her knuckles on his chin.
Hiccup silently opens the door and slips out. He has to crawl most of the way, but when he hears Goathi open the door, he's long gone. He crawls on his hands and knees until he sees daylight streaming in between the cracks in the door.
When he sees an opening he can break through, the shift onto one elbow and kicks at the door with his heel. The wood dents, but doesn't break. A sudden creaking from above makes Hiccup go rigid. Small splinters sprinkle down and Hiccup lowers as he feels them tickle his head.
Flipping his hair, he listens as Stoick asks Goathi what the sound was. Hiccup kicks again and it only dents even more.
"There it is again." Gobber says.
Hiccup takes his chances and by the last kick, the boards shatter and Hiccup crawl out. There was nothing but a simple ledge that barely fit his lean-muscled body. Not knowing how slim it was, Hiccup slip but luckily grabs the ledge just as he watched the shattered remains of the boards fall.
He was still very high up. And his hands could only take so many splinters. "Thanks for the help Goathi." Hiccup mumbles under his breath.
He couldn't make any calls without Stoick and the others finding him. He'll just have to wing it. His fingers started o twitch from bearing his weight. Hiccup wiggles them to stretch them out, and then scoots his way along the ledge.
Once he sees another ledge, after testing its weight hold with his foot, he jumps down. The rest of the trip down was pretty easy as he found stairs leading closer to the ground. But as he finally reached ground, he felt fingers along his arm. He jumps back startled.
"You really think that cranky old bat can help you?" he asks.
Hiccup turns. "If anyone know the history of this island better, it's her." He stated.
Hadrian materializes out of the shadows of the pillars.
He mocks Hiccup with a laugh. "Did you not see the look on her face? Even she didn't know what these are. The fear in her eyes. This is beyond her level of skill, Hiccup."
In a flash he snatched Hiccup's wrist and eye-level, all still glowing a deadly crimson red.
"But you know." Hiccup says jerking his hand away. "What are they?"
"Hmm," he starts. "Tell me Hiccup, how many sleepless nights have you had trying to uncover its secret?"
"Not much." Hiccup snaps. "I'm more concerned about my father and friends."
"Well, looks like they're very concerned about you too." Hadrian's eyes flick over Hiccup's shoulder and when Hiccup turns to look, then back, Hadrian vanishes.
Hiccup looks and sees Astrid, Heather and the others walking towards him, talking. They hadn't noticed him talking to, himself as they would see it. Hiccup pulls his cloak shut and braces for the confrontation by Heather and Astrid.
"Hiccup, there you are." Astrid says when she spots him. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, just needed to see Goathi about something." Hiccup keeps his head bowed and urges forward, hoping they get the message of him saying he can't stay.
"Everything okay?" Heather asks.
"Yeah, everything's fine." Hiccup says as he brushes past them.
"Wait, where are you going?" Astrid asks.
"To get Toothless." Hiccup stated.
"What's a matter Hiccup? More imaginary friends you need to see?" Snotlout mocks with a laugh.
Hiccup stops dead in his tracks. There was an ugly, twisty feeling in his stomach as Astrid snapped at Snotlout. Tears stung Hiccup's eyes as he wraps his fists in his cloak, trying to ignore the way his stomach burns. The splinters embed themselves deeper into his palm, but the pain helps him stop the tears. He can feel a sob choke him, just by his Adams apple.
Suddenly, Hiccup feels someone reach out and unravel his cloak from his left hand. The skin was soft, warm. The smell of something feminine comforting him. He turns and finds Heather. He hands cupping Hiccup's. For a moment, he wants to burrow in. soak up the comfort she offers and pretend she can make it better.
He turns away not wanting her to see the oncoming tears.
"Look Hiccup," she begins.
"I'll see you around." He cuts her off.
But as he was about to take a step, his father's voice echoes. "Hiccup!"
Hiccup freezes in place he turns to see Gobber and his father walk down the steps of Goathi's home. "Dad, uh," he takes a step back.
"Hiccup, what's going on?" his father asks. "Why were you here to see Goathi?"
"Look, Dad I'm fine, I just felt a little, sick." Hiccup lies.
He tries to back up, and as he turns, Snotlout suddenly yells. "Where do you think you're going?!"
He snatches the back of Hiccup's cloak and yanks back. While he only meant to stop Hiccup, the cloak ripped along with the back of Hiccup's tunic. The fabric of the shirt easily able to tear with the holes already in it.
"Snotlout no!" Hiccup cries as the fabric is pulled and ripped with a painful shredding sound.
Hiccup collapsed to the dirt and he cringed as he heard everyone gasp behind him. He could feel the heat radiating from what he knew to be more cryptic markings on his back. small ones practically scraping down his spine, then possible some big ones in his shoulder blade area. Hiccup swallowed hard as he forced himself to turn. He bit the inside of his lip hard.
The look on everyone's faced matched one another. Shock. Fear. Horror. Hiccup could see the torn remains of his cloak and part of his tunic off to the side. His father slowly and rather cautiously walked forward as Hiccup pushed himself to his feet. His arms felt numb from the fear and he wanted to disappear.
"Hiccup," his father whispered.
Hiccup pushed himself to his feet, and he crosses his arms over his chest. Hs knees bent in and Hiccup felt a rebel tears fall down his face. He sniffled.
"Hiccup," Astrid said, but suddenly she was cut short by a maniacal laughter.
Hiccup looked all around and felt an unworldly panic pool into his stomach. He looked and saw everyone else turning and looking. Hiccup thought it was just because they thought he heard something. But something seemed different. If felt more realistic.
"Do you hear that?" Hiccup mumbles.
Astrid turns to him and she faintly nods her head. Hiccup's surprise and happiness collided with shock. Maybe now they'll know why he was acting so strange.
"Well, well, look at this." He said. "You gathered everyone together, just to see me."
Hiccup rotates in a circle as Hadrian's voice echoed throughout the Plaza.
"How sweet." His said.
Hiccup jumped as Hadrian materialized straight behind him. Hiccup nearly tumbled in the dirt, but managed to catch himself. Hadrian walked forward and in turn, Hiccup stepped back.
"How are you still here?" Stoick asks. His anger growing as he curled his hands into fists.
"Wait, you can see him?" Hiccup asks pointing to Hadrian. Everyone nods. "H-how is that possible? I was the only one who could-"
Hiccup's sentence fades in his mouth as he turns to Hadrian. He steps closer. "Let's just say I had a bit of a power surge and now, I'm ready to make my presence known to all."
"What are you doing here Hadrian?" Astrid asks through her grit teeth.
Hadrian's eyes gaze to Astrid. "Surprised to see me?" he asks.
"I'm surprised to see you still alive." She answers.
"Well, it's so nice to see you." Hadrian says licking the corner of his mouth.
"Go suck a rock!"Astrid snapped.
"Whoa, attitude. I like that." Hadrian mocks. Astrid snarls in answer.
"What do you want, Hadrian." Stoick repeats, his anger bursting at the seams.
"What any imaginary friend wants, Stoick. To be real. And with the help of your son, I'm going to get there." Hadrian says, then his eyes flick to Heather, and Hiccup's heart sinks. "Well, well, well."
Hadrian says as he walks toward a thin pole. Everyone's left in astonishment as he disappears into it when walking behind it. Like a shadow, and in the blink of an eye, he was behind Heather. She jumps back.
"Who do we have here?" he asks as he hovers toward Heather. The predatory look in his eyes made Hiccup's stomach shrink. "What's your name beautiful?"
As if entranced, Heather replies. "H-Heather."
"Well, Astrid looks like you've got some competition." He laughs. Astrid grits her teeth, and Hadrian looks to Heather and back to her, "No, not really. She's way prettier."
"Excuse me if I don't seem appreciative of your compliment." Heather snaps.
"That's okay." Hadrian snaps, then suddenly, he has Heather's chin in his pointer finger and thumb. "You can show me your gratitude later."
"Hadrian!" Stoick yells and Hadrian turns to him, releasing Heather's chin. "Why are you targeting my son?!"
"You should've been long gone after Alvin's Changewing was dead." Gobber interjects.
"Oh that. Well, turns out I wasn't sent to kingdom-come once that dragon died. Instead, I was given refuge inside Hiccup's mind. I immediately began plotting my revenge, but I was so weak." Hadrian placed the back of his wrist against his temple, in a 'whoa-is-me' gesture. "And so I spent the last few months regaining my strength until, Ta-da! Here I am. And thanks to your son, I'll be free in no time, and then Berk will once again be mine."
"Now while we're here!" Gobber stated, pushing Hiccup behind him with a simple swoop of his arm.
Hadrian only laughed. "There's nothing you can do to save him now."
Hadrian's eyes glowed an ominous red, and suddenly Hiccups screeched from behind Gobber. He was holding his head, suffocating his hair.
"He's all mine." Hadrian snapped.
Hiccup turned to face the sky, and unleashed an unbridled scream. Red beams tore from his eyes, shining like beacons in the sky. The remains of Hiccup's tunic deteriorated and more of the cryptic marks embedded themselves on Hiccup's skin. The pain of the marks made Hiccup feel like he went jumping into a lava river, set dead in the middle a piercing snowstorm.
Hiccup's pants were ripping and degrading away as everyone watched helplessly. And all Hadrian was doing was holding out his hand. His howls of anguish grew louder accompanied by the sound of shredding fabric, and possible skin. Everyone's heartbeat tripled in speed, and its rawness spreading sick dread through them, pouring like scalding liquid through their veins.
Hiccup closed his eyes, severing eh light of the red beacons. Even when he stopped for a slip second for a breath, it was replaced by another scream. The shrill sound of it ratcheted up everyone's spine and, reaching through Stoick like a clawed hand, seizing his heart with a clutching grip.
"Stop it! You're killing him!" Stoick begged.
Hadrian's sly smile shriveled his heart, but finally, he lowered his hand, eyes returned to those two jade holes in the spheres, their gaze so sharp it could cut. Hiccup dropped to his knees, burned with Hadrian's cryptic threats embedded on his skin. His breathing severely heavy, as if he'd surfaced from water after running all around the mountains nonstop.
Hiccup looked at his hands, his arms, then slowly lifting to face Hadrian. Everyone followed his gaze.
Hadrian smiled. "We'll be in touch." Then he simply faded away right before their eyes.
In the eerie silence that followed, something could be heard. Crying. Ripping through the silence. Stoick turned to Hiccup, hunched over, hugging his middle, rocking back and forth. He hustled over to his son and cradled him in his arms. Hiccup wouldn't stop. Stoick lifted him up and Gobber followed him home, accompanied by Heather – still in a state of shock, and the rest of the Vikings.
Stoick gave the marks one last glance before the faded into Hiccup's skin.
Later in the evening, Hiccup sat at the table, surrounded by friends and Toothless, clasping a mug of warm herbal tea Heather made. He held it between his wrists, even after the heat form was leached into the air of his home.
"After I was released from Alvin's control, Hadrian didn't completely disappear. Instead, he receded into the depths of my mind." Hiccup explained.
"But how was that possible, wasn't he merely something that Alvin created from when you had amnesia?" Gobber asked as he placed a bowl of stew in front of Hiccup.
"I'm starting to think that Alvin didn't create him at all." Hiccup stated.
"What do you mean?" Astrid asks.
"In order for Alvin to control me, he needed something that would reflect how he wanted me to act. So, I think that Alvin pried a piece of my personality in order for that to happen."
"So, what are you saying?" Fishlegs asks, fear in his eyes.
"Hadrian isn't some illusion that'll go away. He's a part of me, he is me." Hiccup said, and everyone's eyes widened.
"So, he was a different part of your personality, and after Alvin was defeated, he just went back to the recesses of your mind?" Gobber put it in laments terms.
"But developed his own personality." Hiccup clarified.
"What emotion could it have been?" Fishlegs asked.
"A mixture most likely." Hiccup said. "Anger, hatred, bitterness. Evil."
On cue, Hiccup's hand glowed red and two symbols wrote themselves in his palms.
"Okay," Astrid said, "how to we stop him?"
"I don't know if we can." Hiccup denied, curling them into fists.
"That doesn't mean we still can't try." Fishlegs said.
Hiccup turns to look to Heather who's rubbing her arm. "Heather?"
She looks to him and she gets up from her seat. She walks around until she faces Hiccup, staring at the symbols.
"I think I know someone who can help." She said with a shy smile.
Hiccup returns it. "Then we'd better catch you up."