When Heather said her grandmother lived in seclusion of the village, she really wasn't kidding. If people thought Mildew's place was far outside of town, Heather's grandmother has them beat.
Everyone ended up needing to take their dragons as they flew their way past an endless vast of trees and valleys until they reached a swamp located at the very back of the island.
Once arrived, according to Heather, there was a small and highly secluded cottage located at the very back of the swamp. Most likely so no one would bother her. Apparently she forgot about family visitations. The cottage had a molded wooden walkway leading up to the house. And the cottage was built on a tract of wet, spongy land.
"So why is your grandmother so far outside of town?" Hiccup asks Heather, as she had been assigned to ride with him. Her mother riding with Stoick and her father with Gobber.
They brought along Goathi as well, riding with Astrid, since they were hoping they could compare notes and help find an answer for Hiccup.
"I guess it's a habit." She answers brushing a strand of her hair out of her face.
"A habit?" Hiccup repeats.
"Yes. People don't like how spiritual she is, and she was often shunned around our previous home." Heather explains.
A sudden sound of an animal scares her, and her reflexes end up having her wrapping her arms around Hiccup's torso. Her hand accidentally resting over his heart. But Hiccup didn't seem to notice, too intrigued about Heather's grandmother.
"I'm so sorry." Hiccup says. "I hope she knows we'd never do that to her."
"I'm hoping I can convince her to move more into the village." Heather says.
"Well when she sees, me, she will." Hiccup says, looking down at his arms, but the marks had long gone vanished.
"This is where her voodoo magic comes in handy." Heather says with a shy smile.
Hiccup smiles back as Heather relaxes into his back. The dragons were walking along the side of the muddy and algae trail, when Toothless' foot suddenly sinks into the mud. Toothless squeals and tugs at his foot. Hiccup dismounts, landing in a good gathering of mud himself. Once he frees his foot, he checks on Toothless.
Thornado stops and everyone turns back. "Everything alright Hiccup?" Stoick calls.
"Uh, I don't think so." Hiccup answers. "Toothless is stuck."
Stoick dismounts and aids Toothless in freeing his foot. Once free Toothless shakes his foot, splattering specks of blood everywhere.
"Can someone remind me again what we're doing here?" Fishlegs asks as Meatlug lugs over.
"We're here to find an answer for Hiccup." Astrid says sternly. "And to free him from Hadrian."
"And if Goathi doesn't know what to do, then we'll find someone who can." Stoick stated. "Starting with her."
As they continue on, the afternoon grew into evening, and everyone began to get on edge as the plants and vegetation kept getting mistaken for animals of hands. Heather kept looking around the swamp for any signs of her the cottage.
Soon Hiccup tapped her knee and said, "Looks like we're on the right track."
He points to a sign that said in sloppy red paint, 'Beware of the Witch'. Soon after it, there was an old wane tree with a human skull on the top, and two branches poking out on either side stating from left to right, 'Go' on one, and 'Back' on the other.
Fishlegs' cries and whimpers could be heard as they pushed aside more tall grass and came to a final sign, guarded by an alligator hissing in warning.
"Enter at your own risk." Heather read out loud.
"Think we found it." Hiccup commented as they pushed through the thick and moist vegetation.
"Risk." Fishlegs repeats. "This is just perfect." He mumbles.
Once the cottage was in sight, everyone dismounted from their dragons. Hiccup stared at the cottage, intimidated.
There was a small dock for a single boat, and on every post bordering the cottage, skulls rested on top of each post. Wilted tree branches extended out and bent in ways that they mimicked starved prisoners, chained to the land.
There was a small river of the swamp cutting through the grass and mud, and severing them from the cottage.
"Great, how are we supposed to get across?" Snotlout snaps.
Hiccup looks around and finds an abandoned canoe off to the side. The ores were covered in algae and Hiccup could've sworn he saw an army of spiders scurry under the seats.
"Well, it's all we got." Hiccup states.
Hiccup ignored everyone's complaints as he, Heather, and Astrid were the first to ride across. Then the twins and Snotlout, and last Gobber, his father and Fishlegs. Heather and her family were pushed forward and led the way up to the cottage.
As they're walking, Hiccup feels a brush by his ear, "Run all you like." It said. Hiccup spun around, stunned. He looked left and right and finally saw him standing, or rather leaning on a rotted weeping willow. "Because no matter where you go, every step brings you close to me."
"Leave me alone!" Hiccup growled.
Everyone turns, but they only see the tree. It didn't matter to Hiccup, he watched Hadrian vanish as their eyes scanned over the spot.
"Come on, son." Stoick ushers on.
The door was left ajar, but no one was home.
"Oh no, no one's here. Let's go." Fishlegs said about to make a break for it, but Astrid stopped him in his tracks.
"Actually, it looks like no one's been living here in ages." Hiccup adds, entering one foot, then the other.
The entire cottage was covered in head to toe of blankets of cobwebs. Over on one side there was a table draped with a violet tapestry, two candles and a skull as a centerpiece. A long throne-like chair was pushed out, and a skull was chiseled into the top.
"Should we be concerned over the obvious obsession your grandmother has for skulls?" Hiccup asks. Heather shrugs her shoulders in reply.
Deeper in, past a window with shredded curtains, there was a deer posted on a plaque and blanketed by more webs. Its eyes were wide open, as if it were showing you its last expression before death. And a shudder rolled down Hiccup's spine when he saw a small spider crawl out from inside its ear, and into its mouth.
In the very back there was a podium with a large black book propped open. A buttery candlelight gleamed off the gold-lined pages, and a long crimson red page-holder with a forked end, much like a snake's tongue, dug into the center of the two pages.
As Hiccup was about to read it, his name got called. He looks up and sees Astrid standing in front of a large mirror, but she wasn't focused on that. Hiccup walked up and saw dolls lined up in a straight line. All looked just like his friends, yet he didn't see one of himself or Heather.
"What are those?" Tuffnut asked. "They look spooky."
"Voodoo Dolls." Hiccup answered before he could stop himself. "I've seen them before."
"They look just like us." Fishlegs says as he inches closer.
Hiccup stared in shock at the dolls. Each one had pins stabbed into different places. Eyes, hips, legs, neck.
"Don't be scared anyone." Gobber said. "I've dealt with Voodoo before, and it's just a bunch of yank pies."
"That's because you don't believe." Hiccup heard Heather mumble under her breath.
Snotlout took Fishlegs' doll and pulled a pin out from Astrid's. "Hmmm, I wonder."
He looked to Fishlegs with a sly smile. He then laughed and stabbed the needle into the butt of Fishlegs' doll.
"Yeow! I've been voodooed!" he howls.
"Calm down Fishlegs." Hiccup said. "All you did was back into this fork."
Snotlout's laughing hysterically as Hiccup returns to browse the cabin, making his way back to the book on the podium. There was a tiny fireplace in the room, simply studded with small cobblestone. Hiccup doubted if the fireplace was operational, though, because in the space where any fire might have gone, there were instead several small glass vials, each a different color and shape. They stood together like potion bottles in a sorcerer's forgotten cabinet.
"Hey look at these." Astrid and Fishlegs went to go join him in observation. "Would you look at all these things?" he says as he carefully picks up a can with a screw lid.
"Creepy." Astrid says.
"No kidding. Check this out." Hiccup shows her the label of the jar. "Ear of a Newt?"
"Hey Hiccup, what's this?" Fishlegs says as he shows Hiccup another vial. This one was square with a cork stuck in the hole.
"That? Oh that's, 'Canned Hyena Laugh." Hiccup reads.
Fishlegs pops the cork and shake the vial. Suddenly, a creepy and hysterical laugh echoed from the jar. It sounded as if the person, or thing, laughing was delusional. Fishlegs popped the cork back in, and the laughing ceased. He opened it again and shook it, it laughed, and he popped the cork closed again.
Hiccup smiled and shook his head as he went back to the book. Heather was already there and she stepped aside to let him join. "Huh, 'Witchcraft Made Easy'." Hiccup read.
"Funny." Heather said as they flipped through the pages.
As she was flipping through, Fishlegs walks by the mirror, he suddenly feels a bony hand on his shoulder. He assumes it's Goathi, but she's still at the front door with Gobber and Stoick. Fishlegs freezes.
"Uh, Hiccup," he stutters, Hiccup and Heather turn to see the hand. Fishlegs is petrified with fear. "Who do we know that has long skinny hands?"
"Good evening." An elder woman's voice said.
Fishlegs screams and bolts hiding behind Hiccup. The woman was short, a little taller than Goathi, and she had on a worn brown dress with a purple scarf, and her snow white hair was partially in a bun. She had on fur boots with long socks that stop just below the knee, and in one hand a long staff, chiseled with different scrolling designs.
"Uh, your Heather's grandmother I presume?" he asks, trying to be the upmost gentleman.
"Yes, I was just tending to the dogs and didn't hear you knock." She says. Her voice was raspy, and it had a weird tone to it.
Heather steps closer as her parents went to greet the old woman. Hugs were exchanged and the classic saying of 'I haven't seen you in forever'. Once Heather's parents introduced her to her grandmother, her grandmother cupped her face and kissed her forehead multiple times. She clearly missed a generous dose of Heather's childhood, but it's obvious she cares about her so much.
"It's so great to see you grandma." She says.
"So, who are your friends?" she asks as she strolls along to a small table with a boiling pot filled with water, steam streaming from it. But the strangest thing was that there was no fire making it happen.
"Uh well, this is Stoick, he is the chief of the village of Berk." Heather starts.
"Honored to meet you sir." She says as she holds his hand and curtsies in front of him.
"And this is his friend Gobber. The blacksmith of the village." She goes on.
"And certified weapon maker and combat teacher." He adds.
"This is Snotlout, the twins, Fishlegs and Astrid."
"Charmed. You all can call me grandmamma." Her grandmother says, still stirring the pot of water. "And who are you young man?" she asks gesturing to Hiccup.
Hiccup gulps. "Um, I . . ."
"This is Hiccup, grandma. Son of the Chief." Heather steps in.
"Oh, nice to meet you." she says shaking hands with Hiccup. "Is he your boyfriend?" she asks.
Hiccup and Heather go rigid and Astrid curls her hands into fists.
She pokes Heather in the side with her elbow. "Nice choice honey, you have good taste." She adds a cackle laugh after.
"Oh, no grandma, we're just friends. We actually came here for your help." Heather stutters.
"Hmph. Too bad, he looks like a keeper." She says as she pokes Heather with the wooden spoon. Hiccup and Heather blush in unison as she swirls the foggy water.
"Anyway, we were wondering if you could help us or not." Astrid stated with a hint of attitude.
"Depends on what you're looking for, dearie." She says.
"But before we get to that, what's that smell?" Snotlout interrupts then snatching an extra spoon off the table.
He rudely scoops into the stew and gulps it down.
"Snotlout we're not here to have dinner." Hiccup says.
"Well, too bad, cause this is good." He says readying for another scoop.
But then everyone sees her scoop out some clothes, and personals. "You'll pardon me doing the wash, sweetie."
As Snotlout hacks and wipes his tongue everyone busts out laughing and holding their middles to dull small knots from laughing so hard.
"So, anyway grandma," Heather starts after wiping away a tear. "We were wondering if you could help Hiccup."
"What's the problem?" she asks after setting the spoon on the table and wiping her hands on a towel.
Heather turns to Hiccup to let him take over. "Uh, well, you see . . ."
But Hiccup's words were cut short once the cryptic markings ran up his legs, stomach and arms, glowing red from within his body. The candles suddenly blew out by an unknown wind. Hiccup gasped, and by reflex, covered his chest and stepped back.
Heather's grandmother's reaction made him feel worse.
Her eyes widened and she covered her mouth in horror after gasping. Hiccup squeezed his eyes shut; he tried to fight back tears for yet again being judged. He heard the steps of her grandmother come closer, and he buried deeper into himself.
The feeling of cold fingertips made him flinch back. He opens his eyes to see grandmamma hovering over the markings, just like Goathi. "Oh, oh dear. You've got some bad juju there boy."
Hiccup swallows thickly. "W-what do you mean?" he stutters.
"Is there any way we can help him?" Stoick suddenly asks.
"I'm, unsure." She starts. "I haven't seen anything like this in ages." She says.
The marks suddenly vanish, as if shaken in fear and the cabin goes back to buttery glow of the candles.
"At least you know what it is." Astrid says.
"Yes, but it isn't good. Follow me." Grandmamma heads down a short hallway, to an old door with a large door pull hand forged.
Hiccup followed steady behind her, along with everyone else. Grandmamma pulled open the door and a long stairwell went down into endless darkness. She brushes past Hiccup, and gestures on. It took them down below the assumed basement everyone assumed it led to. Instead, it led them to an abandoned library, or whatever could be smaller than that, since the first thing everyone saw were books.
Inside, the musty air held an antique thickness, and the scent of dust and aging books combined to make breathing a chore. The front room stretched before him long and narrow, lined with rows of tall, sturdy bookshelves that reached almost the ceiling. Overhead, the tired light of torches burned a dull gold, adding little relief to the accumulated shadows.
Hiccup inched in as he followed Grandmamma. He could barely see anyone anywhere, but then again, he couldn't see much of anything in general. Carefully he stepped around a mound of ancient looking tomes gathered near the door. He moved between two shelves and thought about calling out but for some reason, couldn't bring himself to break the dead silence.
His gaze passed up and over the marked spines of countless books, every item categorized by its own number and date, and it made him feel almost as though he were walking through catacombs. When they reached the end, he peered around the shelf to see a counter. Well, really, he saw a lot of books piled on top of something that at one time must have been a counter.
Grandmamma walked over and pulled out an older podium, disturbing the cobwebs chaining it to the wall. She blew on it and clouds of dust billowed up, then drifting until they faded into the shadows. Hiccup stepped closer, but as he neared the books, his body glowed once more. An estranged symbol on his forehead, which no one saw earlier, materialized and in an instant, the book's cover mirrored it.
"What is that?" Hiccup asks.
"An ancient book that was once used by and Ancient Order. They weren't exactly Vikings, but they settled in this land ages ago." Grandmamma explained. "Their magic is very powerful, when in the right hands, but shall it fall to the forces of evil, it can be truly devastating."
"But how would Hadrian get a hold of this stuff?" Fishlegs asks.
"I'm not sure. Surely you, Hiccup must've learned something related to it in the slightest." Grandmamma gestures.
Hiccup ponders over this thought for a moment when it hits him. "I remember learning a section about it in school. I didn't think that Hadrian would be able to use it."
"Who is this Hadrian, you speak of?" Grandmamma asks.
"He's an evil being living inside my head." Hiccup says. "He started out as a simple paw when I lost my memory, but even when I had defeated the dragon controlling me, he somehow didn't go away."
"Developed his own being, I see." Grandmamma states. "This could be what we call, a Doppelganger."
"A Doppel-what?" Tuffnut asks.
"A Doppelganger. A ghostly double or counterpart of a living being." Grandmamma explains.
"A ghostly duplicate. Scary." Fishlegs says with a shudder.
"And now he's practically torturing me to set him free. But I can't let that happen. I don't even know how he managed to do this to me!" Hiccup cried as he showed her his arms.
"Doppelgangers often are perceived as a sinister form of bilocation; and are regarded by some to be harbingers of bad luck." Grandmamma explains while opening the book. "In some traditions, a doppelganger seen by a person's friends or relatives portends illness or danger, while seeing one's own doppelganger is said to be an omen of death."
Hiccup, Astrid and Fishlegs gulp in unison.
"It is also believed that this "spirit double" can have the same memories and feelings as the person to whom the counterpart belongs. It also precedes a living person and is seen performing their actions in advance."
"In advance?" Astrid questions.
"Yeah, like when Hiccup could deafly wield a sword and a crossbow. All of which we know is not true with the normal Hiccup." Snotlout says.
Hiccup gives him a glare and he only shrugs his shoulders. "So what would happen if I released him?" Hiccup questions.
"Well, this boy sounds dangerous, I wouldn't recommend freeing him. Seeing as how it might only worsen the situation. And there's no telling where you might end up and -"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait." Hiccup interrupts, what do you mean where I might end up?"
"You see, Hiccup, this boy wants to be real, but in order to do that, he either needs a host body, or become his own being. His own body and mind." Grandmamma says. "If you end up freeing him, there's the small possibility that he could completely phase out and sever your connection. Or, he could wind up stealing your body, suspending you to the realm of no return."
Hiccup swallows thickly. "So, if I free him, and he takes over my body . . ." Hiccup couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence.
"There will no place left for you, Hiccup. If his spirit is free, yours will die."