The next morning, the sun feels hard on my face even with the canopy of the trees. I flutter my eyes open and still find Skullette wrapped in my arms. Her hair isn't even messed up expect for the aftermath of when the wind blowing through it. I almost don't want to wake her she looks so peaceful. But nonetheless I wake her with tender touches. Her eyes flutter open as well, and when she looks up to me, she smiles as if she'd be happy to lie there gazing at me forever. It gives me goose bumps.
She yawns and asks, "What time is it?"
"Probably around nine o'clock." I answer.
Skullette sits up and stretches, uncoiling her muscles. She scratches her head and I help her to her feet. The fire has completely burned out. I'm surprised no one has come looking for us. She kisses me on the lips before she gathers her burlap sacks. I sling the bows and sheaths over my shoulders, and as we start walking, she laces our hands together, intertwining our hands. I blush until I feel her move closer. We walk like this back to and through the village. We receive some looks and glances, but I just feel empowered.
I finally found someone. Who loves me for me. Not just because I'm the hero of the village, or the son of the chief – not that that's ever helped me in the past – but because we actually share a bond. It feels so rejuvenating to know someone loves me, cares about me. As we're walking through the village, I catch sight of Snotlout and Ruffnut and Tuffnut. Tuffnut and Snotlout give me the death glare, but I give them a smirk.
It wasn't until we're right outside of Gobber's shop that I remembered he had my new bow finished. We walk in still holding hands, and Gobber's singing his silly tune, so when he finally notices us, we give him a start.
"Well, look at you two." He says with a smile. "Ah, young love."
We both smile and laugh, and I think we even simultaneously blush. I let go of Skullette's hand, and place her bows and sheaths to the side. While she browses Gobber's inventory of bows, I ask him about my own.
"Ah yes, I'll be right back." Then he heads into the back of the shop.
While we're waiting, I join Skullette. I never noticed Gobber even had a wide variety of bows and arrows. In fact he had an entire wall of deadly archery weapons. I've played with a lot of them I training, but none designed for military combat.
Gobber soon comes back with a tall, rectangular case, bounded in leather. He comes up to me and Skullette and lifts the case and hands it to me. "For you." He says.
I set the case on the face of the anvil and unwrap the leather cover. The case opens on squeaky hinges, and inside, on a bed of crushed velvet – which Gobber must've obtained from Trader Johann – lies a stunning black bow. "Oh." I whisper in admiration. I lift it carefully into the air to admire the exquisite balance, the elegant design, and the curve of the limbs.
"Gobber, this is amazing." I say, my face having a smile so broad it probably looks like a grimace.
"Yep, I wanted to give you something original. Something all your own. This way, you'll stand out among the other soldiers." He says. "And that's not all, we also have a uniform for you that the seamstresses will be done with by, the end of today if I'm right."
"Wait, my uniform? I didn't even know someone made a design." I say.
"Oh yeah. In fact I have the book. I'll show you." She goes and retrieves the thing from a shelf above the fire pit.
It's a fairly new book made of parchment and leather. I open the cover to find a picture of myself standing straight and strong, in a black uniform. Only one person could've designed the outfit, at first glance utterly utilitarian, at second a work of art. The swoop of the helmet, the curve of the breastplate, the slight fullness of the sleeves to help when I'm drawing my bow. In her hands, I truly am the Dragon Conqueror.
Skullette.
"Did you . . ." I ask as I turn to her, and she just has a bashful look on her face, along with a slight pinkness.
"Go on, flip through." She encourages.
I turn the pages slowly, seeing each detail of the uniform. The carefully tailored layers of body armor, the hidden weapons in the belt and boot, the special reinforcements over my heart. It's simply amazing.
"You'll be the best-dressed Viking in history." Gobber says, and that's when I find him hovering over my shoulder.
Once he realizes he's in too close, he backs off and resumes a checkup with a Gronckle. But before he resumes, he advises us to go to the seamstresses so they can help with the uniform. I clutch the book close to my chest and take a deep breath. I can feel Skullette place her dainty hand on my shoulder. Suddenly, I realize she's been holding out on me. She wanted me to make this decision all along. This must be the right decision. If Skullette wanted it. I give her a sort of thankful kiss on the cheek and we both leave.
Walking hand-in-hand once again, we make our way to the seamstresses' shop which is the second house on our right in the Plaza.
Since I'll be in a combat zone, the head Seamstress – Bertha – helps me incorporate the armor Skullette designed. A helmet of some interwoven metal that fits close to my head. The material's supple like fabric, and can be drawn back like a hood in case I didn't want it up full-time. A vest to reinforce the protection over my vital organs. A retractable knife that clicks to my forearm by an armguard and that can be hidden under the sleeve of my uniform. With a flick of my wrist, it flips forward and can deliver a fatal blow when an Outcast gets to close. I notice the tip of the blade is a sickly greenish color. It wasn't until I catch the slightest whiff of the substance that I realize.
Poison.
"From the juice of the Andlát Berry." Bertha says. "This'll definitely do the trick, but you only have a certain amount. Use it wisely."
Finally, with the help of Skullette, the seamstresses strap a sheath divided into three cylinders of arrows to my back. "Just remember: Right side, fire. Left side, explosive. Center, regular. You shouldn't need them, but better safe than sorry."
I take a close look at the explosive and fire arrows. The fire ones have a special flammable substance that can be lit by Toothless, but what if he isn't with me and I need to shoot? I turn to Skullette and she points to my bow. I peer closer to the grip handle and see a small sliver of sandpaper on the arrow rest. When pulling back, the tip will be directly next to the sandpaper, and when I release the string, the friction will ignite the arrow. For the explosive arrows, I'll only have a total of ten seconds before the arrows explode. The result can be catastrophic, so I need to use them carefully and quickly.
"There, you're all set." The seamstresses step back and admire their work.
I had expected the uniform to be ill-fitting and tight in certain places where it would be uncomfortable. But instead, I feel great. Everything fits, and I can move with ease.
"Move around. Make sure everything feels comfortable." Bertha says.
I walk, run in a circle, and swing my arms about. "Yes, it's fine. Fits perfectly."
Outside I can hear the flap of Toothless' wings, and within a few seconds, he's entered the shop and has pinned my to the dirt, licking my face. "Okay, okay, okay! Toothless!" I say with a laugh.
Once I lug him off me, I find my dad standing in the doorway. As if still wanting to impress him, I stand straight like in the painting, and puff out my chest as best I can. Fortunately with the added armor, it appears bigger.
My dad smiles and even gets a little water in his eyes. "My boy." He says. He walks toward me. "Look at you. So strong, and confident." He places a hand on my shoulder. "My boy. My warrior."
Without another word, since I know he's bound to cry, he turns and leaves after taking a deep breath. I smile as he leaves, but before he goes, he informs me about the fleet of ships leaving tomorrow for Outcast Island. I nod, and he's gone.
Toothless sniffs all over my uniform, inspecting it. It wasn't until I reach out and stroke his head, that I notice the color of my uniform and his skin are exactly the same. I try to think of the motivation behind it. How this could be used to my advantage.It could definitely help when I'm sneaking around an enemy camp in the dead of night. I'll easily be consumed by the shadows. Or when I'm going in for an ambush attack. But most importantly, when I'm flying with Toothless, we'll be molded together as one. We'll be invisible to the enemy. If I were to wear my normal clothes, I would do a decent job at blending in, but I would still be spotted.
Bertha walks up and tells me to hold out my hand. She takes out a string sack, shakes a few royal blue berries into her hand, and holds them out to me. "We named them Oleander in your honor, Hiccup. We can't afford for you to be captured by the Outcasts. But I promise you, it will be completely painless."
I take the berries in my hand, unsure of where to put it. Bertha taps a spot on my shoulder at the front of my left sleeve. I examine it and find a tiny pocket that both secures and conceals the berries. Even if my hands were tied, I could lean my head forward and bite it free.
Skullette, it seems, has thought of everything.
Suddenly wanting to try out the new arrows I received, I ask the seamstresses if I can leave so I can head to the Dragon Academy. They agree since I'll get the chance to see out my uniform feels. I tell Skullette to get Gobber so we can practice. In the meantime, I walk with Toothless to the Academy. I receive more looks than before with my new uniform on. I pass a small group of Viking girls, and when they see me, they giggle and whisper. I feel more self-conscious rather than cocky. I'm not the cocky type like Snotlout, and while I should feel flattered about the looks, it rubs me the wrong way for some reason. So I try to occupy myself by either scratching Toothless or admiring my new bow. Switching between the two if needed.
I pass by Astrid's and Fishlegs' house on my way to the Academy. Snotlout and the twins join them once Fishlegs calls them over to see my new uniform.
"Wow. Looks like they're going all out for you." Astrid says with a smile.
"This is so amazing! I've never seen such a uniform like this!" Fishlegs says with excitement. Periodically rubbing the fabric between his fingers.
"I don't understand why they're let you in, when I'm clearly the one who needs to face Alvin." Snotlout brags. I roll my eyes in unison with Astrid.
"Well, probably because I'm the chief's son, and Alvin wants me, and not you." I retort.
Snotlout snarls and I give him my best smirk. I feel fingers trace along the upper limb of my bow, and while it was unintentional, it was a mere reflex; but I jerk my bow back, and find Astrid with a shocked face.
"Oh, sorry." She says. "I didn't think it was that important." Her tone didn't indicate sarcasm.
"No, no it's okay. Gobber designed this for me, and I just got it today, and I want to keep it as new as possible." I say in an attempt to ease her nerves.
"Those arrows look really cool too." She points out. Clearly not offended at my reaction, thankfully.
"Oh yeah. Gobber designed these too." I say. "I was actually just about to try them out at the Academy if you want to come." I suggest.
They all agree in excitement and unison. And as we're walking, Fishlegs asks all about my uniform and weapon. What kind of damage can it do? How will it perform in battle? How far can I shoot? Who made it for me?
That last question makes my stomach knot and my throat tighten. I felt so nervous about telling them that Skullette made it for me. Especially Astrid. The full weight of my situation with Skullette hits me. And yet, I feel like I shouldn't be guilty or nervous at all. Astrid and I never were an official couple, and even with all the kisses she gives me, we never went out in public, holding hands and kissing like I did with Skullette. I have nothing to be guilty about. Maybe it's just the thought of hurting her feelings, since it is obvious we have a mutual attraction. So I swallow hard, and force myself to say it. I surprise myself my answering in a steady voice, "Skullette made it for me."
As expected, this catches Astrid's attention. I can tell she's holding back by the tone in her voice. "Really? I didn't know she was an artist."
"Uh, designer to be more accurate. And yeah, she seems to have a natural talent for figuring out body size and height." I say, and I feel immense relief when Fishlegs jumps in.
"You can say that again. This fabric is amazing. Perfectly framed to your body type and flame retardant." He observes. He does get a few looks, but I laugh nonetheless.
When we reach the Academy, I see Gobber and Skullette have already set up a target range for me to shoot. We walk in and once I walk up to Skullette, we kiss each other hello as if by habit. Suddenly the horror of what I just did hits me like one of Toothless' plasma blasts.
I can't stop my eyes from widening, and when I turn to find Astrid, my assumption was correct. Her eyes are wide and her mouth slightly agape. The anguish I feel from her pain wells up in my chest and threatens to register on my face. But I force myself to stay calm. I never thought I'd be so grateful to Snotlout as he says, "Whoa! You two are together?!" he asks, shocked.
"Yep," Skullette says. I'm surprised at her confidence. I'm only hoping it's because she's unaware of the tension between me and Astrid, and not because she's trying to rub it in Astrid's face. I feel a little better as she holds my hand. While it may seem as a validation to others, it's her private message to me. Saying she'll stand by me, and aid me for the subconscious battle about to go down.
"So, you two are a couple now? Officially?" Astrid asks. Clearly trying extremely hard not to grit her teeth.
"Yes. But we just started going out." I say in an attempt to lighten things.
"But, so far so good." Skullette adds.
"Alright Hiccup! Let's get started! Let's see how that bow works with ya'."
Astrid walks ahead along with Fishlegs. As we're walking, I whisper under my breath, "Don't leave my side."
"I'm right here," she answers quietly.
"All right Hiccup, let's see those arrows fly!" Gobber calls.
"They won't fly far. Let me show you how it's really done." Snotlout says, and he goes for my bow.
Within the single second it takes him to reach for my bow, I turn and duck and whip my prostatic leg at his ankles. He slips and suddenly I have his head locked in the bend of my knee. He's pounding the ground begging for air and trying to unlock my knee, but it's stuck like a vise. My coordination and reflexes are more improved than I imagined.
"Okay, okay! Mercy, mercy!" Snotlout says, still smacking the ground with his palms.
I finally unlock my knee, and he springs up and rubs his neck. "Whoa, Hiccup! I didn't know you knew how to do that!" Fishlegs exclaims.
"It's your training. Your reflexes have improved, Hiccup." Gobber says as he walks up to us. "This just shows there's a Viking in you." Suddenly he swings a knife at me, and I block it with my bow. It ricochets off and sticks to the rock ground a couple yards away.
"Now, let's see that bow." He says.
The arrows that Gobber designed are no less remarkable than the bow. Between the two, I can shoot with accuracy over one hundred yards. The variety of arrows turns the bow into a multipurpose weapon. Each one is recognizable by a distinctive colored shaft.
Gobber then removes the standard targets and replaces them with wooden standees of Outcast Vikings. I take my initial position and pull back the string. I skewer the dummy in the heart. After a few more shots, Gobber seeing the standees offer no challenge for me, begins to launch these fake birds high into the air for me to hit. It seems kind of stupid at first, but it's actually kind of fun. Much like hunting a live animal. I'm hitting every one and he starts to increase the number of birds he sends airborne. When I manage to take down five in one round, without pausing I shoulder-roll forward, come up on one knee, and send an arrow into one of the hanging flags bordering the Academy. It lands smack dab in the middle of the cross swords.
I'm breathing fairly heavy and I have a couple beads of sweat materializing on my forehead, but Gobber nods in approval with a satisfied grin. Meaning I had exceeded his expectations. Everyone else behind me applauds, and for a moment I feel a sense of pride. Toothless comes up and nudges my arm. I scratch his head and he purrs.
"Well done Hiccup. That was better than I expected." He says.
"Thanks." I say.
As I peer around the arena, I notice a crowd has gathered on all sides. They all stare in admiration and desire. I've been so lost in the shooting I didn't even notice them. My dad was among those of the crowd. His smile so broad and wide, it was actually kind of creepy. But I can't even describe the joy and pleasure I feel. And how he must feel as well. To finally see his 'little embarrassment' finally soldier. A warrior. Maybe there was one inside me somewhere deep down; I just needed something or someone to motivate me to bring him out.
I turn around and find everyone in 'aw'. The same way they were when I had tamed the Zippleback in the arena. Back when I was a nobody. But now, I am the Dragon Conqueror.
And I will show Alvin tomorrow.