Chapter Seven
A/N: I changed the cover image to this story, sorry XD And yeah, the dragon-eye necklace on the new cover image does, in fact, belong to me (not a stolen image, yay!) and IS what inspired 'the pendant'... *evil smirk* Scary, isn't it? XD
The room is dark and empty, save a few flickering candles that throw fiery, red shadows all over the blank walls. The floor is plain dirt but there are shapes carved into its broken surface. Circles and stars and weird, foreign writings are scrawled on the floor in what looks like chalk. There are red drawings too. Odd, squiggly dashes and grotesque figures written in, what one can only hope, to be paint...
A single figure sits alone in among these chaotic, senseless doodles, muttering in an unknown language. One that has been long forgotten through the ages. In this bad lighting, her normally golden hair looks like a pale siver. Her skin almost glows in the dark.
Aragwen slowly opens her eyes, still mumbling those chants under her breath. She looks at the item in front of her and smiles, gently.
The bleached skull sits on a cracked pedestal in the center of one of her chalk circles. A faint, blue light pulsates within its empty eye sockets. A low humming sound rings out from it, sounding almost like a haunting lullaby to her demented ears.
She laughs quietly and reaches up to run her slim, pale fingers over it. "Don't worry," She breathes, regarding the skull. "You won't have to suffer for long...soon, your body will arrive." A small giggle escapes her when she says, "And then we can play."
A moment of total silence passes, where Aragwen seems to be listening to something. Fascination alight in her deep, cerulean eyes.
She laughs again, her whole body shaking with amusement. "You have to be patient, my darling. It takes time to snuff out someone's will. Especially someone as stubborn as Hiccup."
Another quiet moment hangs and she tilts her head, listening to nothing.
"Yes, it is impressive he's managed to hang on this long." She agrees, petting the skull lovingly. "But there's no need for concern, my dear. He's slipping, I can feel it. Just a few more pushes and he'll have no choice." Her smile widens when she purrs, "He'll be drawn to us like a moth to a flame..."
And then we can be together again...oh, we'll have so much fun.
Hiccup sighs contently as he lowers himself into the steaming tub of water. He can feel the warmth soaking through his tired, achy muscles and he closes his eyes, leaning his head against the rim of the tub. It had taken him nearly an hour to heat up all this water in the fireplace and find a secluded spot to wash up. Unlike his fellow vikings, Hiccup can't stand feeling dirty and after taking his long flight this morning with Toothless in the frigid sky, he's also frozen to the bone.
Relaxing a bit more, he sinks into the bath until his mouth is submerged. He tips back his head so as to keep his nose free. He inhales deeply, enjoying the smell of the herbs within the pendant that is laying on a table beside the tub. Their sweet aroma lingers in the small, back room of the Great Hall, creating almost a cloud of intoxicating scents.
Hiccup smiles beneath the water's surface. A guy could get used to this... He notes, loving the way he isn't cold or sore anymore. He sighs again, watching his air bubble up to the surface. He raises his head out of the water to breathe and closes his eyes, a yawn escaping him. I should finish up soon...before I end up falling asleep in here and getting sick from it.
"Don't fight it, Hiccup..." A soft voice whispers to him and he suddenly feels inclined...to obey. His body relaxes and he sinks a bit further until his mouth is under again. "Let yourself go..." His head spins as the scent of the pendant grows stronger, filling his head to the brim. "Don't fight...let yourself go...let yourself go..." He exhales beneath the water, his eyes fluttering shut and within a second, Hiccup disappears under the soapy depths...
It's cold... So...so cold... His body is shaking, his limbs are numb. He can't move, he can't breathe, he can only...sink. Further and further into the seemingly bottomless lake. Its frozen surface seeming miles away. He can still hear his mother's voice...laughing. Her hands are strong around his neck. Too strong. And it's so...cold... He wants to fight but he can't.
His lungs scream for air but he's surrounded by water. If he breathes now, he'll only choke and drown. But what choice does he have now? If he doesn't breathe, he feels like he'll simply explode.
And so...he opens his mouth. And the water rushes in.
Hiccup jolts upright suddenly, as if just realizing what he's doing. Water pours down his face and hair, spilling onto the floor as he chokes and coughs. His lungs burn as if he hasn't taken a breath in several minutes. Oh gods... He gasps, grabbing a rag to dry his face on. That was too close...much too close...
Suddenly, there's a heavy knock on the wooden door. "Hiccup? Are you in there?"
For a moment, he hesitates. Hiccup...? Why does that name sound so familiar...? He chews his lip as he dries his hair and stumbles out of the tub that nearly drowned him. The words leave his mouth before has a chance to stop them. "Yeah, I'm in here, Dad!" Dad...? He blinks a few times, trying to get his thoughts straight. Oh yeah...I'm Hiccup..
"Hurry and finish up! I want to talk to you!"
This time, it really is him who answers. "Okay then. I'll be out in a second." Hiccup finishes drying off and then shrugs on his clothes, tugging on his boot and reattaching his prosthetic. He gets up and heads for the door, pausing as something prods at the back of his mind.
He turns slowly, a shiver running up his spine. A black mist hangs in the air around the pendant, looking like a huge hand tipped with demonic talons. Hiccup stares at it, terror creeping through him at the sight of it. Suddenly, the mist-hand begins to move. It hovers through the air, right toward Hiccup. It grows closer and closer until he can actually feel the cold that radiates off of it. It opens its massive palm which is facing Hiccup's chest.
His breathing suddenly turns rapid, his vision darkening at the edges. The hand finally closes the gap between them and Hiccup almost screams at the feeling of it touching his chest. But his breath is knocked out of him at its touch. His heart slams against his ribs.
But then it stops. All together, it just...stops. And everything is silent.
But Hiccup isn't dead.
He's still quite alive, standing in the corner of the room, opposite where he just was. He's staring at his body as it collapses to the floor, as the mist seeps through his skin and creeps through his veins, eventually taking a grip on his unbeating heart.
There's a flash of light...and then...
Very good, Hiccup. You're doing well. Just a little longer now, I promise.
A gentle hand caresses his cheek and he finds himself...smiling.
Come find me when you're ready, my darling. We have much to discuss...
"Of course." He replies, still smiling at Aragwen's lovely face. "I'll see you tonight. Wait for me."
However long it takes. She promises in a whispered voice. I'll be waiting.
A/N: Okay...this gave me goosebumps. XD