Chapter Twelve

"Let's go swimming." Aragwen purrs, motioning to the small, fast-moving river behind her.

Inside Hinrik's head, Hiccup shrinks away. He can plainly feel his captive's raw terror and a stab of guilt goes through him. Don't worry. It...doesn't hurt much. Hinrik assures him.

"I'm scared..." Hiccup admits in a trembling voice.

I know. It will end fast, I promise. Drowning isn't the worst way to go... Hinrik closes his eyes, feeling absolutely awful for what he's about to do. He takes a step forward and then another, moving mechanically.

Aragwen smiles at him and holds out her hand.

He takes it and a sick feeling enters his stomach. Not for the first time, he realizes how much he truly despises this woman. He would kill her if he could... But it's a part of the spell, a safety precaution because necromancy is dangerous business. He can't actually kill her. I guess that's why that part of the spell exists, otherwise, I would have killed her twenty bodies ago...

"You shouldn't think like that..." Hiccup tells him, half-heartedly. "You should never take pleasure in death... Otherwise, you'd be no better than Aragwen."

Hinrik nods, causing his mother to look at him with a confused expression. He bites the inside of his cheek, silently cursing himself. He isn't supposed to be talking to his host.

Her eyes narrow at him and, for a moment, Hinrik thinks she's going to do something. "He really is a tough one, isn't he?" She asks with a sigh. "That Hiccup is stubborn..."

Hinrik grimaces. She knows. Oh gods...this isn't good.

"So, Hiccup..." She whispers, petting her son's new head. "What have you been saying to my son...?"

"H-he hasn't been saying anything!" Hinrik lies. "Really, mother..."

"What's the big deal if you talk to me?" Hiccup wonders, not understanding.

I'm supposed to totally block you out once I've taken your body! If I don't then it isn't really MY BODY and she thinks I've disobeyed her... Plus, she's afraid you'll say something to me to make me change my mind about helping her...

"But you're her SLAVE!" Hiccup points out. "There's nothing I could do to change this anyway!"

I know but-

"You're talking to him now, aren't you?" She hisses. "I can see it in your eyes...he's still in there."

Hinrik whimpers and takes a step back. "I-I'm sorry...he's just...a difficult host is all..."

She clicks her tongue. "A shame that you've had to suffer with another's voice in your head for all this time. I'm sorry, sweety...let me get rid of him for you..."

Hinrik gasps as a familiar feeling courses through him. This happened once before...so he knows what's coming next... "N-no, mother please!" He cries. "Don't hurt him!"

"Now you're defending him?!" She shouts, infuriated. "THIS is why I tell you to block them out! He's ruining you, Hinrik!" With that, she holds up her hand, her palm facing outward toward Hinrik's body.

"No, he isn't! He hasn't done anything wrong!" The feeling gets stronger. Like a thousand spiders crawling across his skin, toward his chest. "Please don't!"

"Hinrik, what's she doing?!" Hiccup demands. "What's that feeling?!"

Oh gods, Hiccup...I'm so sorry...

"For what?! What's happening?!"

She's going to- His words are cut off as the 'spiders' reach the area just above his heart. A horrible, wrenching pain twists in his chest as an eerie red light begins to glow through his tunic. It pulses with the beats of Hinrik's heart and, even though he knows it hurts him, it must hurt a heck of a lot more for Hiccup...because it's his soul she's squeezing now.

The pain is unbelievable. As soon as that witch holds out her hand, a searing, burning, stabbing, terrible pain rips through Hiccup's very being. If he had a mouth, he'd be screaming as loud as his lungs could bear. But he doesn't have a mouth to project his agony so his screams are silenced, contained within the confines of his own mind.

But Hinrik can hear them. He can hear them clear as a bell. JUST HANG IN THERE, HICCUP! SHE CAN'T KILL YOU LIKE THAT! JUST HOLD ON, IT WILL PASS! He has to yell to make sure his companion soul can hear his voice over the sound of his own, agonized shrieks. Having said that, he turns back to his mother. A furious glare on his face. How could she do this?! Hiccup didn't do anything wrong! "Stop it, mother!" He shouts. "You're hurting him!"

"You dare back-sass me, you brat?!" She snarls. "Tread carefully, my dear." She waves her hand again and Hiccup's screams increase, the glowing light at his chest throbbing faster and faster.

Hinrik is about to say something to Hiccup again...when suddenly his screams vanish. Hinrik goes cold all over, his heart giving a jump of panic. Hiccup...? He asks. H-Hiccup...? Are you there...?

At the terrified look on her son's face, Aragwen smiles. "There, now you have your head all to yourself."

But he ignores her. Hiccup! Answer me! HICCUP!

"Come dear, the Game awaits..." His mother purrs, holding out her hand again for him to take it. "The Dark One won't wait for much longer..."

He still doesn't say anything. Hiccup, don't you dare give up! He shouts in his head. I know you're still there! Please wake up!

"h..." The voice is so soft he isn't sure he actually heard it.

Pull yourself together! Don't you dare disappear on me now! He bites his lip before saying, We can still get out of this! Please just don't give up!

"hhh..." Hiccup's response is an echoing, ghostly whisper. He's only barely there. One more push like that...and he'll be gone for good.

Oh thank gods... Hinrik smiles inwardly, not showing it on the outside. Are you okay...?

"St...ill...h...ere..."

Hinrik sighs in relief. Good. Just hang on a little longer. I'll figure out how to get us out of this, I promise.

"Please...do..." Hiccup breathes, tiredly. "I don't...think I can...do this much...longer..."

"There, now you have your head all to yourself again." Aragwen says as she lowers her hand. "Now, let's get to the Game."

Hinrik's face is still tense for a moment, it's clear he's searching for the other boy's presence. But then, he bites his lip and another silent moment passes.

Aragwen sighs. "He's gone, Hinrik."

Suddenly, Hinrik seems to come back to reality. He looks into his mother's gaze, a dark look in his new emerald eyes. He knows Hiccup isn't gone but, thankfully, his mother can't tell. Looking back down at her extended hand, he nods. "Yes mother." Then, he takes it.

She smiles at him. "That's a good boy, Hinrik."

And he smiles pleasantly. "Anything for you, mother. Now," His smiles twists into an evil look when he says, "Let's go swimming."

She giggles, overjoyed at the sadistic look in his eye. "Yes, and then the Games can begin again..." She grips his hand tightly and leads him to the river. Its fast-moving currents roaring as they rush past, spraying white mist into the air.

"What are you going to do?" Hiccup asks him, suspiciously.

I'm going to make sure you survive. The only way to do that is to make sure my mother doesn't. He says in a determined voice. I know you said not to kill her but...I guess I'm just not as good a person as you are, Hiccup. And there's nothing you can do to stop me, you're just a 'prisoner' remember.

Hiccup blinks, taken aback by his new companion's reply. Then, with a knowing smile, he says, "Well, you're right about that. I can't stop you."

Then just sit back and enjoy the show. The Games are about to start...

A/N: Lol, this last part reminded me of the Hunger Games a little! XD