A/N: Hello everyone, so the next chapter in this story. It's all coming to an end and I hope you're all still enjoying this. Oh and if someone knows a got cover image please PM me. I won't hold you up most longer, so please enjoy and tell me what you thought of it.
xxx
Murtagh saw how Hiccup fell to the ground, clutching his stomach as blood ran through the boy's fingers. Murtagh's eyes darkened as a dark roar left his lips and he lunged for Alvin.
Alvin just laughed wickedly as blood ran over his blade. He blocked Murtagh's attack, but Murtagh wasn't ready to give in yet, anger was settled deep inside his heart. He wouldn't allow another innocent person to be killed by a monster like Alvin... like he had been. Now he had a chance to change it all, he could be the hero he hadn't been back then.
With another loud growl he lunged forward, again metal met metal, but with a quick motion he unarmed the large Viking. Big ugly eyes looked shocked at him as he plunged the red blade of Zar'roc into the flesh without another thought. He retracted his sword, blood dripping off the blade and he stared at Alvin.
Alvin turned a shocked look from Murtagh to his stomach before a loud and desperate cry left his lips, he clutched his hands over the wound and sank to the ground. Small fast breaths left the 'monster's lips and Murtagh could barely make out his soft words. 'Y-you... I... I will make you pay.'
'No, you won't.' Murtagh said calmly as he saw the life leave the man's body, the red liquid staining the ground.
Alvin looked once more up at him and with a deep breath his last life left his body, eyes going dull as his body went limp.
It was dead silence for a few seconds before it felt like all hell burst loose, enemies started to scream in fear as they ran to their ships, soon followed by the Vikings of Berk.
But Murtagh didn't have an eye for them, his eyes shifted quickly back to the boy, hoping he hadn't failed him. In just a moment he sat by Hiccup, staring at the small chest rising weakly up and down as the boy's face was filled with pain. Blood seeped quickly through his clothes and his father's fingers.
Stoick was desperately trying to stop the bleeding, his eyes filled with fear as he looked like he was about to break.
'Stoick?' He asked softly.
The chief mumbled under his beard. 'I can't let him die... I promised her... I don't want to lose him too...'
Murtagh gulped, he wasn't quite sure what the man was talking about, but he saw that he wouldn't be much use in this... state. 'Stoick, listen to me!' Those few words made the chief look up. His words had sounded strong, stern, like that of a leader... the same tone of voice as he had heard his brother speak with. 'I know how to save him, but you have to trust me, okay?' Stoick gave him a quiet nod. 'You have to let go of him.'
The father's eyes narrowed themselves. 'If I do that then he will bleed to death.'
'And that's what will happen if you don't let me save him!' Stoick didn't reply and Murtagh took that as a yes. 'Now.' He ordered the chief and the man's big hands retreated themselves.
Blood streamed out of the wound, but Murtagh had to stay focused, he couldn't let Hiccup die. He placed his own hand over the wound, feeling the warmth slip through his fingers as he closed his eyes. Ancient, enchanted words left his lips, his hand and the boy's chest were emitted in a bright blue light.
Hiccup's gasps for air spread over the clearing before they softened and eventually his breath became even again. Murtagh removed his hand and felt the emptiness in his heart, which was soon filled with the magic Thorn gave him through their bond.
His eyes slowly opened and they stayed for a moment on Hiccup who blinked in surprise as he reached for his chest and the wound that wasn't there anymore. Murtagh then looked upwards towards the chief, fearing for what he would see in those eyes... and his fear was true.
Stoick was as pale as snow, looking at him with surprise, shock and anger, they stared at each other. 'Dad?' It was Hiccup's small voice and without a single word Stoick pulled his son to his chest, protecting him from the monster in front of them. Murtagh felt the hurt in his heart, it felt like a dagger imbedded deep in his soul.
'You're a monster!' Stoick hissed through his teeth.
In the back of his head he could hear Thorn roar, nearing him just in case he needed protection. 'I guess I am.' He mumbled in return, the pain clearly there in his voice. He backed slightly away as he saw the anger in the father's eyes and he noticed how the others came near them, mostly the other dragon tamers and Gobber.
'What was that?' He heard Astrid whisper behind him and the same kind of words spread through the crowd before everything fell silent.
Hiccup stared at him and then at his own father, confusion clearly showing on his face before realization spread through his eyes. He pushed himself out of Stoick's arms and crawled towards Murtagh, ignoring his father's hands trying to grab him. 'What did you do to me?... What did you use?'
'I'm not sure that you want to know what I used, like your father said, I'm a monster.'
Hiccup shook his head as he glared at his father. 'You're not... If you where then you wouldn't have saved me... us.' The boy looked him deep in the eyes. 'I-We have known from the start that you are different, just like me.'
'How could you say that he's like you, he just used magic or something like that!' Stoick growled behind his son.
The night fury rider glared again at his father. 'Once you called me different too, wasn't I a monster for siding with a dragon? Befriending them instead of killing, it was something new... just like he is now. We don't know what he used, so it must be wrong, right?' Stoick stared at him, his eyes widening at his son's words, knowing that they were true, so true. Hiccup sighed before he turned back to Murtagh. 'But that doesn't mean that you don't need to explain this to all of us.
'Yeah...' Murtagh breathed.
A smile spread over the brunette's face. 'Good... oh, and I forgot. Thank you for saving my life.'
xxx
It had been two hours since the end of the fight, since he killed Alvin, since he healed Hiccup.
And now he sat in the Great hall, while almost all of the Vikings stared at him, begging for an explanation so that he didn't dare to stare back. He was afraid, not that he would ever admit it. He didn't know how these people would react to him, to the truth... yes, the truth. He had been hiding long enough and he just wanted to finally tell the truth about himself. Hopefully they would accept it, accept who he was... and probably more importantly that they wouldn't fear him, fear the power that he possessed.
He could feel Thorn's presence against his soul, trying to calm and comfort him. 'Everything will be alright, I'm sure of it.' He heard his dragon speak through his mind. 'I talked with Toothless and he says that his human is a good one and that you don't have to worry... And if something goes wrong then I will just bust in and drag you out.' He heard the other say with a slight smirk.
Murtagh rolled his eyes in reaction, but still the words had indeed calmed him... well, somewhat.
It was Stoick's cough that quieted everyone as he and Hiccup hurried inside, settling themselves on the other side of the table where Murtagh sat. The three of them were the only ones sitting at the table. Stoick's face was still filled with anger, even though he had calmed somewhat and his son looked at him with a smile on his face. The chief had ordered his son to go and get looked over by the healer who had blinked in surprise as he had examined him, the wound had completely healed.
It was something that he had been rather proud of. His healing skills had improved drastically since he left Alagaësia.
Stoick growled slightly as he crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at him as he asked. 'Now would you mind explaining what you did to my son?'
Murtagh looked nervously at him as he took a deep breath. 'I will... I will tell you everything, the whole truth about who I am and where I come from.' He smiled at Hiccup before he turned to Stoick. 'You're a great father, I saw that since the day I came here... I wasn't as lucky as Hiccup, the man I called father was a monster.' It was rather ironic since that was what he was called himself. ' He died when I was still very young... it was probably the best day of my life. I come from the mainland, a place far away called Alagaësia. Back then there was an great war between the rebels and a tyrant and I was kind of forced into it, because of the name my father left me.'
He stopped for a moment, trying to search for the right words. 'To cut a long story short... It was how I met Thorn, I guess you can say that he's different from dragons like Toothless.' He stared at his palm before he showed it to father and son, allowing them to see the mark Thorn had left on him when he had hatched. 'The two of our souls are bound together, I-.'
'Bound? They're nothing more than animals. Yeah, friends, but bound by souls?' Stoick said as he narrowed his eyes.
Murtagh sighed as he looked at him, how could he explain? 'Yes, we're bound, you could say our souls are one. I understand it's difficult to understand, but I will explain it to you later if you want to know... Dragons are creatures of magic, because of our bond I'm able to use that power as my own, it's what I used to heal you.' The last he directed at Hiccup who stared in shock at him.
'Magic doesn't exist!'
Again he sighed. 'It does... but the two of us were forced to fight for the wrong side, I still regret that. It was only after the dictator was killed that we were free again. Ever since then we have traveled the world.'
Hiccup shifted nervously on the bench. 'I... it sounds so unreal, but it's the truth, right? Are you really still human?'
He bit his lip. 'I'm not completely sure about that either, but I mean well... I only want to protect.'
'How old are you?' It was a sudden question and it also shocked Hiccup when his father asked it.
There was some kind of hope in Stoick's eyes, some kind of belief, but he didn't know what it was exactly, even so he saw that Stoick believed him. 'Almost 220 years.'