So Much More
By: Selim
Summary: As future king, Toothless was entitled to the wealth, power, and women that came with the job. A chance meeting with a creature from another world teaches him that there's so much more outside his world and only he can protect it. Antro-Toothless x Hiccup
Warnings: AU-AR, Antro-Character, sug. human sacrifice, sug. dragon slavery
Pairing: Toothless x Hiccup
Disclaimer: I do not own How to Train Your Dragon. This is a piece of fiction and the author is not making any money off its creation.
He tore apart his private chambers for good measure that morning, leaving the mess in the devastated Hiccup's hands while promising absently to bring food up eventually. After only collecting three hours of sleep last night, he was now late for his father's royal decree on what was to be done in the mountains. After, he would need to go back to the prisons to finish up his interview with Commander Ripper. If he was lucky, he would miss the formal luncheon with his mother and the other clucking harpies eager to meddle in his love life.
King Clawless' audience chamber was filled to full capacity, leaving a warm glow in its wake. Toothless brushed himself along the walls as he made his way to stand beside his father where Massclaws already stood with his family. It was all symbolic, proving that the royal family all stood as one on the matter no matter which son would take the throne.
Giving him a smug side glance, Maybar tucked her hand into her husbands, the free one still holding her daughters against her side while her husband gave him a critical look. "Case related." Toothless explained absently. Truthfully, the human in his room was case related. In fact, every second he hid the boy's existence was another snip to his wings when his father learned of this newest transgression.
I'll tell him after.
"-and it is by My Rule that any dragon found lingering by the caverns – be he Terror or Nightmare – will have his wings clipped before a crowd. In one week, the mountain pass to the other world will be destroyed. Any person harboring a human illegally will be brought upon the court for sentencing." The King's voice rang out clearly throughout the hall, over the trickling over conversation still going on. "My Word is the Law. See to it." The king lowered himself into his seat, gazing over the people as they were led out to inform others of his decision.
Siding up to his father, Toothless lowered himself a little. "I need to speak with you, father."
"Not now, Son. I'm going to be having a backlash from my Royal Cabinet now that I've completely ignored the opportunity to take over this foreign land. Do you understand how much resource we have completely ignored by sealing the cave the save face with this new species?" Clawless growled as his first adviser stepped into the room. "You may also tell Commander Ripper that the removal of his wings was a decision of the court. He should be lucky that he gets to keep his mate."
Tilting his head to the side, Toothless frowned. "Did his human wake?"
"No." Clawless growled. "Healer Longtail believes the human may not wake by morning."
Swallowing, Toothless nodded in understanding. Ripper's sentence had been lightened only because his mate had died in the hands of the Royal House. He should have been executed for his crimes. Truthfully, Toothless didn't see the once proud dragon living longer than a week after his mate passed. "I will bring him to his mate's side immediately."
"We can speak later today, will that work for you?"
Toothless swallowed. "Yes, sir." He patted his mother's shoulder before leaving the audience chamber, clipping shoulders with the Nightmare Adviser more noted for his advocacy for war and slight desire to continue slavery in only the Terror population. The aged dragon and he exchanged narrow looks until Toothless departed the area, making his way through the remaining crowds of News Carriers in the halls.
The punishment of Commander Ripper took an excruciating two hours for them to remove his wings permanently, forcing the once proud dragon to be earthbound until the day he died. After which, he joined the Commander in the healer's den concealing the dying human. The man was smaller than he'd been just the day before, having lost a good portion of body mass from regurgitation.
"Oh, sweet Eirick, what did they do to you?" Ripper brushed the palms of his hands over the prone figure's inward cheeks. "I'm so sorry."
"He won't…"
"Hush your cheap words!" Ripper hissed. "I have faith that the gods will protect my mate and will bring him back to me. He won't die, he's stronger than that." He lowered his face into the human's neck. "His gods and our gods are all watching out for him. He will survive."
Toothless swallowed. "When," and not if, "he is better, you will be allowed to take him home, Ripper."
"Is my punishment over?"
"Yes." Toothless stiffened his form, not sure what to make this new response. A grieving mate was not something to be trifled with, no matter how old the individual was.
"Then please leave me, Prince Toothless. I wish never to see the Royal Family again, even in my afterlife." Ripper dropped his head on his mate's chest, his snout pressed against the sturdy ribcage.
Placing his hands to his side, Toothless closed his eyes. "As you wish, Ripper." He turned tail and left, never to look back at the odd couple again while thinking of his own situation. It was never sure if there was such a thing as a True Mate, at least not beyond that of an idealistic dream but there were moments like this Toothless had to wonder if it was true.
Besides, he'd never felt like this about any of his earlier exploits. Would Hiccup ever let him that close? Or would the boy always be frightened? What was a conscious Eirick like?
The Palace was still filled with life when he arrived back. He noted absently that the courier for the Eastern Lands had arrived, positioning guards appropriate in wait for the Duke's Family. If he remembered correctly Duke Rancid had a male mate and a male son, whom he spent the night with nearly two summers ago.
A strong-willed Nightmare, by no means submissive. That had been a fight he'd only one because he was two years older than. By now Lord Razor Jaw had likely grown into his proud body. Either way, Toothless didn't want to be dominated by that.
One of the guards, whom he'd been in camp with a long time ago, chuckled as he passed. "Your Lady Mother requests your presence. You're late."
"Removing the wings of a traitor is not easy work." Toothless grumbled. "Tell my mother I am changing into something more presentable and then I will meet her." He still had a human to feed anyway.
The human was putting away his clothes when he stepped into the room carrying a plate of cooked fish and sweet jam that he doubted the boy would actually touch. "Ah." He lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry about the mess this morning."
Glancing up from the floor, Hiccup gave the plate of food an eager look before climbing to his feet to set the table for two. He was stopped in the middle, when Toothless held up one finger making a point that only Hiccup would be eating that meal. "I have a luncheon with my mother. You'd like her, she's… well, there're no good words to use in describing her but she makes you love her. Was your mother like that?"
As expected, he didn't get a response as the boy shoved as much fish into his mouth, almost like he expected Toothless to take it from him. Had he been that angry when he left in the morning? Toothless offered his best ashamed look.
"I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at myself for even thinking about you like… that." He wasn't like Ripper. He had some taste in who he mated with. It didn't matter how good the human smelt (like berries) or how soft the boy's skin was (as smooth as a newborn dragon's wings), or even how he made Toothless feel (scared and confused), there was no way they were compatible.
Toothless was the gods' gift to dragon-kind. He did not, country to belief, sleep with anything that moved– including humans.
The creature gave a tiny belch, so low Toothless barely heard the noise. Embarrassed, Hiccup covered his mouth with his hands while his wide eyes looked up at Toothless with obvious shame.
Not able to keep the mirth in, he laughed. He laughed so hard, his sides hurt. In turn, the human began talking in such a rushed voice that only made pink cheeks flame red. The sight made the prince laugh even harder, arms wrapping around his center.
"W, why would anybody sacrifice someone as cute as you?" He panted, brushing the palm of his hand into his eyes, pushing away the moisture that had caught. Even behind his hands, Hiccup had joined in on the laughter. It was a nice sound, Toothless decided. One he wanted to hear more often.
"Toothless?" Hiccup giggled before talking in another quick succession. Green eyes kept with Toothless' own.
"Toothless!"
Jerking, Toothless threw himself at the human pulling the boy down to the ground to cover as his mother's voice entered his room before the heavy doors were thrown open. "I will be down in a second, Mother!" Toothless looked over his shoulder at the woman. In his arms, the human was beginning to shake.
"Do not take the tone with me! We had a deal!" She growled low, a warning. "What girl do you have this time, you insolent boy?" She screamed. Nervously, the guards shut the heavy doors to give the Royal Family privacy. Toothless never loved his entourage more than he did that moment.
"Mother, I think we really need to talk. Privately." Toothless lowered his own voice.
His mother ignored him, storming the distance between them to reach around her son in attempt to grab the suspected girl that Toothless was hiding. Her sharp claws tightened around Hiccup's arm, pulling him out of Toothless' protective hold and into open with a loud scream of fear – from both Toothless' Mother and Hiccup.
"Is that—!" His mother let go of the human jumping back. "Toothless! Where did you find a human? When were you going to tell us? Oh my gods, don't tell me you're keeping a slave! I raised you better!"
Taking a deep breath, Toothless put himself between the cowering human and his mother. "Please, Mother—I can explain. I was going to tell father everything this morning but…" He'd been sent to work before he could even come clean and now it was all coming undone before his very eyes in the worst possible way. Turning around, he dropped himself to his knees, putting his hands on Hiccup's shaking shoulders. "Please stop crying, Hiccup. This is my mother. Mother." He swallowed hard. "Mother."
"M, mother." The human whispered, bottom lip quivering.
"Sh." Toothless ran his hand through Hiccup's soft fur. "You're safe. Sh."
The human repeated the word with some difficulty. "Mother?" He repeated. Toothless nodded, releasing his hold. Hiccup pushed back, face still red but not crying.
Whatever anger his mother had possessed previously had disappeared with the lightest of winds that came through his balcony doors. Settling on the ground, the female Night Fury did better at looking small and without threat, better than Toothless ever could. "I'm sorry for scaring you…Hiccup?" She glanced at her son for confirmation that it was the boy's name. "I'm Toothless' mother."
"Mother." The creature repeated, still hunched inward.
Smiling, the Queen beamed from ear to ear. "Yes, mother." She emphasized the word again, holding her hand out. Hiccup stared at her manicured claws for a second before glancing at Toothless' hand, as if he was taking in any differences between 'safe' hands and 'not safe' hands. Awkwardly, he reached out, putting his claw-less hand into the Queen's. "His claw is so tiny!" His mother cooed, enclosing her hands delicately over Hiccup's own. "I can just see why those slave traders want you – I could just gobble you up!"
"Please don't." Toothless grumbled.
"I once wanted to gobble you up. Then you became sour." His mother shrugged her small shoulders. "What does my stupid son have you doing in here, stand up. He's so small, have you been feeding him at all, Toothless?" She chastised while pulling the human over to his abandoned meal. "Now," she settled into her seat, flattening her skirts, "tell me everything."
And Toothless did, except for the small detail that he was interested in the human as his true mate. He wasn't sure how his mother would take that. Probably better than he was, by any means. "I wasn't purposely keep you or father in the dark," Toothless elaborated. "I just didn't know what to do at first and then things just became so busy, what with word about the existence of these creatures spreading. I really was going to tell father this morning."
"And when were you going to tell me?" His mother huffed. "Honestly, it's always 'tell King Clawless' but never Queen Raincloud! Did it ever occur to you I might like to be in the loop when things like this happen? Please tell me you've brought him more than just that small piece of fish and jam? He's skin and bones! Honestly, Toothless!"
"One, he doesn't eat usually at mid-meal. Usually he'll eat a big first meal and an even larger last meal. Second, when I mean large, I mean a portion slightly bigger than a Terror's portion. I've brought him up more and he ends up drying out the meat in the sun and saving it from later. I bring him fruit and he'll either eat it or he won't. Don't even get me started on other sides. He's more finicky than a Nadder."
His mother cooed. "Those are sometimes endearing traits in a princess."
"Mother!"
"I'm not suggesting for you! It's not all about you." His mother shook her head, muttering under her breath. "Anyway. Go and fetch your father. Tell the guards to bring him here on the Queen's orders."
Toothless did just that, alerting the guards discretely to bring his father upstairs on his mother's request. He didn't elaborate further, allowing the display of punishment to be written in the air. At the table, his mother was passing grapes to the human praising the boy with every bite while promising to put some weight on him so he could make a human prince a happy man. "Boys don't want skinny girls, they can't carry strong hatchlings."
"Don't fatten him up, Mother. He might think you're going to eat him." Toothless dropped into his own seat. "And don't we have a luncheon we're supposed to be at?"
"Lord Brighteyes is such a bore! He and his diminutive hatchling can wait." His mother rolled her eyes before holding out another grape, elaborating on the word. Repeating the word, Hiccup grinned when the fruit was handed to him.
Toothless tried to ignore the jealousy flaring in his gut.
"Don't glare, sweetie. It's very unbecoming."
"You're treating him like some pet."
"I'm teaching him words, Toothless."
"H, he doesn't need—"
His mother glared at him, placing her hands on the table with all of her attention directed towards her oldest boy. "He can't rely on you forever. You're going to have a mate one day and he'll have to leave your care. Perhaps he can enter mine? It's been so long since I've had a little one to take care of."
"You have the girls." Toothless reminded her.
"Why are you so eager to keep him to yourself?" His mother paused. "Don't tell me…" She faded off as the doors to Toothless' chambers were thrown open again. Hiccup rushed behind Toothless, using one of his large wings to hide while the owner tried to give off the best unconcerned look he could muster as he father stormed in. As a hatchling, the look on his father's face had scared him straight countless times. By the time he entered the service at sixteen, it had failed to work with its original magnitude.
Like magic, it came back with a vengeance and all he wanted to do was quake under his mother's wings, hoping she'd protect him.
"I wish to be alone with my son." The king's voice was even, laced with a hate that Toothless had never heard. The guards escaped the room, looking small and helpless under the lord's rage. When the heavy doors shut, the king's rage intensified. "You couldn't go two weeks—two weeks without smearing my name in the mud with your childish games? Upsetting your mother!"
"Calm down, dear." The Queen soothed. "There's much to be angry about but Toothless' less than stellar habits are not in question this time."
Toothless' horns lowered under his mother's gaze.
"Hiccup, sweetie? Please come out. I have more grapes." The queen pinched one of the fine fruit between her finger and thumb, holding it out in a near comical attempt to sooth a frightened beast. Toothless raised his wings high, an effort that took most of his strength when all he wanted to do grab Hiccup and fly somewhere safe. "There now, he's not angry at you, he's angry at our stupid son." One of Toothless' heavy wings was pushed back by his mother in effort to tuck arm around the human's center and pull him out.
There was a heavy air in the room when Hiccup was pulled from his hiding spot. The boy still clung to one of Toothless' wings, stretching it almost painfully as he tried to look small in a room full of towering dragons. The Queen continued petting the boy's hand, offering him encouraging smiles to come out more while King Clawless settled into one of Toothless' softer chairs in the corner, a look of defeat written across his face.
"I made a decree this morning."
"I wasn't harboring him."
"Then what do you call this!" The King shouted. A look of shame crossed his face when the human jumped, darting back under Toothless' wing. "When did you find him?"
Truth was the only thing going to save him now. "When I was sent for a quiet duty at the Mountain Post."
"How?"
"The guards were sneaking into one of the caverns. I followed them in and found Hiccup deep inside, near the entrance to their worlds. Father—he was tied up and scared! I tried to get him to go back to their side but he just followed me out and I didn't know what he was at the time. All I knew was the guards posted in the mountains wanted him, now the slave traders want him, and by the time I knew more about the situation, I was already in too deep."
The King crossed his claws in his lap, exhaling. "When did you intend to inform your mother and me of this?"
"This morning, after your announcement but I wasn't given the opportunity." Toothless lowered his wings, opening Hiccup to the world. The human stepped back further, flattening against the wall. "I wasn't trying to hide any of this from you. I had to assess the situation from all angles. I couldn't put him in more danger than he already was in that cave."
"And tell me what you intend to do with him now."
Toothless' face blanched at the idea. He hadn't really thought that far ahead, too busy with his horror of finding a True Mate in such an odd creature. "He won't leave, I tried." And now he was too afraid to leave the boy unattended at the cave. Hiccup might make it inside, towards the winding path leading to his world but there was no guarantee he'd pass the gate between worlds without being captured, sold into slavery. Raped or killed by someone who didn't understand how fragile these creatures were.
A growl resonated from his chest before he could stop it.
"We have to do something." The king crossed his arms.
"We don't have to send him back, do we? I mean, he was a sacrifice to us. Wouldn't that be an insult to this other world's…generosity? A slap to their face?" His mother inquired.
"But by keeping him we're supporting this custom. Sacrifices don't hold the same rights as you and me. It can be argued that Toothless, having found the human sacrifice can use him as he pleases." The King sighed. "If that card is played, he doesn't fall under the slave laws. Toothless," he faced his son, face hardened, "You must return him to the mountain passage. After which, the tunnels will be destroyed and the problem will be finished. We cannot keep him."
"But Father!"
"I said no, Toothless! He is not a pet!" The King breathed. "Imagine yourself in his situation. Wouldn't you want to be returned home knowing that the people you were given to treated you fairly to the very last second?"
Toothless nodded.
"Then see to it. For his sake." Standing, King Clawless fixed his wife a cool stare. "Let us leave him to say his farewells to his new friend in peace." The Queen nodded solemnly, waving two clawed fingers at Hiccup before her husband tucked his arm around her center, leading her out of the room.
With the king and queen out, Hiccup visibly relaxed, talking quickly while pointing towards the door with excited words that mixed with his fear. Glancing over the boy, Toothless dropped his head on the table not sure what action to take next.