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.
There weren't that many instances that Toothless admitted his father were right. While he wouldn't say so out loud, there was no question that Hiccup wasn't safe in this world, filled with dragons eager for the human. It had grown to a point that, once word had spread that the castle had "found" the recent human, Toothless had taken the job of body guard, never leaving Hiccup's side while scrutinizing each person that came too close.
It was hard to say who to trust anymore.
Not even three days after his parents had discovered the human living in Toothless' chambers, the royal family found themselves out in the gardens, silently watching the human stretch out in the sun while chasing butterflies and collecting wildflowers. His mother had given him the chastising look about denying the human the freedom he so obviously needed but Toothless still felt he was in the right.
"The caverns will be guarded by my trustworthy of men tonight," King Clawless commented, absently. His arms were tucked firmly behind his back, eyes directed forward, not at Hiccup but the direction of said mountain ranges. It wasn't an empty statement, Toothless noted absently. It was a discrete order. Take the human there and led the boy far enough in the caverns that he won't get lost on the route back to his lands.
"If they are really sacrifices," Toothless whispered, "This will be seen as an insult. Sending the human gift back."
The queen, even the diplomatic one, smiled sweetly. "Then we will send him home with gifts. That should appease them."
"Toothless! Toothless!" Hiccup shouted over the gardens, waist deep in the foliage. His fine clothes, commissioned by the queen only a day before, fluttered open, letting milky thighs peak out into the warm weather as the round bottom danced. "Toothless!" Hiccup repeated, peeking out. He waved the dragon over in a familiar fashion that stated, I found something and I want you to tell me what it is. Luckily for the human, Toothless was more than willing to indulge.
Pacing over to the bush, Toothless pulled open the limbs to see what Hiccup was fascinated with and grunted as a frilled lizard hissed at him, ruffling its flabby skin around its face. Hiccup jumped back, jogging Toothless' elbow. "It's just an annoying frilled lizard. They're from the southern lands, sometimes they come up here on cargo holds and breed like locus. Harmless." Seeing the blank look the human was giving him, Toothless smiled. "Frilled lizard."
"Fri-ri-lee-zard." Hiccup tapped his lip, repeating the word with more accuracy after.
"Do you not have them where you're from, Little One?" Toothless picked up the little lizard by the long tail, holding out for the human to touch. Wide eyes, Hiccup looked up at Toothless for reassurance that this one didn't spit when assaulted. The rash on his hands were still healing from the last foreign species attack. After a long, decisive battle, Hiccup reached for the lizard, squeaking as it escaped his hand to rush up his arm. The dance to get away from the slippery iguania made the prince smile as he returned to his family to finish discussing the plans to take Hiccup back to his family.
In that time, his brother had joined his parents, sipping pleasantly from a cup of warm drink his mother had poured while discussing the recent antics of his daughters, who were nowhere to be seen. With their mother, perhaps? Toothless bit back the rage that boiled in his stomach. Maybar had also been adamant about staying at least two rooms away from the human at all times, questioning the disease the boy could be carrying.
Raising his glass at Toothless, Massclaws smiled absently. "Mother was just telling me how good with children you are. When should be expecting the little ones?"
"Close your mouth," Toothless hissed.
Massclaws smirked. "I meant with the steward girl. She's been passing you the most interesting of looks. Although, I must say, the human has made you much more… tolerable to be around. I haven't seen anyone walk around with a limp, but I guess that's all to change." He ignored the claw flicked his way, as did both men's parents. "Anyway, I'll be joining you to the mountain ranges."
Scowling, Toothless' flicked his claws again. "I don't need you."
"You've already housed the boy once. We can't trust you not to trying smuggling him through the door again."
The king grumbled into his own drink. "That is not the reason and you know it." He stopped the bickering between the two brothers with that simple comment. "Anyway," Clawless continued, "I don't want you going into those mountains alone. The slave traders have grown desperate. Luckily the door to the other world appears distant that only our kind can make it to the other end but even that appears difficult. We don't know what is lost in there, I want you to have Massclaws with you on the just in case."
"Of course." Toothless growled.
"You boys will leave after dark. Massclaws, watch your brother's back, he's been known to not make the best of decisions of late." Toothless scowled at his father across the table, stuffing a pastry into his mouth as Hiccup came running over, asking for the cup of water specifically placed for him. While there, he conned Raincloud for three cookies and half of Toothless' favorite tart before rushing back to his garden exploration, licking cream from his fingers.
In the calmest of voices, Massclaws watched the entire interaction with dull eyes. "So when are you going to adopt him?"
Toothless always claimed his brother looked most normal covered with food.
Hours later, after dressing Hiccup with warm clothes made from the finest of material Toothless could find that promised to supply warmth; the dragon offered his claw to the boy. Bright eyes, Hiccup asked 'fly?' with so much excitement, the prince felt bad for leading the boy astray. They flew around the castle a few times out of guilt before continuing over the expansion leading to the mountain range, listening as Hiccup laughed and hollered with excitement as the wind brushed past them.
If this detour annoyed Massclaws, he didn't say anything as they landed feet from the cave. The younger brother nodded before entering the quiet cave, to check for any stragglers in the winding system as Toothless focused on Hiccup. Fixing the disarray in the human's coat, Toothless straightened any mess before pulling the bag from his shoulders of pricey jewels to give to Hiccup. "Payment, for your work. No labor is free." Toothless patted the knitted sack into the boy's hands.
Blinking, Hiccup opened the bag before pulling it closed with wide eyes. He tried to give it back.
"Give it to your people. Tell them…we mean no harm." Toothless brushed the pad of his thumb over Hiccup's high cheekbone. The creature tossed the bag on the floor, terror in his eyes.
"Stay!" He grabbed Toothless' arm, dangling midair with a heavy weight. "Hiccup stay! Toothless! Hiccup stay!" The boy held tighter when the prince tried to dislodge him.
"You need to go home, Hiccup. Not safe here." He tried to reason while patting the bag back into the boy's arms. Grabbing Hiccup's elbow, he all but dragged the human into the open cavern, meeting his brother in the path he'd met Hiccup what seemed forever ago. Still dragging his feet, Hiccup grabbed Massclaw instead, hiding behind the heavier Night Fury's leg. For a moment, the only sound that filled the cavern was the heavy breathing of the human, trying so hard not to cry. Bending to level himself with Hiccup's eye, Toothless wished that they had light for that moment, so the human could see him. "Please, Hiccup."
Placing a big hand on the human's back, Massclaws pushed the boy forward. "Toothless will walk you to your world. Won't you, Toothless?" His voice was so reassuring, the same one he used when his daughters were throwing a tantrum from fright. The very voice that he used to use when they were little boys and he wanted his and Toothless' portion of the seasonal oxen. It always worked then; now was not any different.
It was another bout of dragging on Toothless' part when he finally grasped Hiccup's hand. It took a lot of work for them to enter the other world and Toothless could feel the force of magic around him that made his wings prickle and burn. It was cold, a frozen land in the midst of a snowstorm. Around them, there was no tracks of another creature – human, dragon or otherwise. "Hiccup?" Toothless whispered. For the first time since finding the boy and exchanging names, green eyes didn't meet his own dark ones. "It's for the best."
"Stay…" The boy whispered in defeat before babbling, pointing at a wood line. "-Toothless!"
"They're your own kind, they'll take you back. Just bring them these." Toothless shook the bag of priceless gems. "I have to go, Hiccup."
"Toothless!"
"I'm going to miss you." He didn't look back at the human as he said this, entered the cave at a pace he knew Hiccup wouldn't be able to keep up. He looked back halfway down the tunnel, making note that Hiccup still stood on the other entrance, having not moved since they parted ways. He met with Massclaws just short of the entrance to his world, eyes downcast. "How long?"
"They're just waiting for us." Massclaws took the lead, bringing Toothless out of the empty cave. As promised, the king's guards were stepping from the wood, followed by the most powerful of Spitfires in the country, ranging from powerful Nightmares, to Terrors. "Do you want to watch?"
Shaking his head, Toothless spanned his wings with his brother. Without looking back, Toothless carried back to the kingdom. Behind him, the once grand mountain caught ablaze, tumbling upon itself until the many tunnels were blocked by mountains of rubble for no one else to even pass through worlds. You did the right thing, he told himself as he landed on the balcony to his room, which now felt empty without the addition of his roommate.
He spent the evening with the youngest guard of his personal liege, twin Zipplebacks. They loved like a typhoon, pushing and pulling constantly fighting for dominance and the prince took it, just wanting to feel. It wasn't like his other conquest. This, he realized after he came, was an empty interaction, not even a notch on his bedpost.
Attempting to fill the void that suddenly took him, he sought the Nadder from the kitchens, meeting her in the outskirts of town on the way to the local market to buy a broach. She seemed pleased to see him, for the first time since Hiccup had become known in the castle.. With a shake of her tail, she led him from shop to shop, swindling a few beautiful pieces of jewelry from him while making non-subtle hints about his upcoming party.
"I'm not getting any younger. And, we have such beautiful chemistry." She cupped the bulge in his trousers behind the changing screen in the shop. Kissing along her neckline, Toothless frowned upon realizing that her touch and taste was doing little for his libido. The only thing feeling touched was his pocketbook, and that was never any good. The necklace, he decided as he touched the shells along the outer-rim, enjoying the colors of greens, blues, and pinks, would have looked much better against Hiccup's white skin than a Nadder's greenish blue.
He ripped away, shaking his head.
"Prince?"
"I should get back to the castle. I promised my mother to help with the final details of the court. Security doesn't man itself." He kissed her dainty knuckles, enjoying the smooth stretch of wing that locked along her wrist. While smooth, it still had a rocky surface of scale rather than the silky stretch of human.
"You're thinking about him." The girl grumbled, pulling her hand away. "I kept telling myself that Lady Maybar was blowing hot air again – she does that during her nesting periods – but I can't help but wonder the truth in the matter. Did that human actually give you a sickness, my prince? You haven't been the same the last three days."
"Of course I'm fine." Toothless growled. "Hiccup was not carrying any diseases that I could tell. Don't listen to my dearest sister-in-law. The hatchlings, they mess with her head."
Humming in agreement, the female crossed her short arms over her breast. "But all you seem to think about is him. That couldn't possibly be healthy. I needn't remind you, my prince, but he's human." She said the word as one would a rat, making Toothless' growl resurface with new meaning. I didn't deter the abrasive woman. "Your preference to anything with two legs and a working mouth isn't unheard of but even you should have some sense on what is an animal and what is a proper dragon."
He slammed her against the stone walls of the store, his hand around her neck. Under his palm he could feel the bob of her throat as she attempted to swallow. "Don't you dare say another word about Hiccup," he hissed. Releasing her throat, he took a step back. "Consider yourself relieved of duty. Please remove my name for the check; the fine lady can handle her own purchases." He stepped out the door, leaving his better conquest behind.
A traditional Courting Ceremony was a gala of snobbery, one in which Toothless had only been present for a handful of times in his lifetime. Usually they were housed by parents of less than favorable daughters, eager to sell her off to the highest bidder with the promise of a dowry to make up for the unattractive pairing. With the prince having one to find a beautiful princess, it was promised to be a mess, one that Toothless wanted no actual part of.
As he expected, preparing for the event was only the top layer of his bad week. Within the twenty-four hours of Hiccup's removal, the castle was swamped with powerful princess, princes, and children of rich merchants. Groups of onlookers had toured the grounds with company of the guard, many asking the question about the location from the human. It was Toothless' job to remind people of the slave laws, pointing out that Hiccup had been returned to his people – as was the proper thing to do.
In the end, it was all show. The people had to know that Hiccup was only there for a few days and even the prince was held under the same laws as the people. He never made a hint about his failures of seeking sex known and his mother didn't bring up the sudden disappearance of the Nadder from the kitchen. She did, however, keep him under a tight thumb, whispering recent goings under her breath.
"Your father has been cross lately."
"You should put out more," Toothless grinned as his mother hit him.
"Believe me, there is nothing wrong there. He and I do not have to overcompensate like some people." She smoothed her beautifully embroidered skirts. "He feels there is one of them among us."
"Them?" Toothless leaned in, eager to hear the gossip of the castle for once in his young life.
"The slave traders."
"Oh. Them." Not surprising, there was one everywhere. He'd anticipated it more than once. He didn't have enough information to issue a full scale investigation on the case; turning over every guard, servant, and helper's past to find loose stones that may be better left unturned. His father had always told him that if you cannot trust the help, then you could not trust anyone. Toothless had always held true to that belief. Those were the people he'd grown up with, that knew how he took his breakfast and listened to his orders all in the same breath.
His mother nodded, encouraging the tailor around him to work on the fine coat of his uniform hat had needed trimmed. "There was a ship that we had sent out rumored to be housing a human that went untouched. There have been heists that have been empty handed. Finally," His mother paused, biting her lip. "There was activity out at the mountains."
Toothless' world stilled. "Before or after?"
"After. We believed that the slave traders had been hoping for a tunnel unchecked but when guards were sent to intersect, they came back with no information. Said that the mountain was still shimmering with the heat of fires- believed that had made it look like someone was there. I do not believe that nor does your father. We just don't want to think we have a spy among our people."
"I would think not." Toothless scowled. "Mother, allow me to go check—"
His mother shook her head, shaking her earrings. "Your brother is already investigating the site. You are to stay here, find a mate, and have me beautiful grandbabies. Now stand still." She had the tailor stab him with the long needle for added measure. "Hiccup is safe on the other side of the mountain, where he belongs. He probably isn't even thinking about us anymore. Most likely he's happy with his mother and father, his sisters and brothers, even friends."
"You didn't see the terror in his eyes when I left him over there."
"You're overreacting."
"I hope you're right, mother."
He was excused from his duties the rest of the day to relax beside the warm fire in the parlor off his private chambers. In there, he tried to focus on reading but found himself staring out the window towards the mountain ranges while wondering what Hiccup was really doing at that moment.
The Courting Ceremony was alive with music and chatter. He'd been introduced to so many pretty faces that Toothless was faced with a growing headache as none of those pretty dragons had any effect on him. Instead, he was filled with comparisons from one individual to the next. Too tall, too small, too green, too yellow. His mother kindly reminded him that he couldn't afford to be picky.
Toothless begged to say otherwise. It was his mate, he had right to decide what features were most acceptable to put his princely self in.
He danced with handfuls of girls, even young men who fought over the lead with him. The prettiest girls, he told his mother halfway through, had been his nieces, whom he allowed to not only dance on his feet but also danced with each girl twice. "I'm being generous. If they can't beat my nieces, than none of these candidates have a chance."
"Now you're being stubborn." Queen Raincloud chided. "Clawless, tell your son to actually try."
"Actually try son." King Clawless chimed on cue, watching the flow of persons with the same scrutiny Toothless was. "Or I'll pick the lucky candidates for you. I much liked the Nightmare boy, Ju Han." Toothless blanched at the thought. Ju Han had not only tripped him twice while dancing but had also made it very clear that Toothless would have such beautiful hatchlings.
Toothless was not going to mother any children. That was why they had invited these unsavory persons into his kingdom. One of them would be the lucky person to give him a beautiful egg to rival his nieces. They just needed to have the right features, like a shapely nose and expressive green eyes. Maybe a killer smile wouldn't hurt (one without sharp, pointy teeth, of course).
"I need some fresh air." Toothless pushed himself off the wall, making his way to the wide open columns leading to the gardens. There was still no escape from the mass of people trying to court him. Lady Flaremoth, the daughter of a powerful merchant in the Western lands, met him along the columns, a small smile on her hardened, Nightmare face. "A walk, my lord?" She requested, holding her hand out expectantly.
Exhaling sharply, Toothless took it. "Are you enjoying the evening, miss?"
"Oh yes," the girl cooed. "It's very lovely. I've always wanted to come to the capital but never saw a reason." She rubbed the back of his knuckle, a pleased smile in her eyes. "Until now. Your reputation precedes you, my prince. I nearly expected to find my skirt hiked up around my hips upon landing in your fair lands."
"Blasphemous lies. Lovely dames must be dined before bed. It builds their endurance." Toothless leaned in, a smug smile on his face. Flaremoth's grin rivaled his own.
"Oh, you are bad. It's a good thing I'm not actually interested."
Pulling away, Toothless exhaled the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. It burned his lungs as it escaped, a soothing feeling in the cold night air. "Then why come here?"
"Father would much prefer I make, uh…acquaintances of finer power than our own. Who best than the king's own right ear? Personally, I care not for the politics. If he really wanted trade connections with the Jagd, he should be on that floor himself offering his mouth to you." She tapped her lips, a playful smirk on hers. "I've come here to see the selection. Cast offs are always so delicious to a Nightmare." She licked her lips in a look he knew all too well.
"You and I could possibly be best of friends."
"True but I don't want to always be in your shadow, my lord." She settled on the stone bench. "Tell me, is it true?"
"Is what true, my lady?" Toothless smirked, ready to flaunt anything she'd ask.
"That you harbored the human longer than the castle was willing to admit?" She hummed low as Toothless fell silent. "I thought so. How interesting but to be expected. I wasn't-ah." She paused, staring off towards one of the bushes; the very one Hiccup had seemed so focused on just two days before. "Something was there." She commented absently when Toothless didn't note anything.
"It's probably a frilled lizard. We have a few of those." Toothless started towards the bushes.
Bending down, he parted the bush and froze. Green eyes stared back at him past a dirty, scratched up face. Dressed in the clothes he'd been wearing two days before, only much dirtier, Hiccup stared up at Toothless while attempting to warm himself with his hands. The breath caught in Toothless' throat.
"My prince? What is it?" Flaremoth inquired, approaching him.
"Toothless!" Hiccup cried out, jumping from his hiding spot. His long, thin arms wrapped around Toothless' middle.
And Toothless felt the tears through his warm uniform jacket.