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. Anthro-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.
The low whistle escaped Toothless before he could stop it. Hand on the nearly severed horn of one of the slave traders; he gave a quick glance back at the tiny human who was currently writing in the dirt with a stick. He never would have imagined something so little could have done so much damage. Under his fingers, the dragon hissed, pulling away. He didn't get very far, tied up with his companions in the back of the cart.
Fishhook grunted, leaning forward, his left eye quickly swelling shut. Toothless reeled back, scowling at the man who had been his best friend for as long as he could remember. His father had once joked that Toothless and Fishhook were the same side of a coin, always on the same page about everything. Toothless couldn't think of a better second in all his life he wanted ruling by his side, ensuring word was the law.
That world was shifted, replaced by an obscured future that had him on a weak front. The king who employed slave traders.
From the woods, the guard that had come with him from the palace stepped out. "I sent word back to the palace to inform them of the capture of the slave traders. If you would like to travel through the tunnels back to the palace, my lord, I can bring the cart back to the palace."
"No." Toothless frowned. It never occurred to him how quickly he could become distrustful, even though this particular guard had shown nothing but loyalty since these events started. "We will travel with the cart back to the palace. Maybar." He placed a comforting hand on his sister-in-law's shoulder, pulling her from distant thoughts. "Can you handle the ride back to the castle?"
"Yes." Maybar nodded, allowing Toothless to lead her to the long bench seat of the cart as the guard gathered up the horses. Further back, Hiccup watched with uncertainty from the outline of the woods, where he'd taken to since securely tying up the slave traders. "Toothless..." Maybar's soft voice broke across the area. Holding his hand up, Toothless started toward the human.
Hiccup didn't startle when the dragon stepped next to him. "I can't thank you enough for saving Maybar." He bent his head to see Hiccup's face better when he tilted his head up. Playfully, he offered a smile.
It wasn't returned. Odd.
"I wish so much that we could converse. There is so much I want you to hear right now." He touched Hiccup's chin. The boy pulled away, a glare etched across his face. Swallowing, Toothless stepped back. "What's wrong Hiccup?"
The boy said something in his tongue, fading off with a low breath of his name.
"Toothless," Maybar's voice carried over, "Just bring him to the cart and sit with him." Her voice quivered in the end. Toothless frowned but took Hiccup's elbow, leading the human towards the cart. The slave traders were firmly locked together with their shoulders pressed together, forming a bulky triangle against the side of the cart, unable to move far from the iron thoroughbraces. Snarling at them, Toothless settled Hiccup against the bench seat.
The guard rounded the cart, grabbing the reins with one fierce hand. "Are you sure you want to be back there, my lord?"
Considering the nightmare with an analytic eye, Toothless nodded. "Yes, I wish to have a few words with the traitor prior to the real interrogation." He placed his hands firmly on his knees, readying himself for the rock of the cart as it started moving. Hiccup wasn't nearly as ready, toppling over on his leg before scrambling to his knees to crawl to a safer, sturdier area in the cart. "Maybar," Toothless finally settled, "Hiccup is acting very strange."
"Is he?" Maybar chimed in, voice strange. "I can't see why he wouldn't be. Kidnapped twice in a week, surrounded by excitement with no actual idea what is going on, I thought he was calm and normal - for a human." Grumbling, Toothless bit his tongue from the harsh comment towards his sister-in-law. At least, he reminded himself, the bite was back in her voice, no damage done to Maybar. The fate of the child, however, was still in the air
Fishhook snorted. "Why don't you tell the prince everything?" His snarled poorly masked. "Tell him about the decision made without his presence."
Toothless' attention broke from the Nightmare to his sister-in-law, watching as she played with her skirt. "Maybar?" He inquired.
"You should deal with the traitor first, Toothless. Then we'll talk about Hiccup. He's safe isn't he? That's what matters right now." Maybar's tone was sharp, the one she often used with her daughters when tasks were not open for debate. Besides, Toothless realized, this could only be a ploy on Fishhook's part to buy him time, throw blame on family.
He had to ask. "Did Massclaws have anything to do with this plot?" It had been a burning question since Hiccup reappeared, that the traitor had actually been his brother. While the current truth suggested no, that Fishhook was privy to the same information Massclaws had, Toothless still had his doubts. There had always been a part of his brain that linked malice with his down-to-Earth brother. No matter what anyone said before, he always had a paranoid feeling his brother was going to usurp the throne from under the rightful prince.
From her spot on the bench seat, Maybar made an offended noise, but Fishhook beat her to a comment. "Of course not."
Toothless' shoulders relaxed as his rage dissipated. "Then why did you do it? The money? You could have asked."
The Nightmare shifted, making a low noise as the high wheels of the cart rattled over a rock. He didn't immediately answer, his eyes focused on the fleeting night sky from the open canopy, thick tongue brushing along his chap mouth. "I want amnesty." He straightened his back, wings shifting around the tight bindings locking them to his chest. Toothless growled.
"You think I would set such a precedent?" He growled. He couldn't let one slave trader go. His platform had always been the freedom of his people, abolishing the slavery system. Politically, his stance was in full support by the people which made him a favorable king, especially as he funded cleanups through the west-side coastal cities where slave traders frequented. "For so little?" He added as a thought occurred to him. How much did Fishhook know? At the same time, would his continued existence be a threat to Hiccup's own?
The cart shifted heavily under, moving along the outskirts of the city towards the long paths leading to the palace. Toothless pressed the pad of his thumb on Hiccup's hand, a short distance from his body. The boy pulled back. "I want answers." He finally answered. "Upon the answers I receive, I will decide whether amnesty is possible. Mind you, depending on the truth, the punishment may also change. At the moment, you're standing on a treason charge which is beheading."
A traitor on Fishhook's right shifted. "And what of the rest of us?" He finally voiced. His friend with a broken horn made a low whining noise, trying to shift his wings. Under his breath, he made a noise that sounded faintly like, "Have children...
"Answers, names. Accurate answers and names, mind you, can change your charges as well. Compliance with the Royal Family in general can make this a very easy trial. You might even get to walk away with your wings intact." Toothless flared his teeth, a hint that he meant business.
Fishhook exhaled heavily, his shoulders slumping. "The bid for a human came up in the market around the time their existence became mainstream, when you were hiding the latest human in your room. We started keeping an eye on the slave traders for the cause, waiting for them to play their cards - any claims for the existence of humans in their midst. The goal was to follow through with the king's orders and collect the humans, but also place an insurgent in their midst."
His companion with the broken horn hissed low, shifting in his spot. "You bastard."
The comment was ignored. "We were getting the opposite of data back, in the end. Every buyer wanted the elusive human; it became a symbol of wealth. The price for a human was through the roof and there was no sign on one outside those in the castle, the one's dying under the Royal Hand. And then, you walk out of the palace door with a human, another secret by the palace and I saw an opportunity. I put out the notice of a human under my thumb, hoping to get a buyer and a window into the slave traders."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Toothless growled.
Fishhook exhaled heavily. "To protect you, my prince. If I was to be found out like this, I could keep your hand out of it. Slavery is illegal as decreed by the king. As your second in command, I have to stand firmly by your rule, but if we don't stop the traders, then we'll never solve the problem. I had to do this sir, I had to stop the slavers here and now with the human. I grabbed him up when you dropped him off at the mountain, sold him to the highest bidder, making plans to meet for the next auction. I had names, faces, locations."
"You sold out Hiccup." Toothless hissed. "You know how many people come up dead in my kingdom, linked to the slave traders? You put myHiccup in danger without notifying me of any of this!"
"I knew you'd never allow this, my lord! I wasn't going to leave him in that dangerous situation! I planned to spring in and gather him just as we dismantled this slave trade auction, put him in a safe location in the south. Then, things went bad. According to the buyer, the human slipped out of his shackles and disappeared into the night. Demanded his money back, but all sales were final."
"Where did the money for these sales go?" Toothless whispered, afraid that his temper would flare up.
His old friend shifted. "My life giver grew so sick during this sale. I had the money from the sale and it was so easy to pay for a healer with that dirty money - make good of it. Please, don't punish her for any of this. She doesn't know where the money comes from - believes the royal family has helped our kind again."
"Why didn't you tell us this when Hiccup came back that first night?" Maybar asked, leaning back against the bench seat. "Why threaten us earlier?" Why threaten Maybar? Toothless wanted to ask, still recalling those moments where he'd almost lost his sister-in-law, niece or nephew, and Hiccup. That hadn't been in best friend.
The nightmare dropped his head, eyes clenched shut. "Things... grew out of control. I told you to back off, but you wouldn't listen." Fishhook glared at the bench seat. "I was trying to get back in the market, resale the human and re-enter my insurgency with a new buyer. No one would press charges against me on the market, but Maybar realized what I was doing. I worked too hard to get that door open to have her blow it out of proportion as a slave trader. I needed a scapegoat."
"You threatened her."
"As if you haven't done worse, she's been hounding for the throne, pushing Massclaws to step up and take power that properly belongs in your claws. Two birds, one stone. Get rid of the ill-bound heir and the princess, put her at fault for Hiccup's disappearance and the throne is once more securely under you, my lord." Fishhook glared at the cloth canopy.
"Why didn't you just come clean?" Toothless hissed. "No," he paused. "Who was the original potential buyer?"
Fishhook pierced his lips together. "I want amnesty." He finally said.
"Damn it, Fish!" Toothless climbed to his feet, the floor rocking under him. Grabbing his old friend by his collar, he tugged the nightmare up, straining the bindings. "Who bought Hiccup?"
"You know my demands. I will discuss this further when my safety is secured." He kept his back straight, wings tucked in. Toothless growled, releasing the man to turn his attention to Hiccup, who had been used all this time. Hiccup, scared again when Toothless promised his safety. "It might be to your best interest," Fishhook smirked, "To take my side on this. I know things that could impact you in the near future."
"Toothless..." Maybar hissed. "Don't listen to him. He can't be trusted."
The night fury brought his hand through the ridges on the top of his head, pushing on the rough skin to alleviate his headache. A quick look up at Hiccup and he found his attention brought back to the nightmare. "Tell me everything."
"Amnesty."
"Toothless..."
Weighing everything in his mind, Toothless straightened his back. "Your wings are clipped, removal of service, return of money, crimes never listed."
Fishhook shot back immediately, "Removal of service, crimes never listed, royal family continues to pay for my life giver's medical needs."
Toothless hissed between clenched teeth. "You must acknowledge your crimes before the immediate court - my father, the King, and his advisers. Upon which, you will be removed from my personal guard. Your life giver's needs will be addressed based off of her needs, as youwere my dearest friend. If you speak the truth and she knows nothing of your doings, then her care will be taken under the royal physician. Failure to return the money obtained through underhanded ways will be addressed at a later time. Your crimes, as far as the public knows, will never be listed." The last thing he wanted now was any of this coming back to him. "These are my conditions. If they are unacceptable to you, then upon return to the castle, you will be detained for treason. Hearing will be public, wings clipped, retirement benefits frozen. To repay the slave transaction, you will work in the mines until repayment has been met, however long that may be."
He rested his hands in his lap, shoulders straight.
"For just my buyer's information?"
"And any information pertaining to the slave holdings you may have. A fine deal, you'd be getting out of dishonoring your family - and race - title." It would be different, the castle, without Fishhook. They'd always been partners in crime, the best of friends joined at the hip. This scandal had a lot of impact on all facets of the prince's life.
Years of training prepared him for this, but didn't make it all the more surreal. He had to cut off his best friend to protect not only his titles, people, and family, but also a strange human that sparked an unknown desire.
I should have demanded he apologize and grovel at Hiccup's feet.
"Very well." Fishhook breathed heavily. "I agree to your terms, my prince."
Maybar made a low noise of disapproval, tightening her form in her seat as the castle's high towers came into view over the horizon.
"I approached the highest bidder, whose name had circuited the auctions often enough. The title was simply 'The Master,' vague and intimidating all at once. I observed my target for days leading up to the exchange of information - proof that I truly possessed a human. At the time, I couldn't just carry the boy into the slave holdings, so I offered the first break of news from palace about the prince possessing a human - a live, fully functioning human. He gobbled it up, demanded one immediately. He had been fishing through those caverns for months about the rumors of monsters on the other side, paid countless guards in that region but nothing came up." Fishhook took a deep breath. "And then you mentioned having to bring Hiccup into the mountain and I saw opportunity. I could work with this. When you and prince Massclaws left the mountain ridges, I snuck in, fearing that I'd missed the opportunity to grab the human, but there he was inside a valley, trying to crawl out. We grabbed him, wrapped him up and made the exchange within hours. Too easy."
"To who, Fishhook."
"Merchant Nimble Fang." Fishhook paused. "He runs the most well oiled slave factory in our region. Buys, mates, trains. A sample of human would, hopefully, create a new reign of slaves not covered by current laws. He paid a hefty fee for the human without looking the creature over for defects. We don't even know how they reproduce, the needs of the offspring, or the responsiveness of the slave. I was able to sell Hiccup off due to the work he has done for you, that they were born submissive."
Toothless frowned. "Nimble Fang? Why does that name sound familiar?" He didn't make a habit of remembering the merchants, there were too many of them. Trade was more of Massclaws thing. Toothless prided himself more a political tactician and militant.
It was Maybar that twisted her neck, a scowl written across her face. "Because that is the Lady Flaremoth's father. Nimble Fang has been an active member of the political circuits among minor party officials. He buys votes often, but everybody does to get a word to the King, your father."
Toothless found his belly boiled at the thought. Hiccup seemed to notice as well, his chilly attitude melting quickly, replaced with nervousness that had him backing in the corner. Passing sharp green eyes over the boy, Toothless relaxed his features. "And where is his daughter in these enterprises?" Maybar inquired.
Fishhook frowned. "That's... where things get a little tricky. I didn't even make trade with Nimble Fang as I had demanded. It was his daughter, however, that sent word about the disappearance of the human along the shipping. I don't know where she lies in this problem exactly. The second buyer was an anonymous person who paid triple what Nimble Fang had original paid."
"What's your opinion of her?" Toothless asked.
The nightmare frowned, clenching his jaw. "Honestly? If you take anything from me as your friend, I would say beware. Apples don't usually fall far from the tree."
There were things in this situation that made little to no sense to Hiccup. Ever since he was ten, taken in by the elders to be trained to serve the gods, he'd been prepared for the worst. In fact, he'd felt almost spoiled upon meeting these so-called gods who ate at tall tables and had bountiful food. There had never been an irking that something wasn't right. In fact, he had been ecstatic about these gods that fed him, clothed him, and talked with him.
It was better than the warnings he'd been raised with. The gods' realm was supposed to be punishment. Hiccup ate tasteless broth until his majority because he'd been told he was expected to eat scraps in this realm. He'd slept on a straw patch, surrounded by dirt, with the clothes on his back keeping him warm. He'd been taught to cook extravagant meals he wasn't allowed to taste, weaved intricate designs on clothing he wasn't allowed to wear, and watched other kids play, knowing he would never be allowed to express himself that way again. His life was to serve others; he shouldn't expect anything beyond the bare minimum for survival.
He was proof that the humans still needed the gods' help, a lie to hide their prosperity.
Maybe the gods had always known? Instead of taking the sacrifice into their adored arms, they punished them by sending the sacrifice to live among dragons.
Only, Toothless had never seemed bad. In fact, until hours ago, Hiccup thought he'd ended up in the best god's hand. Toothless fed Hiccup fine foods, had patience that no one in Berk ever showed, and made the human want to stay. He had gone out of his way to return to the dragon at first because it was his duty, but now he couldn't help think that he'd grown fond of the dragon's service.
Hah! Fond of the dragon's service, the gods were probably weeping.
But now things were different. The dragons (no longer gods) had shown their true form. Some were constantly grabbing him, tying him up and tossing him around. Others were angry, not to be trifled with. Even those who had housed him seemed different. Even Toothless, who had been unconditional with Hiccup, had proved himself to be as awful as the rest.
That bath last night had been unexpected. A fun swim had become pleasurable as the dragon's hand wrapped around Hiccup, playing with the sensitive skin of his private naughty place. The elders had always told him never to touch there except to pee, warned him that the gods would punish him if they saw that part 'get hard' or 'pulse evil'. Hiccup had done his best to keep even his thoughts clean, to fight away that proof that he was everything the gods hated. In seconds, Toothless pulled that evil out of Hiccup, as if testing if the gift was as pure as the humans promised.
Hiccup had failed. He was a poor example for mankind.
He pulled away when Toothless touched his shoulder, trying to reassure him with a smile. "Don't touch me; I have to make it to the real gods." He glared at the dragon. "I promised my people."
"Little One, I don't understand you."
"I changed my mind, I want to go home."
Toothless tilted his head to the side. "Has Ripper arrived at the castle yet?" He turned around, facing Maybar. Hiccup swallowed heavily as he watched the goings around him. Coming over the horizon the towers of Toothless' home began to appear. Grabbing the cloth canopy, Hiccup stared up at the big house, still enraptured by its structure. We have nothing like that in Berk. How are you not gods?
A wave of uniforms was coming towards them with a wooden prisoner cart, its open cart for the world to see. Toothless leaned over the bench seat, his voice low before he pulled back. "Hiccup." He held his hand out. "I want you to sit up front with Maybar." He wrapped a strong arm around Hiccup's bicep.
Staring at the dark hand, Hiccup jerked back. "I won't be bad again, Toothless!"
Toothless' face slackened and his shoulders relaxed. He looked so hurt, Hiccup realized as his own body mimicked the dragons. The need to apologize for his behavior bubbled up, but the night fury was turned away before anything could be said. Exhaling, Hiccup turned away, looking at the fleeting city behind them.
The prisoner tray met up with them just outside the palace gates. The back dock for the cart was removed and the three slave traders were rounded up, moved to a second cart as Toothless spoke with a short guard who had come up with the other party.
Hiccup hadn't expected big hands to grab him under the armpits. His first instinct was to scream, kicking his legs back out of fear they were taking him again. Just as quickly, he was settled down on the bench seat of the cart, next to Maybar, who slide over to give him room. "Toothless!" Hiccup shouted as another uniformed dragon settled next to him, grabbing the reins. "Don't let them take me!"
"Sh. Sh." Toothless soothed, reaching across his guard, firm finger pressed against Hiccup's lips. "Safe, Hiccup."
"You promise?" Hiccup whispered back, wrapping his arms around his middle. As if the dragon understood him, the prince nodded with a pleasant smile, talking rabidly with a finger directed towards the other cart. He ran his fingers through Hiccup's hair, claws catching. Reaching up, the human removed the big hand with the smallest of flinch from the pain on his scalp. He swallowed heavily when Toothless pulled away, misreading what had happened. "Toothless..." Hiccup tried standing up, but the dark dragon was already slapping the side of the cart, sending it forward.
Craning his neck, Hiccup watched Toothless follow with his guards, his voice no longer reaching his ear.
In the castle, the cart was taken around, where Clawless and Mother stood proudly next to their son, Massclaws, and the small dragon who spoke Hiccup's language. Reaching up, Massclaws helped his wife down, inspecting her for damage with a low tone.
"Hiccup." Mother stepped forward, but it was Clawless that helped Hiccup down. Grabbing Mother's hand, Hiccup stood on his toes, trying to spot Toothless, but the prisoner cart had moved to another side of the castle, disappearing behind high columns. "Did he hurt either of you?" She asked, running her claws over the human's chin.
"Rainy, Toothless wanted us all to meet in the Green Room. Commander Ripper, if you would join us - we need you to translate." Maybar hummed softly.
Mother cupped Hiccup's hand comforting, and Hiccup relaxed. This, he decided, was a dragon he loved very much. She reminded him of his mother before the gods took her from him. "We don't have time for his games. Lady Flaremoth is here for the admonishments."
"It has to deal with her." Maybar chewed on her lip. "And someone still needs to tell Toothless that Hiccup is being sent away. I couldn't find the heart to tell him."
The queen pierced her lips together as her husband took the lead back into the palace. "What is it my son wants to discuss with us before meeting his future princess?"
Tucking her hand with her husband's, Maybar hummed low. "He has one more snake to lure out before the nuptials with Hiccup's help, and he needs our support for this."