Toothless was waiting for him the moment he fell asleep. He sat dutifully nearby, at attention, rather than lazily curled up around the boy.
"I see you have questions."
Hiccup knelt in front of the god, once again brought to that place of reverence. The last few nights in the place, Toothless had been gentle, soothing, and a welcoming presence. They lounged in this empty space and relaxed. Hiccup told Toothless of his life, his studies with Gobber, his friends in Whiterun. And Toothless just laid with him, enjoying his company and their new connection.
But the way Toothless appeared now was different. He held the wisdom of ten thousand years and the authority of a pantheon.
"I don't know where to start," Hiccup said breathlessly.
"Take your time. Only ask what's important to you."
"But I don't know what's important! What if I think it is and it actually has nothing to do with anything?!"
Toothless leaned forward, his height towering over Hiccup though he sat on his haunches. "I will begin then, and once you collect your thoughts, you can ask your questions."
Hiccup sighed. "Great, more story time."
Toothless rumbled with a chuckle, before blowing a burst of blue flame up into the void.
The flame burst into a galaxy of stars, illuminating them both in a blue hue.
"Whoa…" Hiccup spoke in awe.
"At the beginning of time, or before time began, this world you live on, the moons Masser and Secunda, the planets and stars…none of it was there. It was only us. The original spirits."
The stars shifted and formed loose shapes of dozens of humanoid figures. Some of them glowed with a familiar hue, as their shrine at the temple gave them a color. A large figure stood at the center, a man with a dark blue aura. Hiccup knew this was Toothless.
"It was Tikki, the goddess of creation that proposed the idea. She wanted to make a world with life. Where things that lived would be mortal." One of the figures, a woman, grew large and glowed with a red light.
"Many of us would agree to this idea, but not all. We worked together to create Mundus, the material plane on which you live."
Countless spirits, the majority of those present, stepped forward into a circle, raised their hands, and a globe appeared, with four continents on the surface, one of which was Tamriel.
"But the creation had a terrible price. Many weaker deities were utterly destroyed."
A handful of the spirits cried out a soundless scream before disappearing.
"Some, a little more powerful, sacrificed their godhoods to become mortal, the progenitors of the races of Nirn."
About two dozen figures withered away to dots on the surface of the globe.
"That left nine of us severely weakened, but still gods. Afterwards, there would be many arguments. Some would say that Tikki coerced us, and others that she tricked us.
"We tried her, and found her undeserving of her creation. I carried out the punishment and ripped out her heart."
The red spirit cowered in fear as Toothless' apparition grew monstrous. The stars making up its form shifted and transformed into a dragon. The dragon swiped out its claws and tore the very heart of Tikki out of her and threw it down to the planet.
It landed on Tamriel, a large, red, angry blister on the surface. From his studies, Hiccup recognized it as the Red Mountain, the giant volcano in Morrowind.
What was left of Tikki split into two uneven halves and curled up into dull spheres. Those spheres descended onto the planet, but hung in the sky as the moons.
"Oh…" said Hiccup, struck by the sight.
"I wanted to destroy the world then. This thing had done so much harm to everyone, I couldn't bear to see them all suffer. But I decided to wait. I created the World Eater and put her inside Nirn to emerge once my weakened siblings on the surface had died."
Hiccup saw the fire ignite in the center of the planet, and a shadow curled up to sleep around it.
"But my siblings reproduced. They proliferated, and soon the world was abundant with life. The Psijic Monks rose and created the Miraculous, and we were all tethered to men and elves. I saw wonderful things and began to regret my World Eater. But I was too weak to remove it. I gifted the Thu'um to the early Nords as a way to fight it when it emerged."
The shadow in the center burst forth, creating a huge hole in the very being of the planet.
"I did not witness what they did. But I felt it. The World Eater was not destroyed, but temporarily removed. I don't know where it is."
The projection of the planet dissolved back into stars and flitted away to illuminate from the distance.
"Okay," Hiccup took a deep breath, and exhaled. "The dragon that ate Helgen…that's the World-Eater then?"
"Describe it to me once again."
"Uh…the farmer said it was white with red eyes. It was really long and thin, and had really big teeth. He said it swallowed the town in two bites."
Toothless shook his head. "This is not the World-Eater, but I do not know who this is."
"Wait so…this isn't the end of the world? That dragon isn't the big bad evil creature?"
"It very well could be the end if it is not stopped. And if the World Eater returns while this white dragon is about, then you will have two to deal with."
"Awesome!" Hiccup shouted, frustrated. He flopped onto his back and stared up at the stars. There was so much to do, and so little time to prepare. It was daunting and scary.
He would probably fail. He couldn't imagine fighting a dragon like that. It was suicide.
Toothless rested his head on Hiccup's stomach and crooned. "I feel your fears, and your doubts. I desperately wish to help you more, but I grow weaker and weaker with time. I am blind, my Hiccup."
Hiccup petted his head, feeling the soothing comfort radiate off of him. "I don't really blame you, Toothless. You couldn't know the world would turn out for the good. Sounds like an impossible decision.I mean…I'm kinda glad you changed your mind."
"I appreciate the reassurance."
Hiccup sighed once more and sat up. "I should wake up now. I have stuff to do."
"Like what?"
"Pack my bags…and sneak out."
—
When Hiccup awoke, it was dark out. He had spent more time in the dreamscape with Toothless than he thought. As he rose and peaked out the door into the hall, he could hear his father's snoring from next door. He had slept through dinner!
Well, perhaps that was for the best. Sitting through a meal with his father while he had plans in his head never went well. Stoick always had a way to read him, and pry the truth out of him. It made lying to his father difficult. And apparently telling the truth that he isn't expecting, as well.
The biggest map of Skyrim he knew of was out in the war room. For now, he'd casually sneak down there and make a plan of travel. He had a smaller map he'd mark it against.
He left his room quietly, careful not to disturb his sleeping father. Then, as he came down the stairs, he ran into a guard.
"You're awake, Young Master."
"Ah yep…I didn't sleep well on my journey, I guess…"
"I'm to tell you that there is some food for you in the kitchen, if you are hungry."
"Oh, uh, thanks! That's exactly what I was up to get…so I'll just…" He scooted around the guard, trying to be nonchalant.
Now that he thought about it, he really was hungry. So he went and surveyed what dinner had been left for him.
Apple and cabbage soup! Yuck!
But he was hungry, and he had quite the trip ahead of him. After he scooped up some soup and found some bread, he went up to the war room to pour over the map while he ate.
He could tell the guards were giving him skeptical looks as they passed, but no one said anything. As Hiccup studied the map, he was disappointed to find that High Hrothgar wasn't actually on it. The Throat of the World was the largest mountain in Skyrim, so which side was it on?
He decided to make Ivarstead his destination. Surely someone there would know how to get up the mountain. With a route mapped out, he hurried back to his room.
First, he packed his bags. He took a few sets of clothes, and spare boots. Since he didn't know how long he would be gone, he took his sewing kit as well. What else? His map, his notebook, a hunting knife, a bedroll, and a fur lined jacket for the cold summit of the mountain. Anything else he needed he would either have to buy in Ivarstead or just go without. Thankfully he still had plenty of gold from his last dungeon delve, so he would be okay buying food and a room at the next Inn.
Next, he had to write a note to his father. Of course Stoick would panic and worry as long as Hiccup was gone, but with a note, Stoick hopefully wouldn't send the guards all over the hold looking for him.
Dear Dad,
I lied to you. I've been lying for a while. But when I told the truth, you didn't believe me. I didn't have time to try to convince you otherwise. I'm sorry, but I have to leave. My adventuring days aren't over. They've actually just begun. I can't tell you where I'm going, because I can't have you try to stop me. I know I have a duty to Whiterun, but I have to answer this new duty, or there won't be a Whiterun for me to lead.
Please don't worry about me, though I know you will. I'm a lot less defenseless than you think. I'll try to come home and visit, and maybe then I can tell you everything and you'll understand. Honestly, I don't think I understand it all anyways, but…the gods chose me for this. Akatosh chose me.
I promise I'll make you proud, dad.
Love,
Hiccup
Hiccup tried not to get choked up as he signed the note. He was a little more candid than he wanted to be.
He tacked it right to his bedroom door, so anyone who went to find him in the morning would see it.
He donned his gear and peered out the door. Being spotted earlier was fine, but the guards tended to be nosey when it came to him and he didn't need them to ask about his bags.
The guard on duty had just walked into the hall. He would glance back and forth, and then retreat back into the Great Hall. Hiccup then had a few minutes to go down the short stairs and into the servant's quarters.
The first room in these new chamber's belonged to his uncle and steward, Spitelout. But, Spitelout often slept at home, rather than in this room, and so it was empty tonight. Another short staircase led to a series of rooms for servants. At the north end of the hall was the other entrance that led into the kitchen, connected to the Great Hall…and watched by several guards.
The south end of the hall held the wine cellar, where several shelves of bottles were stored, with seemingly nothing else.
Hiccup knew better.
He had grown up in Dragonsreach his whole life. He had run away and hid from lessons, lectures from his father, and beatings from his cousin Snotlout. He knew where all the loose boards were…and what laid behind them.
Quickly, Hiccup went to the wine cellar, going to that secret panel in the back corner. He had found it as a kid, hiding from Snotlout. Back then, he had rested his weight against the wall, and the wooden board pried loose on the bottom and gave way. It led to a series of corridors connected to the Dungeon. The air was damp, and it smelled like the foulest rot imaginable.
Hiccup lowered himself in there, and crept along the path.
He wasn't the only one who knew this series of passages were here. The guards had an area that they set up to hide from duties, though it looked like they only stayed in one room. Who could blame them? It was pretty gross.
Hiccup stepped lightly and he maneuvered through the dark stone paths, and eventually he reached the dungeons.
"Yeah, poor sod started crying, saying his family was eaten while he was doing time here. I told him he deserved it for what he had done."
"That's cold, man. I had a cousin in Helgen."
"My condolences. But at least you have the rest of your family."
The guards were talking, and likely wouldn't be able to hear the scuffles of his boots on the stone.
Soon, Hiccup reached a fork in the road. He could either take the ladder to go up into the barracks, or crawl through the grate on the other side into pitch darkness. It seemed counter intuitive, but he chose the darkness.
He wedged his equipment into the foot-wide holes in the grate, keeping them off the ground, and then wedged his thin, lanky body through the broken rungs. Then he donned everything once again and ventured into the inky blackness, with not a torch or a tallowtip. He felt along with his feet and outstretched hands against the wall.
When he discovered this path first, his ears still rang with Snotlout's threats of bodily harm. Back then, he was so small and so scared, that he preferred the mystery of blind tunnel over the certainty of a fist. He had stayed in this tunnel for hours then, nearly a whole day, and only emerged when his hunger got the best of him. Now, all these years later, the tunnel was just an old friend and held no threat.
He found the halfway point, a series of narrow grates that allowed light in from above. Up on the surface, this was where the entrance to Dragonsreach was. And the light came from the braziers that allowed the guard to see. The steps were right ahead, and so Hiccup's path diverted to the left, and down a decline.
Enough of a decline that he couldn't walk it.
Hiccup swung his pack around so it rested on his front side, before sitting on the stone and scooting down. The gravel acted like ball bearings and he slid down faster than he wanted, slipping down the stone and dropping into the chamber below.
This was an area he had experienced once, and decided to avoid returning to. It was located next to Jorrvaskr, the home of the Companions, the fighters for hire, and it was directly under Gobber's forge, and as such, he had once heard a Companion refer to it as the Underforge in hushed tones. Its use was a mystery, and he wondered if Gobber even knew it was there. It was a small cave room, with barely anything in it but a basin full of red liquid. Hiccup hoped it was wine. There was a clear entrance and exit to this chamber, not counting his fall. His route had to have been an accident, as there was no way out through it since it dropped him from the ceiling. The designed way in was a stone wall that was sealed up, though the seam was visible and there was a lever that would open it.
The other way was a short tunnel that ended in another drop. Hiccup hoped that would be his ticket out of Whiterun, but first, he needed to pilfer from Gobber's forge.
He threw the lever on the wall, and the secret stone panel that hid the cave from view slid away, scraping on the rock as it went. Thankfully it wasn't very loud, or one of the Companions might have come out to investigate.
He had to be quick. While the Underforge and surrounding area was concealed by a wall, the Skyforge was open air and anyone could see him. He left his gear behind in the Underforge and scrambled up the stairs. Luckily, he knew where the key was to Gobber's inventory chests, and was able to get into them quickly.
Who knew what awaited on this journey? What perils would he face? Besides the dragon, of course. Hiccup looked over the equipment, and his gold. Of course he wasn't going to steal anything. He knew what it was all worth, considering he helped make it.
Iron was the cheapest, but it wore down quickly and was easy to break. Steel was a little more durable, a little lighter, but more expensive. Then there were Elven and Orcish, which were imported. Elven was the slightly heavier of the two and so cut deeper, but was twice as expensive. The next bracket of expense, increasing by 20 gold was Dwarven, which was either restored or imitated, was heavier than Elven, and had a bigger bite to it and rarely needed repairs, but when it did, the materials were hard to come by. Then there was Nordic, Gobber's specialty. More expensive, but about the same weight as Dwarven, but 60 gold more than Elven! Ugh, the choices!
Then he looked at his last two options. Glass weapons, which were beautiful and expensive. He hadn't mastered the ability to smith these yet, as they were difficult to create.
Then, the pinnacle of weapons, Ebony. A resilient black metal that was as rare as it was deadly. It was extremely heavy, but razor sharp and rarely needed repairs. And Hiccup knew how to repair them! Deep down in his heart, Hiccup knew he had always wanted to adventure with an Ebony sword.
The short sword that Gobber had was beautifully balanced, and more than once Hiccup had tested it out before being chastised. Today, it was coming with him.
Next, he needed a bow. The ancient bow he had found in the tomb had been great, but as Hiccup had shown it to Gobber, the smith had critiqued it.
Hiccup needed a bow that was durable and easy to handle. As beautiful as the Ebony one was, it was just too heavy. So he went with Gobber's preference, and took a Nordic bow, and a quiver of steel arrows.
Now, he needed armor. He knew everything that Gobber made was too large and heavy for him to wear. He didn't have the bag space for scrap leather to make some later. It was risky, but for now, he'd take an iron helmet and a shield. Ebony shields were of course the best, but the poor boy had a hard enough time lifting one from the smithing table, let alone up the side of a mountain. He opted for a Glass Shield. Given his size, he'd have a lot of coverage behind it, and it weighed less than half of the Ebony. Not nothing, mind you, but less. Plus, it looked cool.
Finally, he felt prepared. He strapped the sword to his waist and placed the bow and quiver on his back, with the shield on top. It was a little awkward, but he'd adjust after he got on his horse. Finally, he put on the helmet, and snuck back into the Underforge.
All there was left to do was leave the city, and that should be the easy part. He followed the short tunnel on the other side of the cave and dropped down onto the ledge below. From here, he could guess where he was, a crumbled guard tower not too far from the stables. He was on the other side of the wall!
The night was bright. The moons, Masser and Secunda were nearly full and illuminated the landscape. Behind them, the auroras hung like shimmering curtains, dressing the cosmos in their finest. It seemed like the very stars were preparing for this momentous night.
Hiccup pondered on it for a moment, recollecting all that Toothless had shown him not too long ago. The moons were the body of the god that created the world. How many other spectacles in the sky were because of the gods? Perhaps in time, Toothless would tell him more.
Hiccup leapt from his ledge down to the mossy rocks a few feet below. It was a short walk to the stables from here to retrieve Thump. And he certainly wasn't going to walk all the way to High Hrothgar!
He arrived at the stables as the guard was turned and walking away from him. Of course, he wouldn't get in trouble for stealing his own horse, but rather he'd likely be 'escorted' back to Dragonsreach if spotted.
"Pst! Pst! Thump! Buddy, wake up!"
The black horse sprawled on the ground, laying in a concerning way, if you didn't know him better. Hiccup crawled into the stall and petted his horse to wake him up. Within a few moments, Thump was up and sniffing around for food.
"Want this?" Hiccup held out an apple.
Thump ate it in two bites, almost taking Hiccup's fingers off.
"Good boy." Hiccup pet his neck, and then went and got his saddle.
The guard was on his way back now, and so Hiccup worked quietly and slowly to avoid being spotted in the shadows. It worked and Thump was ready to ride in a few minutes.
Hiccup waited until the guard was halfway back to the city gate before urging Thump off into the night.
It was a strange feeling, feeling the safety and warmth of home disappearing behind him. His home, the place he had known so intrinsically was being left behind, for who knew how long? Days? Months? Maybe he would never return. It wasn't a thought he wanted to dwell on.
He followed the road that bordered the river, moving West. He'd follow the main road for a while, at least until morning. Ivarstead was small, and not along the main road, according to the map. He just hoped there'd at least be a sign as he got closer.
As he left the open plains of Whiterun and traveled through a valley between two mountains, he noticed flickering lights up high. A bridge perhaps?
When he drew close enough, he discovered that yes, it was a bridge. Two ancient towers flanked the river, and a stone bridge was laid out between them. Torches were lit incrementally, telling him that the bridge was attended. But what settlement was nearby? Surely these weren't Whiterun guards.
"Halt!" A woman called as he drew close. "This here's a toll road, see?"
"Oh! Uh, I don't need to cross the bridge. I'm going West." He pointed to the road still following the river.
"All this is a toll road. You're going to have to pay the fine. Say, 200 gold."
"200 gold? That's unjust!"
"We all gotta eat, kid. Pay with gold," she unsheathed a dagger, "or with your blood. Your choice."
Hiccup turned Thump sideways, to better get a look at this woman. She was filthy, and her armor was misshapen and banged up.
A bandit. He should have known.
Glancing up at the bridge, he could scant make out silhouettes, no doubt more bandits with bows.
"Well? I ain't gonna wait around all night!" She raised her knife, preparing to attack.
Hiccup was not ready for a fight. She'd stab him in the leg before he got his sword out.
So he did the only thing he could do.
"FUS RO DA!"
The woman slammed hard against the side of the tower as his shout echoed over the rocky cliffs.
"By the gods!" Someone shouted.
"Dragonborn!"
Hiccup took advantage of the shock to snap Thump's reins and get out of range.
Well, if no one knew the Dragonborn had returned, they would soon find out.
