Chapter Twenty-Fife: Down to business
The guy I front of Hiccup was, luckily, not one of the big and heavy guys. But he was a lot taller and probably stronger than Hiccup.
He was probably in his thirties but he looked like a framer not like someone who could wield a sword.
And right he was.
Terrence-what-ever-his-last-name-was charged slightly without determination. Hiccup sidestepped and blocked the attack before he swung his sword I a wide arch. Its hilt hit the man on the breastbone and the guy stumbled back, catching his breath.
But Hiccup was exhilarated. He was in fight mode again and his training the last evening was paying off.
In seconds he had disarmed the man and had his sword at his throat.
There was a stunned silence before the audience began cheering loudly. Probably nothing they were used to. A minor beating a grown man.
Hiccups determination grew with every fight. His dream from two nights ago incitation enough. He was running out of time. Darkness was invading Asgard. Loki and the other gods were fighting.
And they were relying on him, Hiccup knew it.
He'd already wasted enough time. This was fate. Fate always found a way to make you obey. And Hiccup was determined to safe this world. But he had to accept the fact that he couldn't do that alone.
Darkness was fought with light. Not with a pointy sword.
The fights rose higher and higher. Each opponent was different. Some were just like Hiccup. Ordinary people that did the fighting for the fun of it. Some were soldiers, some knights, some idiots that thought they could handle a sword and some travelers.
They varied from size and weight but most of the time Hiccup was in an inferior position.
That didn't mean he was inferior at all!
Like he imagined, he was way faster than others. And he quickly learned that he didn't need to parry full strength blows. He could deflect them and make his opponent stumble and lose his balance. Still, something felt off. As good as he was in the prelim, it didn't mean he stood a chance in the next rounds.
It was late noon already when the couples for the last sixteen were decided. Now there was a short break.
Hiccup was drenched in sweat and his limps hurt. But he had made it into the last sixteen. That meant he was now in the top eight.
Of over a hundred applicants, most older and twice his size.
Hiccup felt pride rise in his chest.
Which made him a little bit to carefree.
When the first match of the last sixteen was announced, it was him against the guard at the gate from yesterday.
He sneered at Hiccup.
"I would never have though that you'd made it this far brat. But I'm going to put an end to it. I promise." Hiccup smirked. "Don't promise what you can't hold." The man's face grew red and he charged at him yelling: "Insolent brat, I'm going to show you how to speak to your elders."
Hiccup laughed and dodged each strike without raising his sword a centimeter. He jumped backwards and up in the air, to avoid a low strike to his feet.
But he underestimated the man. He wasn't without a reason a part of the guard. With lightning speed he began, infuriated by Hiccups care-freeness, to chop at him. Hiccup yelled a bit and raised his sword just in time to defend himself.
He dejected a mighty blow to his head and sent his opponent stumbling past him but he swirled around and Hiccup had to fall to the ground to avoid the arch of the sword.
But the guard man wasn't finished. He started to bring his sword down to the ground off and off again and again. Hiccup only avoided them by inches and by sliding through the sandy ground on his back. His sword was useless in his hand
He used the moment where the guard raised his sword high over his head for the final blow to get up and tackle the man.
He was so surprised, he let his sword drop.
Hiccup stood over him, panting heavily, the sand itching on his sweaty skin.
"Do you yield?" he asked, pressing his sword against the man's throat.
The guy sneered between clenched teeth: "I…yield." The referee rang the bell to make it official that the fight had stopped.
Hiccup stepped back, put his sword away and offered the man a hand while the crowds went wild.
The man hesitated a moment, then he gripped Hiccups hand and got up. But as soon as he was standing, he yanked Hiccups arm hard down and Hiccup flew to the ground. There were loud shouts and some people came running up to them and restrained the man before he could do anything else.
Hiccup laid on the ground clutching his arm. His sword-arm.
Someone rolled him onto his back and he shut his eyes tight. There was muttering and then someone lifted him up and carried him off. The voices around him died down.
Hiccup was sure his shoulder was dislocated and his elbow hurt.
He slowly opened his eyes.
He was in a tent lying on a field bed. A guy not much older than him smiled at him.
"Hey there." "Hello." Hiccup mumbled. "I'm Eric. Your shoulder is dislocated. I have to set it back. It's gonna hurt like crazy but it will be better than having it not located again!" he explained. "I figured that out myself." Hiccup sighed and sat up. "Do it." The guy nodded and carefully grabbed Hiccups arm.
"On three." He said. Hiccup nodded.
"One…" The guy yanked at his arm and it made a loud 'Crack' and Hiccup yelled slightly. "Holy mother of Freya!" he cursed. "You said three." "Sorry. It was so tempting." Eric helped him pull on a sling. "There you go. Hold it still for the next day or two. Then it should be okay. If not you should go to a healer."
Hiccup nodded. "But what about the fight?" Eric looked at him like he had lost his mind.
"Well, no fighting for a long time my friend." Hiccup gasped. "What?" "Don't worry. They'll give you money compensation. What that guy did was totally off limits. Especially were the fight was over." Hiccup stammered: "But…I need to fight! This is important!" "It's just a regular competition. Don't worry, there be more next year." "But I don't have that much time." Eric eyed him for a second. Then he said: "Can you fight with your left hand?" Hiccup thought about that. He looked at his left hand.
Hesitantly he picked up his sword someone had picked up for him.
He lifted it a bit and weighted it in his hand.
"Maybe." "It's worth a shot." Hiccup nodded. "Thank you." "Don't mention it. Get out there and kick butts. You're quite a phenomenon for everybody here. There are bets on you, my friend." Hiccup nodded and got up.
Toothless, who had been sitting the whole time next to him, sniffed at his arm. "It's okay buddy. Don't worry." Toothless cooed and tried to lick his arm. "Ah, no thank you, you slimy reptile. No need for that."
They exited the tent and Hiccup made his way back to the fighting fields. He was escorted by a young lad, maybe twelve or thirteen.
He looked up at Hiccup with adorable big eyes and admiration.
When he entered the field, the crowds went wild, again.
The guard still stood there, restrained by two others and sneered at him.
But Hiccup gave him the cold shoulder. He faced first the referee, then the King. Both looked with interest at him.
Everybody was holding their breath, Hiccup could feel it.
He took a deep breath and intuitional he raised his sword with his left arm and called out loud: "I-fight-ON!"
Needless to say the crowed was happy about that.
From his balcony up in the tribune, the king looked at the young boy. The name again and again rolled through his head.
Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III,…
Could it be?
Hiccup was back in his tent, waiting for the next fight, now in the quarter-finals. He wasn't quite sure about the left hand thing.
But he shrugged it off and sighed. He drank a bit of the painkiller Eric had bought him and walked up and down in his tent.
When suddenly someone behind him spoke up:
"Quite a fight." He turned around and paled.
It was the dark-haired princess in the red dress.
He bowed down, not sure how to react properly.
She laughed and it sounded like bells. "No need for that. I'm only acting as a messenger. "And that…is…?" Hiccup stammered. Up close she was even prettier. Her skin was so pure and clean…
Suddenly he was aware that he was only dressed in dirty, sandy, sweaty Viking cloth. His hair probably was a mess and with the sling he probably didn't look very heroic.
The princess stepped up to him.
"My father wishes to talk with you. Even if you don't win, you are invited to our table after tonight's final."
Hiccup bowed again. "Please deliver my thanks to the king. I would be honor and I would love to talk to him too. That was all the point of me taking part in this competition." He answered truthfully.
She smiled. Her teeth were perfect.
"I will. Good luck with your fight." She raised her hand and took something from the inside of her sleeve. It was a long, bright red, tape. She wrapped it around Hiccups upper left arm. "For good luck in the finals." He lowered his head. "Thank you princess." She smiled and turned around.
"I'll see you tonight then." "Yes." "I'm looking forward it." She glanced at Toothless. "And please, bring your dragon." "I will." "Very well."
With that she exit the tent.
Hiccup looked at Toothless.
"Did that just really happened?" Toothless shrugged and gave him a toothless smile.
The quarter finals were…interesting.
When Hiccup entered the field, he was nervous for the first time since his first fight.
His sword now in his left hand, he approached the other man.
It was a big and tough guy, about the size of Gobber. He hand stingy black hair and no beard. His word looked like it was a stall as Hiccup was.
He wondered how he could lift it.
He was aware of all the eyes suddenly. And of course of the princess and her father and her sister just above him.
He forced himself not to look.
Don't get distracted, he thought.
He griped his sword harder.
The first strike came. Hiccup raised his sword and…his eyes grew wide.
Hiccup, being educated by Vikings, had learned always to use his right hand. Every Viking used his right hand. It was known that left-handed people were mostly possessed by Loki or messed with or just evil.
So Hiccup had his whole life used his right hand, never knowing…
That he was left-handed!
But he knew it the second he had raised his sword to parry the strike with an unknown force. It felt so much easier to wield the sword.
Hiccup couldn't say that it look gracious or elegant or breathtaking how he fought. But it was effective.
Hiccup sliced, dodged, parried, rolled between his opponent's legs, jumped and basically won the whole thing.
The other quarter final was quickly decided.
Hiccup would meet Jacob von Holdenstein, a giant knight form the king's court, in the final.
Hiccup thought it was bit unfair that someone so good trained like this knight fought in a tournament like this but then again, Hiccup told himself, if he needed the attention or the applause, he should have it.
It was a few minutes before the battle that Hiccup for the first time realized how tiered he was.
Up until now adrenalin, excitement and his mother's talent along with a few sip of beer and a cold bucket of water to the face had kept him awake.
Now, as he made his next step, his knees nearly buckled.
He dragged himself over to the next bench and sat down.
He sighed and stretched his arms and moved his shoulders.
Big bruise, dark blue and purple, were covering him everywhere. Small cuts too. He was stiff and his leg started throbbing.
"Damn it. Couldn't it have last it a bit longer?" he cursed.
"Hey, Haddock. You're up. The final is in a minute!" one of the helpers called out and grinned.
Hiccup groaned. Using his sword like crutch, he wobbled over to the field. There he collected himself and, not for the first time but the last time surely, stepped onto the field.
Jacob von Holdenstein emerged from the other side.
He looked even scarier.
His blood-red armor glistened like fresh blood in the late sun. That didn't help Hiccups confidence.
Neither did the fact that he was armed with a blade, similar to Hiccups but still bigger and thicker. His footprints were as big as Hiccups face.
He swallowed hard.
"Holy bearded head of Odin, how did I ever think I could win this?" Panic swelled up in him. His lips were dry.
His sword felt heavy and he was shocked when the referee suddenly ringed the bell to start the last fight.
And Jacob von Holdenstein didn't hesitate to charge at the young Viking.
Hiccup managed a weak block but he refused to give up this easy. He caught a glimpse of something red in the corner of his eye and saw what it was. The princess's red tape. Determined to not go down like this he pushed against the other man and he took a surprised step back.
Hiccup dodged under his arm and kicked him into his heavy armored chest.
Mistake. Even though he used his fake metal leg, the repulsion was too big and Hiccup fell to the ground. He managed to make it a roll and got up behind the knight.
Bad idea.
Jacob just kick backwards, lifting Hiccup off the ground.
Hiccup groaned when he got up.
"This is so humiliating. Just right now I have to go back to my scrawny incapable-of-everything-self." He panted and dodged another swipe that could have cut his head clean off.
Hiccup staggered back. Jacob smiled smugly.
He swung his sword und Hiccup knew exactly where he would hit him. And he had an idea. It was stupid and there was a certain risk but he had faith.
The blade came down and hit Hiccups fake leg.
And stuck there.
The moment the blade hit, Hiccup made a leap backwards so Jacob couldn't try to free his sword.
Jacobs expression was priceless.
Hiccup used his distraction to hit him hard in the forehead with the hilt of his sword. He pressed the blade against the guy's thick neck. "Do you yield?"
Under his helmet Jacob laughed. "Sorry kid. Not today." With that he disarmed Hiccup in a second, holding his own sword against his throat. "Do you yield?" Hiccup sighed. "I yield."
AN: So, Hiccup is after all not a master of anything yet. Next chapter will be interesting. I don't know if I will finish it today.
Loki will come back, shortly and the next chapter is probably back at Berk.
So, tell me what you think! I would like some reviews.
Thanks, love you all and thanks for the nice comments! They really mean a lot to me.