Chapter 29: Beat The Dome
AN: Aaaahhh sorry I've been on such a long hiatus everyone. It's been a couple stressful weeks, but I'm back. Enjoy chapter 29! It's a nail biter.
Hiccup sighed as he tested the activation mechanism on a new invention of his, disappointed that he had to work in the forge while Arkyn was no doubt using his time to practice for the following day's rematch.
The truth was, the boy was ready for all of this to just be over. He was tired of the side eyes they shared in the Great Hall, the feeling of guilt he held for causing the crash, and especially the looming stress that the new race now posed to him. Hiccup realized that no matter what the result was, he had to swallow his pride and make up. Arkyn was much too valuable as both a friend and a dragon rider to waste time bickering with, and as much as Hiccup hated to admit it, he needed him.
Under no circumstances could he allow himself to do anything to worsen the situation tomorrow, but Hiccup wasn't a chump, either. Not anymore, at least. Under no circumstances was he about to intentionally throw the race just to get the other boy off his back. If a race was what Arkyn wanted, then a race he would get. Hiccup intended to make sure of that.
What had really been bothering him lately, though, was the way Astrid had been acting. She hadn't spoken to him since they'd all made the deal at Arkyn's house, but he'd run into her several times around town since then and was able to observe her mood from a relatively safe distance. Something had changed- that much was for sure. The girl seemed happier than ever, which should have been a good thing, but deep down Hiccup knew he wasn't the cause of her lifted spirits…at least not recently. There was something- someone else, and Hiccup had a feeling who that someone was. It had become clear when he'd discovered Astrid in Arkyn's house on his trip to apologize.
As time dragged on it had become harder to accept, but Hiccup was trapped. What else was he supposed to do in a situation like this? What could he do? Romantic feelings aside, Hiccup realized his number one duty to Astrid was to be a friend first, and if that meant forcing himself to be happy for the sake of her happiness, then so be it. So. Be. It. Life needed him to be a third wheel at the moment if that was, in fact, what was going on.
Hiccup finally turned his attention back to his work, intending to finish it as quickly as possible so he could go flying before it was too late at night. Toothless hadn't gotten a good workout since the first dragon races, and the dragon's rider needed to make absolutely sure his companion was ready. There would be no room for error the next day.
—
The 7 riders gathered in the arena just before the sun began to set the following evening. By now they had all heard about the spectacle that was the highly anticipated rematch between Arkyn and Hiccup, and the whole group had come out to witness the all important 'Beat The Dome' race. The two opponents met in the middle of the loose circle of friends, sizing each other up as Tuffnut narrated the rules off to the side.
"Here we go again: Beat The Dome! Each of you will mount your dragons and wait for the shadow from the setting sun to reach the stable doors. Once it does, you'll have to race around the perimeter of the island in order to be fast enough to make it through the observatory's closing dome doors. The rest of us will take a more direct route and activate these when the shadow is long enough to reach the lever. No matter where you are in the course during this time, you'll only have 60 more seconds to complete the run once that happens."
He took a breath, spitting out the final lines in time for the riders to mount up before the race started. "Remember…the passage that leads into the dome from underneath is only wide enough for one dragon at a time, so be quick. The old Whispering Death tunnel that now shortcuts the Northwest corner of the island is in bounds, but for Thor's sake, be careful with that. If neither of you make it, then suck it up and call it a draw. If both of you make it, then the first person to pass through the dome will be the champion. If only one of you gets there in time…well then that's pretty self explanatory. Alright, get ready you two. There isn't much time left."
Shit! Hiccup thought to himself as he mounted his dragon. He'd completely forgotten about the Whispering Death tunnel. The structure was a narrow opening that cut out the lengthy run over the forest around the northwest corner of the island, but it was barely large enough to squeeze a dragon through as the Whispering Death in question had evidently not been fully grown. Nobody really knew how much time it saved because nobody had ever flown it successfully during a Beat The Dome race before.
Each time Hiccup had approached it previously, he'd chickened out at the last moment and elected to go around, relying on his companion's speed to get him to the finish in time. There had been several attempts by the others in the past and several crashes as the result, and each time after this happened, Hiccup had always promised himself that he'd eventually take Toothless back to the location to practice the maneuver more thoroughly, but a chance to do so had never materialized. He was extremely unprepared to make the move today, which was unfortunate as it could very well be the difference between winning and losing.
Arkyn, on the other hand, had spent all of yesterday with Astrid at the aforementioned location. She'd smartly predicted it would be part of the race and made sure the boy was well acquainted with it before the actual competition. They'd been at the tunnel for hours, taking a walk through it, trialing entrances and exits, and most importantly: making sure both Arkyn and Stinger felt comfortable blasting through it without the fear of replicating a similar accident to the last time he'd been dragon racing. The boy was still a little nervous of his ability to pull it off when it actually mattered, but hopes were high. A plan was in place, and typically, a good plan was all he needed.
Tensions peaked as the two opponents met in between their dragons, spending their final moments together before it was time to get started. Not wanting to be a complete and utter asshole, Arkyn outstretched his right hand in a show of sportsmanship for Hiccup to shake, holding his riding helmet loosely in his left. "Let's let it be over." He said calmly, a relatively soft expression on his face.
Hiccup accepted the gesture and shook it firmly, similar lines populating his own features. "I know this is what you want, but no matter what happens, I won't be any less sorry." The boy replied, and Arkyn gave him a knowing nod of understanding. Their friends stood inconspicuously behind them, watching as Arkyn secured his helmet and the pair of riders mounted up.
Tuffnut moved past them towards the stable doors, holding his hands up in order to signal the start of their race. The shadow created by the setting sun seemed to advance impossibly slowly upon the mark, causing the onlookers to hold their breath. "Ready?!" The male twin called, and a moment later the shadow could be seen creeping up the vertical wall of the closed stable door. Tuffnut immediately dropped his hands. "Go!" He shouted, and the two Strike Class dragons lifted off in an impressive display of flapping wings and flying dust. The remaining friends sprinted to their own dragons, all eager to take the short way around to the dome so they could be ready to close it when the time came.
Arkyn had gotten a better start off of the line, but his lead was held only briefly as Hiccup used his Night Fury's impeccable straight line speed to quickly pull ahead. Stinger began to slip as they bolted west, the gap between the two dragons growing little by little every second as they buzzed by trees and rolled around mountainsides. For the most part, the shoreline remained directly under them, curving every so often from the will of the sea. Sharp cliffs rose up from the water just as spectacularly on this side of the island as the eastern shores, making it a difficult flight.
Arkyn began to push Stinger even harder and managed to start keeping pace with Hiccup, although he was still behind and couldn't quite fly fast enough to make up any ground yet. This was going to be a challenge to win.
Hiccup glanced back and noticed his advantage, not daring to get cocky this early on. He couldn't afford any mistakes on account of his ego. Focus was key. Focus was everything. If he could keep a clear mind and consistent speed from here on out, there should be no reason he couldn't win. Then again, he couldn't write off his opponent just yet. The whole reason they were in this mess in the first place had been because Arkyn was beating Hiccup in a dragon race.
The first 'corner' was fast approaching. The cliffs began to make way into a hilly section as the shoreline took the riders on a gradual, yet constantly changing path from west into the northward direction. They were now on the complete opposite side of the island as the docks, the village, and the arena.
Arkyn patted his companion's side and coaxed the dragon to go even faster, but despite his best efforts, he was still running a solid 2-3 seconds behind Hiccup and Toothless. The all important northwest corner and Whispering Death tunnel would be the next obstacle to navigate, but until then, the newcomer didn't have a hope in hell of making up any time.
The respite of the gentle hills was short lived, and they soon gave way into another sheer cliff face, this one covered densely in tall trees that seemed to reach straight into Valhalla itself. Their branches held a sinister quality, promising to act similarly to a hunter's snare for any creature that dared navigate their complicated canopy.
It was then that the tunnel appeared.
A hole as black as Toothless' scales cut acutely, yet defiantly through the side of the cliff, leading to an unseen end further down the course. It was inconveniently positioned perpendicular to the racing line itself, meaning that any attempts to go through the feature would require a rider to veer wide before making the dive. Diverting at the last second would be both risky and cost precious time as the shadows wait for no man while they creep over the landscape towards the dome.
Hiccup took one more look behind him and decided to chance it, now roughly 30 seconds from the tunnel's entrance. Arkyn was simply too close behind to ignore the shortcut, although Hiccup still thought it unlikely the Nomanisan rider would even bother with it. How could he? Stinger was ever so slightly larger than Toothless and Arkyn simply hadn't had the time to explore this part of the island yet…or had he? No matter the answer, Hiccup wanted to win, and this was the way to do it. He steered Toothless on a wide curve to the left, swinging back inwards towards the island and lining himself up with the mouth of the cave.
Arkyn saw the move and leaned into Stinger's ear. "No matter what he ends up doing, we're bombing this thing! Just like we practiced. Understand?" Stinger squawked in response and followed Hiccup's trajectory, also lining himself up to make a run at the tunnel.
Time slowed as Hiccup approached the narrow opening. He was beginning to feel the strange sensation of claustrophobia setting in, something he didn't particularly like. The Viking had never done this shortcut successfully before, and the realization of this fact hit Hiccup like a ton of bricks. What am I doing? He thought to himself. I'm in the lead. Toothless is fast.
He changed his mind just a little bit too late and was forced to brake hard at the last second to avoid entering the tunnel or smashing full force into the side of the cliff. Instead he pulled up hard, taking Toothless into a vertical and all the way over the wall of trees before them, saving himself from a nasty accident but also ruining their current racing line. Hiccup frantically manipulated Toothless' tail positions with his metal leg and tried his best to recover, putting himself back on course as quickly as possible and finding himself once again on the long way around the corner.
"FUCK!" Hiccup chastised himself without restraint. This was not at all how he'd envisioned his race going by this point, causing him to find the swearing warranted. Trying to take deep breaths, he pushed Toothless harder than ever before to try and cover the distance of this corner as quickly as possible. He never had a chance to look back and check on Arkyn. That time had gone.
—
"Whoah!" Arkyn yelled, watching Hiccup swerve out of the way at the last second. Although this move startled him slightly, his dragon remained unfazed and continued at full speed towards the Whispering Death's cavern. Arkyn quickly realized what was about to happen and immediately pressed himself as flat as possible against his Triplestryke's abdomen, blind to the path ahead. They'd done this maneuver at least a dozen times the previous day, and during their many trials, Arkyn had learned to fully trust his dragon's instincts and abilities. Stinger was able to see far better in the dark than Arkyn ever could and also knew exactly how long his own wingspan was.
This is where the pair had an advantage over Hiccup and Toothless. Due to the prosthetics on both the dragon and its rider, Hiccup also had to be able to navigate the narrow passage, as Toothless couldn't make the necessary tail adjustments on his own. Stinger, on the other hand, was perfectly comfortable twisting through the tunnel without the direction of his companion. Wild Triplestrykes had long preferred living in the mountains and caves anyway, although to this point Stinger's origins remained unknown.
At precisely the last moment, Stinger bent his wings ever so slightly to glide through the tunnel's entrance while still clearing the walls on either side. The fitting was so tight that there were less than two paces between the top of Arkyn's lowered helmet and the roof of rock that was presently blasting by over top of him. A rush of pressurized air filled Arkyn's ears as the atmosphere compressed on the two beings. He felt as if he was being whisked away as Stinger rolled and banked through the center of the island. For several tense moments nothing could be seen, but soon enough the dim orange light of the sunset appeared at the end of the channel, illuminating a small portion of the rocks around them.
Arkyn let go of Stinger's saddle and clenched his fists above his head as the pair rocketed from the tunnel's exit. "YES!" The boy screamed, quickly focusing up and patting Stinger on the side before taking control once again. "Someone just earned themselves a double helping of fish tonight, yeah?" The Triplestryke murmured in appreciation, flying back eastward as fast as it could.
This is when Arkyn had a realization. They were no longer following a Night Fury… He quickly glanced aft to spot Hiccup and Toothless a solid 15 seconds behind, just barely having made it around the outer edge of the island by that time. The Viking whooped in excitement. What Arkyn and Stinger lacked in raw speed, they made up for in both versatility and guts, and right now it was winning them a race.
—
Hiccup looked on with hopelessness as he caught a glimpse of Arkyn and Stinger up ahead. They'd evidently had a successful run at the tunnel and now boasted a considerable lead…something Hiccup couldn't afford in the present moment. This race was extremely important for more than just one reason. Winning it would prove him as the rightful holder of the 'champion' title, allow his dispute with Arkyn to end, and possibly show Astrid that he could be a Viking worth looking at, too. He had to get ahead, and although he was behind now, the rest of the race was all out in the open evening air- the place where he and Toothless could most easily make up ground.
The window of opportunity was closing fast, however, as the sun was getting increasingly low on the horizon. It wouldn't be long before it created a shadow that touched the observatory's lever, at which point it would become a race against mechanization as the doors began to close. All that was left to do now was dip under the bridges overlooking the docks and swing around a singular sea stack, after which the final stretch could be made over the water towards the entrance at the base of the dome's foundation.
It was still anyone's race.
—
"It looks like Arkyn's ahead!" Fishlegs hollered, pointing towards the docks as the Triplestryke weaved through the bridges at the docks. The race would be drawing to a close soon, and Tuffnut already had his hands ready on the lever as the shadow slowly converged on its location.
"Where's Hiccup then?" Snotlout questioned, scratching the side of his head.
"There." Replied Astrid, pointing to the dark shape which still trailed the leader. Great Thor, he's far behind. She thought to herself, noting that Hiccup was typically much further along by the time the shadow reached this point. He can't be throwing the race…can he?
This hunch was quickly snuffed out as everyone began to notice just how hard Hiccup was pushing Toothless. The poor dragon looked like it was fighting for its life, and its wings flapped at a blistering pace as the teen tried to catch his opponent. It was true that Night Furies were fast, but the group just couldn't help but stare at the sheer spectacle that was Toothless' speed. There was no doubt in anyone's minds that it was the fastest they'd ever seen any dragon move.
"Hey, don't get distracted!" Ruff snapped at her brother, who jumped from his trance at the thrilling scene. "It's time!"
And it was.
With a swift movement of his arms, Tuffnut pulled the activation lever. The open doors of the observatory lurched into motion on command as they slowly began to shut, putting the competitors under even more pressure.
The 60 seconds had started.
—
Arkyn began to sweat as he approached the sea stack. The lead he'd secured was seriously being called into question by one Hiccup Haddock, who had begun to challenge the overtake as he steadily closed the gap from his rearward position. He wrenched his eyes forward and looped around the stone tower, pointing Stinger directly towards the opening to the passage at the base of the observatory. All he had to do was make it there and then there'd be no more chances for Hiccup to take the lead. Victory felt so close and so far all at the same time. Arkyn's hopes receded before him in the wake of the setting sun.
Alarming jolts shot through his brain as he looked up at the dome for the first time. The doors were almost halfway closed already, and he still had a considerable run to make towards the structure. Things seemed to be crashing down all at once, and he glanced back to catch Hiccup closer than ever. In a last ditch effort, Arkyn threw Stinger down to the sea, using up every last bit of gravity available to him to increase their speed. Panic set in as Toothless began to ride ever so closely behind Stinger's 3 tails. The gap before the final passage was closing quickly.
"Come on…come on…come on…" Arkyn repeated to himself over and over. He instructed Stinger to push forward with every ounce of strength he had left. It was the fastest the boy could recall ever going, but there was no time to enjoy it.
1,000 paces to go.
Hiccup guided Toothless out to the left of Stinger and Arkyn, preparing for the overtake while still gaining slowly.
500 paces to go.
Toothless' head was now in line with Stinger's tails, and Hiccup flew with an insatiable fury as he tried to swipe the victory away from his opponent, inching forward as they went.
100 paces to go.
The point of no return.
Hiccup had done his best, but he just hadn't been fast enough…
In order to fit through the passage, Hiccup was forced to 'hit the brakes' and yield the position to Arkyn, reluctantly accepting his fate as he fell behind to avoid another crash. Arkyn surged forward through the dark foundation of the observatory, breathing hard as he pointed Stinger skyward so he could enter the dome itself. There wasn't much light showing at the top, and a slightly nerve wracking reaction time was required to tilt Stinger completely sideways so they would be able to fit through the crack in the doors. He'd barely escaped into the beautiful atmosphere of the setting sun before he heard the sickening thud of the door closing behind him. He'd almost missed it.
An impossible relief washed over him as he let go of Stinger's harness, letting the dragon glide around for several long moments to slow his heart rate after the incredibly athletic display the creature had just completed. Arkyn was certain there were noises going on around him, but he couldn't hear anything. His ears were ringing in the surreal feeling.
It took him almost half a minute to realize that Hiccup hadn't followed him out.
—
Hiccup's chest felt empty as he trailed Arkyn into the passage. That was it. The race was over. He'd taken yet another blow, but it was no matter. Hiccup had known this was a possibility all along, but at least now the two boys could make up over it. Everything could go back to normal. The team would be a team again.
He rocketed up the dome's shaft after Stinger's 3 tails and nearly had a heart attack when he crested the ledge. The doors had already closed, and Arkyn had disappeared beyond them. Toothless quickly looped around within the small structure and spread his wings wide to slow down, luckily saving the pair from a collision with the huge doors before touching down on the observatory's tiled floor.
Hiccup dismounted with a sigh, staring at the wall before him as his metal leg clanked against the ground. There was almost no light in the structure now.
He hadn't even beaten the damn dome.
—
Astrid couldn't believe it. She covered her mouth with her hands and exhaled a breath she didn't know she was holding in as Arkyn shot from the quickly closing dome, circling around the platform several times afterward. All the teens shared a quick round of applause as he brought Stinger in for a landing, eventually dismounting. He'd done the impossible…somehow. Nobody had ever beaten Hiccup in one of these races before, and the full weight of this set in as Arkyn walked towards the group.
All of Arkyn's friends tried to get to him at once, but Astrid was delighted when he initially waved them off, focusing on her first. "I- I made the tunnel run." He panted triumphantly, and although it was intended for everyone to hear, Arkyn's eyes remained locked on Astrid, who stood near the edge of the observatory's cliff.
She stared back as he approached and slowly removed his helmet, revealing the rest of the face that accompanied his deep brown eyes behind the mask. The evening light made his features shine like gold, and the smile he put on was enough to melt even the coldest of hearts. It made her feel noticed.
Astrid was just so damn proud of him…. Arkyn was hers, and she was his. She realized in that moment that she was tired of hiding it. She wanted everyone to know. Everyone needed to know, and now that her parents had been clued in, there was no reason why her friends couldn't be. Now was as perfect a time as any.
Arkyn came to rest in front of her and it quickly became clear he was thinking similarly, although he maintained a respect for her earlier wishes and restrained himself from making any obvious moves. Astrid wasn't having any of this, however, and without hesitation she leaned forward and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, tilting her head up to catch his lips in a kiss filled with blind passion. Arkyn quickly responded by pulling her in with a hand on her back, and the two became so enthralled with one another that they hardly even noticed when Tuff pulled the dome's lever once again and the doors began to swing back open.
—
Hiccup stood up as straight as he could, staring at the seam of the large doors in front of him as he scratched Toothless affectionately and waited for them to open. The last thing he had control of was what kind of loser he chose to be, and he fully intended to walk out of the structure with his head held high and a firm handshake ready for the victor. The humiliation would wear off soon enough. It was his own fault he was in this mess in the first place. This was simply an ego check, nothing more. He was still the group's leader, after all, which was a position that didn't require the superficial title of "champion."
At last there was a loud creaking noise as the dome's lid began to move. Light flooded into the blackness of the room and blinded Hiccup almost instantly, causing him to shield his eyes with his hands as Toothless complained quietly next to him.
He heard his cousin whistle, and the Viking assumed it was a pity offering of congratulations for competing in the race. When his eyes had finally adjusted and he lowered his hands, however, it became evident that Snotlout hadn't even been looking at him. In fact, nobody was so much as glancing in his direction. Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruff, and Tuff, whose hands were just letting go of the activation lever, all stood in a fairly tight clump, facing the same direction and focusing on something that was happening to Hiccup's right. He couldn't see what it was at first, but as the doors opened wider, they revealed more and more of the scene before him. His heart stopped in tandem with time itself at the hellish realization of what he was looking at.
It was Astrid.
The Astrid he had grown up with.
The Astrid he had flown with.
The Astrid he had saved.
The Astrid who had saved him.
The Astrid he had suffered with.
The Astrid he had triumphed with.
The Astrid he had fallen in love with.
There she was, leaning back, one heel popped up in the air, arms wrapped around another man, and they were kissing…
Astrid and Arkyn were kissing.
Hiccup was consciously aware of the exact moment his soul ripped itself in half. Splintered pieces of shattered hopes and dreams mingled with the debris of fears that had just come to full fruition. He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. He wanted to jump off of the damn cliff. His world was ending and he was just standing there watching it explode, the stupid smile he'd plastered to his face before the doors had opened remaining in his state of shock. He couldn't move. He couldn't speak. His mouth went dry and the stub of his leg began to ache for the first time in ages.
The most crushing thing about the situation was that there was nothing to be done. He had lost. She had chosen, and Hiccup knew damn well that meant her mind was made up. There was only one emotion that social convention would allow him to show, and it was happiness. Anything else would make him appear as the villain.
And so he held onto his stupid smile like someone had a knife to his throat, and he clapped along with his friends in a show of support.
The girl Hiccup loved more than anyone and anything else in the world was loving someone else, and he was clapping.
