A/N: Wednesday is a tricky day for me to update because after I get home from work the previous day, I'm still exhausted, and have other responsibilities to fulfill, but thankfully I'm able to get this chapter in tonight. The next update will be Womanizer, so keep an eye out for that. Moving on to this story, however, from here, things are going to pick up, storywise, just a heads up. With all that said, let's get to it.
(Normal ormal pov— Unknown location)
If doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity, then Rapunzel was genuinely insane.
Every day she would do the same routine: clean the tower, read, paint/sketch, play guitar, knit, cooking/bake, ballet, chess, pottery, candle-making, and many other means of passing time.
Though Rapunzel was used to her daily routine, there was a deep, hollow feeling inside her, she had felt it even as a little girl. She was cut off from the rest of the world, thanks to her overprotective mother, Gothel. She had been told countless times that the outside world is a dangerous place, filled with horrible, selfish people. But truly the world and human beings weren't as dangerous as Gothel made it sound, right?
Rapunzel wanted to find this out herself, but so long as Gothel kept her in this tower, she would never know.
Currently, Rapunzel was reading a book about Viking raiders and how they're nothing but bloodthirsty barbarians who slaughter, plunder and wage war. Undoubtedly, there may be truth to what Rapunzel was reading, however, she was a very open-minded person, surely not all Vikings are warmongering savages, they're people who set out and try to find a better land for their people to settle. Aside from fictional books, one of Rapunzel's favorite books was The saga of Ragnar Lothbrok, it told of how the man not only risked his life to venture outside of Norway and sail to England so that the Viking people would be able to escape from vile soil of Norway and call a fertile soil a home. That home was to be England.
The smell of cookies suddenly filled Rapunzel's nostrils and she quickly placed a bookmark on the chapter she was reading before making her way out of her room and down to the kitchen. "Oh, hopefully, they aren't burnt!" She groaned to herself. Pascal, her pet chameleon clung tightly to Rapunzel leaped off of the last four stairs, slid along the floor to reach for the wooden tray and pulled it out of the fire, and sighed in relief to find that the cookies were baked to that perfect, golden hue. The pieces of chocolate she added to the cookies oozed and looked so inviting, making Rapunzel's mouth water, but she would let the cookies cool before having one.
While waiting for her baked treats to cool, Rapunzel couldn't help but contemplate the strange, yet realistic visions she was having recently. She had been seeing a golden flower looming over her and she saw two people she had never seen before in her life looming while gazing down at her with love and warmth. Unsure of what these visions meant, Rapunzel had a sinking feeling in her gut telling her that she wasn't meant to be in this tower, regardless of what Gothel told her.
Pascal suddenly nuzzled against the girl's neck, looking up at her with worried eyes, sensing her melancholy. "I really want to get out of this tower, Pascal," she then smiled. "I want to take risks, explore the world, and venture into the unknown, like Ragnar Lothbrok! He was nothing but a lowly farmer who took a risk and ultimately became a legend among the Vikings. And even though I'm not a Viking or a warrior, I still want to take a chance and see what else is out there besides this tower and this cove." Wrapping her arms around herself, Rapunzel shook her head as tears of frustration began to swell in her eyes. "For all of Gothel's talk of "loving me," she's only using me for my hair." Despite Gothel's attempts of squashing Rapunzel's self-confidence and treating her as nothing more than a naive child, the blond beauty was no fool, she had seen Gothel's beauty degrade rapidly, especially when she was away for long periods of time.
Rapunzel had read countless fictional tales of villains who sought to cheat death by sorcery, dark arts, or magical means. And from what she's seen Gothel wasn't looking, Rapunzel knew that the woman she called "mother," was not her true mother, if she were, then she would give her freedom and not hide her from the world. But alas, even if Rapunzel were to flee the tower, she wouldn't know where to go, and so she was kept here out of fear knowing that the cage Gothel kept her in was the only safe and reliable place in the world.
With a sigh, Rapunzel looked out the window and ultimately, out into the world, she hoped that one day she could leave the tower she had essentially become a prisoner in, Gothel even denied her to roam the cove that surrounded the tower. Looking to the morning skies, Rapunzel was eager for the day when her life would truly begin when Gothel would finally let her go and live her own life and find a partner to do... everything with.
Looking toward the shrouded entrance to the cove, the lost princess saw a hooded Gothel lowering her hood and approaching the tower. Sighing to herself, Rapunzel readied to repel her hair down to the woman who kept her here, she then turned to Pascal. "One day, Pascal, one day, things are going to be different," she smiled to herself. "One day, I'll find someone to share my life with, and when that day finally arrives, living a dull and tedious life here in this tower will be nothing but a bad memory." Pascal smiled and gave a sound of agreement.
"Hello, my dear girl! Be a good girl and pull me up."
Gothel's words tore down the pleasant thoughts Rapunzel was having of a future outside the tower and away from her. "Yes... Mother," as the blond began to pull Gothel up into the tower, she found herself thinking back on one day finding a partner whom she could do everything with, the thought made her smile and her heart flutter.
Rapunzel, however, had no idea what fate had in store for her.
The cries of clamoring crowds demanding blood were deafening in The Pit, a fighting arena deep in the Germanic forests where the most hardened of men would go to challenge themselves and face opponents worthy of their time. If they were victorious, they would earn a handsome amount of coin. This fighting arena is a place of unrefined brutality and great violence. In this place, only one rule in The Pit: Only one survives. The only purpose is to kill or be killed, whilst the onlookers place bets on the respective fighters and revel in the bloodshed. There are no restraints between the crowd and the pit. Before each fight begins, the two fighters are brought forward and pick a symbol out of a bag, determining which weapon they will wield. A sword is among the weapons, along with an axe, a hammer, a knuckle-duster, a dagger, and many other things. Some fighters receive no weapon at all. The fights in The Pit are uncontrolled and the fighters can use anything they find as a weapon, including the sand they stand on.
Currently, within the bowels of the Pits, a hulking fighter was straddling his exhausted opponent, beating them to death with blow after blow until the beast could feel his opponent's facial bones beginning to crack. Reaching for a club on the ground, this fighter stood on his feet and began to bash his opponent's head in. Blood and brains stained his face as she killed his opponent and then unleashed a howling cry to the roaring crowds.
"Sedullus— victor!"
The Pit's champion, Sedullus bellowed out while pounding his fists against his barrel-sized pectorals, basking in glory and taking in the roars of the crowds. One of the guards approached the reigning champion of The Pit with a large purse of coin, after taking his reward, Sedullus chuckled lowly before taking his leave.
"And who shall follow up such a display?" The Pit announcer, Hugo barked out over the howling mobs. "There stands but two men able to rouse such passion among you lot!" Grinning, Hugo turned to his right. "The first has yet to leave an opponent alive. Behold, Bjarke the Bear!" A large man with a built upper body, bald head, round nose, and beefy arms. He has a long scar over his right eye, presumably made by a dragon. He wears a green tunic, a bear fur vest, and a metal shoulder pad on his right shoulder. As the crowds cheered, Hugo held his hands up to silence them. "But who is man enough to take on such a beast? There can only be one. His fame and reputation have spread from Europe to the Silk Road, he rides a creature that could've been spewed from the depths of hell itself and bathes in the blood of his enemies. Behold, the Dragon Rider!" The roars of the crowd intensified as the armor-clad Viking outlaw was presented, his appearance made many in the crowds eager for the imminent fight.
"Dragon Rider!"
"Dragon Rider!"
"Dragon Rider!"
Hiccup's deep breath was muffled thanks to his mask, he steeled his racing nerves and readied himself for the fight ahead of him. Even though he had just left the Bondsman Guild not long ago and collected his bounty, he also spent much of his time here in The Pit to face opponents of all shapes, sizes, and genders, further keeping his skills as a fight sharp; if there's one thing Hiccup learned in this line of work is that strife is good. Strife makes a man strong, for if a man is capable of facing death daily, to function in the face of it, there's no telling what that man can do. In the end, that would be a very difficult man to defeat, and that's why Hiccup's reputation and infamy have spread throughout Europe and beyond.
"What weapons shall the gods bless them with? Or curse them with empty hands? It is time for them to choose their fate!"
Bjarke was the first to draw a symbol from a cauldron, he showed the symbol to Hugo, and with a grunt, the announcer barked. "Bjarke the Bear draws cast iron knuckles!" After receiving weapons that suited his name, Bjarke placed the spiky knuckles on and chuckled darkly before looking at his opponent. Hiccup reached into the cauldron to draw a symbol within it. "The Dragon Rider draws brass knuckles!" Growling lightly, Hiccup knew that this was going to be a tough fight, he would need to get up close and personal. After receiving the means of defending himself, Hiccup placed the knuckles on and took a deep breath, closing his eyes, and preparing to face his opponent.
"We have but a single rule here in The Pit— only one survives! Take your positions!"
Hiccup took a brief moment to take in Bjarke's appearance, he recognized the emblem on his belt buckle, he was a former Dragon Hunter from Scandinavia. The advantages Hiccup possessed were that he was as fast as a dragon, he was agile, and he could move in for quick strikes that could tire or stun Bjarke. On the downside of that, he would need to go straight for the former Dragon Hunter, and he possessed the strength of a vicious predator, an advantage that could be fatal to the banished Viking heir. Bjarke merely grinned darkly at his young opponent, believing that his strength alone would be enough to crush the infamous Dragon Rider, hubris, however, could lead to the downfall of many men, and Bjarke was about to experience this. As the combatants are ready to fight, the crowds begin to place wagers on who will win, money changes hands, and tensions rise.
"BEGIN!"
Bjarke roars like an enraged predator and charges Hiccup, whose eyes narrow through the slits of his mask. The young bounty hunter rolls away from his opponent as he punches nothing but air, but is then brought down to a single knee when Hiccup kicks him in his left thigh. Lashing out with a snarl, Hiccup lands a ruthless blow to Bjarke across the face, blood and spittle fly out of his mouth but when one of his brass knuckles splits in half, Hiccup curses out loud and then backs away when Bjarke lashes out. Backing away from the former Dragon Hunter, the banished Viking heir hisses when he feels a scratch along his exposed throat, blood trickling down his skin.
Discarding the useless brass he was wearing on his right hand, Hiccup cried out when Bjarke suddenly tackled him and then body-slammed him down on the ground. Inhaling sharply as his opponent brought one of his spiky knuckles down where his head was previously, Hiccup was able to grab his opponent's left wrist and momentarily halt the spiky knuckles looming over his masked face. Determined not to lose this fight, Hiccup was able to snap Bjarke's wrist and then land a vicious punch to his ribs and then to his throat, momentarily cutting off his airflow. Back on his feet, Hiccup pressed his attack and evaded several wild swings before landing a sharp blow to Bjarke's temple with his left hand, the brass knuckle caused the former Dragon Hunter to stagger and his vision to go blurry. Moving like a Speed Stinger, Hiccup landed several punches into Bjarke's middle before landing a heavy blow to his nose with his left hand, causing his brass knuckle to break in half.
Now armed with his bare hands, Hiccup rand up his opponent's middle and landed a knee into his face, sending Bjarke down onto the ground. Straddling his exhausted opponent, Hiccup landed blow after blow and then caught his opponent's right hand and broke it, leaving Bjarke at his mercy. Proceeding to gouge his eyes out, Hiccup imagined his screaming, writhing opponent to be his cousin, Snotlout, who had made his life a living hell ever since he was a boy. As the painful memories of his life on Berk flashed in his mind's eye, Hiccup bellowed out in fury as he blinded Bjarke, savoring his agony. Proceeding to seize him by the throat, Hiccup rolled over and began to strangle his now-blind opponent until he snapped his neck. The following roars of the crowd were deafening, but as Hiccup removed Bjarke from his body, he rose and panted heavily.
"The Dragon Rider— victor!"
As the crowds cheered and exchanged money amongst themselves, they soon began chanting for the anonymous Viking outlaw with reverence and even fear.
"Dragon Rider!"
"Dragon Rider!"
"Dragon Rider!"
Raising a bloodied fist in the air, Hiccup basked in the glory and then looked down at his dead opponent, wishing that he could inflict such death on Snotlout and all who had inflicted so much physical and verbal abuse on him, perhaps one day, if the gods willed it. Hiccup turned to one of Hugo's men who extended a purse heavy with golden coins, taking the payment, the banished Viking hair tied the purse at his left hip before making his way out of the arena. Upon entering the brothel establishment, Hiccup was then stopped by Hugo who caught up to him. "That was impressive, Dragon Rider, well fought," the young bounty hunter gave a nod of acknowledgment before Hugo continued. "I can use a man of your particular... talents. If you're interested—"
"I'm not interested and I certainly don't have time for whatever you're offering, Hugo," Hiccup looked into the man's eyes before hissing. "Just because I'm a bounty hunter, don't mistake me for some fool who will give away his freedom for some fool, I decide who I fight for and who I conduct my business with, so long as they respect me and my terms for pledging temporary fealty to. Your gladiatorial matches and the chance to earn more coin are more than enough for me, to work for you, however, would mean that I surrender my freedom and the freedom of my dragon to serve as... nothing but an enforcer, no doubt, and I have no intention of swearing my life and the life of my dragon to a piece of weasel turd like you."
Hugo took a step forward and murmured softly. "Mind your tone, Dragon Rider—"
"Or what? You'll kill me?" Hiccup challenged as he sized up the plump man before him. "Have you forgotten what I just did to Bjarke the Bear and all the opponents I've killed here in your arena?" He then snickered. "But please, by all means, put me to the test, maybe you'll last longer than most of the men and women I've faced in your arena." Suddenly grabbing the back of Hugo's head, Hiccup shushed the man's whimpers. "Move against me, and I'll make you beg for death, but not before I make you suffer in ways you can't even imagine, and trust me, you don't want to do that. Do you understand?" His tone was cold as ice, and it made Hugo tremble and whimper louder, but eventually, the plump man nodded furiously, making Hiccup smirk underneath his mask. "Good boy. Now, I suggest you hurry back to your arena, your guests need to be entertained, and unless you want your enterprise here to lose traction, you better keep your customers happy." Making his way out of the brothel, Hiccup's appearance turns many heads and causes the patrons to talk amongst themselves in reverence, fear, and awe.
"That's him! The Dragon Rider!"
"I thought he would be taller."
"Is he even a man or just a dead man in that armor?"
Ignoring the talk of the brothel's patrons, Hiccup made his way into the forest where Toothless had finished eating a basket full of his favorite fish: Salmon and Icelandic cod. After having his fill of fish, the Night Fury saw his rider approaching and made his way toward Hiccup, a worried look in his eyes when he saw the blood staining his armor and the scratch on his neck. "I'm okay, bud," Hiccup reassured, "which is more than I can say for my opponent," he added sarcastically before making his way to a nearby pond. "Good thing I decided not to bathe before that fight. Once I wrap up here, we'll head to Corona." Toothless acted as sentry as his rider stripped out of his clothes and armor and washed them thoroughly and then left them to dry. Hiccup then grabbed a secret cache of bathing supplies from a log near the pond and then began to wash away the grime, sweat, and blood clinging to his skin, as well as the scent of death.
While bathing, Hiccup dwelled on his lifestyle and then thought if the gods blessed him with a partner to explore and share the world with, would she view him as a heartless killer and monster or would she see a man who does what he must to stay alive in this cruel, treacherous world. He prayed the gods would bless him with a partner who understands him and who's eager to learn how he ticks. The years of isolation have been beneficial for many reasons: he's a skogarmaor in Europe where many Vikings have continued to raid ever since he and Toothless slew the beast that resides at Helheim's Gate— The Red Death. After the titanic fiend was defeated, the dragons of Dragon Island no longer raided Norway, but that also allowed Vikings to grow stronger and therefore go out into the world and raid the people of Europe and beyond. He also built himself a home not far from Corona, a place where no man would find him or Toothless.
However, although human isolation benefitted Hiccup, again, he desired a partner who would not judge or ridicule him for being different, he knew the woman of his heart's desire was out there somewhere, he just needed to find her. He didn't wish to live alone without another human being to fill his life with happiness, love, and satisfaction.
Once Hiccup had finished bathing and had dried himself off, he reached for his dried clothes and armor which rested beside a small fire to help speed up the process. After dressing, Hiccup hid his cache and extinguished the fire before making his way to Toothless. "Let's go, bud," nodding, the Night Fury took to the sky and the duo made their way to the Kingdom of Corona.
(Kingdom of Corona)
Upon arriving at his destination, Hiccup and Toothless entered the capital city of Corona, the people that lived here were all up and about, going about with their business. Unsurprisingly, Hiccup and Toothless' appearance caused many heads to turn; children gaped at the duo in awe and wonder while their families kept them close and the guards stood at the ready in case the two strangers showed hostility towards Corona's inhabitants.
"Easy bud, they won't hurt us if we don't hurt them," Hiccup cooed as the Night Fury growled lowly at a pair of guards with their hands placed on their swords.
A fight with Corona's defenders was the last thing Hiccup needed, so he would show no hostility. Toothless certainly didn't like the guards eyeing him with weapons in hand, but Hiccup reassured the Night Fury that they wouldn't attack.
Eventually, as the duo approached the steps leading to the royal castle, the captain of Corona's Royal Guards stepped forward while accompanied by dozens of men. "That's close enough!" As the guards surrounded the two strangers approaching their ruler's home in a ring of spears, the captain eyed Hiccup with caution before inquiring firmly. "State your business, stranger."
Hiccup reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a token that bore the emblem of the Bondsman Guild. "I'm here to speak with King Frederic and Queen Arianna, concerning the bounty they've placed on the kidnapper of their daughter," the guards shared a look before looking to their captain.
Crossing his arms across his chest, the captain sneered. "Another degenerate bounty hunter," he then smirked smugly. "You're wasting your time, none of your kind have ever found our kingdom's lost princess. What makes you think you'll find her?"
Pocketing his token, Hiccup stepped towards the captain, causing the guards to tense and close the distance, making the ring tighter. As the banished Viking stood face-to-face with the captain, he spoke softly yet firmly. "Let me worry about that," he then stepped back before knocking one of the spears away from his face. "I suggest you tell your men to lower their weapons, my dragon and I don't take too kindly to being threatened with death when we haven't done another deserving it." Hiccup then added cooly. "Or don't, then you'll bear witness as my dragon and I tear your men to pieces and then I'll personally skin you alive and leave you in the forests for wild animals to finish you off, that is, if you haven't died from blood loss or shock first." Blanching at the young hunter's threat and cool tone, the captain nodded to his men, reluctant, they did as commanded and lowered their spears.
"Follow me, I'll take you to the king and queen,"
The castle of Corona's rulers was breathtaking, which was unsurprising, however, Hiccup recalled far grander palaces and castles during his years fighting for various warlords throughout Europe and even as far as Arabia. Every place he had been to over the years, all the strange people and cultures made Hiccup glad he was no longer Berk's heir, he had not only been to places no Viking has dared to explore but he was also free to continue exploring; during his free time, he had created a map of the known world and he even added places where no man but him had bore witness to. Despite his bloody reputation and infamy, Hiccup loved to travel, indulge in cartography, and art, craft new inventions in a forge, discover new species of dragons and be free from the burden of one day ruling over people.
Of course, all these things were good, but without a partner to share it all with, life will soon grow bitter and lonely.
Loneliness. It was something Hiccup was intimately familiar with; his own people saw him as nothing but a curse upon them, and even his own father believed he was no longer worth spending his time dealing with, he barely had any friends, save for Camicazi of the Bog Burglar Tribe and Thuggory of the Meathead Tribe, they were thick as thieves, but alas, they were not part of the same tribe, and when the time came to separate, Hiccup was alone at the mercy of those who wished him dead. Those wounds cut deep, and although Hiccup had forged his own path and made a life for himself, the last five years had failed to heal his wounds. What made the wounds fester was that he was betrayed by Astrid, who in the past was one of his best friends, but when her uncle was killed by the Flightmare, she forsook him in the pursuit of being the greatest shield maiden to ever live, and because of her pursuit of glory, it left no room for... "stupid attachments" in her life.
Shaking his head at such foul memories plaguing his mind, Hiccup returned his attention back to the present and prepared himself for his next job.
Reaching the throne room didn't take long, but upon arrival, Hiccup saw Corona's leaders dealing in trade matters, but when this realm's rulers saw guards escorting the banished Viking heir and his Night Fury, they dismissed those they were dealing with.
"King Frederic and Queen Arianna," the captain bowed his head before gesturing to the young bounty hunter and his dragon. "This is—"
"The Dragon Rider," Frederic said in a hushed tone, as if not believing the man truly existed, even though his reputation spread far and wide. "Your reputation proceeds you, we've heard many stories of your capabilities," he then leaned forward and narrowed his eyes in question. "So, why have you come here?"
"I understand your daughter was abducted, and since then you've enlisted the services of many skilled, capable bounty hunters to find your lost child, however, they all failed," Hiccup removed his helmet to reveal his face to Corona's rulers, allowing them to see he wasn't a heartless man who only cared about money but also eager to see a lost child return to the warm embrace of their parents. "I've come to take the job."
Awkward silence.
Perhaps Corona's rulers didn't expect to see a boy before them, but Hiccup knew that those who underestimated him paid dearly. Either way, Hiccup broke the silence by clearing his throat. "Your captain here told me that the previous bounty hunters had failed to find your daughter and the kidnapper, but I can assure you that I won't fail,"
Arianna turned to her husband before looking back at Hiccup. "A bold claim. What makes you any different?"
"I have a dragon for starters," Hiccup said nonchalantly. "He can pick up your daughter's scent, and with some luck, I may even bring back your daughter's kidnapper and you may do with them what you will."
Both Frederic and Arianna shared a look, hope shimmered in their eyes, they had heard many times of Hiccup's exploits throughout the world and how dealt with situations exactly like this, and how the young man before them had never failed in his task. After a moment of thought, the king then raised an eyebrow. "And what is it that you want upon finding our daughter, Dragon Rider?"
"King Frederic, I haven't found your daughter yet, when I find Rapunzel, then and only then, will we settle on a reasonable price," finding the young man's words to be fair, Hiccup then turned to Arianna. "Do you still possess items your daughter had when she was yet a baby?" When she nodded, he could see curiosity glisten in her eyes. "As I said, my dragon will be able to pick up her scent, making it easier for us to track your daughter." Both rulers shared a look before they invited the young bounty and his dragon to their bed chambers where Rapunzel's crib resides.
"The sheets and blankets should still possess our daughter's scent," Arianna said as Hiccup approached the crib. Noting the stuffed doll of a chameleon made Hiccup remember the stuffed Deadly Nadder doll his mother had made for him when he was just a babe himself.
Taking the blanket and sheets of their missing daughter, Hiccup held them out for Toothless so that he could pick up her scent. Once the Night Fury had the scent of the lost princess, he made his way outside the balcony of the king and queen's bed chambers. As Hiccup mounted his dragon, he turned to the two rulers and gave them a firm nod. "I'll do what I can to find your daughter and bring the one who stole her back here to face your retribution," both rulers voiced words of gratitude and prayer that this young man could find their daughter. Patting his dragon's neck, Hiccup murmured. "Alright, bud, let's go find the lost princess." As the duo took to the sky, Hiccup assumed that this was going to be nothing more than another job.
Little did he know that this job would turn his life upside down. The gods heard his desire for a partner and he soon meet the woman of his heart's desires.
A/N: The two impending lovebirds are gonna meet next update, and I can't wait to write their interaction! I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and I'll catch you all in the next one!