Chapter 193
Hiccups POV:
We'd gotten back from the city two hours ago and as soon as we got back Zane had me take Astrid straight to his hut so that he could begin full examination of her. While he did this, I went onto explain to everyone what had happened and when she found out Blanca went to join Zane as she hoped she could do something to help Astrid by using her own magic. While that happened, I worked on calming Stormfly who was doing her best to try and get into the hut where her unconscious rider was taken. Eventually I had to resort to dragon nip to get her to leave the hut alone so Zane and Blanca could continue working on her and hopefully wake her up. An hour later Zane and Blanca walked out of the hut and went onto explain that her body was adapting to the magic flowing through her body and it was impossible to tell when she'd awaken so all we could do was wait.
Now I was lying awake in my bed in just my pants like I usually wear when I'm in bed and Blanca was laying on my chest while I gently stroked her hair while she slept. Slumber was not something that came easily to either of us with Astrid lying unconscious in Zane's hut while we had no knowledge on when she'd wake up. This is what worried me and to add to my already shaking nerves I now had queen Shara trapped in a jewel orb that was now sitting in my spiderpack and I had no idea what to do with it. The last thing I wanted was to let her out to wreak havoc on Africa again so right now I had a lot on my plate and no idea what I was going to so about any of it. I sighed and just closed my eyes hoping that I might dream up an answer to the problems I was now facing but still I know that getting to sleep was not going to be easy tonight.
Morning
I barely slept last night with my nerves keeping me up for most of the night despite Blanca's comforting touch trying to help soothe me to sleep. Astrid still hasn't woken up while Zane hadn't come out of his hut yet and this had done nothing to calm my already shaking nerves and it made me wonder what was happening. Now I was standing outside Zane's hut with Stormfly and Blanca as I was gently petting the dragons' neck to try and comfort her while we waited for Zane to come out and tell us what was happening. It was then Zane walked out of his hut but before we could even say a single word his eyes landed on me and he said.
"We have much to discuss my friend." I stepped forward.
"What's going on?" I took him by the shoulders. "How's Astrid?" He placed his hands on my shoulders.
"I am sorry my friend, but Astrid has still not awakened." I looked down. "However last night I was sent a message from the gods, they wish for you to deliver Queen Shara's spirit to the spirit world and to meet them as they have things they said that must they talk to you about." I nodded.
"How do I get to them?" "He smiled.
"Come with me and I will show you the way." I nodded and turned to Blanca but before I could say anything, she put a finger to my lips and said.
"Go!" She pulled her finger away. "I'll take care of Astrid and Stormfly while you're away." I smiled at her.
"Thank you, Blanca." I turned back to Zane. "Let's go!" And with that we were off.
1 hour later
We'd just arrived at a large cave with a tree growing on either side of the entrance, but they were bent at the top and twisted around each other forming a circle at the top framing a painting of a burning sun. Zane turned to me and said.
"In this cave is a sacred site where you shall be able to return to the lands of the gods and the home of the ancestors."
I nodded as he led me into the cave and down a dark tunnel with lit torches hung up on the wall lighting the tunnel and showing the intricate tribal drawings painted on them. We didn't stop to admire them though nor would I be able to enjoy since I was too worried about Astrid to enjoy them or admire the intricate artwork. It was then we walked into a large cavern with glowing yellow paints decorating the ceiling while the floor was mostly covered in vine like plants with strange glowing fruits growing on them. There was a raised path from where we were standing to the center of the cave where there was a small pit full of sand in the middle of it with four pillars around it. These pillars had intricate patterns and symbols carved into them. There were also vines wrapping around the pillars and reaching out to the others forming a connection between the pillars with the same glowing fruit growing from the vines. When we were standing at the platform in front of the sand pit Zane turned to me and said.
"Strip down to your pants please Hiccup."
I did as I was told while Zane picked fruits from the various vines around the cavern and began crushing them into a paste in a bowl while others were crushed and turned into juice in a separate bowl. Once I had fully removed my gear, I took out the orb holding queen Shara's spirit since I had the feeling that I was going to need it if I was going to send her spirit to the next world. Zane turned back to me with both bowls in hand before walking up and placing them on the floor as he kneeled while gesturing for me to do the same. I kneeled in front of him before he dipped his fingers into the paste and used it to paint on my face as he said.
"The fruit this paste was made from is mixed with river water and it is the blood of the jungle and the symbols are the signs of life." He continued to paint on my face as he continued with. "When you wear these symbols of life made from the jungles blood your body is anchored to this land." He then stood up and lead me over to the sand pit before having me down in it and then offering me the juices. "These juices are made from the fruits that are said to be the soul of the jungle and shall allow you to go to the land of the gods and then return to your body." I nodded as he pressed the bowl to my lips and allowed me to drink them all before laying me down in the sand with the jewel holding Shara's spirit in it, being held in my hands. "Now close your eyes and return to the land of the gods and home of the ancestors." I closed my eyes as I felt my body being buried before I opened my eyes and found myself in a familiar savannah with the jewel of queen Shara still in my hand and a springbuck standing across from me as it stared. (AN: Chapter 134 guys.)
"Abedi?" A light blue shine covered the body of the buck before it turned into the chief, I met last time I was here.
"It is nice to see you again Hiccup and I congratulate you on your victory against Queen Shara, I had heard of her from my brethren in the jungle."
I nodded in thanks before he began leading me down a familiar path to the cave where I would meet the gods of these lands which like last time felt like hours. When we reached the cave, I held on tightly to the jewel after Abedi told me we would need to part ways until next time before turning back into his spring buck form and running off while I walked down the tunnel until I came to the water filled cavern with the large pit in the middle. I made my way down to the pit before the familiar long masks rose up from it with water pouring from their mouths while slowly circling the pit. I bowed when the mask representing the god Olorun floated forward until the eyes glowed and his voice said.
"Hello Hiccup Haddock, it is good to see you again."
"It is an honor to be in your presence once more lord Olorun."
"I see you have done as asked and brought with you the spirit of queen Shara trapped in the jewel." I nodded. "This is good as she has avoided our judgement for far too long and must face the consequences for using magic that we ourselves forbade the mortals from using." I stood back up straight.
"How do I give her to you for judgement?"
"Simply toss the jewel into the pit and we shall judge her once you have left." I nodded and tossed the jewel into the pit before watching it disappear into the darkness below. "We thank you for your services Hiccup and rest assured your deeds shall not go unrewarded." I looked back up at the mask.
"Before we do anything else, I must ask what's happened to Astrid and will she be alright."
"Hiccup, when she forced Shara out of her body a small sliver of her power remained, most of which was used to capture the spirit in the jewel, but some still remains within her."
"Will it harm her?"
"It all depends on how her soul adapts to the magic but she shall mostly remain unharmed and should it begin acting up, there are many people in this world who can help her, some of which you have met."
"Isn't there anything you can do?"
"I am afraid if we tried anything such as removing the magic would result in serious damage to her body and possibly death." I looked down in worry. "Do not worry Hiccup, as I have said there are those in the world who can help her and some of them are those you have met on your travels but for now all you can do is wait." I nodded. "Now onto your rewards." The mask floated back into the ring as the mask of the god Ogun floated forward.
"Hiccup Haddock, I hope the club I gifted you has served you well in battle." I nodded.
"It has helped in many battles lord Ogun."
"I am glad to hear this, but could you please release it for a moment." I did as I was told before my club floated out of my hand and towards him as water floated out of his mouth forming a ball. "I believe through your actions you have earned an improvement." My clubslowly entered the ball of water for a few seconds before the water dropped and my club floated back into my hands but now the head was made of some sort of sun yellow crystal that had been coated with some sort of metal leaving only the front exposed and the staff was mad of the same metal. "I have given your club a few improvements, enhancing its power but what these enhancements do are things for you to find out on your own." I nodded as his mask floated back while the mask representing Osoosi floated forward.
"I was impressed with your fight against the leopard men and your tracking skills Hiccup."
"I thank you for the compliment lord Osoosi but I cannot take credit for my tracking skills as that was thanks to the jaguar mask that was gifted to me by the Mayan gods."
"Nevertheless, it was impressive the way you used it and you have earned these." Water floated out of his mouth forming a ball that glowed gold for a few seconds before dropping to reveal two leather arm guards that were dark brown in color and when they reached me I saw they both had indents that looked like roaring lion heads. "These arm guards shall give you the strength of a lion which is double your own strength." I nodded as I placed them on and saw they'd fit right above my lion gauntlets when they're in their band form.
"Thank you lord Osoosi."
"You are welcome and for the trouble one of our people has caused her please give this to young Astrid and my they serve her well in the future." The water from his mouth formed another ball before shining for a moment and then dropping to reveal a small leather bag that floated to me. "By the way Hiccup, how is the Savannah Wing I gifted you?"
"His name is Davu and he seems pretty happy with his life, but I can tell he gets lonely and longs for his own mate whenever he sees mated dragons flying over the savannah section."
"And that is why I give you this next gift." The water floated from his mouth forming a ball again that glowed before collapsing to reveal an item that seemed to be curled up into a ball and floated up next to me. "This is a female Savanah wing and I ask that you keep in mind that although the requirements for it to awaken are the same as the male its form shall be much different." I nodded.
"Either way I'm sure she'll be beautiful and I'm sure Davu will be happy to have another one of his kind roaming the savannah so thank you." His mask just floated back, and the mask of the god Ogun came forward.
"Well you certainly can't stay out of trouble now can you Hiccup?" I smiled and shrugged.
"It's a curse I was born with."
"Hiccup, I was impressed with your skill in realizing there are times where violence is not the way to win battles and how you must use your head to win them at times." Water came from his mouth glowing lightly before dropping to reveal what looked to be a helmet that floated into my arms, but I didn't have the chance to examine it as Ogun continued. "This helmet is a powerful weapon Hiccup that is to be used when charging into battle allowing you to use your head in another way when violence is your only answer." I nodded as the helmet floated next to me while the mask of Olorun floated forward.
"Hiccup, I understand your island has a mine with minerals that cannot be found in the mortal realm." I nodded. "I have prepared a small addition to this mine, a material known only as 'Diamond Steel' which is stronger than the material you call gronkle iron but when mixed together they shall be near unbreakable by any means." I nodded as water came from Oloruns mouth and formed ball before I glowed, and the water dropped to reveal a small oddly shaped diamond which I recognized as a piece for my island. "And now it is with these gifts we have given you we send you back outside so you may begin your journey back to the mortal realm."
I nodded taking each of my gifts while using my helmet to hold the new island piece, the leather bag with Astrid's gift and the new arm guards while my club went back into my arm and the new dragon in the orb was under my free arm. When I got out of the cave, I was greeted by the sight of my eagle spirit guide flying above me making me smile before I followed it as it flew away down a familiar path. We eventually came to a circle of baobab trees that I remember from the last time before I walked into the middle as the trees began glowing and the ground turned to quicksand. This time though I didn't panic, I just closed my eyes and let the sand pull me in until I felt as if I were being suffocated while my body remained frozen for a few seconds. When I could move my body again, I was lying down and shot up screaming from the pain my body was in. Sand flew everywhere as I breathed heavily and looked around to find myself back in the cave surrounded by my gifts while Zane looked at me with a smile as he said.
"Welcome back." He then gestured to the gifts around me. "I see things went well with your meeting." I took a few deep breaths and nodded.
"You could say that and along with these gifts I now know what's going on with Astrid."
"Do tell as all I could see was that she now had magic running through her veins but had no control over it."
"That is the magic of Shara, most of which was used up to seal her in the jewel of her staff leaving only a sliver behind that can't be removed without endangering her life." He frowned.
"Will she be alright then?"
"They said it depends on how her soul adapts to the magic and that it ever acts out there are those who can help her and apparently I've met some of them." He smiled.
"From the stories you've told, I know you have met more than a few interesting people but which of them can help Astrid." I shrugged.
"I've met so many remarkable people in my travels I wonder who the gods referred to." I stood up shaking the sand off my body. "We'll have to go over that another time since for now we should get back to the village incase Astrid's woken up." He nodded before gesturing to my gifts.
"And what of the gifts you were given?" I walked over to my gear, picked up my spiderpack and brought it over before willing it to expand.
"I'll put them in my spiderpack for now and study them later as for now we need to get back to the village." He nodded and helped me load the stuff up before we headed out.
Nightfall
I was sitting up in a tree thinking about today's events while examining my new helmet in my hand and turning it around admiring the complex designs. So far Astrid still hasn't woken up from her coma, but the people were overjoyed hearing that this time queen Shara was gone for good and would never darken their lands again. Still they would not stop pestering me for information about the gifts I was given and what I did to queen Shara to ensure she never returns. I'm just glad Kwame and Zane were able to get them to back off and let me remain with Astrid even though she was still unconscious while Blanca remained at my side through it comforting me.
As for the helmet in my hand, its design is similar to that of a knight's helmet of Camelot but instead of chainmail it's smooth to the touch from the head down to the neck which is layered by its steel that was made to look like rhino skin. The front is covered with a V like view guard with a triangular face mask that surrounds the mouth to the cheek with red gemstones on the side covering the eyes but I could still see through them. The biggest thing though was the giant large black metal horn on the forehead with the bottom between the eyes and the tip going above the top. (AN: If you're having trouble picturing it, look up the 'ralatine rhino helmet' on my pinterest page.) This helmet looked incredibly powerful and I was looking forward to seeing its capabilities and the capabilities of all my other gifts but all of that would wait since until Astrid is back, I was too worried to do anything. I took breath and looked up to the sky praying to the gods that Astrid would wake up soon, so I know she'd be okay and so her parents won't kill me.
3 days later
It's been three days since my meeting with the gods and two hours since Astrid finally woke up from her coma and gave me a major earache with her screams of shock. The first thing she did when she saw what happened to her body and what she was wearing the first thing she asked was what in the world she was wearing. I just told her it was a good look for her but she just glared before punching me in the shoulder while growling at me to start explaining what happened to her clothes and how her body filled out all of a sudden. Fortunately for me the more I explained the more it came back to her which brings us to now with Astrid looking down at her lap thinking while I was kneeled down next to her. She sighed and turned to me as she said.
"So how long am I going to be like this?"
"In the outfit, until we can find a change of clothes for you but as for your new body and the magic running through it, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do."
"What am I going to do then?" She looked down before I placed my prosthetic hand on her shoulder.
"Astrid, what's done is done and there's nothing we can do but accept what's happened to you and the changes that come with it." She turned to me. "You won't be doing this alone; I'll be there by your side no matter what."
"Why, it's not like it's your problem?"
"I'm doing it because I love you and nothing will ever change that." She smiled as I gently stroked her face with my real hand before we each leaned in and shared a gentle kiss and pulled away and she giggled.
"You can take that as my answer." I raised an eyebrow. "An answer to your marriage proposal." I smiled.
"I hope you're sure in your answer because I'm taking it as a yes?" She giggled and gently punched my shoulder.
"I believe you have something for me." I smiled and reached into my coat as the pendant was put into my hand.
"That I do." I pulled out the pendant showing it to her. "The middle part was my dad's betrothal gift to my mother but the gold wrap around it is my handy work." She smiled as I gently put it on her. "I hope you like it." She just looked at me and smiled.
"Hiccup, it's perfect and I love it." She quickly pulled me into a hug and whispered into my ear. "I love you." I smiled and hugged her back.
"I love you to." When we pulled away Astrid gently caressed my face.
"I think it best that we save the wedding for after we're sure I'm going to be alright with the magic now in my body." I nodded.
"Agreed but for now let's let Blanca and the others know you're up." She nodded before I helped her up and we made our way out of the hut.
7 days later
It's been seven days since Astrid woke up and, in that time, things have been busy for me figuring out my god gifts and helping Astrid get a grip on her new body and abilities. To begin with Astrid had been mostly adapting well to her new body and the surprising abilities that came with it which included enhancements to her hearing and sense of smell. Along with this her agility and acrobatics had reached new levels of amazing with her now being able to jump twelve feet in the air, do incredible acrobatics and land perfectly with no trouble. Then there's the gift she was given by the gods which turned out to be two metal wrist bands with abilities that make them deadly weapons and perfect for Astrid.
The front part was a golden band that wraps around the front of the wrist with a leopard print wrap behind it with a metal plate on the top made of green metal and gold lining, three green oval shaped gems at the top and three leather straps around the leopard material. The thing that made these bands powerful is that besides the fact that they're indestructible is that when they are fully activated the gems glow bright green before blades made of light shoot forward out of the gems. (AN: Bracers of the jaguar warrior on my pinterest page.) These blades were powerful since they had no problems cutting through a gronkle iron sword I brought with me in case it was needed for some reason. After a few days of training Astrid had proven to be as skilled with her new gift from the gods as she was with her axe meaning she'd be better help in future battles.
Speaking of gifts, I'd also been busy mastering my own gifts from the gods in a clearing near the village but I hadn't released the new dragon yet since I think it better to let her out when we get back to the island. I started with the arm guards and was surprised by the power I felt flow through my body when I put them on and was amazed when I was able to lift an old heavy log with little problems. I knew these arm guards' abilities would be helpful when it comes to dealing with loading and unloading supplies, fighting with just my fists, play wrestling my animals and dragons and other such things.
Then there's my club that's been upgraded and the abilities that came with the upgrade were nothing to laugh at considering how helpful they were going to be during siege attacks and defending against enemy ships. To begin with when I slam the club into the ground instead of one boulder coming out of the ground, ten come out and when one is struck they all go flying with the ones at the sides of the one I strike launching after the first. Along with this when I swung it hard in the air it sends a small blast of sound at my enemies throwing them back a few feet and leaving them dazed.
Then there's the helmet which was definitely something to smile about considering how in addition to the helmet being indestructible and me being able to see just fine out of the gemstones it also possessed an incredible power that would come in handy when charging into battle. When I charge at something full speed a projection forms around me taking the shape of a giant charging rhino that's around the size of a fully-grown whispering deaths head. In this form nothing can penetrate the hide and I can smash through giant boulders with no difficulty and only leave a pile of pebbles behind. Sadly, this form only lasted for ten feet and then the form dissolves and I am on my own again while it takes half an hour for the helmet to get enough power to do it again. The less impressive powers though is how when I want to expose my face, the horn left up slightly while the plates covering my face move to the sides exposing my face. Along with this when I fully deactivated it though it amazingly took the form of a single earring that could appear on either ear looked like a rhino horn facing down.
It hadn't all been good though as I had to deal with a lot of people wanting to talk to me about selling the savannah wing to them hoping to become a dragon rider themselves, but I turned them down every time. Now these were things I could handle since I'd been experiencing this kind of thing for years, the real problem was what was happening with Astrid. Queen Shara's magic had been acting up and showing its leopard side and that side was incredibly vicious to anyone who stepped on its tail. We'd already had about four men put into Zane's care due to it acting out and clawing up some of the guys but nothing too serious even though on all occasions she drew blood.
This leads to now with me out in the clearing where I trained sitting down cross-legged with my eyes closed, my hands on my lap and three sticks of incense burning in a small holder in front of me as I took a breath to calm my nerves. I was hoping meditation might help me figure out a way to help Astrid rein in the vicious leopard that was now running amuck in her body. This brought up some questions though since she claimed it often felt as if two vicious cats were constantly fighting in her mind and it was driving her nuts. I didn't like seeing her this way since although she tried to hide it I could easily see the pain in her eyes alongside the fear that she might cause an injury that could not be healed so easily. With these thoughts in my mind I let my conscious fall into the deepest depths of my mind where I hoped I would be able to find the solution to Astrid's condition.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself standing on a small island with a small gazebo and a simple Chinese style tea table in the center of it with a simple tea set on it. I took a breath knowing this was a place I'd built myself in my subconscious since it was a place I knew I'm able to arrange my thoughts and memories. The water surrounding this island wasn't just liquid made by my mind but actually a large pool of all my memories and in this place, I had full access to my memories so far back, I was able to look into the water and remember the night my mom was taken from me. I sighed and walked up to the table taking my usual spot before poring myself a cup of tea that helps me pick out my various memories and help the knowledge flow through my mind. I took a small smell of the steam before much to my surprise a voice from behind me asked.
"May I join you?" I quickly turned around to find the buddha standing behind me smiling making me jump back in shock. "My apologies for invading your meditation realm but I could sense how troubled you were and felt I was needed."
"It's alright but I'm not sure you can help with this problem." He smiled and sat down at the table.
"It doesn't hurt to ask."
"True but make yourself comfortable it's a bit of a long story." He smiled and sat down at the table.
"I am a patient man and I do love a good story." I got comfortable and began my tale about what happened with Astrid and how it's affecting her now.
1 hour later
The buddha took a sip of his tea as I finished telling him what was happening with Astrid before he lowered his cup while stroking his beard and said.
"By the sounds of things, the magic is refusing to properly merge with her soul."
"So, any idea what can be done to help her?"
"I will need to examine her first but that will take a few minutes." He stood up. "Excuse me a moment." He disappeared as I took a sip of my tea and hoped he would be able to figure out what was wrong.
10 minutes later
I was enjoying another cup of tea while waiting for the buddha returns hoping he'd be able to tell me some way to help Astrid with her new condition. It was then he reappeared with a frown on his face making my heart sink a bit in worry. He sat down back at the table and said.
"I'm afraid the magic within Astrid takes the form of a leopard but because of this the magic is constantly in battle with her spirit causing her to lash out."
"Is there any way to help her."
"Her spirit must adapt and absorb the magic into it by proving it to be the dominant in her body like your soul became one with the eagle that is in your spirit." I raised an eyebrow before I sighed.
"But how can she do that?"
"She will need training that neither you nor I can give her."
"Then what do I do?"
"Return to China and travel north past the valley of the screaming winds and you shall find a village where one of my former students lives with his family." I nodded. "When you find him give him this scroll." The Buddha reached into his robes and pulled out a single rolled up scroll and handed it to me. "This will explain everything to him." I nodded. "Be warned though he may act slightly hostile towards you at first considering who it is that trained you."
"Why would your student have a problem with who my master is?"
"When you meet him, you shall understand but should he cause trouble then you must simply call in his superior." I raised an eyebrow.
"You?"
"No, his wife who happens to be one of the most fearsome women I have ever seen when she is angered." He chuckled with me joining him. "I wish you luck Hiccup Haddock." With that said there was a blinding flash and I came out of my meditative state and found the scroll in my hands making me smile.
"Time for another trip to China."
Morning
We were standing in front of the portal with Kwame and Zane standing in front of us to say goodbye to us before we left for China so we could find the Buddhas student to help Astrid. I was brought out of my thoughts when Kwame placed a hand on my shoulder and said.
"Although I treasure our friendship and appreciate the help, I do hope that on your next visit you do not bring so much trouble with you." I smiled at him.
"Hey, that trouble was already here when I arrived so don't go blaming me for it." He smiled.
"Safe travels my friend." I nodded as Zane walked up.
"May the gods watch over you in the lands you travel to." I nodded before I lead the girls and their dragons through the portal door so we could head out for China.
Nightfall
I was lying in bed in just my pants like I usually do when I went to bed with Blanca laying on my chest while my arm was wrapped around her and as she slept, I went over the day's events. The first thing we did after we arrived was get Astrid a change of clothes as the African tribal outfit would most likely get her arrested for public indecency. Fortunately, we still had her kimono from her first trip here to drop off the criminal Lan Zhizhu who had brainwashed Astrid and many other women turning them into mindless servants. (AN: Chapter 168) After that we went to see Chin Wu and Ling Cho to let us know what was happening and why we were back in China since they'd be curious to know why we are back in China. After I showed them what happened to Astrid, they were impressed with how she was able to do and welcomed us back to China with open arms and a welcoming feast. Before the feast though we went over the best route to get to the valley of the screaming winds and the village in the north that was nearest to it where I might be able to find the Buddha's student. I took a breath knowing getting there would take a few days, even by dragon so it best we leave early tomorrow since the sooner we got there the better things would be for all of us and with these thoughts I went to sleep.
4 days later
It's been four days since we arrived in China and those days had been nothing but travelling to the village where we hoped to find the buddhas student to help Astrid. This brings us to now with me and the girls walking through the small village while the dragons waited out in the forest since we didn't want to cause a panic. A lot of people did look at me and Astrid in surprise though, but I couldn't blame them since we were foreigners and this place was isolated, so it was unlikely they got a lot of people like us around here. Besides that, this seemed to be a typical small village with people just walking around doing their own thing without a care in the world, so it seemed normal and a place I'd like to visit sometime.
It was then I heard what sounded like an angry bull, people screaming and the sound of galloping hooves against stone, echo throughout the entire street. I looked down and saw an angry black furred bull charging down the street with surprisingly a woman hanging onto its neck with a knife in her mouth. Before I could do anything though the people began cheering as the woman took the knife out of her mouth and swinging around the bull's neck landing with her feet on its horns. She then slammed the knife into the bulls' head killing it instantly before its body fell to the ground sliding across it and stopping right at our feet with the woman smiling at it. She then looked up at us allowing us to see she looked to be around my moms age with her black hair tied up in a tight bun with a few streaks of grey in it. She was wearing brown pants with a light-yellow apron and a red top that had black tiger stripes on the sleeves and a knife in her hand that was now stained with the blood of the bull. She looked at us before hopping off the bull and bowing as she said.
"My apologies for the disturbance young travelers but it is hard to get fresh meat out here without killing it yourself and I'm afraid this time one of the bulls got lose." I bowed to her.
"It's alright, no harm was done but I have to say the way you handled it was incredible." She smiled.
"My father trained me well." It was then the sound of footsteps echoed through the streets. "And here comes my husband, the other man in my life."
We turned to see a man running up to us but when I saw him my eyes widened as I immediately recognized him and understood why the Buddha warned me that he might be hostile towards me due to who my master is. Approaching us was none other than the creator of tiger style kung fu and Master Shen's unofficial rival in pretty much everything they did, master Xiao Chi. He ran up to the woman not noticing us as he took her by the shoulders and asked.
"Are you alright my sweet cherry blossom." She smiled at him.
"I'm fine Xiao Chi, one of the bulls just got loose on the streets." She then gestured to us. "It nearly hit these three youngsters though, but nobody was hurt." Master Xiao Chi turned to us and his eyes widened when he saw me.
"Hiccup Haddock?" I immediately dropped to my knees and bowed.
"It is an honor to see you again master Xiao Chi." Before he could reply the woman said.
"So, you're the famous hero of China who defeated the general and queen snake demon and also freed the four great dragon kings." I nodded but did not stand up from my bow. "Come now young man stand up, you've more than earned it after all you've done." I slowly stood up. "Now what brings you all the way here to our humble village."
"It's a bit of a long story mam." She smiled.
"Well then come with us, you can tell us over lunch at my restaurant." I bowed to her.
"thankyou for your kindness madam." I then gestured to Astrid and Blanca. "Would it be alright if my wife Blanca and our friend Astrid joined us?"
"The more the merrier." She then turned to master Xiao Chi and gestured to the bull. "Please bring the bull Xiao Chi."
He nodded but I could see he was lightly glaring at me making me gulp as we allowed Ming-Ming to lead us down the street to her restaurant where we'd inform her why we've come. As we walked, I looked around at the buildings and the people wondering around who would stop to bow to mast Xiao Chi as he walked past with the bull on his shoulders. I admit I could understand peoples respect for him, but I was having trouble understanding why master Xiao Chi lived here since to be honest it looked like a typical normal village and a simple one at that. We came to wall with a small open gate but before we could even walk to the front of it a man came flying out followed by two more men. Seeing this we all rushed to see what was happening only for a young lady who looked to be around our age to drag out another man while muttering something about dead beat drunks. I was brought out of my shock when Ming-Ming asked.
"Jade, what is the meaning of this." The girl now known as Jade turned to face Ming-Ming and bowed.
"Forgive me Mistress Ming-Ming but these men were drunk and tried to touch my body in private places while I was serving some customers sitting at the table opposite to theirs."
"Did you inform them that this sort of behavior was not allowed in the restaurant?" She nodded.
"Sadly, they stood up and claimed a woman should know her place before trying to touch my body some more resulting in the need for me to defend myself, but I did not damage the restaurant or the furniture." Ming-Ming nodded before master Xiao Chi turned to us and gestured to the girl.
"This is Jade, she is one of my students and has been under my care for one month while her older brother Tong Li has been under my teachings for a year." Master Xiao Chi then turned to her and gestured to us. "Jade, this is Hiccup Haddock and his companions Astrid and Blanca." She bowed to us and we bowed back before I took a moment to examine her and saw she had black hair that went down to her shoulders, her eyes were a bright jade green and she was wearing a jade green Kung Fu vest and black pants with a tiger on the ankles, a brown apron and she was five feet tall before I was brought out of my examination when Ming-Ming said.
"Let's get inside and have some lunch." We all nodded but as we made our way inside one of the men who was just thrown out slowly got up and yelled.
"WHY YOU LITTLE" He charged at Jade from behind but before he could reach her, I rushed in front of him and grabbed his arm and twisting it behind his back.
"That is no way to treat a lady." He just growled.
"LET ME GO YOU STINKIN FOREIGNER!" I just tightened my grip with my real arm while holding my prosthetic hand to his face.
"I think you need a bit of a rest." I then sprayed some of my knockout gas into his face while tossing him aside as he coughed and then collapsed onto the ground before I turned to see Jade glaring at me.
"I didn't need your help." I held up my hands in front of my body.
"I know that from how you tossed them out, but I figured you'd dealt with these idiots enough, so I'd save you some time." She just huffed and walked into the restaurant while I turned to the girls hoping for an answer, but they just shrugged and made their way into the restaurant.
Nightfall
We were all sitting around a table with the girls on either side of me, master Xiao Chi across from us with Ming-Ming on his right hand side, sitting at the right side of the table were their sons Boraishu and Fu-jyun while sitting on the left side was Jade with her brother Tong Li. Today had been pretty much me just learning about those who were sitting at this table and I had to say I was impressed with all I had learnt about them. To begin with it turns out Ming-Ming's mother was a cook but her father on the other hand was a former soldier who lost his leg in battle but before that he was a student of master Aangmu the creator of rabbit style kung fu and he taught Ming-Ming all he knew.
Tong Li and Jade were originally monks but three years ago Tong Li left to learn from Xiao Chi so they could better serve the people by studying under the tiger master and then travelling to take down bandits threatening the people and had been his student ever since. To describe him he's about six foot tall, has an average muscle build with a small six pack, brown hair which is slightly long and tied into a martial arts pigtail and his eye are almost looks yellow but on closer inspection a very light shade of green. He was wearing his usual outfit of brown kung fu pants and slippers with a purple Kung Fu shirt with golden trimming in the shape of tigers. All in all, he looked like your typical kung fu student so not someone to underestimate unless you wanted to get beaten down severely as underestimating one's opponent leads to defeat. Jade on the other hand only joined her brother a month ago and had yet to begin her training and what she used on those men at the restaurant was striking the nerve points she learnt from the elders at the temple she grew up in.
Then there's Boraishu and Fu-jyun who were twin boys and unlike the twins of Berk they got along perfectly and would always train together under their father who claimed they work in near perfect sync making them a deadly team even though they're only ten years old. They're both identical with black hair, yellow eyes and wear kung fu pants with matching vests that had tiger stripes on the backs with the only difference being Boraishu's vest being red and Fu-jyun's being yellow. Other than that, they were both completely identical and I could tell they both held a great deal of respect for their father
Now I'd just finished showing them all what happened to Astrid and how the magic that's now running around her body affected her and how the buddha sent us to find him before I handed him the scroll. He looked down at the scroll that was now unraveled in his hand while nodding and stroking his chin before he sighed and looked up at me as he said.
"Do you remember the scroll Shen gave you?"
"Do you mean the one that took me to another place for what felt like a year but was only an hour." He nodded.
"Those kinds of scrolls are rarely given to anyone by my master, but it is not unheard of him to hand them out in special occasions and this is one of them." I nodded. "My master wishes for me to use this scroll to train Astrid and help her spirit absorb the magic that is now running rampant through her body."
"Which leads to the question, will you help her and take her on as a student master Xiao Chi?"
"I'm afraid that is difficult to answer as I already have a new student in young Jade who has waited three years to join her brother as my student." Jade then said.
"And I do not intend to give up my place to some sick foreigner." Before I could reply Tong Li placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Calm yourself sister." He then turned to Xiao Chi. "Master, you said that these scrolls allow a year to go by within them but only an hour to pass out here so why do you not use it to train young Astrid."
"I do not know how long it shall take to train her as every year is an hour and I'm not sure if she is worthy of studying under me." I clenched my fists. "She is a mere foreigner who knows nothing of true hardships of life or training hard as she has mostly spent her life hiding behind stronger people allowing them to do all the fighting." I felt my blood boil at this, but it was Astrid who blew her top by standing up so fast she through her chair back before she yelled.
"YOU LISTEN TO ME YOU OVERGROWN CAT, YOU HAVE NO IDEA OF THE HARDSHIPS I'VE GONE THROUGH IN MY LIFE AND I CAN ASSURE YOU I HAVE NEVER HIDDEN BEHIND THE STRONG, DEPENDING ON THEM TO FIGHT MY BATTLES FOR ME EXCEPT WHEN I WAS TOO YOUNG TO DO ANYTHING AND EVEN THEN, I TRAINED HARD SO WHEN MY TIME CAME I'D BE ABLE TO HELP!" She took a breath. "AND AS FOR NOT KNOWING TRUE HARDSHIPS, YOU CLEARLY DON'T KNOW WHAT MY LIFE WAS LIKE GROWING UP BECAUSE I CAN ASSURE YOU IT WAS NOT EASY WHEN YOUR VILLAGE IS RAIDED BY DRAGONS!" She took another breath and looked down as she growled. "Every night I worried that they'd be back and when they did I was forced to watch as they stole our food and livestock, destroyed our houses, injure and kill our people and then leave multiple of us homeless or starving." She then looked back up at Xiao Chi. "SO DON'T YOU EVER SAY I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HARDSHIPS AND TRAINING HARD OR SO HELP ME I'LL SHOVE A SPEAR SO FAR UP YOUR ASS I'LL BE ABLE TO USE YOU AS A SCARECROW IN A VEGETABLE GARDEN!" For a few seconds there was silence with everyone being too shocked to say anything until Ming-Ming giggled and said.
"Now that last line brings back the memories." She smiled. "I said the same thing to Xiao Chi when we first met, and he was acting all arrogant making me feel that he needed to be knocked down a few pegs." He smiled.
"The fire I saw in your eyes when you threatened me is what made me fall in love with you." She frowned and glared at him.
"You told me it was my incredible beauty and my charm." He smiled and looked down.
"It was all that my dear and so much more but whenever that fire appears in your eyes I always think back to when we first met and what I first thought when I saw it."
"And what is it you thought exactly?" He looked up at her.
"My thoughts as you were walking away 'I am going to marry that magnificent tigress'." She smiled and slapped his shoulder.
"You overgrown kitten." She then rested her head on his shoulder as she sighed. "You may have a hot temper, but I can't help but love you." He just sighed and wrapped an arm around her.
"And I shall love you to my dying breath my fiery tempered tigress." I smiled seeing such a sweet seen before Xiao Chi turned to Astrid. "I can now see you have the fiery determination and ferocity of a tiger Astrid, my apologies for not seeing it before but I can still only train Jade." I then asked.
"Why not simply train them both using the scroll, I'm sure they'll make good sparring partners for each other and this way you can both help Astrid while helping Jade become stronger faster since with the scroll she should be able to go through a years' worth of training in an hour." He rubbed his chin and nodded.
"You do raise a good point, but Astrid may take longer to train as she still needs to learn how to absorb the magic running through her body." Astrid replied.
"I'll endure any form of training to control this magic so I can use it to protect those I love." He nodded and turned to Jade.
"And what do you say to this Jade?" Jade replied.
"If this shall allow me to become stronger under your teachings master than I will accept your choice." He smiled.
"Then let us begin the training." He stood up. "Please come with me."
He led us all downstairs into the basement that had a sparring mat in the center, weapon racks against the walls holding various weapons used for tiger style, banners of tigers on them hanging on the wall alongside the torches and nothing else. Master Xiao Chi led Astrid and Jade onto the mat before sitting them both down with him sitting across from them before unrolling the scroll and placing it between them. He then held up his hands releasing a single claw on his left hands index finger and then cutting his right hands palm allowing the blood to fall onto the scroll making it glow. He allowed it to glow for a few seconds while letting his blood continue to fall before nodding as he looked at the girls and said.
"Both of you place your hands on the scroll and your training shall begin." The girls did as they were told before the scroll gave one last final bright glow and then turning to normal while the girls and master Xiao Chi collapsed to the ground unconscious before Tong Li said.
"And now we wait." Ming-Ming then said.
"I'll make us all some tea while we wait."
Three hours later
In the scroll
Nobodies POV:
Although it may have only been three hours outside of the scroll within the realm it held three years had passed and those years had been tough for both Astrid and Jade with how hard Xiao Chi trained them with Astrid changing her kimono for an outfit similar to Jades with the difference being her top being sky blue. It was all worth it though as they had both come a long way from where they started to the point, they'd be able to give any well-trained warrior a run for their money. Despite their new skills master Xiao Chi had only trained them in the basics of his style of kung fu and they still had a long way to go before they reached his level of skill. Sadly, during this time Astrid's spirit was able to take in some of the magic that had been running rampant in her body but not all of it yet as it would take more time and training to do so but it was almost all absorbed.
Of course, they didn't just train all this time as master Xiao Chi understood the need for time to relax between training sessions and it was during this time Astrid and Jade got to know each other. They became good friends because of this and like how Jade learnt much more about Astrid, Astrid learnt a lot more about Jade and what she was like. Astrid learnt that Jade was raised in a monastery alongside her brother after their parents were killed by some bandits while they were making their way to the next town. It was because of this that Tong Li had such a strong desire to become stronger and began training under the monks at the monastery and when he was old enough came to train under master Xiao Chi. Jade on the other hand was taught the nerve points of the human body in order to use these abilities to better heal people by striking them in the right places allowing the chi to flow better.
Sadly, even though she was alright with this when she went out a few times she'd had to deal with some punks who believed a woman shouldn't even be allowed to hold a weapon. Because of them she began to hate men who acted arrogant and wanted to become stronger so she would never have to rely on men like them to help her. When she first met Hiccup, she believed him to be just like them when he stopped the drunk from attacking her from behind, she thought she was a girl that needed saving. Astrid cleared it up for her though by telling her exactly what kind of guy Hiccup really was and all the trials he's faced in life, not only on his adventures but also on Berk from when he was a child. After hearing this she was impressed with all he'd accomplished in life, but she wasn't going to accept him fully as she was not that big of a fan of the idea of a man having more than one wife.
Presently the girls were standing on a small stone island in the middle of a rushing river with Master Xiao Chi sitting on a small stone platform at the end of the island with a rushing waterfall behind him. Right now, the girls were in the middle of a sparring match using all they had learnt to try and defeat the other but this sparring match was taking a far greater toll on Astrid since while she was fighting Jade physically, she was fighting the magic spiritually which was taking a lot of her strength and focus. It was then Jade delivered a hard strike to Astrid's stomach sending her falling back as the air flew out of her lungs from the force of the blow. She growled and slowly pushed her body up off the ground feeling the magic flowing through her body and burning within her like raging inferno.
It was then the magic made itself known with her eyes turning to those of a leopard and two fangs formed from her teeth before she let out a roar that resembled a mix between a leopard and a tiger. She charged at Jade with the speed of a wild cat and jumped up high in the air before slamming her foot down towards Jade who quickly back stepped avoiding the attack. Astrid then quickly lunged at her swinging her fist at her but Jade blocked the blow before she followed this blow with multiple others striking each blow flying forward with the ferocity of a tiger. Jade met every blow with either a block or a dodge preventing Astrid from landing an effective blow on her opponent until she saw a single opening in Jade's defenses and took it.
She slammed her palm into Jades shoulder making her stumble back while gritting her teeth in pain right before Astrid pounced right at her throwing her back onto the ground with Astrid pinning her down. She quickly got her feet under Astrid and kicked them up and towards her head throwing Astrid's body over her head before kicking her legs forward throwing her body up while Astrid stood up recovering from the throw. Before either could launch another attack though Astrid let out a scream of pain as her body glowed before she dropped to the ground unconscious. Jade immediately dropped her battle stance and rushed over to her to make sure she was alright only to find Astrid was unconscious before she looked to Xiao Chi who was walking towards her hoping he could tell what was happening but he just smiled and said.
"Do not worry, she was able to finally pull in the remaining magic and it is with this that our training in this realm must come to an end." Jade smiled. "I ask that when we do return to our realm you remember that although it has been three years for us, for those within the real world merely three hours have passed for them." She nodded before a groan from Astrid turning their attention to her as she sat up and rubbed her head and asked.
"What happened?" Master Xiao Chi answered.
"The tiger that lives within your soul has fully taken in the leopard in and regained full dominance and with that your training is complete and with that our time here has come to an end." As soon as the words left his mouth there was a bright flash and then the land was no more.
Back in the real world
It's been three hours since Astrid entered the scroll with Master Xiao Chi and Jade and in that time not much has happened other than Boraishu and Fu-jyun being put to bed after tea. Besides that, the only interesting thing to happen is after tea was Tong Li asked Hiccup for a sparring match wishing to test his skills taught to him by master Xiao Chi against the skills taught to Hiccup by master Shen. Hiccup accepted knowing he needed something to take his mind off Astrid and after he accepted the request Ming-Ming took them outside to the large garden where they could have their sparring match. Which brings us to now with Hiccup and Tong Li entering their third hour of their sparring match with Ming-Ming and Blanca on the patio watching the two spar. This is what Xiao Chi and the girls found when they came up after waking up in the empty basement with no one there to greet them and when they came to investigate what was happening. They watched the boys spar before Astrid asked.
"How long have they been at it?" This made Blanca and Ming-Ming jump in fright and turned to face them. "Sorry didn't mean to scare you." Ming-Ming replied.
"It's alright dear and to answer your question, three straight hours."
"And they haven't stopped in that time?" Blanca answered.
"Not even for a minute." She then asked Astrid. "Speaking of time, how long has it been for you?" Astrid replied.
"Three long years, but it was worth it since I now I've fully absorbed all the magic and got some new moves that are going to make me a greater warrior than before." Blanca smiled as they turned back to the battle just as Tong Li had one of his palm strikes redirected by Hiccup. "Still not going to be on Hiccups level any time soon though." Xiao Chi replied.
"His fighting style is different to that of his master, he seems to have combined dragon style with his own unique form and this is what makes him such an incredible opponent and how he has been able to do more damage to Tong Li than Tong Li has done to him." He nodded watching as Hiccup back flipped to avoid another blow. "I am not an easy man to impress but e has done just that." Jade then asked.
"Should we stop them?" Astrid replied.
"And spoil their fun?"
They nodded and turned back to the fight just in time to see both boys simultaneously rush at each other fists raised and pulled back but when they were five feet from each other their eyes glazed over and they both fell to the ground. They both landed faces down on the grass next to each other before they rolled onto their backs looking up at the star filled sky above them. For a few moments the area was filled with silence with the only sound breaking this silence was the sound of the simple crickets chirping in the grass, oblivious of the major fight that's been happening. It was then the silence was broken by the sound of laughter making everyone turn to the sound of the laughter to see it was coming from the two downed boys before Tong Li said.
"You are truly a skilled warrior Hiccup Haddock."
"As are you, it's been a while since I was last able to let loose so much without it being from multiple opponents who I was trying to kill."
"I have to admit, I assumed that the legends I'd heard about you were simply stories, but you are truly strong as they say."
"I don't blame you; I've heard some of those legends and most of them are altered so much they've gone from legends to stories." Hiccup slowly stood up grunting in painbefore offering his hand to Tong Li who took it with a smile as Hiccup helped him up.
"Either way you have given me a new goal, to beat you in a sparring match and I shall use this goal to push myself harder in training." Hiccup smiled.
"If that's the case I'll keep training hard as well to give you a decent challenge but let's try not to be like our masters and form a rivalry that leads to us fighting after being in a room for more than a few seconds." When he finished his sentence, he held out his hand making Tong Li chuckle and take his hand.
"Agreed!" Xiao Chi then chose to make his presence known by saying.
"My rivalry with Shen is not that bad." They both turned to face him as Ming-Ming said.
"Yes, it is, and you know it." Both Hiccup and Tong Li walked up to the patio and bowed as they both said.
"Welcome back master Tong Li." He smiled before they both stood back up straight as Hiccup turned to Astrid.
"So how was the training?" She walked right up to him and then grabbed him and pulled him into a hard kiss that lasted ten seconds before she pulled away leaving a shocked Hiccup.
"I've been wanting to do that for the three years I was stuck in that scroll." He smiled.
"Sorry, forgot that it may have been three hours for us but years for you and Jade."
While they began talking Jade was using her knowledge of the body to help heal her brother while muttering about how angry she was with Hiccup for what he did to her brother. This is how the remainder of their night was spent until they all turned in for a goodnights rest with Ming-Ming offering them the guest rooms with Astrid bunking with Jade. While Hiccup lay in bed with Blanca, he went over the sparring match he had with Tong Li, analyzing every move they both pulled and how the energy flowed within their strikes. He knew he would need to learn from this battle in order to improve his own fighting style and after doing this would allow him to become a better warrior. With this in mind he went to sleep knowing his time here in China was going to be short due to the need to return to Berk and face the raging beast that Astrid's parents would no doubt become when they discover what happened to Astrid.
AN: And that brings an end to this chapter, it was meant to be done yesterday but I'm sad to say things picked up at work so I didn't have time to write. It's done now though and I hope you all enjoyed it but the question is what next, where shall Hiccup go, what enemy shall he face and if you have any requests keep in mind I want it to be a place he's never been to since that's something that hasn't happened in a while. I posted a poll before this chapter and it will be taken down on Friday afternoon next week South African time so vote quickly and the next adventure might just take him to the land of your choice. Onto the questions.
Gabekaykwok:
I will think about it but it's not easy to come up with ideas for Dagur and his family and harder for Eret.
Guest:
I'm still trying to find where you got this stuff but that series/game is not easy to find.
Rpglady:
He mixed a bit of gronkle iron into it to strengthen it.
Until next time remember to review, vote on the poll, have a nice day and stay safe.
