I don't own 'How to Train Your Dragon' or 'Fairy Tail' and I'm not making any profits from this. I just love these series more than I should.

EDITED: 30/09/2020 – Sentence structure; added narration; smoothed dialogue.

Chapter 2: Magic Challenger

They spent a week in the cove healing. Hiccup felt much better the next day but he was still puzzled about their location. It was much warmer than he remembered it being in the archipelago. There were some plants he didn't know but he wasn't an expert in that anyway. Toothless woke up soon too. However, he was mostly immobile for a few good days. The queen's last ditch attempt at bringing them down with her failed, but it still left the dragon in a delicate state. Hiccup tried his best to care for his friend but the difference in anatomy made that hard. He made sure he was as comfortable as possible, brought him food and cleaned his injuries.

They retreated in the trees, where the shadows of the large forest could cover them from any curious eyes. The area seemed deserted and that quelled Hiccup's worries of being discovered at least. Toothless' appetite grew enormously with each day thought. From dawn to dusk, Hiccup found himself stuck fishing, or raiding the woods for fruits. Even back on Berk he knew he went through a dozens of baskets in the week the dragon stayed there, but it was getting ridiculous now.

He also slept a lot. He understood that at least. Toothless especially needed to rest after everything. When he wasn't gathering food, Hiccup was sleeping with the dragon. Their days were boring and it was only so much that Hiccup could take of the same old routine. Two and a half weeks later, when Toothless was back on his feet and he could hunt, Hiccup finally noticed.

"Am I going crazy, or are you bigger? And buffer?"

The question escaped him one night while they were eating. Toothless stopped from devouring a deer to stare at him. Hiccup stared back. It was hard to see any changes considering they never even left each other's side these days. The dragon always towered over him even on all four. But somewhere in the last few days the smooth curves and lines of the Night Fury's shape changed. He wasn't a sinuous thing anymore. Before, his neck was thick and it flowed into his body seamlessly. Now, his shoulders looked more defined, his back broader, his wings took more space. He tried to mentally compare the dragon from Berk to the one in front of him. It took some time due to unwanted memories and feelings but the more he thought about it the more the pictures didn't match.

The dragon shrugged, inclining his head as if wondering why it mattered. His nose lifted in the air and he took a deep breath. He did that often now too. Tasting the air. Not for the first time Hiccup wished he had a notebook to write down everything.

It was when he had a nightmare that the shock and realization of how big the changes were finally hit him. It wasn't unusual for him to recall the battle with the queen. Merged with his previous fear of killing the Nightmare in the ring and his father's voice congratulating him for finally becoming like him, a true dragon slayer, a Viking… watching Toothless wrapped in the bola, defenseless at his feet…

"HICCUP!" He could be excused for panicking when a foreign voice woke him up but it was actually Toothless standing over him. "Hiccup!" The voice repeated happily before a tongue descended over his face.

Hiccup never felt more freaked out in his life.

It took months for Toothless to finally put words in a coherent sentence. The whole experience was beyond bizarre. And Hiccup still didn't know where they were. There was a small village nearby but he didn't have any of their currency and the people were wearing weird clothes and acting differently. Hiccup started to understand that he was far away from the Barbaric Archipelago.

And something unheard of was happening to his dragon friend.

He always felt like Toothless was smarter than any dragon he's seen. He was capable of understanding him and reacting and even answering with his own growls and warbles. He wasn't prepared for him to suddenly start talking though. The physical changes slowed down but didn't stop. His scales, usually smooth and shiny, grew sharper, more rough, especially down his tail and wings. And his left fin was starting to regenerate.

His left fin was starting to regenerate!

"The air." He was sniffing again.

"What about the air?"

The dragon turned to him, bright green eyes thoughtful as he tried to choose his words. "The air… is strong. It is magic."

That didn't help Hiccup at all. He was amused by how mystified Toothless was but he didn't understand anything of what was happening. When they finally could hold a conversation for longer than a few minutes, they both sat down on the beach in front of the ocean one week later.

"Are you sure you can talk about this now?"

He felt the rumble of the body behind him and took it as a yes. Toothless was still communicating non-verbally from time to time and Hiccup guessed it was for his comfort mostly.

"I think I have been here before."

Hiccup nodded. He already knew that.

"A long time ago. I do not remember it. But this air is fresh and uh… nostalgic? I think I was born here."

Hiccup frowned at that. "Do you know where this is exactly?"

"Um… It is not like before. Like back there…"

"You mean it doesn't feel like the Archipelago?" The dragon shook his head, glaring at the sunset. Hiccup understood he must have been frustrated he couldn't make himself clear enough. "Or… it doesn't feel like Midgard?"

"Midgard?"

"It's what Vikings call our world. The realm of humans."

"Huh, you are arrogant."

Hiccup snorted. "I suppose. So magic?"

"You know magic too, right?"

"Well, the Gothi deals with it most of the time. But yeah!" It was getting cold the faster the sun was disappearing. He drew his old vest closer and snuggled into Toothless. "Are you saying this place has magic in the air? Is that what caused all… this?" He vaguely motioned with his hand at the dragon and he followed the move smiling.

"I think so. There is a lot of magic here. More than anywhere I have seen." He paused. "I feel stronger than ever." He looked Hiccup in the eye. "I do not think I have a fire limit now."

Hiccup swallowed. What was happening to Toothless, he kept wavering between happy and concerned. He hadn't noticed a big change in his mental state except he was more outspoken now that he could. Their silent communication translated rather well into two-sided dialogue as his speech developed more and more.

But deep in his mind, he wondered how much more will he change? Will this process stop? Once his tail was healed, will Toothless leave him? Did he hate him for what he put him through?

A wet snout pushed against his head. "I can sense your worry." Wide eyes watched him, so big and filled with affection. "What is wrong, Hiccup?"

He had to ask, no matter how afraid it made him. "D-Do you… um…" His throat constricted around the words. "What are you gonna do when your tail is, uh, healed?"

Toothless blinked. He grinned. All fangs and everything. "I'm going to fly as close to the Moon as I can."

Hiccup tried to share his enthusiasm.

"I hope you do not mind going without that thing of yours."

"M-My thing?"

"Yeah… the thing you put on my back." He tilted his head to look and Hiccup gasped.

"You mean the saddle?" The dragon bobbed his head. "You want me to fly with you?"

"Of course! I want to share that feeling with you… If you want." He backtracked noting Hiccup's confusion.

"I do, I just… I thought you would like to have some alone time."

Now Toothless was confused. He crooned softly and gently nuzzled Hiccup. "Hiccup, I think of you as my brother. Of course I want you to join me."

Hiccup felt himself tearing up. At the dragon's insistent touches, he wrapped his arms around his neck as much as he could and sniffed. "So you won't leave me?"

"I will never leave you… silly human." Toothless spread his wing over him and the two remained on the beach, under the moonlight, basking in each other's company.

/\\\

Hiccup stood up when the screams reached him. His sudden movement caused the other two to jerk awake as well. Rein was looking at him terrified. It stung a bit, to be honest. Mystogan was frowning, already knowing something important must have caught his attention.

"On the other side of the island there are people. And they are screaming."

"An attack?"

Hiccup listened for a second. "Definitely."

"Let's go."

Mystogan took Rein into his arms and hurried after Hiccup who was already running towards the chaos. He screeched to a halt when Hiccup stopped and turned to look at him, his eyes suddenly taking him in from head to toe.

"Something wrong?" He asked.

"Um, I never thought about it until now but you two would stand out like a sore thumb among the people of Midgard." Hiccup groaned at their baffled stares. "I mean, there are no purple, talking cats here. And no human has natural blue colored hair. The tattoo is fine, I guess… and then there's your clothes…"

Mystogan nodded with resigned acceptance. "Of course. I should have seen that as a possibility. I can cover my face and hair but there is nothing I can do about the clothes for now. And Rein can hide under my cloak for a while."

They both looked at her and she shrunk in Mystogan's arms. "I-I guess."

"Sorry." Hiccup said apologetically. Mystogan simply waved him off and soon they resumed their run towards the settlement.

It took longer than Hiccup would have liked to get there on foot. The island's terrain was tricky, not unusual around the archipelago. When he got closer to the edge of the village, the familiar sight of burning houses and panicked people greeted him. Some men were holding farming tools, very few had proper weapons and were only waving them at the dragons, not engaging thankfully. Hiccup's hope that his efforts were good for something dimmed painfully.

Another roar, this one he knew well, broke through the shouts from the direction of the port. Hiccup twisted between the crowd, to the docks where he finally saw the croc-beast biting into the nearest boat. He was surprised for a moment. But thinking about it again, the beast was also near them when the portal sucked them in.

He grumbled and picked up a good sized rock. He couldn't risk using his magic around so many people. The fewer questions, the better. And he didn't even know how fast his reserves would fill back up. If they even would.

"Hey, ugly!" He shouted aiming the rock at its forehead. The creature growled, rising from the water. Some of the villagers were looking at him as if he lost his mind. 'Crap! Now that they're looking at me, I can't even re-equip Raven. Nice going there, Haddock.'

The croc lunged at him. Hiccup bounded out of the way letting the monster crash in to the ground. Covered by dust and debris – and most importantly out of sight – he finally summoned his only sword, Raven, the black edge shining just as smooth as his gauntlets. "Alright, big guy! I think you've had enough fun for a day."

Shouts from further inside the town caught his ears but Hiccup focused on the towering sea beast. He dove at it, swaying out of the way of its trunk like arms. As it banged on the earth, creating another crack, Hiccup leaped on the appendage. He swung the black blade. The monster bellowed as the sword cut through the scales on the inside of its upper arm. It tried to grab him but Hiccup was already leaping over its shoulder, turning in the air and slashing at its back.

He landed on its thick tail and kept moving. The beast was turning after him but Hiccup proved to be too fast. Always staying in its blind spot, Hiccup slashed and hacked at the monster, each time dancing out of its grasp. He stopped for a moment to check on the village. Surprisingly, there was a team of sailors that were helping Mystogan wrangle the two dragons that attacked. Hiccup saw they had the situation under control and nodded to his fellow wizard. By now, the village was evacuated and they were the only ones who stayed to fight.

The croc was furious again, marching with thudding steps towards him. Hiccup gritted his teeth and dodged the double hammer punch that made a crater where he once stood. One of the sailors tried to approach but Mystogan held him back.

Hiccup realized he was going to have to end this fight soon. But only with his sword he wasn't going to put down the beast quickly. A glance at the sailors and a quick count put them at around eight men. All of them were big and rough, as men of the sea should be but Hiccup was more concerned with what kind of stories will get out of them.

He was going to have to use magic. The beast swung its tail. Hiccup let out a breath when the appendage quickly whipped by his chest, missing him by inches. The monster started swinging all of its limbs in a blind rage. Hiccup was hard pressed to stay out of its reach, let alone find an opening to slash at it.

As he backpedaled a good distance away from the monster he mentally went over the most logical explanations for his magic. The Seidr. It wasn't unusual for men to practice magic but the problem laid in how different the magic was. Hiccup has never seen the Gothi shoot laser beams during rituals so for that part he was going to have to wing it. And do it convincingly.

The croc-beast was turning to follow but the wizard didn't give it any time. With the moon glowing in the sky, he could feel the magic running through him. Hiccup dismissed his sword and took a deep breath.

"Moon Dragon Roar!" The torrent of blinding purple magic collided with the beast and threw it back in the ocean, growling and bleeding. He held back as much as he could as to not waste magic but even with that, the monster wasn't going to be on its feet any time soon if again.

As the swirl of the spell settled down, Hiccup evaluated his reserves. Even as low-powered at the roar was he was still going to take twice as much time to recover from that. He knew Midgard had magic, but it was only now that he realized how little it was. No wonder his best friend went through such a change when he came to Earthland, a world so enriched with ethernano ready to be used.

He turned to face the others. Mystogan was already on his way to him, Rein peeking starry-eyed out of his cloak. Coming behind him was a tall, fit, young man with slicked back hair and blue tattoos on his chin.

"Hiccup, are you okay?" He knew that question had more to do with his magic than his obvious well-being. The former heir nodded before switching to the Viking.

"That was nice of you, helping these folks."

The tattooed man stopped a polite distance away, smiling handsomely. His eyes shifted from Hiccup, to Mystogan and then to where the monster was send flying. "Not at all. It's what we do." He said instead, offering his hand which Hiccup hesitated for a second before taking it. "I'm Eret, son of Eret. Finest dragon trapper alive. And you don't seem to be from around here."

Hiccup spotted the two dragons being hauled towards a ship further away. His first instinct was to question it but he crushed it immediately.

"I'm Hiccup and this is my friend, Mystogan. And we were just passing through, just like you guys."

"I'm sure you were. You must have quite the story." Again, he was looking towards the sea.

"Not as much as you think."

Eret pointed over his shoulder at his men. "You wanna join us for a drink? As thanks for helping us out?"

Hiccup knew with just a taste of the air that Mystogan was both curious and anxious to accept the offer. On the one hand, they could get some answers out of them of their location and state of the archipelago but on the other hand they could get caught red-handed as outsiders. Eret didn't look brilliant but he wasn't stupid. He called them out on being foreigners right out the gate. Hiccup was ready to decline him when Eret started again.

"I would definitely love to hear the exploits of another Dragon Slayer."

And the world screeched to a halt just like that. He didn't need to look to see the confusion in Mystogan's eyes. Hiccup barely held himself from openly gawking at the man.

"I'm not that well-versed in this magic business, but I've heard of someone else pulling off stuff like that. So how about it?"

Hiccup and Mystogan exchanged worried glances. They had no choice now. And Eret knew that.

"Yeah, sure. Lead the way." Hiccup finally said.

The young trapper grinned and turned around, ignoring their apprehension. The two wizards and a hidden cat followed him more subdued.

"What was that about?" Mystogan whispered as they followed the team with the dragons.

"That's impossible! There is not enough magic in this world for someone to learn Dragon Slayer Magic. For that matter, there is not a powerful enough dragon that can teach it." He sighed at his guild mate's confusion. "The dragons in Midgard are very different. They don't hold a candle to the ones from Earthland. My guess is because the magic here is so rare they can barely horde it for themselves, not to mention teach someone else how to use it."

"I suppose. It was very easy to take down those dragons. I was unsure if I should even call them that."

Hiccup grimaced. As much as it pained him to admit it, the dragons of Midgard were a joke compared to Earthland. He highly doubted there even was one that could put a scratch on someone like Acnologia. He deliberately turned his attention from that particular subject and back to the 'another Dragon Slayer' issue.

He didn't sense any dishonestly in Eret's words. In fact, if it wasn't for the fact that he and his crew were capturing dragons, Hiccup might have liked the older boy. For him to be so blunt about the magic stuff, however, meant that he knew in some capacity who the other Dragon Slayer was. Hiccup just wanted to get away from this world and go back to Fiore where he could continue his journey. He wanted nothing to do with anyone's affairs. But he couldn't ignore something like this.

Hiccup made sure he knew all about the Dragons Slayers back in Earthland. It was hard to track them down, especially considering how young some of them were, but when he put his mind to it there was nothing that could deter him. As far as he knew, none of them had disappeared recently. He had traveled far and wide and he had not stumbled upon another portal to Midgard either. He would say that the chances that they would encounter one were very slim. This news was very troubling but he wanted to get to the bottom of it. He wondered if he would come to regret it later. Considering his luck, probably.

"So we're going to check this out first?"

Hiccup noticed that Mystogan was watching him a bit too smugly. As much as he wanted to punched him, he merely frowned.

"I have a bad feeling about this. And I've learned to trust my dragon instincts."

Mystogan nodded, seriousness settling again over his features. "Funny how the two loners of Fairy Tail ended up teaming up."

The former heir smirked with no humor. "I guess all things must come to an end, huh?"

"I, at least, had a reason to keep my distance. Wouldn't want to cause Erza anymore trouble and heartache." The taller wizard eyed Hiccup curiously. "So what was yours exactly?"

Hiccup really reconsidered punching him. "Why do you insist on making this about me?"

"You clearly have some unsolved issues. And I just want to help."

"I can say the same thing about you. But I'm not butting in, am I?"

A slight crease flashed over Mystogan's face. "The difference between us is that I'm not running away from my problems. I have a plan and I'm acting on it. You refuse to even acknowledge yours."

It wasn't often that Hiccup's temper blew up. Mystogan was making it very difficult to reign it in and he knew deep down that it was all intentional. He was getting angry and if the taller wizard didn't stop soon, the croc-beast wouldn't be alone at the bottom of the ocean.

"Look, I appreciate your concern. But this is something that I've left behind me a long time ago, and I'm not getting back there. I just want to figure out this whole thing and then we can see about going back to Earthland, okay?" It was getting hard to maintain a whisper. "Also, I don't want you guys to get involve too much in this world."

Mystogan shook his head. "I don't know how wise of a decision that is. It means we are blind to a lot of things."

"To be fair… we're not the only ones."

/\\\

Eret stopped them in front of his ship. The wooden deck of the makeshift port cracked under the weights of the two dragons as the trappers dragged them in the hold. There was a lot of noise, yelling and shoving but the three of them were impressed by the crew's dexterity and swiftness. Eret directed them briefly but spun around to see them halfway through the process.

"So, my boys and I aren't staying here for long. With these two, we have some pretty impressive cargo to deliver to our boss now. But it can wait for a quick shindig, eh? I'm really interested about you guys."

"Your boss?" Hiccup inquired instead.

"Yeah, he's the Dragon Slayer I mentioned actually." He laughed nervously. "He's uh, not very fond of being let down, so we gotta do our best."

Hiccup narrowed his eyes and nodded. After a moment he added. "So about that shindig, can we stay on land for that?" At the quizzing looks of those around him, Hiccup slouched. "I don't really get along with boats."

Eret laughed. He slapped his back playfully and shouted at everyone to bring the mead. "Yeah, not all are made for the sea."

It was in a clearing overlooking the bay and the port that the crew and the wizards finally sat down and relaxed. Drinks were passed to everyone in huge, wooden tankards and whatever left-overs were put on a plate for all to pick. It was early morning but the sun was still nowhere to be seen. The sailors laughed and sung around the fire and soon Eret's tongue was loosened enough to get some information.

"Drago is so demanding, every time we deliver him a batch he wants more for the next one. We have no breaks and that thief ain't helping matters. And if we don't fulfill our quota… well, he's not happy, I can tell you that."

The alcohol wasn't enough to make him blurt out everything but Eret soon warmed up to them. Mystogan had taken down the mask covering his face and had a quick bonding moment over their tattoos with Eret, to Hiccup's relief. He was also pleasantly surprised at the taste of the mead. Rein asked, quite pointedly to try it before realizing what she did and hunkering down in his cloak again. They both found that highly amusing.

Hiccup was keeping up with Eret but he was in a much better state of mind than him thanks to his metabolism. "Sounds like a strict man."

"Yep, but it beats a life of boring trading."

Drago Bludvist did not seem to be a nice person. And Hiccup was mixed up why a guy as fine as Eret would agree to work for him. From his words, he got the feeling that Eret wasn't happy with his job conditions but at the same time he seemed to be in awe with the man. Hiccup could kind of understand that. If this guy was capable of wielding Dragon Slayer Magic than all his followers must have been either coerced into joining him or impressed beyond belief. Eret appeared to be striding the line of fear and admiration. That meant it wouldn't take much for him to fully go either way.

"Why would somebody even need a dragon army though?"

Eret huffed leaning back on his hand. "Beats me. There's a lot of crazy going on around him but, y'now, better join them early."

"How exactly can a man even control a dragon army?" Added Mystogan carefully. "From where I come from, dragons are beings that cannot be controlled. They are just too powerful."

Hiccup wasn't sure that Mystogan had actually met a dragon before, but even if he did there was no doubt to his words. A dragon army in Earthland would have been impossible. In Midgard something like that, while achievable, was not going to last for long. Dragons were just too unpredictable.

"Eh, he put the fear of Gods in them. Just like he did with everything…" Eret said, his words slurring and features thoughtful. Hiccup and Mystogan briefly made eye contact.

"A cornered animal is at its most dangerous." Replied Mystogan finishing up his drink. Rein shifted under his cloak.

Eret scoffed but didn't disagree. The sight of the peeking sun was a sign their party was coming to a close. As the lull brought by the alcohol took over the crew, Eret finally decided for everything to be put away. A short rest and they would be on their way.

"Of course, you're welcome to join us. We're heading straight for the base where Drago is now."

Hiccup nodded hesitantly. "You really want us to come with you, don't you?"

The trapper smiled, wide and charming. "Only 'cause you're really curious too. I'm sure you didn't get as much as you wanted out of me."

Again, Hiccup had to give the man some credit. Tipsy or not, Eret was sharper than he first looked. They agreed to meet up again in a few hours, give the sailors time to settle their headaches and rest for the trip. The two wizards and a hidden cat walked around the village towards their camp in a thoughtful silence. Rein was fidgeting and once they were back in the forest, Mystogan allowed her to come out. She perched herself on his shoulder nervously.

"So what do you think?" He finally asked his fellow guild mate. Hiccup was getting suspicious of Eret but he couldn't deny that he was their best bet to get to Drago at the moment.

Mystogan was quiet. "It seems precarious."

"What part?"

The older wizard quirked a smile. "Eret seems like a very charismatic individual. He wants to please Drago Bludvist because he probably has some experience of displeasing him in the past. From what he said, magic like Drago's has never been seen before and he was very welcoming to us. Especially you."

"So he basically wants to give us to Drago along with the dragons. Yeah, that's what I though too." Hiccup nodded.

"He probably doesn't trust us."

"Neither do we."

"What do you want to do about the dragons?"

The question shouldn't have caught him off guard. Hiccup felt his chest constrict at the thought of Vikings still waring against dragons even after he and his best friend defeated the Queen an eternity ago. The matter should have been solved. There was nobody to control them again, so why were dragons attacking people still? And not even Vikings, just normal villagers who only wanted to live peacefully.

"I saw you looking at them and I know you hate me intruding on this but you can tell me, Hiccup." Mystogan looked at him, gray eyes begging him to let him help. "Please, you can't bear this on your own."

"And you know that how?" He asked defensively. He really hated that he considered telling him. He was so confident that his past would stay in Midgard. They only had to keep to that beach and figure out a way to open the portal. But he heard the screams and couldn't ignore them. He had the power to protect and he couldn't ignore those who couldn't do it for themselves. That brought too many painful memories from his childhood to the front; of being defenseless, of being protected, of being weak and useless. Ugh, why did everything had to come back to Berk?

"Hiccup, we are the same. We are both strangers who found a home in a wonderful guild. Who tried to keep everyone at arms' length because we thought we were too different even by Fairy Tail's standards. We both left our worlds because we couldn't stand how things were, or where they were going. The truth is that we're both still looking for that place to truly belong. I want to return to Edolas one day, but I will not until I know for certain my father will be judged for what he did. Not until I undo his wrongs." He sighed at Hiccup's growing frustration.

"I know you still love this world, and I can tell that you want to return to your own home. I do not understand what is stopping you but know that I will not judge you as it isn't my place to do so. If there is one thing I'm certain of, is that you are not a bad person." They stopped. Mystogan made sure to look him in the eyes.

Hiccup was rigid and very irritated. There were a hundred things he wanted to say and what stopped him was how genuine Mystogan looked at him. He shouldn't have been surprised that he wanted to help because that was exactly how Fairy Tail portrayed themselves as. Just crazy, dysfunctional people that truly wanted to help others and it pissed Hiccup off something fierce.

He didn't need that right now. He was perfectly fine with himself. His only objective was to find his best friend and his best friend was not on Midgard. There was no need to dig up old wounds.

"I want to help you, not because I'm curious about this world of yours but because Fairy Tail taught me this. We are Fairy Tail wizards, and we stay by each other. No matter what!"

That seemed what everything boiled down to. No, that was the only thing that seemed to matter in Fairy Tail. Blood, reputation, history, nothing was as important as being friends. Just because they were part of the same guild. So naïve and stupid.

Hiccup forgot how much he loved that.

He wanted to go back to Berk, but he was afraid of what he would find. Especially now with the knowledge that dragons still attacked. He tried to fool himself into thinking that it didn't matter. The past was the past and it was better for everything to be left behind, where it couldn't harm him. He was different now, he was stronger and capable, he was a warrior who fought countless battles, who traveled to odd lands and bore scars that would make men cheer and congratulate him. He was the son his father had always wanted. The son he had to lose in order to gain. He wanted to go back, but Hiccup knew that he would feel even more of a stranger than in Earthland.

He didn't want to be in that situation where he would have to confront his father and tell him he didn't want to stay. He didn't want to see the disappointment on his face as he would hear that his son feared to belong.

"Hiccup, please! You are not alone anymore."

Hiccup took a deep breath, claws scraping against his palms as his fists shook. And that was exactly it. Because if he was alone, he would have felt inclined to check up on them. He would not stay and he would not interact with anyone, just make sure everything was still standing, that his father was still kicking and generally being a stubborn pain, that Gobber was still singing horribly while working, that Astrid was leading a happy life as she should. Nobody had to know or see how pathetic he was.

But naturally, the Gods didn't like him that much to begin with so of course Mystogan was here. As well as Rein who was the least involved in this mess. He didn't know the older wizard that well, but the last thing Hiccup wanted was for him to get hurt by something he had nothing to do with.

Hiccup had a bad feeling about Drago Bludvist. He also had a bad feeling that Berk was not done with him. One way or another, things would collide so magnificently, Hiccup would wish he would have destroyed that cove years ago.

"I… Why are you so insistent?" His voice was thick with emotion.

"As I said, you can't bear this on your own. Sooner or later you'll reach a breaking point and nobody will be there to catch you. So let me do it!"

Hiccup tensed and looked at him. After what felt like hours, he finally unclenched his hands. His shoulders dropped and he sighed.

"Ok… ok, fine!" He fell down on next to the closest tree. He didn't care where they were. He wasn't sure he could muster the will to move any way. He rested his arms over his knees and nodded. "Sure! It's partially my fault we're here anyway, so you should know what's the situation if we want to leave with Eret."

If Mystogan noticed the tremors in his voice he didn't mention it. The taller wizard slowly joined him on the forest floor and watched him with patient eyes. Rein was quiet but she was rubbing her hands unsure if she should stay or not. Hiccup caught her eye and nodded, hoping that would be enough to calm her nerves. He didn't think he could smile.

"I come from an island named Berk. It's twelve days north of Hopeless, and a few degrees south of Freezing to Death. It's located solidly on the Meridian of Misery…"

The next few hours until the meeting, Hiccup spent recounting his former life. He never imagined that the only person he would completely open up to would be his fellow recluse guild mate.