A/N
Hey, sorry about how rushed the last chapter seemed. Like I said, my wifi was acting up, so I wasn't able to connect my laptop. As a result, I was resorted to doing everything by phone, which is an extremely tedious task. I promise that I'll improve the first chapter once my wifi starts working properly again. I'm still using my phone for this chapter, but I'll try my hardest to make it seem less rushed.
PS...I added my character description in the A/N of the first chapter.
"human speech"
human thought
"dragon speech"
dragon thought
A few tense, awkward moments passed by between Stoick and Oscar, neither entirely sure how to proceed with the situation. Stoick literally just adopted a kid. What does he do? His parenting skills aren't necessarily that great, if what Gobber says is anything to go by. He probably shouldn't try to rush their father/son relationship, considering the fact that Oscar never really had a real family to begin with, and he doesn't want to do anything to scare him off. He figured that the best thing he could do right now is look for an excuse to leave the kid alone, to give him time to process what's going on. He would most likely want time to think about what's to come in his new future.
Stoick then suddenly gets up, causing Oscar to jump a slight bit. He nearly forgot how massive this man was. Doesn't help that he has such a shattered experience with Vikings in the past. However, this Viking seemed different. He didn't know why, he just did. After everything this Stoick, no, after everything his dad just told him, he feels like he can trust this man. Maybe life on Berk wouldn't be so bad after all.
Stoick heads for the door. He reaches for the door, but before he opens it, he turns toward Oscar. "Listen, son..." Gods that was gonna take some getting used to. For both Stoick and Oscar. Oscar didn't have a fatherly figure, a real fatherly figure for so long, and Stoick didn't necessarily feel comfortable referring to someone who isn't his own blood as "son." Honestly he feels like he's betraying Hiccup in a way, being more open and vulnerable with this new kid. I'm definitely gonna need to have that conversation with Hiccup later. Hopefully tonight. "Look, I'm gonna have to talk to my friend, Gobber. He's my second in command, so he has to know everything." Oscar slowly nods his head, feeling slightly nervous. He was always the shy, awkward type. He doesn't necessarily know how to feel with people talking about him. "We might take a while. Take some extra rest if you need to. Once we finish, I'll lead you to your new home, maybe even introduce you to my son. Does that sound like a plan?" Oscar actually perked up at that. He actually always wanted a brother, yet at the same time, he felt a little nervous. He nods his head, putting a small smile on Stoick's face. "Very good. I'll just leave you to your thoughts. I'll be back in a bit." He then opens and exits the hut, the door closing hard behind him.
Oscar was left alone for the next couple hours or so. Having eaten all his food, and feeling much better than before he'd passed out, he's currently left with nothing to do. He decides to stand up and roam around the room. Sitting up, he suddenly felt discomfort. Gobber wasn't kidding when he told him to take it easy. The uncomfortable, disorienting feeling that he got upon sitting up seemed to almost completely vanish as if it was never there. Then again, I haven't eaten anything for almost two months. My body systems are most likely out of wack from eating so much so soon.
He carefully stands up, feeling a mild cramp in his right leg. He figured that it was due to losing so much muscle mass. Actually, the cramp only seemed to get worse, to the point that he couldn't even move his leg from how stiff it was. He tried laying back down so he could relax his leg, however that did very little to ease the pain. In the matter of a few minutes, the cramping suddenly ceased. Feeling finally relieved that his body is willing to cooperate with him, he stands himself back up on shaky legs. You're body was just weak for so long, and doesn't understand how to process so much food at once. Just take one step at a time, Oscar tried to reassure himself. He carefully steps away from his bed, being careful to not overstress his already deprived body. One big feast would most likely not be enough. It would probably take him a few days, maybe even a few weeks for his body to get used to food and strenuous activity again. Gods, is it the same for those who are morbidly obese? On second thought...scratch that, that's most Vikings, and they're warriors..
He paces around the room, looking through books and stashes of medicinal herbs and powders. He can't exactly read the books, so he's just going off of their pictures. Honestly he's bored as all Hel. So, he's trying to pass the time by learning the best he can, going off of the pictures that are listed. One of the pictures actually reminded him of a herb that he once used on his father, way back when he was only six years old. It was such a rare plant, so rare that he didn't even know it still existed, let alone spoken of. All he remembers is that this special herb, when properly mixed into a paste, can double, sometimes even triple the speed of recovery from an injury.
The thought of his father brought a tightening sensation to his chest. That was something that he couldn't tell Stoick about. There's so much about his past that is best kept a secret. The biggest thing being his family history. If Stoick were to learn of Oscar's real nature, of his family background, he could very well wind up exiling him, or worse...
Nine years ago - Location: Unknown
Somewhere near the border of the archipelago, lays an uninhabited island. Well, uninhabited by Vikings. However, there's an odd pair whom regularly visit said island. In the heart of the island, in the middle of a small cove, a young Viking boy can be seen rubbing a green paste on a dragons wing, a dragon who the young boy seems to have a close bond with. The dragon in particular is the deadliest dragon of them all. The Vikings call them the night furies, one of, if not, the rarest dragon breeds in the entire archipelago.
The young boy is currently dressing a wound on the dragon's wing. The fury received three ballista arrows into his right wing during the last dragon raid three nights ago. The young boy removed the arrows and stitched up the holes himself yesterday. Now he's dressing them to fight off infection and speed up the recovery process.
The young boy sighs and shakes his head as he finishes up dressing the wound, the night fury folding his wing on his back in response. "You really got to be more careful next time," the boy said in draconian, causing the dragon to roll his eyes and let out a huff in response.
"That Viking only got lucky." The dragon responded, sitting up and puffing out his chest in pride. "He won't get me next time." This causes the boy to roll his eyes. He then smirks and flicks his hands at the dragon's face, causing the green paste still left on his hands to fly into his eyes. The fury growls and rubs his eyes clean in response, following with a tail sweep at the young boy, who effortlessly flips over it. The dragon grunts and lays back down. "I let you dodge that one."
The young boy resists another eye roll before laying down with the dragon, resting his body against the dragon's side. "Yeah yeah, well if that Viking was any luckier, you'd by dead!" The boy sighs, reaching up his hand to gently scratch the dragon on the neck, causing him to let out a purr in response.
"I don't die, I'm immortal, remember?" The dragon responds jokingly, eliciting yet another eye roll from the boy. In response, the dragon gently tail smacks the boy on the back of the head, although the dragon couldn't resist the urge to smile. "Your eyes will fall out of their sockets one day if you don't stop all that eye rolling." In response, the boy smiles and does another eye roll. The dragon sighs and rolls his eyes. "Hatchlings, they never listen." The boy chuckles and lays his head back against the dragon's side.
"Only gods are immortal." Says the boy, who pokes the dragons dressed wounds in response. The dragon tenses his wing, yet tries to show no indication of pain.
"Well I am a god." Remarks the dragon.
"Well, last I remember, you were bleeding enough to fill a keg with." Responds the boy, lifting the dragon's right wing for emphasis.
"It was only a few drops of blood!" The dragon yells defensively, yanking his wing away from the boy as he tries to hold onto whatever dignity he still has left. The boy again rolls his eyes and gestures to a huge red stain in the grass on the other side of the cove.
"So that's just red paint then? Because it looks like someone spilled a whole bucket then."
"Hey, you don't know, maybe I have an artistic hobby?" The dragon responds jokingly. The boy stares at him with a stern look. The dragon stares back with the same intensity, both holding the same glare at each other for a solid 30 seconds, before both of them start bursting out in laughter. This was common among the two. They would always get into playful arguments with each other, only to laugh in the end. The boy really wishes he can share a similar friendship with his village. The boy lets out a sigh, his voice getting more serious.
"Why do you still raid our village Pa? I'm worried that one day I'll lose you." The young boy stares at the dragon with a serious, almost pleading expression. The dragon sighs, nuzzling the boy affectionately and gently licking the boy's cheek. He can't lie to him. Not anymore. He feels that he's ready for the truth.
"I...I still participate in the raids on your village because I still haven't forgiven them for what they've done to your mother...and for what they continue to do to you." The dragon starts to tear up, letting them fall without any hesitation. The boy hugs his dragon's neck and wipes the tears away. "Thank you." He sniffles. "I love you son, I really do. I absolutely hate how poorly your village treats you. If it were solely up to me, I'd just go on a killing spree, rampaging your village just to see how many vikings I can kill before they finish me off. But I can't do that, because you would never accept that, and because I don't want to leave you behind to fend for yourself." The dragon's voice starts to waver as he does his best to choke down his emotions. However, his teary eyes are a perfect indication for the pain that's eating him deep inside. He can't cry. Night furies aren't supposed to cry.
The boy holds onto his father tight, doing the best he could to support him. He gently scratches his neck, causing him to calm down a little. The boy is too fighting off tears. He never got to know his mother, although he is still affected by what happened. The only thing he's ever known of his mother are memories his dad told him, and stories his village fed him. "Pa, can you tell me how you and Ma met?" The boy asks, looking at his dragon father with pleading eyes. The dragon looks a little hesitant, but gives in. Maybe recalling the positives of his past would better improve his mood.
"Well..." He stares off in the distance with a thoughtful expression. "Our paths crossed each other during a dragon raid almost 16 years ago." The boy sits up straight, repositioning himself in front of his father with an attentive expression, waiting to hear more. His father always told him of his past, but never has he told him anything specific about his relationship with his mother, or how he was conceived. The dragon chuckles at the boy's antics, nuzzling him on the cheek before continuing. "It was your usual dragon raid; dragons fighting to steal food for the queen, fatalities happening on both sides, you know, the usual. Your mother was never the typical viking. She was never into killing or violence, however she always felt the need to learn to fight in order to help protect her village from raiders. She was always forced to fight alongside in the dragon raids, yet she'd try her best to stay out of the way, only jumping into action when one of her own were in immediate danger. Of all the times I've participated in the raids on your village, I've come to realize how pacifistic she was, even in times when her life was potentially in danger. She never fought to kill, she only ever fought to defend, only acting whenever she deemed it absolutely necessary. I really appreciated that characteristic in her, and over time I've grown really fond of her. I didn't know it at the time being, but I think I was beginning to fall in love with her."
"During one raid, I was covering suppressing fire over the dragons of my nest so that they could go in for their catch. That was when I noticed a young boy run out into the field...to what I guess he was trying to defend his favorite sheep. He chased after the sheep, and that was when one of the dragons decided to change course and go after the young boy instead. He was gonna end up catching and offering the boy instead just because he was an easier catch. Your mother saw this and ran after the two with axe in hand. I knew that she would never harm a dragon. She would've most likely sacrificed herself just to save the child. That was when I made a risky decision and stopped in the middle of the fight, launching a plasma blast at the dragon, scaring him off. That one foolish decision caused me to lower my guard long enough for one of the Vikings to launch an arrow through my abdomen. Out of panic, I flew off and landed in some random area in the forest, hiding in a cave. I lacked the strength to keep on flying by then, and if I made it back to the nest, there wouldn't be anything that anyone could've done for me anyway. The queen would most likely just deem me unfit for battle anymore, and eat me. So I decided to just lay in that cave and wait to die. I eventually fell asleep, thinking that I would never wake up again."
"When I finally woke up, it was dawn of the next day, and I heard some footsteps near my cave. Expecting it to be some sort of scouting party looking for me, I just closed my eyes and accepted my fate. I figured that it would be better to die instantly than to die slowly and painfully. But to my surprise...it was her, your mother, the same woman that I saved. Upon seeing me, seeing the condition that I was in, it broke her heart. I looked at her with pleading eyes, begging her to help me. Despite not understanding draconian, she seemed to understand my desperate plead perfectly, because she ran off, and in an hour came back with a bunch of medical equipment. She pulled the arrow out, quickly stitched my wounds, then disinfected them. She told me that I was very lucky, that the arrow missed all vital organs, and only nicked an artery."
"I remembered her scent that day. Ever since then, I've felt some kind of need to repay her. So everyday since I've visited that same spot, assuming that she frequently ventured out there, and we would always meet since. I've played with her, took her on flights, even offered her fish... however she always seemed disgusted by that for some reason." He chuckled before continuing. "I started developing feelings for her, and I could tell that she started feeling the same towards me, however the both of us were too shy and ashamed to admit it. Until one day, when we were out on one of our flights, she laid down and pressed her body against mine in an awkward hug, saying, 'I love you.' The moment that we landed, I didn't know how to reciprocate the same emotions to her in response, so I pressed my lips against hers. She seemed a little shocked at first, but then relaxed and leaned into my show of affection. Ever since that moment, a huge weight was lifted off our shoulders, and we stopped being shy around each other. Eventually, about 6 months later after that, we mated, and that's how we ended up having you." The dragon then nuzzled the little boy, who is now teary eyed, although he had a slight smile on his face. However, he couldn't help but ask one question that's always bothered him ever since he was a little toddler.
"What, exactly, happened to Ma anyway?" Upon hearing those words, the dragon instantly frowned, trying his best to choke down his emotions again.
"Do you...do you really want to know what happened to your mother?" The little boy hesitantly nods in response, knowing very well that he may not like the answer, yet feeling like he must know. The dragon sighs, before nuzzling his own son and continuing. "About half a month before you were supposed to be born, they found out about our relationship. Some hunters have walked in on us, well... showing our love for each other. I honestly don't remember the name of that display of affection."
"Kissing?" The boy offered, thinking he understands what his father is talking about. The dragon nods his head, seeming to remember the word.
"Yeah, that's the one. They've unfortunately walked in on us kissing. They were extremely furious to say the least. Before we could have a chance to escape, they tied my wings down with bolas and rushed me, two men grabbing your mother. They hauled us back to the village to tell the current chief at the time, all that they saw. He was absolutely livid, and scheduled your mother for execution...and forced me in a cage to watch." He lets his face fall in sorrow, trying the best he can to hide any vulnerability from his son. He really doesn't want his son to see him like this. The boy on the other hand was starting to tear up. He always heard good things of his mother from his father, yet to hear that she was executed over some misunderstanding really broke him. However much he wanted to sob right now, he wanted to do his best to stay strong so he could let his father finish his story. "At sunset of that day, I've watched your mother get decapitated, and there was absolutely nothing I could've done to stop it. The moment that it was my turn to get executed, I made myself seem vulnerable. However, I've been fighting the binds and trying so hard to get to your mother that I've managed to loosen them up significantly. They were low on chains at the time, so they instead used rope. The moment that they pulled me out of the cage, I slashed the Vikings' throats and ran to your mother. Upon realizing that there was absolutely nothing I could do, I took off." He couldn't hold it back anymore. He had to let it all out. The dragon broke right there, sobbing heavily, wrapping a paw around the boy and pressing him against him, never wanting to let go, fearing that if he were to let his son go, he'd lose him and never see him again.
The boy sobbed too, absolutely broken from the news told to him by his father. He really wished that he could've gotten to know his mother, but that would always remain an impossibility. After an hour or so of crying, the two of them finally stopped, hesitantly letting go of each other, although leaning against each other to ensure the other that they were still there. "I-I don't want to stay with them anymore. W-why don't you just take me with you?" The boy whimpered, wiping his nose on his sleeve. "I-It would be so much easier for you, f-for me." He blows his nose on his shirt, then curls up closer to his father. The dragon sighs, shaking his head.
"Yeah, I understand that living life as a dragon grants you a lot of freedoms, but that also comes with a bunch of risks. Vikings absolutely hate us, they don't care. I'm just scared that one day you'd get hurt just for being with me. They killed your mother just for affiliating herself with me...they kill dragons just out of bloodlust, just because they can." The boy just shakes his head, absolutely furious at his father. How could his father just come up with such a weak excuse to not take him?!
"S-so?! Dragons kill hundreds of vikings. Even vikings are a threat to themselves! Plundering raids happen all the time, and most of the time there are hundreds of casualties!" The boy tries to explain, hoping to change his mind. However, the dragon's expression remains unchanged.
"And vikings kill thousands of us! It's not a risk I'm willing to take!" He sighs and let's out a shuddering breath, calming himself down. The boy looks absolutely shocked that his dad yelled at him, usually he's so gentle and sincere. The dragon nuzzles him and places a paw on the boy's shoulder, a gesture that he'd learned from the boy's mother. "Listen, I've later learned that as soon as your mother died, you were cut out of her womb, because your people figured that although she committed the ultimate treason, her child didn't deserve to suffer for her actions. They've never known that you were my child, and I've figured that it should stay that way. I've figured that you'd be better off living with them instead of with me, because I didn't want the same thing happening to you. I mean, it's dangerous enough that you're seeking me every so often." He sighs and wraps him into another hug with a paw. The boy tenses up for a moment, and was considering pulling away, but relaxes and leans into his embrace. "I just want what's best for you. And to be honest, there are more risks to leaving with me than just the vikings." The boy looks a little confused by that. He pulls away and looks his father in the eye.
"Really? Like what?" He asked. What could possibly be worse than vikings? The dragon just sighs, standing up.
"It's the queen. She treats her dragons poorly." He then smirks, remembering one of the jokes that one of his friends once said. "She's a lot like an angry drunk viking who's high off of testosterone. She's fat, she's very lazy, and whenever she's hungry, she wants to kill everything in sight." The boy laughs, scratching the dragon on the chin, causing him to purr. He then looks up at the sky, seeing how dark it's gotten. "I should probably get back to the nest. The queen is gonna wonder where I've been. You should probably go back as well. If anything, say you went hiking to avoid the bullies, and got lost." The boy gets up too, stretching himself, causing his joints to pop slightly.
"No need to worry, they never notice when I disappear anyway." The boy then glances at his father's wing. "Are you gonna be alright?" The dragon tilts his head to the side in confusion, before catching on.
"Oh, yeah! Yeah, it doesn't hurt anymore." The boy nods, pulling his father into one last hug.
"Please be careful Pa." The dragon nods and nuzzles the boy's cheek, before giving his forehead a gentle lick.
"You too, my little dragon." The dragon pulls away from the boy's hug, the boy doing the same. He then prepares to head back to his island, taking off his shirt, pants, shoes, and socks, putting them into a bag. He then ties a hangman's knot from his bag and strapped across his chest and over one shoulder, before transforming to his dragon form, his boxers, which were still on, ripping off his body as he outgrew them. He pulls on the rope with his mouth to tightly secure the bag. Meanwhile, his father just watches him with an amused expression. "You know, I don't understand why you partially undress yourself, just to destroy a pice of cloth anyway. Why not just switch immediately to your dragon form?" The young, midsized hatchling just roles his eyes.
"If I did that, I wouldn't have any clothes to change back into. Also, it's much easier to say I misplaced and lost some underwear, versus all my clothes." The hatchling then buries the remains of the boxers in the dirt.
The older night fury just chuckles, playfully smacking his son in the side. "I know, I'm just messing with ya." Before he could take off, his son calls out to him.
"One last thing Pa, do you remember Ma's name?"
His father nods, recalling the name of the woman. "Yes, her name was Aasta." With that, he flew off, back to his nest. On the way up and out, he calls back to his son. "Take care Oscar!" Oscar spreads his wings and takes off, heading for the woods of his home island.
Take care Pa, he thinks to himself, heading back home.
Gothi's hut: present day
*CRACK*
Oscar snaps out of his trance as a staff smacks the table in front of him hard. He was so startled he could've jumped at least ten feet if the roof permitted it. He turns his head to come face to face with an old, short lady, hunched over with a staff in hand. And she didn't look happy in the slightest.
Oscar chuckles nervously, shifting in place. He wonders how he didn't notice her walking into the room. Either he was so lost in thought, or she was creepily quiet. "So, um..you're Gothi, right?" She curtly nods her head, and then gestures to Oscar with her staff, then gestures back to his bed. Getting the message, Oscar walks back to his bed, sitting down.
Oscar goes back in thought, thinking about the flashback that he just had. That was one of the few memories that he had of his real father. The last time he saw him, was approximately 6 months ago. That was when he was running away from his island.
Unknown island: 6 months ago
His father was just visiting him in the woods, because he hasn't seen him for a while. Eventually someone walked in on them playing with each other, and reported it to the chief. Upon hearing of the news, he was furious.
He had Oscar tied to a post and ordered someone to whip him 100 times. Oscar tried his best to keep showing no signs of pain, despite the intense burning sensation that was coming from his raw back. He didn't want to alert his father of his predicament, afraid that he would come and try to save him, getting himself killed in the process. He didn't find it fair for his father to die for his own sufferings. Unfortunately after the 43rd whip, he couldn't help but let out an intense cry of pain.
That was when a furious night fury came charging into the arena, blasting it open and killing the man who was whipping him. The moment that he managed to free his son from his bindings, he was tackled and brought down by a bunch Vikings. When Oscar, who was on the ground, trying his best to recover from the intense burning pain in his back, laying in a pool of his own blood, saw the chief approach his father with an axe in hand, pulling it back to deliver the killing blow, that was when something inside of Oscar finally snapped.
He jumped up on his feet, not feeling the pain for a minute due to all the adrenaline, and ran up to the chief, grabbing the whip off the floor. He pulled his arm back and whipped the chief across the face hard, ripping off a decent amount of flesh. But Oscar wasn't satisfied. He kept whipping him until he dropped the axe in his hand, which Oscar picked up with ease, and with strength he didn't even know he had, brought it down hard on his head, breaking through the Chief's helmet, and chopping his head in half.
The Chief's body had tensed up, before dropping to the ground and going limp. The chief was dead. Oscar finally came to, realizing that he just killed his own chief. Oh no, what have I just done? All of the vikings whom were in the arena just froze up, absolutely shocked by what they witnessed. That allowed the night fury the chance to break free from the men pinning him down, backing to Oscar's side, and firing a powerful plasma blast at them, either stunning, or killing them. Oscar then desperately pushes against the dragon, trying to urge him to leave.
"Go! Go now! Get out of here!"
The night fury whips around, wishing that now was an appropriate time to tail smack him to Helheim and back. "I'm not going anywhere! You run, and I'll cover for you!"
Oscar was now getting desperate. He didn't want to leave his father behind. "I can't go! They-they'd kill you!"
The night fury rolls his eyes, getting increasingly frustrated, letting out a growl. "Then you'd be safe! Just get out of here!" The boy continues to insist. He grabs on tight to his father, refusing to let go. But just as a group of Vikings start to storm the entrance of the cage, the dragon pulls away and tail smacks Oscar across the face hard, before whipping around and sending a three shot burst at the vikings, killing the ones near the front, while simultaneously kicking up dirt and blinding the others. "THERE IS NO ROOM FOR ARGUMENT! GET YOUR ASS OFF THIS ISLAND NOW!"
Oscar, who was still on the floor, rubbing his cheek, hesitantly nods, getting up and grabbing a sword off the ground. He runs to the gate of the arena, shoving the sword through the face of a Viking that got in his way, while his father took care of the rest.
He and his father ran to the heart of the village, where Oscar stole medical supplies, and a change of clothes, all of which he put in a bag. He was about to transform before he heard a high pitched scream from behind him.
He turned around to find his father pinned down by Vikings. Thinking fast, Oscar grabbed a nearby spear, and sent it through the chest of the Viking clamping his jaw shut. Taking the opportunity, the night fury mauled the nearest available target to him, allowing himself to wiggle free from the other Vikings, before catching up with his son. Oscar then transforms, before he and his father fly off, Oscar catching the bag of supplies in his mouth as he does so.
As they were escaping an island, he heard his father right beside him yelp as he was hit with a bola, tying around his wings, causing him to lose control and crash into the ocean below. He saw his body sink and bubbles come up over the water, before the water went still.
Knowing that he had no precious time to waste, and that this is what his dad wanted, Oscar flies off with tears escaping his eyes, later raiding a nearby tribe and stealing a boat.
Gothi's hut: present day
Oscar teared up at the memory of his father's death. He always kept trying to make up scenarios to convince himself that his father is still alright, that he's still alive, however they're all as likely as Helheim freezing over. If the Vikings haven't gone out to sea in search of his body, then some large sea dragon must've most likely devoured him by now. Cannibalism was a very common thing among dragons.
He then remembers the scars on his back, that healed from being lost out at sea for 6 months. He looks down at his own attire, realizing that he still has the same clothes ever since he passed out. He's thankful for grabbing an undershirt with him. Either they didn't bother checking his body, or Gothi did, but stayed hushed about the scars. Whip scars are pretty obvious, and they usually mark traitors, criminals, or slaves. He's glad that nobody knows about them, otherwise Stoick would've said something.
His thoughts were interrupted when Gothi walked up to him with a soup of some foul smelling broth. Oscar immediately pinched his nose, almost barfing in disgust. "Ugh, what the heck is that?!"
Gothi rolls her eyes and sets the bowl down on the table next to him, which Oscar pushes as far away from himself as possible. Gothi spills some sand on the ground, then uses her staff to write in the sand, pretty much explaining that the broth is a mixture of herbs that will teach his body to better utilize nutrients in order to gain muscle mass faster. However, Oscar stares at the ground in confusion.
"I can't even read! But whatever that stuff is, it would be a cold day in a fireworm's nest before I ever try that crap!" Gothi just rolls her eyes and smacks him on the head with her staff, causing him to recoil in pain as he grabs his head. "OUCH! Hey, what was that fo- AGH!" Gothi grabs his now open jaw, and tips the bowl into his mouth, forcing him to swallow the broth. Oscar shudders from the taste, nearly throwing up.
Before he could protest any further, he hears the door suddenly fly open. In walked the massive Stoick the vast, aka, his new dad. Trailing right behind him was a small, lanky boy about Oscar's age. He didn't look enthusiastic in the slightest. If anything, it looked like he'd rather be anywhere but here.
"Go on son, introduce yourself." Stoick says, pushing Hiccup toward Oscar. Hiccup and Oscar both shy away awkwardly, which Stoick found kinda amusing.
"Um...hi. I'm, uh, Hiccup, heir to Berk, I guess." He ruffles the back of his head nervously. "Um, pleasure to-to meet you?" He offers Oscar a hand, which he awkwardly takes.
"Um, my name's Oscar," Oscar simply says, just as, if not, even more nervous. Stoick couldn't help but cringe at the encounter between the two. The two of them are literally about to be brothers, yet they can't even start small talk with each other. Then again, Stoick probably should've told Hiccup ahead of time, or gave Oscar a heads up. Now that he thinks of it, he made it seem like he was gonna introduce Hiccup to Oscar right before bed. Knowing that Oscar isn't going to open himself up to Hiccup any time soon, he decides to explain everything to Hiccup for him, explaining how Oscar was found, the little bit of information that he told him, and of his plans to adopt him. Hiccup honestly didn't know what to think of all this.
"Wait, so-so, I'm gonna have a brother is what you're saying?" Hiccup didn't know whether or not he should feel happy about this. Oscar on the other hand wasn't currently showing it, but he's actually excited to spend some time with Hiccup.
Stoick nods his head, a big, proud smile on his face. "That's right! And he's gonna be working in the forge with you, starting tomorrow!"
Hiccup: "No!"
Oscar: "Yes!"
Some more awkward small talk later, Stoick finally decides that it's time to head back home. Upon hearing about home, Hiccup was the first to get up and exit through the door. That kinda broke Stoick's heart. He went through all this effort of introducing Hiccup to his new brother, yet he almost seemed too eager to blow him off.
Oscar, however, didn't seem all too fazed by this. He was used to people avoiding him anyway. He figured that hopefully, as time passes, they would both get on each other's good side. Stoick decides to offer to take Oscar home tonight.
"So, um, would you like to spend the night at the chief house, or stay here?" Oscar thinks this over for a minute, before a question finally popped up in his head. Where will he sleep? Clearly they only have beds for two at the moment, right? Almost as if he was reading his mind, Stoick adds, "upon telling Gobber, he ordered someone to make an extra bed in Hiccups room, just for you. So what do you say?" Oscar was actually very touched by this subject, never having slept in a bed before. Probably back when he was a little toddler, so young to remember, but as long as he can remember, he's never once had his own bed. It kinda made him feel envious of all the other kids he's lived with growing up, getting everything they wanted, meanwhile he never received much of anything. Just the thought of having his very own bed made him feel like a kid on Snoggletog.
Oscar nods, pushing himself up and forcing himself to stand. "Yes, I would love that very much?" Stoick smiles upon hearing Oscar take his offer. Oscar then looks over to Gothi, who is at the corner, mixing what he assumes are medicinal remedies. "Um...she cleared me to leave, right?" Stoick nods, helping Oscar walk with him by acting as a support for the young boy.
"Yes, she says that you may leave as long as you take it easy on yourself." They both walk out the door, and slowly descend the steps in silence, Oscar stumbling a few times, his leg muscles not used to stairs yet. Something then finally clicked in Oscar's mind. How will he be able to work in the forge?
"Um...Dad, how am I going to be able to work in the forge in my current condition?" Stoick furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, and then face palmed for his ignorance.
"Ugh, I didn't even think about that. Of course you wouldn't be able to do much work, most of the equipment would most likely be too heavy for you." Oscar just rolls his eyes at the subliminal insult. Stoick might not have ment for it to come off as offensive, but he was offended by it.
"Thank you, for summing that up." Oscar replies sarcastically, causing Stoick to chuckle and shake his head.
"You know, that's actually Hiccup's catchphrase. Maybe you two are more alike than you'd think." Stoick lets out another chuckle, before going back to thinking about the forge. "You know, maybe Gobber can put you to do some basic housekeeping. You know, sweeping the floor, dusting the counters?" Oscar just groans at the thought of cleaning.
"Ugh, so poor people's work." Stoick just sighs, patting Oscar on the back.
"You can't exactly do much right now, but once you become big and strong again," Stoick says, making an exaggerated flexing pose for emphasis, much to Oscar's amusement, "you'd be taking on tougher jobs in no time." Oscar kinda likes the sound of that. Back at his village, nobody ever really trusted him enough to task him with anything. "Besides, work is work. You're getting paid anyway." Oscar couldn't help but nod at that, not wanting to argue with that logic. However, a smirk appears on his face, not wanting to miss the opportunity to crack a joke, and potentially embarrass Hiccup. By the way, isn't that what brothers do?
"On the subject of big and strong, Hiccup most be the most feared viking on the island." Oscar responds sarcastically, making Stoick burst out in laughter. He pats Oscar on the back, a little too hard for his liking, almost knocking him over.
"I swear son, the similarities between you and Hiccup are absolutely shocking! Almost terrifying." As his laughter dies down, he gets a little more serious, the topic going back to Hiccup. "He may not be the strongest viking out there, but he does have enough experience and muscle memory to last him in the forge. Besides, I don't trust him anywhere else. He's too clumsy to be a carpenter, and lacks the patience to be a cook/baker. I think the forge is his calling in life." Oscar nods at Stoick, accepting the answer. The more he hears about this Hiccup, and the apparent similarities between them, the more he wants to get to know him. It's almost like Hiccup's just like him...
His thoughts are interrupted by Stoick the second time that evening. "Hey, um, I've been meaning to tell you, tomorrow I'm gonna hold a meeting in the Mead hall at lunch time. I'm gonna let Berk know that you'll be living amongst us. I would like you to take your lunch break there so I can introduce you to some people. What do you say?"
That was enough to make Oscar nervous. He didn't really think about socializing or getting to know anyone. As a matter of fact, he was so scared to. He's scared that he'd be viewed as unfit to be a part of the tribe, and would be mistreated here just like back at his old island. Only thing was, his father, his real father, wouldn't be there to help him out this time. He was scared beyond belief, his body starting to tremble with fear as they walk closer to the Haddock house.
Upon seeing Oscar's reaction to the news, Stoick started to worry. He wasn't expecting this reaction from him the slightest. And worst of all, he doesn't know what he could possibly do to help him out. "Um, I'm sorry if I said anything you don't like. You don't have to show up if you don't want to." But that's also another thing, if he refuses to introduce himself, out of fear, then that could be seen as weak. He fears that he'd just be giving the residents of Berk ammunition to use against him. He knows that eventually he'd have to face them. He can't hide from everyone forever.
Taking a deep breath, Oscar steals himself, shaking his head. "No, I'll go. I'll meet these people." Stoick, on the other hand, wasn't at all convinced.
"Are-are you sure? You don't have to if you don't want to. I won't force you into anything you won't do." Oscar, however, just shakes his head, refusing to deny Stoick's initial request, despite how much he really wants to.
"N-no. I don't want to be viewed as weak. I'll go." Oscar says, relaxing a little more now. That actually put a smile on Stoick's face. He appreciated that Oscar was willing to push his comfort zone, despite having his own doubts. That's the Viking way.
Before long, they've arrived to the Haddock household. Stoick walks in, but Oscar stays right outside the door, unsure what to do. Stoick stops and stares back at Oscar while still holding the door open, clearly puzzled.
"What are you doing? It's getting late, aren't you tired?" Oscar hesitates, not moving from his spot.
"Nobody has ever offered me into their home. I've spent more time out in the woods than in my own village. I-I don't even think I have proper house manners." Stoick sighs, saddened at the thought of a teen who is too scared to enter someone's home, just because he never had one himself. No kid ever deserves that kind of abuse.
"Listen Oscar, you're my son now. No matter what happens, you'd always have a place in our household. Please, just come in." Stoick pleads, holding out a hand. Oscar contemplates what his surrogate father just said, before grabbing his outstretched hand, letting him lead him inside.
Relieved that he got through to him, he takes his hand and leads him inside, closing the door behind them. "Your bed would be upstairs in Hiccup's room. Just follow the stairs, and take the first door on your right."
Oscar nods, finding the stairs and following his instruction. Upon making it to Hiccup's room, he can see Hiccup drawing in what seems to be a sketch book. He didn't even notice Oscar step in the room. Oscar walks up behind him, staring down over Hiccup's shoulder. It seems to be the blueprints to some kind of high tech weapon, resembling a ballista, but it launches bolas instead. He grimaced at the violent nature of the obvious weapon, undoubtedly intended for dragons, although he can admit, Hiccup has got some talent. Avoiding commenting on the nature of the contraption, since he doesn't want to come off as a "dragon hugger," he decides to give compliments where they're due.
"You're a pretty good artist," commented Oscar, causing Hiccup to jump up in shock, slamming his book shut, and turning around quickly to cover the book with his body, all in one motion. Once he turned around, he came face to face with Oscar, who also jumped back in shock at Hiccup's reaction, Not meaning to scare him.
"I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to scare you!" Oscar rushes to say, causing Hiccup to calm down slightly. He thought that it was his father who walked in on him. He didn't want his dad knowing that he was working on another invention.
"No no, really, it's alright. You just, really, scared me, hehe." Hiccup chuckles nervously, relaxing significantly, although refusing to continue working on his blueprints. "So, um, what are you doing here?" That causes Oscar to arch an eyebrow. Wouldn't Stoick have told him by now. Then again, he did seem to have run off.
Oscar shifts in place nervously. "Um... didn't your dad tell you I'm sleeping here?" Hiccup also arches an eyebrow, then makes an "oh" expression with his mouth. He gestures to the bed on the other side of the room.
"I was wondering why there was a second bed in my room." Oscar just continues to look in confusion. "Look, me and Dad...don't necessarily have good communication skills." Oscar nods, then shrugs in response, accepting the answer. He doesn't really know what a good father looks like. He never experienced what it was like to have a father. He did share moments with his biological father, although they were very rare. Oscar decides not to dwell on it too much, not wanting to allow his true emotions seep through. He goes to sit on his bed, kicking his shoes off.
Wanting to start some small talk to get to know his new brother a bit better, Oscar says the first thing that came to mind. "So... you're an inventor, huh?" Hiccup tenses a slight bit, holding his book close. He awkwardly ruffles the hair on the back of his head.
"Well...yeah, kinda. The village isn't very fond of my ideas, however." Oscar arched an eyebrow, absolutely shocked by that. He may not be good at reading schematics, however he could definitely tell that Hiccup has a good head on his shoulders. Hel, if he were a real Viking, he'd praise Hiccup for something so brilliant. A bola launcher? That's brilliant!
"Wha-bu-how?!," Oscar stumbles over his own words, not sure how to put his shock into words.
"Hey, keep it down up there!," they heard Stoick's voice from downstairs. Oscar sighs and calms down.
"How can they possibly turn something down that can benefit the village?" Hiccup shifted in his seat awkwardly, not quite understanding why himself.
"Well, it might be because it's something different, because it's not traditional?" Oscar couldn't help but scoff at that foolish thought.
"Yeah, and it wasn't the hand of Man that created ballistas," remarked Oscar sarcastically, making a good point. "And catapults, and net launchers. Humans change and adapt to change, so I can't see how they can't accept your inventions." Hiccup just sighs and puts his book away in a drawer, setting down his charcoal pencil.
"To be honest, most of the times that I try to put my ideas into action, they end in disaster. It's-it's just that, I just want to try so hard to fit in with them, to live up to my expectations, but I can't!" Hiccup sighs, sagging in his seat. Oscar couldn't help but pity him. He really is just like him. Stoick didn't realize just how right he was. And that's nerve wrecking for him. Will Oscar be just as mistreated here as on his island? "I can't do anything on my own, so I try to make inventions that can do it for me. All I need is to just take down a single dragon to prove myself, but I can't even do that." Hiccup sighs, holding his head in his hands. Oscar didn't know what to do, nor what to say. He understood Hiccup's pain clearly, but he didn't know what he can do to help. He then thought back to the blueprint he saw. He wasn't exactly too fond with the idea of getting into conflict with dragons, but if putting up a facade is enough to help out his brother, and eventually get through to him...
"That was a very nice picture you were drawing. It seems like an ingenious idea. I would definitely like to work on it in secret with you to make it work." Hiccup lifted his head up, not believing what he's hearing. Oscar walks up to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. He gives him an innocent smile. "What do you say brother, would you like to work on it together?" Hiccup was at a lost for words. He was very happy to say the least. Happy that finally he found someone that can actually connect with him, that can hear about his ideas and not call them disastrous.
Hiccup nods his head, taking out his book and opening it to the page of the bola launcher. He hands the book to Oscar. "You can look over the schematics, tell me if you think there's anything missing. The hardest thing would be to come up with a proper name." Oscar takes the book, looking through the schematics. He saw what he assumed to be a bunch of numbers and notes, however he couldn't read them. He arches an eyebrow in confusion, before handing it back to Hiccup.
"The pictures look very detailed and all, but I can't read the schematics. My village never bothered educating me." Hiccup just gives Oscar a sympathetic look. Sure he was the runt of the village, but at least he was well educated. Hiccup sighs and takes the book from him, putting it away.
"I'll teach you to read and write. We'll sleep on the project for another day. It's getting late anyway." He blows out the candles on his desk, then settles into bed, Oscar doing the same. "Aren't you going to change for bed? I have some clothes that might fit you." Oscar then suddenly tensed up at that, thinking about the scars on his back. He may trust Hiccup more than he ever trusted any other Viking, but he doesn't feel comfortable with him seeing his scars. He just brushes it off.
"I...I'm too tired to change. I just want to sleep," Oscar says, pulling the covers over him, lying down and closing his eyes. Before he falls asleep, he couldn't help but awkwardly laugh at how strange all of this feels to him. "Hey Hiccup, do you ever feel like the world is beating you down for something that isn't even your fault?"
Hiccup couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Hehe, story of my life." Upon not receiving a response, Hiccup relaxes, closing his eyes. "Good night, Oscar." Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. He then falls asleep.
Good night, Hiccup, Oscar thinks to himself, slowly falling asleep. He thinks back on his past experiences, then thinks on his future to come. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all, are his last thoughts, before finally falling asleep.
A/N
Alright, so I hope that chapter was a little better than the last one. Again, I'm sorry if there are any major typos, or if you come across any sentences that are hard to read. I am stuck doing everything by phone until my WiFi gets better, so please bear with me. One last thing, I really request that an author who is really good with writing be my beta reader. I need some additional insight, because I want to provide the best content to my capability, and I also want to learn more about writing. Thank you all for reading, remember to leave a review.
*edit: another chapter reviewed, and edited in some parts. I think im gonna turn in for the night, it's LATE right now. Will review the next chapter, then start adding to the story from there. So excited to get back to and add to this story after 4 years! WOO HOO!