The following three days were rather a challenge for Hiccup, as while recovering from blood loss, she must have dealt with not only the lightheadedness and exhaustion but also, her father's lectures, about how irresponsible her act was. As it turned out, in contrast to, how she thought, receiving his approval, after facing such a dragon as a Night Fury was, even more, surviving the encounter with it, the man was offended with her, somehow and anyhow.

Notwithstanding that, everything was rather going smoothly, the reparation after the raid lasted, her father handled what's noteworthy as chief should, and during her three-day absence, nobody came off as to notice that. It appeared that everything was on the right track, there wasn't anything to be worried about, and nothing had changed; well, maybe except for Hiccup's whole worldview, mentality, and zest for life.

Your life is, anyhow, negligible for the dragons that you can not kill, and your own kind that you can not protect - the words of the asshole, that she had the privilege of getting to know, echoed in her ears almost all the time, every hour, every minute, and every, even merest, second. Every day of her rehab, she would stare at the window, having its place just over her bed, and recall the events of that memorable night, throughout the first day, throughout the second, and the third, without any change.

By the fourth day, when she was reckoned to be back to the training, the routine hadn't altered much, and Hiccup, since awakening, gazed at the blue sky over herself, laying in the bed for something that must have been an hour, already. Ultimately, as she was blinded by the rays of the noon sun, having its placement in the center of her viewing, heaving a sigh, she pushed herself to get up, ignoring every urge that called her to object the common sense.

Rather carelessly, because in a matter of seconds, she got out of her leather nightgown, before wearing her ordinary clothes, brushing and braiding her lengthy hair, and leading her way out of her room, and down the house's stairs. At that point, it wasn't even shocking, when at the bottom of these, she didn't manage to catch sight of her father, not present for the same causes as every day, maybe even currently, with Gobber, counting the seconds of her delay.

Even so, that didn't refrain her from seating herself by the table of the main room, although not for the reasons of eating breakfast, which she should, considering her three days long starvation, but as to gape at the wall for some basis, thoughtlessly. And so, that's how the hour of lateness, transformed into nearly three - if Stoic's glare could burn people alive, Hiccup would be boiled at once when she came up finally, and the only what she had said was the simplest, not even honest, apology.

At last, Hiccup stepped inside the arena, the bright sun instantly burning her skin, while the woman herself inhaled the air, which was the most standard combination of sweat, smoke, and melted metal. Behind her back, she could not hear the crowd as usual, and although that surprised her, she wouldn't be able to complain about that, but rather the opposite - that was a relief to, at least once, not hear these madmen's racket.

Yet, she could sense the eyes of Gobber and her dad, drilling into her back, as they'd always do, because of which, when around the arena resounded the striking chains, she'd almost jumped on the spot, surprised. As she managed to gather herself up, her eyes locked on the cage, that was currently being opened, and shoving the shield ahead of her, also tensing her grasp on the sword, she prepared herself for the upcoming combat.

Before anyone was able to realize that, the rather large dragon, namely Gronckle, having scales resembling mountain boulders, burst out of the close, bending the door, after slamming it with its spiky, massive tail. In the beginning, the creature flew without any control, the small, in comparison to the whole body, wings barely maintaining it in the air, until gazing at the woman nearby, the gold eyes narrowed at her, as the animal shot its first blast.

At once, Hiccup dodged the blow, but not before hearing the female voice yelling, "Danger!" simultaneously as the dragon roared.

The young woman didn't have to wonder much, over to whom the voice belonged - since the appearance of the curse, her largest issue in the training wasn't her incompetence, but rather the fact of listening to her enemy's thoughts. As she managed to observe, through these years of experience, the dragons', having exposure to humans, evolved something, that could be called mind-speaking, which improved along with the flow of time.

In a nutshell, the longer the dragon was around the humans, the better their vocabulary would be, and that's because, from what Hiccup concluded, unaware, Vikings would educate the creatures with unique words, each passed day. The Gronckle, with whom she dealt today, was rather a new asset of the Vikings, that's why Hiccup predicted, the female wouldn't be very talkative, and also, that the creature would soon discover, that her begging would be in vain because they'd be heard only by her.

At one point, Hiccup was absorbed in the thoughts, and at the other, her focus was on the dragonness, that currently would circle around the arena, not much certain about her purpose here, not yet mindful of the cruelty of the woman's people. While it appeared otherwise, the only thing that Hiccup wanted, was to put an end to the innocent animal's torment, and to do that, namely set her in the depths of the safe cage, firstly, she must have combat her.

Hence, after avoiding another, blindly sent blast, Hiccup smashed her sword against the shield, forming a comfortless sound for the female, who hissed, "Danger! Scary!" while flying in random movements, distracted.

Listening to the distress of the creature, Hiccup's heart filled with a familiar feeling - the quilt, after being passive to the other's hurt, even if she knew exactly, that she couldn't stand up for the dragon, without being named outlandish. Fortunately, in the end, she didn't have to add fuel to the fire, because it seemed that the dragonness took pity on her soul, and blacked out herself, after failing to regain her control, whacking her head into the wall, which had done the work.

Immediately after, she heard behind her back the applause of the two men, although not as noisy as the regular, followed by the deafening silence, which must have meant only one - the impatient awaiting. They wanted the bloodshed, she acknowledged, while knowing, at the back of her head, that they'd be soon dissatisfied, as from the dragon broke out the first wailing, to which Hiccup must have listened, while the observators were unaware of that.

"Please," even the newest dragon here, knew that word worked on her, like an instant guilt-ridden, and only on her, that's why, whenever at the arena, she would hear it, and break. "Please."

Almost all that she felt, was the pressure, influenced by her father, by the village, in spite of its absence, and by even her forefathers, the people who fought, so she could live, and so for what, if she was disgracing their names, each day. What she also felt, was sympathy, toward the creature that, even if had her sins, didn't deserve to die - no being, no matter the circumstances, deserved to die, in Hiccup's point of view, and for that, the two feelings fought, crumpled in her body.

Ultimately, it was the second - the crushing compression - that had won the battle, as Hiccup inhaled defeated, before releasing the sword from her hand, much to the dragonness's relief. "Freedom," the Gronckle purred, resting her head on the ground, as the groans were hearable from the above.

At that moment, she could, already, imagine her father's disappointed stare, how he'd stroke his furrowed eyebrows with his fingers, and although that wasn't very much of a promising picture, Hiccup smiled, although weakly, but honestly. She spared a life, she conceded, that idea being the one, that warmed her heart, until the beating of it stopped, as the owner sensed the familiar figure behind her back, from which burned with anger.

"Get that demon to the cage," he ordered, somewhere to the side, to Gobber, most likely, because it was him, who after the words, sneaked past them before Stoic turned to his daughter. "Hiccup-,"

"I know, I know," she interrupted him, not even letting him finish the sentence, shrinking in size as she gazed at the side. "I just-," she was about to start explaining herself, but she wouldn't, stunned by the view, which she managed to catch.

It might have appeared as the ordinary - just the man, who just watched the arena, maybe curious, maybe nosy, if it wasn't for the fact of the hood, underneath which, she glimpsed the black mask, that did not cover only one part of his face, perhaps most crucial, at the moment - the acid, bright, green eyes. At one point, these would've met her dark, forest, green eyes, and they'd locked on one another, for somewhere around the longer while, until, after her narrowed on their own, he'd roll his, before moving away.

At once, her veins filled with the warm blood, as her body tensed, and as she avoided her father, more precisely his grasp, she hurried after him, running toward the arena's entrance, before following him into the depths of the forest. There was not much thought from her, only cursing and wishing death for the man, the adrenaline blocking her from any contact with common sense, which at that point, seemed to not even exist.

The fast sprint, from both of their sides, never slowed down, in spite of the sharp roots, tensioned branches, and wide logs they must have bypassed, and which avoiding had taken a toll on them, rather sorely. Hard way Hiccup found out, that outrunning him was going to be rather tough, although not impossible, when after the lengthy minutes of the intense race, she was getting only closer and closer to the dark-clothed figure.

Ultimately, when she had reached for so, without much thinking, the woman pounced on him, unaware of the hill at the side, through which they both rolled, until arriving at the bottom of it, where they'd fallen down to the ground, exhausted. It was the woman, who caught her breath first, and glimpsing how the man lay on his back, gaping at the sky, his chest rising quickly with her on it, at once, she sat at him astride, securing his arms, locking them at the both sides of his head.

"The heck," he muttered, although the sound of his voice was muffled against the leather material of his mask, before, sizing her up, he knitted his dense brows, and yapped, "The fuck are you doing?!"

Hearing the question, Hiccup cocked hers, and countered, "I should be the one askin'!" snorting afterward, amused.

"Get off me," he demanded, with the intention of unleashing his wrists, although once Hiccup stayed stubborn, only tensed the hold she had on him, he sighed, "You'd better do what I say, at least if you value your life."

"What ye've come back for?" she asked, her eyes boring into his vexed face, persisting when he attempted to lift himself, to which she reacted by only thrusting him back at his spot. "They've not wanted ya, in that fucked nest ye're from?"

"Alright, you pissed me off," he snapped, and at once, spun them around, afterward blocked her arms behind her back, pressing her body into the soil, putting pressure on her arm with his knee. "Told you so, should've listened," he sneered and leaned over her, so as to whisper into her ear, "You may be faster, but I am stronger."

Nohow she had reacted to that, only hardened her expression, plastering her cheek to the dirt, "Get off me," she ordered, although he wasn't even gazing at her anymore, as the pressure on her arm only enlarged. "Get off me!" she shouted, mashing her forehead into the mud, when the ache began to be unable to ignore. "Godsdamnit, ye're hurtin' me!"

Her yelling was for naught, as the man remained at his, until hearing the crack coming from Hiccup's shoulder, shortly followed by her shriek, he released her, standing up, leaning his arms on his neck, casually. Eventually, once he gazed back at her, the corners of his eyes crinkled entertained, observing the panicked woman, who sitting on the ground, moved her shoulder around, and eased when acknowledging that there was no injury.

At last, as she glimpsed his amused self with the side of her eye, she glared at him, wrinkling her nose, and bellowed, "What, the damn, is wron' with ya?! Ya could've smashed my arm!" her eyes burning with fury.

"Quit the wailing, you're alright," he stated, and after rolling his eyes, watching how Hiccup held her arm securely, stepped closer to her and handed her the hand, which she shoved away. "I just want to help."

"I ain't give a shit," she replied, on her own standing up, as to face him, only to twist her expression soon after. "Ye're ugly, or for what reason ye're wearin' it?"

In response, he just lifted his brow, but in the end, gave in, and exposed his face, taking off the coverage of the mask and the hood, the one dropping to the ground, while the other hung loosely at the back of his neck. Hence, Hiccup studied the face, having the clenched, disgusting, square jaw, crooked, aquiline nose, the same, narrowed, green eyes, and also, jet, shoulder-reaching hair, whose strands were pinned at the back of the head.

The build of his body wasn't anything she hadn't seen already - the man looked just like a Viking, being rather tall, way taller than her surely, hideously muscled, although also skinny, lacking the belly of the veteran. As the time passed, and her eyes were drilling him further, he crossed the board arms over his chest, evoking her with the movement, and inquired, the smirk never slipping from his face.

"Happy?"

To which she nohow responded, only gazed up at him, leaning her hands at her hips, and questioned, "What do ya want? Humilatin' me wasn't enough and ye're goin' to torture me, now?" rasping the last sentence after hardening her jaw.

"No, I am not going to," he admitted and straightened, letting his arms fall to his sides, as he grunted, and murmured. "In fact, I came to apologize."

The word apologize itself provoked Hiccup's burst of snicker, which fled from her pursed lips afterward, as she asked, "Ye're jokin'?" having a hard time refraining from the laugh.

"I am serious."

"That's great," she conceded, inhaling to calm herself down, before confessing, her grin never fading. "Guess, if I give a shit about that apology of yers."

"So, I open my heart to you, and that's how you react?"

"Ye've got a heart?" she gibed, and he pinched the bridge of his nose, as she continued quickly after. "Okay, okay! Let me guess, after that ravishin' speech of yers, about the lack of any effect that my existence has on the world, ya'd found that, actually, ye're in need of me," she suggested, tilting her head, and her smile brightened, as he avoided her sight, tensing his back. "What a poor baby."

"That is the truth, I'll admit that," he revealed, scratching his neck, as he dared himself to gaze at her, before straightening, and proceeding with the theme. "I do need you," he declared while digging through his pocket, and pulling out of it the small book, which he showed in his hold, as he ended, "because I found the answers to our questions."

"The book?" she, at first, asked, but focused, once after reading the book's title and author. "Why do ya need that? That's the book of one, mad chief of our village. He dishonored us with it, pleadin' himself with the gods' demands," she elucidated, running her finger through the leather cover. "Ye're really considerin' that it has some answers?"

"You won't find out until you read it," he whispered, and catching her in an attempt to open the book, he closed it firmly, receiving an offended glance of hers. "At first, you have to know, that once you'll open that book, you're agreeing to help me."

"Now, ya must be jokin'," she concluded, although glimpsing his closed-up expression, squinted her eyes at him. "Look, the author is my grandfather, so I have the original copy at my home, thus, ye're expendable."

"You want to get rid of this?" he exclaimed, pointing at himself, in a gesture of meaning the curse, but also himself, generally. "If so, then we must work together for that."

"To work together, there must be, at least, some trust," she noted, fixing her eyes on him, vigorously, "and through these couple of hours of knowin' ya, ya'd showed me not even a single reason to it, so far."

"Do you think that I am happy with this?! That I have some urge to put up with a Viking, fucking girl?! I do not, but I just had enough of that damn curse!" he boomed, until having enough, he inhaled, once again achieving the emotionless facial expression. "Look, let's do what should've been done a long time ago, get rid of that shit, and we'll never see each other again. No trust is required."

"Okay, let me get that straight," she retorted, her forehead creased by the thought, as she summed up, "We'll get rid of not only the curse but also ourselves?"

"You'll never see me again," he swore, waving the book, allegedly having the answer to all her troubles, in front of her eyes, temptingly. "So, how it's going to be?"

Hiccup felt, as if she sinned, as if Loki himself, taking the form of her former tormentor, persuaded her to felony, as if that decision was about to decide over her whole life, what was the truth, very much likely. That itself should have given her basis for thought and convinced her to change her mind, but for that, it was too late, five years too late, because the woman had decided a long time ago - she had decided that she would do anything, in order to get free.

The collection of legends

Dragons' legends: pages 56-120

Shapeshifters' creation

In the beginning, gods created dragons.

The supposed strongest creatures, after them. A pair of claws, strong enough to destroy every stone. A jaw with the power of breaking bones. The fire, that melts mountains. Symbol of strength. The kings of animals. The top of the food chain. There was no strength vigorous enough to overthrow them.

Their only weakness was their animality. They thought like animals, they spoke like them, and wouldn't cooperate with the gods. The gods' tried to give them new possibilities of communication but didn't confer an advantage.

And that's when gods created humans.

Weak creature, but with the power of intellect, that overtook every animal. Gods gave them weak limbs and stripped them from claws and sharp teeth, but it turned out, that humans didn't need them.

That creation improved itself on its own. It evolved without any changes in the body. Using the same, weak arms, it created weapons, deadlier than the most toxic venom and sharper than the sharpest fang. It created the most delicious food and communicated by the usage of its throat, gaining gods' fondness.

Gods made them the perfect opposites of one another.

Gods made them complete each other.

They were supposed to work together. They were supposed to live together.

Gods gave them a mission to live as one.

To survive as one.

For the first hundred years, there was peace.

The dragons were using their strength in protecting and helping humans. The humans were using their minds to control, communicate and care for dragons.

There was peace. For one hundred years.

But then, a war began.

Nobody knows what was the cause, not even the gods. There were a few versions. Most possible was that the dragon couldn't control its murder instinct and killed a human.

When that happened, his own wanted revenge.

The first dragon died.

When that happened, his own wanted revenge.

War began.

When that happened, gods cut off themselves from each of them. But, not quite actually. They observe. They are waiting for one day. The day, in which impossible will happen. The bond between dragon and human will be created.

Shapeshifters were created.

They were chosen. Not quite a human, not quite a dragon. Both. And always two of them. Their mission is to make peace again. Gods gave them the possibility to communicate better than at any time in history. There could've been only two. Not less, not more. These two would complete each other, like years ago.

History shows only three of their examples.

The first ones were killed.

The second ones were eaten.

The third ones fell in love, just to die for each other.

The prophecy is clear.

The death will break and the loss will make.

In the daytime, when the sun's rays managed to get through the thicket of the trees, the cove, in which they'd found themselves previously, looked much more captivating, although the reason for that might be, that Hiccup, only now, could capture the attributes of it. The pond, having the location in the center, gleamed underneath the brightest light, enveloped with white lilies, the trees' leaves sparkled with the colors of the commencing autumn, and the rock borders of the floral cave-in were coated by the overgrowth - just enchanting.

Nevertheless, Hiccup was not even allowed to glance at the niche, having to centralize her thoughts on the letters building the sentences inside of the book, which was the cause of why wasn't she at her village, currently. Hence, laying with her legs crossed, plastering her back to the ground blanketed by the warmed under the sun grass, she maintained the opened book over her head, occasionally peeking below it, to glimpse the other presence.

The man - the Night Fury - didn't abandon his lookout of her, even for a mere second, currently leaning himself on the thick branch of some tree, which was bent under the influence of his weight, as he had crossed the arms over his chest, his eyes staring somewhere over the forest. Ultimately, after fivefold reading the story, several words standing out in her mind, Hiccup shut the book firmly, at once notifying about the finishing, before she sat up, for a moment thought her words out, and spoke.

"Well, I must admit, the granddaddy had a remarkable talent for writin'," she acknowledged, tapping her fingers on the cover, with the man gazing at her, deadpan. "Alas, the fiction," she added, lunging the book on the ground in between them. "That's the most unbelievable tale, I'd ever read."

"Yet, it is as much believable as the idea of a skin being changed into scales," he pointed out, drawing nearer to her, in the meantime snatching the book from the grass, before stopping just over her. "A little more belief won't kill you, will it?"

"Since the faith works wonders?" she concluded and snorted, the grin betraying her amusement. "Only a dunce like ya'd believe in such a thin'."

"Says a girl, that assumes the guy, firing the lightning from his fingers, is real," he countered, although once Hiccup's entertainment never faded, slammed the book on her head, what settled her down, at last. "The book is our only hope currently, so try taking it seriously."

"I can always try, but ain't expect any results, soon," she remarked, getting on her feet, and catching sight of his dissatisfied self, groaned, "Come on! Do ya really believe this-," she pointed at the book, "could contain any truth in itself?! That the gods had made us shapeshifters, correct?"

"I'm delighted to see you follow your ancestors in the usage of the brain, at last," he mocked, wearing his hands behind his back, as the smirk grew on his face. "Although, they had an explanation for being slow, which was living in history. What is yours?"

"Ye're just hilarious," she ironized, rolling her eyes, and inhaled steadily, before affirming, "If so, and we're puttin' faith in that, then I guess the creation of the bond occurred, once I released ya."

"You think it only took that?"

"Apparently, because I ain't see any other explanation, here," she confirmed, pinched the bridge of her nose, and afterward, she contended, "In that case, to be free, we must make peace, what itself is barely imaginable!"

"We are barely imaginable ourselves," he opposed the hardened expression upholding itself on his face. "We must try, at least."

"Ye're for real?!" she exclaimed and resisted her palm on her forehead, bushed. "Listen, sorry for that, but that book is just crap, and even if it isn't, how do you expect to reconcile the mortal enemies? How?!" she asked, as the two were glaring at each other, fiercely. "Quit lyin' to yerself, and understand, we're stuck like this, and there is nothin' we may do."

"I won't understand, do you hear me?! I won't, because I am done, and I won't endure that, any longer!" he bellowed, throwing his arms around, until calming himself down, pressing his knuckles to his eyelids. "All of that had been going on for too long, and I won't rest, until I get some solution, finally."

"Great! If so, then 's a final decision, I guess," she cheered, dusting her clothes off the previous dirt she'd been sitting on, while the man furrowed his brows at her, confused. "In that case, I wish ya much luck, and myself, I'm out."

Thereafter, after announcing that, Hiccup walked away, not very quickly, with even rather the strolling pace, but also not very far, because realizing her words, coming round, he raced after her, and yapped, "Hey! You can't just walk off!" as he caught up with her.

"I can't?" she inquired, with amusement glancing at his puzzled self, before challenging, "Watch me."

"You'd promised that you'd help!" he shouted, walking backward just ahead of her.

"Ever heard that promises are like pie crusts, made to be broken?"

"What have I told you?!" he droned and stopped, stopping her by the way, while Hiccup only gazed at him, the grin never slipping off her face. "Opening that book you agreed-,"

"I won't spend an eternity on somethin', that isn't even thinkable!" Hiccup interrupted him as she snapped. "Ya'd admitted that I'm useless for ya, so I'm provin' that ye're right," she reminded and attempted to bypass him, but once he blocked her, she lowered at him, and rasped, "Let me go."

"You'd read the book, hadn't you?" he recalled, returning the scowl at her himself, and quoted, "Always the two of them, it's pointed there."

"Ya know it by heart, don't ya?" she questioned and ran under his elbow, although before she could celebrate that, the man managed to grasp her upper arm and drag her back, to which she reacted by shrieking, "Fuckin' piece of shit!"

"Call me how you want, guess if I give a shit about that!" he boomed, clenching his jaw, before threatening, "You'll help me, whether you like it or not!"

"Oh, so that's how 's goin' to be!" she boomed and snorted, leaning closer to him. "I'll help ya, or what? Ye're goin' to kill me?"

"I know that you're not afraid of death, either not of me," he stated and closed up his expression, "however, you're afraid of the black monster, that without much of an effort, could erase your village of the existence."

At once, Hiccup's heart lost a beat, and she must've stepped away from him, as she creaked, "Ya'd not do that. Those are innocent people!" and shouted, the fear clouding her features.

"Innocent?" he repeated and snorted, amused. "They've killed thousands of my kind! They're not even near being innocent!" he yelled, the gashed teeth betraying his fury, as he continued. "Or maybe, you're doubting if I'm even capable of overpowering the entire village, though we both know, I am."

As he said that, inside of his eyes, even so green, Hiccup managed to glimpse the darkness that she hadn't noticed earlier, which reminded her, that the very man in front of her, was, and never was going to not be, an animal, and beast. He knew, what her priorities were, he knew where to strike to hurt her the most, and how she wasn't going to oppose him when at the stake wasn't even her well-being, but the lives of people, who, even so, if were cruel to her, she cherished the most.

Ultimately, he lifted his chin, glimpsing how she exhaled defeated, before she mumbled, "Alright, I'll help. Now, tell me what are we goin' to do," also asked, while neither of them knew the answer.