Long time no see huh? This chapter was supposed to be out before September 27th, the first anniversary of the story. Which by the way one year has passed since I started this journey and it only feels like yesterday. Time is irrelevant, reality is irrelevant, the universe is a hologram, and most importantly buy gold.
Some people might understand that reference. But in all seriousness thanks for one year around the sun with Until the Ends of the Earth. I know progress is slow but so is the nature of life and I feel like I'm on a relatively similar time scale to other stories in the runaway genre of HTTYD.
Without further ado, reviews:
Arethahiwatari: Trying to post more but work is great for causing procrastination. Thank you though for the support! I'm glad you're enjoying how I have written Hiccup and Astrid so far.
Hiccup was fast asleep in the makeshift camp. Although he loved flying it tended to wear him out after doing it for hours. Toothless was the same, he loved being in the sky with his best friend but he too had his limits. The dragon was curled into a ball not far from Hiccup, the two enjoying a proper night's rest as their campfire spent its remaining fuel.
Hiccup wasn't a light sleeper by any means. Years of raids and living under the same roof as Stoick the Vast did that to a person. But Hiccup's eyes shot open when a twig snapping broke the forest's silence. The young man sat up and scrutinized his surroundings. After scanning the forest for any sign of life, Hiccup turned to his friend.
"You hear that bud?" Hiccup asked.
The sound of snoring was the response from Toothless who had heeded no attention to whatever disturbed Hiccup's sleep.
"Useless reptile," Hiccup grumbled.
Hiccup looked around the camp and the surrounding trees one last time, looking for any signs of life. Seeing nothing, Hiccup laid back down on his sleeping roll. The rider stared up at the stars above him before slowly drifting back into sleep…
"Hicucp," a female voice whispered.
That voice… That was-
"Hiccup," the voice called out to him again.
Hiccup opened his eyes and sat up again. His eyes went wide at the sight before him. Astrid was standing at the foot of his bedroll. She hadn't changed much since he last saw her but the recent self-portrait Astrid had sent him was fairly accurate. In every sense of the word Astrid was even more beautiful than when he had last seen her all those years ago. Her blonde hair was draped over her shoulder in a longer braid than before, she was taller, sported more muscle on her arms, and her more feminine features had grown more apparent, the thought of which made Hiccup blush.
Hiccup quickly pushed those thoughts from his head and tried to think about the situation logically namely how Astrid had found him. Yes, Stormfly was a Nadder which meant they would've been able to track him pretty easily if Stormfly had found their scent. However, Hiccup could only think of one way to have tracked him, through the letters. Hiccup started looking around for Astrid's Nadder but there was no sign of the dragon.
"Astrid?" Hiccup asked, attempting to confirm if what he was seeing was real.
"You're certainly hard to find dragon boy," Astrid told him in a surprisingly husky voice.
Hiccup's mind went through all possible responses for anything Astrid could've said. However, Astrid rendered Hiccup speechless. The only thing he could respond with was a series of incoherent sounds.
"You have no idea what I went through to find you," Astrid continued. "But now that I have…"
Astrid suddenly dropped to her knees and began to crawl towards Hiccup. His mind went blank as the blonde woman crawled over him, ghosting her lips on his as she positioned herself on his lap, her arms snaking around his back to hold them close. Hiccup tried to say something but his mind was too focused on the woman straddling herself on his lap.
"I've missed you so much," Astrid said with a breathy gasp as she rocked her hips on his.
If Hiccup wasn't beet red before, he certainly was now as his childhood crush tormented him with the compromising position they found themselves in. Without warning Astrid closed the gap between the two and pressed her lips to his. Much unlike the kiss they shared years ago on that unnamed island, this kiss held a passion he had never experienced before. His brief shock melted away and Hiccup leaned into the kiss, snaking his arms around her.
The sound of a moan reached his ears, making him pull back slightly in confusion. Hiccup tried to catch his breath as Astrid attempted to chase his lips with hers. The two met again this time though Hiccup kissed Astrid back more confidently as the two lovers made out. Astrid ran her tongue across his lower lip, and Hiccup unconsciously opened his mouth, which unintentionally allowed Astrid access to his mouth.
It was Hiccup's turn to moan as their tounges battled for dominance. Astrid's hands reached his head, running them through his hair. She moaned again when Hiccup somehow deepened the kiss more and pushed their tongues into Astrid's mouth. Hiccup claimed dominance exploring the inside of Astrid's mouth with his tongue and she let him.
Finally, the two separated allowing them to catch their breath. Hiccup took deep breaths as Astrid leaned in again, planting soft kisses along his jaw. Her hands trailed down his body, stopping at the hem of his trousers. Hiccup paid her no heed as he captured her lips once more. Slowly Astrid pulled away, disappointing Hiccup. Astrid shot a sly grin towards him before leaning towards his ear.
"Now that we're alone," Astrid began.
Hiccup briefly registered her words, scanning for his Night Fury companion before focusing back on Astrid. The woman had backed away from her position, her head just above his abdomen.
"We can do what I know you've wanted to do for years," she continued before pulling his trousers off of him.
Hiccup quickly woke with a jolt, sitting straight up. The man looked around the camp for any signs of Astrid in the morning sun. He turned to look at Toothless who was still sound asleep. Hiccup sighed and lowered his head into his hand, rubbing his forehead and slowly coming to the realization of the problem that resided in his pants.
"Odin help me…" Hiccup muttered.
This seemed to grab Toothless' attention. The black dragon lifted his head and cooned in confusion. Hiccup looked up at his friend before coughing to break the silence.
"Oh sorry to wake you bud, bad dream is all," Hiccup told him, rubbing his neck sheepishly.
Toothless wasn't persuaded, shooting Hiccup a blank look before standing up to stretch. Hiccup grabbed his prosthetic and attached it before standing up. Hiccup walked over to the dragon and opened the saddle bag, taking out some dried meat. He then walked over to a bag lying against a rock. Hiccup went to grab it but realized it was empty.
"Did you eat all the fish already?" Hiccup asked Toothless, the dragon in question avoiding eye contact with Hiccup. The rider laughed before placing the bag into the much larger saddlebag.
"You're on your own for breakfast then," Hiccup told the dragon.
Toothless groaned in displeasure which made Hiccup laugh again. Hiccup turned away from the dragon and looked around the forest. The midmorning sun was starting to poke through the treetops and if Hiccup was gonna keep moving he needed to leave for that village right away. Hiccup finished the last of his breakfast before closing the saddlebag. He then bent down and pulled a lever on Toothless' harness. The dragon turned around to look at his tailfin and watched as his fake one mirrored the movements of his real one. Toothless cooed in displeasure, prodding Hiccup with his nose.
"I'm sorry bud you know the rules. It's a village that we've never been to, don't know if they even speak Norse, and most importantly don't know how well they take to dragons," Hiccup explained.
Toothless huffed in response.
"Besides if things go south I might need a quick exit," Hiccup continued, offering a slight smile to the dragon. Toothless huffed again before laying back down. Hiccup bent down to Toothless and pressed his forehead against the dragon.
"I'll be back Toothless I promise. Stay hidden for me and don't let anyone know you're here. If you think I need help, I know you'll wait until you know I'm in trouble."
Toothless whined as Hiccup hugged the dragon's neck.
"Be good bud," Hiccup whispered into the dragon's scales. Hiccup pulled away and rubbed Toothless' head before turning toward the village and began the walk.
The journey itself was uneventful. By the time Hiccup reached the village the sun was high in the sky. Hiccup stopped just before the wooden gate and inspected the structure. The gate was imposing, looming over him as if he were a small child. Reinforced by iron, this gate was meant to hold back all sorts of invaders. The sound of villagers brushing past him broke him out of his observations.
"Oi, pissant!" A soldier standing by the wall shouted.
Hiccup turned to face him, the burly man annoyed by Hiccup's mere presence.
"You gonna continue to look at a gate with your cock in your hands or are you going to enter the village!?" he yelled.
Hiccup nodded and quickly entered the village. As we walked away he could hear the man curse at him under his breath. 'At least he spoke Norse," Hiccup thought to himself finding the silver lining to the interaction.
He wandered aimlessly, following the flow of traffic through the muddy village streets. The town was lively with citizens going about their daily tasks. From what he saw, they weren't poor. The village was much larger and wealthier than Berk. As he walked a small band of soldiers in shiny iron armor walked past him headed toward a small encampment. Hiccup turned a corner and the smell of charcoal filled his nostrils. The rider smiled and walked towards the now visible blacksmith shop.
He needed a few nails as well as a replacement rod for Toothless tailfin rigging. The current rigging was in decent condition but it always helped to have a spare. The hammering sound reached his ears as he got closer, filling Hiccup with nostalgia. Hiccup walked up to the stall counter and leaned on it, watching the blacksmith work. The smith finished hammering the glowing red axe head and grabbed it with his tongs. He then dunked into a barrel filled with water, steam shooting out immediately. As he lifted the now cooled-off axe head he took notice of Hiccup.
"What is it, boy?" he asked gruffly.
"I need nails and an iron rod about this big and a quarter inch thick," Hiccup answered gesturing with his hands.
"The fuck do you need an iron rod that big for?" he asked in exasperation.
"Project on a boat I'm working on," Hiccup simply responded.
The blacksmith squinted his eyes at Hiccup as if to intimate Hiccup into changing his response. Hiccup simply shrugged and pulled out a coin purse from his belt.
"So how much are we looking at here 'cause I'm a busy man," Hiccup said, breaking the awkward silence.
"The nails are gonna cost a talon per nail. The rod well… That much iron and the amount of work to make it that long it's gonna cost you quite a bit," he explained.
"How much?" Hiccup asked again.
"Fifteen talons, nine for resources and six for labor."
"Okay…" Hiccup replied, pondering for a moment. "I can pay for the nails but are you willing to make a trade for the rod?" Hiccup inquired.
"Trade?" The blacksmith repeated. "What're you trading boy?"
Hiccup made a one-moment gesture and reached into a pouch on his hip. After digging around, Hiccup pulled out a spyglass and a couple of dragon scales. The smith's eyes immediately zoned in on the scales.
"What are those?" he asked pointing at one of the black scales in Hiccup's hand.
"They're dragon scales, Nightfury to be exact," Hiccup explained.
The smith looked at them in awe, "We don't get many dragons down this way, you a hunter?"
"In a way yes," Hiccup responded. "These Nightfury scales are hard to come by. Only ever seen one in my lifetime."
"Rare you say?"
"Legend goes any who come across a Nightfury don't live to tell the tale. With these scales, some might think you've fought one."
"I'd become a legend," the smith said to himself.
"I would certainly say so if I didn't know better," Hiccup agreed.
"The spyglass and three scales for the rod," the man offered.
"You sir certainly drive a hard bargain," Hiccup began. "But I accept."
Hiccup handed over the items, and the smith quickly grabbed them and stored them away.
"How many nails my friend?"
"Ten," Hiccup replied. "I'll come back with the money I owe in a few hours."
"I'll get right to work."
Hiccup nodded and left the stall. He wandered throughout the village, walking through a small market before making his way up a slight hill. Hiccup spotted a tree stump and sat down it, pulling out his journal as he did. With all the action around the village, Hiccup felt it was something worthy to be drawn. So he got work, outlining the city's wall with soldiers patrolling up top, the busy market and the nearby port, and the small military encampment just in front of him with men training for upcoming conflicts. Hiccup slowly filled the gaps, adding in roads, people, and animals all of which distracted him from what was going on around him.
"Ahem," a voice sounded.
Hiccup looked up from his notebook and came face to face with two Vikings. The one to the left had brown hair that was shaved on the sides and tied into a bun up top. He sported a short brown beard and a tattoo of runes ran down from his brow to his beard. To his right was his smaller counterpart. His black hair was shaved on the left side of his head with the rest of his head covered in long black hair that stopped above his shoulder. Tattoos of all sorts adorned the shaved side of his head, Hiccup not even attempting to discern what they meant. However he did notice one thing about the both of them, they looked pissed.
"Uh, can I help you, fine gentlemen?" Hiccup asked nervously.
"That depends," the taller one began. "What're you doing?"
"Drawing," Hiccup responded.
"Drawing?" the smaller of the two repeated. "Drawing our army?"
"Perhaps he's taking notes," the taller one added.
"He doesn't look like any Viking we've seen," the other said.
"Perhaps we should…"
"Listen I don't want to take up all your guys' time but I'm just waiting for the blacksmith to finish something for me then I'll be out of your hair," Hiccup interjected, standing up.
"Oh no my friend, you're not going anywhere until you explain yourself," The taller Viking told him.
"I promise you I meant no harm, I just like to draw when I'm bored," Hiccup responded.
"Ah so you were spying on our troops," the man responded.
"No I-"
"Finally, I haven't killed a Saxon in months," the smaller Viking said with murderous glee.
Hiccup's eyes went wide and slowly backed away from the two Vikings. They both began to draw their weapons as Hiccup retreated.
"Don't you think about it," The taller one suggested.
"Too late," was Hiccup's response as he quickly broke into a sprint. The two Vikings immediately gave chase, much to Hiccup's chagrin. The rider quickly turned a corner and began sprinting down the busy street. He was forced to shove a few unsuspecting townsfolk out of his way as he ran.
"Hey!" a burly man shouted as Hiccup shoved past him.
"Watch it!" a woman yelled at him as Hiccup bumped into her laundry basket.
"Stop him!" Hiccup heard from behind him.
"Guards!" someone called out.
Hiccup turned another street corner and saw the gate he came through. Relief washed over him as Hiccup made a brake for the exit. As he was closing in on the gate, the wooden doors began to close. Then a bunch of armed guards quickly blocked his path. The thought of calling for Toothless crossed Hiccup's mind. He had called for his friend's help from much farther away and knew the dragon could hear him but with the amount of guards, Hiccup couldn't risk Toothless' life.
Hiccup slid to stop just before the soldiers as the gate thudded shut. He was panting from running all that distance, Hiccup needed to catch his breath and assess the situation. Hiccup heard armor clattering from behind him before it all suddenly stopped. He sighed and closed his eyes bracing for the sight of armed Vikings ready to kill him as he turned around.
"Got nowhere… to run now… boy."
Hiccup opened his eyes and was greeted by the same two Vikings from before, equally out of breath. Behind them were easily at least a dozen soldiers, swords and axes drawn. Hiccup looked back at the gatehouse and saw archers taking position, aiming their bows at him. He turned back to the two Vikings and reluctantly put his arms up in surrender.
"Oh no, you don't get to run and then just surrender," the raven-haired man said as he charged at Hiccup.
Hiccup closed his eyes and braced for the death coming towards him.
"Ivar stop!"
The man, Ivar listened. His axe was just a hair away from piercing the skin of Hiccup's neck. Hiccup opened his eyes in relief looking towards the man who saved his life.
"What?" Ivar asked confused. "I thought we were going to kill him and bring his head back as a trophy to father?" he continued.
"He was trying to escape to the safety of something beyond our village. There might be an army nearby to attack us," the tall man, presumably Ivar's brother deduced.
"So why not blood eagle [1] him and display his body on the gatehouse so all his Saxon friends can fear us? It's what I would do Ubba," Ivar explained.
"Yes I know but he is more of use to us alive rather than dead," Ubba replied. "Let's take him before father."
Hiccup hated the sensation of being dragged around, his metal foot catching on every surface as the two warriors clung to him. Fighting against them felt utterly pointless; these guys were twice his size and armed to the teeth. Not to mention the fact that his wrists had been bound by a rope. Before he knew it, Hiccup was standing in a vast throne room, surrounded by a dozen men decked out in the finest armor money could buy. A lump formed in Hiccup's throat as fear coursed through him.
Sitting lazily on the thrown was a rather muscular Viking, easily stronger looking than both Ivar and Ubba. The man turned his head, caught sight of them, and groaned. He sat up on the seat and looked down at the three in front of the throne. The man was blonde, his hair tied back into a braid that traveled down his back. A short beard and scars adorned his face, his blue eyes piercing through Hiccup.
"Who the fuck is this?" the man asked, gesturing to Hiccup.
Ivar suddenly kicked the back of Hiccup's good knee, causing him to fall to the ground.
"Why the fuck are you on Father's throne!?" Ivar shouted.
"Because it's my birthright," he simply answered. "I ask again who the fuck is this?"
"Piss off Bjorn," Ivar groaned.
"A spy we believe. Think he's a Saxon trying to get information on our army. Caught him drawing the west encampment," Ubba explained.
"And why isn't he dead already?" Bjorn responded. "I thought with Ivar his intestines would be hanging over the north gate by now."
"I wanted to," Ivar began. "But Ubba insisted we bring him before Father."
Bjorn turned to Ubba with a raised eyebrow, expecting the reason why Hiccup was here.
"I thought if we brought him to Father, he could get him to talk. Who knows, there could be an army of Saxons and this boy could know where it is. I mean have you seen what he's wearing, do you think any self-respecting Viking would dress like that?" Ubba explained, gesturing to Hiccup's armor
"He's got a point," another man said.
"Fuck off Halfdan," Ivar muttered under his breath.
"You know brother killing doesn't solve everything," Halfdan tried.
"Yes it does, watch," Ivar said. He quickly grabbed one of his axes from his belt and was about to swing when-
"Hold it Ivar!" Bjorn yelled. Ivar groaned and put away the weapon. "As much as I think this is pointless. Ubba wanted to bring the boy before our father. Halfdan go get him," he continued.
"Yes brother," Halfdan nodded before disappearing.
Bjorn stood from the throne and made his way toward Hiccup. The Viking looked at Hiccup, inspecting him, snorting to himself as he prodded his prosthetic leg with his boot. After what felt like an eternity, Halfdan reappeared.
"Presenting the king of all Northmen, Ragnar Lothbrok!" he yelled.
"Ass kisser," Ivar groaned.
The brothers bowed their heads as a man appeared from another room. He wore a simple blue tunic with light leather padding. Much like Bjorn, he bore a muscular build. A bear cape was draped over his shoulder almost like the one Stoick wore. A raven was intricately tattooed on the side of his head, his hair shaved on both sides, while his beard cascaded down to his chest. The once-dirty blonde hair bore the marks of age, sprinkled with gray strands.
The man, Ragnar, Hiccup presumed took his seat at the throne. His gaze was fixed upon Hiccup, the young man lowering his head to avoid the King's gaze.
"Why has this boy been brought before me?" Ragnar's tired voice questioned.
"Ivar and-" Bjorn began.
"We caught him snooping around the western encapement," Ubba interjected. "I thought he was a spy, a Saxon at that."
Ragnar laughed, "What business does a Saxon have in my realm? They couldn't even dream of attacking our Kingdom, let alone spy on us." He then gestured to Hiccup, "Besides, look at him. Bjorn, you've been to England with me, have you seen a Saxon dress like that?"
"I have not," Bjorn replied.
"Exactly, you brought me some poor young man… unless…" Ragnar trailed off. "Did Drago send you perchance? Drago Bludvist?"
"Drago?" Hiccup repeated, sounding out the name.
Ragnar's eyes widened as Hiccup spoke.
"That accent… Are you from the archipelago my boy? The Barbaric archipelago?"
"I am," Hiccup answered.
"Well you answered my first question, you don't know who that bastard is obviously, unless you're lying to me of course." Ragnar snapped his finger and suddenly an axe was pressed to Hiccup's neck.
"I don't like liars," Ragnar hissed.
"I have no idea who you're talking about," Hiccup replied.
"Good, Ivar put the axe away."
Ivar acknowledged his father's command and the weapon was pulled away from Hiccup's neck. Hiccup let out a sigh of relief and lowered his head.
"What is your name boy?" Ragnar asked.
"Hiccup," he answered.
"Hiccup…" Ragnar repeated, rolling his hand to encourage Hiccup to continue.
"Haddock. I'm Hiccup Haddock the Third," Hiccup answered in full.
Ragnar sat up straight on his throne, his eyes going wide.
"Haddock?"
Hiccup nodded. Bjorn raised a brow and glanced towards his father.
"Your Father wouldn't happen to be Stoick Haddock, would it?" Ragnar inquired.
"He is," replied Hiccup.
Ragnar leaned back and lifted a hand to his chin lost in thought.
"I know your father," Ragnar said absentmindedly.
"So I've heard," Hiccup said.
"You're supposed to be dead, missing at the very least. Halfdan get me that letter from Stoick," Ragnar ordered.
Halfdan disappeared for a moment but suddenly returned with a roll of parchment, the sight of which made Hiccup shift nervously on his knees. Ragnar grabbed it from Halfdan's hand and unfurled it.
"Dear Ragnar," The King began. "It has been a long while since we last spoke. While not intentional I have become a desperate man. My son, Hiccup, was taken very similarly to my beloved Valka. And while I blame your seer for cursing me, I still hold out hope that my son is out there somewhere. If you come across him please let me know and I will forever be in your debt. Sincerely Stoick."
Ragnar looked up from the scroll and at Hiccup.
"Why are you so far away from home?" he asked
"It's a long story," Hiccup answered.
"We've got time," Ivar sneered.
"There is no need…" Ragnar said. "I know your story well enough," he told Hiccup.
"You do?"
"Yes I do, Hiccup 'The Dragon Master of Berk' Haddock,'" Ragnar said with a smile. "They said that you could control dragons with the flick of your wrist and make them heed your command."
"Uh… they did?"
"Even the largest of dragons were no match for you, they said you made one of those, what do call them, monstrous spottedbacks?"
"Hideous Zipplebacks?" Hiccup corrected
"That's it! One of them! They said you made it cower in fear and run away from you!" Ragnar shouted with glee.
Ragnar stood from his throne and approached Hiccup.
"Odin has answered my prayers. You are a gift from the gods, Ubba untie him."
Ubba did as he was told, freeing Hiccup's wrists from the rope. Ragnar extended out a hand which Hiccup took. The King helped Hiccup to his feet and brushed off his armor.
"I have been waiting for someone like you," Ragnar told Hiccup.
"You have?" Hiccup asked.
"Yes! You see…" Ragnar began, placing an arm over Hiccup's shoulder and guiding him. "Our people are starving in these frozen wastes. I know of a faraway land known as England, a land so fertile it could feed all of Scandinavia several times over. However, it's inhabited by a people so fierce in their resistance to us that I have not been able to muster an army large enough to take it."
"The Saxons?" Hiccup questioned.
"Indeed. But now that you're here my luck has changed. I tried this method once before but it resulted in a war with the man I mentioned earlier, Drago. Dragons are the perfect weapons of war and if I am to conquer England once and for all. For our people to prosper I need an army of both man and dragon," Ragnar explained.
"Uh, how does that involve me?" Hiccup asked.
"You're the dragon master are you not?" Ragnar asked.
"That's what they called me I guess," Hiccup replied.
"Then you have the power to tame dragons for me," Ragnar told him. "Just think Hiccup, with you leading my dragon army, we would be unstoppable. Everything you could ever want in life, fame, riches, power, it could all be yours. You could even be what I promised your father so many-"
'A dragon army?' Hiccup thought to himself as Ragnar talked. 'I can't risk any dragons let alone creating an army to conquer with. I have to try and convince him otherwise.'
"I can't train dragons," Hiccup interjected.
"What?" Ragnar questioned, turning to Hiccup.
"I can't train dragons, it's impossible," Hiccup repeated.
"What do you mean impossible?"
"They're mindless killing machines, they're… animals," Hiccup tried.
"But you can-"
"I never tamed a dragon, I used my knowledge of their weaknesses against them. Everything Berk saw was a trick, which is why I left."
"You left Berk, let your father believe you were taken by a dragon over a lie?" Ragnar asked with an exasperated laugh.
"Yeah, I wasn't a smart kid but I didn't know what else to do," Hiccup explained.
Ragnar looked away, turning towards a tapestry hanging on the wall. The silence from the once jovial king was deafening but Ragnar didn't say a word.
"Listen I was just trying to buy supplies before going on my way. I'm sorry to have caused all this drama but I would like to get going," Hiccup told the king.
Ragnar nodded before turning back to Hiccup.
"Yes, I do apologize for the way my sons have treated you, young Hiccup."
"It's no problem," Hiccup replied.
"Before you go," Ragnar said, lifting a hand in the air to grab Hiccup's attention. "I have but one thing to say. It is not wise to disrespect the intelligence of a man who has all of the known world in his hands. Nor is it wise to anger a warrior with the knowledge of how to kill to make an example and how to wound to make a point."
Ragnar slowly began approaching Hiccup, the latter of whom was slowly backing away from the king.
"When I offer you something Hiccup Haddock, you accept it for it is the best deal you will ever receive from me."
Hiccup continued to back away but was suddenly stopped by two pairs of arms holding him in place.
"When I say do not lie to me, you best not lie to me. My brother lied to me once. He is now maimed and a shadow of his former self. Unfortunately Hiccup, you have lied to me."
"I promise you I-"
"SILENCE!" Ragnar yelled. "There is truth to your story, I know there is but I know Berk wouldn't weave outlandish tales to make a fool of me. The wayward son of Stoick the Vast, believed to be the best dragon-killing Viking in generations disappears by the talons of a dragon only to show up weeks away by boat, claiming to not know how to tame dragons. One can't simply walk from Berk to Kattegat."
"My boat landed north of here," Hiccup attempted to defend himself.
"You don't look like the boating sort Hiccup. You arrived here somehow and I think you and I both know how."
"I don't know what you're implying," Hiccup said, playing dumb.
"I think you do Hiccup. Tell me Hiccup, where is your dragon?"
"It's not easy to ride dragons you'd have to-" Hiccup started before quickly stopping himself.
"You do know…" Ragnar trailed off.
Without warning Ragnar drew the sword at his hip and plunged it into Hiccup's side. Hiccup yelled in pain as Ivar and Ubba held the thrashing rider.
"I warned you Hiccup and now you must pay the consequences," Ragnar told him.
The King removed the sword from Hiccup. Upon doing so, Ivar and Ubba released their hold on Hiccup. Hiccup fell to the ground with a thud, groaning in pain he clutched his side where blood was now seeping through his armor. Ragnar took his place back on his throne, glaring at Hiccup.
"Hiccup Haddock you are hereby a prisoner of Kattegat until you give me what I want; The knowledge of training dragons and the creation of a dragon army. Failure to meet my demands will result in a far worse punishment than a simple stab of a sword. You will not escape, you will suffer, and most of all you wish you could've stayed dead. Ubba, Ivar, see to it that he doesn't bleed out on my floor. Halfdan, prepare a prison cell for our new friend."
Ivar and Ubba picked Hiccup up and left. Halfdan made a quick exit followed by a few of the guards, leaving only Raganr and Bjorn.
"That boy is a gift, my son," Ragnar said.
"He is?" Bjorn questioned.
"Yes, he will give me the dragon army."
"And if he doesn't?" Bjorn asked.
"I will break him before that could even be feasible."
"Let's say he doesn't even when he breaks, what then?"
"That's the beauty of it, my son," Ragnar began. "After nineteen years I finally have leverage over Stoick. He would do anything for his son back…"
"Like?"
"Acknowledgment that I am his King…"
This chapter was chronologically written second when I first started writing the story. Chapter 1 was done and I had no clue where to go from there. So I sat back and jumped around the story a let my mind run. The original version, which will never see the light of day, had a much more mellow interaction between all the characters. There was no dream sequence in what I had written nor was there the chase scene, that was all in proper sequence.
Hiccup meeting Ragnar was a lot different originally. An excerpt:
"Bjorn, get your men ready. Hunt them down and take care of them," Ragnar ordered.
Hiccup's eyes widened; if they stumbled upon Toothless, things would go from bad to catastrophic—
"Yes, Father," Bjorn replied, snapping Hiccup out of his thoughts.
'No!' Hiccup's inner voice protested. Ragnar seemed almost capable of mind-reading, as he turned to lock eyes with Hiccup, making him feel as though he'd spoken aloud.
"Your forces won't stand a chance against my sons'. This will be a reminder that the Saxons should—"
"I came alone," Hiccup interjected, cutting Ragnar off.
Ragnar waved his hand, stopping Bjorn in his tracks.
"Say that again," Ragnar commanded, his gaze unwavering on Hiccup.
"I came alone," Hiccup repeated, his voice barely above a whisper.
Ragnar leaned down, using his fingers to lift Hiccup's chin and meet his gaze head-on.
"That accent... You're not Saxon, are you, kid?" Ragnar asked.
Hiccup shook his head in response. Ragnar nodded, then signaled to Ubba to let go of Hiccup, which he did. Ubba had gripped Hiccup's arm firmly, causing Hiccup to wince and rub his arm where he had been held. Turning away, Ragnar resumed his conversation with his men.
End scene.
See, kinda bland and very robotic. I also didn't have Stoick's relationship with Ragnar thought out completely yet so much of that was missing. Overall though I like how it turned out and portions of the original throneroom scene were reused in some ways.
[1: The Blood Eagle was a rather gruesome and brutal method of execution. Without going too much into detail, your lungs would be placed on your shoulder and your skin stretched to make it look like you have wings.
Sorry about that.
Until next time friends…
-Dilloncoll