Prodigal Son 14
"Where are we going, Hiccup?"
"The library."
"Ah." Artemisia collected the furs which Hiccup had insisted she wear and gathered them more tightly around herself. "And, what is the bag of fish for?"
Hiccup adjusted the sack which was strung around his shoulder. "Motivation."
"You're being awfully cryptic tonight." Artemisia probed lightly.
The city was relatively quiet that evening. The city guards were patrolling quite heavily in order to discourage any potential counter-riots, but everyone seemed inclined to stay indoors anyway. Noise could be heard from the markets and the docks a few blocks over, but that wasn't Hiccup and Artemisia's destination.
The Library loomed in the distance, a bulky pale shape against the clouded night sky. They wound through the nearly empty streets of Alexandria. A beggar waylaid them once, and was driven off by a few small coins from Artemisia's purse. Beggars were quite common in Alexandria. A byproduct of the wealth the city generated.
"It is sad." Hiccup observed.
"What is?"
"You'd think we could do more for them." Hiccup said.
"We could." Artemisia answered shortly. "The nobles in this city, myself included, have enough money to feed, clothe and house everyone in this city."
"Then why don't you all band together?"
"Because in our civilization, gold is valued more than the well-being of others." Artemisia explained shortly. "In most cases, at any rate. Plato once wrote that the greatest wealth is the ability to live content with little. He thought that the pursuit of wealth in lieu of good deeds and moral virtue was one of the worst crimes a capable man could commit. As for myself, I have plenty of income from a variety of investments and sources. All of it is given to the upkeep of Alexandria's Library, and my school. That is a step along the way. One day society will not be so blind. One day we'll see the wisdom of Plato's theoretical system. One day good and wise men, raised and taught in special Academies will rule. A kingdom ruled by a Philosopher is better off than a kingdom ruled by any species of politician. The reason for this is that a philosopher understands that money and power are a means to enact lasting and effective social change. A politician does not. He does what is best for himself and for those who fund his campaigns. Perhaps for his friends and allies if he is a generous politician. But only a philosopher will do what is best for his people."
They reached the library a few minutes later. Its regal columns towered over their heads. A wide gravel pathway lead through a well-groomed garden, and up to the foot of the building's marble stairs.
A circular fountain lay at the center of the path. The statue was a depiction of a man lying spread against a boulder, chained to it. An eagle, its wings spread, was on his lap, pecking at a wound in his side from which water poured continuously into the pool below.
"Prometheus!" Hiccup exclaimed, recognizing the figure. Hiccup only wandered through the front door of the library once. Usually he saw it from above. He said, "Prometheus stole fire from the gods to give to humanity."
"Not just fire, but knowledge and understanding of the world. Prometheus was a titan. A Greek god who knew the value of knowledge, and paid his price for it willingly. Your Norse god Odin gave up his eye for knowledge. The power of knowledge, and its price, is a theme you'll find common amongst almost all religions. Even Christianity. Eve bit the apple from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil."
"I always thought that was a metaphor for…you know…" Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck. He could feel himself blushing. "Sex. And whatnot."
"It could be." She allowed. "But what if by biting the apple, Eve gave human beings the ability to reason and think about morality independent of God's influence. What if that action allowed us to step away from Him. Sex produces children but it is reason and understanding which gives us agency in life. If Eve's actions gave Man that ability before God thought we were ready… it would explain His anger afterwards far better than anger at some slight indiscretion. The true price of knowledge is responsibility. Towards oneself, and towards others."
"I suppose."
Artemisia smiled. "Have you ever been on a proper tour of the Library of Alexandria?"
"Nothing formal."
She gestured at the staircase, and the enormous white marble pillars. "What's the first thing you notice?"
"Its… fancy. Prestigious."
"Hiccup…" Artemisia said, frowning. "You can do better than that. What does the inscription above the door say?"
His gaze turned to the ancient, carefully carved Greek lettering on the lintel. "It says 'Let only the inquisitive enter here'. Makes sense. After all, it's a library."
"Not only. It is an Academy. A place where philosophers, poets and thinkers go to learn, to teach, and to ply their respective crafts." She strode confidently up the marble stairs and under the shelter of the pillared overhang.
"Umm… it's usually closed this time of night." Hiccup warned.
His teacher raised an eyebrow. "And how then did you intend to enter it?"
"Oh, I dunno…" he shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. "Carefully?"
She smirked and knocked six times on the thick wooden doors. The doors themselves were ornate, with faces carved in the likeness of the great Greco-Roman thinkers, and above them, a young Alexander the Great, striking a heroic pose. Artemisia pointed him out to Hiccup. "That's the man who founded this place."
"Alexander, I know."
"Do you? You know he planned this city. You know he planned this library, but where did the concept come from, Hiccup? You're looking at the leaves, but what are the roots? The concept of an Academy is very simple. It is the physical manifestation of the Parable of Plato's Cave. This is where chains are broken, Hiccup. This is where we learn to look at the world through a new light. This is where truth is found, where fact overrules fiction. Any society that wants to thrive needs to be fluid. Where we encounter problems, solutions must be found. Barbarity and ignorance must be countered with truth and measured discussion. This is progress, Hiccup. This is where leaders are made, and futures forged. Those Philosopher Kings I mentioned, they are made here. Trained to understand the world, and with that knowledge comes the responsibility of running it."
A panel on the door slid back, revealing flickering light and the dark skinned, stern, bearded night guard whom Hiccup had thus far always managed to avoid. "I told you, before: Night time visitors aren't– Oh, Ma'am."
"Just leading a student through, Erastes." She reported pleasantly.
"Yes Ma'am." His face vanished, and Hiccup heard bolts sliding back. Then the door opened. Hiccup had entered through the front door of the library on his first day in Alexandria, though back then he knew the city as Eskendereyya. The Library was no less awe-inspiring on the second visit. Ahead of them lay a wide corridor, lit with oil lamps, each flame carefully sheltered to protect the dry volumes of literature. Rows of wooden shelves, each ending with a marble column, stretched out ahead of him. On each shelf were dozens of rolls of papyrus. He could see the shadows of more bookcases on the mezzanines which stretched for another two stories above his head. A great distance ahead of him, moonlight shone down through the central glass dome, down upon a statue.
They walked slowly down the central aisle until they were standing at its base. Artemisia paused there. All round her stretched wings and galleries with shelf upon shelf upon shelf of scrolls and precious tomes. "Just take a moment, Hiccup. Stand here with me."
Before them, at the intersection between the four wide hallways, facing the front door was the enormous marble statue of Alexander the Great, riding a rearing white horse. Hiccup stared up at the chiseled, smooth features. In the conqueror's raised hand he wielded not a sword, but a scroll. Three stories above their heads was the enormous glass dome which lit the library. Hiccup recognized it. For months, he had slipped through a loose panel at its base, and into the library to read after dark. At midday, Hiccup knew that the sun would shine down upon Alexander's statue, making it glow with a brilliant light. An inscription had been chiseled at the base of the statue.
"Ignorance is the root and stem of all evil." Hiccup read.
"One of Plato's best quotes." Artemisia said, "This Library is supposed to contain all the knowledge of all the world. Even now, eleven hundred years later, it is still a revolutionary idea. Aristotle's great addition to Philosophy was giving us the tools needed to organize and categorize not only our thoughts and arguments, but the physical world around us. His systems were instrumental in shaping the design and organization of this institution. His pupil, Alexander, spread Greek culture throughout all the known world, and along with it, Aristotle's philosophy. He founded cities all across his conquered territory, but Alexandria was his favorite, and by far the largest.
"When he died, his three generals took control of his massive empire. The one we're most concerned with was Ptolemy, who took control of Egypt and became a respected ruler in his own right: Ptolemy the First, of Soter. His line controlled the throne of Egypt for centuries, until-"
"Until the death of Cleopatra." Hiccup supplied helpfully. "I've read of the civil war between Augustus Caesar and Mark Antony."
"Very good!" Artemisia congratulated. "But our story, and the founding of this library, revolves around Ptolemy of Soter, and his efforts to retain Greek culture. Alexander was dead, but his empire had spread Greek culture across new lands including Egypt. Without their emperor, the Greek elites including Ptolemy, needed a way to retain their culture, and to keep the empire intact. They needed to maintain Alexander's symbols and the way they chose to do this was to make his crown jewel, Alexandria, Egypt's greatest city. And they did, thanks in large part, to the founding and maintenance of this very Library.
"Books were taken from everywhere. Homes were searched. Incoming ships were held at dock and searched from top to bottom. Books were borrowed or bought at great price from neighboring kingdoms, and usually never returned. A war was fought, not with steel, but with minds. Knowledge was sought and hoarded, each ruler trying to know and understand more than any other because it was known in Greek culture that thorough knowledge lead to superior leadership. Armies of scribes, priests, and librarians worked day and night to read through all the material. Those of any value, whether historical, technical, or literary, were kept and organized according to their content. Any piece of information you seek, large or small. Foundation shaking, or irrelevant. The most likely place you'll be able to find it is here. You are standing in the brain of civilization."
Hiccup looked around at the dark shelves and upper galleries. His voice echoed loudly through the halls as he said, "It seems kinda empty."
Artemisia tried and failed to suppress a snicker. "I'll admit that knowledge is useless without intelligent people there to make good use of it. But I can assure you that at midday, when those front doors open, this library is bustling with activity. Some of the greatest inquisitive minds in the world gather here, in this library, and at the museo attached to it."
"Museo?"
"A place of learning, similar to my academy in the Agora, but larger." Artemisia grinned. "It has a cafeteria and an Amphitheatre and few other additions."
"And that's where you go to get taught." Hiccup guessed.
"To debate." Artemisia clarified. "This is where you go after you've graduated from my classes. But come, follow me." She led him through a few aisles, all of which looked the same aside from carefully places numbers and letters which marked each shelf.
"Ahh!" she declared happily, "Here we are!" she pulled an old scroll from a shelf at random and unfurled it to reveal a long chart, full of numbers. "Five years of grain shipments from Egypt. From years seven hundred and four to seven hundred and nine."
Hiccup chuckled. "Wow. Why is that in here?"
Artemisia gestured around here. "This entire set of shelves contains lists of shipping receipts for all kinds of goods across the empire. I know it may seem like a strange choice to keep such things, but they are relevant. When you chart these numbers, Hiccup, one can see the fluctuation and movement of goods across centuries of business. All of the ups and downs, the famines and the wars. Our entire history is reflected in these receipts. One can use that data to predict and prepare his population for famines, and calculate the economic impacts of wars. One can plan ahead using data available on a massive scale never before seen by any ruler.
"War is exciting, and in exciting times, one desires generals and conquerors. Leaders who are military strategists. But even in wars, armies must be fed and watered. Weapons and equipment must be manufactured and moved. In both peace and war, an intelligent leader makes use of data to inform his choices as ruler. As boring and irrelevant as a single scroll may seem to us here tonight, these simple charts can make or break armies and nations. That is why this data has been kept."
"It is strange that two floors up, one can find plays and poems."
"Is it? Plato actually held a very low opinion of the arts, but I thoroughly disagree with him. All of the lists and data one can find down here are pointless unless they are used for the greater purpose of creating art. Adding beauty and advancing culture. The arts are an end worth pursuing. It is fitting that poetry and great works of fiction are placed on the floors above the regular maintenance of a kingdom. One is necessary for the other to thrive."
"Has the library ever fallen on hard times?" Hiccup asked. "How has it lasted for eleven hundred years?"
"In the past, the Roman empire suffered from considerable turbulence. Rome controlled Alexandria after the Ptolemy's, and not all the Emperors were as friendly to the library and its ideas as Ptolemy was, and for a time it had to rely on the private donations of people like me. Thankfully there were enough of us to see it through. Many of our emperors helped to rebuild it, and our current emperor Leo supports us now, with assistance from private donors. It is important to civilization to keep this institution open, not just as a library, but as an Academy. A place of learning."
"Why did the Emperors support the library?"
"I think some believed in its ideals, but there is a far more practical reason: As with all new dynasties, it is important to set up symbols for the public to identify with you. What symbols you choose dictate what kind of ruler they feel you're going to be. It says a lot that he chose to uphold this institution."
"Sounds like they were smart men."
"Indeed. They were very god at playing with public sympathies. For instance it was said that if Charlemagne had known he was going to be crowned Emperor, he would never have walked into Church that morning."
"Do you think that's true?"
"Unlikely." Artemisia said thoughtfully. "But it always looks good when one is modest about power. As a ruler you want people to identify with you and support you. Charlemagne tried very much to build a Christian kingdom run on the principles of the Old Testament. He had the authority and legitimacy of his God, which is always helpful. But far more practical is the permission and approval of the people he was ruling. People are less apprehensive about a ruler, even an utterly brutal one, when they feel he is a pious, god-fearing man. And they'll fear a tyrant more if they think he's got the wrath of a god on his side."
She paused a moment, and her eyes fell on the bag of fish which Hiccup was toting. "Enough of this." She said, "You said you had something to show me?"
They were at the rickety ladder which lead to the library's roof. Hiccup took a deep breath and hesitated, gripping the bottom rungs of the ladder. It had seemed so simple when he'd been standing in her study. It had seemed so very straightforward. Introduce Toothless to Artemisia. The two most important people in his life. The things the three of them could accomplish. He knew it would help. He knew Toothless could help with her work. Toothless had been so very good. So very well-behaved. The dragon had grown sluggish in Alexandria's hotter climate. He spent the days sleeping, usually. During the nighttime, he was always waiting patiently at the top of the ladder, always ready to ride and adventure. Ready to fly for endless miles, as fast as they could go.
Hiccup loved flying with Toothless. But he also loved Alexandria, and Artemisia's classes. He felt like he had finally found a place. A calling. He was Philosopher. Someone who devoted his life to exploring the thinking and learning, like Artemisia. She was always so sure of herself, and her opinions. She argued with priests and questioned gods.
These things were easy to do, though, when sitting safely in a classroom. He knew that she had never seen a dragon before. Would she approach Toothless with fear and mistrust as every single other person on the planet had before her? Or would she stick to her principles? Would she withhold judgment, and wait until she got to know Toothless. They would get along. Hiccup knew they would. She just had to give the dragon a chance to prove himself.
And if she didn't? If she fled back down the ladder? If she went to Martius to tell him everything…?
He felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Hiccup?" Artemisia asked gently.
"I just realized…" he murmured, swallowing. "If this doesn't work out… I'm going to have to leave Alexandria."
"Well in that case we're just going to have to make it work, won't we?" she shot back. "Besides. I already suspect a lot."
"You… you do?"
"You've brought fish along. I take it you're harboring some kind of animal up there. It can be ridden, but it is not a horse else you would keep it in a stable. You told me it could go above the clouds, so it can fly. How am I doing?"
He gave her a crooked smile. "Pretty good so far."
"Whatever it is, it will surprise me." She said confidently. "If it was something commonly seen, you wouldn't be hiding it on top of the tallest building in the city."
"It's a He." Hiccup supplied. "His name is Toothless."
"Toothless? Well that just makes me all the more curious." She motioned to the ladder. "Start climbing, Master Haddock."
Hiccup did so, and a moment later, he was standing on the roof of the greatest library in the world. The city of Alexandria was spread out before him, its streets forming a web of bright, spidery lines. Off in the distance, across the harbor, he could see the Pharos Lighthouse, with its burning beacon, the city's symbol of hope and comfort.
The rooftop before him was barren.
Toothless?" he said uncertainly. He slung the bag of fish off his back and it landed at his knee. Artemisia was at his shoulder, having clambered up after him.
"It's a beautiful view up here." She observed.
Behind them, there was a faint, leathery noise.
Artemisia turned first, and all Hiccup heard was her voice, weak with shock. "Oh dear…"
He turned, pulling a fish out of his bag. Toothless and Artemisia were staring eye to eye, the dragon's sleek black head less than a foot from her nose. Her eyes were wide, and the dragon's were slightly wider; a good sign on Toothless' part at least. Hiccup carefully slipped a raw fish into her hand.
"You'll need this." He said.
Toothless crooned curiously and took a step forward. She stumbled back, but regained her footing, still staring at the sleek black shape.
"Oh… dear…" she said again. Artemisia held the raw fish loosely in her palm, standing stock still as the dragon sniffed every inch of her, up and down. Toothless sat back on his haunches and sneezed twice; the woman's perfume had tickled his nose. Then, blinking rapidly, the dragon gave her an expectant look, his round green eyes flickering between her face and the fish in her hand.
"Hiccup…?" Artemisia whispered out of the corner of her mouth.
"Hold it out to him." Hiccup said encouragingly. "He'll eat it. He'll eat anything."
The dragon shot him an indignant huff and returned his attention to the philosopher. Artemisia was still fixed like a statue, trying to master her very real fear. Fed up with waiting, Toothless used his tail to bat the fish out of her hand. He snapped it out of the air as it flew upwards, his muscled jaws clamping shut right beside her ear. The sound lay somewhere between the clop of a horse's hoof, and a thunderclap. Yet it made clear the fact that anything caught between those jaws was mincemeat.
Artemisia shrieked and fell to the side. Once again, Toothless began to sniff at her. She crawled away across the roof, the dragon lumbering after her until her back was pressed against one of the great domes of the library.
The dragon plopped himself down on his tail, sitting upright with his head tilted quizzically to the side as he examined Artemisia. He opened his mouth to reveal toothless gums, and regurgitated half of the fish into her lap.
"Ah… yeah… sorry about this…" Hiccup said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.
Artemisia sat in stunned silence, staring down at the slimy carcass which was slowly soaking her robes.
"Toothless, bud… not everyone likes eating raw fish like you do."
Toothless' head snapped sideways and he fixed Hiccup with a wide-eyed look of disbelief.
"I'm serious!"
Toothless rolled his eyes.
"It's not healthy for us, bud! We'll take it with us. She'll eat it, I promise, but will you at least let me cook it over a fire?"
The dragon glared at him, clearly scandalized by the idea. He turned his attention back to Artemisia, who was caught in a three-way tug of war between amazement, amusement, and confusion. She said, "Hiccup, what does this mean? With the fish?"
"He ah… he wants you to eat it. It's how he makes friends. You know what," Hiccup squared his shoulders. "No. this isn't happening, bud. I'm sorry but no."
Toothless growled in protest. Hiccup made a move to grab the half-eaten fish, and found himself suddenly flat on his back as the dragon's powerful tail batted him away.
"It's alright…" Artemisia said bravely. "I'll eat it." Cringing, she used her fingernails to scrap away a patch of scales, then she raised the fish to her mouth and took a bit out of its flank. She held the raw meat in her mouth and gazed hopefully up at Toothless as her cheeks slowly turned green.
Toothless watched her like a hawk. He waited for a few seconds, then prompted her with a gulping noise. The philosopher's face drooped, but she cringed and managed to force it down.
Satisfied, the dragon fell onto all fours and spun around to Hiccup, his tail coming dangerously close to smashing a few of the dome's windows.
Hiccup reached over and hugged toothless' neck, bury his face happily in the dragon's scales, scratching furiously in all the dragon's favorite places. "It's good to see you again, Bud! I missed you so much!"
His dragon replied with a contented crooning noise.
Artemisia rose to her feet, her gaze still fixed on Toothless. "…Hiccup?"
Hiccup could still hear the shock in her voice. He untangled himself and grinned as Toothless wrapped himself around him, crooning and yammering happily. "Artemisia, I'd like you to meet Toothless, the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. He likes fish, Haddock more than cod. He loves dragon nip, interesting smells, and having his back scratched right between his wings. Just like this!" He dove happily onto Toothless, and scratched furiously, causing the dragon to arch his back, grinning a gummy grin, and rumbling in pleasure.
"Back scratch…" Artemisia said weakly, her hands hanging loosely by her sides.
"Well yeah. He can't reach that part himself." Hiccup grinned at Toothless. "Or he's just lazy. Honestly, bud. What the hell is that tail for, anyway? You make me do all the work."
Said tail gave him a firm thwack across his back. He responded instantly by throwing himself on the dragon, trying to wrestle the large creature to the ground.
"Of course he can't…" she took a few deep breaths and sank back against the dome, watching Toothless and Hiccup as they tussled. "That's a dragon, Hiccup."
Hiccup had managed to get on Toothless' back, and was busy holding the dragon's wings down. Straining with the effort, he grunted, "Well spotted."
Toothless' wings unfurled, sending him flailing to the ground. The dragon pounced immediately, showering him with licks.
"Alright, alright, alright, bud! You win! You win! I'm happy to see you too. Blech, yuck!" Hiccup pushed Toothless off him, and stumbled to his feet, steadying himself against his best friend's nose. He gave Artemisia another lopsided grin. "Yeah… so…" he gestured at Toothless, who sat back and assumed a very regal pose, his head held high.
"Tah-dah." Said Hiccup. A few droplets of saliva fell from his soaked robes and pattered onto the roof.
Feeling slightly more confident, Artemisia took a few steps forward. "Can I… can I touch him?"
"Grab another fish first." Hiccup told her. She obeyed.
"Good." Hiccup stood back and watched carefully as the Dragon approached her. Toothless was down on all fours, slinking like a cat, low to the ground as he eyed the fish.
"Keep it back." Hiccup instructed, "Extend your other hand, palm towards him. If he wants the fish, he's going to have to bond with you. Don't give him the fish until he presses his nose into your hand. Then you know you're allowed to pet him."
Toothless shot him a glare.
"Oh, come off it, Bud. This is Artemisia. She's a friend of mine, and you're going to be polite. Right? No biting her in half or anything."
Toothless responded with a noncommittal shrug which failed to inspire confidence in both humans. He looked back at Artemisia and licked his lips.
"Don't worry, he loves teasing." Hiccup said, hoping her uneasy expression would fade a little.
It didn't.
Even so, Toothless eventually raised his head and pressed his snout into her palm. He drew back and licked his chops again, eyeing the fish hopefully. She brought it forward, and he darted out, snatching it from her palm and gobbling it up.
Toothless moved on to the rest of the bag, sniffling his way through its contents, and chewing noisily. Hiccup and Artemisia were standing on either side, petting his flanks. She took her time, running her hands along Toothless' wings, feeling the densely packed muscle, and the tough yet feather-light membrane which stretched from wingtip to flank. Her questing hands and inquisitive eyes explored his saddle, with its special foldable handles, and aerodynamic storage compartments.
Artemisia gave the Saddle a long, hard look, and then turned her gaze on Hiccup.
He nodded, grinning from ear to ear. "Yep. I ride him. And it's amazing."
"Explains how you've traveled so far." She took a moment to smile, sharing in his mirth. Then she moved on to the tail adjustment mechanism and followed it back down Toothless' flank, running her fingers along the jet-black clamshell scales, each one bearing a slightly different smoked pattern.
She followed the mechanism all the way to the end of Toothless' tail, where she found the dark brown fin which Hiccup had fitted over the tattered bumpy scar; all which remained of Toothless' original fin. She examined the artificial fin, pulling on the connecting rod to make the tail open and close, watching the way each joint interacted, and how the supporting battens helped the false fin keep its shape.
"It's an artificial tailfin which I control. He can't fly without me." Hiccup explained. "And I can't fly without him."
"Are you sure?" she asked, deadpanned.
"Ha ha. You're a riot."
"It really is an amazing piece of technology!" She exclaimed. "You should be very proud!"
"I am."
"And what about him?" She asked enthusiastically. "How is he? How much can he understand?"
"A lot. Umm… I think there's a lot he pretends not to understand."
"Like?"
"Oh, phrases. Things like: 'Toothless don't' or 'save some for me'."
Artemisia laughed and sat back on her heels, kneeling on the roof of the library. "If you had told me this morning that tonight I'd be staring at a live dragon…"
"You'd try to put me away." Hiccup said. "Toothless isn't really used to visitors, and the ones he's had over the past few years are usually of the torch and pitchfork variety."
"Smarter to keep him hidden." She observed. "Is that how he lost his tailfin?"
Hiccup cringed, feeling familiar guilt stab at him. "I shot him down. It's how we met, actually. I know dragons aren't too common in the rest of the world, but back on Berk we-" he paused, stroking Toothless' scales absently. Sensing his rider's distress, the dragon turned away from his meal and curled around to gently nuzzle Hiccup's side. Hiccup said, "Back on Berk they were getting attacked once a month. Then I shot down Toothless and we became friends and… and I couldn't stay."
Artemisia was studying him, taking careful note of his downcast expression, and the way he leaned into his scaly friend's embrace. She saw a very, very lonely soul.
She said, "Tell me everything."
"Well I wanted to take you out away from the city and find some clear spot where you could look at the night sky and take your measurements for your charts." The boy said hesitantly. "I thought Toothless could help with our experiments. You said you wanted me to help chart planetary movements. Toothless can help!"
"I think he will." Artemisia agree, "And tomorrow night I will bring my equipment, and we'll chart the stars. But tonight we're just going to fly. And you're going to tell me everything, Hiccup Haddock. Who are you really? How is it that you're flying a dragon? And why are you doing it so far from home?"
Aaaaand cue the heart to heart. I intend to skip his retelling of the story itself, as the relevant parts are of course Artemisia's thoughts on it, and the inevitable conversation with Hiccup. But I'm sure it will be a great relief to many of you to know that we are nearly done with Alexandria. I want to thank you for your patience with the first section of this chapter. I needed to cover the backstory of Alexandria's library. It is one of the most important parts of that city, and its fate will figure heavily in the remainder of the story. I know we're starved for action, and we're starved for Toothless. He will be appearing a great deal more in this story from this chapter onwards, and a Hiccup/Toothless action scene is fast approaching.
Anyway, your opinions, good or bad, are always valued, so let me know what you think!