Trigger Warning: Blood, Viking Torture, Human Sacrfice, Body possession, implied smut. Panic attack
After a hard, healing day, Gothi ascends to the top of her hut. A gust of wind, not the wind of the impending winter storms but the wind of greater power, blows as she clears the table of vials of remedies, her ancient eyes drooping with exhaustion. "Elder Gothi." With wide eyes, the older woman turns and gasps, only to be confronted by the Dragon Lord Bahamut and Goddess Eir. As the two ascend, the older healer bends her head and writes in the mud, "What brings the Goddess and Dragon Lord?" She then inquires as to whether it involves a specific auburn-haired teen.
"Only the dragon's soul must make a sacrifice to address the threat posed by two souls to Berk's future." Eir answers.
"When shall he perform these sacrifices?" Gothi wrote, her eyes widening even further in horror.
"One event will bring humans and dragons closer together, and the other will occur when his dominant mate needs him in an emergency," Eir clarifies. "Here, within the dungeons, are the sacrifices," she adds as the two vanish.
"I worry about little Hiccup." As the wind blows once more, all the way to the cove, and hits Hiccup's face, causing him to shudder—not from the cold, but from the energy he sensed from the wind—Gothi reflects melancholy as she gazes beyond the hamlet and into the forest.
The following day was a rare sunny morning in winter on Berk. A Deadly Nadder and a red and green monstrous nightmare in the air playfully wrestle until they land on Bucket and Mulch's farm.
Hiccup's VO: Here on Berk, we made peace with the dragons. We're slowly living and working together...and it only took us three hundred years. There's one slight problem... We forgot to tell the animals.
Mulch leaves his house and sees the dragons playfully wrestling in the farmland. "Not you two again. You should leave immediately. You understand now that you shouldn't be in this place." He scolds as he shoos the dragons away with his hook for a hand.
The dragons' growl, "I like this human. I want to stay." The nadder growls, annoyed.
"I want the one with the bucket on his head; he's funny." The nightmare coos as the dragons reluctantly fly away from their potential riders.
As Bucket emerges from his house, he gathers the basket for the eggs. "Now, it's time for everyone to earn their worth. Bucket, can you get the eggs?" Mulch asks his husband. The bucket-wearing Viking nods and goes over to the chickens. However, as he looks under the chicken's nest, he sees no eggs.
"It's chickens who lay eggs, right?" Bucket asked awkwardly.
"Do we really need to go over this again?" Mulch sighed in exasperation from his place beside the cows.
"No."
Mulch notices the uncertainty in his husband's voice, sighs, and rolls his eyes before approaching the chicken coop. Well, pay attention, Bucket. The order is wool, eggs, and milk. Was that so hard now?" The one-handed Viking gestured to each animal and explained their function as he got under the cow. "Observe." Just grab the udder, like so, and pull." The one-handed Viking pulls on the udder, but no milk comes out. He pulls repeatedly until the cow becomes frustrated with all the yanking and kicks the man away.
"Uh-oh. I think we're empty. That's not good." He gulps in worry.
Unaware of the problems arising in the village, Toothless pushes the big snowball that he rolled together and moves on his hind legs to place it on top of the bigger one he made, but they crumble away under his weight. He grumbles about it until he looks over where his mate is supposed to be sitting, and the sight in front of him makes him fall in love with Hiccup all over again. The submissive of the night fury lies in the snow. Snow speckles fluttered around him like a moth drawn to a flame. His auburn hair is lying in the fur hood of the black-furred jacket the human sewed together. His arms are spread out on either side of him, as are his legs, and his eyes are closed with a peaceful look on his features. To Toothless, his beloved looks like an angel, and he smiles and stares at the human who has captured his heart.
Hiccup feels like someone is watching him, and he feels a pull within himself as his eyes flutter open. He looks at his dominant partner before crawling to the black dragon. "Was that you? I felt someone watching me, and a pull was pulling me towards you, " he asks gently as he hugs his mate, happily content to be close to his dominant partner.
"Yes, it was. I couldn't help it. You looked divine lying in the snow in your fur coat, like a "snödrottning." The bond between us draws us together whenever we're apart. Unfortunately, if we spend too much time apart, it will physically affect you, my love. Toothless croons as he nuzzles under his beautiful mate's chin and pushes his passion back into the snow.
Hiccup grunts a little as he feels the snow under him. "Well, we'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen. I know we can't always prevent it from happening, but we can try to minimize the chances." Hiccup remarks, then bursts into laughter as his mate nibbles on the mating mark, leaving a scent mark on the furred jacket. The two play in the snow until they hear the sound of wings, and Stormfly and Eragon land, with Astrid dismounting Stormfly.
"Sorry we're late, Alpha and Queen." The female Nadder apologized.
"It's okay, Stormfly." Hiccup spoke in dragonese before turning to Astrid. "Okay, so I asked you to come here because you and Stormfly have yet to bond out of all the riders." If we're all going to be a team, I need you to work together with Stormfly and her mate; otherwise, the team will be unbalanced."
"I've tried and tried, Hiccup, but Stormfly still doesn't trust me. It's been almost a month, and still nothing. Even the twins have bonded with Barf and Belch." Astrid clenched her teeth, her blue eyes flaming with anger and resentment.
Sighing at the shield maiden's anger that is ever present, Hiccup mounts Toothless. "Well, this will hopefully fix that. Toothless and I, along with you and Stormfly, will slide down this mountain, and you're going to trust Stormfly to know what's best. Just let her be in control." Hiccup explains that Toothless gets into a position to slide down the mountain.
Astrid glares, sneers at the young heir's easygoing attitude, and sighs in anger as she gets into position as the two dragons go.
"Please hang on tight, Hiccup, so you don't fall off." Toothless articulated firmly.
"I won't, but thanks for the warning." Hiccup replies as the human male whoops in the air at the speed he and his mate are going. His forest green is brimming with a thrill that he only feels when he's with the Night Fury.
Stormfly easily glides through the soft snow, dodging tree branches and boulders as Astrid bites her lower lip to keep her opinions to herself. Her posture is rigid and tense with anger.
Eragon observes from the sky, vigilantly monitoring his beloved while also ensuring the safety of his Alpha and Queen. Everything goes well so far, as Hiccup whoops and hollers, having fun as his mate slides with ease in the snow, Astrid fights to hold in her anger and authoritative tone, and Stormfly slides around trees and boulders.
"See, isn't this exciting?" The Night Fury's mate hollered at the shieldmaiden with a massive grin on his freckled face and an animated tone.
"Easy for you to say because your dragon is your mate, and he won't let anything happen to you." Astrid yelled back angrily, causing Stormfly to croak in an offense that the female human would think the nadder wouldn't protect her.
Hiccup sighed in frustration until he felt calmness enter him through the bond. He then leaned down and kissed his beloved's head, knowing he was the one who calmed him and that the statement was true.
"I still don't see how this will help our teamwork," Astrid shouted but stood cut off. Stormfly quickly pressed Astrid down on her back with her tail, and the dragon went under a large branch that would've taken the Viking's head right off. However, they're not out of danger yet, as Stormfly sees a line of large, sharp boulders, and she's sliding right towards them." STORMFLY!" Astrid screeched in horror as she saw the boulders approaching while the mates looked back. Eragon then flew down to assist. The female nadder spreads her wings out on either side of her body, and keeping her rider pinned down, she leaps over the boulders, her underbelly barely making it over the pointy tips as she slams onto the snowy ground on the other side.
"My love, are you alright?" Eragon asked frantically as he flew beside his still-sliding mate.
"Yes, dear, I am," Stormfly responds softly, looking back at Astrid to ensure she's okay.
"That was incredible, Stormfly!" Hiccup praised the nadder with a chirping attitude as he looked at Astrid in shock and disbelief. "Astrid, you okay?" He asked gently.
"She saved me. That tree branch would've taken my head off if she hadn't pinned me down and those boulders. She almost sacrificed her safety to get over them. For me?" She says in disbelief, her pupils dilating and then becoming round again as Stormfly squawks in confirmation.
Toothless and Hiccup look at each other, realizing what is going on, but before they can comment, a loud noise is heard from behind as a large avalanche is seen quickly approaching the dragons and humans. While Stormfly and her mate swiftly ascend, Toothless attempts to follow suit, but his tailfin remains completely frozen, preventing him from doing so. "Oh no, your tail is frozen; I'll break it free." As he heads back towards the tailfin, Hiccup makes the announcement.
Toothless growls as he looks back at his lover. "No, my love, I won't have you in danger. Get back up here!" Toothless commands, but due to the loud roaring of snow behind them, Hiccup doesn't hear the command, and his hand begins to light up with a green aura as he's about to cast a spell, but a snowdrift knocks both mates off balance as Hiccup loses his concentration and almost falls off his mate's back.
Seeing that his Alpha and Queen are heading for the cliff's edge, Eragon fires off a fire blast at the snow as it melts under the intense heat. He flies ahead of the mates and creates a small crater to hold them before the snow covers them. "HICCUP, TOOTHLESS!" Astrid hollers as she leads Stormfly down to try and help.
"No, get back!" Hiccup gestures to Stormfly as Toothless loses control. Hiccup desperately clings to the saddle, attempting to regain control. Toothless tries to dig his claws into the ground as he pins his mate down to his back with his tail to protect him. At the last second, they slide into the crater that Eragon made, and Toothless brings Hiccup close to his chest and wraps him in his paws and wings to protect him as the avalanche covers it. Hiccup scans his surroundings, enveloped in complete darkness, but he fails to spot his dragon lover. "Toothless, Toothless, where are you?" He panicked as his eyes surveyed his surroundings and couldn't find his mate until he felt a soft nuzzle against his mating mark and a soothing claw on his bare flesh peeking out of his jacket.
"I'm right here, my Hiccup. You're safe." Toothless rumbles softly as he feels his submissive mate ease under his embrace.
"Well, great, another idea spoiled. Figures." Hiccup grumbles in defeat as he crosses his arms over his chest with a huff.
"I disagree, my love. For one, we saw that Stormfly and Astrid's bond has increased sufficiently now that Astrid knows that Stormfly will defend her at all costs. And second, and most important, you're alive, and I'm alive, and we're safe, as are Stormfly and Eragon and Astrid." Toothless points out that Hiccup debates it in his mind, smiles, and brings his mate's head to his chest, holds it close, and inhales the intoxicating musky scent of his dominant.
"I suppose that's true, and it gives this opportunity to have me close to you again," he teases.
"Oh, I don't need a reason to hold you close to me, where you are safe." Toothless teases back, "But maybe we should get out of this crater and check in with our subjects before heading home." The night fury suggests as he covers his fragile mate's head with his forearms and fires a few small plasma blasts into the covering of the crater as the snow melts away to form a hole in the outside world.
"Alpha, Queen, are you alright?" Eragon roared as Astrid called the boy's names as well.
"We're fine; we'll be up in a few minutes." Hiccup calls back as the two proceed to climb out of the crater.
Berk Mulch's farm
After the men told the chief that the cows and chickens weren't producing milk and eggs, Stoick and Gobber arrived at Mulch and Bucket's farm. Gobber crawls under the cow and examines its udders, saying, "Ah, uh... there it is, mm-hmm!" Just what I thought. She's not giving milk... none of them are." The elder Blacksmith concurs.
"We know that, Gobber. We want to know why." Stoick sighs, seemingly expressing the obvious.
"This reminds me of the time I moved my mother in with my goat. She was mean, ornery, and ate everything in sight. The goat was so fearful of her that it was unable to produce milk." Gobber reminisces, recalling the time long ago.
"So, what are you saying, Gobber?" The chief pressed on, growing a bit impatient.
"Animals and dragons. We have stopped fighting the dragons, so now they are constantly present. The animals are spooked. The animals likely believe the dragons will prey on them as they did during their previous raid. As Hiccup has repeatedly stated, the dragons are pursuing the animals, seeking meat to feed their mates." Gobber reminds the men of the same monstrous nightmare from earlier, circles around the farm, fly low, and gently playfully slaps Bucket's helmet with its horn before flying over the sheep, who fall over pretending to be dead. "See what I mean? Spooked."
Suddenly, Bucket fell to the ground on his knees, clutching his bucket helmet tightly and groaning in pain. "Uh-oh. Your Bucket's not tightening up on you, is it?" Mulch asked his husband, knowing what it meant. His eyes widened in horror.
"No, I'm just... FIIIIINE!" Bucket bellowed in agony as he curled in on himself. As he hears the bucket-wearing Viking's cries of pain, the nightmare from earlier soars overhead behind Hiccup and Toothless, prompting him to break away and investigate the source of the human's distress.
"Fang Claw, where are you going? We need you at the northeast guard post." Toothless rumbles as he turns mid-flight.
"I apologize, Alpha, but there's a human down there in distress, and I don't want him to be." It pains me to see him in such distress." The nightmare describes looking down at Bucket with sympathy in his blue eyes.
Hiccup turns his gaze towards the dragon, asking, "You mean Bucket?" He asks, and the nightmare nods. "He probably just smashed the eggs by accident, or he and Mulch had another disagreement; either way, he'll be fine, Fangclaw." The submissive mate makes a hand gesture but notices the flaming dragon still gazing down at the humans. He leans down and taps his mate's head to attract his attention, only to find toxic green eyes staring at him. "I think I know what's going on; let him go down there, and let's see if I'm right. Please, Toothless." Hiccup asks through the bond.
Toothless nods, wanting to see if his mate is also correct, "You may go down and see what is causing the bucket-wearing helmet his distress, Fangclaw. We'll come back later to discuss the guard post." The night's fury encourages the nightmare.
"Thank you, Alpha and Queen." Fangclaw quickly bows to his rulers, then flies down and gently lands behind Bucket. The distressed Viking looks at the dragon in confusion but smiles through tear-filled eyes while Stoick, Gobber, and Mulch all watch the interaction with bated breath.
"I knew Fangclaw wanted to bond with Bucket!" Hiccup cheers excitedly as he hugs his mate tightly.
"The occurrence of two bonds in a single day is truly remarkable." Toothless coos, equally as happy as his beloved, as he leans into the hug before Hiccup waves at his father and godfather, and then his mates fly off to join the guard.
After recovering from the initial shock of the incident, Mulch returns to his chief and says, "Well, as I was saying, whenever his bucket gets tight, it means a storm is coming."
"No storm, everything's fine." As Fangclaw drapes a wing over the pained Viking, Bucket gasps with watery eyes. I don't want there to be a storm! If lightning strikes my Bucket, it could lead to a decline in my intelligence." He manages to speak after a moment only to howl in pain again as Mulch comes up and feels how tight the Bucket is as Fangclaw nudges gently at his potential rider, unsure how to comfort Bucket.
"Oh, ho-ho! That's one tight Bucket! And the tighter the Bucket, the bigger the storm. Remember the Blizzard of Olaf? We spent months stranded in the snow, celebrating Snoggletong either in our homemade bunkers or in the dungeon." Much reminds them.
"That was a terrible one! It took us a week to dig Mildew out." Bucket reminds them as Fangclaw grumbles at the mention of the older man. All the dragons on the island view the old geezer of Berk as a nuisance and want to rid themselves of him, but they are hesitant due to the Alpha's warnings about harming humans. However, they know Night Fury harbors a more profound animosity toward the older man due to Mildew degrading the queen numerous times.
"We will spend the rest of our lives wondering why we bothered, "his spouse said, rolling his eyes. "Trust the Bucket, Stoick." Mulch issues a warning, but Stoick dismissively shakes his head.
"It doesn't make any sense. Storms don't occur this early in the season, and I'm not going to trust the Bucket. I want a second opinion." He says this as he makes his way to Gothi's hut.
Gobber begins to follow before he turns back to the two men, "And besides, who ever heard of predicting the weather with a bucket? That's what chicken bones and goose feet are for." And congratulations on making a new friend, Bucket." He continues, then follows in the footsteps of his best friend.
Stoick and Gobber walk up the long staircase to the top of Gothi's hut, where they see the older woman staring out into the distance. She fixes her gaze on the Night Fury, which has just landed on an abandoned catapult, and her eyes on Hiccup while a sad sigh escapes Gothi's lips. "Gothi, I've come for your counsel. Is there going to be a storm?" Stoick asked gently.
The village's oldest healer begins to write in the dirt as both men look on, trying to figure out what she's saying.
"She says, 'What do you think? Didn't you hear Bucket screaming his Bucket off like a banshee?" Gobber, translated as Gothi, points out the precautions she has already taken. These include bottling various potions, medicines, and herbs, boarding her only window, and covering her tables with sheep wool blankets. "Well, I guess there won't be any chicken bones this time," Gobber shrugs.
At the mention of bones, Gothi reaches over, grabs a jar of dirt, and sprinkles it in a circle. She then takes a small knife and slices her finger, allowing the blood to drop into the dirt. She writes in the dirt-filled blood, "The Gods demand a sacrifice from the one who has the soul of a dragon." As she writes, she looks up and hears Stoick growl at the mention of the prophecy.
"Oh no." Gobber's eyes dilate in fear as he whispers in horror and fears for his godson.
"Hiccup." Stoick gasps quietly, always wondering if his son would have to go through this at some point but never actually wanting him to.
"The gods have spoken, Chief," Gothi writes while Stoick reluctantly nods, tears streaming down his cheeks.
The scene shifts to the teens sitting on a catapult. Astrid shares her insights about Stormfly's earlier actions. Hiccup lies against Toothless's chest as the night fury lays behind him with a pleased smile, aware that the bond between the humans and their dragons has deepened.
"And then she leaped over the rocks and landed without spiraling out of control! Eragon created a crater for Hiccup and Toothless to land in, so they didn't plummet off the cliff's edge. It was amazing!" Astrid beamed, still astonished by the events, her sky-blue eyes sparkling with adrenaline.
"I've never heard of anything like that. The Book of Dragons makes no mention of it." Fishlegs marveled, a gleam of awe lighting up his gaze.
"I know! It was incredible! It seemed as though her protective instincts suddenly came into play." Astrid continued as he petted both Stormfly and Eragon. While the other riders' dragons engaged in various tasks, Meatlug, pregnant, was relishing a feast of rocks.
"That's what I keep telling you guys: dragons have a natural instinct to protect those who belong to their flock. Since they view you as part of their group, they will protect you, but you must cooperate with them rather than oppose them." Hiccup laughs as Toothless leans down and ruffles his mate's hair.
"Wait, so Eragon made a whole crater by himself. Cool, I want one. Do you think Barf and Belch are capable of doing that?" Tuffnut asks his sister.
"Okay, but if they do, you're on your own." Ruffnut shoves him away.
"Hey, Astrid, if you're still cold from being almost trampled by an avalanche, I can warm you up." Snotlout makes kissing sounds and hugs himself.
Instead of responding, Astrid purposely bumps the lever closest to her, causing snow to fall on the young Jorgenson. "Hey! " he shouts, feeling a slight shiver.
Hiccup giggles until he looks down and sees his older cousin Odis approaching the catapult. "Hiccup, Uncle Stoick is looking for you; he needs to discuss a serious matter with you." He informs the young heir, and Hiccup pales in response.
"Don't worry, my love, I'll be there with you." As Hiccup nods and mounts the saddle, Toothless reassures his mate, and the two set off towards the chief's house. Once they reach the chief's house, they find Stoick and Gobber sitting at the table, their expressions conveying the seriousness of the situation, causing a knot to form in Hiccup's stomach as he anticipates a dire outcome.
"Son, we received word from Gothi that a massive winter storm is coming. This storm could keep us sheltered for weeks or even months. We still need provisions such as milk, eggs, and wool." Stoick states that he is not looking at Hiccup as he averts his gaze, thinking about the other part he needs to discuss with his only son.
"The timing of a storm is significantly premature. We're in the middle of winter! We won't experience the devastating winter for another month!" Hiccup exclaimed in shock.
"Not according to Gothi." The chief disagrees, refusing to look at his son.
"What should I do? I can't control the weather!" Hiccup gestures to himself, but as he looks at his father, a sad look crosses his features. The young teen feels the atmosphere drastically change, and he trembles nervously.
"We also wanted to discuss this matter with you, Hiccup." The gods communicated with Gothi and determined that a sacrifice could calm the storm's chaos." Gobber responded sorrowfully to the teen's question, causing Hiccup to gasp in fear.
"I cannot offer sacrifices to the gods. I have no pact with the gods, only their powers." Hiccup corrected them in disbelief, trembling as a few beads of sweat dribbled down his face, but Stoick shook his head.
"The gods have spoken, son, and they have chosen you to do the sacrifice." Stoick mutters, keeping his face hidden. "You'll perform the ritual tomorrow, and then I need you to collaborate with the other teenagers to help the animals and dragons coexist. The chickens and cows aren't producing any milk or eggs because they're afraid of the dragons." He adds that he keeps his voice even.
Hiccup backs up until he's out of the house, then proceeds to the back and vomits loudly at the thought of going through the ritual. A familiar scent fills his nostrils, drawing him into a hug. "
'E ku'u aloha,' please talk to me." Toothless croons softly.
"The gods have given Gothi a command for me that I'm to offer a sacrifice to them, and in return they will cease the storm." Hiccup's voice quivers, still not able to believe this is happening.
"I don't believe in the gods, but I'm glad they gave you your talents. Please, Hiccup, resist losing yourself to them." The night fury pleads as his hold on the human tightens, and the black in his eyes slits a bit.
Hiccup leans up and holds his mate's head in his hands. "I'm yours." Despite the tears forming, he declares as he kisses his mate's lips, and the two share a moment together.
Later that night,
Rocky, eating a pile of rocks, accompanies Hiccup to Valka's cliff. He kneels, his stomach touching the snow-covered grass, and his eyes close. "Please, ancient ones, I, the vessel of your powers, come before you and ask if this be your will: Grant me strength and give me a sign that I must be the one to save my people." Suddenly an invisible force pulls him towards the dungeon, causing his mind to become numb as if it's taking control. He enters the dungeon and makes his way to the final cell, where a notorious criminal, sentenced to life in prison due to his plot to rape and murder Valka Haddock and throw an infant Hiccup into a full-fledged raid, ensuring his death.
"The youngest member of the family has arrived. See, you haven't grown much over the years." Dubai spat, but Hiccup remained unmoved, and Dubai started to become nervous by the glassy stare of Stoick's little runt.
"The gods have sentenced you to death. Dubai Hollerson. Hiccup Haddock will fulfill our will." A deep and powerful voice speaks through Hiccup.
"What!" But why? I haven't done anything? Who are you?" Dubai screams in outrage at his execution, but fear seeps into his heart as he realizes this isn't Hiccup's voice.
"You will find out soon enough." With that, Hiccup leaves the dungeon while Dubai and the other prisoners tremble like frozen sheep in the middle of winter. Once outside the dungeon, the mysterious feeling leaves Hiccup's body just as Toothless runs up and sees his beloved swaying on his feet, and the dragon catches him.
"Hiccup, are you alright, my love? Rocky should be guarding you; you shouldn't be out here alone." The Alpha dragon growls, intending to speak with the male Gronkle, still in his rock pile.
"The gods have spoken and chosen the intended sacrifice." Hiccup speaks, his voice sounding like he has just awoken from a deep sleep. His eyes are half-lidded, and his pupils are as round as plates.
Toothless looks at his beloved with deep concern, praying that this doesn't affect Hiccup's physical and mental health.
The next Afternoon
Hiccup heads to his aunt's house for the ritual bath after witnessing Toothless punish Rocky for not protecting him the night before, assigning the gronkle to guard duty, and learning that his father wanted Fangclaw and the nadder, who was always around Mulch's farm, to help the Vikings lead Dubai to the Great Hall. He instructed the other riders to begin attempting to coexist with the dragons and animals and assured them that he would arrive after the ritual. Toothless follows closely until they stop at the door. Hiccup turns around and hugs his dominant mate tightly, aware that he won't be able to touch him after the bath. "Please, Toothless, please don't come to the ritual. I don't want you to see me like that." The teen's cheek vibrates with low purrs as the night fury licks away the tears.
"Hiccup, nothing you do will ever change how I feel about you, my love. I will not be front and center but remain close by should you need me." Toothless presents as Hiccup nods against his lover's chest and clings to his beloved's neck. Helen ushers her nephew inside as the door opens and bathes him while Toothless watches in the corner.
Gothi and Helen bathe Hiccup in purified water while Ame cleanses his auburn hair with rosewater shampoo. Hiccup sheds a few tears as Gothi and Helen cleanse his skin, not because of the task at hand but because they are removing Toothless's scent from his skin, the mating mark, and especially his vaginal area, which must remain pure to complete the ritual. After cleansing, Hiccup dons a delicate, pure black robe adorned with dead flower petals as dark as the night. Hiccup wears a simple cloth belt relatively low around his waist, completing the outfit. The robe goes down to Hiccup's ankles and shows no skin. The sleeves have Nordic symbols engraved on them. Hiccup also dons a crown around his head made with dead flowers.
Toothless watched all this occur, keeping his face neutral, but on the inside, anger and resentment were boiling at all the humans except his mate. His eyes never left his mate's face. He watched Hiccup's eyes water with tears as he was washed and dressed, and they became emotionless and void of any light. His bond was filled with sadness. "Are you ready for this?" he asked his beloved.
"No, but it's what the gods desire." Hiccup responded in a dead tone. A horn reverberated across the landscape, heralding the impending commencement of the ceremony, to which Hiccup became silent. They then lead the dressed-up teen to the Great Hall, where a medium brown altar sits in the center of the grand building's entrance, with two large candles burning brightly atop two poles. Poles with dimly burning candles illuminate a pathway. Stoick stands in front of the altar, dressed in his usual attire, but instead of his brown cloak, he wears a black one made from black bear fur. Once he sees his son dressed up and his head hung low, even the chief can feel the boy's sorrow, and his heart breaks when he sees his son so hurt once again. The council all sit at the large meeting table, and Gobber stands beside Stoick.
"Hiccup, tell the dragons to bring in the prisoner." As Hiccup's brows rise slightly, Stoick commands his son to start the proceedings.
"Bring the prisoner Fangclaw, Sharpdrive." As the dressed-up teen commands his subjects, a roar echoes from the top of the Great Hall, and Hiccup immediately recognizes the source of the roar. The two dragons emerge from the dungeon, trailed by the Vikings, who trail a chained Dubai behind them. The dragons guide the humans up the stairs, where they position themselves along the side of the steps. Meanwhile, Spitlout, Odis, Jamerson, and Silent Sven yank on the chains, guiding Dubai up the stairs like a harnessed animal. As the men toss and bound Dubai before Hiccup's feet, the entire village gathers in the Great Hall and outside the building to witness the sacrifice.
"Dubai Hollergon, The gods have chosen you for sacrifice. We have found you guilty of attempting to rape Valka Haddock and assassinate Hiccup Haddock." Gobber yelled out the crimes as Astrid Ruffnut and the boys showed up and pushed their way to the front of the crowd outside after trying but failing to get the animals and dragons to coexist for half an hour.
"I served my time for my crimes for fourteen years; what can this runt do to me?" The growl of Fang Claw and Sharpdive halted Dubai's attempt to lean forward in his chains, seemingly ready to charge at Hiccup. He also felt a dark sense of being watched as he looked up at the roof of the grand building and saw toxic green-slitted eyes glaring at him from a distance, daring him to try the movement again.
"This is the sacrifice the gods have chosen for you to suffer until death." Hiccup's voice was deep and disembodied as he spoke, unlike the auburn teen's usual voice. His regular, dull green eyes seemed devoid of life and light as if a powerful deity controlled the boy.
Sven and Spitlout bind Dubai's arms to two poles and the same to his legs, leaving him dangling like a hog on fire. Hiccup goes up to the tied-up prisoner with dark blue hands, places them on the prisoner's back, and speaks a powerful chant: "Blóð, Auka." Beinahrúga, Slitna!" An instantaneous bloodcurdling scream comes from the prisoner as his nose begins to drip blood onto the floor, and his back spasms as his bones start to break. Hiccup moves his hands over Dubai's body, repeating the exact words. He even kneels and touches the prisoner's stomach, which causes blood to splatter on the teen's hands, while the tied-up human's throat emits loud, anguishing screams, his blood seeping out of his body and his bones snapping under his skin, causing his skin to tear and shred. Every part of him is dripping with blood, including his terrified eyes and mouth. In the recesses of his consciousness, Hiccup laments and longs for the end of this ordeal. He resists the urge to vomit as he sees himself rise and seize Dubai's head. With unheard-of strength and a swift move, he twists Dubai's head, causing the Viking to succumb, his blood still dripping from him. Hiccup closes his eyes and begins to make a chant gently.
"Lo, where do I see my father?
Lo, there do I see my mother,
Sisters and brothers.
Lo, there do I see the line of my people,
Back to the beginning!
Lo, they do call me.
They bid me take my place among them.
In the halls of Valhalla!
Where the brave may live forever!"
"Lo, where do they call me?" All of Berk chanted as Hiccup opened his eyes and stared at the ground, feeling a sense of control over his body once again. He glanced at his bloody hands, a wetness settling on them as he realized he was crying.
"The storm shall pass now." Gobber and Stoick announced as Hiccup stood motionless by Dubai's dead body; he felt that the presence he had felt during the ritual had vanished, leaving the young teen to cope with the pain alone. Both adults observe a slight trembling in Hiccup's frame and hear the sound of sniffling.
"Toothless." Hiccup whispers as he draws his bottom lip between his teeth to keep from bawling as his father speaks, but he barely hears him. "Toothless." He speaks a little louder, yearning to feel his partner's embrace and scent marking him once more as tears trickle down his face like a river.
A few Vikings, along with Gobber, remove the deceased body as the other riders look at the night fury's submissiveness with looks of shock and disbelief, but Hiccup is barely aware of it. "Toothless!" He begins to yell, wanting his mate inside of him, filling him, marking the boy as the dragon's as the tears increase. "TOOTHLESS!" Hiccup hollers in pure desperation despite Stoick's protests; Toothless leaps from his perch on top of the Great Hall, grabs his love with his tail, and places him on his back, answering Hiccup's desperate cries.
"I desire to remain undisturbed for the foreseeable future." The night fury commands his flock as he rushes past them and heads to the cove and into the den. He quickly places Hiccup on their nest and uses a claw to strip his mate of the melancholic attire, leaving his beloved completely bare.
"Toothless, I need you, please, my Alpha, my dominant, my love." Hiccup howled desperately, barely holding it together, his vision blurring and filling with water as he bawled.
"Don't worry, my love. I'll take excellent care of you." He makes unwavering commitments kindly and persists in these promises long into the night and early morning.
The next morning
The sky is darker than the previous day, and snow falls slowly as Stoick and Gobber walk through the village and notice, "The ritual didn't work. How is that possible?" Stoick wonders.
Gobber looks at his friend with mixed feelings, "Do you think it was best to have Hiccup do it? Maybe the gods were wrong?"
"The Gods spoke their wishes, and I stand by the decision. Did you think I wanted any of this? I didn't want Hiccup to perform that ritual. I didn't want Hiccup to die when he was only a few days old and have the gods bring him back to life and give him their powers. I didn't want the Night Fury hatchling to come near my son when he was six years old, only for the same Night Fury to come back and lay claim to Hiccup. I just wanted my son, my little boy, to be alive and healthy, Gobber!" Stoick roared in pure rage, but his eyes filled with tears as he felt guilt that his son may be traumatized.
Gobber sees the sadness and truth behind his friend's words but shakes his head. "While that is true, you seem to forget that while you desire Hiccup's safety, you forget that he is definitely safe with his lover and that he too has wishes that you cast out before you even hear them." He disputes this harshly as he walks away, leaving his best friend to his thoughts.
Stoick stares at his friend with wide eyes, and an idea comes to mind before the two men continue to observe the village.
The cove
Toothless is still in the den, lying at the entrance, with Hiccup asleep in his forearms as the dragon watches the snowfall. The dragon's knot has inflated within the human's core, tying the human to the Night Fury. Despite the previous day's horrific scene, Toothless finds the scene before him beautiful, sharing the first snow of the year with the love of his life.
His powerful, musky scent once again bathes Hiccup, naked and completely covered in dried dragon seed from head to toe. Long gone is the smell of the ritual. At some point during mating, Hiccup begged Toothless to cover him with his scent, which included the dragon's seed, leaving his hair sticky and dripping with his mate's cum. The visibly distended human's stomach revealed that Toothless's seed had once again coated Hiccup's vagina and ass.
Whimpers echoed as Hiccup clung desperately to his dominant mate, even as he slept, pleading, "Please don't leave me, my dominant, my love. I'll be a loyal submissive." He begs in his restless sleep, thinking Toothless will be disgusted by what Hiccup had done earlier.
"My love, nothing will ever take me away from you, not even the gods. Nothing you say or do will ever make me leave you. I'm yours forever, my Hiccup." Toothless reassures his lover as he nuzzles where his lover's heart is. He uses his tail to grab Hiccup's winter attire and brings it to his front. He holds the long-sleeved tunic and uses his paws to lift his mate and arms as he dresses his love. Next is the jacket, but the undergarments and pants must wait.
Hiccup opens his eyes to see Toothless's beautiful green eyes staring at him with love and loyalty. He smiles, leans his head back, and sees it snowing.
"The ritual didn't work," he says with a crestfallen expression.
"It's just snow Hiccup, you forget that we dragons can melt the snow with our fire." Toothless reminds his submissive, but it does little to brighten his love's mood. "Let's wait till my knot goes down, and then we'll go and attempt to help our guard and their riders with the animals. Barf and Belch came by after you fell asleep and informed me that their riders and the others plan on trying to get dragons and animals together in the arena, but the dragons are leery of being back in such a place with unpleasant memories."
Hiccup nods absentmindedly, thinking he may have doomed his beloved, his subjects, and his village.
Once the mates are separated, they head towards the arena, even with the snow falling faster and the wind picking up a bit. Upon landing, they encounter Dogsbreath, leaning smugly against the arena's wall. "Hey, Useless, I thought you were supposed to stop the storm; I guess the gods were mistaken when they gave you their powers."
"No, that mistake was when they revived him." Sid cackles until both boys come face to face with a fierce night fury. Both boys pale like chalk and slowly back away, saying, "Hey, Hiccup, call off your dragon." Sid stutters, but Hiccup continues to set up for the exercises, acting like he doesn't hear the boy's pleas.
Toothless follows the boys until they run like frightened sheep toward the exit and quickly pass the other riders in terror." "Damn, idiot humans." He snorts as he goes back to his mate.
"Hey, Hiccup, you're here. Are you, um, alright?" Fishlegs wondered as he led a couple of cows into the arena.
"I'm fine." Hiccup responded shortly with disdain, coloring his tone and not making eye contact with anyone. As he turned, he saw four cows, six chickens, and two sheep, but he also noticed that the dragons were outside the arena. He goes out and smiles a little, but it doesn't meet his eyes. "It's okay; there's no harm here; you're safe. Trust me." He coaxes gently as he leads the dragons into the arena, speaking calming words to them as they rejoin their riders. "Now that we're all together, let's begin, shall we?" He forced a smile on his face.
Great Hall
While Hiccup and Co. continue to try and work with the animals, the storm begins to unleash more snow and gusty winds—even a lightning storm—as the Vikings begin to race to the Great Hall for shelter. An elderly couple tries to move as fast as they can, but a strong gust of wind blows over an old pole, almost crushing the humans. At the last second, a gronkle intercepts and takes the pole's weight on its head. "Oh, thank you, dragon." The woman addresses the gronkle as it tosses the pole away and ushers the humans to the Great Hall by offering a ride, which the couple reluctantly takes but is grateful for. More dragons come to the Great Hall with humans on their backs as Mulch walks up the steps, pushing Bucket in a wheelbarrow and Fireclaw cooing at the bellowing bucket-wearing Viking.
Bring in everything you need! We don't know how long we'll need to stand hunkered down! Stoick ordered as the Vikings brought their livestock and families into the Hall. He looked down and saw Mulch. "How's Bucket doing?"
"Look at him! He usually loves a wheelbarrow ride. And Fireclaw is worried about him as well." Mulch gestures to his distressed husband and new dragon. His worried gaze becomes worse every time his husband whimpers.
Stoick nods as he observes, within the Hall, people whispering and gesturing about Hiccup and how he failed in his ritual. He grits his teeth and turns around. "If you all have something to say about my son, then come and say it to my face!" He snarled with eyes blazing with such intensity that most Vikings cowered and hid as the murmurs became quiet. He turns back to Mulch, gestures for him to take Bucket inside, and even permits the dragons who brought the elderly Vikings to enter. As the last Viking and animal come in, Stoick orders the doors to be closed, knowing his son knew of the back way in through the kitchen and prayed he would come before it got too dangerous outside.
At the arena, Astrid and the twins huddle around their dragons while Stormfly, Eragon, Barf, and Belch cover their humans with their wings to protect them from the cold wind as more snow falls.
"Come on, big boy. You can do it. Come on." Hiccup encourages as he tries to push a cow towards Hookfang, but the cow doesn't budge.
"Okay, what if we look at this from an animal's perspective?" Fishlegs suggests as he begins to crawl around the snow-covered ground on his hands and knees, but once he bumps into Hookfang and sees how big the dragon is, his eyes go huge like a wheel with terror, and he scurries over to hide under Rocky. "Sorry! But I'm siding with the sheep on this one."
Toothless chuckles at the husky rider's reaction as a slight smirk comes across his face until he feels desperation creeping into the bond and looks at his mate with concern.
"Um, guys, maybe we should head towards the Great Hall; the storm is getting worse." Astrid makes a suggestion, gazing at the sky with concern, while the others nod and start heading towards the exit.
"You guys go; I have to remain and collaborate with the animals to convince them that dragons are not a cause for alarm." Hiccup said this, his eyes forming a hint of desperation and his body trembling slightly.
"Well, sounds good to me." Snotlout smiles, but Fishlegs stops him.
"Come on, Hiccup. We can try on the way," the gronkle rider offers, and Hiccup reluctantly agrees.
As the teens, along with their dragons and the livestock they brought, make their way through the snow, Hiccup stops, gets into Toothless's saddle bag, and brings out his snow boot for his metal leg. After deciding that his leg might freeze in winter, he made it from deerskin. He tries to bring the animals closer to the dragons along the way. "Oh gods, it's not working, and if it doesn't work, then the gods may want more sacrifices or, even worse, might want me to sacrifice someone I care about. I can't do it. Please, no." He begins to hyperventilate and spiral into a panic attack as his breathing accelerates and his pupils pulse wide and dilated.
Toothless tries to calm his love down as Fishlegs offers comfort,
"It's okay, Hiccup; you didn't know the ritual wouldn't work." The husky gronkle rider says.
For the first time, Hiccup disregards his dominant mate, collapsing to his knees and clutching his head as his entire form trembles like a branch in a windstorm. "No, you don't understand. How can you guys still want to be around me after what I did and now know what I'm capable of? "I carry a curse that makes me capable of taking down anyone and anything. The dragons won't want me as their queen, and Toothless might not even want me around because he'll see that I'm cursed, damaged, and a killer!" Hiccup yelled in pure anguish and despair, his voice thick with distress. His face twisted in agonized pain until he felt the mating mark standing bitten. Suddenly, his entire body froze as he heard a command from Toothless.
"SLEEP!" Toothless held Hiccup in his forearms as Hiccup fell into a deep sleep. The night's fury surrounded them, and Toothless noticed his lover's face stained with tears. Even in deep slumber, Hiccup let out soft whimpers. The fins on Toothless's back glow blue. "Flock, search for any animals in the storm; if you find any, protect them." When he finishes the command, a large flock of dragons emerges from the forest and splits into groups searching for farm animals stranded in the storm. He turns to his guard. "Hookfang, Eragon, can you begin making a crater big enough for all of us?" The male dragons nod and begin their work, and the fire spooks the animals, and they take off.
"Oh, no, you don't." Astrid growls as she hops on Stormfly and guides the dragon after the sheep. "Stormfly, spine cage." She orders as the nadder fires off spines and creates a cage to keep the sheep in one spot. Meatlug and Rocky corner the cows by encasing them in a lava circle.
Snotlout and Fishlegs, along with the twins and Barf and Belch, capture all the chickens just as Hookfang and Eragon finish the hole. Everyone jumps in as the dragons lower the animals in.
"Toothless, here I'll take Hiccup until you come down." As the Night Fury growls and hides his mate, Fishlegs offers assistance. After a few tense moments, he reluctantly nods but warns with a glare that no harm better not come to Hiccup. Fishlegs cautiously takes Hiccup from the Night Fury and slides into the hole, with Toothless following suit.
When the night fury checks on his guard, they all say they're fine and make a circle for their humans to relax. Fishlegs cautiously places Hiccup in the night fury's laying forearms, and he, too, joins the group of humans and dragons as Toothless holds Hiccup to his chest like a newborn baby and rubs his mate's cheek softly.
"You're not cursed or damaged, my love; you are no killer. You are truly the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. Every day, I fall in love with you all over again." I would rather die a thousand times before abandoning you, my Hiccup. My dead body must be removed from Earth by human and dragon gods before they can separate me from you." Toothless coos softly with absolute compassion to his mate as he licks away the tear stains on Hiccup's beautiful face. He leans down and kisses his beloved's forehead, then touches his forehead to Hiccup's. He begins to hum his mate's lullaby, watching as Hiccup's pain-stricken face transforms into one of peace as he responds to his dominant mate's voice.
Suddenly, the animals slowly walk over to the circle of dragons and observe that they're not attacking but protecting them while the humans lean against them. The animals exchange glances and conclude that they can trust the dragons.
The Great Hall
Stoick paced back and forth anxiously. Hiccup hadn't shown up at the Great Hall, and the chief had tried to go out and look for his son but couldn't get the doors open. "Oh, Hiccup." He says sorrowfully with glossy, wet eyes, "Please, Val, bring our son back. Let him be okay." He prays when he suddenly feels the doors to the Hall become warm and yells, "Let us in." Stoick quickly opens the doors, finding it possible, and is greeted with Hiccup on Toothless's back and the other riders' back.
"They're here, and they're safe.", Helen yells in relief as she and her husband, Odis, run up and hug Snotlout as Astrid's parents and grandfather do the same to her. Same with the twins, and Fishlegs mom and brother greet the boy.
"Hey, look everyone, the animals trust the dragons now!" Hiccup announces as he reveals eggs from the chickens.
The Great Hall stands filled with cheers, and the dragons inside it also cheer, but they do not breathe fire.
"Son, I was so worried about you."Stoick says as he hugs his son, but Hiccup flinches at the contact.
.
"I was fine, Dad Toothless took care of me and saved me." Hiccup acknowledges his mate's efforts while the teen is unconscious.
"Aye, he is definitely a good friend for you. And I've decided that he can stay in the house if you move back." Stoick decides.
Hiccup's eyes widened at the statement, and he smiled until he remembered that his father had said friend, not lover. "He's my mate, Dad." He reminded the older Haddock, but Stoick went over to ensure his people were okay.
"Is he ever going to accept our relationship?" Hiccup asks his mate through the bond.
"It's unclear my love. Hiccup, are you alright now? You gave me a bit of a fright with your panic attack." Toothless admits.
Hiccup smiles, leans down, and kisses his beloved's head: "As long as you're here, I know I'll be alright. And I honestly feel more confident now because more Vikings have come to accept dragons."
Gothi sits in the chief's chair and observes the scene before her, and a small smile appears on her lips.
Norse Words
Blóð- Blood
Auka- increase, augment; add; exceed, surpass;
Beinahrúga - Bones
Slitna- break; snap
Terms of Endearment
E ku'u aloha,'- My love
Does anyone guess Hiccup's song?