Hello there~
Back again with a new chapter, I'm glad you all have been enjoying. I do hope you like what I have in store for you, I'm pretty excited about how this might turn out, so please, stay tunned.
Now, for the shout-outs.
{katykatness}
Same. I'm growling at Drago all the time, and you all will as well once this story progresses. I promise you that.
And thanks! I got pretty happy with how that scene turned out, so cute~
{Karate Koala}
IT IS WHERE WE ARE~
*chuckles*
I totally understand, I feel the same.
I'm glad you enjoyed. Hope what comes next will please you as well.
{lightfootk}
Thanks! I hope I live up to your expectations~
Enjoy!
{Gamer Spice}
Wow, really? That's so sweet... I do hope you enjoy the story then, so I can make your experience with it even better!
I see that scene in specific caught the hearts of you all. I'm glad~ I couldn't help but to smile brightly writing that one. I always wondered if anything like this ever happened with them as babies... guess we will be left wondering (OR SEE HICCSTRID BBIES INTERACTING, WHO KNOWS?)
{Guest}
Sure thing hon~
{Soelle}
I'm glad to hear! Pretty good to feel original~
There are plenty more Hiccstrid moments coming, don't worry. Enjoy enjoy.
{Anonymous Noob the 2nd}
So is your review~
Glad you enjoyed!
Now that we're done, please...
Enjoy your dragon ride~
CHAPTER 02
EVERYTHING THE LIGHT TOUCHES
Drago sharpened his hook with his face contorted in a scowl. It's been fifteen years since his nephew's birth, and as the boy grew older and closer to the position it was destined to be his, the angrier the man got.
He attempted to get rid of Hiccup more times than he could count and every single time his plans were foiled as the boy unknowingly outsmarted him, escaping the grip of death like it never even had been hovering over him.
Of course nobody ever found him out. Who would expect the chief's brother and Berk's most capable general to be the one behind their heir's bad luck? And even if his relationship with Stoick had grown sour over the years, since Drago never bothered to keep hidden how he felt about having a hiccup as chief, Stoick still would never expect his own brother to be plotting behind his back while targeting his son. Sure they had their differences, but they were still siblings.
Not that any of this sentimentalism mattered to Drago.
The only ones who knew were two of his men and some allies that were against Stoick's domain, all which would think twice before betraying the man once he never measured efforts to show how ruthless he could be to traitors. They were Eret, Viggo and Dagur.
Eret was heavily against everything Drago stood for, mainly trying to overthrown his own brother's reign by murdering his nephew so he could have it his way. But he had been at the end of Drago's fury once; the scar that will forever mark his chest being proof of that, so he wouldn't push his luck regardless how much his morality made make him question his decisions.
Savage was nothing but a minion. He was a coward that would stutter and more often than not and agreed with everything his leader had to say, no matter how cruel and demented. He had no moral standards like Eret, and even if he was just another who didn't wanted to be killed, he couldn't care less about what happens to Hiccup and his family.
Viggo was Drago's main ally, being practically his right hand man. Drago hadn't been fond of him at first given he was also a hiccup, but when the older brother of the Grimborns showed himself to be a cruel mastermind with intellect powerful enough to win wars before they even started, Drago was more than glad to ignore his inferior condition and have him working by his side. By Viggo stood Ryker, his younger brother that rarely left his side and had more of a Viking build, but his amount of brawn could never hope to rival his older brother's superior intelligence. He behaved like Viggo's bodyguard, and although both seemed thick as thieves, their relationship was much alike Drago and Stoick's; with Ryker envious of the power his brother possessed. He was no fool to try and do what Drago was scheming, though.
As for Dagur, it was hard to say which side the man was on. If you ask anyone they will more likely say that he is on his own side given the madness of the chief of the Berserker tribe was more than enough for him to don't be scared of anyone, even someone as ruthless as Drago. He tried to keep the deranged man in check and have him obeying his every order, but it was all to no avail. Dagur was a loose canon, but since he did the least that was keep his mouth shut about Drago's plans, things ended up working.
But there was something that had Drago wary regarding both Viggo and Dagur. The men seemed unhealthily obsessed with his good for nothing nephew in a way that was clearly disturbing as they seemed more keen than anyone to murder the boy (eagerness that had Drago allying with them in the first place), but at the same time, that obsession could turn out to be a pain in his hind. Who'd say that they wouldn't drive a dagger through his back in order to terminate the boy themselves?
He couldn't care less about what happened to Hiccup, the only thing that mattered was have him out of the way. He didn't care how they would do it; but you never know. You can't give a crazy man a sword and turn your back to him hoping he won't use it to run you through. Their interests combined for now, but he had to be prepared in case one of them changed their mind.
And if such comes to pass, he'd be sure to make them regret.
He finished sharpening his weapon and looked forward. He had been sitting on a cliff overlooking the sea while the sun was at its peek and the midday was above him. He'd been there all morning since the whole village was at the Great Hall celebrating the boy's fifteen year old birthday — the age when Stoick would start introducing him to his duties as next chief. Stoick had made it clear that his presence was of the utmost importance due Drago's position as his brother and second in command, but given the man's foul mood, he wasn't up to keep appearances that day. So he never bothered to show up.
Probably the reason why a fuming Stoick was stomping up the hill with Gobber in tow. Drago heard them approach but he didn't turn around to face them; his lips parting to form a mischievous grin as he said, "Why, if it isn't my dear brother who decided to step out of his perfect life to mingle with the commoners."
Stoick frowned at Drago's sardonic tone, "Valka and I didn't see you at Hiccup's celebration."
"That was today?" he gasped, faking surprise as he turned around to meet his brother's pointed glare, "Oh what an awful uncle I am," he mindlessly ran the curved part of his rook over the polishing stone he'd been using, creating a screeching noise that made Gobber flinch, "Must have slipped my mind."
"Well, as forgotten ye' might be, as the chief's brother ye' should have been the first to step up to make a speech," Gobber pointed out, receiving an uninterested look from the man.
"'I'd be first in line if that little pipsqueak wasn't the reason I'd be making a speech," he snarled.
"That pipsqueak," Stoick stepped in, his brows furrowed as he shot his brother a warning glare, "is my son, and your future chief."
Drago rolled his eyes at that, "I'm aware, is not like you ever allowed me to forget, dear brother," he walked past them and started to go down the hill. "I'll be sure to practice my courtesy." Stoick's felt his teeth grit at his sibling's bad attitude while Gobber tensed by his side.
"Don't you turn your back on me, Drago," he growled warningly.
"Oh no Stoick, you are the one who shouldn't be turning your back on me."
Stoick was immediately in front of him; a hand gripping his collar while the other was bawled into a fist by his side, eyes flaring with anger as he glowered at Drago; who seemed all but unimpressed at his brother's outburst, "Was that a threat?!"
"Always so short tempered," he rolled his eyes, a hand reaching for Stoick's wrist and making him loosen the death grip, "I would never dream of threatening you, dear brother. What do you take me for?"
"Heh, pity. What wouldn't I give to see ye'r sour hind get a good beating," muttered Gobber, which was completely ignored by the general.
"Do not worry, Stoick," Drago said, turning to leave once again and finishing without looking back, "I won't stand in the way of you and your perfect little family." And with that he was gone, vanishing through the village and heading Thor's know where.
Stoick sighed, soon to receive a pat on the back from Gobber, "There's one in every family Stoick, don't worry too much about it."
"What am I going to do with him, Gobber?"
"I'd say give him a good ol' clubbin' and throw him to the Gronckles."
Stoick chuckled, "Gobber!"
"What? Ye' asked."
Later that night up in the healer's hut, Gothi was up late drawing something in one of the walls of her home. Under her charcoal dipped fingers, the form of a curled dragon had taken shape. It was black with bat-like wings and an oval head that had narrowed eyes, the shape of a dragon completely unknown by the civilization of Vikings, but that everyone heard about at least once.
She then dipped her fingers in red paint, moving them to the drawing and swiftly drawing the Berk Chief mark on top of the dragon. As soon as it was done, a small smile made its way to the elder's chapped lips and she lowered down her ink stained fingers.
That boy was destined to do great things.
It was the break of dawn. In the village of Berk, the Vikings were still asleep, not to wake until the next hour. But things were different in the Haddock household.
Soft steps could be heard as the small frame of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the 3rd rushed down the stairs to soon stand by his parents' bed, a look of pure excitement sparkling in his forest green eyes as he reached for his father sleeping form, "Dad, wake up," he demanded, his voice sounding rather nasal but fitting to his not-much-Viking frame. When Stoick did nothing but grumble in his sleep, Hiccup narrowed his eyes and shoved harder, "Dad!"
Valka's soft voice could be heard as she whispered with eyes still closed, "You son is awake."
"Before the sunrise, hes your son," Stoick muttered back, earning an annoyed look from the antsy boy.
"Dad come on, you promised!" He protested hotly, huffing and crossing his thin arms against his chest. He heard his father sigh heavily as the man rubbed the sleep off his eyes and sat down.
"Alright alright, I'm awake."
"Yes!" Hiccup cheered while punching the air and rushing out of the house, his father yawning and getting to his feet while picking his helmet on the way of exiting the house after his lively son.
"Now son, that's what I wanted to show you,"
"Wow..."
They were at the top of one of Berk's highest mountains. The sun was rising from under the sea in the horizon and painting the sky with various shades of yellow and orange as the previously darkened sky was shifting into a soft cerulean hue, its warm rays reaching the boy's mesmerized face and warming his features that were getting caressed by the chill morning breeze. "This is amazing..."
"Aye," Stoick smiled and placed a hand on his son's shoulders, "look son, the sun has the responsibility to rise every morning and warm up our lands, our lives depend on it, and just like that... Berk depends on us." He gestured down, having Hiccup to lower his look and watch as Berk had began to wake; its villagers already walking around to do their daily activities, "And just like every great leader rises with the sun to care for his people, one day, It will permanently set for me," that had Hiccup whip his head towards his father, who had been gazing thoughtfully towards the horizon and turned to look at his son once he felt his gaze on him, "When that happens, it will be your turn to step up as the new chief of Berk."
"And on that cheery note," the boy wrinkled his nose, "I'll be certainly looking forward to it."
Stoick chuckled at his son's sarcastic commentary, "I will never get from who you got this sass of yours."
"Hey, I'm a talking fishbone, sarcasm is my only defense!"
Stoick laughed this time, "Right you are, son."
Hiccup smiled lightly, turning his gaze back to the horizon. His sight landed in a far away land that almost vanished in the distance. Since Hiccup had never left Berk, he couldn't help but to feel curious about how was the world out there. He turned out to be a quite inquisitive boy, he questioned everything, wanted to learn anything. It was rather strange for a Viking, giving their way of life always demanded more brawn than brains, but Hiccup was not your common Viking. What he didn't had of body mass, he made up for it through his brain. The boy was so smart that he turned out to be the first hiccup in years of Viking history to earn respect from his peers without being shunned from his own home. It also helped that he was son of the chief, so people hardly tried to pick on him. Who'd want to get on Stoick the Vast's bad side? This side was always very violent and accompanied by an axe, after all.
This didn't lessened the pressure on the boy's shoulders, however. There was still a lot of expectation when it came to him and how he would lead their tribe. His uncle didn't thought he was capable, and he knew some people in the village thought the same, so what could he do to get be up to their standards? He couldn't change who he was, the best he could do was invent crazy contraptions to help them defend themselves during dragon raids (ones that didn't actually harmed dragons, thing his mother had been quite happy about, but this was their little secret) and others that helped in the daily tasks, so what else could he do to prove himself worthy of leading his people?
Sure his father had been incredibly supportive even if he didn't got the son a chief would ask for, but he couldn't help but feel things were not... right. For now at least. Something was missing, something only he would be capable of doing, but what was that? He had discussed that with his mother one day, thing she chuckled about and embraced him tenderly before saying, That's your call to find, son. Don't fret, the path will show itself once you are ready to walk through it. He took those words to heart and thought it over, his mind deciding to settle on enjoying the present and leaving the future for whenever it happens. But now as he shared this moment with his father, he couldn't help but to feel a wave of questions and doubts wash over him.
Suddenly, between his life and the world beyond that horizon, the former seemed incredibly inviting.
"Dad... what lies beyond the sun?"
Stoick turned to look at his son with a frown, "What do you mean?"
"Is just... I don't really see anyone leave, well, ever." He pointed out sheepishly, "Whenever Johann passes by he has so many stories about all kinds of places, I can't help but to wonder what's out there."
His father's eyes hardened, "You don't have to worry about that, we rarely venture out of Berk for a reason."
Hiccup frowned at that, "Why?"
"The world outside is dangerous, son," Stoick said, "that's why it's best we stick to our own. Life is hard as it is with us having to compete with these damned fire breathing beasts for food, trying to fend for ourselves while preparing for the rough winter. So you don't go thinking about going out there,"
"But I thought a chief could do whatever he wanted?"
Stoick shook his head. Why must this child be so stubborn? He supposed he and his wife were to blame, since that he knew their son had inherited from both of them, "Everything has limits son, and that's precisely what I intend to teach you from now on. Now come, it's time for your lessons to begin."
Hiccup watched as his father turned around and began descending the mountain. The teen released a long sigh and looked back towards the horizon, staring longily at the spot where the sky meets the ocean. There was such a big world out there just waiting to be explored. He could only hope that whenever he became chief, he could change a few things around there.
If you saw TLK as many times as I did, you instantly detected the scenes portrayed here :P huhuhu.
Hope you liked!
Review if you may, you'll make my day!