[FONT="]This is Berk By Tyloric Alpha read by Nenagh Breen Beta read by Megan Shehan[/FONT] [FONT="]Takes place a few months after the movie. I'll never refer to the planet as Earth. By doing this, I was able to take some creative liberties.[/FONT] [FONT="]Xiro is pronounced Shrio.[/FONT] [FONT="]Part 1: Last Time On…[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT][FONT="]Welcome to Berk, the Viking village located far north of the world, far away from the rest of civilization. Berk is on an island they never bothered to name, as it belongs to them, so perhaps the island itself is Berk? It's hard to say; Vikings aren't very talkative, usually. Berk was, until recently, ravaged by dragons on a daily basis. They would steal live stock, presumable to feed themselves. Or so everyone thought. Then along came Hiccup, which is what he ended up being to the Vikings; a hiccup. Short, thin, and completely unViking-like in every way, the village gave up hope on him shortly after he was born. He was also the first to bring down a Night Fury, one of the most dangerous dragons in existence. But when the time came, he couldn't bring himself to kill it, even with the knowledge that his village would accept him as one of them if he did. He decided to do something unheard of; he befriended the dragon, and became the first viking in history to ride one. By using the Night Fury, who he named Toothless, as well as his village’s dragon training, he was able to earn his village's kinship as well as Toothless' friendship. The dragon remained a secret. Until he was asked to kill one in front of the whole village; again, he could not bring himself to do so and when he tried to show the village the true nature of the dragons they turned on him. They captured Toothless, the Night Fury, and used him to find the dragon nest that was hidden deep in the rocky islands to the west. What they found nearly destroyed them. The Great Dragon, one hundred times the size and strength of a normal dragon, was the reason the creatures had been pillaging the village for the past seven generations; if they fed it, it wouldn't kill them. Had it not been for Hiccup, Astrid, and her friends, who also became riders, the entire village, would have been destroyed. The aftermath of the battle cost Hiccup one of his legs, but it was a small price to pay for peace. Peace, however, isn't so easy to maintain.[/FONT] [FONT="]***[/FONT] [FONT="]The music was all strings and large animal skin drums, banging, thrumming, and in Hiccup's opinion, kept building into an unbearable clutter of noise. The Vikings danced, sang, drank, and celebrated over a nice feast: the sheep had provided the best harvest in generations, now that the dragons were no longer pillaging them. Twas indeed a night to be celebrated, but Hiccup was never much one to celebrate. Not all was sunshine, roses and dragons in Berk. A large portion of the village had recently split off, taking to the mountains, refusing to ally or befriend the dragons in any way. Hiccup could feel where they were coming from; eight generations of conflict cannot be forgotten over night. “Let’s dance.†Astrid said out of nowhere, walking up to where he was seated. “Oh, no, I don't da-†she grabbed him off the bench, pulling him into the middle of the room. “Come on, Hiccup! Move your feet!†She shouted over the music, moving in time with it. There were other Vikings on the floor, moving erratically. Was that dancing? Throwing your arms and legs around without a care? It looked painful. Astrid, though, moved gracefully. Her feet moved and spun with her body, her arms twirling in rhythm with the music. She was beautiful. So, Hiccup decided to try. For her. So he started moving his feet, slowly at first, but he started to match her tempo. He stepped side to side and she yelled, “Yeah! C'mon, Hiccup!†she laughed. He spun once and collided face first into the belly of Stoic, his father. “H- hi, Dad.†“Hiccup!†He shouted drunkenly, “You enjoying the party?!†The chief yelled over the music, bending over to wrap an arm around his son. Hiccup glanced at Astrid who was watching them with a smile on her face, but still dancing. “I'm trying.†“Great!†He yelled, sauntering off. Hiccup sighed, the mood lost. A screech whispered under the music and the noise, the screech of a Night Fury. So faint only people near the door would hear it. Thankfully, Hiccup was. “Toothless,†he whispered under his breath, going for the door as quickly as prosthetic leg could take him, Astrid falling into step next to him. They burst open the doors to find Toothless standing with his back to them, growling at something. Moving around his bulk, Hiccup saw what it was. A Viking, Folkmar was his name and from the way he was stumbling about he was clearly drunk. He held an ax in one hand, and a mug of ale in the other. “Hey there, Hiccup,†Folkmar said. “What are you doing to Toothless?†Folkmar belched. “Juss playin',†Toothless pulled his ears behind his head and bared his teeth, growling dangerously. It was then that Hiccup noticed the small gouge across his snout. “What did you do? Are you out of your mind?†He exclaimed furiously. Astrid moved forward to restrain Hiccup; even drunk, he would be no match for a viking. “Are you?!†Folkmar challenged. “A pet dragon... What kind of sick and twisted joke is that?†Toothless opened his mouth, the beginnings of a flame beginning to burn deep inside his belly. Hiccup rested a hand on the Night Fury's snout. “Toothless...†he breathed a warning. The flame disappeared, and he was met with big black-green eyes, staring at him confusedly, but loyally. “Disgusting...†The drunken Viking mumbled. Apparently, Astrid had had enough. “You should leave,†she glared daggers at him. “Now.†“Yeah,†he huffed. “I should.†He didn't head for home; he headed for the forest. Astrid followed him with her eyes until he was out of sight. “You okay, buddy?†Hiccup asked Toothless. The Night Fury rubbed at the wound on his snout, not whimpering, just uncomfortable. “Here, let me see.†He crouched down in front of the dragon... only to get a face full of dragon tongue. “Okay, yeah, eww, gross.†Toothless let out the snorting noise that signified he was laughing. “What a creep,†Astrid said, scratching Toothless behind the ear, to which he was greatly appreciative. “Yeah, well, we couldn't expect everyone to get along with the dragons. Seven generations of conflict doesn't just... disappear.†“Yeah, but... still.†Hiccup smiled. “Want to go for a ride?†Toothless perked up at the word 'ride.' Astrid smiled back. “Love to.â€[/FONT] [FONT="]***[/FONT] [FONT="]The wind through his hair was the best way to relax Hiccup had ever known. It was so exhilarating to be in the sky, having no limits, gravity itself staring at him in jealousy. The single mountain on the island was covered in a permanent layer of snow, much like the entire island was, this far north. The greenery at its base made for a soothing contrast. “I'm gonna miss the weather.†Astrid said from behind him. The night air was sweet with the brief arrival of summer, which lasted about two weeks in this part of the world. Hiccup understood how she felt; clear nights like this were rare. “I hate that we're splitting apart.†Hiccup said after a few minutes of silence. Astrid didn't know what to say. “I mean,†he continued. “I feel like it's all my fault.†“Well,†she considered, “It is.†“Gee, thanks.†“I didn't mean that in a bad way, Hiccup. I mean, at least now we know who we can trust in the village and who we can't. If some people can't accept change... then I say let them leave.†Her words sounded cruel but they also sounded true. Toothless let out a low, soothing rumble from his chest, to which Hiccup leaned down and patted the underside of his chest. It raised the question, one he had asked himself before; about just how much Toothless, or any dragon for that matter, could understand. He'd have to experiment later. “What do you think your dad is going to do about the deserters?†Astrid asked him. “I don't know... he wasn't very happy about it. I think he's trying not to think about it. Things were going so smoothly, I guess it was inevitable that something would go wrong.†“Maybe they'll just make another village on the other side of the island?†Hiccup pondered this for a moment. “Maybe... but I don't think it's going to be that easy... things like this never are.†“Want to head back?†She asked.[/FONT] [FONT="] “Yeah, getting late.†He coaxed Toothless to turn them around.[/FONT] [FONT="]***[/FONT] [FONT="]“I hate dragons,†Asgaut spat through a mouthful of sheep. They had abandoned the village, setting up camp at Raven's Point, a few miles outside of the village. “Aye,†Banki said, sipping her ale. “I mean, why we gotta be all lubby dubby with them all of a sudden?†Banki shrugged, “Bun'cha fools.†“Should kill'em all.†Asgaut mumbled, taking another bite of lamb. Banki raised an eyebrow, “The village? Or the dragons?†He considered, “It matter?†After a moment she responded. “No, I s'pose not.†Banki was a beast of a woman, like vikings usually are. She stood a good five foot ten, with blood red hair. Her body was big, like most women of the viking trade. Asgaut was as plain as could be; brown hair, a beard, largely muscled. In short, both were extremely average, as far as appearances go. “So what are we gonna do?†Asgaut whined. Again, Banki considered. “Kill'em, probably.†This caused Asgaut to smile for the first time in weeks. “Now you're talkin'.â€[/FONT] [FONT="]***[/FONT] [FONT="]His father ambushed Hiccup the moment he returned home from dropping Astrid off. “You want me to... what?†Hiccup asked his father. “Dragon training!†Stoic exclaimed happily. “We're still going to do that?!†“Of course we are! And you're in charge!†He was beaming. “Me?!†Was he hearing this right? Was his father serious? “You're going to teach the new recruits... to ride dragons!†There were two emotions that passed through Hiccup, almost simultaneously. The first was complete and utter relief, but it ended quickly when the dread came. Him? Teaching? “N- no. No. No.†“Come on, Hiccup! Who better than the first rider himself?†“Because...†“Because why, Hiccup?†Stoic asked, placing his hands on his hips. “I just... can't, dad. I'm not ready for that yet.†He tapped his fake leg against the wooden floor. “I'm still getting used to this.†Stoic met his son's eyes for a long moment before finally saying, “Alright. But don't think you're off the hook forever. Just for now. “Yeah,†Hiccup moaned, starting up the stairs. “Got'cha.†On his way to bed, he stepped on the floor board that had a bad habit of squeaking.[/FONT] [FONT="]***[/FONT] [FONT="]The forge was a place of familiarity for Hiccup and lately he had begun to find comfort in the heat of the flames, the feeling of the grinder beneath his finger tips. It was, in its own way, peaceful. Toothless growling impatiently outside the door? Not so relaxing. “I can't fly every moment of the day, Toothless. I've got things to do here.†Toothless' eyes swelled, the big black pupils taking up the majority of the green. It was adorable, he would admit, but he'd become resistant to it the last few weeks; like a parent and child. Hiccup turned back around and started pumping the grinder again, pushing the blade against the spinning stone. Even over the ring of metal on stone, he heard Toothless' irritated growl. The next thing he knew he was being dragged backwards by the collar of his shirt. “What–? Hey!†He screamed as he lost his grip on the sword. He landed on his butt just outside the forge. He gave the Night Fury his best glare, and was rewarded with his signature kicked-puppy look. A sudden explosion ripped through the air, roaring over the calm. Wood and metal becoming deadly shrapnel as the forge went up in flames. Toothless was standing between Hiccup and the chaos a split second after the event took place, shielding him with his much tougher dragon scales. Hiccup was lying on the ground, his ears ringing, his mind dazed. He was trying to process what had just happened, what he had just seen. Then it hit him; where was Gobber? Then he remembered the smithy was out with Stoic, and nearly passed out. But he didn't let himself. He hung onto consciousness for dear life, refusing to be a burden. His hearing returned quickly, as did his awareness. He could hear the crackle of the flames even though Toothless continued to obstruct his view. Slowly, he got up on his foot and prosthetic, wobbling a moment before he found balance. The forge was gone, for the most part. It was all fire and smoke now. “Damn,†a voice said from behind him. Hiccup turned around as Toothless started to growl at the figure. He was dressed in a long red robe, though he couldn't see any of the man's features other than his chin because of the cowl that hung over his face. “You were supposed to die,†the man said, irritated. Hiccup blinked. “Me?†He asked, pointing at himself with his finger. “Why'd you have to go and leave the building, huh?†He whined. Toothless rushed forward without warning, teethed bared. “Toothless, don't!†Hiccup yelled, but it was too late. Then the red robed man did something he had never seen anyone do before. Just as the Night Fury was about to take a bite out of the man, he jumped backwards fifteen feet, easily avoiding the blow. “Feisty,†the man mused. “Oh well,†he sighed, “I'll just have to try again later.†Hiccup made a face that was a cross between bewilderment and confusion. “Who are you?†He asked. The robbed figure tapped his chin. “That’s the question, isn’t it? Survive a bit longer… you might just find out,†and with that, he jumped off the nearby cliff. Hiccup ran after him, stopping on the edge of the cliff... only to find that he had disappeared. The young viking blanched at what had just happened. The entire event, from start to finish, had taken less than two minutes.[/FONT] [FONT="]***[/FONT] [FONT="]Gobber was depressed about losing his forge. But that was to be expected. But the village pressed on, and set to rebuilding it as soon as the flames died. That was the way of the village; after so many dragon attacks over the years one becomes accustomed to rebuilding structures quickly. Hiccup explained the man in red to his father as best he could, leaving out the falling off a cliff part. “Was he one of the deserters?†Stoic asked with barely contained fury. The boy shook his head, “I don't think so. He had a strange accent, and was a lot smaller than your average Viking... almost my size.†“Hmm...†his father pondered. “It was weird though,†he continued, “he wasn't scared of Toothless at all, even after he tried to take a bite out of him.â€[/FONT] [FONT="]***[/FONT] [FONT="]Xiro stepped into the dimly lit stairwells of the Order’s underground lair. The halls were old and had been reinforced with wooden supports over the years, and as those begun to fail, iron ones. The stairs led down into the main hallway which split off in three directions, and as it continued on it split off again, and again. Xiro often wondered if the catacombs didn’t encompass the entire island. He hadn’t explored all of them, even though he had lived here since child hood. He removed his red robe and cowl, which were now soaking wet from his little dive into the sea, draping them over his arm and started on down the stairs. His features were plain; soft cheek bones, a pointed nose, soft brown eyes, short cropped hair, and medium height; about five foot nine. He wore leather armor underneath his robes. He found it relaxing to be back in the familiarity of the Underworld. This was home, the Overworld wasn’t, simple as that. The halls were lit with torches, whose oil had to be changed weekly. Xiro did not envy those who were tasked with refilling them. Xiro hadn’t been walking very long when he ran into Lock. The man let loose his signature smile, shark-like teeth and all. The man was a beast, in all senses of the word. An obsidian colored robe (no cowl, he likes to show his face) with equally dark hair and pale skin. He stood a towering six and three inches tall, and his muscles were clearly defined through the loose fitting clot. The two of them had been friends since childhood. He didn’t think Lock would care, to be honest; Xiro just wasn’t interested in telling him. Xiro had liked liked Lock for quite a while now… he jut refused to admit it to himself. “So,†Lock started, his voice deep taunting, “How’d it go?†Without missing a beat Xiro responded, “I failed. His dragon intervened.†Lock clicked his tongue, “Shame.†“That’s what I said.†“What’re you gonna tell them?†Xiro shrugged, “The truth,†and continued walking. It was a long walk; the audience chamber was another quarter mile away. “Why are you wet?†“I jumped off a cliff.†Lock snorted, falling into step next to him, “Of course you did.†The rest of the journey to the audience chamber was spent in a comfortable silence; the silence of friends. The chamber doors were a good fifteen feet in height, made of five inch thick wood. Other than that, they were quite unremarkable; plain as a door should be. Xiro breath in deeply, preparing himself. Lock frowned, “I can’t go in with you.†“I know.†“You going to be okay?†“Yeah, I think so.†“I’ll wait out here.†“Yeah, thanks.†Xiro took another deep breath and open of the doors, which groaned under such harsh treatment. The chamber was as bland as the rest of the Underworld, all wood, stone, and iron. The five chairs at the far end of the room where the elders sat were the only defining features. No one knew what they looked like, as they were always fully robed. Only their servants knew what their identities were, and that was a closely guarded secret, punishable by death should it ever be revealed. “Greetingsss, Shhhiiiiro.†The first elder said as she dragged out every word like a hoe over a field. He kept his façade despite the fact that her voice drove him eccentric. “Elders,†he stated evenly, respectfully. [/FONT] [FONT="]“Is your task complete?†asked the second Elder, the youngest male out of all of them. [/FONT] [FONT="]“No. There were… complications.†Xiro stated. [/FONT] [FONT="]“Complications?†boomed the fifth and heaviest man present. “What sort of impediment would prevent you from carrying out your assignment?†“The boy’s dragon saved him.†[/FONT] [FONT="]“So you are admitting your failure?†inquired the third Leader in his usual, heated tone. [/FONT] [FONT="]Xiro spoke through clenched teeth, “Yes.†[/FONT] [FONT="]“You disappoint us, Xiro.†The fourth said plainly. He had a voice that betrayed no emotion; not ever. [/FONT] [FONT="]“Why is this such a big deal…?†Xiro murmured. [/FONT] [FONT="]The fifth Elder eyed him crossly, “Speak clearly, boy.†[/FONT] [FONT="]He took a step forward as his agitation brewed, “Why must we seek revenge? What will it accomplish?†[/FONT] [FONT="]“Accomplish?†The third snapped with fury evident through his voice. “They have slain Beheerit! They have murdered our god! There must be retribution!†[/FONT] [FONT="]“We had long since lost control of Beheerit, and with him the dragons. If anything, he solved our problem. Why must he die for that?†Xiro retorted. [/FONT] [FONT="]“Because we had not lost control of him.†[/FONT] [FONT="]This took a moment for him to process as he eyed the Elders with an analytical glare. “You mean to say that you’d been in control of the Great Dragon all these years… and told no one?†[/FONT] [FONT="]The first tapped a finger against her chair, “It is a need to know basssisss, and for thisss you need to know.†[/FONT] [FONT="]“But you will tell no one,†the third Leader commanded. [/FONT] [FONT="]“Or what?†Xiro challenged. [/FONT] [FONT="]“Or you die,†replied the third, his nonchalant expression sending a chill through the atmosphere. He narrowed his eyes, but Xiro said nothing in response to the Elder’s threat. [/FONT] [FONT="]“Now,†the third continued, “You will go out and continue with your task. Return only once it is complete.†[/FONT] [FONT="]After a moment of silence he made his decision, “Very well.†[/FONT] [FONT="]At this, Xiro turned and left without another word or glance to his Leaders. This wasn’t right. He could feel it; what they were asking him to do was wrong. However, they were the Elders, which meant their word was law. To defy them was a death sentence, and they were always true to their word. He cursed under his breath, he hated this. Why had they chosen him for this task? He had been fine being a teacher of the martial arts, as well as basic chemistry, but for them to use his skills as an assassin? It was ludicrous; absolutely preposterous.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]***For those of you confused in the last part; Xiro is pronounced Shiro.[/FONT] [FONT="] The construction of the new forge went rough. The first error was quite comical; Toothless’ sneezed and set the first frame attempt on fire. It was quite the spectacle, and Hiccup actually felt nostalgic at the sight of the burning building. The second try a drunken Viking destroyed the main support beam in the middle of the night.[/FONT] [FONT="]“Odin curse him!†Gobber had screamed. “Does Odin care about forges?†pondered Hiccup. “Well he uses a spear and sword, doesn’t he?†The third attempt went better than the first two, but they ran out of wood. “ODIN CURSE US!†Gobber screamed. It was on this day that they met face to face.[/FONT] [FONT="]***[/FONT] [FONT="]The air was chilled, the approaching winter obvious. The weeks of summer had finally passed. The sky was clear of clouds, making the heavens visible; a remarkable sight. The constellations twisted and churned around each other into a magnificent display of color and light, reds and purples and black. Nights like these were why Hiccup was so sure there was indeed a god, Odin or not. He was alone for the moment, having snuck out of the village after a round of construction on the new forge; he had no talent for heavy lifting anyway. There was a shuffling behind him, which he ignored at first, attributing it to some small woodland creatures. It was when he noticed the padding of boots on grass that he glanced behind him, expect Astrid. Wrong. “Peace, Viking. I just want to talk.†The red robed man said. He shot to his feet, “About what, exactly?†Hiccup asked, untrustingly. “Your life and whether it is worth saving.†At that, Hiccup blinked. “O-ok.†Hiccup didn’t know what got him started, or why he started talking at all. But as the man asked questions, he was compelled to answer them. He told the man in the red robes, Xiro he eventually said, all about their war with the dragons, about how they were destroying the village time and time again because they had to, not because they wanted too. He just kept on talking. “I’ve decided,†Xiro said bluntly after hearing Hiccup’s story, “I’m not going to kill you.†“Oh, good.†Hiccup said. Xiro stared at him plainly, “But you need to watch your back. There will be others, many of the more deadly than me, and infinitely more devious. These men and woman do not know honor; only duty.†The young Viking ran a hand through his hair, “Gee, great.†“I will help you where I can. Good bye for now, Hiccup,†and with that, he walked out of the village, and in to the forest. Hiccup felt something twist inside his chest, an emotion he wasn’t sure of. Guilt? No, he was familiar with guilt. Relief? No, he knew that one too. So what was this foreign feeling inside him , the one that made him just want to shout, not in anger, but just to do it?[/FONT] [FONT="]***[/FONT] [FONT="]“Dangerous,†Lock said quietly, his voice intense, “They aren’t going to be happy.†“I don’t care… the elders have gone insane as far as I’m concerned." "I don't..." Lock started. Xiro turned to look at the man, "You don't what?" They held each others gaze for a long moment before Lock got up the nerve to continue speaking. He looked down at the ground, rubbing the back of his head, "I don't... want to see you get hurt... ya know? That'd be... bad." Xiro couldn't help but smile, "Yeah, it would be." The man in the red robe walked up to Lock and pressed his lips against the taller man's. The kiss started out tender, but quickly grew heavy; all teeth and tongue and saliva. It was Lock, surprisingly, who decided to break the mood, "Not out here." Xiro groaned against his lips, "Why not?" They kissed for a few more seconds before Lock was able to respond, "Too public. I'm a private kinda guy." "You're boring." "Yeah, sorry." Xiro pulledhifitng his pants awkwardly, "All that for nothing. Why do I keep you around?" "Because I watch your ass." "That doesn't answer my question." Lock came up and wrapped his arms around Xiro, "Because I make sure you stay alive." He kissed the base of the shorter man's neck. Xiro leaned back in to the embrace despite himself, "Yeah, I guess that's true." Lock grins, “Still, we should make out more often.†“Shut up.â€[/FONT] [FONT="]***[/FONT] [FONT="]When he returned to the village, Hiccup told Astrid everything. “Wow,†Astrid said, bewildered. “Yeah,†Hiccup replied. “So… what? He’s… a good guy?†Hiccup thought about it, “I don’t know. He didn’t say much… he just… listened. But he said others would come after me. Bigger, stronger, ruthless, he said.†Astrid sighed, “Why are things never simple with you?†“Just lucky, I guess.â€[/FONT] [FONT="]--TBC--[/FONT]
