Chapter Text
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Hiccup woke up sluggishly. Roars could be heard above him, and vibrations traveled through the house and shook him. There were screams, louder than the screams before. He blinked, and stilled at the sight of a ceiling straight above him. How can that be? Did they capture and bring him here? It didn’t make any sense. He was sure he was already —
A blast, and more shrill screams. Then louder battle roars from the Vikings.
Tentatively and nervously, he sat up, looking around the room. There are no bars , he surmised. And it looks like dad’s — Stoick’s house.
“Hiccup! Get out of here and help me with the weapons!” called a familiar voice, he distantly recognized as his old mentor’s. Uncomprehendingly, he got out of bed, dressed himself quickly and opened the door, which wasn’t barred or made of iron. Just a plain simple wooden door as if he wasn’t held captive, then again Gobber just called him to the forges.
Dragons were everywhere.
They were scattered all over the village, so were fires. And blood. And dead bodies, be it dragons or humans. He stood in the midst of destruction, feeling… something he couldn’t decipher, was it satisfaction? Was it his heart breaking? He stayed rooted where he was, when two vikings lunged in his direction. He couldn’t move, he closed his eyes shut. This was it, they were going to —
“You useless thing, get inside! I don’t want to deal with the chief if you die!!” Instead of a blow he was expecting, he only felt the gush of wind from where they passed by him.
Behind him was a viking lady swung her hammer, bringing it down on a Monstrous Nightmare; once he was able to look. “What are you waiting for?!”
“Are you deaf, boy?!” her partner, another viking lady shouted at him.
He stammered a step back, then took off when their words registered. He didn’t know where he was running to, there were dozens of blasts from the dragons high above, he could get burned either direction he was going. A house exploded by his right, his ears rang, he brought his arms to protect his head, following the flow of vikings running to the center of the village. So far, the villagers did not react to him. Just like before , his mind supplied. But how can that be?
“What is he doing out here?!”
“Who’s in charge of him this time?!”
“Who let him out?!” He heard other vikings’ annoyed tones, but other than that… nothing. No other reaction other than irritation and resignation.
“Get inside!!” he heard many shout at him, he ducked behind a flaming wagon. Blasts were released from nearby, the ground shook from where he crouched.
“HICCUP, QUIT THE DIDDLE DAWDLING AND GET OVER HERE NOW!!” He flinched the sudden loud volume, and whipped his head toward the source. There, Gobber was in his apron, a hand keeping the heavy door open, the other gesturing him to come inside and hurry up. He hastily barreled into… the forge? Putting on an apron, Gobber restarted the furnace.
Suddenly, there were loud bangs on the forge window, “Hiccup, the window!” He doesn’t understand what is happening, but knows enough to go with the flow. He opened the forge window, immediately vikings came over and handed him their weapons. Just like before…
“ Hiccup! ”
“Right, sorry,” he took the weapon and sharpened them without further fuss. Even when he saw familiar (hateful) faces, he made sure to not let his emotions slip. He will not let his dignity and pride slip away again. Even if they wanted him dead .
While he sharpened the weapons, his mind began to wander. The villagers are less harsh than before. But that only meant they were treating him just as before, before the whole — “hiccup, that’s sharpened enough. Take the others’, hurry.”
“Got it, Gobber.”