Chapter Text
Fire rained down on the Isle of Berk like Hel fire. The roars of dragons heard for miles. Valka Haddock watched the carnage as vikings and dragons were murdered in cold blood. Can’t they see that all of this bloodshed is just making everything worse. She gasped as a Monstrous Nightmare was downed. She stopped a viking from beheading the poor beast.
“Stop! You’ll only make it worse!” The dragon got away and the Viking grunted in disgust. Then, she heard a crash and another roar. A dragon was breaking into her home, “Hiccup!”
Valka ran to her home as fast as she could. She ran to her child’s room and grabbed a sword only to stop short. The strange dragon was only playing with her son. This proved everything she’s been saying. As Valka stepped closer, she accidentally stepped on a loose floor board. The sound startled the dragon, and the claw that was way too close to her son’s eye went through the soft tissue. The screaming child distracted the dragon from the intruder. Valka watched as it crooned at the child. It seemed sorry.
“Valka!” Her husband burst into the room. The dragon quickly grabbed the child with his maw and took flight.
“Hiccup!” Valka ran to the large hole in her roof. She screamed for her child as the sound of his crying got further and further away. She resisted as her husband grabbed her and dragged her out of the fire.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Stoick whispered into her hair as tears fell down his face.
They stayed there mourning their son as the war raged around them. Stoick did nothing but apologize to the woman he loved. Gobber found them the next morning. Their faces were dried but they dared not leave each other’s embrace.
Cloudjumper flew as fast as he could. He didn’t mean to hurt the hatchling. The human woman had startled him and human hatchlings are so fragile. He wasn’t even supposed to be there. The Stormcutter was just flying around when this horrible noise started. Next thing he knew, beautiful green eyes were staring into his own. Now, one of those eyes is injured. He has to get the child somewhere to heal. Luckily, every dragon instinctively knew of a healing island provided by the gods. Now, to get them to heal a human.
Vanaheim is supposed to be the final resting place of all dragons, but it is also there to heal. Njord, the king of the Vanir gods, and Nerthus, the Goddess of the Earth, brought a piece of their realm, also named Vanaheim, to Midgard to give the dragons a place to rest and heal. The immortal Sentinels on the island answer only to the gods as they watch over the injured and the sick. But, rumors have it that any dragon that goes to the island has never returned. Cloudjumper is willing to risk it for this human.
Cloudjumper speeds up when he sees the skull of Agmundr in the distance. Agmundr was the first alpha, and the only titan wing Bewilderbeast in history. He was the first dragon to retire to Vanaheim, and his skeleton is now the home to many graves, providing passage to the afterlife. The dragon swoops down to the center of the island and gently sets the child on the ground. He’s stopped crying, and the blood has almost stopped.
“Help! Please. I need help,” A Sentinel swooped down to the panicked Stormcutter.
“What is it that I can help you with?” The rocky dragon asked.
“I accidentally hurt a young human, and I don’t know how to heal him.” The Sentinel sniffed at the hatchling and hummed.
“We don’t have any graves for humans. I’m sure we can find a place.”
“Wait, what!? He’s not dead. Can’t you heal him?”
“We don’t heal. We make you comfortable while you pass on. I don’t know where this misconception has come from. We’ll make the young human as comfortable as we can. Meanwhile, I can show you the Stormcutter resting place.”
“What? I’m not dying. I want to speak to the elder.”
“Why do you all insist on making this difficult?” The Sentinel flew off. A few moments later, a large Sentinel dragon landed in front of Cloudjumper.
“Hello young one. My name is Saga. I am the elder of the Guardians of Vanaheim. What is it that ails you?” Her voice was wise, and comforting. Cloudjumper instinctively knew that she spoke directly to the gods.
“Elder Saga. All dragons instinctively know to come here when they are hurt or sick. Vanaheim is supposed to be a place of healing. This isn’t rumor or word of mouth. I was born with this knowledge. My Móðir was born with this knowledge. Why is it that you only build graves and refuse to heal?” The Elder gained a thoughtful look.
“Let me confer with the gods. Bring the child,” Cloudjumper followed the Sentinel to the large runic circle at the center of the meadow. Elder Saga bowed before the circle, “Lord Njord, King of Vanaheim, God of the Sea. I humbly ask for your assistance.”
It only took a few moments before the circle glowed and a very large man appeared. He was easily taller than the dragons. Njord wore leather armor with teal accents. His hair was a fiery red that reached past his shoulders. He tapped his large staff to the ground before looking at every dragon in attendance. They all bowed to the god.
“Why have my children called upon me?” His voice was surprisingly soft, but it was also firm.
“My lord, this Stormcutter has asked us to heal this human child. We don’t know what to do. We ask for your guidance.” Elder Saga bowed lower to the god. Cloudjumper wondered briefly if the Sentinels could see the god or if they were as blind to him as they were to everything else.
“Bring the child to me,” Cloudjumper approached and set the child into Njord’s outstretched hand. The god looked at him in surprise, “Hiccup Haddock.” Njord looked into the child’s one green eye, “A child born with the soul of a dragon. Left to the humans he would one day bring humans and dragons together. This isn’t the path set for him.”
“What do you wish us to do?”
“I shall give him a gift,” Njord hovered a hand over the babe’s face. The tear in his flesh slowly healed over, leaving a jagged scar through his right eye. The once beautiful green was now faded. He’ll never see from that eye, “Hiccup Haddock shall be raised amongst dragons, and I will bestow upon him the gift of the Dragon Prince.” All of the dragons looked up in surprise. The Dragon Prince was a gift that allowed a human the powers of dragons, “He shall become any dragon that he interacts with. One day, he’ll be able to become any dragon in the world.”
“But sir, that implies that he’ll be allowed to leave,” A young sentinel spoke up.
“Of course he can leave. Why wouldn’t-” Njord looked at the gathered dragons, “Have you been trapping dragons on this island? Even ones not ready to die?” The sentinels cowered at their god’s rage.
“Yes?”
“Why would you do that?”
“You told us to?” Njord looked at the dragons bewildered.
“When?”
“When you made the island. You told us this was a place of rest. To take in any and all dragons. Take care of them. We thought you meant a resting place.”
“Have you turned my island of healing into a giant graveyard?”
“Well, leaving the body of your favored to rest on the island might have given us mixed symbols,” Elder Saga gestured to Agmundr’s skeleton.
“He asked to be laid here so he can protect any dragon that arrived. At least he’s been guarding their souls. Okay. Let me make this perfectly clear. If the dragon can be healed, heal them. I made you with that knowledge built in. Cloudjumper,” The Stormcutter looked at the Vanir, “I will place Hiccup in your care. Live here on Vanaheim until he is ready to enter the world on his own. Teach him the ways of the dragons.”
Cloudjumper took the child from the god. He looked down to see an infant Stormcutter. His main body was black with red accents and a gray belly. His four, tiny wings wrapped around his tiny body. Cloudjumper nuzzled the tiny child. Hiccup was now his son.
“Saga. You will teach him healing. Also, don’t let the child touch Agmundr until he is much older. This gift also works with dead dragons. Once he touches a titan wing, all of his forms will be able to become a titan wing. An infant with the body of a giant dragon is more trouble than it is worth.” The Elder nodded as she looked at the child. He doesn’t seem to notice that he’s no longer human, “And, please, no more trapping dragons until they die.”
“Thank you my lord. We will take care of this precious gift,” Njord nodded as he crossed back into his realm. His wife was going to be amused by this interaction.
This is what Hiccup looks like, but with longer hair.
Disclaimer: I don't own any part of these images. I photoshopped google images together. All credit goes to the original artists.
