Chapter Text
The gods must hate me, a sentence that seemed to be satirical for most but despite that I find myself saying it on the regular. Anything I touch of great importance seems to shatter and break from an unspoken curse that I cannot control. I have lost sheep to dragons due to my affliction and burned and broken houses all completely by accident and as such receive glares and bad intention whispers to come around due to my presence in the village. I am simply a hiccup, through name and body.
But tonight would be different because I would shoot down the night fury, It took me a few days to make but I finally finished it in time for the next raid. The mangler, a bola launcher that could allow me to shoot down a flying dragon.
When I heard the first sign of a dragon raid I twisted the covers over my head, the loud yelling of a viking finally broke me out of my tired stupor. As I took in my surroundings I recognized the darkness of my bedroom and the fire light burning outside my window. I clumsily got out of bed only to find my legs tangled in the blanket and to fall hard onto my chin.
The skin had lightly broke but it wasn't bleeding, I first untangled my feet and made my way to my closet. It held a variety of similarly styled tunics, none too fancier then the other and all of dark forest colors. I shifted through the tunics and came on a cleaner shirt that was a lighter herb green, I needed to at least look decent when everyone sees I shot down the night fury.
I grabbed my shoes and hobbled down stairs in a hurry to arrive to the door and put on my shoes, achieving both by the time I managed to make it to the stable bottom floor of the house. I opened the door only to be startled by a large red monstrous nightmare, before I could think I had shut the door only to come to the realization I was a second away from death. I opened the door again, this time looking around and making sure to be weary of nearby dragons.
The second I saw a clear entrance to the village I took it, I jumped and tumbled on a hill but managed to regain my footing on hard wood and starting running in the direction of the forge. People yelled and screamed either in pain or pride I couldn't decipher. When I passed I got the usual glares accompanied with yells to head inside.
"Get inside 'iccup!" a slimmer man roared
"Hiccup?! Get inside!" a bigger woman spoke
I felt the back of my tunic lift and my feet lift from the ground before a large spray of fire crossed my earlier path from a deadly nadders lips. The man who grabbed me was stoick the vast and the chief of the hairy hooligans of berk, he took a short glance at me before screaming at the others around.
"What you doing outside? Who let him outside?!" His roar was right into my ear and it hurt but as I was freed from his grip I watched as he took a small food cart and threw it into an escaping nadder.
A group of Viking men came around in front of stoick, They blonde man in front gave a short report on the situation while listing of the sighted dragons.
"Gronkles. Nadders. Zipplebacks. Oh and hoark saw a monstrous nightmare. "The report didn't leave much hope but stoick stayed true to his name and asked a single question.
"Any night furies?" the question was answered with a mirroring calmness from the blonde man. "None so far."
"Good." Stoick flicked a piece of burning wood off his shoulder, stoick as always.
My feet moved on their own and stumbled as I attempted to run fast toward the forge, as I turned the corner I saw the usual long raid lines that accompanied the forge during these nights. I slipped past the large dense crowd but not without an elbow to the neck and stomach, I held my stomach as I turned to see gobber hammering a beaten sword.
The old blond man lifted his metal face mask and turned toward me, his prosthetics on his arm and leg in clear display. As I grabbed my apron and went to grab a weapon he finally spoke
"Nice of you to join the party! I thought you'd been carried off!" He continued his earlier hammering but lighter so I could speak.
"Who? me? No...I'm much too muscular for their tastes. They wouldn't know what to do with all...this!" I attempted to make a flexing gesture with my arm but failed.
He answered with his usual sarcastic tone. "Well they need toothpicks don't they?" He chuckled at his own joke, The meat head with attitude and interchangeable hands is gobber. I've been his apprentice since I've been little well little-er. I opened the front store area only to be greeted with five dull and bent weapons in my hands, I usually just sharpen but gobber lets me use the forge if I finish of my chores.
As I started sharpening on the rotating block I looked out into the battle, I saw the stoick out there. He seemed to be spitting commands at five or more vikings but he was too far and the battle was too loud to hear. I watched as he ran down and out of sight and I felt more hopeless when it came to the idea of ever becoming a fierce Viking warrior.
As I finished sharpening a man yelled out "Fire!" I couldn't see him from here but what I could see was the fire brigade running towards a now burning home. They were the same age as me but I still was considered too weak to work in the fire brigade, I watched as fishlegs and snotlout work to put out a fire from the front door.
it wasn't much to watch as they miserably failed only to hear a large explosion from behind where the fire brigade was, I saw astrid walking away from a rapidly burning building that was obviously too far gone. As I looked back closer to the house I saw the twins near it giggling while covered in soot practically from head to toe.
I've had a crush on Astrid practically as long as I've worked in the forge and its just as hopeless as me leaving to become a glorious warrior like the chief. Another loud shout for a fire led Astrid and the others away, I attempted to get a better look but once again I felt myself dragged by my tunic.
"Come on! Let me out, please I need to make my mark" Gobber rolled his eyes before placing me down and speaking.
"You've made plenty of marks, all in the wrong places." He lightly pushed me back to sharpening but I didn't immediately go back to work.
"Please! Two minutes. I'll kill a dragon, my life with get infinitely better. Hey, I might even get a date." Gobber looked at me with the usual half closed eyes before he spoke again "You can't lift a hammer, you can't swing an axe."
He raised a pair of bolas that were normally thrown and I watched as he handed them to an roudy viking who immediately managed to hit a gronkle and strike it out of the sky. He looked back to me with his usual pair of eyes, ones that didn't say disappointment but not something I always wanted.
"Well yes but this will shoot it for me!" I walked back to the mangler, there was still a calibration issue but I could fix that in five minutes max.
As I patted the machine it suddenly flew open and hit a waiting viking right in the head knocking him out cold. Gobber looked back to me again and spoke harshly "See? now this right here is what I was talking about!"
I felt the need to state it was a mild calibration issue but when I attempted to speak I was cut off "Mild-"
"Hiccup! if you ever want to get out their and fight dragons...you need to stop all...this!" He gestured using his false hand towards all of me.
"But you just pointed to all of me." Gobber was usually sarcastic but it could still hurt when it was only serving as a reminder to something I already knew.
"Yes! That's it! stop being all of you" I gave him a dirty look "ooh...well you sir are playing a dangerous game, keeping this much raw vikingness contained! There will be consequences!" I made exaggerated movements as I was being more comedic right now.
He turned around back to his work before speaking "Ill take my chances. Sword, sharpen now" He stuck a dull sword in my hands and headed off but I needed to get out there because killing a dragon is everything around here.
Any dragon would do but with all my mess ups the only dragon that will fix it all is the night fury, it has never stolen food and has never been seen and has never missed. As I finished sharpening the sword a sharp hiss broke the battle with its sound and a scream echoed throughout the village, "Night Fury! Get down!" As I looked outside even the most fiercest warriors were crouched in fear.
A loud bang of an explosion broke the silence and the battle continued, I looked back to Gobber to see him changing out his prosthetic to his usual axe. "Man the fort, hiccup. They need me out there." as he reached the outside battle he seemed to remember something and turned around "Stay. Put...There" He took a glance back to the battle then me before running off with a viking yell.
I didn't waste any time fixing the manglers calibration issue and reloading it, the small metal parts were so intricate that I think I might be the only one on this island who could make something like this. I took off my apron and wheeled the mangler out of the forge into the ongoing battle.
I bumped into some people due to the limited mobility of the mangler but they moved quick enough and yelled out that I should get inside as usual. I had been burned a bit on my leg but I was fine because I was gonna shoot down the night fury, I had took position on a cliff and waited for my moment.
The cliff was partially calm with how few dragons were around here, It gave me the opportunity to aim. I looked up through the sight, heart pounding.
"Come on, give me something to shoot please..." Then Its iconic hiss and an explosion of a nearby tower, I saw it...illuminated by the flames for only seconds.
I took the shot and immediately felt the shock and was sent back yet as the bola kept flying it never connected, I had one shot and missed. I felt really hopeless but it didn't help the only one who saw my utter failure was a monstrous nightmare. It gave me a good long stare as it swept my Invention off the cliff with a good crash that proved it was broken beyond repair.
I ran as fast as my clumsy feet could take me and screamed until my throat felt a bit dry. It snapped empty air with only a foot away from my arm or back, I felt the heat of a raging fire on my back as I turned a corner and felt a spike of pain my in lower left leg.
I had completely forgot about my burn from earlier and yet I ignored the pain and kept running as best I could, my screams had turned to gasps of air by now. I hid behind a giant wood fixture that was used to see dragons aflight in the dark night sky. I felt a searing heat on both sides of me but it never went farther then heat and as I turned around to look I felt its hot breath nearly hitting my side. Its teeth inches from my face as I heard a slow growl emanate from it.
Stoick seemed to jump from the dark of night itself and punched the large monstrous nightmare bare handed, he had managed to tackle it away and roll back to his feet. It attempted to spew flame again only for it to be unable to conjure up any gas. Stoick smirked before speaking with a sound a sense of pride that felt foreign to me.
"All out aren't yah beastie" He gave a good punch to its sore snout and kept aiming for its teeth and sensitive exposed gums.
The monstrous nightmare flew off into the dark of night with nothing to reward the nest with and leaving only a few broken teeth shattered on the ground, Stoick turned to look back at me. I was still by the wooden fixture but the earlier fire caused it to burn straight through, enough to fall and break three houses including setting free a caught deadly nadders net. I cringed at each loud crash that were all slowly followed by a fire.
"Sorry...Dad" I lowered my head when I turned to him, I hadn't shot the night fury and by now it was daybreak with the sun making its way up on the sky. Stoick grabbed the back of my tunic forcefully dragging me back to the house, I didn't know what to say as I watched everyone look with hateful glares. I felt more pathetic then usual as he tossed me in front of him leaving me standing in the circle of vikings.
"Hiccup!" He didn't yell it but even his usual voice was loud. It hurt my ears. "Winter is almost here and I have an entire village to feed!" That felt like an odd statement since vikings aren't known to die from starvation after all.
"Well between you and me this village could do with a little less feeding." but as usual my sarcasm was met with the same words "This isn't a joke hiccup! Why can't you follow the simplest orders?!"
Did he have to do this infront of everyone in the village? Plus wouldn't the answer be obvious. "I can't stop myself! when I see a dragon I just have to...Kill it!"
I made hand motion of a small neck snapping but I don't think I got my message across very well. "Its just...who I am dad" I felt less confident in my last sentence, the glares of everyone surrounding us just made it harder to speak. Like my throat had been filled to the brim with sharp sand as it weighed down my head till I was looking at my feet.
Stoick ran his hand down his face before speaking again "You're many things hiccup but a dragon killer is not one of them. Get back to the house"
He gave me one last disapproving look before motioning gobber over. "make sure he gets home." Gobber smacked me lightly in the back of the head before we started walking off together but dad had to say one last thing "I have his mess to clean up." Ouch...
I just wanted to go home and sleep far away from how thick the air felt with annoyance and hatred from others. I would have probably already been drowned or stabbed if I wasn't the chiefs son, I'm not the best at getting people to like me I have found. I could see the other kids lightly snickering, the only ones who seemed uncomfortable were fishlegs and Astrid but Astrid seemed more...uncaring not uncomfortable.
Tuffnut spoke first of the group "Quite the performance!" Ruffnut started laughing with him before giving a small fist bump.
Snotlout was always the one who said the worst things but he seemed more tame today "I've never seen anyone mess up that badly!" He laughed to himself before gobber gave him a glare to back off and as usual when an adult...or I guess when just gobber stepped in he stopped.
Vikings thought that some rough housing would toughen kids up and it didn't help most adults disliked when I was around in general. Gobber and I climbed the usual stairs to the house, it was located on the hill and while it may not have been the tallest house it was still far up in the village. As we neared the door I spoke "He never listens and when he does its with a disappointing scowl."
I paused for a second as gobber looked at me "Like someone skimped meat on his sandwich" In an overly done impression of stoick "Oy barmaid! You brought me the wrong offspring, I ordered an extra large boy with beefy arms, extra guts with glory on the side! This boy here is a walking fishbone!"
I knew at this point I was ranting but I...just...what am I even doing, there's no point in complaining but I can't help but feel angry.
Gobber was picking something out of his teeth "You're thinking about this all wrong now hiccup. It is not so much what you look like he can't stand it is more so how you are inside he can't stand"
I rolled my eyes without caring to hide it. "Thank you for summing that up" As I turned around to open the door to the house he spoke again
"Look, the point is stop trying so hard to be something your not" He gave me a worried look which was rare for me in this village, even from gobber.
But I only had the same dream as everyone else "I just wanna be one of you guys..." I opened the door and was met with the usual empty home, stoick was often gone doing his duties as chief. I considered just going to bed but I decided against it, I didn't wanna be home right now.
When ever I wanted to escape the village I always went to the same place, the forest. By now my once green shirt had lots of soot on it and an area of my pants had been burned off. I went to the cupboard, gothi doesn't like people wasting her time and with it being after the raid she is likely to be busy and after my earlier performance it wouldn't be smart to go back to town when dad told me to go and stay home.
I usually kept some bandages and ointment for some burns and cuts, as I slowly rummaged I finally found it. It wasn't much but it was enough to cover the burn with bandages although we were out of ointment.
I sat on the nearby chair, the fire from last night was almost completely extinguished so I added a log and stoked it a bit to give the room some light. I placed the bandages down and slowly lifted up my pant leg, it stung with the movement of the pants but since most of my clothes were just a bit bigger then me it didn't hurt too bad. I wrapped it in the bandages and got up to change pants.
Whenever I ripped clothes I either fixed them but if it was a burn or something else then I use it for my projects in the forge that require fabric. I took off my pants and got some plain brown ones that were essentially the same in color but were a bit baggier, thankfully I had some extra string to tie around my waist and keep them steady.
As I went downstairs I headed out the back door, we weren't supposed to go in the forest for the threat of dragons so I always had to sneak. Due to the raid dad wont be home till late at night if he comes home at all, nobody will notice I'm gone since even if he does come back then he won't check on me.
Sometimes it hurt to think nobody ever noticed I was gone, it made it easier to sneak around and steal some small materials for my projects but It still hurts. I knew most of the forest layout by now but I always tripped on a rouge tree root or log at least once.
The forest was not that dense and the trees were incredibly tall, I could take my time with these walks and relax. Light from the morning sun filtered through the tree canopy and I could hear the singing of birds awakening. Berk almost never had weather as this nice, It is seemingly always either raining or hailing and when it isn't its so humid your sweat could fill the ocean.
I walked slowly toward my destination, I was tired and the burn on my leg still hurt from lack of ointment. A tree root caught me off guard and I hit the forest floor, I had completely forgot about my fall from this morning but the skin opened due to my new fall and now blood was starting to lightly pile from my chin. As I picked myself up I noticed my soot covered shirt was now also dirt covered. great.
I felt miserable, I was in pain and aching everywhere but soon the trees started to be farther from each other and the forest seemed to be rearing its end.
What a lot of people don't know is there is a spot at the very back of the forest where a sheer cliff down looking the oceans stands where no trees are. It's a small field that is full of flowers and its where I come to when I don't wanna be found nowadays. As I slowly sat on the soft grass and looked at the sky I remembered my earlier failure of catching the night fury, I felt like a total fool now that I'm thinking clearly. I feel my eyes burn with coming tears but I try to hold them back, vikings don't ever cry after all.
I layed my head down onto the soft grass with summer flowers, the sky was its usual light blue and the clouds were as fluffy as usual. I felt myself drift into the comfort of sleep, away from all that hurts.