Chapter 1

I looked over the horizon to see the vast ocean spreading the farther we sailed. I felt the ocean breeze fly over me, waves upon waves of cool air brushing my skin, and rustling my hair. It was a warm-ish day out today. The sun was out, and there were barely any clouds hovering in the skies above. All in all, a wonderful looking day. In any other situation I would be happy and enjoy the sun, sketching away at all my human eyes could see. The evergreens that grow vigorously on the island, the fiery sunrise that Berk gets the best view of, or even the beautiful, blue-eyed maiden that walks around our village. Not today, however. Today I was told I needed to, ahem, assist my dad in an island inspection. He told me yesterday that 'it's necessary for you to learn how to handle these types of situations, son, if you're going to carry the family name'. What he meant by that? If I'm going to be chief of the tribe. The Hairy Hooligan Tribe. And, yep, you guessed it! My dad is the all powerful Stoick the Vast, easily one of the tallest, and most intimidating vikings to work in the gods' shadow. He's strong, big, brave, smart, stubborn, and is considered the best chief out of our seven generations of living on Berk.

But, why is this a problem? The reason it's a problem is because of one thing, and one thing only. Me. While my dad is considered a celebrity amongst all viking tribes, I, his only son, am the complete opposite of him. I'm thin, weak, and have absolutely nothing in common with the guy. Even in looks! If I didn't live in the same house, I wouldn't even think he was my father. My mom died in a dragon raid when I was two, saving me from a Deadly Nadder, which doesn't bode me well. I've always been told I remind people of her, but whenever I ask, nobody says anything. She died 12 years ago, making me 14. But, we're getting off topic. My dad wants me to be like him, like the rest of our island. You know, fighting, killing, using axes, hammers, bludgeons, screaming, thinking with everything from our stomach down, and did I mention not listening? Like at all? Especially to a certain fishbone who doesn't enjoy anything viking related? That's right folks, the son of probably the best viking to ever live doesn't like being a viking. All of which that I just listed; complete opposite of all.

I don't enjoy fighting, have never killed before, can't use any such weapons, I usually stay quiet and in the background, and am always using my brain before anything else. And worst of all? I am the worst viking to ever live. I have no friends, no muscle, and nobody treats me with any decency what-so-ever. I'm a weakling in their strong world, and they treat me as such. My name, you ask? Well, what's the perfect name for a walking fishbone? One that's smart, sarcastic, and does absolutely nothing right. Hmm, let me see. "Hiccup!" I heard someone shout. I jerk my head back at the sound of my name. I look to see a towering giant with rippling muscles, broad chest, and large stature. A massive, red beard was braided at his chest, while stone-grey eyes looked at me with no emotion from what I could tell. He walked over to me and stood about two feet away from me. Yep, meet my dad who always brings the cheer. "Um, yeah?" I answered awkwardly.

"The island we're going to as you know, has been abandoned for a few hundred years. The place is highly vegetated and there will be wild animals so you need to be prepared" he spoke. He pulled out a large hammer and dropped it in front of me carelessly. I somehow managed to catch it before it hit the ground. Didn't make the 30 pound axe any easier to hold, though. "You'll need to keep a sharp eye out for anything suspicious, and you'll need to be quiet as we don't know what's there. Think you can do that?" he asked, giving me a side-glance. I was struggling to keep the axe up in a ready position on my shoulder when he asked. "Yep, sure thing dad.." I voiced, my struggle clearly being heard. He sighed disappointingly and walked off. By the time he walked back into the cabin, I let the axe drop to the wooden deck with a loud 'Clank!'. I blew out a breath and put a hand to my sore chest, catching my breath. As I did so, I looked out to the sea again, wondering why the gods made me this way. It made me wish for my mentor to be here. He would always lighten the mood, no matter how sour it may be.

I looked down at the water, and sat on a nearby crate. He couldn't come along because he's the blacksmith of the island. I am his apprentice, but I have the knowledge to be an actual one. The only reason I'm not is because I'm a Haddock. They were always chiefs, has been that way for who knows how long. Just like Jorgenson's were always competitive, Ingermen's were always smart, and Hofferson's….were always perfect. I thought about the others my age. Fishlegs is an Ingermen, he's large, but shy. Snotlout is a Jorgenson. He's the spitting image of a typical viking. Big, tough, dumb. My cousin. Sadly. The twins were, in a word, crazy. Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston. Even though one's a boy and ones a girl, they are exactly alike, looks and all. They would always join Snotlout in beating the crap out of me. Why? Because they can. And then there's Astrid. She's a Hofferson. Strong, brave, beautiful, smart, and above all, just perfect. I'm sure you can't possibly tell I have a crush on her. I have since I was seven when she stood up for me. Of course that was the only time she did, and she acts like I don't exist, but hey! A guy can dream.

"Land ho!" I heard someone shout. True to his word, an island was approaching. I'd give us about three hours before we make landfall, but it was better than being on water for another week. I stand to run and get my stuff when I look down to the axe I was given. I stop and just look at it. It was shinned and sharpened, ready to be wielded by any o' viking who needed it, and I can't help but wonder who's all lost their lives to that axe. I exile the thought and run to the cabin door. Below deck was just how you'd imagine it. Dark, boring, and nauseating. I look to my makeshift bed and grab my small bag with all my survival supplies. It had some stale bread, dried fish, a net, a flint and iron for fire, a hunting knife, a blanket, a water canister, spare cloths, and medical supplies. Dad said it wasn't necessary to bring, but I felt more comfortable with it so I brought it anyways.

The next few hours were the same as the past week, uneventful and boring. I was very anxious to get off of the water, so when they laid anchor, I jumped to my feet and ran to the row boats. A handful of men went on the first one, including my dad, while I went on the second one. "Do you need any help?" I asked one of them men. "No, just stay out of the way" he said gruffly. They lowered our boat to the water, and I rocked my feet out of boredom, a habit I've yet to break. A few men rolled their eyes, but kept quiet. I was used to the treatment, so I looked back at the water. I didn't know how long it took to get to the shore, but the minute we did, I all but jumped from the small boat, into ankle-high water and ran to the beach. Dad's boat was already beginning to unload, and I smiled at the familiar feeling of land. 'How he does this weeks at a time is beyond me' I thought. "Hey kid" someone called. I looked back to see a fishermen with a grey beard looking at me. He didn't look old, but was definitely older than 30.

Once he knew he had my attention, he continued. "Think you can help unpack instead of playing in the sand?" My cheeks warmed up a bit in embarrassment. I chuckled nervously "Y..yeah, right, sorry" I stuttered. We spent the next few hours of daylight setting up camp, while my dad took a few men to check the area for any wolves or bears. Me and my dad shared the largest tent, while others picked someone to share theirs with. I didn't expect to get any sleep, as my dad sounded like thunder when he snores. A few men took a boat back and went fishing for food. Since everyone else was busy setting up their own tents or hiding supplies from animals, I began to set up a fire. I needed sticks, so I went a little into the woods to find some. I ran into a few rabbits and squirrels, but nothing too interesting. I could still see the camp from where I was, but looking into the forest, I suddenly wanted to explore it.

I moved to take a step but a large hand clamped down on my shoulder. "Ah!" I yelped, turning to see none other than my dad staring down at me. "What are you doing?" he demanded. "Oh, what? Why would you do that!?" I asked him. "Answer the question, Hiccup!" he pressed. "Well, I was getting sticks for a fire. A few men went to get some fish and it was getting dark out, so...you know" I told him. A fresh wave of shame washed over me as he began to drag me back to camp. "This isn't Berk Hiccup. You can't go wandering without anyone, you understand?" He scolded. "Yeah" I answered, sadly disappointed. "Besides.." he started more upbeat. Well, upbeat for a viking that is. "..you can save all that energy for tomorrow when we start to look around". I smiled at the thought. When we arrived back at camp, he let me go, and told me to stay in sight. I looked around and spotted an empty, rectangular crate. Flipping it over, I sat down, once again bored. I looked around and saw a few others catching their breath, or leaving the area for other reasons.

'He said to stay in sight. That doesn't mean I can't explore the beach!' I thought with newfound excitement. Making sure no one was watching, I walked past the various tents and looked around the beach. I looked around, and found shells, some baby blue, others burnt copper. The camp was still in sight, so I continued walking. I even rolled up my pants and looked in the water, seeing small fish scurrying away from the mighty threat that is me. I chuckled. Aside from sand, I didn't find anything of absolute value. Until I came across a strange green rock. I picked it up and upon further inspection, found it to have darker green swirls, and small black dots. 'Interesting. I've never seen anything like it before'. The rock gave me a strange feeling in my gut that I didn't quite like. 'Maybe dad knows what it is'. "Hiccup! Get back here!" I heard. Speaking of the devil, I turned to see him waving me over. I rolled my eyes and jogged back. I slowed to a stop in front of him "What did I just say about wandering?"

"You told me to stay in sight, so I did" I argued. He whacked the back of my head lightly and gently pushed me forward. I reached back to rub where he hit. Which reminded me of my newest discovery. "Hey dad?" He hummed to show he was listening. "I found this strange rock on the beach and was wondering if you knew what it was" I asked, pulling out the strange green object. Unlike most rocks, it was smooth and shiny, like glass instead of pointy and rough. He held out his hand. "Let me see it, son". I placed it in his enormous hand and watched as he inspected it. "Hmm" he thought. "It looks familiar, but I can't place it" he answered after a few minutes. He handed it back without any further words and walked over to order a few men around. I looked at it again. My gut told me to get rid of it, but I put it in my vest anyways. With what daylight was left, my dad picked a few men to stay and watch over camp while the others were split into three search groups for tomorrow.

I, unsurprisingly, was to go with my dad. Dinner was spent eating a few tuna caught by the fishermen and telling stories. I listened in to some of the stories, laughing a few times at dumb moments when my dad tapped my shoulder. I looked up at him. "Son, can I see that rock again?" I found it strange that he asked for it again, but pulled it from my vest anyways. He ran his thumb over it again, in deep thought. "Do you remember what it is?" I questioned. "Ey. Back when me and your mother first met, we came across a similar stone. We brought it to the elder and she told us that the stone was called Jaderock. The story goes that these stones were results of black magic and that finding one means bad luck". In all honesty I wasn't sure if I should be surprised that he brought up my mom, or if I should curse my luck to find an unlucky charm. I paid attention anyways, as he never talks about my mom.

"She said that the stones were created when a witch or warlock overuses their magic, and all that power forms together to create the stone". My mind was wandering at the thought. 'There's no way that's real. Witches and warlocks were said to be a myth' I thought. "Did you believe what she told you?" I asked on an edge. He gave me a side-look and told me "I didn't think our elder was lying, but nothing of bad luck occurred so I can't say I did. It was just a story after all". He handed it back to me and I just looked down at it. It was a very beautiful stone, the greens swirling together with tiny black dots littering certain parts. The unease in my stomach didn't let up; in fact, it only worsened as I thought. 'What if it's true? What does that mean for me?' I placed the stone back in my vest and decided to call it a night. The thought of the palm-sized stone being made of magic was unsettling. That, or it could be trying to get used to sleeping without the rocking of water.

It was the next day, and I finally was going to explore a new island! I've walked every inch of Berk more than a dozen times, so new land was very exciting. The week of waiting on water was beginning to seem worth it. I think my dad could tell because he was more relaxed today. He even smiled at me which only made today even better. Before we left, he explained the rules again, to me specifically. "Alright son, here's the rules. Stay with the group, and stay in sight. If you see something strange, get someone's attention quietly. We don't want to disturb it if it's an animal". Even if he was going over the rules with me, again I couldn't stand still I was so excited. "Keep a weapon on hand incase something goes bad. And if it does…..I want you to run" he ended. I gave a confused look as running wasn't something I was ever told to do. "Run? You don't want me to try to help if things take a turn?". He placed a hand on my shoulder. "If you're safe, it'll help me think better. Besides, you'll only be putting yourself at risk if you stay. Those are the rules, deal?".

I slumped a little at the helpless feeling I got. "That seems a little selfish of you, don't you think?" I mentioned. It hit a brick wall. "Deal?" He pressed harder. Sighing, knowing this was going nowhere, I replied. "Deal". He gave my back a pat and went to the front of the group. "Alright. Lennard, you take your group to the South, Pinebreath, you're to the North, and my group will go to the East. If something happens, make a fire. The ship will see and send someone. We have three days, and if you're not back here by sunset on day three, camp will be packed up. Am I understood?" A series of 'Yes Chief!' went around and after a week of nothing, we finally set off. I had my bag on me, and my dagger was strapped in my belt. I stayed near my dad for the first hour, but went around looking at the trees and the wildlife. So far, there was nothing to behold. It was around midday when my dad called a break. We found a creek and I filled my canister with water, then packed it away. I cupped some of it and drank, saving what I had just collected. We dug into a little of our dried yak when I needed to use the bathroom. I walked behind some bushes and did my business. I was about to turn back when I saw something on a nearby tree.

I stepped away from where I went and walked up to it. Words were carved into the tree. 'What in Thor's name…' It vaguely looked like Latin. I saw something shift in my peripheral vision and noticed more carvings in the trees. But that's not what drew me to scream. In between a few trees was a bunch of dead birds, rodents, and small cats, surrounding a decaying human skull. Both the sight and smell drew me to cover my mouth, in an attempt not to vomit. "Hiccup!" I heard my dad call. I was frozen in shock. I couldn't move, couldn't think, and couldn't breathe. My dad walking up to me, and asking what was wrong didn't break me from the scene. "Hiccup, what is it?" he asked again, shaking me a little. I heard a sharp intake of air from him, so I knew he saw it. A little too late did he cover my eyes and move me away from the horrific scene.

He gave me to a girl, Bluemaple I think was her name, and she led me back to the creek. It was an understatement to say I was shaken from what I saw. "Hiccup, honey, look at me" I moved my eyes to meet hers. "It's all right, Hiccup. Just breathe". I took in a gasp for air and blinked back some tears, a few actually escaping. I didn't sob, though. I leaked a few tears, but nothing more. Bluemaple gave me some water, and a little more food, but I didn't speak. I only nibbled on my food. After that, the thought of any food made me want to vomit. I was playing around with my Jaderock, and wondered if it had anything to do with the gruesome scene. I didn't keep track of time, only when my dad walked up to me, I noticed it was a bit past midday. He leaned down, holding my shoulders and speaking, for the first time in years, tenderly. "Hiccup" I looked up at my name. "I….I'm sorry you had to see that" was all he said. Nothing more needed to be said. "What…what kind of a person could...b..be so…cruel?" I whispered out.

He gave me a grim look. "The worst kind. Son…" he spoke. I looked back at him. "...this is the reason why it's important for us to be searching out here. To prevent this kind of thing from spreading." A new, more terrifying thought hit me as I imagined a small child from Berk laying headless somewhere in the woods. I sat up a bit at the thought. "Now, I doubt whoever did this is still here, but we need to continue looking. This island is a week away from Berk. That means the person who did this could easily find us. Do you think you're up for the search?" He asked. No way in Valhalla am I letting that get to Berk. My home. I grabbed my bag and sat up straighter with a determined nod. My dad ruffled my hair. "There's my boy" he said standing up. I followed. "Alright, let's get a move on. We've seen all that there is here". I flinched as he spoke that line. I knew what I saw was going to haunt me for a while, but mulling over it isn't going to help anyone. The rest of the day was uneventful, but the island was beginning to give me a sinking stomach.

I went to bed with cruel thoughts of how that person must've died. I was the first one to wake up. Well, I never really went to sleep after that, as I was in a sort of half-sleep for most of the night. The guy who was supposed to be on watch was slumped against a tree, dead asleep. 'If the animals didn't already know we're here, they will by all this snoring' I thought. The fire died, so I collected a few sticks and got it going again. The island wasn't a very big one, a little smaller than Berk itself, but we were more than halfway through it. So when I heard a large twig 'snap!' nearby, I jumped. I walked into the direction where I heard it, but stopped before the various trees, images of the skull and dead animals returning. I walked back over to the guy on watch and woke him up. I was beginning to hear growling from….something. And not the hungry-type growls. The guard blinked awake when I shook him. He looked at me confused when another growl and shuffling in a nearby bush appeared. He put an arm in front of me and grabbed his axe. For once, I decided to stay put. The shuffling stopped, but the wolf-like growl was still there. When a small bunny hopped from the bush, he let his guard down.

Only for a massive, grey…THING to jump on him. He screamed bloody murder when it bit into his shoulder, waking everyone else up. A few more things jumped from the bushes, but they weren't wolfs. They were larger, and more deformed. Dad threw me my bag, and yelled "Hiccup, RUN!". I hesitated. But when a viking threw one of them at a tree nearby, I decided to follow instructions and booked it. Where I was going, I didn't know, but I continued until I fell down a ditch. A stinging throb made its way up my leg, but I continued running, despite the growing pain. I can't tell how long I had been running for, but I came to a stop near a cave when my leg gave out on me. I collapsed to my knees, and fell onto my stomach, gasping in breaths to my aching lungs. My limbs were shaking, and I could hear my heart beating at unsteady rhythms. I didn't know where I was, but I laid there, concentrating on catching my breath, and lowering my heart rate.

As sore as I was, I moved my arms parallel to my face and tried to lift myself up. My knees dragged on the ground as I got to a crawling position. I was still huffing in breaths, but I no longer felt like I was about to pass out. Sitting back on my heels, I looked around at where I was. The ground beneath me was a mixture of grass and rock, as if it was a small trail. Trees were parted, but looked smaller, and less rough. I looked up at the time, but couldn't make out much from the clouds that were hovering in the sky. I got up, sorely from the long run, when I was reminded of the pain in my left leg. "Ah!" I hissed. Limping to the closest tree, I rolled up my pants to see the damage. Nothing was visible on the outside, but it was at least twisted. Sprained at the very most. I blew out a breath. "It's ok Hiccup, it's alright. Just breathe, you're gonna to be ok" I spoke to myself. "Alright, it's not that bad. I just lost my searching group who, for all I know, could be dead. You don't know how to hunt, you don't know how to fight, and you're on a strange island where anything could kill you. No big deal" I thought aloud. 'I am so screwed' was my afterthought.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward on my injured food testingly. I limped, but could walk. I took a second glance at the supposive 'trail' I was on. "Well, it can't be any worse to check it out. I mean, I'm practically dead anyway". Before I decided to go, I reached in my bag and pulled out my water canister, drinking from it. I stopped after a few seconds, knowing there's a chance this is all the water I will have. After that, I walked on, well, limped anyways up the trail. I flinched as some bushes near me shuffled. I pulled out my dagger, only seconds later I felt a light gust of wind brush through me, ruffling my hair. 'I'm being paranoid' I thought. I waited a few seconds before continuing up the path. I walked and walked and walked until I was huffing for air once again. I rested my hands on my knees and hunched over, breathing heavily. That's when I felt something wet on my cheek. Thinking it was nothing, I didn't worry about it.

But when a few more hit me, I looked up to see it was beginning to rain. "Oh Odin, you have got to be kidding me" I said. The only reply I got was the rain coming down faster and harder. I groaned and took off my vest, holding it above me in hopes to shield me from the rain. I could hear thunder approaching and felt the wind picking up. I tried to run for any sort of cover, but there wasn't any present. Following the trail was all I could do, as my vest was soaked through in seconds. The air turned colder with each blast of wind. I shivered. My hands were going numb and my leg was throbbing with each step I took. It grew darker and the storm grew fiercer, rain beginning to turn to hail at one point. I stumbled around aimlessly, completely at the storm's mercy. 'Maybe Thor is mad at me for running away'. A flash of lightning occurred after the thought.

I finally decided to give up, falling to my knees. 'Everyone's probably dead by now. If I hadn't listened to my father...If I had stayed, maybe I could've helped'. I dropped my vest and let the harsh rain sting my skin. 'I ran. Vikings aren't supposed to run. I deserve this…' I closed my eyes and fell to my side, letting the gods decide my fate. As unconsciousness closed in on me, I faintly recalled the feeling of warm arms picking me up.

I heard crackling somewhere near me. There was something heavy on my chest, keeping me warm, but also in place. I snuggled closer to whatever soft pillow I was laying on and almost let sleep overtake me. Key word, 'almost'. Something wasn't right. All my memories returned to me in seconds. The mutant wolfs, me running, the storm, my final thoughts. My eyes were heavy, but after a brief struggle, I managed to open them. It was clearly a one room house. The ceiling stretched above me in a triangle, and the room was square. Shelves were stocked with a number of various gross and strange things; teeth, eyes, scales, liquids of unnatural colors, bones, claws, skulls. I sat up when I realized this. There was a fire at the opposite end of the room with a suspicious looking cauldron heating over it. Looking down at myself I was still in my clothes, but I was warm and dry. A few heavy blankets were draped over me and I was on a bed.

'How did I…..where…' I scanned the room once again and almost jumped out of my skin when I saw a woman wearing a black robe and dress to my left. She appeared to be reading something, but slammed the book roughly, causing me to flinch. She turned to me, looking vaguely 40-ish with a long face, brown, almost black eyes with wavy light-brown hair. She gave me a chilling grin. "Welcome back to the land of the living" she spoke to me, voice strong and calm. I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came out. She just chuckled and stood, walking over to me. I flinched back as she reached out for me. "Relax, I'm not going to hurt you" I just gave her a wary look. She groaned, annoyed. "If I wanted to hurt you, I would've done it while you were unconscious".

It didn't reassure me, but I let her touch me. Her hand met my forehead, checking for a fever. She hummed approvingly, so I assumed I was ok. "Normally I wouldn't help someone out like this, usually harvesting their organs by now, but you have something I want". She ignored my fearful look and grabbed my vest. I moved farther away from her when she pulled out the Jaderock I found the other day, inspecting it. "Do you know what this is, boy?" she spoke hardly. "I...It's a J..Jaderock, r..right?" I answered quietly. She grinned wickedly, speaking again. "To you humans it it, but for someone like myself, it's of…high value". I picked at her words. "S..someone like you?" I questioned. She looked over to me, all humor gone. "All you need to know is I want this stone, and I never stop until I get what I want".

She was really confusing me now. "If you want it, why are you asking me for it? I've been unconscious for...I don't even know how long, you could've taken it and I wouldn't have even noticed" I spoke up, suddenly with more confidence and less fear. She smiled fakely and looked down at the bed like she was struggling not to hurt me. "And it's just a rock, what's so….." and then I froze, recalling the story my dad told me before we set off. She said that the stones were created when a witch or warlock overuses their magic, and all that power forms together to create the stone. I looked at her strangely and things were beginning to make sense. The dead animals, the human skull, jars of body parts and fluids on the shelves. "You…..you're not a normal person, a..are you?" I asked nervously. She flashed me another wicked grin. "No boy, I suppose I'm not". I held back a gasp and scuttled back until I hit a wall. She laughed evilly again. "Well, now that that's out of the way, I need this stone" she continued.

I was breathing hard and fearing for my life. She was going to butcher me like some pig. Tear out my eyes and cut out my organs. My heart was thumping in my chest, and blood was rushing through my ears. But for whatever reason, there was only one thing on my mind. "Y...y..you h..have the stone. Why…why do you keep asking me for it?" I spoke just audibly. She went back to inspecting it, smiling at it with a crazed look. "Because, I'm holding the stone. That doesn't make it mine" she replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. She continued "These stones are incredibly powerful, and only few are made in the world. You found it, so that makes it yours". I knew I should've shut up and just given it to her by now, but words left my mouth before I even thought about them. "Yet you didn't just kill me and take it for yourself. Which means you still need something" I commented. "You're very smart boy" she replied, giving me a side-glance. She ran her thumb over the smooth stone. "In order to make it mine, and to access all the power of the stone, I must give you something in return".

"So, a trade"

"I prefer the term deal"

"But, what could you give me? You're a witch, you'll probably just kill me after the deal" I spat. I instantly regretted it as dark, aggressive eyes glared at me. Her hand shot forth and roughly grabbed the front of my tunic. "I saved your life, that should be payment enough" she growled. I narrowed my eyes, and although my voice shook, I spoke up. "No. I...I want something else". Her dark eyes hardened, and for a split second, I swore she was going to tear my head off. But when she closed her eyes, and eased up, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "Very well, name your price. But, beware of what you ask, as, you might get exactly what you wish for". I looked at her, surprised she gave in that easily. 'No hold on Hiccup, she's a witch. She could kill you at any given moment' I thought. 'Then I guess you'd better wish for something that won't come and bite you in the ass'.

I thought long and hard about what I could ask for. I made a list of all the things I wanted, but none seemed like it could turn out how I wished. Until that thought hit me. I didn't know if he was alive, if he was dead, or if he would approve, but from every angle I looked at, it didn't seem like it could go wrong. I broke from my thoughts and looked to the narrowed, impatient eyes of the woman in front of me. "I….I wish I could make my father proud of me". Her eyes widened at my request, probably thinking I would wish to rule the world or something. She hummed. "...tricky...tricky...tricky…". She pocketed the Jaderock and moved around the room, picking up viles, and gathering items. I made a mental note of all the things she picked. Small fish scales, a few green dragon ones, a frog leg, a weird, blueish-grey liquid, and a dagger. My eyes never left the dagger.

"Get up" she commanded. I hesitated and she sent me a glare. Pulling the covers off, I put on my vest and grabbed my bag. I stood and my left leg gave out. "Ack!" I yelped in pain. I pulled myself back onto the bed and noticed the woman walked over to me. I tensed, but paid her no mind as I rubbed my leg in a soothing manner. The woman aggressively jerked my pant-leg up and inspected my skin. I flinched as she pressed in certain areas, but didn't show any weakness. She finally laid her hand flat on my leg and muttered a few words quietly. Pain zipped up my leg and I screamed. It lasted for a few seconds, then stopped. She stood up and walked away as if nothing even happened. I gasped a few breaths and felt my leg. There was no more pain. I looked up at the witch. She didn't do anything in return. I stood again, this time without any troubles and waited for her.

A few minutes later she gathered all her things, an old book included and grabbed me by the arm. Yelping as she practically dragged me out the door, we began walking down a path. For what felt like hours, we walked, her never faulting or tripping. She didn't even seemed fazed by the second hour of walking. Night suddenly arrived and I lost my patience. "Where are we going?" I complained. No answer. I groaned and continued on. When we came across a small cliff with no trees, she finally stopped. I walked over to a tree and put my hand to it, my other one going to my knee, catching my breath. From what I could tell, we were on the Western side of the island. I walked over to the edge and looked for a beach, but none came to view.

"Those Vikings left two days ago. Had a bad run-in with some Lycans and decided to leave. They're long gone by now" the witch suddenly spoke, reading my thoughts. I let out a breath of disbelief. "Did...did anyone…." I was scared to vocalize the question. "No, sadly for me, no one did. One of them kept calling for someone named Hiccup. Anyone you know?" she ended with an edge. I perked up at the thought. "Did you see who? Was he alright? He wasn't hurt, was he?" I burst out. "He was just fine. Physically speaking, of course". I took a slow, deep breath of relief. 'He's ok. They all are, you're the only one who was left behind' I thought, ending on a bitter note. I sat and watched as she pulled out what looked like salt and made a circle with strange markings in it. She placed all of her ingredients in smaller circles in the circle. All but the dagger. "So...what exactly are you doing?" I spoke, curiosity getting the better of me.

Her face remained stoney like my dad's always would be, but her eyes were gleaming with power and something I couldn't recognize. "Well, since your father isn't here, I will be doing something to you so you can make him proud of you" She spoke. I opened my mouth to ask more, but with one look at her ever-changing eyes, I thought it best to keep my questions to myself. I looked to the stars and saw that the moon was full. 'Am...am I doing the right thing mom?' I thought. Like usual, I received no answer, but I did get a tap on my shoulder. "It's time" the brunette spoke, hungry for power. I was stood in the center of the salt circle and watched as the witch finalized whatever she was doing. My stomach began to feel uneasy about this. The witch walked up to the border of the circle and held out a hand, silently asking for mine.

I slowly lent my hands out where she roughly grabbed each of them. I hissed as she slashed fine, deep lines in them. My deep, red blood gushed from the open wounds and I held back a whimper as she squeezed the liquid from my hands. I bit my lip as she began chanting in a strange language out loud. Everything froze at one. The crickets, the late night birds, the frogs, and even a wolf howling in the distance abruptly stopped howling. It went eerie as the witch chanted the same thing over and over again, growing more intense with each line. I jumped with a scream as the salt suddenly burst into flames, surrounding me in a wall of fire. I looked every which way, but I was trapped. 'Dammit Hiccup! Why did you let her trick you like that? She's a witch for Thor's sake, she wouldn't keep her word!' I thought. It became hotter and harder to breath.

I fell to my hands and knees. And then all I knew was pain. A shriek that sounded inhuman resonated through the night as I screamed. Every inch of me hurt. My clothes suddenly caught on fire and burnt to nothing, but my skin remained unharmed. But I writhed on the ground with pain, shaking and clenching to try and easie it. It felt like my skin was melting off of me. But what scarred me the most wasn't the pain at this point. From my waist down, all was numb with white, burning hot pain. Fins that were vaguely fish like burst through the back of my arms, and in between my fingers. On my back it felt like something was ripping it apart down my spine. My skin grew a sickly grey covering and gained some thickness to it. My teeth grew sharp like a sharks and all of my senses heightened. I could see clear as day, even though it was night, my skin tingled at any contact it received, things smelt sharper, and the worst one of all was my hearing. I covered my ears as it sounded like metal being harshly dragged across stone.

It felt like hours that I was laying there, in pain, and covering my ears, a headache forming from the stress of it all. When it finally stopped, the witch collapsed to the ground, out cold. The flames around me died, and all was quiet. 'What...what did she do…' I thought. I took a minute to recover, then I looked down. And then I screamed bloody murder, an inhuman, banshee-like scream. No longer did I have two pale, creamy legs, but I had one long, green tail. The scales were emerald green with a hint of brown at the top of all of them, giving a gradient affect. The tail gave me a few extra feet in length, but wouldn't make me that much taller than up to my dad's chin. I looked down at myself, at what I had become. I was some sort of half-fish freak. I felt my face, which didn't feel any different, but my teeth were sharp. Every last one of them. Although my skin was new, I was still covered in freckles. My hair was still the same shaggy mess of reddish-brown it always had been, and I was still the same fishbone, body wise.

I burst out crying. 'How is dad ever gonna love a monster like me?' I thought. What would he say? Would he kill me? Disown me? Exile me? It didn't matter. Not anymore. I was a monster, more of a freak than ever before. No one would love me now. Hot tears streamed down my face and I wondered why I became this. 'The witch' I thought. My nails, now claws, dug into the soil, and my eyes found the witch. But something was off. With my new heightened hearing, I could hear her heart slowing, and I couldn't hear her breathing. 'She must've killed herself doing this to me' I thought. For once, I wasn't sad about a person's death. 'But wait, that means there's no way of turning me back' I thought. I let my head fall back to the ground, the soil becoming wet from my tears. I stayed like that until I heard the bushes ruffling, and a growl penetrate the air. It took me a minute to remember that growl from when our camp was ambushed. I began to hyperventilate, moving to get up, but realizing I didn't have legs anymore. I pushed myself up with my arms, limbs shaking when the growling got closer. I looked over my shoulder to the cliff.

It was at least 10 feet behind me. I rolled to the side and began to drag myself to the ledge. I flinched as a branch broke behind me, but I concentrated on pulling myself to the cliff. The snarling behind me drew closer and closer, but I finally made it to the edge. I looked behind me to see the pack of beat up, but still ferocious looking Lycans, as they were called. A few looked at me, but the rest were more interested in the witch, lying in the dirt. I didn't want to know what they were about to do, and I didn't stay to find out. With what strength I had, I threw myself off the cliff and into the ocean. Sadly, skill didn't come with my new body, and I flipped over on my way down, my back hitting the water. I surfaced, treading the water quite awkwardly with my tail. A few Lycans gathered at the cliff, but thankfully none followed me into the water.

All of a sudden, my head began to feel light, and I got really dizzy. 'What…what's...happen...ing' I thought blearily, slowly sinking under the light waves. I choked on the sea water and struggled when a weird sensation built on my neck. I tensed the strange muscle there, and it was like I was breathing, but not. Cold liquid went in, and bubbles shot out. My dizziness went away in almost an instant, and my chest heaved like it was suddenly getting the air it needed. In a way, it was. My webbed hand went to my neck and there I felt gills. 'Well, that explains that' I thought. I sank down to the bottom of the ocean in thought. My hands reached the cold sand of the ocean floor, and gripped it. 'I've lost everything…' I thought. In a simple week, I've lost my father, my tribe, my body, my life, my humanity. Although it was completely silent down here, I wept. I cried and sobbed and laid down fully against some sharp rocks.

I had no idea how to survive. I was most likely the only...thing like myself in the area, so I was completely clueless on how to take care of myself. I was lost and only buried my face into the crook of my arm, mourning my loss. 'What did I do?'

Yep, I'll be the first to admit my life was nothing but a boring heap of nothing. Mother and Father were away, like normal, only caring for each other. According to almost every Merfolk in the society, the only creature you're meant to truly care about is your Mate. It was a Merfolk thing I didn't quite get. Children are seen as a small responsibility, not an actual emotional tie. Parents spend the first five years taking care of their young, the next five teaching us how to care for ourselves, and then they spend the last five years teaching us how to care for our future Mate. After that, we're on our own. My 15 birth anniversary passed several Lights ago, and now I'm supposed to be searching for a Mate. I'm meant to find a Mate at this age, and most Merfolk rush towards the chance. I had no intention to. Of course I had plenty of battle scars to prove I can fight and provide, but looks wise my eyes were the only thing remotely attractive to anyone wanting to be my Mate. They were an acidic green instead of the normal green-blue. I was pretty normal otherwise, sharing the same black hair and tail that most Merfolk carry.

To us, the more human you look, the better option you'll be. We like having nice, colorful, shiny things, as most Merfolk all look the same. Grey skin, black hair, black tail, turquoise eyes, and sharp teeth. My eyes were the only thing of interest about me, but I have no problem with that. The Submissives are the ones who usually are the ones meant to look all nice, and I have no intention of being a Submissive. My father seems to think I'll turn out like one, as he doesn't bring me to other caves to show off. We don't talk anymore, but all the disappointed glances at me are enough to say I'm not the child he wanted. I don't let it get to me, however. He doesn't know me, and I will not be a Submissive. I am a Dominant, like him, and I'll die before I let another male mate me. That brings me to my first problem. Who do I choose for my Mate? Most of the pure-born Submissives around here aren't that much to look at. They're all the same, personality and physicality-wise. They're all just like my parents, only care for themselves.

But, then there's her. The most beautiful Mermaid this far North. Her hair is a very dark brown, but not black. Her tail is more dark indigo than black, and her eyes are grey. She would be the best choice in any Dominant's eyes. I of course, fell for her for a while, acting like all the other Dominants, but backed down after a while. I'm not sure what it is with me, but I there's something I'm searching for in a Mate. Something beyond looks and scars, something...deeper. I have no clue what it is, but I feel so...empty. Like, I'm missing some part of me. It's the reason why I haven't settled for a mate, even though there are plenty of options. Blue, as I like to call her for her tail, seems to pout when I don't go swimming up to her for attention. Plenty of Dominants fight for her, but she, like me, doesn't seem interested. What I don't get is why she mates with them, but doesn't choose one. None like to show it, but I can tell it's very emotionally damning. And that brings me to my second problem.

Remember how I said the Submissives are typically the ones with the more human-like, or nicer looks? Yeah, well my green eyes aren't normal, and that makes me a target for some of the Dominants. Some swim up to me and give me their passes, but I claw them away, refusing to be a Submissive. My eyes are different, but that doesn't make me a Submissive, someone suitable to bear offspring and follow a Dominant in all of their needs and desires. I shoot a stream of bubbles out of my mouth. Frustrations of a Merman. I was currently swimming to my new cave, something I discovered a Light ago and instantly claimed as mine. It had a hidden entrance and even a dry-cave area where I can turn to my Human form and walk about, sometimes speaking to myself. It was a nice place, and if I ever did choose a Mate, it'll be the safest place for us. The only difference of my cave to others is, it's up near the warm waters. Not down in the cold, darkness we normally live in.

I don't know why we're supposed to live in the dark and quiet, it's too simple and lonely. It, from what I could tell, was dark in the land above the water as I made my way to my new, cave. That's when I heard the cry of a Merfolk to my south. It was faint, and I almost missed it, but I heard it. 'What the…' I thought. I couldn't tell if it was my mind playing tricks on me or not, so I waited. Another cry was heard, and this time, I rushed to my left, hoping I could help whoever was in distress. The further I went, the warmer and shallower the water became. It got to the point where I could see both sea-floor and sea-top together. I instantly noticed the pointy rocks jutting up, and I gulped, reminding myself that I wasn't supposed to be this close to land. I let out a call in hopes the Merfolk in trouble would reply. No such luck. I swam around the rocks, looking for any signs of black that I could find. I returned to my spot, with no luck. My inner chest sank as I realized I was probably too late. My head fell with sadness. But that's also when I gasped.

There, at the sea-floor was probably the most gorgeous Merman I had ever seen. I couldn't see his face, but his hair, skin, and tail was shocking enough at a distance to cause me to freze. I couldn't help but tred there, just looking at him from afar. When the initial shock wore off, I slowly made my way down to him. He was in a mourning position, something I was too familiar with. Looking him over, his scales were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. He also didn't appear to be injured, there was that too. His skin was a little darker than mine, but was overall, very pale. Spots littered all over his skin, a sign he's spent most of his life under natural light. His hair, now that was something to also gawk about. It was a light brown, with hints of red peeking through under the light. It took me a while to gather my voice. I crooned out to him softly, but he didn't meet my face. I gave him another one, this time louder, and he slowly raised his eyes up.

They made my limbs go weak at the jewel-like green they were. He was so human like, I was in shock. He seemed shocked to see me too as once he processed what he he saw, he jerked back as fast as he could into a rock, beautiful eyes lit with fear. I noticed he had no scars, and no wrist marks. 'He must not have had any experience on his own. Can't say I blame him, he's too stunning to be real' I thought. He studied me as I slowly got closer. I could see him looking around furiously, probably for a way to leave, but stayed put. I swam up to him until we were face to face. He looked so afraid, but I couldn't speak to him. Merfolk can't speak underwater. I reached to his arm, where he flinched at contact. I stopped, but didn't pull back. I pulled his arm a little, and he moved it up. I dragged my claws up his skin until his hand was parallel to mine. I pressed mine to his in a sign of goodwill. He relaxed considerably when I did, making no moves to harm him. I could tell he didn't trust me enough to help him, though.

He overall looked wary, but curious. 'He…wears his emotions so easily' I thought. I looked him up and down again, still shocked at his unrealistic features. I looked to his shoulders and a smile made its way onto my face as they were clean from any Mate marks. He was open for anyone, as a virgin. My hand was still pressed to his, my thumb rubbing his in a calming manner. I looked back at him, excited smile now turned to a calm grin. I moved my hand from his, grabbing his wrist. I drew it to my face, ready to test what kind of Merman he was, and hopefully a few memories to answer my questions. Before I could, he jerked his hand back, fear now back in his eyes. But I only saw innocence in that fear. He didn't seem like he was trying to trick me, but I needed to be sure. He fought me again, twisting his arm to get away from me. As a result, I pressed my open hand to his neck and pushed him roughly against the wall behind him. His hand moved to his neck, trying to dislodge my hand but he wasn't that strong, so I proceeded in checking him. I heard him whimper in fear, but it needed to be done. I can't trust some random creature if they have bad blood, no matter how beautiful they were.

He let out a cry of distress when my teeth pierced his smooth skin. I could taste the fear in his blood, clear as the warmer waters. I also tasted sorrow, loneliness, sadness, and self-hate. But there was no trace of malice, or hate. His blood, although sad, was the cleanest I've ever tasted. That self-hate was nagging me, though. The images that followed explained why. He was alone. Thrown into a world he knew nothing about. I pulled back from his wrist, ignoring the temptation to just drink all of his sweet, selfless blood up. He was whimpering at me, and I couldn't see this Merman as the killer I was told Humans were. I looked into those gem-like eyes, and I saw a soul akin to my own. I saw myself. I smiled kindly at him, and cut my thumb with a claw, running it over his open wounds. They began to close up. My smile grew as I watched those eyes morph into confusion.

I moved my hand back on his and waited until he was comfortable to move. He pushed off the wall and moved a little awkwardly. I laughed at him for it. He glared at me, resulting in more laughing. I put my arms in front of me, urging him to follow. He copied me when I pushed water behind me and flexed my tail, moving me forward. I turned back to him, watching as he slowly copied me. He caught up to me and I grabbed his wrist again. I had to admit, he was hard to leave alone. He was just so beautiful. I showed him how to constantly keep his tail moving without the use of his arms, to which he picked up on very well. 'He's smart too. Did I die, and go where our greatest warriors rest?' I thought. Once he got it down, I swam up to him and wrapped my arms around him. He froze, but returned it. It was here I finally got the chance to smell him. I couldn't recognize what he smelt of, but it was very charming, and relaxing. I rubbed my head against his in a hinting manner, a small pass to him. He, unsurprisingly, returned it. I could tell from the moment I saw him that he was a Submissive. And one I won't be letting out of my claws, even if it meant my life.

I broke the embrace and held his wrist, swimming him to my cave. The farther we went from the shallows, the closer he moved towards me. That made my ego swell that he was so easily trusting me. I moved his wrist to my other hand, using my right one to hold his opposite shoulder comfortingly. He wasn't convinced so I nuzzled the back of his head. He tensed, a sign he was uncomfortable. I inwardly sighed. He was going to bring me a lot of unwanted trouble. When we got back to my cave, I set him down in a corner. He looked around curiously, and I couldn't help the inwardly chuckle at his innocence. He felt all the rocks around him, the small plants, and even a few fish that made their way into the cave when he was about to touch a growing Crown of Thorns that I had yet to get rid of. I instantly grabbed his tail and flung him away from the poisonous plant. He looked at me confused when I pulled him back up. I grabbed a nearby stone and smashed the plant, using my tailfin to send them out the narrow entrance.

He didn't seem to get the message, as he was poking at a small piece of the smashed plant. I grabbed him by his small waist and pulled him back. He let out a surprised trill. I guided the piece out, along with any others that might be around. I looked back at him with a glare, his striking green eyes shrinking back with confusion. I swam up to him, pointing at where the plant used to be and shaking my head. I don't think he fully understood what I was trying to tell him, but he nodded anyways. 'You're very intriguing' I thought, just admiring him. He was sitting on the cave floor, gleaming tail waving absentmindedly, looking at me with confused, but curious eyes. I glided down in front of him, sitting as well. For some inexplicable reason, the empty gap in my chest was fluttering strangely, making my mid-section twist on the inside. I couldn't explain it. Using his hands, the male pulled himself closer to me. His hand went to touch my tail, but paused. He looked at me with those brilliant orbs, silently asking the question.

Normally it's the Dominants that do the investigating, but I knew he was just curious, so I let him. His hands ran lightly over my tail, feeling the dark scales. It felt nice, like getting a small massage. He didn't stop at my tail, though. He felt the fins on my arm and back, rubbing along them lightly, sending shivers up my spine. I don't think he realized what he was doing was giving me pleasure, but I didn't stop him. 'Oh my ocean, right there!' I thought, struggling not to move as his fingers trailed right at the base of my back fin, pleasure zipping through me. I bared my teeth, struggling to hold back pleasure filled noises. He stopped and I heaved a silent breath of relief. His hands were now inspecting my short, black hair. I kept it short so no one would mistake me for a Submissive. I didn't want to make him my Mate, as I just met him, but after that I just wanted to pin him to the cave floor and send him to a world of bliss.

He finished with my hair shortly, and when he came to face me, he could tell something in me changed. I let him inspect me. Now he's going to return the favor weather he likes it or not. I grabbed his lower arms and sat him down in front of me. He seemed worried, but stayed still. I ran my hand against his tail, feeling the emerald and brown scales. They were no different than any other Merfolk scales except the color. 'He's so pretty' I couldn't help but think. He's small, thin, beautiful, and submissive. I don't think there's anyone in this ocean who could be a better option for a Mate. I finished with his tail and moved both hands to his waist, feeling the smooth skin he had. He tensed, probably not used to the close contact, but he'll get used to it. Merfolk are very…straightforward, in a word. If anyone sees him open for mating, they won't ask for permission to touch him, they'll just do it. That thought made my blood boil with anger. He was my treasure, and the thought of others taking him made me mad. Possessive thoughts aside, I angled him so his back was to me, moving my hands to his back fins, hoping to tease him a little for innocently messing with me.

I copied what he did before, trailing a claw up the base of the fin. He jerked forward as a result, claws scraping the floor. My open arm came forward, trapping his arms against his chest, and pulling him back up. My claws still went up and down his fin, causing him to squirm in my hold, back arching at one point with his mouth wide open in a moan. I wouldn't lie and say I wasn't tempted to mate him then and there. He was panting a bit, so I licked his blush-filled cheek with a small laugh, and felt his hair. It was thin, thinner than mine, but soft, and fun to play with. It was short, but I had a feeling it would grow out, as all Submissive hair does. Strangely enough, he seemed more tense than before. Bringing a hand around to his face, I cupped his cheek and brought his face to mine. His dazzling eyes were wide with...fear? Mine were confused. 'Did I do something wrong?' I thought. I let out a concerned croon, tilting my head to act out my confusion.

His fear died down a bit, but he didn't seem reassured that I had no idea what I did wrong. He bit his lip and pointed to his back, shaking his head. 'You didn't like it?' I asked silently. I dragged my first claw down his spine and he shivered. He grabbed my hand and threw it away. He made it pretty clear he didn't like me doing that. I was confused until I told myself he different from other Merfolk. I grabbed his hand, and gave a nod, smiling. I knew what he meant.

I pulled him forward, licking his cheek long and slow, sending the message like most Dominants do that this wasn't the last of affection he'd be getting. Being the direct creature I am, I would keep trying until he finally let me mate him. I think he got the message because he looked at me with wide eyes as I swam away, going to retrieve us some food. I couldn't help the satisfied grin at the thought of him under me, clinging for life as I rammed into him. What? I might be a sensible creature, but I still have my needs. And I think just found the creature that'll meet them.

"Ooooo" I heard softly nearby. I must've cried myself to sleep. It was a sort of crooning coming from somewhere by me, but ignored it thinking it was my imagination. When it appeared again, louder this time, I slowly looked to see what was making the noise. It was another Mermaid! Or Merman, whichever one it was. He looked stunned to see me, mouth open and eyes wide, like I was the first of his kind he ever saw. I flew as far back as I could. Well, swam anyways. I didn't get very far as I hit the base of the cliffs, hundreds of feet above me. The Merman in front of me, looking around my age, swam up to me. 'Wh...what's he doing?' I thought, panicked. I looked around, but realized any attempt at leaving would be futile. I know absolutely nothing about this body, he would definitely catch me before I made it a few feet. All I could do was press myself closer to the rocks as he closed in. Our faces were inches apart when he stopped his advance.

I was too busy looking at him, eyes never leaving his to notice him reach his arm out, tugging on mine. I flinched at the contact, but he did nothing to harm me. I raised my arm, shivering as his claws dragged on my skin slowly, leading to him pressing our hands together. I couldn't explain why, but I calmed at the notion. I looked at him, but I wasn't ready to trust him. I had just met him. He scanned me, which made me uncomfortable. Even more so when he looked at my neck and grinned. His hand gripped my wrist and he drew it close to his face. When He opened his mouth, revealing pearly white teeth, all of them sharp, I tried to pull my hand back. He looked up at me, and I tried to twist my arm out of his strong grip. Sadly, I forgot he had a free hand, which found its way around my neck, slamming me back into the wall harshly. I whimpered involuntarily and screamed as he sunk his teeth into my wrist. He held me there, drinking my blood, causing a painful sting to travel up my arm. I thought all the worst of this. 'Is he going to eat me? Are they cannibalistic? I'm so going to die after this'.

All of my thoughts died down when he pulled away, a good stream of red following his face as he separated from me. He gave me a sad smile which made my chest feel ten times heavier. He looked sad and lonely, like I always have. I looked into his acidic eyes, and I saw myself. He strangely cut open his thumb and ran it over the bite. What was even stranger was when it healed! 'What in Odin's name…' I glanced at him confused. His smile grew wider at my, probably dumb look. His hand went back to rest on mine, and I thought about how strange my life was right now. 'I'm a Merman, floating next to another Merman who likes to drink blood and hold hands…Great Odin above, what did I get myself into?' Testing, I pushed off the wall, and struggled to stay in the same place without sinking. The guy in front of me laughed, and I glared at him. 'How do you think this is funny? I'm half a fish! I wasn't one yesterday!' I thought, a little mad. I realized that he probably didn't know I was born a human.

What happens when he finds out? I buried the thought for later as the black-tailed Merman swam next to me, positioning his hands in front of himself. He looked at me expectantly, and I copied his position. He thrust himself forward, flapping his tail once which boosted him forward. I copied, a little wobbly, but managed to get it down. He then showed me how to stay in motion by flapping my tail and keeping my arms in. I internally screamed at how easy this was. 'Hiccup, you are such an idiot! You could've guessed how to swim and been fine!' It was kind of strange how this guy knew I needed help. 'Must've been how much of an amateur I looked' was my only answer. He smiled widely at me, then threw his arms around me. I froze at the sudden gesture, as it has been quite a few years since I've had a proper hug. I returned it anyways, still confused at why I was rewarded with it. 'All I did was copy him. That's nothing to be excited about' I told myself. He pushed his face into my hair, and then nuzzled the side of my face. I only returned it as a silent thank you.

When he pulled away from me, he grabbed me by my wrist, again, and started to drag me away from the island. Curiously, I followed him, seeing as I had nowhere else to go. One thing I noticed was that the farther away we went, the darker it became. My eyes adjusted quickly, but seeing the large fish, and other things I didn't recognize, I drew closer to him. He was unconcerned but I was new to all of this. They could be poisonous, or aggressive for all I know. We swam for, maybe a half an hour, when the dark was beginning to creep me out. I moved closer to the Merman than I was before, and he switched the hand he was holding mine with, using his now free right hand to hold my shoulder, rubbing it. I still looked around at all of the dark, moving shapes, fearing one of them would be the end of me. I momentarily froze as the male behind me nuzzled my head. It made me uncomfortable how often he touched me. He must have known, because he stopped.

We made it to a strange cave. It's entrance was hidden behind some floating plants, and when we went in, it looked even bigger. It even had a dry area with a long, narrow tunnel leading to the surface. It was day from what I could tell. I was broken from my thoughts as I was moved to a bottom corner of the cave. The stone felt strange with my knew sense of touch. I swam around the cave, feeling everything I could see, until I was about to touch a small group of magenta thorns. I was thrown back by my tail and almost let out a scream of alarm. I was floating at the bottom when I was gently pulled back up. The green-eyed male then grabbed a nearby rock and crushed the spikes, discarding all of the broken pieces. A forgotten thorn glided at me, where I poked at it, not seeing the reason why it needed to be destroyed. When arms wrapped around my midsection, I let out a sort of trilling noise, being pulled away from the broken thorn. The Merman whooshed it out of the cave, away from me, and sent me an angry look. I leaned away, as those acidic eyes looked very menacing when angry. 'What, was the plant poisonous? I didn't look very harmful' I wanted to ask. My voice didn't work underwater, though.

He pointed to where the plant used to be and shook his head. 'What, stay away from where it used to be, or the whole thing?'. I knew in general he was trying to say 'Stay away from those', but he could mean to stay away from the roots too. I just nodded, still wondering. His eyes softened up as I sank to the floor, still confused if there was a double meaning behind his message. 'Cool it Hiccup, you're overthinking it. It was a simple message meant to have a simple answer'. I kept my eyes on him as he swam down to my level, eyeing me with a sort of admiration. I looked at his tail, kind of fascinated, and drew myself closer to inspect it. I froze before I made contact, looking to see if he would attack me or not. He gave a slow nod and I ran my hands over the thin scales. They were larger, and thicker than a normal fishes, but not as thick as a dragons. They were warm and smooth, and they looked very nice. I drew my gaze up from his tail to him, and the next thing that caught my attention were his fins. The ones on his arms. These felt like fish fins.

I moved to his back, and felt the thicker fin, feeling the base and how it grew thinner from top to bottom. It was very fascinating. I felt his hair after that. It had the same texture as mine, but was thicker, and black like his tail was. I felt very strange looking at him. He wasn't a fishbone, but wasn't very big either. I swam back in front of him, and I stopped dead in my tracks. He looked different than before. That grin and those eyes were a bit piercing, which scared me considering he was still a stranger to me. He grabbed my arms roughly and pulled me down in front of him. He ran his own hands on my tail, not inspecting them physically like I had. I felt them too and they felt the same as his scales. They were different in color, which I suppose he found interesting as he smiled at looking at them. His hands then moved to a more...um...sensitive area. He ran his hands along my waist and on my stomach, sudden pleasure causing me to tense. It felt good. Really good, but it made me uncomfortable. Not as much as what he did next.

He turned me around and dragged his claw up the base of my back fin. I gasped and jerked forward, the pleasure more striking and intense than anything I've ever felt before. An arm pulled me back up as he dragged his claws down my back. It felt sooo good, amazing even, I couldn't even describe it. But it also felt so…wrong. Those claws dragged back up and I jerked, back arching with an involuntary moan. I gasped in water as he went down again. I silently pleaded for him to stop his assault. The feeling was amazing, and the dirtiest part of my mind begged for more, but I was far from ready for anything this…intimate? He stopped at last, and I heaved in water through my gills in relief. The male behind me laughed a little, and gave me a lick on my cheek. I felt his hands roaming through my hair, but my mind was far from that. 'He…he just...but I'm a guy…and..' A webbed hand cupped my face, turning it to meet his. The smug look I caught a glimpse of faded as soon as he looked at me. He let out a worry-sounded croon, and my mind took another breath of relief. 'He must not have realized I didn't like what he was doing' I thought. Didn't make me feel much better, though.

'How do I tell him?'. I bit my lip in thought. I pointed to my back, and shook my head. He tilted his head in confusion, then looked back at my back fin. He trailed a claw down my back and the familiar zip of pleasure ran up my spine. It wasn't welcome, though. I threw his hand away from my back as soon as I could. He caught my hand before I could move away from him, and he gave an understanding look. I let myself calm down as he seemed to get what I was trying to say. I held my breath, however, as he pulled himself up to my face, giving my cheek a long and slow lick. His message was clear as day. 'I'll stop, but you'll be seeing more pleasure from me in other ways' I gave him a wide eyed look as I watched his smug face swim out the cave. 'Odin help me' was all I could make.

Author's Note: So, how did you like my newest story? It's different, but I was excited when the idea arose after watching a bit of the T.V. series "Siren". I hope all you Llamas loved it, and comment if you want to read more!

-LlamaQueen666