Salutations Internet

This fanfiction has undergone a complete overhaul, so if you read it before 5/23/15, you should read this chapter-it's different. I needed to fix up the story line, and so I decided to start it earlier. But now, here we are, writers block is gone, and I am ready to give you a functional story.

But, if you are new in discovering this story, then I wish you the best and all enjoyment-I write partially for you guys too. Thanks!

-WaffleMakerStudios

Chasing Eternity

Chapter One

The Terror In His Eyes

"Oh the gods hate me." Hiccup grumbled. "Some people lose their knife in the mud, oh not me! I manage to lose an entire dragon?" He shoved away a tree branch blocking his path, only to have it recoil directly back into his face. He cried out, his hand jumping to his stinging cheek.

Valhalla forbid anything go right.

Then, he squinted. The tree he had swiped at looked odd-bent, broken. Looking around, all of the rest of the trees were as well, as though something had crashed into them. And there, on the ground in front of him, was a huge furrow. Something big had definitely come through here.

Hiccup's heart began beating faster. Had he done it? Skidding down the side of the hill, he crept along, barely making a sound. Then, with a surge of bravery, he peeked his head over the crest of the hill.

And gasped, dropping back to the ground. It couldn't be...

Slowly standing up again, he felt a grin of relief spread across his face. Sprawled on the ground caught in a bola was the Night Fury itself.

"Oh, yes!" Hiccup breathed, picking his way down the hill towards the dragon. "Oh this fixes everything!" He placed his foot atop the dragon's heaving body. "I have brought down this mighty beas-Woah!" He stumbled back as the dragon surged, trying to get away.

Hiccup surveyed the Night Fury cautiously, pulling his knife from the waistband of his tunic. Rolling his shoulders to steel his nerves, he murmured "I'm gonna' kill you dragon. I'm gonna'...gonna' cut out your heart and take it to my father." He wasn't sure if that was what he ought to do, but it sounded good. "I am a viking." He frowned. That didn't sound confident enough, so he tried again. "I am a viking!"

There, much better.

He shifted the knife in his hands, trying to get a better grip. His heart was pounding. He closed his eyes, raising the knife for the killing blow. And tried to bring it down. But he couldn't. And again. And couldn't. He opened his eyes, locking gazes with the dragon.

Sympathy, pity, understanding washed through him as the Night Fury stared at him. Hiccup wasn't a dragon expert by any means, but he thought he understood the expression on the dragon's face. Fear.

Then it groaned, and fell back to the ground, waiting for death.

He braced himself again. I can do this, I can kill it! But it felt so wrong. He couldn't kill this creature, not when it had feelings like him, like everyone else.

And when he reopened his eyes, he saw the dragon in a new light. Instead of feeling triumph at shooting it out of the sky, he just felt sick. "What have I done?" He murmured.

Taking a deep breath, he knelt and began cutting the ropes, cursing himself for being so weak. When the first one snapped, the dragon's eyes opened suddenly, but he kept working, loosening its legs and wings. He reached for another rope, but at that moment, the dragon pulled itself free, jumping atop him and slamming him into a boulder.

It panted and growled, large green and yellow eyes staring him down, pupils contracted to slits. Hiccup gasped, trying to get away, but there was no where to go. He was trapped.

The Night Fury reared back its head, and a glow started in the back of his throat. Hiccup flinched, pulling away and waiting for death. Funny how just a few seconds had completely reversed the situation, and he was at the dragon's total mercy.

Then it roared, a sound that blasted through his ears, sending them ringing. But instead of killing him, the dragon pulled away, and flew off, crashing into more than one tree on the way. Putting a hand to his chest where his heart was beating so hard it hurt with every palpitation, Hiccup pushed himself to his feet.

He made it all of two steps before the shock hit him, causing his legs to give out beneath him as he passed out.

~o~O~o~

When Hiccup finally awoke, the sun was beginning to set. How long had he been out? Was anyone looking for him?

Had his encounter with the Night Fury actually happened?

No, that was real alright. The broken bola lay on the ground where the dragon had lay, and the broken trees around him testified to the truth. A shudder went through him as he remembered how close he had been to death.

Sighing, he picked up his knife, tucking it safely back into his belt before setting off towards the village. By the time he reached his front door, the sun had slipped behind the horizon, and the moon had risen, though it was obscured by clouds.

Hiccup opened the door quietly. Maybe his father was already asleep, and he could get to his room unnoticed. Unfortunately, his father was sitting in the main room, tending the coals of the fire. As stealthily as he could, Hiccup began ascending the stairs. He had almost made it too when his father stood. "Hiccup."

"Oh, Dad! I uh, have to talk to you."

"I have to speak with you too, son."

Hiccup swallowed hard. How on earth could he tell his father that he had failed? Puffing out his cheeks, he began "I really don't want to fight dragons." However, at that exact moment his father said something, so neither of them had understood the other.

"You first." His father offered.

"N-No, you first." Hiccup folded his arms over his chest.

"Fine. You get your wish." Stoick gestured vaguely with his hand. "Dragon training. You begin in the morning."

Hiccup's eyes went wide. "Oh man, I should have gone first. Because you see, I was thinking, we have a surplus of dragon fighting vikings. But do we have enough..." He racked his brain, trying to think of something, anything. "...Bread making vikings?" Damn it, that was a woman's job! This conversation had gotten off to a great start. "Or small home repair vikings-"

"You'll need this." His father hefted a battle axe into Hiccup's hands, as though he hadn't heard his son's rambling.

Hiccup bit his lip. His father was a blunt person, so perhaps a direct approach was the best course of action. "Dad, I don't want to fight dragons."

He expected his father to be shocked, and to receive beratement. Instead, his father laughed. "Yes you do."

"Rephrase: Dad, I can't kill dragons."

"But you will kill dragons."

Hiccup exhaled, exasperated. Was this his father's idea of a motivational speech? "I'm really quite sure that I won't!"

Stoick shook his head. "Hiccup, when you carry this axe, you carry all of us with you. Which means you walk like us-" Here he pulled Hiccup up so that he was standing up straight, "You talk like us-" He lifted the axe up, "You think like us. Now, do we have a deal?"

Hiccup's mouth fell open. "You know, this conversation feels very one-sided." As usual.

"Deal?" Stoick's voice rose warningly.

His shoulders sagging with defeat, Hiccup muttered "Deal."

"Good." His father hefted the pack on his back. "Train hard...I'll be back. Probably." He nodded with finality, and pushed open the door.

"And I'll be here." Hiccup said miserably. "Maybe."

Leaning the axe against the staircase, he ambled upstairs to his room. In the dark, he went to the bowl of water on his desk, washing his face and hands before collapsing into bed, though he didn't sleep. He merely stared at the ceiling, thinking.

Hiccup couldn't shake the memory of gazing down at that dragon. Something in its expression had caused him to doubt himself. The fear of dying. The terror in his eyes.

But the dragon was gone now. He shouldn't worry about it.

Hiccup rolled over, adjusting his pillow to try and get to sleep.

It took a long time.

Historical Note: I'm not super picky about history, although if something is completely outlandish it bothers me. But the thing with Hiccup washing his face and hands-the old Vikings were actually pretty hygenic! Anyway, 'til next. Ta!