"I Do.... NOT!!"

Chapter 15: The Chief's Son

    
                              ....Astrid's POV....

        I continued staring as Hiccup walked toward me. He and Boreal helped me stand, but I just flopped back to the ground. I growled in frustration. I was so weak! Not to mention plenty shocked to find out the long lost chief's son had saved my life and was actually a dragon... could things get any more insane? "Can I carry you?" Hiccup asked me. I nodded in defeat. No way I was getting home any other way. "Stay here, stay hidden. I'll send one blast when I get Astrid home and 2 when I need you guys to come to Berk." Hiccup reminded his pod.

      Hiccup picked me up and we started home, Boreal right behind with his empty basket of fish. "Looks like you've made more friends," he said to Boreal. "Yup. Turns out dragons are very cool. I have a gronckle friend to!" Boreal replied. The two kept talking and I quickly fell asleep to the bouncing rhythm of Hiccup's walk. He was a lot taller and stronger now. I remembered him as a skinny guy interested in geeky contraptions... this was new.

     ---- Hiccups POV------

We trekked through the forest for another half hour. I took a break for Boreal and had him watch Astrid as I went searching for food she could eat. Hours later we were enjoying some fish and forest greens, Astrid was falling asleep on my shoulder. She ate a small piece of fish and a handful of greens and nuts, a welcome improvement. I hoped the village would accept us. They would at least listen to me when she told them what happened. I worried that she would get to cold if I was gone for long... so maybe I could leave with instructions on how to take care of herself. She was so thin and still very pale... I hoped she wouldn't get any worse. I had no idea what went on back at the sea stack, but it definitely did a number on her.

      We started walking again and soon reached the outskirts of Berk as the sun began to set. I sent Boreal ahead of me to get normal clothes- something to cover the scales I kept in my human form. They worked great as clothing because they were fireproof. Unfortunately I might scare a few villagers if they saw my scale covering. Boreal soon returned with some clothes and we talked one more time about the plan. Astrid mumbled in agreement and we headed for the great hall. I heard gasps and cries of shock as we passed through the town square. Many Vikings just looked at me curiously, but a few vikings fled from our path screaming about ghosts. "What is this madness!!" A booming voice ripped through the crowd. I gulped and began shaking.

      
      Facing my father after all these years made me sick to my stomach. I wanted to see him. But I knew he would probably kill me when he found out what I was. The crowd parted as Stoick the Vast approached us. "Uh, hi. Hi sir, hi..?" I stammered, to scared to say anymore. "He saved my sister! Now she can go see gothi and keep getting better." Boreal said, standing next to the chief. Stoick looked carefully at us and told gobber to get Astrid's parents.

      "They'll take care of her from here. Come with me lad. We need to talk" stoick said. I nodded and handed my friend off to her parents, crying and gasping in joy and surprise at seeing their daughter alive. Boreal went with them and I followed Stoick, fearing the worst. "Where did you find her? Who are you? Is your ship docked at our banks?"  Stoick asked me. I stared in shock, confused that Stoick had no idea who I was. I mean I had grown since he last saw me, but was I that unrecognizable? I nervously rubbed my chin, thinking of what to say. I realized it wasn't smooth anymore... then again I didn't remember the last time I had looked in a mirror. I didn't think Stoick was ready for the truth. So I made something up. If he believed me I would lie low. If not, the truth couldn't screw things up any worse. If he killed me, so be it. 

     "So. I don't have a ship.... I don't come from anywhere... as a young boy our village was attacked by dragon hunters. They killed my family and stole me, but my dragon rescued me, and we have wandered alone for years, I-I know it sounds crazy, but trust me its true! My village I came from were friends with dragons. They helped us with everything and made life so much better." I said, waiting for Stoick to slap me for being insane.

       "You mean to tell me that you came to Berk on a dragon. You mean to tell me you somehow found the future chieftess of Berk and brought her back home." Stoick said in disbelief. "I don't know that I believe the dragon part of your story... I'm ordering a search party to find your ship" stoick said. "You're not gonna find anything! I swear I'm telling the truth! I don't understand why you kill dragons here. They are amazing creatures- they raid places because they have to." I shot back. "Hm you seem to have lost your mind boy. What is your name?" Stoick said. I sighed and decided hiding the truth was useless. Either he'd accept it or I would die at the hands of my village.

"Before I tell you, you have to promise me you will listen until I'm done talking." I replied. "Fine. Speak." Stoick said. I walked over to one of the displays in the great hall, it was the skull of a deathgripper, complete with venomous tusks.

       "These creatures. They are deathgrippers. They live in packs like dragons, they hunt dragons. Like Night Furies, they have a human form and a grim reaper form. They can blend in and fool most people into thinking they are nothing more than another viking. Sometimes they ally with what is called a king or a queen dragon. These dragons are huge. They are twice the size of Berk. Some of them are good, peace seeking rulers. They care for all the dragons in their den as family. Others use their power and size to control and oppress dragons.

     "Sometimes they are powerful enough to do it on their own, other times they make bargains with deathgrippers. They give deathgrippers dragons in their den as slaves. I know you've been trying to find the dragon nest for so long. It is controlled by an evil queen. She has singlehandedly driven the entire nest of dragons near extinction. They can't live there or raise their babies there any longer. But the worst part is this- she has ordered the nest to attack Berk and take it over so she can make it her new nest. You're fighting the wrong enemy Stoick.

     "These deathgrippers and the titan queen that lives near Berk are the enemy. No dragon would ever attack if not for the queens orders. It's like nothing you've ever seen. That queen takes control of their minds and bodies. She forces them to raid places like Berk. It was deathgrippers and the titan queen that destroyed my home and took my family from me, not dragons!" I told him

    Stoick stared intently at me and thought for a moment. "And how can I tell this is true?" Stoick said. "Long ago, in history books burned by those who feared the truth, a legend was told. The legend was from a time that dragons and humans understood and befriended each other. They protected each other from deathgrippers and human dragon hunters, who tried to use dragons as tools to control the human race.

    "The reason they could understand one another depended mostly on a particular kind of dragon. It could take on human or dragon form and act as translator and ambassador between the races. I've researched much and been to a  place that still had a few intact records over the years- all of it has helped me piece together this legend. I don't know if it is all true. But I do have some good sources. I know vikings that currently live in harmony with dragons. And... I am living proof of the dragons that have two forms. I have reason to believe that my mother, your wife- had dragon blood in her. Why else would I be able to do this?"  I said, and transformed in front of Stoick.

      I backed futher away as I finished, afraid of what Stoick would do. I hoped eventually to have  full proof of my hypothesis. Right now as I had told him, it was mostly a guess. Why I changed when I did I would never know. Why my mother hadn't come back to us if this was her ability, I wasn't sure. But if we ever did find her, maybe she could help me learn who I really was... maybe she could tell me if the legends were true.

     Stoick gaped at me, lost for words. He held his axe tightly and gulped clearly terrified. I wasn't sure if what I had said registered. It was alot to realize his dead son wasn't actually dead. His son was both dragon and human. I changed back to human form quickly and said, "Don't freak out! Don't lock me up! I'm not a threat- I'm here to help. Last time you saw me you tried to kill me- I couldn't stay after that. I was so scared. I didn't know what to do. It's taken me years to get the courage to face you again." Stoick stood, axe in hand and began walking towards me.