The Hero's Return

Chapter 18 - A Yaknog to Remember

The days came and went with nothing really happen. The vikings breathed in the calm and cool air of the approaching winter, a cold and harsh winter that scared even the most experienced traveler. On days like these, the vikings and dragons just gathered in the massive hall where they chatted and talked without any care and laughter echoed the snowy Berk. 

Not only the older generation vikings but even the adventurous teens did not want to travel outside. They would curl up and cuddle next to the warm fire, while their dragons rested by their feet in comfort. Just like always, Snoutlout was ranting about the winter and how it came so early. Tuffnut and Ruffnut, on the other hand, just sat there quietly not daring to move as their fear that they would get into more trouble. While Fishlegs read up on the book that detailed the various dragon that Hiccup had seen and studied during his travel, Heather rested her head on his soft belly, letting Fishlegs's mumble to invade her ears. As for Astrid and Hiccup, they had been doing the same thing, holding one another in each other hand, eyes closed, their breaths slowed and the world seemed to just disappear around them.

"Oh yeah, you do want some yaknog, Hiccup?" Astrid suddenly asked, her eyes shimmered brightly. However, the other had a horrifying expression on their face. Snoutlout stiffened. Tuffnut and Ruffut hid under their cover in fright. Even Fishlegs and Heather avoided making any kind of eyes contact with Astrid.

"Yaknog?" Hiccup's voice filled with curiosity and wariness.

"Yeah, yaknog. It is a drink that I would always make on Snoggletog and since the holiday is just around the corner, so I want to test out a new recipe."

"You make it?"

"Yeah, so do you want some?" Astrid continued innocently. But what she had not realized was that behind her, everyone was shaking their head or signal to Hiccup in the hope of saving him.

Unfortunately for Hiccup, he did not see this and just nodded his head before he watched Astrid bolt upright and dashed toward her home in bliss. 

"Oh... Hiccup... Sweet and gullible, Hiccup." Snoutlout immediately said in a sad and sorrowful tone as he shook his head helplessly.

"Why did you have to do it? Why did you have to go this is?" Tuffnut quickly added.

"A death because he was blinded by love..."

"Um... Heather, Fishlegs? What is the three of them going on about?" Hiccup asked nervously but the hopeless expression on Fishlegs's face and the unbearable silence only scare him even more. "Can anyone tell me what is going here?"

Before anyone could say anything, a powerful voice can be heard behind them. "What is up with you why is everyone so scared?"

"Oh, it is nothing Chief, just Astrid making a special yaknog for Hiccup." Snoutlout's answered cause the massive of a man to look on in horror, his eyes filled with unwillingness before he looked down onto his son in sadness.

"I am sorry that you have to live through it, son."

"Can anyone tell me what is going on and why is everyone freaking out over Astrid's yaknog?" Hiccup asked loudly, his voice filled with fear and annoyance.

"It is something that yer have to try to understand, it..." Gobber said in the same horrifying tone while the other vikings trembled in terror.

Out of nowhere, Astrid walked back into the hall with a cup of what Hiccup thought was yaknog. Her face was filled with pride, her strides were long and the confidence that she portrayed made Hiccup questioned the reaction that the vikings were showing upon seeing the content of the cup.  

"Good luck, son." Stoick said quietly as he, Gobber, Snoutlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Fishlegs, Heather and the newly arrive Valka watched the nervous Hiccup approached the confident Astrid.

Despite not tasting it for herself, Valka had heard rumors and whispers surrounding the 'demonic yaknog' that that had terrorized Berk for years. 

"Um... Astrid, why is everyone staring at the c-cup like that?" Hiccup asked shakingly.

"Nevermind them, their stomachs are just too weak." Astrid answered before passing the cup over to Hiccup and the brightest smile that Hiccup had ever seen as she looked on hopefully.

But for Hiccup, his heart almost dropped the moment that he glimpsed into the content of the cup. The liquid inside of something not of this world, it was a gelatinous substance that Hiccup could not quite believe, the thick and slimy drink with it white and yellowish color was enough to make Hiccup regret his decision.

However, the wanting and questioning look on Astrid's face had forced his hand as he brought the drink to his mouth. Needless to say, the moment that the yaknog came into contact with his tastebud, it was something haunting. Hiccup's body immediately wanted to reject it but the emotion that he had for Astrid pushed him forward as he drank the whole thing without showing any sign of discomfort.

"Oh my Thor!" Snoutlout immediately yelled upon seeing the sight.

"How is he doing that?" Stoick asked in disbelieve as he himself had tasted Astrid nightmarish concoction.

"He even tougher than yer, Stoick."

"So, how does it taste?"

Upon hearing the question from Astrid, Hiccup felt the ground moving on their own, his vision turned dark before his feet buckled, sending Hiccup to the ground. "De-li-ci-ous." Hiccup replied quietly before his consciousness disappeared replaced with darkness and the horrifying taste that was still in his mouth.

By the time that he had opened his eyes, he found himself laying on his bed, his stomach was raging in pain, his head dizzy and his mouth still numbed the taste of yaknog. 

"How are you feeling, Hiccup?"

He instantly heard a sad and quiet voice next to him, it was none other than Astrid. Her worrying expression and the warm touch on that urged him to feel better.

"A bit tired... What happen and how did I end up here?"

"Well, after you drank the yaknog, you just fell to the ground unconscious. I was so worried that I might have killed you by forcing you to drink yaknog..."

"You couldn't kill me that easily, milady. You need to do much worse than that yaknog to kill me. Besides, I wanted to taste your yaknog again and next time."

"Ne-Next time?" Astrid asked instantly. "You don't want to stay away from it as everyone else does?"

"Admittedly, your yaknog unique and most people would run away from it. But I trust you, some days you will make a yaknog so delicious that every Berkians would be running toward you for second. Besides, I tasted love and that is all I really care for."

Hiccup answered quietly before pulling Astrid into a deep and loving kiss, a kiss that showered him with love and emotion. A kiss that left the both of them wanted more. So immersive that they failed to see that gentle snow, falling outside, slowly and surely covering up the whole of Berk in a thick or of cold. 

However, deep inside Hiccup's mind, there was only terror. Terror for the Yaknog.