The Dragon Master Part III: End of an era (A Httyd Fanfiction)

Chapter 26: On the run

(Normal pov)

She was in a void. Her world was a swirling, unending realm of blackness. Astrid was alone, not the sound of her own breathing comforted her, let alone the loving embrace of another person. She could feel nothing, smell nothing and see nothing; but she could hear everything.

It was mostly crying, at first: the endless, heart-wrenching sound of sobs, wailing and choking back tears. Words made no sense at all, they were there, around her indeed, but their meaning and origin seemed to pass straight through her.

"What do you mean she's in a coma? How the fuck did that head-butt hurt her so much?!!"

"Hiccup, y-you need to calm down, please."

"Calm down? CALM DOWN?! Don't tell me to calm down Artemis..."

Astrid felt no pain, felt no emotion and spoke no words. All she had was the void. Its emptiness seemed to engulf her; support her while pin her down all at once. Time was an irrelevant factor in her rest, unknowing of how long she'd laid dormant.

"C'mon Milady. I... I can't go through all this without you. I lost Dad, Mala and our children to these animals. I... I can't lose you too." A voice spoke out, cracking with emotion, fear and pain.

The voice, it... it was familiar to her, after so long. The speaker was a man, no doubt. He knew he was close to her— both physically and emotionally— and yet she couldn't figure out who it was. The voice held more than words to Astrid. She could sense memories with it; a past she had shared with that person, and a desired future. Through the pain and angst in his tone, she could hear love and care. This man— whoever he was— loved her with all his heart.

"A- Astrid?"

'There it is again' she thought absentmindedly. She could hear his suffering; his anger and hurt. Was he angry with her?

"Look, I've heard that people who are out like you are can hear things, and I pray to Thor you can... I... fucking Hel- I... I just wanted to talk to you Milady."

Had something happened to this person? While Astrid couldn't recognise the speaker, she knew the voice wasn't what it usually was. This person she knew as calm, gentle, strong, compassionate and above all sweet. Something terrible must have happened to him, because his voice was croaky, lifeless and harsh. He sounded miserable; he sounded broken.

"I just wanted you to know that I miss you... I worry about you every second." The person continued softly. "I-I just want things to go back to the way things were. Before all the horrible death, before the fire and before this bloody war."

What was he talking about? What had happened?

The voice laughed weakly. "Hehe, you still look beautiful as always, with your long blond hair and kissable lips, even when you're like this. I wish you could just wake up, we all need you right now."

He continued. "Stormfly misses you, y'know? Other than me, that Nadder probably spends the most time by your side. She gets agitated, when I go out for a fly with Mom and Eret, she doesn't come alone; she wants her rider with her."

Astrid didn't know what was happening, so many names with so little recognition. Who was Stormfly? Valka? And Eret?

But there was something about that name. It rang with familiarity.

"And as for me..." He began slowly. "...I... I..."

Astrid could hear him begin to cry.

"I-I just don't know what to do Astrid. I've become... predictable! I can't stop thinking about that night; the way Grimmel waited for us to assassinate him. He knew we were coming! As if he were dealing with a child!! I fail everything I try at; I can't keep my people and the dragons safe from the Cabal; I can't look of the survivors in the eye, knowing that their suffering is because of my decision to go after Grimmel and leaving Berk without its chief...