The Gray Area (1/2) - A Viggo Love Story (HTTYD/RTTE)

35. A Reason to Fight

Sessa acted quickly, jumping between the two souls she knew as Dagur and Viggo. Dagur quickly haulted his sword. "And you're protecting him?" He growled in frustration.

"Dagur, don't!" Hiccup shouted.

The Berserker Chief turned to meet Hiccup with a baffled face. "What do you mean, 'don't'?" He demanded, "this man has caused unthinkable disaster."

Heather approached her brother and carefully placed a hand on his shoulder. "Dagur, this isn't the time," she spoke sternly, "we can explain everything later, but right now we need to protect our home."

Dagur gave Viggo another look of hatred, one that Viggo returned with a look of sorrow. Then, to everyone's surprise, he knelt on the ground. Arms resting on a knee, Viggo stared at the grass around Dagur's boots and spoke, "I know I will need to redeem myself tenfold to you. Let me assist you, in defeating the tribe I once stood for."

Dagur looked down at Viggo in shock. But the notion of respect meant nothing to the Berserker, not after what Viggo had done. "No," he replied firmly.

"Too bad," Sessa spoke immediately after Dagur. "If you want my help, you get his as well," she explained bluntly. She looked into his soul with squinting black eyes, eyes that made even Dagur the Deranged uncomfortable. "And it would seem that," she continued, reading into the old flaws of his soul, "you, of all people, have no right to judge him."

Everyone was shocked; no one ever dared speak to Dagur so carelessly. Sessa saw Viggo's soul still close to the ground, still kneeling. "Get up," she told him in a firm yet soft voice, "we don't bow to those who've no respect for us."

As Viggo hesitantly stood, Dagur took a step back. "I should have you both thrown in prison," he threatened, but made no move to act on this.

Viggo took Sessa's hand, lacing his fingers with hers gently. Warmth travelled through her body, calming her. "You can arrest me when this is all over, if you still deem it necessary," he told Dagur, truth in his voice, "but you will not touch a single hair on Sessa."

"Guys, enough," Heather barked, snapping Viggo and Dagur out of their quarrel.

The Chief took one last look at Viggo, then turned to walk away. "How are we going to do this without the dragons?" He asked Hiccup.

Hiccup looked around him. Nine young soldiers all ready to fight for him, for the island, for the dragons. Ten dragon riders, fuelled by their hatred of the dragon hunters. And every one of them had a different reason to fight. For Hiccup, it was personal, and it always had been. For Astrid, it was the time Stormfly was taken from her and almost sold, or worse. For Snotlout, the need defeat a villian, to prove himself a hero. For Fishlegs, it was the dramillians, and redeeming his family name. For the twins, it was the love of their dragon that was once almost used to make zippleback boots.

For Heather, it was how the dragon hunters used her to do their bidding in the past. For Dagur, revenge and redemptions, to prove he was done being the bad guy. For Sessa, the fate and destiny to protect and save innocent souls.

And Viggo. He would fight to make a better name for himself. To create an new image so that when he'd see his reflection, his guilt and shame would instead be cloaked in with meaningful pride. Viggo would fight to kill those who once worked under his cruel command, and those who were crueler than he ever was. He would fight to kill the man he once was, and watch the Grimborn name crumble into nothing with bliss.

Hiccup gave his friends a firm nod. "Alright, here's the plan..."

• • •

After the initial attack by the singetails, ships made dock and hunter began to storm the island. Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the twins were in the air, fighting from atop their dragons. Heather and Dagur were on the ground, fighting back hunters as two against ten. Hiccup went to find the King of Dragons alone, ordering Sessa and Viggo to help the riders in the sky.

But Sessa had a different plan. She didn't quite like being told what to do by someone she barely even knew. So she persuaded Viggo to go under the island with her. "Trust me, he'll need back up if things go wrong," she told Viggo as he helped lead her down.

"This is very dangerous," Viggo reminded her.

Once they entered a tunnel leading deep under the island, Sessa was able to see again. "Less dangerous than fighting blind," she countered. She groaned as she and Viggo began to run down the tunnel. "I can't wait to go back to night hunting."

"Easy for you to say, Ms. Owl-eyes," Viggo teased her with a smirk.

Sessa scowled. "It's Sessa," she reminded him, "just Sessa, always Sessa, only Sessa."

Viggo chuckled as they continued to run. But before long, they slowed. Sessa's senses went off in alert. "..Someone's coming."