When in Rome

movement

A/N hi...

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I have nothing to say for myself.

Atticus was expecting Hiccup to be in the training ring the night after the celebrations and his appointment as a legionnaire. After Hiccup had joined the army he'd been an avid student, more so than any other. Atticus had trained him himself in sword fighting and archery and often saw Hiccup sneak out to the training grounds for practice during the night. This night was no exception, although now Atticus didn't really train hiccup, more so train with hiccup as his ex-Viking friend had managed to pretty much catch up to him skill wise. Although, neither of them were better archers than Verlin, the drunk he-devil, or swordsmen than Aeliana.

The difference though, was that tonight Hiccup was not training with the usual roman gladius every soldier was given but a strange dark sword that glittered like stars hid in it.

He ran through the warm up movements with ease, hitting every pose accurately. The blade shimmered, the handle bright white and the hilt bronze.

"fancy blade, did you get it from that merchant fellow?"

"no," he shifted his feet and brought the pommel closer to his torso, "express mail from Pluto."

"oh fun," he unsheathed his own gladius, "why is it all sparkly?"

"it's stygian iron." He twisted slightly, bringing the blade higher.

Atticus whistled, moving near hiccup and joining him on the warm up exercise, "monster killer, huh? Specialised only for the underworld powered. Is there a reason?"

"apparently whatever secrets were being kept about my position as champion have been spilled and Pluto reckons I may be faced with a few challenges in the form of monsters."

"lovely," Atticus rolled his shoulders back, "you better start using those powers of yours then."

Hiccup made a face, "you know I don't like to."

"I haven't the faintest idea why."

"because it's... I don't know. summoning bones and animated skeletons, feeling the presence of death, even working with the shadows... it's weird. It feels weird."

"but it's got a great advantage in battle. It'd even the playing field against monsters who have magical abilities."

Hiccup rolled his eyes, changing position, "I'll think about it."

"I don't know why you don't like it. it looks so cool."

Hiccup sighed, straightening up, "whatever, let's see if this sword works just as well as a normal gladius."

The stygian iron gladius did work just as well as a normal blade, better even if Hiccup was honest.

It was strange, the two ways he thought of weapons. He had always had an appreciation for how swords and maces and other weapons were made and crafted thanks to his strong roots in smithing and inventing. He knew how to spot a well-crafted piece by the balance of the blade, the shape of the metal, the size of the hilt. He could spot a botched job by rapping his knuckle on the metal and listening to the ring it made. He knew how things worked theoretically and therefore why they were preferable.