The Gift Of Power | Wattys 2020 (Dance of Power Trilogy: Book 1)

Blood And Blade

*Notice! This chapter will be undergoing some pretty heavy editing in the very near future. I've decided that I kind of hate time skips, so I'm going to be reworking more flow into it to remedy that. There won't be any huge changes to the plot obviously. Just a little more information to fill in the gaps. Check back to read the new version :)*

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Night was falling outside as Hiccup gathered the last of his supplies and prepared himself mentally. He had already performed the ritual purification bath. He was as practiced as he could be with the necessary incantations. The offerings were all packed up. This was as ready as he would ever be. It was time to see if the plan he had devised was possible. Now he just had to wait for Toothless to get back.

It had now been almost two years since Hiccup had said farewell to the woman of his dreams before leaving her and his entire world behind. So very much had changed in his life since then. He had met gods and monsters of myth, and explored the realms more thoroughly than almost any before him likely had. Had gained power and knowledge that not even Bríghid could have prepared him for. Hiccup had left more than just his heart behind with Astrid that night. He had also left behind everything he thought he had known about himself.

Shortly after arriving here, Hiccup had used magic to properly heal the night fury's tail fin. Finally feeling confident enough in both himself and his powers to give it a try. Now Toothless was truly free to come and go as he pleased. No longer hindered by the limitations of the old prosthetic. This had turned out to be an exceptionally good idea, as the healed fin was also able to grow with Toothless. Since they had left the bounds of Midgard, the brothers no longer lived in fear of someone discovering their magic. Set free of the silly restrictions and surrounded by the thriving pulse of the openly arcane world, the magic of the bond finally began to take hold.

Although both Rider and dragon were changing, the effects of the ancient magic were certainly much quicker to manifest in the reptile than the human. The dragon beginning to increase in size at a noticeable rate, almost from the moment the two had arrived in Alfheim. Toothless was now nearly triple the size he had been when they left Midgard. His body almost 70 feet long from tip to tail. His wingspan was the most startling though. It had already been impressive for a dragon, but now the wingtips covered a staggering 130 feet. Even their home had expanded alongside the growing dragon, having been built with magic and designed for a Rider.

Starting as a modest sized treehouse with a few rooms and a workshop, it was now more of a tree manor. The grand home now sporting two huge balconies surrounding the whole of both stories. Doorways, passages, and living spaces alike all stretched and morphed by Hiccup in order to accommodate the much larger body of his best friend. As it was still only the two of them here though, the place felt utterly ridiculous to Hiccup, but there was nothing to be done for it if he wanted Toothless to be able to move around inside with ease.

Making his way out to the upper balcony off the library, Hiccup leaned on the railing. Gazing absently into the gathering darkness and wondering exactly where this new chapter of his life was about to take him. Suddenly a large black shape blocked out the sister moons of Alfheim. "About time!" Hiccup shot at his brother. Toothless said nothing and simply stretched his wings to land softly beside his brother.

It never ceased to amaze Hiccup how graceful and silent Toothless remained despite the drastic increase in his size. Having spent most of his life as a rather small dragon, Toothless was understandably proud of his new physique. Hiccup had to admit that it was wondrous and intimidating. Adding well to the image of frightful Shadow Demons that they had never quite been able to shake. Despite arriving on Asgard, introducing himself to the council, and being inducted into the sacred Order of Dragon Riders; Hiccup was still an outsider. Partly due to the fact that he was human and partly because of Toothless.