𝓑𝓮𝔂𝓸𝓷𝓭

Chapter 5 - Handan

THREE DAYS LATER

The air was thin and inviting, as Hiccup steered Toothless through an outcropping of sea stacks. Hiccup and Astrid sat on the Night Furies back looking down to the completely empty ocean.

They had been travelling for three days, spending their nights resting on sea stacks and small islands that they found along the way. Two days ago, they had passed through the fog that surrounded Helhiem's gate and found so much more.

They had found many islands out west, there were small outcroppings made from underwater volcanoes but other than that there were no islands. Hiccup let out a long yawn, before looking back at Astrid, sighing he turned around and squinted in the sunlight.

The faint outline of an island appeared far out towards the horizon, Hiccup elbowed Astrid and she looked past him.

" Land, do you think that could be it, the hidden world?" Astrid asked, stretching herself out, Hiccup shrugged, before patting Toothless on the neck. The Night Fury crooned in response, he had been flying all afternoon, knowing his rider and passenger needed him to do this.

" Alright bud, let's check this out." Hiccup smiled as Toothless gave his rider a relieved warble and took off towards the island. Upon approach Hiccup and Astrid gapped at the size of the island in front of them, it was basically a straight vertical rock sitting in the middle of the ocean.

Pools of water ran down the side of its cliffs, outcroppings of trees grew on ledges making it almost impossible to climb up. Toothless flew up the verticle cliff face and looped when he reached the top, before gliding through the lush forests.

" Hiccup, this is incredible." Astrid excitedly shook his arm and was looking left and right, not knowing what to admire next.

" I know." Hiccup answered with a smile, as Toothless found a clearing to land in and planted his feet firmly on the ground. Hiccup jumped down and helped Astrid out of the saddle, before unloading all their bags from his saddle.

Toothless plonked himself on the grass and promptly began scratching himself. Hiccup and Astrid wandered around the clearing, admiring how big the Island was. The trees were huge and would certainly supply them with enough wood for many years to come.

" Well, it isn't the hidden world, but it's easily defendable and it's far away from Berk." Hiccup commented as he and Astrid looked over at Toothless. The Night Fury was observing some birds in a tree before he spotted a butterfly.

" This could work as a base in the meantime." Astrid placed her hands on her hips and Hiccup nodded. Toothless jumped around the clearing, trying to catch a butterfly and the two ex Vikings laughed.

" Well, that settles it, we're staying here." Hiccup walked over to their bags and pulled out two blankets. Astrid threw a set of sleeping sacs onto the ground next to Hiccup, who was setting up a fire circle with a few large rocks.

In a few minutes, the fire was crackling away and a freshly caught rabbit, courtesy of Toothless, was rating on a stick. Hiccup and Astrid sat side by side, looking at the fire, mulling the last few days events.

The rabbit released a crackle and the two outcasts we're brought back to reality. Hiccup pulled the stick from the fire and placed the food on a clean rock, before untieing it from the stick.

He handed Astrid one of the legs and then sat down next to her, slowly chewing his food. His mind wandered back to Berk, was Stoick really going to make Toothless pay, not that he could find the way out here.

" What do you think we'll call this place?" Astrid asked, swallowing a bite and looking at Hiccup. He blinked and looked back at her, her ocean blue eyes glittering in the setting sun.