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doodle-empress66 · 4 years ago

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Hazbin Hotel: Perma Frost Full Bio

General

“It’s BULLSHIT that I’m down here! Stuck in this ugly ass form! I did the shit I did to SURVIVE! No one has ever watched out for me! So I watched out for myself the best way I knew how!”

- Perma Frost to Charlie

Full/True name: Petra

Nickname(s) or Alias:

Perma Frost, Perma

Perm

The Killer Frost Demon

Kid (By Husk)

Ice Queen (By Angel)

Little Girlie (Niffty)

Young Miss (By Alastor)

Bruja de hielo (By Vaggie)

Gender: Female

Species: Human (formerly), Ice Demon

Age: 14

Birthday: Jan 6th

Sexuality: Autochorisexual-Aegoromantic

Nationality: Icelandic

City or town of birth: Vik, Iceland

Currently lives: The Outskirts of Pentagram City

Native language: Icelandic

Relationship Status: Single

Appearance

Height: 5'5

Figure/build: Slender, somewhat curvy build, with long, dark blue icicle-like fingers. Powder blue skin

Hair color: Light Blue (Normally), Transparent light blue (when angered or frightened)

Hairstyle: Long and unruly

Eye color: A glowing icy blue hue that shifts

Tattoos: A snowflake on her back

Preferred style of clothing: ALWAYS wearing a large hooded jacket/coat that covers the entire top half of her body. Large black snow boats. And navy blue tights

General Past life

Human Name: Petra (She renounced her last name)

Birthday: 6th Jan 2005

Age of Death: 14

Cause of Death: Froze to death/Blood loss

Death day: 23 Aug 2019

Personality

Perma is an intense, cautious, volatile, and resentful teenager. She’ll do whatever it takes just to make it through the day regardless of who she has to harm or fight. She loathes adults and doesn’t trust them or their judgement, and always believes they're going to hurt her. Nor does she like being told what to do. So she often gets into a lot of fights with older demons, Perma will at times rush head first into a fight without thinking things through due to being blinded by her violent nature and past trauma. She has little to no friends or acquaintances because of the sheer brute force of her powers, somewhat lack of control and unwillingness to listen to people. Despite being unapproachable most of the time, deep down Perma wants a kind soul to turn to for love and guidance. But, pushes away this feeling due to the bad hand life and death has handed her.

History

Born in Vik, Iceland in 2005, since she could walk; Petra knew nothing but misery and neglect. Abused and mistreated by her egg and sperm donor, growing up in a strange cult certainly didn't help little Petra. Forced to deal with going hungry and cold from the old shredded clothes she was forced to wear. As well as participating in her mother's questionable practices. Her family often took part in the ancient art of Icelandic witchcraft. Writing questionable symbols everywhere in the blood of animals they caught. Reading from old books with disturbing otherworldly images. Even carving up their own bodies as a sign of devotion to some strange dark entity. Petra didn't understand these events but knew only bad things could come from it.

Life didn’t get much better for the young Icelandic when she was set up to be a sacrifice in one of the cult's shamanic ceremonies, she managed to slip away and ran until she arrived at an old rundown village. Only 9 years old at the time. From there, the next 4 years were awful. Petra had to survive on scraps she found in the trash or steal food and clothing from unsuspecting villagers. Years on the street, being treated like dirt from those around her, a child no one wanted around, caused Petra to grow hateful to world and the vile people who inhabited it. No one had any concern for her. No one cared about her. Her life meant nothing to ANYBODY. So after that, the lives of others didn’t mean a damn thing to her.

At 11, Petra committed her first murder. She was low on scraps and slowly starving. Following a frail elderly woman with a bag full of food, Petra took out an ice pick she had swiped from some workers and drove it into the back of the woman’s head.

Soon after, the dreaded streets Petra wandered were now becoming littered with the bodies of the people she stole from. Little did she realize, these malicious acts were changing in ways that were beyond human understanding. Something malevolent and cold started growing inside her body. Warping her soul.

Two years, this continued...until Petra chose the wrong target. A lanky young man, who looked a few years older than her, was smoking in an alley. Driven by survival, bloodlust and greed to what type of goods the man had on his person, Petra struck with her signature ice pick. Too bad, the man wasn’t unarmed. Nor was he alone. That’s all she remembered from that specific day. And how she wished she just kept walking.

The man was part of a group of sex traffickers looking around for young girls and women to add to their market. And 14 year old Petra was added to that collection.

The following year was a new level of Hell for the young girl. Beaten, abused, used in the most vile of ways by these men and others. Petra resisted at each turn but the suffering increased more and more. Then the vile concoction, meth they called it, they forced her to take each day. Told her that it would make her more “enjoyable company”. Some days and nights blurred into each other. This...drug made her forget the pain, the misery, the horrid existence she was subjected to. But reality came back full throttle to punch her in the face once it wore off. It made Petra feel disgusting and free at the same time. Just like the girls around her, empty shells with blissful smiles on their faces.

She was right at the edge of just ending it, but the stubborn part of her refuse to give her tormentors the satisfaction. One night, while she was getting prepared for a client, Petra managed to break away and shank one of the guards with an icicle she snatched from outside of a window. That kill was easy, but the second guard managed to let out a shout before Petra rammed the spike into his eye.

Petra rushed out into the winter forest, away from the building she was held captive. Wearing nothing but a pair of booty shorts and a flimsy tank top and armed with a bloody icicle. The traffickers hot on her trail with guns and rope. Each day of hiding, running, and avoiding bullets was made worse with trying to fight the freezing cold. One bullet managed to pierce her side. On that night, Petra finally found a small cave to duck into, her feet and hands black and swollen. She was practically a light blue.

Using the last of her strength to make a small, pitiful fire, Petra packed her bullet wound with snow as a sad attempt to stop the bleeding. She leaned against the cave wall and closed her eyes. Thinking back to all the events that transpired that lead her to this. The memories slowly getting darker and darker...

She woke up abruptly from crashing down onto the ground. The teen shot up, disoriented and looked around. Her eyes fell onto a large sign reading, “Welcome to Hell.”

Sins committed to get into hell: Theft, Murder, Assault, Manslaughter, Prostitution (Not her choice)

Any regrets in what they have done: No...depends

Likes:

Doing whatever she wants

Warm food

Parkour

Heavy metal music

Necessary Violence

Beating up adults

Animals

Children

Being left alone

Dislikes:

Adults

Being touched

Limited freedom

Being told what to do

Guns

Silence

Drugs

Anything sex related

Short clothing

Frozen Food

Fears/phobias:

Men touching her/being near her

Being tied up

The sight of her own blood

Dark rooms

Cults

Sexual acts of any kind

Being drugged

Favorite color:

White

Hobbies:

Ice/snow surfing

Brawling/Street Fighting

Reading scary stories

Parkouring

Stealing

Talents/skills:

Great at the drums

Ice skating (lol)

Parkouring

Intimidation

Fighting

Very Observant/ Quick Learner

Favorite food(s):

Skyr (Yougurt)

Harðfiskur (dried fish)

Reykjavik's Hot Dog

Favorite drink(s):

Slushies

Pineapple Soda

Hot Chocolate

Significant/special belongings:

Her icepick

Spiked choker

Combat

Fighting skills/techniques:

Very good street fighter/brawler

Excellent stabbing and hacking skills

Weapon of choice (if any):

Ice Pick

Unique Abilities:

Cold Magic- is able to perform a form of magic that allows them to utilize cold, either magically manipulating it

Cryokinesis- can create, shape, move, control, interact and manipulate ice.

Cold manipulation- can create, shape and manipulate cold by reducing the kinetic energy of atoms and thus making things colder

Atmospheric Freezing- an freeze the air/atmosphere itself regardless of air quality, abundant and trace gases, air temperature, etc., allowing her to either convert that air/atmosphere directly to ice or simply super chill it.

Absolute Freezing- can freeze anything, from tangible targets to intangible energy such as fire, or concepts such as time, even a person's mind.

Cold Embodiment- acts as the personification or manifestation of cold in their reality and has limitless control over coldness and can use coldness in different ways.

Cold Breath- able to generate and manipulate cold energy within her in a way that allows her to shape the exhaling of the effect.

Cold Presence- has the ability to project a field that lowers the temperature around her, creating a constant chill.

Cold Weaponry- create or wield weaponry with power over cold, which grants Perma a wide variety of cold-based abilities, including slowing down molecules, freezing a target solid, and limiting healing.

Cryo-Phasing- combines intangibility and ice powers to freeze the objects she passes through.

Cryogenic Bodily Fluids- possesses freezing cold bodily fluids (blood, sweat, saliva, etc.

Cryokinetic Creature Creation- is able to create beings of ice or shape existing ice into wanted shapes and purposes. She can grant the beings varying levels of independence (controlled, automatons/programmed, semi-independent) and existence (momentary to permanent) and delete the creature once she is done with them.

Cryokinetic Claws- can project and retract razor-sharp claws of ice from her fingertips for offensive purposes.

Cryokinetic Combat- able to utilize ice manipulation with her physical combat, allowing her to both create tools and weapons for attack and manipulate the environment for her advantage

Cryokinetic Cloning- can create clones of herself, others and/or objects by using ice.

Cryokinetic Surfing- controls the ice in a way that increases her ability to move and/or maneuver either by granting her abilities she otherwise lack or allowing them to ignore normally needed equipment.

Cryokinetic Regeneration- can use ice to regenerate her bodies with the amount of ice used defining the speed of healing.

Demonic Ice Manipulation- One of her most powerful attacks. She can generate and manipulate mystical demonic ice, which cannot be melted by mortal means, drawn straight from the darkest fears sentient minds have about winter, ice and arctic areas, including the fears of treacherous ice breaking, burying/devouring, damaging or tripping the victim in malicious awareness.

Demonic Ice Breath - able to generate and manipulate demonic ice within her in a way that allows her to shape the exhaling of the effect. These shapes can include bursts, streams, spheres, even a mist of it from the mouth.

Dark Ice Manipulation - More powerful attack. She can create, shape and manipulate the ice of a darker, detrimental nature; that which damages, destroys, and consumes anything/everything she comes across, representing the hazardous destructive side of ice, which in turn ignores most of the limitations and weaknesses of the normal ice. In essence, this is about solely controlling the negative dark powers of ice.

Frostbite- can freeze up any part of an enemy's body where she can turn the tissues and flesh into solid ice making the victim shatter into pieces due to freeze drying, or cause a swelling making it hard to move for the victim.

Frozen Surface- can cause surfaces (often floor) to emit ice/cold, causing ice/cold-damage on anything in contact with her or the ice.

Hail Generation- can generate and project hail.

Ice Aura- can release and surround herself in/with ice/cold for defensive and/or offensive purposes, possibly becoming almost untouchable and granting her various abilities/attacks.

Ice Vortex Creation - can generate spirals/vortices composed of ice. The vortex can be projected as a long ranged attack or as a tornado of ice for both offensive and/or defensive purposes.

Omnidirectional Ice Waves- can release massive amounts of ice in every direction at once for almost unlimited scales. This power allows Perma to dispatch many foes at once and destroy large areas like cities/villages.

Snow Ball Projection- able to launch spheres of snow at targets with varying degrees of force.

Snow Solidification- can solidify or give solid-like properties to snow-based substances with the level of solidity going from loose jelly to metal-like hardness or beyond. Alternatively, Perma can also harden snow to make it denser and harder to break.

Un-melt able Ice- can generate and project snow/ice that is extremely difficult to or cannot by melted by normal means, such as extreme heat or fire.

Weaknesses in combat:

Intense heat/fire

No control when pushed too far

Turns to solid ice when she goes overboard

Due to her constant chill, she can’t sneak up on people

Strengths in combat:

Wide and short range attacks

Nearly indestructible ice walls

Hidden demon form

Wild unpredictable street fighting style

Can create ice creatures, structures, and weapons

Relationships

Past life Relationships

Parents: Unknown

Siblings: None

Other Important Relatives: None

Children: None

Best Friend: None yet

Other Important Friends: None yet

Acquaintances: None yet

Pets: None but wants one

Enemies:

Anyone who tries to mess with her.

Alastor (Frenemy-ish)

Hazbin Relationships:

Charlie- Put off by her eagerness and determination to redeem sinners. Didn’t trust her at first and kept her distance. Slowly warmed up to Charlie’s kindness and learned to trust her and others.

Vaggie- Disliked her attitude, and authority. Would tick her off with snide comments and constantly freezing her and/or Charlie. Started to bond over their dislike of Alastor and men a bit. Told Vaggie of her life and hardships, now have a big sis/little sis connection.

Angel Dust- Because of his sexual nature, she was terrified of Angel and avoided him. Even freezing him solid a few times out of fear/self-defense. Calm down a little once, she learned that he’s gay. The two became close once Angel shared his own stories of abuse. Also adores Fat Nuggets.

Alastor- Instantly loathes Alastor due to his disregard for personal space and creeper smile. Sees him as a closet pervert and often talks trash about his radio broadcasts and calls him an "a limp dick old man". Perma was unaware of Alastor's reputation, but sees him as a sicko who likes to inflate his own ego and harrass those he sees as beneath him. One of the few demons who doesn't fear Alastor, but that's due to her own ignorance and inexperience. Often tries to start fights with him by crude derogatory comments. Or freezing him.

Husker- Didn't think much of Husk at first, but liked the fact the he's a cat. The two barely interacted until she sang to herself in German and Husk responded back. They slowly began to converse with each other more and more. Husk actually listening to her woes and offering some advice. Vice versa. Due to Husk keeping to himself and respecting boundaries, Perma respects and listens to Husk more than anyone. Calms down whenever he's around. The two soon form a father/daughter like relationship.

Niffty- Was put off by Niffty's persnickety and energetic persona. Also irritated her by the frost she leaves behind. But they grow to tolerate each other over time.

Trivia

Sin - Wrath

Can speak 5 languages: Icelandic, German, Polish, English, and Dutch. This is due to the men she came in contact with during her time on the streets and while trafficked

The spiked choker she wears was a gift from one of the older trafficked girls. It was the first time she was given ANYTHING nice.

Speaks with a thick Icelandic accent

Her lips are dark blue from her cold

Given her sexual abuse, Perma doesn’t just hate sex, she’s TERRIFIED of it.

Perma keeps to herself and talks to no one unless confronted.

She knows nothing about the Overlords or power scale.

She keeps her distance from friendly people. To her, everyone is out to get something.

Perma loves heavy metal, it helps her release the pain and fury she feels

With enough patience and practice, Perma could fight on par with an overlord

She likes animals, they never harm you

She eats warm food, to feel ‘alive’.

One negative act towards her, no matter how small, can set her off

#hazbin oc #hazbin hotel oc #hazbin hotel #vivziepop #perma frost #my oc #bio page

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hutchhitched · 6 years ago

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Playlist: Home (Home for the Holidays)

Happy December! I’ve been working on another holiday story, and this is the first installment. Each part is based on a Christmas song or carol from a list @xerxia31 created for me. (Thank you, friend, for the prompts! You know me so well.) Wishing each of you a peaceful and wonderful holiday season.

Katniss stood at the store window as cars swished by. Slushy snow painted the curbs and sidewalks a miserable gray, but a watery sun shone in the blue sky. The temperature hovered just around freezing, and occasional gusts of a frigid breeze caused her to shiver more than once. She stared, unseeing, at the display—a living room scene complete with a decorated tree and half-opened presents strewn across the floor. The mannequin couple could have been anyone with their blank faces and perfect outfits. It seemed odd she could envy inanimate objects, but she’d reached that state.

Fifteen years had passed since Katniss had visited her hometown, a small, somewhat picturesque village tucked away in the foothills of the mountains in eastern Kentucky. She’d been so eager to escape, to lead a life she’d dreamed of since she was a child. How ironic that Panem called to her and drew her back when everything she’d longed for collapsed around her.

“No place like home for the holidays,” she muttered. “Home sweet home.”

A patron exited the store and almost bumped into Katniss in the process. Christmas carols wafted from the speakers and through the door. She grimaced as Home for the Holidays assaulted her ears. It was the last song she wanted to hear seconds after she’d inadvertently mumbled the lyrics to herself only seconds prior. Her toes tingled with cold, and she turned to head down the street. She moved like a moth drawn to a flame toward District 12, the coffee shop where she’d worked during high school and on breaks home from college.

The smell of coffee assailed her along with the warm air that billowed through the door. The inside looked exactly the same—bare wood with old timey decorations fitting for the Appalachian town. The tables didn’t match and several of them rocked on uneven legs. The chairs wobbled too, and a few threadbare couches lined the outside walls. The espresso machine whirred, and Haymitch Abernathy, the owner, scowled at the cashier whose hands trembled as she made change. She glanced nervously over her shoulder at her boss several times before taking Katniss’ order.

“Can I help you?” the barista asked, and Katniss smiled kindly at her.

“Double latte, no foam with an extra shot, please.”

“I thought that was you, sweetheart,” Haymitch observed in a rough voice. “Only you order that jet fuel at three in the afternoon. Been a long time.”

“Haymitch,” she offered in response. “Good to see you haven’t softened in your old age.”

He chuckled and raised a mug to her. “I’ve only pickled.”

She shook her head and handed her payment to the cashier. Her mouth watered as she waited for her drink, and she wasn’t surprised her old boss sidled over to her table and plunked into the chair across from her.

“What brings you back to the wilds of Kentucky? Lost your way from the big city? Decided to slum it for a while?” His acerbic tone grated on her nerves, but she knew his gruff nature covered a heart of gold.

“I needed a break,” she admitted. “Things haven’t been the same since…”

“Since it happened.”

“Yes. Since it happened.”

“How’s your mom?”

A waitress set her drink in front of her, and Katniss took a sip. She closed her eyes at the flavor. Transported back in time, she held the liquid on her tongue until it threatened to burn her taste buds before answering.

“I haven’t talked to her recently.” She avoided his eyes and explained, “She decided to take a job in California. Said she wanted to help people. Decided the forest fires from a few years ago were more deserving of a healer than I am.”

Haymitch grunted and pulled a flask from his jacket. She shook her head at his offer and watched him pour a liberal amount into his half-full mug.

“You seen the boy yet?”

Her heart leapt, but she refused to show her feelings. She kept her face blank and took several small sips before shaking her head. “I didn’t realize he was here.”

“He moved back a couple of years ago. After it happened.”

“Good for him. He always missed this place.”

“Maybe not this place as much as what he used to have here. Maybe he hoped you’d find your way back too.”

She met Haymitch’s steady gaze and refused to blush or flinch. It wasn’t a secret how close she and her high school boyfriend had been during their childhood and adolescence. He was a golden boy—star athlete, brilliant scholar, kind and compassionate to everyone he met. He’d shocked a few people when he’d asked her out, but they made so much sense together that they’d quickly become the town’s darlings. When they graduated from high school, they both made their way to Murray State University where they continued to date for a few years.

“I doubt he’s too worried about me.”

Haymitch rolled his eyes. “Sweetheart, if there’s one thing on Earth more reliable than death and taxes, it’s Peeta Mellark’s infatuation with you.”

Hearing the familiar name roll off his tongue caused her stomach to clench. It had been so long since anyone had said it out loud. It normally rumbled through her subconscious, but this was different.

“Maybe I’ll run into him while I’m here,” she said with a shrug. She knew Haymitch didn’t buy her nonchalance, but she couldn’t handle showing him how vulnerable the thought of running into her ex made her feel.

Pressing down the flutter of hope in her chest, she turned the conversation to other topics—the crumbling downtown, the high unemployment rate, the increase in opioid and methamphetamine death rates over the past few years. The sky darkened outside as they chatted, and it wasn’t long before Haymitch rose to flip the sign to closed on the front door.

“You’re welcome to stay while we clean up, if you’d like,” he offered, but she shook her head.

“I think I’ll head down to Sae’s and grab one of her grilled cheese sandwiches. It’s one of the few things I miss about this place.”

She laughed as he flipped her the bird. Taking one last drink of her cooled coffee, she waved goodbye and tugged the door open. The cold air took her breath away as it entered her lungs in icy daggers. Tucking her hands in her pockets, she ducked her head and shuffled along until she spotted the florescent lights of the diner where she’d spent so many weekend nights when she and Peeta dated.

She was still several yards away when she noticed him in the window. He sat at the same booth they’d commanded every weekend during their senior year—when his football career promised future glory until he’d blown it out during his junior year of college. The ashy blonde curls were a little longer than when she’d last seen him. They grazed his collar and fell over his ears and forehead in a way that made him look like he was still in his twenties. How a haircut could shave a decade off his age was beyond her, but it did.

Unwilling to face him, she backed into the shadow of a tree and watched him through the cloud of her frozen breath. He smiled at the waitress, a blonde who looked to be about seventeen and swooned every time she approached the table. He took his time, lingering over dessert and a second and then third cup of coffee. He sat alone, but she could tell he was writing as a pen scrolled across a book repeatedly. It had to be a journal since he’d filled dozens when they were together.

“Still haven’t given up on publishing the great American novel, huh?” she murmured to the night air. “Ever the optimist.”

It was almost seven before he placed a bill on the table and packed his journal into his briefcase. She watched him leave and marveled at how little he’d changed in the years since she’d seen him. He was still the same Peeta he’d always been—genial and kind to everyone in his path.

She waited for several more minutes before making her way inside the diner. She kept to the other side, intent on avoiding sitting where he had. No one seemed to recognize her, which was fine with her. She kept her stocking cap on and avoiding catching anyone’s eye. Besides Haymitch, Peeta, and her best friend from high school, she wasn’t sure how much anyone remembered her anyway. Still, she wasn’t ready to find out.

When the waitress set the grilled cheese sandwich she’d ordered in front of her, Katniss slipped into memories. The burst of flavor against her tongue forced a muffled moan of approval, which she swallowed along with a scalding spoonful of tomato soup.

“Would you like a refill?”

Katniss choked on the soup and hacked several times as she attempted to catch her breath. The waitress stood helplessly, obviously upset, as she coughed.

“I’m so sorry, ma’am,” she gushed. “Are you all right? Can I get you more to drink?”

Katniss waved her off. “I’m fine. Sorry for scaring you.”

“Oh, it’s fine, ma’am. Please let me know if there’s anything else you need. Maybe some pumpkin pie?”

“That would be lovely,” she murmured and blinked to clear her eyes. The waitress swam before her, and for the briefest moment, Katniss could have sworn it was her little sister. Lily (according to her name tag) had the same sweet smile, blue eyes, and long blonde hair as well as the vivaciousness that had filled Katniss’ early years. The little sister who loved sweets—especially pumpkin pie.

Lily set the pie on the table and refilled her coffee mug. “Are you in town for the holidays?”

Nodding, Katniss savored the first bite of pie. “Tastes like homemade. Home for the holidays. I used to live here a long time ago.”

“Well, welcome back. You can’t beat home sweet home. Can I say that? Isn’t that what the song says?”

A terrible elevator music version of Home for the Holidays played over the diner’s speakers, and the two women smiled at each other for a few beats before Lily nodded and moved to another table. Katniss finished the slice of pie and bundled up again before heading outside.

She’d left the waitress a hefty tip for no other reason than for making her feel closer to her sister. She missed her more than she could say, but the brief encounter with Lily took the edge off the hollow pit in her chest.

Glancing down at her wrist, Katniss blanched at how late it was. She’d managed to burn through the better part of the afternoon and evening, and she only had a few minutes before she was expected at her best friend’s house. She wasn’t quite ready for company, so she took the long way and wound through the outer reaches of the woods that surrounded her hometown.

The snow-covered trees soothed her, calming her frayed nerves and easing the tension of seeing her ex and former boss when she hadn’t planned to do anything other than return to her birthplace. She avoided the street that would lead to the bridge connecting the main part of Panem with her old neighborhood. She had no interest in revisiting the Seam or anything in it.

Instead, she turned her car away from the outskirts of town and to the road that led to Mellark’s Bakery. It wouldn’t be open this late, but she wanted to see the outside, the familiar façade that represented a time in her life when she’d actually been happy.

As she turned down Merchant Street, she realized she was whistling. With a wry laugh, she switched to singing in a rough voice that hadn’t been used nearly often enough in the past few years.

“Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays 'Cause no matter how far away you roam If you wanna to be happy in a million ways...”

She ground to a halt at the words and realized she’d eased off the gas as well. It took several deep breaths before she was able to keep driving.

What she wouldn’t give to be happy in a million ways. Sadly, she feared it would take a miracle for that to happen.

#everlark #everlark fanfiction #playlist: home #peeta mellark #katniss everdeen

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chipfics · 4 years ago

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Anchored- Prologue

About: Trevelyan Siblings AU novelization. This chapter is setup and background. Also on AO3.

It had been only a year since the mage rebellion had begun in full, but Circles had fallen left and right for years prior, starting around the time of the Fifth Blight.

It had been three and a half since Ostwick's Circle fell to infighting. Tristan Trevelyan had counted the days.

Three and a half years since he had run into it, burning and full of screaming and fighting, and carried his older sister out and through back roads to the edge of the city. Three and a half years since they had said goodbye. Just as much time since he had heard anything of her. If she was even alive, she was far away.

He knew, he was sure, why she had never kept in touch. Declared an apostate, it would only cause the family trouble for her to be in contact. They had close ties to the Chantry and it was already whispered about that their second child was a mage. For them to harbor her in the midst of a rebellion would have been disastrous for their reputation.

Tristan knew his family would not have cared. Though not always close knit, they were on good terms and loyal to each other. Their parents had retired and left management of the estate to their eldest son Roland five years ago already. He was ten years ahead of Alyssa and fifteen from Tristan, but he was protective of them both and would have fought the Chantry with his own hands to protect his sister, if she'd given him the chance.

But rather than drag her family into things Alyssa had fled from Ostwick less than a day after the Circle fell. The last time Tristan had seen her he had watched her striding into the distance from the city gates, northward.

And now the word had spread of the Conclave- peace talks between the Templars and mage rebellion, organized by Divine Justinia herself.

Many noble houses would be sending representatives, and the Trevelyans were no exception. Roland was too busy running the estate and raising his children, and their parents had retired already. With Alyssa in the wind, if she was even alive, Tristan had been chosen to attend.

At twenty-five he was well into adulthood. Unmarried and unattached, he had spent most of his time assisting Roland in what ways he could with estate management since coming of age. It was somewhat expected he would eventually join the Chantry in some capacity- many youngest children of their family always had- but Tristan himself was not sure what he wanted.

But he knew one thing, as he went about packing his things that afternoon. The war was getting too many innocents caught up in it. To whatever end, he wanted it to stop. And if this Conclave could achieve peace, then he wanted to do his utmost to help it along.

He did not look the part of a diplomat. He was very tall, very broad and strong in build, and had never excelled at dealing with people. The stutter and timid cringe of his youth were behind him, but he still found himself more easily flustered and taken off guard than most. He hoped it would not work too much to his detriment when he arrived in Haven.

He would make the journey first by boat from the port and then by foot south to the village of Haven. It would take a week at least, a long and lonely road and his first time outside of Ostwick since before he came of age. Tristan ran a hand through his mussed hair for the hundredth time that day and sighed deeply.

The sound of small feel scampering down the hallway caught his attention and he turned just in time for two children to scramble in through the doorway of his quarters. A boy of twelve and a girl of eight- his brother's children Elliot and Annalise.

They were both head to toe covered in freckles, a Trevelyan trait, but aside their features were more like their mother's. Curly dark hair, dark eyes, and darker skin.

Annalise attached herself immediately to one of Tristan's legs and Elliot to his waist.

“Are you leaving today, Uncle Tristan?” Elliot asked immediately, “I didn't think you'd be going so soon.”

Tristan's brother and his wife were loving parents, but also busy. As he had yet to settle into a full career of his own he often found himself devoting time to making sure his niece and nephew were not lonely. He walked them to their tutoring sessions, took them out riding, played with them in the garden. They were naturally very attached to him as a result, and would be sad to see him go.

“The business is a bit urgent, I'm afraid.” Tristan offered gently, “Did your parents explain what is happening to you?”

“A little,” Elliot said, “They said that the Divine is going to try and get the mages and templars to stop fighting.”

“More or less, though I doubt it will be that simple.” Tristan replied, “A lot of nobles will be showing up to try and help. I'll be one of them.”

“Are you going to meet the Divine, Uncle?” Annalise bubbled.

“I doubt I'll have any kind of role as important as that,” Tristan laughed, “I'll be just a minor representative, I'm sure. But I'll do what I can.”

Elliot backed away a little and fixed him with a deep gaze for a moment. “Uncle,” he said slowly, “If the mages are safe again, will Auntie come home?”

Tristan was quiet for a long moment. He didn't know what would happen at the Conclave, if peace was even possible with the current mindsets of the factions involved. If things went poorly, the fighting may just get worse. But he hadn't the heart to say that to the children looking up at him hopefully. They had been terribly fond of Alyssa too. Of course they missed her- even if they were starting to forget things about her.

“...I hope so,” He eventually said, and pulled both children up into his arms for a bear hug, “Thank you for coming to see me. I still have packing to do, but I promise I'll say goodbye before I leave.”

The children ran back out as soon as he put them down, and he returned to getting his things together.

---===---

His journey south was blessedly uneventful, if increasingly chilly. It was the start of winter, and the south was already so much colder than Ostwick was. Tristan found himself in the company of more and more travelers as he went- mages, templars, nobles, pilgrims. The tension felt thicker the closer he came to Haven, and by the time he arrived it was almost a tangible object in the air. Tristan himself felt somewhat on edge looking at mages and templars sending each other death glares as he passed through the gates. He had brought his greatsword with him for protection on the road. He hoped he wouldn't need to use it here.

Haven was not as small as it had once been, but it was still not a very large place at all. The buildings were all bare and simple, very little paint, the roads were muddy and slushy. He felt eyes on him as he walked. Unnerving as that could be, he was used to it and no longer surprised. He was so tall, nearly six and a half feet- it was impossible for him not to stick out, especially with the addition of his brightly colored hair and green eyes.

He made for the Chantry at the north end of the village first. Likely there were clerics in it who could direct him to some lodging and where to check in, if there was any such protocol set up yet.

It was the tallest, grandest building in Haven, and that was no surprise. The Chantry was fond of grand things, as much as it tried to pretend it wasn't. Tristan was somewhat religious, but he had always felt there was something off about the level to which the Chantry worried about surface appearances. There were in fact many things he did not really like about the Chantry as a larger organization- but it wasn't his place or privilege to be making criticisms right now.

As expected there were many milling about and working and talking even outside the Chantry itself. Tristan was hard pressed to find anyone not occupied, and so he went inside hoping to have more luck locating someone who wasn't busy. There was so much work to be done, he was sure, that he would hate to tear anyone away from a task.

Finally, he did find a young cleric about his own age just walking out of a side room, and he paused to get her attention.

“Excuse me sister,” He said politely, “I've just arrived from Ostwick, representing the Trevelyan estate. I'm looking for lodging?”

The young woman looked at him with raised brows, having to crane her neck, but offered a polite bow all the same. “Welcome, my lord,” she said, “I'm afraid there isn't much in the way of proper lodging available just now, but there are some cozy tents set up for some of the nobles of the southwestern walls. I suggest you make your way there first.”

More camping. Well, at least he wouldn't be doing it alone. And if the tents were set up with nobility in mind the trappings would at least be more comfortable than the bedroll he had carried with him. He offered a gentle thank you to the cleric and marched back out, intent on settling in somewhere before finding more information on what would be expected of him.

It was just as he left the front gates again that he caught sight of something and stopped abruptly.

He blinked several times and scanned the crowd thoroughly, sure he had seen a familiar face. It took several moments but finally he saw her- huddled against a tree in a hooded coat. A small woman, not even five feet, with the same coloring as him and the same nose.

His heart nearly shuddered to a stop. Alyssa looked exactly the same as she had when he saw her last. She was watching the passerby tensely, hands clutching the strap of a bag. Tristan was almost sure it was her, and his pulse pounded in his ears as he drove his legs forward to find out for sure.

He made a beeline through the crowd and was only a few paces away, her name on his breath, when the elf appeared.

He was lithe and wiry, bundled up but still barefoot. He had the facial tattoos common among the Dalish, black hair to his chin, and blue eyes- the left one had a horrid looking scar over it.

Already the elf had a dagger drawn and entered a defensive stance between Tristan and the woman he was sure was his sister. Surprised by the sudden appearance and alarmed by the weapon, he backed up a pace.

“Don't get too excited,” the elf said coolly, “Are you a templar?”

“What?” Tristan said, “No, I-” he looked past the elf. “Alyssa,” He called, “is that you?”

She looked up, and he saw her eyes were the same warm green as his. Her lips parted and he saw her inhale deeply before striding forward and taking the elf by the shoulder.

“Allain,” She hissed, “Open your eyes. He's not after trouble.”

The elf- Allain, apparently- looked him up and down. The caution bled out of his stance and he sheathed his dagger.

“So he isn't,” He said, “Not wearing the clothes or the scowl- he looks rather like you, doesn't he?”

“He's my little brother.”

“It is you,” Tristan breathed. He didn't try to stop himself from sweeping the tiny woman into a tight hug and Alyssa grunted as the air was squeezed out of her. Still, one of her hands reached to pat his back soundly before he had the sense to put her down.

They clasped hands.

“You've gotten even bulkier, Tristan.” Alyssa said, “If that's possible.”

“Where have you been?” Tristan asked, still shocked, “I was afraid you were dead in a ditch somewhere.”

“It's too busy out here,” Alyssa said, looking around, “Let's find somewhere quiet to talk.”

---===---

They found a small copse of trees with fallen logs not far away, and sat there.

The elf introduced himself properly then. “I'm Allain of Clan Lavellan,” He said, “Thirty-eight years. I've been looking after your sister, as it were.”

Tristan nodded politely at him. “Tristan Trevelyan,” He replied, “You're Dalish? Why aren't you still with your clan?”

Allain adjusted the quiver on his back. “Your sister showed up near our camp half starved and sick to death,” he said, “Round about three and a half years ago. We don't deal with shemlens much, but we've no quarrel with anyone so long as they mean us no harm. She was hurt, tired, ill- so our Keeper let her stay just as long as it took for her to get her strength back.”

Tristan nodded, and Allain went on. “We struck up a friendship, as it were. And I was worried about her running off into the wild alone even once she was well. A mage from a noble family with no hunting or camping experience? I was sure she'd starve or stumble off of a cliff.”

“Hey,” Alyssa said lightly, “I'm not that helpless.”

Allain smiled slightly. “Anyway, with the Keeper's permission I went with her. We stayed on the fringes of small villages mostly, kept to ourselves and avoided trouble. But word of this Conclave was everywhere by last month and Alyssa wanted to see what it was all about.”

“Allain came along,” Alyssa added, “He thinks many people here are just looking for a fight. I don't doubt that, honestly. You could cut the tension here with a knife and serve it like toast.”

Tristan hummed thoughtfully. It was a lot to process that his sister had spent however long recuperating from her wounds with a clan of Dalish elves, and was now traveling with one as if he were family. Still, it was better than her being cut down somewhere. She was alive, and here, and safe. He would count his blessings.

“Thank you, Allain,” He said, “For helping her.”

The next hours passed pleasantly. For some time Tristan and Alyssa chatted, caught up on each other's lives. Allain chimed in wherever he felt like it, easygoing and relaxed now that he knew Alyssa was in no danger.

They parted long enough in the afternoon for Tristan to find his place in the camp with the other nobility. He was able to reserve a tent for himself, and he rendezvoused with Alyssa at the small tavern after. Allain left when he arrived, saying he would get the lay of the land and secure a camping spot somewhere safe for himself and Alyssa.

“You two can catch up some more without me,” He said as he left.

With drinks served and the tavern more relaxed than other spaces in the village, Alyssa hunkered down and leaned in.

“How is Roland? The family?” She asked, “You've talked plenty about what you've been up to, but...”

“They're well,” Tristan said, “Elliot is growing like a weed. Annalise too.”

Alyssa's face was soft. “I miss the little ones,” She said, “Very much.”

“They want you to come home,” Tristan told her, “So does everyone else. You didn't have to leave, you know- we'd have kept you safe.”

“And endangered centuries of bonds with the Chantry and Templars to do it,” Alyssa said easily, “I won't ruin the family like that.”

“If we prioritized our reputation over each other we'd already be ruined,” Tristan said firmly.

“You're not going to drag me back to Ostwick with you however this ends up, are you?” Alyssa asked dryly.

“I just might,” Tristan said. He was only half joking.

Alyssa laughed softly through her nose.

“Do you know exactly where the meetings will be held?” she asked after a few minutes of silence.

“Further in the valley, at the Temple of Sacred Ashes,” Tristan said, “I don't think that will start for a few days, but I thought I would go there tomorrow just to look around. It's quite a landmark, after all.”

“That it is,” Alyssa said, “Perhaps I'll come with you.”

“I'd like if you did,” Was the reply.

Tristan had expected that any reunion with his sister was still far away. He was glad to be proven wrong, and even gladder to keep her as close as he could for as long as possible. Whatever the results of the Conclave, he wouldn't let her go off alone again.

#dragon age #dragon age inquisition #AU

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shooktim-blog · 5 years ago

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On May 31, 2019 the biggest addition in Disneyland’s history finally opened to the public, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. This $1 billion new land has had fans salivating for years, promising an immersion into the world of Star Wars the likes of which has never before been seen. This week I had the very unique opportunity to visit Galaxy’s Edge twice, and today I want to share my impressions about this remarkable new addition to the Disney experience. I’ll also provide some background information and how visitors can access the world of Star Wars.

How to visit

If you want to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at the Disneyland Resort between May 31 and June 23, 2019, a reservation and theme park admission are required. There is no additional cost to make a reservation, but reservations are currently not available. There is one backdoor way to still get one of those coveted time slots, by staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel. After June 23, anyone with a valid theme park admission will be able to access the new land. Galaxy’s Edge will open in Walt Disney World on August 29, 2019 and while there isn’t expected to be a reservation process, the crowds will be substantial.

What is it?

This massive 14-acre new land builds on the Star Wars story but on a planet that has not been seen in the cannon. The land takes place on a far-flung planet named Batuu and the largest village, Black Spire Outpost. According to the backstory, it’s home to rogues, scoundrels, smugglers and members of the Resistance. The landscape is just as rough, with enormous rock formations that give the village its name. This is the world I excitedly walked into earlier this week.

The rides

There are two rides in Galaxy’s Edge, although only one is open at the moment, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. This simulator ride takes guests, 6 at a time, into the Millennium Falcon to run their own smuggling mission with each person assigned a different crew role. But, as I learned, it’s so much more than that.

Guests are assembled into groups of 6 – the flight crew. Each person is assigned a role for the attraction: pilots, gunners and engineers. I didn’t fully appreciate just how interactive the attraction is, but these assignments were my first clue that it was going to be an experience unlike anything else. Before it’s time for the ride, each group hangs out in the Millennium Falcon where every detail is exactly the same as in the movies. Even if you aren’t a fanatic you’ll recognize these iconic scenes. Riders are then escorted into the cockpit, told to press any button that blinks and it’s off! The ride is a simulator ride that reacts to how well each member performs their jobs. If the pilots don’t react fast enough, the Falcon crashes. If the gunners can’t zap the bad guys, then they zap you. It’s an amazing attraction and totally unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced. It’s a fantastic anchor for the land.

The second ride, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, will open later this year.

The food

Food is always an important part of the Disney experience, and that’s especially true in Galaxy’s Edge. No detail was left out of the planning for this innovative new land, and the food and drink options are I think just as important as the ride and other thematic details.

Oga’s Cantina – Without a doubt this is the star of Galaxy’s Edge and will be one of the most popular spots to visit for just about all guests. Modeled after the legendary dive bars found in the Star Wars movies it’s everything you’d expect and more. Everything offered, from the cocktails and mocktails to beer and wine were all specially created for Galaxy’s Edge and, from my experience, deliver on the promise. However, the Cantina may be more popular that Disneyland thought as the lines to get in are the longest anywhere in Galaxy’s Edge. Disney is constantly trying to improve the visitor experience in Oga’s, but since the seating is limited it’s a challenge. When I visited, everyone was directed to a central line where we registered our phone numbers to be placed in a virtual queue. Then we could experience Galaxy’s Edge as we wanted to until we received a second text indicating it was time to return to Oga’s. At that point it’s another 10-20 minute wait until you can get in. I was in the virtual queue for 85 minutes or so before I received the notification. Once inside, Disney is trying to limit guests to two drinks each, in order to cycle people through the experience. But it’s well worth the effort; the level of detail is of course out of this world.

Milk Stand – This is another one of the cult favorites that will soon take on a life of its own. Both blue and green milk are served and are fashioned after the refreshing beverages seen in the films. The Blue Milk and Green Milk sold at the Milk Stand are frozen-style beverages similar to a milkshake or smoothie. Both drinks are non-dairy blends of coconut and rice milks and Blue Milk has dragon fruit, pineapple, lime and watermelon flavors and Green Milk has Mandarin orange, passion fruit, grapefruit and orange blossom flavors. The vegan drinks have taken some people by surprise since the consistency isn’t that of milk but of a slushy, but I thought they were good. Blue was my favorite, as it has been with many other patrons.

I also took the time to order dinner at Ronto Roasters. Located next to the market stall the thing to get here is the Ronto Wrap: roasted pork and grilled sausage with peppercorn sauce and tangy slaw wrapped in pita. Paired with a chilled glass of Meiloorun Juice and I had the perfect meal.

The shops

What to buy in Galaxy’s Edge is also a surprisingly important part of the experience because, believe it or not, they’re unique experiences in their own right. You won’t find the ear-shaped bubble wands or standard Disney fare in these stores no, they’re immersive Star Wars experiences just like everything else in Galaxy’s Edge.

Lightsabers and droids – If you’ve ever wanted your own lightsaber, this is your chance. Entering into Savi’s Workshop, guests customize their very own weapon to take home, at a price of $200. For $100 you can go through a similarly personalized and bespoke experience to construct your own droid. Both experiences are just that, an experience and is about so much more than buying something. They take visitors into the world of Star Wars and I’ve never seen anything quite like it.

My budget didn’t allow for the lightsaber, but I did build my very own droid and I’m so glad I did. Walking in the first thing one notices is the assembly line full of droid parts. One you pay for the droid, either the BB or R2 style, you’re given a basket and told to pick out the parts for the droid. This is where you customize it anyway you want, using any color combinations that strike your fancy. You then take the parts over to a tech who helps you assemble and activate the droid. It’s a fun experience and bound to be a very popular one, especially since the droid then interacts with objects around Galaxy’s Edge for the duration of your visit.

The other shops in Galaxy’s Edge also bear mentioning because Disney has taken the same level of detail found throughout the land to the items available for sale. These are specially designed pieces totally unlike anything else found in Disneyland and are very creative. When I was there, the most popular one of these shops was the Creature Stall where you can pick out your very own Star Wars creature to take home; they even provide a special carrying case for them.

Overall impression

I enjoyed my experiences in Galaxy’s Edge, although I did leave feeling as if I missed something. Maybe I need to return during the day when I can see more of the details, because I had the distinct impression that I didn’t make the most out of my time there. Disney built Galaxy’s Edge so that the entire land itself is the attraction. No detail was overlooked and not once is the illusion broken. Cast members chat to guests as if it really was a planet in the Outer Rim and even the Coke bottles were specially designed. Just like anything else, Galaxy’s Edge will evolve over time and enhancements made to perfect the visitor experience. Guests too will better learn how to enjoy the new land, with each visit learning something new. Simply said though, Galaxy’s Edge truly is an amazing achievement and it’s impossible not to leave completely awestruck with the experience.

The post Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland – What The Experience is Really Like appeared first on LandLopers.

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phagechildon · 8 years ago

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The Greater Good - Chapter 1

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Author’s Notes: Ever since I rewatched all of Xena: Warrior Princess, I’ve been desperately wanting to write a Hijack au to it - and here it finally is! I’ve been working on this since last year, maybe around November? Maybe a little earlier? I wanted to wait to upload it until I had a good amount prewritten. I have fifty pages now, though it’s still at the beginning x.x So I figured I should start uploading it and just keep writing whenever I have time despite having a full time and part time job now. This isn’t strictly a Xena AU, it has elements of many different things, but it’s the main theme~ Also this universe takes place between the movies and books. Since I love them both and couldn’t pick one universe, I decided to go inbetween~

Summary: Jack, unable to handle the dark life he’s living, is now trying to redeem himself by using his skills and demigod powers to protect the innocent. Though he gets more than he bargained for when he meets Hiccup, who unknowingly holds the very fate of the world in his hands.

Words: 9,788

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Smoke billowed from the charred, decaying boards of wood that scattered across the battle-scarred village as a lone rider wearing a white turban strode slowly through the village. Silence rang in his pale, pointy ears as his conscious reminded him of everything that happened here; the screams of terror as heavy black smoke suffocated the homes and streets, the pleading of simple farmers to spare their families, the cries of sorrow as loved ones took their last breath...

Yes, this place was a ghost town that still haunted the rider who clenched his fists around the reins of the horse he rode on, silently pleading his steed to go faster. He didn’t want to linger – he didn’t want to lose himself to insanity.

There was still too much to do to give in now.

The sound of footsteps made him pull the reigns back, halting the horse in an instant. The hair on the back of his neck stood up and he quickly unsheathed his sword and pointed- only for his deep blue eyes to settle upon a small boy covered in ash and grime. He looked thin and sick, obviously one of the only survivors of the village.

“S-sir… d-do you have any food to spare?” The raspy voice of the child spoke before he hacked violently. He needed water too.

“We all wish we had food to spare,” he said, seeing the child’s face sink in sadness. “Luckily I have some.” Rummaging in one of the side compartments on the horse’s saddle, he pulled out food wrapped in fabric and tossed it to the starving boy. He caught it with ease as his eyes lit up, and when the man tossed a large canteen of water by his feet, he practically cried.

“Thank you sir - Thank you!!”

With a small smirk, the rider rode off, waiting until he was far enough from the child before he let his face fall. That child lost his family because of him. He’d still be living in a cozy warm house filled with food and water alongside his family if he hadn’t been born. But he’d come to accept this long ago. He was, after all, the son of the Norse god Loki. Trouble, tricks and lies loomed over every step and every breath he took. And yet his own father hadn’t had the guts or nerve to talk to him.

Maybe even the great Loki was disappointed in him, and honestly he was okay with that. He hated his birth father, and he hated his human parents.

A numb coldness started to seep out from his body, his horse starting to neigh in protest.

No – no he couldn’t think about that. He needed to focus on his objective. He needed to help as many people as he could all around the world. Though he wasn’t even sure if his new destination even existed. He heard about it when he was working with The Nightmares.

Rumors spoke of a prospering village at the top of the north mountain called Berk that was inhabited by large Vikings that were /one/ with dragons. They say armies would scale up the mountain only to be thrown off the cliff by the most feared dragons in the Archipelago – Monstrous Nightmares, Deadly Nadders, Hideous Zipplebacks, and even small dragons that are normally pests but were vicious like vipers. Yet with travelers like the famous trading man, Johann, they were welcoming and friendly.

Surely such a place didn’t need someone like him – someone who wanted to help in any and every way he could, even if it was just bringing joy and fun to children. But part of him wanted to go up there, if not for them then for himself. Ever since he was a child, he dreamed of seeing this place and its beauty even if he wasn’t too fond of dragons himself.

Fire and ice doesn’t mix well.

Making it to the base of the mountain, he dismounted from his horse and gently pet its neck. “It’s too dangerous for you to come with. Wait for me here, okay?” He smiled as he gently pecked a kiss to its forehead. The horse gently nudged him, trying to insist on coming, but he merely shook his head. “I’ll be fine. I’m Jack Frost, after all.” He cracked a bright and brilliant smile that only made the horse worry more. “See you in a few days Baby Tooth.” Taking the saddle off, he hid it in some bushes before starting his trek up the steep mountain.

The further he ascended, the colder the air became as the wind became fierce. It would’ve bothered a normal human, but Jack of course, was a demigod – an ice demigod. Cold weather never bothered him.

However, weariness and exhaustion did. As the sun started to set, his boot-clad feet dragged in the slushy mud as he fought to keep his drooping eyes open. He bit his pale lips and started to gently sway his hips back and forth, humming a soft tune to keep himself occupied. With the wind in his face, it worked - for a few more hours. When he could hardly keep his eyes open at all, he kept going until he made it to a rather wide area on the road. Letting out a deep sigh of relief, he pressed his back against the snowy cliffside, sinking to his bottom.

He was kind of disappointed. So far he hadn’t seen or heard any dragons. Even now as he strained his hearing, he didn’t hear anything but the wind. Maybe he wasn’t high enough yet; this was the largest mountain in the valley after all.

With that small hope in mind, he let himself fall into a deep slumber where his past gripped him by the throat, desperately trying to strangle the life out of him. It was true what they said, no matter what you do, you never truly left The Nightmares…

When the sun peaked over the horizon, it blinded him, even in his sleep. He was still so tired but he didn’t want to waste valuable sunlight.

Forcing himself to stand, he shook the snow off that had settled on him overnight and continued the hike, the wind and cold being harsher than yesterday. If there were dragons on this mountain, how did they manage to fly in these winds when he could hardly stay stable? It only made him even more determined to make it to the top to find out.

It was rare for him to be this motivated. So he didn’t rest – he didn’t pause. He kept hiking until his feet went from hurting to numb, and his stomach hissed at him for food. Only when the sun was down again did he finally rest, eating a little bit of dry, crumbly bread before falling asleep.

He repeated the process for a few days, each time finding something new to keep him preoccupied. From kicking rocks to dancing, he’d find something to entertain himself until it was finally time to sleep. By day five he was starting to get exhausted, yet he was used to this kind of situation – having to walk endlessly for weeks straight with very little food or water. At least he had reached a point where the wind wasn’t as vicious and he wasn’t nearly stumbling off the ledge. It was almost as calm as the wind was on the surface world.

It was perfect weather for a fire, and despite loving the cold, his body still needed warmth.

Gathering twigs and wood from the trees growing on the side of the mountain, he started making the fire. It was so nerve-wracking, as it normally was as he scratched the two rocks together over the pieces of wood. He was so afraid of feeling those flames touch him. Fire was his biggest weakness, and one of his biggest fears. Wounds caused from fire always took forever to stop bleeding, let alone heal. In cases of intense heat, it felt like the fire was literally sucking the life out of him. The fire he was currently making wasn’t going to be all that high or intense, but it still made nervous beads of sweat slowly trail down the sides of his face. He just wanted the light and to feel a little bit of heat.

Striking the rocks together a few more times, he almost dropped one, his sweaty palms making him curse under his breath. Maybe he should just put up with the darkness of night and take comfort in the cold. Yet his fingers scrambled in the dirt and picked the rock back up, striking the stones a few more times until sparks suddenly flew. With an intense fear, Jack pulled his hands back just as the branches finally caught fire, making him laugh a little in excitement. That was the first time he made a fire without burning himself! It was such a small feat yet it meant so much to him.

With a shake of his head he slowly laid down on his side, watching the fire blankly as sleep slowly started to consumed him. However, he heard something with the wind – a soft flap, like a bird’s wings. Thinking it was part of his imagination, Jack curled his legs closer to himself, licking his lips. He heard it a few more times and opened his eyes a slit, not seeing anything.

Bats, he assumed as he closed his eyes again. They were harassing him all last night. With his luck he chose one of those areas to sleep in again.

Swoosh – a large gust of wind made his eyes snap open, seeing a large body with massive wings before his fire was snuffed out.

It was unmistakable though – that body type, that sound, those wings - this was a dragon about five times his size. It would’ve been fascinating if only he knew if it was a friend or foe. Heck it probably saw him as dinner!

“Are you okay?” Someone suddenly spoke, making him scramble to his feet. Dragons he could deal with. They didn’t have an agenda. Humans on the other hand, they could never be trusted. Even now as Jack searched the cliff, he couldn’t see anyone. Was this a trick? Was someone trying to ambush him and using this dragon as a distraction?

“Where are you; show your face!” He demanded, drawing his sword. Instantly the dragon went wild and made angry noises, to which made Jack take a few steps back.

“Do you want to be eaten?! Put your sword away!” The voice gasped in irritation, and as the clouds moved /just/ right, the moon’s light brightened up the area. On the back of the dragon sat a boy about his age gently moving his hands around the dragon’s head and neck, whispering what could only be soft reassurances to the beast. The sight was enough to make his jaw to drop and the sword to fall from his hand.

It was just like the stories!! This boy – man, however old he was – was riding on the back of this dragon! Something no one’s dared do! There were truth to the stories after all!!

Gods just the thought made him beam with excitement, but he held in his energy. If this man could ride this dragon, he probably had some control over it. In a moment’s notice, he could make Jack into human barbeque.

“Sorry, you startled me,” Jack admitted, making sure his hands were where the rider could see them. “I knew there were dragons here, but I didn’t expect the legends to be true.”

At this, the rider glowered as he sat up straight, the dragon growling. “And why are you looking for dragons? Are you here to scout the area for an invasion?”

Quickly Jack shook his head. “No, I’ve just heard stories since I was little about Berk, and I wanted to see it for myself. I have a fascination with adventures and journeys – stories if you will. I’m a traveling bard.” It wasn’t a complete lie. He did travel to cities to tell children stories and put on plays for them too. He just left out the part of being, what some called, a warrior of justice.

Skeptical, the boy rose a questioning eyebrow (or at least it looked like he did from this distance) as the dragon finally landed on the road. Luckily Jack had stumbled upon a larger nook than usual tonight, leaving plenty of room for this encounter. “And how do I know you aren’t lying?” The freckled man asked as he slid off the back of the larger dragon.

Jack opened his mouth to speak but stopped when he noticed a small black dragon on his shoulder, seemingly sleeping. It only made him more excited knowing smaller dragons were here as well! He wondered if they were the ones knocking people off the mountain like the legend stated.

“I could’ve killed you by now, but I haven’t,” he honestly said, which only made the freckled man snigger.

“Oh really? You couldn’t even keep the sword in your hand.” He mocked as he put his hands on his hips, the larger riding dragon standing up tall next to him.

Right – that was an embarrassing first impression to leave, he blushed a bit as he looked down at his hands. He couldn’t tell this man he could’ve frozen them out of the sky. Nothing good ever came out of people knowing he was a demigod, let alone the son of Loki.

“I have my ways,” he decided to say threateningly as he crossed his arms. “So… you’re from Berk?”

“No, I’m from the other village on the mountain,” he said, his sarcasm oozing with each word. Jack couldn’t help but roll his eyes as he took a few steps forward, watching as the other tensed up. He hated seeing that.

“Look, I just want to experience your village. Are strangers not allowed?”

The stranger looked at his riding dragon as it made a few noises, nodding as if understanding the creature. Then the dragon on his shoulder opened its eyes, making noises as well.

“I’m not gonna just leave him!” He snapped to the smaller dragon who only seemed to have a few teeth. “Windwalker’s right,” he sighed as he looked at Jack again, letting his hands slide off his hips. “Sorry, we were attacked last week, I’m still a little on edge. I’ll walk with you the rest of the way. It’s only a few more turns.”

Jack raised a questioning eyebrow as he looked around. He wanted to walk, while it was still dark out? Wasn’t that dangerous? “Cool! Lead the way, oh great Dragon Whisperer~” he smirked as he bowed, trying not to freak out over the fact that this kid seemed to understand the dragons.

His ministrations must’ve caught the other off guard as he blinked a few times, not sure how to react. Jack gave himself a point on his imaginary scoreboard, determined to leave him thoughtless because the face he made was just too cute (he also loved messing with people – it was in his blood).

“Just make sure to keep up,” he mumbled as he started upwards, the large dragon leading the way. It kept sneezing though, Jack just noticed. Could a dragon even get a cold? Maybe it had allergies.

Shaking the thoughts from his head, he picked up the sword he abandoned, gathered his things and ran up after him. “The name’s Jack, by the way, Jack Frost.”

“Jack Frost?” He snorted, glancing back at Jack. “Sounds like a stage name.”

“Well I am a bard~” he playfully smirked, giving him a wink. “And if you don’t lead me to my death, maybe I’ll put a show on for you~”

At that the freckled one rose a confused eyebrow, still looking at him as he strode forward. “A bard tells stories, not plays.”

“Ah, well you see-“ he said as he quickly caught up with him, walking right at his side. “I have many skills~” At this, the Dragon Whisperer looked him up and down, studying his thin, yet tall body, the clothes he wore, and the bags he carried. His eyes lingered on a few parts, as if he was taking mental notes of some kind.

“I see. So you’re a swordsman, archer, good with a staff, bard, thespian, and don’t tell me, a great cook,” he spoke with his hands as he gave a dry laugh. It was obvious this new character didn’t take him very seriously, but who would? Humans had the tendency to lie, especially to impress people or for personal gain.

“Yes to all of those, exceeptttt that last one,” Jack admitted with a laugh. “At least it’s edible.”

“You have more skill than half of Berk,” the freckled one smiled, unconsciously petting the dragon on his shoulder. “I’ll spare you the horror stories.”

Jack sniggered at that, casually throwing his hands in his white robe pockets. “As much as I love stories, I’m grateful you gave me a pass. Though,” he looked over at the stranger with a hopeful smile. “I didn’t catch your name.”

The freckled man turned to him with a sly smirk of his own, a daring fire sparking in his eyes. “ ‘Cause I didn’t throw it~” He teased with a little raise of his shoulder.

Oh Jack was determined to win now. “That’s okay,” he smirked as he looked forward again. “I’m sure as soon as we get into town, I’ll hear your name.”

He expected another clever and witty comeback, he expected a sneer or embarrassed answer. But instead he was greeted with silence, and it worried him. Chancing a glance back, he saw the brunette looking sadly forward, a haunting look in his eyes.

“I doubt it,” he whispered, obviously noticing his gaze. Jack wanted to expand on this; he wanted to know why the mood suddenly shifted, but he decided against it. He just met this guy, he didn’t want to pressure or rub him the wrong way.

“Well, I hope I do at some point,” he merely said as the sun started to blind them, making it a bit more difficult to see. They were following the dragon though, so Jack had to put faith in the pair. “So… stop me if this is a sore subject, but why were you guys attacked, and by who?” Maybe there was a way the could help this village after all.

The tension in the Dragon Whisperer’s shoulders suddenly depleted as he deflated, the tense atmosphere slowly fading. “The Outcasts. They’re a band of people-“

“Who’ve done terrible things and were banned from their homes,” Jack growled, the other looking up at him in shock.

“You’ve heard of them?”

“Unfortunately,” Jack mumbled, remembering the time where The Nightmares teamed up with The Outcasts. They betrayed them in the end, and his boss never forgave them. “What do they want with you guys?”

“What they normally want, our dragons, knowledge, and treasures. Though their leader seemed more interested in learning how to control the dragons.” He mumbled. “If he learned how to…”

“He could assemble an army,” Jack finished as he clenched his fists. “How close did they get?”

“To the gates of Berk,” he said, which honestly wasn’t all that bad. In fact it was good – really good.

“Only to the gates?” Jack let out a laugh. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about, especially if you keep an eye out-“

“On the path, yeah we know. We won’t be caught off guard again, which is why I’m not too worried.” He smiled as he glanced back up at Jack. “You were the one that asked.”

“Hey, sorry just curious,” he mumbled, inwardly sighing in relief. There wasn’t much he could do then when the village was practically impenetrable. Unless these guys suddenly stopped making rounds and paying attention, Jack didn’t think it was much of an issue. After all, they could just have a dragon swing in and knock the invading army off the cliff.

Speaking of gates, as they rounded another corner, the gates to Berk came into full view, making Jack’s jaw drop. It wasn’t completely at the top of the mountain, but it worked out better that way because a giant waterfall was at the center of their world of beautiful greenery. Dragons of all sizes were flying around while the dragons on guard duty each stood on posts on the walls. There were two Monstrous Nightmares and two Deadly Nadders, all looking at them, studying them – evaluating them.

“Hey guys, he’s cool,” Hiccup said before speaking in another tongue. If Jack didn’t know any better, he could swear he was speaking to the dragons in their own language because the dragons all stood up tall and went back to their posts. Did these people really learn their language too? He did seem to understand them a bit earlier too. “Please don’t tell anyone you heard me talking like that, I’ll get in trouble,” he admitted as he approached the gate. Simultaneously the dragons all blew fire, giving the signal to open the gates.

“Why? Are you talking to dragons??” Jack asked his face full of excitement. His reaction made the other blush a bit as he bite his lip, obviously not sure how to respond. “Y-yeah… but it’s forbidden here, so…”

Forbidden?? Jack couldn’t help but blink, shocked. Why would such an amazing discovering be forbidden, especially in a village that were friends with dragons? Unless it was to prevent people from having more control over the dragons…

“Fine, I won’t tell, on two conditions,” the demigod smirked. Those words made Hiccup pale over before sighing dramatically, putting a hand on his right hip regrettably. “You tell me your name~”

“Of course,” he mumbled, though despite his grumpy remark, there was a small smile. “It’s Hiccup, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III.”

It took everything Jack had not to laugh. Hiccup? Seriously? Why would someone name their kid Hiccup? Then again, he’s heard worse. “Well, Hiccup,” he put emphasis on the name, rubbing in his win which only made Hiccup roll his eyes. “The second condition is that you’ll show me around town~”

“Fineee,” he whined as the gates finally opened for them. “Now, be warned, we’ve lived up here for years without much contact with the outside world. Some of us aren’t the smartest, and some of us aren’t the most… sane.”

“It’d be boring if you guys were normal,” Jack admitted as he followed behind Hiccup, taking in all the scenes. There were so many people, sheep, dragons and – chickens? – running amuck. The little kids were chasing the smaller dragons, playing either hide and seek or tag while the grownups worked and shopped, dragons loyally following behind them. It was a sight he thought he’d never see, and now that it was in front of him, he wanted to engrave it in his mind. “You guys have a lot of shops,” he observed as they started to pass them by. He wanted to look at each and every one of them, but he’d do that after Hiccup showed him around. Despite being partnered with him, he didn’t want to waste Hiccup’s time.

“Yep, there’s a shop for everything, evennn a shop full of nothing,” he sighed, the disappointment obvious in his tone.

“Do people actually buy nothing?” Jack blinked, not believing it.

Hiccup nodded, though shame filled his features. “Some Berkians… aren’t the brightest.”

Not really sure how to respond, as he wasn’t even sure what to think, Jack just nodded and kept following him. After all the shops they had the store houses where weapons, food, water, and other materials were stored. They were two-story warehouses as well and they apparently had replicas on the other side of town in case anything happened to one of the buildings. Beyond that was the town hall, standing large and proud. The large, marble carved Vikings on each side of the door were a bit intimidating though, which was impressive considering he didn’t even know who they were.

Behind that were the homes, each about the same size. Though it was easy to distinguish which house had how many kids because a floor was added to it. It was frightening – there was a house that had to be at least nine stories high. What was really amazing was that between the homes, there was room and space for dragons to sleep, eat and drink. The dragons were literally part of the family.

“-and here are the crops. We have a statue of each god and goddess surrounding them with hopes that they’ll watch over our crops.”

Jack’s eyes narrowed at that, glaring at the statues. That was one addition he hated. Everything else was beautiful, even the area where the dragons and people played around by the waterfall. But this? The fact that they had a statue of each god, even Loki his supposed father, made his blood boil.

“The gods don’t do shit,” Jack couldn’t help but grumble, glowering up at his father’s statue. “I doubt they even know you have the statues here.”

Hiccup, noticing the change in Jack, turned to him, curious. Realizing his outburst, Jack tried to downplay it by coughing a bit awkwardly, looking the other way. “This was definitely worth the hike,” he admitted, clearing his throat. It wasn’t a lie, he was impressed with everything, except the statues. “So… what do you usually do around here-“

“Useless!” A snotty voice snapped, making Hiccup groan.

“One second,” Hiccup whispered as his riding dragon flew off, heading towards the waterfall. The little one on his shoulder though jumped up and floated by his side, glowering at the rather short and large man that approached them. Just like the other Vikings he saw around the village, he wore a metal Viking helmet with tusks sticking out on each side, covering the top of his short and spiky black hair that reached just past his ears. Blue piercing eyes filled with mischief looked Jack up and down, his posture and devious facial expression speaking volumes.

This was someone Jack wasn’t going to like.

“Giving the enemy a grand tour of Berk, are you~?” He smirked as he put his hands on his hips, to which Hiccup merely rolled his eyes.

“He’s just a traveler, Snotlout. I found him on my patrol last night.”

“And how are you sure he’s not a spy?!” He snapped, crossing his arms skeptically as he took a few steps closer to Jack, his look turning more sour by the minute. “I bet you’re playing right into Alvin’s hands!”

Hiccup rolled his eyes as he stood between them. “Oh yeah sure, send your spy up the cold and freezing mountain with no supplies and just a thin robe to keep warm – no, not even Alvin’s that stupid. This is just some idiot who didn’t think before he took the trip. Not everyone’s out to get us.”

“And not everyone’s who they say they are!” He snapped as he twirled around with a huff. “I’m telling your father about this, and he’ll take my side!” Putting two fingers to his mouth, he whistled. Just seconds later, a dragon – a Monstrous Nightmare – landed. “Let’s protect Berk from its embarrassment Hookfang,” he laughed, jumping on.

The small black dragon hovering next to Hiccup made a few noises, to which Hiccup merely shook his head. “No, let him go. Trying to stop him will only add fuel to the fire,” he sighed, turning to Jack. “We should head over to my place. Once my father gets an opinion, it’s… hard to change it.”

Oh Jack knew what that was like, so he nodded, following Hiccup back to the residential area. They didn’t have to go far to see a large man that resembled Odin himself walk towards them, two dragons flying at his sides.

“Hiccup, is what Snotlout said true?! Did you let a spy into the village?!” He snapped as the two hunting dragons surrounded them, unnerving Jack. Despite being interested in dragons, he still feared them, especially the fire types.

“No, Snotlout’s just being paranoid,” Hiccup quickly responded as he stood in front of Jack, his arms outstretched as the smaller dragon fluttered above Hiccup. “He’s a traveling bard whose dream is to travel the world and collect stories.”

“It’s true sir,” Jack suddenly spoke up, moving Hiccup out of the way, not wanting to look weak. Besides, he didn’t need to be protected. “I was actually hoping to tell stories to the children, if… that’s okay with you. Anyone can attend,” he glanced at Hiccup with a hopeful smile.

Stoick though put his hand on the hilt of his sword, his eyes studying the weapons slung on Jack’s back. “If you come in peace, why the weapons?”

At that, Jack could only let out a laugh. “Travel without a weapon? In this world? I don’t have a death wish,” he admitted as he pointed at his sword. “Just killed three thieves attacking an old farmer on the road towards Paradise Valley. They outnumbered and outclassed the old man, three to one with a savage glint in their eyes.” Stoick’s hard eyes softened and glittered with a warrior’s curiosity, which made Jack gleefully smirk. “I was making my way here on the back of my trusty steed when we saw the scene. The old man was begging the thieves to spare him, begging them to spare the only crops that grew for him and his family after the first harsh winter storm blew through. The leader of the three thieves, who stood in the middle of the other two men, looked at his comrades and said they’d spare him. But then a wicked smirk crawled like a black widow on his lips as he took out his sword and thrust it into the old man’s shoulder.”

“How despicable! How dishonorable!” Stoick gasped, his fingers tightening in anger on his own sword. But that’s how Jack knew he had his audience captivated as he drew his own sword, holding it high in the air with one hand to show he meant no harm.

“That’s what I thought too. So I took up my sword and charged in, my determination to save the old man blazing.” He moved his body with the story, demonstrating his moves and actions. “The three men, shocked to see me running their way, collected themselves as they readied for battle. But they made the tragic mistake of underestimating me. I stopped my horse midway and flipped off it, landing and swiping at their feet. My blade cut into the ankle of one of the thieves as the other two were smart enough to sidestep away, then one of them charged. I took my sword and swung it behind me, letting it rest in my armpit as I twirled around him, laughing as he rammed into his comrade, stabbing him with his own sword.”

“Idiot!” Stoick laughed.

“Right? Their leader was the same,” Jack smirked as he took his sword in both hands, slowly moving to the side, his eyesight and sword pointed in the direction where no one stood. “He stood, just like this, his eyes glowing with hatred and revenge. ‘Scum!’ He yelled as he took a stab at me, but I moved back, easily parring his swipe. When I fight, I use my senses to their fullest. So I was prepared when scurrying footsteps came barreling towards me. Without a second thought, I rolled off to the side, my sword safely tucked with me. The other thief had grasped a hold of reality, yet was blinded by revenge. Foolishly he came at me, sword swinging and used all his brute strength to thrust his sword forward. I, of course, predicted this move and easily moved out of the way, immediately thrusting my own sword forward. As the second one fell, the third yelped in anger and anguish. He charged as well, but I surprised him with my special attack,” he smirked. This is where his story became false, like always. “I grabbed this magic powder, a gift from the gods, from my pocket and tossed it forward, the sparkling dust lighting up in such a way he stopped dead still. I told him I was sorry I had to kill his friends, but I’d spare him as long as he tried turn his life around. ‘How am I supposed to do that?’ He asked, his voice breaking in anger and sorrow. He still hadn’t forgiven me for slaying his friends, but there was still a chance this man could do good with his life – I couldn’t give up on him. ‘For starters, you can take this man back to his people and work for him until he’s well enough. You owe him that much. Then maybe you can settle down, or work to protect others.”

“That’s stupid!” Stoick snapped, his fingers leaving his sword as he crossed his arms again. “He’s scum! He’s not going to change just because you spared him! He’ll just hunt you down for revenge!”

“But he didn’t,” Jack said as he put his own sword away. “I checked on him before coming back up here, and he found his calling. Now the village has a protector and blacksmith who knows his weapons. Everyone’s thankful he’s there – he’s saved the village from two raid attacks. He even found a wife.” As he finished, he chanced a glance to Hiccup whose eyes were sparkling. The sight made him blush a bit as he cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his head. He hadn’t expected Hiccup to look at him that way, with such admiration and respect. It made him uneasy.

“I’d say he’s telling the truth father,” Hiccup said, looking up at his father with a bright smile. “For an outsider, he tells great stories.”

Stoick, who blinked a few times because he hadn’t even noticed how engrossed he had become coughed, avoiding eye contact. “Well… I guess there’s no harm in performing, but no weapons.”

Instantly Jack beamed in happiness, relieved he would be able to perform. It was something he could cross off his bucket list. “When can I do it?”

“Tonight at the amphitheater,” Stoick said as he whistled, his two hunting dragons flying back to his sides. “Hiccup will show you the way.” He then turned to his son. “If he turns out to be a spy-”

“I know, I’m banished,” he mumbled as the small dragon flew back on his shoulder, those acidic green eyes glowering at Jack. He quickly turned away, avoiding the gaze, already feeling dizzy. One of the first rules when dealing with dragons is to never look them in the eyes. Doing so gives them complete control over you so they could either eat you, use you as a slave, or make you spill your secrets.

“Good, see you two later tonight,” his father said as he mounted one of the dragons and flew off, leaving the two of them alone.

“So,” the demigod started, seeing as Hiccup seemed to be composing himself. “Your father seems nice.”

Hiccup couldn’t help but snort as he turned to him. “He can be, when he’s in a good mood,” he admitted. “If you hadn’t started your story though…” He shook his head, unable to say the rest as he crossed his arms. “Normally he doesn’t listen to me, but your bard skills distracted him.”

Was that supposed to be a compliment? Jack was pretty sure that was a compliment, so he smiled, feeling victorious. “Well, I don’t mean to brag,” he smirked as he clasped his hands together to stretch them out in front of himself. “But I’m pretty awesome.”

Pain shot through his butt as what felt like teeth sunk into his skin, making Jack gasp and jump. Twirling around, he expected to see a large dragon trying to make a meal out of him, but instead saw the small black dragon shaking in laughter in mid air, no doubt laughing.

“Thanks Toothless,” Hiccup gave a smug smile as the dragon slowly flew back to him, laughing and giggling the whole way.

Despite the pain, Jack couldn’t help but give a small, playful smirk. “What was that forrr?” He whined, rubbing his bottom. For a dragon with very few teeth, that chomp hurt like hell.

“Someone was getting cocky, we had to put you in your place.” Jack couldn’t help but chuckle as Hiccup turned on his heels, making his way back to the heart of the village. Oh he’d get him back sooner or later! Hiccup was messing with a child of Loki!

“Was that story true, by the way?” Hiccup’s tone changed, no longer jocular and challenging. This one seemed more sincere; gentle even. It caught Jack off guard.

“Yeah, all my stories are real,” he admitted, looking down at the soil as they continued, trying not to remember the stories he tried putting behind him. “Even the ones I don’t want to remember.” Slowly Hiccup turned, pity written on his face. Jack hated that look, but he always asked for it with answers like that.

“Then… why do you tell them if they hurt you?”

That… was a good question. Why did he tell them? Wouldn’t it be better to just bury some and pretend they never happened?

“I guess… it’s a release,” his mind supplied. “I’ve been through a lot of battles and a lot of wars, I guess telling others is therapeutic.”

“I can respect that,” Hiccup said as they stopped at the edge of the shops. “You gave that thief a second chance. Not all warriors do that,” he bite his bottom lip as he looked up at Jack, a soft smile crossing his thin lips. “How did you know he’d change?”

Jack bite his bottom lip as he looked to the ground, not really sure how to respond. “After… everything I’ve seen, I couldn’t see a killer instinct in his eyes.”

Hiccup’s eyes widened as he tilted his head, amazed. “You can see that?” He blinked before shaking his head, noticing the way a haunting expression seemed to cloud Jack’s eyes. He didn’t have to explain if he didn’t want to, so he decided to change the subject. “What did the dust do? It was a little unclear.”

Jack felt his heart beat fast for a moment. He had hoped he wouldn’t ask, but of course he did. “Well that’s a secret,” he smiled before playfully nudging him. “If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”

A challenging smirk returned to Hiccup’s freckled face and eyes. “I’d like to see you try.”

Jack couldn’t help but snort, looking Hiccup up and down. He didn’t mean to judge, but Hiccup did /not/ strike him as the fighting type despite the missing left leg. Yes Jack noticed the small limp in his step, followed by the faint sound of metal. “No offense, but you don’t seem like the fighting type.”

Quickly Hiccup drew his sword, revealing a small yet elaborate blade. Just like a sword should be, it was an extension of his own arm and he held it with confidence as it was pointed at Jack.

Slowly Jack put his hands in the air. “That wasn’t a challenge, I promise,” he said. “I barely got permission to do my bard thing later, I’m not about to throw the opportunity away.”

“Like Useless could hit you anyway,” the familiar voice of Snotlout came from beside them, making them both turn. Before they could even protest, Snotlout pulled out his own sword and darted towards Hiccup. In an instant the Dragon Whisperer got ready to parry the attack, but there was a dangerous look in the bully’s eyes. A look Jack had seen too many times. Snotlout was looking for blood.

With ease, Jack drew his own sword and blocked Snotlout’s, though blinked in surprise. Parallel to his own sword was Hiccup’s, and his stance was almost flawless despite his shaking arms from the pressure the larger boy was forcing upon them. There was more to Hiccup than he thought. But he wasn’t going to let this fight progress. With the strength that came from a demigod, Jack pushed Snotlout back, knocking his sword to the ground. “We’re not looking for a fight, go home,” he hissed, putting his own sword away.

Snotlout, however, glowered up at them. If looks could kill, Jack would’ve been a dead man. “No one makes a fool out of me!” He snapped before turning to leave. For half a second, Jack could faintly hear the sound of metal cutting through air behind him.

Was he really trying to stab a man in the back? Was Snotlout really this pathetic?

Quickly his hand went for his bow and held it backwards, catching the sword through the strings before he yanked both to the side. Like he expected, the sword was dull, leaving his bow undamaged. “Didn’t your parents teach you manners?” He snapped as he kneed the new comer in the stomach so hard he doubled over. “Never stab a man in the back; it’s dishonorable,” he hissed, turning to Hiccup who went and grabbed the bow that lay next to the now unconscious man.

“We should hang outside the gates for a bit,” Hiccup whispered as they quickly headed in that direction. “He doesn’t take defeat well.” The dragon said something from his shoulder, which prompted Hiccup to sigh. “Yeah, he set fire to the crops during one of my shifts when I was on the other side of the island and blamed me for it all. And since he’s the star pupil in Gobber’s training, everyone believed him over me.” The dragon on his shoulder sunk its claws into Hiccup’s shoulder, making him gasp. “Yeah yeah, sorry, over me and Toothless, whatever.”

Normally Jack didn’t stand down to bullies, nor did he hide from them. But he didn’t want to lose grace with Stoick, and he didn’t want to get Hiccup banished. He’d stay out of trouble… for now.

“Lead the way~” he said, following Hiccup back outside the gates. The guardian dragons glanced over at them as they neared the gates before returning to their positions. Jack was surprised they let them out, but didn’t question it as Hiccup led him to the side of the mountain where there was shade from a tree above.

“I know it doesn’t have the best scenery, but we’re alone out here.” Jack couldn’t help but smile a bit at that. Hiccup liked solitude too? If everyone treated him like Snotlout did, he couldn’t blame him.

“Does everyone treat you like Snotlout?” He asked softly, almost hesitantly. He hated the idea of Hiccup being cast out.

“No,” he said as he pulled his legs close to his chest, Toothless flying up to the tree above to snack on insects. “I don’t like talking about it.”

“Sorry-“ Jack was quick to say, pulling his own legs to his chest. “With the way you handled that sword, I know you can take care of yourself, but…” slowly he looked to Hiccup, his deep blue eyes meeting those forest green ones. “You shouldn’t have to protect yourself from the people you live with,” he said, his voice darkening a bit.

“Well… we’re cousins, actually, Snotlout and I,” he said, biting his bottom lip as he looked to the ground. “And even though I’m supposed to be next in line to be the Chief of Berk, he wants my position.”

“So he’ll kill you to get it?” He asked, watching as Hiccup’s face cringed a bit in fear.

“No, I mean, he’s done some… questionable things, but I doubt he’d actually, you know, go through with it. Besides, I always make it out in the end, as strange as it sounds. It’s like… the gods want me to stay alive or something.”

Unintentionally Jack growled at the statement as he clenched his fists against his pants. It was a habit, he couldn’t control it. Even if he could he’d still curse the gods and tell others not to listen to them.

“Is there a story behind it?” Hiccup asked quietly, making Jack blink a bit in confusion.

“Behind what?”

“Why you hate the gods so much?”

Of course he’d ask that. He pushed into Hiccup’s life, now Hiccup was pushing into his. It was only fair.

“Let’s just say one of them ruined my life,” he said. “They led me down a dark path I couldn’t get out of. It’s why I’m trying to redeem myself. The least I can do is help as many people as I can, and to make people laugh.” He stopped after that, bitterly spitting off to the side. Hiccup, who only grew more curious, opened his mouth to speak when an arrow whizzed past his face, barely missing him, and stuck into the wall between them.

Quickly they both sprung to their feet, Jack taking his sword out. The dragon guardians all got up and growled, howling the signal.

They were under attack, and with Jack’s horrible luck, they were outside the gates as an army started to pour onto the main road.

“Toothless!” Hiccup cried as the little dragon fell out of the tree and onto his shoulder, hissing at the amassing army. “Think we can make it to the gates?” He asked, seeing his people and dragons flying upwards.

“It’s too risky, we’d be hit with an arrow as soon as we started to run.”

“Right-“ Hiccup said, feeling like an idiot before he let out a strange, gargled sound, earning a look from Jack. “It’s a Monstrous Nightmare call. They all have saddles so we’ll be fine.”

Monstrous Nightmare – oh gods Jack felt his face pale. There was no way he was getting on the back of one of those. If it decided to light itself on fire, he wouldn’t stand a chance. He’d get a heat stroke and fall unconscious in a matter of seconds.

“Why a monstrous nightmare? I mean, wouldn’t a deadly nadder or something similar be better??”

“If the dragon’s mature enough, the nightmare’s flames can melt the weaker arrows before they even get close. And if we get surrounded, people will scatter at the sight of fire.”

‘Yeah, so will I,’ Jack wanted to say, but kept his mouth shut. They’d figure it out. Even if he had to make Hiccup leave by himself, then so be it.

“Get them! Bring Hiccup to Alvin!!” One of the front leaders commanded. A few men made a mad dash for them, Jack shoving Hiccup behind him as he raised his sword at the ready.

“Hey!” Hiccup cried. “I can FIGHT!” He growled, trying to push himself forward as the first man came over, swinging his sword. Easily Jack disarmed him, stabbing him in the chest without mercy.

“I know you can, but have you killed before?” The silence that followed was all he needed to hear before he rushed the next two guys, moving away from one of their blades and kneeing him hard in the groin. He then slammed his sword down on another man’s hand before using the hilt to slam the sword on his head; both fell to the ground instantly.

“Once you kill, everything changes,” he said as he plunged his sword into yet another warrior, watching the light leave the man’s eyes sadly. “You’ll never sleep peacefully again.”

Hearing that made Hiccup gulp. It was the truth. He couldn’t even bring himself to kill a dragon, instead he befriended nearly the entire species. But out here, right now, he couldn’t befriend all these soldiers. It was literally a kill or be killed situation. If it really came to it, would he really be okay sinking metal into another’s flesh? Would he really be okay watching as the blood trickled down the polished silver while the light left someone’s eyes?

No… he couldn’t do it…

With a distressed sigh, he sheathed his sword, grabbing Jack’s bow out of his pack. “Fine, I’ll just beat them with this.” The demigod would’ve protested, but he was just glad he was listening to him. Most people didn’t, then regretted it later.

“Ready? Here comes five, I won’t be able to stall all of them!”

“I’m ready!” Hiccup said as Toothless flew around them, the dragon looking determined.

When they came, Jack was able to distract three of them with ease, immediately disarming one. The other two both charged. When they were inches away Jack dropped to the ground and grabbed their ankles, forcing them to fall on their faces. The sound of flesh being shifted by metal reassured him that one of them fell on their own sword. The other was hovering above him, lifting his sword to plunge into Jack.

With a deep breath, he rolled back slightly and kicked the man in the stomach, his hands going weak and dropping the sword. The man on his right regained his sense as he gripped his ankle free from his hand and stumbled to his feet. Fearing he’d go after Hiccup, Jack rolled forward, managing to get to his feet and jumped into a fighting stance, only to gasp. The man was running towards him with his sword, but behind him two men had Hiccup by the wrists, trying to drag him away. Hiccup, of course, was flailing and fighting against him as much as he could with Toothless trailing behind him, being hunted down by a third guy with a sword.

“Hiccup!!” He cried as he parred the guy’s sword, but unlike the others, he didn’t lose his grip on his weapon. Instead he kept fighting, proving to be formidable. He tried all his tricks, all his skills, but no matter what, he couldn’t get this man off him. The other men who were dragging Hiccup were nearly in their safe zone. Even with dragons firing down on them and Toothless desperately biting at their noses and wrists, the dragon was too scared to blow fire, fearing he’d hurt Hiccup. Yet his efforts didn’t seem to be working. One of them, furious, punched Toothless, and with a shriek, the dragon slammed into the ground.

“TOOTHLESS!!” Hiccup cried as he managed to kick one of them in the knee, freeing himself for a few brief seconds before a soldier slammed the hilt of his sword against the side of his head. With a pained gasp his eyes went wide, his body crumbling in their hands.

He had no choice – there was only one thing left to do even though he hated it.

He’d lose the friendship he had with Hiccup – he’d lose Stoick’s respect. But honestly… did he expect a different outcome? He could never be happy….

Bringing his sword close to his face, the air around them grew colder and colder, the wind more violent. The man attacking him looked around, watching the sky darken in fear.

“I’ll give you one chance. Fall back, or face my wrath.” Icicles slowly started forming along his sword, his eye’s reflection fogging over in the blade. The man faltered for a moment, unsure of what he should do. But just like all of them, he continued to come forward, making Jack sigh.

“Let this be a lesson to all of you!” He snapped, swiping his sword as wind pushed the icicles off the metal and into the attacking man, killing him instantly. A few horrified gasps came from the army, even the people dragging Hiccup stopped – only for a moment though. Foolishly, they continued to drag him forward.

“You think this is a trick?!” He snapped as he brought his empty hand to his lips. Softly, he blew against it, unleashing a line of snow that billowed from him and intercepted the people taking Hiccup, making them run right into a snowy wall. Despite being injured, Hiccup used the opportunity to grab one of their swords and slammed the hilt in the back of their necks, knocking them both out. When one of the men hopped the mount and dashed towards Hiccup, who was gathering Toothless in his arms, Jack was suddenly there, his hair now as white as snow and his eyes mirroring the darkest depths of a frozen lake.

“Freeze,” he whispered as he touched him with – wait was that a shepherd's crook made of ice? Where did he get that?? – and instantly, he froze. The dragons and Berkians above were speechless, not really sure what to do while the rest of the army stared on in shock. With a weightless jump, the wind helped Jack up and onto the snow wall he made, stuffing his free hand into one of his pockets while he held the shepherds crook in his other hand. “Leave Berk and never return, or face the wrath of the great Jack Frost!” Wind and snow raged as he said this, laughing maniacally for effect as he watched the army retreat with their tails between their legs.

“You okay Hiccup?” He called, though didn’t look down at him, afraid to see fear, hatred and anger.

“Uhm… more or less,” Hiccup merely said as he pulled Toothless closely to himself, the dragon slowly coming to. “So… is this the magic powder-dust-whatever the gods gave you?”

Despite the situation, Jack couldn’t help the small snort as he turned to him, seeing Hiccup’s face only light up more in fascination than disgust. That… was a first. He wasn’t sure how to respond. This was the first time someone didn’t curse him.

“More or less,” he smirked as he jumped down, using the wind to let him glide down, some parts of his hair losing the frost and returning back to its natural deep brown color. “You’re… not afraid of me?” He mumbled, unable to hide the vulnerable tremble in his voice.

“Should I be?” Hiccup rose an eyebrow as he leaned down and gathered some snow in his hands, forming a ball. “You seem to have it under control, and I sort of, maybe, think it’s kinda awesome.” He smiled, his excitement nearly uncontainable. The relief was enough to make him laugh, a true, genuine laugh as he reached forward, moving to take the snowball when a blast of unfathomable heat rushed towards him. With a painful gasp Jack scrambled back, already feeling himself weaken, nearly falling unconscious. He was extremely sensitive to heat, and for good reason.

“Wait- what are you doing?!” Hiccup cried as he scrambled in front of Jack, acting as a shield. “He saved us, he’s not part of Alvin’s army!!”

“But he’s a demigod, Hiccup,” Stoick boomed as his father’s hunting dragon approached, his face full of fear. “And not just any demigod, a son of Loki! We can’t trust him!”

Hiccup rolled his eyes, staying his ground. “Just because he has ice powers doesn’t mean he’s the son of Loki! He also controlled the wind – there’s lots of gods that have that ability!”

Those words made Jack’s eyes widen, shocked Hiccup would even bring that up. In all honesty, he wasn’t even sure if his father was Loki. He just assumed that because that’s what everyone else said. No one wanted to risk housing or harboring the child of a traitorous, lying, thieving god.

“He’s got a silver tongue, he had me so invested in that story earlier I literally saw it before my eyes!”

“Maybe because he’s a bard, and a damned good one at that?” Hiccup shook his head. “Even if he is the son of Loki doesn’t mean he’s bad! Fishleg’s father is Alvin, and look at him! He only has Berserk tendencies but he’s not evil!”

Stoick’s face scrunched up in pure fury, veins popping in his forehead. “HICCUP! You will not question me in front of the tribe!” He snapped, his words far sharper than any sword as Hiccup’s eyes averted to the ground, body tensing. “Are you trying to embarrass me?!”

“No,” he whispered, slowly turning to Jack. “You’re embarrassing yourself, attacking someone who just saved us. We owe him our gratitude, not his execution.” Hesitantly, the dragon whisperer turned back to his father, clenching his fists at his sides. As much as he loved his father, he refused to put up with his stupid views, especially when they were wrong.

For a moment, Stoick hesitated. He looked to Jack, his face softening a bit, but then he looked back to Hiccup and scowled. “Get out of the way-“

“You don’t have to worry about me,” Jack suddenly spoke up, wind picking up. “I’m leaving.”

“What?!” Hiccup gasped, dropping his guard as he turned to him, watching as the wind picked up Jack’s pack he left back at the tree and brought it to the demigod. “No it’s not fair – it’s not customary! Just give me a few minutes-“ he stopped as Jack gently rest a hand on his shoulder.

“Thank you for showing me your village, but even if I was allowed back in, I couldn’t bear to see the fear on their faces.”

“But they shouldn’t…” he whispered, seeing the sad yet peaceful look in his deep blue eyes. It was the look of someone who had given up a long time ago, but found a way to make peace with it. No one should harbor that gaze.

“It’s fine, I’m needed elsewhere, I’ve been selfish long enough.” Gently he patted Hiccup on the shoulder, a sign of pure gratitude as he threw the pack on his back. “The ice wall should keep them out for a bit. Even if they wanted to attack they’d have to climb over it, but they won’t be able to make it to the top before the dragons surrounded them.”

“Jack-“

“You’ve been the best company I’ve had in a long time,” Jack whispered down to Hiccup, not daring to meet my eyes. It was hard to say goodbye. “Thank you.”

Before Hiccup could even muster up another argument, Jack jumped, a gust of wind forcing him to shield his eyes. “Wait – let me get you provisions-“ By the time the wind calmed down enough for him to lower his arms, the demigod was gone, leaving soft snow glittering from the sky.

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I hope you guys like it so far! I have thirty more pages written up, so enough for another chapter >////< After I polish it up I’ll upload as soon as I can~! Thank you so much for being my beta reader Tashi~

#hijack #frostcup #phage writes #the greater good #i havent been able to write in so long yet i was able to write so much of this flaiushfliuashdf im so happy >///< I've been working on this #for a while falaflihds even taking a notepad to work to work on it during my breaks flaiushf sometimes i'd leave early just to have sometime

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