Chapter Text
Darkness had overtaken Berk a few hours ago and sleep had already claimed most of the inhabitants. Viking life was exhausting more often than not so many welcomed the night and the sweet embrace of earned sleep after a days work, Gobber for example was out for the count, sleeping as if he hadn't slept in a month or more. His neighbors on the other hand were very much awake. Getting to sleep is tricky business when Gobber starts snoring after all. Some even swore his snoring would ward off dragon raids, a rumour not helped by the fact that there had never been a raid on the nights had Gobber was snoring.
Others that found themselves in a more active state took this time to spend with the other tribe members in the great hall. Food was to to be saved for the coming winter but there were no such concerns when it came to the ale and mead supply's, so many of the Vikings that had entered the hall being able to walk in a straight line would leave in more unconventional directions.
But unlike his clansmen who sought respite from the day now that darkness had fallen Hiccup was at work in the forge. He'd performed the first test of the prosthetic tail for Toothless or should he say that Toothless had performed the first test. It was a spontaneous flight on the night furys part but the fin had gotten the job done....kind of. The fin did its job perfectly when it was open and in the right position for the type of flight that the dragon was attempting. Hiccup had realized that the fin would need to be controlled somehow and all the solutions that he had come up with required manual control probably from him. Hiccup doubted Toothless would be pleased with him having along for a flight, judging by how the Night fury had flung him off during the first flight test when he realized the boy was along for the ride.
Sighing to him self he put down the charcoal and pushed himself up from his chair.
"Oh gods, I'm tired." he muttered to himself before letting out a yawn "I should probably get to bed."
He decided to stretch his back before he turned to the door, so he interlaced his fingers and lifted his hands above his head while leaning back and his back gave off a few satisfying pops. He turned to the door of his room in the forge, took his first step and then promptly felt the ground give any beneath him.
The only thing he could do was give of a brief cry of fright as he fell through what should have been the floor.
All through out the village there were similar cry's of shock, for all of a few moments at least before the village went deathly quiet. Berk was empty.
Toothless perked up from the charred patch of earth that had become his resting place, his frills raised as he sat alert. He'd heard a distant commotion as if hundreds of voices had cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.
After a few moments of silence he simply rolled over and went back to sleep.
After a long few days of sailing Stoick and the crews of the ships that were headed to Helheims gate were getting close, it should only be one more day before they reach the infamous wall of fog that separated the dragons nest, where ever it may be, from the rest of the world. Most of the Vikings crewing the ships had turned in for the day apart from a few that were needed to keep the ships on course, and Stoick. Sleep eluded the chief this night, this always happened when he approached Helheims gate. he had to much to think about.
His mind would always turn to the night that sparked his obsession with finding the dragons nest. The night that he lost his wife Valka and almost lost Hiccup his only son. Sometimes he wondered if he would find Valkas bones in the nest and if he did would he even recognize them. Would some part of him just know they were hers. Would he find that four winged abomination that took her from him, that took her from her son. Stoick was going to find that nest ,it was not a question in his mind that he would, and when he did he would avenge his wife and every other man woman and child they had taken the life of through out the years.
He was brought back from his thoughts when heard a shout to his right, he turned head to the right in a flash reading his hammer expecting a dragon of some kind. Instead he saw two of the men , Hoark and Gunnar, on the ship that was to the right of his, suddenly fall out of sight. He saw Spitelout backing away from the position the men had been a moment ago with a look of terror on his face before he to dropped out of sight.
Stoick to a single step forward to get a closer look as confusion over took him. But before he could gleam anything further the world opened up beneath him and swallowed him whole.
Wakefulness came unnaturally to hiccup, it was not the gradual assent to consciousness he had come to expect from wakening up, nor was it to abrupt jolt of wakening up in fright that one would experience after a nightmare or loud noise. No he was conscious suddenly. leaned forward to rub his eyes only to hear an familiar voice to his left side.
"Hiccup?"
"DAD!, you're back?" he said, hearing the unmistakable voice of his father. "Um that was quicker that the normal search, did something happen or..." He rambled before trailing off. He had panicked for a moment thinking that his father would spy the schematics for the tailfin he was working on. There was just one small problem with that way of thinking. "Uh, where are we?"
"I don't know, son." Stoick replied, he was just as confused as Hiccup it seemed.
"Hey, what's happening, I coulda sworn I fell asleep in me own bed." Gobbers voice came from Stoicks left.
"AAAHHH, c'mon I could have taken that fall." Tuffnuts voice announced from behind them, followed by Ruffnuts. "Yeah, what a let down, we never get to have any fun around here."
"Really guys, would you rather we had fallen to our deaths!" came a third voice, Snotlouts to be exact "Besides we don't even know where here is."
"Never underestimate the joy of a good rough landing, Snotman" Tuffnut replied
Snotlout was about to retort before he was cut of by Astrid "Are you two serious?" She asked, gesturing towards the Thorston twins, her tone laced with obvious annoyance. "We almost fell to our deaths, and are now stuck in a room that we have no idea how to escape from and you two are complaining about not having fun!"
"Uh, yeah" Ruffnut stated as if it were obvious. "It's a point of pride among us Thors-"
"Uhg, I don't wanna hear it" Astrid cut her off, turning away from them in the prosses.
"I was totally thinking the same thing Astrid, we're totally on the same page." Snotlout flirted unsuccessfully. Astrid did not deem Snotlouts antics worthy of a response.
"Uh guys, Astrid's right " Said Fishlegs. "He really should be trying to escape."
While his peers behind him were bickering with one another Hiccup was examining his surroundings. The room they found themselves trapped in was vast, it was holding the whole village population after all. The walls we're a shade of black usually reserved for the night sky with pale, light emitting, orbs lining then in evenly spaced intervals. It was mostly filled with rows upon rows of chairs, each row raised slightly above the last to grant a clear view of the rooms center piece, a massive black panel.
Hiccups curiosity only rose when the screen lit up pure white, his eyes strained as they adjusted to the sudden influx of light. When his eyes caught up with the brightness he noticed the black writing that had appeared on it. The writing consisted of Nordic runes and was large enough so even those with poor eye sight could read it.
Welcome people of berk, I would assume that many of you are frightened or nervous but I can assure you that you are safe and will be returned to you previous location once this is done. As for why you are here, I have come to offer a once in a lifetime opportunity to witness the events to come in the future. Five years from now to be exact. So please sit back relax and enjoy the show, its even gonna have music.
"woah, is this for real' Snotlout asked awestruck.
"Well considering we arrived here by falling through solid ground I wouldn't rule it out." Hiccup replied equally stunned.
"I wonder what we will be doing in five years time" Astrid said.
"Woah" That came from Ruffnut.
"Awesome" That came from Tuffnut.
"This is so exiting." Fishlegs gawked. "Just think of what we could see, new dragon species, people we will meet and things that will happen!" Needless to say Fishlegs was exited.
"Well what ever we see it should be interesting" Stoick stated not even bothering to hide his interest.