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![HTTYD: Bound In Holy Matrimony (Part 3) [Finale]](http://t.furaffinity.net/36575812@150-1590789002.jpg "HTTYD: Bound In Holy Matrimony (Part 3) [Finale]")
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On the island of New Berk, the sky had finally shown over a snow-covered village, with houses built in a fashion that moved with the nature of the island. Within the one house in its village center resided the Chief of New Berk, Hiccup Haddock.
He found himself perfectly prepared for his wedding to come. Dressed up in a regal white uniform whose color matched his bride’s own, his head adored in a crown of sparkling green leaves that suited him nicely, a large, furry brown cape over his shoulders and back, and all of it topped off with a gold-studded belt and bracelets, it was his hope that he looked his best for the woman he yearned to wed.
He now stood in the front of the space that would serve as the wedding location. The breeze caressed the Berkian ever so gently, as if to calm his nerves for the big day. Not that he had any reservations; to the contrary, he felt that this would be the happiest day of his life. He was in love with his beautiful best friend, and would now be able to show to all who attended that they would be forever by each other’s side as husband and wife.
“Ye think yer ready, laddie?” asked Gobber. The man may not have been family by blood, but Hiccup always considered him a sort of father figure in his own right … especially after the passing of his own blood father.
If only you could be here for this, dad, he thought.
Stoick's face flashed before his mind as he sadly smiled, knowing he would have loved to see his son take this next step in his life. But deep down, in his heart, he could feel his mighty father, like his soul was watching them from Valhalla. The young chief took comfort in that, his sad smile ever so slightly broadening.
"Hiccup?" A hand rested on his shoulder, snapping him from his pondering.
"Oh ... yeah ... I'm fine, Gobber. Thanks," he said as he turned to his dear old blacksmith mentor and father figure. "Just a little... excited?" he sheepishly stated, to which the older man smiled knowingly, crossing his arms.
"Aye, as ye should be," he bemused. "Yer takin' that last step to being bound for life. And if you don't mind me sayin' so, it's hard to imagine someone better to do it with than Miss Hofferson."
Hiccup chuckled, fondness in the tone. "Yeah, it is."
The sweet moment was cut off sharply, however, by a sharp exclamation from a bit of distance away.
"RUFFNUT?!"
Hiccup and Gobber jumped in place slightly, their heads sharply turning to the direction of the scream. Without hesitation, the two of them ran towards it.
Hiccup recognized the voice. "Tuffnut?!" he shouted. "Was that you?"
"Guys, get in here!" the voice responded. "The bridal hut, now!" Tuffnut's voice, rather than the usual dimwitted demeanor it usually had, was fearful and panicked. Either something was very wrong, or Tuffnut was about to get chewed out for causing such a ruckus over nothing.
When they got to the hut, however, Hiccup hesitated to go inside. "Uh ..." he said to Gobber, "Isn't it kinda tradition to not see the bride before-"
"Astrid's not in here, just come on!" Tuffnut interrupted, his tone now carrying annoyance mixed in with the frantic fear.
"What?" both men uttered in unison. They rushed in, and ended up greeted by the sight of Tuffnut cradling his sister on the floor, a very rare gesture between the two. Next to her side, Gothi was there, raising her elderly hand to Ruffnut's temple as the feminine twin slurred and stirred.
"Ohh... Mmmy... Spooon....."
To that, Tuffnut's genuine concern was replaced with a roll of his eyes, and annoyed groan while still holding her close. "Ugh, will you ever let that go?"
Hiccup's stammering made all heads turn his way. "Uh, eh, what's... What happened? And..." he gestured his hands to the entire hut, "Where's Astrid?"
"What's going on in here?" the voice of Eret came before he made his way into the hut, joining the hectic scenario.
"I came in here to check on how things were going," Tuffnut began, "But the first thing I see is my sis on the floor. It looks like she was passed out!"
"Passed out?" Eret asked. "The wedding hasn't even started and she's already drinking?"
Tuffnut leered at the comment, but pushed the feeling down. "I don't think it was drinking." He pulled something out of his pocket. Something so small that it could barely be seen as he placed it between two fingers to hold it up for everyone. "This was in her neck, man."
All eyes went wide when they saw a small, empty vial with a needle attached. A little pump was attached to it, clearly there to push whatever was in the vial into an object - or apparently person - of the wielder’s choice.
"Let me see that," Hiccup said as he approached Tuffnut, to which the twin handed him the vial.
The young man brought it close to his face in contemplation, a sudden uncomfortable sensation welling up within him. He then felt Eret approach from behind, and saw his hand come into view as he gently let him take it for his own inspection. His face was equally perplexed ... until he squinted his eyes in subtle recognition.
"Impossible ..." he uttered.
"What?" Hiccup replied, as his dread began to swell even further.
Suddenly, a tapping sound caused all heads to turn to the far end of the room. They saw Gothi tapping the end of her staff to the floor, while within her right hand she held up a simple slip of paper. At once, Hiccup briskly approached the elder, with the others gathering around.
Hiccup took the paper out from her hand, unraveled it, and began reading. The look on Gothi’s face didn’t encourage him in the slightest.
And reading the paper, it only got worse.
He began to read it aloud. “To Chief Hiccup Haddock, we have-“
But his voice stopped dead in its tracks, Hiccup’s heart racing when he saw what it said. Everyone looked at him expectedly, and he swallowed deeply before resuming. “We have your bride,” he whimpered shakily.
The entire room went dead silent. Everyone glanced at each other, their faces etched with a look that told of a sickening feeling in each of their stomachs.
Hiccup barely managed to continue. “Come to these coordinates when you receive this note. Come alone and unarmed before the sun peaks in the sky, or she-“ he shuddered, and barely managed to whimper out, “Or she dies.”
His head slowly turned to Eret. The man could see the storm brewing in his chief’s eyes. A storm that was tired of having to fight for his happy ending, tired of the ones he loved being taken from him. It was clear at that moment that the warrior within Hiccup had awakened. And it wouldn’t show mercy.
“Eret …” he said through nearly gritted teeth. “What did you mean by ‘impossible’?”
"... It's him, Hiccup," Eret brought himself to say. He then held the vial to the chieftain as he took with a hand shaking in both fear and anger. "He's alive"
Hiccup eyed the former dragon hunter, and Eret found himself taken aback by the fire that burned in his eyes. He was always level-headed and cool, but in this dire situation, a flame of sorrow and wrath ingulfed him.
"... Who, Eret?" he cooly asked as best as he could. He was already sure who it must be, but he wanted his thoughts confirmed aloud from the other man.
And to this, Eret heavily sighed. "Grimmel."
Hiccup’s face hardened, his entire body stiffening. “No … that can’t be. I-I saw him fall into the water. N-no one could survive that."
“I think you and I both have seen that he has his ways,” Eret replied solemnly.
The chief lowered his head, as the others all silently came to the same conclusion. Hiccup began slowly pacing the room, his breathing slow and heavy. He rested his hands on the nearest dresser drawer, fingers clenching it tightly.
What could he possibly do now? Grimmel had made it blatantly clear that he wanted Hiccup to meet him alone, with no defenses. And given the relentlessly cold, heartless nature of the man, Hiccup didn’t doubt that if he didn’t follow Grimmel’s instructions to the letter, he would stick to his promise and kill Astrid without a second's hesitation.
But he also knew that it ultimately wouldn’t matter. Grimmel wanted something, and would use Astrid as leverage to get it. But once that something was acquired, he would finish her off regardless. If for no other reason than to make Hiccup suffer for ruining him before.
He looked at everyone present, silently hoping that someone, anyone could come up with a way around this. A way that didn't end with a strong probability of Astrid's demise. But his eyes slowly sank as, one by one, he realized that none of them had any ideas.
The helplessness of the situation truly sank in. They had to play Grimmel's twisted game.
It was nearly midday, as a lone ship continued down its destination. And since then, a certain young woman was left down below its deck, still tied to a pole.
For Gods know how long, Astrid remained in her uncomfortable standing position. The ropes hadn’t weakened or loosened in the slightest, despite her admirable efforts. Her head was lowered, feeling a sense of shame in defeat the likes of which she couldn’t remember ever experiencing. Not only was she unable to help herself – which was particularly disheartening for someone who prided herself on self-reliance – but when Hiccup got the message that Grimmel had sent him, he’d be put in danger as well. A part of her was hoping that he just wouldn’t show up, that he’d decide to take the loss and move on, keeping himself safe.
But he wouldn’t. Never in a thousand lifetimes. She knew he loved her. It both warmed her heart and made it ache. But despite her dire situation, she needed to remain strong in the presence of these cowards. Especially Grimmel.
So with that, she remained were she was, breathing softly through her nose, waiting patiently.
Until Grimmel's muffled voice above deck shouted out, "Come up on the port side!"
Astrid's head rose up in cautious perplexity. They must be at their destination... wherever it was. And she knew for a fact she would soon find out.
Hiccup’s vessel was small, barely big enough to fit more than five people. And so as it approached Grimmel’s much more impressive, foreboding ship, he found himself submerged in the shadow of the intimidating craft.
And looking down at him from atop the craft was a confirmation of his worst fears. Grimmel the Grisly, face a mix of smug satisfaction and suspicion.
“Hello, dear boy,” Grimmel greeted. “It is an honor that you’ve joined us this fine afternoon.”
“Where is she?!” Hiccup yelled. He was having none of the banter he knew Grimmel enjoyed partaking in.
“Now, now, she’s on board, alive and in one piece … but it is your responsibility that it remains as such.”
Hiccup’s furious eyes softened, remembering that Grimmel held all the power. He was at his mercy.
“Hmmm, you’re smarter than I gave you credit for,” Grimmel said, somehow still sounding mocking despite the complimentary words. “But I see you prefer to get to the point. Very well.”
The villain then crouched down to pick up a long, wooden ladder. A rather round man Hiccup had never seen before emerged into view, taking the ladder from Grimmel and tossing one end to Hiccup’s boat, holding onto the other end from the ship.
"Would you care to be our guest?" Grimmel asked in mock sweetness. Hiccup eyed the ladder suspiciously, his eyes going from it to the men, welcoming him onboard.
For her, he sighed inwardly. He lost his father to the mad warlord Drago. He refused to loose Astrid to this mercenary.
And so, he reluctantly made his way to the ladder and gradually climbed up. As he made his way on board, he saw that another unfamiliar man was before him, who pointed his sword at the new passenger threateningly. He was shorter, but seemingly stout.
Once he was on board, Hiccup then turned to the smirking Grimmel, who's arms were crossed. "Okay," he started coolly. "I did what you asked. Let me see her."
A brief pause followed.
Grimmel then just smiled and turned to the other men. "Bring her."
And so they disappeared below deck, leaving the two rivals alone.
Grimmel paced around Hiccup, checking to make sure he wasn’t concealing any small weapon, didn’t have any gear on him that could give him even a slight chance at resistance. As Hiccup turned his head to face Grimmel while he was behind him, he caught sight of his small boat drifting away out of reach. He truly had no escape now.
“I want to reiterate, young man,” Grimmel said lowly. “If you make one attempt to defy me, do anything other than what I command of you, she dies,” he scolded. Hiccup felt his fists clench, tightly enough to feel his nails digging into his palms.
“What do you want?” Hiccup demanded, trying to keep his voice level and calm.
Grimmel was about to answer, but was cut off by the sound of muffled grunting. Both men turned their heads to the source.
Before them was the young woman in question. Hiccup's heart immediately sunk at the sight of her bound fiercely, with a noticeable white gag across her mouth. His anger rose drastically at seeing such a thing; his best friend, next to Toothless, his future wife, who was strong and proud, being made into no more than a writhing mess.
She didn't even notice him yet, as she had her eyes closed during her bouts of struggling, as the two men on either side of her carried her before them.
"Hmmmfh mrph rmm mmm!" Her hair swayed everywhere as her head thrashed about, before her eyes finally opened and she stopped dead in her tracks upon seeing Hiccup. A barley audible gasp escaped her mouth.
"Hithmp!" she tried to shout.
"Astrid...!" Hiccup sadly breathed.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Grimmel clicked his tongue as he placed a hand on Hiccup's right shoulder. "She's as right as rain, as you can see."
The young chief could have sworn his nails were breaking the skin of his palms as he clenched them.
"But now," the man continued as he suddenly made his way over to the bound bride, grasping her chin with his hand. He looked back at Hiccup with one of the most smug faces the young man had seen by far. "Shall we get down to business?"
Hiccup’s eyes blazed with a fire that could rival that of a dragon’s mighty breath. “Stop,” he growled.
“Or what?” Grimmel challenged. And Hiccup could only continue to leer at this foul creature, all while Astrid’s saucer-wide eyes were solely on him.
“That’s what I thought.”
“Ghrmm nnnm hrrn, Hithmp!” she begged, tugging her head out from between Grimmel’s slimy fingers.
“But yes, business,” Grimmel got back on topic, continuing to hold Astrid tightly by her shoulders. “In the days since our last encounter, young Chief, it has not been lost on me that there has been a noticeable absence of those certain winged creatures you care so dearly about.”
Hiccup kept a straight face at the reminder of his friend, no longer able to be with him.
"... And?" Hiccup bitterly asked.
"Aaand," Grimmel carried out that single word. "I have pondered over their whereabouts." He suddenly let go of Astrid and walked proudly over to Hiccup.
"Then I remembered something," he began to casually walk around him, Hiccup keeping his wary eyes on this man. "A certain topic your dearly departed father spoke of in the short time I've met him." Just as he was behind him, the man suddenly leaned into Hiccup's left ear, his whisper almost like a snake's hiss.
"A so-called 'Hidden World'."
The chief backed away from the man, feeling disgusted to be anywhere remotely close to him. But before he could make a response to Grimmel’s theory, the man continued. “And before you make some sort of denial, don’t even bother. I’m no fool, dear Hiccup; I know you found it.”
Astrid gasped through her gag, realizing what this sick demon of a man was getting at. She looked over at Hiccup, and could tell that he knew as well.
“I want you to bring me there,” Grimmel confirmed. “To the Hidden World. Today.”
“Nmg! Hmgrmph, dmmn dnifph!” Astrid screamed, the sound barely carrying past the filthy fabric. She shook her head fiercely, trying to get across what her mouth was blocked from saying.
“And once again, boy,” he yanked Astrid closer to him, eliciting a furious muffled scream. “I want nothing but what is demanded of you. If I even sense deception on your part, your precious wedding will be canceled …” He drew a knife and brought it to the girl’s throat. “Permanently.”
Hiccup didn't think his rage could fester any farther, until he saw this horrid man place the blade at his bride's throat. His face contorted into a deep glower at the man.
In this brief moment, he compared him to another major rival who had disappeared nearly two years ago: Drago Bludvest. He understood the mad warlord. Almost pitied him, even. For he was a pathetic man who was driven mad by his tragedies and losses, a person who only new the darker half of dragons, even made lame by them with the loss of his arm.
But this man before him ... he was so drastically different. Unlike the so-called "Dragon God", he was calculative, seemingly more callous to both people and dragons, driven by his own personal small-minded outlook on such amazing animals. I will destroy everything you love ... His words from many nights ago rang in the Chief's head. And now he was proving it in this moment. He didn't care who was harmed in the process of fulfilling his own personal mission.
And now, as he watched him with the knife at Astrid's throat, it dawned on the young man ... that he hated him. It almost made him ashamed, because he always thought himself to be better than feeling such vile emotions, having such contempt for another person.
But he barely saw a man before him. He saw a monster.
And yet a monster that had power over him. A monster that he had to obey.
Astrid didn’t even attempt to shake her head with the deadly blade right at her throat, but she tried to convey as much of her message as she could through her eyes: “Don’t do it.”
Grimmel couldn’t be allowed to reach those dragons. If he knew where to find them, he would waste no time in wiping them all out, as cruelly and violently as possible. Stormfly, her baby ... Toothless … all of them. And all of their years of hard work to protect those animals, animals that were frankly too good for this inhumane world, would be for nothing.
But Hiccup’s response told her that all Hiccup could see at this moment was her.
“Alright.”
Grimmel perked up, easing the knife up slightly off of Astrid.
“You swear to me that Astrid will come out of this alive and unharmed, and I’ll lead you there,” Hiccup continued.
Of course, Hiccup had little doubt that Grimmel wouldn’t honor such a deal. He looked over to Astrid … how could he let this happen to her? They were supposed to be through with this, through with their lives being threated and instead looking to a peaceful future as husband and wife. And today was supposed to be the start of that. He squeezed his eyes shut and turned away from her, unable to bear the look of disappointment she wore.
“Well then,” Grimmel lowered the knife, prompting Astrid to breathe in a muffled sigh of relief through the gag. But he still kept a tight grip on the bride-to-be, much to her dismay.
Grimmel whistled to his goons, and like dragons to their master (ironically) they rushed over immediately.
“Make sure our chief doesn’t try anything.”
The two men immediately obeyed, leaving the mercenary with Astrid and approaching Hiccup. His head was now cast down, his shoulders slumped, and feeling utterly helpless. He barely responded as he felt the massive hand of the overweight Viking grasp his bicep and jerk him forward. He barely even noticed the shorter man pointing a sword his way.
"Watch him, Wiglaf," he ordered. Under lighter circumstances, Hiccup would have been baffled to hear that name belonging to a big fool like this.
"Right. Come on, great chief of Berk," this so-called Wiglaf said as he ushered Hiccup further along the ship's deck.
When Hiccup opened his eyes, he stole a glance at his future wife, and in her eyes he saw such devastation and heartbreak. Even worse, he could've sworn he saw tears threatening to fall.
I'm so sorry, he mouthed.
Astrid didn’t give any form of a response. She just lowered her head as he did earlier, letting out a stifled sigh and feeling the same guilt and regret that he showed.
“Hmrrgh.”
The How To Train Your Dragon franchise and all characters except Olaf and Wiglaf, all belong to Dreamworks.
Thumbnail by Yalleo on DeviantArt: https://www.deviantart.com/yalleo/a.....ride-801705206
Originally uploaded on January 18, 2020.
One of my best and most supportive watchers, DracoTyrannus on DeviantArt (https://www.deviantart.com/dracotyrannus), joined me in crafting a story for How To Train Your Dragon, featuring Astrid as the DiD. This idea was inspired by a picture created by Yalleo, which is used as the thumbnail and linked to at the end of each chapter. I figured having a sort of bonus addition to the third film's conclusion would be fitting, and Draco very much agreed. The story utilizes a mix of our writing styles. He and I both went back and forth crafting various parts of the story, and I think it mixes together quite smoothly!
Draco has been working on his own story, a retelling of the Aladdin story using Zootopia-based characters and locations. If that's your kind of thing, I believe you'll find much enjoyment from it!
Thank you to Draco for taking part on this journey with me! It was a very fun and smooth process that I'll look back on fondly! For now, we hope you enjoy the story!
He found himself perfectly prepared for his wedding to come. Dressed up in a regal white uniform whose color matched his bride’s own, his head adored in a crown of sparkling green leaves that suited him nicely, a large, furry brown cape over his shoulders and back, and all of it topped off with a gold-studded belt and bracelets, it was his hope that he looked his best for the woman he yearned to wed.
He now stood in the front of the space that would serve as the wedding location. The breeze caressed the Berkian ever so gently, as if to calm his nerves for the big day. Not that he had any reservations; to the contrary, he felt that this would be the happiest day of his life. He was in love with his beautiful best friend, and would now be able to show to all who attended that they would be forever by each other’s side as husband and wife.
“Ye think yer ready, laddie?” asked Gobber. The man may not have been family by blood, but Hiccup always considered him a sort of father figure in his own right … especially after the passing of his own blood father.
If only you could be here for this, dad, he thought.
Stoick's face flashed before his mind as he sadly smiled, knowing he would have loved to see his son take this next step in his life. But deep down, in his heart, he could feel his mighty father, like his soul was watching them from Valhalla. The young chief took comfort in that, his sad smile ever so slightly broadening.
"Hiccup?" A hand rested on his shoulder, snapping him from his pondering.
"Oh ... yeah ... I'm fine, Gobber. Thanks," he said as he turned to his dear old blacksmith mentor and father figure. "Just a little... excited?" he sheepishly stated, to which the older man smiled knowingly, crossing his arms.
"Aye, as ye should be," he bemused. "Yer takin' that last step to being bound for life. And if you don't mind me sayin' so, it's hard to imagine someone better to do it with than Miss Hofferson."
Hiccup chuckled, fondness in the tone. "Yeah, it is."
The sweet moment was cut off sharply, however, by a sharp exclamation from a bit of distance away.
"RUFFNUT?!"
Hiccup and Gobber jumped in place slightly, their heads sharply turning to the direction of the scream. Without hesitation, the two of them ran towards it.
Hiccup recognized the voice. "Tuffnut?!" he shouted. "Was that you?"
"Guys, get in here!" the voice responded. "The bridal hut, now!" Tuffnut's voice, rather than the usual dimwitted demeanor it usually had, was fearful and panicked. Either something was very wrong, or Tuffnut was about to get chewed out for causing such a ruckus over nothing.
When they got to the hut, however, Hiccup hesitated to go inside. "Uh ..." he said to Gobber, "Isn't it kinda tradition to not see the bride before-"
"Astrid's not in here, just come on!" Tuffnut interrupted, his tone now carrying annoyance mixed in with the frantic fear.
"What?" both men uttered in unison. They rushed in, and ended up greeted by the sight of Tuffnut cradling his sister on the floor, a very rare gesture between the two. Next to her side, Gothi was there, raising her elderly hand to Ruffnut's temple as the feminine twin slurred and stirred.
"Ohh... Mmmy... Spooon....."
To that, Tuffnut's genuine concern was replaced with a roll of his eyes, and annoyed groan while still holding her close. "Ugh, will you ever let that go?"
Hiccup's stammering made all heads turn his way. "Uh, eh, what's... What happened? And..." he gestured his hands to the entire hut, "Where's Astrid?"
"What's going on in here?" the voice of Eret came before he made his way into the hut, joining the hectic scenario.
"I came in here to check on how things were going," Tuffnut began, "But the first thing I see is my sis on the floor. It looks like she was passed out!"
"Passed out?" Eret asked. "The wedding hasn't even started and she's already drinking?"
Tuffnut leered at the comment, but pushed the feeling down. "I don't think it was drinking." He pulled something out of his pocket. Something so small that it could barely be seen as he placed it between two fingers to hold it up for everyone. "This was in her neck, man."
All eyes went wide when they saw a small, empty vial with a needle attached. A little pump was attached to it, clearly there to push whatever was in the vial into an object - or apparently person - of the wielder’s choice.
"Let me see that," Hiccup said as he approached Tuffnut, to which the twin handed him the vial.
The young man brought it close to his face in contemplation, a sudden uncomfortable sensation welling up within him. He then felt Eret approach from behind, and saw his hand come into view as he gently let him take it for his own inspection. His face was equally perplexed ... until he squinted his eyes in subtle recognition.
"Impossible ..." he uttered.
"What?" Hiccup replied, as his dread began to swell even further.
Suddenly, a tapping sound caused all heads to turn to the far end of the room. They saw Gothi tapping the end of her staff to the floor, while within her right hand she held up a simple slip of paper. At once, Hiccup briskly approached the elder, with the others gathering around.
Hiccup took the paper out from her hand, unraveled it, and began reading. The look on Gothi’s face didn’t encourage him in the slightest.
And reading the paper, it only got worse.
He began to read it aloud. “To Chief Hiccup Haddock, we have-“
But his voice stopped dead in its tracks, Hiccup’s heart racing when he saw what it said. Everyone looked at him expectedly, and he swallowed deeply before resuming. “We have your bride,” he whimpered shakily.
The entire room went dead silent. Everyone glanced at each other, their faces etched with a look that told of a sickening feeling in each of their stomachs.
Hiccup barely managed to continue. “Come to these coordinates when you receive this note. Come alone and unarmed before the sun peaks in the sky, or she-“ he shuddered, and barely managed to whimper out, “Or she dies.”
His head slowly turned to Eret. The man could see the storm brewing in his chief’s eyes. A storm that was tired of having to fight for his happy ending, tired of the ones he loved being taken from him. It was clear at that moment that the warrior within Hiccup had awakened. And it wouldn’t show mercy.
“Eret …” he said through nearly gritted teeth. “What did you mean by ‘impossible’?”
"... It's him, Hiccup," Eret brought himself to say. He then held the vial to the chieftain as he took with a hand shaking in both fear and anger. "He's alive"
Hiccup eyed the former dragon hunter, and Eret found himself taken aback by the fire that burned in his eyes. He was always level-headed and cool, but in this dire situation, a flame of sorrow and wrath ingulfed him.
"... Who, Eret?" he cooly asked as best as he could. He was already sure who it must be, but he wanted his thoughts confirmed aloud from the other man.
And to this, Eret heavily sighed. "Grimmel."
Hiccup’s face hardened, his entire body stiffening. “No … that can’t be. I-I saw him fall into the water. N-no one could survive that."
“I think you and I both have seen that he has his ways,” Eret replied solemnly.
The chief lowered his head, as the others all silently came to the same conclusion. Hiccup began slowly pacing the room, his breathing slow and heavy. He rested his hands on the nearest dresser drawer, fingers clenching it tightly.
What could he possibly do now? Grimmel had made it blatantly clear that he wanted Hiccup to meet him alone, with no defenses. And given the relentlessly cold, heartless nature of the man, Hiccup didn’t doubt that if he didn’t follow Grimmel’s instructions to the letter, he would stick to his promise and kill Astrid without a second's hesitation.
But he also knew that it ultimately wouldn’t matter. Grimmel wanted something, and would use Astrid as leverage to get it. But once that something was acquired, he would finish her off regardless. If for no other reason than to make Hiccup suffer for ruining him before.
He looked at everyone present, silently hoping that someone, anyone could come up with a way around this. A way that didn't end with a strong probability of Astrid's demise. But his eyes slowly sank as, one by one, he realized that none of them had any ideas.
The helplessness of the situation truly sank in. They had to play Grimmel's twisted game.
It was nearly midday, as a lone ship continued down its destination. And since then, a certain young woman was left down below its deck, still tied to a pole.
For Gods know how long, Astrid remained in her uncomfortable standing position. The ropes hadn’t weakened or loosened in the slightest, despite her admirable efforts. Her head was lowered, feeling a sense of shame in defeat the likes of which she couldn’t remember ever experiencing. Not only was she unable to help herself – which was particularly disheartening for someone who prided herself on self-reliance – but when Hiccup got the message that Grimmel had sent him, he’d be put in danger as well. A part of her was hoping that he just wouldn’t show up, that he’d decide to take the loss and move on, keeping himself safe.
But he wouldn’t. Never in a thousand lifetimes. She knew he loved her. It both warmed her heart and made it ache. But despite her dire situation, she needed to remain strong in the presence of these cowards. Especially Grimmel.
So with that, she remained were she was, breathing softly through her nose, waiting patiently.
Until Grimmel's muffled voice above deck shouted out, "Come up on the port side!"
Astrid's head rose up in cautious perplexity. They must be at their destination... wherever it was. And she knew for a fact she would soon find out.
Hiccup’s vessel was small, barely big enough to fit more than five people. And so as it approached Grimmel’s much more impressive, foreboding ship, he found himself submerged in the shadow of the intimidating craft.
And looking down at him from atop the craft was a confirmation of his worst fears. Grimmel the Grisly, face a mix of smug satisfaction and suspicion.
“Hello, dear boy,” Grimmel greeted. “It is an honor that you’ve joined us this fine afternoon.”
“Where is she?!” Hiccup yelled. He was having none of the banter he knew Grimmel enjoyed partaking in.
“Now, now, she’s on board, alive and in one piece … but it is your responsibility that it remains as such.”
Hiccup’s furious eyes softened, remembering that Grimmel held all the power. He was at his mercy.
“Hmmm, you’re smarter than I gave you credit for,” Grimmel said, somehow still sounding mocking despite the complimentary words. “But I see you prefer to get to the point. Very well.”
The villain then crouched down to pick up a long, wooden ladder. A rather round man Hiccup had never seen before emerged into view, taking the ladder from Grimmel and tossing one end to Hiccup’s boat, holding onto the other end from the ship.
"Would you care to be our guest?" Grimmel asked in mock sweetness. Hiccup eyed the ladder suspiciously, his eyes going from it to the men, welcoming him onboard.
For her, he sighed inwardly. He lost his father to the mad warlord Drago. He refused to loose Astrid to this mercenary.
And so, he reluctantly made his way to the ladder and gradually climbed up. As he made his way on board, he saw that another unfamiliar man was before him, who pointed his sword at the new passenger threateningly. He was shorter, but seemingly stout.
Once he was on board, Hiccup then turned to the smirking Grimmel, who's arms were crossed. "Okay," he started coolly. "I did what you asked. Let me see her."
A brief pause followed.
Grimmel then just smiled and turned to the other men. "Bring her."
And so they disappeared below deck, leaving the two rivals alone.
Grimmel paced around Hiccup, checking to make sure he wasn’t concealing any small weapon, didn’t have any gear on him that could give him even a slight chance at resistance. As Hiccup turned his head to face Grimmel while he was behind him, he caught sight of his small boat drifting away out of reach. He truly had no escape now.
“I want to reiterate, young man,” Grimmel said lowly. “If you make one attempt to defy me, do anything other than what I command of you, she dies,” he scolded. Hiccup felt his fists clench, tightly enough to feel his nails digging into his palms.
“What do you want?” Hiccup demanded, trying to keep his voice level and calm.
Grimmel was about to answer, but was cut off by the sound of muffled grunting. Both men turned their heads to the source.
Before them was the young woman in question. Hiccup's heart immediately sunk at the sight of her bound fiercely, with a noticeable white gag across her mouth. His anger rose drastically at seeing such a thing; his best friend, next to Toothless, his future wife, who was strong and proud, being made into no more than a writhing mess.
She didn't even notice him yet, as she had her eyes closed during her bouts of struggling, as the two men on either side of her carried her before them.
"Hmmmfh mrph rmm mmm!" Her hair swayed everywhere as her head thrashed about, before her eyes finally opened and she stopped dead in her tracks upon seeing Hiccup. A barley audible gasp escaped her mouth.
"Hithmp!" she tried to shout.
"Astrid...!" Hiccup sadly breathed.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Grimmel clicked his tongue as he placed a hand on Hiccup's right shoulder. "She's as right as rain, as you can see."
The young chief could have sworn his nails were breaking the skin of his palms as he clenched them.
"But now," the man continued as he suddenly made his way over to the bound bride, grasping her chin with his hand. He looked back at Hiccup with one of the most smug faces the young man had seen by far. "Shall we get down to business?"
Hiccup’s eyes blazed with a fire that could rival that of a dragon’s mighty breath. “Stop,” he growled.
“Or what?” Grimmel challenged. And Hiccup could only continue to leer at this foul creature, all while Astrid’s saucer-wide eyes were solely on him.
“That’s what I thought.”
“Ghrmm nnnm hrrn, Hithmp!” she begged, tugging her head out from between Grimmel’s slimy fingers.
“But yes, business,” Grimmel got back on topic, continuing to hold Astrid tightly by her shoulders. “In the days since our last encounter, young Chief, it has not been lost on me that there has been a noticeable absence of those certain winged creatures you care so dearly about.”
Hiccup kept a straight face at the reminder of his friend, no longer able to be with him.
"... And?" Hiccup bitterly asked.
"Aaand," Grimmel carried out that single word. "I have pondered over their whereabouts." He suddenly let go of Astrid and walked proudly over to Hiccup.
"Then I remembered something," he began to casually walk around him, Hiccup keeping his wary eyes on this man. "A certain topic your dearly departed father spoke of in the short time I've met him." Just as he was behind him, the man suddenly leaned into Hiccup's left ear, his whisper almost like a snake's hiss.
"A so-called 'Hidden World'."
The chief backed away from the man, feeling disgusted to be anywhere remotely close to him. But before he could make a response to Grimmel’s theory, the man continued. “And before you make some sort of denial, don’t even bother. I’m no fool, dear Hiccup; I know you found it.”
Astrid gasped through her gag, realizing what this sick demon of a man was getting at. She looked over at Hiccup, and could tell that he knew as well.
“I want you to bring me there,” Grimmel confirmed. “To the Hidden World. Today.”
“Nmg! Hmgrmph, dmmn dnifph!” Astrid screamed, the sound barely carrying past the filthy fabric. She shook her head fiercely, trying to get across what her mouth was blocked from saying.
“And once again, boy,” he yanked Astrid closer to him, eliciting a furious muffled scream. “I want nothing but what is demanded of you. If I even sense deception on your part, your precious wedding will be canceled …” He drew a knife and brought it to the girl’s throat. “Permanently.”
Hiccup didn't think his rage could fester any farther, until he saw this horrid man place the blade at his bride's throat. His face contorted into a deep glower at the man.
In this brief moment, he compared him to another major rival who had disappeared nearly two years ago: Drago Bludvest. He understood the mad warlord. Almost pitied him, even. For he was a pathetic man who was driven mad by his tragedies and losses, a person who only new the darker half of dragons, even made lame by them with the loss of his arm.
But this man before him ... he was so drastically different. Unlike the so-called "Dragon God", he was calculative, seemingly more callous to both people and dragons, driven by his own personal small-minded outlook on such amazing animals. I will destroy everything you love ... His words from many nights ago rang in the Chief's head. And now he was proving it in this moment. He didn't care who was harmed in the process of fulfilling his own personal mission.
And now, as he watched him with the knife at Astrid's throat, it dawned on the young man ... that he hated him. It almost made him ashamed, because he always thought himself to be better than feeling such vile emotions, having such contempt for another person.
But he barely saw a man before him. He saw a monster.
And yet a monster that had power over him. A monster that he had to obey.
Astrid didn’t even attempt to shake her head with the deadly blade right at her throat, but she tried to convey as much of her message as she could through her eyes: “Don’t do it.”
Grimmel couldn’t be allowed to reach those dragons. If he knew where to find them, he would waste no time in wiping them all out, as cruelly and violently as possible. Stormfly, her baby ... Toothless … all of them. And all of their years of hard work to protect those animals, animals that were frankly too good for this inhumane world, would be for nothing.
But Hiccup’s response told her that all Hiccup could see at this moment was her.
“Alright.”
Grimmel perked up, easing the knife up slightly off of Astrid.
“You swear to me that Astrid will come out of this alive and unharmed, and I’ll lead you there,” Hiccup continued.
Of course, Hiccup had little doubt that Grimmel wouldn’t honor such a deal. He looked over to Astrid … how could he let this happen to her? They were supposed to be through with this, through with their lives being threated and instead looking to a peaceful future as husband and wife. And today was supposed to be the start of that. He squeezed his eyes shut and turned away from her, unable to bear the look of disappointment she wore.
“Well then,” Grimmel lowered the knife, prompting Astrid to breathe in a muffled sigh of relief through the gag. But he still kept a tight grip on the bride-to-be, much to her dismay.
Grimmel whistled to his goons, and like dragons to their master (ironically) they rushed over immediately.
“Make sure our chief doesn’t try anything.”
The two men immediately obeyed, leaving the mercenary with Astrid and approaching Hiccup. His head was now cast down, his shoulders slumped, and feeling utterly helpless. He barely responded as he felt the massive hand of the overweight Viking grasp his bicep and jerk him forward. He barely even noticed the shorter man pointing a sword his way.
"Watch him, Wiglaf," he ordered. Under lighter circumstances, Hiccup would have been baffled to hear that name belonging to a big fool like this.
"Right. Come on, great chief of Berk," this so-called Wiglaf said as he ushered Hiccup further along the ship's deck.
When Hiccup opened his eyes, he stole a glance at his future wife, and in her eyes he saw such devastation and heartbreak. Even worse, he could've sworn he saw tears threatening to fall.
I'm so sorry, he mouthed.
Astrid didn’t give any form of a response. She just lowered her head as he did earlier, letting out a stifled sigh and feeling the same guilt and regret that he showed.
“Hmrrgh.”
The How To Train Your Dragon franchise and all characters except Olaf and Wiglaf, all belong to Dreamworks.
Thumbnail by Yalleo on DeviantArt: https://www.deviantart.com/yalleo/a.....ride-801705206
Originally uploaded on January 18, 2020.
One of my best and most supportive watchers, DracoTyrannus on DeviantArt (https://www.deviantart.com/dracotyrannus), joined me in crafting a story for How To Train Your Dragon, featuring Astrid as the DiD. This idea was inspired by a picture created by Yalleo, which is used as the thumbnail and linked to at the end of each chapter. I figured having a sort of bonus addition to the third film's conclusion would be fitting, and Draco very much agreed. The story utilizes a mix of our writing styles. He and I both went back and forth crafting various parts of the story, and I think it mixes together quite smoothly!
Draco has been working on his own story, a retelling of the Aladdin story using Zootopia-based characters and locations. If that's your kind of thing, I believe you'll find much enjoyment from it!
Thank you to Draco for taking part on this journey with me! It was a very fun and smooth process that I'll look back on fondly! For now, we hope you enjoy the story!
Category Story / Bondage
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 690 x 1180px
File Size 174.7 kB
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