The Runaway and Outcast (A Httyd Fanfiction)

Chapter 6: Not alone

(Normal pov)

"So... these friends of yours are dragon sympathizers too?"

"Quite right, though they do not ride dragons as we do, they still honor and respect dragons the way we do," Valka was as she turned to Hiccup and smiled warmly at him, "however, they may treat as hostile at first, considering they don't know you. But once you reveal your dragon loving nature to them, I have an inkling the Defenders of the Wing will take an immediate liking to you."

"I'll take your word for it," Hiccup said with a smile, "so the Defenders of the Wing have a dragon protecting their home?"

"Indeed, the Eruptodon," Valka said, "it's a Boulder Class dragon and revered as a "great protector" to the Defenders. The Eruptodon eats the lava from inside Caldera Cay's volcano to defend the Defenders' home from being consumed by lava. With its craggy igneous hide, heat-shielded eyes, and an endless appetite for magma, the Eruptodon prefers to live inside volcanoes so that it can be nearer to its food source. This natural give and take between geology and dragon protects the Defenders of the Wing from catastrophe, and as a result, the warrior tribe worships their loyal Eruptodon. Although not much of a fighter, the Eruptodon provides tremendous damage control by eating any runaway lava— even if it's regurgitated by Gronckles."

"Wow," Hiccup breathed out, "this is a dragon I'd like to see up close."

Smiling at Hiccup's excitement, Valka winked at him. "Worry not, you'll get your chance to meet the Eruptodon," she then added, "once you've earned the trust of Queen Mala and the Defenders."

"Of course."

Hiccup and Valka's relationship as companions continued to shine bright and the older woman taught Hiccup everything she knew about dragons. For someone with not as much experience as she had, Hiccup was continuing to impress and surprise Valka with his abilities with making dragons docile, showing off his glider built into his riding armor as well as other inventions that would benefit him when encountering wild dragons without hurting them, and his impressive skills as a dragon rider in general. His skills with dragons and interactions with them made Valka's affections for Hiccup grow tenfold.

Even before Valka discovered Fjalar was actually Hiccup, she had feelings for him. His kind nature, compassionate heart, sarcastic manner, the keen mind he possessed, and his devilish charms.

The last thing Valka wanted to do was horrify Hiccup with her depraved attraction for him and see him leave her again because she couldn't control her feelings. But she couldn't help it, Hiccup is the partner and companion she's desired for so many years. Oh, why did he have to be her son?! How cruel the gods can be.

Taking deep breaths, Valka momentarily cleansed her thoughts of the attraction she held for her son and focused on how he and his dragon flew, which was truly a sight to behold. Seeing Hiccup and Toothless flying together was like watching art being created; the two of them trusted each other wholeheartedly and they had been through so much for the past five years, it made Valka feel so proud that he never wanted to truly hurt dragons, rather his views on them reflected her own. A pang of guilt struck Valka, she wasn't there to help nurture this side of him, but the fact that he had forgiven her and they were starting over made that guilt disappear, she was never going to leave him again.

Flying to Caldera Cay took a few hours, but upon arriving at the Defenders' home, Hiccup was baffled. Valka did recall Hiccup telling her he spent five years on the run feeling alone and believing there was no one else in Scandinavia who saw dragons the way he did, thank the gods she can be by his side, and constantly tell Hiccup he's not alone anymore. She'd be the one to comfort him when he needed it, and she'd ensure that Hiccup was happy being with her.