This is where I belong ||httyd fanfic||

62.The race begin

Author Note...

[Ok, First of all ....  I want to apologies to those who like Snotlout from the real movie and series or even the Jorgensons particularly. I only did it for this AU story and i don't hate his character in the movie and he was the only character to match for this story . Also those who like Astrid as well.. forgive me if Astrid's character is awful in this story. I only used those two to make a drama in this story. I am sorry in advance for the last parts of this story.] 

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Rider and dragon stood engrossing themselves in nature looking out to the sea atop a nearby spire. The makings of a great competition and run-of-the-mill Dragon Race nearby and all Hiccup wanted was to shrink away or vanish. He blamed it on the rise of cynicism but there was a strange grimness in the air. The ocean ahead could give rise to a tide that could swallow him or he could fade into the horizon line: either was preferable.

The growling Night Fury by his side stared unblinking toward the stadium like a foreign element in his territory. Hiccup pet his dragon's side to ebb his anger, for what it was worth. "I know bud. This doesn't feel right either."

Toothless stared at him, a sternness foreign itself in the playful dragon's gaze. Hiccup rose to his feet and with movements like a statue into his dragon's saddle.

"Let's get this over with."

Those in the crowd catching the pair gliding gave as hearty a greeting as possible. Close to nine years with these people, all the happy memories, and yet Hiccup couldn't blink away the nooses in their hands around his neck. He was without voice as it got colder, darker, the slightest sound a crash. He waved back, though his arm felt frostbitten as it moved back to the handles unflinching. His riding suit's straps needed tightening, he suddenly thought, though his hand was near severed with the strain.

In the shade of the entryway, only the light beyond the bars gave a path. Anxiety was hissing in his ear with sadistic glee that running wasn't an option. What made it worse was the king of his phantoms, his cousin, leaning by the entrance with smugness splattered over his face.

"Little Hic-Hic-Hiccup..." Snotlout loved living up to his name using that fearful stutter he made when they were children. "So it's down to you and my girl again, huh?"

Hiccup stared.

"Must've scored some points with the Gods. I mean, her - a warrior goddess, the only girl worthy of me, and... YOU," he scoffed. "If I was her, I wouldn't even wanna show my face in public. But in my case that'd just be a crime."

Hiccup rolled his eyes brushing past Snotlout's fat shoulder.

"She called it, I'd say. You cheated back then. You didn't deserve to be in that arena with us," his cold voice flowed like smoke around him, "the same way you don't deserve any of this."

He held back the tremble, how that one comment came close to ripping off the armor and exposing the scrawny teenager cowering inside. "Any chance you could skip the butt-sore rant and get to the point?"

"Drop out."

That caught him by surprise. When it shouldn't have. "What?"

"Drop out. Quit. Kibosh the whole thing. Don't you think you've caused enough trouble for one lifetime, maybe two, three, ten?" He draped an arm around his shoulder putting on the whole 'best-friends' act again. "I mean, we'd be grateful if you could just take some time off from being an all-unholy migraine."