Deception (A Dragons Race to the Edge Fanfic)

Epilogue

Hiccup stood in his hut, closely examining the Maces and Talons piece Viggo had given him. Astrid's hand rested on his shoulder.

"It's weird having Viggo gone." she said, as she watched him, unable to take his eyes away from the piece he held in his hand. "I think, it's almost like..."

"I get it," Hiccup spoke solemnly, "We've learnt a lot from him." his voice shook slightly.

"And (Y/n)?" Astrid added pensively, "She sacrificed herself too?"

"She went back down into the cave for Viggo." Hiccup said, "There was another huge explosion, and...well, no one could have survived that." he couldn't help his voice wavering, as he explained Viggo and (Y/n)'s inevitable demise.

"She really cared about him." Astrid commented.

"And he cared about her." Hiccup added, "I just wish I could have somehow helped her..." his mournful regret filled every word.

"I did this..." Astrid muttered, her own guilt dawning on her. "I-I pushed her away..." her voice broke off a little, as she held back a tear, "She was young and ambitious, that's all, and now look..." she sighed heavily, trying to regain some composure. "I need some time." she said plainly, before walking out of the hut.

Normally, Hiccup would have gone after her, but he knew it would only make things worse this time. They both needed time to think this through. He looked again at the Maces and Talons piece in his hand, biting his lower lip, as if it would somehow help soothe the pain. Placing the piece on the game-board, he mustered the strength to push it over. The sharp sound, as it hit the cold stone, seemed to slice through him. He tearfully lifted the solid, wooden cover, and placed it above the board, the action seeming very final. Finally, he turned away with a sigh of emotional exhaustion.

'The traitor always dies.' he thought to himself, the harsh reality only adding to his deep emotional turmoil. He turned, ready to leave his hut, when suddenly the glistening of metal caught his eye from the opposite table. He didn't remember owning a second set of Maces and Talons pieces. He edged towards them, his mind working hard to figure out where they had come from. He approached the pieces with caution, eyeing them carefully. There on the desk, were four Maces and Talons pieces: the traitor and the accomplice stood side by side; and, on either side of them, stood two dragons.

The words of Viggo and (Y/n) rang again in Hiccup's ears.

'Once Krogan and Johann are defeated, I will disappear. You have my word.'

'Listen Hiccup, I'll never give you any trouble again, but this time I'm going after Viggo.'

With newfound strength, Hiccup raced out of his hut and stood on the deck facing out towards the sea, hope and understanding suddenly blossoming within him. Taking his spyglass from his belt, he put it to his left eye. The setting sun made it hard to see anything. He scanned the horizon frantically. Then, there they were: barely visible to the eye, the silhouettes of a Changewing and a Skrill accompanied by two riders flew away into the horizon. Where they were going, he had no idea. But they were together, and that was all that mattered.

*****

You made your silent escape through the rosy, dusk clouds. Amethyst's wings were outstretched, the tips almost grazing the Skrill's wingspan beside her. Both dragons glided beautifully through the sky. The cool, zephyrous air was a welcome refreshment compared to the stifling heat of the explosion in the cavern. Both you and Viggo had sustained a few scars (Viggo more so, as his arrow sounds were still raw, but luckily hadn't seemed to puncture any organs) from the giant, combined explosion that had been rendered necessary by your dire circumstances. But that didn't matter now. You were alive - you both were. It had only felt right to let Hiccup know that, but you limited it to him. Both you and Viggo knew it would be better for most to believe that you were dead for now. Besides, you didn't really care what anyone else thought, except Viggo.

"Hey," you said deciding to break the silence, "what you said just before that explosion-"

"Yes?" he asked, his voice a little tense, clearly fearing you might still be bitter about recent events.

"Did you really mean it?"

He held your gaze with his own for a moment before speaking.

"Of course I meant it, (Y/n)." He answered, truth and sincerity ringing in his voice, as well as relief. A smile spread across your face at his words.

"Good." you replied with a smile, "Because I just happened to be thinking a very similar thing about you." He smiled back at your remark. Clearly understanding, Amethyst and the Skrill smoothly glided a little closer to each other.

"Apparently the dragons agree." Viggo added. You laughed a little.

In an instant, you jumped out of your saddle, flitted across Amethyst's and the Skrill's wings, and onto the Skrill's back, just behind Viggo. Crouching, and being careful to avoid his injuries, you placed both hands on his shoulders, brushing your face against his. He leaned back into your touch, turning his head to catch your lips in a passionate kiss. You pressed your lips to his with vigor. To think, you had almost lost him. His soft lips against yours told you he was thinking the same thing. Your love for each other seemed now to be stronger than ever. After a minute or two, you heard the dragons exchange amused yowls, as you finally pulled away, standing up again, and brushing a hand through Viggo's hair, before hopping back into Amtheysts saddle.

'Where to now?' You could be help thinking to yourself. You knew Viggo must be thinking the same thing. Neither of you belonged in the Archipelago anymore, you knew that for sure. Both of you got easily bored, but something told you that, as long as you were together, that wasnt likely to happen.

With a quick glance and nod in his direction, you patted Amethyst on the head, and Viggo did the same to the Skrill. With roars of excitement, both dragons accelerated ahead, side by side, into the horizon. Beyond the Archipelago awaited islands to be explored; dragons to be discovered and adventures to be had. For once in your life, knowing you were doing the right thing, the four of you soared through the dusk sky into the distant lands of the unknown.

A/N: Sorry this chapter took such a long time to come out - I was having a bit of writers block about the ending. I really hope you like how the story ended. So, here it is: the completed version of Deception! I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has read, commented on and voted on this story - it really means a lot to me. I might occasionally go back over this story and make some edits, so you can check those out if you like. I've really enjoyed writing this story, and hope to write some more dragons-related stuff soon! Thanks again to everyone!

This part is an edit: I would just like to add that I am beginning to publish a sequel to this book called 'Mysteries Beyond', so feel free to check that out if you enjoyed this book! :)