The Gray Area (1/2) - A Viggo Love Story (HTTYD/RTTE)

27. Mission Mishap

As Hiccup mounted his night fury, he hesitated. The other riders gave him a curious look. "Um, what are we waiting for?" Snotlout asked.

Hiccup ignored him and turned to look toward Viggo and Sessa. They were both still packing up their things. Viggo was quite surprised when he realized that he could feel Hiccup's stare; he could actually feel his eyes looking at him. He turned to look at the dragon rider. They were both silent for a moment, then Hiccup said in a serious tone, "stay close to the Edge...we might need your help in the future."

Viggo raised his eyebrows, surprised at Hiccup's proposal. He looked to Sessa for her response. The woman hardened her expression and spoke to the leader with confidence, "then close we will stay." Hiccup nodded once, then the six dragon riders were off. Once they were gone, Sessa sighed, sounding slightly frustrated, "well, that narrows our options."

Giving her a crooked grin, Viggo asked, "then why did you agree?"

Sessa furrowed her eyebrows. "It..felt right," she muttered, not entirely sure why she wanted to help these dragon riders. She then added with a bit more confidence, "and if we help them, you will gain their trust."

"..You really do have a good heart," Viggo confirmed. He placed a hand on Sessa's cheek and kissed her forehead. When he pulled back, her face glowed with happiness and satisfaction. There was no doubt that, now that she had a soul again, praise was one of her favorite things. Viggo made a mental note of that as he made his way to Lilith. "Where to, dear Sessa?"

Sessa frowned as she climbed onto Nightshade's neck. "Still, just Sessa," she warned him. They both smiled, until their masks were pulled over their faces. Seeing Sessa in her hood and mask again, the half-moon shining in her black irises, Viggo was thrust back in time. He recalled the first time he saw her, how she wouldn't allow him to see any bit of emotion she might've felt.

But now there was strength in her eyes, and color to her skin. Her once fragile looking body and limbs had been restored to that of a healthy woman. He watched her lean over the devilish dervish's head and speak to her quietly. Then, the dragon took to the sky. Lilith roared and followed.

• • •

Sessa and Viggo were on the ground, crouched together in the cover of surrounding bushes. The moon was full, making it harder to stay hidden in the night on this mission. It had been a week since they left Dragon's Edge, and it was their fourth mission after going back on their own. They'd learned a few things about what it meant to share a soul. When one of them was in danger, the other could feel it. Because of this, they were even more able to avoid getting caught.

Also, because the two halves of Viggo's soul were still connected in that they were one, he and Sessa worked in perfect harmony. If Sessa were to split left, Viggo split right; there was never any confusion of who did what, because they both knew in their guts. Sharing a soul had actually made missions go quicker, and much less stressfully. But this was their first time breaking back into the dragon hunters' base, and they were in for a challenge.

Viggo and Sessa shared a determined glance, only their eyes showing through their masks and hoods. Then, the jumped out from the bushes, both bolting opposite directions. Sessa would go in through the side, and Viggo would go in through the back.

Following the familiar pull in her core, Sessa wove through dark halls in search of the threatened prisoner. It was a bit harder to do this, since she also constantly felt a pull toward Viggo when they were seperated now, too. But she learned to follow the less pleasant pull.

Viggo did the same. Now that he had only half of a soul, he could feel the same things Sessa could. In fact, it was he who first recognized the near death of the prisoner they would be rescuing this night. He snuck into the main base through the back, dodging the watchful eyes of guards. Once he was in the pitch black hallways, he slowed his pace; his eyes were still daylight eyes.

Relying on his ears and the small bit of vision he had, Viggo moved silently through the halls. But a sudden pain in his chest stopped him. He clutched his ribs and gasped slightly. He knew this feeling, though it had never been so strong before. Sessa was in trouble. And by the violent whipping sensation in his middle, she was in a lot of trouble.