The Lost Boy IV - The Hidden World

05 - Threat on the clan

In the evening, in the darkness of the chief hutt only lighten up by a candle and the crackling fire in the middle of the living room, Hiccup was searching through his father's old books. He was trying to busy his mind while Joke was not there. The white-haired young man was still at the shed, spending the night there to look after Lumiverse and the Night Lights.

It had been three years since Stoick's death, but his absence in the house was still giving Hiccup a strange feeling. Usually, he could bare it since he lived with Joke and the Furies, but that evening, none of them were there, one healing, the other keeping an eye on her, and the hatchlings were with her. There was only Toothless and Hiccup in the house, and a lonely feeling as the black dragon was sleeping.

After finding the old dusty diary he was looking for, the young chief came back near his map to read the book. Despite Joke's disapproving this idea, he was still looking for the Hidden World of dragons. Hiccup had gathered all the diaries of his father which were focusing on the subject.

''Come on, give me a clue, Dad.''

No mattered how much he was searching for it, he couldn't find anything. He was still not giving up and remained focused, until he heard a creak from his rooftop. He started and looked upward, seeing a bit of dust falling from the beams. Surely a dragon. Hiccup glanced towards his best friend, peacefully sleeping under a blanket, then he closed the diary and folded his map.

Parquet creaked behind him, making him start again, and when he turned, he spotted a shadow in the darkness. Someone was there, filling a pint as if they were in their own house. But they weren't at home. This man was too tall to be Joke or Gobber, and surely too lean to be the black-smith. Hiccup stood instantly, on guard.

''Oh, I hope you don't mind if I help myself.'' The person said with nonchalance, with a voice that sounded familiar to Hiccup. ''Hm, this is quite good.''

This man really seemed to make himself comfortable, but Hiccup was not allowing it. He unsheathed Inferno and ignited it, allowing the added light to unveil the person in front of him. Hiccup froze when he recognized him. He didn't want to believe it, but it was true : that man was Kosmozis.

''Still impressive, but let me finish my drink.''

He seemed to have change a little despite the fact he was still wearing this metal armor with a no-longer-dark-blue-but-black cape. The dragon-skin cloak was not there anymore, instead he had added a hood to the cape.

Hiccup didn't hold back from frowning and felt hatred burning inside of him. Three years prior, he had defeated that man and had spared his life, yet Kosmozis was daring to show up again, breaking in his home and acting as if he had been invited. Plus, after what this man had done to Stoick, and what he had tried to do to Elska and Joke, Hiccup was wondering why he had spared him back then.

When the young chief eyed in the direction of the sleeping Night Fury, Kosmozis used a small arbalet to shoot on him, without any warning.

''Toothless ! What did you do to him ?''

Kosmozis ended his drink and dropped the pint before walking towards the chief despite his threatening voice.

''Oh come on, nothing that he won't sleep off.''

He reloaded his weapon with another dart with purple liquid, before sitting in the wooden throne of the house.

He slowly stroke the wood with a pleased smirk on his face.

''May I, chief ? Huh, do I say chief hiccup or do I have to be formal and call you the whole name ? What do you prefer ?''

The young viking didn't quite like how the general had just laughed at his name, actually hiccuping while saying it, but he let it slip away. He knew how Kosmozis liked to use words to infuriate his opponent, and that was not working on him.