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He dragged his hands over his eyes with a heavy sigh.
“Dad this wasn’t what we agreed on.”
He gave a grated sigh of his own.
“Things, don’t always go as planned.”
“Just how bad did it go that you can’t even tell me?”
“I will tell you, I promise. I want to resolve the matter first.”
“And if it only gets worse because I’m kept out of the loop? Dad come on you wanted me to do this, maybe I can help.”
“This is what we’re trying to do now son.”
He looked over the side of the wagon, seeing that they’d neared their destination.
“Oh yeah, another fun exam at some uppity school.” He crossed his arms.
Stoick made a groan in his throat.
“Your mum went there for a while.” He said in attempt at positivity.
“I know, but it certainly seems different since then.”
“Indeed. They’ve expanded the campus.”
Hiccup saw that they were coming in for a landing.
“And if I can’t pass this exam either?” He peered toward the gates.
“You know I believe in you no matter what Hiccup. You’ve got a wonderful magic ability, I still don’t see why the other two schools didn’t take you.”
Hiccup started rearranging his coat.
“Anyway, I hope that your examiner has a kinder heart here.”
Hiccup begrudgingly raised himself from the bench once the wagon came to a stop.
“Good luck son.”
“Yeah, okay.”
“And Hiccup?”
He tightened his shoulders, turning to face his dad. “Hmm.”
“Try not to blow this one. We don’t have many options left.”
“This is the last time I tell Mala my availability.”
“We each do our due diligence Viggo, it was bound to be your turn soon enough.”
“This isn’t even the time to be doing entrance exams. It adds more stress to the student having been thrown in at this point in the term.”
“Makes you wonder what kind of strings their family pulled.”
“You know technically it should be your turn to conduct an exam Alvin.” He accused.
“I had a valid excuse,” He shrugged, “my arm was giving me pain.”
Viggo rolled his eyes. “If you keep using that excuse they’re going to make you a functioning prosthetic and have you shed that hook hand.”
“I am working on one myself.” He answered indignantly. “I just haven’t found something I’m satisfied with yet.”
“Yes, it’s a slow process isn’t it?”
“I’m afraid I’ll need to leave you to it. I promised Vahallarama I’d have the drottning ready for her by this afternoon.”
“I’ll see you at dinner time then.” He waved him farewell.
“I also wish the visitor luck with their exam, having to deal with you.” Alvin winked.
Viggo dragged a hand down his face as he watched his companion walk away. He made his way over to the snikling’s office to pick up the examiner’s sheet. Only having just been told that someone was already in one of the exam rooms awaiting them.
The thing about the Wilderwest School of Magick was that they chose to perform differently than the other schools. While other schools accepted students as early as the age of 13, they preferred an older selection. Separate schools had a single council with no revolving administration conducting their exams to choose who would be permitted to walk their halls.
The Wilderwest opted to have a single professor or on some occasion even senior students lead an entrance exam, revolving on testing a group or individuals. Elected to do so, as so no single exam would be the same, and each testee had the opportunity to showcase different abilities. Viggo was in well agreement of this system, was why he had accepted employment at the school.
Before walking into the room, he made sure to give a brief review of the sheet. In order for the possible student to have a tolerable exam, the examiner had to seem like they actually knew what they were doing. Granted Viggo was handed this extremely last minute, he couldn’t be scolded because of his performance. After gathering a general idea of what he could ask the examinee to perform, he placed his hand on the knob and opened the door.
He saw the young person rise out of the chair at the sound of the door opening, beginning to fidget with their hands. He offered them a warm smile, letting the examiner’s paper hover in the air as he strode toward them.
“Good afternoon, sorry to keep you waiting. I am Professor Viggo Grimborn, I’ll be your examiner for today.” He held out a hand toward them.
The young man tilted his lips upward in the slightest, then stuck out a short arm and quickly shook his hand.
“Hi. I’m Hiccup Haddock, umm- Professor huh? What classes- do you teach?”
Viggo gestured for the paper to approach him, heading over to the desk for a quill.
"I teach Archipelagan history and botany. Magical combat every couple of terms."
At this Hiccup tilted his head.
"Why would magical combat be necessary?"
"It can be considered for show. Although even vying for a spot in politics may come to involve a duel to best another through magic means."
"Oh," He puffed out an irritated breath. "So it's for pleasing others."
"Not something you'd be inclined toward?" Viggo asked.
“Is it something, the school focuses on a lot?”
“Only if you’d want to partake in the club. Otherwise it isn’t a requirement. Now, shall we get started?”
As they went through the exam, Viggo couldn’t help but feel, bored. He could see potential in Hiccup, there wasn’t any doubt about that. However, he could perceive that the young man was capable of more. Yet wasn’t displaying his full ability.
“Summon a flame for me please.”
He was still paying attention to the sheet as he said it. The examiner had to see what criteria the student filled in order to place them in the accurate classes, if they were even powerful enough to gain enrollment. It was up to him to choose how the testee would show their magic ability; he decided to go for something simple.
Viggo glanced up after having read the section, seeing that no flame had been summoned just yet. Hiccup had his lips twisted, gaze flicking down to his hand. For a second, Viggo felt inclined to ask if he were capable of doing so, or if he needed to repeat the request. Then Hiccup heaved a heavy sigh, coming to extend his arm. Coming to mutter a few words. Viggo paid closer attention to his hand, his whispered words having faded too quickly from his mouth.
He had taught hundreds of students, and judging by the age Hiccup appeared, they would be able to conjure a lick of flame on their finger. Viggo had seen some students flick their hand, others twist their arm, but it was rare for him to have seen someone whisper the magic aloud. Never having seen the flame that burst to life on his extended palm.
It hovered above his palm, definitely not the size of a candle’s flame. It could be used to set a torch ablaze. Viggo quickly redrew his resolve, prodding the quill forward to write down the testee’s fire abilities.
“Not a fan of fire?” Viggo asked.
Hiccup laughed, waving his arm. “Actually, this is one of the spells I am more comfortable with.”
He must’ve been quiet long enough that Hiccup came to notice.
“Yeah, I know. I whispered the spell. I can do it without, but it’s become force of habit.”
“Should you be accepted we could teach you to become comfortable with a non-verbal command.” Viggo said rather breathlessly.
“Is there a problem?” Hiccup questioned.
“No, no.” But he wanted to see if his suspicions could be confirmed. “Could- could you change the color of the flame?”
His eyes went wide, fingers nearly curling inward. He waited to hear Hiccup question it, tell him no one could do that. After peering into the flame, Hiccup’s other hand began to go toward the fire. Viggo was about to shout for him to stop, he’d only burn himself in attempting to cast one spell onto another, but the moment a sound had escaped his throat Hiccup’s fingers made contact. At first Viggo had thought that the touching of the magic would cause the flame to extinguish.
That wasn’t the case. The flame did become to separate, curiously touching his fingers, but Hiccup simply swiped his hand through the summoned fire.
Where it came to change color. From a festering orange to a serene blue. Viggo’s throat made an odd little click, only stopped by his mouth clamped shut. He had asked Hiccup to do so. This was simply the result of his request. But it only meant, that perhaps the young man didn’t know the implications of what he was capable of.
The fact the color had changed. Without need of outside help- the only ones he knew which were capable of doing so, were dragon-born. They had gone extinct centuries ago, but Viggo came to learn of them as a superior race which shared the appearance of both human and dragon.
He and Alvin had actually met in that way, taking the more secluded courses and learning of the dragon-born. Everyone else regarded them as myth, but they believed they existed. Records lost for unknown reasons.
Although, as believers they had their conspiracy theories. Sure it was a race that went extinct, but their blood had to live on in others. Even if minute, it could be displayed in their magic. The different flames they could conjure.
“I can change it again, if you’d like.” Hiccup said.
“It isn’t any trouble for you?”
He made sure to hold onto the quill. He couldn’t be wrong, but his reflection couldn’t display that. If Hiccup did come to be accepted, he didn’t want anyone else to be suspicious of him because of his special flames. But as he stared at the blue fire hovering over the examinee’s palm, he hoped he was right with his conclusion.
He couldn’t tell anyone else about this. Viggo had of course submitted a critique in high praise of the young man, but he couldn’t annotate his suspicions. Hiccup must be a dragon-born. It can be the only plausible explanation.
He had submitted the examiner’s sheet, having taken to writing with the quill himself once Hiccup had showed his ability with flame. Viggo had heard it before, the flames were what displayed a dragon-born. The subtle sign that the race lived on. He didn’t gather the courage to ask Hiccup, how could he? The young man was still a stranger to him. It was a very personal question to ask.
Viggo had to make sure he was safe, try to guarantee Hiccup’s enrollment. If anyone else other than him came to gaze upon Hiccup’s flame and the teenager truly didn’t know of the dragon-born, well others could have malicious intentions. He had to see Hiccup again, try to see what he could-
“You hardly ate anything for dinner.” Alvin pushed open the door with an elbow.
He lifted his head, hand subtly closing the notebook which he read through. Coincidentally they were notes he and Alvin had written. Alvin walked to his desk, placing a small clay jug of steaming champurrado and a cake topped with a slice of orange down. Shifting the fork in Viggo’s direction.
“Nothing for yourself?” Viggo asked as he reached for the jug.
“I’d rather make sure you eat.”
“Hmm.”
“So, how did the exam go with the newcomer? Were they prim and proper with their magic display?”
Viggo couldn’t help but think of the flame the Haddock had summoned. The colors he’d changed it into.
“If they were from a wealthy family, it didn’t seem so.” He responded. “He wasn’t all that eager to show what he was capable of.” Until the request of fire.
“What was his name?”
“Hiccup Haddock.”
“And,” Alvin reached forward and plucked a piece off the cake, “do you believe he passed?”
“In my recommendation, yes. He managed to impress me.”
Alvin quirked an eyebrow. “Now I do need to see who he is outside of the school. If his ability piqued even your eye.”
“I actually, put in a request for him to be my personal pupil.”