Work Text:
The battle was fierce.
The riders had been captured after an ambush gone wrong against the dragon hunters. Their dragons had been caged. Only Hiccup and Toothless had managed to escape the onslaught, and he’d managed to free his friends after careful planning a few well placed plasma blasts. Astrid had looked him in the eye, grabbed her axe, and charged, engaging the first dragon hunter she saw in combat.
The chaos was everywhere. Twenty dragon hunters, easily, versus six dragon riders. Astrid alone was handling five of them, and relatively easily at that. Snotlout was holding his own against three of them, and the twins were going about battle four of them in their usual violent, confusing fashion.
Nearby, there was a scream, and Hiccup glanced over at Fishlegs. He’d been cornered by two of the hunters, and another had a sword to Meatlug in her cage. Hiccup grimaced, and banged the hunter he’d been fighting on the head with the hilt of Inferno with as much strength as he had. The hunter crumpled, and Hiccup ran for Toothless, who was holding his own against five skittish hunters. “Toothless!”
Toothless glanced up, and knocked his hunters flat with his tail and bounded towards Hiccup. Hiccup hopped on his back, and the two raced for Fishlegs. Toothless roared, baring his teeth, and the two hunters pinning Fishlegs scattered. After catching his breath, Fishlegs’ expression twisted into a scowl, and he charged the hunter that was threatening Meatlug, picking up a dropped sword on the way.
“Hiccup!”
Hiccup glanced over, and his heart crawled into his throat. Astrid was pinned to the ground, using the handle of her axe to keep a hunter’s axe at bay. No matter how strong Astrid was, the hunter was stronger, and she was slowly losing the battle against his axe. On top of that, two more hunters were circling behind her, and one was raising his sword.
“Astrid!” Hiccup urged Toothless forward, watching in slow motion as Astrid’s arms caved, as the hunters raised their weapons – he dismounted Toothless in one, smooth motion, and he ran, Toothless at side. Toothless knocked flat the two other hunters, and Hiccup –
He raced forward, lighting Inferno on fire, and plunged it into the axe-wielding hunter’s chest.
Everything seemed to stop. The sword hissed and went out as it passed through the hunter’s body, leaving the metal steaming. The hunter just stared at him, axe still raised, eyes wide with pain and surprise. Hiccup swallowed, and drove the sword deeper. The hunter’s eyes glazed over, his axe fell to the ground, and he slumped, impaling himself further on Inferno’s blade and bearing all his weight on Hiccup’s arms.
Astrid was still lying on ground beneath them, breathing hard, her eyes huge. Hiccup shoved the hunter away, letting him fall to the ground next to her, and he braced a foot against his unmoving chest to rip Inferno free with a sick, wet sucking sound. Blood and bits of gore covered the sword’s blade, and Hiccup stood, chest heaving, looking out at the battlefield. The hunters were staring at him. His friends were staring at him. His hands were shaking as he gripped Inferno with both hands.
“Retreat! Back to the ships!”
All at once, the hunters moved, running away, back to their fleet. Hiccup just watched them go. His blood roared in his ears, making him deaf to everything around him, still standing over Astrid, his vision tunneled on the blood on his sword – he’d just killed someone. He’d just killed someone, oh Gods –
“…Hiccup?”
There was a hand on his shoulder, and Hiccup flinched wildly, whipping around with Inferno still held out in front of him. Astrid was standing again, and she backed up fast, both hands held up in surrender. Blood dripped from Inferno’s blade, splashing down onto the grass at their feet.
“Oh hoho man! That was awesome!” Snotlout clapped Hiccup on the back, shooting him a grin. “I’d pay to see the look on that guy’s face!”
“Gotta say, I didn’t think you had it in you.” Tuffnut twirled Macey in his grasp, before bracing her over his shoulder.
“Yeah! Who knew Hiccup Haddock could kill someone!” Ruffnut grinned, leaning against her twin.
Hiccup barely heard them. He was still staring at Inferno’s blade, and only looked away to glance at the body. The body. The body he’d caused, he’d created, he’d killed someone, there was blood on his hands now and he wasn’t sure he’d ever get it to wash away –
Hiccup was no fool. When the riders went out, sinking ships, he knew exactly what what was happening to the hunters aboard those ships. They’d probably drowned – hundreds of hunters. And back in the day, probably a few dozen outcasts and berserkers. But this was different. Hiccup had seen the look in his eyes, the fear, the pain, he’d felt the sword go into his chest, he’d watched his chest stop moving –
Hiccup dropped Inferno, and he staggered back a step, staring at his hands. When he looked up, the riders were staring at him again. Astrid’s eyes were still wide, and she took a hesitant step forward. “…Hiccup?”
“…What have I done?” His voice was barely a whisper, and when he looked at Astrid, at the horror on her face – the tears came hot and fast, and he let out a sob, covering his face with his shaking hands so he didn’t have to look at the body anymore.
Warm, strong arms wrapped around him, and Hiccup cried into Astrid’s shoulder, holding her tight. His hands were still shaking, even pressed against Astrid’s back, his whole body was shaking, he couldn’t control his breathing – His legs gave out, and Astrid followed him to his knees as Hiccup ugly sobbed in her arms.
“Shh…it’s okay, Hiccup. You saved me. You did a good thing.”
Astrid was trying to be comforting, Hiccup knew that, but her words just made him feel sick. How could taking a life possibly be good? He just cried harder, clinging to her, as the other riders stood awkwardly around him.
“I – I just –” Hiccup spoke through hiccupping sobs, unable to stop his hyperventilating. “I want – I want to go – home –”
“Okay, okay, Hiccup, we can go home. Are you sure you can fly?”
At Hiccup’s nod, Astrid pulled back, studying his face. He couldn’t quite look her in the eye, but at least his breathing was calming some. He could see the body over her shoulder. Toothless was sniffing it, there was blood all over the grass, and all Hiccup could see was red. He just closed his eyes, turning his head away.
Shakily, Hiccup stood, and he gingerly picked up Inferno. The sword was no longer dripping, but there was still gore and blood cooked onto the blade from the heat of the metal as it plunged into the hunter’s body. Hiccup swallowed back the urge to vomit, and just sheathed the sword on his back. “…Get your dragons. I’m heading back. I…need to be alone, for a while.”
Astrid exchanged a glance with Fishlegs, and Snotlout and the twins didn’t look any less skeptical. Astrid stood, resting a hand on his shoulder. “…Is that a good idea?”
Hiccup shrugged, shrugging off her hand, and moved slowly towards Toothless. Everything seemed slow, like he was moving through molasses. He hopped onto Toothless’ back, and turned his back to the other riders. “…Take your time.”
With that, Hiccup urged Toothless into the air, and he flew away. As far away as he could, as fast as he could. Running from his sins.