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Hiccup faltered, lowering his sword even as rage pulsed through his blood. Here he was, face to face with Viggo, a man who should have been dead—and instead was met with a desecration of his face.
The whole left side looked like it had burned and melted and then tried to poorly paste itself back together. He couldn't see his eyes in the dark, but was sure his left eye had flashed a different color quickly in the moonlight. Was he blinded in that eye as well?
No, no, that doesn't matter! Hiccup clamped his jaw tight and gave a snarl, gripping his sword with both hands, igniting it. There had been a small smirk on Viggo's lips, still perfect despite everything…
Hiccup charged him, even as shock took him, and guilt tried to follow soon after. It didn't matter what Viggo looked like now. No, it didn't change a damn thing about him. He was still Viggo, and he still should have been dead.
Viggo blocked his attack with ease, raising up his own weapon. It wasn't the sword with the dragon filigree and rubies, as that was now back at the Edge, kept hidden away somewhere, but a sword that had flame licking across it's jagged blade.
It was like Hiccup's. He'd… he'd copied his design.
But that wasn't all, of course. Now, in the firelight of their crossed weapons, Hiccup could easily see Viggo's new scars.
They were bad. Awful. Hiccup had witnessed much in his life throughout all the wars he'd fought in and was still fighting in, had seen horrors and disfigurement of the human body. He'd seen what was left of his own leg…
But this still shocked him. Facial scars to this degree were not a thing he was accustomed to.
He couldn't help it, words coming from his mouth despite knowing just how bad they sounded:
"Your face…"
Stunned, Hiccup's arms grew weak, and so it didn't take much for Viggo to shove him back so that he was stumbling. Hiccup caught himself before he could fall onto his rear. He meant to level his sword at him again, but he didn't.
Viggo turned his lips up at him. It couldn't quite be called a smile, and not even a grimace, but it was something entirely indiscernible, but something Hiccup understood anyway.
Viggo lowered his own sword, which hiccup eyed with suspicion and curiosity. Why was he not attacking him? Granted, all-out attack had never been Viggo's style. He had the chance though.
"Yes, I assume it must come as a shock." Viggo gestured to his scars with a free hand. "It was for me as well."
There was pain in his words, speaking of how the discovery of his appearance had been for him as well, the pain of so much change…
Hiccup knew that pain intimately, thinking of when he'd woken from the fight with the Red Death with one less limb.
"I…" Hiccup wasn't sure what to do, what to say. He was completely dumbfounded and at a loss.
"Now, do you want to foolishly continue to attack me in which I will no doubt best you?" Viggo asked. "Or do you want to talk like I summoned you here for?"
Toothless struggled in the net he'd been caught in, letting out a roar, reminding Hiccup of the danger and fury of the situation.
Hiccup narrowed his eyes at Viggo. "I'll talk, but only if I'm allowed to free Toothless."
Viggo eyed his friend with what had to be one less eye to use. Hiccup noticed how he had to turn his head more to do so, a tell of his partial blindness.
"Very well." Viggo lowered his sword, the fire hissing out along the metal edges. Hiccup really wanted to get a closer look at that if he could. It was clearly very much like his design, but not in totality. It wasn't a full sword blade like his own. "As long as you promise not to set him on me in your anger."
Hiccup opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't find words, so just nodded, and went to cut Toothless free. Once the netting was burned and cut away, Toothless stood, shook himself out. He turned to Viggo, showing his teeth, growling.
Hiccup laid a hand on his head. "Bud, I-I said we would talk to him."
Toothless glanced at Hiccup, then back at Viggo. He gave one final growl, then rumbled in discontentment and sat beside Hiccup. His piercing gaze was on Viggo though, and Hiccup knew it wouldn't leave its target.
"Your cooperation is appreciated," Viggo said. "Now, down to business. I—"
"It's always business with you," Hiccup cut him off, surprised to find himself doing so. His tone was bitter. He once again eyed Viggo's sword, hanging uselessly in his hand. For the moment. He figured he was using the sword as a distraction to not stare at his face, to not wonder, to not feel the guilt of it all. He hadn't been able to save Viggo, and now…
"I'm afraid it must be." His words were softer, and he sheathed his sword on his back. Hiccup now had no choice but to face his new, permanently scarred state.
"Wh-what happened, Viggo?" Hiccup didn't sheathe his own sword just yet. "You fell. I… I tried to save you, but… and then the eruption…" He couldn't piece it together, couldn't make sense of any of it in his head.
Viggo turned his head from him and closed his eyes, quite the show of trust when treating with an enemy. Hiccup could feel his anger beginning to fade though, seeing him like this. Instead a new feeling was replacing it, a feeling that made him all confused and conflicted inside:
Compassion.
Viggo inhaled deeply through his nose, straightening his back more, raising his shoulders a bit.
"It is a long story, and of no matter right now," he responded, still not looking at Hiccup. The scarred side of his face was turned away from him.
Hiccup sheathed his sword, even as everything inside him screamed at him not to. The things this man had done… the things he'd wanted to do… He was evil and monstrous through and through, and yet here Hiccup was sympathizing with him. Anger began to flicker to life again, but now directed inwards at himself. He was very good at being angry and frustrated with himself.
"What if it matters to me?" Hiccup asked. He itched to take a step forward, but stayed where he was.
Toothless gave Hiccup a confused look and a questioning rumble. Clearly he hadn't been expecting this turn in him, but then again, neither had Hiccup!
"Why should it?" Viggo's response was cold, curt. "That is not what I went to the pains of summoning you here for."
Hiccup wanted to protest, but no, Viggo was right. If he'd gone to this much trouble to talk to him alone, it wouldn't be about this. They weren't exactly bonded in a way where it would make sense to discuss it, even if there was that strange tugging in Hiccup's chest that tried to tell him otherwise.
"No." Hiccup shook his head, balled his hands into fists, and tried to get himself to focus. "No, you're right. It's not." Hiccup did his best to unflinchingly meet Viggo's now-half blind gaze. "What is it you want?"