11I know I've been away a long time but I want to try and get back into writing again. So here we go again. It's my pleasure to introduce For the Deaf and The Telepath, the rewrite and continuation. And because it's chapter one, disclaimer time! I do not own the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, idea, or characters (however much I wish I do); they belong to Cressida Cowell and DreamWorks. I only own whatever characters I create, and the plot of the story which you are reading.
Writing Style:
"Thought Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Normal Speech"
The roars of a dragon raid were everywhere, heard by everybody in the village of Berk, except for one. Hiccup was at the forge, in the small back room that Gobber had given him, working on his new design for a dragon killing machine. Something he hoped would bring him some respect, but in all honestly that would inevitably be destroyed, not by the dragons, but by the village after it had failed spectacularly. He still designed and built his contraptions though, never giving up on his dream of being respected. Several minutes into the raid, Gobber came barging through the door, grabbing the young lad and pulling him into the main area, and pointed at the pile of weapons that was forming on the counter. Hiccup knew what he had to do, he had been under Gobber's tutelage since he could remember, it was the only place he was wanted, much less needed. There was shouting, yelling, the roar of dragons and of the fire that said beasts had started but Hiccup didn't hear any of it, leaving him in a sort of strange peace. Able to see all the carnage being wrought by the flying pests, smell the smoke from the fires they set, feel the vibrations whenever a fireball hit something, or a dragon landed hard on the ground
The boy was completely deaf, after all. Hiccup was born that way. Normally the deaf or blind would be set adrift in a basket onto the ocean and a sort of funeral was held for the child. What made Hiccup different from the others is that when the elder, Gothi, examined him and told the Chief and his wife of the ailment, she also told them that he must live. When asked why, her response was only this, "It is the Will of the Gods that your son live, for he is to do great things in his life."
This prophecy about the boy was cemented into the minds of the Vikings when one night, about a few months after his birth, dragons broke into each house with a child in it and took them away into the night. Hiccup was the only one who was spared that fate as it was his mother Valka that was taken by the four-winged dragon and never seen or heard from again instead of him. This left Hiccup as the motherless remnant of his generation. His father, the chief, was constantly pestered to take a new wife, bear a new heir, after all, being deaf, small, and lanky were not qualities that were anywhere near desirable. Though, Stoick held out hope that his Valka was still alive, somewhere.
Despite all the challenges that he faced, Hiccup managed to grow up and become Gobber's assistant in the forge. Gobber became more a father to the deaf boy than Stoick was. He helped him learn how to read and write by showing him objects and the word for said object. The young Hiccup picked up on it faster than one would think possible and the pair even came up with a rudimentary version of sign language. Though despite how much he had accomplished in spite of his disability, he never gained any sort of acceptance from the rest of Berk. Together, the two became nigh inseparable in the forge.
The raid was about halfway over when the Night Fury appeared. Hiccup could still hear sound frequencies that were at the extreme ends of the frequency charts, despite being deaf, so he was able to hear the screech of the Night Fury long before anybody else could.
'Oh not again' Hiccup thought as the screech reached his ears. Everybody else started hearing the sound a few moments later and the cries of Night Fury, get down were heard throughout the village. Gobber promptly tapped Hiccup on his shoulder before signing for him to stay put in the forge while he went out and fought. Hiccup agreed with him as he had no problems with not going outside as he wouldn't be able to hear if a dragon was sneaking up on him. Tonight was different though, he felt an inexplicable urge to go.
'If I just keep my back to the walls I should be fine.' Hiccup thought as he set the last weapon in a stack on the ready rack for anybody to take and then stepped outside. Strangely enough, there was nobody outside of the forge. It was desolate, devoid of beings, human or dragon. Hiccup looked around and saw the raid was still happening, but everybody seemed to be avoiding the forge.
'Well, this was less exciting than I thought…' Hiccup went to go back into the forge, but as soon as he turned he stopped dead in his tracks. Sat before him was a dragon, not just any dragon, but the one and only Night Fury.
'Ah, crap. Of course, it's the Night Fury to find me. At least it will be quick and painless.' Were the last thoughts that went through Hiccup's head as he tilted his head down and prepared for the plasma blast to finish him. Only it didn't come. After a few seconds of waiting Hiccup looked up to see the dragon looking at him in curiosity and as if waiting for him to do something. For the first time since turning around, Hiccup locked eyes with said dragon. Hiccup once again felt an odd sudden urge, this one telling him to raise his hand, which he did.
The Night Fury saw the hand and growled slightly, arousing a flinch from the teen who snapped his head back, prepared for the dragon to tear into him. Though instead of the tearing and burning sensation of his arm being torn off, he felt something he had never felt before. It felt almost like leather and fish scales had a son, and that son was touching his hand. He looked up to see what it was and was surprised to see the Night Fury, eyes closed with its head leaning into his palm. It was then that a wave of nausea and dizziness hit the boy, causing him to slowly fall to the ground. Groggily, he pried open his eyes, finding the midnight dragon had also collapsed with him.
"What just happened?" Was all Hiccup could think as everything rushed back to him. A dragon, no, the Night Fury, had just let him touch it. Then he had felt something. It was as if somebody or something was knocking at the front door to his mind, wanting to be let in; it seemed as if he had let the thing in as his mind felt different.
"What just happened is we bonded," a deep, rumbling, masculine voice echoed through his mind.
"Who is that!? Why can I hear you?" Hiccup responded as he shuffled into a sitting position, scrambling back up against the wall as he looked around to see who was talking, as it was the first voice beside his own he had ever heard.
"Don't worry, I am not here to hurt you. I could never hurt you, you're my bonded and my rider." The voice once again said. Hiccup kept looking around to see who it could be but he saw nothing except for the Night Fury on the ground in front of the boy, staring at him.
"Am I…no, I can't be talking to a Night Fury! How is this even possible!" Hiccup once again thought, whispering unintelligibly, still not understanding what was going on.
"Well, you are talking to me. This is possible because I created a mental link with you. For some reason, you're the only person I can sense that I could be able to do this with; your mind is much stronger than any other humans. Let me show you what I mean; and I prefer to be called by my name, Zahnlos." The Night Fury, or rather Zahnlos, said back to the boy. Hiccup just sat there, he couldn't understand what was going on until he felt an increasing itch inside his head. Soon his brain was overloaded as a stream of memories, the dragons' memories, came flooding into his mind showing him both what had happened and how it had happened. Clenching his fists into the dirt, Hiccup was starting to feel hot, like his eyes were burning. It proved too much for the boy, as he quickly passed out. Zahnlos' ear plates flattened against his head before he grabbed the boy and took off, heading towards a hidden cove in the nearby forest he had seen many times before while flying high overhead.
Unknown to him, somebody had seen him take off with Hiccup from the forge and into the sky.
"Stoick!" The voice of Gobber rang out over the sounds of a finishing raid. Moments later, Stoick arrived at the forge.
"What is it Gobber?" Stoick asked. "Where is Hiccup?"
"That's why I called. I was on my way back to the forge when I saw the Night Fury standing outside of it." Gobber started.
"Dear Thor, Hiccup! Is Hiccup alright?" Stoick almost yelled as he griped his friend in fear. Even though he didn't show it often, he still loved his son as he was not only his son but his only link to his lost wife, Valka.
"Well, here's the thing. The beast took off with him in its clutches." Gobber informed him. The Chief, Stoick 'Oh Hear His Name and Tremble' The Vast Haddock fell to his knees. Taken by a dragon, a Night Fury no less, he was condemned to death, just like his Valka. Gobber went to support his friend but was pushed away as he got up with a serious look on his face. Gobber knew that face, it was very similar to the face he had when Valka was taken. It was a face the meant he wanted revenge, for not only losing Valka but now Hiccup as well. Stoick the Vast was out for blood.
I'm using Sam Elliot as my inspiration for Toothless's voice, so that should help some of you who wonder. And yes, I changed Toothless's name as the pair can now talk telepathically. And yes, I do actually know what it is supposed to be but I wanted to be different.
Once again, thank you Anonymous Noob the 2nd for giving me some of the story ideas and letting me bounce ideas off you all those years ago. See you guys and gal's on the next one.
Semper Fi,
Thearizona