7A/N: Thanks muchly for all your reviews/faves/follows! They make me want to actually keep working on this story 8D
Disclaimer: … Do I have to write this every time…?
Of Dragons and Gold
"It's an entire city full of suckers!"
Jack hated stairs.
He had never really had any feeling towards them one way or the other but now… after walking step after step up this grand temple, he was wishing steps would die. Even if that was impossible he didn't care. He had lost count at the 125th step and had to focus more on dragging enough air into his lungs. He could hear Hiccup behind him struggling, even the dragon giving faint pants every now and then.
Then how in the Hel were those two in front of him seemingly fine?! It was infuriating.
Mercifully, they finally reached the top and Jack bent over with hands on his knees, sweat dripping off his chin. He was never leaving this temple if it required those stairs every time…
He could tell they were turning towards them and Jack quickly reached down to drag Hiccup up the last step. To his credit, when the chief and priest turned to face them, Hiccup had straightened to face Jack, brushing off his shirt in a bored manner. Jack gave a faint grin in his direction as Toothless flopped down between them, green eyes narrowed. The two men bowed and swept their arms out, allowing the teens to enter their temple and gaze around. It was a large area at the top, open with the sides and covered in silks and cushions of all kinds. A fresh pool occupied the back wall. Jack's eyes widened as he gazed about, measuring their new living space. This was the biggest place they had ever occupied to be sure…
"Ah, my lords," The two turned towards the chief who had entered with the priest. "To commemorate your arrival, I propose a reverent ceremony at dawn." Pitch offered. North stepped up.
"Then perhaps I could prepare a glorious feast for you tonight." The gray man shot him a barely concealed sneer as he looked back at the two.
"Which… would you prefer?" Hiccup glanced over at Jack and he frowned faintly. It was obvious he wanted to go to neither but it should have been equally obvious that Jack wanted to go to everything.
"Both," They answered together, one a bit more sullen than the other. The priest and chief bowed again and offered a 'My lords', before filing out of the temple.
"And so the year of the dragon begins." Pitch chuckled darkly, glancing at the chief with gleeful eyes. "Happy New Year."
"So… they actually think we're gods…" Jack grinned at Hiccup as the male looked away from the entrance and back to him, a faint look of disbelief on his face.
"Hic, this city is more superstitious than the Vikings!" He hopped over to his side and took him by the shoulders, shaking him lightly. "If we can keep this up, imagine the wealth! We'll go back to everyone richer than kings!" Hiccup frowned, pushing him away gently.
"If being the key word there, Jack. We're gonna have to be careful about this."
"Ha! Careful?" Jack's grin widened. "We're gods Hiccup. We're all powerful and incapable of messing up!" He spread out his arms. "Just imagine it! Jack and Hiccup!" He glanced back at Hiccup. After a moment of hesitation, he gave a huff but grinned as he copied the move.
"Hiccup and Jack!"
"Mighty and Powerful gods!" They shouted together, flexing their nonexistent muscles.
"Hello," The teens screeched at the sing-song entrance, jerking back to see the female from earlier laughing at them. Toothless simply rolled his eyes, already lying down in a sea of cushions.
Jack was the first to break the spell of shock and puffed out his chest, gesturing at the girl.
"Depart, mortal. Before we… strike you down with a lightning bolt!" She simply hummed as she picked a piece of dust of the gold head she was holding. Hiccup gave a sigh behind him as he continued his mini tyrant. "Beware the wrath of the gods!" He put up two fingers and curled them at her, making a hissing sound much like a cat.
"Save it for the high priest honey. You're gonna need it." Jack continued though, ignoring her words.
"Jack… Jack! It's not working, we've been caught." Jack stopped mid-hiss, letting his arms dangle on either side of him as he slouched. Maybe being careful had been a good idea… She gave them a smile though it seemed razor sharp.
"Oh no, don't worry about me, boys." She set the head back in the place it had occupied and her smile widened as she glanced back up at them. "My only wish is to serve the gods. Remember?" Hiccup narrowed his eyes at her, crossing his arms.
"How?" He questioned. This seemed to be the trigger question she was waiting for because she drifted over to them, swaying as she did so.
"Well… if you boys want the gold, and you don't want to get caught… you're going to need my help." Jack huffed, copying Hiccup's pose and crossing his arms.
"What makes you think we need your help?" She popped her hip to the side and lifted her fingers to mimic Jack's earlier move, hissing as she did so.
"You serious?" Jack felt his cheeks redden faintly as he heard Hiccup stifle his laughter beside him. He growled at his friend before glaring at the woman.
"Fine. But what's in it for you?"
"I want in."
"In…?" Hiccup asked, tilting his head at her.
"On the scam." She clarified. The two boys scoffed but neither offered a denial to her claim.
"Why?" The brunette finally questioned.
"To get out." Jack frowned, letting his arms drop to his sides. He angled his head towards his companion.
"Wait, I thought she just said she wanted in." Hiccup sighed and motioned with his hand as he answered.
"She wants in so she can get out."
"Oh…" Jack smiled in understanding but suddenly frowned at the woman. "Why?" She sighed and gestured out an open window.
"You think you're the only two who dream of adventure? Of something better? This place… this place is like a birdcage. And… well, let's not make it personal shall we?"
"It's a pretty birdcage though." Jack took a pace back at her withering glare, putting up his hands in defense. "N-not that I would know…"
"So…" She moved towards them, looping an arm around their shoulders to bring them in. "When you guys leave to go… wherever you're going, I'm coming with you!" The boys frowned at each other between her.
"I… I don't think this is a good idea…" Hiccup muttered, lifting her arm off and letting it go. Jack quickly scrambled away to join his friend's side. The female's smile slipped off her face.
"Oh ok then! I'm sure you'll be fine. After all," She pushed past them to start towards the stairs. "I'm sure you know all about how to bless a tribute, the holiest days of the calendar, and of course you know all about Xibalba!" She huffed and waved her hand. "See you at the execution then~"
"Wa-wait!" Jack shouted, leaning past Hiccup to reach for her arm. "Hold up." She glanced at his hand, giving a faint shiver at the cold that emitted from his touch yet didn't make an effort to push it away.
"Deal…?" Jack frowned, sensing Hiccup glaring behind him but squashed the image.
"Just… let's see how this works first… ok?" He asked with a shaky smile. The female stared at him for a few heartbeats before giving another huff, pulling away from him.
"Call me Tooth." The male blinked before smiling wider, giving a nod.
"Tooth then! I'm Jack and this is Hiccup."
"I know. I heard your 'all powerful gods' speech, remember?" Once again, he felt his face heat. He coughed, turning away from her.
"Right. Of course." She giggled as she slipped past him, stepping over Toothless without a second thought.
"Here," Hiccup yelped as fabric was thrown over his head. "Put these on!" She grinned at them and Jack found that her face was actually quite pretty with something like that on her lips. "Your public's waiting." Hiccup had finally gotten the items off and stared at them now, paling slightly at the thought of hundreds of people seeing him dressed in something like this.
"Uh… do you mind?" Jack questioned as he paused in removing his shirt, causing Hiccup to do the same with his own. Tooth had seated herself next to Toothless, examining him with now an awed stare.
"What? O-oh! Right! Of course." She hurriedly got to her feet, smiling at the two as she passed. "Bye!" She yanked open a curtain and disappeared behind it.
"Well she's a bit…"
"Hyper? Perhaps crazy? The reason for us ending up dead?"
"I uh… was gonna say nice." Jack stuttered out, surprised at Hiccup's view. "But yeah… those things might count too. Not the dead part though! We're gonna do this, Hic. I know it!" Hiccup gave him a questioning stare but shook his head any way.
"If you believe so strongly, I'll trust you. We just… need to be careful alright?"
"You already said that." Jack mumbled at him, words half lost in the fabric of his cloak as he tugged it loose.
"It doesn't hurt to say it twice with you!" Hiccup muttered at him, looking at the clothing that had been given to him confusedly. Toothless pulled himself to his paws and sauntered over to his side, sniffing at the cloth. "Yeah, I don't know what it is either, bud." While the dragon and rider pair tried to sort out their own attire, Jack was busy with his. Honestly, he wasn't quite fond of showing his skin off. He was cold by nature and liked more to cover that cold with thick clothing. This seemed like it would be… revealing. But, he supposed, Tooth knew what she was doing and he started to drape the deep blue fabric around his waist, looping it around a shoulder. The rest of the material flowed down to make a make-shift skirt of types and he felt his cheeks flush. Ok, no. He couldn't do this. He'd leave his pants on but… he rolled them up until they hid beneath his fabric.
"There!" He put his hands on his hips, satisfied with his work. "Hey, Hic you done?" He turned only to start giggling like a child at the view. Somehow the brunette had managed to wrap him and his dragon up in the dark green cloth in all sorts of knots. Hiccup scowled at him though it didn't look as dark as he would have liked considering Toothless's tail was flopped over his head.
"Just shut up and help me!" It took a while to get everyone untangled and Jack inspected the cloth to make sure it was still in good shape once everyone was free. A scowl was still on his face as he crossed his arms over his thin chest. "As if I'm not clumsy enough, let's add in a bunch of fabric that could trip you at any moment!" Jack laughed.
"Don't be so mean to the poor clothing! Here, let me help." Hiccup looked as if he would decline but finally gave a sigh and let his arms hang by his sides. Jack's smile widened and he hopped forward, circling his friend to start putting the cloth in place. He paused when he got to his back, wincing at the puckered scars that met him. Couldn't have those showing… gods wouldn't have scars right? In the end, he spread the cloth across his back much like a cape and brought it around the front over his shoulders, tying it around the base of his stomach. He gave a nod and stepped back. "What do you think?
"Ah… It's fine I think… Made it so I can't trip on it… Think they'll be ok with me having pants though?" Toothless nudged him from behind, two gold circlets in his gums. Jack swiftly took them and plopped one on Hiccup's head, fixing on upon his own head.
"We're gods so they can't question how we dress! Who knows, maybe you'll start a trend." The white-haired lad winked at him before grabbing him by the wrist and pulling him towards the entrance, the dragon bounding after them. Below them the chief and his people started at the 'gods' sudden entrance. It seemed North may have said something as smiles suddenly spread across everyone's faces and music started to play. They blinked at the scene yet Jack didn't give Hiccup the chance to enjoy the scenery as he swiftly started to drag him down the stairs. He may have hated stairs going up, but going down was always easiest right?
The word feast did not even begin to compare with what these people had. Piles upon piles of fruit, oddly shaped breads, beasts whose size dwarfed even the biggest dragon. The music was like none ever heard and some of the decorations were a little creepy to the boys, skeletons jiggling as they danced up on poles and masks that looked as if they were laughing maliciously. How they cut food up though was like watching an executioner. The spike covered paddle seemed to be able to chop nearly everything straight in half with ease.
Then again, he could have been imagining everything. The drink they served was strong, of that he could tell, and within just two cups he could feel the world spinning underneath him. Toothless was swaying in a dance with Tooth, the girl excitedly squawking on about his teeth while Hiccup was pulled around by the arms by children, a mask set upon his face by a blond haired woman following. And he felt like he was flying, a stick in one hand and a goblet in the other, darting in and out of the monsters and demons that laughed around him, frost coating their smiles. North loomed in his eyes, smile stretching too far up his face to be normal and as he felt himself be pulled along by a familiar hand, his vision went black.
The light that pierced through his eyelids was far too bright and Jack groaned with displeasure at it. He slowly cracked open his eyes and blinked at his surroundings. They seemed to be in a covered box of some sort, soft blankets and pillows adorning nearly every side. He was on his side, wrapped in the clothing he had worn from the night before, a random staff of wood by his head. Hiccup was sprawled out beside him, nearly looking to be drowned in silks of all colors. Jack winced as he brought his hand up to rub at his head. Maybe they should have said no to the feast… At least his pants were still on. He turned his head and screamed in fright at the golden skeleton face that greeted him. Hiccup jerked up at the sound, letting out a cry of his own as Jack grabbed him by the arms and clung.
"Good morning, my lords!" Pitch chirped in a sing-song voice that sounded scarier than his usual tenor. He suddenly vanished out of sight, leaving the two boys frozen.
"He's back…" Jack hissed, scooting closer to his friend.
"Dear gods…" Hiccup muttered, massaging his face with a hand. "I can't even feel my head right now…" Jack silently agreed while at the same time vowing to never drink that pink concoction again.
The two shuffled out of their makeshift bed, grimacing at the bright sunlight that hit them though more so at the cheers of the people that assaulted them once they had stepped out. Hiccup gave a yelp as he tripped on his cape, only kept from hitting the ground by Toothless's head popping up beside him. He gave the dragon a soft thanks before trying to fix his clothing. Jack was doing the same when Tooth breezed past them, tension sharp on her face as she threw petals out around them.
"Hey, Tooth, what's going on?"
"It's not going to be good," was her cryptic reply before she blew away once more.
"Thanks for that lovely bit of information." Hiccup muttered drily. In front of them, the high priest spread his arms out wide.
"This city has been granted a great blessing and what have we done to show our gratitude?" He yelled out the question, attempting to fix the entire rows full of people with a critical stare. "A meager feast... The gods deserve a proper tribute! The beginning of a new era, the dawning of a new age demands...sacrifice!" He whipped his hand out and black smoke billowed out at his feet, a bag materializing from it. This disappeared and as he lifted his fingers, a bound man on his knees slumped forward. The boys stiffened as they watched, a gasp echoing from the crowds as the man staggered to his feet.
"Hiccup, I don't like this…" Jack whispered, narrowing his eyes as Pitch nudged the man forward with a paddle. Ahead of them was a steep dropoff, leading into a massive churning whirlpool, water smashing against the rocky sides. "We've got to do something!" He hissed, looking at his friend who had his eyes wide with horror.
"R-right!" He responded, barely heard over the snarling of the dragon behind him. "Stop!" The priest stumbled in his steps, whipping his head back to watch the two teens walk towards him. "This is… not proper tribute!" Hiccup continued. Jack dashed forward, catching the man under the arms as he crumbled.
"You… do not want the tribute?"
"O-oh, we want tribute! Just ah… uh, tell him, Hiccup!" Hiccup stared at him incredulously before straightening under the man's golden gaze.
"The stars… are not in position… for this kind of tribute!" The brunette stammered out, pointing above them at the dimming dots in the sky if only to get that piercing stare off of his face.
"You heard him. Stars… can't do it…" Jack huffed out the words as he dragged the man off behind Hiccup towards the dragon, poking his head back in to say, "Not today," before vanishing out of the man's line of sight. Pitch stared at Hiccup yet the teen met his stare with his own, raising an eyebrow at the extended silence.
"Ah… perhaps… I have misread the heavens…" Pitch murmured weakly, clasping his hands and bowing his head slightly.
"Don't worry!" Pitch jumped as Jack's hand slapped onto his shoulder, cold spreading across the skin. "The err is human, to forgive—" Hiccup cut off his mini rant by jerking him back by the arm, fixing him with a glare.
"My lords!" The two turned to face the chief. "Allow the people of El Dorado to show our tribute!" Behind him, women came out of the doors, bearing baskets full of glittering gold items. Jack stared at the mounds with a slack jaw, already planning who to rub their face in it first. Beside him, Hiccup was equally stunned. North seemed prideful at their response. "The gods have obviously chosen! To Xibalba?" They didn't notice Tooth waving her hands and shaking her head no as they glanced at each other. With a shrug they grinned and shouted, "To Xibalba!" The women came towards them before suddenly tossing their goods into the air, the gold flying above them before spiraling down into the water below. Tooth came up beside them, arms angrily crossed over her chest.
"Tooth… what are they doing?" Jack croaked out, all his plans of ruling over the losers who hated him shattering.
"They're sending it to Xibalba. The spirit world!"
"Spirit world… yeah that makes sense…" Hiccup murmured hollowly.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of this." Tooth moved away from them, sliding up beside the chief. "Ah, chief, the gods have changed their minds." She straightened out her skirt. "They wish to bask in the reverence that has been bestowed upon them." North blinked before throwing his hands up.
"STOP!" The women jerked their heads in his direction, a plate rolling past being the only sound until stopped by Jack's bare foot. The chief glanced around. "They wish to bask! Take the tribute to the gods' temple!" As the gold was collected and hauled off, Tooth made her way up to them, a content hum on her lips.
"That was perfect!" Jack gushed, blue eyes sparkling with excitement as he held the plate he had saved close to his chest. Hiccup grinned beside him, rubbing his head sheepishly.
"Yeah, thanks for that… suppose we should've got a lesson in 'El Dorado' before doing all this…" Tooth beamed at their praise, the three walking past Pitch and North, Toothless following after them. North gave Pitch a triumph look and a chuckle before disappearing after them. Pitch gave his retreating figure a sharp-toothed grin.
"Smile while you can, fat man…"
A skull stared hollowly out at the ocean before a foot hovered over it, crushing it with its weight. A vast man glared around the beach, a flat and wide blue dragon hissing beside him. He blinked as he caught a rowboat in his vision.
"Well, well…" He followed the foot and paw prints into the forest. "What have we here…?" He questioned with a dark smile.
A/N: Ok! So… thought the other chapter was long. Anyway! I shortened the party obviously and I never got drunk before so I don't know what they see so I just put in a bunch of random stuff. Yay! I didn't have them change back into their clothes like the movie because… when did they do that? Illogical. –best Spock voice- Anyway though, it's moving along quite nicely. I'm not sure if we'll have RainbowSnowcone or Toothcup –dodges bricks and rocks- OK FINE I'LL THINK OF ANOTHER NAME FOR IT. VikingFairy, I don't know! I'm not good at pairing names! But there will be no Hiccstrid. Because I hate it. Sorry but I do. Continue to read and review please~!
Until we meet again~
- Zehava