Chapter 2: My new friend…was a quest???

 

"Ah, how I wish I could have realized sooner, I even had the chance to fix it all. I would have never had to take this path, a lonely existence, a release nowhere to be found, clutching to what little I have left."

Sitting in the expanse of space, a coalescing of stars, facing a bright blue planet, there a man floats thinking of all the bad, the evil, the hurt...everything that he wouldn't have had to go through by simply, opening up, simply reaching out a hand begging for help, and instead of silencing it, boasting on high to all thoughts that believed in him, calling out for them, a soul that needed help...no place to go, alone in its own solitude, becoming something he swore he would never have.

Declining fate, fighting to become so powerful, he lost everything. Purpose, love, hope, everything that made him...had disappeared. With all this power, he could do nothing to fix what had already been done...yet he knew he could change it; however, it wouldn't be him per se, he would take all the power he had, drawing everything that made up all of him, the love he no longer felt, the purpose that he once had, the hope that once lit up his dark path; with even his very own existence he would make it, so it never happened again. 

Opening his beautiful, deep-dark blue eyes, cascading with golden ichor flecks, radiant orange, condensed violet, fluorescent green, and bloodred, he dully look forward, slowly gaining a light that had long since been lost. Swaying at shoulder length, white hair shines brilliantly, reflecting the light of the stars in every direction.

Gathering every single ounce of his power, drawing out what did not belong to him trading his life for it, gaining a purpose he long lost, a quiet voice, so tired and dead, yet now burning with brightness and strength, the same that once pushed him farther than anyone could go, reared its head in defiance, letting all know he will never give up. Power began to gush out, flashing, blinding, yet shallow and dark, beautiful, peaceful, erupting forth like the last cry of a broken warrior, the last cry of their will, raging forward, fighting the embrace of death, taking the lives of his enemy, roiling around, no longer hiding the strength he commands. Pushing past the limits that all of existence imposed on him, shattering every chain meant to hold him down. 

With a heart unyielding, blood boiling in rage, a mind as calm as a still lake, a spirit unwavering like that of a dancing flame, never conceding to the currents trying to blow it out, the space around him starts to crack, everything turning gray, wavering and undulating, breaking and trembling before a being so strong, it was truly unfathomable, so beautiful in its simplicity of utter chaos and destruction.

Reaching forward, his hand shatters something akin to glass. A pulsing violet-blue light brimming forth with calm torrents of power shies away from him, seemingly as if running. With a voice gentle, serene, and full of power, he coaxes what is perceived as the embodiment of existence itself. 

"Come, do not be afraid, I will not harm you as you have me, for I know you cannot break the bonds that hold you in place, binding you to never move from your course. I will only move what is rightfully mine, carving it away from the power that holds all so close, a tyrant, I will break and make anew."

Responding to that voice, sounding that of one weathered by hardship so vast even that of existence, the thing that encompasses everything and is impartial to all, silently feels sorrow. Moving forward ever so gingerly, the dark violet-blue light rolls over the outstretched hand, not unlike that of a mother comforting her babe. Holding it and embracing that hand, one of a lost boy trying to make right what he has done wrong, giving a feeling of hope and eagerness to help, it lets the hand grasp it.

Instead of a harsh hand like the one that created it, a being known as The wanderer of Lament warmly moves it towards his eyes, only to get a closer look, that of curiosity and wonder.

"I think I'll call you, Totus, haha, it's a language from my home world, Latin, it means whole or all, like that of existence, I'm still quite childish at heart if I say so myself. I should hurry, I cannot hold on for much longer."

With a stillness that would lay deceit to that of which occurred but moments ago becomes prevalent. Pulling at the light, the man finds a tiny piece of it, lightly pinching it between his fingers. With no pain or discomfort to the amalgamation of violet and blue light, he severs it, nearly being erased right then and there, only nearly holding on with the last vestiges of his power. Asking in a strained voice now filled with hope, the man asks openly without so much as a single tear,

"Totus, can I ask you for an exchange? My life, for this little piece of you, to not be given a path? I wish for it to build one, not follow along behind something that has already happened once before in your infinite gathering of what is you. Will you let this tired soul rest and give a chance to whom would have received it that day? I want to save a lost little boy, one that never should have had to go through this, he should have just had fun, experiencing what very few ever get to. Will you let me have a chance to be happy, to fulfill that empty space that should have been filled long ago, the very first day I was given what I thought was my chance? The day I had met my best friend, the day I had become a dragon rider, my start to this journey that will now no longer come about but explore a myriad of worlds, saving and changing fates that need not be so terrible?"

With a burning fire left in his chest, the man beseeches Totus, the core you could say of existence, for an exchange, an exchange of fair differing values, with the power he had, he could have exchanged for almost anything ever to have existed and will come to exist. The power he holds is something that no one else besides the creator who died to make existence itself and those few enough to be counted on one hand has achieved. Being something that is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, Totus knows that this would not be a fair exchange. The man could have very well asked to keep his memories or change a multitude of events, yet he didn't. Unsure as to why Totus pauses, seemingly in a dilemma. 

"Haha, it's not who I am, I would never bring these memories back with me, nor would I change anything in the beginning. Everything that has happened will now change on its own, I'm not sure how nor when, but I know that I can change it, and it will change. I am me, after all, this will only be a warm-up to what will come."

Barking out a laugh that was genuine for the first time in a very long time, the man laughs, shedding no light on the subject whatsoever. With a small shake as if in befuddlement, Totus comes to a halt. With a slow nod, well, what the man assumed was one, Totus agrees to do so. 

Rumbling begins to occur, breaking apart all that of which is around them, distorting and shredding the very fabric of time, space, and existence itself, the man looks on with a smile, one that carries so much behind it, it simply appeared to be nothing and everything to the man. A whisper so quiet, only the sound of air escaping moving lips is registered by Totus.

"Thank you...my name is....Sal....... I hope we meet again under better circumstances..." 

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[Ding]

[Linda has been created, substituting with system #1-23L-2, and will be reinstated as #1-23L-2, so no error occurs. Rest well, O'wanderer of Lament, my master, I will help you achieve all your desires and wishes.]

---

 

'This is Berk; it's 12 days north of hopeless and a few degrees south of freezing to death. It's located solidly on the meridian of misery, my village. In a word, sturdy, and it's been here for seven generations, but every single building is new. We have fishing, hunting, and a charming view of the sunsets. The only problems are the pests. You see, most places have mice or mosquitoes, we…have dragons. Most people would leave, but not us; we are Vikings, we have stubbornness issues.

My name is Hiccup. Great name, I know, but it's not the worst. Parents believe a hideous name will frighten off gnomes and trolls…like our charming Viking demeanor wouldn't do that.'

Running through the village, Hiccup takes a tumble with a Viking stopping before him.

"WARRGHHHHH!!! Mornin'!" 

The Viking bellows into the air before looking at Hiccup and greeting him.

Running towards the smithy near the upper parts of Berk, Hiccup gets rebuked by most of everyone.

"Whatre you doin' here!?" (Random Viking1)

"Get unside'!" (Random Viking two)

"What are you doing ouwt'?!" (Random Viking 3)

"Get bawck, unside'!" (Random Viking lady 1)

Running across the open area before the steps leading up to the higher parts of the village, Hiccup is almost hit with a fiery blast from a Deadly Nadder. With a giant hand made of thick pads and callouses, it grabs him by the neck, lifting him up and back from the blast of fire, a broad and gruff voice yells out to him.

"HICCUP!"

A big man with vast shoulders, about 6'6 in height, the pelt of what appears to be a bear on his back, fiery red hair and beard, arms that look like logs, sharp green eyes, and a helm with horns that are long and sharp angling 90 degrees off to the left and right is looking at him. Then after giving him a death glare, he turns, looking from left to right at the people around them.

"What is he doin' out agai- WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT?! Get inside!"

What first looked like he was going to yell at the people around them turns into him looking back at Hiccup and yelling at him. He throws him ruffly toward the direction of the smithy.

'That's Stoic the vast. Chief of the tribe. They say that when he was a baby, he popped a dragon's head clean off its shoulders. Do I believe it? Yes, I do.'

Throwing a wooden cart easily weighing 150 pounds like a sac of potatoes, Stoic hits a dragon with it, then turns around to the Viking behind him.

"What' ave we gott?"

"Grunkels, Nadders, Zipplebacks- Oh, and hordes of Monsterous nightmares."

BOSH* 

A house is hit by a blast of fire blowing it up, sending smoldering cinders flying everywhere. One of said cinders lands on the iron plate, strapping Stoics pelt to his back on the right shoulder. Without so much as a glance, he flicks it off and asks the Viking,

"Any Night Furys?"

Letting go a pent-up breath the Viking didn't realize he had been holding, he tells Stoic,

"None so far."

Stoic seems relieved, though not too visibly, if at all, and gives a short reply with a steady demeanor and calm atmosphere.

"Good."

---

Running through the center of the village, Hiccup passes the two large braziers being raised into the sky. They were made so everyone could see the dragons better in the night and ward them off from landing there.

Seeing the smithy right in front of him, Hiccup gives a little extra burst of speed, running into the smithy, and taking off his pelt-vest.

"Oho, how nice of you to join the party!"

A man with a blond braided beard and hair barks out to Hiccup. Standing around 6'2, with a gray tooth on the left side of his jaw, which is actually a rock, a large vest-type pelt, and a missing left hand and right foot, he continues on.

"I thought you'd ben' carried off!" 

Switching to a more jovial tone, he starts making fun of Hiccup with some banter. Hiccup joined in on it, not minding simply carriers on slipping into an apron.

"Who, me? Nah, come on, I'm waaayy, too muscular for their taste."

Lifting up a mace head made of stone larger than his own head, he elongates his word from the struggle of lifting it. Setting it down on the rack where it belongs, he continues on with the joking atmosphere. 

"They wouldn't know what to do with allll this."

Jesuturing to all of his body, Hiccup then flexes his left arm and has a slight bulge where his bicep is.

Gobber, in his good old Gobber-ness, simply starts to mess with Hiccup more.

"Well, I'm sure they need toothpicks, don't they?"

Hiccup goes to the window, opens the shutters, and takes the beaten and mangled weapons that the other Vikings leave on top to be fixed up.

'The meathead with attitude and interchangeable hands is Gobber. I've been his apprentice ever since I was little, well, littler.'

Hiccup, uncomplaining, gets to work quickly, pumping the bellows as best he can with his scrawny body and short stature.

---

A group of men gathers around Stoic, waiting for orders.

"We move to the lower defenses." - Stoic)

"Aye!" - Random Viking

With the dragon's shifting attack patterns, Stoic moves everyone easily, giving orders so well that it seems like second nature.

"Will counter-attack with the catapults."- Stoic.

Running down the ramps, they all witness a Monsterous Nightmare blast a house with fire ending its short-lived life. As if this is something that happened daily, which it almost was, they ignore it heading down to execute the orders given to them.

'See, old village, lots and lots of new houses.'-Hiccup

A Viking watching the dragons waiting for the right moment finally spots it. Bellowing at the top of his lungs,

"FIRE!"

A rock was released from the catapult taking a Grunkel down for subjugation by the ground squads.

Back at the smithy, Hiccup is still doing all of his work when he spots them.

'Oh, that's Fish legs,'

A boy, 14 years old, 5'5, with blond hair, green eyes, quite burly, and a little porky, comes running from a mobile water barrel.

'Snotlout,'

Following the first boy in comes a 15-year-old lad. Black hair, blue eyes, 5'4, and bulky enough to be 18, he runs towards the same house and makes an ugly expression, already showing the narcissism he has to an extreme level.

'The twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut,'

Fighting over a bucket, bickering back and forth appears two people who, without closer inspection, would be hard to determine which is the brother and which is the sister. The brother, exactly like the sister, is 14 years old and has blond hair and blue eyes, yet, unlike his sister, he is 5'6 in height, topping her by one inch.

'and... Astrid.'

A beautiful girl, also the last one from the water barrel cart, goes forward to put out a fire. She is 15, 5'2 in height, with blond hair, blue eyes, and mid-back length hair styled in a braid down her back with fringes that cover the left side of her face. She has a metal-studded kransen encircling her head. She wears a sleeveless nalbinding shirt in varying shades of steel-blue, tan cloth bracers on her arms with a bit of cloth laced between her first and second fingers, bicep wrappings, a brownish red leather Gladiator skirt with metal spikes, a dark brown skirt underneath the spiked one, and dark blue leggings. She wears a belt decorated with silver skulls and a pouch tied to it. Sporting metal shoulder guards attached to two silver skulls clipped to her upper garb, she is fairly pretty.

Throwing the water in the bucket at the house, she turns back around with everyone following behind her as Hiccup is completely smitten with her.

'Ah, their job is so much cooler.'

Leaning out the window, Hiccup's eyes follow the backs of the teenage group of kids designated for fire duty when suddenly he's picked up by a metal clamp-hand-stump and pulled back inside.

"Hup."

Gobber grunts a little picking Hiccup up with one hand, well clamp, and turns to put him back near the forge. Hiccup, in a semi-protesting voice, with not much force behind it yet, doesn't fight back physically as he knows there's no point. 

"Oh, come on, let me out, please. I need to make my mark!"

Gobber, in turn, doesn't give a single bit of wiggle room and makes fun of Hiccup.

"Oh, you've made plenty of marks, all in the wrong places."

He prods Hiccup's chest with his metal hand clamp attachment while telling him so. Hiccup, not giving up, instead, gets fired up even more.

"Please, two minutes, I'll kill a dragon, my life will get infinitely better, I might even get a date."

Exasperatedly, he berates, trying to wiggle his way into getting a shot at killing a dragon. Gobber, although with the intention of trying to keep Hiccup safe, only sounds like he's putting him down and starts to tell him,

"You can't lift a hammer, you can't swing an axe, you can't even throw one of these!"

Pointing to his fingers, keeping count of what he can’t do, Gobber then grabs a bolo dangling it in the air before its snatched from his hand by a man who winds his arm in a circular motion and launches it at a Grunkel, ensnaring its wings, causing it to drop to the ground. Being backed into a corner verbally, Hiccup gets to what he wanted all along.

A weird object sits on two wheels in the back corner of the smithy. It looks like a barrel attached to wheels, with long handles sticking out the back, which it's resting upon, placed on the ground. Pointing to the weird contraption behind him to his right, Hiccup tries to convince Gobber once again. 

"Okay fine, but this, will throw it for me."

Becoming smug about it, Hiccup approaches the weird object and places his hand on it,

*FLWACKKK*

and in doing so, caused it to go off. With a double-set bow ballista-type release mechanism, the bolo is fired out of the shaft. Said bolo had been rapped in such a way that when it was fired, it started to rotate inside the barrel, causing it to fling open and ensnare a dragon. Instead of doing that, however, it shot past Gobber and hit a Viking square in the face, who was waiting at the window for a weapon, knocking him clean out.

Turning back around, Gobber flares up a little at the ridiculous action that lead to someone getting hurt.

"See now, this right here is wot` I'm tawlkin' about!"

Getting closer to Hiccup, trying to emphasize the issue, Hiccup starts to get a little flustered at his misfire.

You are reading story HTTYD….with a system!? at novel35.com

"Th-, Wh- Mild calibration issue-

"Don't- no, Hiccup."

Waving his hands in the air flamboyantly, Gobber presses the matter further.

"If you ever want to get out there to fight dragons, you need to stop all...this."

Letting his hands rest in front of him, Gobber gestures to Hiccup. Hiccup, unbelieving of the answer, kind of shocked, lets out a little tsukuyomi.

"What, you just pointed to all of me??"

"Yes, that's it."

Poking Hiccup in the chest Gobber tells him how it is.

"Stop being all of you!"

Being a little hurt by that, Hiccup jokes around about it more than anything and starts to hooliganize the whole ordeal. Squinting his eyes and turning his head to the side, he gimmicks about it.

"Ooooh-"

Gobber not taking it steam roles him a bit.

"Ohhh yeah."

Shaking his finger up and down in front of him, Hiccup tries whatever he can.

"Yo-you sir, are playing a dangerous game."

Making his hands come together like he's compacting something, Hiccup lays it on thick.

"Keeping this much raw, Vikingness contained, there will be consequences!"

Gobber, not skipping a beat or intimidated in the slightest, blows it off with a deadpan face.

"I'll take ma' chances."

Turning around, Gobber grabs a sword and laps it into Hiccup's arms.

"Sword, Sharpened, now."

Struggling to keep it aloft, he walks it over to the grindstone and drops it onto it.

'One day, I'll get out there because killing a, dragon, is everything out here.'

Switching out to the village, Stoick has finally reached the southern catapult tower.

'A Nadder head is sure to get me at least noticed. Gronkels are tough, taking down one of those will definitely get me a girlfriend. A Zippleback? Exotic, two heads twice the status.'

"They found the sheep!"-Random Viking

Shouting out to Stoick, the Viking is waiting for orders from him.

"Concentrate fire over the lower bank!"

Stoick shouts to the guys manning the catapult, noticing the dragons are now all aiming for the easy-picking livestock.

'Then there's the Monsterous-Nightmare. Only the best Vikings go after those.'

With fire seeming to scale the side of the tower, Stoick looks over the side.

"'They have this nasty habit of setting themselves on fire.'

*BASH*

A dragon with long horns, a jagged maw, and ablaze with fire comes exploding over the side.

"Reload!"

Stoick orders the Vikings.

"I'll take care of this."

Scowling at the dragon, Stoick grabs his hammer and, with a powerful swing of his right arm, hits the beast in the jaw, bringing it back for a backhand swing and catching it once again in the other side of its jaw.

*WOOSH*

SCREEEE*

A high-pitched noise, that which sounds like a whistle. A sound not unlike what death would seem for those many who knew what it signifies. This noise not only affects the Vikings but also the dragons, effectively drawing attention from everywhere. Stoick and the Monsterous-Nightmare stop fighting, Hiccup stops sharpening weapons, and everyone knows what that noise signifies.

'But the ultimate prize is the dragon no one's ever seen, we call it the-'

"NIGHT FURY!!" - Random Viking 1

"GET DOWN!"- Random Viking 2

RREEEEE

BOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!!!!

With a flash of light and a huge explosion, the southern towers catapult is destroyed instantly. Stoick, worried about everyone except himself, shouts out the only warning he can,

"JUMMPPPP!!!

' This thing never steals food, never shows itself, and-'

BOOOOMMM!!!

With the second flashing of purple, an explosion finishes off the tower entirely.

'Never, misses. No one has ever killed a night fury. That's why I'm going to be the first.'

"Man, the fort Hiccup, they need me out there!"

A young boy, heartily sitting in a forge, handing out weapons to any Viking, shouting his name, is brought back from his revere when Gobber shouts his name. Before he even gets out the door of the smithy, Gobber turns back around, pointing his finger at him with a look of "you better not do anything".

"Stay. Put...there. You know what I mean."

With each pause, he looks at Hiccup very pointedly. Finishing what he needed to say he lifts his axe arm, the interchangeable one of course, and bellows out, rushing forward.

GAARGHHHHHHH!!

"HICCUP, GOVE ME UH MACE!" (Viking with a thick accent.)

The young boy, white hair reflecting the fire raging forth from the forges behind him, glinting deep blue eyes with flecks of gold in them, panting breath, wheeling what looks like a big barrel, rushes up a hill.

“HIICCUUUPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!”

Having left the forge closed with an assortment of weapons out front, Hiccup took off with his contraption, heading for the outcropping up the mountains with a small clearing and clear overview out towards the village and ocean. Pulling a lever, it springs open, revealing a small bolo ballista with his fingers on the trigger, rapt attention, completely at the ready.

"Come on, come on, come on!"

. . . . . . .

Thirty minutes have gone by.

. . . . . . . 

An hour has gone by.

. . . . . . . 

Nodding off, Hiccup stands there, not fully aware of his surroundings, As his mind is drifting between sleep and the waking world, he hears it, that eerie high-pitched whistle, jolting him awake!

*SCREEEREEEEE*

BOOOOOMMM!!!!

With a flash of purple, a massive explosion lights up the surrounding area, once again destroying a tower. 

What seems to be a black demon, flashing past the destruction it caused, was heading towards the far side Hiccup is facing. 

*zzzttrrrr*

Time seems to slow down for Hiccup, with his surroundings brightening up just enough to let him get a better sight of the Night Fury. Jet black scales, streamlined body, and yellow-green eyes searching for its next target.

Flap! Flap!! Flap!!!

Each beat of its wings seems to become slower and slower, looking as if it's in slow motion. 

*Ding*

[Integration complete, happy living user, may you enjoy and make this world a better place.]

Sal, who is now Hiccup, grips the handles of the bolo-ballista contraption staring at Toothless. Aiming the indented sights in front of Toothless, with something tugging at his stomach, telling him to aim a little further and wait a little longer, Sal follows that feeling. Lying in, wait for what seems like a minute or two, although only a few seconds have gone by in reality. 

NOW!

Having that gut feeling turns into a gut-wrenching pull, Sal fires, aiming far in front of Toothless.

VWEERINGGGKT!!!

With the large metal balls flung out of the contraption starting to rotate in the air the rope between them coming taut, Toothless seems to hear the noise, looking in Sal's direction. 

In the original turn of events, Hiccup had hit Toothless more in the center of his body, whereas now, Sal hit towards the back of Toothless's body. 

SCREAGHHHOOOAR!!!

Toothless releases a mixture of a screech and a roar, signaling the bolo successfully gained possession of his body.

In doing so, it cause the tail to be rapped under his body, while one of his wings and head were winched sideways because of the entanglement. As a result, Toothless flapped his one free wing rotating his body mid-air so that it took the brunt of the impact and not his wings.

With an amalgamation of large trees snapping, crunching, and being destroyed. With a bust of excitement, Sal jumps up with his fists in the air shouting in excitement.

"Woohooo, hahaha, that was awesome!" 

Running towards the direction he saw Toothless fall down in, Sals' heart beats faster and faster, pumping him full of…hope.

'A new start, a real family, people that will care about me, riding on dragons! I will make this life perfect and everyone around me happy!'

With another burst of adrenaline, Sal pumps his legs faster, pushing his body as hard as he can when out of nowhere-

[New skill gained, {Sprinting Lv-1}]

'HAH!? Hell yeah, this is probably from [Gamers makeup]. Oh, yeah, Linda, how do I control my second thought? I want it to go over all those skills I didn't get to see.' 

[Simply will it to happen, and it will.] 

'…I don't exactly know how to do that either. *Sigh* might as well give it a shot.'

As Sal goes over everything, Toothless is struggling as much as he can, slowly sawing away at the ropes.

After a good 30-40 seconds, Sal, with what he thinks is the correct way, tries to have two thoughts at the same time.

'Hello there, oh, this is pretty cool…'

'Hello there, oh, this is pretty cool!'

The weird feeling of having a second thoughts, with the only way he can describe it, is like two little voices talking at the same time.

'Let's get to work!' (Second voice)

'Go get to work…' (First voice)

[Sprinting Lv-1: Increases the user's speed by 2% when sprinting.]

[Master of mana Lv-1: Increase your sensitivity, control, recovery rate, and your pool of mana. Recovery rate is increased by 5%, and mana stats by 20%.]

[Gamers mind: You can remain calm in any situation, all forms of intimidation do not work, you do not need sleep, and your brain's capacity for memories will have no limit.]

[Gamers body: With a single night's rest, you will be back to full health and mana in the morning. All rebuffs will be removed, and you gain HP points, which means no matter how badly your body is destroyed, you can recover as long as there is 1 hit point left. Any lost limbs will be a permanent HP loss, if grown back, the HP lost will be gained back.]

[Appraisal Lv-1: Gives basic descriptions of things looked upon. Higher levels reveal more information]

Feeling exhilarated about his new life, Sal rushes forth into the unknown, hardly able to wait, revealing this new feeling.

"Let's do this!"

'Ready or not, world, here I come!'

 

 

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