Son of the Chief

For the first time since the twins were babies, Stoick was able to spend time with his sons, just talking with them until someone came and disturbed them.

Unfortunately, he was still Chief, so he had to go deal with the rabbling morons. After telling the kids stay put, he went out and started fulfilling his duties.

Thrawn was happy to get some personal time with his brother, even though he was out of the basement, being stuck inside the house above made him feel no better than below.

"Hey, Hiccup, do you know the path to Grandma Gothi's house?" Thrawn suddenly stood up and asked.

"Yeah..." Hiccup look at him confused, before quickly realising why he was asking and worriedly said. "Thrawn! Dad said to stay here, you can't go out!"

Snorting disapprovingly, Thrawn started walking towards the door. "He won't really care, so long as I don't leave the village. I've been stuck underground my whole life, I'm not getting trapped here too..." Opening the door, he stopped and turned to Hiccup. "You coming or not?"

Hiccup looked at him nervously, wanting to go with him, but afraid of getting in trouble their father.

Seeing that his brother wasn't going to disobey their father, Thrawn shrugged. "It's okay, I will come back soon. Stay safe!" With that said, he slipped outside and quickly ran to the side of the house to stay out of sight.

Standing in the shadows, he observed the village in the daylight, watching the scum that kept him imprisoned as they fixed their precious homes.

They were so harmonious, synergizing their movement to help each other. If one of them needed wood, another would give it to them. If someone needed help, they would get it.

It showed the unity that comes with being part of a tribe. A village. A family. Just like his father used to tell him about through his door.

But for Thrawn, it showed him just how ostracized he was.

Where was that unity when he was concerned? Why did no one but his own father want help him?

The answer was simple and clear in Thrawn's mind. He isn't part of thier village.

He never was...

'Some tribe this is...' He scoffed at the idea. They scorned him for existing, for being stuck with a curse that no one understood. If that was all it took to be rejected, then what good was a tribe in the first place.

It wasn't that he didn't understand their fear of an unknown disease, but his father and Gothi had told them many times that it was safe, yet they never once listened. They refused to listen out of fear.

The so-called bravest men and women in all the seas, scared of something their gods had created. How ironic.

'I hope none of them reach Valhalla.' With spite in his heart, he turned away from them and looked at the mountain in which the great hall was carved from, with Gothi's house atop it.

Seeing his destination, but not the path to it, Thrawn made the decision to try climbing his way up. After making his way to the back of the mountain to avoid being seen, he searched for a good hand hold and then started making his way up.

It was his first time climbing anything, but since eating the Monstrous Nightmare and improving his physical condition, Thrawn felt he could do anything. And if he fell, what's the worst that could happen?

As he made his way higher and higher, he felt something growing inside him. It was excitement.

Feeling the wind through his hair and the warmth of the sun shining down on him for the first time in his life, he understood what it meant to be alive, to be free.

With a big smile on his face, he forgot about his hatred for a while and enjoyed the wonderful sensation of being unrestrained.

He didn't realise it, but he quickly reached the top and found himself standing in front of a short, elderly woman with a walking stick. His Grandma Gothi.

She was standing outside her small house, a smile on her face as she looked Thrawn and saw his smile.

Being the one to look after him during his plight, she saw more of his misery than anyone. Not once had she witnessed him happy.

But now, seeing him filled with vitality and smiling so brightly, she felt that he was finally coming into the destiny she knew he was meant for.

"Hello, Grandma. It's nice to see you again." With a lively tone and smile, Thrawn greeted her familiarly.

Gothi responded with a smile and starter drawing in the dirty with her stick.

"I feel great!" Understand that she was asking if he was well, Thrawn spread his arms out wide, showing off his healthy body. "After so many years of pain, I'm finally free!"

He still had a big smile on his face, but Gothi saw the pain he still held. Drawing more, she told him he didn't have to hide his sadness, but he just shook his head.

"I'm not hiding it, I just feel happy right now." Still smiling, he sat down cross-legged and looked at the sky. "Last night, I ate more than my whole life. This morning, I finally got to meet my brother. And now, I've climbed up a mountain. There's so much that I missed, and now that I'm out, I want it all."

Staring out into the distance, he had an air of melancholy around him. It was unbefitting of a boy so young, but given his life up until now, it was perfectly reasonable.

Instead of drawing anything, Gothi came to Thrawn's side and stroked his head gently. She would do this whenever she saw him, giving him the affection he so rightly deserves.

Leaning into the touch of the only person that believe in him as much as his dad, he enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere. "Did you hear? I asked my dad to let me move out of the village."

Hearing this, she looked at him in concern. Not because of his request, but because of the hatred she heard in his tone.

Looking down at the village below, he continued speaking. "I don't like it, but he said no..." He said quietly, still feeling discontent with the decision. "He told me I had to stay, even though I don't want to..."

On the ground, the village was still working hard to fix everything the Dragons destroyed.

"I hate them... I hate them so much..." He opened up about his feelings towards the village, his eyes narrowing sharply.

Gothi's hand paused hearing this and she sighed sadly. This was well within expectations, but she wished it wasn't the case.

Observing the undisguised malice in his eyes, she knew that this was the result of the isolation he endured. He was treated with hate and fear, and so he is returning it in kind.

The only difference is that he lacks the latter, which was a dangerous concept for one such as him.

She knew his secret, that he would not die. Ever since the night of his revival, she knew that he was something more than human, an immortal destined for something great.

He could do so much good with his blessing and she knew it. But he could also be a force of incredible evils.

If he were to act on his hatred of the village and take his revenge, there's likely nothing that anyone could do to stop him.

It was her greatest fear...

Taking her hand off his head, causing him to look at her, she pointed her finger at his chest and shook her head.

Thrawn lowed his head sadly. "I know I shouldn't hold onto my anger, but I can't. I don't know why I should!" His burning gaze was set on the villagers. "They've wanted me dead my whole life, and even now. They call me demon and monster, acting as if I ruined their lives by being alive. So why should I let it go? They don't deserve forgiveness, and I can't forget. They should suffer in Hel for their treatment of me!"

By the end of his speech, Thrawn was breathing heavily from anger and glaring at those below them like they were insects.

Gothi's eyes were wide with shock, not expecting for his hate to already be so deep.

"... I won't do anything to them, don't worry." Perceptive to her worry, Thrawn calmed himself down. "It would hurt my dad if I did. As long as they stay away from me and my family, I'll keep my thoughts to myself."

That was the best solution. Keep his distance and protect his family. It will be lonely, but nothing he isn't used to thanks to the village.

Turning to his Grandma in all but blood, he showed a wistful smile. "I'm sorry for this, Grandma. I don't mean to make you disappointed, but I can't forgive them."

Shaking her head, Gothi stroked his back comfortingly. She didn't blame or judge him for his feelings, knowing it was perfectly reasonable.

He might be young, but his mind was more developed than any child she had seen. The fact that he could perceive that revenge wasn't right was another miracle in and of itself.

"I can't speak to my dad about this either. Even though he's angry too, maybe more than me, he's still the Chief." Looking back at the sky, he sighed and repeated the words he'd head from his father a few times. "He has to do what's right for the village..."

Nodding in acknowledgement, Gothi understood where he was coming from. If he were to tell this to Stoick, it was possible that he would forget about his duty and leave a mess of bodies belonging to those that forced his son so much anguish. Which was the majority of the village.

She was proud of Thrawn for being so thoughtful of his father's circumstances, but it was regrettable that he was unable to let go of his rage.

In the end however, he was still a good boy that thought of his family above all else.

Patting him on the back, Gothi sat down next to him and joined him in silently watching the sky. It was a small comfort, but one they both enjoyed.

---

In the Great Hall, Stoick was sitting in his chair and tapping his finger on the arm rest in irritation.

For more than an hour, the halfwits he is charged to protect have been bitching at him about his son, completely unaware that he was holding himself back from killing them all.

"This is about the safety of the village, Stoick. Just because that little de-" Repeating the same nonsense, the greasy haired bastard, Spitelout, continued to push for the expulsion of Thrawn from the village.

*Crack!*

Crushing his arm rest, Stoick silenced him and stood up. "What was that...?" He asked in a low tone and started walking towards the greasy bastard.

Realising that he was about to do something drastic, everyone took a fearful step back.

"Say it again..." Getting eye to eye with Spitelout, Stoick had his fists clench tightly. His nails had broken the skin of his palms, blood slowly starting to drip of them. "Go on. Call my son a demon, one more time..."

*Gulp!* Swallowing dryly, Spitelout was afraid to speak, but put on a strong front. "You can't scare me Stoick! We all know that it's-" *Crack!* "AAHHH!"

The moment he refer to Thrawn as an "it", Stoick headbutted him square in the nose, flattening it. Before anyone could even reach, he grabbed Spitelout by his fat neck and lifted him off the ground, almost crushing it.

"NOT SCARED!? YOU'RE NOT SCARED!?" The red haired giant roared, spit flying out of his mouth. "I'LL GIVE YOU A REASON TO BE SCARED!!!"

*CRASH!!*

Slamming him down into a table, causing it to break apart and splinters fly out.

"YOU PIECE OF DRAGON SHIT!!" Still choking him, Stoick started slamming his fist into the bastards face. "FOR EIGHT FUCKING YEARS, I KEPT THAT BOY LOCKED BENEATH MY HOUSE!! I LISTENED AS HE SCREAMED IN PAIN!! I COULDN'T DO ANYTHING TO HELP HIM!! AND IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU BASTARDS!!!"

Finally, he had reached his limit and everyone was seeing it. He was beating his fellow tribesman, literally, into the ground.

He didn't care that Spitelout was likely already unconscious or dead, he just kept punching.

It took a moment, but others quickly started piling on their enraged chief, unsuccessfully attempting to remove him.

"RAAHHH!!!" With a beast like shout, Stoick stood up and threw off the more than a dozen men. "THE NEXT ONE THAT TOUCHES ME DIES!! YOU GO NEAR MY SONS, YOU DIE!! YOU SAY ONE MORE ODIN DAMNED WORD ABOUT THRAWN, AND I'LL KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU WORTHLESS BASTARDS!!! YOU GOT THAT!!!"

Everyone froze. They were terrified, because they knew he meant it.

This wasn't their Chief, it was a beast ready to rip them to shreds. He didn't care about them, their opinion or their lives, only his son.

"Stoick..." Only one man had the guts to speak at this moment, although hesitantly.

Stoick's head swivelled to the source, his long time brother, Gobber. Even then, his gaze was so murderous that the man backed away.

Turning his sight to the fearful expressions of the vikings around him, he spoke with an eerie calmness. "I'm done with you all. One more word about this and I'll have your head on pikes. I'll decorate village with your innards and feed your flesh to dragons, there won't be any hope of survival. You have a problem with it? Then grab your weapon and step forward, I'll kill you now."

His gaze passed over each of them, looking for any sign of rebellion. None could match his stare, to afraid he would fly into another rage and take their lives.

Gobber looked down sadly, seeing that his friend had just threatened their brothers and sisters. Even he wasn't an exception, that he was positive of.

"My son is staying whether you like it or not. One word, from any of you, and I won't even give you the honour of dying with a blade in your hand." He growled out, blood still dripping from his fists, not all of it his own. When no one gave a reply, he spat on the bloody man on the floor beside him. "Get this trash out of my sight. He's banished from the village, without his son. This is my last shred of mercy."

Not giving them a second glance, he started walking towards the exit, the cowardly crowd parting for him.

They waited until he was gone, the slam of the door making them jump, and only then did anyone say anything.

"You damn fools..." It was Gobber, who was looking at them like they were the biggest idiots he had ever seen. "Are you happy now? You pushed him, and now he is ready to push back. Only now, he's going to do it with a weapon in hand." No one could say anything, knowing he is right. He just snorted disdainfully. "Well, guess what. I'm going to be the one to give it to him, and I'll do it gladly. You pathetic excuses for Vikings, scared to death of a small boy. Ridiculous..." Shaking his head with contempt and ridicule, he started hobbling to the exit after Stoick. "Get Spitelout gone before Stoick catches sight of him, or I'll kill him myself."

Leaving them no room to argue, Gobber went to make sure Stoick didn't do something he would regret.

Not wanting to be on either Stoick or Gobber's kill on sight list, a few of the men picked up Spitelout and started dragging him away. The man was still alive, but barely.

No one could say anything, too shook up by the mess they had all created. Many of them were indignant about the threats, but they knew they couldn't do anything about it.

Even if they were to gang up on Stoick, which would be highly dishonourable, they would lose. Sure, they might take him down, but it would be at the cost of numerous lives.

There were those that didn't have an issue with the outcome of the meeting however. They were sympathetic to Stoick's ordeal and knew it was only a matter of time before he snapped, just not to this degree.

For him to threaten each of their lives, without an iota of hesitancy... It was clear that he no longer thought of them as his people, but as the vile scum that tormented his family.

If they were in his situation, they would feel the same.

As unfortunate as it is that one of them was being banished, they could do nothing to change it. Besides Mildew, Spitelout had been a significant voice of opposition regarding Thrawn.

Now, the son had killed the old man for insulting his father, and the father had put his foot down on everyone's throats to protect his son.

Gods forgive any who get in their way.

---

Sitting atop the mountain, unaware of what happened below them, Thrawn and Gothi were enjoying the pleasant silence.

*Bang!!*

"Hm?" Although he was mainly paying attention to the sky, Thrawn would occasionally look at the village below.

When he heard the loud slamming of the Great Halls door, he looked down and saw his father storming out. Not long after, Gobber emerged and followed closely behind him.

"Dad's leaving the hall, I should get back to the house or he will be worried. So will hiccup." Standing up, Thrawn turned to the back side of the mountain and sent a grin toward Gothi. "See you later, Grandma."

Then, to Gothi's surprise, he sprinted forward and leaped off the mountain top. Even knowing about his blessing, she hurried to the edge and looked down with concern, unable to find him in the trees.

"Hahaha!"

To her relief, the sound of his joyful laughter reached the peak, letting her know he was okay.

Meanwhile, Thrawn was grinning ear to ear from the exhilaration of falling from so high up.

When he landed, he crashed into a tree and broke multiple bones, before settling in his own little heap and laughing heartily as his body healed. "Haha! That was fun, I'm definitely doing it again!"

As he felt his spine reconnect, he sat up as if it was nothing, got to his feet as his legs straightened out.

"I better get back before Dad. He didn't seem happy and I'd bet it has something to do with me. I don't want to worry him any more than he is." After doing a few squats to test his condition, he promptly set off home, dashing through the trees with the nimbleness of a cat.

What he failed to realise, was that there was a small girl with braided blonde hair hiding in a bush, tightly clutching a small dagger and looking at the bloodstained ground with horror.

"I-It's true, he is a monster!... To fall from so high and still be able to stand up, he has to be." Scared by what she had witnessed, the girl turned and ran back to the village, intent of sharing what she had witnessed.

- End -