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Chapter Text

Everyone decided to camp for the night, sleeping alongside their trusty dragons before returning to the sunlit sea.

Gobber smirks and nods at the scenery. Hiccup lets everyone know the sun is setting and to make the preparations faster. And to his left Ruffnut grumbles at the tent and runs after tuff for no reason.

Valka motions for certain tools to be handed from cloudjumper. Snotlout tilts his head He didn’t know dragons could do that.

Eret grunts and lifts a heavy log, Snotlout huffs at the man and searches for a heavier log to carry.

The remaining sunlight pokes at Snotlout’s cheek through the leaves leaving it with a mild sense of warmth.
Snotlout couldn’t help but get distracted by the sunset, filling his eyes with a beautiful innocent sparkle. He looks over to his tent and shrugs, after all- the sunset can’t just wait for him to complete it can she?

He looks back at the camp and decides to get a better view of the sky colors.

He travels away from the majority till he finds a rock planted near a cliff.

He holds on to the big rock and hops on top of it swiftly, He smiles proudly at the talent he mustered up as he pulls the axe from behind the rock and sets it on his lap.

for the briefest second he hears a muffled noise coming from the woods.

Snotlout rolls his eyes, he was already tired in every way possible.

But hey! At least There’s a gorgeous sunset greeting him.

A few minutes later the sun shines it’s goodbyes and the stars greet Snotlout instead. But unfortunately another thing has come to greet him.

“Boy-yo.”

Snotlout flinches, almost sliding off the rock. and for some reason he clutched his axe tight.

“Hey.. dad!” Snotlout shot Spitelout one of his sheepish smiles.

Spitelout looks at him and sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. Snotlout briefly let his guard down in confusion, what did he do now?

“If you want to wallow in your selfishness so be it.”

Snotlout could hear his heartbeat at that point, he swore it was about to break.

Snotlout stares in shock and blinks, Blue eyes uneasy before his dad turns his attention to the camp and walks towards it.

“You better sleep in the cold Snotlout. You really think someone will complete your tent?” Spitelout muttered, unbothered.

“No i didn’t think of it that way! i just-“

“You really are lazy.”

Snotlout’s fists clenched. Spitelout rarely said those things unless he got into a fight, to let out his frustrations. And low and behold he’s making someone else feel bad.

Snotlout stares at his fathers fading figure, he furrows his eyebrows as his axe is suddenly let down. The scent of mud is the only keeping his mind remotely occupied.

His thoughts slow down and he finally feels the cold wind stinging his arms right through his bracers, He uses his cape to cover his arms.

Snotlout shakes his head and walks to a cave, he wasn’t feeling like looking at hiccup, let alone his “dad” who is always more proud of everyone than he ever will be of him.

Snotlout curls up into a ball like he used to when he was young and closes his eyes. Deep breaths in and out. It wasn’t a big deal but it felt like it was and that was enough.

-

A grumble can be heard from the distance, and faint whimpers. Snotlout skeptically looks up and squints to see more of the dark cave. Granting him deja vu.

He holds his harsh battle axe and slowly gets up while it faintly scratches against the stone surface.

He won’t let go till he finds that familiar noise. Snotlout puffs out his chest and raises his makeshift torch with confidence and walks straight into the cave.

Okay this guy is a total idiot.

The faint echo of his medallions clanging and the crackling of fire fill the lifeless cave. He listens to the cries and struggles of baby dragons intently and the unknown dragons noise. No that can’t be the mother, it’s familiar, too familiar.

A shock courses through his veins as he steps on green slime and smells that foul odor. It’s the cavern crasher. And that little parasite makes him sick.

Snotlout stares at the mucus and turns his attention to the axe and grins.

“I’ll die a hero?” Snotlout whispers to himself.

“But isn’t that selfish?” He thought.

His heart drops with the amount rain he just heard.

“The gods hate me..” he muttered and groans.

If he goes to the camp he will lose the babies but If he stays he will lose his life.

A force pushes him to battle.

he definitely has an axe to grind with that dragon.

His eyes shift immediately to a large body of sand and down to his fur cape.

He quietly removed the medallions and shaped the cape like a basket and fills it with sand, every step the cavern crusher takes glistens his skin with sweat and tenses his muscles.

He disappointedly looks at his plan.
—————————
* Sand is flammable and the cavern crashers weakness includes getting their mucus to evaporate making them more vulnerable.
—————————
The parasite thinks it can get away with killing the dragons he swore to protect, the dragons he bled and cried for.

As he slowly approached the back of the cavern crasher, the baby dragons whined and whined, unfortunately he can’t speed up the process no matter the deadly cost.

The viking takes a few quiet steps towards the threat, but remember. Our hero here isn’t who you think he is.

He accidentally steps on the cavern crashers tail as it’s deafening screech remind him of lighting, the babies blood dripping from it’s mouth as it turns around to meet his even bigger meal.

Snotlout Focused on the blood and organs of the poor baby and forgets his eccentric plan for a split second.

He made an angry noise as he realized only half of the sand got on the cavern crasher.

He gasps and moves swiftly front of the baby dragons.

His pupils expanded in fear, he briefly made eye contact with the mother.

Limp, maybe not exactly lifeless, the mother stares emotionless at Snotlout, her only hope, as if begging him to save her children. Only fueling him with more determination.

The viking takes a deep breath and refocuses his vision on the cavern crasher licking their bloody mouth delightfully.

The cave crusher tackled him to the ground smashing his head against the stone floor, causing Snotlout to scream in pain.

He kicked the ferocious dragons jaw and used his axe tied to his back to slice it’s claws.

The dragon yelps and immediately backs away, before climbing up on the ceiling.

“Shut up!”

The dragon growled aggressively while producing more mucus, giving Snotlout enough time to process a new plan.

Luckily he immediately notices a clump of barely hanging rocks from the ceiling, if only he could dislodge it and make it land on the cavern crasher in time to cover it with fire.

Oh how he wishes for the others..

Chapter Text

Since when did he need a hero?

HE IS the hero

He always praised himself on being one.

What would it be like if hookfang was in the hands of that cavern crasher? Would he still be a hero?

Snotlout knew he wasn’t special among the dragon riders, no one could convince him otherwise. He felt it was true.

It was imbedded in him like a curse.

But that didn’t stop him.
he never gave up despite knowing that no matter what he would never feel enough.

He’s like a deer, wild and hard to catch.
If he wants something he’s going to get it. Including the cavern crashers head on a stick and those babies nice and safe.

He almost feels bad for killing a dragon.. as hiccup refuses to do so.
but what choice does he have? It’s the only option left, and he isn’t sure he will succeed.

Snotlout clicked his tongue in frustration, this would be so much easier with hookfang.

But a viking never quits.

against all odds the cavern crasher was defeated. It crawled away with it’s grubby claws sure to never return.

Unfortunately Snotlout with tears of pride and pain shimmering in his eyes collapsed.
His last thought was how the others would feel without him as his mind becomes blurry and hazy, he tries balancing his steps but falls unconscious.

He knows to trust the others in finding him, they’ve been through worse, they all have.
He will be safe, that’s just how berk is.

Slowly but surely.. One step then another the mother nuzzled her snout against the dragon rider in gratitude.

she notices his cape is close enough to be retrieved, she hesitantly bites the fur cape and places it on the steady rise and fall of the smaller vikings chest.

One by one the deadly nadder babies huddled around Snotlout, yawning and stretching their wings to keep him warm till sunrise, his lips curved into a faint smile.

The warmth of the dragons making his slumber less painful.

They are what he fought for most of his life and he doesn’t regret it one single bit.
———

Snotlout’s eyes flutter open, he turns his head towards the blurry figure as they slowly get closer.

Snotlout narrows his eyes and tries to figure out who it was till they got closer.

“Ah Lad yer back! Hiccups gonna kill ya for wandering off” goober said before coughing away from Snotlout tired body.

“Is the take-off going to be delayed?” Snotlout hurriedly barked at the old man.

Gobber turns around and raises an eyebrow before scratching his chin.

“That’s what yer worryin about? Musta hit your head hard” he shrugs and walks out of the tent briefly motioning Eret to come in.

He listens to the mutters and whispers outside out of boredom, his body aches but its nothing he can’t endure.
he nervously squirms in the furs, the blanket draped over him.

Eret walks in with Snotlout horned helmet, slightly taken-aback by Snotlouts awakening. He notices how Snotlout’s eyes have a distressed glint in them, his eyes scan the area before retrieving the other objects from someone else’s hand.

“How was your recovery?”

Snotlout looks at the horned helmet while he avoids at Erets glare.

“Snotlout?”
“Is the flight going to be delayed? You have to tell me!”
“No one had the energy to remove their tents anyway”

Snotlout falls silent and breathes a sigh of relief before laying back down. He looks down while his face flushed, he remembers the Cavern crusher and the blood on it’s mouth and squeezed his eyes shut, as if it’s in front of him and he’s unable to meet it’s gluttonous wild gaze.

Eret walks closer to Snotlout and places his helmet on his soft hair.

Snotlout looks up worriedly at Eret who set his makeshift torch beside him and places his distinct axe beside the bed.

Eret warmly smiles at Snotlout as he sat down on the bed.
“I know what you had to do was necessary”

Snotlout sits up and rests his head on Eret shoulder, exhausted but finally safe.