[HTTYD] So Much More, Chp 1

[selimnagisokrov]

So Much More
By: Selim
Summary: As future king, Toothless was entitled to the wealth, power, and women that came with the job. A chance meeting with a creature from another world teaches him that there's so much more outside his world and only he can protect it. Antro-Toothless x Hiccup
Warnings: AU-AR, Antro-Character, sug. human sacrifice, sug. dragon slavery
Pairing: Toothless x Hiccup
Disclaimer: I do not own How to Train Your Dragon. This is a piece of fiction and the author is not making any money off its creation.




His Kingdom was the most beautiful thing in the world, and Prince Toothless had seen a lot in the world to compare it to. The weather was moderate, excellent for his bones. There were few skirmishes over things not involving fish and best of all, it was his. Standing in the balcony of his room, the dragon-man took in a deep breath of the summer air as his wings stretched out behind him. The bones at the base of the appendages cracked, a small satisfied moan escaping his long mouth.

Deep in the room, the double wooden doors were opened by the Nadder guards, allowing his mother access into the room. The woman nodded to the blue-green dragons as she moved past them, flattening her skirts and letting the length of the purple dress drag behind her. He swore to whoever would listen that he received most of his good looks from her with a powerful masculine touch from his father.

The Queen's firm expression relaxed seeing her son, hardening seconds later when her attention was grabbed by the mass in his bed, a pretty Nadder he'd met in the kitchens just yesterday.

The young female sat up, letting the blankets pillow around her.

"Out," growled the Queen at the woman. The girl climbed out of Toothless' bed, grabbing her abandoned dress from the ground. "Out!" With that, the girl rushed out of the room, the dress' fabric clutched against her voluptuous chest.

Toothless didn't even try to hide his arousal as he watched her long, blue tail drag behind her. Damn, what he'd do to be on that again.

"Toothless!"

Jumping, Toothless turned to his mother. "You need something?" He asked.

His mother moved to the sofa, settling across it. Absently, she fixed her skirts around long dark legs before relaxing against the arm rest. "Why do you insist on acting like a child?" She hummed low, closing her eyes.

"We were anything but hatchlings last night, Mother." Toothless disappeared behind the short room divider where his wardrobe was kept as his mother gasped in disgust. Averting his eyes from her, Toothless grumbled sheepishly, "Sorry, Mother."

"Do you intend to have a formal mating with that servant?"

Of course not, he would never supply his good name for someone so low class. The question, however, wasn't as simple as it appeared. It was a double-bladed sword, questioning his marital status. He had no intention of marrying the kitchen Nadder or the double Zippleback Sisters, or even the handsome Nightmare he'd spent his last birthday with. These were conquest, an entitlement that came with his lineage. "Is father," he inquired after some time, "concerned with my status?"

"How are you to take the throne if you aren't an actual man? An uncommitted king has legions of past enemies."

Toothless growled. "What are you trying to tell me?"

"The extremity of your...nature...has come to your father and my attention. Cease it now or your more committed brother will take the throne, as deemed by your father." She lowered her legs to the floor, again fixing her skirts, then fixing the shawl over her shoulders. "The leaders of neighboring lands are sending their sons and daughters for a courting ceremony. Be on your best behavior and look for a potential bride, or the throne goes to Massclaws." She left the room with the flow of her skirts.

As the heavy doors shut behind her, Toothless childishly stuck his tongue out at her. As if Massclaws even deserved the throne that Toothless was entitled to. . He wasn't nearly as attractive as Toothless and had settled with their childhood friend, a plain-looking Nadder with non-existent breasts and a tail that was hardly symmetrical. As expected from such a plain-looking Night Fury who didn't have nearly the stature or muscle tone of his older brother.

Dressed for the day, Toothless stormed out of the room towards his father's throne room. The man was settled in his chair about the audience chamber looking menacing. His sharp eyes hardened upon meeting Toothless' gaze, his heavy hand waving away the Terror that was taking notes. "I was expecting to see you earlier," he growled lowly.

"Mother had to talk my ear off." Toothless crossed his arms over his broad chest. "I'm not giving up my birth right, especially not to Massclaws."

His father frowned. "We've all been boys, but if you cannot be discrete with your doings, we have to do things like this. There was a Nadder in West Front who claimed to have birthed an egg belonging to our beloved Prince Toothless. We were able to remove the problem, but not the source. You have a month, boy. Either you are mated into a committed relationship, or Massclaws will be my named heir. I do not care what you do on the side, but you need a bride to show your committed nature not only to one person, but to the throne as well. I cannot have possible heirs floating around - it'll put the throne at risk for someone of less notable blood to claim it. Am I clear?"

"Yes," hissed Toothless.

"What?"

"Yes, Sir." The Night Fury turned away.

"And son."

Closing his eyes, Toothless exhaled sharply. "Sir?"

"I need you to patrol the mountains to the east this week. Rumor of illegal activities, likely linked to the dragon slave trades, have established in that region due to our less than notable presence in the area. As you have time to have tryst with the kitchen servants, perhaps you may fill your time with more productive jobs. At least for your dear mother's heart. Do not disappoint me, Toothless." The aging King nodded his head.

"Yes, sir." Toothless left the room, fighting the urge to stomp back towards his own chambers. Along his route, he encountered the lovely Nadder of the Evening in the main corridor. She smiled shyly towards him, making a bold motion to her skirts from the night before. The lust boiled in his belly as Toothless tightened his fist at his trouser leg. "I apologize, my Sweet, but I have been ordered to go to the field." He brought his hand up and over the broach holding the dress together along the girl's midsection. "Maybe we I get back?" He tossed his head back.

The purple blush over the female's cheeks was worth it before she scampered down the hall, hiding a giggle behind her hand while throwing a glance over her shoulder.

Toothless groaned, watching the wag of her spiky tail as it moved. It would be a long period of time without the subtle press of a female's body, but he wasn't completely isolated. At least there was the sturdy body's of the guard already posted in the mountain region, perhaps even a local or two.

He took his leave from the castle around noon, taking the peasant's route to the mountains. It wasn't common for the royal's to fly to locations, in fact any dragon with any amount of respect often opted to use wheeled transport, but there was something about the beat of his wings and the wind on his face. This was how dragons were supposed to get around.

It also let his people see his majestic movements. Farm hands across the fields leading northeast would stop and stare, the girls and boys giggling into their claws when they saw him and the children would wave joyously. On the Honey Farms, the farmer's son, a handsome Nightmare, burst into flames with a come-hither smirk as Toothless passed over. It was almost tempting to stop and fly down, but Toothless wasn't going to put it past his father to send someone on his tail.

He was feeling good about himself as he landed in the northeastern lands of his kingdom. It wasn't an overly populated site, hidden in the mountains along the waterfalls. It wasn't a strict scouting zone, the handful selected for tour of duty there were dragons about to retire. There had never been any battles in this site and it wasn't an entrance to any of the conflicting countries further north, but it had always been guarded in routine maintenance all the same. Toothless had always considered the place a blighted land. The mountains, speckled with trees that disappeared under snow further upon the peaks. By rumor it had a complex array of tunnels connecting between the rocks.

Some said the first of dragons crawled out from these rocks.

During his training days, Toothless had always been sent to the busier port towns in his father's lands on guard duty. He'd policed over a few fist fights and drunken antics, trading conflicts and the occasional slave market, but most of the time had spent his days bedding the locals and drinking himself series. A good two years.

This, on the other hand, was least interesting station. Besides the older guards, there were no people, no booze, and no time off.

"Prince Toothless!" A Nightmare rushed over as he landed, dressed in the royal blue uniform. The man's dress was faded and ripped in parts, obviously neglected. There wasn't even a medal pinned on his chest. "Sorry, Sir. We only just received word to expect your arrival. I'm the Commander of this little outfit, please -- let me show you your quarters."

As expected, he was given a cleaned out storage hut under a wide tree far away from the toileting chambers. On a bad day, he could probably still get a whiff of waste. Other guards had their supplies boxed up a distance away, perhaps to sleep under the stars per law requirement. Toothless grumbled, "I wish to appraise them."

The Nightmare bowed. "Of course, sir."

He was shown a group of twenty full-time guards, most soon to be retired from duty: Three nightmares, two Zipplebacks (making four dragons in total, but this race was known to be impossible to separate), two Nadders, two Gronckles, and seven Terrors. Sizing each guard up, Toothless snorted. None were younger than forty summers. A mockery of the proud knights under Toothless' command, like a planned mockery from his father the King. None of these were worth bedding. Forced abstinence, ugh.

"Is this what you call guards?" He tossed his head back. "I expect those uniforms to be re-sewn and cleaned before I leave. If conditions do not improve, I'm replacing each one of your men with a soldier who respects the uniform. Those sent home will do so without their honors from having served the king."

He hadn't expected the horror that crossed all of their faces. Intriguing, he nodded to each individual before taking his leaving, approaching the mountains to take in his new territory.

These mountains were subject to rumor beyond being the original home of the dragons. Once upon a time it was said a monster had come from these very walls, lost and confused and reeking of everything not dragon. The first guard group had been stationed to keep that from happening again, but there had never been another story like that since the first, at least not one that came into the Royal Audience. Guarding this place was a waste of resource, especially since the guards sent out to this area were only there because of a story told to hatchlings at campfires for entertainment. Monsters, really? Toothless snorted.

The Commander tagged his elbow. "I hope this is a quiet tour for you, sir."

"It likely will be," Toothless murmured. "What is it your men do over the day?"

"Er... scout the area, Sir."

"That couldn't possibly be all!" Toothless turned his hard gaze on the Commander. He highly doubted the man would just come out and state that they engaged in illicit activity, but he was finding it hard to have any slave trade business in the area. The place was deserted and he hadn't seen hide or hair of any out of place troops or civilians.

The man bit his lip. "There's an occasional mountaineer, but they're small - Terrors." The prince bit back the groan. So definitely nothing in the area.

"Have there been any suspicious persons in the mountains, anyone who shouldn't be out here?"

"No, Sir." The Commander shifted, trying to remain at attention. "If I might ask, what has prompted this impromptu visit?"

"It's routine," Toothless offered up his most reassuring tone of voice. "You are our many lines of defense and must be up to code." He crossed his arms across his chest, taking in the towering mountain. "I've got questions about the paths and caverns. Are there maps?"

"No, Sir." The Commander grunted low. Toothless nodded.

"Then we're going to start by drawing out our caverns. I want your men prepared in an hour." Toothless glanced up again.

It was going to be a long week, Toothless noted by the end of the first day. The guards were faster at dragging their feet than anything else. He had to restart his map building twice within two days and by day three of the men had come up "missing" in the caverns and they were forced to restart their search in previous caverns.

Tearing off his blue jacket, Toothless slumped onto the cot. His clawed feet felt ached, his thighs felt like jelly, and he had a pain pulsing up his spine. When I am king I will burn this entire encampment to the ground. He kicked his feet up, checking the soles for any breaks in the scales. When he returned the castle, he was going to get a massage, a loose girl, and a good drink.

That night he took his dinner in his room, not wanting to look at the Reject Legion. Field rations were limited to two thin minnows from the creek. It was unseasoned, lacked proportional meat for a dragon his size.

By now there wasn't going to be any slave traders blatantly walking in camp, his presence had to be known throughout the area. He'd kept his ear to the ground, so to speak, and waited for word about this illicit activity. So far it had just seemed that those in this area were wasting Kingdom Funds and not returning it with service. This has been the biggest waste of time.

"Ugh, how long are we expected to play nursemaid to that spoiled hatchling," A hushed voice echoed across the field. Toothless tilted his head back, listening in.

"A few more days, just pacify him a few more days and he'll go away thinking he's made appropriate changes." The Commander's voice followed from the distance. "Still nothing?"

"As if we've had time to look with the prince sticking his nose everywhere, he's getting closer to Tunnel Twenty-Four."

"Keep him distracted and I'll get the goods for everyone."

"Yes, Sir."

Goods in Tunnel Twenty-Four? Toothless slid out of bed, grabbing the map he'd purposely kept from the incompetent men, crouching low into the darkness. His natural ability as a Night Fury enabled him to cloak his sturdy frame into the night, becoming one with the darkness. Easing out of the open window, he stealthily ran towards the open mines. Having run through tunnels one through three, he knew he'd be able to make it through without help. As the darkness encompassed the area and his form disappeared completely, his vision sharpened and the outline of walls glowed.

If he solved this case, his father could never hold anything over his head. It was perfect. Save the goods, write a report, freedom.

Tunnel four hooked up to three separate tunnels. A notch in the corner of the middle tunnel intrigued Toothless to continue on, making a note on his map where he first separated the main path. Tunnel after tunnel similar notches lead a path that went deeper and deeper into the mountain. At one point he stepped into the shallow valleys within the mountain ranges. The moon glistened above him as two flying shapes moved deeper into the valleys to the tunnel that most likely was named Tunnel Twenty-Four.

The Sons of Bitches have me mapping this whole zone when it's not needed!

Moving into the shadows, Toothless carefully eased down the range, trying to keep towards the stray bushel of Sweet Leaf. With the two Gronckles in the area, his stealth abilities would mean little if one of the fat citizens were able to track him. He took up the mountain with ease, only a little winded as he hid under a perturbing rock.

The commander stepped out from the mountain. "-The prince distracted. I can't see anything in there, we'll have to come during the day to find the goods. Milkbar you'll have first dibs on the selection if you can keep his Royal Highness distracted."

"Shit, Sir, he's breathing fire. You going to save me when he rips my tail off?"

"I'll give you my pension! Just... get him riled up."

"I suppose I can take him to the local brothel - wait, this is the slutty prince, right? Not the married one?"

"No, it's the slutty one."

"Good."

Toothless growled as he felt the wind shift around him as the two flew off. Glaring up towards the heavens, he started into the mountain. Mildew and sweat coated the cavern air. Under his feet the ground was smooth, overused and he had the faintest flash of dried blood along the walls. Unlike the rest of the caverns, there were no markings on the wall leading people through the paths. Instead, his toes felt the surface of the ground, sharp rocks littering the floor suggested wrong routes. He tried to take any scent in, but only the overpowering stink of the useless guards remained present.

And then it struck him, quiet voices somewhere. It was hushed whispers articulating sounds he'd never heard before. It was then followed by a muffled grunt and a cry. Pressing himself against the wall, Toothless stilled his beating heart.

It was just stories, he reminded himself. There were no monsters in these caverns or people would know about them. How could one thing come from these caverns and then poof, nothing.

He carefully shifted through the halls, sharpening his vision to take in everything. Still the scent of the guards fermented the area. Along the ground blankets and storage units were left as evidence that the men guarding the mountain had stayed in this cavern for a lengthy period of time.

Skeeeee!

Toothless jumped, looking around as the sound of a heavy rock moved. The grinding only seemed to grow louder until finally silence fell upon the small tunnel. Continuing forward, Toothless ducked his head down a narrower path. This one had a few jagged rocks but still appeared worn. In some places it seemed an ancient shaman had left charms along the wall. Toothless slid his claw over the marks, considering the foreign tongue. Perhaps we should investigate these mountains further with our research group.

And then he smelt it, fear. The saltiness of water and the low muffled cry. Pressing back against the wall, Toothless tried to see further into the corridor but saw only the pitch blackness that had plagued him since starting this adventure. What in the world could the guards be after in here? There hadn't been a sign of any other dragon in this area. It didn't even look like a storage unit for the slaves in transit.

He started moving closer, keeping himself aligned with the wall. Step after step he moved with caution, trying to catch whatever was housed in the caverns before it caught him.

Way ahead he caught the smallest of movements, the first in what felt like forever.

Sharp teeth stretched from the protective sheaths of his gums. He was ready.

With a powerful cry he rushed forward, ready to stab his claws into the creature, only to be stopped short as it cried out, trying to pull back. Wheeling back, he retracted his teeth. His night vision didn't provide colors, but whatever was in front of him didn't seem threatening. It just looked small.

The lump, wrapped up in a thick rope, left defenseless on the ground. Around its face was a cloth providing only an opening for its mouth where its lips were parted to allow shallow breaths. What the hell is this thing? If he had seen one of his people tied up like this, he would have thought in transit slave, but this....this was a monster.

Instead of beautiful scales it had pink skin and fur covered its head. It was small, lean, and apparently dressed in rages. Leaning forward, Toothless dared a sniff, trying to place a scent on it. Salt water. Was this some kind of sea creature?

The thing stiffed as he took another testing scent. Its breathing quieted before it started speaking fast in a foreign tongue. The monster tried to pull back, its bare legs scrapping along the ground. Blood caked the air. Toothless recoiled.

I should kill this thing, put it out of its misery.

No, wait...

Toothless laid his hand on the creature's furred head, making a low soothing noise he'd seen his brother do with his nieces. It made the creature still, his strange language quieting down. "You next to relax, sh. Sh. Calm down." He scratched behind the thing's ear carefully. "Nothing's going to hurt you."

Was this the illegal item being transported here? The Commander seemed to know that something was up in here. Toothless settled back on his heels. "What kind of monster are you?" It didn't look like it had any delicious meat. Glancing up, he took in the continued path. "Stay here." He pressed his hand on the creature's shoulder, pushing it back down.

Without the same caution he'd had previously, he moved forward. The smell of body odor, fish, and oils was fresh over the old scent of the guard's from the mountain. Behind him the creature began to shout, pulling on the ropes - almost begging, really. Toothless paused to touch the last wall blocking his path. He could go no further and yet it felt this rock did not belong in the area. Pressing his weight upon the boulder he attempted to push it aside, but it remained stubbornly put.

"Is this where you came from?" He sniffed at the rock. It still smelt very fresh. He'd have to get an array of troops if he were to return this creature to its original home, but at the same time he didn't know what laid on the other side.

Nor did he know what was stopping the guards from pushing this rock aside.

I can't just leave it.

He took a step back, returning to the creature on the ground. "You need to get up and move. I'm going to bury this path."

The monster didn't move.

"For the love of all things!" He grabbed the creature's thin shoulder, dragging it down the corridor before knocking his tail hard into the cavern wall. Rocks shuddered around him. He slapped his weight again and again until finally it collapsed, blocking the path. Reaching down, he grabbed the creature and laid it over his shoulder before starting back through the paths, trying to stay within the scent, but listening for others. Surely someone heard the cavern break.

He also needed the time to think. There was no way he could just walk out of the mountains with this creature over his shoulder. These guards were after this so called Good, either to trade or eat. In fact, they had wanted more than just this one.

You solved the "more" problem, now you have to figure out what to do with this thing.

First thing, Toothless realized, was he had to get out of the caverns without getting caught. The less people that knew about the monster, the better he would be. He had to get it back to the palace, to the safety of his father's power before deciding his next step. Putting a firm hand on the tail-less bottom (poor thing, he wondered where its tail had gone), Toothless eased himself out of the caverns and moved through the ravine, down to the stream at the base. Need to lose our scent.

The water was colder than he imagined. Even the creature shivered on his shoulder, but it didn't flail or cry as Toothless expected as he threaded water downstream. Tunnel Seven stood proudly above him, the slight light of a lantern reflecting from its inner reaches. Shit, shit! Toothless pushed on the small of the creature's back, stepping closer to the water edges. Overgrowth on the side of stream offered protection from eyes and the harsh scent of the berries paired with the wash of the water would hopefully hide them.

Covering the creature's flat mouth, Toothless watched the range above him. The Commander stepped foot out, taking in the area before disappearing into another tunnel, a trail or Terrors behind him. This is going to be a long night, thought Toothless as he released the creature's mouth. The thing gasped greedily for air, struggling around its bindings.

Right, the bindings...

Was it safe to free the thing? Obviously whoever had tied the creature up knew what was going on. The last thing he needed was to be blamed for unleashing a monster onto his people.

Leaning forward, Toothless gummed along the rope before slicing through with his teeth. "Stay put!" He pushed on the creature's shoulder before it could get up. The thing settled on its knees, looking ahead with wide eyes. "Just...stay with me."

He traveled through the night, carefully avoiding the guards on duty (finally doing their fucking job with finesse) with the creature on his heels. Each cavern took an additional thirty minutes to maneuver through and once or twice Toothless had to scurry into the dark corner, clutching the creature to his chest as he clung to the wall and watched with golden eyes as his chosen enemies surveyed the area. By the time he left the caverns, it was easing into the morning light and the area was clear of all dragons.

Sliding back around the fading darkness towards the storage shed he'd called his room the last few days, Toothless hefted the creature through the open window before climbing in himself.

The monster crawled towards the corner, pulling his legs into his chest. So scared, like an infant. Toothless shifted his tail behind him. "Just stay quiet." He held up his hands.

It was all he could think of right now, keep this creature hidden. The rest, he decided as he settled on his cot, would fall into place.

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