Chapter 28- Gratitude

Break Line

Zagreus walked towards the forest as he always did these days, but this time he carried ropes to try an idea that was present in his mind, and trying not to laugh at Astrid's attempt to follow him without being seen but looking on a positive side. she was doing fine, but to him it looked as obvious as a colored thumb.

Upon reaching the forest, Zagrues quickly goes behind a tree and uses the [Shadow Journey] Skill and appears on top of a nearby tree.

Astrid starts looking around trying to locate him but to no avail and at this point Zagreus decides to stop playing with her and appears right behind her and says.

"Looking for someone, Blondie?"

He says the Demigod in a low tone and a mocking smile on his face.

Due to the proximity of the voice in her ear, Astrid is startled and backs away while keeping in attack position but seeing that the owner of the voice was Zagreus, her cheeks are flushed with embarrassment and anger.

"I could have killed you!"

"Hoo, you and I both know I won't die that easy. But tell me, what prompted you to follow me like that."

Astrid calms down by taking a deep breath, and since she's not a woman for blunders, she quickly says what she wants.

"I want to know where you go every day, what kind of special training gives you the strength you have."

"Hmm, if I tell you my secret you'll have to...."

Before the demigod completes his sentence, Astrid says mockingly.

"To die?"

"Be mine!"

Zagreus finished speaking with a serious and determined face, Astrid upon hearing this sounded like a tomato due to the color in her cheeks.

'This, this guy....how can he say such shameful things with such a serious face!? I cannot allow him to embarrass me like that.'

With that thought Astrid smiles trying to hide her shame as she tries to provoke Zagreus.

"Haha, do you think you have enough?"

"I guess you don't care about that, do you Astrid? You just want someone who cares and that's enough."

Zagreus said and at that moment an idea came to her mind, a mischievous smile crossed her face and he said.

"Or did cold Astrid follow me in search of something else? Perhaps the kiss between Hiccup and Ruffnut awakened something in you?"

Astrid who was calming down ends up blushing again at the accuracy of what Zagreus has just said, she wondered what it would be like if Zagreus kissed her.

But even as a girl who doesn't hide what she wants, Astrid was still wary of admitting that she was attracted to the Young Dragon, and she would deny what she feels until something happened as proof of her feelings.

"What are you saying? That kiss between the two of them means nothing as he was being controlled."

"It's not really a control since he did what he wanted most!"

Astrid laughs and sees an opportunity to provoke Zagreus so she asks.

"Hmmm, so Zagreus, if you were controlled by a Changewing and he told you to do what you most want at the moment, what would it be?"

Expecting him to be embarrassed, Astrid is surprised and anxious to notice Zagreus approaching her with a smile on his face.

"First of all, I don't need a Dragon to do what I most desire. And as for my desire, what I most desire is right in front of me."

He finished saying as he approached, Astrid who was backing up finds a tree leaning against her back, Zagreus puts his hand on the tree behind Astrid right next to her face and looks deep into her beautiful blue eyes.

"Zagreus...."

Astrid calls her name in a weak voice as if she is reluctant to the situation which ends up sounding more like a moan and Zagreus in response soon says.

"If you don't want to, push me away now!"

And little by little he approached his face to Astrid's, seeing that the girl didn't push him and even closed her eyes, Zagreus then kisses Astrid's soft and thin lips.

Their kiss was chaste and didn't involve tongue, but that's not to say it didn't provoke something in the blonde girl, Astrid's low moans were the only sound along with the noise of their lips on each other, she lets herself be carried away by the kiss and involves her arms around his neck to pull him closer.

After a few minutes Zagreus decides to end his first of many make-out sessions with Astrid, he pulls away and looks at the blonde's face who has a passionate expression and dilated pupils, she was slightly panting which only made her look more attractive in the vision of Zagreus.

The two look at each other and they both start to laugh as they lean their foreheads against each other, Astrid is the first to break the silence by asking.

"So are we a couple now?"

"I think we can be considered that now don't we?"

"Good, Good. But now you have to meet my parents, I don't want to rush anything since we just…you know, starting Dating."

"Hmm, it's alright, I'll meet your parents! I have to bring one dowry or something to use in exchange for my princess's hand?"

Astrid withdraws her head resting on Zagreus' shoulders and looks at Zagreus' face and says while laughing lightly.

"No, not Bobo. My father is not that type, he says there is no value in the world that can buy my engagement. He says the person I choose will be the right one

"I already liked your dad! So does that mean you picked me?"

The blonde gets her cheeks flushed again at the accuracy of Zagreus' words, but she wasn't someone who admitted her feelings so easily, even more so to Zagreus who she knew would get cocky if she said that.

"Well, it was choosing between Snotlout, Fishlegs and Tuffnut. Hiccup was always in love with Ruffnut that, it was always obvious. So the choice became really very easy when you showed up, let's say you're a little better than them."

Zagreus stares at Astrid's smiling face and laughs along with her, he knows she wouldn't admit her own feelings out loud like that and wouldn't force something that would come naturally in time, although her actions spoke louder than words at the moment.

Astrid was happy with the turn this whole conversation had taken, but she's also very embarrassed and the silence that dominated the current moment seemed to emphasize that, so she decides to speak up.

"Are you going to tell me what you're going to do when you enter the forest?"

Astrid now leaning on Zagreus' shoulder asks Zagreus, he hugs her tighter and after thinking for a few moments he decides and says.

"Of course I will, I'll take you with me tomorrow, ok?"

"But today I'm going alone, I need to go now! Can we see you tonight for dinner?"

Astrid agrees and with the little courage she muster, she gives Zagreus a quick peck, she is a brave girl and a very hardworking Nata Warrior but when it comes to romance and relationships, she is just a shy girl and very cute.

Zagreus seeing her taking her Ax and running back to the Tribe smiles at his new girlfriend's cuteness? If they could ever be considered that way before he met her father.

He shakes his head to get rid of those thoughts for now and decides to go to Alduin as he had planned earlier before he was interrupted, not that he's complaining about that kind of interruption.

Upon arriving in the Valley, the first thing the Demigod sees is Alduin trying but often failing to catch a fish in the lake, Zagreus smiles at his friend's funny way and approaches him.

"Yo, Alduin! Hunting difficulties again?"

Alduin raises his head submerged in the water and grunts in irritation towards Zagreus.

"Your answers are getting better every day my friend."

{I'll talk to you around here when necessary.}

Alduin says in an irritated tone to the Demigod.

"I know, I know, no need to get carried away. Let's make an exchange ok? You help me and I'll catch some fish for you like the other day, what do you think?"

{I'm inside, whatever you need from me shouldn't be difficult for a Dragon like me. And after all, you are my friend Zagreus, so you don't have to do me one favor in exchange for another but I would appreciate a basket of fish.}

Zagreus smiles at his lonely friend's words, Alduin had already told him how he was apparently the last of his kind and how all other Dragons felt an inherent fear of him along with the lack of intelligence of most dragons, all of this made him Alduin didn't have a single friend and felt more than lonely.

"I need you to take me as high as you can, I want to try to summon my Dragon wings and even if I can't do that, at least I'll train my [Angelic Wings]."

Alduin doesn't see any difficulty in this request and agrees, Zagreus then approaches the Dragon and tries to put a rope on him to join the two so that he doesn't fall when the Dragon flies at great speeds.

Alduin seeing a rope in Zagreus' hands makes him instinctively recoil, even though he trusts Zagreus, the traumas of his entire life of survival and constant struggles with the Vikings could not be easily suppressed.

"It's alright buddy, I'm just going to tie you to me so I don't fall when you fly at full speed, I need you to trust me ok?"

The Dragon looks into Zagreus' eyes and then closes his eyes as he brings his head closer to Zagreus' chest, a great show of confidence on Alduin's part.

The Demigod caresses the Dragon's head and hugs him lightly, after that he manages to tie the ropes so that Alduin finally takes flight with Zagreus on his back, the two may not care but they just made history in this world as they just got together make the first pair of Dragon Knights. (If you want to make the How To Train Your Dragon song the main one, it will provide a better experience for you guys, I'm listening her as I write.)

Alduin keeps flying at a calm speed as he moves away from the Tribe so as not to draw attention, Alduin is basically invisible at night due to his color and the same can be said in the opposite as during the day it was almost impossible not to see him flying.

The Black Dragon maintains a stable and slow flight, enjoying the feeling of freedom when flying, it had been a long time since he flew and he wanted to enjoy his first flight with his first friend although he did not admit it, Zagreus also enjoyed the trip and after a few minutes he he said.

"Alduin, it's time! I need you to fly as high as possible and at this point I'm going to throw myself off you, right?"

{Understood! But... be careful when doing this, I can't let my first friend die like this.}

"Haha, don't worry, I can still glide with my other wings."

Alduin nods in acknowledgment and starts to fly upward with all his strength and if not for the rope holding the Demigod would have fallen, Zagreus placed his hand on the Dragon's head while waiting for the right moment.

{This is as far as I can go, more than that makes me barely able to breathe!}

Zagreus nods in acknowledgment and begins to untie himself when he has finished untying the knot in the rope that held him, he said.

"Here I go, wish me luck buddy."

And similar to the leap of confidence of the most famous Assassin organization, he jumped in with his arms open and eyes closed.

He focused on himself, what he was, what he was, what he would become, and unconsciously the Ability [Dragon Blood] was activated and a thin crimson aura surrounds him, until he focused on his back and a pain lacerating afflicts Zagreus at the moment and two large Black Wings rip open his back causing him to stop falling and glide slowly.

Zagreus opens his eyes and admires the beauty of his Wings, they were Black with fine and intricate details in gold, unlike his [Angelic Wings] which he had a problem controlling in the beginning, these [Draconic Wings] were much easier to to control.

Demigod had a smile on his face as he felt happy that his theory was once again right, and without thinking too much he spreads his [Angelic Wings] and now has 2 pairs of completely opposite color wings.

Alduin walks close to him as he stares at him and they both start laughing, the two then start flying together as they enjoy the freedom.

But as it comes to everyone, fatigue hit the two Dragons and they decide to land.

The two then let them talk about the experience they just had and share more about each other's personal lives, until Zagreus remembers the promise he made to Astrid and decides to talk to his friend about it so there's no misunderstanding.

Alduin wasn't a big fan of the idea at first but after finding out that the Viking girl Zagreus was going to bring was the one he liked he soon agreed to meet the girl.

"Thanks buddy. You'll like her even though she's a Viking, she's different and you guys will be fine."

{Yes, yes whatever. Just don't try to explain to me how beautiful she is and how stupid you are around her.}

"Hey, I never said I was an idiot around her and it's not my fault you have different tastes than mine. It's pretty simple, you prefer scales and I prefer something more humanlike at the very least, and you have to settle for it!"

{Okay, okay. You prefer soft meat, good luck to you and now go to your new girlfriend.}

Alduin said with irritation and jealousy obvious in his tone, and after Zagreus has saved his 2 pairs of Wings that seem to disappear in a black and white glow, he goes to his Dragon friend and hugs him to the delight of Alduin who was trying to hide his appreciation to the gestures of the Demigod.

After a few more minutes of conversations and goodbyes, the young demigod walked again through the forest towards the tribe, his days seemed slow and good to live and he was enjoying every moment.

Arriving at Tribo, Zagreus realizes that today his friends were outdoors and waiting for the Roast Pork BBQ style for dinner, Snotlout seemed to have matured by the way he was talking to Zagreus and Hiccup and no longer with that arrogance and arrogance of before but yes with respect and treating them as equals.

Hiccup and Ruffnut seem to have become a couple now because of their close proximity, she was sitting on his lap while hugging his neck, Zagreus looks at Hiccup who seems to radiate happiness just with his face and the Demigod would love to hear his friend talk about it more evening.

Gobber again telling his life stories, this time it was about his adventures with Stoick and his exploits, and he had to admit that Hiccup's father was too strong for an ordinary human, Zagreus wouldn't even doubt if the System told him Stoick was a kind of demigod too.

Zagreus then sits down next to Astrid who as soon as she saw him arrive smiled for him, he puts his arm around her tiny waist as he pulls her closer and she enjoys the intimacy even though she is embarrassed, wraps her arms around his neck as she snuggles into his chest.

The Demigod looked at his friends as he smiled happily, then looked up at the sky as if he were thanking whatever deity helped him to be who he was now, and he had nothing but to thank for the life and family he had acquired.

Break Line

(Author's Note)

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, I hope you're all right this Sunday afternoon, and here's how you routine a chapter on Sunday.

But this time I want to do something different with you, it's a goal for those of you who want more chapters, if the book reaches more than 200 Power Stones and next week I'll release an extra chapter or two, the pace won't slow down and it will continue this averages 3, 4 and sometimes 5 Chap per week.

My P@ treon for anyone interested in helping me: Pa tre on/AbelWizard

Commit, Review and give me Power Stones because the interaction with you is what motivates me to continue, until Wednesday, from your favorite author

- AbelWizard