The sun was low in the sky and I flew with as much freedom as I wanted. I stretched my wings and let the sun reflect off of my black scales as I ascended higher and higher. I closed my eyes to feel the warmth of the sun on my back and glided in absolute joy. I hoped that this flight would never end.
I then felt a piece of paper hit the side of my head and I snapped back to reality. I look for where the paper came from and I see that it was Snotlout and his group of misfits who just love to give me hell over everything. I rolled his eyes and attempted to revert my attention back to the board about some boring integral or derivative or something of the sort. I never paid attention in class as I was at least five years ahead of everyone else. I never skipped a grade because my father never paid neigh attention to do something like that.
I lazily looked around the room to find something more interesting than a repetitive lesson in math. I ultimately fell upon the one I've been pining after for years, Astrid. She actually was watching me so my gaze was quickly averted to the notebook on my desk. It was covered in the images of the dragon I had been having dreams about for over a year. Every child was given a dragon at a certain age and everyone else in school had theirs. In fact the choosing had come down to a science, every kid was put in a room full of eggs of every sort.
Well all except one, a Night Fury. Science never managed to capture one's for choosing and they remained a mystery to the world. I had always wanted to see one but that was irrelevant. The choosing was when you were put in a room of dragon eggs and one would hatch when their rider, the one linked to their souls, chose the egg. When I went in not a single egg hatched. Not the Gronkle, or Nadder, not even the most rarest one a Changewing. I felt embarrassed and the doctors and scientist were baffled at how it didn't work. In three centuries of the science this case had never happened and my father couldn't have been more disappointed.
My mother managed to placate my father but after that day he grew more distant as the days and weeks passed. It was alright for a few years but when I hit high school it only got worse. My mother had a Stormcutter named Cloudjumper who seemed like a wise owl but was always kind to him. My mother would always take me on flights to let me feel the joy of flying. Usually those flights would result in me crying and my mother hiding me away from my father's wrath but that all changed three years ago. My mother and Cloudjumper simply disappeared one day without any warning or explanation and it all fell apart after that.
My father grew angry and took it out on me when he'd bother to acknowledge my existence and all of my so called friends abandoned me and I was labeled the loser with no mother or dragon to help me. I avoided everyone and became wrapped in learning and soared ahead of everyone which got me more ridicule and mockery. I hoped that one day I could just fly and leave this whole place behind. The bell shook me out of his thoughts, I quickly grabbed my things and darted out of the room and too my locker. I only managed to put one of my books away before I was shoved into the locker with all of my things being shoved out of my hands one onto the floor. My entire body found itself inside the locker with the door being shut behind me.
"Better watch out, dipshit." Snotlout said.
I sighed and simply stayed quiet knowing any retaliation meant things far worse later on. The bell rang again for the next period and I sighed again as I would miss it for the third day in a row as this was the third day in a row I was shoved into his locker. I attempted to call for help but there was no one there to help him so I sighed again and slumped against the back wall of my locker. But suddenly I heard the gears in his locker turn and the door fly open. I spilled out onto the floor and looked around for my savior and found a boy standing in front of me looking down.
He had jet black hair and piercing green eyes that looked into his very soul. He was tall and very well built with lean muscles framing his body but his eyes was the biggest thing. The eyes drew me in like the meant something profound but I couldn't put the words on it. I slowly stood up not breaking eye contact and he simply stared and then I formed a response.
"Thanks." I said.
The boy only nodded and then retreated down the hall without saying a word or looking back. I snapped back and quickly grabbed my things for class and rushed off to the room. I burst in with the whole class staring me down and I quickly made my way to my seat.
"So nice of you to join us, Mr. Haddock." the teacher said.
I avoided eye contact but I noticed Snotlout obviously upset about how I escaped my locker prison with too much ease. One thing did catch my eye though. The boy who let me out of my locker was looking at me with a blank expression. How he had managed to get me out of my locker and back to class so fast and without being noticed was inconceivable. I looked back up to the teacher who he knew all too well. Gobber was a long family friend who knew why I was late or didn't show up and never punished me because of it. He was currently getting something from his desk but failed and then turned his attention back to the class.
"Alright today we will begin dragon training with your dragons in the arena so off you go."
The class cheered and stormed out of the doors while he remained behind and waited on Gobber to leave. I noticed the mysterious boy linger at the door before leaving himself and I sighed again. It was starting to become a reoccurring theme with me.
"You don't want to run ahead with the others?" Gobber asked.
"No, they'll all be getting their dragons and flying in while I'll just be walking." I said.
"I know this won't be fun for you but he have to be there if you intend to graduate. Go on ahead and find a seat and just watch I'll try to keep you on the down low."
I left the room and was thankful for what Gobber always tried to do for him but it wasn't enough. I wanted to be apart of it all but I couldn't, never and the rest of the world would leave me behind. The arena was a huge complex just outside the main building that all schools had that was built by the state because schools could not afford such huge complexes by themselves. It was a simple flat ground with raisable obstacles and a full set of seats surrounding the whole place for competitions.
I took a seat near the back in the far corner after the students began to fly in on their various dragons and talking excitedly about the new class. Gobber entered a few minutes later with a tablet and walked up to me and handed me it. I looked up with bewilderment and Gobber smiled and whispered something to me.
"Don't make it easy." he said.
He walked to the class and began rambling about how important these next few months would be. I looked at the tablet and saw that it was linked to the entire stadium and all the obstacles that could be activated and I had a small smile on my face. With this I could still be apart of things to a small degree. However my peace was interrupted by that same boy sitting down next to me and looking out at the field and the people below him.
"What are you doing?" I hissed.
"Just about to watch the show." he said.
His voice was somewhat high but had a deep undertone to it and I looked at him and he looked back and gave a small smile.
"Don't you have a dragon?"
"No, never had one. Where I grew up that wasn't a thing." he said.
"It's a thing everywhere. You don't have a choice."
"Well I did and I chose not to have one." he growled.
I remained silent after that and turned my attention back to the field and the were beginning their first lessons and Gobber spoke up.
"Now first is the obstacle course which Hiccup will command and will throw whatever he wants at each of you. How hard it is, is up to him."
The class looked at me and he looked down avoiding their gaze and Gobber waved the class to the side.
"First up is Fishlegs."
Fishlegs had a Gronkle which was slow but tough and could take a lot of hits. I decided to throw things that would require speed rather than play to his strengths I would go for weaknesses. I threw arrows and lighting generators at him, making him dodge and think quickly and he did better than what I expected. He was done soon and while I had a fun time I could tell Fishlegs was out of breath.
"Next is Snotlout."
I wanted this, Snotlout flew a Monstrous Nightmare which was all about firepower. I intended to beat the shit out of him in the ring and that is exactly what I did. He didn't pull all the stops out but Snotlout didn't make it out without a few bruises and burns. He smiled and he heard the boy next to him chuckle slightly while Snotlout was beaten around. That made him smile even more and I hoped it wouldn't come back to bite me. A few others went through and I threw some easy exercises at them and then she came around. Astrid was someone who took these things seriously and he did not want to appear partial. So I tried my best to go easy but still make it hard and in the end it seemed as if I had succeeded but she revealed nothing with her blank face.
Gobber dismissed them after that to relax and head home after a hard day of work. Classes would soon turn into just dragon training after the final exams in the other classes in a few weeks. But I didn't worry because it meant less time spent at school with those who wished me harm. The boy got my attention and I realized something important and I stopped the boy before he left.
"Wait, what's your name?" I yelled.
"Damian Fury, if you don't like it then don't bother."
"No its cool and thanks for today."
"Anytime, Hiccup."
He ran off before I could stop him to ask how he knew my name despite just meeting that day and that I had never meet him before in my life. I shrugged and ran and grabbed his things and began to walk home while that others took off and flew home. I watched in envy and then dread began to pool at the fact that my father might be home and yell at me for some unknown reason. I pushed it aside and strode up to the door and walked in. The first thing I noticed was the lack of my father in an angry rampage which threw me off.
I set my backpack down and slowly walked to my room being extra quiet when walking past my father's office. His door was slightly open and I could hear him working on his laptop probably about some new case he got. By the way he is the police chief which explains his aggressive nature. He loved to hit people and this job bought into that craving.
"Hiccup, come here." he said.
I froze as I was just passed his door and fear began to seep into my bones as why he wanted me. I turned around and walked into his office and he was sitting there with his laptop closed and his hands balled together in front of his face. He looked sad if you could call it that but he was good at masking his true emotions until he needed to. I sat down slowly and he dropped his hands down onto his desk.
"There is something that needs attention. There have been reports of a wild dragon terrorizing the out edges near the forests and we plan to smoke it out. I will be gone for the next few weeks as we work our way around the city, and you are to be kept under watch by Gobber. I hope nothing major happens, especially with dragon training beginning."
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked.
"If we manage to capture this beast I mean to make it my last case and then retire. I will wait for your graduation and then I plan to move from Berk."
"What, well where will I go then?"
"I hope you plan to run off to college and set up a good life for yourself. Your mother would want that and I do not plan to heed you in that regard. Now go and run off and do whatever it is you do, I will take Skullcrusher and leave this evening and hope to be back."
"But if you plan to retire, who will deal with the Outcasts that you've been chasing for years?"
"I've given up that fight for the new chief, this Dagur will take over and continue the war I started. Now go."
I took that and left quickly but thought over what he said. He was retiring if he was successful in finding whatever was terrorizing the city, most likely a wild dragon. I had never heard of one eluding police, usually they always caught it with relative ease. I pushed it away and opened the door to my room which was very plain with a simple bed, desk, and window. The walls were a pale green, my favorite color, and my desk had a laptop and a light for reading or drawing.
I sat down at his desk and checked my computer which had zero messages or emails so I shut the lid and looked outside. I loved walking through the woods that lined the edge of my neighborhood and I grabbed his jacket for one more walk before winter was in full swing. I didn't bother telling my dad and simply shut the front door and began walking towards the woods. It was late fall so many of the trees were bare but I loved it nonetheless and entered the nearest trail to the houses.
It was quiet with a few gusts of wind rustling the trees and making a few leaves fall but I loved the quiet. It was a place I could retreat to where no one would bother me or put me down. It was a place I could think and truly feel free. Only this time it felt different because I felt like I was being watched but whenever I looked around I saw nothing but the forest. I picked up the pace slightly and dove deeper and deeper into the woods as the sun was getting close to setting. I intended to be back before the sun went down so I couldn't be out much longer or I'd be stuck in the woods at night with no light.
I heard the noise again and began to speed walk making my way back towards the exit of the forest not wanting to be the victim of a crime. Just as I saw the exit I was stopped and knocked to the ground by a black shadow and came face to face with a dragon. It didn't move and I was terrified to say the least and I assumed this was the one that my dad was after. His eyes are what got my attention as they looked just like that kid, Damian's. I could hear a low growl but I just lay there and then slowly reached my hand up and he watched me but didn't shy away.
Usually wild dragons attacked you and killed you and trained dragons only let those whose riders let touch them. My hand reached his nose and he had closed his eyes and began to purr and I felt something change inside of me. It felt like I had finally found that one thing I had been searching for my entire life. As quickly as he appeared he disappeared back into the woods and I sat there and looked at my hand in light of what just happened. Maybe this was the dragon I had all along and maybe it was even the elusive Night Fury.
So this is my modern day version of a Hiccup and Astrid story with some interesting twists and turns. I hope you enjoy this first chapter and tell me what you think. Enjoy and review. -starwarswiz