Three years after the death of Hiccup Haddock, the heir to Berk's chiefdom...
Houses aflame, sky dark and eerie... Clear of storm clouds but filled with ash clouds, loud with the screams of the victims and the crying children and the enraged warriors.
A dragon raid is a violent battle. Everything about a raid is dark and grusome. Not everyone has the guts for it. Every viking though does. Or is expected to at least.
Fishlegs Ingerman has lived on 18 years with it. He has the guts for it but unlike the rest of the village he has a mind that can be reasoned with. A mind yearning for knowledge. Maybe he isn't the best strategist but he is the best opponent. That idea that one should know every last thing about their opponent in order to take them down, he's the best. He can tell a warrior what dragon they are up against, what that dragon's strong suits are, what that dragon's weaknesses are, what the dragon's next move will most likely be, and all the in between.
Fishlegs has a mind that can be reasoned with. And that is the reason it will be Fishlegs who will be the first chosen to be involved with one of the most mysterious figures the archipelago will ever know. Or rather... Not know.
-The Prince of Dragons
In this raid, Fishlegs Ingerman is simply aiding in putting out fires. He typically does, he is not much of a fighter, not a complete fishbone that can't so much as hold a small axe like his friend Hiccup had once struggled with. No, not at all like that. But rather, he isn't fond of the idea of killing a dragon. He will aid in the capture of one but not killing one.
The raid goes on like any other. Nothing out of the ordinary. That is until Gobber yells a dreadful four words immediately following the sound of a whistling screech. "NIGHT FURY! GET DOWN!" and this is immediately followed by a purple plasma blast coming from a mysterious source in the sky hitting the first of what will be many big weapons. This first blast takes out three catapults. A Night Fury hasn't been seen in three years but Fishlegs remembers it still has only ever shot six shots and has never once missed a reasonable target.
A second blast follows. Then a third... Fourth... And fifth. And at this point all the catapults have been taken out along with all other long distance weapons. But there is still one more shot. It does not come immediately... Fishlegs stops working and waits. The dragon always uses all six. What is it waiting for? It's almost as if he's searching for a target, saving it?
Then, he hears the nightmaric whistle. The plasma blast hits the back of the forge. Fishlegs runs towards it wondering 'Why the forge?' A dragon doesn't know what a forge is, surely. Especially this forge.
Gobber is busy fighting but Fishlegs is attentive. The entrance is not in the heap of the flames and so he walks in, going to the back where the main fire is, where the building was hit. The curtain that separated the backroom that used to belong to Hiccup had already burnt away. From that entrance Fishlegs can see a figure. "I see you! Get out of-" he's cut off by the figure pulling out an extendable sword. Fishlegs puts his hands up and steps back as the figure steps forward. This guy is cloaked in black and wears what appears to be a metal mask. Under the cloak is what appears to be leather armor.
The two are now in the front of the forge which has yet to be engulfed in flames. Fishlegs waits for him to do something. "Sharpshot, come," he says. A Terrible Terror comes out from under the cloak and hands the man a rolled up paper. He brings down the sword and holds this paper out to Fishlegs who takes it cautiously.
"Who are you?" Fishlegs asks but does not get an answer to. Instead the man just points to him then puts his finger to the place his lips would be behind the metal mask. "You want me to be quiet? This is a raid, no one-" the man shakes his head and points to the letter in his hand. Next to the terrible terror, then to himself. "Keep quiet... About the dragon, the letter and you. You don't want me to tell anyone we met?" the man nods and again points to the paper then puts his fingers to his lips. "I won't keep any promises."
Fishlegs watched the man's stance shift, his eyes darken even more. "Sharpshot, shoot." he whispers. The terrible terror shoots at Fishlegs who quickly dodges.
"Are you trying to threaten me? What if I tell?"
The man then points to himself then to his head. It means he'll know. He pulls his sword out again and points it at Fishlegs. He nods his head gesturing for Fishlegs to leave. He does. With a warrior's face, he turns around and begins walking away. When he looks back, the cloaked man is gone.
No... Not a man. A very young man. The next question though is how did he get to Berk? Is he hiding somewhere? Did he sail right before the raid while people slept? Did he know the raid would happen?
Fishlegs decides to hide the letter and help with the fires as the raid ends. His help is needed. It isn't until that night when he is in his room does he take out the letter. is The next question is, how does the guy know who Fishlegs is?