So thanks for the kind complements so far. Next on the list is a minor detail that might not be readily apparent. Dragons are not at their cartoon size scalings, but instead are at their official released heights. So Toothless is 26 feet tall, Stormfly 30 feet tall, and so on and so forth. So, yeah, they're big. Any hoo, moving on, I said I'd release a chapter a week, to clarify on that, I will release a chapter any day between Sunday-Saturday. Meaning there could be two chapter days in a row if I wanted. Now, on with the story! (I hope it isn't too bad.)

Milenalupin - I hope I can keep Hiccup sounding in character rather than too OOC.


I winced hard at the crash noise. That had to have hurt, whatever had crashed. I turned back to my boat, the Hopeful Puffin, before sighing. I had to curse my curiosity, it would get me killed someday, I was sure of it. But hopefully it wouldn't be today, running out of my cove. The shriek and crash sounded like they came from close by. Somewhere around Raven's Point perhaps?

I shrugged to myself, sounded like a good a place as any to start looking. Just had to get back to my cove before dawn. I'd leave tomorrow night instead since I'd probably still be searching until then. I'd start at Raven's Point and circle out from there, looking for the crash site and whatever made it.

A few hours, cuts and bruises, later I finally stumbled into the crash area. Honestly, I had just about given up on finding this place. There was something there, but I couldn't make it out in the moonlight. I pulled out my knife, cautiously advancing on the shape until I could make what it was. It was obviously a dragon, but it wasn't one I had ever seen before.

It took a few moments before something clicked in my mind and I realized I was looking at the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself, the Night Fury. I recoiled immediately and tripped over my feet before I realized it was bound in a bola. A bola which looked suspiciously like the one I had loaded up in the Mangler. I shifted slowly closer to take a good look at the weights, looking for the mark I put on all my experimental stuff. I couldn't see anything clearly, so I got nearer than I was happy with to the Night Fury. Pressing close to the dragon, I turned the closest weight and found what I was looking for.

It was the bola from the Mangler, but who shot it? The villagers wouldn't touch it, being something I made; Gobber wouldn't fire it, not trusting my experiments not to backfire on him; Stoick wouldn't either since he wouldn't understand it. Fishlegs? He really was the only person who sort of understood my machines, but to fire it? I didn't think so, but maybe in desperation? Great, now I was worried about him. He was the only one I could think of that'd fire it. The twins could try, but I twin-proofed this one.

Sighing again, I looked at the dragon I had been pressing against. It's scales had been warm through my shirt and surprisingly sleek and smooth. I could kill it and bring back its head to Stoick, but I doubted things would change much. Maybe at one point I'd have believed that, but not now. But what else could I do with it. It was too large and heavy for me to even attempt to move, but if I left it here, it'd either starve to death or someone would find and kill it anyways.

My eyes slowly made their way back to my knife sheath. Or I could free it, that was always an option. I faltered when I noticed that its eyes were open. I had put away my knife while I was checking it, but now I regretted it a bit. When had it woken up? Had it just been pretending to be asleep? Then I realized I had probably woken it when I pressed up on it to reach the bola weight. But I had chosen what I was going to do.

So even more slowly than before, I moved up to it, eyes as green as mine watching heavily on me. I looked over the bola carefully, looking for the worst looking knot. Finding it, I carefully drew my knife and began sawing at it. The ropes snapped apart and I flinched, waiting for the killing blow. When none came, I saw the Night Fury sitting there patiently. I didn't understand why until I looked again, the ropes still bound it in a few places. But why would that matter? Did it want me to cut them?

Apparently I was thinking too much, as the dragon awkwardly limp hop walked over to me presenting his bound face to me. Praying to any gods that were listening that I wasn't making a mistake, I used the same careful and steady move to bring my knife up and start cutting away the rope. I stood stock still once the last of the rope on its face fell away. It tilted its head before it turned and presented its bound wings. I cut those away too, repeating for each bound limb presented to me.

Once finished it turned back to me, studying me with brilliant emerald eyes. The moment seemed to stretch on forever, before it leaned into me and inhaled. I closed my eyes, this was it, this was how I died, helping a dragon that turned me to cinders in return. And again, when nothing came I opened my eyes to find myself alone in the moonlight.