Hiccup frowned as he got berated once again for being out during a dragon raid instead of inside the forge with Gobber, or at least inside the house. At this point, he just decided to tune his father out. Like he didn't feel guilty enough. Because Stoick had been distracted by him, he was this close to being murdered by the Night Rider as everyone called him.
Astrid was furious and snapping at everyone in sight because the Night Rider had escaped her once again. She was determined to kill him herself. Hiccup didn't know why she still bothered at this point. But then again, Vikings were stubborn.
Berk's supply of food had been snatched once again, and the Night Rider had helped them. Why? Hiccup had heard everyone ask that about him more than once. To this day, no one had an answer. He was human too, so why did he help the enemy against his own? Hiccup remembered the shock that had descended upon Berk the first time the Night Rider came to the island with the dragons six years ago.
The dragons were more savage on that raining night. A storm was coming in, but that didn't seem to stop them from raiding the village. The rain made the ground difficult to stand on and the harsh rain made it hard to see. The dragons knew this would make their jobs easier. They were winning, and the Vikings couldn't let them. They fought like mad men.
Despite Hiccup wanting to help, due to both his size and him being too young at only nine, he wasn't allowed to fight alongside everyone else. Instead, he was to wait with the younger children and the other older kids. They were all hidden in a little hut, waiting for both the storm and the raid to be over. That was when the door was bashed in by a Monstrous Nightmare. Its eyes were filled with rage, heat radiating from its body.
Some cowered in fear, but the others stood ready for battle. Hiccup attempted to, but stumbled under the weight of the shield in his hands. Either way, he knew none of them had a chance. Only the best Vikings can kill a Monstrous Nightmare. They weren't even close.
A growl came from behind the beast as the fire on its skin began to cool. A small figure, only a few inches taller than Hiccup, came forth. His body was drenched, his hair covering his eyes. He dressed in black, so dark it blended in with the night. He was skinny, as if he rarely ate. The monster growled at the boy, but he didn't flinch. He just stood there as if in deep thought.
After a moment, the boy responded with an inhuman growl, a bark, and a snort. Both argue. Hiccup was confused, as were the others. He was pretty sure that for once, they were thinking on the lines of the same thing. Why weren't they going at each other, and more importantly, who is this boy? He looks human but understands the beast? Is that even possible?
Hiccup stood on his tiptoes to see above the heads of the taller kids. The boy pointed at them and swapped it across with a shake of his head. In an instant, Hiccup understood. The boy was telling the dragon not to harm them.
With a growl and a bow of his head, the monster left to terrorize the other villagers.
Deep down, it was obvious that no one trusted the strange boy. He didn't seem normal. Astrid, only nine as well at the time, lunged at the boy even though others protested. Little did she know he had a sword on his person. With one swift movement, he was able to block her attack. When her axe came in contact with his weapon, its blade broke in two.
Everyone stepped back in surprise, but Hiccup tried to get a closer look. While everyone was shocked and maybe a little scared, he was in awe. No one had been able to deflect Astrid Hofferson's attacks.
Astrid became enraged, and continued her assault, but it was like he knew when and where she was aiming at.
"Who are you!?" she yelled at him. He didn't reply. "Answer me!"
He tilted his head to the side in confusion. As if he didn't understand. His eyes were as blue as the sky. When Hiccup noticed them, he saw in those eyes curiosity, mystery, and sadness. Unlike Astrid, he didn't seem to want to hurt anyone. He was simply protecting himself.
He never answered, and he deflected Astrid's attacks one more time before running away. Determined to continue the fight, Astrid ran after him. Hiccup followed, but more out of curiosity than rage. The boy ran over to the edge of the island. Hiccup instantly grew worried. Was he about to jump? With a single step, the boy plummeted. Hiccup waited to hear the splat that would mean the boy's death, but he stopped suddenly in his tracks.
A dark figure flew into the sky. Hiccup stared in awe. The boy was flying, or so he thought at first glance. He was at a loss of words to see the strange boy on top of what looked like a Night Fury. Both the boy and the beast flew in the air as one as they joined the group of dragons flying away from the island.
"That child is a traitor to man," a voice growled. Hiccup looked up to see his father, Stoick the Vast, the chief of the Hairy Hooligan tribe.
Later on, Hiccup learned he was right. A human riding and helping the enemy counted them as a traitor. Astrid became obsessed with killing the Night Rider, and Hiccup became obsessed with him, too, but more in a way that was less violent. There were so many questions about him. Everyone said he was a traitor, but why? How? How did he come to be with them? Why was he still with them and not with his own kind? And why didn't the dragons kill him?
Dragons were said to always go for the kill. But if that was true, then why hadn't they killed the boy yet? It had been six years, and they hadn't killed him. If anything, the Night Rider was safe amongst them, considered one of their own.
Over the years, the Night Rider had become more violent. It seemed that while before, he tried to have the least amount of contact with humans as possible, he now took every opportunity to fight them, and kill them if they kept up the fight. He was a protector of dragons. Whenever he saw someone harming or killing a dragon, he did the same to them. Few had told of the Night Rider. Many don't live to tell the tale of having fought him.
Dragon hunters have nightmares of the Night Rider ever finding them. Those who had fought against the Night Rider and lived were usually left with permanent scars and injuries. Sometimes, they even gave up the dragon killing life out of fear of facing him again. If you lived to tell the tale, and weren't scarred, then that meant he must've really liked you.
He became a legend, a cautionary tale for any Viking or dragon hunter. Your only hope if you come face to face with the Night Rider: Hide and pray he doesn't find you. And if he does, pray that he kills you quickly.
To kill him would definitely give you the same social status as it would to kill a Night Fury, maybe even more. But everyone knew that the honor was reserved for Astrid Hofferson. Every single raid, she tried to attack him, and every single time, he escaped. Hiccup wondered when she'd finally give up.
Probably never, he decided.
If he was going to go through with the plan he thought up, then maybe that was a good thing. He wanted to finally be noticed and be seen as more than a screw-up. Taking down a Night Fury would definitely do that. But no one would believe him if were to tell them he killed a Night Fury. Not unless he had evidence.
After his dad walked off and he was left alone, Hiccup began to think. If he were to even try to kill that Night Fury, the Night Rider would probably kill him. To slaughter the Night Fury while he was still breathing would be like asking for death. So then there was another question. What was the Night Rider's weakness? Everyone has one. Then Hiccup remembered how close the Night Rider and Fury were, how they were in sync with each other. The solution was simple, and it killed two birds with one stone. You want to take down the Night Rider, take down the Night Fury.
"You're thinking. What is it this time?" Gobber asked, poking him with his hook hand.
Hiccup didn't answer, still deep in thought of how to exactly accomplish the idea he had in mind. Then it hit him. "Nothing," he said, starting to edge towards the forge. "I just got an idea."
"Oh no," sighed Gobber. Hiccup couldn't blame him. Most of his ideas concerning dragon killing ended in failure. But not this time. This time would work for sure.
"I'm flattered by your confidence in me," said Hiccup sarcastically before running off to the forge. Getting out a piece of paper, he started to make the blueprints for the invention he had in mind. This was going to work. Just this once, it had to work. This one time was all he needed.
"This time, this time for sure," Hiccup muttered to himself. He was finally going to prove he was a Viking once and for all.