How To Hide Your Spirit

If there was a list of odds that were against me, the paper would roll right into Rome, where it would get even longer because they'd follow it back to Berk. But that was long past that point I was trying to get to. The point was, even in the tiniest ways, I had some issues. Say, for an example, my clothing.

There was nothing wrong with my clothing. I've been wearing them ever since I was twelve (and, being sixteen as of two and a half weeks ago, that was pretty sad). But that was exactly the thing; I'd been wearing them since I was twelve. So not only was I sixteen and growing (thank the gods), I was sixteen and had another form.

I'd stated that our clothes rip every time we transform, therefore we need material that adapts to our form as we change. For most Commons and Unwanteds (although the latter hardly ever wear clothes to switch forms) it was pure cotton. Specials and Gems had different, varying material. For instance, Hellhounds wore a mixture of iron and wool. Phoenixes wore silk and bamboo. I had no idea what Dragons wore (I mean, I knew, but, for the Spirit Dragons…) Luckily for me, I knew how to sew. As you could guess, I'm more womanly than manly, which is rather unfortunate, but would help me in this case. I could sew nearing everything. I mean, I made my father's clothes, and that contain wool and iron (well, I don't exactly have to sew the iron).

So far, I'd tried cotton, linen, wool, modal, and silk (not to mention a mixture of them all, although I tried to be a little less generous on the silk; it was harder to get) Right now, I was trying a mixture of lyocell and synthetic.

The pain had dulled over the various times I had transformed (purely for experiment!), and I awaited to hear a ripping noise, to find that there was none. I blinked and looked down, wondering if I had a) somehow magically transformed into something other than a dragon or b) actually made something that worked. As it turned out, it was the latter. There wasn't a scrap of cloth on the ground (except for some cotton. Dear Odin were these rules and forms particular).

"I did it! I did it!" I cried in a language I'd decided to call "Dragonese" (I know, creative, right?).

"Keep it down, I'm trying to get some sleep! This wretched Two-Leggers never give me a moments peace!" called a sleeping Hotburple..

I froze at the sound. Of my time in the Dragon Killing Arena, I'd probably gotten to know the peeves and pleasures of every dragon in those gates. Instance, he Gronkle would generously ignore you if you don't look and her wings. The Nadder will turn a cold shoulder (which is actually as good as you can get) if you told her that she needed to use her quills more often, so on and so fourth. Never had I really interacted with one before. As in, forwardly understanding one and replying.

"Well, then, I guessing a sorry would only make it worse," I replied. Well, there you have it folks, Hiccup Haddock will be sarcastic to everything that can understand him, including cranky dragons.

There was a gasp and the dragon slowly came hurdling out of the bushes.

"A Shadow Hunter! I thought you were stuck in the land just outside the cove! I'm so very sorry! I didn't know…" he said.

I felt taken aback. Whatever I was (a Shadow Hunter? Couldn't have been a Viking term), it seemed to actually exist and well respected. For the first time in my life, that was a way to describe me.

"What's a Shadow Hunter?" I asked cautiously. I was sure dragons weren't smart enough to know that all dragons knew what to call each other, but for good measure… "I've been amongst the Vik— Two-Leggers' lands too long."

The Terrible Terror turned his head to the side inquisitively, "I doubt you were captured by Two-Leggers, but, I guess if you raid long enough..." he muttered to himself, "Well, anyways, I think those Two-Leggers call you, what is it? Starts with an F, I know it. Wait no, that's for the second word the other one's Night… Oh, I've got! Night Fury!"

All I could do was blink. Night Fury. The words rang in my ears, making me slightly dizzy.

"Well, uh, thank you… uh… what's your name?" I asked.

The Hotburple bobbed his head, "Grump."

Well, I guessed Vikings weren't the only ones that used awful names. I wondered what my mind flashed to what he had said earlier.

"So, you said there was a Nigh— I mean, a Shadow Hunter. Where again?"

Grump pointed a large (but with a strange combination of tiny) paw in a questionable way, making me wonder if he was actually trying to point in any direction.

"Off of Terrible Terror Path," He took in my confused look, "Oh, right, Two-Legger dweller. I think they call it Robin's End."

I wracked my mind for anything close to the words "Robin's End", but kept coming short.

"Wait, no, not Robin's End. Maybe, Raven's End! That sounds about right…"

That got my wheels turning. It wasn't Raven End, but Raven's Point.

"Thank you!" I replied the Hotburple looked at me and shook his head and mumbled something about this being the strangest day of his life.

Me too, I had thought, me too.

.:.:.

I wasn't really in the mood for Dragon Training, not after I'd heard of the Night Fury down by Raven's Point. But, not only did I made that (very one-sided) deal with my dad, I also needed some time to think. My first instinct when I heard of the Night Fury, was that I would gain ultimate honor in killing such creature, but, only moments, after, it was replaced by doubt and fear for taking a life. So, I took my free time during the Shifting time of the others (Ruffnut and Tuffnut had finally gained their other forms; two Aka-Names (1), Special category. Not very often found, but they're not super helpful).

"Today, we will fight using our other forms!" Declares Gobber.

"Ooo," hissed Ruffnut almost unrecognizably in her admittedly nightmarish form, "I can finally beat up Tuffnut without getting pulled off?"

Tuffnut huffed, but Gobber cleared the air before he could give a comeback.

"No, you'll be trying them one of the dragons," Gobber said and, before anyone knew it, a Gronkle was released.

As the Gronkle went about her business, Gobber gave some advice.

"The Gronkle is slow but strong. Since your abilities are either fast or strong, you've already got a lead. Ruffnut, Tuffnut, use your flexible bodies to weave 'round the Gronkle. If 'e gets too close, use some of your poison to paralyze it. Snotlout, your strength to stun it. But be careful, slammin' too hard could give off force on both sides, with only ye to pay. Astrid, your form is small, sleek, easily missed. Use that to your advantage and fire a little less, only in punctual and very impactful shots."

My eyes darted around the arena, and I wanted to scream. The Gronkle looked to be in so much pain, not to mention its yells. I had been taken out of the arena for this. Gobber looked down at me.

"It looks pretty bad, doesn't it?" I nodded, unable to take my eyes off the disaster.

"Betcha wouldn't want to be part o' that'," he continued. My response was another nod.

"Lit'en, I know ye don' wanna do 'uch a thing, but it's a birthright. 'omthin' ye've got to live with an eventually be proud of." Goober looked down at my almost-fetal-position form. I suddenly knew what all this was about.

"Gobber, I'm Human. 100% Human. Okay?" I didn't look at him, in fear for him realizing that I was truly lying.

Gobber pushed a little more, "Are you sure…"

I looked over at Gobber this time.

"Nope! Not at all. Just said so, because I didn't notice anything otherwise. Should have realized it wouldn't be obvious," I said sarcastically. It was true I was an awful liar, but if there was one thing that over-rode it, it would definitely be Gobber and his insistence. Not to mention the one usually holding the title "Captain Obvious".

"Well, I knew ya'd come around," Gobber said, hinting at a smile.

I knew I needed to. I needed to find a way, I couldn't hide forever… Although, Gobber's statement made me entirely irritated and I looked back at the arena, allowing Gobber to take a) the time to his use and b) the Gronkle back to its cage, as I tried to focus on the Night Fury, not the screams of true pain the Gronkle was relinquishing.

.:.:.

I finally figured out what I wanted to do with the Night Fury. I wanted to kill it. It would solve my problems, I could expose my form and say it was an advantage. I could fish out information in Dragon Form and use it to kill the dragons later. It was a plan, with some holes in it, but, all in all, still a decent plan.

But the problem was, I'd have to find it before I could kill it. And it didn't seem to by anywhere. I crossed of another piece of land on my roughly drawn map of Raven's Point, and noticed virtually all of the spaces were drawn out. I scribbled out the pages in frustration, snapped the book shut, and put the materials back into my brown, fur vest.

I threw my hand up and said, for the twentieth time that month, "Oh, the gods must hate me."

I kicked at a few rocks before continuing my rant.

"Some Vikings loose their knife, or their mug. Nope! Not me! I loose an entire dragon."

I hit a branch to try and take out something more small, weak, and useless than me. It hit me back harder in the eye, making sure I realized that nothing was smaller or weaker of more useless (uselesser!) than me. My eyes instinctively trailed down the branch to see what it was attached to. Actually… it seemed that the branch wasn't a branch at all. Merely formed from the breakage of a tree. A breakage from something big. I slowly crept over a ridge just barely dividing me form the other side. I peeked my head over and saw…

I quickly ducked my head back under the illegitament safety of the dirt barrier.

A Night Fury.

A/N: Ooo, guess who's joining the group. Alright, this has got to be short while my Wi-Fi lasts... so, last chapter was pretty bad, so this one should be better. And longer. Not quite 2000 words, but almost.

(1) Aka-Names are Japanese mythical creatures that have poisonious saliva and eat grime off of bathrooms. I was originally looking for twin creatures, and stumbled upon this. For some reason, this just seemed like the twins to me

One more thing: Please, please, please don't ask about Toothless's tail. The answer is no, Toothless will not need to depend on Hiccup for help. Please don't bring it up, it's already breaking my heart.

Please R & R!

~ Sam