Chapter 4:
"Now, where did Ander go wrong today?" Gobber asks the group. "I miscalculated my summersault dive. It was sloppy and threw off my reverse drive." He states harshly. "Yeah, we noticed." Ruffnut says. "Don't listen to them, you were perfect out there." Snotlout reassures Ander.
"No, Ander's right. You need to be hard on yourself. Now, where did Hiccup go wrong today?" He asks, and I cringe. "She showed up."
"She didn't get eaten."
"She's never where she's supposed to be." Ander states in a cold voice. 'Ouch.' I think. What's even worse is that Gobber agreed with him. "That's correct Ander. But to be able to fight a dragon, you need to know one." He drops the book of dragons down on the table. "You need to live, eat, and breathe this stuff. Everything we know about dragons is in this manual. Good luck, and learn as much as you can."
"You mean read?"
"While we're still alive?" The twins ask, horrified. "Oh, oh, I've read it seven times, there's this dragon that shoots scolding water at it's victims, and then there's this-"
"You know, there was a chance that I would've read that-" Tuffnut interrupts Fishlegs. "But now." His sister finishes his sentence for him with a blank look on her face. Snotlout gets up, and angrily shouts out, "You know, why don't I go out an kill things while you guys read." And with that everyone shuffles outside, leaving only Ander and I.
"So." I say, shuffling over to him."I guess we can-"
"Already read it." He says, once again coldly, pushing the book towards me. "Oh, yay. All for me. Thanks." I state awkwardly as the gust from the door blows out the candles. Lighting some candles, I sit down and start to read aloud. "Dragon classifications: Strike class, boulder class, fear class, sharp class, mystery class."
I turn the page to see several images of dragons. "Thunderdrum; this reclusive dragon makes its home in sea caves and dark tides. When scared the Thunderdrum lets out a concussive sound that can kill a man at close range, kill on sight." I turn the page. "The Timberjack; this gigantic dragon has razor sharp wings that can cut through fully grown trees. Extremely dangerous, kill on sight." Next page. 'Is it me, or are the images moving?'
"The Scauldron; this dragon sprays scolding water at its victims. Extremely dangerous, kill on sight." 'Are there any dragons that we don't kill on sight?' "The Changewing; even newborn dragons can spew acid. Kill on sight." I turned the page again. "Gronkles, Zipplebacks, the Skrill, Bonenapper(I think Gobber once told me about that one) the Whispering Death." I was getting freaked out by this book as I frantically turned the pages. "Burns its victims, chokes its victims, buries its victims, turns its victims inside out." Turning more pages, I read the instructions on what to do on an encounter with one.
"Extremely dangerous, extremely dangerous, extremely dangerous, kill on sight, kill on sight, kill on sight." Finally turning the last page, I gasp. "The Night Fury. Size: unknown, speed: unknown. The unholy offspring of lighting and death itself, if you should ever encounter this dragon, hide and pray that it doesn't find you." I pull out my drawing of the Night Fury and drop it down onto the blank page. My body trembles, and I can't stop thinking, 'I should be dead.'
...
Stoick's POV:
The weather outside was bright and cheerful. Ironic, considering our situation. We were looking for one thing and one thing only, the dragon's nest. "I can almost smell it" I said as I looked at the map, placing my fist on it. Turning, I faced the steam covered area of the ocean leading to the nest. "They're close." I said looking into the mist. We had lost men going into that mist. With luck this time might be different. "Steady now." I told the men as we looked at the fog covered area that was waiting oh so patiently. It was time, so I gave the command. "Alright...Take us in." I said, not letting anyone hear that I was afraid. 'This is it, there's no turning back now. Thor, let me get back to my precious Hiccup, and pet her be safe in dragon training.' "Hard to port...for Helheim's gate" one Viking called out as the ships turned to the mist. Everyone was nervous as they had their weapons ready for a fight. As we entered the mist which hid usfrom sight it was eerily quiet. For a few moments it stayed that way till a sudden blast of bright light and a shadow of a dragon could be seen inside the mist.
...
Hiccup's POV:
Well, being me, I couldn't accept what the book said. So the next day at training, my entire amount of concentration was on one thing. "Hey, so, I was reading in the dragon manual, and I noticed there wasn't anything in Night Furies. So I was wondering if there was maybe a sequel, or maybe a pamphlet or something-aah!" I scream as a Nadder spike hits my shield.
"Come one Hiccup, you're not even trying. Today's lesson is all about ATTACK! Nadders are quick and light on their feet, your job is to be quicker and lighter." Gobber tells us as we are being stalked through the maze inside the arena by the said Nadder.
"You know, I'm really beginning to doubt your teaching methods!" Fishlegs shouts to Gobber. "Hey! It could be worse. You could've been under his tutelage at the forge. I still have some burns." I shout to Fishlegs.
That seemed to have shut him up.
"Look for it's blind spot! Every dragon has one, so find it and hide in it." Gobber tells us. And it looks like the twins just found it. "Ugh, do you ever bathe?" Ruffnut asks Tuffnut. "Well if you don't like it you can get your own blind spot." He says, pushing her towards the maze wall. "Oh yeah? How 'bout I give you one!" She yells at him, trying to punch her twin. The Nadder is clearly as fed up with their conversation as we are, so it launches a spike at them, knocking them away.
"Blind spot, yes. Deaf spot, not so much." Gobber chuckles at his corny joke. "So are you sure that no one has ever seen a Night Fury, like maybe when it's sleeping?"
"No one has ever seen one, and if they did, they never lived to tell the tale, now focus!" He shouts at me. "Hiccup!" A sharp voice whispers to me. I turn to see Ander and Snotlout crouching next to a wall. 'Get down.' Ander mouths to me.
Doing as he says, I crouch down next to him and Snotlout. Ander looks out from behind the wall, and proceeds to roll on his shield to the other side. Snotlout does this perfectly, and I am about to do the same, when my lack of body strength prevents my shield from coming along with me.
The Nadder notices my predicament and makes it's way towards me. Ander is about to throw his axe when Snotlout says, "Don't worry, I got this." And proceeds to throw his shield and miss the dragon all together.
Ander looks at him incredulously and he whines, "The sun was in my eyes Ander. What do you want me to do? Block out the sun? I can do that, but I don't have enough time right now." All the while he says this while running from the now very pissed off dragon.
The Nadder knocks over one of the walls, and soon, the entire maze is demolished. "Are you sure that maybe no one has ever seen one napping or-"
"Hiccup!" Ander screams at me, right before he lands right on top of me, with his axe in my shield. "Ooh. Love on the battlefield." Tuffnut taunts. "He could do better." Ruffnut says uninterested. 'I'm right here.' I think.
Ander continues to try to get the axe out of my shield as the dragon gets closer. But then, "Ander! Get your stinking paws off of my chest!" I screech at him, but he doesn't listen. Ander continues to pull at his axe, groping my breast in the process, until it finally breaks free. He swings the axe at the Nadder and it sulks back to it's cage.
Ander turns to me with fury in his eyes. "Is this some sort of game to you? What were-" He's cut off my fist to his face. Ander lifts up a hand to his now bruised cheek. "Don't you ever touch me again, you perverted bastard! Touch me again, speak to me again, even look at me again for Thor's sake, and I will end you. Slowly and painfully." Ander is left staring at me, awestruck. And apparently, everyone else saw my little tirade. Taking a deep breath, I turn and storm out of the arena.
