Disclaimer: I do not own "How to Train Your Dragon."
Author's Note: Well I'm back with the next chapter! I know I've said it before, but I just want to express how grateful I am of your support. This is almost my most popular story, now, and it's all thanks to you all!
NightsAnger: I know, I just saw how well the two worked together, so I just had to use his inspiration.
ForgottenDreamer98: I wish I could give you a list, but unfortunately I can't. There are too many great ones to choose any specific, sorry.
Guest: Well, the possibility of Hiccstrid is not completely out of the question, but I can't promise anything.
The first scene here is kinda short, but the their appearances will increase as the story progresses.
A dragon is a humble creature—it strives for someone whom it can love and can show it love in exchange. Many cannot see this and many never will, but know this: once you earn His loyalty, there is nothing a dragon won't do for you.
—from "Collected Sayings of the Master of Dragons" by Astrid Hofferson.
"Welcome to Dragon Training!" Gobber the Belch shouted, lifting a heavy iron gate that led to the arena.
Five teenagers filed in, each carrying their own weapon of choice. They turned as they walked to view the full perspective of the arena.
Gobber walked behind them, listening to their conversations.
"I hope I get some serious burns!"
"I'm hoping for some mauling, like on my shoulder or lower back."
"Yeah, it's only fun if you get a scar out of it." Said the gallant warrior, Astrid.
"Let's get started! The recruit who does best will win the honor of killing his first dragon in front of the entire village!"
"I'm gonna take these dragons down!" Snotlout said.
"Behind these doors are just a few of the many species you will learn to fight." He stopped pointing to a door buckling from a restless dragon within and went down the line of the five dragons, barking at Fishlegs for his side-comments.
"...And the Gronkle." Gobber finished.
"Whoa whoa whoa, wait? Aren't you gonna teach us first?"
"I believe in learning on the job." He pulled the lever, releasing the dragon.
It was every man for themselves. The warriors each scattered in separate directions, Gobber walking to a safe position to watch in amusement while making sure to question them of their basic needs to survive.
Luckily Astrid was there. She was by far the brightest one on Berk and the key to their future in dragon fighting. She knew just what to use against this dragon and dove in a combat roll to grab it.
As the others running aimlessly saw the shield poised readily on her arm, they each scrambled to grab one of their own.
Of course, Astrid knew exactly what to do in the moment. She knew exactly where to weave her movements, how to disorient the dragon, and how to parry at blasts.
The Gronkle had fired at the twins first, destroying their shield, disqualifying them, then it got Fishlegs, then Snotlout.
Astrid was the only one left. She scowled at how quickly the others had fallen, angered by their misplaced concerns. The others seemed more combatant between themselves or occupied by the beauty of others than to focus on the real threat. They're all weak. She thought, wheeling around the final blast of the Gronkle, but held her ground until Gobber came by and hooked it, throwing it behind the heavy doors.
"Good, job, Astrid." He said afterward in a smile, then frowned as he looked at the others, "As for you, simpletons, you'd better hope you fare better in tomorrow's match! Chief won't be happy if he comes back to a bunch of feeble-minded toothpicks just venting hot air. And the other dragons aren't as weak or stupid as the Gronkle, they'll kill you if you deserve it and don't think I'm gonna jump in there and save your sorry butts 'cause I won't."
They all muttered an apology to the man.
"Don't apologize to me, I couldn't care less how you do. I'm just the lout who teaches ya. It's you who you should be apologizing to."
They remained silent, not knowing how to respond to that.
Gobber moved past them, stopping only to say, "Dinner tonight in the Great Hall. Don't be late." Then he exited.
Astrid, who was cleaning her ax, stopped to shake her head as the others resumed their childish actions. I pray that they find that Nest this time... I don't think we'll win the war if not...
In the ethereal light of dusk, a black form erupted from a patch of white fluff in the sky, diving fiercely toward the rippling water below. It moved so fast that to a regular eye it would appear a blur. Then, in a movement so swift it looked unrealistic, the figure snapped to glide along the surface of the water, slowing its pace to become definable.
Riding atop, Hiccup removed his mask, allowing the wind to course through his hair and the orange sun to serenade his face. Slowly he reached his hand toward the dark orange painted water, his fingertips just barely touching.
Over the seven years, Toothless had grown greatly, now large enough to carry the boy, who hadn't grown much, on his back. Their bond was now so strong that there wasn't a place one went without the other. And that brought comfort to his mother's mind, for she knew that her son was safe with the Night Fury who would die for him.
Hiccup straightened, setting his sights on a patch of nearby ice fields jutting from the water. He smiled sensing his companion's ambition and lowered himself to the Night Fury.
Toothless took the gesture as an agreement of senses and narrowed his eyes in a smirk, increasing his speed in angular wing propulsion.
Time for some fun.
First they dove under a large bridge of ice that swung out from the main structure of their home. Then, Toothless separated his spinal fins into their dynamic shape, allowing for sharper, more precise turns. It was one of the many secrets a Night Fury had, and it was his mother who had pointed it out to him.
In a single whip, they flew left; right; upside down under, and barrel roll over the masses, successfully clearing each until they reached a massive wall of ice at the end of the field. It was too high to fly over in time, so taking initiative; Toothless dove down, under the water and swam through a passage beneath.
They emerged on the other side, dripping ice-cold water as they landed on a snowy shore nearby.
Hiccup shook the water from his arms and shuttered in the cold. "You really have to do that?" He asked.
Toothless barked at him to direct his attention to the wall. Hiccup glanced at the wall again, now understanding. If he were to try to blast through the wall, he might not have made it through, and he refused to risk the life of his best friend.
Toothless felt his understanding and came to put a wing around him as he lightly breathed fire onto a patch of ground for warmth.
Hiccup smiled, grateful, while he tried to wring his clothes of the stubborn pools of water residing within.
Seeing his dancing struggle, Toothless laughed.
Hiccup glared at him, "Oh, so that's how it's gonna be!" he launched himself at the dragon wrapping his arms around his neck in an effort to playfully drag him down.
It didn't work—not even slightly. The dragon was a monolith, no movement Hiccup made served to do anything. But he persisted anyway.
Then, as he wound down from his effort his eyes flashed to the horizon, a smirk growing on his features, "I wonder how fast we can make it to No Man's Bog…"
They zoomed across the rippling water going so fast that Hiccup was forced to close his eyes. This was the true speed of a Night Fury: so fast that one cannot function in its quickness. Hiccup was grateful his mother forced him to craft a mask for his face—if it weren't for that, he'd not be able to breathe.
Hiccup had no idea how long it took them, but they soon arrived at No Man's Bog. It was the farthest-out land they had discovered and Hiccup was proud of it.
They landed on the swampy land near a pile of large rocks covered in moss. Removing his mask, Hiccup glanced around at the dead wetland blanketed in a thick haze that grew as the night approached, noting the grim colors of the dead plants that layered the ground.
"This place has seen better days, huh bud?"
The Night Fury huffed in agreement, his large light green eyes rolling from left to right, mapping out the area for any potential dangers. He would not let Hiccup stray too far from him. Despite a few lesson his mother had taught him he was too fragile to defend himself, plus Toothless felt an extreme protectiveness over him because he loved him like a brother.
"Man, that's the fastest we've ever got here! You're getting faster, you know that?"
The dragon smiled at his praise and crooned in gratitude.
He scratched Toothless under the chin as a reward, while pulling out a small compass from a pouch strapped onto the dragon's side.
He flicked the needle on the inside. "Whaddya, reckon bud? Think we should just keep going?" He asked, staring at the needle bobbing on the compass.
Something caught Toothless' attention, as his ears shot up; pupils thin.
Hiccup sensed the discomfort, and without question, ceased his movements to listen. He heard the faint sound of boots and voices—men's voices somewhere in the distance. And they were approaching.
Scrambling to gather the materials, he and Toothless quickly scattered into a space within the tall rocks, masked in deep shadows. It was too late to fly away and it was the safest place to hide... That and he was curious as to whom these people are and was going to find out.
They both listened from the shadows as the heavy footsteps grew nearer and nearer, until they were right outside of the rocks, in the area they had just occupied.
Curiosity biting him, he carefully peaked around the rock, narrowing his eyes to get a clearer view of the people. He saw the large figures of men; helmets crowning their heads and angry looks chiseled onto their heavily bearded faces.
Hiccup turned his head at the men, noticing the determined, sleep-deprived anguish in their eyes, like they've been in long pursuit of something. But what?
At that moment a large man peered through the fog and stood in a supreme air of authority. His austere posture and flowing red beard set with two burning pools of light green eyes sent a chill down Hiccup's spin.
Toothless inched toward him, drawing near in protective-guard mode. He sensed danger in the air like the thick aroma of a rose; bit back an instinctive growl, knowing that their safety relied on their stealth.
For the first time in a long time, Hiccup felt fear coursing through him, shaking his hands. Who are these people and why am I scared of them? Maybe I'm just not used to seeing people… but why am I scared? Something in his prescient mind warned him to hide back from the opening. And he trusted it, drawing back against the tall black dragon that shared his concern.
He must have shared the prescience, because the dragon consumed him completely in his wings.
He wondered at the action at first, but then heard a command, "Check that cave!"
He tried to still his savage heartbeat with a technique his mother had taught him and also with the offering of a large scaly arm from his friend. He gripped it tightly, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. He soon felt the pace slow, his body relaxing. Then he heard the footsteps that entered the cave, felt his heart leap into his throat as he squeezed his eyes shut. He listened carefully to the breathing of the man, as he grimly waited for the confirmation that they'd been found.
He heard the foot steps exit the cave. "Nothing here." It said. He felt relief wash over him, and realized that Toothless' black body must have blended with the shadows of the cave. But he still wondered how his mind knew it was going to happen before.
Toothless unraveled his wings, allowing him to exit but still keeping him on a protective leash.
Hiccup resumed his previous position, propping an ear to listen. The men were muttering things among each other. Hiccup deciphered only fragments: "Not here… Nest… Evil dragons… Keep searching…"
Nest? He wondered. Are they talking about my home? But why would they want to find my home? Maybe they're looking for the king. Mom used to tell me how when people were angry, they'd go to the king and… I need to get back!
He glanced around at the men fading off into the haze and quickly slipped his mask back on, cautiously slipping out from their hidden shelter and hopping on Toothless.
"We need to get back." He informed lowly, "The king might be in danger." And in the swift whipping of his black wings, they were off.
"Mother!" he called, scrambling from the dragon's back and rushing toward her.
She looked up, seeing his quickly approaching form. "Hiccup?" She questioned cautiously.
"Mom, we've got a problem. There are men searching for us, searching for "The Nest.""
She nearly dropped a cup in her hands, "How do you know this?"
"I overheard them on No Man's Bog! They had entire ships and—"
"What we're you doing on No Man's Bog?" She asked thinly.
His mouth closed shut, "Well—I was… just flying."
"No Man's Bog is a ways out there, Hiccup! Why, you're almost near—" she stopped suddenly.
"Near, what?"
She remained silent, then shook her head, "Did these men see you?" She asked.
"No. I don't think so. We hid in a cave as they came onto the island."
She shook her head in terror, "Please, son, do not fly out there again."
"Why not? It's not like anything's gonna happen to me."
"Hiccup, Please! Some men… their ambition is so great they'll do anything to hurt you."
"Mom, Toothless and I are so fast we'd be out of there before they even knew what happened."
"Don't be too confident, son."
"But mom—"
"No! You will not fly out that far again! And if I catch you out there, I will have the king bring Toothless back, and you know you cannot fight that."
He scowled in a sharp hiss of his breath and a rolling of his eyes.
"You can act like an infant all you want, but my decision is final." With that she walked off, masking great fear. If there's even a remote chance that those men were from Berk… Gods help us!
That was chapter four, I'm waiting to hear from you. Besides that, I'll see ya in the day after tomorrow!
