Hello again. In this chapter Gustav and Fanghook must each learn new things, one to ceasefire, and the other to be confident. With their mentors as their guides, they will witness firsthand the forces that can come forth when sparks fly. I'm very sorry for the tardiness of this chapter, I've had to pull double duties and overtime for the past few days. It is because of this, I will need to take a temporary sabbatical until thins settle on my end. I know this isn't fair to you, but it's something I have to do. I will be back to continue the story before the year's end, I just need some time to gather myself. To those reading, thank you for your time, patience and understand. This chapter posted 12-10-2014. Thank you and please enjoy.
…
A blue embrace painted the morning clouds over the quiet sleeping islet of Berk that not too long ago was a pale and frozen wasteland, now her body laid adorn with brightly colored wildflowers and soft grasslands that stretched tall and reached towards her still snowy mountain tops to the waking village on the cliff side that held her denizens. Soon the morning jingles from Terrible Terrors and returning songbirds welcomed the resting villagers to the start of a new day as Vikings and dragons stirred out from slumber. As villagers opened their front doors to breath in the brisk fall air, fresh glass bottles of milk and a half-dozen carton on eggs housed in a porcelain crate awaited them by the doorstep of their residence. These little gifts were blissfully brought indoors and served as a reminder of great kindness and generosity, and to one resident in particular, they meant so much more. Inside said abode, on the far side of the village atop a hill overlooking the town, was a tall man with a thick red beard, busy preparing himself a hearty breakfast before heading out to start his day as chief.
It had been years since he cooked for himself but it was a talent not forgotten as he flipped his perfectly finished hot cake into the air from the skillet and onto a plate of stacked ones. A small smiled crossed his face as he recalled the day he had taught his daughter to do the same thing as a child and the bright grin she gave to him once she finally managed to get one onto a platter. She looked so adorable with the little gap in her pearly smile between her front teeth. Now it was just him in the house, and on this chill morning it only made the Haddock home feel colder, lonely. Stoick tried not to think about the lost moments he had with Hiccup, but the reminders seemed to be everywhere from the weapons rack by the front door she placed for him for tool restorations to the document tub tilted slightly by the back exit that housed her untouched fishing rod. He often wondered how she was faring. Was she safe? Did she have food to eat? Was she keeping warm? Would she ever return? Could she ever forgive him? He didn't know and for the time being, he would just have to hope everything would fall back into place, then he could truly appreciate and cherish his only child to the fullest.
After slowly eating his breakfast and cleaning away the dishes, Stoick walked over to the front door, his long bearskin cloak to his back and helmet placed over his head as his large hand gripped the door handle. Before pulling, he managed a final glance to the stairway that lead to the second floor, Hiccup's room. He still had yet to venture up there, even though he had tried to many times before. The steps seemed endless and so far away as if held in a separate reality that he felt if he dared to venture upon those stepped, he'd spend an eternity climbing them to nowhere. Taking in a breath, his right foot slowly slid toward the first step. Once his body was right at the foot of the stairway, he lifted his right foot and brought it close to the first stair, inching closer towards the floorboard, but stopped once a flashing image of Hiccup held in the air with his hand around her neck pushed him back away towards the door with a heavy blow.
He still couldn't do it.
Physically he knew he could easily tread the staircase but mentally he couldn't bring himself to do it. Not yet. He wasn't too sure how long it would take for Hiccup to come home or for her to forgive him. He had yet to forgive himself…
Sighing, Stoick pulled the handle to the front door and soaked in the light of a new day, closing the door behind him as the house replayed distant memories of happiness from his lost family's past.
…
Wiping the light traces of sweat forming from his brow, Gustav held his tongue out slightly from his lips as he carefully pulled out the heated container of molten iron onto several mold casts as his mentor watched his performance closely with Fanghook and Bones as his spectators. It had been a challenging week for Gustav, what with having to juggle his duties as the head of the Academy and as the apprentice in training to Berk's veteran blacksmith. He had spent a good time of the early morning measuring and combining ores of various kinds to his teacher's exact specifications as part of his evaluation and so far he was faring well. Working in the forge meant more than mending and making tools, it was also about solving problems, making new ideas and looking towards the future.
Every day after training with the other riders, Gustav would eagerly fly over to the forge with Fanghook and learn something new about smelting ores, shaping metals and tuning instruments of labor with the utmost delicacy and skill. And it wasn't only metals he learned to work with, he gained skills in mending leather, casting clays for molds and how to draft on blueprints. Mathematics, chemistry, engineering, sculpting, and writing all held a place behind the wooden walls of the forge he called his second home. Blacksmithing was an art, one that not many were able to master, but to those with the right touch and imagination it was a great talent to possess.
Once Gustav finished carefully pouring the last ounces of molten iron into the mold casting, he placed the headed container onto a heat-resistant stone and waited patiently for it to properly cool down before taking the cast its final cooling station at the presentation table where Gobber brought forth his small hammered prosthetic and a pair of pliers in the other. Quickly flipping the mold backwards and giving a slight tap to the base of the cast, a perfectly formed bar of copper rested beautifully by an assortment of equally shaped and lustrous metals.
Gobber examined the copper bar closely from top to bottom, tapped the ends to test its solidity with the end of his hammered hand and finally snapping his fingers so that Bones could heat it rapidly and evenly, humming long and hard when the still intact slab of metal glowed a bright sun orange burn after he gave the signal to stop.
"Okay, Gobber, give it to me straight. I can handle the criticism…" Gustav kicked the dusty ground, pouting slightly and shoving his hands into his pant pockets.
Honestly, he was his hardest critic despite his excellent performance. His technique from start to finish was near flawless and the slight adjustments he made to the each of the ore mixtures produced a more durable and smoother iron than specified in the instructions. From the casts he had made days before to the way he cleared the raw molten ores of their scum, it was all high quality and Gobber had to hold back a proud smile as he examined each tablet of iron before him and holding them into his hand. The days of careful labor and precision in Gustav safety measures really showed how well he had taken to the material and his eagerness to master the craft of blacksmithing.
Every wedge he formed shined proudly on the presentation block, from aluminum to zinc, they all held true and strong. It had been years since Gobber had examined bars like these, not since Hiccup had he seen such craftsmanship. They both however differed in their creative styles which gave them each an individuality in the skill. They both carefully evaluate of the instructions for each metal order and calculated their necessary ingredients in advance but the stride each of them paced around the forge was unique as their metals. Hiccup flowed through the forge like the breeze, fluid and constant like the wind, gracefully poised, while Gustav rustled around like dust and sand, getting into every corner and crevasse till he was ready to move to another place, playful and spirited. Even his own style differed, his being coarse and solid like stone, grounded in his ways and focused on the steel. Every blacksmith from the novice to the master formed their own rhythm and it was a correlation of their methods and wits that produced a malleable yet durable product. In the past far before Gobber had Hiccup as his apprentice in the forge, many a strong and grand blacksmith in-training would venture the wild seas and the fangs of beast to the shores of Berk to learn for him.
Many had the strength to be a smith, with bulging muscles and strong necks that supported no creativity or imagination. They would form their skills to him and create metals for him as he specified with an abundance of confidence and brawn, smelting the rare materials and pouring them into casts. The final tests from Gobber was the resilience of the iron and it was there where many had failed. Their irons would either puddle from new heat or shatter from the lightest of touches. Few of those who failed left Berk with new knowledge gained for their experience, while many stormed off with anger, cursing that it was not their skills that failed them, but him.
Gobber placed a bar of copper down and gave a heavy sigh. "You changed the recipes, correct?"
Biting the bottom of his lip, Gustav nodded to his actions, head still down in shame.
"And you mixed in ores where it wasn't specified. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"
"I…" Gustav started. He knew inside he had made reasonable and wise choices in changing the formulas but there was a sting of doubt in the pit of his stomach. Gobber was one of the best blacksmiths around and he, a novice, dared to change what he had instructed. It was a bold move and one he wasn't too sure he had made the right decision to. Closing his eyes, he wondered what Hiccup would tell him right now if she had known. She was always telling him to believe in himself and to stand true to his judgment, even if he was counter to what the norm. Swallowing his insecurities, Gustav straightened his back and looked to his mentor with self-assurance. "I did my best."
"Aye, you did." Gobber said as he slowly walked over to Gustav and placed his hand over his shoulder. "That's why it makes me proud to tell you you've passed the test."
It took a few moments for Gustav to make sense of the words Gobber had just told him and he had to look to him to reassure himself. Seeing the big smile over Gobber's face made all the worries he had felt disappear as he smiled and hopped over to Fanghook.
"I did it! Yes!"
Fanghook celebrated along with a victorious roar before releasing a breath of fire outward towards the heavens.
"What's with all the commotion?" a voice by the window of the voice called out with the chattering of a Nadder behind him.
"Ah, mornin' to you too, Aarne. What can we do for you today?" Gobber smiled as he walked over to greet his visitor.
"I wanted to ask if I can borrow a few tools. I'm working on a project for Stormfly," he grinned back.
"Not a problem! Gustav, can ya pass the tool box?" Gobber asked motioning to the young lad.
"No problem, sir!" Gobber saluted as he raced over to grab the hefty box from the corner of the forge before passing it over to him. "Morning, Aarne! Guess who just passed his blacksmithing examination?"
"Let me think… Who do I know who's been studying night and day during dragon training to pass a blacksmithing exam and panicking like a frazzled rabbit for the past few days?" he asked to himself rubbing under his chin with a far-off gaze to the still blue sky before smiling and reaching in through with an open palm to high-five his friend. "Congratulations, you ready worked hard for this."
"Thanks. Do you need help with your project?" Gustav asked once the sting to his right palm eased up from their clap.
"Sure, that'd really help out a lot. Mind if I steal your apprentice away for a few, Gobber?" Aarne asked as he easily lifted the heavy toolbox one-handed.
"I don't see why not. Just bring him back in one piece," Gobber nodded and smiled as he watched his new apprentice cheerfully walk side by side with a friend he could trust, something he knew Hiccup would have wanted for him from the very beginning…
…
"Okay, Stormfly, looks like that's that." Aarne smiled as he twirled the heavy mallet in his hand with ease. "Thanks for the help, Gustav, really appreciate it."
"No problem." The younger Viking grinned as he slid down the top of the ladder to the ground.
It had taken them a sometime to material and complete their project, but three hours later and a little elbow grease and Stormfly's dragon house was complete. Aarne had felt bad she had to stay at the arena and continue to sleep in the cell that was once her prison that he felt she deserved a little something special for being there for him. It wasn't much, but for Stormfly it was possibly the most generous thing anyone had ever done for her and she squawked and chattered in excitement the entire time as she handed them each planks of wood or nail from a bucket.
"All left now is to see if she takes to it," Gustav said as he walked over to Fanghook, napping peacefully on a pile of grass.
Cautiously, Stormfly peeked her head into the enclosure before fully going in and spreading her wings cheerfully, glad she was able to fully stretch and breath in a place she could call her own.
"Atta girl, Stormfly!" cheered Aarne as he placed his palms over her snout, brushing her scales lightly.
"Glad she likes it, but why not put her indoors like everyone else?" Gustav asked as he placed the tools Gobber loaned them back into their box.
"I didn't want to do that since she doesn't like closed spaces or feeling trapped. And at this angle," Aarne said as he turned towards the rising star in the east. "She won't be blinded by the sun and can wake up at her own pace."
"Wow, you really put a lot of thought into this, huh?"
"Of course, I want what's best for Stormfly because I know she'd do the same for me." Aarne chuckled brightly as his Nadder nudged him in thanks.
It had taken Aarne some time to soothe his abrasiveness but Gustav had seen the dramatic change in his demeanor. He was still the Aarne who liked to train and be at his best but he wasn't as militant and smiled a lot more. He felt Stormfly really helped to pull out this best qualities and in turn Aarne brought out the best in her. Stormfly really brightened up after she got to know Aarne and the fear she once held towards him melted away and was replaced with the protective devotion of an elder sister.
As Gustav watched Aarne and Stormfly exchange in nudges and joy, he couldn't help but smirk. "You know, I really like this Aarne. You seem happy now."
"I feel happy. I never really noticed just how serious I was before. Every day it was train, eat, win, sleep, and repeat. I now know it's perfectly fine to take a break and loosen up."
"Really, cause you 'taking a break' and 'loosening up' look almost exactly like training," Gustav joked as he started making his way towards the forge to return the tools.
"Hey, there's a difference. We've got a system," Aarne playfully shoved as he followed along, their dragons close behind.
As both walked down the stone pathways that snaked around the plaza, they could truly see the amount of good the storm had actually done to the town as they looked to the shops open for business once more. The bakery was back to work baking the daily breads and pies and the fishermen were able to rail in fair catches with the aid of dragons. Gobber himself had been busy as well, what with the new shipment of Gronckle iron and was soon able to forge some much needed building supplies for any future emergencies. Everywhere they turned it seemed more and more of their dreams of unity were coming true, with clearly one exception as an elderly man with an old sheep by his side grumpily groaned around like a terrible disease who was coming straight for the two dragon riders but mostly towards Gustav.
"You!" he shouted pointing his staff at the shorter and younger of the two.
"M-Mildew! Hi. What seems to be the problem…today?" Gustav nervously and somehow tiredly asked as he backed away slightly from the crazed man.
"It's always the same problem! Look at what these miserable dragons have done to my roof!" he groaned as he lifted a broken plank of roofing material. "And it's not just my house, look around you!"
Looking up, Gustav could see dragons soaring though the air like they normally did morning the mornings. Focusing his sights on green Nightmare, he could see it swooping down to the rooftop of his owner, panting heavily from his morning flight with a violet Gronckle at the adjacent house to his right. This was a common thing for dragons to do once they were tired from flying around all day when the plaza was busy and there was no place to land so Gustav couldn't really see the problem to what Mildew was complaining about until the roof with the green Nightmare began to creak and rasp before finally collapsing down into the house below along with the dragon. The family within the house began to scream and scurry out of the falling building as the other housed with the resting Gronckle too began to cry out in splinters and pieces. It seemed almost systematic as other buildings with relaxing dragons upon their tops began to either crumble down or give out a loud scream that they could not support the weight of the flying reptiles and flew off of it before it could break down.
"See what I'm talking about! These dragons are destroying the very places we call home!" Mildew screamed, causing the people around to banter a bit.
"They're just trying to take a break from flying, Mildew, there aren't any other places for them to relax." Gustav defended.
"And how are we going to relax when we have to constantly be renovating after them?! Do you expect us to just build our roofs over and over again to satisfy these useless reptiles?!"
"Of course not, Mildew. But they don't know any better. We just need to calm down and find a way to…" Gustav started before the end of Mildew's staff shoved him back forcefully.
"I'll calm down when all these dragons are good and gone. This is all your witch of a friend's fault. While we're here left to the mercy of these beasts she's out without a care in the world, not even sorry for the trouble she's caused us all and as far as I can see you're no different from her!" he jostled Gustav's chest once more, more forceful than the last, causing him to fall to the ground with a grunt.
"Leave them out of this, Mildew! If you have a problem with them, you've got a problem with me," Aarne growled between his teeth as he blocked the two from each other and helping Gustav up.
"This doesn't concern you, Hofferson, so stay out of it! You used to be such a promising lad, now you're siding with the dragons and that she-wolf. And right after she broke your heart and chose a Night Fury of all things over you, but I guess that's to be expected of a no good demon like herself." Mildew bit. "Monsters deserve each other!"
The bitter face plaster over Mildew's face soon turned to fear as a low grumble from the yellow and violet Nightmare echoed around the plaza before he lunged forward towards Mildew with snapping teeth, grabbing the staff between his teeth and rattling it several times before tossing it over to a cart of freshly scrapped dragon droppings. Before Mildew could even wipe away the dung from his wild beard and hair, Fanghook snaked towards the old man, aggression in his eyes as he thundered an eardrum shattering roar to him.
"Get back, you slimy overgrown lizard!" Mildew cried out as he struck his staff onto Fanghook's face, barely missing his eyes but not his temper, which was now burning with intense rage.
The commotion continued as Fanghook was ready to light the rude man to bits when Gustav jumped in and pulled onto his wing to get his attention.
"Fanghook! Calm down, I'm okay. Come on, let's go!" Gustav pulled as he tried to calm Fanghook down. After several more insistences, Fanghook back away from the smelly man right as Stoick walked in on the scene.
"What's going on here?!" he shouted as Mildew made his way out of the cart smelling like a barn.
"That creature violently attacked me!" he pointed to Fanghook who growled with hostility towards the man.
"He only attacked Mildew because he shoved Gustav to the ground. He provoked him!" Aarne said to Stoick as defense with other witnesses agreeing to the act.
"But Mildew's right…" Gustav said out loud, causing everyone to look to him in confusion, even Mildew himself. "Our dragons are causing problems because they have nowhere else to perch themselves. We want Berk to be just as much a home to them but we haven't considered that they might need places to call a home for themselves."
"What are you suggesting, Gustav?" Stoick asked.
…
By late afternoon the next day, the sun was high in the sky as entire village was in an excited frenzy ready to as Aarne and Stormfly hovered over the newly made metal perch towers for the dragons. Stormfly hanged in the air for a moment more, not yet sure if the perch was going to be able to handle her weight.
"It's okay, girl. Just take it easy." Aarne encouraged as he brushed her scales down.
Slowly lowering herself onto the metal beam, Stormfly balanced herself and gradually allowed her full weight to fall onto the supports. Her anxious emotions left her once she clamped her claws onto the railing and sighed in comfort when the structure held true.
"Yes, it worked!" Gustav and the crowd cheered as other dragons began to follow in Stormfly's example and felt content to finally have a proper place for them to rest their tired wings in content.
"So we build these things so such wouldn't break?" Tuffnut asked with a stone hammer in hand.
"I don't understand you people!" Ruffnut grunted with sore arms.
"And they tricked us into helping them build them. I feel so used…" her brother added slumping his wary shoulders down. "And sweaty." He added before dropping the hammer onto the hard ground and walked away with his sister following suit close behind.
"So this is the remedy to the problem? Perches everywhere?!" Mildew complained from the crowd, something he pretty much did throughout the entire endeavor of building and placing them around Berk.
"Calm down, Mildew," Stoick said firmly. "The dragons now have a place to roost instead of the houses. Give it a chance. Thank you everyone for your help!"
While everyone cheered and clapped, Mildew held his staff close and looked darkly to the tall perches. "I'll give it a chance when every last dragon is burning from them like stakes," he mumbled under his breath, but it was long enough for Fanghook to hear.
A deep snarl vibrated from the Nightmare's throat as he glared over to the old man. Soon his snarls turned to screeches and he slithered over towards Mildew, roaring louder than ever at him with everyone near him running for cover.
Something certainly wasn't right, Fanghook was a relatively calm and passive Nightmare and wouldn't hurt a fly but around Mildew he would just turn into his namesake, a monstrous nightmare.
"Gustav! What's going on?!" Stoick ordered as men and women moved out of the way as Fanghook ignited his body in short burst of embers.
"I don't know?! Fanghook, stop!" Gustav commanded as he ran towards his line of sight in front of Mildew, trying to persuade his focus onto him and not the trembling man. "Fanghook, there's nothing wrong. It's gonna be alright."
"He's the one starting it!" Fanghook roared out in vain, knowing full well the humans could not understand his language.
"Easy, Fanghook, just settle down. Mildew's a friend," Gustav said as his dragon allowed him to touch his snout but brushed him away after he said the lie.
"You're not listening!" Fanghook snorted as he grabbed Gustav by the collar of his vest and fell off towards the forge, Gustav dangling between his and ordering for him to let him go.
Everyone stared for the longest time in confused silence, many with gaping mouths. They weren't too sure what they had just seen. Their best rider and dragon trainer was just lifted away by his dragon after a scuffle involving Mildew who was now babbling how that dragon tried to kill him and while many were opposed to the very idea it didn't change the fact that Fanghook had lost his cool and went into a fiery rage.
…
At the forge Fanghook grumbled to himself as Gustav worked on some metalwork, trying to piece together what could have possibly set of Fanghook's demeanor so sourly. He had never seen him like that and the look in his eyes as he stared down Mildew was the look a wild animals would give to an enemy. Sure Mildew was a sour old walking skeleton but he wasn't threatening, just grouchy, right? It didn't look so good on Fanghook's behalf what with being a large fire-breathing dragon roaring at an old man like a demon. With all his heart he wanted to help his friend but he didn't know where to start.
"Still sulking, you two?" Gobber's voice came through to the forge was he and Bones entered.
"I don't know what's gotten into him, Gobber, he's not a bad dragon," Gustav said placing the sword he was crafting into a vat of water. "Maybe it's my fault, I'm probably not spending enough time with him?"
"What are you talking about, you two are never apart." Gobber said placing a hand over his shoulder, before retracting quickly when the sound of Fanghook's hiss filled the air.
"See, this is what I'm talking about. After that incident with Mildew yesterday, he's been acting strangely." Gustav sighed lowering his shoulders. "I'm not too sure what to do. I'm supposed be the guy with the knowhow and knowledge about dragons…"
Gobber looked over to Bones who gave him a nod of reassurance, they both knew it was time.
"Gustav, no one person has all the answers, but I think I do know someone who may have some of the answers you're in need of," he said walking over to one end of the forge and reaching for a box in the back of a cabinet under a table. Upon pulling the box out, a small wooden instrument fell onto the wooden table.
"My panpipes!" he cheered reaching for them and bringing them into light. "Now I can get the band back together!" Everyone looked over to Gobber silently with a blank stare before he chuckled lightly and placed the newly found treasure onto the table and retrieved the small box and handed over to Gustav.
Opening the box, Gustav could see a small beautiful dagger with a small piece of paper a top it folded neatly.
"She said to use it for emergencies and it looks like you could use some advice from the guru herself," he said taking a seat on a wooden stool. "Just follow the directions and Fanghook should be able to find the way."
Gustav picked up the sheet of paper and slowly opened it with his thumb and fingers, seeing a simple little map consisting of Berk and a picture of a volcanic island connected together by a dotted line. "Are you sure?"
"I don't know much about dragons, but I do know you need to talk to someone who's had experience with this kind of problem. I'm sure it'll be healthy for the both of you."
Putting the box down, Gustav walked over to Fanghook who dilated his eyes and purred slightly. "What do you say, pal? Think we should do have a talk with them?"
Lowering his head, Fanghook allowed Gustav to mount onto his saddle as they exited the forge to the open area near the storage unit by the cliff and turned over to his teacher. "Thanks, Gobber."
"Any time, lad. Say hey to the two for me," Gobber waved to the two as they made their way out towards the open sky, not caring that the orange world around them was slowly turning cloudy and grey.
…
Amazement washed over Gustav as the form of Dragon Island appeared from the distance in all its simplistic yet mesmerizing splendor. How silly would everyone in the Archipelago feel if they realized the island everyone had been searching for for centuries was closer than they perceived. When he was younger, his mother would tell him stories about the fabled land teeming with viperous serpents and fire-spitting demons. The stories always started with a miserable island covered in tall pointed spires that pierced from the waters of the sea and that a thick choking fog surrounded the accursed air with the foul odor of death and decay. She really loved to tell him those stories before bed and adding grand details about giant man-eating dragons charging at unsuspecting Vikings from the bog and ocean until one brave hero would rise up from the blinding shadows and conquer them all with swift ease and the strength of a thousand men.
After hearing those tales and finally shutting his eyes, he'd dream about maybe meeting that hero and fight side by side, slaying monsters and saving the world. Now that story wasn't a fairy tale anymore and even though the details were off drastically, he wouldn't have had it any other way, besides to be perfectly honest, he liked the way their legend played out.
Drawing closer to the black pebbled shore, Fanghook quietly landed on the cool stones and listened to the soothing sounds of the tide and the faint whispers of the surround winds. Somehow being away from the hustle and bustle of Berk -mainly from that louse of a man named Mildew- and being here on a tranquil island far from the reaches of man felt calming, remedying almost. Gustav too was feeling a relaxing sensation over him from the sereneness of Dragon Island, not at all like how he had imagined it as a younger boy. It was much greener than the grey and bleak wasteland he had pictured and the soft aroma of fresh ocean sprays and foliage lessened his worries. This was Hiccup's domain and he could see why she loved and wanted to protect it so much. Jumping off of Fanghook and onto the moist pebbles below, the air suddenly changed from cooling to warm and a shadowy mixture of hisses and growls echoed throughout the forest as Zipplebacks and Nadders emerged with chattering teeth and frilled scales. Even if he understand their speech, he could already tell from their body language that he was not welcomed.
"U-Um, hey fellas… You wouldn't happen to know a girl about yay high with a metal leg and a red shell around her neck, would you?" Gustav grinned nervously as he side stepped closer towards Fanghook as he lifted his left arm into the air to represent her stature.
The approaching Nadders and Zipplebacks just snarled and rasped, with Gronckles and Monstrous Nightmares of all shapes and colors bursting from the forest like an armada ready for an attack.
Gustav swallowed the large lump in his throat as the wild dragons approached closer. Okay, Gustav. Think, wild dragons establishing their territory. Show no threat and stay calm.
Taking deep and slow breaths, Gustav stepped closer towards the snarling horde of dragons and away from Fanghook, something he didn't like very much as he lifted him away and back towards his side.
The sudden action caused the wild dragon to roar and shrill mightily with such a force, it rattled the very stones on the beach line. Already three minutes on Dragon Island and Gustav was really making a "great" first impression with the locals.
Fanghook was just about ready to give up on the attempt of finding Hiccup and Toothless when a soft but solid mixture of clicks and whistles resonated from the thick evergreen like the calls of a noble choir, causing all the wild dragons to relax and step away from the two outsiders and making a narrow opening leading from them to the forest. Sensing the air becoming lighter and the demeanor of the wild dragons change from aggression to benevolence, Fanghook slowly lowered Gustav back to the beach as faint shadows materialized from the mist.
From the darkness of the forest, a set of luminous orbs stared deeply through the two, shining a toxic shade of serpentine with round onyx centers that seemingly appeared to be navigating into their thoughts like a mind reader. Besides the eyes, the outline of a slim figure appeared, haloed brightly by the light from the setting sun through the openings of the tree branches, standing proud with one metal leg.
Even though he couldn't see the expression or features of the illuminating silhouette, he could feel a warm and cozy sensation in his heart and knew deep down the figure was smiling brightly and looking towards them with brighter peridot eyes.
"Gustav? Fanghook?!" Hiccup's cheery voice sang out as the body of their guru raced from the shadows and into the light with open arms.
Not able to hold in the excitement and thrill, Gustav sprinted straight for her like it had been a millennium since their last meeting and sank deeply into her embrace once their bodies made contact with each other. Throughout the passing giggles and laughter they both couldn't stop the flow of joyous tears streaming down their faces.
Seeing their queen openly accept the outsiders calmed the dragon dramatically. Ever since the Typhoomerang incident they haven't been so keen on the idea of travelers and wanderers, but knowing she felt comfortable with the new pair really eased their worry and soon they dispersed back into the evergreen.
"I've missed you so much," Gustav managed between shallow breaths.
"Me too, Gustav. Me too," Hiccup softly chimed as she ran her fingers through his exposed dark hair as they both kneeled down onto the stone beach. "Your hair's grown…" she smiled pulling his back slightly and playing with it some more. "And your face, it's covered in soot." Hiccup beamed as she rubbed the small smudges from his face.
"You sound just like my mom." Gustav teased, wiping his moist cheeks with his left forearm.
"Ha-ha, sorry," Hiccup laughed before lifting the both of them back onto their feet and making her way over to greet Fanghook. "Hey, Fanghook, how's it going?" she said lifting an open palm towards him.
Fanghook openly allowed his snout to find its way to her embrace, purring warmly to her.
"Toothless!" Gustav shouted in excitement as the Night Fury walked towards them, giving the young dragon rider a welcoming nuzzle to his face.
"It's good to see you too, Gustav." Toothless smiled.
"What brings you two over? Do you need more iron or glass?" Hiccup asked while patting Fanghook's snout
"Actually…We came for some advice." Gustav admitted with a fading smile.
Noticing his change in attitude, Hiccup walked over to him and placed her palm onto his shoulder. "Come on, let's talk," she said leading them towards the entrance of her and Toothless' cave.
…
"…and now I don't know what to do…" Gustav sighed, staring into the small wooden cup of warm chamomile tea in his hands as the heat from the open fire crackled now and again.
Hiccup listened to all his qualms with an open heart and genuinely knew and felt them herself. Not everyone could be so willing to change, especially those stuck in their old ways and she could see it taking its toll on Fanghook as he sat staring at the small basket of fish Toothless offered to him.
Nightmares possess a highly tuned sensory to external forces and it at times reflected in their posture. If the atmosphere was calm, so were they. However, if the environment held to be tense and threatening, they too would emulate the feeling. He was riled up, and an angry Nightmare is no picnic to be around.
"I'm scared everyone will grow to fear or even hate him because of all this," Gustav quietly breathed looking over to his scaled friend. "It's not his fault, it's mine… I should have stood up against him."
"Mildew's never liked dragons or things and people he doesn't understand..." Hiccup said adjusting the burning branches in the fire with a metal poker. "Don't blame yourselves for this, you two have done nothing wrong and from Mildew's point of view, he's just as well. These things take time. The important thing is that no one was hurt and that you're safe."
"I know... What do you think we should do?"
"I think the best thing for Fanghook is some time to cool down. Right now he's in a neutral zone and away from tension. I think I can help Fanghook learn to manage his emotions and talk with him about some problems he might have." She smiled as she stroked Fanghook's side to ease his nerves to finally eat.
"Thanks, Hiccup, but what about me? I must be doing something wrong."
Placing her thumb and index finger onto her chin, Hiccup thought of a solution. "What's say we propose a little experiment? I think it'll help everyone and clear a few things left in the air."
"What do you have in mind?" Gustav questioned.
Standing up, Hiccup walked over to Toothless and guided him over to Gustav, placing his hand onto Toothless' snout before walking over to Fanghook and standing by his side.
"Wait… You think we should trade dragons?" Gustav asked with a crooked brow.
"For one day. I'll help Fanghook overcome his troubles and you can see for yourself just what it is you feel you're doing wrong. It'll also help Toothless and everyone on Berk to get to know each other since he didn't really leave the best first impressions last time."
Gustav had to admit she had a point to that. People on Berk were open to accepting dragons but there were still those who spoke of the Night Fury with shadowy fear. For them, he had taken their light in their darkest of times. There were even considered him to be evil. Personally he knew it wasn't true. Toothless meant so much to Hiccup, just as much as the people she sacrificed for and protected. If they ever wanted to regain Hiccup's trust and to return home, they had to not only accept dragons, but also the dragon that changed her world.
"But…will you two be okay being separated for one day?" Gustav asked rubbing under Toothless' chin in just the right places.
Toothless and Hiccup smiled to each other and knew they most definitely could. He knew Hiccup could take care of herself and Hiccup was certain he could use some time out and about.
"We'll manage just fine. What about you and Fanghook? Are you two okay with this?"
Fanghook looked over to his little brother. He didn't want to have to leave his side but at the same time he knew going back to Berk without clearing the air would only build more tension between him and Mildew. He wanted was best for Gustav and right now it was realizing he had done nothing wrong in this situation and if that meant being separated from each other for a full twenty-four hours, he'd be strong and overcome his fears. Giving Gustav a clear nod, he placed his head next to Hiccup.
A single day without Fanghook felt like a part of Gustav's soul was being separated from himself. They hadn't been apart since the day Hiccup left and they spent every hour together flying, fishing or working at the forge. To him, Fanghook was more than a riding partner, he was his friend and the idea of leaving a friend being can be a scary thought. On the other hand, he knew this was for the best, for both of them.
Giving his biggest and peppiest smile, Gustav nodded back.
…
"I've adjusted the saddle and stirrup so it should be easier for you to fly Toothless. If you have any problems just refer to the note sheet clipped to his saddle, I made sure it's good and stunk onto it this time. If something does happen, I've got Goliath here who will made sure you two get to Berk safely." Hiccup said giving the saddle a final rundown before feeling sure it was right for Gustav.
"Got it," Gustav jumped. Honestly, he was excited about taking Toothless out for a spin. Flying with Fanghook was thrilling, but this was a Night Fury, fastest flying dragon in the known world. He couldn't wait for everyone on Berk to finally meet him, then they'd all know Hiccup was in good hands, or paws with Toothless.
"Make sure he washes behind his ears after a bath and dries himself. Oh and don't let him sneak off in the middle of the night for a cookie downstairs, he ends up getting bad dreams. He has training at the academy at first light and gets everything ready for the lessons, and…"
"Fanghook," Toothless tried to interrupt but the Nightmare kept going.
"...don't let the twins near the shovels for the morning clean up, they'll just make more of a mess. And after training he has an evaluation meeting with…"
"Fanghook," Toothless said louder, finally getting the worried Stocker to stop his babbling after nearly ten minutes of an extensive to do list. "Relax, I can handle one boy for one day. Don't stress yourself out even more, pal. We're talking about a nine year old…"
"Nine and a half," Fanghook corrected.
"A 'nine and a half' year old with extensive dragon knowledge and a good head on his shoulders. I'll keep a sharp eye on him. You just try not to fall for my girl, got it." Toothless teased.
"Don't worry, she's not my type," Fanghook joked with a snicker.
"Oh really, than what is your type?" Hiccup playfully replied with a smirk looking to the two, Fanghook staring with an open jaw.
"Did she just…?" Fanghook babbled as Toothless raised his brows with a smug expression.
"The queen can be quite the tricky one, can she?" Goliath added with a smile.
"You can talk to them?" Gustav asked curiously.
"Yep, Dragonese," she said readjusting his riding belt.
"Do you think you could teach me?"
"How to speak Dragonese?"
"Why not?"
Hiccup giggled as she pinched his cheeks. "Sure thing. It'll take me some time to come up with some proper translations, but you've got it."
With everything set, Gustav mounted himself onto Toothless and secured his belt onto the harness, giving it a final tug for reassurance. Before setting off, he turned over to Fanghook once more as the evening sun painted the sky pale lavender, aquamarine and citrine and reached out to give him a final hug before departing.
"Don't worry, Fanghook, I'll be back for you same time tomorrow," he smiled strongly but couldn't help as a single tear slowly ran down his cheek.
"And I'll be right here waiting for ya, little buddy," Fanghook hummed.
"How do you say, 'Goodnight' in Dragonese, Hiccup?" Gustav asked.
Hiccup pressed her tongue over the roof of her mouth and quickly released, causing a popping click that followed smoothly with a set of whistles from the back of her throat with a soft purr near the end.
After internally practicing, Gustav finally let go of Fanghook, "Goodnight, Fanghook."
"Night, Gustav," Fanghook chattered back before the two got ready to set off.
"And no wild flying, you two," Hiccup added.
"W-What? Do you honestly think we would do something like that?" Gustav chuckled between this teeth that earn them both a less than intrigued stare from the queen. "She's on to us, bud," Gustav whispered into Toothless' ear.
"She knows us too well," Toothless rolled his eyes with a smirk.
"Don't worry, my queen, I'll see to it that they keep on course," Goliath said with a militant look.
"Thank you," she smiled stepping closer to him. "If you don't mind, I'd like you to do something very important for me."
"Anything, my queen."
"I'd like for you to take the day off tomorrow. You work too hard, Goliath."
As much as he was taken aback by her response, he knew she was honest. He had never had a real day to let his guard down and be a Gronckle instead of a soldier, even when Hiccup took reign. Maybe it was just from his constant need to be alert or thinking if he slacked off his queen wouldn't need him anymore as guard. She was just as capable of surviving on Dragon Island as any of the other dragons and she proved it day after day. Who knows, maybe he'd like taking thing slow for a change and not having to worry so much.
"I'll try, just allow me to conduct a survey on Berk, have the dragons there express their concerns and opinions to an outsider looking in. It could be beneficial to seeing if they are ready," Goliath insisted.
"Alright, but right after that take it easy."
"Thank you," Goliath bowed before he and Toothless took off.
"Good luck," Hiccup waved as they disappeared into the distance. "Alright, Fanghook, let's talk," she said patting the side of his head making her way towards the forest.
Fanghook stood by the shore a moment more before following, making sure the faint image of his friends stayed on course before turning back to follow her, ready to vent out some of his troubles and worries onto someone who could listen.
…
The sky had been getting darker and more sinister since Gustav had left a few hours ago and the other dragon riders were becoming increasingly worried. They hadn't seen him since the ceremony and when they confronted Gobber on the matter, he just stated that he and Fanghook were being consoled.
"Aarne, we've looked by this shoreline for an hour, he's not here," said Snotlout, already becoming irritated.
"He's gotta be here somewhere, it's not like he just up and vanished," Aarne answered atop of Stormfly.
"We've looked all over the island. Where could he and Fanghook possibly be?" Fishlegs wondered, knowing it wasn't like Gustav to go off without telling them anything, especially when they had training to do.
"I know where Gustav is," Tuffnut said pointing out into the distance. "And I don't think that's Fanghook he's riding."
The teens all looked in wonder as the image of two dragons approached Berk, one clearly a Gronckle but with massive wings and the other…
"Is that a…?" Ruffnut asked.
"It couldn't be," Fishlegs added.
"…Night Fury." Aarne sneered. Maybe it was the mixture of the stress from looking for their friend or because he still held a bit of resentment for the Striker but he was not pleased to see that dark figure approach closer towards the village of Berk.
"But if he's riding the Night Fury, what happened to Fanghook?" Stormfly asked.
"Maybe the queen felt he needed to be…replaced?" Belch cringed in an ominous tone.
"No way," Hookfang spoke. "Gustav would never replace him, especially not for that demon."
"Hookfang!" Stormfly exclaimed.
"Hey, you weren't the one face to face against him over his girl. I'm telling you, something's up and I plan to find out what it is," Hookfang bit before racing off towards the village, Snotlout shouting for him to slow down and to not be so stubborn and listen.
"Come on, let's go check it out," Aarne waved for the others to follow as they raced back to see a crowd of people and dragons surrounding the two new dragons and Gustav.
Stoick stood in the front of the crowd, glaring daggers at the dark dragon as he approached for a landing, the scars in his heart burning to see the poison that to him, destroyed his family. His gaze softened however once he saw Gustav onboard the devil and not his daughter. Where was she? Where was Gustav's dragon?
"Gustav, is something wrong? Did something happen to Hiccup?" Stoick asked with a tinge of fear once they landed onto an open area by the Haddock home where everyone had gathered.
"What? Oh, no, no, no. She's perfectly fine. I went to go have a talk with Hiccup about some problems I've been having." Gustav struggled slightly. He wasn't expecting the entire village to crowd over them upon arriving but he guessed it was to be expected, this was Hiccup's dragon. Hopping off of Toothless, Gustav fixed his posture and cleared his throat. "We exchanged dragons for the day to test out a theory. Everyone, I'd like to introduce, Toothless the Night Fury."
This had been the most people Toothless had ever met all at once, he was even sure there were more now than there had been since he stormed in to save Hiccup but that could have possible been because he wasn't focused on the numbers back then.
"And this is Goliath, he's a titan-winged Gronckle and one of Hiccup's friends."
The crowd began to exchange in words as they looked to the unknown dragons before them. They had no problems in accepting the Gronckle, there were many now scattered about Berk and many housed a Gronckle or two, but the Night Fury however, was a different story. For centuries, the Night Fury has been a symbol of bad omens and destruction. Of all the dragons of the known world, they were the ones people hid from and never dared to pursue.
"Look, I know not everyone is comfortable with a Night Fury, but I can personally assure you all he's just a big puppy dog. Right, Toothless," Gustav laughed as Toothless nodded eagerly.
"But why trade?" Stoick asked, both concerned and curious.
"Well…" Gustav began before the sound of grunts and groans pushed from the crowd and Mildew appeared with wide eyes before they turned to their usual glare of irritation.
"So you get rid of a Nightmare and bring back the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself! Is this how you and your little dragon girl choose to fix things?!" Mildew began as he kicked the ground.
"We did this because you had Fanghook stressed out," Gustav fought back.
"Well bravo, now we'll all be stressed with this creature in our midst! This beast will being us nothing but a plague of destruction, mark my words!" Mildew accused pointing at Toothless like he was the devil himself.
"That's enough, Mildew! You've said enough." Stoick shouted before turning to Gustav with a calm but wary face. "Gustav, do you trust this dragon?"
"With my life, Chief," Gustav said enthusiastically with a fist out.
"Well I'll be, is that who I think it is" a voice from the far end of the crowd cheered as Gobber and Gothi made their way towards Toothless, both with big smiles and their dragons close behind.
Even Toothless couldn't help but feel happy to see everyone, even Etch, and looked over to Gustav for the okay and with the nod of approval pounced over to greet his old friends.
"It's good to see you too, my good friend. How's that new tail faring for you?" Gobber asked with a bright grin hugging him tightly to which Toothless responded by showing him his artificial fin.
The villagers all gasped at the sight of the red fin held together by leather ropes and metal rods.
The Night Fury, was a downed dragon…
"Ah, right as rain. Seems you and Hiccup worked things out, huh?" Gobber continued as Gothi came in to give Toothless a light embrace.
"Yes, we wouldn't want the two lovebirds to be at wits ends with each other," Etch hissed in a teasing manner.
"You know, I honestly missed your cynical remarks, Etch. I was beginning to think you had gone soft," Toothless groaned, rolling his eyes before giving a smirk.
"Don't mind her, she's just been cooped up all week," Bones laughed along. "It's really a privilege to have you over and I know the time off will help Fanghook. Poor lad's been keeping in some troubles for some time."
"I'm sure he and the queen will sort out whatever reservations he has," Goliath jumped in.
"And look at you, is that a smile on your face, Goliath, or are you coming down with illness?" Etch mocked.
"It's a smile, so don't you mind me. I've been given a pardon of a day off but first I wish to survey the area to relay to the queen. How is the village faring?"
"Everyone seems to be getting along well with their dragons and passing ones. Well, all expect Mildew," Bones began.
"The old man with the attitude problem?" Toothless asked.
"He makes even me seem pleasant," Etch added.
"I can certainly see why young Fanghook would have problems with him, he smells of rotten cabbages and rage," Goliath stated with his nose held into the air.
…
"So, that's the scary Night Fury everyone's been so terrified of?" Tuffnut asked once they pushed their way through the crowd.
"He...actually looks nice," Fishlegs smiled seeing him greet Gobber and Gothi with loving purrs and chirps.
"He doesn't look so tough. Hookfang can take him." Snotlout remarked with crossed arms.
"Um, he did and utterly lost." Ruffnut reminded him with a dry tone.
"Only because he didn't have the 'Snot Man' by his side."
"I actually imagined him a bit…bigger." Barf said getting a good look at the toned and trim Striker.
"He is undoubtedly a looker, right Meatlug… Meatlug?" Stormfly asked seeing her friend shoot puppy eyes at the Gronckle next to him.
"I don't know about that Night Fury, sug, but Mama Meatlug is loving the look of his big-winged friend." Meatlug chimed like a love struck kitten.
"And I can't unhear that, thank you..." Hookfang gapped slightly.
…
As the dragons chatted some more, the villagers soon began to lessen their suspensions. If Gobber, Gustav and Gothi trusted the Night Fury, perhaps they could too.
"Ha-ha, looks like the old gang is back together," Gobber teased as he walked over to Gustav.
"Minus two..." Gustav looked down slightly before shaking off those sad feelings and replacing them with excitement. "But I know that if we can all get along with Toothless, Hiccup will surely come back sooner. Then when we're all back together we can build landing area for dragons, maybe even stables under the caves underneath the village and…"
"Easy there, lad," Stoick jumped in as the mass of Berkians laughed merrily to the thought of everything he had just purposed. "Remember, Berk is still for people."
"Vikings before dragons," Gobber added.
Right when Toothless and his old troop of commanders were enjoying their company, he could hear the sky become angry with tension and power. Stopping what he was talking about, he walked over to look up to the darkening grey sky. Right about this time the last light from the sun would be waving goodbye till another day, but instead a large mass of furious dull clouds surrounded the heavens for miles. Something wasn't right.
"Yeah, I said it, deal with it," Gobber joked looking over to Toothless whose face was serious and plastered towards the atmosphere.
"Toothless, you okay?" Gustav asked and right as he was about to place his hand onto his side, a mighty clash of lightning shot from the heavens like and angry arrow straight for Berk.
Everyone ducked their heads for cover as the blue light from the sky flashed and spread onto one of the new dragon perches, sending sparks everywhere till more struck all over the village in bolts of unadulterated madness. The houses closest to the perches soon caught into massive balls of flames. Men, women and children began to shout and scream in fear was their houses began to smolder down and do nothing but watch as more anger from above hailed down towards their village. The dragons on the ground immediately sprung their wings outward to protect their human companions as chucks of heat balls rained from above and from the falling debris from the torched buildings while the dragons still up in the sky began to panic and scatter wildly from the storm of blazing light.
"Gobber! Organize a bucket brigade! Everyone, get to the Great Hall!" Stoick thundered out as he led men and women to safety.
"You heard the chief!" Gobber shouted. "Dragon riders, we need to stop those fires and get as many people over to the Hall! Let's go!"
Onto their dragons, the teenagers were back in the sky and gathering villagers by their dragon's paws or lifting large water troughs to douse the flames away from burning building. As Gustav was reaching out to grab the rails on Toothless' saddle, a heavy bolt of lightning struck mere feet from them, electrifying the air and causing Toothless' sonar senses to go wild as the world around him grew blurred and indistinguishable. Panicked and confused, Toothless roared out towards the sky with lightning flashing out in the background and bolted.
"Toothless!" Gustav called out. Knowing he couldn't catch him by foot, he hopped onto Goliath and held on tightly. "After him!"
…
Stoick had never seen anything like this. It was as if the gods were angry, but at what he wasn't sure? With a pair of tired and weary old men over his shoulders, Stoick laid them down at the end of the steps of the Great Hall and looked out to the immense carnage. Fire swallowed the homes of his people and lightning whipped every which way like a wrathful oppressor and all he could do was watch as everything, all their hard work and labor crumbled to the ground in ablaze. Even with the aid of the dragon riders drenching burning houses, the flames seemed to never end.
Looking over to his house, Stoick could see a trail of lightning strike the rooftop and all his rational senses vanished into thin air as he raced towards his home, the roof caught ablaze. It wasn't the fact that his home that for years held both the joyous and saddest of memories was blazing but that it was Hiccup's room and haven that would be eaten away first that frightened him. He hadn't set foot up those steps to the second floor and now the eternal and unforgiving hand of Thor was venturing to destroy it.
No! he thought racing towards it with his life.
The attack on the Haddock home had not only caught the eyes of the chief, but Toothless as well. Able to see once more, he watched with large eyes as the place Hiccup had once called home began to incinerate and galloped towards it like no tomorrow. Getting at running start, he managed to leap from beam to beam on the metal perch over the Haddock home and dared to challenge the forces of nature for its attempt to destroy the place his beloved loved so dearly and it seemed as though the God of Thunder and Lightning, Thor himself, was not pleased with his interference as a second bolt of blue fire aimed once more for the home.
Charging the energy in his lungs, Toothless let out a powerful clash of his out fire to the approaching storm, creating electrical sparks in the air and charging the atmosphere with rage, but ultimately preventing the strike from reaching its target. The clashing of his plasma blast and the lightning created a thunderous boom that caught the attention of those out in the open and what they saw was a dark figure over the house of their leader, tempting and vexing the powers of the gods. What Stoick had seen however, was a dragon willing to put his own life in the line of literal fire to save the place his daughter grew up in. If there were any doubts in his mind that Toothless the Night Fury was a villain, they were fully swayed by that one act of selflessness.
With the anger of the lightning now on the foul beast who tempted it, it aimed its power towards the dragon's mechanical parts, attracted to the properties it held and the damage it would bring to its wearer and chased after him from perch to perch as he led it as far from Hiccup's old home as possible.
"AARNE!" Gobber shouted over the roars of electrical discharge and pointed over to the chief's home.
"I'm on it! Come on, Stormfly!" Aarne directed with a crate of water to kill the flames over the house, thankfully saving it from a burning burial. Looking over to the perches, he could see the shadow of Toothless desperately leading the lightning away from the people and houses towards a clearing near the Great Hall. If the gods appeared to be angered by anyone soul, it was him.
…
Goliath and Gustav helped where they could as they searched for Toothless, dousing fires with water or saving separated children back to their mothers and fathers, even rescuing smaller dragons who were too frazzled to move. Landing near the stoned pathways of the square with the other riders, Gustav panted exhaustively as the smoke from the fire choked onto his lungs.
"Yeah, now that's what I'm talkin' about," Tuffnut smiled happily as he and his sister watched the wreckage of the world on the necks of their dragon.
"I always liked Thor," Ruffnut added in hushing voice of content.
"Ah, I love these storms!" Snotlout boasted. "When it rains, I cancel bath night and just stand outside with nothing but a sponge and a bar of soap!"
"WE KNOW! The village has had meetings about it," Fishlegs jeered as firebolts continued to light the sky.
"How you holdin' up, 'Titan-wing'?" Meatlug asked Goliath, seeing his worried and exasperated expression.
"Goliath, and I wasn't picturing my first day off of work to be like this," he said between pants. He was definitely feeling the years creep up on him.
"There's so much destruction! Chaos! Mayhem! Other words that mean havoc! It's so beautiful!" Belch cried out into the air.
"Unfortunately for us, we might not be able to enjoy it if everyone smolders along with it," his other head snarked dryly.
"You know, you just like to take all the fun out of every perfectly joyous situation, don't you?" Belch finished with a pout.
Flying down to join the team, Aarne and Stormfly landed strongly, both covered heavily in ash.
"I need your help!" Gustav desperately vented out to him. "I need to find Toothless!"
"I just saw him by the Great Hall!" Aarne point out to the area of the Hall laced with zigzag streaks of fire from the sky.
"Come on, Goliath!" Gustav order and the Gronckle was eager to oblige as he flew out to the area, finally seeing his friend begin chased done by the storm.
…
"It's striking out throughout the entire village!" Mulch shouted by the doors to the Great Hall where inside women and children curled together with their dragons for protection like they did the day the blizzard came. "It's like we're under siege!"
"I've never seem Thor this angry!" Bucket added as Stoick rejoined them.
"TOOTHLESS!" Gustav's voice rang out as he and Goliath drew closer to him before lightning once more whipped towards the flightless Striker.
"Did you see that?!" Mildew shouted pointing to the Night Fury with his staff for the people still out to see.
"The lightning is following him!" Mulch loudly observed as he and the others watched him pounce from perch to perch to avoid being struck.
Toothless was already losing strength from all his running and jumping, and his worried didn't end once he saw Gustav out in the open.
"Gustav! Get inside!" he ordered, but the lad only knew one word in Dragonese and what he said was certainly not 'goodnight'. Feeling the wrath from the sky starting to retreat back into the grey and smoky clouds, Toothless felt reassured to land from his jump by Gustav and Goliath by the others at the Halls.
"Don't you all understand?!" Mildew began to ramble once more. "Thor IS mad at all of us and I'll tell you why, because of him!" he motioned his staff to Toothless who let out a low cry from the back of his throat. "As you all know, the Night Fury, is the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself! We've allowed him back onto our shores and now we will all pay the price!"
"Well it did SEEM as though the lightning struck right at the dragon," Mulch admitted to what he had seen.
"Yes, right at the dragon!" Mildew continued with more gusto and anger that even the children from inside could hear the tales and grew frightful of the dark dragon. "And a lightning storm the likes of which we've never had!"
His rants fueled and fed the fears of the people who had witnessed the sight with their own eyes. Soon their terror turned in resentment towards the Night Fury, the bringer of all their destruction.
It was HIS fault Hiccup had to leave them and go away.
HIS fault she lost her leg and had to live a half live.
HIS fault that their home had become target to the wrath of Thor.
And it was HIM who would pay the price for his crimes.
"There is but one thing for us to do," Mildew added to his sinister of sermons. "BANISH THE NIGHT FURY! It's the only way…"
The crowd roared in agreement to the application as many began to look towards the Night Fury with raging eyes and sharp teeth.
"Thor is angry at us because of the Night Fury. You all saw it," sustained Mildew as the group of supporter to his dastardly caused malicious swept over the confused and scared.
"What?! No, this is ridiculous!" Gustav defended his friend, shielding him from the hurtful stares of his people.
"Well if we don't act now, well, may I remind you of…BARNSTAT?!" Mildew hissed lowly and the people around soon began to remember the drifter who came into town and stole from widows and the elderly before Thor punished him with a lightning bolt to his helmet, cursing him for an eternity to forever roar the Earth as an aimless vagabond.
Stoick looked over his startled and lost people who at the slightest of confusion turned to anger and blind fury onto an innocent reflected so well to him on how he too had turned into a monster towards his little girl. Looking from the outside, he could truly see how venomous fear and ire can change a man into wild creature bent out for vengeance. It was a monstrous sight to behold. He had to stop this, lest they all do something that would truly rouse the wrath of the gods and lose their chances of getting his daughter back.
"You right. All of you! Thor is angry. But I don't believe he's angry at Toothless!"
"That's right!" Gustav confirmed. "Have you all forgotten what Toothless has done for this village?!"
"Of course, YOU, would defend him. He's working for the one truly responsible for all this! May I remind you whose idea it was to bring him here?! I'll tell you, it was the GIRL!" Mildew spat as lightning stuck.
"Hiccup had just as much involvement in this as Toothless, and that's none! They've done nothing but sacrificed for us and the one time they need to be defended, you accuse them for something they didn't do! There has to be a logical explanation to all this!" Gustav rebutted.
"Well than who do you suppose he's angry at?!" Mildew argued.
"I don't presume to know Thor's mind, Mildew. But we will find a way to sooth his anger," Stoick finished, pulling his foot down in the matter and ending the confrontation with a strong stare at to the crowd who quieted themselves from their shouts and curses aimed at the Night Fury.
The idea had been simple, switch dragon and have everyone see there was nothing to be afraid or doubtful of, instead, it seemed even the heavens were displeased with the way things were while all the while Fanghook and Hiccup breathed easily and meditated under a clear and starry sky.
…
"I just get so frustrated when I hear Mildew say such nasty things about us dragons like we're the scum of the Earth," Fanghook calmly said as Hiccup lightly massaged his tense wings. "Sure some dragons have eaten his spoiled cabbages and yes some may have slept on his house more than once, but that doesn't mean we all have to be grouped in as villains."
"I hear ya," Hiccup stated as she worked on a tight knot on his right wing. "He's never really like me much either. Ever since I can remember he's called me a freak. It hurts being called names and even more when others believe it because one person says it so many times. You feel trapped…"
"How'd you deal with it?" Fanghook asked feeling the soreness on his wing painfully melt away into warmth. He could never let Gustav now that when he got stressed his wings would lock and become sore, but with Mildew forever at the ready to start a fight they were acting up more and more.
"I tried to find other things to do. I know ignoring a problem never helps, but when you're facing an impassable stone wall, sometimes you have to go around it. I started gardening, you know, things that made me happy and something I can look over and prove to myself that I wasn't useless."
"Hmm, I don't think I'd be all too good at gardening, but I do like bird watching and fishing with Gustav in the mornings. Oh, and during the evenings before the sun sets, we take a slow flight over Berk, just the two of us." Fanghook chirped and smiled at the thought.
"There's a start," Hiccup smiled as she finally massaged the tender area smooth. "Whenever you feel like the weight of the world is just too much, just take a step back and breathe. If you don't, you'll just end up hurting yourself more than others."
"Yay…" Fanghook said, understanding what she was saying. "You're really good at this whole queen business, huh?"
"Well it took some time and some mistakes but that's the best way I learn. Life is the same I think, we each make mistakes or mess up from time to time. We can either learn from them or repeat them until we break down. I think you and Gustav are doing perfectly well together, I just hope he sees that…"
"Is that why you left him with Toothless?" Fanghook asked quietly as she moved to the other wing.
"Gustav has always been the type to not ask for help or favors, but when he does he feels like he's failed himself. We've grown up with this idea that a Viking has to be able to do things on his/her own without assistance and it's really stuck with him. He has good instincts and knows what is right and what is wrong, but he tends to doubt himself so much…" Hiccup stopped massaging for a moment and thought of how he was faring. "I want for him to see that he can trust himself more than he thinks, because I know he can change the world."
They both looked to the bright stars in the sky, sometimes catching the glimpses of falling stars and making silent wishes for Gustav to see and become the person they know he could be.
