Racers of the Night

by Smoe05

[Dragon Racing Modern AU] Dragons coincide with the people of Berk. They live in the vast wilds awaiting study, they are trained to help with laborious construction and are rode upon in the legendary Dragon Races. When Hiccup Haddock discovers a breed thought to be a myth, it sparks a revolution of change that shifts the course of the city forever. [Movie pairings]

26. 26 Sticks and Stones

Sticks and Stones

I… It wasn't meant to be like this.

The pen was lost, not from possession but of the words in which to produce. It wasn't supposed to be so hard but at the end of the day it was only a pen. He who artfully wound their fingers around it mastered everything within the pen's capability; even where it may seem unusual. That was the nature of control. When the ink runs dry however, and words cannot be written then the realm of control is different; the pen cannot be used as it is spent. That is the nature of change. Much like paper when it is filled or a book when the final words are read; there is no more to come, just empty silence and the question of what to do next…

The path of the tale is not closed to its finality; however, in ways more fluid there are journeys hereafter. Even when all is said and the battle is lost or won the lives of the people, the creatures and the land continue to grow and wither. Even if the sky seemingly came crashing down in all it's might there are only some who would say the end has arrived. In truth, this is just another beginning because amongst the settling haze and bleak blood red horizons; they found them, cocooned away from death itself. So it can only be that the prodding of a muzzle coated in midnight scales was sure to cause alarm.

The first crack of light was a blinding wall of white that brought with it, many inklings of tender sensations. There was fire and electricity sparkling from his fingertips to his toes in waves and yet it felt out of body as if he was still lost in that ravine. There was a form amongst the haze; a large creature and as the light dimmed, so too did it merge with the shadows around them. The haze cleared and his vision found focus again, though he'd almost wished it hadn't; for the tremor in his hands grew and his heart accelerated in time with a strange blip that echoed in the air. There was something wrong with the walls; not rocky and burnt but rigid, geometrical and spotted with strings of faint lights and soft humming sounds. The ground wasn't hard as he might have expected but soft as were the sheets that covered him; over his arms and chest were wires and tubes that funnelled to machines by his side. The blip coincided with a monitor that flickered and a tall pole with bags of liquid were connected to the tubes. The equipment was all familiar, he'd been hooked up to them before but even with the pounding and the fog barraging his mind, he knew this was no hospital.

Despite all the signs, the equipment, the gurney and the fact his nerves were being set on fire, it didn't explain why there was a dragon leaning over him, staring for all eternity with a faint croon that emanated deep within its throat. Only he knew those eyes; those great luminous eyes that stared back at him, wide with wonder and hope.

The dragon's neck was short and his head slim with large ear like flaps extruding flush against its neck, but what held Hiccup dead still was the bulbous green eye with the pupil thin staring back at him. Deep laboured breathing emanated from within the dark scaly abyss and he didn't know for the life of him why, but he could have sworn the dragon looked, scared. His thoughts and knowledge crept back to him as vague information flashed in his mind. Invisible in the night, a cry greater than all. It couldn't be, it wasn't possible. Everything he had learned said it was only a myth, a legend but as he stood there staring into the glowing eye of the dragon, he couldn't deny the dawning truth. The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself, a Night Fury.

'Toothless?' Hiccup whispered with a weak voice, his vocal cords raspy. 'Hey Bud.'

The Night fury nudged forward allowing Hiccup to reach up and rub at his scales; they were cool to the touch but familiar and for the sake of things, safe. 'T… Toothless, what happened?' Hiccup could feel himself trembling as his senses levelled out, the throbs of pain across his body protesting any sort of movement. His left eye felt stiff and swollen and with a feather touch he could feel the strips holding a small slice beneath his fringe.

Toothless' whistle and cry bounced off the walls creating an echo untraceable for both human and dragon as Toothless looped around for the offensive. They reached their peak and Toothless' mouth glowed with an indigo glow before a blast of plasma struck the canopy…

The image flashed in his mind wearing a sense of desperation. 'Where are we?' Hiccup tried lifting himself up using Toothless as his support but his arms felt as though the blood was drained from them entirely.

'Watch out! ARRGH!' Heat and light poured around them as Toothless tumbled through the air.

Flakes of composite material sizzled and flaked away leaving a trail to follow in the darkness. 'Toothless!' Hiccup steered the tail in a valiant evasion but the line was too short as another barrage clustered in terrible destruction around them.

Sharp snapping sounds caught his naked ear to find the tail rig sizzling and waning terribly under the strain. 'Ok times up. Let's see if this works.'

The sounds of crumbling rocks and crackling fire echoed in his ears as the pain boiled in waves. 'Toothless please,' he pleaded but his dragon was unyielding protesting that he lay back against the pillow.

'Stay with me buddy we're good, just a little bit longer,' Hiccup reassured him searching to see the first glimpse of the cliff face. 'Hold Toothless.'

Dust and rock were falling before them as the entire cavern began to collapse in on itself behind them. 'NOW!'

The wires tugged at his chest as he clawed onto Toothless with all his might, his hands ran down his neck feeling just how real everything was. 'I'm so sorry,' he trembled at last, finding strength in his legs but with excruciating pain unlike anything he had known.

Toothless powered towards the crimson sky above, the soft hues like a star shining in the night as the world collapsed around them. Hiccup could see the breach, the edge of the cliff that held their salvation. Blistering heat and with it, agonising pain cascaded up his back in a moment that felt beyond the likes of reality. Toothless' wails were nothing more than a distant sound like the crack of the cables flying free; the shards of armour composite that disintegrated from his body and the blood curdling screech from below.

'No,' the light above was fading; four wings and a great boulder in its path 'NO!' Then darkness.

There was no steadiness in his hands as he laboriously pulled back the sheets; though, the coldness that filled his heart and the way the world was flooded with swirls of colour drowned everything out. He could see it in Toothless' eyes, the ache and trauma as he softly cooed to his rider, his companion, his best friend. The dam burst, the walls flooded with murky waters as Hiccup collapsed against Toothless with only the trauma to fill his cries and heaving breaths.

November 29 , 2017, Advanced Research Centre for Dragons…

Anyone would likely feel the same sense of disorientation; waking up in the depths of ARCD amongst unfinished projects and damp lighting is strange. Naturally one would think a hospital to be the intelligent choice but given the present situation, I'm in no position to_

The ink faltered again leading Hiccup to shake the pen in hopes of some yielding results. _protest.

The last word was scratchy but visible enough to read; he never really considered the circumstance that his pen would be consumed first. Though if not for the gentle fingers that slipped idly through his hair, many more queries would spark speculation in his mind. He let the journal fall open to the sheets where a black muzzle sniffed away with bulbous and curious eyes to match.

'How long was I out?' Hiccup breathed leaning back against his pillows.

His gaze lifted warily to settle upon a pair of azure eyes that wore relief despite the dark circles under them. 'About four days, it's the twenty ninth,' Astrid replied gently kneading at his scalp.

'And how long since… that,' Hiccup hesitated nodding towards the foot of the bed.

Her fingers ceased as her brow slowly pursed. 'Hiccup…'

'I'm not… mad. I just,' he winced at the thought, struggling to piece things together. 'What happened?'

He felt Astrid's hand shiver as her palm cupped his cheek; her gaze floated around the room. Stoick was standing behind her looking weary and a little pale but not without a gentle tone of sympathy to his eyes. Mala was nearby reading an article on her tablet, her hair a mess along with a bruised and burnt Melody wrapped in bandages around her arms and neck. Bob and Hotshot exchanged a troubled glance along with the four techs huddled in the corner. They could all feel the empty space, the missing entity that completed their band of misfits; the lingering pain was unmissable and it only brought the worst fears to his heart.

Astrid returned to face him with Toothless creeping in to rest his head near Hiccup's lap. 'Drago played his last hand…'

November 25, 2017, The Red Death Stadium…

The fire escape leaked with water from under the doors and the cement sheened in shallow puddles as Astrid hauled her way to the corporate levels. She could feel the awful chill seeping through her jacket even with her hood protecting her. Upon charging through the door, a burst of gun fire echoed down the corridor before a strangle cry and a sloshy thud followed. Her breath hitch ducking down against the wall to find nothing but an empty hallway. Recapturing her bearings, Astrid tracked further towards the source of sound ducking around a corner before an icy shard impaled her chest; bloody water was pooling around the fallen form of Flashburn.

'No, no no no no no, Flashburn?' She slid down to his side, his skin pale and shivering uncontrollably. 'Oh Gods,' she scanned his torso to find three wounds up his left arm, two by his collar bone and a third in his lower abdomen.

More footsteps splashed behind her as Mala appeared with sheer terror in her face. 'Balmore!' She swept in carefully cradling him in her arms. 'Not you, please not you too,' blood was already smearing onto her hands and clothes as she cupped his cheek and forehead.

'Go get help,' she ordered with cold eyes that trembled.

'What about...?' she hesitated feeling a pang of guilt.

'I'll stay and do what I can. GO!' Mala cried before ripping off her jacket.

Astrid scrambled to her feet before sprinting back towards the lobby, her path returning back along the stadium rows where more cracks of fire burst across the bloodied sky. There far off to the east she was caught by a feverous light growing with spectacular power; it crackled like electricity in the air before it all but vanished.

'Hiccup?' she breathed in both awe and fright before forcing herself to move on.

Present day…

'He had six bullets in him,' Astrid noted as her brow creased at the memory. 'Internal bleeding and a ruptured kidney… he…' Astrid cast a woeful glance to Mala where she slowly took to her feet and left the room.

'Where is he?' Hiccup asked carefully as the shadow of fear threatened to consume him.

'Caldera Cay, intensive care,' Astrid whispered to Hiccup's relief but her expression never eased. 'Hiccup… it's not good,' her gaze drifted towards his legs lingering for only a moment.

'Are there any others?' he murmured, catching her eye again.

There words failed to escape with Melody stepping forth to cover for her. 'We lost seven Defenders,' she said softly though with an edge of surety. 'Olivia Marx, Frank Thames, Hetserk Crain, Fabian Vietchen, Kellian Anduros, Illia Van-Cato…'

'Melody. Please?' Stoick calmly chided her with a shake of his head.

'… And Iglios Shrug,' she drowned out before ducking her head.

Astrid's fingers found their way back to the thick tousles of hair behind his ear. 'Do you r…remember Johann, Trader Shipping Co?'

Hiccup huffed turning his head away. 'Older man with the cane, big moustache; too many stories?'

'It's just a cover. Ex British commando, good with knives,' she returned with a faint edge of malice behind the shadow of sorrow. 'His men… gunned them down on the spot.'

Toothless whined softly with a great deal of pain in his eyes as he followed Astrid's gaze. 'We never stood a chance,' Astrid rested her head against Hiccup's chest with shuddering breaths. 'It all just… fell apart. There was nothing w…we could do.'

Hiccup achingly wrapped his arms around her feeling the sorrow rise into his throat as sullen tears slipped free between them. He couldn't bring himself to form words as the mixed flood of many emotions pulsed from his chest. In behind the lids of his eyes he could almost see it like a great dam wall cracking under its supports. First the water sprayed with filth; mud, sunken ash and dead matter spurting through the cracks as the entire structure rumbled with a deafening roar. Stone and steel ripped apart with the first waves crashing against the hollow below. The water grew red from the sands tearing new paths into rivers and gorges; great waterfalls that endlessly poured with a fine mist and thunder to the air. Stone and sand alike, it tumbled over the edge exploding into shards in the empty abyss below.

More rock and debris split from its canopy with only sharp thunderous cracks to fill his ears; the only light high above them and they would climb. Great distances they would ascend towards the light; the beacon that beckoned them towards it with the gift of freedom. He could see the breach, the edge of the cliff that held their salvation. Blistering heat and with it, agonising pain cascaded up his back in a moment that felt beyond the likes of reality. Angelic wails were nothing more than a distant sound like the crack of cables flying free; the shards that disintegrated from his body and the blood curdling screech from below. The light above was fading; four wings and a great boulder in their path. Then darkness.

Hiccup awoke with a start in the hallowed ambience; there was a considerable mass lying against his chest baring familiar scaly traits. The time of day was mostly lost down in the gloomy confines of his ward but a little clock greeted him to the later hours of the morning. Astrid was snoozing on a gurney nearby and his father sat reading a news article in the corner, his features wearing the strain of the last week. His arm muscles still protested against the strain as he tried to slide out from underneath Toothless but a sharp jolt of pain up his leg caught his breath causing him to clench down on his teeth with an unconcealable whine. Toothless eyes snapped open with a worried coo further alerting Stoick to his state.

'Easy there now son. Here, just… take your time,' he carefully brought him up in a sitting position.

'Gods this is… I should be in an actual hospital,' Hiccup rubbed his face feeling the faint chin stubble scratch against his palm.

Stoick shared his look of dismay. 'Aye, but given the circumstances, you're safer here. Now, do you need anything, something to eat, drink?' he turned a smile.

Hiccup followed with a nervous glance. 'Ahh, bathroom actually?' he could see the paling wash over his face.

'Oh, ummm,' Stoick noted the bedpan with the other sterilised equipment with a grimace. 'Mmm No. Come on, I'll help you up.'

'What?' Hiccup frowned.

'There's a bathroom down the hall, Toothless?' Stoick ushered him around to his side of the bed. 'Ok, are you ready?'

'On account of my bladder, not much of a choice,' Hiccup dryly quipped earning a moment of pause before receiving a soft smile from his father.

'It's good to have you back son,' he patted his shoulder and peeled back the sheets revealing the stark truth.

Ever so carefully, Hiccup swung his legs around with Stoick and Toothless there to support him. He leant on Toothless' neck testing his balance whilst his father kept a hold on his other elbow; the throbbing in his left leg significantly dulled since he first arose from his long sleep. Though, it was a constant reminder of the permanent scar he would live with for the rest of his life; the cost of his valour or was it foolishness? That, he couldn't yet decide. In his absence, the world had become strange and though it still looked the same from a distance, Hiccup knew there was less in it. His left foot was severed below the knee; surgically amputated during a time he did not know but his life by some miraculous strain of events was spared. Trapped in the darkness beneath dust and stone he had been rescued, as he had when surrounded by blazing blue fire.

'Dad?' Hiccup peered up to see the forest green of his father's eyes.

He returned with a calming voice. 'Yes son?'

'How did you find me?' the question was bound to emerge at some point; yet another mystery to unearth in the shadows of a secret world.

November 25, The Red Death…

The lines of emergency vehicles and helicopters were grounded and spread around the grounds with staff bustling to the aid of the fallen. Many were huddled in groups shaken and holding close to their loved ones; bruises and scratches littered across the masses with only a touch of aid to settle their concerns. For the most part they were content to endure in service of helping those more directly wounded by the rubble. Stoick stood amongst the victims of the corporate box; his presence during the events was shadowed away with Hiccup's friends and supporters, far from the worst of Krogan's assault. Though as the thunderous booms echoed through the air and light flashed like lightning to illuminate the blood horizons, he like them all could only stand in horror and awe as Krogan's fury rained down fire on their champion.

'Smythe! Priority patient, alert Caldera General right now. Get a blood pack ready for transfusion,' a female voice rang out over the hum of the crowds as a stretcher born man lay drenched, unconscious and smothered in blood.

'Flashburn?' Stoick queued into the commotion spotting Astrid and Mala flanking him.

The stained blood on their arms and pants didn't help in any form as medics draped them in towels against the frigid air. 'What happened?' Stoick approached Mala with haste.

Mala jumped at the contact, her eyes wide and unfocused as if staring through him to a void of shaken spectators. 'Diane?'

She shook her head coming back to reality with a shiver hauling the towel around her shoulders. 'D…Drago's escaped. Balmore…' She pushed into his arms trembling from head to toe.

Stoick held her close feeling the weight of the situation slowly bare down, he found his gaze following Astrid as she sprinted her way out of the carpark towards the rise. 'Astrid!' his voice boomed through the air.

She was relentless, clawing her way to the peak with trails of pebbles and dust falling away from under her feet. She grunted from the sharp pain against the rocks but pulled herself over the edge nonetheless; a clearer view of the sunken sky tremors and thunderous booms echoed to the East.

'Red Claws. They're at the Red Claws!' She yelled over the crowds vaulting back down the ridge with a skid. 'Diane… ' she found her voice falling away at her mentor's trembling and defeated form against Stoick's broad shoulder.

It sent a piercing pain to her heart that bode no promise of light; Stoick's eyes bore the very fear of her own but she couldn't stop now, not whilst Hiccup fought on in the canyons. 'What is it you need Astrid?' a warm voice caught her attention to find the bushy beard of Hotshot.

'A dragon, preferably a Nadder,' she said doing her best to ignore the bite of winter.

Hotshot curled a smirk as his eyes lit up with purpose. 'I know just the gal. Come with me.'

It was a straight path to the heart of the Dragon Riders' camp and with Hotshot at the helm, many turned to meet them in awe and even trepidation. Hotshot never stopped once trekking through the masses straight for the Independents shelter and with that, catching the eye of the two veteran riders.

'Hotshot? What's going on?' Eginguarde inquired hurriedly brushing herself off.

'We need your help Eg,' he stepped aside allowing the anxious rider forth.

'Right now, Hiccup's in aerial duel against a psychopathic murderer, we have to help him,' Astrid was straight to the point, no exposition to waffle with.

Eginguarde was caught for no more than a moment. 'Scillios!' she called out to a rattle of spines and a sharp chirp. 'I'd be honoured.'

She wasted no time with the saddle and before Astrid knew it, she was coursing across the sands with an eye on the Red Claws. Dust billowed in their wake and she was tucked low beneath the dragon's spines. A small flicker of light fizzled against the sand drawing her in for rolling retrieval; even with gloved hands she could feel the residual heat of the charred remains of Hiccup's helmet.

'Oh gods,' she felt the tremble in her heart, the needle that pricked at the edge. 'Hurry Scillios.'

Though, it wouldn't have matter how fast they flew; whether the skies were calm or if disaster was contempt on challenging them to the core, she would never forget that sight nor the sound that followed. Great fingers of stone crumbled in on themselves in a terrible rumble, where once a hallowed ravine lay within the canyon was now filled with dust and darkness.

Astrid's breath was stolen, eyes forced open to the devastation. 'No,' she whispered, lost to the winds as her bare hopes rose to her throat. 'No, no no no no no NO NOOO!'

A parting in the dust that spiralled high into the air caught her eye and in a sliver of the sunken light she saw the silhouette and despaired. Those four wings, trialled and weathered were villainous by nature and aboard it's crimson hide was a source of much of their pain. The raging fury boiled with waves of heated aggression, her eyes narrowed with venomous and seething curses to her tongue. Krogan rose higher to the brink of his dragon's capacity all unwitting to the Nadder born storm of vengeance. It was only with her final scream, the shrill squawk that awoke the heavens above that Krogan met his fate. Titan reared in fright with a mind to blaze his coming foe but worn were his gills and extinguished his flame at last.

'Send him to the wastes Scillios!' Astrid growled.

Scillios charged them down, her claws and spines at the ready before she tore a strip of scales upon his underbelly. They tumbled back towards the red sands below in a tangle of wings and claws, all before on the upturn, the Nadder let free a volley of spines to strike down their enemy. Titan bellowed and wailed cascading with the cries of his rider until at last, in a ring of dust they fell silent. Astrid could feel the silence that drifted with them heavily in her heart; the tremor in her hands only the first signs of her fading resolve. Scillios glided down to the edge of the ravine where the settling dust hung in a low cloud before the devastation. At once did gravity reveal its true force dragging Astrid to her knees and with the charred carapace of Hiccup's helmet in hand she curled over it like a treasure of invaluable worth. Her sobs were strained, masked with the lingering rage of vengeance and loss; the tears that finally broke were inducive of a terrible fear come true.

As such, she didn't hear the soft call from the depths; a wining echo from within the depths of this hellish landscape. Scillios snorted as her head snapped to attention, her quills rattling at the call seldom would hear. Even through rolling waves of icy pain that burnt at every nerve, Astrid was frozen still by the startled dragon as she began scraping at the edge of the ravine. There it was at last, faint as the whistle of the breeze a hallowed wail deep within the darkness.

'Toothless? She breathed scrambling to her feet with a surge of warmth to burn through her trembling limbs.

Present day…

'We had the heavier dragons called in to clear the rubble,' Astrid explained with a heaviness to her voice. 'And, whoever was willing to lend a hand.'

'It took all night, but when light first broke we found you curled in under Toothless' wings. By sheer fortune you landed in a pocket amongst the rocks,' Stoick continued resting his palm on Toothless' neck. 'They needed us to calm him down so you could be airlifted out.'

'From there, I'm not sure what happened but Hotshot made the call and you were brought here instead of Caldera General,' Astrid cast an inquisitive glance to Hotshot.

'It wasn't safe anywhere else,' he relayed pushing up from his chair. 'Krogan and Drago are still out there and with the employ of Johann's crew… they're odds we can't risk right now. Plus, your ahh, contract records and client data… we gained custody under the guise of a classified program.'

'You were operated on in transit and then handed over to us,' Astrid finalised before casting what looked to be a soft smile towards Toothless. 'He never wanted to leave you. And we couldn't deny him once you were down here.'

Hiccup reached over to stroke at his dragon's chin. 'Guess this makes us even?' Of course the shadow on his mind continued to linger. 'What about Krogan?'

'We don't know,' Astrid returned with a cold edge to her eye. 'I… I thought he was down for good.'

'Regardless, he can't go far without being recognised and with a wounded dragon as you say. It's only a matter of time,' Hotshot acknowledged.

'That's that then,' Hiccup sunk into the pillows allowing his mind to fall blank from the harrowing revelations.

He didn't have to look hard to know how they were all feeling; the heaviness that would stick with them as the snow caked on. December in that regard felt bleaker than it should have; Snoggletog was around the corner and the many further celebrations to continue into the New Year. The news was predictable; they coverd any angle they had their hands on regarding the Championship finals. The Defenders had quickly grown tired of the reports and problematic insinuations and with their general whereabouts in a state of suspension; the air was thick with anticipation. Stoick and Mala would visit when they could, forcing themselves to push through the public inquiries. Every single one of them was feeling the rolling waves of emotions as the days passed by; from the depths of a depressive state to even moments of cheer that things would be alright.

For Hiccup and consequently those around him, an aura of excitement always seemed to surround the idea of a wheelchair; the physically able purposefully ignoring of the practical utility for which they served in favour of fun. Hiccup was not sure what to feel; the duality of his heart lost somewhere between realistic despair and ironic humour. It was strange at first as it should have been even with a hand to push him along the corridors and catwalks. It was the first stage of assisted mobility until the Defenders could properly design the path ahead; with no word on either of their foes, the public arena still held an unnerving sense.

December 4…

It was nice to be out and about, even if only within the complex hidden from the sun. Being bed ridden had a limited tenure and at least he could see something different from those four walls. Mala had travelled back to Caldera Cay to see if Flashburn's condition had improved and with the bulk of the other Defenders having taken time to recover themselves; the day was quiet. Only a few engineers were on call for work today including Skulder and Maisie who were keeping up with basic tasks and cleaning the lab. The wheels on Hiccup's chair clicked against the slabs of the cargo platform as Astrid slowly pushed him along. Toothless idly trotted behind them casting inquisitive glances to the various half constructed machinery.

'To think, some of these engineers might spend half their life down here; a little over a week and I'm already tired of it,' Hiccup remarked staring off into the ceiling overhanging with catwalks and laboratories.

'That's a bedridden week Hiccup. We're all a little restless,' she spared a quick glance to Toothless. 'And the quiet. Think of a time in the last couple of years where there hasn't been an urge to be or do something?'

Surprisingly, he wasn't long combing his reminiscence. 'The bluff last year… I walked out of class and you found me.'

A turn of the mood brought a smile to her face. 'I did more than just find you,' a sheen of light glimpsed over her eyes as the memory echoed in her mind.

She leant forward and pressed a soft kiss to Hiccup's temple, his scent a little pale from the ocean crusted salt and leather she was used to. 'I suppose you're right though. We lost hours there, all three of us.'

Hiccup lolled his head back stretching out his back before his gaze lazily fell to his cast bound leg. 'There's something else on your mind isn't there?' Astrid gently inquired.

'Yeah, always thinking about something,' Hiccup chuckled mirthfully. 'I dunnno, just… what's next for us? As in the Defenders, the racing and… yeah us, you and I. Gods, given all that's happened, I haven't asked. How are the gang even holding up?' Hiccup peered up towards Astrid as she lazily draped her hands over his shoulders.

'I spoke with Cami this morning,' Astrid clearly began before nuzzling into his neck. 'They're relieved. A little shaken considering but they're looking forward to seeing you again.'

Hiccup met her eyes with hopeful smile, a little sadness in his eyes which was understandable to say the least. Though, she almost missed the shine as he quickly wiped the tear from the corner of his eye; he was still smiling and a small quake across shoulders passed into chortles.

'I… haha ahhh, no, I don… I don't need to explain this to you, gods. You already know better than anyone,' his grin grew more relaxed with a solemn intent. 'Astrid. Thank you.'

Did she really need to ask what for? No, there was no greater meaning to it, just his unadulterated gratitude. She balled her fist drawing back for a slow but firm impact against his shoulder; naturally he cast her a surprised expression but it quickly became perceptive as she stole a lasting kiss. He was left holding the reverberating passion as she pulled away with a skip, challenge in her eyes.

'Ohhhhohohohooo if I weren't…' Hiccup gripped his arm rests realising quickly his range of control over the chair. 'Come here you!' he grunted driving the wheels forward in pursuit.

Astrid's eyes lit in excitement though not without a modicum of fear. 'Ahh, be careful Hiccup!'

'NYOOOOOM!' He cheered as he steadily rolled past her.

The day eventually came that Hiccup finally resurfaced to a world touched by faint daylight. A conscious week of recovery and adjusting to the constraints of a wheel chair was an interesting experience for certain, granted ARCD wasn't exactly the kindest traversal wise. With his dressings changed once again by the more medically minded staff, it was finally ruled as safe for him to make an official appointment with the Anson hospital. It seemed like half the city was informed within the hour; the return of Harold Haddock was like a momentous tide that moved monoliths. Consequently, Astrid was caught in a similar brand of light; heroic labels were being cast in favour of her deeds and critical decisions. There was something temporary about it all; however, as if a front to appease the masses before those with standing titles had their say. During his time down in the labs he'd spent a great deal wondering about the fallout; the damages incurred, legalities involved and even the possibility of an informed inquiry into the business dealings of the Advanced Research Centre for Dragons. Whether there was anything happening behind the scenes he heard nothing, none of them did; perhaps in time official parties would step forward but for now, they were silent.

'Disgraced and now fugitive dragon Rider Krogan remains on the run with destructive ruin in his wake. The premier racecourse, the Red Death is in a state of complete disrepair with no other option than to demolish damaged sections for reconstruction. Other areas of the track have been greenlit for excavation and landscaping crews are attempting to restore the course as best they can. It's unclear as to the motives behind Krogan's attack but the other directors present all confirmed a conflict between the champion racer and his key benefactor, the now missing Darius Bludvist. Evidently there was a dispute regarding his contract tenure and if not for the intervention of Harold Haddock and his Night Fury, Darius may have been among the other fatalities during the event. Despite their efforts, Krogan attempted to bury them in a ravine but thanks to the dedication, bravery and persistence of Intermediate champion, Astrid Hofferson; a combined team of cranes and heavier class dragons managed to extract the star duo. He was routed for Caldera General in response to extreme trauma to his left leg but an undisclosed decision has completely erased any trace of both Harold and his extended crew. All that is known is he is alive but taking into consideration his past record, it's unlikely he'll surface anytime soon. At the end of the day, seventy two people including dragon riders were wounded and fourteen are confirmed dead. The investigation is far from over and has since become more complicated; however, as it appears that during the course of Krogan's rogue action, another settlement of violence took place within the complex, claiming the lives of nine unique individuals. Two are confirmed as private security agents for the Trader Shipping Company whereas the others are being described by forensics as wearing custom jumpsuits, compositionally comprised of dragon scales; all were identified and it's being speculated that they are somewhat in league with the dragon hunter syndicate...'

November 26, Caldera Cay General Hospital…

'For security reasons, their names are remaining confidential until a later time,' the newsreader explained.

She could excuse the necessary hustle of many staff working their shifts and attending to those in need. It was not unlike the busier days of the Sanctuary where she would be on hand for once siding mentoring and teaching to later days. For now it was like capturing this strange and archaic world from outside the lens; the roles were changed, her expertise now void in this world of human incapacitation over the dragons.

'Notable among the wounded was retired Immortal dragon rider Balmore Flashburn suffering six bullet wounds to his arms and torso suggesting a connection between him and the mysterious assailants. Once the recovered security footage has been thoroughly analysed and inquiry will be made to assess…'

'Excuse me nurse, could you turn that off please?' Mala asked with a pained expression feeling her heart rise over the potentially damning thread of information.

The young man in question exchanged a hesitant look before complying. 'Oh, of course.'

'Thank you,' Mala returned earnestly.

A faint sensation against her fingers captured her attention as pale hands wrapped around them. Bleary eyed and sad, Flashburn gazed upon that of a guardian figure, tired with deepening circles under her eyes but strong nonetheless. Her golden hair reached the collar of her jacket with less of a primed composure to her usual attire; though, the week had been a long one.

'Diane..?' Flashburn whispered hoarsely.

Mala returned with a simple smile but even in his drowned state he could read the fear in her expression. 'What is it?'

Mala inhaled a nervous breath, unsettled by the thought. 'Hiccup um, his leg. It had to be amputated.'

Flashburn seemed to feel the pain in his own sense clamping his eyes shut with pursed lips. 'We got them to safety; he's at ARCD with the rest of the team,' Mala reassured him.

'With who's left,' he said bitterly.

'You did all you could,' she softly chided him despite the similar weight she felt.

'And it payed nothing. Drago got away,' he was choking on the words as a tremor washed through him.

'And you almost died. I…' Mala held her tongue was the pain rose to her throat. 'I won't have that from you.'

Flashburn drilled into her eyes; his hand shivering with hers. 'Is it so wrong?'

'Yes! Balmore this not twenty-thrirteen. I watched you walk away then and please believe me when I say that was hard. Hard for me too,' her lip trembled.

'It wasn't you who lost their dragon,' he replied with a hint of resentment.

'No. It was me on the sideline unable to do a thing except watch,' her gaze fell to their hands. 'Just like Hiccup.'

'Then we're all broken relics of our past,' he whispered as a tear slipped free.

Mala found him again; where what she thought were the fires of anger boiling to the surface revealed itself as something far more frightening, fear. 'Balmore. Please, don't do this, not again, not now. I know I broke your heart once… please don't break mine.' There was the slightest tremor, something that seemed long forgotten to the ashes of time that shone in his eyes. 'Hiccup brought out the best in us all. I remember seeing a look in your eye; you'd found hope again, hope in him.'

Flashburn's breath hitched as his heart rate continued to rise. 'He reminds me of his parents. I thought… I though he was the key,' he said weakly.

'We all did, but you knew even before he stepped through that door. He reminded you of yourself; after you lost Torrenthorn, you were terrified, completely unsure and adamant that all your success and fortune came from your dragon,' she found the strength to wear the smile. 'By believing in Hiccup, you started believing in yourself again, you became the leader I always saw in you.'

'It shouldn't be me,' he stated immediately. 'Angela was right, I've only brought them pain and suffering; they shouldn't have faith.'

'But they do. Barbara laid down her life for Hiccup; she believe in him and she believed in you to take on the mantle. Gustav was young and his efforts, despite what happened were to serve your best interests; even Iglios, he believed in you and in turn you were willing to break your rule and nearly paid the same price, for all of them,' Mala cupped his hand between her own. 'I know you're scared; I'm terrified, but those of us who are left aren't giving up. I'm not giving up on you Balmore, not this time.'

With the emotions running high and their gazes nothing less than longing, Mala failed to notice the rapid acceleration of Flashburn's heart rate. She could see the cloud over his eyes as the strain began to take effect and without a second to lose, the doctors were swarming him with anaesthesia. Their time was spent and now he had to rest; to heal the wounds wrought over many years. She would find out in time whether his rested eyes would see the glint on the horizon; for all their sakes, without Flashburn the Defenders of the Wing were lost.

Anson Hospital…

In looking ahead, I'd only ever regarded the day this journal would fill existed; now that it's here, the novelty kind of feels a little underwhelming I guess. The sun's out so I suppose that's a nice thought but when has that ever indicated the course of the day? In fact the last couple of weeks have been strangely kinder even with the torrents of snow fall…

'There we go, should feel better now.' the doctor stepped back from the bedside as Hiccup swung his legs around. 'Have you been getting around home alright?'

With a hand against the bed frame to steady himself, Hiccup stood straight feeling the strange yet growingly familiar feeling in his left leg. 'If by that you mean I'm only freezing one foot now,' he quipped casting a look to Stoick before steadily striding forward. 'The stairs are tricky but I'm not exactly going anywhere far with the snowfall.'

'Well you don't need me to tell you about practise,' the doctor said before his expression glazed one more serious. 'Though, with your dragon… if you don't mind me asking, have you thought about what you'll do now?'

Hiccup continued pacing around the room building upon his stride. 'Uuum…' he noted the indecision in his father's eyes; the choice was still ultimately his own despite Stoick's fears. 'It's a work in progress. More or less just waiting on a friend.'

'I'll tell you what though,' the doctor smirked as the idea grew in his mind. 'With both you and Astrid up their together again I honestly feel sorry for the rest of the comp.'

'Ehh, I guarantee they'll still give it their hardest. New management might change things around a little though; I'm sure President Veers will be looking for any excuse to out me,' Hiccup steadily returned to the bed approving of the leg adjustment. 'This is feeling better too, thanks.'

The doctor nodded scribbling the notes on his pad before Stoick piped in. 'He's actually just on stand in. The board is holding a post for reassignment soon. You never know, we might luck out on new blood.'

'Fresh aesthetics? Well what's new?' Hiccup remarked receiving a bottle of pain medication. 'Maybe it's worth another round? Ta, see you in a fortnight doc.'

I know where my money is anyway both in a figurative and literal sense; new management could see a completely new image for the races, something fresh beyond the realms of the traditional track perhaps? As for actual investment, I can now officially call ARCD the new home of our career. The open publicization on particular fronts have opened up new opportunities to Berk, one such being company shares now that ARCD is an officially recognised firm curtesy of Gobber's new retailing deal. As such, it only seems fitting to see the direct sponsorship being channelled directly from them so my armour is due for a rebranding. Of course, after the violent encounter with Titan, a complete rebuild is on the books for both Toothless and myself…

Advanced Research Centre for Dragons…

The frame of mind had yet to properly sink in as most of Hiccup's time was spent in his usual reclusive schedule. Granted, even fewer had really taken note of his less ableness and limp but at least he was able to move around those tighter spaces with relative ease now; the wheelchair was only going to survive his patience for so long. During the days spent in the confines of a chair or bed he'd found his mind erring towards the future, the prospects that held very little certainty on anything too grand. The pencil was his friend and it wasn't as if paper was a rare commodity; he yearned the sky and the means to return there.

So the sound of Gobber's unholy tone going off in the distance was a welcoming thought and just another step closer to the free air. 'Yeah alright then. You can keep ringing off the numbers that way if you want but let me tell you stock only comes on demand as the people want it. Either way, more people are gonna come looking for you; I've already had three folk from the East with specific manufacturer interests. Where do you import materials from anyways, not all of it's from Berk surely?'

'You're telling me about the common market haha. Try private contracts for a year and your moustache'll fall out. Anyway, our ties with the Sanctuary grant us all of the dragon related materials otherwise most of it's pretty standard compound material though we do source independent orders according to client instruction,' Bob explained with hearty grin. 'Hiccup's gear, for example utilises modumetal plating; modern synthetic substitute to Gronkle Iron.'

'I know that, but where exactly?' Gobber threw his hand out in the air.

'All over the world, whoever is outsourcing to standard quality for the best price. Is there something you need ordered first hand?' Bob asked readying a pen and pad.

'No no no. I just… gahh, I take pride in local commerce and manufacturing; a little difficult considering Berk's not that large a place but I prefer it over having made in China labelled on my products,' Gobber reiterated right as Hiccup and Stoick entered the office.

Bob caught their eye with a keen smile. 'Gentlemen. Skulder's made a start, just head on down when you're ready.'

'Oi well look who's finally out and about. How are you feeling laddie?' Gobber waved an arm toward them.

'Like I could wrestle a Nightmare,' Hiccup remarked.

'Oh really? With one leg and a sling you're really pushing above your weight,' he sniggered before casting an eye to Stoick. 'Best keep an eye on him before he hurts himself again.'

'I'll do my best, but you know how he is,' Stoick replied as they passed back out into the main hub.

Hiccup couldn't wipe the grin from his face; his smirk earned a few expressions of intrigue as they entered the lab but it quickly fell upon seeing Skulder up to his elbows in a barrel marked with extreme toxicity warnings. Ben and Katie were off to the side tinkering at other projects but forever with an eye to their colleague.

'Um, should we be wearing hazmat suits?' Hiccup asked peeling off towards the other techs.

'Don't let the labels deceive you, it's only moderately lethal,' Skulder said before emerging with a globe that looked freshly sheened. 'Biproduct of the new cellulose mesh we've developed; three times as strong and perfect for your interests. I got your sketches by the way; you need a new hobby my friend.'

'Try it from my end, there's only so much you can do in bed,' Hiccup carefully approached.

'Mm, how is it by the way?' Skulder pointed towards his leg.

'It aches a lot but given time you know,' He shrugged in return.

'Fair fair. Well, let's get started shall we?' Skulder cracked his knuckles in emphasis.

Some people might suggest a certain monotony about the process but with experience came familiarity. Hiccup and Skulder dug through the various notes detailing strained areas in the old suit design, weak points, pressure bearing plates and systems vulnerabilities. From the casual glance, it seemed like a remodel but given everything that Hiccup and Toothless had encountered both on the track and in the field, it was time for a heavier yet sleeker build. They'd underestimated their foes once before and the price paid was too high; now in taking a stand, they needed to be ready as their numbers were few.

'See here, the cycling mechanism means a quick switch between flight and ground; it mightn't be as stable as a regular foot but it beats a peg,' Hiccup circled the mid section of prosthetic design upon one of his sketches.

'So power linkage?' Skulder suggested as a soft footstep echoed from the door.

'Or manual, we'll figure it out…' Hiccup cast quick glance in reaction only to but hit by a double take.

His breath hitched and eyes locked onto the figures that entered; there was a paleness to them that brought unease and every step they took seemed burdened with pain. He would know, but not to this degree. Hiccup left his post limping in his own short comings that immediately pulled the attention of the arrivals.

At first the ache he saw in those eyes threatened to bury in his heart but unexpectedly, the grin turned with the promise of something hopeful. 'You know I bet they're really pissed we survived?'

'What?' Hiccup shook his head casting a glance to Mala.

Flashburn carefully clasped his shoulder bringing him in for a gentle embrace. 'Thank gods you're alright.' Hiccup was frozen unsure how to react; this appearance was undoubtedly unexpected as the others all stared in shock.

Mala and Flashburn are back. He's on the mend; we're both pretty slow moving around the place but I guess it's no issue between us. We can work at our own pace, let the others push forward with their able bodies. Progress goes on and the days are once again becoming a continuous blur as we await the verdict of higher authorities. We've been avoiding the subject for some time, everyone knows it but the fact is we are exposed. The Defenders of the Wing like ARCD are no longer secrets to the public nor the press as they continue to dig deeper into this new mystery. Flashburn proposed a plan to retrieve the suits at least on the grounds of privatisation, it's a minor issue to do with the business but given our condition, any action will only shorten the hunt. Otherwise, the racing guild is still a mess and with Snoggletog just around the corner everything is feeling really tight timewise. One thing is certain; however, Dad's been called to publicly address the issue… and I've be requested to join him…

December 16, Empire Heights Promontory…

The ambient hum of the crowds were masked by the clicks of cameras as a compendium of press reporters surrounded the central lectern. Beyond them were the people; whether they were out on a stroll or here with intent the numbers were impressive to say the least. Stoick along with serval other members of the council board stood in their line with trim cuts worthy of the devasting season. From where they were seated on Stoick's left, Hiccup, Astrid, Bob, Mala and Flashburn overlooked the press; their cuts and bruises having since faded and without scars for the most part. All of them could feel the looming tension as Stoick tidied his notes; his sideways glance offering very little ease as he too was uncertain.

The crowds paid their attention and the audible hums softened as Stoick inhaled a long and calming breath. 'Thank you all for coming; it's good to see even the weather can't beat Berkian stubbornness. Though today is quite fine considering, if only I could say that the issues we are facing were the same.'

He grew a broad grin and with it, a respectable tone followed. 'To begin I would like to mention the signs of Snoggletog have already reached us and the committees of showmanship and presentation have been working around the clock to organise yet another spectacular display going into the new year. You may have seen the trucks loaded with supplies and ornamental decorations as the Downtown market place is undergoing the final touches to its seasonal makeover. I can assure you that despite the recent disturbances we will not stop the celebrations going forth; like every year behind us, we have earnt a right to rest.'

Applause washed over the crowds before Stoick turned with a frown to his bushy brow. 'But there is an issue and a warning at hand. I've been asked to address the events regarding the dragon racing championship finals and the consequential circumstances surrounding it. The Dragon Racing Guild CEO, Darius Bludvist has disappeared after the attack during the Championship finals last month; consequently his titles are left unyielding and unlikely to be reattained by the founder himself. Respectively, a reassignment of the board is at hand but will not be taking place until January third of next year. Acting President Veers has assured the council that work has begun to reassess security measures and funding has been granted for a specialised department for the mental wellbeing of competitors and staffing. It is confirmed that the 2018 season will resume as per usual; unfortunately, there has not be any word regarding the presentations and awards ceremony that were disbanded. For the time being, the race tracks will be opened for training purposes except during the public holidays.'

Hiccup could feel a slight inkling of irritation rising at that statement; he could see the hand of Veers working away in his attempts to cling for power. 'I now invite Commissioner Phlegma to present her report,' Stoick nodded to his right, stepping away from the lecturn.

'Thank you Steven,' Phlegma nodded curtly before casting a cursory glance across the crowd. 'It's true the whereabouts of Darius Bludvist are unknown and the attempts to locate him lead to suggest he may even be abroad. The condition of his acclamation remains unclear but our analysts are still investigating the recovered footage for any clues.'

'Related is that the fugitive Krogan and his dragon are still missing having evaded security and fled leaving no trace as to where they were going. Thanks to the evidence of key witnesses, Harold Haddock and Astrid Hofferson,' Phlegma cast a hand toward them, 'we do know his dragon is wounded that then suggests he is likely to remain within sovereign borders. We implore the people of this nation to take vigilance and care and if this man should show his face, do not hesitate to report him in; it's possible there are worse crimes to his name. Thank you.'

Stoick resumed his place at the lectern still holding his stern expression. 'The response effort on our behalf has struck a fortunate deal and new security measures are being implemented; sensor technology based upon the sky barrier and stun gates used in the dragon races are being engineered into hive across Berk. By May of 2018, we should have the network complete with the ability to activate upon will. We hope by then Krogan has either been captured or turned himself in but I would like to express my thanks to Bob, former dragon rider Immortal and CEO of the Advanced Research Centre for Dragons.'

Bob received the invitation humbly shaking his friend's hand. 'It's possible some of you may know who we are already; the Advanced Research Centre for Dragons, ARCD is a privately owned research firm focused on dragon biology and technology stems. Until recently we spanned a small network of contracts to private investors and military projects; one such investor sits here with us, Harold Haddock. Hand drawn and devised by the young man himself, his Night Rider suit is one of our finest creations. Most recently however, a retailing deal with Forgeworks has enabled us to release our commercial product line with technology proposed to enrich your lives. It's our way of saying, we're ready to open up to the world but this trust is double sided. The sensors are powerful tools so please, don't abuse our hospitality, we want to provide but like everything these days, it comes at a cost,' Bob lowered his gaze into an arc behind him. 'Stoick… I think it's time we settle some debts of our own.'

Stoick nodded once drawing more cards from inside his suit jacket. 'Indeed it's a rare but a welcome thing; the valour of only a few have proven to be a mighty force. The council and her constituents have reached an agreement, whilst in the face of my short absence, to declare a commendation for those who stood against forces that would corrupt our way of life,' he thumbed the first card over reading it clearly for the masses. 'For the bravery, not in the face of the enemy but of great diversity and life threatening situations; for heading the recovery of a citizen in peril and outstanding moral fibre. I award the Bork medal to Miss Astrid Hofferson.'

At the turn of the applause, both Astrid and Hiccup felt a spark of nerves hit them as they shared a shocked expression. Hiccup curled a grin with an encouraging nod towards his father as Deputy Mayor, Heath Magadon came to stand alongside him. She inhaled a long and frosted breath flexing her fist to release some of the tension; this was not a racing awards ceremony, the prestigious honour these medals signified brought a greater form of responsibility. Stoick's shadow would forever shade her from the horizonal sun but it wasn't an ominous sign, not with the smile he wore as his hand reached out to clasp her own.

'What's the chance one of these media folk accuse me of favouritism?' He chuckled softly.

Astrid simply met his mirth as Deputy Mogadon deftly pinned the medal to her jacket collar. 'We take into strong consideration, the depth of formal training and endurance these men and women have endured,' Stoick turned back to the lectern. 'One such man has suffered dearly, his life almost forfeit in the line of bravery. For acts of the greatest heroism or for most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger; confronting an anarchist group in an attempt to delay them, I award the Chief Bokkard Cross, to Mr Balmore Flashburn.'

Hiccup saw the way his eyes held a heaviness to them, the same channel of guilt and the undeserving tone in his muted sigh. He couldn't say to why he was adamant in that effect; his smile would reach the surface but there was no depth to it. He could imagine the pressure of dishonesty though, the hidden truth behind his actions and even when regarded as a hero he knew it brought more pain than glory. One day he might ask about the exact origins of those trials and the paths that led them to the crossroads of meeting but for now he would allow the man the peace he needed.

'Finally, and as it may sound like a conflict of interest, I again stress that despite the immense pride this personally instils, this was the ruling of the council,' Stoick assured the crowds looking to the last card. 'For great acts of valour, perseverance and defence in the face of the enemy; in arising to the unlawful and violent challenge of an anarchist at the forfeit of personal safety for the sake of others. I award our most prestigious medal, the Black Star to Mr Harold Haddock.'

The course of his speech seeped a somewhat strange feeling for Hiccup; it was the surrealist state between reality and sub consciousness where novelty was non-existent and the registration of achievement seemed neutral. Out-of-body was the term used but even as he shook his father's hand and received the small casket medallion from Thuggory's, his mind was for once blank for thought. This was not the reception he imagined; the welcoming applause and congratulation opposite to what reality had thrown against them. Did they forget the damages he caused, the homicidal tactics and insight for murder; where Krogan was intended to be buried instead of himself. Perspective and the truth as it seemed was once again twisted, or lost to an altering frame. Maybe he did understand the plight behind Flashburn's silent expression after all.

December 21, Hiccup's room…

Missing the sunshine comes with the same cycle of being fed up with it during the summer. The same complaints occur every year and it's only in consciously noticing this trend that it becomes absurd. Then again, does it really matter? We have learned to live with the seasons if not out of stubbornness than innovation; some such ideas worthy of international praise. The Black Star lives in a cabinet with other accolades and achievements from the past; Dad is in a dual state of both his outward pride but aware of the inflationary tendencies that may arise. I find it amusing but the truth is I'm still amongst the ambiguous cloud that Flashburn is perpetually circling around. Mala's been keeping us in the loop and that in its own regard was a curiosity arisen out of spontaneity. Regardless, I think they still need time to figure stuff out; their past is shrouded in ambiguity and it's not something I want to unsettle. I have my own to worry about now…

'Where do you want this to go?' Hiccup asked holding a particular box of interest, the one Bob had personally delivered to Stoick's office.

Stoick's eyes narrowed in thought knowing the sensitive information it contained. 'It was for both of us, but I'll leave it to you.'

Hiccup twisted his mouth carefully setting it amongst a short stack. 'Does it bother you? I mean, are you ok?'

Stoick inhaled deeply before striding over to rest a hand on his shoulder. 'At this point it's nothing more than speculation, old files, maps and lots of dragon research. I don't know. Learning to accept loss is hard Hiccup, we both know that. But I've never stopped loving her.'

Hiccup's gaze drifted across to his desk where the old photograph of Valka holding both Windy and himself in her arms sat. 'I think a better question is to ask how you feel?' Stoick asked.

The solitary silence lasted for a long moment. 'I don't know either. But, she didn't have much of a choice.'

He gently slipped away from under Stoick's arm and began packing another box of personal items. 'So you're really sure about this?'

'Would it make you feel better if I said this was purely strategical?' he quipped.

'I just… I didn't expect it so soon,' Stoick admitted understandably going through the same motions that most parents would.

Hiccup knew this offering a sign of reassurance. 'It'll still be a while yet. I can start moving until April next year, I'm just cleaning up my room for now. Besides, there's still something about a drivers' licence; I can't fly everywhere on Toothless,' he nudged Stoick in the ribs.

'Astrid does have her bike?' Stoick replied prompted by the gesture.

'Astrid also has her own life,' Hiccup noted firmly stacking the next box among the pile. 'And until the season starts, we intend on making the most of our free time.'

'Time to work up some hours then,' Stoick chuckled.

Hiccup nodded fairly. 'When I'm around sure. But I imagine Toothless and I'll be out a fair bit.'

'Does Flashburn have a job for you?' Stoick inquired.

'No, he's… taking time away, still taking initiative never proved too harmful,' Hiccup shrugged off any allusions.

He shouldn't have doubted the awareness of his father, reading people was half his job. 'You want to look for Krogan.'

Hiccup felt the chill in his spine but pushed through nonetheless. 'I didn't say that specifically,' that did little to ease Stoick's confidence. 'It's just regional patrols, the other cities are perfectly capable of…'

'I know Hiccup. I'm worried too, but you don't have to do it yourself,' Stoick reminded him.

'It's my fault he got away, everyone thinks that we're some kind of hero's… I, no. I made a mistake and I'm just trying to fix it,' Hiccup stammered laying his cards out face up.

Stoick accepted his plea offering a new course of action. 'Then what you need to do is take your time. You need to heal first, not just your leg, but here too,' he tapped his chest. 'All this can wait. Take the time to just… be a teen?

'I think can honestly say I don't how anymore,' Hiccup rolled his eyes dismissing the thought.

'Really? So you think you've forgotten how to be a teenager eh?' the grin he grew was not in the slightest bit reassuring. 'So if I ask you to try and I mean try, I bet in three days you won't wake before ten.'

Hiccup dropped his shoulders with a confident smirk. 'With a dragon knocking at my window before dawn. Seem's fair.'

Note to self, never bet against Dad ever again….

December 31, Southshore Bayside Park…

Berk has its serene moments during every season; the amber sheen of a never ending sunset during the summer and the sheet of white that paints the city illuminating it in a haze that never fails as a novelty. The peak of Snoggletog with Christmas day was quiet like most years for Hiccup but he wouldn't ask for it any other way. The later hours of the day remained calm but with Toothless by his side they could waste away hours enjoying life away from their troubles. Even on the ground amongst the mounds of snow there was a strange sense of ease; a familiar tone to it all. New Years was a stark contrast and with the Twins striking out with open invites to the Southshore Bayside park, the numbers continued to grow as the final hours of the year ticked away. The drinks were heavy, the laughter loud and warm and everywhere Hiccup looked he could see a people who's troubles were forgotten.

'You're really holding hopes next year will be better?' Cami raised her brow.

Tuffnut threw his arms out in emphasis. 'It's a matter of being optimistic; your mood reflects the majority of experiences.'

The water glistened peacefully with the city lights as the gang found themselves sitting around the girder marking off the beach entrance, all with a view to watch the impending fireworks. 'I'm telling you all now, the new year brings about new content and I don't just mean popular media. School is over, the battles are won; we are free to roam the EARTH!'

'Yeah, free roaming, with extra charges on data. Let's narrow that view there bro,' Ruff remarked taking note of her phone.

'Come on, this month's been a blur, I barely remember it,' Tuff lolled his head back. 'We should do something spectacular, go somewhere for a few weeks; what about we try warm weather?' Tuff's eyes lit up at the possibility.

'Are you trying to be funny?' Snotlout smirked incredulously.

'Pretty sure I've explained my tells but seriously. What about a real summer?' he implored.

'Well you've got three options, anarchy and disease, economic instability and disease or sunstroke and lethal fauna,' Cami interjected.

'What?' Snotlout frowned.

'First of all, way to stereotype. South America isn't all toxins and militia you know; Argentina is quite friendly from what I've heard,' Tuff explained earning a dismissive look from Cami.

'Too bad I failed grade eighth Spanish,' she quipped with a smug grin.

'Well then how's your Swahili?' Tuff match her sharpness.

The others all shared a snigger at the incredulous notion. 'I get it, we're not all for an international trip but come on, have you seen those Australian beaches?' he remarked slurring his accent.

'They'd be crowded as. Think of all the other international tourists,' Thuggory noted levelling the conversation back to reason.

Tuff acknowledged the gesture before singling out the riders. 'What about you two? It's not out of your range.'

Hiccup shared a glance with Astrid, the suggestion certainly a possibility. 'I dunno, there's still a fair bit going on around here and we're keeping an eye on funds; we've spent a fair bit in recent investments,' Astrid replied.

'Recent investments? What are you up to now?' Heather leant forward with intrigue.

'New League, new gear. You'll find out,' Astrid brushed it off.

'Look at you, celebrity millionaire dragon riders. Instant set up, benefits, just lives sorted.' Snotlout waved his hands around.

'They have a point Snotlout,' Heather said. 'You really don't get much time for thought do you? It's just race by race and then bam, year's done, get ready for the next one.'

'And when you put it that way, it does make you wonder,' Fishlegs concurred with Heather. 'Now that school's done, what is your life outside of dragon racing?'

'Oh, enough with the absurd humanity stuff, gods.' Snotlout rolled his eyes. 'How about giving the rest of us a chance to catch up am I right?'

The gang chuckled away feeling both he weight of the future by the airiness of their atmosphere around them. 'Look, we still have another few years to figure things out; we're not suppose to know what we're doing.' Fishlegs alleviated the pressing notion.

'Though Hiccup, you are still thinking of riding next year? Even though…' he pointed towards his leg with an eye of concern.

'Yeah, like that'll stop him,' Cami interjected before meeting him with the same questioning glance.

Hiccup shrugged with vague intent. 'We'll wait and see.'

'Gods, you're as vague as each other,' Cami exclaimed.

'Alright well what about you two? Astrid returned to sender.

'Law school.' Cami deadpanned.

'Really?' her brow rose in surprise.

Cami's expression was short lived. 'Pfft, I dunno. Probably UNI, just nothing with Maths.'

'And you Thuggory?' Hiccup inquired with a smug grin; one that his friend found a little suspect.

The others seemed to catch onto the silent conversation leaning the weight of their eyes onto Thuggory. 'Ahh, my um. My Sanctuary contract's been upgraded. Full time job in handling.'

'No way! Any specialties?' Astrid gasped.

'Ahh, special division,' he replied nervously. 'So, principle training on Big Red, the ahh, Crimson Goregutter and um, other unique breeds.'

'And by unique you mean?' Hiccup egged him on short of breaking into laughter.

'On occasion, racing dragons. Specifically Stormfly and Toothless,' he revealed slowly as Hiccup was enjoying this far too much.

'You're joking!' Astrid cheered.

'Well isn't that fortunate,' Hiccup slyly remarked before casting an eye into the crowd where Mala and Flashburn were in mid conversation. 'Honestly though, I'm looking forward to it.'

Thuggory returned with a gentle smile before movement caught their attention. 'Well it's the realms of Einstein for us,' Tuffnut announced as he rested his arm upon Ruff's shoulder.

'With a side of Biochemistry, we've had some interesting results for the hair investigation, most of it's gone white but there were the few that stayed orange and purple,' Ruff recounted earning a flat expression from Cami.

The discussion of strange biological experiments though common enough for them did spark Hiccup's memory from some time ago. 'Hey what about that old limbs project?'

All eyes turned on him in confusion except for Tuff who turned a mischievous grin. 'I'd be willing to donate now.'

If not for disturbing the minds of his friends a little, it was in kinder spirits and relief that such pain and trauma could be reflected on with humour. Time would tell how things may change but he had help and in turn was no longer afraid to ask of it. Whilst the others seemed to bounce around the fleshy remark Astrid could help but turn her gaze towards Heather as she sat quietly in by Fishlegs.

'What about you Heather, what are your plans,' she asked but what she didn't expect was for Fishlegs' expression to falter as if already aware.

Heather straightened up and massaged her hands. 'I'm… I'm going with Dagur back to Berserker city.' She enveloped the gang with their silence and shock. 'The racing guild has requested he take some time away from the main comp to oversee training and drafting from upcoming Berserker riders. We've got a unit together, so I'm going to study humanities and sociology and make sure he stays well.'

Hiccup met Fishlegs with an aura of understanding. 'Boxing day, she told me on Boxing day,' Fishlegs was already ahead of him.

'Hey, why the gloom everyone? You do realise what this means right?' Ruffnut leapt to her feet with a wild tone of realisation. 'Freaking road trip to Berserker!'

'If by road you mean plane then sure,' Snotlout stated sitting back against the girder to the groans of the others. 'What?'

'Kinda defeats the point of it being a road trip then,' Astrid said.

'Oh whatever. Fine, but that means snack stops and funny road sign pics,' Snotlout relinquished his reservation.

'Yeah that's the spirit, alright so that's one, who else?' Ruffnut encouraged.

One by one, the rest of the gang accepted the offer before they reached Hiccup and Astrid who were whispering their own intentions. 'Yo, Hiccstrid, we riding the fun-vee?'

Astrid shrugged to their private conversation before meeting Ruff's prompt. 'Yeah, we should be fine.'

'Just gotta pick a week between everything,' Hiccup second their choice.

'Awesome, right so then what, drivers, accommodation?' Ruffnut continued.

'Ooh, we should see if we can use cousin Gruffnut's minibus,' Tuffnut piped in.

'What? Ew gross, do you have any idea what he does with that thing?' Ruff blanched casting her brother a scolding look.

'I could name a few things but none of which are particularly public friendly. Besides, it has the seats we need; it's not a party without a party you know,' he appealed to her sense of occasion.

'Uh fine, but you're cleaning it out. No way I'm touching anything in there until you do,' she replied.

'Deal?' he wore his best smile.

'Deal,' she affirmed before they both spat into their palms and clasped in a solid handshake.

With a plan in motion and the future in a semblance of direction, they were able to breathe a little easier; a new year to new horizons, an era worth remembering. Where the park was a host of endless bustle, the people of Berk finally stilled their feet at the clasp of midnight and faced North. Berk Tower shone with the Empire Heights complex like a beam through the middle illuminating the winter sky.

Thus, like a chorus, the city hummed true. 'Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six! Five! Four! THREE! TWO! ONE! HAPPY NEW YEAR!'

The first jet streams of fireworks soared from the tower's many terraces before reaching out in fingers to each of the seven suburbs. It rolled across like thunder with colour to fill their imagination; a city rolling in waves of cheer and utter celebration. For some, it was an explosive sensation; the need to express overwhelming every desire. For others, they were brought to silence and awe instead as they could feel the vibrations of the Earth run through them. The gang was standing at the turn of the hand and the very instant brought them life. Astrid leant in closer placing her hand over Hiccup's heart feeling it thump through the various layers. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders drawing her in as they stared at the sky. They might have wondered about the dragons soaring the skies unawares of the relevance this day had; at one point he thought he saw a shadow cast against the light, something of an old fantasy capturing his mind's eye. He knew all the same Toothless was resting on the warmth of his slab at the Sanctuary; among dragons for company and safe from the crowds of the night.

Hiccup gently covered her hand rubbing it with his thumb as Astrid nuzzled his neck. 'Happy new year Hiccup.'

He tilted his head to meet the crystal reflection of her azure eyes. 'Happy new year Astrid,' there they felt the velvet softness of their lips meeting in a kiss that blanketed them from the world around them.

When they parted with cheeks burning beyond the iciness of the air, a single flake of pure white snow drifted between them only to find that their hair was littered with tiny specks as the sky began to float down to earth. 'Isn't that something,' Hiccup whispered in wonder before Astrid pulled him in for another wave of passion.

'Oh boy oh boy oh boy. It's time laddiest ludeetas,' Tuffnut's voiced pulled them from the haze as the gang caught onto his excitable tone. 'People of the internet bring on the culture.'

Hiccup and Astrid shared a curious glance as Tuffnut thumbed away at his phone. 'Here we go here we go here we go and… Heh, I see. Anyone for hot tea?'

'What?' Astrid frowned lost to the reference.

'Mariah Carey for her performance,' Cami explained from over Tuff's shoulder. 'She didn't get her tea. Still killed it on stage apparently.'

'The more you know,' Astrid remarked satirically.

'Whoa hold up. More memes incoming,' Tuff held his finger up. 'Uh huh, nope, nope, more new years posts ooh, what's this? No that's a December template, what about… oh, oh no, oh gods, OH IT'S CURSED! Spitting and clicking everywhere; everyone seems to be lost! I am sickened! But curious,' he declared before plunging right back into the cyberspace.

Ruff was short on the uptake crinkling her nose in response. 'To be fair, it could be a lot worse.'

Tuffnut returned with extreme incredulousness. 'Do enlighten me dear sister.'

'I dunno, tide pods?' she shrugged before sauntering off with Cami and Heather.

Astrid was also caught by Heather's eye who beckoned her over for a lady's quest. 'I better take this. Don't wonder too far,' Astrid teased with a quick peck to the lips before trailing after the other girls.

'You know, it doesn't happen intentionally,' he returned cheerfully.

Astrid shot him a challenging smirk that sent tingles of electricity through his chest, at least until Tuff's snigger caught his focus. 'Tide pods. Pffft, like that's gonna happen.'

With the gang slowly dispersing for their own intentions, Hiccup was free to wonder through the crowds of mostly unfamiliar people; the odd smile or acknowledgement was welcoming even to the likes of fellow dragon riders. 'Heya Hiccy.'

The strangely familiar voice pulled him to the left. 'Ah, hi Tina.'

Even in the depths of arctic hell, Perpetina Powers still managed to hold a fashionable elegance to her attire. 'How are you holding up?'

Hiccup noticed the subtle difference in her tone; be it respect out of his competition or in person she held his eye with an earnest smile. 'Look, where do I begin?'

Tina understood well enough to let it pass. 'It's alright. I won't keep you long. Figured since you were passing by I'd catch your eye. You're easier than some thankfully; see that strapping fellow over there,' she pointed to a trimmed man with a short beard and chiselled jaw. 'American, been trying to lure him all night, damn near impossible.'

'Maybe he's unavailable?' Hiccup suggested.

'Nah ah, not by the way these other lasses are hanging around. Check out that arse, bless whoever thought of slim fit jeans…' her voice slipped away as a head of blond caught her eye. 'Oh for… blocked by actual cock.'

Hiccup couldn't help but chuckle at Tina's expense as the American slipped into the arms of another man. 'Good for him. Oh well, you can't win em' all,' he quipped.

Tina rolled her eyes before training her attention back to Hiccup. 'I feel like I've wasted my night. To yet another in a long line of losses,' she mimed a glass in her hand before her brow furrowed. 'You're coming back to racing right?'

'It's in the cards. I really just have to see how I go with this,' he patted his left leg. 'Besides, you'll have Astrid to worry about now.'

'Don't remind me,' her shoulders fell with a sigh. 'Well whatever happens. Good luck to you.'

'And you. Stay safe… use protective gear. I guess I'll see you around Tina,' Hiccup smirked before limping away.

'I could say the same for you,' she smirked a little suggestively before the act was dropped completely. 'Ahh, I've got a bunch of paperwork and stuff to deal with first anyway. Some contract about dragon relocation? I dunno, but apparently Windshear's part of the deal so seeing as Anora's her sister I got notified.'

Hiccup felt that familiar wave of urgency stream through his veins. 'Right. I hope it goes through.'

'A little pain for bigger rewards. I have faith. And to you Night Rider,' Tina nodded her final farewells before disappearing amongst the people.

The notice about paperwork had Hiccup scouring his mind for their first interaction at the start of the 2017 season. Tina's actions though possibly just an exasperation felt indicative of something hidden. She had made a note about his stance against the dragon hunters once before; the consequent fall of that operation over the following months may have triggered a catalyst idea about his person. Regardless of the specifics, Tina possibly believed he was connected; a suggestion that bode suspicion about the dragon relocation and the fate of Windshear. Despite the growing ache in his leg, Hiccup pushed through the masses with an eye for one man in particular. His sleek black hair and wandering eyes were somewhat unique amongst the crowd; where everyone marvelled at the pretty lights of the city, he was gazing out to sea.

Hiccup needn't announce his arrival sidling up to tentatively lean against the railing. 'It's that time of night isn't it?'

Flashburn in any case was not perturbed by his arrival growing a thin smile. 'There's only so many times you can answer how you're feeling before it becomes irritating.'

'What a luxury,' Hiccup remarked. 'Most people just wanna know if I'm still racing.'

'Are you?' Flashburn teased as his mood seemed to brighten some more.

'Ha ha. Come on, you think I've forked out four point five million into hardware for nothing? I've got skills to keep sharp, besides I think something's come up,' Hiccup explained subconsciously checking his phone for notifications.

'Good gods Hiccup, and they say I don't know how to rest,' Flashburn chuckled away.

Hiccup shook his head in equal amusement. 'Hey it's not my fault; Tina Powers side-tracked me, mentioned a dragon relocation contract, Anora's sister is involved.'

'Windshear?' Flashburn clarified.

'You know her?' Hiccup was a little surprised.

'We've met. Typical Razorwhip, very skittish around humans,' Flashburn explained leaning on his elbow to face him. 'So you think there might be something sinister at work?'

'I don't know what to make of it but I doubt Tina would've said something if she didn't think I was somehow connected,' he explained.

Flashburn seemed to accept the reasoning. 'We can look for now, you'd just hope it's nothing serious.'

'Yep, some rest sounds nice,' Hiccup returned to gazing across the sparkling waves. 'So how are you feeling, honestly?' he emphasised his point.

He could hear the long breath Flashburn inhaled, his eyes unsteady as if the answer was somewhere over the bay. 'I don't know.' A chilling flush tingled across his face where his expectations were somewhat subverted. 'My wounds are healing but I don't feel well. It's as though, there's a wall I have to push through, even with simple tasks.'

'Can you sleep?' Hiccup asked to a vague reaction.

'Can you?' he returned.

'I feel like there's more to that question,' Hiccup frowned, aware of Flashburn's unease.

The hint of a smirk crept upon his features. 'There's no getting past you. Well if I were to ask about phantom pains, would you know how to explain it?'

The personal edge to his suggestion leaned closer to where Flashburn was at. 'Consciously you know there's nothing there but the pain remains.'

'Like scars and bad dreams; all that has come to pass is burnt into our memories,' he mused.

'Treat it like a learning experience?' Hiccup suggested, thinking on the past.

'Hm, every catastrophe has a lesson to be taught; sometimes it takes trauma just to reveal a neglected truth. I guess the question is whether it was worth the price?' Flashburn speculated.

'Or can we only accept the choice now that it's passed?' Hiccup drew back on plain realism.

Flashburn was smiling now, 'Aye. What's happened has happened and could not have happened any other way.'

Hiccup broke into chortles at the dual perspectives on the subject 'That really doesn't help much does it?'

'I take it you don't believe in fate?' he asked.

Hiccup shook his head. 'Not like that, you?'

'Fate as man makes it,' he stated quietly. 'If not wallowing in the trials of the past then at least it eases the burden of the future.'

'So what is our future?' Hiccup left the question open to the air.

'That, is entirely up to you. But you'll have my support either way,' Flashburn tentatively rested his hand on Hiccup's shoulder.

The moment struck as the night urged them to peer forward into the new year; still, Hiccup found himself looking back. 'I feel as though it's always been that way? When I look around, I just see eyes looking back, waiting for something spectacular. I see it with you too, the Defenders look to you to lead them but who are we to decide what's best for them? But think about it, who are we if not for the dragons?'

'I've asked myself that question many years; you know what I discovered? Nothing,' Flashburn patted his shoulder. 'Because in wondering about a world without dragons blinds you from realising the worth of a world with them. We're a nation unlike any other, a people unlike any other and still within it there are only few us who are those of us able to explore that world; the rest simply stand in awe.'

Flashburns passage was taking hold as Hiccup weighed the scales for himself. 'They see us as hero's; the champions of both worlds unknowing of our inner struggles. And in that endless battle we either fall to our own demons or triumph, becoming a hero the hard way.'

'A hero the hard way. It's Bittersweet,' Flashburn pondered the thought with a fond expression.

Hiccup felt a glimmer of pride in that notion before returning to gaze out across the bay. 'So what happens now?

'That's a mystery for more than one mind to solve. In the long run, we fortify the borders, put eyes wherever we can. If there are active hunters left on Berk we track them down and subdue them.' Flashburn plainly explained. 'Which means we have to get those stealth suits back.'

'Are we able to?' Hiccup inquired with a mind on the bigger picture. 'As in after Drago, do we have the strength to do all that?'

Flashburn curled a confident grin. 'Fate is one thing, faith is another. Wherever Drago is hiding, the world will not have forgotten him, even in lands untouched by civilisation…'

Somewhere in the Arctic wastes…

Ice shelves, burgs and sheets scattered amongst the northern ocean, even with the current issues of climate change and the continual melting of the polar caps there was still an abundance of ice to navigate. The vessel that chugged through with care and patience wasn't the largest by any means but her crew were steadfast and cunning; they knew these waters well and the way the ice proved its notoriety. Standing firm at the bow, Drago inhaled the salty air with the crisp burn of winter, the calm almost obliviating to the chaos of November. Footsteps behind him beckoned his attention with Johann standing firm in his coat and scarfs.

'The captain's called for mooring, the shelf's too thick,' he relayed with a thick inhale.

Drago simply nodded casting his gaze far into the atmospheric haze. 'Are we close?'

'About thirty kilometres out,' Johann handed him a tablet detailing their location.

'Load the hovercraft,' Drago instructed pulling away from the bow to hand back the tablet.

Johann acknowledge the order proceeding to round up the crew for the expedition. Within the hour they were skating across the ice sheets on an inflated cushion with crates of equipment and the stronger force of hunters on board; loaned men and women on hand in the event of a fallout. The spray of the snow was left in swirling winds behind the mega fans propelling them across the arctic wastes; every burg seemingly larger by the kilometre and at last they were greeted by strange columns and spikes that seemed natural but with an unnerving edge to them.

'What on Earth caused that?' a starboard crewman noted as they glided past.

Drago heaved forward with a sinister sense of delight; with the deepening shadows of the ensuing blanket of constant night, the headlights broke a narrow path through the glacial canyon before it opened into a large plateau. What lay before them; however, reduced the crew to astonished silence; a great biome of spikes in the centre of the plateau reaching several hundred metres in diameter. Their craft was dwarfed and it only served with inducing a chilling sense of dread beyond that of the beyond frigid temperatures.

'Take us round, search for an opening,' Drago instructed the helmsman.

As such they travelled the entire circumference and yet there lay nothing in sight of both their enhanced and thermal vision approaches. 'Nothing in sight Drago, perhaps on the higher shoulders or the spurs?' Johann suggested.

Drago growled at the prospects with another more direct approach in mind. 'No. Take us in, we'll force our own path.'

Thus the shadow of the colossal structure loomed over them as the hovercraft whirred down to a halt. With snowskiis bound with sled born materials and equipment, the expedition crew arrived at the outer wall. Drago was the first to dismount, his eyes scanning the natural textures of the ice and from with, a atmospheric hum seemed to vibrate within. At last he rest his hand upon the surface but in that moment, silence ensued; the air was thin and the light scarce from the world.

'Gods have mercy,' the expedition commander softly exclaimed.

'Cast away your concerns Ivar,' Johann strode forth gripping his shoulder. 'We make history here today.'

Drago stepped back, his eyes alight with a pre-emptive tone of triumph as at last, the decades of searching would climax at his command. 'Ready the drills!' he commanded turning back to the impending wall. 'Show me my Alpha.'

Back in Berk…

'What about Krogan?' Hiccup leant his arms upon the railing.

'Brant scored a tip; it's vague but it seems Krogan's fled to the mountains.' That idea alone brought a great deal of concern; Flashburns's eyes were swallowed by it and it didn't help to settle their fears. 'Why anyone would go there during the devastating season is beyond me; something has him on edge and it's not us.'

'Well if the elements don't get him first, we have a lead right?' Hiccup suggested.

'Maybe,' Flashburn faced him directly. 'But there are worse things than the cold up there.'

Loki's Finger, Skardi Range…

It wasn't often that the Eastern pass of the Skardi range was ever greeted by human footsteps; the ancient tales and omens dreamed up by local superstition seemed to have a lasting effect. Nonetheless, the winding torrents of frigid crevices known as Loki's finger sheltered many lost, discarded and broken things. The day that man returned willingingly; however, their intentions ignorant or perhaps unnerved by the superficial lore, was a sure sign of even worse fates. There loomed a shadow; one that too many had fallen victim to. The threat was something Krogan never lost sight of, if his mind ever strayed it wouldn't venture for long. Though, he was slowly slipping away from the trails of reason; the fate of his dragon bore unkindness and struggle. In recent times he would even consider the word companion as true to the tone despite the irony it held. Nevertheless, Titan's wounds healed slowly and without the safety of decent shelter in the frozen ridges, it seemed he may have foolishly bought a fatal ticket. A small outcropping covered their heads for the time being but the blizzard never ceased. Krogan's efforts to build a fire with the limited materials weren't in complete loss either with the semblance of a viable heat source smouldering away thanks to Titan's help.

The Singetail breathed loudly, his eyes were drooped and bearing the weight of their journey quite terribly. 'C...come. Come closer, b...by the fire,' Krogan shivered, holding his arms firmly around his chest.

Titan groaned and with heavy claws, he dragged himself behind his rider. 'T...Tomorrow, we can head E...East, to the coast. T...There are people, old… old trappers can help us,' Krogan chittered with thick plumes of steam rising with every word.

Again, the certainty of refuge was slim but against the populous who would sooner see him dead than imprisoned, choice was a luxury he'd long since forfeited. As the small flames crackled away, Krogan lost himself to the haze of light drowning in its essence away from the blight upon his name. He barely noticed the sharpness in Titan's eyes; how he rose his head in alertness at the blinding wastes around them. Though that voice, he would never miss.

'Abandon hope… is what they say to those who journey here,' it was smooth like the sickle and bearing a strong baritone pitch like the hammer those words pounded upon him.

Krogan felt his stomach churn, the ice that already massed upon his coat seemingly numb to the bitter spear in his heart.

'Titan!' he achingly scrambled to his feet in time for the horror's he'd been running from to finally arrive.

A sharp whistle echoed through the air and from out of the blizzard, a terrifying black dragon sprung at Titan clamping onto his neck with mantis claws. It hissed and snarled with saliva dripping from great tusks; its scales were tinged with streaks of red along its hackled back down to a tail that curled up to strike Titan with the glistening white barb. Feverous golden eyes glowed with savageness he'd seen once many years ago in a chance encounter that forever left a mark on his memory; Deathgrippers, seldom few even existed and of those that did brought with them a storm unlike any other. Wherever they were, their master was never far behind. A second Deathgripper slinked out of the mist to Krogan's right as four more crawled onto the ridge above, all with hungry eyes and teeth that thirst for dragon blood.

'Tsk tsk tsk, you know better than that Krogan,' the same smooth voice continued to taunt him. 'I'm over here,' it stated bluntly.

Krogan whipped around to meet a cloaked and masked figure sitting idly by with his hands to the fire. 'I hope you don't mind if warm up a little? It is, quite cold.'

He dressed entirely in black with combat belts and holsters hugging his lithe build. From behind the mask his long face remained hidden but Krogan knew the pale merciless eyes and the cunning grin he wore with them. He cast a short glance to each of the Deathgrippers all poised and ready to strike; the odds were entirely against him but perhaps he could find a sliver of luck, a break in the blizzard and escape.

'Ah ah,' the man gently shook his head with a silenced pistol aimed at Krogan's chest; his movements were more precise and Krogan never stood a chance as the barrel dipped and a searing spike of pain ripped through his right knee.

He collapsed to the snow to find it stained with crimson as he clawed at his leg with strangled cries. His attacker rose from the fire idly trudging through the snow before slipping his mask and hood away to reveal a pale face with short peroxided hair.

'There,' he reached down to pat Krogan's cheek. 'Much simpler this way. All this running about is tiresome work.'

'What do you want… Grimmel?' Krogan groaned at the mix of searing heat and iciness on his wound.

The tall man returned with a menacing grin upon his broad lips. 'Well it's a long and rigorous story but I'll get to the point. There are loose ends to cut. Hmm, hmhmhm. I must admit I've enjoyed my time here in the last few months; those games you play with your dragons haha. I imagine you figured it out quickly enough, else you would've been more surprised to see me.'

'The Speed Stingers.' Krogan winced.

'Ahh yes. That was, quite good. But I have other plans now. Your conquering friends can go about their master plans all they wish but I intend to pick up where I was once… delayed,' Grimmel grinded his teeth to stress the point. 'Perhaps if you'd finished the job when you were supposed to, we wouldn't be having this conversation.'

'You want the Night Fury?' Krogan pieced together the allusions.

'Of course I want the Night Fury,' Grimmel stated as if it was obvious.

Krogan managed to curl a pained but victorious grin. 'I buried them in the sands.'

'Did you now?' Grimmel raised a brow as if to consider the prospects as a complication. 'Hmhm, your isolation has blinded you from all sides. He survived and I intend to collect.'

Once again, Krogan could feel the walls closing in around him, the same sense of dread and despair he knew in the Northland Oakfields. Time and time again, the Night Rider had bested him but even in all his experience, none compared to the torment of Grimmel.

'You won't reach him, the dragon's protected,' Krogan retaliated, anything to buy whatever it may reap.

'Ahhh yes I've heard of them, what do they call themselves? The Defenders of the Wing. Pahh hahah. Nothing more than store clerks, office desks and fisherman. Barely a nuisance,' Grimmel strode back to the fire.

Krogan hunched over feeling the chill rattle his bones. 'The dragon's owner, they call him the Night Rider, he's trained, he's smart...

'Because he bested you?' Grimmel turned in his step, his face questioning every notion Krogan put forth. 'No. When all is said and done, this champion will bring me the Night Fury.'

He clicked his fingers twice.

The Deathgrippers snarled and without hesitation, they plunged their stingers into Titan. The Singetail screamed out in terror all before the curdling sound ceased and he dropped dead to the snow. Krogan was frozen to his soul, his limbs cold and weak as a soft chink landed furious heat within his chest. Blood, his own blood stained his fingers as he caught the wound; Grimmel's gun was smoking as he raised his fading vision.

In the last threads of hearing he caught those final words. 'They don't have a leader, just a boy.'

January 8, 2018, Empire Height Helicopter pad…

The cloud line settled with the horizon in streaks of amber reaching in great fingers across the sky. A gentle breeze flickered the pages beneath his fingers as he flickered through the various notes made in the past three and half years. From essays to titbits and even the occasional sketch, Hiccup felt a degree of pride now that the final page was filled; the final entry to conclude this volume of his life before he moved onto the next. His Dad picked it out, this time brandished in fresh indigo leather and ss he sat at the end of the helicopter pad with the city before him, he found his gaze wondering to what lay behind. Toothless was cosying around him, their newest saddle tech freshly pressed and ready for a field run. It was a far cry from the advanced software models he used in the later races but remarkably elegant in its simplicity; the mechanics were closer to Hiccup's original designs with analogue gearing but with the intention of exploratory means.

His thumb felt the last of the pages file away until at last he arrived at the very beginning, If I had to explain things as plain as possible, there was no denying it, I was unpopular, smaller than most my age and had a slight tendency to be accident prone…

He cracked a grin at the thought remembering the trials his fifteen year old self would soon face. There was a certain nuance about it in that only a few things had really changed. I wasn't a complete loner if the idea has made itself immediately apparent. I have a few good friends, though much like myself they appeared to be exiled by the main social demographics…

To be placed upon a pedestal as the gang were was just another kind of separation, revered for excellence but unable to partake in the social quells of normal lives. Of course, there was the plain irony that followed, the only impacts I seem to make are of my face hitting the floor. Most of the time it's my own fault, I've always been clumsy on my feet…

Perhaps his time spent reminiscing on the past would be filled with ironic suggestions and various points of foreshadowing, so as to take on Flashburn's advice, he tipped the journal to its final page and with a conclusion he felt breathed the air of his world with his voice; simple but effective.

This, is Berk. It's a nation at the edge of the world far from the likes of any other. Though, the weather may try it's best to freeze you alive, we found warmth as a thriving community that shares what we have to any who will have us…

'You ready Toothless?' Hiccup deposited his journal into the compact compartment at the head of the saddle.

The Night Fury barked excitably brushing up against his friend before stilling long enough that Hiccup could mount. He reached down to his left leg; a unique apparatus designed specifically for riding with simple loop foot base guided by a rotational gear. Hiccup pressed a button on the side of the gear housing and the foot piece rotated into the back where a singular peg took its place. The cuff locked with his compound mesh suit, coated entirely in black with minimal streaks of red; the Type eleven at last ready for its maiden flight compensating the short comings of the prototype. The chest carapace was layered thicker with a new vertical plate design and it ran streamline with the compounded mesh. Where once a bullet would pierce the skin was now proofed to a considerable degree; granted those forecasts were not desirable in any case but for the sake of the races, Hiccup and Toothless would bring something new once again. Along with his flight armour came the adjustment to the saddle with a single bolt piece that his riding peg slid onto. The practicality was pristine and has he locked his harness into place they merged together as dragon and rider.

My city, in a word, vibrant. It's the beacon that shines brightest in the night and it has seen many. Thirty generations have built upon layers of lost and found traditions stretching back to the age of the Vikings and with them, others have found their way here too…

Hiccup slipped on his new helmet, the pressure seals hissed as the frontal plates locked into place and his eye ports illuminated. His read out quickly spread over the system diagnostics clean of any alerts. The city before them glistened with the stark sunlight resting at the edge of the horizon; the streets below hummed and buzzed with the life of her people and all the whilst tackling the layers of snow.

'Take us away Toothless!' Hiccup cheered tucking low to the saddle.

Without hesitation, Toothless charged over the edge falling into a steep dive towards the downtown streets. The air around them howled with intensity as the winds were cut by their precise flight path; their echo rang shrill as the people below ducked in both surprise and awe. Several cheers rang true across the business district as Toothless continued to soar towards the southern suburbs. The sea was burnt with the sun and with its warmth, they rose higher towards the brimming clouds. A world of their own and in it, free to rise as legends.

See, our stubbornness comes with ingenuity in forms many would consider bizarre or insane. They may just be right, but as if we'll ever stop; I look to the future and I wonder about what lies on the horizon's edge. Our enemies will return but this time we'll be ready for them. You see we have something they don't; oh sure they have hunters, and they have armadas…

But we have, our dragons!

The End, of Racers of the Night

And there we have it, a rounded conclusion that ultimately looks viable for a sequel?

Perhaps in a year or so, I'm not sure yet. I dearly hope this imagining of a modern HTTYD universe has sparked something different and something new for you as fans and readers alike. I'd long since yearned for a fanfic about modern dragon racing; Brownies and Griffin's exploration into the idea ultimately set me on the path with her Night Rider story. Who'd have thought this is what would become of taking the matter into my own fingertips?

For statistics: a count of I think, 120+ named human characters and 48 named dragons. I have Excel spreadsheets with all of the explicit racetrack track data, League construction and Character info including the dragons. You start to lose track after a while of who's who and their role, some were obviously minor others more significant in surprising ways. Otherwise, my art continues to be explored on my Deviant Art page with extracts of the designs. Inevitably this has been a test of self for something more… original.

As of April 20 I have begun the major framework and world building of my first official novel which at this point is labelled:
'Skyline.'
All I want to say at this point is it is Science Fiction with heavy Psychological themes about place and self; a literal journey for two surprisingly similar characters.

Otherwise to pass the time on a casual note and keep you mob of hungry Viking's fed, a Oneshot series to work on my short game and keep you updated with my progress:
'Tales of the Archipelago'
And it will have the weird and the wonderful. Open requests but seeking the unusual. I'll let you know about that once I polish an older work as its pilot chapter.

And now for the fun part: REVIEWER SHOUTOUTS in chronological order up to date as of May 14 2019.

Veere – Reviewer number one! :D Well, now that we are at journey's end, the answer has revealed itself.

AngeloftheNight159 – At the time, I too hoped the story would lead a good path.

Grizzly98 – Vocational technology academy's eh? Sometimes life plays a kinder card in the end. Cheers mate.

SEP 27 2017 Guest – Cami and Thuggory struck a note for me from the books. In a modern world, it's very rare that someone like Hiccup wouldn't have friends, either way I find that complete isolated outcast idea for modern series to be a little unbelievable with other stories.

TimPlazasta – I listened to 'The Race of the Night' by Dave Rogers… I don't think I'll ever understand Anime opening songs. As for Algebra, that's a fair point, low odds but yeah, you never really know. Still despise it.

Twilight Sparkle – Well hello there regular. Your commentary was always a joy to receive. Though it takes time to plan and write, hearing that it was worth the wait is very reassuring. At least then I know I was doing something right haha. I wish you clear skies and stay classy fellow dragonite!

Onyx Phantom – Aye, I believe you got your wish within the next couple of chapters at least. Cheers mate.

AlphaStorm73 – WELL. April second 2018… Good Gods man it's been a year since you dropped in with your critical appraisal. You hold a record my friend for the longest review; it's quality I yearn for and whilst my own efforts have been somewhat lacking recently in regards to your projects, it's been an absolute pleasure working with you all the same. It's a bittersweet feeling to know this journey is at its end and with five months having passed since the Hidden World was released… here's to an era that has changed all of our lives for the better.

June 27 2018 Guest – Certifiably Awesome? They make certificates for that? :D Cheers mate.

Joshben4c – Your wish has been fulfilled friend, I've made it! From September of 2017 to May of 2019 this project has gone under several revision to get here. As to your other most important question, Toothless will always be the king of sass.

Nandiferon – Your patience was most appreciated. The death of Windy was indeed sad… but necessary.

Eris – The aftermath of a tragedy. The world can seem strange in that perspective. As for one-shots… it's a green light in that regard. Thank you :D

Althea Sirius – 10 reviews to date! And 10 very welcome ones at that. I have since learned the rule with quotation marks! YAY. It's a publishing standard to particular regions; Australia and Britain only use single marks whereas the USA use double. Ergo being from the land down under, singles are my requirement. Besides, one fewer keys to press :D Reading back through your reviews, I noted the art comment about the leg, the election jokes and of course Valka. Well, closure makes the ending… Thank you for your continued support.

YouYou098 – Hehe, nope. This is what happens when you have to split a 33k chapter somehow. As for your wish… I felt bad reading it because I knew even at that stage Astrid and Cami wouldn't have much direct contact for the rest of the story. Still thank you for the support. :D

Atomicsub927 – ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Prequel memes will never die. They have unlimited power.

Kirika - … One second *Copy paste into Google translate* Ahhh I see. 'Well I would love a sequel, although I know it would be tedious to work. I love this story from start to finish' – Gracias. Me he preguntado acerca de la secuela y es totalmente posible. La pregunta es en qué dirección llevar a los personajes? El borde de los horizontes es bastante oscuro para ellos, simplemente no lo saben todavía. I really hope I haven't butchered that message – blame Google translate, I'm majoring in the finer mysteries of English.

Antox – Thanks for your praise, drawing is easier when I can see the object and the same goes for writing. One shots are coming after all :D

Discount HHH – My fellow comrade of the esteemed appraisal I welcome you with honour and humble tides. When they say love is the secret ingredient, it's more true than one might give it credit for. Exercising patience, resilience and nurturing the project in more ways than just one reaps unforetold rewards. My general rule: draw only what you do see, not what you think you see and 'To Err is to human,' as Chief Tannabok once said.
Otherwise, you have been very busy it seems: you've trudged and navigated the grammatical and spelling mess that is Dragon Will Fly, a project I cringe at in hindsight thanks to the choppy and angsty themes that just feel out of place. Regardless, I'm still proud of the final showdown. As for How To Tell Your Dad, it almost became a dual project with the second part being the tail of Tuffnut hunting the weed, a tale I am very lightly completing…

And that's that for now. Once again, I thank you all. Aim high, do the work and forever stay classy dragonites!