Chapter 15

The next morning, Stoick was walking through the living room having just woken up when out of the corner of his eye he notices something different about his trusty axe, he just couldn't put his paw on it.

He takes the axe down with his teeth and brushes his paw against the blade of the axe to test it's sharpness and finds it to be duller than he remembered. He was a bit confused about this at first as he didn't remember it being so dull last time he used it but those feelings were put aside when he realized he hadn't used the axe since turning into a dragon so it probably just got a little dull from underuse.

He takes the axe to the forge and sees the only man he knew who could bring the axe back to standard sharpness…if only that same man hadn't turned into a Hotburple, the laziest dragon in the world.

"Gobber!" Stoick yells, waking the lump of a dragon from his mid-morning nap.

Gobber blinks a few times before seeing the Rumblehorn standing there. "Stoick!" He says in a just-woke-up tone. "How's it going, chief?"

Stoick rolls his eyes and drops the axe in front of Gobber. "I need you to sharpen my axe, I might not be a Viking but I'd still like to keep this axe as a trophy of my humanity."

Gobber smiles. "Oh sure, I'll have it fixed up in a jiffy." He stands up, takes two steps towards the axe then collapses on the ground and falls right back to sleep.

Stoick's eyes roll back further. "Just…ah." He leaves, knowing that saying anything more would be like talking to a stone wall at that point.

(Hiccup's room)

Hiccup wakes up before Toothless after another night of passionate lovemaking and notices just how adorable he is, even as a human, when he sleeps.

He decided to not disturb him so he carefully climbs off the bed and makes his way to the stairs. About halfway through his room, he spots a mirror through the corner of his eye and turns his head to look at what he had become since the transformation.

It was strange, even after being a dragon for two months he still can't look in the mirror and recognize himself. All he saw was this dragon whose eyes, mouth and feet could move at the exact same time as he could, one without a hint of evidence that it was once a human that could barely lift an axe.

Don't get him wrong, he loves this new him. Now he is a strong, brave, stunning beast with a loving mate to back him up but at the same time it isn't him, not fully.

He sighs and thinks to himself, "What's done is done." Before shaking those thoughts out of his head and going downstairs.

Upon entering the kitchen, he realizes that there isn't really that much food, just some pieces of fruit and half a loaf of bread. His human self could've eaten that and be just fine, but now that he's a 1,700 pound dragon he requires a bit more food than that so he decides to head to the market to pick up something.

Once he gets to the market, he is suddenly pushed to the side a little by some strong force. He looks to the side and sees Astrid standing there. "Hey Hiccup. You're not usually here this time of day."

Hiccup rubs his shoulder. "A little strange that you would point that out but yeah I'm a little short of food this morning so I thought I'd pick something up for me and Toothless."

Astrid smiles. "Great, I was gonna get some food myself. Uh, we have so much in common."

Hiccup nervously chuckles. "I guess. Anyway, we can walk to the shop together. Say, what's Stormfly up to?"

"Oh uh, she's out getting firewood. It is starting to get cold you know."

Hiccup felt the air a bit. "Not really but that could be the thick dragon scales talking. Oh well, we can go alone, it will be just like old times right?"

Astrid nods and they both start walking. On the way to the food market, Astrid decides to say, "So, too bad about Union Island right?"

"Huh? Oh, right, yeah it's a shame that it happened right as Toothless and I were about to perform the ritual but I guess it's kind of a good thing that we went at the time that we did. I mean, had we gone a day or even an hour later we wouldn't have known that it was Dagur who did it."

Astrid lays a blonde wing on Hiccup's back. "Well, at least you're not down about it. So, since the island's destroyed I suppose you and Toothless won't be able to have a union after all."

"Oh no, we will. You don't have to worry about that."

Astrid was completely shocked. "Uh, you won't? But…the temple's gone and it's the only union temple for miles, how can you have a union without the temple?"

Hiccup found it a little strange that she would ask it like that, but replies, "Well, Toothless and I talked about it last night and we decided that…hold on." He takes her to an empty alley so he can talk more privately. "Ok, anyway. We decided that we're going to have a Viking union here instead."

Astrid's mouth nearly hit the ground, she couldn't help but point out the obvious. "But you're not a Viking. How can you have a Viking union when you're a dragon?"

"Same way Toothless was about to have one even though he's not a dragon. Look, I know it's not traditional in any sense of the word but you have to understand, Toothless and I love each other with all of our hearts and we really want this to happen."

Astrid's wings fall just as far as her mouth did. "You really think I don't understand the value of two lovers?"

Hiccup was confused. "Wait, what do you-"Then it hit him like a rampaging herd of yaks. "Astrid, are you jealous that I'm with Toothless now instead of you?"

If dragons could blush, Astrid would be right about now. She calmly explains, "When we were kids, you had this determination that someday you could win over a tough girl like me. I mean, you went and shot down a Night Fury just to prove yourself worthy for my heart."

Hiccup rubs the back of his neck. "That was more to prove to the whole village, mostly my dad, that I'm not the weak screw up that they think I am." Astrid shot him a quick glare. "But you were on my mind when I did it."

Astrid rolls her eyes. "Anyway, from then on you did all that you could to try to get me to fall for you. You bested me at dragon training, you took me on my first flight ever and you even got the whole village to think that dragons aren't the vicious beasts they think they are, and as that time went on I got the chance to realize what kind of person you really are. The kind who's sweet and kind yet brave and determined, the kind of guy who I hoped to be with someday. But now…" She couldn't finish as her emotions started getting the best of her. She looks away so Hiccup can't see how sad she is.

Hiccup thinks he can figure it out. "Now that I have Toothless after knowing him for only a year, you feel betrayed." Astrid simply nods. Hiccup tries to comfort her by laying a wing on her. "Oh Astrid, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize this would hurt you so much."

Astrid sighs. "It's fine. What's done is done and if you and Toothless are happy then I guess I can be as well."

This gets a smile from Hiccup. "That's all I need to hear. And I do hope that we can still be friends."

Astrid gives him a side glance then sighs. "Fine, friends it is." She extends a wing which Hiccup returns by extending his and shaking it.

"Great!" Hiccup says after pulling his wing back. "Well, now that that's settled, I should really get to the food market. My stomach just reminded me that I haven't eaten all day and I'm sure Toothless is up by now and is wondering where I went. I'll see you later."

Astrid simply waves as Hiccup leaves the alley. Once she was sure he was gone she punches the wall in anger with enough force to almost create a hole. "He's still going for that dragon." Her eyes start twitching as a crazy smile starts to emerge. "I suppose I'll have to do something a bit more drastic." With that, she flies off back to her house.

Once she gets home, she looks around and sees that Stormfly is still out which was perfect for her. She grabs a piece of paper and a bottle of ink and lies down. She plucks a spine off of her tail and dips it in the ink before writing on the paper.

'Hey Dagur,

Turns out, operation temple destruction was a bust so I have a new idea.

I want you to come to Berk with your fleet and look like you're attacking us. Don't be afraid to set a few things on fire, we can take care of that later. I want you to capture Hiccup and lock him up, make sure he is well separated from that dragon, sorry former dragon, knock it out or hell go ahead and kill it for all I care. I will then sweep in and save him while pretending to fight you off. Once he is saved, he will be so grateful that he will surely fall right back into my arms where he belongs.'

She couldn't help but let out a chuckle while writing that last sentence.

'I've included a map of where our defense towers and bases are located, meet me at our usual spot in two days so we can discuss the plan further. Be there or I will come to Berserker island myself and make sure we discuss the plan.

See you soon!

-Astrid'

She rolls up and seals the message along with the mentioned map. She gives it to the Terrible Terror, Gustav, who she used to send the original message to Dagur because she knew his creepier than Snotlout love for her would lead him to do so.

She tells him exactly where to go and he heads out to Berserker Island. Just before Gustav left, Stormfly walks in and sees him flying off with Astrid in front of the window. "Sending a message to someone?" Stormfly asks, startling Astrid a little.

"Oh, Stormfly you're back. Uh, yeah, just an old friend who I've been keeping in touch with the past few days."

"Oh!" Stormfly replies. "Is it anyone I know?"

Astrid had to think fast on that one. "Uh no, it's someone I knew before I met you." She smiles, trying to pass off her innocence.

Stormfly found this to be a little suspicious but shrugged it off. "Alright, well I got the firewood like you wanted." She drops it next to the fire pit.

"Oh yeah, thanks." Astrid quickly replies.

Stormfly looks to the kitchen and finds it in the same state as when she left earlier. "Uh, weren't you out at the food market just now?"

Astrid realizes that she never did actually buy any food. "Oh, I totally forgot. Sorry, I ran into Hiccup and we talked so long I forgot why I went out. But hey, that's the good thing about the market being so close to the house right? Ok, goodbye." Before Stormfly could say anything more, Astrid was already out the door.

Stormfly was left to think to herself. "She sure has been acting strange lately. Hmm."

And that's chapter 15

I hope you've enjoyed the story so far, if you did please let me know.

Thank you for reading and I'll see you when then next chapter is finished.