"You're a good-for-nothing sea serpent, you hear me?! Yeah, I'm talking to you! BOTH of you!"

The resulting snarls and scream made Dan groan in disappointment. So far, it had been a week since he first went into the M.E.D. and started exploring Hiccup's life. Sometimes, while he was dreaming, his subconscious would wander back to his Viking ancestor and hear fragments of the past. Recently, Dan had entered the memories of dragon training… both Viking tradition and Hiccup's own discoveries.

The feeling of scales on an open palm was… breathtaking, for both Hiccup and himself. He felt the sheer wonder of all knowledge on dragons not being entirely true. He felt Hiccup's curiosity as he wondered what he could learn from his newfound forbidden friend. As Hiccup discovered more about the dragons, so did Dan. He'd spent so long trying to figure them out since they reappeared into the world… but all he needed was a hands-on experience.

The others were following behind him at a steady pace, so he had suggested they "review" what they had learned so far, much to the chagrin of the twins. In a forested section of the area close to the mansion, the team was practicing dragon training techniques.

"See?" he heard Julie call out. "I told you yelling wouldn't work!"

"But I don't get it!" John replied. "Isn't yelling supposed to establish you as the dominant figure or something? Make them bow down before you? That's what the books said, at least!"

"Guys, guys, guys…" Dan moaned with a palm to his head while his Night Fury watched from the trees. "That is not how dragon training works. It may work for some animals like horses, but not for ancient fire-breathing reptiles. You do not force them to be your ally, they have to do it on their own choosing."

"And they're not pets, either," Fred continued. "They're your partners. You need to connect with them. Establish a bond."

"Oh mighty beast of fire and destruction," came Ben's voice from nearby. "I hereby pledge myself to your service. May you smite the wicked and plunge them into the fiery pits you conjure before them." Dan looked to see him bowing before Scorcher as if the dragon was a religious statue. The Monstrous Nightmare had its head tilted in both confusion and amusement at the same time.

"Maybe try something else, Ben," Dan commented, feeling a little unsure about that specific method.

Val slowly crept up from behind Spike, making sure she remained in the dragon's field of view. The Nadder warily observed her as she approached his head and held out a drumstick. "Um… I was told that you like these?"

Spike eyed the drumstick with a curious warble. Before long, he took it out of Val's hand and downed it with satisfying crunches. Val stepped back, watching her dragon eat. "Okay… I take it back. You love chicken. I'll add that to the list."

Dan's Night Fury jumped down from the tree, watching over everyone's progress like a parent observing playful children. He turned to Dan and looked to him knowingly. "Well, we're still starting. There's still a long road ahead of us."

The Night Fury snorted in agreement.

Several days later, Val was starting to grow impatient.

Either Astrid's attitude was rubbing off on her, or she just wanted some action again. Both she and Ben had been in the M.E.D. the past few days, John and Julie were… well, being themselves, but the strangest thing was what Dan and Fred were up to.

She had seen Dan talking to Fred about the Riders' adventures when he had suddenly stopped mid-sentence. Val hadn't bothered to listen, but she did hear that he was talking about their dragon-liberating raids. Fred asked him what was on his mind… and the two of them had disappeared upstairs into Dan's bedroom.

Every time Val had come in there to check on them, they were looking through notebooks and the computer up and running. Most of their words escaped her, but only a few stood out. "Black and red", "bulletproof", "prototype model"... nothing that really concerned her. And honestly, she didn't know much about Hiccup like Dan did, but she did know he had a knack for building and inventing stuff. Did this have something to do with it?

Both of those boys were spending their time in both each other's respective bedrooms and one of the sublevel's rooms in the basement. From what she heard from the twins, Fred had set up a personal laboratory for all things dedicated to the study of dragons. And according to what she had pieced together, that lab was dedicated to other things as well…

Her thoughts were cut off when she felt a vibration in her pocket. A text.

1341 Sixth Avenue.

She raised a brow. Why would she go there?

I have vital news regarding the Bloody Fists' next move. Meet me ASAP.

Finally, something interesting! She needed to get Spike and move out… but before that, she needed to take some precautions.

She walked down to the living room where Ben, John, and Julie were having a videogame contest with Ben in the lead, much to John's annoyance. Val paid them no mind as she headed down to the basement and past Fred's lab. Inside, it sounded like the boys were putting the final touches on whatever they were doing.

She flipped on the lights to a small armory filled with close-quarters weapons and several firearms. She took a long piece of metal off a wall and pressed a button on it, allowing two ax blades to pop out from the shaft. With a smirk and a confirming nod, Val retracted the blades and slung the metallic shaft over her back.

She'd seen… no, felt how Astrid fought with such a weapon. If she could just apply it to herself, she should be fine. Now, all that mattered was what was bound to happen: riding a dragon into the city.

She remembered riding a horse upstate when she was nine. She walked into the stables with confidence, where Spike noticed her arrival. This shouldn't be any different than a horse, right?

She thought wrong.

The takeoff was faster than she had hoped for. So was the initial flight speed. Val also felt like she was going to fall off if Spike took a hard turn. All the more reason to have a saddle on, right?

She had to stay high above the city to avoid any attention. But within minutes, she reached the address: a tall skyscraper holding a parking garage, standing tall between 53rd and 54th Street. Spike shook himself upon landing as Val hit the roof.

"Spike… stay put."

The Nadder squawked in acknowledgment. He stood still like a guardian, watching the rooftop for anything unusual. Val walked a few feet away, her blue eyes searching for… well, anyone. They told her to meet here, whoever they were, and exchange valuable information about the enemy. Maybe she'd learn what the Fists wanted with the dragons.

Rawk!

A noise of surprise came from her Nadder. Startled, Val spun around just to see him collapse onto the building. "Spike?!" She looked over her dragon for any signs…

...and saw a tranquilizer dart lodged in his neck.

"Oh no…" The realization was sinking in fast. No one was going to meet her here! This was all a-

Something cracked past her head when she ducked to pull the dart out. Her ear suddenly started ringing and she cried out. The sound echoed in a deafening tone and her vision began to blur… but she still managed to make out both the sight and sound of a line striking the edge of the rooftop.

On the building across the street, a helmeted figure was zipping down the line and swiftly nearing Val's position. It would be here in moments. Val caught on quick, drew her ax, and popped the blades out. She ran to the wire as fast as she could… and sliced it with a single swing.

Both the line and the figure plummeted to the street below. Val couldn't help but smirk victoriously. "Ha!"

But the figure landed against the side of the building, attaching directly to it with magnetic grips on its gloves and boots. Val's smile was erased from her face instantly. "Ah…"

The figure climbed up the building until it rose to a standing position. To Val's disbelief, the figure was basically running right up to the roof like a marathon runner. The sounds of the magnetic grips attaching to the surface repeatedly drew closer.

The figure shot into view and touched down on the roof. On its back, a sniper rifle was holstered while knives rested near the hips. The figure drew two of them in the blink of an eye, dashing for Val.

Ancestral instinct took over for Val. Her attacker lashed at her with swift cutting movements, and she stepped back from each one. She used her ax to deflect a jab from one of the knives, countering with an overhead swing. Surprisingly, the figure blocked this with the knives and parried, nearly making Val stumble.

The figure swept out Val's legs from under her and tried to stab her through the chest. The knife only hit the surface of the rooftop as Val rolled away, sprang back to her feet, and swung at the figure again. The figure evaded each of her swings and kicked Val in the face, making her stagger back. Val shook her head in a dazed manner…

"YAH!"

She retaliated by throwing her ax at her attacker just like Astrid did for trees. But instead of lodging itself in the figure's body, the unknown attacker snatched the handle of the ax just before it could touch its head. Taking a moment to examine the weapon, the figure spun around and threw it right back at Val.

Val sidestepped with wide eyes, and she heard the crunching of steel. The ax had embedded itself in the air-conditioning unit right behind her, damaging it. She grabbed the handle with both hands, trying to wrench it free…

Her attacker seized her by the neck and flung her close to the edge of the roof. It sprinted up before Val could even get the chance to climb to her feet, kicking her right off and sending her falling to the street.

The figure jumped after her, grabbed her foot, and fired another line from a wrist gadget. The line struck the glass and reeled both of them towards the building. Val felt a stinging pain when they crashed through the window. The figure landed on its feet while Val fell to the floor, a rain of glass shards following in her wake.

"Am I really led to believe that this… weakling holds the blood of the greatest Viking shieldmaiden of her time?" the figure scoffed. "Consider me disappointed."

From the voice, Val deduced the figure's identity to be female. She struck a leg out at her attacker but cringed when she felt only metallic body armor. The attacker retaliated with a kick of her own, sending Val rolling across the floor of the parking garage.

With a groan and exhausted breaths, she lifted herself back up and wiped her mouth. She raised her fists and her attacker did the same, gesturing for Val to make the first move. She did, lunging at the figure with wild swings and punches. The figure weaved away from each one, blocked several of the rest, and snagged a fist flying right at her head. She jabbed Val in the face twice, kneed her in the chest, flipped her over her shoulder, and stomped on her stomach.

The attacker drew a knife and prepared to plunge it into Val's heart. She snagged the wrist just before the weapon could touch her, struggling to hold the figure back. She kicked the figure in the leg to throw her off-balance, giving her the opening to leap back up and slash her across the face with the knife.

The attacker staggered back, dazed from the strike. The knife hadn't left any mark on her helmet, but the move had caught her off-guard. The figure pressed two fingers to the side of her head… and the helmet retracted, revealing a stern face decked with blonde hair. Brown eyes glared at Val in slight annoyance.

"So you've got some fight in you," she spat. She reached behind her back and readied her rifle. "But you've just run out of it."

REEEAAAAAAAARRRH!

Both faces whirled around in surprise. More glass on a window shattered apart before a black mass charged into the attacker. It bit down on her arm and shook it hard. Grunting, the woman punched the dragon in the face three times, forcing it to back off and roar angrily.

The woman narrowed her eyes at the sight of the Night Fury. She snatched up her rifle, aimed… and paused. Someone new dismounted from the dragon: someone encased in black and red armor. Emerald eyes narrowed through the slits.

She clenched her teeth and pulled the trigger. Two more sounds rocked Val's ears. The first was the bang of the bullet flying forth… and the second was a ping as it bounced off the figure's shoulder pad. Looking to where the bullet had struck, the figure brushed it off and broke into a run.

Val's attacker fired repeatedly at the sprinting figure, but each of her shots didn't even dent the armor. He threw a punch right at her gut and sent her sprawling. She hit the floor rolling and quickly drew a sidearm, aiming it at the person's head.

The figure kicked the pistol out of her grip, snatched something from its thigh… and a long shaft of flame snapped into existence, meters away from licking the skin of her chin. The figure remained silent, yet the glare from its eyes indicated a warning to stand down.

Instead, the woman sneered and pressed something on her other wrist. "Send in the first batch. Orders to kill." The figure raised a brow in confusion and the woman knocked it away, scrambling to her feet.

"We're not done yet!" she hissed at Val before bolting out of there. Val paid no mind to her, instead turning to the armored figure and the Night Fury. The figure turned, meeting her gaze.

"D...Dan?" she whispered. "Is that you?"

The figure reached to its helmet and lifted the faceplate, revealing the face of her genetic relative underneath. "You do realize you could've gotten yourself killed, right?"

She paused. "Ah… yeah. I guess. I was just… wanting to get something good already instead of waiting."

"Honestly?" Dan replied. "So do I. But we still need more info about the Fists if we're gonna take this to them."

"On another note…" Val said. "What, exactly, is that?"

"This?" Dan gestured to himself. "You know that picture Fiona showed us of the old Riders? Fred and I decided to make me look the part. Keep in mind, this is just a prototype, so… work in progress."

"So that's what you've been working on," Val realized. "I figured it must've been something-"

She was cut off by the sound of something distant. Something closing in fast. It sounded like… roaring. The Night Fury grew alert at the tone and growled warningly.

"We gotta go," Dan muttered.

"Agreed!" Val answered, breaking into a run. Both of them climbed onto the Night Fury, who jumped out and ascended onto the rooftop. Spike was beginning to stand and recover from the tranquilizer's effects, as well as notice incoming arrivals.

Five dragons were zeroing in on the building with beating wings. Before the Night Fury and Spike could take off, they touched down onto the rooftop with angry roars and glowing mouths.

"You- you might wanna do your thing now!" Val stammered nervously.

"I'm on it!" Dan dismounted his dragon and held his Dragon Blade high. He swung it over his head, similar to what he did for the holographic Deadly Nadder…

...but for the dragons in front of him, their actions did not cease. They didn't appear to even notice the blade. Instead, a Nadder and a Thornridge stepped forward. A Monstrous Nightmare circled, flanked by a Gronckle and a Zippleback.

"Easy… easy…" Dan continued to move the fiery sword around in certain patterns. The dragons continued their aggressive actions and the Nadder's tail spikes stood up.

"Uh… nothing's happening. Nothing's happening!" Dan shouted, switching off his weapon. "Why is nothing happening?!"

Val opened her mouth to answer… but a flash of red light drew her attention. She looked at the Nadder, which now narrowly missed Dan with a bite. On its neck, there was a mysterious small device with a red circular light on it.

"What?"

The Nightmare roared angrily and snapped its jaws at the Night Fury. With a roar of his own, he pounced on top of its back and wrestled it to the roof. He jumped off, snatched Dan in his talons, and flew off into the sky. Val climbed atop Spike, who shot up after the Night Fury.

The five dragons took flight and chased after them. The Night Fury whirled around and fired a plasma blast at the Thornridge, the blast striking it in the head. But while the dragon staggered, it did not break away. The Night Fury and Spike weaved around in the air, trying to shake them off. Each of the five dragons stayed on them, lashing out with talons and teeth.

"What's going on with them?!" Dan cried. "Why won't they calm down?!"

"There's something on their necks!" Val answered, ducking to avoid the Zippleback's claw. "I don't know what that's for, but-!" The crazed Nadder slammed into Spike, nearly knocking the dragon out of the air. The Monstrous Nightmare grabbed Dan and his Night Fury in its claws and slammed them both onto the roof of a skyscraper. Dan hit the ground with a groan.

The Nightmare reared back, preparing to bite the black dragon's head off. The red light caught the Night Fury's attention, who gazed at it in confusion. He looked from the device to the dragon and back to the device… and pondered.

Just before the Nightmare could close its jaws around the Night Fury, another purple bolt shot from its mouth and detonated against the device. The Nightmare howled in pain as smoke rose from its form, collapsing right on top of the black dragon. He squirmed out from underneath, looking to the dragon in concern.

Dan approached his dragon's side while Spike fought off the rest of the dragons. He bent down and scooped up metallic fragments: what used to be the device on its neck. With a hum of suspicion and a face of confusion, he stashed them in his pocket. Just then, the Nightmare grumbled, bringing both Dan and his dragon to full alert.

The Nightmare rose, shaking its head with another rumble coming from its throat. It opened its eyes… which appeared to be normal. It seemed confused about its surroundings, looking around at the scene. Even when it looked to the human and dragon duo, it didn't move to attack. And with a grunt, it flew off.

"Bud?" asked Dan breathlessly. "Was… was that thing…" His dragon seemed to grumble in confirmation, yet he seemed to be just as stunned as his partner.

Back in the sky, Spike lashed out with his tail and sent his spines towards the hostile dragons. Some of them stuck into their scales and made them back off… while one of them punctured the hostile Nadder's device. The dragon abruptly stopped flying and, with closed eyes, fell to the building below. It woke up just as it crashed onto the roof, squawking in alarm and scrambling to fly away.

"We've gotta get out of here, now!" Val called. "But we can't just lead them back to our base…"

She spotted Dan and his Night Fury hiding behind an air-conditioning unit on another rooftop. Taking their tactics into mind, Val ushered Spike to take evasive action. She flew around numerous buildings with the other three dragons in hot pursuit. She made a sharp turn past an antenna tower, grunting as she did so, and slowed when they were concealed from sight behind another skyscraper.

She heard the other dragons slow to a stop and hover, searching the area for their prey. A full minute passed as she anxiously waited. She carefully flew Spike to the corner of the building, where both of them peeked out. The shapes of the three remaining dragons were withdrawing out of the city. Val let out a breath of relief, seeing as she was now in the clear.

"The devices on their necks…" Dan said when he flew up to her. "They're… making them crazy or something. I couldn't calm them."

"No, not crazy," Val replied. "That woman said 'orders to kill'. Did that mean… they were being controlled?"

"I think so…" came Dan's unfortunate reply. "I think that's their plan. Capture dragons, put those things on them, and turn them into soldiers. An army of dragons… just like Drago did."

"Is that why they want him?" Val asked, turning her gaze to the Night Fury. "Because if they get him, he'll make them unstoppable."

The Night Fury whined in protest. "I know, bud…" Dan whispered, patting his dragon on the side of his face. "I don't want that for you either. We should head back."

The two dragons flew out of the city, heading back to the national park and their mansion. No sooner than they left city limits, Dan noticed Val was looking concerned. "What?"

"If you don't mind me asking…" she began. "Just how did you find me?"

"Um… it was just after my latest session in the M.E.D," he responded. "Where Hiccup flew Toothless for the first time. Which was… amazing, to summarize it. When I got it, I found that I had a text saying someone was waiting for me with intel. Strangely, no one else had received one… but when I found out you were gone, I realized you had taken the bait."

"How did you know it was a trap?"

"It was obvious," he answered. "Address, promising something when you arrive, no identity of who it was…"

Val sighed. "Okay, you got me. I didn't really think much of the consequences… maybe Astrid's stubbornness is rubbing off on me."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Dan answered. "At least we really did discover something useful…" At these words, a smile crossed Val's face.

"I'm glad you two managed to escape with your lives. So far, your training is paying off."

In the mansion's living room, everyone was gathered around the table in front of the couch. Dan's phone, with Fiona on speaker, was laying on the surface. The rest of the team, as well as herself, had been brought up to speed on what had happened.

"Negative dragon training techniques in the past consisted of physical restraint, dominance displays, and shows of force," Fred muttered. "All against the dragon's will. This… this is a whole new level, right?"

"So much for holograms helping out with those," John replied.

"But all we have to do is smash the thingies and they're back to normal," Julie butted in. "Right?"

"That's easier said than done," Ben countered. "Imagine trying to put a leash on a dog excited to go for a walk… and then imagine a beast much larger than a dog, and really angry."

Val stepped forward. "What can you tell us about the woman, director?"

"She is one of the Bloody Fists' most lethal assassins," came Fiona's answer. "Codenamed: Byter. She is an expert marksman and specialized in bringing death from afar. But it's not just her deadliness behind a scope that makes her cunning. She is also an expert hacker. Disabling security cameras, remotely sealing doors, overriding electrical systems… you name it, she can do it."

"No doubt she's the one that sent us that address," Dan said. "To pick us off."

"Again, you are lucky to have escaped her. My colleagues have logged her as the most dangerous Bloody Fist agent and have advised others to stay on their toes around her."

Val put a hand to her chin. "Is there anyone else like her?"

"Only two others come to mind," Fiona answered. "First off, there is the overseer for the Bloody Fists' military programs, most notably their 'recruitment' of dragons. He'll do anything to ensure their capture, whether for study or weaponization purposes. He's been given the codename Stinger. His efficiency is known for being that of a stinging bee."

"And the other?" Dan asked.

"Only the second-in-command to the Fists' very founder and leader. His name is Lucas, and he's the Fists' top enforcer. He commanded many squads and took part in many operations. He is a highly-trained soldier, armed with every form of modern weaponry. And that's not the worst of it. Our intel says that he's killed Haddocks before, and he won't hesitate to do so again under the word of his master."

Both of the twins nervously gulped at that last phrase. Dan and Val shared a look, knowing at one point in the future they would face him in person.

"I'll have my top agents look into this dragon program and see what they can gather about the control devices. For now, all of you must continue your training. We will update you as soon as we can about any further knowledge. Daniel and Valerie? A word, please."

Everyone, save for the two descendants of Hiccup and Astrid, cleared out of the room to go their own ways. Once they were gone, Fiona began.

"Remember that the dragons are just one of the Bloody Fists' primary goals. Each of the Riders' bloodlines are unique in their own ways, but none have dedicated themselves to guarding the secret of the dragons like the Haddocks. To get to the dragons, one must first get through them. And now that you have personally evaded execution at their hands a few times now, you have to understand the critical points of the situation."

"I'm not saying we never took it seriously from the start, director," Val replied. "But if we didn't, we sure as hell do now."

"Ever since Hiccup," Dan added. "Generations of my family have made sure no evil men had ever gotten their hands on the dragons. They even went so far as to make everyone in the whole world believe they didn't exist. For that… I admire them. And I'm honored to keep up the family line of work."

"The two of you must be prepared for when the Bloody Fists attempt to terminate you both once again. I have deep faith for you both… but know this as you progress in your training."

Dan and Val listened closely, awaiting Fiona's next words.

"Hiccup was renowned for training a dragon. For this, he was given many titles than just chief of Berk. His most significant one… was Dragon Master."

Dan's eyes widened. "Whoa…"

Val blinked. "Why not 'Dragon Whisperer'? I mean, he could handle dragons pretty well."

"He knew all there was to know about the dragons of the world. He earned the creatures' trust. And he learned that once you've earned a dragon's loyalty, there is nothing a dragon will not do for you. Consider this an important lesson to you both."

Both descendants looked to each other knowingly and with a deep sense of inspiration.

"And being the blood of a Dragon Master will yield some… unexpected surprises. Particularly from a family that has spent many years alongside dragons. I wish you good luck, you two. I look forward to our next meeting."

With that, the call ended with a beep. As Dan picked up his phone, Val was giving him an excited smile. "Dragon. Master. What?!" she let out an excited laugh. "I don't know about you, but I am officially stoked!"

"I feel like our bloodline was an ancient order themselves," Dan replied. "Kinda like that group from the Inheritance books… which are also called Dragon Riders, as ironic as that is."

"What do you think we are?" Val asked.

Dan shrugged. "I don't know, Dragon… Novices?"

"Um, I was gonna go with 'Apprentice Rider', but-"

"You know what? Apprentice Rider works," Dan interrupted with a smile. "And, if I may add… Dragon Master has a really sweet ring to it."

"Welp, I think I'm gonna brush up on dragon training techniques," Val sighed. "You?"

"Probably gonna see what else I can expand on the suit," Dan replied. "Maybe a shield for future models? Sketch some ideas for a Mark Two?"

"Let's not go too over our heads," Val cut him off before heading outside. While Dan went off to his own business, he couldn't help but think back to Fiona's words. Just what kind of "unexpected surprises" was Fiona referring to?

That night, the sound of something getting knocked over pulled Dan back into the waking world. With a moan, he placed a hand over his forehead and sat up. He heard the sound of tiny wings fluttering down the upstairs hallway and down into the first floor.

"Stupid Terror," he muttered as he clambered out of bed. "C'mon, John. You said you'd watch Terry tonight. Have you ever done petsitting before?"

He heard no answer, not that he expected one at least. Everyone else was fast asleep. So were the dragons… well, his Night Fury loved spending the night out in the open.

He headed down to the first floor, rubbing one of his tired eyes. Terry wasn't in the hallway or the bathroom, and Dan was looking in the kitchen when he heard another noise… followed by something that sent him on high alert.

"Oof! Ow! Stupid…"

Someone was here.

Dan's mind was racing. Who could've possibly discovered the mansion's secret location? How'd he even manage to get inside? Did he arrive on accident, or was he…?

No, it was probably a civilian. And he needed to scare him off. Should he get his dragon?

No, no, no, he could do this himself. Sneaking up to the counter, he took a knife from a drawer and inhaled deeply. From the living room, he could see a shadow along the moonlit wall. His heart started racing at the sight of it.

Okay…. I can do this, I can do this… Dan closed his eyes, breathed deeply… and shot them open.

"YAAAA-" He shot out into the living room… but saw nobody there. With the knife still in hand, he looked around in both confusion and awareness. There were hardly any traces of a human presence… but he knew he heard something.

"Oh, hey. It's you."

With a startled gasp, Dan spun around. While the voice came from behind him… there was no one waiting to strike him over the head or anything. With confused sputters, Dan's eyes shot around the room.

"Down here."

He looked to the floor. There, sitting by his feet, was Terry. The small, purple Terrible Terror his Night Fury had found while he was away. Dan just groaned and shook his head, returning to look for the possible intruder.

"Wait, what… is- is that a pointy thing? What are you doing with a pointy thing?"

"Come out!" Dan called threateningly. "I know you're here! I can hear you!"

"I am here. What are you, blind?"

Dan turned to Terry again, who was looking at him with a puzzled expression. "And I'll say it again. What's with the pointy thing?"

This time, Dan said nothing. The voice… was coming from the small dragon right in front of him.

Terry backed away. "You're… you're looking at me. Why are you looking at me? I know you've seen a dragon before, what's with the look?"

The knife clattered to the floor. "Okay, no pointy thing. That's good. Very good. But, um… the look's not going away. You look like you're seeing a ghost right now. Are you-"

Dan slowly fell over backward and hit the floor hard. Terry climbed atop his chest, seeing he had completely passed out. "Well… that was weird."

Val stepped out into the mansion's backyard, looking up at the pitch-black sky. It was completely dark save for the white light of the moon. She stretched out her arms, walking further out onto the grass. She'd heard from Fred that Hiccup and Astrid enjoyed going on night flights, whether alone or together. Maybe one day she'd try it out for herself…

"Couldn't sleep either, huh?"

Val gasped and immediately struck a defensive pose. Her blue eyes darted around the area and into the trees, expecting to see the shadowy outline of somebody hiding in there.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Easy there! What's wrong?!"

"Who's there?!" Val called out to the trees. "Show yourself!"

"Wait, someone's here? I thought this place was-"

"Don't you play stupid with me!" She shouted. "Come out!" Something ran up to her side; something black with bright purple eyes narrowed sternly.

"Someone's here," Val whispered to the Night Fury. "I'll check left, you check right."

"Got it!"

At that moment, Val felt like her heart had stopped beating. She momentarily dropped her stance while the black dragon darted off into the trees. His dark shape rustled about in the foliage, jumped up to branches, and leaped back down. He sniffed the ground and looked around like a predator.

All the while, Val remained frozen in place. That voice… was it coming from-?

"I've got nothing. How about-" the dragon looked back to Val and became immediately puzzled. "What are you doing? I thought you said you'd check left!" He bounded out of the bushes and ran up to her. Val just said nothing, her sapphire eyes locked on the dragon's amethyst orbs and her mouth hanging open.

"What is it? Why are you-" The dragon paused, cautiously looking to the corner of his sight. In a flash, he spun his body to the side and looked behind him… and his defensive stance fell. "Ugh. Nothing. See? I told you this place was secure."

"D… d-did you…?"

The Night Fury tilted his head curiously and a low warble escaped his mouth. "Did I what? Miss a spot?"

"Did you… just… talk?" That last word almost sounded like a small squeak, much to Val's disbelief. The Night Fury just blinked at her. "What? No! Of course, I can't-"

That's when he suddenly stopped. Now it was his turn to look surprised as he stared at Val in childish wonder. "Oh… my… is it true? Could it really be…?"

Val slowly raised her hands to her mouth. "Oh my God…" she whispered with wide eyes.

The Night Fury's ear flaps perked up with realization. "It… it is true."

"I… I'm gonna… wake up now…" Val started to lean forward in a dazed manner, Before she could faceplant on the ground, the Night Fury rushed in and used his head to stop her fall. He purred in a gentle tone, causing Val to blink her eyes open.

"It's okay… you don't need to be scared about this." He slowly pushed her back to her feet and she slumped into a sitting position instead. Her face was still alight with shock and realization.

"You can talk…" she breathed. "I-I didn't think you could talk…"

"Well…" the Night Fury started. "It's not really talking. It's more like your mind can hear my inner thoughts. It's a… it's a long story. I'll tell you both in the morning."

"M-morning?"

"Dan's supposed to hear dragons too, right? After all, he is of Haddock blood just like you."

"The Haddocks?" Val whispered. "What have they got to do with this?"

"As I said, I'll explain in the morning." Val rose to her feet, astonishment replacing disbelief. "Oh, wow…"

"Impressive, right?"

"Very… uh, we should probably turn in for the night, huh?"

"Probably. Let's go."

"Wait!" Val called, stopping the Night Fury before he could make a move. "One question! Just one, I promise!" At her words, the black dragon looked to her expectantly. Val steeled herself and cleared her throat. "Do you… have a name?"

The Night Fury was taken aback for a moment… before what looked like a smile appeared on his face. "Of course I have a name," came his calm reply. He stood tall and firm with wings spread open.

"My name is Nightwatcher."