Sitting and keeping watch over his nestmates is Cloudjumper. The aging Stormcutter is the second in command of the dragons on their island. Due to his long history with the white king, he knew how to keep the nest running smoothly. Being second in command usually went to the alpha's mate, but due to the fact that Toothless does not have a mate yet, that responsibility had fallen into the paws of Cloudjumper. The Stormcutter had not to care that he shouldered this honorable position. He had already had more than two decades of experience at the job. So, it was no big deal that he had this title again. He does hope that sooner rather than later, Toothless would find himself a mate so the aging reptile can take his well-deserved retirement because he knows that there are more miles behind than in front of him.
The four-winged dragon looks at the clear blue sky all the while he is reminiscing the previous times, he had with Valka that he cherished. Nobody could blame the old dragon for missing his former rider. He had spent twenty years with the woman. The two had taken on the world together and it had crushed the dragon to watch his rider get killed and be powerless to stop it. Despite his loneliness with the departure of Valka into the next life, he is grateful that Valka lives on through her hatchling, Hiccup. Hiccup was so much like his mother that he felt like a piece of her is still with him. But he did wonder if Hiccup's father is a human alpha because of the leadership skills the young man had shown in his brief time knowing Hiccup. The four-winged dragon figured that Hiccup might have inherited his ability to lead people from his father like how the young man, had inherited his ability to connect with dragons from Valka. He still remembers the night he found the human hatchling inside that burning human den. Even back then he knew that something special was inside the tiny infant. So far it looked like he had been right about Hiccup. Just when the Stormcutter was about to get some tasty fresh fish, he heard a familiar squawk from a Deadly Nadder, Stormfly. The elder dragon knew that Hiccup's mate is the blue and golden scale dragon's rider.
Usually, the alpha dragon makes his or her presence known by being the one to call to the other flock-mates that they had arrived back safely. In a world where most humans are after their blood, it was best to let the rest of your nestmates know that you came back safely, especially their alphas. The fact he had not heard the Night Fury's call worried Cloudjumper deeply. Had the alpha and his rider gotten hurt? That also made no sense to the second-in-command dragon because he knew that Astrid would never retreat if Hiccup and Toothless were ever harmed or missing in any way. In a blink of an eye, the moment the lone dragon rider and Nadder landed securely on the ground, Cloudjumper is beside the two. "Hello, Cloudjumper. How are you doing today?" Astrid greeted as she hops off Stormfly. Petting the Stormcutter gently on the head before adding like she knew what the four-winged dragon was thinking, "Cloudjumper, Hiccup, and Toothless are safe. But I need to get some dragons for some training to help the people of Berk."
Astrid felt sorry for the heartbroken dragon. The blonde-haired woman knows that the Stormcutter deeply misses his rider. Who would not miss the person who you spent twenty years with to suddenly die in a blink of an eye? It was understandable that there will be times where Cloudjumper would miss Valka. If Stormfly had died and passed on into Valhalla so suddenly like what happened to Valka, it would devastate the young woman. So, she sympathizes with the dragon who had lost his rider. She hopes that her gentle touch will bring some needed comfort to the grieving dragon. Astrid stops her petting before adding to her statement. "Cloudjumper, do you mind helping me and Stormfly with rounding up some dragons? We're going to have to bring the villagers of Berk here where it's safe." Astrid guesses by helping her with getting dragons would allow Cloudjumper to get his mind off Valka, even if it was only a little while.
Then Astrid, Stormfly, and Cloudjumper gathered a group of dragons. Most of the dragons had greeted the return dragon rider with a warm welcome. But they were also wondering where their king and his rider are at. Both should have been with Astrid and Stormfly, right? Were their leader and his rider in dire need of help? Whatever the case might be, they all were willing to help as much as they can. Sadly, not all the dragons were able to go on the trip to Berk. The others had to protect their island from an unwelcoming guest that might be paying a visit. The dragons that were going were a large group of Deadly Nadders, a little bit of Gronckles, some free Timberjacks, with a side of Hideous Zippleback, a small group of Monstrous Nightmares, some Terrible Terrors for sending out messages out in the form of Terror mail, and a few Scauldrons to pull ships for those who refuse to fly any dragons.
Just when Astrid and the flock of dragons that she gathered up was about to head out, a black and blue scaled hybrid dragon with a creamy white underbelly was creeping towards Stormfly. Five years ago, Hiccup and Astrid had saved this dragon from a cruel man named Arngrim Dammen who had successfully kidnapped Stormfly by leaving a trail of chicken, knowing that the Deadly Nadder could not resist the urge of getting some chicken treat. The man had not only tried to sell Stormfly at a dragon auction but also tried to sell other dragons alongside some eggs as well. After being rescued from being sold and returned home, the dragon eggs hatched, and following her motherly instincts, Stormfly had taken care of the young dragons like they were her own hatchlings. This hybrid was one of those hatchlings that Stormfly had taken care of, which left the hybrid grateful for the Deadly Nadder. Those events lead Astrid to try and train Stormfly to not take random chicken from strangers. "Alright, let's g-," Astrid started to say but was interrupted by a unique squawk. Immediately, the Deadly Nadder went to greet the hybrid that is like a daughter to her. Both dragons were purring as they rub against each other while Astrid pets the hybrid. "How are you doing, Fog-Stalker?" the blonde-haired woman fondly greets the hybrid as she pets the young dragon.
Back when Fog-Stalker first hatched from her egg, both Hiccup and Astrid had not known what type of dragon she was. The two dragon riders knew Fog-Stalker was half Deadly Nadder but they did not know what the other half she was at the time. It was not until after the battle with Drago they finally figured out that Fog-Stalker is half Deadly Nadder and Stormcutter. Astrid decided to name the hybrid of Deadly Nadders and Stormcutters, Deathly Galeslash. During their adventures, they found out there were more hybrid dragons out there, like the Dreadstrider, the hybrid of Flightmare and Speed Stinger. Speaking of hybrids, Astrid wondered what the offspring of Night Furies and Light Furies would look like. Would they be black in scales? Or would they be white color? Or would they be a combination of black and white? The possibilities for what Toothless and the Light Fury's hatchlings could look like seemed endless.
Astrid supposes that she could bring Fog-Stalker along because the hybrid rarely is a part of missions. Who knows? Maybe it would be good for the young dragons to get experiences. "Fog-Stalker, do you want to come with us?" Astrid offers to the black and blue scaled dragon. Fog-Stalker hops in excitement. She wanted to go on an adventure with her adopted mother and Astrid. It had been some time since she got an opportunity to go on adventures. Now that she has been offered the chance to go on an adventure with her adoptive mother, she is not going to let this chance go to waste. Stormfly squawked happily at the chance she could spend some time with her adoptive daughter. "Alright, let's go," Astrid says and with that, they were air bound.
It had not taken Astrid that long to notice Cloudjumper was following them. Astrid suspects that he still thinks that something happened to Hiccup and Toothless. It all honestly made sense with the good friendship between the Night Fury and Stromcutter, as well with Hiccup being the last piece of his former rider. The elder dragon must be worried. But the female dragon rider knows that it might not be the best idea to bring Cloudjumper to Berk. For the likelihood, Stoick remembers that Cloudjumper was the dragon that had taken Valka away from Hiccup and him twenty-one years ago. She expected that Stoick would viciously attack the four-winged dragon for what Cloudjumper did that night long ago. It would also just make things even more complicated with teaching Berk how to train dragons. Plus, Cloudjumper knew how to keep the dragons organized while they were away. "Cloudjumper, I'm so sorry, boy, but could you please stay home?" Astrid hated asking the poor dragon this. But it was for the best for everybody. She knew eventually Stoick is going to find out about Cloudjumper, with the residents of Berk coming to their island and all. She considers that Cloudjumper would be upset but it would be in his best interest to stay behind and watch over the island where he would not have to face Stoick for the time being. The Stormcutter shakes his head 'no' to answer Astrid's order. "I know that you're worried about Hiccup and Toothless, Cloundjumper. But I promise you that they're not going to get harmed. We just need some dragons to help Berk out with all the dragon trappers. We'll be back as soon as possible. But in the meantime, I need you to make sure everything here is safe." Astrid reasons as sincere as she could be, hoping that her voice would soothe the worried dragon's mind. From the looks of it, it had done the trick as the Stormcutter turned around and headed back towards their home. Astrid had felt guilty for doing that, but she knows that it was for the best. Astrid then continued her journey back to Berk.
Hiccup enters the Great Hall depressed as he has ever been. Both Toothless and the Light Fury are still not back. Shortly after the interesting breakfast, Hiccup went into the cove to see if Toothless and the Light Fury returned. But sadly, he was greeted by neither one of them at the cove. So, he spent the next few hours waiting for them to return. With every passing minute, he was getting worried that something bad had happened to them. Did Grimmel and the others capture them before disposing of their bodies after they had killed the two dragons? Did Toothless not want to come back after discovering the Light Fury? And so many other questions ran through his mind. He just wishes that he had a way to figure out where the two dragons had gone. He just could not imagine a world without his best friend by his side. After adding food to his tray, he finds an empty table and heads there to silently eat alone. Just when Hiccup is about to take a bite out of his Atlantic cod, Fishlegs sat beside him. "Hello, Hiccup. Do you mind if I sat here with you?"
"Not at all, Fishlegs," Hiccup answers honestly, but also hiding the fact he is feeling down. He did not want to worry the large man. The next thing he knew the twins also made their way towards the table as well. Then, when the two Loki followers are at the table, the two had taken a seat the table.
Once comfortable in their seats, Tuffnut impatiently asked, "Is Astrid back yet Hiccup?" The male twin was excited about getting the chance to train dragons for the sole purpose of exploding things.
"Yeah, is she?" The female twin asked. "Also, Hiccup is that Eret guy single?" Ruffnut added. Once her eyes landed on the more muscular rider, she felt like she had found the love of her life. Hiccup had noticed a slight change in Fishlegs's posture when Ruffnut had asked her question about Eret's dating status. Fishlegs had noticed the way the female twin looked at the muscular man with blue faded stripes tattoos going down his chin. For the past few years, he has been trying to get the attention of the female twin. So, to see that she looked interested in the unknown man shattered his heart. But maybe when one door closes another one opens. Fishlegs thought that the woman he heard Astrid call Heather was cute. He could pursue a relationship with her. Because he will just get her chasing the female twin by the looks of it.
"Ugh, gross. Who would want to date my sister?" Meanwhile, Tuffnut had conflicted feelings about his sister asking about another man's relationship status. On one hand, he felt he needed to protect his sister from men who might hurt her. She is still his sister. Despite all the times they argue, he deep down loved his sister because she was the only one who loved to cause chaos and mayhem like him. He knows he should allow his sister to make her own choices because he knows that Ruffnut is more than capable of protecting herself. But if that man harms his sister in any way, he vows he would make sure his life is hell on Midgard. Nobody makes anyone's life feel like hell like Thorston scorn.
"I'll have you know that there are guys that would happily date this," Ruffnut replies gesturing towards herself.
"I personally don't know if Eret is interested in anyone," Hiccup answers Ruffnut's question before the twins get into another sibling argument. "Also, no, Astrid hadn't returned yet. It will take her some time to get enough dragons for everyone to train," the auburn-haired man answers the twin's earlier question about Astrid.
"Will you look at here. It looks like you losers decided to sit next to the fishbone. Might as well join you lot, so I could grace your presence with my awesomeness," Snotlout teased as he introduced himself to the group. After patching things up with his cousin, Hiccup knew now that Snotlout had not meant any harm by that statement. In the past, he would have been offended by that statement. Now he knows that is Snotlout being Snotlout.
"Your so-called 'awesomeness' is only good for one thing Snotface. It's only fantastic at being a woman repellent," Ruffnut teased back, earning herself some lighthearted laugh from the others.
"Repellent? These bad boys are chick magnets," Snotlout responds as he flexes his arms before kissing his biceps. This led the others to roll their eyes at the overconfident statement from the short man.
"Sure, Snotlout," Hiccup teasingly sassed his cousin.
"Oh, shut up, Hiccup," Snotlout replied, knowing that Hiccup was only kidding. This led the others to laugh again. Fishlegs decided that he would finally ask Hiccup his question about Heather.
"Uh, Hiccup, is Heather dating anyone?" Fishlegs asked the question of what has been running through his mind as of late. Ruffnut's demeanor changed when Fishlegs mentioned Heather. Over the past six years, Ruffnut had not been interested in Fishlegs. But when Heather had first shown up, she too, like Fishlegs, noticed the way he looked towards the black-haired young woman. It is funny that she has never seen Fishlegs anything more than a nerdy friend. Seeing Fishlegs looking in Heather's direction filled her with some jealousy. After living years with all the boys, her age giving their attention towards Astrid secretly made her feel unattractive. So, when Astrid was assumingly pronounced dead, she became the pretty girl in the group. At first, she was not comfortable with the attention she was receiving. Over time, she got used to it and the one who had always given her the attention she craved was Fishlegs. Sure, she knows it was a bit shallow, but she guessed that's what they called, 'You can't have the cake and eat it too.' Does she deserve this for never returning Fishlegs's feelings?
"I have never seen anyone even try to date Heather because Dagur is pretty protective of his baby sister," Hiccup answered Fishlegs question honestly. The fact that Dagur the Deranged had a younger sister still shocks them to their cores. They had wondered why nobody knew about this. Whatever might be the case for this developing mystery, they assume that they were going to solve this fascinating mystery. "Guys, what did your families think about you training dragons?" Hiccup asked curiously, as well as worried. The auburn-haired man did not want them getting into trouble because of him.
To absolutely no one's surprise, Tuffnut answered, "Mom and Dad both were happy about us training dragons."
"Of course, our parents are more than happy that we're going to have dragons," Ruffnut added. If there were going to be any family that would be crazy enough to train dragons, it would be the Thorstons. In fact, most of them have the word "nut" in their names. All because of the crazy and unpredictable tendencies that the Thorntons have.
"Well, my mom was upset and scared. She thinks that a dragon would severely harm me. And my dad pointed out his concerns of training, but in the end, both accepted my decision." The large blonde-haired man felt guilty for making his mother feel the way she did last night, but dragon knowledge was the only thing he felt like he was good at. This is an opportunity to learn more about the world of dragons. He could not let this slip through his fingers.
"Yeah, my dad wasn't happy about it," Snotlout answered, not wanting to admit that one of the only reasons he wanted to train dragons was to win over Astrid. When his father heard that reason, it only led them to argue even more so. It had not been a surprise for Hiccup to hear that his uncle was not for training dragons. Hiccup and Spitelout had a strained relationship with one another is an understatement, to say the least. When Hiccup was growing up in Berk, he always felt like his intimidating uncle did not have any positive feelings towards him.
Unknown to the occupants of the table, all eyes are locked on Hiccup. Earlier that morning, the news broke of the results of the council meeting. It was safe to say that a majority of the villagers were not too pleased with the results, to say the least. All those villagers were feeling outraged at being forced to disrespect their ancestors by doing such an act. It had been the topic of discussion among themselves the entire day so far. When had anyone even tried to question Hiccup? They found their former heir was not anywhere in the village. So, unfortunately, they had to wait for the dragon rider to show back up to ask their questions. Because not even Hilda, Gunner, and Gobber knew where Hiccup went, and the three adults were the last to see Hiccup before he disappeared into the woods. Now that Hiccup had returned, they could finally take the opportunity to question their former heir.
It is then that the group of young adults notice they were being surrounded by the townsfolk of Berk. It had not taken long for the villagers to demand their questions to be answered. It looks like the Berkians were going to start a riot if Hiccup does not answer their questions. The auburn-haired man tries to answer all the questions, but since everyone was shouting at him at the same time it was difficult to answer any questions. Hiccup is overwhelmed by the crowd of people demanding answers about how they can trust dragons after all the damages that the scary creatures had caused over the years. The dragon rider politely excused himself as he struggled his way through the sea of people. All the while he starts to hyperventilate as his heart rate skyrocketed and his vision starts to go blurry. See back when he was younger, Hiccup would experience panic attacks from being surrounded by the villagers. Over the years, he had gotten used to being around people, but there were times like this that his anxiety was too much for him. He wishes that Astrid or Toothless were there because both are the only ones who know how to calm him down when he is having a panic attack. He knew that he had to get out of there before he fainted from his growing anxiety. Fishlegs, the twins, and Snotlout helped Hiccup get through the demanding villagers. They knew something was wrong with Hiccup as his face started to pale and he was having cold sweats. They assumed that the residents were not helping by ganging up on the young man. Once outside the chaotic Great Hall, Hiccup starts to catch his breath. His heartbeat goes down as his vision clears back up. It was so bad that Hiccup temporarily could not hear the worry in his former peer's voices as they called out to him. It was not until Snotlout had shaken Hiccup's shoulders to get the dragon rider's attention. "Hiccup, are you alright?" The black-haired man with blue eyes was concerned about Hiccup as he asked him. The heir of Berk would never admit aloud, but he is worried about how his cousin is acting now.
"Yeah, I'm doing better now, guys. I just needed to get away from the villagers for some time," Hiccup replied, not wanting to worry the others. By the looks of things, his efforts were futile.
"If you say so Hiccup," Snotlout responds, remembering that his fishbone of a cousin is extremely stubborn. It would take a large amount of time to get Hiccup to express his feelings. Just when the others are about to add on with their own concerns, they heard what would appear to be a dragon descending from above. It was not one dragon, but two. One dragon is a green Gronckle and the other is a Razorwhip. Hiccup sighs in relief at the sight of Windshear and Shattermaster with both Heather and Dagur on their backs. The leader of the dragon riders was starting to get worried that something happened to the two Berserker siblings. But to see them unharmed soothes his mind from his worry. The two dragons landed gently on the ground and keeping their distance from the unknown humans beside Hiccup. The Razorwhip and Gronckle knew that not all humans are friendly towards dragons, so they distanced themselves to be safe.
Hopping off their dragons before they are making their way towards Hiccup. "I see that you made some new friends, Hiccup," Heather says once she and her brother are in front of Hiccup. The female twin sends an unamused glare the second Fishlegs looks at the black-haired woman. Hiccup immediately picked up the hostile look Ruffnut sent Heather. Ruffnut knows she should not be jealous, but she could not help it. He thought that it was strange that the female twin is glaring towards Heather, and he also recalled the look she made when Fishlegs brought up the subject of Heather's dating life. He theorizes that she might be slightly jealous of Heather. It was the only thing that made sense with the look the female twin gave.
"Yes, it would seem like our brother had made some friends," Dagur slightly teased. The chief of the Berserkers recalled back when his father, Oswald the Agreeable, took him to the annual peace treaty signing between both the Berk and Berserker tribes. Back then, he would not only make Hiccup's life miserable but the rest of Berkians' as well. Like, for example, the time he had forced the large man that is beside Hiccup to eat only rotten cod heads for three days.
Back in those times, he had not been the best human to be around especially towards those who could not defend themselves. All of that had changed when he was betrayed by Viggo and his older brother Ryker when he discovered he had a long-lost baby sister who was trapped in Outcast Island. The same sister that his father had told him that someone had kidnapped her in the late of night and they assumed that the baby girl had tragically not made it. He sought out the help of his mortal enemies, the Dragon Master alongside his partner in crime Dragon Mistress. At first, the Dragon Master and Mistress were hesitant to trust him. It had made perfect sense after all the trouble he caused the dragon-riding couple. But luckily, Hiccup was willing to help him rescue his sister, even though Astrid was strongly against giving the deranged man a second chance. But they decided that would give him a chance because they were not going to let anyone get hurt. That is when he got Shattermaster and they headed out to Outcast Island to save his sister. Regrettably, they were able to save Heather, but not her adoptive parents, who were brutally executed by Alvin. Dagur still remembers holding Heather as she wept for the people who took her in when she was just a lost infant and raised her like she was their biological daughter. To this day, that was the only time he had seen Heather cry. It was at that moment he made a vow to always look after her. Shortly after helping Heather escape from Outcast Island, they flew back to the Edge. Then when they reached their destination, Dagur offered his alliance with Hiccup and Astrid so he could have his revenge on Viggo, Ryker, and Alvin for what they had done. After a few days, Hiccup and Astrid revealed their identities. It was the shock of his life to discover that Hiccup had been the Dragon Master all this time. Who would have ever guessed that the fishbone of a son of Stoick could become a phenomenal dragon rider? Over the years, their alliance had become better. There were also many times in the past that he wanted more than anything to put an end to those three. Every time Hiccup would stop him.
The only thing he never got a chance to tell Hiccup, and he plans that too at some point, is to thank Hiccup for saving him from the dark path even when Astrid questions his motives of wanting to turn a new leaf. He did not want to know what his life would have been had Hiccup ever took a chance on him. He supposed that not only would he not have his sister in his life but also his beautiful wife Mala as well, had Hiccup not chosen to give him a chance at atoning for his past sins. And for that, he will be eternally grateful for the opportunity. When were they all heading their way towards Berk, he feared that the villagers would never accept Hiccup for who he is because it was hard to let go of a lifetime of hatred towards the same reptiles that have been raiding them for years. But seeing the young adults around the same age as Hiccup blew away his worry. Maybe Hiccup could save the residents of Berk like Hiccup had done with him. Just as Hiccup was about to speak, they heard another dragon make its presence known. The dragon was a certain Rumblehorn carrying a former dragon trapper.
Hey guys I am so sorry for the long delay. Poor Cloudjumper, I always felt like Valka's death would affect him deeply. I had a few writers' blocks. I am ending the chapter because of spending most of my free time writing this unstop for few days I am exhausted. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. For those who wonder why Toothless and Light Fury was not in this chapter is because I wanted to one more scene between both alone. Special thanks go to corbinace for the idea of bringing hybrid dragons into this story. It also allowed me to reference the Night Lights as dramatic irony. I always felt bad that I could never find a unique and interesting to get those three in the story like I had done for Zephyr and Nuffink without it messing up the story. I hope you all have a wonderful day and stay safe out there and I will see you in the next update. ;)
