Chapter three: Dragon Manual.
Dragon Training was a fail.
Like yesterday we tried to avoid been blasted by the Gronckle; and like yesterday I almost died.
The dragon had tackle me, I ducked and the Gronckle passed flying upon me – it was pretty impressive actually – the only problem was when I stood up. The Dragon had turned and almost hit me with its massive tail in the head. Asher pushed me off the way of the dragon's tail receiving the hit himself. He's so mad at me right now. Although, no one noticed that he pushed me away, it looked like an accident… may be it was.
But since Asher got hurt Gobber gave us the rest of the day, we will met in the Great Hall at night.
Now I was walking with a fish on my satchel in my way to the cove. Was I really going to feed that thing? "This is by far the stupidest thing I have ever done." I didn't mind for anyone to hear me in my frustration with myself I was way too far from the Village. "You didn't kill it and now you are going to feed it, great, Hiccup" I reached the enter of the cove and made my way inside, "But tell me, what's the next step? Pet it?" I screamed as I looked inside; frowning I got close to the edge.
"Hey, where are you?" I kneeled and grabbed to the border of the stone inspecting the cove. "You leaved…" I breathed out, siting on my ankles, with more disappointment that I would like to admit. 'Of course it leaved! Why would it stay? He can fly anywhere.' I let out a long, tired sigh.
"I wish I could." Throwing my head back I looked at the sky, may be it would come back.
I glanced at my satchel and got out the fish, I pursed my lips and look at the cove "This was for you anyways." I threw the fish inside. Standing and dusting my pants I turned.
A weird noise came from the cove; slowly I turned my body and looked down. The corner of my lips began to rise; the fish was gone, the Night Fury was still there! I kneeled again and searched better for it.
The minutes, hours passed and there was no sign of moving life besides the fishes in the pond and no other sound than the tiny drops on the water. I sighed, it was time to return.
The light rain became a downpour. I entered the Great Hall dripping water and covered in mud till my knees. The other teens and Gobber where already eating on a table. "…Alright; now, where did Asher go wrong in the ring today?" Gobber asked.
"I mistimed my summersault dive." Asher himself responded, "It was sloppy. It threw off my reverse tumble." That and that he got himself hurt, well, it was my fault but no one knew that.
Tuffnut rolled his eyes as his sister replied, "Yes, we noticed."
"No, no. You were great. That was so 'Asher'." Snotlout told him. Bootlicker.
"He's right, you must be tough on yourselves." All eyes turned to me when I reached the table. Snotlout moved not letting me sit and giving what was supposed to be a charming smile. I rolled my eyes and took my plate and walking to the next table not missing the opportunity of taking his cup before he moved to his right place. "Where did Hiccup go wrong?
Seriously? He was putting me on this? I glanced at him when I passed by his side. The simple fact of being me was pathetic; I didn't need him to help.
"Uh, she showed up." Ruffnut offered. That was actually correct.
"She didn't get eaten." Tuffnut continued. That… too.
"She's never where she should be." Asher eyed me coldly. 'That's not-' I looked at him for the first time since Training, He had a big bruise in his jaw and a bandage on his entire left arm, good thing he is right-handed. I sighed and sat down 'true.'
"Thank you, Asher" Gobber stood up, "You need to live and breathe this stuff." He laid a giant book in the center of the table, "The Dragon Manual. Everything we know about every dragon we know of." A thunder shacked the Hall "Ah, no attacks tonight. Study up." He exited the Hall, leaving us staring at the book. My jaw fell open. He had to be kidding. That thing was bigger than me!
It took a little bit longer to he twins to realize, "Wait, you mean read?" Tuffnut said dropping the knife he was playing with and turning to the door, expecting to see Gobber there, but he was gone.
"While we're still alive?" His sister said as shocked as him.
"Why read words when you can just kill the stuff the words tell you stuff about?" 'Because if you don't know what the dragon can do you are just going to get yourself killed.' I rolled my eyes to Snotlout and focused on my food again.
"Oh! I've read it like seven times." Fishlegs couldn't contain himself and began to talk "There's this water dragon that sprays boiling water at your face. And there's this other one that buries itself for like a week-"
"Yeah. That's sounds great," Tuffnut cut him, "There was a chance I was going to read that…"
"But now…" Ruffnut finished.
Snotlout got up, "You guys read, I'll go kill stuff." He leaved the table with the others following him, the twins fighting each other and Fishlegs mumbling more things about the book. Man, I would wish he had stayed; he could have helped me study.
Asher took the book and went to my table, was he going to study with me? He dropped the Manual in the table. "Read it." he said with venom in his voice and looking me at the eyes.
He joined the others and slowly the Mead Hall began to empty as the rain became stronger. After I finished my dinner I took a candle from other table –there was no way I would walk with the book in the rain.
Two little flames were the only light source in the Mead Hall. I just could see a few tables around me. I opened the book and began to read.
"Dragons classifications. Sharp class, fear class, mystery class…" I turned the page "Thunderdrum. This reclusive dragon inhabits sea caves and dark tide pools. When startled, the Thunderdrum produces a concussive sound that can kill a man at close range. Extremely dangerous, kill on sight." I looked at the illustrations of decapitated Vikings that decorate the page and passed to the next.
"Timberjack. This gigantic creature has sharp wings that can slice through full-grown trees… extremely dangerous. Kill on sight." The candlelight made the illustrations look so alive.
"Scauldron. Sprays scalding water at its victims, extremely dangerous- AH!" A massive roar sounded outside the Hall and illuminated the room. I force myself to calm down and pass to the next page; it had been just a thunder.
"Changewing. Even newly hatched dragons can spray acid. Kill on sight." This was getting boring, I changed the pages searching for a more interesting dragon, reading just a few words in each page. "Gronckle, Zippleback, The Skrill, Boneknapper, Whispering Death…" Are the drawings moving? "Burns its victims. Buries its victims. Chokes its victims. Turn its victims inside-out" How did it do that? I didn't stop to see. "Extremely dangerous. Extremely dangerous. Kill on sight. Kill on sight. Kill on sight." It's something that we don't kill on sight? I turned the page; it's blank, just the title and a few words. No image.
"Uh?" I read the title, finally something interesting, "Night Fury. Speed unknown. Size unknown. The unholy offspring of lighting and death itself… Never engage this dragon. Your only chance, hide and pray it does not find you."
I pulled my sketchbook out of my vest and opened it on the draw of the Night Fury and threw it over the blank page. "I should be dead. Why didn't it kill me?" I looked at the stats and inspecting the rough draw "You are not so big, bigger than a Gronckle. But streamline, built for speed… even in the ground." I yawned and rubbed my eyes.
Picking up my sketchbook and closing the Manual I leaved for my home, knowing that I would not study.
"Hope you have study!" Gobber welcomed us.
"Agh!"
"I told you." Ruffnut laughed of her brother.
"You didn't study either." Tuffnut erased her smile and a slap-fight had begun.
"This has no sense. Why don't we just kill it?" Snotlout asked to no one in particular.
"You need to know what are ya' fighting." Gobber answered him and Snotlout rolled his eyes annoying Gobber. "Okay, so what would you do if a Snaptrapper attacked you?"
"Kill it." Snotlout simply said, I bet he doesn't even know what a Snaptrapper is – not that I knew either but at least I wasn't messing with Gobber. Although, I saw it on the book last night.
"It's the one with four heads?" I whispered to Fishlegs.
"Yes." He whispered back, exited.
"Really? And tell me, how do you do that?" Gobber tested him.
"Cutting its head, dah!" Cut off the dragon's head was the most effective way to kill it, it was obvious that Snotlout was going to answer that and by Gobber's face it seems that he was waiting for that answer.
He got close to Snotlout's face and I waited for the next question to see my stupid-arrogant-cousin's reaction. "Which one?" Snotlout paralyzed, the twins began to laugh at him and I totally allowed a smile.
At my side Fishlegs raised his hand. Gobber, now satisficed with Snotlout's face, gave him the word.
"A Snaptrapper is a very dangerous Fear Class dragon. It has for heads and can open them in three different ways. It deceives its victims making them think that is a plant and can produce a delicious smell from their mouths to lure in potential prey. They also spit acid that can sting foes and even melt through metal. They are capable of swallowing a Viking whole. And to kill them you need to cut at least two of its heads." I stared at Fishlegs, amazed. He really needed to help me study.
"Correct. And that's why is necessary to know how to kill a dragon. You don't just run like a fool with a weapon in your hand."
Snotlout groaned, "What Viking would ever confuse a dragon for a plant?!"
"Well, I know one." Gobber said gazing Snotlout. "Now take sit." He said to everyone and we sat on the wooden floor, outside the arena. I sat at Fishlegs side; Asher sat in the other side. An angry Snotlout let himself fall between the twins at my right.
"Who says deceives?" Snotlout mumbled. Leaning back to see him I answered him.
"Someone who is going to survive." I whispered; the twins heard me and laughed as I let Tuffnut's body cover mine from Snotlout sight.
At least today I wasn't the worst at training, may be I didn't know much but I answered what Gobber asked me. Fishlegs answered more questions than the others followed by Asher, then by me and Ruffnut that maybe hadn't study but know something; Tuffnut answered seven (short of), and Snotlout answered five.
"Tomorrow we will fight the Gronckle again. You can take a rest, we will meet in the Great Hall at night." Gobber said and we leaved the place immediately.
Snotlout went to "kill stuff" and the twins followed him; Asher and Fishlegs began to talk about the dragons in the manual so I decided to ask for Fishlegs' help latter and leaved to the cove stopping for a fish in my house first.
"Come on! I know you are here." I plead to the apparently empty pit. I had look for the Night Fury for at least forty minutes. My legs are asleep for being in the same kneeling position and the only sight that it was still here was a burned circle of grass that wasn't here before.
A little drop of water fell on my hand and I looked to the cloudy sky.
In that moment a weird noise sounded in the cove. I looked down to the fish that no longer was on sight.
"You don't want me to see you, huh?" It began to rain. A light rain that soon would became as strong as yesterday. "Damn dragon." I leaved; I didn't want to end as dirty as last night.
"Damn Gronckle." I said under my breath as I readjusted the satchel on my shoulder, "Damn Training." I jumped with clumsiness a downed tree, my foot got couched on a sapling and I fell to the grass hurting even more my sore arm, "Damn shield." Getting unclenched and still on the floor I twisted and kicked the tree, "And damn you!"
Standing up with a frustrated scream I continued walking and cursing on my way to the cove.
Today wasn't my day. I woke up late and I didn't have breakfast. Gobber didn't let Asher train and now he was more than mad at me. I was the first one out in the Training; the Gronckle had shoot me fire and I covered with my shield, it almost fell of my arm –again- but I kept it in, my hand twisted awkwardly and my arm got scraped with the wooden shield so now I got a bandage all over my arm and another in my wrist. The Elder had bandaged it and gave me the day, I think that's the only good thing because I didn't need to stay out of the ring with Asher and I got time to go to the Mead Hall to eat something. My aunt was on the kitchen, I just gave her a hopeless smile when she saw my arm and she made no question.
I took out a fish from my satchel when I entered the cove and threw it as far as I could to my left; I took the other two and threw one to my right, near the pond, and the last one just let it fall in front of me.
"And now, wait." I sat at the edge of the stone and watch carefully the three fishes for a few minutes.
The minutes became hours and I took out a cooked fish to calm my hunger. The day became night and I began to frustrate. I stood up screaming.
"You know, this is not a good day. I brought you fish and the only thing that I ask for is to see you!" I didn't know what was I expecting with that but there was no move inside. I screamed again and kicked the head of the fish that I ate – I don't like the head; it's disgusting.
I turned to leave and there was the noise again I returned the fastest I could, there was no fish in the cove. Any of the three, it even eat the head!
"Are you serious! You fu-" I contain myself for a second, I shouldn't say that word. The last time I said that my father have punished me, I had heard him said that a lots of times, same with Gobber and the others on the village, he said that I was too young. But he wasn't here now… "cking dragon!" I finished and leaved.
I entered the house slamming the door and heading to my room, slipping down in the wooden bed without anything to do.
"Why can't I see it?" I asked to the air. 'Why do you want to?' I shrugged "I don't know…"I mumbled, "It's a Night Fury. No one has ever seen one, except for me." 'Then why didn't you kill it? Then you could see it whenever you want'
Giving a frustrated sigh I answered myself, "You know why. I couldn't." 'You are a Viking!' "I know! And I hate myself for this but… its eyes. You saw them too, it was afraid. And its eyes remember me to mines… it's weird. Gobber says that Gothi have told him that things happens for a reason. You think that, well… you know."
'Couldn't kill it because something will change?'
"I have a feeling that that dragon will make a difference in something." 'In what?' "I don't know, but that will be important. I need to enter the cove..." I sighed and covered my face with my hands "I'm getting crazy."
Someone knocked the door; it cracked open waking me up. "Hiccup?" Gobber asked for me, I groaned and heard him enter the house at my feeble response, "I brought you dinner. Come here, I want to see your arm." Rolling on the bed to my feet I stood up and walked downstairs rubbing my eyes to take away the sleep.
With a yawn I sat over the table as Gobber set the fire up. I swung my feet like a little child and waited for Gobber.
"What you did in the woods?" He asked me as he turned to me and gave me the bowl of oats and fruit.
I shrugged and put the bowl on my lap as I drew up my left arm to him. Gobber removed the bandage of the wrist as I carried a hand full of oats to my mouth.
"'ajically, nothi'g." I said with still food on my mouth. Gobber examined my wrist, twisting it a little. A small, sharp pain followed his moves; I winced a little and kept talking after I swallowed, "I just sat there alone, it's quiet, I like it." Well at least it wasn't a lie.
"Gothi said that you'd be fine to train in a few days." Gobber said after a minute, "You better not get yourself hurt again, you need to train." I rolled my eyes as he banded my wrist up, "Anyways I want to see you in training."
"I can't train, it doesn't mater if I go or not" I jumped down of the table with the bowl on a hand and drawing a fist of fruit to my mouth with the other before I sat on a chair.
"Ya' will study."
"What? No." he was joking, right?
"Yep." It seems like he liked to ruin my life.
"That thing is boring and I know the essential. Please I don't want to stay out of the ring with Asher."
"First of all, the essential is not enough to-"
"It is for me!" I cut him off. Shouldn't have done that.
"I will question you the whole book" I groaned and slammed my head with the table, he laughed, "See ya' in the mornin'."
"I hate you." I mumbled against the wood.
"I like you too, lass." Gobber disheveled my hair and leaved closing the door behind him.
When we reached the arena the teens with exception of Asher and me entered and Gobber gave us the Manual before entering himself so while the other where training we would be "studying".
What I was really going to do was to search for anything about the Night Fury. I was thinking on how would I do that without Asher noticing but he let me the book and went to sit in the edge of the ring and began to sharpening his axe with a rock that he have in the bag on his belt, watching the others train.
I was about to tell him that that was just going to ruin his precious axe but he was not going to listen to me so I put out my notebook and opened it in the Night Fury sketch.
Maybe we had seen one, just not in the same color and tough it was another kind of dragon, no one had ever seen the one from here and they are very weird. It could be a mistake.
A big one.
After gods-know-how-many-minutes and me realizing that there was no mistake I slammed the book closed and kicked it away opting for the option Asher had took and stopped "studying" and do another thing instead.
Opening my sketchbook on a blank page and resting on my belly I began to design a new machine since the last one were crushed by the Nightmare.
I was half way finishing it when Asher stood up, "Come on." He said me, I looked up at him and stopped playing hit my foot on the air and quietly put a hand over the draw, I don't like people looking at them. I stared at him confused, he was angry with me, why was he talking to me? "Come!" He said again and I stood up and followed him putting my sketchbook in my vest.
"And where are we going?" I asked as I heard that Fishlegs was out from fighting. I really should ask him to help me.
"To teach you how to hold an axe." He said sharp.
"Yeah," I pointed back to the arena with my thumb over my shoulder "I rather go and ask Fishlegs-"
"Don't be such a baby." Asher grabbed my good wrist and pulled me away from the arena, he dropped my hand when we had crossed the wooden bridge and I rubbed my hand on my fur-vest to brush the tingling sensation off my skin. "Go for your axe, I see you in the forest."
Asher leaved to the woods and I went to my house, "I know how to hold an axe," I said to him, knowing that he couldn't hear me but that was the point, "But I'm too weak to do so." I grabbed my father's axe and began to doubt if go or not; giving an exasperated sigh I leaved for the back door and went to find Asher.
"Why it take you so long?" he asked as he threw his axe to a tree with his good arm.
Why don't you shut up?
"The forest is a big place," I opted for a less bitter answer. He went to unstock his axe to throw it again; I saw how easily he carried with his weapon and thought it better "You know, I don't think this will work."
"No if you don't try." He pointed me with his axe.
"My left arm is injured and I'm left handed." I tried to get off of this.
"Then why you carry your shield with the left?" He was truly confused.
"It fells better." I shrugged; he raised and eyebrow to me, "But most of the things I do I do them with my left."
"Then you can use both hands." He walked towards me.
"Yup, this is not gonna work." I said most to myself.
"Can I see it?" He asked reaching out his hand to my axe. I gave it to him. "It's your father's axe?" Like of it wasn't obvious, who on earth would give me an axe! I nodded anyways.
Asher's face illuminated with every second he held the axe, it seems like he always wanted to touch it. He adjusted his grip on it and threw it to a tree, a childish smile appeared on his face when it tucked on its target.
"I am serious. I can't even carry with it, how will I do that?" I gestured to the tucked axe.
"With patience." He said and went to unstuck the hatchet "And practice."
I rolled my eyes and muttered, "Lot of practice." Asher returned and handed me the axe; I put my hands on my back. "What if you keep doing that and I go-" He took my hand and put the axe on it; like always its way weigh almost took me down so I took it with both hands. "This is not a good idea, I am telling you."
"I've seen you carry heavier things in the blacksmith, you can carry an axe." He said correcting my posture.
"Carry and throw it's very different." I said trying not to blush as he touched me, "You are not giving up, right?"
"Nope." He gave a smile I didn't know he had and I needed to bit my lower lip to not blush. Asher tried to show me how to swing it property with his own axe and I tried to imitate him but it was to heavy; plus my arm hurt.
I have no idea of how many times I tried to imitate Asher in different things but the sun was on top and getting down when he finally resigned.
Asher let himself fall on the ground and sighed, "Maybe an axe is too heavy for you."
Rolling my eyes I sat to rest too. Tell me something I don't know. I looked down to evade his eyes, to evade him entirely, actually. I felt his eyes on my and I began to put nervous.
"Have you tried a sword?" I raised my gaze to him. Of course I have tried a sword! But I can't blame him, he wasn't here when I returned from Flashburn's academy, he was in Flashburn's island actually, he arrived like five months before I leaved.
In Flashburn's school I tried every weapon to choose the one that better fits me. Swords are light, an extension of your arm and I'm very good at it. I haven't touch one in ages aside than the ones I fix on the smith.
"No." I lied looking at my left, staring at my father's axe. Axes are more intimidating, the perfect weapon for a Viking, for a Chief. Dad uses an axe, my grandfather used an axe, and my whole family had used an axe. My father loves hammers but uses an axe anyways.
I seriously doubt that everyone liked to use axes and I don't know who began with the axe-thing but now its kind of tradition.
"Swords could be easier for you to use, they are lighter." I raised my glare and saw him lowering his eyes to his hands and axe.
"Thank you." The words leaved my lips without permission; he looked up to me, I blushed and mumbled, "F-for this, and for kicked me out of the Gronckle's way," I rubbed the back of my neck "And sorry for the bruises, the eye and your arm." I remembered something else "Aaand for breaking your axe, and for burning your house in that raid, and for-" his laugh distracted me; I blushed more.
He was laughing! Why was he laughing? I didn't know and didn't care; his laugh was glorious.
"You don't have to apologize for all." He said still laughing. "It's okay, and you are welcome." He sat up and stretched, "I'm going to eat something, want to come?" He extended his hand to help me up.
"No, I'm not hungry." I said and grabbed my father's hatchet with both hands.
"Okay, see ya' latter" He walked away looking back after a few steps and smiling at me before he completely leaved my view.
I smiled and walked to my house. Maybe this day wasn't that bad after all.
When I entered my house for the back door my eyes drove automatically to the fish basket "Okay, today it's a good day. One more try." I took a fish and leaved to the cove.
I spent the rest of the day watching the fish in the cove, waiting for anything inside to move with my legs crossed and my elbows on my knees, my head resting on my hands. I stopped feeling my legs minutes ago and I was falling asleep.
And still nothing had moved.
I stat up with a numb leg and stretched it, trying to get rid of it. I turned to leave and as soon as I did there were the noise. I didn't even bother to turn fast. The fish was gone. I rubbed my face and leaved.
Gobber let Asher train today so I asked him of I could take the Manual to my house and "study" there. Since he let me I filled a bag with fish and went to the cove.
Sitting in the border of the stone with my legs crossed I opened the book on my lap and began to see one by one the dragons, I read the descriptions and it's stats trying to find out how the Night Fury could be so fast.
Throwing a fish I waited for the Fury to come out. It didn't. I knew what to do and I did. Returning my eyes to the book the noise came to my ears as other question came to my head, how it knows when I am not watching?
Maybe it was watching me… Discretely I looked over the book feeling uncomfortable with the though. I returned to the Manual and changed the page.
Without watching I threw another fish inside the cove, it didn't touch the floor the weird noise came and then silence.
I changed the page again, the Changewing, what if it can camouflage like the Changewing? It was an acceptable theory. It could be standing by the fish and just waited for me to turn to eat so I don't see a flying fish. May be that's why I couldn't hear his steps but what was that noise anyways?
Done with my theories I sighed, all were so dumb. Why don't you enter? It wasn't a bad idea. That would put an end to this. I will, but I needed time, more training. That thing can kill me. I stood up not wanting to think in more stupid things. I emptied the bag into the cove. As I walked to the pathway of the cove I heard the dragon eating but I didn't care to return.
