Hey guys. I know I said the climax would be in this chapter, but it'll have to just be the next chapter. I know this is super short, but I'm just trying to get SOME content out here for you all. I just finished the semester and my last day of work is this Friday. So, hopefully I can sit down and really right out some lengthy chapters to finish up this story for the new year. Thanks for hanging around guys.

(Also, this story is now 99 pages on Word. JESUS)

-Ash

Chapter 16

The sudden voice stopped me in my tracks. I could feel the knot clogging itself in my throat. This was not good. Getting caught was not in my plans for the day. Many thoughts whirled around in my mind, but the main one that came to mind was "shit."

Gulping, I spun on my heel to face my fate. My hands were balled into fists as I turned to see the owner of the voice.

"Are you trying to get caught?"

I blinked in surprise. "Fishlegs?"

My classmate gave me a grin. "Yep! Do you need a guide? I can totally help you out."

It took me a moment to get my heart to restart correctly. Letting out a sigh of relief, I nodded my head. "Yeah—wait." I paused and eyed him. "This isn't a trap, is it?"

Franklin scoffed at me. "No. What my father is doing here is wrong. I didn't realize what they were doing until you opened my eyes to it. I can't believe I was leading these people to the creatures I care about most."

I planted a hand onto his shoulder. "It's okay. I understand. You didn't know. You do now though, so let's go get Alvin."

"Right!" he said with a grin. "Where do we start?"

"I need a dragon."

He stared at me. "You—need a dragon?"

"Yeah. One big enough to ride," I replied with a bob of my head.

"I understand that you were able to train a downed dragon, Hiccup, but how do you plan on taming one that could potentially kill you?"

I smirked. "You need to have faith in me."

Franklin gave a thoughtful look for a moment before shrugging. "Okay. If you're sure. But if you planning on getting eaten, I'd definitely go with a Gronkle."

I cocked a brow and crossed my arms. "That's the smaller and fatter ones right?"

"Yeah, vicious things though."

After humming in thought, I gave him a side-eye glance. "How would you feel about riding a dragon?"

"What?"

Astrid paced around the room before turning to glance out the window again.

"He's going to be fine. Have faith in him," my father said as he tried to calm the worried blonde.

She spun on her heel to face him. "Yeah, okay. Like I'd take advice from father of the year over here."

He glared. "Excuse me?"

Astrid huffed as she stomped over towards him. "If it weren't for you then none of this mess would've happened!"

"I did this to help support us. The government offered me a lot of money to do this project. I wanted to make sure my son and I were taken care of."

"For what!? You weren't going to buy him art supplies. You've never funded anything that Harold was passionate about!"

My father sneered at her. "He had what he needed."

"No, he didn't! He didn't have your support! And now that he does, does it really matter? He could die!" her eyes began to water. "The first person that actually cares about who I really am, and I could lose him because of mystical creatures!"

Dad stared. "He's going to be fine."

"You don't know that."

I followed Franklin through the winding hallways. Glancing over our shoulders as we ran, I couldn't help but feel uneasy. There was no turning back now. I had to do this. It was the only way to save Toothless and everyone important to me.

Franklin arrived at a large entrance before pressing in a code to the keypad at the right of the door. The tall metallic doors slid open ominously. Both of us stepped into the enormous room filled with bar sealed cages. Electrical currents surged through the bars. Dragons lay curled and nestled into their cages. I felt my heart drop at the sight of their weakened states. No telling what happened to these poor creatures while they've been in this foul place. I absorbed my surrounding and observed a large window in the back of the area.

I grinned. "That's perfect."

Franklin cocked a brow. "What is?"

Pointing to the window, I began to explain. "We can get the dragons out through there."

"I'm still not so sure about this, Harold. These dragons might not be as easy to tame as a Night Fury."

I snorted at him. "As if it was easy."

Glancing around the room, I spotted my prey. I pointed to one of the larger dragons in the cages. "That one."

"A Deadly Nadder? They have spiked tails. That thing could pierce you in a heartbeat."

"Just let me try." Franklin guided me to the creature and used a code to open the cage. The curled up dragon slowly unraveled from itself. It stood and inched out of its container. I reached up and placed a gentle hand on its snout. "There you go," I cooed.

Franklin stared at me as his jaw dropped. "Woah."

I used my other hand to hush him as I kept eye contract with the dragon. I slowly ran my hand along its snout to sooth the dragon. "I have to keep him calm," I murmured.

"Her."

"Got it."

The dragon crooned and nuzzled my palm as she began to understand that I would not cause her harm. The next step was the Gronkel.

"You have every right to judge me. I'm sure Harold hasn't had the most positive things to say about me. He's made it clear how he feels," my father said.

Astrid snorted and rolled her eyes. She ran her fingers along Toothless' scales as she replied. "Hiccup loves you. He just wants to be what you want him to be. He wants to feel like you love him back."

"I'm trying to make it up to him."

"Well try harder. Maybe next time there is an art gala, you should actually go. Maybe next time he wins an art award, you should show up to the school for the ceremony. Your son isn't a football jock, he's a nerdy little artist," she smiled to herself as she laid her head again the dragon. "And I wouldn't have him any other way."

My father gave a gentle smile. "You're right. I shouldn't have tried to make him something he wasn't."

"It really upset him that he wasn't what you wanted."

"I know. I was just worried about what the town thought, instead of what Harold thought."

The blonde smiled. "I'm glad you see that now."

Dad gave a nod. "This entire situation has made me see a lot that I didn't know before."

Her smile grew wider as she sat up and glanced down at my dragon who crooned at her. "Hiccup seems to have that effect on people."

I knocked on the window on the back of my temporary dragon. My father and Astrid jumped in alarm when they spun their heads to see me. Astrid sprinted towards the window and smacked it open.

"Oh, thank goodness you're okay!"

I beamed at her. "I told you I would be."

She rolled her eyes before placing her hands on her hips. "So, what's the plan?"

"You're going to take over this dragon, while I take Toothless through the inside."

Astrid gave a nod. "Okay. I can do this."