Chapter 8

(Jack's POV)

One of us was going to die? I looked at the others as we were escorted out the house. They also looked worried.

What if I died? I wouldn't mind. But if one of my new friends died, I could never live with myself.

Armlug led us down a windy road and towards a hut not far from where we had just been in. Before we went in, Rapunzel turned to him.

"What about our clothes and toothbrushes?" She asked. Now I don't normally say this about girls, but she is adorable.

"You'll have to use things from this world for now, Miss," Armlug gruffly replied as he led us through a well-furnished room. Well, in a Viking way.

Inside the hut were four separate rooms, with something like a living room in the middle of the rooms. The hut was beautiful; the walls were filled with interesting carvings and paintings. There was a sofa and I saw that in each bedroom a white clean bed was made. All in all, the hut was beautiful; exquisite. It was like we were in a five-star hotel in Hawaii except for the horns and fur that made it more Viking.

As we stood there staring at the room in awe, Armlug cleared his throat.

"There will be a dragon that will be perched on the top of this roof to protect you," He said. "Don't let the noise bother you."

He then bowed from his waist and exited the room.

I took the first room; the door on my right. There was a window there and a nicely made bed. And to my surprise, a toothbrush and toothpaste sat on the desk by the bed. Wow. If I didn't know we were in a different dimension I would have thought this was back in earth. Rapunzel took the room right across mine. I smiled.

She really was adorable.

The last two rooms had the best views, overlooking the ocean. However, from what I've seen from the living room, only one of them had a bathroom.

Oh boy, another competition.

Merida and Hiccup narrowed their eyes at each other. It was like going back to old western times when two cowboys would draw their guns and fire.

In a speed of lightning Merida dashed for the room. Hiccup quickly ran after her.

Rapunzel and I shifted closer to the room to see what they were doing next.

Hiccup had a screaming Merida over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Only this time it was tomatoes (because Merida's hair is red and so is her face).

He walked to the other room as if she weighed nothing and dumped her on the bed.

"Douche," I heard Merida mutter. Hiccup then walked back to his room and locked the door. Rapunzel and I shrugged. What was it with those two?

Then, there was a knock on the door. Rapunzel strode to it and opened the door.

Armlug stood there with an armful of…what?

Shopping bags?

"We didn't know what you liked so we just got some clothes for you," he said, placing them on the living room. He gestured to the bags. "Your names are labeled in each, so you won't have to argue about anything."

Merida and Hiccup had come out of their rooms long enough to grab the shopping bags with their names on it and head back to lock their doors.

Armlug scratched the back of his head. "Some say the best ones start like that; fighting."

Rapunzel and I exchanged glances.

"You mean love?" Rapunzel asked in a soft voice.

Armlug winked and headed to the table in the middle of the room. He reached down and took out a remote control. As Rapunzel and I stared in shock, he pressed a button and the largest painting in the room flipped inside the wall and a forty-five-inch plasma TV took its place.

He then handed the remote back to my frozen hands. How did they have TV here?

"I don't think you'll need this, but we made this remote control for you because that's what you're used to in your world. We wanted to make you feel comfortable."

"How do you operate it then?" Rapunzel asked.

"Well," he replied, "This is how." He flicked his wrist and the channel changed. Then he pinched his thumb and forefinger together and twisted, increasing the volume. He did it the opposite way and the volume decreased. Then he balled his fist and it turned off. He opened his hands, all five fingers spread wide, and the TV turned back on. Then he pulled those five fingers together and it paused. The whole time he was doing this, Rapunzel and my jaws were wide open. This technology is way more advanced than earth's, obviously.

"H-how do you d-do that?" I stammered the remote falling to the ground.

"The sensors in the TV can sense your muscles on your arms and hands," he shrugged. "We have it everywhere." Then before I could ask any more questions, he bowed, said goodnight, and left.

"Wow," Rapunzel breathed. "I'm going to go take a shower and call it a night." She grabbed her shopping bag and disappeared in her room. I sighed and grabbed mine. But not before testing out the wrist thing Armlug was doing a few minutes ago. I grinned. This was so fun.

I walked to my room and shut the door. Then I rifled through the clothes. What I found shocked me.

There were dresses and skirts and shirts for girls. And what's this?

I held up a piece of underwear. Victoria's Secret, hmm. It was red and my other hand reached in the bag to find a bra with the same color.

Just then the door banged open and a red-faced Rapunzel stood there, a shopping bag in one hand. She obviously just came out of the shower, judging by her wet hair and towel wrapped around her.

Then she looked at the underwear and bra in my hands and she got even redder.

(Rapunzel's POV)

I was mortified. I found out I had grabbed the wrong bag after my shower and hurried to give it to Jack. But when I got there, I saw my shopping bag lying open, the clothes out, and a bra and a panty in Jack's hands.

"Oh my god," was all I could say.

Jack shrugged a muscular shoulder as he slowly stuffed the clothes back in, carefully putting the bra and panty at the very bottom.

"It's fine," he said, looking at me with those bluish brown eyes of his. Then he strode towards me with the bag in one hand.

"So," he said. He was standing so close I could feel his warm breath on me. "Victoria's Secret, huh?" his voice was soft. I blushed. How did the Vikings know that was the brand I always wore?

He was stepping in my bubble.

"Bubble?" he chuckled, a low sound that intensified the butterflies in my stomach.

Oh no. Did I just say that out loud?

He was standing so close and I was wearing nothing but this towel. I took my eyes off the floor and studied him.

Wow. He looked even better up close. His denim jeans hung low, showing just a hint of his briefs. His blue shirt stretched across his muscular chest as he handed me the bag. I watched his biceps move in fascination as I swallowed and took the bag. Then I finally looked at his face. His eyes were….

Blue.

As in not brownish blue like before. Now it was ocean blue.

And it was breathtaking. His white hair was messed up and a few strands fell over his amazing eyes and my fingers itched to brush it away. Our faces were only inches away.

And so were our lips.

He leaned in slowly and I closed my eyes in anticipation. My heart was beating hard against my rib cage.

Just when I thought he was going to kiss me, he opened the door.

Of course. He only leaned over to get the door because I was in the way. I blushed crimson red and dashed out the door and into my room. I heard his deep chuckle across the room just before he shut his door. I shut mine and leaned against it, breathing like I've just run a marathon.

This is freaking me out. I haven't known him for a day yet now I'm acting like this?

But still I couldn't help the feeling of having sweaty palms, a pounding heart, and foggy brain whenever he's around. I needed to clear my head. I took a deep breath and slowly changed into a shirt I found in the bag and some shorts. I gathered my hair up in a messy bun and brushed my teeth.

Then I settled under the soft covers. Tomorrow our training begins. But I don't know what made me agree to this in the first place. Maybe it was the fact that some evil douche bags are going to destroy our parents' world which is now also ours. This is all getting clearer yet it's still confusing. But as I drifted off to sleep, I thought of the ocean; of how blue it was and how clear.

Just like Jack's eyes.

BANG

I sat up in a jolt. What the…?

I checked my watch; 1:03 AM.

The bang came again and I threw open the door. Turns out I wasn't the only one awake. Hiccup and Merida were already out, both looking sleepy eyed but alert.

Then the door across mine banged open and my mouth dropped.

Jack had the most perfect body ever created in the universe.

He wasn't wearing a shirt. His perfect chest was clean cut. His six-pack abs rippled as he held his staff as a weapon. His biceps bulged as he clenched and unclenched the staff. His hair was sticking out in different angles, making him look rough. His intense blue eyes and light stubble completed the look.

He wore the jeans he wore last night except the buttons were unbuttoned, indicating the sign that he was in a hurry to put it on when he woke up.

Which means he slept in only his briefs.

"Are you okay?" He asked me, his voice amused as he caught me staring. I snapped back to reality and nodded vigorously. I then wiped the back of my hand against my mouth to check that I wasn't drooling when he finally turned to Hiccup. He was shirtless as well, but he seemed a bit shorter and had more muscles than Jack.

But still, I've got my eyes on Jack.

"What happened?" Jack asked Hiccup.

"I don't know. I just heard a bang." The minute he said this, another bang came and Hiccup clutched his elbow.

"Ow!" he grunted, cradling his elbow. "Who hit me?"

Well that's just impossible considering the fact that he is standing right in the middle of the room and is taller than anything in the middle of the room; for example the table.

Hah. I remember my GIGANTIC Aunt Eunice coming for a visit and pouring tea. I would watch in both fascination and fear as she held the tiny teacup in her chubby fingers. I would imagine that tiny cup slipping from her grasp any second. I also remember our family having to install double doors just for her to fit in. She was HUGE and TALL.

Why did I just think of that? Well aren't I weird.

There was a crash and I jerked my head to the right to see where the commotion was at. And right there, sitting on the ledge of the window in the living room, sat a black dragon that was five times larger than my Aunt Eunice.

Haha. At least I found another living thing that's bigger than her.

(Hiccup's POV)

There's something or someone in my head. These aren't my thoughts, not my memories. Suddenly my vision is clearer and my smell keener. I could feel my back muscles contract and it feels like I'm flapping my invisible wings. I closed my eyes and opened them. But Merida was staring at me like I'd grown my grandfather's armpit hairs with bananas.

"Hiccup," she said, pointing at my eyes. "Your eyes are…. Different."

Great.

First I "hit" my elbow on something and now this?

Before I could do anything else, the window crashed and there sat a black dragon.

Sup dude?

I could only gape. The dragon was at least seven feet tall with large wings of about five feet. His golden eyes stared at mine and I swear I saw it smile.

I have a name you know. A voice said in my head. I couldn't hear it, but I can tell it was about my age judging by the deep rumbles it sent through my body. It was like hearing my own voice in my head, only deeper.

"Toothless," I said out loud. "Your name is Toothless."

In response the dragon SMILED. As in show-the-teeth smiled.

"DID YOU SEE THAT?" Merida practically screamed in my ear. "THAT FREAKING THING IS GASSY!"

Rapunzel gave her an exasperated look. "It's sometimes called a SMILE, Merida."

I stole a glance at her.

Worst mistake ever.

Well apart from that one time when I put super glue in Jack's underpants.

Her red curls were tied up in a bun and red tendrils stuck out. She wore a tank top and shorts, showing off her curves in just the right places. Her blue eyes had bags under them, but still she managed to look like the most beautiful girl in the world.

I couldn't look away. I felt a nudge on my shoulder and turned around to see Toothless right behind me.

You're red as a beet Hiccup. He peered down at me with those golden eyes of his.

SO?! I directed my thoughts to him.

This is weird. I just met this dragon and I'm acting like I've known it for years.

Actually, Toothless said in my mind. Your father rode me many years ago.

Then why is it that I have this feeling that you're my age?

I'm immortal, genius.

Of course. I rolled my eyes.

I turned back to see the others staring at us.

"Both your eyes look the same," Rapunzel remarked. I went to the bathroom and sure enough, there were another pair of golden eyes staring back at me.

I panicked.

As if sensing it, Toothless spoke in my mind again.

Don't worry. You'll learn how to control it tomorrow.

For some strange reason, that calmed me down.

How do I stop it now? I asked him in my mind.

Imagine a wall closing around your eyes.

I did. And when I opened them again to look in the mirror, my green eyes were back.

Merida was in my face the next second.

"How did you do that?"

"Toothless," I shrugged. "We can communicate through our thoughts."

Her blue eyes widened.

Jack laughed. "I have a feeling that this is just the beginning…..?"

Toothless nodded. Rapunzel gasped.

"You are the cutest thing on earth!" She cooed.

In response Toothless cocked his head to one side and grinned, a long tongue falling out when Rapunzel started scratching his chin.

"You're so scaly!" She laughed.

Before long, Jack and Merida had joined and I watched as the four of them played in the living room; tickling, scratching, and laughing. I rolled my eyes.

"Come on, guys. We don't have time for fun. Training starts tomorrow."

Toothless stopped and looked at me; I could sense his seriousness.

Enjoy it while you still can. He spoke, no humor in his voice. Tomorrow is just the beginning of something worse.