Chapter 25

"Mmm . . . delicious! I didn't realize until now just how hungry I was."

Snotlout stared at me as I smacked my lips and licked my claws clean.

"That was as big as you! How did you eat that?"

I smiled. "Never underestimate the power of a dragon's bottomless stomach."

I rolled over. Boy, that had hit the spot. It had taken me a little while to get my point across to the stranger; Snotlout had to step in for me and explain. Even then, she had been skeptical, insisting that a dragon like me would much prefer the taste of raw meat. It was only after I absolutely refused to touch the stuff that she took us seriously.

"This is crazy," Snotlout said. "Imagine what the others would say if they saw this."

That opened my eyes. Berk. Dad. Astrid. Toothless. We had left them in a mess, and they had no idea what had happened to us. I jumped to my feet, squeaking curses and other unpleasant things.

"Relax, Hiccup." Snotlout said. He was leaning against a rock, completely limp so that his head had rolled back to match its curve. "Whatever happened with that battle, your dad will take care of it. He's dealt with worse."

I looked at him and he shrugged. "A lot of stuff happened at those Gatherings you never went to; most of the people there spent the entire time drunk and . . . . Those were the days."

Still, people must have been freaking out. I complained loudly until Snotlout said, "Fine, I'll talk to her about bringing us back later."

I studied him. He was on the brink of slumber; he could barely keep his eyes open. It was probably an exhaustion born of relief. He hadn't slept much since that whole Eret ordeal began. But now wasn't the time for sleeping. Now, before I forgot or something else happened to distract us, things needed to be done.

I scrawled in the dirt, We need to talk.

Snotlout groaned. He waved me away. "I told you, I'd talk to her later."

Huffing, I wrote another word, and bugged him until he looked.

Eret.

He woke up. I was surprised he still had any adrenaline after the last few days, although I suppose that sometimes, even Snotlout can catch me off-guard.

"Why do we have to talk about this?" Snotlout said. "I already said I was sorry. It's not going to happen again, so can't we forget about it?"

I growled. "But it did happen, and that's kind of a big deal!"

"I'm sorry, okay?" He rolled up to a sitting position. "There. I said it again. What else do you want from me?"

Honestly, I had no idea, but I knew that an offhanded apology wouldn't cut it. This was a wound that cut too deep to be repaired with a simple bandage.

"That's not enough," I said. "Saying 'I'm sorry!' isn't that hard! See: I'm sorry."

"I can't understand you!"

"Argh!"

It was so very hard to have an argument when one of you couldn't speak Norse. "We'll talk about this later," I shot at him right before I stormed out.

Leaving him behind made me feel better. The air's heat massaged my body, uncoiling my tight muscles and smoothing over other unpleasant feelings. It smelt earthy here, but even that strong scent was almost smothered by the pure amount of dragons hanging around. I could still taste the Bewilderbeast though; his scent overlaid everything. And when I wandered further, I detected the familiar scent of Cloudjumper and his rider.

Cloudjumper cradled the stranger in one of his giant wings. The stranger laid against the wing's curve, one arm out and serving as a perch for a young Nadder. There were a couple of others fluttering around. They tried to land on her, too, but the already-seated Nadder snapped at them.

"Play nicely," the stranger scolded, tickling the Nadder under the chin. Cloudjumper added his thoughts with a grunt.

I studied her gentle movements, the unbridled joy I could see even with that mask hiding her. I wondered: is this what people saw when they looked at me? Had I, in my years of study and practice, even approached the level of dragon-whispering that this stranger was at? It was both a humbling and exalting thought.

"Oh, look everyone. It's Hiccup!" the stranger said, drawing all the dragons' attention to me.

I chuffed.

She reached out her other arm. I wasn't sure what she wanted at first, but when she twitched her wrist in the universal come here fashion, I understood. Shakily, I climbed up her arm to her shoulder, slipping afterwards in a spot next to her on Cloudjumper's wing.

"Come to say hello?" she asked, running her hand over my back. I grumbled and pushed it away. Seriously, enough with the petting!

To herself, she murmured, "What happened to the rest of your kind?"

She took to examining me, running those feeler-like fingers over my scales, rubbing the thin membrane of my wings. She lifted my paw with a fingertip. I was on the verge of feeling violated; I knew it was only curiosity driving her, but this was a lot of touching . . . Did I act like this?

I finally drew the line when she tried to pry open my mouth. I jerked away, snapping at her hand with my – sheathed – teeth. Cloudjumper didn't like that. He growled low in his throat, but the stranger silenced him.

"It's alright. I'm sorry."

She tucked her chin in against her chest, breaking eye contact. If I hadn't seen the Nightmare do that earlier, I would have had no idea she was apologizing in dragon-speak. I still had no idea to tell her I accepted her apology, however. So, I stared at her until she realized I wasn't going to do anything.

"You are a very particular dragon," she said.

I puffed out my chest, and smiled.

. . . the wrong thing to do, apparently. Her head tilted to one side. She gripped my chin, wrenching it sideways to better see my quickly fading smile. "Where did you learn that?"

"What can I say? I'm a very particular dragon."

I looked at her mask, seeing for the first time what it really was: the king. No wonder all the dragons loved her. But what was under there? I reached out and tugged at the bottom of her mask.

She laughed, and swatted gently at my paw. Not that it dissuaded me. She got to study me; it was only fair that I get a chance to do the same back.

"Okay, okay." She quickly looked around. "It's not like you can tell Snotlout what I look like."

She raised her hands to her head, and took off her helmet.

A big part of me had expected scales, or slit for pupils, or some hybrid between human and dragon. But no, this was definitely 100% human. And for someone who knew Berk well, she didn't look that much like them. There was a softness to her that wasn't common among Vikings. Even Astrid, fair as she was, had a certain steel to her. The stranger lacked that, or else it melted in the face of an adorable Night Fury. Her hair was auburn, pulled back behind her in a loose braid, and dishevelled from being under a mask for so long. Her eyes were similar to mine though, although they did seem a bit too big for her face.

"Now we all know each other," she said. "But shh! Don't tell anyone, okay?"

But who was she? That's what I really wanted to know. What kind of person was she to have figured out the secret of dragons?

The baby Nadders took off, making a beeline for an older Nadder. I wasn't sure why - must have been my baby dragon instincts acting up there - but I took off after them. On foot. Still didn't have the hang of the whole 'taking off' thing.

I skidded to a halt at the cliff ledge, watching enviously as the Nadders soared past it and through the air. I could always join them. Given a spot to jump off from, I knew how to glide and go up and down, although turning still gave me a bit of trouble. It was taking off from standing that stopped me.

Not today. Today, I was determined to finally master the art of flying . . . and this time I meant it! I backed away from the edge. Front legs pointed towards the sky, I jumped and beat my wings, and ended up tipping myself over. Okay. Not a good idea. Toothless took off from all fours anyways. I just didn't know how. From feeling his body move in the saddle, I knew he always pushed off the ground with his legs just before his wings beat, but when I tried that, I couldn't get enough height. My wings would start to flap, then smack into the ground too early and ruin any chance I had of flying.

Use your tail.

My tendrils flared when the king spoke to me. I turned my head to see his majesty watching me from his pool of water.

Your wings are very large. You will need extra height if you are to take flight, and your body lacks the strength to leap high, unless you wish to use a running start. Do as you did before, but push downward with your tail, also. That will give you the distance you need.

I'm not sure how to control my tail, I admitted.

If the king found that statement bizarre, he didn't say anything. Your tail responds to your unspoken desires. So long as you know what you would like it to do, it shall.

Well, okay. I mean, this was the king, right? He had to know what he was talking about.

I pawed the ground, and fixed my gaze on a distant corner. Taking a deep breath, I crouched and bunched up my muscles as my tail lingered behind me.

Just as the king had predicted, as my paws left the ground and my wings snapped out, my tail thrust itself into the dirt, acting like a super-long third – well, fifth – leg and forced me higher. The tips of my wings still caught the ground, but they could move well enough. I was propelled higher, a feat so exciting and shocking that I forgot to beat my wings afterwards and fell back to the earth.

"Whoo!" I cheered, wings opened like raised arms.

The next time, I made it. I flew past the cliff edge and into the open sky. Well, as open as it could be when you were flying around in a crystal and ice fortress. I stretched my wings out and glided, letting my attention wander to the various dragons flying around me.

"Whoa!"

A Stormcutter had appeared out of nowhere, cutting me off. I banked hard to the right, turning sharply, holding my place in the sky for a few shaky moments. Then I felt it again: that feeling of hitting thin air as I banked too deep. Instinctively, I beat my wings, sending me rolling across the sky.

I recovered in time to avoid a crash-landing, and landed on a small stone that protruded out of the water. Panting, I regained my bearings –

And realized I was standing in front of the king.

His majesty lifted his chin a little, and the tip of his tusk broke through the surface right by me, almost like a hand being extended for a handshake. I didn't do anything at first, not until it dawned on me what he wanted. Even then, I climbed onto the tusk slowly.

You are still very new to this, his majesty said.

I know. I looked away. I didn't know if he was talking about flying, or being a dragon.

Open your wings, and relax your body.

". . . What are you doing?" I had did as he had asked, but now the king was lowering his tusk – and me- into the water. He didn't answer me, and I braced myself. Surely, the king knew what he was doing.

Even though the air was warm and humid, the water was cold. It definitely connected to the sea somehow. Wings still open, I tilted my chin up so I could breath.

What do your wings feel? asked the king.

Cold.

His eyes sparkled with laughter. He commanded, Close your eyes.

I did. Still had no idea what was going on.

The king was so big that every time he moved, I could hear his scales shifting and sliding along each other. That's what I heard as the water grew choppy. I squirmed –

There is no need for that, the king said. Open your wings, keep them on the surface. Then, float.

It was harder than it looked. Every time a hint of water touched my snout, I wanted to open my eyes and struggle. But the king was here, and the king was calm and sure, and slowly, I began to adjust. I still kept my chin high, but the rest of me was limp, riding the waves the same way a cart's wheel travelled over rocky ground.

What do your wings feel? his majesty asked again.

Water? I still didn't know what he wanted . . .

But that was it. The king grunted in approval, and said, Yes, they feel the water. When you are in air, they must feel the air in the same way.

But water's a liquid, I said, confused.

To the wing, air and water are the same. To truly master flight, your wings must learn to adjust to the sky around it, just as even now your body adjusts to the ebb and flow of my waves, until it becomes a matter of mere instinct.

Okay. I think I understand, I said.

We shall see.

And before I could protest, the king scooped me out of the water with his tusk, and tossed me high into the air.

That much I could deal with. At the top of my arc, I snapped my wings open, catching the air and slowing my descent. I glided as I did before, keeping an eye on the king, who watched me silently.

"Okay, feel the air . . ." I curled my wings, trying to feel the air, just as someone would close their hand around an object. But that disturbed my body's harmony, making me wobble as if I had smacked into a rock.

From the king's lake, my own glossy reflection shone back at me.

I closed my eyes.

It didn't come right away. When I hit the first rough patch, l almost forgot how to fly right then and there. But, before I could even register the panic, it smoothed out. And as my wings tilted back and forth in response, I felt it. There was a small cushion of air under my wings, pushing against them like a solid thing. Once I noticed that, I noticed the rest. I mapped out the similar cushion under my tail fins, the small layer of air that pushed up against my body like little hands. I could feel the air I rode on, just as my feet could feel the ground.

The king was right. It was no different than floating on water. My eyes opened, and even I my brain adjusted itself to rely on my sight, and that intimate sense of touch faded into the background, I could still feel the air.

I set my jaw. Okay. Time to master that last move.

I turned. Hard. At once, the force slammed against me, threatening to send me tumbling. But I went further, tilted my body more until I reached that magical moment when my wings began to slip –

But they weren't really slipping, but sliding. I felt that now. And with that knowledge, I didn't need to fear. With an almost aloof indifference, I let my wings slide until they hit an invisible snag, and I adjusted them and gripped –

And I was stable. I flew in a tight circle, my wings nearly perpendicular to the ground, but I wasn't falling.

That had been it. That was the secret. Air wasn't intangible. It was solid.

"I can do it. I can fly!" I shouted, darting out of the valley that held the king. I skimmed over the grass, and passed over the head of Cloudjumper and the dragon lady, who cheered at my triumph. Sure, I wasn't a true master. But now, it was only a matter of practice. Or maybe I should just get Toothless to take me through another rock death-maze.

I looked back at the king. Thank you.

He rumbled in acknowledgement, and closed his eyes.

Review Response:

Jazz: Yeah, Toothless will show up again at some point.

Answers time! Valka told Cloudjumper to stay back because she knows that a large dragon is significantly more frightening than a much smaller human being. Even if she is wearing a weird mask. Valka's little trick didn't work on Hiccup because he still has the mind of a human. Hiccup didn't smell his dad on her because she's been away from him for so long.

I've played KH I, KH II and KH: Days (yes, that's right. I've never actually played BBS). All on normal mode. I'm not that intense XD

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Noctus Fury: Thank you! I can't tell you when she'll find out because I haven't written that yet. Although considering the tendency of my stories to wander off in strange directions, it's totally possible that for whatever reason she might never find out before they leave.

Even that might a bit of an exaggeration. At least with superheroes the kids usually go through the "why didn't you tell me" phase. I can't even remember if Hiccup and Valka covered that, because if they did, I doubt there were a lot of emotions flying around.

Whoops, I don't think I made myself clear there. I didn't mean that we would actually see what happened in Hiccup's absence, more that someone would tell him about it. Although I guess if demand's great enough, I could also write an interlude (I think that's the proper term?) covering that.

I've never read the books. I knew that Hiccup and Thuggory were on good terms, and I was told that Astrid in the movie kind of took the place of book!Camicazi. So, to answer your question, no I did not!

Oh, no problem. By far, that's the most common question I've been asked about this story.

We'll see ;)

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a random person: I suppose Hiccup will have to ask.