Chapter 4: Panicking!

Ruby's P.O.V

I watched as the others called their dragons and began to fly off in the direction of the loud boom. I whistled to Kanu as I started running in the direction that the boy called Hiccup and his friends had flown. Kanu perked up his head as he slithered towards me at full speed. Just as he was about to pass me, I grabbed a hold of his horn and flung myself onto his back with a flick of his head. I gripped his scales with both hands to steady myself. We rocketed toward the group of dragon riders.

I smirked to myself as I pressed my body up against Kanu's to create more speed as we gained on the group. I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Snotlout's look of terror as we sailed over the top of them, just scraping their heads. I turned my head to see their shocked faces and laughed out loud when all of their jaws unhinged as we soared ahead. I felt the vibrations under me as Kanu laughed with me and swiveled his head under himself looking back at them upside down.

My laughing ceased when I caught sight of a dark shadow down below us. I looked down to see a very smug looking Hiccup gliding below us. I could see the mischievous gleam in his eye as Toothless smirked at me. With a pompous flick of his tail Toothless and Hiccup shot forward ahead of us. Oh, it was on! I was not gonna let Hiccup beat me that easy. I had my pride on the line here.

"Come on Kanu, let's show him how real dragons fly." I said smiling evilly as a plan formed in my head. "Up!" I yelled over the wind. Kanu stretched out his wings letting the air fill them lifting us high into the clouds. We hovered in the clouds completely covered from view. I watched as Hiccup turned his head to look back at us and tried to suppress a giggle when his face contorted with confusion. We were nowhere to be seen. I placed a hand on Kanu's head as I prepared myself for my next move.

"Now!" I shouted to Kanu, "Dive!" Kanu folded his wings to his sides as he tilted his nose down straight toward Hiccup and Toothless. I pulled myself in close to his body as the wind threatened to rip me off his back.

The small black dot that was Toothless grew bigger with each second. I heard a sharp cry, Hiccup had finally noticed us. Just as we were about to collide, Hiccup pulled Toothless back just in the nick of time. Toothless pushed his wings out affectively slowing them down as me and Kanu whisked ahead.

I couldn't help but laugh as I Hiccup shout something that sounded like, "Oh, for the love of Odin!" Within minutes Kanu touched down on the end of a long wooden board walk that surrounded a giant building with a giant cage like covering as a roof. I frowned at it. I have a deep dislike for cages.

It was only seconds later when I heard the unmistakable sound of flapping wings as Hiccup and Toothless touched down beside us. I smiled as I turned to face a grumbling Hiccup. "Took you long enough, slow poke!" I gloated, grinning at him.

"That was totally cheating! You could have knocked me out of the sky!" exclaimed a very exasperated Hiccup.

Aww that's so cute I hurt his pride. "I don't recall there being any rules or a race at all for that matter. Besides you are obviously good enough of a flyer to keep up with me, so I knew you'd be fine" I said smugly giving him a little credit.

It was obviously too much because he puffed his chest out looking proud. "Well of course if it had been a real race you would have eaten my ashes." He smirked at me.

I raised an eyebrow at him and crossed my arms over my chest. "You wana bet? Do I need to smoke your tail again just to prove it?" I asked rolling my eyes. I never backed down from a challenge and he was guna learn that the hard way.

Hiccup opened his mouth to make a snarky reply but he was cut off by the sound of four pairs of flapping wings. I turned to greet Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Roughnut and Toughnut as they jumped off their dragons joining us on the ground. Astrid walked forward and gave a big clap on the back with a smile on her face.

"Wow that was some fantastic flying Ruby! How in Thor's name can you fly so fast?" Astrid exclaimed, her hand now resting on my shoulder.

I rested my hands on my hips feeling haughty. "Well it comes naturally to me considering, I've been on the back on a dragon since before I could walk." I said proudly with grin.

Astrid's smile melted into a frown and confusion filled her eyes. I looked back at her startled by her sudden change of emotion.

"What?" I asked confused.

"How can you have been riding dragons when you where that young?" she asked watching me suspiciously. "We only started training the five years ago. Are there other villages out there that have dragons?!" she asked me firmly as she gripped my shoulders. I could see the panic rising in her eyes. I heard Kanu let out a low protective growl as he eyed us.

"Astrid! Ruby! Let's go get ready for the race!" Fishlegs shouted at us as the others began walking towards the other side of the building. I shook myself from Astrid's grasp and ran to catch up with Hiccup. What was that all about? Astrid surprised me with her urgency on the subject and it frightened me. I put a hand on Kanu's head gently as he walked at my side. I patted him lovingly, soothing him but I was really just comforting myself.

I shook my head clear of my thoughts when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned my head to se Hiccup smiling at me. "Come meet everyone." He grinned at me leading me around the building revealing a huge crowd of people sitting in standing cheering for the dragon riders as they revealed themselves.

My eyes bulged as I looked over the ledge of the wooden boardwalk at the crowd. There were so many people. I felt the terror seizing up within me and I gripped tightly onto Kanu's horns. I saw flickers of angry men in metal suits closing in on me. They were holding swords as balls of fire rained from above. I backed up pressing myself closer to Kanu.

A loud booming voice caught my attention as I whipped my head around to see a large, laughing man with a great red beard and metal hammer in hand. Staring at him wide eyed as images flashed in front my eyes. I saw a very large man with a long black beard filled with knots. His eyes red with rage and a scared face twisted with evil intentions.

I let out a small shriek as I squeezed my eyes shut. I gripped Kanu's horns tightly as I pulled myself up onto his back. Sensing my panic, Kanu tensed his legs lifting us off the ground as he unfurled. He rose quickly into the air nearly knocking over the large man in the process and earning a few shouts and gasps from the crowd.

I heard Hiccup shout my name as we darted away from the crowd. I buried my face in Kanu's fur and ignored it as the Dragon Academy grew smaller and smaller. I needed to get as far away from there as possible.

I am super sorry! I know for the readers who have been following me I haven't updated in forever! I was lbusy but it is summer now! I can write whenever I want so you can expect more regular updates. Thank you and sorry for the wait. Hope you enjoyed it. Plzz R&R (read and review)