Chapter 4 – Dragon's Den
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Tracks: Dragon's Den/The Cove
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"Hiccup," Astrid says again. Night Fury's really starting to think that it's not an interjection. Perhaps the newest expression…?
"Your final exam is tomorrow. You know you have to –"
Oh-oh.
Not the signal.
Oh Thor, not now. He has humans on his back.
"Don't remind me," Human answers, and for a moment the dragon thinks the reply is meant to him.
He dives suddenly in hopes of getting away from the call, but to no avail.
"Toothless, what's happening?" the boy asks. Night Fury feels Astrid tense up and grab Human's waist as more and more dragons come to view, and realizes the signal is now stronger.
It's irresistible.
"Bud, what is it?" his pet insists.
Yeah, wait a second as he vocalizes his thoughts – oh that's right.
He can't.
They are surrounded by all kinds of dragons now, and both humans bend over a little to blend in with the view. Smart, Night Fury thinks, but not very effective.
A Hideous Zippleback sees them and Human's hands grab his sides desperately.
"Toothless, you gotta get us outta here, bud," he pleads.
If only he could.
He makes his way down and into the volcano along with his kind and quickly searches the unfortunately-familiar surroundings for a place to hide.
"What my dad wouldn't give to find this," Human mutters.
Great, he has a family too.
All this time, Night Fury thought Human was an outcast just like him. No friends, no family, unwanted by his species. The boy certainly looked the part.
Fortunately or unfortunately, it sounds like the dragon is alone in this.
He quickly snaps his head to the present. Finally finding somewhere to crouch down, he does so as the others drop their offerings.
"It's satisfying to know that all of our food's being dumped down a hole," Human comments in a low voice.
Honestly, Night Fury sighs inwardly, the boy's sass just never seems to end. And his humor tends to be distractive in the worst of times.
Then, with a shudder, the dragon hears the humming – the only sound that can be heard just before the massive head of their leader emerges to swallow a Gronckle without chewing.
To swallow a Gronckle without chewing!
Even though Night Fury has seen it happen before, it amazes him every time it happens again. The head comes up again, and starts sniffing dangerously close to their hiding place.
"Alright bud, you gotta get us outta here," Human's voice makes its way to his mind, foggy due to fear of the great Green Death.
"Now!"
Night Fury snaps out of his dormancy induced state at the boy's exclamation and manages to fly out of the mouth's reach just in time.
Adrenaline rushing through his veins, the dragon barely acknowledges Astrid's blabbering on their journey back to the cove. When they land, all he can register is something about the Green Death being like the queen of bees.
Yeah. One hungry, terrifying, dragon-eating, mountain-sized bee.
Then she starts on how they should tell all about it to Human's dad (Night Fury doesn't know the man, but if he's anything like Human, physical strength really isn't an option)… Astrid is just full of great ideas.
"No," Human slides from the saddle to catch up with her. "No, they'll kill Toothless." All this talk about 'killing Toothless' is really starting to get to the dragon. Note to self: never near the island of Berk alone.
"Astrid, we have to think this through. Carefully." Thank the gods for a bit of reasoning!
"Hiccup, we've just discovered the dragons' nest."
Whoah. Stop.
Something in Night Fury's mind clicks. He heard Astrid say Hiccup three times, and the meaning of it cannot be anything other than Human's actual name.
He has a name! Well, of course he has a name, but the dragon just kind of expected it to be… Human.
Human's name is Hiccup.
Whooooah.
" – to protect your pet dragon, are you serious?" Astrid finishes her rant hotly, unaware of Night Fury's thoughts. Pfft. Pet dragon! If anything, Hum – Hiccup is his pet, not the other way around.
"Yes." Hum – Hiccup – answers seriously, making the dragon feel sort of… proud of him from his place by the lake. Flying for your life really gets one's throat dry.
"Okay," she gives in. "So what do we do?"
"Just… give me until tomorrow. I'll figure something out."
"Okay," Astrid answers, but unexpectedly punches him in the arm. "That's for kidnapping me," she clarifies.
Shame on you, Viking wannabe. Getting caught off guard this easily.
Hum – Hiccup! Thor, does he have to correct the name? – glances over his shoulder at his friend with an exasperated look. The girl then does the unthinkable – reaches over and grabs Hiccup's vest to kiss him on the cheek.
"That's for… everything else," Astrid says before running off.
Eww. Night Fury seriously hopes this isn't how humans mate. It's not cool, in any species, to have a witness to the act. Although it was kind of fast, so maybe it wasn't the act itself, the dragon muses while looking at Hiccup. (Wait… Oh yes, he got the name right!)
The boy realizes Night Fury's presence and flushes. "W-What are you looking at?"
It's just interesting, he defends himself in his head. He really never even thought of Human having a… well, a human-given name, like Toothless.
The teenager waits until she is completely out of sight (and earshot) to allow a stupid grin to spread through his freckled face.
"She's amazing, isn't she," the human sighs.
Night Fury actually rolls his eyes at his remark. According to Astrid, the dragon is the amazing one, but nevermind…
Go home, Hiccup.