Shade was back where he had sat yesterday, hidden in the shadows of the undergrowth where the village met the forest. He was still irked by the fact that he couldn't see Aeri as she spoke, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. On his way over he had encountered the small group of Horrible Horrors, who weren't nearly as intimidated by him as he would have liked.

"Where are you going?" one had asked in its squeaky voice.

"I'm going to listen to my human tell a story."

"Oh, her. Well, don't let the other humans see you. They aren't too fond of dragons."

"We're trying to change that," Shade explained.

"Oh, really?" another one sounded skeptical. "Good luck with that."

"I mean it. Humans and dragons live in peace where I'm from. Wouldn't you like for the humans to stop hunting you?"

"Well, I suppose that would be nice. It was a bummer when they caught Rot in the fish basket."

"Yeah," another one chimed in. "Poor Rot. You said she's gonna tell a story. What kind of story?"

Shade realized that he wasn't feeling impatient at all dealing with the curious little dragons. He used to have no interest in conversing with the Terrors on Berk, and these Horrors seemed to be pretty much the same in nature. So what was different? Maybe he was starved for conversation, or maybe he was simply going crazy, but either way, he didn't mind explaining to them what was going on at all.

"She is telling the other humans the story of how dragons and humans achieved peace where we are from."

"And how exactly did they do that?"

Shade didn't exactly feel like telling them the whole story, so he tried to summarize it. "A human boy shot down a dragon, and instead of killing it, he befriended it. Together they saved the humans and dragons where they lived from a terrible enemy, bringing our races together."

"That sounds like it's utter Grimler crap."

"But it's true," Shade said. "I'm a direct result of that peace. Come on, she's going to finish her story. You can sit with me and listen and hear for yourselves about the enemy they defeated."

The Horrors pondered his offer before shrugging. "Got nothing better to do," one said.

"We can always fish another time," said another.

"Alright, then. Let's go." Shade continued back to his spot just in time to hear Aeri ask the humans where she had left off.

"Toothless just saved Hiccup from the dragon!" someone called out.

"His father disowned him!" another shouted.

"Stoick summoned the ships!" someone else added.

"Alright, alright," Aeri said over them. "Let's see… Hiccup listened numbly from within the dark Great Hall as his father called for the Vikings to ready their fleet. After a while, he got to his feet, and wandered out to the cliffside overlooking the docks, where the Vikings were loading their catapults onto their ships. And there- there was Toothless, completely restrained as they lifted him onto the largest ship, where Hiccup could see his father stood…"

The people of Heimme listened with bated breath, able to see in their minds' eyes the fleet of ships sailing off over the horizon. Aeri told them of Hiccup's crazy plan to free the dragons kept in the arena and fly on them to the nest, where the rest of the Vikings were running for their lives from the enraged Queen. How Stoick had helped Hiccup free Toothless, so that the boy and his dragon could fly to fight the monstrous Red Death, as it came to be called.

She told them of how Hiccup and Toothless drew the Queen to the sky, allowing her to chase them up into the thunderclouds overhead. How Toothless fired, again and again at her wings, until finally her fire caught up to them and lit the dragon's prosthetic tail on fire, forcing them to see if their plan would work after all.

"They flew down, taunting the furious Queen, who dove after them, jaws snapping." She told them of how when she breathed in, preparing to blast them with her fire, Toothless spun, firing once into her gaping maw, lighting the gas in her throat. "Suddenly they cleared the clouds and the rapidly approaching ground became visible, causing the massive Queen to panic. Desperately she spread her wings, but Toothless's blasts had made holes in the membranes, which tore wider as she opened them. With nothing stopping her, she crashed into the ground head-first, creating a massive explosion. Hiccup and Toothless flew up, up, trying to escape the fireball, but Toothless's tailfin finally burned off, and they were unable to avoid being struck by the Queen's club-like tail, knocking Hiccup unconscious and out of the saddle. Furiously, Toothless beat his wings diving down after his human into the inferno."

The villagers couldn't even breathe, so tense was the moment.

"Stoick ran through the smoky remains of the Queen, desperately searching for some sign of his son. Instead, he caught sight of Toothless, who lay unconscious on the ground, his prosthetic tailfin and saddle completely destroyed. The great Chief fell to his knees before the dragon, tears coming to his eyes. His son was gone, and it was all his fault. His foolish pride, his ignorance… his son had sacrificed himself to save the very people who had rejected him.

"Toothless opened his eyes to see Stoick before him, agonized with grief. "I'm so sorry," the huge man whispered. Seeming appeased, the dragon slowly spread his wings, revealing Hiccup, wrapped in his embrace. He was alive, but there was still a price."

The villagers looked genuinely sad as Aeri described Hiccup waking up, only to find that he had lost part of his leg. But everyone seemed to cheer up upon hearing of the incredible sight of countless dragons roaming the village, and the response from the Vikings when they saw him, how they had all come running with excitement. Of course, there were some "aw"s when Astrid kissed Hiccup, and when Aeri concluded with his first flight with his own prosthetic, everyone had a smile on their face.

"And that is the story of my people. The story of a boy and his dragon, who defied tradition, expectations, and perhaps even nature to form a bond stronger than any other, not just between themselves but between two races, humans and dragons.

"Now, the sun is setting, so I will let you return to your lives. Perhaps, though, you might be more understanding of where I am coming from, and why I have chosen to stay here, on Heimme, to help you end the war you face."

No one spoke, but Aeri refused to look away from their gazes. Then a woman stood, in the back.

It was Vahna, and Asti and Alkaa quickly joined her on her feet. "Thank you, Rádgatá. Perhaps we have learned as much as your people have, just by your words alone. I think it will be good for us all to reflect and reevaluate where we stand on Missti Einn's presence here," she directed the last part to everyone gathered. With that, the old woman turned and walked away.

Haku watched the mild surprise fade from Rádgatá's face to be replaced by a smile. With that change, many people stood and, looking thoughtful, returned to their daily routines, but a number of villagers got to their feet and approached the stall. Once closer, they began asking questions, seemingly insatiable in their want for what could be the truth about their war with the dragons. Some asked about the Queen, others about what happened to Hiccup.

"It is quite possible that there is a Queen nearby. The time will come soon enough for me to go out and find her, and then I will think of a plan to remove her from the equation. As for Hiccup, he went on to become as great a Chief as his father, perhaps even greater, for the defeat of the Queen was only one of his many accomplishments." For the first time, Haku vaguely wondered how she knew the story in such great detail.

After the rest of the villagers left the stall, he got his chance to ask. "Rádgatá, how do you know this story so well?"

"I was raised hearing it, from my mother, sometimes my father, and from the other Vikings. Everyone loves to tell the tale of the Dragon Chief."

The Dragon Chief. What a great title for someone supposedly so small.

He was about to ask what she was going to do next when shouting broke out a block down, and though they could not see it, they heard the disturbance clearly.

Rádgatá's smile faded and she darted from the stall, her long legs carrying her quickly to the edge of the village, where two men were standing, shaking and babbling, surrounded by a cluster of concerned people. Haku ran after her, barely able to catch up as she slowed.

"What is it?" she called, and startled, the group of people turned to look at the approaching stranger. Some of them murmured "Missti Einn" or "Rádgatá".

One of the shaking men spoke up, much to the surprise of the others. He lifted a hand to point into the bushes that grew as high as the bottom branches of the trees. "There were… eyes."

"What color eyes?"

"Blue. The brightest blue we have ever seen."

Rádgatá laughed, causing the people to look at each other uncomfortably. "You think this is funny?" The man said, clearly affronted.

"No, not funny. Just a relief."

"A relief?!"

"You did see eyes. Real eyes, belonging to a real creature."

The villagers' eyes widened as they realized the implications of what she had just said.

"You want to meet him?" Shock became unease, but no one spoke up against her.

She put her hand to her mouth, making the strange whistling sound like she had the other night. Everyone was frozen, anxious about what was coming. Well, everyone but her. She had a delighted smile on her face. Haku had to suppress his own smile, knowing that Dreki was completely harmless, but also knowing that no one was aware of how well he already knew the dragon.

He spoke up, feeling obligated to try and ease the tension. "All right, everyone, don't panic, just-" A deep rumbling sound resonated from within the brush, and a few people gasped. Then, two enormous blue eyes appeared in the shadows, causing people to reach out and grab hold of their neighbors for fear of falling over. Quickly, the villagers backed away from the sight, the only thing keeping them from running being the fear that it might chase them down and eat them.

Slowly, the black dragon emerged from the bushes, scattering leaves as he shook his wings, Finally, he stood in the sunlight, looking just as fearsome as he did in the darkness as he looked around at the villagers coldly. Moments passed, and no one died, but that didn't serve to ease the tension.

Rádgatá stepped forward, taking off her gloves, and placed her hands on either side of the creature's face, and it lowered its head as she murmured something in its ear. Abruptly it sat down, pupils wide, ears forward, watching the humans with as much curiosity as they did to him. Haku found this change as immensely entertaining as he had the day before.

"Rádgatá," he said, trying to sound sincere as he broke the silence, and she turned, a slight smile on her face. "What's his name?"

Playing along, she answered, "You can call him…" she appeared to think about it. "You can call him Dreki."

"Dreki. Okay, Dreki, can I come closer?"

The dragon looked at him with mild surprise before nodding, causing some people to gasp. Slowly, Haku came forward, passing by a few of the villagers. He acted as though this was the first time he had seen the dragon since the flight the other night. The dragon seemed to sense this, and a slight smirk crossed his features. This dragon was just full of personality.

"Rádgatá, can I… can I touch him?" he tried not to grin.

Also trying not to laugh, she nodded. "Yes." She reached out and placed her hand on his arm, slender fingers unable to wrap fully around his muscular forearm. The moment her skin touched his, something like electricity raced through him again, and he looked up at her face, surprised. But she showed no signs that she had experienced the same thing, so he quickly looked away, back to the dragon, who was watching him with one eyebrow raised. Very perceptive.

She guided his hand towards Dreki, who leaned down to sniff it, before leaning even closer to smell the rest of him. Even though he had ridden this dragon, Haku couldn't help but be excited by how close he was to the creature now. Finally, Dreki finished his examination of him and leaned back, apparently satisfied. Rádgatá let go of his arm, and said, "Go ahead."

Haku reached out and held his hand barely an inch away from Dreki's forehead. After a beat of stillness, the dragon closed the gap and bumped his head against Haku's palm. A rumbling sound began emanating from the creature's chest, and people gasped as they realized the dragon was purring.

Haku laughed, delighted, and Rádgatá turned and gave him a broad smile. "He likes you."

Behind them, the villagers were slowly unfreezing, awed. Along the street, people had gathered to watch their future Chief interact with a dragon of all things.

Dreki bumped his large head against Haku's chest, and without thinking he raised his other arm and began rubbing the side of the dragon's neck with both hands, causing the purring to intensify.

Rádgatá turned to face all of the people up the street. "Hello again. This is my dragon. You may call him Dreki. If you wish to approach him, do so with his permission. He will not harm you. As you can see-" she gestured behind her to where Haku was energetically scratching the back of her dragon's neck, "- he's actually quite a softy. In all honesty, he's far gentler than I am, and kinder, too. So, do not be afraid. He enjoys meeting new people, so long as they aren't pointing weapons at him or me. Remember my story. Where we come from, humans and dragons co-exist peacefully, so while you may be shocked to see him, he is in no way alarmed by you."

Everyone was openly gaping, but a few people seemed to be slowly overcoming their fear. Haku turned from Dreki's pleased rumbling to watch his people, curious as to what they would do next. The dragon next to him straightened up just in time to see a young girl barreling towards him, her mother chasing her with a look of pure terror on her face.

"Luvia! Get back here!" But the girl had a determined expression on her face, and she skidded to a stop right in front of Dreki. Haku waited to see what he would do, and her mother finally reached her, but was too frightened of the dragon to step any closer.

"Please, Luvia," she whispered. "Please get away from… from…"

Without speaking, Luvia lifted one hand and reached for Dreki's face, which peered down at her from his considerable height. Her mother gasped, tears of fright coming to her eyes. Haku put a hand out in front of her, trying to get her to relax. Rádgatá was watching carefully, but smiling, so he knew that the little girl was in no danger.

Slowly, the dragon lowered his head until the tip of his nose was inches away from the top of the little girl's head. He sniffed her, causing her hair to shift, and Luvia laughed delightedly, before reaching up and placing both hands on Dreki's cheeks. The dragon's mouth began to open, and Luvia's mother let out an audible sob, clearly expecting him to devour her baby.

Instead, Dreki's mouth stretched into a wide grin. But… where were his teeth?! All they could see was a gummy pink smile, which made the dragon look comical, and infinitely more approachable. Little Luvia giggled, patting her hands on the dragon's cheeks. Haku looked at the girl's mother, to see her face slack with shock. "Come on," he urged her, and numbly she stepped forward, eyes wide.

Crouching down, Haku called out softly, "Luvia." The little girl turned, one hand still on Dreki's face. "I think your mama wants to see you now."

"Mama!" she cried out happily. "Come see the dragon!"

The woman actually whimpered. Haku swallowed his laugh, and placed a reassuring hand around her shoulders. "Do you see that she is in no danger, Ima?" he addressed her by her first name, and she looked up at him, eyes wide.

"I just… I just don't know."

"Do not be afraid," Rádgatá said gently. "You don't have to love us. We don't expect any of you to just accept us. All I ask is that you respect my dragon, not because he is fearsome, but because he is an intelligent creature of depth and compassion, who protects me with his life regularly, and who also has offered his protection to you all with his presence."

Without another word she crouched, holding out her arms, and Luvia cheerfully raised her hands in the air to be picked up. Rádgatá, holding the girl as though she interacted with small children on a regular basis, carried her back to Ima, who wordlessly extended her arms to take her daughter, who seemed put out that she didn't get to keep petting the dragon.

"Do you not recall how Rádgatá and Dreki intervened during the last raid?" Haku directed his question not just at Ima but at all of the villagers. "Did you not hear Rádgatá's words, the story of her people? They were just like us, perhaps even more deeply entrenched in their war than we are in ours. But one person, and one dragon, changed life there as all humans and dragons knew it, and I believe that one person and her dragon can do the same for us here."

There. Haku had officially cast his vote. He glanced over at Rádgatá, who was smiling her gratitude at him, something unreadable in her eyes. But before she could speak, another person spoke up.

"I agree with Haku."

It was Maara, and she strode out from the crowd, her face a mask of determination. She came face to face with Dreki, and fearlessly she extended her hand. "He-hello," she stuttered a bit, her voice betraying her nervousness. Everyone held their breath, watching their Chief's normally quiet and shy daughter come out of her shell. Dreki sniffed her hand, and a wide, toothless smile spread on his face.

Maara made a sound of glee as the dragon pressed his nose into her palm. "Oh, he's wonderful!" she announced, and slowly lifted her other hand to rub Dreki's cheek, gazing into his incredible blue eyes. "Rádgatá, I… I think Vahna and Haku are right to trust you, and to trust your dragon. I know now in my heart that you can and will help us. Are you people blind?" she shouted at the crowd, taking everyone by surprise. "Can you not see that I am not being eaten?" she demanded, her gaze meeting their eyes as she scanned their faces.

"Rádgatá," Maara turned back to the tall woman, who couldn't disguise her smile. "Could I- that is, could you, um…"

"Yes?" Rádgatá tilted her head, and Haku wondered what in the world his sister was about to ask.

"Can I fly with you?"

Rádgatá looked shocked, and half the villagers gasped. Haku's own jaw dropped. Closing his mouth, he supposed he shouldn't be surprised. After all, she was his sister, and had he not willingly jumped onto a dragon's back at the first invitation?

"We would be honored to take you flying," Rádgatá said, her smile returning.

"Could we go right now?" Once again taken aback, Rádgatá looked at her dragon, who nodded, still smiling slightly.

"I think that can be arranged."

Hey! I just posted the first part of a new short story that takes place between OtN and CCF. It's called Nightmare, check it out and let me know what you think!