I usually didn't spend much time in Berk, as most purebloods still resented duones, but today I made an exception for Emerald. Today we have made a breakthrough! he announced to the village. True names yield the same meaning in all languages. All the dragons present snapped to attention, realizing what this could mean. There was a flurry of activity as they tried communicating with their human partners, but I noticed a few off to the side who were trying to hide their smirks. emEmerald/em, I gently pushed. emI think we already have a few duones here/em. He blinked, hiding his excitement since they evidently did not want to come forward yet. As Berkians began forming a basic understanding of true names, I slipped through the crowd to the small thunder of a nightmare, zippleback, and hobblegrunt. Their eyes trailed my movement, but they didn't seem to worry until I emerged from the crowd and slipped beside them.
Hello, friends, I connected to them privately. They grunted the proper acknowledgement for my position as secondary alpha. I know what you are and would like to welcome you to Berk. We are happy to have you here and can ensure that the pureblood humans and dragons will not discriminate against you. If you do not wish anyone to know of your origins, we will refrain from saying anything.
They visibly relaxed, and their nightmare leader responded, We are grateful for your hospitality. We had heard of Alpha Emerald's announcement and seek a place to stay until we decide to move on. I mentally nodded and started making arrangements for human and dragon work for them. When I rejoined Emerald at the start of the dragon races, he seemed pleased with the work. I transformed into a human viking and relaxed into my personal cushioned chair. Astrid on Stormfly, as usual, would be the one to beat, although Eret was doing quite well with Tuffnut's help. I noticed a distraught Snotlout in the box next to ours and asked Hiccup what was wrong.
He just shook his head, "Snotlout pulled a stunt last week while you and Emerald were training. Let's just say he and the twins can make an explosion that could fill the stands..." I suppressed a grin; I had experienced first-hand the treacherous results of Snotlout's flirting. Dragon law prohibited me, as part of an almost extinct species, from even entertaining the idea of being with a human. Snotlout was buff and burly, but not nearly clever or even smart enough to justify breaking the law, and Fishlegs was the other way around. "... don't you think?" I started out of my thoughts and reviewed what my subconscious had heard. Hiccup was saying something about me entering the races, but who would... oh, I get it.
I smiled broadly, "Hold!" and jumped down from the stands, transforming into a full, onyx black stormcutter. I will be racing in Snotlout's place, I announced to the crowds in Dragontongue and Norse. The dragons and vikings alike snorted at the idea, but Hiccup let it stand. After all, it was his idea. Stormfly tossed her head, and Snotlout and Fishlegs started getting all starry-eyed. I just grinned and sped off the moment the horn blasted the start of the race. I wove my way through tight corners and skidded over a few rivers as I searched for the sheep. Along a clear, straight path, I used my stormcutter long-sight to search the area many miles ahead. I spotted the marked sheep over by Sven's farm, a common sheep location. Just as I glided into position, Eret rammed into me with Skullcrusher, trying to push me out of the way. I just cocked my head and snatched the sheep, flying straight and pulling up just in front of the fence. Before he could pull up, they slammed head-first into it. You snooze, you lose! I teased back. Skullcrusher growled and recovered faster than his rider, ascending faster now that he had competition.
Skullcrusher rammed his ruff snout into my paws, buying Eret the time to clamber on. I whipped my head around and watched him for a moment, meeting Skullcrusher's eyes right before I tossed Eret off. Inadvertently, I let the sheep get loose in my clutches, and Skullcrusher seized the opening. He snatched the sheep out of my claws and dove to rescue Eret. I dove after him, quickly catching up, but decided to let him have it so Eret wouldn't get too close to the ground. I banked away and snapped my wings out, catching a thermal to normal surveying height, about 10,000 feet. I banked back to the main village, keeping a keen eye out for sheep. I spotted one in the town square and pinned my wings to make the tight squeeze in between buildings. It sure would be nice to have a rider for this part, I thought. It didn't make sense for me to have the advantage of turning into a human mid-race, so I promised myself not to change forms. I landed roughly and scooped up the sheep with my head frills, depositing it on my back. I took off again, this time banking toward the lap pole for the sheep dump.
"Hey, pumpkin!" I rolled my eyes at Fishleg's sickeningly sweet voice. "I've got a present for you!" He tossed a sheep at me and missed horribly. His face fell, but I just rolled my eyes. I slowed down as I reached the baskets, carefully rolling the bleating, terrified sheep onto my wing, and bulls-eye! into the basket. After a few laps, Astrid and I were tied at 6 points, Eret had 4, and the others trailed miserably.
The last lap was about to sound as I pulled up beside Stormfly, How's the race going?
She rolled her eyes, but there was definitely a glint of thrill, Good. It's nice to have someone to actually compete against for once. She laughed, a squawking trill that sounded more like a parakeet than a dragon. What made you decide to- Oh, here it is! We spotted the black sheep milliseconds before Astrid did and sped towards it. I could have pulled ahead more, but I wanted the thrill. Just as we pulled up to grab the sheep, Emerald shot by and grabbed it! I snorted, banking up and away to avoid a collision. I quickly climbed and dove back down, gaining quickly on Emerald.
He looked up at me and smirked, You may have a faster dive, but I have a faster tail! Emerald whipped his tail around parallel to his body for a few moments, and right before it sent him into a spiral, whipped it back out. CRAAACK! the air seemed to split in two, and I quickly adjusted to avoid the resulting headwind. Growling lightly, I knew I had lost the race and let myself slow down to a more reasonable pace. The only way I could have countered my own move would have been to clap my wings together, which would send Emerald and Hiccup tumbling to the ground. Emerald would be fine, but Hiccup would be injured.