Fishlegs was slipping in occasional conversation starters but would still be turned down by a scowl or grumble from Ruffnut. Meatlug and Iggy looked at the two in confusion but shook their heads. Fishlegs sighed and tapped his finger before smiling.
"Remember when we first met as kids" he asked. "Sorry" Ruffnut spoke out but in an almost confused and yet wide eyed manner. "What do you remember from when we first met?" he repeated. "Well, we were six and it was Snoggletog mourning. You were showing off a collection of books and a helmet to nearly everyone. Tuffnut and I played a prank on you and you started crying. We then had to take you to the mead hall. Good times" smiled Ruffnut.
"What about that time with Barf and Meatlug?" he asked. "I don't wanna repeat that but the look of distraught on Belch's face was priceless" she laughed. Iggy was also giggling while he sat on the head of a pouting Meatlug. "Also I think Hookfang, Stormfly and Toothless didn't sleep for a week" replied Fishlegs.
Ruffnut smiled and said "You know I only came because of Halburg right. I just want him to do well". "I know that, you treat him like a juvenile at times but you need to face the facts and realise that he is sixteen. He already has a secured work place aswell as owns six dragons" replied Fishlegs.
"Ya but still, he is socially awkward" sighed Ruffnut "I just don't want him to end up like me and Tuffnut did, village idiots". "Please, I doubt he would end up with that title. The weirdest thing about him are his eyes and hair, other than that he is fairly intelligent" Fishlegs smiled.
The two looked on and were moving in to kiss but then Head and Butt crashed into them, panting like mad. "Really guys, was that necessary?" asked Ruffnut. "They seem stressed and since Halburg took them with him, he may be in trouble. Let's go" stated Fishlegs as he looked at the troubled and exhausted Terrors. Ruffnut sat behind Fishlegs on Meatlug while Iggy flew alongside and the yellow Terrors perched behind Ruffnut.
"Ugh, Fishlegs we have searched the entire half of this part of the island, he must be outside the gas cloud or on the other half" stated Ruffnut. Fishlegs went to the back of the island to search for him but Ruffnut then forced him down to a series of trees. "Ruffnut, where are you going?" he asked. Ruffnut ignored him so Fishlegs and the dragons followed her.
They found Ruffnut looking over a rock formation and so Meatlug and the Terrors stayed behind. When Fishlegs looked over the form, he almost gasped but Ruffnut had his mouth already covered.
Fart and Sniff aswell as some other Zipplebacks and Snaptrappers, about eight dragons in total, were either locked in cages or had their multiple heads bound up. "Get these beasts onto the boat, Viggo will be wanting these" said a woman who was clearly in charge.
She looked about the same age as Halburg. She was wearing a black pirate's hat aswell as a black pirate jacket. A purple tunic, dark blue pants and metallic bracers also were adorned by her. She had a wicked looking cutlass in her leather belt but was holding a sort of Bill Hook in her hand except looked leaner and more viscous. Her striking blue eyes and black hair with purple streaks made her look weird to Ruff and Fishlegs.
The rest of her crew were all female. Blonde, red, black and brown hair corresponded with blue, green and brown eyes. All were wearing normal pirate clothing with odds bit of metal armour on their clothes. They were wielding swords, cutlasses, daggers, pole-axes, axes, bows, hammers and halberds.
However, the pirate captain seemed most interested in a familiar dragon with a saddle. 'Smoke and Spark' thought Ruffnut as she watched the trained Zippleback growl in his restraints. The pirate captain told her crew "Bring the Zipplebacks and Snaptrappers below deck into their cells. All except this one bring him into the cell in my quarters". The crew did as told and while Ruffnut and Fishlegs watched. They soon set off while a Gronckle followed from a distance.
Once Smoke and Spark were let go in their cage, the two immediately began trying to break out. "Bring up our prisoner" she said to a red haired and black haired girl.
The two went down to a cell where a boy was leaning against the wall, his War Scythe taken from him. The two pulled him up and escorted him up to the commanders quarters with a spear and axe pointed at him. They shoved him in roughly and left to stand guard outside.
Halburg growled when he saw the captain but gestured to Smoke and Spark with his hand to rest. "So then, sit down. What host would I be to leave you standing" said the captain. Halburg did as offered and sat at the opposite end of the short table. "Right then tell me your name" she smiled. Halburg narrowed his eyes and said nothing so she said "Quiet one I see. Well fear not, you are in good company. Allow me to introduce myself; I am Amethyst Hornrock, captain of this vessel and famed pirate of these waters".
"Famed, never heard of you" said Halburg. "Well, then I think that you don't get out enough" she said. "Many do say that" shrugged the boy. "Ok then, maybe you have heard of Viggo Grimborn" she asked. Halburg grinned and behind his back, waved his hand into various poses for Smoke, knowing what to do. "As a matter of fact I do, tell me though, have you encountered Halburg Thorston" he asked. "Halburg? I know the last name though" she said, intrigued.
"Yes well I would say that you would be seen as a mere insect compared to him" replied Halburg as he walked around the room, snatching his hand onto a bone-carved leg length, ruby topped cane that Halburg had been staring at since he walked in. "Really then, tell me about this 'Halburg'" asked the pirate. Halburg walked over to Smoke who had a sphere in his mouth and said "He is a genius, can outsmart even Viggo Grimborn. Master dragon trainer and also". Smoke meanwhile had rolled the sphere against the butt of the cane
Halburg spun around with the cane, which flicked the sphere up into the air, held off the ground in his left hand while his other hand caught the sphere between his middle and index fingers "Standing right here". Amethyst was standing and in a fighting stance, cutlass pulled out but Halburg threw the sphere at her. It fell at her feet and from it, Zippleback gas poured out. When Amethyst could see straight again, Halburg and the Zippleback were gone. Spark had been using his tail during that time to fish for the key to the cage and open it with one of their tails.
Halburg was on deck and when the other crew spotted him, he called onto his boys "Time to go guys". He hopped onto their saddle while Smoke and Spark shot a quick and powerful. Amethyst had made her way onto deck when she saw the Zippleback fly off. "You will never hold onto them you hear me, Halburg Thorston, you and your dragons shall perish" she yelled.
Halburg caught up with Meatlug and the group head off to Berk. Ruffnut though had hopped onto Smoke while Halburg got on Spark. When they arrived, it was evening and they found Hiccup, Astrid, Snotlout, Tuffnut, Gobber, Valka and their dragons waiting outside Gobber's shop. "Listen Ruffnut, can I just drop you hear, I'm exhausted and want to go home" asked Halburg. "Fine but you are telling me what happened on that ship tomorrow" she stated.
Halburg nodded and dropped her off before heading off to his home on the outskirts of Berk. The home was relatively large and had a passage underground for their stable. They also had some wooden perches, rock slabs, a small pond, a storage shed and feeding station. The dragon head sculpture on the top of the house was the four heads of a Snaptrapper. Outside though, Halburg smiled as he set down on the main path of the building.
Spines and Twist were resting on the rock slabs, Blizzard perched on the dragon perch, Belle cleaning her scales in the pond while Frill hauled some barrels off a cart and placed them into a shed, Johann had delivered them while Halburg was out. Blizzard caught sight of them and when she roared Halburg found himself almost immediately knocked down and being licked on the face by a Monstrous Nightmare and Hobblegrunt. Twist, Spines and Belle watched from a bit further back but where all smiling and when Halburg stood up, Belle and Twist were wagging their tails like a dog.
The seven walked up to the house with Halburg being surrounded by the dragons in question, all buzzing and excited to see their master. Halburg smiled but when he saw a group of dragons strolling up, a cream Snow Wraith and blue Devilish Dervish at the front, with Magnus on the Wraith and Natania on the Dervish, he rolled his eyes. Behind them were a Prickleboggle, Moldruffle, Deadly Nadder and Typhommerang.
"Well then, what brings a Thorston out here" laughed Natania. "That doesn't make sense when I live here" replied Halburg to which Blizzard laughed. "Seems your Nightmare has a horrible sense of humour" stated Magnus. "Probably but she is the best for me" replied Halburg who petted the nudging dragon in question.
"You know what Thorston. Why don't you do me a favour and give these dragons away. After all, they are hardly trained" laughed Natania. Belle and Twist stood infront of Halburg, both growling at them. "Shut up and get lost. I trust you know what a Flightmare is capable of" ordered Halburg. The others scoffed and flew off to the village. Belle and Twist aswell as the other dragons looked at their master in confusion but Halburg said "Don't worry guys, we will get them back in such a way that they will be running with their tails between their legs. After all, a Thorston has to play a prank every once in a while otherwise people forget who I am". The dragons nodded and all seven walked back to the house.
While six of the entered the house's land, Blizzard grinned and snuck to the back of the bully's convoy and, with the tip on fire, hit both Magnus and Natania, causing them to yelp and both glared back at Blizzard who was walking back up to the five dragons and Thorston who were in fits of laughter at the incident. 'I will kill them all if it is the last thing I do' thought Magnus and Natania with a growl.