Hiccup, Fishlegs and a small touring group walked through the viking exhibit of the museum. He walked around the corner to a glass display of an old map.
"Here we have the original map of the Isles of Berk." Hiccup said as he turned to the tour group.
"The first settlement of the clan of Modolf the fearless."
"The very map charted by Modolf himself." Fishlegs said.
"While making raids on several nearby viking clans, Modolf mapped out the entire Archipelago. Finding different routes they could sail back to Berk so they could avoid being followed."
Hiccup then turned to the large viking ship displayed in the center of the room.
"And here we have the ship Modolf sailed." Hiccup said.
"It was recovered from Svalbard in 1895 after Berkians settled here in South Dakota."
One in the tour group, a Latina man with short black hair, wearing a green shirt and shorts raised his hand.
"Uh, yes sir?" Hiccup said.
"What is that carving at the front of the ship." He asked curiously.
Hiccup glanced back at the Dragon carving at the front of Modolf's warship. It didn't resemble that of the dragons one would normal see at the front of a vikings ship. The Dragon had a more rounder head with two ear like appendages at the back of his head.
"Ah." Hiccup said as he turned back to the ship.
"Well as some of you may not know, Vikings carved dragons at the front of their ships to protect against evil spirits. And Modolf carved his ship with the most powerful dragon know to Vikings. The Night Fury."
"What is the Night Fury?" another of the tour members asked.
"A Night Fury was said to be a Dragon that only comes out during the night." Fishlegs said.
"Very few have ever seen it up close. But it was said that you could see it's fiery breath burst across the sky like a shooting star."
"And Modolf was said to be one of the few who ever seen one up close." Hiccup said.
"It was said that while on an island known as Break-neck bog, he and his fellow vikings encountered a dragon as black as night, with the wings of a bat and teeth with could retract from it's mouth. Modolf faced the dragon with his mighty battle ax. He took one swing at the it but it blasted it right out of his hands. It then disappeared into the night as quickly as it appeared."
Hiccup turned back to the ship.
"Modolf carved the front of his ship in the head of the Night Fury." Hiccup explained.
"Believing it to be the most powerful of all the dragons."
"He also vowed that he would hunt the Night fury to the ends of the Earth." Fishlegs said.
"And after his clan settled along the cost of Denmark, Modolf voyaged in search of the Night Fury."
"And did he find it?" The Latina man asked.
"No one really knows." Hiccup answered.
"He never returned. Some say that he was lost at sea."
Astrid placed the stuffed Dino in a plastic beg. She pushed it to the other end of the counter to a women stood with her son.
"Here you are." she said,
"Have a nice day."
Astrid glanced at the two as they walked out of the gift shop. She then saw Hiccup and fishlegs walk past them came they walked in.
"Hey, Astrid." Hiccup said.
"So how was the tour?" She asked, leaning over the counter.
"Oh, you know." Hiccup said as he came up to the counter.
"Same it in here?"
"Same old." She said.
"I was just about to go on my break."
"Same with us." Hiccup insisted.
Astrid glance down to the counter. She thought for a moment. With his career of writing coming up, she wondered how he was going to keep up with his job as the tour guide. Hiccup knew more about their viking culture better then anyone in Berk. He knew all about the history of Berk and had been giving tours around the museum since he was fourteen.
But Hiccups mom, Valka spent months researching and writing several drafts. As Did Hiccup when he started writing his book. He barely had any time to give tours, much less with school and all. And being a full time writer, he definitely wouldn't be able to continue working at the Museum.
"You know, it's not gonna be the same here without you." Astrid said.
Hiccup glanced to her, curiously.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"I mean, when you start writing books." she brought up.
"You're barely going to have time to give tours around the museum anymore. I mean, you saw how long it took for you to write that first one."
Hiccup turned as he pondered. It did take months to finish his book. He must have written several drafts. And then there was school and the several long nights doing homework. He barely had anytime to work at the Museum. And with him writing full time, he wouldn't be able to continue doing tours. Not to mention, he was going away to collage after graduation.
"I hadn't really thought about that." he said.
He turned back to Astrid.
"I guess I could slip some shifts in here and there. You know, till I have to go to collage."
"Yeah, we could try." Fishlegs insisted.
"I don't know." Astrid said.
"Once you get an idea, your usually glowed to your laptop for at least a month."
"Am not." Hiccup said.
They then heard a voice calling them from outside in hallway.
"Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs!"
The three looked out into the hall and saw Gobber, the Museum janitor. He was a large, quite muscular with a long droopy mustache. He had one prosthetic leg and was wearing a light blue janitor suit, holding a mop in one hand.
"Hey, Gobber, whats up?" Astrid asked, curiously.
"Oh you know, same old." Gobber said
"Hey listen, Dr. DeLiisle needs some help setting up the new Maruvian exhibit and some of the staff are busy doing something. Could you lend her hand by any chance? I would but... uh... you know how I am with artifacts."
Hiccup glanced to Astrid.
"Uh, yeah sure." Hiccup said.
"We can do that."
"Thanks guys." Gobber said.
Hiccup, Astrid and Fishlegs walked through the crowded room of the upcoming Maruvian Exhibit. The walls to the entrance were lined with stone bricks which resembled that of a Maruvian temple in South America. Inside, there were several crates and ladders set up along the walls. Many of the glass displays were open with some of the artifacts inside. To their left, there were four Mahicans wearing some of the clothes worn by the natives long ago.
Far in the back, they saw a woman, wearing a buttoned shirt and jeans leaning over one of the crates. The three walked up behind her.
"Dr. DeLilsle?"
The doctor looked back at the three.
"Oh." she said.
She stood up and turned to face Hiccup.
"Hiccup, what are you three doing here?"
"Gobber said you needed help." Hiccup said.
"Sure." she said.
"You can start by putting some of the artifacts into the glass displays. Astrid, you think you could dress up some of manikins. The clothes are in that box right there."
Astrid glanced back at the manikins.
"Uh, yeah, I got it." She said.
Hiccup plunged the end of the crowbar into the lid of the crate. He pushed down as hard as he could. But the nails didn't budge. He stopped for a moment to catch his breath. He then tried again but it still wouldn't budge. Hiccup looked up over at Fishlegs.
"Hey, Fishlegs, could you give me a hand?" He asked.
Fishlegs walked up to Hiccup as he stepped to the side. He grabbed onto the crowbar.
"Ready?" Hiccup said.
"One, two... three."
The two the pushed down on the crowbar as hard as they could. Slowly the lid lifted up as nails were pulled out. The two then came to each side as they pushed it open. Hiccup set down the crowbar and slid the lid off the crate. Inside he saw several Ancient Maruvian Artifacts and pottery inside.
"Ohhhh." Fishlegs said.
He reached in and pulled out one of the pottery.
"These are actual Maruvian pottery. Just like the ones Mr. Turner showed us in History. These were decorated with actual text and markings!"
He turned the pot and then gasped.
"Ohh, Hiccup." He said.
"Look at this!"
He held the pot to Hiccup, pointing at a Jaguar with the wings of a hawk.
"A jaguar?" Hiccup asked.
"It's a Jaquin." He said.
"It's a mystical creatures that's been told throughout the history of Maru. They were said to be the Guardians of the Valley, watching over their cities. Some say to this very day. "
"Man, you're really into Turner's lessons." Hiccup said.
Hiccup reached in and took out a scepter shaped artifact, wrapped in foam and paper.
"Come on, lets start setting up." Hiccup said.
Hiccup walked up to the glass display as Fishlegs followed after. He stepped onto the crowbar, causing it to roll underfoot. Fishlegs fell forward onto his stomach, holding the pot out before him. It struck the ground, causing the front to break open.
"Oh no!"
"Fishlegs!" Hiccup said.
He set down the Artifact and walked over to Fishlegs, helping him up. Astrid and Dr. DeLilsle came up from behind.
"What happened?" Dr. DeLilsle said.
"Are you guys alright?"
"Uh, yeah." Fislegs said.
"I just tripped over..."
Hiccup glanced down and saw the crowbar he was using, laying on the ground.
"It's my fault." Hiccup said.
"I left the crowbar lying there."
Suddenly, something slipped out from the hole in the pot and landed before their feet. Hiccup and Fishlegs glanced down and saw a long scroll of some kind.
"Hey, whats that?" Astrid said.
Hiccup reached down and picked up the scroll. He then unrolled it and inside, he saw illustrations of some kind of pathway. It was leading through a lush jungle, passing by a river and statues before coming to a city of temples. Ones which resembles that of the ones in Brazil.
"It looks like a map." Hiccup said.
"Let me see." Dr. DeLilsle said as she came up beside him.
Dr. DeLilsle narrowed her head as she examined the map. It didn't look like any of the maps she had seen of South America. And there was writing of some kind. None of which resembled Maruvian or even Spanish.
"Looks like there's some writing." She said, pointing at the text.
"It looks... Runic."
Hiccup glanced to Fishlegs.
"Fishlegs, can you read this?" He asked.
Fishlegs came up and peered down at the text. The writing style did resemble that of ancient text of Runic, the common language of their viking ancestors.
"Stoned Face Falls?" Fishlegs said.
"Moon Cliff?"
He then glanced down at the corner of the map. There was a small image of a dragon, one that resembled...
"Wait a minute." he said, taking the map from Hiccup.
He glanced down at the dragon illustration, squinting his eyes as he examined the detail.
"What is it?" Astrid asked, curiously.
"Hold on." he said.
Fishlegs turned and rushed out of the exhibit.
"Fishlegs?" Hiccup said.
Hiccup Astrid and Dr. DeLilsle came around the corner of the viking exhibit. The found Fishlegs standing in front of the glass display of Modolf's map.
"Fishlegs?" Hiccup said.
"What are you doing?"
Fishlegs glanced back to them.
"Look!" He said.
Hiccup came up to the glass display. At the corner of the map, he saw Modolf's drawing of the Nightfury. Hiccup then rose up the map in his hands. Hiccup widened his eyes and stared in awe.
"Oh my Thor!" he said.
The illustration of the Dragon was a Nightfury. In fact, it looked the same as the one on the map of Archipelago.
"What?" Astrid asked, curiously.
"Look, the dragon on the map." Fishlegs said.
"The dragon on the map," Hiccup said.
He glanced to her.
"It's the same illustration on Modolf's map of the Archipelago."
"And most of the illustrations resemble Modolf's map." Dr. DeLilsle pointed out.
"Fascinating!"
Astrid shook her head, trying to fathom what everyone was saying.
"Wait, are you saying?"
Hiccup glanced back down at the map Fishlegs held.
"I think we might have just found another of Modolf's maps!"
(I hoped you enjoyed this chapter, please comment and review!)