MDM's Version of How to Train Your Dragon
A/N: Well, this is good progress for me. Chapter 9 is ready. I have a warning to give out, though. I might be busy for the next couple of weeks, so, I might not post new chapters for a while. Worst case scenario: no posts until mid August, right before school starts again. Don't get mad at me. I'll still upload new chapters, just not as often.
To TafaniG, I got your OCs. Really good. I'm not that concerned with the dragons anymore. But, I might not be able to have them in every chapter of RTTE. So, maybe I'll have the first two help the Riders find the Edge, then have them as guests in the future. The others, they will meet as you described them, and as guests along the others.
And now, Chapter 9! Enjoy!
Chapter 9
Figuring Out Sides
The next day, all the recruits were back in the Arena, this time set up like a maze. Everyone had split up and were at the moment waiting for the dragon they were going to fight.
Hiccup though, decided to take this time to ask Gobber a few "random" questions. "You know, me, Ragnar, and Juno noticed that the book had nothing on Night Furies." He said. "Is there, like, another book? A sequel? Maybe a little Night Fury pamphlet?"
A sudden stream of fire then melted Hiccup's axe to a charred stick, making him jump. "Focus, Hiccup!" Gobber said, who was watching from above. "You're not even trying!"
Hiccup turned to look in front of him and saw a blue-and-yellow Deadly Nadder squawking angrily at him. He began running as the Nadder began hopping from wall to wall.
"Today is all about attack!" Gobber announced. "Nadders are quick and light on their feet. Your job is to be quicker and lighter."
The Nadder roared as it showed the razor-sharp spines on its tail. It flung some towards Fishlegs, who barely blocked them with his shield, screaming.
"I'm really beginning to question your teaching methods!" He yelled.
"Oh, really?" A sarcastic Ragnar yelled back as he dodged another fireball. "I've been questioning since day one! And I should be used to this!"
"Look for its blind spot." Gobber advised. "Every dragon has one. Find it, hide in it, and strike in it."
The twins actually found the blind spot and were staying in it, much to Ruffnut's disgust, because of the non-hygienic smell from her brother. "Ugh! Do you ever bathe?" She complained.
"If you don't like it, then just get your own blind spot." Tuffnut said.
"How about I give you one?" Ruffnut threatened as she and her brother began to butt heads again. But the Nadder got them back in its sight. The twins began running as the Nadder fired a white-hot stream of fire at them.
"Blind spot, yes. Deaf spot, not so much." Gobber joked.
Hiccup got back to asking Gobber questions. "So, how would one sneak up on a Night Fury?" He asked.
"No one's ever met one and lived to tell the tale." Gobber quickly answered bluntly. "Now, get in there!" He yelled.
"I know, I know. But, hypothetically-"
"Hiccup!" A quiet hiss was suddenly heard. Hiccup turned and saw Astrid, Snotlout, and surprisingly Juno; who was a good five feet away from them, crouching down. "Get down!" Astrid whispered, and he complied, crouching next to Juno.
The four recruits held their breaths as they could sense the Nadder getting closer. Astrid took a quick look at the Nadder, and barrel rolled to the other side. Snotlout followed her lead. Hiccup tried to copy them, but the shield was too heavy for him, and he plopped onto his back, getting the Nadder's attention.
"Hiccup!" Juno screamed. She quickly got Hiccup back on his feet as the Nadder started chasing the both of them.
Astrid got ready to face the Nadder, but Snotlout got in first, eager to show off, as usual. "Watch out, babe. I'll take care of this." He said cockily, and threw his mace, which missed by a mile.
The Nadder made a sound that sounded like a laugh. Snotlout nervously turned and saw Astrid with a dry and unimpressed glare.
"The sun was in my eyes, Astrid!" Snotlout complained, making up a dumb excuse as they began to run. "What do you want me to do, block out the sun? I can do that, but I don't have the time."
Meanwhile, Hiccup was asking Gobber more questions about Night Furies, not acknowledging the other recruits running to the edge of the Arena. Except Astrid, who was jumping from wall to wall, the Nadder hot on her trail, knocking down the walls.
"Has anyone seen one napping?" Hiccup asked.
"Hiccup!" Ragnar and Juno yelled at him, getting his attention and beating Gobber to the punch. They pointed over to the falling walls with Astrid on top of one, the Nadder not far behind her.
"Hiccup!" Astrid screamed as she and the wall tumbled down in a cloud of dust. When it cleared up, Astrid was on top of Hiccup with her axe lodged deep into his shield.
"Ooh, love on the battlefield." Tuffnut joked, making the two flustered; with Hiccup in embarrassment and Astrid in anger.
"She could do better." Ruffnut commented rudely.
Hiccup tried to tell Astrid to get off of him through his stuttering, but was failing miserably. "Let me-uh-why don't you-"
But Astrid managed to get herself back up and off of Hiccup. The Nadder began charging at them when it got itself out of the debris. Astrid pulled at her axe, but it was lodged in really deep in Hiccup's shield. After a few more hard tugs, she finally ripped the shield off his arm, and with her axe swung it hard into the Nadder's face. The dragon squawked in pain and it wobbled away in retreat.
"Well done, Astrid." Gobber said as he got inside the Arena and led the Nadder away and back into its cage.
Astrid, however, was not pleased with her win today. She turned back to Hiccup, who was huddled on the ground, holding his shoulder in slight pain.
"Is this some kind of a joke to you?!" She yelled as Ragnar and Juno went to help him up, careful to mind his shoulder in case if it was dislocated or sprained. "Our parents' war is about to become ours. Figure out which side you're on." She said, pointing her axe at him, then began to walk away.
That did it for Juno. Despite Ragnar's attempts to stop her, she marched right behind Astrid and pulled her axe from her grip. When she turned to see who did it, she punched her in the face, sending her onto her back.
The other recruits, minus Hiccup and Ragnar, quickly backed away. If the Solheim girl had the guts to punch Astrid Hofferson in the face, they don't want to get caught in the line of fire.
Astrid sat back up, and touched her aching nose. She pulled away her hand and saw a few drops of blood on her fingertips. "What is wrong with you?!" She yelled.
"Let me make this clear, Hofferson!" Juno shouted back, throwing down and lodging Astrid's axe deep into the stone floor hard, chips of rocks flying off. She then said in a low hiss, "If you threaten him again, I'll throw your maimed body off a cliff and into the sea."
"Why do you keep defending him?" Astrid asked, the anger from long ago fueling up again.
"Because he's my friend!" She yelled back. "Something you know nothing about!"
"What are you talking about? I have friends."
Juno managed to channel her anger into a low snarl. "There's a big difference between fans and friends. And the sooner you learn that, the sooner you'll be able to sleep at night, knowing that you'll live another day."
With that, she stomped out of the Arena, with Ragnar helping Hiccup up as they followed her silently. Before they left, Ragnar roughly tossed Astrid a handkerchief with a harsh glare.
When the boys caught up with Juno back at their house, she was in her room, lying sideways on her bed, her face in her hands, obviously still frustrated. They both took a seat on either side of her.
Hiccup spoke up first. "You didn't have to do that for me." He said quietly.
Juno removed her face from her palms, taking a deep breath as she did. "Yes, I did." She said with a small smile at her friend, righting herself up. "Besides, she had that coming for a long time."
"Well, we did have something planned for today." Ragnar said.
He got up from the bed and then grabbed his satchel full of medicine, ointments, and a medical notebook. "It would definitely keep our minds off the drama today."
The other two members of the Misfit Trio just smiled at him, remembering about their plans for the rest of the afternoon. Hiccup got off the bed and headed downstairs and out of the house to the docks to get something, while Juno packed up her own satchel. They have a dragon to see.
A/N: Whew! That was intense. That's all for now, though. Remember, updates on this story will be slow for a while. But, I will most likely upload before school starts.
Until Chapter 10, Dragon Riders! Got to fly! ;)