Following his father's death Hiccup is determined to do Stoick proud and fill his shoes in Berk. And he does... by slowly chipping away at himself. Sensitive Toothless knows his boy is getting lost but that's not the only troubling thing happening...
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Romans. The savages of civilization. They made war a game, and death a show that one could buy tickets to view.
"RIDERS!" bellowed the man on the Trireme ship. "To port! To port Augustus' stern!"
Stormfly folded her wings and ducked out of view. We could hear the heavy tread of boots as soldiers ran to and fro across the ship in search of us.
In less than three seconds my Nadder turned a three sixty and sped out of the bay, sailing silently over black waves.
"Get the Prefect!" the cape-clad commander boomed, face red as the plume off his helmet. "Send a squadron to the dragon gate!"
Dragongate, huh? I thought smugly.
...
"A commotion at the docks," one soldier stood straining to see what all the racket was about. "I think a rider just flew in."
A squeaking noise arose. But the soldiers were too interested in what was happening in the bay to give it much thought.
"I wouldn't stand there if I were you," Another huffed, watching as most of the guards joined the onlooker. "Never know when one of those heathens will fly up and have their reptile run you through like a hawk does a mouse."
Squeak squeak squeak...
"It'd be more like an owl, this time of night."
Squeak squeak squeak...
"Or maybe they'll roast you alive," The huffy one sneered. "And later serve you up at one of their ceremonies with an apple in your mouth like a pig. Either way I'm not chancing it. I'll stay right here, safe and-"
Snap!
The scaffolding broke loose of the stables and all ten soldiers plummeted into the sea. Including huffy.
Upside down, Stormfly watched from beneath the scaffolding in self-satisfaction, a massive bolt in one talon. She climbed up.
Snotlout jumped off. "Distract the soldiers, I'll take care of the gate!" he said, axe in one hand and changewing gel in the other.
Stormfly and I flew up and over the stables.
The whole village was lit now, and soldiers scurried around like ants. Three or four arrows came at us.
Two bounced off of my dragon's armor and one tore through my hair.
"RRRRAAAAAGGGGHHHHHH!" I leapt from the saddle, smashing one soldiers' helmet over his head. "Riders attack! For BERK!!!!"
With one swoop of her well-aimed quills Stormfly took out half a group of archers. The other half found themselves toasted like marshmallows. She landed and joined me in hand-to-claw combat. Swords sparked, axes swung. Apparently none of these sad skinny excuses for men had ever met a woman Viking, and they fell before me and my axe in shock and horror. This was my element.
