𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐍 ━ how to train your dragon¹

9│THE BATTLE IS HERE

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❛ sᴛᴏʀᴍʙᴏʀɴ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚  ▎❛ 𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄 ❜  ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀᴛᴛʟᴇ ɪs ʜᴇʀᴇ ꒱


❝ IF YOU'RE MAD,
THEN CALL ME CRAZY ❞

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The sound of gasps announced the arrival of the rest of the teens. Hiccup and Dany had run into Astrid on their way down the hill and she'd gathered the rest of the dragon trainees. Now that they were in the ring, all four pairs of eyes were fixed on Drogon. Sure, they had seen him earlier that day, but his grandeur had been overshadowed by fear. Drogon had taken up a similar place as they had upon their first landing but now that tensions weren't running as high, his true, impressive size was something that the teens gawked at. As their gazes dropped from the dragon to the girl, they eyed her warily and she, them.

Fishlegs was the first to break the silence, though his eyes kept darting up to the dragon above him in terrified awe. "If you're planning on getting eaten, I'd definitely go with the Gronckle."

Hiccup seemed surprised by everyone's presence, but he wasn't given time to say anything as Tuffnut pushed his way to the front. "You were wise to seek help from the world's most deadly weapon."

"Um—"

"It's me." He turned to the girl and looked her up and down. "Ghost-hair, demon eyes— yep, yep, definitely a Targaryen." He peered closely at her neck, even going so far as to push aside some of her hair. He almost sounded disappointed as he said, "I don't see a necklace of human teeth. I thought that was a Targaryen staple! Is it no longer in vogue?"

Seeing Dany's extreme discomfort, Astrid stepped forward and grasped one of the horns on the boy's helmet to pull him away. "Ignore him. Some people don't understand the meaning of personal space."

Her relief was short-lived as a shorter Viking took his place. He gave her what was his attempt at a charming smile and stuck out his hand. "If you're mad, then call me crazy. I'm Snotlout— that's a name you're gonna want to remember."

She merely stared at his hand with wide eyes and shrank against Hiccup, uneasy with meeting so many. . . eccentric people for the first time. She missed the brunet's narrowed gaze at Snotlout's introduction, so subtle that she probably wouldn't have seen it even if she had been watching closely. Snotlout was pushed out of the way by Ruffnut, who leaned in close to her face. "I've heard that you're crazy. I like that."

Astrid was once again in charge of pulling a Thorston out of Dany's way. She was the last to approach the pair and the blonde was grateful to see a familiar face, even if it was one she didn't really like all that much. "So, what is the plan?"

🏹🏹🏹

Hiccup walked backwards with his hand outstretched against a Monstrous Nightmare's snout. The fierce dragon remained calm under his guidance as he was led towards the teens. Snotlout's nerves got the better of him and he picked up a spear point that had been left by his feet. Just as he straightened with the weapon in hand, Astrid hit him lightly on the arm. "Uh-uh."

He put it back down, his face showing his distress as the dragon drew closer. When Hiccup stood next to the boy, he reached out for Snotlout's hand to replace his own. "Wait! What are you—?"

"Shh," the boy reassured him. "Relax. It's okay. It's okay."

The brunet took his hand away, leaving just Snotlout's against the dragon's snout. The dragon purred comfortingly, easing the boy's worries— though Snotlout's gaze remained fixed on the Monstrous Nightmare's. The boy gave the dragon a tentative smile when he realized that he wasn't in immediate danger, even letting out a shocked laugh. It quickly faded as Hiccup began to walk away. "Where are you going?"