How to Train Your Dragon Rider

(1.13)

It took me a ridiculous amount of time to actually make my way to the arena. The injury in my side ached, but not as much as it did previously. It was however able to slow me down.

The arena was pretty much the same as it was before. No one bothered to pick up the weapons, or cover the hole in the roof, so we just had to hope I could control them well enough.

The teens were there before me, Fishlegs and Astrid carried torches, the latter and Snotlout both had weapons strapped to their sides, and the twins were smacking each other around. They stopped what they were doing and instantly payed attention.

I ignored them for a moment, moving past them to the Gronkle door. I pulled the lever, and heard Snotlout pipe up from behind me.

"If you are planning on killing yourself, I would definitely do the Monstrous Nightmare. It's more of a show for the rest of us." I snorted as he spoke.

"You were wise to seek help from the worlds greatest Viking." Pause. "That's me." Tuffnut was an idiot as always.

"I love this plan!" Fishlegs spoke next.

"You're crazy." Tuffnut got way to close to me, she bat her eyelashes, "I like crazy."

"What exactly is the plan?" Finally, Astrid actually decided to speak up.

"From now on, Astrid is the only one allowed to speak." I waited a second, before laughing a bit and muttering about how I was only joking. "If you are all up for it. We are going to get my dragon back."

I was actually received pretty well for that statement. Everyone wanted to help.

"Right then, step one. Get rid of the weapons. It makes them nervous. Astrid was a little wary about releasing hold on her beloved axe, but did it anyways. Snotlout on the other hand threw his hammer off to the side without a second thought. I walked to Astrid and Fishlegs, grabbing the torches from them and tossing them off to the side.

"I'll handle the light." It was more of a second thought to explain it, I didn't really think about it. "Dragons are stubborn." That is honestly the first thing that came to mind when I began talking. I walked back to the Gronkle cage and got ready to open it. "From this moment on you have to listen to me. Every word, every command. If you don't, you could die."

I released the Gronkle. Immediately all of the teens began panicking, but stopped the instant I put my hand up. I locked eyes with the Gronkle, and put my hand up. She hesitated, but let me touch her anyways. As I reward, I scratch all over her head bumps. Fishlegs would be best suited for this dragon.

"Fishlegs, come here." He tried multiple times to say that he was fine, but in the end he came and stood right next to me. "Fishlegs, this is Meatlug. Your dragon." They moved off to another section of the arena as I continued releasing, calming, and pairing dragons.

The twins were obviously paired with the Zippleback. Astrid with the Nadder, and against my better judgement Snotlout was paired with the Monstrous Nightmare.

Obviously, I don't have enough time to make an individual saddle for each of them, so they would all have to settle on rope. It didn't take much time for me to be able to get them attached to their dragons, the issue fell to actually getting them to feel okay with flying. I flew individual with them for a couple of minutes, so that they could get a feel for how everything was suppose move and react.

Sadly that was literally all the time we had. I would have preferred actually being able to teach them, but it couldn't be done. Not at this time.

I flew on the Nadder, and spent the entire time answering any and all questions that they had. It was exciting, having someone who was genuinely curious ask me questions. Most of what they wanted to know surrounded the "fire magic," as Snotlout so wonderfully called it. I showed them small portions of it, the best I could do while flying.

"I'll show and tell more the second we are back in Berk." Pause, "That is, if I'm still allowed back."

No one really knew how to respond, which was understandable. I wasn't guaranteed a home after this, and that terrified me.

Only when the Sol started to rise, did I feel the pull of the dragon parasite. I had warned the rest of my team before hand that I would probably loose touch with them for a time, and that if I did they just needed to give me a good shake to wake up.

I was able to spot a scattered few Viking ships still passing over the waves, then I heard the roar. They've released the parasite. I watch as it rears up on its back legs, preparing to fire, but we hit it first. A combined attack, the Nadder and Nightmare smashed into the side of the dragon knocking it off balance.

I shouted orders to every one as we made multiple passes over the dragon, my concentration was split between the now, and finding Toothless. Luck struck when I spotted him tied down in one of the ships. I was able to tell Astrid to land, and I tucked and rolled off of the Nadder's back.

"Keep the fire away from everyone else. Get Fishlegs to break it down. Find its weakness, all dragons have them." Astrid nods along, telling me to save Toothless. I run along the rocks of the shore, jumping over scattered weapons, and dodging stray rocks. I reached the deck of the ship just as a massive bolder smashed through the hull.

My time was dwindling, and panic was setting in. I nearly fell trying to move closer to Toothless, and let out a gasp of pain when my side ached. Toothless was wriggling around trying to escape. I was able to remove the muzzle on him, and part of the chains nailing him to the deck, but I wasn't fast enough. The entire boat went underwater, and I couldn't swim.

Fire doesn't last underwater.