How to train your Dragon Rider

~Chapter three: Dragon Training~ (Jenny)

"Behind these doors are just a few of the many species you will learn to fight." I felt my insides twist and turn. Did they really keep those dragons in there so they could fight them? The heavy weight blond boy bounced and giggled with excitement, barely able to contain himself. "The Deadly Nadder." the teacher introduced, gesturing to one door.

Under his breath, the heavy weight boy said, "Speed eight. Armor sixteen."

"The Hideous Zippleback." said the teacher, moving along the door

"Plus eleven stealth. Times two." My brow shot up as I listened to the boy's knowledge.

"The Monstrous Nightmare."

"Firepower fifteen."

"The Terrible Terror."

"Attack eight. Venom twelve!"

"CAN YOU STOP THAT?!" the teacher yelled, annoyed. "And...the Gronckle."

quietly; to himself, the boy whispered "Jaw strength, eight." While his percentage was just a tad bit off, I had a feeling that he may have had the most chance of surviving. The teacher reached forward and pulled a lever, raising the cross beam on the last of the doors.

The bully stepped forward, alarm crossing his face. "Whoa, wait! Aren't you gonna teach us first!?"

"I believe in learning on the job." said the teacher

BAM! A Gronckle thunders out of its cave, charging into the ring like an irate rhino. The recruits scramble in every direction. Except for the twins, who rush toward it, like pumped-up clowns. I shook my head at the tactic.

"Today is about survival. If you get blasted, you're dead." The teacher simply explained, "Quick, what's the first thing you're going to need?"

A Shield I thought, as Hiccup spoke "A doctor?"

"Plus five speed?" asked the heavy weight boy

"A shield." said the girl with confidence.

"Shields. Go." confirmed the teacher. The recruits began to scramble for shields, finding them scattered around the ring. "Your most important piece of equipment is your shield. If you must make a choice between a sword or a shield, take the shield."

Hiccup struggled to lift his, and the teacher helped him, pushing the shield into his hands, and sent him running. The two twins stood amidst a dozen shields. But only one has a skull painted on it. They both grab it. "Get your hands off my shield!" yelled the boy

"There are like a million shields!" the girl yelled in protest

"Take that one, it has a flower on it. Girls like flowers." The girl uses the shield to bashed her brother in the face, which I thought was well deserved. He still doesn't let go.

"Ooops," she said "Now this one has blood on it."

The Gronckle takes aim at the distracted twins. Blam! The shield is blasted out of both of their hands. They both spin like tops and go down. "Tuffnut, Ruffnut, you're out!" yelled the Teacher. Ruffnut and Tuffnut I thought, wanting to remember their names.

"What?!" yelled Tuffnut in a daze

"What?!" Ruffnut, confused, shouted.

The Gronckle scoops up a pile of rocks and swallows them back. The teens gather on the far side of the ring. "Those shields are good for another thing. Noise. Make lots of it to throw off a dragon's aim." I nodded. I used that tactic with a few dragons to distract them. The kids scoop up weapons and begin hammering on their shields. The Gronckle shakes its head at the clatter as it's vision becomes blurry and scrambled. It's working.