How to fight for your dragon

~Chapter 1~ the race (Jenny)

(credit to the outfit goes to @smartydrawings. She does a lot of httyd characters on Instagram and she's super talented, so please check her out!)

The island of Berk, festively adorned with flags and banners rested perfectly on the meridian of misery. Major new additions altered its familiar skyline.

This... is Berk. The best kept secret this side of just about anywhere. Granted, it may not look like much, but this wet heap of rock packs more than a few surprises.

A cluster of sheep hid nervously between buildings as shadows of passing dragons raced by. The group moves as one, receding into a shadowy alley, pushing one sheep out into the light. It's suddenly snatched and carried into the air.

Life here is amazing, just not for the faint of heart. See, where most folks enjoy hobbies like whittling or needlepoint, we Berkians prefer a little something we like to call... Dragon racing!

Woosh! A wash of vibrant colors blurred by. Dragons barreled past at a dizzying speed. Their riders swipe, kick, and roll into one another while they weave neck in neck between the houses, docks, and revamped structures of Berk. It's like an aerial version of the Monte Carlo race. Spectators roar from wooden bleachers, fastened to cliff faces and perched over the sea.

Fishlegs, now 21 and even larger, rides his gronkle, meatlug, who carries the sheep in her claws, until, Snotlout, also 21, (but every bit as juvenile), and his Monstrous Nightmare, Hookfang, steal the sheep from them.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Fishlegs! Did you want that?" he taunted, holding the sheep up and smiling deviously.

"Snotlout! That's mine!" Fishlegs growled.

Ignoring him, Snotlout fell back toward Ruffnut and Tuffnut, who lagged on their two-headed Zippleback, Barf and Belch.

"Here ya go, babe." With a chivalrous grin, Snotlout tosses the sheep to Ruffnut. She snatched it with a sneer and a grumble. "Did I tell you that you look amazing today? 'Cause you do."

"Come on, Barf. It's starting to stink around here." Ruff glared towards him. Barf began to peel off, spewing gas. Tuffnut mocked Snotlout with a mugging grin.

"Nope. Still hates you. Let's blow this place, Belch!"

Belch ignites the gas, sparking a flashy explosion, and leaving Snotlout behind in the smoke. As they rush past the main bleachers, Ruffnut drops her sheep into one of seven baskets suspended over a chasm at the lap crossing. Each backboard bears an image of its corresponding dragon, the Barf/Belch basket filled to the brim with sheep.

Presiding over the game, Stoick turns to the frenzied crowd. "That's nine for the Twins, Jenny's close behind with eight, Astrid and Ryder tied with three, Fishlegs and Snotlout trail with none!" Stoick eyes an empty basket at the far end, its backboard painted with an image of Toothless. "And Hiccup is... nowhere to be found."

Whack! Snotlout, still smoldering from the blast, gets from behind. Ryder, rolls in atop Arrow, spirited and competitive as ever. "What are you doing, Snotlout?!" he asked angrily "They're going to win now!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it." I suddenly came beside my brother, my red hair blowing wildly behind me.

"She's my princess!" he protested "Whatever she wants, she gets."

"Ruffnut?" Astrid interjected. "Didn't she try to bury you alive?!"

"Only for a few hours!"

With a roll of my eyes, I peeled away from the others, in an attempt to take a route that would build more speed. With another sheep still pending, I had time to regroup and prepare for the kill.