How to fight for your dragon

~Chapter 6~ Mother (Hiccup)

  I shivered in the claws of the dragon, surrounded by the strange flock full of breeds I've never seen. I looked back for Jenny, now long gone. "Hey! M-my dragon! He can't swim! And Jenny will freeze to death! You have to go back for them!"

The figure offered no response, seemingly immune to the cold as he led the dragon flock across the polar night- an alien landscape, harsh and foreboding. Out of the fog looms an Ice formation, jagged, spiked, and similar to the icy aftermath of Eret's fort, but many times its size.

The Dragons dove into its jagged folds. The wild ride suddenly gave way to a multilevel, cavernous chamber made of ice and columns of basalt rock, heavily populated with dragons of all kinds, looming in the shadows. I was suddenly dropped in the center. I scrambled to my feet, just as a very angry Spark dropped next to me.

"Spark!" I called, trying to calm the dragon down, just as another closed in, sniffing, leering, and aggressive. I extended and lit my telescoping dragon blade, waving a swirl of fire around myself in hopes to calm it as well. The dragon paused, intrigued, and then watched hypnotically as I pacified him with calculated sweeps of the fiery blade.

Several aggressive dragons closed in behind me, causing Spark to growl protectively, spreading his wings as a small electric spark ran down his spine in warning. Hearing their hisses, I quickly stowed the blade, replaced a cartridge in its hilt, then flipped it around and sprayed a perimeter of Zippleback gas around myself and Spark. I clicked the lighter, igniting a flash ring, causing the testy dragons to recoil. I then reached through the smoke, offering my open hand. The dragons re-approach, sniffing me with calmed curiosity.

I whipped around at the masked figure as he dismounted his dragon and approached me, once again sending Spark into protective mode.

"Who are you? The Dragon Thief?" I asked, trying anything to get him to talk at this point. "Drago Bludvist?" The warrior circled me in silence, taking in my gear, dragon blade, my face. "Do you even understand what I'm saying?" It wasn't completely unlikely that this guy didn't understand me. We were pretty far out from Berk.

The figure suddenly whirled around and hammered his staff. I braced myself, when a large dragon ascended from the depths, carrying...

"Toothless!" I cried as Toothless was dumped on the ground next to me, sopping wet. I rushed to him, petting him reassuringly. "It's okay. I'm glad to see you, too, bud. You really had me worried there." My hands balled into fists as I whipped around to face the masked figure, glaring. "Where is Jenny."

Before the figure answered with his staff or with his voice, another dragon flew up behind me, almost knocking me to the ground. It landed in front of me, before spreading its wings and taking off, leaving Jenny on the floor, eyes closed and her body completely wet. Quickly, I ran to her, kneeling down and holding her in my arms.

"Jenny!" I pulled her into me, resting her head in my lap. Slowly she opened her eyes, squinting. "You okay?"

She swallowed and nodded, before I helped her to her feet, allowing her to lean on me for support. The figure suddenly rattled his staff at a nearby dragon, and in response, it and the surrounding dragons produced firelight from their throats, spotlighting Jenny, Spark, Toothless and I. He then sat down his staff and shield, then moved forward, seeming to approach only Jenny, before moving to me, cautiously and animal-like. Toothless and Spark both snarled, circled Jenny and I defensively, but then instantly yielded to the stranger's outstretched hand. With a quick, disarming gesture, the warrior lays both Toothless and Spark down in a state of bliss, dragon-nip like.

The warrior's hand then continued toward my face. Jenny, despite her clearly weak state, pulled her sword from her waist and held it in front of us, but the warrior persisted, focusing mainly towards the bottom of my face. Suddenly, the warrior gasped and retreated back a few steps.