𝐑𝐔𝐍𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐘

Chapter-3

     Hiccup is crouching behind a tree with a fair amount of space between him and the forest edge. His hand rests on the hilt of his sword—attached to his shin—as he watches the three Vikings and their camp intently. The larger boy, for lack of a better word, has finally waken up and is now conversating with the other two.

     "What do you think, Bud?" Hiccup asks his companion lying prone beside him. Toothless quietly growls his reply before Hiccup saddles upon him. The two of them slide further into the shadows before taking off silently into the air.

     "What was that?" Fishlegs asks worriedly.

     "Nothin'," Gobber replies. "Probably just a bird." They are all silent for a moment before going back to what there were doing before. Astrid sparks a conversation with Gobber, asking if he knows of any island dwelling dragons. He, of course, says there isn't any, at least documented. They start to talk about the island, and how they've never heard of it, or that they've gone way too far south trying to fight the storm.

     "Hey, Astrid?" Fishlegs says cutting into the conversation between her and Gobber.

     "Yeah?"

     "I don't think I've ever asked you about your scale." Fishlegs continues a little nervous, he knows where it came from but he doesn't know how she actually feels about it. She had nabbed the scale when she brought a few of the villagers, including Stoick, to cove past Raven Point. Gobber took the scales to make a memorial for the village to honor Hiccup. Astrid looks up from sharpening her ax as it has become dull, she had just pulled out the sharpener. Before she is able to answer, however, the sound of metal sliding and a furious flame being ignited startles all of them. Astrid springs forward as the noise is coming from behind her, she moves quickly enough that she nearly trips over into the fire if it had not been for Gobber pulling her away.

     There, in front of them is the scene of a night fury bending down and ready to pounce. It's wings spread to an outstanding length, that alone reads immediate death. It's green eyes shine, outlining thin slits and its teeth are barred. Its tail waves in the back like a threatening whip ready to strike. And there, on the beast's back sits a man covered in head to toe in pitch black scales with his left arm extended out to the side with a sword on fire. His other hand rests easily on top of the dragon's head, seeming to keep it at least somewhat calm.

     Fishlegs can't control himself when he screams in fright, both the night fury and the man snap their heads in his direction. The man jumps off the dragon's back as it lurches towards Fishlegs who instantaneously passes out face first as the dragon nears him. With a fast change of direction, it heads straight towards Gobber knocking the man's weapon down and whipping Astrid with its metal prosthesis and knocking her harshly to the ground. The dragon pins their mentor to the ground while growling. The man in black walks over to the girl, towering above her from her spot on the sand. She looks up tiredly and in pain at him before passing out herself.

     "Not exactly what I was expecting out of Berk." Hiccup states a little shocked. "Don't you guys train to kill?" His sarcasm bleeds through his rhetorical question.

     "Who are you?" Gobber shouts his question in fear and anger for Astrid. He has never seen somebody like this before, he has heard stories of Drago Bludvist but this man certainly isn't him or with him. The man sheathes his sword as the blade disappears completely.

     "Well, now," Hiccup sighs and starts searching their supplies for metal pieces to create anything he needs. "that really all depends on who you ask. The further south you go I'm a savior. If you go east and west from where we are right now then I'm a friend. And then up here, in the mid-north, I am in most cases called The Dragon Master." Gobber let out a small gasp before covering it up with a hateful expression.