"This is a painting of a Shadow Sweeper flying at night. Legand says the only way you could see them was by the stars being blacked out."
Three dragons and their riders were in Hiccup's temporary room, looking at the canvas on his bed.
"Well, it's also a painting of a Night Fury."
"Wait, so, your saying that Toothless is a Shadow Sweeper!?"
Hiccup nodded.
"Wow, I thought they were just a legend! By Thor, he's amazing! And I should have known. Black as night scales, solitary, one of a kind, not to mention extremely fast. This is amazing! If I had known -"
"Wait, Natalia, so you haven't seen one before now?" Hiccup asked hopefully.
She looked at him and shook her head sadly. "No. Like I said, I thought they were just a legend."
Hiccup sighed, "Sorry, bud."
Toothless planted his nose in his rider's hand. "It's fine."
After a long silence, Natalia spoke again. "You know, why don't we put that Flightmare Algae to good use. Who wants to make some paint?"
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"You see? There. The slightest stroke can make the biggest difference!"
They were in Natalia's Art Studio. They were going to make paint, but had gotten side tracked. She was now showing them her latest work.
It was a round world with the sun on one side and the moon on the other. Hiccup found it a bit silly, but kept his mouth shut.
He was walking around Natalia to get a better view when he felt something cold on his neck. He had run right into her outstretched paint brush.
"Whoops! Sorry."
"It's okay. I-"
But he stopped when he felt something sliding down his back. He turned around to see Willow standing there, holding a paint brush, and smirking.
"Oh, it's on!"
There was soon an all out paint fight taking place in the Art Studio. Paint was flying everywhere. Thankfully, they had covered up the actual painting before the fight got too viscious. Hiccup had grabed the green paint jug and 'accidentaly' poured it over Willow's head. Natalia had decided Hiccup would look good with a sun painted on his tunic, but it soon got smeared when Toothless ran into the table holding the open paint jugs.
All too soon, they ran out of paint. Toothless was covered in red, Goldstar was covered in so many colors she had turned brown, and the riders looked like they had recently flown through a rainbow. Marina wanted no part in what her food had become, so she had flown off.
"I think we're out," Willow said.
"Well then, we make more."
They spent the next couple of hours making paint. Natalia taught them how to properly mix the Flightmare Algae with the spices, and used Goldstar and Toothless's flame to heat the paint to the right temperature.
When they were done, Natalia's paint stores had been fully restocked. Then they went to the tree with running warm water to clean up.
After a dinner of fish and rainforest salad, they all turned in for the night. The Tree Terrors put out all the torches, and Hiccup went to sleep under the Night Fury canvas.
The next day, Natalia decided to show them what all the flags around the tree house were for.
They all took to the air. Goldstar flatened herself out, her tail streaming out behind her. Natalia stood up and, as they passed a balcony, snatched a flag from its holder.
As they watched, she began to twirl the flag, flipping it over her head and catching it. Goldstar continued to fly as she leapt and spun, twirling the flag round and round.
Hiccup couldn't believe she could do it. She knew so many different tricks with the flag, it was absolutely incredible.
Then, when they thought she was done, she grabbed another flag, and began to spin two at a time. Goldstar even began to somewhat copy her with her wings.
As she was flying, Hiccup realized that this is what you could do if you settled down. You could built a huge tree house, train a whole flock of dragons, paint your way to freedom, and create your own forms of art. As much fun as traveling the world and trading with different dragons and their riders was, maybe the only way to reach his full potential was to stay in one place. But then again, he loved traveling, seeing what different cultures had to offer. And he loved flying with Toothless.
Then, Natalia finished her show. She placed the flags back in their holders, and flew over to the traders.
"That was amazing!" Toothless exclaimed.
"It was." Hiccup agreed.
"Thanks. I'm glad you liked it. Anyway, I think it's time..." Natalia lifted her wrist up so she could see her bracelet. She pressed the button on the blue-speckled rock and the top half of it flipped up to reveal the smallest sun dial Hiccup had ever seen. She glanced at it before continuing. "Yup. It's time for our daily slow flight. Just a leisurely, scenic flight above the canopy. What do you think? Want to join us?"
"Sure!" Willow exclaimed.
"I don't know," Hiccup said, eyeing his dragon, "Toothless didn't sleep very well last night. He's pretty tired."
"Alright, we'll see you later then." The Flightmare and Scuttleclaw disappeared through the trees and Hiccup landed Toothless on the balcony outside their room. They walked in and Toothless went to his slab of rock, curling up immediately. Hiccup walked over to the bed, admiring the canvas. He really liked the painting he'd been sleeping under.
He walked over to the chair and sat down, pulling out his notebook. He began to scetch his slumbering dragon.
Time flew, and the next thing he knew, Willow was walking into his room.
"Hey Hiccup. Try to rest up. We leave for the North Pole tonight."
Hiccup nodded. After they restocked, they'd be off to the tribes of Dragon riders. He couldn't wait.
He walked over to the bed and slid under the canvas. It took awhile, but sleep soon found him.
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That night, after dinner, Hiccup went back up to his room to pack. As he was tidying up the room, Natalia walked in.
"Hey, Hiccup."
"Hi."
"Good luck. You never know what you may find out there."
"Thanks. Um, Natalia?"
"Yeah?"
"I've been meaning to ask you, um, could I trade you anything for that canvas?" He motioned towards his bed.
She thought for a bit. "Yes. Do you have any Triple Strike venom on you?"
Hiccup remembered Willow metioning something about it. "I think so." he opened one of Toothless's newly applied saddle bags and rummaged around in it.
"Right, here you go." he handed her a small vial of pale yellow liquid.
"Thanks. And uh, could I have a drawing of Toothless? For future pieces."
"Sure." Hiccup opened his notebook and tore out a picture.
"Thanks. You can have the canvas. On one more condition."
"Okay, and what's that?"
"You need a mark. Something that says, "It is I, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, rider of the only Shadow Sweeper, or Night Fury, left on Odin's world!" If you promise me you'll get a mark, then you can have the painting."
"Uh, okay. I guess I can get a mark."
"Good." Natalia smiled. "Hiccup, it was nice meeting you. Come back some time so I can see this new mark of yours."
Then, she left the room.
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Hey guys! How awesome am I?? Two chapters in a day! I'm feeling pretty proud of myself!
Anyway, many thanks again to nwheelerhoot for Natalia and Goldstar. I had an amazing time writing them. And who knows, maybe they'll show up again later on...
Anyway, idk when the next chapter will be out. Hopefully soon, but idk. If I don't get one out before monday, don't expect one for about a week. I'm gonna try to really buckle down and get this summer work done.
See you all later!