'Thinking'
"Speech"
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(Cinderwing POV)
Nearly two weeks had passed since my abrupt introduction to the Dragon Riders. Hiccup and Fishlegs's relentless fascination with studying another Night Fury was... tolerable. Their attempts at naming me—Thunderbolt and Thunder-wing were persistent. I'd managed to get them to settle on "Cinder" through a clumsy game of charades involving burnt grass and frustrated roars.
Toothless, surprisingly, wasn't as incessantly curious as I'd anticipated. He posed his questions about Night Furies—inquiring about any other living members of our kind, our preferred habitats, the mechanism of my plasma beam, and whether I would teach him to replicate it—with a respectful curiosity.
The "Bad Moon Rising" incident had occurred towards the end of my first week with the Riders. Observing their frantic attempts to dissuade Tuffnut from his Lycanwing delusion was rather amusing. It took Snotlout's unfortunate encounter with a wolf to finally ground Tuffnut's draconic aspirations.
Hiccup had also experimented with the Dragon Eye, having me illuminate it with an unfired plasma beam, hoping for new projections. It was a similar approach to Fishlegs's use of Meatlug's varied lava blasts to locate Dark Deep Island. The resulting projection yielded mostly familiar information. The novel details included observations of Night Furies summoning lightning during storms and the description of an alpha Night Fury whose head and dorsal fins glowed blue. The significance of the glow remained unmentioned, though I recognized it instantly: the mark of an alpha, akin to Toothless's luminescence during his ascension in the events of HTTYD 2. Beyond that, no new insights were revealed.
Currently, the familiar events to "Snotlout Gets the Axe" were unfolding. I observed Spitelout presenting Snotlout with the Jorgenson Family Ceremonial Axe—a gesture intended to forge a union between the Jorgensons (Snotlout's lineage) and the Hoffersons (Astrid's), a historically improbable event given their mutual dislike. I only emerged from my concealed vantage point once Spitelout had departed on Spitfire, his Deadly Nadder. (Spitfire).
(Scene break)
"See you at the ceremony! Onward, dragon. Spitelout, Spitelout! Oy, oy, oy!" Spitelout bellowed as he flew off. "Don't worry, Dad! I got this!" Snotlout shouted back, turning to face Astrid, Hiccup, and Toothless, who regarded him with matching deadpan expressions. "What are you all looking at? I can do this!" Snotlout declared, spreading his arms with exaggerated confidence and inadvertently launching the axe into the air.
I dropped silently from my perch as Fishlegs began his well-intentioned explanation of union ceremonies to the oblivious twins. Toothless turned his gaze towards me, a silent question in his eyes. "Why do you keep hiding from them? You know that Hiccup has likely told his father about you," he rumbled. "I am aware. However, I intend to reveal myself to others on my own terms. Even then, I have yet to visit Berk," I replied, as Hiccup called Toothless over, preparing for their departure to the ceremony.
A fleeting impulse urged me to remain on Dragon's Edge, a familiar sense of isolation tugging at me. But then the memory surfaced: their ill-fated journey to Berk, derailed by Snotlout's characteristic clumsiness. The image of the ceremonial axe plummeting from the sky, landing squarely on the back of a stubborn Armor wing, flashed in my mind. The ensuing chaos, their desperate attempts to retrieve the weapon before the dragon fused it to its scales... a reluctant flicker of amusement sparked within me. Perhaps observing this unfold firsthand would be... enlightening.
I warbled, a series of low, rumbling tones directed at Hiccup, and moved towards him. To Toothless, I projected a clearer intention: Wait. I am going with you. Hiccup looked up, a surprised but welcoming smile spreading across his face as he scratched the sensitive spots behind my ear nubs—the only physical contact I readily permitted, the sensation oddly soothing. "Hey Cinder, what is it? Finally want to come with us to Berk?"
Toothless tilted his head, his intelligent gaze fixed on me. "Why the sudden change of mind?" he rumbled, his draconic query laced with curiosity.
To Toothless, I projected my reasoning: 'I have the distinct feeling that accompanying you will be... less monotonous than remaining here. My desire to remain unseen persists, but at least I will familiarize myself with the location of Berk.' I thought. Aloud, I offered a more concise explanation, knowing only Toothless would grasp the full meaning. "I have the feeling that going with you guys will be more fun than staying here. I still won't reveal myself yet, but at least I'll know where Berk is."
With a final scratch from Hiccup, Toothless spread his wings, Hookfang and Stormfly following suit with their respective riders. I launched myself into the air, keeping a discreet distance as we headed towards Berk.
(Scene break)
(3rd POV)
"Last one picked. He could have more faith in me than that." Snotlout muttered, hefting the axe. Hiccup and Astrid exchanged pointed glares. "What? What did I ever do?" Snotlout protested, feigning innocence.
"Well," Astrid began, her tone laced with exasperation, "there was that time you brought all those Changewing eggs, and nearly destroyed the village."
"Fishlegs' fault." Snotlout insisted, crossing his arms and pouting.
"There was that time you released the Skrill from its ice block-" Astrid continued, her eyes narrowing. "-And nearly destroyed the village." Hiccup added dryly.
"Twins fault." Snotlout shot back defensively.
"What about flying us into the waterspout and crash landing us on Outcast island? That was terrific." Hiccup continued, his sarcasm dripping.
"Act of Thor." Snotlout declared, his annoyance now clearly visible.
"Act of Snotlout." Astrid retorted, rolling her eyes.
"All I know is when I ride in with this axe, I'm going to shove it in all their Jorgenson faces. Boom!" Snotlout gloated, a wide, confident grin spreading across his face. "No axe, no wedding, boy-o—" he taunted, tossing the axe casually from one hand to the other... before his grin faltered as his fingers fumbled, and the axe disappeared into the swirling clouds below.
Snotlout froze, his jaw slack, eyes wide with disbelief. "Toothless, power dive!" Hiccup yelled urgently, spurring Toothless into a rapid descent. The rest of the dragons followed swiftly. "I don't see it." Snotlout exclaimed, his voice laced with panic as they plunged through the thick cloud cover. Below, a stretch of rocky coastline came into view. "It's gotta be down there. We have to go and get it back." Snotlout's voice was now filled with genuine worry.
"It could be anywhere. That island isn't exactly tiny. If it even landed there and not in the ocean." Astrid pointed out, crossing her arms, a faint smile suggesting she wouldn't be entirely heartbroken if the axe remained lost.
"We are finding that axe," Snotlout declared, a surprising firmness entering his voice, a stark contrast to his earlier panic. "We have till sundown." With that, they guided their dragons down towards the dense foliage of the island.
(Scene break)
(Cinderwing POV)
The task of scouring an entire island on foot proved to be a time-consuming affair. By midday, the ceremonial axe remained elusive. Hiccup hacked at the tangled vegetation with his sword, the swish of the blade a constant sound in the dense undergrowth. I, meanwhile, employed my keener senses, inhaling deeply, searching for the telltale metallic tang of iron or bronze. Armor wings, I knew, were indiscriminate in their scavenging, welding any metal they could find to their scaleless hides for protection. The axe, hopefully, would emit a scent strong enough to guide us.
"Hey, is it too late to call Griplout?" Astrid provoked Snotlout, echoing Spitelout's earlier statement. "Ha-ha. That's funny. Keep it up, Astrid. Keep it up." Snotlout retorted sarcastically, though a flicker of annoyance crossed his face.
As they entered a foggy clearing, the dense brush and trees thinning out, the strong scent of metal and dragon hit the air. Toothless, Stormfly, and Hookfang tensed, going on guard. I, too, felt the shift in the atmosphere, a primal instinct alerting me to the presence of another dragon.
Then, through a gap in the remaining bushes, I spotted it: the ceremonial axe, unmistakably lodged in the back of the Armorwing.
"Ha-ha. There it is. See? I'll just grab it and we'll get back up in the air. Problem solved." Snotlout declared cheerfully, striding confidently through the bushes, oblivious to the massive, metal-clad form he was stepping onto.
Hookfang let out a low growl, a warning rumble in his chest. "Something's here," he alerted Toothless.
"What is it, bud?" Hiccup asked Toothless, who responded with a deeper growl, his eyes fixed on the ground beneath Snotlout.
"What's gotten into them?" Astrid wondered, her hand instinctively moving towards her axe. Stormfly snarled, her tail spines flared defensively, a low crackle of electricity dancing along my own dorsal spines.
"And, it's in one piece? This could've gone way worse." Snotlout mused, still oblivious as he began to tug at the axe. A loud rumbling vibrated from beneath his feet. "Huh." He shrugged, continuing to pull. "Snotlout!" Hiccup warned, his voice sharp as the rumbling intensified.
Snotlout yelped as the ground beneath him shifted violently. He stumbled backward as the axe lifted into the air, revealing a grotesque tapestry of mangled metal welded onto pale, muted green skin. Snotlout landed hard with a grunt. "Oh, no." he breathed in surprise. The awakened dragon turned its head, a low snarl rumbling in its throat, its yellowish-tan eyes fixing on Snotlout. "Okay, now it's way worse." Snotlout shouted, scrambling to his feet as the Armorwing roared and lunged, snapping its jaws. "Watch out!" he yelled, scrambling back towards the group before turning to face the behemoth. The Armorwing, a hulking mass of scrap metal from iron to bronze, its body vaguely resembling a Monstrous Nightmare in shape, its scaleless skin a sickly pale green.
Fueled by a surge of adrenaline, Snotlout charged the lumbering Armorwing, narrowly dodging its snapping jaws. He scrambled up its pale green wing, his boots scrabbling against the uneven surface of welded metal, and gripped the axe handle. "Ha. Hey! This is my family's axe. Give it up!" he yelled, straining to dislodge it from the dragon's metallic hide. The Armorwing bucked and thrashed, a cacophony of clanking metal erupting as it tried to shake the persistent annoyance from its back.
"Snotlout, let go of the axe." Hiccup's voice was sharp with urgency. "No way, Hiccup. I'm not leaving this island without it." Snotlout bellowed, his knuckles white as he clung to the axe. With a powerful beat of its wings, the Armorwing launched itself into the air, Snotlout dangling precariously. "He's going to get himself killed." Astrid stated, her voice tight with concern despite her usual exasperation with Snotlout. "What else is new?" Hiccup added, spurring Toothless into the air. We followed swiftly, the wind whipping past us.
A strangled yell tore from Snotlout as the Armorwing banked sharply, the ground a dizzying distance below. The dragon twisted, unleashing a blindingly bright stream of white-hot fire. We veered sharply, the heat searing even from a distance. Hookfang blasted his own stream of fire, hitting the dragon and narrowly missing Snotlout, who shrieked, "Hey, watch it!"
"Keep blasting, Hookfang, we'll get in close. Astrid, follow me." Hiccup yelled, guiding Toothless into a flanking maneuver. As Hookfang and I peppered the Armorwing with fire and unstable plasma, the dragon clumsily shielded itself with one massive wing. Suddenly, its yellowish-tan eyes locked onto Stormfly, and it unleashed another blinding blast, the searing stream passing inches from her face. Stormfly shrieked, her wings faltering, and she spiraled downwards, landing heavily on the island below, shaking her head disorientedly. "Hiccup, that blast does a number on the eyes." Astrid shouted, concern etched on her face as she watched Stormfly.
I ascended rapidly, gaining altitude as I saw Toothless get caught in a direct blast of the blinding fire. He roared in pain and disorientation, his flight erratic before he plummeted towards the trees, disappearing from view.
Mindful of Snotlout's precarious position, I unleashed a series of concussive, unstable plasma blasts at the Armorwing's head, the purple explosions rocking it back. The dragon retaliated instantly, its tail lashing out, flinging globs of white-hot molten metal towards me. I banked sharply, the heat stinging my scales as the projectiles whizzed past, before the Armorwing swung its massive head, another blinding flare of fire aimed directly at me. My wings snapped shut, the force of the impact momentarily stunning, and I plummeted earthward, catching myself just above the canopy with a powerful downstroke.
The Armorwing, its dull yellowish-tan eyes locked on the downed and disoriented Toothless, descended, its maw glowing with another imminent blast. "Hang on, bud. Things are about to heat up." Hiccup said, his gronckle iron shield snapping into place just as the searing beam struck, the metal humming with absorbed heat. "Whew! Thank you, gronckle iron."
As the scrap-metal behemoth lumbered towards Hiccup and the vulnerable Toothless, Hookfang and I unleashed a coordinated assault of fire and unstable plasma. "Don't let up, guys. Pour it on." Astrid's voice urged us. Our combined attacks hammered against the Armorwing's crude defenses, but with a sudden, powerful twist of its body, it sent Snotlout flying through the air like a ragdoll before flying off above the trees, the axe still firmly embedded in its back.
Hookfang landed heavily beside me, and we both rushed towards Toothless and Stormfly. "Are you both alright?" I rumbled, projecting a wave of concern. "Ugh... yeah," Toothless groaned, shaking his head groggily. "That light... it's like staring into a forge."
"Keep it away from your face," Stormfly warned, still blinking rapidly. "Everything went blurry... couldn't see a thing."
"It's gone." Astrid stated flatly, approaching Hiccup, who was grimly examining a piece of scrap that had fallen from the Armorwing. "But so is the axe." Snotlout wailed, his voice laced with despair as he scrambled to his feet, his gaze fixed on the vanishing form of the Armorwing, then the sun. Without another word, he took off running towards the forest.
"Snotlout, what are doing?" Hiccup exclaimed, bewildered. "There's still time!" Snotlout yelled back, crashing through the undergrowth.
"I'll go ahead, make sure he doesn't get himself killed," Hookfang rumbled, taking to the air and following Snotlout's reckless pursuit.
Hiccup turned to Astrid, his expression pleading. "No." Astrid said, her arms crossed stubbornly. "Astrid, we have to." Hiccup insisted. "This is his mess. Let him clean it up." she retorted, her jaw set. Hiccup eyes narrowed, and Toothless let out a low, sympathetic growl. I regarded Astrid with a mental arch of my brow, sensing the unyielding nature of her stance.
"Fine." she finally conceded with a heavy sigh. With a shared look of reluctant agreement, we launched ourselves into the air, following Hookfang's path into the trees.
(Scene break)
After a few minutes of searching, Snotlout located the Armorwing's junk pile, complete with a cave entrance leading into the rocky wall. He observed from behind some dense brush as Hiccup, Astrid, and I quietly landed. As they dismounted, the duo approached Snotlout, watching the Armorwing meticulously weld pieces of metal to its back.
"If it welds my axe to its body, I'll never get it back." Snotlout muttered, poised to charge through the brush. "Easy, Snotlout. We can't risk another dust-up with ol' "Armor wing" over there." Hiccup cautioned, officially naming the species.
"I cannot go to that wedding without the axe." Snotlout responded, clearly distraught. "But, we can't get close enough to pry it free." Astrid added, assessing the situation.
Snotlout's eyes narrowed in thought, then widened with sudden inspiration. "Hey, you know what's near here. Hiccup, hand me your map." He spread the map on the ground, tracing a route with his finger. "Uh... Ha! That's it!" He exclaimed as he put the map on the ground. "What's 'it'?" Hiccup asked, intrigued despite himself.
"We can't get close to that dragon, but something else can." Snotlout answered cryptically. "You know, you never really make much sense, but this is bad, even for you." Astrid noted dryly.
"We have an axe to steal and I know the perfect guys for the job. We're going to Breakneck Bog and we're training us some Smothering Smokebreaths." Snotlout declared, pointing to the location on the map.
(Scene break)
(Location: Breakneck Bog)
Breakneck Bog lived up to its name. The island was a jagged landscape of stone, punctuated by stunted trees that clawed at the perpetually swirling fog. It was a stark contrast to Dragon's Edge, and an environment in which I've yet to encounter a Smothering Smokebreath personally.
We landed precariously on a narrow ledge before a gaping cave entrance, the thick, choking fog swirling around us like a living thing. The air itself seemed to taste of ash and damp metal.
"Can I remind everyone that Smothering Smokebreaths cannot be trained?" Astrid said, her voice echoing slightly in the oppressive silence. "Maybe, but they love metal and could be the only hope I have of getting that axe back." Snotlout replied, his eyes gleaming with a desperate hope. "Ugh." Astrid scoffed, but she and Stormfly followed Hookfang into the darkness of the cave.
The cave was surprisingly large, comparable to my own on Dragon's Edge, but devoid of the familiar dripstone formations. Instead, the walls were lined with strange, glistening patches of what looked like fused metal. Piles of scavenged metal cluttered the floor: rusted Viking weapons—swords, shields, and maces—mingled with more mundane objects like bowls, forks, and unidentifiable scraps, all gleaming faintly in the dim light filtering through the entrance.
"They must be out hunting. We got lucky." Hiccup noted, his voice hushed.
Snotlout scrambled up one of the piles, his eyes wide. "This is perfect! We'll use whatever metal we pull to lure them to the Armor Wing." He exclaimed.
Stormfly, hovering in the air, snatched a glittering piece of scrap metal with her claws. I, too, grabbed a rusted battle axe and a strange, twisted metal rod, its purpose unknown.
"We need to work faster. They will not be happy when they see what we're doing to their nest." Hiccup urged, a note of urgency in his voice. As if on cue, a snarling roar echoed from outside the cave entrance, followed by the hiss of displaced air. "Uh, guys?" Astrid warned. A dense, smoky cloud billowed through the entrance, quickly separating into smaller, swirling tendrils that snaked around us, their glowing yellow eyes like pinpricks in the gloom.
"Intruders! Intruders! They're stealing our metal!" I could hear the smokebreaths say, their voices a strange, high-pitched chorus that seemed to emanate from the smoke itself. Hookfang snapped at one of the smoke clouds, his jaws closing on nothing but air as the smoke dissipated.
Several small, dark dragons with jagged wings and rows of sharp spines revealed themselves, their glowing yellow eyes fixed on our metal haul. One of them snatched a metal plate from Toothless's maw. "Everyone, grab as much metal as you can carry. Let's get these guys to the Armor wing. Hookfang, wing blast!" Snotlout shouted, his voice a mix of excitement and panic. Hookfang beat his wings, creating a powerful gust that dispersed the remaining smoke, and then launched himself out of the cave.
We followed close behind, the swarm of enraged Smothering Smokebreaths swirling around us like a living storm. "Ha-ha! Is this the best idea I've ever had, or what?" Snotlout exclaimed, brandishing an old mace as he flew.
"Bar's not really high on that one is it, Snotlout?" Hiccup retorted, his voice strained. "Yeah, well your bar's so.... Shut it, Hiccup." Snotlout snapped, failing to come up with a proper comeback as we flew towards the Armorwing's island, the Smothering Smokebreaths following behind as a single, massive smoke cloud. My eyes glinted with excitement.
(Scene break)
We returned to the Armorwing's island and immediately soared towards its junk-laden nest.
"Yeah-ha! Just a little further boys. You're going to be so happy we ripped you off." Snotlout yelled with manic excitement. "Feast your beady eyes on that!"
As we led the swirling mass of Smothering Smokebreaths towards the Armorwing's territory, we ascended sharply and released the stolen metal, letting it rain down upon the existing piles. The Smokebreaths halted their pursuit mid-air, their glowing yellow eyes widening at the sudden bounty. A chorus of excited, high-pitched roars filled the air. "Look at all the metal! So shiny. Grab it take it." their voices chittered.
A guttural growl rumbled from the darkness of the cave entrance as the Armorwing emerged, its yellowish-tan eyes blazing with fury. "You dare! Leave this place! This is my metal." Its maw glowed with an intense white light before unleashing a searing blast. The agile Smothering Smokebreaths, however, easily evaded the clumsy attack, their movements further obscured by the plumes of black smoke they emitted.
The Smothering Smokebreaths, their tiny minds fixated on metal, now turned their attention to the source of even more metal: the Armorwing itself. They swarmed the larger dragon, their sharp claws scraping and tugging at the various pieces welded to its hide. "Giant metal! Living metal! It moves and... it's covered in shiny!" their excited chatter echoed. We watched the bizarre spectacle unfold from above.
"It's actually working." Hiccup exclaimed, a mixture of disbelief and amusement in his voice. Then, one of the Smothering Smokebreaths, a piece of twisted metal clutched in its claws, hovered momentarily above the ceremonial axe, which was still embedded in the Armorwing's back. "That's it. Bring the axe to Snotty." Snotlout said excitedly, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
With surprising strength, the Smothering Smokebreath yanked the axe free and zipped off in Snotlout's direction, flying right past his outstretched hands. "Hey, my axe! We had a deal, you little deal-breakers." Snotlout yelled, a look of bewildered panic spreading across his face. He spurred Hookfang into pursuit, the larger dragon's size making it difficult to maneuver through the dense trees. Astrid and Stormfly quickly positioned themselves beside them.
"I got him Snotlout. We'll funnel him towards you." Astrid called out. "Let's go, Hookfang!" Stormfly roared, unleashing a precise volley of her tail spines around the Smothering Smokebreath, forcing it to veer sharply. She then unleashed a magnesium blast, pushing the small dragon directly into Hookfang's flight path. Snotlout, with a triumphant yell, snatched the axe from its startled claws. "Boom!" Snotlout laughed, brandishing the axe as Stormfly hovered beside them. "Thank you." Snotlout added pointing the axe at Astrid.
"Get off me!" the Armorwing bellowed, thrashing wildly as the relentless Smothering Smokebreaths continued to tear at its metallic hide. It unleashed a blast of white-hot fire, the two closest Smokebreaths narrowly dodging the searing attack before rejoining the swarm.
"There's too many of them. We need to break this up." Hiccup exclaimed, concern etched on his face. "Finally." I rumbled under my breath.
One of the Smokebreaths, its glowing eyes intent on its prize, ripped a chunk of metal from the Armorwing's neck, revealing the vulnerable, pale green skin beneath. "No scales. That's why it needs metal." Hiccup realized, a flicker of understanding in his voice. "What's happening?" Astrid asked, Stormfly flying beside Hiccup and Toothless with Snotlout trailing slightly behind.
"The Smokebreaths think the Armor wing is one giant piece of metal. We can't let them pull its armor apart. It'll be defenseless." Hiccup explained urgently. "So, what do we do?" Snotlout asked. "Follow me." Hiccup said, already veering towards one of the remaining piles of scrap metal. "We have to fly it through the Armor wing's blasts."
"We have to what?" Astrid questioned, her eyes wide with disbelief as Hiccup gestured towards the metal. "Trust me." Hiccup insisted, his gaze determined.
Clutching a jagged piece of iron in my talons, I followed Hiccup's lead, circling the enraged Armorwing. The dragon roared and unleashed a blast of white-hot fire, aimed squarely at the metal in my grasp. The heat intensified rapidly, making the iron glow and feel strangely tacky.
"Okay, Stormfly, now twirl!" Astrid yelled, guiding her Deadly Nadder into a tight sideways spiral. The Armorwing, momentarily confused, fired another blast, the searing heat licking at the bronze plate Stormfly held, making its surface shimmer. Hookfang snatched a heavy iron plate and tossed it towards Stormfly and I. The heated surfaces began to fuse together. Slowly, a crude ball of scrap began to form.
The Armorwing, its frustration mounting, blasted the small, molten-edged ball in my talons again. I grunted with the heat and flung it towards Toothless, who caught it in his claws, adding another piece of scrap with a muffled clink, increasing its size. Suddenly, the Armorwing snapped its head towards Stormfly, its maw glowing ominously. But before it could fire, Hookfang roared and slammed his wing in front of Stormfly, intercepting the blast with a shower of sparks. "I owed you one." Snotlout told to Astrid.
A pained bellow tore from the Armorwing as the last significant pieces of metal were wrenched from its hide, the weakened dragon collapsing heavily onto the ground with a metallic thud. I unleashed a piercing screech, a fraction higher in pitch than the sound I used for echo-location, the focused wave of sound washing over the Smothering Smokebreaths. They recoiled instantly, their excited chittering abruptly cut short as they winced and shook their small heads, momentarily disoriented by amplified frequency.
"Hey, Smokies, check this out!" Snotlout bellowed, pointing with a flourish towards the Night Fury, who now held a large, unwieldy ball of scrap metal in his claws, the various pieces clanking together. The Smothering Smokebreaths, their glowing yellow eyes snapping towards the new, larger prize, erupted in a chorus of delighted screeches, plumes of black smoke billowing from their nostrils as they abandoned the stunned Armorwing and swarmed towards Toothless.
Just as the first few reached him, Toothless released the heavy ball with a resounding clang and nimbly flew up and around the excited swarm as they descended upon their new treasure, their tiny claws scrabbling for purchase on the metal and returning to their nest.
———-
Landing gently before the downed Armorwing, we gathered the scattered remnants of its metal plating and offered them back to the wary creature. Slowly, cautiously, it pushed itself to its feet, its yellowish-tan eyes still narrowed in suspicion as it spread its broad wings. "Here," Toothless warbled softly, nudging a particularly large piece of iron closer with his snout. "Take it."
With a guttural rumble, the Armorwing snatched the offered metal in its powerful jaws and began to methodically place it back onto its hide, the raw edges glowing with intense heat as it re-welded the pieces to its remaining armor. The sudden brightness forced us to instinctively shield our eyes. "You are... tolerated... for now," the Armorwing rumbled, the shift in tone a subtle indication of its grudging acceptance.
"Now I think we earned its trust, but I still wouldn't push our luck." Hiccup noted. "Sundown! Snotlout, you need to get out of here." Astrid called out, her gaze fixed on the sinking sun. "She's right. Go. We'll be right behind you." Hiccup added, nodding towards the departing Viking. With a whoosh, Snotlout and Hookfang launched into the air, heading towards Berk, and we followed a few minutes later.
"Toothless," I warbled, drawing his attention. "Yeah?" he responded, his ears swiveling towards me.
"Once we're back on Dragon's Edge," I began, "we'll start working on your plasma blasts."
A wide, hopeful grin spread across Toothless's face, his emerald eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Really? You'll teach me? Even how to make a real plasma beam?"
"Forming a full plasma beam... that's tied to absorbing the energy of lightning storms, something you'll have to... discover on your own," I explained carefully. "But we can begin with the fundamentals. Control, focus... we have to start somewhere."
Toothless's enthusiasm didn't diminish. "Then let's start as soon as we get back!" he chirped, a newfound excitement in his flight as we continued towards Berk.
(Scene break)
By the time we reached Berk, the moon had already climbed high into the night sky, the sun long since vanished. We flew past the island, heading towards Friga, the location of Berk's sacred matrimonial site – a detail that had completely slipped my mind.
I already knew the broad strokes of what would unfold between Snotlout and his father. Spitelout, if memory served, had mentioned a brawl, and had expressed relief that Snotlout's tardy arrival with the axe had prevented its potential use as a weapon rather than for its intended purpose: cutting the Betrothal Birch tree. And his exaggerated confidence in his son's ability to deliver it... all played back in my thoughts.
I maneuvered between Toothless and Stormfly, drawing their attention. "Hey," I projected, my voice a low rumble against the night wind. "I'm going to take a detour and explore Berk. Don't wait for me; I'll meet you back at Dragon's Edge."
Toothless's head snapped up, a surprised expression in his emerald eyes, likely recalling our earlier conversation. "Okay... but be careful, Cinder. It may be dark, but Stoick and his dragon, Skullcrusher are there. His sense of smell is... well, let's just say he could sniff out a rogue sheep in a blizzard." He warned.
"Yeah," Stormfly added, her voice a low growl of agreement. "He can smell a Gronkle fart from a mile away. You'll need to be extra stealthy."
"Then I shall endeavor to be the shadow of a shadow." I replied, a hint of amusement entering my tone. With a final nod to my companions, I turned and flew back towards the bustling island of Berk, leaving a perplexed Hiccup and Astrid and a preoccupied Snotlout behind.
The familiar silhouette of Berk soon filled my vision. 'How did Hiccup describe it?' I mused, the memory surfacing. "This is Berk. Twelve days north of Hopeless, a few degrees south of Freezing to Death. Located firmly on the Meridian of Misery. My village. Sturdy, he called it. Seven generations, every building new. Fishing, hunting, and a charming view of the sunsets. The pests? Dragons," I murmured aloud, a low chuckle rumbling in my chest at the nostalgic irony.
Despite its rough edges, Berk possessed a certain rugged beauty under the moonlight. From my vantage point, the familiar landmarks stood out: the training arena, now a testament to a changed world, the massive doors of the Great Hall, and nestled in the cliffs, the cove where the unlikely bond between Viking and dragon had been forged.
Channeling my stored lightning, I shimmered into invisibility and descended silently near Gobber's Blacksmith shop. The village below was hushed, only a few lanterns casting long shadows. Even the dragons seemed to have settled in for the night.
I slipped into the blacksmith shop, each step deliberate, my claws tapping lightly against the wooden floor, my ears constantly scanning for the telltale resonance of a hidden trap. The air inside was thick with the scent of coal and worked metal. Rows of weapons gleamed in the dim light, some newly crafted, others bearing the marks of recent repair. There, amidst the tools, lay a collection of familiar sketches – Hiccup's early attempts at flight harnesses and even the blueprint for his bola launcher from that first tumultuous year. 'Kept as mementos, perhaps?' I wondered, giving a mental shrug.
A faint sound reached my sensitive ears – approaching footsteps. Instantly, I cloaked myself once more, melting into the shadows, and slipped out the back door. A quick ascent onto a nearby rooftop revealed the source: the familiar, stout figure of Gobber entering his blacksmith shop.
'A glimpse is enough for now.' With a powerful beat of my wings, I launched myself into the night sky, turning my course back towards the familiar shores of Dragon's Edge.
(Scene break)
The familiar scent of Dragon's Edge filled my nostrils as I returned. A low rumble, a greeting that carried across the twilight air, reached Hiccup and Toothless just as they stepped into the warm glow of their hut. They paused briefly, acknowledging my arrival with upward glances before disappearing inside. With a final, weary beat of my wings, I turned towards the shadowed entrance of my cliffside cave, the promise of rest mingling with a quiet anticipation for the plasma blast training that awaited Toothless – and, by extension, myself.
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I finally finished. What I thought would be a shorter chapter turned out to be the longest chapter I've done so far. Please let me know how you like it.
I will begin writing the next chapter later today or tomorrow.
Question: what are your opinions on the live action HTTYD movie. I think it has the potential to be more fluid in terms of knowledge of dragons for the book of dragons scene and having access to every dragon they've made from the Tv series like defenders of Berk to race to the edge and maybe even the games.