That morning at the forge, Hiccup was busy making daggers. They were intended for the heirs, as well as himself. The scrawny boy was almost done; he waited for the water bucket to stop bubbling. Once that was done, he pulled three daggers out, before presenting them onto table near the open window. "Here they are."
Thuggory and Camicazi were there. Looking at the dagger, the blade was roughly eight inches long. It was bluish in colour, but the rest looked to be made of different metal.
The bottom side of the pommel had their respective tribe insignias; Hairy Hooligan, Meathead and Bog-Burglar. Just like the gifts, they looked rather dull and unassuming.
The two heirs grabbed to test their new draconic daggers. They looked rather simple for something made by dragonsmith. Camicazi tested the balance by swinging them around. "It just feels right." She commented, before inspecting the dagger. "Sharp and sturdy, but not one for show."
"That is no problem." Thuggory was grinning. He was happy with his new dagger. "You do not admire the sword that stabs you."
"I guess you're right."
"And these." Hiccup placed down three dagger holsters onto the table. "Are the holsters. They're made of dragon leather."
Camicazi grabbed one and holstered her new dagger. It was a full cover holster, which fully hid the blade. There was also the fact that it looked unassuming. "What's the difference?"
"It has a bit of shed dragon scale in them." The Berkian heir gave his answer. He moved to holster his own dagger, before putting them into his belt. "Very strong. They can last for a lifetime."
"I'll trust your word on that." The Bog-Burglar heiress nodded. She strapped her new dagger onto her belt. "By the way, my sword become a bit... strange when I checked them this morning."
"Strange?"
"Yeah." Camicazi pulled out her broadsword, before placing them onto the table. "It's like something changed about them."
Hiccup leaned to check. There was nothing wrong with it. However, he noticed something strange.
The blade had fiery edge on them, which was never there before. The guard and pommel seemed to grow some draconic patterns. The blade and grip were slightly longer as well.
The Berkian heir was confused; it never happened before during his practice.
"Does it feel wrong?" The scrawny boy questioned. "Maybe the weight?"
"No, no. It felt comfortable." The Bog-Burglar heiress answered. She crossed her arms. "Much better than my old one. Definitely an upgrade."
Hiccup glanced to check on Thuggory. Staring at the shield and spear on his back, he noticed similar thing. "Hmm..." The scrawny boy hummed, before looking back onto the sword. "Did someone touch them?"
"No one dared to enter my room, if that's what you're asking." Camicazi assured.
Having realised the situation, Thuggory also gave his answer. "My father put Vikings to guard me."
"Did you feel strange when holding them? Hearing voices?"
"Nope."
The scrawny boy was confused. "Then, it's still safe to use." He commented as he inspected the broadsword. "It might be doing that on its own..."
That made them concerned. Thuggory decided to ask. "Is it dangerous?"
"I don't think so." Hiccup answered, before grabbing the broadsword. He paused when he felt the handle heating on his hand. He shuddered when he felt something growling at him. Letting it go, he rubbed his hand in discomfort. "At least not to the owner."
Camicazi moved to grab the sword. "What do you mean?" She questioned. "There's nothing wrong with it."
"It's... hard to describe." Hiccup suddenly got an idea. "Thuggory, can you hold Cami's sword?"
"Sure." The Meathead heir nodded, before moving to take the sword. The moment he held the grip, however, he felt phantom pain on his palm. "Ow!"
The broadsword clattered to the ground. There was a moment where they saw yellow flame dancing around its blade when it dropped. Camicazi and Thuggory were hesitant; they did not know what was going on. "Uh... Hic?"
Hiccup walked out from the forge, before checking Thuggory. "Did it burn you?"
Thuggory was rubbing his hand. "Yes. Wait..." He paused, before checking his palm. There was no injury. "No? I feel pain when I touch."
Camicazi moved to grab the sword from the ground. "So now only I can hold the sword." She assumed, before smirking. "I'd love to see someone trying to steal this."
"I don't know how or why, but the sword became more alive somehow." The Berkian heir explained the situation. He was confused with what he was seeing. "I think it's fine as long you don't hear voices."
"Wait, wait, hold on." The heiress stopped him. "What do you mean by 'more alive'?"
"Every draconic weapon and armour are alive in some way." Hiccup explained what he knew. "That's what makes them dangerous; it put the slain dragon into each of them. They can get possessed by the dragon, or worse."
"But... These aren't made from slain dragon." Camicazi looked unsure. She was hesitant to ask. "They come from dragon fossils and shed scales, right?"
"Yeah. I didn't use slain dragon because I knew what would happen. I've held one before, so I knew what they felt like." The dragonsmith answered the question. He was deep in thought. "The ones I made doesn't feel like it. Maybe it adapts with the owner? There's still so much we don't know about them..."
Before Hiccup continued muttering on his own, the heiress interrupted. "I take it, there's nothing wrong with it?" She questioned, before putting her sword onto the table. "Is this something normal, or...?"
"I think so. They just dislike anyone but the owner." Hiccup was hesitant to give his answer. "There could be more. When you get home, if you see or feel anything strange, could you mail me about it? Just in case if it's something dangerous."
"I'll be sure to do that." Camicazi nodded, before pausing. "So, I have to maintain them myself."
"You just need to clean them with water and cloth." The Berkian heir suggested. "Make sure it's not dirty. Don't sharpen them; it stays sharp on its own."
The heiress blinked at that. "Huh. Neat."
"Oi, Hiccup!"
The three heirs turned their attention to the newcomers. Dagur, Snotlout and others had come to the forge. Hiccup felt dread upon seeing them, while Thuggory and Camicazi seemed to be expecting their arrival. The two heirs moved to stand in front of the scrawny boy.
The heiress was the first one to speak. "And what are you doing here?"
"We just want to talk with Hiccup." Snotlout answered, smirking.
"Not even a 'thank you'? Bold of you to talk after we saved your lives." Camicazi retorted. "Next time, you should practice jumping first before fighting a dragon."
It was something that irritated her the most. There was no gratitude coming from them. When they returned to the village, there was no recognition or appreciation from Dagur and Hiccup's so-called friends. The heiress wondered how Hiccup ended up in one village as them.
"Hey! We don't have weapons." Snotlout retaliated.
"You don't, but they do." Camicazi gestured at Dagur and Astrid, before glaring at the burly boy. "And when you finally get them, you did nothing to help! At least the best you can say is 'thank you' to us!"
"And why should we do that? We tried to fight it." The burly boy retaliated. He was glaring at her. "It didn't work because we don't have the weapons. That's why we're here."
Hiccup raised his hand a bit. "The Jorgenson did order an axe about a week ago." He spoke up, getting their attention. "I've already delivered them this morning to your house."
"I know that." Snotlout retorted. "But I want weapons like yours."
That confused the scrawny boy. "Like mine?" He questioned. Seeing them nod, Hiccup decided to ask. "Why?"
Astrid took a step forward. "Our weapons did nothing to it when we strike." She gave the answer. "We want something that can slice through them."
"But the dragon is dead." Hiccup was still confused. "You don't need them to strike dragons."
Thuggory and Camicazi stared between them. They wondered if Hiccup was being dense or simply playing stupid. Regardless, that raised temper of the petite girl. It was obvious that they did not like being refused, especially from Hiccup.
"Just..." The petite girl took a deep breath. "... make an axe for me just like that sword on the table. I'll pay them."
The scrawny boy glanced at the sword on the table, before looking back at her. "It's 3,500 rigslader with 1,000 coins down payment."
The young Vikings blanched upon hearing that, Camicazi and Thuggory included. Fishlegs nervously raised his hand. "W- When do you have a discount?"
"There won't be any discount." Hiccup answered. "It's the price of everything, including service."
Camicazi stared at him with disbelief. "Hic, that's well over everything in Bog-Burglar reserve." She gave her comparison. "Does it really cost that much?"
"Yes. It's not cheap. None of it is cheap." The scrawny boy explained the price. "I made yours because I have leftovers from my practice. Those daggers I made for us were the last of my supplies. If they want one, they need to pay first."
It was when they realised the cost of those equipment. Camicazi and Thuggory were in disbelief; their weapons became the most expensive thing they ever had.
Surprisingly, they felt that was a fair price. Considering that they fought and killed a giant, supercharged, deviant Monstrous Nightmare with them, the cost was well worth it.
Hiccup was not done, however. He moved to the front, facing the others. "Even if you have the money, you need approval from the village chief; Stoick the Vast." The scrawny boy explained. "Anything costing over 20 rigslader need to go through him."
"That's not fair." Astrid growled at him. "You gave it to them!"
"They're gifts for pendant exchange." The scrawny boy retaliated. "They're not something I just give away to anyone. It's a promise of alliance."
Dagur decided to speak. "I don't see you exchanging pendant with me."
"Because I waited to see if you want to do it!" Hiccup almost raised his voice. He pulled out a familiar pendant from his back pocket. "I had this with me for three days. I was not present because I was busy at the forge. Camicazi and Thuggory came to me, and we did the exchange personally."
The scrawny boy was angry at that point. "We played Maces and Talons for a whole day, and not once you brought up pendant exchange." Hiccup continued speaking. "You know I brought them! We sent the letter a week ago!"
The Berserker heir was irritated. "I brought mine too!" He retorted. "I've exchanged them at your Great Hall with them."
Snotlout smirked at them. "I made the exchange!" He boasted. "I have his pendant at my house."
Camicazi decided to speak. "Do you even know what that means?" She commented. "You don't look like you know what you're doing back then."
"I know what I'm doing!" The burly boy shouted.
"Then you should know that a one-sided exchange is an insult. It means that his alliance is worthless to you." The Bog-Burglar heiress crossed her arms. "You could have refused, explain yourself, and save the trouble. He'll look for Hiccup to exchange his pendant. But he didn't. You took the pendant."
The young Vikings turned to look at Snotlout, who became nervous at their stare. It was clear that he did not know what he was doing back then. Given Dagur's expression, it was also clear that he was not pleased with the whole situation.
He had been ignoring the details, mostly because he did not really care about that tradition. What mattered was the alliance. Dagur assumed that others had similar opinions. However, given the conversation they were having, it was clear that he was wrong.
"It shouldn't matter." Tuffnut suddenly spoke up. The twins had been silent for some time. "I mean, he liked the gift."
"You mean the ones you don't even know what they're made of?" Camicazi was sarcastic. She was smirking. "It's really surprising that you don't know, since the blueprints to make them are here at this forge, as well as the materials. It's surprising that Hiccup knew what those are, don't you think?"
That made the young Vikings slightly nervous. Dagur narrowed his eyes. "They were stolen?"
"What do you think?" The heiress smirked at him. "Had you been paying attention, you would've known."
The Berserker heir clenched his fists. He approached the scrawny boy. "Hiccup-"
"No. It's too late. The celebration already ended." Hiccup shook his head. He pocketed his pendant. "I won't consider this an insult. But remember this - we will not be allies. You had your chance yesterday. You wasted it."
Dagur threw his hands up. He wordlessly glared at the young Viking group, before storming away to the harbour. Astrid, Snotlout and others could only stare as the Berserker heir left for the docks. Once he disappeared, they looked back at the three heirs. The heirs look pleased with themselves.
Snotlout stormed ahead to face the Berkian heir. Hiccup almost flinched, but remembering his resolution, he stood his ground. The burly boy glared down at him. "You better give us one..." He growled. "Or else."
Hiccup was about to answer when he remembered something. The scrawny boy wordlessly moved aside and gestured at Camicazi's sword at the table. The two heirs moved aside as well, fully aware of what was going to happen.
The burly boy went to grab the sword by the handle.
Which was the very wrong thing to do.
"AAAAAAAHH!!!" Snotlout roared as he let go of the sword. His whole arm was on fire. The flame was yellow, which had the same colour as the shimmer around the sword. The burly boy dropped to the ground and began rolling. "FIRE! FIRE!"
Astrid and others quickly moved to put out the strange yellow fire. It did eventually put out on its own, but his right hand and arm was covered with dark blemishes. Even after the fire was put out, Snotlout was wincing. There was some phantom pain he felt around those parts.
Camicazi moved to grab her sword from the ground. "Looks like she doesn't like you." She holstered them, before crossing her arms. She smirked. "Now that I know what happens if people touch them... this could be fun."
"What's going on here?"
Everyone turned their attention to the newcomers. Gobber had arrived at the forge, along with Stoick, Bertha and Mogadon. They were curious to know why everyone looked agitated. The Bog-Burglar chiefess glanced at her daughter. "Camicazi?"
"Nothing." The heiress answered.
"Hohoho!" Bertha boomed her laugh. It could mean anything. "Nothing, really?"
"Yup." Camicazi smirked. "Nothing at all."
Stoick decided to ask his son. "Hiccup?"
"We're just talking about yesterday." Hiccup admitted. It was technically true; plenty of things happened yesterday, but most would assume about the dragon.
The Berkian chief raised his brows, clearly aware that he was not telling everything. "Well, you best wrap it up." Stoick decided. "Because their ship's going to sail in an hour."
"Okay."
Gobber moved to shoo away the young Berkian Vikings. "Go on, lads." He approached Snotlout and others. "No loitering, unless yer buying. Err - what happened to him?"
Astrid looked at the blacksmith. "He touched a sword at the forge, sir."
The blacksmith snorted. "That's why ye don't touch hot iron." He responded, before shooing them away with prosthetics. "Get him to Gothi, will ye? She'll get him fixed."
The group eventually left the premise. Hiccup simply watched as they carried away the burly boy. Given their expression, no doubt that there might be retaliation in some way. He dreaded the day when that comes, which meant that he needed to prepare.
Meanwhile, Mogadon and Stoick were inspecting the shield and spear Thuggory had on his back. "So, your kid made them." He commented, glancing at the Berkian chief. "That shield went through Muspelheim and came out unscathed. My son owes his life to it."
"You have a genius of a son, Stoick!" Bertha boomed her voice. She preened at the holstered broadsword that Camicazi had on her side. "To think, they can slice through its scales. My axe barely dented it!"
Stoick exhaled his breath. "I'm just glad they survived."
"Oh, give yourself a break, Stoick." Mogadon pat him on his back. He smiled at the Berkian chief. "Don't be so hard on your son. He'd be a great chief one day."
"Or an inventor! Hahah!" Bertha laughed as she elbowed the Meathead chief next to her.
Stoick looked hesitant. The other chiefs noticed this but did not comment on it. It did ruin the mood, however, as they did not know what he was thinking about. After some time, the Berkian chief responded. "Aye."
The Meathead chief shrugged. "Off we go, then." He moved to walk toward the docks, followed by the others. "Treaties are all signed and well. Oswald went off early for mainland. Hopefully, we can find the trader that sold those red things that explodes."
"They called it blast stick." Bertha grumbled. She seemed to be thinking about it. "I wanted to know more about it!"
"If the others know or remember who or where they bought them, I will let you know of this." Stoick spoke to the two chiefs. He did not look pleased at their statement.
"Of course." Bertha smiled brightly at the Berkian chief in front of them. "I'd like to know the inventor! Maybe introduce them to your son, Stoick."
"Yes." Stoick softly spoke as he stroked his beard. He glanced at Hiccup, who was quietly following him. "Of course, I will..."
After they departed, Hiccup went into his house. Stoick had decided to deal with other matters, meaning that he was alone. The young boy went up the stairs to reach for his room. He carefully entered the room and closed the door behind him.
His room was messy, which was unsurprising, considering he was performing alchemy in secret.
There were several glass beakers, flasks and tubes on the table, filled with colourful liquids. There was an open lantern that was used to heat fluid inside a flask. At the centre, there was the book that Thuggory had given him; 'Building Muscle by Baron the Meathead'.
At some point during his rest yesterday, he realised that he needed to stand up for himself if he were to change. The dragon attack was proof of this - had he not learned dragonsmithing, they would most likely die burned by the dragon.
Had he not further his studies on forging safer dragonsmithing alternative, things might turn out for the worse.
And that unnerved him.
Which was why Hiccup wanted to try everything. He had been reading books that Camicazi and Thuggory gave him last night. The book about thievery was interesting. He would practice that skill from the book, mostly since sleight of hand was something he wanted to know.
However, he was more interested in Thuggory's book. Other than work out routines and best food to eat, it contained information on how to handle anomalies in their tribe. It had information on how to deal with lanky boys like him.
It did not involve anything about exile, but rather, how to make them physically stronger.
The information was slipped in between the pages, written on a parchment. It was a recipe to make some sort of potion through alchemy. The parchment was inconspicuously placed in the book, meaning that it might be intended for him. Given that it was written in older Norse dialect, that recipe could be few centuries old.
Regardless, it was difficult to interpret - for ordinary people, at least. Mostly because of its extensive use of alchemical vocabulary. Hiccup understood because he was an alchemist; he had done his studies. For example, flowers of sulphur were made by distilling sulphur, not growing them like a plant. Most Vikings would insist the latter, but Hiccup knew better.
'Elixir of Power. That was the name.' Hiccup thought as he worked on the alchemy in front of him. 'I want to be the biggest, strongest and smartest Viking out there.'
It would certainly help his training. Alexander had been teaching him different kinds of weapons, as well as unarmed combat. His uncle had been holding back on that, mainly since Hiccup was not physically strong. It was also the reason why his focus had been his mind for the past year.
Knowledge was something he had plenty. Given his conclusion from before, he wanted to grow other aspects of himself.
The lanky boy read the next recipe. 'This translates to... biological component of someone you truly care about. The closer, the better.' He read. The boy pondered. 'It could be anything, even hairs. But what do I truly care about?'
After some pondering, he realised what it could be. The boy walked to the wardrobe and began rummaging for his used clothes. 'There must be one here... aha!'
Hiccup held up a small, black scale. It was Toothless' shed scale that had somehow lodged itself on his clothes. Finding random scales from Toothless was something that happened sometimes whenever he was hugging her. He would forget about it, only to find them later when he was doing his laundry.
He did not have anyone to care about other than Toothless. She was the only one he ever had, which fit the definition. Deciding that was it, he moved back to the table and dropped the black dragon scale into the heated flask.
Hiccup watched as the scales dissolved into the fluid. It suddenly stirred itself, before turning the fluid into pitch black colour. It seemed to be absorbing the light around it. The boy looked down to the recipe, making sure that he did not do anything wrong. '... they say it should be blue. But... why does it glow like that?'
The boy scratched his head. It was the final step of the recipe. He sniffed the heated flask. 'It smells stable. They said the colour could be different.' He thought. 'Maybe I am doing it right...'
Hiccup shrugged. 'Oh well.' He thought as he grabbed the flask. The boy moved to drink the warm fluid, before placing it on the table. It tasted a bit sour, but he downed them all anyway.
The boy waited for some time. He sat on the bed, waiting for anything to happen. He checked his own body and found nothing out of ordinary. He did feel a bit of heat from within, and nothing else. Deciding to wait, he moved to continue reading Camicazi's book. The boy lay down on the bed as he waited for something to happen.
Roughly three hours later, Hiccup had almost forgotten about it. The boy stood from the bed and checked his body. There was no apparent change, and the heat was gone. He did feel slightly stronger. The effect was rather disappointing, to say the least.
'Maybe it's something progressive. Like a supplement.' He thought, straightening his clothes. 'That's fine. Nothing is instant. I'll just have to train and drink it every day.'
With that thought, Hiccup placed the book aside and went out from the house. He wanted to get something to eat for himself before continuing his studies.
"Toothless, I'm here."
Toothless turned around. She was standing inside her cave, pacing around the place. Charcoal had entered her nest. "Oh, finally! I thought you'd never come!"
"It's not like you wouldn't know where I went off to." Charcoal mumbled as he approached her. "Anyway, what's up?"
The dragoness moved forward and pushed herself against him. "Hrr..." She purred. "I found something interesting today. I think you're going to like it."
"Oh?" Charcoal sat on his hindlegs. "What is it?"
"Hrr..." Toothless purred as she pushed her head onto his lower neck. "Watch."
Suddenly, the male dragon felt familiar presence within his mind. It was telepathy, but instead of something external, it came from his circuits. Reaching out the connection, he felt a strong mental connection with his mate. 'Whoa...'
"I can hear your thoughts." Toothless whispered in his mind. "Did you hear mine?"
Charcoal focused on listening to her thoughts. Their circuits were somehow connected - how, he did not know. There was no mana cost when he did this; it was a circuit bond. It was obvious what she wanted; there were plenty of desire coming from her. "Did we get another mutation?"
"Yes. It happened after our bonding. It looks to be another major one - also beneficial." Toothless thought as she rested on him. The dragoness was heavily leaning against the male dragon. "Hrr..." She purred. "... you're stronger than I remember."
"I've been training my physical." Charcoal replied as he rested his head against hers. "I can't be soft now."
It was then Toothless noticed something. Charcoal was slightly bigger than before. His scales did not squish as much when she pressed them, meaning that he was more compacted than usual. "Did you just get another growth sprout?"
Charcoal was confused. "What do you mean?"
"Charcoal, we just had another major mutation." Toothless expressed her concern. She moved away and stood in front of him. "This one connects our circuits together. I don't know how or why, but any new mutations - we get them together."
That concerned the male dragon. "Is that dangerous?"
"I'm... not sure." The dragoness sniffed him. "Do I look bigger to you?"
Charcoal inspected his mate. "... a little bit." He admitted as he poked her arm. "But you always workout. I saw you moving tree trunks between islands."
"I don't get bigger from daily workout." Toothless pondered. She seemed to calm down. "Maybe the mutation made us bigger. We are connected now, after all."
The male dragon leaned closer to her. Their snouts were almost touching. "Did that ruin your mood?" He whispered, sensing her through connection. He could feel what she was feeling. "I could continue, if you want."
Suddenly, Charcoal felt mental tug from Furious. He had been summoned. The male dragon was about to leave until Toothless pressed herself onto him. The sensation was strangely alluring, as if he felt himself hugging her. His pupils widened, before he crashed right on top of her.
"Hrrk!" Toothless yelped when he fell on top of her. She could feel their heartbeat racing with excitement. Their new connection allowed them to feel what others feel, which would make things more exciting. "Charcoal..."
The male dragon laid down on top of her, before pulling her into a hug. "Furious can wait." Charcoal thought as he inhaled her scent. "I want to know what you feel when we mate."
"Please..." Toothless breathed out.
The mental tug was getting stronger. Charcoal connected his mind to her circuit, which completely muted that effect. He might get into trouble for that, but he did not care. They were no longer needed. They were out of Dragon Rebellion. Furious could wait.
He wanted to enjoy the world of love and wild fantasy first.
Later that day, when Charcoal and Toothless arrived at Furious' lair, there was nobody to greet them. The male dragon found that surprising, since he would always know when someone was at the front lair. "Dad?"
The two dragons entered the lair. Suddenly, they heard someone landing behind them. Turning around, Charcoal and Toothless were faced by Furious. The greater alpha dragon looked angry, which made them nervous.
"By moon and stars above, where were you?!" Furious snarled at them. He stormed forward and faced the young male dragon. "I sent the summon two hours ago. There was no response. I thought something happened!"
"Maybe you just didn't send the summon." Charcoal shrugged his wings.
"I know when I sent a summon!" The greater alpha dragon growled, before smelling something. He sniffed the air, before focusing back onto the two dragons. "Instead, you ignored them and went on for two hours getting your rocks off!"
That made them blanch. Furious continued speaking. "Did you know how worried I am? I thought something happened!" He started to calm himself. "I've spent the last two hours flying all around Barbaric Archipelago looking for you. I thought foreign dragon took you away!"
Charcoal was confused. "Why would foreign dragon take me away?"
"Wodensfang's army just set a post here." The greater alpha dragon gave his answer. "We don't know why they're here. They refused to say."
There was a long pause. Toothless and Charcoal glanced at each other, before looking back at him. The young male dragon decided to ask. "What was your guess?"
"We might have a possible surface world invasion from foreign dragons." Furious revealed. He began pacing around. "This aligns with Merciless announcing his retirement-"
"What?"
"-in few years, and his successor; Antaris Quisling. He's a Red Death." The greater alpha dragon ignored them. "This is alarming, because Merciless is Wodensfang's most trusted general. His retirement meant that he'll be working full time as a general. They are preparing for large war."
"Aren't they already in a war?" Charcoal questioned. "I heard they're fighting against Mongolian serpent dragon."
"They are, but he never summoned Merciless until now. This means that he was summoned because of his experience at the surface." Furious gave his reasoning. "His army is here in Barbaric Archipelago, and he called his general back. What else do you think that suggests?"
"Okay. I think I get it." Charcoal relented. "Why did you summon us here?"
"I have decided that you will be working as an instructor. You will be training our dragon army to stand up against foreign invaders." The greater alpha dragon answered the question. "You've shown me your leadership by destroying the Lava-Louts. We need more dragons to know and understand how human contraptions works."
"Wait, hold on a moment." The young male dragon narrowed his eyes. "You didn't even expect us to succeed that assignment. You expected us to fail."
"I did. I admit; I was wrong. That was a mistake on my part." Furious simply replied. He stopped right in front of them. "I was too prideful to admit something was wrong. You told me about it. Now, I'm giving you a chance to fix it."
Toothless looked like she was about to snap. He was trying to blame what happened to her mate again. Instead, she relegated her anger to Charcoal. "No." She venomously thought. "Refuse it."
However, Charcoal had a different idea. "I will agree under one condition."
"What is it?"
"I want more free time to work on them." The young male dragon gave the condition. "I can't work as an instructor while working as your messenger dragon."
There was a long pause. Furious was deep in thought. Toothless and Charcoal wondered what kind of consideration he is making for them. The dragoness held her tongue as they waited for a response. After some time, the greater alpha dragon exhaled his breath.
"No."
"Then I'm not going to do it." Charcoal simply responded.
Furious leaned down onto him. "Charcoal, I can get someone else to replace you, but I don't trust anyone but you." He hissed. "This potential invasion only increases that risk."
The young male dragon tilted his head. "You were never concerned about future and potential things before." He pointed out. "I remember telling you about gunpowder weapon smuggler. You told me they will be dealt with in time. What makes it different this time?"
"That's an entirely different context!"
"Then what's so different about it?" Charcoal further questioned. "They are both potential things that could endanger us."
"Because we know how to deal with humans. We can adapt from what we know." Furious retorted. "What we don't know is how to deal with human-dragon army the likes of Merciless was facing."
"Then why don't you ask him?" the young male dragon suggested. "I'm just one dragon, and you're asking me to teach hundred thousand dragons about human contraptions."
"Charcoal, this is an emergency!"
"And we wouldn't be caught stealing yaks had we been more prepared!" Charcoal raised his voice. He was annoyed with where conversation was going. "You had your chances, and you wasted it. My dragons knew human contraptions, but now, they either retired or migrated out. One of my dragons became Merciless' general because of his knowledge."
There was another pause. The two young dragons could see a twitch on his eye. It was obvious that Furious did not thought of that sooner.
He could have made similar offer to them after honourable discharge, and there was a good chance that they would agree. It was too late to do anything about it now.
After some time, the greater alpha dragon exhaled his breath. "... get out."
Toothless and Charcoal quickly left the lair. The two dragons could feel the rage coming from the greater alpha dragon. It was best to leave him thinking about it. The young male dragon certainly did not want to push his luck.
Before they took off from the balcony, however, a male Monstrous Nightmare landed next to them. "Hey." He called, getting their attention. "Is Greater Alpha inside? I was here an hour ago, and he didn't answer my call."
"He's inside." Charcoal curtly answered. "Do yourself a favour and wait another hour."
Another dragon - a Deadly Nadder - arrived and rushed for the lair. They looked to be in a hurry. The Monstrous Nightmare was still focused on the two Night Furies. "Why?"
"KRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!"
The roar shook the entire island. It was full of anger that made everyone terrified. The lava under balcony bubbled from his wrath. Furious was living up to his name.
They watched as the Deadly Nadder quickly scampered out from the place; flying away as if their life depended on it.
After some time, the Monstrous Nightmare looked back at the male Night Fury. His eyes were wide with fear. Charcoal shrugged his wings. "That's why."
Later that day, Toothless and Charcoal headed to their old base in Dragon Island. They wanted to check the Wall of Remembrance, trying to remember the dragon raid that changed their lives. The two dragons were slow on their flight, however, mostly because Toothless was expressing her displeasure on their way there.
"-just never admits that he was wrong about the assignment. He only admitted about his judgement on the human weapons." The dragoness thought to her mate. "There was no apology. He just wants you to fix the problem he made."
"That's just how he is. My father is very stubborn." Charcoal responded. Focusing on his flight, the male dragon noted more traffic than usual. "It's hard to convince him of anything until it was too late."
"How do you deal with him?" Toothless questioned as she rummaged through his mind through their bond. "From your memories, he's too prideful to change anything."
"My father is prideful because he wanted to make safe haven for dragons." The male dragon explained. "He does care about dragons. He did try his best. It's just that he took things personally when things didn't go where he wants."
"That sounds conflicting."
"Not if you know the source of that pride." Charcoal responded. "Before Furious became greater alpha dragon, his predecessor had been squandering the position. It burned their relationship with Wilderwest Empire and caused Dragon Rebellion in the region."
"... is it related to Hiccup the Second?"
"Yes. My father and Hiccup the Second grew up together." The male dragon confirmed. "One is a half-dragon - part of the Legend of Haddocks story, but I'm sure they taught you that in history lesson."
Toothless pondered for some time. It was one of the stories that her father told her, mainly about Hiccup the First.
He was the dragon that became a human to start positive human-dragon relationship. However, it did not last long. It was said that Hiccup the First was killed by a dragon.
She was not familiar with the story of Hiccup the Second.
"Just about Hiccup the First." The dragoness admitted. "What about your father?"
"My father and Hiccup the Second grew up together. They didn't know Hiccup was a Haddock at the time." Charcoal answered her question. He swerved his flight a bit to avoid crossing dragons. "They tried to bring peace between humans and dragons. They started with Wilderwest Empire, and from there-"
"WATCH OUT!"
"Whoa!" Toothless and Charcoal broke off from their formation to avoid incoming dragons. It was a whole flock, and they looked like in a rush. "Slow down!"
Something suddenly collided with Charcoal. "Hrrk!" The male dragon grunted, before stabilising himself. It was a speeding Deadly Nadder. "Lunatic!"
"Idiot!"
Toothless quickly flew down. "Charcoal, down here." She led him to fly at lower altitude. "We can't be slow up high."
The male dragon followed his mate. He rubbed his chest, where the Deadly Nadder crashed onto him. "Everyone is in a rush today." He commented. "I guess the army did cause a panic."
"Charcoal." The dragoness sent her thought. "What happened after that?"
There was some silence as Charcoal thought where he left off. "... In hindsight, they were too na ve. They did bring change and peace in some way, thanks to Hiccup the Second's inheritance." He continued telling the tale. "The greater alpha dragon at the time was uncooperative, and one of the Wilderwest heirs was jealous of Hiccup the Second."
"I can see why he was jealous." Toothless commented. "Hiccup the Second did invent Kinship Stone."
"That's not the reason why he was jealous. Grimbeard the Ghastly - the king of Wilderwest Empire - had three sons. Thugheart, Chucklehead and Hiccup the Second." The male dragon moved into formation with his mate. "Hiccup the Second was the youngest, but they casted him off because they thought he was a runt. Chucklehead went to lead Hairy Hooligan tribe. Thugheart was chosen as the heir."
"I thought Hiccup the Second was the heir."
"That was before Hiccup the Second returned to Wilderwest Empire. When he came around and made all sorts of accomplishments, he became Grimbeard's favourite child and potential heir." Charcoal told the tale. "Thugheart didn't like where it was going. That's why he was jealous."
"What about the greater alpha at the time?"
"He was a Red Death. I don't know the name, but he was neglectful of his dragons." The male dragon answered the question. "He didn't like humans either, but he wasn't powerful enough to start Dragon Rebellion. There was not enough justification, and dragons wanted peace."
Toothless adjusted her flight. "They have an heir and a greater alpha working against them."
"Yes. Even with those setbacks, my father and Hiccup the Second were quite successful." Charcoal responded. "But it all ends when Thugheart tried to overthrow his father. He lied to Grimbeard about Hiccup the Second, which made their father kill his own son. It... was the catalyst that started Dragon Rebellion in Barbaric Archipelago."
The dragoness could see where it was going. Dragons did care about Hiccup the Second. It made sense that his death sparked a Dragon Rebellion. "What happened to your dad?"
"When Grimbeard went to kill Hiccup the Second with a sword, my dad blocked them with his body." The male dragon told the tale. "It still killed Hiccup the Second, but my father miraculously survived. That... put him in a dark place. He migrated to Hidden World after that."
Toothless could not imagine the amount of guilt he must have gone through. It did explain why Furious the way he was. While that did not excuse what he did, knowing their background could help them understand. The dragoness could see why Charcoal interacted with him that way.
"... he could have done a lot had he returned much earlier." Charcoal commented. He looked solemn. "It's too late to end Dragon Rebellion now. Wilderwest Empire had already fallen; dragons no longer trust humans; and humans just wanted to rid of dragons."
"There's nothing wrong dreaming about it." The dragoness pointed out. "About the peace, I mean."
"There's nothing wrong dreaming about it." Charcoal agreed. "But from my experience, it just creates self-loathing. It's depressing to dream about what-ifs or what-could-be. It's best for me to think ahead instead of backward. That way, I know how to recover and what to work next."
Reaching the old base, there was no one inside. Everything was the way they were. Toothless and Charcoal saw two dragons inside.
The first one was Agatha the Deadly Nadder - one of their colleagues during the war. She was dusting contraptions with a long broom - a human cleaning instrument. Having no arms, she used her wings to manipulate them.
The second dragon was unknown. It was a large, raptor-like silver dragon with four legs and spikes on its back. It was lithe in build, but its wings were the most unusual. They were trident-like in structure, with each segment ending in some sort of open cone. There was something a bit reddish inside.
It was a bizarre dragon they never seen before.
For Charcoal, at least. Toothless recognised them. "Charcoal, that's Aymar the Valstrax."
"Aymar?" The male dragon was surprised. The unknown dragon - Aymar - was inspecting the miniature replicate of Lava-Lout Island. Watching him manipulate his wings, Charcoal realised they were shaped backwards. "... how in the skies could he fly?"
"Charcoal. Toothless." Agatha suddenly greeted. She approached the two Night Furies. "Glad to have you back here."
"Hey Agatha." Charcoal was happy to see her. "I'm surprised you're here. Have you been cleaning the place?"
"Well, someone have to take care of the place. I don't really have anything better to do." The Deadly Nadder shrugged her wings. "We have dragons occasionally checking to see human contraptions. I figured they need to know about them."
"Did Furious offered you a job?"
"Just recently. One of his generals tried to make me his instructor." Agatha wrinkled her nose. She looked disgusted. "After everything they did to us, I refused. When they insisted, I kicked them out unless they want this broom up their rear."
"Hrrk." Charcoal snorted. "That must be a pretty sight."
"I wish you were here to tell them off." The Deadly Nadder exhaled her breath. "It must be nice to call Greater Alpha by his name all the time. It's a wonder how to you deal with them, considering everything that happened."
"Being his son helps." The male Night Fury supplied.
"I think we already know that." Agatha wryly replied.
"And being the most experienced dragon." Charcoal further added. He looked exasperated. "He doesn't have anyone else to explain his bad ideas."
"That reminds me." The Deadly Nadder remembered. "Have you heard that Henry is joining Arch Alpha Wodensfang's army?"
The male Night Fury raised his brows. "Last time I heard, he was helping a nest with fishing problems." Charcoal looked thoughtful. "I thought he was retiring. Why did he join the army?"
"He wanted to explore the world. He said he doesn't want to spend his time staying in one place." Agatha gave her answer. She looked saddened. "But I think it was for different reason. He mentioned you a lot, Charcoal. I think he wants to make you proud."
That confused the male Night Fury. "But I'm not his general anymore."
Toothless, who had been paying attention, decided to speak. "Some dragons in the army doesn't really have anywhere else to go." She explained, getting their attention. "Henry is younger than most of us. He ran away from his family because they don't care about him. When he joined our army... it became his family."
"Garr..." Agatha seemed to chuckle. "We're all family the moment we fought enemies and nature together." She commented, before faltering. She glanced at the Wall of Remembrance. "... I missed them. I've lost too much to remember them. It all becomes faceless dragons when I dream about them..."
The dragons fell silent. Agatha was reminiscing her fallen comrades. There was not really much option for them on the assignment, considering no one wanted to help them.
Things could have gone better.
In hindsight, they had done their best with what they had.
"But." Agatha spoke up, getting the Night Furies' attention. "We carved their names to remember them. We know their face because we fought together. At least when we dream, we don't see the all-consuming void, but dragons that became our brothers and sisters."
Charcoal softened his expression. "It's the best we can do."
"Garr..." The Deadly Nadder chuckled a bit. "If only you were the greater alpha. Things would be a lot different."
"Careful there, Agatha." The male Night Fury jested. "They might arrest you for dissent."
"Let them think what they want. We already did our time." Agatha harrumphed. "And besides, who came up with 'Dragon Rebellion' anyway? This war is anything but rebellion."
"I'm not going to talk history." Charcoal rolled his eyes. Then, he had an idea. "But I do have something in mind."
"Oh?"
"Do you think we can have a small memorial here, with everyone present?" The male Night Fury suggested. "Just to remember our fallen dragons."
"I think everyone can spare their time." The Deadly Nadder agreed. "When?"
"The same date when our dragon raid starts."
"That's couple months ago."
"We can do it next year."
"Then it will be next year." Agatha exhaled her breath. "I'll tell the others. Tell those outside the region, will you? They might want to come back for few days of remembrance."
Charcoal nodded. "I'll be sure to tell them."
"Excuse me."
Dragons turned their attention to the newcomer. Aymar the Valstrax was approaching them. The large dragon was polite. "Charcoal and Toothless?"
"That's us." Toothless nodded.
The silver dragon straightened himself. "My name is Aymar. I am the delegate of Arch Alpha Wodensfang." He introduced himself. "I need to speak with you in private."
Few hours later, Toothless, Charcoal and Aymar headed out to the Night Furies' nest. On the way there, the male Night Fury kept glancing at the Valstrax. That was to be expected, considering how the silver dragon fly.
Instead of flapping his wings, they were somehow generating thrust. Charcoal could see hot air coming out from the cones - like some sort of engines. Occasionally, they would expel dark red flame when he accelerates. He manoeuvred by moving those organic engines around.
The male Night Fury was fascinated with how they worked.
Toothless was leading them to their nest. Glancing back, she noted that Charcoal was still inspecting Aymar. The Valstrax did not say anything, but it was obvious that he was uncomfortable. "Charcoal, stop gawking."
The male Night Fury blinked. He noticed strange looks directed to him. "Sorry."
Eventually, they arrived at their nest. Landing at the balcony, Toothless was quick to confront the Valstrax. "Okay, Aymar." The dragoness growled. "I don't know what's going on, so start talking!"
"Hello, Kirin. It's nice to see you." Aymar greeted her. "I heard you changed your name to Toothless."
"That's my adult name."
"Very well." The Valstrax nodded, before glancing at Charcoal. "I assume that is your mate?"
"Yeah. He's my mate." Toothless answered, before continuing her verbal advance. "And don't give me that! I know you knew about us. Did my father sent you?"
"Toothless, I come with good intention." Aymar backed off a bit. "No, your father did not send me here for you. He stationed me here with some of his soldiers."
"But did he know about us?" The dragoness questioned.
The Valstrax was hesitant. "... yes. He knew." He admitted. "Your father knew that Furious' son claimed you as his mate."
Toothless faltered upon hearing that. "He's angry then."
"No." Aymar quickly corrected her. "He is not angry."
That surprised the dragoness. "... really?" She narrowed her eyes. "What does he think of us then?"
"He is disappointed in you." The Valstrax answered the question, before realising what they might assume. "However, I can assure you that it was not the reason why we were stationed here."
Toothless sat on her hindlegs. "Why are you here then?"
Aymar leaned down to the dragoness. "I cannot tell you any specifics. Your father wanted to keep this a secret." He explained. "We heard something alarming in the region. We were sent to investigate to ensure it was not a threat."
"Then why didn't you tell us that?" The dragoness questioned. "Aymar, you sent the whole region into panic. Greater Alpha Furious thought there would be to be foreign invasion!"
"We kept them secret in fear of muddling the investigation."
Toothless paused. That made sense for her. "Okay." She relented. "How long are you going to be here?"
"I cannot say." Aymar answered apologetically.
"What can you tell us about your investigation?"
"I cannot say."
The dragoness was frustrated. "Aymar, please say something else. This is worse than your business-speak." She complained, before pausing. "... does this investigation involve any of us?"
There was a pause. "... I cannot say." He admitted. "But I can assure you; it is for the safety of you and your mate."
"Harr..." Toothless exhaled her breath. There was no point on getting anything out of him. "Fine. Aymar, this is my nest. My mate and I live here. Can you ask my father if he ever going to apologise for that time?"
Charcoal, who had been staring at the Valstrax' wings, perked up. "That time?"
The two dragons ignored him. Aymar answered the question. "I can deliver the message."
"Good." The dragoness was satisfied. She hesitated for a moment. "And... tell my father; I'm sorry. He knows what I mean."
The Valstrax softened his expression. "I will deliver the message."
"Thank you."
Aymar nodded. He was about to take off, before remembering something. "Toothless, I heard you learned how to play Maces and Talons." The Valstrax spoke to her. "Perhaps you could teach me someday."
"Sure." Toothless nodded, before moving few steps away from him. "I'll teach you when we have the time."
"Very well." The Valstrax nodded, before taking off into the sky.
BOOM!
Aymar shot up into the sky, sending Charcoal tumbling back. The male Night Fury had been inspecting his wings when he decided to take off.
The two Night Furies watched as the Valstrax streaked through the sky like a rocket. Once he reached the star, Aymar shot off to different direction, giving the impression of a red comet.
Boom. Boom... boom...
They heard sonic booms as Aymar vanished from the sky. Charcoal could only stare with awe. "Hraa..." He whispered. "He can reach supersonic without assistance."
"Yes, he can." Toothless exhaled her breath. Her mate had been an embarrassment the whole time. "Do you know who that was, Charcoal?"
"Your father's ambassador and dragon messenger?"
"Yes." The dragoness was stern. She was clearly displeased with his behaviour. "And you've been gawking him the whole time."
"Wait, hold on." Charcoal interrupted. "I have a very good reason for it."
"... go on."
"I think I figured it out." The male dragon gave his reason. "And I think I can do it too."
That interested the dragoness. "Okay." She relented. "Show me."
"I think it works by burning mana to heat the air inside its chambers. Air expands when heated; the hotter the chamber, the more pressure it creates." Charcoal excitedly explained. He manipulated his wings in some sort of folding position. "By forming my wings like this, I just created the chamber."
"And how do you generate thrust?"
"We can flame jacket like Monstrous Nightmare." The male dragon answered. "So, if I do it hot and sudden enough, it should-"
Flash!
Boom!
Charcoal yelped when he was suddenly thrown forward, pushing him off from the balcony. The blue flame exploded in his wings, heating the air inside its makeshift 'chamber', generating unexpected amount of thrust. "Kraa!"
Toothless quickly moved to check her mate. She leaned down to see if he was okay. The male dragon was gliding near the ocean. The dragoness was impressed; she never figured out how Valstrax flight worked. Then, she watched as he made another attempt on that method of flight.
Boom!
Blue flame sparked in his wings, but one of them was dim. That difference in flame intensity sent the male dragon spiralling into the water. "WHOAAAA!"
SPLASH!
Charcoal crashed into the ocean. Toothless was amused. She jumped down to grab him out of water. The dragoness latched her claws onto his neck, before flapping up to fly onto the nest. Reaching there, she simply threw him down, before landing right next to him.
The wet dragon let out a groan. "Harr..." He moaned in pain. "I think I sprained my wing."
"I think it calls for you to rest." The dragoness decided. "You can experiment later after you dried yourself."
Charcoal paused at that statement. "... are you mad at me?"
"Charcoal, you embarrassed yourself in front of my father's diplomat that I also consider a friend." Toothless explained the situation. "Yes, I am mad at you. But not as much as before. You've discovered something that I've been trying to figure out for a long time."
"So, we can try them together!" The male dragon was enthusiastic.
"Oh no, you don't!" The dragoness snarled, making him wince. "I think you did injure your wing. You're going to be inside and rest, while I work on your wings. Or else."
Charcoal simply gulped. "Okay."
Several days later, the Bog-Burglars and Meatheads decided to dock at a known empty island. It was time for them to rest. They had decided to stay together on their ships, since they there sailing at a rather dangerous sea. The part of the ocean had pirates, and it was troublesome for sailors to sail through them.
The Vikings jumped off from the ships to the shore. Camicazi jumped down and jogged towards the dry land. The girl walked towards the familiar burly boy. Upon reaching him, Camicazi began talking with Thuggory.
While they were talking, Bertha and Mogadon were standing somewhat far from them. Their Vikings were busy doing their tasks, while the two chiefs coordinated their work. While watching them, Bertha decided to speak. "I always wondered if Stoick was hiding something."
Mogadon glanced at the chiefess. "... aye." He grunted. He glanced down at the gifted hammer on his hips. "Strange metal, exploding things..."
The large female stretched her body. "Ah..." She groaned as she popped her joints. "We'll know eventually. He liked not telling others about what he plans to do."
"And that deviant Monstrous Nightmare..." The Meathead chief shuddered. "'hard to imagine how they deal with dragons like that."
"It looks... generational." Bertha gave her opinion. "The tribe is gifted in hunting."
"That reminds me..." Mogadon muttered as he looked at the two heirs. "They didn't get any gifts."
"Maybe." Bertha shrugged. "I saw her carrying that sword. I was told Hiccup gave them."
"I haven't seen Thuggory's pendant anywhere. I want to know..." The Meathead chief muttered as he walked towards the two children. Bertha paused, before moving to follow him.
Camicazi and Thuggory stopped talking upon seeing their parents. The two quickly looked at them. "Dad."
"Thuggory. Camicazi." Mogadon grumbled, staring down at them both. "Did any of you get any formal gifts?"
The two children looked at each other, before looking back at their parents. "Yes." They both responded.
"From whom?"
"Hiccup." Camicazi answered.
Bertha and Mogadon were not surprised. "Did you trade your pendant with him?"
Camicazi and Thuggory pulled out Hiccup's pendants from their pocket. The two chiefs nodded approvingly. "Good!" Bertha boomed her voice. "At least they have the gifts."
Thuggory realised something. It was his chance to speak. "Dad." He spoke, staring at his father. "Your warhammer - Hiccup made it."
The chief and chiefess blinked. "Hiccup?"
"Yeah." Thuggory nodded.
Mogadon pulled out his gifted warhammer. He inspected the markings, before glancing at the weapons their children were carrying. It was not surprising if they were made by Hiccup. "So, he did..."
"If Hiccup made them, why did those worms give them to us instead of him?" Bertha questioned. Casually insulting someone seemed habitual of her.
"That's because they stole them from Hiccup." Camicazi informed, surprising the two chiefs.
"Stolen?"
"Yeah." Camicazi nodded as she recalled her experience. "We found about it when we found Hiccup gagged at the forge. He made six gifts for us: chief and heir. Four were ready, but two was in the works when they took them. The others stole the finished ones and gave them to us."
"And one of them even claimed that they made it himself." Mogadon whispered as he stroked his beard. "It made sense why they couldn't answer. They stole them."
Bertha frowned. "Five against one. How cheap!" She declared to them. "Real Bog-Burglar would steal everything unseen with just one woman!"
"They're not Bog-Burglars."
"I know!" Bertha retorted to her daughter. The large female pondered for some time. "But I wonder... does Stoick knew about this?"
"Hiccup said that his father never believed him." Thuggory answered.
Mogadon snorted. "He's too prideful to even defend his own son." He commented.
"Hiccup must be very smart if he made all our gifts." Bertha pointed out. She seemed deep in thought. "That... boy will go far. It's a shame that he's male. If he were a female, I would invite him to join my tribe."
"I can imagine how he was treated." Mogadon commented as he looked up to the sky, thinking about Hiccup. "To steal from the heir of the village. To gag him at the forge. It was the worst dare and offense."
"They said Stoick never believed him." The bog-Burglar chiefess rumbled under her breath. "It means that this had happened before, and nothing was done to it. Either they cover their tracks well, or Stoick did not know how to raise his own son."
"Dad." Thuggory spoke, getting their attention. "I want to help Hiccup."
Bertha and Mogadon looked at each other, before looking back to him. "Thuggory." The Meathead chief started. "There is nothing we can do, because Hiccup is not our responsibility."
"Unless Hiccup is disowned, he is Stoick's responsibility. We cannot do anything." Bertha added. That saddened the two heirs.
"You can always talk to him through mail." Mogadon suggested. "Give him something to help himself. Maybe talking with someone he cares about is something he need."
"We'll pay Trader Johann for your mails." Bertha declared, getting their attention.
"T- Thanks, mom!" Camicazi exclaimed.
"Now." Mogadon started, getting their attention. "Why don't you tell us more about that fight?"
Camicazi and Thuggory smiled. The two looked at their parents and began telling their tales. They might not be able to do anything about Hiccup's condition, but they could at least provide comfort of someone to talk to.