Chief Training
The Next Morning
Shake, shake.
My eyes blinked open to a disturbance. I sat up, rubbing the grogginess from my face, yawning as I glanced around the room.
"Papa, I'm hungry," came a small voice.
Looking down, I saw the culprit — Moon, blinking up at me with wide, pleading eyes.
Sigh.
I patted her messy hair and stood up, dragging my feet — and her — to the bathroom.
"After waking up, you have to wash your face and brush your teeth," I muttered, guiding her along like a sleepy zombie.
"Yes, sir!" she said brightly, snapping a salute with a grin that was far too energetic for this hour.
I shook my head, amused despite myself, as she laughed at her own performance.
Thirty Minutes Later
By the time we gathered around the breakfast table, Dad, Hiccup, and Moon were already devouring the food like it might disappear at any second.
"Amazing!" they shouted between bites, mouths stuffed and unapologetic.
I couldn't help shaking my head at the sight as I joined them and took my own plate.
"Daddy, can I get a soda?" Moon asked sweetly.
I looked up, raising a brow. "No. Soda's bad for you, and you just had one last night."
"But—"
"No buts."
She pouted, her bottom lip trembling slightly. Then she turned her head like a turret toward Dad and beamed. "Grandpa, Daddy won't give me soda."
"You—"
My father blinked. "Erik, I don't know what this 'soda' is, but if Moon wants it, you should just give it to her."
Sigh.
"Dad, soda is a sugary drink. It's unhealthy if you drink too much of it."
"Ah, I see," he nodded solemnly, as if I'd just revealed a sacred truth of the world.
Moon leaned in closer to me, her eyes going full sparkle. "But Daddy… pretty please?"
I could feel the pressure. Stay strong. Don't fall for her weak tactics. Just ignore—
"Erik," Dad said softly. "I think one a day isn't that bad…"
I turned to glare at him. He wouldn't meet my eyes. Traitor.
I looked back at Moon, who was clearly holding back a triumphant smile.
Sigh.
I opened the system shop and bought a soda. "Here, you little rascal."
She squealed in victory and popped it open with gusto. Hiccup and Dad leaned closer, curiosity lighting up their eyes.
"Want to try?" I asked flatly.
They nodded like overgrown children, and so I bought two more and handed them over. They mimicked Moon, popping open the bottles and sipping cautiously.
"Hm. Not bad," Dad said, tilting his head thoughtfully.
"Wow! It's amazing!" Hiccup grinned.
One Hour Later
I walked beside my father through the village, watching as the townspeople waved and greeted him. Every so often, a villager approached with a problem — a broken roof, a missing goat, a leaky well. My father listened carefully and issued orders with ease.
"Go ahead and take Moon with you, Hiccup," I said as we stopped near the village square. "Show her around — and don't do anything dangerous."
He nodded earnestly.
"That's you too, Moon."
"Yes sir!" she chirped with another salute.
I exhaled through my nose. I could only hope they followed orders.
As Dad and I climbed the steps to the village hall, I glanced over my shoulder. The village was alive — dragons swooping overhead, Vikings shouting and laughing, and the twins causing some kind of mischief near a vendor stand.
It was chaotic. But… peaceful, too.
I smiled. "This isn't so bad."
We entered the hall, only to be greeted by chaos of a different kind. Tables were out of place, torchlight flickered across the floor littered with food scraps and empty mugs.
My mouth twitched.
I turned to look at Dad. His mouth twitched too. We both sighed in unison.
We stepped over the mess and made our way to the far table facing the corridor. As we sat, I turned to him.
"So… how does this work?"
He leaned back and folded his arms. "Villagers used to come to our house with their problems, day or night. So I made a rule — they can only come here, to the hall, during the day unless it's a real emergency."
"Makes sense. But… how long do you stay here each day?"
"Seven hours."
"What?! Why?!"
Dad groaned. "Because every time I fix one issue, they bring me three more. And it doesn't help that your brother and his friends like to cause chaos."
My eye twitched. That sounded about right.
Creek.
We both turned as Gobber entered, holding a stack of papers. Behind him, stretching down the stairs and into the square… was a line. A long line.
My eyes widened.
"Fuck," I whispered.
Six Hours Later
I was mentally crumbling. Every single villager seemed to have the same problem — missing animals, shattered fences, collapsed roofs. And yet, somehow, each explanation took ten minutes longer than it needed to.
"Chief, I was just eating breakfast, and it was deli—"
"Just tell me what happened!" Dad bellowed.
The villager flinched. "A dragon crashed through my roof…"
Dad clenched his fists. I sympathized.
Wait... My eyes slowly widened.
I'm the next chief. I'm going to have to deal with this every day.
"Shit," I muttered under my breath.
"Erik," Dad suddenly said, cutting off my spiral. "I think you've seen enough. Come here. Let's see what you can do."
I stared at him. Then sighed.
"Alright."
He stood, and I walked over to the chief's seat and sat down. It felt too big, too heavy. Gobber stood at attention beside me.
"Next," I said.
Gobber nodded and called out. A villager came rushing in, panic in his eyes.
"I looked away for one second — oh, my precious babies, where could they be—Chief, you have to help—"
I raised a hand. "Please, just summarize."
"My animals broke through the fence and escaped."
I turned to Gobber. "How did that even happen? Let me see the layout of his enclosure."
Ten minutes later, I was staring at what could only be described as… sticks tied together with hope and spit.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Give me a coal pen and paper."
One Hour Later
Gobber had gathered every villager with an animal complaint. I got to work — sketching blueprints for reinforced fences, chicken coops, dragon stables, and more. With my crafting skill maxed, it was easy.
When I finally finished, my hand ached, but I felt strangely proud.
I leaned back in the chair, waiting for the next person to enter.
Suddenly, a scream echoed behind the doors — getting closer.
I shot upright.
The doors burst open.
"Chief!!!"