"Really? You won't take gold?" I asked in a frustrated sigh. I'd come to the Northern Markets, a few days after my encounter with Heather, in order to restock on several items I'd been running low on: seasoning for meat, some fruits and vegetables, mutton for Nights, some arrows, and a whole lot of other things. Once I'd gotten all that, I went to a particular stand that had what I needed to complete the hidden blades. At least, I think so. I might be wrong, but if the design works, then I'll have two sets of Hidden Blades at my disposal. Heather said she wanted one, so I don't see any reason to deny her.

Now, the last piece of the proverbial puzzle is a special gear made in Greece. It's rather unique in several ways, I won't bore you with the details, and if I adjust my design only slightly, it should complete the mechanism. One of the reasons it's perfect, is the size and durability. It's about twice as big as a human thumbnail, and made of a rather durable alloy. Only problem is, the old man that runs this stand doesn't want gold for the four gears he has.

"I'm an old man, with enough gold to retire." He shrugged. True enough. He was quite wrinkled, his hair was grey, and I think he was blind in one eye. His clothes also looked rather worn, but were otherwise in good condition. "More gold won't have much use to me. If you can trade something exotic or interesting enough, then these gears are yours." He said, eying the katana that hung on my back. "That sword of yours would do. It'd make a good gift for my son; he's getting married soon." He told me.

"Happy as I am for him-" Sarcasm dripped between my teeth. "-my sword's not for sale, or up for trade, Old Man." I gave him a light glare. He simply shrugged in response. "I do have something else though…" I trailed of reluctantly. Reaching into one of the crevices that were naturally built into my armour, I pulled out a shuriken, one of 12 that Mala gave me for my 18th birthday. I then proceeded to pull out another three, for a total of four.

"I don't know what those are, nor do do I care to ask." The old man said lazily. In response, I took one of them and threw it right in the direction of his face. I didn't actually hit him of course, but the star did cut off the tip of his overly long mustache, and the buried itself in one of the wooden poles keeping his stand up. He looked at me in shock and fear for a moment before snapping out of it. Sending an angry look my way, he went over to the pole and pulled the shuriken out. With some effort that is.

"They're called Shuriken." I told him, placing the other three on his stand's table. "Or 'Throwing Stars' if you want a simpler term. A quieter, more deadly version of a throwing knife." I explained, crossing my arms. "They were made by the same smith who forged my sword." I tapped one of my knuckles on my katana's handle for emphasis. The old man looked at the objects, intrigued at the make of the unique weapon. Well, unique to a Viking anyway. Ninja, like the Defenders of the Wing are not exactly common in Scandinavia. I think the Defenders might actually be the only ones.

"Very well." The old man decided, placing the four gears in a small box and swiping up the four shuriken. "Four Greek gears. Can't fathom what you're using them for." He said, passing me the box. Opening it, I smiled at the sight of the gears. I just wanted to make sure I got all four of them. This guy doesn't exactly scream 'trustworthy' to me. Or maybe he's just a bit of an ass.

"I'm a bit of a tinkerer." I told him, closing the box and tucking it into my satchel. "These gears are just what I need to finish a little pet project." I grinned widely at the prospect.

"Well, good luck to you then." The old man stretched. Nodding back to him, I went on my merry way, towards the forest, where Nightshade was hiding. My intention was to head home, whip up a snack, and work on finishing up the Hidden Blades. Unfortunately, well, it's actually more fortunate than unfortunate, a couple of Dragon Hunters, who were browsing the Iron Mason's stand, were a little too loud when discussing a dragon that'd apparently been caught a short while ago.

"How did they catch that thing?" One of them asked.

"Lured it in with some special iron sand. Hear those guys love to eat sand." The other responded. Eating sand? Interesting. Very interesting… "Left it in a cage with a solid bottom so it couldn't burrow." Burrow huh?

"What are they going to do with it?" The first one asked.

"Well, I think it fires big balls of sand that are on fire. If they can harvest those flamin sand balls, would make for good catapult ammo." The second guy responded. Balls of flaming sand? Sounds familiar...

"Where's it now?"

"Ryker's takin it to some nameless rock east of Lycanwing Island. Remote and hidden, so those pesky Dragon Riders don't find it."

That was all I needed to hear. After getting a location, I bolted in the direction that Nights was hidden. If what I'm thinking is correct, then Viggo just got his hands on a very dangerous, very rare, and very powerful dragon. A dragon that eats sand, shoots balls of hardened sand that were on fire, and burrows through the ground. Yeah, there is little doubt in my mind. There's only one dragon that fits that description, and evolutionary cousin of the Night Furies.

Viggo Grimborn had captured a Sand Wraith.

XXX

So, after getting on Nightshade and bolting, quite literally, back to our island, I immediately pulled up a map and looked for Lycanwing Island. The hunter said that the 'nameless rock' they were keeping the Sand Wraith on was East of Lycanwing Island. There were a couple of islands in that direction, some named, some not, but I don't expect this to be a huge operation. If all they're doing is harvesting it's sand shots, then I doubt they'd feel the need to build some kind of huge facility or establishment. No, a small island would do the trick.

That in mind, I still can't just go charging in. This is a valuable dragon that they have, the Sand Wraith, and I've no doubt the Dragon Hunters will do what they can to keep it. If that's the case, I can expect catapults, ballistas, or at least some fortifications. Taking that into account, a night assault would be the best choice, given Nightshade's stealthy capabilities. Also, if I attacked on a night where there's a storm, even better. We could strike without them suspecting a Skrill at play.

XXX

After several days of scouting, spying, and planning, the day had finally come for Nights and I to rescue the Sand Wraith from the Dragon Hunters. Or night, as it were. It takes a couple of hours to get there, so we would leave before sunset. The island they had the dragon on wasn't huge, but it was big enough. Plenty of greenery, trees, and even a small pond. At one end of the island, there was a small cave, just barely big enough for a few people and a cage to fit. No doubt that's where they were harvesting the Sand Wraith's flammable sand ball shots.

I would have to do something about those too. They set on fire easily, but that doesn't do much to damage them. Viggo would probably make good use of even a few of them. I don't feel particularly comfortable leaving any in his grasp. However, the dragon is my first priority. I need to get it out of there first. I have entertained the possibility that there is no Sand Wraith, and that this a trap set by Viggo, but I don't think the Dragon Riders have caused enough trouble for him to warrant such a thing yet. I mean, by now Heather would have joined the Dragon Hunters, meaning that the Dragon Riders have either not met Ryker yet, or they only just met recently.

All in all, there's a chance this is not a trap. I won't let my guard down though. I might have to fight Heather to keep her facade up. She may be shocked to see me, but I'll have to sell that I think she joined them for real. Easy enough. When you live a life(read: lives) like mine, you developed an uncanny skill in the art of acting. Sometimes to the point it's subconscious. For example, I was once truly shocked and horrified that Darth Vader was Luke Skywalker's father. Then I remembered who and what I am, and it passed. Like I said, subconscious.

Anyways, Nightshade and I left for the island shortly before sunset, headed for the Sand Wraith. It was a long flight, so made sure to rest while I could as Nightshade flew. Surprising, how comfortable it is to sleep on Nightshade's back whilst flying. When I strap myself down that is. Nuff said. Also, I was able to complete the Hidden Blades. I didn't bother making a gauntlet or anything like that for them, considering I already have armguards from the armor Mala gave me. Instead, I designed them in such a way that they could attached to any arm covering, be it steel, leather, or fabric. One will attached to Heather's Razorwhip quill arm guards quite easily. Also, there's no string or ring that will the mechanism. That is not an efficient design. Instead, I made a strap of leather that wraps tightly around the wrist of wielder, and attached to the mechanism. That way, it's impossible to accidentally activate. One must give a very specific and particular flick of the wrist to activate it.

"This going to be a long flight, isn't it Girl?" I asked with a soft sigh as I brought my hood up. As I placed my mask over my eyes, Nightshade only gave a warble of agreement. Sighing again, I strapped my feet to the saddle and laid my head underneath Nightshade's crown spikes. "Wake me up when we're there Girl…" I whispered, closing my eyes. She rumbled softly in acknowledgement. It may seem insensitive to sleep whilst Nightshade flies, but this dragon is almost literally a scaly ball of electrical energy. I've seen her stay awake for days without any hint of fatigue. An occurrence not uncommon with pubescent Skrills apparently. With that on my mind, I can't really find myself feeling all that bad about sleeping while she flies.

XXX

I woke up before we arrived, and after a small snack and bathroom break to keep my bladder empty and mine and Nightshade's bellies full, we arrived at the island less than an hour after I awoke. Unfortunately, there weren't any storm clouds that the Hunters could blade for lightning strikes, so I would have to keep the electricity a last resort. A Plasma Bolt would distract them well enough, but not nearly all of them. I'd have to systematically take them all out before I get to the Sand Wraith.

And they were everywhere.

Nights and I did a few circles around the island, to get bird's eye view, or a dragon's eye view, as it were, at the island. There were about 50 guards in total. At least half of them were scattered across the forests, whereas the others guarded the cave entrance. Some of them were inside, no doubt working the Sand Wraith to exhaustion, having it eat copious amounts of sand, and producing hardened, flammable sand balls for their catapults.

"Alright Girl, down, nice and easy." I said to Nightshade. With a sot warble, she gently, and silently, hovered down to the trees. When she was just a few meters above ground, I hopped out of the saddle, grabbing onto a branch to break my fall, and swung to the ground, landing in a crouch. Using hand signals, I instructed Nightshade to fly above and distract any guards she can. She'd do this by shooting down at them or something. I'm not sure.

Growling in acknowledgement, she took to the skies, leaving me to do my work, whilst she did hers. Stringing my bow, I nocked an arrow and headed towards the cave. I stuck to the shadows, keeping my bow ready, as I stalked towards the cave. It wasn't long before I was able to see the cave, though not without dispatching some of Hunters though. I narrowed my eyes, waiting for Nightshade to make her move.

"Oi." A voice said behind me as a hand gripped my shoulder. Instantly, I grabbed the huge hand and twisted it, turning and facing the one who'd grabbed me. It was a Dragon Hunter. Within seconds, I'd buried a Hidden Blade in his throat and tossed him into a bush.

"This thing works better than I'd hoped." I grinned, retracting the blade. Suddenly, a loud screech resounded through the air, stealing the attention of all the Hunters. From the cover of the night sky, Nightshade rained down a strong Plasma Bolt. Half the Hunters went to investigate, Dragon Root bows and crossbows at the ready. I wasn't worried about them hitting her. She was practically invisible at night. So, while she kept half of them distracted, I continued towards the cave, stealthily taking cover behind barrels, weapon stacks, and the like.

I smirked as I took down another Hunter with my bow. I feel like Connor Kenway meets Arrowverse. Dragon Vigilante/Assassin that fights for the dragons, bringing down those were are poisoning this world. But, I digress. I shot a few more guards, and stabbed some others, before making it to the cave. It had a bit of a dip to it, with stairs carved to make walking down easier, but I got to the bottom relatively quietly.

And there, in the large cavern, I found my target.

Strapped to the ground with Dragon-proof chains attached to its feet, was a sleek, sandy brown dragon that shared an uncanny resemblance to a Night Fury. Definitely a Sand Wraith. What was more, however, was that there was a cage strapped to the Sand Wraith's back. I couldn't see exactly what was inside it, but a big hint was the three scorpion-like tails that stuck out between the bars. As I spied the small cage strapped to the Sand Wraith's back, one of the guards slammed their mace onto the cage. A distressed, small cry came from the cage as the three tails stung the Sand Wraith.

As they did so, the three tails stung the Sand Wrath's back. I saw it's bright yellow eyes widen in pain an anger as it let out a loud, enraged screech. It struggled, but it seemed in capable of moving it's back or thighs, so it could only thrash in place, shooting it's balls of flaming sand. I felt cold fury coursing through me as I realized what was happening. What they were doing to the Sand Wraith and the dragon in that small cage.

It was a baby Triple Stryke.

A Triple Stryke is a Strike Class dragon that has three scorpion-like tails. The three tails each hold a different venom. One numbs the victim completely, the other disorients the victim with mild hallucinations, and the last creates an agonizing pain akin to one's blood boiling in their veins. Put all of these together, and the results could be unpredictable. Now, since the Triple Stryke here is a baby, I'd wager that the venom will only last a few minutes, so the Sand Wraith needs to be continuously stung. With the numbing venom, it run or fly away. With the hallucinogen, it will probably see something to fire on. And with the pain of it's blood boiling, it will rage and shoot at anything that moves, providing the dragon Hunters with the Sand Wraith shots.

Despite the inhumanity of it all, I had to admire the ingenuity of it. The Hunters even had barrels full of sand for the Sand Wraith to eat and recharge it's eight shot limit. Clever. Horrible, but clever.

No way was I going to let this carry on.

"Hey, scumbags!" I called out to them as I revealed myself. The seven guards that were present suddenly turned to face me, seeing me aiming an arrow at them. "Say goodnight." I muttered darkly, releasing the arrow. The Hunter who was striking the baby's cage went down as the arrow buried itself in his eye. Six to go.

I tossed my bow to the side and drew my katana as the six remaining guards readied their weapons. One of the Hunters, wielding an axe, charged at me as I walked towards them. I simple sidestepped his attack, tripping him to the ground, and ran my blade through his back, into the ground. Five to go. Not dissuaded by their co-worker's demise, two more Hunters, wielding spears, ran towards me, intent on impaling me. I maneuvered myself in such a fashion that their spears collided to form an 'X' shape, and I ended up behind them. I stabbed my sword into the back of the neck of the right thug. Pulling the blade out, I did swift spinning flourish, taking the other guys head as I spun around to face the remaining Hunters. Three to go.

By now, they were starting to look weary of me. They could see I was not to be trifled with.

Hoping to finish me off quickly and from a distance, one of them threw an axe at me. Thinking quickly, I caught the axe by the handle and spun around, allowing the momentum to build, and released the weapon right back at the attacker. He fell to the ground with his own axe buried in his face. Two to go. Whilst one of the remaining Hunters readied his bow, the other, a skinny and more agile guy, ran towards me with his sword. I blocked his attack and kicked him in the stomach, making him hunch over. As the other Hunter shot his arrow at me, I quickly brought the first guy up, using him as a human shield. The arrow was shot right into his chest.

"Geh?" The archer let out an unintelligent sound, paling as I dropped his now-deceased companion. A dark expression on my face, I threw one of my shuriken at him. He was too late to react. The throwing star was stuck in his throat, and he fell to the ground. With a sigh, I sheathed my blade and picked up my bow, strapping it to my back as I went to retrieve the shuriken. With a shake of my head, I went over to the Sand Wraith, who had by now shook off the baby Triple Stryke's venom.

Briskly as I could, I approached the trapped dragon, eliciting a hiss of warning. "It's ok, it's ok." I said quickly, stopping my approach. Slowly, I unsheathed my sword and placed it on the ground. That got the dragon's attention. Good. "I mean you no harm." I continued, putting my bow next to the sword. "I am not your enemy." I added, reaching out with my hand, my green eyes focussed on the dragon's yellow orbs. Rumbling softly, it sniffed my hand, probably smelling Nightshade's scent on me. "That's it…" I whispered as he sniffed me. Finally, he allowed his snout to press against my hand, his eyes closed. I let out a sigh of relief, smiling at the dragon. "Now let's get you out of here big guy." I said, picking up my weapons. I strapped my bow to my back and sheathed my blade as I walked behind the Sand Wraith.

Definitely male.

Letting out a hum, I examined the cage that was strapped to his back. It wasn't all that complicated, but I wasn't sure I wanted to let that baby out of there knowing how distressed it was. No doubt it was ready to strike me the moment I got close. Yeah, better leave that there for a moment. I'll focus on the hatchling once I get the Sand Wraith out of here. So, with that decision made, I used my Hidden Blades to destroy the mechanisms in the locks that kept the Sand Wraith bound.

"Dragon-proof huh?" I asked with a smirk as the Sand Wraith shook free. "Try blade-proof next time." I said, seeing the him smiling at me, before giving a questioning growl, glancing at the cage. "I'll get that off once we're safe. No telling when more of the Hunters will show up." I told him. He seemed to give a single nod of understanding. Sand Wraiths are not Strike Class dragons, but they are remarkably intelligent. Probably on par with most Strike Class dragons. Given his size and build, I'd say he's a late adolescent. "Let's get out of here." I said, drawing my sword. The dragon warbled in agreement as we headed out of the cave.

XXX

When we exited the cave, we were greeted to the sight of several Dragon Hunters barricading themselves behind barrels, weapon stacks, etc. All of them probably taking cover from Nightshade. If I know my Dragon, and I do, she probably doesn't fire until she sees some leaving their safe place, which is why nobody's moving, and why there's little to no sound. I love how I can't even see her in the cover of night.

Suddenly, a screech alerted all of the Hunters to my presence. What screech you might ask? Well, the baby Triple Stryke decided now would be a good time to let out a loud cry, banging it's tails against the cage. I don't blame it, it's probably really scared without its mother, but I couldn't help feeling frustrated as the ten or so remaining Dragon Hunters turned their attention to me.

"Fuck." I said blankly, sighing as I raised my sword.

"Stop him!" One of the Hunters yelled.

"He's stealing the Sand Wraith!" Another hollered.

"You think?" I asked the air blankly as the Hunters all yelled and charged at me with their weapons. "Dumbasses." I shook my head. "Nightshade, Lightning!" I cried out. In an instant, the Skrill's cry resounded throughout the island, and a large bolt struck the space right in front of me, throwing the Hunter's off. "Let's go!" I said to the Sand Wraith, running to the side, the liberated dragon right behind me.

"Don't let him get away!" I would presume it was the Captain of this merry little band that was yelling. Or whatever surviving, highest-ranking officer was left. I don't really care.

"Can you fly?" I asked the Sand Wraith, who let out a small roar, spreading his wings.

"I'll take that as a yes." I said as we ran through the trees, being careful not to run into any. The Triple Stryke was screeching out loud, definitely afraid and disorientated. Sorry little guy… "Ok, let's get out of here." I said, bringing my thumb and index finger to my mouth as I sheathed my sword. The loud whistle I released alerted Nightshade to my location, as is evident by her roars becoming louder. The cliff was in sight. "Now or never!" I told my sandy companion as we neared the cliff. With a mighty roar, he jumped up and let his wings take over. He was several meters high when I reach the cliff. Without even thinking about it, I jumped off of the cliff. I'd hardly been able to see the ocean when Nightshade swooped in. "There's my girl." I said as I patted the Skrill's side affectionately as I found myself snug in the saddle. She cooed happily at the praise. "Now, let's make sure the Hunters can't use those sand balls." I said, directing Nights back to the cave.

Within minutes were hovering above the cave entrance, quite a distance up, seeing the Hunters scrambling to get their weapons ready to fire. "Ahoy Dragon Hunters!" I called out with a wide grin. "I have a message for Viggo! Tell him Harkon Caldera says hello." I patted Nightshade's side. "Alright Nights, let's seal up that cave. Lightning!" I commanded. She let out a roar as lightning enveloped her body. Screeching, she shot a huge bolt of lightning out of her mouth, and towards the cave entrance. The Sand Wraith followed suit, shooting several balls of hardened sand that only worsened the cave in. "Perfect." I smirked in satisfaction. Turning my attention to the Sand Wraith, I smiled. "Come, let's land so I can get that little guy off of you." I told him. He gave a roar of agreement as we turned and flew off.

I'm really glad that's over.

And that I didn't have to fight Heather.

XXX

"Ow!" I howled in agony as the baby Triple Stryke stung my hand, again, with that blood boiling venom. Aside from a small prick, it doesn't do any actual damage. But by the Ancients it hurts! I'm just glad this guy's only a baby, otherwise it would be a lot worse, for a lot longer.

OK, I suppose I should recap. I brought the Sand Wraith to my home, and was able to remove the small cage that was strapped to his back. Though not without having my hand numbed for several minutes. The Sand Wraith, finally freed, gave me a thankful lick before taking off, leaving me alone with the baby Triple Stryke. I still couldn't see it very well. Anyways, I was able to open the cage by using the very tip of my sword to break the lock and open the cage door. And out he came.

Or rather, out she came.

The baby Triple Stryke was female, with her legs, belly, and jaw being white. As were the tips of her ears, horn, and two of her tails. The last tail was black, as were the stingers that could be found at the tip of each tail. The rest of her was also black, being her back, wings, and head. Running down her back were several white, horizontal stripes. She was barely bigger than a Terrible Terror, but she was still incredibly dangerous. I heard a rumbling, dragon-like laugh from beside me. I turned and saw Nightshade looking at me with an amused expression.

"Not helping." I snapped, shaking my hand. I am so relieved that this dragon is still a baby. Otherwise, the blood boiling pain would have lasted so much longer. "You're not going to calm down, are you?" I asked the baby dragon redundantly, earning a hiss as she narrowed her crimson eyes. I took one step forward, and she extended her three tails. "Come on! How did they do it in Canon?" I asked myself quietly, banging the side of my fist on my forehead.

Suddenly, I heard a strange, high pitched clicking sound, making me stop. Looking at the Triple Stryke, I saw it was still giving me a death glare with her crimson red eyes, but her tails were now twisted together to make one tail, with three stingers at the tip. It was also hanging over her head now. As I noticed this however, the infant jump into a forward flip, and I was just barely able to avoid the three tails as they separated and were jammed into the ground. As she turned to face me once more, getting ready to pounce, she twisted her tails together, and I heard that sound again.

"Of course!" I slapped my head. Now I remember. Astrid was blinded in the show due to a bolt of lightning striking right in front of her. Staring right into that light robbed her of her sight for a few days. Then, she was able to hear the clicking sound over the rain an dragon roars, whilst the other Dragon Riders could not. Then, she used two of Stormfly's spines to distract the dragon, before getting close enough to tame it. "Alright, let's try this again." I mumbled under my breath. I couldn't help but shoot a glare in Nightshade's direction. She was just lying there, under her usual tree, as if what was happening was of no importance. "Lazy reptile." I huffed, just barely able to avoid another attack. Thankfully, I stopped right at a small tree, right at the edge of my camp. I broke off two branches as the baby dragon twisted her tails together again, the clicking sound resounding.

Before it could even think of attacking, I clicked the sticks I broke off together, making the infant stop. Briskly, I took a few steps forward. That seemed to provoke her, as is evident by her untwisting her tails and bring them over her head, the snapping sound resounding again. Instantly, I clicked the branches again, several times. She shook her head in confusion, looking at me with her pupils dilating a little. I clicked the branches again, and she let her tails relax on the ground behind her, looking up at me curiously. Smiling, I took a single step forward, and she gave no reaction.

"That's it." I whispered, walking slowly. She gave a light hiss, narrowing her eyes, but not lifting her tails or pincers. I simply clicked the branches again, getting down on one knee. By now, her pupils were wide and big. At this point, the only thing that could make them bigger is a field of Dragon Nip. With a soft, shallow breath, I brought both sticks to my left hand, and extended my right, slowly. With a only a few centimeters between her snout and my hand, the rest was up to her. I really hope I don't get stung again.

As luck would have it, I wasn't.

The baby Triple Stryke leaned her head forward, pressing her snout against my hand. I let out a sigh of relief and started petting her softly. She let out delighted purrs as I gently scratched her underneath her chin, stomping her feet not unlike a dog. She was even thumping her tails on the ground.

"Well, glad that's over." I said as I stood up, picking the hatchling up. Holding her under her arms, I looked at her with a small smile. "No more stingers, no more pincers, no more fangs, and no more talons, right?" I asked, suddenly brightening up as an idea struck me. "Speaking of which, that's what I'll call you, Talon." I smiled. The newly named Talon let out a small cry, her face splitting in what looked like a smile, her tongue hanging out. "Now it's just a case of deciding what to do with you." I said thoughtfully.

I know that a baby Dragon can be raised by another dragon that's not it's mother, so long as said other Dragon accepts the baby. There are many cases were they don't. Even so, I'm not completely certain where to find another Triple Stryke, much less how to convince it to take Talon in. No way in hell am I going to leave her alone to fend for herself, which leaves only one option.

"Well, Nights, it seems we have a new roommate." I said, looking at the adolescent Skrill, who stiffened. Raising her head, she looked at me with an incredulous expression. I couldn't help but laugh, both at Nightshade's expression, and the fact that Talon decided to climb up onto my shoulder, nuzzling my cheek with hers. "Aaw, frisky little girl, aren't you?" I asked in a coo, scratching Talon under her chin. She purred in delight in response.

Something tells me I just made a good decision.

"Raaaaawr?!"

Nightshade, however, is going to take some convincing.

XXX

FINALLY got back to writing this story. I'm aware I've been pretty out of writing in general lately, for the past two weeks or so. Real life seems to be getting a bit hectic recently, so it's put a slight dent in my writing time, but it'll pass, I assure you.

Now, concerning Talon. When I first started this story, I was really split between giving Harkon a Skrill, or a Triple Stryke. I briefly considered a Night Fury, but quickly shot that idea down, so it came down to those two. After I started writing this story, I started having doubts, thinking I should have gone the other way. I didn't just want to give him both, so I went in this direction instead. A baby Triple Stryke that can perch on his shoulder.

What do you guys think? Please review! By the way, Harkon will be inserted into Canon in either the next chapter, or the following one. Just thought I'd throw that out there.