The Lone Rider

"I can't do it." Hiccup mumbled as he stumbled through the empty paths that weaved in between the huts and houses of Berk. Any sane person would be fast asleep at this hour of the night, but not Hiccup, he had far too much on his mind. It has been about two weeks since he joined Dragon Training, and with each day his fear of killing a Dragon was getting him increasingly close to getting himself killed. Hiccup brushed his long brown hair out of his eyes and stared out at the full moon that hung suspended over the crystal clean ocean. Berk had everything that the boy wasn't: a tightly knit band of Vikings, who thought every problem ever known, could be solved with the swing of a hammer of axe. Almost every night he dreamed of being free, to be out there, where wouldn't have to worry about Vikings mocking him, and his father regretting him.

A dream that was now entirely possible, thanks to his Dragon, Toothless.

Hiccup's Night Fury also shared his desire for adventure and exploration. He would always want to just keep on flying, to not stop and to never return to Berk. It was times like these when Hiccup fantasied about such a situation: to leave Berk on the back of his Dragon, leaving faces of shock and awe, to fly farther than any Hooligan had ever traveled before and to start a new life, maybe even a new tribe. He also imagined how his father would feel, how his shock and anger would soon turn to pride as he realized his 'useless' son had the courage to ride the most dangerous Dragon ever known. He also thought about telling them all the truth, that Dragons and Vikings can co-exist, even work together. Hiccup came to a stop by a large tree on the outskirts of the village, slumping down against it. Who was he kidding? How could he convince these people that Dragons weren't what they thought they were? He new the truth all too well, soon enough they would realize how he'd gotten so good in the ring, and he'd be named a traitor and an Outlaw. After staring at the stars for what seemed like an eternity, Hiccup got up and walked deeper and deeper into the forest. Toothless mattered to him more than ever now, and knew he would manage at least a little sleep by his side.

o~0~O~0~o

Hiccup eventually found himself in the grove where Toothless slept. The moonlight revealed the distinct outline of a Dragon resting besides an overhanging tree.

"Hey bud, you sleeping there?" Hiccup asked, breaking into a short yawn. Toothless gave no response, just a steady purr he often gave when he was scratched under the neck. "Come on, I know you're in there" Hiccup smiled as he gently nudged his friend. Toothless finally woke up, opening his deep green eyes and staring at the boy in a confused state. "Yeah, sorry I woke you, I couldn't sleep again", Toothless gently hit his friend over the head with his half-tail. "It's not my fault!" Hiccup protested, rubbing the spot he was hit, "I can't sleep knowing I might have to kill a Monstrous Nightmare". Toothless looked at him for a second, and then up at the star filled sky.

"Why don't we leave?"

"I know, I know. We should leave before this gets out of hand." Hiccup sat down against Toothless and let his heat warm him up. "But maybe if I let Astrid win this next battle then I won't have to kill the Dragon". The Dragon placed his head on Hiccup's lap, making that same purring sound he did earlier. "I reckon we should make a tribe of our own, Toothless. I'll be the chief and everyone will ride Dragons, we won't need boats to travel and I can finally have some well-earned respect!" The more Hiccup thought about it, the more ridiculous it sounded. He didn't want to become chief, not in Berk or anywhere for that matter, he wasn't cut out for that kind of responsibility. "If we leave, you think we'll survive out there? I mean, how will we live?" Toothless nudged Hiccup's belt, where his small dagger rested in its hilt.

"You could learn to use that thing, for a change."

"Yeah yeah, I admit I'm lacking when it comes to fighting" Hiccup stood up and took out his dagger, pretending to strike down imaginary foes in the near-darkness. Toothless let out a frustrated groan, burying his head in the cold soil.

"You need some serious practice, and soon."

"Do you judge everyone you meet like this?" Hiccup frowned, sheathing his blade and sitting facing his friend. "Okay Toothless, I think I've got a plan:" The Dragon's ears perked up as his companion explained. "I'll make preparations for us to leave Berk. Ill get myself a new weapon, a real weapon that I can hold my own with in a fight. My Dad will be home in the next few days, I hope he doesn't show for my test against Astrid" Hiccup shuddered at the thought, in the past week tensions between those two had gone from bad to worse, especially with Hiccup's success in the Kill Ring. "If Astrid is the victor, we're in luck. We can take our time and make sure that we leave without suspicion. If I win, however…" Hiccup lay down flat and took a deep breath. "Then we run. We run and we never come back."

o~0~O~0~o

"Well! If it isn't the legendary Dragon master! Too busy to show up to work, aye?" Gobber joked as his apprentice staggered into the workshop. It was obvious that Hiccup hadn't slept much the previous night, heavy bags rested under his dark green eyes and his posture slouched even more than usual.

"Hello to you too, Gobber" he muttered, standing next to the forge to try to warm up. The boy slept next to Toothless the night before, hoping his presence would put him at ease. Much to his surprise, the opposite happened; his Dragon's snoring was deafening, and the grove was freezing beyond belief

"Rough night there, boy? You look like a mess!"

"Yeah, I don't..." Hiccup let out a loud yawn, "… think I slept at all last night"

"That's a shame, lucky you've got a couple more days 'til your next fight." Gobber put down the sword he was sharpening and faced the boy. "So, you here to do some work, or ya here on business?"

"Business, I guess. I'm looking for a new weapon, a proper one this time" Gobber's eyes lit up, a smile crossing his bearded face. "Something larger than my dagger, but not something that'll slow me down". The one-handed blacksmith grabbed Hiccup by the shoulder and let him further into the shop.

"I remember me first proper weapon" He grinned "A two-handed axe that my 'ol man gave me after my first Dragon kill. I called her 'Valkyrie' and by Thor, you should 'a seen the steel she was forged from." Gobber pointed at several large weapon racks, stocked with tools and gear. "The shop's overflowin' with stuff these days. I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for around here, if you see anything you like or wanna try out, give me a holler". Gobber soon returned to his work at the grindstone, leaving his young apprentice to search through the dozens of swords, axes and maces the place had to offer.

o~0~O~0~o

It didn't take long for Hiccup to completely loose track of time. He insisted on trying out every single weapon available, from the tiny wood hatchets to the colossal Great-swords and Halberds. Hiccup wasn't just choosing a weapon to fight with, this was a weapon he would live with, survive with and fly with. The weapon had to suit his needs in every way. It couldn't just be good, it had to be perfect.

But that perfect weapon never came.

By late afternoon, Hiccup had tried every weapon Gobber owned, leaving his arms exhausted and his body covered in small cuts. He was terrified that if- when he ran away, he would only have his dagger to rely on, he couldn't have Toothless around to protect him forever, could he?

"Any luck, lad?" Gobber asked over the constant clanging of his hammer.

"No even slightly, Gobber" Hiccup shook his head, collapsing into a chair beside his old friend. "They're all great weapons, really. They just don't suit me, y'know?"

"Aye, I know how ya feel. But, what are you looking for exactly?"

"I don't know! All these weapons are a bit too… bulky. I want something large, yet I don't want to loose any of my speed. How can a person like me haul around one of those hammers into every fight?" Gobber stared back at Hiccup, thinking about what he could use with that fishbone body of his.

"Hmmm. Tell you what, Trader Johann should be arriving tomorrow. He's got all that foreign gear, and whatnot. If I see anything you might like, ill bring it back here for ya". Hiccup grinned at the thought, coming back here tomorrow to find a stash of exotic and beautiful weapons that he could master and use on his adventures.

"I like the sound of that, Gobber" He gave the one-handed Viking a pat on the shoulder and left through the shop entrance, "I'll be back here around midday, catch 'ya later!" Hiccup began a light jog on his way back to the forest. The sun was beginning to set over Berk and he couldn't wait to be back in the sky with Toothless.

"Oi Toothpick!" Someone yelled from behind him. Hiccup cursed under his breath, it wasn't hard to figure out who could be annoyed with him at this point in time. He turned around to face a furious looking girl around his age, holding a large axe in her hands.

"Oh, hey Astrid, I was just heading down for some, y'know, practise and stuff." Hiccup knew he wasn't getting out of this easily, so all he could do was just stare at the ground and hope that it wouldn't take too long.

"Listen here, Hiccup" She spat out his name as if it was a rotten piece of fish, "you may have all these people fooled, but not me". Astrid stared at the cuts and grazes that covered Hiccup and let out a short snicker, "I'll find out how you're getting so good. And when I do" She turned and headed back the way she came from, "Everyone will see the truth about you, that you're nothing but a trickster and a liar", she turned around the corner and was gone in an instant. For a brief moment Hiccup just stood there, unable how to react to someone saying that. Was she really that jealous of his newfound skills? Or could she actually have an idea of what was really going on? He eventually pushed those thoughts aside, and continued jogging; he knew thinking about them wouldn't get him any place happy.

o~0~O~0~o

"How'd it go, Astrid?" Snotlout asked as the fierce shield-maiden returned to the group of teenagers.

"Not as I'd hoped. He wasn't carrying anything suspicious, all he had on him was that little dagger" She stood in-between the twins and let out a deep breath. "He was covered in cuts through, could have something to do with his training" She mused.

"Guys, why are we doing this?" Fishlegs asked, clearly nervous about defying Astrid. "Don't you think spying on Hiccup is wrong? Even if we discover how he's gotten so good?"

"He's kinda right, Astrid" Ruffnut said "I mean, what if it's not all a trick and he really knows his way around the Dragons-"

"You're wrong, both of you" Astrid snapped "Everyone knows he's weak and useless. There's no way he gets that good in a matter of weeks." She stared menacingly at the group. "We're going to get to the bottom of this. And I'm going to remind all of Berk who the best Dragon-slayer really is". She stormed off back to her house, leaving the remaining trainees in a slightly shocked state.

"You really think he's hiding something?" Snotlout raised an eyebrow

"He probably is. But Astrid is just over exaggerating" Fishlegs replied, "I Reckon Stoick just gave him a lesson or two before he left for Helheim's Gate".

"Y'know, we could run into the forest now and catch up with Hiccup to see what he's doing" The twins both flashed each other a mad grin before turning to run.

"No! Don't do it!" Snotlout and Fishlegs yelled at once. Ruffnut and Tuffnut both turned to face the boys.

"Why can't we? I'm sure we could find him by nightfall" Tuffnut said with an annoyed expression.

"I'm sure we could, Tuffnut." Snotlout retorted "What do you think Astrid would do to you?"

"Hate to admit it, but Snotlout is right" Fishlegs added "If there is something in there, making Hiccup as good as he is, Astrid wants to be the one who uncovers it".

o~0~O~0~o

"Okay bud, ready for another flight?" Hiccup grinned as he approached the Night Fury by the lake. Toothless looked up from the water and squinted at the human.

"What the Hel happened to you?"

"Oh, you mean these?" Hiccup pointed at the many small marks on his arms, "Yeah I decided to try out some of those weapons i forged in Gobber's shop. Turns out I'm not that good with a spiked mace". Toothless rolled his eyes and lowered himself so Hiccup could jump on. "How about we avoid separating from each other in this time?" The last time Hiccup flew with Toothless, he lost his cheat-sheet while flying, and nearly killed himself and his Dragon in the process.

"Agreed, now let's get going" Toothless snorted happily, before shooting out of the tree line.

"Oh gods- YES" Hiccup yelled as the duo soared into the afternoon sky. Hiccup felt his troubles abandon him the second his Dragon left the ground, all that was left was true happiness. After several hours of flying around Berk's many landforms, Toothless and his rider were left high above the ocean, staring down a magnificent sunset. "Wow, would 'ya look at that" He breathed, giving his Dragon a good scratch along the neck. "I swear we'll be out there soon. No more Vikings, no more abuse, and no more Dragon Training. It'll just be you, me and a whole world full of adventures". Toothless grunted in return, showing off his signature smile.

"I like the sound of that!"

"I knew you'd enjoy the sound of that" Hiccup grinned. Below him he could see several ships sailing for Berk. It was clear that all the ships were unarmed, most likely on a trading route. Toothless gave a deep chortling sound, as if to laugh.

"Want to have some fun, Hiccup?"

"I really hope you're thinking what I'm thinking" He grinned, "C'mon bud, lets show them what we're made of!" Toothless let out a roar of joy, before plummeting down towards the sea. "How 'bout we give those boats a nice fly-by. That outta impress them!" Toothless' wings began to make a banshee-like scream as the wind moved past them at incredible speeds. Within only a few seconds of flying straight down, people on board the boat began to see and hear the infamous Dragon.

"Is that what I think it is?" A Viking asked dumbly. Soon enough all eyes were on the beast as it flew straight towards them.

"NIGHT FURY! Get down!" Another yelled instinctively. None of the people on the ships had witnessed the power of this Dragon, but the rumours that surrounded it were more than enough evidence to be scared. Every Viking in the trading fleet hit the floor and covered there ears, praying to Odin that the beast would spare them or miss its shot. For several intense seconds they waited for their deaths to greet them, but nothing happened.

"What the- no way!" People watched in a mix of awe and horror as the Night Fury pulled out of its steep dive and flew over the boats in a stylish barrel-roll. Jaws dropped and eyes widened as each and every Viking made out the small figure of a man on the back of the Dragon. Toothless stared down at flashed a mischievous grin at the shocked faces, before launching him and his rider back into the deep orange clouds.

"That was amazing!" Hiccup howled like a wolf once they were clear of the trade boats, "Beard of Thor, did you see the looks on their faces?" Toothless smiled back at his friend, sharing his excitement.

"I sure did, it's not everyday you catch someone riding a dragon" Hiccup lay down on his back as the Night Fury cruised through the clouds.

"Wow, we shouldn't have done that." He chuckled, shaking his head "What would we do if they recognised me?"

"Don't worry, there's no way they caught your face going that fast" The Dragon reassured, despite knowing Hiccup couldn't quite understand him.

"We really should get back to Berk. Not that anyone is missing me at the moment" Hiccup rolled his eyes. Toothless replied with a frustrated groan, clearly annoyed at his response. "I'm sorry Bud, but I ain't ready to leave yet! A few more days of preparing and I promise we'll be on our way."

"I hope you're right. This island is no place for you or me". Toothless could make out Berk in the horizon and flew towards it, hoping it would be the last time he ever did.

o~0~O~0~o

Hiccup managed to land Toothless back in the grove under the cover of darkness, taking a long de-tour to avoid flying over any houses. He knew that the traders would tell stories of what they saw, and Berk would be left on edge for weeks after.

"Sorry Bud, but after that scare we gave those people, I don't think we should go flying for the next few days" Hiccup said glumly as he dismounted the Dragon. Toothless nodded in agreement, he didn't want to be discovered this close to leaving Berk, or risk the life of his companion. "Don't worry though, I'll still come down here every opportunity I'm given. We'll find some ways to pass the time."

"Don't forget to bring some fish!" Toothless grunted happily as his friend began the long walk home.

"I know, I know. I'll bring plenty of food for you. No eels this time!" Hiccup laughed back, before turning away and leaving the grove which he secretly called home. Hiccup couldn't help but feel a stab of guilt as he weaved in-between the trees in the pitch-black. Toothless was a Dragon, he wasn't accustomed to staying in the same spot for days on end. His Dragon was the only thing on Berk that wanted to leave more than him, and Hiccup was stopping that from happening. "I promise, Toothless" Hiccup murmured to nobody in particular, "I'll let Astrid win, and then we're outta here". The small teenager finally reached the outskirts of the village, much to his surprise, not a single person could be seen, despite being the evening feast hour.

"Hiccup, there you are!" Gobber hobbled over to meet him, flailing the hammer attached to his arm.

"Oh, hey Gobber, what's up?" Hiccup raised an eyebrow

"Where in Odin's name have you been? We've been looking for you for hours now!"

"I've been um, training- Gobber is something wrong?" The look on the man's face was a clear sign that something wasn't normal this evening. Had someone spotted him landing?"

"We need your skills in the arena; a Dragon has broken in and is wreaking havoc down there!" Hiccup's blood went cold; he knew this couldn't turn out well. He broke out into a jog along side his ex-teacher towards the source of the chaos.

"Broken IN? Surely only a small dragon can fit through those chain walls?" Gobber shook his head.

"It didn't use the chain walls, it walked right through the front door when nobody was watching," Gobber finished the sentence before Hiccup could question; "It's a Changewing". Hiccup stopped dead in his tracks, letting the severity of the situation grab hold of him. A Changewing was in the arena. How was He supposed to stop something can't be seen and sprays acid! Hiccup sprinted past Gobber, if he didn't stop the Dragon peacefully, the Vikings would likely kill it.

"Hiccup, wait! What are ya gonna do?" Gobber panted

"Something crazy" He yelled back, continuing onwards.

o~0~O~0~o

From the moment Hiccup arrived at the Kill Ring, he could tell this wouldn't be easy. Vikings swarmed around the walls of the Arena with weapons in hands, searching for any sign of the Changewing. Bright green acid was stained all over the area, even melting some of the stones nearby. Before Hiccup could react, the twins had found him and were yelling at the rest of the crowd.

"Here he is everyone! I've found him!" the twins yelled in union. Many Vikings cheered and clapped as the tiny boy approached the stone walls of the Kill Ring, and stared down at the scene before him. It was obvious that something was down there, acid lay splattered on the floor and a constant hissing sound was present.

"Has anyone been down there in the Ring?" Hiccup stammered, trying not to let his nerves get the better of him.

"Are you crazy, Hiccup?" Fishlegs squeaked, visibly terrified, "It'll kill anything that steps foot in there!"

"Someone's got to try" He replied bleakly, stepping away from the edge and walking toward the gate.

"I'm going down there with you" he turned to face the person who said that, Astrid. She wore a stern expression, yet it was clear that even she was a little frightened. Hiccup felt anger brewing inside of him, there were lives at stake, and she was going to risk it in an attempt at looking better than him.

"No Astrid, you can't. This isn't a competition, and if too many people go down there it'll only make things worse" He said firmly.

"I wasn't asking" She growled, showing him aside and turning the crank to open the gate. The crowd turned deathly silent as Astrid walked in the Kill Ring, holding her trusty axe and shield. People stared at her in disbelief, how was she going to kill something that can't be seen? She isn't even a proper Viking! The gentle sound of claws tapping on stone echoed throughout the arena, along with a slithering sound that sent shivers down the spines of everybody who dared to watch.

'Remember you're training, Astrid' She thought to herself. Very few people had taken down a Changewing, and she hadn't read any of its weaknesses in the Dragon Manual. She began smashing her weapon and shield together, Gobber's voice rattling inside her head.

'Noise: make lots of it!' She was beginning to seriously regret this decision; the sound could enrage it for all she knew.

But Astrid was determined to prove her worth. No way was she backing down.

Hiccup watched in horror from the open gate. He knew full well that making noise only threw off a Dragon's aim. The Changewing could still attack her in a hundred different ways.

"Astrid!" Hiccup yelled madly, "Get back here before you get yourself killed". He could see that she wanted to; she was just as terrified as everyone else. But she was also stubborn, and was willing to risk it all to graduate first in the class.

"Shut up, Hiccup" She hissed "This Dragon-". A bright red tail swung out of thin air, knocking Astrid to the ground with a sharp crunch. The people watching gasped in horror as she tried to defend herself from her invisible attacker with a clearly broken arm. Hiccup could make out the slight outline of a Dragon circling his long-time crush, helpless to stop it. The Dragon struck a second time, knocking her down from behind with its muscular front legs. Astrid writhed in agony as the Changewing exposed itself at last.

'It's smaller than I thought' Hiccup thought numbly, unable to fully comprehend what he was seeing. The Changewing was unlike any other Dragon he'd seen before. It was a wash of spikes, talons and claws, with a set of large jaws and two huge horns at either sides of its head. The Dragon stalked its way up to Astrid, with its red skin matching the colour of Astrid's blood.

"Someone do something!" A woman screamed desperately as the Dragon loomed over the defeated Viking. Hiccup knew he was the only person who could stop it killing her, and he had a matter of seconds to act.

"STOP" Hiccup roared, running madly onto the Ring without any weapons. The Changewing took a step back, snarling viciously. It had never met a creature stupid enough to openly defy it. Hiccup put himself in between the Dragon and Astrid, doing his best not to show any weakness. "I'm not going to hurt you, just leave her alone." He held out both his hand to show that he was no threat to the beast, cautiously taking steps towards it. The Dragon noticed a strange smell about the boy; it had been around other Dragons besides itself. "Yes, that's right" Hiccup let out the smallest smile as the Changewing realised "you can smell him, can't you?" He had now pushed the Dragon back against the wall; it knew this person was anything but ordinary; the boy had bonded with a Dragon even more dangerous than itself. Hiccup reached out with a single hand, and closed his eyes the same way he did when he bonded with Toothless. After holding his breath for what seemed like hours, the teenager felt a soft skin push up against his hand; he let out a deep exhale, stunned at what he'd just done to save the girl who hated him. "Okay, get out of here now before they hack you to pieces" He whispered to the beast, gesturing to the wide open door behind him. Hiccup watched as the Changewing completely ignored the wounded Astrid, and flew out of the Kill Ring as if it had simply grown bored of tormenting her.

For almost a solid minute nobody said a thing, everyone just gaped at Hiccup as he fought for his breath. Several weeks ago, nobody would have guessed that Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third would have been able to save a fellow Viking from one of the most reclusive and dangerous Dragons ever known. Hiccup bent down to make sure Astrid was all right. He could tell that she had a few broken bones, and her face would have some serious scaring, but she'd live and that's all that mattered.

"S-someone get her… get her some help" Those were the last things he said before fainting in front of the Village.

o~0~O~0~o

Stoick the Vast let out the tiniest smile as their boat sailed into Berk's rugged docks. For almost four weeks he and his Vikings had searched for the Dragon's nest, with no such luck. He could make out Gobber in the early morning light, waving at him with a paddle attached to his wrist. Seeing his old friend reminded him of where he left of with his son, Hiccup. Stoick hoped that Gobber would bring good news of his son's road to being a Viking like himself. Gobber held out his one good arm, giving Stoick a clumsy grin.

"So… I take it you found the nest, eh?"

"Not even close" The Chief shook his head in frustration

"Oh. Excellent" Gobber muttered in return

"I hope you had a little more success than me?"

"Well, if by success, that your parenting troubles are over, then yes." Stoick stared at Gobber in confusion, then at the many cheerful Vikings that approached him.

"Congratulations, Stoick! Everyone is so relieved"

"Out with the old, and in with the new, right?"

"No-one will miss that old nuisance!"

"The village is throwing a party to celebrate!" Stoick stared back at Gobber in disbelief, what the Hel had happened to his son?

"He's gone…?"

"Yeah, most afternoons, I mean who can blame him? The life of a celebrity's very rough. He can barely walk through the village without being swarmed by his new fans." The ginger-haired Chief grabbed his friend by the shoulder and drew him to a halt, unsure of whom he was talking about.

"Is this Hiccup we're talking about? What in Odin's name did he do?"

"Stoick, you'd better take a seat. This is quite a story you're gonna hear…"

o~0~O~0~o

"You think he's dead" Tuffnut asked casually

"You can't die from fainting, Tuff. I think he just went into shock" Fishlegs rolled his eyes

"Well, when will he wake?" Snotlout said, giving Hiccup a gentle tap on the shoulder

"Gothi said it would be soon, I'm sure he just needs a bit of rest" Gobber said. Hiccup slowly opened his eyes, having heard most of the conversation.

"I'm alive, don't worry" He gave a clumsy grin, staring at the five people before him. Hiccup was glad to be back in his bed, more comfortable than ever.

"Hiccup! There's my apprentice, how ya feeling?"

"I'm good thanks, Gobber" He yawned "How's Astrid holding up?"

"She's fine, Hiccup. She actually woke up several-"Tuffnut pushed Gobber aside and gave Hiccup a light punch in the gut.

"That was the coolest thing ever! I was so sure that Changewing was going to eat you, but you sure showed him!" Ruffnut agreed by madly nodding.

"Um, thanks you two. Did I faint or something?" He asked Fishlegs curiously

"The healers seem to think so. Then again, who wouldn't after doing what you did last night"

"Wait, I was out all night?" Hiccup asked, slightly stunned. "Gobber, has Trader Johann arrived?"

"Yeah, turned up late last night with quite a story to tell," Gobber stared uncomfortably at the teenagers who gathered around Hiccup's bed. "Erm, lads I'm gonna need you to wait outside. I've got to have a private word with Hiccup". The teens nodded and filed out of the room, wishing the boy a speedy recovery.

"What do you need to talk about?" Hiccup asked curiously

"Oh, nothing" Gobber grinned, holding out a large metal tool, wrapped in cloth. "I just wanted to give you this as a gift". Hiccup shakily got out of bed and accepted the gift with a smile.

"What is it?" he asked as he slowly removed the cloth surrounding it.

"Well, I gave Trader Johann a visit this morning, and told him about your quest to find yourself a real man's weapon. He gave me this". The weapon Hiccup held wasn't quite like anything else he'd seen before. The weapon was like a spear, having a large wooden shaft that took up most of its enormous length. At the very tip of the weapon there was a deadly looking blade, one side perfectly edged and the other serrated like a wood-saw. Hiccup put the base of the weapon at his toes, the weapon was slightly taller than him, yet was about as light as a short sword.

"Is this some sort of harpoon?" Hiccup asked, gently trying out the long weapon in each hand.

"Sort of, Johann called it a 'Glaive' or something like that. He said it's from the desert cities down south, and will work wonders in the right hands". Hiccup stared closely at the beautiful weapon he held, it was everything he needed and so much more. With this weapon he would still be fast, but with the range of any other Viking.

"I… It's wonderful Gobber," He breathed "I can't thank you enough for something like this". Gobber gave his apprentice a rough pat on the shoulder.

"Thank me later kid, you're gonna need it for the Nightmare fight next week-"

"Hang on, what? Isn't there still one more fight before the graduation?" Hiccup felt his stomach drop when Gobber laughed and shook his head

"Not anymore. After last night Astrid's in no condition to fight, and you showed the village that you've got what it takes". Hiccup dropped the glaive on the floor and sagged back onto his bed, Gobber's voice rattling inside of his head.

"Congratulations Hiccup, you get to kill the dragon"

Hello, thank you for reading my first story! I'll be trying to get out one chapter every fortnight or so, don't forget to favorite if you enjoyed it and leave a review if you want to share your thoughts!

KEY:

"Dragon talking"

"Standard dialogue"

'Personal thoughts of POV Character'

Peace! :-)