"I Do.... NOT!!"

Chapter 30: Pearl

                       -----Hiccup's POV-----

    Try to keep up! I roared, delighted with my new tail. We'd rigged it up with a special saddle and tail control for Astrid, and now after several test runs and an embarrassing dive into a patch of dragon nip we were airborne. The evening sun glinted off the clouds, taking my breath away with their usual beauty. Heather, Fishlegs, and Astrid had all puzzled with me until we figured out a way to make my tail functional. I had made an epic discovery in the process- my old scales acted in harmony with my new ones already covering the functioning part of my tail. So long as my old scales ( which were just crushed up and then made paintable by my saliva), had a thick enough coating, they made the leather and metal of my entire tail and moving system morph with me into human or dragon form.

    My prosthesis was no longer needed- apparently my body turned the makeshift tail into my black prosthetic foot when I was in human form. I had turned back and forth several times, amazed to see the system we made functioning as a cool looking pattern along my body, originating from my black prosthesis. Back to our evening flight, I mindspoke instructions to Astrid on working my tail, as we made several attempts to do barrel rolls and tight maneuvers. She was a fast learner, by the end of the day I was confident that she would be ready to fly with me to find my sister the next morning. Wow. I'm beat. Excited though. We'll be ready to leave first thing tomorrow morning. Astrid mindspoke. Awesome. Couldn't have done this without you and the gang. Especially you I rumbled at my friend. We landed at the great hall and joined in on a hearty meal of fish and chicken. I opted to join my pod with their baskets of fish at the end of the hall, the other teens soon joined as well, along with some of their younger trainees.

      "That was some pretty impressive sparring today," Astrid complimented Zane, one of the Berserker youths. "Thanks! Actually Ruff has been teaching me to, outside of training." The skinny Viking said. "Yeah! He's a quick learner. You should see him on dragon back- of course my protigé is the best of them all." Tuff said with a proud smug. Ruff smacked him in the head and scolded him for taking all the glory. I chuckled as the two got in a heated argument over Zane's training. "Are they always like this?" Zane asked me.  I rumbled and nodded my head. "Oh yes. All the time." Astrid said with a laugh. Daggur and Shattermaster joined us then,  and I swallowed nervously when Daggur approached me. "So ... Er uh. Toothless. Hiccup? Uhm, brother! I'll call you brother. It's the least I could do for you saving my entire tribe. Uhm. Just wanted to say thanks for- for everything." He stuttered. I changed to my human form and stood, eye to eye with him. He used to be much taller than me... I was surprised to see I was now slightly taller than the stocky Viking. "Apology, and thanks accepted-" I started, but then the great hall doors burst open. Two frantic rumble horns roared in terrified alarm, letting us know Eret had escaped, and the long range scouts had sighted an embassy of grim reapers, forty strong.

     I changed back to night fury form and bounded out the door, Astrid on my heels. All the dragons and riders we could spare were soon up in the air, flying towards the reapers at top speed. "Toothless. What are we going to do? We can't fight 40 at once." Astrid squeaked, sounding terrified. I steeled myself. Astrid was never afraid. But here she was, terrified. To me that brought back all the terrible memories and fear of my time as a slave. She'd seen them try to mind jink Heather... that must have scared her. I was extra glad we had left the strongest warriors and powerful dragons to protect Heather back on Berk. I'm gonna try negotiation. I rumbled.

       Astrid stoked my head gently, murmuring calm reassurance. We soon came head to head with the grim reaper embassy. Their leader hissed in satisfaction at seeing Astrid and I in front of our group. Why are you passing through our waters? I growled. No need to be so stiff furies. We come with an offer from the king. He promises to leave Berk alone if you two turn yourselves in, along with the other light fury. The reaper growled. And if we don't? I growled in reply. He sends another army in a years time to decimate Berk and enslave any dragons or human the king deems useful. The lead reaper growled. Very well. We will have an answer for you by next month. Now leave our waters or suffer the consequences I growled.