HTLANF AU: How to Raise Your Night Furies

Part 4 ~ Chapter 21

This...is Berk. The best kept secret this side of, well, anywhere. Granted, it may not look like much, but this wet heap of rock packs more than a few surprises.

It was a rather warm day for the Isle of Berk as the sun slowly made its way through the sky. A group of sheep were huddled together as they hid nervously between buildings from the shadows of passing dragons that raced by them. They moved as one, receding into a shadowy alley, then the majority of the herd pushed one of their own out into the open. The poor sheep was then snatched up and carried away by a dragon.

Life here is amazing, just not for the faint of heart. See, where most folks enjoy hobbies like whittling or needlepoint, we Berkians prefer a little something we like to call–

Dragons of vibrant colors sped past all the buildings, their riders swiped, kicked, and rolled into one another as they wove neck in neck with one another between the huts, docks, and revamped structures that lay throughout the village.

DRAGON RACING!

"WHOOOOOOOO!" Fishlegs shouted in glee as he rode atop Meatlug's back, who had a sheep clutched within her claws. That is until Snotlout and Hookfang side-checked the unsuspecting Ingerman and Gronckle, stealing their sheep in the process.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Fishlegs! Did you want that?" Snotlout asked smugly and that earned a glare from the other Viking.

"No, Snotlout! That was mine!"

The Jorgenson fell back towards the Thorston twins, who were lagging behind on their dragon Barf and Belch. With a chivalrous grin, Snotlout tossed the sheep towards Ruffnut. "Here ya go, babe."

Ruffnut caught the sheep with a sneer and a grumble of annoyance.

"Did I tell you that you look amazing today? 'Cause you do." Snotlout flirted, which made Ruffnut look at him with disgust.

"Ugh. Come on, Barf. It's starting to stink around here." The female Thorston complained, urging the Zippleback to get ahead of the Nightmare. Barf spewed some gas as he and Belch flew ahead, the male Thorston atop Belch's side mocked Snotlout with a mugging grin.

"Nope. Still hates you." Tuffnut said to the other male Viking before he looked forward. "Let's blow this place, Belch! Alright!" He shouted and Belch lit up the gas that Barf had just released as they flew away.

When the gas was lit up it went off in a flashy explosion, leaving Snotlout behind in the smoke. As the twins speed past the main bleachers at the lap crossing, Ruffnut drops the sheep into one of five of the baskets that were suspended over a chasm. Each board above the baskets bore an image of the head or heads of its corresponding dragon. A Night Fury, a Deadly Nadder, a Monstrous Nightmare, a Hideous Zippleback, and a Gronckle.

The Barf and Belch basket was filled to the brim with sheep, and the Hiccup and Toothless basket was halfway full. The Stormfly basket held a few sheep as well, but the Hookfang and Meatlug baskets were empty. As he was chief of the village, Stoick the Vast was presiding over the game.

"Ha-ha! That's nine for the twins, Toothless just behind with four, Astrid lagging behind with three, and Fishlegs and Snotlout trail with NONE!" Stoick listed off as he turned to the frenzied crowd, then he rested upon his chair once more and sighed as he looked at Hiccup and Toothless' basket. "And Hiccup is...nowhere to be found. Hmmm."

"I think you scared Daddy off earlier Grandpa." Kala said as she climbed into the chief's lap and situated herself to watch the race.

The youngest Haddock had on a rather adorable outfit, albeit an odd one. She had on a small black flight suit that was mostly made of leather that was painted black from a mixture of her, Hiccup's, and Toothless' scales, some of said scales decorating the flight suit on the sides of her arms, legs, and torso. The areas that were made up of cloth were green. Kala also had on a leather chestplate that was painted black like the rest of the leather on the flight suit that also had shoulder pads attached to it, the right one having a red Night Fury design adorning it. She had on a pair of black wolf fur boots, a simple kransen that matched Astrid's that she was given for her fifth birthday, and a small cotton cloak that was dyed black and had Hiccup's scales as well as her own scales decorating the shoulders. Her hair had been styled into a loose side braid that rested on her left side, somewhat following the tradition of their tribe in that sense.