A New World, Complicated

Chapter 10: Heather Report, Pt. 1 (Hiccup)

        The wind stung my face slightly as I shot forward for the final lap around Berk. I had been training Toothless to get a lot faster, but someone had been catching up to us. This made no sense, as Toothless was a Night Fury, so I had to assert that he was the fastest dragon we had.

And to do that, we'd need to go just a little bit faster.

"Come on, bud." Toothless let out a roar and sped up, getting us back to the Dragon Academy where everyone as eagerly waiting for us to come back. Of course, no one was as eager as I was, hoping maybe for once, I could bring this friendly competition to an end.

"So, how'd we do?"

"Technically, you're still the fastest," Fishlegs informed me. "But someone- and I won't mention who- is gaining significant ground."

I sighed. Who could still be beating me? My eyes wandered around the group, trying to pick out a face that gave me a sign.

"Don't look at us," Tuffnut dismissed as he and his sister battered their helmets against the other's. On instinct, the next person I looked at what Reign, who offered me a telling smirk as she stroked her affectionate Thunderdrum.

"How can that be?" I asked aloud, completely confused and utterly dumbfounded. Shriek was a Thunderdrum, and they weren't known for being fast. Loud, yes, but fast? Never. "How can Toothless be getting slower?"

"He's not," Fishlegs stepped in. "Shriek's getting faster."

"Oh really?" I asked the redhead with the Thunderdrum teasingly. "Is that so? Anything you'd like to share, Reign?"

"Let's just say I'm experimenting with what she eats," Reign answered coyly. "Apparently, it's working... and making you mad." She rested her hands on her hips and glared at me, jade eyes sparkling with mischief. Shriek sniffled for a few seconds before letting out a burp that fired a blast, which dissipated right by Reign's feet.

"You can be so cocky sometimes."

From above us, there was loud, triumphant whooping as Hookfang turned circles in the air before flying through the gate of the Dragon Academy and landing on the rock. Snotlout seemed to be in some sort of cheery haze as he shouted at us from the back of his Monstrous Nightmare.

"You will not believe what I just found." Everyone looked at each other, not sure what to think. Sometimes, when Snotlout said he had found something, we would almost always get lit on fire or put into some sort of danger.

"Well, what is it?" Reign asked, clearly trying to feel out the waters before deciding to go with Snotlout.

"You just have to come with me. It's awesome!" Reign crossed her arms and leaned back slightly. "I promise you won't get almost killed this time, Reign." She shook her head.

"I'm always going to have that giant scar on my back now. I'm not risking getting another one."

"You have a scar on your back? Lucky!" Ruffnut whined.

"Don't worry, Reign," I assured her. "I'll be right next to you." She turned slightly red. "Uh, along with the rest of us, of course."

"Yeah. You know you can trust us to help you pound the snot out of anything that threatens you, no matter what." Astrid side-hugged her, which seemed to fully reassure the girl.

"All right, let's get a move on before it gets too dark." Everyone climbed on their dragons and followed Snotlout to wherever it was he wanted to take us. As we leveled out and started to just cruise, I got myself closer to Reign.