A New World, Complicated

Chapter 32: The Flight Stuff (Hiccup)

        "Hey, Hiccup?"

I turned my head and smiled at the redhead hovering to my right. The early colors of the morning sky cast a soft shine on her features that almost made it appear as though she were glowing, her jade eyes brighter than ever.

"I'm all for a morning flight, and I get this is what you and Toothless do all the time, but did it have to be this early?" He whining immediately snapped me out of my daze.

"Oh, come on, Reign," I scoffed. "You have to admit this has been fun."

"I never said that," she defended, putting her hands up in surrender. "I'm just saying it's really early, and some of us are kept up late by our housemates training in the middle of the night." I chuckled as Reign settled back down onto Shriek.

"I'd expect you'd be used to Astrid's noise by now." She laughed and shook her head at me.

"She's not the problem. It's this little one I have to worry about." She pointed her thumb at Azure, peacefully curled up on her shoulders. "He'll get up in the middle of the night and start blaring like we're being attacked. I love him, but he's driving me out of my mind." As though hearing that, Azure chittered and his eyes fluttered open slightly, before he relaxed back down and continued to nap. "Wish I could be asleep right now."

"And yet, you agreed to come out flying with Toothless and I." She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, well, that's because I— "

Before she could finish her sentence, her eyes darted in the direction of the Academy, lids narrowing before they shot open.

"Uh, Hiccup? There's a fire in the Academy."

She pointed toward the structure, and when I followed her point, I saw thick, black plumes of smoke starting to rise through the chains overhead, as orange and yellow flames flickered vaguely over the rock.

"What the—? Oh, for Thor's sake!"

I patted Toothless to get him to go faster, swooped down to get a bucket and fill it with water, and rushed to the Academy with Reign right behind. Toothless quickly entered the area and I doused the flames before getting a good look at who caused the problem. Unsurprisingly, a small, wiry boy stood nearby, a sheepish look in his wide eyes.

"Gustav," I sighed. Evidently, the others had seen the fire, because they all landed right after Reign and I. "How many times have we told you that you can't play in here?" I demanded, sliding off of Toothless.

"I'm not playing, I'm dragon training," Gustav insisted.

"Oh, poor kid." Reign turned her head to look up at Snotlout. "Ever since I let him into my inner circle, he wants to be just like his hero: me."

"Gross and annoying?" Astrid shot back, stepping closer on Stormfly.

"No. A Dragon Rider!" Gustav rested his hands on his hips and puffed up his chest, as though that would make him seem like Dragon Rider material.

"Look around, kid. All of the Dragon Riding positions have been taken, so unless one of us kicks the bucket, you're out of luck."

"Well, that's a bit on an extreme measure," Reign interjected. "Let's just all regroup for training in a couple of hours."

Gustav bowed his head and patted his sheep, getting them both to leave. The others followed him out, likely going to get a few more hours of sleep before we had to get to work. I, on the other hand, didn't feel tired, and wanted to try and find something to fill the time with.