Riders Tale of Titans

Prologue

"There were dragons when I was a boy...where they went only a few know. There were grim sky dragons that nested on the cliffs like giant scary birds. There were preposterously huge sea dragons that were even bigger than the great blue whale. Then there were small garden dragons that hunted mice in well organized packs. It's said that they all disappeared into the ocean not leaving a bone or a tooth to remember them by. Most people believe that they were nothing but folklore to begin with. And I'm okay with that. Legend has it that when the ground quakes or lava spew from the earth it's the dragons reminding us that they're still there, waiting for us to find a way to get along. Yes the dragons are gone, if they ever existed at all. But us Berkians, we know otherwise. We will guard the secret of the Hidden World, until dragons can return in peace.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III sat on a cliff, overlooking the village of New Berk. His map was laid out in front of him, he'd marked the location of the Hidden World about a year after him and Toothless separated. He'd shared the location's secret with no one. Only Astrid knew as well, because she'd been with him when they'd seen it.

He heard someone approaching from behind him, and went to quickly fold his notes. But when he saw Astrid's hand placed on his shoulder he smiled.

"Hello milady," he greeted her, and she leaned over, kissing him on the cheek.

"Looking at the old maps again," she whispered, "I see you've added a few things."

"Yeah," Hiccup admitted, "but no one else knows about it, well-" he was cut off when Astrid pointed at something else.

"Croise," she said simply, and put her arms around him. "Does Hope or Stella know?"

"Of course not," he told her, "no one did, as far as anyone else knows he's dead. Hiccup finished closing up his notes, "It's better that way."

"Is it really?" Astrid asked, then put her hand on his chest. "In here I know you believe it to be untrue, because I do. When he left nothing stopped, it only got worse. Grimmel, the dragons-"

Hiccup held up his hand, cutting her off. "Yeah I get it," he whispered, "but it was what he wanted, and it was what they needed. Grimmel was just a, you know-"

"1 in a hundred chance," Astrid sighed.

"Yeah, exactly," Hiccup said, "ever since then, it's been quiet. Our children have been raised according to plan, in a peaceful environment-"

"But Alia wasn't," she whispered, "she's fifteen and has no idea who her father is, or what he is."

"Exactly why it's better not to bring him back," Hiccup said, "he needed this, we needed this. I know it's been hard. Especially on you, even more on Stella. But this is our life now..." Hiccup pointed to New Berk. "Out there, that's theirs," he pointed in the direction of the Hidden World. "And what would James think of us?"

"I guess there is that, one, solid reason," Astrid agreed, followed Hiccup's hand, and gazed out over the ocean. Her eyes widened, "What is that?"

"What is what?" Hiccup asked, and followed her gaze. On the horizon, was a shape that increasingly got bigger and bigger. Hiccup gasped, "a dragon."

A familiar roar sounded, and Hiccup was filled with joy. It wasn't Toothless but it was someone else. Hiccup gave Astrid a grin, "Starfire."

"Starfire," she copied, "why is she out of hiding?"

In a matter of seconds the black dragon arrived, flashing her starlike scales that were under her wings. "The dragons are coming out of hiding," she panted, "they're already scattered across the Archipelago. Juniper's about an hour behind, she'll be here soon."