Dominion of Flame

by Nightlight20x

Summary:

"They thought discovering dragons was the dream... Until the island turned into a nightmare."

In a modern world where dragons have long been thought extinct, married scientists Hiccup Haddock and Astrid Hofferson are invited to a remote research facility under the promise of wonder: live dragons, thriving in isolation, all funded by a mysterious corporate visionary, Viggo Grimborn.

But what begins as a scientific miracle quickly unravels into chaos.

When a violent storm hits and security systems fail, the dragons are unleashed, and Hiccup finds himself trapped in the jungle with Viggo’s estranged children, two kids desperate for the love their father never gave. With mythical predators hunting them and the island descending into disaster, Hiccup must become more than a researcher, he must become a protector.

Chapter 1: Ch.1

The sun beat down through the high canopy of the research site, dappling golden light over exposed layers of rock and dust. Tents flapped gently in the breeze, and the soft hum of equipment hummed in the background. A group of tourists in khakis and sunhats clustered around a massive slab of rock under a protective canopy, where the unmistakable outline of a fossilized dragon was etched into stone, wings stretched wide, tail curled, jaws parted in an ancient, silent roar.

Hiccup Haddock stood at the head of the group, dusty goggles pushed up onto his forehead, his sleeves rolled up past the elbows. A thin layer of excavation dust coated his shirt. Beside him stood his wife, Astrid, clipboard in hand and aviators perched perfectly on her nose, scanning the crowd with professional cool.

“This,” Hiccup announced, brushing the fossil with a soft brush for effect, “is the find of a lifetime. One of the only known complete skeletal remains of a Night Fury. Arguably the most elusive and advanced species of dragon to ever fly the skies.”

He paused for dramatic effect, waiting for the gasps. A few people murmured, impressed. Cameras clicked.

Then a boy, no more than ten, in a red hoodie with a juice box in hand, stepped forward, squinting at the fossil. “That’s it?” he said flatly. “Looks like a big lizard with chicken wings.”

Some of the tourists chuckled awkwardly. Hiccup tilted his head and turned slowly toward the kid, a playful smirk already tugging at his lips.

“Ah, the classic ‘it’s not scary if it’s not breathing fire at me’ critique,” Hiccup said. He took a few casual steps toward the boy, lowering his voice as if he were about to share a terrifying secret. “You know, that’s exactly what the last person said before the Night Fury got them.”

The kid blinked. “What?”

Astrid arched a brow but didn’t intervene, she knew that tone in Hiccup’s voice.

Hiccup crouched down slightly to meet the boy’s eye, gesturing toward the fossil. “See those sleek wing bones? Designed for silent flight. Not a flap, not a whisper. It could be circling right above your head right now, and you wouldn’t even know it until—” He clapped his hands loudly. “Boom! Gone. One plasma blast, and the only thing left behind is a scorch mark and maybe a very confused tourist group.”

The kid took a small step back.

“And those teeth?” Hiccup continued, grinning. “Not just for show. Precision bites. Clean. Quick. Efficient. The Night Fury didn’t chase its prey. It hunted them. Like a shadow. A ghost in the sky.”

Astrid chuckled under her breath. “He’s doing the thing again,” she murmured to a nearby couple.

The kid looked from Hiccup to the fossil, a little more wide-eyed now.

“B-but it’s just bones,” the kid muttered, less certain now.

Hiccup stood up, brushing off his hands. “Sure. Now it is. But if this dragon were alive today? You’d already be toast, kid.”

“Or ash,” Astrid added, finally stepping forward with a grin. “Depends on how close you were when it fired.”

The tourists burst into laughter. The kid backed up to his parents, clutching his juice box a little tighter.

Hiccup turned back to the group, arms open. “So! Any questions about this graceful bringer of death?”

Astrid gave him a look. “Hiccup. Maybe... tone down the 'graceful death' stuff. Remember, this retreat is supposed to be educational.”

He winked. “Oh, come on. Fear is educational.”

 

—----

 

The last traces of sun bled out over the treetops, casting everything in hues of amber and lavender. The retreat had quieted down, most of the tourists had returned to their cabins or gone home. The excavation site lay still, blanketed in tarps and shadows, its prehistoric secrets tucked in for the night.

Hiccup sat on the wooden steps of the bunkhouse porch, barefoot, sipping lukewarm coffee from a tin mug. His shirt was wrinkled and unbuttoned at the collar, sleeves still rolled up. The day's excitement had settled into a comfortable ache in his shoulders.

Astrid joined him, tossing herself down beside him with a little grunt and resting her head against his arm. She cradled her own mug, watching fireflies blink in and out among the tall grass.

“Nice work with the kid today,” she said, nudging him. “You really made a ten-year-old question his entire worldview.”

Hiccup smirked. “It’s a gift.”

Astrid snorted. “I’m serious. You were good out there.”

There was a moment of easy silence, broken only by the distant chirp of crickets.

Then Astrid tilted her head slightly. “You ever think about having one of those?”

Hiccup blinked. “A... a dragon fossil?”

She laughed. “No, you dork. A kid.”

The question hung in the air longer than she expected. Hiccup’s smile faltered, and he suddenly became very interested in his coffee.

Astrid straightened a little, giving him a sidelong glance. “I mean, not now. Not this second. Just… someday.”

He laughed lightly, but it was a little too quick. “Yeah, well... someday is great. Way off in the distance. Like… like a faraway, theoretical island we might study one day. Maybe.”

“Hiccup,” Astrid said, arching an eyebrow.

“I’m just saying,” he shrugged. “I can barely keep the lab paperwork in order, Astrid. I nearly glued my own hand to a tablet last week. A child? That’s… that’s like, at least five times more responsibility.”

Astrid smirked, resting her chin on his shoulder. “You're not wrong. But you’d be good at it, you know.”

“I don’t know about that,” he muttered. “I’m more Night Fury than nanny.”

She nudged him again. “Well, I think you'd surprise yourself.”

He exhaled, finally letting his body relax. “Yeah. Maybe. In like... ten years.”

“Five.”

“Eight.”

“Six and a half.”

He gave her a tired, crooked smile. “Can we negotiate this over more coffee and less talk about tiny humans who vomit and scream?”

Astrid grinned. “Deal. For now.”

They clinked their mugs gently, letting the conversation drift off with the fireflies.

The night was calm, until it wasn’t.

The peaceful sounds of crickets and rustling leaves were shattered by a deep, thunderous whup-whup-whup overhead. A powerful wind swept across the retreat as a helicopter descended from the sky, its searchlights slicing through the trees like white-hot blades.

Sand and debris whipped up in all directions.

“Whoa! Wey, hey!” Hiccup shielded his eyes, pulling Astrid down beside him on the porch. “What the… why is there a helicopter landing here?!”

Astrid coughed, squinting through the mess. “I don’t know, but they’re kicking up half the fossil site!”

The chopper touched down just beyond the main lodge. The blades kept spinning as two suited assistants jumped out and opened the door. A strong looking man with razor black hair and his hands clasped behind his back stepped out slowly, using a cane that looked... suspiciously homemade, but it looked like it was mainly for show. Not for use.

He didn’t speak to the retreat staff or the confused security guard. He simply walked directly toward the scientist lounge. A certain mischief in his eyes

Hiccup stormed inside the scientist lounge, still brushing sand from his hair. The lounge was a small, cozy place filled with books, maps, and models of ancient dragon skeletons. He froze in the doorway when he spotted the man already sitting there at the central table, pouring himself a glass of wine like he owned the place.

The man looked up and smiled under a thick dark goatee, his one visible eye glinting with a spark of mischief. A scar across his face

“Evenin’,” the stranger said. “Sorry for the dramatic entrance. I’m not one for subtlety.”

Hiccup blinked. “Can I help you?”

Before the man could answer, the door slammed open again. Astrid burst in, visibly furious, hair still wind-tossed. “Are you kidding me?! Do you realize what you just did to our dig site?! I’ve got half an excavation tarp lodged in a tree!”

Hiccup quickly stepped in front of her, hands up. “Whoa, whoa, hold on! Astrid! Breathe. Let's... let's not tackle the mystery guest before we know who he is.”

The stranger stood, unbothered, setting his glass down with a calm clink. “Name’s Viggo. Viggo Grimborn. You two must be Hiccup and Astrid Haddock, right?”

They exchanged wary glances.

“Yeah,” Hiccup said slowly. “That’s us.”

Viggo smiled. “Thought so. I’ve read your research. Your fossil analysis on dragon wing mechanics, the behavioral mapping in your Stormcutters & Soundwaves paper. Brilliant stuff.”

Astrid raised a brow. “You read our work?”

“Every word.” Viggo walks toward a map on the wall, tapping a remote against it. “I’ve been looking for someone who knows dragons, not just the bones, not just the myths. Someone who understands how they lived.”

He turned, serious now.

“I’m assembling a team. I need you both to come with me.”

“Come with you where?” Hiccup asked, arms crossed.

“To an island,” Viggo said. “Off-grid. Privately owned. No government, no press. There’ve been... incidents.”

“What kind of incidents?” Astrid asked warily.

Viggo held their eyes for a beat too long. “The kind that suggests dragons... may not be as extinct as we thought.”

Silence.

Hiccup gave a short, stunned laugh. “Wait. You want us to drop everything and go to some secret island because you think real dragons still exist?”

“I know they do,” Viggo said calmly. “And if I’m right, you two are the only ones who’ll know what to do with them.”

Astrid looked at Hiccup.

He looked right back at her.

And even though he still had sand in his hair and a coffee mug in his hand, something in his chest had already shifted.

The room was still. The only sound was the soft ticking of the old wall clock and the faint thrum of the helicopter blades slowing outside.

Hiccup ran a hand through his hair, glancing at Astrid with a thousand thoughts swirling behind his eyes. “This is... insane.”

“Completely,” she murmured, her arms still crossed, but her stance wasn’t as sharp now. Her eyes were locked on the map Viggo had tapped. A remote island, way off the grid. Unmarked. Untouched.

Viggo stood by the lounge’s mini-bar, pouring deep red wine into mismatched glasses like this was just another Tuesday evening.

“I’m not forcing you,” he said, not even looking up. “Could’ve picked any number of dragon nuts from the academic circuit. But they wouldn’t understand. Not like you two. You’ve got the science and the gut for it. You don’t just study dragons. You believe in them.”

Hiccup let out a breath and turned toward Astrid. She was already looking at him.

“You remember when we were nineteen?” he asked quietly. “The night we stayed up sketching that imaginary reserve where dragons still existed, just hiding from us?”

She gave a soft laugh. “We called it Dragon's Haven. We thought we’d discover it by thirty.”

“We were idiots.” Hiccup smiled, then looked back at Viggo “You swear this isn’t some publicity stunt?”

Viggo raised his glass with a chuckle. “My boy, I haven’t talked to a reporter in over a decade, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

Astrid exhaled slowly. She stepped beside Hiccup, her expression settling into something firm and focused. “Okay,” she said, voice steady. “We’ll do it.”

Viggo’s brow rose. “That easy?”

Hiccup looked at Astrid and shrugged, grinning. “It’s only everything we’ve ever wanted.”

Then, without warning, he let out a bright, boyish laugh and scooped Astrid up in his arms. She yelped, laughing as her arms flew around his shoulders.

“Hiccup!” she scolded, but she didn’t stop smiling.

“You said yes!” he grinned. “I’m excited! Let me have this!”

Viggo chuckled as he handed them their glasses. “Alright then. Here’s to reckless decisions and extinct creatures.”

The three of them clinked their glasses together, wine sloshing slightly.

Astrid raised hers. “To dragons.”

Hiccup added, “And to finally getting off the fossil floor.”

Viggo grinned wide. “And to what comes next.”

Outside, the last wind from the helicopter died down, but inside the lounge, a storm of possibility had just begun.

 

—---

 

A soft breeze rustled through the open window of the cabin. The lamps were dimmed, casting a warm golden glow across the room.

Hiccup stood by the desk, rolling up maps and stuffing a few notes and dragon diagrams into a satchel. He double-checked the tags on their travel gear, while Astrid sat cross-legged on the bed, brushing her hair.

“Got enough paper in there?” she teased, watching him fuss with the straps. “Pretty sure you packed an entire library.”

“I like to be prepared,” Hiccup said, glancing back at her. “What if we run into a previously undiscovered species of dragon and I don’t have my notebook? Catastrophic.”

Astrid smirked. “You mean catastrophic for you. I’d probably enjoy the silence.”

He raised an eyebrow but smiled, walking over and dropping the bag near the door. “You know, we could still say no. Just tell Viggo thanks, but we’ve got enough to do here.”

Astrid looked up, more serious now.

“Do you want to say no?”

Hiccup hesitated. “…No. I don’t. This is what we’ve always dreamed of—seeing dragons alive. Breathing. Flying. Not just bones in the ground.”

Astrid nodded, voice softer. “It’s just… this could change everything. What if it's real? Dragons. A whole island of them.”

She leaned back against the headboard, staring at the ceiling. “Feels too big. Like one of your dad’s old stories.”

Hiccup sat beside her on the edge of the bed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Yeah. But if there's even a chance it’s real… I want to be there to see it. With you.”

She smiled, leaning over and resting her head on his shoulder.

“I’m glad we’re doing this together.”

They sat like that for a moment, the weight of the upcoming journey settling around them. Then Hiccup chuckled.

“What?”

“I was just thinking… watch, we get there and it turns out to be one big chicken farm.”

Astrid snorted. “With our luck? Probably.”

They both laughed quietly, then slowly began getting under the covers.

As Astrid clicked off the lamp, her voice broke the quiet one last time.

“Promise me something?”

Hiccup turned to her in the dark. “Anything.”

“No matter what we find tomorrow… we look out for each other.”

He reached over, gently taking her hand beneath the sheets.

“Always.”

Chapter 2: Ch.2

The sun was just beginning to rise, casting soft amber light across the sleepy hills. A low mist clung to the ground, swirling between the buildings of the retreat as if the world itself were holding its breath.

Inside the cabin, the alarm clock buzzed faintly. Hiccup reached out to silence it, blinking groggily as he adjusted to the light spilling through the curtains.

He turned his head to find Astrid already sitting up, lacing her boots.

“You’re up early,” he muttered, voice still heavy with sleep.

She glanced over her shoulder. “Didn’t sleep much.”

He sat up beside her, rubbing the back of his neck. “Nerves?”

Astrid didn’t answer right away, just stared out the window where a helicopter sat idle on a distant landing pad.

“Excitement. Worry. All of it, I guess,” she finally said.

Hiccup got to his feet, walking over to grab the duffel bag he’d packed the night before. He checked its contents again, more out of habit than necessity.

Astrid walked up beside him and leaned her head against his shoulder.

“Still time to back out,” she said.

Hiccup glanced sideways at her and smirked. “I think we’re past that.”

They shared a quiet moment, the kind only couples who had been through everything together could understand, no words needed.

A soft knock at the door broke the moment. It was a retreat assistant holding two takeaway mugs of coffee.

“From Viggo,” she said. “He’s waiting on the helipad.”

Astrid took the mugs with a polite nod, handed one to Hiccup, and said, “Guess this is it.”

They stepped outside into the crisp morning air, breath visible in the cool light.

As they walked toward the helipad, their silhouettes long against the sunrise, Hiccup spoke softly without looking at her.

“Think we’ll find them?”

Astrid looked at him. “The dragons?”

He nodded.

She smiled. “If anyone can… it’s us.”

As they reached the helicopter, Viggo greeted them with a grin, motioning for them to board.

The engine roared to life as Hiccup and Astrid took their seats side by side, hands brushing. He reached over and laced his fingers through hers.

The helicopter lifted off the ground, the retreat growing smaller beneath them. The sky stretched out ahead, and somewhere beyond it, an island full of legend.

They held hands in silence, hearts pounding in sync.

Their journey had begun.

After a few hours, the helicopter roared over a vast blue ocean, the island still hidden beneath low clouds in the distance. Inside, the cabin vibrated with a constant low hum, broken only by headsets crackling and blades slicing through air above them.

Hiccup sat by the window, his nose practically pressed to the glass. The water below shimmered endlessly, stretching toward a faint silhouette of land far ahead. His fingers gripped Astrid’s, their hands locked together in a way neither of them had to think about.

She squeezed back, eyes wide as she looked out at the growing shadow on the horizon.

“This is actually happening,” she said quietly, half to herself.

“I know,” Hiccup breathed, unable to hide the grin creeping onto his face. “We’re flying to an uncharted island to study real dragons.”

Across from them sat a man with sun-worn skin, shaggy dark hair pulled into a messy bun, and a rugged five-o'clock shadow. His boots were scuffed, his jacket patched in places, and a worn field notebook stuck out of his cargo pocket.

He caught Astrid’s eye and gave a nod. “You two the academics?”

Hiccup blinked, then nodded slowly. “Guilty.”

The man reached across to shake hands, his grip firm and stained with something vaguely muddy. “Eret. I do field research for Viggo. Mostly remote tracking, behavioral mapping, nest site scouting... basically the stuff you can’t learn in a lab.”

“Nice to meet you,” Astrid said, intrigued. “So, you’ve been to the island already?”

Eret gave a knowing smile. “A few times. But this one’s different. They’ve never brought in people like you. Which means... something’s changed.”

Before Hiccup could ask what that meant, a loud, dramatic sigh came from the back of the cabin.

“I still don’t get why I had to come,” grumbled the young man slouched across the aisle, wearing a hoodie and a pair of oversized aviator sunglasses, indoors. “I’m not a scientist, I’m not security, I’m not even getting paid.”

“Who’s that?” Hiccup murmured under his breath.

“Snotlout,” the guy declared, tossing his bag into the seat next to him. “Snotlout Jorgenson. Son of Spitelout, head of island security, survival nut, retired Navy or something. The whole ‘alpha male’ thing. Total control freak. Said I had to come or lose access to the wi-fi back home.”

Astrid raised a brow. “You live with your dad?”

“I prefer the term underground digital consultant.” He popped a piece of gum into his mouth. “But yeah. Basement.”

Eret chuckled under his breath. “He’s a real asset.”

“I’m mostly here for the snacks,” Snotlout added.

Suddenly, the pilot's voice crackled in over the headset.

“Approaching the island. Brace for descent.”

The clouds parted slowly, revealing a breathtaking view. A massive green expanse rising from the ocean, rimmed with cliffs, waterfalls pouring down from rocky heights, and dense jungle sweeping all the way to a white-sand shoreline. It looked untouched. Wild. Alive.

Astrid leaned closer to the window, her breath catching.

Hiccup’s hand found hers again, tighter this time.

“Welcome to Dragon’s Haven,” Eret muttered with a grin, watching their faces light up. “Hope you brought boots.”

The helicopter dipped lower, slicing through the mist as they approached the landing pad at the edge of the jungle.

Hiccup turned to Astrid, eyes wide with awe. “Can you believe this?”

She shook her head slowly, smiling like she was five years old again. “It’s real.”

They looked back out the window, fingers intertwined, hearts pounding in sync, and somewhere deep in the trees below, something moved.

Something watching.

The helicopter’s blades slowly came to a stop, the wind settling as silence returned to the jungle. The air was thick with humidity and birdsong, rich with the scent of earth and wildflowers. The landing pad stood at the edge of a massive overlook, and the view was nothing short of breathtaking.

Rolling hills dipped into valleys shrouded in mist. Towering cliffs curved around glistening rivers. In the distance, strange tree shapes and faint, echoing roars teased the air with possibility.

Astrid stepped off the chopper first, her boots crunching on gravel. “Oh my gods,” she whispered.

Hiccup followed, eyes wide and stunned. “This is...”

“Unreal,” she finished for him.

Eret climbed down behind them, stretching with a grunt. “Told you. The first time always hits hard.”

Then…

“Oh my Thor it’s really you!”

A blur of khaki and oversized glasses ran up to them, clipboard in hand, sunhat slightly too big for his head.

Fishlegs.

He skidded to a stop in front of them, nearly out of breath. “Hi! Hi! Sorry… sorry! I’m, uh… Fishlegs Ingerman. I’m the summer intern for the Paleodraconology division… I just got approved to be on this rotation and… I read all your work!”

Hiccup blinked as the young man thrust his hand out.

Astrid raised a brow, amused, as Hiccup shook it.

“I mean… your Talon Stress Analysis in Late-Flight Wyverns paper? Changed my life. Both of your perspectives on wing folding and dorsal spinal structuring in the Skrill genus? Brilliant. You both practically rewrote the field.”

Astrid smiled, trying not to laugh. “Thanks, Fishlegs.”

He turned red, then gasped. “Oh… can I call you Doctor Astrid? Or, wait… are you not officially–”

“Just Astrid’s fine,” she said, grinning.

At that moment, Viggo waved from near a parked fleet of camouflaged jeeps. “Come on, dragon nerds! Still got a lot of island to see and only so many hours before sunset.”

“Shotgun!” Snotlout yelled as he jogged lazily toward the nearest jeep. “Unless that doesn’t exist here. In which case, whatever, I’m taking it anyway.”

“Wait for me!” Fishlegs yelped, running after them. “I wanna ride with the Haddocks!”

Hiccup and Astrid exchanged a look as they climbed into the middle row of the rugged jeep. The interior smelled faintly of fuel, leather, and rainforest.

Fishlegs plopped in beside them, bouncing excitedly. “This is literally the best day of my life.”

Snotlout slid into the passenger seat up front, kicking his feet up on the dash. “Just wake me up when we see something breathe fire.”

Eret climbed into the driver’s seat and turned the ignition. The jeep rumbled to life.

“You all buckled in?” he called back.

“Let’s go find some dragons,” Astrid said, pulling her seatbelt tight.

The jeep lurched forward, kicking up dirt as it drove off down a winding jungle trail, deeper into the unknown, where the ancient world waited.

 

—----

 

The jeep bounced along the dirt road, winding through dense jungle. Sunlight filtered through the canopy, casting patterns over the passengers. The air buzzed with insects and the calls of unfamiliar birds.

Fishlegs sat wedged between Hiccup and Astrid in the middle row, practically vibrating with excitement. He had not stopped talking since they left the landing pad.

“—and of course, most people misclassify Boneknappers entirely, but your osteology breakdown cleared that right up. Also, I have so many questions about your speculative piece on the Thunderdrum's sonic cavity, because I think you're on to something with the cartilage theory—”

Hiccup was trying to follow, he really was, but his attention kept drifting to the world outside the jeep. Trees. Rocks. Birds. Nothing unusual. Yet.

Until something moved.

He blinked. Past Fishlegs' shoulder, a shape darted through the trees. a blur of wings.

He leaned closer to the window, squinting.

Then he saw it again. A second. A third. And higher up... many.

His eyes widened.

“No way,” he breathed, and slowly rose from his seat, pushing his body halfway up through the open roof.

Fishlegs paused mid-sentence, confused. “Um… Dr. Haddock?”

Hiccup didn't answer. His heart was pounding. Wind hit his face as he gripped the edge of the jeep roof, eyes locked on the sky beyond the ridge ahead.

Dozens of shapes. Gliding. Soaring.

Dragons.

Some far away, cutting across the clouds. Others closer, circling a stone bluff in the distance. The light caught one’s wings just right, revealing a brilliant burst of orange and blue scales. Real, living scales.

He dropped back down into the jeep, mouth slightly open.

Astrid, still looking at the map in her lap, frowned. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

He didn’t speak. Instead, he reached out gently, his hand cradling her jaw and tilting her face toward the window behind Fishlegs.

“Look,” he said quietly.

She followed his gaze.

Her breath caught instantly.

Outside, dragons of every shape and size flew through the valley. Some dove through trees, others drifted on thermal currents with wings spread wide. A group of smaller dragons zipped over the jeep like swallows, shrieking with joy as they passed.

“Are those... Stormcutters?” Astrid whispered.

Hiccup nodded slowly, his hand still on her cheek. “And Zipplebacks. Gronkles. Maybe even a few… oh my gods! Nadders.”

Fishlegs pressed against the window, his eyes bulging. “I think I’m gonna pass out.”

Even Snotlout, from the front seat, had leaned halfway out the window, his sunglasses dangling from one ear. “...Okay. That’s actually kind of awesome.”

The jeep slowed as Eret brought them to a scenic overlook. He threw it in park and hopped out, not bothering to say anything. He knew there were no words for this.

The others followed.

They stood at the edge of the cliff, a massive valley stretched out before them, untouched, wild, alive.

Dragons wheeled and soared through the skies like flocks of birds, each one more majestic than the last. A baby dragon dove into a stream below, while two larger ones curled up on a sun-baked ridge nearby, wings twitching.

Hiccup reached out, still holding Astrid’s hand. She gripped it back, both of them rooted in place, breathless.

“They’re real,” she whispered.

“We’re really here,” he said.

Fishlegs wiped his glasses. “I’m not crying, you’re crying.”

From behind, Viggo’s voice echoed as he finally caught up. “Welcome to Dragon’s Haven.”

The sun had begun to dip toward the horizon, casting warm gold light across the jungle canopy as the jeep rumbled along a narrow ridge trail. The wind was stronger here, cooler, the air thinner. They were climbing high above the main valley now, into the untamed cliffs.

Eret slowed the jeep, pulling it to a stop near a weathered, moss-covered marker stone carved with a dragon symbol.

“This is as far as the trail goes,” he said, cutting the engine. “We hike the rest.”

Hiccup and Astrid climbed out quietly, as if even their footsteps might shatter the air.

Viggo walked toward a small path marked with feathers and bones tied to posts. “They nest just beyond this rise. No fences. No trackers. No sedation. We don’t interfere.”

“They let you get this close?” Astrid asked.

Viggo gave a half-smile. “They let me. But I don’t go further than this. Not without people who speak dragon better than I do.”

They walked in near silence, the wind whistling past jagged rocks. The higher they climbed, the more the world fell away behind them, until they crested a final ridge.

And stopped.

Just beyond the rise was a massive crater carved into the cliffs, part natural bowl, part cave, like an open sanctuary surrounded by jagged stones and glowing moss. At the center, on a bed of obsidian-black rock, were three dragons.

Night Furies.

Two of them lay curled together, sleek, dark bodies pressed close, tails entwined. The third stood perched on a boulder, alert and still, as if sculpted from shadow. Its ears twitched. Its nose lifted to the wind.

They didn’t roar. Didn’t growl.

They simply watched.

Astrid sucked in a slow breath. “Oh my gods...”

Hiccup stood motionless, utterly still, as though any sudden movement might cause them to vanish like a dream.

His lips parted, breath caught in his chest. “They’re beautiful.”

One of the Night Furies shifted, wings flaring slightly. The other followed, heads turning. They had seen them.

Viggo stepped back a pace. “This is where I stop.”

Fishlegs, further behind, dropped to one knee. “We are not worthy.”

Snotlout muttered, “Okay… those are way cooler than I expected.”

Hiccup slowly, carefully, took a step forward.

Astrid touched his arm, but didn’t stop him.

“I spent my whole life wondering what they were like,” Hiccup whispered. “Now I feel like I know nothing at all.”

The closest Night Fury tilted its head. Its pale green eyes locked with Hiccup’s.

It didn’t run. Didn’t charge.

It just looked at him, unblinking, unafraid.

Astrid stepped up beside him, her voice hushed.

The wind shifted. The dragons turned their heads slightly, then one gave a low rumble, not hostile, not warning.

An acknowledgment.

Then, as if by some silent agreement, they spread their wings, and launched into the sky.

Hiccup and Astrid stood side by side, gazing up as three silhouettes cut across the setting sun, black against gold, vanishing into the clouds above.

Tears welled again in Hiccup’s eyes.

Astrid slipped her arm around his back, resting her head lightly against his shoulder.

“They’re not extinct,” she said.

“No,” he whispered. “They’re just waiting to be found.”

 

—---

 

The team returned from the cliffs with the sun dipping low behind the trees, casting everything in amber and shadow. The compound was nestled against a rocky hill, built from modular steel and glass. a mix of high-tech labs and open-air platforms, half jungle, half Jurassic.

Inside the main research wing, a low hum of machines filled the air, along with the occasional screech of a dragon in the distance.

Hiccup stepped through the sliding glass doors and froze again.

Behind reinforced glass, a group of scientists stood huddled around a glowing incubator pod. Inside, nestled in a shallow sand bed under heat lamps, a pale, scaled egg trembled.

Crack.

A tiny sound echoed through the lab.

Fishlegs pressed his face to the glass like a kid at a toy store. “Oh Thor. Oh Thor, it’s happening!”

The egg shifted again, and then, a web of fractures splintered across its surface. The top split open, and a small snout poked out. Wet, leathery wings uncurled from within, along with stubby limbs and bright, blinking eyes.

A baby dragon.

Red scales. Tiny horns. A flickering tongue.

“Looks like a baby Deathgripper,” Eret muttered, arms crossed. “Hope they know what they’re doing with that one.”

The scientists cheered softly, making notes and monitoring vitals on digital tablets. One carefully lifted the baby dragon out with a pair of gloves and placed it into a padded enclosure.

“It’s incredible,” Astrid whispered. “We’re watching a species come back to life.”

Hiccup stared longer, lips tight. “It’s... amazing. But also a little…”

“Controlled,” she finished for him.

Viggo entered through the rear doors with a warm smile. “Ah, you caught the hatching, did you? Little miracle, that one.”

“You said they were all wild,” Hiccup said, still watching the glass. “Free. Untouched.”

“They are,” Viggo replied. “Mostly.”

Astrid turned to him. “Mostly?”

Viggo motioned them toward the back exit. “Come. There’s something you ought to see.”

They followed Viggo down a torch-lit path to a fenced clearing. A few scientists stood nearby, watching as a sheep, bleating nervously, was lowered into a walled enclosure via a harness system strung between trees.

Hiccup frowned. “Wait... what is this?”

A loud thud shook the ground. Something huge shifted behind the fence, a flash of orange scales and the flicker of fire.

Snotlout backed up. “Uh, that’s not a Zippleback.”

“Correct,” Viggo said. “That’s one of the Monstrous Nightmares. Big male. Aggressive. Been here three weeks. Attacked two handlers.”

“Why is it in a cage?” Astrid asked. “You said no dragons here were kept like that.”

“I did,” Viggo said. “And it’s true. Mostly.”

Hiccup narrowed his eyes. “Except for the ones that don’t behave the way you want them to.”

Viggo didn’t flinch. “We give them a chance. We always do. But some dragons… they’re not like the others. Monstrous Nightmares, Skrills, some Deathgrippers... they don’t adjust. They attack. They test the limits.”

A low, rumbling growl echoed through the trees as the Nightmare slinked into view behind the fence. Its eyes burned like embers. Flame licked its jaws.

“Are you studying them?” Hiccup asked quietly.

Viggo didn’t answer right away. “We’re... trying to understand what makes them different. Why some dragons coexist, and others never stop seeing humans as a threat.”

“And what happens if they never adjust?” Astrid asked.

Another long silence.

“They don’t stay on the island,” Viggo finally said.

Hiccup’s brows pulled together. “You mean...” He trailed off. Not finishing his sentence.

Viggo’s gaze didn’t waver. “We contain them. We try. But this place can’t run if we let monsters ruin it for everyone else.”

Behind them, the dragon roared, loud and furious, as it struck the fence with its body. Sparks flew.

Astrid flinched. Snotlout backed up a few more steps.

Fishlegs muttered, “Okay. That one’s definitely not cuddly.”

Viggo turned away from the enclosure. “Come. Tomorrow, we head into Sector 4. That’s where the wildest dragons live. Ones that do trust us.”

Hiccup lingered a moment longer, watching the Nightmare pace, wings twitching in frustration.

“Trust goes both ways,” he whispered under his breath.

Then he turned, took Astrid’s hand again, and followed the others into the dark.

Chapter 3: Ch.3

The roar of the Monstrous Nightmare echoed off the cliff walls and slowly faded into an uneasy silence. Viggo had just turned to lead the group back when the side gate creaked open with a metallic groan.

Out stepped a tall, square-shouldered man in tactical gear, arms folded tightly across his chest. His security vest bore faded claw marks, and his close-cropped beard had gone half gray with time. A sidearm sat holstered at his hip, and his cold eyes swept the group with automatic suspicion.

Spitelout.

Snotlout perked up instantly. “Hey, Dad!”

No answer. Spitelout walked right past his son without so much as a glance.

Snotlout’s smile twitched. “Cool. Yeah. Same to you.”

Spitelout stopped in front of Hiccup and Astrid and offered a hand, his grip firm, his tone clipped.

“Dr. Haddock. Dr. Hofferson. Heard a lot about you.”

Astrid shook his hand, eyeing him with polite caution. “Likewise.”

“We’re lucky to have people like you here,” he said, already turning back to the pen. “We’re not dealing with domesticated beasts out here. These aren’t fossils or lab rats. They're predators.”

He nodded toward the side of the enclosure.

“That Skrill we brought in last week? One of the worst. Unstable. Mean. Got a temper and a memory like a thunderstorm. Keeps trying to escape. Zapped a gate panel clean off on day two.”

“Skrill?” Hiccup said, voice tightening.

“Yeah,” Spitelout muttered. “Ugly one. The scars on its snout look like it’s been in a hundred fights. Doesn’t trust anything with a heartbeat.”

Just then, a metallic clunk rang out above them, the sound of the sheep harness pulley system returning to its default position on the overhead cable line. Everyone instinctively glanced up.

The harness that had been carrying the sheep moments ago... was gone.

In its place?

A shredded, twisted wreck of blackened metal and torn fabric, swinging slowly in the breeze.

Charred wool clung to the frame. Blood stained the straps.

Burnt. Torn. Mauled.

Astrid’s breath caught in her throat.

Hiccup stepped forward slowly, brows furrowed. “That wasn’t the Nightmare, was it?”

“No,” Spitelout said, voice like gravel. “That was the Skrill.”

Snotlout’s face dropped. “Wait... it escaped?”

The group turned toward the enclosure, but the shadows beyond the fence were silent now. Empty. Still.

Viggo’s brow creased. “I thought containment was secure.”

“It was,” Spitelout said. “Until it wasn’t.”

Hiccup exchanged a tense glance with Astrid. For the first time, the wonder they’d felt since landing on the island had shifted, mutated, into unease.

Spitelout tapped his comm unit. “We’ll track it. Night patrol’s already sweeping Sector 5.”

Astrid looked at the bloodied harness. “This thing’s not just trying to escape.”

Hiccup nodded slowly. “It’s hunting.”

 

—---

 

Long wooden tables stretched across the lodge-style mess hall, lined with scientists, handlers, and guests still buzzing about the dragons they'd seen today. Lanterns flickered overhead. The smell of grilled fish, tropical fruit, and fire-roasted vegetables filled the space.

Hiccup sat stiffly between Astrid and Fishlegs, only half-listening as conversation hummed around them. Snotlout was shoveling food like he hadn’t eaten in a week, while Eret nursed a bottle of dark beer in thoughtful silence.

Viggo stood at the head of the table, a drink in hand, grinning like a man on top of the world.

“I’ll tell you,” he said, voice booming across the table, “This place is just the beginning. You think today was impressive? Just wait.”

He paused, lifting his glass slightly.

“We’re already drafting blueprints for public walkways, a high-altitude zip line, even a feeding show, full viewing platforms, custom-built. Visitors’ll come from every corner of the globe. People’ll pay to see this.”

The table quieted.

Hiccup slowly turned to look at him, fork frozen halfway to his mouth.

“You’re opening this up to the public?” he said, voice low.

Viggo smiled, missing the tone. “Of course! Families, schools, billionaires, you name it! We’ll sell packages, overnight stays, even dragon-themed hotels. Dragon’s Haven will be the first park of its kind.”

Astrid set down her glass. “You’re serious?”

“I’ve never been more serious,” Viggo said proudly. “The science is done. The hard part’s over. Now it’s time to let the world in.”

Eret leaned forward, frowning. “You’ve seen what these creatures can do. Half of them don’t even trust humans, and you want to parade them around for ticket holders?”

Viggo waved a hand. “We control the conditions. Barriers, tracking chips, behavioral predictability. We’ve done our homework.”

Hiccup’s jaw clenched. “You’re not just showing people dragons. You’re containing them. Exploiting them.”

Viggo’s smile faltered slightly. “With respect, lad, this isn’t just about the dragons. It’s about what they represent. Wonder. Discovery. Hope. For everyone. Not just us few lucky enough to be in the room.”

The rest of dinner passed in tense silence.

—---

The group moved downstairs to the lower levels, a quieter space lined with aquariums, dragon bone replicas, and old expedition gear.

As Hiccup, Astrid, and Eret drifted behind the others, trying to process what they’d just heard, the sound of running footsteps echoed from a hallway ahead.

Two kids came barreling around the corner, a girl, maybe eleven, with curly blonde hair and a face full of freckles, and a younger boy, eight at most, with a mop of dark brown hair and two missing front teeth.

“Daddy!” the girl shouted. “You missed it! We saw a Zippleback from the east paddock!”

“And it sneezed on the fence and it sparked!” the boy added, eyes wide with excitement.

They rushed straight into Viggo, throwing their arms around his legs before he could even react.

He stumbled slightly, and a small look of disdain was visible on his face as he awkwardly petted the heads of both the kids. Not going down to their level.

“Ah. My troublemakers,” he gave a halfhearted grin, petting the top of their heads. “You two behave for Miss Runa, correct?”

The girl nodded fiercely. “We helped her clean the feeding trays!”

The boy added, “I found a tooth!”

Viggo stood and turned toward the stunned scientists.

“These are my kids, Beatrice and Finn. Their mother decided to leave in the middle of the night… so, say Hi”

Beatrice gave a proud wave. “I’m gonna be a dragon trainer!”

Finn held up a tiny, jagged fang. “And I’m gonna ride a Skrill!”

Snotlout leaned over to Astrid. “Okay, he might be the scariest person here.”

Astrid smiled faintly.

Hiccup stared at the kids for a long moment, at how comfortable they were here, how fearless.

“You let them stay here?” he finally asked.

Viggo looked down at them, his face softening. “They are independent children. They can take care of themselves. Plus, they stop by the training arena, and the trainers watch over them.”

He looked back at Hiccup and Astrid.

“Who knows. Maybe someday they can earn my trust and inherit this beautiful island.”

And for a moment, even through the tension, it was hard to argue with the coldness in his eyes.

Earn his trust?...

 

—---

 

As the night quickly creeps in, a staff member leads Hiccup and Astrid down a quiet corridor of the lodge. It's sleek, modern, but there's something cold about it. Manufactured comfort.

“Here we are. Your quarters.” The staff member says. “Should have everything you need.”

He opens the door for them. The room is spacious but sterile. Two beds, a desk, and a window overlooking the jungle. “Thanks.” Astrid muttered. The staff member hesitates at the door.

“Just a heads-up…” The staff members stop at the doorway. “Viggo…” He muttered. “He’s not here for science. He’s a businessman. Always has been.” Was all he said, as he went back through the door. Leaving the couple in silence.

“Well…” Hiccup starts dryly. Putting his satchel down on the lumpy bed. “That wasn’t ominous at all.”

Astrid does the same and sits on the edge of the bed. “I had a feeling.” she grunted. “That dinner felt like a sales pitch.”

Hiccup ran his fingers through his hair and sat down next to her. “Because it was.” He moves to the window, pulling aside the curtain. A dragon swoops in the distance, dark against the moonlit sky. His face softens. “Still… look at that.” He smiled at the view he saw. Astrid joins him at the window, leaning into his side. They watch in silence for a moment.

“We only have to stay a few days.” Astrid put a hand on his shoulder. “Let him get whatever signatures or reports he wants.”

Hiccup smiled and nodded at her. “Right.” He looked down. “No getting attached.”

She glances up at him knowingly, smirking. “Says the guy who named every fossil he ever found.” She teased.

Hiccup rolled his eyes and looked over at her. “That was one time…” He lied. It was more like three different times…

They both smile faintly. Then Astrid’s expression turns thoughtful. “The fact he has kids too.” She smirked, making Hiccup tense.

“Yeah.” Hiccup nodded. “They seemed… uncomfortable.” He tried to find the words.

“He brought them to a dragon island like it’s a school field trip.” She says softly as she released her hair from her loose braid. It cascaded down her back in soft waves.

Hiccup sighed. He knows it isn't his place to judge. He mentioned their mother left… Just left them one night. That couldn't be easy.

They turn back to the window. Outside, a group of dragons glide silently across the stars. A view neither of them ever dreamed they’d see in their lifetime. They stay there, side by side, the glow of the moon and dragons dancing on their faces.

 

—-----

 

The morning sun filtered through the trees as a line of open-air jeeps rumbled down the main trail, winding through Dragon’s Haven’s deeper wilderness zones. The air was crisp and carried the faint smell of moss, sea salt, and distant sulfur, dragon territory.

Hiccup sat in the front passenger seat of the lead jeep, arms crossed, still brooding a little from last night’s dinner.

Astrid sat behind him, brushing her braid over her shoulder, watching the trees, and watching him.

Beside her, little Finn bounced on the bench seat, his legs too short to reach the floor. He had been trying to talk to Hiccup for the last ten minutes.

“Dr. Hiccup, hey! Dr. Hiccup, guess what?”

No answer.

“Hey! Did you know that I saw a dragon poop this morning? It was like steaming! Do you think dragons ever poop while flying? I bet it’d fall really fast, right?”

Hiccup stared straight ahead, pretending not to hear.

Finn narrowed his eyes in determination and reached forward, tugging on Hiccup’s shirt sleeve.

“H-hey! I’m talking to you! Are you a real dragon doctor or just a pretend one?”

Astrid snorted behind them, trying not to laugh.

Hiccup turned his head slightly, giving Finn a strained smile. “Yes. Real dragon doctor. No, I do not study dragon poop.”

“But maybe you should!” Finn grinned, swinging his legs.

Astrid leaned forward, amusement in her voice. “You’re doing great, babe.”

Hiccup shot her a dry look. “You’re enjoying this way too much.”

That’s when Beatrice, riding in the back with Eret, perked up and leaned forward over the seats.

“Can I ride with you next, Dr. Hiccup?” she asked sweetly. “You’re, like, really famous.”

Hiccup blinked. “Uh… me?”

“Yes, you!” she chirped. “You were on the cover of DragonWatch Weekly! My grandpa has it in his bathroom!”

Astrid was full-on laughing now. “Go ahead, Beatrice. You’ll love it. He gets really sweaty when he’s nervous.”

“I do not—” Hiccup protested, then sighed in defeat. “Okay, sure. Yeah. Climb up.”

Beatrice scrambled over the bench and plopped down beside him, grinning like she’d won the lottery.

Astrid leaned toward him with a smirk. “You need the practice, you know.”

“Practice for what?” he asked warily.

She raised an eyebrow. “For parenting. Obviously.”

Hiccup’s mouth opened… then closed. Then it opened again.

Beatrice tugged his sleeve, beaming. “I hope my first dragon ride is with you, Dr. Hiccup!”

Finn added from the back, “I call second ride!”

Snotlout, from the back jeep, shouted over the engine, “You’re not gonna let them drive, right? Because I am not cleaning dragon vomit off the seats again.”

The convoy pushed deeper into the island, kids bouncing, Astrid giggling, and Hiccup staring out at the trees, unsure whether he was more scared of dragons… or children

Two sleek tour jeeps idle outside the base, engines humming. They were all dressed in gear, ready for another day of dragon observation.

 

—----

 

The two jeeps rumbled deeper into the northern side of the island, weaving past dense foliage, tall electric fences, and elevated walkways. Scattered signs marked the territories of different dragon species. Deadly Nadders, Gronkles, Timberjacks.

The convoy split at a fork in the road.

Spitelout drove off with Beatrice and Finn in one direction toward the viewing towers. Meanwhile, Hiccup’s group took a quieter path into what Viggo had called Sector 5.

As the trail narrowed, their jeep slowed to a halt in front of a massive, reinforced gate. Towering steel beams, electromagnetic locks, and scorch marks blackened the fencing near the base.

A single sheep stood tethered in the center of the enclosure beyond, bleating occasionally.

The dragon was nowhere to be seen.

The group sat forward in their seats, squinting through the glare of the midday sun.

Hiccup frowned. “This is it?”

Fishlegs pulled up a datapad. “According to the map, this should be the Skrill zone. Viggo said they moved one here last week. A big one.”

Astrid rested her elbows on the jeep’s frame. “Looks more like an empty field.”

Snotlout sighed. “Cool. So we’re just waiting to see if something eats that sheep? Riveting.”

They sat in silence for a while. The sheep bleated again. Nothing moved.

The sun beat down.

Eventually, Eret leaned back, stretching out across the rear seat, glancing toward Hiccup.

“So…” he began. “You and Astrid. Been married long?”

Hiccup blinked, caught off guard. “Uh, yeah. Six years.”

“Impressive,” Eret said with a smirk. “She still laughs at your jokes?”

Astrid, from the front passenger seat, leaned back to look at them. “Only the ones he doesn’t mean to be funny.”

Hiccup smirked. “Thanks for the support, babe.”

Eret chuckled. “You know, if she ever needs someone to test out those lab theories in the field, I’m always up for a little danger.”

Astrid raised an eyebrow. “Careful, Eret. He’s surprisingly territorial.”

Fishlegs whispered, “I knew this would get weird.”

Hiccup rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, “Remind me to switch seats next stop.”

Eret shrugged with a smug grin. “Just saying. Good team always needs backup.”

“I’m right here,” Snotlout said, offended. “Why is no one flirting with me? I’m single. And mysterious.”

“I'm married and the rest here are guys. Unless you're into that.” Astrid reminded him.

“It was dark, okay!”

Everyone laughed, even Hiccup, reluctantly, as the moment settled into a strangely peaceful lull.

The sheep bleated again.

Still nothing.

Fishlegs checked his datapad. “Maybe it’s sleeping? Or relocated?”

But Hiccup didn’t answer. His eyes were still on the enclosure, brow furrowed, something pulling at the back of his instincts.

Too quiet.

Too still.

The sheep bleated again.

Still no movement.

But Hiccup squinted out the side of the jeep, eyes fixed on something beyond the fence, just past a patch of scorched grass, half-hidden in the brush.

A strange pattern in the dirt. Circular. Burnt.

Not natural.

He frowned, his body already shifting toward the door.

“Wait! Hiccup?” Astrid asked, noticing.

He stepped out without a word, boots crunching on dry grass.

Astrid sighed, already opening her own door. “Of course,” she muttered, climbing out after him. “Hiccup!”

He didn’t stop, pacing slowly toward the tree line.

Behind them, Eret climbed out of the jeep with a grunt. “Are we following him?”

Fishlegs grabbed his tablet and jumped down, looking around nervously. “Uh, guys? I’m not sure we’re supposed to be out here…”

Snotlout waved a hand. “Relax. What’s the worst that could happen?”

As they caught up to Hiccup, he was crouching beside the blackened circle. His gloved hand hovered above it, not touching, just studying.

“Lightning scorch,” he muttered. “Concentrated. Tight radius. That wasn’t weather.”

“A Skrill?” Astrid asked softly, stepping beside him.

“Yeah,” Hiccup said, standing. “It was here.”

The trees swayed above them, casting twitching shadows over the earth.

Footsteps crunched behind them, the second jeep had pulled up nearby, and now Spitelout, Finn, and Beatrice had joined the group.

Finn raced toward Hiccup immediately.

“Dr. Hiccup! Hey! Did you see the thing? Was it a Skrill? Do you think it’ll try to eat us?”

Hiccup ignored him again, eyes still scanning the trees.

Astrid gave him a sideways glance. “You’re really not gonna answer him?”

“I’m thinking,” Hiccup said, distracted.

Beatrice caught up, walking quickly… then let out a high-pitched “oof!” and dropped to the ground.

“Whoa!” Hiccup turned just in time to catch her before she faceplanted.

“Beatrice?” Astrid asked, already kneeling. “Are you okay?”

Beatrice gave a very exaggerated wince. “I… think I twisted my ankle…”

“You didn’t,” Finn mumbled.

Hiccup steadied her, brushing leaves off her sleeves. “You sure? Let me see.”

But before he could check anything, Finn tugged hard on Hiccup’s sleeve again.

“Hey! Dr. Hiccup! I’ve been trying to talk to you all day! You’re supposed to be my dragon teacher!”

Hiccup blinked, caught in a tangle of kid arms, fake injuries, and real questions.

He stood up, exhaling sharply. “Okay! Finn, not now. Beatrice, you’re fine. Astrid, help…”

Astrid grinned, not helping at all. “This is your future, you know.”

“I’m starting to think dragons are easier.”

Snotlout pointed at the sky. “Guys? Shouldn’t we be more worried about what happened to the sheep?”

Eret nodded, face serious now. “We’re standing on burnt ground, and the bait’s untouched. That’s not a good sign.”

Fishlegs’ voice was shaking. “You don’t think the Skrill’s watching us right now, do you?”

Suddenly, a loud crack split the silence, a snap of something heavy in the trees.

Everyone went still.

Even the sheep stopped bleating.

Astrid’s hand drifted to her sidearm. Hiccup tensed.

The forest ahead was quiet again. Too quiet.

Beatrice stood up straight, ankle perfectly fine. “...That wasn’t me.”

Finn gripped Hiccup’s hand instinctively.

For the first time, Hiccup didn’t pull away.

He scanned the woods, before processing forward.

Chapter 4: Ch.4

“Hiccup, come on!” Astrid called after him, exasperated.

But he was already ducking under low branches, eyes locked on something deeper in the forest. A strange low sound, not threatening, but... mournful, had caught his attention. His instincts wouldn’t let him turn back.

The others groaned and followed, trudging through underbrush.

“Do we have to go deeper into the mystery woods where dragons explode trees with lightning?” Snotlout grumbled.

“I was promised a nice vacation. With snacks,” Eret muttered.

But a few more steps in, and the trees opened into a quiet glade bathed in soft light. There, lying on its side near a moss-covered boulder, was a Gronkle, sluggish, wheezing softly, its massive belly rising and falling like slow bellows.

Hiccup stopped in his tracks, breath catching. “Whoa…”

The Gronkle was covered in thick, mottled scales, yellow-brown with little bits of moss growing between the plates. Its eyes were half-lidded but calm, peaceful. One wing was curled oddly, as if injured.

Fishlegs gasped. “Oh my Thor. That’s a Hearth Gronkle. Look at the plate formation! Look at the dorsal fins! It’s… it's… oh gods I think I’m gonna faint—”

“Please don’t,” Hiccup said quickly.

The kids were already ahead of him, carefully approaching the resting dragon.

Beatrice crouched beside it, hand hovering just above its belly. “Can I pet it?”

The Gronkle gave a low rumble but didn’t move.

Finn giggled. “It’s like a big lava puppy!”

They both reached out and gently touched its warm, stone-like skin. The Gronkle gave a little grunt of approval.

Even Eret, for once, looked awed. “Didn’t think I’d see one of these up close without losing a limb.”

Astrid knelt beside Hiccup. “He’s sick. Dehydrated. Maybe injured.”

Hiccup nodded. “But peaceful. He doesn’t feel threatened.”

BOOM.

A crack of thunder tore through the sky above them, echoing off the cliffs.

Everyone jumped.

The Gronkle stirred anxiously.

Fishlegs looked up nervously. “Okay! Okay, that’s the sign. We should definitely go back to the jeeps now.”

“No argument here,” Eret muttered.

Astrid stood and dusted off her hands. “I might go back to the lab. See if they have any treatment records or anti-inflammatory serums for his wing. If we can keep him stable, maybe we can get him back to the sanctuary side.”

Hiccup blinked. “Wait… what? You’re leaving me with them?”

Beatrice was now braiding flowers into the Gronkle’s nostril. Finn was balancing a stick on its head like a tiny hat.

Astrid smirked. “You’ll be fine.”

“Astrid…”

She kissed his cheek quickly. “You’ve got this. They adore you.”

He gave her a very doubtful look.

“They won’t bite,” she teased as she turned to go.

“I’m more worried about the emotional trauma,” he muttered as she disappeared into the trees.

Beatrice looked up. “Can we name him Rocky?”

“No,” Hiccup sighed. “He already has a name. Probably.”

Finn tugged on his sleeve again. “Do you think he farts fire when he sleeps?”

Hiccup stared upward. “Astrid, come back…”

 

—---

 

Rain pattered softly against the roof of the open jeep canopy as the tires rolled slowly through the slick, muddy trail. The sun had vanished behind a thick wall of gray clouds, casting the island in a cold, wet gloom. Occasional thunder rolled far off in the distance, low and grumbling like a restless dragon.

The Gronkle had been stabilized and left under a temporary shelter. Astrid had gone back to the lab. That left Hiccup, Eret, Fishlegs, and Snotlout in the rear vehicle with the kids and Spitlout in the front one.

Silence filled the space, not awkward, exactly… just heavy. Each man lost in his own thoughts as the jungle crawled past in the rain.

Hiccup finally broke the stillness, voice quiet.

“You got any kids, Eret?”

Eret, still focused on the road, didn’t look at him. “Three,” he said simply.

That surprised Hiccup. “Really?”

Eret smirked. “Yeah. Two girls, one boy. All stubborn as hell. Like their mother.”

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a silver flask, unscrewed the cap, and offered it to Hiccup.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?”

Eret shrugged. “It’s just water. I’m not that kind of field guy anymore.”

Hiccup chuckled and waved it off. “I’m good.”

Snotlout, leaning over the seat from the back, spoke up with a smirk. “So, Hiccup…”

Hiccup groaned under his breath. “Please don’t.”

“How’s the ol’ marriage goin’?” Snotlout asked, grinning. “Still… you know… married?”

Hiccup didn’t look at him. “Yes, Snotlout. Very.”

“Well,” Snotlout said, shifting in his seat dramatically, “if something ever happened to you… and I’m not saying I hope it does, but like, if… I just want you to know… I’d totally be Astrid’s second choice.”

Fishlegs slowly turned his head. “What?”

Snotlout nodded proudly. “It’s just logical. I mean, come on. She’s hot, I’m hot, and my jawline is way stronger than yours—”

Fishlegs rolled his eyes. “Snotlout—”

Before he could finish, Eret reached out and smacked Snotlout in the back of the head.

Whack!

“Ow!” Snotlout yelped. “What the heck, man?!”

“That was for everyone,” Eret muttered, eyes still on the road.

Fishlegs tried and failed to hide his laugh.

Snotlout rubbed his head, grumbling, “Just saying… if this were a romantic comedy, I’d be the misunderstood heartthrob.”

“More like the background character that gets eaten by a dragon in the first act,” Hiccup replied dryly.

Snotlout leaned back in his seat with a sigh. “Whatever. You’ll all be sorry when I’m the last one standing.”

Lightning flashed in the distance… closer now.

Then came thunder. Louder. Heavier.

The jeep’s headlights flickered slightly as they bumped over the muddy path.

Hiccup sat forward, eyes narrowing.

“…Did anyone else feel that?”

Eret frowned. “Yeah.”

Fishlegs’ voice was quiet now. “That wasn’t thunder.”

The jungle had gone still again.

Too still.

The rain came down in sheets now, hammering the canopy above and splashing in muddy rivulets across the road. Thunder cracked overhead, closer than before. The jeep headlights flickered, then steadied.

Suddenly, the jeep jerked to a halt.

Everyone lurched forward.

Hiccup sat up straight. “What was that?”

“Engine just... cut,” Eret said, tapping the dash.

They looked up through the rain-soaked windshield, and saw the other jeep, just a few yards ahead, stopped completely.

Its brake lights glowed faintly in the downpour. No one was getting out.

Without hesitation, Hiccup flung his door open and bolted out into the rain.

“Dr. Haddock!” Fishlegs called, but it was no use.

Hiccup sprinted through the mud, boots slipping slightly as he splashed to the front jeep. Rain matted his hair to his forehead and soaked through his jacket instantly.

He reached the driver’s side window and knocked. It lowered with a creak.

Spitelout sat behind the wheel, jaw tight, arms crossed. Rain beaded on his brow.

“Out of gas,” he said bluntly. “Tank’s dry.”

“What? Seriously?” Hiccup asked, trying to wipe water from his eyes.

“We’ve radioed the lab, but with the storm rolling in, comms are shot. They’ll send help once the weather clears.”

“So we’re just stuck out here?”

Spitelout nodded once. “Best thing to do now is stay put. Stay dry. Nothing’s out here anyway.”

In the back seat, Beatrice waved brightly. “Hi, Dr. Hiccup!”

Finn popped up beside her. “We made up a dragon-themed knock-knock joke!”

Before they could launch into it, Hiccup immediately slammed the door shut again.

“Stay in the jeep!” he called back through the window. “Lock the doors!”

He turned and ran back through the rain, splashing through puddles as thunder boomed overhead.

Back in his own jeep, he yanked the door open and climbed in, drenched.

Fishlegs handed him a towel. “Well?”

“They’re out of gas too,” Hiccup said, breathless. “Spitelout says to stay put. Radios aren’t working with the storm overhead.”

Snotlout groaned. “Oh great. So we’re sitting ducks. Stuck in the middle of monster alley with wet socks and a dragon that shoots lightning lurking somewhere nearby.”

“Pretty much,” Hiccup muttered.

Eret leaned forward on the wheel. “Let’s just stay alert. Keep an eye on the trees.”

Lightning lit up the jungle for a split second, and in that flash, the forest looked just a little too empty.

Then the darkness swallowed it again.

The rain didn’t let up.

Something about the silence outside… didn’t feel right.

After a few minutes. The inside of the jeep had grown muggy and uncomfortable. With the engine dead, the A/C had cut out, and the air was thick and damp, clinging to their skin.

Snotlout tugged at his collar. “I’m actually melting. I can feel my will to live evaporating.”

Fishlegs fanned himself with a soggy notepad. “This is a biohazard.”

Eret sat behind the wheel, his elbow propped against the doorframe, watching the jungle blur through the rain-streaked windshield. Lightning flickered again in the distance.

He glanced toward Hiccup, who was brooding in the passenger seat, arms crossed, soaked hair sticking to his forehead.

“You think the kids are alright?” Eret asked.

Hiccup shrugged, not looking at him. “They’re with Spitelout.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

Hiccup sighed. “I don’t know why they wouldn’t be.”

Eret leaned forward, voice calm. “Kids get scared. Especially when adults act like everything’s fine.”

That got a slight twitch of Hiccup’s brow. He didn’t answer.

They fell into silence again.

The storm rumbled on. The air inside the jeep grew heavier. Sweat beaded along their necks. The jungle hissed with rainfall.

 

—---

 

Inside the first jeep, the kids sat close, their breath fogging the windows.

Beatrice traced a dragon rune into the condensation on the glass.

Finn sat upright, staring ahead.

Spitelout gripped the wheel, scanning the dark treeline outside. He was quiet, too quiet, jaw clenched, hand near his sidearm.

Something caught Finn’s eye.

He leaned forward slowly, looking at a half-full glass of water on the dashboard, the one Spitelout had brought earlier.

It was trembling.

Plink… plink… plink.

The surface rippled.

Finn whispered, “Bea…”

She looked over.

“...Is the car shaking?”

Beatrice blinked. “No, that’s just the rain.”

But now she noticed it too.

A faint tremor. Not enough to jolt. Just enough to feel, through the soles of their feet, through the glass.

Spitelout leaned out the window, squinting into the storm.

Then, a sickening wet thud slammed onto the roof above them.

The entire jeep jolted.

Beatrice screamed, as Finn shouted, “What was that?!”

Thud. Thud.

Dark blood smeared across the windshield in front of them.

Spitelout whipped around, yanking the gearshift, but nothing happened. Engine still dead.

He threw the door open and stepped out into the rain, gun drawn, eyes darting up…

And there it was…

The mangled, burned corpse of the sheep, tossed from above, its carcass half-crushed, still smoking, ribs exposed, limbs bent in ways they shouldn’t be.

Spitelout backed toward the jeep, jaw set.

Beatrice was crying now. Finn clung to her.

Inside the second jeep, Hiccup looked up sharply.

“What was that?”

Lightning flashed.

And in the next flash… a long, skeletal shadow moved through the trees above.

The Skrill was watching…

The sky cracked again, lighting the world in white for a brief, chilling moment.

And there it was.

The Skrill.

Towering above the tree line, its body arched like a serpent, wings partially unfurled, crackling with residual electricity. Its hide was slick with rain, scales jagged like broken armor, its glowing purple eyes burning in the dark.

It didn't move at first.

It didn’t have to.

Its sheer presence was enough to freeze everyone in place.

In the first jeep, Spitelout stared up at the beast in horror, slack-jawed. The bloody sheep was still half-crushed on the roof. The windshield was smeared with red.

Inside the vehicle, Beatrice and Finn sat frozen, wide-eyed and trembling.

The thunder rolled, low and unrelenting.

Then the Skrill let out a slow, deep growl, not like a roar, but a rumble that made the earth vibrate beneath them.

Spitelout snapped.

With a sharp breath and a panicked grunt, he turned and bolted, splashing away into the trees, his boots slipping in the mud as he vanished into the storm.

“Mr. Spitlout!” Finn screamed, lunging toward the window. “Come back!”

Beatrice gripped his arm. “Don’t go after him!”

The doors had been left open. Rain poured in. Lightning flashed.

Outside, more dragons began to creep into view through the trees, some small, some massive. Shapes just barely distinguishable in the storm, glowing eyes, shifting wings, hissing growls. They weren’t attacking… yet.

They were watching.

The children huddled together in the back seat, rain soaking their shoulders now.

The air hummed with static, the tension before the lightning strike.

Beatrice’s lips quivered.

She gripped Finn’s hand tight.

And then, in a whisper barely audible over the downpour, she murmured.

“…Dr. Haddock…”

—--

 

Rain pounded the windshield in deafening waves.

Inside the jeep, Hiccup, Eret, Fishlegs, and Snotlout sat frozen, staring through the downpour at the monstrous silhouette of the Skrill, its body coiled above the treeline like a demon made of stormclouds and shadow.

The smaller dragons had gathered now too, dozens of them, creeping through the underbrush and lining the trees. Glowing eyes blinked in the dark. Growls echoed through the jungle like a drumbeat.

“Don’t move,” Hiccup said quietly, barely breathing. “No sudden movements. Eyes forward. Stay calm.”

The others didn’t answer. Even Snotlout was dead silent, jaw slack, soaked with sweat.

They all stared at the first jeep, the one directly ahead of them, where Beatrice and Finn were trapped.

Then… A sharp white beam of light suddenly flicked on from inside the other vehicle.

The kids had turned on a flashlight.

It blinked wildly through the rain, swinging around, frantic, unsteady, shining straight into Hiccup’s jeep like a signal flare.

Fishlegs gasped. “They’re trying to show us they’re in trouble—”

“No…” Hiccup whispered, eyes wide. “No, no, turn it off.”

The light cut through the darkness like a beacon.

The Skrill’s head snapped toward it.

Its eyes lit with a violet glow.

“Turn it off,” Hiccup muttered again, clutching the dash. “You’re drawing them—”

The Skrill’s wings exploded outward as it launched itself forward, lightning crackling through its spines.

The rest of the dragons charged with it, like a pack of wolves set loose.

They descended on the jeep like a wave of teeth and talons.

Hiccup’s eyes widened as he reached for the door.

“Don’t!” Eret yanked him back. “You can’t help them! Not yet!”

Inside the first jeep, the light whipped around violently as the car rocked under the weight of the beasts.

The dragons snarled, screeched, slammed their bodies into the metal. One zipped overhead, dragging claws across the roof.

The Skrill then slammed down onto the top of the jeep, and in a single, horrifying motion, it ripped through the roof with its claws, tearing it open like tin.

Screams erupted from inside, high-pitched, terrified.

The kids.

Beatrice and Finn were screaming.

Fishlegs was trembling, eyes wide with tears.

Hiccup sat frozen, his fists white-knuckled, breath ragged, watching helplessly as the dragons tore into the jeep in front of him…

The flashlight inside flickered once.

Then went out.

The storm raged on. Rain hammered the roof like bullets. The only sound now was the ringing left in their ears after the screams.

The front jeep had gone still.

Too still.

Hiccup tore himself from the windshield and twisted around, flinging open the back compartment.

“There has to be something…. come on..”

He pulled open the emergency security case and started rummaging through it. Flashflares. Emergency radio, dead. Rope. Knife. Matches.

He grabbed the matchbook with shaking hands and stared at it.

One match.

“What are you doing?” Fishlegs asked, voice small, terrified.

“I’m getting them out,” Hiccup said, already opening the door.

“Hiccup, wait!” Eret called, but it was too late.

Hiccup leapt into the rain, shielding the tiny match from the downpour. He struck it. Flick, and for just a moment, a sharp orange flame burst to life in the dark.

Immediately, every dragon head turned.

The Skrill’s eyes locked onto him.

The dragons snarled, started shifting their bodies.

“C’mon, you overgrown spark plug…” Hiccup growled under his breath.

He took two steps forward… and suddenly, Eret was beside him.

“What are you doing?!” Hiccup shouted, startled.

Eret snatched the match from his hand and lit another from the book with his teeth, holding it up high.

Then, without a second thought, he ran.

“Hey! Over here! You spiny freaks!” Eret shouted into the storm, waving the flame.

The dragons snapped toward him.

The Skrill roared, and with a shriek like cracking metal, it launched after the moving flame.

“Eret!” Hiccup yelled after him, but Eret just kept running, through the trees, across the path, waving the flame like bait.

“Get the kids out there!” he shouted back, vanishing into the storm.

The dragons followed him like a hunting pack, tearing after the light.

And just like that, the way to the front jeep was clear.

Hiccup didn’t hesitate.

He ran.

Water and mud splashed underfoot as he sprinted to the front vehicle, yanking the door open.

Inside, Finn was curled up against Beatrice, both soaked, both frozen in shock but alive.

“Hey… hey!” Hiccup knelt down. “I’ve got you, alright? Look at me. We’re getting out of here.”

Beatrice’s lip trembled.

Finn whispered, “Is… is Eret okay?”

Hiccup looked out into the jungle, into the shadows where fire and dragons were disappearing deeper into the trees.

“…He will be.”

The metal of the jeep was scorched and caved in. The roof had been ripped clean through, exposing the interior to rain, fire, and dragons. Smoke hissed upward where the Skrill's electricity had seared the hood.

Hiccup reached in and gently took Beatrice by the shoulders.

“Hey, hey! look at me. You’re okay,” he whispered.

She stared, wide-eyed and trembling.

Then she looked down at her arm, her sleeve was singed.

She realized how badly the car was burned.

And then… she screamed.

Shrill. Loud. Echoing.

Hiccup’s hand immediately flew to her mouth. “Shh! Shh… Beatrice, don’t… don’t scream.”

But it was too late.

From behind the trees, one of the dragons, a bulky, low-bodied Razorwhip, turned sharply, its nostrils flaring. It stalked slowly toward the jeep, its tail slicing the air behind it like a blade.

Its head tilted. It could smell them.

Hiccup pulled Beatrice against him, holding her close. She whimpered into his chest as the dragon crept within a few feet, steaming breath huffing through the ruined window.

“Stay still,” he whispered. “Don’t move. Don’t breathe loud.”

The dragon snorted, sniffed again… then, finally, passed by.

Hiccup let out a slow breath, then immediately turned back toward the car.

“Finn,” he said, crawling in on his hands and knees through the crumpled door.

Finn was curled into a tight ball under a seat, face streaked with dirt and tears. His little hands clutched the seatbelt strap like a lifeline.

“I’ve got you, bud. I’ve got you,” Hiccup said, reaching for him.

Finn’s hand shot out and gripped his. “Don’t let go!”

“I won’t.”

Crack!

The Razorwhip roared, turning back around. It opened its jaws and released a blast of flame across the back end of the jeep.

The fire lit up the whole inside. The metal under them groaned. The jeep shifted, the front wheels teetering over the edge of a cliff they hadn’t realized was there, just beyond the trees.

The Razorwhip rammed into the car again.

“It’s pushing us!” Beatrice screamed.

The cliff crumbled.

Hiccup grabbed Beatrice’s hand. “Trust me! Do you trust me?”

Eyes wide, she nodded, even as she sobbed.

“Then jump!”

Without another second, he dragged her over the side of the cliff.

They leapt, as they fell…

Through brush. Through vines.

Hiccup twisted midair and grabbed onto an outcropping ledge with one arm, the other clutching Beatrice close.

“Don’t look down,” he breathed, holding her tight as they clung to the rocky side, hidden just beneath the lip.

Above them, the Razorwhip snarled again, confused, pacing.

But then, the jeep slid.

Hiccup’s eyes widened in horror.

“Finn!”

The car tipped, and plummeted over the cliff edge, tumbling through branches.

Hiccup and Beatrice watched as the vehicle disappeared into the jungle below, dragging Finn with it.

 

—--

 

The cliffside was shrouded in smoke, rain, and steam from the dragon fire.

From the jeep’s windshield, Fishlegs and Snotlout stared in stunned silence as the burned-out front vehicle tipped over the edge and plummeted into the jungle below.

“No…” Fishlegs whispered, eyes wide. “No, no, no…”

“Did they…?” Snotlout barely managed, his voice cracking.

Neither of them moved.

All they saw was the tangled wreckage disappear into the trees, swallowed by vines and shadows.

There was no sound.

No scream.

No sign of life.

Just smoke, and firelight flickering in the dark.

Fishlegs slumped back in his seat, hands shaking, mouth agape.

Snotlout ran both hands through his wet hair, swallowing hard, too frozen to even throw a joke.

“I think they’re…” Snotlout started, but he couldn’t finish.

The thunder rolled overhead again, louder than before.

And then, another dragon roar, somewhere off in the trees.

Fishlegs gripped the door handle tighter.

“…We’re next,” he said.

 

—----

 

Inside the sleek, sterile lab, bright lights and buzzing machinery stood in stark contrast to the chaos outside. Monitors glowed with biometric scans of dragons. Vials bubbled gently. Rain streaked the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Astrid stood over a sedated Gronkle, running diagnostics on its vitals. She scribbled notes with her brow furrowed, laser-focused.

Behind her, Viggo was talking with two nervous lab techs in hushed tones.

“…No, I said containment failed, not breach. There’s a difference,” Viggo grunted, rubbing his temple. “They’re not loose, loose. They just… wandered. Out of zone. Temporarily.”

One tech whispered, “But the security drones are offline—”

Astrid’s head snapped up.

“What did you just say?”

Viggo turned slowly, caught mid-lie.

“Astrid,” he said with a smile far too strained. “You’re supposed to be working on the Gronkle.”

She stepped forward.

“What happened.”

Viggo chuckled weakly. “Nothing serious. Just a little power flicker, probably triggered the fences to—”

“What happened to Hiccup.”

Her voice was sharp. Low. Dangerous.

The room went silent.

Viggo’s mouth opened. Closed.

“…There was a… hiccup,” he muttered.

“Viggo.”

He sighed heavily and finally met her eyes.

“There was a dragon convergence near Sector 5. One of the transports didn’t report in. The communication feed dropped. We’re still trying to locate everyone.”

Her face went white.

“You lost contact with his jeep?”

Viggo didn’t answer.

Astrid shoved her clipboard onto the desk, her jaw tight. “I’m going out there.”

“You can’t,” Viggo said quickly. “We’re trying to get the vehicles back online, but the storm—”

“If something happened to him,” she said through gritted teeth, “you better pray I find him alive. Or the Skrill won’t be the scariest thing on this island.”

She was already moving, grabbing a coat, pushing past the lab staff, eyes blazing.

Chapter 5: Ch.5

Rain still fell, lighter now but steady. Thunder echoed farther away, rolling across the jungle like distant drums. The chaos above had quieted, for now, leaving behind the whisper of leaves, the hiss of cooling metal, and two pairs of mud-caked, blood-streaked feet.

Hiccup and Beatrice stood at the foot of the cliff, beneath the shadows of twisted trees and thick vines. They were soaked to the bone, covered in dirt and ash. Hiccup limped as they moved, his right leg dragging slightly, the muscles around his jaw tight with pain.

Beatrice walked in a daze beside him, silent, shaking, her hands covered in cuts from brambles and debris.

They paused behind a tree.

“Sit here,” Hiccup whispered. “Just for a second.”

He leaned on the trunk and tried to shift his weight off his bad leg.

Beatrice turned and finally looked at him, really looked. Her eyes fell to his leg, then up to his split lip, the blood now dried and flaking.

“…You’re hurt,” she said softly, voice raw.

“I’m fine,” Hiccup said quickly, brushing it off. “It’s nothing.”

She didn’t believe him, but she didn’t argue. She just stared, still trembling.

“Beatrice,” he said gently, kneeling in front of her despite the sharp pain that shot up his side. “Hey. Look at me.”

She met his eyes, wide, glassy, scared.

“I’m not going to let anything else happen to you. Okay?”

She gave a small, fragile nod.

Then Hiccup looked up.

Through the canopy, half-lodged in the thick branches, was the twisted wreck of the jeep, somehow wedged between two massive trunks. Bits of it were still steamed. Metal scraped softly in the wind.

And through the open side door… he saw a small form.

“Finn…”

Pain forgotten, Hiccup scrambled to the base of the tree. He gritted his teeth as he climbed, bark slick beneath his fingers, his muscles burning, his side aching.

He slipped once, caught himself, and pressed on.

Branch by branch, he dragged himself higher.

When he reached the wreck, his heart seized.

Finn was lying across a thick branch, half-cradled in what was left of the back seat. His eyes were barely open. His head had a gash above the eyebrow. His small chest rose and fell, shallow, but steady.

Hiccup carefully climbed closer, kneeling beside him.

“Hey, buddy…” he whispered, voice breaking with relief. “I’m here. You’re okay. I’ve got you.”

He gently stroked Finn’s dirt-smeared hair back, brushing twigs from his face.

Finn blinked slowly. “D-Dr. Hiccup…?”

“Yeah. That’s me,” Hiccup said, smiling despite the pain. “You scared the life out of me, kid.”

He reached down and took Finn’s small hand, gripping it tight.

“Think you’re up for climbing?”

Finn looked down at the ground below, then immediately looked away.

“…Not really.”

“Well, too bad,” Hiccup whispered, trying to stay light. “Because you’re doing it anyway. And I’ll be with you the whole way.”

With effort, he guided Finn slowly down from the wreck, inch by inch, using the collapsed, crooked frame of the jeep like a ladder wedged between the trunks.

Every movement was careful. Every breath mattered.

And finally, they dropped the last few feet, landing in a heap in the mud.

Beatrice ran to them, wrapping her arms around Finn with a sob of relief.

Hiccup slumped to the side, exhausted, his leg throbbing.

But both kids were safe.

Alive.

And he was still breathing.

For now.

 

—---

 

Astrid drove with one hand on the wheel, eyes scanning through the blur of the storm, wipers barely keeping up. The jungle on either side swayed and cracked under the wind. A fallen tree nearly blocked the path, but she veered around it without flinching.

She arrived to the wreckage.

One jeep, barely intact, stood parked sideways across the path, its windshield cracked, its tires sunk deep in the mud.

Astrid slammed the brakes.

She leapt out and ran to the vehicle, yanking the door open.

Fishlegs and Snotlout sat inside, soaked, pale, and shellshocked.

“Astrid!” Fishlegs cried, eyes wide.

She scanned the interior. “Where’s Hiccup? Where are the kids?”

They looked at each other.

Snotlout opened his mouth, then hesitated.

Astrid turned away, already scanning the area.

Her eyes locked on something across the clearing.

Eret collapsed on the jungle floor, a long bloody gash across his side. His shirt was scorched, and he was barely conscious, dragging in breaths.

“Eret!” Astrid ran to him, kneeling beside him in the mud. “Eret, what happened? Where’s Hiccup?!”

He blinked up at her, trying to focus.

“…He… he saved them,” Eret rasped.

“What?”

He lifted a trembling finger, and pointed over the cliff edge.

Astrid turned slowly.

Her heart plummeted.

There, wedged among the jungle trees below, was the twisted wreckage of the second jeep, mangled and blackened from flame and impact.

Her breath caught. “No… no!”

Her knees buckled as she stared at it.

She sank to the ground.

For the first time in years, Astrid broke down.

Tears blurred her eyes, her body shaking.

“Hiccup…”

She covered her mouth, choking on the grief that hit her like a blade.

Fishlegs approached slowly from behind, soaked and silent.

Then, Eret croaked out, “Wait…”

She turned sharply, eyes rimmed red.

Eret pointed again, this time to the muddy earth just before the cliff.

Footprints.

Fresh ones.

Leading away from the ledge.

“…He made it,” Eret whispered, a weak smile tugging at his split lip. “He got the kids out.”

Astrid stared at the footprints.

Her tears didn’t stop, but now, they mixed with something else.

Hope.

Without a word, she stood, brushed her arm across her eyes, and grabbed her axe.

“…Then I’m going to find him.”

The rain had slowed to a misty drizzle, but the storm still hung heavy in the air.

Astrid carefully stepped down the slope toward the twisted, scorched wreckage of the second jeep. Her boots slipped slightly in the mud, but she caught herself, eyes focused, breath steady.

She reached the vehicle, her hand tracing over the jagged metal.

Scorch marks. Burn patterns. Claw dents.

Her stomach clenched.

They were right here.

She turned to the back of the vehicle and pried open the dented trunk, coughing through the smoke-stained air. Inside was a mess of emergency gear, burnt-out tools, and…

A dagger.

She gripped it tightly.

Then, from up the hill…

“Astrid!”

It was Eret’s voice, hoarse but frantic.

She spun around.

At the top of the slope, Fishlegs and Snotlout had just managed to haul Eret into the rear seat of the first jeep.

He was pointing wildly behind her.

“Get in the van! Now!”

Astrid’s heart leapt.

The bushes behind her rattled violently. Trees creaked. Leaves burst outward as a massive dragon burst through the undergrowth, a Catastrophic Quaken, its heavy, boulder-like body smashing through the jungle floor, glowing cracks lining its rocky hide.

It let out a deafening roar, its jaws wide.

Astrid turned and sprinted uphill, dagger still in hand.

The dragon barreled after her, massive, but faster than it looked.

Snotlout reached for the door handle. “Come on, come on—”

Fishlegs climbed into the driver’s seat, slamming the gas pedal.

Astrid reached the top of the hill just as the Quaken lunged.

She spun, planted her feet, and with all her strength, hurled the dagger.

It spun end over end and struck the dragon in the jaw, not deep, but enough to stun it for a second.

That second was all she needed.

She dived into the open jeep, just as Fishlegs floored it.

The Quaken gave chase, smashing through fallen trees and snapping branches like twigs as the jeep sped through the jungle path, tires skidding in the mud, branches whipping past the windows.

Inside, Astrid caught her breath, chest heaving, eyes burning with adrenaline.

She glanced back through the shattered rear window.

The dragon was still gaining.

The jeep careened through the soaked jungle, tires sliding in the mud, the undercarriage scraping over roots and rocks. Inside, Fishlegs gripped the wheel with both hands, face pale, glasses fogging. Snotlout braced himself in the passenger seat, wide-eyed, while Astrid crouched in the back, drenched, dagger gone, but adrenaline blazing.

Through the shattered rear window, the Catastrophic Quaken was still coming, its massive body bulldozing through the jungle like a rolling landslide. The trees bent and snapped in its path. Its claws gouged deep furrows into the earth as it charged, enraged and relentless.

“We're gonna die!” Snotlout yelled, gripping the dash.

“Not if I can help it!” Fishlegs shrieked back.

The jungle suddenly thinned.

The path widened, and ended.

“Cliff!” Astrid shouted.

Fishlegs slammed both feet on the brake.

The jeep skidded, fish-tailing wildly as it came to a screaming halt, just inches from the cliff’s edge. The front wheels teetered for one terrifying second before the weight settled back and they rocked to safety.

They all gasped for breath.

Then, behind them…

The Quaken burst from the trees, too fast to stop, mud flying from its claws.

It roared as it tried to pull back, but its massive weight and momentum carried it forward.

Its hind leg snapped a boulder, sending it tumbling.

The dragon’s wings snapped open, but one was badly torn, flapping uselessly.

Its claws scraped the edge…

But there was nothing to hold on to.

With a final, panicked roar, the Catastrophic Quaken slipped off the cliff, tumbling into the dark jungle below in a thunderous crash, the sound echoing like an earthquake.

Silence.

Fishlegs let go of the wheel and slumped back, gasping.

Snotlout let out a wild laugh of disbelief. “Were alive. We should not be alive—”

Astrid, shaking, leaned out the door and stared over the cliff.

Nothing moved below.

She looked up at the trees, still and quiet again, and then sat back in the seat, soaking wet, her eyes fierce and focused. She isn't stopping now…

 

—---

 

The rain had finally let up, leaving the jungle damp and steaming, lit only by slivers of moonlight cutting through the canopy above.

Hiccup, Beatrice, and Finn trudged through the underbrush, their clothes still damp, their faces smeared with dried mud and exhaustion. Finn dragged his feet, yawning with each step, while Beatrice clutched her arm and stared ahead with blank, tired eyes.

It felt like they’d been walking forever.

Hiccup paused, eyes scanning the terrain, until he spotted a small hollow, nestled under a tree root formation, shielded by hanging moss and vines. Dry. Covered. Safe.

“Here,” he said gently. “We’ll rest here for the night.”

They ducked into the hollow, all of them collapsing slowly onto the soft earth. Finn laid his head on a folded-up part of Hiccup’s coat, while Beatrice curled up beside a rock, hugging her knees.

Hiccup settled between them, his back against the tree root.

Then… he heard something.

Tiny, high-pitched sounds.

He turned, and saw a pair of baby Terrible Terrors crawling out from under a nearby bush, blinking curiously at the newcomers.

Little green-and-blue scaled bodies, batlike wings folded at their sides.

They waddled closer.

Hiccup immediately whistled, a soft, low trill, and held his hand out.

The tiny dragons chirped again and waddled into his open palm, nuzzling his fingers with squeaky purrs.

But beside him…

“Ah–!” Beatrice flinched and backed up, eyes wide.

“It’s okay,” Hiccup said softly, holding up a calming hand. “They’re harmless. Just babies.”

“They're dragons,” she whispered.

“Exactly,” he smiled. “Tiny ones. Think of them like flying puppies.”

He turned back to the one in his hand and slowly pressed his fingertips to its snout.

The little Terror blinked at him, yawned…

…and curled up in his palm, letting out a soft trill as it fell asleep.

Beatrice watched, stunned.

“Here,” Hiccup said, gently offering one of the others. “Just hold still.”

She hesitated… but eventually reached out. The dragon sniffed her hand, then climbed onto it, circling once before curling up on her lap.

Finn giggled. “He likes you.”

Beatrice smiled faintly for the first time since the crash.

Finn looked up at Hiccup. “What are they called again?”

“Terrible Terrors,” Hiccup said.

Finn’s eyes widened. “That’s the coolest name ever! Do they breathe fire?”

“Sometimes,” Hiccup grinned. “Little sparks, when they get excited.”

Finn sat up straighter, eyes wide with curiosity. “Are there, like… dragon schools? Or dragon cities? Have you ever ridden one?”

Hiccup chuckled. “No, there is not. I used to study their flight patterns based on articles.. But it’s more about learning their behavior. How they used to think, how they interact…”

Finn leaned in, completely hooked. “Do they talk to each other?”

“Not with words. But body language, calls, posture, yeah. It’s a whole language of its own.”

Beatrice listened too, her earlier fear forgotten as she stroked the small Terror snuggled against her chest.

As Finn kept asking questions, rapid-fire, wide-eyed, insatiable, Hiccup smiled.

For the first time all day, the fear faded.

Just for a moment, he felt peace.

And even in the jungle’s shadows, surrounded by danger, he saw something else in these kids:

Wonder.

The forest had settled into an eerie calm. The only sounds were the drip of water from the leaves, the distant chirps of nocturnal creatures, and the soft breathing of two exhausted kids.

Hiccup sat with his back against the tree root, his eyes scanning the shadows around them, alert. The rain had slowed to a mist, but the jungle still steamed and whispered.

Beside him, Finn gave a long yawn and slowly leaned to the side.

His small head came to rest on Hiccup’s arm.

Beatrice, moments later, shifted closer and gently laid her head on Hiccup’s other shoulder, her fingers wrapping around his sleeve.

It caught him completely off guard.

For a beat, he didn’t move.

But… he didn’t pull away either.

Slowly, carefully, he rested one hand around Beatrice’s shoulder and let the other fall gently on Finn’s arm.

The two of them breathed softly, eyes fluttering closed.

The baby Terrible Terror curled at Beatrice’s feet let out a sleepy trill and flopped onto its side.

The quiet settled again.

Then Beatrice spoke, her voice low and tired.

“…What happens now?”

Hiccup looked down at her.

The moonlight caught her face, scared, but trying to be brave.

He exhaled softly.

“I… have no clue,” he admitted, voice hushed. “We just have to make it through the night. That’s the goal.”

She was quiet for a long time.

“…What if a dragon finds us while we sleep?” she whispered.

He glanced into the trees, where shadows still moved and the unknown pressed in.

He looked back at her, then at Finn, who was already half-asleep against him.

Then, with a small, reassuring smile, he said, “Then I won’t sleep.”

Beatrice looked up.

“I’ll stay awake,” Hiccup promised. “All night. I’ll keep watch. Nothing’s getting past me.”

“You mean it?”

He nodded.

“Not a single scale.”

She gave the smallest nod… and finally closed her eyes.

And as the jungle held its breath, Hiccup stayed still and quiet, keeping his eyes on the dark, one hand resting protectively around the children beside him, two kids he never expected to care for, but who now meant everything in the world.

And he kept his promise.

He didn’t sleep.

Chapter 6: Ch.6

The skies had begun to lighten, the edge of dawn just barely peeling away the shadows of the storm. The base was alive with chaotic energy, alarms still slowly blaring, radios crackling, and security teams hustling in and out of buildings.

Astrid’s jeep screeched to a halt, mud flinging across the entrance.

She threw the door open before it fully stopped and stormed through the compound, eyes blazing.

“I need volunteers,” she barked. “We’re going back out to find Hiccup and the kids.”

People turned, startled, unsure, but no one moved.

Behind her, Eret, pale and bandaged, stood leaning against the side of the compound wall with Fishlegs and Snotlout close behind.

Eret stepped forward.

“Astrid, wait!”

“No,” she cut him off sharply. “He’s still out there. With two kids. We can’t wait.”

Snotlout raised his hands defensively. “Astrid, listen. Viggo issued a lockdown. Nobody’s allowed out until they get the perimeter secure. Drones are down, comms are fried, and half the fences are offline. Going out now is suicide.”

She turned on him, fire in her eyes. “Let me be clear: I don’t care.”

“Astrid,” Eret said more softly. “You won’t help them if you get yourself killed.”

She stared at him for a long, seething second, but then someone else caught her eye.

Across the compound, standing by a supply crate and pretending to be busy, was Spitelout.

Her jaw clenched.

She marched over to him.

He barely had time to look up before…

Slap!

It echoed through the courtyard.

Spitelout reeled back, holding his cheek, stunned.

“You left them,” Astrid spat, voice shaking with fury. “You left two terrified children in a jeep in the middle of a dragon convergence and ran.”

“They were fine!” he snapped, trying to recover his ego. “I thought the Skrill would go after the adults…”

“You ran,” she cut him off again, stepping in close. “And because of you, my husband is out there, injured, alone, trying to keep them alive. That blood is on you.”

Everyone around had stopped moving.

Silence.

Spitelout didn’t say another word.

Astrid turned back to Eret, voice low now, but fierce.

“I’m not asking permission. I’m going after them.”

Eret looked at her, saw the steel in her eyes, and finally nodded.

“…Then I’m going with you.”

Snotlout sighed loudly. “Oh great. I guess I’m coming too. I’m not letting you two have all the heroic credit.”

Fishlegs raised a finger. “Technically, I think we are still under lockdown—”

Astrid glanced at him.

He paled. “But I’m in.”

She nodded once.

Determined.

“They’ve been alone long enough.”

Astrid’s boots echoed hard against the tiled floor as she sprinted down the corridor, heart pounding like a war drum. The static in her earpiece was still hissing from the last transmission. Hiccup’s voice had cut out in the middle of a roar, and then... nothing. No follow-up. No confirmation. Just silence.

Her lungs burned, but she didn’t care. She just had to get to him.

The door leading toward the lower hangar was just ahead. She was reaching for it—

“Astrid.”

She froze at the voice. Cold. Controlled. And unmistakably smug.

Her body turned before her mind could tell it not to. Viggo stood in the doorway of his office, arms crossed loosely, like he had all the time in the world. His expression was unreadable, but there was a flicker of something behind his eyes, calculation.

“I don’t have time for this,” Astrid snapped, voice sharp, shoulders tight. “If you’re not talking about Hiccup or the kids, I’m not interested.”

“It is about them,” he said simply. “In a way.”

She knew she shouldn’t. Every instinct screamed to ignore him. But something in his voice, cool, composed, like he was still holding the leash on a situation long out of control, made her pause.

With a growl low in her throat, Astrid stormed past him into the room.

The air was too still in here. No noise, no urgency. Just the gentle hum of monitors and the scent of polished wood. On the screens, dragons moved in distant enclosures. Shadows flickered in the corridors.

She didn’t sit.

“Well?” she demanded, fists clenched at her sides. “Talk.”

Viggo walked in slowly, like a man giving a lecture, not facing a crisis. “The dragon that attacked them, the skrill… the Razorwhip... their mine. I paid to have it imported. Studied. Conditioned. It is property of this facility.”

Astrid stared at him.

Property.

“That thing nearly killed your children,” she said, voice quiet, shaking with rage. “It could’ve killed Hiccup. And all you care about is ownership?”

“They were in the wrong place at the wrong time,” he said with a shrug. “Unfortunate, but not unmanageable.”

Astrid’s jaw tensed so hard it hurt.

“You lured us here,” she said slowly, voice low and venomous. “You sold this as a research retreat. A dream for people who care about dragons. You used our names. Our passion. And now you’re hiding behind profit margins?”

Viggo smiled faintly. “I brought you here because you’re trusted. Revered, even. I needed experts to validate the park before launch. Investors don’t fund fantasy. They fund credibility.”

“You’re disgusting.”

She turned toward the door.

“I’m going after him.”

“You can try,” Viggo said behind her.

She stopped.

Something in his voice made her blood run cold.

“What did you do?” she asked without turning around.

“I initiated a lockdown,” he said casually. “The lower sectors are sealed. The hangars. The jungle gates. No one in. No one out.”

She slowly faced him, eyes burning.

“You locked them in with dragons.”

“I protected my investment.”

She stepped forward until she was nearly nose-to-nose with him.

“They’re your children, Viggo.”

“And they’ll survive,” he said, tone clipped. “They’re smart. Just like their mother.”

The mention of their mother, of the woman who’d long since left this cold, selfish man, only fueled her fury.

“You’re playing god with things you’ll never understand.”

“And you’re letting your heart get in the way of logic,” he replied, stepping back toward his desk, unconcerned. “The dragons must remain contained. That’s priority one.”

“No,” she said, voice firm. “The people come first. Always.”

And with that, Astrid turned and yanked open the door, the lights of the corridor spilling back over her. She didn’t look back.

As the door slammed shut behind her, Viggo simply exhaled.

“Pity,” he muttered. “She could’ve been useful.”

 

—---

 

The jungle stirred with soft life. Mist floated low across the ground, and light filtered gently through the canopy, painting the earth in gold.

Hiccup sat with his back against a tree, eyes heavy with exhaustion but still open, the long night had taken its toll. The small Terrible Terror still curled at his feet let out a little squeaky snore.

Beside him, Beatrice stirred awake first, blinking slowly and lifting her head from his shoulder. She yawned, groggy.

Then Finn shifted, rubbed his eyes, and suddenly gasped.

The movement startled the baby dragon, who squeaked and stretched its wings.

Hiccup sat up straighter. “Hey, hey! easy. It’s okay.”

“I forgot where I was…” Beatrice mumbled, blinking around at the trees.

Finn scrambled to his feet, still barefoot and muddied from the night before.

“Finn?” Hiccup called gently, watching the boy wander off. “Hey, where are you going?”

But Finn didn’t answer. He was headed toward a break in the trees, and the sound of water beyond.

Hiccup stood with a grunt, holding his side from the ache of his injuries. “Finn–”

He stepped after him just as Finn splashed into a shallow jungle stream, grinning and focused.

“What are you doing?” Hiccup called, eyebrows raised.

“I’m getting a fish!”

“What?”

“For the dragon!” Finn called back. He splashed around, scanning the water for movement, then crouched low and waited.

Hiccup walked to the edge, arms crossed. “Why?”

Finn turned, beaming.

“Because I read in your book that Terrible Terrors love fish. They share food as a sign of trust.”

Hiccup blinked, genuinely surprised. “You read my book?” He pauses, as Finn gives him a look. “I mean, I know you said you did but I didn't quite believe you.”

“Yup, I did!” Finn crouched lower, eyes narrowed, tracking a ripple in the water. “My grandma had a copy. I read the dragon feeding chapter like… fifteen times.”

Hiccup laughed softly, shaking his head.

“Well, you paid better attention than most grad students I’ve met.”

Beatrice arrived beside Hiccup, watching her brother with tired interest. The little Terror waddled up behind her and sniffed the air.

Suddenly, Finn splashed down, arms flailing…

Then popped up, triumphantly holding a floppy, squirming fish.

“I got one!”

Hiccup raised his eyebrows, impressed. “I’ll be… you actually did.”

Finn ran over, water dripping from his sleeves, and gently laid the fish on a flat rock beside the dragon.

The little Terror blinked, then eagerly pounced on it, beginning to nibble with a satisfied chirp.

Finn beamed.

Hiccup gave him a playful nudge on the shoulder. “Nicely done, Fish Whisperer.”

Finn grinned. “Do you think… maybe I could be a dragon scientist too?”

Hiccup looked down at him, then over to Beatrice, who was watching her brother with a growing smile.

“You’ve already got the heart for it,” Hiccup said warmly. “That’s the most important part.”

Beatrice, now awake and curious, inched closer to the little dragon. “Can I try petting it?”

“Gently,” Hiccup said, still seated. “No sudden movements.”

Beatrice slowly reached out as the Terror licked at the fish bones, but as she moved too quickly, its head darted around, startled, and its tiny claw swiped across her wrist.

“Ow!” Beatrice yelped, pulling back.

The dragon immediately skittered away, startled and defensive.

Hiccup was on his feet in a second, kneeling beside her. “Let me see.”

She held out her arm reluctantly. A thin red scratch trailed across her wrist, not deep, but enough to sting.

“Alright… you’re okay,” he said gently. He pulled a small pouch from his belt and opened it to reveal a basic field medical kit. “Just a scratch, but these little guys carry all sorts of bacteria. Let’s clean it up.”

He carefully poured a small vial of clear liquid over the wound, making her flinch.

“Sorry,” he muttered. “I know it stings. Almost done.”

He wrapped it in a small bandage and tied it off quickly and neatly.

“You’re good,” he said, giving her a reassuring smile. “But if you start to feel dizzy, warm, or sick to your stomach… you tell me right away. Got it?”

She nodded.

“I mean it, Beatrice. No tough-guy routine.”

“…Okay,” she whispered.

Finn looked worried. “Is she gonna be okay?”

“She’ll be fine,” Hiccup said, ruffling his hair. “She was brave. The dragon just got startled.”

Beatrice glanced over at the little Terror, who had retreated to the edge of the clearing. She sighed. “I didn’t mean to scare it.”

“I know,” Hiccup said gently. “Sometimes even the little ones get jumpy. You just have to earn their trust again.”

She gave him a small, grateful smile, cradling her wrist. Hiccup settled back down, watching the two kids carefully now, no longer just the scientist in him kicking in, but something else.

Something protective.

Morning rose, with the mist burned off by the sun, the jungle glistened, leaves shining, the sounds of buzzing insects and distant dragon calls echoing through the trees.

Hiccup walked ahead, his limp barely noticeable now as he adjusted the strap of his utility bag. Behind him, Beatrice held a long branch like a walking stick while Finn trailed behind, tossing pebbles and humming.

The Terrible Terror from the night before was still tagging along, waddling at their heels.

“You really think dad is looking for us?” Finn asked, kicking a rock.

“Absolutely,” Hiccup said with quiet confidence. “Especially Eret. He’s probably tearing through the jungle like a storm by now.”

Beatrice cracked a smile. “Yeah… He doesn’t really wait around.”

“Good,” Hiccup chuckled. “I think we have that in common.”

They pushed through a patch of ferns, until Hiccup suddenly lifted a hand, signaling them to stop.

“Whoa. Hold up.”

The kids froze.

Just ahead, at the base of a twisted jungle tree whose roots tangled across the forest floor, sat a nest.

Made of thick branches, moss, and bits of scale-like leaves, the nest held four large, dappled eggs, each one the size of a coconut, with soft glowing veins pulsing through the shells.

The Terrible Terror let out a chirp and immediately bowed low, submitting to the air around them.

“Whoa…” Finn breathed. “What are those?”

“Eggs,” Hiccup said softly, crouching near. “And not just any eggs… Gronkle, I think. Or maybe a hybrid.”

“Can we touch them?” Beatrice whispered.

“Better not,” Hiccup replied, gently motioning them back. “Dragons are very protective parents. If she sees a human scent on them, she might abandon the nest. Or worse.”

They all knelt beside the nest, just far enough to admire but not disturb.

For a few quiet moments, none of them spoke.

It felt… sacred.

Finn finally whispered, “Have you ever seen a dragon hatch before?”

“Once,” Hiccup said, smiling softly. “It’s messy. Beautiful, but messy.”

Beatrice looked at him. “Do you think one will hatch soon?”

“Hard to say. But… if you listen closely…”

They leaned in.

And sure enough, from one of the eggs… a soft, rhythmic tapping.

Beatrice’s eyes widened. “It’s moving.”

Finn’s jaw dropped. “Can we stay?”

Hiccup looked around, no sign of danger, no sound of larger predators, and nodded slowly.

“Just for a little while. Then we keep moving.”

So they sat together in the soft jungle light, side by side, watching life begin again, dragons still a wonder to even the man who knew them best.

And in that moment, they weren’t lost.
They were exactly where they were supposed to be.

 

—---

 

The control room buzzed with low tension, blinking lights, alarms softly pulsing, and staff nervously chattering into headsets. Astrid, Eret, Snotlout, Fishlegs, and a few other staff members stood clustered near a central console, frustration building with every passing second.

The exit doors remained sealed, red override lights blinking steadily.

Astrid paced near the main screen, jaw tight, arms crossed. “We need to get out there now. Every second we wait, Hiccup and those kids are out there with who-knows-what.”

Fishlegs glanced at the console. “Still nothing on the trackers. Power outages must’ve fried half the security grid…”

“We’re trapped in our own lab,” Snotlout muttered. “Real comforting.”

Spitelout, leaning against a nearby panel, scoffed. “You want to shut off all the power? Are you insane? That’ll unlock everything. Enclosures. Labs. Holding bays.”

“That’s the point,” Astrid snapped. “The lockdown sealed everything, including the doors. We kill the power, we can escape.”

“And unleash even more dragons onto the base?” Spitelout argued, waving a hand. “You want to open the cages holding Monstrous Nightmares? Skrills? That’s not brave, that’s suicide.”

Astrid took one step toward him, face tightening. “Say that again.”

Eret reached out, holding her back gently. “Not worth it,” he muttered.

Astrid stepped across the room with quiet, deliberate force.

Spitelout turned, just in time to have his shirt collar grabbed, his back slammed against the wall hard enough to rattle the control panel.

The room went silent.

“People are dying, Spitelout,” She growled. “And you’re worried about protocol?”

“W-We don’t know what’ll happen if we cut main power—”

“Exactly,” Astrid snapped. “But we do know what’ll happen if we don’t. Those kids are out there.”

Spitelout gulped.

“So here’s what’s going to happen,” Eret said from behind her. Like he's her body guard. “You’re going to shut off the power. Right now. Because if you don’t… I will. And we won’t be half ass polite about it.”

Astrid released Spitelout's shirt, who stumbled back, breathless and pale.

And for the first time in hours, she smiled.

Spitelout adjusted his collar and muttered, “Fine. But when this backfires—”

Eret cut him off with a glare. “Then I’ll make sure you’re the first one the Skrill meets.”

The room got busy fast. Fishlegs ran to the main breaker console. Snotlout helped prep backup comms. Alarms started syncing. Power reroute lights blinked red.

Eret turned to Astrid.

“Lets find your husband.”

She nodded, eyes fierce.

Chapter 7: Ch.7

The sun was rising higher now, casting a golden sheen across the open grassland ahead. The trees thinned behind them, and the sky opened wide over the rolling terrain.

Hiccup, Beatrice, and Finn walked together, tired but in good spirits.

To their left, the little Terrible Terror flitted between the tall grass and low rocks, tail swishing.

“So,” Hiccup said, stretching slightly with a wince. “Dragon quiz time. Finn, what’s the main defense mechanism of a Nadder?”

Finn grinned. “Spine shot from its tail! Super accurate, and they can light on fire!”

“Nice,” Hiccup nodded, impressed. “Okay, bonus question: what’s the number one rule when dealing with a wild Changewing?”

Finn frowned, thinking. “Um… don’t stare into their eyes?”

“Close. It’s actually don’t get near them at all,” Hiccup smirked. “They don’t like guests.”

Finn laughed.

Hiccup then glanced toward Beatrice. “Alright, your turn.”

She looked up. “I don’t know anything about dragons…”

“That’s okay,” Hiccup said gently. “You don’t have to know everything. I just want to know, what are you good at?”

She blinked, caught off guard. “I… don’t know.”

“Sure you do,” Hiccup said with a warm grin. “Everyone’s good at something. You just haven’t found your ‘thing’ yet.”

Finn smirked. “She’s good at being bossy.”

Beatrice shoved him lightly. “Am not.”

“Are too.”

Hiccup chuckled, about to make a joke….

But then the ground trembled.

The little Terrible Terror squeaked and darted into Hiccup’s bag.

Hiccup froze. His eyes scanned the distant horizon.

From across the field, moving like wind-swept shadows…

A streak of silver-blue movement.

Then another.

Then five.

Speed Stingers.

“Down,” Hiccup whispered sharply, grabbing both kids’ hands and pulling them toward a large rock formation.

Beatrice winced loudly, stumbling.

He didn’t notice, only focused on getting them low and hidden.

They crouched behind the rock just as the pack of Speed Stingers whipped past, long tails raised high, fangs exposed, their claws shredding the grass beneath them.

They were hunting.

The stingers didn’t stop,they streaked past the rocks, veering toward the jungle again.

Silence followed.

The kids were breathing hard. Hiccup slowly let go of their hands.

“Okay,” he whispered. “I think we’re—”

“Hiccup…”

He turned.

Beatrice was leaning against the rock now, pale and shaky.

“…I don’t feel good,” she said weakly.

He immediately crouched next to her. “What’s wrong?”

She held up her hand, the one wrapped from the Terrible Terror scratch.

Her fingers were twitching involuntarily.

Then she sagged to her side, and Hiccup caught her.

“Beatrice?” he said, alarmed.

She tried to speak but her face drooped slightly on one side, and her legs were slow to move.

It hit him instantly.

His gaze dropped to her ankle, and there, already swelling red, was a thin puncture mark.

“…Speed Stinger.”

He pressed his fingers to the wound, cursing under his breath. “Damn it, that wasn't from the Terror scratch. One of them stung her.”

Finn’s eyes widened. “Is she…”

“She’s okay,” Hiccup said quickly, voice firm even as his heart raced. “But the venom’s fast. It causes temporary paralysis, usually a few hours, but it spreads quick in kids.”

Beatrice moaned softly, her limbs starting to stiffen.

Hiccup looked around, thinking fast.

He pulled out a cloth and wrapped it above the bite, trying to slow the spread. “We need to keep her still. I can’t treat it here.”

Finn hovered close, worried. “What do we do?”

Hiccup met his eyes, steady but urgent.

“We find cover. And then we wait for help.”

He picked Beatrice up gently in his arms, her head lolling against his shoulder. “She’s going to be okay. But we move fast.”

Hiccup hoisted Beatrice gently over his shoulder, one arm supporting her legs, the other steadying her back. Her head rested against his chest, her eyes half-open, her body slack from the venom. She wasn’t fully unconscious — just weak and drifting.

“Hang in there,” he whispered. “Just a little farther.”

At his side, Finn walked silently, scared, holding onto the strap of Hiccup’s gear bag, his small face tight with worry.

“She’s gonna be okay, right?” Finn asked after a long stretch of silence, his voice small.

Hiccup glanced down at him. “Yeah,” he said firmly. “Speed Stinger venom’s temporary. She’s tough. She just needs rest… and cover.”

The jungle ahead was thick, but Hiccup scanned for signs, anything natural that could serve as shelter.

They pushed past a few low ferns, the Terrible Terror trotting behind them.

“Are you okay?” Hiccup asked, casting a quick glance at Finn.

Finn nodded too quickly.

Hiccup paused, crouched a little to balance Beatrice, and placed a hand gently on Finn’s shoulder.

“Hey. I know this is a lot. But you’re doing great. I mean it.”

Finn’s lip trembled slightly, but he nodded again, this time more meaningfully.

“Stay close to me,” Hiccup said. “No matter what.”

They continued forward until Hiccup spotted a natural dip in the terrain, a sunken clearing surrounded by thick rocks and overgrown roots. Half of it was shaded by a fallen log, with moss covering one side like a blanket.

Shelter.

Hiccup exhaled in relief and quickly moved down the small slope.

He laid Beatrice down gently in the shade, propping her head on his rolled-up jacket. Her eyes fluttered, but she didn’t speak.

He pulled a canteen from his belt, uncorked it, and dabbed a bit of water on her lips and forehead.

“Just rest,” he said softly, brushing some wet hair from her face.

The little Terror curled up beside her protectively.

Hiccup turned back to Finn, who stood nervously at the edge of the dip.

“Alright, bud. You stay right here with her, okay? I’m gonna look for anything nearby we can use, herbs, clean water, dry leaves. We’re gonna make her comfortable.”

Finn nodded. “Can I help?”

Hiccup managed a tired but grateful smile. “Yeah. Keep an eye on her. That’s the most important job.”

Finn knelt beside his sister, taking her hand gently in his.

Hiccup looked at the kids, these kids who weren’t his, and yet… in this moment, felt like everything he had to protect.

He stepped off toward the edge of the clearing, keeping within eyesight, muttering to himself as he searched:

“Come on, Astrid… if there’s ever a time to find me…”

 

—--

 

The jungle was thick and quiet, save for the distant caws of birds and the occasional crack of branches underfoot. Astrid led the group with determined strides, machete in hand, pushing back vines and brush.

Eret trailed behind her with a rifle slung over his shoulder, scanning the treetops. Fishlegs nervously held a tablet trying to track heat signatures, and Snotlout, though sweating and panting a little, held his flashlight like a weapon.

Fishlegs glanced at his screen. “There’s something… large about sixty meters up. Moving slow. It might be—”

A branch snapped sharply ahead.

They froze.

The sound of low, guttural growling rolled through the foliage.

Astrid slowly raised her hand, signaling the others to stay still.

Eret raised his rifle and whispered, “Eyes up! Left side. That’s not just foliage.”

Out of the brush slithered a Razorwhip, lean and metallic-scaled, its tail tipped with bladed edges, gleaming like sharpened swords. Its wings hissed open like a sail catching wind.

Fishlegs gasped, “Oh, great. Razorwhip. Territorial. Super territorial.”

“Do we run?” Snotlout whispered.

“No,” Astrid murmured, stepping in front of them slowly. “We stand our ground. If we run, it’ll chase.”

The Razorwhip crept closer, growling, its eyes locked on the group.

Eret raised his weapon, but Astrid held out a hand. “Only if it attacks.”

The dragon snapped its jaws.

Then, with a shriek, it charged.

“Scatter!” Astrid yelled.

The group dove in separate directions as the Razorwhip whipped past, tail slashing through the air and cutting through a nearby tree like butter.

Fishlegs stumbled backward, tripping over a root.

“Get to cover!” Eret shouted, rolling behind a boulder and firing a warning shot into the sky.

The Razorwhip veered and came back around, heading straight for Fishlegs.

Astrid sprinted across the clearing, drawing her dagger. At the last second, she lunged, slashing the Razorwhip’s snout just enough to make it pull back with a screech.

“Hey!” Snotlout yelled from the side, holding a flare he’d found in his backpack. “Over here, you shiny overgrown lizard!”

The Razorwhip turned sharply toward him, baring its fangs.

Astrid shouted, “Snotlout, no!”

But he tossed the flare into the underbrush behind him, lighting up the area with a burst of fire and smoke.

The Razorwhip paused, startled, it let out a warning cry and then took off, wings beating as it flew high into the trees, disappearing through the canopy.

Silence fell again.

The team gathered slowly in the middle of the clearing, breathing hard.

Fishlegs was flat on his back, staring at the sky. “I hate Razorwhips…”

Snotlout grinned, panting. “Did… did that actually work?”

Astrid turned to him, eyebrows raised. “It did. And for once, I’m actually impressed.”

Snotlout beamed. “See? I’ve got survival instincts!”

Eret clapped him on the back. “Let’s hope you keep 'em for the next one.”

Astrid looked ahead, deeper into the jungle. Her smile faded.

“Hiccup’s still out there. Come on.”

They pressed forward, now more alert than ever.

 

—---

 

The heat had settled into a humid stillness. The only sounds were distant birds, rustling trees, and the steady footsteps of Hiccup, carrying Beatrice piggyback while Finn trailed behind, holding Hiccup’s wrist for balance.

Beatrice stirred and lifted her head slightly. “I think… I can walk now.”

Hiccup paused and gently let her slide down. Her legs were wobbly, but she stayed upright with effort.

“You sure?” he asked, kneeling slightly in case she needed support.

“Yeah,” she said with a faint smile. “Kinda numb still, but better.”

“Good,” he replied, ruffling her hair. “You gave me a heart attack earlier, you know that?”

She gave him a half-smile and Finn laughed.

They turned a corner of thick brush and stopped suddenly.

Up ahead was a tall electrical fence, stretching high with warning signs half-buried in dirt and overgrown vines. Cracks in the plastic casing sparked lightly, a few wires sizzled now and then.

Finn tilted his head. “Is that… the main perimeter?”

Hiccup nodded slowly. “Looks like it. If we follow it, we’ll probably reach a gate.”

He stepped up to the metal and pressed his hook against it.

He jerked violently, let out a loud yelp and collapsed back into the grass.

Both kids screamed.

“Hiccup!” Beatrice shouted, stumbling toward him.

He blinked once… then smirked, lying flat on the ground.

“...Kidding.”

Finn’s jaw dropped. “Dude.”

Beatrice smacked his arm. “Not funny!”

Hiccup sat up, chuckling. “Okay, okay… Kind of funny.”

“Not to us!” Finn huffed.

“Right,” Hiccup said, brushing himself off. “Lesson learned. No more fake electrocution jokes when surrounded by deadly dragons.”

The humor faded slightly as a deep roar echoed in the distance. Low and guttural, with a shrill undertone. The sound of a large dragon… possibly circling.

Hiccup’s eyes shifted toward the sky, then back to the kids.

“Alright. Time to move.”

He stepped over to Beatrice, held out his hand, and helped her to the fence.

“There’s a support post there. You climb first, I’ll help you from below,” he said.

She hesitated, but nodded.

She began to climb slowly, gripping the metal gaps. Hiccup stayed below, hands ready in case she slipped.

“Alright, Finn! Your turn.”

Finn gulped, looking at the sparks on the far side of the fence.

“You’ll be fine,” Hiccup said calmly. “One step at a time.”

Together, with careful footing and encouragement, the three of them climbed over the fence, the jungle falling behind them… and whatever was following with it.

—---

 

Astrid, Eret, Fishlegs, and Snotlout are still mid-battle with the Razorwhip, or possibly a Skrill. scales rippling with charge, its wings cracking with electricity as it darts overhead in the dense jungle.

The air was thick with ozone. Sparks leapt from its wings as it soared just above the treetops.

“Split up!” Astrid shouted as the dragon circled back with a screech.

It reared back its head, lightning coiling at its throat like a storm about to burst.

Astrid raised her weapon, too slow.

The Skrill’s head snapped forward, lightning unleashing straight toward her like a blinding lance of blue.

But suddenly…

“Astrid, move!!”

Snotlout barreled into her, tackling her to the ground just in time. They rolled into the dirt, narrowly missing the lightning bolt that crashed into the electrical box behind them.

Boom!

The box exploded with sparks, sending smoke and metal shrapnel into the air.

All around the clearing, lights buzzed to life.

Panels reactivated. The base perimeter lighting returned. And off in the distance, a dull hum began to rise, systems rebooting one by one.

Astrid blinked, disoriented, staring up at Snotlout who was still halfway on top of her.

“…Did I just save your life?” he asked with a goofy, stunned expression.

“Yeah,” she said breathlessly, still catching her bearings. “You actually did.”

“I saved Astrid Hofferson,” he whispered to himself like he’d just won an award.

The Skrill shrieked again above them, its body lit like a living storm.

Eret fired a round into the air to distract it, yelling, “Let’s move before it charges again!”

Astrid got up, pulling Snotlout with her.

They took cover behind a fallen tree while Fishlegs frantically checked his tablet, which had just come back online.

“Guys,” he said, eyes wide, “the systems are back, and I’ve got a tracker ping. It might be them!”

Astrid’s heart pounded. “Where?”

Fishlegs turned the screen to her, showing a blinking beacon in the southeast quadrant, just past the fence line.

“Hiccup…” she whispered.

“Then what are we waiting for?” Snotlout grinned, brushing ash off his jacket. “Let’s go find them.”

And with that, the team took off running, adrenaline surging, a storm still rumbling behind them, but hope finally pulling them forward.

 

—---

 

Hiccup and Beatrice drop down onto the other side of the fence, their feet hitting the muddy ground with a thud.

Beatrice stumbles but steadies herself with a grunt. Hiccup turns immediately, eyes scanning Finn, who’s still halfway up the tall metal fence, gripping one of the rungs tightly with both hands.

Then, there was a buzz…

A loud, rising hum pulses through the air.

A red warning light begins to flash at the base of the fence.

Hiccup’s blood runs cold.

“Finn, move!” he shouts, panic creeping into his voice. “The fence is powering up! Let go! Now!”

Finn’s eyes go wide as he freezes, legs trembling.

“I—I’m almost there…”

“Finn, Let go!”

Before he can react…

Crack!

A burst of electricity surges through the fence, arcing up the metal just as Finn’s hand makes contact with a live bar.

His small body jerks violently, eyes wide in pain, and with a scream, he loses his grip.

A flash of white light streaks up the side of the fence as the current surges through the metal frame.

“Finn!”

Hiccup’s voice rips through the air just as the boy’s hand connects with a charged rung. His small frame spasms midair, his eyes rolling back… and then he falls.

Hiccup leaps forward, arms open, catching Finn just before he hits the ground.

They collapse together in the mud.

“Finn?”

Hiccup’s voice is suddenly small. Finn’s eyes are shut. His body limp.

“Finn?!” He shakes his shoulder once, nothing. No response. The boy’s chest isn’t rising.

Panic slams into Hiccup like a wall of stone.

“No no no. Come on, breathe, buddy,” he mutters, kneeling beside him in the dirt, hands shaking.

He lays Finn flat on his back and presses an ear to his chest.

No breath. No heartbeat.

“Damn it…”

Hiccup wipes the rain and sweat from his face, repositions his hands, and starts chest compressions.

“One. Two. Three. Four. Come on. Five. Six…”

Beatrice stands frozen a few feet away, her face pale, arms wrapped around herself.

“Hiccup?” she says, barely audible.

“Don’t look away, Beatrice. He’s gonna be fine,” Hiccup says, breathless but focused. His arms pump rhythmically, counting aloud with every press.

He leans in and gives a rescue breath.

Back to compressions.

“Come on, Finn… you wanted to feed dragons, remember? You asked me a hundred questions yesterday… you don’t get to go quiet on me now.”

Another breath.

A long moment of nothing.

Then…

Finn gasps.

A weak, shallow inhale, a small, strangled sound that immediately makes Hiccup freeze.

Finn coughs violently, rolling slightly to his side, sucking in wet, desperate air.

“Yes!” Hiccup exclaims, grabbing his shoulder. “There you go. There you go, kid!”

Beatrice lets out a sob, stumbling over and dropping to her knees next to her brother.

Finn’s eyes blink open slowly. “Wha… what happened?”

“You scared the life out of me,” Hiccup mutters, laughing softly through the tears that threatened. “You got zapped and fell like a rock.”

He strokes the kid’s hair back. “But you’re okay now. Just breathe.”

Beatrice leaned down and hugged Finn tight, and Hiccup put a hand on both their backs, steadying them.

In the background, the fence continued to hum with power. The jungle around them had gone still, quiet, like it too had been holding its breath.

“We need to move,” Hiccup said finally, voice softer now. “Find shelter. No more fences.”

Finn coughed again but gave a small thumbs-up.

Beatrice helped him to sit up as Hiccup grabbed their bag.

And together, a little shaken, a lot closer, they disappeared into the trees once more.

Chapter 8: Ch.8

Notes:

Thank you for reading this story! It was super fun and I love the little dynamic Hiccup and the kids are having! Stay tune for the notes at the end for an announcement!

The storm clouds overhead had started to thin, casting patches of gray light down through the trees as Astrid, Eret, Fishlegs, and Snotlout pushed forward, their clothes soaked and boots caked in mud.

Astrid gritted her teeth with every step, favoring one leg, barely noticeable to anyone but Eret.

He slowed his pace to fall in step beside her.

“You’re limping,” he said.

“It’s nothing.”

Snotlout, a few feet ahead, spun around dramatically, walking backwards. “It’s probably from when I saved her life, just saying. You all saw it. She was toast without me.”

Fishlegs rolled his eyes. “We saw it, alright.”

Eret gave Snotlout a glare that could wither bark. “Yes, and we’ve heard about it every five minutes since.”

“Hey,” Snotlout shrugged. “Heroism should be acknowledged.”

“Your ankle’s swelling,” Eret said, kneeling quickly in front of Astrid before she could argue.

She huffed but stopped. “It’s fine. Just twisted it when we dove out of the way. I don’t have time for this.”

Eret gently pulled up the hem of her pants and inspected the reddened, swelling joint. “Yeah, and if you keep going on it, you won’t be able to walk at all by tonight. Just give me two minutes.”

Astrid exhaled sharply, clearly frustrated, not just by the pain, but by the delay.

Snotlout leaned on a tree with exaggerated flair. “If you need someone to carry you, I am very strong…”

Fishlegs smacked him on the back of the head.

“I’m not sitting down,” Astrid muttered, but Eret already had his hands in his pack, pulling out a wrap.

“Fine, then stand still and shut up for thirty seconds.”

She smirked, despite herself.

As Eret carefully wrapped her ankle, she watched the trees ahead, eyes always scanning, always searching.

“We’re close,” she said quietly. “I can feel it.”

“We’ll find them,” Eret replied, cinching the wrap tight. “Hiccup’s stubborn. That kid’s probably already building a shelter and teaching the dragons tricks.”

Astrid let out a short laugh. “Yeah… sounds about right.”

He looked up at her. “Alright. Good to go, but if it gets worse, I’m carrying you.”

“Over my dead body,” she smirked.

Snotlout raised a hand. “Actually, I volunteer as tribute if carrying’s on the table—”

“No.” Astrid, Eret, and Fishlegs all snapped at once.

Snotlout just grinned, satisfied he was still part of the conversation.

Astrid stood upright, testing her ankle, still sore, but now braced.

“Let’s move,” she said.

And the group pushed forward into the jungle once again, toward smoke in the distance, toward footprints in the mud, and toward the family Astrid was determined to bring home.

 

—---

 

Hiccup pushed the door open with his shoulder, careful not to jostle Finn, who was still groggy in his arms. The inside of the old outpost was dark, dusty, but dry. A few broken monitors flickered faintly, and light spilled in through the grime-coated windows.

He stepped inside and gently laid Finn down on an old padded bench, checking his pulse and pupils once again. Finn blinked up at him, dazed but alive.

“You’re okay,” Hiccup murmured, brushing dirt from the boy’s forehead. “You're tough, you know that?”

Finn gave a weak grin before drifting into a more peaceful sleep.

Hiccup turned to Beatrice, who stood a few feet away, her arm cradled tightly against her chest. She winced as she moved it.

Hiccup’s expression softened. “Let me see.”

She sat wordlessly as he knelt in front of her. He gently unwrapped the makeshift bandage from her earlier scratch, his brow furrowing at the inflamed skin.

“You two,” he muttered with a small sigh, reaching into his pouch for antiseptic. “You're gonna be the death of me.”

Beatrice smiled faintly. “Sorry.”

He looked up at her. “Don’t apologize. You’ve both been brave. Way braver than most adults I know.”

He cleaned the wound carefully, then wrapped it again with fresh gauze. She flinched once, but didn’t pull away.

As he secured the wrap, he noticed both Beatrice and Finn staring at him, not in fear, or discomfort, but something heavier. Quiet.

He tilted his head. “What? Did I grow another head?”

Beatrice looked down, then quietly said, “Our dad… he never really took care of us.”

Finn added softly, “He’s always working. Doesn’t really… ask how we’re doing or hang out with us or anything.”

Beatrice’s voice cracked just slightly. “It’s not like he’s mean. He’s just… not around. So we kinda got used to doing things on our own.”

There was a beat of silence.

Then Hiccup leaned forward, resting one hand gently on each of their shoulders.

“Well… that’s not going to happen while I’m around.”

The kids blinked at him.

“I know I’m not your dad,” Hiccup said quietly, his voice steady. “But I promise. I’m not going to leave you. Not for a job, not for dragons, not for anything. I’m with you. Every step.”

Beatrice’s eyes welled, and Finn wiped his nose with the back of his hand.

Then both kids leaned forward, wrapping their arms around Hiccup at once.

And Hiccup didn’t hesitate. He hugged them both tightly, his chin resting lightly on Beatrice’s head, one arm around each of them.

“Whatever happens next,” he whispered, “we’re sticking together. I’ve got you.”

And in that quiet, dim-lit corner of a broken building, surrounded by distant roars and fading sunlight, the three of them finally felt, even if only for a moment, safe.

 

—----

 

The old walls of the outpost creaked with every gust of wind. The jungle outside had grown quieter, the roars in the distance replaced by the low hum of insects and the occasional crackle of lightning in the far-off sky.

Hiccup sat with his arms still around Finn and Beatrice, their heads resting against his chest. The moment was calm. Peaceful. Until…

“Hiccup?”

A voice, soft, breathless, echoed from the doorway behind them.

Hiccup froze.

He slowly turned, eyes wide, heart suddenly in his throat.

Standing in the doorway, soaked from the storm and out of breath from running, was Astrid.

Her eyes locked with his… and they both moved at the same time.

They ran to each other, across the room, across everything they had just survived.

Hiccup caught her in his arms, nearly lifting her off the ground as they collided in a tight, desperate embrace. Her hands clutched his shirt, his arms wrapping fully around her as if afraid she might vanish again.

They didn’t speak, not at first. Just the sound of rain dripping from their clothes. Just the sound of relief in their breathing.

Then Astrid pulled back just slightly, her eyes shining with tears. “You’re okay… you’re okay…”

Hiccup smiled, eyes misting over. “We made it. I got the kids. They’re okay.”

She didn’t wait. She leaned in, and he met her halfway. Their lips met in a long, aching kiss, full of the words they didn’t have time to say.

When they finally pulled apart, Astrid rested her forehead against his, her fingers curling behind his neck.

“I thought I lost you,” she whispered.

“Never,” he said, voice breaking. “Not if I can help it.”

Behind them, Finn and Beatrice stood up slowly, watching with stunned smiles. Beatrice wiped her eyes, and Finn whispered, “Is that really his wife or do they just share last names?”

Beatrice nodded. “Yeah. That’s her.”

Astrid turned, finally seeing the kids clearly, dirty, scratched, exhausted… but safe.

She dropped to one knee and wrapped them both in a hug without hesitation.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “For staying strong.”

Hiccup stood over them, watching his family finally come together again.

And for the first time in what felt like forever, he let himself breathe.

The air inside the crumbling outpost was filled with quiet joy. Eret, Snotlout, and Fishlegs entered behind Astrid, their faces lighting up at the sight of Hiccup and the kids alive and safe.

“There they are!” Fishlegs said, practically choking on relief.

“Finally,” Eret grinned, brushing a hand down his soaked beard. “Took you long enough to get lost, Haddock.”

Snotlout smirked, arms crossed. “You missed my hero moment. I saved someone today.”

“Just one?” Hiccup teased as he turned to them, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Glad you all made it. It's good to see—”

“Hiccup…”
A small voice cut in.

He didn’t hear it.

“Hiccup.”
Louder now. Beatrice was staring up at the ceiling, her expression frozen.

Hiccup paused and turned toward her, concern in his eyes. “What is it—”

Crash!

In a blur of motion and falling dust, the chandelier above them shattered, slamming down right between Hiccup and the kids, spraying sparks and wood everywhere.

Everyone screamed and stumbled back. Finn was thrown to the ground, Beatrice dragged back by Astrid just in time. Hiccup shielded himself with his arms as glass rained down.

When the dust cleared, something moved in the shadows above.

A glimmer. A shimmer. And then…

Nothing.

The space above the rafters was suddenly empty.

Fishlegs’s voice cracked, panicked: “Did anyone see that—?”

“Change-Wing,” Hiccup muttered, jaw clenched. “It was camouflaged! Watch the ceiling!”

The broken chain from the chandelier swayed ominously above them. The air was tense. Silent.

Eret slowly drew his weapon.

Snotlout leaned closer to Finn. “You okay, buddy?”

The boy nodded shakily, eyes wide.

Astrid had already pulled Beatrice behind a tipped-over table, blade in hand. “Everyone, stay low. Eyes up.”

Suddenly, a shape flickered to life on the wall, like a heat haze.

The Change-Wing, long, sinuous, and ghost-like, dropped from the ceiling again, fully visible this time, and let out a guttural shriek as it launched itself toward the group.

Hiccup raised his arm. “Move! Now!”

 

—----

 

“Get back!” Astrid shouted. “Weapons up!”

They draw guns and tasers. Hiccup grabs a flare from a side shelf and lights it with a snap. The flare crackles in his hand, casting sharp red light across the dragon’s shifting form.

The Change-Wing hisses, momentarily disoriented.

“Enough!”
A sharp voice cuts through the chaos.

Viggo storms in through a side door, flanked by two armed guards. “Lower your weapons.”

Hiccup then stopped up to him. His face red with anger. Him. This was all because of him and his stupid greed… “Are you insane?” He gritted his teeth. “That thing just tried to kill us!”

The older man walked up calmly. His expression unreadable. “And if you kill it, that’s a $2.4 million investment gone in a puff of smoke.”

He walks past the group slowly, unbothered by the danger, eyes locked on the Change-Wing, which remains perched like a predator watching its prey.

“You’re still thinking about money…” Astrid was still in disbelief.

Viggo eyed her as he pursed his lips. “Dragons are dangerous.” He said, bluntly. “But dead dragons don’t make us a cent.”

He finally glances at Beatrice and Finn, who are huddled behind Astrid. Their faces pale, eyes wide. His face turned, coldly.

“They shouldn’t even be here.”

Hiccup then stepped up again. The kids behind his back as he is glaring at the man. Eyes turned to split. “Don’t you dare look at them like that.”

He kneels down to Beatrice and Finn, softening his voice. “Hey…” He begins. “You two, listen to me. Look at me, not him.” He goes into their range of vision. Quietly shaking where they stood.

They meet his eyes.

“There’s a walk-in freezer to the right. See it?” He gestured with his head. “I need you to go in there. It locks from the inside. You’ll be safe, and you won’t have to see this.”

Beatrice looked to the ground. Plating with her fingers. “What about you?” Her voice was quiet.

Hiccup smiled at her. “I’ll be right here. But I need you to be brave one more time.” He stroked the hair out of her eyes. “Go now.”

Astrid went up behind them and gripped each of their shoulders. Gently pushing them. “Go. We’ve got this.”

The kids run toward the side freezer as Astrid and Hiccup turn back to face the Change-Wing — wings flaring, tail lashing. Eret reloads his rifle. Fishlegs trembles beside him, already mumbling stats and weaknesses. Snotlout tightens his grip on a shock baton.

“You want to talk profit, Viggo?” Hiccup says under his breath. “You’re about to find out what it costs to mess with a cornered animal.”

—----

 

The Change-Wing fight still echoes in the distance, but for a brief moment, the room is tense and silent. Just Hiccup and Viggo, both bruised and bloodied, struggling over a weapon.

Clatter!

The gun hits the ground and slides across the floor.

In a heartbeat, Hiccup tackles Viggo into the wall, adrenaline in his veins. He pins him with his forearm and drives a dagger up under Viggo’s chin, just beneath his jawline.

Viggo freezes, a slight smirk tugging at his lips. Like he still believes he’s in control.

“You think I want to kill them?” His voice was shaky but deadly.

He presses the blade closer to Viggo’s neck, enough to nick skin.

“Dragons are my life.” He went on. “I’ve spent every moment since I was a kid dreaming of what it would be like to see them. Study them, protect them, understand them.”

His voice lowers, trembling now. Not with fear, but fury.

“But these kids... everyone on this island…” He gritted his teeth once more. “They matter more.”

A cold smirk went across Viggo’s face. He gently gripped the tip of the blade. As if it was as dull as a weapon can be. “They're not your kids, Haddock.

That lands like a blade of its own. Hiccup’s jaw clenches.

“You act like you're their father. But you’re just some substitute scientist playing hero.” He taunted.

Silence…

Then Hiccup presses the dagger harder. Just a whisper away from drawing more blood.

“That’s the difference between you and me, Viggo.” Hiccup pressed on. He leans in closer, eyes burning. “You saw dragons and thought money. I saw dragons and thought wonder.
You had kids and thought burden.” He pressed on. “I had their trust... and I won’t betray it.”

Viggo glares at him, but there’s something behind his eyes now. Maybe fear, or the first flicker of understanding.

“Touch one hair on their heads again, and I won’t hesitate.” Hiccup furrowed his brows.

Astrid’s voice cuts in sharply from behind. “Hiccup!”

He doesn’t move for a moment. Then, slowly, he lowers the dagger and backs off. Viggo straightens his shirt, ego bruised more than anything else.

“You’ll regret this.” Viggo’s voice was cold but cool.

Hiccup looked over his shoulder. “I’d regret letting you keep running this island.”

He turns toward Astrid, breath still heavy, but eyes steady.

 

—----

 

The metal door clicks shut behind them with a heavy Clunk. Cold air seeps into the tight space. It’s dark except for a sliver of flickering red emergency light bleeding in through a vent panel.

Beatrice sits curled up with her knees to her chest, still cradling her lightly bandaged arm. Finn paces in a small circle, nervously chewing his thumb, eyes darting every time they hear a thud from outside.

Muffled voices echo through the metal walls. First shouting. Then the unmistakable sound of a gun hitting the floor. They freeze.

Then they hear Hiccup’s voice, slightly raised, strained, angry.

Though the words are muffled, Beatrice recognizes his tone. Protective. Fierce. It’s a tone she’s never heard in her own father’s voice.

“He stayed…” She said, softly.

Finn turned to her, quietly. “You thought he wouldn’t?”

Beatrice gripped her knees and played with the patterns on the ground. “Dad would’ve left by now. He always leaves when things get bad.”

Finn doesn’t reply. He just sits beside her, leaning against the icy wall. The air is cold, but neither of them is shivering. Too focused on the chaos outside.

A sudden thumb shakes the wall behind them. Beatrice gasps.

“Do you think he's okay?” Finn Murmured.

“He told us to stay in here. So we’re staying.” Beatrice whispered.

A pause. Then, quieter… “I don’t think anyone’s ever… fought for us like that before.” She says.

Finn looks at her, then nods. He pulls a small pocket-sized book from his jacket. One of Hiccup’s old dragon field guides. It’s soaked and torn at the edges but still readable. He flips through the pages silently.

“He gave me this when we found the Terrible Terrors…” Finn muttered. “Said he wrote half of it when he was my age.”

Beatrice smiles faintly, then tears up without meaning to. She quickly wipes her eyes.

“He’s not just pretending, is he?” She asked.

“No.” The boy shook his head. “I don’t think he could, even if he tried.”

They sit in silence a little longer. Outside, a loud Crash echoes, and they instinctively huddle closer together. Beatrice grips Finn’s hand. “He’s going to come back for us.”

“He always does.” Finn smiled.

The cold hum of the freezer is constant. Beatrice and Finn are still huddled together against the wall, the dragon guidebook between them. Finn has dozed off, his head resting lightly on his sister’s shoulder. Beatrice is wide awake. Alert, eyes fixed on the door.

Then…

Clunk…

The outer handle of the freezer door turns.

Beatrice jolts up.

“Finn!” Beatrice whispered. Nudging her brother. “Wake up. Someone’s here.

He stirs groggily as the door creaks open, bright light flooding into the cold room. For a split second, they freeze in fear. Until they see a silhouette in the doorway.

It was Hiccup. Soaked. Scratched. Breathing hard. But standing tall.

“Hey, guys.” He says, softly.

Beatrice immediately gets up and runs into his arms, burying her face in his chest. He drops to his knees and wraps her in a tight, protective hug. Finn follows, clinging to Hiccup’s side. Hiccup holds them both, exhaling as if he’d been holding his breath the whole time.

“You stayed in here.” Hiccup smiled. “You did good. I’m so proud of you.”

Astrid appears behind him, smiling gently through her own worry. She walks over and rubs Beatrice’s back, her other hand on Finn’s shoulder. “We’re okay now. You’re safe.”

Beatrice sniffles. “We heard you…” She lowered her eyes. Indicating the confrontation Hiccup had with her father.

“Yeah.” Hiccup sighed. “Your father and I had a… difference of opinion.”

“You sounded mad.” Finn looked up.

“I was.” He couldn't lie. “Because you two matter more than anything he’s trying to protect in this place.”

He gently brushes the hair back from Finn’s face and rests a hand on Beatrice’s good shoulder.

“I told you I’d come back, didn’t I?”

They both nod.

Beatrice quietly reaches into her pocket and holds up a small, crumpled piece of paper. a folded corner of Hiccup’s guidebook that Finn tore out earlier. On it is a sketch of a baby dragon sleeping.

“Can we go home now?” Beatrice asked.

Astrid smiles from behind. “Yeah, sweetheart.” She then looked up at Hiccup. “We're getting off this island.”

They all slowly rise, and Hiccup lifts Finn onto his back. Astrid gently wraps an arm around Beatrice as they walk out of the freezer together. One exhausted, muddy, bruised little family, but a family nonetheless.

—--

 

The rescue helicopter can be heard in the distance. Its rhythmic whup-whup-whup echoing through the jungle. Hiccup, Astrid, the kids, and the others are making their way across a clearing, battered but determined.

Then… a voice….

“You’re not going anywhere.”

They stop in their tracks.

Viggo steps out from behind a scorched metal container, flanked by two guards and a large dragon under his control. a brutal, snarling hybrid species bred in secret. Smoke curls from its nostrils.

“Viggo…” Astrid's voice was low. “Move.”

“You don’t understand what you’re doing.” His voice was shaking with anger and desperation. “We had order here. We had vision.”

“Your vision killed people.” Hiccup stepped right up. “It puts kids in danger. And for what? A name? A number on a profit sheet?”

Viggo's face was now covered in the anger he was so good at hiding. It all faded away. “I created a miracle, Haddock! And you want to run away from it?”

Hiccup stepped up. The roles were reversed. He was now the calm one.

“No.” Hiccup says firmly. “I want to walk away with the people I didn’t lose.”

He reaches behind him, gently pushing Beatrice and Finn behind his back. Astrid steps up beside him, standing tall. Eret raises his weapon.

The dragon beside Viggo snarls again, and then launches a plume of fire.

“Hiccup!” Astrid yelled.

But before anyone can react, Hiccup turns and throws himself in front of the kids. The blast hits him square in the back. The force throwing him forward as he covers the children with his body.

Smoke. Fire. Screaming.

The blast clears, and Hiccup is on the ground, coughing, his coat scorched, blood on his temple. His arms still wrap around Finn and Beatrice, shielding them.

“Dr. Haddock!” Beatrice cried.

“Hiccup!” Finn shouted.

They try to shake him, panicked. Astrid drops beside him, checking his pulse, her hands trembling.

“Hey… hey, you’re okay. You’re okay.” Astrid comforted. Mainly herself.

Hiccup winces and groans but lifts his head, eyes fluttering open.

Beatrice throws her arms around him, sobbing into his shoulder. Finn clutches his hand tightly.

“Why would you do that?! You could’ve died!” Finn asked.

“Because…” His voice was hoarse. “I promised I’d protect you.”

He smiles faintly, even through the pain. The kids sob harder, hugging him like he’s theirs.

Viggo stands there, frozen. He watches the scene unfold. Watches the man who has no blood tie to these kids take a blast of dragon fire without hesitation.

For once... he has nothing to say.

Just silence.

Then the rumble of the rescue helicopter grows louder.

Astrid glares at Viggo.

“We’re done here.”

She and Eret help Hiccup to his feet, each of the kids gripping an arm. They move together toward the landing zone, leaving Viggo standing behind. Alone, surrounded by the broken remnants of what he tried to control.

—----

The helicopter is just arriving, its rotors whipping up sand and wind. The group, Hiccup, supported by Astrid and Eret, with Beatrice and Finn holding his hands, are nearly to the chopper.

Fishlegs and Snotlout are carrying gear and looking back nervously.

Then… a roar.

“You don’t get to leave me behind!”

They all stop in their tracks and turn.

Viggo stumbles out of the tree line, dirt-streaked, scorched, bleeding from his temple… deranged.

Behind him, the hybrid dragon he raised and abused snarls low, pacing just behind his heel.

“You ruined everything!” Viggo screamed. “I built this world…” Hen turned to Hiccup. Feeling frantic. “You think you saved them?! They’re just kids. My kids! They never needed you!”

He tries to step forward, but Finn, standing next to Hiccup, flinches and hides behind his leg.

“No” Beatrice says Cold and Calmly. “We really did.”

Viggo stares at her like she’s a stranger.

And that’s when the dragon behind him growls again. Louder this time. Others start to emerge from the trees, drawn by the helicopter’s sound, the tension, the broken dominance.

“We need to get out of here…” Eret says, tensely. “Now.”

“Uh…” Snotlout points. “Boss dragon’s eyes are glowing. That’s usually bad.”

But Viggo isn’t moving. He lifts a remote detonator, hand shaking. “I’ll bring the whole island down if I have to!” He was mad with power.

Hiccup trudged forward. Painfully. “You won’t hurt anyone else.”

“Hiccup, don’t—” Astrid warns.

But Viggo laughs. Until…

 

The Change-Wing appears.

Invisible at first. Then shifting. Breathing. Alive. It drops from a tree above him.

Viggo was stunned.

The hybrid dragon snaps its head around, drawn by the sudden movement.

And then… All hell breaks loose.

The Change-Wing attacks the hybrid. They crash into Viggo as he screams.

“Go!” Hiccup yelled. “Get on the chopper!”

The group scrambles. Astrid grabs the kids. Eret helps Fishlegs up the ramp. Snotlout covers them with a flare gun.

Hiccup hesitates, watching the scene. Watching Viggo try to crawl away through the dust and blood. Screaming. Helpless. The very dragons he tried to control have turned on him.

“Don’t go back for him.” Beatrice says softly.

Hiccup looks down at her, surprised.

“He wouldn’t have for us.” She said, firm.

He nods once, slowly.

They step onto the helicopter ramp, the engines roaring now. From the air, as they lift…

They see Viggo reach toward them…

But the Change-Wing wraps its tail around him, and drags him down into the trees.

Gone.

Silence in the helicopter.

Only the sound of the rotors.

He was gone…

They all sit in silence.

Astrid rests her head against Hiccup’s shoulder. Beatrice and Finn sit on either side of him, gripping his hands.

They all stare ahead. Toward the horizon, toward safety, toward whatever comes next.

Together.

 

—---

 

The steady drone of the helicopter fills the cabin. Hiccup sits between Finn and Beatrice, both leaning on him for comfort. Astrid watches him with quiet concern from across the aisle.

Hiccup’s breathing starts to slow. His eyelids flutter as exhaustion and pain creep in.

He shifts uncomfortably, trying to hide his discomfort, brushing a hand over his bandaged side.

“Hiccup?” Astrid asked, noticing. “You okay?”

He forces a small smile, shaking his head gently.

“Just…” He blinked heavily. “Tired. Long day.”

His vision blurs briefly. He blinks hard, trying to focus, but the room tilts slightly.

Beatrice glances up, worried. “Dr. Haddock?”

His head dips slowly. His body slackens as he succumbs to the pain and fatigue.

Before anyone can react, Hiccup’s eyes close and he collapses forward, landing softly on Beatrice’s shoulder.

“Hiccup!” She leaned forward. She quickly moves to support him as the others gather around.

“He’s pushing too hard.” Eret says. His cool guy acts dropping for a moment. “We need help when we land.”

Astrid nods, gripping Hiccup’s hand tightly. “You’re going to be okay” She whispered over the sound of the chopper. “Just hold on.”

The helicopter continues its steady flight, carrying them all. Fragile but unbroken.

 

—---

 

The fluorescent lights hum softly above. The room is quiet except for the occasional footsteps of nurses and the distant beeping of machines.

Astrid sits in a row of hard plastic chairs, her hair messy and her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Across from her, Beatrice and Finn sit side by side, both wrapped in thin hospital blankets.

They’re silent.

Beatrice stares at the floor, while Finn picks at a loose thread in the blanket. His face is red from crying, but he’s trying to hold it together.

Finally, Beatrice speaks. Voice small, fragile.

“We already lost our dad…”

Astrid looks up, her expression softening.

“He never really wanted us around. He always said he was too busy. He’d promise things and then forget. We were just... noise to him.”

Finn nods next to her. “But Hiccup didn’t forget us. He stayed. He carried us. He jumped in front of that dragon…”

His voice cracks. Astrid swallows a lump in her throat.

“He’s not our dad… but he felt like one.”

Beatrice nods, tears running down her cheeks. Astrid leans forward, sliding off her chair and kneeling in front of them. “I know he’s not your father…” She began. “but he loved you like one. I saw it. Every second we were out there, his only thought was keeping you two safe.”

Beatrice looks up, eyes wet.

“You drove him crazy, you know?” Astrid smiled, faintly. “He had no idea what to do with kids. But you changed something in him. He became... more.”

She reaches forward and pulls them both into a hug. “He’s going to fight through this.” She continued. “Because you matter to him. And you’re not going to lose him. Not now. Not ever.”

They all hold each other tightly.

No more words. Just quiet breathing and shared warmth. A broken little trio beginning to feel whole.

“Ms. Haddock?”

Astrid lifts her head as a doctor steps into the doorway, clipboard in hand. “He’s stable.” He starts. “He’s in recovery now. You can come see him.”

Astrid lets out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding.

She stands and offers both kids a hand. They take it instantly.

Together, they walk toward Hiccup’s room. Toward hope.

The room is dimly lit. The only sounds are the gentle beeping of monitors and the soft hiss of oxygen from the breathing mask covering Hiccup’s face.

His eyes flutter open slowly. Blurred ceiling. Sterile walls. A dull pain throbs through him, deeper than just skin or bone.

His gaze shifts downward.

He moves his hand under the blanket and freezes.

His left leg is gone below the knee. Bandaged. Numb.

His breathing starts to spike. A soft panic.

Just then, a warm hand gently takes his.

“Hey…” Astrid said softly. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re okay.”

He turns his head, seeing Astrid. Tears in her eyes but smiling. She cups his face, brushing back his damp hair.

He stares at her for a long moment… and then pulls her into a tight, trembling hug.

“I thought I lost you.” Hiccup’s voice was hoarse through the mask.

The door creaks, and Beatrice and Finn step in quietly, holding hands. When Hiccup sees them, his eyes fill instantly.

“You’re safe…” His voice was barely above a whisper.

“Because of you.” Beatrice smiled.

They both rush to the side of the bed and hug him carefully, wrapping their arms around his shoulders and waist. He holds them tightly, tears falling freely now. “I promised I'd protect you.” He smiled. “I’m so sorry…”

“You did.” Finn put his hand over his. “You kept us safe. That’s all that matters.”

A quiet moment. Just breathing. Just being together.

Then the door opens again, and in walks Fishlegs, Snotlout, and Eret, all a bit scuffed but smiling.

“Room for a few more?” Fishlegs say from the doorway.

“Yeah…” Snotlout walked in. “We brought flowers. Eret picked 'em. I voted for snacks.”

“He voted for beef jerky. In a hospital.” Eret trailed in.

Everyone chuckles softly, and the air lightens just a bit.

Hiccup looks around at all of them. Friends, family, people who risked everything together, and despite the loss, despite the scars, he finally lets himself smile.

“We made it.” Hiccup says, quietly.

Astrid squeezes his hand. The kids rest their heads on his chest. And for a moment, there's peace.

 

—----

 

Months later….

 

Golden sunlight stretches across a wide, peaceful field just outside a cozy modern home tucked beside the edge of a forest. Birds chirp. The air is calm.

Beatrice and Finn are chasing each other around a tree, laughing. The fear and weight of the island long behind them.

Near the porch, Hiccup sits on a bench, adjusting the strap of his sleek prosthetic leg. It’s a newer model. Light, functional. Still strange, but part of him now.

Astrid steps out with two mugs of tea and sits beside him, handing one over. “How’s it feeling today?” His wife asked.

Hiccup sighs then smiles. “Like mine.”

They sip quietly for a moment, watching the kids run through the grass, free. “They’re different now. Stronger. Braver.”

“They had to be.” Hiccup nod. “But they still got to be kids in the end. That’s what matters.”

Beatrice runs over and climbs onto the porch, holding something behind her back. “We made you something!”

She pulls out a little drawing. a messy but adorable stick-figure family. Hiccup, Astrid, Beatrice, and Finn. A dragon flying overhead. Everyone is smiling.

“It’s our new family.” Finn jumps up. “You’re stuck with us now.”

Hiccup swallowed the lump in his throat. “Good. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

They all embrace, arms wrapping around one another. Scars, memories, and all.

“Hey…” Fishlegs says from the side. “You guys coming or what?!”

“There’s food and I’m eating all the dessert if you’re late!” Snotlout chimed in.

Off in the distance, Fishlegs, Snotlout, and Eret wave from around a campfire by the edge of the woods. A few tame dragons circle gently overhead. The safe kind now.

“Think you can walk over?” Astrid smirks, and Hiccup returned the looked.

“Race you.”

He stands, kids on each side. They walk off together, the sun setting behind them. a new chapter beginning….

Notes:

Thank you for reading!! There will be a second story to this that I'll already writing! It'll will be inspired by the third Jurassic Park but with a little spin! I'm really proud of how it looks so far! First chapter should be out later this week!

Thanks for reading, Dragon riders!