How to Be a Dragon Star 1

Chapter Five - Forbidden Friendship

Hiccup, complete with a shield, his helmet, and a borrowed axe from the weapons slate, stared up at Gobber, who was leisurely watching from outside the ring. "So, I happened to notice that the book had nothing on Night Furies. Is there another book— maybe a sequel, or a little Night Fury Information pamphlet—"

A burst of magnesium fire scorched Hiccup's shield, and his mind snapped back to inside the ring, where the huge maze with ten-foot walls had been set up to, apparently, teach the teens about dragon methods.

"Focus, Hiccup!" Gobber shouted, as Hiccup yelled in surprise. "You're not even trying! Today is about ATTACK! Nadders are quick, and light on their feet. Your job is to be quicker... and lighter!"

The blue-and-yellow Deadly Nadder leaped onto one of the walls and howled at Fishlegs. Its tail spikes stuck straight up perpendicular from the tail, a sign that an attack was coming.

Deadly Nadders were one of the fastest dragons in the world. They stood up on two legs, and shot magnesium flame, one of the hottest types of fires, as well. Their tails were covered with six-inch-long spines that normally looked like regular scales and patterns— until the Nadder got agitated and decided to attack. When that happened, the spines went from parallel to perpendicular on its tail, and the tail began to resemble a thin cactus. The Cactus Tail, as it was called, was a warning— a warning to prepare for the oncoming assault, because with a quick flick of its tail, the Nadder could release a few spines that worked like spears. The Nadder had layers and layers of spines to shoot, and new spines would grow in the areas where they had been released within just a few hours, so Nadders were always ready for pretty much anything.

The Nadder flicked its tail at Fishlegs's face, and he screamed as he lifted his shield just in time for the spines to bury themselves in metal and wood instead of flesh. He turned, banging the shield onto the wall next to him to get the spines off as he cried up at Gobber, "I'm really beginning to question your teaching methods!"

Gobber, who had decided to ignore the teen's voices, picked at the rock that subbed for one of his teeth that had been knocked out years ago. "Look for its blind spot," he instructed them calmly. "Every dragon has one."

The Nadder had leaped down onto the ground and was sniffing at something it could smell in front of it, but could not see. Two somethings, actually. The twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, were directly in front of its horn, which was the only thing that could block a Nadder's vision from something that close. They had found the blind spot and moved with the Nadder to stay out of the range of its bulging eyes.

"Find it," Gobber continued, although the twins had done just that, "hide in it— and strike!"

"Ugh," Ruffnut complained quietly to her brother, wrinkling her nose in a slight exaggeration. "Do you ever bathe?"

"How would you feel if I gave you a blind spot?" Tuffnut retorted hotly, his voice rising.

"How about I give you one?!" his sister cried, completely forgetting the peril of the moment. The Nadder heard the unseen noise and stepped back, seeing the twins. Its magnesium flame would have torched their faces if they had not heard the sound of the Nadder inhaling and leapt back away from each other.

The Nadder began to run after them as they retreated down the alley that was made by maze walls on each side of them. When they came to a corner, they each went separate ways. The Nadder leaped back up onto the walls to chase more teens.

"So, how would one sneak up on a Night Fury?" Hiccup called up at Gobber, making one last attempt.

"No one's ever seen one and lived to tell the tale. Now get in there!"