Come Darkness, Come Light

Chapter 33 - Revelation

A/N: OMG Y'ALL, THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING. AN UPDATE. AM I DREAMING? Seriously, though. Sooooooo sorry about this long wait you've had to endure. I'm a horrible person, I know. TO BE FAIR, real life has been a raging pain in my ass this winter season. I literally started writing at the first reprieve, which was a few hours ago. So here y'all go - Ch 33. WHOOP WHOOP!

malachib871 - I think you jinxed me with your comment, but I do appreciate the support ;))

Silverleone - Gobber is the friend we all need. Thanks for reading!

GOBBER'S POV

While Stoick was distracted going over the ship's inventory with Sigurd, I kept a close eye on Hiccup and the Night Fury. Technically, I couldn't actually see the boy, since his dragon had hidden him away in its embrace, but I knew he was there.

My mind could hardly keep up with all the surprises that had been thrown my way in the past twenty four hours. Finding a strange boy in the middle of the ocean was weird enough without adding a legendary Night Fury into the mix. And based on how they were both acting, they shared some sort of bond, which was completely unheard of. Stoick's theory about the kid being a hunter made sense to me at first, but the dragon wouldn't be so protective of him if that were the case. So...what? Was he able to control the beast somehow? Dragons didn't have emotions, so why else would this one be so defensive of its human counterpart unless it had been coerced in some way?

I wrestled with ideas as I observed the Night Fury. It was utterly calm now that it had Hiccup within reach. It was practically ignoring its surroundings. I'd never seen a dragon behave in such a docile manner, especially one in chains. Then again, everything about this species was unknown. Perhaps they acted differently toward humans than other dragons...

Looking back on the vicious glare it had directed at Stoick earlier, I quickly negated the thought. If anything, this dragon was even more hostile than the usual species we battled with on Berk. Hiccup was the only one who was able to keep it at bay. As I suspected, it clearly would be in our best interest to get the boy on our side.

"Gobber!" Stoick called as he stomped over to where I was standing. I grunted in acknowledgement. "Five minutes are up," he stated. "I don't want to give the boy a chance to free the dragon."

A slight chuckle escaped past my lips. "You wanna be the one to try and separate them, be my guest. I'll wait right here," I told him, completely serious despite my carefree attitude.

Stoick's jaw clenched in annoyance; he withdrew the axe from his belt and stepped forward. I grimaced as the Night Fury lifted its head to stare down the chief, wondering if I should be preparing to provide backup. The dragon was chained, though... What's the worst that could happen?

"Um, Stoick..." I began, trailing off when I noticed the dragon's claws digging into the wood.

The stubborn man refused to take heed, instead pointing his weapon toward the beast's face. "Hand him over, or you'll be wishing you did," he threatened. That tone of voice usually sent our enemies running for the hills, but the Night Fury didn't move a muscle—except for his claws, which still scratched at the deck.

"Stoick," I tried again, this time much more adamant. I had a bad feeling, and my gut rarely led me astray. "Please, just...let it go for now. Neither of them are going anywhere," I said, grabbing his arm. He frowned at being restrained, but thankfully took my advice and backed up a few paces. I followed after him, glancing at the dragon over my shoulder. It was already settling back down as if nothing had occurred, but its gaze remained on the two of us.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were afraid, Gobber," Stoick muttered, tucking his axe away.

"Maybe I am," I replied honestly. "Maybe you should be. We don't even know what we're dealing with yet," I pointed out. At Stoick's raised eyebrow, I continued, "We don't know anything about this boy—who's wearing dragon scales, I might remind you—nor do we know anything about Night Furies. We need answers. You're not going to kill them, so you need to be smart about this. Losing your temper doesn't help matters."