The Soul of a Dragon

Chapter 78

New Berk has never known such silence. The village, once filled with the flapping of wings, the thrum of dragon roars, and the laughter of its people, now feels strangely still. One by one, the dragons are leaving. It isn't sudden; it happens gradually, like the slow ebbing of the tide. Each morning, there seems to be one less dragon flying overhead, one less familiar shape silhouetted against the sky. The feeding stations empty one after one; the stables are quiet with less poop to be shovelled each day. You think that would be a good thing, but it's not.

Hiccup has always known this day would come, but knowing doesn't make it easier. He stands on the edge of the cliffs, his arm around Vara's shoulders as they watch the horizon. Toothless and Aria circle overhead, their flight patterns calm but purposeful. It has become a new morning ritual: watching them with wistful eyes. They are preparing, readying themselves for the journey they can no longer ignore. No one can.

Vara leans into Hiccup, her head resting against his chest. She hasn't said much since the dragons began leaving, and neither has he. There isn't much to say any more. They both know what is coming - the inevitable, bittersweet goodbye.

"Do you think they'll ever come back?" Vara asks quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Hiccup tightens his grip on her, his heart heavy with the truth they both fear. "I don't know," he says softly. "Maybe not like they used to. But they'll always be a part of us."

It is the hardest part of all, really. The not knowing. The thought that Toothless, Aria, and the rest of the dragons might never return in the way they once had. That they might never see each other again. That New Berk will forever be quieter, less wild, less alive. But at the same time, Hiccup understands that the dragons are going where they belong - where they are needed.

"They have their own lives now," he continues. "Their own world to protect. We give them freedom, and now they're taking it."

"I think they've always been free. They just chose to be with us," Vara adds with more certainty now.

Hiccup nods, agreeing with her.

Vara sniffs. "I'll miss her so much."

Hiccup kisses the top of her head, his own eyes glistening. "So will I, my love. So will I."

In the village, the same quiet sadness spreads from one person to the next. Each dragon that left is felt keenly by the villagers. But it isn't all sorrow. There are moments of warmth, of connection, as the people of New Berk begin to lean on one another in new ways.

Malcom sits outside his hut, staring at the empty sky where Fireblaster has flown just hours before. He left. Tears were shed. Malcom's heart feels like it has been torn in two, but there is also a sense of peace. Fireblaster is young, wild, unpredictable, and full of life. He belongs with the other dragons, in a world where he can be himself without constraints; where he can grow into the mighty dragon Malcom knows he will become.

Beside him, Emmeline sits quietly, her hand resting gently on his. The connection between them has grown stronger over the past weeks, and though the departure of the dragons weighs heavily on everyone, there is something comforting in having someone to share it with.

"You're quiet today," she says softly, her voice breaking the stillness.

Malcom shrugs, his eyes still on the sky. "Just thinking. It's strange...I thought I'd feel angrier about all of this. But I'm not. I'm just...sad."

Emmeline gives his hand a gentle squeeze. "It's okay to be sad. You've been through a lot. We all have."

Malcom nods, leaning back against the wooden wall of the hut. "Yeah. But you know what's weirder? I'm okay with it. Like...I know it's time."

She smiles at him, her eyes warm. "Maybe that's because you've finally found your place, Mal. You're not fighting anymore. You're home."

Home. The word feels strange in his mouth, but also right. He hasn't considered New Berk home before. But now, with Emmeline at his side and the village around him, it feels more like home than anywhere else he has ever been.

Tuffnut, meanwhile, is sitting on a rock near the beach, his head in his hands, completely lost in thought. His and his sister's dragon, Barf and Belch, has flown away earlier that morning, leaving a gaping hole in their usual noisy life. The beach, which once felt like his playground, now feels empty.

"Tuff, what are you doing?"

He glances up to see his sister standing above him, her arms crossed and a look of pure exasperation on her face. But behind her usual scowl, he can see the sadness in her eyes too.

"Thinking about them," he mutters, gesturing to the empty sky. "It's weird. Like, they've always been there, and now...they're not. I hate this. I hate change."

Ruffnut grunts, sitting down beside him. "Yeah. It sucks. But they're Barf and Belch. They're gonna rock it and probably find their own boar army. They'll be okay. And...you know...we've got each other."

Tuffnut laughs a little, raising an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Wow. Who knew my twin sister had feelings?"

Ruffnut punches him in the arm, but not hard. "Shut up. I'm being serious for once."

Tuffnut sighs, glancing sideways at her. "You think they'll come back?"

Ruffnut is quiet for a moment, staring out at the horizon. "I don't know. Maybe. But I think...I think we have to let them go, Tuff. It's their world now. They're doing what they're meant to do."

Tuffnut nods, though it hurts to admit. "Yeah. I guess."

As they remain in silence, something clicks in Tuffnut's mind, something he's been wondering about for days. He turns to Ruffnut, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"Where've you been going off to lately, anyway? Do your seal friends take up so much of your time?"

Ruffnut hesitates, and for a moment, Tuffnut thinks she might dodge the question like she usually does. But then she smirks, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"I've been...seeing someone."

Tuffnut blinks. "What?"

"Yeah, you heard me," Ruffnut says, grinning. "He's...pretty alright for, y'know, a man."

Tuffnut stares at her, his mouth hanging open. "That's...amazing, Ruff." Then he jumps up and inflates his chest. "I need to meet this young man immediately!"

"Calm down, you weirdo," Ruffnut urges him, waving him off with a laugh. "You'll meet him. Just not...not yet. I want to keep this for myself for a little while."

Tuffnut can only shake his head, half-amused, half-bewildered. He really wants to approve od this guy, but seeing his sister smile like that, he knows he can wait a little longer. He'll tell Chicken about this. She'll put fear into that guy's mind so that he'll never ever hurt his sister. "Okay, fine. I yield."

"Good," she shoots back and ruffles his hair before leaving, glancing at the sky once more, her eyes sad but filled with understanding.

As the days pass, the village of New Berk begins to adjust to the quiet. Dragons continue to leave, but life moves on. People find new ways to fill the silence - new routines, new challenges, new connections, new adventures.

Valka watches from the cliffs as Cloudjumper circles one last time, his wings cutting through the air with grace. People thought Cloudjumper would be one of the last to leave, considering his bond with Hiccup's mother. But it seems that Valka said her goodbye already, telling her friend to leave and embark upon his Hidden World adventure. She stands tall, her heart filled with pride, but also with an aching emptiness. She lost her husband years ago, and now she is losing her dragon, too. But Valka has learned to see the beauty in every departure, to find comfort in the knowledge that the ones she loved are never truly gone. They can be found everywhere.

It isn't the end. But the beginning of a new era. And though not everybody is ready, they will be. Because the dragons taught them how to live, how to love, and, most importantly, how to let go.