Another Nightmare book 2: To rescue a nightmare

Chapter 19

Surprise and happy vappu. This is your surprise bonus first of May chapter. Already had a street party, march across downtown, ceremony to put a hat on statue, meeting friends and massive picnic (though less people than last year due to weather). Now I'd like to end this years first of May by providing you this extra chapter of Another Nightmare.

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If you are wondering what I'm talking about:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBQsaKzFcWo

This is video from 2015 with better weather but the traditions and events are the same.

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Toothless' head slammed on the planks of the pier with an audible thud. Ivar knelt down in front of the dragon. The sudden movement caused a small jolt of pain from his side where Toothless' paw had pushed him down moments earlier. For a moment Toothless hadn't been the curious and friendly dragon that had taught Hiccup his dragon knowledge, but the exact opposite. For a moment Ivar had once again felt the fear of dragons. If Toothless hadn't recognised Hiccup's name... Where was Hiccup?

Ivar held his hand in front of Toothless' mouth. He was still breathing. Fishlegs crouched next to them and put his hand on Toothless' head. Ivar looked at him.

"What happened to him?"

"I think," Fishlegs spoke quietly enough that only Ivar heard, "the bond between him and Hiccup broke. That's been very bad for them in the past, and at that time they had only stayed bonded for a day at most. Now they have held the bond since before we came here. I feared something like this might happen, but Hiccup didn't listen." He looked over the sea. "I think the hunters took him. That is the only way he could be far enough."

"Ivar!" Father's voice boomed over the pier, covering approaching footsteps for an instance. "Get out of there!"

Ivar's father had finally gotten there and stood in front of the line of shields with his own axe and shield. They were inching closer, eyes tightly on Toothless, despite the dragon's obvious lack of consciousness. He was in danger.

"Look after him," Ivar said to Fishlegs and got up and stepped between Toothless and the group. "Stay back, dad."

"What?"

"Don't let your warriors any closer. They would just kill him."

"Him?" It took the Chief a moment to understand. "The dragon? Ivar, I know we have learned much new information of the beasts recently, but this isn't some caged up dragon! It's a wild dragon that just rampaged through the village and attacked you!"

"Wild?" Ivar asked. "Take a closer look dad."

"What do you mean?"

Ivar rubbed his forehead. Sure, they didn't exactly have daylight anymore, but they should still have realized by then. So this was how Hiccup had felt with people when it came to dragons? Ivar turned and walked around Toothless to reach his tail. He pulled it up, surprisingly heavy, and held the artificial tailfin in front of himself for all to see. Gasps spread across the line of warriors.

"He's no wild dragon. This is Toothless: He's Hiccup's dragon, the source of all of the knowledge he has been teaching us. Hiccup built this," Ivar tapped the prosthetic fin, "to let him fly after he got injured."

It took a moment for the words to be understood.

"Even... even if that was true, that dragon still attacked both you and your brother." Dad gestured to Hakon, who was being held up by some of the warriors.