Hiccup the Nightfury (combined chapters version)

A Story To Day, Numbers be Hidden, Riders be Cursed, Strategy of a Show

An Exchange of Names
In the caves behind the Secluded Beach
   "Gothi, you can talk?" Asked Hiccup. "Yes, I thought I made that pretty clear when I told you to land somewhere safe." Gothi said. "Oh. Sorry." So you're also an arcaniss. "Yes." But you're an old lady. "Am I?" Gothi shifts into a young girl. "That's slightly creepy." Hiccup deadpans.

   What can you tell us about Mildew? I assume the two of you have a history together. Gothi shifts back to her normal human body. "Yes, unfortunately we do. But before we begin, my name isn't Gothi and his isn't Mildew. My name is Irisvar. His name is Chian. And I presume that the names these humans gave you are not your real names?"

She got mine pretty close. Not even close.  Mine is Austratar. My name is Thurkear. But you can still call us by the names you gave us. We like them. Ok. "Can you tell us about yourself, Gothi?"

Gothi's Story
"Now, I shall tell you a story. Once there was a wandering female arcaniss. She had been thrown out of her nest because her power was feared by the queen, even though she would never use it against others.

   "Lost, lonely, and afraid, she flew from place to place looking for a home. One day, she found another arcaniss that was somehow trapped by humans. He was kind and gentle and she soon became enchanted by him. His name should have a warning for her for it meant to betray. She freed him and together they flew off together into the sunset.

   "A few years later, she laid her first clutch. When he was out hunting, a human came and smashed each one of their eggs in the nest. She had been out for a flight oblivious to the threat. When she returned, she saw him staring at her with pure hatred in his eyes. He fought her and threw her around. When he raised his claw for the killing strike, she teleported away and ended up here and has been here ever since.

"I am the she and he is Chian or Mildew." "Why are the two of you on the same island?" Asked Astrid. "We both had made homes here with the humans before either of us knew the other was here and so we mutually decided to leave each other alone." Until now. "Yes, now we must destroy him, for he has meddled in the lives of others."

To Kill an Arcaniss
"Killing an arcaniss is an exceedingly difficult task. If they're current form is on the brink of death, they can switch to another form. However, every detail of that form must be memorized for a successful transformation. Due to the difficulty of exact memorization, most arcaniss have around five forms with about three ages." Irisvar said.

   "What do you mean by ages?" Asked Astrid. "The age of their form. Once a form is memorized, it is relatively easy to imagine and memorize any age of that form." So that means we have to kill Mildew about 15 times? "Yes." That sounds incredibly annoying and difficult.

What are the powers of an arcaniss? "Teleportation, plasma breath, shape-shifting, and hypnosis." Fun. "Is there a way to beat him without killing him 15 times?" "With him, no. But with others, if they see that you are a worthy opponent they will give you the victory and end the curse." Now I think it's time for bed. Agreed? Good. And so they slept.

Alternate Days
   When Hiccup awoke, as a human, at dawn, he was surprised to see Astrid, still asleep, in her human form. He went outside and watched the sun rise. When he returned, he saw Astrid staring at herself in confusion.

"I'm still human." She said in relief and wonder. "Yeah, you are." Jealously shot up in him but he quickly squashed it. "Could my curse be gone." "I doubt it, Gothi said only the one who casts the curse can lift it. Yours is probably just different than mine. Maybe you'll be a dragon tonight and a dragon in the morning but then human again tomorrow night."