TAW Tales: How to Train Your Shifters (#1)

~ Chapter 16 ~

A blue plasma blast slammed into the log, burning it to a black crisp and moving it out of Hiccup's way. The little Viking turned a bemused eye on Toothless.

"Really, bud?"

Toothless yawned at him in a pointed manner that clearly said, so I blasted the thing to smithereens, who cares?

Hiccup sighed and shook his head at his dragon. Sometimes, Toothless could be so stubborn and unreasonable.

Then he realized Toothless probably thought the same of him sometimes.

He looked over his shoulder as the sound of bracken crashing reached his ears, and before no time Fang had bounded out beside Toothless, who took a step away from him and a deep growl.

Hey Hiccup! Fang yipped, panting happily. Then he laughed. 'Hiccup'. That's a funny name, you know that?

Hiccup sighed. "Yes, I know because you've told me. About five times already."

Six, Fang grinned, wagging his tail. But then again, who's counting?

"You, obviously." Hiccup turned back to the log he'd been trying to cut into cut with a prehistoric-type axe that he's carved himself.

Fang rolled his blue eyes and padded around Hiccup as he swung his make-shift axe. The sharpened stone struck the wood, but got lodged not even a quarter-way in. Hiccup scowled and tried to pull his axe free, watched with amusement by Toothless and Fang.

At last, his hands slipped and he fell backwards onto his bottom.

Toothless literally roared with laughter as Hiccup sighed.

Do you wanna try again? Fang asked, laughing.

Hiccup wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his sleeve. "No... I was never very good at the whole 'Viking Survival' thing. I was never strong enough."

Oh. Well then, let me try. Fang closed his eyes and Hiccup yelped and stumbled away from him as he was consumed by a soft, pale blue light. When the light faded, a burly fourteen-year old with ragged white hair and blue eyes stood where Fang had once sat.

Hiccup stared in amazment as the boy walked over and, after a few grunts, pulled his axe free. Then he walked over and held out the axe for Hiccup. Hiccup didn't take it.

"How-? What-?" He stammered.

The boy laughed. "Oh, sorry! Just letting you know, we can turn into humans."

Hiccup stared, his mouth hanging open.

Fang rolled his eyes. "Fine, then. I guess I won't be pulling axes out of the wood for you next time."

As he turned to leave, Hiccup scrambled to his feet. "Wait Fang!"

Fang half-turned his head to fix Hiccup with his left eye. It seemed to Hiccup like it was glowing slightly, as if he was still a wolf behind the eyes.

"Hm?"

"You-you really can't just... do something like that... and walk away," Hiccup said breathlessly, remembering for the first time in the past few seconds to breath.

Fang shrugged. "Of course I can. I just did, didn't I?"

"But what about your... owners. Do they know?" Hiccup inquired.

Fang laughed. "Of course they do! They're the reason we can do it at all. They're our owners and we're their pets."

"So wait, does that mean-?"

"That they're humans who can turn into animals and we're animals that can turn into humans?" Fang finished. "Yep, pretty much."