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

~ Chapter 24 ~

"Alright!"

Astrid marched down the line with her hands behind her back like some sort of field marshal.

"Today, you are going to learn how to defend your village on the back of a dragon," she barked, reaching the end of the line and turning around to pace back the way she'd come.

"You're going to protect the ones you care about, your going to defend your homes, and you're going to do it like Vikings!" She turned to face us. "Any questions?"

"Uh." Zero raised his hand. "Can I just point out that this isn't our village?"

"And that only two of us actually have dragons, and only one of those dragons can be ridden?" Moon added.

"And that we kinda don't have anyone to protect because we don't know anyone?" said Everest.

"And that this isn't actually our home?" called Luna from further up the line.

"And that-"

I yelled in fright as a fiery red ball exploded at my feet.

Stormfly shook herself and made a content squawking noise. She stomped around to stand behind Astrid, her green eyes glaring at me.

"Let me rephrase that," Astrid spat, "Any important questions that we actually care about?"

"I care that this isn't our home!" Night said loudly.

"Shut up!" Winter nudged her roughly. "This is our only chance to ride dragons! Do you want to mess it up?"

"Well, I don't want to ride a dragon," Night retorted. "I mean, I do, but not into a mega-battle like this!"

"We don't know there'll be a battle," I pointed out on her other side hopefully.

"Oh, there's gonna be a battle," Ruffnut said, poking her head over my shoulder.

"And it's gonna be HUGE!" Tuffnut's head appeared on my other side and both twins grinned at me.

"Great," I whimpered as they withdrew, sniggering. "A huge battle with Vikings. Just what I'd always wanted. Yippee."

"First, we're gonna pair you with one of our dragons," Astrid went on. "We're gonna try and match you by height and temperament, so line up tallest to shortest!"

We muttered and shifted around to the right order; Everest first, then Zero, then Night, Winter, Moon, Luna and finally me. As I went to move into position, I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked around into Astrid's fierce blue eyes.

"You don't need to worry," she assured me, pulling me away. "You already have your won dragon, so you won't need to line up."

I gave my friends a 'sorry' sort of smile and stepped back beside Astrid.

She nodded at me, then turned to Luna, who was first in line.

"Alright, let's start with you. Fishlegs should be able to match you with the right dragon." She nodded as Fishlegs padded up. He circled her and she turned her head, watching him with wide, red-brown eyes.

"So, what would you say your temperament is like?" he asked her as he walked.

"Super-Angry!" Zero called helpfully from up near the front. Luna hissed at him.

Turning her attention back to Fishlegs, she replied menacingly, "I'm docile when I want to be, and super-fierce when I want to be."

"I'm thinking... Whispering Death," Fishlegs decided.

"Whispering Death?" Snotlout exclaimed. "Don't you remember what happened to the last Viking who tried to train one?"

"And where are we gonna get a Whispering Death from?" Astrid added, folding her arms.

"Well..." Fishlegs hesitated. "I may have sorta have been keeping one..."

"WHAT!?" We all shouted.

"Cool!" Tuffnut cried. "Can you show me? Can you, can you?"

"No." Fishlegs walked around Luna again and then nodded to himself. "I think we should give it a go."

"But-" Astrid began.

"Oh, please, a Whispering Death is nothing compared to what I'd had to cope with!" Luna cried fiercely. "To name one, him!" She pointed down the line at Zero, who stuck his tongue out at her.

"Oh, whatever then," Astrid said, sighing. "But she'd better be up to it."

"I'm up to it!" Luna yapped desperately. "Where is it?"

"In there-" Fishlegs pointed to one of the huge metal doors around the walls of the Training Arena, but before he could say anymore, Luna had morphed into a snake and shot off towards it.

"Wait!" he shouted, but her white tail tip had already disappeared under the metal frame.

There was a startled roar and the sound of what I thought was thousands of drills grinding together. Later, I learned that it was the three rows of teeth from the dragon inside.

Then the roaring cut off and we stared at the door for several long minutes.

"L-Luna?" Winter choked.

Slowly, the metal door began to rise.

Then, when it was half-way up, a dragon burst out, whip-like tail lashing and rows of razor-sharp teeth whirring.

It's bulging red eyes shone from it's massive, round head, and a crown of spines flared. Above these spines, Luna was waving and grinning at us from the back of the dragon.

"Hey guys!" Luna shouted. "Meet my new friend!"

The Whispering Death gave a loud roar and I felt for sure that it was gonna whip around and eat her, but instead it closed it's eyes and allowed Luna to reach down and stroke it's neck.

"You're a good dragon, aren't you Darkspine?" Luna cooed. Darkspine made a happy chirruping noise in his throat and nudged her hand again.

"How did you do that?" Fishlegs asked in amazement.

Luna grinned. "Oh, I just had to show him who's boss."