The Wild Stryke

Chapter 6

  "I can't believe it. He's so pretty! Hiccup, come on, can't I keep him?"

  "Uh, Ruffnut, I'd rather not you have the dragon who singlehandedly destroyed the Edge."

  "Then I'll tame it! The strongest dragon for the strongest rider, right? Hah - ow! Hookfang!"

  "Shh, Snotlout! He's waking!"

  Groaning slightly, Dusk shook his frazzled head and opened his bleary eyes. He made out four blurry figures, the sun blinding behind them. Still delirious from sleep, Dusk reached up a tail to gingerly paw at his eyes - 

  - and realised that they were bound together.

  In a flash, Dusk was on his feet and roaring flames everywhere. But unfortunately, it seemed that his captors were well prepared. Dusk was in an enclosed space, with simple stone in every direction - except up, where the Vikings - and dragonproof metal nets - were. There was a Monstrous Nightmare in the background, pacing and snarling.

  "Let me out of here, you foul, loathsome murderers!" Dusk realised his wings were bound as well and screeched louder. 

  "Hey, Triple Stryke!" The Nightmare called. He was grinning a wide, malicious sneer. "Go on, give me a reason to burn your eyes into a crisp!"

  "You can try!" Dusk challenged. He bashed his pincers to a side and stone started crumbling. Dusk dug deep into the rock and tore a boulder out.

  "Hey, Hookfang! Stop him! He's going to ruin the boar pit!" Ruffnut yelled, and Hookfang obliged readily, blasting the entire boar pit full of Monstrous Nightmare flame, so potent that there was an impact crater where it struck.

  Hiccup's breath hitched. That blast...it was too strong. Even Toothless would have a deep scar from firepower like that. And with the enclosed space of the arena...

  Hiccup shoved an eager Hookfang away angrily, then ran over to the arena, heart pounding.  

  There was a limp dark blue heap where the blast struck.

  Hiccup whirled towards Hookfang and Ruffnut, fire blazing in his eyes. "You! Look at what you two have done! Does killing a dragon make you so happy? Huh?" Ruffnut seemed on the verge of tears and even Hookfang's head was hanging shamefully.

  "Bad Hookfang! Very bad dragon!" Snotlout joined in, and this time, Hookfang took the anger and slunk away, whining pitifully.

  Suddenly, the heap groaned. Hiccup turned, daring to hope.

  The Triple Stryke turned around. It had broken its wing's bonds in record time and shielded his sensitive underbelly from the worst of the heat. There were only some ripped scales and a lightly steaming wing to show the deadliest fire blast Hiccup had ever seen.

  "Wow," Hiccup breathed. "He's almost as good as a Screaming Death!"

  Astrid was flying over, followed by a frantic Fishlegs. "Hiccup, we heard a huge blast! Is it the Triple Stryke again?"

  "N-No...well, yes, but no. Hookfang fired this huge blast but -"

  "The dragon just tanked it like it was nothing!" Ruffnut finished eagerly. "That's it, HIccup, we've got to train this dragon!"

  "Well, then what should we call him?" Hiccup offered.

  "How about Foeslayer?" (Anybody get that Wings of Fire reference?) Snotlout asked.

  "That's way too dramatic," Hiccup countered. 

  "Then how about Stormcloud?" 

  "Fishlegs, are you trying to steal my Stormfly's name?" Astrid demanded. 

  "Then how about...Pitch Black?" Everybody turned, surprised, at HIccup.

  "Isn't that a little...dark, Hiccup?" Fishlegs asked tentatively.

  "That's the point! This Triple Stryke operates in pitch black. It's a fitting name, right?"

  And so, the elusive, dark-scaled Triple Stryke, Dusk, was known as the Terror of the Night, Pitch Black. (Just saying, this has absolutely no relationship with Rise of the Guardians. Just a seriously cool name.)