You always loved dragons. Even as a child, you wanted nothing to do with the killing that all the other kids seemed obsessed with. This was fine till you were fifteen or so, and the other kids your age were all preparing to make their mark.

Your father forced you into dragon killing school, where you thrived, not because you killed dragons, but because of the years you spent watching them. You knew what they liked, what they hated, and used it to your advantage. The others in your class were impressed, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, and even Astrid seemed to have some respect for you. Hiccup, however, was your only real friend. You two did amazing in the ring, and would spend time together every once and a while. He didn’t seem to want to kill dragons either. However, you were both selected to slay one.

The night after you were chosen, there was another dragon raid. This one was unlike any other. It was more intense, with far more dragons, and far more deaths… viking and reptile alike. A dragon destroyed the roof above your room, and you froze. Watching as the fire breathing reptile crawled into your room, you closed your eyes and reached out your hand. After a few moments, you felt scales against your palm. This dragon trusted you.

You were tired of watching the death of these creatures, so you threw your things into a satchel and climbed onto your dragon’s back. You hesitated, only briefly, before having your new friend take off, and fly away from the place you once called home.

—————— Several Years Later ———————

You and your dragon have spent years surviving alone. Your bond has become inseparable and you’re a dangerous pair. You left the archipelago, and have been island hopping ever since.

Today, you’re out scouting some of the nearby islands, staying just above the clouds to avoid being spotted by Berserker ships, which have become more frequent in their patrols. Your dragon flies quietly, and you place a hand on the scaly head of your reptilian friend. Just as your dragon looks back at you however, you see a dark shadow from the corner of your eye. Your dragon sees it too, eyes narrowing into slits.

“Lets get out of here,” you whisper, pulling a dark cloth mask over your nose and mouth. Your dragon makes a croon of approval, before rocketing to new level of speed. The shadow follows closely, and you can tell it’s a dragon, although you aren’t certain what species. You steer your own dragon down over an island you know well, weaving between trees and tight cliffs. Somehow, the dragon behind you keeps up. You look over your shoulder, and realize that it’s a Night Fury, with a person on its back. You return to steering, but the Night Fury isn’t giving up.

“Now bud!” You hear the rider behind you yell, and his dragon fires. While the blast misses you and your dragon, it hits the rocks above your flight path, causing them to fall. Your dragon is thrown off balance as rocks hit both you and your reptile’s wings, and you hit the ground hard.

“Crap!” You hiss, your body aching as you move to get up, to go check on your dragon. Before you have a chance, however, the Night Fury and his rider are landing, the rider dismounts the dragon, walking over to you. His left leg is missing at the bottom, replaced by a metal prosthetic.

“Easy Toothless,” he says to his dragon, who lowers his wings and stalks along behind him. The rider turns to you now. “Who are you?” Your eyes widen slightly as you recognize him. Hiccup Haddock…