Not but a minute after the healer left, Valka burst in with a gust of the freezing cold ushering in behind her. White flurries flecked the wood floor and she immediately pulled the door shut. “The villagers are in quite the state, they are saying Ava is…” She trailed off right then, seeing said girl laying motionless on the bed. A small gasp left her and then she composed herself. Hiccup had stood back up the moment she stepped in.
“She’s not but the two had gone after the flowers and ran into a mani.” Hiccup thought if any humans in this village knew of the reclusive dragon than it would be his mother who seemed to know more of every type than he could ever hope to. “We aren’t sure how to wake her…”
Valka touched Ava’s forehead, brushing her fingers over the pale skin. “Mani? It is rare to run into such a dragon. I have only seen one once but the alpha had sent it off after it had moonblinked two hatchlings.” Hiccup knew that his mother understood some dragonese (easily more than him) from living in close quarters with their kind for many years and this was how she knew these terms without being told. “Unfortunately we were unable to cure them. I believe for several days many dragons had been searching for a nightfury. I was part of one such team but had steered them away from Berk. If only I had known…”
“It’s okay. No one could have ever imagined I was keeping a nightfury.” Hiccup assured because it had been completely outlandish. His mother had only wished to protect the dragons from a pointless battle with the Vikings. Her heart was in the right place. “This is good then, we have a nightfury.” He placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her around. “Did they say what else was needed?”
“Something from the mani.”
Blizzard had been listening with rapid attention “I am going to go help dad.” With his declaration he hadn’t made it more than a step before Hiccup grabbed him, yanking him backwards.
“Whoa! No you’re not.”
“That thing is huge.” Blizzard protested. “He can’t fight it alone!”
“He’s fought bigger dragons. The red death, the bewilder beast…” Hiccup reminded though he had been there for both cases, helping. Hashing out their strategy. Pure speed and firepower alone made Toothless a formidable foe but he always had concerns about his tailfin being damaged in battle, it was his obvious weak point. One good hit to that and Toothless could be grounded which really only put him at a disadvantage against larger dragons, any other Hiccup had seen him take claw to claw. BUT- the mani had no flame so this was a mute point. “He can handle it. What we really need is someone to help the healer search for the information in her books. It’s not really clear what is needed from the mani.”
“You can do that.” Blizzard growled. He wanted to put that dragon on its back and down it forever. As cowardly as he had been he needed to make up his short comings. He needed to face it.
“Do you want Ava to get better?” Hiccup retorted sharply, meant to be every bit as effective as a knife because he knew he did- past the foolish pride. “Go to the healer’s hut and search her study for that information. If your father hasn’t returned by the time you find it than you can go after him.”
Blizzard pulled away “fine!” And immediately stormed out. Returning but a moment later to shamefully borrow a pair of boots.
Once he was good and gone Hiccup sent Valka to assure he didn’t just fly off despite their agreement, because he knew he probably would have at that age. He nodded towards Aurora “I need to speak with the villagers if Toothless returns here first, let me know.”
Toothless had wasted no time on hellos and had made his grade entrance with the telltale whistle that had for years sent Vikings ducking in terror. His fire blasted the scales from the mani’s hide. Its eerie eyes searching the sky. Its attempt to track the faster creature’s flight disoriented it so when the next strike came it went down. Toothless circled in the sky- waiting for it to rise again. This third time he decided his anger was satisfied and shot the main horn from its head. While the mani was shrieking he divided down to grab the prize but the island’s tainted atmosphere shook him just enough that he lost track of where exactly it landed.
His guess was approximant and with obvious impatience he clawed up the weeds. Never having planned to land for more than an instant. The mani recovered, he sensed its lurch in the silence and rolled himself over, blasting it the face so it reeled back. Twisting and spreading his wings he flipped himself back onto his feet- grabbing the horn (that had dug unpleasantly at his back moments before) and launched for the sky.
This time it was his turn to howl as sharp teeth clutched his tail just short of the fins and he slammed back to the ground, sending the horn soaring. He shot fire at the creature once more, forcing his release and immediately going for its face. He scrambled at the scales and raked his short claws at its eyes but its tail was a massive whip that caught him as it thrashed- knocking him against the trees. He rolled with a grunt and dashed away between the trees on foot. The mani was too big but true to the nature of large beasts that didn’t stop it from bursting through.
Toothless bounded, scooping up the horn but the dragon knocked it away from him as it pounced. Slamming him down on his back as the horn hit the water of the sea with a faint ’plop’. It stared down at him, one eye marred with blood and Toothless filled his throat with gases and claimed it remaining eye with fire. It toppled onto its back with a massive cry and Toothless dived for the waves of the coast.
He returned to Berk some hours later, his saddle wet, ice sticking to the leather and landed outside of the chief’s house- shoving his way in with a rumble of greeting as he immediately spotted Aurora but it was clear just who he was looking for as he gazed upon Ava.