How To Train Your Dragon Unveiled

Zzyzx cleared his throat, about to say something but then suddenly realized this was not the way he wanted to go. If he wanted to ask questions, clearly the Chief wouldn't have much more of an idea then he at the moment. The questions would have to wait, but what would he do in the meantime? His dragon was tired from the long flights to the west. More importantly, it was even harder to understand them with their heavy accents.

"Well. Katsura, if you trust this rider, then we will respect your decision," the Chief said before turning to Zzyzx. "Where are you from?"

"East," Zzyzx said and frowned.

"You speak our language?" the Chief pressed, looking at him directly.

"Enough," Zzyzx said curtly, keeping his answers short. "I speak enough to understand."

"Well, since you are under Kat's invitation, you need to follow her directions," the Chief said. "My name is Hiccup Haddock III."

"That's it?" the stout rider whined. "I woke up from a perfectly good nap for that? What a waste!"

Zzyzx, having no choice but to follow her.....followed her. Krypton landed perfectly though his size made it much easier.

"I...did not know you were so popular," Zzyzx said after a short pause.

"Your father lives on this island?" he asked then suddenly seemed to brighten. "He must know about dragons then!"

He cleared his throat awkwardly. "You are in charge. Lead the way."

After yet another pause, he added, "my name is Zzyzx."

"A Feast Hall?" Zzyzx echoed, still finding the girl to be too bubbly yet too knowledgeable for her own good. She definitely knew more than he and it made him curious yet threatened.

"What do you eat around here? Halibut? Salmon? Trout?" Zzyzx listed from off the top of his head, trying to impress her but most likely sounding fake.

"Records as in...?" Zzyzx asked, following her to the Feast Hall and looking at the interior with suppressed awe. "Wow..."

"What does your father do?" he inquired. He jumped back to avoid a thronging crowd of loud Vikings.

"You mentioned history books," Zzyzx said over the loud crowing of Vikings. "Where are they?"

He paused for a moment before he spoke again. "I only meant to ask about your father in case he may have noticed anything unusual. But I guess people on Berk seem okay to have dragons running round again."

So the rumors were true....Berk really was the first island to tame wild dragons. "But it doesn't seem to concern anyone."

(I definitely like NEw Berk better than the old)

"You will just let a stranger read this?" Zzyzx asked, mildly surprised. His village would have never allowed this though his village was considerably poorer than this...Berk. He flipped open the book, eyes narrowing at the first page.

"I cannot read this language," he stated after a short pause, almost as if he did not want to admit this. "Most people in my village cannot read....period. We could not afford books."

Zzyzx seemed to mull this offer over a thousand times in his head within the span of a few, silent seconds. He seemed to like that idea and nodded.

"When do we start?" he asked, eager to learn. "I want to know as much as I can before I talk to your Chief---"

Just as he was speaking, there was a commotion by the door. Vikings shouted as the doors burst open with a gust of wind. In came a strange-looking parrot/dragon hybrid creature. It was impossible to tell what it was, but it went straight for Zzyzx.

The Vikings aimed their weapons at the creature, shooting a few bolas and arrows, but the dragon-bird dodged them smoothly and landed on Zzyzx's shoulder.

Attached to its leg was a letter, rolled up in a tiny scroll. He opened and read the letter, written in a strange language with swirls and dots that looked like a work of art.

Zzyzx looked up at Katsura. "I think I know what dragon I want to learn about first."

"This."

The image of the drawing clearly showed a grimora.

"It has a weird mouth and loads of teeth," Zzyzx said, pointing at the diagram for reference. "It is small, no bigger than a dart frog...oh! And it has tiny wings. That's all I know."

"You ask many questions," Zzyzx said, mimicking her raised eyebrow.

He pointed to the rolled up scroll, waving it around slightly. "My village has these grimoras. They're causing a problem. I came North to learn."

Zzyzx pinched the bridge of his nose wearily. "My father heard of Berk on his travels and was told it was a haven for dragons. Then they all went...."

He gestured awkwardly to find the right word.

"Hiding and now they are back and so are the grimoras on our land."

Zzyzx tried to hide his eagerness as he turned to face her, eyes searching for an answer. "Then d'you know where the Hidden World is?"

He pointed to the picture of the grimoras from this Book of Dragons, tapping his fingers excitedly. "That's where all these dragons came from, right? My island is being overrun by these grimoras and the dragons that are native to my land have all gone mad. I want to know if these grimoras are the ones pushing the dragons out of hiding again."

"Salt water is not very easy for us to find," Zzyzx admitted after sighing heavily. "We do not live near the oceans. We are surrounded by mostly grasslands with our source of water coming from rivers."

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "I must learn before I go home. I need to find the Hidden World, Katsura. I....may need your help, too."

"And you think your Chief will just willingly give you this information?" Zzyzx asked curiously, wondering just how this island worked exactly.

"You're mad, lady," Zzyzx mumbled, but was interrupted by a huge crash.

With very little warning, a Monstrous Nightmare burst through the doors of the Feast Hall, body ablaze. Anger flared in its eyes, making them roll back wildly.

"What's going on?" Vikings demanded as they all scrambled back to get out of the way.

The Monstrous Nightmare was closely followed by Krypton, who Zzyzx had left in the stables. Chomping on Zzyzx's hind legs was a Rumblehorn, and then a Stormcutter, and then every other dragon in the stall, each as crazy and aggressive as the first.

Several Nadders released a barrage of spines from their tails, flicking them this way and that. Zzyzx, who had no weaponry, could only do his best to dodge the flying assault.

"Krypton!" Zzyzx shouted, trying to wave his arms. "በእዚህ"

But nothing could seem to get any of these dragons to calm down.

Zzyzx spluttered, spinning around to see if salt would magically appear.

"Where---"

Zzyzx stopped when he saw a bowl of salt although it was hardly enough for one dragon let alone an entire flock. However, he raced over to the nearest Viking, one he recognized to be friends with the Chief.

"Crash-sura, I mean Katsura, said to use this," Zzyzx said, thrust the bowl into the stocky Viking's arms. "She said it's grimora venom."

"Of course," the Viking with the horn helmet said with a snap of his fingers then frowned as a purple Monstrous Nightmare joined the fray. "Gustav, get your dragon under control!"

Snotlout ran forward, using the turned over table to leap some clutter. In one swift movement, he threw a handful of salt at the nearest dragon, which was a Thunderdrum. The dragon roared loudly, nearly deafening everyone in the Feast Hall.