Hey guys! I made a Discord!
https://discord.gg/M827f27gFy
Joining it is optional, but if you want to, I'll be doing polls in the future over there. I'm also planning on stocking up on chapters, but I don't know how long that will take, so you can find me updating on whether I'm done with chapters or not over there as well.
Anyway, enjoy the chapter!
___________________
Kaarik's POV
Waking up, I immediately jumped out of my bed before running downstairs.
"Hey Mom, I'm heading out for a little while." I said as I grabbed the breakfast she had made. I'd eat it on the way.
"Alright, just make sure you bathe first. You smell." she said, scrunching her nose.
Right, I completely forgot to bathe yesterday. Sighing, I grabbed what I needed to wash with and headed out.
.
.
.
.
"Ugh, finally. Don't feel like I crawled through a tar pit… now, where's that dragon of mine?" I sighed, scanning around for Indra.
Groaning, I channel a small spark of lightning into my fingertip and fire it into the sky. Yep, I've learned to do a bit more with the powers I had gained. I don't fully know the extent of how my body has changed or the powers I've gained, but I know enough to make them useful.
"Hmm, I need to practice more," I pondered while looking up.
Though useful, the lightning isn't permanent. I'd need to absorb more from Indra or a storm to do anything significant with it. After firing a small portion of lightning, I waited until I heard the sound of a large thud behind me.
"Took you long enough. Why is it you can never stay near me? Even if you're on the island, you're slow to respond," I huffed, while Indra snorted at me.
It's been a while since the war with the dragons, and with the Red Death dead, we've been busy with… other important stuff. I walk up to him, and he lowers his wing, letting me hop onto his back before settling on his neck.
"Alright, Indra, we've got a competition to win." I said, laughing, and with one powerful flap of his wings, we were off high into the sky.
___________________
"Right on time, Kaarik. Here I thought we'd have to start without you." Helga chuckled as Indra landed next to the other dragons.
"Ugh, get your own sea stack! Your dragon's too big." Snotlout groaned as Indra's large body squished him and the others together.
"Oh, come on. Even if I were late, I'd still win this competition." I said, ignoring Snotlout's complaints.
"We'll see. Who wants to go first?" She asked, turning to the rest of our group.
"Me," Snotlout said, raising his arms.
"Uh, I don't think-" Fishlegs began, but Snotlout cut him off.
"Me!" he repeated, pointing at himself with a smug grin.
"Oh, for Thor's sake, just go!" Astrid yelled.
"We'll go, and Hookfang and I are gonna light the sky," Snotlout boomed, but before he finished, Hookfang suddenly dove off the sea stack.
We watched as Snotlout failed to control Hookfang, as they swooped between sea stacks before vanishing into the ocean.
"How much do you wanna bet Hookfang will drown him?" Tuffnut wagered his sister as he hadn't come up for a few moments.
"Two cod." She told him, snickering.
After another moment, they emerge from the water before flying back and landing in their original places, with Snotlout patting himself down.
"I'm alive! I'm alive!" he yelled excitedly as we all stared.
"Of course I am," he added.
"My turn!" Fishlegs announced. "Ready, Meatlug?" he asked his Gronckle, and they slowly lifted off, circling the group at a slow pace.
"That was… pretty sad." I said bluntly, just as the twins piped up.
"My turn!" Ruffnut yelled, turning to her brother.
"No, my turn!" Tuffnut shot back.
"Same dragon, you dolts." Snotlout sneered.
"Oh, yeah." They both said, fist-bumping and then diving towards the ocean.
We all watched as the two looked like they started arguing, which was nothing special. They were always at odds with one another. Narrowly missing a sea stack, the two-headed dragon decided to hurl them into the air.
"Oh no! WAAAAAAH!"
"Yep, that's Tuffnut's scream." I chuckled.
"You can tell?" Snotlout asked, turning toward the falling twins.
"It's pretty obvious if you pay attention. They're twins of different genders. How hard is it to tell them apart?"
"Well, actually-" Right as Fishlegs was about to interject, the twins returned.
"We almost died." Ruffnut gasped.
"Totally. Let's do it again!" Tuffnut said, excited. Astrid interrupted.
"Uh, uh, my turn."
She grinned widely at Helga and Kaarik, leaning forward onto her dragon.
"You guys should take notes." Tapping Stormfly, they shot into the air and dived.
We watched as Stormfly dipped her tail into the ocean before quickly spinning into the air, twirling as she rose, before barrel rolling and then finishing with a smooth glide towards the group. Landing back in her spot, Astrid smirked as the rest of the group began clapping in acknowledgement.
"And that's how it's done."
"Wow, this contest is going to be tough." She said sarcastically. "Let's show 'em what we've got, Toothless." She took off, somersaulting before diving straight down.
Just before hitting the water, they pulled up, creating a trail of spray behind them as they flew high toward a large sea stack. Jumping off Toothless, Helga rolls smoothly, transitioning into a run before she leaps off the stack.
Flipping through the air, Toothless catches her. As they started to fly back, they twirled as Toothless fired three plasma blasts into the sky.
The group cheered, then watched in silence as she landed back at her spot.
"Hmph, beat that, Kaarik."
"Not bad, not bad. But we've been practicing." I grinned.
Snapping my fingers, Indra immediately takes to the skies. Flying into the clouds, I leapt off him as I began to free-fall towards the Earth. Shooting bolts of lightning, Indra aimed them around me, as if he trapped me in a large cage, before diving for me.
Catching up to me, we began twirling around each other before I flipped myself upright. Flying under me, Indra catches me perfectly as I brace my legs into a crouch before standing on his back while he flies back towards the group.
"Need we do more?" I said, grinning ear to ear as Helga went from a look of slight shock to annoyance.
"Fine, you win." Helga said as the rest of the teens cheered me on.
"Ha! Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!" He laughed as we all began flying back to Berk.