Notes:
Quick little thing before the chapter starts my li'l embers! There are riddles in most of the chapter and I am curious to see if you can reach the answer before the twins can. Have fun and enjoy the chapter!
Days slowly grew into weeks and Callum grew more and more comfortable with his surroundings. After a few weeks, it was as if he had always been part of the tribe, as though he had never disappeared all those years ago.
Yet there were still some things he had to get used to, and things his family and tribe would have to get used to as well. But adjustments come with time, and they had all the time in the world.
Before they knew it, July had crept upon them. And with July, came a very special day for the Haddock twins. One that they always celebrated without the other.
~~~TDPMS~~~
As night turned into day, Cassia rose with the sun with a giddy grin. She had been waiting for this day for what felt like forever. Now it was finally here! And what better way to start it off than waking her twin?
The young Haddock smirked mischievously as she quietly snuck out of her bed and crept her way towards Callum's, her eyes glinting with mischief as she transformed into her dragon form preparing to pounce. The unbeknownst hatchling adjusted his position under his furs to get more comfortable, having ended up facing his sister who now was wiggling in place as her tail flicked behind her.
Cassia then pounced on him, which caused Callum to startle awake with a screech as he transformed into his hybrid form to defend himself, only to groan when he saw who had pounced on him. The screech awoke Sharpshot, who hissed in annoyance at the twins grumpily with a sleep filled glare directed at Cassia.
"Cassiaaaaaa…it's too early for thissss…" He whined out as he pushed her snout out of his face while transforming back into his human form.
"Rise and shine brother of mine!!" Cassia said excitedly as she tried pushing back against Callum's palms. "Today's the day!!"
Callum yawned as he was finally able to get her out of his face and sat up as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "The day for what..?"
Cassia pouted as she transformed back into her human form and crossed her arms.
"Don't tell me you forgot what day it is Callum.." She whined as her pout deepened.
"Ummm.." Callum muttered as he looked at the ceiling while scratching his cheek.
Cassia groaned and shoved his chest. "It's our birthday you dummy!"
"Oh.." Callum said, but then it sank in and his eyes widened in shock. "Oh!"
Has he been here that long already? He had been so focused on learning about his family and tribe, not to mention himself, that he had lost track of time all together.
"Yeah "Oh!" ya muttonhead! We get to celebrate together this time! Do you know how long I've waited to celebrate our birthday together?!" Cassia exclaimed as she pouted once more while gripping onto Callum's tunic.
"Okay, okay! I get it Cas. It's a huge deal. Can you get off my bed now please?" Callum asked as he raised his hands in surrender.
Cassia huffed and hopped off his bed, dusting off her skirt as she stood straight. She then made her way to the door and looked back as she opened it to go downstairs.
"Hurry it up!" She yelled as her mood went from sour to giddy once again as an excited glint formed in her forest green eyes.
Callum stifled a laugh as he threw his furs off him. "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming!"
~~~TDPMS~~~
Once the twins were both up and around, Sharpshot reluctantly following suit to stay by his boy's side, they made their way downstairs as they raced one another to the bottom.
Only to find that no one else was up, or home for that matter.
"Are we the first ones up..?" Callum asked softly as Sharpshot landed on his shoulders and made himself cozy.
Cassia shrugged. "Seems like it."
The two proceeded to look around the living room for any clues that would indicate if they really were the first ones up and around or if their siblings and grandmother had beat them to it and went into the village.
As their search expanded toward the rest of the first floor, Callum caught a glimpse of something as he passed the table in the kitchen, only to pause and back track to get a better look at it.
It was a piece of parchment that clearly had a note and a map on it. Callum picked it up to read it better and his eyes widened.
"Cas come here!!"
At the shout of her twin, Cassia dashed into the kitchen and skidded to a halt, having slipped further than planned with how fast she had run. Once she came to a stop she sped over to her brother and looked over his shoulder.
"What? What'd you find?" She asked, even though the answer was clearly right in front of her as she looked it over.
"Looks like we were the last ones up. Lief left us a note for some kind of scavenger hunt." Callum explained as he lifted the parchment higher so Cassia could see the map better.
"Oooooo.~ A scavenger hunt sounds awesome! Where do we gotta go first??"
Callum scanned over the note for any indication on where their hunt would begin. Lief had made a list of clues and numbered each area on the little map that went with each one.
"Clue one says 'To start your hunt, you must look to the past. Walk in the footsteps of the spirits you never knew, but carry with you always.' Wait, does Lief mean Mom and Dad??"
"That's what it sounds like to me. But why does he want us to walk in Mom and Dad's footsteps?? That seems like an odd way to start off a scavenger hunt." Cassia said as she crossed her arms.
"I'm not too sure, but there's more to clue one. 'What you seek is hidden within the marks left behind.' Hidden within the marks left behind..? What in Thor's name does that even mean..?" Callum muttered, only for him to jump in surprise when Cassia gasped in glee. "What?!"
"You just used a Viking phraseeeeeee!!" Cassia exclaimed happily as she bounced in place with her hands shaking about.
Callum blinked at her confused at first then his eyes widened as he recalled the phrase she was referring to and his eyes widened in shock. "Oh my gods, I did!"
"There! You just did it again! Look at you brother of mine, finally settling into your roots.~" Cassia cheered with a giggle.
Callum stifled a laugh and shook his head with a smile and elbowed her in the side. "Can we get back to the scavenger hunt please? Any ideas on what this riddle means?"
As her giggling died down Cassia crossed her arms and looked to the floor in thought as she tapped her foot. "Hmm..I didn't see anything out of the ordinary upstairs or in the living room.."
"You think it's trying to lead us outside somewhere?" Callum suggested, but Cassia shook her head.
"I don't think so. It'd have to start off simple. Maybe there's something in a room we haven't checked yet?"
Callum read over the clue again as he considered their options then his eyes widened with an excited glimmer to them. "Mom and Dad's forge! That has to be where the next part of the hunt is!"
"What makes you think it's in their forge?" Cassia asked with a raised brow of skepticism.
"Well just think about it, the riddle says what we seek is hidden within the marks left behind and is telling us to follow in the footsteps of spirits we never knew, but carry with us always. That just has to be about Mom and Dad's forge!" Callum explained as he showed Cassia the clue and pointed to the clue area on the map.
Cassia looked closer at the map as she thought over Callum's conclusion then a smile grew on her lips as an excited glint appeared in her eyes. "Yeah, I think you're right Cal! To the forge!"
~~~TDPMS~~~
When the twins entered their parents' personal forge, they could tell it hadn't been used much in the past couple years. Dust had gathered in corners with cobwebs and some equipment was starting to get rust in some areas.
"Whoa..didn't think it would be so untouched in here.." Callum muttered as he closed the door behind them.
"Lief comes in here every once in a while, but rarely ever works on anything. I think he just doesn't wanna ruin how it was left after Mom and Dad passed away, ya know?" Cassia said with a somber tone to her voice.
"Yeah, don't blame him.." Callum said just as somberly as he took in the room to engrain it to memory.
"Come on. Let's start looking around for anything outta the ordinary." Cassia said as she perked up once again and motioned with her head as she made her way further into the forge.
Callum nodded and followed suit as they began to look for another clue or some type of present. After what felt like ages of searching through the place, Cassia finally found something that clearly hadn't been in the room before.
"Hey Cal, come over here!" She yelled as she waved her twin down.
Callum darted over to where she was standing to find that there was a group of items atop a workbench. A piece of parchment, two wrapped up presents, and a stone shield.
"Looks like we found the first clue." Cassia said with a smile, which made Callum smile with a nod as Cassia picked up the parchment then proceeded to read it aloud. "Congrats on solving the first clue! Not only did our parents leave their marks through us, but they also left them through their inventions. And maybe one day the both of you will, too. Your first present should help start that journey."
The twins looked at one another then at the presents on the workbench, then back at each other with giddy smiles. Cassia set the parchment down then they both picked up the presents and opened them excitedly. What hid within the wrapping paper were wooden boxes and within the boxes were sewing materials and whittling daggers.
"Cool.." They said in unison.
"A sewing and whittling kit, huh?" Sharpshot said with a curious look, which caused Callum to lift his kit to give him a better look. "Pretty good first gift. Lots of activities to do with them too."
"No kidding. So, what's the stone shield about?" Callum asked as he placed his kit back on the workbench, Cassia following suit as she picked up the parchment again.
"Don't know. But maybe it has to do with the next clue. Let's see.." She said as she scanned the parchment, then flipped it over and smiled in triumph. "Ah ha! 'Many a battle fought, but always lost without trustworthy protection. If you must make a choice between damage or protection, take protection. It seems like a fellow warrior forgot their protection.'"
"Okay, so clearly a statue in the village or on the island is missing their shield..but which one?" Callum asked curiously, then the twins both looked closer at the details on the shield before them for any clues.
The shield had a Strike Class symbol as the design and looked to have slits in odd areas, as if the shield could change shape to reveal something hidden within it. It looked too familiar to Callum and he racked his brain for an answer, then his eyes widened and he looked at Cassia excitedly.
"It's Dad's shield! The one he used when he was a young adult! There must be a statue of him somewhere on the island that's missing it!"
"Oh my gods, you're right! And I think I know just the statue too! Come on!" Cassia agreed as she grabbed the stone shield and dashed outside, her twin hot on her tail.
~~~TDPMS~~~
It took the twins a good fifteen minutes to get to the statue the shield belonged to.
The statue resided in a clearing near a waterfall and a little Adoraburr patch. As they had thought, the statue was of their father as a young adult, his prototype Inferno in one hand and the other grasping air.
"Found it!" Cassia said gleefully as she dashed toward the statue and put the shield back into place, making sure to be very careful as she slipped it back onto the statue's arm and slotted it into the open hand. "There. Back where it belongs."
Callum took in the statue as Cassia backed away and smiled softly at the sight. He never expected there to be any statues of their parents at such a young age, but at the same time it wasn't too surprising considering how much of an impact their parents had when they were still alive.
"Oh hey, there's a parchment by Dad's feet." Cassia noticed and she crouched down and picked it up, offering it to Callum.
He took it and scanned it over before reading it aloud. "Dad was always so quick to protect his loved ones, not to mention any dragons he saw were in danger. And I know you two would do the same. But there was someone else none of us met that would also do anything to protect the ones they loved. Which leads to clue number 3. 'Bravery driven heart, strength beyond measure. A duty to his people, led to his demise, and opened a path forward for the generations to come. A memory never forgotten that will forever protect his own.'"
"Huh..well that's definitely..something. A memory never forgotten that will forever protect his own..?" Cassia muttered to herself as she reread the note over Callum's shoulder.
"Well, considering how these clues have gone thus far, I'd guess it has to do with another family member that's no longer with us. I just don't know who.." Callum said as he too reread the note to try and figure out what it meant.
"What comes to mind when you two think of a duty to the people?" Sharpshot asked to try and help them out.
"A chief's duty to his tribe." The twins said in unison.
"And who besides your parents was chief of the tribe before you were born?"
"Grandpa."
"Exactly."
As the twins thought over what the clue meant in terms of their grandfather, Cassia's eyes widened and she looked at Callum as she buzzed in place.
"It must be the statue of Grandpa in the plaza! What better place to protect his own than the plaza itself?!"
~~~TDPMS~~~
When they arrived at the statue of their grandfather, Callum immediately spotted the parchment and handed it to Cassia to read.
"Even though none of us got to meet our grandfather, his memory will forever live on thanks to us and the stories we've heard. He sacrificed himself to protect our parents and the tribe in the heat of battle, just like any chief would. If it weren't for him, our family wouldn't be where it is now. His loss weighed heavy on the adults of the tribe, but there's one in particular that it weighed on the most. And that weight just grew heavier when our parents passed on as well."
"He's definitely talking about Gobber." Callum said as he gripped his medallion gently and Cassia nodded in agreement before she continued.
"Clue number 4 is this. 'House of flame and power, a humble worker's home. Iron, steel, weapons, armor, shaped to serve by well known hands in that familiar dragon's chest so loved by family and friends.' Okay, so considering Lief had mentioned Gobber before the riddle, it clearly has to do with him somehow." Cassia said as she scratched her cheek in thought.
"With that in mind, the armory's off the table." Callum added. "It must be the forge then."
"Yeah, I think so too. C'mon."
~~~TDPMS~~~
As they made their way into the forge, they noticed that Gobber was nowhere to be found. The forge was cold, and no orders were in the works either.
"Well that's weird..usually Gobber's here working away on orders for people by now.." Callum said with a bit of worry in his tone, especially when he noticed that not even their father was present.
"Maybe he decided to finally listen to Lief and took the day off?" Cassia suggested with a shrug then she began to search the place for any new clues or presents.
Callum followed suit, going the opposite direction of his twin just like at the hut. It took longer for them to find anything this time with how much larger this forge was compared to the one at home, but they eventually found what they were looking for.
"Hey Cas, I think I found it!" Callum exclaimed as he waved the parchment he found above his head to get her attention.
Cassia noticed and came over to his side, having spotted the wrapped presents resting on the edge of the cold forge. "Wanna read the note first? Or open presents first?"
"May as well read the note first like we have been." Callum said, which made his twin nod then he proceeded to read the note. "Many memories were made in this forge with our parents and Gobber. While the two of you may not have been part of them, that's no reason to stop making more."
The twins then opened up the presents to see that they were their very own blacksmithing aprons, albeit they were not quite their size. But whether that was intentional or not, they weren't quite sure just yet.
Callum set his apron to the side and continued to read the note. "While you two may not be quite old enough to be handling molten steel just yet, that doesn't mean you can't help around the forge somehow. I know the two of you may be wondering why your aprons are so big, and the reason behind it is that those aprons were actually our parents' from when they were teens. You'll grow into them as time goes on."
"Wait..did I hear that right? These were Mom and Dad's?" Cassia asked in shock as she looked closer at her apron, taking notice of the wear and tear upon the leather and little scorch marks that were clearly attempted to be washed away but were very stubborn and held onto the material with a vice grip.
"Seems like it." Callum said as he too looked closer at his, ingraining all the little details to memory before he went back to reading the note. "One thing you'll be able to help with is the leather work, which leads to clue number 5. 'Scales, claws, talons, sharp teeth. Colors of many that soar the skies and wander the land. All these must come to rest in a nest of comfort and warmth.'"
"A nest of comfort and warmth, huh? Oh! That must be talking about the dragon stables!" Cassia put together and she grabbed Callum's arm as she dashed out of the forge, her twin dropping the note out of shock as he sped up to keep pace with her.
~~~TDPMS~~~
When they arrived at the dragon stables, the twins had to dodge dragons that were wandering in and out of the stables both by air and by foot to make their way through. As they did, Callum couldn't help but take in all the different kinds of dragons and variations of dragons they went past, wanting to stop and sketch as many as he possibly could. But he knew now was not the time to be sketching dragons and he shook his head to focus on the task at hand.
This clue took a lot longer to find than the previous ones thanks to all the dragons roaming about, but after a good twenty minutes of searching Cassia finally found what they were looking for in the storage area.
"It's over here Callum!" She shouted as she poked her head out into the main area and waved him over.
Callum dodged a group of Gronckles as he dashed over to the storage area and his eyes widened when he spotted the note and presents on a barrel. "Huh, just when I thought there was finally a pattern to this, I was proven wrong."
Cassia stifled a laugh as she picked up the note and began to read it. "While our family doesn't need our own dragons, most of the tribe does. Yet, none of this would have been possible if it weren't for our parents' fateful meeting all those years ago. Even though the two of you can fly on your own, you at least deserve your own dragons."
The twins looked at the presents then proceeded to unwrap them. Lying within the wrapping paper this time were two plushies.
"Oh hey! I got a Razorwhip!" Cassia cheered as she dropped the paper and lifted her plushie in joy. Her Razorwhip plush was a light silver with bright blue eyes and exaggerated lashes, all the sharp edges that a real Razorwhip would have had having been plushified in order to keep her from getting cut.
Callum didn't say a word as he looked at the one he received, gently taking all the paper off and setting it on the barrel as he took in the details. It wasn't a species from the Archipelago, but instead was from Xadia. From what he could remember, the species the plushie was based off of was a Sky dragon. The plushie had four horns atop its head that were right above what Callum assumed were its earplates, its hide was a light blue with a purple under belly and what looked like fluffy white clouds covering its body, dull purple claws, tailfins at the very end of its tail, and big blue eyes with white scales below them that just added to its cuteness.
Cassia looked over at her brother with concern at his silence, then her eyes widened with a curious glimmer as she noticed the Sky dragon plushie in his hands. "Whoa..what kind of dragon is that? I've never seen anything like it before."
"It's a Sky dragon from Xadia.." Callum finally answered after a minute longer of silence. "But..how did our family get a plushie of one..? None of them have ever been to Xadia, not to mention not many people of the human kingdoms have even laid eyes on a Sky dragon before..so how did they get a plushie of all things..?"
"Well, there was a Xadian merchant here about a week ago, remember? Maybe they got it from them." Cassia suggested as she held her Razorwhip close.
"Yeah I guess so.." Callum muttered as he looked into his plushie's sewn eyes in thought, then shook his head and held it close as he looked at his twin. "What else does the note say?"
"Oh right." Cassia then picked the note back up and resumed reading. "And with dragons, comes learning how to train them. Which leads me to clue number 6. 'Scorches and claw indents. Marks from blades and hammers. Information gained from trial and error. Cages, doors, targets, shields. All reside within the confines of a dome of protection.'"
"That's gotta be the Dragon Academy. No other building in the village matches that description." Callum put together as he and Cassia locked eyes.
"No kidding. To the Academy we go then!"
~~~TDPMS~~~
When they arrived at the Academy, Callum hesitated at the entrance as he took in the view. During the tour his brothers had given him his first day back home, they only walked past it and didn't mention it much. Now he understood why.
The Academy looked as if it were plucked right off Old Berk and carefully placed to make it seem like it was here from the very beginning. It was the same circular area that it was before, but now there wasn't a single sign that there had even been a dome in the first place. Where there once was barriers around the edges from the first renovation, there was now just railing for people who wanted to watch training from above. The cages now were opened, the doors and lock mechanisms removed to allow the areas to be open. Some of them were decked out with training equipment, while others were set up as a type of classroom. The stone of the arena had a couple burn marks here and there from recent training lessons, as well as a few scratch marks from some angered dragons.
Another detail that had been added was landing strips around the edges of the Academy on the exterior and stairs that led down into the arena. The entrance door had been fixed up, too. Instead of the double gates, there was now only a set of heavy double doors that could be locked on either side. There was also an emergency dome that was hung high above the Academy in case they ever needed to resort to trapping in any feral dragons. The dome had been upgraded as well, now having smaller holes that could keep the tiniest of dragons from escaping it.
The one thing that stood out to Callum that solidified this was not the Academy from Old Berk was the new sign above the entrance. Where there once hung a curled up Night Fury on the old island, was now two Night Furies resting their foreheads together in mid-flight, their tails wrapped around one another's as their bodies made the shape of a heart, just like the tapestry above the fireplace in their hut, and Norse runes underneath them that read out 'Dragon Academy'. A clear tribute to the two Furies that founded the Academy all those years ago.
Cassia paused in the entryway and looked at her twin concerned, but that concern turned into understanding as she made her way over to him and rested a hand on his shoulder, which caused him to snap out of his train of thought and lock eyes with her.
"I bet they would have loved showing this to the both of us once we were old enough Cal. This was one of their greatest achievements, alongside making peace between Vikings and dragons, and having the five of us." Cassia said with a warm smile, which Callum returned. "Now c'mon, we got a note and possibly some presents to find!"
With that, the twins rushed into the arena and began searching for the parchment. After a few minutes, they found it hiding in one of the classrooms on a desk. Callum picked it up as Cassia looked over his shoulder and began to read.
"Now I know that we will never get to see the original, but this Academy was amongst our parents' greatest achievements in life. Not only did they themselves learn more about dragons and being leaders, but it also is where they forged their strongest friendships with the Dragon Riders, who are now our aunts and uncles. And I hope one day, this Academy will do the same for the two of you like it did for them all those years ago."
The twins looked at one another with bright smiles as they considered the endless possibilities that the Academy provided for them, then they both looked at the parchment once more to continue reading.
"Your final clue for this hunt is this. 'Warmth wrapped festivities amongst brethren, joy and feasts. A giant hug of protection within the safety of the earth.'" Callum finished, mulling over what the last clue could be referring to. "A giant hug of protection within the safety of the earth..? What the heck does that even mean..?"
"It couldn't be our hut, that was the first clue." Cassia said as she crossed her arms and looked up at the dome in thought. "It mentioned festivities and feasts. The only place I could really think that would be is.."
"The Great Hall!" The twins said in sync as they made eye contact once more then dashed out of the Academy, the parchment getting caught by the breeze from their speed and falling slowly to the arena floor.
~~~TDPMS~~~
When they finally reached the Great Hall, the sun was beginning its descent into the ocean.
As they reached the doors, Cassia looked at Callum with a silent question in her eyes, as if to check to see if he was alright with entering after the fiasco that was the welcoming feast on his first day back. Callum nodded in reassurance that he would be alright, which she returned, then they made their way inside.
It was pitch black, not a single torch or candle was lit. Even for a Night Fury it was hard to see in the sea of blackness that was the Great Hall. But that changed the second the door closed behind them as dragons and Vikings alike filled the room with light.
"SURPRISE!!"
Once the twins could see again they took in the hall around them. The place was filled with the entire tribe, and was decked out in decorations. And in the center of the hall was their family, holding a big cake-like desert. Callum hadn't the slightest clue what it was, but he was excited to see that there were Moonberries atop it. Cassia seemed to know exactly what it was as she squealed in excitement beside her brother and grabbed hold of his arm as she dashed over to their family.
"MOONBERRY SURPRISE!!!" She exclaimed in glee as she let go of Callum's arm and bounced in place as though she was already on a sugar rush.
"What's Moonberry Surprise?" Callum asked rather perplexed as he looked between his twin and the dessert their siblings and grandmother were holding.
Revna stifled a laugh and smiled fondly at her grandson. "This dessert right here is Moonberry Surprise Callum. It is a Xadian dessert that Moonshadow elves are very fond of. Your parents got a recipe for it on their travels, though they never said from where."
At the mention of their parents, Callum snuck a glance around the hall to see if they were present. He spotted them standing by the large table at the back of the hall with warm smiles and he smiled back slightly then looked back at the dessert in intrigue.
"Mom and Dad used to make this?"
"All the time. It was their go to dessert for celebrations." Stoick said with a small laugh. "Well, this and jelly tarts, but ya know."
"Figured this was the best way to celebrate your birthday considering the circumstances." Dart added with a small shrug.
"Happy birthday Cas and Cal." Lief said with a soft smile, which the twins returned.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY CASSIA AND CALLUM!!" The tribe yelled, which was the catalyst to the festivities starting in full swing.
~~~TDPMS~~~
On a chilly winter morning, Callum was awoken by a commotion down in the living room.
He groaned as he slowly sat up in his bed and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he yawned and looked around his and Cassia's shared room, only to see that he and Sharpshot were the only ones there. He stretched out his body as he sluggishly got out of bed and shuffled over to his little dragon companion, gently petting him to get him to wake.
In response to his touch, Sharpshot woke up with a big yawn.
"What is it Callum..?" He asked as Callum scooped him up carefully.
"There's something going on downstairs..and it seems like we're the last ones to get up.." The boy said as Sharpshot stretched in his hold then scurried his way to Callum's shoulders as he made his way to the door.
"You think it's something bad..?" The Terror asked in concern, which earned a shrug from the young Haddock in response.
"Don't know.." He admitted as he opened the door and made his way downstairs.
What he saw as the living room came into his line of sight made him pause on the stairs in confusion.
"What the..?"
There were baskets filled with decorations scattered about the floor and couches as his siblings chatted or argued over who got to do what, all seeming to be in a very festive mood. His twin seemed to be the first to notice him as she smiled wide and waved him over.
"Callum, you're awake! Come join us!" She exclaimed giddily.
Callum did as asked and slowly made his way down the rest of the stairs and came to a stop near the couch closest to them.
"What…is all this?" He asked as he picked up some garland from a basket with a raised brow.
"Oh, don't tell me ya don't know what holiday is coming up?" Stoick said with a chuckle.
"Uhhh..Christmas?" Callum guessed, but that earned a glare from Dart, a laugh from Stoick, and concerned looks from Lief and Cassia.
"Close, little brother, but not quite." Lief said, a hint of worry in his voice. "Has no one told you?"
"Told me what?" The youngest Haddock asked in confusion.
Dart groaned as she ran her hand down her face and rubbed the bridge of her nose in irritation. "Odin give me strength..it's Snoggletog you moron.."
"Hey! Don't call him a moron!" Cassia exclaimed with a huff as she puffed out her cheeks with her hands on her hips.
"Snoggletog?" Callum asked, then his eyes widened as he recalled that from a book he read during his time researching the Archipelago before he fled. "Oh rightttt. I totally forgot that's what you guys call it. W-well, what we call it I guess. It's that time of year already?"
Cassia giggled as she made her way over to her twin. "Well of course it is silly."
Callum rubbed his arm in embarrassment as he avoided eye contact. "Guess I just lost track of time.."
"Yeah, by goofing off in the forest all the time." Dart said with an eye roll as she went back to putting up decorations.
"Ah, cut him some slack sis." Stoick said as he wrapped an arm around Dart's shoulders. "He's still adjusting ta everythin'."
Dart glared at him and pushed him off her a little too harshly and tossed the garland she had in hand to the side as she stormed off, slamming the front door behind her as she left. The other triplets winced as she left and Cassia bit her lip as she glanced at the door then between her brothers.
Callum flinched as the door slammed, which earned concerned looks from his siblings.
'Was that moment with her a few months ago just a fluke..?' The hatchling thought as he recalled the time Dart helped him figure out how to apologize to Cassia for scratching her, which luckily did not leave any scars.
"Ah, don't mind her Cal. She's just cranky is all. Has nothin' to do with ya." Stoick said with a wave of his hand.
"Sure seems like it's because of me.." Callum muttered.
Lief made his way over to his little brother and knelt to be eye level with him as he rested a hand on his shoulder when Sharpshot moved his tail out of the way.
"Callum look at me." The hatchling did and Lief smiled softly at him. "Just give her time. She'll come around eventually. Until then, just focus on getting accustomed to things, alright?"
Callum took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright.."
"Oh! I know what can cheer you up!" Cassia said excitedly as she grabbed Callum's hand and dragged him over to a small basket by the fireplace. "Crystal arrangements!"
"Crystal arrangements?"
"Yeah!" Cassia said as she released his hand and dug into the basket, retrieving a handful of little crystals that she then handed to him. "It's our family tradition! Grandma brought these with her from Night Fury Isles when she came to live with Mom and Dad. She made a tradition where we take these crystals and create decorations with them. It can be whatever you want it to be!"
"Huh..whatever I want huh?" Callum said as he looked at the crystals closely.
~~~TDPMS~~~
After about an hour of working on his crystal arrangement, Callum finally finished and looked over his work with a satisfied smile.
Cassia scooted closer to him and looked over his shoulder in curiosity. "Oooo, that looks awesome Cal!"
Callum blushed slightly in embarrassment. "T-thanks Cas.."
"What is it, though?" She asked with a raised brow.
"Oh, uh..it's supposed to be an Adoraburr..I've run into them in the forest a lot..does it not look like one..?" Callum asked worriedly as he looked at the crystal Adoraburr more closely.
"Ohhhhh." Cassia said with a giggle. "No, no, you did good. I just never considered making one out of crystal before. They're not spikey creatures, so I couldn't tell that's what it was. But now that you told me, I can see it. I like it."
Callum smiled as he relaxed, but the smile faded as he looked between his crystal arrangement and his twin. "So uh..now what?"
"Now you get to choose where it goes on the mantle!" Cassia said excitedly as she stood and pulled Callum with her towards the fireplace, ushering him towards it giddily. "Go on!"
Callum stumbled as she pushed him, trying his best to not drop the crystal arrangement as he gained his balance back then he straightened himself and looked at the mantle in thought. Cassia had already put her arrangement up and the others had yet to make their own, but would probably do theirs as they week went on. He glanced up at the tapestry of their parents in their dragon forms with a soft smile, then he went closer to the fireplace and gently placed his crystal Adoraburr directly under his mother's dragon form.
~~~TDPMS~~~
As the week passed, Cassia and their friends made it their mission to make Callum's first Snoggletog one to remember. Mainly by taking him to watch the Dragon Races and the pageant, but also just distracting him with fun in the snow.
As the day of the long awaited holiday was coming to an end, the twins said their goodbyes to their friends and made their way home.
When they arrived, Callum immediately spotted their parents hiding by the fireplace as the rest of the family sat on the couches in the living room waiting patiently for the twins to get back.
"There you are. You're just in time for presents." Revna said with a warm smile as she motioned for the twins to come further into the hut.
Cassia dashed in happily and claimed her spot between their grandmother and Dart on the couch. Callum followed behind and sat between their brothers as Revan stood and gathered some presents from a basket near the fireplace then she proceeded to hand them out from oldest to youngest.
When she made it to Callum, she crouched down in front of him as the others all opened their gifts. She held out his gift with both hands and nodded encouragingly towards it. Callum took it hesitantly, only to gasp in surprise at the weight of it as he struggled slightly to properly take it from her hands, which caused a small laugh to leave Revna's lips.
"Careful little one. It's very old."
At her warning, Callum became very cautious of his movements as he placed it into his lap and slowly unwrapped it. The hatchling then froze with wide eyes as the present came into sight, tears forming in them as he carefully removed all the paper and gripped the present gently.
It was a hilt, but not just any hilt. It was the hilt of his mother's sword Inferno.
"Mom's sword..?" Callum asked quietly as he lifted the hilt and took in the details, pressing the button near the top which caused the blade to release and he made sure to keep his fingers away from the rest of the buttons so he did not accidentally ignite the blade or release gas from the pommel. It looked exactly as it did in all those books he read.
"She would have wanted you to have it, Callum." Revna said with a sombre smile as she sat in front of him as she placed her hands atop his and helped him grasp the hilt properly. "We will train you how to wield it and make sure you are well prepared for what dangers you may face throughout your lifetime. Keep it close, for it will keep her and your father by your side always."
Callum's bottom lip began to quiver as his grip tightened on the hilt and he nodded firmly in understanding. "I promise..it will never leave my side.."
As he felt some tears beginning to fall, he could feel his mother wrapping her arms around his shoulders in a warm embrace from behind as she rested her head atop his as a reassurance that she would always be there for him, even if he was traveling the world as she and her mate had all those years ago.
~~~TDPMS~~~