Training?

Lucian woke up with a long yawn, the early morning sunlight filtering through the window of his small hut. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up, stretching his arms above his head until his joints popped.

"Another day," he muttered, rolling his shoulders.

Like clockwork, he got up and began his usual morning routine—one he had followed religiously in his past life. After a few warm-up stretches, he stepped outside into the crisp morning air and started jogging through the village path.

The cool sea breeze brushed against his skin as he picked up his pace, his feet hitting the earth with practiced rhythm. As he jogged past the villagers, a few of them paused what they were doing to wave or greet him.

"Good morning, dragon slayer!" one of them called with a grin.

Lucian chuckled lightly, waving back. "Good morning."

Another villager, an older woman tending to some baskets of fish, nodded at him. "You handled that dragon yesterday like a true warrior."

He offered a polite smile. "Just lucky, I guess."

He continued his run, heading uphill toward the high ground overlooking the village. When he finally stopped, his breath came out in a steady rhythm, not even winded. From this vantage point, the entire village sprawled out below smoke rising gently from chimneys, children chasing each other near the huts, and Vikings already hard at work. It was peaceful.

Lucian took a deep breath of the salty breeze and closed his eyes for a moment.

"Haaah... this fresh air is really something else," he said to himself.

But then something caught his attention, movement near the harbor. Vikings were gathering in groups, loading food, weapons, and supplies onto several longships.

"Huh?" Lucian narrowed his eyes. "What are they doing?"

Before he could ponder further, a voice called out from behind him.

"They're getting ready to leave."

Lucian turned around and saw Hiccup walking up the hill, wearing his Viking helmet and a small round shield strapped to his arm.

"They're heading out to find the Dragon Island," Hiccup explained, nodding toward the harbor.

Lucian blinked.

Hiccup gave him a sheepish smile and offered a casual wave. "Morning, by the way."

"Morning." Lucian nodded back, then turned his gaze back to the ships. "Why go to the Dragon Island?"

"To find the nest," Hiccup said, his voice a little quieter now. "If we destroy it, the dragons might stop attacking. Maybe even leave for good."

Lucian hummed thoughtfully.

Hiccup hesitated, then looked at him with a slightly guilty expression. "Hey, uh… Sorry for dumping the shop on you yesterday. I know it wasn't exactly exciting."

Lucian gave a small smirk. "Don't worry about it. I actually had fun. Learned a few things, too."

Hiccup relaxed, clearly relieved.

Lucian took a step back, eyeing the rising sun then glanced at Hiccup's gear. "By the way… You're geared up. What's with the full outfit? You look ready for battle."

Hiccup laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Dragon training is today, so that's why"

"Ah… right." Lucian then started jogging in place, warming his legs again. "Anyway, I'll head back first before training starts."

"Wait—so you're joining us?" Hiccup blinked.

Lucian nodded. "Yeah. Your dad wants me to earn the village's trust. Figured this is a good place to start."

Hiccup grinned. "Well… good luck."

Lucian gave a casual wave as he jogged back downhill.

__________

The heavy wooden gates creaked open, sunlight spilling across the training arena. Gobber stood proudly in the center, his prosthetic hand gleaming in the light as a group of Viking teens shuffled inside, some nervous, others clearly excited.

"Welcome to Dragon Training!" Gobber bellowed, his voice echoing off the stone walls.

A blonde girl with a braid running down her back cracked her neck, arms crossed as she smirked. "No turning back now."

Tuffnut and Ruffnut followed close behind, radiating chaotic energy.

"I hope I get some serious burns!" Tuffnut said eagerly.

"I'm hoping for a good mauling—maybe on my shoulder or lower back," Ruffnut added, grinning wildly.

"Yeah, it's only fun if you get a scar out of it," Astrid said in a deadpan tone.

Just then, Hiccup slipped in through the side entrance, trying hard to look casual.

"Yeah, no kidding, right? Pain. Love it," he said dryly.

"Oh, great. Who let him in?" Tuffnut groaned under his breath.

Gobber clapped his hands together. "Let's get started! Whoever performs best wins the honor of killing their first dragon in front of the entire village!"

"Hiccup already killed a Night Fury, so, does that disqualify him or...?" Snotlout sneered, jabbing a thumb at him.

"Can I transfer to the class with the cool Vikings?" Tuffnut whined.

Gobber waved the comment off, turning to Hiccup. "Don't worry. You're small and weak. That'll make you less of a target! They'll think you're sick or insane and aim for someone more... Viking-y."

Before anyone could respond, another figure entered through the gates—a tall, composed young man in simple clothes. Gobber's eyes lit up.

"Well, looks like you're here after all."

He turned back to the group and began gesturing. "Alright, listen up!"

Then, pointing to the newcomer, he paused. "And this is ahhh..." Gobber leaned toward the young man and whispered, "What's your name again, lad?"

"Lucian."

"Right! Everyone, this is Lucian."

Gobber introduced him to the others with casual bluntness. "The fat one is Fishlegs. The peacock over there is Snotlout. The insane twins are Ruffnut and Tuffnut... and that's Astrid."

Tuffnut squinted at Lucian, nudging Astrid and whispering loudly, "Isn't that the guy who saved you from that dragon?"

Astrid didn't answer. Instead, she elbowed Tuffnut hard in the ribs.

"Ow—okay, fine!"

Snotlout crossed his arms. "Hold up, didn't he already kill a Monstrous Nightmare? Why's he even here?"

"He's not here to kill dragons," Gobber clarified. "He's not one of the regular recruits. He's just here to learn the ropes—and maybe not get roasted in the process."

Lucian said nothing, offering only a respectful nod to the others. Internally, however, several prompts popped into view before him.

---

[Ding! You have met a special character: Astrid.]

[You have obtained a Special Blind Box.]

[Ding! You have met a special character: Fishlegs.]

[You have obtained a Rare Blind Box.]

[Ding! You have met a special character: Snotlout.]

[You have obtained a Rare Blind Box.]

---

And the notifications continued, but Lucian ignored them for now.

"Now then," Gobber said, a grin tugging at his lips, "behind these doors are just a few of the dragons you'll learn to fight! The Deadly Nadder!"

"Speed: eight. Armor: sixteen," Fishlegs recited immediately.

"The Hideous Zippleback!"

"Plus eleven stealth. Times two heads!" Fishlegs added without missing a beat.

"The Monstrous Nightmare!"

"Firepower: fifteen!"

"The Terrible Terror!"

"Attack: eight. Venom: twelve."

"CAN YOU STOP THAT?!" Gobber barked.

Fishlegs blinked. "Sorry…"

"And finally... the Gronckle!"

Fishlegs leaned in with a whisper. "Jaw strength: eight."

"Whoa, whoa, wait!" Snotlout raised a hand. "Aren't you gonna teach us anything first?"

"I believe in learning on the job!" Gobber said, yanking a lever.

A massive Gronckle burst from its cage, flapping lazily as it swallowed a rock and launched a fiery blast toward the teens.

"Today's about survival!" Gobber shouted. "If you get blasted—you're dead! What's the first thing you need?"

"A doctor?!" Hiccup called.

"Plus five speed?!" Fishlegs guessed.

"A shield!" Astrid snapped confidently.

"Correct! SHIELDS! GO!"

The teens scrambled toward the shield rack. Tuffnut shoved Ruffnut aside.

"Back off, that's mine!"

"There's like, ten other shields!" Ruffnut snapped back.

"Take that one, it has a flower. Girls like flowers," Tuffnut said, pointing at a nearby shield.

Ruffnut picked it up and smacked it against Tuffnut's head.

"Oops. Now this one has blood on it."

BANG!!

A fireball blasted them both, sending them flying, smoke rising from their singed shields. They hit the ground, dazed.

"Tuffnut, Ruffnut—you're OUT!" Gobber yelled.

He banged his hook against the cage bars. "Remember, those shields are good for another thing: noise! Many dragons have keen senses. Make lots of it to throw off a dragon's aim!"

Lucian swiftly grabbed a shield and clanged it loudly, the noise causing the Gronckle to hesitate in mid-attack.

"How many shots does a Gronckle have?" Gobber called.

"Five?"

"No, six!" Fishlegs corrected.

"Correct!" Gobber grinned. "That's one for each of you—not counting Lucian."

BANG!!

A blast knocked Fishlegs' shield from his hands. He bolted, screaming. "AHHHHH!!!"

"Fishlegs, OUT!"

Hiccup ducked behind a broken plank.

"Hiccup! Get in there!" Gobber shouted.

Meanwhile, Snotlout turned to Astrid. "Hey, so I'm moving into my parents' basement. You should swing by sometime to—"

BANG!!

A fireball exploded near him, sending him sprawling.

"Snotlout! OUT!"

Only Lucian, Hiccup, and Astrid remained.

"So… just us three?" Hiccup asked nervously.

Astrid shook her head. "Nope." She turned and ran.

The Gronckle charged another blast.

"Focus!" Lucian said, stepping in front of Hiccup with his shield raised. "Get distracted in battle—you die."

He discarded his scorched shield and snatched the one Snotlout had dropped, banging it with his sword to create more noise.

"ONE SHOT LEFT!" Gobber shouted.

The Gronckle spun, dazed and disoriented, before locking eyes on Hiccup again.

"HICCUP!" Gobber called, running forward. The dragon fired. Gobber blocked the fireball with his prosthetic hook, yanking the Gronckle's head just enough for it to miss. The blast scorched the arena wall.

Panting, Gobber shoved the dragon back into its cage. "And that's six! Back to bed, ya overgrown sausage."

He turned to the singed, wide-eyed teens. "You'll get another chance. But remember—a dragon will always... ALWAYS... go for the kill."

He clapped his hands. "Alright, chop chop! Class dismissed!"

Groaning and sighing, the teens dispersed.

As Gobber started to leave, Lucian approached him.

"Hey… Gobber, you mind if I stop by your forge later? I'd like to learn smithing."

Gobber raised an eyebrow. "Smithing? Why?"

Lucian gave a small shrug. "Curiosity, mostly."

In truth, he wanted to experiment with the blacksmith knowledge from the mysterious box he'd received. But he kept that detail to himself.

Gobber chuckled. "Sure. We'll see what you're made of."

As Lucian turned to leave, Astrid stepped up beside him, her normally stoic face softening.

"Hey," she said, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I… just wanted to say thanks. For yesterday. You didn't have to step in."

Lucian offered a small, genuine smile. "Didn't seem right to stand by."

She paused. "Astrid Hofferson."

"Lucian Westergaard," he replied. "Nice to meet you."

Before she could say more, Gobber shouted from down the path, "Hey, lad! You coming or not?!"

Lucian nodded politely. "See you around."

He jogged after Gobber, leaving Astrid watching him with a thoughtful expression.

Tuffnut, now back on his feet and still woozy, leaned toward her. "Ohhhh… love on the battlefield…"

Without a word, Astrid spun and punched him square in the helmet.

CLANG.

Tuffnut staggered, dazed. "Worth it," he mumbled, before collapsing again.