Footsteps approached from behind.
I turned to see Astrid walking over, axe resting on her shoulder, blue eyes sharp and assessing. She hadn't said much during the chaos, but I could tell she'd been watching—really watching.
She stopped a few feet away and crossed her arms. "You're not from Berk," she said bluntly.
I blinked, then chuckled lightly. "That obvious?"
"You didn't hesitate," she continued. "Not when Ryker showed up. Not when the hunters rushed us. And definitely not when you rode straight into danger on a Speed Stinger." Her gaze flicked briefly to the dragon beside me. "Most people can barely stand near one of those… let alone ride it."
I shrugged, keeping my tone casual. "Guess I'm just good with dragons."
Hiccup limped over then, Toothless padding quietly at his side. He looked between me and Astrid, rubbing the back of his neck. "She's got a point. You stayed calm through all of that. You moved like you already knew how it was going to play out."
For a split second, my stomach tightened—but I didn't let it show.
"I just trusted my instincts," I said. "And my dragon."
The Speed Stinger let out a soft hiss, nudging my shoulder as if agreeing.
Astrid studied me for another long moment before finally huffing. "Well… instincts or not, you saved a lot of dragons today." She smirked faintly. "And you didn't get anyone killed. That counts for something."
Hiccup smiled, relief clear on his face. "Yeah. I'm glad you were here, Austin. I don't think we would've pulled that off without you."
I felt a strange warmth at that—not from the system, not from my stats—but from something more real. Acceptance. Trust.
I glanced down at the Speed Stinger, then back at them. "I'm just getting started."
Astrid raised an eyebrow. "Yeah," she said. "I get the feeling about that."
The wind swept across the plateau, carrying the distant sound of wings and freedom. For now, things were calm—but I knew this was only the beginning.
And somehow… they were starting to realize it too.
And after that, we headed back to the Edge.
Once we arrived, everyone made their way to the main building. The tension from earlier was gone, replaced by easy chatter. The twins bickered as usual, Snotlout bragged about things he barely did, and Fishlegs rambled on about dragons with sparkling eyes. Hiccup listened with a small smile, occasionally adding a comment while Toothless lounged nearby.
I stayed mostly quiet, letting the noise wash over me. When things finally began to wind down and everyone prepared to head to bed, I lingered behind for a moment.
I turned to the Speed Stinger beside me. He lifted his head, red eyes locking onto mine, alert and calm. I reached out slowly, resting a hand against his scales.
"From now on," I said softly, a small smile forming on my face, "your name is Viper."
The Speed Stinger let out a low, approving sound, nudging his head against my shoulder as if accepting it. Something settled in my chest at that moment—a quiet certainty.
With that, we headed off to rest.
Tomorrow would bring new challenges, but whatever came next, I wouldn't face it alone.
In the morning, a soft noise pulled me from my sleep. I opened my eyes and nearly jumped when I saw Toothless staring right at me, his large green eyes inches from my face.
"Uh… hey there," I muttered, sitting up. "What's wrong?"
Toothless huffed quietly, then turned and began walking away, glancing back to make sure I was following. I sighed, rubbing my face, and stood up. Viper lifted his head as I passed, watching me go but staying behind.
Toothless led me straight to Hiccup's cabin. As soon as I stepped inside, I saw Hiccup pacing back and forth, eyes wide, hands moving as he muttered excitedly to himself while hovering over the Dragon Eye.
"…the alignment doesn't make sense unless it's reacting to something—no, that can't be right—unless—"
He froze when he noticed me. His shoulders relaxed, and he let out a breath, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Oh—hey. Sorry. I get a little… carried away."
I gave a small smile and looked at the Dragon Eye in his hands. It was glowing faintly, its strange symbols shifting slowly.
Hiccup looked at me more seriously now. "You've been… different since you showed up," he said carefully. "You knew about the Speed Stinger. About how to handle it. About things you really shouldn't."
He hesitated, then asked, "Do you know anything else about the Dragon Eye?"
I felt my heart skip. I knew everything about it—what it was, what it could do, what secrets it would reveal. This was one of those moments where a single choice could change everything.
I glanced at Toothless, then back at Hiccup, thinking fast about how much I could say… and how much I should keep to myself.
I looked him straight in the eyes and nodded. "Yeah… I do. I know a lot more."
The change in Hiccup was immediate.
He stopped pacing. His grip on the Dragon Eye tightened, and his posture straightened like he was bracing for impact. "How?" he asked, voice low but sharp. "How do you know so much about the Dragon Eye?"
For a split second, the truth almost slipped out. About the system. About the future. About how this world was a story I once knew by heart.
Instead, I met his gaze and gave him something he could believe.
"My family used to work for the people who made it."
The room went silent.
Hiccup blinked. "The people who made it?" he repeated slowly.
I nodded. "Not directly on the Dragon Eye itself… but close enough to know what it was meant for. The Dragon Eye isn't just a map. It's a key. A tool designed to react to dragons—specific ones—and reveal information only when it thinks the user is worthy."
Hiccup's eyes lit up despite himself. "I knew it," he breathed. "I knew it was more than just markings."
Toothless leaned closer, sniffing the Dragon Eye before snorting softly, as if unimpressed.
"There are symbols you haven't activated yet," I continued carefully. "They won't respond unless the Eye is exposed to the right kind of dragon fire—or plasma."
Hiccup looked down at Toothless, then back at me, excitement bubbling over. "So you're saying… there's more hidden in it. A lot more."
"Yeah," I said quietly. "And some of it is dangerous. The kind of knowledge people like the dragon hunters would kill for."
That wiped the excitement right off his face.
Hiccup swallowed. "Then we have to be careful. If what you're saying is true…"
"It is," I said. "And if we're not careful, the wrong people are going to figure it out."
And deep down, I knew this was the moment everything started to change