Chapter 24 – Training Dragons and Taming Chaos
A week had passed since peace had finally been made with the dragons. On the surface, the village had begun to settle—at least, that's what most people wanted to believe. The truth, however, was far from peaceful.
Thor sat on the rooftop of his home, holding Shiro gently in his arms. The cool morning breeze whispered through his long white hair, brushing it back from his face as if nature itself were greeting him. Shiro lay quietly, her silver eyes half-closed as she nestled into his embrace. He slowly patted her head, fingers moving in soft, circular motions. She let out a small, contented sigh, her tail flicking lazily.
Moments like this were rare—serene, quiet, untouched by the chaos below. But Thor knew better than to be fooled.
"We've got a new problem now," Thor muttered under his breath, his voice barely louder than the wind. His gaze sharpened as it shifted to the village square. "They're dragons… not dogs."
From his elevated perch, he had a perfect view of the mayhem below. Villagers darted between buildings and carts, trying to avoid tails swinging like wrecking balls, or jets of dragon fire accidentally igniting rooftops. The sounds of flapping wings, startled goats, and shouting Vikings mixed into an overwhelming symphony of disorder.
One dragon, a rather large and curious Monstrous Nightmare, was chewing on someone's roof beams. Another knocked over a cabbage cart, sending green vegetables flying like missiles across the street. Worst of all, several dragons had apparently decided rooftops were suitable bathrooms.
A loud, echoing shout rang out from the square, slicing through the morning air.
"THREE HOURS!! I JUST TOOK A BATH!!"
Thor winced slightly as he saw a poor Viking sprinting toward a water barrel, now dripping with dragon droppings. The man didn't hesitate—he dove in headfirst, arms flailing.
Thor shook his head, exhaling heavily through his nose. "Yeah… definitely not sustainable."
He adjusted Shiro in his arms, cradling her gently before hopping off the roof with an agile twist. His feet landed with barely a sound. As he stepped into his house, he glanced around at the familiar interior—wooden beams, weapon racks, and half-finished scrolls detailing merged worlds scattered on the table.
"This can't keep going," he said, more to himself than anyone else. "Before I leave with Shiro to explore how many worlds have merged into this one—and to grow stronger—I have to help Hiccup figure this out. These dragons need to learn how to live with us… and we need to learn how to live with them."
More shouting echoed from outside—followed by a loud crash. Thor didn't hesitate. With a quiet determination in his eyes, he stepped back outside and walked through the cobbled streets, moving swiftly toward the village's training grounds. He had to find his brother.
---
On the far end of the village, laughter rang out—unusual, considering the state of things.
Hiccup was leaning against a log, surrounded by his closest friends—Fishlegs, Snotlout, the ever-chaotic twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut, and of course, Astrid. The group had taken advantage of a rare lull in the madness to relax. Above them, their dragons flew in wide arcs across the sky, wings spread wide as they enjoyed their own freedom.
The moment didn't last long.
Suddenly, a bolt of brilliant white lightning ripped across the sky, accompanied by a thunderous BOOM that shook the ground beneath their feet.
Hiccup's eyes shot upward. "What the—?"
He blinked, recognizing the unmistakable energy. "Thor?"
Thor never came to their training sessions. He didn't need to—Shiro's supernatural speed and his own overwhelming strength placed him far above routine drills. So his arrival now, unannounced and uninvited, meant something serious was going on.
Shiro landed first, her wings gliding on the wind with precision. As her feet touched the earth, white sparks danced around her form, and she began to glow. The transformation was seamless—within seconds, the powerful dragon had reverted into her human form, a small girl with silver hair and sharp eyes that shimmered with power.
Before she could take a step, Astrid rushed forward and pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Shiro!! I missed you!"
Thor raised an eyebrow at the scene. "What, no hug for me?"
Astrid glanced back with a playful smirk. "Come by my house later and I'll give you all the hugs you want. But for now—let me play with Shiro."
Thor chuckled awkwardly, running a hand through his hair as he watched them. A strange warmth filled his chest. At least they get along… he thought. What more could I ask for?
Turning away from the heartwarming scene, he approached Hiccup with a serious expression and crossed his arms.
"We need to talk."
Hiccup's smile faded, replaced by concern. "What's wrong?"
Thor exhaled slowly. "The dragons. It's chaos out there. We have to do something."
Hiccup nodded grimly. "Yeah… I thought things would get easier after we stopped killing dragons."
"They're living creatures with instincts," Thor said. "You need to find a way to make those instincts useful to the village. And more importantly—you need to start training them properly."
Hiccup scratched his chin, eyes drifting upward as he mulled it over. In the sky, Stormfly darted after a wild sheep, screeching excitedly. Meatlug, ever the clumsy one, tried to land and instead smashed through a chicken coop, sending birds squawking in every direction. Toothless, meanwhile, swooped down near a fountain and scared two children, who immediately dove behind some barrels. A Gronckle had decided the middle of the road was a perfect nap spot, blocking a line of angry merchants.
"What do dragons do… that could actually help us?" Hiccup asked aloud.
Thor shrugged, his tone calm but firm. "That's for you to figure out, brother. But until then, I'm sticking around to help."
Hiccup looked over his shoulder. The others were all watching now, quiet and curious. Astrid still held Shiro's hand, smiling at the two brothers with a kind, understanding look.
Ruffnut suddenly raised her hand. "I mean… Gronckles poop rocks, right? Can we use that?"
Tuffnut added without hesitation, "Yeah! Explosive Gronckle poop! That's gotta be useful for something!"
A long, stunned silence followed.
Fishlegs, adjusting his glasses, muttered thoughtfully, "Actually… there might be a scientific application to that…"
Thor groaned and dragged a hand down his face. "This is going to take longer than I thought."