Break of dawn, if you ask me, the most peaceful time of day.

I'm Scorch, why you ask? What kind of name is that for a boy?

Well, let me tell you,

I'm not a boy.

In fact, if you think about it, I'm as far as you can get from human, think black scales, wings, big teeth and claws.

Possibly the only thing connecting us is our intelligence.

I flew silently, high in the skies and protected by the overcasting, dark and murky clouds.

If anyone looked up, they wouldn't see a single thing, let alone an entire night fury.

Yup, gasp in awe and bow down, for I am the legendary night fury.

I sighed as I flew, my wings beating steadily and I adjusted my tail, lifting up slightly to avoid a patch of clear sky.

No one must know about dragons, if one of us is seen, the hunting would start, it would be worse than the witch hunting in Europe a few hundred years ago, especially if they found out about... Our abilities.

Many many years ago, dragons lived everywhere, befriending the humans known as Vikings. In fact, my ancestor was the Alpha, and partner to the great Dragon master, and chief of an island known as Berk, which was the birthplace of dragon riding.

Of course. If my ancestor could see us dragons now, it would be the greatest of shame to him, we have been reduced to hiding, many dragon Hatchlings don't even know of their heritage until their fifteenth birthday, the day they get their scale.

Let me explain, many years ago, not long after the Dragon master's reign, all dragons disappeared, people stopped believing that they ever existed, even though as a young child they stroked a nadder's tail, watched a monstrous nightmare catch on fire, and fed a terrible terror.

Of course, dragons simply do not "disappear".

We fled, the world was changing, human greed had become the new chief, and we knew that we would be their tools for fame and glory.

So we left.

We hid in caves, ravines, under the deepest oceans and hid in the highest mountains.

After many years, and no one knew how, the dragons started evolving at an incredible rate.

Four thousand and eighty years later, we had discovered the ability to change into humans and back again.

Another ten hundred years later, eggs bore human children, who, at the age of fifteen, gained a scale, it appeared on their bodies overnight, a mark of their heritage. It was only then that they could change into their dragon forms.

Then Dragons started breeding with humans, and they became rarer and rarer, now, only one out of two hundred humans will be born with this gift.

And as our bloodlines grew dim and twisted, the only way I knew of the great Dragon master and his night fury was of the stories my friends told me.

My scale was on the side of my shoulder, it was almost an oval with a small bit cut out of it, moulded into my skin.

Obviously, my luck was that in my night fury form I was majestic and great, but as a human I was what most would call weedy, I was slight and most who saw me thought I was a pickpocket and gripped their wallets tight.

I wasnt tall, and I wasnt stocky, I was a fifteen year old miniaturised talking fishbone. With pale skin, green eyes and black hair.

I saw the city I was looking for, I heard that every Sunday on his way home from church the mayor passed through the city square, and I intended to be there.

I flew down quickly and silently, landing in a tall pine near the city and changed quickly, my clothes appeared on me as I changed, a leather jacket and strong black jeans, and light brown leather hiking boots.

I clambered easily down the tree and, picking up my fire sticks wrapped in a thick canvas cloth I'd been carrying with me as I flew, hitched it over my back and made my way to the empty city.

Finally I heard the bell strike ten, the time that the church service ended.

I cleared a space and set down my canvas cover over the concrete, 'come up! Come up!' I called at the top of my voice, 'watch the amazing Scorch, the greatest fire breather this side of america!'

I caught a few peoples attention and they crowded around.

'Hey, give me some space, I don't want anyone getting burned!' I called.

I leaned down and grabbed my fire stick, which was a normal stick except for the canvas wrapped around both ends.

'Hold on! You ain't sayin' you's gonna be the one's who's gonna be a'doin all this!" Someone in the crowd shouted.

'You sure as hell I am,' I called back, then leaning back and holding the stick up, I breathed a soft plume of blue fire, lighting up the one side of the stick. The people awed and I smirked, then I started spinning it round until it looked like a flaming wheel, then I blew a much stronger stream of blue fire through it, making people cheer, then I took the flaming end of the stick and fitted it whole in my mouth, several people gasped and I took it out again, the flame out, I heard someone sigh in relief and then I shot two bursts of fire at both ends of the stick, lighting it on either end.

The people cheered and I threw it into the air, it spun high, and I did a spectacular jump, catching it, then before I barely even hit the ground I did a backward somersault. Still spinning the fire stick, before landing on one foot with one end of the stick in my mouth.

The crowd was bigger now, and everyone cheered, I narrowed my eyes, the mayor should be here by now. I did a flip with the stick flying through the air and caught it.

After a while, I started getting tired, where Is the mayor?

Then when the city square clock striked the half hour, I gave up and carried on with my finale.

I spun the stick, slamming both ends into the ground, putting it out, then relit the one end. I plucked a container from my belt, I blew on the metal box until it was slightly red, which only took a few seconds.

I opened the container, inside was boiling hot candle wax.

I spun on one foot, the wax going flying, then as I spun I lit the wax.

There was a huge whoomph and a huge turret of flame shot up as high as a house, engulfing me and my canvas sheet.

Almost everyone screamed and then a few gasped and cheered, many cried as they saw the flames die down with me still intact and unburnt.

'Behold Scorch the Flame breather!' I called. 'Thank you, you have been an amazing audience, goodbye and please watch again!'

And with that I rolled up my canvas sheet and fire stick and walked away, disappearing into the crowd.

I walked into the forest that surrounded the city, when I was deep enough I kicked a pebble angrily, it flew though the air and hit a boulder, cracking it.

'Arg!' I yelled out. 'That could have been my big break! And now it was all for nothing because that stupid mayor couldn't be bothered to drive through his own city!'

I dropped to the ground and sighed, blue flames leaking from my nostrils.

'Then again,' I mused, 'if it wasn't for my powers I wouldnt even have anything to show that idiotic mayor.'

I sighed and stood up, the sun was rising fast, and I'd need a camp by nightfall, I sighed and got to work.

Hey guys, so, this is my third attempt at a how to train your dragon fic, I haven't planned the details yet but if you like it then please just click that like button, it would really boost my confidence for this book.
If you have any ideas for filler chapters please PM me and I'll welcome all comments or ideas. (If it helps this story's time is the 21'st century)
LOL Starpapers.