For a moment, neither of them moved.
Simba, still nestled in Lucian's arms, gave a soft chirp and shifted restlessly, ears twitching toward the strange dragon across from them.
Toothless stepped forward cautiously, nostrils flaring as he sniffed the air between them. His muscles were coiled not aggressive, just alert, reading the situation.
"Ahem." Hiccup cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck as he dropped the awkward hand he'd half-raised in greeting. "Didn't expect to see you here. Haha…"
Lucian arched a brow. "I could say the same."
There was a beat of silence. Hiccup tapped a hand against his hip, glanced sideways toward where Scauldy had been earlier, and asked, "So… uhmm… you've got a dragon too, huh?"
Lucian looked at the sea, then back at him. "Something like that."
Another pause. Simba tilted his head in confusion at the odd atmosphere. Even Toothless shifted on his feet.
Hiccup exhaled with a sigh, giving up the awkward posturing. "Okay, seriously, what am I doing—let's stop this weird tension. Right."
He gestured to the Night Fury beside him. "This is Toothless. Say hi, bud."
Toothless gave a low, friendly growl, his ear-fins perking up as he tilted his head curiously.
Lucian shook his head, a faint smile pulling at his lips. "This is Simba."
Simba perked up proudly at his name and puffed out his little mane, letting out a confident baby roar that came out more like a hiccup.
Hiccup couldn't help a chuckle. "He's… wow. Cute. And weird. In a cool way."
Lucian smirked. "Don't be fooled by the fluff. He bites."
Hiccup crouched a little to get a better look, his curiosity lighting up. "Okay, hang on. Wait. He has paws. And fins. And… are those gills on his neck?"
"Yup."
"And a lion's mane that looks like sea foam—does he breathe underwater?"
"He does."
"But also walks on land?"
Lucian nodded. "Yeah, but he hates sand in his fur, though."
Hiccup's eyes widened in amazement. "That's interesting. What even is he?"
Lucian shrugged with a faint smirk. "A Merlion."
Hiccup blinked, fascinated. "I've read about hybrid creatures in the old scrolls, but this… this is something else."
Simba reached forward cautiously and sniffed at Hiccup's hand. The Viking slowly extended his fingers, and Simba gave them an experimental lick before chirping again and leaning into the touch.
Hiccup lit up. "You're adorable, aren't you?"
He gently reached out and scratched behind Simba's ear, earning a pleased chirp from the cub.
Then Hiccup glanced up at Lucian, hesitating for a beat before asking, "So… uh, about earlier. That tailfin? And the water thing?"
Lucian folded his arms loosely. "You saw it."
"I think I saw it. Kind of hard to believe." Hiccup tilted his head. "You're… a mermaid?"
"Technically, half. I've still got legs, remember?"
Lucian pointed down at his feet.
"Right. Can't argue with evidence," Hiccup muttered, still trying to process.
Lucian took a slow step closer to Toothless, lifting a hand without hesitation. "It's okay," he said softly, voice calm. "I'm a friend."
Toothless tilted his head, eyes narrowing with cautious curiosity. After a pause, he leaned in, letting his snout brush against Lucian's palm.
"There you go" Lucian smiled and gently scratched behind the dragon's ear-like nubs. Toothless gave a low, contented rumble, his body relaxing slightly.
"You really like dragons, huh?" Hiccup observed, impressed.
"Maybe," Lucian replied, his eyes drifting to the contraption attached to Toothless's tail as recognition flickered there it was: the leatherwork, the gears, the tweaks they'd worked on together.
He smirked. "So much for that doll excuse."
Hiccup followed his gaze, then laughed when realization hit. "Yeah, okay. Not my finest cover story. But hey—you get it, right?"
Lucian nodded. "I do."
"They're not just beasts," Hiccup said, resting a hand on Toothless's side. "They're intelligent, loyal… and honestly, misunderstood for far too long. I want the world to see them for who they really are."
"Is that why you're here?" Lucian asked.
"Kind of," Hiccup admitted. "I also… wanted to see if there are more like Toothless. Other Night Furies."
A quiet moment passed. Then Toothless, still watching Simba, leaned in closer. The merlion cub blinked up at the towering dragon, unbothered.
With surprising boldness, Simba stretched out a paw and gently booped Toothless on the nose.
Everyone froze.
"Toothless—?" Hiccup tensed, unsure how he'd react.
Toothless recoiled slightly then sneezed.
Simba squeaked and dove behind Lucian's leg in panic.
Lucian laughed under his breath as he crouched and rubbed Simba. "You're a scaredy-cat, aren't you?"
Hiccup glanced at Lucian and asked, "So… what about you? What brings you here?"
Lucian shrugged. "Same reason, but in a different way."
Hiccup studied him for a second but didn't press. He simply nodded. "Right. Then I guess we both have something to uncover."
Lucian looked toward the forested cliffs rising inland. The market was just beyond.
"Well then," he said, turning slightly. "Let's see what this market has in store for us."
---
Trader Johann's ship eased into the bustling harbor, its sails folding like wings as it docked. Even before the gangplank hit the wood, Snotlout was already strutting down it.
"Ah, smell that? That's the scent of opportunity. And possibly fish. But mostly opportunity."
"This place is… incredible," Fishlegs muttered as he carefully stepped down, eyes darting in every direction.
The teens stood at the edge of the dock. Pirates swaggered in scarlet bandanas, sailors shouted orders while hauling crates, and merchants loudly peddled everything from spices to enchanted charms. Mercenaries in armors weaved through the crowd, followed by grim-faced vikings. Smoke, salt, and the scent of exotic food hung thick in the air.
"This is AMAZING," Tuffnut declared, spinning with arms out. "Do you smell that? That's the stench of mystery."
"I think that's rotting sea cucumber," Ruffnut replied. "Still great."
Fishlegs clutched his satchel. "I don't even know where to look first. This place is insane…"
Astrid kept her stance alert. "We stick together and keep our eyes open."
As they passed a cluster of merchant tents, Fishlegs slowed, frowning. A group of rough-looking sailors wearing tattered coats and red bandanas were unloading crates from a battered black ship. They moved quickly, eyes constantly flicking toward the crowd. One of them subtly handed off a pouch to a man in a hood, who disappeared into the alley.
"Anyone else getting the 'we're definitely smuggling something' vibe?" Fishlegs muttered.
"I was literally just thinking that," Astrid whispered back.
"Hey, what are we whispering for?" Tuffnut asked as he got closer to Astrid and Fishlegs—while whispering.
"I don't know, maybe because it's fun," Ruffnut whispered, making Astrid facepalm.
Then a noble-looking ship pulled into port, catching everyone's attention. Its blue and gold sails rippled as a line of knights descended from the deck. In their center walked a young man with dark hair and a polished coat.
"Now that's fancy," Snotlout said. "Who brings that many bodyguards to a market?"
"Probably someone who doesn't want to get stabbed," Astrid replied.
Fishlegs then turned as another vessel came into view a broader, sturdier ship bearing the carved crest of two interlocked bears on its hull.
Fishlegs gasped. "That's… the DunBroch crest!"
The others turned in unison.
"Huh, how odd," Snotlout said. "Why would DunBroch be here?"
"I don't know," Astrid muttered, her eyes narrowing. "But something big is definitely about to happen."
Before they could investigate further, Ruffnut pointed across the port. "Hey. Look at that."
A red-sailed ship docked, and several burly men began pulling cages onto the pier. Inside were dragons dozens of them muzzled and chained. The largest cage rattled violently as something inside thrashed.
And for a split second, they saw it, black scales, a flash of orange eyes, and a roar muffled by bars.
Fishlegs stepped back. "That's… that's a Night Fury…"
"Looks like what Trader Johann said is true," Astrid said.
---
Meanwhile, just a few docks down, three cloaked figures disembarked from a crowded passenger ship. Flynn Rider was holding a map as he walked.
"Alright, we docked at Pier Seven… which means the treasure trail starts…" He turned—straight into a dwarf carrying a stack of crates.
"Hey! Watch it, string bean!" the dwarf snapped, waddling off in a huff.
Flynn barely caught his balance. "Okay, wow. Rude."
Before they could continue, Flynn turned the corner and smacked directly into someone solid.
Bam!!
Both figures bounced back with startled grunts. One hit the ground with a thud.
"Hey, watch it!" Flynn snapped, steadying himself.
"Excuse me?" the noble said, brushing dust off his clothes. He was flanked instantly by a pair of armored knights.
One of them stepped forward. "Do you know who you just bumped into?"
Flynn raised a brow, annoyed but still cautious. "Nope. Should I?"
"This is Prince Eric—"
"That's enough," Eric interrupted, holding up a hand. "It was an accident." He looked Flynn over, frowning. "You alright?"
Flynn blinked, caught off guard. "Uh… yeah. Thanks." He accepted the help and stood.
Eric nodded back. "Next time, try not to walk blindly into people."
"Well, I might. But also try not to stand in the middle of the road," Flynn shot back with a slight smirk as he and the other two brushed past Eric.
"You commo—" The other guards started to move, but Eric put a hand on one of their shoulders and shook his head. "No need."
______
[Trivia: Did you know? There's a popular fan theory suggesting that the Stabbington Brothers from Disney's Tangled are actually the older brothers of Prince Hans from Frozen. This theory stems from their physical similarities and is supported by details from A Frozen Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick, where Hans is said to have twelve brothers—including a pair of twins!]