Well, it's about a boy named Bash. He was a stowaway on a merchant ship headed to the north. The captain thought that the raiders were just a myth just to make merchants dock at an out-of-the-way port and sailed through the narrow path.
Bash was discovered and dragged to the head of the ship to be thrown off.
A group of raiders appeared from a sudden fog that enveloped the ship. From the fog, a figure appeared as a haze of fire. An older red headed woman with hair made of fire attacked from the mist.
She and her raiders took supplies from the ship and kidnapped Bash. She grabbed the boy and jumped off the side of the ship and onto a dragon.
They took him to their village located on a high plateau. The only way to reach it would be to fly. One of the raiders was a boy Bash's age named Threash. Thresth had a water dragon named Riptide and was also a kid that was taken into the village. He wanted Bash to stay more then anyone else.
The woman who was the leader of the group was named Valka the IV. She was the ruler of the village and was willing to let Bash stay if he wanted to. He would have to live by their ways and their way was with dragons.
After going through the basics of dragon training it becomes clear that Bash is no Hiccup. He wasn't patient or gentle. He wasn't clever or inventive. He wasn't good with dragons at all.
But Valka and her softhearted husband Oralan never gave up on him. When it was time they sent Bash off to find the dragon for him. It was a trial and only by taming a dragon could he return to the village. Bash wanted to just run away and find a port and take a ship south. He however didn't want to leave those he had become friends with behind.
After a week he took shelter in a cave. He wasn't fond of potential cave dragons but the storm outside wouldn't care.
That's where he meets a Nightfury.
Nightfuries left the island after the death of the first nightfury rider and his partner passed. No one else was able to bond with them and out of respect many never tried. So they left. No one had found them since.
This nightfury had a pattern of white marks that looked like it was a skeleton. His strikes looked like ribs and his head like a bleached dragon skull. In the dark cave where black scales blended in it looked like a skeleton dragon had appeared to haunt him.
Bash was not happy to meet him since the dragon immediately ate his food without hesitation.
"Oi! Get your nose out of my bag!" He shouted.
The boy and the dragon ended up in a wrestling match over the bag but the dragon had won as he finished off the last of Bash's supplies.
There was a lot of yelling but eventually Bash gave up.
He pulled out his notebook and reviewed his scribbled notes. He was still trying to learn to read and write but Oralan had helped him with simple words. He had hoped to leave a final note to them before he disappeared. He wasn't meant to be a dragon rider, clearly. He can't even get this bonehead to listen.
"No Bash. Be gentle with her. Warden may have rough skin but she is still sensitive. All dragons are." He said as Bash tried to ride with the Sentinel.
"I can't do this." Bash sighed "I don't know what I'm doing wrong."
"I know what your teacher is trying to tell you is hard for you to understand. But...every dragon is different. Maybe a Sentinel isn't your type but there is a dragon out there for you. Even someone as spirited as my wife has a dragon just like her. Give it time. You'll find the partner just like you." Oralan said gently as he patted Bash's head. "Now come one inside and help me with dinner."
"Don't tell me it's smoked fish again," Bash complained.
Right now Bash wished he hadn't complained so much. Hell, he never had the ability to complain before he arrived in the village. He ate whatever he could.
He missed the village. Learning to play games with the kids, swordfighting practice with Valka, learning to read with Oralan, waveriding with Threash, and hanging out with Runt by the cliffs.
If he wanted to get back there he needed a dragon and this dragon would have to do.
Instead of doing it the way the First Rider did it Bash had to do things his way. With a bit of rope and some force, he wrangled the dragon. Kinda. The dragon was still bigger and stronger then him.
"Hey! I don't care if you don't like it, I need you to get me home! My family is waiting for me!" Bash yelled pulling on the makeshift reins.
Family seemed to strike a cord with the dragon who started to relax.
It was a fight every step of the way but the dragon responded to Bash's roughness. The dragon liked to wrestle and play with Bash like a hyperactive dog—or maybe a cat?
"Alright, I think we got it. Let's go Bonehead." Bash said that when they finish gathering supplies. "And no snacking until we get there.
Bonehead let out a low rumble.
"Okay, snacks now then we head out." Bash relented grabbing some smoked fish they had made with dragon. "It's not as good as Oralan's but it's decent."
Bonehead didn't seem to care as he took a chunk of the fish in Bash's hand then licked Bash's face.
"Eww, gross. You have fish breath!" Bash shoved the dragon's face away but Bonehead was not deterred as he pounded on Bash and kept going like a dog when their owner gets home.
The two made it back to the village where Valka ran to him and crushed in a hug.
"Boy! Where have you been. We thought you were dead!" He cried as Bash scrambled for escape and air.
Oralan looked just a relieved as he held Aster their son and Ember their daughter back from Bash.
After a round of hugs and congratulations, the village was shocked at the return of a nightfury. Everyone would have a lot more expectations of Bash and some didn’t like the newcomer being the one to bring the rare dragon back. Life would not get any easier for Bash now that he was officially a part of the village and joining the raiders.
It sank in when Bash was painting his symbol on Bonehead's new harness. He had to chose something cool and unique.
So he chose a dragon skull and crossbones.
