Eret's Dragon Racing Basket

Nothing's more exciting for the Hooligans than Dragon Racing. Dragons speeding by, their riders competing against each other on capturing sheep scattered throughout the entire village – things such as these send adrenaline racing in the hearts of the cheering Hooligans.

Little has changed in the races, except that Hiccup no longer took part in it ever since he took over the chiefdom. The new chief had been too busy assisting workers, officiating weddings, and settling disputes. But now that the Bewilderbeast ice has melted, all infrastructures rebuilt, and the entire village in order, Hiccup can finally watch the dragon races on the chief's platform and witness his friends compete in the heat of the autumn sun.

The tapestry of Stoick and Skullcrusher on the platform had been replaced with a tapestry of him and Toothless in alpha mode. The chief's seat is still there, but Hiccup preferred to sit on Toothless's back over the chief's seat, which felt more like his dad's rather than his. Six months after Stoick's death, and he's still getting used to the weight of the loss. Toothless was leaning his head up toward Hiccup's hands as the latter was scratching the former's head. Gobber and Spitelout were standing on his left side. Valka and Gothi were standing beside Toothless.

The Night Fury image on what used to be Hiccup's basket was now replaced with the image of Skullcrusher. Skullcrusher used to be Stoick's dragon, but now that Stoick is gone, Hiccup passed him on to Eret after seeing that he likes him. Eret, a dragon trapper turned dragon rider, has been racing along with Hiccup's peers ever since he settled in Berk after the battle. He had gotten used to riding Skullcrusher, but he has yet to prove himself a competitor to reckon with.

As Astrid dropped a sheep in her basket, Hiccup was proudly commentating to the cheering spectators, "That's 3 for Astrid, 7 for the twins, zero for Snotlout, Fishlegs, and Eret."

Snotlout and Fishlegs were competing for Ruffnut as usual. Fishlegs's score would have been tie with Astrid's if he had not donated all the sheep he had captured to Ruff.

Fishlegs captured a sheep near the well and lead Meatlug towards Ruffnut and Tuffnut, who were several meters above them.

"Good job, Meatlug!" Fishlegs praised, and then turned to Ruffnut, "Here's one sheep for you, princess!" He tossed the sheep to her. Ruffnut caught the sheep, still annoyed with Fishleg's flirting.

Fishlegs leaned towards Ruff so that his face was only a few inches from hers. Ruffnut inched away as Fishlegs said, "You never cease to blow my mind with your beauty."

"And your face with Zippleback gas!" Ruffnut retorted while Barf blew the flammable gas at Fishlegs. Belch ignited the gas on Tuffnut's command. Fishlegs yelped as the gas exploded.

Tuffnut is more than willing to help his twin sister ward off her suitors. For him, the attempts of Fishlegs and Snotlout to win Ruffnut's heart made him feel like barfing.

Nevertheless, Tuff would rather have either Fishlegs or Snotlout get Ruffnut's hand in marriage than Ruffnut get Eret's hand.

To Tuff's annoyance, Ruff dropped the sheep to Eret, who is around 12 meters below them. Eret caught it, surprised.

"Are you a sheep? Because I sheep you with me!" A heavy-lidded Ruff crooned to Eret.

Eret and Tuff looked away from her and stuck their tongues out in disgust. Barf and Belch looked at each other, probably thinking what the Helheim she is thinking.

"Gotcha!"

Eret and the twins gasped as Astrid swooped down and stole the sheep.

"Astrid!" Ruff yelled.

Astrid was still far from the basket. So Fishlegs snuck below Stormfly where Astrid can't see him.

Snotlout rapidly hit Fishlegs sideways and snatched the sheep from Stormfly's claws before Fishlegs had the chance.

"What the" Astrid said.

"That was mine, Snotlout!"

"Here's your sheep back, my fair lady!" Snotlout flew inches closer to Ruffnut and tossed the sheep back to her. Ruff caught it promptly while eyeing Snotlout in disgust.

"Barf! Belch!" Ruff commanded.

The two heads of the Zippleback knew exactly what to do – roast Snotlout in ignited Zippleback gas.

The twins were now nearing the baskets. Ruff steers the entire Zippleback towards Eret's basket.

"What are you doing? Our basket's over there!" Tuff tried to steer the Zippleback towards their basket.

"Eret's basket is over there!" Ruff steered towards Eret's basket.

"You're not dropping our sheep in Eret's basket!"

When Ruff was about to drop the sheep in Eret's basket, Tuff steered Barf-Belch away at the last second.

The sheep fell into Snotlout's basket instead.

"What? Nooooo!" Ruff flailed her hands in the air in anger.

"That's one for Snotlout!" Hiccup said.

"Did you see that, Fishlegs?" Snotlout taunted, "Ruffnut likes me!" Fishlegs grumbled.

Snotlout saw a marked sheep hiding behind Hiccup's house and swooped down. Just as Hookfang was about to grab it with his claws, Eret flew out of nowhere and snatched the sheep.

"Did you see that? Eret finally captures a sheep for the first time ever!" Hiccup commented, proud of Eret.

"Yay!" Ruffnut cheered and turned to Tuffnut, "That's my future husband!" Tuffnut rolled his eyes.

Astrid, Snotlout, and Fishlegs chased Eret, but Ruff commanded Barf to blow copious amounts of gas at them. The green Zippleback gas cloud made it hard for the three of them to see. This bought Eret enough time to drop the sheep into his own basket.

"One for Eret!" Hiccup said.

"Woohoo!" Ruff fangirled like crazy.

Astrid got out of the gas cloud, approached Ruff and said in disbelief, "You're fighting for Eret?" She'd been disappointed with Snotlout and Fishlegs for giving their sheep to Ruffnut instead of shooting those in their own baskets. And now, Ruffnut is doing the same towards Eret? Why would anyone give their hard-earned sheep to a racer who refuses to return their flirtatious gestures?

"Eret son of Eret is my everything!" Ruffnut explained, swooning.

When Snotlout and Fishlegs overheard that, they were crestfallen. But when Eret overheard that, he was more repulsed than grateful.

Gobber signaled, and a Viking blew the new Thunder-horn that replaced the one that was severely damaged by the Bewilderbeast. When the racers heard the rich, deep sound of the horn, they prepared themselves to snatch the black sheep, as usual.

Valka swung the baton in a criss-cross motion and struck the wooden platform, getting Cloudjumper's attention. Cloudjumper was beside the sheep launcher two hundred meters away from the platform, and he noticed Valka's signals even though the loud cheers nearly drowned the baton's sound. He looked attentively as Valka raised the baton and swung it downwards. With one of his inner wing claws, Cloudjumper pushed down the lever that launched the black sheep.

The sheep let out a terrified bleat as it was spinning upwards in the air.

Stormfly shifted upwards so that her claws can catch the sheep, but before she does, the twins capture it. Astrid chased the twins as they rushed to the baskets.

"This way!" Ruffnut attempted to steer towards Eret's basket again.

"No! This way!" Tuffnut tried to steer their dragon away from Eret's basket while holding the sheep.

"Don't mess with me!"

"Not on Eret's basket again!"

They did not notice Astrid and Stormfly sneaking behind them.

Fortunately for the twins, Snotlout and Fishlegs suddenly blocked her from the twins and fended her off.

Meanwhile, Eret knew better than to get himself into that squabble.

"That's mine!" Ruffnut pulled the sheep from Tuffnut; Tuff managed to tighten grip on the sheep before Ruff could steal it from him.

"Stop stealing my sheep!"

"You can't stop me!"

"This is mine, genius!"

Ruffnut accidentally hurled the sheep towards the spectators.

The spectators panicked and tried to flee from the sheep while Astrid tried to capture it.

Fishlegs snatched the sheep before Astrid could get her hands on it.

"Aw yeah!" Fishlegs cheered.

Snotlout bumped him right away. Fishlegs almost dropped his sheep.

"Oh! Excuse me!" Snotlout insulted.

"Get outta here Snotlout!" Fishlegs yelled, bumping Snotlout back.

"No! You get outta here!" Snotlout bumped Fishlegs again.

Stormfly blocked them out of nowhere.

"Whoa!"

"Oof!"

Hookfang heels, but Meatlug hit Stormfly's wings and Fishlegs accidentally drops the black sheep.

Stormfly snatched the black sheep with her claws. before it fell into the water.

Just when she and Astrid were speeding towards her basket, Hookfang swatted the sheep from Stormfly's claws with his tail, inadvertently flinging it to the direction of the chief's platform. Hookfang began to fly towards the platform so Snotlout can catch the sheep, but he failed to get there in time.

Hiccup got hit by the black sheep, the impact making him yelp and fall backwards as he took hold of the sheep.

Toothless yelped as if he's the one who got hit. Gothi jumped in fright, Valka and Gobber gasped along with the spectators, and Spitelout cringed.

"Ten points for the Chief!" Gobber joked.

The twins then tried to smash each other's faces. Meanwhile, Barf and Belch were so done with the bickering twins that they decided to dump them into Eret's basket.