Hiccup and Toothless were rewarded with a yelp of surprise from Saralegui as they suddenly dropped, and a bruising grip around Hiccup's waist as the dragon put on speed and darted upward.

As lovely as that whole experience had been, the young king wasted no time in sliding off Toothless's back the moment they landed on their target floor.

"Well," he said with a frown just bordering on a pout, running fingers through his hair to put himself back together. "That was...something."

He did love things interesting, and he certainly didn't mind things dangerous and risky. But if it involved putting his life so entirely in the hands of strangers, even the most novel thrills lost their charm.