72I am shocked at all the positive response I have gotten for this story. I know everyone is waiting for this update, so I wont bore you with my ramblings. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own How to Train Your Dragon.
IN THE STALL
Gobber trades his hammer for an axe. Hiccup watches out of the corner of his eye, the blackness is wrapping itself around Gobbers arms and legs, he know that his mentor will be safe.
GOBBER
Man the fort, Hiccup, they need me out there!
Gobber pauses. Turns with a threatening glare.
GOBBER (CONT'D)
Stay. Put. There. You know what I mean.
Gobber charges into the fray, hollering.
On Hiccup, a smirk crosses his face.
HICCUP (V.O.)
Gobber should know better than to leave me by myself. I'm not complaining though.
EXT. VILLAGE - MOMENTS LATER
WHAM! Hiccup pushes his wheeled contraption through a wall of clustered Vikings. He weaves through the ongoing mayhem, as fast as his legs can carry him, knowing that he will be safe seeing the blackness following him like puppies at his heals.
Gobber groans in exasperation. He really should have known that Hiccup wouldn't listen to him.
VIKING #6 (O.S.)
Hiccup, where are you going!
VIKING #7
Come back here!
HICCUP
I know. Be right back!
ON THE PLAIN BELOW
The Nadders have cornered the house-full of sheep. They close in, ready to spring upon them. Stoick suddenly appears, hurling fishing nets over them. The surprised Nadders are caught. Stoick and his men rush in. A Nadder blasts a hole through its net. Stoick leaps onto it, clamping his thick arms around its head, forcing its jaws shut. The darkness is clearly visable almost seeming to sow the dragons mouth shut.
Stoick watches in confusion, 'I don't remember that blackness when this happened…' Several villagers all thinking along the same lines as they see themselves being helped.
"That blackness is the only reason you haven't lost more people in the last seven years Stoick… you'll want to keep in mind that it isn't supposed to be there." Zyenna's voice come over the sound system.
STOICK
Mind yourselves! The devils still have some juice in them.
ON THE PLAIN ABOVE
Hiccup reaches a cliff overlooking the smoking CATAPULT and drops the handles to the ground. He cranks several levers, unfolding and then cocking the bowed arms of his contraption. He drops a bola onto a chamber and then pivots the weapon on a gimbal head toward the dark sky. He listens, with his eye pressed to the scope, hand poised on the trigger. His muscles straining in response to the stress of focusing so hard. He hears the Night Fury approaching... and turns his aim to the defense tower. It closes in for the final strike, completely camouflaged in the night.
HICCUP (TO HIMSELF)
Come on. Give me something to shoot at, give me something to shoot at.
KABLAM! The tower topples. The blast of fire illuminates the dragon for a split second. Hiccup pulls the trigger and is thrown to the ground. KERTHUNK! The flexed arms SNAP forward, springing the weapon off the ground. The bola disappears into the sky, followed by a WHACK and a SCREECH.
Everyone stairs at the screne in open mouthed shock. "He… He really hit one…" Stoick says in disbelief. "How ELSE do you think he tamed a Night Fury? Just walked up and started to talk to it?" Zyenna asks over the com system. She turns to Hiccup with an annoyed look on her face. "Are they always this slow?" She asks annoyed. Hiccup just shrugs, petting Toothless mechanically, the dragon looks up at his rider and croons in a questioning manner. "I'm sorry bud…" He says softly. The dragon just licks him up side his face, causing the dragon rider to groan in disgust.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
(surprised, then elated)
Oh I hit it! Yes, I hit it! Did anybody see that?
Hiccup's victory is short-lived. A Monstrous Nightmare appears, slithering up over the lip of the cliff. It's eyes shift from black to yellow for just a single moment.
Except for you.
On Stoick, holding down the netted Nadders. He hears a familiar hollar and looks up to see... Hiccup running through the plaza screaming, with the nightmare fast on his heels. Alarmed, Stoick abandons the Nadders and runs off, seeing where his son is headed not too far off.
STOICK (to his men, re: the NADDERS)
DO NOT let them escape!
IN THE PLAZA
Vikings scatter as Hiccup dodges a near fatal blast. The Nightmare's sticky, Napalm-like fire splashes up onto buildings, setting them alight. Hiccup ducks behind the last standing brazier - the only shelter available. The Nightmare blasts it, spraying fire all around him. Hiccup peers around the smoldering post. No sign of the Nightmare. He turns back to find it leering at him, blocking his escape though he can see as black smoke slithers into its mouth, blocking its ability to breath fire. It takes a deep breath. Hiccup pretends to flinch, knowing he will be safe in a few moments. Suddenly, Stoick leaps between them, tackling the Nightmare to the ground. They tumble and wrestle, resuming their earlier fight. The Nightmare tries to toast him, but only coughs up smoke, its face looking pained as it chokes on its flames.
STOICK (CONT'D)
You're all out.
He smashes the Nightmare repeatedly in the face, driving it away. It takes to the air and disappears, in the background behind Stoick we see it turn to smoke and disappear behind a building. Winded, Stoick turns to Hiccup.
HICCUP (V.O.)
Oh, and there's one more thing you need to know... well several actually but I'll explain later…
The burnt brazier pole collapses, sending the massive iron basket crashing. It bounces down the hill, destroying as it goes and scattering the Vikings who were holding down the netted Nadders. The freed dragons escape... with several sheep in tow.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
Sorry, dad.
EXT. VILLAGE - UPPER PLAZA - CONTINUOUS
The escaped Nadders fly past with sheep in their clutches. The raid is over. The dragons have clearly won. The murmuring crowd eyes Stoick, awaiting his response. Hiccup watches as shadowy forms float among the people, each one has a floating black animal besides them. They morph between images of bats, wolves, snakes, rats and even dragons, each one curling almost protectively around a single person. The young Viking fights not to shiver in disgust at the demonic spirits.
HICCUP (SHEEPISH)
Okay, but I hit a Night Fury.
Stoick grabs Hiccup by the back scruff of his collar and hauls him away, fuming with embarrassment.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
It's not like the last few times, Dad. I mean I really actually hit it. You guys were busy and I had a very clear shot. It went down, just off Raven Point. Let's get a search party out there, before it-
STOICK
-STOP! Just...stop.
Hiccup flinches at his father's yell, his body stiffening as if waiting to be grabbed roughly again. He releases Hiccup. Everyone goes silent, staring expectantly.
Stoick gaps as he watches his son flinch from him. "Stoick… if I find out you hurt him…" Gobber growled threateningly. Stoick shakes his head quickly, "I would never hurt my son… you know that Gobber." Stoick says, his voice thick with pain and confusion. "You never hurt him intentionally Stoick, but you always did forget how strong you are in comparison to your son…" Zyenna's voice says sadly. Stoick looks down at his hands, he had never thought about how he might have been hurting his son.
STOICK (CONT'D)
Every time you step outside, disaster follows. Can you not see that I have bigger problems? Winter's almost here and I have an entire village to feed!
Hiccup looks around. All eyes are upon him.
HICCUP
Between you and me, the village could do with a little less feeding, don't ya think?
A few rounded Vikings stir self-consciously.
The teens laugh as the same Vikings mumble under their breath about disrespectful teens.
STOICK (EXASPERATED)
This isn't a joke, Hiccup! Why can't you follow the simplest orders?
HICCUP
I can't stop myself. I see a dragon and I have to just... kill it, you know? It's who I am, Dad.
Hiccup tries to sound convincing, but knows that it sounds pathetic, even to himself.
STOICK
You are many things, Hiccup. But a dragon killer is not one of them.
Hiccup looks around to see many nods of agreement. His face flashes hurt for just a moment at the lack of confidence his tribe has in him, before he rolls his eyes.
STOICK (CONT'D)
Get back to the house.
(TO GOBBER)
Make sure he gets there. I have his mess to clean up.
Stoick lumbers off in the opposite direction. Gobber leads Hiccup through the walk of shame. They pass the teen fire brigade as they snicker. Hiccup struggles not to yell at his father.
"That wasn't fair…" Fishlegs says out loud. "What?" Snotlout asks. "It wasn't Hiccups mess… he can't control when the dragons raid. He might have caused a little destruction but the twins have caused a lot worse damage without even trying." The twins grin and butt heads in celebration of still being the best at destruction.
TUFFNUT
Quite the performance.
SNOTLOUT
I've never seen anyone mess up that badly. That helped!
HICCUP
Thank you, thank you. I was trying, so...
Hiccup avoids Astrid's glare and heads up toward a large house, standing prominently on the hill above the others.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
I really did hit one.
GOBBER
Sure, Hiccup.
HICCUP
He never listens.
GOBBER
Well, it runs in the family.
HICCUP
And when he does, it's always with this... disappointed scowl. Like someone skimped on the meat in his sandwich.
(MIMICKING STOICK)
Excuse me, barmaid. I'm afraid you brought me the wrong offspring. I ordered an extra large boy with beefy arms. Extra guts and glory on the side. This here. This is a talking fish bone.
Stoick scowls, he had never known that his son thought he wasn't wanted. 'Oh Valka, what have I done…' He thinks sadly, tears falling as he realizes his son had died thinking he wasn't wanted.
GOBBER
You're thinking about this all wrong. It's not so much what you look like. It's what's inside that he can't stand.
Beat.
Everyone looks at Gobber incredulously. "I… I could have worded that better…" the blacksmith says embarrassed and ashamed.
HICCUP
Thank you, for summing that up.
They reach the doorway.
GOBBER
Look, the point is, stop trying so hard to be something you're not.
Hiccup sighs heavily.
HICCUP (Hurt clear in his voice)
I just want to be one of you guys.
Gobber eyes him sympathetically. Hiccup turns and goes through the front door.
INSIDE THE HOUSE
Hiccup pauses with his back to the door. He sighs heavily, then goes and runs up to his room. He reaches under his bed and grabs a bag and slings it over his shoulder before grabbing his sketch book and takes a look out the window. 'Just enough time to go look for that dragon before SHE expects me…' He runs down stairs and out the back door.
Thank you for reading this. I have really enjoyed the responses that I have gotten. I hope you like this chapter. Next chapter is where the gore begins, I have had to edit it a bit to keep it within the rating system of this site. I hope I don't disappoint though.
I want to send a shout out to ladipretender, thank you for your review to last chapter, it was fun to read your comments. I always enjoy getting such enthusiastic responses to my writing.
Also thank you to DragonTrainerBoss, I hope this chapter lives up to the enthusiasm you showed in your review.
Till next time!
Z