Knights of the Dragon Riders: The Beginning (AO3) - TheLegendaryBlackDragonKnightAO3 (2024)

Chapter 1: Berk

Chapter Text

(A/N: This story contains the following themes involved in this featured presentation as the first of the many stories I've ever written when I first joined the site to share my ideas, these explicit themes include blood, violence, child abuse, neglect, profanities, bullying, thoughts of suicide, a horrific punishment scene in a upcoming chapter, heated arguments between a child and his father, domestic violence if it weren't that obvious before, references from the books that I do not like reading because of how I first read the original book before quitting because I couldn't read another paragraph for how awful it was, references from episodes of the show DreamWorks Dragons: The Series as some characters will make their appearances in future chapters, references from the comics by Titan for Riders and Dark Horse for Defenders of Berk, long paragraphs going into full on specific details for the appearances of everything from people to objects, buildings to ships, weapons and crests all in the like. You know how our protagonist is not fond of killing and how he seeks to reason with Vikings to change their views on dragons, well that attribute isn't as focused on as it is like with the series and films. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III here in this story is a lot more angry, he gets into fights with his father, he gets into brawls with his cousin, he doesn't follow orders from the superiors or elders who belittle him like a dirtbag openly, he's a foul-mouth and he's a lot more irritable or in this case easily annoyed and doesn't hesitate to kill anyone who were either trying to kill him or have done something to guarantee their deaths by his hand. Using Tommy Vercetti as the example here but even then, he's still a teenager whose afraid of his father but that's not stopping him from openly cursing him, disrespecting other Vikings or expressing hatred for a specific cousin of his that I mentioned before. He prefers to keep his position as a blacksmith secretive from the knowledge of others and only Stoick, Gobber and Spitelout themselves of course know about what he really does; speaking of him he's secretly against those who hurt his nephew, acting more like a father figure than the former most would ever be. This story's based off EmeraldNecko's "Protection of the Nightfury". If you search for this now and try to look for it on her profile, you're not gonna find the original story unless you're reading it on the Internet Archive; she's been absent for a long time receiving many messages and reviews asking if she was going to continue any of her works, the reason she deleted her stories is the fact she had no access to a computer or laptop for the couple of years and combined with that, she forgot how she wanted the deleted stories to go and end. Protection of the Nightfury was the unfortunately one of the few who were deleted hence why you can read it on Internet Archive, as well as Elfpen's "Umbreytingu" which means transformation in Dragonese; with Old English used by the Anglo Saxon being the basis for the language to be exact. Who are the Anglo Saxon? They are Germanic speaking people from England, and like Elfpen pointed out in his story Vikings are Germanic speaking warriors who hated the English; linking the two languages Norse and Dragonese as the mothertongue of the Vikings and the Dragons who are at war before HTTYD began. To all those who don't like this story and were looking for something to read, here's a easy tip to follow; don't like it, don't read it. Pretty simple to understand right? I expect what you don't like about this to be constructive as I will not take negative reviews without reasoning behind them or flaming and trolling as a response. Enjoy this first chapter while you can because there's more to come soon when our hero plans to leave Berk, and let his destiny take him where the wind follows. The story's just begun here and even though that statement was true, I feel as though there would need to be a preface written beforehand so that some information I can't put into this note can be explained; as well as a reference to the note from the beginning of the original book, the first of the series. This is all I can say for now but expect there to be another note at the end, with no further delay; here we go. Enjoy)

This is the story of a young boy named Hiccup, who has been shunned and ostracized since he were born; a lifetime of despair full of name calling with taunts and insults, being targeted by other Vikings that were around his age with none more resentful to feel than against his own cousin; the one who started all the fights as he never showed himself so much, but when he's here in the village then trouble is bound to get him into a state of lying on the floor beaten to the ground. Even their most hurtful of insults "Useless" couldn't bring him down to his knees to submit. When the mystical Night Fury dubbed by the name of Toothless comes to take him under his leather wing, all that he loved mattered the least for the damage has been done in the past fifteen years that passed. Now, he stands for the dragons who were forced to raid or die by a tyrannical queen of the nest known as Red Death, the Bane of Queens; a title they've given to distain her ways of killing them off should they not bring enough food to feed her in the volcanic hive they reside within. He alongside many of his newfound friends will rise up to destroy this hellish monster who she herself claims to be the destruction of all opposition that threatens her, and restore not only the freedom of dragons she controls; but also to put a end to the war between both the Vikings and the Dragons that've been in conflict since the Isle of Berk was first settled on three hundred years ago

Preface

There were dragons when he was a boy. There were great and grim aerial dragons who built nesting grounds on the clifftops like colossal yet intimidating avians. Little brown and scuttly dragons hunting the mice and rats they can claw away at in organized packs. Ludicrously huge sea dragons that were twenty times as big as the big blue whale and they who killed for the hell of it, and what's given them the drive to keep living on for another day

You're gonna have to take his word for it, the dragons are disappearing so fast that they might become extinct soon. Nobody, no one even knows what's happening. They are crawling back into the hidden world on the edge of the earth where they originally came from, leaving not a bone nor a fang for the men of the future to remember them by

In order that these amazing beasts should not be forgotten by all, he will tell this story from the childhood of the author. He's not the sort of boy that could train a dragon with one mere lifting of his eyebrow, no he was not a natural at the heroism business either; everyone has a first step as they work toward and at it in the same. This is how to become a hero the hard way, and you best believe him when he chose to do so his way and not the Viking way that his father does

Every generation has a legend. Every journey has a first step. Every story has a beginning... and this is how my grandson begins his story

-Cressida Haddock, the grandmother of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, storyteller to the child of Stoick the Vast and once chieftess regent of the Hairy Hooligans Tribe before sailing off beyond the borders of the Archipelago

This is Berk. It's twelve days north of hopeless and a few degrees south of freezing to death. It's located solidly on the meridian of misery among a series of isles that made up the home they called the Barbaric Archipelago. It snows nine months a year and hails the other three, any food that grows here is tough and tasteless, the people that grow here are even more so. Most of these inhabitants on Berk are willing to take the good with the bad, but there are those who never accept the runts; and will do anything to drive them out of their way for good. This is where our story begins, on a cold dead-of-night where the moon had begun to go down and below the horizon's borders...

Both of the skies above that draw the line with the seas below surrounding the lower ocean waves where they crashed up against the firelit statues, one who wielded a sword and one to wield an axe, they were from top to bottom a black pearl to a deep cover with a kind of deep sapphire along with a resolution and a tory with a havelock to a swirl white and black russian blue color. The mist surrounding that isle was a east bay to a rhino and a zodiac with a steel to a waikawa greyish cloud burst to an astronaut along with an bunting and san juan blush silver as well, and behind that was the isle itself. The isle was shaped like a coiling tower leaning to the west side, standing in front of it on the west was a seastack that also formed a sharpened tip on the left with a shorter seastack on the right side; the east side of the isle behind it was a large mass of earth and trees that formed a forest. As the earth where the settlement along with other such notable locations were built on a nightly lit foundation was a deep cove to an bay of many, as well as a marguerite to a chambray and a sapphire with a port gore as well as a bunting to haiti blue color; all that mixed in with an anakiwa to a danube with a indigo and a st tropaz to a cloud burst with a tangaroa along with ending with a midnight blue shade all in the same. The fires lit in the mouths of the statues emitted a dune to a millbrook and a kabul brown color around the edges of their maws

The Berkian sea statues both featured a rounded and conical funnel shaped helmet that had a line of four studs going down vertically on a rectangular shaped strip, both sides had a inward facing circular rim rectangular shaped ring on either side; forming into fang shaped horns that sloped upwards into a straight conical triangular shaped tip at the top of either side, all with a square at the bottom of the vertical studded strip. However this was the left statue which the right arm held a sword, the left horn was sliced off at the near base while there were at least two horizontal rectangular shaped eyebrows just above the two spherical shaped eyes which were going outwards; having a thin ring around them and a inner drilled circular hole for both of the pupils which was also true for the axe wielding sea statue. Underneath the square was a vertical trapezoid shaped nasal bridge that formed the nose which had two horizontal and if not half trapezoid shaped stubs on either side, with a rounded edged triangular shaped tip on the bottom center based on the design of what Thor's Mjolnir looked like in Norse knotwork; the mustache was made of the upper curling tips that were longer and bottom curling tips as they were shorter, the maw of the sword statue had five upper rounded triangular teeth with five lower ones as each tooth had a gap in between. The rectangular segmented threads that made up the beard were combed downwards as the right side slanted down behind a circular shaped shield with a flat dome shaped boss in the middle, the left hand that held the sword's got a inverted trapezoid shaped crossguard that was not only rounded but had inwards facing diagonally downwards spirals for the tips; while the sword blade on top was a long triangular shaped that slimmed out into a conical triangular shaped tip at the end of it. The sword statue mouth angled downwards on either side with medium sized thickness styled lips and shaped into a upper half circular shape, the bottom of which curved slightly overhead to form what's coming off as a war cry to the enemies who approach the isle. Before moving onto the statue that held the axe, there was a small archway on it's lower right side to point that one out; it's top side slanted downward as the docks went horizontally across with a upper left side walk-way that led up to the large oval shaped corridor in order to light the mouth inside, with the back right side having a rectangular shaped rock formation protruding outward from behind. The right statue had a shorter nose which was the same shape as before with a longer vertical rectangular shaped nasal strip, having seven studs going downwards and two complete horns compared to the former on the left side; underneath both of the eyes were lower half circle shaped drooping bags that amounted to three from smallest to largest respectively from the top to the bottom. The mustache drooped down to form diagonally upwards lower half circle shaped curling tips on either side of the rounded edged triangular shaped mouth, having four upper rounded triangular shaped teeth on the top and six on the bottom; on either side from the head were vertical rectangular shaped platings that acted as hair with five of them which were running across the lower rim of the lips, covered by the rocky formation as it wasn't all that carved into by the architects of the first settlers of the isle. Same shield on the right side as before like with the sword statue while the axe in the left hand had an rectangular shaped bar at the top, as the chopping blade formed a overarching beaking tip on the bottom which is starting out with a outward facing rounded edged inverted trapezoid shape with the top of the blade forming a scalene triangular shaped tip; horizontally going back in towards the bar as both sides at the start of the blade curved overhead into a thin shaped tip, the bottom of having two lines that were curving inwards to each other with a wide gap in between. Behind were docks that led up on the upper right and to the upper left side with a supported catwalk which featured a teardrop shaped entrance, leading into a corridor that led up to the insides of the mouth. Both sea statues had a thin plate shaped brazier where the fires were lit within for both the day and the nighttime here in Berk, the entrance of the right statue is higher and the sword statue's entrance is situated lower to point that out. Finally, whenever those two Berkian sea statues were present; the foreigners know that right before their eyes, there the isle that was made to be their destination lied and ensured that everyone would be welcome in their waters

Crashing against them were the waves whose splashing spume of the oceans was a light and dark lynch along with a waterloo to a kimberly as well as a storm grey and manatee pale light mauve purple color due to the dead-of-night time that it was in this time

This village that rested on Berk's ever soft and breezing grass of the cold winds is, in a word, sturdy; and it's been here for seven generations, but every single building is new. All these buildings included several houses and a sheep pasture that had them bleating, merely eating the grass that grew on this rock called home for the settlers who lived here. Lighting up those small places in the night were stationary torches that were horizontally barred bowl shaped-braziers, as much of these houses which are overturned longships in fact had staircases with scaffolding catwalks and ladders placed all about as the earth that the village was built on for was elevated in more than one place in fact. Ramps leading up to the higher and lower levels, fences made to keep the livestock of sheep to yaks and chickens to fish all in the like; the fish in particular were hung on racks to dry out so they're not as slick and slippery as they're taken into the buckets to be filled with for easier transporting, being brought to the storehouse and ready to be used for sources of food. The land was also made of slopes too in fact for this oval round similarly shaped island, appearing small on maps with very few seastacks but to all the adventuring explorers there was more than what meets the eye as they shouldn't have to be fooled by appearances; geological landforms such as rocky arches and cliffs to beaches with waterfalls to streams and several large forests were present on this island, there's so much more to be explored but so little time for the introduction to the world of Norse mythology. Berk has extremely cold and long winters with short and dry summers, but this didn't mean it was clear most of the time if not cold; being green and growing due to the arctic circle where it seemed to be standing in not having much hail, rain and snow all the time which is bound to be the cause of several inconveniences when it comes to describing the limits of what can be shown here for this island. With every village there comes important structures, the cases of them being a hall for meetings acting as the centerpiece of the isle; a communal hall serving also to provide the food for the public, the most important structure on this island and even the heart of Berk for the importance of the settlers

The base of the cliffs featured a barn with large pens for the domesticated yaks, the chickens and sheep that were kept there manned by the local farmers and handlers to provide food on land while the fishers provided food on sea. One storehouse was the armory which was never holding enough weapons for these settlers to defend their isle against enemies who sought out conquest, beginning with their isle first but Berk has stand tall for seven generations and will not bow to the might of even the mightiest of armies; it's always been this way for three hundred years when this isle was first settled on. The docks were large and individual for the loading and unloading process in large cargo, built from the cliff with a wooden walkway just above to view the ships down below; it gave one specific native to this island a feeling that's just as foreboding as what implications it was emitting to the others who saw him, it's as if it's his fate was tied to the very vantage point he stood at. There is very little to mention when it comes to the cemetery and other burial locations, but sometimes the traditional way of how a funeral was done had to be stripped down for time constraints; they did happen either way and every grave spot was visited upon by the loved ones of the deceased natives. When it's come down to weapons, there's the blacksmithing forge required to sharpen for the deepest cut; spacious with many weapons inside with the native mentioned before having a personal office for his use at any time and for his leisure as he pleases. The library where sources that held information and similar resources to be used by the settlers as they please was also one of the greater points of interest, archived with whatever interested these settlers the most is welcomed here. Outside of the village in the shadow of a cliff from the back edge of the peak that was the tallest of this isle, there was a cabbage patch kept out of sight from the rest for a inhabitant who resided inside was as obnoxious as he was cantankerously unhappy with a lot of things that were run around here. In the bowels of the isle were the Caves of Jötunn which held a sinister purpose, a mining operation to swallow the village by destroying the pillars of the rock's foundation; but who was the leader and why would they be doing so? An answer is going to be told, but not in this story as there will be chronicles to bridge the gaps and reveal all that is mentioned in due time. There's a whole another world inside Berk too such as what appears to be a large damp swamp called the Unlandable Cove, a large bay with many arches to cliffs and rocks found around the area with large landforms to waterfalls from the tops of the islands called The Great West Ocean, a large forest with giant landforms to vines which hang from the bottom of mountainous landforms to a large lake with a big thick fog known as The Woods That Howled, a volcanic sector with lava pools to magma falls as well as a hollow giant mountain rising in the middle housing a lava moat to spikes with spiky cliffs scattered throughout the hot lands; named after the isle of these settlers' most hated enemies known as Lava-Lout Island to serve as the Lava-Lout Tribe's outpost, a large bay leading into a ocean with huge islands rising out of the sea and growing trees to arches and cliffs circling around the rocky and desert woodland grounds all part of Black Heart Bay, a very foresty area that's home to many cliffs with trees dotting the tops and a giant lake at the bottom with a large isle rising out to a huge waterfall flowing into the lake as up the waterfall was a giant archway rising and a crack in the mountainside to further call Wild Dragon Cliff the home of the trees, the top of Berk having U-letter shaped cliffs and the open part of the U-letter facing the open ocean with several rising landforms from the barren ground and a large underground lake on the side of the cliff as well as a small alcove of trees covered with mist for the aptly named Badmist Mountain, and at last there's a large bay covered in constant snowfall with all those large spirals with bridges connecting to cliffsides dotting the area as they're penetrated by a large icy bay and snow covered trees serving as the only foliage to Wrecker's Reef. No settler would go beyond the borders serving as the comforts of their home, for untold dangers were expected to lie ahead

The local activities for the Berkians here consist of hunting for livestock roaming the untamed wilds, sparring to prepare ahead for battle and fishing before the notorious icebergs set in for the unforgiving winter that was to come; for it is said the isle was so close to the heavens just above their heads. Valhalla was just in their reach, yet stayed forever out of their reach at the same time; the gods kept these men and women in line and in check for the upcoming events that would come to happen. At the end of the long, hardwork filled day are those charmingly viewful sunsets as the dusk falls to bathe the village before the night shift began to be on the guard for any sudden moves made by the enemy within who will use the cover of night to be ready in launching their attack. But if one could merely take off those rose colored glasses as while they're at it, pull their friends' heads out of their asses to see the real Berk before them then they would know that this village is not without the flaws that come to the isle. The only real problems here on Berk are the pests that infest it, these aren't the common infestations that were seen in most places because Berk has none of that; but what they had to deal with is far worse than what the eye can see as one of the sheep was snatched out of sight before another one's eyes, moving in to continue grazing on the more greener side of the grass that grew on this isle. Berk has -not disease carrying mice, not those obnoxious mosquitoes that are just begging to be warded off by garlic, not locusts that threaten the agricultural stock of Berk, not flesh eating flies that can strip the skin off a man, not newborns in the terrible twos who will not listen to reason, not even the long since collapsed Roman Empire who see themselves as above the barbarians they call these settlers compared to the Gauls of the Celtic regions- no, they are deadlier than the mice and mosquitoes that have combined and united into one and singular force to harass the natives of the isle. Berk has...

"Dragons!" The alerted shout came from one of the guards who held a torch in hand, the next thing heard was a loud bang of the door closing as a bright flaring light can be seen under the cracks of the frame. Who would've guessed that this night was going to be dragon raid? We'd say that it's time to get down and filthy with these dragons, because these scaly reptiles don't bullsh*t around with these settlers who lived here on Berk

Most of everyone's guess is that they'd evacuate. Smart people would evacuate as well in the event of a raid like this too. But not these inhabitants who are armed with their weapons and circular linden shaped shields with a spherical boss in the middle for each of them: these are Vikings, the historical and brutal warriors that would die to enter the golden halls of Valhalla; but these were the kind of Vikings who weren't very smart and have even the slightest issues concerning stubbornness, losing in contests as their tempers are as bad as their fury and bathing as some believed they were meant to stink like horse sh*t. Due to this being a isle of which was surrounded by the open oceans all around, horses were not domesticated on Berk and therefore had no purpose or role to play for these warriors; understandably enough but it's just as disappointing too 'cause even their homeland had stables too and they're all for the long trips that were inevitable to happen. Among the most dangerous of these Vikings is three of the most famous ones that Berk could and would never get their hands on, such the likes of Ragnar Lombok, Eric Bloodaxe and Bjorn Ironside; how they envy them, the tribe that was known as the "Hairy Hooligans" confessed behind the backs of each other. They do look like the kind of tribe that were in need of their help at the very least of course. These Vikings are the kind who adorn horns on their helmets but this was merely a illustration by the Romans who portrayed them as barbarians, only a complete fool would wear 'em in battle as this doesn't apply to them alone. It's true impractical and obsolete equipment has been used in battlefields from the Neolithic period to the late 20th century, samurai helmets have big horns and antlers too but it's more about finding the balance between practicality and intimidation; these horns along with wings seen on Winged Hussar helmets are supposed to give that oomph factor. You're going to take out more eyes belonging to your brothers on the battlefield than your enemies will with a dagger in their hands, but that's not all; oh yes, it gets worse. You're gonna end up getting your weapon caught in the horns but at least you can die honorably to enter Valhalla so there's that benefit. It will also get you killed when weapons hit the horns as it will cause, say like a neck fracture for instance or if it's a blunt weapon then it's deadly head trauma. But that's not the worst part of the horned helmets, your enemies have the advantage by grabbing you by either horn in a battle which causes immobilization as well as unbalance towards your body and allow them to execute you in true Viking fashion; that's the best way if you're looking to be killed 'cause you don't really have the courage to do the task yourself. Do not expect to move through brush woods and forests without there being problems in getting caught by the branches, or f*ck even entering through narrow doorways in raids. If you are a Viking of this tribe, do not use it for your helmets, use it properly for boozing in ale and drinking during a brandy; this includes the Swaidan winged helmets too but there? The purpose is simple, it's for opera singing in stages as are the horns too so that's another benefit for the horns themselves

However, the real heroes that everyone expects them to be is not always the strongest one, nor are they the most brutal of the tribesmen and neither were they the most skilled out of them. No, the hero of this story was a Viking who was of a small stature; refusing to go and to get out there to fight head on into battle, being the apprentice turned assistant to the smithy who forged the weapons kept for safekeeping in the armory whenever needed. Just like the others who were loners, this small statured Viking had no real friends he could call his own; a fact to note is that at one point he did have a friend indeed, at one point he did. Unlike other Vikings, his name was Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. Life for Hiccup didn't really change that much except for when he lost what was closest to him the most, seeming to matter the least when it concerned the others who scoffed at him. Everyday he would wake up and bath at an different location found elsewhere for he was not the public one to use the local showers, he would go by himself to spend time alone, he would even hunt for smaller fauna to eat and he would also draw in his sketchbook, build inventions of his own creative mind and hands that was the difference between wonder and ruin, even put himself into scenarios where he was in a training session with fighting with different weapons such as swords, axes, maces and of course daggers with one that he kept on him at all times for self defense. Most of the time he was left to his own vices and that's the way he liked it. What Hiccup couldn't possibly know is that the wicked plan of something he'd never believed is real was about to destroy his evermore solitary life out of the eyes of the tribe he felt disconnected with forever

The young boy was given this 'great name' for the assumption that hideous names were to be for frightening gnomes and trolls who sought to steal left sided socks, as if it mattered to him cause it's like their charming Viking demeanor wouldn't do that. "Hiccup!"

He looked up from the book he was reading upon hearing his name, neck length hair touching the very edge of his shoulders. Closing the book shut as he stood up, stretching out above his head to rid himself of those stiff joints and bones that were crunching themselves; he placed the book on the shelf before headed downstairs. Now what could be the matter that he's all of a sudden needed for? These Vikings are not on the best of terms with him, but unlike the villagers he has a good reason not to be on the best of terms with them; and those who hear this tale is going to find out in a few seconds that were coming up soon. He was a caucasian with his hair having a few tiffs growing down in the back of his neck, bangs combed towards the right side but nevertheless sticking out spiky and rather messy; his forest green eyes are distinctive to this young boy as his frame was thin but not gangly, a young runner of the like. He wore a finch green sleeved tunic that had a kelp and crocodile olive pair of leggings, with him wearing a coffee bean brown vest to eternity brown cuffs for his dallas tannish brownish boots while his forearms were lashed with crocodile and khaki tannish brown leather strips. Even having a similarly colored waist sash wrapped around his stomach. A classic look to him as he's been wearing this back when he was younger at the time; he was of great importance to the tribe but the Vikings didn't treat him like he was of such, that alone raises a red flag of which was not a good sign to anyone who felt like they were a social outcast

When he reached the door in the shadows of the candlelit house where the light was on the left side, he opened it to the side where he witnessed the Vikings and sheep running to safer ground to reorient themselves for battle; as a dragon that would be revealed later here in the introduction to the story that's being told flew into the frame, hovering in the air looking into the retreating forms of the Vikings before the scaly beast. Turning to find another inside that house to the right, the young boy closed the door quickly as this reptilian couldn't see due to the shadows inside and how dimly lit it was; opening fire as the blast of kerosene splashed to the front of the closed door, lighting up the inside of the entry through the left and right side of the frame as he stood to keep the door shut with his back turned. Using his body to quickly and with whatever strength he had for his thin body suppress the force until the blast ended with the light fading away but not completely, as now the entryway was lit on fire. He spoke out at the sight of what he just witnessed

"Dragons, it's one of those nights to have a raid. Time for me to leave and head on down to the forge before those runt-hating pricks decide this is my fault because I wasn't inside, like I'd care because the dragons are gonna get away with the sheep anyhow; it's inevitable, no matter the fight we put up with 'em" He muttered under his breath and ran out the front door, burning with flames as the fire brigade would be called over soon to help extinguish it soon. They have to at least considering that it was the house of a chieftain

His every movement made was unhurried and every step was casually slow if not lazy as hell, he's made it clear that he wants nothing to do with this raid at all that's for sure. But the gods who lived above and fate herself were planning something alright, he's sure of it; his destiny is one that unknown to him was one that would turn the tides of the war in his favor. Just as a dragon of the same kind laid down a kerosene stream of fire behind the retreating sheep and Vikings, as one of the former was caught by a dragon that looked more like a bird than reptile as this kind had two frontal legs with talons to grasp onto the wooly body of the sheep; but a neighborly Viking wasn't about to let the bird like dragon get away with one of their livestock as he leapt up onto the sheep itself, hanging on in the hopes of weighing the beast down. In the same situation there was another Viking smacking a rounded pig like dragon with a mace, hoping the spikes would impact against this species' rather thick skull and bones; though that was not the case as the Viking was thrown off with a flick of the head

Just another night here in Berk that was going to become a new day ahead when the sun rises over that horizon, an axe wielding Viking fell the ground in front of him just as he got back on his feet and took his weapon with him which chopped into the grass near him. Two more had walked ahead as he made his way underneath the log that the two were hauling across, with a third one looking at him with his back turned and hitting his head up against the log which is due to the distraction that he was out here; not inside some place else and not even armed in that case which made it worse as he should either be inside or fighting, not taking an morning stroll in the middle of a raid like nothing's out of the ordinary. What kind of Viking was he?

Speak of the devil there was one Viking who sharply turned a corner and another one of the round spherical like dragons that shot a lava blast behind him, launching the Viking directly to Hiccup who dodged in time to avoid being slammed by him: "ARGGGHHHHH! Mornin'!" The Viking greeted as he continued to run in the midst of the raid that was happening, he's all the more having his brandy just now; oh how these Vikings love their ale so much

Yawning at that response, he nodded and moved on since he didn't sleep that well; he's been feeling exhausted in the afternoon the day before and didn't stay up after eating dinner. He headed straight to bed afterwards, not much else to say that wasn't shown already. Where is Hiccup running to that would be so important? The Blacksmithing Forge as his only joy where he felt happiness there, and the one place where he should be whenever a dragon raid such as this would happen. Now, if he wasn't there then who's the one that's helping defend the village? The next thing he knew was that he's running up the walkway as other Vikings have ran past him, though they're not so gentle as the earlier one was

"What are you doing here?!" Hoark the Haggard carried a barrel overhead, fittingly enough he did look exhausted and unwell from fatigue

"Get inside!" Burnthair the Broad held an axe and white shield with lime green spirals which were running all around the face towards the boss in the middle, his beard has lit pieces that were burning

"What are you doin' out?" Grunt the Howler held a sword and shield of a more specific design to the face that was at the front, he was shouty in times of raids that were happening which is due to the amount of chaos drowning out his normal voice

"Get back inside!" Phlegma the Fierce held a singular bladed bearded axe and a shield with a specific design, her name refers to chest mucus which comes from a cold to be exact

All of these Vikings' tone of voices were hostile as they were disdainful, but there were two others that didn't say a word as the fourth one was Javelier the Flail who held a sword with a shield of a specific design; named for his backup weapon which was a medieval flail as to him overappreciated weapons like flails and nunchucks can serve to a purpose in warfare and was also known as "Javelin" for short. Next is Ack... yep, just Ack who stood picking his ear with a uninterested expression and a shield that was unpainted in his hand; shields used by the tribe were painted so this one was faded. The boy ran ahead near to the staircase leading up to the Great Hall when one of those bird based dragons ran down the street, spraying a line of magnesium which was one of the hottest fires used by them. Making a sharp turn down the lane on the right as one man stood wielding not only a shield but also a hammer in the other serving as his weapon of choice, he then turned and grabbed a fallen cart before he threw it up to the bird like dragon that flew in range; they've said that when he was a baby, he popped a dragon's head cleanly off it's shoulders. Does Hiccup believe it? No, he doesn't and this wasn't done out of jealousy; it was done out of spite because although he may be a important figure to the tribe, he's not all that kind to his son under that intimidating statue he possessed. He saw Hiccup but couldn't snatch him before he ran away from the larger man compared to his stature, calling his name even but scowling at his form when he headed off in a different direction after he failed to take him like a dog grabbing a cat's back, the collarbone to be exact; like it would matter either way. He turned to one of his men and asked

"What have we got?" The intimidating man asked, needing a countdown on the species that were raiding his isle

"Nadders, Gronckles, Zipplebacks, oh and Hoark saw a Monstrous Nightmare" The Viking gave the headcount as these were some of the dragons seen before, the parrot like dragon which is called the Deadly Nadder, the rounded pig like dragon named the Gronckle, the serpent-like dragon named the Hideous Zippleback which the main thing to notice about this dragon was it's two heads and spark-and-gas way of breathing fire; the dragon seen before shutting the door and laying down trails of kerosene gel was the Monstrous Nightmare that's mentioned as being seen by Hoark. The unlit kerosene gel bore a seaweed to a forest and a deep forest along with a conifer green color, but when lit with a spark it gave off a bright caribbean to a swimming pool and a light teal with an aquamarine cyan color which in return; came with slight aegean to a sapphire blue edges right before it truly bursts into flame. On cue a blast of fire made the Viking duck with his shield as a piece of burning wood landed on the intimidating man's shoulder guard

"Any Night Furies?" He asked as he looked around at the skies for any sign of them, seeming concerned about those kinds of dragons that would attack them at any time

"None so far" The Viking stated as the man swept the burning wood off his shoulder guard

"Good" He was relieved that weren't any so far, best he stays alert because they will come; they've always come every other few raids that were far and between

The burning light from the fires that were set ablaze made it difficult to see how many were in the air during this raid, so it would only be logical that the Vikings would have to hoist the torches. These were situated in the middle of a ring made of horizontal rectangular stones, a second layer where there was a inverted trapezoid on either side of another horizontal stone in the middle on top and a shorter one on the bottom; at least on the left to right sides with a inwards facing rounded edged and large triangular shaped stone facing the middle. The base of the torches had a iron cuffed cylindrical shaped as it went up to form a tall cylindrical pillar of wood, with a darker iron and shorter cylindrical shaped cuffed base going around with the four sides having short stubby hexagon shaped bars that stuck outwards from underneath the wide lower half spherical shaped brazier; with a upper half spherical shaped cage that are all made of thin cylindrical bars that met up in the middle, loaded with stacks of hay that were lit on fire with a thrown torch. It helps keep the night clear as the burning light was in no order of any sorts a clinker to a cedar wood finish as well as an hawaiian tan to a reno sand and with a bronze to a copper, as well as a chocolate to a sepia and a russet to a tawny with a caramel in association with a cinnamon and gingerbread fiery brown color

"Hoist the torches!" A Hooligan guard called out as one was already lit and rising with another being lit onto the source of the torches, rising as soon as the torch hit the hay before rising; don't worry, they've been soaked with flammable liquids so they can immediately burst into flames. As the torches made it up to the top as far as they can go, the sky revealed the many dragons that were scouting in the air and searching for the livestock wherever they hid; but as with Berk itself, nothing about them raiding the isle was what it seemed as there's more to their raids then what was being implied to the Vikings. If they allowed themselves to set the petty stubbornness to better understand why they were raiding from them, the dragons were not even eating any of the sheep or the yaks themselves in fact; Hiccup even pondered about this fact and became certain that something wasn't right

That didn't stop him from ensuring that he kept all eyes peeled for what or wherever a tail is going to be close by, perhaps even somewhere he doesn't expect. But truth be told: all these dragons didn't attack him with fire, spikes, acid, burning water or even ice; none of them had attacked him whenever the raids happen, they merely left him to his vices which is the way he liked it when it came to the Vikings but curious when it came to the dragons of all things that should be noted. Spiked and clubbed bludgeons of tails held back at crushing him or in other cases slamming into him, it's a strange thing to witness for the average Viking who've fought in these raids. He could never take his eyes off reminiscing on the time that one Zippleback flew overhead before coming down to attack a Viking who threw a sword and an axe at them, dodging to the side as the Viking threw a hooking punch to their underbelly and even made them collapse onto their knees in pain while guarding what was important to this Zippleback the most with their claws; the gas spewing head grabbed him by the neck before his spark blasting brother headbutted him hard enough to knock him out. That was a Viking who was picking on him when he was young, guiding him to the Forge as he waved back as a gesture of thanking them both. He swore to himself that they're protecting him in these raids as they sheltered the boy from harm, pulling him away with their claws as well as carrying the lad in their talons when he leapt over to the other side; which was too far of a gap for him to make it across without scrambling to heave himself over the edge in order to climb up. All of this while the two sides fought against each other to the death

Well, at least they're gentler than all the Vikings who were cheap bastards. Anyone living on Berk as it was stated before knew the reason as to why Hiccup considered them to be so, it's going to be made clear once this raid has ended

"Thinking it about it now, yeah... they've been kind to me over the years. Grandma Cowell said that she stopped one of our own from killing a Monstrous Nightmare, could that be true? If so... I suspect there's much I could've learned from mom, had things gone another way" Hiccup bitterly thought in his mind as he approached the Blacksmithing Forge

At the minute he stepped inside he was already on his way with his apron on, ready to start sharpening away at the sword on the grindstone. "Ah, nice of you to join the party; and thank Odin ye' haven't been carried off my boy. I would've began to think so after another minute"

"What, who me? Nah nahahah come on now" Hiccup saw that the blacksmith left his square 'n four-sided conical spiked mace on the floor, heaving it up effortlessly back onto the rack of prosthetic tools for the left arm he lost to a Monstrous Nightmare; wouldn't be a month later when another took his right leg too. "I'm too thin for their taste, they want big and burly; face that's not so pleasant, a man whose the height of the chief and bigger around the midsection, and a veritable beer gut to pander to the married wives of this tribe. Not this, they wouldn't know what to do with all this to start with" He gestured to his skinny boy as he placed the last of the prosthetics on the rack

"Well, they need toothpicks don't they?" He poked harmless fun at his young lad. The meat-head with attitude and interchangeable hands is Gobber the Blacksmith, for as long as he's been remembering he was his apprentice since he was litter; he's not a pleasant Viking to work for the others who sought to fill in his position as a worker, but he was soft to his lad because he was only a boy that deserved better in this tribe. He's got a large muscular frame with a lack of hair kept underneath his yak horn adorned helmet, with a yellow tunic as well as a brown fur vest to dark and light brown striped leggings with a darker boot that has a even darker colored cuff around the top rim; bandages were present on his arms as not only does he got a lost arm and leg, he's also got a well shaped stone for a prosthetic tooth ever since. His original tooth was knocked out by a frozen Viking but that ain't the last time he's met face to face with that... bone collecting dragon that's been out to get him for years, switching out his large rectangular shaped forging hammer with coal tongs to bend the sword back into the right shape

It should be noted that every Viking on this wet heap of rock weren't ever aware of the fact that Hiccup was the assistant to the finest blacksmith around, acting as a mentor too; limping around and made sure to holler away when the dragons came close in excitement. Outside to a nearby catapult tower, the intimidating man appeared as he was the chief of the tribe; he is Stoick the Vast who was originally going to be known as Vindictive but he doesn't like a name such as that, he even said to keep his weight out of this but that's due in part to insomnia caused by the Midnight Sun. What his original name meant was that if there's one thing he was good at, it would be revenge because if there was anything that happened to his boy; any place the offender thought they would be safe will turn out to be of no sanctuary toward the chief who had nothing to lose as that kind of man is truly dangerous. He gave his order to the Hooligans who not only hauled sheep under their arms but ran down a wooden plank built slope

"We move to the lower defenses, we'll counterattack with the catapults" He ordered and gestured his hammer as he ran on down

The Vikings hurried down to the lower defenses to counterattack the raiding dragons, but at that moment one of the Monstrous Nightmares swooped down to set another house on fire; as you can see the statement of a old village with lots and lots of new houses wasn't too far off from the truth. A Viking even called out for the fire brigade who were called into action. "FIRE!"

"Alright, let's go!" A woman teenager rushed into the scene with several others as Hiccup watching them in action, just after stoking the fires with a bellow for the heated coals. The teens loaded their buckets with a wheeled keg holding water inside for the fires that come and go in the raids, standing on two downwards curving legs that went backwards and stood on downwards slanting rectangular shaped tips. The fiery smog proved difficult to see who was present but to Hiccup it's not hard to see who is there to put the houses out, as there's a near rust to a vermilion as well as a sangria to a brick and mahogany along with a faint barn to a maroon and chili red color; lighting on the ground was emitting a combined mix of a bronze to a apricot and an honey to a squash with a marmalade as well as a yam and a tiger to a kind of tangerine orange color, also having that orange peel to princeton with safety and of course burnt orange color thrown into there as well. The same brown colors as before for the fires of when they appear around the village in these raids all applied to the scene as well. Hiccup of course said he knew these teens, that stout one is Fishlegs, his cousin Snotlout, the Thorston Twins named Ruffnut and Tuffnut who were a girl and a boy respectively as the former fought with her brother over the bucket that she started herself from what he can see; and at last as a girl doused the burning fires to her right and turned around... Astrid, illuminated further as a blast of fire burst behind her

His expression was not of a dreamy kind, rather he was looking... uninterested and to a more unfortunate implication to a runt who was born, disappointed. Any other teen of his age had her melt them into butter because size didn't matter with her, she looked athletic and so her frame was thin like his but she looked agile. She's the toughest teen girl that was ever born in this Archipelago, and she's the only girl that didn't melt him on the spot because he's learned that she was no kinder to him than the others who distained him as such. Their jobs were no cooler than his because he can't build anything of his own and he has to work with the teens, not happening as Gobber was getting more of the weapons set up before noticing he was out leaning at the window; peeking out he saw the other teens. His disinterested gaze on Astrid as he let off a shallow disdainful sigh out of his nose, Gobber only breathed out in the tone of disappointment. If he were in love with her, he'd be heartbroken the moment he was turned down; and he will not be remembered as the one who didn't save his lad from being teased. Hiccup returned to his smithing duties as he grabbed a sword and started to sharpen it, there was nothing like getting away from the violent exterior outside and sure as hell nothing like building artillery of his own imagination; not that he would use them against the dragons of course, that's not like him to do such a thing. He doesn't want to prove himself just to stay in the tribe because being born into one should be the end of it, not rites-of-passages, not the initiation tests, membership shouldn't be mandatory to begin with. Sometimes, it's traditions like these that make him disgusted with how anyone can be so insensitive to runts who were young and upcoming; knowing the life of a Viking as they went. This tribe should be willing to teach the runts what it means to be one, not condemn them with scorn like this

"You don't love her for sure, don't you?" Gobber leaned in and asked him. "Opinions change overtime and once the two of you get to know each other; you'll start to harbor feelings and whatnot"

"She's not my true love, and I don't want to get to know her more than I already do" He walked away from the window

"Ah that's not fair Hiccup, you never judged anyone else that're like you" The blacksmith called him out on it as the boy went over to his unfinished bolas cannon that wasn't built completely, he didn't get halfway into the project before it was left in that state since the Vikings made it clear they hated the way he used targets designed after them to fire this at; seeing it as not only being petty but mean. If only they knew what mean was to him

"I see her as the ringleader of Snotlout's gang of bullies with the only nice guy being Fishlegs, and I let him be apart of the in-crowd so he doesn't get harassed wherever he goes like me. I don't have the ability to do anything, says my cousin who doesn't act like family. If she held a Snoggletog pageant and the amount of deaths was caused by overcrowding, being pushed by the crowd which is what we would call 'crowd crush'; she wouldn't stop the pageant, no she would still continue to act like nothing's happening. She had all the chances to stop them and she didn't. I've fought worse and you know that, I even have my own set of weapons that I own and used for a time like a sword, a shield and a small axe"

"You can't lift a hammer, you can't swing an axe and the fact you can't even throw one of these still stands and you know it" Gobber counted the first two and brought up some bolas for the third point, with a Viking on cue taking them to throw at a Gronckle; diving down into a crash

"What difference does it make? I build artillery to defend Berk, like this bola cannon to throw them for me; but I guess I can break this down and recycle it for a better project" He gestured to the invention he built, tapping with a hand that triggered the bolas launcher which struck a Viking in the forehead; knocking him out on the ground as the window was closed afterwards while Hiccup continued. "There's already hell coming for me anyhow and I know it, but you're confident enough to take your chances for the consequences of keeping this raw Vikingness in me contained; no need to bother"

"I wasn't trying to be so harsh on you. Get this sword sharpened, will ya?" He tossed him a sword to sharpen as he went to the grindstone

"I know, I'm just tired of having feelings for her; that's all I'm gonna say to end it" Hiccup understood that his father figure wasn't trying to be mean to him, being a runt can be a lifetime of tragedy in the beginning and despair behind the sarcasm he's been using as a front

As he worked on the nine swords, seven axes, eight war hammers and five maces inside; the dragons on the outside were getting all they needed for the nest that lies beyond the gate of fog. The Nadders have found the sheep and destroyed the shelter for them, the Gronckles of course were down below as they tore off not only the fish being hung to dry but the racks too for that matter; on the left side there was a Zippleback with one head spraying gas down into the sunroof and the other sparking the blast at the door, creating a smoking ruin as the green and brown spotted dual-headed dragon flew away to another location of the village

"They've found the sheep!" The catapult operator alerted the chief, who threw his hammer onto the turntable as he was frustrated with these results

"Concentrate fire over the lower bank!" Stoick ordered and put his muscle into turning the catapult tower's turntable to aim for the Nadders down below

"Hurry up!" A second operator ordered as it would only be a matter of time beforehand that the Nadders would get away with their sheep

"Fire!" Once the hovering Nadders were in range, the catapult launched the boulder and took one down that was about to take off to snatch one for the nest

A shadow of the Monstrous Nightmare flew past Stoick as he was alerted at the sudden wind that sharply swooped past near him on the left flank, a snarl was heard as he looked down at the lighting of orange and golden heat that set the borders of the walkway on fire. Bursting in front of him was a flame jacket coated and hostile Nightmare who had the chief at it's mercy, but Stoick wasn't about to let this dragon kill him today; it takes more than a little fire to kill him he'd say in front of the same madman who burned down the Great Hall once, all but him were killed as he was the only survivor but what he saw when the chaos died down is horrific to explain even to his own kin. He took back his hammer and ordered the catapult operators before engaging in battle

"Reload! I'll take care of this..." He smacked his hammer from the left to the right, with the Nightmare snapping it's flaming jaws at him as he dodged to the side. That's when it began, there was a ballistic whistle piercing through the air as the Nightmare flew off knowing that this catapult tower has been targeted; Stoick knew it too and was ready to brace for when it will impact. Down below in the Forge, Hiccup heard it too and looked up; Gobber took with a crazy and happy yell

Oh god no, it can't be that sound. Odin help them all, that was the signal of a dive bomb that's coming and no other dragon could be making that sound for that was the dragon no one ever had seen; and the scarce background information regarding this one was what made this kind the most threatening of them all. No other dragon could be aspire to be like this one for it is the one, and the only...!

"NIGHT FURY! GET DOWN!" One called out the name and the other warned the others to get down, as the ballistic whistle increased in volumetric pitch; without warning a dual split bolt of acetylene and oxygen-shaped plasma charges made impact with the catapult defense, as a bright flash followed with a white sphere in the middle. Beforehand the blast was a violet to a blue gem with a blue diamond and a violent violet to a windsor and paua indigo purple, as it turned into a dark mirage purple with the core being a prelude pale pink as well as being with a chetwode and malibu blue to a rum with a smoky; along with a mulled wine to a kimberly to a scampi purple with that added viola pink burst of flames. This became a hot explosion that's made of long and multi-headed spouts of magnesium like sparks, while the resulting blast of the plasma shot outward featured waves of a violet to a lucky point with a black rock and also with a ebony to a black pearl and minsk purple color; the magnesium based electrical sparks also exploded into a bright moon raker silvery to a kimberly with a mamba and to a lingering dull lavender with a dusty gray pink and a river bed blusish purple color. Lastly there was one last explosive ring that shockwaved outward which was a haiti to a port gore along with a kind of martinique and a deep cove bluish indigo purple color, which darkened the further it went out before fading away as the blast in the middle was a large fiery explosion that bursted into flames; pieces of wood arching overhead to the other side in different directions and leaving a catapult tower in ruins, as fiery ember sparks blew away to the sides and mid to dark brown clouds formed trails to where the blasted pieces were blown off to

The tower was coming down and with no other way to get down due to the catapult arm not only collapsing down onto them but also with the fires spreading, Stoick had to shout at the operators to:

"JUMP!" Stoick didn't have to say that twice as he and the Hooligans leapt off the tower lest the arm come crashing down onto them, trapping their bodies under the rubble and burning to ashes afterwards

Hiccup was wrapping the leather around the handle and finished just in time too, as if he had been waiting all this time he immediately made his way to the window and saw the mystical Night Fury under the dark cover of the fading night; the ever so illuminating moonlight and of course the occasional light of the plasma charges it fired off, a dragon was not seen outside of the night cover. This dragon was of three things: never reveals itself, never steals food and it never misses unless done so on purpose; the Night Fury turned and shot down the tower that held the catapult on top once, even down to the village and as with every raid of course he is not going to turn up a opportunity to see it. He immediately headed out and ignored the so-called duty of the village

"Hiccup! Come back!" Gobber cried out in alarm and told him to come back to him, to no avail when he suddenly saw the Vikings being blasted out there; they needed him out there as he switched out his coal tongs for a double bladed battleaxe attachment, running out to join the fight but never stopped thinking about his apprentice and his safety. He might even make an better father perhaps

"Hiccup, where are you going?!" One of the Hooligans asked when he ran out, suspecting he was leaving the safehouse that was built for those who didn't fight

"Come back here!" Another one called out, also to no avail as Hiccup was long gone to see the Night Fury

Elsewhere in another part of the village four sheep were cornered by three Nadders, only to be stopped when Stoick the Vast ran along the structural supported balcony and threw a net over them; several Vikings came to restrain them when one had fired off a magnesium blast into the air. The chief leapt onto the Nadder snout and wrestled it down to the ground

"Mind yourselves! The devils still have some juice in them!" He warned as he held one by the nostril and kept his restrained one's head down, clamping it's jaws shut with his raw strength

Now, although both Hiccup was given a path made by the dragons and they've been given an little more than enough of a distraction to fly off back to the nest with their many sheep and yak, this didn't mean that they're all ready to retreat back just yet. This thought made him a bit more curious than he was before. Throughout the entire raid that went on with little to be seen bloodshed as it were the Hooligans that were on the receiving end of it, the Night Fury's rain of plasma charges took out more of the weapons and even helped aid some dragons that were in need of help. Fending off redbloods from the Nadders, cover fire for the Gronckles of who tore the racks of fish off with their immense jaw strength, firing a warning shot to any of the frightened livestock being chased by Zipplebacks and sniping at sudden attacks that were made against the Nightmares

But as the Night Fury let off another charged plasma blast, this one unknowingly was aiming towards Hiccup; racing up to the boy who was running through the chaotic village. Just when everything seemed to be in jeopardy however, a Monstrous Nightmare flew right above and angled it's body to slam him down to the side without it's own bulk crushing him underneath; hell it was easily larger than him. Now shielded and feeling warm against it's heated scales as it made him think it recently used it's flame jacket ability due to it's underbelly jiggling above him, he saw the plasma blast hit against it's incredibly durable scales. He was covered by it's wing on the right side while being held down by it's left talon as it's right was horizontally off to the side. Afterwards, this dragon picked him back up with it's snout using surprising gentleness before flying off with a soft coo vocalizing as being barely heard; but Hiccup could hear it and he was amazed, he continued to make a run for it afterwards hoping to see the next place where the Night Fury will strike

Stopping at a empty hill where he looked at the catapult tower before him, cautiously as he's keeping his eyes peeled at the sea of stars above him. "Come on, give me something to see here, give me something to see here"

His eyes caught a shadow soon after as it visibly blotted out the stars, keeping his eyes on the shadow of the Night Fury he watched as another catapult tower was taken out; the explosion illuminating the now visible shadow as it zipped by. After that he could see the dragon vanish again, needless to say he was excited that he saw the Night Fury; never passing up his chance to see one. It felt wonderful and even if no one believed he did, that's because they never in their whole lives had confidence in him. The fires from the tower illuminating him, he felt it's time for him to come on back and head home now that he's lived the opportunity yet again; a moment that would stay. Before he turned to leave however, a Nightmare climbed up to see face to face with him as he looked aggressive but what's there to expect with a dragon whose one of the types that only the best go after; to him it didn't matter either way

"Storehouse is next to the square on your right" He acted like he didn't seem phased that he's face to face with a Monstrous Nightmare who looked like it was about to snap at him, which is anyone's guess to whatever method it would do to kill him. No instead the dragon looked down to the left where the village would be, and gave a short grunt before taking off to the village down below. Time for him to leave as he did just that and began to run back to his house

Back in the village, the chief held the Nadders down in place even as they were captured in a net. "Stoick!" A Viking called out and pointed to Hiccup running down the hill, he is nothing more than a shadow among the black as well as the burnt brownish yellow to golden color from the top to bottom respectively. He gave off a huffing snarl and gave the order to his brother

"DO NOT let them escape!" He stood back up and ran off

"Right!" Spitelout kept his hands on them, securing them in place until he returned

The young boy turned around the corner and made his way over to the Great Hall to hide out in during that time. "Hiccup!" Dare he wince upon hearing the voice call out to him, he's one to know that voice anywhere and everywhere he's been, because even Gobber who stood his ground for anyone couldn't protect him from such a man

It was his father, who was none other than Stoick the Vast, the chieftain of the Hairy Hooligan Tribe as he was a terrifying sight to behold and to be reckoned with. A hammer in his right, as well as a shield in his left; stomping his way over to him with his strength easily being able to hold his weapon of choice for this raid. Hiccup knew the expression on the man's face, he had seen and experienced the emotion beforehand; he was the victim of the bloodthirsty, and of the terrible unkindled roar of the earth that shook the foundations of Berk. It was true, unbridled rage

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, BOY?!" His voice carried the village. Most parents like these would be keeping their children away from the uncontrollable carnage of a raid, one led by dragons no less, but Stoick's more concerned why he wasn't taking up arms with the other teens that fought; trying to put out fires with their buckets as part of the fire brigade, panicking as if the previously seen fire jacket coated Monstrous Nightmare was on them trying to set them ablaze. It mattered not to him that his son held the confidential position of blacksmith, producing arms and weapons in the midst of a raid that was going on; his father expected him to be in the fight

Before Hiccup could give his version of a reply, that was when a Gronckle charged like a irate bull into Stoick's gut as if it were warning him to leave his boy alone; he was only a teenager. The chief turned his rage to the Gronckle and began to beat the dragon with a right hook, as a uppercut was followed up along with a lower right hook and a jumping kick to finish it off; the Gronckle shot a lava blast that blew his shield away up against the plaza's engraved knotwork design before taking off, having been fended away but providing just enough time for him to be ambushed by a Monstrous Nightmare. He was caught by it's talons and thrown off towards the left side of the staircase leading up to the Great Hall, but got up to dodge a kerosene blast that forced him on the run as the dragon then fired off another stream; he then got behind an brazier tower as the third and last kerosene blast struck from behind. Armed with a hammer, he spun it around as it jumped in his hand a few times and when the dragon snuck up behind on his right; now was his chance as he shoulder charged and leapt onto it's mouth, tumbling a distance across from the dragon

The Monstrous Nightmare fired off a short kerosene blast with several drops of liquid flames coming out afterwards, the dragon could only give off a hiss as the chief clenched his fists. "You're all out..."

Next thing that Hiccup knows was that Stoick beat down on the Nightmare who attacked him after destroying the Storehouse to get away with the load of fish, delegating this task toward the others while it went for the chief who was beating down on the Gronckle. His strikes are all the much harder as the big man pummeled the dragon to the ground, each cry of pain was let out as loudly but drowned out by the man's grunts every time he struck. Swinging an hooking right with a left before he kneed the Nightmare's jaw, uppercutting twice with the first being quick and fast as well as the second being slower but harder before he slammed his right fist down to the dragon's upper snout; ending it with a running and jumping kick that forced it on his side with the horizontally lined underbelly exposed. Hiccup was not here as a witness and rushed to take his father's bicep, but was backhanded to the face and thrown to the ground. It cried out with blood leaking from the bruised wounds he opened and not taking any chances, the Monstrous Nightmare flew off with Stoick giving a huff as if telling the dragon off for that ambush; as it was said it takes more than a little fire to kill him, out of energy to continue as it couldn't take anymore beatings. All that remained was a black sky with a fading orange light from the fires in the distance, while the burning torch brazier was ready to collapse; turning around to see it fall vertically off the base and timbering down to the right to reveal... no one

Stoick watched the rest of the scene silently with a scowl as the fire in his pupils were fading, as the chain reaction soon followed and only made him angrier

The torch brazier smashed against the sloping bridge and broke off the brazier's head where it then began to tumble down to the village's houses, running over some carts and Vikings in the process; scraping against the edges of some buildings as it didn't stop there. If there's one more thing that has to be made public knowledge to the ones who lived here on Berk who of course, didn't know beforehand; it will be shown in a few minutes. The brazier torch's head came wheeling towards the Nadders that were captured, forcing the Vikings to abandon and scatter; Spitelout who insisted that he'd stayed to ensure they're not escaping had to be, and as one can see here unwillingly to add, pulled back with the torch burning the net as the Nadders tore away all of the ropes to fly off back to the nest. Much of the livestock had been taken and hauled off, the food of Berk was stolen and for one last attack on Stoick; the chief's house was shot at by the Night Fury who fired off a small but just as deadly plasma charge that blasted the entryway, a series of burning embers were left behind as it disappeared back into the cover of the night which was becoming dawn thanks to the fading black skies. What started out as a cinder had become a black pearl to a ebony with a mirage and a dark velvet indigo to a lighter mirage as well as a thunder bluish to purple color along with a tamarind and gondola brown color, from top to bottom respectively while the burning fires that crackled to embers was a more brown to tannish color also from the darkest top to the lightest bottom

The dragons have won this raid, for now; best they stay alert as they will be back soon, they always do. If they return the next time, they'll be more than ready with bigger and badder weapons than ever before...

In the meantime Stoick wasted no time in rounding on the small slip of a boy who was found to have been watching from the empty hill seen before, silenced with a mouth over his hand as Phlegma the Fierce and Mrs. Larson, who was a terrible mother herself, brought him to his father; hauling him by the arms while he struggled against their grip. His tone of voice said it all. "Get these bitches off me, I'm not going anywhere near him!" He broke off and stood against them, throwing his arms down in the process as he refused to face his dad

Stoick, out of anger, violently struck his arm with a shield he was tossed with over to by Grunt the Howler; with his son yelping in pain as though his arm wasn't broken, the force of such an large man in which he held immense strength. "HEY!" If anything it looked like it was cracking as he hauled his boy by the back of his neck, dragging him towards Gobber who was bringing the teens to a more secluded area

"Hiccup, every time you step outside; disaster fallows. Can you not see that I have bigger problems? Winter's almost here and I have an entire village to feed!" He reprimanded and the tone he used with him was no less hostile than the others

"You're calling me a walking disaster? Look at you and the village, they can do with a little less feeding" Hiccup spoke with the tone of a snark, if even his father doesn't respect him in the tribe as a Viking then neither will he as one of the Vikings in the back rubbed his stomach as if to ask if he was calling him fat

"This isn't a joke, Hiccup! Arrgh... why can't you follow the simplest orders?"

"Let them serve as the example on why I don't like to follow orders not to get in and on with the action, I fought worse like those Hassassins who ambushed me at the campsite back when the Persians attacked us; it's who I am, yet you and the tribe insist they know better than me. I mean, oh my gods LOOK. AT. THIS! These people are trying, and I am not being sarcastic, their hardest to moralize me because I don't rely on my brawn or do what they want me to do so I wouldn't get in their way" He backsassed him, grating his teeth when he told him in true fashion that his father's people were trying to call him out for keeping true to what his weaknesses weren't allowing him to do

"Oh... You are many things, Hiccup. But a dragon killer is not one of them, and fending off one of the king's most lethal killers doesn't change anything; you didn't fight them head on, you were trying to keep out of their sight, which is good given their ways of dispatching an entire army of Vikings no less, but that's not the point. You were supposed to be in the Forge during this raid, why did you leave it unprotected?" Stoick acknowledged that staying out of sight from them, this group being a real order who are called the Hassassins that not only attacked in groups of seven often without warning but also went killing arabic leaders most of the time, was a good strategy, really it was, but he threw that aside for the fact that he wasn't where he was supposed to be

This is Stoick's fatherhood, he doesn't ask if his son was hurt nor does he check him over to see any visible injuries; no he asks why he's not in the forge making arms. Not even thankful for not being carried off by a Nadder or another, just a question as to why he's not inside the forge manning the fort or fighting like the others of his tribe. Yes in fact, it is true that he wasn't always like this, it's a tragedy in of itself for how strained the father and son relationship between them has become

"I just wanted to see the Night Fury! There should be nothing wrong with that" Hiccup knew that his father hated being ignored by him, he was forced to give him some sort of answer and he'd be even more angry for what he thought was his son ignoring him; and that's what he thought his song was doing right now: ignoring the question

"We're losing food, because you wanted to see a dragon who can blast you to sparks of fire?!!" He screamed, scaring the children nearby who came out and were comforted by each of their mothers

"You have no high and mighty authority to act like you dominate and control my life, so don't bother acting like you own me only as a servant and not a son" Hiccup was on the verge of shouting at him

"Don't you argue back at me, the ice is going to set in soon; our trading routes aren't just being narrowed down to make it hard for others to reach Berk son, we are at war with the dragons that're taking-"

"I don't come down to the forge to build weapons and arm the Vikings with them so they can fend them off, I come down there to get away from you and confide about every frustrations I've been having about what you do to me. And I'm not about to drag him into our war any further than that" Having run out of things to say, the chief growled as such he spoke to him lowly before he ordered Gobber to escort him back

"That dragon didn't find and attack the Storehouse on it's own, Hiccup. Get inside the house, and make sure he gets there; I have his mess to clean up" Stoick growled afterwards

"That torch tower was your doing, not mine" Hiccup called him out on that

"I was talking about the Storehouse..." He irritatingly grumbled under his breath

The young boy felt nothing but a evermore burning feeling filled with no love for his father, as he looked back at the house that was set on fire right behind him; thankfully the fires had burnt out into crackling embers, it seemed like it's not too damaged. He's taken the risk that he's going to get very painful bruises tomorrow morning, but he took off as being told and walked alone with a bit more of a spring to his step that was one he never noticed himself; his shoulders stiffened and hunched in inevitable fear. But his father was a chief, what else was he supposed to be if he's not intimidating to even his own son?

Hiccup readied his dagger if his dad got any ideas, that's how afraid of him he was behind the doors inside and how it first began when he grew up to let his painful secret be condemned as a curse from the gods

HTTYD

Inside of the attic, known to him as his room which was a loft to the back half of the house no surprise there, clad in his faded tunic in green alongside his brown leggings and lacking in only his body warmer vest that he removed himself. Those forest green eyes tensing as he fiddled with the dagger he kept on him at all times in case his father got the idea to try something his people were suggesting behind his back, hearing the entrance door slamming shut along with the loud thumping footsteps that were approaching; his heart weakening in fear but the steel grip on his dagger was increasing to white knuckled levels of crushing security. There's a long, halted pause when his bedroom door was thrown open and Hiccup's dagger was nowhere to be seen in his hands

Stoick stood watching his own son stand his ground waiting for it, growling with a visible and twitching eyed scowl before he stepped forward; rearing his arm back before smacking across his face, the force of the blow throwing him down to the floor with a hard thud. The chief, for as much highly critical opinion of his son hidden his own fears that he was going to kill his son due to his small stature; he's always done this when he needed to lecture him by fist. "You... need to start listening to me, boy"

"Do your worst, I'm not gonna live in a tribe full of unbounding hatred and poisonous vipers who encourage bullies like you to try and kill me; your own son!" Another punch was sent across his jaw

"Do NOT accuse me of allowing them to try and kill you, had it not been for the threat of her wrath I would've banished you to Outcast Island at ten years old five to six years ago!" Stoick knew who it was that Hiccup was talking about, but he refused to relent

"You're a cold blooded bastard... dad, Gobber's-"

"NO!" A third punch was sent to the boy's stomach, not a crack to be heard as no bones were broken... for now. It's best that he stay alert, for one of his bones would be broken soon; it's happened once a blue moon every now and then, for now though Hiccup collapsed down to the ground as tried to shield himself from any further pain. "Why... do... you... never... do... as... you're told?!"

Each word was shouted and followed with either a punch or a kick as the boy whimpered in fear of further damage to his small statured self, but little did the chief know he would start his retaliation for every punch and kick he inflicted on him

"No... more..." That was all he could and would groan out. His father snarled and slammed his foot against his back again, when he flipped over and slashed him across the knee; having the dagger cut deep enough to draw blood which made him growl. Taking him at the hand and in his crushing grip he couldn't escape from, he grinded his son's hand 'til it turned white before he dropped the dagger. Twisting even his fingers that were crumpled together, but stopped as he dropped his hand to the floor and hissed; leaving for the Great Hall for some mead, it's only really to calm himself down after seeing his own son that reminded him and looked like his late wife. But even then it's hard to tell why though, Stoick should be happy for once that he's got one part of his wife forever with him; even more of a surprise is that he survived the savage beatings of a man twice his size as his efforts to shield himself were ineffective. He's come to know of his father's rages as he spoken about how he beaten him and drank back at the hall, still tortured by the night his wife was taken. Once he was stomping away and at last disappearing down the attic doors, he was safe for now

The blood running down from his lips for he was badly bruised and sore, hearing the sound of the front door slamming closed made him push himself to his hands and knees; crawling over to his bed just before he was halted by a coughing storm of splintered blood, the floor stains in red that bled with misery and shame for holding his birthright as the son of the chief. That didn't stop him for long as the stamina drained out of him, he crawled and clambered his way from the floor up onto the bed where he pushed himself up; whimpering whenever his ever so wounded body and broken spirit that hurt more than these evil men and women thought if they for once walked a mile in his boots. He lived on courage to survive, because for what reason did honor offer to him? Nothing but a liaison of shame that he defiled the tradition of the Vikings, that doesn't help him turn into a better man; that would only plant a seed of fear that he would disappoint his family, and it is that seed that would grow into roots that would lead to him losing his identity and destroying himself. Without anything more to think of, he closed his forest green eyes and slipped off to a dreamless sleep

The only thing that he could hear now was his grandmother calling out to him, albeit faintly about how the pantheon do not hate him as he would be led to believe; tomorrow morning will be where the tides of the sea and when the shroud of dusk is near the curtains shall fall, the scales of the black dragon will teach him the world of dragons from the eyes of one itself

HTTYD

Stoick went straight to the Great Hall to grab a drink of mead, thinking about what might've been if his wife had been here throughout these years beyond that one night long ago; the night felt like yesterday but happened so long ago. He was among the only four who knew about what his son did as a profession, as mentioned before his brother was one of them as well. But to him, being a blacksmith just isn't enough for him; no, he needs to start gettin' on out there right now and start fighting. Artillery alone doesn't win battles, strategy alone is an battle plan to be laid out beforehand and the former was for support; what he's actually doin' is talking about needing him to play his part on the field out there with his own strength. But with a frame like his, Odin's beard how does he intend on defending himself? As he entered inside the building, he saw Gobber approaching where he sat and sighed a frustrated one; he knows what he's doing is wrong but how can his son learn to lead the tribe when he can't lift a weapon even he did when he was young? He felt like he should blame his wife for how his son resembled her, but no man, father or not, no man blames his wife for the way their sons and daughters take after the other rather than their preferred choices. In the words of a wise man discipline is as only as good on parchment to teach children right from wrong, but once it gets executed in action the restraint of a father is measured by his rage and what he does in a state of anger; and even as the years went on his mourning never ended. He was doomed, he knows what was going to happen and the fear of that thought worsened his mood; there are so many things that went wrong with the statement of taking it too far and beating your only child to near death, at least that's what Gobber thought of when he heard the alarm bells toll in his brain and the red flags that're hoisted to warn him of the live fire he's about to witness

"That boy, Hiccup is going to lead someone to their deaths and get someone killed directly in the crossfire with those disastrous toys of his. He'll destroy this tribe and let them take Berk before we make our final stand at the nest" Gobber remained silent on the whole thing, even as he knew Stoick and many others were afraid of the change that's about to occur; preferring to focus on the duties of a chieftain and beating his son nearly two steps closer to death, that alone was going to be their downfall. Even with him arming the villagers without them being aware that he's the one who built their weapons in the first place wasn't enough for Stoick, it just wasn't for acceptable; he still thought he was useless to this day and he doesn't have to say it in public

"He's making weapons isn't he? That's their responsibility if they got themselves killed" He's not wrong there, the usage of a weapon is measured by the purpose of what a man uses it for such as self-defense most commonly. "If anythin' is worth bringin' up, you're the one whose gonna be leading him to his death long before the dragons get to him first"

"I don't believe you" Stoick drank from his tankard

"What I'm sayin' is can't ya' lay off him? There's some people here who don't appreciate the way you're lettin' him off with just a beatin', especially HIM of all people" The blacksmith heavily emphasized a specific member of the tribe who wanted the son of the chief be more than beaten by his own father; that member wanted him out of the tribe and in an even more insidious plan to get him out of the picture

The chief only responded with a hateful, yet uncooperative tone. "Do you listen to the words you're saying? He doesn't show interest in taking over when the time is right, he can't lift one finger- even a pinky to one dragon and he'd rather be focused on building those wonderful- if you can call 'em wonderful - toys of his that'll destroy some important buildings we need if it comes to being raided at the worst time right now; going off on his own rather than for once stopping and thinking about spending time with his old man. I approached him about wantin' to spend time with him, for Valka as she would've wanted us to do so. He responded by sayin' if I didn't leave him alone, he cares more about her than I. Allfather's fury, who says things to their fathers like that?"

Stoick doesn't seem to realize his son thinks he didn't care about his mother enough to set off on a voyage to find her, Gobber decided not to point this out as he's got a lot on his plate as it is. "You can't keep goin' on and doin' this to him, sooner or later he'll be off on his way to join another tribe: the Outcasts, the Berserkers, the Meatheads, the Bashem Oiks, the Visithugs, a uncharted one out there beyond our borders no less, the Boneheads of Draak, the Murderous Tribe, the Bog-Burglars or even that one Feather People tribe that live alongside Changewing nesting grounds"

He looked up at that mention of the tribe in an angered state, he will not have his skræling of a son join a tribe of feathered sunkissed people full of worshippers that're in league with the acid spewing species of the devils as a whole; the feathered people referring to Americans of the north continent where the American Frontier was, full of different tribes inhabiting many environments such as the plains where some of the tribes like the Cheyenne and Nakoda for example utilize tipis follow the herds and another lot of tribes such as the Pawnee residing in the Kansas River as well as the Hidatsa to name a couple who utilize crops to harvest for food source. Some tribes like the Chinook utilize fishing the same way the Berkians do. There's an whole lot of different tribes out there in the once believed to be illusive land of America, but when there's different tribes there's also intertribal wars being fought like the Powhatan and the Massawomecks; all in all Stoick was not that kind of chief who would let his son, the heir and hope to the throne of Berk join in the ranks of one of the many indigenous nations of the American Frontier that've set their borders on their territories that no other tribe would cross for they are not individualized peoples to be taken lightly in battle. As for what "Skræling" for the uninformed would ask means, it is a translation of "weakling" used by Vikings when they came into contact with Native Americans as they're commonly called (A/N: This is based on what I've read up on the Indigenous nations and apparently there are some tribes who don't really take orders, another thing is that they respect nature but they're not like hippies; they see themselves as part of earth but are not her masters. The latter is one I can believe and it makes sense. But if anyone who is Native American, tell me what is true and what's not about the information I read because this is for writing an Apache-Dakota Sioux tribe character who's name is "Devil Hand"; or at the least "Chayton's Grandson" given that names are sacred to the former. I want to make sure I'm writing him correctly as he's not a noble savage because he's done things that are questionable, and also I want to do what Assassin's Creed III did by having a Native American consultant on board as part of the team to tell them what and what not to do when it comes to writing Connor Kenway)

"Every last one of them will join his fate if he abandons his people for those acid spewers" This had Gobber facepalm and stroke his face as well as his eyes to clear 'em up

"Oh brother, I said he MIGHT join them; seein' the feather people, at least one of the six hundred tribes from what I'm being taught thankfully, see those dragons as allies and besides: nobody is insane or mad to go near any of 'em. One of them, the Comanche if I'm hearing this correctly, are said to kill you with the next three arrows after you dodged one; even worse when they're on horseback because you're already dead, it's just your stubbornness keepin' you alive when you should be ending your pain" Stoick continued drinking as he listened to the blacksmith tell him why he shouldn't go through with dealing with that tribe of the frontier, even hearing him ask this of all things. "Ay yi yi, what will Valka think...?"

Setting his tankard down, Stoick laid a palm down on the counter. "She wouldn't know what to think, because my son allowed that devil to snatch her away from not only him but me as well; she cared for Hiccup and he repays the life whose pain she endured by doing this to us both. He will never be free from the last mistake he ever makes for as long I stand alive"

"How was he supposed to fight back? He was too young, and he was born before the others" Gobber argued with him

"I popped a dragon's head clean off when I was just a baby. He should've done the same!" He yelled, now he was using the stories of his people to justify why his son should've followed in his footsteps by doing the same thing he did

"How the hell do you expect a child bearing the image of your wife to fight back with his bare hands? He's got the speed of a Nadder running along the ground, and the intelligence as well that cleverness of a dolphin to lure 'em into a trap he set up just for them" He pointed out but the chief had finished his mead filled tankard, slamming it down on the counter as it seemed the drunken effects had made him refuse to listen to reason when he said this of his son

"He's a coward then, a son with no spine and no respect to the family name is no son of mine *burp*, if he was born as a member of the fearless Hofferson Clan; he would shame more of his relatives than he would to his own father *burp*" A throbbing pang shocked his forehead making him grunt and growl in pain

"What more do you have to ask from him, if that's not enough to keep you from killing him?" Gobber has just about reached the end of his patience with the seemingly abysmal amount of stubbornness that a chief can have with the way he expected his son to be like him, flesh and bone alike as well as tasks only a chief like him of both flesh and blood could perform

"This argument's gone on for long enough. Hiccup should be out there killing dragons, leading us against tribes who've allied themselves with them and honoring the name of the Haddock Clan on Berk. Nothing more beyond that, and nothing short of knowing where his loyalties is decided to lie on this isle" Stoick stood up and stomped his way out of the Great Hall, his head was continuing to shock his brain while his liver was constricting itself from the left and the right sides to the center like a pair of snakes tightening around; squeezing the blood out of his veins and knowing greatly he's going to suffer a migraine's seed of a headache if he did not get to bed sooner or later, ignoring his body's order to stay up any longer than he needs to be

Gobber ever so solemnly mourned to himself after the chief left. "...I miss Valka, and I could use her knowledge right now on what to do with her bullheaded husband if she were here; and I don't think the poor lad can survive to see the sixteenth winter coming here soon"

The blacksmith looked at the wall showing the fathers and sons of chiefs that came before, it wouldn't be a pleasant thought if Stoick altered his son's appearance to meet his beliefs; and what's worse is that his people would agree that's how a chief's son should look. He breathed one out and laid his hands against his temples with his elbows on the counter, best he get on back to the forge as he's had one long night to think and it's leaving him with a upset stomach

"I'll give him the day off either way, think he needs to be alone in the morning away from the tribe; he always looks that way" Gobber nodded to himself but his tone of voice was more of a worried kind, as he stood up and eventually left the Great Hall too back to his forge

HTTYD

Coming down from the sea of stars in the night sky was the rise of the ever so glowing light of the horizon on the far side of the Archipelago's borders, the sun was already at work to bathe the settlement that was Berk in the shedding light of dawn from the morning and almost had been seeming to be giving the village a shower of orange light. Peaking over the rockier sides of the isle, it seeped through into the window of Hiccup's room; making the small boy lying in bed open his two good eyes that were not lost to his father's fits of rage towards him. Slowly, as he adjusted the dawnlit sunlight glaring into him with a new morning; he went on to push himself to sit upright and lean against the headboard, being mindful of his aching bruises he's starting to form a immunity to it's pain or so he thought at this time hoping he would soon be numb to the feeling. He could only sigh deeply and be grateful for the fact his ribs didn't get broken, for now, he doesn't want to lie in this bed if this did happen. He would, however for his bruises, need to see the village elder Gothi (GOTH-THEE) for some herbal salves that will ease him of the throbbing pain he's feeling along with the blood under his skin. Gobber, one of the more nicer adults who are pretty respectful of him, can understand since he too has an aching body pain that affects him but it was more directed toward the season and the idea of a phantom limb still being there; the springtime twists he calls it but he's not about to say nor tell what the twists are for now

So with those thoughts burned through his skull and melting into his mind, carefully with his steady movements he pushed himself out of bed, all in the same hissing at the muscle pulls; having remained after last night's beatings as he started to strip his upper tunic off. But, then again under the assumption that the teens would've woken up earlier to spy on him through the crack of the door to see his underdeveloped body; he put it back on as there's no use for dirtying clean clothes, not with his wounds no. He strapped on a nearby knife to his left hip, and hid one up his right sleeve before checking the coast and then exiting the room quickly; but quietly too

Knowing full well Stoick was in deep sleep as a relieving sign of the snoring from last night's drink, his son crept downstairs and to the kitchen as he snagged a fresh roll of garlic bread; a piece food that was sent him by somebody who refers to itself as: "Unknown" to protect the identity of this anonymous gentleman kind to him above all else. Furthermore, he claimed to be a friend of Hiccup too. From here on out, he ran through the village silently and passed by the other houses belonging to each their own residents knowing he was the earliest of those birds to wake up this morning; it's nice to have all of them still in deep slumber because with rare times like these, he could enjoy the silence before disappearing for the day which helps to limit the amount of pain he would be suffering under his father's roof

Gothi's Hut didn't usually sit at the edge of Berk where it overlooks the meridian of misery, it was usually at the top which required making a trip behind the village and around toward the spire; but her original hut was undergoing repairs as evidenced by the scaffolding. The village elder would be up in the dawn as she did say the sounds of the waves helped her trace, and it kept her meditation calm but others believed it's an excuse for some silence for elders of her age don't need rising tension; unless however, it could be a vision that the Gods behold right before her that would break her out of her trace. Her garden on the otherhand was full of the helpful herbs she tended to with a small well, another thing about her is that she doesn't talk due to her muteness but she always wrote in runes in front of the others; in circ*mstances of other important figures such as Hiccup she spoke to him as if her voice was found again. Here she stands before the door knowing the reason he came here, it was a ritual on Berk that was as followed when he walked up the steps and she opened the door

"Before you speak, Gothi; know that I hate to bother your morning and disturb you from your much needed sleep after that raid last night. But I had to get here as soon as possible, out of reach of him... whose already in a deep sleep himself after having himself a drink at the hall" Hiccup looked back a couple of times, assuring that he wasn't followed to her hut as she went to soothe his nerves and relieve him of any further paranoia that lingered

The elderly woman's delta to dusty grey and dove silvery hair was in her customary braid over his shoulders, three raindrop shapes that went all around and drooped down; going down all the way into three groups from largest to smallest with a horizontal wood brown strap on the middle and the bottom as the latter was made up of seven carob to coffee brown lines, these four protruding lines stuck out while the three inner sunken lines did not. The tails of the two braids ended with multiple threads that were slightly wavy, going from a range of short along with large lengths that varied for both sides of the left and the right sides. Her studded helm had a line of conical spikes that ran along the top as her tortilla to stone tan ribbed horns had went outward before curving up and backwards in the middle, forming a circular shape as it's then sloping up inwards right before it curved back outwards diagonally upwards; where the tips formed outward slanting hooked shapes, the lower half of the horns had chocolate and hickory brown striped patterns. On her body was a cedar brownish black vest that had a kind of rounded edged iron square shaped buckle with a jade colored medallion depicting what's essentially a piece of knotwork. It consisted of a upper left diagonal line that formed what is to the keen eye of Hiccup a triangular shape which then curved overhead, with two lines that curved down into a dual vertical line as it was short on the left and long on the right side; the right side had a downwards slanting line with a lower half curving underhand on the corner of the upper side, with a lower facing triangular shape in the middle. In the center of that piece of knotwork there was a line that curved downwards to the lower left side and then going in to the right where it then formed into a curling tip, the lower right corner side had a upwards facing triangular shape. The short left vertical line had a inner left facing inverted horizontal scalene triangular shape as the bottom of it went down and curved outward a little bit toward the right side. The left side horizontally went outwards as it stopped to go downwards where it curved underhand to the lower right side's curling tip as mentioned before previously, the middle of the left side had a outward facing triangular shaped with the lower left side having a curving line that went down to form a rounded vertical rectangular shape right before it had curved downwards into a short upper circular shape at the bottom; the top and bottom of the lower left corner sides had a half circular shape protruding outward. She wore what looks like a peanut brownish tan colored tunic with wood brown cylindrical shaped bracers that formed a rounded conical vertical trapezoid shape on both arms, her biceps had three thin lashings of the liking with her left arm having a pale pigeon and turkish blue colored tattoo which's made up of a upward slanting tail as it waved up and down two times respectively in a pattern; the top was aligned with triangular shaped spikes with a larger one acting as the nasal horn at the front of the top horizontal oval shaped jaw, which in return had a three triangular shape fangs with two on the top and one in the bottom middle with the slit eye being a downwards facing thin horizontal scalene triangular shape which was facing forward upward to the shoulder. On her legs were cinnamon and penny brown leggings with umber and chocolate brown boots of which had three rounded heater shield shaped scales, though even she admits her tunic is a bit uncomfortable to wear but she can bear it. She was never without her staff which serves multiple purposes to her as it started out with a vertical conical trapezoid shape which then went upwards to form a inner facing point, the top of it was a long inverted trapezoid which left a protruding triangular shaped edge at the top as it then slanted a little bit inwards right before it went upwards; as it seemed to slant backwards just a little bit but still went straight as there were about eighteen lashed ropes which went around near the bottom of the staff's dragon figurehead, there were four dragon fangs that were lashed around the staff itself for that matter as well. The dragon figurehead itself had a lower sided upwards pointing tip that was at the lower jaw as there was also a oval shaped base which formed into a straight outer facing rounded edged rectangular shaped bar resembling a tongue, with the upper snout of the dragon curving overhead into a pointed nasal horn that was small while the lower snout beaked downwards; the eyes were spherical shapes that had a horizontal rectangular shaped slit for the pupils as they were carved inwards, there were five downwards curving cylindrical shaped spines that were on the back of the head and the horns themselves being inner facing L-letter shaped horns that went outward before sloping upwards into inverted trapezoid like vertical bars at the ends. Finally, she gave him a soft smile as she stepped aside in order for him to enter inside her hut

"Thank you" He thanked her as he entered, the interior of her homestead always smelt like it was made of lavender and chamomile; something that was used for cramps in the many uses of chamomile, including sleep made in the namesake tea as well. There were several charms that were hanging from the beams and drawn onto the walls, her fire was cackling soothingly while their flames danced with the temperature that felt like a mother holding her child right in her arms; he missed that feeling. On the table were two plates of salmon out and both the plates had a cup next to it

There's not much to talk about Gothi, mostly because she's never actually been able to tell anyone about her past. All the people know of her is that she's been on Berk in the time of which was present before their birth, and she'll probably still be there for as long as well in the time after they've left. If there's one thing that Hiccup once knew of about, it was when between him and her on a night when his father set out on a expedition with a search party to find someone who was close to him; she spoke to him that she was part of a doomed arctic expedition that ended prematurely too soon due to a Snow Wraith attack. She hadn't left this isle since that fateful experience, she even stayed behind in the many following searches for the dragon's nest that ended with failure by the chief. She's solemn, trustworthy and spry for she serves the many important functions on this isle; but perhaps her greatest role the most is that of a listener. Everyone on the island comes to her with problems of their own and all who leave her hut feel much better with or without a spoken word. Stoick and Gobber often come to look for her counsel and support, just one look from this woman decides the chief's next act and shape the future of Berk. In spite of her grudge against the Snow Wraith, she'll come to surprise everyone with her love for all dragons; especially her flock of Terrors who will be hers to love and care for. There's one thing that these dragons should be known for, and that's their hell-on-the-ears rooftop singing but that bridge will be crossed when ready

"Please, sit and eat. You must have your full strength" She pushed him gently to a chair, doing the next steps of the process himself as he did just exactly what he was told and sat down; he was wincing at the bruises that started to act up but the elder added something to his cup just ahead of time when he came to her hut. Gothi sat next to him, watching him with calm steel grey eyes until he would eventually pick up the fork and start eating. A calming, comfortable silence was like a fresh feeling to always endure. Hiccup knew that the tea he slowly drank contained a painkiller as the once aching pain from his deep and minor bedding bruises, they were fading until they were no more; disappearing to nothingness and no short of the sweet relief he was expecting had vanished. He felt nice now that the aches that plagued him were gone

"Thank you" He thanked her softly, whispering even. Everybody in the village hated him, the most of them disliked him calling out with names like Hiccup the Useless as the common for these insults. There were more, as one insults leads to a category of their own based on how much of a dead weight he was providing nothing to offer to them. Toothpick for his what-it-seems-to-be his thin body frame. Killer of Mothers which is targeting him for the cause for what killed his own mother, Valka Haddock as his father's expedition had failed just as was his attempts to find the nest and destroy it so neither he nor the dragons would fight again; they would leave to find a new home with it's destruction. Unreliable for the fact he's never where he should be, oh wait that was just being vicious because there's one place that he is at where he should be and that's a place coming up within a few short moments. Unhelpful which targets him tinkering about with tools of his own creation, citing them to be leading the tribe into catastrophe. Unwanted which is being a dick, like no one pre-Valka's capture and presumed death even wanted him. Unacceptable which again targets his body frame, a boy with a lack of meat such as him should not be condemned for what is beyond his control. Unagreeable as if it was a double insult not only to him but to Oswald the Agreeable, who is the chief of the Berserkers and war with them will be their destructive end as the Hooligans have no idea what they used the dragon which was their official crest for in their battles that were deadly. Destroyer of Lives as if the thought of his presence was a bad omen, no one was safe while he stalks the streets in the earliest mornings which is why he was seldom seen for most days like these after a beating from his father. The Walking Disaster as if draugr weren't frightening enough, now tempests, volcano eruptions, meteors, storms, all that and more were approaching in this storm called Hiccup. At last there was Destruction of Berk Property which targets how his inventions tend to destroy in one raid for example, the storehouse as that wasn't even his fault. It's as if they were being vicious, but to him he knew it was true as well as the fact that they wanted him to know it; they wanted him exiled from Berk so that his arrogant sh*thead cousin can take over after his father goes to Valhalla. The only ones of the village who were kind to him were Gobber and Gothi, he never really did see his uncle Spitelout very much and he had a feeling he did too; but he never got the chance to see him often too much either so he was completely unaware that he was nice to him. At least when it wasn't around the others as he told him stories about, well that was something that's best saved at a later date but it's no less something interesting that's for sure

The elder woman smiled, and pushed a tin of paste toward him. The slight lavender fragrance gave him a sign that broke him away from his lost thoughts, it told him immediately what it is that made him smile in return out of relief. This was the one and only healing tonic which his mentor Gobber always called. Like with meeting her at the hut, this was like a ritual as she is the one who made it for him in case the ill-gained beatings began again. This made the lot of bruises on his skin fade to nothing, stripping him of all his aching pain and it also acted as the kind of soap so it couldn't be used with anything that wasn't water. This concoction is made after the first time his beatings happened, a powerful healing salve indeed for any muscular aches or pains that he's been having. This pleasant smell was enough to make him finish his meal as he stood up from his chair, nodding to her slowly when he pushed his seat in

"Thanks, Gothi" The elder could only smile at him as he snagged the prepared sandwich that was made from her hand, walking towards her door before leaving as the looming knowledge of the fact that he probably would not see her for the rest of the way remained. She too was assured in the knowledge that Hiccup would not be seen for the rest of the day that was lying ahead. Some wondered why is the elder so nice to him, and the one time they tried starting a few problems with him made true on her words that her ire will be known to them. Hiccup is still one who can still smile and chuckle at some of the curious ways that Gothi's other salves worked on those other few

Gothi is a woman of little words but she's as wise as she is highly respected. Most Vikings had come for her help when in urgent need. As was said before for as much as she feared the one who killed her expedition team in need of spring water at Glacier Island, she's fond of Terrors and would have plenty in her real hut which like it was stated before undergoing repairs as of this time Hiccup would be on this island. Think of this as a cat woman to keep her company in days of that lonely feeling. She's got herself a mischievous side as most infamously she tends to whack people with her staff, not to mention she's a foul mouth but Gobber refuses to read her runes for the others whenever she's mad and writing in the soil; another example is that she would force Fishlegs, under an alter-ego named Thor Bonecrusher, drink yak bladder that was spiced for breaking her staff, and also Snotlout because he was the root of the notorious warrior alter-ego. In her youth she was quite adventurous and always looking for something new, not unlike Hiccup or his ancestors that've gone before him. In spite of her size and her age, she's strong and athletic as she can hit others hard with her staff as a form of defense as well as hike up the mountains of Glacier Island where that fateful encounter took place. She's brave to run up to a Snow Wraith and smash it's face in with her staff, but she's not without a flaw as being subjected to long periods of insomnia which is the Midnight Sun that Hiccup of all people too hated; she would babble which would be scribbling cryptic and nonsensical lot of patterns in the dirt with her staff having a glazed look in her eye. Out of all things that she likes to eat, it's Gobber's homemade Yak Noodle soup and she likes it both simple and exotic such as made with truffles and cabbage; though not the cabbages from Mildew's farm as she too is not on the best of terms with that cantankerously zealot of a elderly man, no one was on the best of terms with him, not even Hiccup as he's willing to butt heads with the man who would eventually become one of his public enemies in due time

When Hiccup left her hut, Gothi stood by the doorway and spoke to the Gods under her voice. "I hope he finds his destiny soon..." She whispered as she disappeared back inside of her hut

Watching him go with a sad smile made her pray for the boy as she looked toward the sky. In her hut she was thinking of the idea, toying of having words with the boy's father. But, could she? That man refused to listen for as she spoke at length about his son's destiny, hoping he would find his way but the chief always blew her off; she hoped he would before it's too late as it's said that the villagers would probably receive the boy's wrath too as well. Stoick might be arrogant but he was stubborn too, refusing to hear what she had to say as Hiccup wasn't a boy like the others but if she said anything at all; he would've taken it out even worse than it had ever been, because he was the chief no one would say anything. The villagers had taken to ignoring it as well, a bad choice of action for they're going to suffer for it. As if they cared, all of them knew Stoick abused his son, the hope and heir to the throne of Berk and everyone agreed Hiccup deserved to be spit on for killing his mother that cared for him greatly; after all she had done for him but that mother's love wasn't enough for him was it? He had everything back then, she alongside Gobber and Spitelout were barred from this cesspool of this strong and violent animosity directed all for him as if it was a gift meant for his eyes only. His issues were taken to be ignored and as stated before, they can't help but wonder why in hell's earth would she stand by his side; but when they tried to start issues with him, her ire is awakened and known to them. The Teens were the worst offenders and made the worst out of it all, her ire was strongest when it came to them if they ever so dared to think of any torturous ways of picking on him; this means Snotlout for her fury will be rained upon him. What Stoick said of his son's destiny was that it's nothing but a plot of betrayal and revenge, the chief is going to eat those words later on and Hiccup will make sure of it. She shook her head sadly and prayed once more of the boy

Hiccup tucked the wrap into his pouch along with the paste, never was there a time that his father found out about what Gothi had given him. He wanted to keep it hidden from him for as long as he could, but there was a time that his cousin snitched on his father who revealed what he was doing and he refused to disclose his name when he had the tonic tossed out to begin his rather ever more fierce beating; but he already guessed that it was Snotlout whose done this thanks to him stalking on behalf of Stoick's orders no less. His hatred for him grows stronger and even if he was weak because of his fishbone frame to fight back, heavy lifting in the Forge helped him gain some muscle as well and any errors made gave him what he needs to avoid whatever his cousin Snotlout threw at him; learning to fight back against him. They were always fighting each other ever since then though it's more like a brawl to be exact. It's either Gobber or Spitelout who had to break up the fights but most of the time neither side's gained victory from each other, but it's always the same thing in the end; he's whose licking his wounds from brawls that Snotlout always starts with him in the first place. He hated every second of it

He soon came into the Forge where Gobber was hard at work already, hammering away at a new sword; but as soon as entered through the doorway he took a break to find a rag because in a hot building like this though not as hot as a bathhouse in Japan, or even the country India itself which is home to several different empires such as Mughal one would need to wipe the beads of sweat off their foreheads every now and then as well as refresh themselves with an drink of Glacier Island spring water. If you can bypass the thermal vision of the Snow Wraith. He gave him a look over and hearing the sound of tin shifting within his pouch, he knew what to expect as this was something he was afraid of

"Ahh, let me guess; ya' got your healin' tonic from Gothi, laddie? I'm always wonderin' how she always came up with that. Surely, she made instructions to it" Gobber knew about this ritual between him and the elder, how else was he supposed to live to this day because he knew a boy like Hiccup couldn't take any more of what his father's throwin' at him; not for a boy who described himself as a talking fishbone in his impression of his dad once

"Yes, and she's got a book for your to study when she's unable to do what's needed" Hiccup answered, it was at this point in time that Gobber thought to himself

"Hmm... if Gothi gave tha' paste to Hiccup, no doubt it's a bit more, then it must've been that bad last night. But it seems like they're getting worse and more fierce than before, now that Stoick's on the verge of developing a near obsession for findin' the nest to end this war" He's sure of it, and decided to return to reality. "Alright, ye' know the drill; off ye' trot"

"Thanks, Gobber" He responded with a double pat on the man's back and exited through the back door of the Forge, it's something that the two did to make sure his father didn't find out that he ignored his duties out of spite for him. When people saw him enter inside, along with asking about his location; Gobber went on to explain he sent him off on a task of his own. For Hiccup, he walked off and headed into the Forest

What he would do was go to his secret spot. He walked the always familiar path from behind as he grabbed his bag fashioned for him by Gobber, beneath a hidden hole no less as he slung the bag over his shoulder; he made his way into the forest and once he's under the cover full of trees, now was his opportunity to journey towards to the spot he was thinking of. What is the secret spot he was thinking of? It was a cove, hidden in the forest; secluded and perfect for him to shut himself out of it all, away from the inner evils of the isle he lived on. Both of his forest green eyes were on the alert for others who may be roaming these woodlands at this time, he was watchful as he made his way deeper inside towards the cove. His father, a man who was sure of his enemies, sometimes sent out patrols after raids to investigate that if any injured dragons were still around to hunt 'em down. This time there were no patrols as that made him thankful, because he hates being followed and he has to mislead them to any place where they would return with common knowledge that doesn't surprise his father. As mentioned before he would bath often and not use the local showers, everyone knows what it feels like when someone such as him uses one of them with others; not as comfortable if it compares to be using the local showers alone. No instead he would rather go to his cove, this had a small pond which was where he bathed but it's also where he spent his day here. When it comes to Stoick, he was always off on a task and when it comes to the villagers; they came to assumption he would seclude himself away from everyone and that he would feel safe, a feeling of protection that would guard him from the downpour of their insults and other such ways to strip everything away from him until there's nothing left. Ah well, this is always been the same anyhow. Waking up, eating breakfast and working at the forge; nothing complicated in that morning routine. But then again, there's always that chance of a street brawl which of course would tend to break out, being beaten by his father and getting no mercy as he's not going to be spared from being constantly tormented from left and right without warning on when it's going to happen

In his bag there was a towel, soaps, sketchpad, charcoal, flint and a metal cup he made as no sound was created for he tread smoothly through the terrain of the environment. He couldn't let his father's patrols find whatever sneaky little dragon landed here undetected, those who were injured are always taken back to their island and rarely are they left behind on orders of whoever was leading the dragons in the beginning; they aren't doing this on their own accord that much he knows. No Dragon Left Behind might as well be their motto, and his as well. He quickly found the secret path that lead to the cove, taking the forbidden route into the place no Hooligan patrol enters on behalf of their chief as he knows too well about the Lava-Louts; their most hated enemies in the Ancient Times of the long ago past, not to suspect that there was an abandoned base that whoever inhabited was gone and wasn't coming back. But that's only urban legend as the Lava-Lout Tribe would not have set up base in their forests, they're a tribe that preferred the hotter regions of the Archipelago and those snakes-in-helmets under no circ*mstances would move to a greener side of these islands

This secret and forbidden path was steep, yes but it wasn't surprising that no one found it. He has known of this since he was first born onto this island, defying his father and entering this closed off area that Vikings wouldn't tread into. What he discovered since the beginning was that there were steps carved into it, as if it were done by his hand yet these were there from when Berk was first settled here by the Hairy Hooligans Tribe. He made sure to keep this cove hidden as much as he could so no one could intrude or breach into his world of sanctuary, this was his one place that he felt safe as there was no other places he could enter and leave from this isle; he knew about other places he discovered when he was younger but they didn't feel as comforting as this cove did. With the aid of his strength, he moved the boulder and paused at the entrance to enjoy the beautiful scenery; a slight chill was in the air but the cove was as beautiful as always. A large crystal tiffany to sapphire and arctic blue pond, surrounding it is equally beautiful lilies as the mountain framed in the distance added to the beauty; and he's not letting himself enter without a slow deep breath being drawn in and out, he couldn't stop himself from grunting when the pain began to resurface and return to his skin once again. His pain started acting up when he touched the slight edged of the entrance, also making it bleed as per the usual as these bruises were made sure to be as deep as they can be. Some things in this earth called Midgard could never be anymore painful can it? Now, it didn't matter 'cause he was here at last

Putting aside his bag and stripping down before taking the paste, as it acted like soap, along with an ensemble of bathing supplies. He enjoyed the occasional bath, and when the rising opportunity would come to him he would slip away as much as he could to his cove to go for a wash and a swim. He got into the cool water that's cold but not unbearable, besides he's used to it and for as much as it gotten warmer with each day; it was soothing and refreshing to feel as he could relax for a moment, float in the pond and gaze up at the sky. Ignoring the ache on his body and once that pain would settle into discomfort, he would dab the cloth he grabbed along with the tin of paste as he began to rub his body; those bruises and muscle pain would disappear nearly immediately as he rubbed it along his skin. In order to stretch those muscles of his, he dived and swam around as well as applying the paste to his deep and bleeding ones that were plaguing him the most; paying extra special attention to them when did so. He also made sure to pay extra attention to the tattoo like birthmark that his own fingers lingered on, it coiled itself around both arms up to his shoulders like armor all the way to his back where it was the main feature that was the attention catcher. It was a spider and a special kind of what appeared to be a ebony brownish black color, having a copper to a tawny and a caramel along with a rich auburn brown shade; mixing in with it was a sangria to a rust and mahogany red as well as a slight rose-of-sharon to autumn leaf brownish color that was reflective. It was like a tattoo because no birthmark like this was seen in a obvious form, it bore the crest of a Night Fury who had a crimsons tailfin flying over a tan golden moon that bore carp like scales; there wasn't much that can be explained here at this time, at least for what the cove looked like in greater detail. The birthmark however can be best explained like this in true fashion from the author himself: do take note that this description contains references to future material that has yet to come, these mentions are not to be taken as if Hiccup is explaining it just by seeing and examining the information he's absorbing with his eyes. Without further delay, here it is:

It was a highly reflective crescent moon that was also an texas and a flax cream, dark husk to laser tan and mule fawn to driftwood brown color that have been mixed into one whole complete color to give it that golden mystical overtone altogether; having round carp scales whose sides looped up and downwards parallel from each other towards the other side as along with a series of dark moon patches of the seas as seen on it's rockbound surface for most of them covered the left edge while a thin part of the right side and the tips were that of the same color, shining to an near white color there were also circular rounded to diagonal edge overlapping discs that're all imprinted on it's reflective surface. In the middle of these round circular discs whose four diagonal edges were overlapped by each other to form a chainlink that was shifted from one side to another for each one, there were three wavy thinning strokes that spiraled into itself at the tips while also having a dot in the middle for each of them; the upper and lowermost parts were missing their upper right and lower left quarter halves each but did not sport an dot in the middle like the rest of them. Outlined with a medium to thin black smoky border that had a plasma indigo color like when it glowed at times whenever near dragons, this crescent also came with the solid lining for the details that were shown on the surface. The Night Fury with the dual black to red tailfin flew above the left side facing moon overhead, it's tail went underneath to the other side of the right where both tailfins were like the claw that's open to grasp as both the upper to lower ends were about to close the gap; coming out from the tip of the tail that went behind the unseen side of the crescent, instead horizontally reaching out in the right side's wall. The black color of the Night Fury had a reflectively dark shaded burnt to a bourbon with a christine and a desert along with an ectasy as well as a fiery orange color, along with a gingerbread and a brown pod reddish bronze color overall as seen on the edges and when exposed to the sunlight, since this symbol was used for his Dragon Training Academy on Draconia and the Dragon's Edge outpost as the eye of the Night Fury had the green/yellow colored eye as it reminded him greatly of his bud, Toothless

He could only give a miserable smile that passed onto his face as he looked into his reflection and shook his head, to him his headcanon was that he gotten this tattoo ages ago hopefully in some way he could defy his father. Then, there was a man who had come to Berk at one point and shouted about some sort of archaic but magical seeming ink that went onto one's skin; so in defiance of his dad, he had gotten out and got it himself. There wasn't just all those colors, oh no there was also a special kind of dark tanzanite purple colored tint that illuminated softly when near dragons. He dressed himself in the same clothing as before because of the same reason: no use in dirtying clean clothes, he was getting cold in the pond so he couldn't stay in for too long

His cove always featured a circle of rocks with dry branches, grabbing a few more and with a stick of flint along with a steel striker that was a horizontal oval shape with inner curling tips at the top; scraping the flint sharply with a flash of steel to set the dried branches alight. The birthmark had always been something his uncle Spitelout had been thinking about for some time, he told him about what happened when he was gone and said the arcane ink was taken out of defiance towards his brother; the image was said to have appeared in his dreams. The man told him afterwards that he's made the right choice, leaving him to his own devices but if anything; he was there when he was born so he would know what was on his skin when he carried him to his house, saying nothing after finding him lying on the floor of the guest room of his home. There was a time he was brought to his house and Snotlout was more or less out on a trip with his mother who is kind, as she still seems to parent him as if he never reached into his older teen years because he could put as much distance between his ego and her; it changes nothing and when it came to the subject of Hiccup, she didn't want him to get caught in the crossfire of her son's egotistical plans that would get someone killed. A blazing fire was now burning merrily as he sat near it and brought out his drawing materials, pausing to think what he was in the mood for to draw exactly. Nothing came had came to mind as he brought out his metal cup along with a few tea leaves that the elder packed into the tin, smiling right at the thoughtfulness of the older woman as he grabbed some water from the pond in order to boil over the fire. Fashioning a pair of tongs with wet branches when his cup even started bubbling, stirring in the tea leaves and letting it sit for awhile

He was just drawing mindlessly and aimlessly, drinking from his metal cup that had the tea leaves inside; stirred as much as they could be stirred to achieve relief when he drank it. He's slowly sipping on it wanting to savor the tea as long as his tongue could before he allowed himself to swallow, down his throat and into his stomach as he breathed one out. Good 'old Gothi, he feels that she may be reaching her days' end but she's teaching a whole lot toward the medical healers of Berk which have their hands full with him; the women who helped his mother give birth in labor were kind to him and so were the healers themselves, never have they been so violent nor disdainful of him once. He just sat there savoring in the taste as this calmed him, briefly wondering if this was one of the ingredients for the painkillers; even he has to wonder himself as his body began relaxing, grabbing his sketchpad once again where he started to have an idea on what to draw in this time he has for himself. He was throwing dregs into the fire to keep it going

Overtime in the cove he began thinking about how lonesome he was without anyone by his side, it's something that bothered him back then and still to this day even but being alone is the way he liked it. He didn't want to die alone, but he's had enough of this life on Berk; one where he's always being pushed around and suffering for a mistake he didn't commit, all he could do was watch as that dragon took her on his own accord as if to bring to her away back to the nest so that the one behind the raids could kill her itself. He planned it all here from the very beginning when it comes to running away from Berk, so he 'oughta best make it one great farewell party that has it all: chocolate cake, warm and soft garlic bread, ice cream and cooked salmon; oh and some root beer along with Velvetta's Shells 'n Cheese®. All thanks to the "Unknown" who always seemed to be gathering food from outside the Archipelago, the identity of this entity didn't concern him

Soon he became lost in the drawing, his mind focused on what he could see in it's eyes alone. He took some occasional sips of his tea as he drew, keeping him relaxing still and as soon as he was finished; he threw more dregs into the fire to keep it somewhat going. As a matter of fact, he was so lost in his drawing that he hadn't realized that the fire had gone out at this point; it was unknown to him that the sun continued to chart it's progress across the sky, only then did he realize that dusk was approaching as he finished his drawing. This startled him slightly, it's a strange thing how time flies like that; dropping his piece of charcoal as he held up his newly drawn masterpiece in the fading light so he could see it

He had sketched the entire Cove and it was beautifully done, no smudges or anything. There were a cluster of flowers on the bottom corners of the pages and a glimmering pond could be seen as the mountains silhouetted the background. In fact there are a few places it does have darkened fingers smudging the skies which was repurposed into mist that loomed about, but it wasn't intrusive in the slightest as it only added to the ambience that was this isle. Trees as well as grass grew around the pond to capture the peacefulness of the setting. His fingers had been cleaned of the darkened smudges and smears with the cloth that dried by the fire. They were even written swaying from one side to the other and that only added to the detail, their blades had vertically ribbed lines going across with some having drops of dew at their tips. All in all, nothing was left behind that wasn't unwritten by him. Getting his bag up and getting ready for heading out to leave, he had become attached to this very place and wondered if it had what he suspected any secrets for him to discover. Hamish II might've been responsible since he's renowned for his labyrinths and puzzles, he was the one who buried his father with treasure that his father and Gobber searched for but failed to find

He could only smile at his handy work when he placed it in his bag along with his supplies, he slung it over his shoulder as he left the cove behind. The entire scenery itself and the start of something no Viking ever experience beforehand was about to set off in motion, this is what was about to destroy his lonesome and solitary life forever but it wasn't the wicked plan of something he'd never believed was real; that was a different evil that he wasn't aware of yet at this moment or time

HTTYD

He was halfway back to his homestead when he heard a sudden but soft, near unnoticeable growl that made him look around; tilting his head forward as he tried to capture just where is this sound coming from. His heartbeat was thudding like a ringing in his ears, tilting his head to the side and coming up with nothing as it didn't seem to come again; what better way than to assume it was one of the fauna that resided here in the forest. At least, that's how he sees and hears it given that it was a sound he was hearing after all. But then there it was again, this time the sound was accompanied by a frustrated noise and something thudding around that's coming from under the bush. He had to investigate it, this was in his blood to investigate and that's no doubt; he made his way carefully to the sound and his heartbeat was thundering in his ears before he finally stumbled across what was making that noise of frustration. In front of him there was a branch which he smacked away, only to strike him from behind the head; throwing his head down and making him rub behind as he looked back up to see a tree, but it wasn't just any tree that he saw

It was a tall tree that was splintered as the forward facing left sided half timbered down, the tree facing the right side as in front of his eyes there was two trees up ahead with two more in front that was broken from the middle as the top halves were nowhere to be seen; a third one was on his left as well as a full tree ahead of that and a tall one behind it. There's a inner lower circular shaped dirt shaped pit that sloped downwards and forwards, it's deep enough to have thick roots to become exposed along with the green flora sprouting on either side of this hill. Hiccup suspected the sound was coming from below that hill, climbing down he had come to a left side protruding root that had four thin clawmarks and went around it; walking over to the lip as he looked behind him, there was a step that led up as he climbed and was now crawling overhead to the top where he saw something that suddenly made him jut back into cover. No, that shouldn't have been there. When he find the source of the frustration of which came from behind and beneath the bushes, it was a beast he knew all too well and up this close; he recognized drawings he had seen in the pictures that were about classifying the different dragons that were encountered by a man named Bork the Bold. Further detail of the one whom everyone remembers for his research to help them with these dragons should be explored in later chapters, and in expanded media to help understand lore behind him

A dragon with the blackest scales he's ever seen, a manta ray pattern for that fact; taking on a chimera's appearance. It was like a black panther which was striking and electrifying, on both of those eyes they stared out from the darkest black face he saw. The personality along with it's appearance and behavior was like a mix of a horse, a wombat, a kangaroo which was one of the animals he thought of seeing one up close, a bat which was easy to guess based on the look of this dragon, a snake, a dog, a cat and a bird of prey though it's not sure which specific one; cleaner, sleeker and stealthier looking for this dragon as this one's pure black skin could be hard to see under a couple of circ*mstances when it comes to lighting conditions. Along in the process of having the manta ray like pattern on it's scales, the skin was more like a shark's and a stingray rather than a reptile's; even inspired by that of a bat too. It was intelligent as it was emotional but nowhere near anthropomorphic which he could live with either way, to him the dragons seem more like human beings than the Hooligans themselves who were human but acted like a survival-of-the-fittest group of animals; the kinds of animals who are unruly, ungrateful and nothing short of being hateful towards the youngest of this group. Hell, even Scardian's Pack was nicer than them; and that's being kind compared to the thoughts of what the boy was thinking about when it comes to his tribe. This dragon was like common pets like his grandmother once said to him, from cats to dogs and to horses; even acting like there's an ball of tape stuck to a cat's tail when it comes to reacting to something that wasn't too bad but it was rather relatable. This dragon's growls and croons sounded like a combination of Randy Thom's (supervising sound designer) voice, elephants, horses, tigers, domestic cats mostly to him and a jet engine. This black dragon had two sets of wings with one set on the body, as well as another near the tail which were called the mid-fins when it was thrashing about; the scar on the right shoulder to neck area was healed and a foot in length along with a inch when it came to width. He would've opened his mouth to speak the words under his breath, if that had done any good as his mind immediately supplied him with unspoken words. Though, he couldn't say it outloud

In frozen surprise when he looked back over from above, he saw the dragon was wrapped in a net of rope and metal; it was a trap that Berk used often for they were scattered outside of the village. In case of anyone of them had landed undetected. To trap these infernal beasts, they would camouflage these nets in the forest but Hiccup believed he removed most of the contraptions themselves; he thought he'd gotten rid of each of them but it looks like one had escaped his sight. He never felt the shame of not looking twice from a better perspective, the dragons could've roamed freely without being seen. He set his bag down and as he moved to the beast by dropping down; approaching cautiously as he came to the realization what dragon it was that he encountered before his eyes. It was the one he has been eagerly waiting to see during the raids with every chance he got for himself

The Night Fury: the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself, the most elusive and the most dangerous dragon known to the Hairy Hooligans Tribe; nobody has ever seen one in a more proper matter than now. The Berserker Tribe simply believed it was a fairy tale, while the Outcasts believed them to be on the edge of extinction which was far from the truth; the others thought so otherwise. Let it be known that to this day: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was the first ever to have seen a living, breathing Night Fury up close; his own eyes traveled over while he marveled at the pattern they created when the eyes of the beast had snapped open, looking at him as soon as he saw it's face when he traveled along the wing joint in front of his gaze. The fading sunlight was shining down on him, a unholy union given form and how could he not take his eyes off it?

Green/yellow eyes looked pathetically at him, letting out a soft whining soft that ripped out his heartstrings as the beast stared with cat-like eyes; closing it's eyes with resignation. This black dragon wanted him to end it quickly and it had the one thing that no dragon outside it would go down, 'least not without a fight before death and that was courage; not screaming, not roaring nor growling rather as it gets a dagger plunged into it's pumping heart. All that it would do is let this boy slay it, Hiccup knew that as a Viking or so he wanted himself to think; he was to kill this dragon. It would take one quick thrust and removal of his dagger which was already freed from his belt, acceptance in the village was more than enough to end scoldings for something he couldn't prevent nor did he have control over; it's just one thrust through an eye that he could slide it deep in enough through the skull so it could be killed painlessly. He could bring back the corpse on his shoulders through the village, acceptance there was more than enough to end his scoldings for something for something he couldn't prevent nor did he have control over; perhaps they would be proud of him for killing a Night Fury, this was all so tempting but his father... the beatings may stop. He would have to when he realized that his son could take the life of a dragon, the first being one of the rarest and dangerous dragons to these Vikings

They just may be proud of him to bring this corpse back, he would be known for being the first to ever take the life of one among the rarest and most dangerous of ones to Vikings. He just can't stop thinking about this entire thought. Just one little thrust into the scales and to end it with a painless death, he couldn't bare the sight of his own father anymore

All that happened next was he simply froze there for several seconds, fully dropping and stepping away from the thoughts of what might've been

No, he couldn't do it. He's no better than the Vikings who were more monster than man, the way that the dragon just sort of gave into it's fate reminded him too much of himself. He had dropped the dagger and down to his knees, breaking down onto the verge of melting down; he could only embrace the warm scales that touched his face and softly grip the body of this black dragon as he was heavily breathing, he even admitted this to the creature that he was feeling more comfortable with than the Vikings he was apart of

"I can't kill you, I'm not one of them" He wanted his words to be heard to this dragon. "I won't let myself become a monster, let alone one of those who have; you remind me too much... of me. Tell me now: how am I supposed to kill you if nothing will change? No, I'm not turning my back on this; not even if they find out and I get exiled, they don't even want me on Berk" He told this black dragon with everything that had to be said, he can't call himself a Viking; he will never allow himself to call himself one of them, it was not by force but it was by both his choice and his beliefs

He embraced the dragon for a few more minutes before pulling away, looking at his dagger and as he was left with no other choice but to defy against his village; he's turning his back on the Archipelago all in the name of freedom for these dragons. His thoughts recollected have recollected on him and he was not about to go down without a fight, even letting himself say this outloud so the dragon would hear him. "I won't live in a tribe that condemns a runt like I am nothing but dead weight to them, damn it!"

To him Vikings should help the runt of the tribe become one of them, to help them know as well as help them understand and learn what they should do to be better than before; what they're doing here is not the Viking way nor was it a father's way of teaching their sons how to be one. He tightened his grip on the dagger and looked at the bolas wrapping on the body as he knew what to do, even leaning down to lift it's earplates to tell it with a sighing breath taken out from his mouth:

"I did this... now, even though I doubt you can hear me; it ends here" He was more calmer this time before he walked away from the Night Fury, or so the dragon thought at first

The Night Fury's eye snapped open when the sound of sizzling was heard and a snap followed too, looking at the boy who was now cutting the ropes. He started to slice through each of the ropes fast, nothing mattered at this point and nobody; even his village is going to stop him, it didn't matter. He would rather die at this risk than continue living on without seeing the one dragon he sought every chance to see in the raids. He was pulling at the ropes, with his blade he was sawing through them. Hiccup's forest green eyes were always on the look out for the Vikings that came, the ropes binding the Night Fury's legs were loosened; now it could move freely on it's lower half. He took a glance from one way to listen if he could hear anything, he had to be sure there weren't any Vikings in this part of the forest; he began to hack away the other pieces of rope but found that he didn't need to. At last the ropes finally fell off but with no time to act judging how fast things happened, he was instead pounced on with a paw over his chest pinned to the ground

The Night Fury didn't seem to be hurting him, instead it was studying him all in the form of a wolf stare; gathering all information about him that it needed to know, this close as he could see the reflection of the trees in it's green/yellow eyes watching him closely and guarded. It was not hateful nor dangerous, taking interest in him as if he were something that surprised- to be fair he was telling a dragon how he felt and that he wasn't letting himself turn into what he considered a monster; moreso than the dragon itself. It reared back and Hiccup brought up his left arm to cover himself as well as his face, his left arm's sleeve slipping backwards as his arm began glowing with a dark tanzanite to plasma indigo color. The Night Fury roared right in his face loudly, mercy in the form of a shout at the boy before it turned away sharply; Hiccup couldn't even sit up properly as his body was shaking so badly, the pressure on his chest was gone but the fact he was this close to the dragon he wanted to see for so long didn't leave. It was something that he couldn't ignore, it let him go off and didn't hurt him at all

He could hear the crashing from underneath the bush as he didn't see the dragon attempt to take off but rather glide away, hitting against the trees as he merely laid there for a bit more before he slowly opened his eyes

The Night Fury of all dragons left him to live, and now it was long gone by then; he must be be on the alert, it's gonna return... it always does in the raids

The young boy climbed, for as shakily to his feet he might've felt; the light behind the eyes as the cruel existence of a runt was about to be over. Revenge was never over for the dragon, as whatever it fended off was gone now. Looking around at his surroundings gave him a terrible thought: it wouldn't be right if he stood here in the middle of the trap and a Viking stumbled across him, dangerous as it was he shouldn't be killed by his own father nor the villagers who were sent out here on patrol; he would hide the evidence and some smart ones would never think to believe he was responsible for the destruction of the traps around the forest. But he is not taking any risks and so he cleaned the place up while he could

With no other thought, he was spurned into action as he grabbed his fallen dagger and made sure he didn't leave anything else behind before making himself scarce; vanishing into those trees and leaving behind the one moment which was about to become the downfall for why he had a reason to stay on Berk. Even now as he ran out of the woods by the rise of the dusk that was turning to moonlight soon, he did not see the green/yellow eyes that watched him depart within the shadows of the trees and the darkness of the sky above

In the underbrushes of those trees, the Night Fury watched the boy depart as it's thoughtful; it was full of wonder and sorrow

"You're not one of them... you're hiding something from me. I can hear your words. But leave if you will, next time our encounter won't be like this. Nothing will be the same as it was like this time..." The Night Fury's voice revealed that he was a male, his tone was cold as it would appear harsh but he's been bitter for a purpose

Who held that purpose? It was the one who had the wicked plan to destroy Hiccup's solitary life forever, and it was that one entity that threatened all of Berk. All will be revealed in no time, be determined and be prepared for whatever lies ahead next in the beginning of what one man's friendship with a dragon could do to change the world the two see around them; and it wasn't the first time that one man's friendship with a dragon changed the world the two saw around them either

Oh yes, it happened a long time ago three hundred years before in a time where Hiccup Horrendous Haddock I lived and where the Hairy Hooligans had first set sail and settled here, on Berk

Chapter 2: Dragon Training

Chapter Text

(A/N: Because I had decided to rewrite several chapters regarding the first story of the trilogy such as the one with Hiccup's mother Valka featured as one of the namesake knights, it came to mind that I would want to rewrite this scene from the first movie that begins with Stoick in the Great Hall first before we transition into him coming back to his home; the third movie in particular had a memory where it's like the same in the first but with a younger Hiccup, you all know that scene and if not it concerns him not wanting to find a second mother. Here it's a different scenario, in the original scene after seeing the third film you would in fact better in all possibilities understand just how far apart they've drifted from one another; this however will merely be Stoick forcing Hiccup into Dragon Training against Gobber's wishes which came from a sarcastic response, here he never wanted him to be pitted against live dragons all in a sense that he would prefer to be at the forge. Unfortunately, when he looks back on that he's suddenly interested and takes that sarcasm to heart; I've been gaining a better understanding to Stoick beyond what EmeraldNecko wrote him as which she is by no means a bad author all in the same. What started out originally as my own version of her story slowly but surely had strayed too far from her's into my creation that's jampacked with lore regarding what went on before the events of the main stories that take place right here and right now in the present, I am talking about The Lost Legacy trilogy which takes the plot of the book series and turns it into a tragedy about a once great kingdom that has fallen because of Grimbeard's cataclysm to reject his ancestors' legacy that he himself had started. For now, this is the first movie and to better cement that fact will begin here as we authors have always begun; here we go. Enjoy!)

Stoick has been having a rough day in cleaning up the mess that was made by Hiccup running out unsupervised and unchecked by Gobber all to look at the Night Fury that made an assault on their catapult towers, in the Great Hall he had gathered all Vikings here to talk about what had been bothering them for the past three hundred years since they've first sailed to Berk in this rock; his speech here was nearing the end about his plan of action on attacking the nest

"Either we finish them or they'll finish us, it's the only we'll be rid of them devils. If we find the nest and destroy it, the dragons will leave; they'll find another home!" He demonstrated by taking his knife and stabbing his map that held the location within the gates that no ship of theirs had ever returned from. His knife was a rounded edged horizontal pommel, with what appeared to be a raised domical center dot in the middle atop and the sides around happens to be a engraved line of seas; ones that sloped upward into a inward curl before the cycle had repeated itself all around, facing the east side no matter where it is looked at. The oval shape for the handle had three horizontal and raised oval shaped raised ridges from the top and the bottom, which ringed all around the handle in the form of circular rings which also had round edges all around sloping from one end to the other without a sudden stop. The crossguard of the knife had a short oval stopper underneath a larger one that was thicker in size, extending to the left and the right with a blade that awfully resembled the gladius used by the Romans who once attacked his island with the purpose of establishing a outpost; wanting to return as a mighty empire to go on throughout all the ages and be the dominant one over all republics, but thanks to his son who rescued Fishlegs they were foiled and bit the dust like their Lava-Lout Tribe enemies. Viggo Grimborn held a similar knife with exceptions and one being that there was no engraving, as well as another being the blade made of a specialized material of which will be discovered in due time that's lighter than iron. "One more search before the ice sets in"

The Hooligans heard the chief propose one more search before the icebergs come and set in to provide trouble for the trading ships that carry their resources, but also allow the Chilblain slalom sled deliveries to turn up however late they may be. One Viking in the crowd adorning a red tunic with blonde hair and beard pointed out to Stoick. "Those ships never come back"

"We're Vikings, it's a occupational hazard; now, who's with me?" He asked as the Hooligans of his tribe were uncertain as they've got more excuses than a number of ships to create a fleet, or even an armada which is to be fair anachronistic as they came four hundred years after the era where Vikings sailed the seas; and the word itself a hundred years where they first came in fifteen century India. But even then, the term and the hundred counted ships were known to have been introduced to the Norse world through other means beyond the borders; and as well as the outskirts to the pantheon. The Berserkers who are the allies to Berk aren't alone in building armadas, but they are the most well known and infamous among the Archipelago to Vikings everywhere

"Today's not good for me" Aye, that's understandable as the woodlands seem to be foggy at this hour so there is always that chance a wandering patrol may be ensnared by their traps set up for undetected dragons; what's bothering them is that they seem to end up being disabled but that wouldn't be a problem for them, the weather can do awful things to ruin the working mechanisms to a basic trap

"I gotta do my axe returns" If axe returns were true then one speculation would be having loaned a number of axes out of the Armory in the case of being unarmed and unequipped, but this Viking would rather not be willing to endure having to venture out into Helheim's Gate and face the threat of never returning to Berk out of the fog alive; that too is reasonable for as all men have their limits but some can exceed beyond what others can only dream of

"Family of mine's need me for a feast" You didn't know this but the Viking had preplanned a long delayed feast for his cousin, it's not only the dragon raids that conflict with the promised time but it's also harsh climate in the cold thanks to the ice setting in and the bad timing to be attacked that all fall on the same day; he's not getting a lucky break for himself. Damn man

"Wonder if we should set up some tall towers and light them on the top, so we can't get lost" This here is Bucket who suggested this idea, at a undisclosed time he had lost half his brain in a dragon attack and temporarily he lost his sight; to protect what's left of his skull he encased his head within a iron bucket which earned him the name. For the sacrifice of his brain, he is the epitome to learning how to become the best artist around these parts of Berk and inspired all others who've left the island long ago; loss of brain however is not without it's negatives. He has become dimwitted from his skull being crushed and caved in, and he's never without his partner Mulch by his side for these two are fishermen (A/N: Tim Conway known as Barnacle Boy is dead, he was last voiced by him in Dawn of the Dragon Racers and therefore his role is taken over by Tom Kenny; now he is at last reunited with his old pal Ernest Borgnine. Let this chapter act as tribute to him even if he's not seen here)

"Alright, those who stay will look after Hiccup" Stoick suggested when no others would agree to stand by his side, but in turn it was also a threat for as he had no right to snoop intrusively in his vices; that is breaching confidentiality and he would not go far as to stalk him for what he's going to do next. With his threat all hands jut into the air with volunteers galore to show how much that only the strong can belong, and Hiccup was not strong to belong with this tribe but Stoick cannot exile his own son as no man; a chief or not, no man should ever banish their own offspring who are smaller than the others or otherwise. Enthusiastic murmurs had arose with prep and packing that fill this section of the Great Hall

"To the ships!" This courageous woman known Phelgma the Fierce called out happened to like woodworking as a hobby, and is also a botanist as well since she was said to have made a loom frame once

"I'm with you, Stoick!" Hoark the Haggard declared though it was actually Spitelout who said that and in actuality, he wasn't joining him on the ships; no he was staying here on Berk out of spiting his brother like his name said itself. Now Hoark the Haggard is one of the higher ranked Vikings on Berk who is sluggish and a less heroic appearing one, less intimidating in comparison to the rest of the high rank leaders which is due to the intonation of his voice but his skills and knowledge when it comes to battling those dragons establishes him as both one who is fearsome and reliable in the next. Stoick respects him highly like the rest of the elder ones and serves as a trainer to the younger members of the tribe. Spiteout on the otherhand returned to his brooding with disgust never leaving his face, leaning up against a pillar as he went on to eavesdrop on the following discussion that would take place in a few moments

"Aye, that's more like it" Really showing the love for his son here but he's not in the Great Hall, so he doesn't have to hide his shame in how different he is from him; he never seems to do even when he is present and makes it clear to him without intending to do so

Gobber stopped his sip of mead and set his tankard prosthetic down on the table. "Right, I'll pack my undies; no hunt for the nest has ever been too easy" The blacksmith and a recruit trainer as the chief points him out as has never had steady bowls of steel, but how could he when two encounters with a dragon took both his limbs? He ain't the only one who's gonna be having a little bit of sh*t in his pants when they do end up finding the nest, landing on the beaches to raid by breaking open the cold and solid volcanic wall that had hardened in due time with the catapults; the same ones that Berk uses for their defense towers, not the ones with wheels that are smaller and are equipped for the ships. One will know what they look like when they cross that bridge very soon

"No, I need you to stay and train some new recruits" The chief walked over to him just as his friend sat back down

"Oh perfect, yeah an- and while I'm busy Hiccup can cover the stall and leave me credit since you, me and him know these people don't appreciate his covert smithing work. Molten steel, razor sharp blades and lots of time to himself; he's worked with these materials before you know through trial and error with lots of cuts on his skin to scorch marks that're coated with honey, nothing could go wrong since he's bound to work up a few artilleries of his own" He pointed out the truth that he would never credited and listed the things he could do while he's training new recruits during the time he's gone for. Stoick took a seat with him facing his knees

"What am I going to do with him, Gobber...? It's hard when we don't have common interests, I don't want to lose my only boy; but it's hard and I know where to draw the line he won't dare cross"

"Put him in training with the others" Gobber dryly suggested sarcastically, but he would soon wince at the choice of words that led him down the road ahead just three days after Dragon Training

"No, I'm serious" Stoick seemed to not have noticed what he said the first time

"So am I" Gobber turned to face him

"He'd be killed before you let the first dragon you choose out of it's cage, I wouldn't trade him in for riches even when the others demand that I do" The chief pointed out and revealed that much of his people came to him with plans on how to get rid of him, the first one that once suggested turning him in to the Lava Lout Tribe in order to ensure a time of peace was the first to die by sailing off to the edge of the Archipelago into Helheim's Gate; the fate of whom served to silence the potential traitors in his tribe as he took them all as jokes rather than serious and real ideas to be thrown in the garbage, flushed down the sh*tter's anus hole

"I don't think it'd be the first time he died" The blacksmith looked down on himself, having remembered what it was like for him to see him return to Berk on a ship after an attack by a respected empire called Persia; he was thirteen years old at the time and them giving him a fine to pay rather than rewarding him simply made the boy run away, it hasn't even been an year before the now fourteen year old was brought back and locked in his room after he did not accept his orders to pay the fine for damages that were made by the Persians on Berk. He shouldn't even be paying for damages he didn't cause, that's not how you treat a hero who saved them from a ruler he himself murdered at a young age. In fact he wondered how all of the Persians reacted when the rest of Aristagoras' forces returned from their doomed-to-be-unsuccessful campaign to introduce Zoroastrianism to Berk by force, that's what's been buggin' his mind about and no one seemed to answer him when he wanted to know. He'll get it one way or another but 'til then he will have to keep dreaming for the day that will inevitably in all sense of the word come

"First time, Gobber?" Stoick reacted sharply at that comment. "Odin's beard... I saw a Nadder corpse that was cut with those chained blades he had on at the time, but he only won because he was using the monster itself to kill it; he- he could've been impaled by a bed of spikes th- that would go through his lungs and make him drown in his blood, only to be killed by shock first before he starts coughing up all the blood he has left in him" He could not be hearing this right now and it was clear he was not accepting this

"Oh, you don't know that" Gobber threw his hand at that notion

"I do know that, actually" He reiterated his stand that he knows his son could've been killed for using the dragon to kill the dragon itself, the last Viking who did that with a Monstrous Nightmare no less sealed the jaw shut while it was releasing a blast of kerosene that hadn't left it's mouth; and what happened? Explosion of fire from the strain he was putting on his arms that caught him in a burst of fire, the brigade couldn't reach him because he's reacting like every other man would; running about to the nearest source and jumping into the ocean that killed him by shock. Hiccup is not brave but neither is he a fool to commit an attempt to be one of them by doing a fool's act of sacrifice, Valka would even call him out on that if she were here and witnessed him attempting such action

"No, you don't" Gobber quickly dismissed him

"No, actually I do" Stoick wasn't going to be ignored

"No, you don't!" Gobber didn't want him to go through all those hoops and lengths to tell him just exactly why it's not a good idea

"Listen!" Stoick had reached his end but regained composure over himself. "You know what he's like. From the time he could crawl he's been... different. He doesn't listen, he has the attention span of a sparrow-" During this time Gobber was drinking his mead when he lost his iron tooth and felt the gap that told him what he was missing. "I take him fishing at our old spot where my father used to take us both and he goes hunting for... for trolls!" Gobber was quick to point out his beliefs

"Trolls exist! They steal your socks, but only the left ones. What's with that?" There doesn't seem to be any truth as to their favor to the left over the right, but if there was one thing to be assured is that in politics that are fickle and change with the times; they're not supporters of the left wing extremists who are more common than one thinks just as much as the right-wing extremists, all of this is just garbage as politics are no use to the Vikings of this age and pandering to political correctness destroys art that was made before it became problems that should've never been problems from the beginning to where it started. As long as they are to be satisfied with everything they've made prior to where it's deemed unacceptable, they are the judge who will not take sh*t to heart; them the critics are not and have no control over the creative choices that were made as an artist. If it's something racist that was acceptable from the time and era that it was made in, a warning before the production begins is advised for a better understanding to the offended such as Native Americans. (A/N: Don't let this rant distract you from the chapter, it's a rant and nothing more. It's only personal thought because I don't want politics in this story, besides this rant of mine was never political to begin with)

However, according to legend; the trolls steal left socks because it is a favored snack of theirs but they are by no means feet freaks as there's nothing wrong with foot fetishes. Everyone is aware of their own two pairs and they can see how distractingly different they are from other limbs, but every foot has their use beyond balancing a human being; kicking is one as is feeling the surfaces of the earth without having to bend down, saving them from straining their legs from squatting or even risking popping a joint in the bones and at the worst possible time no Viking can endure with a straight face one like he can't feel pain: tearing their hamstrings like a thread that's cut by Atropos' long scissor blade shaped knives for claws. No good comes out of the ones who control the threads of other people's lives except for those who control their own destinies, the Sisters of Fate for Greece in the Mediterranean and the Nords for Norse in the Northern Arctic regions or otherwise like the Sands of Time in the Middle East

Stoick leaned his hand against the pillar. "When I was a boy...-"

"Oh, here we go" Gobber knew this already too well, he might as well continue his search for his missing iron tooth in his tankard hand

"My father told me to bang my head against a rock, and I did it. I thought it was crazy, but I didn't question him. And you know what happened?" The chief started to walk on over to the other side in the Great Hall

"You got a headache" Gobber found his missing iron tooth after reaching in with his good hand didn't work, so he had to drink the rest in order to get it back and so he hammered it back into place as Stoick ignored the truth about the after effects and continued on with his tale

"That rock split in two, it taught me what a Viking could do Gobber. He could- he could crush mountains like the Jotunness of a woman just as Jörd does, level forests without exacting Víðarr's plan for revenge and tame seas in the domain of Njǫrd! Even as a boy, I know what I was, what I had to become. Hiccup is not that boy" He stood amongst a tapestry of a Viking who stood over a bleeding dragon who was dead by the sword before taking his seat next to him, a symbol to knowing what he wanted as he grew up and if he were in Dragon Training; what his son to do as seen in the tapestries that were hung: stab his blade right in the Nightmare's gut as only the bravest of Vikings go after them, but Hiccup can never be a Viking just as Gothi told him

"You can't stop him, Stoick. You can only prepare him. Look, I know it seems hopeless but the truth is you won't always be around to protect him. He's going to get out there again. He's probably out there now" Gobber talked to his friend and even gave him the thought that he just might be out of the village as of now, if so then he would be back to give him the news; Stoick had said nothing nor did he smile at his friend he never turned around to face. "But... he's shown to defend himself quite well otherwise, if he could kill Immortals who've served the dark will of Persian kings for five hundred years that strip their dead off the battlefield to appear limitless; then he could even survive a onslaught of dragons that don't seem to attack him directly during the raids. Burnthair the Broad said he was even unharmed by a Nightmare who tackled him to the ground to guard him from a plasma blast, the bulk of a kerosene spit-coated dragon not crushing him one bit; incredible restraint. Something's not right with these dragons with your boy seeming to know it too, and I have my rights to be suspicious as Hiccup is about them"

"The blast was too much for it to set fire onto him, even then he would slip his way out under that one's foot; he always knows where to find a way to slip out of everything, and cause the most bit of trouble wherever he goes..." The chief murmured about the thought but went no further beyond that comment, he's gonna be taking over as the chief of Berk one day and he has to know how to fight properly. He ain't gonna be refusing as he'll be tied to a mast and with that shipped off into exile for defiance, ah what is he saying here? A father is what he needs, not a chief who is focused solely on his duties but he guessed that even Persia has their king in the same situation; but there in the Middle East he has servants to care for him, here no one is looking up to the task. Spiteout on the otherhand who scowled at the sight of him and exited the Great Hall was never really close to his nephew, he may have pride for his son but all he's looking to do is try and attempt to bond with the former; forcing him into Dragon Training is in all sense of the idea horsesh*t

Nevermind the struggles in the Kill Ring, Stoick decided to leave the Great Hall and come on down back to his house to prepare for the journey ahead of him. Like all houses here in Berk it was built to resemble that of a overturned ship, built on a stone foundation and topped in drafty and dark wood planks as two dragon statues guard the cobblestone steps that lead up to the stoop; over which is an intricate arch with a Monstrous Nightmare that roared from at the top but unlike all that stand underneath, this was larger than the others and well earned as everyone respected their chief if only they could respect his son and treat him the way all the other reindeer these Vikings were to him treated each other. Shingles shaped in scales of the dragon cover the steep roof as two hatches in the roof toward the back can be opened, to let in the cold air as a small hatch door was in the narrow rear wall; at times barrels and crates of the liking litter the front yard as a lean-to against one wall for shelter has been scheduled to be built, a expansive leather and fur tarpaulin that was diagonally connected from the top right side of the left half of the house all the way down to the lower left side with a series of ringed holes that was supported on a horizontal crossbar. Just inside the door is open floor as the family of two can set up chairs and stools to visit with company, little further in a long fire pit with a removable bar to hang cooking pots as the ceiling over the fire pit is a rawhide style chimney to funnel smoke outside; to the left is a step in the floor and a log with steps which's carved into it leading up to Hiccup's loft that was personalized by the boy himself. Toward the right is a tall cabinet as just past the fire pit is a long table where the family of two have their meals and hold meetings as such, left of the table under the stairs is where various pieces of meat hang from the ceiling with crates to barrels of other food stored on the floor; as against the back wall to the left is a tap leading access to some sort of beverage and a breadbox built right into the wall, in the center of the back wall is a door leading to the back room. That door is sometimes seen open and other times closed with a few decorative pillars that hold up the rooftop up in the living space, rafter boards bridge the lost to the front of the house as many shields to spears and swords decorate the walls with various crates to barrels up against the walls seen at times. Although Hiccup never enters beyond the back room, he knows that it's Stoick's bedroom as a drafty wood plank wall can be seen when the door is open; identical to the walls of the rest of the house. Hiccup's room on the otherhand is a personalized loft over to the back half of the house which his bed was also against the back wall too with a desk of which that held weapons to inventions on the right side; a small night stand on the left from his bed with papers also had a candle on it but it's alright since the candle's embers aren't a fire hazard in the slightest to this household. The foot of his bed had a chest with a equally in what way small cabinet to the right of his bed, at least before it was moved to the far left wall at the top of the stairs with a open roof hatch; his inventions decorate the walls as do random weapons that lean or even thrust directly into the walls, all of this behind a solid door that is and can be barricaded by the chief himself so that he would not disobey his punishment

Stoick never wanted to barricade his son inside to ensure he wouldn't leave while serving his sentence, but how was he supposed to raise someone who bears a curse from the gods? He went to elaborate on that thought no further as he reached his home at last, wanting to sit down at the edge of the pit and sift through the embers that lit on fire; Gobber would tell him exactly when his son would be back. If he ever came back because he wanted nothing more to do in his affairs in times like these, the ending of a war is close at hand but everyone is full with a pressure on their shoulders; his son would explode before the end

HTTYD

Back with Hiccup, nothing has ever put him on the edge of this much adrenaline before; not after what he experienced beforehand. It couldn't have been real, yet it was. That dragon, it was that one and only dragon; the blackest of scales he ever seen and the very appearance to that of a chimera as he alone witnessed, nobody could've known and not even Stoick the Vast of all in the isle that was Berk. Did he see the look on that Night Fury's face when he had looked back at him? If he was a she, that dragon's aggression would've been moreso but limited knowledge told him that neither genders would attack but instead see him as no threat; it all seemed haunting just to think about it as the loss of his mother is nothing to amount to this, even as he survived the onlook of the encounter. It's a bit too much to take in, damn... this gotten a little worse when he returned to the village for his bruises were just beginning to ache from being pounced on; the bloodstains were washed off when swimming but he could still taste the metallic iron and copper from the human liquids in his veins, those that became the bloodstream which appeared blue under the skin that is flushed out into a pale ivory white. All of that was ignored as he reached the forge and Gobber had a look of regret on his face

There's no telling what could've gone wrong between him and his father, in fact that's the reason as to why he approached him in the first place. "Gobber, does this concern my dad?"

"Yer' father wants ye, I can't say anymore; just know that I'll see you first thing in the mornin' then" He spoke solemnly, not wanting to have brought him this news

Handing his bag over to Gobber who knew he would place it in his office for him, he headed up to the chief's house where he lived, whatever his father wanted would be the final thing he would take from him as his blood ran cold and his bloodstream drained into a hollow net of tubes that ran over his ivory white body; but never did he lose the warmness inside. He's in no mood to talk to his father and wanted to be alone, it looks like he'll be getting more for what he'd be bargaining for behind that door

No other thoughts in mind to what lies behind as he entered inside, finding himself looking at the man who bitterly sifted the embers that were in the fire pit; the man whose misery made possible for him. Not wasting time he had silently closed the door, coming over to the stairs and walking up slowly; not wanting to put himself through the ringer with having to explain what he saw out there. Lest he be counted as treacherous as his dad's old friend who once he became chief, he exiled him in the attack by a Monstrous Nightmare whom had caused less casualties than his friend he argued about with on what the best course of action was. Stoick looked up without turning to face his son who had something to say to him. "Hiccup..." His voice and tone was softer than his ruthless self he was known for throughout his life as he become older

"Dad, I have... ahh I have to talk to you" Hiccup knew when the time was now and decided he shouldn't have to go through with the unfortunate fate he was doomed to be trapped in, not out of view from him was he up the steps when his father had taken unseen notice

"I need to speak with you too son" Stoick came over as his helmet was off and his bag offward to the side, but nowhere close to the fires that would destroy not only his supplies he needs to search for the nest before the ice begins to set in; but even his household and importantly, his son above all that carried on Valka's legacy in his appearance

At the same time with simultaneous spoken words, the two came to terms with each other. "I decided I don't want/I think it's time you learn/to fight dragons. What?" Both voices came out as incoherent to one another, seemed the two have had something to say to each other at the same time

"Eh, you go first" Stoick gestured to him

"Alright, I'm not as strong as you thought I am. You were right this whole time, I am not a dragon slayer as one of the many things I am; I would only be lying to myself if I continued to carry that stubbornness the both of us have. I'll be indoors during the raids that'll come, I will do whatever you think is best for me in the forge; being apart of the fire brigade was never a cool job since I have to work with the other teens outside of Fishlegs" Hiccup came with his slate that was as solid as it was clean

"Aye, you ever thought of shadowing me to learn whatever it takes to be chief when that day comes?" Stoick asked seriously

"I can't be a good chief, dad; I'm never gonna be taken seriously in the slightest, I'll be treated no different than what I was and am today. I already know what will happen after you join my mother: these Berkians greatly respect and admire me as chief, now having ten years of great prosperity under my leadership. But when Snoggletog comes, I'm never taken seriously and I get disrespected again except there's no reason for the perceived lack of... not even my own wife nor daughter would defend me. I'll be treated like a doormat again, my wife, my daughter and my son would leave me hanging upside down to get out of a trap that my daughter made to catch dragons looking just outside the doorway from the inside and in the aftermath when all goes wrong in the Snoggletog Pageant; I'm gonna be calling for help and my daughter... she'll be running off to go somewhere so she could see a dragon up close. N- No, you'd want someone less like this..." Gesturing to himself as he explained just how great they would look up to him and how he would be rewarded for ten years of peace and prosperity alike

Stoick said nothing as he continued, letting him do so as there's plenty of the night to go all around as the Hooligans will set up the fleet of longships in his absence
"Like Snotlout, he has the Haddock blood but he's nowhere close to me and he's stronger... the other Vikings don't think he's useless"

"Never think that way, Snotlout would not make a good chief; he's not very bright but you are intelligent so do not mistake my lack of knowledge for ignorance that you use put your brains into motion, that is one of the signs of a good chief who looks forward to know what's ahead of our enemies be either dragons or tribes having a bone to pick with us for a pissing contest but he always looks to his heart first before everything else that follows. The village needs a smart one to lead as life is beyond this war of killing dragons, I know I've been hard on you as everything goes but I want you to see there's more to this lifestyle on Berk. Now then for our namesake, the Haddocks are a old bloodline as it's true but we weren't always chief from the beginning; at times it has be passed on, any hint that would foreshadow to treachery will not be ignored and will be taken on accordingly. And there are no laws in Berk that say women of the sort cannot lead as Hofferson has that attribute to know this battle is cutting into the lives of our children, the Bog Burglars however much they've suffered by the Scourge of Odin will serve the prime example as a female led tribe as their chieftainess will say; but I can and will go no further into their affairs not because they are thieves, but their influence and impact in this Archipelago is... not as important as others will think. Not even when we first came here to Berk at least"

(A/N: Struck a nerve have I? Camicazi and the Bog-Burglars do not play nor do the tribe of thieves serve ANY role in my stories as I'm not a fan of the books, which is comes down to the reason as to why I have changed the plot of them to instead take place with not Hiccup but his ancestor; Hiccup Horrendous Haddock I and his Fellowship of the Dragonmark, Tiburonkolt fills the role as a buccaneer and Excellinor is one of the two females aboard who is a oracle this time. Not a witch who is the mother to Alvin the Treacherous that tries to kill our hero, though she too plays a limited role because I'm not attuned well to writing women or female protagonists all that good without ending up pandering to what they want; and that is a clone of Rey Nobody from the anal grease Sequel Trilogy that was never canon with exceptions to elements that I like, and Rey is NOT one of those elements. Overall, I was thinking that I can try writing something basic with a women protagonist such as a Minecraft one-shot which is not only modded; but also has a texture pack and a simple plot. What do I have to say about that? I'm not a misogynist and all of my protagonists are males, so here's one for the girls if I can ever start getting to writing that one shot; I DON'T WANT REVIEWERS TO RUSH ME ABOUT IT. Now that everything's cleared on up, consider this a lengthy chapter anyway since I have a lot on my mind compared to when I originally wrote this first story of mine; one more thing is I am not interested in Hiccstrid. You can find better stories out there than this one in terms of Hiccstrid shipping)

"I understand, but something's been bothering me: we have a surplus amount of dragon fighting Vikings which is by no means all that bad, but do we enough chefs and fishermen Vikings to feed the village by overstocking the food storages? Small and large home repair Vikings to help patch out the damages in the raids? Fire Brigade Vikings that install easy access to the dousage system if fires burst in the Armory, sheephouse and even the fish hut?" He began listing suggestions but sounded like he was making up excuses

"You're making it sound like you're planning this for dragons, but Berk is still for the people; remember that now but we do need help with the fire brigade, consider that scheduled to be implemented around the village. But things have been tough for you and me since... as of the time that we have, I will come to make a decision that can benefit us either way" He moved onto what he had to say now that Hiccup had told him his side for how he felt

Hiccup can only bear to listen to what his dad had to tell him, and knew he was doomed from the beginning when he told him the news as Stoick faced the fires not willing to look into his face when he said this; focusing on all of his inner dormant rage and terrible anger sleeping in him as he wanted to let it all out. He's been waiting to talk some sense into him but due to his son telling him what he had to say, it never came that he would do so out malice. This was the reason he wanted him here

"All of that aside... let's say that rest assured, you got your wish. Dragon Training, you start in the morning" The young boy looked up at that with a hidden mixture of fear and anger that's starting to overtake him, he never wanted to join Dragon Training; he had no interest killing them even if he spilled blood before which is out of self defense. Not when he witnessed in his experience prior to all of this, no he can't bear himself the image to hunt down the Night Fury with a sword and shield at his side. He responded with a miserable tone in his voice but he really wanted to respond in anger

"What will happen to the forge? I can't abandon my work there, I thought I'd be taking over from Gobber when I'm his age except younger and at least having both hands intact?" The man turn to face him as his thunderous look that would make his younger self want to curl to protect himself told him that the abusive side of his father had returned, briefly turning him into what his real father would act like but taking him back as soon as possible; and he wasn't even shouting at him

"You will be the chief of Berk one day, so you need to stop all of this cesspool drowning with hostility but more importantly than that; learn how to fight when the time calls for it"

"I didn't ask for this, the village is strong enough alone and can fight without a chief-"

"You'll need this for training and should that axe be destroyed, let it be warned by me: I saw you threatening Snotlout with it when you were seven at the time, and I understand that it's out of self-defense; he had nothing better to do than to flaunt his pride in other fellow men and women's faces. But, I actually warn you that if your axe is destroyed; send it to Gobber as you'll be busy in the Kill Ring nonetheless" He took up the axe and dropped into his arms as it weighed Hiccup down, but he held himself as much as he could as it's not as heavy when he was seven back then

"Couldn't you have chosen something lighter than this?" He asked him as if he were expecting a sword since that seemed to be more of his weapon of choice

"Hehehoho come on, I would've never given you a hammer over that axe; it's hard to lift but you can actually swing it" Stoick turned his back on him

"Dad, I don't want to kill dragons" He told him directly

"You're not supposed to kill dragons, just the final one if you make it to the-" He stopped himself at that point, he shouldn't be one to ruin the surprise by flappin' his tongue and lettin' it prattle too freely. "Gobber will explain it better than I could"

"No, I don't really want to hear it from him"

"It is time, Hiccup" His son here is sounding like he's tempting his own father

"Can you not hear me?!" What frequency in Norse does he have to find to get to his ears?

"This is serious!" Stoick forced the axe onto his son, putting it into a better position for him to hold properly and breathing out when the work was done as that was starting to annoy all the beejavehens out of him. "This is between you and I son. When you are chief of this village for tomorrow, and one of us today; you will walk like us, talk like us and think like us. You carry this axe, and on your shoulders you carry us all with you on your one good shoulder; the other one however I heard you threw out but you'll recover soon. No more of... this like you pointed out but again if I must reinstate what I said earlier, Snotlout is not the best choice for becoming chief; not too bright but nothing personal between us two"

"Even after what I told you about how I feel about being chief..."

"Of all the things to be concerned over, what you said is not one of them. Fight with your strength and your strength alone, building artillery is... no; that ends today. Now, deal?"

"Tell me what you think I'm going to say" He hoisted his axe along his shoulders

"Deal?!" Stoick knows what he would say

"This is a no-win argument" Alright, now he's dodging the question as Stoick took him by the face gripping him. "Take your hand off me..." was heard underneath his palm

"Is that a threat?" He tightened his grip slowly and asked in a low voice

"I missed the part where that's my cue to answer" Stoick reared back his fist and lunged it to his face, punching the bajeehvens out of his face with one meaty hand that was laid to cause a little bleeding from his nose. "Deal" Stoick nodded in response and told him as he hoisted the basket of supplies over his shoulder

"That's good... to hear" He looked in the fire and didn't want this to come for being a smartass to his face as he breathed in and told him this next. "The men and I are leaving tomorrow for one last search just before the ice begin to set in, and you will be Dragon Training then; end of discussion, I'll see you at the docks in the morning" He grabbed his helmet from the fire pit bar and headed on out through the doors, soon he left afterwards as Hiccup remained behind

Shooting a hardened build up of dried blood out like a rocket into the fire pit, which caked his nostril in more blood that was wet but at least he could smell the Norse rune alphabet now; so there's that merit to everything. To Stoick on the otherhand, he knows no fury to whatever Valka became suspicious of him in the afterlife; ignorant to the though that she might've not been killed by the Stormcutter on that night long ago. Hiccup looked at his face in the axe and thought perhaps, just maybe he was on the road to a better relationship with him

"Hnf?" He looked up from his axe and could see the faint shades of sunlight nearly peaking out through underneath the door, making a sound of confusion as he did so; even tasting the solidifying blood in his mouth that was copper in taste but awful in every lick so much that his inner. "Don't tell me I'm starting to like this axe already... for what it'll bring in Dragon Training, I'll rack in more biting remarks for every dragon I face in the Kill Ring. A Nadder head is sure to at least get me noticed... only to have Gobber say 'Man, you need to get out more' and my dad will go ahead and tell me while holding my lips to keep me from defending myself 'Don't do that again', Gronckles are tough, taking down one of those would definitely get me a girlfriend... who cheats on me with my cousin because she lied to me about being faithful and therefore breaking the betrothed vows of a promised life I intended to give her; a Zippleback? Exotic, two heads, twice the status... to let the others know how much I am in need of a drink. And then there's the Monstrous Nightmare, only the best Vikings go after those; they have this nasty habit of setting themselves on fire... I hope they like their Haddock medium rare, stacked in between the fillet of mutton and topped in between buns made of doughy wild boar meat as it's not too tough and not too soft. But the ultimate prize is the dragon no one outside me has ever seen, we call it the Night Fury; this thing never steals food because it's not worth the risk that other dragons are taking for it, never shows itself beyond the night cover and the surface of the moon and... never misses unless done so as a warning shot. No one has ever killed a Night Fury, that's why-"

Pausing his monologue as he sharpened the edges of the axe his father gave to him against the small travel-sized portable grinding wheel, he stood up from the steps and climbed down so he could walk over to the exit; opening the door to step out and look at the house he's gonna have for himself for as long as it would take in the expedition to take place. Both the voyage and the inevitable return in defeat, if it were up to him he would say not even close

"-I think it's for the better, that I never killed that dragon when I found him in the woods..." Closing the door behind him, he set off to the docks where his father would meet him one last time as would all Vikings do to their young ones before heading off to their doom; letting them know they are always with them as are their mothers. Seeing the early dawn light peaking with a glare through the in-between alleyways of the houses that stood, he knew that it wouldn't be long before he came back for a quick bite and then headed to the Kill Ring soon

HTTYD

"This scene's entitled "Goodbye At the Docks" and we lost it for length because it came at the end of Act One, but, again, it was just kind of highlighting this fractured relationship between a father and a son, Stoick and Hiccup"

-Dean DeBlois on Goodbye At the Docks being cut for length

Next thing he knew was that he stood in the middle of the docks, holding his axe from atop his shoulder as Viking longships were stationed behind him. A Hooligan passed by carrying a barrel filled with beverages needed for this voyage, the sea water of the oceans are no doubt bound to cause hallucinations and nausea with, if not considered, inevitable vomiting. Another one of which came by carrying a stack of oars to help with the docking boat that would come once the land had been spotted, sending a scout to ensure it was secure before the longship could pass and dock at the beaches. To his right he saw not only his uncle Spitelout bidding a farewell to a son who was his bully of a cousin, but also the blonde woman he knew from day one as she had hugged her father in farewell too; this sight made him scrunch his brow and screw his face in an incoherent expression of jealousy and disgust, the feeling of isolation with how he felt about his own father was all seen right here. Sven Hofferson was a large and stout build with a round face who had brown hair with a bushy beard, a yellow tunic underneath his blue fur vest of a jacket and dark brown boots

The wood planks creaking with each step taken as they approached Hiccup, who refused to turn and face his father that was now here on the opposite end from him; also not turning to face his son but instead looked forward ahead. Speaking to his son with that same tone as last night but in a more dreadful mood

"I'll be back... probably" Even as he went on the search for the nest, he was not let up on the possibility that he might never return home to see his son again

"And I'll be here... maybe" He replied with a dry response, even as he became accustomed to being alone; he was not let up on the possibility that he might not be here when his dad comes back home to find him gone

Gobber saw this lack of love between a father and a son before with a unimpressed look on his face, can't these two ever get along with each other since this might be the last time his father is seen alive here? He threw the bag over to the leading ship that they'll be taking and caused a Hooligan to be smacked in the face, thrown overboard by vaulting overhead on his back like a backwards flip that never had him jump in the first place. The blacksmith walked over and stood in between them, their mutual refusal to talk to each other had never landed him more into the role of a interpreter more than now; planting a organic hand to his face as he muttered under his breath

"(*Ough.. so fre' of thes*) Eh, Hiccup would like to say that he'll miss you and he wishes that you'll find that Thor-forsaken dragon's nest so you could stop taking out your frustrations on everyone; mainly: poor Gobber. Stoick wants to tell you he'll be thinkin' of ya' the whole time, so train hard, don't throw a house party like it's the Thors'day Thursday Dragon Tournament and he'll do his best not to get eaten by a sea serpent or a dragon but if he does; well you know, that's that"

"We're Vikings, it's a occupational hazard" Stoick responded deadpanned as Gobber repeated after him

"We're Vikings, it's a occupational hazard"

"I said that part" He irritatingly grumbled, putting his hand to the blacksmith's chest and walked off to his ship, all without having to have his son watch him go; he really didn't care anymore

"Oh, sorry for helping!" Gobber apologized sarcastically as Stoick pointed a finger at him

"I want him back with all limbs intact" The chief warned him as he called out to his men. "Set sail!"

And set sail they did as Stoick's fleet of Viking longships reefed the unfolded sails depicting the various designs that corresponded to their tribe, varied in each one as one of which took on the appearance based off a special shield that resembled him spitting out fire although on a larger scale this time around. Hiccup watched on with that scowl never leaving him until he left to go back for his house on the hill next to the Great Hall

Once he was back inside he took this time to study the birthmark much closer, now seeing that it was the same pattern of the Night Fury's scales found on sections that he couldn't place until he got a closer look at the dragon; confirming once again that it was all in the form of an bracer armor on both his arms which seem to be interchangeable with the tattoos he would apply all in the meantime. But then there was something uncalled for about, there was this plasma indigo resonating glow whenever he was around a dragon. Strange yes, but he decided to go on ahead and spoil himself with a hot breakfast; mainly consisting of meat from the cool storage over the burning fire and soft doughy tasting as well as heated garlic bread sent by someone who went under the pseudonym of "Unknown" before it was done in no time, where he began eating. He just didn't feel like grabbing a quick bite after all and he really needed something to eat, gotta keep his strength up one way or another. And once he did, he ran out of the house and began to head down the path to where the Kill Ring was

The rising sun distorted the shadow of Hiccup into the dragons both the Kill Ring and the Night Fury he met before in more ways than one: a Deadly Nadder as he ran along the ground with a bountiful leap overhead that turned him into a Gronckle once he tumbled back into his jog with a vault over the barrels ahead of the boy, next was the Zippleback whose two heads are formed from his axe that he swung in front of him to break a falling crate into pieces as if it zipped past him all of a sudden and he acted out in instinct in the nick of time. The Night Fury was the final shadow that had started to catch onto him, leaping overhead and with both claws extended he had become what appeared to be him of the future. Strong, tall and disturbingly fierce just as he was deadly; how odd but it wasn't like a boy of him to take notice whatever his shadow took form over. While he ran to be the first there at the Kill Ring, he wrapped both of his arms up to his shoulders with bandages, nevermind it was glowing faintly as he would ignore it as soon as he reached his wanted destination

Gothi, the elder who happened to walk by at this time in the village halted him in his path; it would seem that she wanted to talk to him so why not hear out what words she bring to him?

"I take it that Stoick was responsible for placing you in Dragon Training?" She asked as Hiccup hissed at the truth

"If you call being forced into this garbage with no remorse for his own son, then consider this a no-win argument between us" He spat out with a venomous tone in his voice

Gothi knew he was growing weary of this torment and everything saying he was nothing as well as that Stoick should be feeding him to the dragons during the nights of the raids so often, it's a mind-numbing experience to live through here. "All these years of constant pain and scorning of your father's taken it's toll on you, it's even worse than what the Gods have told me it seems" She spoke softly as Hiccup cannot deny the claim she made. He had grown to be angrier by the years, talking back at his father and fighting the Village's scorn of him; getting into fights with his intention to use inventions built by him to harm his people and refusing to help them when they get mauled by dragons, looking to defend themselves as they retreat with whatever was left of them to claim as their own. This garnered him a nickname known as "Hiccup the Uncooperative" for he acted just the way Snotlout did but that right there was arrogance, he however was being this way on purpose to give 'em a taste of their medicine

"They won't try to kill me, the dragons are always protecting me during the raids and all I want is to be taken by one so I can be far away from that horrible man. Nowadays what I want to do is throw myself off the cliffside of Berk so everyone can be satisfied"

"I do not advise you to commit suicide, your death will not help free you from torment; it will only add fuel to the pain of others. What do you believe might happen?"

"They'd celebrate, and what the hell do you expect them to do otherwise; mourn me? They mourned for the unfortunate passing of that bitch Thorve Hofferson, they mourned for that bastard Punchlout who died the same day as part of the brawl between them on the Isle of Friga. Mourning never comes to a Haddock, end of story and end of this conversation. Do you have anything else to say before I leave?"

"Yes, as you should know this on your way to the ring: When you were born, I told Stoick that you would never be a Viking. The gods planned a bigger destiny for you, and they've not forgot nor forsaken you for your presence here on Berk and the Archipelago in the least; but they had never cursed you either. Don't forget my words..." She then left the boy behind and walked off to her house, knowing she was forbidden from telling him what exactly it was; but desperate times and lack of acceptance from others calls for Hiccup needing everything there is to know and do what he could to survive the next few years on the isle of Berk

No time to waste as he continued his way to the ring, crossing over the bridge and eventually he reached the location where he's expected to be; it was looking pretty desolate in terms of being cloudy, just as it was looking slick like water when he saw the stone ground there. Looks like the rain from two days ago hadn't been completely soaked up and judging by the way that the clouds were looming overhead today, tonight was the night for another shower

Once there at the Kill Ring, Hiccup entered inside not by the main entrance but the other way which was slipping through the chained roof so not even a Monstrous Nightmare climb out of before dropping to the slick stone ground that looked wet yet at the same time it was dry like the rest of the land. Knowing the recruits would be here at any moment led by Gobber, along with the sky today looking so bleak as the village was in times of war like this; he hid within whatever shadows there were at the entrance and waited for them to arrive. Carrying his axe upright in front of his shoulder, and no sooner than later did the gate open with Gobber of all mentors introduced the new recruits into the Kill Ring with a very enthusiastic tone of voice

"Welcome to Dragon Training!" Gobber presented before the new recruits that would soon all become real Vikings to the Hairy Hooligans Tribe, all of which were ones of whom that're perfect because they're the ones Hiccup does NOT want to fight for; he would rather abandon them on the battlefield to die alone and be rejected by the Valkyries because of how they all saw him as a liability. Not treated the way he should be in this tribe

The Kill Ring as a whole was a huge arena that was made of metal and wood alike, as eight of the wooden planks at the start in the back were curving into a reversed C-letter shape; with a outward facing wooden cylindrical shaped beam that went out from the top and one slanting downward on the bottom, both of the tips had a silvery iron cap which was a rounded edged vertical trapezoid shape that was wide at the bottom but narrow at the top; having a flat and circular shaped face at the tip which went for another nine rectangular shaped planks to the next one, same pattern with one going outward on top and the bottom slanting down to the outer base of the ring itself. The third row was of seven rectangular wooden planks and after that there were five on either side, there was a vertical iron cap tipped beam standing right in front of the third wooden plank while the fifth plank had one running along outward with an second beam at the start of the wooden plank; the end also had a third vertical beam that jutted out upwards for a short bit. Next to them on both sides of the entrance in front of the vertical standing iron cap tipped beams as well as the five to eight rectangular wooden planks there were five large, thin stone horizontal rectangular shaped steps leading up to the caged bars that surrounded the ring from the solid flat ground that can be counted as the sixth step; next to them were square face shaped rectangular bars that went up alongside the edges for the gate that opens upward when entering the Kill Ring itself. Slanting up inwards toward the entrance on either side was a square edged rectangular shaped bar which had two four edged corner studded iron platings on the top to the bottom on all sides, leaving behind what was a vertical rectangular shaped gap in between at underneath the square tipped triangular shape topping of the bar was a singular studded iron plated square that cuffed all around; the same can be said for the bars that slanted to the other side outward with the tip being a figurehead this time around. The neck was a vertical trapezoid narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, the lower jaw being a scalene triangular shape slanting downward with a rounded tip coming at the end with the upper tip curving upward into a rounded tip at the end too, having a circle for an eye on either side with two conical spikes near the eyes and in the middle of the snout as the nasal horn at the farthest end was a forward tilted triangular shape which had a bar on top of the tip; the three fangs on either side of the mouths were made of evenly spaced and vertical trapezoid shapes that went from the back to the front, the back of the head happens to also have a vertical trapezoid shape that ended with a triangular shaped tip at the narrow top side. The two cylindrical shaped beams on either side of the rectangular shaped entrance leading inside to the Kill Ring slanted upward to two other vertical cylindrical shaped bars, of which held the raised gate as both of the tips on either side of the top happened to have the dragon figurehead; which then had a chain on the inner top jaw going downwards toward the bottom where the stone floor was, embedded to it even with a horizontal cylindrical shaped beam running across as both sides had a iron studded plate cuffing around them near toward the figureheads themselves. The upper and lower corners were dual studded with one next to the left and one next to the right, both of these cuffed platings were slanted forward so as to appear with the top edge facing forward while the gate was a horizontal rectangular shape made of four square shaped bars running across vertically and forming the outer borders; but the gate also featured two horizontal rectangular shaped boards that ran from the top and on the bottom from the middle which were not thick nor thin, that's what Gobber lifts up once the new recruits to Dragon Training were introduced into as both the uppermost corners is connected with a short shackle that went upward to the upper corners of the horizontal bar going across. The back of the figureheads having gone up and curving backwards to the horn themselves. Going all around the near edge of the Kill Ring was a slanted edged square block as there was a rectangular shaped gap in between each of them, the front being longer than the ones on the sides to the back as there were dual stacked slanted edged and square shape iron platings with three studs on the front and the bottom; the front forming a triangle while the bottom forming a inverted triangle facing forward with the former facing up. On top from each of the square blocks there was a slightly thinner rectangular bar, above that was now an thicker rectangular shaped bar that curved inward with the thinner bar continuing up and also had another thicker rectangular shaped bar above that as it ended with the thinner bar at the top; half of the first thin and the first thick bar had a backward facing half-ring which held the thick cylindrical bar that went around, with a smaller ring looping around a thinner bar which went around, as the thicker ring returned on the thinner bar and the thinner bar on the other hand looped around. It should be mentioned before going any further that there was a plate shaped like a vertical rectangular shape which had a half-oval shaped ring at the front in the middle, connecting to a fifteen link chained shackle down to a slanted edged square studded plate with a secondary vertical half-oval shaped ring facing forward as the studded bolts had one on each corner. Now then there was a thicker ring that was reaching the end, if not then having a whole thick ring cuffing around the thick rounded bar looping all around; the pattern when looked at from a distance was a thick bar on both the top to the bottom with an thinner one going around the middle but going slightly downward and nowhere near the bottom just yet, the thicker bar returned as did the thinner one above with the final two bars being thick all to form that domical shape for the ring. Speaking of the ring as mentioned before there's a stone ring surrounding the wooden planks, while the back was a rounded shape whose sides slanted down inwards on either the left and the right respectively. The middle had a thinner cylindrical bar shaped hoop like ring in the middle while going above in the center, there was a short vertical cylinder which had a slight inner ring which went around as there's a overhead horizontal shaped ring going across; connecting to a seven-link chained shackle as the rooftop of this arena could be raised to the top and having a ten-link chain connecting to the stopper in the middle, six on each side going around in fact. The downward slanted framed entrance that could be opened up had nine horizontal bars that went from the top to the bottom, with a row of seven vertical bars going across from the left to the right forming square shape holes which in turned created a grated doorway into the arena; all equally sized and none of them are too small or too large, no more and no less to be exact. The chained net going all around had a magma rock like pattern, the holes being rocks while the chains forming the web were lava cracks in between each one. Now being closed off by barbed metal, this was meant for stopping dragons from flying out but Hiccup was smart enough to use his stature to slip on through and climb without touching the barbed sections; it was a bluff by them as he could not find any chained link that was barbed, not even one as all of them were smooth and as well solid too. The only way in and out was through that large wooden gates with the outer entrance being raised upward, while the inner exit was raised up to leave up the ramp and across the bridge; followed by two more sturdier and larger sized wooden bridges which of course led right back into the village. Know the number one rule for this one: if a dragon did escape, blame it on Hiccup... bastards. Even if those Vikings knew his position as being one among the blacksmith's apprentice turned assistant which the terms were interchangeable, like the L and the R-letters in the Japanese language; he would never be appreciated for his work and that was unacceptable to him. Finally, he sat up against the shadowy inner gate as one of his legs were extended outward and the other standing up; watching the new recruits enter inside the Kill Ring who were the teens as he can't avoid them wherever he goes here in Berk, there were five of them to be exact as he counted and listed them all in his mind

Astrid Hofferson was the best Viking of their age here on Berk, for her strength and brilliance that comes with her unmatched skill in wielding her own axe that has been handed down to her by Ingrid; otherwise known as her mother who had some trouble sleeping and it's thanks to a soothing tea which used lavender that she was looking a little more livelier nowadays. A beautiful and quite petite fifteen year old who had the advantage of agility when it came to Dragon Training, with mid-back length light natural golden blonde hair as it was styled with a braid that went down her back; having sharp thin fringes which covered the left side from her face, only she could have those stone blue eyes which revealed the coldest of all the teens of whom she hangs out with. Although her sleeveless shirt was said to be in varying shades that were made of blue as her official color or more specifically in a steel blue shade, he could see more of a multitude of varying green shades which formed horizontal size varied stripes that went across from top to the bottom. From a light to dark army to hunter, juniper to sage and a olive to crocodile as well as a pickle to lime green; she has it all but who dressed her? In any case her kransen that was inherited from her mother and soon to her child was a thin leather strap that had a large to small coal black colored studded pattern going around, while on the otherhand the leather was a tawny to russet brown color. Both her bracers that also formed a V-letter shape in between the first and middle fingers was biscotti to sand tan color, having a row of four thin strip lines that went around as the second slanted downward to the right and the third down to the left side; coming near the elbows but stopping right there before it can cover them both. Her thunder and dover grey colored studded to five cuffed shoulder guards had rounded conical spheres going around the first and the fourth shifting upper-quarter half spherical shaped guards, the inner tips having a parmesan tan colored skull which also had a beaked mouth split in half on the left and right sides; black circular eyes with a small sized to black colored nasal hole. Her mahogany to maroon and merlot to sangria red battleskirt had wrapped around her waist, sporting fossil grey conical spikes going down the rounded tipped leather flaps up against the spiked gingerbread to sepia brown skirt found underneath; with a cream to ivory tan colored row of beaked tipped skulls going around the top edge along, as it also featured a hazelnut to fawn tan colored horizontal oval rock shaped bag with a overhead belt going in the middle. Her leggings were a space to independence denim blue color while her boots were a thick tortilla edged carob to mocha brown color, not to mention her fringes went over her kransen. Her weapon of choice which was an axe had a pretty standard, if not common design similar to the other Viking Age fighters; it had a carob brown handle as the bottom of it was slightly thickening out because it was the handle after all. At the start had four trout to seal grey singular large studs that went around on all four corners, sporting an brunette to umber and wood brown colored lower left to right slanting pattern strips which were studded in the middle for each one on both the front to the back; another row of the same large singular studded bolts going around on all four corners and as for the axe blades themselves, what could be said about it? They're dual inward crescent shaped blades as the inner head was a pebble while the cutting edges were a thick striped iced cube silver color, two more large singular studs on the front to the back going on the top and bottom from in the center; sporting a small cylindrical shaped stub at the uppermost top in the middle from the axe itself. The blades are not only worn but they're rusty, did she start chopping lemons now? She's more careful than that, it can really inflict a nasty infliction if her blades are both completely rusted and herself if her axe is used against her; come on now but nevertheless the leather twirls on the shaft were for better gripping and the iron pins were to hold it in all so the stability doesn't come close to shattering. It's also said that her initials are carved into it too. What can be said about Astrid? She's among the two that never picked on him, no she only had a strong vision on what a Viking was and Hiccup was no Viking in any way; she had some beauty that makes other boys of her age jealous but she always kept a fierce outlook. She was demoted to her cause, prideful and dismissive at times but she can own up to what mistakes could possibly make as a sign of willing to improve herself. Back to Hiccup in spite of her beautiful appearance, he saw nothing beautiful in the eyes of her short temperamental as well as perfectionist flaws; he had no interest in her due to the bullsh*t she calls "honor" and "dishonoring" his tribe means nothing to him. Guts which is a word for "courage" matters the most as it's far more important to him, she says what she's doing is for her family yet refuses to admit she's afraid at certain times and if someone calls her out on this; she shouts at them for pointing out the obvious that she doesn't acknowledge herself. Thus leading to what was the opposite of what she's trying to represent for her family: truth be told there's more to her family than what's being shown, and what had happened to make her fight evermore vicious and downright angry as Aurvandil's Fire approaches every decade; but when the time comes, everything once secret will be revealed as the others make fun of her family whenever the night of the fiery light comes due to the unfortunate fate of the Fearless Uncle Finn. Hiccup couldn't care less if she succeeds or dies, she will never be free of her torment to the ruined image of the Hofferson Clan

Snotlout, good f*cking god not him, was large and muscled as to be expected from a typical Viking teen of course but dammit; nothing spells "dick" for this bastard than relentlessly for all that happened with picking on Hiccup, always pushing him around and beating him down to the ground. Well, the tables have turned on him because years of heavy lifting down from the blacksmith's forge here on Berk and the tasked errands he ran for Gobber had given him a light to pierce the shadows; he's fighting back and developing the strength and speed that he has been getting to put the smackf*ck on him for all the times he was bullied by his cousin. It wasn't his world anymore, no this time it's his turn to take the fight to him; so who's laughing now? Outside of that was one of his worst choices for having traits of a human being, should one consider this macho dumbass a human being which is stupid; what is the worst trait that was mentioned? He had without a doubt: a MEGA crush on Astrid Hofferson and he's always showing off the super muscles that he faked having, even trying to flirt with her is what he's calling a death sentence; one should not flirt with that bitch and he never tried himself, he's smarter than this and the Jorgenson boy himself clearly. Hiccup yelled at him one point and told him to f*cking stop because no matter what he does, she will never love him back and that right there is cold; but why not? The Hooligans are cold to him and so is Astrid, but he's nowhere near a degenerate social justice warrior of a Viking; those kinds of people are not deserving to be called human beings in the first place for thinking everything needs justice, not even the Audibaurjek Tribe's chief Andre brings that sh*t to the battlefield where a war is being waged on them. He didn't take it well and this broke out into a brawl that, here's one surprise for everyone! Hiccup was punished with a beating by his father, and he actually did stab him with a dagger to his stomach in an attempt to defend himself; which Mildew used to rally the Vikings to further support his venomous forked tongue saliva covered words over to the people that he was unstable, becoming a threat to the tribe should be kept here further more longer than now but Stoick disagreed by shooting him down in the most American way possible: if he ever did that again then he would come over to a feathered people's tribe as it is mainly the Dakota Tribe from what he overheard when one accompanied Trader Johann, at the very least kindly borrow their Furgeson rifle and blow his head off from his shoulders; all right now he's bullsh*tting there but he's keeping true about threatening him, it was an act of self-defense from him. None of that stopped him from being thrashed and neither did it stop him from retaliating back at him. His tunic was a beige and sugar cookie tan color which had a V-letter shaped cut for the neck held together by several threads, his fur vest that he wore on himself was a soot to metal black color; his leggings being in a cedar to wood brown color and both of the boots having a taupe brown cuff with the rest being in a umber brown shade, the bracers he wore are the same color as his boots. His brunette spiral sheep horned helmet had a dark charcoal and light shadow grey as it was thick studded around the rim, the center going overhead. He has a black belt going across with the buckle in front being a face which is split into the top and the bottom sides, lined vertically around and horizontally on the bottom; the two eyebrows had a short barb on the outer left to right sided bottom as they slanted down in the middle before barbing upward, the eyes were outlined black circles as the nose in the center was a rounded topped rectangular shape. The horizontal line on either side of the left to right sides slanted downward and went across from there as the lower half with another singular line that went across, underneath that was a line of five vertical rectangular shaped teeth as if it were grinning with a smug; the rest of the face had a thick outline on the upper-most top and lower-most bottom. He carried a black circular head and spiked mace that had a brown handle which is originally a broadsword that was left behind at his house, opting to go for more of a weapon that could stun his opponents for several moments just before he took them down with a killing blow. Good god, Hiccup needs a f*cking drink...

Just behind them happened to be the Thorston Twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut; both respectively are ruthless and tough as their names had suggested, both of them liked to pick on Hiccup but the two loved pulling pranks since they're the followers of Loki thanks to his mischief; the two were renowned for their chaos loving personalities but why does he speak so lowly of them? There's one major flaw that destroyed all sense and possible thinking that would make them work together: they fought over everything and anything, but even then nothing made them enjoy more than the amount of destruction that the chief's son does in the village in the truly unfortunate attempt to help the others; although the two acted alone most of the time which he began to wonder why bother joining in Snotlout and his torturous ways, because did he at one point ever mention that he was bossy? The twins loved explosions by the way just so he could point that out. Like Astrid, the two were thin and not very muscled but they each both have their own separate ways to deal with fighting a shared enemy between them. Ruffnut wore a porpoise to slate grey colored tunic with a macaroon tan colored vest, light moss olive skirt alongside a dark mahogany and jam red to chocolate brown colored belt going around as the studs that went around were small and half-rounded outward facing shapes which went all around; the golden buckle had a circle in the center along with three more forming a kind of arrow on all four sides going outwards, the middle of the nine circles that diagonally went around the clockwise coiled medallion as all four sides had a spiral going counter clockwise instead. Her leggings were a dark yet pale umber brown color as her boots were also in a iron grey for the thick cuffs on top while the actual boots were a slate to anchor bluish grey color, her bracers which cover the first and middle finger overhead with a slate to lead blush grey color as she also had six threads on her biceps with a singular line on top and two more that went across; a upper and lower curving overhead and underhand line crossed into each one another for those lower two threads as she wore a dragon fang for a necklace like her brother as to be expected for a Thorston, her helmet was studded horizontally around the rim while her horns were slimmer as the lower ones curved up and sloped down at the tips and the upper tips curved upward with a rust brown color. The main thing to notice was her braids since the lower tips had a bulbous shape on top separated with a vertical bar in the middle and another bulbous shape on the bottom, wrapped around horizontally with leather and with the helmet being in a moss olive color for the studded rim while the rest was a dark ash grey color. Tuffnut wore a sidewalk to sardine grey and sage green colored tunic, wearing an seaweed to juniper green colored fur vest with not only a smaller dragon fang necklace like his sister; sporting a shadow to seal grey studded rim helmet that went around horizontally which remained smooth overhead, sporting a cola olive green shaded large pair of vertically ribbed horns on the bottom while there were a pair of upward curving vertical ribbed tawny to tortilla brown shaded horns as this helmet was battered greatly evidenced by scratches to scrapes on the rust brown outline edged surface. Having moss to crocodile olive green color bracers as he wore pebble grey leggings as his boots consisted of coffee brown cuffs for the chocolate pear to shadow oak brown colored boots themselves, also sporting a mocha brown colored four rectangular shaped ribbed sash that went around the stomach and having butter to sunflower blonde long hair like his sister. The double-ended spears started out with a kind of long triangular shaped silvery tip as the bottom had a parallel line going across, the upper line curving upward on either side as there was a circle in the center on both the front and on the back sides; the shaft on the bottom was a conical triangular shape that pointed forward as the actual bottom itself was a slight vertically facing crescent shape as it was flattened on the middle, the two other sides sloping upward a little bit. The first rectangular cylindrical half of the handle was a green smoke olive color with the second rectangular cylindrical half was in a dark rangoon green color, the third rectangular cylindrical half of the handle was a dark sage green color; and the final rectangular cylindrical half of the handle was in a deep uniform like olive green color. The tip of the other side was in a silvery short cylindrical shape providing the lower half which also had a inverted conical trapezoid that went around representing the top half, on top of that was a smaller horizontal stripe that went around and the speartip of it all is a leaf shaped blade. It's not impractical as one can attack on both sides and besides for all the fighting between them, the Thorston twins don't really hate each other; but if he's swapping those two out for his father Stoick, then he really hates him and that's for sure

Finally, there was Fishlegs who was the largest out of the teens and sported a typical Viking build. He may be tall but he's more brains over brawn and a friend whom he still hung out at times given that the two wanted to ensure he didn't become victimized by them, and for that he let him hang out with the other teens including his asshole cousin whom he always fights; evenly matched but he'll be better than him soon, he's sure of it. He's soft spoken and quite well mannered, he only remained silent if the other teens are around and when they're not; he spoke to him. Now he may like being lonesome and solitary, but that doesn't mean that he should not be allowed to interact with him; he'd rather be alone from all the scorn which comes to him. It wouldn't be fair if Ingerman was the victim so there's that, and the last time he played with him was a game of Maces and Talons which was putting him to sleep; hell he broke his own set after he smashed it atop of Snotlout during one of their brawls. Not even the owner enjoyed playing as it was too confusing and too hard to play, that's why he plays something less complicated like Chess for example and if there's one thing he regretted the most; it was not standing up for him. He wore a large brunette to caramel and russet to sepia brown colored fur tunic which covered most of his body, wearing an seaweed to army olive colored pair of leggings as his boots had a penny brown color for the thick cuffs while on the otherhand the actual boots were in a sepia to copper brown color respectively. The helmet he wore was a casual studded rim and smooth overhead stripe that had a peanut to mocha brown thick vertical striped pattern for the two horns that curved upward for both the tips on the left and the right sides. His short hair that covered the sides of his head was in a honey to creamy blonde color, not much to say there. He carried a war hammer with him that he was clutching with his meat packing hands nervously as the handle was both a thunder grey and macaroon cream white woodened birch handle, the head itself happened to be a trout to seal grey color with a thick rounded edged conical pike on the back and a flat yet both thick and rounded edged face on the front; the vertical strip of iron was a shadow to pebble and an iron grey rectangular shape which was studded with a series of large dover to fountain stone silvery shining bolts that held the hammer together. Sometimes, he wished that he were an Ingerman himself since he was kind and he understood that diseases do not run in the family; but there's always something special about being a Haddock that made him have thoughts of which were causing his heart to doubt if he's making the right choice he wished for, but never mind the reality that even he was not respected by some of the teens like Snotlout since he's a piece of sh*t from the beginning. Being a product of his father's arrogant and disrespectful upbringing or not is irrelevant to him, he deserved to have great pressure put on his cousin; he had unfair treatment too and he's hailed as the heir to the tribe that everyone prefers, it wasn't always like this in the Ancient Times three hundred years ago when Berk is first found by them because his ancestor was just more hateful since he felt like everything he had once was stripped because he himself was the chief's son while he was not. If there's one thing he does best for an Ingerman like him, it's information on the dragons themselves and he would rather focus on studying them rather than being interested in studying plants; he's not that kind of Viking and to imagine him so was absolute horsesh*t

He silently watched on in the shadows of the entrance as he heard the defacto leader speak out at the sight of where they will all be training for the next several weeks

"No turning back" Astrid spoke with a determined look on her face, knowing the Kill Ring from the inside-out and she doesn't need to be in the ring to know how the recruits were introduced here. She and the teens walked over to the near center with some of them like Ruffnut turning around to see the entirety of the ring, and Fishlegs clutching his hammer a little tighter at the thought of having to be taught something like this; even Astrid turned around completely to view the whole chained dome that would keep the dragons inside, how in the hell did their ancestors before them build something like this? No matter, Tuffnut jumped into the opportunity to fantasize the wounds he would be receiving after class

"I hope I gest some serious burns!" His sister fantasized something a little more revealing

"I'm hoping for some mauling, like on my shoulder or lower back" She had her shoulder slumping a little to the side but still remained in line with the hand that held the double ended spear both twins carried, both spears had the triangular shaped tips pointing forward just to point that out; but Astrid had different views

"Yeah, it's only fun if you get a scar out of it"

"Yeah no bullsh*tting, right? Pain, love it" Is what Hiccup would've said outloud to them if he was so much as a cuckold, instead he just said to himself standing far behind them with his axe up resting against his shoulder; looking down on the wet solidly slick ground. If they all wanted scars of their own, then they should get beaten by their parents to satisfy them; or is that not what they want? That'll make 'em realize what it's like when one is being blamed for events you can't control, that'll teach them good; the sons of bitches

It wouldn't be long before Gobber started to talk but noticed he was still behind, pointing him out to the other teens, he hoped that getting involved with the other children that are around his age would release the strain he's got on holding back those accursed feelings that were driven to shout at the man who raised him alone since his mother's death. Though, the blacksmith started to wonder if he might've given Stoick this idea as a suggestion rather than an act of dry sarcasm; but he'll see the results and how they turn out. If it's not so good then, he's doomed the Haddock before he even knew it himself

"Uh Hiccup, Dragon Training needs you to be involved too. Come on out and get over here...!" He encouraged but none of the teens were accepting this

"Oh great, who let him in?" Tuffnut complained as Hiccup arrived with a nasty attitude already acting up

"You left the door open" He replied dryly with a gesture to the entrance

"Let's get started! The recruit who does best will win the honor of killing his first dragon in front of the entire village" Gobber demonstrated with gestures in his explanation, but this didn't stop Snotlout from teasing his cousin about what happened last night

"Hiccup already killed a Night Fury, so, does that disqualify him or...?" Snotlout asked as this led to Ruffnut and Tuffnut

"You're right, I killed a Night Fury but you've also made it clear that I killed whatever children that's dangling in between your thighs like a saggy layered flap of human blubber that you've fantasized having with your wife; snuskhummer" What did this Scandinavian insult mean? Find out more in the end!

"Can I transfer to the class with the cool Vikings?" Tuffnut asked

"Go to hell already, I ain't joining in with 'em" He muttered under his breath as Gobber wrapped an arm around him as the two walked up to the line formed by the other teens

"Don't worry, you're small for them not to notice you beforehand and you're weak to their eyes; that'll make you less of a target 'cause of 'yer size since you can easily dodge their fire! They'll see you as sick or insane, no you're not worthy of getting shot at and go after the more Viking-like teens instead. Well if by Viking-like I mean even worse; outside Fishlegs, they aren't worth your anger because they want ya' to get mad and use it to take advantage of you. I better get back to explainin' now, our first lesson won't be hard I promise"

Hiccup was led to stand next to Fishlegs who looked at him but didn't return the glance as he stared on ahead to Gobber continuing his explanation on what was about to happen

"Behind these doors are just a few of the many species you will learn to fight!" Cue to the insatiable knowledge of Fishlegs as he began to list their stats as soon as each dragon was mentioned, growling rumbles came from each door and this triangle shaped one was no exception

"The Deadly Nadder!"

"Speed: eight/Armor: sixteen" If he were wielding an axe then it would be no problem because according to the Audibaurjek Tribe, one can actually hit through armor with one; their blades were largely thick enough to ignore the plating and punch right directly into a human's chest, all it takes is the heave and thrust that goes downwards to the chestplate

"The Hideous Zippleback!" Gobber continued as he gestured the dual rounded topped gates

"Plus Stealth: eleven, times two"

"The Monstrous Nightmare" Gobber demonstrated the gate in the middle of the Kill Ring as it stood right there smack dab in the middle when one first came through at the entryway

"Firepower: fifteen" Now he was getting excited

"The Terrible Terror!" Gobber brought up however, he wasn't actually near the gates that held the dragon inside; no it's actually on the farthest right side but he thought that today would be the perfect start of a dragon who was not very fast in flight but whose scales are tough enough to withstand some of the more blunt weapons. Perfect for the axe's armor penetrating capabilities as mentioned before

"Attack: eight/Venom: twelve!" That seemed to have gotten Gobber's panties in a twist as the next thing he knew, the blacksmith shouted at him

"CAN YOU STOP THAT?! And... the Gronckle!" Gobber put his organic hand on the lever that would open that oval shaped gate

"Jaw Strength: eight" He whispered out of the fear that he would shouted at again, all the while Hiccup gave a pat-pat-pat on the back with a quick double stroke; as a little thanks to the information that he could very well put to use himself

Just then, Snotlout began to break down and ask Gobber which was a bad idea due to his response

"Woah, woah wait! Aren't you gonna teach us first?!" Let that be the last mistake he ever makes when it comes to asking Gobber if he was going to teach them first, before they're ready to do a battle before a empty yet somehow live audience

"I believe in learning on the job" Gobber brought the lever down, the barred log lifting up and with it out bursts a irate rhino of a dragon; the Gronckle rushed toward Hiccup and the new recruits who all dodged out of the way where she slammed herself up against the wall, falling to her side. She struggled to get back up with a few several scrapes against the damp solid ground and then took into the air again, swallowing some rocks in the process which is all but conveniently placed in front of her; now she's armed to the jaw with lava blasts. But her attitude was awfully hostile today, the weather can have effects on the mood of both Viking and dragon alike but that's not what he was thinking now was it? While this happened, our blacksmith Gobber explained: "Today's lesson is about: Survival. If you get blasted: you're dead!"

Seeing the Gronckle recover and swallow some rocks, he turned to face the recruits

"Quick: what's the first thing you're going to need?" Gobber asked

"A doctor?" Hiccup suggested because why the hell not? No, that comes after

"Plus five speed?" Fishlegs couldn't think clearly, it's not about the evasive speed

"A shield!" Astrid answered with confidence, Gobber here's about to explain why it's important in just a few moments

"Shields: Go!" Each of the teens went to grab themselves a shield, Astrid taking one leaning up against the wall; Snotlout's lying on the floor and Hiccup struggling to get a grip on his due to rushing the process, that and the fact he couldn't find where he was supposed to slip his hand through. Gobber had to help him with that part but before that can be explained, this has to be explained first:

Hiccup's Shield was a heath red color that had tamarind brown faded splinters on the front as they revealed the five wooden vertical planks that from the left to the right side respectively for that sense, surrounding the inner studded iron ring was a storm dust to lemon grass silver white ring that had a series of stripes which went around the rounded boss in the middle; all of them were different in their own right. The first stripe surrounding the boss was cuffing it from the bottom with a lower half circular ring with the right side shooting out from the left curving down over to the lower right, before curving back to the lower left side as it stopped right there. The second stripe cuffed the top with a upper half circular ring as the stripe shot out from the right side before stopping to go for the left side like the first one before this, as though it was a little more narrowed down but nothing bad in the slightest. The third stripe is on the lower left side as it went up before sloping downward towards the first stripe, as the fourth stripe was on the right and it too went up before going straight to the left side forming a seven number shape to the lower right side. The fifth stripe was on the upper right which is where it went down and shot towards the ring with a short line forming a L-letter shape, with the sixth stripe on the upper left curving overhead to the right before diagonally curving up. Finally, this was the infamous shield used in conjunction with the axe in Dragon Training on Berk

Astrid's Shield was a seafoam green in color for the base as this one consisted of stripes that were on both halves on the left to the right sides, separated in the middle by the round boss to guard the handle that bashes the linden shaped shield forward; after all, isn't defense the best offense? The two halves on both sides were like narrow Kabel Black font styled C-letters which had both the inward gaps be slimmed down due to the boss in the center, outlined in a cedar wood finish and cinnamon brown color. The lower left had a curving frostine white like stripe that went up along the bottom edge, as well as two sandstone orange lines going down on top; forming a cerulean blue rounded edged six-letter shape on the left with the opposite side being in a frostine white color, the left stripe continued up and above the curving shape underneath. Having the dual sandstone orange stripes go up and towards the upper left side, with a forward facing horizontal curling cerulean blue color stripe; also having the white line on the closest to the right side border which then curved over the top of the blue stripe. The bottom right side had a orange stripe in between the two blue stripes which went up, with a white curling six-number shape facing toward the left side of the right half; going up from on the outer right side was a blue stripe which curved into a rounded inner curling tip which was surrounded with a white ring, the lower edge of the blue stripe even had dual upward orange stripes and the upper left corner of the right half was filled in with the same orange color. It's also one of those shields that had iron studded strip on the top and the bottom of the boss as both ends were tipped off with a diamond shape, three studs at the tips while having a single one at the middle and two at the bottom which were the closest at the center boss. Finally, it was this shield that Astrid held onto throughout all of Dragon Training

Snotlout's Shield was a basic dark oak brown colored shield that had dove white paint which seemed to be silhouettes for a four-way snake looking design, the left and the right sides had the same pattern which started out with a rounded horizontal rectangular at the start where both ends that curve up to go the opposite direction; stopping with a flat square line bottom before going vertically upwards with a rectangular shape as it ended right there. The top line had a short rounded inward gap on the left side which then went up and formed a rectangular shaped wall atop of that gap, the right side went upward before going horizontally inward as it stopped with a short upward line that met up with the rest of the shield. The bottom shape wasn't like the first three mentioned as there was a lower triangular edge on the left side, as there was a diagonally sloping rounded tipped rectangular shape protruding outward; that is only on the lower right side as the left consisted of a line curving out and upwards which then formed a triangular tip, with a square shaped half that was straight on the inner right side and the lower bottom side that went straight for a short bit before curving back down to the front as this too was another one of those shields with the same bolted strip. Diamond tip that had three studs, a single stud in the middle and two studs at the bottom and all; both of the strips faced the upper as well as the lower sides of the shield's boss. Now while the rest of the gaps were unpainted, there was a thin ring surrounding the pattern too. Finally, this was the shield that Snotlout held onto throughout all of Dragon Training and even his father Spitelout who wielded this for his own; but not at the final battle that was to come

Fishlegs' Shield was a tangerine orange colored shield with a four-way serpent design which the four of them were going in a counter clockwise direction, two of the Norse hurstwic art stylistic serpents were a teal blue on the top to the bottom while the other two were a sheen to lizard green color on the left to the right sides respectively. Their lips had drooping oval shaped tips with a outward flickering tongue that also had a drooping oval shaped tip, their backs had a pair of backwards facing upward curling wave patterns based on that from Greek vase art; the eyes were circular and had a base colored ring surrounding the dove white scleras, all with black dots for pupils that were near the lower left side of the rings. This one had those triangular tip iron square plates that were studded in the middle but went around the conical spiked boss rather than around the inner studded rim of the shield, having studded bolts on all four sides which of course had surrounded near the outer base in between the upper and lower square plates. The serpent bodies were not only bordered with a faint carob to caramel brown bordered outline, but there were also rounded square inward curling shapes going up to the head from the stems that connected to the bottom of the bodies; there were also three horizontal lines in between the first and second rounded square shapes, with the first looking a little more circular. Finally, this was the shield that Fishlegs held onto throughout all of Dragon Training
"Your most important piece of equipment is your shield! If you must make a choice between a sword or a shield, uhh... take the shield!" He helped Hiccup with his own but spoke to him about this one specific part that was necessary to the lesson and only he would know what it is. This is what he said: "And make sure that shield's made of Thor's Ore, it's the strongest material known to Vikings" before he sent him on his way

The Thorston Twins on the otherhand were about to be known as the first to be blasted due to a dispute that occurred here at this moment, both teens went for this one specific shield of which was the only one that was cool looking; unfortunately, there was just one for one of the twins

Shield #16 was not painted as much but featured faded four-way light white bordered swirling stripes going in a clockwise circular motion with one at the top, left, right and bottom which had taken up the amount of the light chestnut brown colored oak wood; these stripes were both a sycamore and gimblet olive color. However, the main design to notice about this shield are the two skulls standing on either side of the vertical dual-sided top to bottom flames which went across horizontally from the left to the right side; the lower left skull's jaw slanted a little down to the left side while the eyeholes were blank allowing the wielder to see the fires from behind, though the right eye of the left skull had a small inward dent on the left side. The right skull on the otherhand had a small portion of it's upper right busted inward, with a slanted lower right slash going across the upper half of the right eye; the right nostril was like a rounded to inverted rectangular conical shape while the left was circular, the lower jaw didn't slant like the left one did but remained straightly horizontal. The boss stood in the center as this shield was among of those that had a four corner square shaped, single studded and triangular tipped piece around the inner studded rim of the shield; the flames were a international orange and surrounding the multi-forked flares of fiery embers were candy red bordered edges to represent the heat that was emitting from the fires. Finally, this was the shield that had the Thorston Twins fight over for as the two stood among several shields; this was the only one that had a skull on it

"Get your hands off my shield!" Tuffnut engaged in a tug-of-war with his sister

"There's like a million shields!" Ruffnut grabbed onto it first but both had their own stubbornness issues as Hiccup noted once when describing Berk

"Take that one, it has a flower on it; girls like flowers" Tuffnut co*cked his head over to the one that was on the floor

Shield #19 was a banana to cream yellow colored shield that six oval shaped flower pedals that went around on one side and another six on the other side all around, followed by a dot which could be found in between each of them at the inner studded rim of the shield; what was going around the boss of the shield was a fire to gold yellow surrounding ring which had a row of six rounded top florets, each one bordered by a iris lavender colored border surrounding them like the rest of the pedals and the pollen dots in between each of the former's tips. This shield was one of those that had the single studded square plates surround the center conical boss, while having four corners sport large studs going on the upper and lower sided corners of the shield's frontal side where the daisy based flower was. Finally, this was the shield that although it was hard to see at first glance without carefully looking at the scene frame by frame and second by second; Ruffnut held onto in the second day of Dragon Training but didn't seem to get any more further than that, and was also the one Tuffnut suggested because girls like flowers according to him

This did not please Ruffnut as she yanked the one they're fighting for and bashed her brother over the head with it, he didn't seem to understand that she was a tomboy and not that kind of girl

"Oops, this one has blood on it" That shouldn't be a problem given her personality and how she likes those kinds of things, too bad they were still fighting over it

The Gronckle was through with these identical pair of Vikings fighting over something that's so skewered when it comes to prioritized importance, and shot a lava blast directly in front of the boss that blasted it into pieces

"Ruffnut, Tuffnut: you're out" Gobber called them out

"What?" The two both said although Tuffnut was delayed given his head bash earlier

"Those shields are good for another thing: noise, make lots of it and throw off a dragon's aim!" The teens did just that as with Hiccup while the Gronckle's vision starting to distort and ripple into soundwaves that emitted from each of the four recruits that spiraled around it like a ring. It wouldn't be long before Snotlout began to run for it with a shout. "All dragons have a limited number of shots! How many does a Gronckle have?"

"Five?" Snotlout answered... poorly, don't let him do the math again

"No, six!" Fishlegs answered wisely with his shield raised in the air as the Gronckle stopped in her flight when he did so

"Correct, six: that's one for each of you!" The Gronckle charged up a fiery boulder in her throat

"I really don't-" Out came the lava blast and the shield was sent flying up against the wall, bursting into splinters

"Fishlegs: out" Gobber called as the Ingerman threw both arms up, dropping his hammer and running for cover. Another one bites the dust, Hiccup thought as he saw that blast up close as he wanted to keep hidden from behind a number of up and inward slanting planks which not only formed a mantlet; but also had a number of studded rectangular plates which were all but sporadically placed about, most of them having one to two nail like spikes that jutted out. Gobber saw him taking cover, seemingly to recover but he wasn't having any of this sh*t from him: "Hiccup: Get in there!" With a third blast that stopped him from getting any further, he shouted at him back

"You get in there, I have lumbago!" He made up an excuse not to come out from taking cover, he wanted to make sure that Snotlout got eliminated first before he made his move; and his wish shall be granted as the Gronckle wondered who else was last to be taken out, looks like she found her target

Snotlout was behind Astrid as he began to flirt with her. "So anyway, I'm moving into my parents' basem*nt; you should come by sometime to work out, you look like you work out" One lava blast to the shield sent him flying to the side and on his face, never learns does he? Neither does he learn the lesson not to bring up sensitive subjects to torture Hiccup, and it's not just him whom he's torturing; Stoick loved her too, you know. Valka used to come over to his house and teach him a lesson which is why it's called tough love, no one will ever ruin her baby's happiness and just because she was gone; he thought he had full reigning dominance over his cousin which meant he could torture him and his fingers to the bone. This is another reason why he didn't want to be on Berk anymore

"Snotlout: you're done!" All that remained after Astrid cartwheeled out of the way is her and Hiccup who held his axe upright against his arm

"Thought he'd never leave for good, damn the Jorgensons!" He spat on the ground offhandedly

"You're not the only one whose damning them" Astrid saw the Gronckle ahead of her and sped off past him, dodging out of the way but Hiccup was doomed to have his arm burned; with his shield being shot out of his arm as he began to run for it while his axe flew out too. The Gronckle frowned and seemed upset as she came down towards his level, almost as if she's wanting to make amends with this boy

"One shot left" Gobber called out but never kept his blue eyes on anything that wasn't his buddy as he was running up against the wall, no longer chasing after his shield while that Gronckle he released was descending down to his level. "Hiccup!" His worry for him came out of his voice, he was going to be killed in close range if she got to him

Meanwhile, he leaned against the wall and slu*thered down to his one standing leg while the other had given out; clutching his burnt hand in pain as if he's soothing the burns, wanting to make sure it didn't hurt him anymore as he buried his face to hide his agony. The Gronckle had reached him but was now sniffing at his back right above him like he was her hatchling, and just for the record he already guessed that she was a girl dragon; this motherly attitude? Deader than dead giveaway and his birthmark helped him clarify between the two genders. "It's not your fault, you're only trying to defend yourself" He spoke in a gritted speech as his pain was evident even then

The Gronckle started to sniff his burnt hand, even giving it a slobbering shower of licking as it soothed the burns, before that just then he thought of a name as it may not be too nice to be heard but he's got nothing to live for on this island anyhow

"Mind if I call you Meatlug? I'll explain when we see each other again, and for the record I've already guessed that you were a lady... can't explain how for the time being" Contrary to his thoughts, she loved the name and licked his face a little with a pet against her cheek

The others saw this as a threat and attempted to attack, causing Meatlug to stand in front of the Haddock boy whom she felt unwarranted about his burnt hand and become defensive; a burning hot fireball started to build up as this one was aiming for Snotlout as she sensed that out of all these recruits, he was the most insultingly unlikable. Gobber had none of this as he got over there quick enough to yank her by the cheek, misfiring the lava blast above the boy that leapt out of the way to the side as he began to struggle in wrestling her back to the cage. "And that's six-" Meatlug started to pull him back but he would again have none of this. "Go back to bed, you overgrown sausage!"

After all was said and then he threw Meatlug back into her cage, sealing the doors as the rest of the teens were heaving for breath; exhaustion was a bitch but the blacksmith reassured all of them

"You'll get another chance, don't you worry" He walked over to Hiccup and dipped his hand in a bucket of water, the sizzling steam cooling off the rest of the agony he felt. Facing the class and emphasizing the last point to Hiccup especially: "Remember: A dragon will always-" He turned to face the boy. "-ALWAYS... go for the kill" He hoisted him back up on his feet by his shoulder, knowing where he would be expecting him tonight at the Great Hall

With that, he left and the recruits followed suite but didn't stop scowling in his direction; all of them muttering about how useless he was. Hiccup would not take this sh*t any longer, and shouted at the one who complained about him the most

"I could leave you out in the blizzard when the icebergs set in like what you did with me but that's too kind because we're so used to the cold that it's warm to us, maybe instead I'll take a silver knife and whittle you some, then slit your throat to show Berk my present to them. Or I have a better idea yet, I'll take that mace you're holding and jam the morning star ball in one of your good eyes of my own choice, and watch you twitch in pain. But none of that would be enough to bring her back now would it?!" He pointed his axe at him

"You don't have the manpower to rip my mace out of my hand and jam it in one of my eyes, but then again this is coming from a cousin who one: wasn't useful last time I checked, and two: won't get over the truth that he killed his mom. Who died and made you chief in her eyes?" Snotlout faced back at him, making a insensitive remark at the end as all of this was the attempt to impress Astrid at this moment. News flash: she was not impressed even in the slightest given the disrespectful remark he made towards the deceased, instead she elbowed him in the front of his throat making him cough

"I was the only one taking the heat these days"

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"I never saw you in the frontlines when the raids start happening. Yes, let me run down into a Bork the Bold built safehouse shelter for Vikings in the event of some final war with dragons; while you lay back and show off by flirting to Astrid like she's property to be won all like the fat gorilla that you are!" Hiccup swung his axe one-handedly to deflect the mace thrown at him and threw his back to the floor when Snotlout came running to punch him, only for his fist to impact against the still hot burnmark that was steaming; jumping in between one and the other foot at a time as if it were a dance as he held his fist

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! Who are you calling a fat gorilla?!" He threatened but Hiccup only walked away from him

"You, now shut up and get out; someone needs to gag your mouth with a pair of soiled greek underwear. I need a stiff drink..." He demanded and muttered at the end, with a tone that spelled exhaustion as he exited out as soon as he can. But one question came into mind: do grecians actually wear underwear?

None of that matters, Hiccup's not really getting a stiff drink. He's not THAT distressed enough to turn into an alcoholic too bad his father isn't the same. (A/N: Jesus that took forever, not the appearance of the Kill Ring mind you; it was Snotlout's response at the end. Good god it's not easy revising a chapter like this, and I like it because it's not hard either; it's a good challenge for authors who write stories like these)

HTTYD

After all was said and done in that commotion, Hiccup cooled down before deciding to return back to the scene of the crime which happened; all while thinking of the words Gobber who's making sure he knows directly about on his mind

"Always go for the kill..." He stopped in front of the spot where the cut ropes were, picking up the bolas that still had a rope attached to it; coming to a reasonable thing to ask from this black dragon who spared him. "So why didn't you?" Asking himself, he gathered the evidence with the thought of destroying it so no Viking who came around here spotted it; coming to present as proof to whom was disabling their traps

Hell, they can't pinpoint whom it was that's doing all of this in the first place. The pond in the Cove is a great place since only he himself knew about it and with that, he began heading straight to it; hopefully he can take his mind off the transpiring events that occurred back in the Kill Ring. This entire section was sunlit revealing all kinds of faint browns with mostly dark to light greens and olives that were dominating the forest. There was still some mist that came ahead in the distance and vaulted over a fallen log in the process, it did come to mind that he might find the Night Fury again but chances were slim; he hoped that he didn't and thought the dragon was gone, using a sea skimming trick to leap across from one barren island to the other undetected and untraced by Vikings

He walked towards the borders of Raven Point and spotted the hidden path, a series of signs that were made and painted as six to eight of them were on the ground; five others had been posted on the trees further in the hidden path. In a sense it acted like a road which is behind the Spartan forces who held their position for three days in Thermopylae, before that traitor led the Persians to the hidden goat path where the Phocians were dispatched and remained true to the order that no one tells their enemies about it. He was thinking of tearing them all down as they're covered in vines, leaves, weathered stains, slightly fading paint lots of little bits of blood with several chippings in the signs themselves. He once looked over them and nodded to himself, all of them looking serious and menacing hoping that the warnings were all clear; now? He saw them as unnecessary as Vikings braved the dangers of everything, no soul would follow the rules that were written here

He proceeded into the hidden path that was darker as little slivers and slim holes which were made of sunlight peaked through above the rooftops made of leaves alongside solid bark, it's heavily shadowed passage which led to either entrance into the Cove is what made him try to do his best to block it off from everyone else; so that no one but him can see what lies on the other side of the dark path ahead. While he did so, he took the tall path which led over to the upper path of the Cove and proceeded onwards; walking down to a cliff where he then leapt down to the solid earth moving the boulder out of the way to enter the narrow path which is large enough for him to come through and thus lead him inside the Cove itself

Moving down the entryway with a rock to the right side and a solidly thick dual barbed root forcing him to lower his head when he walked through, he came to the entrance where lo as it shall behold; his Cove was right here before him with a overgrown root on his left. Sunlight reigned through once again as a flock of four snow bunting songbirds that flew just a distance away from him, seemed as though they were disturbed by something. Nevermind that, this is just as beautiful as the day he discovered it himself. However, he couldn't help himself when it came to feeling betrayed when his lingered on a few black scales next to him on his right; it is here he no longer felt solitude or solace here but then gain, he's glad to someone here as a loner both have the upper and the downer sides of things here

"He's here, and it looks like I've got myself something to collect for a project of mine; seems to shed alot doesn't it... I don't mind myself" Smiling at the thought as he collected each of them near him, he was wondering if he was still here

As if answering him, there was a desperate cry for help heard by his ears alone; on his left the familiar presence nearby all in the form of what he encountered the last time struggled in an scraping climb for freedom outside the Cove he was trapped within

The Night Fury!

This isn't a illusion cast down by Loki, it's a face he knew too well of. Clawing at the rocks and distressed as it slipped off, gliding his way back over to the safer ground before roaming with his eyes studying each of the surrounding walls; hearing the faint but often self-grumbling of this beast. Hiccup watched on as it attempted to fly out each time as the jumpstart wasn't the problem, it was the trajectory of angling that left him off-balanced due to something missing. This action sprung him to bring out the sketch pad he carried, drawing the image of what he's witnessed; but not before climbing a little bit down from the hole so he could get a greater if not better viewpoint at the Night Fury. "I don't understand... why can't you fly away?"

Before that the Night Fury had used a fallen log in an attempt to fly but could not sustain the balance before he landed back onto the ground, all with his back turned in front of him. Even leaping up to the walls on the left two times didn't bring him the chance to escape, instead it is here that his claws were mainly just scratching the surface of the soft rock formations that secluded the eyes of the Vikings everywhere

Back to the present after a plasma bolt of frustration was shot toward the ground, his tail was in full view. If he knew anything about the encounters with a Night Fury in his eyes and them alone, he could see that these dragons all carried with them a tailfin on both sides; yet, here it was as there's a dried bleeding edge with no evidence of the left tailfin being carried over to this wound from the bolas trap. He could see nothing, what remained there is a empty gap that stripped this Night Fury of his balance and trajectory needed to turn in flight. In his own shame for he built a similar trap like this before known as the Mangler, he erased all but the left side of his tailfin to fix the drawing as he was laying down; seeing a fish that he's not sure what exact type of fish it is leap out of the surface of the lake, him being the only witness to it. Even after he tried one last time to turn himself and only impacting the ground, it was the non-successful virtue of his attempts and the common knowledge that he was hungry

The Night Fury watched them standing there unmoving, dipping his head in to catch them but swimming away fast enough to escape his jaws; the reflection of the slight moss covered lake showing disappointment in his eyes. Letting out an angry grunt as a result of this lack of food for effort. "Just hope the poor guy can go a day without eating..." He spoke softly to himself, invoking sympathy into the beast when he freed it

Hiccup was inclined to come closer but not too close and get a better look as the Night Fury is paying no mind to his unseen presence, but his right foot was caught in the rope; he nearly lost his balance but retained his stature, damn the bola traps! No instead, his charcoal tipped pencil slipped out of his hand and couldn't reach it in time. Now he's asking for hell on earth, the two impacting clinks against the rocks were enough to have the Night Fury look up at the sudden disturbance. "Dammit!" He whispered as the dragon was now looking at him

Unforeseen and unexplained reasons arise when he felt calm as one watched with sorrow and innocence, the other watched on with reptilian fury and curiosity. Each ended up looking into one another for a few more minutes before the thunder snapped them both out of what their thoughts of one another were, the Night Fury snarled at the weather and headed for an shelter underneath the rocky entrance of the Cove that kept him from being wet. Hiccup for all the common sense he had with him, knew he should leave now before he angers him any further and with that; he once again left with a spring in his step which is one he never knew, not seeing the green/yellow eyes watching him leave with interest

"Damn that rain! I was just getting comfortable in the boy's eyes... what does he know that I do not?"

As day turns to night Hiccup dropped off the black scales at his office, staying for awhile as he fashioned himself a umbrella from an oar with the tip broken off and a basic shield; of which there are no patterns that were painted on the front at all. When all has been said and done for as both the top shaft and the bottom handle were lashed with thin threads of rope going around a multitude of times, he was ready as he got drenched in the rain but never needed a shower other than now. Climbing up the tall stairs and reaching the Main Hall where he never said a single word when he entered inside, the doors echoing when opened

"Alright, where did Astrid go wrong in the ring today?" Gobber asked

"I mistimed my summersault dive: it was sloppy, it threw off my reverse tumble" The woman in question stated with all honesty, as if the Thorstons were listening in the entire time for a sarcastic response like this

"Yeah, we noticed" Ruffnut wasn't in the mood for what happened that morning

"No no, you were great; it was so Astrid" Snotlout has not learned his lesson, best he never does because he'll have something to take his rage out on for the harassment over the times

"She's right: you have to be tough on yourselves" He emphasized "have" for a reason, Astrid would point this out the next day of course but the listeners to this tale know what it is the blacksmith is referring to about

Hiccup grabbed a plate for himself, courtesy of Gobber who placed it on a table close toward the entrance for he would not want to share the same table with the teens; Snotlout would just keep closing the gaps for him to sit in if he even tried, that's why he didn't bother. He's not out of the woods just yet, Gobber has to make a target out of him but he's not really all that hard the boy

"Where did Hiccup go wrong?" The blacksmith asked with sh*tty excuses number one and two coming from who else but the Thorstons

"Uh, he showed up?" Ruffnut answered

"He didn't get eaten" Tuffnut brought up

"He's been looking pretty pale this morning, he's not getting sick is he?" Fishlegs asked with concern as he looked at his friend who took the cup of juice that was full

"He's never where he should be" Astrid scowled at him, seeing the irresponsibility and the inability to stay focused on the training ground in that boy who kept the unstable image out of even her eyes; going against higher orders to prove himself or so she thought would do all but that. Even after all he's done, she doesn't outright hate him but he's not exactly the calm and calculating leader that Gobber sees him as; a household and cesspool of disobedience, a dose of fatherly grief and years living in the shadows of backtalk can reveal a vulnerable self behind everything he poses himself as. He doesn't talk to her, he doesn't give hints of hidden feelings for her behind the ones he does show in public; he doesn't even- let alone -want to talk to her parents directly. Unsocial but reasonable given that the in-crowd poisons a great number of people and he must've thought of them as being those kinds of friends that hang out with each other, the cool kids on the block and the popular students in the academy; the ones who bully others that're weaker than them and ones who force others to learn the one lesson of being yourself. That is a lesson that Hiccup did NOT need to learn, he wore it like the one vest warming his body even in the hottest of days

"Thank you, Astrid" Gobber sounded relieved as Hiccup sat alone in the shadows of the Great Hall, no torches were there but instead a wall that made it look like it's a booth seat for three people on either side of the front and the back. He sat there not even inclined to eat, he was already angry enough as it is and he didn't have the energy to take a bite or even chew so he can't choke when swallowing. Hell, he didn't even dip his food in the juice and swallowed it whole either; this wasn't a eating contest, it was a miserable dinner alone. Gobber could see him as did Astrid and Fishlegs, the former and latter concerned for the boy of all teens; so he continued speaking loud enough so he could hear him continue the rest of his lecture for the recruits of whom were part of the fire brigade. But only after the Thorstons were given smack to their heads for the remarks of showing up for Ruffnut, and both not being chewed and swallowed by the Gronckle today for Tuffnut; it's a good thing too and Fishlegs doesn't need to tell them why. "You to live and breathe this stuff: The Dragon Manual" He brought out for them to read

With one mighty shove of the bread and knife on a plate from the table using his powerful mug, he threw the book onto the wooden surface: "-Everything we know about every dragon we know of..."

A roar of thunder echoed outside the Great Hall as Gobber's ears picked it up, suspicious but once there weren't any signs that a raid was about to begin; he spoke quickly before going on his way back to the forge

"(Heuhh...) No attacks tonight. Study up" He instructed but these teens were some of the most uninterested that Hiccup has ever seen, but it's good that there weren't any attacks; poor man must've thought that in the training session Meatlug had let out a call that sent forth a message to the nest where Stoick and the adults are right now, he might be killed. He's not risking to see his one friend get killed or any of the adults who set off to the nest alone, he might even return with one longship intact because those dragons aren't a joke. Shame that these teens were making them out to be with the way they aren't interested in this piece of knowledge recorded by whatever Bork the Bold encountered in his unfortunate confrontations, he was merely living out his life and he didn't know how to react with all the antics of them

"Wait, you mean... read?" Tuffnut realized what he meant as the knife he balanced fell over

"-While we're still alive?" Ruffnut had the same idea, both twins didn't accept this and neither did Snotlout

"Why read words when you can just kill the stuff the words tell you stuff about?" The Jorgenson pounded on the coaster that flipped the chicken covered bone onto the table, there's a good reason the Meathead Public Library was built; so Vikings didn't have to read and another thing: the Meathead Public Library back then was not a library due to the law stating that Vikings are not allowed to read books outside the manual of the time which is written by Professor Yobbish

Who was he one can ask? This author spent years in the wild observing dragons in the natural habitat as the book he wrote was the culmination of his research, as well as the definitive textbook on the subject focused around these fascinating beasts. He lived alone in a cave on a placed called the Isle of Doom, it's craggy and it's one inhospitable nightmare that lands to anyone whose not already a dragon no deadlier than a Deathgripper. The only purpose these islands have for Vikings is to send criminals there as punishment, it's not always that place they're sent to; there's Outcast Island and Darkheart Prison but the Lava Lout Tribe had taken it over as a fortress of their own accord. Some dragons see the island as a paradise. Back to the author, he's written "Looking After Your Killer Whale" along with "Sharks and Other Great Pets" and at the time he lived the author was writing a book about butterflies. He's said to be a self-made naturalist for the barbaric world and when the first chief of the Hooligans sent a message which complained about the lack of words in the book which told them to yell at it, he replied with a second edition published which is of no greater help as it told them to yell at it loudly. There are other dragons on the isle though: Changewings, Zipplebacks, Sentinels and Timberjacks; but what is a Sentinel? Oh boy, the Archipelago is full of various species out there and explaining them all would be limitless in the details; a shame none of these Vikings know the world is round

"Oh! I've read it like seven times" Jesus, he should write a sequel to the book then. "There's this water dragon that sprays boiling water at your face. And - and there's this other one that buries itself for like a week -" Before he could continue any further, he was interrupted; god damn it... Hiccup wanted to hear more about what he had to say

"Yeah, that sounds great. See, there was a chance I was going to read that..." Tuffnut cut him off to save his breath, leaning back from his seat

"...But now" Ruffnut was ready to leave

"You guys read, I'll go kill stuff" Snotlout was already out of his seat by that time, and so the rest followed suit as Fishlegs nearly toppled over the bench he was sitting on while Tuffnut got the head start on his sister by shoving her face in the table

"Oh, and there's this other one that has these spines that look like trees..." Fishlegs started up again, but he couldn't possibly be referring to-?

"Hey!" Even for something that dirty, that was unfair she thought

"What?" He pretended not to know what she was talking about

Hiccup had his eye on the book as Astrid soon got up, having read it before and soon all the teens were off with her looking back at the Haddock boy one last time sitting there within the shadows; illuminated only by the fiery tiger and scarlet orange mixed in with a maroon red overtone all shining because of how drenched he was, uninclined to fulfil his appetite eating away at his stomach and sporting a expression of disappointment. She turned back as soon as she could and let the door slam behind her, leaving Hiccup alone in the hall

"All mine then... see you tomorrow" He muttered under his breath and Astrid's answer about how he was never where he should be is utter whor*sh*t, there's one place he should be and that's the forge where he made weapons along with machines and projects for himself; not a dragon killing academy where he gets beaten and ridiculed being unreliable and useless, he's not useless in the first place

That night once everyone was gone and the Great Hall was black in darkness from the rain out in the village, he grabbed a candle before coming over to the manual so he could read what is within the pages. "What Bork wrote should give me a sense of depth into his encounters..."

Opening the book as the flame of the candle to his left moved a little while the right is near the end of the wax built tower. "Dragon Classifications: Strike Class, Fear Class, Mystery Class"

The next page turned

"Thunderdrum: this reclusive dragon inhabits sea caves and dark tide pools. When startled, the Thunderdrum produces a concussive sound that can kill a man at close range. Extremely dangerous/Kill on sight" Seemed these dragons were helpful in battle and the lonely sort of Tidal Class dragon who cared a lot for their companions he thought for himself, he just might even meet one when he leaves for good but not without the right knowledge to prepare for his departure

What should be noted is that each of these dragons had the "Extremely Dangerous/Kill on Sight" order, these encounters Bork had were not so encouraging for the less than brave Viking

"Timberjack: this gigantic creature has razor sharp wings that can slice through full grown trees. Extremely dangerous/Kill on sight" They're excellent for lumber and makes the job both faster and easier, but how the hell can they scratch their backs just might the key for befriending one given their sharp wings and lack of both frontal claws and hind talons; the wings aren't just for slicing mind him, they're large enough for a tent of both camping and medical reasons as all patients must not let their confidential information get exposed. Even in the Viking times, breaching confidentiality of the wounded and the ill is directly advised against as the Audibaurjek Tribe do not let any of their own be exposed behind each one of their own private lives; which are far less pleasant than what outsiders think like Tiburonkolt for one as he's a less pleasant man in private, but a good man in public nevertheless when it comes to Auditore, Italy and Galomere Bay, Ireland known for their famous Shamrock Shakes which are delicious. Given the hell that he's been experiencing, he can sure go for one right now

The next page

"Scauldron: sprays scalding water at it's victim. Extremely dangerous-" Interrupted by the roar of thunder outside as the left door was slightly opened, now who could be here outside of him in this time of night? Nevertheless, of course it sprays scalding water at it's victim; it's in the name of the dragon after all. Amazing for hot water when needed for a wash and even a hot drink, how lonely it can be out at sea. He 'ought to make something to help the Tidal Class dragons to go on land, something that can hydrate them whenever the dry scales began to leave these Tidal Class dragons vulnerable to predators such as Changewings; speak of the dragon itself...

The next page

"Changewing: even newly hatched dragons can spray acid. Kill on sight" Of course they can, they may be dangerous but they're cute. Who would even begin to think of killing something so young? Bork has a really nasty encounter with this dragon's children to want to kill the hatchlings. Bad first impressions can leave a stigma of uneasiness in the mind, but he guessed that they're not the ones with the problem; it's the Vikings who seem to have a problem with them. People take one look at them and go: AH! HELP! RUN! A big stupid, ugly dragon... they judge them before they even know them, guess that's why they're better off alone

Sooner or later he began to flip through the pages that showed various dragons, each of them as mentioned before had the "Extremely Dangerous/Kill on Sight" order; Bork's not having an good time with these ones but he digresses and continued

"Gronckle: inhales deeply to fire armorlike bumps on their bodies that last off in every direction. Extremely dangerous" Hiccup once witnessed this dragon perform something that Fishlegs said was rumored to have seen too as well. It was when one of these dragons was being restrained to the ground by the Vikings, being blasted off as they scattered off in every direction; presumingly this was for self-defense purposes. Not only that it was also shown that they could curl themselves up into a ball and roll themselves around on the ground for faster movement, also used for a means of offense as to be expected. The former ability was performed in the air too when one of them rotated in a circle and fired off groups of four spikes in all directions, forcing the Vikings to take cover

(A/N: Not only was this seen on a Spin Master licensed merchandise toy, and even in the "Guide to the Dragons: Volume 1" and "Ultimate Movie Guide", but it was also seen in something called "Dragons: Hero Portal" which isn't a good time from what I'm being told and has a lot of major red flag type of errors which include but aren't limited to these: Fishlegs saying the Outcasts are attacking when it's Drago's Army that's attacking Berk, Itchy Armpit and Valka's Sanctuary being apart of Berk and Drago's Bewilderbeast being in a volcanic location when it's a ice-spitting dragon)

The next page

"Zippleback: sprays clouds of highly flammable gas to ambush before sparking to set it off. Kill on Sight"

The next page and these illustrations appear to be animating themselves on their own accord, what trick of Loki was this?

"The Skrill: redirects lightning to it's wings like a forcefield that blocks projectiles. Kill on Sight"

Hiccup needs to take a short breather for that one. "If Dagur the Deranged gets his hands on one... watch out for the axe-crazy ones" He needed to get that side comment off his chest, now let's get back to reading

"Boneknapper: collects the bones of dead dragons for armor to guard against predators. Extremely dangerous" Hiccup wondered if these dragons ever heard of an axe before, the thing about them is that those weapons both ignore armor and can actually hit through 'em. Yes that's right, it can hit through armor as he tried it himself and he could see the blades of the weapon punching a hole in their chests; making them vomit blood from their mouths. Who were the targets he was using? The Persians who led a campaign against Berk once to force their religion on them, that's who and it was acceptable because it was an attack so he had every one of the rights to kill a man

"Whispering Death: tends to dwell in underground tunnels they burrow themselves in, resurfacing to attack any oncoming prey. Kill on Sight" Good god, these serpentine dragons are some of the terrifying sh*t one Viking can ever fight against; no wonder the Kill on Sight order was looking like it's bleeding a little bit. Fear of this dragon can make handwriting all the more sloppier than a Jorgenson's sloppy joes, this is a direct order from Haddock himself: do NOT try one for yourself, it's hard to eat it without getting messy and even a pomegranate is more cleaner than them. Even if the Prince of Persia does not like them fruits, given how it impossible to eat with dignity and how hard the effort it takes to pick out the seeds, but one can argue that the effort is what makes them sweeter (A/N: Dark Prince from The Two Thrones "I think I'm going to be sick..." Ah who gives a sh*t? I don't even like most fruits outside the banana; I'm that picky about what I eat)

The next page

"Speed Stinger: These dragons scavenge from villages at night and attack their prey with their singer tails, paralyzing their victims. They are a led by a single alpha Speed Stinger tattooed in red that acts as a war chief. Kill on Sight" Hiccup suspected they rely on their leader and the warning is saying to kill that one on sight so the rest will scatter away

The next page

"Deadly Nadder: These dragons breathe magnesium fire that can melt through rock. They also wield sharp poisonous spines that fire from their tail. Extremely Dangerous, Kill on Sight" Their fire sounds hotter than the kerosene stream of a Monstrous Nightmare, so he might have an idea for that one

Yeah, you know what, he thinks he does

The next page

"Snaptrapper: This stealthy dragon lures it's victims with the sweet scent of chocolate then splits it's victims in four, a piece for each head. Extremely Dangerous, Kill on Sight" You know he's never actually encountered a single Snaptrapper once, and Hiccup has a feeling that he's gonna have an adventure with one when he decides to leave Berk, because isle is no place for a Hiccup like himself

The next pages are no different

"Burns it's victims. Buries it's victims. Chokes it's victims. Turn it's victims inside out-" At least there's some variety of ways that these dragons can kill these Vikings on this island, but that's not much of a difference is it? Let's see what else repetitiveness he can see at the end of the pages he's flipping through here. "Extremely Dangerous, extremely dangerous, extremely dangerous.../Kill on Sight, kill on sight, kill on sight..."

At this point there's only really one word, which comes to mind when concerning his father, his neighbor Astrid, his cousin Snotlout and the people who sh*t on him like a pariah; and it's the 'kill on sight' order and as much as there was truth to that according to him, there is only one problem: they don't have the inner sheer willpower to follow up on that order. Yes, he's taunting them behind their backs. His father is not that kind of leader to kill his kin, unlike Grimbeard who murdered his youngest son. Finally, only then does he reach the page that he's looking for: Night Fury, and guess what? Bork the Bold has met one but doesn't know a thing about them. There's little information as he could hear the roar of one when he read the title

"Night Fury: Speed Unknown/Size Unknown. The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. Never engage this dragon. Your only chance is to hide and pray it does not find you" That's where he stops his reading for now as he turned to face the darkness of the shadows before him, speaking his mind outloud to the audience that he imagined right in the form of his hallucinations. He could only speculate this horrifying scenario. "Bork the Bold's terrible luck with Night Furies are so severe, that he's managed to write only a warning for anyone who would attempt to engage this dragon; and the implications of what happened in that confrontation between him and the Fury are so bad, he couldn't draw a image for it. Not even study it up close long enough to give us what we need to know, and I think... that it's better; not because of the beauty of the illusion, but for the hunters that would sacrifice even their humanity for it all to kill something they don't understand just what they're up against. No man, woman or child should try to fight one; and I hope I don't have to fight one myself" This was even less encouraging... suddenly, he then remembered something in that process

Bringing out his sketch pad from before, he laid it down softly with his illustration filling what was missed for the gap that was left behind. He was really wondering to himself now about all of this from the second encounter that he and the Night Fury experienced

"Why didn't you kill me...?" He whispered to himself lowly

A shout in the Great Hall was heard as he turned to face the direction of the echoing footstep pitter-patter against the stone flooring which varied with each step taken, it only so happens to be his uncle Spitelout leaving the Great Hall yet he had a scowl when he faced him; yet it's not concerning him. He swears that he's upset about something, and didn't he see him down at the docks that morning; what was doing back here on Berk? Ah it's out of the question, but a new one arose when he asked himself

"If dragons were meant to be this fierce and deadly to us, what's stopping you from finishing me off?" His eye flickered and wiggled due to the fear-by-suspense induced images, as well as hallucinations which made the illustrations take a life of their own accord; moving as if it's taken a life of their own and animated all this time like in the wizarding world

He shook his head when the answer inside his head came to thought, he was sure of what he was thinking right now

"No, we're not monsters; that Night Fury only destroyed our defenses. It didn't kill any of us or tried to indirectly. Other dragons would've done so, albeit on whose orders really, but not that one; and I can't kill a dragon, even if this means keeping secrets behind their backs. This doesn't make a difference now, as they wouldn't suspect I'm withholding information behind their backs. They've got the same right like my cousin has to wear a war bonnet that's made out of eagle feathers: they don't have the right to know what I'm up to and my cousin doesn't have the right to wear one, because he didn't earn it. Thank you, Whakan of the Sioux, if I can I would've liked to fashion you a new pair of moccasins the next time we meet; just so I can return the favor for you teaching me that part about what the Plains tribes do for traditions, when you visited Berk over a year ago" Hiccup recollected on that time when a Sioux native citizen visited Berk, wearing a shirt made of deerskin as not only did his people rarely wear them but he heard it was cold on this side of Berk, and he crossed paths

When he told him the scenario that his cousin wore a eagle feather war bonnet, though he never did so in actuality since this was as he said; a scenario, he taught him that to wear one as a non-native was offensive and disrespectful for he wasn't even a chief since it's said that those war bonnets are exclusively reserved for them. He cleared his head of that thought for now and came back to ask himself

"But, what does Gobber know about the Night Fury that Bork doesn't; something he knows but hasn't written it down in the book because of the lack of time...? Tomorrow, I'll find out myself. But I have a better idea for this book: it's now under new management, there's going to be some changes here, a new cover, a new name... the Book of Dragons. Yes, that's what I'm gonna call it!

He took the Dragon Manual with him along with his sketch pad, heading back to his house as he shielded himself with his umbrella that Bucket and Mulch can use for themselves; drifting off to sleep as soon as he headed upstairs to his bedroom and hitting the pillow that was on his bed. He needed some sleep after a long day

Tomorrow, after he deals with the worst of the worst from Astrid, Snotlout and the Thorstons in Dragon Training class; he'll be free to visit the Night Fury in their Cove as it's not just his anymore. Considering that those three are hateful, that's not far off from wanting to be far from them as possible

It doesn't matter that he's son of a chief, he wouldn't be taken seriously in the slightly and would be disrespected by everyone including his unfaithful wife alongside his own children that follow this "biting-the-hand-that-feeds-you" idea after giving them eleven years living in peace; except there's no reason for this. Nothing makes him or his father mad when say if there's a Snoggletog Pageant being held, everything he did and his accomplishments would be passed off as his father's; Stoick would be absolutely furious because he's not someone to steal glory from others, let alone his own son. Let's say Gobber was behind this, he's not only disrespecting him by stealing his achievements, but his own best friend too. (A/N: Seriously, I f*cking hate HTTYD: Homecoming and I'm evermore happy to skewer the disrespect of Hiccup in this direct-to-video special more than ever on that subject. No one, NO ONE treats him like a chief; a real dick move there but I have no problems with the Hidden World as it's fine as it is)

In his dreams, Hiccup could mutter one thing before silence fell upon the entire household:

"Mom... how did we let this befall us...?"

Now for the translation of the Scandinavian insult that was used before previously: Snuskhummer - dirty old man

I couldn't think of a more fitting insult for Snotlout than this, he's not as dirty of a old man now then what he later becomes when Hiccup returns to Berk; but Astrid knows how much he one: doesn't like the word "no" and two: believes "no" is a corruption of "yes"

It's true Snotlout flirted with her in the Franchise, but never to this level in the story. Again, you've seen this on many stories based on this franchise that show this side of him and with his bullying attitude. I made him into a villain but for more of a Berkian rival type, Hiccup's true enemy is his father Stoick but he's not due to die for a loooong... time; there's still so much out there for him to see in the Archipelago and when he does everything he wants to do, he's next on the list. You better watch out Berk... Drago Bludvist isn't the only one whose gonna be announcing that your chief is dead

I've been revising this chapter for a long time and it's no secret that I had other stories to write about hence why it took so long, nevertheless I digress because since I can't write a better one-shot which regards the Christmas holiday which comes the next day if you read this now; or tomorrow which is Christmas Eve, consider this a gift from me. I had so much to throw into here that it writes itself, it's amazing about the wonders of detail that you can get away with so much here; there's no limit to a chapter as it can be long but it can also be short. It makes no difference

Like with Valka's Shadow which is Chapter 19 of this story, I decided to be as faithful to the film as I can but also have my own additions such as the actual deleted scene which occurs before Dragon Training begins; the conversation between Hiccup and Stoick came from the idea of a Hiccup goes first fanfic called... very obvious isn't it? "No, no you go first" which was written by Voldyne, I didn't read the whole first chapter but I decided to add on some of my thoughts

You know what I'm talking about, the reason why the Bog Burglar Tribe doesn't appear cause they serve no purpose outside of a limited role and as for that attack on pandering to the sh*t head politics alongside political correctness culture; that's because of Pixar cutting out Stinky Pete talking to two Barbie dolls about getting a role in the third Toy Story film all because of the John Lasseter allegations. That's what I was getting at right there and you what cutting that blooper out is called? That is pandering to political correctness culture, but I'm going no further into my hatred for that bullsh*t; they're fickle and can change with the times. And no, I do not want social justice warriors reading this because they get offended over everything and anything; if someone gets an African American's order wrong, they think that means it's deserving of justice. It was misheard order, that's not worthy of making a scene out of and I'm not cherry-picking sh*t either; I only do that for the lore of the HTTYD Books that I can expand myself in this series of stories for what happened in the past times regarding Hiccup the First and Second. But I do that because I know what should be introduced into the world, and what should be left behind that doesn't fit the Ancient Times which is what I call the past

It's fitting because it really does take place in three hundred years before the first movie took place, the first settling on Berk is only a minor event but Hiccup the First becomes a ruler and Grimbeard the Ghastly destroys everything he stood for; and understandably he's ashamed of himself so after all is said and done when he kills Furious with his poisoned sword, he exiles himself out of the Archipelago where no one hears of him again. He wants to die alone as the monster who rejected the Fellowship of the Dragonmark and enslaved both sides, and that's what happens with social justice warrior assholes; they disappoint in both ways. But I've gone on for longer than necessary, rest assured I wanted to share my thoughts in the end of this revised chapter

One more thing is that because there's also a third deleted scene from the first film, expect there to be a revised sixth chapter that spells doom for Hiccup and cements his desire to get out of Berk and be as far away as he possibly can. That and a revised third chapter along with two more which are the fifteen and sixteenth chapters, both revolve around a character who you know her name if you've watched Have Dragon Will Travel 1 but she goes under the name of the "Mysterious Woman" One last chapter can be revised for now revolves around the Dragon Divers who are... not very utilized well, they're the marinal division of the Dragon Hunters that capture Tidal Class dragons but I wasn't happy with them the first time. Now I've rewritten them and their leader now appropriately named Arthur like Aquaman, but I haven't yet wrote something that can as a break from the main story revolving around Red Death and I always come up with something in the end. No story of mine is going to be left without one update to know that I haven't disappeared on you, I'm just busy with other things; that's all

Thanks for taking the time to read all of this, and what about the episodes from all eight seasons of DreamWorks Dragons: The Series you might ask? Look no further than The Young Drayko Ryder Chronicles which I got the idea from Indiana Jones, they're not all based on the episodes because I want to add in a few original stories of my own so it's not copied from the original source. I have my own villains based off Marvel and DC Comics, but I also have allies based off the Knights of Ren which I outright stole because sh*tney underutilized them in the prime example of how NOT to end a saga that was once loved by fans everywhere since 1997. That should make up for the absence of the Berkian teens who are antagonists in this series, thanks again for reading all this and enjoy the holidays that you want to celebrate; don't let a SJW, Moral Guardian or Karen ruin it for you. Until we meet again...

TheLegendaryBlackDragonKnight

P.S: Everything I said about the Bog-Burgular Tribe is based of what I think, those all-female tribe of thieves really don't serve much of a role in the books either outside the fifth which Stoick makes a bet with Big-Boobied Bertha; and I'm more accustomed to Astrid than I am to Camicazi. No misogyny here, just personal views

Chapter 3: Forbidden Friendship

Chapter Text

(A/N: In order to fill in the gaps that occurred in between Hiccup and the Night Fury's meeting in this chapter, I've decided to showcase a couple of things that he did as well as go into what his inner thoughts were saying as he didn't speak in the actual scene once. They're presented as him speaking like normal, but it's more like a thought of his that went on since this was not the same Hiccup that you know him as; he's more irritable, temperamental and ornery but also tortured, lonesome and daring to say that he was ready to turn his back on his tribe without a second thought. He still has a couple of people to think about, but that's just about it for him; he's not a pleasant boy behind the visage that he displays all throughout the time he's living here on this island that he's forced to call home, because he's got nowhere else to go. That's why he hasn't left already, and this is the moment in time that will forever be cemented into his legacy as his new identity; not only as a Viking but as a Spartan given his bloodline which goes beyond the Archipelago and it's clear that he's been called one more times than not by others, even by members of the Audibaurjek Tribe who are combative but also believe in an fair lifestyle they feel that he's been robbed of for the last ten to eleven years due to his age. Another thing that I wanted to add in but ran out of time was that I write everything with as much detail as I can fit in because I want you to visualize exactly what I'm describing here, to be as accurate as I can to the source material that you're seeing when you watch all of those movies on the silver screen and all of those episodes of the eight seasons on the television's colorful screen for DreamWorks Dragons: The Series. For everything that I've said and all that I wrote for the online art book that exists only in text and paragraphs, it's not far off of a idea that I'm an artist myself who draws as well as type on this computer right here. Although now EmeraldNecko has lost where she wanted to continue her original story to the point that she deleted herself, it still remains on the Internet Archive website which is where I can find the other stories like Umbreytingu by Elfpen and The Legend of Scale by MachinMistle so I can at least still use whatever ideas that she used but execute in the way I want to do it myself; not do it the exact same way. One of the most notorious examples I will never forget is what I'm considering the most infamous fanfics is one called Vengeance of Atlantis, I first found it on the HTTYD Fanon Wiki and it was riddled with naming and spelling errors which is acceptable given that it was written before apparently the names of the other dragons were revealed by DreamWorks which I'm not believing this myself; but the worst thing about it? They're using Dragonese from the book series and I don't have to tell you how I feel about that language as Elfpen said it best himself in Umbreytingu when he used Old English to describe it, instead of using the actual phrases that were used. Just when I saw the same story on this site I thought it might've been different for once, but no; it's a word-for-word copied and pasted story that was ripped directly from the fanon wiki, nothing about it has been changed in the slightest of one bit. Nothing changed, absolutely didley dick had been edited. Same difference names, the same spelling errors, same terrible Dragonese language from the book series; I didn't want to even raise hell about ripping this from the fanon wiki but not fixing anything on it. In terms of doing everything to make it true to the source material, this is a new low; you can't transfer a story from the fanon wiki and leave the errors untouched. A guest reviewer who was named Matt pointed out the mistakes like misnaming Stormfly as Thorn who is a male in the story and not spelling Thunderdrum correctly, instead the story itself said 'Thunder Drome' and a reviewer named theonlineidofme even acknowledged the mistakes. As for me? If I wanted to port that story over onto this site from the fanon wiki, I'd fix the errors myself and utilize Elfpen's way of portraying Dragonese by using Old English; not the language from the books which I cannot stop saying that it's full of stupid phrases, hideous sentences and even if this was made by Cressida Cowell the two languages don't melt together. This is a example that I first brought up about the Ancient Times based on the books about what I know what should be introduced back then, and what should be left behind because it doesn't fit the world that was being built on before the age of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. This Dragonese language from the book series is the prime example of what needs to be left out, again it's riddled in a series of corrupted vocabs, stupid phrases, atrocious sentences and awful dialect that it does not deserve to be something one would want to learn how to speak. Now because I've raised hell about this to you for too long and delayed the third chapter, let this be a breather for you to finally read what I revised down below. Enjoy)

Dawn on the horizon, no one in Berk could wake early enough to experience the once-in-the-morning charming view of the sunrise; who else but Hiccup himself who was waking up? He's had to adjust the light from his eyes before he sat up and leaned against the headboard, with that cold chilling air turning out to be unbearable to his skin. Let that be the price he pays for sleeping through the night naked, he was in no condition to place his night clothes on but it's not really his own fault that he had to deal with the chill air in the morning. He's distracted by the thought of the Night Fury to focus on anything that mattered at this time, the fur blanket was pooling at the bottom of his bellybutton which covered the lower half which in return is leaving his chest exposed to the pale orange glare of the sun; any lower than that then... he might as well be ready to search for any of the teens who had broken into his house all so he could be peeped on, violating his privacy like this is a new low for them should he be seen in anything he wore underneath but not naked just yet. When he believed that there weren't a soul that could be heard and not a snicker nor a whisper to the vicious accomplice, the feeling was gone for now but he could never be too careful when he got up this morning

Unlike most fifth to sixteen year old Vikings who lived here on Berk, Hiccup's ivory chest was barren of hair completely with his skin being in a milky pale tone. Yet he was marred with the lots of dried bloodied edged silverlined scars, and battered from years of beatings that could only come from his horrible father. Rubbing the smooth chest himself, it was as if he's trying his best to remove all the blood off his skin while feeling all the healing scars to bruises that were battering him; this gave him a sense of memories that're better left forgotten as he felt there's going to be a punch that's coming to him at any moment out of nowhere. At last, there was nothing so that meant he was safe and alone by himself; he can have some silence, with a lone solitude and a true holiday away from his tribe for good. Without a doubt, he's come to hate the Hairy Hooligans. He can imagine after running away from here that his father, Stoick the Vast would threaten to kill one of his friends if he didn't come home with them; only for him to subject his son in submerging him in his own blood as much of the residents' new and upcoming teens, even children would continuously loom over him in a storm of kicking until he drowns in his own solidifying liquid blood. He doesn't hate Vikings as a whole, it's a tribe like this that've wronged him and it's that which he hates

But more importantly is that he really just wants to end his Dragon Training lesson and leave because he's got more important business to do for this day. So with that burned in his mind, he gathered the blanket around his waist firmly before getting off the bed; moving over to a drawer that held fresh boxers that he slipped on underneath. Placing on the same leggings to that as well for he felt these clothes weren't dirtied enough just yet, now it's time to drop the blanket so he could put his green tunic and body warmer from the night before as all of them were hung to dry from last night. He strapped his knife to the belt he wore, knowing that he's bound to use this if either Snotlout, the Thorstons or Astrid try to violently confront him; this is only fair that he plunges the blade into their bodies because the three were always getting into his affairs they have no reason to snoop around into. Now as mentioned before when he was getting something to wear from the drawers, he would NEVER drop the blanket until he's gotten his leggings on as there's going to be that one moment where again; those teens think they have the right to break into his house and peep on him in the process of stripping down, just so they can have the excuse to throw insults at both his testicular torsioned testicl*s and his bruised fruit of a manhood he has. All that to follow up on throwing a insult to his voice by saying it sounds like a sick goat, what does he have to say? He should push them up in front of a bull's ass and let it sh*t in their face, that's what he has to say about that; mocking him for wearing not-so-manly undergarments like boxes because real Vikings wore briefs, but if they only knew it causes thigh strain which leaves the skin raw afterwards. Besides, there's no reason for those types of undergarments to be worn by him when boxers have thigh-length leggings which all but help with movement; but best of all, his inner thighs aren't bleeding from raw skin due to the rough abrasions that were being caused by the former. You know, he's wondered for too long on why he should be bothered to educate these small brained teens about why it's not a good idea to be wearing briefs; if he ever did catch them in the act of spying on him stripping down until his bare ass was exposed. This wasn't a locker room, this was a household which is no different when it came to trespassing in either one. No, he didn't wake up on the wrong-side of the bed today and he's not grumpy in the morning. He just thought that he's better off alone, as if the world seems to have a problem with him as it did with Shrek one night on his way back to Duloc

Laying back on his bed with his back turned against the wall and supporting his head against his neck gently, his forest green eyes were pained with the feeling of cold sweat seeping in his bloodstream; his face was shaking and so were his hands but it was not out of hunger, his heart felt like it was racing because of a dream that left him shaken. It just might be the worst one he's awakened from

The Night Fury he freed, soaked in blood as each of the several scales on his black chimera of a based body were ripped off directly; leaving him vulnerable to the fires all dragons harness, humiliated before the boy and horrific enough to appear as a sight better off extinguished to be unseen from the eye of a man. His father Stoick stood of the pitiful beast whose life faded because of him he was blamed for, a sinistrous maniacal grin on his face like that of the man's grinning face from the last two seconds of Mereana Mordegard Glesgorv (MUR-REENA MORE-DA-GARD GLESS-GORV) but from what he saw first beforehand; he stood there in silence with a expression of intently looking at him before it cut to that sinister grin of his now, he held an handful of bloodied scales while his armor was splattered with blood darker than a human as theirs was meant to be dark while a human's was the normal red in color. His light acid green eyes burned alight with madness while the Night Fury howled in pain, his large green/yellow eyes locked onto Hiccup's form with betrayal shining in them; a narrowed expression but it is no less the same wolf stare he had been given before, this time however in searing pain this beast was. His father grabbed his neck before snapping it, and dropping dead afterwards

It terrified him, but not for his father who continued to hold onto that devilish grin. The Night Fury though, he didn't want him to die. It's just his face, his god damn face that's what scared him; without him noticing, his hand travelled along the birthmark which came upon his back as he stroked it as much as he could. The birthmark that made them believe he was cursed by the pantheon, it's more than that as it was the head of a dragon on his left back palm while a scaly body coiled up to his shoulder; what right did they have to say that he was cursed by the gods who watched over all Vikings awaiting for the ones killed in battle for Valhalla? In what right did they have to say it was why his mother Valka was doomed by the Stormcutter that's carried her off to a fate he felt more deserving of then her, and what right did his father have to hate him for it? His birth led to his mother's pain, but he shared the features of her too as a boy with a slender body; the ivory cream white skin to a pair of forest green eyes and all that auburn brown hair. He sighed out deeply when he looked out the window, seeing the sun in the horizonal was just only peaking through; he wondered if Stoick leaving was all to fool him into thinking he was going on one last search before the ice sets in, all this time he was more than likely still home. He ranked a hand through his auburn hair nervously, unsure if it is safe to walk around his house

His sleeves rolled up to the elbows, he studied the birthmark closer when he took notice of the pattern which were a replica to the Night Fury's scales on his arm; how odd. There was a very pale glow just underneath his skin, it's not very noticeable since he's so fair skinned but he could see it. Looking out the window again, he knew it's only a matter of time before he'd be attending Dragon Training today and whilst he's sure no one would notice the faint glow; a boy like him wasn't going to take chances as he didn't bother to remove the bandages around both arms going up to his shoulders just before he headed to bed last night, there was just no point in doing so. He's gotten enough sh*t for the birthmark as it is, nevermind if someone of and out the blue spotted it glowing; best that they assumed Stoick laid into him during those nights before setting off to sea. Hiccup sat against his desk, leaning backwards just so he can be the one balancing the chair on two legs while his legs were up against the wall under that table of his to work with; he's not risking to bring out his sketch pad this time just in case his father really was home all this time and broke into his room. The book would be burned with the man turning his room upside down to find if he had hidden anymore from him, believe it or not that he did as there's one under his mattress and one under his desk within a pouch; it's here that each of the books held something different but each one were important to him as he ensured himself to hide them properly. Where was his most important book? That was in his bag which was hidden in either the forge or the forest

He went downstairs and kept on thinking about bringing a peace offering to the Night Fury afterwards in the Cove, as he's always trying to see one during the raids Berk has here. The other reason was so he wouldn't have to deal with those Vikings out and about in the village, eating a roll of soft garlic bread which was intensively delicious imported from Spain and why not? It was sent by his friend whose name clarified itself as unknown, downing it with some warm juice that'll help him keep his energy up for the day in Dragon Training and knowing he will be slightly late for whatever lesson was about to begin here today

Not taking chances, he took the shortest route in the village that led to the two bridges which led off toward the Kill Ring and from there; he walked the whole way toward the arena itself. It turns out that by getting up early meant that no one arrived before him, once again as it is a tradition for him to sneak into the ring; he got down through the chained rooftop and waited in the shadows of the lanes that he walked through. Today it was set up like a maze, but he's gotta ask this question himself

"How long would it take before someone like Astrid knocks down this maze like dominoes?" Hiccup thought given how much effort Gobber put into this, all the blood and sweat which of course penetrated into this earth which would induce a feeling of happiness and magic to all those who chose to walk on this isle's land. But with him, he gets none of that happy inducing crap

The Kill Ring's Maze wasn't much but each vertical link was a rectangular shape which also had a upper half rounded tip on top of a square in the middle for each one, leading down which is where there was the first horizontal rectangular strip going across the upper side and around; the second one below and around was the same. What was on the bottom happened to be at least three upward slanting vertical scalene triangular shaped stoppers for supporting all the walls that stood, the walls themselves were made of tall wooden planks which the top edges were jagged in size but with the dragon that he's about to face here in Dragon Training; that's not gonna be a problem for him as the horizontal upper to lower strips were studded with an line of bolts, no instead they're all smoothed out just like that on a solid surface. Some of the topped bricks were not only squares but also vertical to horizontal rectangular shaped blocks, nothing much to be said except there were many lanes which the dragon could ambush them at any time

Taking this time now than later to wait for the others to come, he thought about the dragon on the night his mother was taken from him; a Stormcutter who flew away with her as she's carried in the talons of such a seemingly harmless dragon, but he might've thought given the scar that present on his chin meant that something must've startled the four winged beast. In other matters she was the only person who nobody, not even Stoick was allowed to mention and he wondered what might've been if he were taken away instead; raised by the dragon of that kind. Seeing how the Vikings were disgusted with her and that the stories he heard, just how much she stopped them from killing dragons even going up against her husband she had married of all people; he wondered if his dad would not allow them to exile their chief's wife or he would disown her, just like he would disown him publicly. When it came to the four-winged dragon half of him wanted to strangle the beast, and the other wanted to tame this startled reptile. He's torn between what he wanted and figured he can't let himself ever be recognized as the chief's son if he's going to lead his own tribe made of dragons, ones that're ridden by their human partners. No, he needs to come up with a name soon so that he'll have a good place to start

Soon like before, the other students arrived and the lesson began as the Deadly Nadder had flown up to start perching atop of the walls; jumping in between and running down the lanes of the maze. But as that happens, another moment occurs elsewhere in the Archipelago

Meanwhile in the open seas, the Hooligan fleet stood as Stoick the Vast looked down at his map still retaining the stabbed hole from his knife which he had a spare back home; Hiccup's not aware of it but what does he know? His son doesn't do much outside the forge he works day to night in. As of now, he muttered to himself while Hoark the Haggard accompanied his right side

"I can almost smell them" He threw his fist to the map. "They're close" Facing up to the wall of fog that lied before them as he gave out his order to the crew, calling for the ship to ever so remain focused on the seas they're floating on. "Steady..."

Helheim's Gate was located where grey clouds conceal the sun from the shadows of the tight collective of sea stacks all around with rock formations, strong tidal currents and winds strong enough to hinder even the strongest of ships. Before Vikings could land on the shores of the treacherous Dragon Island volcano, both souls with dragons included must brave these lethal seas as only those blessed with the immersive fortune of the pantheon can hope to navigate through the sea stacks stretching up toward Asgard. To attempt to pass through, it would take an incredibly talented and courageous Viking to step up to the prow and enter within. It will be here that one Viking will land on the shores alive, all others shall meet their doom here with their numerous shipwrecks around the area

Surveying the cloud that loomed before them, Stoick didn't break eye contact when he gave his order to his men. "Take us in"

"Hard to Port: for Helheim's Gate" A Hooligan called forth, the other ships echoing the order. It is time for them to meet their doom once they've attacked the nest and forced them to find another home, these raids end now

One final call of ordering the ships to remain steady were heard as soon as the longship were entering the gate, vanishing as soon as the creaking the wooden hulls fell silent upon all ears

The last thing that was seen and heard was the sudden flash of golden hot fire with the silhouette of a Monstrous Nightmare attacking, flapping with both wings as well as the sudden burst of shrieking that called out

Back with Hiccup, he was getting real moody here

"G- god dammit. Wh- why- why can't the gods give me a sign about what I really need to know about Night Furies of all dragons? The book, which I was the only one to read 'cause none of your other more raw Vikingness-like students were interested enough to give two quarters of a mind, had absolutely NOTHING on Night Furies which is why I read it hoping it can give me the information I'm looking for. And don't tell me that Bork the Bold's encounter with one was really that unmentionable enough for him not to publish it. Come on, is there another book? A sequel? Anything like a little Night Fury pamphlet?" He was asking Gobber and struggling to talk today, not even being fazed when a sudden burst of what is best given the description of a magnesium stream shot blasted the head of his axe he was holding; the head flying off and falling to the floor

"Focus Hiccup!" Gobber scolded lightly and with boredom, he's beginning to think that he's wanted no part of this bullsh*t but can you really disobey the chief? Not when there's untold and lethal consequences by yours truly. The Nadder jumped down and started to run at him, as Hiccup was torn in between running to the right or the left; going just down there as she led him on a chase. "You're not even trying!"

"I wasn't trying in the first place, god dammit!" Hiccup ran around the small maze's left lane as the Nadder leapt up to perch atop of the walls, leaping to the top of each fence with one snarl at every student with the exception of him. She could smell something familiar on him and best decided he'd be kept under her and the other darkbloods' defense, just in case the redbloods get any ideas

"Today's lesson is all about: ATTACK! Nadders are fast and light on their feet, your job is to be lighter and faster. But then again this doesn't mean vomiting what you ate, just so you can be faster than the others without the extra weight; otherwise you might as well go off to them' medics now and miss out on what we all learned. You don't want that to 'appen now, don' ya? I'm not tryin' to be disgustin' but ya' know what I mean"

Hiccup hissed with another magnesium stream just missing him, this only made the Nadder angry as she intended to aim for the others instead. "He's trying to get us killed, I know it for sure!" He breathed out

Fishlegs ran down the maze too and was startled as the Nadder flicked her tail up, unsheathed her spiked spines and threw her flurry of them toward the Ingerman; who raised his shield to catch them all as he yelled out. "AAAAAHOOHHH! I'm really beginning to question your teaching methods!"

"Now?! You're just beginning to question his teaching methods NOW?! Good lord!" So was Hiccup apparently it seemed as those spines are supposed to be venomous, disgusted at the end with how no one questioned him until Fishlegs shared his thoughts

Gobber leaned lazily on the roof with a uninterested look on his face. "Look for it's blind spot: every dragon has one. Find it, hide in it and strike! Except for that Stormcutter of course, can't really sneak up on it from behind thanks to that owl like neck of it's own; wish we had that for our uses if someone's tryin' to assassinate us. But then again, that'll hurt like hell" He offered a few words of advice when it came down to it

Hiccup thought to himself just as Gobber gave the answer out to them. He cursed his father for forcing him into this bullsh*t in spite of everything that he said about how he felt to be a chief, with no one respecting him in the slightest bit; he will rue the day he ever made him join Dragon Training and try to have him killed because he doesn't love him anymore. The Thorstons found the blind spot of the Nadder which is right in in the center of her, moving when she did but then began to fight again; most likely about Tuffnut smelling like rancid greased up sh*t no doubt. Tuffnut had a different shield this time

Shield #18 was a five-way chartreuse to lizard and lawn to lime green striped pearl white shield that had the stripes' borders in a dark mocha to umber and chocolate brown color, this shield is also one of those to have the square single studded triangular tipped plates on all four corners of the inner studded rim of the shield itself. Now whatever the Vikings should use this shield for, they should know something that will save them: don't cross the streams. This is an important safety tip thanks to Harold Ramis, rest that poor soul of his. It would cause total protonic reversal, try to imagine all life as you know stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light. Now that's deadly and epic for the Thorstons to live through themselves. Finally, this was the shield that Tuffnut held onto from the Attack lesson and beyond in Dragon Training

"Ugh! Do you ever bathe?" She started to complain again

"If you don't like it, then just get your own blind spot!" He wasn't about to go through this sh*t again like with yesterday, and started to fight back after she pushed him in the back. He then retaliated with a bash to the side

"How about I give you one?!" The two got up into each other's faces. Just when they're in front of the Nadder's center of her eyes that were on the side of her head, fighting over that as well. f*cking idiots, Hiccup thought to himself. This caused the twins to reveal themselves as the Nadder shot another magnesium stream

"Blind spot: yes. Deaf spot? Not so much. Heh, heh, heh" Gobber commented as he watched the twins run away, Astrid and Snotlout running past Hiccup who merely walked on through. He was no f*cking help to him, hissing as the spines landed overhead above him and he was glad in moments and times like these that he's short

"This is getting ridiculous by the hour every time I have to ask this: how the hell would one sneak up on a Night Fury here?!" He wondered outloud, he was getting impatient here

"No one's ever met one and lived to tell the tale. NOW, GET IN THERE!" Gobber snapped at the end

"You get in here, that is not helping!" Hiccup snapped back, he scowled with disgust when he came over to the corner to remove the spines; deciding to take them all back to his office for later when he had the time, hiding them underneath his body warmer

"Hiccup, get down!" Astrid seemingly caught his attention and hissed him to get down just as Snotlout did who gave his own scowl at him, while he replied by giving him the finger

"Oh, that's ballsy; gave me the rudest gesture I've ever seen. Don't you have anything new?" Snotlout called him out for it, only to be met with a vertical shield bashing uppercut to the jaw

Astrid pressed herself against the fence just as the Nadder came into their lane, taking this opportunity as she tumbled over to the other side; Snotlout followed in suit but Hiccup did not as he remained in his position before sneaking off to the other side. His shield wouldn't let him tumble over to the other side, it would've weighed him back down as it fell over on the back. Rather than tumble to the other side, he spun around and bashed her in the snout in order to make a run for it while she recovered. Nevertheless, the Nadder jumped up to the walls and searched for the other two which didn't take long as she leapt down; letting out a roar as Astrid had her axe at the ready but she wasn't granted the chance as she got pushed to the side. "Hey!"

"Watch out, babe. I'll take care of this" Snotlout pushed her off to the side and spun the mace in his hand horizontally just before throwing it, only for his weapon to veer off over to the right which drew the Nadder's attention and enough for her to start letting out a taunting laugh. She began to charge forward as Astrid's smart enough to make a run for it, all while her dumbass Jorgenson comrade followed up with the absolute worst excuse to give to her. "The sun was in my eyes, Astrid-" A magnesium stream forced him on the run. "What do you want me to do, block out the sun? I could do that, but I don't have time right now!"

"The sun was nowhere near your eyes!" She called him out for his excuse to impress her with the Nadder chasing the Hofferson from behind, sliding forward in order for the dragon to skid and crash into the maze walls

The maze started to fall down like dominoes and Astrid was forced to leap up onto them to avoid the Nadder who chased her from below

"They probably take the daytime off. You know, like a cat" Tuffnut, Ruffnut and Fishlegs ran past him as he was saying this to himself; leisurely walking among the collapsing fences like it's nothing new to him. He did say that Astrid would bring them down but didn't know how long it would be before then. His ancestor Hiccup Horrendous Haddock I had a cat once but he died and it wasn't by the green dragon that snuggled in his vest, his name was Fiddlesticks. "Has anyone ever seen one napping?"

"Hiccup!" Gobber warned him of the incoming collapsing walls that were coming close to him

Astrid leapt off onto the last collapsing wall and screamed out his name

"HICCUP!" Falling right onto him but using his shield to block the impact

The Nadder became buried underneath the wreckage but the Thorstons had other plans

"Oooh! Love on the battlefield!" Tuffnut teased

"She could do better" Ruffnut followed up on

Hiccup's gonna leave it there, that's a horrible way to end a tease with what she just said; that is f*cking stupid. Of course she can do better, he's not a lover for her in the midst of an war to which there are two opposing factions where their generals love each other while their sides don't agree with; she's a Hofferson! He could do better than a blonde woman whose bound to start snooping for evidence that he's cheating if he does better than her in these lessons, out of jealousy no less

"Just let me... get off dammit..." Astrid struggled to get her axe off his shield, putting her hand to his face and pushing off his throat which hurt. Scowling at him as she took notice that the Nadder dug herself out as soon as the dust settled around them, now she was charging at the two which made her try prying her axe out of the shield even if this meant planting one hard and cold boot on his face. Just for the record that dragon was running like a raptor who had a long day and just wanted to enjoy herself an meal before some dickhe*d took it away from her. Now because the shield was attached to his arm, she stood and did exactly that: implanted a boot on his face and pressing down hard in order to yank and rip it out of his arm as fast as she can to stop this beast in her tracks

At this point he was getting pissed and was through with her nonsense, so he merely tried to spin around from one side to the other; landing a diagonal kick across her face which emitted a loud crunch like sound that he wished was her skull, collapsing to the ground as he leapt up to face the Nadder himself. Only to be moments later pierced by her spine shot hitting him in the upperchest's shoulder, the force sent him flying back up against the wall too even. Hiccup stood up from kneeling and leaned against the wall with his right side being concealed, just a wooden block could stop him from screaming as he held it in his slobbering mouth which was being coated in saliva; taking a hand on the spine as he heaved three times slowly, while the next row got louder as he counted to three. Finally ripping it out of his upperchest shoulder as he let out a concealed scream with the block dropped to the ground, exhausted as he had to breathe out for air with a squirt of blood being witnessed by; spraying onto his cheek near his eye

The blood coming down his clothing as it streamed down his chest, coming a stop on his leg. In order to hide his pain from everyone, including the likes of Snotlout who would tease him, Hiccup does something he had never done before on the Isle of Berk

"Hmmm... hmmm.. hm, hmm, hmm, hmm. Hmm, hmm, hmm, heh, heh heh heh… heh heeh. Heheheheh... hehehahahaha... hahahahahaha! Hahahahaha! HAHAHAHAHA! AAAHAHAHA!" The Nadder had every right to deem him insane in her confusion for what was happening, it was more so that she appear as if asking what has he done. Gobber could not bare to look at him after what he just did, Snotlout was more disgusted than creeped out

Fishlegs hid behind the ruins of the maze walls from the Kill Ring, he was horrified at what might happen next

"HAHAHAHAHAHAH, hahahahahahaheheheheh... heheheheheheh; hehehahahahaha... heh heh heh, hah haha hahaha... I'm gettin' real mighty moody today. No one's telling me what I want to know about the Night Fury, the book had to hell and all with the info I'm lookin' for; makes me really mad and I'm not taking it lightly. But I guess neither are you with the way a woman like you got irritated then?"

The Nadder nodded, showing some knowledge of understanding as his birthmark started to glow faintly but he didn't mind in the slightest

"A'right Stormfly, let's kill for a bevvy after this; a non-alcoholic bevvy on me" He told her as he removed the shield from his arm, knowing that it wasn't the same one from before; it's just a spare as the real one that'll he be piecing back together like a puzzle

Once Astrid was deeming to safe enough to confront Stormfly after he was distracting her or so it appeared to the Hofferson, the Nadder charged forth toward him while he started to run toward her in the process wielding the axe with one hand drooping to the side for a leverage of force that he'll bring down once he's close to her; once he's close enough he leapt up high as he can into the air with every ounce of power within him and smashed the shield atop of her head. Splintering the shield of wood and iron, causing severe dizziness and stunning her until she collapsed to the ground; wobbling around and heading away from him

"Gonna' be 'right?" He asked but received no answer from her, removing the piece of shield stuck inside of the axe as Gobber led her back to the doors. Coming over to return the axe to her proper owner, what he was met with in return was hostility with no gratitude; no simple thanks and no appreciation as to be expected since he's the one who forges the weapons for this tribe. He questioned himself at times about why he bothered because even the dragons are more human to him then these Vikings, Snotlout grinned at this scene as she laid into him

"Is this some kind of a joke to you?" She asked him

"Yes, this has always been a joke since day one" He replied

"Our parents' war is about to become our own" She pointed her axe at him. "Figure out which side you're on!"

"You want to know which side I'm on? Not this side!" What she didn't expect was him to take her by the wrist with a jumping elbow to the collarbone, disarming and stripping her axe as a weapon of his own; as he then threw her to the ground onto her knees and held it against her neck, not enough to elicit a thin scar on her chin as she wasn't worthy of bearing the same for what he had and not enough to appear as being ready to execute her in front of everyone. It's just enough to threaten the shieldmaiden, giving her the same wolf stare the Night Fury gave him in his first encounter with him; but his was nothing but hatred. Seeing the scared look on her face having been caught off guard made him think back to the black dragon, she wasn't all alone in that department as he felt the same way before; removing the axe from her neck as he dragged the blades against the solid ground, until he suddenly flipped it into the air as he caught it in his hand and threw the weapon towards Snotlout vertically who dodged having to lean off to the side while standing. Her axe was stabbed against the still standing maze wall making a splintering wooden and creaking impact, hearing him exhale deeply through both his nose and half closed mouth; slowly regaining his usual posture before he walked off with a bitter tone of voice. "This is my legacy as chief, at war with the dragons and nothing changed for the better"

Watching him leave the Kill Ring, she never knew she'd been holding a breath with a sense of downward falling remorse that turned her blood cold. He had just saved her life, and with the act of taking matters into his own hands; his reward was getting shouted at, not to mention as well questioning where his loyalties lied. Astrid was beginning to think about the amount of mental damage from years of abuse and beatings he received from the chief. Everyone knew he hated his son but is that birthmark deserving of such scorn? Had he not displayed a unseen skill to her then she might've taken it too far, saying he'll bring more dishonor to Berk and his family more than usual. She would've ranted about his inventions, his inability to wield what weapon he's been given and the potential to kill a dragon for once. If Gobber tried to stop her she would've not let him, saying he needs to hear what he says if he's going to become chief; when he has no loyalties, no honor and no fighting spirit they should all possess. That stunt of his though, incredible power; this could prove difficult when the next lesson begins soon. He displayed things like those before from what she heard but not witnessed, did he use his self-loathing to give him strength? That'll destroy his mind, that mentality will kill him. Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice

"Man, seeing how he's the one who starts the fights between us I have seen a lot of things happen to Hiccup; but I never expected him to do this, let alone turn into a hyena when he was ready to put that Nadder in it's place. Next time, I want him to try that against me; dad knows that I'll just block the attack anyhow" He approached her. "So, you want to hang out later... or-"

Astrid was walking away by the time he was offering to hang out later on. Hiccup got himself his peace offering and headed out of Berk's Village, into the woods he goes

This is Hiccup's REAL legacy here and how it began with the building of bonds between a man like him, and a dragon like the Night Fury he would come to fly with forever, even though for as the day turns to the night; there comes a time where even the two greatest heroes must be divided by destiny. Nevertheless though it has been said, the two greatest heroes could also return so there is a inevitable and imminent point where the two would remain before death comes to reap their souls for Valhalla

He walked down the familiar road into the forest as no sound was made when he tread the rough terrain of this environment, these thick and lush old-growth woodlands covered the rocky island outside both not only the village but the farmland too. Among the evergreen to deciduous trees and shrubbery with other vegetation on the floor could be seen, entering to the steep mountain tops which meant he was in Raven Point; dominated by the amounts of towering trees as the ridges were sparsely littered with mossy boulders covered entirely in little ferns on the earthly soil. Walking past the assumed spot that he would've looked in for the Night Fury only to come into a dead end, he came down the slope and stopped directly in his tracks when he approached the fallen tree. Cutting the branch that hit him in the eye and following where the sight of the crash led to, which the bark seemed to have a few scratches on that he didn't notice at first. Keeping steady steps when he climbed down by walking from the inward dug slide of dirt that was formed, also seeing three clawmarks on a solid branch of a root that he walked around the side of; another thing he didn't see 'til now. Three trees that stood still were broken from the top as only the lower half remained, he came up to the large wall of soil that made him climb on top of in order to look at the site that he first came across; there stood the clearing where the scene of the crime was

A downward slope leading to the lower ground with large yet soft rounded edged rocks made of white, ferns along the front edge with a large tree on the left and a smaller thin tree being next to it. Bushes on the lower right and a lower situated rock on the right side, a small one at the entrance of this site where he first found the Night Fury ensnared in bolas; there's even a log behind the large rock he hid behind with his knife at the ready too and behind the smaller one to be exact. Lots of these even smaller rocks surrounded the left edge with two more on the front, a large bush on the farthest left side and two more rocks on the farthest right side; the bushes behind the small fallen log laying horizontally on it's side just as one would come down. What more could be said about this crime scene created where the cut ropes and bolas were no longer present? Nothing except the flat earth that was stable and patched with moss to dirt and grass to ferns alike, this is the Night Fury's trapped spot no doubt as everything of which was said had been true to the environmental surroundings everywhere. Where he last saw him fly off further into the forest, there was a large outward three ribbed stacked disc of a vertical standing rock formation on the left and one at the front which led a tall tree; on the right and distance from the fog at the time there were even more of the formations with the trees that stood menacingly tall. Everything was exactly the same as he would remember this burned into his skull whenever he thought back to Berk, and the lower road down below was what led to the Cove up ahead. But where is the black left tailfin?

"I already know how this ended, but I'll find that tailfin one day before I leave Berk; for him... the last act of evil I've committed to the Night Fury as a Hooligan" Hiccup climbed and walked over to the spot where he was ensnared, petting the softness of where he was released only to become trapped in the Cove that was special to him. Evermore sunlit revealing the browns and dark to light greens with olives dominating the forest, he moved on

Going down the borders of Raven Point, he headed inside the darker hidden path with little slivers and slim holes of sunlight peaking through the rooftops above made of leaves to solid bark; the heavily shadowed passage led to other either side of the Cove as mentioned before and he blocked them off so that only he knew what could be seen behind the boulders. With him taking the lower road this time which the entrance led him to the left side rather than to the north, he walked down the far diagonal right path that was shrouded with drooping vines overhanging from the top; it was steep but disc shaped stones imprinted on the ground were stable with half lumber carved into the ground laid out like a stairway down. The railings that were there once were gone as moss covered the rocks on either side like the upper entrance did, this time it was a little more shrouded as the fearsome wall stood before him just like in the afternoon before. Arriving before the entrance of the Cove, he held his shield in case he would be face to face with the Night Fury; having taken one from the forge on his way here

Shield #17 was a pearl white shield that had a stylistic Norse dragon that coiled around the boss in the center, with curling tipped teal to sapphire blue lips that bore four square shaped teeth as well as having a blush to rose red color for the rest of the outer body that formed the upper to lower sides of the mouth; while the inner side had a singular inner right side curving black-line near the lower edge of the outer blue ring for the singular white pupil in the center acting as the eye, the rest is as follows for the body. The start where the neck was had a white stripe which went across along with having a row of white upper left quarter half shaped spikes that went down to the red to white stripped tail, which curved up near the lower boss and back into itself on the lowest left side in a spiraling tip; in the inside of the body there was an black border blue colored knotwork pattern that followed after the white stripe down to the first red stripe that began with the striped tail pattern. The tail tip however seemed to mostly curve back into itself and have the actual tip droop into a fang shape. Finally, this was the shield Hiccup used in the birth between the two brothers in claws at the Cove

Hiccup held up his shield and moved in to the entrance, hoping that no one followed him here to the Cove. This means nothing to him if they kill the Night Fury once he opens that entryway inside

HTTYD

In the eyes of the Night Fury, he's been asleep for almost the whole day. He just didn't know why, he felt so exhausted and drowsy like he was out of energy by the time he woke up. He was laying on the grass with his mind drifting off to other things, something tragic and that of which involved exile alongside lost love and vengeance. Suddenly, his ears perked up and he sniffed a familiar scent that was coming this way. Yes, that's right he's smelled this one before. Back again, and carrying something delicious with him; this is the boy from when he first met him back in Raven Point and the second encounter with him from above the entrance. He's come to take the lower road to actually enter this secluded Cove, it penetrated his snout and filled it with the heaven's delight of mackerel but the foul hell of... human blood. How odd, and before he arrived; the Night Fury hid from behind to ensure his presence was not seen until it was only him and no one else followed. Observing this bipedal human once he was in full view

Hiccup moved forward on the edge of the Cove, and slowed down on the slope after moving the boulder with his birthmark's power that gave him his strength. Holding the mackerel that was in his hand he threw it out to the open and hid himself behind the shield, nothing at this time happened. Looking around he couldn't see anything before him with this view, he must enter himself in order to confront this dragon to give him the peace offering he's brought on hand and is intending to give him. That's not to say that his shield got caught in between the narrow space, attempting to free it from this side; before he got underneath to the other side where the face could be seen as he tried one last time, punching it in frustration now that it's wedged as he couldn't even move it up to free it. But for the record he liked his red shield so it's not that much of a loss but it will alert the others that he's been here once he leaves, not this Cove but the island as mentioned so many times before

Getting the mackerel off the ground as he swept away at the dirtiness that might've made it less than appetizing to the Night Fury, his movements were kept in silence as he walked about since there was no need to anger the black dragon; might as well be grumpy as when the last time he saw him, the poor fella couldn't get something to eat after an hard day of discovering his flight had been stripped. What he carried in his hands was fresh, raw and slimy where all of the thanks should be given to the slipperiness of the ocean around the Vikings among this series of limitless islands called the Archipelago; he was sure Bucket and Mulch caught them all enough to last the winter as those two were another few he cared for. If it prevented the dragon eating him alive as they don't seem to be the man-eating type due to the species, then what is he to care less of? If dragons were flesh eaters to start with, then they're not dragons; they're zombies or because of the Norse theme regarding this world they live in, draugr as it's one of the more appropriate name for them and the two undead creatures were different enough to be separated to each their own. His forest green eyes wandered all around his Cove, he could not see the Night Fury though; what he did see were more scales for him to collect, these are meant for gauntlets that he could set alight without burning his hands in a painful slow burn which would kill him. There's the reward for the effort in that, and what a better reward than that right?

He did not like this as he walked in much further, not seeing the dragon on the rocks above. But to Hiccup who was not aware of his presence believing he wasn't around at this time, he took himself a seat near the lake to wait. Before he'd arrived the dragon climbed up onto the rocks and observed at the bipedal human's behavior, who emerged from the slope of what is from what the Night Fury gathered his Cove as he claimed ownership by discovery; which was something he respects as a black dragon known for having the worst reputation by Vikings, it was apparent no one lived to tell the others about what his kind was nor did the survivors left on the verged brink of death lived long enough to alert what horrors did his kind unleash. The shield wedged in between and holding a mackerel while at the process of collecting scales he shed himself for what purpose his mind thought of, he did not know with the next thing that he did know was him stopping to sit by the lake as if he was waiting for him. Curious on this boy who showed his face directly to him, and never once was he in the air as he descended; it's time that he began to show himself

It was only then known to the boy that the Night Fury spanned out his wings, beginning not only to climb on down but walk to the solid ground stealthily like a panther. Hiccup had taken notice and absently wondered if there were any other crippled dragons on Berk requiring his help, but more importantly; if he could find the original tailfin then he could stitch it back on, the process will be painful yes but he'll see the freedom of the burden he'd given to him. It's more important to know that for as ever so unpleasant it must feel, it's all over before they're made aware of the coming moment that feels like eternity

The Night Fury stalked much closer but also kept the distance between himself as well as the human who looked calm when he approached. Hiccup held out the fish but wished he didn't, as the body warmer he wore revealed the tip of the knife at his side; causing the Night Fury to snarl and pull away before he could use it on him. To the dragon for however curious that the beast felt, that's not to say he didn't go anywhere near him due to the dangers of what is the sharp weapon that would make him bleed if that human dared to get him caught by that blade's pointed tip. Letting his eyes slit was a warning to the boy he was not looking happy, a warning more so to himself that he'll be cut down and hung on the tree far behind him; both of the two knew what the problem was. The boy holding the fish with one hand and drawing his knife with the other, making him snarl deeper and crouch down lower and further until it was made clear on what he should do next. "Hey, let me disarm myself dammit"

Taking it by the pommel as he looked at himself in the blade's reflection when he threw it to the lake's edge so it would sink, and pray to the gods that no one finds the evidence that he's been here. The Night Fury sat up slightly but his pupils remained as slits, the scent of blood is weak but he could tell that it was coming from his upperchest's shoulder; what has happened that he was not made aware of? He held up two fingers to him with a bended arm and spoke again. "I'm not done yet"

He then removed the knife from his sleeve that sported a little bit of blood due to not hiding it properly which caused the blade to stab him there, right before he offered once more here his knife be cast back to connect toward the surface of the lake with a plop; leaving only with a ripple to know what had been cast off. It was not a blatant act of pandering, it was an act of pleasing even as he made no sound when he freed the knife from stabbing his arm; relief on his face said it all. To the dragon something tells him he'd been cutting himself but as soon as there weren't any spare knives left, he returned to his normal state as his eyes changed from slits to orbs for he no longer looked threatening; the boy in front of him found him to be cute as of course this Night Fury doesn't cease or hesitate to kill anyone who dared themselves to cross the forbidden threshold. He did look cute and perhaps, yes even more so than what the illustrations showed of the hatchlings in the Changewing page he read last night coming from the inferior Dragon Manual which could not be compared to his superior "Book of Dragons" in which he would now forever call it; sure enough the Hooligans have a spare copy of one. The boy presented the mackerel once more carefully, taking a seat far back to let him eat in more comfortable matters as it's like he's tamed a dragon before; he thought to himself. Yes, there was that Triple Stryke who had died but he didn't see the merits or the friendship between a human like him and the dragon the same as this one; it was mostly platonic and not so much a forbidden friendship than what was a forbidden partnership. He thought of him nothing short of being the one who sacrificed himself so that he would live on to make better friends with a better dragon, and look who he found as he's more of a Night Fury person himself

He watched closely at the Night Fury who came close enough for him to see and identify the scale patterns more closely, matching that of his birthmark that would lead up to his shoulder and to his back. His mouth opened which made him frown slightly while he furrowed his two brows at the sight, nothing but gums and yet he could've sworn to see teeth before. Let it be here that his thoughts are interrupted when the Night Fury drew retractable fangs within his gums, swiping the mackerel but mindful of his claws when eating. That wasn't about to stop a boy like him from backing off when the Night Fury started to get closer to him, continuing his backsteps until he tripped up on a rock and landed on his ass

"Come on, you know that's all I brought; don't be disappointed in me" The Night Fury's eyes had narrowed at that statement before he merely started to hack and cough up the head of the mackerel into his lap, regurgitating his half of the peace offering as if he's his own little hatchling. "Oh..." The Night Fury stood up before sitting back, Hiccup grimaced at the now saliva covered mackerel head in his lap

The Night Fury looked at the mackerel before gesturing and making a purring sound his the back of his throat, making it clear he wanted him to have it as a gift from him. A short flicker of his forked tongue in between his lips came, continuing to sit there on the director's chair and he ain't complaining about how foul the taste would be. "If you say so and I have nothin' to throw up but bile in my stomach, here goes something"

He bit into it and gagged, but he did managed to swallow yet winced as it hit his stomach with that exaggerated motion of enjoying it now that it was over with. Giving him a gentle smile as the Night Fury looked at him for a few seconds, looking to imitate him by giving Hiccup a very strange and slightly scary smile

"You should have your own cookbook for this, humans like me aren't able to eat something like this when it's raw; we have to cook 'em first in the fire beforehand" He spoke to him in a low voice, he felt like sharing his thoughts to the Night Fury while he still can

Looking over at the lake where he disarmed himself, he shared another thought with him. "My ancestors' silver knife looks better than what I armed myself, it was all cool looking as there's a green and a brown dragon which look like they're apart of the same species; hell, there's even a Night Fury on there itself and the blade's all curved and cool looking. Where is it now? No idea, but I know it belongs to me and I will find it out there; I swear it" After that was silence for a few more moments

"Alright" Standing up shakily as he breathed out to himself and rub his head with something that came to mind. "I wonder..." He thought as he reached out his hand but whatever it was that the Night Fury didn't like about being touched by the hands of this boy, he took off over to the other side of the Cove by running to the wall and gliding. "No touching eh...?" Walking around slowly to see the Night Fury using his plasma to heat the earth below him so he could curl atop of it, he still had some control of turning in his flight to make to the other side

All in the few moments he had for himself laying on top of his heated patch of earth, he went to look up at the adult male snow bunting songbird with the nest carrying three green eggs of which were spotted all over with a brown colored pattern; they've yet to hatch but that day is going to come soon. The songbird looked back at him from above and flew off with haste for something to eat, provide the sating to it's hunger all while he watched on. They're said to be one of the northernmost occurring songbird species to be seen around here but their habitats were mostly tundra that therefore in a sense had few trees, but they usually build their nests on the ground as well as in burrows or even in rock cavities

He sat a distance away from the Night Fury looking at the nest above, with him responding by moving his tail so that the right tailfin was covering his face. "Being the mysterious type are we?" Hiccup's compelled to get close as he wanted to see if he really did have dried blood on the edge of his left tailfin, however this shifted weight disturbed the dragon who stood up and walked off. "Fine Mr. Pouty, have it your way"

No good, he can't get him near him but Hiccup had other plans to do in this time when he had decided to leave the Night Fury to rest; beginning to wonder what the hell is he supposed to do while he waits for him to wake up. Thinking of nothing more that he could do here in the Cove for now, he brought out some materials from the bag he hid in the tree root shelter of which the Night Fury used to hide from the rain last night; beginning to put them all into one in order to form what was essentially an Axe. This one unlike Astrid's had a longer handle to wield easier with one and two hands, as it sported six white ribbed short lined fur edges for an easier time gripping the armor ignoring weapon; one to two caramel horizontally leather strips wrapped around could be seen in between each of the short lined fur edges. The shaft was in a brunette to carob brown color while most of the lashings were a tawny brown color, few of the lashings were in a spruce to stone blue and a vermillion to persian as well as blush red color which went all the way toward the top of the shaft. The middle of the axehead from the front and the back featured a vertical rectangular shaped plating that's ash grey in color as the two sides went across toward the pearl river grey colored cutting edges, studded all with a line as the front to back had two studs on the top to bottom respectively; starting out with a outward facing horizontal trapezoid that then went forward thinning out into a square shape tip at the end of each one. The left having a blue to red strip and second one diagonally going upward to the right side in that order, while having a red to blue strip with a second one that diagonally went upward to the left side in that order for the front of the axe. The top was an circular bulbous shaped tip in the center right there, the blades being a smoke grey color that filled the slim inward crater while the cutting edges were a pearl river silver color which was made of medium to thick sized stripes that curved from the top to the bottom on either side; the top to bottom gap separated in between the circular shaped knob on top and from on the upper-half of the shaft were horizontal rounded sided oval shapes in between. The pommel on the bottom consisted of two metallic dragon heads on each side of the knob, one of which was that of a Deadly Nadder on the front to the back sides and the other was the Night Fury in the sides; the first having a circular shape with a conical rounded triangular tipped rectangle shape on the top center slightly beaking downward with two black circles for eyes, and with the second having a inward line going downward vertically also with two black circles that're for the eyes but with two of those vertical upper-quarter half rectangular shapes which were on either side of the top resembling the Night Fury's earplates. How he knew what one looks like before meeting this one in the Cove was through brief glimpses from other sources. The initial designs also included a trio of horizontal oval ring shaped beads that went around, as it sported a leather strap tied to the knob of a pommel for carrying. Wielding the axe and even swinging it for a little while, he could tell that it was underused so he hid it back into the bag before he stood there thinking on what to do next

Getting a idea in his head, he stripped down to only when his leggings was still on him as he didn't want witnesses catching him in that bare ass state. Leaving the Cove for now and going to a far out place in the woodlands of this forest, he set off taking a stone on the ground and a quartz hammer stone with him to a medium sized clearing. Shaping the former into what was a basic hand axe for him to chop thin trees down with, he sharpened the cutting edge by first soaking it in water before scraping it against a smooth rock surface which came from an large boulder close to him. Hiccup proceeded to cut around the base of a thin tree and break it off, doing this for several more thin trees that are fast growing before he cut them for length so it all matched for the staked poles that would become the frame for the hut he's building; with a flat but big rock for him to hammer the stakes in for the post holes of course beforehand as well. The boy coiled his hand around a vine and tore it off from the ground, lashing together the support beams for the frame with the thinner wood sticks acting as the rafters for the top triangular shape at the front and the back; the middle having several of them while acting for the rest of the roof cover. He then laid several more in a rack and grabbed some dead potato vine leaves, as the lively green leaves are weaker and shrivel too quickly; skewering them all onto the racks before tying them off with the vines so that they can remain as cover. Hell, he even resorted to carving out mortices in the roof beams and fire hardened them with coals as it strengthens them; hammering the beams into place afterwards for a solid hut frame, even the ridge cap that covered the top perfectly. Now he moved onto making a kiln grate that was being made from clay, digging a trench for the firebox and building one with the walls made of mud before placing the grate in place which when finished drew a strong draft

Crushing the old pottery that the villagers didn't need anymore and mixing them up into the new clay he dug from a creek, strengthening it right before he made them into stone tiles as he used a frame tied with cane fiber; after applying wood ash to prevent stickiness, he let the tiles heat up so that they can dry and after awhile he began building up the roof's purlins so to layer the tabs that were on top of each one of them. In the meantime he resorted to using split sapling trees to weave them all into the frame in between each of the beams, stacking rocks atop of mud and clay afterwards to reinforce the walls. It's hard work yes, but there was nothing more he could do for now back in his favorite area; he added grate bars inside that is able to speed up the process inside the purlin, layering more and more tiles inside while on the otherhand making curved caps for the top and building up the rooftops. It's not like one Viking outside of him would notice, he had to use a long stick and an extra boost to reach the tall ones so he could set the tiles on the roof without setting foot on it; the hut will collapse on him if he does so. The stone footing helped prevent a rising damp and why not? Sealing the cracks with mud as once he finally built up the walls around him, let alone build a chair and table made from some bamboo that was growing in a garden out in the back which were there since he was fourteen years old; along with a bed from thin trees that were at their full size. The door leading inside was made from split timber and was sealed with mud so that no trespassers could see who lived in here, using the resin from trees on a stick as a torch to look all around inside with a source of light; looks perfect enough for him so he extinguished it as of late, placed some stripped bark on the roof along with some fur because the icebergs were on the edge of setting in and winter was about to knock on their door

It was going to be destroyed by winter no doubt about it, and he only knew how to build this because he knew this forest well enough to know where to find the basic assets that require him to search out here in Berk; and besides, when he was a younger boy in that time he went out on a hunt to see if a rumor was true that there were remains of a dragon underneath this isle. It was a Monstrous Strangulator who now lied in bones living in the Caliban Caves, it has been said that a hiccup like him had been the one to slay this cephalopod dragon who used a number of it's tentacles to take dragons from underneath the Nursery above and down into a lair that it fashioned under the surface of the seas; one where a sailor can find fresh air above should he and his crewmates go down with their ship. Back in the time where this dragon was alive, it was a death trap but now it was sanctuary as the Strangulator's own stinger killed it as part of the hiccup's mind to fool the beast; stiffening it's brain before turning green and with a detonation of not only it's eternal organ that kept it alive but it's nervous system as well, it dropped dead as the fate of the hiccup who slain it with his brains that were up and running were not clear but to him he knew that a boy like him could've never have died like that. He will discover the full story about him soon enough and when that time comes, his mind will be open to a new world of what legacy he never knew of before and to make it public so the past can never be forgotten as it is now. What he will do until then was return to the Cove, he put his tunic and boots on as he wondered what else was left for him to do seeing how that Night Fury's still asleep at this point; a heavy sleeper he is it seems to be...

"Wait a minute" Hiccup thought to himself as yes, he had one more idea left as he went over behind a mossy rock before taking out a book that Spitelout gave to him one night in secrecy; it was about Grimbeard the Ghastly and his legacy of being the greatest pirate who ever lived which was from the public library back in Meathead Island. His exploits were detailed here in the pages, which of course were inaccurate due to not wanting to face the truth of what kind of father he really was which was also omitted in the book completely; but the inaccuracy in the book came from the details that regarded his chiefdom on Berk at one point. For example to name one as this book was never truly up to date: Grimbeard did have three sons, one that was the splitting image of his father with one being the more gentler soul and the third being the second of the Horrendous Haddocks who was slain; he didn't kill him out of malice, it was because of his favorite son lying to him that he was seeking the throne by overthrowing him. It makes sense that it wouldn't be entirely truthful but he did need something to keep him at the- wait a minute, this book wasn't given to him by his uncle; it was by his father, get that da' f*ck out of here he said outloud to himself as he threw it into the lake where the soggy pages were erased by the flow of water within at the deepest bottom. Which of course he fished on out and burned in the fire before he scattered them off to the seas, good riddance for that

With all that he's done with he decided to lay back and start drawing, since it's the only thing that's keeping him awake and from passing out. With the stick he picked up, he began with a drawing of the Night Fury that made him lose himself in his creation once again all while the real deal was hanging upside down on a tree

As early dusk sets forth, the Night Fury reawakened to see that the boy was still here doing something to entertain himself; swinging forward and releasing his grip on the branch so as to glide overhead softly to the ground before approaching from the side, his scales touching his resting right arm. Hiccup could feel his eyes on the drawing of him but didn't turn around when he waddled off on both hind legs and only then with a loud breaking snap did he look up, catching his attention was the Night Fury dragging a large birch branch in the dirt as if he was mimicking what he was doing; the dragon looked at the boy every now and then before stepping away from the drawing and nodded to himself, looking very pleased even if he had hit the boy in the head on accident back there

He stood up from the rock and looked at the lines, too many for him to see where it began as well as where it ended as he accidently stepped back; touching the lines and making this cat like dragon growl with his eyes turning to slits. Quickly, he retracted and they became dilated once more with a soft purring to cooing sound being heard; deliberately doing so again with a foot on the line did the same as getting the same growl from him, removing it got a purr. Two times did he do so and each time the Night Fury crouched lower, that is until Hiccup placed a foot between the lines at which the dragon perked up once again

The Night Fury watched on as this boy studied the drawing and growled when he put his foot on the lines, perking up however when he understood his warning to dodge them and placed his foot in between them; watching in amusem*nt as he did something of a dance, stepping him in between the lines and twisting his body to see all of them. Not once did he ever begin to realize that he's coming closer and the Night Fury didn't mind, he's doing this on purpose and he's aware of the friendship of a lifetime that's becoming clear to him; he was going to make this boy his own

Hiccup danced in between the lines, twisting his body to get a good look at all of them and as much as he began to believe that dragons were more than what meets the eye; never did he expect to know that dragons could be so intelligent. But so far Toothless as he will and even as he lives now for today forever call the Night Fury showed extreme intellect, he didn't see nor did he become aware of how close he was to the dragon until he could not only feel that warm smokeless breath on his neck; but he also bumped into his underbelly's stomach which caused a rippling effect from the squishiness of the scaly surface. Turning slowly, he felt the burning need to feel those scales under his palm and extended his arm; but stopped halfway and turned his head, letting him decide what he will do next. His cold as f*cking Helheim's hellish breezes hand needed to feel the warmth of his scales, at least once; if he hadn't stopped himself, he would've been met with hesitation in his eyes with a warning growl that didn't sound so angry but rather hesitant

Toothless watched as the boy extended his hand but stopped halfway and turned his head, he could sense a burning need coming from him and deep within; desperate hope resonating inside of his body. He's all alone and no other scents on him lingered to suggest that he had a father or a mother figure, but he's not blind to the scent of parental abuse; the loss of a mom was something else he could sense but couldn't make out the backstory to this boy. There are so many other things that needed to be learned by him as well, that's the reason he pressed his snout onto his hand. Hiccup took a deep breath and turned to see his snout pressed on his hand, giving out a full smile no one has ever seen before. Toothless gave a soft purr to him as he pulled away, taking off to the other side of the Cove once again but all he could do now is stare at his hand in utter bewilderment; he had touched the mystical Night Fury, the dragon feared by all in Norse history within the Barbaric Archipelago

"Amazing" He thought to himself absently as he walked off. "See you tomorrow!" He called to the Night Fury because there's no doubt about it, he would return and he couldn't resist a thought that there's something about Toothless that warmed him. It made him feel safe, it's made him feel loved and wanted all in the same; neither feelings are something he had ever had, and he's not willing to give it up for the hurtful insults of Berk's villagers. Not for nothin' worth a grain of sand in the beaches, and not for anything. So with a spring in his step, one in which that he never noticed; he practically danced back to Berk as his forest green eyes were alight with happiness, unaware of the green/yellow eyes watching him leave

Toothless smirked to himself when he watched the human leave, and for whatever it may've been behind the reason he couldn't help but get happy when he called out that he would see him tomorrow. This boy had brought out a defensive instinct that he hadn't felt since he last sired a clutch for a friend whose mate was slain by a bunch of Dragon Hunters. Curling up on a freshly heated patch of the soil, he decided that he would see how things went with this one youngling as he would now call him; for he could sense something there about this boy, that he was important to him and with that, the Night Fury drifted off into a dreamless but restful sleep

"You were right, no one could ever witness this between us. You're not one of them, but that doesn't mean that you're one of a kind yourself..."

Life has never been so soft and so warming for a human and a Night Fury together, but none of that will matter to whom the dragons shall fight against; and be the wicked plan of a ruler they all knew who she was and will be without a doubt: her downfall by the hands of a young boy and his Night Fury

Chapter 4: New Tailfin

Chapter Text

(A/N: This is a short chapter for all you readers on the site on there, because with me there's no such thing as "short chapters" if you catch my drift. This is an exception and a breather so it will be a nice change of pace for the time being. I won't delay much longer, I'll spare you what I have to say for the details in the next part of this story here; minus that there's gonna be a PSA that's regarding a specific drug made by a con artist but you'll know when it'll happen when we cross that bridge. Enjoy)

The beginning of a friendship had never started so strongly like this. In all of the most secret kept bonds that were forbidden but that of which was desired by the others, it was between a Viking and a dragon who turned aside their grievances to know each other better. This one had the first place platinum award for the others that've been exposed way long before, but this is something that Hiccup made sure wasn't going to happen no matter what price he pays for

Long before the sun was touching the hills or on top of the horizon, Hiccup woke up the next day among the earliest of mornings here on Berk. His forest green eyes were bright with joy, excited as he was for he brought on his usual tunic and boots before running down; all across the hallway and out of the household he lived in for now. He shrugged his brown body warmer vest on, rushed down to the kitchen and grabbed a garlic roll imported from Spain as he ate it quickly before leaving; not bothering to pick up spare knives as he didn't want Toothless to be upset. And when he's upset, who's to say that he isn't too?

He slowed to a walk on his way to the docks, pausing as he thought. The Night Fury is more than likely hungry from what he witnessed two days ago, at the time of their second encounter; and with a small woven bag, he filled it with salmon and icelandic cod along with other delicacies as he then ran off to the forest. Making sure to watch his step so he didn't fall and let the raw and ocean greased fish get into the dirt as he navigated through the forest, also making sure that he didn't get the bag caught on anything when he moved. Now that would be a disaster, Toothless might as well at this point spit out the dirt and have his breakfast be ruined by his own rushed navigation; ah well, they're still delicious either way right? There might not even be enough dirt to spoil the bunch, it's like with the B17 Cancer Cure by Eric Hovine which was is also known by the term called Amygdalin (AM-MAG-DA-LIN); it's found in a lot of things but mostly seeds that came from apricots, apple, peach, almonds and plums which all contain that. By the way here's a fun fact about the vitamin, it also contains a small percentage the suicide drug called Cyanide; how it works is by stopping oxygen from making energy which kills the spy who won't be taken into enemy hands. Do know that there's not enough cyanide in the B17 cancer cure pills to kill with a minimal dosage, you're not as safe if taken in large amounts as you're gonna be treading on thin ice over dangerous ground on tightrope that's about to snap. DO NOT take this cancer cure, it's hailed to be a cure for cancer but not by doctors or the FDA; seek out actual treatment and not this snake oil by this con artist. Now that this PSA has concluded, let's get on with the chapter!

Walking through the familiar path to the Cove as always, he took the hidden path that led him in as his best friend was waiting behind those walls and all he could think about was the life they'll both have when they fly away; he means far away, from Berk because this is no place for runts or hiccups like him. Speaking of which he hadn't been thinking about his new name lately, but when he thought of it now; the word "dragon" came to his mind. If there's anything he learned from when the Romans attacked Berk, this incident was more commonly referred to than when the Persians began their campaign as these soldiers led by their general Vopicus Captio, it's the language that was spoken but even then his ancestor knew how to speak Latin; it translated as: "draco" and he thought that he'd tool with the name, if it didn't suit he'd work out alternatives with no problem afterwards

He came to the edge of the Cove and quickly made his way down the slope, his smile is bright at the sight of Toothless who waited for his arrival; and what an arrival it was. "Good morning bud, hope you slept well" He breathed one out as if he couldn't believe the Night Fury was still there as it never left his position, never flew away with a makeshift tailfin. Come to think of it...

He wondered absentmindedly if Toothless would allow him to feel his scales again, dumping the casket of fish over while laying back to allow the Night Fury to eat in comfort once again; and as he did, Hiccup took a closer look at him to study. He noted that the scales were a blue/black tint and not just straight up black, as well as the raised manta ray pattern of the scales were only on the dragon's forehead and limbs. The blue/black tint in particular was a ebony to a shark and a oxford to a bayoux with a cloudburst as well as a fiord bluish bali hai along with a waikawa and a regent grey color, the latter shades being from any source of light which for as long as he was here on Berk; it would be easy to see with both the morning dawn as well as the afternoon and evening dusk all in the same. The tailfin happened to be missing the left half thanks to the bolas trap by those damn Vikings of the Hairy Hooligans Tribe, another reason why he's going to leave Berk; he's sabotaging their traps so they don't harm anymore dragons like this lad here. Surely, it must've been painful; the spherical weights from the bolas that were launched had clipped it enough to tear it off from the edge, but there's always a sign that it's still here in the forest. The trail of blood may've led him to it, the original tailfin still lies underneath the leaves among the mud and there's always a darkblood red outline after all that's dried but still something to look out for. He needs to find that tailfin, he's got to find it one dayand it's in his blood to find it so he could show Toothless what he found when the two of them are too old to move properly; as if his own left leg was bent out of shape, if it were metal at least and if it were lost to the fires that engulfed the dragon signaling him that it had died

Toothless looked up and purred as he finished eating, coming closer to Hiccup with no sign of hesitation from what he thought of in his mind before. He decided to do what he did last time and let him decide if he wanted to be touched. As with before, Hiccup's hand came into contact with his heated scales and Toothless leaned into his hand even more than the last time; the boy gently rubbed his fingernails on his scales and grinned with he purred deeper, coming in closer. You know what the sad thing is? This is the first time somebody on Berk outside those he knew closest to him came near this boy without wishing he were dead. The very thought of it made hm frown while his eyes hinted sadness

Toothless purred at the boy and when he finished his breakfast, he let him touch his forehead and feel his scales in thanks. He purred deeper when those blunt keratin claws scratched them softly, but the boy suddenly frowned; he could sense what he was seeing, it's a deep and long sadness that was eating him from the inside. Toothless didn't like it when the boy was sad, he'd be too if this boy was so he rubbed his snout into his chest which made him smile and laugh a bit

Hiccup was lost in his thoughts about how the village will discover Toothless and hunt both of them down relentlessly without stopping, the thought of losing his only friend had him fill with hatred and disgust. He can't go up against a whole tribe, they're bound to have alliances with a couple others that will take them both out; he needs to create his own tribe that rules with the name of freedom for the dragons against all hunters, and all Vikings that dared to go near them and use whatever they have that they don't for profit that'll threaten their lives. But the name he chose for himself comes first and he's gotta do what he needs to do in order to build up that "Legendary" title. That's when Toothless decided to rub his snout into his chest, which made his boy forget all the sadness and allow a bright smile across his face to show; laughing loudly as he did so
He rubbed his scales some more, and this it was more firmly. "Thanks, I needed that bud" He whispered to him

Toothless nodded, making his smile wider

"So you really can understand me" Another nod, he was right; the dragons are more intelligent than the Vikings here on Berk, or at least the Night Fury was

Time for him to introduce himself since Toothless never knew his name

"This name might seem familiar to you. But I go by the name Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, a great name I know but it's not the worst. Parents believe a name that's more hideous than the Hideous Zippleback itself will frighten off gnomes and trolls. Like our charming Viking demeanor wouldn't do that. I'm sure you saw that blacksmith a couple nights ago run out there to join the party during that raid. The meat head with attitude and interchangeable hands is Gobber, I've been his apprentice ever since I was little. Well for someone of my size, littler but that's not the point" The Night Fury purred and nodded firmly, those intelligent green/yellow eyes seemed to be saying that his and the blacksmith's name had been memorized

Hiccup nodded too as well, before he went on to ask him this

"You don't mind if I call you Toothless, do you?" Another nod and an amused Toothless smiled, that's what made Hiccup laugh again; it was this brilliant companionship he felt with this dragon who was still leaning into him. "You had me surprised with the retractable teeth, but it's no big deal" He explained the reasoning behind his name and Toothless couldn't agree more, he'd felt this was more fitting to him than any other. He then decided to try something

Nobody on Berk had tried this in the village in front of a dragon, it's like as if they're too scared and indulged by their stubborn ways and hatred for dragons being themselves; rallied by that viper Mildew who is not only a insult to vipers themselves, but can send an army of people to the chief's house just so he can harass him without being near him if Stoick put up a restraining order against him. Let the people rallied by Mildew harass the chief, soon he'll be far away from this place

"May I hug you?" Toothless paused at the simple question before giving a hesitant nod, filled with curiosity. Even as a hatchling the wonders of what he sees in this world cannot be buried or ignored. With his final answer given, he wrapped both arms around the Night Fury slowly; he was making sure to place no pressure that'll result in strangulation. If he had the meaty figure of a Viking that is, those scrawny arms for a scrawny figure aren't tight enough to put him in either a headlock or a chokehold. It felt wonderfully just as it felt relaxing, the heated scales pressing on his body comfortably while Toothless' neck was curled around his own; resting gently against his back in what Hiccup believed was his own dragon returning the hug. The elation coursing in his blood and through his body as held on a little tighter, smiling when no growl came but more purring instead. He loved this, he felt safe pressed against his warm body. He felt loved, he felt wanted and he didn't feel like a hiccup seen as a disappointment to everyone; something that nobody ever inspired inside of him before, and it was because of this dragon, the mystical Night Fury agreed to hug him

Toothless at first didn't understand how humans would hug when his boy asked him, with the dragons they simply curled necks around each other; that's normal right there. But the boy had no neck for that which was strange at first that he would ask for something as mundane as that, but when he added pressure that didn't hurt; he found himself to like this. The boy's body was firmly pressed against his own, so he allowed his scales to warm the boy to the point where the cold air can't be felt through him, not on purpose nor on accident would he ever want to burn him. He felt the arms tighten when he curled his neck over the boy's shoulder in return and he rested his head against on his back, consider it his way of returning the hug which Toothless had decided that he liked. The elation and happiness the boy felt exhilarated him. He couldn't sense every emotion the boy had given off if he didn't do so. He purred loudly to let his boy know that he loved the hug and he felt Hiccup's emotions course through him once again. It's love, safety and the feeling that he was wanted on Midgard; he himself caused those emotions to enlighten and resonate within. The Night Fury was shocked at the strength of his own feelings, the need he had to defend and protect this boy was strong; he would always guard him with everything he had and everything he was, no matter the price he pays for the consequences that're are laid out to punish him for his betrayal towards the tyrant he once served

Once Hiccup, reluctantly to say the least, pulled away; he gave Toothless a gentle smile which was returned with a purr. He scratched his scales again before whispering to him, not too low or too high but just in the right range between the two's ears. "I have to go now. The village may not care if I'm gone or not, but I want you to know that these Vikings do not have patience; not lots of it if I'm gonna tell you more about this isle we're both living on, for the time being" He explained and hinted at the end

The boy began to move away but paused as he turned back to Toothless, throwing both arms around him once again which shocked the dragon slightly; but never did he make a sound that indicated aggression. He just curled his neck to return the hug once more, standing like this for a while as neither of them saw the sun lower for the afternoon before Hiccup finally felt ready to let go. "I will come back for you, and I have a idea for your scales" Toothless hummed at him and nudged the boy's arm softly, telling him without words that he knew what he was going to use them for

"See you tomorrow, bud" With that, Hiccup left with his eyes bright and shining with happiness as Toothless cooed after the boy. Prior to leaving however, Toothless showed Hiccup a pile of scales that he shed which he proceeded to collect them all for his project; it was something he had to do, he really needed them for something he considered using for armor of some sort. He got plenty of them already

HTTYD

With the rest of the afternoon to himself, Hiccup entered the forge and found only a note that was written by Gobber telling him to meet him at the abandoned catapult tower for dinner; he has something to tell them and it's something that concerns the following lessons for tomorrow morning. Hiccup nodded at the note and entered inside through the doorway, using materials he collected such as scales along with the spines from Stormfly in yesterday's lesson and other such materials used; no mere sword and shield would befit him. He's got an idea for what to do for the shield for that matter, it's still wooden for now but if he could find something that would act as a substitute for the iron the Berkians use; he might reinforce it as this shield of his serves many purposes as a weapon for the offense and defense. Here's the shield so far:

The main thing to notice about his shield was that it bore his birthmark on it, which will be his crest and the rivet along with the boss were smaller in comparison as it's met to fit in the design of the moon that the Night Fury is flying over. In other words, it's supposed to fit the edges of the moon. The crossbow function did just that as he loaded in a Nadder spine tipped arrow that he forged, and shot it towards the mannequin which pierced through the wood; impressed by the power. The grappling hook function changed the shield so it split onto the sides and shot an roped claw that latched onto anything, he tested this one out onto the cliff edge and swung by the rock face; running on the side as he held on with one arm, getting back up as he could swim back to the docks after all. Bucket and Mulch didn't mind one bit. The bolas launching function allowed him to shoot some bolas out from the boss which split open from the left and the right sides, while the catapult trap should anyone but him pick it up knocked them out for a punch

The scales proved to be something amazing all in it's own, he decided to layer them in a shape of gauntlets that too were shaped like the claws of a dragon. Just as it was with his shield, he's going to need something to replace the usual iron. But once he found out these are flammable yet retained their shape still, he decided that yeah, this can go with his armor that he's making. Speaking of which he's coming close to a name which is: "Ryder" but he's saving that one to put it to better use. His actual name is still a work in progress, but now he's thinking of adding in the letter: "Y" and replacing the letter: "C" with "K" Might as well find out what he's going to use for his name

He draw out what he wanted for his sword and began to assemble it with tight leather wrapping for the handle, the blade parts for this was going to be a retractable sword of it's own accord. It was a weapon fit for a hiccup like him. He was nearly finished as all he needed now was a little something to give "Inferno" as he would now call it forever something intimidating. Drawing a cobra coiling around the handle that still allowed him to grip it securely, he began to make the design and assembled it around the handle; finishing in no less than a few hours later when the sun was starting to go down. Now it looked intimidating as the cobra was detailed with all those silver scales, those deathly red eyes and that hissing open mouth with fangs that were as shiny as they were deadly. He would need a dragon's fire to set it alight, and he would be there to set up the plans when he came back; for now he left his office and began to head out to the tower

And once there, Hiccup sat down across from where Fishlegs would sit and next to where Tuff would sit; Snotlout would sit next to Tuffnut while Astrid would sit next to Fishlegs and Ruff is gonna be next to her. Gobber would take a seat in between him and Ruffnut. Now that order's been told, he sat there and looked into the braizer which looked nothing special. It was a iron circular shaped base that sloped upwards around the secondary ring, forming a rectangular strip that went around on both the top and the bottom though the top was slightly thinner in shape; helped by four vertical rectangular shaped strips with a studded bolt in the middle of each one that secured the upper ring. The firewood was set ablaze inside while there was a rounded edge square shaped four corner studded plate, the top of it was a rounded edged bell shape that was in the middle of it while there appeared to be a lower half square shaped ring on either side of Gobber and Ruffnut who actually sat across from Gobber; not Astrid by the way. This tower was in ruins and it showed as the catapult was missing, there were barrels and fur pelts, along with there being scrapes to scratches and gashes to splintering wooden planks. The night sky was a ebony to a lime spruce as well as a bright to a trout and a shuttle to a oslo to a waterloo and an thunder to emperor grey color; the horizon's border was a clam shell pink in the distance. All in the meantime, the others arrived and so did Gobber with them around the fire enjoying their evening meals

Everyone but him had chicken and Ruffnut had a reason to eat chicken, she was allergic to fish was she not? Yes, he stuck himself to eating a salmon fish; he listened in to what Gobber had to announce to them. "Alright: the reason I've called you in a meeting today is to tell you, starting next week, all of you are going to be judged on how well you do. After a couple of days judging, the elder herself Gothi will choose one of you to take on the Monstrous Nightmare"

Right now, Gobber knew Hiccup wanted nothing to do with this competition and he just looked at him roasting the fish by the father while he stared into it; not breaking his trance from seeing his inner demons. The sound of the fire cackling was what kept him sane in this time, and so is the winds of white noise that ran through his ears. He looked back at the students of his and he asked. "Any questions?"

"Yeah. Never explained to us about how you lost an arm or a leg" Snotlout asked

"Good question, I think it's time you know what happened in these exhausting years" Gobber started

"I already know how this ends..." Hiccup muttered quietly under his breath. He's heard how this story went and his thoughts drifted back to Toothless in the Cove. He shared a moment with an Night Fury that started to show him that he trusted him, it was mesmerizing. Hiccup, never has it been so blatantly obvious to see it in front of them, never liked getting out with all the other reindeer here. Truth be told because of the way they treated him since he was younger, he had no reason to get to know them better. Right now he's extremely anti-social tonight, that's when Gobber's story began to finish

"...And with one twist, he took my hand it swallowed it whole! I saw the look on his face... I was delicious. He must have passed the word, because it wasn't a mouth before another one of 'em took my leg" Gobber gestured to his right leg, finishing his story as Hiccup huffed at Fishlegs' statement

"Isn't it weird to think your hand was inside a dragon? Like if your mind was still in control of it, you could have killed the dragon from inside by crushing his heart or something" What Fishlegs said was total bullsh*t, the limbs that their teacher had were long gone; those M. Nightmares are on a empty stomach at this point in time

Of course his cousin Snotlout was planning to avenge the man's limbs by biting off every limb of those devils. "I swear, I'm so angry. I'll avenge your beautiful hand and your beautiful foot. I'll chop off the legs of every dragon I fight, with my face!"

"Great, start with Schneider the Baker; he loves them foot of both the Viking and the dragon type. Gives him pleasure, gives him a reason to live" Hiccup never looked up from the fire he saw into, peering at his inner demons still as he was fully aware that their suicidal baker had a foot fetish

"Un-unh. It's the wings and the tails you really want. If it can't fly, it can't get away. A downed dragon is a dead dragon" Gobber demonstrated by ripping a leg off his chicken, only then was Hiccup listening to what he was saying. A dragon unable to fly with a wounded tail or wounded wings? Toothless can't fly off with that one tailfin that the bolas trap hadn't ripped and clipped off, he went back to peering into the flames of the brazier; gone was that anti-social feeling, gone was that interest to continue working into his projects and gone was both his mother's image in the fire holding a younger self in her arms. "There's no practice tomorrow or the next four days, I suggest you all take this chance to relax for the time being and prepare yourselves for the next week. Why I'm doing this you may ask... today marks the anniversary of Stoick's despair. You all will say nothing to his boy, there will be consequences"

"I'll take my chances" Snotlout sarcastically replied, uninterested

"Now that's no way to treat your aunt. You will say nothing and do nothing to upset the boy, the chief knows about who would insult her; and he has fitting punishments to the ones that spit in her face after she was lost to us long ago"

Yawning and stretching out, he stood up where he told the students one last thing

"Alright. I'm off to bed, you should be too. Tomorrow we get to the big boys, slowly but surely making our way up to the Monstrous Nightmare. But who'll win the honor of killing it?" When he mentioned tomorrow, he was really referring to the next lesson that'll occur. At that point, Hiccup had already left by the time that Gobber got into the reason as to why there's no lessons tomorrow or the next four days. And while he was staring into the fire that reminded him of those heated scales, what he lost for tonight he gained something in return: Toothless was not bound for being put to death by the loss of his tailfin, because he is the architect of the Night Fury's survival. He will build a tailfin to match Toothless' and help him regain what he lost on that night in the raid. He left behind his finished salmon and set off for the forge, not seeing Astrid watching before she returned to rejoin the others; having heard someone walking down the abandoned tower. During that time was when Tuffnut showed off

"It's gonna be me. It's my destiny. See?" Tuffnut showed off his left side with an audible gasp from Fishlegs

"Your mom let you get a tattoo?" The Thorston Twins' mother wouldn't have approved of this if she saw this story unfold on the silver screen

"It's not a tattoo. It's a birthmark" Tuffnut defended

"Okay, I've been stuck with you since birth, and that was never there before" Ruffnut started to get into a conflict with him

"Yes, it was. You've just never seen me from the left side until now" Surely, the Thorston Twins' parents must be intrigued and curious about where that birthmark he calls it came from in the first place; Norse Age or not, even she bathed the two of them as infants and she doesn't quite remember seeing that on his left arm

Soon, the abandoned catapult tower that was located with a couple of houses next to it went dark; the fire was no more and all activity from Gobber and the teens were silent for the rest of the night

HTTYD

Hiccup went straight for his desk and brought out his sketchbook for machines, laying it flat as he looked into the image of Toothless before drawing the other half of the tailfin. Now, he was looking complete for he pulled out some parchment to sketch out the basic shape of how he's wanting this to look. Listing the components that he would need, he walked around the forge while stoking the fire and gathering some metal rods that would act as the bones; once the fire was hot enough to be melded into a shape along with a old sword that's been out of use, Hiccup went to work in burying the longest one into the flames underneath. Letting the coal burn and right when it was fully red hot, he wiped away the sweat he gathered before pulling out the bar with a pair of tongs; starting to meld it into the shape he would need along with the old sword's blade he was tempering. He thinned it out so it'd be light enough before cooling it down with water

Look at him, making a tailfin out of a sword and a shield. You've got to love his masculinity as a small meek guy like him can champion many things that others cannot, from shaping unknown ruthless beasts into protective animals to assure the many of young males that he doesn't need to appear buff or fight to be masculine. This tailfin wasn't going to be perfect as nothing is built without trial and error, putting hot iron or metal directly into water will make it become in this case extremely fragile. Cool it too fast: breaks easily. Cool it too slow: easy to bend. This tailfin will tend to be floppy but Hiccup must know that it works for when he takes his time to see the Night Fury back at the Cove, he wanted him to know that his intention was never to hurt him in the forest that he found him back there. He had his trust for now, but he felt this wasn't enough for him to establish their bond; he needed this tailfin now more than ever. He didn't want him to be slowed down by heavy weighted metal or be irritated by the extreme temperatures, if he flew into a hot climate but the Archipelago is anything but hot

The rod was finished and next came the easier parts of the tailfin to construct. Next, he began to pry some bolts out of a scarlet reddish orange colored shield which depicted a jungle and an jade to a persian and sea green scaled serpent which had curled tips at the top and bottom part of it's lips; going around the boss it formed a rounded corner square shape with the inner three sides on the top, right and bottom sides sloping inwards a little bit as the tail curved down as it then went up and overhead into a curling tip like a backwards number nine shape. The serpent was aligned with a series of powder and chiffon white triangular spikes as was it's eye and it's gritted teeth, having a faded black vertical oval shape for the pupil as the shield itself is looking faded as it saw no battle in years along with the old sword. That's Shield #20 in case anyone was wondering. These bolts were then tempered once they were red hot before studded spherical shaped connecting pieces were dumped out on the table, dropped one by one into the scales for measurement and once the process to be even with the brass knuckles Gobber kept at the forge was done; now it was time for the fun part of the construction with this tailfin as he hung up the tool that was used to cut them all down to size. He screwed in the pieces and ratcheted the connecting rod that was absolutely vital to this invention of his, all that was left is the easy part which was the leather

Sewing some of the spare leather underneath for sliding it over each metal rod and attaching a belt to the top where it would connect to the tail. He collapsed it inwards and headed out to the docks so he could collect the bribery for Toothless, working on some other projects first before he was finally done; leaving the tailfin here and deciding that he would sleep in his office. The adrenaline was coursing through his blood tonight

But of course that didn't mean he wasn't going to sleep right away, he's sweaty and he's greasy from being hot but he's gonna do some thinking for a couple of minutes. If there's ever such a time that he and Toothless would be captured, he had some words for some of his people that he would state in front of them; he can't say them out loud now as the time hadn't come. But it was something that he would say if they protest against his idea

After thinking for a couple of minutes about the words that he thought about, what he's going to say to his people if they didn't agree with his proposal; and furthermore what he would be as soon as he left Berk, now the time was for him to head off to bed. Feeling elated that he could bring the Night Fury's flight back to him, and he soon drifted off into a dreamless sleep

If Gobber ever knew he was at the forge when he left. Guess none of it matters since he did what he did, the tailfin wouldn't hurt anybody and he's going to bring back his flight no matter how long it takes; the remaining four days would be with him using this time to construct what he had, removing himself from the outside world and the blacksmith too for that matter. All of this was going into not only his equipment, but sketches that he intended to draw which were artillery weapons like the Mangler and the Mutilator for instance. That invention came earlier before the former. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock I was a scientist, a cunning dragon expert who can trick a poisonous dragon into stinging itself and analyze a horde of pursing Poison Darters, for lack of a better name for the dragon, while at the same time able to beat more experienced adults at swordfighting before he's thirteen. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was a engineer who can create a tailfin out of a sword and a shield, even improving an artificial leg of simple but yet function iron to the point that it functions normally while also being able to explore more about the world of dragons everywhere. The two of them are geniuses who can command the loyalty of both his people when he begins to start his tribe and the dragons alike

He's got a long line of projects to start on, and he's damn well set on completing them through the four day mourning for the loss of his mother

Chapter 5: Test Flights and Village Scorn

Chapter Text

(A/N: I told you more about what The Lost Legacy is about did I? Let's start from the beginning then. In the Ancient Times, the Hairy Hooligans Tribe was exiled from their homeland that was Scandinavia by their hated enemies known as the Lava-Lout Tribe; this came from the Fandom Wiki that said he was blamed for the Hooligans losing their land and being forced to settle on the smaller isle that would become Berk. There's three stories and the first one is about a man named Tiburonkolt as this connects to a underrated gem in the rough that's called The Road to El Dorado, continuing that movie's story with one inspired by Curse of the Black Pearl and GUN which is a video game for the PS2; check it out because there's an all-star cast for the characters like Thomas Jane, Lance Henriksen, Kris Kristofferson, Brad Dourif, Ron f*cking Perlman and of course Tom Skerrit himself who voice Colton White, Thomas Magruder, Ned White, Reverend Josiah Reed, Hoodoo Brown and Clay Allison respectively; not to mention Eric Schweig as Many Wounds as he is an Apache in the game. The storyline of the second one follows the book series' storyline but I've made some of my own additions to make it feel less like an abridged retelling into one that has more drama involved, and makes the third story even more tragic because of how the events were undone by the last king of the Archipelago. While the second story tells the one of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock I revolutionizing the world of dragons, the third story tells of how Grimbeard the Ghastly destroyed everything his ancestor worked his ass and finger to the bone off for to the end; and now how his favorite son he abandoned to die as per the Viking Law that has long since been abolished Hiccup Horrendous Haddock II must not only wage war against an father to save what remains of his kingdom, but fight his human brother Thugheart who wanted to kill him and at last his dragon brother Furious who claims he has no compassion for humanity left thanks to having no love and no heart inside of him. His blood, his kin and his brother that loved him before he was killed right in front of him on that day. While that happens there's a secondary story that focuses on Hiccup Horrendous Haddock I's reign before, during and all-in-all after which is like Assassin's Creed: Revelations when Ezio views Altaïr's memories during and after he discovered his library in Masyaf; having defeated the Byzantines once and for all in Constantinople. Hiccup the First's storyline is about the conquest that's going on to stop all the assaults being led by the Berkian's enemies, before ending it all with the death of a traitor that started the conspiracy altogether. It's a interesting concept because you get to see both of his grandfather king in action and grandson prince become the true last king before the age ended as the decline kickstarted when Grimbeard believed he could be better than his ancestors that came before. I do have an update on the director's cut version of the second story as I had post a preview version that tells a lot of what happened at the end of this story and my adaptation of Umbreytingu, but like I said I've read Elfpen's original version to know how it ends and I don't have any shame in spoiling what you guys already know. I wish I could say more but I've been blathering on for long enough more than Blathers from Animal Crossing. Here's the fifth chapter for you all to read and I'm warning you, we're getting into the meat of HTTYD and once Hiccup and Toothless leave Berk; we will not be coming back into the storyline of the first film for some time as this applies to The Young Drayko Ryder Chronicles too. This is a extremely long chapter due to me injecting some of my views onto certain issues regard society, but don't let that throw you off. Enjoy)

Now that the four days of mourning for Valka's loss and death were over with, as Spitelout got the shield which was a gift made for him by Hiccup as he knows about his profession but didn't tell everyone since it would undermine whatever hidden value he has in him and cause all the more reason for him to leave this sh*tstain on the pages of Norse history, what did he do over in this time that he had to himself? That's easy: he worked on putting the scales into the gauntlets and even into dragon scale armor that's fireproof sure enough but it was still dragon scales, the sheddable material can be cut by blades and pierced by spears. Another thing he was working on was artillery as he drew up plans over the weekend, even working on integrating something that he thought of one day in three days ago; a glider for the armor so he could fly solo which is nifty if he should say, he's ahead of his time but so were Hiccup Horrendous Haddock I with his firesuit and Hiccup Horrendous Haddock II with his rumored dark sword that he forged with the plasma blasts of a Night Fury. But the one thing he worked on the most was the shield of his as he thought about the crossbow function the most: the boss would spring out forward while the front would split into two wings on the back, the sides would split into wings and he could be able to shoot arrows using a slingshot for the bowstrings. Why stop there? He was restless and staying true to shutting himself out of Berk and everyone who lived here, he revisited his good old Mangler that he instead kept under wraps to improve the mild calibration issues using the targeting field he was given to by Gobber; he even went on to draw plans for the prosthetics he had promised to create so that Gobber can be a super Viking as he put it in his youthful mind in that head of his. His attachments included a repeating crossbow, medieval flail, a solid fist that would spring outward like the catapult trap for his shield that had various tricks up it's sleeve as well as a boosted effect if he does punch someone, a missilepack box to fire all of them at once and a grenade launcher like how the magicians from Persia threw the round ceramic urns that were filled firecrackers from the east and naphtha; if not he could always use them for a false prosthetic arm which would act as a gauntlet and help with needing a convincing disguise. Not only that but also a number of crossbow attachments to fulfill many roles he would be needing and a whole slew of projects he's ready to get his hands working on. For now, it's the armor and the flightsuit along with his sword and shield he's focused for the time being

Thinking back on Spitelout, he guessed it doesn't matter if he's Gobber's apprentice or assistant because either way he's helping him out in the forge and it's all the same since he's the partner for him; it probably wouldn't matter if he was aware that he was the one making their weapons. Let's see what kind of sh*tty day on Berk unfolds today this morning, and this ain't gonna be in any way pretty

Hiccup woke up a little later in his office than he normally did, but then again it's not so much staying up to build a tailfin among other things; it was the adrenaline surge he felt that left an nasty after effect which made him so exhausted. That was the sort of thing that brought out a smile as bright as the sun that was in the air. It was that thought of how dexterous he is using his hands and abilities to mystify others through all the powers of wonder and ruin, one pair of hands from a runt that can create and destroy with a tap of his finger; finally, doubling as a double edged and bladed sword that can both work separately as an pair like it's meant to be wielded just as well as it could work together like a staff weapon. It's a specialized design for which it consisted of a singular handle in them middle with a retractable blade on either side, resulting in a kind of weapon that's to be wielded like a traditional quarterstaff and also as an double bladed spear. When someone would thrust their sword at his head from behind, not only would he drop himself but also his arms to crush their sword arm before spinning to face the stump of their necks where their heads once was; a cunning decapitation he would call it. The life of a blacksmith behind those doors had never been so exhilarating, yet weary at the same time as he should be glad that he was helping out Berk in the shadows since he's never been looked upon a better light and he doesn't feel like he should live here; at least not in a time of war like this, not when he's being seen as that someone who is responsible for every death that occurs in dragon raids when they need a scapegoat for the blood that's all on their hands rather than his. For as small as he made Berk look like in terms of living, it's bigger than what the village had seen. Just as it was brought up before it was round like a oval, unlike the other islands it possessed very few sea stacks but contained some rather interesting and if it's not that, quite amazing types of geological landforms created by Midgard's foundation; there were rocky arches, cliffs, beaches and waterfalls with streams and several large forest with a massive cavern underneath the village. And he hated it all, but the only reason he had never considered destroying Berk was because the Cove was something he can't bring himself to in this instance cause the collapse of. He's known of that Cove since he the second and third day that he'd became seven years old at the time following his first two years without his mother to stand by with. He wanted to be with her when she's unable to continue the duties that call for her role as chieftess, and give her a proper funeral when she dies in her final battle that'll take her to Valhalla; not jump onto a unsolved cold case conclusion and assume she had been dead for as long as he grew up into one fine man she could only wish to see today

Speak of the devil, that smile turned to irritation and annoyance when came forth to his ears; the sounds of the village in full swing. Now he'll have to go for the docks in the presence of these people, he ate the half of the fish and the other half got burnt; therefore he shredded the discarded ones into pieces using a large barrel that held blades which spun if turned by a crank on the side. The exposure to the elements cause them to rot quicker and there was no choice but to dispose of them. Dammit, just when he's about to feed Toothless or at least for this case keep him busy while he fits his new tailfin on him; but he was hungry, and chicken is not his preferred choice like most of the other teens that night. And it's no secret Toothless is like a ravenous wolf when eating however mindful of his claws he is, so he has no reason into going through any further detail when describing his situation; he isn't one to file a complaint over this roadblock he just hit right about now. He's not looking forward to this trip down and over to the docks, but he's not willing to bitch about it and abandon getting breakfast for the friend he made either. He stood up from his bed and stretched out his body right until both of shoulders snapped into place, taking the pressure of his neck just as it did with the burden on his back; combing through his hair that was impatiently tugged at, especially the knots of which were formed from last night until they were all loose

He left the forge and started to head down to the docks with the villagers going about their daily lives, Gobber wasn't here at the moment and not much changes outside the repairs of burned down houses caused by raids or crop harvesting since there are farmlands though it's not that many as they've fishermen who do the fishing and huntsmen who do the hunting; it doesn't even change the clothes washing of the like either. He took a deep breath before he went down the path, focusing only on his business and not wanting to get involved with the others who insist they know better than him by dragging his ass into their affairs for them to shout and lecture at him that he's meddling and tampering with things he has no knowledge of nor does he understand. Yet already it wasn't a trio of three seconds before he started to get dirty looks from the Vikings who noticed him. Once he reached the beginning of where the docks are at the bottom, for his fish that good old Bucket and Mulch are usually found at; some of these Vikings planned for a big and burly one of them to deliberately walk in front of his path. Hiccup diverted from one side to the other but this Viking seemed to copy which of the two sides he was walking from, and elbowed him upwards in the nose with a jerked and hard hitting shoulder ram of this jerk on purpose; all while he didn't stop walking in front of him

"Watch where yer' going, don't need you in the way when you're already in several others'" Came the irritated voice before the man walked off without offering to help him off and up to both his knees to his legs

"Asshole" Hiccup muttered and drew out his breath a little bit to call him under his breath, derisively as he can like that Carl Johnson fellow from San Andreas saying the same thing to that officer, Tenpenny his name was if it was correct

Hearing several of the other people laughing as he pushed himself to his feet, all while in the moment continued to hold the tailfin underneath him further upwards; so it could rest within his armpit. All the laughing Vikings saw him walk it off and taking advantage of the obviously not-so-golden opportunity to turn his day sh*tty, decided to make their tones loud and their intentions clear for his ears to hear his thoughts on him; by obnoxiously reminding him that night which he had no control over but insist that he did and he's lying behind his teeth about it

"Why does Stoick bother keepin' him around?" A woman asked her friend as she passed near him, loud tones and clear intentions only furthered to fuel his disposition towards all of them really; they wanted him to hear their thoughts on him and it was by all means intentional

"What's the point in askin'? He's just as useless as a toothpick" Tears started to dance in his eyes but refused to let them fall whilst he was still in the village, he would only receive an round of more insults if he let them dare

"Now now let's be fair here, that spoiled bastard murdered his mother; she loved that runt, that ungrateful sh*t and he killed her like he wasn't being paid just enough attention. She's got better things to do than be a mother and raise him, or even this: all at the same time he's being showered with enough gifts from both her and the chief, pampered like a donkey that talking fishbone is" That one stung the most because Valka bled out on the verge of death so she could give him life, weather it be them believing him to be cursed or that their chief had forbid them to come near him; that didn't stop them from hurting him with their words as it's that what was worse than anything at this moment he could think of, he'd rather be beaten to death and have his father look over his dead body before turning away and falling to his knee in shame with a hand to his forehead

"The brat's mother gets killed and the father and son prayed for her. One: if our gods cared for the latter she wouldn't have gotten killed. Two: he prayed, she still died. Get real, runt" The Viking from earlier insulted him, now he's exploiting her death; have some damn restraint and don't you dare-

"Please, only one of us can hallucinate at a time that she actually wanted to live here with a husband who mourns her to this day" A Viking woman chastised the man

And that f*cking does it for him! Hiccup's birthmark emitted a furious indigo violet light like a Night Fury's plasma blast before he picked up a nearby wagon that held some weapons, as it's got the usual swords, axes, maces, spears, mace-axe-swords and shields in the wheelbarrow of a wagon, and spun around in a circle before throwing it towards the villagers that were all cracking on thin ice behind his back for talking sh*t about his mother; out of spitefulness each of them thought as they were struck. A couple of them were sent flying backwards even, and others dodged but there wasn't much of them that didn't get hit. At least three who shook off the crash shot a nasty look at the angry boy who was off running to the docks, before turning to the side to find Gobber, Bucket and Mulch shooting a nastier look at them back for having no respect for the dead. Bork the Bold is dead and he's celebrated, yet the chief's wife is not treated the same all because they accused her for being a dragon lover?! Not an excuse

Though the Vikings were either confused or terrified by that sudden outburst, one of them is not impressed and yelled at him. "Odin's beard, you are cursed! AAAHAHAHA- AGH! Oh no..." The villager shouted and laughed but yelped before scowling when he saw another object up in the air that was flung overhead to his position. It was his prototype bola launcher cannon, a spare one if the original ever got destroyed which is to say that now is the time since this one is about to be, having taken his anger out on this one villager. Hurting him in the process with this crash, he disappeared altogether and he hated being cited as cursed whenever he would be witnessed with his birthmark near the village or the villagers. It was more like racial scorn towards people like him. If he were a Native American or hell, a Middle Eastern foreigner it's gonna make things worse as he'll only be helping to prove that he's either a redskin who has no sense of civil matters or a Muslim whose beliefs are not welcomed anywhere he goes. To him there's nothing wrong with the latter kind of people, and you know what he thinks about the former already. Except they're the ones who bite the hand that feeds them, so he had all the rights to retaliate. This isn't pandering to political or social justice idiot views, Hiccup isn't into that fickle garbage that change with the times

His mother on the otherhand, Valka was said to have died after she was taken by a dragon; an species with four wings and that which looked like an owl. Stormcutter he believed it's called for the name of the species, not the name of which it took for itself. Even through the pain on the scar of his chin that wasn't inflicted onto him intentionally, he saw her be taken before in that moment his father discovered what she was hiding from him; he didn't see him bear the feeling of betrayal for more than a moment until he turned on his attention back onto what is drawn onto his skin. There was no doubt anymore, he called this dragon here, he is what took her away and in doing so; he was the architect of his own self-destruction for an family he has hoped to protect from the scourge of the devils that the madman controlled under threat. The same madman who ordered his dragons to kill them all and escaped with a subordinate that's waited for him to make sure all had been slain, he was the only survivor and he swore that he wouldn't let them fall to the claws or the talons of any of these beasts. Yet the people took to jumping onto conclusions that it was a curse by the gods and only rallied under the banner by Mildew that it was for cheating death, surviving while the others were murdered by that man who came to Berk to propose an alliance that would've saved them all. No one is inclined nor did they want to suffer his wrath as a village plague, and as it was mentioned it's either that it was because they believed they believed him to be cursed or that Stoick forbid them to harm his son through contact. But that protection didn't stop them from hurting him through words and it was bullsh*t, he hated every single villager more than ever, he hated them so much he wanted them to die but that would be giving them access to Valhalla and that's not where the people a chief like his father is said to protect is going; no, they will curse him to live forever like traitor Ephialtes whose name received a lasting stigma and came to be translated as to fit the betrayal of this grecian "nightmare" in their language. He hated Stoick more than ever for just letting them do all of this vocally and that was worse, as he would rather take an beating than be blamed for an act of the gods; it's all just the thoughts of his feelings since he's putting up a front to hide his shame. That's what this is, a front to hide his sh*t from him and the public

Shaking his head of those terrible thoughts lingering in his head, he tried to ignore them all with the best of whatever control he had over himself; but everyone knew he's out and the more eager of them took advantage to use his status of uselessness and an killer of mothers against him. It's not like he's gonna spare them anyhow. There were talks behind his back on how Stoick should feed him to the dragons that raid their village and get rid of the boy if not possible through other means. But as it was spoken before, their chief knew about it and he punished all who conspired to take away the last remnant of Valka and the future that would come to them if they showed some damn restraint; but no, Berk is an eye-for-an-eye society. And they damn well wanted him to know that they're enforcing it for him and him alone, the concept of self-restraint was non-existent in their cold and black hearts; if they had one that is. At the docks none of the Vikings were there, even Bucket and Mulch as he didn't see them disembarking to catch some fish and stock up for the winter that was coming. Those two for a amputee duo that they were proved that Odin and the gods had a heart, whatever Mildew is planning to get rid of him even inside his own house that he wasn't safe in was foiled thanks to their loyalty to Stoick; but though that was true the two did not agree with how he's being raised and treated like a outcast, because he should be banished to Alvin's tribe if don't want him in the first place. There was an Allfather he thought when it came to wondering where it was they're at in this time. The woven basket was filled without thinking and he knew Bucket and Mulch understood that he didn't like eels in the catch, even before the Thorstons for the amusem*nt of themselves force fed him those slippery slime soaked serpents, they weren't that good tasting to him like everyone kept taunting him about it to begin with. Not wanting to deal with the whispers nor the stares when he reappeared above the docks, he got out of sight quickly as he could and vanished for the day

Breathing relief at the sound of their words being left behind as he ran further into the forest and slowing down at the assurance that he wouldn't fall over to his burden of fish on his back, but halfway through the path leading to the Cove was when he had to stop; leaning up against the trees and heavily with the weight of the insults echoing in his mind as the rough bark was pressuring atop of his skin, too focused on getting his emotions under control to stop the fall of those steady tears from both his eyes. How is he supposed to act appropriately? They were exploiting his mother's death to get a reaction out of him. He wanted to hate them, but there were more scum on Midgard to hate than one tribe. Zoophiles who follow the belief animals can consent to sex were a major example of people to hate, but they don't exploit the deaths of someone's loved one; no, they're too busy penetrating their dicks in places they shouldn't be using as a glory hole. Did that analogy make sense? Ah to hell with everything, he compared Berkians to people who need to be killed on sight right now with no exceptions; and it was because they were using his mother's death against him. Deep with a wavering breath, he pushed himself from the tree which scraped his palm on the uneven surface and used his free hand to vigorously rub his eyes; acknowledging the redness would continue to linger for the time being until his face was washed but he didn't care, he didn't f*cking care, he wanted to see Toothless now and those Vikings weren't going to get away with that business back in the village. That Night Fury was the only one who actually made him feel loved and wanted by him, and with that though burned through his skull he set off once more to the Cove and entered the secret road that led him there

Reaching the Cove he quickly slid down the slope seeing Toothless had been watching closely at the entrance, perking up as he let the basket fall to the floor and set the tailfin down; he is in a real need of a hug from this black dragon right here. He threw his arm around his neck. He really needed the comfort of a dragon as Toothless provided just that for him, crooning softly at his boy that curled into him; seeing the self loathing hatred that was making his flesh rot in the inside like a curse inflicted onto his arm by a demon. So much so that he went so far as to ignore the delicious scent coming from the brown woven basket in favor of his boy, it's not an secret that Nadders can be bribed with chicken into falling under the influence of either good or bad which is something called food motivation; however this Night Fury's loyalty is one on which no motivation can make him fall under the influence of others outside whom he bonds with the most. He wouldn't ever betray Hiccup nor is he willing to do so under his own desire for even the most inviting of offers, but he's not willing to betray even those who are close to him either. He allowed his scales to warm up while gently resting his face on the boy's back, a strange dampness could be felt on his neck and frowned but never did he once pull away as it might make his boy even more upset as the sorrow gets worse and thoughts of suicide would began to plague him. It was too thin to be blood and there weren't any signs of being hurt by the Vikings in his settlement either. Nothing was going to cloud his boy's vision for a life that was far away from here and neither was there going to be anything to make him abandon his boy in his time of need, not if it were him being controlled by the victim who was apart of an greater threat or lose everything in his fading memories when his boy needed him the most. He's staying here with him and that's how it was going to be. Always

Hiccup felt steady enough to later let go and pull away from his comforting hug, as rubbing his eyes once again had him see that Toothless was coming forward to sniff at his face slowly. "I never told you that these were tears, didn't I?" He paused to laugh when his head tilted off to the side

Hiccup had never been one to think of these dragons as monsters who cannot comprehend what emotions are, nor understand what humans have compared to them and a heart wasn't one that belonged only to him as well as everyone who wasn't a dragon in the Archipelago. It was just the opposite because he saw them about as curious regarding his kind as any dragon would. Needless to say he enjoyed the curiosity that wouldn't get any of them killed unlike a cat, the two of them could teach each other their respective worlds that were always one

"Humans produce 'em when they're upset, or in pain with having to deal with consequences you didn't deserve to suffer for one example; I can't tell you the others" He understood and trilled as he pulled him back into his neck with his head thankfully, purring softly into his ear while he took the hint and wrapped his arms on either side around

Actually, Toothless' neck was thick enough for him to be incapable of fully wrapping both his arms around; even giving a notice to his scales that were raised but felt like smooth sheets of glass, even feeling like a ribbed stutter that was of the bumpy kind for the like but still that is all just the sheet-of-glass like feeling when he rubbed his hand across actual glass. He got the same feeling in Gothi's house too with the same description as mentioned before during that last visit of his, that morning before his dad left for the nest. That was him, he's that child and that woman was her; his mother no doubt. "Thanks bud"

He cooed again and Hiccup pulled back with a soft smile on his face, the first time someone willingly moved to comfort him by what he believes is right. That's when he went back over towards the woven basket, pulling it along closer to Toothless' wagging tail and saliva watery retractable teeth-based mouth as the insults of the Vikings in the village faded like all of the bruises on his skin thanks to the actions of a puppy like dragon. "Now, for your breakfast. I'd knew that you would be hungry by the time I woke up in my office inside the forge. I came in prepared so here we go"

He kicked the basket over as the fish spilled out in a rain of both slime and disgustingness of which was that to Hiccup, but it was like a stomach filling heaven for Toothless

"Be my guest" Hiccup could see the saliva cascading from his lips as he gestured for him to dig in as if it were that one giant cake from Matilda because OH BOY! that made him wish he was throwing up at the mere sight of that horrendous size of the cake. Jesus. He's once attempted and actually finished that challenge with his friend Fishlegs, before he rushed over towards a outhouse to eject the sludge of chocolate he consumed. Needless to say though, even if he's nauseous, he survived worse rounds of beatings from his dad and he can survive that cake in a cult classic like Matilda but it was second-to-none as his true arch nemesis. He never felt so poisoned than in that time but if he were to eat it now, he would do it as he's starving for as long as he was on the Bay of the Broken Heart where his grandfather was left to die because of how he was born as a runt or so he was told by his uncle who took over when his dad was busy with his chiefly duties at times. Shaking his head at the spilled fish, he joked about with his bud. "That's disgusting, though who would I be to turn you against your gourmet?" It was only morning but there's a whole lot more to come by throughout the day

With each description of Toothless' gourmet provided by Hiccup and described by him, he of course swallowed. This is when he was about to learn something new, if not negative about the dragons for reasons unclear to him as of this time

"I've got some salmon, some nice icelandic cod and..." The Night Fury dug his snout into the pile, though hissed and snarled upon pulling back. Hiccup frowned when he spotted a health hazard that shouldn't be there. It was striped, it was rubbery and it was black and yellow but nowhere near the shape of a bee of either the worker or the queen type as it's said that the females have stingers. "Oh boy, this is what I was afraid of. I know I didn't get the wrong basket of fish meant for you, and I know this was me guessing what you like and don't like"

Seeing that Toothless was face to face with a whole smoked eel, he got in between the two as his stomach built up with unease and having his frown go deeper as soon as he even took notice upon this slimy devil. "What the hell?" The words left slow and drawn out slightly as this was not one of the fishes he picked up, or so he thought to himself. He must've been in too deep to notice that he picked a whole smoked eel on accident

Soon as he caught sight of the whole smoked eel which was a black and yellow striped eel for your information, he picked it up by it's tail as Toothless reared back as he turned away while having both wings extended before quickly ending it all by snapping it's neck. Throwing it off to the side and then spitting a snot-loaded phlegm rocket at the eel, acting like the two were a pair of gorillas with him as a mighty and meaty arm silverback making the eel kneel to show it wasn't the dominant one. Toothless also spat at the eel which burnt out Hiccup's completely, he turned to face him as if to soothe him of the unease in his squishy black scaly underbelly; while the Night Fury was suckling on the scar on his wrist as he spoke to him, seeing it turn a red color and hoping it would make him feel better (A/N: It turns out you shouldn't suck out the venom from a snake bite, it'd leads to infections and the punctures aren't big enough for it not to swell up. I first saw that on Yu-Gi-Oh! when the Pharoah did it to Mahad after he was bitten in the knee and thought from that point on that it helped out)

"Yeah I don't really like eel much either, Gothi said it's blood was toxic to humans and could give us Vikings the dreaded Eel Pox; a joyful thing to have isn't it? Ah you know chills, violent sneezing, coughing, a slight paleness in the skin; what isn't there to be afraid of from these slimy devils? If I had to guess, you dragons are hiding something that goes deeper than the toxicity in their blood. But that makes me wonder: is there a dragon species that can actually eat eels?" He wondered outloud and felt Toothless teething on his wrist with that gummy to fishy smelling mouth of his moving away from him. "And thanks for that by the way, Fishlegs said a wolf's saliva has healing properties; bet the same can be said for all of you"

Toothless nodded, confirming his latter suspicion before he dug into his breakfast at last

Now that Toothless is well and truly occupied with his deserved breakfast after that small but educational ordeal, because it taught him that eels are not the best choice of food for dragon befriending people like him to feed the creatures themselves, the boy grabbed the tailfin as he stalked around making sure he was focused and didn't look back at him. Nodding as he pat him on the back and reassured the Night Fury he wasn't gonna hurt him, with what he's got in store for him of course. He reached his tail and stroked his back as he sat down and moved it next to the tail as Toothless didn't look too disturbed as he's free to do as he pleased, but it's that which turned into an annoyance because everytime he set it down next to him; before it could be executed into action the dragon kept moving his tail away from him. The fourth time was the breaking point as it darted away from him so he had to put both of his hands down on it to make the tail stop, darting from side to side along with it and even jutting forward when he looked up to see Toothless putting his head into the basket looking for more; giggling like a playful hyena, at least it wasn't laughing since that's more leaning to a signal that it had just finished killing something like whatever hyenas ate on their hunts, in their case it's an meaty and juicy fat antelope being eaten alive while her baby was nothing more than bones which it should be mentioned that unlike dogs, hyenas also ate bones with their powerful crushing jaws which cannot be said for actual dogs who like to bury them in their owners' backyards to chew on at a later time. He had to sit on the damn tail as he started to get to work, stretching out the tail and tugging on it twice to make sure he was fitting it on properly before slipping it through the belt loop. As our favorite Night Fury looked around adorable with the basket on his head, he perked up as it fell off and finished chewing with suspicion written on that salamander face of his

"What game are you playing back there?" Reasonably, he wiggled about with the strangest feeling that something was being attached to him and when he heard the zipping sound of what he heard was a ratchet being cranked forward; he figured out what his boy was doing, strapping onto his tail as both wings dropped to the floor without motion as his face said in this Cove what needs to be said. Was he really doing this out of kindness for him? Then it's time to give him one hell of a experience he wouldn't dare to forget, it's one that's worth to remember even as he becomes old and the validity of his memory is called into question in the elder years; his wingtips rested forward in front of the Cove's stone walls. "Aren't you in for a ride of your life, alright..."

Hiccup was not prepared for this as he remained unaware of Toothless sitting up nor him wiggling his tail as his wings were both extending up and outwards; rising like the sun of which was ready to take flight with the four horses Aethon, Eous, Phlegon and Pyrois that raced across the sky each and every day in Greece. Hiccup noted each of the four horses of whom drew the chariot belonging to Helios, God of the Sun in his head as he looked on the results of his brown tailfin being fitted. "Okay. Not bad it works, fits well; I could make one good major tuning and many minor ones to this tailfin, build a replacement and it should be very helpful for my bud here"

Toothless drew back and shot up into the air as Hiccup hissed in surprise at the sudden loss of ground, holding onto to the tail for support as he cast off the shock in order to see that as he's speculated before; the brown tailfin could not do much alone by itself without him having to keep it spread out and open outward to the side. The two of them went from nearly dipping downward towards the stone wall as the Night Fury was unbalanced due to tipping towards the left side, when Hiccup extended the tailfin out and shot upwards flying high to the air; he swept underneath the grass and shot up into a U-letter shape as the two were as high enough to see the Cove underneath. "Holy shi- it's working! You aren't goin' off on your own just yet, bud!" He tilted the brown tailfin up to turn them back to the lake of the Cove

The two of them returned as the two dived down into a J-letter shape and flew forward from the point onward straight ahead on top of the lake, Hiccup held onto the tailfin to keep it up, steady as it was diagonally slanted upwards a little bit. "Now, all I have to do is find a way for me to control this tailfin. Toothless can't open it by itself and building one that's automatic is gonna take whatever spare time I have before the final test, and time is what I don't have. Do not be afraid bud, we'll be off this island faster than you warble your freedom cry; neither of us will have to worry about Berk for awhile when we're off for good"

The idea of an automatic tailfin was promising, but he dreaded the thought of making it up to the final challenge which was to kill the Monstrous Nightmare; if he did make it somehow because he didn't want to kill the dragon. Afterwards, Toothless felt an weight on his tail as his earplates perked up and he looked down to find that Hiccup held on throughout the entire trip. "YES, I DID IT!" Looks like he's distracted with his success, with a swish of his tail as he made a sharp turn he threw him off

"AAAAAGGGGHHHHH!" Hiccup bounced twice on the surface of the water and splashed down on the third impact for good as he vanished just like that. Toothless would follow pursuit but it wasn't willingly as without his support he couldn't sustain flight, his trajectory was tilting to the left again as he saw the tailfin close on itself; crashing into the lake next to the waterfall; using his wing to shield himself as he came to a stop and looked closer at his tail. Coming to a observation with interest in the boy at the end of that. "What's this? The tailfin can't open on it's own or allow me to steer by itself... no doubt Hiccup is a breeding ground for ideas to improve this, he should come in more than handy"

Making a stop after a ripple and four white splashes in a trail far from Hiccup, he turned to the boy who reappeared with him thrusting his hair backwards as he threw his arms up; giving an shout of satisfaction that the tailfin worked. "Yeah!". He must've startled the Night Fury, either that or his free trial of riding with Toothless for that experience high into the air and back to the Cove must've expired. He hated it when that happened. But the effect gave him a idea for the next improvement to the tailfin, it required a saddle of course but this should be something to aid the two of them. He swam over just as the Night Fury did and explained to the dragon one of his next ideas for the tailfin to work out, going over the ideal way on how he's going to make this work out well. However, seeing how much daylight he's got, he looked up and snarled in anger

"God dammit, for the love of- I have Dragon Training. sh*t! I'll see you tomorrow" The boy ran to shore, grabbed the eel who was long dead and stuck it inside underneath his body warmer vest with a sinister but excellent idea for this lesson that Gobber's got for him and the class

Toothless came out onto shore and studied the tailfin some more as he dried himself up with his heated scales

"You said that it would be a matter of time before we leave this island for good. Is the people here truly unbearable? If they're as bad as you're making them out to be, then someone must say this to them: have some damn restraint, making war on a boy you know nothing about is a foolish man's way of asking to be killed. This tailfin on the otherhand, I already know what I'll be thinking about for the day; I just wish I could write all of my ideas on parchment"

HTTYD

"Today is about: Teamwork" Gobber informed as a cloud of smoke filled the Kill Ring and all of the students, who were unarmed for this session and instead carried buckets that're filled with water, with the exception of Astrid and Fishlegs started to talk about how they're going to use Hiccup as live bait for the dragon they're facing. Yeah, it was a joke but Hiccup's gonna make sure they don't just lose their bladders if they don't cut the sh*t behind his back. It was Snotlout mostly who joked about this and the Thorston Twins too, but those two don't mean it seriously. Either way, this cloud of smoke was a bone to a gurkhua and a hillary to an indian khaki cream along with a kelp to a clay creek as well as a crocodile to a makara and an go ben olive green shade; having a napa grey color thrown into the mix as well. The gate to the cage bursted with a visible orange explosion that can only be described as ammonium nitrate that was mixed with anhydrous hydrazine, that right there is from no other dragon than what the blacksmith is about to get into in a few moments. Hiccup's rage burned brighter and brighter with each day that comes and ends when it passes when regarding his cousin's behavior, how long does he have to torture himself by attending these classes with people he doesn't want to be near? How long will that rage be tamed before it fully bursts into a ring of infernos in the village, and eventually swallow Berk itself? The island can stand for as much as it wants, the inhabitants are the ones that need to leave right now because he never belonged to the Hairy Hooligans Tribe from the beginning. "Now a wet dragon head can't light it's fire-"

Hiccup shook his head at that fact. It's going to be a matter of time before dragons fire their shots underwater to drive back a bigger one on command, call it a spur in the moment but to him he's got a better explanation that no one is going to shut him down on; because it's true and they know it, so they're gonna have to fight him. Mutation happens with everything that is organic. This process is slow and normally it takes thousands and thousands of years, but it has a catch: every few hundred millennia, evolution leaps forward and in the spur of that time the dragons will heat up their fires enough to burn through water and fire at the bigger threat so it cannot attack those whom it is menacing. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock I is a scholar and he too believes in this as does his descendant who is the second to bear his name. You cannot convince him otherwise as it all comes with the archives written in his name and seemingly, it's locked away somewhere in the Meathead Tribe's library (A/N: This part was written in defense and in the protest of that one part in the RTTE episode "Dire Straits" where the dragons fire at the Submaripper while underwater)

"-The Hideous Zippleback is extra tricky. One head breathes gas, the other head lights it. Your job is to know which is which. At least I'm not some vicious drill sergeant with no sense of an indoor voice, and he who threatens you with eating limpets or a sink-or-swim mentor right?" Gobber explained

"Your ancestor was everything you said that you aren't, but even you know that he died from a stroke after he screamed his lungs out for the last time" A voice called out through the fog, telling him the details before falling silent again

"Spitelout, is that you?" Gobber asked, looking around the top edge where spectators look on from the stands and even around the fog; but found no one. "What you guys heard is true, my ancestor who bore my name first but with a different title, the Belch for he could burp up a Thunderdrum's soundwave of a earth shattering storm alright, was extremely unbearable and far from perfect; be glad that I'm nicer but don't take me as too big of a softie now, you hear?"

After that explanation, Hiccup got down and closed his eyes in order to focus both of his ears and listen for a low growl within the fog. Though not before he had to deal with Fishlegs, he was nervous and citing information regarding the Zippleback's killing methods. "Razor sharp, serrated teeth that inject venom for pre-digestion. Prefers ambush attack, by crushing it's victims-"

"Will you cut the sh*t?!" His hushed voice was on edge just like the other students. Besides, dragons aren't cannibals since the taste of human blood has got to be disgusting; eating one was out of the question on that conclusion. Returning back to his kneeling trance, he listened in on the footsteps of Astrid and Ruffnut looking around; keeping their backs up against each other like the other teens were. Snotlout and his go-to man Tuffnut were also keeping their guard up

"If that dragon shows either of it's faces, I'm gonna-" Snotlout started but didn't finish as he spotted the silhouettes of slim bodies with the right side having horns and the other being a neck. The light was casting their shadows through the fog and with him spotting the two, he was quick to jump onto his assumptions and ordered Tuffnut to throw his bucket. "There!"

The two of them splashed the silhouettes of... Astrid and Ruffnut as the latter was the one to call them out with the fog clearing up. "Hey, it's us idiots!"

"Your asses are getting bigger. We thought you were a dragon" Tuffnut came up with an excuse and chuckled at the end

"Not that there's anything wrong with a dragon-esque figure. Just be glad you don't stink as much as grease boy Hic-" Astrid rushed in with a right hook to his nose while Ruffnut threw her bucket at Tuffnut's skull

The lesson couldn't get any sh*ttier than today because Tuffnut was dragged into the fog and left behind only his screams of pain for whatever the Zippleback was doing to him

"Wait!" Astrid kept Ruffnut back as she slowly got her bucket and stood back up, the Zippleback struck a second time with a tail sweep which swept her off the ground she stood on; spilling her bucket of water

"Too bad it missed the front of her leggings..." Hiccup muttered derisively

Tuffnut of course came out alive but clutched his nose and passed them, having to get some ice for that skull and his nose. Stoick and a few parents questioned these lessons of learning on the job at times. "OH, I'M HURT! I AM VERY MUCH HURT!" Who isn't here?

"Chances of survival are dwindling into single-digits now" Fishlegs quivered with a hint of fear

"If you were like me, then the dragons wouldn't attack you during the raids; that's how it always been since I'm the one who's sick and insane according to Gobber's pep talks for his lesson on survival from day one. Damn you, Stoick" He shook his head and cursed his father, but who can he blame? Not the blacksmith, he's been trying to improve his pep talks for the better

One of the heads slithered out from the fog and snapped from one side to the other, never did he once take his eyes off Fishlegs who was a little jumpy with a little bit of water flying out. Not thinking properly, he splashed the head with his bucket. Hiccup could hear the Zippleback that he named Barf, this one was the head that spewed gas, let out a light crocodile-like bellow as it had narrowed eyes staring at Fishlegs voicing his rage at the Ingerman and imagined him going along the lines of: "Oooooo... now that's just takin' mah sh*tty mood and makin' it worse" using his own impression of his father and adding hissing to the voice, which the other head as that's the one that let out sparks heard listening closely to the smaller boy of the two while keeping hidden in the fog. Barf built up a cloud of gas as Fishlegs realized too late that he splashed the incorrect target

"Oh, heh, wrong head" Hiccup once again imitated his version of Barf along the lines of: "Noo... you don't think?" in a sarcastic, mocking and derisive way through drawing out the first line as if he would have never guessed that he splashed the wrong head. Barf shot a long stream of gas at him in retaliation

"Fishlegs!" Gobber called out to the Ingerman boy, he was just as concerned for him as he was for Hiccup who now had to face this beast alone. The Ingerman was screaming his way out just as the Zippleback took focus onto Hiccup, the spark igniting head showed up on his right with a duo of sparks that burst twice followed by a third time. Gobber ordered him as he's got them in position right where he wants the dragon. "Now, Hiccup!"

Because he was the only student with the unspilled bucket of water left, he began to run with one hand holding the handle of the bucket before he heaved it up to his right arm and thrust it up with a leaping jump; Belch, as he's named the spark-spitting head, merely raised his neck up even though the water would inevitably fall to the ground with a splash. Oh wait, hit the ground or Hiccup himself? Because that's what really happened as he let out an angry yell and with a lash of his arm threw the bucket to the ground so hard that he smashed it into planks and iron-studded bands to rims lining the top which bounced away from him. "sh*t!"

The Zippleback, now formally known as Barf and Belch, snarled and rushed into him as he didn't move but stood his ground while he stared them down; flaring out their wings like how a dino species known as the dilophosaurus would do, flapping them slightly in an attempt to appear as more intimidating to him. Hiccup slicked his hair back as if he came out of the explosive fire of his bud's plasma charge, minus the singed scorchmarks and soot of course, before he took the nearby spare bucket to spin around with both hands holding onto it; letting go to throw it over the Kill Ring before running up to it as he kicked it up into the air with a bop on the bottom with the top of his foot like it was a soccer ball, and springing into a leaping jump where he spun in order to kick it up against the wall. As one can see, he was taking his anger out on the innocent bucket that did no wrong to him; pretending that it was Stoick's decapitated head after he used his bare hands to rip it off himself. Saving the decapitated head of Stoick/the innocent bucket is Barf and Belch whom the former head bops Hiccup upward from underneath, before the latter reached for his ankle though he pulls away and swings on the chained roof as he then dives into the Kill Ring's floor again on a handstand; which was stopped by Barf grabbing him by the ankle as he then lashed the wind-up swing of his neck before snapping down to throw him hard to the ground, he landed on his feet before ducking backwards on the ground like he was busting a move by MC Hammer to dodge a head strike by Belch. Leaning back with both legs tucking inward as he jumped back up straight on the ground, this time he wasn't doin' any of that stunt bullsh*t from before; instead with a low voice he told the two heads

"I played by your way in this lesson about teamwork, which is an excuse for these assholes to talk sh*t behind my back by joking that they were going to use me as live bait. Now I try it: The Haddock Way" Hiccup finished threateningly, flexing his left and right pectoral muscle one-by-one in order to make them bounce; though the threatening nature was shattered when he just made them Celtic forged steel shining honkers dance manually using his two hands to make them bounce up. Evidenced by Belch's hissing starting to falter into a snicker and trying to continue keeping his expression, as even Barf couldn't take that threat seriously; since it wasn't supposed to be taken seriously to begin with though at least he was more in-control longer before he started to smile a bit. For the record Gobber didn't comprehend this as the Zippleback pounced in front of him, snarling at the boy

"Hiccup!" But what happened next was truly surprising, more so than the stunt involving that little breakdance move earlier; running with a hobble before stopping when he realized what was happening; his assistant was making a shoo motion with his hand and kept his back towards him and the students in his class, forcing the dragon back into their cage

"Back off! Back! Back! BACK!" In order to sell this convincing image that not only the teens are watching but also Gothi too, he drew out his old sword from behind like an illusion that he had used in a simpler time when he wandered on his own to search for the remains of a Monstrous Strangulator that lied underneath the island. Menacing the Zippleback as he continued to draw Barf and Belch back into their cage, looking back to see Astrid watching the scene unfold. "Don't you make me tell you again! Yes, that's right! Back into your cage..."

Once the Zippleback was in their cage in a reversal compared to the start of the lesson, Hiccup opened up the left of his body warmer vest but didn't take out the whole smoked eel; audibly keeping up the ruse until the end. "Now think about what you've done" He brought out the eel before quickly slurping it from head to tail

Feeling that the others were convinced enough, he lowered his voice and told them for both of their ears only: "Barf, Belch; 'til next time. Au revoir, Zippleback... I've got plans of my own for the meantime, lads" He whispered to the dragon as he closed the door to the enclosure shut, he looked over underneath his arm slightly to see the others with shocked expressions on all their faces really. Fishlegs even had his bucket slip through his meaty hands

He simply turned around and swept his hands on his body warmer vest while keeping his brow furrowed. "You're gonna need a tighter grip there, 'Legs. You might as well drop a hammer on my dad. Yeah, you know what? Fill that bucket with something wet to let it dry and set up a trap to spill it over him when he comes back, serves him right and it makes us even" He commented on Fishlegs' lack of grip before telling him to set up a trap for his dad when he comes back home as he's got something planned for that baboon of a father and a chief. Running out of the Kill Ring with a smirk written on his lips

Once outside and out of sight he took the whole smoked eel from around his neck, once again utilizing his illusive demonstrations to Barf and Belch before he crushed the slimey devil itself. He pitched the dead eel overhead from the bridge and watched it unfold as it hit the surface on the waters

"Your reign of terror is over, whole smoked eel" Pray to the gods that there aren't any dragon hunters who come to mind that they figure out what keeps the dragons up at night, and then uses that to their advantage against them

He fully crossed the bridge from the Kill Ring and went around the other side to the forge, ready to get started on his improvements for Toothless' Tailfin

Now, Hiccup is correct that the "Dragon Hunters" Tribe does exist however it was not a option for them to use eels due to them wanting to capture the dragons for their deeds; their tactician of a leader who could outsmart him time and time again knows that using them will make them fly off, and he's not the sort of man to let them get away because they're afraid of something of which keeps them away from Eel Island. The Uglithugs Tribe would do so willingly as a way to intimidate dragons they enslave as a method of theirs if all else fails, if he comes across them he'll be there to destroy all the eel livestock they've collected until they're scarce to come by and eventually no more. But the Dragon Hunters, being the more major threat to dragons when it came to him, wouldn't bat an eye and he's got to thank whoever their leader is. The two know that's a low blow for the Uglithugs Tribe themselves, at least the two have standards and know where their loyalties lie

Either way, he was on his way home when he was thinking of a way to ride Toothless, because having that prosthetic tailfin, as noted when he first fitted onto his tail, can't let him fly far on his own without him on his back. He changed route to the forge once he came with a new idea that involved something that waited for him there. It was a saddle designed for Toothless, for that 'oughta give back the freedom to fly he's been longing for now; as for the automatic tailfin on the otherhand, like he noted before it would take him time that he didn't have and felt like it was more of a side project to fly solo as he knows he might destroy it by smashing his tail onto the ground repeatedly. Toothless was unpredictable though, there's no knowing what the Night Fury might do next, as long as it's illegal on Berk and any of their enemies' locations, he cannot stress that enough in his head. Regardless of his acknowledgement that he's not a horse nor a mule or a talkin' donkey like that one whose friends with a ogre elsewhere, there weren't any other options that were open to him at this time with the limited resources he had and again he was on a time limit; it's only a matter of time itself before the adults of Berk come back from an another failed voyage that tested even the sanity and temperamental impatience of his dad. At the forge, he brought out his sketchbook to draw out the design of the saddle quickly before he brought out a old one from the storage. It's about time too because it was never used, Vikings like the tribes here in the Archipelago didn't ride horseback

Understandably, the Archipelago is exactly that: a series of islands surrounded by cold seas and treacherous stacks that jut out from the earth underneath, this was no landlocked or a coastal place unlike to say Norway, Scandinavia, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Iceland or even Greenland on the upper west side for that matter thanks to Erik the Red. Gobber kept it as a object that he found to be interesting, but it looks like the poor old man that came riding by seemed to have forgotten that it was there in the first place. Heh, now would you look at that? A reference to a sea shanty from the Golden Age of Piracy back in the Ancient Times; heheheheh, well ain't he a comedian himself. Besides, there wouldn't be a purpose for horseback here as there were some that didn't live here anymore who've said that sheep were used to provide transport; that and the chariots themselves weren't that big for the reason regarding the physical appearances of the commandeers themselves. He may've never known his grandfather, but he would've liked to ask about what Berk looked like back then before his dad; when he wasn't what he was now, took over his old man. The boy studied the basic shape of the saddle as he grabbed some strong and durable leather to pad it out, hammering and puncturing holes along the lines with the back of the head; for only the glow of the fire lit the forge and the one who sewed the threads of the leather strappings through the needle. The rings held the four straps meant to connect to one another underneath from the front and the back sides respectively, while the hole on the back of the vertically front facing oval shaped saddle was for the tail to slip through onto when fitted to the black body. It had a diagonally upward series of rectangular shaped stripes going up like it was a basket weave pattern, each of them had circular iron discs on the straps themselves and for the upper side of the black scaly body; there were armhole rings to help secure it saddle across the chest and for all intents and purposes, there was going to be some changes made to the saddle however this performs. Nothing was done without trial and error, not even his inventions; for there were a lot of them that were tested many times to work out the smallest of errors that would lead to a bigger disaster

All the hardwork ended up with a grinning face on top of that ivory skin of his, although he's acknowledged one thing: it's gonna be a hard time getting the saddle onto his dragon

HTTYD

Oh, did he just say a hard time right now?

Hard time was a f*ckin' understatement, because as soon as Toothless saw the saddle that of course Hiccup held up for him, he gives you one guess what happened next. He ran away. Yes and he means it for real: the greatest dragon known to mankind ran away, from an saddle and it was playfully judging by the expression on his face like that. Yeah, Hiccup couldn't breathe at all from laughing so hard; he had to lean against a moss Covered boulder in order to keep his balance since his lungs weren't having it, watching Toothless stare at the saddle before raising his back and tail to tease him side to side. The black dragon proceeded to run away while Hiccup called out and chased him. "Hey, get back here!" He knew that he was only playing around in refusal, but he still won in the end with the bribery of fish; lots and lots o' fish that'll flood the isle if they don't waterboard him first when they find out who was taking from the docks

Really, who'd give one quarter of a f*ck or a sh*t from his ass if he were forbidden from taking anymore from the docks? That's not stopping him from taking it when everyone's out cold for some much needed sleep, it's not that hard to come up with a plan like that. Hiccup also had a good laugh he was in need of at the look that Toothless gave him as he shifted his body on his back, which would shift the saddle in a good position until he was comfortable enough in that matter; not used to the foreign weight on his back. The next trick was getting the black scaled cat like dragon to allow him on his back, oh boy, if he knew how easier done than said it was; but that's bad communication, something that happens with people and families all the time. Even in this saga of stories based on Norse Mythology

Hiccup began to talk to him. "I want you to know that I understand you're not a horse or a pet to be ridden on of any kind, it's just that this way... I might be able to help you fly again. Both of us understand each other right? Helping you regain what you lost on that night, no thanks to those Vikings, damn the Hooligans; unless you're not the first of your kind to be disabled, because even I'm just one man and I can only help so many dragons like you out there who've lost either their wings or their tails. If you're not comfortable with me riding atop your back, I respect that, that flight trip you gave me was fun, but, it's not for everyone"

The Night Fury was more than willing to allow his boy atop his back, so that meant to him that he had to steadily balance on his leg and pull himself onto the saddle; which in turn holds the string to the prosthetic tailfin firmly. Do keep in mind that this is a field experiment with one of the versions of the brown tailfin, it can be compared to that of alchemy for which both are involved with experimentation with the principles of the creation of the world; and this one tailfin uses parts that were created with the world itself, using those proper elements. He is wanting to see what would work best for him up to the coming days of the final test drive to which is planned here. He's got ample time to himself to be alone with Toothless because for all his interactions with his friend Fishlegs, the blacksmith Gobber, the elder Gothi and at the times he's seen him his uncle Spitelout, he's not the most social Viking out there on Berk. He is especially somebody whose worse than that cranky and cantankerous old bastard who lives behind their village, look no further than Mildew as he might've been a former dragon slayer in his prime and youth but his tongue was as forked with the venom of a compulsive liar who rallies others to his cause; in order so that he can get away with pressuring the chief with the bombarding threats should he not comply to his problem of the day that Gobber has made up a habit of predicting whenever he was around in the main village. The amount of restraint he would require to keep himself from executing him in public eyes is slim, it's only a matter of time before he falls to the darker side of the axe; not to be confused with the sea shanty of the same name created by Norbert the Nutjob and the Hysteric Tribe

"Alright bud, let's see this performance take off" Hiccup petted his bud's neck, and Toothless took off into the air at last, it seemed to be working out as the string is responding well. They flew over the lake so as to not crash into some of the more rockier parts of the Cove, no need to get a scratch on either one of them through stupidity. The string responded fine, they flew with no noticeable flaws so far in mind. Through attempting to make a sharp turn, Hiccup had yanked the string tight which forced Toothless to divert off course and throw him off his back and overhead from his dragon; but that's only the first of the two flaws with his approach that he noted here. As stated before if for whatever the reason was he were to fall out, they were flying over the deeper and more sunken parts of the lake. Huffing at this flaw with the string method, Hiccup resurfaced to see him come out of the water as he was heavier than him, he on the otherhand was lighter and took longer to hit the surface than his bud. "Don't worry, it was just a flaw, we'll get it right Toothless. What we really need is a harness and a strap, then we can make those sharp turns"

The Night Fury warbled with his gummy maw at the idea of requiring a harness and a strap, as Hiccup bid Toothless a farewell for now, knowing that he will return tonight to sleep next to a warm scaly black cushion that can rise and lower like a living squishy blubber mattress. He was feeling more comfortable in the Cove than he was back home, not hard to see why that was a common truth to the boy. For now, he's got his detachable strap idea to keep him on inside of that saddle when they're making sharp turns. He headed down to the forge once again, while ignoring the whispers that followed which were about that feat in the Kill Ring that day; along with the way he handled the Zippleback before showing off he drove them back into the cage as well. Now, he was never really a good sport himself because if for once he won something in the Thawfest Games, he's not going to take it so good and this is because he's not used to a victory. He'd start showing a more, unlikeable arrogant and prideful side like his cousin; well, guess what? f*ck him, he's tired of him showing off his victories and rubbing it in his face, so he'll turn the tables on that motherf*cker. See how he likes it when his dad starts to yell and bitch and moan about how no Jorgenson has ever lost the games, threatening him to not be a devastating first. It's like his father is trying- no, forcing him to be more like Snotlout as that's one of the things he overheard as a young lad. Valka gave him a headache so hard that he had to use two ice blocks which is common for him whenever something ends up disaster, and he wasn't in the mood for a drink to wash away his pain. He didn't want him to be his own leader and he didn't want any more of himself as he gestured to all of him, just to make his point as clear as he could. One thing that wasn't mentioned before was that the saddle was hung on a ring in order to test the strap, there wasn't any wooden mount he could use anyhow

The next day was where Hiccup left briefly to pick up the redesigned saddle from the forge, it now included the ring where the harness strap would be, connecting it to himself and tugging on it to see how secured it was. He was satisfied with how strong it was holding on. Before he left, he took a quick look at the projects that he himself was working on

The first of these was a flaming sword that was retractable, meant to be wielded by his hands as it consisted of two dragon heads on the top and the bottom. The second was a shield that's got a couple of tricks up his sleeve which he added in a spring-loaded trap, launching out this catapult to painfully strike at the perpetrator and thieves who tried to steal this from him or a better scenario; try to disarm and use it against him. The third is what else? The auto-tailfin, a complex gear system was used to mirror the right tailfin which was organic to allow for a solo flight; but this only gave him basic control so he couldn't do any of whatever kind of advanced evasive maneuvers there was to be done in order to avoid any incoming projectiles heading a mile their way (A/N: The following schematics come from Carys1o1's DeviantArt page)

The schematics for the automatic tailfin consisted of, but are not limited to as written on the plans and in order: the support rod, hollow gap for the former, sealed, blackish brown toned leather, sealed end, leather for tri-layering, some sort of steel, hollow, welded together, an third hollow, the thinnest section of the entire tailfin, gaps for the membrane-support bones both, a sealed bottom, a free hinge, the prosthetic, the real tailfin and the bottom. He would have liked to get started, but there's only so much time he could have to himself before that chief of a father of his returned and it doesn't look like he has much time

At last, there's the gauntlets which are looking like gloves at the moment, but soon it would look like actual pairs of gauntlets for the arms enough, he wants them to be shaped after the claws of a dragon with sharp tips to scratch and maul his enemies. He left the forge and with the saddle in hand, the harness would have the strap connected to the belt of it since he can't trust it not to slide out if he becomes weightless; he didn't want sh*t like what happened the last time to happen again

Toothless had no qualms as Hiccup strapped that bastard onto him, even offering his leg with no need to ask him for assistance, heaving his boy onto his back and once done; he waited for take off as the string was tied around his leg this time. "Alright bud, let's try this again and we should be able to get the hell out of this forsaken isle this time" True to his word, it worked a lot more better this time as the two actually got out of the Cove and into the skies; higher as the two ever got before

He could feel the elation of his boy at the freedom of flight that was offered to him, he can't help but squeal in happiness either and coo afterwards to Hiccup; knowing in his heart he is going to need him to touch the sky forever, he can't do it on his own and he found he doesn't mind it. Hiccup is aware that deep in his heart, he would never fly again without him helping the dragon on his back, the weight that rested on him was comforting as it meant that he was safe and protected by the very flesh formed into bone that was himself. He was far away and out of the reaches of the villages who call this sh*tcaked pebble their home, when that was a lie far from the truth as the only home they've got was their secretly secluded Cove; one that is their sanctuary and their territory where they'll drive out their enemies and others who are looking to drive them out to claim for their own. Not even his violent father can touch him, it may come to a time that he would find out where he went everyday to escape his rage; but it was well warranted that he's gonna have some traps set up when he comes back one day, he will have to return eventually. But Hiccup wanted him to know that he would betray Berk just so he can be free, that's how it was going to stay forever 'til death rips them both apart and at last separate the man from the beast of each other

However on accident, as he flew Toothless underhanded and up near the right side of a moss rooted tree near the wall; Hiccup moved his foot wrong and caused a redirection in the flight as the tailfin wouldn't stay open for too long, breaking in the air with Toothless' wings as the boy was thrown over his head landing into a field of grass. The Night Fury managed to stand vertical all thanks to using his front claws to nudge him, making sure he'd stay upright when he landed on the grassy ground uninjured. He's got to thank him right there for that one, but when he heard the sounds of warbling behind him; he came to find his Night Fury is enjoying this grass, thank the gods too that he found him rolling in this field because he's purring a lot and big time in bliss. Curious, he picked up a handful of grass that smelled of... garlic, he had another idea come to his mind as the next lesson is going to be interesting indeed as he had thought absentmindedly. "Hmmm... I've got to find this place again when we come back one day, maybe with some other dragons like the ones in the Kill Ring, why should I let Toothless have all the fun here too?"

He sat down to draw Toothless rolling in the grass, keeping his sketchbook steady with him as he always looked up to get every detail as he decided to let him have his fun. Once they were both done messing around, the black dragon got his back and flew off to the Cove; it's only an matter of time before his projects that he dedicated equal time on were finished, even as it's looking like that he's rushing them to get them done as fast as he could when his dad returns from his voyage. He'd just wanted to leave Berk as soon and fast as possible, that's all. When he finally does leave, he'll be getting started with a home to build because at first he'll have a tent; it'll be extended into an actual house with a forge of his own to build and invent what is on his mind and what he's chosen to build based on his design plans from his office, and what experience he has with not only his dragons but also the tribes he visits with him such as the Hysterics because they're ahead of their time in spite of being seen as the crackpot tribe

In the Cove, which was the next morning, he found his Night Fury silently asleep, resting upside down in the archway formed by the roots of the tree; of course it's obvious that he's a early bird, the earliest of them all to have woken up. At least he slept nicely, unlike his dad of whom is the king of deafening ear bleeding snores; he wasn't trying to be intrusive at night of course, but he thinks he's doing this sh*t on purpose. Because when he first found Toothless, he's been developing a even more negative light that incented further about his father had it not been obvious that he argued with him; fought with his cousin in front of him and outright defied him by turning against him to do things like these. It wasn't the first time though, but in order for others to understand him by starting here at the final days of him living on Berk; this was the best way to describe it without going on about his history for the remainder of a long chapter like this. None of the beatings will matter now when he comes back, Toothless is the only one who ever made him feel this way and never again, he learned deep down, is he going to be alone with his friend next to him all the way there. It takes a lot to be desired but only now did he realize his solitary lonesome life, all that from his tribe that collapsed as he found someone to be with, was not as sweet as it felt in the time before. He didn't blame himself one bit, the life of a lone wolf is really hard to endure but it sure as hell didn't mean he can't go around showing a rude and nasty side he kept here on this isle. The first thing he will be doing here, when he's stronger, faster and more confident than before, is he'll begin to display his true personality even more to defy him; making an example out of Berk and to set up a home here in the Cove. After all, the village is responsible for making his living hell of a life worsen with the days, and they'll only encourage this dangerously lethal influence on their children but that didn't seem to be their concern

But then again, so is his cousin whom he'll have to fight at some point, a one-on-one duel all alone with him as no one will be watching them both. Maybe even fight Astrid at one point or another as she's trying her best to restore the honor of her family, because a Flightmare who was named the Hofferson's Bane framed her Fearless Uncle Finn with it's paralyzing mist that began the misconception that he became a coward; he couldn't care less of a sh*t even if it's a slight bit. To his moralities, courage mattered more as honor was only something to believe if there weren't anything to lose. If Astrid thinks he will bring more shame and dishonor toward his home more than usual as she'll be ranting about his inventions and lack of will to kill even one dragon, then she's a damn fool and a liar who had no insight because his dad knows what he did to that Monstrous Nightmare back when the Persians invaded for a campaign that left them defeated. The fact that she is upset over one dragon that appeared on the night of the Northern Lights called Aurvandil's Fire is prejudice, a big f*cking deal because it's all one single glowing dragon that feeds on algae that also glows like the species to appear as if it's a ghost. One dragon that loves glowing algae ruining the Hofferson name for fearlessness, who cares? That's all on her for not stepping in to prove her courage and slamming the pommel of her mother's axe into the Flightmare's throat to stop it from releasing it's paralyzing mist, but yeah that's on his list to investigate on how the dragon did it as at the time of writing about a time when he lived on Berk; Hiccup was ignorant on how the Flightmare made him freeze in his tracks. How did it do so to make him paralyzed in fear against his will to show bravery? As for the previous question about his loyalty, here's the answer: not him

And he's got something to say about the villagers who jumped to the conclusion that Fearless Finn Hofferson had been paralyzed by the Flightmare's mist: they can go f*ck themselves, the fact that they all believe that he froze in the face of one dragon is prejudice too. No doubt it's Mildew who encouraged that rumor that became a running joke that Hoffersons freeze in full on terror at the sight of the Flightmare, for as much as he didn't care for Astrid, he isn't going to let him get away with making fun of her family's name; but only because both she and the Hooligans can shut up about it and put a end to that joke already. He just didn't care anymore, he really didn't

His thoughts about having to duel his cousin, Berk's greatest shieldmaiden and other subjects on his mind faded as did the bloating hot gas bubble in his stomach causing him great pain; as there was a purring nudge that came from behind him. Turning to analyze where the cat was coming from, since he did own a tuxedo cat once himself and her name was Tulip, what he's found behind him was Toothless who stared at his face with those two black dilated orbs for eyes of his. Smiling at the night, he stood up and petted him on the snout as the tailfin was at the forge and his Night Fury knew that he's working on it; thus, he made his leave with full on disclosure when he returned about what he had in store for his other projects since there's a couple of things to do first, and he intended to keep that promise to his bud. What he didn't bring up is that he was leaving Berk, he didn't think Toothless was ready to hear his thoughts

Once again as with tradition, he waited in the shadows of the Kill Ring for the others to arrive, Gobber told the class as he moved ahead across each of the five cages behind him. "We'll be starting the competition today. Now, from her' on out, I'm no longer gonna' be tellin' ya' what to do. Yer' best strategies for the next few days are your own to come up on the spot, the task for each day that follows as I explain: is to knock out each and every one of these dragons. Do not kill any of them. I repeat: DO. NOT. KILL. These are not for slaughtering, the adults, even I included worked our finger bones to the bone marrow and got bitten in the ass or gods forbid our hooters, to capture each of the fives dragons I demonstrated from day one. I can't stress it enough since Spitelout recounted the accidents that occurred here, as much as I and me lad do not hold this time lightly with open arms; I have to bring up that it happened before our heir became the former Champion of Berk, but I can't agree with him more that it's child slavery given he was twelve going on thirteen to fourteen years old at the time. I also can't talk of it without Hiccup's permission-"

"You're one of the only ones I trust on Berk to talk about what it felt like Gobber, you don't need to ask permission from me. It's just an abridged retelling since I know the full story of what happened. It's not any different in the way you say it" Hiccup interjected to remind his friend that he didn't need permission from him to talk about what it meant to be a champion who didn't feel the glory of one. Fishlegs couldn't help but pat him on the back when he had brought that up. "I'm fine, 'Legs, I'm fine. What's done in the past is done"

"Thank you lad, still though it brings back too much bad memories to talk about, and way too much pain to even mutter that horrible sentence by the Berk Council. Whoo boy I've gone off and derailed myself haven't I, eh? Know that whoever is out first will be removed from the competition to fight the Monstrous Nightmare and kill your first dragon in front of the entire village, but not out of the class altogether; you can still watch as spectators above and participate in the other lessons, one of you will make it to the top of the big boys we've gotten to. Today's test-" Gobber continued as he then placed his organic hand on the lever to the cage everyone is familiar with since day one, and Fishlegs was excited about using this one because he had a soft spot for this species but didn't say anything as he didn't want to be yelled at again. "-will be the Gronckle" He finished softly, pulling the lever down and opening the lock to the cage

Well now that Meatlug's brought out again, she resorted to ramming into each of the teens with gusto, since this wasn't like last time where the lesson was about survival; and each of them were dead if they got hit according to Gobber. Hell, she managed to get someone that honestly surprised Hiccup the most out of the whole class. "Fishlegs, you're out" Gobber had called from above

Of all the students in Dragon Training, he was sure that his knowledge would've helped him to survive at least the next two days ahead. Dammit, can't say that he's not disappointed in this test so far when it hasn't even begun. He was hoping someone else would be the first, that would get their ass out of the competition and his wish came true because Snotlout is the next to be eliminated

Now, as he held the garlic grass that he dubbed "Dragon Nip" in his hand and examined it in the palm of his hand while she was ramming into Tuffnut, she was buzzing her way over to a boy that she was familiar with. But Hiccup was too busy laughing his ass off about that jerk of a cousin getting eliminated in the worst way possible, the ricocheting of his shield slammed in his crotch and uppercutted him with a bounce; even being bashed from behind by the dragon who caught him by her maw and spun around to throw him out of the Kill Ring for good. Yeah, he had to lean against the wooden plane behind as she stopped in her tracks and landed right on her stomach; both eyes turning to dilated orbs as he rubbed her snout with the garlic grass he held onto. Yeah, apparently Gronckles don't like being scratched underneath their chins as so many other dragons do so the dragon nip is the way to go, anyone who relayed this info is said to have learned the hard way but at no point was this confirmed by anyone else who had taken the time to get up close with this garlic grass in their hands; it felt more like a rumor to discourage him from doing so. Still, these Gronckles loved their dragon nip and he's not about to deny Meatlug any as her eyes were in bliss; rubbing vigorously just as Astrid's battle cry is heard. She fell to her side with her stubby little leg twitching madly. Hiccup was gone by the time Meatlug did just that, nobody got to speak with him as he was running back to the Cove to be with his Night Fury who taught him so much about dragons liked and didn't like. Stoick, if he were watching this on the silver screen, would have his eagerness turn into unkindled fury because from what he would be witnessing of his son; this would be his son cheating his way up the ranks. But f*ck him, he made his choice and he chose to engross himself in being someone who wasn't an abusive, fearmongering chief on his son; at least he doesn't go into the depravity of the demon who calls himself DaddyOFive, there is no true justice for what he had done to his son Cody and his daughter Emma. The author digresses though, some of the fathers aren't meant to be fathers in the first place if they want to rely on torturing their next-of-kin; especially when they're tone deaf to believe their personal feelings are what all that matters more than the wellbeing of their children. Grandmother Cressida knew this too and she stood for neither of the examples, for no father should try to kill their own children. But at any rate, this would be the time he could feel safe and nothing was going to stop that nor stop him from feeling that way. Those other fathers worse than Stoick can lie about what they did, but they will never learn from the Arabic that falseness lasts an hour but the truth is forever with this proverb of the middle east

Leaving the Kill Ring was something else, he was getting the attention of some fans which are the teens no less. But they're only being nice to him because he's showing unhonest skill that they don't know, though he's not feeling guilty or ashamed of it. He's embracing the moment while it's lasting for the time being, given that he's being asked a couple of questions as well as given some compliments that he accepted

"What was that? Some kind of trick? What did you do?" Fishlegs was asking the most of the teens and how can he blame him for being curious? He knows his dragons like he does of his bloodline, though Spitelout offhandedly mentioned to him that at least Snotface Jorgenson knew when to abandon his ego according to him, referring to the time when he was fighting Hiccup Horrendous Haddock I when it came to regarding the rivalry between the two from in the Ancient Past

"How'd you do that?" Tuffnut wondered

"It was really cool" Ruffnut complimented

"From the way I see things, you're the one that did that stunt in the ring back there, not me" Hiccup acted like that wasn't his doing

"Hey, Hiccup!" He was trying to catch up to him

"Hey, Hiccup, I've never seen a Gronckle do that before!" Of course it came from Snotlout, even he too is fooled but the truth is, he and him are never going to reconcile. He might be faking his compliments because he too is suspicious

Hiccup started to look for something on himself, seeing that was lighter than usual and used to this to pretend that he was going to demonstrate but found out that he had no weapon on him. "I left my axe back in the ring. You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up with you in the hall, not like I even enjoy dining there..." Truth be told he did bring his axe, to lower suspicion should any of them get too snoopy around his business

Either way, Hiccup left the company of the teens and passed by Astrid who walked slower but still close to the others. Just as he was leaving, she started to hiss and give him a jealous look at the back of his head. She was shot down by him half turning to face her. "Don't get jealous of me, Ms. Fearless Uppity Ass Hofferson, I'm not better than you ever were" The tone in his voice was snarky but legitimate as he continued running to the Kill Ring to retrieve his axe

He never came back afterwards, those teens could only think where he went

Toothless smiled when the scent of his boy came into the Cove and sat up, the saddle was of no constant intrusion nor presence on his back and he couldn't give a sh*t at all even if it was; matter of fact it was placed onto him by the time Hiccup returned. "I knew you'd show up" He greeted, he was happily purring and trilling with a coo as Hiccup came back closer to him with no hesitation in the slightest

"Hey bud" He greeted this Night Fury back, brightly with his forest green eyes shining as the black dragon replied back with a trilling coo at him, stretching out his arms and shoulders; as both of them were his developing muscles. He decided that he could use a bath himself, he even went to tell him that. "I'ma go ahead and bathe alright? So, just stay there, it won't be long"

You know, this is the first time he'd done so and bathed in front of Toothless, lately he was using the showers from in the village in the dead of night to wash out the filth of insults; in this day however, the weather was really and unusually hot for Berk like it was the south, a common direction as it's where Notus, God of the South Wind, provided sanctuary to any of the avians who are seeking warmth from the cold winters of Boreas, God of the North Wind. The other two are Eurus, God of the East Wind, who is like a violent storm and Zephyr, God of the West Wind who is like a gentle breeze; both the former and latter brought rain as well as such. This is of course disregarding the fact that the village on Berk was always so close up to the heavens above, where Asgard was said to be, so the cold water could at least help him in the slight sunburn that he himself supported on his arms

Removing his shirt and body warmer, he saw Toothless alerted by this sudden shedding of his clothing with both green/yellow eyes wide; like he was tearing away his skin until his flesh is coming off like when Hercules ripped the minotaur's cloth off him, which pieces of flesh have come off when he tried to remove it bearing great pain when worn. "Hey don't be scared, my flesh isn't gonna come off like I'm wearing a tight cloth shirt made of minotaur skin. If it's not obvious enough, they're only clothes. I can remove and change them, for your curiosity alone for a quick sniff" He held some fresh folded clothes in his hands for him to sniff before he set them on the rock far away from the water

Now that he's fully stripped down, he walked in smoothly as he sighed from the coolness for which surrounded his overheated body. Now whilst he was more used to the heat due to his close proximity towards his bud, Toothless, he still needed to cool off or feel like that there is an ice age that undergoing a meltdown. He may not be part-Inuit himself, but he knew that there was an time called the ice age and soon all that melted to welcome in all so nice flora; a number of which would make Flora May and Phlegma the Fierce interested to study, cause if the latter isn't fighting then she was experimenting with what effects came from the flowers along with doing some woodworking as a hobby because she did express interest in doing so. It's just like with alchemy: field experiments with the principles of God's, and in the affairs of the Norse pantheon, Gods' creation of the realm of Midgard; and an art that should not be an heretic branded practice

Toothless, on the other hand, was actually very alarmed when his boy removed his pelt, but that was laid to rest with his boy's calm explanation of how he could shed and place them on himself; soothing his worries so long as his boy would suffer an infection, he's going to be all the more fine of course. So, he just simply watched with those large dilated orbs as his young boy bathed himself as he applied a strange but flowery scented smelling bar over his body as he dived into the water; looking up with shock and alerted but calming down just as soon for when his boy reappeared with the purple tinged bubbles that vanished off his skin. He even combed out his hair which was pretty long, the Night Fury noted that feature to himself, but he also caught sight of the silvery lines too; they were patches of large and uneven brown to yellow colors that had bloodied marks which have long since dried out. No two marks looked the same and each of them were varied in all sorts of sizes to places and signs, but what he's suspected the most is that it gave him awful pain. The one thing he can't help but not stop his eyes from looking at nor explain to himself was also on his back, it was the insignia which was imprinted on him like a tattoo; it showed a Night Fury like him that was flying over the moon which was crescent shaped, whose light golden surface had brown tan scales of a carp fish as it has been described in greater detail earlier before. His own plasma glowed and resonated, it was whenever the boy was near him. He was going to find out one way or another, but he wondered if he knew about this symbol, if it was there on his back and importantly; where did that insignia come from?

Hiccup couldn't help but let out a chuckle as he felt his Night Fury's eyes never once leaving his body, he's most assured that people hated to be watched while bathing but when is that ever bothering him if Toothless was watching? Mainly, it didn't because he knew that he was safe with the dragon

Oh Jesus, for as much as that was a familiar concept in the Ancient Times as his ancestors did it before him, that was a shocking concept thanks to renewed interest: a Viking like him, safe with a dragon like Toothless. He too thought it was one himself. "Strange thought..." He had thought to himself as he combed out his long hair

But, that didn't matter did it? Whoever said he was a Viking? He wasn't one, all he ever was is a mistake who in return was a burden and a plague unwanted by the village of Berk. With the sudden thoughts making him pause to examine his birthmark which was starting to glow, he's seeing it resonate with more light than it was often showing; he wondered if it really gave his toothpick frame strength and power to be more than what he was to himself. He certainly did not want to turn into a power hungry tyrant, but he didn't want to turn into someone who is detached from himself. It's odd that others would take notice, and he was forced to bandage it every single day now, most are right to go ahead to assume that he's ashamed of it; not like in a million years they would notice and if they're more aware than that, they'd ridicule him for doing the right thing with mockery and spitefulness. How could be wrong? They all saw it as a curse on the night he lost his mother, Stoick exposing his bare upper body like that; all of the villagers knew he should be ashamed to be marked by the gods as a boy who was born before the others were prematurely, the chief had his chance and he chose to believe Mildew he presume because why would they immediately jump onto the assumption that it was a curse without a sleigh of hand from that old man? But one half of himself knew he thought he wouldn't make it, and he didn't give up on him. It didn't matter one way or another, he was really concealing it from their eyes. He hated to be called a devil blooded freak, but little did he know that he's going to live up to that slur of a title because his Night Fury will shed his blood to save him on the verge of death that was hanging him by a thread. He dared to dread what Stoick would've done if he found out as it might've glowed once, but believed he was laying on top of an light as it's too much to think about. He couldn't stop, for nothing else on his mind would allow his head to change topics. Now while Hiccup was lost in his deep thoughts, he never heard nor saw Toothless walk into the water of the lake until he put his head underneath his arm. "Hey there, bud"

He stroked his Night Fury's snout while his eyes remained on the birthmark of his left arm

"Is everything alright?" Hiccup smiled when he leaned back into his dragon, sighing at the warmth Toothless was giving off with his heated scales

"Everything's alright, I'm just thinking with my thoughts. It's what I always do" There's a shift in the water this time, he could feel the tongue of his black scaly cat of a dragon stroke along his back which made him squint in confusion; but there was only so much he could think and say what's on his mind before he realized that this is the first time he ever saw his scars that were remnants of the past. The sight of those grisly markings must've frightened him, and it appeared it did so with the evidence of Toothless backing off from him in fear of hurting his boy even further. That's when he chose to explain. "Scars, I got them off..."

He trailed off the end unsure if he really wanted to tell him that his father is responsible. For so much pain, scorn and neglect he caused have been welcomed into his life; he shouldn't be burdening the black scaly cat of a dragon's back it. In fact, he's not really sure about anything; if he should be openly telling him that Stoick was responsible for the scars

"Someone, a long time ago and I was a little boy at the time. Smaller than I am today" He finished, noting his height too since he wasn't the tallest member of the teens that he is rightfully inclined to believe they will never change; especially Astrid who will lie about telling no one. It's not assumption, it's the truth for him to know and them to never learn about what he actually feels about the four of them out of the five main teens

As if sensing that he wasn't ready to talk about where the scars came from, Toothless never asked. No, instead the Night Fury ran his tongue over his birthmark which made him giggle; laughing a little bit even because of the ticklish feeling from the rough keratin barb texture. It's something to help the boy out of his inevitable thoughts of suicide, and he did go on so he could ask what was really on his mind: where did this birthmark come from?

"What is this? I've never seen anything like this insignia before, branded on a redblood no less. Not even on someone special like you" Hiccup looked at both of his arms, coiling up to both of his shoulders. Toothless is curious of a lot of things as he will be since there is much about humans he sought to understand, there will be no harm in telling him where it came from; but the origin of the birthmark was understandably out of his reach

"I was born with this" It was spoken with sorrow, for this mark was the cause of half the pain he felt, the second half being the chieftain. "I should've told you before that, my mother, her name was Valka, was taken from me and died by the claws of a Stormcutter who carried away with her in it's talons. That's not the worst part, it goes deeper than a cut. She bled profusely when she was in labor with me, nothing that anyone could do would've helped her recover a lot faster than at the speed she was going. For eight weeks given her small build, she lied on her bed but eight weeks was all she needed; it's how you replenish blood you need to take in order to preform a blood transfusion for our doctors, but it's rarely ever so that they aren't as prepared as they thought because they must always be ready. There's different blood types in that matter too, some of the types are rare and it wouldn't run correctly"

"What happens if the given blood type is wrong?" Toothless didn't like the idea of his boy in front of him having incompatible blood running through his veins, there's no way he would be fine with that

"ABO Incompatibility, a hemolytic reaction that'll destroy my donor's blood cells if I do have a rare type. There's too many risks that are bound to follow. My body won't take it lightly, they will treat it like it's a enemy force, Scythians for example, that are leading an assault and will respond accordingly by sending their antibodies to exterminate the threat. Misunderstanding at it's finest. You can tell I'm not comfortable explaining this but I'm going to teach you what I learned from Gothi through her writings, and yes it's true she gave up her voice to become an elder of our tribe; but her twin sister Gretel gave up her eyes and vanished, not without envy and hate towards her though when she wasn't chosen. The transfusion is rare but it's serious business and life threatening like tuberculosis, there are symptoms of course, every disease has it. Fever, chills, chest/back pain, bleeding, your heart rate could increase, you could feel your breath coming up short, your blood pressure will drop rapidly or your kidney might even get damaged like you drank some kerosene that'll destroy your body. This wrong blood type infusion is in fact, potentially fatal and can kill someone. You know the worst part of all this? Your blood is on their hands for being careless and your murder is responsible for the amount of outrage, demanding that the doctors be exiled from the tribe for their crimes and shutting down their way of life even when many others couldn't be saved; but this one death is really enough to say that enough is enough. This is why we tend to have blood drives every now in a while"

(A/N: The information regarding Gothi's twin sister came from new information regarding the unreleased novel called the The Fire Tides by Richard Hamilton, and if there was a fourth novel written by him, he'd said that she would be the main antagonist with an army of unreformed villains including the return of Calder who is severely burned and that armor he wore is fused to his body now. The only other villain I know who is unreformed is Savage and the last I heard of him was from Titan Uprising where he joined Maeve, the Matron of Dragons and the Dragonroot Company. But that's about it, he hopes The Fire Tides is released so we can find out what has become of Drago Bludvist who is said to still be at large by a number of fans or has drowned due to the loss of his arm by Bonesnarl)

"The fact that they want doctors who saved lives in their tribe shut down because of this one death is prejudice" Toothless was deadpan but irritated

"Same as wanting to stop others from using medicine because it will harm their children, this is failing to realize that side effects are natural. They want to keep the plague alive to prove a point by killing others for their movement"

"Movement? This is terrorism" Understandably, he was upset just as Connor Kenway was when he learned of the news that the Mohawk village is being sold by William Johnson

"And I will have every anti-medicine extremists banished if a insurrection is rising if I lead the tribe. I could care less about their personal feelings because their teeny-weeny-wiener twig jimmies shrunken by hot water of a voice should not be more important than the reality check that they're demanding everyone to avoid treatment, not just for themselves and their children, but for their pets and god forbid, their dragons too if there are some diseases which dragons like you aren't safe from"

"You want my opinion? Stop being selfish and take your f*cking medicine, end of discussion" Upfront and direct response, no other way to say it than that

"You said it bud. But Prometheus' liver, we went off track there and I haven't forgotten what I was telling you. No one could blame Valka, not even me. Being in labor, no matter it taking as early at the end of the nine months like with me who was born prematurely or later like with everyone else; it makes no difference now, pregnancy has always been painful either way. In the end, because she knew of the risks; she had to die by my birth just to give me life, while I would be doomed to live unborn in the womb. And I think that would've made the village all the more happier if I didn't have this cursed insignia of a tattoo on my back, but I don't treat it that way like it's a mark from the gods that I will bring only shame and ruin to the tribe; I hide it underneath the wrappings, I'm keeping it away from them because they don't have an right to test my patience with their insults directed at me towards this. Not to mention, judging by the stories told by my uncle Spitelout, I wonder if this is apart of my ancestors; the fellowship of the first of him before my triple great grandfather and me. I shouldn't bore you anymore, I know I gave you a lot on your plate to think about concerning me and you haven't even eaten one third of the meal I've brought; after you were looking tired the past three weeks, all on a cold morning right here in the Cove"

Everything he spoke came with a rising hint of suicidal afterthought, speculation and thinking of a scenario between the two which wasn't the last time he does this. Toothless' coo did not only go deep but his head moved to rest on his chest as a hug. "Thanks bud, but yes, the only time I saw here alive was when I was younger than this and my da-" He shook his head. He is done with the excuses that he keeps bringing onto himself like this. "Stoick... the chief of our welcoming community doesn't like talking of and about her, nor the times he spent with her. Not after what I did but he has no intention on getting remarried to another woman. Neither of us liked to talk about her, except when we're fighting like a couple who didn't want to be a couple because our marriage was arranged just to secure an alliance as the Haddock family of course is good at forming alliances. The Hoffersons are fearless, the Jorgensons do not lose a Thawfest Game that comes annually but also have to kill a bear to become a member of their family when you should have the right when you are born god dammit, the Thorstons do this sh*t too with the Thorston Induction Trials but I have grave doubts that Gruffnut ever finished them himself, and the Ingermans do not have diseases that run in the family; it wasn't always like that as a man named Fishlegs the Faithful, back then known as the Nameless was riddled with a couple of them including allergies to reptiles. I do want you to know that the Haddocks were also the best fighters and the Hoffersons are strategists too. I'm the one that's a victim of spousal abuse but men can't be abused by their wives, no, only wives can be abused by the men they're married to. f*ck you for believing that sh*t is truth, I'm the victim here and they can see what my viperous wife is doing to me by assaulting her husband in open all-eyes-on-us public, and I will be the judge, the jury and the executioner if I have to lay my blade on her for attacking me again by stabbing me with a fork. You're not ignoring that sh*t anymore, and I do not play games with wives who bitch about things I never did to them because I never laid my hands on her once. Damn it all. Like I said, I've gotten compensation for the fights we had endured, it just makes wish she wasn't there so I don't have to endure with what she left me with to deal alone and to him; it's me to deal with for pissing him off all the time"

Hiccup had a lot of things to rant like female-on-male abuse not being taken seriously when compared to autism that's taken too seriously like it's a flesh eating bacteria of a disease, in which it f*cking isn't. The family induction trials where you have to prove yourself when he's not comfortable with being threatened to be thrown of the family by entitled assholes, as at least with Native American tribes who do the same thing; they don't threaten other nameless individuals who haven't earned their name yet and are merely sent to meditate what they are seeing in their vision quests. The Apaches are prime example of being named after what you, as you've reached manhood, saw in your visions and Hiccup accepts that fact because no tribe or nation of the Indigenous Americans are the same as each one has their own culture as well as their beliefs, no one should be dictating who should be cast out of the family and return to them when the task is finished to be welcomed with open arms. The Spartans are another as even though you're thrown out into the wild to survive to hone your skills or die, constantly being tested through stealing to live another day and being punished for being caught while being able to take the pain so you can die to bask in the glory of a Spartan or live to the rare, old age where you will be revered by many in Sparta because of how many battles you have survived up to this age is also acceptable; even if Hiccup doesn't agree with casting newborns who are ill or weak and god forbid deformed to the point where they can't raise their shields with their arms because of their deformities as that will break the phalanx formation, this is a warrior society who put their lives at the frontline first and leave behind their feelings that make them afraid so they can't lose focus on battles that call for the aid of their spears known as the king of weapons. But the problem he has is that older Vikings should teach them in the field about what they've learned in their youth and in their prime before setting out on their own, not expect them to die because it will grant them a place in Valhalla while growing old sends them to Helheim along with succumbing to a flesh eating bacteria that proves fatal; he hates that sh*t. As for the example involving the babies who grow up but are not fit to be the warriors named after their city Sparta in Greece, they can help in other ways by providing the emergency provisions they require to keep their strength going and tend to their wounds of which they don't have the luxury of time that will seal them up before the next battle begins. One last thing concerning the Vikings and this is a good one right here, they shouldn't under no circ*mstances pressure the younger lads and lasses that they are on a time limit or remind them constantly that they're being threatened with banishment. Sometimes, maybe he'd be better off to live in Greece where he would pray to Ares about retaining his skills for the next life when he dies, so he can return home as a old man on his deathbed and see the face of his brother in arms or even his king who can fight his own battles like Achilles wondered once at a time when the Trojans needed to be taught a lesson one last time before he walks through those gates to the Elysium Fields. Nothing on Midgard could keep him away from Stoick, not even as he stopped himself from finishing his sentence

He's got nothing but melancholic conclusions today, especially those involving tragedy and deaths in the family as Toothless noted. But it all remains the same: he refused to call Stoick his father, that man is the furthest thing away from a real dad. He despised that chief for all of the sh*t he endured as he thought, as an angry hormone inducing teenager with a heart so full of hatred that he would not be fit to rule Wakanda; and while not a hidden nation as it is before thanks to T'Challa, he who put the knife where it belonged and sounding alike to the word "tit*hala (teacher)" in the Xhosa tongue of the Eastern Cape of South Africa along with the word "tyala (to shove)", he had no intention on visiting the advanced country or meeting their king as he didn't want to put more burdens on his shoulders as they've got it Covered all good. But yeah, he questioned and assumed for all this time that Stoick was consumed under his own fear about his birthmark's true purpose

Yawning with his throat rumbling and his chest gurgling as if it were a bellowing mating call of which came from an alligator, he had gone on for too long about what he hated and what he's thinking of doing to his dad along with the motherless burden on his back. He guessed he can tell Toothless something more uplifting, not wanting to be so overbearingly sappy on him

"I've been boring you with my thoughts on some of the things for too long. Let's get into the more happier side of things shall we? I do have to mention that I've named most of the four dragons in the aptly named Dragon Training classes" Toothless' ears perked up a little bit, as he gestured for him to continue on with what he had to say. Hiccup sat on his knee while the black scaly beast of a Night Fury stood up underneath the lake bipedally, his underbelly fully exposed in front of him while sitting back like before when they first truly met each other in this Cove; his right claw resting on his shoulder while the other one in front of his gut which is as squishy as his own

Where does Hiccup begin to start? Oh, he knows! How about the first dragon he met on the first day which didn't go so well

"The Gronckle and the Nadder were both female, but I met the Gronckle first for day one in a lesson about survival in the Kill Ring. That same one who burnt my hand, even if it was not on purpose. Gave her the name Meatlug, she's as strong as meat that hangs by the hooks that a Viking like me can lug on his shoulders and haul ass like a irate bull like she did as soon as the two doors to her cage flew open; because both Gobber and I believe on learning on the job, a suicidal tactic you might think so and you're right because some Vikings here on Berk find this practice questionable and disturbingly risky. She's got some rocky scales and bumps that look like pebbles embedded to her, heard that her kind can sleep while flying though wakes up as soon as she's come crashing down either in the ocean's surface or in the side of a mountain of one you're more likely to point to the Markarth Tribe on The Reachmen's Road. It's a rich isle, a village protected by being built into the mountains and the richness coming from the mines for their mineral sources and being influenced by our good pals from the Sunset Mountains, the dwarves, a race that says size doesn't matter but that's not what they're known for the most. Plus, she's endurable as countless lugs of the meat I used to take my anger and hatred for this stinking hellhole out on them in the butcher shop; the poor old man who came fallin' by as a ill man that grew worse passed away, and I've decided to pay my respects to him for a few days by steering clear. Couldn't do it for a second before I found something else to take my rage out on. The new butcher is more memorable to me since I didn't know the old one too much"

Toothless nodded at the description of Meatlug, what the Markarth Tribe offered, the fact he learned about the continent of Faerûn (FAY-ROON) most likely from his cartographer studies he didn't mention before and the fact that he found something outside of people to take his anger out on. It's some good exercise, especially cartography as he might've received an map from-

"Yes, I traded with Trader Johann (JOE-HAUN) for a map that showed some interesting places I'd like to explore outside the Archipelago. They'll recognize me as a Viking sure, but I'll see a whole new world to visit. See places like Baldur's Gate, the Sunset Mountains just like before I brought up when discussing the mines, the Marsh of Chelimber, why not even check out Sword Coast too? I could use some allies during my time looking around. Johann is a nice guy, and we respect him; but his storytelling that goes on and on forever is maddening, he might have done so on purpose to make it rub it off on me, 'cause I too have a full plate like you do. What better way to clear it off than to share it with you? You're a good listener after all, even if my free trial of having your interest in my thoughts expires. Either way, let's get a spotlight for our favorite dragon shall we?"

(A/N: I used to play a game called Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance on the PS2, and I've been interested in watching the D&D Forgotten Realms game for awhile. So what better way to express your love for the game than by making a reference to Baldur's Gate, Sunset Mountains and the Marsh of Chelimber as those are the three main locations you visit in the game. The second game Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II takes place entirely in Baldur's Gate itself and in that game, you have to rescue the three protagonists from the first game named Vhan the Arcane Archer, Kromlech the Dwarven Fighter and Adrianna the Elven Sorceress from Mordoc who is a vampire. Plus, in both games as a special reward; you get to play as the drow/dark elf swordsman Drizzt Do'Urden. I've never managed to beat The Gauntlet myself when I still had the game but I intend to watch how it goes as well as even watch New Game + with him as the playable character)

Next came the Nadder from the second day in Dragon Training. "This Nadder from day two as our lesson was about attack in the Kill Ring put us in a maze that was set up, no thanks to that Hofferson girl tearing down Gobber's hardwork like a Pharaoh building an empire; while his children try to find ways to amuse themselves by bringing it down before it's even finished. That's just awful. But this Nadder could win a lot of blue medals given her storm blue scales, and those beautiful sunrise golden markings that can be found on her crown of spikes and a couple on her tail that sprout with spines faster than you can f*ck before she impales you in her bed of thorns; but that's not gonna stop you from ripping yourself out of the bed, you're gonna lose some blood but it's better than a spine going through your eye as Tuffnut liked to fantasize that one time; but that's just Tuffnut being an adrenaline junkie like her sister who is still the more reasonable, when the time calls for it selectively. Stormfly is a fitting name, a Deadly Nadder splits through a storm of thundering clouds that rain down on her and as we'll be approaching the end of that troublesome storm; our good old friend Stormfly has reached a golden sunrise with beaming rays that can make her warm her scales from the splashing sea underneath her talons, and the drops of rain that tried to pelt her like hail that too fell out of the sky. Tsk, I'm being too philosophical about what I'm naming her... never told any of those dragons about why I called them by the names I gave them but they'll learn in due time bud. It only takes curiosity from them and I don't break promises either, but things change so I'm not even sure if I could trust my own words"

Toothless like the idea behind Stormfly's name, the fact he came up with all of this tells him that when he's been alone for so long, he gets ideas by whatever he does during the day and the scenarios write themselves while he doesn't have to lay his charcoal pencil on the piece of parchment. He may never like the prospect of being a human, but if that time comes and he's bound to forget this thought of his, at least he'll find a similar way to cope like his boy

The third was the Zippleback as he went with the infamous phrase coined by him as he acted like the full name of the species, the first part for the matter, was a insult to them; but there will be dragon species with other names that sound like insults so why should he judge them anyhow? Still, he's got a knack for naming the dragons with what comes up at the cap of that brain of his. "No holding back for these two as they can use a single rider rather than two, as the Thorston Twins or any two riders would be riding on their necks to prevent them zipping both of them; but there's more to this two headed dragon than that, I'm quite sure of it. Like I said I'm not holding back on what gave me this idea for Barf and Belch's names. The Thorston Twins are always fighting over everything and anything they come across to perceive as cool, but there's only one that one of them can have and neither of them are backing off to claim it as their own because both of them are selfish about it. Wrap your head all around that if you don't trust your hand as he'll be cheating by removing the padding of cestus gloves, using an hard hitting load of plaster of paris into the knuckles and start beating with punches that can dominate anyone they can leave with a broken jaw that's not in the right position anymore. Boring them out is more like what Fishlegs can do, he's a good friend indeed. Now we can get on with the names and you're gonna love this one, I'm sure of it: Barf comes home, a piss ass drunk of an alcoholic who doesn't look so good and vomits into a bag used to clean some dog sh*t their neighbor's, whom I liked to point out moved away, mythical Boneknapper dog left behind. Belch avoided ending up like his brother but couldn't stop burping up some voltage inducing drink, making blow out some sparks because of faulty chemicals in the foamy drink people like me enjoy drinking or a high level of some cackling, bubbling fizz. I'm not sure if the Boneknapper is real, but I'm more than willing to help Gobber find on out and help him understand dragons better to secure an trusted ally for me. Add that to the list for what we'll do together"

Toothless chuckled a bit at the way he described Barf and Belch's name, he wondered if they shared his thoughts on the scenario; even Hiccup was curious himself though given that he's describing one as a drunk and the other burping up a storm of sparks, it'd make them mad as if they're being dissed in a rap song made by Ice Cube, the king of disses. If only he could find the right rhymes for that matter, maybe he'll have a word with 2Pac/Tupac Shakur for advice on lyrics, and The Notorious B.I.G/Biggie Smalls for lessons about how to flow and ride on the beat like he does in his smooth talk-like songs. All during this time when he was speaking, he was using a dull and monotonous, near-Aussie like accent as if he were Clavicus Vile and acts like he knew the lifestyles of these dragons, not to mention he was using the way of how his mentor of a friend Gobber was speaking which only further added to the sarcasm

"Then at last, we got the Monstrous Nightmare. What a friendly sounding name that belongs to a dragon that wouldn't kill anybody, no sir, a dragon like that wouldn't lay a claw or a talon on anyone that isn't me but will burn everybody who is a Hooligan like everyone else here on Berk! Haven't fought him because he's exclusive to the final challenge at the end of our class, but I've seen one of them before at times during the nightly raids here on Berk and they are a show of promise. It's the prize the classmates get so they can kill their first dragon in front of the entire village, all so they can have the bullsh*t called honor which is really some cognitive dissonance. If I were a samurai bounded to honor, it's just a taboo because you're only a man up against a battalion of soldiers and that's not a fair match; you're going to fight dirty when a Viking like you is going up against an army. Who among us is not going to resort to using tricks in the book when our home is being threatened while our people are being enslaved? You're in your rights to comprise your own morals for the greater good, there's multiple avenues for victory at the end of each one of those roads anyhow. Facing up to a enemy is courageous as well as standing up to a friend which is braver when they don't agree with your methods, I'm being cynical alright when I'm mocking these aspects of Berkian culture and lifestyle. Why be just a normal everyday Viking? Normal is boring, we forge our own paths and it's lessons like these that I taught to my own group of warriors I had myself once; they were runts like me of course, and I respected them as much as they did to me. Now, as for honor itself, to hell with not disappointing your family and ruining their image because that's all for their narcissisms; to be up there with the people who have egotistical viewpoints and look down on us cause we're not as lowly as other low-lives who aren't important like them, who are worth nothing themselves, but they won't admit that willingly. The courage to stand in the face of death like a Spartan should be more important than letting down your clan because you've had a public accident by making a oopsie-daisy in your underwear, that was already caked in your sh*t by the time you woke up cause you don't accept the normal standards of everyone else who are more superior than you could ever be; expecting to be treated above all others, oh shut just shut up, you're just f*ckin' dreadful. Either way, I don't really want to kill it, one of them had tackled me on the ground but didn't hurt me or nothing; it shielded me from one of the bolts of plasma you fired, before I knew it was helping me up with never before seen gentleness. But what can I say about the Monstrous Nightmare, eh? It's fangs look like hooks with how they curve, pride's burning in the air if it should be possible to use their fire jacket while airborne; calling him Hookfang shouldn't be much of a surprise, what do you think, eh bud?" In the middle of his rant while describing the dragon, he was starting to speak in Irish accent but man did he sound like a bloke while talking; that accent on the other hand is brutal

"What do I think? That was some tirade you've been on, you must not get everything off your chest with Fishlegs, whom you've mentioned... but you don't have to kill Hookfang. The other villagers are stupid, brainless morons whom you can fool easily into thinking he's as dead like a possum. That'll do the trick for those stubborn jackasses, their issues ain't your problem. It's all on them. They're not gonna change their mind that something's wrong with the way you of all people killed him, better leave a scratch on him that looks convincing. They're not going to do anything else about it, that much I know with the way you demonize everyone here" The Night Fury suggested, going for the way of the possum through the death fake out trick, now his boy was interested as he hugged him in return for the idea

"Thanks for the plan to kill him and save his life at the same time, bud. Now come on, I don't got anything more to rant about for now, so let's get ourselves dried off" The two exited out of the water as Hiccup dried himself the best he could with his towel, while Toothless heated his scales by increasing his body temperature until he was fully dried and aired out using hot air like if he were a balloon; doing the same to his boy while Hiccup wrapped the towel along his lower waist to slip on some fresh boxers with inner thigh support due to how abrasively raw that one's inner thighs can get with the way they rub when moving, and doing the same for his leggings before dropping it entirely. He went on to wear a dark green tunic with some darker brown near black colored body warmer vest for his upper body, shoulders rolled back with his birthmark wrapped up onto his shoulders while the sleeves were cuffed onto both of his elbows. "Now, how about a scratch? You could use one yourself for all those hard-to-reach places"

Toothless fully perked up and came closer with a leap close to him, beginning to scratch his fingernails all over his head as it made him lean in heavily; with the Night Fury himself lifting his head to allow his nails to go across his chin. This provoked a reaction in which involved his entire body collapsing into a boneless heap, purring up a storm with his eyes shut in feeling a pure bliss within. "I wonder if Stormfly and the other three love it... at least Barf and Belch as well as Hookfang, if I get to him in the competition" He thought as he knew that his bud did it on purpose for him to know the one spot where he would turn into a boneless blob

HTTYD

Ah yes, the Deadly Nadder, oh how Hiccup was starting to hate this dragon mainly because of how Stormfly is so f*cking fast on her feet and in this case talons. But he loved her since she's what caused Astrid to get pissed off so easily, like now for instance when she came running; a shieldmaiden like the one he's watching threw her axe at the dragon who deflected away the blade of her axe using her nasal horn with her tilting her head to do so, forcing her to dodge a charging bird like dragon in front of her through diving out of the way. He threw his away his mace to the side, up against the wall and crossed his arms, yawning down off to the sidelines

"I'm getting bored of this..." The annoyance in voice was like him driving a limo trying not to slowdown or else a boomshine bomb blows him and the scottish band Love Fist into pieces by a psychotic hater who should've been killed, whom they were freaking out while he was acting like it was a common day occurrence; he's seen sh*t before but it's nothin' new for him and he wished to go about his day, not get involved in some crazy sh*t for once

Stormfly came a delayed stop with a couple of steps taken before she fully stopped in front of him, turning her face to sniff at his tunic as that made him chuckle a bit; could she smell it on him? The scent of Toothless? If he had time to think, it would be a definite yes but there's no time to continue pondering the question as there's a madwoman named Astrid that was a runner, coming in hot to cleave with her axe and chop this dragon into chunks of meat that is not as delicious as one would believe it is. Even some of the cannibalistic dragons don't seem to enjoy a couple of parts of the dragon they're devouring. Astrid had also recovered her axe and was yelling out a battlecry though Hiccup's not afraid

"Like a madwoman, that Hofferson is, eh?" He commented using a Irish accent at his little joke before scratching her scales on the side of her head, getting her to purr like a Harley Madison cat before he got below her chin to turn her into a boneless blob like his bud; all complete with with her soft and squishy underbelly jiggling and her leg madly twitching in bliss, though everyone is left to believe she was in agonizing pain

"Not like these dragon killers would shed off a care in the Archipelago, not even if they were targeted by Scythians. Gods above, even I don't think I can take 'em on myself" He pouted for the first half but felt a cold wind blow across his spinal cord when he thought of the Scythians because from the horror stories he's heard provided by Trader Johann, they are deadlier than he thinks no matter of the nine houses they hail from. He took Stormfly underneath him and started to bring her over to her cage, her white and lightly baked tannish underbelly with an faint golden undertone sagged on top of him; smothering himself in the softness of her belly before laying her down inside her cage without any problem. "Once I find you a rider, 'cause Astrid's getting too nosy for her own good to be yours, you'll have the chance to send a bed of spines for her to rest her head on forever. Just so you don't have to listen to her bitching and hollering like a madwoman of the Berserkers" He closed the doors and left, kicking the lock to seal her within

His trip to the Great Hall to sit alone had the others come over to take a seat with him. They weren't being genuine of course, they were only liking him because he was popular back in the Kill Ring, not because they want to get on his good side now. Tuffnut even told him right up front. "Hiccup, you're totally going to come in first, there's no question"

"No, Astrid's coming in first, I'm just standing on the sidelines and watching the action; she's blocking for me but I'm not even trying" He really didn't want to be compared as better than her, that leads to jealousy and it was clearly showing because she just set her drink down in an aggressive matter and turned away from him. "Hey don't get uppity with me, alright?" He didn't take her response lightly

The next morning had Hiccup waking up inside the forge. He must've drifted and dozed off, he thought in a hoarse voice; he'd been trying out a new way for him to have control over the tailfin that wouldn't make him crash into everything in sight; since the string didn't help with making turns. A pedal connected to a metal rod should do the trick, writing it down as he had finished his fireproof gauntlets at last, looking like what he pictured it to be for the glove part of them. He stretched out both of his limbs while yawning as he got out of his office, hearing a knock on the door made him breathe out; he didn't want to deal with the villagers as it's all the more better to hear it from Gobber than him. Opening the door revealed that it's just the village elder Gothi, but she's been having better days than this one from the look of her grim expression. "Come on in, not a good look for the rest of the day I see; what's happened?"

He allowed the villager to enter inside the forge, praying to Thor she had nothing to say that regarded his talent with the dragons of the Kill Ring. "Your father will be returning soon. The danger they've encountered had impeded them for the final time, another search will not be happening again until the passing of winter as you've come to know. But I will be here when needed, I'm assured the chief will be proud of your successes these past days" That was all of what she said before leaving with a nod, ensuring that he will come out of this alive

Yet a sense of dread dropped into his stomach, deciding against eating for he had no desire to throw up out of fear based-nausea. With his customary woven basket of fish, as with his mint tasting herbal coffee that was brewed and heated for his pains, he set off for the Cove as it's a eel-free basket that's full of delicious maw-cascading delights for his gourmet dish of the morning

Yeah alright, so apparently his return to Toothless, which was for him to calculate what he is lacking to make a pedal, turned into a game that he was playing with him. Like any cat, such as his black scaly bud here, he's the one who was fascinated with the reflection of light that was being directed onto the ground through using his hammer. The Night Fury chased it, as he believed it would lead to untold treasures for anyone who catches it and all that bullsh*t. Come to think of it, Gobber once said there was a tomb that led to the treasure of Hamish II, he was this large and buff meaty son of his father Hamish I, though the map of which was in an piece of rolled up parchment was taken by him since it was far too dangerous for anyone to try. He and Stoick never found it but they're lucky to have gotten out alive with not their lives, but their friendship intact and that's more of a challenge to remain friends throughout the desire that splits people apart; because while treasure hunters would come for the gold, he would stay for the adventure like Miguel and Tulio did a long time ago, revered even by a Viking like him as the two gods who saved the lost city of gold, El Dorado. Gobber is amazed there's a living copy since these were supposed to be purposely destroyed. Many Vikings of their great times of prime have been killed, returned with bloody stumps for prosthetics to be thrown onto them and lost themselves by delving into madness. Hamish I's tomb had his pure gold and strong iron inside as with his body, creating the maps for his son's clues were so complicated that only a brilliant mind could ever decipher them. Gobber and Stoick went after it once themselves like mentioned before, but fought like badgers atop a mountain in a snowstorm over what the clues meant

Gobber wanted no one to know the contents of the map, for the sake of his and Stoick's lives, shy from it as he will not let them give into the temptation of Hamish II's portrait. Fishlegs, as well as Snotlout and the Thorston Twins at one point were warned but had no intention of at least heeding his words of wisdom from the order of the blacksmith. As back with him in the present, he didn't help one bit, he only encouraged the game by moving it all over while he's barely containing his laughter at Toothless' concentration and determination to catch it. He's bound to bet that some of the smaller dragons like the Terrible Terror are bound to find some fascination in this. In the end like with Hiccup Horrendous Haddock I's seventeenth birthday in search for not only the treasures of a kind, but also for a new copy of Professor Yobbish's How to Train Your Dragon book which in itself had no right to be called a book given how it was absolutely barebones and garbage it was in the Meathead Public Library, which it too is not public because books at the time were seen as taboo dangerous pieces of art that has to be locked up away and out of Viking eyes, nothing new bar the dragons' intense fascination with small movable reflections of light was learned; nor was anything new that they didn't already find while search for each of these treasures one at a time was found. That's going to be his advantage if he needed to distract some of the more smaller lads, and throughout all the fun he was having, he'd forgotten about Gothi's warning from earlier after waking up

"Meet the Terrible Terror" And out from the cage, came a small and very cute dragon with an bright though at the same time baked contrasting lime green to aerospace and yam to burnt orange colored spikes along his back. Hiccup of all students were hard pressed not to coo at the dragon whose tongue just touched it's eye, prehensile as if it were a Changewing's tail; at least those acid spitting dragons were more friendlier than those god forsaken baboons. He'd personally knew just because something small didn't make it dangerous nor a easy challenge to take on for others, this dragon here is a perfect example because none of the others didn't expect or knew it about him. Tuffnut on the otherhand however thought of it as a joke

"Ha! It's like the size of my-" Whatever it was he was going to say next got cut off by the small dragon lunging onto his face to bite his nose, believing this nose filled stuffed creamy twinkie pie ball of blood and mucus behind the flesh was a treat that's stuffed with custard like cream filling; or even those custard filled donuts from Dunkies, that being chocolate cool whip with striped birthday cake flavored minty fudge ice cream involved. As one can tell, Hiccup started to change his mind about not eating that morning though he forgot why. Looking closer at his draconic friend reveals the bright slime to highlighter yellow-green colored line that went to the other side around his upper lips, underneath his nostrils just to point that one out. While he thought of it as being hilarious, it was also a good time to test out the new trick. "AH! GET IT OFF!" He can vaguely hear the pain of his nose trying to stay on his face as the Terror tried to tear it off, he could even hear the sounds of a squeak toy being choked by the maw of an fox when he gazed on the dragon too

Using his shield didn't seem to get the dragon to respond but angling his shield just right to catch the sunlight and the small reflection immediately caught his attention, the Terror had leapt off Tuffnut's nose before chasing the light back to it's cage. "OH I'M HURT! I'M VERY MUCH HURT!" No sh*t, but that's not the last time he's gonna be hearing that from him as he ran away to hold onto it in pain; hoping to suppress the blood flow if he's bleeding

Too bad he was focused on the cute dragon following the light like a cat, but he did hear him comment to Astrid though. "Wow, he's better than you ever were"

"Bullsh*t. Bullsh*t, I'm not even- let me tell you something Tuffnut. In one of those raids, you blocked for me but I did my job too, I rushed through the hole setting one season's Thawfest high boar pit survival record as you recall and Snotlout's ain't letting go of that, to paraphrase, undeserved victory to this day. Now here she is blocking for me, but I'm not even trying. And don't get pissy with me, he's just being himself and at least their father doesn't force them to be something they don't want to be!" He started to shout at the end with visible rage when he brought up that Mr. Thorston doesn't force his children to be people they don't want to be unlike his, but the comment beforehand was what made her get way too curious on where it is that he goes every day after Dragon Training; which came into mind when he left quickly as he's not the kind of person to deal with the stares that normally follow afterwards

Astrid was brimming with suspicion and fuming with visible jealousy, she was going to kick his ass when she found out where he has to be all of a sudden after every lesson that goes. Shaking her head which Hiccup saw since she was being a competitive bitch about getting trumped after each session ended

"That right there, that- tha- that. *shooting nasal huff* That'll be you the day I throw myself off the bluffs of Berk's beaches by jumping from that high point on this wet heaping rock of what you and everyone calls home, not me though, because they've already shown all their true colors" Hiccup shot back, stammering before hufifng in frustration and announcing plans to kill himself along with how he sees his home; much to Astrid's evermore growing irritation that he isn't taking this chance to show the village what they're capable of, or how to have an sizeable amount of pride for his home. Now he might not like it, but for once in his life will he ever show how proud he is to be a Berkian in spite of everything thrown at him? Jesus Christ... oh and Hiccup was referring to the exact spot above to Gothi's Hut after she moves back in there, then again it's not a bad spot to have his home right there

Hours later, as the afternoon struck forth with that salamander orange and blush pink skies as everyone were back to their homes, Astrid's heading off to the forest for her axe throwing on the trees; hoping that for once she would gain the lead to take on the Nightmare. Hiccup had covertly returned to the Kill Ring, as if he never left with nobody of his tribe around left, he's decided to come on down and close off the gate to have a little chat with the residents here in the Kill Ring. He was making it look like he was having the business of feeding the dragons here but not for Hookfang who was behind that cage; he felt like it was too early to meet him just yet and too dangerous as well knowing the fiery temper of the Monstrous Nightmares. In addition to releasing the dragons that came out, having been waiting for him since Meatlug is having some sort of stomach pain; overheating through overeating was a weakness that their actual caretaker exploited due to their distaste for this job, he also brought some fish so as to fulfill his quota. Keep up the act like he has been doing like someone was watching him with the hopes that he would do as promised. Giving each of the fishes for Stormfly and Barf and Belch, two for each so they wouldn't have to fight over it of course

"Hey there girl, not feelin' alright there eh? And not looking so good around the eyes too" He asked her as she was groaning with a sudden pulsing strike in her gut, setting his bag down as well which didn't have fish but he had a feeling that he would like to introduce these dragons to his inventions of his. Let them know that he was setting out and running away, but he was not doing so alone

"She indulged herself to this point, but it's not hard to understand why. I know you redbloods call it a eating disorder, either way, she wasn't feeling good earlier and can't spew lava" Stormfly answered and explained, walking up near him still with her sagging and swaying bag of a underbelly that's still as jiggly as it was soft; but exposed if she used her spine shot when airborne. He would later learn this as the cause to what led to her being captured by no one, than the evil Dragon Hunters tribe under the leadership of Ryker Grimborn; but even he's not the real leader that he will be meeting, and getting into some affairs with one another

He shook his head at her response when looking down on this poor Gronckle. "You and 'Legs aren't so different, he eats when he's depressed. I know about your rock based diet, but what kind of rocks were you being fed anyhow?" He glided his hand across her belly slowly from a side to the other one repeatedly as if it were a massage he was giving

While Barf remained silent and kept a intensive focused glance on Hiccup stroking her belly like this, Belch stepped in to tell him. "The only rocks that were fed to her were the peachy pink ones, a ton of them from the shores of the close neighboring island of the Meatheads; even they don't know what those types of properties it does to Gronckles like our lass here. I'd wish her cousin wasn't slain in this execution ring, I would've like to know what it does"

"Odin's having a sh*tty diaper that needs throwing out hadn't he, judging by the scent of her breath... you say she couldn't spew lava as usual after digesting?" He commented on as he's gotten down low enough to take in that sniff, adding onto their explanation on how she was doing. He took out a feather dropped from a bird out of his bag, it wasn't from Gobber's as to say but it should do the trick to make her start spewing lava again

With his hand that bore those feather claws on his fingers, he started to fiddle with his index on her side which made her shake and raise her back in response as he stopped; this in return made her slowly move her head to face him. "Why'd you stop?" She sounded disappointed at him not continuing

He was just messing with her, now he used the feather to tickle her underbelly to the point of spewing out a huge amount of lava that wasn't like her type, a fact that Fishlegs would've been surprised to see from her. If it were done in Gobber's forge, he would've had to stand on higher ground but the Kill Ring was expansive so there was that advantage. Plus, look at the color of it too: it was a molten yellow with burnt dark brown sludges with a lighter burnt brown surface for the pattern, but it was also a light tan to greyish mixed color. Meatlug had heaved slowly three times and laid on her side in doing so, before speaking again; feeling a whole lot better. "Excuse me..."

"Hmm... ah. I ain't gonna apologize, that was supposed to happen; like a side effect, people who refuse vaccinations to diseases like flus and other ailments just don't want to handle the truth. All they do is bitch about side effects and they hurt everyone, including their families" Hiccup looked at the large amounts of lava that was spewed and came over to the bag that he took with him

"And you think we're going to kill you for hurting her by doing what you did just now? Letting the hot boiling strain on her gut out of her oven of a stomach is a crime worthy of death a'ight and now she's feeling as if she were never overfed. But you have my respect for standing up to those kinds of people who say we should avoid treatment, like they have authority to tell us how we should lick our wounds or go to Helheim because only warriors go to Valhalla; Odin don't want diseased old men in his golden halls to fight for him" Belch sarcastically replied as he crossed his arms and took a seat, sitting upright if not hunched over a little as Meatlug stood back up

"That's better, and I think I've seen that different colored lava before. Gods be damned if these Vikings find out about this discovery, or worse, your treachery" She was right to be concerned, knowing that he was doing things like these behind their backs

"Wait a minute" He looked at it more intently before grabbing his bag, coming over to it with the Gronckle asking

"Redblood?" She asked but didn't get a reply from him as he brought out a iron sword and laid it down before rushing out of the Kill Ring for seven minutes, coming back with supplies from the forge; not telling either of them that stood back from the lava. Barf then went to ask as he was silent throughout the entire time

"What game are you playing, redblood?" Barf showed suspicion upon taking notice of what he was working on being laid down such as a bladeless sword handle, a shield that could be transformed into different forms, a pair of clawed gauntlets and pieces to the black-brown tinged leather colored automatic tailfin. Sniffing him from his chest to his stomach that had him chuckle through a sealed mouth, he retracted his neck from him to watch closely at him scooping up the substance to fill into a mold; hammering it down and cooling the pieces as he then tested them sliding down into folds on top of each other and spring up into a full sword. It took four minutes but this was because he was making a demonstration of what he hoped to build

"No, there is no game I'm playing. I'm just doing some experiments"

"With Gronckle lava. What's next, you going to use my gas and his spark for a smokescreen cloud bomb?" Barf inquired, craning over and around the back of his head

"I ain't gonna wait to let it cool. Gobber has something that he's always saying: pound it while it's hot. Next thing you know, bing, bang, boom like a trio of Thunderdrum hatchlings and I've created that retractable sword of mine; there's even going to be a feature to spray a entirely thick and gassy smokescreen cloud bomb that ignites with even the smallest spark" Hiccup gestured over to his sword that was still in progress with his hand without taking his eyes off his wooden shield. Barf only looked at his brother, snickering with a sealed mouth as his little joke of his was being turned into another feature of his. "Yeah laugh it away to both of your hearts' pumping beats that come every second, you're the one giving me the ideas. Astrid would think the sword is pretty, but doesn't think it can hold up in battle because it's too light"

Reworking the surface into a reinforced shield, he hammered away at the linden shaped disc of a defensive weapon with a studded rim and boss that was the same size as the others; but a little shrunken as he didn't find a use for it as of now. He imprinted his insignia on the front using a ink-to-paint stamp all while his birthmark was glowing on his back along his shoulders and to both of his arms, even adding on some red markings around the crest to add some flair to the shield itself. He smoothed out the surface so it can't be scratched off or removed like it was a painting, this one's like a tattoo and he intended to make it so as he used his birthmark for the front. He even added on a strap so he doesn't have to carry it all the time, through his other hand while writing down other additions he planned to the shield all while making it's pattern appear seamless. Next he bashed a coconut that just so happened to be thrown over to him by Stormfly, splitting it in half as the inner juice splashed at the hard hitting rim of the shield before he wiped it off to a mirror sheen; breathing one out for it was finished which it took a while but not too long for him with skills like Bladehead of the Berserker Tribe. "This is going to do wonders for my shield, now it's not going to be advisable for fighting a Skrill; knowing I'm the only one in this tribe to know that metal attracts lightning. It can't protect me from an Flightmare's mist and seeing how it reflects night, it's a liability for stealth but I can build the stealth version of it, muted colors for the insignia and darker overtone for this to make it less conspicuous with the Gronckle Iron it's made of. Let's put this weapon to work when the time comes"

He even had the time to build some flexible armored platings for the gauntlets. All of it was done in two to three minutes, that's all he needed as there'll be some major improvements to every one of these that he built to show the dragons here once he leaves with them. Even taking the time to test out his retractable sword some more which worked out great, as with the dragons who were awfully quiet throughout this time that he worked on his shield along with his gauntlets; listening to the boy come up with counteract ideas for the former as well as naming the substance of the material that Meatlug had spewed up. He then decided to talk to each of them who stood back when he finished swinging his blade. "This sword is built for igniting the blade using magnesium sulfur, mixed with Monstrous Nightmare saliva for some long lasting flames, the former for being one of the hottest flames if you could tell, formed into a reusable paste of course. Though I should mention that Stormfly's fire is the hottest by far known to us Vikings, but that's not the only thing I'm bringing up about her. These spines I was collecting too serve a purpose, it's for the arrows for my shield that can fire a retractable cable claw for swinging on a grapple since there's going to be times when flight isn't enough; that and the wingspan in the midst of shearing winds is gonna kill someone in the serpent's mouth. Yes, even I read the map to Hamish II's treasure but didn't say anything about it; too bad Snotf*ck and his merry men, and woman, aren't listening to Gobber and thought they are in their rights to steal from him in his forge where I spend my days there if I'm not in the Cove outside the village. And for the shield's crossbow, I thought of having full auto repeating fire installed as I'll have to go with a slingshot for now; better as a placeholder than anything else. This sword is named Inferno, and the substance I call Gronckle Iron is appropriately enough of a name; courtesy of our accidental discovery from Meatlug"

The way he presented the equipment was like he was presenting the living quarters of a kind of home for potential residents seeking to purchase the property and buy the house, being a real estate agent while making casual murder references from left to right; at one point going full detective mode on one room that had something violent taking place as there's someone who bled out in that one spot. Estimating the time and the distance that suggested the action of the victim in their state of trauma

"How would you turn my fire into a paste?" Stormfly asked upon hearing him mentioned that her magnesium sulfur would be used as the source of Inferno's fire, Hiccup turned to face her

"A lighter at the top of the hilt will ignite it. The magnesium should be mixed in with fire fern which you'll find growing underneath elm trees as I'm told about my knowledge when I saw it on a piece of parchment in Gothi's hut. The one that lies at the top of the spire, which is going under repairs if you could see the scaffolding from down here. I wish I could tell you what has happened. It's said to be used by Native Americans to draw out the pus using it's stem, or for at least the fire weed but this one's supposed to cauterize the wound; help it heal itself up in that sense. Nevertheless, the plant's useful for whatever infliction or wound you're aware of that needs treating"

"It's one of the ingredients for a specific infliction, and this one causes aggression that can't be controlled just for being near it" Belch spoke out

"You've already guessed that me and others like me aren't affected by it at all, knowing what I eat, at least you have me when you need to de-root the stock of these plants. They're called-" Meatlug was cut off by the alert of the boy

"Hold that thought for a later time, head back to your cages because we can't risk the Vikings knowing I let you out" Hiccup stopped her before the information could be provided to him, the dragons all nodded before returning to their respective ones as he locked them up. For Meatlug though, he nearly closed her cage before she told him this vital piece of info

"It requires sunlight to grow, not shade like a mushroom" That was all Meatlug had said, aware that she couldn't tell him what it was called or how to dilute it's affects

"I got you covered, I'll get rid of any plant like that on sight" He nodded and closed the doors, locking her cage before looking around as he felt like he might've been watched; leaving and heading back to the Cove to be with Toothless

What he failed to realize was Spitelout had been eavesdropping on the conversation that was between him and the dragons while he fed them before leaving, hiding in the shadows in the entrance before walking away up to the sides where the spectators would watch. He watched on while sitting down on the stone bleacher like seats that one can see in Thawfest

"Gronckle Iron. Looks like I've got a request for me nephew to make for tonight, but let's not tell anyone; they're all going to want a piece of the action"

With that, Spitelout left the Kill Ring and headed down to the forge, not knowing that Hiccup had gone off elsewhere

HTTYD

That reminded him the next day where he found himself escaping an attempted axe throw, from who else but Astrid, as she was in the woods training her axe throws aggressively and was now chasing him as she demanded answers from him. It's easy for him as he hid under the rock behind with the shieldmaiden looking over, pounding her fist in frustration before walking away to return to what she was doing; albeit she cursed his name thanks to his all so mysterious acting ways. Going a little more into the woods she would've found Toothless, it's that thought that made his blood run cold and he didn't know what he'll do without him; he's not going to live with him gone because he's killed by her, then he's taking both her and even himself with her by throwing his body off the highest cliff into the seas surrounding Berk. His Night Fury was the only thing that was keeping him happy, standing in between him and this village of dragon killers who aren't open to reason nor take the time to question their motive for stealing livestock when they aren't eating any of it on or off-site. The minute he entered, he hugged him tightly and whispered out to his earplates

"I can't Astrid find or hurt you, but dammit if she got any closer... she was going to find you here. I don't want witnesses, I would've taken her and myself out if she laid even a tip of her axe on you" Toothless, concerned for his boy, hugged him back without needing to know the reason as soon as he expressed his worries at the beginning

"I can defend myself against her agility, it's you I worry about" Hiccup only tightened his hold, burying his head underneath his chin more firmly until he felt calm enough to try to fly again

"Alright, let's go bud; it's time to test this pedal out on that cliff after your breakfast, both of us need every bit of strength and you're the one that needs it the most" He pulled back to let him enjoy the fish he was served, while he fitted his newest saddle that was completed with a connecting rod onto his back. Whilst he ate, he made the final adjustments when his Night Fury didn't look up, not even once; with his heart he knew that it was going to work and gods dammit it'd better work. If it can't, they can be sure that he can improve it to be better than it ever was today

And work it did as they were now on a cliff, secured to a wooden post that allowed him to go on and work with all of the pedal directions that he needed to be in control at all times along with changing directions. Doing so with practice as he written them on an piece of parchment and finishing up on the grid that had numbered positions that allowed him to know what and which position he should take to sustain flight or outmaneuver aerial opponents, it was right and about time too because the likes of Boreas, the God of the North Wind decided he could use some humor by sending a strong gust that blew against them both; making Hiccup unable to balance himself in the saddle, snapping the rope to the post that secured them both when they flew backwards away from the cliff. Toothless used his body to defend his boy when the two of them landed with a thud on the ground, now as if Boreas didn't have much of an lung-huffpounding, knee-snapping and hard on side splitter of a laugh; the hook bent on in itself, trapping him in the saddle

"Gods dammit, Boreas! Either it's him, Zephyrus, Eutus or Notus" Turning to face down at the back of his eye from behind and on top of his saddle, he went on to explain his knowledge of Greek gods. "There's a rumor that my mother, Valka is said to have come from Greece; and I'd been called a Spartan couple of times on occasion. That's what I'm worried about, there is an rumor circulating here in the Archipelago by Trader Johann that says the frail and the ill-born are thrown off the bluffs of Mount Taygetos; because the Spartan society should survive as a civilization made of strong sons and women who have the most important jobs in the council and other things. The sons starting at the age of seven are inducted into the Agoge, while it's them who live another day for Sparta by surviving one year after learning everything they are expected to learn when fending for themselves out there in the wild. Look at me, I'm not cut out to be a Spartan; I was born prematurely and that's all I ever known about myself before I get thrown off the cliff by people inspecting me for physical defects. But because she's gone, I'm beginning to doubt if I am half-grecian... I would've liked to hear from her about what the Agoge had to taught, or even what the children do to survive; I would've liked to practice the kind of things they've learned"

Toothless has known a couple of facts regarding Spartan culture but like Hiccup, his views are limited in what he could've known. Speaking of whom, the boy was tugging on the strap, but he had none of the raw strength of other Vikings as they would snap the leather off; he's got to get them to the village at night

"Casting the newborns off Mount Taygetos for the frail and the ill-born is only a myth. There is no truth to what Johann or if he has the money, any of his archaeologists had found in the depths of Taygetos, but I know one thing. There's no running away or dropping the shield on the field. You're either coming home with it, or you're coming home with your blood on it. I wish I can tell you more but..."

"Say no more, let's get to the forge and cut this leather strap. I didn't want to upset you if I've brought any of my spare knives with me, that's why I didn't cut this earlier" Hiccup admitted, it wouldn't feel right

"Lead the way, night is falling" The Night Fury nodded and pointed out that the sun is falling. Hiccup got back into the saddle, no longer needing Toothless' leg to heave himself up as he shifted it into position before taking off and flying to a hidden part of the village; all while he was making sure on doing no sudden turns nor tricks as he's still not completely familiar with the pedal and how the prosthetic moved accordingly

Once the two have left their hidden spot on Berk, night had fallen and what a big relief for his bud as the Night Fury, emphasis on night in the species name, blended in perfectly inside the darkness of the forge. The two entered using the back door and Hiccup cut the rope binding a boy to his dragon forever with the blade, setting it back up with Toothless getting a bucket on his snout by peering inside; throwing it off his snout and towards something that created the audible crashing sound. Yes, Gobber had a special cutter that he built for Hiccup's use since an boy like him didn't need that much pressure to cut things; but at the same time he isn't going to create more noise than there was just now. Astrid on the outside was walking by on a night patrol duty as she heard the sound, turning back and running towards the building. She even asked by calling as she never sees him without Gobber nearby. "Hiccup?"

"sh*t!" He cursed under his breath and was happy the window could only be opened from the inside, he alongside Gobber and Spitelout held the key to the door. "In my office, now!"

Astrid approached from the outside of the window to knock on it

"The game is up, I know you're in there" She crossed her arms and waited for a minute

Opening the doors to the side to reveal... no one but the darkness of the unlit forge inside, at least until Hiccup came heaving up with a mace in his arms and setting it back onto the rack of Gobber's prosthetics. "I'm in the middle of cleaning up after Gobber since this forge's a mess"

(A/N: The following dialogue comes from the Chris Farley (1964 - 1997) "Shrek" excerpt audio that shows our favorite ogre and donkey duo in the nighttime camping scene after Fiona was rescued compared to the final Mike Myers scene)

Astrid didn't believe this excuse, he might've made a mess just to misdirect her. "Yeah, and I bet he forgot the lit the forge to light the cackles of your heart too before the big day"

"Yeah, I like my cackles room temperature thank you very much" Hiccup replied with a hint of snark in his voice, hanging up another one of the prosthetics

"If you're not doing all this for preparation, then why are you doing it?"

"Simple: Stoick the sh*tter gets to be proud of me of killing my first dragon in front of every Viking in the village, I get what I want" He moved onto drawing the ideas for prosthetics, not for Toothless, but for his friend Gobber so he could have a more combat active role

"Stop badmouthing your dad, there might not be a rule that says a father and son have to like each other but he's still your dad. And what do you get out of it anyway, hmm? Hey, I asked nicely; at least give me an answer" She responded when he didn't reply for more than five seconds, thinking he was ignoring her

"I don't have time to set it to music" His voice shifted to a slightly irritated tone

"If this is another one of those inventions you're working on-"

"No, it's one of those: drop-it and leave-it-alone things"

"The chief's stubbornness really rubbed off on you. I'm not going to tell anyone else around, just tell me why you don't want to talk about it and I'll leave" She lied

"Why do you want to talk about it?" He became defensive, seeing through her lie

"Don't answer my question with a question, Hiccup" She isn't going to leave him alone, there is no doubt about it, she isn't going to leave him be

"Why are you asking questions I don't want to answer?" This dispute was growing intense

"What are you hiding?" She dropped the façade and directly asked him upfront

"There's nothing to talk about, it's just me cleaning up the mess and only me that's writing down some ideas to help make Gobber a little more active in defending Berk in the raids. See? That simple" Hiccup was clearly blocking something from her, which she was trying to see for herself in the darkness

"Then what are you blocking?" She tried to get answers out of him

"I'm not blocking" He denied

"Oh, yes you are" She wasn't giving up

"Astrid, I'm warning you. I don't need a member of the all-fearless Hofferson Clan getting on my back to badger and start bitching about what I'm doing" He was starting to sound annoyed and curtly shot her down

"Excuse me?! You talk back that way to me again and I am going to put your face as close I can get to the grindstone" She sounded pissed as Hiccup was pleased with that curt tone he was putting on, threatening him if he sassed her with attitude again

"I'm not open to talking about things I'm not interested in and don't get uppity with me and give me attitude that I'm not answering anything you're asking, besides, I have a right to diss the chief. What's he ever not done to me?"

"I normally don't care what people do, but you're acting weird, well weirder than usual" She accused him, giving Hiccup strange looks

He's had about enough of her and without saying a word but keeping that annoyance on his face from before, he closed the window doors and that was the last she'd hear from him. He and Toothless were off and out of the village, though she came around the back door to find him; only to see that Hiccup was nowhere to be found

Later that evening, Hiccup curled himself up and around Toothless; drifting off near his ever more heated scales to keep himself warm in the cold night. Another thing he's come to learn that was true is that unlike the Vikings whose snores were deafening beyond relief, here it's the opposite as these dragons were silent and almost made them look like they're dead had it not been for the breathing nobody could hear. That's not to say that tomorrow, he is going to lose everything he has for this isle

One of the clues to the things that were going to come in the next day is going to change all of the things he was accustomed to, and it would sure as hell be a lot of things that do so; as everything he knew about Berk will fall apart. A rising dread of betrayal has been kept at bay thanks to his Night Fury who has become his guardian, he had no need for a father like Stoick and that's how it's going to stay. He'll run away soon enough and he ain't their bitch to push or shove anymore, he'll be calling the shots and making his own home for humans and dragons; a society where they won't fight anymore

No more scorn, no more insults, no more suffering and no more Hiccup the Useless as he got a name that he's going to call himself under his brand new identity. But he shouldn't let it slip out of his tongue first, it's still too early to do so. Right now, he needed some sleep because, as unknown to him, this would be the final peaceful slumber on Berk he's ever going to have again. He will savor whatever there is left to have here in this Cove before he left for one last time

Spitelout in the meanwhile forged his sword using Meatlug's Gronckle Iron, feeding her with a number of peachy pink rocks as he's been observant to what they've been giving to her for her rock based diet. The result was a basic blade that looked like the toy that his nephew had wielded once as it was all smooth, there aren't any extra details. Nodding at his handwork as with that, he was ready to call it a night and like Hiccup before him...

Even he wasn't ready to expect the unfolding chaos in the danger that comes tomorrow night. Trouble is brewing like an alchemist's station that dripped from the tip of a bottle facing onto a short, circular shaped spherical slot built to provide a bit of the mixture right into the dried, crushed-up components that were about to be combined with varying effects. It was all just a field experiment with elements from the creation of the Midgard

And this experiment with the principles of Odin's creation of Midgard was a formula for unintended side effects that were bound to come when the new dawn rises

Dedicated to Kevin Conroy, the definitive Batman who gave the dark knight his voice and a future shock to Virgil "Static" Hawkins himself. We are grateful to the billionaire playboy who wanted others to live freely in Gotham City. He puts the detective in DC Comics

Kevin Conroy
(1955 – 2022)

TheLegendaryBlackDragonKnight

Chapter 6: Wounded Spirit

Chapter Text

(A/N: I warned you about the attempted rape scene at the start of the first chapter, and this is that time of the story. Odin can only watch in horror at what Stoick will do, the Allfather is not to interfere with the affairs of mortal humans in Midgard; unlike in the original version of this first story written by me based on Protection of the Nightfury by EmeraldNeko, the return of Stoick from his hunt for the Dragon's Nest is shown here along with a deleted scene as it was from the first film. I really don't have a lot to say about in this chapter but we do see that the new tailfin working perfect as expected, and Hiccup speaking his thoughts out as he sees that everything that the Hooligans know was wrong; they were always wrong because in the past, they did learn how to train dragons by continuing to ease the tensions between them and the Vikings. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock I started the relationship of the dragons and the Vikings, and not even Grimbeard the Ghastly's actions that led to the collapse of his kingdom will stop him from reigniting the old flame that has long since gone out; because there are many of the old tribesmen and women who believe in the old ways but have secluded themselves, since a number of the Berkians are at war with the dragons and don't see them as the friends they were once three hundred years ago. Of course this colony of people have disappeared over a single winter but it's not the crime work often attributed to Emperor Pandinus, he was really a sweetheart and the inhabitants know it. Many people are quick to jump onto conclusions as they are slow to correct themselves as Ezio once said regarding the Romani people, how they were referred to as Gypsies out of the misapprehension that they came from Egypt which is a hilarious misconception; they really came from Northern Persia and beyond, yet somehow it became common knowledge that they are associated with a land of dunes they had never set and laid their eyes upon. How can you be native to a land you've never seen before? In either case, the start of this chapter means Hiccup is doomed from the beginning and so are we. This is how his spirit can be wounded and I'm not certain this is right to say this given that this was uncensored and uncut explicit sexual assault, but I'm going to have to say this at least out of tradition for every chapter I write before and beyond this one. Enjoy)

Hiccup woke up the next morning startled, he was soaked in sweat and his blood was cold as frost was casing the vital fluids running in his veins like sheets of frost appearing on glass; yet he was clueless as he wasn't given an idea as to why. There's a deep sense of foreboding that's lodged in his gut, it was a warning of imminent danger that was coming this way, he's terrified of that danger because he has seen his future and it is grim; he's disturbed and unsettled by what his people might do to him after Stoick steps down from chiefdom to put his leadership onto him, as part of his destiny to lead them to drive away the dragons from the nest so they may find another home and the two sides can fight no more. He's afraid of what was to come, but he had to remember that he possessed courage that he favored more than honor that the Hofferson woman was motivated by. He didn't want her to find the Cove at all costs, he can't lead her to here after he's announced as the winner if Loki has decided that he should be the victor of his own lament for the reward that came with it; the Cove just wasn't safe anymore, because he knows more than they do. If you go to one secret place everyday or so, you are a fool who is casting a shadow of suspicion that's bound to follow you back and expose all but the one secret you were hiding from everyone; in the case of Astrid she'll snitch to the other Vikings and he is doomed to bear the feeling of suffering on his shoulders

But this, no it wasn't like that, this was different from other examples. He was hiding one of the Vikings' deadliest, most hated and worst enemies here inside the Cove; and not even he who could put up signs warning them to turn back would be enough to keep them out of the sacred place that meant everything to him. He would've hated it even more when they were going to ignore the warnings and trample the signs to trespass into this area, meant for both his and the eyes of Toothless only; nobody else was allowed to know about this place except for one Viking on Berk who never treated him like the others. Fishlegs Ingerman, a stout boy who always looked so sad whenever saw him in Berk; it makes him sad as well and the two of them both knew why. All of this bullying from the teens, because he sacrificed his friendship and didn't want him to be the second runt worth bothering when the opportunity was open; and Hiccup tried his best to make sure that opportunity was never open to them. Not even to the children who were raised and taught to see him as an example of what a Viking should not be, using his runt like appearance as a example was mere fearmongering and this was an act that he was fully willing to confront the parents on the next time he showed his face out there in the village. No parent should be sewing seeds of fear by using him as the runt that Vikings would scorn at, made worse by his birthmark that was on his back and enhanced by arcane ink as the rumor he helped spread with Spitelout out of spiting his chief father; yet, he encouraged that because of how he wanted everyone to know much he hated being his son when they don't respect him for what he is in looks that they shouldn't be caring about

Well, regardless of feeling this dread inside of him, he got up and began to stretch. This action caused Toothless to wake up from his dreams into reality, as well as get on up and just in time to see what his human was doing

While Hiccup was stretching out those stiff joints in his bones, he did not notice Toothless was awake; so to get his attention, he pressed his snout up on his sides and made him fall onto his knee due to his sides being sensitive. "Ah sh*t, my sides!" He fell to his knees and found Toothless with wide dilated orbs as well as a smile

Hiccup replied to his warble that greeted him, a few chirps of laughter as he responded with his small but light chuckle. "Well now, good morning you sly Night Fury you..." Speaking with a hoarse tone as he got back up from the ground

"You aren't lookin' so good around the skin there, what is it?" Toothless was not blind to the fact that Hiccup was sweating out hints of distress

"I've got some things to collect at the Forge, I won't be long... I want to make I'm not being followed by some angry shadow I can't see behind me" He told his bud but didn't tell him what was bothering him, the Night Fury however paid attention to the keywords that was telling him fragments of what he wanted to know

Afterward Hiccup left the Cove through the ground entrance as that led down from a slope, it still retained the shield that was wedged in between but it didn't bother him. He ran his hand through his hair, shaking ever so slightly as he quickly navigated the forest as he slipped onto some mud which didn't bother him one bit; he got back up and ran off once more. Waking up at dawn allowed him to avoid any and all stares and questions, with the desperation that was in his steps for wanting to see and be with Toothless being all he could think of as he went to the village. Entering when it was quiet and reaching Gobber's blacksmith forge, getting what he come for while also relocating his equipment in his bedroom that he always sealed from the inside so he couldn't be bothered by the outside; simply wanting to be left alone to his vices without his father being intrusive at home, keeping them hidden even inside his room

The Night Fury always calmed his nerves and his bud made him feel safe, all he could think of him was seeing him waiting for him to return with the saddle and the tailfin he worked on for the days without his father being present; time to himself was all he wanted, to keep to what he does best in a illiterate society. That being that his intelligence wasn't something that the Hooligans would find use for with the way he uses his for, no one was illiterate on Berk or in the Archipelago; banning the reading of books had been abandoned since the time of what's known as the Meathead Library Heist during the time of the burglary competition being held between the Hooligans and the Bog-Burglars, a great duel had been fought between him and the Hairy Scary Library who had been enslaved by Murderous the Magnificent in the end with his Heartslicers now falling into the possession of Madguts the Murderous; after three years worth of centuries have passed, it's not clear who ruled at the time of his ancestor but it was well assured that the chief of the Murderous Tribe had claimed the Heartslicers when he had taken the Hairy Scary Librarian away to be a slave of his own

Returning to the Cove with everything being said and done with his equipment, he navigated his way back through the forest with a couple of times that he scraped his face on the bark of trees from frosted leaves; but that didn't keep him from continuing his run as he tumbled on down into the Cove where he felt like he belonged, down the slope and where he nearly fell into his dragon who waited by the slope for him to come back. It was Toothless' head that had stopped Hiccup from falling onto his face. "Thanks..." Hiccup's voice was shaky and breathing like he was out of breath

The black dragon purred slightly and worry shone in his green/yellow eyes when he looked into his. "Something's wrong, isn't it?"

His boy shook his head, only hugging him tightly as his fear was starting to make his skin get a cold and greasy shine through when he left the comfort of Toothless just to retrieve what he had to get from the forge. Toothless sensed something had deeply upset the boy and he let his wings wrap around him, with his boy's hands on the sides of his head as he tilted it up to meet him face to face; this action he did for Hiccup was something his parents had done as a hatchling when he was frightened during those years as someone who was young. Even for his own siblings too as well and what he would do for his own kin should he find a mate for himself. "I'm terrified, of all the things that's coming today, this has got me unsettled. There is imminent danger that's about to happen, but I'm not certain when it's going to start; but I know it's coming this way, I've seen what's happened when I woke up and it's horrific. I just want to tell you: no matter what you hear from the distance, during my final trial at Dragon Training if I'm chosen to be the one to kill Hookfang, stay where you are and don't risk your exposure to the Vikings just to save me from him if my dad angers him. I don't want to lose you, not again-"

"Again?" Toothless' right ear plate slowly raised up

"Yes, it was a nightmare, you were freed but you were soaked in blood. Your scales, each one of them, torn off and vulnerable yet alive because the shock of the excruciating pain when it was like tearing off the fur of an squirrel while fully conscious, no aesthetics were taken for this animal, which should've killed this animal. Even Barf and Belch's ammonium nitrate and anhydrous hydrazine chemical based metabolic gas would be all it takes to kill you, if he was not the one to do it first. You can't unsee this sight if you were me, I honest to the gods that this nightmare is never pictured by an artist; and I'm sure as Helheim that if it were, it would be super illegal to view because of the way I described you and him. My dad stood there, you were dying, he was grinning maniacally and sinisterous; it wasn't the kind of grin that showed your teeth and in your case, your lack of teeth which I'm understanding the purpose of them being retractable outside of the obvious answer. Before that god damn face, he was standing there in silence; menacingly if I say so myself. He was intently staring at me, before I saw that f*cking grin for the last two seconds; he was holding your scales, every one of them coated in blood. Even his armor was splattered with your blood but it's darker than mine and the other Vikings..." Hiccup's description was full of exhales, a slow and drawn out disturbed tone like it was a horror story being told to his dragon; shakier than when he pled to him not to reveal himself so he can save him from Hookfang if the events did go as predicted

"Before we go anything further, I must ask: have you heard of the term 'darkblood'?" Toothless asked him with curiosity

"Stormfly, Barf and Meatlug called me a 'redblood', I'm guessing this is no different then what you're describing " Hiccup responded

"Did you know it came from the fact that a dragon's blood is darker than a human's?"

"Then that blood on my dad's armor really was yours, I've taken to guessing that it was from a different being"

"And that's not all, I'm sure you've also heard of the term 'greenblood' but did you know it was from the idea that it was presumed we had the same blood as Merciless' species does?"Toothless inquired, mentioning the leader of the dragons at the time who threatened Berk and the Archipelago until he was killed by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock I

"You find it offensive to be compared to that devil who threatened my home?" He asked but still shaky in his voice when describing his nightmare to his bud who understood what he is feeling, Merciless was no dragon worthy of even being called a dragon

"I find it funny. We've always had dark red colored blood, yet the Vikings from back then had believed we have relations to a species at Dragon Island that some of have had never seen; it was even said we had their sea dragon traits such as breathing underwater and other things, I can believe that part since it's something that dragon species from the Ancient Times had but what I do find offensive is that we're all considered selfish and think only of ourselves. Ready to abandon our masters if the situation is not in our favor, but the next time we meet again I think I'll let the other dragons tell their part in the misconception. Tell me: what did he do to me?" Toothless explained his thoughts on what he found funny about being related to a dragon species he never saw and what he found offensive on dragons being selfish creatures who care only for themselves, before returning to his serious nature at the advent of his boy's nightmare that he was explaining

"I can see his acid green eyes burning alight, full of madness like Dagur the Deranged but he himself was better behaved than my dad when it comes to being mad like a Berserker. You, I can see your eyes looking at me, betrayal like I had done this to you; I had led you to my dad and what you gave me was the same wolf stare when we met at Raven Point, you're howling in pain like a squid having it's hood cut off to bleed to death and with both salt and soy sauce being poured on the still living sea creature who is one of the smartest creatures on Midgard by a Korean woman who has no respect for the animals she is torturing by eating them alive inhumanely. She would even twist and tear a prawn in half as well as make a show of them, making stupid faces and annoying sound effects like it's a performance for the children who are toddlers within their age range; pretending she's terrified when it's the sea creatures she is killing that're terrified, playing the role of the victim to justify her lack of humanity and her audience are complete buffoons who are defending her actions by justifying that her rightful haters are in the wrong while they are right one hundred percent. And not a percent lower of that number. That is blood boiling. Your wolf stare on the otherhand was narrowed, you were in searing pain but that's when he did the act..."

Toothless tilted his head up on his own with his earplates lowered and reared backwards as he came to the conclusion of his nightmare

"He grabbed you by the neck and snapped it, dropping your corpse to the ground. I could do nothing but watch, it scared me but my dad wasn't. You, no I didn't want you to die" He shook his head and turned away

Toothless leaned to the right side of his back to ask: "This nightmare, was I representing you or someone else?"

Once again, he shook his head and tried to dismiss the question. "It was only a nightmare"

"And that's all it was, it's just fear being projected as an attempt to lead you down to turning into someone you're not; they aren't the future, we decide what our paths should be; not our minds" He comforted him, trying his best to turn him away from thoughts of those fears that weren't going to happen in real life anytime soon

"I know..." His voice was quiet but still shaken when describing it. "And you were right... you did represent someone"

"Close to you?" He inquired further

"Yes" His boy can't deny him the answer as he turned around to face him

After a minute of silence with his breathing being the only sound here in the Cove, he finally asked him

"Is it Valka?" Toothless wondered, Hiccup looked down with an expression of sorrow and one of fear that was overtaking him. The Night Fury's face saddened with disappointment, he has his share of wisdom from his father for a reason and that expression on his boy said it all; for that which he would've guessed and interpreted, that father Stoick was the Stormcutter while he's the mother which his boy missed that was being killed. Hiccup shook his head a third time, he sensed that he was interpreting his father was the Stormcutter who took her away and spoke up

"No, that Stormcutter was trying to take her away to protect her from my dad. Stoick was his own self, that was you that he killed; you're that wife of his that he loved, my mother" His voice breathed out for the last time as he sat down on a rock with him coming up to his face. "You're the reason I haven't killed anybody here on this gods forsaken island. But I can't come here anymore"

"Who would force you to make that decision: Astrid?"

"Yes, yes it's about her. She's stalking and following me so she can find out where I'm going to leave everyday, she won't stop until she has answers and she won't leave me alone until she learns the truth; that I'm a trickster and a liar to the people of Berk. The Cove isn't safe for me anymore until further notice, understand?" He asked him, as Toothless nodded in return

The Night Fury knew that Astrid would follow him into the Cove and search around every part of the corner to find out what he's using or who he was training with, furthermore because of how so easily driven by her jealousy and aggressive search for the hard truth that she's going to attack him if he doesn't admit what she wanted to know; and she hoped that his harness is not involved with whatever he was doing. Because of the way he told him about her in their time together, she was stooping that low to try and cut into business that didn't concern her and track him back here if he ends up winning the competition to kill Hookfang in front of the village. He's not going to let that happen, if she steps foot in here on sacred ground and she's harming his boy; this Cove will be the final thing she sees and this Cove, their favorite place where they spent the most time together not as a Viking or a dragon, will be her burial here as well.

"I knew you would understand, I can't bare thinking she would lead the others here and kill you while I'm tied off to a mast and banished to Outcast Isle. I would've gladly helped Alvin to train dragons for him, if he and I weren't, according to him, not on the best of terms with each other after what he tried to do when the Persians attacked. When we come back here, I'm going to be building my house on that rocky face right there and if she tries to enter; I'll block off the entrance with that boulder outside and seal up the cracks by stuffing moss and wood to make it look a little more natural. This place means a lot to me, and I won't have it get treated like the teens own this Cove when I discovered it first; nobody but Fishlegs, the one I trust, should know about this Cove" Hiccup explained how he couldn't bear thinking of her leading the Hooligans to their spot with him being banished and Toothless being killed, how he would've helped Alvin if the two were on better terms with each other, what he is planning to do when they come back and how he'll block off both entrances so she won't tell what lies behind this rocky wall

It took him a few seconds before Hiccup was ready to part from his safety net, the warmth of Toothless' scales and the soft and squishy rippling surface underbelly of his; with a grin on his face like no other as he cast aside his fear of the imminent danger heading his way for now, it was a time to finally test out the tailfin for the final time and see how well they truly work as one. His voice a little bit more livelier as well when he tasked him

"You ready to fly for real?" Toothless knew flying was not without it's downsides but Hiccup needed the best of his support, and perked up with him agreeing immediately as he's always glad that his boy loved flying like he did

Hiccup pulled himself up and firmly settled himself onto the saddle, his harness strap being hooked on with his foot being planted on the pedal; securing the tailfin position into a half-opened fan that should allow him to gather the necessary height requirement for gliding in the air, as well as give Toothless the ability to turn even if it wasn't fully opened out towards the side. The parchment with all positions written down was attached to the front even as he wished that he had used stronger adhesive tape to help clamp it down, to secure it of course as he's going to be testing out all of the positions in the field after he memorized each one of them on the cliff. At least before Boreas made the hook bend in on itself

"Right, let's go bud; time to re-experience what you wanted for so long after what we, the Hairy Hooligans, had taken from you in the first place" And with that statement, Toothless began to hover into the air and shot off from the Cove where the next time he returned in the day; it would be the last time he sees it until further notice due to Astrid being on the hunt for answers and the paranoia of being caught in the action overtaking his thoughts, a trait that being chief should've been trained out of him. The winds blew behind him wildly and his face kept that grin for the time being, having been glad he was able to get what he was disturbed by off his chest

HTTYD

The Hooligans who remained behind had come to the Berk Harbor, welcoming the returning search party... or what was left of them really. In truth, they all returned alive but they didn't come back in one piece. Look at the scene before their eyes: the ships were either burnt with some places or chunks of them had been taken out, torn off with bites from fangs and burned with singed marks of fire. It seemed their search for the dragon's nest had been a costly one, considering the dragons who attacked them had given them all such a fracas made of a noisy disturbance and quarrel which appeared to have led into a fight; from the last time that they were seen, the silhouette of a Monstrous Nightmare was seen even if it was for a brief time. One of the ships was missing and it seemed to have vanished from their waters of their fleet, Burnthair the Broad suspected that one of their ships was impaled on a rock; something that's shared with Grunt the Howler and a few others. But despite the happy thought that they had come back to their loved ones, Stoick the Vast and the Vikings of the voyage all had sour and disappointed expressions with none of them being more foul tempered than their chief as he carried a basket on his shoulder, being helped up by his brother Spitelout onto the docks as the board was planted to allow for the others to disembark. The ships that were brought up before wasn't all that much, it was only one that remained afloat and it was the one that Stoick had set sail on; he's really made a mess of things hasn't he? Gobber came down to talk to him

"Well, I trust you found the nest at least?" He started to speak to him

"Not even close" Stoick had never been more foul tempered than he was now, all he wanted to do was drink himself to death with the lack of progress made as this was the last trip that's been made before the icebergs were ready to set in

"Ah, excellent" Gobber walked side by side with him as his friend replied with them making their way across the pier. "No causalities like the 'accident' that Alvin the Treacherous called it when he was still around?"

"Fortunately, none so far and nothing like what Alvin did. It was only a matter of time before I cast him out. I hope you found a little more success than me" He was now carrying the basket underneath his shoulder

"Well, if by success, you mean that your parenting troubles are over with, then... yes" Gobber answered in his own creative way, but this earned a look of confusion from the chief

His parenting troubles are over with. If he's taking about Hiccup, what could've happened to his son? Before he could ask what he meant by that, he was greeted by Vikings who rushed over and passed them with each of them congratulating him on the progress of his son that's been made; but they were interpreting them as if he were dead and gone for good

"Congratulations, Stoick! Everyone is so relieved" Phlegma was the first of the Vikings and her words implied that his boy was not among them anymore

"Out with the old and in with the new, right?!" Starkard was the second and his words had implications of citing that he finally left Berk, leaving Snotlout in charge as the better chief out of the two

"No one will miss that old nuisance!" Hoark the Haggard's rudeness really showed here as the third who passed him by

"The village is throwing a party to celebrate!" It's as if Mildew had rallied the four, including Ack who was the one who told him this, to announce the news to the chief and celebrate the day that his son had long since left Berk to kill himself on another island

The interpretation of their words and their implications of what might've happened to his son were worrying. He looked to his friend and asked him. "He's gone?"

"Umm yeah... most afternoons. But who can blame him? I mean the life of a celebrity's very rough. He can barely walk through the village without being swarmed by his new fans. Who doesn't want to disappear for the whole day?" He was true to his word, as the basket was now under his prosthetic arm switched out with a paddle to give them a returning hero's welcome even if they came back empty handed

"Hiccup?" The chief wanted to confirm that this was his son he was talking about

"Who would've thought, eh? He has this way with the beasts" He brought up that fact which made Stoick go into consideration about his son, he might've been cursing him for putting his auburn haired scrawny ass into Dragon Training but to reach such heights? There's something else that Gobber was telling him and his brother Spitelout walked up next to him, where the four villagers left as he was bearing news of his nephew

"Gobber's right, furthermore I believe he's trying his best to avoid the Hofferson lass. He may not be buff as me, you or Gobber but those years of heavy lifting in the forge are being put in use. Either way, ever since he became the newest prodigy in Dragon Training; she's becoming more and more jealous of his accomplishments, overshadowing her in skill and improvement for himself. With all the new moves and weapons he's been making for himself in private, he got himself his own field where he has control of the battles; it's almost like he's taming 'em like pets" Spitelout confirmed and further explained that he was avoiding Astrid every day

"Pets, eh? I've gotta' write down in my notes, now that's a laugh right there; they sure can use one" Gobber motioned to Stoick's expedition team

Stoick looked the other way and faced the cliff above him where the village was, astounded of the news of his son but looking further to inquire about Hofferson. He excused himself as the two Vikings were going over with each other and went to talk to Sven about her daughter so he can see if what he was told is true, that she was jealous of him

"Chief" Mr. Hofferson greeted

"I want a second opinion on this matter: is Miss Hofferson really jealous of what Hiccup has accomplished in the Kill Ring?" He was upfront and direct, but calm with asking this question as Sven confirmed and informed him of what he had heard of his daughter

"Terribly so it would seem. She seems to believe that only she is taking this seriously, taking nights out to walk wishing there weren't any lit torches attached to the side of the houses or at the catapult tower; wanting to be completely alone with her thoughts where nobody sees her, away from everyone and everything. Ingrid agrees that she too wishes for moments like those, but the dragons seem to be preventing that; she did tell him that our war is becoming theirs on day two"

"Hmm, the first two days weren't good?" The chief had a hand on his beard

"No, Gobber believes in learning on the job" He shook his head and looked at the blacksmith

"Aye, that's him alright but Hiccup adapted to that in one day and anyone would've given up after the first night" He too turned to Gobber and back to him

"The others, eh, they don't seem to aspire for peace or for freedom from the chains they're bounding us too. Hiccup wants to end the Dragon Training lessons as quick as possible so he isn't taking it as lightly as you were led to believe, no, even more than we all thought before when we set out a hour later from the docks. Ingerman seems glad to be out of the chance of winning the competition he put on. The others just want to kill 'em for the fun of it, wanting to look heroic and build up their image. They don't seem to understand the meaning of war and peace, poor lass thinks there's something wrong with her for wanting something greater than most can understand. You wouldn't want the dragons completely gone, you like a good fight; you just want the attacks to stop so we can eat what we all grew, not what we're left with"

"She's not wrong" Stoick nodded as he sat down with him on a loaded crate

"She thinks she's no one wants freedom, live without fear like us Hofferson as the fearless of the courageous in Berk; go where we want without the risk that we might be killed by fire" That thought stirred a memory from inside his head when the gathering of chiefs ended in him being the only who got out alive, he lost some old friends inside there

"It takes more than a little fire to kill me, and that madman knows it. People who kill without reason cannot be reasoned with" He muttered at the end, referring to the likes of a man who was named Drago Bludvist

"I think your son feels the same way, doesn't think we could be alike. We taught them what makes two people the same is their strength, but to him it's in his head with the way he was thinking. Somehow, to her, she figured that type of being the same way may've been more important than strength; her suspicions weren't fleshed out by this point, she was wondering how did he push that Zippleback into their cage. Blind courage is out of the question, suicidal bravery isn't one of them and he never showed any other features he isn't telling anyone of; figured they both had the need for freedom. Too bad that didn't last long, everyday she had the question of would he outsmart everyone again? Beat them without fighting? Not lifting one finger in war to achieve freedom? We all fight when they take what's ours, we trust our guts, not our hearts to answer the questions we have; when the blood is on our hands, we're proud. He's onto something, those teens were mocking him not a week ago and now they're in awe. It's always the same everyday and after every training session, different dragons and he pulls out a trick that either scares 'em or puts 'em to sleep. You can't kill a dragon with an eel could you? He doesn't wound or kill them either" Sven continued what she was telling her parents about, him and Ingrid regarding what was happening in the Kill Ring

"Are you implying that my son is cheating his way to victory?" There it was, that hostile tone that was beginning to heat up again

"No one's focusing on killing dragons these days, it's all become about him and how he could put them in a hypnotized trance; he beats my daughter to the punch every single day, and he is proving that he doesn't have to spill blood to kill the Monstrous Nightmare. She's turned to the Thorstons for a fight these days as well, and he doesn't want to talk about how he does those things. Leave the techniques to the one who mastered these things, he'd be saying himself; I know it. His eyes do not betray the gestures in his silence, we already know he's trying to end the competition as quick as possible"

"Then my worst fears have been realized" Stoick genuinely sounded terrified, but at the same time he can't be certain with the way he was keeping secrets from what he was hearing about his son. If he's taming them like pets, he might be trying to join him and his army to spite his own father. No one can reason with him, his army of humans will destroy Berk and leave it a smoking ruin that can be seen from their neighbors including Chilblain

"Don't say that, you don't know what he's going to do next, he's not going to end up being the same madman who orchestrated that massacre. She knows there's a pattern: for weeks, he's training as soon as he can end it quickly, and doesn't come to supper with the class until all of them are gone so he can have the Great Hall to himself with the occasional Viking in there that isn't Spitelout; we all know he pretended to leave with us and didn't make his presence to his son known until we came back today. He's built up a habit of going into the forest near Raven Point before and walks out with more stunts to perform, more strategies to perform; I know Gobber has been telling him about what dragon they're going be facing next, he's been training himself to keep his plans guarded until he's ready to execute them out on the field. I think my daughter is trying to find his secret plans for his strategies in the Kill Ring, even if it's going to mean cutting into your son's business and intruding on his right to privacy. Spitelout knows it too and he said that he's not an ogre, ogres lived in swamps and they like to be with only themselves without the company of others; but... he's a boy, it's not right" Sven was out of things to say really, this left the chief with more thoughts than he was comfortable with as they gave him more questions than answers to what he was really doing

"I think me and Gobber are going to be out here for awhile, I want to oversee this expedition cleared out. I'll ask him for his opinion, if he's telling my son what dragons he's facing next, I think he may be helping him end his lessons quickly. He was better off with... reading, or at least breaking into the Meathead Library to take up some knowledge; but Mogadon doesn't seem to take mind or concern over him committing such action" That was another thing of his son, he would often break into the Meathead Public Library knowing full well that Mogadon the Meathead, chief of the Meathead Tribe knew of his escapades but was not blind to what he himself was doing to his son. Something he hated himself for doing

"I must return to see my wife, but I can tell you that you're not gonna like what happened in the first two days" Sven finished up his work and walked off, bidding his farewell to the chief as he came up the docks to enter the village

Stoick nodded and though he said that he would want to oversee the expedition cleared out, his and Gobber's stomach were growling. The two of them were clearly hungry, some of their rations were taken by the dragons at Helheim's Gate; but they did make good use of the rest of them at least

Back with Hiccup and Toothless, high above the cliff that was the final test drive in order for them to see if the tailfin worked out with no further problems and how much time they had before Stoick returned from Helheim's Gate no closer to finding the nest, the two sides of a Viking and a dragon world for the first time in three hundred years working together to live and let fly to unreached heights. As was brought up before, Gobber wondered where one of the longships of their fleet went as unknown to him, it was impaled on a jagged rock when the fleet came through; only leaving when the vicious queen behind the war sent out her subordinates and ordered them to defend their island. That's right, there was someone who orchestrated the war behind the wall of Helheim's Gate. But since the Vikings are focused on driving their foes away than finding out who or what was causing the raids, Stoick had forbidden unauthorized plans of readying the ships and to set sail to the restricted area where the dragons had made their nest for a long time; orders that are not authorized by him at least. The gate of fog had too many rocks in the path of the ships, a few of them had led to the destruction of hardwork that's been spent in the days where the weather was reasonable be it either sunny or cloudy; some of them never returned and most of them had either sunken or burned down. The reign of terror led by the unseen cause must end soon and fast, and Stoick was not willing to send his men out to face the risks imposed as a chief protects his own. Hiccup, in his mind, wants permission to sortie and find out the truth of what's really causing the raids that never seem to end; but the Berkians have no intention of granting it. He, the son of the chief, had no intention of asking his father or the council for permission either way; Hiccup has his own goals to achieve with the aid of a dragon to learn what was behind everything since they first settled on Berk

The cheat sheet's secured underneath the front of the saddle, being clipped down on all four sides so that it couldn't fly off and so that Hiccup could read it properly; making sure he's got it all memorized. He sat up front as he padded his Night Fury on the side. "Alright there, bud; gonna take this as soft and slow as we'll go before jumping into action, where the real work is ours to begin. Tailfin is tightened for maximum precision, and straighten out to the best that I can improve it for full control of the pedal system. Here we go, here we go: position thre- no, four!"

Shifting his foot back to open the brown tailfin, the two of them looked back at the progress made so far in this test drive of theirs. "Unnatural tug, but it's a prosthetic after all, we'll get better with every improvement made and stabilize the floppiness of this tailfin. I know it" He shared his thoughts about the unnatural tug of his tailfin but reassured himself that there will be improvements in the future

He's ready for this, nice and slow, no tricks, no sudden turns or attempts to manipulate the prosthetic by the Night Fury himself; it's all just calm like this cool air, steady like the waves as it's supposed to be. Flying vertically in a half moon formation that led them back towards the front of the archway and seastacks below, he looked back and nodded as it was working well. The reinforced version of the brown tailfin should deter the floppiness and be straight like the organic tailfin that was once there. He once again shared his thoughts, he did show his rambling side by assuring himself their problems can be fixed after this flight

"Good, good... a successful sharp turn; now we've got a good sign there. We'll be able to fix any problems that're coming our way with this test flight of ours"

"Alright, it's go time... it's go time" Hiccup muttered under his breath

"Hang on tight" His Night Fury told him as the two dived down to the sea level underneath them

His left wing split the surface as they leaned down towards that side, turning white like foam which Ariel had become after realizing she can't kill the prince with the knife she claimed in exchange for her sisters' hair; due to him marrying the neighboring princess that was also a temple girl. Hans Christen Andersen knows how to write a tragedy but seeing how kids of his tribe wouldn't like how she never got the man she did so much to earn his love, Hiccup came up with a much more family friendly tale which turned out to be well loved by audiences; it's great and all as such, but his real achievement was co-authored by a man named Mikekolt of the Audibaurjek Tribe which was once ruled by his ancestor Tiburonkolt. If one thought about how deadliest, goriest and nastiest Grimbeard the Ghastly was then they haven't seen him in action because he led a war against the Spanish Conquistadors when they searched for a lost city of gold. El Dorado, all to save his mother's people who were the Aztecs of all civilizations from Cortés when he failed to find the city and committed the crimes he did in real life; this failure was all thanks to a duo of con artists who became gods named Miguel and Tulio

The tale he co-authored with Mikekolt was that of a female warrior in the Far East. She took her ailing father's place, not for honor but to save the ones she loved, in the Imperial Army; all to defend against the Huns led not by Attila, but by a sinister Miguel Ferrier voiced threat that not once did he underestimate her as a woman because China can be stubborn with the traditions that are set in place, just as the Archipelago's Vikings can be stubborn about ideas that can benefit both sides. No one was truly different from one civilization or the other. In fact, women aren't allowed to pray at the family temples and believe it or not; they actually have to see the matchmaker in order to be married to someone whom they love. The woman being told in this tale didn't all that sh*t like other princesses, because all she wanted was not to lose her father who was past his prime and willing to die for the Emperor; who wanted his soldiers to send their troops to protect his people, not set up defenses around his palace. It's a selfless and a wise ruler truly fitting for the Han dynasty

"Come on buddy, come on buddy!" He muttered under his breath once again as they came to pass underneath the archway

Toothless looked up to see the seagulls with Hiccup following his gaze, what a mesmerizing sight the two had seen before their eyes. He would've even liked to do a backflip stunt with the right equipment to secure the tailfin into place, had he been given more time to do any sort of thing he wanted with the time he had for himself

"Yes, it worked!" Hiccup was relieved, turning his attention for a second to look at how the performance of the tailfin was before shifting back to face the seastack that was coming up right in front of them. "Incoming!"

Toothless rebounded off the seastack and flew off in a different direction. "I lost focus for a second there, just about that... that feeling again"

It seemed like he couldn't pull back to maneuver away from the second one, slamming all of his limbs to rebound off of the solid rocky surface although Hiccup had been thrown up onto it; the force of being slammed up against the seastack had knocked him out as he fell over to his front, being dazed and seemingly looking unconscious as Toothless looked up at him. "sh*t, time for some T.E.S.R (Toothless Ear Slap Resuscitation) on my boy"

Toothless slapped him with his earplate in order to resuscitate him, awaking up like he was a chonky black cat with green eyes and dilated black pupils that heard the tuna can open; right away springing to life as soon as his pointed ears heard the sound of the lid peeling off. "I'm on it: damn, oh yeah here we go, position fou- scratch that, three!"

Manually leaning down with his arm to turn the pedal upwards, he switched positions and in that moment; Toothless began to climb upwards into the air. Getting real high above and out of sight from the little Vikings below who didn't notice this event, a good thing too as dragon riders were not well received as much as the ones who killed them in defense; neither were dragon hunters who killed for profit as that's comparable to poaching animals who have uses that they need to live another day, when another raid would come to Berk. Toothless had his forked tongue out as he climbed the air vertically with each flap. "Oh yeah, yeah!"

"Yeah! Go baby! Yes! Oh this is amazing!" The excitement in his voice was matched by his bud

"Haha, yeah it is!" Who couldn't agree more?

"The wind in my-" The pressure of the wind tore through the attachments and adhesive tape, as well as caused the diagram of the tailfin positions to be ripped out of the saddle's clip; he's noticed this. He couldn't do this test flight without it, he needed it. "Cheat sheet! S-"

No, he silenced himself, if he actually yelled at his bud to stop and managed to grab it back in his hand on time he would obey the order. Therefore, the weightlessness in the air would be causing the safety cord to unhook itself. In a moment's notice, he caught the cheat sheet back in his hand but the adrenaline had led to confirming what he was afraid of the most. Abruptly switching the pedal position to hover had caused the safety hook to slip off to the front, but it was made worse when the force of the abrupt position switch had thrown him off upwards and forwards away from his bud. Toothless noticed this and fell backwards with Hiccup falling after him, far behind due to being lighter

"NOOOOOO! Oh gods, no! No! Damn it!" The two were in a free fall from high above and as Hiccup tried to dive down in order to catch onto Toothless' wing, he couldn't get a secure grip on the spinning Night Fury as his fingers slipped from his rubbery membrane surface. What it caused in return was him being flipped backwards, Toothless could only dive in after him and try to reach him from underneath the boy. "Alright! You gotta- you gotta angle yourself!" He called out on him

"I'm trying, I can't stop spinning!" The Night Fury was too panicked to listen, or so it would be seen from the audience as he had no trajectory with his wings and tail spiraling out of control to the point where Hiccup was at risk of being smacked across the face; spinning horizontally against the wind that put him at greater risk

"No, no, no... come back down towards me! Come back down- OW, son of a BITCH!" Hiccup got smacked across the face with his tail, with Toothless flipping overhead with his back

"Grab on, now!" He shouted at him as Hiccup dived down towards his back and reached out to get a firm grip onto his saddle, throwing himself back into his seat and hooking himself back into a comfortable position for his waist. "Gods be praised!" He was as relieved as renowned blacksmith of the Archipelago, Eorlund Gray-Mane, adopting both his voice and his accent for an impression of his

"I've got you, we're not out of the woods yet but we're out of time. Get ready, this is going to be against you and the wind!" Hiccup was back in control of the tailfin, but the two were out of time to move upwards as there was a downward sloping forest underneath them; and that ain't gonna stop him from telling the Night Fury as he leaned down. "Let's hit the brakes!"

Hiccup reared back as Toothless did the same upwards and extended his wings outwards to the left and the right sides in a mid-air brake, the force of which led to them paragliding on top of the timberlands underneath and into the wall of fog below. It didn't hurt Toothless to do so, but he did warn his boy about what was coming up next

"We're coming up on some seastacks in the fog!" Yelling in a Sam Elliot-esque voice when he saw what was emerging down below

A large seastack before them with a triangular opening on the left side was coming their way. Hiccup had the cheat sheet in his teeth and couldn't read it in his hand, the air resistance was heavy on the parchment. Having made some last minute studies as much as he could until he decided that it wasn't worth holding onto. "f*ck it, this parchment ain't worth the charcoal it was written on!" He was relying solely on his guts and instincts, putting his full trust into the tailfin and pedal system as he made the position to go forward

Hiccup slid his foot back into the pedal and to the left, he straightened out as he shot through to the left and weaved to the right side with sharp turns to maneuvers. "Keep it up!"

Even going upside down with a spinning forward corkscrew tumble with folded wings to get above a rock underneath them. "Hehehah!"

With one final turn to the right side and back to the left side, the two were out of the field of seastacks as the two of them survived without smashing into a wall nor did the two show the scars of injuries that were sustained in the tight weaved hazards before them. Snapping from both sides in between those rocks that stood between them and freedom, swerving through rocks and coming out of the fog to see the clear open blue skies that were bright with the sun shining down on them. Not a single rock left in sight as Hiccup raised his arms into the air and shouted in victory

"OH YEEAHHH!" Right into a V-letter shape too

Toothless squealed in victorious excitement as well as he fired a charged plasma blast right in front of him, letting his tongue hang out just as Hiccup deflated

"Come on..." Into the blast of fire they went and go into the inferno with Toothless coming out unscathed thanks to his black scales, all flying in the burning blast that made him close both of his eyes and reopening them to that there were only scorchmarks and soot that's on his skin and tunic

Toothless seemed to warble in a snickering chuckle of sheepishness

"No need for apologies bud, just a warning next time, alright?" The Night Fury nodded before Hiccup guided him to a black sand beach, a rocky shoreline that was far from Berk but no less a part of it either way. The black sand basalt rock beaches of this island made them feel at home, it's large enough to be a outpost for a tribe with such resources and a nice training ground for the wild dragons whom Gobber had taken as part of a live fire lesson to demonstrate when it comes to battling them. There was plenty of land from behind the black basalt and basalt rocks where they were camping out, so it was still apart of Berk but it was far from the village eyes and it was a spot where Terrible Terrors seem to flock over towards. Playing while each one of their parents watched them. It's a good and sprawling deserted beach and he didn't mind this spot one bit, he was cooking some freshly caught fish over a fire that he made with some tanned buffalo meat; still recovering from the burns and scorchmarks of that earlier stunt as he heard Toothless regurgitating a fish head for him

He only smirked and gestured to his fish, a mackerel will do just fine for him

"Uhh... no thanks, I'm good. Got some buffalo meat cooking too, gonna use that for a burger with this mackerel's meat, it's gonna be a nice one too" How he had lit the fire was a tool he wasn't showing Toothless just yet, and for good reason as there was another distraction on the way

Hearing the call of four Terrible Terrors flying in over to them, Hiccup tensed but Toothless merely growled with a warning, covering his fish better to himself as they earned this as a celebratory food for the test drive that has proven that the tailfin has been perfected for a time. The majority of it having been dumped on the ground for him when he later arrived, setting up a small patch of wood afterwards. Like with any dragons during the raids, none of them paid mind to Hiccup and instead fought over the regurgitated fish Toothless offered to his boy; one snapping at the other and retaliating with a propane based fire being shot after the defeated one. Hell, one of them had stood upright as Toothless watched in wonder until he discovered that it was a green Terror trying to sneak off with his salmon; to think that this Night Fury was stupid to allow this to happen. Not on his watch as he fought valiantly against this foe, snagging onto the tail as it was ripped off and Toothless was the victor in this battle; a story meant for the sagas of heroes to be told in Sovngarde in the Northern Holds. With the Terror being thrown back due to the recoil and landing on it's tail, both legs forming what was a diamond shape of sorts as he gave out his taunting laugh signified by a few chirps

"Meanie..." He muttered playfully under his breath

This predictably did not help as the Terror wanted revenge, swallowing the tail as it scraped the ground with it's claws and stood bipedally on both legs before heaving in to fire out the propane burst of fire; before Toothless spat out a quick plasma bolt into it's mouth, inflating like a Buffalord at first before releasing smoke upon deflating and falling over to the front of itself. It recovered soon enough although it was dazed and started walking along his side, this intrigued Hiccup as he thought to include this as part of a note he was writing; the curiosity of who or what was stirring up the nest was intriguing to him, he thought that this action can be enough to stop whatever was leading the raids beyond Helheim's Gate. Hiccup was laughing at the sputtering and coughing of the poor Terror

"Uh, not so fireproof on the inside are you? Even the most powerful dragon can't escape that, here you are" He threw his own half cooked fish towards the Terror, who gulped it down as it then looked at the boy who was now watching the sky; fully leaning into Toothless, knowing that he now understood that the Terrors were no threat. There was a sudden purr on his side that made him look down to see that the small dragon had curled up against him, napping as he ran his fingers over the green scales so gently and softly. "Everything we know about you guys is wrong. And when I run away from home sometime from now, but soon enough, I am going to teach everyone and my people everything there is to know about dragons; let them experience the new things I learned so that we can learn more than what meets the eye" He whispered to himself before watching the sky completely

Toothless looked at the tool at his side and been meaning to express his interest in it. "Inferno, my signature blade for dragons. Not only tames them, but is also made from Gronckle Iron and it uses a Deadly Nadder's magnesium that can tear through flesh and burn down wooden structures because of it's hotness"

"How you'd get a Nadder's flame? It should've melted the sword by now"

"I used the sulfur from Stormfly and created a paste, simple as that. Although I'm willing to change the fire type to say like a... Monstrous Nightmare's kerosene gel, combined with an Hotburple's melted iron lava blast. Just in case we come across some Dragon Proof situation" That species name came to him without a thought, although Toothless acknowledged that it was a real dragon species

"Berk must not see many Hotburples, lazier than the Gronckle even. But I think your friend is going to like having one, should we ever convince him"

"He's chasing his own grudge with dragons as it is, for him it's personal and this species might not exist but it's called the Boneknapper. I read it in the Dragon Manual on the first night, it's when the first lesson about survival ended. I'm just not myself lately, I really want to leave to find a new home for the both of us but I can't leave those dragons in the Kill Ring; Meatlug of all those dragons really, maybe she lost a cousin in there and doesn't want to end up like she witnessed. This will take some time for me think, but the next time we meet; I'll have made up my mind. I'm strongly going for the choice that they should join us, they might as well act like I'm their hatchling, I'm not forcing them to be at all. Every dragon deserves freedom, the ones who target me and are mindlessly loyal to their masters can be turned against them; it's no secret that I want to change people's minds for the better. But I don't think Berk will ever change, not for the way I want to see it"

Nothing about what the Hairy Hooligans Tribe knows is true, everything about this newfound knowledge was as he saw them the way that these Terrors see him and his bud. It has been a long time since they first settled on this land after losing their home on the mainland, they're trying to teach their generations with falsehood assumptions and try to wrap around what are known about dragons that heir hearts already know of themselves; only to slip through them and unravel as if the bandages weren't meant for embalming the truth behind the reptiles of which left a stigma on the tribe. He leaned inwards towards his dragon, sitting there for long as the sun was setting with the afternoon turning into a golden orange color; remaining there on the black sand beaches for as long as he could with his bud. He can't be with him anymore because of the circ*mstances regarding Astrid and even worse, the dreadfulness in his body

HTTYD

(A/N: The following dialogue was taken from How to Train Your Father by Eyes Wide Open 2010 and modified be me. Read that story for Stoick's point of view to learn what he was thinking)

"This scene is called Aftermath, it was one of the early developments in setting up Stoick's problem and Hiccup's problem; and it was one we had to lose because we managed to absorb that material into an earlier scene"

-Dean DeBlois on Aftermath being cut due to absorbing the material for an earlier scene

At the docks, many of the Vikings were hauling out the remaining ships with Stoick standing by watching them unload with cranes and manpower as they hauled with their meaty arms; a few of them were told to heave, and others were told to direct them over here to this spot as well as that spot. Stoick stood next to a Viking who was overseeing and writing down reports, shaking his head with his voice being low

"They're getting bolder. At this rate, we won't have enough food to last a winter" He was worried, the burdens of not having enough to last one winter through a time of scarcity in Berk was taking it's strain on him

"Should we send out hunting parties?" The harbor master asked

"For what? The devils have picked the island clean" Stoick walked down the ramp and came over to the docks to see a ship returning to Berk, he hoped that he was going to at least get some decent news. "Please tell me you have some good news"

A Viking jumped out of the ship and held a rope to tether it onto the dock. "Another two ships lost in the soup and still no sign of the beasts"

Stoick breathed with frustration and muttered under his breath, he was right then when he was on the voyage and he was right in the here and now. "They're close... close enough to make us our hunting ground. I can almost smell them" It seemed to be even more true, he could detect their scent approaching the isle; ready to overtake them when they're at their most vulnerable state. Unequipped to deal with another raid by the dragons, but there has not been one since he left and Berk has been quiet for some time with no attacks

He's afraid and he's paranoid, but his pride refused to let that show through to his people. He turned away and gave his order

"Continue the search" He started to leave with the harbor master running up to him

"With that? We're not just low on ships, Stoick; we're low on men" He informed the chief, who turned around to face him while continuing to walk away

"Then pull from the defenses" He suggested

"And leave the village unprotected?" The harbor master asked with concern

"We'll train replacements, this is a crisis; we need all hands on deck" The chief countered

"All hands?" The harbor master asked

Stoick knew what he meant as the other Vikings looked up at the cliffs above them, even he did and what he saw in his eyes was the shadow of Hiccup looking down on all of them; as he turned his back on them and left without a sound. The chief looked down, contemplating his words until he walked away in silence. He was scowling with his decisions, but once he's set his mind onto something he isn't going to be swayed so easily away from his intentions. He's concerned about his son, but at the same time he was making it clear how much he hated his own father; resented him because of how he put his duties first before being a parent. No, it was more than that. Odin's beard, he needs a drink at the Great Hall

And get a drink at the Great Hall he did as the celebratory dinner was served with a banquet of roasted cod, some unleavened bread, root vegetables and lots of mead for him to drink all of his concerns away. That was his plan after all, he was intending to continue asking his son about what progress that Hiccup had made in the Kill Ring

"So Gobber, how does he do it?"

"To be honest with you, I don't completely understand it myself. All he does for the lessons is show up in the morning for training, performs some incredible stunt and disappears. It's as if he wants to keep this a secret from everyone about how he does all this, if he isn't cussing in his breath first" Gobber shook his head as he described his assistant's behavior

Stoick looked thoughtfully over at his friend, a loss about how to explain what was happening in the Kill Ring. "You didn't consider asking Hiccup? You told him which dragon was next"

"Ah, you know the rules. I'm supposed to be impartial and not even appear talking to them. It's difficult with Hiccup though, I'm a loose tongue with him but I intend on abiding by your rules for the others and he hasn't asked any questions. Besides, it may be that his techniques can prove useful"

"Aye, I put those rules into place so each set of trainees could develop a bond as a team, then fill in the details and tie up loose ends with the other Vikings after the initiation. But I've had some disturbing reports of the trainees wanting to make him into dragon bait for day three, if that's supposed to be a joke; I would threaten to feed them to Fenrir, see how they react for when even Loki is in on the joke. That and another reason was to have every one of them build and develop their fighting style, going against the dragons. The last reason... that was to keep anyone from having the advantage over the other trainees. Did pretty well so far, let's start at the top shall we? Tell me everything that happened" Stoick nodded

Gobber scratched the back of his head. "We started the morning you left for your leisurely search. Astrid, Snotlout, the Thorston Twins and Fishlegs started class along with Hiccup. As per the usual we started with the Gronckle

"You gave them your line of learning on the job?" Dragon Training conducted by Gobber was repetitive, methodical and relatively safe considering that these were beasts that can kill an trainee. The Vikings were able to pick up specific characteristics and traits that're associated with each of the dragons, and use them to counter the raids

"It's amazing how quickly it always gets everyone's attention. Naturally, everyone scatters as soon as it bursts out and of course loads up" Gobber chuckled

"How much were you feeding it?" He didn't want him fattening up the Gronckle in the Kill Ring, they're defending their home not hunting them for profit

"I gave her the opportunity to take in two to three. So I ask them what the first thing they're gonna need, Hiccup replied with a doctor and I was about to answer 'that comes after' but he beat me to it with the way that mind of his was telling him. Fishlegs gave another answer that was confusing, but was later told he meant 'be five times faster than the dragon'. Ultimately, Astrid chimed in and answered with 'a shield'. Everyone got theirs and I made sure to include an important piece of information by saying that they should make sure that shield's made of Thor's Ore, as it's the strongest material known to us. And Odin help us, the Thorston Twins were arguing over one of the shields. Dare I even ask the reason as to why, but Ruffnut got a whack on her brother before both of them were struck out"

"They were hurt?"

"No, no it turns out they started squabblin' over the same shield that has fire and skulls, all the while the Gronckle set for her shot; took the shield out and knocked them both out of our survival lesson"

"Sorry I missed that" Stoick hid his chortle quietly, that's exactly what happens when you fight with yourselves on the battlefield

"Next thing I mentioned was about noise to throw off a dragon's aim, that really got her head spinnin' there with the kids clanging them and so they got that down. I brought up shot limits next, and asked how many does a Gronckle have? Fishlegs had the answer, but then he stood there and looked at ME rather than at HER!" Gobber shook his head

"The Gronckle is what we're speaking of, right?" Stoick was uncertain as he knew that female animals were the more aggressive of the two genders, but he wanted to make sure that he is talking about the dragon

"Yeah, Hiccup figured out that part and the Nadder too. Fishlegs had his shield shot out of his hand and ran off screamin' his head off. That leaves three, but you know that since this isn't a first grade math class lesson. Hiccup wound up behind a block and I wounded up shouting at him to get in there just as the Gronckle shot at him, only for him to shout back at me to get in the ring because he's got lumbago" He chuckled at the end there

"Lumbago isn't the only thing he's going to have" Stoick muttered under his breath, the aggression was already starting to take over

"Oh don't get yer' panties in a twist, now while that's going on, Snotlout was tryin' some pick-up lines on Astrid in the middle of the ring"

"You're joking?" Incredulously he asked, he cannot believe what he's hearing about his nephew

"I kid you not Stoick, the Gronckle lines and winds up taking the shield out from Snotlout who was knocked onto his back while Astrid somersaulted out of the line of fire. Hiccup ended up walking up next to Astrid but paid no attention to her, but still making small talk about how it was about time his cousin was blasted!"

"In the middle of the ring with a Gronckle flyin' about?" He shook his head, the two are never going to kiss and make up because both of them are stubborn like he and his brother Spitelout

"Ah that's teenagers... what can we say? Anyway, she lines up a shot and takes Hiccup's shield out of his arm but also burnt it as well; he started to run from it with the Gronckle on his tail"

"And he made small talk with it too?"

"He just slid down the wall and got cornered by the Gronckle, looked like he was cursing her under his breath holding his arm in pain. Sniffed his right back on top of him, that's when I've taken to guessing it was a she; motherly attitude? Dead giveaway. Started coating his burn in slobber too and his face. Too bad the teens, at least Astrid, saw her motherly attitude toward him as a threat and led the teens to attack. Either way, the Gronckle stood in front of him like he was her lil' hatchling and became defensive; from the way she was aiming her trajectory it looked like she was aiming her lava blast for Snotlout-"

"Not surprising, but the way the beast was acting so motherly towards my son was" Stoick knew this wasn't the first time a Gronckle had stood defensive in front of his boy, the night of the last raid before he set sail for the nest prove that

"I saved him of course, had to wrestle the overgrown sausage back to her cage while he leapt out of the way. They'll get another chance tomorrow, and I brought a bucket of water to cool his arm as I explicitly gave them the adage to them that a dragon will always... always, go for the kill to finish off the lesson. I knew to see them at the Great Hall tonight and chose to ignore the shouting match that followed, my gold's on Snotlout for starting it"

"If a dragon always goes for the kill, why didn't the Gronckle kill him?" Even Spitelout was not sure of this, the chief seemed to agree but remained silent on this thought as his brother was also listening in

"That was the first lesson?"

"Yes, all in all it's not so bad for a first day, minor burns but no deaths. But you think everyone would want to pay a little more attention around something that wants to kill you" Gobber, in the chief's mind, was the consummate instructor who knew what to look for to improve people over time. He was glad to have his son to be his mentor in the forge

"Do I even have to ask what day two was like?"

"As you guessed it was the Nadder, and I set it up the walls. Hiccup wondered how much time it'll take before they get knocked down like dominoes and I say he won the bet with Snotlout threw his mace and missed when she was three feet in front him, but that's what he gets for trying to step in and impress the Hofferson lass"

"You wanted to change everyone's focus?"

"Yeah, after the inattention with the Gronckle, I needed to force everyone to look up and around but even still Hiccup had something on his mind: questions about Night Furies. But that's on me though. I gave everyone the Dragon Manual the night before and they were all supposed to read it, Fishlegs regaled everyone with some of the dragons present but none of them were inclined or interested to read it so that one's on them. I think Astrid may've read it before so she had a reason not to stay. According to Hiccup, there's nothing on Night Furies in the manual and I guess he wanted to know more about them; everything else we know about them is in there"

That was something of interest to him. "My son wanted to find out as much information as he can and as possible about his potential adversaries. Gothi was right, looking for every answer that's conceivable in a situation like this" He thought to himself

"But it's not without tragedy, your training axe was incinerated by the Nadder"

"Oh, that was one of my favorite axes..."

"I got it handled and taken care of by the time we got the Terrible Terror. He didn't seem all that inclined like he cared. He bolted and managed to split off in the maze, Fishlegs ended up being chased by the Nadder who promptly spiked him; he was able to use his shield though. The twins were running through the maze before encountering it, but were able to sit in it's blind spot... until they started arguing again. Most likely it's the way Tuffnut never bathed in his life. His sister was able to pull him out of the line of fire and came running in the same direction as Hiccup, who was just impatiently walking through without a care about what's happening all around him and started asking questions about how would one sneak up on a Night Fury. Really, he's not having any of it. Had to remind him where he is and what he was supposed to do. Astrid and Snotlout got passed the beast, but Hiccup merely spun past and bashed her in the nasal horn; doesn't trust his reflexes or agility to roll like they did"

"Hiccup never cared for acrobatics like Miss Hofferson does, nor did he care for her way of defending herself or others" Stoick looked down on his ale

"Never wanted to socialize with the trainees either, too. The Nadder approached Astrid and Snotlout, who threw his mace at the beast and for the life of me I thought I heard the dragon laugh when he missed; coming up with the excuse that the sun was in his eyes. It fired off a stream and chased them so fast that Astrid caused it to tear down the walls of the maze, she was able to vault off the top of a falling wall while staying in front of the Nadder. Again, this is already beginning to be a pet peeve with him not taking this seriously but he was leisurely walking through the collapsing maze like it's nothing new happening. I had to warn him and Astrid did so, but she was too late to jump from him and fell onto the boy. Ended up trying to get her axe free when the Nadder came attacking, annoyed him so much he threw her off and stole her weapon when it shot a spine at his shoulder. And then... he started laughing like it's tickling him"

"Oh brother... I did this, I made him into a masoch*st. And no son of mine is going to be one, not that he ever enjoyed pain himself to develop a liking for it" Stoick only put a hand up to his face

"He said he was gettin' real mighty moody today because we aren't telling him what he wants to know about Night Furies; the manual had nothing on them and he told me not to give him that excuse that Bork was so terrified he refused to write it down in the book. But he sure did knock the Nadder out brutally, and Astrid decided to be ungrateful by giving him a piece of her mind"

"What did she say?" Knowing full well she wasn't giving him an inspirational speech, he wearily asked him

"Oh, something along the lines of 'we're about to inherit our parents war' and he needs to figure out which side he's on'. And you know side he's on? Not ours"

"Now he's the one that's being ungrateful, he has a home and he has a job at the forge that I gave him. Who the hell does he think he is? Unbelievable, that level of entitlement? That 'I'm not on your side!' attitude?!" He threw his tankard to the floor and was about to head home but was stopped by his desire to know more about Gobber's report. "What happened next?"

"I wound up not answering his questions, he turned the tables on her and made Astrid realize that she yelled at him who saved her just now. Oh yeah and uh Spite, your son shouldn't be... oh you know, trying to charm ladies while a dragon's lining up to take a shot at him!" Gobber got a good laugh out of it while Spitelout cracked his knuckles

"I'm going to have a talk with the boyo, get his head in the game" Spitelout started rubbing his hands to make sure they're raw enough to give his son a slappin' and a spankin' to get him to focus

"Gobber's just going over what's been going on with the training. Nobody was injured or killed so that's good" Stoick informed his brother

"Well her speech must've had an effect on Hiccup 'cause the next time we met on day three for our lesson about teamwork, he changed. Had 'em go against the Zippleback, set in teams: Astrid with Ruffnut, Snotlout with Tuffnut, Hiccup with Fishlegs. The two headed beast came out as it usually did, releasing the fog and gassing up the Kill Ring. Well the trainees started working together with their backs to each other in each team. Snot and Tuff wound up with their buckets being thrown at the girls thinking the horns on the helmet were the dragon, they got their revenge, Tuffnut winding up on his back and Snotlout getting slugged by Astrid. That's when the beast decided to play with Tuffnut, found out later he saw the inside of one of it's jaws, no puncture marks though but he does have a couple of burns caused by sparks. The girls were taken out by a tail sweep, spillin' their buckets to the floor and if I recall correctly; and assuming Hiccup's shot to her pride below her belt hasn't affected my memory of what happened, I swore I could hear him say it was too bad the bucket didn't 'land on the front of her leggings' if you catch his meaning"

"Now he wants to make someone look like they wet themselves? That's going too far right there"

"More than threatening to tie Hiccup in a basem*nt hanging by his hands and both pulling his pants down to expose his manhood, and leaving him there unsupervised by masked Vikings you hired apparently" Gobber knew he would never do that, but the fact at one point he did threaten his son with going through with performing that act under his breath; it was pretty much the ale that was talking

"And I thought I was spiteful enough to hold grudges to the point of wanting someone to embarrass themselves and give the others the wrong idea" Spitelout yawned at the end, unsurprised that his nephew was just as spiteful as he was since it was in his name and he knows how to hold grudges

"Alright, now because of that, it leaves Hiccup and Fishlegs who promptly threw the water on..."

"The gas head" Both Stoick and Spitelout spoke at the same time in unison

"Chased him out of the ring, screamin' like a girl and that left Hiccup when 'ol sparky showed it's face. I was 'bout ready to intervene when the splash made him wet and slick his hair back, when he smashed the poor barrel into pieces; started throwin' a tantrum by taking it out on a spare bucket and kicked it up into the air with a bop of his foot, sprung into a jump and came spinning around with a kick to send it against the wall. What saved that bucket was, who else can you say? It was the Zippleback, 'ol gassy bopped him up from underneath and 'ol sparky's about to grab him by his ankle when he pulled away and swung on the chain roof; letting go as he launched himself into the air and dived down to the floor when 'ol gassy got him by the ankle, lashing it's neck by winding up like a whip ready to strike and snap down to throw him hard to the floor. Although, he landed on his feet and ducked backwards by leaning back and down, he was... ehh... 'breakdancing?'. It's not clear what he was doing, but next thing you've seen from him is that 'ol gassy snapped it's head at him when he did so and leaned back to tuck in his legs around the Zippleback's neck; he jumped back up and straight on the ground where he started" Gobber started to chuckle when he mentioned the shenanigans with Hiccup and the Zippleback

"Is this Hiccup we're talking about?" Stoick really was uncertain that this was his son doing all this, it sounded like something Astrid would do; however, she was not the shieldmaiden to perform that stunt without bringing down her axe on one of the heads and slicing off the other

"I saw it happen clear as a crystal and clear as the day, sunny enough to get in my boyo's eyes this time" Spitelout vouched for Gobber

"Yeah, I'm tellin' the truth. Hiccup said somethin' along the lines of 'I played by Gobber's way, now I try it: The Haddock Way'; made his pecs bounce as he threatened the dragon too"

"Oh yeah, he could really make a Terrible Terror pee itself in it's scaly leggings with the way he made 'em Thor's Ore mommy milkers bounce like a blubber and yak bladder skin leather made Monstrous Nightmare-shaped inflatable bounce house. He sure knows how to make a Jorgenson like me sweat, and he's got me sweatin' alright, my boyo can't compete with him in the Thawfest Games" Spitelout sarcastically remarked, though he sounded legitamate when he mentioned that his son can't compete with his nephew in the Thawfest games; hinting at his overly harsh and presurring nature on Snotlout, especially as he muttered a threat under his breath. "Don't you be the first Jorgenson to lose the Thawfest"

"Hah, a blubber skin, yak bladder and leathermade dragon shaped bounce house; now that's going in my ideas for the lad's next birthday! Good one Spitelout. Like I said, I was about to interfere once the Zippleback started to pounce in front of him, but then they just stopped and started to back up"

"Back up?" Stoick asked

"They looked at Hiccup and started to reel back, he was shouting at them and locked them up in their cage, started sputtering about how Fishlegs needs a tighter grip on his bucket and of course suggested that he should fill it with something wet to let it dry and fall onto ya' when you came back"

"He wanted him to set up a trap... for me" He wanted to clarify what he's hearing

"Yes, and he didn't use a weapon or water to drive him back. When the handlers cleaned out the cages after the lesson, ah... they could find a small bit of a smoked eel's tail which had an chewed off part on the back. I don't see who else would have the opportunity to threaten the Zippleback, and if that's the case then he may've discovered another method of handling the beasts in light of what happened for the rest of the week"

"Hiccup never liked having eel. But if he put it in there, then... go on now" Stoick requested, he was developing a theory of his son and the alcoholic ale was starting to talk again as he is seemingly developing a counter theory that Hiccup was cheating in his classes

"Went for the Gronckle again to see how the trainees would do a second time, and this time it was where I started the competition. They all had their orders not to kill, but subdue them. Fishlegs was the first to be knocked out and so was Snotlout, appeared that it was coming for Hiccup next when he put his hand out and stopped it dead in it's tracks; sniffing something in his hand before passing out right then and there"

"I never took my nephew as an alcoholic, what do you passed out?" Spitelout asked, something wasn't right here

"Damn Gronckle was drunk as a Viking loaded up on mead. Handlers and I found it to be a bitch to get it back to the cage. I mean it wasn't unconscious or nothin' but it was vocal and, I'd say it had a hard time walking"

"Do you know what he was carrying in his hand?" Spitelout inquired

"I can't ask, Stoick's orders and Hiccup never liked to share secrets with anyone he feels like they might not keep true to their word and betray him. Tha' was the worst thing about it, any Viking who has one's secret immediately breaking their word by telling everyone; those are supposed to be ones you trust, betrayal never comes from your enemies. He doesn't trust even me and that's a shame"

"Continue... I'm sure there's more examples" Stoick was pondering all of this

"Next day in the competition, Nadder was out in the open ring. Fishlegs and the Twins were out early, Snotlout was bludgeoned by it's spiked tail with some of the brunt of the blow of course being taken by the shield; knocked him real good. Astrid wound up throwing her axe who deflected the blade up and away, able to cartwheel out of the way. Now Hiccup, he just threw his mace away to the wall and crossed his arms, yawning on the sidelines saying how much he was getting bored of this; it's like he's on a trapped ship that'll blow up into flames if he doesn't keep in motion, everyone's feakin' out while he's just annoyed and done with this kind of thing. He just wanted to go about his day, not get involved in some crazy business for once; or so I am left to see from his body language. The Nadder appeared to sniff his hands, brought it down with his bare hands before Astrid could knock it unconscious; handlers and I dragged it back to the cage as per the usual"

"He was able to bring the beast down with his bare hands?" Incredulously, Stoick asked

"Knocked straight out with a smile on it's face"

Stoick had to laugh at that, the idea of knocking out a dragon and having it like that feeling is a complete surprise. Coming up with alternative methods to kill dragons was always remarkable and very appealing to him

"So the last lesson yesterday was the Terror"

"Alright Gobber, who discounted the little bastard?" Spitelout had an encounter with one on a raid once, he ended up shoving a torch into it's mouth and threw it up against the wall and smacked a swarm of them off his body before running off to find cover. Hiccup seemed to be impressed with that feat of his and started to practice what he did by setting up a fake Terror that would launch at him, where he would then throw his torch into the dragon's mouth and threw it up against the wall and into the basket

"Tuffnut, that's who. Promptly wound up with the little beast on his nose, acting like it's a cream filled treat... minus the tasty cream inside the treat. Everyone else kind of dispersed except for Hiccup, while Tuffnut was writhing in pain on the ground as the Terror was trying to rip his nose off. He reflected light from his shield to attract it's attention and flashed the light into his eyes, following it back into it's cage"

"Just like Fiddlesticks or any other cat for that matter" Spitelout remarked, mentioning Hiccup the First's pet cat

"That's where we stand today. If you want Stoick, we'll have the selection tomorrow between Astrid and Hiccup" Gobber finished his report

"That'll do. Well Spitelout, I never thought it would turn out like this. I think under the circ*mstances Hiccup may've given us some alternative ways of fighting them off, but I'm reminded of something Gothi said of him before we left on our trip"

"Oh? And what did she inquire?" His brother asked

"Hiccup was an observer, he would always look for every solution that was possible to solve a problem we have before us"

"Do you think he's observing the dragons? He hasn't been around them since he tends to get lost without being told rudely by the villagers" Gobber wondered

"It's on a hunch based on what you told me" He replied

"If that's the case, I'm certain you would consider that to be cheating" Spitelout chimed in

Stoick had been fighting the negative influence of the ale he was drinking, making him think his son was cheating as a counter argument to his actual theory on how he improved better to be better than he was seen before in two days prior. To further his theory, he understood no trainee would get it all down on their first day and the second wouldn't be much better; that is what made them human. No one should be perfect, especially not his son

"It's unorthodox, but not unfair to the trainees. The bigger question we have on our heads is the one we should be asking: where is he observing these dragons?" Stoick replied

Both his brother Spitelout and his friend Gobber were at a loss for what to say

"You remember that raid that happened when he turned fifteen years old, right? He brought up the fact that he saw a Night Fury from the hill where he stood, and the last raid which had happened also had one join in with the others as fire support; some of the Vikings I spoke to with mentioned that it might've been last seen near Raven Point, and if the last raid had him state that he wanted to see it. I believe in his effort to spot it, that means he wants to search for it; I should know, he went out every morning after the raids when it showed up to find it based on what I'm seeing from him. I think he may've come across an area where there are a number of dragons there" Stoick came up with his theory, based on the amount of times that his son sought out the Night Fury after every raid or so he believed; it was half true as he did that whenever he went out after the morning of every raid and searched if the Night Fury is still there, but this was not as common for him as it was more like whenever possible he was willing to do so. He just wanted to find some evidence, that's all there was to it

"Like a rest, play or hunting area?" Spitlout asked

"Aye, it's something like what you said; that means only one thing..." He started

"Those dragons may be near the village... in the forest" Gobber finished his train of thought as he, Stoick and Spitelout kept their voices down to stop Mildew from listening in; if he was present at least and he wasn't as he would use this for his venomous words to rally others to use against the chief, so he can do something against his boy whom he always hated

"You think there's any potential danger?" Spitelout wanted to be sure that there wasn't any

"We should let Hiccup continue observing them. He might be able to pick up some additional techniques and I think it might be safer if we don't have additional people try to track him, or let Miss Hofferson shadow Hiccup to where he's going to in the forest. They haven't attacked or hunted anyone and I want to keep this low key. Also, as of now, pass the word around that on the day of the initiation that all Vikings bring their weapons; say it's a new tradition for us to cheer on our newest Viking. After that, I want to put up a search party to see if we can find this area and get my son's assistance; if anything happens to him, we'll have to set it back for a day before we're ready to start after the initiation. And now that I think about it, I was just reminded of something else he said before we left..."

"And what would that be?" Gobber asked

"We had a conversation on what he really wanted to do and sounded like he didn't want to fight dragons. This was coming from someone who was personally attacked by a Gronckle, a boy who spent so much time thinking of new and creative ways to capture and kill them. Something had changed"

"You think he saw something there in his observations?" Spitelout asked

"I made a deal with him that he's attending Dragon Training, I couldn't get all the answers I want from him"

"Made him a deal he couldn't refuse, eh? That wasn't meant to be taken seriously, it was a joke I made" Gobber since regretted having him in the Kill Ring

"Yeah, it appears he managed to come up with new techniques that don't involve bloodshed. At least right away at first! Knock them out and run away if necessary, so we could come back to finish the job. It's not bad!" Stoick replied, he seemed to be pleased with the techniques his boy was coming up with. "I have something to gift him with when he comes back, I know it's not going to be long but I made sure to drink an... appropriate amount; don't want to get into any insidious nighttime activities in my drunkeness"

Stoick got up and headed for the door afterwards, going outside and down the stairs. Spitelout only looked back with a scowl, he knew what was about to happen and it's not pleasant

"That's not a good sign, what's happening?" Gobber asked him as Spitelout turned to face the blacksmith

"There's going to be a lot of screaming tonight, we'll have to be ready for when it happens"

"Some kind of hunch yer' having?"

"A gut feeling, I can feel boiling and churning in my stomach; and it's not a reflux either"

"Really? That's not good... are you saying that-"

"Yes, but I'm not sure if I'm right... I'm not sure at all"

At the Haddock Household, Stoick was in his room and sat on his bed holding one of his wife's breastplates which was what he was wearing as his own helmet; it was to be made for his son as a matching set, it keeps the two of them close to her. The first thing he's going to do is visit him in the forge, but first things first he's got to recite his words about what to tell him; though he doesn't know where to start

"Val, my dear I might need to use your second breastplate for a helmet I'm building for him. I ahh... uhh.. Odin help me here, I think it would be a good gift for him now that he's becoming one of us. I only want to make you proud when he gets to kill the Monstrous Nightmare in the ring, but still I think I'm doing this for you.. I know he and I are always throwing punches with each other; I'm always beating him as a form of discipline, bruising the fruit you bore on this world. I want to apologize for everything I've done to him, I deserve your wrath and you are in your rights to hate me for what I've did. I uhh... I'm in trouble. All right, here we go..." Stoick muttered to himself, getting up from his bed and walking down the stairs to head back to the Great Hall

He needed some time to think and he decided that he should take one last swig of the ale before he came back home to tell Hiccup, his son about his gift and how proud he was to make it this far

But what he didn't know is that the alcohol was going to do more than the talking here, and this was the breaking point for his son. He may've apologized to his wife, but that wouldn't mean anything... would it? If he was to be guided by drink than be in control of himself? He really is in trouble, but not the way he thinks he is in for...

HTTYD

The sun had went down completely after hours at the black sand and basalt rock beach were spent celebrating their victory on the final test flight, the Terrible Terrors had flown off with Hiccup getting into the saddle before taking off to fly back to the Cove. This was the last time he could be safe here, he can't stay with Toothless anymore; he's being hunted down for the answers he's not going to give up to a madwoman who wants to expose him for lying and for being not just a cheater, but a trickster too. Oh, how the pride of the Vikings have fallen

As they landed on the familiar grassy earth, Hiccup dismounted and decided to show him one last thing of his own. He thought he should be allowed to see what he was making in his free time that was spent in the village where there were no Vikings nearby whenever possible

"This is my new shield, right here on this parchment. It'll not only serve it's purpose to fire as a projectile but it'll do me good to include a grappling hook function as well for places that're too small to glide across. Not only that, but I thought of having a catapult defense mechanism to stop others from picking it up to use against me; it should make for an excellent crossbow" Hiccup showed him the drawing of his shield featuring his birthmark as the main crest

Toothless understood with a nod and put his head underneath his arm

"I know, I want to stay here with you tonight; but Astrid is threatening to find out what's lying behind these stone walls around you. I won't let her find you, I made that clear this morning; I won't let that madwoman bitch find this Cove either. It's time for us to part ways for now, it will feel like we're going to be leaving each other forever out of your protection... but-"

"I know... goodbye doesn't mean forever, and if there is a day out there in the future where we have to part ways when the world isn't going to tolerate us being together; they're going to deal with us one way or another, and so will the dragons. Even if there are hunters, people who will use us for their dark deeds and even if I find love in the air; I'm not going to abandon you or the people you trained in your ways. They're going to have to learn how to live with us both"

"I understand... and thanks bud. I've decided that they're coming with us, every dragon should be free and every one of those who targets me that're loyal to their masters who uses them for their deeds will be turned against them; the two of us will do that together, always" He finished with himself reinstating what he stood for and his faith was in living in a world with dragons

"Always..." Toothless reaffirmed to his boy as the two began to walk away from one another

Hiccup went to think of building some armor that served him many features like his shield, as it was hidden in his office and that it would also serve to be a flightsuit just in case he's either thrown off or taken from his Night Fury. But why stop there? He should build a red tailfin that will replace the brown one if, for whatever reason, it is destroyed by anything at all as he will have a temporary replacement to fix the other one on hand. Why not even camouflage it? By using scales it should make it fireproof along with using some fireproof fabric, something of a fire retardant material that should bypass even the hottest of flames. He's got them there by the balls, especially if the two were ever fighting a Skrill and the dragon's lightning caught his tailfin on fire. Oh yeah, now this is too much for him

Looking back at the entrance of the Cove one last time, he used the strength of his birthmark and sealed it with a boulder on the side; making sure to build up a makeshift wall of mud and sticks that'll keep Astrid out long enough for him to escape from Berk in the dead of night. He wants to set his affairs in order by the time he's ready to leave and it concerns Fishlegs

Once Hiccup got back to the village and as he removed the saddle from his bud earlier, he had hidden Toothless' equipment in his office along with his drawings. Thinking back to how he is not able to stay with his bud anymore with Astrid threatening to snitch on the others, even as he is able to catch her with the shieldmaiden hanging from a tree; she would definitely spot a tree branch underneath her and use that to escape when she wouldn't listen to him. There is no hope of showing her what Toothless really is behind the slanderous and misguided hatred in the hearts of the Vikings here on Berk. He didn't even love her either, she was a lost cause and her voice playing in his head telling him: "You're so busted" cemented that fact

He wants to run away from Berk, but not as a outcast of the Hairy Hooligan Tribe. No, he will leave on his own accord. Therefore, he started production on his leather made armor which featured a similar wing shape of his bud for the flightsuit part. Even going as far as to build a helmet for high altitudes to help with the wind blowing toward his face, it would even have an flippable visor for him to go from open to closed by flipping overhead

He took his time with this time with this one and Gobber was out of the forge for the entire time he had for himself, he couldn't see him at the Great Hall but he can tell that he knew as well as understood that he would be busy tonight. He's got a lot of steel to shape and he was all for being busy up to the dead of night

With the Gronckle Iron being fitting onto his shield, he helped to create the folding features which started out with the boss springing forward with the two sides splitting offwards; that left a leather sling which he wasn't a fan of but he couldn't complain as it's only a prototype. The grappling hook feature had the boss flip open while retaining the shield shape, where it then wrapped around the target to restrain it. He was thinking of adding a chain winch where it fire out in front of the shield like the crossbow formation, while the limbs are folded from the left and the right sides horizontally. It would help him grip his shield better with a handle underneath, one that was equipped with a switch to quickly change between whichever form he chooses on his own accord without a hassle

Come to think of it, the way his crossbow is going to turn out with the way he had envisioned and drawn on his plans could be the main chassis for all sorts of weapon attachments. Looking at them all in his head: rifles, grenade launchers, missile launchers, submachine, underwater, shotguns, flamethrowers, cornershot and trench rifles; all of them can be transformed from a single crossbow shield that he's building here. He's all for game to each and every one of this, he needed every single piece of help he could get when he set off from his home island; and he needed a way to defend himself from afar with a projectile weapon of his own to use

Hiccup was just about done in the forge after a few hours later as the night was in it's midst, as he was now up in his room thinking and packing up his drawings as there's no point in him leaving any trace of where he was. After that, he had a candle lit as the only source of light in his room with the window being covered so as to retain the darkness where it sat on his desk. For some time he was sitting there flicking the pencil up, deep in thought about events which transpired. He couldn't handle Dragon Training anymore, not now that he knew dragons were as friendly and even loyal from what he saw to the two examples before him. His bud wasn't the only one, the Terror he had given his fish to didn't want to leave him; it was only when a hiss from Toothless had sent it off as the sun was coming down. The Terror had it's own flock to return to, and he had a Cove to return to as well; he's become attached to his spot where it served as both his and his boy's meeting grounds, a sacred place that's for their eyes only. His churning inner dread warning him of imminent danger brewing in the distance had returned, worse than it was in the morning when he woke up with his bud in the Cove. He's scared, he's being cornered on all fronts

Astrid preparing to shadow him from behind to follow him back to the Cove...

Gobber being in the dark about what he was doing after every class that followed...

The teens being curious of his successes with more enthusiasm but nowhere near suspicious or being driven by their jealousy to intrude on his life so they can know what he's doing after the lessons...

How much is he doing for himself and himself only? On this small isle that's the center eye of the map, where he has his bud who is a Night Fury?

How long does he have to continue trugging through Dragon Training? When will all of these lessons in a class he didn't want to attend from the beginning end...?

Though, in the end, he's gotta thank Gobber because he's showing him things about dragons he never knew about; which helped him in understanding Toothless and all the others more than he thought of and realized. With all that was burned into his mind, he got up and walked over to the bookshelf; he could use something to pass the time and even write something for the Dragon Manual when he gets his hands on the book at the forge, that's where Gobber got it from anyhow

He can't kill the Monstrous Nightmare, and he won't let Astrid find Toothless. He won't allow her to come close to the entrance of the Cove, his mud and stick built wall might stand strong enough to withstand the force of her mother's axe given to her

Later that evening and in the night, Hiccup was reading from his desk with his eye's focused on the words in the pages of this leather bound covered record. He was one third in the way of this book he read when the door slammed open, making him look up and think to himself

"Oh yeah, Stoick came home today..." The stars were in the right place when Stoick would be coming home to Berk just as he finished his final test drive for Toothless' tailfin

But Hiccup didn't move from his seat, he didn't want to talk to his father. Not interested in his praise of approval, and how fifteen years of being the worst Viking on Berk led to all of those successes in the Kill Ring. He was putting up a show for them really, he wasn't learning about dragons from his mentor, he was learning from a dragon who taught him as much as Gobber's teaching him about how to defend himself from a wild one. He shook his head, he knew what the error of his ways were but he's not going to correct them; he wants to leave Berk, and this time around he will leave for good

He heard his father stomping around downstairs and from there, he heard the sounds of the most intimidating looking Viking of a chief and a father stumbling about; crashing loudly with him coming to a unsettling realization: "Oh boy... dad's drunk" That never ends well, and with what happened next; the future was more bleaker than what was mentioned previously, and it's about to get worse

After some more stumbling followed by loud crashing and banging along with yelling in pain, that being from whatever he touched and wherever he found himself throwing his body into such as something that collapsed on him; only then did Hiccup hear his father shout for him. "HICCUP! GET YOUR TALKING FISHBONE ASS DOWN HERE, NOW!"

The ale really was doing the talking if Stoick was calling him a fishbone. The boy breathed out a long one and complied as it's going to be worse if he didn't come to him. "Yes, sir" Hiccup, in his unhurried and leisurely pace, spat venom at the end when he stood up

Coming downstairs when all he wanted was to hit the night and call it one even, he found his father sitting down and facing towards the cackling fire like before; although there was a dark creole to wood bark and espresso orangish brown undertone like the fire was extinguished, a surrounding darkness was around the two when he saw his tankard. Jesus, Stoick is drinking a far more lot than one more swig of the drink of the mead and burping more so than usual; the god damn drunk, Hiccup thought. The two of them were silent for awhile even as he came all the way down with him sitting there, while Hiccup looked at his dagger's tip glinting from the orange glow of the fire. "I don't like this, he can't be trusted" He muttered lowly to himself

The chief was focused on drinking and the warning of imminent danger was stronger than it's been that morning in Hiccup's gut. Is this what he was feeling? This tensed atmosphere in his home right here? His body being intense like a bowstring? Well, he was answered and it was not the one he was satisified with and as if he was mocking his name; he was hiccupping from his alcohol

(A/N: The attempted rape and the following punishment begins here. EmeraldNeko warned you of when the scene would begin in her fanfic, now I am going to do the same as she did)

"I heard you were training" That was not what he was expecting to hear from his dad

"It's nothing special" He perked his head up slowly with a sign of boredom, facing the side as he didn't want to meet his gaze

Stoick finished his mead, the last tankard of the night, and turned to his son who looked so much like how his wife Valka did. Her forest green eyes, her ivory white skin and her slender figure. Get ready for the hell that's come to the front door

Stoick stood from his seat and stumbled, for he had far too much to drink. This was proven for when Hiccup was replaced by Valka's bright smile and gentle curves

His own weakness was taunting him by launching a strike of fear in his guts just as Stoick had come stumbling to his wife, a gentle smile on his face let him know that he was incapable of telling what was reality and what was his drunken thoughts. His cheeks were flushed with a bright red as his inebriated mind silenced his son's voiced concerns for his dad. A hand that's been put on his upper arm startled him out of his thoughts, and Stoick's hand was a large one that could clasp all the way around his boy's arm with ease

"Stoick?" There was that shaky and terror filled tone calling out, never had he seen his dad act so enamored by what he saw in him. It was terrifying

"Valka..." The name was breathed out softly with the chief's other hand caressing his cheek so lovingly. Hiccup was starting to hitch his breathing. He called him by his mother's name, it became clear even before it was made so to him. "Just like the day we married..."

That was what made him attempt to pull his own arm free of the now bruising grip that was turning his arm black from cutting off his blood vessels. "Let go of me, I have to sleep, there's training tomorrow and sh*t!" It was fruitless as his hand tightened until his arm started to hurt and a slight cracking was building up, he was sure that his dad intended to break it. "AAuagh!"

The sound of pain seemed to hit Stoick hard as he eased his grip on him, but didn't let go all in the same

"I'm sorry love, I didn't mean to hurt you, I don't know my own strength" Stoick seemed to have regretted harming him, but his boy was forced up against the wall roughly as his arm started to slid from his face to underneath his upperbody tunic; caressing his ivory scarred skin marred with years of the beatings whenever he would receive them

"Get off of me, you drunken f*ck! I'm not my mom, I'm your son!" Hiccup knew he wouldn't be able to fight him off, he knew very well what his father wanted of his wife, he was having none of that sh*t. He's too weak and slim with the lack of weight and muscle being put on him with other circ*mstances forcing his hand into the matter. He won't use Inferno or his shield due to wanting to keep his new life separate from this old one, he threw two of his daggers in the pond so he could bond with Toothless to show him that he wasn't a threat. However, with the dagger underneath his sleeve that he kept because of that feeling of dread which was warning of this situation; he was ready to start reaching in and threatening him to let go of him. Especially when the hand under his shirt gripped his hip bone tightly, snaking under his leggings and down to his slim but surprisingly lithely muscled thigh. "AAughh-OW! Get OFF OF ME!"

Hiccup was just about ready to bring out his dagger and stab him so he would stunned briefly, giving him a window of opportunity to escape from his house. Even get a bow and shoot him with some arrows near him so he would stay away from him. His hard and desperate struggle at his father's mercy soon led to him coming out of his drunken stupor and finally seeing the reality before him. "What has happened...?" He sounded confused

The sounds of animalistic grunting made him realize what he was doing to his son, but didn't let go right away

"Hiccup?" His confusion in his voice called out to him

"About time you remembered, you drunken f*ck, now let go of me you brute" He spitefully spat in his eye as he tried his hardest to slip out, but the man would not budge as his vision had fully came back with his confusion turning to rage

"How DARE YOU!" The sudden hard slap on his cheek made the boy cry out and fall toward to the floor, stinging viciously as he was certain the cheekbone was fractured as it hurt more

"No... no... dad, this was your fault, not mine. I ain't... I ain't gonna apologize, stay away from me..." Hiccup was left to crawl away from his dad on the floor

"How DARE YOU try to SEDUCE YOUR FATHER?!" The kick to his ribs made a loud cracking echo through the house with the punch to the nose making a crunching gushing sound that can be heard, even Stoick seemed shocked with the sudden pause. But the spell was broken when Hiccup shouted at the severe pain that wouldn't allow him to curl up into himself, he could feel his ribs moving. He really didn't know his strength at all, hmmm...

His nose was gushing out a stream of blood that pooled around his cheek and he could see his boy in great pain. His ribs are broken alright and it was all because of his f*ckhead father, god damn him to hell. The only thing he should be glad about was that Dagur the Deranged wasn't here, participating in the scene with his father inside his house. Speaking of which, it would be as though he had stumbled back but reeled himself back into his soft drunken stupor as evidenced by his face becoming gentle once more

"I am so sorry, Valka, my dear.. love" Hiccup shook his head and grunted when he tried to get a deep enough breath, but his broken ribs prevented him from doing so. He tried to get him out of his mead induced vision but nothing could save the boy, his father let go of reality

The only thing he could do now was wait for the golden opportunity to stab his father and try to escape

The man started to strip Hiccup of his tunic with ease, ignoring the fruitless shouts of help as well as his warnings for him to stop. He ignored his increasingly threatening warnings that he was going to stab him with his dagger, but once he put his hands on his leggings to remove it off his son; he felt a slash of iron that cut across his arm which slowed him down for a bit, but gave Hiccup little time to crawl away on his side before he was moved onto his stomach that made him cry harder in pain as the wood pressed against his ribs

"STOP IT, YOU BASTARD!" Hiccup's breathing hitched again when he could feel the shadow of his father looming over him and with his finger ready to try and press against behind him, his dagger in hand moved quickly to cut him as the pain in his ribs radiated through his body, he hurt everywhere but more importantly; he would never try to trust his father again, not after this, not after what he was doing whether or not he knew what he was doing to him. His dad's boot had pressed inwards but it felt like it was his finger that was doing the job, in fact he had to cut him in the leg to make him take his boot off him

The pressure of Stoick's boot had caused a slow dribble of blood coming down his legs, it was his blood as he realized with a start. With his father's hands gripping his hips firmly, Hiccup is left without any other choice but to force himself to turn himself around and flip on his back; shouting at him

"GET OFF OF ME!" He kicked him in the medallion of his belt, but felt like he was kicking a stone wall when he didn't budge. "Get off YOU DRUNK BASTARD! I'm not her!"

But when Stoick approached closer than he was with his hands wrapping around his hips in a harsher and tighter manner, Hiccup had to tuck in his legs and prepare to kick his father off himself with all of his strength

"I said, GET OFF!" He threw him off of him, sending him flying and falling onto his back which brought him enough him time to get up as fast as he could; clutching his ribs underneath with his arm. Powerwalking over to the door as fast as possible to escape

But then, oh no, Stoick had caught him by the rib which made him shout in pain as he scraped at the front of the door. He was dragged away on his stomach and dropped as his father went into the backroom, only to come out with a thinned leather whip meant to inflict a lot of pain with every flogging on the one who was at his mercy for trying to kill the chief as a prisoner

Still in his drunken stupor but now more aware of his actions, believing his son had tried to seduce him by using the image of Valka against him, he gripped his bleeding hands around the handle as he struck his back with a slash across his flesh. Tearing into his skin with those fissures of blood that spouted from the surface, dribbling down to pool around the floor as some of his blood had been carried by the leather whip only to spatter on the wooden walls. No son of his will seduce him, he thought and no one uses the image of his wife against him

Ripping and cutting into his back with another strike as it struck his shoulder, he screamed in pain as more and more blood began to become a waterfall of vitality; just as his agony was all but being deafened by the deadliness of the whip's crack. These sorts of painful yellings did not go unheard of by the dragons of the Kill Ring and nor did it go unheard of from within the Cove

Ignoring even his desperate pleas for someone he called Toothless to save him as apart of his drunken stupor, tears were cascading down his face from beforehand but the ones he fought back hard had broken through; he wondered if this was the end. He wanted to escape Berk on Toothless and with the other dragons by his side, but Astrid was snooping for evidence and it only meant that she would cut in and intrude on his privacy that she was violating to prove he was cheating one way or another; and his dad had picked a bad time to come home from one last failed search for the nest of all days. He cannot go back to the Cove, nor could he go back to being with Toothless who made him feel safe, wanted and loved. He made a promise that he will not come back to the Cove as he would only lead Astrid there without him knowing, it was what she wanted him to do so she can not only snitch on the others; but lose him in the confusion that followed. He knew Stoick would try to use his friend to find the nest, but f*ck him! f*ck the Hairy Hooligans to hell! Toothless was the only thing who mattered to him and the most of everything as the rumors of Night Furies being on the edge of extinction is fake. Full of biased reports and full of lies made by these f*ckers. Every single one of them, all f*cking fake!

No one was coming to save him, and he would rather die than let the come. Mildew would be leading his mob of supporters throw stones at him all while cheering for this sight, if any had come to his house to witness what he was experiencing. While he was enduring the pain, the prior thoughts overpowered his mental defenses he tried so hard to get away from. But what made it worse was when he started to flog him harder and harsher with each strike, but came with slower pauses in between which made his back twitch like a cat; tensed up wondering in the seconds when the next one will come. It was now bathed in blood that was spilling down, the pools of blood rippled on the surface with every flogging lash of the whip as not even his arms were safe; the scars on his back felt like they had smoke evaporating off his flesh, while the tears were dried out

Blood had disgustingly and foulessly spurted out from his newly formed flogged scars which looked like it were apart of a mauling, leaving down trails and streams of thick red liquid; his entire body was trembling before Stoick's drunken rage, the freezing cold sweat made it hard for him to feel the warm scales of Toothless always by his side and Valka's hands soothing his worries. The pain he tried so hard to hide from others, now showing it's face and his struggle to hide even his own fear from of his dad from him. Stoick's intoxicating breath of ale vapor poisoned him, grunting and wincing at the lingering pain on his body with his broken ribs of his body being the worst offender. He was still trying to crawl away from him, vomiting on the floor with the chunks even splashing onto his chest in a much darker tint of red. He was losing consciousness, his last thoughts were on Toothless; he needed him more than ever. But it was Astrid's fault for all of this, she had no right to snoop in his affairs. He's paying the price for something he didn't commit

Hiccup stopped breathing at the last minute when the lashings came to an end, the footsteps of his dad approaching as his breath still breathed fumes of alcoholic mead that poisoned his already stuffed nose; the sound of a clogged garbage disposal resulting in coughing up mucus as his ribs had not punctured his lungs, but they were at a serious risk of them being stabbed by his bones. Dropping the leather whip and standing there with uneasy silence

Until that was broken when he heard his father walk towards him, coming down to lay a hand on what he believed was his wife when his vision flashed back to seeing her. Hiccup however was through with his dad, he kicked him in the gut a couple of times like a set of stairs before being picked up from his hip bones; once again applying hard pressure which became blacker and redder on his skin. Now was the time as Hiccup brought out his dagger and stabbed him in the side, making him drop the boy to the floor with a painful landing as the chief shouted; blood trickling down along the iron blade and dripped to the floor. He got him where he was the most vulnerable, but he was too much in pain to crawl away from his dad who put his hand down on his back and pinned him to the ground; he wasn't going to take that well when he sobers up

In an act of last minute justice, the door was thrown open with a kick. Standing there was not only Gobber but Spitelout, Bucket, Mulch, Burnthair and Hoark; all of them looked horrified at the sight of the chief for a split second but Hiccup's scream of pain from the heavy pressure of his dad's hand on his back had broken them out of it. And before Stoick could remove the dagger from his side that was stabbed into him, yet still remaining in his drunken stupor as he was calling for his wife, Spitelout rushed in and tackled at the chief with a forward lunging spear tackle

Hiccup's uncle heard about the criminal act involving attempted rape and resulting flogging from Fishlegs, thus he rallied up his group to stop the chief before it was too late. Spitelout, who carried his Gronckle Iron sword as no one but him knew what it was really made of, had picked his brother up and smelled the alcoholic vapor from his breath. He headbutted him to send the chief flying before he threw a upper kick to the middle of his back, taking his sibling in a headlock before he slammed his head down on the table with a loud splintering crack. It boiled down to him throwing his brother's face up against different walls of the house, and it was followed up by smashing furniture on him as well as sending him tumbling down toward the floor from the stairs; while he performed an elbow drop on his gut. Meanwhile, Gobber had a few warn Gothi while the others stood by to take the chief away from the boy who was writhing in pain on the floor. Only when Spitelout threw Stoick stumbling towards the firepit where he tripped over behind Hiccup did he fall backwards on the hot coals, extinguishing it with the water that spilled onto the only source of heat in the living room that emitted silver colored evaporating steam; but nevertheless creating some burns for the man. It all ended in Spitelout throwing a weapons rack on top of Stoick to finally knock him out for good

But no, that wasn't enough to knock him out as Gobber, Bucket, Mulch, Hoark and Burnthair grabbed their chief by the arms before dragging him away from his son; who was yelling at them let him go so he can be with his wife. Only for Spitelout to bash his face inwards with his shield that he carried on him, setting aside once they were out of sight as he gazed upon his nephew behind him but didn't turn to face him completely. The chaos was over and the nightmare was over

(A/N: That's right, it's safe to read now and if you skimmed over this part by heeding what the warning had said; then the implications are made to be even worse than you think with what happened next here)

Laying on his stomach and on his side, Hiccup curled into a ball trying not to wince at the pain he was inflicted with. Gobber came to his assistant and knelt down, but was met with a harsh and hostile order with a hissing broken voice

"Don't touch me..." His face had tears streaming down. "I won't go back to him, I won't let you take me back to him"

Gobber was heartbroken at the volitle hostility in his broken voice, he never thought Stoick is someone who was capable of doing this to his son. Sure, the chief didn't look at his son highly too much as most of their conversations were either lectures or arguments; but trying to lay a hand on his own child like this, to try and assault him in a sexual matter?

"Hiccup, it's Gobber. I'm not going to hurt you, he's not going to hurt you anymore than he did for this night. We just want to get you to Gothi's house, alright?" Hiccup couldn't bare to look up from the ground at all, but he asked when he heard the elder's name

"Gobber...?" The whisper from his voice was soft, but he wouldn't have heard it if he hadn't been kneeling next to him

"Yeah, it's only me. Yer' father won't be hurting you anymore tonight, Spitelout's gonna take you to Gothi's house, alright?" The boy allowed the man to place his hand on his shoulder, as gently as it ever was

Gothi, who had been warned of the chief's attempted rape and flogging with a whip, came to lay down a fur blanket from his father's bedroom on him with a sympathetic but gentle smile. Helping Gobber to wrap him up while Spitelout had come over, handing the chief over to the blacksmith who was scowling at his best friend; firmly ignoring Stoick's drunk pleas to be let go so he can be with his wife, it will take some time before he sobers up and realizes what he did

"Hiccup..." The boy looked up, never hearing his uncle speak this softly to him. "I'm not going to hurt you like my brother did, I'm just gonna take you over to Gothi's. Bare with me, you are going to feel like you want hell to come to you at first; but everything will be over soon"

Once the boy understood, he slid his arms under his head and knees before lifting him softly and smoothly; clutching at the pain as it was jarring to see what he really believed were ribs, broken by his brother in a brandy. This was something he was afraid of when he left the hall. Thankfully, his beating should do the job and make sure he never comes home drunk to lure his own son into a trap to assault him like this. It was jarring to hear him cry in pain at his ribs he felt were moving inside of him, Gothi had to tell him to move fast to her hut

"Quickly now, I want to treat him as soon as possible" Spitelout nodded as he followed her out of the chief's house, throwing his brother a disgusted look at him before spitting and at last leaving

"I may not be close to my nephew in spite of everything I did for him because of my duties, but I would never do this to my son. A Jorgenson would never drink so much to lose himself in reality where he can't tell his son from his wife" He shook his head from this thought, he's always made time to be with his own son whom he wasn't the best father towards nor was he any kinder to his brother; prideful and boastful to anyone else who tried to start arguments with him. But he made sure to see his nephew whenever possible, keeping his attitude all the same in public but being more like he was being seen here; it was the situations which was what made him appear different to his uncle and this was a concerning deal that needed him as a parental figure, seeing that his real one was the cause behind this chaos

He had to restrain tightening his grip on Hiccup to avoid hurting him further. Once they went inside of Gothi's Hut on top of the highest point on Berk, as the cool winds should help her in concentration and for the boy's comfort to ignore the pain he was having, Spitelout placed his nephew down on a spare bed she had in her living room for treating Vikings; standing back to sit down so he could allow her to step closer to the boy writhing with his broken ribs

"Hiccup, it's best if I give you this sedative, since this will be hurtful" The boy gave a weak nod and watched with half closed eyes that were encrusted due to the dry tears that were shed. Gothi quickly made the tea by crushing some very strong painkillers into it, mixing in the medical herbs and pharmaceutical anesthetics involved for this will knock him out so she can start the operation. "You know what must be done, I wish there was another way... but I don't want to see you endure this all while being awake" She supported his head as he drunk the tea, every last drop of it and not a single drip was left in the cup

Within seconds, he was out of consciousness and some of the tea had spilled on the sides of his lips; which made her breathe with a heavy sign through closed lips and nose. She looked down on the floor and speak

"There, now then, I can begin the treatment. If I suspect correctly, he'll be asleep until the next afternoon"

Spitelout nodded and heaved with a brooding, heavy sigh with him resting his forehead in his hand. "Just thinking about what my brother would've done if Fishlegs hadn't been alerted me over my nephew's shouts is grim, I feel cold... it's unsettling" Gothi nodded

Fishlegs had witnessed Stoick stumble inside and listened in on the horrific sight that went on behind the closed door, he ran straight towards him who was with his son at the time; he never heard him scream like that before. He was urgently saying that Stoick really hurt him, his nephew. The desperation was terrible and he looked so hysterical that he immediately gathered some of the council, Gothi had been with Bucket when he sent some of them over to warn her of what Stoick was doing in the house; allowing her to prepare head of time for what was about to be an attempted murder on his son. He was thankful for the fact that she had her supplies readied when they came up here, where he'll be safe from further harm by his father; rushing up the hill to Stoick's house had them wondering if they came too late. At least now they knew, and he was saved in the nick of time

Spitelout shook his head and stood up from his seat. "I'm going to see my son, explain a few things. Take care of him Gothi, and don't let him get anywhere near my nephew" The woman nodded and the man left the elder in peace

Gothi could only pray to the gods to give her strength as she needed every bit of power in her so that Hiccup would be safe, for the first time it seemed like she was lost on what to do, she needed guidance more than ever from the gods above. She began her treatment by removing the blanket around Hiccup gently, pressing her fingers to his ribs to count at least three which were broken on his right side in general. Really made a mess of things here with his son. She drew out a thick yellow colored paste which was smeared over his side, this was to help knit the bones back together and numb the pain as if they were never broken in the beginning of the end of the day. She wrapped a bandage firmly around it but not tightly, she didn't want to give him a pressuring touch on his wound. The next thing was spreading a red tinted paste on his hips and left shoulder, the bruises were more important than the birthmark as she knew of the dark black and blue tinted scales; she merely ignored it and covered his shoulder up as quickly as to spare him anymore pain from insults over Mildew's disdainful words that rallied even the worst of the worst out of the villagers. This did not mean she was unaware of what powers this gave Hiccup though

Next, she gently turned the boy onto his stomach and took a deep breath. This was another of her three reasons that she made the tea strong enough to knock him out, examining what damage had been done to the boy from behind and frowning at the small bit of blood; she's got a bucket of water ready for hand washing when she coated her fingers in a orange paste to prevent infections, and gently inserted them to spread it on the inside of his asshole right before withdrawing her hand to wash her hand. She shook her head at this, the boy had been hurt some many times and surely this will be the tipping point for him, but she digresses as she still has a job to do. A task at hand which requires her to do the worst part of treating him

Lastly, she examined each of the damages done to the boy on his back and frowned on those gashes and lacerations that Hiccup had on him; filling them in with the orange paste used on him before with gentle strokes to make sure they heal to the fullest, she placed a sheet of an adhesive contact dressing layer on his back to wrap around the sides and around the curving edges of his back completely. She dressed the boy in a dark red tunic with black leggings, as she pulled a blanket around the boy and tucked him in before taking a seat in her chair so as to keep deep vigil over him. Hiccup had endured many injuries for far too long and she was fully certain that this was now going to lead to him over the edge

She even had a image of what looked like Hiccup and a Night Fury at his side crossed her mind, he was going to run away from home to escape out of this horrible place that he thought Berk of because of her residents. She was sure of it, this was a warning from the gods

HTTYD

Toothless had never felt this extremely restless before. He was pacing the Cove, growling as he constantly gazed at the slope that his boy always came down from normally. Something is wrong, he was sure of it

Something was very wrong indeed. Hiccup was hurt and horribly scared. Badly it would seem. He was bleeding in his pool of blood, and he couldn't do anything to help. He would've come over there to see where the screams would lead him to and attack everyone in sight towards anyone who would dare to hurt his boy

It pissed him off, knowing his boy was hurt and that wasn't what Hiccup would want. He was stuck in this god forsaken Cove until the boy got to him. He wants him to keep hidden and to keep invisible on Berk as he knew if he came here, Hiccup would've been followed by Astrid into the Cove and found him here. It was pissing him off to no end

He kept pacing the Cove and refused to sleep knowing his boy would need him the minute he stepped into here inside. So with a resigned huff of his hot breath, he settled his body down and kept his eyes on the slope ready to offer any assistance that his hatchling would need

These were times of crisis for Hiccup, and he was all too ready to offer whatever he needed from his boy

The Kill Ring was not going any better, it was just as worse as Toothless was in the Cove. In each of their cages, the dragons felt nothing but concern for the boy, hearing his screams of pain and assuming that he was being tortured by someone who deserved no mercy by them for hurting a boy whose courage refused to let him be harmed by them. These dragons could only wish that they could get out to help him, even if this meant sacrificing their lives at the hands of the Hooligans who would surely kill them; but resigning to the fact that this wasn't what Hiccup wanted, what he wanted was for them to live and they could only abide by that fact

What else they've been hearing is that, if they recall correctly, the fat boy named Fishlegs has been telling some others that Hiccup was being assaulted by the chief. Jesus Christ, who does that to their own hatchling?! They were pissed alright and when they escape, they are and it's this stance of theirs that shows that they're no different from the Vikings, they are not going to let any of the Hooligans get near him. But the mystery of Fishlegs and his connection to his friend Hiccup remained. Who was Fishlegs really? Were they friends once? They seemed to be on friendly terms with each other, yet he seemed to accompany those other teens; was it apart of a deal made between the two? Was Fishlegs even in on the schemes of those teens? That last one didn't seem likely, he didn't look comfortable with what he heard from them; it even looked like he didn't want to be here with them nor near those specific three

The Monstrous Nightmare, Hookfang, had felt it too. Even if he hadn't met the boy, he wasn't ignorant of something awakening in Hiccup; even for a individual of a dangerous species that was right to be feared by Vikings and to be hunted only by the best, he knew that the boy had a birthmark that signify him as something much greater. If his allies and his enemies, both in the same room, were watching all of this unfold on the silver screen in a theater; they would agree with the potential that was being ignored by the Vikings, and disagree with the ways of the Hairy Hooligans Tribe. He had a spirit of dragon in him, and he carried the heart of all kind of different species as this boy, Hiccup if he wasn't mistaken, was meant to turn the tides of this war in his and their favor

But who was this boy, and where is he? The real question is: who is this Hiccup he had been hearing of so much?

There's something going on and there was a scent that's reminiscent of a Night Fury on him, one of his comrades during the last raid they performed. It was the smell of plasma that had caught him at the nostrils, the scent of fish that made him hungry and the scent of garlic grass that made him jealous; how much he wanted to smother himself in that blissful foliage

When the day comes that he is chosen to kill him and that the day of his death is here, Hiccup had better give him the best fight he ever had in his life. He wants to taste his own darkblood

Hookfang could only grumble in impatience waiting for Hiccup to be the champion on the day he believed to be on his last day and his final hour in the Kill Ring

Chapter 7: Betrayal, Challenge, Accusations

Chapter Text

(A/N: This introduction into the seventh chapter of the first installment of the trilogy is taken from a story called "Hiccup the silent" by RobsingtonOK, which is one of two elements that're going to be seen as apart of this story; the second one will be coming sooner than you realize. Have faith and check out his story if you're a Killer Instinct fan, because you'll not only find an familiar face from the Book Series based on this Franchise; but you will find that she's the heir of a tribe belonging to one of the characters that you will be surprised to see. That's all in that author's story, not this one. I guess I just don't have much to say for this one except for what's happening in the beginning right here, right now. When I do post this for AO3, I'm not sure if I will have a beginning and ending note to write here as I'm just really uncertain today. Still, it shouldn't matter. This is the seventh chapter and that's all you need to know, so here's to you so that you can enjoy how the story continues because we're going to be deviating from what you usually expect from fanfics that follow the first movie. This is not going to be pretty. But I should say this out of tradition. Enjoy)

In the darkness, that's all there was before we fade in to reveal Hiccup at his desk from within the forge of Gobber's blacksmith shop. He was overlooking his book which is titled "Haddock Vs The Archipelago". It was a small and black colored book that had the title engraved on the front; a small poem, he was no member of the Nameless Tribe nor was he a bard like Fishlegs the Nameless who as one can guess is the chief of the tribe and ancestor to the Fishlegs that's known to everyone around him either; but he was farther removed from his origins that were revealed in Bork's Archives as it was better off for him to discover the truth about where he's actually descended from

A small poem was written inside when the black book was opened, it however, felt more like a suicide monologue than a poem; it's as if anyone who cared and the ones who decided to look into what he was in this life would find this amongst his belongings and realize the weight of what they've done, and how ungrateful they were to mistreat and if not, then mishandle the case of the chief's son by acting like nothing is wrong

No one should drive someone to suicide, but there are some people on Berk who would never take the good with the bad and would do it all in their hardest to get rid of them by driving them out for good; making sure they will die in this Archipelago and have forever carry the burden that they are selfish people who chose one of the most selfish ways out, or so those who drive them to suicide would taunt them for

This is entirely in a english holly dark green colored film grain filter, with faint static that gives off an feeling that it's a memory from not too long ago. The faint static resembled a visual snow hallucination which was a disorder, which is like seeing things in a snow globe that's been shaken up by human hands

The suicide monologue-eque poem reads:

"None have been able to picture these problems I have of my own

I can't stress enough that in this Archipelago, my own people are out for me, against me it seems

Dragons, dropping out of the sky as I watch them be slaughtered by the real devils; whom they chose this path to walk down towards, representing their choice to ignore what makes these dragons raid us for

Understanding why they raid us, and why they have to, but even the answer eludes me to this day

There's no stopping me as I walk through the passing time much more quietly than the clear night sky above, as dark as it may ever be

With all this extra stress that makes me wonder after death and the last breath of mine, I ask this question:

How much longer must I walk this path amongst the Vikings that're not suitable for me? As everyone watches and scorns this boy, just for trying to make a name for himself and try to call out for help?

No one ever listens to the boy crying for help in the corner as the vision of pain from the past continues crawling towards his heart every night. Everyone helps their own, but not this boy, they are entitled to believe they're above him

Better than him in fact

May I rest with this pain, but when will these words I hear every night stop me from sleeping end?

'You will never be free from the voices of scorn, the sight of the runt you are, the smell of banishment and the feeling of one's own father seeing nothing of you as his son; but a mockery of the people he leads'

I will not be held responsible for their own downfall because their chief's son is a runt when it is no one whose to blame for what I am

All I want to do now is rip open my chest and take out my heart with my blood that they claim is stained with my mom's blood seeping through my fingers, go to my bed, lay down and die so I can let my final breath be known to the Archipelago:

Nothing can ever heal the scars I left behind..."

Hiccup closed the black book before he put it back onto the shelf, ready to gather some dust for years to come until his eventual return to Berk. It was inevitable that he would come back to this isle, if anything he would not be so frail as he once was

With that act, he got up and pushed in his chair before he left his desk and the only source of light. Hiccup vanished into the darkness and the candle began to dim

Slowly but surely, burning out completely as everything had faded into the blackness

What happened now was the awakening as we fade into the familiar scene of a hut that we know all too well, on a isle that we also know all too well and it is not a nice community who lived here

HTTYD

Mid afternoon, Hiccup began stirring from his drug induced sleep; his back and body were aching viciously, too sluggish to respond to the pain. Blinking a few times to let the haze in his eyes fade away from his vision, he struggled to remember where he was and why both back and body were hurting and aching so much

Turning his head slightly, he noticed that Gothi was sitting against her desk, as her grey braids swung with the motion of her body. He closed his eyes again and frowned to himself: what the hell happened?

It wouldn't be long before the memories of last night had him like a bull seeing red. Stoick, a near-attempted rape but no actual rape, his broken ribs, his horrifically scarred back...

It's all rushing back to him, not piece by piece mind you, but all at once. Damn that man, he is not getting off that easily; he should not be allowed to walk freely after what he did. All that was in his heart was the thought of revenge, all he could think about was revenge. But he kept his bloodlust in control for now, as Stoick isn't the only one responsible on this list

The Isle of Berk, the tribe that inhabited this isle, allowed this to run rampart for far too long when he needed help in this darkest hour. They were no better in this situation, they joined in this toxic cesspool of unjustified hate aimed towards him. They should all be brought here to pay for what they did and what they allowed to happen. Justice, however, was not going to be on his side; the Berk Council has always been against him, he knows it firsthand because it was made clear that they had no gratitude for his actions against the Persians and the Outcast Tribe that made their move while the former were making their campaign. It wasn't just Berk they attacked, it was the neighboring Meathead Islands and Chilblain that they made all their assaults on. He ran away once, but Stoick took him back by force and when the dragons raided that night after refusing to leave his room for days; he took the chance to escape again

It didn't last long as he was expected to appear at a wedding between the Hoffersons and the Jorgensons, which also didn't happen but that right there was a entirely different story which is for a different time; when things aren't so troublesome as they were here. But at the same time, he's not going to be alone because he has aid in the form of dragons that will assist him in his pursuit of revenge; because who would want to stay here after they gave them so much pain and allowed even the villagers of the tribe to ignore the harassment he was facing. The dragons wouldn't do this even to the most runt-looking species of their own kind, and that's a single species of a different group of dragons; not every single one of them targeting them as dragons weren't any different from Vikings when it came to waging war on each other

Of course, he couldn't help but curl into himself because his side was stabbing him, because the pain that's thanks to his dickish father was hurting him too much. That was when he had heard Gothi's soothing voice break through this haze he felt when she was hovering over him

"Easy now" Gothi's storm cloud and steel grey eyes, both sad and angry at how Stoick could do so much pain and harm to his son, had gazed upon the wounded boy. Helping him sit up properly and lean against the headboard without too much strain before she settled herself into a chair, she asked him. "How do you feel?"

Hiccup didn't respond, the boy merely squinted with closed eyes and restrained himself from shedding anymore tears. It was so obvious that he tried not to shed another tear

"What Stoick did to you-"

Hiccup hissed like an alligator. No, he didn't want to talk about it with a Viking. He wanted Toothless, no one else deserves to hear what he said about him other than Toothless; the Night Fury is the only one he trusted to explain all his issues to. A dragon understands, his kind knew more than he could know, a dragon understands what it means to undergo this kind of pain. He's certain of it. He just wanted him, wanted to be alone, wanted to be out of Berk to begin his new life once and for all

"Don't you speak his name..." Hiccup's pain was evident, in more than one when it comes to beyond physical means

The elder understood and nodded, if he's not willing to talk, she would not force him to. Though, something else has come to her mind and it's news that will make him hate her, what measure of his hatred he would have towards her however is something that she can't estimate

"You father-" Hiccup only responded with a wolfish growl in the room which sounded scarily accurate. Stoick is not his father, nor was he ever his father from the beginning. He was only just the monster who sired him, the monster who killed his real one back when his mother, Valka, was here with them. "Stoick..." She renamed with a look of regret on her face before she pulled any sort of emotion off her face

She didn't want to tell him this. "Wants you to go home when you wake up" It had been awhile ago when he approached her and wanted to relay this message that he wants his son back home immediately when he wakes up, he's going to show him what Helheim is like, he knows it. He blames his son for trying to seduce his own father, and believes his broken ribs don't get him off easy or so Hiccup is led to believe when she finished what she told him. It's no lie in fact, he did come to tell her what he wanted his son to do once he woke up

Hiccup looked away from her. His dad wanted him back home, no, he can't face that man; not like this, crippled by broken ribs and too weak to defend himself. "No... no, Gothi.. no I- I can't-"

Gothi shook her head with sadness in her expression. Stoick is the village chief of Berk, no one could or would go against him; nobody wanted to go against him, especially not for his own son. Mildew, the cantankerous dragon-hating old Viking who rallied others to his cause with his venomous words and forked tongue, would only lead the people to agree that this is why Berk is headed to ruin; in his words, it is because Hiccup had gotten his father drunk and used the image of his wife to seduce him on purpose, he would demand that he is banished and hunted down like the Outcast that he is before he is taken back to Berk for execution. A reward be posted for his head to get other Vikings from different corners from Midgard, and he who captures him would be given the promised physical reward. Mind you, this is all from Hiccup's imagination about Mildew and Stoick would never allow it, Mildew is already hated to the point that they built his house on the other side of their village on the island so they're not going to have to listen to him complaining; the cantankerous old man infamous for that in general. But Mildew is one of the leading examples of the people who never accept the good with the bad and is willing to do anything to drive him out for good

Whether or not, Toothless was revealed and Hiccup followed the events of the first film that allowed Berkians to live in peace with the Vikings is irrelevant; because Mildew would join in on Alvin the Treacherous and Savage's plan to make sure Hiccup was out of the way so they're clear of the way to attack Berk. No matter what universe the stories based on the franchise is written in, it has been made crystal that Mildew has always been against Hiccup and is willing to conspire with some of the worst villains that the Berkians have to face against. Here it was the same case and it was no different here, but without restraint, Mildew is going to go as far as he can to get rid of Hiccup; dragons or no dragons integrated into Berkian society

"I'm sorry, Hiccup" She moved to place her hand on his shoulder, but she was met with immediate hostility as well as a jerk of his body away as Hiccup not only snarled but hissed at her

"Don't touch me, you devil!" The irises in his eyes were a cherry to a garnet and a merlot to a wine red color, emitting a faint eerie glow in the shine of his eyes which came from some of the sunlight that came out from the door on the either side. "You threw your lot in with them when you were supposed to be on MY side. I would rather DIE than go back to him!" Yelling at her at the end, his hoarse voice being the result of what happened last night

Gothi was betraying him and her words said it all. What if Stoick tried again? He's in no condition to fight back, Gobber might've been framed by Mildew and banished by Stoick because of the mountains of forged evidence pointing to the blacksmith; so he's doomed to be killed the next time his father would try again. He was he was given mercy in the form of help from the blacksmith and his uncle when they came that night

"I want you to have this" Gothi held out a small bag to him which he frowned angrily at as it's got herbs for the pain, clean bandages for the blood and written instructions on how to care for his broken ribs. With that, she stood up and and walked over to the door as she apologized to him one last time. "You really should go home soon..." She closed the door and left

She left him, just like that, to be alone and she expected him to go home to his father. Hiccup held onto the bag, the tears of frustration and and his hatred for the Vikings pooled in his two eyes that returned to it's forest green color. She left him. She wanted him to go back. She had betrayed him, that bitch betrayed him. Why?! Why would she side with his father over him?! He was lost, he didn't know what to do. What should he do?

Before him, an image of Toothless crossed his mind

No... no! He can't dare himself to go back to the cove, he made a promise to Toothless that he would not go back to him. He's terrified of one reason that's making him refuse going back to the one dragon that made him feel safe, wanted, loved:

Astrid Hofferson

He was under the threatening paranoia that she would tail him from behind to the cove, and then run back through the forest as fast as she can to snitch on the others before Stoick would lead the Hairy Hooligan Vikings back to the cove so they can kill Toothless; before they would target him. It loomed over the boy like a dark storming cloud, that's not what he wanted

He wanted Toothless, more than the Night Fury knew, more than ever in this time of crisis he is having. Brokenly, he curled into himself even further:

Deep in his thoughts and in his mind, he walked through a empty island with nothing but all of the lush green and dragons who inhabited this place. Here, he stood on the edge of a cliff and looked far down to a clearing that showed the trees and the ocean surrounding them all, watching the peaceful hatchlings play with their fathers while their mothers are watching. He felt nothing but inner rage, brewing and brooding with a storm coming this way

It angered him to no end back then and it angered him now to this day, growling as he walked away and slid his back down a tree to bury himself into his knees; not seeing a scorpion based hatchling following him when he turned his back on the cliff's edge. This hatchling didn't just curl up against him, but actually climbed onto him as this one was a light slimy to lawn and to a lime and india green color; his wings were a cobalt to a tiffany blue and a teal along with an ocean cyan color, with bright lawn to lizard and chartreuse and lime green colored spikes and triple stingers on all three tails. Hiccup looked up with irises of the same red color, placing his hand on his scales before he stroked him. This was one of the most memorable things he had ever felt on his palm, scratching the hatchling's black horizontally lined underbelly as he then started to feel better with his irises turning back to their green color; reminiscing on how he first felt his Night Fury's scales all over again from the time they first met each other

Coming out of his thought, he stood himself up shakily and hissed in pain more from his back than his ribs. He's had enough misery for a year, they crossed the line and they've really done it now. He got up from the bed and made his way to the door, they've caused him pain for the last time; each step that was felt was like he was going to break his leg and each grunt coming out of his lips wasn't anything more than a quick groan through his breath. He shouldn't have to be forced to live with these Vikings anymore, a real tribe made of Vikings doesn't let their runt be treated like garbage; he felt his eyes hurt from the dried tears and kept them closed when he opened the door to the hut and exited outside to the main platform

Opening his eyes a bit, he found himself on Gothi's actual hut which sat at the top of the spire of the Isle of Berk. That's right, he thought to himself as he saw the scaffolding around him, it was undergoing repairs. He must've been moved from her hut at the edge of Berk up to here, one last act of mercy from her before she decided to betray him. It made no difference as his mind had been made up, he's had enough. He closed his eyes again and came down the ramp leading up as he only opened his eyes every and now then briefly to know where he's going; it was still early in the morning so nobody was around in the village. He continued to have his eyes closed and used his other senses to guide him until he felt like he was close to the Forge where he entered inside, opening his eyes again as he began to make himself at home. He is not going home, he's going to leave this village. It didn't matter now, they've made a mistake and there is no redemption to earning back his trust for them

Hissing with each step that made his ribs jar, he moved forward toward his office where he's going to be left alone by himself as that's what he always does and Gobber often forgot that he's even in his office or even in the blacksmith shop in the first place. Ignoring pain, he went to pick up the pace as he clutched his bag of herbs tightly; his small form allowed himself the ability to creep around the odd villager by sliding into the bushes or behind a barrel fluidly as well as soundlessly. When he entered the forge, he had made sure to enter through the back door. His first office which was small wooden room with a curtain across the door used to be for storing old weapons, but was cleared out for Hiccup as he learned about the boy's talent for sketches as he cleared the room out in order to give him free reign. His other office is the room that he kept himself inside of for a time being, which was a lot when he needed to get away from Stoick as he told him at the start of what he called the beginning of the final days where he would remain on Berk

Once inside his office, Hiccup sighed with relief before he moved over to his desk, reaching underneath to check what he's got: three small throwing knives he made that strapped onto his forearms and the final on his calf under his leggings as well as boots. A fletching kit which contained a small chisel, a hammer, scissors, a band of owl and hawk feathers collected from nests as well as from the forest; some tongs, sandpaper for smoothing the surface of arrows or arrow shafts along with removing rough edges and imperfections to ensure they are truly straight in flight, glue for application of the feathers as well as unused whetstones which he had collected as they had not been maintained for some time. He put everything back in the bag properly along with the pouch that Gothi had given him, reaching down beside his desk; he even reached down beside his desk to bring out a beautiful longbow, which is a bit short compared to him but it's made of rosewood with intricate vinyl patterns that are carved onto the wood. He had never been much for archery but he could use a weapon like this, as he had then laid the bow down on top of the bag before he reached down again to pull out a quiver full of arrows

They're all different types of wood that had been used such as oak, yew, rosewood, dogwood and beech

Oak arrows were strong and durable, being less likely to break or splinter during use. A good balance of weight and stiffness to allow for accurate and consistent shots, and they're easy to find and cost-effective when compared to other types of wood if out in the wild and needing to find and create new ammunition; this being arrows for bows of course

Yew arrows were a traditional wood that are high quality, excellent flexibility and elasticity, which contributes to their speed and accuracy; not to mention how the wood resists warping and bending naturally

Rosewood arrows were dense and heavy, some increased penetration power makes for good piercing arrowheads. Providing stability in flight due to weight and stiffness, but it's also got a beautiful aesthetic appeal since it's got a equally beautiful grain pattern to it

Dogwood arrows are tough and resilient, resistant to bending and breaking. Good accuracy as well as consistency in flight thanks to natural straightness, these were often used for hunting as they've provided sufficient power and penetration

Beech arrows were versatile when it came to the beech wood itself which is used for various purposes, as this also includes making arrows of course. They're lightweight which allow for a faster arrow velocity and for longer shots, with them even being used for target shooting and recreational archery due to the ease of use and affordability; which means they're cheap

All of them were perfectly balanced, the iron tips were lethally sharpened with war heads for battle, having different interchangeable heads which include the mentioned warheads which maximize penetration and damage to make the effective for combat purposes; this also came with armor piercing benefits which are engineered to penetrate armor to allow for the better successes in battles against the heavily armored opponents, and lethality which cause severe wounds to the point of incapacitate the enemy effectively

But the quiver include hunting as well as socketed arrowheads with the former having precision as they're crafted to ensure it's accurate flight and precise targeting, ideal for hunting small game animals; the cutting ability allowed for deep lethal wounds to ensure quick kills and blood trails, which are certain types of these arrowheads, have features like broad cutting edges and barbs that enhance them to allow for easier tracking on wounded prey

Socketed arrowheads had versatility which had a socket-like attachment mechanism that allowed them to be easily mounted on different kind and types of arrows which make them adaptable, interchangeability allowed for detaching as well as attaching as that makes for quick replacement or customization based on the specific needs of situation; durability was another as they're made of durable materials which all can withstand repeated usage, reliable for extended periods. The quiver itself was rosewood, it was painted red with green vinyl patterns on to resemble blooming roses as if the material is not as obvious as it was beforehand

When Hiccup leaves, he's going to secure this around his waist to make sure they're all within easy reach as the bow was slit through a special loop which had a sheath of it's own to slide in for protective storage. The strap was shortened so he could be able to ride Toothless with the bow strapped underneath, he never actually tried riding and shooting at the same time. All in the same though, he can't leave just yet and good timing too because sudden movement had made him pause and hide everything before hiding himself behind his bed in his office

He held in his breath when he heard Stoick's voice

"Where is he, Goober?" The man sounded furious which meant Stoick knew Hiccup wasn't at Gothi's Hut anymore and didn't go home like he was supposed to

"What?" Gobber genially sounded confused. Hiccup could visualize seeing the man scratching his bald head, tilting it to the side with his blue eyes filled in confusion

"Hiccup, where is he?" A slam from made Hiccup crouch down behind some barrels as he kept his throat from verbalizing any sound loudly

"Oh, sorry. I haven't seen him since yesterday" Gobber was legitimately confused as he hadn't seen Hiccup

"He's not at Gothi's Hut" Stoick said. "I checked, the bed was empty and his room is the same: empty"

He could hear the anger and frustration in his voice, but even Hiccup's not sure if Gobber is still his friend after what Gothi did. He continued to listen to the conversation between what's going on between the two men

Stoick clenched his fists, his anger only being added as fuel to the fire. "You're hiding him then"

Gobber placed a comforting hand on Stoick's shoulder. "I understand your concern, Stoick, but maybe it's best to give him some space for now. Hiccup needs time to-"

"You're hiding him... then" The chief's voice sounded like he had an idea as to where he is, reiterating what he said and jumping to conclusions

"If I wanted to hide him, it would be because he's terrified of you. Isn't it obvious?" Gobber asked him

"I had something to give him" Stoick growled at the end, as if he regretted what he did last night

Hiccup listened in to the next part of what Stoick said as he told Gobber what he really thought of his son as Gobber figured out what he was going to say

"Oh, so you think it's time eh? You picked a bad time to give a gift though"

"I don't need a reminder of what I did to him. I'm sorry for what I did, if I can find him and admit what I did was wrong. I shouldn't have gotten drunk, it was just supposed to be one last swig of ale before I come back and find my son. I was even hoping for this success of his in the ring, I've could actually see it; to wait and see him spill a Nadder's guts for the first time, and mount his first Gronckle head on a spear. I could've imagined what a feeling that would've been!" Stoick was now ranting, in both anger and regret for what he did; but it was now sounding more like he was ranting more about the lost opportunity than his own actions

Hiccup had his lips curled inwards with a narrowed and fuming expression, shaking his head as he would've liked to responded with: "Yeah, what a feeling... of disgust!" but fought against it as he listened in some more, yet he was wishing that he didn't because what he said next fueled his fuming expression

"He really had me going, Gobber. All those years of the worst Viking Berk has ever seen!"

If there was a bright red and visible throbbing, popping vein that could be seen in the black pupil of his eye which set ablaze slowly but steadily within his forest green irises that were slowly turning back into the cherry to garnet and merlot to wine red color; even appearing on his forehead, it would've been obvious to see as his expression was even more angrier than it was previously. Stoick didn't regret his actions, he regretted that he was the "worst Viking Berk has ever seen". Now he had his answer: he didn't care about him, he didn't care anymore, but he couldn't stop himself from listening anymore to the chief's words

"If I could say to Odin that it was rough, I would. I admit to him that I'd almost gave up on him, all the while he was holding out on me" Stoick moved away and swiped Gobber's prosthetics off the rack in a fit of anguish. "OH THOR ALMIGHTY! Ah... ah... ah... with him doing so well in the ring, I thought we finally had something to talk about without it turning into a war with each other-"

"We have nothing to talk about. You knew exactly what you were doing" Hiccup hissed under his breath, referring to the fact that Stoick put his hands on him directly and flipped between him falling into his drunken stupor and him taking out his anger on the boy under the influence that he was using his similarities to Valka in order to seduce him. If Stoick actually twisted the truth, he would've had the incentive to kill him, but he has no intention of killing him at this particular time. Furthermore, he was hiding from him and he was still in the blacksmith shop behind his office

Gobber stopped his friend from doing anymore damage and had him calm down

"This right here's what I mean. I should've never put him into Dragon Training, I'm going to have to cancel-"

"No, Gobber; I'm the one who put him in there in the first place. Let it continue, let him get better and let him prove himself if he wins the final test; I want to be proud of him, not just as a chief but as his father"

"Stoick..." Gobber tried to talk to him

"How bad are his ribs?" Stoick asked

"Gothi confirmed three were broken" The blacksmith sadly informed the chief

Stoick breathed in and breathed out as he looked down on his meaty hands, how long can he destroy his son before enough is enough? His people's distain for his son is already starting to affect him and he does not tolerate this in public, even when it's not Hiccup's fault, he's always put his people first more than his family. But what family does he even have left? His wife is gone, taken away by the dragons. Hiccup is his only son, a world without him would be full of emptiness and shallow hearts

"Give him six weeks to heal, I want him to be at his best shape" Stoick ordered softly

"I'm afraid I can only give him four weeks, Vikings aren't the most patient lot out there" Gobber had his hand on his back

"Four weeks it is, then; and then Hiccup can take the rest of the two weeks off to recover. From this point forward, I say enough is enough. Starting after the final test, and if he wins; I'm gonna make it up to him. I'm gonna start listening to him more, we did have one conversation about what he wanted to do if he didn't want to kill dragons before; too bad I squabbled it in the end. I just wish I can keep true to my word and earn back his trust in time"

"I think you will, I think you will... he won't hold grudges forever; not unlike Alvin. But he made his bed, so he can sleep in it"

Afterwards, Stoick brought out what he wanted to give Hiccup to keep him safe in the ring: a Viking helmet for his own son, having a dirty creamish color on the base with a iron studded rim on top and around with horns like his own which were shortened appropriately. The right side having been stamped in red with the Timberjack crest of the Hairy Hooligans Tribe

"Val would've wanted him to have it, half her breastplate. Matching set-" Stoick tapped his own helmet. "Keeps her close..."

"Refitted by me of course, she was never as big as you but she's about as tough and about as stubborn more than you ever will be" Gobber felt pride in his work on the helmet

"Aye, I'm hoping to see him wear it proudly, he deserves it. He's held up his end of the deal, now it's time I held up my own"

Stoick, now a little more calmer and with some steam having been blown off, he left behind the Viking helmet that he wanted Hiccup to have and left the blacksmith shop. Gobber cleaned up the mess that was caused by the chief as he picked up the prosthetic limbs and hung them back up, at least all but one as he looked at Hiccup's office and decided to check inside; he's having a feeling that Hiccup heard everything

The blacksmith hobbled up to the entrance of Hiccup's office and knocked on the door twice, as he wanted to make sure he didn't hold a grudge against his father; not knowing that it's entirely the opposite

Hiccup came out of hiding and opened the door to let him, as he was grateful to him that he did not tell Stoick where he was; he needs the time to cool off and didn't want Stoick making things worse. He sat down the bed and let him ask Hiccup if he's alright, which he nodded to

"But I'm not going home..."

"No?" Gobber didn't like this

"No" Hiccup confirmed

Gobber could only sigh at this. "I should've stopped him, earlier than... you know, last night. I had no idea he would do this to you"

"You're not the one who allowed it to happen. I'm just glad you're here" Hiccup stroked his back

Gobber put his arm around Hiccup. "I'm always here for you, lad. You know that, and before you tell me, I can already tell you don't want to forgive him. If you don't want to go back, I'm not gonna deny ye'. You've had enough chaos for one night. Consider this your home for the time being and get some rest for those ribs, I won't tell anyone you're here"

"I know, just like you don't tell anyone about my secret" Hiccup thanked him, as he held onto his bandaged ribs that were aching as crouching to hide behind the bed might've cause him further pain. Gobber nodded and got up, walking out of his office as Hiccup took this time to rest for the rest of the day

And the boy did just that for the next two weeks as he wasn't active very much, only getting up when necessary for basic needs or when continuing to plan his escape from Berk; but now that he's heard for certain what Stoick had really thought about him, he had begun preparing what he thought would be a good goodbye note when he was long gone and Gobber started cleaning out his office. He was going to need a new boy for his apprentice

At the end of the second day of the first week of mercy, Hiccup and Gobber sat down at a table as Hiccup told Gobber everything that happened that night when it all started with Stoick calling him down; he was drunk that night but he felt like he was being lured into a well thought out trap set up by the chief. Gobber listened patiently and apologized to him

"I should've never been pre-occupied with closing up shop, I should've gotten help a lot quicker without hearing Fishlegs' cry for help. I should've acted on my gut..."

"Gobber, you aren't the one who's responsible for this" Hiccup told him

"Yes, I am responsible. I didn't jump into action right away when I heard the screaming, I should've gone in there and broke down that door so I can stop him"

"You did the best you could by getting help. That's jumping into action right away" Hiccup stood up and came over to him

Gobber sighed to himself with his forehead into his organic hand's palm. "I'm going to have a word with him, this time, I'm going to make him understand he can't let the people treat you like this"

"No. No... don't do that" Hiccup placed a hand on his shoulder

"No?" The blacksmith repeated with confusion

"It will do you no good, he's not going to change; and I've made that decision when Gothi said to me that he wanted me back home. He's done enough"

"I have to try" Gobber looked up to him

"I know you have to. I know... but I won't be anywhere near him or the others"

Gobber knew what Hiccup was implying and he hoped he wouldn't have to say that directly. But he can't help but feel like he should do something to protect Hiccup, his assistant and his friend whom Hiccup treated like he was his confidant. He nods to him and speaks again

"If you ever need anything, you'll know where to find me"

"Thank you, Gobber. I appreciate it" Hiccup's voice was genuine, he then headed to the door of the blacksmith shop leading outside

Gobber finished his ale and stood up. "Goodnight, Hiccup"

He turned to face him halfway. "G'night Gobber..." His voice stammered at the start but was still steady and quiet enough for him to hear

Hiccup exited the blacksmith shop and took a deep breath of fresh air. He's glad to be away from Stoick, even if it's just for four weeks. He knew that he cannot stay on Berk forever, he has to leave this village and this island right now; for now though, he's staying here so he can set his affairs in order

"Toothless, wait for me, alright? We're going to leave this evil place" Hiccup muttered as he looked down with a grasped hand to his heart, he repeated himself a little more quieter this time. "Wait for me... I'm coming to save us both, soon"

Afterwards, he headed back inside and entered his office for the night

The light of the forge dimmed cold and the night sky blackened everything there was to see, no torches, no patrols, no disturbances in the silence

Just the night that came and went when the stars soon went down

HTTYD

Every day for the last of the two weeks that made up the four weeks in total, Hiccup spent all his time in his office in the blacksmith forge, modifying his weapons of choice, repairing that which he considered to be his Berkian shield, the red shield he used for Dragon Training. The cioccolato brown and piper orange tinted rays of the breaking dawn's light over the horizon, a sun that rose from the east and set at the west side every day, was the sign of how much time had passed on in those days. He used the remaining Gronckle Iron for the red shield, he even added in the same features as his Gronckle Iron shield had and was thinking about adding in a special feature for both models. An auto-reload since he thought about dual wielding them, a small pair for dual-wielding, yes, but large enough to still act as regular sized shields. He liked this idea so much that he put it into his notebook for inventions and after making the base of the refitted Gronckle Iron version of the red shield he used for Dragon Training, where it was wooden and had been used to smash the side of the face of the Deadly Nadder, Stormfly he'd named her, he placed the shield on display

Hiccup's two weeks of freedom were ticking by, each day was a race against the agonizingly slow healing and recovery of his three broken ribs. Yet, his time wasn't all spent in a passive recovery. No, he was a whirlwind of activity that went beyond preparing for his equipment to start preparing for the inevitable. Hiccup was sitting hunched over his workbench from on his bed in his office, deftly tinkering with a spear as a grimace crossed his face, it's not from pain; but the weight of the task at hand. This time limit he was on is a cruel euphemism for the all-too familiar brutal art of dragon slaying, but there was no desire in him to participate in this barbaric practice, it's barbaric and uncivilizing even for the aptly named Barbaric Archipelago where the Isle of Berk was; and it should be said that things change because books aren't an dangerous influence that could civilize the Vikings, and this was born out of superstition that needed to be stopped. And that was what Hiccup the First did on his birthday, but there was more to it than that. Things change indeed and this change that the Hiccup of this age is going to be a major blow to the Hooligans he found himself as a prisoner of. This is what the Chains of Hooligans is, more than just a physical meaning, it doesn't mean the chained blades which he used to wield before he stripped himself of them for good. It's symbolic, he's chained to a tribe of dragon slaying Vikings, he did their deeds, he was their champion, he's a prisoner to a bidding of the Berk Council who needed his help

The very secret he harbored, so profound it could turn the entire village against him as if it weren't enough that they weren't barred from insulting him behind his back, his friendship with Toothless; the Night Fury he found and one of the many creatures that they are trained to kill

Every night that shortened his time in recovering moderately before he would heal with the next three weeks he had to himself for a total of six needed, Hiccup discreetly entered inside the Armory to sabotage the weapons and equipment of the Hooligans, it was a silent game as it was a mischievous dance of the hammer and the tongs. It created subtle, and yet effective disruptions that could buy him precious seconds when the time needed to escape came. This journey would not be easy, fraught with danger it will be, but Hiccup is determined to protect his secret by all costs and find a place where he and Toothless could live in peace. The days of the remaining two weeks were long, the tasks were daunting but with each drop of sweat, as well as grit that was the salt in the drops from his forehead and skin pores, Hiccup grew ever stronger, closer to his dream of freedom

The forest was his gym where he ran, where he swam and where he climbed with a fervor for which would shame any seasoned warrior. His growing lean frame was pushing through all of the exhaustion as he ran through the woods, climbed the treacherous cliffs and swam against the unforgiving ocean currents

Rocks and logs serving as his weights with his muscles screaming in protest as gaining all that strength was what followed next, as it would be his lifeline, the hamstrings burning and fibers setting themselves alight as he lifted both rocks and logs together, improvised weights forged from his desperation were doing all that could be done to give him sheer power while staying true to this image of a boy, who couldn't do anything right, he was taking back out of a spiteful demeanor to show those Vikings he hated that they can't order him around anymore when he gets to "kill" the Monstrous Nightmare, Hookfang, he named him. The resolve of the warrior made him set his eyes on the weeks ahead, and daybreak saw him practicing artistry of swordsmanship, axe throwing and knife wielding until his arms ached to getting on their very own knees to beg him to rest. He navigated obstacles he built with agility and with his coordination becoming second nature

The forest was more than his gym, it was his classroom where he learned to identify edible plants and extract poison as well as build traps for game and fish for survival. He used all he learned about building basic shelters to ensure their safety from harsh elements to the max, learning a few new things everyday as well. His numbered days were a blur of activity, each movement is a testament to unwavering determination and his love for the Night Fury who he desperately wanted to see again, he had told him to wait for him, because soon they will leave this island for good. A rigorous training regime designed not only to hone his combat skills but prepare for the arduous journey before him, to live with his new identity he chose for himself. Grueling endurance to build his stamina and strengthen his resolve, afternoons all dedicated to honing skills with sword and axe being wielded with deadly precision, with throws in knives and axes were perfected until all became extensions of his body

His movements in the meticulously designed obstacle courses were navigated fluidly like his movements, coordinated with great importance. Survival was paramount in understanding an purpose in the poisonous plants for their toxic substances had potential use in them, hence it was important that he extracted this for his dagger. He wants to be absolutely sure whoever's sent by the Hooligans don't take him back and he's not going to fight weaponless. To ensure a food supply for himself and Toothless, building traps and fishing techniques were included as he would the most alluring bait to any fish but revolting to eels with the traps being taken for the sole purpose of repurposing them for wild game that got in his way. The ticking clock was slowing for no one, each second matched the urgency in his heart, the window that gave him the opportunity was closing rapidly. The glint of his sword, the whir of his axe swings, there's all but a intricate dance of balance between all of these occupying activities that would keep him alive when the chase would begin with the skills that were learned. Honed to a fine edge to snare the unsuspecting, the potent leaves and stems were taken with caution, the ocean is his hunting ground with his improvement in fishing with each cast of the net. Every day was a relentless push, it was a constant battle against time and his own limitations. But each rise of the sun from the east, that resolve continued to grow in power, fueled by love for his dragon, and desperate hope for the future they sought where both may live freely

The end of his two days remaining have come as the sun of the third day dipped right below the horizon, the strokes of the clouds and the skies were fiery on the tip of the brush. Hiccup stood on the highest cliff on Berk, overlooking the vast ocean. His ragged breath echoed in a stillness, carrying with it the weight of his coming days. Indeed his journey would be long, it would be perilous, but he had everything he needed for now. He pushed himself to the limit that he could take on with this fifteen year old age and frail body of a teen, he honed all that he could raise his skills to razor sharpness, and he built a resilience that could withstand what ever storms may cross. In his hands, he held the fate of not just himself, but of Toothless. His beating heart, each beat that pumped blood into his core and through the veins, only a single thought resonated: freedom. And for that, he would fight with every ounce of his being

"Toothless..." Hiccup spoke with his breath, looking up to the ocean just ahead of the village underneath, the boy was restless as he clutched his healing ribs. "Just a little bit longer, and we'll be gone. You, and I. You, I, and the dragons from the Kill Ring. We'll never have to set a foot on this island again, 'til fate casts us forward to Berk again"

With that said, the next two days were spent doing what he can at his own discretion. These being analyzing Hookfang to sabotage the dragon fight that he was, by all accounts, going to win whether he liked it or not and modifying his weapons. For the former, anything could go wrong. He wasn't about to leave his fate to chance, he spent hours in the Armory, studying a varied number of weapons and shields the Hooligans had on hand that he sabotaged earlier in the days that came before. He noted their strengths, their drawbacks, particularly when it was up against a Monstrous Nightmare since only the best Vikings go after those. He focused on identifying Hookfang's specific strengths and weaknesses using other encounters through Monstrous Nightmares that were fought during dragon raids, noting attack patterns and areas he was most vulnerable to. This information would be crucial if he needed to defend himself in case his sabotage attempt failed

He researched the history of these past initiations to kill Monstrous Nightmares when they'd be captured and be slain when the teens of that generation became true Vikings to please all the adults. He gathered the experiences and insights of village elders, but it's not through the word of mouth coming from them, it was rather what they've wrote that he wanted info on. It was information about Monstrous Nightmare behavior and potential tactics that one is bound to use on a up and coming Viking, he even managed to sneak a peak at the dragon himself for he was sure to observe Hookfang's movements and learn about his kerosene fire capabilities. It was when the Viking who fed the dragons was taunting Hookfang, bad idea to insult him, as he hated feeding the Monstrous Nightmare that he incited his anger and then had the Viking open the door to free him. The Viking was severely burnt and duties were left to another for the time being. Before leaving, Hookfang spotted him but Hiccup didn't notice, yet Hookfang knew what he was doing

With this knowledge he was gathering, it didn't take long for Hiccup to formulate contingency plans and devise strategies to exploit the vulnerabilities of Hookfang, such as flanking attacks or utilizing his agility to avoid the kerosene stream he would shoot out. He planned whatever movements were required of him, he anticipated different scenarios that could unfold and how he would react in each. Of course, he knows they can be easily disoriented by clattering objects together but that can be said for most dragons like Meatlug for example on their first day, the first lesson that was about survival. But he also noted their large size, that is definite strength indeed but he could use that against him. Their long tails on the other hand, they do not seem to be able to pull up in time when charging in a full speed dive. They're bad when it comes to making turns according to Ruffnut when he spent time alone in the Great Hall, with the teens talking about which dragon they would have a easy time defeating, which Snotlout said that the Monstrous Nightmare would be his choice. Not going to happen, Hiccup can tell you that. He made sure to include that if their tail was compromised, like being pinned to the ground, they would immediately crash. And they have hard times sneaking up on prey due to their heavy bodies so adversaries would notice them, they tend to stomp loudly on ground to that factor as well with "pitter-patter" sounds when they're walking, that gives their target an chance to escape. But the Monstrous Nightmare that snuck up on Hiccup had no problem with stealth, it's mostly easy for that one because he was distracted at that moment

For the latter, Hiccup knew the weapons provided by the Hooligans are crude and inadequate for taking on a dragon. He spent time in his office, modifying and improving his tools with the blades being sharpened to a razor sharp edge, so it would be guaranteed it can pierce right on through; acquiring rare ingredients to create a potent poison for him to apply to his blade was a extra advantage he could afford to have, but not against dragons. None of this was meant to be used against dragons. Not the ingenuity he has in creating improvised traps to distractions like nets fashioned from discarded fishing gear for ensnaring wings and temporarily disabling a dragon, and not with the amount of various flammable materials that he gathered himself for creating diversions in order to confuse dragons during the fights occurring around him. Every modification and creation that he did, Hiccup felt his sense of confidence growing. He's all for preparing for the worst, even if his plan to sabotage the fight remained his main objective, in that sense he knew in the face of danger that resourcefulness and quick thinking would act as his greatest weapons

Hours spent studying the maps and tracing the forgotten trails, marking potential hiding spots for him and Toothless, he memorized the constellations, making sure to navigate by starlight if necessary. Every passing hour made Berk feel more and more like a prison cage, and he was meticulously preening his feathers, readying himself for flight. The night was his confidantes, the crackling fire in his workshop was his only witness. He poured plans onto parchment with all his anxieties into sketches, he wrote letters, never to be sent, to Gobber and only Gobber alone. Not to Stoick, not to Gothi, not to Fishlegs. They are letters of apology, of explanation, of a future that Gobber understood more than he himself realized that he wanted but will be denied forever if he continued to live on Berk. Dawn was approaching, Hiccup's time runs the shorter length of the straw now, the final test was coming, but he will make it through

The fate of Berk, the fate of Toothless, the fate of himself was hanging precariously in the full balance of the presiding scales held in hand by Forseti, the God of Justice, the lines of escape and sabotage to stop the Vikings from pursuing them; if it were to come to that, were blurred before him. The first rays of the sun was creeping over the horizon, his time for the whispers were ending, the time for action is imminent. He dulled blades, he loosened axe handles, he dented mace spikes, he weakened the ropes for holding hammers together and eroded their heads as well. No one was going to interfere with his fight if Hookfang, especially not Stoick; if anything, he'll be instrumental into making this believable

He couldn't change minds, but he can change the game. The shadow of suspicion that could easily fall upon him was a danger he always faced before, and the shadows held secrets too as well, with secrets like Toothless being a whispered hope curled in the darkness; awaiting the day that the two could vanish together into the vast tapestry of the unknown. As long as he breathed, he's fighting to weave a web of contingency like a spider in the heart of a web, one that a warrior had created to ensnare the flies that came from the asses of the Hooligans. He was waiting for the right moment to sever the threads of war between him and this force that was keeping the battles alive, a steel forged to be a nimble weapon honed against that anvil of despair. His traps weren't meant to cripple the scaled behemoths, but to weave this chaotic dance around them, a flurry of confusion amidst the roaring inferno. Immolation from the flammable materials was more for the blinding shields to buy him those ever so precious seconds in the storm. Even the potent concoction of poison gleaned from the corners of the Isle of Berk wasn't aimed towards dragons, it was for a final and desperate act of sabotage to the pursuers who found out who sabotaged their catapults, crippling their offensive power and rendering the fight to a bloody stalemate

As long as he breathed, he will be haunted by Stoick the Vast forever. But as long as he breathed, he will ignite the path that leads to the life beyond the fire that comes with every raid

HTTYD

It wouldn't last forever as he was feeling better when it came to his ribs, they ached still but he couldn't rest anymore, his two weeks were up and ahead of him were his four weeks that remained when he could finally let his ribs heal completely. Or so he would think at first, as it started when he peaked out the door of his office to see Astrid talking with Gobber right here inside the forge. Avoiding contact with her, he closed the door and got to work on the dulling blades and denting blunt weapons, most of the assignments he assigned himself to consisted of sharpening swords, battleaxes and knives for the villagers. This did not mean undoing that work of sabotage, no, he was just keeping the armament of the Berkians in between ruin and re-sharpened to a cutting edge. Picking up the giant pile allowed him to organize them into an trio of different categories: battleaxes, swords and knives, only then did he get to work

There wasn't going to be any conceivable fall reasonable enough to say that Hiccup made it far enough, fate inevitably was choosing him to do this. Hiding for the time being for a little while to let Astrid try and take down Meatlug herself wasn't a option, it's a war between the two conflicting halves of himself between wanting to take the lead to go through with his intention to stage Hookfang's defeat and subsequent death; and wanting to let Astrid get the opportunity to kill the Monstrous Nightmare so he didn't need to spill the blood of a dragon in front of Stoick. There were no other alternative scenarios for him to plan and execute with genuineness

When he felt that Astrid was gone, Hiccup opened the door slightly to the sight of Gobber to take a very familiar looking battleaxe. Nodding to him in response to what he wanted him to do, he closed the door and put the finishing touches on the sword he was sharpening now. It was time for him to begin the sharpening process

Quickly, he got to work on the axe he was assigned to sharpen, inspecting it to see everything on the blades which were fine, just a little dull with a tiny chip in the blade's edge. Nothing is hard to fix for him with years spent with Gobber sharpening blades with chips in them, all the more easy to repair with hands like his. Everything else was fine on the axe, well balanced to this day still like how he first modified it a week before he was forced into Dragon Training to say the least. The grindstone wasn't going to be needed all that much

While he worked on the axe, Gobber decided to tell him. "Once you're done working on this, I want you to take the rest of the day off. I'll take care of the rest of these. And, listen... I want you to understand that, I'm in no position to be asking you of this, but you go out there and at best, try and do some practicing for tomorrow's competition"

Hiccup nodded, and continued to work on the axe while Gobber hobbled away to the support beam of the shop, the blacksmith without a hand or a leg stopped in his tracks and leaned on against the support beam. He felt like he should ask him when class was over tomorrow, with him scratching his chin with his prosthetic hand, glancing at the piles of weapons he intended to work on. There was a second grindstone in the shop for a reason, so he won't have to wait long for Hiccup to be done with his work

Hiccup knew Gobber would give him the day off, the broken ribs were still aching but weren't as painful as they were the morning he woke up in Gothi's hut at the top. Sharpening out the dulled edges and the tiny chip in the blade, he got off the grindstone and placed it on a rack before he returned to his office; suspecting that Astrid was in the forge waiting for her axe to be finished. During the last three days that was apart of the previous four weeks, her attempts to find out how Hiccup got so good at Dragon Training ended in disappointed when most of the time, she couldn't find him and other times he would return to the forge and that was it for the day; yesterday's failure made her decide she should be worrying more about her own training. Mind you, she was training to a extent and pushing herself as hard as she could when she chose not to tail Hiccup from afar. She did need her axe to be sharpened, so she brought it into the forge for Gobber, and when wanting it to be done immediately, she was caught off guard with the fact that the blacksmith told her that he'll have to give the job to Lavitz before he gave him the day off

Yes, to protect the identity of Hiccup, he used the name of Hiccup's second-in-command named Lavitz Slampart, a lance wielding man who was, along with his brothers, followers of Hiccup without question. During Hiccup's absence from Berk from the time that he ran away, he was the first runt who was recruited and fought alongside the one he served faithfully with notable devotion, looking up to him and always addressing him as "my lord", as he rallied other runts like him and Hiccup to create their own band of warriors with their own village to live in. Like a tribe of the male Amazonian people known as Gargareans

Lavitz Slampart was effective both as a commander and a efficient enforcer of "Lord Haddock", as he often called Hiccup, when he issued a new order for them. This was seen when Lavitz directed a successful assault on a island that drove the tribe to it's knees before the resulting skirmish between Hiccup and the mechanical, pulley operated trojan horse marionette controlled weapon that was trying to kill him; and the subsequent fallout that came from Stoick's direct interference in taking Hiccup back to Berk by force, among other events that both came as well as went. But Gobber had met the man and he offered his services to him for a following while before the blacksmith told him that he has to go, as his favor to Hiccup was complete, but the blacksmith also made sure to keep up the ruse to prevent Astrid from ever finding out who built her axe

She was being extremely paranoid with this competition, that wasn't news to be brought up, but how she portrayed herself behind this cool headed image of a shieldmaiden is unnerving for what risks she would take to discover where Hiccup usually went to after Dragon Training. Sure, he doesn't go to the forest as much as he did due to his broken bones, but she knows he was going somewhere to train

There was a point before where she entered the forge herself only to see Gobber with her axe, her awareness of any sabotage was unnecessary for this moment because the blacksmith would never attempt any acts of a saboteur behind her back. No, he would sharpen her axe with an smile on his face, and come to think of it...

True, her axe was sharpened before, but she could feel more balance on her wrist when she held it. Gobber couldn't have had more time to himself to improve their weapons like these, Hiccup thought that building her axe might've given her a reason to suspect something isn't what they seem

He was correct in fact, because in a separate household, Astrid seethed behind closed doors with a little bit of rage. She didn't expect this to happen in her days in Dragon Training held in the Kill Ring.

Hiccup wasn't supposed to be in Dragon Training, and yet, he shows up. No, not just showing up, he's the prodigy of Dragon Training.

What she expected was her to be a runner-up against Snotlout, if not Ruffnut at least. Instead however, she was pitted against Hiccup. She, like everyone else, knew nowadays that Hiccup was never seen outside the forge. It was as if he was concealing himself away from their eyes that frowned upon him

What she didn't understand was why

Why is he hiding from the rest of Berk? What is he hiding inside the forge?

Clouding her thoughts with the young Viking would get her nowhere, right now, she needed herself to be prepared at her best for the worst in today's win. Without doubt, she was going to be win, she was confident that today would be hers. Just this once

She's frustrated though; the only reason she strayed in Dragon Training this long is because she wasn't the first to be removed from the competition each time. But more so, is that for every time she came close to taking down a dragon through subduing them, which had been stated as a rule in the competition, Hiccup always beat her to the punch. Today and now, she was ready to leave him in the dust, nothing was going to get in her way

She got up from the side of her bed she sat on, and immediately ran to her favorite training grounds in the forest

Hiccup made it clear he didn't look forward to this day where he and Astrid took the ring. And depending on who takes down today's dragon, it will determine who will be facing the final challenge, the Monstrous Nightmare, next week since Gobber's words rang true to Stoick about Vikings being very, very impatient

It was midday today and today, he stood in the darkness of the entrance leading into the Kill Ring. Time for him to decide whether he lets Astrid take down this dragon, or he does it first. He's not blind to her hidden jealousy of him overtaking her status as the best in class, but he himself has always been a gracious loser anyway, at least when it came to the annually held Thawfest Games on Berk. He's never been a lousy winner before

Breathing in slowly as he approached the interior of the Kill Ring, he waited in the shadows to think to himself. He didn't want to do any of this, but just like what his mother always told him during the hardest trials of his life, it'll all be over before he knew it. In her words, it was spoken as her tongue gave to him

"This too shall pass, Hiccup. It will all be over before you know it, remember that, my son"

In his hands was the helmet that Stoick intended to give to him, the best he could do was at least wear it. If he wore a matching one made from his mother's breastplate to keep close to her every day, then maybe, for once, he could let himself wear this gift. It would be the last act of kindness he would do for him, the last of act of kindness for the man he called his dad once

There was a time he would relish the details of finally becoming a Viking. Oh, there was a time

And no matter how much you want to hold on to your beliefs and retain them throughout the ages, you can't stop time from going on, you can only ride on it's back, like a dragon, a dragon named Toothless

Gods, pantheon of the realm of Asgard, he misses Toothless. His mother's words rang again in his ears. He can hear the low rumbling growl of Meatlug behind the door of the cage, her kind and their stubborn and bullheaded fiery temper. It was unsettling to imagine Astrid's glint of competitiveness in her eye as she faced down the dragon

With his axe in hand, he smeared away the sweat from his temple, he needed all the granted dexterity he could muster, no matter who ended up facing the Monstrous Nightmare. A raven crying overhead he could hear, circling the Kill Ring with a unsettling intensity, and then with free will established, disappearing into the clouds. Today felt different, the air is heavy with anticipation

He wasn't nervous about the competition, not anymore. He was nervous about what would happen if Astrid won by taking out today's dragon. Would her suspicion intensify? Would she pry harder on the floorboards of his private life to uncover his secret? He's a less pleasant boy in his private life

The midday sun beat down on the stone walls and floor of the Kill Ring. Looking at his axe, a quick trip back to the forge wouldn't hurt... no, that would delay the inevitable. You can't outrun the inevitable, you can't erase the inevitable, you can't undo the inevitable, you can't avoid the inevitable

You can only face the inevitable. You can only sacrifice to achieve what you desire. Hiccup could smell the liquid iron being poured into the cast of iron fillings. He could smell all that acrid tangs of singed earth from the last dragon raid weeks ago. He took a deep breath, trying to center himself. He had no more time to dwell on what-might've-beens. He had a job to do, he was given this job by the man whom, in a different lifetime, he called his father and even looked up to him. With a determined glint in his eye, he squared his shoulders, stepped out of the shadows, ready to face the dragon, face the music and whatever rivalry awaited him in the ring for the afternoon. Picking up a shield while he was at it

Shield #13 was a carmine red colored shield as there were two mint green figure eight shapes on both sides as the center for each one had a powder white colored lace which was looping-through, the left side curved vertically underneath from the bottom before going up to which it then went across from the left through the top hole and downwards over to the center as it was horizontally lashed across; the right side was inverted so there was no need to go into further detail beyond Hiccup using this in the second to final test, where Meatlug was let out for the others to see him win the competition and advance to the glory of killing Hookfang in front of the entire tribe inside the kill ring

Once Astrid and Gobber arrived, so did the rest of the Hairy Hooligans and Stoick who looked down on him as if he did no wrong to him. It was rather infuriating to see if you asked him. It was as if he lived in a different lifetime than the present

Gobber announced to the public regarding the final test of the competition, while releasing Meatlug once more to begin

Both combatants hid behind a barrier to avoid eye contact with the Gronckle herself. Hiccup, during this time, was thinking to himself on how he was going to break the dragons out of an arena like this one. He didn't recognize that Astrid also hid behind the same barrier as him, it wasn't out of her league to warn him to back off, but it was out of line to do so in a warning of which sounded like there would be consequences for disobeying with the way she put the top of her axe of hers up against his throat and jaw

"Stay out of my way! I'm winning this" Astrid moved out of cover as Hiccup dryly responded

"Good. Please, by all means..." Hiccup then followed it up with a snarl at the end. "Bitch"

Hiccup turned around to see his father outside of the Kill Ring, looking down on him, before he turned to see Meatlug charging at him with a smile on her face. Looking around to either of the sides to find Astrid, hoping she would take the show, but finding her nowhere in sight, he muttered under his breath

"Dammit!" But at the same time, it was a victory for himself to achieve. He brought out some dragon nip in the form of garlic grass and began to rub it in her snout, letting it do it's work for him

With Astrid, she ran up against another barrier as a Viking in the audience cheered for her. "You've got it, Astrid!"

Planting herself behind the wall, she gripped her axe in hands and let out a couple of breaths as she muttered to herself. "This time! This time, for sure!"

And with that assurance uttered beneath her breath, she let out a mighty war and battle cry, rushed out from the side as she rushed towards the Gronckle. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGGGGGHHHHHHHHAaaaaaaaaa...!"

But her battle cry died out as soon as she saw the Gronckle on the ground with Hiccup standing beside it. Her fury cannot restrain itself any further. She swung her axe wildly, thrashing about in the Kill Ring, exposing her jealousy before a live audience

"...aaaaaaauGGGGGHHHHHHHH! No! No! NO! NO! SON OF HALF-TROLL, RAT-EATING MUNGE BUCKET!" Whether or not, children were present and have heard her cursing before the village like a madwoman is irrelevant

Hiccup is just about as unhappy as she is about this outcome. He swears he's got some kind of dark side within him that's influencing his actions, a dark side that says he can either be burnt by the light or consumed by the darkness. Both sides are equally dangerous

A loud clack rang out as from the crowd above, Gothi, the village elder stepped forward, tapping her staff to get everyone's attention. They all lit up excitedly to hear her final decision

"Wait! Wait!" Stoick stopped all commotion from going on

Hiccup didn't want to stay for long, he shook his head one last time and began walking away. "So, later" He dryly told Gobber. But the blacksmith snagged him as he attempted to leave

"Not so fast!" Gobber set him down next to himself

"You know don't I like the attention, I'm late for–" It was worse when Astrid held her axe to him, livid as ever in her tone

"What?! Late for what, exactly?!" She demanded an answer, what could he be late for? "Where do you think you're going, huh? Where do you have to be all of a sudden?!"

"I don't secretly follow tail you whenever you go off to train somewhere in Odin knows where on Berk, so don't tail me" Hiccup retorted with a curt scowl, only leading to further frustration from her

Stoick held out his hands to silence the jabbering crowd. "Okay, quiet down. The Elder as decided"

Thrilled with anticipation, Gobber stood behind Hiccup and Astrid, pointing to the latter as the crowd waited in silence. Gothi shook her head 'no' with the crowd expressing disappointed "Oooohs".

Hiccup let out a tear no one noticed, or he would've if he wasn't in the prescence of all these Hairy Hooligans who came to watch the event unfold before their eyes. But that tear is shed in secret behind the mask, he knew that when Gobber pointed to him, Gothi nodded with an affirmative 'yes'. And the crowd erupted like a earthmoving volcano of cheers, praise and hail of acclaim

A glint of red edged white light in her eye could be seen when Astrid turned a seething and deadly, murderous glare on Hiccup, he refused to meet her gaze. He was done with her

He was done with the Hairy Hooligans, he was done with everyone on Berk. Gobber knew how much he didn't like Dragon Training, but he was happy he'd accepted showing pride in himself. Not that there wasn't much pride in himself

Gobber was proud for him. "You've done it! You've done it, Hiccup! You get to kill the dragon!" and even Stoick, still acting like he did nothing wrong and Odin is ignoring his crimes, joined in

"Ha, ha! That's my boy!"

Hiccup was then hoisted onto the recruits' shoulders, being carried out to the cheering spectators, while he masked his internal panic

"Heh, heh. Oh yeah! Yes! I can't wait. I am so..."

HTTYD

"Leaving... we're leaving. Let's pack up. Looks like you and me are taking a vaction, forever" That's what he would've liked to said, as earlier he remembered what Toothless said to him and he'd ran off to the forge quickly once the recruits' were finished cheering with him. Not seeing the angry shadow that tailed him from behind. That same furious shadow that held her axe in hand, wanting to chop and cleave and slash and cut the answers out of him

She wanted answers more than anything, she wasn't going to leave until she exposed him for the liar and trickster he is, who brought more shame and dishonor than the actions he'd ever done to the entirety of their tribe in a long time

If Hiccup were at the cove right now, Toothless wouldn't be anywhere in sight. But he wasn't at the cove, instead he was in the forge and in his office. Dejected and betrayed at the same time. Having been left with the false image created from lies that strangled him, aggravating to deal with, while his own tunic was left on the floor as it felt like it was giving him a rash. He looked into the mirror as he set down his basket and opened it up, his head clouded with troubles

"Ah man..." A hollow victory indeed, a bitter symphony to his ears. He'd won, but at what cost?

Looking at his back, he can see the amount of countless scars, numerous gashes, a couple of burnmarks and a slew of lacerations, all marring his body that rained down from the storm clouds of years of abuse from Stoick. Most of the dried blood that showered him completely never faded, even as they showed their age and crusted to flakes that stained his back. With silvery scars from years healing up about to fade as they should

At least a couple of those memories from Stoick will be cast away into a forgotten vale where they belonged

In the meanwhile, Astrid spied on Hiccup but by the time she did so, her eyes gazed upon the years of scars on his back. She was told about the punishments he would get, but it seems the ones who told her neglected to mention the aftermath was worse than she the punishments he'd received. It mattered not to her, she brooded to herself alone in her thoughts on how he got so good with taking down dragons in the Kill Ring

She pulled away from the forge and took her mind off with towards the forest, focusing solely on Hiccup's frequent disappearances. It was unlikely he would be disappearing to that place, he always headed in the direction of the forest and again, she tried to follow him once a couple of weeks ago, but lost him as soon as she looked over the rock

She might've alerted him to her presence back there in the forge when she spied on him, she couldn't see anything, but she knew one of those parchments weren't plans for anything he'd invented

At the same time with Hiccup, his gaze fell on his discarded tunic on top of his workbench like a shedded skin. He picked it up, the rough fabric, a stark contrast to the smooth leather which he used for his harness for keeping himself attached to Toothless' back at all times. There's a hint of a bitter smile on his face that played upon his lips. Gone are the days of him being the target, or so he'd wanted to think

Heaving a sigh, he shook his head. He can't stay here any longer, dwelling on Astrid's mission to find out what he's up to. He needed to clear his head, escape the four suffocating walls of this forge he used as his new home. But where could he go?

When he looked in that shield he used as a mirror, he flinched at the image of the stranger who stared back at him. A fresh wave of anger washing over him, battling with fatigue that clung to him like a veil shroud worn by the bride of a wedding

He turned away, walking from the pile of discarded tools as his steps faltering, drawn toward the hidden compartment where he kept his escape plan – a crude map sketched on a piece of parchment. Just as his fingers lightly brushed against it, he heard a stiffening sound

Footsteps. Soft, but purposeful, echoing from the direction of his door. He correctly guessed he was being spied on

He couldn't let her see the map. His eyes looked upon his office, everything is open as much as it was exposed a little bit. Just as Astrid's silhouette that filled the doorway began to fade and dilute in the light behind the closed door, Hiccup let out a breath through his nose. There were a couple of things from his bedroom he hadn't got the chance to move to his office here

Peaking out the door of his office into the forge, he wasn't taking any risks in checking around to see if Astrid was gone for good. He closed the door behind him, and made his way up to his house, next to the staircase of the Great Hall on it's right, where he made it to the front door. Even during this time, Stoick would be celebrating over Hiccup's victory all through the night, it's not every day he won something this important and this incredible moment to cherish for all ages and generations to come

Still, he peaked in to see the house empty first before he entered, and went upstairs towards his room. Opening his bedroom door and closing it behind him, he was set on clearing out his room of everything he needed for his escape from the Isle of Berk

The flickering firelight of the sunset from the window painting shadows dancing on the walls of his bedroom was satisfying to him, making him comfortable in the empty room because he as he slipped inside, he wouldn't be bothered while Stoick was occupied at the Great Hall. As he should be, Hiccup doesn't want to see him

The familiar scent of many pages of parchment and charcoal filled his nostrils. His drawings of dragons hidden from both the prying eyes of Stoick who lived with him, and the snooping shieldmaiden Astrid, even his drawings of dragons in his forge such as a sleek Night Fury were hidden from his mentor as he can't even be trusted to keep a secret. He doesn't trust anybody. He can't trust anybody. With his sketches of fantastical contraptions being hidden as well. The weapons, a legacy of Viking life he wasn't ready to embraced, leaned haphazardly against the walls with a few that were thrusting into the wood in a past fit of frustration. His gaze shifted and darted around, landing on the wooden chest at the foot of his bed. A lowly audible heavy sigh releasing itself, now it was time. This was it, this was the time to pack the necessities for a life unknown

He mentally ran through a checklist. Food – enough dried meat and non-toxic berries to last a few days. Water – he'd grabbed his canteen and a waterskin to boil the ocean saltwater along with the mossy swamp water should he find himself in a marshland. He can't risk open fire in the concerns of warmth, he'd need some heavy furskins and a bedroll. A flint and steel along with a torch to create sparks if a wind doused it. By scanning the walls, his gaze landed upon a collection of bolas and smokebombs – primitive grenades he'd invented – a poor defense for it was more for blinding them, but anything was better than nothing when he had no training in hand-to-hand combat. He tossed a handful into his pouch, the leather thudding softly

Those ingenious inventions were crafted from hollowed gourds. He'd meticulously filled the smokebombs with a pungent mixture of dried, crushed herbs and wolfsbane, a plant which is notorious for it's noxious properties. Upon impact, the gourds would shatter and release with it, a thick and disorientating cloud of smoke that would temporarily blind and confuse all the pursuers caught in it's path. While it wasn't strong enough to cause serious injury, it provided him a crucial advantage in a surprise attack and escape situation

However strangely his bedroom felt differently tonight, he wasn't turning back, he's got the stubborness of the chief in him, just as it ran through his family, all from the first of the three Hiccup Horrendous Haddocks down to the third in line. Inside the satchel that held his sketch tools, he knelt before the jumble of odds and ends that awaited; hesitating over a beautifully carved wooden figurine of a dragon, a memento of how many hours he spent studying them. The best he could do was tuck it into his satchel – it was the least he could do to give himself a small comfort from a life he was about to leave behind

A coil was rope, strong enough to support his weight, was the next to follow into his satchel. Even a heavy knife he fashioned himself, forged from the leftover iron left behind. All these tools and contraptions that were scattered across his workbench. He understood that, just as with the hard learned lesson that you can't save everyone, he couldn't take everything, but a few key items were essential. Such as these were whetstones for sharpening his knifes, with a tinderbox as well for starting fires if needed, even a sextant for naval navigation and a kind of locking wing divider for triangulation – all of these were tucked into his bag with greater care than he'd like to say himself

His eyes fell on his most prized possession, or as Stoick would call it for his son he didn't have anymore – a helmet fashioned from half of Valka's breastplate, the right side bearing the red-colored crest of the Hairy Hooligans Tribe – a Timberjack with it's body coiling into a spiral and facing the right side, while it's wing was behind it's left side. Polished to a shining gleam, the courtesy of Gobber. It was a symbol of his status as a Dragon Trainee turning Viking, the cruel reminder of the world that rejected him. Yet, the sturdy iron offered protection, but adhering to his conflicted feeling on what was supposed to be a way to keep his mother close, with his ears to his heart, he chose not to stow it in the satchel

And then, a moment's hesitation when he reached for Stoick's old hunting knife, a well-worn hilt being a familiar comfort his hand. Based on the same dagger he stabbed into the map, in the heart of Helheim's Gate, to emphasize their nest's destruction to drive them away. Hiccup slid it into his belt sheath, along with the backup hunting knife

With a sealed lipped deep breath, the weight of his decision settling on him with each item he stowed in his bag was not so heavy on his shoulders as it seemed. He was leaving Berk, a island that already showed disdain for him. Leaving his family, if he had a family left to leave behind or if it were ever there in the first place. Leaving everything he knew, nothing but one whole misconception about what he learned on the black sand beaches. But with Toothless by his side, he had a chance. A chance to forge a new life, a life where dragons aren't seen as monsters, but as companions, a chance to die defending for his beliefs, ones that no one was entitled to shut him down on

Looking around the room one last time, the drawings adorning the walls with studies of many dragons, blueprints for inventions, fantastical landscapes filled with dragons – a testament to his dreams of this island. But those dreams no longer seemed possible on Berk. They couldn't change their ways, they would never change their ways. With a final heavy sigh, he started to hoist the satchel onto his shoulder, like a priate who hoisted the colors to call to arms for the Pirate Brethren court. It wasn't much he carried, but he can make what he'll do with

He was Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, and he would survive, even if it meant facing the unknown dangers beyond the Isle of Berk head on

"I ran away many times in the past but kept going back because Gobber and Gothi – I thought wrong about you, elder – were on my side. Now, only you Gobber – only you – are all I've got. You should've never betrayed me. You could've advised me with wisdom, but now you've left me alone. You should've trusted me... but you didn't trust me enough" Hiccup internally wondered in his mind about 'what in Odin's name was the Elder thinking?' when she asked him to go back to the place he faced attempted rape, but no actual rape, to which the words of Eorlund Grey-Mane from the Whiterun Tribe – 'Gods be praised' – by a drunken chief who couldn't tell the difference between his wife and his son

And as he closed the door behind him, he internally monologued one last time, this time to his friend, Gobber with a somber tone. He didn't want to really leave him behind, but he won't stay on Berk if Stoick tried to assault him again

"Thank gods for you, Gobber. You're the only family I've got left"

To censor the word 'rape', 'sexual assault' or to downplay 'sexual harassment' when a male is the victim is unconceivable. Worse still, to want to filter out those words with alternatives is a profound violation, akin to the deep gashes inflicted by the perpetrators, both whom know what they're doing and are those who don't discriminate between genders. Even for a boy or a man, both both who deserve more support than what they're given, no matter the lot of the many times others would go out of their way to downplay it by treating it as laughable, it was unacceptable and condamnable to silence the victims who do the right thing by coming forth, braving the hardships with the truth that the law is not on their side

This too applies to the word 'retard'/'retarded' as those two words does exactly what alcohol does, it retards the motor functions and causes someone to lose control of their body through impaired dance and lowered inhibitions. There's no disrespect, it just doesn't mean the same as 'autistic' or 'special needs'. If some Vikings have a problem with that word and consider it a slur, then who cares? That just proves they're too soft and sensitive like they're Peaceables. And lots of Vikings used to, or still nowadays, raid the Peaceables

HTTYD

The next day, with the midday sun, though strong and hidden by a veil of clouds, felt like it was fighting a unseen battle. It blazed downwards, sending a shaft of golden light spearing the center of Berk, illuminating the wooden walkways and the overturned ship shaped and dragon figurehead tipped houses. Yet, the sky above remained stubbornly cloaked in layers of thick clouds. These weren't the billowing, cottony kind promising a summer squall, but a dense sheet of light to darkening grey that muted the sun's usual brilliance.

The result was a unsettlingly bright, yet oddly muted, form of light. Shadows stretched long and inky beneath buildings, while exposed surfaces gleamed with an almost pearlescent to iridescent sheen. The air crackled with unseen tension, a strange mix of warmth right, from the sun's struggles, and a lingering chill from the cloud cover. It didn't bring a squint to your eyes, but a relentless illumination that seemed to seep into every crevice. The sky painting itself like a canvas of muted blues and greys, the white of the clouds tinged with a faint and pearlescent sheen where the sun strained itself to peek through. Beneath the ceiling, Berk was shimmered like the Summergleam Islets of the high and haughty Highborn Tribe, who claim to have all been descendents from their sovereign deity

This peculiar light cast Astrid in a new, almost theatrical light when she strode down towards the forge. Her fiery blonde braids absorbed the muted yellow glow, and her determined set of jaw was highlighted by that stark line of yellow

Elsehwere, Stoick the Vast, his broad frame being momentarily silhouetted against the sunlit center street marked in cobblestone, bellowed a greeting to Gobber, his voice echoing in the muffled atmosphere. The Vikings scurrying about their tasks, their faces unnaturally pale and underneath the light, their usual boisterous chatter remaining indifferent in antincipation for an approaching storm that came this way

Hiccup, perched on the precarious edge of his house's rooftop, squinted against the insistent light. The wind, a constant compaion in Berk, whispered through his auburn hair, carrying and bringing to him with it, the tang of salt and the distant, rhymic crash of waves against the two Viking statues lit with a eternal fire, welcoming those to the territories of the Hairy Hooligans Tribe. Every surface – the weathered wood of the houses, the polished cobbles of the center, the rippling surface of the lake in the forest – glowed with a internal luminescence, a muted echo of the hidden sun

Even the usually vibrant leaf to tacha and zombie to limeade with pistachio to wattle and bitter lemon greens of the surrounding hills seemed muted too, washed over by the light

In the distance, the dragon cages in the Kill Ring, a constant reminder of the village's ever-present danger, cast long and distorted shadows that stretched across the uneven terrain, like the claws of some unseen beast. Here and there, a flash of reflected light caught his eye – a glint off a polished shield made of Thor's Ore leaning against a wall, the sparkle of water dripping from a rooftop, and the shining iron of their weapons – tiny beacons in the strangely subdued midday light

Despite the brightness, the clouds – however veiled by the thin sheet of clouds that squinted your eyes even in the shade – lent an air of heaviness to the scene. The vibrancy of Berk, with the bustling activity of it's inhabitants, remained unchanged. The ever-present squawks from the gulls were dulled however. It was as if the world held it's breath, waiting. The patches of azure blue peeking through the cloud cover, momentarily illuminating some parts within the village in a burst of unexpected brilliance before swallowed again by the grey expanse. Even the wind held it's breath at times, waiting for the inevitable clash of thunder brewing above, never coming when most expected

Hiccup, perched from the roof his house, thought of this scene like looking through a stained glass window with fragmented shards of blue and gold illuminating the familiar landscape of the Berk he knows Smoke curling lazily from chimneys, a grey ribbon against the muted skies. Villagers bustled about their daily tasks, Stoick bellowed instructions to a group of the young generation of newer Vikings-to-be practicing their axe throwing skills. From this distance, no matter where he would go, Hiccup could imagine seeing the vein pusling on his forehead, the testament to his simmering frustration over Hiccup's recent 'failures' in Dragon Training. If it's come to that case, but everyone was excited that the chief's son was going to kill the dragon. Going to kill the Monstrous Nightmare, the highest honor in Dragon Training, before the eyes of the entire village

Hiccup swallowed a sigh. The oppressive atmosphere, both in the sky and in his heart, which mirrored his desperation. He traced the outline of his hidden compartment in his satchel, the one designed to hold the meager supplies he planned to take with him on his escape. As he'd held the knowledge of Toothless, his secret friend hidden within the cove, bearing no weight on his chest. It's a constant reminder of the life he's ready to leave behind in the dust. While, as the sun was a conflicted mix of brightness and gloom, the environment before him reflects the turmoil inside him – the burning desire for freedom battling with uncertainty if he should leave Gobber behind

"I guess I can give Gobber a visit" Hiccup suggested to himself as he started to come down to his room through his window from the roof of his house

And head to the forge he did, every move unhurried like a stroll in a park on the island, until he entered to see Gobber. He started joke about his assistant when he headed over to take a leather apron

"Well now, if it isn't the legendary dragon master! Too busy to show up to work, aye?" Gobber snickered, he knew Hiccup didn't work, he's got a big day ahead of him for the upcoming fight with the Monstrous Nightmare

"Just thought I should come to see you, no reason" He muttered, standing next to the forge to warm up. He'd thought he should sleep in his bedroom one last time

"Rough night there, lad?" Gobber asked

"Yeah, I don't..." Hiccup loudly yawned. "-think I slept at all last night. It's not as comfortable as this place"

"Ah, I agree, a shame but lucky you that you've got a couple more days 'til your fight with the Monstrous Nightmare" Gobber put down the sword he sharpened before leaning on the anvil. "So, you here to do some work, or are ya' here on business?"

"Hmm... I'd say business if you ask me. I'm looking for a proper weapon, larger than my usual dagger but not something that'll slow me down. It's... for my fight" Hiccup described, clearly lying to the old man, but Gobber's eyes lit up with a smile crossing his stached face. The one-handed blacksmith grabbed Hiccup by the shoulder and led him into the shop further, he had a grin on his face as he remembered the first ever weapon he received

"I can remember me first proper weapon I ever got. A two-handed axe my 'ol man gave to me after killing my first dragon. I named her 'Bygul and Trjegul', one name for each blade on their left and right side, a double bladed and two-handed axe she was, and by Thor, heheheheh ya' should'a seen the steel she was forged from" Gobber pointed at several large weapon racks, a stockpile of tools and gear

"You're overflowing these days I see" Hiccup noted

"I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for 'round here, if you see anythin' you like or wanna try out, give me a hollar" Gobber returned to his work at the grindstone, as he left his young assistant to search through the dozens of swords, axes and maces that the place had to offer

Insisting on trying out every single weapon available, from the tiniest wood hatchests to the colossal greatswords and halberds, along with the Far Eastern swords from the last visitation of Trader Johann, to the polearms that weren't used as much as they should because of their advantage of their reach, he completely lost track of time. He wasn't just choosing a weapon to fight with, but he was choosing a weapon that would be living with him, using to survive as well as fly with. The weapon had to suit his needs in every way. His fiery sword Inferno could only do so much, it couldn't just be good, it had to be perfect

Yet, that perfect weapon never came, in the end

By the late afternoon, Hiccup tried and tested out every weapon Gobber owned, his arms are exhausted while his body had a few cuts but nothing dangerous. He was worried, should he'd chose to run away, if he chose to run on this day and skip the final fight in front of the village, he would only have his dagger to rely on with Inferno serving as a sign for his Hairy Hooligan Viking opponent to deduce his identity and conclude that he and his alter-ego were one and the same. He couldn't have Toothless around to protect him forever, could he?

Thinking about Toothless not being around forever just made him pale into a light buttermilk to banana mania tan color with hints of a swiss coffee beigeish white color. No, a life without Toothless isn't worth thinking about. He had to mutter this to himself quietly while Gobber is preoccupied, so he couldn't hear him

"Toothless... wait for me a little longer, alright? I'm going to save us both" Hiccup prayed quietly. "I promised you once, and I promise you again: we will leave Berk for good"

Gobber soon came through to the stockpile of weapons that were put back on their racks after being tested out

"Any luck for that special weapon, lad" He asked after stopping the constant clanging of his hammer on his anvil

"Not even close, Gobber" Hiccup shook his head, collapsing into a chair beside his old friend. "You have a lot of great weapons, each of them are special and you gave each of them names, even for the weapons with two blades, you named them as twins. Again, they're great, really. They just don't suit me, you know?"

"Aye, I know how ya' feel" Gobber put his hands on his hips. "What's this vision of your special weapon exactly?"

"I'm not going to lie, all these weapons are a bit too... bulky. I'm looking for something large, but I don't want to lose any of my speed. How can someone like a runt, like me, haul around one of those hammers into every fight?" Hiccup let his arms support his body leaning forward while his palms resting on his thighs, pointing backwards

Gobber stared back at Hiccup, thinking about what he could use with that fishbone body of his. "Tell you what, Trader Johann should be arriving tomorrow. He's got all that foreign gear and whatnot. If I see anything you'd like, I'll bring it back for ya' in yer' office"

Hiccup grinned at the thought, coming back here tomorrow to find a stash of exotic and even beautiful weapons he could master and use on his adventures. He just might find his weapon in that stash

"I'd like that, Gobber" He gave the one-handed and one-legged Viking blacksmith a pat on the shoulder. The sun was beginning to set over Berk and he couldn't wait to be back in the air with Toothless soon, not that Gobber knows he's keeping a Night Fury on the island. "I'll be back here around midday, catch 'ya later" Hiccup began a light jog on his way toward the forest

The sun shined it's rays across the village of Berk and from the dissipating cloudy sky, it was still quite bright outside – regardless of the supposed incoming storm seemingly heading to their way – Hiccup slowed down his jog into a nice walk down along the path to the forest, it was just him and his own business he was minding. Going 'bout his afternoon, as when the angry shadow following him started to rudely call him out

"You, toothpick!" Someone yelled from behind him, Hiccup cursed under his breath, he isn't about to think hard and firmly about figuring out who could be annoyed with him at this point in time. He didn't need to turn around completely to find out it was Astrid, stomping over to him and furious with her double bladed axe in hands

"Good grief, I can't even walk to the forest to get some practice these days" It didn't matter if he wasn't getting out of this easily, he didn't want Astrid trying to find something to defame him anymore. He just kept his head facing forward, while hoping it wouldn't take too long

"You listen here,Hiccup" She spat his name out like a rotten piece of fish. "You may have all these people fooled, but not me" Astrid stared at a couple of cuts and grazes Hiccup had and shook her head. "I'll find out how you're getting so good, and when I do... everyone will see the truth about you. That you're nothing but a trickster and a liar!" Turning around the corner, she was gone in an instant

For a brief moment, Hiccup stood there, unable to react to someone calling him out with that accusation of being a trickster and a liar. Is she really that jealous of his newfound skills? Or is she having a idea on what's really going on?

No, she doesn't have a clue to follow. She's completely going on red herrings, and that might be the right thing to do

With Astrid, the fierce shieldmaiden returned to the teens and back inside her house. All of them were checking up on the progress she was making, but so far, the results weren't as so favorable as she wanted herself

"How'd it go?" Snotlout asked as the fierce shieldmaiden returned to the group

"Not as I'd hoped. He wasn't carrying anything suspicious, all he had was just that dinky little dagger" She stood in-between the Thorston twins and let out a deep breath. "He's covered in cuts though, it might have something to do with his training" She mused

"Guys, why are we doing this?" Fishlegs asked the others, as nervous as he was about defying Astrid, he was still concerned for the boy. "Don't you think spying on him is wrong? Even if we discovered how he got so good?"

"He's kind of right, Astrid" Ruffnut agreed. "I mean, what if it's not all a trick, and he really knows his way around dragons-"

"You're wrong, both of you" Astrid snapped. "Everyone knows he's weak and is never where he should be. There's no way he gets that good in a matter of weeks. We're going to get to the bottom of this, and I'm going to remind all of Berk who the best dragon slayer is" She was about to storm out of her house, when Snotlout had a 'wonderful' idea

"Hold on there, I've got a plan to get your answers from him" Snotlout offered, Astrid already had a idea on what he got

"It better not involve challenging him for the right to kill the dragon in front of the village" Astrid accused

"Challenge him? No, no no no no, he won fairly. I wouldn't do that. You don't trust me?"

Astrid didn't trust him, that's what the problem was. She left her house afterwards, leaving the trainees in a slightly shocked state as some continued to chat among themselves

"You think he's really hiding something?" Snotlout raised a eyebrow

"Probably is. But Astrid's just over exaggerating" Fishlegs replied, as he scratched behind his head. "I reckon Stoick just gave him a lesson or two before he left for Helheim's Gate"

He paused for a moment before he talked again

"Then again, knowing him behind closed doors: he probably did give him a lesson or two that ended with him saying that even his best wasn't enough" Fishlegs made it sound worse if it's true than what he made it sound like, and truth be told, it was worse if it did actually happen

"You know, we could run into the forest now and catch up with Hiccup to see what he's doing" Ruffnut suggested, as both she and her brother flashed each other a mad grin before turning to run

"No!" Snotlout and Fishlegs yelled at once. "Don't do it" Fishlegs added, Ruffnut and Tuffnut turned to face the boys

"I'm sure we could find him by nightfall" Tuffnut pointed out, annoyed

"I'm sure we could" Snotlout retorted "The problem is: what do you think Astrid's going to do to you?"

"Hate to admit it, but Snotlout's right. If there's something in there, making Hiccup as good as he is, Astrid wants to be the one who uncovers it" Fishlegs added, emphasizing that Astrid wanted to be the first to know the truth

"I still have a idea if all else fails" Snotlout pointed out, but didn't wait long before he went out into the execute it

This can only make things worse for Astrid's search for answers on Hiccup's success in Dragon Training

And as Gobber wasn't here the next day, Astrid entered the forge and walked over towards to the office Hiccup stayed in. What could she find behind the door this time?

Oh was she in for a surprise. Slightly opening the door and peaking into the crack big enough to see Hiccup, his hand was in front of his chest and it was hard to see but there was a orange fiery glow in front of him. A bit of yellow must've indicated that it was fire. She would've had yelled out at him, asking what in Helheim was he doing, but she kept silent; she can't let him discover her spying on him. He then dipped his hand into a bucket of water, quietly as he did, and then revealed that it was a iron dagger he heated up and cooled down. Deliberately with all intention letting the iron blade shine in the light of the window to indicate he just forged a spare iron dagger

Or so, Hiccup wanted her to think. Because as soon as Astrid closed the door, disappointed he was just forging a spare dagger, Hiccup laid down the dagger and revealed what he was really doing. His real invention: a dragon scale glove that slipped underneath the gauntlet, which is also made of dragon scales he collected from Toothless overtime. Certain she's nonthewiser about what he was doing, using the deception of the dagger by his side to mislead her with a red herring, he placed the gauntlets back where they belonged with his armor, shield and his sword too

Then, he thought about Gobber. "Wonder if he ever found that weapon I was looking for. Had a feeling I'm gonna need it"

Astrid was long gone by the time Gobber returned to the forge, having gone down for a visit with Trader Johann and coming back with a large metal tool in his hands. She did – however, eavesdrop on what the two were talking about, learning about Snotlout's plan in the process

"I gave Johann a visit this mornin' to tell him about your quest to find yourself a real man's weapon, and he gave me this" The weapon that Hiccup was handed wasn't anything like he'd seen before, a spear with a wooden shaft that took up most of the enormous length, and on the tip right there, was a deadly blade with one side perfetly edged and the other is serrated like a bowie knife given it's trapezoid shaped scalloped bladed teeth

Hiccup put the base of this weapon at his toes, the weapon being slightly taller than him, yet about as light as a short sword. He wondered to himself if this was some kind of harpoon

"Johann called it a 'glaive', said it's from the desert cities down south and believe him, it'll work wonders in the right hands" Gobber explained as Hiccup gently tried out the long weapon in each hand

"It's beautiful, everything I need is right here. I can still be fast with while having the range of any other Viking, all the meantime while my ribs are healing up. That painkilling tonic's doing wonders, don't get me wrong – but I can still feel them" Hiccup's concerns about his ribs were reasonable, he really should be back in bed and resting

"Ah, like I said: when you kill the Monstrous Nightmare this week, you'll get ta' rest all you need 'til your ribs are healed" Gobber reassured him

"Thanks, really... I can't thank you enough for something like this" Gobber gave his assistant a rough pat on the shoulder

"You'll have to thank me later" Gobber uncharacteristically dropped lowly to a tone that Hiccup knew too well

Astrid, hidden in her position, leaned a bit forward from her spot with a narrowing glance at the news that was about to unfold while she kept herself occupied and pretended not to be eavesdropping on the conversation

"There's something wrong, isn't there? Gobber, what's happened?" Hiccup asked, knowing he was about to expect something bad to happen

"Lad, someone issued a challenge to you for the right to kill the Monstrous Nightmare in front of the village" Gobber held nothing back from his assistant

Astrid shook her head, if it's who she thinks it is...

Hiccup dared to ask. "Who is challenging me all of a sudden?"

"It's Snotlout... I'm sorry Hiccup, I know you won fairly, you won the competition. I didn't want have to put you up against the Jorgenson boy, knowing the history between you two-"

"No, you're not at fault. He picked the fight himself, so he can't back down now. I've been waiting to settle my score with him. Besides, it'll be worse to lose the fight you picked, so he's going to learn that the hard way" Hiccup held the glaive to his side and pointed out the double edged sword that Snotlout was walking on now that he heard the news

"You accept?" Gobber asked for comfirmation

"If it means putting him in his place after stepping out of line one too many times between us, then I accept his challenge. I said before that he picked the fight, so he can't use excuses to back down" Hiccup confirmed

"I'll head over to the Kill Ring then" With that confirmation, Gobber headded off to the Kill Ring while Hiccup looked back at him

"Don't let him try and escape if he is there. I'll be with you in a few minutes" Hiccup called out to him, still uncertain if Snotlout would really be at the Kill Ring

Gobber understood, Hiccup needed time to prepare and he was going to need some extra protection when it came to his broken ribs

Astrid was enraged. So this is Snotlout's plan to get information out of Hiccup: challenge him publically. She cursed under her breath, this was not helping her. Why in Odin's name would he do that?

It seemed Loki was playing favorites and Fenrir was making it worse, like the god of trickery and fire while one of his sons was playing catch with Odin's lost eye. Oh, she's going to kill that little prick for that

She left her hidden spot and had a new plan in mind. Once Hiccup left the Kill Ring and came to the forge, she'll get her answers from him herself, but if he's not going to cooperate, then broken ribs or not, she'll show him what Helheim on Midgard is really like. She's not leaving without the truth behind Hiccup's successes

Back with Hiccup, he headed into the forge and stripped down to his shirtless body, rigging a leather vest with internal straps and buckles of softened leather that applied gentle but firm pressure across his ribs to minimize movement and pain. It wouldn't restrict his movement, it would let him fight effectively. It's not as strong as iron armor and offered less protection but it was easily concealable under his clothing, and provided targeted support without being all too bulky or cumbersome. He reinforced it with thin splints strategically across his chest and back following the natural curve of his ribs, while the leather had been soaked prior to make it more malleable while securing it with leather thongs and rivets. And then, he put his tunic and vest back on before he took his glaive and left for the Kill Ring

HTTYD

This, by all accounts, was one of the worst things Snotlout ever did. Hiccup won the right to kill the Monstrous Nightmare fairly, and this is what he does after he was eliminated earlier on. At least that's what he thinks it's about. But whatever the case is, he won't let Snotlout win so he can kill Hookfang, and in turn, ruin his plans to take the Kill Ring's dragons along with him in general

Gripping his glaive, he entered the downwards slanting ramp into the Kill Ring as Stoick on the top announced to the villagers about the challenge. He shook his head as Snotlout had stood there looking at him, but looking at Snotlout closer, there was a bit of hesitation that Hiccup can see

Both their fathers, or at least Stoick and Snotlout's father, were standing above the arena of the Kill Ring after the chief finished the introduction. Hiccup wasn't deaf or blind to how the Jorgenson boy was treated by his father Spitelout, he just ignored it because this challenge is something he would do to get back at him

The duel between these two began with Hiccup looking back at Snotlout charging at him with Hiccup readying his glaive to clash it's blade with Snotlout's mace. Surprisingly, Hiccup wasn't just able to hold him off, as he kneeled backwards on one knee – no, he pushed back with his glaive and was able to push him down with such force. For as much as he wanted, more than anyone knew, to settle the score; this wasn't the right time or place to settle it here, he really wanted him dead at one point but suppressed his feelings. The way that Snotlout fought was showing and proved he intended to hurt him, so Hiccup wasn't going to hold back defending himself the same way

Hiccup knows Snotlout wanted the title, he would do anything to get it, even if it meant if he had to cheat by using something to upset the Monstrous Nightmare. Oh, he's going to be mad when Hiccup finds out what exactly Snotlout found out and planned to use

Snotlout quickly got back up and charged at Hiccup, letting out a battle cry and bringing out a barrage of of attacks that Hiccup manuevered his glaive to block, until Snotlout swung a hard kick to the right leg to put him off guard and then kneed him in the face. But Hiccup tumbled out of the way to avoid a stomp as the Haddock boy pinned his glaive to the ground to swing around and vault himself upward to kick him from behind his head, following it with getting back up on his feet and backhanding the Jorgenson boy across the face. Dazed with stars and nearly spinning to the ground, Snotlout looked up to see Hiccup leaping up into the air while launching his foot forward to kick him directly in the face as he swung his other leg up in the air and planted it hard onto his stomach, garnering a pained moan from him

Snotlout twisted Hiccup's foot off and threw him upwards, as the Haddock boy fell backwards on the ground after hopping twice on one foot back due to loss of balance. Hiccup isn't going to let this be his downfall, he rolled to the side and leaned backwards on his knees to get up on both of his feet and took a shield lying around – bearing a Thor's Ore core and rim – before throwing it towards Snotlout with a frisbee toss, launching it with a flick of his wrist when he swung his arm. Sailing through the air, Snotlout ducked and started to charge, but the shield ricocheted off the wall with high velocity and started it's redirected flight towards Snotlout's head. Before he could he bring down his broadsword that he carried with him along with his mace, Hiccup sidestepped with a raised leg and let the shield bang the back of his head while the Haddock boy planted his foot on top of his broadsword, running upwards atop the blade a little while he struggled to lift it due to the extra weight and Hiccup jabbed him with the back of his glaive in the eye

The Jorgenson covered his eye, luckily for him it was closed and protected by his eyelid as he smushed his eyebrow downwards with one hand as the other held his mace, having dropped his broadsword that Hiccup stood on top of. Landing with a clang as he lifted the sword in the middle and grabbed it, gripping it with his left hand in a icepick grip. Snotlout took the risk to throw his mace toward him, while Hiccup raised the broadsword upwards and forwards with the blade diagonally positioned to block the spiked mace head from hitting him, moving it as well to deflect it while he's at it

Hiccup waited for Snotlout to come charging toward him and drew back his left hand, before he rushed the pommel of the broadsword into his nose to make him fall backwards, though Snotlout grabbed his ankle to make him fall forwards while disarming him of the sword he'd lost beforehand. Hiccup rolled onto his stomach with both legs on the ground as Snotlout got his sword back and swung it down with him blocking it with his glaive, launching a kick to the got with his boot as he then took a shot to his manhood. Making him clutch his crotch in pain

If Snotlout doesn't play fair, then Hiccup doesn't play fair either. Equilibrium for Vikings, that's how it's done

He then swung his leg underneath Snotlout's legs to send him to the ground and used his glaive to vault around to the side using it's bottom tip to pin his wrist, which was apart of his arm that was closest to the mace, to the ground with it. Snotlout however freed his left wrist from Hiccup's boot to slam the bottom of his clutched fist onto his shin, and rolled onto his right side to reach his mace before he slammed it down on his foot

Taking the opportunity, Snotlout followed with bashing his face across with his mace before he swung it into Hiccup's gut to make him cough. Hiccup's hidden makeshift armor accepted the blow as Snotlout took him by the back of his head and threw him to the ground, where he rolled onto his right side due to the damage inflicted by the blunt weapon meant to ignore or bypass armored opponents

Snotlout came walking up and shoved his foot, but then Hiccup rose up to catch it with both of his hands before he twisted it to the other side and threw him off balance. Getting up as he spung his glaive before he slammed it to the ground on it's bottom tip. Watching him get up to bear a grin on his face before Hiccup laid his other hand on the shaft of his glaive

The Jorgenson decided to follow it up with a barrage of mace and broadsword swings that he blocked or deflected with his glaive, while he retaliated in return with a fist to his chest and a hard chop to his rib as he then slammed the lower tip of his glaive down on his back where he was then slammed onto his stomach on the ground. Once again, Snotlout grabbed his ankle in an attempt to make him fall and nearly succeeded as Hiccup fell backwards, stopping himself in the process by breaking his fall with his glaive's bottom tip to retain balance and kicking his opponent in the face before he swung himself back upwards, and thrusting himself forwards to properly get back on his feet

Hiccup jumped when he tried to sweep off the ground and took a blow to his forehead when Snotlout flipped his broadsword in a icepick grip to strike him, going for a headbutt when he was blocked by Hiccup's grasping palm when he dodged to the left side and threw him away; sending him walking backwards before he leaned forward to regain balance

Snotlout tried again with another two swipes with one aimed for the stomach and another to the face with his broadsword's pommel before he would swing his mace to Hiccup's back, but only met air when Hiccup ducked to smack him from behind with the blunt face of his glaive's blade

Spinning around with Snotlout swinging his mace horizontally across from the right side as it was one attack he blocked, but was caught off guard when he was backhanded from the face and kicked up against the wall. Snotlout picked up a barrel and threw it at him, smashing into planks on impact while Hiccup retaliated by throwing a nearby mace, a nearby hammer and a rock from a sling that he spun around and launched it towards Snotlout with a direct hit. He'd then sidestepped again when Snotlout threw a punch – intended for him – into the wall, and countered his next punch before he turned his fist around and made it punch him instead for a bit before he threw him up against the wall and kneed him in the crotch

Yet, Snotlout came back with a elbow to the jaw and a kick to the ground, landing on his back, where the Jorgenson boy came charging forward to jump and end the fight with his two fists raised over his head to smash him. Hiccup raised both his legs up to catch Snotlout to throw him directly upside down and crash into yet another conveniently placed stacks of numerous armed melee weapon racks. Wonder who keeps putting them there

Snotlout quickly recovered, coming back at Hiccup to unleash a battallion of attacks Hiccup both blocked and parried with his glaive. The more he failed, the angrier he got as he began shouting more battle cries with each attack, increasing his rate of attack and letting out roars of war to intimidate him. One last slash from his sword was blocked, but Snotlout caught him off guard by punching him twice and bashing him with his face before he kicked him away

Hiccup hit the floor with a thud on his stomach as he looked back at Snotlout, who gave him a smug smirk. "Is that all you've got, Hiccup? I'm starting to think everything that happened in the ring was nothing but a fluke" He taunted as Hiccup started to stand up

Kneeled on one knee and the other planted firmly with his glaive supporting him, like a wounded warrior returning alive after a suicide mission that a tyrant ordered his company on. He huffed and breathed under his breath but he managed a couple of words after Snotlout taunted him further

"You should've quit Dragon Training since the beginning. I mean, you already killed a Night Fury, that should've automatically disqualified you. Matter of fact, what I'm hearing is that it took Gobber convince your dad to let you in. Hell, as far as I see it, your dad didn't even want you to be put into Dragon Training, said you'd be killed when Gobber let the first dragon out of it's cage"

Hiccup's eyes narrowed as he wanted Snotlout to go no further than that line he would so obviously choose to cross. Gobber stood up and was about to enter the Kill Ring to stop him before he goes toward that point of no return, but was held back by Mildew, who wanted a lesson to be taught to Hiccup first

"Why'd you challenge me, Snot? I won that right fairly"

"Not to Astrid you didn't. If she thinks you're lying, she's probably right" Snotlout was starting to reveal what Astrid's motives were

"She has no evidence to prove that I cheated" Hiccup retorted as he stood up. "And neither do you" He pointed his glaive forward

"Oh, when she's found some very interesting things you've got, I think she'll have" Snotlout retorted back

"You have no right snooping in my business, keep both your nose and tell her to keep hers as well, out of my affairs!" Hiccup slammed his glaive down

"No! You don't get to hide anything from her, it's not fair!"

"Fair?!" Hiccup boiled and shimmered as he pointed his glaive towards him, now holding it with both hands. "I'll show you what's not fair: being denied chance every chance to finally be acknowledged as a Viking on Berk, and being labeled as a nuisance all the while you and the others always go out into the action during dragon raids, while I'm always told to go and get back inside! That is what's not fair!"

"Complaining again? Agh, that's all you do these days, it's always complain. (angrily) How 'bout you get off your ass and work for once in your life?!" Snotlout shouted at the end, scoffing in disbelief as he took Hiccup's argument as another one of his so-called complaints

"You're dead, Snotlout!" Hiccup declared with his teeth gritted, waiting for Snotlout to charge forward

And when he did, Hiccup waited for him to get close before he quickly and powerfully swung his glaive so quick it broken off the blade of Snotlout's broadsword he held in his hand. While Snotlout drew his mace to strike at him from behind, which he blocked on his right side, with a quick flip to disarm him. Before Snotlout could ponder what just happened, Hiccup threw a inner hooking kick to his stomach and jumped to join the kick with a knee to Snotlout's jaw

He performed another sideways revolver sidestep, only to perform a leap forwards to begin running forward at Snotlout with anger in his eyes. Once close, Snolout finally turned around as he punched him hard enough to spin and turn around to face him again

He leapt and pounced like a panther with his glaive horizontally positioned to pin his neck down to the ground while Snotlout fell onto his back, his forest green eyes flashing with a blistering fury. Before he left him recover when he rolled onto his stomach, he jumped up and came down onto his back before he took another leap to the air by vaulting himself up with a thrust in order to reach the chained roof. Even perching above before he tipped back and swung downwards like a missile, bringing his head down with his fingers and slamming him down toward the ground to knock him out unconscious

Before he could continue his assault, ready to claw his throat with harsh red scrapemarks of his fingernails to apply scratches – rather than tear out his throat by stabbing them – Gobber broke free from Mildew's restraints and stopped Hiccup with a hand on his shoulder

"He's done for, Hiccup. You won... let it go, it's over now" Gobber huffed in between words due to his struggle from Mildew preventing him from interfering

Hiccup looked over to his opponent and saw him bleeding, this wasn't what his mother would have wanted. Everything Snotlout said wasn't true, but when he tried downplaying the denial from other Hairy Hooligans who kept shooting down his chances to become a Viking for once. Before he dropped the unconscious Snotlout, he smacked him one last time with a kick before he then dropped him

Taking his glaive with him, he ran out of the Kill Ring full force and toward the forest. He needed to get away from everyone right about now, he didn't want anyone to see him. He wanted to see Toothless, promise or no promise

But he was unaware that the angry shadow followed him up ahead

HTTYD

Astrid entered the woods to find Hiccup, making a few twists and turns from when she'd first followed him. Following a dirt pathway that led to a far side of the woodlands, far away from the cove so it would be very unlikely she would be anywhere near to find Toothless, a event that Hiccup is trying his best to prevent from ever happening

She slowed down when she came across a unfamiliar side, which was a house constructed by mudbricks, branches and leaves with a split log door and a chimney behind it. A small clearing in the woods. This wasn't supposed to be here, but it looks like she now knew where Hiccup's always going off to whenever he comes to the woods. Yet, that's what she wanted to think if she didn't have doubts about this being the spot

She started to approach and climbed up on a rock with a smaller rock to sharpen her axe with. Maybe, doing just that will get his attention. She knows he's in there, but she can at least do something to pass the time

With Hiccup, he was sitting on top of his log roll bed with a heated floor underneath created with a dried mud cover and a fire in the middle that lit up the scene with a orange light. The Haddock boy looked into the fire with his eyes

If he allowed Toothless to be discovered by Stoick, he might not just kill him, but he'd knew that he would use him to find the nest he's been searching for and then lead an attack force to drive them all out. Stoick will kill everyone if he raided the nest, but he was stubborn to a fault and he believed he would be doing all he could to protect Berk

And whose will was satisfied then? The will of Stoick, or the dragons whose home Stoick had chose as a target for destruction?

That's a question he was pondering for some time, he had no idea what was behind the walls of the nest. He'd never seen or flew anywhere near or close to Helheim's Gate on Toothless' back, the action wouldn't do him any good

The scale of the war between the Vikings and the dragons on the latters' home base is rigged from the start if the former did make it through the fog surrounding the nest. The adults can't win, they can't win against them all, he doubted that Stoick would listen to him when he says and assures him that this is a battle he can't win

But if he's going to be disowned for 'siding with the enemy' then he's a hundred percent on his choice, because the Hairy Hooligans are no allies to him. He's just another a dead weight to leave behind. Maybe, Stoick had another, older and much bulked up looking son that he lost a long time ago when his mother was still here, maybe the son that he sees now wasn't here, the son he admired a long time ago was gone. If that son that he wanted ever was here

He was terrified, not because of Stoick fighting a losing war with the dragons right on their own territory, but because he didn't want him to become a monster like the madman that, and he means it, his real father had nightmares about as it involved a meeting of chieftains. According to his nightmares from what he heard of in his own words, all of them but him had been slain by the madman's army of dragons. As worried as he was for Stoick becoming that monster, the time of being worried for others is over, it's his turn to think about himself now

He can't keep delaying his plans to leave Berk, he wanted Toothless, he deserves to know the truth. He deserves to know what made him so worried on that night. He trusted his instinct to tell him that Toothless was worried and scared for him, but frustrated he couldn't do anything because he wants to keep his word to not intefere with the final exam. Toothless knows that Hiccup doesn't want the whole island to discover him. His tailfin is gone, he can't fly away, he can't escape

There's no escape for him, there's no escape for himself either. He wrote down the shortest route to the cove to get to Toothless, the shortest route to the Kill Ring to retrieve all five of those dragons, and the shortest route to the forge to get his equipment and everything else before he flies away. Where will he go? Where no one goes...

Just then, he heard the sound of a rock being sharpened against a blade, he knows the sound of a whetstone to a bladed weapon since it was a sound he welcomed if it were Gobber that's sharpening a sword or a spear. That's not a good sign, it was Astrid, she has found him here

"Guess it's time to own up, give her those just desserts I owe her" Hiccup muttered to himself

He could not bear it, he got up from his bed and walked to the door, opening the door ajar to peak outside and seeing Astrid on top of a rock, sharpening her axe handed down to her from her mother. The same axe he built for her a long time ago, while he's venting and airing out his frustrations to Gobber about, at the time, the man he called his father, Stoick

She jumped off the rock and walked towards Hiccup threateningly, her axe held in hand and ready to strike if he tried anything

"You shouldn't have come here" Hiccup told her off

"I want to know what's going on. No one just GETS as good as you do. Especially you" She held her axe up against his throat, while Hiccup only gripped his glaive if she tried anything herself

"Who cares?" He curtly retorted

"Start talking! Are you training with someone?" Astrid accusingly asked

"Why does it matter?" Hiccup retorted again

"It better not involve this!" Astrid gripped a part of Hiccup's concealed armor underneath

"That's not your concern. You shouldn't be snooping-" Astrid proceeded to bend his arm backwards, making an audible cracking noise as she narrowed her eyes. "OW! Dammit!"

"Who are you training with? I want to know..." She growled viciously

"I'm not training with anyone" Hiccup refused to divulge information, but Astrid took his answer as a sign of stubborness and brought him to the ground before he dropped her axe handle on his stomach

"If you don't start talking – *truthfully* – I will-" She was unable to finish her sentence as Hiccup swept her off the ground and got back up

"I'm not hiding anything from you!" Hiccup shouted at her, he's going to take Toothless to the grave if he has to, pointing his glaive at her

Astrid readied her axe once she was rearmed with it, having been disarmed when thrown off. Seeing that Hiccup would rather fight than talk, she accepted the invitation to fight him

"Stand down, I'm hiding nothing from you!" Hiccup demanded

That's when she made the first move with a windmill haymaker using the top of her axe that he rushed in, with him dodging by sidestepping and striking her in the back with the blunt of the glaive, but not too hard. Astrid didn't see it that way and locked her axe with his glaive

Hiccup parried upwards to throw her off backwards before blocking her next attack with the blade of his glaive, before blocking another thrust of her axe pommel to slam into his head, this time with his palm that he raised upward before he jabbed the top of her hand to disarm her

Astrid threw a kick to his side while he threw a fist to block her kick, and another one before he was hit in the stomach with a crouching pommel jab of her axe before spinning her leg to kick him across his face with a roundhouse kick; only remaining balanced because he used his two arms to block the kick

"Leave me alone!" Hiccup shouted and started to run to a more advantageous position in the woodlands, much closer to the entryway to the village

"No, you're not getting away" Astrid chased after him

With his glaive in one hand and himself hunched over a bit, he ran as fast as he could from her, turning a sharp turn with a slight slip of his slide from the leaves before he jumped over the log and continued to run

He started to jump on top of a few logs and onto a boulder as she caught up to him, with her slamming the blunt front face of her axe down where Hiccup ducked and rolled off the rock, as he landed on his feet with his glaive standing upwards and Astrid landed in front of him

She threw more blunt face axe strikes for him to dodge and more unarmed attacks for him to block with his glaive, once again manuevering it in his hands until he blocked a overhead and downwards helm breaking blunt axe face attack that broke his glaive in half. Leaving him with both a blade and a ecrisma stick

He threw the latter towards Astrid, but dodged to the side and was left to defend himself with the glaive's blade head to use as a long handled sword, deflecting her blows from her axe in an attempt to keep her away from him

Hiccup eventually went into the a flurry of attacks in front of her until he exhausted himself and stared her down, while she gripped her axe tightly, while slightly huffed lowly

After a moment of regaining his stamina, he started to run again with Astrid running after him and attempting to run up ahead so she can cut off his escape

Hiccup kept his narrowed eyes as he raced to the village, only for Astrid to try to shoulder ram him off course as he diverted his path up leaping across more tree stumps to outrun her, until he reached the village

"You are so busted" Astrid muttered to Hiccup, acting as though she discovered what he was hiding from her and was ready to tattle on him

"Good luck proving that!" Hiccup spat back, calling her out on her accusations that she intended to get out of him

Right at the entry of the village, Astrid succeeded in elbowing Hiccup before she tackled him to the ground on his stomach as he put her axe's handle against his lower jawline

"Admit it, you're training with someone" She actually thought that by running, he was only confirming the truth he was keeping from her, she just might be one step closer

"The hell I am!" Hiccup snarled in refusal of her accusations, crawling himself on the ground but having his head reared back further and tighter by Astrid's axe handle

"If you don't start telling me the truth, about who you're training with everyday behind our back, right now; then I swear..." Astrid paused briefly, waiting to reveal her threat to Hiccup, until a voice called out

"Enough!" Gobber stormed into the sight. "What in Thor's name is going on here?!" He heard the sounds of the struggle, and rushed out as fast as he could to the scene, as Astrid released Hiccup while Gobber tended to him

"He's been training with someone after class every day, and I'm about to find out who it is; one way or another. I know he's out there somewhere in the forest, so I know I'm looking in the right direction" She accused him of cheating

"If Hiccup was training with someone, I'd be the first to know from him. And I don't know who it is, he's always keeping his own council these days. If you think he's cheating, then report it to the chief first" Gobber told her off

"This changes nothing, I know he always goes to the forest. You know he goes there too, and it looks like I'm one step closer to finding out why" Astrid reminded Gobber that he always knows where Hiccup goes in the forest, before leaving to prepare for her search

Hiccup knows she's gonna begin her search tomorrow night, right after he 'kills' Hookfang and her intent to learn where he disappears to is clear cut like a diamond. He started to trudge but was stopped by Gobber

"Don't, she's not worth it lad, you've got a big day ahead of you tomorrow. Come on, let's get back to the forge, alright?" Gobber reminded him of his big day tomorrow, where he gets to kill the Monstrous Nightmare in front of everyone

"It's not her accusations I'm afraid of Gobber" Hiccup huffed as he held his ribs, he thinks the armor might've broke with that impact

He knows what Astrid's going to do, he hated it. She was going to find Toothless tonight after the final exam. He took a deep breath, he decided that tomorrow, this will be his final day on Berk. He's ready to leave with him, ready to leave with Toothless, to combat the source of his hurt, his pain and the ghosts that were haunting him since the day he lost his mother

He needs to be cautious when returning, if he returned for whatever reason. What he's going to do now? He thought of maybe exploring Owl Gut Island's marketplace, and maybe gain the trust of Chief Gortarius the Farsighted's favor to become his first ally

His first choice was the Audibaurjek Tribe, but he's kind of squeamish, he needs more time to think on that decision

In order to shake off the fact that the Hairy Hooligans are going to track him down, he'll need to abandon his name completely, go under a new name for his new identity, a name that was clear cut about his profession. He dreamt of a red tailfin with an angry white horned skull that was being protected by the scales he used to make his gauntlets, along with his armor and his helmet as well

After a long pause, Hiccup replied to him by following up his statement. "It's what she'll do after I kill the Nightmare that I'm worried about"

With everything set and burned into his mind, he walked with Gobber back to the forge, and ready to hit the pillow one of a Viking's bed last time. Preparing himself for his final battle in the village, his final battle with the Monstrous Nightmare, Hookfang, and his plan to escape

He made a promise to Toothless that he wouldn't return to the cove in order to avoid being followed by a familiar, angry shadow called Astrid. That shieldmaiden needs to cool off, for godsakes, but then again, nothing is simple if Loki is preparing him to be ready for something bigger than what he can expect tomorrow

To Astrid, whenever she finds whatever made Hiccup so good, the chief will make sure to be told about it with the right amount of evidence and his son will be dealt with properly, 'cause at this point, he's got to be out of options, but full of pressure no doubt

She always ignored him and focused on her training to defending Berk, becoming one of the best recruits of the Berk Guard, she had her family's strategist mind on standby to help with coinciding in conjunction with the Haddocks' alliance building abilities. The Berk Guard, on the otherhand, is a militia to defend the island from enemy ships and are always willing to jump into the heat of battle, fearless like her family name is, the Berk Guard are on constant call like a volunteer of the fire brigade

Her mother said so that a shieldmaiden like herself would make a good captain of the Berk Guard

Now that she was in Dragon Training, her suspicions toward Hiccup were planted like seeds of the want for answers growing into the root of all deception. Her instincts believed Hiccup always went off to the forest to hide somewhere for the rest of the day, and wherever he is going to be, she will uncover the truth behind the curtains of lies woven by him to keep her out of the reach and beyond her understanding

That's exactly what Hiccup is ready to do, to arm himself with his best weapon and his best shield, the sun goes down and the stars come out to mark the beginning of night

One more day, that's all he needs, that's all Hiccup needs, and so does Toothless...

Long enough for you already? Didn't think so

There were a lot of stories that I used to help me write down a lot of the things that happened in this chapter

The first of these was "Hiccup the silent" by RobsingtonOK, the second was "The Boy Behind The Mask" by IAmTheBrovahkiin when it came to that whole confrontation with Astrid who threatened to expose Hiccup for being a trickster and liar as well as that whole idea with the glaive along with the talk with Astrid and her friends, and the third one for the mentioning of "Owl Gut Island" where the aptly named "Owl Gut Tribe" lives was from "The Dragon King" by Threni. Check out all three of those stories for yourself to see where I got the scenes from

The next chapter is going have a scene similar to the beginning of the story "Pride" by Edibna, which is about if Stoick followed Hiccup to the cove and discovered Toothless rather than Astrid

The name of the chapter had a double meaning for the fact it told of Gothi's betrayal of Hiccup, the last challenge of the competition in Dragon Training, Astrid's accusations, as well as Snotlout's challenge to Hiccup for the right to fight the Monstrous Nightmare in the Kill Ring and arguably his betrayal of Astrid's motives to him since he clearly told him whose side he was on in the matter, and Astrid's confrontation to get information out of him with only her suspicions to follow up on

Oh and the madman, as you can guess, whose mentioned near the end is Drago Bludvist but he's only mentioned and not actually seen

Astrid has not seen any of Hiccup's equipment in his office, she never goes inside due to whether or not she'll actually find anything, but she has set that office as another location to search if she doesn't find anything in the cove that she will inevitably find herself

Astrid's line "You are so busted" is a cut line that was heard in the trailer but not heard in the actual film

So even though Toothless is completely absent throughout this chapter, he's still mentioned a lot of times, and unfortunately, this is going to be the case for the next chapter where not only did Snotlout discover something that causes aggression in the dragons, but Hiccup also begins his final exam of 'killing' Hookfang

Yes, just a reminder, Hiccup is the one who named the dragons in the Kill Ring, the others just call him by their species (Deadly Nadder, Hideous Zippleback, Gronckle, what's not to list here?)

Whenever I say "be constructive", I mean "be constructive" with whatever criticisms you have to say here. This does not mean flame the chapter or give a troll review

Don't like it? Don't read it, but otherwise if you liked it, then feel free to review and until we meet again...

TheLegendaryBlackDragonKnight