Author's note: Hello. You may not know me, but I am The Devil and The Dragon, a new author towards FanFiction. I came up with this idea of this story after playing through The Wolf Among Us a second time. I figured: Dragons are considered fable material, so I thought, why not make a story tailored on the experience of a fantasy type world, with a modern twist.
This brings me to this story, Dragons Among Us. This will be divided into three parts, each of these being a separate story for another. We start off at Part One: How To Catch a Dragon. We introduce the main Fables that have taken residence in New York, and, we catch up with some old characters from Fables and The Wolf Among Us. Aside from all this, this story is not canon to the How To Train Your Dragon and The Wolf Among Us series.
To have a more thematic and impactful theme when reading, this story will offer a few choices that the protagonists can make. This is tailored to create a more insightful perspective on the character's thought patterns and actions. In the end, the choices you make here…
They will mean life or death for the residents in Fabletown.
So, sit back, and grab a bite to eat.
Welcome to New York…
"…And we are back with your top news roundup on KCBM, Lower Side Manhattan, in Wonderful New York City! I'm Steve Harper, with your local forecast, and joining with me today is our lovely, Miss Lori Thomas!"
"I am very excited to be joining this broadcast today, Steve! It's been a long week, and winter is slowly coming in! Temperatures are expected to reach 0°C, looking in for some snowfall this afternoon and heading on towards the evening. The cold front is coming sooner than we expected, and with Christmas approaching in December, people are sure to be in a frenzy to get all of those Christmas presents before the blizzard hits!"
"Indeed they will, Miss Thomas! And, now, we return to your regularly scheduled music program, featuring the new hit single by Alexander Rybat, "Into A Fantasy"! This is your local radio station, 95.3, KCBM!"
Stoick G. Haddock sighed as the music blared throughout the cramped mini-van that was slowly cruising its way towards the Woodland Luxury Apartments. Under the snowing sky, snowflakes plummeted down and onto passing cars above, who were busily traveling towards their destinations unknown. The lively streets of New York did not stop for anyone, as they continued on and on, filling the city with the short sirens of police cars and the incessant honking of taxi drivers.
New York City: The Big Apple, as it was referred to, was the home toward the mysterious Fables: ancient legends who have lived since the dawn of time back in the Homelands, a magical place that existed before the Exodus, which drove out the Fables into the real world. Now, the Fables are kept safe through a variety of enchantments; their main line of defense being Glamour, a special type of charm that turns non-human Fables into a cheap Human form, but only at a great cost. Now, the Fables live among the Humans, trying to survive in this harsh environment.
Several days after the Crooked Man Incident, more fables have been coming in from The Farm, a place for the non-Fables who cannot pass for a Human due to lack of funds for a Glamour. However, the Internet Revolution has taken place, as new memes and a zany variety of quixotic cosplays and ideas have warped the boundaries of imagination and reality. The real world, as it begins to shift, is merging with the Fable world, but as long as the Fables can keep their identity hidden, the two worlds can coexist in peace. Thus, due to this "Revolution", new fables are being created and merging with the real world, some Fables awakening from deep slumber or some simply created out of thin air. Either way, the flow of new immigrants into New York has increased, and there comes a time when so much that is given out slowly fades away…
In order to counter-react to this growing "Fable" population boom, several sites have been designated for temporary housing until the Fables can get proper residency. Upper Town New York can no longer support the growing population of Fables, and must be expanded towards other part of the city. However, with more territory to look after, the amount of effort and manpower must be increased in order to provide a low profile and security for the people of Fabletown.
The Bronx: lowlife scum and criminals long gone have taken up their holdings in such squalor. Rumor has it that legendary criminals, such as Jack the Ripper, Mr. Hyde, and Dave E. Jones, run the fable's most violent criminal organizations, renowned for quick "Happily Ever After's", or in Human terms, massacres of certain Fables.
Soho: a quiet little district where a fragile peace is kept by Bigby Wolf, the renowned Sheriff of Fabletown. He relocated out of the Woodlands, due to his promotion by Snow White, who is the new Deputy Mayor of Fabletown, with Ichabod Crane stepping up as the Mayor of Fabletown. Although he likes living the high life, he remembers what it had been like to live in squalor, and is constantly haunted by his past choices he made during the Crooked Man Incident. Soho is the only place where the Fables live constantly in peace, where everyone works together to survive. With each day they cooperate, Fabletown grows stronger.
Lastly, Wall Street: The higher-class Fables take this place, people such as Don Pedro of Messina, Robin of Locksley, and Maleficent, all of these Fables control the highest form of finances around Fabletown. However, gossip and rumors are sprouting like wildfire, and with it, comes a cascade of public slander and villainy. These Fables have mixed themselves in with the Mundies, or the real "Human" world, where they are publicly criticized for their mishaps and every scandal they are a part of. Even worse, the Fables of Wall Street have fallen under criminal threat from The Bronx, through blackmail and various kidnappings. Nevertheless, they are an essential part in Fabletown's success, yet they drive a fine line between the rich and the poor.
This is the story of the People of Berk. Legendary dragon riders back on their island called Berk back when the Old World was still intact, they were forced to evacuate toward the real world due to the Exodus. Now, some Berkians have successfully survived in New York, while others refused to move from The Farm, feeling that the real world was no place for a proud Viking race such as themselves. The Haddock Family, leader of the Berkian People, are the last of the chieftain families to live in New York, where the rest of them live struggling lives. Stoick the Vast, along with his small family, struggles to get his family's life back together again, so that, one day, Berk will be reunited, as a proud an honorable people.
This is their life. This is their story.
"Hiccup," Stoick groaned for the umpteenth time, as he stared at the side-view mirror, looking at his oldest son, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock The Third, playing that infernal video game contraption with the volume so high. "Can ya please not turn up the bloomin' noise too high? I'm tryin' to check the traffic on this…godsdammed machine…"
Hiccup heard his father's words loud and clear…But, his thoughts were lost in this awesome video game…Taking a moment to think it through, he responded…
A) This game is amazing!
B) Just turn up the volume!
C) I'll turn it down…
D) ...
Choosing Option A:
"Sorry, Dad!" Hiccup stuck his tongue out as he shifted his portable gaming system to the side, trying to get a better view of the screen. "I'm almost out of the Dragon's Nest; I just caught a Deadly Nadder using only a Terrible Terror! How awesome is that?"
As if his words did not amount to anything more. "Gods sake, Hiccup!" Stoick rolled his eyes as he tried to focus on the speeding cars ahead of him. "I knew buying ya that blasted piece o' junk is gonna rot your brains out! Look at it! Thing's already busted yer hearing as is!"
"Come on, Dad! It's Dragons Vs. Vikings 2: Dragon Wars! Everybody's playing it!"
"Just because everyone thinks it's a good thing to have the same stuff as everyone else, doesn't mean you have to follow their example, son. A true chief follows his own choices, and does what's best for his kingdom…"
"Yeah…" Hiccup thought sadly, as his father began to ramble on again, "Just like what you thought when moving into Soho was a good idea. We're going to get slaughtered, because we're right next door to those criminals from the Bronx!"
Choosing Option B:
"Come on, Dad," Hiccup groaned as he tried to ignore his father's incessant orders, "It won't hurt for you to just turn up the volume!"
"I've had enough bleedin' noise as it is in thi' o' this piece of shit junkpile them Mundies call a Car…" Stoick snarled, offended at his son's backlash. "It's just a game, Hiccup! At least you can do is turn down gods dammed volume so I can drive in peace!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever…" Hiccup angrily muttered under his breath, "As if there isn't enough noise in the family…"
"WHAT was that I HEARD?!"
"It's just the game, Dad! Calm down!"
Choosing Option C:
Sighing heavily, Hiccup complied with his boisterous father's request, turning the volume down towards a tolerable level. He knew he had made the right decision when his father sighed a breath of relief. Thank the Gods he was safe from his Father's Wrath…
"See, son?" Stoick calmly replied as he drove on, the silence slowly calming his nerves down as he traveled in peace. "No need for that blasted contraption to rot your brain with its…madness."
"It's a video game, Dad. Fables and Mundies play it all the time!"
"You think the world is full of games and fun? Son, the real world doesn't have time for such trivialities." Stoick chastised, still confused of his son's lack of proper organization of true duties. "And, when you become Chief, you won't have time to just sit there and rot your eyes out. A chief's duty is to his people, not to his own things."
"Yeah, you act as if I'm ready for the position…" Hiccup thought. "But, you know in reality…I'm not."
Choosing Option D:
As if he was blinded by pure entertainment, Stoick was annoyed at Hiccup's lack of a proper response towards his question. It was as if his eyes were permanently glued to the screen of that…worthless pile of rubble.
Stoick turned back to find a car suddenly stop in front of him. He pushed on the brakes hard, and he, along with Hiccup, lurched to the front of the seats, immediately jolting back after the car had stopped. "Bloody hell, the fuckin' mongrel wasn't barely even moving!", Stoick thought.
The older Viking slammed on the horn as loud as he could, jolting Hiccup out of his video game. "Dad!" Hiccup yelped in surprise, as he madly looked around, wondering what the problem was. "What's going on? Why are we stopping?"
"Maybe if you'd actually take five bloomin' seconds off of that infernal contraption, you'd actually pay attention to what's going on!" Stoick rumbled as he continued to honk the horn. When the car refused to move, the Viking pulled down his window, and bellowed at the driver in front of him, who was apparently, busily fixing her makeup. "Hey, Blondie!" Stoick bellowed at the pretentious bitch. "Quit making yerself like a whore and get off of the gods' dammed road!"
"Fuck you, you fat, drunk, son of a bitch! Go to hell, ya asshole!" With that, she blazed off, speeding over cars, earning her a few honks.
Stoick sighed as he continued to drive normally, under the snowy Manhattan sky. "Son, yer gotta be payin' attention to stuff like this. And, sometimes, yer gonna have to be makin' pretty hard choices in your life." He sighed, hopefully thinking his son was listening. "A chief's got to be the leader for his people, and he needs to set an example for the others…"
"I know, Dad…" Hiccup tried to think as his mind was already focused on his video game. "I'm trying my best, but, you're not helping…"
"Son," Stoick began, "I know you're upset that we had to leave the Homelands, especially Berk. I know how much the dragons meant to you, I do. But, here, we have a chance to rebuild! We can live a new life again, one that will be better than what happened in Berk! I promise, Hiccup, we'll get it together, and, it's going to be okay!"
"Then, tell me, Dad…" Hiccup put away his game, and focused his full attention on his father, "Why did we have to leave Mom and Tyr behind? Hmmm, why don't you tell me that, huh?!"
Stoick sighed as his son asked him the same question once again. "Because, son, The Farm can't take all of us to Fabletown in one trip. We…just don't have the money. Whatever treasure we had left form Berk…was taken. By Drogo."
Drogo B. Fist. In Berk, he was a ruthless dragon tamer, forcing even the most innocent of dragons under his control. Now, he controls all of the finances in The Farm, while working closely with powerful figures such as Bluebeard and Crane. Hiccup knew not to mess with Fist directly, or else suffer the wrath of his powerful alpha, which was now Glamoured into a private military force, named Alpha Squadron…
Hiccup knew Drogo was bad news, but that didn't keep the eldest Haddock from speaking…
Option A): "We shouldn't be afraid of him!"
Option B): "Why does he do it?"
Option C): "Fuck HIM."
Option D): "Get the authorities."
Choosing Option A:
"We shouldn't be afraid of him!" Hiccup yelled, obviously dissatisfied with his father's lack of action. "He's just one man!"
"One man, Hiccup, but he has a lot of power." Stoick replied grimly. "Believe me, I wish I'd tear off that dragon shit-pile of a head he has. But, in the end, he's an asset to some, and I'd have my head cut off for getting in his way…"
"We're Fables, Dad. It's gonna take more than a beheading to take us down."
"Aye, that be true, son. But, all of the Highlander blood has been spent, and nowadays, it's very hard for Vikings to live on their own, surrounded by enemies. We may be fables, Hiccup, but in the end, we're mortal. Just like the Mundies."
"Yep, no different than the rest of them…" Hiccup thought as he stared out of the window, watching the snow falling down from above…
Choosing Option B:
"There must be some way he's acting like this." Hiccup pondered, putting a hand on his chin. "Wonder what we did to piss him off?"
"His hatred for us extends towards the creation of the Homelands." Stoick began, recalling that tragic day, "When I took my position as Chieftain of Berk, I made it a vow to protect our city from any threat, no matter how large or how evil it may be. When Drago came, he offered us a choice: Submit, and be protected, or die, and be burned alive in dragon fire. I couldn't accept his ways, and there would be no way in Hel that I would secede to his dastardly plans. After that…it all went downhill. Chieftains gone missing, livestock slaughtered, and our houses burned."
"All because you refused to listen to him?"
"Hiccup, there is no reason to be found in a madman such as Drago. People who kill with no reason cannot be reasoned with."
Choosing Option C:
"Well," Hiccup crossed his arms, not impressed with Drogo's threatening stature, "I've got two words for this Drogo fellow. FUCK HIM."
The car screeched to a halt when it hit a red light. But, Stoick wasn't paying attention to the lights; only his son's disrespectful comment.
"Mind yer manners, Son!" Stoick bellowed, causing Hiccup to cringe in fear. "Words like those are gonna get ye killed? Are you tryin' to piss him off? Are ya?"
"Well, if he's pissed off, he can come up to my face and say it."
Just as stubborn as his mother, Stoick thought. "Just…" Stoick muttered, convinced he couldn't control his son's behavior, "Mind the language, will ye?"
Choosing Option D:
"Why don't we just get the police?" Hiccup retorted, thinking the law was on his side. "They can arrest Drogo and the others."
"Son," Stoick replied, in a sad voice, "Even the police are even corrupted by Drago and the others. Money is a powerful tool that can sway the favor of anyone, given enough. It's a cruel reality, the Mundie World. That's why yer gotta be smart in places like these."
"I'd rather prefer things on Berk…" Hiccup groaned as he slumped back in his chair.
Suddenly, Hiccup felt the vibration of his cellphone. Who could be calling at such a time?
He pulled out his phone, checking the caller. It was his brother, Tyr.
Tyr, short for Tyrion, or as Hiccup nicknamed "Tyggr", was Hiccup's youngest brother. Tyr was a wrecking ball of pure emotion, not holding back his opinion when something drastic happens. Even so, Tyr loves his older brother, and the two share a special bond together, swearing to keep each other safe. However, Tyr loves to live on the dangerous side, and has been the victim of many fatal accidents. If he wasn't a Fable, he'd be dead by now. Hiccup is generally concerned for Tyr's health, due to an aging lung cancer that hinders Tyr's actions, causing the young brother to smoke medicinal cigarettes filled with marijuana to counteract the cancer's side effects. Fortunately, the cancer seems to be disappearing, but the Fable Doctors determine that it will stay with Tyr until the time of his death.
Hiccup brushes away a tear as he notices the contact number. His brother is surely generous to check up on him to see how he's doing in the Big Apple. Looking at the phone, Hiccup plans to…
A) Leave the phone.
B) Send a text.
Choosing Option A:
Hiccup sighed as he let the phone ring before going to voicemail. "Hey, you've reached Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. I'm away at the moment, so, leave a message!"
"Hey, Hic. Still with that dorky voicemail, I see. It's Tyr, your brother. Well, your only brother to say at the least. I'm just checking up on how you're doing in the Big Apple. I hear it's a big place, and it's easy to get lost. Make sure you keep to the safe side, and, stay alert. You don't know who you'll find in the slums below.
The doctors called in. They had to do a checkup on me. My…condition seems to be getting better; since I won't have to be smoking a lot of those gods' damned things. To Hel with it; seems I'm stuck with this fuckin' disease for all of eternity. You know what my favorite doctor gave me as a diagnosis? Twelve years. Fuckin' hell, might as well find me a wife to open my ketchup bottles for the rest of my days…
Speaking of which, how's Astrid doing? I heard she's doing a show on Broadway called "Kong: The Eighth Wonder of The World". If you like plays and that sort of things, you should probably pay a visit! I mean, you two were close, right? It be a shame to call it quits now; besides, she called me a few nights ago, sayin' she can't wait for you to come! I'd take her on that offer, Hic. She's a keeper, I'll tell you that.
Er…Listen, Hic. I've dragged this on for a while, so, I should go. Before I go…I need to tell you one thing.
Don't…don't do that…"thing" you do again. I mean…Fuck, I'm starting to crack up a little, y'know. I-I just…Gods, man. It was pure shit for me, what you did. You…didn't need to do it. Really.
B-Be….s-safe, okay? I love ya, H-Hic. Don't f-forget it."
Hiccup sniffled as he brushed away a few tears. It seems that some scars were just too deep to heal…
"Hmm, Hiccup?" Stoick gently asked. "You okay? Who was that on the phone?"
"Tyr…"
"Aye…Ya miss him, don't ye?"
"Y-Yeah…"
"Don't worry about it. It'll be quite alright soon…"
Choosing Option B:
Hiccup: Hey lol im on the road now
Tyr: Hiccup! I thought you're used to proper text format on phones?
Hiccup: Lmao cant believe you actually think that. Wassup?
Tyr: Urgh, survived another trip from the Doc. . Gave me twelve years until this fuckin' disease is cured.
Hiccup: 12 years?! That's awesome
Tyr: You know he's lying. :/
Hiccup: oh….
Tyr: Don't worry about it. I'll be fine. Besides, we're Fables.
Hiccup smiled through his tears at Tyr's optimistic attitude. Always try to see the good in people, Tyr would always say. And, if there wasn't any shred: beat their fuckin' heads in.
Hiccup: u and mom doing ok?
Tyr: Mom's busy checking the mansions. We found a bunch of stuff in the cellar. Maybe we can pawn it for cash. One or two gold bars…But, it's barely enough.
Hiccup: Lol, we're rich as it is
Tyrion: Used to be, Hic. Used to be.
Hiccup: when are u guys comin?
Tyr: As soon as we finish up here, we'll be good to go. Hey, you find any friends at NY?
Hiccup: lol we haven't even moved in!
Tyr: Well, make sure to check up on Astrid when you have the chance, okay? She misses you.
Hiccup: :D OMG I HAVE TOO
Tyr: Woah, calm down, big boi…
Hiccup: wat? u jealous that I have a girlfriend and u don't?
Tyr: I'm appalled how you managed to woo Astrid with texting skills like those.
Hiccup: least I got sum
Tyr: Hehe, don't let Astrid be browsing your phone of all those nekkid pictures of her you make, then fap to.
Hiccup: fuck u
Tyr. Love ya too, brother. ;)
Hiccup: haha love u too
Tyr: Hic…don't do what you did last time okay?
Hiccup stopped for a moment. Oh. Right. That time.
Tyr: Hic, you there?
The dull blade..
Tyr: Hic, ANSWER ME.
Slicing along cold, pallid flesh…
Incoming Call: Tyr Haddock
Shit!
Hiccup: omg sorry. took a trip down memory lane…
Tyr: Hic. You didn't have to do that. Seriously.
Hiccup: i dunno k? :/ just drop it, it's noting.
Tyr: Jeez, man. I care about you. Don't shut me out.
Hiccup: I know…Just, leave it.
Tyr: Hey. I gotta go. Text you later?
Hiccup: Yeah. K. I'll be fine.
Tyr: You better be. See ya later! :D
Hiccup: Later!
Fabletown: An enchanted mystery filled with tricks and mirrors around every corner. The world where imagination becomes reality. Now, after a few long years, the strength and will of every Fable will be tested. Lives will be lost; friendships shattered; rivalries rekindled; beliefs questioned. Underneath this tapestry of deception, lies a woven web of relationships that connect each Fable together. And, one by one…
The threads will unravel, and Fable will become Reality.
A new chapter unfolds.
And, it all begins with "Once Upon A Time…"
Author's Note: I'm so excited to begin this story! It's tells the fictional story of The How To Train Your Dragon Cast, as they try to survive in a world filled with Fables and Mundies. Most of the inspiration for this story came from my favorite game, The Wolf Among Us, while carefully combining the stories from other childhood fairy tales!
One of the reasons why Fables is a perfect plot setting for the How To Train Your Dragon Universe is because that the fictional modern twists of fairy tale characters can be incorporated into Hiccup, Stoick, Astrid, and the others. However, since the Fable universe contains immense amounts of profanity, violence, and gore, some of the How To Train Your Dragon characters will act out a little OOC for some moments. For example, Hiccup's shyness will be further increased in this story, and we'll see him in some emotional moments in the story.
Please review, favorite, and follow this story! This is my first main project for this site, and I want to hear your feedback! Your opinion can help make this story grow! Thank you so much for reading! I promise more chapters in the coming days! Once again, thanks for tuning in to Dragons Among Us: Episode 1: How To Catch A Dragon!
-xXTheDevilAndTheDragonXx