Disclaimer: I do not own the "Dragons" franchise. It is the property of Dreamworks animation studios and Netflix. The only thing I own is the character that I created.
Author's Note: I got this idea a while back and figured it would make a great story. In this story, I'm going to introduce an original character of my own. Her name is Topaz Grimborn, the younger sister of Ryker and Viggo Grimborn. However, I think you'll find that she and her brothers are different in some areas. For instance, Topaz values human lives more than her brothers.
Also, parts of this story were part of a request from another author called the core of justice.
The Youngest Grimborn
On an island in the West, things seemed quite peaceful and quiet. Not a sound could be heard save for the birds and bugs. Unfortunately, the peace was interrupted by the sounds of roaring and yelling along with dragon fire. Several Dragon Hunters were surrounding an orange Typhoomerang in hopes capturing him. But this was not just any Typhoomerang, this was Hiccup's old friend Torch. Not wanting to be their prey, Torch swished his tail and breathed fire left and right. However, the hunters refused to give up.
"It's too strong!" a hunter shouted, "We can't get a hold of it!"
"I can handle it," a female voice declared, "Team Alpha, cover me! The rest of you get the wounded and retreat to the ship!"
Everyone looked and saw a girl approaching and carrying a long spear with a shiny tip on her back. She had brown hair that ended just past her shoulders held back by a leather band and green eyes. She was dressed in a short-sleeve brown tunic, shiny metal arm bands, shoulder pads, knee pads, and chest plate, black leggings, a dark-brown skirt, a black belt with the Dragon Hunters' crest buckle made from the same metal as her padding, and dark-brown boots.
"Topaz, no!" a hunter shouted, "It's too dangerous!"
"Forget that! If this isn't stopped, those men are gonna die!" said the girl, Topaz, "Now, do as I say and get the wounded!"
"Y-yes, miss," said the hunter, and then he turned to the rest and yelled, "You heard Topaz! Grab the wounded and get to the ship!"
The other hunters did as they were told and gathered up the wounded as quickly as they could. Topaz and her companions brandished their weapons and prepared for battle. Torch saw the three hunters coming at him and tried to breathe fire at them. Unfortunately, the hunters dodged the blow and several of the team managed to rope the dragon and attempted to hold him down. Torch prepared to fire again only, this time, Topaz saw what he was about to do.
"Not this time," she said, grabbing a bola.
Topaz threw the bola with all her might the ropes wrapped around Torch's mouth. He tried to open his mouth to fire, but his mouth was sealed up tight. Torch continued to struggle to get free and the hunters kept holding him down. It seemed like Torch was going to escape when a hunter managed to fire a dragon root arrow at his neck, weakening him.
Topaz smiled at the scene and turned to her men and said, "Great job, people. Now let's load this one up with the others we've already captured. And then we're heading to the coordinates that were given to the navigator."
"Yes, ma'am!" the hunters said, and then proceeded to do their assigned task.
"And make sure to get the wounded treated," Topaz added as she made her way to the dragon that her men were loading. She glared at Torch and said, "You caused a lot of injuries today. Let's hope we get enough for you at the auction so I can compensate their families."
Torch was then pulled aboard the ship and locked inside a cage. He looked around and, even in his disoriented state, Torch could make out several other caged dragons. He could see at least four Thunderdrums, a Scauldron, a pack of Speed Stingers, and others. He feared what these humans had in store for him and these other dragons and hoped that Hiccup could save them all.
Outside the prison hold, Topaz stopped by the infirmary and asked the doctor, "How are they?"
"They all have terrible burns. Some have fractures and others have nasty cuts," said the doctor. He signed and continued, "Most of them will be out of commission for a while."
"Will they recover?" Topaz asked in concern.
"With work, they should make a full recovery," said the doctor, "But, at this point, they're going to need lots of rest."
"I understand," said Topaz, "Please, take care of them; they're loyal to me and my family and several of them have families of their own."
"I'll do everything I can to help them," said the doctor.
"Thank you, doctor," said Topaz.
And with that, she made her way above deck to meet up with the rest of her crew. One of the hunters approached Topaz to speak to her.
"I heard that you stopped by the infirmary to check on the wounded," he said, "That was unexpected. It was kind of you, really, but unexpected."
"I felt it was my duty to make sure that the men make a full recovery," said Topaz, "They were put under my command, which makes them my responsibility."
"Even so," said the hunter, "I can't say I expected to be under the command of someone so compassionate. I've served your brothers and they were not so compassionate; excuse my boldness."
"It's alright," said Topaz, "I already know how my brothers can be when it comes to how they treat the hunters they command. That's where we differ in opinion."
"I can tell," said the hunter, "Your orders?"
"I've given the coordinates to the navigator," said Topaz, "I received them recently. We're heading to the island these coordinates take us to. And make sure to keep that Scauldron wet and hydrated enough to keep it alive."
"What's going on there?" the hunter asked.
"My brother, Viggo's, having an auction," said Topaz, "A dragon auction. And I think that Typhoomerang that we just captured might be the crown jewel."
After about two weeks of sailing, Topaz's ship finally made it to the secret island where the auction was to be held. Waiting for her at the dock were Viggo and Ryker, Topaz's older brothers. Once the ship docked, Topaz disembarked to allow her brothers to greet her.
"Topaz," said Viggo with a smile, "So good to see you, little sister."
"Hi, Viggo. Hi, Ryker," said Topaz, hugging her brothers, "How are you doing? Have those dragon riders you've been writing to me about been giving you any trouble?"
"Unfortunately, yes," said Ryker with disdain, "But, I doubt we'll be seeing them here."
"That's good to hear," said Topaz, "And here's my contribution to the auction."
Topaz snapped her fingers and her hunters started unloading the dragons she had captured. Viggo and Ryker were impressed by the number of them; different sizes too. She had the hunters stop when they brought Torch on the deck and led her brothers to his cage.
"Believe me, none of the dragons were all that easy to capture. But this one in particular gave me a heck of a lot of trouble," Topaz explained, "It nearly killed a bunch of my crew. I was thinking, given its' strength and power, it might be appropriate to start the bidding for this guy higher than most of the other dragons."
Viggo looked closely at Torch and seemed to be pondering his sisters' suggestion. While he could care less about her crew, he did admit that this dragon was a fine specimen; probably worth what his sister said.
"Sounds fair," said Viggo. He then looked at the hunter and said, "Put it with the other larger ones."
"A dragon like that should get us quite a bit of coin," said Ryker.
"I agree," said Topaz.
"Come, brother and sister," said Viggo, "We must make sure the preparations are coming along as planned."
The siblings then left the docks and walked through the grounds; Viggo was pleased to see that everything needed for the auction was nearly complete. As they walked through the grounds, Topaz caught a whiff of something that made her recoil in disgust.
"Uck! What is that?" she said, "It smells gross."
"Viggo says it's gold," said Ryker.
"Well, his gold smells like shit," said Topaz.
Viggo rolled his eyes and said, "The gold comes from selling the creatures that are creating the shit. You see, my dear sister, as I explained to Ryker, this auction will not only bring us wealth, but will cement my reputation as the most prolific dealer of dragons, both living and not."
"Oh, that makes sense," said Topaz, "But that smell is still gross."
Viggo cleared his throat and continued, "However, to really make this goal possible, everything must go off with perfection." he looked at Ryker and asked, "How is security coming along?"
"Catapults are doubled. Watchtowers are going up," said Ryker, "No riders'gonna spoil this auction."
In response, Viggo, much to Ryker's annoyance, patted Ryker on the head and said, "See what you can do when you put your mind to it, big brother?"
Ryker growled at Viggo while Topaz let out a disappointed sigh and said, "Kind of a shame, really. I was looking forward to meeting those guys. You know, give them a taste of all three Grimborn siblings."
"While I do sympathize, little sister, their appearance here could jeopardize our chances of success," said Viggo, "Ryker, any news on our special guest?"
"Are you sure he's coming?" Ryker asked skeptically.
"Positive," said Viggo.
Topaz groaned and said, "Please tell me you guess aren't talking about that Krogan guy."
"We most certainly are," said Viggo, smiling like everything was all well and good.
Topaz, on the other hand, frowned and said, "You've got to be kidding. Of all people, you guys are hoping for him?"
"He happens to be a very wealthy man," Viggo explained, "We would be fools to refuse him."
"Yeah, but he gives me the creeps," said Topaz.
Viggo ignored his sister and said to his brother, "Ryker, the second you have confirmation of his arrival..."
"I will let you know," said Ryker.
"Of course you will," said Viggo, and then walked away.
As he walked away, Viggo looked up at the sky as though he suspected that someone was watching him and his siblings. However, he ignored it because he was confident that even anyone was watching, they would not be able to do anything. Topaz got the same feeling, only she did not disregard it and made a mental note to set up some extra booby traps before the auction.
Off in the distance, Hiccup and Toothless were hiding behind the clouds spying on the auction through a spyglass.
"I see Terrible Terrors and a few crates of Fireworms," said Hiccup, looking around the auction, "But where are they hiding all the big dragons?"
After he finished his recon, Hiccup had Toothless turn around and fly back to Dragon's Edge, leaving the Dragon Hunters none the wiser.
Hiccup later returned to Dragon's Edge and gathered everyone together in the clubhouse. Hiccup unrolled a map of the auction island that Johann had stolen from two men at a tavern and explained what he found to the group.
"Extra ships on the perimeter. Guards everywhere. Catapults and watchtowers on the cliffs. Dragon Root arrows and launchers on every sea stack within a half mile," Hiccup explained, "There's no way in or out. Period."
"Hiccup, Hiccup, Hiccup, think positive," said Tuffnut.
"And how do you suggest I do that?" Hiccup asked.
"Rapid fire! Mug half empty or half full?" Tuffnut asked.
"Definitely empty," said Hiccup.
"Don't waste your time," said Ruffnut.
Hiccup went back to discussing the auction with the others and said, "It is, however, the perfect opportunity to put a dent in Viggo's dragon trade."
"But how?" Astrid asked.
"Astrid, I'm sure Hiccup has an idea," Fishlegs said with a laugh. He then turned his attention to the leader and asked, "You do have an idea, right?*
"Let me guess: cruise right into the place and announce ourselves, right?" Snotlout asked, laughing as he leaned against the wall.
"No," said Hiccup, "I think we need someone to get close to Viggo and keep him busy while we find the rest of those dragons. Now, it has to be someone Viggo wouldn't suspect, because he's never seen him up close."
Immediately, everyone looked over at Snotlout, who was picking his nose. The group recoiled in disgust as he removed his finger and had Hookfang lick it.
"You've got to be kidding me," said Astrid.
"No, he's the only one who was never captured by Viggo or Ryker," said Hiccup, "He's the only one they don't know."
"He's the only one who's clueless enough to actually pull it off," Fishlegs added.
Snotlout, unaware that his friends were talking about him, laughed a little and said to his dragon, "Sounds like a real winner, Hookfang. Right? I'd hate to be caught dead with that guy." Snotlout then realized who they meant and asked, "Wait, what?"
Johann walked over to Hiccup, a grim expression on his face, and told him, "I hate to be the bearer of most unfortunate news, Master Hiccup, but, unless you're hiding a pile of gold in the crevices of your tunic, you won't see the dragons, let alone bid on them."
Hiccup had to admit, Johann made a good point; the Grimborn's would only allow people who have gold on hand to enter their auction and Snotlout did not exactly fit they bill, even if they gave him a makeover. That was when Hiccup got an idea about where they could get the funds necessary to enter the auction.
Hiccup and the dragon riders made their way back to Berk and Hiccup went to his father, who was with Gobber, and told him that he had a plan to put a dent in Viggo's dragon trade, but he would need Berk's gold to do that. Stoick and Gobber laughed at him when he told them, and then got serious as they told him that what he was suggesting was seriously risky. Hiccup was able to convince his father to let him use the gold by telling him that Viggo is ruthless and the profits Viggo would gain from the auction would enable him to by the ships and fire power he would need to become unstoppable; no dragons would be safe, not even Berk's.
Hiccup then explained his entire plan to send in one of his team into the auction under a false identity and keep Viggo busy while everyone else freed the dragons. Upon seeing that Hiccup was planning on sending Snotlout in, Stoick was quick to tell Hiccup that his plan was not going to work. Hiccup insisted that it would work. Finally, Stoick agreed to go along with the plan, only under the condition that Gobber go in with Snotlout.
One hour later and everything was ready. The boat that Gobber and Snotlout were to use was loaded with the previsions that they would need for their trip and they changed the sail to a different one so as not to advertise where they were truly from. Gobber went to go get the gold that they needed, while Snotlout waited at the docks, in full costume, hair colored blonde in all, and sulked.
"I can't believe I have to do this with Gobber," said Snotlout, "It's like Stoick doesn't trust me."
"It's not like that," said Hiccup, "It's just that there's a lot riding on this and we're using Berk's gold to get in there. Plus, no offense, but you can sometimes get a little distracted."
"Whatever," said Snotlout.
"Oh, listen, that reminds me, there's something you need to know about and stay away from," said Hiccup, "While I was spying on the auction, I saw a girl there."
"A girl?" Snotlout asked, taking interest, "What's she look like? Is she hot? You think she's available? You think she'd like me?"
"Snotlout, focus!" Hiccup yelled, grabbing his cousins' shoulders and shaking him a little, "This girl is a dragon hunter. I'm telling you about her now because I don't want you to run into her and get distracted by how pretty she is and forget about the mission. You have to stay away from her as much as you can."
Snotlout removed Hiccup's hands and said, "Hiccup, relax, you have nothing to worry about. My focus will be on the mission."
"Do you promise?" Hiccup asked, slightly worried.
"Of course," said Snotlout, and then he made his voice sound posh and said, "Sir Ulgerthorpe always keeps his word."
"Sir Ulgerthorpe?" Hiccup asked.
"Yeah, it's my fake name," said Snotlout, in his normal voice, "Pretty cool, right?"
"Well, Viggo certainly won't know the difference," said Hiccup, and then muttered, "I hope."
Right on cue, Gobber arrived at the docks with a big chest of gold and said, "Alright, let's get this show on the road."
"Of course," said Snotlout, in the posh voice, "Let us be on our way."
And with that, Snotlout and Gobber boarded their board and set sail for the auction. Hiccup hoped that Snotlout really would keep his word and not flirt with that girl he saw.
Author's Note: That was chapter 1. What did you people think? Be honest now. I will go back and re-due it if necessary.
