A/N: Hello all lovers of How to Train Your Dragon. I know everyone does this and they all have roughly the same content but I was willing to try and write something different while I the time. I hope everyone likes this because writing one of this types of stories is harder than I thought but it'll be rewarding if this story does well. SO without further ado... the story.
DISCLAIMER: HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON Written by Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders Final Draft February 13, 2010. I don't own any of the characters EXCEPT me and my dragon.
Hiccup watches Astrid run out of the cove. He blinks but when he opens his eyes he doesn't recognize where he is but he notices everyone he knows is there with him.
"Hello," I said.
Everyone jumps at my voice that seemingly came from nowhere when it really came from the front of the vast room. It was lined with hundreds of chairs with a huge space with giant stone slabs.
"My name is Emilyroseclaire but you can just call me Claire. I have brought you here today to watch events that have happened and are to come."
"What witchcraft have you inflicted upon my village? Return us at once!" Stoick yelled
"No," I replied calmly, "I have depleted too much of my magic to return you all now. You must stay and watch what I am about to show you. There is one rule: no fighting with the other guests I have brought here with you." As she said this everyone noticed the dragons that were on the side of the room with stone slabs and immediately backed away grabbing for their weapons but they turn up empty handed. "As I said no fighting. They will not attack you if you do not attack them."
Hiccup wondered who this girl was she didn't seem much older than he was but she gave off a feeling that she was much more mature than anyone in the room. "What do you want us to watch?" he asked afraid of the answer.
She turned to him and looked into his eyes and read the unasked question he did not know he was asking. "The title will be revealed at the end until then just relax nothing will happen to any one. Now if you don't mind please sit and we can begin."
After exchanging a look, Hiccup and Astrid hung around the until most of the Vikings had sat down. Then they both sat down towards the back of the room near the side the dragons were. Noticing this I called my midnight blue Night Fury, Serena, and told her to find a certain obsidian colored dragon.
"Now that you all are seated I will play the movie. Which is a series of moving pictures with sounds. It may sound impossible but from were I am from it is completely possible. Now if there are no further questions I will start."
FADE IN:
EXT. NORTH SEA/VILLAGE - NIGHT
We skim above a dark, wild ocean. The camera turns toward a
lone island, Berk. It is a gigantic shard of rock jutting
straight out of the water.
HICCUP (V.O.)
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.
The Vikings wonder if that is a true description of their home. Sure it had some pretty tough weather but that just made them tougher.
The camera drifts over rolling hills to reveal a small
village nestled on an outcropping of sea mounts.
HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)
My village. In a word, sturdy.
And it's been here for seven
generations, but every single
building is new.
"Really? I wonder why?," Tuffnut asked seriously.
Hiccup facepalms at the statement.
The camera drifts closer, circling.
HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)
We have fishing, hunting, and a
charming view of the sunsets. The
only problems are the pests. You
see, most places have mice or
mosquitos. We have...
"What do we have again?" Ruff asked
"Oh for the love of Thor will you please shut up?" Snoutlout shouted
Sheep graze peacefully on a hillside. Suddenly one is
snatched.
CUT TO:
INT. STOICK'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS
A door is pulled open... as a DRAGON swoops directly toward
it, BLASTING FIRE. The door is SLAMMED. The fire shoots
through the slats of wood, illuminating HICCUP, a gangly
teenage Viking.
HICCUP
...dragons.
"Oh! Right."
EXT. STOICK'S HOUSE
He reopens the sizzling door, as leaps off of the front
porch. He weaves through the erupting mayhem as Vikings pour
out of the buildings, ready for a fight
More dragons swarm in, setting rooftops alight and hauling
off sheep.
HICCUP (V.O.)
Most people would leave. Not us.
We're Vikings. We have stubbornness
issues.
Some of the vikings looked miffed at this statement.
Vikings sound the alarm. Viking men and women pour out into
the streets, axes in hand.
ON HICCUP darting through alleys, staying under eaves, making
his way through the battle.
HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)
My name's Hiccup. Great name, I
know. But it's not the worst.
Parents believe a hideous name will
frighten off gnomes and trolls.
Like our charming Viking demeanor
wouldn't do that.
"What's that supposed to mean?" a Viking asked
Dragons sweep back and forth, dodging axes and blasting the
Vikings who throw them. A burly warrior gets tossed in an
explosion, knocking Hiccup to the ground.
VIKING
(FIERCE)
Arggghhhhh!
(cheery, insane)
Mornin'!
Everyone laughed at this and said viking sheepishly rubbed his neck.
Hiccup gets to his feet and continues to rush past gigantic
men and women.
HICCUP (V.O.)
Meet the neighbors. Hoark the
Haggard...
HOARK
What are you doing out!?
HICCUP
... Burnthair the Broad...
BURNTHAIR
Get inside!
HICCUP
... Phlegma the Fierce...
PHLEGMA THE FIERCE
Get back inside!
HICCUP
. Ack.
He passes a silent ox of a viking, picking his ear.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
Yep, just Ack.
Enter STOICK, the biggest Viking of all. He yanks Hiccup from
the path of a strafing dragon and holds aloft to the crowd.
"Oh, here it comes," Hiccup muttered to no one in particular.
STOICK
Hiccup!?
(accusingly; to the crowd)
What is he doing out again?!
(TO HICCUP)
What are you doing out?! Get
inside!
The flames light up his scowling face and matted red beard.
He sets Hiccup down and turns to the sky, searching.
HICCUP (V.O.)
(IN AWE)
That's Stoick the Vast. Chief of
the tribe. They say that when he
was a baby he popped a dragon's
head clean off of its shoulders.
Do I believe it?
"People are still telling that story?" Stoick thought while smiling.
Stoick grabs a wooden cart and hurls it, knocking the
strafing dragon out of the sky.
HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)
Yes I do.
An EXPLOSION forces Vikings to DUCK. Stoick stands firm,
brushing flaming debris off of his shoulder.
STOICK
(barking; to his men)
What have we got?
VIKING #1
Gronkles. Nadders. Zipplebacks. Oh,
and Hoark saw a Monstrous
Nightmare.
At the mention of their names the dragons perk up and preen themselves.
STOICK
Any Night Furies?
"Wait were is Toothless?" Hiccup asked
"He's coming. Serena went to get him," I said.
"Who's Serena?" Astrid asked
"My dragon."
They both were amazed that I had a dragon too but didn't question any further.
VIKING #1
None so far.
STOICK
(RELIEVED)
Good.
VIKING
Hoist the torches!
Massive flaming braziers are raised on poles, lighting up the
night sky... and revealing swirling dragons of all types.
Below, Hiccup crosses an open plaza and ducks into an open
building with a tall chimney.
INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - CONTINUOUS
He crosses behind a counter, where a peg-legged, one-armed
hulk of a Blacksmith reshapes blades with a hammer and tongs
appendage.
GOBBER
Ah! Nice of you to join the party.
I thought you'd been carried off.
Hiccup dons a leather apron and starts to put away Gobber's
scattered appendages.
HICCUP
Who me? Nah, come on! I'm way too
muscular for their taste. They
wouldn't know what to do with all
this.
Hiccup strikes a bodybuilder pose.
At this Hiccup is embarrassed while Snoutlout laughs and says, "Keep dreaming Useless."
Astrid clenches her fist about to say something but Hiccup motions for her not to, "Let him be," he said.
GOBBER
They need toothpicks, don't they?
Hiccup gets to work, transferring bent and chipped weapons to
the forge as Vikings crowd the counter for replacements.
HICCUP (V.O.)
The meathead with attitude and
interchangeable hands is Gobber.
"Meathead?!" Gobber yells
"Yep meathead." Hiccup replied
I've been his apprentice ever since
I was little. Well...littler.
EXT. VILLAGE - CONTINUOUS
ON STOICK
STOICK
We move to the lower defenses.
We'll counter-attack with the
catapults.
Armed men rush past, flanking others who carry sheep to
safety. Stoick follows up the rear as, overhead, a dragon
strafes the rooftops with Napalm-like fire.
HICCUP (V.O.)
See? Old village. Lots and lots
of new houses.
VIKING
FIRE!
In response, the fire brigade charges through the plaza -
four TEENS, tugging a large wooden cask on wheels. From it,
they fill buckets of water to douse the flames. One among
them is a cute, energetic Viking girl.
Hiccup leans out of the stall to watch her.
HICCUP (V.O.)
Oh and that's Fishlegs, Snotlout.
The twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut.
And...
(DREAMY)
Astrid.
A SLOW-MOTION explosion erupts behind her, framing her in a
sexy ball of fire. The others join her, looking awesome and
heroic.
The twins, Fishlegs, and Snoutlout exclaim at how cool they look. Hiccup blushes at this and hides his face from Astrid while she sneaks a glance at him and smiles.
HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)
Their job is so much cooler.
Hiccup tries to join them as they pass, but he's hooked by
Gobber and hoisted back inside.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
(PLEADING)
Ah, come on. Let me out, please. I
need to make my mark.
GOBBER
Oh, you've made plenty of marks.
All in the wrong places.
"It's not like I meant to." Hiccup said to defend himself while Astrid chuckled causing Hiccup to give her a friendly glare.
HICCUP
Please, two minutes. I'll kill a
dragon. My life will get infinitely
better. I might even get a date.
"Yeah right!" Snoutlout said, "When vikings fly maybe. HAHAHAHAHA!"
I laugh at this know all too well what is going to happen.
GOBBER
You can't lift a hammer. You can't
swing an axe...
Gobber grabs a bola (iron balls connected by rope).
GOBBER (CONT'D)
... you can't even throw one of
these.
"Actually I can lift a hammer and can somewhat swing an axe I don't have the best aim when I do though and you're right I can not throw a bola for the life of me," Hiccup stated.
Astrid stares at him.
"What? I would not be a very good blacksmith if I couldn't do any of that."
Everyone is shocked that Hiccup could do anything that involved having strength at all.
A Viking runs by and nabs it out of Gobber's hand, hurling it
at a dive-bombing Gronkle. The bola binds its legs, sending
it into a heavy crash.
HICCUP
(ready with the answer)
Okay fine, but...
He rushes to the back corner of the stall and presents a
bizarre, wheel barrow-like contraption.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
... this will throw it for me.
Hiccup OPENS the hinged lid of the device. An arm springs up,
equipped with twin bows. They prematurely launch a bola,
narrowly missing Gobber... and taking out a Viking at the
counter.
VIKING
Arggh!
"That really hurt," said the Viking
Hiccup offered a sheepish smile in return.
All the while the twins make a plan to steal the contraption when they return to Berk.
GOBBER
See, now this right here is what
I'm talking about.
HICCUP
Mild calibration issue.
GOBBER
Hiccup. If you ever want to get out
there to fight dragons, you need
to stop all...
Gobber gestures in Hiccup's general direction.
GOBBER (CONT'D)
... this.
HICCUP
(ASTONISHED)
But... you just pointed to all of
me.
GOBBER
Yes! That's it! Stop being all of
you.
"And the winner for the person with the best pep talks is Gobber!" I shout sarcastically.
"That didn't come across the way I meant for it to," Gobber explained sheepishly.
"I know it," Hiccup replied.
HICCUP
(THREATENING)
Ohhhh...
GOBBER
(MIMICKING)
Ohhhhh, yes.
HICCUP
You, sir, are playing a dangerous
game. Keeping this much,
raw...Vikingness contained.
(BEAT)
There will be consequences!
"And boy were there," I said
Everyone looked at me like I was insane.
Stoick was thinking about the kind of relationship Gobber and Hiccup had and was jealous of how easily they spoke to one another.
Gobber tosses him a sword.
GOBBER
I'll take my chances. Sword.
Sharpen. Now.
Hiccup takes it begrudgingly and lobs it onto the grinding
wheel. He stews... fantasizing...
HICCUP (V.O.)
One day I'll get out there. Because
killing a dragon is everything
around here.
At this the dragons perk up and listen with fascination. Maybe now we can know why they kill yes and not help us feed the queen. Most dragons thought.
EXT. VILLAGE - LOWER PLAINS - CONTINUOUS
Nadders land, gathering like seagulls around a seemingly
vacant house.
HICCUP (V.O.)
A Nadder head is sure to get me at
least noticed.
The Nadders scoff, "Only noticed?! We are worth much more than that."
The Nadders clamber onto the building, tearing the roof and
walls apart. Sheep pour out and SCATTER.
Elsewhere, hippo-like Gronckles pick drying racks clean of
fish and fly off like loaded pelicans.
HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)
Gronckles are tough. Taking down
one of those would definitely get
me a girlfriend.
The Gronckles straiten up feeling very important for out doing the Nadders.
A stealthy, snake-like dragon head peeks over a rooftop,
breathing gas into a chimney.
HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)
A Zippelback? Exotic, exciting. Two
heads, twice the status.
"Exotic? YES!" Some Zipplebacks thought.
A second head pokes through the door and lights it. KABLAM!
The two heads fly through the explosion, their necks zipping
together to reveal a single body.
It flies past Stoick as he climbs to the top of a CATAPULT
TOWER.
CATAPULT OPERATOR
They found the sheep!
STOICK
(FRUSTRATED)
Concentrate fire over the lower
bank!
CATAPULT OPERATOR
Fire!
Boulders are catapulted at the corralling Nadders...
Just as a huge red dragon whips past, spraying the base of
the catapult with sticky fire.
HICCUP (V.O.)
And then there's the Monstrous
Nightmare. Only the best Vikings go
after those. They have this nasty
habit of setting themselves on
fire.
It emerges from the flames, climbing the catapult with a
leering, toothy grin.
"Of course only the best go after us, we are the best! Nothing can stop us!" The Nightmares thought
STOICK
Reload! I'll take care of this.
Stoick takes on the Nightmare, face to hammer.
Suddenly, a LOUD BALLISTIC MOANING streaks overhead. The
catapult crew ducks.
Hiccup perks up at this and looks around for Toothless who is just now emerging for all the other dragons with Serena. "Another Night Fury!?" Hiccup whisper yelled
"This is Serena my dragon," I said with a smile on my face. Hiccup's reaction was too priceless not to smile.
"Are there more out there?" Astrid asked
"Not yet," was my reply.
Both looked confused at my reply but returned to the movie.
INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - CONTINUOUS
ON HICCUP, looking up from his work, reacting to the same
sound.
HICCUP (V.O.)
But the ultimate prize is the
dragon no one has ever seen. We
call it the-
VIKING
Night Fury! Get down!
Vikings everywhere take shelter. The moaning sound BUILDS.
EXT. VILLAGE - CATAPULT - CONTINUOUS
The Monstrous Nightmare suddenly stops fighting and takes
flight. Stoick looks skyward.
STOICK
JUMP!
KABOOM! The Catapult EXPLODES as though hit by an artillery
shell... sending Stoick and the crew leaping for their lives.
HICCUP (V.O.)
This thing never steals food, never
shows itself, and...
The sound recedes, leaving the crippled catapult in flames.
HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)
...never misses.
(BEAT)
No one has ever killed a Night
Fury. That's why I'm going to be
the first.
"HAHAHAHA! Yeah right Hiccup I'm going to be the first to kill one," Snoutlout mocked.
"No one will kill that Night Fury!" I yelled.
IN THE STALL
Gobber trades his hammer for an axe.
GOBBER
Man the fort, Hiccup, they need me
out there!
Gobber pauses. Turns with a threatening glare.
GOBBER (CONT'D)
Stay. Put. There. You know what I
mean.
"Did you really think that would work?" Stoick asked Gobber.
"Eh. I thought that it might work this time," Gobber shrugged.
Gobber charges into the fray, HOLLERING.
ON HICCUP, a smirk crosses his face.
EXT. VILLAGE - MOMENTS LATER
WHAM! Hiccup pushes his wheeled contraption through a wall of
clustered Vikings. He weaves through the ongoing mayhem, as
fast as his legs can carry him.
VIKING #6 (O.S.)
Hiccup, where are you going!
VIKING #7
Come back here!
HICCUP
I know. Be right back!
"You're going to do something crazy aren't you?" Astrid asked Hiccup. The latter shrugged while sheepishly rubbing his neck.
ON THE PLAIN BELOW
The Nadders have cornered the house-full of sheep. They close
in, ready to spring upon them.
Stoick suddenly appears, HURLING FISHING NETS over them. The
surprised Nadders are caught. Stoick and his men rush in.
A Nadder blasts a hole through its net. Stoick leaps onto it,
clamping his thick arms around its head, forcing its jaws
shut.
STOICK
Mind yourselves! The devils still
have some juice in them.
"They are not devils," Hiccup said. The Vikings closest to him heard him and were shocked at the statement .
ON THE PLAIN ABOVE
Hiccup reaches a cliff overlooking the smoking CATAPULT and
drops the handles to the ground. He cranks several levers,
unfolding and then cocking the bowed arms of his contraption.
He drops a bola onto a chamber and then pivots the weapon on
a gimbal head toward the dark sky.
He listens, with his eye pressed to the scope, hand poised on
the trigger. He hears the NIGHT FURY approaching... and turns
his aim to the defense tower. It closes in for the final
strike, completely camouflaged in the night.
HICCUP
(TO HIMSELF)
Come on. Give me something to shoot
at, give me something to shoot at.
KABLAM! The tower topples. The blast of fire illuminates the
dragon for a split second. Hiccup pulls the trigger.
KERTHUNK! The flexed arms SNAP forward, springing the weapon
off the ground. The bola disappears into the sky, followed by
a WHACK and a SCREECH.
There was complete silence followed by thunderous applause and cheering that would have made Valhalla proud. "HICCUP YOU"VE DONE IT!" was the cheer that was heard the loudest.
For Hiccup this was reliving his worst nightmare causing Toothless to whack him on the head with his tail.
"HEY! What was that for?" Hiccup said accusingly
Toothless gave him a look that said, "You know exactly what that was for. Stop blaming yourself for giving me the best friend in the world."
"Thanks bud," Hiccup said giving Toothless a hug.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
(surprised, then elated)
Oh I hit it! Yes, I hit it! Did
anybody see that?
Hiccup's victory is short-lived. A Monstrous Nightmare
appears, slithering up over the lip of the cliff.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
Except for you.
Everyone laughed at Hiccup's misfortune.
ON STOICK, holding down the netted Nadders. He hears a
familiar HOLLER and looks up to see...
HICCUP running through the PLAZA, SCREAMING, with the
NIGHTMARE fast on his heels.
"You even scream like a girl," Snoutlout said.
Alarmed, Stoick abandons the Nadders and runs off.
STOICK
(to his men, re: the
NADDERS)
DO NOT let them escape!
IN THE PLAZA
Vikings scatter as Hiccup dodges a near fatal blast. The
Nightmare's sticky, Napalm-like fire splashes up onto
buildings, setting them alight.
Hiccup ducks behind the last standing brazier - the only
shelter available. The Nightmare blasts it, spraying fire all
around him. Hiccup peers around the smoldering post. No sign
of the Nightmare.
He turns back to find it leering at him, blocking his escape.
It takes a deep breath. Hiccup is finished.
Suddenly, Stoick LEAPS between them, tackling the Nightmare
to the ground. They tumble and wrestle, resuming their
earlier fight. The Nightmare tries to toast him, but only
coughs up smoke.
STOICK (CONT'D)
You're all out.
He smashes the Nightmare repeatedly in the face, driving it
away. It takes to the air and disappears. Winded, Stoick
turns to Hiccup.
HICCUP (V.O.)
Oh, and there's one more thing you
need to know...
"What do we need to know?" Tuffnut asked
"If you shut up you'd know," His sister responded.
As usual they started fighting causing their parents to roll their eyes at the twins antics.
The burnt brazier pole collapses, sending the massive iron
basket crashing. It bounces down the hill, destroying as it
goes and scattering the Vikings who were holding down the
netted Nadders. The freed dragons escape... with several
sheep in tow.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
Sorry, dad.
EXT. VILLAGE - UPPER PLAZA - CONTINUOUS
The escaped Nadders fly past with sheep in their clutches.
The raid is over. The dragons have clearly won.
The murmuring crowd eyes Stoick, awaiting his response.
HICCUP
(SHEEPISH)
Okay, but I hit a Night Fury.
Stoick grabs Hiccup by the back scruff of his collar and
hauls him away, fuming with embarrassment.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
It's not like the last few times,
Dad. I mean I really actually hit
it. You guys were busy and I had a
very clear shot. It went down, just
off Raven Point. Let's get a search
party out there, before it-
"Sorry I didn't believe you son. When we get back we'll go get it."
"No need," Hiccup muttered.
STOICK
-STOP! Just...stop.
He releases Hiccup. Everyone goes silent, staring
expectantly.
STOICK (CONT'D)
Every time you step outside,
disaster follows. Can you not see
that I have bigger problems?
Winter's almost here and I have an
entire village to feed!
Hiccup looks around. All eyes are upon him.
HICCUP
Between you and me, the village
could do with a little less
feeding, don't ya think?
A few rotund Vikings stir self-consciously.
STOICK
This isn't a joke, Hiccup!
(EXASPERATED)
Why can't you follow the simplest
orders?
HICCUP
I can't stop myself. I see a dragon
and I have to just... kill it, you
know? It's who I am, Dad.
"Nope," Hiccup said.
STOICK
You are many things, Hiccup. But a
dragon killer is not one of them.
Sting. Hiccup looks around to see many nods of agreement.
STOICK (CONT'D)
Get back to the house.
(TO GOBBER)
Make sure he gets there. I have his
mess to clean up.
Stoick lumbers off in the opposite direction.
Gobber leads Hiccup through the walk of shame. They pass the
teen fire brigade as they snicker.
TUFFNUT
Quite the performance.
SNOTLOUT
I've never seen anyone mess up that
badly. That helped!
HICCUP
Thank you, thank you. I was
trying, so...
Hiccup avoids Astrid's glare and heads up toward a large
house, standing prominently on the hill above the others.
"Sorry," Astrid told Hiccup
"It's fine," he replied.
"But-"
"No, don't do it."
She sighs in frustration at his kindness, "Why did we all push him away? He doesn't deserve this."
HICCUP (CONT'D)
I really did hit one.
GOBBER
Sure, Hiccup.
HICCUP
He never listens.
GOBBER
Well, it runs in the family.
"What's that suppose to mean?" Hiccup questioned.
"I do recall telling you to stay put and you didn't."
HICCUP
And when he does, it's always with
this... disappointed scowl. Like
someone skimped on the meat in his
sandwich.
(MIMICKING STOICK)
Excuse me, barmaid. I'm afraid you
brought me the wrong offspring. I
ordered an extra large boy with
beefy arms. Extra guts and glory on
the side. This here. This is a
talking fish bone.
"Do I really act like that around him?" Stoick thought.
GOBBER
You're thinking about this all
wrong. It's not so much what you
look like. It's what's inside that
he can't stand.
Beat.
"Gobber please work on your 'motivational' speeches please," I told him.
HICCUP
Thank you, for summing that up.
They reach the doorway.
GOBBER
Look, the point is, stop trying so
hard to be something you're not.
Hiccup SIGHS heavily.
HICCUP
I just want to be one of you guys.
"Not anymore," he muttered.
Gobber eyes him sympathetically. Hiccup turns and goes
through the front door.
And straight out the back door. He hurries off into the
woods, determined.
"Why could you not stay in the house?" Stoick asked.
INT. GREAT HALL - DAY
A noisy din of PROTESTING VOICES leads to...
STOICK, glowering in the firelight. Surrounded by his men.
STOICK
Either we finish them or they'll
finish us! It's the only way we'll
be rid of them! If we find the
nest and destroy it, the dragons
will leave. They'll find another
home.
"Yeah, Berk would be their new home," I said.
Many Vikings looked at me questioningly.
"Berk is the closest island. Why else do you think that take food from you?" I explained.
He sinks his blade into a...
LARGE NAUTICAL MAP, spread out on the table... the blade
pierces the middle of an uncharted corner, swirling with
painted sea monsters and dragons.
STOICK (CONT'D)
(DECIDEDLY)
One more search. Before the ice
sets in.
VIKING
Those ships never come back.
STOICK
(MATTER-OF-FACT)
We're Vikings. It's an occupational
hazard. Now who's with me?
Stoick throws up his fist. No one follows. The crowds shifts
in restless silence. Head scratches. Eyes averted.
VIKING
(FEEBLE)
Today's not good for me.
VIKING (CONT'D)
(EQUALLY FEEBLE)
I've gotta do my axe returns.
STOICK
Alright. Those who stay will look
after Hiccup.
"Wow! Feeling the love guys," Hiccup yelled.
"CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT! Cause I can't," I yelled/sang, "I couldn't help myself." I didn't even bother trying to explain it to everyone.
Hands jut into the air, volunteers galore. Enthusiastic
murmurs of prep and packing fill the room.
PHLEGMA THE FIERCE
To the ships!
SPITELOUT
I'm with you Stoick!
STOICK
(DRY)
That's more like it.
The Vikings rush for the door, leaving Gobber and Stoick
alone. Gobber gulps back the contents of his tankard
attachment and scrapes back the bench.
GOBBER
I'll pack my undies.
"Ew!" The teens exclaimed.
STOICK
No, I need you to stay and train
some new recruits.
GOBBER
Oh, perfect. And while I'm busy,
Hiccup can cover the stall. Molten
steel, razor sharp blades, lots of
time to himself...what could
possibly go wrong?
"Wow Gobber. Thank you so much for all of your confidence in me," Hiccup said his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Stoick sinks onto the bench beside Gobber, his brow burdened.
STOICK
What am I going to do with him
Gobber?
GOBBER
Put him in training with the
others.
STOICK
No, I'm serious.
GOBBER
So am I.
Stoick turns to him, glaring.
STOICK
He'd be killed before you let the
first dragon out of its cage.
GOBBER
Oh, you don't know that.
STOICK
I do know that, actually.
GOBBER
No, you don't.
STOICK
No, actually I do.
GOBBER
No you don't!
"Both of you really?"
STOICK
Listen! You know what he's like.
From the time he could crawl he's
been...different. He doesn't
listen.
(MORE)
STOICK (CONT'D)
Has the attention span of a
sparrow. I take him fishing and he
goes hunting for... for trolls.
GOBBER
(DEFENSIVE)
Trolls exist! They steal your
socks.
(DARKLY)
But only the left ones. What's with
that?
This got laughs for both sides of the room.
STOICK
When I was a boy...
"Oh here we go," both Hiccup and Gobber said causing even more laughter.
GOBBER
(GRUMBLING)
Oh here we go.
STOICK
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?
GOBBER
You got a headache.
STOICK
That rock split in two. It taught
me what a Viking could do, Gobber.
He could crush mountains, level
forests, tame seas! Even as a boy,
I knew what I was, what I had to
become.
(BEAT)
Hiccup is not that boy.
GOBBER
You can't stop him, Stoick. You can
only prepare him.
(BEAT)
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.
ON STOICK, as Gobber's words hit their mark.
"Probably? You know he is," Astrid said.
EXT. WOODS - DAY
ON AN OPEN NOTEBOOK
A drawn map of the island, covered in X's.
Hiccup looks up from it and peeks over a gorge, expectantly.
Sees nothing.
He adds another 'X' to the page, then scratches his pencil
over the whole map in frustration. He snaps the book closed
and pockets it.
"And there is the death of another book for no reason what so ever," I deadpanned causing chuckles from Serena, Toothless, Hiccup, and Astrid.
HICCUP
Uggh, the gods hate me. Some people
lose their knife or their mug. No,
not me. I manage to lose an entire
dragon.
Hiccup WHACKS a low-hanging branch. It SNAPS back at him,
hitting him in the face.
"Only you could turn a tree branch into a weapon like that," Astrid said while giggling.
Snoutlout fumed at this because of how Astrid was acting around Hiccup.
He looks up to see a snapped tree
trunk. His eyes follow it to a long trench of up-turned
earth.
He follows it to a downed, black dragon, its body and tail
tangled in a bola. It appears dead. Hiccup approaches,
beaming.
Vikings get excited at seeing the most feared dragon defenseless.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
(IN SHOCK)
Oh wow. I did it. I did it. This
fixes everything.
(ELATED)
Yes!
He strikes a victory pose, planting his foot on the fallen
Night Fury.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
I have brought down this mighty
beast!
It suddenly shifts.
The Vikings tense up for Hiccup's safety.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
Whoa!
Hiccup springs back, terrified. He turns his blade on it.
Rattled, Hiccup creeps along the length of the weak, wounded
dragon, dagger poised to strike.
As he reaches the head, Hiccup finds the Night Fury staring
coldly at him. Hiccup tries to look away, but he's drawn back
to its unnerving, unflinching stare.
With the dragon safety tangled in the ropes, Hiccup jabs with
his dagger, puffing himself up with false bravado.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
I'm going to kill you, Dragon. I'm
gonna cut out your heart and take
it to my father. I'm a Viking.
(BEAT)
I am a VIKING!
"Come on give it to him Hiccup!" Was heard around the hall.
Hiccup raises the dagger, determined to prove his Viking-
ness. The dragon's labored breathing breaks Hiccup's clenched
concentration. He opens an eye, uncertainty leaking through.
The dragon holds the stare. Something profound is exchanged.
Finally, the Night Fury closes its eye and lowers its head,
resigned to its fate.
Hiccup tries to go through with it, holding the dagger
aloft... fighting himself... until finally lowering it with a
frustrated sigh.
He looks over the dragon's chaffed rope wounds.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
(muttered, ashamed)
I did this.
Everyone gasps at this. What was he thinking? This beast is our enemy! Kill it!
He turns to leave. Pauses. And glances back at the dragon,
chest heaving.
Hiccup GRUMBLES. He checks over his shoulder to ensure that
no one is watching... then hurries back to cut the ropes.
The Night Fury's eye shoots open. With the dragon watching
his every move, Hiccup hurriedly saws through the bola ropes.
As the last rope falls free, the Night Fury suddenly POUNCES!
In a blur, the dragon is upon him, pinning Hiccup down,
grazing his neck. Looking like it's about to kill him. Hiccup
is paralyzed. The dragon's breath ruffles his hair. Hiccup
opens his eyes to find the Night Fury's wolf-like stare
boring into him. The exchange is intense, profound.
"Oh no this is it. First Val and now Hiccup." Stoick thinks to himself.
The dragon draws a deep breath, as though it's about to torch
him, then lets out an ear-piercing scream instead. It turns
and takes flight, flapping violently through the canopy of
trees. It bashes against a nearby mountain side, recovers,
and drops out of view some distance away.
Winded, Hiccup struggles to his feet, staggers a few steps,
collapses to his knees, and faints.
The screen fades to black. Silence. Then….
