A/N: Hey, guys! Yes, I'm back with another story. And I'd like to send a big thanks out to TheWizardRider who requested this wonderful idea, so let's give her a big hand! *claps wildly* And go check out her stories, they're awesome. :) Well, without further adieu, (and so I won't give you any spoilers :P) I bring you…. "The Dragon Conqueror"!
DISCLAIMER: Story requested by the amazing, the awesome, and the incredible TheWizardRider! And beta'd by the wonderful animalsarepeopletoo. :) (because I'm too lazy to edit myself :D)
Chapter One: Ensnared
It was all because of those mild calibration issues, really.
The cannon should have worked for Gobber, Hiccup thought angrily as he raced through town with said bola cannon being pushed in front of him, occasionally greeted with the familiar yells of, "What are you doing out here again?" and "Get back inside!"
Hiccup brushed the comments off, returning to his tangled thoughts. If the cannon had worked in the first place, he wouldn't have had to left the forge at all. He could have still been safely inside, assisting Gobber with sharpening weapons and such while being hailed a hero for his mechanical achievements. But of course, nothing had went as planned.
As usual.
Hiccup felt bitterness swarm throughout himself as he got closer to the lone hill he was headed for, eyes filling with both anger and determination. If he could just get a clean shot now and shoot down a dragon- really any dragon at all, even a Terrible Terror, for Thor's sake- then everything would change. He'd finally have a place in his tribe, he'd be respected, acknowledged, and maybe even his father would communicate with him more than a disappointed scowl and a list of everything he had done wrong. Not to mention public humiliation.
Yes... Hiccup could picture it all perfectly now… it could all happen if he shot down a dragon. Well... only if he shot down a dragon and killed it...
The boy narrowed his emerald eyes into the black void of sky and stars that rested in front of him, fingers caressing the handle of the cannon anxiously as he came to a sudden halt upon the hill. "Come on, give me something to shoot at, give me something to shoot at," he murmured, words almost turning to a litany of pleads.
But the silence still remained in the cool air, and Hiccup had just begun to slump over in defeat when his downcast thoughts were interrupted by a dragon's roar. He stiffened, eyes now deadlocked on the sky. Where was it, where was it...
There.
He could see a faint black dragon soaring with ease beside the countless stars up ahead… practically waiting to be shot down... shot down by him. A sign of Fate Itself, for sure.
With a grim smile, Hiccup wet his lips in determination and decided to wait until the dragon came closer into sight before shooting. A few tentative moments passed, and then finally… he saw it. The dragon. No, not 'the' dragon... it was the dragon. The Great Night Fury. Deadliest dragon in the whole archipelago. Offspring of Lightning and Death itself... It was too far away to see too clearly now, but he could still make the outline out of the dragon, nonetheless.
Not able to wait any longer, he quickly pulled down on the lever of his machine that would release his bolas into the sky and take down the dragon... the bolas that would give him everything he had ever wished for...
...only to have his soaring weapons hit the side of a passing Monstrous Nightmare instead of the original target. He nearly cursed as the dragon fell to the ground with a resounding thud. The Night Fury remained unharmed, and soon faded as quickly as it had materialized.
After being thrown backwards from the powerful blast, Hiccup sat up and got to his knees to see what had happened. His thudding heart nearly stopped when he saw the Monstrous Nightmare he had shot down struggling in the grass not even ten feet away, shrieking and thrashing against the tight bonds that tied its wings and sides together.
Hiccup could hardly believe it.
A Monstrous Nightmare. A dragon that only the best Vikings went after. Only the best.
And he had just taken one down.
Hiccup felt a chill of pride trickle up his spine, and he shakily stood from his kneeling position to inspect the Nightmare once more. Was this even real? He'd only dreamed about this in his most wonderful fantasies... the best daydreams... He rubbed his eyes, then looked over it again. Yes, it was still there, caught in the boy's own invention. If no one respected him now, they'd be declared mad. But the very concept that a runt like him had taken down a dragon so big like this was still shocking, and he shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts.
"I did it." His words were quiet and said slowly, more in disbelief than in realization, yet they were still there. "I did it…" His eyes widened as he processed what this revelation meant all over again, and he almost yelled in triumph. "Oh, sweet gods above... this fixes everything… yes!" Hiccup allowed a grin to come to his face, but it quickly vanished when the dragon before him roared painfully. "No; calm down," he urged, drawing his sharp, silver knife from his pocket, and holding it out in front of him defensively. "It'll be over soon. Just calm d-"
Snap!
One of the bolas was torn apart at the beast's struggling, and it slipped down into the muddy grass soon after. Hiccup's next words caught in his throat at the horrifying sight. He couldn't even choke out a gasp or a scream for help. He only managed a pathetic, "Gods above..."
Snap!
The second bond was ripped away too.
Which meant...
That only left one more.
Hiccup, cowering in fright, knew he should stay to fight the Nightmare like a true Viking would- as a Viking like himself should-, but before he knew it, his skinny legs were carrying him far across the moonlit landscape, heart pounding with a fear he had never quite felt before.
From behind him, he heard the last bola that ensnared the powerful Nightmare go as well, leaving the dragon free to fly away and escape. Or worse: come after him.
Hiccup prayed to the gods that it wouldn't follow him, but it seemed that luck, as always, was not on his side. He heard the furious pounding of footsteps as the Monstrous Nightmare chased him down the hill, and his throat at last allowed him to release a scream in hopes someone would hear him.
The Nightmare roared, getting closer to him... and closer... and even closer-
When suddenly Hiccup was knocked over on his side in the wet grass, pinned down by one of the Nightmare's impossibly huge paws. Talons enclosed around him in what felt like a cage, and he could hardly breathe from the new anxiety that had arrived.
He was going to die. There was no doubt about it now. Die because of a foolish hope that he could kill a dragon.
"Hiccup!"
The boy, more desperate than ever, used the last of his strength to turn his head to the left where he saw his alarmed yet exasperated father, the Chief of Berk approaching. His green eyes widened, and he urgently opened his mouth to speak. "No, Dad, stay away!" he screamed, trying to fumble for a grip on his knife. "Just stay away! I can do this myself! I'm okay!"
More warriors arrived at his father Stoick's side, all freezing in shock at the sight of their young heir being pinned to the ground by one of the most deadly dragons in the archipelago. Hiccup tried to give them all reassurance that he was trying to get away as best as he could- he truly was, with all of his might-, but the idea of calling them all over to help him free was getting more and more tempting by the second. Especially as he looked at those devilish slits of eyes, furious and sadistic...
No, some aggressive part of him snapped to himself. He finally grasped his fallen knife from the ground. If they help you now, you'll never get a chance to prove yourself again. Someone may get hurt because of you, and you'll be blamed. This is your chance, Hiccup. Don't screw it up like you always do.
Gee, Hiccup thought back sarcastically. Isn't that helpful?
The Nightmare above him gave another raging roar, its talons slowly lowering against Hiccup's heaving chest. The boy let out a cry of pain from the pressure, but he didn't give up. No. He would die, he knew, some time or another. Everyone did. He would most definitely perish...
...but not tonight. Maybe he'd die tomorrow, perhaps next week, or even a month from now. But not tonight.
Hiccup tightened his grip on his knife as he heard the worried shouts of Vikings nearby, and he sensed the dragon above him was preparing to make its kill. His father was running towards him now, axe raised in fear for his son. But even he knew he wouldn't make it in time.
The boy let out a sharp breath. It was now or never. He had to strike before someone besides him got hurt. It was time to be brave. It was time to be... a Viking.
"Aaaggghhh!" he bellowed, raising his knife and sinking it into the Monstrous Nightmare's giant paw. The dragon whined, pulling the wounded area slightly off of Hiccup in reflex. It gave Hiccup enough time to climb up from the dirt, jump away from the Nightmare's grasp, and raise his dagger in defense.
This is it, Hiccup. Do it now. DO IT NOW!
Eyes tightly closed, Hiccup whimpered... and he plunged his weapon into the Nightmare's crimson chest before the dragon could do anything about it.
Quietness as sharp as broken glass filled the air for two heart-stopping seconds of panic... and then the mighty dragon let out a bone chilling scream of agony and sorrow, causing all the nearby Viking warriors to clap hands over their ears to block the sound out.
Blood leaked out of the stab wound. Far too much was coming out at once. Too much for the owner of the laceration to be saved. The Monstrous Nightmare roared weakly as it collapsed to the ground, paws weakly twitching next to a panting Hiccup. The boy was bent over, hands clutching his knees in support while his bloodied knife fell to the ground, like it was signifying the completion of his mission.
The silence returned.
After a minute of only tension and muteness, someone finally spoke: Stoick the Vast.
"Son."
Hiccup looked up in a hurry, back straightening as he once again stood up. His father was coming towards him, face expressionless and movements slow.
"Yeah?" Hiccup rasped, surprised to hear his voice quaking so much. He hadn't realized how much of a scare nearly being killed was, and suddenly he noticed that his arms and legs were trembling all over. He swallowed.
Stoick stopped walking as soon he reached his boy, face at last melting into something that looked like anger. "You left the forge," he said gruffly, rolling back his shoulders to puff out his chest. "You disobeyed my- and Gobber's- orders. What do you have to say for yourself?"
Hiccup could not help but let his form sag a little bit at his father's sharp tone, disappointed that he hadn't proved himself at the feat of killing the Nightmare. "I'm sorry," he muttered, his foot rubbing an invisible spot in the dirt. "I-I-I didn't mean to disobey you… I-I just… I… I wanted to make my mark, but I guess I-I..."
Then his father laughed. It was a hearty chuckle, ringing loud and clear out of his throat despite the gray mood around.
Face twitching with confusion, Hiccup squinted up at his father. "You're not… mad?"
Stoick let out a boom of chuckles again, slapping a hand around Hiccup's shoulder and pulling the boy to his side. "Of course not, lad! You killed a dragon! And a Nightmare, nonetheless! Even I have trouble with those, and look at you, stabbing one in a single try! I couldn't believe it at first, but now… oh, what a feeling!"
I wouldn't say it's a good feeling, Hiccup thought miserably. He then noticed more Berkians coming towards him, now looking in his direction with admiration instead of the hate.
"Did he kill that Nightmare by himself?" he heard someone whisper in a loud voice.
"I think he did," a woman answered back, equally as surprised. "Can you believe it? Hiccup did..."
"Hiccup? You're teasin'!"
"No, no, it's Stoick's boy, alright... he took down a Nightmare. I always said he was headed for greatness, didn't I?"
Hiccup spotted the other teens on Berk in the growing crowd, all watching him with wide, curious eyes. Astrid's expression even revealed that even she was at least slightly impressed with Hiccup's mighty feat, which caused the boy to straighten his back more.
When he looked back up at his enthralled father, he saw that the chief was beaming. "My son has done it!" he called out to the approaching Hooligans. "He's killed his first dragon, a Monstrous Nightmare, even though he's, well… himself!" His words provoked a wave of knowledgeable chuckles throughout the Vikings, and they all shared amused looks. "And now, no one could be more surprised..." Stoick's voice dropped slightly, now full of emotion. "...or more proud, than I am."
Hiccup noticeably reddened at his father's speech, but he puffed out his chest anyways. He felt sick, though, when he cast a glance over to the dead Nightmare dragon, ignored in the frenzy of the situation. He had killed a dragon. He was a murderer.
Hiccup swallowed thickly. I didn't have a choice. It was a life or death situation. What was I supposed to do…?
"Now, son!" Stoick clamped a hand down on Hiccup's shoulder, almost causing the boy to fall over from the force. "Is there anything you'd like to say to your tribe?" He gestured to the crowd with a meaty hand.
After a poor laugh, Hiccup allowed himself to nod. "Uh, sure." He cleared his aching throat, which was still sore from his past yells. "I guess, I… I…" He began to stutter, almost cursing himself for being so weak. He shouldn't be giving a speech right now! He should have been off fighting other dragons, keeping Berk safe. Wasn't that what being a Viking was all about?"
Stoick smiled, patting Hiccup's arm. "It's all right, son. Don't be shy."
"Yeah, yeah, I know, Dad," Hiccup murmured, eyes now downcast. What was there left to say? I'm glad I could become a murderer just to save my tribe and my life, and I'll definitely do it again even though I didn't enjoy it? He chewed on his bottom lip, looking back up. "I guess I'll just say… um… I'm glad I could help."
"Don't be modest, son!" Stoick boomed. "Nightmare's are fierce and deadly dragons. Even grown men, such as myself, have trouble with them. But you-"
Hiccup cut him off sharply, not wanting to listen anymore. He was tired of it. Sure, he had killed a dragon, but everyone else did that too. It's because I'm a runt, he thought, scowling. They're just all surprised that their useless heir could actually do something for once… I'm still nothing special…
"The Night Fury is still out there, Dad," he interrupted, tone warning. "He's the dragon we need to go after. He's the dragon that needs to be killed. Killing a Nightmare won't fix any of that!"
An almost-hungry look flashed across his father's eyes, and the chief nodded, brow furrowing. "It appears so, son… but I know, someday soon, you'll be the one to kill it, now won't you?" When a timid Hiccup did not answer, Stoick raised an eyebrow. "Right, lad? It's your duty to your people."
Sure. I'll kill another dragon, Dad. I'll be yet another murderer of this tribe.
"Fine."
A huge grin broke upon Stoick's face, and once again he turned back to the anxious crowd. "My son, your pride and heir, has just vowed to kill the Night Fury! The deadliest dragon of them all!" A hushed silence fell over the Hooligans, and Hiccup wasn't sure if it was in shock or in awe. Stoick continued, "My Hiccup will now become the next Dragon Conqueror, the one who will rid us from yet another deadly dragon. And he won't rest until he kills it once and for all!"
Hiccup coughed into his fist. "Yeah," he agreed, words half-hearted. He still felt nauseous from killing the Monstrous Nightmare, and the sudden news of becoming this new 'Dragon Conqueror' wasn't making anything better.
But... he had to please his father.
He had to please his tribe.
He had to please them all.
"I promise you," the boy began slowly, picking out his next words with extreme care. He was the Heir of Berk. The new Dragon Conqueror. The one who would get rid of the most ruthless dragon in the archipelago. "I will save Berk from dragons once and for all. I will hunt down and kill the elusive Night Fury, and I will at last find the Dragon Nest. At no costs will I stop fighting for you. Because someday I will be your chief, and a chief protects his own."
The crowd erupted into cheers, and Hiccup caught Astrid's watchful eye in the midst of the comment. She crossed her arms in a motion that clearly said, I don't care about any of this, but she didn't remove her gaze. Hiccup grinned. That was something, after all.
Stoick, nearly bursting with pride by then, raised one fist in the air while the other was placed behind his son's back. "My son... the Dragon Conqueror!" he shouted.
"The Dragon Conqueror!" the crowd echoed, cheering again.
"The Dragon Conqueror," Hiccup whispered, unsure of whether to be happy or angry with the powerful title. Unbeknownst to him, he had just been dragged into something far bigger than he had ever imagined, with a vow to kill the deadliest, quickest, and most intelligent dragon in the world. There was no backing out of it now.
Suddenly, Hiccup felt a chilly hand grip his palm. Startled, he turned to see the sour old man, Mildew, creeping up next to him. He lived on a hill far away from the village just because he was so... so impossible to deal with.
"Not bad, not bad at all, my boy," he hissed, offering a yellow smile. He shook Hiccup's hand again. "Yeh've finally done somethin' right. Believe it or not, I'm proud of yeh!"
"Yeah...," said Hiccup nervously, a little unnerved at Mildew's behavior. "Just doing my job."
Mildew nodded with a sick grin. "Bet yeh can't wait to start killin' dragons again, can yeh? The little pests need to be totally exterminated... somethin' we can both agree on, 'Iccup."
"Actually, I-" Hiccup began, but with another look at Mildew, he decided not to tell the older man that he didn't really want to kill dragons. "...couldn't agree more," he finished instead, then turned to his father. "W-we better get back to killing dragons then, right Dad?" Hiccup asked, and to his surprise, not really wishing to get more attention than he had already received. Meanwhile, Mildew crept back into the ground, watching Hiccup with elated yet almost evil gray eyes.
Stoick looked up at the star-filled sky, which was slowly being transformed into dawn's first light. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, glancing around. "It seems that all this commotion has scared the dragons off!" he laughed, words directed to the other Hooligans more than to Hiccup. "Which is all the same, as I think killing a Monstrous Nightmare is plenty for one night for you."
Hiccup nodded, but his thoughts were running a mile a minute as he thought back to his new position. There was just one question left: Now what? Nothing would be the same on Berk anymore. He'd surely no longer be looked upon as "useless", but now respected, admired, appreciated.
But, no matter what, change was coming to the island of Berk.
And Hiccup wasn't even sure if it was good or bad yet.
All he knew was that, to get out of this mess, he'd have to kill the renowned Night Fury. Only then would he be released from the responsibility that gripped him. Only then.
Kill another innocent to be free.
You could be free, Hiccup, if you get rid of that dragon.
The boy narrowed his eyes, looking back down at the bloodied dagger which rested beside his left foot. He wanted to be free more than anything right now. He didn't care about repercussions. He just wanted to be himself. No Dragon Conqueror. It wasn't who he was.
But unfortunately, fate didn't quite take that into account. He was stuck.
"I'll kill the Night Fury, then," Hiccup whispered, giving a quick nod. "I'll kill it to save Berk... and kill it to save myself."
A/N: And there's chapter one. Hiccup's killed his first dragon, a Nightmare, and now even his father is impressed… yes, indeed, change is coming to Berk now that Hiccup is the Dragon Conqueror. You'll have to see next time how much change is coming to Berk. ;D Anyways, thanks so much for reading guys! And it would be awesome to see what you all think of this so far, so if you could leave a review, even if it is simply "asdfghjkl", I'd be very happy to hear it. :)
Updates will be weekly, so I guess I'll see you folks next Saturday. Until next time, my lovely munchkins! :P Hope you're liking the story so far! It's about to get real interesting... *cracks knuckles*
-thepurplewriter333
