The Great Dragon Challenge
So, this one came to me while driving around in the car today. This is remotely based off of my sister's fan fiction, but it's entirely the same. She already gave me permission to use the tribes she had created for her fan fictions. I just thought this would be a fun little thing to do. I hope it doesn't make you barf too bad reading it.
Disclaimer: I don't own How to Train your Dragon, nor do I own the Kreb, Nutheads, Honey Suckers, Pig Skins, or Paranoia Tribes. They belong to my sister. But the Skullheads and the Extremes belong to me. For more information on these tribes, read Sir Weston's fan fictions and my own (How to escape a marriage).
Chapter One: Journey to the Great Dragon Island
Vikings were often people of tradition and many rules. One of the greatest traditions was the Great Dragon Challenge that took place every twenty years. All of the Viking tribes would come together and take place in the greatest of all tournaments where the Legendary Showmance Dragon would bestow his blessing upon the winners of the tournament. Only a few chosen Viking tribes were invited, and the Showmance Dragon demanded that only the Vikings in Training could compete, to see how well they were becoming Vikings. It was the chance of the life time to show all the other Viking tribes just how great they were.
And that's exactly why Hiccup didn't want to go. He wasn't too bad of a Viking, but there was no way he wanted to show just how bad he was against other Vikings in Training. That, coupled with the fact that he recognized a lot of the tribe names who were going to be competing, and Hiccup could tell that he was just going to have on miserable time. He would much rather bring shame to his tribe by not showing up than losing miserably.
"Oh come on, Son," Stoick argued as the Hooligan ships made their way for the Great Dragon Island. "You don't know that you're going to lose. And you've got your friends to help you."
"I know," Hiccup replied with a sigh. "I just don't look forward to seeing the other tribes. The Nutheads, Kreb and Skullheads all still have a grudge against us. And what's the point of these games anyways? Don't we have enough honor doing everything else?"
"It's not just about honor, Hiccup," Stoick told him seriously. "Whoever wins the Great Dragon Challenge gets granted one wish from the Showmance Dragon himself. And the tribe is granted the dragon's blessing of safety. It's very important."
Hiccup sighed but didn't say anymore as he continued rowing with the others. Stoick stood at the front of the ship, his stern, serious eyes on the look-out for the island. It was a rare, clear sunny day, and they could see for miles out into the ocean. The ships carried on in silence for a while as everyone concentrated on rowing.
"So which tribes were invited again, exactly?" Snotlout asked who was sitting next to Hiccup.
"There were the Bog-Burglars," Astrid explained from the other side of Hiccup. She was rowing with ease and she stopped to look at Snotlout. "And the Peaceables. And also the Pig Skin Tribe and the Honey Sucker Tribe."
"Pht, Honey Suckers," Tuffnutt sneered.
"And the Skullheads," Astrid growled in a low voice. "And the annoying Nuthead Tribe."
"I remember them," Ruffnutt added rolling her eyes. "Man they were a bunch of freaks. I hated them."
"The Paranoias were also invited," Hiccup remembered. "And some tribe I've never heard of called the Extremes."
"Don't forget Kreb," Fishlegs piped in from where he sat in the back of the ship. There was a moment of silence. None of the kids really liked Kreb. They were a tribe of bullies who thought they were better than the Hairy Hooligan Tribe. Hiccup tried not to shudder as he remembered Belchus, the heir to the Tribe.
Of course the Nuthead and Skullhead tribes were not much better. Hiccup tried not to think about it as they continued on their way to the island. But the closer they got, the harder it was to fight off the growing feeling of dread. Why did the twentieth year have to fall on a year that he was in training? Why did fate hate him so?
Soon enough, the great island started to rise out of the ocean, like the great dragon that lived there. The island was a luscious green forest island, with a forbidding mountain growing from the middle. The island itself was humongous, perfect for holding all of the tribes that would be staying there.
As the Berk kids looked around, they could see hundreds of ships coming towards the island, each representing a different Viking tribe. They could recognize the Kreb flag, along with the Skullheads. There were several other flags and ships as well, some that Hiccup couldn't recognize. He couldn't tell which Viking tribes made him shiver the hardest.
Glancing over at Astrid, he could see her glaring across the waters at the Skullhead Tribe ship. Somewhere on that ship was the future chief of the Skullheads, Isabella the Beautiful. Astrid could still remember when she had tried to marry Hiccup a few months ago. The memories were fresh in her mind. (A/N: See "How to Escape a Marriage" for more information!)
"Why did all of the Viking rejects have to get invited?" Snotlout groaned suddenly, snapping Hiccup out of his thoughts. "I don't want to be stuck on an island with a bunch of losers."
"They're not all losers," Hiccup objected. "Camicazi and the Bog-Burglars are one of the tribes competing. They're not losers."
"Yeah," Fishlegs agreed. "And the Kreb kids are terrifying and hard to beat!"
"No they're not," Snotlout snorted. "Belchus and Sharkfeet are terrifying and hard to beat. The rest of those losers are just a bunch of wash-outs."
"Those 'wash-outs' almost killed us last year," Tuffnutt growled, pausing from his rowing to glare at Snotlout. "They're just a bunch of cheaters. Especially since they had-"
"I'd rather not talk about that," Hiccup interrupted, trying to focus his attention on rowing towards the island. He didn't want to think about anything until those tribes were all standing in front of them, and the inevitable memories would come flooding back to him.
It was another hour before their ship finally hit the shore. The Hairy Hooligans were the first ones there (something Gobber prided in) but it wasn't long before the Bog-Burglars, a tribe of all females, reached the shore. As soon as the ships landed, Camicazi, the heir to the Bog-Burglars and a good friend of Hiccup, jumped out and went sprinting towards Hiccup.
"Hiccup!" Camicazi cried happily, her arms outstretched.
"Hi Camica-" Hiccup didn't get to finish as Camicazi tackled him to the ground and trapped him in her arms. As Hiccup had the life squeezed out of him, more ships started to dock and Vikings of all shapes and sizes started to flood the beach. He could easily recognize a lot of the younger Vikings, but made no effort in trying to talk to them.
At first, all of the tribes stayed with their own groups, muttering amongst each other (with the exception of Camicazi, who refused to let Hiccup go). Then they slowly started mingling together and getting to know the competition. The Berk kids and Camicazi, however, were perfectly comfortable staying right where they were.
They didn't have to wait long before the talk was interrupted by the great, warm, welcoming roar of a gigantic dragon. The Showmance dragon was a huge, pure white dragon with a light blue underbelly and wings. His dark blue eyes looked around at the tribes, sizing them up and slowly making his way down to the beach. It wasn't until he reached them before he finally spoke.
"Greetings Vikings," he boomed in a deep, low voice. "I am Wishbone, the one who has summoned you all here. You are the tribes who have the honor of being invited to the Great Dragon Challenge to win my blessing and one wish for your tribe. But who will win the honors? Who will be the greatest Viking tribe? Well, that is for you to find out!" The Tribes listened in awe to the dragon's great voice as he spoke. "To begin, I want each heir to their tribe to step forward, say their name, and state which tribe they are from."
"I am Belchus," the large teenager from Kreb stated immediately, stepping forward heroically. "I am the future chief of the Kreb tribe."
"Almond," the next boy, just as tall and heroic looking as Belchus stated. "Heir of the Nutheads."
"I'm Jarhead!" exclaimed the next teen, leaping forward with excitement. "I'm the Heir of the EXTREME TRIBE!" At that, the entire Tribe of Extremes burst out with roars of approval.
"Isabella the Beautiful," the girl stated calmly when the cries died down. "I'm the Princess of the Skullheads." She flicked her golden hair and flashed Hiccup a wink, to which Astrid scowled and Hiccup flinched.
The next boy to step forward was fat boy with rather puffy cheeks. "Augustus of the Pig Skin tribe," he stated simply.
"I'm Camicazi!" the small girl announced from where she still had Hiccup in her arms. "I'm the Heir to the Great Bog-Burglars!"
A tall, skinny boy stepped forward next. "I'm Silencer," he said in a low voice. "Heir to the Honey Suckers." Tuffnutt and Ruffnutt snickered as he spoke his tribe's name.
The small boy who spoke next was peaceful and calm looking. "Magnus of the Peaceables," he stated.
"How can your name be Magnus and then be a Peaceable?" Snotlout growled under his breath. Gobber whapped him on the head to keep him quiet.
"Deirdre, the future chief of the Paranoias," a small, shy looking girl said, looking around nervously.
"Hiccup," the small boy managed to gasp from Camicazi's arms, glad that he wasn't the only one who was small and scrawny looking. "Hope and Heir to the Hairy Hooligan Tribe." Stoick beamed down at his son as he stated his name.
Wishbone nodded with satisfaction, his eyes closed. When he opened them again, his eyes were shining. "Hiccup!" he said suddenly. "I have heard many things about you and your friends! I am so honored to have you as my guests!" He looked around at the other tribes. "I am honored to have all of you!"
"You've heard about me?" Hiccup wondered. "From who?"
"You'll see soon enough, lad," Wishbone replied, winking a big eye at him. He turned back and addressed everyone. "Vikings all ages! This is a glorious day! Tomorrow shall mark the day when The Great Dragon Challenge officially begins! Until then, I want you to make yourselves comfortable and prepare for the challenges to come. Come with me, and I shall show you where you shall all be staying so that you may all be rested for tomorrow."
The Great Dragon turned and started to stomp away as the tribes started to follow him. Camicazi finally let go of Hiccup and he took in a great breath of air. The dragon walked slowly enough for all of the humans to be able to keep up with him, but it was still a great task.
"How was the journey?" Camicazi asked as they all followed the dragon.
"Uneventful," Hiccup replied, keeping close to her and Astrid. "Fishlegs threw up once, but that was about it."
"I hope our dragons arrive soon," Astrid said suddenly. "I just don't feel right without my Deadly Nadder by my side."
"That's not what you would have said before," Tuffnutt joked, making sure he was a good enough distance back to avoid Astrid hitting him. Hiccup smiled. The dragons had all flown separately in fear of overturning the boats, but since Toothless needed Hiccup to fly, he had gotten to ride along with Gobber in his ship. He trailed beside Hiccup now, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.
"I hardly think the Great Dragon would invite us to his island just to kill us," Hiccup told Toothless humorously. "He could easily just go to our own islands and eat us all."
"You never know," Toothless replied. "He might not know there's something dangerous in the forest since he's so big." He looked at his best friend and blinked. "Although I hardly doubt anything would be dumb enough to attack so many Vikings."
After an hour of trekking through the forest in which nothing interesting happened, they finally came upon a camp site with many huts and two mess halls. All of the buildings were built in a wide circle, facing a huge arena, obviously for gatherings and meetings. The arena was large enough to hold two giant dragons and several Viking tribes.
"This is the Mess hall where the adults will eat," Wishbone explained, pointing to one hall with his tail. "The other is for all of the Vikings in Training." He pointed his tail to one of the cabins and looked at the tribes. "The Chiefs of the Tribes will stay here. The Vikings' teachers will stay in the cabin next to them." He pointed to another cabin across the clearing. "This is where the future chiefs will stay. This one is where the rest of the Vikings in training shall stay." He stomped around to the other side of the clearing. "Your dragons will stay here, in these special coves, where they'll feel most comfortable. Any questions so far?" Nobody spoke. "Good. Now, I have a special gong that will tell you all when it's time to eat. Trust me, you'll know it when you hear it. Now into the mess hall, all of you! I hope you're all hungry, because I had my chefs whip up something special."
At that, all of the Viking tribes tore off towards the mess hall, a lot of them screaming for food. Hiccup and his friends followed more slowly. Hiccup's appetite had left him long before they had left home. The growing feeling of dread hadn't left him either. Somehow this was going to end badly. He could just feel it in his gut.
That's all I have at the moment. If you want to learn more, read and review. And read some of my and Sir Weston's fan fictions if you get the chance. You'll get to learn the origin of Kreb, the Nutheads, and the Skullheads. If you already know of them, well then, aren't you glad to already be in the loop? And I'm sure some of my viewers will recognize Isabella and hate me for including her in the story. I'll try not to give anything away for those who haven't read my story yet or are and don't want me to spoil anything. Remember to R&R!
