Here it is, finally!
I would like to thank my beta reader, Dragonlover 17 for helping me with this.
So, without further-ado...
When you think of the future what do you see?
Shiny buildings with crystal glass floors?
Cars that fly along side the birds?
We don't have any of that, we barely have anything.
No shiny buildings, just small shacks made of stone.
No flying cars, not even enough materials to build the shell.
The future is not very futuristic, we've had to go back in time a bit, to a time where we were expected to make everything ourselves.
The world is a mess, as far as we know.
We have books that tell us of our history, but what use is history to us now, it can't come and rescue us can it?
This is Berk.
Over a century ago, during the last, great world war, a small colony built of family and friends escaped, they travelled the waves in search of a safer place. They found it.
On a small island near a place the people used to call 'Norway', they settled and began thriving on the island, making rules and setting up a system.
That was the start of this place.
I'm Hiccup, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third (I was actually named after Hiccup the Third so it's actually Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third the Second.), I'm the son of the Leader, Stoick the Vast, don't ask how he earned that name just trust me, it suits him.
It's my eighteenth birthday. Today, as I'm the leaders son, it marks the day I and five other teens have to go through our 'Coming of Age' test.
It's a 'custom', as my dad keeps telling me, but I don't find surviving on an Island for a year is a very traditional thing. Snotlout, my arrogant cousin, keeps telling everyone that he's gonna be the leader one day cause I,Hiccup the Useless, won't even survive an hour alone on the Island, what makes it even worse is that most of the colony agree!
I'll show him, I'll show them all!
"HICCUP!" Bellowed Stoick the Vast, "Come on, you can't be late!"
"Coming Dad!" Hiccup replied very un-enthusiastically, he slammed the journal shut and tucked it in his bag.
He stood up and let out a long exasperated sigh, before trudging down the stairs. His dad was waiting for him with a big grin on his face, when he saw Hiccup's expression the grin dropped a little.
"Oh, Hiccup, don't look so excited will you?" He remarked sarcastically, "Everyone has to do it, it's a cus-"
"Custom, I get it dad it's just" Hiccup interrupted, throwing his hands up in an annoyed manner, "Why can't it be a little more, I dunno, man-eating?"
"Have you been listening to those old myths again?" Stoick asked sighing heavily, "You know the people who don't come back don't get eaten, the animals on that island are as harmless as you!"
"Thanks." He replied, quickly escaping through the open door.
"I've read many books and none of them say that when you have to do anything like this!" Hiccup exclaimed.
"Well what did they do?" Asked Fishlegs, Hiccup's best friend.
"They went out, had parties and altogether had fun!"
"They do sound cool, but you know we can't go against the traditions of the colony!"
"I know but, I'm spending my entire eighteenth year on an island, at least you get to spend some of it with your family."
"Yeah…." They walked silently for a moment, "Well maybe this will be a good year for you!"
"How?"
"You could grow some muscle, or, I dunno, grow at all?"
Hiccup glared at his friend and puffed out his chest, his bones slightly poking through his green shirt.
"I think you'll find I'm very muscle-y" He struck a pose, trying to get any muscle definition to show.
"Ha ha, where'd you hear that, Fishbone?" Came a very familiar and unwelcomed voice, "The mirror?"
The pair turned around and not to their surprise, stood Snotface Snotlout.
"What do you want Snotlout?" Hiccup droned.
"Why so sour, cuz? I just wanted to wish you some good luck." Snotlout replied almost sounding sincere, "Not that it'll help, you're gonna get eaten by the first animal that sees you."
"It's probably gonna be a squirrel!" Added Tuffnut, one of the Thorston twins who had been hovering behind their backs as his best friend 'teased' them.
The pair began saying other mocking things, but Hiccup could no longer register words as the two seemed to be drunk on laughter, Some would say thats a good thing, but when it's aimed at Hiccup, not so much.
He scurried away from them, all the way to the docks, avoiding eye contact with everyone as he clumsily bumped into them.
When he got there he eyed the boat that was having fresh supplies loaded on to its deck. That was the ship Hiccup would be on for up to a week.
He murmured something un-audible under his breath and plopped down on a bench nearby. He pulled out his journal and began doing a little sketch of the boat.
"Watcha' got there?"
Hiccup jumped a little and swung his head round.
"Wow, Gobber!" He exclaimed, "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"
"Then I did my job well," he chuckled, "Anyway you didn't answer my question, watcha' got there?"
"Oh, this?" He flicked through the books clean pages, "This was one of my mothers old journals, it's a clear one and since they were passed down to me I thought…. maybe I could write one."
"Aye, consider yourself lucky she didn't leave you some of her cooking, her meatballs could kill more beasts than a battle axe!"
"Yeah, I heard."
"Anyway, see you later, lad" He wiped his soot covered hands down his equally soot covered shirt, "Got ta get everything spic-an-span for the big send off!"
"Yay!" Hiccup cheered sarcastically.
"Hehe, you never change, Hiccup!" With that, he left.
For the next hour or so, Hiccup sat on the bench, watching as the docks slowly filled with families.
When a loud horn blared from behind him, Hiccup barely even flinched. People began cheering and his 'team-mates' began making their way towards the ship.
"WELCOME, Welcome one and all to a very special occasion!" Announced Stoick, suddenly appearing out of the crowd. People cheered at his words, Ruffnut, the other Thorston twin, did a wolf whistle before letting him continue, "Thank you, Ruffnut! Now as we all know, these six teenagers are some of the best recruits we've had in a long time, and it makes me sad to know that they might not all come back alive, but either way, today they become part of us!"
People were elated at his words, cheering, jumping, laughing and whistling as the teens -except Hiccup- boarded the ship.
Once everyone else was on, a few turned their heads, some with smiles, some with glares and others with pity, as they watched their Tribes hope and heir slowly trudge to the ship, each step weighing him down.
Once he finally got onto the dreaded ship, one last cheer and they were off.
Snotlout stood at the edge of the ship, waving both hands frantically as if he had just been made leader. The twins had raced below deck and were already fighting over beds, Fishlegs had also ventured below, probably to get a bed before the twins destroyed everything. Astrid, was no where to be found. Hiccup could have sworn he saw her get on the ship, but he couldn't remember where she had gone.
He sighed as he got up from his seat at the back of the boat and began unpacking his satchel, looking for something entertaining. He dug through his bag, bringing out his journal, a couple of blankets, a dagger (not his choice) and a spare vest, until he found his sketchbook. He has millions back in his room, full of little designs and drawings of bits and bobs.
He flicked through the book catching glimpses of the pictures that were on the pages.
As the day slowly turned to night, people began going to bed after the twins raided the store cupboard, luckily leaving enough food for the rest of the journey. When it became impossible to see the pages anymore, Hiccup put all his things away and started for the bedroom, but he hesitated when he heard something move near the front of the boat.
He tiptoed towards the noise and prepared himself for an attack, he closed his eyes and jumped in front of the thing, no attack came. He opened one eye and let out a gasp at what he saw, it was Astrid. The Fearless Astrid Hofferson had fallen asleep on deck.
Astrid was actually a month younger than Hiccup, meaning as Today was Hiccup's birthday, she was still only seventeen, she was maybe a mere millimeter shorter than him, not that it meant he had any sort of advantage over her, she could probably throw him overboard in her current sleep like state.
Her blonde hair was tied back in a traditional braid, except a few strands of hair that were sprawled across her face. She usually had perfect blue eyes that gave off a distinct shine whenever someone challenged her, she loved that sort of thing, but right now they were closed, she looked peaceful altogether, harmless. Except of course, the axe still firmly grasped in her hands.
He stood staring into space, thinking of ways he could wake her up and not get any of his limbs chopped off in the running.
His head jerked as he came up with an idea, he searched around the ship for anything he could use as a shield, he didn't find much, just a couple of planks, that plan won't work but he had another in mind.
He inched towards the girl, eyes on the axe, and prodded her shoulder with the plank. When she didn't stir he prodded again but slightly harder.
When she still didn't wake up, Hiccup dropped the plank to the floor and chanced the last of his life, he shook her.
There was a moment and suddenly Hiccup was on the floor with the blade of an axe held threateningly against his bare neck.
"Please don't chop me!"