Disclaimer:In later news, Azukka does not own httyd, nope, nadda, keep dreaming.
AN: So! As it turns out, this chapter has been released later than usual because I am also busy writing each character's, both cannon and OC, biography that will be put up in my profile page, or it could be a chapter in by itself if you guys want, so expect for other chapters to be late.
Additional AN: Also, the other reason why this chapter is later(MAKE THAT THREE WEEKS LATE!) than usual is because of the god damned Dota 2 Compendium! Stupid quests... Stupid tournament... Stupid awards that makes me place some more...
Arc: The Traveling
Days Given: 18 days
"We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat"
Hiccup abruptly opened his eyes and quickly scanned his surroundings and instantly noticed that his room was tilting forty five degrees to the right.
He sat up and shook Astrid as he thought of their current situation. Aside from the tilting of the room, the first thing Hiccup noticed was the sound of the waves crashing on their ship. He furrowed his eyebrows as he thought about that. How was there any wave inside a giant cave? He couldn't finish musing since the ship once again rocked but this time it was too hard that he and Astrid actually fell from the bed and waking Astrid up in the process.
"Woah! What's happening?!" Astrid shouted in alarm, wide awake after falling.
"That's what I'm trying to find out!" Hiccup was force to shout since the crashing sound was getting louder. He wobbly stood up and offered Astrid his hand. She took it and both of them staggered they way through the door to go out to the deck.
Their timing was impeccable since they just witnessed Tuffnut haul Snotlout in the ship. Astrid, assuming the worst, stormed towards them and lifted Snotlout by his tunic just as he landed in the ship with a thud.
"What did you two idiots do?!" she snapped with as much venom she could muster. Nobody could blame her though, considering it was in the middle of the night and she was woken up with the ship rocking back and forth and huge waves crashing on it on a constant basis.
"W-we didn't do a-anything! I-I s-swear!" Snotlout stuttered as he covered his face with his palms as Astrid reared her fist back to sock him on the face.
"Don't you dear lie to me" she hissed
"I promise! Ask Tuffnut!"
Astrid turned her venomous look towards Tuffnut and asked him silently to what they did
Tuffnut shrugged since they were already technically caught in the act and spoke the truth "We got a small boat from the side of the ship and used it to get to those white hills over there" he pointed his hand on one of the white hills. All of their eyes widen when they noticed that the upper white hills were starting to descend. Tuffnut shook his head and continued his story "A-anyways, we climbed up those things and Snotlout dug one of those shiny rocks up there. While he was digging his way through, red liquid dripped from the hole he made and I was curious so I took a small bit and looked at it closely. It turned out it was blood and that's when the whole cave started shaking."
"So you decided, since I didn't like your plan, you and Tuffnut would sneak around and get those shiny rocks anyway?!" Astrid shouted as she once again cocked her fist and aimed it at Snotlout's face.
"I-I'm sorry!" Snotlout whimpered, for the first time afraid for his life. "I-I was just doing it to impress you so much that y-you'll leave Hiccup!"
To all of the people present there, Tuffnut was not the one they expected to punch Snotlout on the face. The teen was punched so hard that Astrid actually lost her grip and Snotlout fell on his back "Dude! This is why you did it?! Are you fucking kidding me?!" Tuffnut grabbed Snotlout's tunic and raised him so that his head was elevated. "When will you realize that Astrid hates your guts?! When will you stop acting like a fucking kid?!"
Tuffnut cocked his fist to punch Snotlout but Hiccup stopped him by grabbing him by the arm.
"That's enough Tuffnut" Hiccup said calmly "This is not the time to have a fight between us. We still need to get out of this cave" he gazed at the mouth of the cave and noticed that it was decreasing in size "Come on! Somebody wake Fishlegs and Ruffnut up! We will need every hand we can if we want to get out of here alive!"
Everyone there snapped at attention and quickly followed Hiccup's orders, even Snotlout. While Snotlout and Tuffnut were busy with steering the boat, Hiccup and Astrid went inside the sleeping area and woke both Fishlegs and Ruffnut.
When the four teens return back to the deck, they were greeted by a sheepish looking Snotlout
"Uhmm... We may have a problem... We can't move the ship"
"What?! Why?!" Hiccup shouted since the waves were becoming stronger
Fishlegs scanned the surroundings and that was when his eyes widened "Hiccup! The waves are too strong! The ship is just gonna rock back and forth! We need something to help us push the ship to get us moving!"
Hiccup's eyes closed as he regarded this new information just to open them again with a smile on his face "Or we can pull the ship"
"Pull? With what?!" Ruffnut asked
"Of course!" Astrid shouted in realization "With the help of our dragons! I think with all of them working together, they can pull the ship safely outside!"
Hiccup nodded as he turned to Fishlegs "Legs! I need you and the other guys to get our dragons and tie some rope on them!"
Fishlegs nodded his head and hurried down below the deck, closely followed by Snotlout and Tuffnut, the former not wanting to get hit by Astrid.
Hiccup then looked back at Astrid and Ruffnut "As for you girls, Ruffnut, make sure that ship does not fall apart from all the waves and strong winds hitting it. Astrid, you try and tie all the sails and make sure that the knot is strong enough that it won't loosen from the wind!"
Ruffnut saluted seriously "Aye, aye chief!" and she ran towards the side of the ship to assess the damage.
It still bothered Hiccup a little bit when he is addressed as a chief even if it was a joke. Shaking his head, Hiccup turned to Astrid and finally noticed that she wasn't there anymore.
It didn't take long for Fishlegs and the others to tie the dragons on the front of the ship and Hiccup instructed them on what to do.
To their fear, the boat was not budging at all. The constant waves and the strong gust of wind was making it difficult for the dragons to move it.
"Come on guys! I believe in you!" Hiccup and the others were cheering them on with Toothless throwing his own encouragement next to the teens. The nightfury was not part of the team that was pulling the boat because he was not that powerful like the others. He was built for speed after all.
To their relief, the boat started moving. The teens' cheers became louder as the boat moved faster towards the exit of the giant cave.
Astrid was jumping up and down when she noticed that the roof of the cave was actually getting closer "Hiccup..." she said worriedly "I think we need to hurry in getting out of here because it looks like the cave is closing in on us!" Astrid shouted hysterically with wide eyes.
Hiccup calculated the distance from the mouth of the cave to their current position and paled when he realized that at the rate they were going they had a fifty percent chance of not making it. He needed to think of a plan and fast. That's when he realized that the wind was making his hair blow towards his face. He scowled when he futilely tried to get it off his face when he had an idea.
"Guys! We need to release the sails!" Hiccup shouted as he ran to the nearest pole and untied the knot holding the cloth.
"What?!" Astrid glared at Hiccup "After all the trouble I went in tying them up, you just untie them?!"
"Trust me!" Hiccup said as he untied another mast "The wind is at our favor! We can use it to help us speed up faster!"
The others nodded followed Hiccup's example, leaving Astrid grumbling and reluctantly untying the mast near her.
Hiccup then noticed that their boat was picking up speed in a faster rate. "It's working!" Hiccup then once again ran towards the front of the ship and continued his encouragement towards the dragons "Just a little longer guys! You can do it!"
Toothless was bouncing on his spot. All he wanted to do at that moment was to help the others but he knew that he would just be in the way since he can't fly all by himself.
It took all of the dragons' might to pull the ship and after a few excruciating minutes of waiting, the Hooligans were able to leave the cave before it closed off on itself.
Before they could start cheering though, they gaped as they looked up, and up, and up, and UP.
Right infront of their ship was something they didn't dream to see for all their lives, well, except Fishlegs maybe.
Instead of mountain, the Hooligans were greeted with gronkle. A gronkle which was a hundred times larger than Meatlug. It had the same color scheme as the standard gronkle except it was darker in comparison. It's tusk was longer than any mountains they ever crossed. In fact, it almost looked like it could pass off as a mountain itself if it's tired looking eyes weren't blinking lazily infront of it. It was twice the size of the Bewilderbeast, it was only larger than the frost dragon because of it's huge mouth that all gronkles had.
Fishlegs, in his standard passion, squeaked before his vision impaired and he passed out on the spot.
It was Snotlout who broke the silence "Woah... Now that is what I call a king of beasts" he said in awe
Astrid shook her head and snapped out of her trance and noticed the rotund viking passed out on the floor "Uhmm... I think Fishlegs needs a little help here..."
Before anyone could retort, the giant dragon opened it's maw and released an ear piercing scream that forced the teens in covering their ears or they'll go deaf. The gronkle released one more roar before submerging below the surprisingly very deep sea.
Astrid blinked owlishly before speaking in a dazed tone "Uhmm... Hiccup?"
"Yes Astrid?" Hiccup replied in the same dazed tone.
"Does the book of dragons have an entry about that dragon we just saw?"
Hiccup nodded absentmindedly "Yes Astrid, it does. The only difference is that the one in the book is only slightly larger than us."
"Oh, ok... Just checking..."
The Thorston twins looked at each other before smirking and butting each others' head.
Let it be known that on that day, Hiccup wished to all the gods he knew that they will never encounter that kind of dragon ever again. Isn't he funny?
In Hiccup's bedroom, near the bed, an egg could be seen shaking slightly before it stopped.
AN: Well... I know it's not that good but... Sigh... I'm ashamed of myself! Enjoy and review, please?
