Dragon Conqueror
Greetings and many great hellos!
Lately I've been getting myself into Helltaker, a free puzzle game featuring cute demons and pancakes. The plot is simplistic and pretty funny, and the absolute chaos that is my poor brain decided to borrow the premise for a short, silly story of my own. Which takes place in the HTTYD universe, because why not?
DISCLAIMER: I do not own HTTYD, any of the characters, or the game I've used as inspiration.
Once upon a time, there was a Viking boy named Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. He was the smallest and weakest Viking on Berk and was always trying to find ways to impress the tribe, without success. While his father Stoick was leading the village, he was stuck apprenticing with the blacksmith. But Hiccup had a secret. He was friends with a powerful dragon called Toothless.
One morning Hiccup sat up in bed, the solution to his problems suddenly clear. He fled the house without so much as a bite of breakfast and, after making a pit stop at his friend Fishlegs' house to pick up some yak chops for the trip, wandered down to the cove where Toothless was sleeping.
"I have an idea," Hiccup told the bewildered Night Fury. "If we go to Dragon Island and make friends with a bunch of dragons, we can take them back to Berk. Once Dad sees that dragons can be allies, the war will end, and we'll be the most powerful tribe in the archipelago."
"But Hiccup," Toothless protested, "Dragon Island is no place for a tiny human like you. They'll melt off your flesh and use your bones as toothpicks!"
Hiccup, though, was determined. "When dragons are involved, no price is high enough," he insisted. Without any further argument, he slung his bag over his shoulder, hopped on Toothless' back, and flew out to the open sea.
Soon, they arrived at a maze of rock spikes sitting within an ominous fog bank. The cone of a volcano rose from the center of the mist. Unpleasantly humid air surrounded Hiccup and made it difficult to breathe. So far, Dragon Island was living up to the rumors he'd heard all his life.
A lone dragon was curled up in sleep on the beach as they landed. Helpfully, Toothless informed his rider, "That's Hookfang, the lazy Monstrous Nightmare. Maybe you can figure him out."
As soon as Hiccup's boots touched the ground, pebbles crunched under his feet and Hookfang woke up with a yawn. Hiccup couldn't help but shiver upon seeing those terrifying jaws. The red dragon approached and looked down on him, staring with heavy-lidded eyes.
"Welcome to Dragon Island," Hookfang greeted, unexpectedly. "What do you… yaaawwwwn… what do you want?"
Hiccup hesitated. If he showed weakness, the dragon would no doubt see him as prey and eat him for sure. How could he let this dragon know he wanted to be friends without looking appetizing?
He decided to be honest about his feelings, and said to the miserable dragon, "You don't look so good. Come with me and I can help you relax."
To his surprise, Hookfang's shoulders sagged, and a relieved smile appeared on his muzzle. "Thank goodness, now I can leave my post. I could really use some Fireworm jelly."
And so Hiccup, followed by Toothless and Hookfang, proceeded up the beach with high spirits. Not even two steps on Dragon Island and he'd already made a new dragon friend. This would be a cinch.
Leaving the beach behind, Hiccup led the two dragons up to a rockier area where boulders packed tightly together into a maze. At the end of the rock garden was a series of flat rocks that got taller and taller, almost like a staircase. Hopping from one rock to another, he soon found that he was becoming short of breath, and he stopped to pant for a little.
"The mist and the heat from the volcano make the air thick and hard for humans to breathe," Hookfang explained. "Move too quickly and you'll have to rest. A wild dragon might carry you off for dinner if they see you."
Hiccup felt a chill go up his spine and he got back to his feet. Indeed, on a nearby platform, he could see the silhouette of another dragon through the fog. He jumped across the remainder of the rocks and made it onto the platform, where the other dragon perked up at the sight of him.
"Play with me!" Stormfly the Deadly Nadder demanded, displaying her spiky tail. "Come and play with me!"
Feeling tired from his climb, Hiccup almost agreed. But as he opened his mouth, he hesitated. He couldn't stay here! No matter how difficult it was, there was still a lot of the island to explore!
"No time," he told Stormfly, shaking his head. "I'm busy gathering dragons."
For a moment, Stormfly looked distraught, but then her expression became thoughtful. "More dragons? That means if I let you pass now, I'll have even more playmates later! I'm coming with you!"
The group of three became four, and Hiccup continued to lead his newfound dragon friends further into the island.
Soon the rocks gave way to soil and trees. On this side of the island was a steamy jungle partially hidden in fog. The silhouettes of trees stood out like dark apparitions, eerily still. Hiccup led the way nervously, brushing ferns and bushes out of his way. He shuddered to think of what kind of dragons might live in this neck of the woods.
Sudden movement in the branches above made Hiccup jump. Small shapes darted through the leaves. Sinister, high-pitched giggles rang out through the spooky forest. Hiccup felt a prickle of fear, and the dragons around him readied their fires in preparation for a fight. He retreated into the middle of them and scanned the fog, ready for –
"BOO!"
Hiccup screamed and whirled around at the sound of the shout right next to his ear, tripping over his own foot in the process. He landed with a groan of pain on his tender backside, opened his eyes, and saw three cat-sized dragons sitting on his belly, all looking quite pleased with themselves.
"Iggy! Sneaky! Sharpshot! How dare you pester us with your mindless pranks?!" Hookfang growled, swiping his tail at the Terrible Terrors, which scattered them.
"We're so bored!" Iggy whined, landing in a low-hanging branch. "We just wanna have some fun!"
"Is that a real human?" Sneaky asked, perching beside her brother. "He's carrying something yummy and has such a funny scream!"
"Please take us with you!" Sharpshot begged to Hiccup. "We'll hang out all the time and have tons of fun!"
Feeling significantly calmer, Hiccup got to his feet and took out three yak chops for the mischievous little dragons. "Okay, you can come along," he agreed. "But no pranking us from now on, got it?"
"Yaaayyyy!" the Terrible Terrors cheered. "We're going to a real human island! There'll be so many people to annoy!"
Hiccup raised his arms, allowing the trio to perch on his shoulders. The other dragons looked at him in consternation, unable to believe he was being so accommodating to the little pests. But the Terrors were warm and friendly and purred like happy kittens. Hiccup welcomed them to the group as they continued through the foggy forest.
The trees soon gave way to a lava field that sloped up toward the volcano in the distance. The uncomfortable heat combined with the uphill journey made Hiccup's brow drip profusely with sweat. His nostrils burned with the noxious stench of smoke and brimstone, as heavy in the air as the ever-present mist.
"Ooh, smell that?!" one of the Terrors yipped.
"Smell what?" Hiccup asked, plugging his nose to guard against the toxic cocktail.
"That's Zippleback gas!" another Terror chirped. "Barf and Belch are nearby!"
"They're a rather unrefined sort," Stormfly chimed in. "But you're a smart little human. If anyone can win them over, it's you."
Hiccup gestured for Toothless to stick close to him, and together him and the Night Fury ascended the volcanic slope. They made it about five steps before a massive shape swooped out from behind a cluster of boulders and landed in front of them.
"Whaddaya want?" the two-headed dragon barked.
"I'm looking for dragons to take back home to Berk," Hiccup explained.
Belch rolled his eyes. "As if we don't have better things to do than dally with braindead Vikings," he growled, spitting out sparks.
"Get lost, runt!" Barf added with a cruel smirk.
Thinking fast, Hiccup added, "We need the protection of powerful dragons to defend against our enemies. Once they see how great you are, they'll reward you with lots of fish."
Barf and Belch glanced at each other, their grouchy expressions changing to ones of surprise.
"Did you say fish? All the fish we want?" Belch asked, curious. "Okay, I guess I'm in."
"Screw the fish! We get to blow stuff up!" Barf cackled, and gassed Hiccup in the face for the heck of it. "Lead the way, scrawny!"
The violent dose of gas made Hiccup cough and lean into Toothless, who looked very much like he wanted to blow the Zippleback up. Hiccup patted him on the snout to let him know he was fine, and Toothless stood down reluctantly. They went back to the other dragons and headed back down the mountain – maybe there was an easier route to the volcano along the coast.
The coastline of Dragon Island was silent, foggy, and foreboding, like every other inch of the place. The water was still, inspiring not peace and comfort like on Berk's sandy beaches, but dread. Instead of the calming, rhythmic rush of waves washing against sand, there were only dripping sea stacks and ripples slapping against rock. The creepy silence wasn't helped by the fact that all of the dragons were content to keep their mouths shut and listen to their own talons crunch over stones.
A shiver going up his spine, Hiccup looked ahead and saw a blurry outline. He squinted at it, thinking that it looked sort of like a cave that opened to the sea. Just then, the path ended with a scattering of pebbles knocked loose into the water, and Hiccup windmilled his arms for balance. When he regained his footing, he was left staring at a gaping crack in the side of the mountain, through which the ocean streamed.
Before Hiccup could even ask Toothless to fly him inside, the surface of the water frothed, and a dragon exploded out of the depths. Its deep blue body hovered in front of them, mouth stretching wide and beady eyes glaring.
"I AM THORNADO!" the Thunderdrum boomed. "THIS IS MY TERRITORY! BEGONE, INTRUDERS!"
"A sea dragon on Dragon Island?" Barf expressed confusion. "What's this loser doing so close to our mountain?"
Hiccup stepped forward, his hands raised to show he was unarmed. "Please let us pass. We don't want to fight for your territory."
"I'm here on behalf of an ailing comrade," Thornado growled. "I followed the flocking dragons and figured there would be plentiful fish to take back to him until he regains his strength. So I claimed this stretch of coast for myself, and you are TRESPASSING!" he suddenly roared. "WHY HAVE YOU COME, LANDWALKER?!"
Toothless snarled, spreading his wings to protect Hiccup, but the boy brushed his friend away with a reassuring smile. He faced the territorial sea dragon and answered him earnestly, "I'm looking for dragons to take to Berk. I'm sorry for disturbing you, but we haven't come for fish. We'd just like to pass into the mountain."
He thought for sure that Thornado would challenge him; he was surprised when the Thunderdrum closed his mouth and leaned in with interest. "Berk? A human settlement?" he asked. "I hear the fishing is good there. Could I tag along?"
Hiccup knew that a friendly sea dragon would be great for the fishermen, not to mention an excellent defense against invading ships. He gave Thornado permission to come, and the Thunderdrum showed his thanks by carrying Hiccup over the sea on his back. The other dragons flew close behind, and together the unlikely crew entered the cavern.
As they flew deeper into the tunnel, the fog that shrouded the island was replaced by all-consuming blackness. Hiccup shuddered and tightened his hold on Thornado's scales, feeling more apprehensive than ever before. He could sense something deep inside the island – something whose stirrings couldn't be heard so much as felt. The air seemed to shudder, as though the volcano itself was breathing.
Nevertheless, Hiccup kept his fear under control and refused to look anywhere but ahead. This was his daring mission, and there was no turning back now.
At the end of the tunnel was a red light and the stench of sulfur. A vast cavern lay beyond the dark passageway, filled with dragons of every kind imaginable. Hiccup craned his neck, taking in the awesome sight with a thrill of excitement. He was the very first Viking to make it inside the dragons' nest! His wonder eclipsed his fear, and he stepped off Thornado's back and walked to the edge of the tunnel.
A huge shape flew in front of him, and he stumbled back to let the dragon land in front of him. She was big, tough-looking, and all armored knobs and sharp teeth. She thrust her serious-looking muzzle into Hiccup's face, snuffling deeply through her nostrils. Then, before the boy could die from anxiety, she broke into an enormous grin.
"Cool! We don't get a lot of humans here!" Meatlug, the sociable Gronckle, gushed. "How'd you get here, kid?"
"I rode on a Night Fury. This is Toothless," Hiccup explained, patting his best friend on the head. With a gesture toward the other dragons he'd gathered, he asked, "We're all going to Berk. Want to come with?"
Meatlug's expression twisted in thought. "Do you have any good food on Berk?" she finally asked.
In response, Hiccup opened his bag and dug out some more of Fishlegs' yak chops. "Here, my friend made these. It's a family recipe."
Swallowing the yak chops with gusto, Meatlug's eyes shone and she wagged her tail in excitement. "Introduce me to your friend and you've got a deal, dragon rider!"
Now with nine dragon friends in his party, Hiccup climbed onto Toothless and led the motley flock into the cavern proper. It was the vastest chamber he'd ever seen, rivaling Berk's Meade Hall five times over. Its bottom was so far down that it couldn't be seen through the thick volcanic gases swirling below.
Somehow, Hiccup knew that there was something waiting for him at that unfathomable bottom. So he mustered his courage and asked Toothless to fly him down – together, they plunged into the obscuring yellow clouds and glided downwards for what seemed like an eternity. At last, though, Toothless' paws hit stone, and Hiccup dismounted so he could proceed alone into the depths.
The heat was nearly unbearable, and the atmosphere was thick and suffocating. His eyes were stinging from the fog of noxious yellow that blinded him so. Every breath he took was a foul-tasting chore, his clothes were heavy with sweat, and tears poured from his eyes. But although Hiccup was small and skinny, he was still a Viking, and tougher than he looked. Hearing the clicking of many dragon talons on the floor behind him, he was encouraged and strode blindly forward.
A low rumble suddenly rolled through the cavern. The menacing sound stirred the clouds and disturbed the floor, made his bones rattle and his ears ring. Hiccup heard the dragons freeze. A titanic shadow stirred within the deepest part of the sulfurous miasma. Then the clouds parted like a curtain flung aside, restoring Hiccup's vision and revealing the mightiest dragon he'd ever seen. She was as tall as a mountain, her hide like stone and her claws like sharpened tree trunks. Her eyes were fiery stars, her wings the very sky, and her breath smelled like death itself. She was the hidden queen of Dragon Island, and Hiccup was a trembling insect before her.
"I SMELLED YOUR PRESENCE THE VERY INSTANT YOU STEPPED FOOT IN MY DOMAIN," the queen roared. "YOU HAVE DONE WELL, HUMAN, MAKING IT THIS FAR. AND THE WAY YOU BENT MY SUBJECTS TO YOUR WILL… I, THE RED DEATH, BELIEVE CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER.
"NOW," the Red Death said, pinning Hiccup to the floor with her narrowed gaze. "I SHALL BE MERCIFUL AND OFFER YOU A CHOICE, HUMAN. EITHER YOU AND YOUR NEW COMRADES LEAVE NOW AND NEVER DISTURB MY SLUMBER AGAIN, OR YOU CAN BECOME MY NEXT MEAL AND BE PRESERVED HERE FOR ETERNITY. CHOOSE WITH HASTE, FOR I ALREADY FEEL MY HUNGER RETURNING."
For a moment, Hiccup wanted to shrink down into nothingness to avoid the Red Death's piercing stare. But had he not come to Dragon Island expecting the worst? Had he not been determined to retrieve his own hand-picked dragon flock and return to Berk a legend? Was he not a Viking, descendant of the bravest chieftains to ever sail the seas?
He lifted his chin high and stared the queen right in the face with his own iron gaze. He stepped forward, his arm raised as though to address her. Standing tall, he gave the queen his answer.
"I will return to Berk – and I ask that you come along with me," Hiccup declared.
The Red Death's eyes blazed with anger. "FOOLISH CHILD," she rumbled. "YOU DARE SUGGEST THAT I, A BEING HUNDREDS OF YEARS YOUR ELDER, SHARE ROOF WITH YOU IN YOUR FLIMSY HUMAN VILLAGE?"
"Berk is much more than just a village," Hiccup dared to retort. "We have great forests and mountains with fresh air and incredible views. We have breathtaking seas with all the fish you can eat. And we have cooks that can make some of the tastiest delicacies in the archipelago."
On that final statement, Hiccup opened his hand to reveal the last of the yak chops. A disbelieving breath hissed from the Red Death's nose, almost blowing him over. She leaned her whale-sized head forward and swept the yak chops into her jaws with a flick of her tongue. She closed her mouth and swallowed, then narrowed her eyes to slits that glinted dangerously.
"I WOULD BURN YOU TO ASHES, PUNY ONE…" the Red Death hissed.
The dragons stirred and backed away in terror, and Hiccup winced, preparing himself for the end to come.
"…WERE YOUR MORSELS NOT THE MOST DELICIOUS THINGS I HAVE EVER TASTED," she finished in a begrudging growl.
Hiccup slumped almost to his knees, his legs made weak with relief. The dragons flapped their wings and shrieked, blowing fire from their mouths in triumph.
With a thoughtful expression, the Red Death raised her head toward the cavern's distant ceiling. "I CONFESS… PERHAPS IT IS TIME I EMERGE FROM MY RESTING PLACE OF CENTURIES AND STRETCH MY WEARY WINGS," she mused. "VERY WELL, HUMAN, I SHALL JOIN YOU."
Unable to stop a delighted grin from spreading over his face, Hiccup hopped aboard Toothless and told him to return to Berk.
When Hiccup and his dragons landed on Berk, the entire tribe turned out to meet him, their faces reflecting shock, confusion, and fear. There were many that wanted him thrown out of the village on the spot. But when Hiccup raised his voice to tell them all about how useful dragon allies could be for Berk, he was interrupted by heavy catapult fire. As boulders rained down upon the island, they turned toward the sea and saw an invading army of Outcasts!
It took less than five minutes for Hiccup, Toothless, and the Dragon Island dragons to sink many ships and chase the Outcasts away. When they landed again, the citizens of Berk were cheering! Hiccup was a hero and his dragon friends were welcome to stay on Berk for as long as they wanted. Some Vikings even began to call him "Dragon Conqueror".
With no other tribe daring to attack Berk now, the village became a peaceful place. Hiccup occupied much of his time making yak chops with Fishlegs, who, as agreed, was introduced to Meatlug, and the two became inseparable. Hookfang was fed a steady supply of Fireworm jelly and restored to his proper powerful self, and so spent his days flying with (and occasionally bullying) Hiccup's cousin Snotlout. Stormfly found an enthusiastic playmate/training partner in the form of her own human rider, Astrid. Barf and Belch quickly met the village's own troublemakers, Ruff and Tuff, and together began blowing things up for the fun of it. Thornado gladly helped the fishermen fill their nets, in return for a small portion of the haul, and when he wasn't fishing he was policing the Zippleback's destructive antics.
As for the Red Death, she was the most relaxed she'd ever been, out of her stuffy cavern and free to climb the mountains and explore the waters. But her favorite place was just outside of Hiccup's house, basking in the scent of freshly cooked yak chops wafting from the windows.
"AHHHH, WHAT BLISS," she sighed with enough force to , once Fishlegs came out with another plate of chops for her. "I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DO IT, YOUNG ONE, BUT YOUR CULINARY TALENTS SURELY RIVAL THE GODS THEMSELVES."
"Oh, stop it!" Fishlegs blushed. "Knowing you enjoy my family's cooking is praise enough, Miss Red Death!"
Hiccup walked out of the house just then, followed by Toothless. "Guys, Toothless and I are going out flying," he announced. "Can you handle the rest of the dragons' food from here?"
"No problem! I've got Meatlug to help me out," Fishlegs replied, and patted the Gronckle on the snout lovingly.
Before Hiccup could hop on Toothless, the pitter-patter of tiny wings reached his ears. The three Terrible Terrors landed at his feet, tails tangled and wings askew. They shared the same panicked expression as they clutched his legs in a desperate plea for help.
"Hiccup! Hiccup! You gotta hide us!" they squealed.
"Causing trouble again?" Toothless snorted. "We need to find you a human to keep you in line."
"I've told you a billion times – no setting anyone's skivvies on fire," Hiccup said, sternly. "Who was it this time?"
Iggy, Sneaky, and Sharpshot opened their mouths to answer, but were interrupted by the familiar bellow of Hiccup's enraged father, stomping up toward them with smoke rising from his rump.
"HICCUP!" Stoick thundered. "GET YOUR DRAGONS UNDER CONTROL THIS INSTANT!"
Helpless, Hiccup turned to gather the Terrible Terrors… only to find that they had already slipped away. The sound of the house door slamming indicated that Toothless, Meatlug, and Fishlegs had gone as well. He had no choice but to calm the raging hurricane that was his father, alone.
Yes, days on Berk still weren't easy. The dragons introduced a new set of problems to replace the ones they'd solved. But that was the thing about life: there would always be problems. It was important to enjoy the good, regardless of the bad.
Berk may have had harsh winters and hordes of enemies. But now, it also had dragons.
And so they lived happily ever after.
Mostly.
I had a bunch of fun writing out this silly little story. Especially the Red Death's role. I giggle at the idea that this gigantic prehistoric nightmare can be bought over with Viking home cooking.
I'd originally intended to include a battle scene where Hiccup and Toothless battled Alvin and won the friendship of his Whispering Death, to parallel the Judgement fight in Helltaker, but this story is already longer than I wanted it to be and it's much funnier to imply that the Outcast army was simply curbstomped.
Check out Helltaker if you're interested in fun puzzles and cute girls. Soundtrack's a banger, too.
If you enjoyed, please review! Thanks for reading!