(Disclaimer) This is my first ever fan fiction, I've been reading for years and gone through many different stories. As a result I keep imagining my own story lines and my own perception of these stories. Undoubtedly there is a whole lot of you that is gonna think that this is rubbish and turn away from this story, but I'd just like to thank each and everyone of you for giving me a chance even if it is to only ready this first disclaimer. I also hope that I don't butcher your view on these characters, I find it particularly hard to entice decent dialogue and write a easy to follow story line. Fault of a first time write I suppose. In any case I hope you enjoy this story, I'm finding it difficult to write all the time. But rest assured I'm going to keep this going until the end, even if it's gonna be my last conscious act. And so I would really like if you have any helpful criticism or inkling of inspiration that might improve this story in any way, please let me know. I'd like to hear each and everyone of your reviews. Thank you dear Reader, I will not hold you up any longer. Enjoy.
Chapter one: The beginnings
Earth. Fire. Air. Water.
The four elements that has built the very foundation of our world from the beginning of time, and as time has stretched on extraordinary things has happened, or extraordinary people.
This story is about a boy called Hiccup Haddock, who young teen in a place far from any land we associate with bending or any sort. That place was called Berk, an island in a archipelago far north-west of the Fire Nation, the barbaric archipelago, or so it's called by the island inhabitants, had been largely ignored by the four nations due to it's remote distance. Anyone trying to cross the treacherous sea would find themselves either at the bottom of the sea or shipwrecked on an island devoid of animal or plant life and therefore starve. The barbaric archipelago fell into myths and legends due to whoever tried to reach these dangerous shores would never come back to tell the tale. Until, sea-faring people called the vikings successfully crossed the sullen sea and fell upon the land.
Previous history had the Vikings labeled as pirates or thieves as they ransacked the villages across the land, not being picky the vikings had stirred a uproar in all the nations. Therefore the Vikings was forced to flee to these islands in an attempt to avoid retribution and for 300 years they resided as the only inhabitants, except they weren't the only inhabitants. Some places would have creatures like buffalo-yaks or hog-monkeys but the Barbaric Archipelago had Dragons. Traditional Dragons were held in high regards as they were the original fire benders and had long been the celestial beings of the Fire Nation, these dragons however had been far from their fire breathing cousins of the east, not only in demeanor but also in size and species. There was dragons in every size and form, dragons ranging from small as farms dogs to dragons as big as houses. After settling at the island of Berk, the people had waged war against the dragons had been stealing food and livestock from the vikings for centuries.
One person was destined to reforge the lines that been broken by hundreds of years war, one very unlikely person born with the gift of bending all the elements.
*This is Berk, it's twelve days north of hopeless and a few degrees south of freezing to death. It's located solidly on the meridian of misery. *
My village. in a word "Sturdy" It's been here for seven generations, but every single building is new. We have fishing, hunting and a charming view of the sunsets. The only problem is the pests, some places might have mice or mosquitoes, we have dragons. Until quite recently I've hoped to be apart of my tribe, to finally fight dragons and to have my father be finally proud of me.
However that was before I met Toothless, a night fury. He showed me what it meant to earn the trust of a dragon, a trust I sometimes think I don't deserve, as I was the one shot him down and rendered him flightless.
In my guilt I made him prosthetic fin that allows him to gain flight again, only problem is that I always needed to steer it in order for him to fly. I could tell that he resigned his anger for not being able to fly on his own, but after spending time we've come to be very good friends and by each passing day I find myself thinking that I would risk everything to protect him, and I'm sure he feels the same now. Though I am worried, for the time I've spent with toothless has taught me many things about dragons.
Things has helped me in the ring during the training sessions. These methods has earned me a fake reputation as an amazing dragon wrangler, everyone is most impressed except a certain Astrid. I have the things I've been wanting for years, popularity, respect from my peers, and the village not thinking I'm some sort of freak, but now that I have it, I'm not sure I want it.*
Hiccup had been in his shed behind the forge, writing in his journal or that of drawing toothless from his mind. He had taken to doing this during the evenings as he found every moment he wasn't spending with toothless awfully dull, his drawings had been littering his desk. The rest of his shed had the walls plastered with blueprints of his many ideas or contraptions. He yawned and peered through the narrow gap of the door that led out to the rest of the forge, it was pitch dark outside. Thinking he should go to bed before it got to late he stood up and stretched. He smiled inwardly, normally he would resent going to bed because it meant he would have to endure a day filled with scornful and nasty looks from the passing villagers as he worked. However waking up next day it meant he could spend his day with toothless. Hiccup was gathering his things, when someone knocked on his shed door. Being slightly ajar the door possibly banged open due to Stoick's brute force, Hiccup jumped back in shock and began to cower as he hurriedly tried to hide his drawings from his father.
"Dad! You're back! Gobber's not here so..." said Hiccup with still desperately trying shove his drawings away.
"I know." Stoick replied before forcing his huge bulk through the tiny door making the wood creak loudly as he pushed through. "I came looking for you."
"You did?" Hiccup asked tentatively.
"You've been keeping secrets." Stoick stated with a low voice.
Hiccups mouth became very dry, "I h-have?" Hiccup stammered. Does he know about Toothless? thought Hiccup with a icy feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Just how long did you think you could hide it from me?" Stoick asked Hiccup still in a low ominous voice.
"I...I...I don't know what you're..." Hiccup said trying to act casual but failing miserably with his stammers.
"Nothing happens on this island without me hearing about it." said Stoick his voice getting louder and more stern. Hiccup recoiled slightly at his fathers tone.
"So... Let's talk about that Dragon" said Stoick with a frown looking at his son.
Hiccup felt as if he had just been struck with a heavy weight, how could he have known? Had someone seen him with toothless and went to tell on him to Stoick? Gobber or was it Astrid? She had been furious with Hiccup for doing better than her in the ring, something he also had been sadden by. Defeated he relented,
"Oh gods. Dad, I'm so sorr.. I... I was going to tell you, I just didn't know how to-" but as Hiccup fumbled for an excuse Stoick started to laugh, slowly but surely getting louder until he rang with laughter. Confused Hiccup started to laugh as well but with a nervous laugh of his own, "You're-re not upset?" asked Hiccup in confusion, Stoick who was still laughing let out a loud "What? I had been hoping for this!"
"Uh, you were?" Hiccup asked with a confused frown but Stoick continued "and believe me, it only gets better! Just wait until you spill a nadder's guts for the first time! and mount your first Gronkle head on a spear!" He hit Hiccup on the shoulder sending Hiccup stumbling backwards against the wall, scrambling up from the basket in which had fallen over he heard Stoick say "What a feeling! You really had me going there, son! All those years of being the worst viking Berk has ever seen. By Odin! it was rough. I almost gave up on you, and all the while you were holding out on me! Oh Thor almighty!" he sounded weak with happiness over his sons apparent success within the ring. Stoick grabbed a chair and sat down while Hiccup tried his hardest to not give away that he looked both relieved and hurt by Stoick's words. So he didn't know about toothless after all thought Hiccup while trying to keep his face straight.
"With you doing so well in the ring... we finally have something to talk about." Stoick looked at his son with a wide and happy expression. Hiccup tried to think of something but he found his voice constricted due to his inability of think about anything he might've done that could even be considered "Viking like". Stoick's face fell slightly at the awkward silence and pulled out a helmet "Here-I uh, I brought you something, to keep you safe in the ring" slightly taken aback Hiccup took the helmet and inspected it "Your mother would've liked you to have it. It's half of her breastplate" Hiccup snapped his fingers back from the top of the helmet "Ehh- Uhh" Hiccup stammered awkwardly.
"Matching set" Stoick elaborated wrapping his knuckles on his own helmet "Keeps her close, you know." He said with a sorrowful frown. "Wear it proudly. You deserve it, you've held up your end of the deal"
Hiccup didn't know what to say to this and started to fake a yawn, "I-I should really get to bed." Stoick stood up quickly and uttered "Yes! good. Okay, Good talk." playing along Hiccup said "I'll see you back at the house, thanks for stopping by...and for the breast hat." Stoick mumbled something indistinct and exited the shed. Hiccup let a loud sigh of relief, that had been close. I really need to see toothless he thought warily. But it was to risky for him to go to him now his father was back at least during the evenings, so he exited the forge and began to walk briskly towards his house.
Next morning..
Hiccup was walking towards the cove along with his riding gear in stow, he had muttered a small lie about training in the forest to his father before gathering his gear and then proceeding to sneak towards the forest in the early morning light. Unbeknownst to Hiccup a certain blonde girl had been stalking him since he had left his house and now was slowly following him in the forest. Hiccup was still brooding over last nights conversation "I almost gave up on you, The worst viking Berk has ever seen!" seemed to reverberate through his mind like a bell. He had before thought that his father had been ashamed of him, but for him to actually say himself made it all worse. Hiccup thought for a long time as he walked, when he was quickly snapped out of his revery when a breaking of a twig sounded couple of trees behind him, he looked around quickly and stared at the surrounding trees. "What the?" he muttered, fearing that someone might be doing something in here and not keen on being discovered he broke into a run and went for some low-laying branches that would make a lot of noises if someone were to follow him. After ten minutes of running Hiccup and feeling as if he's ribs were aching, could with certainty conclude that no one was following him, and he made a beeline towards the part of the forest where he knew the cove to be. After twenty minutes of walking Hiccup approached the white rocks surrounding the cove, knowing where the entrance was he descended the small rocky path that led into the little pit. He looked around and spotted Toothless dozing lightly at the feet of a large boulder with surrounding soft grass.
"Toothless! It's me bud!" Hiccup called out in greeting. Toothless opened his eyes groggily before snapping his great head at Hiccup. His eyes focusing on Hiccup, his mouth curved into his familiar gummy smile before bounding over to Hiccup. He looked at Hiccup with an expectant coon "Don't worry bud, I didn't forget your food." said Hiccup as he threw a smoked salmon and a rainbow colored trout at Toothless. Toothless caught them both and swallowed with a undignified squelching noise, "You know you're disgusting whenever you do that bud" said Hiccup with his tongue out in apparent dislike. The dragon flicked his great head and rolled his eyes at the comment. Hiccup sighed and kept walking to their usual spot where they would assert the harness and fin. He kneeled down and sighed. Why can't everyone just like me for who I am? he thought miserably. If the village were to find out about his little friend he would be disowned and possibly exiled for going against the most sacred of rules, not to mention how they would kill toothless on sight. He jumped as he felt a warm breath on the back of his head, he looked around and was met with toothless's bright green eyes.
"Hey bud, what is it?" Hiccup asked while looking at Toothless questionably. Toothless cooed softly and looked at the sky and then looked back at Hiccup with a pleading look. Catching on Hiccup said dispassionately "I'm sorry toothless but we can't fly right now, I have to be at Dragon training soon."
Toothless warbled sadly and tried push hiccup with his head "No, toothless I really mean it" said Hiccup soothingly
Toothless kept looking at Hiccup with giant puppy eyes, and Hiccup relented "Ohh, alright! I can't deny you anything can I?" Toothless jumped up and began to run around in circles out of happiness. Hiccup couldn't help but laugh at his friend "Alright, let me get the saddle"
The flight had been exactly what he needed, the very sky seemed to celebrate. It was streaked with a forget-me-not blue and the normal chilly cold in the air seemed be nonexistent. He felt as if he could stay in the air forever, the wind that ruffled his hair seemed to wipe every bad thought clean. Toothless seemed to be enjoying the flight too as he gave a whoop-like roar that echoed throughout the grounds. For what had been a relatively long flight felt like the exhale of breath before they had to land again. Landing softly in cove Hiccup dismounted Toothless and began fiddling with the reins of his saddle. "I really have to go to dragon training now, or otherwise people will start asking uncomfortable questions. Oh, don't look at me like that, you know fully well I would be rather spending time here than there." said Hiccup pointedly for Toothless had thrown Hiccup a disgruntled look to the point of annoyance at the news of him leaving. Hiccup removed the saddle and the fin that controlled everything and looked at the sky, it had to be noon, he really had to hurry or he would miss dragon training.
I'm not sure how long I am going to be able to keep this a secret much longer, everyone is expecting me to kill dragons and I can't do it. thought Hiccup and previous words of his father blazed pure white among his thoughts "Worst viking Berk has ever seen!" and unable to keep it inside anymore he swung his foot at a large boulder that had been laying close to the waters edge in anger. In the split second between his foot connecting with the rock and him realizing what he had done, something unusual happend. Instead of the rock colliding with Hiccup's foot and possibly causing a lot of pain, the rock shot like a bullet at the opposing wall and crashed into a large chunks. Hiccup fell back with a scream, Toothless jumped and started growling at the sudden loud crash, he rushed to Hiccup and placed himself protectively in front of him. Hiccup looked past toothless's figure and saw what had remained of the splintered rock and was at a complete disbelief at what had just happend. "By Odin! What was that!?" exclaimed Hiccup loudly, he looked at his feet and then at his hands. Did I do that? thought Hiccup incredulously while pushing himself to his feet. He went slowly up to another rock slightly smaller than the one that had been flying across the pond, and gently poked it with his fingers, nothing happend whatsoever.
What in Valhalla was going on? wondered Hiccup. Flying rocks? is Loki playing tricks on me or something? Hiccup let out a yelp as he felt something extremely warm manifesting around his midriff, he looked quickly down and saw that part of his pants were on fire. Panicking Hiccup tried desperately to extinguish the fire with his hands but more fire kept appearing out of nowhere. Toothless ran up to him in alarm and grabbed him roughly before throwing Hiccup into the cove lake. Hiccup fell with a splash into the lake, but as he had fallen something ever stranger happend, the water seemed to come alive and began spiraling violently until ceasing abruptly whenever Hiccup surfaced.
Completely at a loss as to what was going on Hiccup let out a small yell "What in Thor's sake is going on!?" Toothless was standing at the edge of the pond looking at Hiccup with worry, his tail swinging back and forth in ready for in case Hiccup happend to set himself on fire again. Hiccup remained in the water shivering, he was afraid of doing whatever had happend just a moment ago. Oh the gods hate me, first I manage to befriend the most dangerous dragon and now I learn I can set myself on fire without any visible spark reflected Hiccup with a panic. Toothless was still pacing at the shore and kept looking at Hiccup with wide eyes, catching this Hiccup called "I'm fine Toothless!" and then he added sarcastically "Thank you for throwing me in here". Hiccup could hear the warble-like laugh of toothless not far away.
"Ha-ha very funny, I can't breath for laughing" Hiccup said shivering, he was still drenched. He waded to the shore and looked at his hands again, I can produce fire from my hands? but how? He stood still, his back ram-straight and threw an light punch in the air, and to his astonishment bright orange flames flew like a jet in front of him and dispersed into the warm summer air. Okay that was cool thought Hiccup in a daze. He tried it again, throwing another punch this time harder and a more powerful jet of fire exited from his fist and lit up the ground with a red glow before disappearing. "I can shoot fire!" he said in amazement looking at his hands.
Toothless had been watching with mounting curiosity and had slowly approached Hiccup all the while he had been exploring his newfound powers, they both looked at each other. Toothless glanced at the singed ground that Hiccup had made with his own flames and then looked back at Hiccup, he gave a gummy smile. Hiccup wondered why Toothless seemed so happy until it the gears working his head fell into place, "Oh no don't you dare!" but it was to late. Toothless inhaled and shot his own flames at the ground repeating what Hiccup had done.