A/N: I know the chapter was a bit later than usual but I made it up to all of you by making it a nice big one for you all to really sink your teeth into. So we go over a number of scenes in this chapter and I had a blast writing it, there will be plenty of double meanings to everything and confuse our poor cast members enough more so than they already are. We are all going to have an identity crisis before this is over, should be fun. I'll see you all in therapy!
Guest: Can't reveal everything just yet, have to leave some suspense, but what I can answer is yes, Toothless is actually hurt and as you will see is very wary of Henry still. I'm glad you are enjoying the story and hope you continue to enjoy it.
Httydastrid4ever: Glad I could clear that up for you. I still haven't decided what to do with Helga yet, for now she is an enigma and that leaves me so much room to work with it actually sucks. I am left with the unique problem of having too many ideas for her that I just don't know which one to go with LOL! Writers problems huh? Hope your soup is warm and tasty.
gandalfnho: Oh Henry has so much more coming for him that his teen mind will have trouble keeping up. I had to come up with a way to expand Henry's role and make some of the later interactions with the cast make sense. I think a secret mission given by Helga would do just that.
CB73: As you mentioned first and I do above they are all going to need some serious therapy! That wrap up party is bound to turn some heads. Henry's new mission is going to cause some confusion and just a tiny amount of animosity which should help those identity crisis' that everyone is going through. Helga is something else that I have so many ideas for and there is the problem as well... Too many ideas, what a problem to have eh?
Musiclover435: Yeah I could see that causing some issues for everyone if it wasn't explained, I myself had a hard time remembering when I was writing that bit so I knew I had to help you guys out. Glad you are enjoying the story.
Thank you all for the lovely reviews they really make my day when I get the little notification on my phone so keep those coming, please and thank you :)
Your Friendly Neighborhood Mexican ;p
(Monday, October 15th, 2018)
"ACTION!"
"Welcome to Dragon Training!" Gobber said joyously as he flung the gate to the holding pens open.
"Here you will learn how to fight some of the most common dragons that we have to deal with." He continued as the teens walked into the center of the pens.
"I hope to get some serious burns!" Tuff said excitedly as he looked to his sister.
"Yeah, I'm hoping for some mauling. Like on my shoulder or lower back." Ruff said as rolled her shoulders.
"I suppose it's only fun if you get a scar out of it." Astrid commented.
"No going back now." She said to herself.
"Yeah, who doesn't love pain. Wooo." Hiccup said lamely, clearly not as excited as the others.
"Who let him in?" Ruff asked annoyed at the sight of Hiccup.
"Hiccup already killed a NightFury. So, I'm pretty sure that disqualifies him." Snotlout replied mockingly.
The twins, Snotlout, and Fishlegs all laughed. Astrid just shook her head and rolled her eyes with disgust. Hiccup deflated a bit but trudged on as Gobber walked back to the boy and wrapped a meaty arm around him.
"Oh don't worry about them. The dragons will just see you as sick or insane and go after some of the more Viking like teens." Gobber told Hiccup. Trying to cheer the boy up.
Hiccup's eyes flashed with sadness for just the briefest of moments. He knew that Gobber meant well, but sometimes what the man thought was a comforting thought or gesture only buried the dagger deeper. Hiccup lined up with the others, next to Fishlegs as it was and waited for Gobber to begin the lesson.
"Now then behind these doors are the dragons that you will most likely see during a raid." Gobber began.
"The Deadly Nadder." Gobber said with a chuckle
"Speed 8, Armor 16." Fishlegs rattled off
"The Hideous Zippleback." Gobber continued.
"Plus 11 stealth times 2." Fishlegs said, like it was a quiz.
"The Monstrous Nightmare!" Gobber proclaimed.
"Firepower 15." Fishlegs followed up.
"The Terrible Terror." Gobber said menacingly.
"Attack 8, Venom 12!" Fishlegs shot back.
"Will you stop that!" Gobber exclaimed, tired of Fishlegs' antics.
"Finally the Gronkle." Gobber said as a devious smirk grew on his face.
"Jaw strength 8." Fishlegs whispered to Hiccup.
Realizing what Gobber was up to as he put his hand on the lever, Snotlout attempted to stop the man when he stepped out of the line.
"Woah! Woah! Aren't you like, going to teach us something first?!" He questioned.
"I believe in learning on the job." Gobber responded as he chuckled and flipped the lever.
"Scatter!" Hiccup shouted as the Gronkle came bursting out of the holding pen.
"You are a crazy old man!" Snotlout shouted as he dodged the flying Gronkle.
"Who you calling old boy? I'm still in me prime!" Gobber said as he tried to strike a pose, only to hear a massive crack and bend over holding his back.
"Okay, maybe a few years past me prime." Gobber admitted as he stood up gingerly.
Taking a few moments to recover and enjoy the terror that the teens were experiencing. Gobber laughed as he heard the kids shout and scream as they tried to avoid the dragon. After taking pleasure in their dismay he figured he should actually get to teaching them.
"Quick what is the first thing you are going to need?" Gobber shouted out.
"A healer." Hiccup said sarcastically.
"Plus 5 speed." Fishlegs said, only to be met by stunned glances.
"The power of Loki." The twins shouted out.
"My Viking Prowess." Snotlout said arrogantly.
"A shield, you yak brains!" Astrid shouted out, annoyed that no one was taking this seriously.
"Shields go!" Gobber shouted in response, showing that Astrid had the correct response.
"Remember shields are the most important thing you can have on the battlefield. Against dragon or man. So, if you have to make a choice between a sword or a shield, take the shield!" Gobber explained as he shoved a shield into Hiccup's gut.
Hiccup struggled to get the heavy shield strapped to his arm but managed to lift it up to try and defend himself. All the other teens started to grab shields and use them to protect themselves from the flying tank that was the Gronkle. Hiccup slowly inched his way over to a weapons rack and tried to hide behind it.
"Really Hiccup? Hiding on the first day? Though I suppose if you are there you can't mess anything up." Snotlout insulted Hiccup from the opposite side of the arena.
Hiccup glared at Snotlout but said nothing. He looked around the arena to see that most everyone had finally gotten a shield and were taking up defensive positions around the Gronkle. Most everyone, the twins decided that now was a good time to get into one of their trademark arguments.
"Hey that is my shield!" Ruff exclaimed as she and her brother grabbed the same one.
"No, it's not it's mine. Grab that one it has flowers on it. Girls like flowers." Tuff shot back with a chuckle.
His laugh was all Ruff needed to rip the shield from his grasp and hit him over the head with it.
"Ooops, now this one has blood on it." Ruff said mockingly.
Tuff grabbed the shield again and got into a fierce tug of war with Ruff only for the shield to explode into a thousand pieces and spin both of the twins in circles. Dazed and confused the twins looked around trying to figure out what had nearly hit them.
"Ruff, Tuff. You both are out." Gobber stated as he walked around the pens.
"What?" Both twins asked, still trying to collect themselves.
"You both got blasted, so you are out. Speaking of which, every dragon has a shot limit. How many does a Gronkle have?" Gobber asked the remaining teens.
"Five?" Snotlout guessed.
"No, six!" Fishlegs exclaimed.
"Good Fishlegs! That means one shot for each of you!" Gobber cackled as he watched the teens face drop.
"Are you trying to get us killed?" Snotlout asked as he dove out of the Gronkle's path.
"Nah, just trying to keep you on your toes." Gobber replied.
"At this rate we will have as many toes as you do!" Hiccup shouted as he slowly made his way out from behind the weapons rack.
"Nothing wrong with four toes." Gobber replied with a shrug.
"Four?" Snotlout replied, his voice wavering as he realized just who crazy Gobber had to be.
"Enough gab! Get in there! Those shields are good for making noise too. Bang them on the ground or with your weapons, throw off that dragon's aim!" Gobber instructed the teens.
Following the old warrior's advice, the teens saw that the effects were instant. The Gronkle's pupils started to dilate from big to small, its flying started to wavier, shook its head, and started to groan in pain. Growling at the noise that was causing it such distress, the Gronkle charged up a fireball and shot it in the direction of the teens. The Gronkle got lucky as it managed to blast the shield out of Fishlegs' grasp.
"Fishlegs, you're done." Gobber stated.
The large boy scrambled to the gate in order to avoid any injury, leaving Hiccup, Astrid and Snotlout in the ring. The remaining three had stopped banging their shields briefly when they saw the dragon blast Fishlegs shield and that momentary lull in the noise was all the dragon needed to regain its senses.
It started to chase the remaining teens all over the pens before deciding to follow Hiccup. Chasing the boy all over, it gave Snotlout an opening to try and woo Astrid yet again.
"So, I just got the entire hut to myself now that my parents are gone on the raid. You should come over sometime and workout. You look like you work out." He offered trying to be flirtatious.
He never got an answer as he was suddenly tackled to the ground. Landing with a thud Snotlout looked up to see that Hiccup had collided with him and the Gronkle was now coming down on both of them.
"Damnit Hiccup!" Snotlout shouted as he rolled out of the way.
The Gronkle started to chase the larger boy and began to charge up another shot. Eyes narrowed the Gronkle let loose a massive fire ball that collided with Snotlout's shield as he brought it up just in time. Exploding into splinters, it threw Snotlout back a few feet and knocked the boy silly.
"Mama?" Snotlout asked slowly as he opened his eyes.
Seeing that Snotlout was ripe for the picking, the Gronkle landed and began to stalk towards the boy. Recognizing that Snotlout was in no shape to defend himself or get away Hiccup started to run toward the dragon.
"Hey ugly!" Hiccup shouted.
The insult got the dragon's attention and it snapped its head toward the boy. Hiccup stood his ground and started to bang his shield on the ground, trying to disorient the dragon and keep it focused on him. However, with fewer and fewer shields contributing to the noise level, all the sound did was agitate the Gronkle. Without any preamble the dragon launched a fireball at Hiccup. The boy barely lifted the heavy shield up in time to block the fireball, but at a great cost. His shield was destroyed and now the Gronkle was focused firmly on him.
Walking with deadly intent toward the small boy, the Gronkle started to paw at the ground, snarl, and flash its huge, razor sharp teeth at the boy. Hiccup refused to back down and just glared back at the dragon. If he could survive an encounter with a NightFury he should be able to survive this…Right?
The Gronkle stopped a few feet from the boy who had refused to give any ground. The dragon, insulted by the boy's lack of fear, roared at him and began to charge up a fire ball. Seeing that the boy had no protection Gobber started to race toward the boy.
"Hiccup!" He shouted, realizing that he would never make it in time.
Hiccup stood his ground, either fear or courage, perhaps a bit of both, kept his feet rooted to the ground. Just as the dragon launched the fireball, a shield came out of nowhere and blocked the molten ball. The shield exploded in the dragon's face causing it to whimper in pain and scramble back to the safety of its pen. Hiccup was thrown back from the force of the blast, the tips of his hair singed and his ears ringing. As he regained his wits about him, he saw Astrid standing halfway across the pens, her chest heaving deeply and notably with no shield on her arm.
Putting it all together, Hiccup saw that Astrid must have thrown her shield at the dragon in order to block the fireball and save Hiccup's life. Hiccup stood up on jelly like legs and stumbled over to Astrid who was still heaving and glaring at him.
"Thank you." Hiccup said as he shook off the last effects of the blast.
Astrid's reaction was instant. She reared her arm back and punched Hiccup on the shoulder, hard.
"OW! I already had a fireball explode in my face. I don't need anymore pain." Hiccup exclaimed as he rubbed his shoulder.
"Mutton head, don't scare me like that again!" Astrid shouted at Hiccup as she punched his other shoulder.
Hiccup went started to rub his other shoulder, a retort on the tip of his tongue, but it died when he looked at Astrid. Her stance was angry, the way her shoulders were tense and hunched was angry, the way her brow was furrowed told him she was angry. Her eyes though told a different story, her eyes were scared and relieved. Scared that Hiccup and Henry were almost fried. Relieved that Hiccup and Henry were both safe. Realizing that her concern and worry was coming off as anger Hiccup nodded at Astrid but kept rubbing his shoulder.
"I'll do my best." Hiccup replied and gave her a small smile.
"Good." Astrid nodded in return as the tension in her body eased and she walked toward the gate of the pens.
"Let this be a lesson and a reminder to you all. Teamwork is essential, you will need each other if you are to survive. Oh, and a dragon will always…always go for the kill." Gobber told the class as his voice turned deadly serious and his gaze turned to Hiccup.
"SCENE!" Helga shouted from her floating platform.
The director was lowered from the sky by her entourage of Gronkles, all who seemed oddly transfixed on performing their task. Henry noted that they all seemed to be in the same trance like state he would see Sharpshot in after the tiny dragon interacted with the kind yet mysterious director.
Helga stepped off her platform and made sure to show her appreciation to each of the Gronkles. Once she was done, she turned to her young cast members who were all waiting to hear what she had to say.
"Very good all of you. It got a little hectic there for a few moments and I started to get a little worried." Helga began, her voice full of concern, but joyful that no one was seriously hurt.
"How is Simon anyway?" She asked.
"Nothing that he won't recover from. A few hours and he will be back to normal." A member of the medical team informed her. The man had just finished examining Simon.
"Good to hear. Let this be a reminder to you all. This could be very dangerous if we are not all careful. So please do a good job with your lines and scenes but be careful." Helga reminded them all. Her gaze holding on Henry for a moment.
"Why is she looking at Henry?" Thomas asked bluntly.
"I think she is trying to give us all advice but making sure that Henry gets the idea. Since he was the one that almost caused Simon to become dragon lunch, and he was almost reduced to ashes." Rachel explained to her brother.
"Ohhhhhhhh… Way to go Henry." Thomas said while glaring at Henry.
"Alright enough of that. I know that Henry didn't do anything on purpose. It was an accident and nothing more. Now I want everyone to head over to the make up hut for a few touch ups and get ready for the next scene later tonight." Helga instructed the young cast members.
Everyone nodded and began to head for the gate. One by one the teens walked out of the holding pens with Henry bringing up the rear. He was almost out of the gate when he felt a hand gently grab his shoulder. He looked back to see Helga give him a smile and a sly wink. Getting the hint Henry nodded and once he was out of the pens he turned and walked towards the rolling hills and forest.
Helga had already called Sharpshot to her and with her mysterious purple gaze and low echoey voice, bade him to follow Henry once again. The dragon had taken off without hesitation and the director, satisfied with her work, walked back to the village.
Audrey was about to walk into the makeup hut when she turned to look for Henry. She got the feeling that she was probably a bit too rough early but that was only because the mutton head had scared the living daylights out of her. She thought that she was able to convey that her anger was born out of concern for Henry more than actually being angry at him. It wouldn't hurt to make sure, however when she turned to look for him, she found that Henry was nowhere to be found. She deflated a bit, annoyed that her plans for the moment would have to wait.
(In the Forest)
Henry understood the que that Helga had given him back at the holding pens. It was all part of his and Helga's secret discussion that had taken place days ago. He knew what he had to do or at least an idea and took the time between the holding pens and the forest to get back into character.
Hiccup walked through the forest until he stumbled upon the remains of the numerous ropes and rocks that made up the bola's that had taken down the NightFury. Gobber's words ringing in his ears.
"A dragon will always go for the kill."
"Why didn't you?" Hiccup wondered out loud.
He remembered the general direction the NightFury had taken off in after he had released it. It was also visible in the forest itself, the branches that were missing made a clear path of where the dragon had gone. Following the trail was easy enough, now that he knew what to look for and soon enough, he stumbled upon a small depression in the rolling hills and forest floor.
The depression was surround by trees shielding it from view even if you were just ten feet away from it. The depression had tall walls with rock peeking out of the grass, showing that walls were not as soft and gracious as they appeared to be. A number of small caves were in embedded into the walls, providing plenty of shelter for animals of all sizes. Hiccup sat down on the edge and took in the scene. He had heard stories of places that had been touched by the Gods themselves, places that they had visited when they traveled to the mortal world. He was certain that this place surely would have been graced by their presence, he could feel it.
A small shimmer caught his eye and when he looked down at his side, he noticed a group of small black scales near the edge of the depression. He picked one up and cradled it in his hands, examining the scale carefully. Feeling its smooth texture, noticing how it reflected his image perfectly back at him, the size of it no bigger than a pebble.
Henry pulled out the necklace his mother had given him. The small dragon scale pendant was similar in size and shape, though the color was similar it was a deep blue to the shiny black. Still the similarities were there, and it made Henry smile as a few more memories of his mother surfaced. A curious coo brought Henry back to the world and reminded him that he was supposed to be in character.
Hiccup put the necklace back under his shirt and looked down into the depression. He was met with the curious green eyes that he remembered from the holding pens. Their hypnotic presence holding Hiccup in place as they gazed into his soul. Hiccup unknowingly started to reach out toward the dragon, even though he was nowhere close enough to actually touch it. Still the intention was clear, and the dragon still seemed to be very wary of him, the NightFury growled and barred his teeth at the boy before retreating into a nearby cave.
"What are you?" Hiccup asked himself and the dragon.
Realizing that the NightFury was done with him for the day, Hiccup got up and began the long hike back to the village. His thoughts were a racing by him a mile a minute, trying to figure what his interaction with the NightFury meant, if it meant anything at all.
Night had taken over by the time Hiccup got back to the village and he was reminded by his stomach that he had nothing to eat since morning. He headed to the Great Hall only for thunder to crash above him and a downpour to soak him to the bone instantly.
"Perfect." Hiccup groaned out as he pushed the heavy doors open.
Hiccup walked in with water dripping off him. He grabbed a plate of food and went to sit down with the rest of the teens from Dragon Training. He neared the table and as he went to sit down Snotlout glared him down and shuffled along the bench blocking any chance for Hiccup to sit down. Sighing and shaking his head Hiccup just moved to the next table and sat down.
"Alright what went wrong in the ring today?" Gobber asked the teens.
"Hiccup showed up." Ruff teased.
"He didn't get eaten." Tuff added.
"He nearly got me killed." Snotlout said hatefully.
"He is never where he should be." Astrid concluded.
Hiccup looked up to glare at them all in his own regard but said nothing. Ruff, Tuff, and Snotlout seemed to be talking about Hiccup and Henry, and their delivery of the lines felt like they actually meant it. Astrid at least had a flash of concern in her eyes, showing her tone was born more of the worry he made her feel rather than actually feeling any ill will towards him.
"Right well then, listen up!" Gobber shouted, getting their attention and moving the teens along.
"This here is the Book of Dragons. Everything we know about every dragon we know of. Read and live this stuff, it might save your life one day." He said seriously.
"Wait read." Tuff said, his voice aghast.
"While we are still alive." Ruff said in disgust.
"Why read stuff, when you can just kill the things the words tell you about." Snotlout protested.
"Oh, come on guys this book is awesome! I've read it like seven times! There is this one dragon that spews boiling hot water at you…" Fishlegs started until he realized that everyone was staring at him and his admission.
"Yeah, there was a small chance I was going to read it to see what kind of chaos these dragons can cause." Tuff commented, clearly bored with the conversation.
"But noooooow…" Ruff followed up shaking her head.
"You guys read I'll go kill stuff. Assuming that no other accidents happen." Snotlout stated, throwing a glare Henry's way.
Pretending he didn't hear or see Snotlout, Hiccup walked up to the book and examined its thick leather-bound cover. The emblem of Berk adorning its cover he went to open it when a familiar voice cut through the air.
"So, where did you go this afternoon?" Astrid's voice cut through his thoughts.
"What the hell?!" Hiccup cursed as he stumbled over himself.
Astrid crossed her arms over her chest and smirked at the boy. He scared far too easily but it was fun, and he usually took it in stride. She placed a hand on the table and leaned some of her weight on it, allowing Hiccup to regain himself and give her an answer.
Hiccup looked to Astrid and could read between the lines. Astrid and Audrey were asking him where he had gone. Henry knowing that he couldn't tell her, recalling his promise to Helga and Hiccup knowing that she would never believe him and maybe even turn him in couldn't tell her. So he lied.
"I uh- I was out training." Hiccup answered, though he didn't even sound convinced by it.
"Training, really?" Astrid responded, clearly not buying it.
Knowing that both were lying, Astrid made to leave the hall when Hiccup suddenly stopped her.
"Wait! Please don't go." He pleaded.
Astrid stopped mid stride and looked back, waiting for him to continue. She did find it enjoyable to watch him fumble over himself.
"Look I know you are worried and I'm sorry for scaring you earlier. I didn't mean to I'm sorry." Hiccup began, his voice gaining sincerity. Hiccup and Henry bleeding through.
"Please stay, perhaps you and I could read the Book of Dragons?" Hiccup suggested, though it sounded like Henry was asking.
She knew that she was supposed to leave, the scene called for it. But the more she looked at Hiccup's emerald green eyes she found that she just couldn't say no.
"Alright, I suppose. I've read it, but a refresher can't hurt." She conceded as she took a seat next to Hiccup.
They opened the book and felt a chill run through both their spines. Each dragon Hiccup listed off seemed to dispatch of its foes in more gruesome fashion than the last and he was certain that as the storm outside grew in intensity some of the pictures in the book started to move. Page after page they turned all ending the same way, every dragon was extremely dangerous and to kill it on sight. They last page they flipped was oddly empty save for a few ominous warnings.
"NightFury." Hiccup said breathlessly.
"Size unknown, speed unknown." Astrid followed up.
"The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. Never engage this dragon." Hiccup continued.
"Your only hope, hide and pray that it doesn't find you." Astrid finished.
They both shared a look as the atmosphere around only enhanced the deadly nature of the dragon. Hiccup swallowed but looked thoughtfully at the blank pages, troubled by what was written and what he knew to be at least a little different. He had survived two encounters with the unholy offspring of lightning and death. Astrid noticed the odd look in Henry's eyes as they read off the page. It just added to the theme of strange behavior he had been having all day. She looked back to the page and maybe it was the fact that it was night and her mind was running wild with the dark and making things seem a bit scarier than they were. But she decided that she really didn't want to see this dragon…ever.
A/N: Strange behavior by everybody, and real life and their roles all blending as one and giving them better scenes than they could imagine while forging genuine bonds. These poor kids are going to need to some major R&R after this movie. Like I said above, a little late on the chapter but a nice long one for you. Enjoy and be sure to leave a review as you can see, I read them all.