The Prince of Dragons
Chapter 11: The Book of Dragons
BERK
"Damn Vikings, bunch of dim-witted, pathetic excesses for warriors, blood crazed fiends. 'Dragons always go in for the kill', to think I was enjoying myself ere, no more. I need to focus on getting off this rock." Hiccup muttered in his native tongue as he painstakingly put on his princely armor.
He had run out of Gobber the Belch's lesson after the slide comment he had said about dragons. Also, he needed to just have some time to himself, humans where such petty little things. Only a few of them it seemed had anything of value to say and even then, they would probably turn around the next minute and say something incredibly stupid. Apart from Old Wrinkly, Hiccup had a pretty good idea of what humans were like. Or maybe, he always had.
"0f all the things I could have been born, a dragon, a fish, a forsaken sea-cucumber, but no I get born a human. It's down right insulting. " Hiccup cursed, turning his gaze up at the sky.
He was tempted to curse the Gods themselves. But thought against it. The Gods were cruel after all. Cruel enough to make him a Human. Hiccup was not one to tempt fate. So, Hiccup reassigned to simply put on his dragons' mask. Before quickly venturing through the forest. He unsheathed his decorated flame sword and began to just mindlessly swing away at any and all bushes and trees. Just to vent his anger. The Prince after much walking made it to the cove, again Toothless was trying fish and failing miserably. The Prince sat next to the Night Fury and began to toss stones into the cove waters, far away from the Night Fury of course. While eating the meal-worms old Wrinkly had prepared for him... they weren't half-bad. In all honesty. The Night Fury lifted its head and glanced over at Hiccup, before wandering over.
"What ' s wrong?" Toothless asked in Dragonese.
Hiccup sighed as he reclined on the sandy shores of the cove.
"It ' s nothing." Hiccup muttered.
"Yet I'm having a hard time believing you." The Night Fury replied.
Hiccup groaned annoyed.
"Ugh. fine it's the humans, I'm just sick of hearing about how 'dragons are a menace to humans' and all that rubbish." Hiccup stated very bluntly. Toothless got a good chuckle out of that.
"It ' s only a matter of perspective, humans are humans, they view us as monsters because we're different. Same goes for dragons." Toothless reasoned.
The Prince laid flat on the ground as he glared up at the sky.
"But their perspective is wrong; we only do what we can to survive, and they just happen to have all their food stored in a nice easy to take pile. " Hiccup murmured with a chuckle.
"You can't change hearts and minds in a day human, it takes time, maybe someday humans and dragons will live peacefully but until then this is life." The Night Fury said doubtfully. Even the wizened Night Fury did not exactly like how humans and dragons constantly clashed. Whether it was because of all the unnecessary deaths or the constant fear in the air. It was impossible to say. Hiccup nodded in agreement.
"It ' s becoming difficult to keep playing it cool, it's a good thing these Vikings are dumb as dirt or else I ' d be dead. I just gotta suffer through it I suppose." The Prince muttered as he sat back up, the Night Fury then smiled a Toothless grin.
"That reminds me, I got the perfect name… Chucklehead . " Toothless said half-jokingly.
Hiccup stood up after a good laugh but not before patting the Night Fury on the back scales and saying.
"Keep trying. Bud." Hiccup replied.
The Prince then walked back to Berk, with a new outlook on this whole predicament. Meanwhile the Night Fury slummed by the lakeside and began to ponder more names for him.
BERK
Hiccup after dispatching his Prince attire and getting back into his Viking clothes made his way over to Berk. The Prince strolled over to Gobber the Belch's workshop; fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your perspective, Gobber was there, talking to Bucket and Mulch.
"So the door fell after a few hours after ya made it, what kind of wood did ya use?" Gobber asked.
Mulch shrugged his shoulders and replied. "Don't ask me it was Bucket who got the wood."
"Well Bucket, where did you get the wood?" Gobber asked again.
Bucket stratching his pocket thoughtfully, and then said. "Oh, I had for a while, years in fact, I just wanted to get rid of it, it was crawling with pests."
Gobber the Belch and Mulch both simultaneously slapped themselves. Apparently, they had used rotten wood crawling with Odin only knows what kind of disease-ridden pests. The Blacksmith then sighed and said.
"Go into the woods next time and chop down tree, they're everywhere." Gobber explained slowly.
The two Vikings nodded, and then walked off. Hiccup then arrived at the Blacksmiths hut. Gobber the Belch folded his arms and said very smugly.
"Well, well, if it isn't Mr. 'I'm too good for my employer's dragon lessons '. "
"Is that really necessary?" The Prince replied.
Gobber the Belch smiled and unfolded his arms to pat Hiccup on the back.
"Yes, also I just wanted to mess with ya." Gobber said, wrapping a friendly arm around Hiccup.
Hiccup brushed him off, before walking inside the smithy.
"Look I'm sorry it's just that-
"You're distracted." Gobber interrupted.
The Prince hesitated for a moment, it was anger towards Gobber was teaching him how to kill dragons. Than directed at the blacksmith himself. But not to raise any suspicions Hiccup nodded in agreement.
"Yes, I'm distracted, so I was thinking, maybe I could sit this one out and focus and making stuff in the shop, it's like I said, ya know not enough bread making Vikings or small home repair Vikings." Hiccup said, feigning ignorance. Better to be thought of as an idiot than to be a merciless killer.
Gobber the Belch's eyes narrowed, he then patted Hiccup on the shoulder a few times.
"Oh, know you're trying to get out of it, I see what's going." Gobber said knowingly.
The Prince swallowed hard, did he somehow figure out Hiccup's 'little' secret, the blacksmith then sputtered out.
"Ya-ya, ya do?" Hiccup stammered.
"It's painfully obvious… I see the way you look at Astrid." Gobber mused with a chuckle.
Hiccup gave a look of confusion for a moment, that was not what he was expecting to say the least. The Prince was absolutely flabbergasted. He shifted his gaze wearily, with a small red blush on his face.
"Okay sure, let's go with that." Hiccup replied.
"I knew it; I'm very keen on these things." Gobber boasted proudly.
The Prince rolled his eyes and folded his arms.
"We're completely different people with completely different agenda's, besides she's a Viking, I'm from… Thule, it just couldn't work out, ya know long distance relationships and all. Besides I could never settle down." Hiccup explained trying to defend himself. It was clear she was 'Lass with Sass'. But he merely regarded this in the same way he regarded Camicazi, ill-timed crush. Give it a week or two, and a few beatings by said girl after he gave her flowers, and he'd be over her. The Blacksmith still chuckling, gave Hiccup a punch on the arm.
"Eh, I'm only busting you're chops boy, but don't run out on my lessons anymore or else I'll have to put you on lug-worm rations. " Gobber retorted, to which Hiccup gagged a few times.
The Prince then smiled again as Gobber motioned for him to come into the blacksmith's shop. Hiccup worked that afternoon with Gobber the Belch. All seemed well, everything seemed to be working in his favor and everything was alright. Gobber even taught him one of the best and fastest ways to fix a sword handle. But the Prince kept playing around with that idea of him and Astrid. He was more humoring himself for the meantime. Though whenever he tried to concentrate or think about something else, his thoughts would drift back to her. Usually wondering if she would look iron armor. How well she could handle a sword. What her hair looked like unbraided. Normal stuff. Warrior stuff. Though Hiccup found it hard to justify that last part in his head. All afternoon Hiccup played with that though, even after he went home to Old Wrinkly's to see Bucket and Mulch working on the old man's door yet again. Night was approaching and an ever-present storm was looming overhead. Though it seemed Thor was hesitant to have it rain. Hiccup walked inside the hut, after narrowly avoiding the two Vikings bickering about how to properly put a door together. Hiccup was back inside Old Wrinkly's hut. Old Wrinkly was sitting by the fire blowing smoke rings again.
"Hello boy, how are you?" Old Wrinkly greeted in his kindly fashion.
"I'm fine Old Wrinkly." Hiccup feigned as he sat by the table and took out his Dragonese book, he flipped to the back pages, where he had schematics for tail designs for Toothless. In practicality however, the Prince wasn't sure how many of them would work. The Prince went onto doddle in his Dragonese book for a while before Old Wrinkly peered over his shoulders.
"Ya like to draw a lot don't ya?" Old Wrinkly asked.
" Ya, I guess . " Hiccup said dismissively.
"I never had the talent for art; it takes a more creative person. If anything, I'm more rational then not." Old Wrinkly said with a smile, while he may have seen himself as more rational; others thought he was as nutty as Loki in a typhoon. The Old man then took out his long pipe.
"Now my daughter, she's an artist." Old Wrinkly explained.
"Oh, Valka, yeah I meet her the other day. She seems nice." Hiccup muttered glancing up in the Old man's general direction. Old Wrinkly gazed at Hiccups absent minded doodlings in his Dragonese Book. Curiosity over taking him, the elderly man asked.
"So, what are you working on boy? If you don't mind me asking."
The Prince shut the book immediately and then responded.
"Nothing, just a silly idea happening is all." Hiccup stammered, much to the surprise of Old Wrinkly.
"I see, you're a very private person aren't you?" Old Wrinkly inquired.
The Prince thought it over for a bit.
"I guess I've always been a little hostile towards people. " Hiccup said.
"Why?" Old Wrinkly asked as he leaned over in his seat. Hiccup thought it over for a moment. There were lots of reasons for him being upset. Being hated by his own human kind, never feeling truly excepted amongst the dragons even though he clearly was. Having your own family slaughtered in numerous ways right in front of you was another thing. Never meeting his parents was another reason. All that rage and wrath, just kind of weighed down on Hiccup. He would guise everything as the Prince but on the inside Hiccup was nothing more than a shy scared boy just trying desperately to seek everyone's approval. Hiccup put his Dragonese book into his vest pocket.
"I'd rather not talk about it, it's private." Hiccup muttered, not even attempting to make eye contact with Old Wrinkly. Old Wrinkly nodded for a moment and patted Hiccup on the back.
"Well you we'll talk about it when you're ready." Old Wrinkly said before dropping the subject completely.
Hiccup with a now miserable look on his face. He still refused to look at the old Viking. He got slowly and trudged towards the front of the house.
"I-I'm heading out…I need time to think…" Hiccup explained made his way outside. As he opened the door left Old Wrinkly's hut just as Bucket and Mulch were putting the finishing touches on Old Wrinkly's door. Mulch was visually measuring the placement of the door and Bucket was placing the big hunk of wood in the door frame.
"Gently, Gently, Gently, and perfect!" Mulch exclaimed as Bucket finished placing the door.
Bucket placed the door down and Mulch swiftly screwed in the hinges. After screwing in the door hinges, the two were done. They had completely Old Wrinkly's door. It was then the feeble looking old man made his way to the door and admired it for a moment.
"Very nice, good job boys." Old Wrinkly mused giving the two brutes a golf clap of curtesy.
"Do we get a reward now Mulch?!" Bucket asked with all the jubilation of a merry child.
Mulch sighed again, but then Old Wrinkly pointed a long bony finger upwards. Towards his roof.
"Urn... You still need to re-shingle my roof." Old Wrinkly said plainly.
Bucket and Mulch looked up to see the roof of Old Wrinkly's hut. A few shingle's fell off the rigidly old structure as the two Vikings gawked at it. A few aggressive looking birds cackling at the Vikings down below. The elderly man smiled.
"I'll go fetch the ladder." Old Wrinkly stated before wandering back inside his hut.
Bucket and Mulch where nearly balling their eyes out. When would this nightmare end? Around night time the Prince was still deep in thought not really paying attention to the world around him. He had circled the entire village twice and was approaching a third time. Hiccup began to think about all life had thrown at him and began to wonder if he was even worth all the trouble. But the Prince tried to take his mind off things and look on the bright side of things.
"At least it can't get any worse." Hiccup stated.
With a flash of lightning and a strike of thunder, it began to pour gallons of rain. The Prince looked upwards at the heavens.
"Really?" Hiccup was really considering cursing Thor right there and then. But then remembered that lightning strikes are a real possibility.
The Prince then realized he'd be drenched if he went all the way back to Old Wrinkly's so Hiccup glanced upwards at the Great Hall. He figured it be a good place to lay low for a while. Hiccup was walking down a narrow dirt path on his way to the Great Hall. He was hoping to catch some alone time, but Fate was not to kind to the Prince. After walking up the tall stone steps. Hiccup made his way into the dimly lit Great Hall. He wasn't to soaked to the bone. But was indeed a wet shivering mess.
THE GREAT HALL
With a storm brewing outside. Hiccup made his way to the inner chambers as the Great doors of the hall began to rattle on their hinges. Again fate had decided to throw Hiccup a curve ball, as he saw Gobber and the young recruits sitting at one of the tables. Wonderful. They were discussing today's training. This day just kept on getting better by the minute.
"Alright. Where did Astrid go wrong in the ring today?" Gobber asked.
All the recruits glanced at each other confused, Astrid had performed the best out of all of them. They looked at her from there spots at the table, eating their lipids by the glow of the fire pit. Astrid with a very self-conscious look on her face said.
"I mistimed my somersault dive. It was sloppy. It threw off my reverse tumble." Astrid muttered indiginately.
Everyone from the group's eyes rolled. Ruffnut then said sarcastically.
"Yeah. We noticed."
"We did?" Dogsbreathe replied, sarcasm being not one of his strong suits.
Snotlout grabbed Astrid' s hand. Astrid gave a look of pure disgust.
"No, no, you were great. That was so 'Astrid'." Snotlout said.
Astrid pulled her hand away from Snotlout. Hiccup continued toapproach. Gobber then said.
"She's right, you have to be tough on yourselves." Gobber explained.
The Prince then stepped on a loose floor board, and it made a devilish creak. All eyes turned to Hiccup, who gave a somewhat sheepish look. But to be fair they had found him at a venerable time. Shivering and conflicted. While staring at Hiccup, Gobber the Belch asked.
"Where did nameless over there go wrong?"
Hiccup tried to take a seat at the table while Snotlout and his gang moved around to make sure the Prince doesn't get a seat.
"He smells like eels?" Speedyfist stated.
"He showed up." Ruffnut replied.
"He walked out on the lesson." Wartihog followed.
"He didn't get eaten." Tuffnut said.
The Prince eventually rolled his eyes and gave up trying to find a seat at that table as the recruits kept closing the gaps. So Hiccup sat at the vacant table next to them. Still not making eye contact with anyone. Astrid glared back at him, taking Cobber's words a bit more seriously than the rest of the recruits.
"He's never where he should be." Astrid stated plainly.
Hiccup held his head down low momentarily; all their words stung a dagger to the heart. When they came out of her mouth, it was even worse than that. The Blacksmith smiled down at Astrid .
"Thank you, Astrid."
Gobber the Belch stood up.
"You need to live and breathe this stuff." Gobber explained,he then pulled out a giant book out from underneath his tunic. He laid the overly huge sized book in the middle of the table. Every recruit looked over in somewhat wonder. But Hiccup was downright amazed, as he was with everything dragon related.
"The dragon manual. Everything we know about every dragon we know of." Gobber explained.
Hiccup stood up and glared in wonder as a rumble of thunder shock the hall. Rain poured down from the outside. Cobber listened carefully for a moment before strolling off.
"No attacks tonight. Study up." Gobber suggested said as he exited into the storm, leaving the teens staring at the book. Almost all of them scoffed at the book. Tuffnut was the first to speak with disapproval.
"Wait, you mean read?"
Ruffnut followed up.
"While we're still alive?"
Snotface Snotlout slammed his fists on the table and said.
"Why read words when you can just kill the stuff the words till you stuff about?"
Snotlout 's gang jeered in agreement. Fishlegs was practically frolicking with joy, he could barely keep his excitement under lock and key.
"Oh! I've read it like, seven times. There's this water dragon that sprays boiling water at your face. And there's this other one that buries itself for like a week…" Fishlegs explained.
The Young Hooligans stare at Fishlegs a little weirded out, he had gone on for too long. Then he started going on about, Stone Dragons and Nameless Kings. Tuffnut got up from his seat and then responded.
"Yeah, that sounds great. There was a chance I was gonna read that…"
Ruffnut followed after her twin brother.
"But now…"
Snotlout got up and his gang followed after him.
"You guys read. I'll go kill stuff."
The others follow with Fishlegs in tow, far too caught up in what he was talking about.
"Oh, and there's this other one that has these spines that look like trees." Fishlegs explained.
The Prince and Astrid where the last to leave, for a moment they didn't say a word to each other. Hiccup was about to pick up the book when Astrid stood up.
"Hey." Astrid said attempting to get Hiccup's attention.
Hiccup glanced up casually at her and put on a face that poorly hid his conflicted mind. It was so much easier as the Prince when his face was covered with a helmet and his voice near impossible to hear.
"What's you're deal?" Astrid asking, pointing an inquisitor finger at Hiccup.
"What are you talking about?" The Prince replied, still refusing to look directly at her.
"You, you nimrod. Your fully able to kick Snotlout 's arse in a heartbeat. You know your way around a sword and an ax. You're a nimrod, but not an idiot. So tell me, what exactly happened today?" Astrid asked putting her hands on her hips.
Hiccup took a deep breath and leaned forward, both hands on the table. He seemed to struggle to contain himself.
"What are you saying?" Hiccup asked, feigning ignorance.
"My point is you're not a coward, you even ate a Whispering Death, but in the arena you choked up." Astrid stated, the Prince began to chuckle, trying to evade the situation.
"Would you believe I'm all talk and no fight?" Hiccup mused.
"No, I wouldn't…" Astrid replied, becoming more irritated by the second. "You're avoiding my questions."
"It's a personal matter, one you need not concern yourself with." Hiccup muttered grimly. Hatred in his eyes. Astrid could tell it wasn't directed at her. Rather than continue to poke the bear, Astrid decided to leave well enough alone and left the Great Hall. Leaving Hiccup alone, the Prince sighed. Never before in his life had he felt so confused and helpless. Glancing back at the book Hiccup picked it up and found a nice spot to read. Of course, after lighting a few good candles so he could read clearly. Opening the well decorated book. Hiccup began to pour through the pages of illustrated dragons. All the while, the storm still boomed outside. The hall was a vacant dark place, save for the few candles Hiccup pulled together.
"Okay, show me what you got…" Hiccup muttered and began to read aloud to himself.
"Dragon Classifications. Strike Class. Fear Class. Mystery Class..."
Hiccup turned the pages and before randomly selecting one.
"Thunderdrum. This reclusive dragon inhabits sea caves and dark tidepools. When startled, a Thunderdrum produces a concussive sound that can kill a man at close range. Extremely Dangerous…kill on sight." The Prince's angry eyes drifted to a lurid illustration of decapitated Vikings. Hiccup did have one thing to say, humans did at least get all these facts correct and artistry could be on point at times. But as for the 'Kill on sight' thing. Hiccup felt an irritable pit form in his stomach. One that only grew every time he read those three spiteful words. Hiccup flipped to another page, and another dragon.
"Timberjack. This Gigantic Creature has razor sharp wings that can slice through full grown treesaC 1 Extremely Dangerous… Kill on sight."
The more Hiccup read, the more the illustrations seemed to come to life. Then again Hiccup had seen most dragons and person and had a clear understanding of what they looked like, personality and behaviors.
"Scauldron. Sprays scalding water at its victim. Extremely Dangerous-
The storm outside raged onward against the shuttered windows in a seemingly maniacal voice almost as if the harsh winds themselves were saying.
"Let us in. Let us in."
Hiccup was startled for a moment but pressed on.
"Changewing. Even Newly hatched dragons can spray acid. Kill on sight…"
Fed up with the whole kill on sight mantra. Hiccup began to flip through the pages. It's almost like watching a blur of dragons.
"Gronckle. Zippleback. The Skrill. Bone Knapper. Whispering Death Burns its victims. Buries its victims. Chokes its victim. Turns its victims inside out. Extremely Dangerous. Extremely Dangerous. Kill on sight, kill on sight, kill on sight."
Hiccup then landed on a very specific page.
"Night Fury."
Unlike the other pages, this one was not filled with as much content, no image, save for a few sparse details. The Prince then read to himself .
"Speed unknown. Size unknown. The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. Never engage this dragon your only chance, is to hide and pray it does not find you…"
Hiccup reached into his vest and pulled out his Dragonese Book. He opened it to a drawing of Toothless. The Prince then smiled a bit.
"Unknown…I' m gonna keep it that way…" Hiccup muttered before letting out a loud yawn. He rubbed the bags under his eyes and began to find a comfortable position to sit and sleep. He was tired to say the least and was too lazy to go back to Old Wrinkly's especially with a storm outside. So Hiccup slept there in that position and dreamed an ever so pleasant dream.
HICCUP ' S DREAM
THE RED DEATH'S LAIR
The Prince laughed happily as he dreamed of being back in his element. Back in his Prince armor, feared by all. Hiccup, flew on the back of the Night Fury who in this dream still had his full tail. All the Prince could do was smile and laugh as he and the Night Fury flew through the foggy heights surrounding the Red Death's lair. But then Hiccup heard something, he heard the laughing of a girl. The Prince turned his head to see a girl in similar armor to himself riding on the back of a Deadly Nadder. She like Hiccup seemed to be having the time of her life. The Prince and the Night Fury landed on top a rocky ravine and watched the girl in armor on her Deadly Nadder. Hiccup in his dream like state didn't even bother asking who or what but more just watched in amazement and confusion. The Nadder did three somersaults in the air before landing on the same flat ravine as the Prince. Hiccup dismounted Toothless and wandered over to the girl as she did the same. Hiccup then took off his helmet almost instinctively, which was weird because he usually kept it on. The Prince got a closer look at her. She was about his height and her armor seemed a bit more spiked and well put together then his. But then the most shocking thing happened when the girl removed her mask. Hiccup went wide eyed and lost for words as he saw none other then Astrid Hofferson dressed in similar armor. Astrid then walked over to Hiccup and kissed him on the lips and nearly took his breathe away.
It was then Hiccup seemed to wake up and return to reality or so he thought. He appeared to be in a bed now and his armor was off to the side. The Prince smiled again though, he seemed to be back in familiar territory. Back in his home, with thousands of other dragons, with a glad smile Hiccup sat up in the bed and glanced over to see the Night Fury draped off the ceiling like a bat, snoring heavily. But then a thought hit Hiccup…why was there a lavish bed in the Red Death's lair? Hiccup usually slept with the dragons on the cold stone ledges. It was then someone from behind wrapped their arms around Hiccup and hugged him from behind. The Prince glanced over to see it was Astrid, again Hiccup went wide eyed. With a smile on her face, she asked in Dragonese of all things.
"What is it my love?"
Hiccup gave a look of plain fear and then screamed in horror. So much horror that it woke him up.
THE GREAT HALL
After a few hours of sleep. Hiccup woke up with a jolt. The Prince looked around, it was morning, and the rain had stopped. Thankfully he was still in the same chair he was last night. The Prince gave a sigh of relief before leaning back in his chair and saying.
"I need to get off this rock..." Hiccup muttered to himself.