Chapter 18:

EXT. OPEN SEA/DRAGON ISLAND - DAY

The armada coasts toward a shroud of heavy fog, hung like drapes from a low-hanging, ominous sky. The ships enter, one by one. Visibility drops immediately. Flanking ships becomes ghosts. The armada disappears, drawn into the blinding mist. Complete whiteout. Nothing remains but the eerie creaking of wood on water.

"You Vikings are stupid. We have tried to keep you away from that place for a reason." A Gronkle states.

"And why would you do that?" Stoick asks.

"Stupid isn't the right word for Vikings" Hiccup says with a smirk, and a pause for effect.

"Stubborn is what you are looking for" he finishes while the Vikings face palm.

"We were keeping you away from the queen" one dragon say while another comments on Hiccups statement.

"So thats your word for it" A Gronckle asks.

ON STOICK at the bow of his ship. He taps his fingers on the gunwale, then looks back at Toothless impatiently. Weighed down with chains, Toothless seems unresponsive.

STOICK

Sound your positions. Stay within earshot.

Shouts pour in from all directions.

VIKING #1

Here.

VIKING #2

One length to your stern.

VIKING #3

On your starboard flank.

VIKING #4

Three widths to port.

VIKING #5

Ahead, at your bow.

VIKING #6

Haven't a clue.

"That's reassuring" Hiccup states dryly.

ON STOICK straining into the fog as the calls continue. Massive, jagged sea stacks begin to emerge, threatening to rip the ships to shreds. Gobber approaches him, speaking under his breath.

GOBBER

Listen... Stoick... I was overhearing some of the men just now and, well, some of them are wondering what it is we're up to here - not me of course, I know you're always the man with the plan- but some, not me, are wondering if there is in fact a plan at all, what it might be?

"Very smooth Gobber, very smooth." Older Hiccup says chuckling.

STOICK

Find the nest and take it.

Hiccup doubles over in laughter.

"What is so funny Hiccup?" Stoick asks with one eyebrow raised.

"You think…. that you can just…. waltz right in…. there and…. destroy the…. nest." Hiccup says in between laughing fits.

"Well of course we can" Stoick says earn roars of laughter from the dragons causing him to go red faced from embarrassment.

"Even the dragons agree with me." Younger Hiccup says once he has finally calmed down from laughing. "You saw that thing's head. You're just too overconfident."

GOBBER

Ah. Of course. Send them running.

The old Viking fall-back. Nice and simple.

STOICK

Shhh.

Stoick notices that Toothless' ear plates are at the alert, quietly reacting to inaudible sounds. Stoick crosses to the stern of the ship and grabs the tiller, moving the helmsman out of the way.

STOICK (CONT'D)

Step aside.

Stoick pulls the ship into a turn, covertly following Toothless' head movements.

The ship barely misses a jagged outcrop that suddenly appears out of the soupy fog.

VIKING

Bear to port.

The order is called out from ship to ship.

CRUNCH! The bow barely makes it past another sea stack.

Stoick continues to follow Toothless' cues, undeterred.

EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - DAY

Hiccup raises the bolt on the Monstrous Nightmare's pen.

FISHLEGS (O.S.)

If you're planning on getting eaten, I'd definitely go with the Gronckle.

Hiccup turns to see his fellow recruits, watching him with folded arms. Tuffnut steps forward with a scowl.

"You guys came?" Hiccup asks, surprised to see the teens.

"Well of course" Tuffnut says with a maniacal grin " There will be destruction like we have never seen" He finishes earning facepalms, and tail slaps from all the creatures seated in the movie theatre.

Older Hiccup starts laughing, and then whispers to Younger Hiccup "Astrid threatened to feed them to the dragons if they didn't come" Earning her a glare from Younger Hiccup.

"WOW… that speaks volumes of how much you care about me guys" Hiccup says sarcastically while the rest of the theater is wondering what was said.

TUFFNUT

You were wise to seek help from the world's most deadly weapon.

(BEAT)

It's me.

HICCUP

Uh...

SNOTLOUT

I love this plan.

"Snotlout do you even know the plan?" Hiccup asks eying him skeptically.

HICCUP

I didn't...

RUFFNUT

You're crazy.

(SULTRY)

I like that.

ASTRID

So? What is the plan?

Hiccup smiles, glowing in the support of his friends.

EXT. FOGGY SEA - DAY

The ships follow in line through the gauntlet of rocks as orders are whispered from ship to ship.

A dragon head looms out of the fog. The men recoil... only to discover that it's a wrecked ship, impaled high on a gnarled sea stack.

GOBBER

Ah. I was wondering where that went.

"Gobber, really?" Stoick asks.

"What…. It was my favourite ship" Gobber says earning groans from several of the Vikings.

A clicking buzz becomes audible, growing louder. It fills the sky, converging in one general direction. Stoick sniffs the air.

STOICK

Stay low and ready your weapons.

Stoick's ship suddenly JERKS to a halt as the keel burrows into shallow black sand. Stoick hops overboard, landing on a sprawling beach. The BUZZING suddenly STOPS. Above him, a craggy volcano towers into the gloom.

STOICK (CONT'D)

We're here.

Behind him, several dragon-headed bows pierce the fog.

EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - RING - DAY

Hiccup steps back from the door, drawing the Monstrous Nightmare out of its cave. It snorts, stepping into the ring, calmed by Hiccup's outstretched hand - focused on him.

"Wow" could be heard from Drago, and several other Vikings.

"Hatchling are you actually thinking about…" The Monstrous Nightmare ask.

"It would seem so." Hiccup states.

"Well I want someone cool then." Was the Nightmare's only retort.

"What does that mean?" Hiccup asks glaring at the Nightmare, causing it to back up in fear, which surprises the Vikings.

"Sorry" The Nightmare says while cowering in front of the Younger Hiccup.

"Ah… It's alright, I could never stay mad at you guys, and girls for long" Younger Hiccup says while walking forward and petting the Nightmare his face.

ON THE TEENS... bewildered, in awe.

Snotlout nervously reaches for a spear laying near his foot.

Astrid stops him.

ASTRID

(CORRECTING)

Uh-uh.

Hiccup slows to a stop in front of the teens, with the Nightmare inches from his outstretched hand. He reaches over and grabs Snotlout's trembling hand.

"Hiccup!" Snotlout looks desperately at him as he says this.

"What, he isn't that dangerous, I mean he only lights himself on fire from time to time" Hiccup says while petting said dragon.

"THAT IS DANGEROUS… ARE YOU INSANE" Snotlout shouts in terror at Hiccup's calm face.

"Not sure, you would have to ask Loki" Hiccup states with a sly smile on his face.

"Dammit RED they are picking up on your humour" I say to Red as I punch him on the shoulder.

"OW… vicious women. And isn't it lovely" Red replies with a smirk at the last part all the while holding his shoulder.

SNOTLOUT

Wait! What are you...

HICCUP

Relax. It's okay... it's okay.

Hiccup replaces his outstretched hand with Snotlout's, putting him in control of the massive beast. The Nightmare snorts, but remains calm. Snotlout, by contrast, chuckles nervously - it's at once terrifying and amazing. The others watch, spellbound. Hiccup turns and walks away.

SNOTLOUT

Where are you going?!

Hiccup pulls a bundle of rope from a supply box.

HICCUP

You're going to need something to help you hold on.

"Hatchling. You are giving me the idiot?" The Monstrous Nightmare asks raising an eyebrow (ridge?).

"You could probably knock some sense into him." Hiccup simply says.

"...I am not sure anyone could" The Nightmare says earning groans from the Vikings

The teens eye each other apprehensively, and look up to reveal...

ALL THE DRAGONS standing in the ring, facing the teens expectantly.

"We all get hatchlings?" The Gronkle asks. "I have dibs on the large one."

"I want your mate, hatchling. She is strong." The Nadder says not noticing both Hiccups, and Astrid turn cherry red.

"We will take the twins" The Zippleback tells us. "They love explosions just as much as us"

"YESSS" could be heard from the twins.

"Sometimes I really regret introducing those guys to each other." Older Hiccup says with his head in his hand.

"I'll agree with you on that" Drago mutters. "I have had enough of them setting my pants on fire."

"Hiccup, you are every bit the stubborn – boar-headed Viking as your father." Gobber states.

"And what does that mean Gobber" Younger Hiccup says sending Gobber a bone withering glare.

"Eh… Just telling it as I see it" Gobber says glancing up, and down between Hiccup, and the floor.

"Man! Hiccup… Your glares can make a grown man want to hug a agitated fire breathing reptile." Red says while chuckling at Gobber who is currently for the second time during this show trying to climb under his chair, still not sure how he managed it last time.

"It could probably send the Queen scurrying back to whatever hell hole she came from" A Viking says from in the crowd.

Hiccup just laughs at our antics, and sits back down.

EXT. DRAGON ISLAND - DAY

CLOSE ON

Tree trunks, being sharpened and planted into the sand at angled rows.

Boulders being loaded into catapult baskets.

And a war plan being scratched in the sand.

STOICK looms over it, looking determined. His generals are at his sides.

STOICK

When we crack this mountain open, all hell is going to break loose.

"Damn right all hell will break loose." One of the Zipplebacks comments.

"And we don't want to be there when it happens." The rest of the dragons say in unison.

Stoick frowns at their comments. 'Could it really be that bad?' Stoick asks himself.

GOBBER

In my undies. Good thing I brought extras.

Stoick TURNS to face the men.

STOICK

No matter how this ends, it ends today.

He walks toward the base of the volcano wall, back by several hundred warriors. He raises his arm and drops it.

A line of catapults UNLEASH their two-ton loads into the cliff wall. It cracks and flakes away. Several more hits tear away at the hollow shell of hardened lava.

A final boulder shatters the fractured wall, creating a deep, dark opening to the cavern within. Silence. Stock raises his hand, makes a gesture. A flaming bushel is launched into the dark, lighting the wall... CHOKED

The dragons cover their eyes with their wings or paws, not trying to imagine the horror that will follow.

WITH DRAGONS.

Stoick pulls his hammer and rushes into the cave, brazen.

STOICK (CONT'D)

(War cries and slashing efforts)

In a chaotic flurry, the dragons suddenly rush out like bats from a cave. The take to the air, bypassing the axe-swinging Vikings and fleeing the island in a mass exodus. The battle-ready Vikings drop their weapons, confused.

GOBBER

Is that it?

Above the island, dragons POUR from every crevice, fleeing to the sky. The sound of screeching dragons fades.

VIKINGS

(Cheering as one)

SPITELOUT

We've done it!

Stoick doesn't celebrate. Something is not right. He HEARS something. Stoick turns to peer down the dark throat of the cavern.

A deep, rumbling ROAR echoes from the cavern. The ground underfoot TREMBLES. The ships rock. Their sails fill with a blast of air.

The cheering stops. Stoick's expression sinks.

STOICK

This isn't over. Form your ranks! Hold together!

The men SCRAMBLE to organize themselves.

STOICK (CONT'D)

Get clear!

The ground CRACKS. Stone tears away, cascading like an avalanche. And through the settling debris, the silhouette of a gargantuan dragon emerges - THE RED DEATH. Stirred and furious.

"We only saw its head the first time. How big is this dragon anyway?" Astrid contemplates out loud.

"The size is probably equivalent to a third of our island." Older Hiccup states, earning wide eyed stares from the all Vikings who have never heard of a dragon of that size.

"Seen bigger." Drago mumbled, earning incredulous looks from the other Vikings.

"I told you not to attack it." Younger Hiccup says.

"But you never listened, as always" Older Hiccup says in exasperation.

"Sorry son…. You're right I should have listened" Stoick replied remorsefully.

GOBBER

Beard of Thor...what is that?

STOICK

(AGHAST)

Odin help us.

(BEAT)

Catapults!

The Vikings score direct hits. The burning stones BOUNCE off the dragon's skin. The Red Death focuses on the catapults. It crushes the first one - smashing it and its crew, rattling the beach underfoot.

Stoick races toward the second catapult. He LEAPS and pushes a Viking out of the way just before the dragon crushes him under his forepaw.

The Vikings scramble in all directions.

VIKING #3

Get to the ships!

STOICK

No! NO!

The Red Death BLASTS the ships like a mile-long flamethrower.

The sails are torched. Vikings dive overboard and masts come down.

Gobber Joins Stoick.

GOBBER

Heh. Smart, that one.

Toothless huffs, then states "That dragon is probably the stupidest of our species." Earning nods from many other dragons in the process.

Stoick looks up and down the beach for an answer.

STOICK

(GUILT-RIDDEN)

I was a fool.

"Yes you were" Hiccup whispers under his breath.