Key:
"Dragons/Hiccup dialogue"
"Normal dialogue"
Red Death dialogue
Thoughts
"Movie dialogue"
Actions on screen
EXT. WOODS/HIDDEN COVE - DUSK
HICCUP, battered after another disastrous day in the ring. He studies the remnants of the discarded bola... revealing that he's back at the scene of the crime.
"Did you go back there, again?" Stoick yelled.
"Yeah, so what?"
HICCUP (MUTTERED)
"So...why didn't you?"
Many wondered the same thing. Toothless though licked Hiccup. "I saw myself in you. I'm glad I didn't kill you."
Hiccup smiled and snuggled against Toothless.
He drops the bola and presses on in the direction it flew off. He drops into a rocky crevice and follows it to an... ISOLATED COVE complete with a pristine spring pool. He scans the high stone walls... then notices a single black SCALE on the ground. He crouches and picks it up, studying it.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
"Well this was stupid."
"Anything you do is stupid!" Snotlout yelled.
He pales immediately when all the reptiles, plus Hiccup and the girls growled.
SUDDENLY, the NIGHT FURY blasts past him.
Many paled as they realized that the dragon could still kill the boy. Said boy cleared his throat. "This is still in the past guys."
They looked sheepish, but they were still a little tense.
Hiccup recoils, watching the massive beast struggle to climb the walls. It flaps violently, then peels away to a rough landing. The dragon is trapped. Hiccup grins, excited to see it again, and slips closer. He watches as the dragon, exhausted and frustrated, leaps into the air, beating its wings furiously. Again and again, it rolls uncontrolled and CRASHES heavily. As if remembering to snap a photo, Hiccup pulls a leather- bound book and flips past drawings of weapons to a blank page. He sketches the dragon quickly, desperate to record the image.
"Whoa, I didn't know you could draw," Fishlegs said.
"It's not a talent that I like to share."
Stoick beamed at his son's talent, but frowned when he heard that. Why wouldn't he share this? Valka had the same talent.
The Fury claws at the steep rock walls, trying climb out of the cove. It SLIPS and falls hard, crushing several saplings. The Fury rolls back to his feet and slowly crawls to the water's edge. He spots fish in the shallow water and snaps at them... but comes up empty. He lowers his head, looking weakened.
HICCUP (CONT'D) (MUTTERED)
"Why don't you just...fly away?"
"Because I was too stupid to cripple him," whispered Hiccup. This was followed by, "Ow!"
They looked back and saw Hiccup glaring at Toothless playfully as he rubbed his head.
ON HICCUP as he spots the problem. He adjusts his drawing, carefully erasing one half of the dragon's tail. He accidentally drops the charcoal stick. It rolls off of the rock outcropping that hides him from view and bounces into the cove. TINK. TINK. TINK. The Night Fury raises his head, spotting Hiccup. They exchange a profound, unflinching stare.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. GREAT HALL - NIGHT
A storm is brewing outside. The great doors rattle on their hinges.
GOBBER (O.S.)
"Alright. Where did Astrid go wrong in the ring today?"
All of the recruits (save for Astrid) and the two girls groaned.
The recruits are seated at a table, eating dinner by the glow of the fire pit.
ASTRID
"I mistimed my summersault dive. It was sloppy. It threw off my reverse tumble."
Eye rolls from the group.
As the same ones whom groaned did so.
RUFFNUT (SARCASTIC)
"Yeah. We noticed."
SNOTLOUT (grabbing Astrid's hand)
"No, no, you were great. That was so 'Astrid'."
"You're an idiot," said Siren.
GOBBER
"She's right, you have to be tough on yourselves."
Nightwolf, Siren, and Toothless looked at Hiccup. Nightwolf said, "Yeah. No. Hiccup should be getting a confidence boost, not being beat down."
"I have confidence?" Hiccup said.
"Okay, tell me, if you have confidence then why did that sound more like a question than a statement?" Siren asked.
Hiccup bit his lip. "Um, well . . ."
"So let me get this straight. You have no self-confidence, no ego, and no self-esteem?" Astid asked.
Hiccup looked away. Siren and Nightwolf looked at each other. Siren sighed. "Alright, leave him alone. We are the only ones to question him, y'all better mind y'all's own business."
CREAK. All eyes turn to Hiccup, entering the hall, sheepishly. Gobber glares at him.
GOBBER (CONT'D) (glaring at Hiccup)
"Where did Hiccup go wrong? He tries to take a seat at the table..."
RUFFNUT
"He showed up."
TUFFNUT
"He didn't get eaten. ..."
but the recruits keep closing the gaps. Rolling his eyes, Hiccup sits at the vacant table next to them.
The trainees and Gobber winced at this. They finally realized how lonely Hiccup is.
ASTRID
"He's never where he should be."
GOBBER
"Thank you, Astrid."
Gobber stands.
GOBBER (CONT'D)
"You need to live and breathe this stuff."
"Thanks, but I'll stick to breathing oxygen."
Siren snorted and smack Nightwolf upside the head. "Staph."
Gobber lays a giant book in the center of the table.
GOBBER (CONT'D)
"The dragon manual. Everything we know about every dragon we know of."
A RUMBLE of thunder shakes the hall. Rain pours down outside.
GOBBER (CONT'D)
"No attacks tonight. Study up."
Gobber EXITS into the storm, leaving the teens staring at the book.
TUFFNUT (you've got to be kidding)
"Wait, you mean read?"
RUFFNUT
"While we're still alive?"
Hiccup rolled his eyes. "No, when you're dead."
"Really?"
SNOTLOUT
"Why read words when you can just kill the stuff the words tell you stuff about?"
"Idiot." The dragons murmured. Hiccup snorted as he held back laughter.
FISHLEGS
"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..."
The teens stare as Fishlegs goes on too long.
TUFFNUT
"Yeah, that sounds great. There was a chance I was going to read that..."
RUFFNUT
"...but now..."
Snotlout gets up to go.
SNOTLOUT
"You guys read, I'll go kill stuff."
"Wow, you think, wow." Hiccup shook his head.
The others follow, with Fishlegs in tow.
FISHLEGS
"Oh and there's this other one that has these spines that look like trees..."
Astrid is the last to go.
HICCUP
"So I guess we'll share-"
ASTRID
"Read it."
She pushes it toward him and leaves.
HICCUP
"All mine then. Wow, so okay. I'll SEE YOU-"
Slam.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
"Tomorrow."
SIGH.
"Rude. How you have friends is a mystery." Nightwolf growled
DISSOLVE TO: INT. GREAT HALL - LATE NIGHT ON HICCUP'S HAND OPENING the massive book. Thunder BOOMS outside. The hall is vacant and dark, but for the few candles he's pulled together. Hiccup pours through page after page of strange and frightening dragons.
HICCUP (V.O.)
"Dragon classifications. Strike class. Fear class. Mystery class."
"Why didn't you just take it home?"
Hiccup shrugged.
Hiccup turns the page.
HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)
"Thunderdrum. This reclusive dragon inhabits sea caves and dark tide pools." (MORE)
HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)
"When startled, the Thunderdrum produces a concussive sound that can kill a man at close range. Extremely dangerous. Kill on sight."
Hiccup's eyes drift to a lurid illustration of decapitated Vikings. Another page, another dragon.
HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)
"Timberjack. This gigantic creature has razor sharp wings that can slice through full grown trees...extremely dangerous. Kill on sight."
The illustrations seem to take on a life of their own, shifting and squirming in the candlelight.
"That's creepy." Fishlegs muttered. Everyone, but the trio and dragons agreed.
HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)
"Scauldron. Sprays scalding water at its victim. Extremely dangerous."
The storm outside rages against the shuttered windows. Hiccup is startled, but presses on.
"You kept going?"
"It wasn't that scary."
HICCUP (CONT'D)
"Changewing. Even newly hatched dragons can spray acid. Kill on sight."
He begins flipping through the pages. A blur of dragons...
HICCUP (CONT'D)
"Gronckle. Zippleback. The Skrill. Bone Knapper. Whispering Death. Burns its victims. Buries its victims. Chokes its victims. Turns its victims inside-out. Extremely dangerous. Extremely dangerous. Kill on sight. Kill on sight. Kill on sight..."
Hiccup finally lands upon the page he's been looking for.
HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)
"Night Fury."
It's BLANK - no image, save for a few, sparse details.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
"Speed unknown. Size unknown. The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself." (MORE)
HICCUP (CONT'D)
"Never engage this dragon. Your only chance, hide and pray it does not find you."
Hiccup pulls his sketchbook out of his vest and opens it to his drawing of Toothless. He lays it over the book's blank page and considers it. CLOSE ON the drawing of Toothless...
"What are you thinking lad?"
MATCH CUT TO: EXT. HIGH SEAS - DAWN
A painted DRAGON, with a sword run through it. It's the billowing sail of Stoick's ship. Stoick hovers over the familiar nautical map - his eyes on the uncharted corner, swirling in mist and illustrations of dragons.
STOICK
"I can almost smell them. They're close. Steady."
Dragons smelled themselves. They smell?
Hiccup laughed. "Yes, you smell, but that's because dragons have different scents. Like your Auras."
Toothless licked the side of his face.
"You are wise beyond your years, Hatchling," said Thornado.
Stoick raises his gaze to... AN EPIC FOG BANK, towering from sky to sea like a bruised, daunting curtain, beyond which nothing is visible. The three ships drift alongside it, skirting its solid edge, looking for an opening. ON DECK the crewmen mill nervously, all too aware of what Stoick is considering.
STOICK (CONT'D)
"Take us in."
The helmsman steers Stoick's ship into the fog. The men draw their weapons, prepping for the worst.
VIKING
"Hard to port... for Helheim's gate."
The first ship disappears into the whiteout, followed by the other two. A BEAT Suddenly a flash of light. A silhouette of a dragon. Hollers. Sounds of splitting and shattering wood. Plunges into the water. Another bright flash.
"Uh, do we want to know what happened?" Fishlegs asked.
"No."
The Dragon that attacked laughed. "Oh, you should've seen their faces!"
"Whoo, that must've been awesome!" Hookfang said wing bumping each other.
Hiccup laughed at the dragons' actions. Toothless tackled Hiccup and they spent a bit wrestling.
Stoick whispered, "Why does Hiccup spend his time with those beasts?"
Nightwolf snorted. "Maybe because he feels appreciated with them, he gets love and affection he never got from you and the tribe. He feels more at home with them."
Stoick looked at her sadly. "I'm a horrible father, aren't I?"
Nightwolf sighed. "I'll spoil this: you become better by the end of this." She stuck her hands into her pockets.
"Nightwolf this isn't scheduled! Get back over here!" Siren called over.
Alright there's the chapter. Have a great Day/Night. So how did y'all like it? Questions/Comments in the reviews. thank you.
~Nightmare-wolf22
