Second Chapter to be updated!
Italics=thoughts
Chapter 3: Dragon Training
The sunlight peeking through the window woke Nico up. He yawned and stretched in trying to wake himself up as he sat up and took in his surroundings.
"So last night really did happen." He thought to himself as he stood up. He looked at the floor to see if Hiccup was awake but the space Hiccup had slept on was empty. "Hmm where's Hiccup?"
Nico felt through his pockets making sure that everything was there before he started walking down the stairs. He stopped halfway when he heard Stoick's loud voice.
"Hiccup you get yer wish dragon training, you start today." Stoick's voice boomed through the house.
"Um...I don't know what to say dad...thanks?" Hiccup sounded like he could barely contain his excitement.
"Mm," Stoick nodded in approval, "Well anyway how'd that boy get on last night?" Stoick asked as Nico leaned closer to hear their conversation.
"He's alright the healer said that he should be perfectly fine today, though he may have a bit of pain in his leg." Hiccup told him.
"So did you talk to him at all?"
"Uh...well yes I thanked him for saving my life and I uh...gave him my bed to sleep in."
Stoick sighed, "Hiccup after last night I was thinking and I know that I won't be able to stop you from getting out and getting into trouble but I want you to promise me that you'll at least stay with Nico so that I know you're relatively safe."
"...I promise dad." Hiccup replied hesitantly. Nico swore he heard some hurt creep into his voice, was it because his father didn't trust him to be alone?
"Great now I've decided that I'm going to see if Nico is fit to live on Berk," The announcement shook Nico out of his thoughts, "I appreciate what he did last night immensely, but I can't let him stay if he's completely useless. Therefore, I'm giving him until I get back to prove to Gobber and Gothi that he deserves to remain on Berk." He shouldered the supplies for his trip.
"Wait both of us are entering Dragon Training?!" Hiccup called after him.
"Yes yer both due to attend training today so train hard and I'll be back...probably." Stoick patted him awkwardly on the shoulder as he left.
"And we'll be here...maybe." Hiccup replied as he set down the axe his father had handed him. Watching the door close behind his father, Nico could see the longing in his eyes.
Hiccup sighed and turned to go up the stairs when he saw Nico walking down.
"Hey Nico you're up!" Hiccup greeted as he smiled.
"So dragon training..." Nico replied.
"We're screwed." Hiccup declared as he slumped on the bottom stair.
"Aw come on Hiccup don't give up that easy." Nico told him as he sat down next to him. The pain from last night was mostly gone but his leg was still a little stiff.
"It's just, I've wanted to enter Dragon Training ever since I was little, but now." Hiccup looked down, "I don't think I'm ready. I want to make my father proud I really do! It's just, the legends about how he killed dragons before he could walk. I mean look at me! I'm nearly sixteen and I've yet to even hit a dragon!" He slumped forward, "So how am I supposed to make my father proud when I'm so like...this."
"You just gestured to all of yourself." Nico deadpanned.
"You get the idea." Hiccup replied.
Nico put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey come on dude I mean I've never faced a dragon before last night and I'm not very good at handling weapons either so at least if you screw up then it won't be as bad." Nico reassured him, "Listen Hiccup, you need to stop trying to be what you're not."
"What?" Hiccup looked at him confused.
"Hiccup, you are not a normal viking, you're not strong and you can barely lift weapons. You need to stop trying to be like everyone else and do what works for you."
"Wow, way to boost my confidence," He muttered sarcastically.
Nico rubbed his head and tried to word his sentences properly.
"Okay what I am trying to saw is that you are brains not brawn." He paused, "You need to stop trying to fight like you are brawn and instead use your brain to find and exploit your opponent's weaknesses. Use your smarts instead of your strength and you'll be sure to do a lot better." Nico smiled, "Nothing says brains can't beat brawn."
Hiccup looked at him in amazement, "You know what? You're right...all this time I've tried to fight like everyone else but if..." A wide grin lit up his face, "Nico, you have just made my day a little less gloomy."
"Thanks...I think, now let's get ready we've still got a lot to do apart from training." Nico told him as he stood up and held out a hand for Hiccup.
After a filling breakfast Hiccup took Nico to the forge to get him a weapon for the upcoming training.
Nico had never held a weapon before, unless you count a really big stick a weapon, so this was quite exciting.
"You're sure I'm allowed to just go take a weapon?" Nico asked as they walked into the workshop, weapons seemed to cover every surface.
"Yeah don't worry Gobber will understand." Hiccup assured him as he opened a cupboard full of different weapons, "So which one do you like?" Hiccup asked.
"Um...I've never really seen any of these before in real life...hmm...I think I'll take this one." He decided as he pulled out a double-headed axe and weighed it in his hand. "Wow it's perfect!" He exclaimed.
"Really? You're just like Astrid," Hiccup blushed slightly at her name. "So I'll sharpen it and then we may be able to look around the village a bit before training." Hiccup told him as he started up the sharpening stone and took the axe from Nico.
The gears in Nico's head started turning, watching sparks fly from the grindstone.
"Hicstrid was always my favourite pairing...maybe I can help out a little with pushing the romance forward a bit." Unbeknownst to Hiccup, a large smile full of evil intent slowly spread across Nico's feature's.
After a reasonably quick tour around the village, Hiccup led Nico towards the Dragon Fighting Arena, or the Dragon Academy as Nico thought of it, for their first day of training. Ever since they had left the workshop, Nico had been constantly swinging his axe around trying to get a feel for the new weapon. There had been a few close calls during their tour but nobody got seriously hurt...he hoped.
"I'm guessing you like that axe?" Hiccup asked as he watched Nico swing it about on their way to the arena.
"Yeah it's almost like it was made for me." Nico replied as he examined the blade. "You did a really good job on sharpening it."
"Thanks." Hiccup replied as they approached the arena.
Nico saw Hiccup's face fall a little as they saw Snotlout and the others standing in the arena.
"Hey don't worry about them." Nico told him, "Just fight smart and pretty soon you'll be the one who's the coolest."
"Yeah that's something I do automatically but anyway sure yeah why not I mean just look at all this." He attempted to flex, it was pretty pathetic but at least he was trying.
Hiccup looked at the other arena occupants and scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Astrid's here too."
Nico look into the arena and sure enough there she was. "Yes she is...phase one can now begin." Nico managed to hide his inner demon and instead tried motivation.
"Hiccup don't worry everything's gonna be fine, now let's go."
"Yes because I will be pulling the strings..."
"Aw look who it is!" Ruffnut shouted as she saw the pair walking into the arena.
"Who let him in?" Tuffnut asked.
"Easy you guys." Nico yelled at them, despite how they picked on Hiccup, he did quite like the two. "We are all brothers and sisters in the arms of war. We fight together and we die together." He announced poetically.
"Wow..." Tuffnut looked at him with new found respect, "He is right." Puffing out his chest he approached the two and hugged them, "And as one we shall fight together until the very end when we shall ascend to Valhalla and let the heavens burst with songs of our conquests." His voice had taken on a very deep tone, finishing his line posed with one hand on his chest and the other raised in front of his face, turned away from Nico and Hiccup, it seemed that Tuffnut had a soft spot for poetic things. A faint golden light seemed to shine around Tuffnut. Well, at least until his sister grabbed his ear and told him to quit being an idiot. That of course escalated into a fight.
"Well it was nice while it lasted," Nico sighed, quietly wiping tears from his face, "Well lets get going."
Hiccup just shrugged and got in line between Fishlegs and Nico, just as Gobber began his speech.
"Behind these doors are some of the dragons you'll learn to fight." He announced as he approached the doors. "The Deadly Nadder, the Hideous Zippleback, the Monstrous Nightmare," -Hiccup gulped, this was it- "the Terrible Terror and finally the Gronkle." Gobber finished as he set his hand on the lever to the cage.
"Wait aren't you going to teach us something first?!" Snotlout asked.
Nico mentally started motivating himself, "Come on Nico, you da man, just don't get hit. Get hit and you die, don't want to die so don't get hit."
"I believe in learning on the job." Gobber replied as he pulled the lever. The Gronkle smashed out the door and immediately Nico ran to get a shield, with Hiccup just behind him.
"Looks like Hiccup's already started to make a plan."
"Ah Hiccup and Nico have the right idea." Gobber told the rest of the group as he gestured to the pile of shields. "A shield is your most important piece of equipment if you have to pick between a sword and a shield pick the shield." He told them as the rest of the teens grabbed the closest shield. All except the twins who were unsurprisingly fighting over a shield with a skull on it.
"Hey guys just take a shield before you're blasted!" Nico shouted at them as he dodged a charge from the Gronkle. The twins ignored Nico completely and kept fighting over the shield until a chunk of flaming rock was sent their way by the Gronkle and they spun to the ground.
"Ruffnut, Tuffnut you're out." Gobber told them as they groaned.
The remaining teens had made a circle around the hovering dragon as it tried to pick a target.
"Guys! Bang your weapon's against the shield!" Hiccup shouted as he banged his. The Gronkle shook his head as the noise started to take effect, "Dragons are sensitive to hearing," The rest of the teens nodded and joined in.
"Good thinking Hiccup!" Gobber shouted clearly impressed. "How many shots does a Gronkle have?"
"Five?" Snotlout suggested.
"No six!" Fishlegs corrected as he held up his shield.
"Watch out!" Nico shouted as the Gronkle took the distraction to blast Fishleg's shield.
"Fishleg's yer out!" Gobber called.
Fishlegs started screaming and dropped his hammer as he ran out the arena. Nico shook his head. "Typical Fishlegs."
He then turned to see Hiccup slowly edging behind the Gronkle which was currently distracted by Snotlout who was trying, and failing, to hit on Astrid.
"This is gonna be good." Hiccup whispered, pulling up next to Nico as they watched Astrid roll out the way dodging the Gronkle as it let lose another shot, eliminating Snotlout from the lesson.
"Snotlout yer out!" Gobber yelled.
"What do we do know?" Nico asked Hiccup as they saw the dragon lock on to them.
"Working on it!" Hiccup shouted.
"Dive!" Nico yelled, evading the Gronkle's charge as it fired at him. Hiccup tried to copy Nico but another fireball glanced off his shield sending it rolling across the arena meaning he wasn't out yet. Determined he chased after the rolling shield as the Gronkle came around again.
"Hiccup!" Nico shouted but it was too late Hiccup had grabbed his shield and held it in front of him as the Gronkle opened his mouth.
"Oh for gods sake!" Nico shouted as he threw his shield as hard as could at the Gronkle. It hit him and stopped him from blasting Hiccup but now it turned to Nico who no longer had a shield and flew after him.
"Aw crap!" Nico yelled as he dodged a swing from the Gronkle's tail.
"One shot left." He thought as he grabbed a discarded shield from the ground. He heard a roar as the Gronkle flew at him. Nico widened his stance and prepared himself to dodge the blast when there was a clatter as Hiccup dropped his shield and the Gronkle turned to him but instead of it going for Hiccup it targeted Astrid who was trying to sneak behind it. Nico was wondering whether to help or not when there was a scream as the Gronkle charged at Astrid and sent her flying through the air where she landed against the wall. Nico saw the Gronkle approaching her and tried to think of a plan.
"Hiccup get Astrid I'll distract it." Nico shouted at Hiccup who nodded and started running in her direction. Nico thought of a way to get the dragon's attention when he saw Fishleg's abandoned hammer on the ground. He picked it up and threw it at the Gronkle. It hit it in the side of the head. The Gronkle roared in anger as it turned and saw Nico standing there. It spun around and charged after him, as it spun round it's tail whipped round and hit Gobber in the chest sending him flying backwards when he tried to help Astrid. The Vikings fell back and groaned loudly.
"Looks like it's up to me and Hiccup." Nico thought as he tried to get away from the Gronkle chasing him. "I need to get it to shoot at me so its out of fire balls." He stopped running and turned around to face the Gronkle he saw the dragon open it's mouth as it prepared to blast him. Nico waited until he could see the fire at the back of the dragon's throat before he threw his shield at it's mouth just as it fired its final shot at him. The shot it the shield and exploded. The Gronkle looked a bit dazed as it had been close to the explosion. Nico took this opportunity to check on Hiccup who had reached Astrid looking pretty beat up.
"Man that tail is deadly."
Hiccup surprised Nico when he picked up Astrid bridal style and made a break for the exit.
"Son of a..." The strain simply from holding Astrid was evident on Hiccup's face.
It did look pretty bad-ass though, Nico gave him that.
A roar brought Nico back to the present and a very angry Gronkle which had seemingly recovered from the blast earlier.
"Oh sh-" Nico just turned and ran, thinking very fast he aimed for the Gronkle's cage. Knowing he had to get the timing right, he waited until he knew the Gronkle was right behind him before dropping to the ground. The dragon's lack of agility meant that it was carried by its momentum into the cage and right into the back wall. Moving quickly, Nico Pushed the lever up just in time to close the cage door before the Gronkle hit it.
"Whew," He slumped to the ground, that was close!
"Now." Gobber said as he rotated his hand. "That was fun." He grinned, trying to lighten the mood, getting up from his knockdown.
"No...oh good god no that was not fun," Nico accepted the hook Gobber offered and pulled himself, "But man did you see that right there at the end! Now that was the most awesome thing of the week right there." Nico laughed.
"You did look pretty cool," Hiccup agreed from the entrance.
"Now you Mr Hero, were awesome!" Nico put his arm around Hiccup, "Boy you just saved the day with that sweet pick up right there, I didn't even know you were strong enough to do that."
Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm not, so right now my arms are going through the worst pain imaginable. Astrid is surprisingly heavy."
Nico was about to laugh when he saw the figure standing behind Hiccup, fully recovered.
"Who's heavy?!"
And there is chapter 3 redone! I am changing the original plot (again) so it's more Hiccup doing the cool things because he has started to fight in a way that suits him, although he is still pretty useless in a fight, right now anyway. Also I have no idea if me replacing chapters actually sends an update...hm... anyhoo, no progress with Ch 17 although I have literally redone this chapter right after the last one so no surprise, also I would like an idea of whether this is doing okay so far I'm not entirely sure how much I'm going to change the original plot but I'll still be adding the OC's and stuff so who knows. Also yeah I am going to improve the Hicstrid romance in this story a lot! It'll be a lot less fast paced in this version but it will still happen and I think I am going to change how I bring Toothless into the story which means I might have to finish updating all these chapters before I do Chapter 17.
Oh well!