Sorry it took a bit longer to post. I just got off work. But as promised here is the next chapter. ANd as usual the condition stands. Ten reviews or next week.
Don't own HTTYD
EXT. VILLAGE - NIGHT Gobber and the recruits are seated at the top of an abandoned catapult tower, toasting campfire food around a roaring bonfire.
GOBBER ...and with one twist he took my hand and swallowed it whole. And I saw the look on his face. (can't deny it) I was delicious. He must have passed the word, because it wasn't a month before another one of them took my leg.
Gobber frowned "I still have ta wonder what those dragons were thinking back then." he commented.
FISHLEGS Isn't it weird to think that your hand was inside a dragon. Like if your mind was still in control of it you could have killed the dragon from the inside by crushing his heart or something.
Everyone shot Fishlegs a wierded look but he shrugged "I still think it's a sound suggestion." he said.
SNOTLOUT I swear I'm so angry right now. I'll avenge your beautiful hand and your beautiful foot. I'll chop off the legs of every dragon I fight, with my face.
Astrid rolled her eyes "Sure you will." she muttered.
He postures to Astrid. She rolls her eyes.
GOBBER (with a mouthful) Un-unh. It's the wings and the tails you really want. If it can't fly, it can't get away. A downed dragon is a dead dragon.
ON HICCUP hiding his horrified look from the others. Gobber stands and stretches.
Hiccup groaned, petting Toothless again. Toothless just crooned, leaning into the touch.
GOBBER (CONT'D) Alright. I'm off to bed. You should be too. Tomorrow we get into the big boys. Slowly but surely making our way up to the Monstrous Nightmare. (playful, taunting) But who'll win the honor of killing it?
He hobbles off. The teens reflect.
TUFFNUT (very matter of fact) It's gonna be me. (BEAT) It's my destiny. See?
Tuffnut rolls up his sleeve to reveal a red dragon on his arm.
FISHLEGS (GASPS) Your mom let you get a tattoo?
"Did your mom ever find out about that?" Fishlegs wondered.
Tuffnut huffed while Ruffnut grinned "Oh yeah. I've never seen her so mad." she said eagerly.
TUFFNUT It's not a tattoo. It's a birthmark.
RUFFNUT Okay, I've been stuck with you since birth, and that was never there before.
TUFFNUT Yes it was. You've just never seen me from the left side until now.
SNOTLOUT It wasn't there yesterday. Is it a birthmark or a today-mark?
Hiccup gets up and walks away from the group. Astrid watches him as he leaves the bonfire.
Astrid frowned "I had always wondered why you left in such a hurry." she commented.
Hiccup smiled "I had...other arrangements." he said.
DISSOLVE TO: INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - MOMENTS LATER Hiccup enters a small room at the back of the stall. It's covered in drawings of weaponry and scale models. He lights a candle and lays his sketchbook out on the desk, opening it to the drawing of Toothless. With a look of determination. Hiccup picks up a charcoal stick and re-draws the missing tail.
Stoick cocked his head "This is where you decided to rebuild his tail. Isn't it?" he asked. Hiccup nodded.
DISSOLVE TO: INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - LATER CLOSE ON ... a creaking leather bellows. The stone forge glows with every pump. Tongs pull intricate iron pieces from the coals. They're dropped onto the anvil, twisted, lightly hammered, and dunked in a barrel. The pieces are carried to Hiccup's workbench and laid out in place on a one-to-one schematic. It's a sketch of a mechanical fin.
Gobber frowned "I was wondering where that stuff went." he said.
Hiccup frowned "I wasn't sure how to ask permission. I mean I was helping a dragon to become mobile again." he said.
Gobber nodded "Fair point."
EXT. HIDDEN COVE - DAWN Hiccup arrives, winded, straining under the weight of a full basket. He clicks the scale he found (like a jar top). Toothless approaches, sniffing him.
HICCUP Hey Toothless. I brought breakfast. I hope you're hungry.
Hiccup drops the basket and kicks it over. Fish spill out.
HICCUP (CONT'D) Okay, that's disgusting.
All of them shivered in disgust.
Toothless approaches, settling in to devour the feast.
HICCUP (CONT'D) Uh..we've got some salmon...
Toothless swallows it.
HICCUP (CONT'D) ... some nice Icelandic cod...
Swallows those too.
HICCUP (CONT'D) ... and a whole smoked eel.
Toothless nabs it, chews a few times, then spits it out. He shakes his head violently, snorts and scrubs his massive tongue on the sand. Hiccup takes note.
"So that's how you found out they didn't like eel." Fishlegs said.
Hiccup flinched "Yep. Still not as bad as finding out why they don't like eel." he said. This earned several nods of agreement.
HICCUP (CONT'D) No, no, no! It's okay. Yeah, I don't like eel much either.
Toothless focuses on the remainder. With the dragon distracted, Hiccup unwraps his prosthetic fin and opens it like a fan.
HICCUP (CONT'D) Okay. That's it. That's it, just stick with good stuff. And don't you mind me. I'll just be back...here. Minding my own business.
"Subtle. Very Subtle."
Hiccup cautiously approaches the injured tail, but every time he gets near it, Toothless sweeps it away like a cat.
HICCUP (CONT'D) It's okay.
Hiccup drops a knee on top of the tail. Toothless' head juts up, slows its chewing to a halt.
AStrid snorted "This should be good." she said sarcastically.
HICCUP (CONT'D) Okay...okay..
The dragon tenses, slowly spreading his wings. Hiccup straps the prosthetic fin in place. He cinches the straps.
HICCUP (CONT'D) (PLEASED) There. Not too bad.
It works. Toothless BOLTS! He snaps his massive wings and takes to the air, carrying Hiccup with him.
HICCUP (CONT'D) Woah! No! No! No!
Stoick groaned "Of all the hair brained schemes." he muttered.
Hiccup however grinned at the memory "To be fair it wasn't near as dangerous as the free falling." he said.
Valka looked at him curiously "Is the free falling on purprose or accident?" she asked in curiosity.
Hiccup grinned "Usually purpose." he said.
Hiccup struggles to hold on to the tail. As the ground speeds away, Toothless immediately TIPS into a uncontrolled bank and dive. Hiccup sees the folded fin rattling uselessly in opposition to its flared counterpart. Flap as he may, Toothless can't correct his trajectory. Hiccup swallows his fear and crawls toward the folded prosthetic. He reaches it and YANKS it open. The flared, fan- like appendage catches the air, stabilizing the twisting tail.
The group watched amazed at the first tail. It had worked. Not the best but it still worked. No wonder he never gave up.
HICCUP (CONT'D) (excited, terrified) It's working!
Toothless arcs just short of the water and climbs... high into the air.
HICCUP (CONT'D) Yes! Yes, I did it.
He glances back at Hiccup, busily holding the tail open while trying to hold on. They're going to crash. Whoomp! Hiccup is suddenly thrown from the tail in the intense force of a turn.
HICCUP (CONT'D) AAAAAGGGGHHHHH!
He bounces across the water's surface and takes a dive. Without Hiccup to operate the tail, Toothless does the same, plunging in a massive cannonball. Hiccup resurfaces, roughed up, but beaming. Toothless appears seconds later.
HICCUP (CONT'D) Yeah!
Astrid and Stoick exchanged exhasperated looks "Only Hiccup would be excited about falling off of a dragon." Astrid said.
EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - MORNING GOBBER (O.S.) Today is about teamwork. Work together and you might survive.
ON A DOUBLE-WIDE DOOR. Gas seeps through the cracks. It BLASTS OPEN. A cloud of smoke engulfs the ring, swirling around the paired-up teens. Astrid with Ruffnut. Snotlout with Tuffnut. Fishlegs with Hiccup. All carry buckets of water, poised to throw them.
GOBBER (CONT'D) Now, a wet dragon head can't light its fire. The Hideous Zippleback is extra tricky. One head breathes gas, the other head lights it. Your job is to know which is which.
Valka couldn't help a small reminiscent smile. It seemed like nothing had changed while she was gone.
The smoke encircles them, cutting them off from each other. The teens LISTEN and WATCH for any sign of the dragon.
FISHLEGS (muttering to himself) Razor sharp, serrated teeth that inject venom for pre-digestion. Prefers ambush attack, crushing its victims in its...
HICCUP (TENSE) Will you please stop that?
The twins smiled proudly. Their dragon was awesome.
ON SNOTLOUT AND TUFFNUT Moving nervously through the fog, back to back. Snotlout is singing to himself to calm his nerves.
SNOTLOUT If that dragon shows either of his faces, I'm gonna- (spotting an approaching shape, terrified) -There!
Snotlout and Tuffnut HURL their water into the fog.
The two males winced, remembering what had happened. It had really hurt to be punched by the two girls!
ASTRID Hey!
RUFFNUT It's us, idiots. Astrid and Ruffnut are soaked.
TUFFNUT Your butts are getting bigger. We thought you were a dragon.
SNOTLOUT (TO ASTRID) Not that there's anything wrong with a dragon-esque figure.
Astrid ELBOWS Snotlout in the face. Ruffnut DROPS Tuffnut with a PUNCH to the throat.
Also in real time they also recieved the exact same treatment.
ASTRID Wait.
They FREEZE. A tail SWEEPS out of the fog, taking them down. Their buckets spill.
ON FISHLEGS AND HICCUP coming across them. They see the puddles of spilled water.
TUFFNUT Oh, I'm hurt. I am very much hurt.
FISHLEGS Chances of survival are dwindling into single digits now...
"Definetely not reassuring." Hiccup said dryly.
HICCUP Look out!
A Zippleback head emerges out of the smoke. Fishlegs hurls his water at it, completely dousing the head. It leers and opens its mouth, spewing gas into the area.
FISHLEGS Oh. Wrong head.
GAS FLOWS around their legs. Fishlegs flees in a panic.
The twins snickered, butting heads at the sight of their dragon inspiring terror.
GOBBER Fishlegs!
Beat. A clicking sound comes from behind them. Sparks flash in the smoke.
GOBBER (CONT'D) Now, Hiccup!
The other head sweeps out of the smoke. Hiccup hurls his water with all his might. It arcs and drops short of the dragon's sparking mouth. The dragon grins, savoring the kill.
HICCUP Oh, come on!
GOBBER RUN, HICCUP!
Everyone watched with bated breath. This was the moment of truth. The moment Hiccup finally became good in training.
Gobber COVERS his eyes.
GOBBER (CONT'D) Hiccup!
Beat. The Zippleback hesitates. SNIFFS. Then retreats. The teens get to their feet, watching transfixed. Gobber peeks through his fingers to see... The Zippleback backing away from Hiccup. He stands and holds his hands out, as if controlling it.
Astrid grinned "Finally. Time to see how the 'almighty dragon conqueror' won the competition." she teased.
Hiccup groaned while Valka looked at him with a raised eyebrow "Dragon conqueror?" she asked, her voice a bit cool.
Hiccup shook his head "It's what everyone else calls me. The outcasts, berserkers, even trader Johann has done it." he said in annoyance.
HICCUP BACK! BACK! BACK! Now don't you make me tell you again!
The Zippleback retreats through its door and into its cave, hissing.
HICCUP (CONT'D) Yes, that's right. Back into your cage.
Hiccup slyly OPENS his vest, revealing the spotted smoked EEL from earlier. He TOSSES it inside the door, then SLAMS it shut.
Astrid threw up her hands "An eel? A stupid eel? That's how you cheated?" she asked.
Hiccup wagged his finger "It technically isn't cheating if I'm utilizing my own knowledge to survive." he pointed out.
HICCUP (CONT'D) Now think about what you've done.
Hiccup turns to the teens and Gobber. They stare, slack-jawed
HICCUP (CONT'D) Okay! So are we done? Because I've got some things I need to...
Hiccup jogs out of the ring, past the speechless group.
HICCUP (CONT'D) Yep...see you tomorrow.
Astrid SNEERS. Something's going on.
Valka smiled at her son "Admittably it is quite ingenious. It is nice to know that you see dragons for what they really are." she said.
Hiccup smiled shyly at that "Thanks." he said.