úlfheðnar, httyd

ii. The Useless

𖣯 ✹ 🌷(úlfheðnar) ꏍ ！┈─❟
╰───►chapter two; hiccup
❝ the useless! ❞

   "WHERE are you going?!"

    "Come back here!"

    "Hiccup!"

    "Be right back!"

    Vikings yelped, jumping out of the way of Hiccup who barrelled through the morning war zone. The sun was starting to show over the ocean, which meant he had little time left to shoot down this Night Fury; little time left to show everyone just how Viking he was. Hiccup has never felt so determined in his life. If he got this dragon, everything changed. He wanted that. He wanted to prove himself so bad.

    Sprinting up the slope to the cliffs looking out towards the watchtower the dragon had destroyed, Hiccup's invention shook in his hands and clattered on the stone. Once it reached the grass, Hiccup had to push extra hard to get it up. He heaved it to the edge. In a rush, he set it up. Pulling away the compartment, Hiccup clicked out the crossbow, lugging it back and into position. He flicked into place the bolas and then, it was silence, him waiting━breath bated━for the Night Fury to show itself.

    "Come on," murmured Hiccup, eyes narrowed into the dark. "Give me something to shoot at, give me something to shoot at ..."

    For a few seconds, nothing happened. He stared into the morning dawn, shoulders tense and ready.

    Then, a roar echoed in the distance. Hiccup aimed the contraption towards the sound. It grew louder and louder, piercing his ears until━BOOM! The watchtower was lit up again in an explosion of light. In it, Hiccup saw a figure━nothing but a dart of black in the purple-blue, but it was enough. He rushed to aim, pulled the triger and━wham━!

    The bola flew out, and Hiccup fell backwards. He hit the ground, but wasted no time in crawling to his feet. His heart was in his throat as he awaited the moment ... at first, when the shriek of the dragon echoed in the lightening sky, he didn't realise. He watched, absolutely amazed at just what happened, as the dragon fell out of the sky towards the forest.

    "Oh ... I hit it," realised HIccup. With a great big cry of triumph, he jumped to his feet. "Yes! I hit it!" He clapped his hands, throwing them up into the air in celebration. He spun around, wanting to cheer to the heavens. "Ah━hah! Did anybody see that?"

    He felt the huff of hot air at the base of his neck before he heard the growl. His shoulders slumped. Oh no ... Carefully, he spun around, backing up in fear of the Monstrous Nightmare. The dragon smashed the contraption with his foot in front of him. Its scales flickered with flames. Its eyes narrrowed into slits. It bared its teeth.

    Despite it all, Hiccup managed a sarcastic, "Except for you."

    The dragon opened his maw, and Hiccup only had time to let out a scream as he ran. Heat singed at Hiccup's arm as a blast of molten flame barely missed his left ear.

    Hiccup sprinted down the pathway. He could hear the jaws snap behind, trying to grab at his back━teeth longer than his fingers, and sharper than any knife. The gods were with him, that was for sure, as each flame narrowly missed his skin, hitting the stone of houses and the path behind him where he had been just moments ago. The Monstrous Nightmare clambered after him, and HIccup knew there was no way he could outrun it.

    Last minute, he dashed behind a flame tower, hunched up. The molten fire hit the post behind him and Hiccup winced, hiding himself down and away from the embers that flew around him ... but he was okay ... he was alive ...