Defying The Rules

Hiccup's dragon

"Are you okay?" Thalos finally said, making his way up to Hiccup once Gobber and the other Vikings left.

Hiccup nodded, still breathing heavily. "Mhm. I lost any bit of pride I had left, but yeah." He looked at the scorched, sizzling wall that was next to his head.

Thalos stared at him. He was about to say he never had any, but Hiccup spoke first. "Thank you, for your silent imput." He said sarcastically.

"Eh.. sorry?" Thalos replied. "Just.. maybe next time, get in there more? Like, hiding didn't get your adrenalin going as much as getting out there would have. Maybe that would have helped?" Thalos was trying to be helpful.

"You treat adrenaline as if it were Thor himself." Hiccup replied, walking with Thalos out of the arena.

"Adrenaline helps. I don't care what you say. I does. I fight a lot better when I'm tensed up like that." Thalos said.

"Uh-huh." Hiccup grunted.

"Hey, did you ever find that Night Fury?" Thalos assumed no, but he figured he might as well ask anyway to show that he cared.

Hiccup froze and thought a moment. "Uh.. No. no, uh- I must have missed it."

Thalos tilted his head at his suddenly weird.. well, weirder.. behavior. "Uhm, okay. I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah. Well, I uh- I'd better get going. Gobber uh- needs help in the smithy." With that, Hiccup started running off.

Thalos raised an eyebrow. While yes, Hiccup was Gobber's blacksmithing assistant, Thalos wasn't buying it. So, naturally of course, he started following the young Viking.

He made sure to keep a good distance behind him. As he followed Hiccup throughout the village, he thought about what Gobber had said. "Remember.. a dragon will always, always.. go for the kill." The blue dragon hadn't done that. Why? It could have eaten him right then and there without a problem.

He shook off the thought as he followed the boy. Thalos grew confused when Hiccup was walking into the forest. He continued to keep a good distance away as he followed. He stepped over the fallen trees, rocks, bushes, and everything else that was on the forest floor.

He hid behind a tree when Hiccup stopped. "Gobber said a dragon will always go for the kill." He paused and the thin Viking crouched down and picked up a bola on the ground, almost as if he was weighing it. "So why didn't you?"

Hiccup set the bola down and continued walking. Thalos followed. Who was, "you?" A dragon? Hiccup walked into a dark opening in the rocks. Thalos hid behind on of the rocks and peered out. The opening appeared to lead out into a small clearing, or cove. It was green with a small lake in the middle. Rocks, bushes, and a few trees were scattered around it.

Hiccup ducked under a root that stretched across the small opening and scanned the clearing. "Well this is stupid." Thalos heard him say as he looked around the opening. He watched him crouch down and pick something up. Thalos couldn't tell what it was, but it looked like a small, thin, dark colored peice of wood or rock.

Hiccup examined it closely before suddenly, a black dragon shot up from the clearing, giving off a slightly high pitched roar or grunt. The sudden movement and sound caused both Hiccup and Thalos to fall back in surprise. Thalos watched as Hiccup quickly got up and watched the dragon claw at the rocks. It appeared to be trying to get out of the cove, but instead, the black, winged animal fell back down. The animal roared and glided away from where he fell.

Thalos took quiet, deep breaths and stood back up. Holy Thor.. was that a Night Fury!? The most feared dragon in the entire Archipelago!? He watched Hiccup jump down from the ledge. Thalos quickly moved up and peered behind one of the rocks in the opening. Hiccup was now on a flat rock, only a few feet below where he first was. He was writing something in his journal. Thalos looked at the black, bat-like dragon as it shot purple blasts at the ground. The beast seemed stressed. He looked back at Hiccup. He heard him mumble something, then saw him blot out part of what he wrote with his tunic sleeve.

Thalos watched the dragon flap into the air. A few seconds later, it fell to the ground. The animal then walked up to and looked at the water with purpose. It shoved its head in the water, likely trying to get fish, but came out empty mouthed. Was this the Night Fury Hiccup shot down? He said he didn't find it.. The offspring of lightning and death itself was here, on the ground! It appeared it was trying to fly away, it for some reason, couldn't. Why? Thalos didn't know. Stoick the Vast, the Chief of Berk, would love to have this dragon's head in a spike somewhere. It was the most feared dragon in the Archapeligo!

Thalos watched Hiccup as he frantically tried to grab something. Thalos guessed he dropped the pencil he was writing with. He looked back at the dragon, and saw its head up, looking at Hiccup.

"Oh Thor.." Thalos mumbled, thinking the dragon was gonna shoot at him. He almost went out to grab Hiccup and move him out of the way, but the dragon only tilted his head. This dragon wasn't going after Hiccup either. Why? Why didn't the dragon he encountered attack him, and why didn't this one attack Hiccup?

He also wanted to know why Hiccup hadn't turned the dragon in, or told the village it was here. Surely an entire village could take this dragon on. It wasn't that massive. Yeah, it was dangerous, but the Hooligan Tribe should still be able to take it on, especially since it didn't seem to be able to fly away.

Hiccup turned around, and Thalos quickly got out of view. He heard Hiccup walking back, so he left his spot and hid behind a tree. Hiccup walked out of the opening between the rocks. He was now heading on the direction of the village, so Thalos guessed he was going back. He decided he would follow him though, just incase.

Sure enough, Hiccup had walked back to the village. Thalos thought a moment. Should he go back to the cavern? Yeah, it seemed like a stupid idea, but the dragon hadn't really attacked him, and the Night Fury hadn't attacked Hiccup. Was there something about their views about dragons that they were missing?

Vikings have had the same view of dragons for centuries. Perhaps they evolved to a more tempered mindset? At least if you didn't come across as a threat? Maybe that was why the blue dragon had growled when he had tried to grab the axe. It didn't want to be threatened. Who does?

Thalos looked out at the forest. He had to meet with Gobber and the gang tonight for dinner in the Great Hall. He had plenty of time though... Maybe just a small visit? He grabbed his axe and looked at it. Perhaps if he didn't bring the axe, he could get on its better side.. There were a lot of benefits if he could study the dragon.

Hiccup had been studying the Night Fury, obviously. That would be so helpful! Maybe he could do the same? It was an undiscovered species after all. He could name it, write down stats, everything! Assuming he didn't die in the process...

He took a breath. Yeah, he was going to do it. The thing lived right under Berk. The Viking community needed to know as much about it as posssible.