Defying The Rules

Hiccup and the Monsterous nightmare

"Well, I can show my face in public again." Stoick the Vast, Chief of Berk, said with a chuckle. He had been the leader of the Vikings' recent search for the dragons' nest. He had been gone for a few weeks, just like Thalos's father, and other Vikings.

The Chief silenced the cheering crowd so he could be heard. "If somebody told me, that in a few short weeks, Hiccup would go from well, being...uh... Hiccup, to placing first in Dragon Training-well I would have tied him to a mast and shipped him off, for fear he'd gone mad! And you know it!" He said with another chuckle.

The crowd cheered and laughed at the Chief's words. Everyone knew it was true. Hiccup was nothing like Stoick, the big, strong, red-bearded Chief Viking. The man stood tall with a large red beard and wore an armored tunic and a helmet with long horns. He wore a long brown, furry robe. He had the respect of just about everyone in the village, and even most in other tribes. He was a very well known Chief. His dragon killing and fighting skills were legendary.

Hiccup was a scrawny, weak, nerd-of-a-boy who had zero fighting talent and zero brawn. He was always distracted and never listened. He was nothing like his father, much less the other Vikings of the village.

"But-" The Chief started again. "-here we are, and no one's more surprised, or more proud, then I am. Today, my boy becomes a Viking. Today, he becomes one of us!" He said proudly, raising his arm in the air. The crowd cheered wildly.

Stoick the Vast made his way to his special chair which had the best view of the arena. Thalos looked down into the arena, waiting for Hiccup to enter it. He could see Hiccup's slim figure at the entrance, waiting. Thalos watched as Gobber, the one-legged blacksmith and Stoick's right hand man, made his way to the entrance to get Hiccup.

The crowd started cheering loudly as Hiccup walked into the arena and put his helmet on. Even Snotlout cheered. Hiccup walked slowly and hesitantly as he looked around the crowd watching him. Thalos sat on the edge of his seat, watching intently.

"Thor, Hiccup. Don't get killed..." he mumbled under his breath.

Thalos looked up where the Chief sat. He sat with his elbow on the arm of his large chair and stroked his beard. Thalos looked back down at Hiccup, who was making his way to the small wooden wall with all the weapons on it. The rack contained a dagger, a sword, mace, shield, axe, hammer, and a few other weapons.

The nervous Viking grabbed the dagger and the shield. Thalos's lack of confidence that Hiccup would come out of this alive became worse when he saw Hiccup's weapon choice. A dagger? Really? Good job on the shield, but he picked a dagger to fight a massive dragon? Why didn't he pick the axe?! Thalos would have gone with the axe!

Thalos looked up at the Chief, who had a surprised looked on his face, likely from Hiccup's weapon of choice. The cheering crowd had died down a bit once Hiccup looked up at the Chief. Now, only whispers and murmurs were heard.

A faint "I'm ready" was heard from Hiccup. Just as he said that, a Viking with a long blonde beard pulled down a leaver. As he did so, the wooden bars that kept the doors to the dragon's pen shut slowly moved out of the way.

As soon as the wood was removed, the doors burst open and the Monstrous Nightmare shot out as if it had been trying to get out for the past hour. The insides of the doors, and the dragon itself, were covered in flames.

The red dragon roared angrily as it quickly ran along the stone walls of the arena, trying to find a way out. The Monstrous Nightmare climbed onto the chain and metal "ceiling" and shot a burst of flame at a group of Vikings in the crowd. Luckily they all moved out of the way before they were hit.

The furious dragon quickly crawled along the chains, grumbling and roaring. Suddenly, it stopped, no longer on fire. It bent it's head backwards and peered evilly at Hiccup. It growled aggressively and slowly moved its front wing-foot down to the ground, bracing itself as its full body came to the ground.

"Go on, Hiccup! Give it to him!" A male Viking in the crowd shouted. The cheering of the crowd had resumed the second the dragon was let out of its cage, but it soon died down when it was obvious the dragon had seen Hiccup.

The red and black dragon slowly approached the small Viking, it's yellow eyes glaring into Hiccup's soul. Hiccup slowly stepped back as the dragon came closer.

Thalos watched in horror as the dragon's face was only a foot or so away from Hiccup's body. His heart must have skipped a thousand beats as Hiccup purposefully dropped his dagger and shield and put his hands out in front of him.

"Hiccup, what are you doing!?" Thalos shrieked, standing up and leaning on the chain. He was throwing away his only chance of defense! He was going to get eaten alive!

Hiccup said something to the dragon, but Thalos couldn't hear him over the crowd's rising murmuring and chattering.

Hiccup's hands got dangerously close to the snout of the dragon. They were only a few inches away. Why the Monstrous Nightmare hadn't made Hiccup his lunch already, Thalos didn't know. The dragon very slowly approached the boy, lowly growling and watching him carefully with its malicious, yellow eyes.

Hiccup then slowly removed his helmet, looking the Monstrous Nightmare in the eyes. The crowd went silent. The dragon snorted and watched Hiccup with uncertainty. Hiccup glanced up at his father, but soon returned his gaze to the dragon in front of him.

"I'm not one of them." He said to the dragon, throwing his helmet to the ground.

"What's he thinkin'?" Thalos heard a Viking ask quietly.

The crowd, Thalos included, gasped. Thalos watched with wide eyes, horrified for his friend. He had just openly disrespected he entire Viking tribe. Did he know that he could get banished for that!? He looked over at the Chief, who looked both angry and surprised. The man was leaning forward on the edge of his seat.

Thalos looked back down at Hiccup and the dragon, his heart beating out of his chest and a lump in his throat. He watched as the dragon's eyes softened, and Thalos's eyes widened. He knew what Hiccup was doing. He was trying to train the dragon... in front of the entire Hooligan tribe.

Thalos's breathing was heavy as he watched with anticipation. Hiccup kept his eyes glued to the eyes of the Monstrous Nightmare as he moved his hand closer to its nose.

Stoick stood up. "Stop the fight." He demanded, watching his son and the dragon.

"No!" Hiccup said to his father, not removing his eyes from the dragon. "I need you all to see this. They're not what we think they are." He said. "We don't have to kill them."

The whispers and murmurs of the tribe grew louder. The dragon was about to press its nose against Hiccup's hand when suddenly, Stoick grabbed his hammer and shouted, "I said stop the fight!" swinging his stone hammer and hitting the metal, bending it. The sound rang loudly throughout the arena.

This startled the dragon and snapped it out of any kind of trusting mode Hiccup had it in. It roared angrily and snapped at Hiccup's hand. Hiccup shouted in alarm and started running, barely avoiding a blast of fire that came his way.

"Ahhhh!" He screamed, now full on running from the dragon. The dragon lunged at him with its jaws, hardly missing the small Viking as he ran around the enclosed arena.

"Hiccup!" Thalos shrieked, watching Hiccup run. Hiccup had nowhere to go! He was trapped! He wasn't going to be able to get out! If something wasn't done quickly, he was done for.