A Saga Of Ice And Fire

Chapter Twenty-Nine - Kill Or Be Killed

The skies cracked open with torrential fire and thick ash bled down as teeming hordes of dragons cascaded down towards Berk, raging storm of infernos unleashed in unending perpetual sheets.

The weathered wooden houses and halls that lined the broad, eroded avenues and cobbled streets were up in ravenous carnal flames that devoured everything whole in it's path with an insatiable hunger; the terrified livestock were being plundered and snatched away faster than a man could grab at his sword or axe; thick smog and soot plagued the air so much that the simple act of breathing was proving to be difficult without coughing or gasping ; terrified sheep scurried about in a futile attempt to escape the fanged demons that descended from the skies.

Hiccup bolted down the massive stone flagged stairs that led to the giant rock castle that overlooked the entire isle, moving against the horde of children and elderly who were scurrying up and into the safety of the great hall as Agatha , Gothi and a few other women and elderly men ushered them in, shielding them from any runaway fireball that flew that way. The air rang with noise of mighty viking war cries and bloodthirsty dragon roars as the fifteen year old boy with the bell shaped auburn hair, piercing green eyes and the curious chin scar scurried through the thick chaos, unable to hide the excited grin on his face as the events unfolded around him. Today was the day---He, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock, was going to kill a dragon if it was the last thing he did tonight.

The air suddenly exploded and Hiccup found himself being flung backwards off his feet before hitting the ground hard. As he lay there, something massive and grotesque landed right on top of him, pinning him to the ground as it unleashed a mighty roar that deafened Hiccup's eardrum-and it was no dragon.

"Mornin!" Hoark grinned in exhilaration at Hiccup, as if this was a very exciting game or something. He then leapt off of the boy and bolted out towards the wall of chaos, axe hoisted up and above the head.

Hurrying back to his feet, Hiccup sprinted down the hill slope that led to the castle, ducking and weaving past burning fireballs, flying axes , spattering blood and everything else in between. As he made his way through the chaos, his mind was already too caught up thinking of scenarios on what he'd do once he'd caught his first dragon that he didn't even register some of the others who were bellowing at him as he ran past them.

"What're you doin out here!? Get back inside!"

"What in odin's name? Somebody grab em before he goes and sets his undies on fire ! "

As he rounded a corner, the ground in front of him suddenly lit up bright yellow and orange as a purple scaled deadly nadder whizzed past dangerously close and Hiccup nearly had his wind knocked out of him as he collided hard with a piece of stone. The stone, however, didn't seem to stop there as it seemed to yank him backwards off his feet and away from the torched ground. Hiccup, who'd instinctively clamped his eyes shut at the explosion of fire, daringly opened it a smidge to see his father's furious glare meeting him. He wished that it had been the rock that was holding him dangling and not his father. He'd pick the rock anyday.

"What es he doin out aga-" Stoick bellowed to the men beside him before turning his fiery emerald gaze, something much scarier than a dragon's fire, back at his son, who dangled in his arm like a weightless pillow, hands and legs knitted together as if trying to firm a cocoon ."What're yeu doin out !? "

Hiccup opened his mouth to try and come up with an explanation but found himself being shoved hard back to the ground as his father turned his attention away and back to a gronckle dragon that was making it's way towards a flock of sheep huddled across the street."Get back enside!"

Part of the reason Hiccup was so fixated on killing his first dragon that morning may have been so that he could impress Astrid, the girl who's beauty that made his stomach perform an acrobatic summersault every time she talked to him or stood next to him. But more than that, more than trying to win favours or impress any girls, more than any of it, he knew the only way his father would truly see him as something more than a pain in the neck was to kill a dragon.