Ch.6: Dragon Manual
EXT. WOODS/HIDDEN COVE – DUSKHiccup (muttered): "So why didn't you?"
That's the question everyone's been asking themselves.
On Hiccup, back at the scene of crime. He drops the bola and presses on in the direction the Night Fury flew off. He drops into a rocky crevice and follows it to an isolated cove complete with a pristine spring pool.
Hiccup (CONT'D): "Well, this was stupid."
He scans the high stone walls… then notices a single black scale on the ground. He crouches and picks it up, studying it. Suddenly, the Night Fury blasts past him. Hiccup recoils, watching the massive beast struggle to climb the walls. The dragon is trapped. Hiccup grins, excited to see it again, and slips closer. He watches as the dragon, exhausted and frustrated, leaps into the air, beating its wings furiously. Again and again, it rolls uncontrolled crashes heavily.
Everyone was watching confused at the screen. Why wasn't the dragon flying away?
"I'm so sorry, bud," said Hiccup and Toothless nuzzled against him.
"That's okay. I already forgave you for it," said Toothless and Hiccup smiled, and petted the Night Fury on the head.
As if remembering to snap a photo, Hiccup pulls out a leather bound book and flips past drawings of weapons to a blank page. He sketches the dragon quickly, desperate to record the image.
"Wow, you're pretty good at drawing," complimented Katla and Hiccup smiled, but also blushed a little, which didn't go unnoticed by Toothless and Elysia.
"Why can't these two just tell how they feel for one another? It's not that hard," said Toothless.
"I don't know, but let's give them a little more time. If they take too long, we'll take matters in our own hands, or wings in our case," said Elysia ad Toothless nodded in agreement.
Hiccup (CONT'D) (muttered): "Why don't you just fly away?"
Hiccup spots the problem. He adjusts his drawing, carefully erasing one of the dragon's tailfins.
Everyone in the room gasped, including the dragons. It was crippled! It couldn't control its flight with only one tailfin!
The teens from Berk immediately remembered what Gobber had told them. 'A downed dragon is a dead dragon'. They wondered how it could survive without being able to fly.
Stoick, on the other hand, was beaming in happiness. If the dragon couldn't fly away, it could be easily killed.
The Night Fury claws at the steep rock walls, trying to climb out of the cove. It slips and falls hard, crushing several saplings. The dragon rolls back to its feet and crawls to the water's edge. He spots fish in the shallow water and snaps at them…but comes up empty. He lowers his head, looking weakened. Hiccup accidentally drops the charcoal stick. It rolls off the rock outcropping that hides him from view and bounces into the cove. TINK. TINK. TINK. The Night Fury raises his head, spotting Hiccup. They exchange a profound, unflinching stare.
Night Fury (to himself): "The boy that let me go? What is he doing here?"
Everyone stared at the exchange, confused. Instead of threatening, the Night Fury seemed… curious. The Vikings couldn't help themselves and looked over to Hiccup, who was scratching Toothless on the head. This was the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself? It looked like an overgrown cat with wings. He also spotted Katla next to Hiccup, who was leaning against her Skrill. They were confused at how two of the most dangerous dragons were acting so calmly. It didn't make any sense at all!
DISSOLVE TO: INT. GREAT HALL – NIGHT
A storm is brewing outside. The great doors rattle on their hinges.
Gobber (O.S.): "Alright, where did Astrid go wrong in the ring today?"
The recruits are seated at a table, eating dinner by the glow of the fire pit.
Astrid: "I mistimed my somersault dive. It was sloppy. It threw off my reverse rumble."
Eye rolls from the group..
Ruffnut (sarcastic): "Yeah. We noticed."
Snotlout (grabbing Astrid's hand): "No, no, you were great. That was so 'Astrid'."
"Will he ever realize that she doesn't feel the same about him," asked Toothless.
"I doubt it'll ever happen," said Hiccup, shaking his head as he thought of his cousin's stupidity.
"You know, Snotlout may not be only annoying, but also irritating," said Katla and Hiccup nodded in agreement.
Gobber: "She's right, you have to be tough on yourselves."
Creak. All eyes turn to Hiccup, entering the hall, sheepishly.
Gobber (CONT'D): "Where did Hiccup go wrong?"
Ruffnut: "Uh, he showed up."
Tuffnut: "He didn't get eaten."
Hiccup tries to take a seat at the table, but the recruits keep closing the gaps. Rolling his eyes, Hiccup sits at the vacant table next to them.
Astrid: "He's never where he should be."
"Actually, right now I'm where I have to be," said Hiccup, loud enough so everyone could hear him.
"And where's that," asked Fishlegs.
"I think it's obvious that the one place I belong is where Toothless and Katla are," said Hiccup and the dragon smiled while Katla blushed.
Gobber: "Thank you, Astrid."
Gobber stands.
Gobber (CONT'D): "You need to live and breathe this stuff."
Gobber lays a giant book in the center of the table.
Gobber (CONT'D): "The dragon manual. Everything we know about every dragon we know of."
"Not quite. There's no information about Typhoomerangs, Snow Wraiths, Singetails, Stormcutters and lots more," said Hiccup.
"Just how many dragons are there," asked Katla.
"I've seen lots of dragons during the few times I was flying with Toothless," said Hiccup.
A rumble of thunder shakes the hall. Rain pours down outside.
Gobber (CONT'D): "No attacks tonight. Study up."
Gobber exits the hall, leaving the teens staring at the book.
Tuffnut (disbelievingly): "Wait, you mean read?"
Ruffnut: "While we're still alive?"
"Well, you can't read when you're dead," said Hiccup.
Snotlout: "Why read words when you can just kill the stuff the words tell you stuff about?"
Fishlegs: "Oh! I've read it like, seven times. There's this water dragon that sprays boiling water at your face."
"That's a Scauldron," said Hiccup.
Fishlegs (CONT'D): "… and there's this other one that buries itself for like a week…"
"Whispering Death," said Hiccup.
The teens stare as Fishlegs goes on too long.
Tuffnut: "Yeah, that sounds great. There was a chance I was going to read that…"
Ruffnut: "…but now…"
Snotlout gets up to go.
Snotlout: "You guys read, I'll go kill stuff."
The others follow, with Fishlegs in tow.
Fishlegs: "Oh and there's this other one that has these spines that look like trees…"
Astrid is the last to go.
Hiccup: "So I guess we'll share–"
Astrid: "Read it."
She pushes the book towards him and leaves.
Hiccup: "All mine then. Wow, so okay. I'll see you–"
Slam.
Hiccup (CONT'D): "Tomorrow."
Sigh.
DISSOLVE TO: INT. Great Hall – Late Night
On Hiccup's Hand
Opening the massive book. Thunder booms outside. The hall is vacant and dark, but for the few candles he's pulled together. Hiccup pours page after page of strange and frightening dragons.
Hiccup (V.O.): "Dragon classifications. Strike class. Fear class. Mystery class."
Hiccup turns the page.
Hiccup (V.O.) (CONT'D): "Thunderdrum. This reclusive dragon inhabits sea caves and dark tide pools. When startled, the Thunderdrum produces a concussive sound that can kill a man at close range. Extremely dangerous. Kill on sight."
Hiccup's eyes drift to a lurid illustration of decapitated Vikings. Another page, another dragon.
Hiccup (V.O.) (CONT'D): "Scauldron. Sprays scalding water at its victim. Extremely dangerous."
The storm outside rages against the shuttered windows. Hiccup is startled, but presses on.
Hiccup (V.O.) (CONT'D): "Changewing. Even newly hatched dragons can spray acid. Kill on sight."
"They kill babies," asked Katla in disbelieve.
"Even I was shocked by this. Vikings are more heartless then I thought," said Hiccup loud enough so the Vikings on the other side of the room could hear him.
He begins flipping through the pages. A blur of dragons…Hiccup (V.O.) (CONT'D): "Gronckle. Zippleback. The Skrill. Boneknapper. Whispering Death.
The illustrations seem to take on a life of their own, shifting and squirming at the candlelight.
"I didn't know books could do that," said Tuffnut.
"It's kind of creepy if you ask me," said Fishlegs.
"You get spooked even when a sheep jumps in your way," said Snotlout with a chuckle.
"Why did you skip the information about the other dragons," Katla asked Hiccup.
"Because there's only one dragon I want to know about," said Hiccup and pointed at Toothless.
"So you were actually looking for information about the Night Fury," asked Katla and Hiccup nodded.
"I wanted to know more about my kind," muttered Elysia.
Hiccup (V.O.) (CONT'D): "Burns its victims. Buries its victims. Chokes its victims. Turns its victims inside–out. Extremely dangerous. Extremely dangerous. Kill on sight. Kill on sight. Kill on sight…"
"Did any page not have 'extremely dangerous, kill on sight' recommended," asked Sven.
"Only one," said Hiccup and the Free Folks just stared dumbfounded. "Don't look at me like that. The Vikings who wrote that book wasn'tso smart."
Hiccup finally lands upon the page he's been looking for.
Hiccup (V.O.) (CONT'D): "Night Fury."
It's blank – no image, save for a few, sparse details.
Hiccup (CONT'D): "Speed unknown. Size unknown. The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. Never engage this dragon. Your only chance, hide and pray it does not find you."
"How are you still alive after engaging a Night Fury more than two times," asked Katla.
"By engaging, I think they mean attacking a Night Fury. But only the biggest idiot would try to bully a dragon," said Hiccup and Toothless and Elysia laughed.
Hiccup pulls his sketchbook out of his vest and opens it to his drawing of Toothless. He lays it over the book's black page and considers it.
Close on the drawing of Toothless…"You're probably the only one to have a drawing of a Night Fury," said Katla and Hiccup nodded.
Hey, everyone. I'm sorry for the long wait. I was pretty busy lately. Anyway, here's the 6th chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be uploaded, so I'll see you all next time. Until then, have a nice day.