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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Story [How To Train Your Dragon] Trial By Fire -- THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS HONOR!

Discussion in 'Non Star Wars Fan Fiction' started by mrjop2, Feb 2, 2011.

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  1. mrjop2

    mrjop2 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 6, 2007
    I said that I was going to post this story on Fridays, but I could not wait. Let's make this a weekly update on Wednesdays

    PM List:
    Hazel
    DaenaBenjen42

    Title: How to Train Your Dragon: Trial By Fire
    Author: mrjop2
    Awards
    Best Action 2011WINNER
    Best Fantasy 2011WINNER
    Most Underrated Story 2011 Nominated
    Best Multi-Post Story 2011 Nominated
    Best Canon Interpretation, Male 2011 (Hiccup) Nominated
    Best Villain 2011 (Ivar the Fearsome & Wolfbane 2 Nominations
    Best Ensemble Cast 2011 Nominated

    Genre: fantasy/adventure/drama
    Summary: The most feared and legendary Viking Chief comes to Berk, in search for a mythical dragon known as the Shadow Lord. Anxious to add the dragon to his impressive kill record, the legendary chief, Ivar the Fearsome, comes and begins to take control of the village. Hiccup must find a way to keep the dragons of Berk safe from Ivar while unlocking the mystery of this new dragon. If the dragon can be tamed, then he must find a way to protect it; but if the dragon is as evil as legend makes it out to be, it may be the greatest threat Berk has ever encountered.




    [image=http://i971.photobucket.com/albums/ae198/ivernasolo/mrjop2.jpg]
    Thanks to Irverna for the fanfic cover! (Flight of the Shadow Lord Dragon is the original title to this story)



    Chapter 1: Dragon Training

    There was a time where befriending a dragon was cause for one to be banished from the tribe. It was pretty much a law that did not need to be spoken; for Vikings and dragons had been at war for many generations. No one really remembered how the war started, but how it ended was a different matter, altogether.

    Just a few months ago, things began to change thanks to an unassuming young boy named Hiccup. He was the epitome of everything a Viking was not. He was a scrawny boy, whose demeanor would not even intimidate a fly. He was more of the type to be ignored by everyone in the village. Plagued by an acute case of ineptness, he was once seen as the embarrassment of Berk. No matter what the boy did, trouble was never far behind.

    The problem was that he had tried too hard to fit in as a dragon killer. All he really wanted was to be treated with respect, just like everyone else, instead of being treated as?well, a hiccup. He was tired of being treated like he was worthless. Yes, he may not be your beefy, gritty, typical Viking, but what he lacked in muscle, he made up for with intelligence. Unfortunately, at that time, strength was more impressive than smarts.

    However, Life provided something even better for the boy; although at first, it hardly seemed better. Hiccup?s quest to kill a dragon brought him across Toothless. Toothless was a Night Fury; a very rare breed of dragon. Unmatched in it?s speed, and stealth-like maneuvers, the Viking?s of Berk once feared it over any other dragon breed. Hiccup, on the other hand, found Toothless to be the most exotic dragon of them all.

    When they first met, it was after Hiccup had shot him down with his bola shooting invention. Toothless was ensnared by the bola, which cost the dragon half of it?s tail fin. When faced with the opportunity to kill the dragon, and gain the respect he long desired, he could not bring himself to do it. He released the dragon from the Bola, but it could not fly due to the damage to his tail fin.

    As Hiccup built his saddle and artificial fin, he learned the truth about dragons. He learned that they were not the mindless, violent creatures that all the Vikings made them out to be. They were actually quite friendly creatures who shared very similar human characteristics. After he and Toothless took on the dragon queen, which the Vikings later named the Red Death, the dragons had become more like pets. He had opened the eyes of his tribe to this fact, and now they lived together in harmony.

    In that bat
     
  2. Hazel

    Hazel Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2010
    Very, very nice, mrjop!

    To be honest, I haven't watched this movie yet, but you framed this so well I understand everything... and now I'm looking forward to watching.
     
  3. mrjop2

    mrjop2 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 6, 2007
    Watch the movie! It is absolutely phenomenal! In my opinion, it was the best animated film of the year, followed by Tangled, and then Toy Story 3.

    They have already planned 7 sequels to the movie (though that might be a little over ambitious) and a television series is already in progress of being made.
     
  4. Raphire

    Raphire Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 19, 2008
    LOl! I loved this story! I can't wait for the next post!

    Really? They have a TV show in the works?
     
  5. mrjop2

    mrjop2 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 6, 2007
    Yes, Dreamworks is actually making 2 television series: The first one is Kung Fu Panda, which is set for next year, a year before the release of Kung Fu Panda 3. The HTTYD series is looking at around 2013, I believe I last heard, just in time for How To Train Your Dragon 2.

    As for seven sequels, I wouldn't put much stock into that many movies. They had planned on six Shrek films, and it appears they are stopping at four, but there are rumors that they want to do a Shrek prequel. Not sure that how I feel about that.


    UPDATED: Thy HTTYD tv series is coming to the Cartoon Network in 2012. Kung Fu Panda is coming later this year, to Nickelodeon. I'm not as excited about that than I a for HTTYD the series.
     
  6. mrjop2

    mrjop2 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 6, 2007
    A few hours early, but what the heck. From this point on, I will post reply to comments on Mondays unless anyone has questions that need answering.

    Chapter 2: Preparation

    Time was very short. Stoick had wished the news had gotten to him sooner. This evening, Berk was to receive a guest of the highest caliber. In preparation for this visit, he had to get this village cleaned up, and fast. Unfortunately, that also meant getting rid of the dragons.

    His brother, Spitelout, and his closest friend, Gobber, were helping him direct the Vikings on leading the dragons out of the village. The village was bustling with activity; all in a mad rush to gather the dragons, which proved to be no easy feat without Hiccup.

    ?Spitelout, take some of the stronger Vikings, and head up to the Highest Point. Gather the Monstrous Nightmares and the Zipplebacks that are gathered up there.?

    ?I?m on it,? He replied, running forward to start his search for some of the stronger Vikings on the isle.

    Gobber kept up to Stoick?s pace awkwardly, despite having a peg for one of his legs. They came across a couple of young Viking men trying to get a few Deadly Nadders to move forward. The dragons looked at them curiously and then continued on ignoring them. Further down, Fishlegs was chasing after a Gronckle with his arms waving franticly. ?Gronckle on the loose! Gronckle on the loose! Wo-wo-Whoa!? The Gronckle had escaped from him, and was dragging the end of the rope, which was meant to be the leash, across the ground.

    Ruffnut and Tuffnut entered that part of the village, apparently successful in leading their Zippleback in the right direction. However, everything started to go sour when Tuffnut tripped over a rock. Ruffnut bellowed out an exaggerated laugh. ?You?re such a klutz!?

    ?What are you talking about?? Tuffnut shot back up onto his feet, and butted heads with his twin sister. ?Everyone knows that you are the clumsy one in the family!?

    ?Are not!?

    ?Are too!?

    ?Are not!? Ruffnut shoved her brother, which caused him to stumble backwards and to fall onto his backside. ?Who?s the clumsy one now, Dwarf Puke??

    Their fighting made their dragon unsettled and confused. Stoick sighed as he rubbed his forehead. He was about to address the situation when he noticed his nephew, Snotlout flirting with a young, Viking girl. ?So, Gertrude, maybe you want to take a flight with me one of these days. I fly on a Monstrous Nightmare, the deadliest of all the dragons.?

    The girl seemed less than impressed by his advances. Snotlout had long given up on impressing Astrid. Since his cousin, Hiccup, defeated Red Death a couple of months ago, he knew that there was no way to top that. He began to go after this new girl, Gertrude. She was lovely red-headed Viking girl who was learning to become a baker. She was the first girl, that he had gone after, who was not a warrior Viking.

    ?Some of the beasts seem to have a mind of their own,? Gobber said with a chuckle.

    ?That?s why I need you to get these young Vikings moving. We do not have much time?

    ?You?ve got nothing to worry about. I?ll make sure those Vikings get the job done.?

    ?Good,? Stoick replied. Gobber was his closest friend. When they were younger Vikings, they had fought side-by-side against many dangerous dragons. They always had each other?s backs, no matter the circumstances. They had saved each other?s lives numerous of times.

    Another thing that Gobber did for him, was to help him to lighten up a bit. Stoick was always a seriously focused Viking. Perhaps he had gotten that from his father. His father was preparing him to be chief even before he had his first dragon kill. The way his father trained him was unique and borderline brutal. His father always pointed out his faults and never praised him for anything he did right.

    When Stoick became the chief Viking of Berk, things did not go very smoothly, at first. He ruled with his father?s brutality. With Gobber?s help, he had lightened up quite a bit over the years. Despite his ill-timed dry humor, Gobber was very wise Viking
     
  7. Hazel

    Hazel Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2010
    [face_thinking] Somehow, I don't think the dragons will stay hidden.

    Great update!
    =D=
     
  8. Miana Kenobi

    Miana Kenobi Admin Emeritus star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Apr 5, 2000
    Nicely done! I'm eager to see how this plan will fall apart. (How DO you get a dragon to stay put, anyhow?)
     
  9. mrjop2

    mrjop2 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 6, 2007
    If things always went perfectly, there would never be any good stories to tell.


    The real question is: will the plan fall apart or be torn apart? Ooops, maybe that's a little too much information. [face_whistling]
     
  10. mrjop2

    mrjop2 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 6, 2007
    Another post a day early. I'll still give Wednesday dates for the next post, just in case I might need an extra day.

    Chapter 3: Ivar the Fearsome

    The sun had only just peaked over the horizon when Hiccup joined his father and the other Vikings down at the harbor. As he ran all the way down the mountain, he could see that the boats had arrived precisely on time. The butterflies, in his stomach, were doing laps in full force as he weaved between the husky Vikings of his village to get his father?s side.

    As he reached his father, the boats were already being unloaded. He did not know how it was possible, but it seemed that the Viking coming off the boats were taller and bulkier than the Vikings of Berk. Now he felt even more like a shrimp in a vast ocean full of sharks.

    Of all the men who came off the boats, Hiccup tried to identify which one was the chief. The task proved to be more challenging than he had anticipated; all the Vikings looked the part.

    Finally, a stocky, gray-haired Viking stepped off the boat. His gray beard was even bushier than his fathers. Despite his age, he looked as fit as any of the younger Vikings. He had all of his natural limbs; the only deformity that he had was a single scare across his right eye. His Viking helmet had two of the largest horns Hiccup had ever seen. He was surprised that his helmet was able to stay on his head.

    The old Viking had authority radiating from his eyes. There was no doubt that this was Ivar the Fearsome. He stepped onto the dock, with one of the largest axes that Hiccup had ever seen. His armor just as unique; it was made of green and black dragon scales. He sported a cape of black fur. There were dragon bones all over his armor as testimony of all the dragons he had slain.

    Ivar?s eyes narrowed as he looked at Stoick. ?Stoick the Vast??

    ?Ivar the Fearsome, welcome to Berk!? he said, giving the chief a firm, handshake.

    ?I have to know; is the rumor true that you killed a Giganticus Maximus??

    ?Ah, yes, Red Death. Actually, my boy killed the dragon.?

    ?And why is your son not here by your side to greet me??

    ?Uh, I?m right here, sir,? Hiccup waved, trying to pull his attention down towards him.

    Ivar glanced down at Hiccup and frowned. ?No really, where is your boy, Stoick? Where is this strong Viking son of yours??

    ?This is my son, Hiccup!? Stoick placed his massive hand on the boy?s back and gave him a gentle nudge.

    Ivar looked down at the boy with a raised eyebrow. Hiccup smiled sheepishly, knowing how it must look to the Viking chief. ?I see what?s going on. You are sharing credit with your son to try build up his reputation. The boy has to earn it on his own."

    ?But?? Hiccup tried to defend himself, but the chief would hear none of it.

    ?You?re son needs some meat on his bones and to get his hands dirty, if he is to be chief of your tribe. Send him to dragon training.?

    ?I-I actually already have been through dragon training,? Hiccup responded.

    ?The lad graduated top of the class,? Gobber responded, patting the boy on the back.

    Ivar?s cold gaze was pulled towards to Gobber before he returned his focus back to Stoick. ?It appears that your dragon training leaves much to be desired if a runt like this is top of the class. While here, I?ll make sure that everything gets back on track. I want you to meet my right hand man, Wolfbane.?

    A husky Viking with black hair and a partially braided, dusty, black beard joined Ivar?s side. He curled his upper lip, adding to his already intimidating demeanor. He did not say a word; only nodded towards Stoick and Gobber. Like everyone else, he ignored Hiccup, as if he was not there. This was a familiar feeling that he had hoped he would never experience again.

    ?Wolfbane will assess your Viking?s capabilities in dragon hunting.?

    ?And my son, Bitwolf, will retrain some of your younger Vikings,? Wolfbane replied in his very deep voice.

    ?Understood,? Stoick replied. He could sense his son getting ready to protest, but he used his hand to quell his objection. Hiccup folded his arms and bit h
     
  11. Hazel

    Hazel Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2010
    I never thought I'd be rooting for a creature know as Monstrous Nightmare[/i...

    Very good update!

    Could you put me on the PM list?
     
  12. mrjop2

    mrjop2 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 6, 2007


    Sure thing!You're on the list!
     
  13. mrjop2

    mrjop2 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 6, 2007
    Chapter 4: Hiccup?s Grudge

    The Dining hall was jammed full of husky Viking. They all encircled one particular table; the table where Ivar the Fearsome sat, telling of his many adventures. Everyone was enthralled by his enchanting tales except for Hiccup. He sat alone at the next table over, having finished with his supper. He was playing with lamb?s bones on his plate, stewing over the changes that Ivar had earlier talked about and growing more annoyed with each story that he told. He sat alone, ignored by everyone; it was a feeling that brought back bad memories from his past.

    All the Vikings laughed, as Ivar told, yet, another one of his stories. ?I had that dragon trapped with nowhere to go, and everyone knows that a trapped dragon is the most dangerous dragon. The ugly beast spewed it?s putrid acid at me, but I was too quick. I leaped out of the way, and rolled underneath the dragon?s neck, and that?s when I took my ax and finished him off.?

    The Vikings cheered, raising up their mugs of bubbly ail. They were all impressed except for Hiccup, who remained sickened by his stories. However, his story had only gotten worse. ?You see the horns on my helmet? These are the horns from that very dragon. I used my ax and chopped them off the caucus. I bronzed them and melded them onto this helmet to, always, remind me of this victory.?

    ?That was a great story!? Ruffnut replied with a grin.

    "Yeah!" His sister agreed.

    ?Tell us more about the Shadow Lord dragon,? Snotlout asked. ?Is it really that vicious??

    "What is his attack level? Is it plus twenty? Twenty-five? Thirty?" The only time Fishlegs' eyes were any bigger was when he was served trout for supper.

    Ivar gave Fishlegs a weird look, before ultimately ignoring him. ?Ah, The Shadow Lord,? Ivar grinned as he rubbed his thick beard. ?That dragon is so dangerous, that I wouldn?t recommend anyone, other than myself, to attempt to take it on. It's fast, swift, and very lethal. It can turn itself invisible as it hunts for it?s pray. It never needs to defend itself due to it?s sheer size. It's the most dangerous dragon in existence.?

    ?It doesn't sound so bad. I mean, I bet a Night Fury could beat it in a fight. Nothing has ever taken down a Night Fury before,? Hiccup said out loud before he could stop himself. Ivar had gotten on his last nerve.

    The wall of Vikings, separating his table from the Ivar?s, disintegrated; giving the Viking chief a clear view of the young boy. ?So, you have a strong respect for the Night Fury, do you?? He let out a hefty chuckle. ?Well, don't put too much respect in that dragon, because legend says that the Shadow Lord and the Night Fury are mortal enemies. The Shadow Lord is perhaps the only dragon that can kill a night fury. They share the same speed, and agility, but even a Night Fury cannot fight against a dragon that is four times it?s size.

    ?Perhaps, but the Night Fury is a very Intelligent dragon,? Hiccup retaliated. From the corner of his eye, he could see Gobber motioning at him to keep quiet, but Hiccup could not let this go. What the boy said next made his mentor squirm. ?A Night Fury uses his intelligence to defeat dragons who can be twenty times bigger than himself.?

    Ivar bellowed out a hardy laugh. ?You know your dragons, I?ll give you that, lad. The Shadow Lord is very intelligent as well, perhaps even more so than a Night Fury. The Night Fury has no hope against it?s more dangerous counterpart.?

    Hiccup was furious. He knew that the Viking chief was only saying this stuff to make him feel inferior. He could not hold back any longer. This Viking chief thought he knew everything about dragons, but Hiccup knew the truth. He was about to tell Ivar off until Gobber stepped in between them. ?Silly me, I forgot I left the forging furnace on. Why don't you head back to the shop and shut it down for me.?

    ?But??

    ?Go!? Gobber ordered. He knew that Hiccup was going to tell Ivar the truth about dragons, and doing so now would only bring chaos to the village. He sympathizes for the boy; the Viking chief was way too hard on the boy
     
  14. Hazel

    Hazel Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2010
    Loved that night flight, so romantic and exciting!

    But now the dragons have been discovered [face_worried]. And why didn't Bitwolf tell on them [face_thinking], he maust be up to something.
     
  15. mrjop2

    mrjop2 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 6, 2007
    I want to apologize. I need to make a correction, and if you reread the chapter, you will see that I have made the changes.

    I have a few small segments in Chapter 4 with Bitwolf discovering the dragons and then reporting to Ivar. I actually meant Wolfbane. Wolfbane is the second in command under Ivar, and Bitwolf is Wolfbane's son. We meet Bitwolf in the next chapter. Please excuse the error on my part. I will pay closer attention to avoid making similar mistakes.

    Yes, why didn't Wolfbane say anything to his boss? That is very interesting. [face_thinking]
     
  16. mrjop2

    mrjop2 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 6, 2007
    Again, I just wanted to reiterate. Last chapter I had gotten names confused. I said Bitwolf instead of Wolfbane. The changes had been made. Wolfbane is the second in command under Ivar the Fearsome. Bitwolf is Wolfbane's son who is being introduced in this chapter.

    Chapter 5: Dragon Training

    Coming back to the arena brought back some not-so-fond memories. The moment Hiccup followed his friends inside, he began to relive the time when he last went through dragon training. Now, he was about to relive his worst nightmare, and go through all the embarrassment once again.

    Everyone else did not seem to care about having to redo the training. Snotlout, like always, was ready to prove that he should be top of the class. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were more focused on trying to prove to each other who was the better Viking. Fishlegs seemed eager to show off his knowledge about dragons, but Hiccup doubted that the new teacher would be impressed by mere knowledge of dragons. Astrid was ready to unleash her strength, again determined not to be outdone by any of the boys. Despite her aggressive demeanor, Hiccup knew he could trust her not to allow any dragons to be harmed during this retraining.

    As the young Vikings entered the arena, Wolfbane stood in the center, ready to get the training on the way. Gobber stood next to him, determined not to be outdone by the visiting Viking. The kids all stood in a line as Wolfbane was ready to start the lesson. ?Welcome to dragon training. You?ve all been through training once before, but it?s the opinion of the chief Viking, that you be retrained the correct way.?

    Gobber rolled his eyes, but restrained himself from saying anything in front of the class. Wolfbane commenced his address to the class. ?I won?t be the one training you. My son, Bitwolf, will be the one training you.?

    A young Viking stepped out from behind Wolfbane. Bitwolf was about the same height as Tuffnut, but with bulging muscles. He had long, black, silky hair and a red head band with a painted on image of a dragon skull. He had the face of someone who was in his early twenties instead of that a young boy. His dark blue eyes were very piercing, especially to young female Vikings; Ruffnut and Astrid were no different. Their eyes bulged at the sight of the extremely handsome young Viking.

    Unlike other Vikings, he did not wear much armor. He wore a sleeveless black tunic underneath a black furry vest-coat. He sported a rope necklace that had twelve dragon fingers hanging down over his chest. Even on his thick leather belt, he had a metal buckle shaped as a dragon with a sword in its heart.

    When Hiccup saw Astrid and Ruffnut?s reaction to his appearance, he grumbled underneath his breath. He rolled up his shoulders and looked down at his right upper arm. His muscles, or lack thereof, could not come close to compare with Bitwolf?s.

    Bitwolf carried his ax over his shoulder as he glanced over the class that he was about to train. ?Thanks father. I?ll take it from here.?

    ?Very good, son. Do me proud,? Wolfbane gave his an encouraging punch on the arm. ?Let?s leave the young Vikings to their training.?

    As he and Gobber made their way out of the arena to watch from outside the arena, Gobber did not hold back his concerns any longer. ?Don?t you think that they should learn from a more experienced Viking??

    ?My son has slain a dozen dragons since graduating from dragon training last year. How long did it take you to kill your first twelve??

    Gobber grumbled as he followed Wolfbane out of the arena. Gobber was already beginning to dislike him. Wolfbane showed no respect to him, despite Gobbers age over the visiting Viking. If it came to experience, he was certain that he had Wolfbane beat. With Ivar currently the chief in charge, Gobber would have to submit to Wolfbane's authority as well.

    ?I know all of you have gone through training before, but this one?s going to be a little different. I?m not going to be training you as your instructor, but as your friend.?

    ?Really?? Tuffnut replied with a
     
  17. Hazel

    Hazel Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2010
    Oh-ho! [face_worried]

    The bad guys have a plan, and it might just work.

     
  18. mrjop2

    mrjop2 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 6, 2007
    Chapter 6: Jealousy

    After his embarrassing mishap, Hiccup needed to let off some steam. The best place to unleash his anger was the blacksmith shop. There was something stress releasing about forging a new sword. He had used the giant cast iron pliers to pull out the sword from the furnace. The blade was glowing red, when he placed it carefully on top of the anvil. He took the forging hammer and began to pound on the metal into the proper shape. With each impact, red-hot sparks sprayed out in all directions. His protective apron protected him from the sparks from burning him.

    He continued to unleash his rage onto the blade. He had become so focused on pounding the blade, that he failed to see Gobber enter the shop. ?Ah, I see you are making a new weapon.?

    As he continued to hammer the blade, his mind raced to come up with an excuse for making this weapon. He rarely volunteered to forge a new weapon; he usually only did so upon request by Gobber or a Viking who needed a replacement weapon. With no current requests for a sword, it was kind of hard to explain this away. He really had no desire to talk about what had happened today. ?I just thought it would be a good idea to start a stockpile of swords. A sword is a totally underrated weapon among the Vikings.?

    ?Aye, that?s the truth, lad,? Gobber replied. ?We definitely have a shortage of swords small enough to be used as toothpicks.?

    Hiccup paused on his hammering to look down at the blade. The sword was indeed smaller than he had hoped. He let out a depressing sigh as he rolled his eyes and shook his head. There goes his perfect excuse to keep to himself. ?I just had a bad day, that?s all.?

    ?Aye, I?d say that you did, too. I saw the whole thing.?

    ?I just want to say, that it?s very hard to throw an ax with only one good leg,? Hiccup said eagerly wanting to save face. Truthfully, he was trying to convince himself of it more than Gobber.

    ?And not to mention that you?re as scrawny as a twig.?

    ?Thanks for reminding me,? Hiccup replied dryly.

    He looked out the window and saw his group of friends walking by. They were all gathering around Bitwolf laughing and having a fun time. When he saw Astrid right there next to him, his blood began to boil. He brought down his hammer onto the blade.

    ?Oh, I see what?s going on here. You can?t hide it from me; I know the look of a man with women problems.?

    ?Women Problems? What?? Hiccup looked at him weirdly.

    ?I was a young boy once, too. It doesn?t take a genius to see what you?re feeling. Another goat has entered the pen. Am I right??

    ?Uh, I don?t think I understand what you mean?? Hiccup said, raising an eyebrow,

    ?Yes you do,? Gobber said, slapping Hiccup in the back with his real hand. ?There?s one too many axes in the shed.?

    ?Still not getting it.?

    ?Really? I was sure you were going to get that one,? Gobber said, rubbing his chin. ?Ah well, the point is, it appears you are in need of some advice about women.?

    Hiccup looked up at him slyly. ?No offense, but how are you qualified to give me advice about women??

    Gobber chuckled. ?Just because I never got married, doesn?t mean I don?t know a thing or two about women.?

    Hiccup glanced out the window at Astrid and Bitwolf and shook his head in depression. ?What was I thinking? Why would I think she would stay interested in someone as boring as myself??

    ?Don?t sell yourself short, Hiccup. Sure, you may be weak, clumsy, scrawny??

    ?You really have a knack for making me feel better,? Hiccup said sarcastically.

    ?The point is, what you lack in all of those, you make you for up here,? he pointed to Hiccup?s forehead. ?It was your brain that killed Green Death. If you hadn?t found a way to make peace with the beasts, we would not be standing here now. That boy out there?he would have been dragon food. I?m sure in Astrid?s eyes, you have him beat, hands down.? Gobber looked down at his ax attachment, which served as his artificial limb, and hid it behind him. ?Well, you get the picture.?

    ?I suppose,? Hiccup replied, feeling a little better.

    Gobber did have a point. If
     
  19. Hazel

    Hazel Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2010
    Poor Hiccup! :(

    He's being outmaneuvered by an idiot.
     
  20. mrjop2

    mrjop2 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 6, 2007
    Yeah, but that idiot better watch out, Hiccup is smarter than he looks.
     
  21. mrjop2

    mrjop2 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 6, 2007
    Chapter 7: Dragon Hunt

    When Hiccup got home, his father was still out. Ivar had him busier than he had ever been. Hiccup wondered why his father allowed him to push him around like he does.

    So the night was going to be lonelier than he had thought. Perhaps he should have snuck out of the village to visit Toothless. At least he would have had company to distract him from his troubles. Now, alone in his house, there was nothing for him to do but dwell on his situation.

    He could hear the rain pounding on the rooftop, with an occasional roar of thunder. With the rain, a cold front had moved in. Hiccup had to toss a few more logs into the fire pit in the center of the room to warm up the room a little.

    After throwing on another log in, there came a solid knock at the door. The strength behind the knock caused the entire door to shake. The strength of the knock told him that an adult was at the door. It was obviously not his father, because he would knock on the door to his own home. His uncle Spitelout and Gobber had a different rhythm to their knocks, so he knew it was not them. By the process of elimination, he feared to open the door.

    Against his inner warning, he unlocked the door and opened it. His guess was proven correct when he saw Ivar standing at the door. His day continued to digress. ?Uh, Ivar, sir, you?re here?at my house.? Ivar pushed Hiccup out of the way as he entered the house. ?Want to come in?? he said dryly, closing the door.

    ?You?re actions during dragon training, were completely unacceptable. You were quite an embarrassment, this morning.?

    This was the last thing Hiccup wanted to talk about. He was already feeling bad about it, and he really did not need to have this constantly thrown back into his face. ?I know, I know; I should stick with the knife.?

    ?No, that?s not it,? Ivar replied. ?I see now that I was wrong about everything.?

    ?You were?? Hiccup eyed him suspiciously. Could his father finally have gotten through to him? He was not ready to get his hopes up. There had to be an angle to this.

    ?I now see that the problem does not lie with you. You do have a heart of a real Viking.?

    ?I do??

    ?When you went for the Ax, you proved to me that you have that Viking tenacity that we all must have. The problem?s not with you? it?s with your father.?

    ?I?m not following,? Hiccup replied, getting the feeling that things were about to get worse.

    ?You are the son of a Viking chief, which means you are destined to follow in his footsteps. It is his responsibility to be hard on you, to assure that you make an adequate chief. It?s a clear to me that he?s not been hard enough on you.

    ?He hasn?t?? His gut feeling was right again; things were about to get a whole lot worse for him. He could already feel the hammer falling.

    ?No, so I will be even harder on you until Stoick is ready to be the Viking chief that he?s supposed to be.?

    ?Great, I?m so excited,? Hiccup replied sarcastically.

    ?Listen boy, the reason I?ve been so hard on you is because something inside of me tells me that you are destined to be not just a great Viking chief, but a legend like me. If that?s your destiny, then you need to start shaping up and learn how to kill yourself a dragon. I better hear good things from Bitwolf, tomorrow.?

    Ivar exited out of the house as abruptly as he came, leaving Hiccup alone in his dread. Deep in the pit of his stomach, he felt nauseous. It was great to know that Ivar did not hate him, but things could not continue the way they were going. Ivar had to know the truth.

    * * * *

    The sun began to rise, the following morning, much to Hiccup?s dismay. This was the day of the dragon hunt. He could only pray that none of the dragons strayed too far from the hideout. He had to find a way to get the group to explore the opposite direction.

    As he walked down the steps from his room to the bottom floor, he found his father preparing himself for another busy day. Stoick did not have to turn around to see Hiccup coming down the steps; his hearing was as sharp as ever, and he could hear the slight
     
  22. Hazel

    Hazel Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2010
    Ivan is interested in Hiccup's 'education' - oh joy! :p


    ?Look out!?

    AAAAHHH! RUN.

    What a great way to jump right into the action.

    Things will heat up now! :D
     
  23. mrjop2

    mrjop2 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 6, 2007
    Yep, we interrupt this chaotic social nightmare to bring you an intense encounter of the not so friendly kind. LOL

    I am seriously thinking about renaming the title of this story back to it's original title: Flight of the Shadow Lord. You think that might be a better title for this?
     
  24. Hazel

    Hazel Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2010
    I like the sound of 'Trial by Fire' but if the center of your plot is the Shadow Lord, than the original title works very well with it. Either way, I'm game. :D
     
  25. mrjop2

    mrjop2 Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 6, 2007
    I really liked Trial By Fire as well, but the center of the story pretty much is the Shadow Lord. Everything evolves around this antagonist dragon.

    hmmm, I might keep the title as is, I guess. On FF.net, I named the story Flight of the Shadow Lord and the story had become very big for me. I never had a story that had been favorited and marked for update alerts so much and so quickly before. I mean, The story is already on 9 people's favorites and 7 people have asked for update alerts. I was just wondering if it has something to do with the title of the story.
     
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