How to Be a Dragon Star 1

Chapter Seventeen - The Girls' Pep Talk

 Stoick tossed Hiccup inside the house like a sack of potatoes. He landed on the hard stone floor and looked back, anxious.

Stoick was so furious he could barely speak. Breathing heavily, like a winded rhinoceros, he muttered, mostly to himself, "I should've known."

"Dad—"

"I should've seen the signs!" Stoick threw his hands in the air, turning angrily upon Hiccup. "We had a deal!"

"I know, I know we did, but that was before... Oh, it's all just a big giant mess." Hiccup tore at his hair.

"So everything in the ring." Stoick paced back and forth. "A trick? A lie?"

"I screwed up. I know I did." Hiccup was talking very fast now. "I should've told you before now... But take this out on me. Be mad at me, but please, just don't hurt my friends. Toothless and Estrella, they weren't there for trouble! They were only—"

"The dragons?! That's what you're worried about?" Stoick vented. "Not the people you almost killed?"

"They were just protecting me! They're not dangerous—"

Stoick scoffed and continued his pacing. "They've killed hundreds of us!"

"And we've killed thousands of them!" Hiccup cried, desperate to make his father understand. "They raid us because they have to. If they don't bring enough food back, they'll be eaten themselves!" He was ranting, words thoughtlessly pouring out of his mouth. He wasn't thinking about the consequences. "There's... something else on their island. It's like— like a dragon, but—"

"Their island!" Stoick snagged on that one phrase. He began looking at Hiccup like a shark does to their prey. "So you've been to the Nest?" he hissed dangerously.

Uh-oh. "Did... Did I say 'Nest'?" Hiccup took a step back.

Stoick took a step forward. "How did you find it?" he interrogated. It was a command.

"I— I didn't. The dragons did. Only a dragon can find the island..."

Stoick's eyes widened as a lightbulb went off in his head. Hiccup cringed, furious at himself. "No," he pleaded, knowing what his father was thinking. "No, Dad. This isn't— You don't know what you're up against!" He chased after his father, who was striding towards the door. "It's like nothing you've ever seen! I know you're used to winning, but I promise you, you can't win this one!"

Stoick kept walking. He didn't even seem to hear anything his son was saying.

"Dad... please. Please!" Suddenly Hiccup was angry, angrier than he had ever been in his memory. His voice rose to a shout. "For once in your life, would you PLEASE JUST LISTEN TO ME!"

Stoick grabbed Hiccup, who had tried to pull him to a stop by grabbing one of his arms, and threw him back. "You've thrown your lot in with them," he said. This was bad enough, but the next part pierced Hiccup's heart and soul.

"You're not a viking," Stoick said, shaking his head at the boy. "You're not my son."

The ships were being loaded. Axes, hammers, swords, bows and arrows, and countless more weapons. Box after box after box.

Stoick had given the order. All those who were eligible and willing would be coming with him on a raiding mission... to the Dragon's Nest.

And Hiccup couldn't do a thing about it.

He stood on a deserted cliff overlooking the harbor, watching the boats fill up. Vikings swarmed around them like ants on an anthill.

He saw Toothless, muzzled and chained to a steel support. He watched as the vikings secured him in place on one of the boats. He wondered where Estrella was, but he didn't even really care anymore. His body was empty, drained of any emotion. There was nothing he could do for them.