Tale of The Dragon Whisperer

Prologue

*Darkness.*

*The darkness begins to brighten.*

*We see water. Water rippling in the fierce wind of the Archipelago.*

*As the camera zooms past islands and stone structures, a Scottish voice begins to speak to us. A voice-over, that may help to provide some context to the story.*

The Voice) "A long time ago, long before you or your parents or even your grandparents were born... lived the Vikings."

*As the night sky is revealed, so is a large island, illuminated by the light of Mani's chariot. The island is covered in snow at its tallest peaks and greenery at its lowest. Houses populate the island and people populate the houses. Dotted around the islands are pens, filled with sheep lazily grazing on the island's flora. Where land meets the sea, we find longboats resting in the docks, and on a nearby cliffside, we find a large pit, covered in a dome of chains.*

The Voice: "The Vikings were the meanest people to ever sail the Archipelago. Every member could hold mountains on their shoulders and pull islands across the sea... metaphorically, of course.

That's not to say they were brutes. They were, but there was more to them than that. Each Viking had seen themselves through dangerous battles on both land and sea, their combat prowess unmatched. Of course, you don't win wars on brute strength alone. The Vikings weren't tactical masters, but they knew that speed was just as important as strength. Their longboats could travel at speeds of up to 15 knots (28 km/h) on a good day, and their coordination resulted in countless victories in Njord's territory. Yes sir, they were masters of their craft.

Which is why they weren't prepared for the new threat which threatened their very existence."

*An explosion occurs in the heart of the island. As smoke billows into the night sky, countless dark shadows swarm the island and its night sky. Dragons, flying lizards capable of razing towns to the ground in a single night. Multiple varieties can be identified from their silhouettes:

Deadly Nadders) a swift and efficient killing machine, whose fire can melt any metal and can shoot deadly spikes from its tail. The spikes are covered in a deadly venom that will kill any Viking who gets hit by one. That is if the spike itself doesn't kill the first.

Monstrous Nightmares) enormous beasts with a large wingspan. The deadly gel they produce can ignite at a moment's notice, coating them in a thick layer of flame and fire which they are of course resistant to.

Hideous Zippleback) a bizarre dragon with a sleek, yet powerful physique. As well as having two tails, it also has two heads. One of them breathes a highly flammable gas to disorient its prey, the other producing sparks to light the gas and torch the unsuspecting victim.

Gronckles) a dragon with no finesse and designed purely to cause destruction. From the minute its egg explodes, it leaves destruction in its wake. Its small wings leave no room for technique, ramming anything that gets in its way. Not only that, it can eat boulders to spew molten lava from its mouth.

The Voice: "As you've probably guessed from that 60-second crash course, dragons are apex predators. Each one is capable of killing in its own unique way and could coordinate with others to attack and destroy villages like Berk. These were known as dragon raids and were feared by all men and women. Thankfully, the Vikings adapted to these monsters and fought back. In fact, our story begins in the midst of a dragon raid. So buckle up, grab your battleaxe and get ready. It's a warzone out there.

*Ahem* "Our tale begins with a dragon raid on the isle of Berk. The Vikings were strong and held back their attackers, slaying dozens of the beasts per raid. They were led by the village chief, Stoick The Vast, a mountain of a man whose dragon-slaying tales became the stuff of Viking legend. They say that when he was a lad, he popped a dragon's head clean off of its shoulders. Do I believe it? Yes I do. 

Stoick waded through the battlefield, his fire-red beard flapping in the midst of his perfect storm. His emerald green eyes were focused on his hut, the Chief's hut, where his wife and newborn son were hidden. He had to protect them. He had to. So you can imagine the fear he felt when he saw a four-winged dragon crash through the rook of his hut, right above where he could see his family hiding in fear. His wife Valka brandished a blade in desperation, but she was no fighter. She wanted to help dragons, not fight them. Stoick steeled his resolve and kept moving. He had to protect his family, no matter the cost.

As the flames consumed his home, Stoick burst through the door, throwing his battleaxe at the creature. He missed, but at least the creature was focused on him and not his family. The beast spewed waves of Helheim from its mouth, Valkas cries to stop falling on uncaring ears. Stoick cried to his wife to hang on, diving toward the crib where his son lay, before being whipped by the dragon's tail and flung through the walls of what was once his home. As Valka rushed to his side, the last thing Stoick saw before fading into sleep was that dragon, rising from the charred remains of his hut, his son's crib grasped in his talons.

...

As you can imagine, the death of their son left Stoick and Valka devastated. Valka, feeling responsible for what had happened, isolated herself from the village, her friends, and even her own husband. She became afraid of herself but hateful towards the beasts who had killed her only son. Eventually, she emerged from her hut as a changed woman. Alongside Stoick, she trained in combat, her rage fuelling her desire to kill every last dragon she saw. She was still a kind and caring woman to the people of Berk, but to dragons, she was the incarnation of death itself.

Stoick changed as well. He had always hated dragons, but the loss of his son only stoked the flames of hate burning in his heart. He became one of the best combatants on Berk, able to defeat any dragon that dared to cross his path. Combined with his wife, the pair were unstoppable. This was how things were for 15 years, Stoick and Valka slaying dragons whilst leading Berk to an age of strength and prosperity.

Then on the 15-year anniversary of Hiccup's death, something happened. Something... new. Something that would change the lives of the inhabitants of Berk forever, the lives of two individuals significantly more than the others..."