The eye of the Strom

httyd 1

Hiccup (v.o): this is Berk twelve days north of hopeless and a few degrees south of freezing to death.
[We glide through the fog to see two giant Viking statues with fires burning in their mouths.]

Hiccup (v.o) it's located solidly on the Meridian of misery.
[We go past the statues only to dive through a crashing wave and jump to a closer shot of the island. As we pan in a circular motion, we see several structures, houses, and a sheep farm.]
Hiccup (v.o) My village. In a word, sturdy . And it's been here for seven generations but every single building is new. We have fishing, hunting, and a charming view of the sunsets.
[We land on two sheep grazing in the grass.]
Hiccup (v.o): The only problems are the pests. (A dragon carries one sheep away. The other resumes grazing.) You see, most places have mice or mosquitoes. We have...
[A dragon fires at the screen as a door slams shut, a boy cowering behind it]
Hiccup (v.o.): -dragons. Most people would leave. Not us. We're Vikings. We have, stubbornness issues. (Hiccup runs outdoors, where all the houses are on fire and Vikings are tussling with dragons all around) My name's Hiccup. Great name, I know. But, it's not the worst. Parents believe a hideous name will frighten off gnomes and trolls. Like our charming Viking demeanor wouldn't do that.
[Hiccup is seen dodging several Vikings. A nearby explosion from the blast of a teal Gronckle causes him to trip and a male Viking roars in his face.]
Ack: ARGGGHHHHH! Mornin'!
Hoark: what are you doing here?!
Viking: Get inside!

Viking: What are you doin' out?"
Phlegma: Get back inside!
[Stoick grabs Hiccup protectively by the collar of his shirt]

Stoick: Hiccup?! What is he doing out aga--?! What are you doing out?! Get inside!
Hiccup (v.o.): That's Stoick the Vast. Chief of the tribe. They say that when he was a baby, he popped a dragon's head clean off of its shoulders. (Stoick throws a wooden cart at a dragon, knocking it out mid-air) Do I believe it? Yes, I do.
Stoick: What have we got?
Starkard: Gronckles, Nadders, Zipplebacks. Oh, and Hoark saw a Monstrous Nightmare.

Stoick: Any Night Furies?

Starkard: None so far.
[Burning embers land on Stoick's shoulder. He casually brushes it off.]

Stoick: Good.

Viking: Hoist the torches!

[Two enormous torches are raised and lit. The dragons swarm around them.]

[Hiccup runs into a blacksmith shop and puts on an apron]

Gobber: Ah! Nice of you to join the party! I thought you'd been carried off!
Deaken: so how it been going?
Hiccup: good what, who me? Nah, come on! I'm waaaay too muscular for their taste. They wouldn't know what to do with all... (gestures to his skinny body) ...this.
Hiccup (v.o.): The meat-head with attitude and interchangeable hands is Gobber. I've been his apprentice ever since I was little. Well... littler and the tall and kinda muscleer kid is Deaken my best friend and only friend I have
[scene cuts to Stoick on the watch-tower]

Stoick: We move to the lower defenses. We'll counter-attack with the catapults.

[A dragon swoops down and sets another house on fire.]

Hiccup (v.o.): See? Old village, lots and lots of new houses.
Viking: FIRE!
Astrid: Alright, let's go!
[The Viking teens are seen carrying buckets of water as Hiccup in the voiceover introduces them one by one]
Hiccup (v.o.): Oh, and that's Fishlegs, Snotlout, the Twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, and... (dreamily) Astrid. Oh, their job is so much cooler. (Slow motion shot of the teens walking away from an explosion)
[Hiccup leans out of the smithing window to get a better look. Gobber lifts him up and back into the shop.]
Hiccup: Oh, come on. Let me out, please? I need to make my mark!
Deaken: hiccup just no just no
Gobber: Oh, you've made plenty of marks. All in the wrong places!

Hiccup: Please, two minutes. I'll kill a dragon. My life will get infinitely better. I might even get a date.
Gobber: You can't lift a hammer, you can't swing an axe, you can't even throw one of these!

[Gobber holds up a bola and a Viking grabs it and uses it to bring down a dragon]

Hiccup: Okay, fine, but this will throw it for me.
[Hiccup pats a wooden machine, which opens and shoots a bola randomly, hitting a Viking standing in the background.]
Viking: Arggh!

Gobber: See, now this right here is what I'm talking about!

Hiccup: Mild calibration issue--

Gobber: Don't you-- no-- Hiccup. If you ever want to get out there to fight dragons, you need to stop all... this.
Hiccup: But, you just pointed to all of me!

Gobber: Yes! That's it! Stop being all of you!

Hiccup: Ohhhh...
Gobber: Ohhhh, yes.

Hiccup: You sir, are playing a dangerous game. Keeping this much, raw... Viking-ness... contained? THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES!
Gobber: I'll take my chances. Sword. Sharpen. Now.
(Deaken chuckled)

0Hiccup (v.o.): One day, I'll get out there. Because, killing a dragon is everything around here.

[The camera pans over various dragons as they are described. Nadders are shown attacking sheep, Gronckles are stealing racks of fish, and a Zippleback ignites a house and blows it up.]
Catapult Operator: Fire!

Hiccup (v.o.): And then, there's the Monstrous Nightmare. Only the best Vikings go after those. They have this nasty habit of setting themselves on fire.
[A Monstrous Nightmare growls and alights itself as it climbs up the catapult]

Stoick: Reload! I'll take care of this.

[Stoick fights the Nightmare, which takes a few hits before retreating]
Hiccup (v.o.): But the ultimate prizes is the dragons no one has ever seen. We call it them--

[A high-pitched whistle and thunder crackling roar is heard from the sky. The Vikings panic.]
Viking: NIGHT FURY AND DREADSTROM WRAITH! GET DOWN!
[From out of nowhere, an explosion tears the catapult apart]
Stoick: JUMP!

Hiccup (v.o.): This things never steals food, never shows it themselves, and... never misses. No one has ever killed a Night Fury or dreadstorm wraith. That's why I'm going to be the first.

Gobber: Man the fort, Hiccup. They need me out there!

[He attaches an axe to his arm and begins to run out, but turns around at the doorway.]

Gobber (cont.): Stay. Put. There. You know what I mean. Deaken watch him
Deaken: yes

[Hiccup went to get his bolas launcher but Deaken stop him from doing so]

Hiccup: Deaken please my life would get so much better than now please let me just have one shot

Deaken: fine only one then back here deal?

Hiccup: Deal
Viking #6: Hiccup, where are you going?!

Viking #7: Come back here!

Hiccup: Yeah, I know! Be right back!

[Hiccup is pushing a cart with the automated catapult on it]
[Stoick captures several Nadders in a net and wrestles them. One tries to blast him with fire.]

Stoick: Mind yourselves! The devils still have some juice in them!

Stoick: Mind yourselves! The devils still have some juice in them!

[Hiccup sets up his bola catapult on an empty hill and looks around.]

Hiccup: Come on. Gimme something to shoot at, gimme something to shoot at.

[The camera pans around the night sky, and catches on a shadow, visibly blotting out the stars. It fires, and an explosion illuminates it, showing a visible shadow. Hiccup shoots, and a loud cry is heard as the shadow is seen plummeting down into the dreadstorm wraith and into a forest]

Hiccup (cont.): Oh, I hit it! YES! I HIT IT! Did anybody see that?

[A Monstrous Nightmare shows up and crushes Hiccup's bola launcher.]

[A Monstrous Nightmare shows up and crushes Hiccup's bola launcher.]

[Word count 1301 words]