Strongly Believe in Your Fateful Dreams

Chapter 16: Welcome to Dragon Training!

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After taking a rest in Berk, the four heirs of the clans; Young Macintosh, Young Macingall, Wee Dingwall & Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III enter the Dragon Ring.

"Welcome to Dragon Training," Gobber cheered, opening the entrance.

"No turning back now, lads," said King Fergus, watching from above the Ring.

"Let's get started! The one who does best in the Dragon Catching event in the week gets to win the fair maiden Merida of DunBroch's hand in marriage," said Gobber.

"Aye, it is true," Young Macingall says in agreement but with an accent that thick, no one could really understand him.

"Okay..." said Gobber, making the four of them line up. "Behind these doors are just a few of the many dragons you will learn to fight,"

Gobber holds a big door's lever. "Wait! Aren't ya goin' to teach us first?" Lord Macintosh exclaims.

"I believe in learning on the job," Gobber opens the door.

A Gronckle comes out of the door. The four heirs scatter. The Gronckle plops to the ground & eats a few rocks.

"A Dragon attacks! Quick: what is the first thing you'll need?" said Gobber.

"A doctor?" Hiccup shrugs.

"More speed?" said Lord Macintosh.

"A shield!" Stoick yells from his seat above the Ring.

"Thank you, chief Go! Get a shield!" Gobber said, pointing at shields scattered everywhere.

The four heirs quickly equip themselves with shields... except Hiccup who can't figure out how to hold a shield.

"If you have to choose between a sword or a shield, take the shield," said Gobber, helping Hiccup & pushes him.

"Those shields are good for anoter thing: noise! Make lots of it to throw off a Dragon's aid" said Gobber.

The four heirs banged their weapons on the shield & it seems to be working. It looks like it's becoming dizzy.

"Every dragon has a limited number of shots. Make a wild guess! How many does a Gronckle have?" Gobber calls out.

"Five?" yelled Young Macingall. "Wrong!" Gobber says.

"Six!" yelled Young Macintosh.

"Right! That makes one for each of you!" Gobber said.

"Of course I--" Young Macintosh pauses in his words as his shield was shot by te Gronckle & was thrown out of his hand.

"Macintosh, you're out," said Gobber.

"AHHH!!!!" Young Macintosh runs around, screaming. His father watches him, embarrassed, as the other two lords & the king laugh at him.

"No... one of us has to take two shots..." Hiccup said to himself, scurrying.

Wee Dingwall's shield gets hit by the Gronckle while he was trying to run away from it & another one barely missed Young Macingall.

"Guess it's just you & me, huh," Hiccup said to Young Macingall. Both nod at each other nervously.

The Gronckle released a shot towards them & it barely misses Young Macingall yet again, but it hits Hiccup's shield.

"Go, son!!" Lord Macingall cheers.

Stoick watches his son carefully. He seems to be in a bit of a fit down there.

"One shot left," said Gobber as Hiccup chased his rolling shield.

However, he trips & gets trapped by the Gronckle in a corner.

"Hiccup!!" Gobber yells in caution. Stoick stands up from his seat. "Son," he says to himself while his son was in trouble. He couldn't do anything to help him. He wasn't supposed to. It said so in the rules of Dragon Training.

He turns away from it, held his head & curled into a ball as the Boulder Class dragon opened its mouth to shoot him.

Just in time, though, Gobber was able to divert the dragon's target to the wall behind Hiccup.

"And that's six," said Gobber.

The dragon struggled to be released from Gobber. However, this viking does not give up easily. "Go back to bed, you overgrown sausage," he said, putting back the dragon where it came from.

"You get another chance. Don't ya worry," he locks the door.

"Remember; a dragon will always," Gobber walks to Hiccup, "always. Go for the kill," he said to Hiccup. He helps the fourth heir to stand.

Hiccup looks at the part that the dragon shot. He wonders... why didn't Toothless shoot him the first time they saw each other? The dragon just yelled at him then flew away. If a dragon always went for the kill, why didn't Toothless?

"Hiccup!!" a voice snaps him out of his thoughts.

He turns to see his overly worried dad. "Are you alright, son?" he asked, placing his hands on Hiccup's shoulders.

"Y-yeah... I'm fine, dad," Hiccup replies.

"Thank goodness. Let's go home. No, wait. You go home. I have some chief business to do. After, let's have some dinner," said Stoick, accompanying his son to their home.

"Sure thing, dad," said Hiccup, a small smile drawn on his face.

"He's such an affectionate father," said Lord Macintosh to the other lords & the King.

"So he is," said Fergus, "he might be a feared Viking but it seems like he is also a beloved chief & loving father to that boy," said Fergus.

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