Hiccup's POV

"Good!" Dad says, picking up a basket and tossing it over his right shoulder, the one closest to me.

"Train hard. I'll be back. Probably!" Dad says, walking away and grabbing his helmet off the....roof? before walking out the door.
"And I'll be here. Maybe." I reply quietly just before the door slams shut, I stand there with the super heavy axe still in my hands.

If I don't get killed by a dragon, a villager, my bullies or...I run away. Yes, runaway, you heard right. (*cough* read *cough*) so far it seems like the only solution.

I lean the axe up against the stairs.
I don't know if I can last here. It's....just not right for me. No one treats me well, and I'm sick of being the laughing stock! It's not like I go out and want to cause trouble! I just want to fit in.
I head up to bed.
My mind wonders back to the request...sorry, order my dad gave me.
I Can't believe this. What am I going to do?!

I sigh quietly and lay on my back, staring out the window of my room.

I slowly drift asleep, questions still weighing on my presence.
++++
(MORNING)

I follow the other teens, carrying the super heavy axe my dad gave me, towards the Training Ring quietly from a distance.
They probably don't even know I'm here.

"Welcome to Dragon Training!" I hear Gobber say, opening the gate and stepping aside.
Great, they're already there.
I quicken my pace, hoping I don't miss anything important, like how to stay alive.

Astrid says "No turning back..." to herself as she walks down the entrance in front of the others and I hear her. I'm almost down at the entrance now.

Tuff says, "I hope I get some serious burns!"
Ruff joins in with, "I'm hoping for some mauling, like on my shoulder or lower back."

"Yeah, it's only fun if you get a scar out of it." Astrid agrees.

Geez how could someone wish for pain?! These guys are....animals! Well, time to make myself known, I guess.... here goes.

"Yeah, no kidding, right? Pain. Love it!" I say sarcastically in a dark tone, pretending to be like them. I have just walked down through the entrance.
Aaand boom! Epic entrance number 1.

They all turn to face me.
"Oh, great. Who let him in?" Tuff asks, and I see Snotlout sizing me up.
"Gobber!" I answer, being sassy.
Tuffnut goes to reply but figures that it is not a good idea, apparently probably cause I'll outsmart him.

"Let's get started! The recruit who does best will win the honor of killing his first dragon in front of the entire village!" Gobber informs us, walking up and standing next to me, twisting his hook when he says 'Killing'.
Ha! Good luck, guys. Hope Snotlout doesn't win.

Snotlout smirks. "Hiccup already killed a Night Fury, so, does that disqualify him or...?" he says, I roll my eyes.
I never said I killed it. Just that I shot it down. Which I did. And then I let it go. And it probably almost killed me.

"What? Scared of a little competition?! " Astrid teases and they turn around.
"Puh-lease! Him? Competition?! Huh! As if!" Snotlout says as they walk away. I roll my eyes.

"Can I transfer to the class with the cool Vikings?" Tuff asks.
"Sure." I say sarcastically as Ruff joins her brother.
"It's the only class." Ruff tells him. He frowns in disappointment.

"Oh, yeah. Most vikings get killed here before they turn 30 or get married!" Tuff says. "So there wouldn't be enough of us."
I'm hoping he means Berk and not 'here' as in THIS arena.....

Gobber turns to me. " Don't worry, " he says and puts an arm around me. He walks with me after the others. "You're small and you're weak. That'll make you less of a target! They'll see you as sick or insane and go after the more Viking-like teens instead!" He twists his hook as he says 'Sick or insane'.

That man really loves expressing himself with that hook. I guess because it makes it so much more darker.

"Oh gee thanks Gobber. Very reassuring." I mutter sarcastically just before Gobber drops me in line. Gobber moves on, walking forward.

"Behind these doors are just a few of the many species you will learn to fight! The Deadly Nadder!" Gobber begins. Fishlegs is to my left with Tuff to his left, Astrid next to him and Ruff next to her. Snotlout is at the other end of the line. Gobber walks in front of the doors to the cages that hold the captured dragons. The Nadder's door thumps.

Fishlegs lists facts. "Speed: eight; Armor: sixteen."

Good to know, Fishlegs. Pretty sure my speed is one and my armor is...well, none.

"The Hideous Zippleback!" Gobber adds, pointing to the cage where the door shakes a bit more than the Nadder's one.

Fishlegs goes again. "Plus eleven stealth times two."
What? What does that even mean?!
"The Monstrous Nightmare!" Gobber introduces, opening his arms a bit.
Fishlegs chimes in again. "Firepower: fifteen."
Nah-DUH!
"The Terrible Terror!" It's cage rattles more then the others.
But how? It's so......never mind I should not underestimate the dragons. Even the terrible terror..... I guess it must be rambling high speed into the door, or something.

Fishlegs gets excited. "Attack: eight; Venom: twelve!"

" CAN YOU STOP THAT?! And... the Gronckle!" Gobber demands at Fishlegs first, then tells the rest of us.

Fishlegs leans closer to me and whispers, "Jaw strength: eight."
You just couldn't help it, could you, Fishlegs.

It's now that I notice that Gobber has his right hand, well technically his only hand, on the lever that opens the gate.
Oh, gods.
"Whoa, whoa, wait! Aren't you gonna teach us first?!" Snotlout cries, stepping forward.

"I believe in learning on the job!" Gobber exclaims, before pushing the lever down and that raises the log that keeps the gate closed.
Ha, Don't I know!

The doors fly open—the Gronkle is released. It flies out and forward and everyone immediately scatters.
"Today is about survival." Gobber announces as it does this.
But isn't EVERY day about 'survival? Because it seems that way for me.

The Gronkle slams into a wall and then gets up, it quickly starts swallows rocks from the ground, ready to blast us.
Oh, no!

Gobber keeps talking. "If you get blasted... you're dead! Quick! What's the first thing you're going to need?"
A way out of here...or....

"A doctor?!" I yell, worried.
"Plus five speed?!" Fishlegs says.

Astrid obviously knows what she's saying when she says "A shield!" And is standing in a ready position, tossing her weight from foot to foot slightly in preparation.
Teachers pet.

Gobber is happy that one of his students knows what to do, it seems. "Shields! Go!" He says and everyone scatters once again, quickly heading for the shields that are hanging on a wall.

"Your most important piece of equipment is your shield! If you must make a choice between a sword or a shield, take the shield!" Gobber says, coming over to me and helping me grab my shield in the right area as I couldn't figure out how to pick it up.

How are you supposed to attack with a shield? Hit the dragon with it?! A sword would be more probable and there are things like rocks that can act as cover. So, I'd take the sword. BUT, but, that's not the Viking way. So I'd have to take the shield, dumbly. At least it offers some protection......although they're wood. Ferocious fire-breathing lizard+ wooden shields = 🔥BOOM. Disastrous.🔥...... in conclusion I'd take both. Why would you choose between them anyway?

Everyone heads for the shields provided. I turn from standing by the wall to see the twins fighting over a shield. It has two skulls and orange flames painted on it, by the looks,of it. It's totally there thing.

"Get your hands off my shield!" Tuffnut exclaims as they both pick it up together and start to pull against each other, both equally determined to get the shield that they simply must have in order to survive. Cbscaise a Palin one will totally kill them.

I wince, knowing where this is likely to end up.
"There's like a million shields!" Ruffnut exclaims back, over exaggerating, as they fight.

"Take that one, it has a flower on it, girls like flowers!" Tuffnut says, gesturing with his head to his left where a shield lays on the ground.

Ruffnut takes the shield completely then slams it onto Tuffnut's head. "Oops! Now this one has blood on it!" She says, offering it out now as if Tuff wouldn't want it now.
Ha well he's obviously going to want it more.

Tuffnut grabs onto the shield and they both fight over it again.

Suddenly the Gronkle flies towards them and lets out a blast, hitting the shield. They are both knocked to the ground from the force of it.

"Tuffnut, Ruffnut, you're out!" Gobber says.
"What?" They both answer, dazed and slowly getting up.

"Those shields are good for another thing: noise! Make lots of it to throw off a dragon's aim!" Gobber says. We all hit our weapons against the shields and momentarily surround the Gronkle. The dragon shakes it's head, confused.
It's working, I think!

The Gronkle flies off and recovers quick.

"All dragons have a limited number of shots. How many does a Gronckle have?" Gobber asks.
Umm....enough to kill all of us?

Snotlout guesses, "Five?"
"No, six!" Fishlegs corrects, raising the hand that holds his orange shirked that has either two legless and wingless dragons or two snakes painted on it.

Technically this Gronkle DOES have five shots left. So.....Snot's not wrong.
"Correct, six! That's one for each of you!" Gobber says.
What did I say before?! Enough to kill each of us.

I watch from behind a wooden board as the Gronkle blasts the shield right out of Fishlegs hand, the blast hitting the wall that I'm in front of, the remains of the shield right in front of me.
That's good to know.

Fishlegs throws his arms up and runs off, screaming. Gobber announces him as out as well. "Fishlegs, out!" Gobber then turns to me as I stay hidden behind the plank. "Hiccup, get in there!"
Ugh must I?

I got to move forward but another blast has me cowering back to safety, well, as safe as I can get right now. After waiting a few seconds I creep out, unnoticed.

"So, anyway, I moved into my parents basement. You should come by some time to work out, you look like you work out!" Snotlout flirts with Astrid (he's failing, as usual) but in response Astrid cartwheels off and leaves him there.

The Gronkle blasts and it hits Snotlouts shield. "Snotlout, your done!" Gobber shouts.
You know usually teachers start from the basics, like theory stuff. Why can't Gobber do that?!
Astrid end up next to me, and she is still battle ready, or on the defence you could say, as I'm just standing here like the useless fishbone I am.

I stand next to Astrid.
"So, I guess it's just you and me, huh?" I say, trying to play it cool and walking up beside her.

"Nope, just you." Astrid replies and does some random, fancy flip or something away, just missing a blast that was sent out way.
Umm, ouch!
Luckily it missed me too.....but unfortunately it knocked the shield out of my hands!

I let out a yell and chase desperately after it as it rolls away, the dragon hot on my heels.
While it may not be the best I do feel safer with it than without it. That shield is my only hope.

"One shot left! Hiccup!" Gobber shouts.
YES I KNOW THAT GOBBER!
Suddenly the dragon has me cornered. Here I am breathing heavily as it prepares to blast. I shut my eyes, preparing myself for the pain because I know that this dragon won't stop.

I hear the dragon fire but it doesn't hit me. I throw my hand over my head.

"And that's six!" I open my eyes to see that Gobber has the dragon under control- he must of saved me. The blast hit above me.
Phew! Second time in two days I have almost died at the cause of a dragon!

I peal away from the wall, shaking on the inside. Gobber swings the dragon around then slams it into its cage. "Go back t' bed, ya overgrown sausage!"

"You'll get another chance, don' you worry!" He says to the dragon after he pulls the handle up and the doors close, the log coming down once again securely.
Now he turns to me.

"Remember: a dragon will always -- always -- go for the kill!" he tells me and the gang that are all relieved and recovering, turning and getting right up in my face as he says the second always and onwards. He helps me up easily by grabbing my left upper arm as I'm still panting.
Well my first 'lesson' went terrific, didn't it?!
Gobber walks off and I turn to look at the hot scorch mark the dragon just made intently.
But I just can't believe it!

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Thanks for reading :) this chapter was roughly 2100 words. Just to let you know.

🎉🙀🙀🙀And it has came to my attention that we have managed to hit a little over 100 views! Now, while this may not be much to others, it is to me! When I did this I was sceptical, I didn't think anyone was gonna read it and I was so nervous, thinking I might be judged (I get paranoid for the silliest things, okay😂).But...here we are! So thank you, thank you, thank you! I have many MANY chapters planned and wrote out :) so, just again, thank you for reading. It makes me very happy to see this milestone! It's hard to say how happy I am...I'll just try to express it using emojis. 🙀🙀🙀🎉 🙀😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊🤪🤩😜😝😋🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🙂🙂🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🤯😋 (don't know how these are gonna turn out on your device but anyway😂)
Okay, okay, bye :)