Throggsjorn flared his wings and blasted the pile of gronkle lava. Glowing red, the metalic substance grew soft, and Hiccup carefully reshaped it using a scruffy hand-made hammer. The metal clanged, the sound echoing in the small cave.

Once the metal had cooled, Hiccup paused, inspecting it. With a sigh, he wiped the sweat off his forehead and adjusted his grip on the hammer. The construction had taken days and he was exhausted.

"Okay, another blast, Throggsjorn," he directed.

Once again, the cave was illuminated with the brilliant flames. Hiccup reshaped the metal, creating several specific pieces. He splashed water over them, making a hissing sound. Holding them up against the entrance of the cave, which was a bright blue sky, Hiccup grinned.

"Now all I need to do is put it all together," he stated, scratching Throggsjorn's chin. Hiccup drank from his flask, narrowed his eyes and began to construct his invention.

*

"Done!" Hiccup threw the tools aside and patted the wooden phrame of the contraption proudly. The metal shone in the golden light of sunset. "This right here is not going to fail! Ain't that right, Throggsjorn?"

Wagging his tail, Throggsjorn made a draconic bark and sniffed at Hiccup's invention. Despite not having access to high quality resources or a furnace, Hiccup had managed to create a sturdy frame and a simple launching device. Put together, it was a stable, effective launcher that would do the shooting for him.

Hiccup pushed the launcher through the cave entrance and out onto the ledge. Sitting down beside it, he ate some of his fish stores.

"All I have to do now is wait," Hiccup mused.

The sky was a shimmering orange, with pink and blue clouds. Gently rustling, leaves shone and reflected the brilliant light. Several smoke trails littered the scene, some too large to be from mere campfires.

Hiccup's jaw clenched.

After what felt like an eternity, the sky had darkened and a distinct whistling sound shattered the tranquility of the island.

"There it is," Hiccup whispered. The night fury shot through the air, practically invisible. It dived and blasted something in the distance. Purple flames flickered.

"C'mon give me something."

The night fury roared, passing overhead. Its wings blocked out the stars.

Hiccup gritted his teeth, grip tightening on the launcher.

The night fury blasted at the forest and thundered upwards.

"Now!" Hiccup fired.

A trembling roar shook the sky. The night fury fell from the clouds, dropping like a dead weight. It crashed through the forest, snapping entire trees.

Hiccup's eyes widened. "I hit it! It worked!"

All tiredness forgotten, Hiccup pushed the launcher back into the cave grabbed the axe. From the ledge, he could just about make out the snapped trees. He hurried over.

Several pine trees had been hit, the damaged trunks all leaning in one direction. Deep skid marks were scratched into the ground. Hiccup's heart beat faster.

This is it. This is my moment.

Hiccup climbed over the uneven ground and gasped. The night fury lay motionless, its wings and tail trapped by a large bola.

Carefully, Hiccup walked towards it. The dragon didn't stir at the sounds of his footsteps.

Is it... is it dead?

Hiccup's stomach churned at the thought.

No, that's a good thing!

With the handle of the axe, Hiccup prodded the night fury's leg. It snarled, yanking its leg back and glaring at Hiccup.

Its green eyes landed on his own. But instead of containing rage, they reflected his own.

It was afraid.

I did this, Hiccup breathed. What if... what if it's just like Throggsjorn? What if... it didn't want to fight either?

Hiccup banished these thoughts.

No! This dragon is aggressive and destructive! I have to kill it; I'd be a hero! Viking legend!

The night fury let out a small whine, shutting its eyes.

Hiccup raised the axe, hands shaking. The dragon whined again, sounding exactly like Throggsjorn.

I- I can't.

Hiccup dropped the axe.

If I kill it, I'm no better than them.

Sighing, Hiccup grabbed the axe again. He knew what he had to do.

Step by step, he approached the night fury. It remained motionless. While its wings and tail were trapped, its head was free. Hiccup had to be careful or he'd be blasted.

Hiccup held the axe by the blade and brought it to the ropes. The dragon snarled, but didn't fight back. Biting his lip, Hiccup began to cut through the rope around its wings.

The dragon snapped into action. It twisted, whacking Hiccup with its tail. It pinned him down.

Hiccup gasped as the dragon stared into him. It raised its wings and roared, shaking the earth with its might.

Snarling, the dragon turned and tried to take off. Hiccup watched half dazed as the night fury fell from the sky.

Its tail is still trapped...

Summoning all his courage, Hiccup picked up the axe and followed after it. There were roars ahead and a purple glow. Eyes widening, Hiccup began to sprint. He had to free its tail before it got too far away and vanished. Or, even worse, before it stumbled into a camp and got itself attacked.

The forest grew denser and Hiccup gained ground. Up ahead, the night fury had to twist to get through the trees.

"Hey! Wait up!" Hiccup called, almost tripping over tree roots.

The night fury's ears twitched but it kept going. Hiccup cursed, speeding up. They ran through the forest, rapidly approaching the base of the mountain, which went far higher than Hiccup's cave.

Without warning, the dragon halted. Hiccup slowed down, catching his breath. He approached slowly, not trying to mask the sound of his footsteps.

"Easy, there. I don't want to hurt you," Hiccup began.

The night fury turned to him, growling. It stood in front of a large opening in the cliff.

"I got the bola off your wings, remember? I just need to get it off the tail too," Hiccup soothed, taking a couple steps forwards.

The night fury seemed to recognise him and stopped growling, but didn't change its posture. Hiccup reached his tail, gently bringing the axe down. The dragon's fiery green glare followed his movements.

"Just be still," Hiccup instructed, cutting through the first set if ropes. The dragon seemed to barely breathe. 

Hiccup backed away. "That should do it."

The night fury flicked its tail, opening and closing its tail wings. Gurgling happily, it ran along the cliff edge and flew over Hiccup. It turned and twisted, having regained full maneuverability. It landed and seemed to grin, revealing blank gums.

Hiccup frowned. "Toothless? I could've sworn you had-"

Suddenly, the dragon started growling, staring into the forest. It stood attentive and Hiccup held his breath. He didn't dare move.

The night fury blasted into the trees, illuminating them with a purple glow. There was a person's silhouette. Snarling, the dragon fired again. The person vanished, but the night fury continued to growl.

Hiccup strained to spot where they'd gone. He glanced at the dragon, who looked back at him. A moment of understanding passed.

The night fury leapt backwards, picking up Hiccup by his fur jacket and charged into the cave. It blasted at the entrance, causing rocks to fall.

The person was sealed out, Hiccup and the night fury sealed in.

***

Hi! Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed. I also wanted to thank ZoeNightshadeInStars for commenting and voting, it means a lot!

What are your thoughts on the progress between Hiccup and Toothless? I'm trying to find the right balance between necessary relationship development and not just writing out the first film.

Any ideas on what they'll do or find in the caves?

Next part tomorrow!