EXT. NORTH SEA/VILLAGE - NIGHT
We skim above a dark, wild ocean. The camera turns toward a
lone island, Berk. It is a gigantic shard of rock jutting
straight out of the water.
HICCUP (V.O.)
This, is Berk.
"Why is Useless talking! It should be ME." Snotface yelled.
"Shut up Troll!" I shouted at him.
It's twelve days
North of hopeless, and a few
degrees South of freezing to death.
It's located solidly on the
meridian of misery.
The villagers are wondering if it was really so bad, while Fish, Hiccup, and Cami snigger. Being around Cami and Hiccup always gave Fishlegs a boost of courage.
The camera drifts over rolling hills to reveal a small
village nestled on an outcropping of sea mounts.
HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)
My village. In a word, sturdy.
And it's been here for seven
generations, but every single
building is new.
"Gee, I wonder why?" Gobber said sarcasticly.
The camera drifts closer, circling.
HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)
We have fishing, hunting, and a
charming view of the sunsets. The
only problems are the pests. You
see, most places have mice or
mosquitos. We have…
"What do we have?" Tuffnut asked dumbly.
Ruffnut hit him on the head for his stupidity.
Sheep graze peacefully on a hillside. Suddenly one is
Snatched.
INT. STOICK'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS
A door is pulled open... as a DRAGON swoops directly toward
it, BLASTING FIRE. The door is SLAMMED. The fire shoots
through the slats of wood, illuminating HICCUP, a gangly
teenage Viking.
HICCUP ...dragons.
"Oh yeah! We knew that." Tuff exclaimed.
Everyone else facepalmed.
EXT. STOICK'S HOUSE
He reopens the sizzling door, as leaps off of the front
porch. He weaves through the erupting mayhem as Vikings pour
out of the buildings, ready for a fight.
More dragons swarm in, setting rooftops alight and hauling
off sheep.
HICCUP (V.O.)
Most people would leave. Not us.
We're Vikings.
"Yeah, We're strong!" "We're courageous" "We're Smart!" Fish, Hiccup, and Cami burst out laughing at the last one.
We have stubbornness issues.
"oohhhh"
Vikings sound the alarm. Viking men and women pour out into
the streets, axes in hand.
ON HICCUP darting through alleys, staying under eaves, making
his way through the battle.
HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)
My name's Hiccup. Great name, I
know. But it's not the worst.
"It really isn't" I comment.
"Oh really? What is?" Snotlout asked.
"Snotlout." I said with a deadpaned voice. Snotlout was left stuttering.
Parents believe a hideous name will
frighten off gnomes and trolls.
Like our charming Viking demeanor
wouldn't do that.
I was laughing so hard, I was on the floor with tears in my eyes.
Dragons sweep back and forth, dodging axes and blasting the
Vikings who throw them. A burly warrior gets tossed in an
explosion, knocking Hiccup to the ground.
VIKING (FIERCE)
Arggghhhhh!
(cheery, insane)
Mornin'!
"Such nice neighbors." Me and Cami said.
Hiccup gets to his feet and continues to rush past gigantic
men and women.
HICCUP (V.O.) Meet the neighbors. Hoark the
Haggard...
HOARK
What are you doing out!?
"House is on fire" Hiccup said slowly, as if talking to a 3 year old.
HICCUP ... Burnthair the Broad...
BURNTHAIR
Get inside!
"House, Fire"
HICCUP ... Phlegma the Fierce...
PHLEGMA THE FIERCE
Get back inside!
"How 'bout you get back inside! That'll solve the problem!" I shouted.
Meanwhile, the village looked down in shame. Were they really so cruel to Hiccup?
Cami side hugged Hiccup, and leaned into him. Meanwhile I was internally fangirling 'my ship has set sail.'
HICCUP . Ack.
He passes a silent ox of a viking, picking his ear.
HICCUP (CONT'D) Yep, just Ack.
Enter STOICK, the biggest Viking of all. He yanks Hiccup from
the path of a strafing dragon and holds aloft to the crowd.
STOICK Hiccup!?
(accusingly; to the crowd)
What is he doing out again?!
(TO HICCUP) What are you doing out?! Get
Inside!
"Ok, Wow, I didn't know you wanted me to burn to death, good to know for next time." Hiccup said sarcasticly. I was glaring at Stoick. Meanwhile, Fishlegs had finally found where hiccup's voice was comming from. NEXT TO A DRAGON! Hiccup motioned him over. Sneakilly he went to The Dragon's Side.
"He's safe right?" Fishlegs asked. Hiccup nodded. Fishlegs settled down next to Camicazi.
The flames light up his scowling face and matted red beard.
He sets Hiccup down and turns to the sky, searching.
HICCUP (V.O.)
(IN AWE) 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.
Do I believe it?
"That's disgusting" Cami whispered to Fishlegs and Hiccup.
Stoick grabs a wooden cart and hurls it, knocking the
strafing dragon out of the sky.
HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) Yes I do.
The trio and the dragons shuddered.
An EXPLOSION forces Vikings to DUCK. Stoick stands firm,
brushing flaming debris off of his shoulder.
STOICK (barking; to his men)
What have we got?
VIKING #1 Gronkles. Nadders. Zipplebacks. Oh,
and Hoark saw a Monstrous
Nightmare.
STOICK Any Night Furies?
'Good' Toothless thought, 'let them fear me'
Hiccup, notecing Toothless's ego, said, "You're not that scarry, you're practicly a cat."
Toothless humphed.
VIKING #1 None so far.
STOICK
(RELIEVED) Good.
VIKING Hoist the torches!
Massive flaming braziers are raised on poles, lighting up the
night sky... and revealing swirling dragons of all types.
Below, Hiccup crosses an open plaza and ducks into an open
building with a tall chimney.
INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - CONTINUOUS
He crosses behind a counter, where a peg-legged, one-armed
hulk of a Blacksmith reshapes blades with a hammer and tongs
appendage.
GOBBER Ah! Nice of you to join the party.
I thought you'd been carried off.
"Gobber" Stoick shouted. 'Maybe he does care' Hiccup thought.
Hiccup dons a leather apron and starts to put away Gobber's
scattered appendages.
HICCUP Who me? Nah, come on! I'm way too
muscular for their taste. They
wouldn't know what to do with all
This.
The village laughed.
Hiccup strikes a bodybuilder pose.
GOBBER They need toothpicks, don't they?
Hiccup gets to work, transferring bent and chipped weapons to
the forge as Vikings crowd the counter for replacements.
HICCUP (V.O.) The meathead with attitude and
interchangeable hands is Gobber.
I've been his apprentice ever since
I was little. Well...littler.
"Oi, Who are you calling Meathead, fishbone!" Exclaimed gobber.
"Who are you calling fishbone, Meathead." Hiccup replied, good naturally.
Everyone laughed as Stoick thought, 'Hiccup and I never have conversation like that.'
ON STOICK
STOICK We move to the lower defenses.
We'll counter-attack with the
catapults.
"Nice strategy" I complemented.
Armed men rush past, flanking others who carry sheep to
safety. Stoick follows up the rear as, overhead, a dragon
strafes the rooftops with Napalm-like fire.
HICCUP (V.O.) See? Old village. Lots and lots
of new houses.
Cami grinned. "Remember when we destroyed the whole Roman fleet" she said to hiccup, who nodded, with a smile on his face. "That was fun."
VIKING
FIRE!
In response, the fire brigade charges through the plaza -
four TEENS, tugging a large wooden cask on wheels. From it,
they fill buckets of water to douse the flames.
HICCUP (V.O.) Oh and that's Fishlegs, Snotlout.
The twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut.
And Astrid.
HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) Their job is so much cooler.
"What is wrong with working at a forge?" Gobber asked.
"Nothing" Hiccup smiled
Hiccup tries to join them as they pass, but he's hooked by
Gobber and hoisted back inside.
HICCUP (CONT'D)
(PLEADING) Ah, come on. Let me out, please. I
need to make my mark.
The village shuddered at the thought of all the marks.
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.
"Who would want to date Hiccup?" Snotlout thought. A second later he was bound and gagged.
GOBBER You can't lift a hammer.
"Yes I can!" Hiccup shouted.
You can't swing an axe…
"I can"
Gobber grabs a bola (iron balls connected by rope).
GOBBER (CONT'D) ... you can't even throw one of
These.
"True, But noone has won against you at sword fighting. Just ask the Romans." Cami quipped.
"Romans!" Everyone shouted.
"Oh, yeah. Me, cami, and Fish are all most wanted in Rome. Oops…" Hiccup shrugged.
The villagers were shocked.
A Viking runs by and nabs it out of Gobber's hand, hurling it
at a dive-bombing Gronkle. The bola binds its legs, sending
it into a heavy crash.
HICCUP (ready with the answer)
Okay fine, but...
He rushes to the back corner of the stall and presents a
bizarre, wheel barrow-like contraption.
HICCUP (CONT'D) ... this will throw it for me.
"Nice" I wistle.
Hiccup OPENS the hinged lid of the device. An arm springs up,
equipped with twin bows. They prematurely launch a bola,
narrowly missing Gobber... and taking out a Viking at the
counter.
VIKING Arggh!
GOBBER See, now this right here is what
I'm talking about.
HICCUP Mild calibration issue.
GOBBER Hiccup. If you ever want to get out
there to fight dragons, you need
to stop all...
Gobber gestures in Hiccup's general direction.
GOBBER (CONT'D) ... this.
"Rude! If anyone needs to change it's you vikings into this precious cinnamon roll." I shout.
HICCUP
(ASTONISHED) But... you just pointed to all of
me.
GOBBER Yes! That's it! Stop being all of
you.
HICCUP
(THREATENING) Ohhhh...
GOBBER
(MIMICKING) Ohhhhh, yes.
HICCUP You, sir, are playing a dangerous
game. Keeping this much,
raw...Vikingness contained.
(BEAT) There will be consequences!
"Oh, yes there will be!" Everyone looks at me as if I'm crazy.
"In 4 years he hits puberty and he looks fine!" I said, with a smirk
Gobber tosses him a sword.
GOBBER I'll take my chances. Sword.
Sharpen. Now.
"Stand. Sit. Roll over" Gobber said.
"Woof"
Hiccup takes it begrudgingly and lobs it onto the grinding
wheel. He stews... fantasizing...
HICCUP (V.O.) One day I'll get out there. Because
killing a dragon is everything
around here.
EXT. VILLAGE - LOWER PLAINS - CONTINUOUS
Nadders land, gathering like seagulls around a seemingly
vacant house.
HICCUP (V.O.) A Nadder head is sure to get me at
least noticed.
The Nadders clamber onto the building, tearing the roof and
walls apart. Sheep pour out and SCATTER.
Elsewhere, hippo-like Gronckles pick drying racks clean of
fish and fly off like loaded pelicans.
HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) Gronckles are tough. Taking down
one of those would definitely get
me a girlfriend.
A stealthy, snake-like dragon head peeks over a rooftop,
breathing gas into a chimney.
HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) A Zippelback? Exotic, exciting. Two
heads, twice the status.
A second head pokes through the door and lights it. KABLAM!
The two heads fly through the explosion, their necks zipping
together to reveal a single body.
It flies past Stoick as he climbs to the top of a CATAPULT
TOWER.
CATAPULT OPERATOR They found the sheep!
STOICK
(FRUSTRATED) Concentrate fire over the lower
bank!
CATAPULT OPERATOR Fire!
Boulders are catapulted at the corralling Nadders...
Just as a huge red dragon whips past, spraying the base of
the catapult with sticky 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.
"You make them sound harmless" Cami chuckled. Hiccup snorted.
"They are."
It emerges from the flames, climbing the catapult with a
leering, toothy grin.
STOICK Reload! I'll take care of this.
Stoick takes on the Nightmare, face to hammer.
Suddenly, a LOUD BALLISTIC MOANING streaks overhead. The
catapult crew ducks.
INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - CONTINUOUS
ON HICCUP, looking up from his work, reacting to the same
sound.
HICCUP (V.O.) But the ultimate prize is the
dragon no one has ever seen. We
call it the-
VIKING Night Fury! Get down!
Vikings everywhere take shelter. The moaning sound BUILDS.
EXT. VILLAGE - CATAPULT - CONTINUOUS
The Monstrous Nightmare suddenly stops fighting and takes
flight. Stoick looks skyward.
STOICK
JUMP! KABOOM! The Catapult EXPLODES as though hit by an artillery
shell... sending Stoick and the crew leaping for their lives.
HICCUP (V.O.) This thing never steals food, never
shows itself, and...
The sound recedes, leaving the crippled catapult in flames.
HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) ...never misses.
(BEAT) No one has ever killed a Night
Fury. That's why I'm going to be
the first.
"Never again" Hiccup whispered.
IN THE STALL Gobber trades his hammer for an axe.
GOBBER Man the fort, Hiccup, they need me
out there!
Gobber pauses. Turns with a threatening glare.
GOBBER (CONT'D) Stay. Put. There. You know what I
Mean.
"I don't know Gobber, does he?" Cami chuckles.
Gobber charges into the fray, HOLLERING.
ON HICCUP, a smirk crosses his face.
EXT. VILLAGE - MOMENTS LATER
WHAM! Hiccup pushes his wheeled contraption through a wall of
clustered Vikings. He weaves through the ongoing mayhem, as
fast as his legs can carry him.
VIKING #6 (O.S.) Hiccup, where are you going!
VIKING #7 Come back here!
HICCUP I know. Be right back!
"You actually thought i would come back? Huh." Hiccup said.
ON THE PLAIN BELOW The Nadders have cornered the house-full of sheep. They close
in, ready to spring upon them.
Stoick suddenly appears, HURLING FISHING NETS over them. The
surprised Nadders are caught. Stoick and his men rush in.
A Nadder blasts a hole through its net. Stoick leaps onto it,
clamping his thick arms around its head, forcing its jaws
shut.
STOICK Mind yourselves! The devils still
have some juice in them.
"They are not devils!" Cami, Hiccup, Fishlegs, and I shout.
ON THE PLAIN ABOVE Hiccup reaches a cliff overlooking the smoking CATAPULT and
drops the handles to the ground. He cranks several levers,
unfolding and then cocking the bowed arms of his contraption.
He drops a bola onto a chamber and then pivots the weapon on
a gimbal head toward the dark sky.
He listens, with his eye pressed to the scope, hand poised on
the trigger.
'Wow, that is complicated.' everyone thought.
He hears the NIGHT FURY approaching... and turns
his aim to the defense tower. It closes in for the final
strike, completely camouflaged in the night.
HICCUP
(TO HIMSELF) Come on. Give me something to shoot
at, give me something to shoot at.
KABLAM! The tower topples. The blast of fire illuminates the
dragon for a split second. Hiccup pulls the trigger.
KERTHUNK! The flexed arms SNAP forward, springing the weapon
off the ground. The bola disappears into the sky, followed by
a WHACK and a SCREECH.
Everyone was silent. Then a roar went up.
"Good job hiccup!" yelled Stoick.
HICCUP (CONT'D) (surprised, then elated)
Oh I hit it! Yes, I hit it! Did
anybody see that?
Hiccup's victory is short-lived. A Monstrous Nightmare
appears, slithering up over the lip of the cliff.
HICCUP (CONT'D) Except for you.
"How can you stay so calm?" Ruffnut asked.
"Practise" Hiccup said.
ON STOICK, holding down the netted Nadders. He hears a
familiar HOLLER and looks up to see...
HICCUP running through the PLAZA, SCREAMING, with the
NIGHTMARE fast on his heels.
Alarmed, Stoick abandons the Nadders and runs off.
STOICK DO NOT let them escape!
IN THE PLAZA Vikings scatter as Hiccup dodges a near fatal blast. The
Nightmare's sticky, Napalm-like fire splashes up onto
buildings, setting them alight.
Hiccup ducks behind the last standing brazier - the only
shelter available. The Nightmare blasts it, spraying fire all
around him. Hiccup peers around the smoldering post. No sign
of the Nightmare.
He turns back to find it leering at him, blocking his escape.
It takes a deep breath. Hiccup is finished.
Suddenly, Stoick LEAPS between them, tackling the Nightmare
to the ground. They tumble and wrestle, resuming their
earlier fight. The Nightmare tries to toast him, but only
coughs up smoke.
"You" Astride said pointing to on-screen Hiccup, "Have the worst of luck."
STOICK (CONT'D) You're all out.
He smashes the Nightmare repeatedly in the face, driving it
away. It takes to the air and disappears. Winded, Stoick
turns to Hiccup.
HICCUP (V.O.) Oh, and there's one more thing you
need to know…
HICCUP (CONT'D) Sorry, dad.
"What!" Yelled all the dragons.
EXT. VILLAGE - UPPER PLAZA - CONTINUOUS
The escaped Nadders fly past with sheep in their clutches.
The raid is over. The dragons have clearly won.
The murmuring crowd eyes Stoick, awaiting his response.
HICCUP
(SHEEPISH) Okay, but I hit a Night Fury.
"I love how you just said that so casually." I said.
Stoick grabs Hiccup by the back scruff of his collar and
hauls him away, fuming with embarrassment.
HICCUP (CONT'D) It's not like the last few times,
Dad. I mean I really actually hit
it. You guys were busy and I had a
very clear shot. It went down, just
off Raven Point. Let's get a search
party out there, before it-
STOICK -STOP! Just...stop.
"Well, Aren't you a lovely parent." I said.
He releases Hiccup. Everyone goes silent, staring
expectantly.
STOICK (CONT'D) Every time you step outside,
disaster follows. Can you not see
that I have bigger problems?
Winter's almost here and I have an
entire village to feed!
Hiccup looks around. All eyes are upon him.
HICCUP Between you and me, the village
could do with a little less
feeding, don't ya think?
A few rotund Vikings stir self-consciously.
"It's true, no offence fishlegs" Cami said.
"Excluding me" Snotlout boasted.
"That, Snotface, is not muscle but fat." I stated boredly.
STOICK This isn't a joke, Hiccup!
(EXASPERATED) Why can't you follow the simplest
orders?
HICCUP I can't stop myself. I see a dragon
and I have to just... kill it, you
know? It's who I am, Dad.
"Not anymore" said Hiccup to Cami, who smiled.
STOICK You are many things, Hiccup. But a
dragon killer is not one of them.
Sting. Hiccup looks around to see many nods of agreement.
STOICK (CONT'D) Get back to the house.
(TO GOBBER) Make sure he gets there. I have his
mess to clean up.
"How is this his mess!" Cami and I yell.
Stoick lumbers off in the opposite direction.
Gobber leads Hiccup through the walk of shame. They pass the
teen fire brigade as they snicker.
TUFFNUT Quite the performance.
SNOTLOUT I've never seen anyone mess up that
badly. That helped!
HICCUP Thank you, thank you. I was
trying, so...
Hiccup avoids Astrid's glare and heads up toward a large
house, standing prominently on the hill above the others.
"You're all bitches, you know that?" I glared at the teens. They looked down.
HICCUP (CONT'D) I really did hit one.
GOBBER Sure, Hiccup.
HICCUP He never listens.
GOBBER Well, it runs in the family.
HICCUP And when he does, it's always with
this... disappointed scowl. Like
someone skimped on the meat in his
Sandwich.
(MIMICKING STOICK) Excuse me, barmaid. I'm afraid you
brought me the wrong offspring. I
ordered an extra large boy with
beefy arms. Extra guts and glory on
the side. This here. This is a
talking fish bone.
Stoick looked hurt. 'Is that really how he thinks i see him?' he thought.
GOBBER You're thinking about this all
wrong. It's not so much what you
look like. It's what's inside that
he can't stand.
Beat.
"And the award for worst pep talker is a tie between Gobber and Chiron." I exclaim.
HICCUP Thank you, for summing that up.
They reach the doorway.
GOBBER Look, the point is, stop trying so
hard to be something you're not.
Hiccup SIGHS heavily.
HICCUP I just want to be one of you guys.
Gobber eyes him sympathetically. Hiccup turns and goes
through the front door.
And straight out the back door. He hurries off into the
woods, determined.
"You cannot stay inside, can you" fishlegs asked.
"Nope" Hiccup said with a smirk.