#TwelveDaysOfDoomsday2018

[kingofthewilderwest]

Do you think, given the chance to go back in time and prevent the dragon-human war, would Book!Hiccup have any qualms about freeing/not freeing Furious in the forests of Beserk?

Ooo this is good food for thought.

My thought is that Hiccup would free Furious regardless. 

Hiccup is the young man who believes in forgiving someone a third time, a fourth time, a fifth time, and a sixth time… even if there’s a high likelihood that he’ll get hurt again. Hiccup isn’t a fool and knows that Snotlout might harm him again and never change, but Hiccup isn’t going to change his own thoughtfulness either. Hiccup still believes his own actions are the right way to go. Any time that someone is in trouble, even an enemy who could betray him, Hiccup still believes it’s his duty to help them.

It’s part of what makes Hiccup such a memorable hero in the book series. Whatever your own ethical framework, whatever you think would be the ethical thing to do yourself, how Hiccup is written is memorable. He’s not going to stoop down to something that might make him momentarily dirty for some end good. It’s an idealistic framework with very little sense of realism in a world where realistic horrors abound. And yet in the end, that unending idealism provides changes to the Barbaric Archipelago.

Even in the case that Hiccup could go back in time and knows what the future will bring with Furious, Hiccup’s morality isn’t based upon a utilitarian / consequentialist framework. It’s based upon the idea that we should always act with thoughtfulness, respect, and kindness to everyone we come across. For Hiccup not to free Furious in his miserable state (when Hiccup and Furious first meet) would be a failing on Hiccup’s end, according to Hiccup’s feelings.

The fact that Furious would later go off to kill people and wreak a war would grate upon Hiccup’s thoughts, of course. It would legitimately disturb Hiccup because he doesn’t want other people to suffer. He knows that freeing Furious will bring about that suffering. He may ask himself if this would make him fully culpable for their misfortune. He may ask himself if that means it would be “okay” to leave Furious in the forest of Berserk. 

But Hiccup is someone who believes that our kind actions have meaning. That  someone else may harm you later doesn’t give you an excuse not to give them this kindness now. Leaving a dragon like this would be unaccepted to Hiccup.

I think Hiccup would, if anything, try to talk with Furious more before freeing him. But he’d still release Furious. 

[inhonoredglory]

But sometimes the bravest thing a Hero has to do is not fighting monsters and cheating death and witches. It is facing the consequences of his own actions. ––How to Seize a Dragon's Jewel

One of my favorite book quotes, and a drawing of Hiccup and Cressida I did several years ago and never posted (?). Cressida’s books are a masterpiece and without them we would not have the incredible series we know and love today.

For the Twelve Days of Doomsday, HTTYD books event.

[jayalaw]

Twelve Days of Doomsday, Day Eight: Hiccup’s Dream of The Bay of the Broken Heart

@thefellowshipofthedragonmark @thepotatoreader​ @inhonoredglory

How to Break A Dragon’s Heart was the first HTTYD book that made me cry. I teared up while reading the story of doomed Hiccup II, as a horrified Hiccup III listens. He finds out that the ghost that supposedly haunts the bay is Queen Chinhilda, who is frantically calling for her baby Hiccup II. Hiccup at the end of the book recounts that as an old man he has dreams of being Chinhilda, but the Hiccup he calls is his younger self. Younger Hiccup calls to the older one that he will come back soon, but we know that won’t come. After this book, the status quo changes.

Chinhilda and her husband Grimbeard were told that the baby was a runt and doomed to be abandoned. She refused, of course, but Grimbeard stole the baby while she was sleeping, disarmed her when he returned and she understandably attacked him, and let her go into the wilderness. She frantically searched, and died without finding her son. Grimbeard later would find his son raised by dragons, and had to take him in due to tradition. This ended up dooming them both, because Hiccup II loved dragons and could not abide his father’s slavery. He tried to create a peaceful demonstration, but his brother Thugheart lied to Grimbeard and said that Hiccup II planned treachery. You can guess what happened.

First, let me reiterate, Grimbeard is a dick. Second, the man could have fixed his mistakes but he instead chose to lay them on someone in the future.

Hiccup has to take up the burdens and sins of the past. He didn’t ask for this, but no one else will. Alvin and his mother are too selfish and cruel to realize that the status quo has to change, Snotlout doesn’t think far enough, and Stoick is too rooted in the status quo. When Valhallarama was questing for the Lost Things, she wanted the glory of it more than the actual changes that would ensue. Hiccup’s the only one who cares about being king to help the humans and dragons.

[queenofthearchipelago]

Day 2 of the Twelve Days of Doomsday 2018

My favorite scene from Book 2:

Fishlegs: He said it was YOUR treasure, to do as you liked with.

Hiccup sighed. He thought of the greedy look in Stoick's eyes when he held the Stormblade. He thought of Baggybum and Stoick arguing over the treasure chest.

"Yes," said Hiccup, "and I DO know what to do with it."

He picked up a piece of charcoal from the cavern floor, wrote some words on the bottom of the letter, and pinned it back on the door.

"STILL . . . NOT . . . READY . . ." read Fishlegs.

How to Be a Pirate, Chapter 19

[mrsnaildood]

Doomsday 2018,,,,

Fallen flat on my face on that one for a number of reasons....

Would you guys mind if I did it late(as in in 2019 because there's only a couple hours of 2018 left)? 😓

[iolite-wyvern-art]

TwelveDaysOfDoomsday2018

You fuckers better be ready for some art of MY BOY. MY BOY THUGGORY.

And other assorted How To Train Your Dragon art too, obviously. 

[spamalamam]

Oof so I did a Twelve Days of Doomsday thing that I should've done yesterday but instead I had to do it today in a Mcdonalds restaurant. But anyways, enjoy this Twelve Day of Doomsday drawing day 1 of the Green Death!

[jayalaw]

Twelve Days of Doomsday, Day Ten: The Bargain in the Woods

@thefellowshipofthedragonmark @inhonoredglory @kingofthewilderwest @thepotatoreader This is a continuation of “Vikings and Romans,” set during the Red Rage. Basically, Viggo is in the book universe with an agenda 

In the woods, a fire blazed. Men stood at guards, holding a white flag. Lookouts kept their eyes peeled for dragons that had succumbed to the Red Rage, or for worse foes. 

"Are you sure we ought to be doing this?" Ryker asked his brother. "If word gets round to the witch, she'll have our heads." "If it goes wrong, we can always claim that we're trying to fulfill the bounty," Viggo replied. "Besides, our men our loyal. They will not betray us. Is that right?" "Yes, sir," The Hunters chorused. They shivered under Viggo's stare. They were both grown men, with grey in their hairs. Viggo had some silver in his beard, and dark circles under his eyes. The war had not been kind to anyone. In time, a figure slipped in on a riding dragon. He was dressed in muddy black, and landed with pain. His helmet had a feathery plume, and it was crooked. Muffled sounds came from within the helmet. "It's all right, Hiccup." Viggo waved the flag. "You are on neutral territory here." The boy slid off the Windwalker, who looked with concerned, doleful eyes. Two tiny dragons clung to the Fugitive's shoulders. He limped and took off his helmet. It came free with a rusty creak. "Good Thor!" Ryker exclaimed. Hiccup looked tired, and beaten down. He sported a black eye, and a tattoo on his forehead. That was the Slavemark, which made him an outcast and a slave. His face was also thin, and bruises decorated his face. He was muddy from head to toe, in a tattered Fire Suit. "I don't look that bad," he said in Dragonese, before blushing and taking a deep breath. "There's no need for that helmet," Viggo said. "This is a truce." "Believe me, the helmet wasn't my idea," Hiccup muttered in Norse, struggling to get it off. He shot a dark look to the dragons. His voice had broken over the years, and he had grown a bit taller. But anyone who had spent a week with the boy would know that it was Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. "Don't trust him," the older tiny dragon told him. "He could easily turn you in. Keep the helmet on." "T-t-toothless agrees!" The other dragon said. Viggo recognized Toothless. Viggo smiled; he had trained himself to learn Dragonese, the forbidden language. A long time ago, he had gotten a copy of a book on Dragonese thanks to Hiccup's immaculate handwriting. It was helpful in getting his men out of dangerous ambushes. He did owe the boy that. But it was the boy's fault that these ambushes were happening in the first place. Everyone knew that. "It seems you got my message." "You hid it in the dragon traps. Clever." Hiccup gave up on removing his helmet. "But just so you know, I've been living as a fugitive for a year. I can spring all the dragons free in your hold. And I am the best fencer in the Archipelago. So I will fight my way out if this is a trick. And I can't stay long in one place." Viggo nodded. Being on the run from the witch would make anyone wary. The boy would have to be a fool to walk in here without an exit plan. "It's good to see you alive," he said sincerely. "How long has it been? Three years? Four?" "Five," Hiccup responded. His tone was calm. "It's been five years." "That explains it," Viggo shrugged. "You've grown so much." That was true. Hiccup wasn't tall for a Viking, and he was a runt by Viking standards, but he had grown a little. His body was still fairly skinny, if showing muscles from fencing and being on the run. But then any food would have to be foraged or stolen. Not much time to grow out in the wilderness. "And who are your new friends?" he asked. "This dragon is the Wodensfang, and the one I ride is Windwalker," Hiccup said slowly. "Your note mentioned that you could offer help. Help with what, I'm not exactly sure." "Make sure that his words are precise," the Wodensfang advised. He had a perpetually worried face. "Yes, yes." Viggo made a show of his bare hands, revealing that he was unarmed. "No matter what the witch says or what Alvin has stolen, you are still a candidate to be king." Hiccup stiffened. He had a limp. Viggo could see it in the way he walked. "You don't support Alvin's claim?" "Not unless we have to," Viggo said. "The man is, how shall we say it, downright unstable. He's selfish, unnecessarily violent, and short-sighted. The man will kill everything in sight." The other Hunters grunted in agreement. Hiccup spun to study all of their expressions. "What are you offering?" Hiccup asked suspiciously. "I'm offering my support for you as king." Viggo offered his hand. "The Hunters would aid you in the quest of Lost Things. We can go over the details over a meal. Your wounds also need to be dressed." "I'm not hungry," Hiccup said, only for Toothless's stomach to growl. He glared at the little dragon. "T-t-toothless only h-had that d-d-dried fish!" The dragon whined. "Don't be foolish," Viggo said. "You've been without proper supplies or a decent meal in a year. If you turn down my offer, you'll be allowed to leave. I cannot guarantee if we are allies if you refuse, but you are safe for the night." "If we are entering a living quarter, it will be harder to escape," The Wodensfang advised. "Out here we have the open air. We know how to evade dragons and Hunters but we don't know how to escape them." Hiccup considered. Viggo noticed how Hiccup cocked his hear unconsciously. "If we have any meals, we have it out in the open," he said. "I'm not going to enter any strongholds for the moment." Viggo nodded while the men groaned. "Brother, with all due respect, it's not safe out here," Ryker said. "The Red Rage dragons can ambush at any time." "I am aware; a compromise perhaps?" he suggested. "My men have not set up camp for the night. We can set up temporary barracks to conduct our business that will protect from the Red Rage." Hiccup looked at his dragons. They had a hushed conversation. Then he looked up, masking his relief with sternness. "I accept your terms." # Hiccup hadn't thought that one of his enemies would be offering him shelter. Most of them had tried to kill them on a repeat encounter. This past year, he had been doing all that he could to avoid being seen. Yet, here he was, trying not to gorge on the first proper meal he had tasted in months. Toothless kept trying to steal bites, even though he had a pile of fish. Hiccup tried to stop his dragon, because Toothless tended to swallow before he was thinking. He didn't trust Viggo. Not wholeheartedly. The last time they had met, Viggo had conspired for the Bog Burglars and Hooligans to wipe each other out, while the Romans who were Viggo allies sentenced Fishlegs and Camicazi to death in the gladiator arena. Viggo had offered Hiccup an out, to see the world and read more books than he possibly could. Even though Hiccup knew he could never accept that offer, some days he wondered The truth was, however, that he needed human allies. Supporters. Friends who would accept his claim as King of the Wilderwest. Fishlegs was somewhere with the Hooligans, and Camicazi, Hiccup didn't know where she was. He hoped he was okay. She had half-turned her back on him on that day. But they were still friends; at least, he and Cami hoped they still would be if they reunited. Viggo was the closest thing to a supporter Hiccup had for the moment. And he needed some rest. The year was weighing down on him. "We can start with an exchange of information," Viggo said. "The witch says you have the map to the Dragon Jewel?" Hiccup finished his bowl of dried meat mixed with salty broth. Toothless jumped into the bowl and finished the remains of it. The Wodensfang deigned to take a sip of the broth while chiding Toothless for his manners. "If I told you a year ago, I thought I did," he said. "But now I'm not sure. Besides, how do I know that you won't take the map from me and deliver it to the witch?" "So you're saying the map is a decoy?" Viggo asked. The men around them looked confused and jumpy at the same time. They all spoke in low voices. "Grimbeard always did have a nasty sense of humor," Hiccup replied darkly. He had memories of the Skullions that had tried to eat him alive, and the Strangulator that had nearly poisoned him. "How about this." Viggo sat back. "I can tell you where your father is, if you show me the map. I swear on my grandfather's grave to not reveal this information to the witch. And I doubt you will betray anything to her." Hiccup nodded. Viggo gave him a location, in a whisper. "Of course!" Hiccup whispered back. "That makes the most sense." "Don't forget your Quest, Hiccup," the Wodensfang chided. "You have to retrieve the last Lost Thing first and foremost." "I haven't forgotten," Hiccup responded. He took out the map, and started explaining why he thought it was a trick. The Prison Darkheart, in the middle of the Amber Slavelands, was where Grimbeard had claimed to draw a Mirror Maze that would lead to the Jewel. "It's the red herring symbol that concerns me," he said, pointing to the colored fish. "Unless the meaning has changed, a red herring usually means 'a false start' or 'wrong direction'. Grimbeard would be the type to use it to say that the Jewel is not in the Slavelands." "Besides which, hiding an entire maze in the Prison would be extremely difficult," Viggo agreed. He traced his figures over the faded lines. "But why would he go through the trouble of creating a false map, hiding it in a sword that was in a treasure trove at the bottom of the sea?" "This is the same man that had a fake treasure chest on Skullion Island," Hiccup said. "He's a a fan of complicated schemes. If the jewel is not in the Slavelands, then it can be anywhere." They sat in silence. The only sounds were the Wodensfang, Windwalker and Toothless sniffing the night air for danger. "But it's the only starting point we have," Viggo said. "We may as well start there." "We?" the Wodensfang said. "You want to help break into a prison and find a maze that may not exist?" Hiccup asked. "Why?" "You can't be a king without followers," Viggo said. "And you can't enter the Prison Darkheart alone. Storming a fortress like that requires men, weapons, and brains. You have a brain and a weapon, but you don't have men." Hiccup gave a half-shrug. He sensed there was a catch behind all the logic in Viggo's words. There was something unctuous in the tone. "But what is your incentive to help me?" he asked. "The witch will consider it high treason and endanger the Hunters. Why would you want to support an outcast for king?" "She won't be able to charge anyone with treason if Alvin fails the coronation," Viggo pointed out. "And as I said before, the man is unstable. He wants to wipe out humans and dragons alike. You may be able to save both. You've done the impossible before, in the arena. All you would need to do is favor the Hunters when you become king. Make us your army, your forgers, and your bodyguards. We would offer our loyalty and protection in exchange for your favor." Hiccup reached into his bowl and stroked Toothless. The heat from the dragon's body warmed his fingers, and his thoughts. Memories came back, of Viggo playing both sides of the Bog Burglars and Vikings for profit, while selling captured dragons to the Romans. He recalled the man wanting a copy of his book, and testing his languages. Viggo had wanted Hiccup by his side, to travel and to nurture. "It's not just that, isn't it?" he asked, calmly. "You want a king that you can control." "So you say," Viggo responded just as calmly. "It is favorable to aid a candidate for king who does not seek bloodshed, and one who can grow, to make mistakes and learn from them. Your talents as an intellectual would not go to waste if you are using those brains to rule a kingdom." It all sounded so sincere. But Hiccup knew better. He remembered the Roman fortress. And he could not agree to an implicit agreement to become someone for Viggo to control. Nor could he Before he could voice a response, something rustled in the trees. The dragons all stood upright. So did the Hunters. Viggo and Hiccup got to their feet abruptly, Hiccup grabbing the map and folding it in a practiced rapid manner. "Were you followed?" Viggo asked abruptly. "No," Hiccup whispered. He had taken off his helmet for the meal, but his dragons were already putting it on; normally he would have protested, but instinct told him having it off was a bad idea. He held onto the visor to keep it from jamming. "But I might have been tracked," he realized with horror. The roar that followed made their bones rattle. Arrows flew from the trees' shadows. The Hunters moved, but they were not the target. They were all aimed at the boy. "RUN!" Hiccup shouted. He dove to dodge the onslaught of arrows and pushed Viggo out of the way. "You retreat! They're not after you!" Viggo stumbled backward, to avoid the onslaught. The Hunters covered their faces with helmets, while Hiccup slipped and slid towards the Windwalker. The shoulder dragons mounted their human. "I'll have to consider your offer later!" he shouted. "I'll lure them away-"   The Windwalker lurched to avoid an arrow.  Hiccup's visor fell down, cutting off his last few words. As the Windwalker lifted him to the safety of the trees, the Warrior followed. Hiccup recognized the dragon and let out a curse that the helmet muffled. "Mother! Stop! It's me, Hiccup!" he tried to say. Nothing but grunts. The White Shadow dragon swooped, and the Warrior pounced.  Hiccup's voice cracked as he gave a muffled squeak. He tried to shout at his mother, but nothing escaped the jammed visor. The ground flew away from him, as did the Windwalker. Oh Thor. Oh Thor. # The Hunters moved to retreat. Viggo would have wanted to go after the Warrior and her quarry, but the Hunters had no riding dragons, and to break the evening silence would mean their death. They quickly wrapped up their camp and moved to their ships on the rivers. "I know that dragon," Ryker said. "That's Valhallarama of the White Arms, Hiccup's mother. He's doomed, and we may be." "She won't betray us to the witch," Viggo said, his hair shaken. "And surely she wouldn't kill her son. No mother would."   "Even so, we should retreat," Ryker said. "The dragons can't reach us in the Roman lands, or beyond. Neither can the witch." "I think you're right." Viggo nodded. His shoulders drooped in disappointment. "You tried your best, brother." Ryker offered a shoulder in consolation. "I wish he had said yes. But this is not a world where we can afford nobility or the right decision." "I wasn't doing it for the nobility," Viggo snapped. "I meant every word that I told the boy. He would have been a perfect pawn to manipulate, to get an equilibrium between dragons and humans. Alvin doesn't promise that equilibrium." "Then we have to hope the boy will do it without our help," Ryker said. "I'm disappointed too. The boy was our last chance to get our old life back." A shiver of agreement went through the Hunters. They started to pack up and to make the long, discreet journey far from this land. The Hunters would survive this bout. Viggo only hoped that the rest of the Archipelago would. 

[jayalaw]

Twelve Days of Doomsday, Day Twelve: Hiccup’s Failure

@thefellowshipofthedragonmark @inhonoredglory @thepotatoreader @kingofthewilderwest

The last chapter of HTTYD is bittersweet. Hiccup does his final epilogue as an old man. He says that on one level he succeeded.

Life, unfortunately, doesn’t give us a neat happy ending. Hiccup gets a happy ending in books one through six, and then finally at book twelve. But life keeps throwing new challenges at his way.

So why does his story end when he is crowned king? Because he has grown into the person he was supposed to be. Hiccup became a hero. And this story was about his become a hero the hard way.

In Book Eleven, Hiccup asserted that he needed to suffer everything that he suffered to become the hero that would make peace with Furious, defeat Alvin, and create the slave-free utopia on Tomorrow.

I don’t think anyone needs to suffer to grow, but that is where Cowell and I agree to disagree and she makes her point quite well. Hiccup loses everything over the books: his old home, his childhood innocence, his tribe, and even his memory at one point.

Hiccup has faced the worst of evils. He has seen slavery up close, treachery, perfidy from his cousin, abandonment, and complicity. The potential to become a Grimbeard runs in his and Snotlout’s veins, as we saw when he tricked Madguts the Murderous into taking the Hairy Librarian as his slave to save Bertha. Cue the next book, Hiccup received the Slavemark and was weighed down with what it meant. Hairy also took his revenge in due course.

The abyss did not claim Hiccup when he looked into it. He grazed it, and paid the price with his Slavemark. After that event, he was kind to his enemies, even kind to Snotlout, who betrayed him multiple times. Maybe in another timeline he and Alvin could have allied, or the witch might have become kinder after saving Toothless.

Forgiving Snotlout proved he could be a good king who pardoned his enemies and showed mercy. Remembering Snotlout meant that Hiccup remembered how cruel people could be. And so Hiccup and Luna decided that the dragons should go into hiding, and never interact with people as a whole.

Then why write his memoirs? Why convince us that the dragons are real, when he sought to convince his descendants that they weren’t? Because maybe one of us can become a hero the hard way, and create a new world with dragons.

[queenofthearchipelago]

Day 3 of the Twelve Days of Doomsday 2018

My favorite scene from Book 3:

Hiccup: I remember my child-self looking down over the rim of the basket and seeing my entire world laid out beneath me like a map in a made-up story. For the first time I saw that the place where I lived and struggled and worried was part of an Archipelago of staggering beauty: hundreds of tiny green islands set in a shimmering blue sea.

And suddenly I realized with such clearness what pinpricks we were on this ocean universe. What swaggering insects! What posturing amoebas!

But size isn't everything, as I am always telling Snotlout. However small we are, we should always fight for what we believe to be right. And I don't mean fight with the power of our fists or the power of our swords. That has always been the problem with us Vikings. I mean the power of our brains and our thoughts and our dreams.

Epilogue by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, The Last of the Great Viking Heroes

[jayalaw]

Twelve Days of Doomsday, Day Nine: The Book I Won't Finish

@thefellowshipofthedragonmark

How to Steal A Dragon's Sword is one of those books that I'll never read in full. Part of the reason is that I don't like seeing intense failure in a story. I used to be better about it. But when I skimmed the wikipedia page for the books and read, I knew that I could not read it without triggering intense anxiety. Some books do that for me. 

In book 9, Hiccup fails. Badly. In the previous book, he bargained with Furious the vengeful Seadragonus Maximus to not kill any of the humans but to live in exile, far from them. Furious finds a loophole and promises to burn down the Archipelago, with all the humans in it, in a year. Hiccup fights to become King of the Wilderwest. He comes very close to succeeding, only for his cousin to reveal his Slavemark to all of the Vikings, which disqualifies him by default. They turn his back on him, except Fishlegs and the novel ends with his tribe enslaved, Hiccup in exile, and Alvin with most of the Lost Things that Hiccup found throughout the books. Furious declares his war, and only Hiccup's dragons remain loyal to him. Hiccup also still has the letter from Grimbeard, which has a map to the Dragon Jewel. We have reached a dark hour, though not the darkest hour. The darkest hour will arrive a few books later. Heroes need to fail. It's how we learn that we are fallible and can still succeed. But this hurts. This hurts a lot that Hiccup could not rout the war that he was trying to prevent. We see him and many others pay the price. Furious will pay it too. Camicazi pays the price with her guilt, when she asks why she turned her back on her best friend. That guilt channels into her and the Bog Burglars rescuing as many prisoners from the Amber Slavelands as possible. Snotlout, well, we know that Snotlout is awful to out Hiccup and endanger his tribe. Movie Snotlout is a vast improvement by a long shot. But Snotlout makes his choice. He will not shelve his pride to defer authority to his younger cousin, or confront the fact that the world needs to change. Yes, Hiccup messed up, but Hiccup owns his mistakes. Snotlout doesn't. Not at this juncture in any case. I'd rather skip to the other books, where we see it's not over yet. I’d rather see Hiccup refusing to sell out his mother, or Snotlout facing the shame of betraying his tribe.

[jayalaw]

Twelve Days of Doomsday, Day Four: The Second Potato

@inhonoredglory @kingofthewilderwest @thefellowshipofthedragonmark @thepotatoreader

It was remarkable how the weather changed rapidly on Berk. The cold winters seemed to last for months, but on a random day the ice could snap and the snowbanks would melt. Hiccup waited for those days. And this year, it was especially important. 

Hiccup spent a few days recovering from a bad bout of Vorptentitis. Old Wrinkly had surmised that sledding in freezing weather, falling into lukewarm onion soup, and wrestling with the Doomfang hadn’t helped with the cure. Hiccup had gone to get the cure, a potato, because he had thought Fishlegs was sick with Vorpentitis. No one else would do it, except Camicazi; his father surmised it was dangerous, and Snotlout would rally the boys so that none would have accompanied Hiccup. Normally Hiccup wouldn’t have allied with Camicazi, but she had said if he didn’t take her then she would tattle on him to Stoick. And he was grateful, because Bog Burglars were better at burgling than he was. 

There would always be a scar in his big toe, a reminder of the cure. Hiccup hadn't needed words to thank Fishlegs for saving his life. It hadn’t been a potato after all, but an arrow that had been lodged in the potato. Hiccup had been bringing the potato, but a giant dragon called the Doomfang had stolen it. But Hiccup had kept the arrow. It was good that he did. 

On one day when the snow finally gave way to boggy mud and the nearby rivers threatened to overflow, Hiccup set off with Toothless to a patch of land where he knew the seeds wouldn’t  be destroyed. Rather, he had bundled Toothless into a fur sling so that the dragon would not wake up. He didn’t want to leave the dragon at home because Stoick was louder than usual, complaining about how muddy things were and how hard it was to start a fire. 

The arrow was still damp, and had a dried-brown fleck of Hiccup’s blood. He found the right patch of land and started to dig with his helmet. A shovel would be better, but Hiccup didn’t have access to a shovel. 

Shuffling steps. Hiccup looked up. He smiled. It was a tired smile, a reminder of what he had done to get this arrow.

“Greetings,” a quavering voice in Dragonese said. 

“Hello, One-Eye,” Hiccup said. He kept digging, since he had never planted an arrow. 

The sleigh dragon surveyed him. It was amazing how much had changed in a matter of days. One-Eye had claimed to hate all humans and only served Hiccup when he promised to bring the cure back.

“I’m just making sure that you’re keeping your word,” One-Eye said. “That wood is long dead, if you’re trying to plant it.”

“Do you see these clumps?” Hiccup picked up the arrow and showed him. “I think these are potato seeds. Or something. Besides, if the arrow saved me, maybe it can save others from Vorpentitis.”

One-Eye surveyed him. Then he shuffled forward and started digging in the damp mud. Hiccup stared at the long claws. 

“Your human tools are too puny and fragile to make a proper hole,” he said. 

“Thanks,” Hiccup said. He backed out of the way. Toothless’s snores vibrated through the furs. It was like carrying a scaly water bottle.  

He watched One-Eye dig, as if he had done it many times before. 

“I hope the Doomfang is well,” he said. 

“He’s free and swimming in the largest oceans,” One-Eye grunted. “And he stole the potato that would have saved you.” 

“He was fighting to save his life,” Hiccup replied. “I cannot begrudge him for that.”

He placed the arrow in the hole that One-Eye’s claws made. They covered it together and watched, as if it would sprout in front of them. 

“You will make a good chief,” One-Eye said. “Maybe one day you’ll free us all.”

“I hope I can,” Hiccup replied. 

He honestly didn’t know if the arrow would sprout in the soil, giving more potatoes for Berk, any more than he knew if Snotlout would usurp him as chief. But he had to try, so that no one else would have to steal a potato to save their friends or dragons. Maybe he’d have to try better at being chief.

[queenofthearchipelago]

For the Twelve days of Doomsday

I've decided to post my favorite scene from each book on each day. I haven't read the books in a year, so each scene will be one that after all this time I have remembered being inspirational.

[jayalaw]

Twelve Days of Dragonsmark, Day Eleven: Deep in the Sea

@thefellowshipofthedragonmark @thepotatoreader @inhonoredglory

The sea burned with cold before it froze a person. It was treacherous and perilous during the winter, when the currents changed. The colder currents would slip in, carrying the Winterfleshers with them.

This fortress had a trapdoor that led into the sea. It was crusted with salt, and with the toughest barnacles.

The Winterfleshers swam below. They had sharp incisors, and were all hunger and no brains. And they were hungry now, when the sea had few pieces of raw meat.

A warm body splashed into the water, chained and wriggling. It was smaller than their usual lot. Their snouts twitched. They smelled blood and bruises on this Viking. The Winterfleshers swooped forward.

And then . . . they turned and swam in the other direction. 

Another dragon, much larger, cut through the water and chased them away. It snapped and blew air into the boy. He was gesturing through his chains. Then he was pulled up, away from the waves. 

The Winterfleshers howled at the beast. They would have attacked, except its hide was tough. Another dragon, much smaller and more wrinkly, chased after them. 

“We are hungry,” they said under the water. “Give us flesh.” 

“No,” the smaller dragon responded, blowing out bubbles. “I am the Wodensfang and I forbid it.”

Several more times, the boy came down in chains. Several more times, the larger dragon chased the Winterfleshers away. 

“You will get more meat,” the Wodensfang promised. “Soon.” 

A box came down, but the dragons also claimed the girl that came out of it. She was bigger, and looked tasty.

“Boo!!” The Winterfleshers cried. “Give us flesh!”

“Not yet,” the Wodenfsang said. 

The last time the boy came down, he was free from his chains, and the larger dragon pulled him away. The Winterfleshers swarmed, gnashing their teeth in disgust.

Then two other bodies fell, splashing and spluttering. No dragons followed them.

The Winterfleshers gathered. Several scanned the area for dragons. There were none. No one to refuse them.

“We are hungry,” they said, and pounced.

[inhonoredglory]

I had a dream. A foolish dream, a hope that perhaps human beings and dragons could coexist in the world. ––Wodensfang, How to Steal a Dragon’s Sword

An old video, but one of my favorites, featuring so much of what I love about the books––and how the films and the book series are not really so different after all. The heart is the same––the bond between dragon and human, the conflicts inherent in that alliance, the love of a dragon and the love of a boy. Whether it’s Hiccup the First, the first human to ride upon a dragon’s back, or Hiccup the Third, the greatest Hero to ever live, to Hero that saved the Dragon Furious and all of humankind––in the name of Hiccup, worlds are joined, destinies are fulfilled, and eras change. Hiccup, who never saw much in himself, but who was humble, selfless, and good––and therefore worthy of the title King.

For the Twelve Days of Doomsday, an HTTYD book event.

[jayalaw]

Twelve Days of Doomsday, Day Six: The Librarian

@thefellowshipofthedragonmark​ @inhonoredglory​ @thepotatoreader​

My sympathies are with Hairy for most of the series. Dude just wants to keep the books safe!

There is no greater joy than wandering through bookshelves alone, knowing that no one is going to interrupt you. Hairy knew it all too well. The best days were the days with no book burglars. They were quiet, even with the Itchyworms and the Driller Dragons. He could keep the Driller Dragons at bay. Vikings were different. 

He was old enough to remember when the library was open to all. That was a lifetime ago, when people actually valued the words. Now no one did. Hairy had walked through the shelves, marveling that he could pull one out and read it at his leisure. He had millennia of knowledge, stories, and adventure beneath his callused fingers. There was even a book on Flashburn techniques that his master hadn't taught him. That didn't last long. Vikings weren't made for peace. Soon the burglars came, wanting the books but not the words inside. Various thieves messed up the system that an older Haddock had put in place. At times they took valuable editions that existed nowhere else. Worst of all, they creased the pages. If it were up to Hairy, he would have holed up in his library and plugged all possible entrances. As it were, the Meathead tribe decided he was important and summoned him to his First Thing. Hairy explained he would kill anyone on sight who entered his library and tried to steal his books. The Elders agreed to that, to his surprise, but asked him to leave one entrance open so that the Vikings would have a chance to meet their death. He had to agree to it. That's why he guards the shelves. He loves these books more than he likes people. And not enough Vikings appreciate the words. He has to do the appreciating for them. if someone can match his love, and protect the books, then maybe he will concede. But for now he won't.