How to Train Your Dragon the Mystery of A Boy and a Dragon

Prologue

Special Thanks to my Beta Reader Fantasia Komix For rewriting and expanding on the scenes within this prologue and making of words flow much better. I do appreciate you making it chapter much better than it was. Thank you again.

-Prologue-

On an island far from here, both literally and in memory, a Dragon Hunter outpost thrived, the faction their renown for the capture and transfer of scaled beasts for hundreds of miles around.

Cages surrounded the main camp, the hunters bombarded with the anguished screams of dragons. They usually brushed this off, for the beasts always quieted down in the end, then the men would get paid for having someone else take the smelly things off their hands.

For many of them, this was a way of life that had been passed down in their lines, from generations of normal Norse folk trying to scrap enough of an income together to feed their families. Others thought of it as a sport or game...most tried to avoid these people as much as possible, but they were the most successful.

On one particular day, the hunters gathered on the docks, their week's catch fearfully quiet as one lone ship drifted menacingly into the harbor. Upon landing, figures on board scrambled to lower the plank. The slam of wood on wood startled some of the trainees, but it was routine.

As was getting paid, of course, but that only happened after the transaction was made. The captain on board the ship turned to his men.

"Alright, we've got a new shipment of dragons!" he impatiently called out. "Transfer them to our cages and prepare to set sail!"

Other than a little grumbling, no one complained about the lack of a break. After all, the Warlord had increased his quota, again. But the pay was good and they had a decent doctor at a reasonable price, so none of the men would even think of leaving the trade before retirement. Well...if it was possible, but they never thought about that too hard.

...A few hours later...

Two Hunters were sent down into the depths of the ship's cargo hold, the seemingly cavernous space lit only by the flickering flames of the torches clutched in their hands. Sweat dripped down their faces, which they would have claimed to have stemmed from the heat hanging in the stifling air, or from the nauseous fumes of the refuse collecting in the cages.

The new recruit clutched his torch tightly, his eyes flitting from side to side nervously. The other relaxed, leaning on of the cages in order to benefit from the relieving cold of the lime-green metal. There was no idle chatter, for neither had anything to say to the other.

Finally, the recruit cleared his throat. "Sir, are you sure it's a wise idea to keep these dragons on a flammable boat in the middle of the ocean?" Upon hearing this, the senior Hunter cracked up. Snorting, he pushed off from the door of the cage and clapped the young man on the back. "Calm down, boy, I know that you're new at this, but by the gods, you can't be that unaware!"

"The devils know they can't breathe fire on this boat while they're in their cages; they'd drown. Asides, they're muzzled. Our job is to get these dragons to the warlord and have them ready for war."

"But why dragons?" The recruit asked angrily, "For generations, we waged war without dragons! Why start now?!"

The other only rolled his eyes. "That was before we knew they could be tamed and used as weapons, kid," he sneered.

"Imagine, just sitting back and letting dragons do the work for us for once. All we'd have to do is 'accept' the gold of the richest nations and impress every woman in the archipelago! Ha, it will be marvelous!"