How To Train Your Dragon One-Shots

The Freedom to Contract

Hello! This is probably the quickest story I've written, and possibly the strangest. I really love the idea that Viggo is really obsessed with business more so than fighting dragons or making money or power. He just likes being a businessman. And now that I've taken contracts in law school, I think he would really like writing and thinking about contracts. I try to make all of my stories fit within the canon, and I think this does, but Viggo is certainly very exaggerated here. Truthfully, he's not my favorite of the villains, and I don't find him all that compelling (if you do, that's amazing. One of my friends adores him more than any other character in the show or movies). But I did have fun writing this more comical and contracts obsessed version of him. I hope you enjoy, and please forgive all the contracts language. And consider checking out my podcast, "Determination, Deliberation, and Dragons," where my friends and I workshop stories, chat with authors, and analyze books and films.

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Some people enjoyed the thrill of the hunt. Others enjoyed the final deadly battle between human and dragon. They enjoyed the fire, the claws, the nerves and daring it took to face such a beast head on and make it out alive. At any moment, it could all be over if they didn't make the right move. There was glory to be had when one returned with a new dragon hide to hang on their wall, and people enjoyed that.

Not Viggo Grimborn. His favorite part of hunting dragons was writing up the contract afterward.

"Oh yes, this contract has all the consideration I need," Viggo whispered, running his finger down the list of clauses he had written for his next deal. Most buyers didn't come prepared to negotiate their own terms, and Viggo's thorough preparations usually led to him having the upper hand. He'd sell the dragons, and when the shipment wasn't exactly what the buyers expected, he simply pointed them to the contracts that they had signed without fully understanding. Anyone could hire someone skilled in such matters to look over the contracts for them, but they rarely did, leaving him free to negotiate however he wanted. There was no duty to negotiate in good faith; the only duty that existed was to fulfill the terms of the contract in good faith. And the terms were usually in his favor.

"Must you do that here?" Ryker asked. Viggo's taller and more muscular brother was standing in his usual spot at the side of the desk.

Viggo didn't even look up. "Excuse me, brother, but I do believe I have the freedom to contract. And contract I shall."

A knife pierced the desk, cutting into the corner of the contract. Viggo tore his eyes away from the document and looked at his brother. Ryker glared back at him.

"We should be out there looking for the dragon riders," Ryker grunted. "Instead, you have us waiting around while you play with paper."

For a moment, Viggo continued to glare at Ryker. Then, he laughed, causing Ryker to take a step back. "Play with paper? Is that what I'm doing, dear brother? Playing with paper...oh no. No no no. This mere paper is the key to our success. Catching dragons is one thing, but selling our catches to our advantage only works if we are very clear about what it is that each deal entails. If we misstep, then the hard labor put into this trade doesn't pay such high dividends. It's because of my planning for every possibility and stating in no uncertain terms what we're providing and what we expect that we're able to continue in this business at all. And what kind of business do we run if we can't be relied on to follow through on our deals to the letter?"

Ryker glanced around the room and scratched his head. "Well," he said, "all I know is-"

"-All you know is nothing," Viggo interjected. "I know. I direct. You use your muscles and nothing more. We've been over this, brother."

"But couldn't we just give them the dragons, and then if they don't do what we want we can take their gold?"

Now, Viggo was really mad. He stood up and slammed his fists on the desk. His entire face glowed red, and he bared his teeth at his brother. "Are you suggesting a contract that is implied-in-law. In other words, a quasi-contract?"

"No, I would never-"

"-Because you know how much the very idea of a quasi-contract sickens me," Viggo spat. "We are not here for justice, or to fix mistakes of parties who should have contracted. I have the freedom to contract, and that's what I intend to do."

Ryker was now leaning against the wall, looking between Viggo and the door. "Fine," he finally said. "I'm going to check on the latest batch of dragons."

"You do that," Viggo called out as Ryker made for the door. When he was finally alone, he sat back down at his desk and returned to his contract. He slipped the knife from the paper's corner and placed it to the side.

Looking over the contract, Viggo felt himself calm down. Yes, this is where he wanted to be. Any fool could go out there and face a dragon, but not everyone could write a decent contract.

"Let's put in an express condition, shall we?" Viggo said. And with that, he began to write.