Disclaimer: I do not own "How to Train Your Dragon."

Author's Note: Well here it is, the end of act one. I am very excited to get into the next part, I have an ocean of ideas and it's going to be amazing! But again, I will not be able to post the next chapter until I get back from Myrtle Beach (I leave tomorrow and will be back next Saturday). I'm so sorry for the inconvenience, but the good part about it is that I'll have time to gather more ideas for the next part.

DustySands: All three acts will be posted in this story.


With the Master of Dragons living in the Nest, an awful realization occurred—one does not realize true fear until they behold it. It is a thing ofttimes foreign and overlooked by men and ultimately leads to total desecration.

from "In the Master of Dragons' Home" by Astrid Hofferson.


They're here!

His heart pumped in a state of extreme awareness. He woke Toothless as well, the dragon sensing his alertness and questioned him with a sniff.

His focus was elsewhere though; he jumped to his feet and rushed to the King who was standing alert.

The King looked at him and sent a mist of ice over him. He was in the realm of the unconscious again.

"They're here! They're here!" He yelled to the King

"I know. Your mind told you, I assume."

"Yes. We need to fight them off!"

"What does your mind say to do?"

"I—I don't know."

"Listen to it. It will save you."

He stopped, garnering the strength to focus on it. It was a blurred image but an image nonetheless. It showed of fire and ruins and outlined paths. Many of which had visible ends that showed a terrifying image of his dead body, under blades and arrows.

He told the King of this and he nodded grimly, "That path you see, it has many branches that lead to death. The ones with darkened ends, those are the wrong paths. You only have two chances to choose the right path and there are only two that will lead you right. There are hundreds and hundreds of branches that have hundreds and hundreds more branches each, all ending in darkness. Now I cannot see these branches myself, but I know you can."

He stopped, looking once more into his mind, shook his head perplexed, "I can see the ends and beginnings, but that's it."

"That is because the whole path is not certain, it will never be. Every choice you make; every step you take will alter that path. That is why it is so important you heed your mind's warnings."

Hiccup looked to the ground in fear; overwhelmed by the revelation.

"Like I've said before, this is no certainty you'll make it, but you're the only one who can. Listen to your mind again. What does it tell you?"

He tried again, this time an answer presenting itself, "I see many ships around fire and ruins."

"Where do you see this from?" He asked.

"From a distance—and I see my mother… and Toothless and Cloudjumper also."

The King stopped, looking up, understanding the vision, "So it must be, then." He said with finality.

"What do you mean? Do we have to leave?"

"Wake your mother, you must take her, Toothless and Cloudjumper and leave."

"You're not coming?" He asked frantically.

"Do you see me in your vision?" he asked, he already knew the answer.

He shook his head.

"You must go now, before it's too late."

"But—"

"No, Hiccup! This is the way it must be. I must stay so you may escape."

He stopped, searching his mind frantically for another way, another vision where the King was there with them. He found no such image.

He looked up to the King, his heart in his eyes, "I… I can't go without you…"

The King softened his tone now, "You must Hiccup. You must go find a new home for my children."

"But who will be the King?" There has to be a way, there just has to be a way to convince him to come.

"Let's just say you know them very well."

Hiccup paused, "No." He said, feeling the tears rise into his eyes, "Please don't go, you're my friend, I—I can't lose you. It's not fair!"

The dragon smiled, gently wiping away a single tear that escaped with the tip of a large claw, "Please don't shed your water over me. Remember: The good never fail in the end… Farewell young Hiccup, you are a great young human, and may your mind lead you to victory."

Hiccup glanced at him once more before he returned to consciousness. Much pain in his heart as he woke his mother.

"We need to go!" He shouted.

She awoke quickly, staring at him cautiously. Then they felt the rumbling of a boulder striking the outer wall of the kingdom. Valka jumped to her feet in terror, both Cloudjumper and Toothless drawing near to their companions in instinctual guarding.

"We've been discovered." Valka said in a voice that trembled from terror.

"There's no time to waste, we must go, now!" Another strike rumbled the ground beneath.

"No, we must protect our own!"

"Mom, listen to me, my mind is telling me what to do. The King agrees. I must listen to my mind."

"But—we can't."

"If we don't do this we will die!" He yelled.

A sense of helplessness overcame her at that moment; she knew that Hiccup's mind was special, but at the same time, she couldn't leave her home or the King. She had grown to love this place so much and couldn't bear to part with it. But if she didn't she knew would surely die. She sighed mustering up all the strength she's ever had to say these next words: "All right, lead the way." They came across sorrowful and defeated.

He nodded grimly as another strike caused ice to rain down from the ceiling, "Follow me!" He ran to the side of the platform, cast once last glance at the place that he called home for fifteen years, caught the King's eyes catching his before they returned to the dome ceiling.

He returned his gaze to his mother and the two dragons waiting for his command. He then jumped across a small gap into a familiar hole in the wall, began sliding downward. As soon as he reached the floor he heard the sliding of his mother, then the dragons came, Cloudjumper just barely fitting. Toothless ran past Valka to catch up with Hiccup's quick pace, nudged beside him. The area was dark, but they could still feel the misty ice raining down on them from time to time, Toothless shielding his head each time with a wing.

Once they rounded a corner they reached an icy hall, Hiccup paused for a moment, remembering when he met Toothless here.

His mother looked at him, "What is it, son? Do you see someone?"

He shook his head, "This was where I met Toothless. I spent so much time here..."

She glanced at the corridor leading into night, tried to picture the two here. What luck, my son would find his best friend doing the same thing he loves to do… Oh, how I will miss this place.

He walked slowly down the hall, allowing the memories to return. It only now occurred to him that he had seen himself standing here in his prescient mind. He was so far, on the right path… but so much farther was the path he will walk.

His mind then showed his mother's dead boy alongside Cloudjumper's as he ventured down the flight branch of the path. He shook his head in terror. "You can't fly out of here; those men hold too much rancor against Cloudjumper."

She nearly gasped: Oh, gods! Can he see who they are? Does he know of his true father?

"I don't know why, but he's a target."

She inwardly sighed in relief: He doesn't know.

He then searched his mind once again, "We have to go north. They're coming in from the south."

His ability finally registered in her, and it scared her to see him operate in such knowing ways.

Another strike shook the hall, this time they could hear a large unsettling crack deep within the ice mass.

"We can't stay here any longer. Mom, you're gonna fly with me on Toothless, while Cloudjumper flies underwater. Just until we reach the Hinterland not too far north from here."

"What? But how will Cloudjumper breathe or ever navigate for that matter?"

"Stormcutters can hold their breaths for about an hour underwater, plus they can also follow the scent of another dragon from nearly across the sea."

Valka looked at him oddly, "But he's neither Tracker nor Tidal class. Is this something your mind is telling you or are you just guessing, because I'll not put Cloudjumper through anything too dangerous?"

He shook his head, "Neither. The King told me. Now we really need to go."

The King... "Aye, then." She said, looking at Cloudjumper through new eyes, her glance telling him all he needed to know. He filed past them and dove out and into the water.

"How do you know they won't see him?"

"I don't. But it's the safest way."

Once they saw he was under the water safely, he grabbed his mothers arm and jerked her out of the way of some ceiling that fell. The two hopped onto Toothless and casting one last look back down the nostalgic hall, he flew out.


"Concentrate fire at the center, draw the beasts out!" Stoick the Vast shouted, a choir of catapults throwing their contents at the massive ice domain. "Keep firing!"

Their gesture was greeted by a swarm of angry dragons, rushing from crevasses all over the icy structure, vomiting fire unto their fleets.

Stoick grabbed a sword and shield from a rack and jumped onto the shore, Gobber right behind.

It was a rocky field illuminated in patches of burning orange glow glazed in moonlight.

"What's the plan?" Gobber asked.

"Draw them all out and destroy the Nest."

"Any sight of the one, yet?"

Stoick shook his head. "He'll come. He'll come." He said, brooding over the thought of the dragon.

"Right, well until then, we should stay on alert for the Dragon Boy."

"Duly noted, Gobber." He said, while parrying a group of Nadder spikes.

He didn't understand his worry over it, they had the place besieged and were successfully drawing them out. His thought was interrupted when a Gronckle tried to attack him from behind. He whirled around and clubbed it on the head with his mace. "That'll teach ya, you oversized sausage!"

His triumphant gloat was cut short by the earth shaking sensation that violently shook the ground under his feet. He wasn't the only one feeling it; Stoick seemed to have shifted his focus to the ice mass as well.

A moment of brief silence ensued, as if the dragons were watching as well. Presently, the peak of the ice kingdom exploded, like a volcano eruption only without the fire, and a out came an enormous white dragon, wingless but still mighty. He let out an earth rupturing roar into the sky as the Vikings began drawing back. The damage to the structure was mortal now, and it began crumbling to the ground.

The command went without saying, and the catapults were aimed at the great dragon.

Stoick eyed the creature in amazement, then it hit him, he whirled to his men, "No, get the ships out of here!"

It was too late.

Like the winds of a Nor'easter, the dragon inhaled sharply, exhaling a crushing force of solid ice onto the boats, shattering their wooden frames and trapping them in an icy prison.

Now the battle had shifted. But the Vikings still had much power.

They continued their assault on the mighty creature, throwing boulders and firing black riots of arrows. It did little to the dragon.

Stoick tried to get an analysis on the thing, trying to find a weak spot.

"By Thor's Hammer, I've never seen such a beast in my life!" Gobber said in utter disbelief.

"I shouldn't've been so foolish!" He spat, then gathered himself. "All right, Gobber, get the men to distance their ships from one another, but they must keep attacking!"

"What about you?"

"I'll draw him away."


On the other side of the island, now in ruins, Astrid and her companions, watched the ensuing battle from behind a large ice shard. The others had gasped at the massive beast's entrance from the structure, while Astrid had her eyes trained on something else. Off in the distance, she had seen the Stormcutter dive into the water, following the invisible Night Fury in the sky. She had happened to see the two riders on its back.

She eyed the flying pair with malice: Running like cowards! Presently, she was filled with an even stronger desire to defeat them, feeling the weight of all the things that the dragons had taken from her on her shoulders.

She grabbed her companions' attentions, "We need to go. We can't let them see us."

"But it's getting good!" Tuffnut protested.

"Don't make me say it again!" She barked ferociously. But there was an anxious undertone there, and they all noticed it. Lucky for her, they were all too scared of her to question it, but it still floated their minds as the obeyed her command.


Stoick sprinted beneath the island sized beast, his fur cloak slapping his heels as he ran. The beast seemed to sense him, knew what he wanted.

He chased after him, his massive tusks smashing ship sized ice masses as his head bobbed from side to side.

Stoick recognized the actions as he ran, noticing that the beast hadn't blasted him with its icy breath. What's he doing? He could easily kill me in one quick breath. Is he toying with me?

As he reached the water on the coast, he turned around to face the beast that had ceased its movement and was now watching him. The sounds of battle returned to his ears—the shouts of agony, the blasts of fire, dragon screeches, flying metal—all sounds too familiar to his ears. But now was not the time to contemplate that, he was about to be sent to Valhalla by a might beast that had him cornered. He was at its mercy, so what was it waiting for?

He felt the penetrating gaze of the beast on him as he stood with his double-headed ax ready.

But the dragon just stood there watching him: I will not kill you, father of Hiccup. You are much too valuable in his future. But I've strength enough to hold you off long enough for them to escape.

Stoick felt slightly imprisoned by the gaze, but quickly shook it, his stone cold features fighting it off, "What are you waiting for beast? Fight me!"

The dragon simply stood there, watching him with large, turquoise eyes.

Presently, a boulder collided with the dragon's side, knocking him slightly. He held his gaze on the Chief: They'll not leave without you. He felt the assault of large boulders from catapults on his side finally wearing him. My body can only endure so much—but it is for my kin I must do this. My children shall survive with Hiccup—the good never truly fall…


As they flew away Hiccup kept his eyes trained on the northern horizon ahead.

He felt his mother's hand lightly on his shoulder, "Hiccup," She said, feeling his tension, "I understand this was a hard decision for you, but…" She swallowed, finding a lump in her throat, "But this is the way it must be." She didn't want to say it, she missed her home as much as he did, but her motherly instincts took over. She must support her son.

"I wish it didn't have to be." He said, no higher than a mutter.

"But it's a good thing, Hiccup; you're saving an entire kin."

He shook his head, "Not yet I haven't. I'll be lucky if I do."

"What are you talking about? Of course you're gonna save the dragons!"

He laughed bitterly, "I have a chance to save them. I can't see everything in my mind."

"I don't understand, I thought you could see the future?"

"Only to an extent. And there are many things I can do to mess it up."

She still didn't understand.

He sighed, "I can see certain things that have not happened yet, but those could easily change with the choices I make. They probably will change."

He could feel the fear rising within her. Now she understood.

"Listen, mom, it's okay, as long as I listen to my mind I should be fine."

She nodded at his reassurance.

"Now first we have to—" He stopped. At that moment he felt pain strike his heart, a revelation dawning in his mind. The words came involuntarily and in a low choked tone. "The King's dead."

A horrible gasp came over Valka as she put a hand over her mouth.

Toothless seemed to know as well, for he let out a cry toward the sky.

He felt his heart breaking, but he knew it was going to happen, knew it ever since he had his final conversation with him. But the feeling… he had lost a friend.

His hands pressed heavily on Toothless' back and he felt tears coursing down his cheeks, flying away in the wind. Toothless sensed his sorrow and crooned in an attempt to comfort him.

As he readjusted his heavy glistening gaze to the onward ocean, he could see, in his mind, the two paths. In one, he saw himself older, standing in a kingdom of diamond, dragons all over, and Toothless was the new King. In his hand sat a oddly perfect diamond, something about it emanated as special, not just an ordinary diamond. He sensed great risk along the path that lead to it and many peaks of violence. But the other path—he saw himself same age as the other, but on an island of humans, their faces all blurred. Toothless was still there with him, but the path that lead to that was clearer and it sickened him. I can't go down that path. He told himself. But he feared of the other long and adventurous path and its many perils not only of violence, but of uncertainty. But he felt he had already put himself on that path. This is the way the King would want me to go. He assured himself. Yes, this is the way—I promise you I will find another kingdom for the dragons—I promise.


Graybiel: I'm so sorry, but I had to do it! It had to be done for the story. I hope you can forgive me.

So stay tuned for the next chapter, which will be posted a little over a week from now, and if you have any questions regarding the story, I'll try my best to respond to them from my Kindle.