REVIEWS:
Tim2060: Don't try too hard to like her. I wouldn't recommend getting attached.
atomicsub927: Same to you!
Shaonics6: He had no reason to focus on her when with Toothless, and she was frankly a little terrifying the past few days. Keep in mind that I've never been in a relationship or had a crush, so this is completely based off the movie and other romance stuff I've read (Which, admittedly, is probably more than my mother would approve of).
Vognar-The Legendkeep: I didn't even know that was a stereotype...
01: Do I even want to know how you came up with your penname? I promise, this story is already written in full and going up on a weekly schedule—with minor changes when it's unavoidable. Over the summer might be tricky, with erratic access to internet on vacation and the heat. I'm definitely not a summer gal. Little writing is getting done now, but I've got a lot of stuff stored away so I should be alright. The sequel to this is being tricky though...
Maybe this battle's more than me
I barely bit back my scream as we only just swerved past an ominous rock, and pulled up my Flame-vision as quickly as I could. After a few heartstopping moments of concentrating with my eyes closed, completely reliant on Toothless to keep my foot working the stirrup, I opened my eyes to see the bright Flames surrounding us. More importantly, my vision was sharpened and I could even see through the fog, to some extent.
We ducked under a looming overhang, and what came next took my breath away. I gasped for air, scarcely believing my eyes. Trader Johan had told stories about mountains higher than Berk that spewed fire into the sea, which crafted it into strange and uncanny rocks in all shapes and sizes, but I'd never thought it would be something like this. Rising three times higher than the sea stacks around us, the shadowy form let glowing liquid flow down its side, almost like Midgard itself was weeping.
Amidst chattering dragons, Astrid wrapped her arms around my waist. I wasn't complaining—it was petrifying to fly straight into the side of a mountain on the back of our tribe's worst enemy. Worse, I had a pretty good idea where Toothless was taking us.
We flew through tunnels that twisted and turned vertically and horizontally, which would have been pitch black if I wasn't enduring the constant headache Flame-vision seemed to bring when I used it for more than a few seconds. There were sticky tar-like tendrils stretching out in front of us, and I vaguely felt like I'd seen them somewhere. Following them back, I blanched when they continued into Toothless' chest, completely wrapping themselves around his purple Flame until I could only see infrequent glimmers of it. They both writhed angrily, tumbling and wrestling with each other in battle. Toothless' Flame became increasingly desperate as we moved on, approaching our destination.
Hiccup—help—He managed to squeeze a tendril free for a moment, the rest of his Flame fighting to keep that tiny sliver free. Your lives depend on it— The black tar closed over it again, smothering our connection, and left my head spinning.
I tore my hand from the saddle and pressed it to his neck, grudging every moment it took to summon my Flame. I finally grasped it, my panic lending me speed to slip through my skin and towards the battle being fought inside him. The moment I touched an inky strand, I gasped at the greed and dominance and hunger contained in it, and it froze for a moment, confused.
What is this? Have you found a friend, Prince? The voice was mocking and creaky, old beyond belief, and I shuddered.
Hiccup,Toothless gasped, pulling me close and keeping the sludgy ropes away for a moment so we could speak in private. He was tiring, but no less determined than when he started. I'll have to give you and Astrid up as a 'tribute' if we can't kick her out before we reach the main Nest—He cried out wordlessly, faltering for a moment. Free my body, I'll keep her busy—
Free his body?! I blinked, gasping as I was kicked back and forth by their enormous struggle. What on Midgard did that mean—Oh.
Now that I concentrated, I could see that the tar smothering his Flame in tiny tendrils was yanking on the Flames like a puppet, forcing his wings to remain steady and carry us onwards. The moment I noticed them, my Flame leapt back with revulsion, shuddering at the thought of touching them. Great. Just great. My own scorching Flame betrayed me!
The thick black substance was slowly winning, the flickers of purple Flame becoming less and less frequent. Toothless yowled, shaking his head, and I hated my hesitation. The black started to squeeze, compressing his Flame, and his entire body shook as he shrieked. No!
My eyes widened—that was it! I looked at the ball of black, still heaving and contracting around Toothless' Flame, and let protectiveness rise up in mine, boiling with a justified anger. I was far from an expert in moving my Flame, but I knew a little about protecting those you cared about.
Dad; his hammer connecting with every stroke, wading through a field of dragons to reach me when I was far younger.
Gobber; scaring Snotlout away with a few sharp glances when I was scared of him.
Toothless; hissing and spitting every time someone hurt me but tender and loving when I came to him for comfort, pushing his personal anger aside to hold me tightly.
I gathered up the images, placing myself in the protector's place, and swooped into the tendrils with as much fury as I could muster. Flames were all about emotion, so I couldn't afford to get scared for a single moment. I concentrated until my head felt like it was about to split open and pushed through the tendrils like they weren't there. Dad's hammer smashed threads, tendrils melted before Gobber's glare, and a large swathe of strands melted into sticky goop under fire and anger.
It seemed far too easy, and I suspiciously kept my eyes flicking back and forth over the areas I'd cleared, half believing they'd simply reform after I left. I didn't notice how the threads gathered on the edges of Toothless' Flame, piling up thicker and thicker until it was too late. They all swarmed over me in a single mass, grabbing the edges of my Flame and digging harder and harder into me until I could barely move.
Unlike Toothless, who never made me feel threatened, these black monstrosities pierced deep into my core, opening up every tiny corner of who I was and stabbing through it. I screamed, distantly feeling my head explode into crushing pain. Blood started to trickle from my nose, and Astrid's arms started shaking me, trying to snap me out of it. The threads seized my muscles, immobilising me, and I swung around and hissed at her, dragon-style.
I gasped, the unnatural sensations sending a hundred warning messages scrambling about in my brain, and the thick substance roughly shoved me towards the heaving lump that contained Toothless.
Thor—how—why—Toothless—
He grasped my Flame and I clung to him, scared and terrified and shaking.
Calm down, Hiccup. Work with me here.
I couldn't take any deep breaths, but I didn't think they would've helped. Only Toothless' presence kept me even slightly sane, and that was slipping fast.
We're almost to the main chamber. The moment I'm flying over her pit, I'll either be free or I'll have to dump you and Astrid. That can't happen.
What—what's the plan?I asked tentatively.
I—I don't know,he confessed. She's the strongest Flame-wielder in the Nest, and I've been trying to escape for years. She knows all my tricks, and they don't work on her— His voice trailed off into an agonised mental scream.
I felt it too, the immense pressure crushing his lungs and skull and I almost blacked out from the pain, barely clinging to consciousness.
She knows we're talk—talking—
My Flame, fanned by the anger and horror I felt at someone hurting Toothless, suddenly lost its slow viscosity and became almost pure liquid, sliding into the small gaps between his Flame and the cruel punisher, and shielding him. Taken aback, 'she' retreated for a moment, and Toothless faltered in midair for a moment before seizing control of his limbs again.
How are you doing that?!
I have no idea!
I blinked my Flame-vision away for a moment, crying out as a thousand tiny needles dug cruelly into my Flame. Astrid's fingers tightened on my arm, pounding pain into spots that were already bruised in a perfect handprint. We were somehow over a glowing red pit, the heat unbearable, and Astrid's legs tightened on the saddle behind me. Her arms shook. The last group of dragons finished dropping their kill into the gaping smoky hole and flew away to roost.
"It—" I coughed violently, light headed and parched from the effort of maintaining a shield for Toothless. "It's okay. He won't drop us."
Sure enough, he eased into a hover for a moment, searching for somewhere safe to land. I wasn't stupid. This was the Nest.
"What my Dad wouldn't give to find this…"
The newest group of dragons dropped their prey and turned away in silence with no constant chatter like the small group of Terrors had enjoyed. They almost seemed scared.
"Well, it's satisfying to know that all our food has been dumped down a hole," I snarked.
"They're not eating any of it," Astrid noted with interest.
Welcome back, Prince, the horrible old voice commented casually to Toothless. I must say, you've been away a long time—but you've brought back a friend! Have you told him yet?
I tried to ignore it, queasy from the touch of this ancient evil.
I trust he's loyal to the Nest, it continued, sickly sweet, still pounding against the thin protection I'd created.
As loyal as I am, Your Majesty,Toothless snarled as he landed neatly behind a concealing rock that was completely devoid of other dragons, bounding a few times to dissipate our momentum.
I assume the humans I can smell are a tribute, Prince. You can have three hours of rest, then you'll be leading a raid to the Tall-Mountain-with-Trees Island.
Your Majesty, I've only just returned!
Alas, winters are always hard and keeping the Nest warm requires a lot of energy. I cannot spare any dragon from the constant search for food, especially one as accomplished as you.
A Gronckle buzzed forwards, stumbling in the air, looking old and sick. It struggled to hover over the pit, then painstakingly coughed up a tiny fish, barely bigger than a minnow.
Excuse me,the voice murmured.I need to discipline my wayward follower. Perhaps you'd care to gaze upon your protector after so long?
Before either of us could respond, a mammoth head, lumpy and ugly, rose out of the red smoke faster than should've been possible for something of its size, and snapped closed around the poor Gronckle. All the dragons in the Nest pressed closer to each other and huddled against the wall, their eyes filled with grief for the Gronckle and fear for themselves. The crack of giant teeth meeting each other echoed loudly in the large cave. The head waited for a moment, a chuckle fluttering in its throat. Am I not spectacular, young fur-stealer?
I blanched, shuddering with fear and revulsion and grieving for the lost life, and the shield wavered slightly. Tendrils waved in the corner of my vision—when had I switched back to Flame-vision? I slammed it back into place before the monstrous creature could force its way in, but the effort cost me. I swayed in the saddle, blood draining from my face, and Astrid gripped my arms tightly to keep me upright.
Her voice was tight. "What is that?"
The head, a nasty grey colour decorated with coral-like fans and a few relatively small eyes, slowly sank out of sight, and I dared to breathe a sigh of relief.
The Queen spoke out loud this time. 'Where are you, oh tasty one?'
Toothless stiffened under me, and my heart leapt into my throat. "Alright, bud, we gotta get out of here." I leant forwards and saw the massive dragon sniffing the air, its eyes flicking from hiding spot to hiding spot. "Now!"
He leapt from the rock like an arrow from a bow, one powerful wing beat barely pulling us to safety before the massive mouth crunched shut on the place we'd just been. My heart felt like it had been left behind, crushed between the stupendous teeth as we rocketed upwards, desperately swerving in and out of the panicking dragons spiralling out of the Nest. The behemoth was only feet behind us, clawing its way up from the pit it was trapped in, and an unfortunate Zippleback was pulled into its mouth.
'I REMOVE MY PROTECTION FROM PRINCE OF THE SKIES!' With a cryptic roar, it peeled away to enjoy its meal. My stomach flip flopped queasily as Zippleback died with sickening crunches and squelches. Toothless roughly barged through the crowd of dragons, flying even faster than before, and they tried to reach out and catch him. His Flame thrummed with a deep fear, almost an inborn terror, and I plastered myself low over his head, willing him to go faster.
Astrid was still holding on tightly, but she didn't seem nearly as frightened as before—though I couldn't understand how. We'd just seen an absolutely enormous creature swallow an entire raid's worth of food, a Gronckle, and a Zippleback—and it had tried to eat us too!
We quickly left the Nest behind, but our entourage of dragons continued to follow us. A thousand weaker Flames battered at me, picking away at my exhausted Flame until it fell into ragged tatters, nothing like the strong shield it had been when I'd crafted it. I slumped on Toothless' back, barely conscious as he drove us forward at an impossible rate, and Astrid shook my shoulder.
"Hiccup?"
I groaned something, crying weakly as a fierce Nightmare tugged at me, but I couldn't do anything to stop it.
Leave him alone! Toothless snapped, batting it away.
Thanks…
"Hiccup."
I shrugged Astrid off. "M'fine…"
"No, you're not."
I agree with the crazy fur-stealer,Toothless panted, still flinging us through the air as fast as he could, so fast that my cheeks rippled painfully and my eyes dried out in the stinging wind. I would have been flung from the saddle if it weren't for my safety harness, and Astrid was only just clinging on as we fled in terror.
What was that?! I might have been a physical wreck, but my mind was as nimble as ever.
The 'Queen' of our nest, he told me grimly. The dragons mostly refer to her as 'her'.
Why did she—that poor Gronckle—I struggled to find the right words to describe my horror and revulsion.
She wasn't always like that.
What?
A few centuries ago, she was an ordinary dragon—no one knows what species. She hatched, grew, and took a mate. They loved each other deeply, and for a few years, everything was wonderful. Then the fur-stealers came. Her mate died, trying to protect their hatchlings, but she was forced to watch as the light vanished from his eyes, pulling his Flame close as it faded away. Can you imagine knowing the person you loved most in the world was dying—being there but unable to do anything?
I shuddered.
She'd always been a strong Flame-wielder. So, instead of releasing him, she grasped his Flame with hers, forcing it to stay with her even as his body died. He begged her to let him go, but she clung to him, unable to accept he was gone. Something went wrong. Flames aren't meant to exist without a body, and his touch turned to poison. Weeping, she held on as long as she could, but he eventually slipped from her grasp, leaving her Flame crippled and dark. Driven mad, she turned on their last surviving hatchling, still in the egg, and devoured it whole.
No…Tears for the innocent dragon streaked my cheeks, an unborn being who never got to taste life because of its own mother. Toothless waited briefly, then continued.
Her new Flame was perfect for chaining dragons to her will. She found a volcano in the frozen north and started living in the lava pit, claiming she was keeping the entire nest warm. In return for this 'favour', she demanded 'tributes' of food. When her dragons didn't provide enough, she ate them. Soon, they'd exhausted the surrounding ocean and islands, and they were being devoured by the dozen. They had no other choice but to turn on the fur-stealer's food.
"Oh…" I shook with grief for all the dragons who'd died senselessly at the hands of that monster. Who cared if I'd never met them—they were still dead!
We tell our hatchlings this story to warn them.
We landed in the cove, bounding a few times before stopping. Astrid jumped off the saddle nimbly, still chattering about the Nest. "—no, it totally makes sense. It's like a giant beehive. They're the workers, and that's their queen. It controls them."
There was so much more I could have told her, but I didn't have the energy to voice anything.
"Let's find your dad." Astrid ran for the cove entrance, and a heavy war hammer crashed into my stomach, making the already shaky world dissolve into small globs of spinning colour as I gasped for air. I thought she'd realised dragons weren't the monsters we'd been taught—but she was ready to go and betray us to Dad. I slid off the saddle, regretting it instantly when my legs crumpled beneath me and I landed awkwardly on the ground with a small gasp. Toothless slid his head under my chest and lifted me upright, crooning comfortingly.
Toothless—she can't escape!
He rolled his eyes, looking at me as though I was a stupid child who'd only seen three winters. 'She won't. But you,' he set me down and pushed my chest with his paws, 'need to rest.'
Bounding away, he sprang in front of Astrid and growled threateningly, baring his teeth.
"Hiccup, let me go!" she shrieked, voice shrill.
He started to herd her back towards me, wings up and out for intimidation.
"I'm not about to let some dragon order me around!" She tried to step around him. "He doesn't even have horns!"
I expected Toothless to get angry—but he laughed. My mouth fell open to match Astrid's, staring in bewilderment at his amusement.
'She doesn't know!' he chuckled. 'Hiccup, she doesn't know!'
Doesn't know what? I asked wearily. I was too tired for this.
'She's seen me, been kidnapped by me, flown on me—and she still doesn't know I'm a Night Fury!' He laughed harder, confusing the poor girl even more.
"Uh, Astrid? I don't think you understand—" My stiff mouth flopped on the words, unable to speak properly.
"What?"
"Well—the thing is—he's not just some ordinary dragon," I finished lamely.
"What do you mean?"
I tried to make my mouth do what I wanted it to. "Uh—that is—I mean—"
"Spit it out."
Toothless did just that, a small explosion of purple fire and a short attack screech saving me the trouble of trying to explain. Astrid's face lost all colour and she stared at Toothless, shakily pointing at him.
"He's a—a—"
"A Night Fury, yes. But you can't tell Dad about this," I said desperately, standing on my wobbly feet and feeling slightly better. My head still spun, my teeth ached for some reason, and my ears were ringing, but at least I'd stopped feeling like I was about to pass out and I could more or less talk intelligibly.
"He has to know! And if we don't tell him, what if someone else does? I'm loyal—a warrior—I have to!"
"No! Not yet. They'll kill Toothless. Astrid, we have to think this through carefully."
I couldn't see very well in the dark, but I knew she was glaring at me. "Hiccup, we just discovered the dragons' Nest. The thing we've been after since Vikings first sailed here! And you want to keep it a secret?! To protect your pet dragon?! Are you serious?!"
I glanced at Toothless as he bent by the lake for a well-earned drink. My incredibly loyal, fiercely protective, strangely compassionate Night Fury, who'd never killed a Viking on purpose during the raids—there was only one answer I could even consider, let alone voice.
"Yes."
She was taken aback, but seemed to read the determination in my voice. "Okay." I would do anything before letting anyone harm Toothless, and she knew it. "Then what do we do?"
Thor, the Nightmare! I groaned, clutching my head, my brain trying to find a solution that didn't seem to exist. "Just—give me until tomorrow. I—I need more time to figure something out."
And time was in very short supply right now.
"Okay…" she seemed softer, less battle hardened, and I suddenly realised that she'd never actually fought dragons before—just seen other people doing it.
Her fist connected with my shoulder, and I staggered sideways, rubbing the growing bruise. "That's for kidnapping me." Toothless completely ignored it, and I looked at him disgruntledly.
No death threats this time?
'Females are like that. If you want to be her mate, you're going to have to get used to being hit.'
I'm not—
Brushing her hair out of her face bashfully, Astrid lunged at me again. I flinched away, expecting another punch, but she grabbed my collar and pulled me in, pressing her lips against my cheek.
Her lips. My cheek.
I barely heard what the kiss was for, too stunned to think straight. She hurried off and I numbly watched her go, slack-jawed with delight and confusion.
'Did she just accept you as a mate?' Toothless asked, suddenly sounding way too interested.
"What are you looking at?" I said defensively, shoving his head away.
'I told you to rest,' he said sternly, glaring at me. 'That wasn't resting.'
"I told you, I'm—" Crippling pain exploded in my head, choking off any and all thoughts before they began, and I shrieked, pressing my head into the ground. The soft grass tickled my cheeks as tears streaked into the soil, my body writhing in agony, and my mind temporarily fell into a dark abyss. The world blurred for a moment, my limbs numb and lifeless as I spun in silver darkness, and when the fog cleared, the pain lessened a little, I was on the ground again, my mouth dry and bitter.
'Definitely not fine.' He winced, ears flat against his head, and bent down and let me hold onto his neck, then straightened until I was sitting upright. I was hyper-aware of my Flame, every pulse of its damaged fire sending a spike of pain up through my brain, making me flinch—and Toothless flinched too.
I slumped my head against his side, whimpering. "Why is it always me?"
'I don't know.' He raised a wing and cuddled me closer, purring quietly. 'But you saved three lives today—is the price too high?'
I swallowed back the next wave of tears. Toothless was right, like always—but that didn't banish the pain. "No… But why?"
'Your Flame is connected to you." I nodded, whimpering again. 'Overexerting it damages you, working from your body to your thoughts to your emotions. Your body isn't working like it should, and now your thoughts aren't either.'
I pulled his wing over me, feeling his lithe body twist to make me more comfortable, and shuddered with another spike of pain. "How long does this last?"
'As long as it takes your Flame to recover. Probably a few days, but you might be quicker at healing than dragons.'
I desperately hoped so, squeezing my eyes shut. To my surprise, despite the pain, sleep barely waited five minutes before pouncing on me and dragging me down to its den.
oOoOo
A sudden growl under my ear woke me, vibrations pulling me into the cold world, and I groaned in annoyance, trying to burrow deeper into the warm scales.
'Sorry,' Toothless apologised, and I blearily twisted my head to look at him.
"Wha' for?"
His stomach grumbled again, and I struggled upright. Embarrassed, he ducked his head and looked away.
It was easier to move my Flame when I was still half-asleep since there were less thoughts to distract me, and I connected with his Flame in record time. Almost immediately, I gasped and clutched my stomach, trying to soothe the ravenous hole that had suddenly materialised. "Thor, when did you last eat?!"
'You're feeling better,' he noted, trying to change the subject. 'Fur-stealer Flames heal faster than dragon Flames.'
"Answer the question!"
'Not too long ago,' he evaded.
"Then why are you so hungry? When did you last eat?"
'Two days ago,' he mumbled shamefully.
"Two da—you muttonhead!" He winced, pinning his ears back. "Why didn't you say something?!"
'First your Dad, then Astrid, then her—you needed rest and comfort, not fishing trips.'
"What about the lake—never mind." I grabbed his head and pulled it down to mine, gazing into his eyes. "Stop this."
'Stop what?'
"Stop…" I gestured helplessly. "This. Stop sacrificing yourself for me. You need things too, and you have to let me help you like you help me."
'You just pointed to all of me,' Toothless said numbly, echoing my own response to Dad and Gobber.
"What—no, I didn't mean it like that. I just want you to be safe and healthy. Which is why we're going fishing, right now."
I stood up and tried to look commanding. He rolled over and stretched, rolling his shoulders where the saddle was still attached from yesterday, and I guiltily realised I hadn't removed it yet. I really wasn't doing a good job of caring for my dragon.
'Stop it.'
"Stop what?"
'Stop punishing yourself every time I do something stupid. It wasn't your fault.'
"It was—at least partially."
'I could have told you if I wanted to. That was my decision. Are you going to force me to do something—even if it's what you think is best for me?'
I dropped my eyes. "I won't force you—but you should eat."
'Ya think?' he muttered sarcastically, bending slightly to allow me on his back. 'I could eat a rock.'
"Wait a moment." I dashed over to the other side of the cove, gathered up the empty basket, and rushed back.
We took off with a massive leap, flinging ourselves through the crisp night air, and he quickly led me to a secret lagoon on an island covered in jungle even thicker than Berk's. It wasn't long before we'd caught a sizable amount of fish, storing them in the basket this time, and we headed back to the shore.
I tipped the basket over for him, spilling the contents onto the ground, and he started to eat, sighing in obvious contentment. I jumped when something cracked above my head, looking up, and my eyes widened in horror to see a massive dead branch crashing through the thin layer of creepers directly above me.
Ducking instinctively, I waited for the impact. It never came, a glowing explosion knocking the wood away and setting it alight. I glanced over at Toothless' knowing grin, and jumped back as a wet fish slapped my face.
"Toothless!"
'Fur-stealers eat in the morning, don't they? There's your fire, here's a fish, go and eat.'
Rolling my eyes, I snapped off a stick from the nearest tree and spiked my fish on it, squatting in front of the fire to cook it. We finished our meals in companionable silence, both trying not to think about what I'd have to do next.
When the sun's light started to rise over the horizon, sluggish with cold, I reluctantly stood up. "I should—I should be going."
We flew back in silence, landing smoothly in the cove, and I dismounted.
Toothless' Flame stuck close as I slid through the trees, a high pitched buzzing in my ears blocking out all other noise. My hands dripped with nervous sweat and my legs shook as I walked through the forest. It was my last chance to back out—but also my best chance for getting everyone to listen to me.
And it was the Nightmare's only chance at freedom.
As terrible as it was, if the dragons had been attacking of their own freewill, I could have fooled myself into thinking Toothless was the exception and all the others deserved death. However, after seeing the 'Queen', I couldn't abandon any dragon to its fate, not when I could help it. I came out of the woods and swallowed at the sight of my father's house. If I was quick, I could slip into my room before he woke up and started looking for me. Despite that, I couldn't drag myself from the outside world, the comforting wilderness of the woods.
Go on. You're still a fur-stealer, Toothless encouraged, and I frowned.
"Human, yes. But I don't think I'm a Viking anymore." Saying it made me feel hollow inside. "I'm one of a kind. Like you."
The dragon rider.
"Yes." I liked the new title. It seemed more me than 'Viking' or 'Heir' or the occasional 'Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, Hope and Heir of the Hairy Hooligan Tribe of Berk'—my full name sucked far more than just 'Hiccup'.
Taking a deep breath, I carefully slipped through the door and started to creep up the stairs, suddenly realising how loud the creaking was. No wonder Dad caught me every time I tried to sneak. Thankfully, Odin seemed to be on my side for a few precious moments, and I made it to my bare loft without waking him. I lay on the cold bed, trying to remember how I'd ever slept on something so hard and uncomfortable.
I managed to sink into a restless doze for a few minutes, tossing and turning on the bed. Within a few seconds, Dad's massive hand was shaking my shoulder roughly. I sat upright in surprise, knocking my head against his, and he smiled sadly. "My boy… All grown up and about to become a man."
I gave him a tight smile, my stomach twisting in knots, and squeezed past him to climb down the stairs. Something made a sound behind me, as though Dad had started to say something and changed his mind, and I ignored it.
The trip to the Ring was hazy, as though a dream. I waved and smiled, hemmed in by bodies that hadn't been washed in days, pretending to be excited about killing my first dragon. At some point, Astrid slipped through the crowd and squeezed my hand supportively, before surrendering to the tug and pull of the crowd and vanishing again. They finally dropped me inside the Ring, pulling the gate open. Gobber dropped my helmet into my hands, and slapped my back joyfully.
"Knock 'em dead, Hiccup."
"Thanks." I stepped forwards into the Ring, swallowing uselessly as chants echoed round the rocky structure and the gate rattled shut behind me. A panel of weapons was waiting for me, and I quickly grabbed the first shield I saw, Gobber's words in the forefront of my mind. If you have the choice between a sword and a shield, take the shield. I couldn't face a dragon without an offensive weapon, so I picked up the smallest knife, little more than a kitchen utensil.
Lifting it, I placed the helmet on my head and squared my shoulders, staring up at Dad. "I'm ready." Although quiet, my voice seemed to echo round and round, clear and confident. I wished I was as sure as I sounded. There were too many things that could go wrong, too many things that could put everyone in danger.
The chains pulled taut, and lifted thick logs in the metal braces, slowly drawing them away from each other as one sank into the floor and the other disappeared upwards. The constant noise from the crowd faded into a low buzz and people craned their necks to see better. I couldn't pull my eyes from the sturdy door as the last few inches of log pulled away.
Five seconds passed.
Nothing happened.
AN: I know, I know, I've fail to post on time twice in a row. It's partly a summer vacations messing with my weekly routine, partly lethargy brought on by 30C heat, and partly added complications now I have a beta. I swear I didn't get a notification from the doc we're working on! I'll promise to get something out on time next week. Unfortunately, you might hate me for how short the next chapter is.
Oh well.
~JustAnotherRandomPoster