OK, ever since that conversation with my mother I've been doing what most, if not all, teenagers my age should be familiar with, which is, to say, avoiding my parents.

Thankfully I do not think she has told Stoi- agh, er, dad, yet. Still, I am a little nervous each and every time that I approach the forge, fearful that my mother has told my father and he has told Gobber.

But that's ridiculous, right? After all, she gave me away to my grandparents, right? She let them raise me, so she knows why she can't just say what happened fifteen years ago, after all, despite the fact that she hasn't known me all that long, I highly doubt any mother wants to see her child burning on a stake.

And yes, I suppose, that's exactly what would happen to me if word got out, they'd probably think I had something to do with all of the dragon raiding- heck, I'm beginning to suspect that there are people who already do. After all, I was believed to have been kidnapped by sorcerers, and I hardly think anyone would be willing to believe that a scrawny fishbone like me could 'escape' without some serious magical prowess.

I sigh, there's been enough death on Berk as it is, we have the dragon coming back to kidnap young women every week. I sigh, remembering my encounter in the woods, that man.

I wonder if I should bring it up. No. There'd be chaos if I did that, the only way to fight magic was with magic and if the people on Berk were too blind to that fact then I supposed that I would have to simply step in and, well, work my magic.

Speaking of the attacks, that hole thing? Yeah, I don't think it's all that nice to talk about, but since it started eight people have committed suicide, three people have disappeared off into it and a man recently murdered his wife reporting that the hole 'spoke to him and commanded it.' So yeah, nothing pleasant going on there. Stoi- Dad, gathered some Vikings and tried to fill it up a countless number of times but somehow it keeps emptying itself and it won't stall the hole more than an hour.

Some time back the hole's voice grew from the faintest whisper to loud, blood-curdling shrieks come night time. Gobber believes them to be the spirits of the dead and departed, aka anyone who got involved with that hole.

Astrid and the others have been pretty on edge recently, I'm going to her house now, we're supposed to be meeting up.

Or at least that is if the creature that is dragging me away currently can let me go.

.

Well, I'd been declared dead, so naturally there was a feast for my 'rebirth'. Thugheart had, of course, accused me of sorcery, but my father, knowing full well that either way the allegations would go would result in the loss of a son nervously laughed them off and although smiling, fixed Thugheart with a stern glare, telling him not to be so stupid. I'd never been happier in my life.

The feast wasn't too bad either. There was lots of meat and laughter and currently it is the morning after and my father is dealing with his hangover. Naturally this means that I am absolutely crushing him at chess today, which is another nice thing :)

I know it's stupid, after everything that has happened and all, but there is still a part of me that craves the knowledge that my brother is safe. I'm serious, wherever he is, I hope Furious is doing OK.

I go back to my game with my father. He truly is playing sloppily today, and there is a part of me that wonders if he would've agreed to play if anybody else had asked him?

I move, Ne5+, and isn't it scary that my knight can reach his King from the middle of the board? Worst of all, his Queen and his knights are all gone. I hum, looks like there is no way I can lose now.

He makes his move, I make mine, and then, clutching his head he draws his rook to check my King. A pathetic move, I think, and simply move my King away. Grinning through his hangover, he moves his bishop and pins my King and Queen and I freeze. A clever trap and I've played right into it. Within minutes, as I'd previously predicted, the game had ended, but not the way I'd thought it would.

I should've known better, I've never beaten my father at chess, anyone else on the island? Sure, no problem, easy peasey, but never my father.

.

His name is Garry, he wants to know what I'm doing with the jewel.

"It's a family heirloom," I claim.

"Boy- that gem, it's no object to toy with."

I groan, "Look, Mr. First off, this is Berk, and I can easily go and report you for trespassing on these lands."

He smiles, "I think that we both know that you wont. And you know why? Because you seem to be a… smart boy, Hiccup," I don't ask how he knows my name, I am too frightened. "And I know you don't trust Queen Mielle with that gem at all, and you shouldn't."

"So? Why should I care? She's got valuable information that I require."

He closes his eyes, seemingly concentrating on something, "Boy-o, I hate to inform you, but Queen Mielle knows nothing about your mother."

"Of course she does! They were both sorcerers-"

"What are you talking about!?" Garry said, "Your mother wasn't a witch! Never suited her."

"But Queen Mielle said-"

"Oh Queen Mielle this, Queen Mielle that, let me spare you a life full of lies, Hiccup, people- especially sorcerers, lie."

"He's right about that," the Wodensfang chimes in.

"See-"

I scream in frustration, trees shake, I am overtaken by something I've never felt before, an odd thing to feel. Power, lust.

"Leave, Garry, before I kill you. This is my fight and it shall go down in history the way I and only I want!" I roar.

I don't know how that happened, how I let it happen, but he gulps and disappears. Even the Wodensfang seems concerned.

"Hiccup," he says, "I wfen the gem mess with hefe."

Even with the broken sentence and the funny words, I know what he means and I drop the gem and take a deep breath. The redness surrounding the world seems to fade and I am left with a serene green instead.

I pick it up.

"I journey to Queen Mielle, come or don't, I'm leaving."

And I leave.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Weeeellll, done! Is it sad that I've already got the last two chapters of this story written as well as a good portion of the sequel?

Wow… I know…

-httyd4eva

peace out yo;P