Time…? Tree days…that's the time we were given to complete the task at hand? Why do we have to rush so blindly into things? It's just in my head. I know it's all in my head. This bad feeling is just nerves or something I ate. I shouldn't question this plan. Frankie knows what she's doing and the gods have blessed me with so much good fortune. I should trust them.

Sitting alone behind the wall of trees just outside the bay, Ember hugged her knees and hid half her face behind her knees. Having no one around to see her moment of fear was comforting to her. As far as they knew she was still back at the house, waiting for them to finish. She had been watching the entire time however. The water swirled as it did the day she nearly fell in, and it also remained just as deep and dark as she remembered it.

("Something about this is starting to feel so wrong.") Thoughts raced through the deepest part of her psyche, jumbling and meshing together as the slamming of hammers against metal began to ring deep within her mind. ("I don't know why I feel a sudden urge to stop this whole mess. After all, isn't it my fault entirely for making it so mad? Is it his fault or mine? His? Her? Does it matter? It's trying to kill me after all. Attacking the village wasn't a smart thing to do on its end either. After that, maybe it's like a rabid wolf. Once it bites it never stops and then it has to be taken down. Still, the fact that they won't even let me help is discouraging.")

Hiccup, Astrid, and the others had already unanimously decided that letting Ember near the plan could cause an early attack. She was an obstacle according to both Astrid and Frankie, and until further notice had been ordered to stay back in the village.

Unfortunately, that arrangement wasn't working out so well. Ember had disobeyed what had been ordered of her, but not for the reasons one might think. In actuality, she agreed that she shouldn't be allowed to participate. However, due to recent uneasy feelings and bad omens, she had decided to stick close to the ones working on the plan.

It wasn't easy going back and forth between the bay and the village, especially with Marble wanting to keep such close tabs on her. The only way she had managed to evade the hawk like eye of the night fury was to distract him.

Reluctantly, Marble had agreed to leave the village to help out with the plan, which served as the perfect distraction.

("Alyssa say's that the only reason he's being so overly protective is because of the immediate threat. If it weren't for the serpent, his defensive instinct would loosen its grip and he would be more willing to go hunting and basking like the rest of the dragons…I wonder. After all of this is over-") Ember sat back and curled up tighter. ("-Will he just stop caring?")

Standing up and peering through the trees between her and the others Ember cracked half a smile. Things would go down without a hitch tomorrow, and then everything would go back to…normal.

The sadness she felt with that lat thought took her by surprise. There was nothing really wrong with the life she had lived before all of this, and she made a good living. Sure it got lonely after being out hunting for a while, but he always had company. Wolves (the good kind), deer, wild cats, and bears. Each wild animal she came across that wasn't rabid or blood thirsty was a friend. No, her life wasn't perfect, but still there was no call for this sadness.

("Well, I should get going. They'll be heading back soon and if they find me gone, there's no way I'll be able to sneak out again.") Making her way quickly back through the dense trees, Ember soon found herself standing next to a big beautiful black horse. It was the only way she could make it back to the village before they returned, and it's black color would lessen the chance of anyone seeing her.

Arriving back to the village early, Ember decided that now was a better time than any to take a nap.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

"That should do it." Fran smiled overlooking the bay.

Each hook had been expertly placed. All together there would be four hooks and four large cross bows to shot the arrows. To test the strength, each hook had been strapped to at least two dragons and stressed. Frankie was now sure they could hold the serpent still and in place until it tired.

"Ok, well we should be good to go-" As everyone gathered around in a bare patch near the lage hand made net, Frankie spied something unexpected and alarming.

Ne the entrance there seemed to be something floating in the water. It was dark, and here appeared to be something oozing out of it into the water.

Blood.

The serpent had finished its hunt early, and left it's pray at the bay opening. Now she feared it was possibly lurking in the dark water below. Her fears were soon confirmed when the several dragons in the group began to growl and hiss with displeased faces.

Toothless, along with the several other dragons took up a protective stance in front of their riders and companions. Even Beryl (who normally loved eel and serpent) hissed at Frankie's feet.

"What' going on?" Astrid stood slightly in front of Hiccup and the others scanning the dark waters with fists clenched. The presence of one bright yellow moving eye gave her the answer.

"O-ok! Everyone into position now!" Hiccup flung his arm forward as a signal.

Immediately, everyone rushed around the rim of hey bay to reach their positions. There were two people to each station. Hiccup was with Astrid, Ruffnut was with Tuffnut, Fishlegs was with Snotlout, and Frankie was with Alyssa. Each of the two people had a job. One of the two was to load the large arrow into the crossbow, and the other would be the one to attach the chain to the end of the arrow and shoot it.

The Nadderhead, Zippleback, and Gronckle would fly over the Serpent with the net once it had been hooked securely.

The most important jobs belonged to both Toothless and the Nightmare. In order to equily hook the Serpent on all sides, t would have to come out right in the center of the bay. To achieve this, he Nightmare would be the bait. Once the serpent was out of the water, Toothless would shoot a ball of flames just across its nose to distract it long enough for the Nightmare to escape.

Silently Hiccup gave the signal for the Nightmare to begin its task.

There was a long silence as it passed overhead. Rushing and churning water created the only noise audible other than the nightmares beating wings. As it dove the group held its breath. A loud shriek echoed through the air as it began to dive. Just before it reached the surface, the massive dragon spread its wings and shot to the sky. It wasn't the fastest dragon around, but it did its job well, for just as it began its rapid ascent the serpent sot out of the water just as it was supposed to, the top half of its body extending vertically toward the sky with mouth open.

"Now!" Both Hiccup and Astrid gave different signals.

Waving his hand, Hiccup gestured for Toothless to take the shot, and once that was out of the way, Astrid pointed to the serpent's body with a triumphant yell.

What happened next was sheer luck. With one shot, every arrow hi and pierced the scaly hide covering the serpent. The chains were just long enough to allow the serpent some movement, but not enough to attack.

Shrieks and roars are all that could be heard as the beat thrashed from side to side in an enraged state. It had been hooked nearly a fourth of the way down its body, and everyone cheered thinking it was caught.

Suddenly the victory turned to disaster as the serpent opened its mouth with a deep hiss. They had all overlooked one key obstacle that made all the difference.

It could still shoot fire.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Back in the village only ten or so minutes before everything had happened in the bay, Ember tossed and turned restlessly in her sleep.

The gods have run out of patience…you have received much luck. Too much luck for a human to receive all at once. Pay the price.

"I have nothing to pay you with! What are you?"

*inaudible murmuring*

"What are you talking about? I don't know what you wish me to pay you in! I have no money…I have nothing to offer you!"

You will pay

"What have I done to lose favor with the gods? Who are you…where are you…?"

I am Oden, leader and king over all things concerning life and death.

"You lie…why would the gods bless me…why would they bless me just to punish me for the blessings they've bestowed upon me?"

You didn't give back. You didn't meet us half way. Now is the time to pay the debt you owe us. If not now, then later. Either way, we will be watching.

"Watching?"

It didn't take long for Ember to shoot up and away from the pillows in a fit of fear. Warmth filed her entire boy, and looking around the nearly lit room she sighed. ("It was just a night-terror…") Placing her feet on the floor, she held her face in the palm of her good hand as she rose to her feet.(" What could a dream like that mean? Have I done something to anger the gods?")

"What's this about me meeting the gods-" Directly in her ear there came a whisper.

Half way…

Hearing the voice from her dreams come so close, she tuned with a gasp and looked around. There was no one other than herself in the room, and shaking her head she could feel something go very wrong. The warmth she felt reminded her of a fire and that's when she remembered the serpents fire ball.

Grabbing the bow and arrow, Ember ran out the door.

Had she not been in such a flustered rush, she might have seen what the fates had done as she slept. Had she observed her bed…

…she might have seen what other than night-terrors had accompanied her as she slept.