A/N: :) Ta da! Another 3,000+ word chapter. :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Haedryin! (Grabs name and starts to pet it saying, "My precious")

Chapter 14: The Kill Ring

I wake up the next day, so nervous for the final exam I can't eat anything. I can hardly breathe, and keep leaving trails if ice everywhere. My room has become winter central.

I release a shaky breath sincerely glad dad isn't home, I would have lots of difficult questions to answer. I grab the helmet from off my desk and ice frosts over the top of it. Biting my lip in annoyance I wave my gloved hand and the ice explodes into snowflakes to join to the past ankle deep snow covering my floor. Snow. It had to be snow. I couldn't have had tropical magic?

I walk down the stairs and hear the creaking of ice as it forms under my feet. For some reason I can not control my powers today. I would have better luck trying to convince the Outcasts to join in a peace treaty with us or Gobber to willingly take a bath.

I turn slightly and glance at the stairs covered in pointy dark purple ice. Purple? That's new. I bite my lip and lift up my hand the ice lifting as snow into the air. I wave my hand and the snow falls freely onto the ground and they melt on the ground. I look down at my dark blue shirt, and the purple arm wraps covering my foreaems.

I've been walking around wearing the colors of my magic for years and no ones noticed. With one arm around my helmet, I pull up my gloves, release a shaky breath, and open the door.

I step outside and try to will my stomach to stop the acrobatic competition. Its continuously doing cartwheels and backflips as I walk. What if I fail? What if this doesn't work? What if I slip up, I make one wrong move and everyone will know. What if-

What if the sky turns to fire and your nose falls off, calm down, Iyn.

I can see the arena before I run into any villagers. Ruffnut and Tuffnut race up to excitement written across their faces as though its Snoggletog morning. Ruffnut smiles at me, "Aren't you completely excited?" She asks.

I shift my grip on the helmet and look at the girl, forcing a happy smile I nod, "Of course." I lie.

Ruffnut punches my shoulder and I wince. She punched exactly the same arm and place Asher had last night. Ruffnut doesn't notice my wince and continuous and starts to argue with her brother.

Fishlegs runs up to us and gives me a large happy smile,"Wow, you are so brave." She says and then looks at my gloved hands, even though I know the gloves simm do nothing now, it makes me feel better. "I mean, fighting a Monstrous Nightmare with gloves on!" She says her voice rising. She starts to spit out "helpful" tips to me and I tune her out but smile and nod at her every once and awhile.

Snotlout comes up to us arms folded across her chest in a smart, smug manner. "My baby cuz has this." She says and I don't even glare at her for the nickname. I often do, I hate it, but my brain is so far away from reality right now, I can barely walk in a straight line. Snotlout looks at the twins and jumps into their argument taking Tuffnut's side as they argue about what weapons better. Tuffnut arguing for the mace.

I smack into something and I draw away and me and my small entourage stop in surprise. I back up and nearly groan of all the people to run into it had to be Mildew. The old man looks down and me his crooked teeth turning into a smile, I stare at the old man as if he's gone mad, I can't remember any time he's smiled at me, or at all period. Generally he wears a cheery scowl.

"Ah Haedryin!" He says and his bony fingers shift on his staff. "Just the girl I wanted to see." He adds and I look up at him drawing my arms to my chest helmet still under my arm.

"I-I am?" I stutter.

He nods, "Don't mess this up, like you do with everything else." He says. His smile falls and he sends me a harsh glare before he walks off, staff clanking across the ground his sheep, Fungus under his arm.

I continue forward and jump when Snotlout puts a hand around my shoulder, "Iyn, he's just jealous that he can't fight it, besides you won't mess this up." She assures. I shrug her hand off and walk faster making no comment.

When I reach the arena Fishlegs, Snotlout and the twins part from me to go find a "good spot" as they had phrased it. I walk over to the gate and hold the helmet under my arm as more people gather they begin to chant my name, "Iyn! Iyn!"

I lean against the wall, my bangs falling in front of my eyes. A sinking feeling in my chest, this feels like its going to go horribly wrong. Breathe.

In out. Breathe. Breathe.

I wait roughly five minutes before I hear dads booming voice: "Well I can show my face in public again!" He says, laughter ripples through the crowd. I look down at my gloves and then at the helmet sparkling with frost. I bite my lip and he continues, "If somebody had told me that in a few short weeks Iyn would go from being...well Iyn-" I cringe, a fresh layer of frost spreads on the helmet, "-To placing first in dragon training! Well I would have tied him to a mast and shipped him off to Alvin for fear he'd gone mad!" The crowd roars with laughter and I bite my lip harder.

Ow. I haven't changed in the slightest. Why does happy hurt sometimes?

"And you know it! But here we are, and no one's more surprised or more proud than I am." He says. I sigh and wave the frost away and watch as the snowflakes fall onto the ground. I hear his final words: "Today my daughter becomes a Viking! Today she becomes one of us!" He yells, the crowd cheers. No, I'm not. I promise in my head. I am not who you think I am.

I stare at the Ring, its empty except a weapons rack standing to the side, I sincerely hope it has more than hammers and long swords. I wont be able to anything effective with those, beyond impale myself.

"Be careful with that dragon." Asher says behind me startling me, but I don't jump, not even bothering to look back at him.

"It's not the dragon I'm worried about." I admit and watch dad weave his way through the crowd. Asher puts a hand on my shoulder and I let out a surprised yelp, "Sorry," He says and removes his hand, "What are you going to do?" Asher asks.

What am I going to do?

"Put an end to this. I have to try." I say I slowly turn to Asher, "Asher, if something….goes wrong, just make sure they don't find Toothless." I say Asher looks at me his blue eyes widening as he takes the meaning: If I die.

"I will." He promises. I look at the him and then down at my hands.

"Asher, can I tell you something?" I ask and look down at my fingers hardly believing I'm going to tell someone that hated me yesterday about my curse.
Asher nods and I keep eye contact with him, "I have a cur-" I'm cut off as Gobber strides into the small opening, he looks at Asher who's not trying to take my head off but standing calmly even supportively next to me. Raising an eyebrow at this he turns to me.

"Knock him dead, Iyn." Gobber says. I nod and walk forward putting the helmet on my head. I look back at Asher as the gate slams shut.

I look around me at all the Vikings who are watching me, my heart beating in a rhythmic panicked pattern. I walk over to the weapons rack and bite my lip releasing a breath of relief as I see there is indeed more than hammers and long swords. I eye the weapons for a second before I pluck the smallest dagger I see from off from the board. I hear my dad's quiet but firm voice, "I would have gone for the hammer."

Yeah, well you're not doing what I'm about to.

I grab a shield from the rack and then slowly release the breath I wasn't aware I'd been holding. I don't make eye contact with anyone, "I'm ready." I say. I'm not, at all, but no ones going to forever as I will never be ready.

The gate slowly creaks open and then as soon as the restraint is gone it burst open and a Monstrous Nightmare in full fury explodes from the cage. Lighten aflame in a fire coat it roars then jumps onto the chain enclosure and blasts fire. The Vikings dodge as though its a perfectly normal thing and I guess it is.

The dragon turns and then sees me. It slowly lowers itself to the ground and the flame dies down. Terror is pulsing through me as it slowly advances at me.

Now or never.

I back away and drop the dagger it clatters against the ground ice covering the handle. I release the shield and frost is covering the back. If anyone isn't paying attention to just me my secret is going to be out before the end of this.

Murmurs of confusion ring through the crowd. I slowly outstretch my hands to the Nightmare an offering of peace between us. It opens its jaws it's hot breath pouring onto me, "Hey, it's okay." I say gently. The Nightmare follows my hands and curiosity feeling it's eyes, "It's okay." I sooth. The Nightmare's gaze shifts to my head and I realize what's it's staring at. My helmet.

I slowly reach up my hands making sure the Nightmare can track every movement I make as I lift the helmet from off my head, its a sign that I am a Viking, everything I have ever wanted, laid on my head. But I will die to keep Toothless alive and I will never kill a dragon. I am the Snow Queen, not a Viking.

There is no point of return.

I toss the helmet to the side and it hits the ground with a echoing clatter. The sound rings through my head over and over.

Not a Viking.

I look the dragon straight in the eyes, "I'm not one of them."

The Nightmare looks at me respect in it's eyes, gasps fill the air. I stare at the Nightmare, "Stop the fight." Dad's voice says, dangerously calm.

I look up at him, "No!" I beg, " I need you all to see this." I say and put my hand over the Nightmares snout. "We don't have to kill them, they aren't what we think they are!" I say and look up around me gasps of shock rang up.

"I said, STOP THE FIGHT!" Dad yells and slams his hammer down on the chain ceiling.

The sound echoes in the air and the Nightmares eyes narrow it snaps at me fire spitting out of it's mouth.

The fire lands on my gloved hand and I gasp as the fabric catches fire. The Nightmare snaps at me and I pull of the glove and the fire jumps from one glove to the other. I rip both of them off, throwing them to the side. I race across the arena the Nightmare sending a wave of fire at me

I scream and race across the arena, trying to get away. "HAEDRIYN!" Asher shouts. I don't look at him but run, I spot the weapons rack and race toward it and can hear the Nightmare chase after me. I try to grab a shield but the Nightmare smashes the board and glares at me "No," I breathe, "Please." The Nightmare opens it's mouth and I raise my arms up to cover my head. The fire's shoots forward and I snap my eyes open when it doesn't hit me.

I look up at see a wall of ice blocking me from the dragon. What the-

The Nightmare roars in fury and smashes the ice beneath its claw, breaking my thoughts.

I gasp and jump away and run across the arena, trying not to pass out from fear. The Nightmare chases after me and I spin around shooting my hands forward. The ice spreads up in front of it but the Nightmare just smashes it.

I lift a hand to fire another blast but a hammer hits the Nightmare on the head.

I whirl around and look at Asher standing next the ice covered smashed weapon rack a furious scowl sent in the Monstrous Nightmare's direction.

The NIghtmare furious, turns and looks at Asher, turning to him starts to chase after the teen. No, no, no, no!

I slam my foot down on the ground and ice spreads across the entire arena. The Nightmare's claw hits the ice and it slips. Asher looks up at me and then I hear dads voice ring through the arena, "This way!" He yells.

I turn and see that he had opened the second gate and I run for it. Asher makes it but the Nightmare recovered from the slip sends fire at the wall next to me and I stop and sliding on the side to my side. My feet smashing against the wall. Ice spreads up the wall, pointing out in large spikes I jump to my feet and run across the arena but slip on the ice. I land on my back and my heart skips a beat before the
The Nightmares claw smashes on top of me and ice cracks under it.

It looks at me a glare of death in it's eyes. I struggle under the claw and reach my hand out, the slightly burned palm slams into the ground and ice spreads across the entire arena, thickening.

There a whistling noise and I jerk my head left as I realize I recognize it. Oh Toothless please tell me you didn't!

The sound the building up of a plasma blast. A blast smashes into the chain ceiling and Toothless jumps onto the Nightmare forcing the dragon's claws off of me. I roll away on the ice floor as the Nightmare has a new appoint to face, Toothless.

Thick smoke fills the air but Toothless pushes the Nightmare into a clear part, there's several sharp gasps and I hear Gobber's shocked voice,"Night Fury,"

The Nightmare jumps onto Toothless and Toothless kicks it away, the Nightmare slipping on the ice. Toothless rolls to his feet and I'm surprised by how much balance he has on the ice floor the Nightmare is sliding and slipping everywhere.

Toothless roars at it and stands in front of me as I half sit up gasping for breath. Toothless prevents the Nightmare from even coming close to me. With a final roar from Toothless the Nightmare gives into defeat, scampering off.

I let out a few shaky breaths before I scramble to my feet and run over to Toothless every step I take the ice getting thicker. I reach my dragon as Vikings start pouring into the arena. "Toothless go!" I command him and push at his head. He shakes head in a firm no and he doesn't move, "Get out of here!" I plead. I look up and see Asher staring at me shocked, my dad looks at the ice and the snow starting to fall before he picks up an axe and starts to run at us.

"No dad! He won't hurt you!" I promise. He doesn't listen and Toothless looks around us at the advancing Vikings, deciding they're foes and not friends he starts to fight them, he races forward and jumps onto dad, they slide slightly from the ice and dad tries to shove Toothless off. "Toothless stop!" I beg.

Toothless doesn't seem to hear me and opens his mouth and I hear the whistling sound of a plasma blast. "No," I breathe. I look at my dragon and Toothless stares down at dad, "NO!" I yell. Toothless closes his mouth and looks at me his pupils widening. I feel my heart sink as he holds confusion in his eyes.

"GET IT!" A Viking yells. All the Vikings race across the ice floor as best they can and jump on Toothless shoving him of off their chief.

I look at them, "Oh, no, no no. Please!" I cry. They ignore me and I race forward panic overtaking my thoughts. I raise a hand and freeze several Vikings into place, they look at their feet in shock. I fire more ice, just stay away from Toothless! Stay away from me! Stay away!

Movement catches my eye and I look to see Asher running to the arena slightly slipping on the ice. Asher grabs me and pulls my arms behind me as he drags me back. "Haedryin, stop." He hisses. He drags me back and I struggle in his grip as I try get back to Toothless.

"Let me go!" I hiss and Asher holds me back tighter. "Please! Just don't hurt him!" I beg and stop my useless struggling against Asher's grip.

Dad staggers to his feet and looks at the frozen Vikings and then shoots me a glare. I go limp in Asher's grip as I look around me as I stare at the frozen Vikings and look down at my hands in shock, "What have I done?" I whisper.

Barch hands dad and axe and dad turns his attention to Toothless. I glance at my dragon and I wave my hands and the ice surrounding the Vikings it explodes into swirl of snowflakes, several of them falling flat on their faces. Dad shoves the axe into Barch's hand and looks at Toothless, "Put it with the others." He commands. He storms up to me and Asher release me from his grip.

I fall to my knees, my legs not working right as I watch Toothless get dragged off. Dad grabs my arm and pulls me to my feet and starts to drag me away but my eyes remain locked to Toothless's his gaze saying only one thing: I trust you.

A/N: :D

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