Hey everyone, sorry about the long wait, internet is running low and things are kinda crap at the moment. I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter, and I apologize for it being kinda short. Let me know what you think and what could come of these contests. I have already planned out what will happen and who will win etc, but I want to hear your thoughts. As always, thanks for reading, and please leave a review :)

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A few short hours later, everyone was inside the Dragons lair, gathered around the central fire in the common room dining on as much meat as they pleased. Those three boars which Phantom caught would feed them well for the next few days, and that huge shark would probably state Shadow's hunger for a week if she tried.

Shadow, in her full dragon form, was feasting away at the large carcass with pleasure, clearly enjoying herself. Phantom's plate was filled with shark meat as well, but he was desperately trying not to enjoy it. It was Hiccup's gift to her after all, and he should not be salivating over something he presented to her.

As he forced himself to slowly chew on the delicious meat from the shark, he desperately tried to come up with a plan for the next contest. He had to present something to show how well he could protect her. A weapon for her would be ideal, but where to get one?

He was clearly at a disadvantage here, and there was a good possibility he could lose. He didn't have his full dragon form, and it wouldn't return for roughly another week, after the end of the contests. He was on an unfamiliar island, and had no idea what was nearby, and also had no way of getting there. Being locked up on that ship for over two months scrambled his knowledge of geography. These were unfamiliar waters to him. And Hiccup had a dragon to help him. Granted, a Night Fury wasn't as good as a Black Moon, but it was a close second. Hiccup could fly anywhere he pleased with that dragon as his ally, whereas Phantom could only go where his feet carried him.

He was definitely at a disadvantage. To level the playing field, either something had to be removed from his rival's side, or added to his own. Sabotage was frowned upon in these sort of competitions, showing that you were weak, a coward, and an unfair player. However, gaining allies and leverage was not frowned upon.

If Hiccup had his Night Fury, then Phantom wanted his own extra player to help him. So while he sat there and munched on his food, he surveyed his possible options. The larger one, Fishlegs, may be a good candidate. With his thirst for knowledge he was bound to know some personal information about their Black Moon resident, but there was not much else. The twins he had to admit, had their uses, with their combined crazy genius, they could possibly come up with sadistically ingenious plans to win those contests, but they were too unpredictable, and only had about one brain shared between the two. Snotlout he didn't even want to consider: he couldn't even take a punch. He wouldn't be useful for anything really. So that left Astrid, the third in command after Shadow, and left hand supporter and shield-maiden to Hiccup himself. She knew Hiccup, probably just as good as Shadow, and definitely better than anyone else. And Phantom was almost certain that she would rather that Shadow be with her own kind, and leave Hiccup available for her. She was a smart woman in a high position of power, a very suitable prospect for an ally.

Yes, Astrid was his best option. So now all he needed to do was see if she would support him in his endeavours, see what she could offer him, and see exactly what her price was.

With a goal in mind, he stood up, placed his half eaten plate down on the stone chair, and went over to the blond haired shield-maiden. She looked up at him as he approached, wondering what he wanted. "Mind if I have a word with you, Lady Astrid?" he asked politely. She smiled and nodded, allowing him to lead her a few meters away to have a private conversation.

"What can I help you with Phantom?" she asked. He quickly stole a glance back to see if anyone was eavesdropping, no one wasn't, but Hiccup and Shadow were talking to one another.

"What do you think of this contest between your alpha male and me?" he asked.

"I think it's all a little silly. We should be focusing on other important things like finding Dagur and Grey. To be completely honest, I don't think Hiccup and Shadow are a good match, I don't even understand the mark she's placed on him, but its making him distracted with her. She's going to live hundreds of years longer than any of us will, so pairing with him isn't going to mean anything in the long term. Besides, because she's really a dragon, and he's a human, I don't understand how heirs would come about from that." She said.

"Female Black Moons cannot produce offspring until mature age; five hundred years. Your culture dictates that the chief and his new wife must produce an heir within twelve months, correct? Even if she could, the offspring would have tainted blood. It would be weak, and ruin future bloodlines." He said to her, hating the image in his brain of the two of them mating.

"It would be better in the long term for everyone if they were with their own kind. And to be honest, I would rather see her with you, and me with him. That would do better for everyone really." Said Astrid, frowning towards the two of them.

Seeing his chance, Phantom played his first card. "That's what I want to talk to you about. Ultimately, in this contest I am at a disadvantage. I cannot properly compete while Hiccup has a Night Fury and all his resources. I was wondering if you would be my ally in this and help level the playing field a bit."

Astrid cocked her head to one side. "I'm listening." Phantom played his next card. "This next contest requires me to present a weapon, to prove how well I can protect Shadow, but I have neither the funds, nor the means to get one. If you can somehow aid me in this, I would be indebted to you and could later repay you with whatever it is you desire."

Astrid thought about it for a few moments, weighing her options. Finally she came to a decision. "Trader Johan will arrive tomorrow in the afternoon down at our dock. He mostly comes to us with minor supplies and information, but I now he has a stash of exotic weapons on his ship." She began, her tone below a whisper.

"His preferred currency is gold, but he also trades in fine and semi-precious gems for those weapons. There's a stream that begins at the top of the mountain where you can find all sorts of gems in the water. It's an old stash from some long ago raider or pirate, with enough there for a small fortune. It should take you about half the day to get up there and back with enough to trade with Johan. He probably won't let you near them or deny having them at all since he doesn't know you, but he will sell one to me if I ask. You give me whatever you get from the mountain stream, and I'll use it to buy one of those weapons. But whatever I don't trade, I get to keep." She bargained.

Phantom smirked and nodded. "Her preferred weapons are swords, mostly two handed or long range since she can use her claws for close combat. Lightweight and swift, meant for speed, not power shots." He said, and held out his hand to seal the deal. She grasped his hand and shook it. But before she let go, he brought her hand up to his fanged mouth, his hot breath tickling her knuckles.

"It seems that we are in accordance, Lady Astrid. I thank you for your assistance." He said before planting a kiss on her hand. She could feel those dangerous fangs against her skin, and his moist lips making her blush red.

His devilish silver eyes made her feel hot and flushed, and the memory of him shirtless on the beach made her cheeks tinge red. He smirked and let go of her hand, nodded at her politely and winked, then walked off towards the warm fire for a drink.

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So, what do you think of Astrid being Phantom's ally in this? How far will she go to get Hiccup for herself?...

I love those reviews, they make me write faster. Until next time!