The furious pulse of my blood following the beat of my heart sounded like a war-drum, as everything else, any other sounds melted away in the face of my focus on one thing- to survive.

No, that was not true.

I did not seek to simply survive.

I wanted to feel the strength leaving this beast as I fought and won a battle against the one true enemy of the Viking-

Dragons.

A Deadly Nadder was crouching low to the arena, eyes nothing but slits as it's tail, whipped behind it, it's spines flared and ready to launch.

The Viking within me roared for a fight, wishing to grab my axes and hack away at the monster until it was nothing but a wet mess of flesh, but I knew that this

would be honorable battle, though a feeling of disgust welled within me at the idea of honoring this beast.

But one thing was resolute- Battle was a glorious thing, and this was not a real one.

It was a mockery of it, but it would prove my capability, allow me to fight amongst other Vikings, and to bask in the glory of battle until I earned my place in Valhalla.

Yet for now, I was here.

The cover in this arena was plentiful, allowing me to bide my time away from it's sharp senses.

Within such cover I was checking the supplies I had prepared for this.

Over the course of my years learning under Gobber, I had managed to pick up on certain things-

The deadly Nadder's sense of smell was incredibly powerful, able to smell where prey was-

However, it relied too much on it-

The arena had been home to many battles such as this one-

The scorch marks on the stone floor were proof enough of that-

The smell of ash and fire had long become familiar, more so to the dragon, something I had not hesitated to use to my advantage.

This morning, I had started a fire within the smithy, and left my hide vest, and clothes and anything else I would wear on my person close to the smoke. I had then taken a small amount of ash, and spread it on as much of myself as I could.

This allowed me more freedom to move within the arena without concern of it's tracking abilities.

It wouldn't work the moment I got close, and I didn't intend to win this through lucking and setting traps in the dark, like a rat.

This battle would be just that, a battle.

As much as this show of an battle could be.

Aside from the ash, I had brought a pouch of meat I had allowed to fester, maggots and flies making the smell nearly impossible to stomach.

Uncle Cawdor had often made jests of how Gobber had made a Dragon recoil after months in the wilderness as the tracked down a particularly dangerous Nadder that had picked off the limited live stock.

With its nose, I knew that the smell alone would give me an opportunity of strike.

I had made sure to hide it by the side of the entrance, where I had first entered, knowing that any smell besides that of smoke and ash would allow the Nadder to pinpoint where I was.

I tightened my grasp on my axe and looked down at the dimly gleaming metal. My shield was strapped to my left forearm, freeing my left hand.

A slight swing, and it seemed to hum, ready for what was to come.

Time of deliberation was over.

The heat in the arena was proving to be dangerous, as a drop of dark, ash filled sweat dripped off my forehead.

I had little time.

I crouched, and began to make my way to the entrance, locked on to the bag that would allow me to overwhelm the Nadder's nose.

But the Beast had begun its hunt.

It began to open its jaw, the bright, but dangerous fire seeming to spark ever so slightly as it flapped its wings, trying to fly within the confines of the arena.

There wasn't enough space, I knew, but the threat of its fiery breath was still something that even the most dangerous of Vikings feared.

The arena cage groaned as the Nadder grasped onto the bars tightly with ugly, unsightly claws, gleaming with the same light my axe had.

I was close now, but a small look to my axe showed its handle being stained black, the ash and charcoal seemingly bleeding off my hand.

My time was up-

But I made it to the bag, glad I had wrapped it up in another bag, managing to stifle the smell.

I gazed back to the ceiling of the arena, where the Nadder was roaring in rage, as Viking jeered, and roared alongside it.

They were getting impatient.

"I-GOR! I-GOR! I-GOR!" They chanted, yet careful not to give the dragon an indication of where I was.

They chanted my name, and I knew it was time.

I sliced open the pouch, and grit my teeth, biting back a retch as the maggot-infested meat came spilling out, along it's frothy juice.

I steeled myself and shifted my axe to my left hand as I grabbed what I could of the thick mess, and smeared it onto myself, my leather armor, and metal chest plate, hands, and blade. the rest, I threw right at the monstrosity.

I roared alongside everyone, watching at its inhuman eyes locked onto me, before it recoiled, and gave an ear-piercing screech as the rotten meat hit one of its wings, and slid off, before hitting the arena floor with a wet smack.

I did not give it time to react, before reaching into my vest with my right hand, and grabbing one of my five daggers, and launching it to the underside of its wings.

It struck true, and it launched downwards towards me with a shriek of pain.

However, as it got close, it hissed, and flared its tail spikes, clearly aiming to kill me from afar, overwhelmed by the stench.

I grinned despite myself, and raised my shield, just in time to feel the shoulder-straining thuds of its venomous spikes striking my shield. I moved my axe to my right hand, bracing my left with all my strength.

I had to act fast, I knew, before it breathes fire.

Its jaws snapped right in arm's reach as the Nadder tore my shield from the straps, but in that split second, I grabbed to one of its spikes, barely feeling as it is sharp, needle-like point cut into my palm.

It raised its powerful neck, and I was lifted from the ground, and I let go of my shield, keeping my iron-like grip on my axe, and pulled myself up, groaning as I felt my left hand begin to numb.

But I didn't have time to think-

I had managed to mount the space between its horns, and over its eyes and jaws. sweat began to pour from my forehead, stinging my eyes as I twisted my body over, and onto its neck, fighting to stay on.

It was only a matter of time before it bucked me off, so I wrestled down the urge to lift my axe, and cut into its neck, to feel it's burning blood run over my arms, and got as close as I could, nearly lying on its neck, as I wrapped my left arm around it's horns of stability.

I threw my axe out the way, I didn't have time to waste-

I reached into my vest, and grasped a dagger, and raised my right arm, feeling my muscles coil in near- unbearable urgency and readiness to-

Stab.

And I did.

I aimed to its eyes, determined to disable its direct ability to see me.

But it knew.

The monster seemed to look me in the eyes for a split second, before it began to writhe even more chaotically, trying in vain to buck me off.

The cheers ad roars were ear-deafening, but in the chaos, it had managed to knock the dagger out my hand.

I roared, unable to form words.

I didn't have time to reach for another, the numbness spreading from my left hand to the entire arm. I did not have the strength to risk another attempt for a dagger.

My mind blanked.

What could I do.

What could I do?

What could I do?!

I looked into its eyes, and roared, but by now I couldn't hear myself over the cheers of the crowd, and the shrieks of the monster.

I used my hand.

I slammed my hand down, into the gleaming yellow eyes of the unsightly thing.

It tried to close its eyes, but I tore at the lids covering them, raking my nails over its right eye.

All it took was a split second, and I dug into its soft, wet eyes.

Following this, it roared.

I couldn't hear anything after that. Not the crowd, not the Nadder, simply...

Nothing.

I felt a burning liquid, so hot I barely resisted the temptation to shoot my hand out.

But I kept digging, vaguely remembering a hunt Uncle Cawdor had brought me to, where we had been skinning a boar-

I had had a fascination with the skull, its head, and the empty spaces where it's eyes had been.

'The eyes are said to be connected to the soul, Igor.' Uncle had commented seriously, as he pulled out the arrow that had been buried in the boar's eye.

I remembered how the boar had gone stiff and died so easily, and how the arrow had been buried into the hole behind the eyes.

Where the soul was.

I just had to dig deep, snuff out its soul.

So, I tried. My skin felt on fire, but I was wrist-deep now.

I imagine it's roars no longer were laced with fury, but fear now.

But I kept on.

I couldn't feel the tips of my fingers anymore, but I still dug.

And dug.

The Nadder was slamming it's body on anything it could, and I felt pain bloom across my face as it managed to slam me into the arena wall, but I did not let go. I couldn't.

This thing didn't deserve a soul, so I was determined to grab it, and pull it out.

Suddenly I felt something warm and soft, just like pig fat, but more... firm. I clenched my fist, as it shook with tension within.

The dragon slammed into the floor, and shuddered, yet, became impossibly still, besides slight twitches.

But this beast could not fool me.

It's mischief and ploys to fool me couldn't stop me.

I pulled out my hand, watching with detached interest as I pulled out my arm, that had gotten as deep as my forearm, which allowed an ugly mixture of steaming red, white, and pink sludge stream out.

I knew what I had to do, despite a disconnected feeling of disgust towards... myself?

I dug into it's other eye.

I had to grasp it's soul.

I had to.

Sound started trickling back, but besides my frantic breaths, and the squelching of the mess held within my palms, I... didn't hear anything.

No cheering, no roaring.

Just me.

{A/N: Disclaimer; I will not be posting author notes often; however I find it necessary to say, that this is a polished rough draft, and for now, is under the possibility of having parts re-written. aside from that, I'd appreciate some feedback of what you liked, or what you didn't. That's about it, Wallflower, out.}