Frosted Scales - When Worlds Collide: A HTTYD X Frozen Tale

What Was Once Lost

Sitting just past the entrance of a cave at the peak of Crag’s Bluff, Elsa struggled to catch her breath, the cold air burning her lungs. The hike had been grueling, far more so than she anticipated, and the persistent stitch in her side refused to fade. She leaned against the rough stone wall, closing her eyes as she tried to steady her breathing. The wind outside howled through the narrow passage, a relentless force that whipped the snow into a blinding frenzy.

For a moment, Elsa allowed herself to feel a pang of envy. How much easier would this journey have been with Toothless? The memory of soaring through the skies on his back, feeling the wind rush past her face, filled her with longing. The ability to fly, to simply rise above all obstacles, seemed a gift she could never truly appreciate until now.

When her breathing finally slowed, Elsa pushed herself to her feet and ventured further into the cave. The biting wind outside was too unforgiving, and she doubted she would find anything in the endless expanse of snow and ice. The cave seemed a more likely place to uncover the secrets she sought.

As soon as she crossed the threshold into the cave’s depths, Elsa felt a surge of power unlike anything she had experienced before. Magic rushed back to her, filling her veins with warmth and energy. The sensation was so overwhelming that she nearly wept with relief. Outside, the world felt dead and lifeless, but here, within the mountain, magic pulsed with a vibrant, living force.

She extended her hand, drawing magic to her palm until it glowed with a soft, blue light that illuminated the tunnel ahead. The passage was roughly carved into the stone, its walls jagged and uneven. The tunnel curved to the right, disappearing into the darkness, but Elsa could see that the floor was worn smooth, evidence of countless years of use. Whoever or whatever had traversed this path had done so for a long time.

The tunnel was spacious, with ceilings high enough to accommodate a small giant and walls wide enough for several people to walk abreast. Elsa followed the path cautiously, her senses heightened by the magical energy that thrummed all around her. After a long trek, the tunnel forked into two, with a lower ceiling passage leading left and another to the right.

She paused at the intersection, feeling the pull of magic stronger in one direction. Trusting her instincts, she chose the left path, descending deeper into the heart of the mountain. The air grew colder, but Elsa hardly noticed, her focus entirely on the magic guiding her steps.

The tunnel eventually opened into a vast chamber; its ceiling lost in shadows far above. Elsa’s breath caught in her throat as she saw light filtering through the chamber, not from a single source but from all around her. The walls were lined with massive crystal formations, each one glowing with an inner light that bathed the chamber in an ethereal glow.

She stepped cautiously into the chamber, letting her magic light fade as she took in her surroundings. The chamber was filled with large rocks, creating a natural maze of sorts. Elsa crept forward, careful to stay out of sight as she moved between the crystal formations. The light grew brighter as she approached the center of the chamber, but it was not the crystals that drew her attention—it was the creatures that lay sleeping within.

Dragons. Elsa’s heart raced with excitement as she realized what she was seeing. There were multiple dragons, each one massive and awe-inspiring in its own right. She ducked behind a large rock, peeking out cautiously to get a better look at the sleeping beasts.

The first dragon she recognized was a Monstrous Nightmare, its horns unmistakable even in the dim light. The creature’s scales glistened with shades of deep blue and purple, a stark contrast to the fiery red she had read about in Hiccup’s book. Nearby, several Gronckles lay sprawled on their sides, their tongues hanging out comically as they snored softly. A pair of Deadly Nadders were curled together in a tight embrace, their white scales interlocking like delicate thorns.