The day had finally arrived. The day Hiccup would have to face down the Monstrous Nightmare. He stood outside of the gates wearing a very long robe covering everything on his body. He listened as his father was standing atop on his throne giving his speech
"Ok. If somebody had told me that Hiccup would go from being a... well... Hiccup. To placing first in dragon training! Well I would have tied him to a mast, and shipped him off. For he'd have gone mad!" he yelled as he started laughing out loud as everyone cheered in agreement.
Hiccup was standing at the entrance staring at his father with anger going into his eyes as he heard him give out the disrespect he did not find funny at all. Even after all of this Stoic would still talk down on him as if he were nothing but a joke. He shook his head as he sighed at that.
"Now no one is more surprised... or more proud... than I am. Today my boy becomes a Viking. Today he becomes one of us!" Stoic said as everyone in the audience cheered.
Hiccup listened as his father gave him praise for the first time ever. His father never really respected him or even acknowledged him for some time. Yet here and now his father had decided to say he was proud of him because he had come out on top in dragon training. The feeling brought a small tear out of his eye as he heard his father say that. His thoughts were interrupted by a voice behind him.
"Good luck with that dragon" a feminine voice spoke. He did not need to turn around; he knew who that was.
Astrid stood behind him hoping that he would at least speak to her, but it seemed that in front of millions he still refused to speak. She was about to turn around and walk away were it not for the sound of Hiccup.
"Its not the dragon that I am worried about Astrid." He said as he turned his head to the side to catch a small glimpse of her. After looking at her he looked back forward to see his father walking toward his throne. Hiccup narrowed his eyes at the thought of actually doing what he was planning on doing.
Astrid looked to where he was looking to and saw that it was his father he was staring at. She saw that he was worried of his father when it came to this. She wondered now if he had a plan.
"What are you going to do?" she asked.
He turned to her as she looked into his eyes. She saw that he was troubled, but the question was could he do this.
"Still not sure yet, but I think I might be on to something here" he said. He put his hand on her shoulder and looked deep into her eyes. "If anything were to happen Astrid... promise me you will look after Toothless." He finished.
She quickly grabbed him and pulled him into a hug as she said "I will Hiccup... just promise me nothing will happen." Hiccup hugged her briefly before releasing her. He would have said something here had it not been for Gobber coming down to see the two.
He looked at them both a little bit confused instead shrugged it off as he walked toward Hiccup and pat him on the shoulder.
"Its time Hiccup" he said as he walked toward the lever and opened the entrance to the arena. Once open he arm gestured toward the arena and said "knock em dead."
Hiccup looked at the arena and then back to Astrid. He could not keep his promise of nothing happening to him. This was about to get dangerous, and right now Hiccup was risking his own life to change everything.
