Deranged Obsession; by KaliAnn

3. Conspiracy Uncovered

By KaliAnn

The sun was shining and a gentle breeze blew through the air. The island of Berk was a bustle of activity as both humans and dragons worked together to bring out the best of the village. The sounds of hammers pounding, wood being cut and the smell of melted metal filled the air. The dragons were rushing about fixing roofs, setting up banners, and improving their shelters all over the island. The children were helping their mothers clean the houses and prepare meals as the men came back with their fish and wild game from their hunts. Everyone was excited and super happy as they prepared for tomorrow, the day when the Daypeace trading party arrived. They would be here for a few days. It was a chance for both groups to share in their bounties and to renew the bonds of friendship.

Inside the Daypeace's house Nissa and her guardians were also preparing for tomorrow. They had received word through the magic mirror that Queen Rayna herself would be joining the trading party. It was highly unusual for the queen be part of a simple trading party however, in the interests of renewing friendships and checking on Nissa's progress, it would be prudent for her to be there. To that end the group had finished setting up another bed and had prepared the Queen's favorite meal with the last of their food from Xanadu. Ula was composing reports for the Queen to read. Steinar was going over the security precautions not wanting to risk the safety of the queen during her visit.

Nissa was up in her room rearranging her books to calm herself down. She was extremely nervous about seeing her aunt after nearly five months being away from Xanadu. She had grown as both a princess and an individual during her time on Berk. She was much more confident in her abilities and could take charge in a crises. Her dragon abilities were more powerful as well nearly on par with Orli or Toothless. Still she had concerns, she hadn't made as much progress as she hoped with her mission. Learning about the tribes and dragons in the archipelago was not an easy task, but trying to bring peace and knowledge to groups who favored bloodshed over wisdom wasn't easy. The feeling that she had failed her aunt in some way was a bit more then she could bear.

"Tomorrow Aunt Rayna will be here and I have little to show for my efforts. What if she's disappointed in me? How can I face her if I've let her down again? Oh, tomorrow's going to be a complete disaster!" Nissa muttered to herself, her hands wrapped around her amethysts necklace hoping it would comfort her. The gem warmth spread through her hand, but failed to ease her anxiety. She wish she could calm down, but her thoughts kept circling sending her into a frenzy.

"You need to relax; your aunt won't reject you ever again. She's changed like you have. There is nothing to worry about," Hiccup's voice whispered in her mind. The strength of their bond had grown as well as they could now communicate short sentences along with memories and emotions through the bond. In fact sometimes they could almost see what the other was seeing. It was slightly unusual considering their bond was more sibling like then romantic. Nissa had a feeling that the magical gemstone necklace were the reason behind her sudden power boost. She was aware of her friends also having power boosts from their necklaces. The mysterious powers inside them had yet to be fully explained and she hoped her aunt would be able to shed some light on the situation.

She heard a light thud on the roof announcing the arrival of a dragon on her roof. Make that two and a rider by the sounds of things. Smiling she pulled herself out the window and up on to the roof. Orli and Toothless were sitting side by side grooming each other while Hiccup slide down the roof towards her. "You know you could have just used the door, that's what it's there for."

"I know, but the roof was more convenient seeing as these two were in the middle of attempting to chase each other in a mock mating flight a few minutes ago. I felt your uneasiness and decided to stop by. How are you feeling?"