𝓑𝓮𝔂𝓸𝓷𝓭

Chapter 15 - The Trial

The sun was sitting just above the treeline, the morning air was fresh and a buzz, Hiccup stood below Mala's thrown, face determined.

" You stand accused of hunting dragons and subjugating them, do you deny this?" Mala's voice echoed around the open thrown room, Throk stood by her side.

" Yes, I do." Hiccup stood firm, his mind was already calculating how he was going to answer her questions.

" But, you admit that you force the dragons to carry you and your friends on their backs." Mala had a smug smile plastered across her face, Hiccup could tell she was going to play with his mind.

" We don't force them to do anything." Hiccup countered her question, Mala's smile didn't go away and Astrid was getting nervous.

She knew very well that Hiccup was a man of reason and strategy, this Queen was playing with him for a reason as if she was betting him to say the wrong thing.

" And you used them to land secretly on our island." Hiccup shook his head and took a few steps towards her.

" You're making it sound worse than it was, we were trying not to startle your people." Hiccup retorted, trying to stay calm, but this was proving more difficult.

" So, you weren't caught by my men, sneaking towards our village?" Mala rhetorically asked Hiccup, who looked up at her with a sombre face.

" Well, sneaking is a strong word." Hiccup quipped, a smile had spread across his face, he now knew the Queens gameplay.

" And you didn't come heavily armed?" She asked, eyeing the weapons that Throk and his men had confiscated.

" Those are just for self-defence, as anyone would carry a weapon." Hiccup answered, Mala sighed with a slim smile.

" So, you came here expecting a fight?" Astrid and Heather looked at each other, this wasn't going well, but decided to stay quiet.

" You're twisting my words, we only keep the weapons on us to protect our dragons." Mala shook her head, this boy was really getting on her nerves.

" Yet your dragon is missing his tail fin, how do expect to answer that?" Hiccup took in a deep breath, there was no use hiding it.

" Three years ago, before I became a dragon rider, I falsely shot Toothless down, thinking I could gain admiration." Mala clenched her fist, Hiccup lowered his head in shame.

" The next morning I went in search of him and found Toothless tangled in my horrid invention." Hiccup looked at his dragon, who was looking right back at him.

" I raised my dagger, I could have killed him, but I didn't, I looked into his eyes and saw what I still see today." Hiccup turned back to Mala, who was looking down at him with bewilderment.

" Myself and if you can't see that then let me prove myself." Mala widened her eyes in shock, Hiccup stood his ground his mind was made up.

" Your majesty, let me Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, train any dragon of your choice and prove I am who I say I am." Mala leaned back in her throne, think the boy's request over.

It certainly was a serious request and this boy did speak with knowledge beyond his years, she smiled.

" I agree to your terms, if you lose Hiccup Haddock than you and your friends will be killed." Hiccup nodded, the others looked at each other shocked.

" But, if you train the dragon, then we will discuss your peace treaty, to the Nest!" Mala stood up and smiled down at the boy.

~ Line Break ~

Mala led the riders into a cave that sat just below the volcano, Throk and his guards escorting them from behind.

" You better have a really good plan on how your gonna train a dragon?" Astrid asked Hiccup, who was deep in thought.

" I have and whatever dragon Mala chooses, I'll just do what I normally do." Mala stood above a pit it's contents unknown, as she turned to the riders.

" We protect the dragons as they protect us, we acknowledge their judgement as that have ours, Hiccup met your judgement." Hiccup took in a deep breath and walked towards the pit.

" Hiccup, good luck." Astrid told him, Hiccup turned to her and nodded, before looking down into the pit.

" So, he can talk to any dragon?" Heather asked, Astrid, nodded, she knew being able to speak Draconic had given the riders an advantage.

Yet, she was still wary around some dragons, not all took humans speaking the language all to well and some had taken it as an insult.

Throk pushed into the pit and the Auburn teen shook himself off, preparing for whatever dragon came out.

" Well that was nice." Hiccup stood up and looked at five female speed stingers standing before him.

They circled him with bared teeth and furious red eyes, as Hiccup held his hands out in front of him.

" Ok, Speed Stingers, sharp class, poisoned barb tail and incredibly mean." Hiccup stood his ground, watching as the female's co continued circling him.

One of the females growled at him, before lunging for his leg, but Hiccup dodged the blow and held his hand out.

" Stop!" The stingers stopped their circling and looked at the boy, the largest one stepped forward.

" What did you ssssay?" She asked, glaring at Hiccup in confusion.

" I just said stop." The Stingers backed away from Hiccup and lowered their tails, was this boy really something to them.

" You speak our language, how?" Hiccup smiled, finally something he could answer.

" My best friend, my dragon, taught me." The lead Speed Stinger took a few steps towards Hiccup and sniffed his hand.

" We have never heard of a human speaking Draconic." Hiccup smiled and listened to their story, his heartbreaking as they explained their life.

Mala and Throk watched Hiccup sit down on the ground and reply to the Stingers in shipping, clicking, and growls.

" Is he talking to them?" Mala asked, taking a closer look at him and turning to Astrid, who nodded.

" Yeah, he is." Hiccup stood up and the lead Stinger rested her head der his hand, warbling happily.

" Mala, this is Barb, she says I'm good." Mala and Throk stood on the edge of the pit completely shocked, Toothless walked past them and flapped down to his rider.

" Mala, if you and your people trust the judgment of dragons, then trust Barb and Toothless'." Mala looked down at Hiccup and the six dragons flanking him, before smiling.

" You are certainly a mystery Hiccup Haddock and I trust your dragon's judgments, you and your friends are free to go." Astrid and Heather let out a long sigh of relief, Dagur let out one of his battle cries.

Hiccup nodded at Barb, he jumped onto Toothless and allowed the stinger to sit behind him, before landing in front of Mala.

" She and her run would like to be free." Mala nodded, before kneeling to scratch Toothless.

" I have never met a man like you Hiccup, but if you betray us in any way, I will not hesitate to kill you myself." Hiccup nodded, understanding Mala's trust was early given out to people.

" Now, how about we discuss this peace treaty of yours." Hiccup jumped off Toothless and followed after her, Astrid stood back watching his expression.

She didn't like how he acted around this Queen Mala, she obviously was equal in knowledge and use of words.

What Astrid didn't understand was if Hiccup liked her, did he like Mala and what would that mean for her?