The arena breathed heat and tension.
Lucian stood alone at the upper railing, one hand resting against the rough wood, gaze fixed on the open space below. The noise of the crowd rolled and echoed around him, but it felt distant, like a storm heard from behind glass.
The gates groaned.
Then the Gronckle emerged. Heavy, deliberate, each step sinking into the sand with a dull, grounded thud. Its body was thick and compact, scales layered like overlapping stone, dull brown with faint hints of ash. Smoke drifted lazily from its nostrils, curling upward as if the creature itself were a smoldering furnace.
Below, only two figures stood against it.
Astrid moved first.
She circled wide, boots sliding lightly across the sand, axe held low but ready. Her posture was sharp, coiled, every step measured. She didn't rush in blindly. She watched. Waited. Calculated.
Across from her, Hiccup shifted his weight uncertainly.
He wasn't holding his weapon like someone ready to strike. His grip was loose, distracted. His attention wasn't on attacking.
It was on understanding.
The Gronckle exhaled, a low rumble vibrating through its chest. Then, without warning, it lunged.
Astrid reacted instantly.
She dashed forward instead of away, closing the distance in a burst of speed. Her axe came down hard against the creature's side.
CLANG.
The sound rang out across the arena.
The Gronckle barely moved.
Astrid's expression tightened, but she didn't hesitate. She pivoted, using the recoil to spin away just as the dragon's tail swept across the sand where she'd been standing.
Hiccup flinched.
The dragon turned again, slow but certain, its attention shifting between them. Smoke curled thicker from its jaws now, heat building as it prepared another breath.
Astrid went in again.
This time aiming lower.
Her axe struck near the leg joint, the impact sending a faint shudder through the creature's stance. It wasn't damage but it was something.
The Gronckle responded.
Its jaws opened, molten glow gathering deep in its throat as it faced her directly. Fire was coming.
Lucian's fingers tightened slightly against the railing.
There it is.
Astrid braced, ready to dodge at the last second.
"H-hey! Wait!" Hiccup's voice cut in, sudden and sharp. "Don't hit it again!"
She ignored him.
She moved.
Hiccup moved too but not away.
Toward it.
Lucian's gaze sharpened.
Hiccup closed the distance just as the dragon inhaled.
Then he reached out.
His hand pressed firmly beneath the Gronckle's jaw, fingers finding a precise spot hidden beneath thick layers of scale.
He scratched.
The effect was immediate.
The glow in the dragon's throat flickered… then died.
Its entire body sagged, tension unraveling all at once. The massive creature let out a low, almost confused sound as its legs buckled beneath it.
Then it dropped flat into the stone.
Silence washed over the arena for a single, stretched moment before the noise came crashing back.
Lucian exhaled slowly.
"…There it is."
Below, Hiccup stood frozen, staring at his own hand as if he didn't quite believe what he'd just done.
The roar of the crowd still echoed through the training arena as the Gronckle lay snoring on the ground, a small wisp of smoke curling from its nostrils.
Hiccup stood beside it, axe limp in his hands, trying very hard to look anywhere but at the furious blonde charging toward him.
"NO!" Astrid's voice cut through the cheers like a battle axe through butter. "OH, YOU SON OF A HALF-TROLL, RAT-EATING MUNGE BUCKET!"
Hiccup winced. That was a new one. Impressively creative, even for Astrid.
Stoick raised a massive hand, his booming voice rolling over the arena like thunder. "Wait! Wait!"
Hiccup saw his chance. He started backing away, offering a weak, lopsided smile. "So… later."
He'd barely taken three steps before a heavy iron hook snagged the back of his vest.
"Not so fast!" Gobber growled, yanking him back with a cheerful grin that showed far too many teeth.
Hiccup's shoulders slumped. "I'm kinda late for—"
"What?!" Astrid rounded on him, eyes blazing, her axe still clenched in a white-knuckled grip. "Late for what, exactly?!"
The entire arena seemed to hold its breath. Even the dragons in their pens had gone quiet, as if they, too, were waiting to hear what pathetic excuse the chief's scrawny son would come up with this time.
Gobber stepped forward, his broad frame casting a long shadow over the trio. He placed a calming hand on Astrid's shoulder, though it looked more like he was holding her back from committing murder. "Okay, quiet down. The Elder has decided."
Gothi, the ancient village elder, gave a small, decisive nod from her perch, her staff tapping the ground once and pointed at Hiccup.
Gobber's face split into a proud, gap-toothed smile as he clapped Hiccup hard on the back, nearly knocking him over. "You've done it! You've done it, Hiccup! You get to kill the dragon!"
Stoick threw his head back and laughed, a deep, booming sound that shook the wooden stands. "Ha, ha! That's my boy!"
Hiccup forced a grin that felt more like a grimace. He raised his fists half-heartedly in mock celebration, his voice dripping with sarcasm thick enough to slay a Monstrous Nightmare.
"Heh. Oh, yeah! Yes!" He pumped one fist weakly. "I can't wait. I am so… excited."
Lucian's gaze lingered on the two figures below. Then he turned away from the railing.
A faint, knowing curve touched his lips.
"Looks like some things don't change," he murmured under his breath.
_______
By the time he made his way back through the village, the noise of the arena had already begun to fade behind him.
Lucian approached his house with his thoughts already shifting toward the cove, when he noticed someone standing just outside.
Ariel.
She stood with her hands tucked behind her back, shifting slightly on her feet. The moment she saw him, her face brightened, and she stepped forward with a light, eager energy.
"Good morning, Lucian."
"Good morning, Ariel," he replied, slowing to a stop. "What's the matter? Do you need something?"
She shook her head quickly, bringing her hands forward.
"I wanted to give you this."
She held out a book.
Lucian took it, glancing down at the cover. A simple illustration of a mermaid was etched across the front.
He looked back at her.
"I wrote it," Ariel said, a small hint of nervousness slipping into her voice. "Everything I know about Tideborns. I asked someone to teach me how to write it properly so you could understand."
Lucian's expression softened. "…You wrote this?"
She nodded.
"Thank you," he said sincerely. Then, after a brief pause, he asked, "Who taught you?"
"Oh," Ariel said, brightening slightly, "her name is Gothi. She was with that yellow-bearded man with the hook arm. He helped too."
Lucian let out a quiet breath of amusement. "That explains a lot."
A short silence followed.
Ariel shifted again, her fingers fidgeting slightly before she spoke.
"Lucian… I'm going back to Atlantica."
He looked at her.
"I've been here for a week," she continued. "I didn't tell my family anything. They might be worried."
Lucian nodded once.
"Then you should go," he said lightly. "Wouldn't want your father worrying himself into a storm." He reached out and ruffled her hair.
Ariel laughed softly, brushing his hand away. "Hey... stop it"
She stepped back, then turned and began heading toward the shore. After a few steps, she glanced over her shoulder and waved.
"Bye! I'll see you again!"
Lucian raised his hand in return.
"Yeah. See you."
He watched until she disappeared from view.
Then something tugged at his attention.
A small sound from below.
"Fuu!"
Lucian looked down.
Simba stood at his tail, one tiny paw raised, mimicking Ariel's wave with surprising seriousness.
Lucian let out a quiet laugh.
He bent down, lifting the cub into his arms.
"Come on," he said softly. "Let's head inside."
The door creaked open as he stepped back into the quiet of his home.