The soft, rhythmic sound of water trickling stirred me from my sleep. Groggily, I lifted my head, squinting into the dim light of my hut. A steady drip, drip, drip came from the roof, a tiny stream of water pooling onto the wooden floor. With a sigh, I waved my hand lazily, using a touch of magic to seal the holes above.

Satisfied, I turned over, letting the warmth of sleep pull me back under. But just as I was drifting off, I felt something—a breath brushing against my forehead. It was warm, steady, and distinctly not human.

I groaned. "Shadowstrike, please let me sleep," I mumbled into the pillow.

But Toothless nudged me again, his voice barely more than a whisper in my mind. "Wake up, please."

That tone made my eyes snap open. Dragons were rarely so vulnerable in their words, let alone Shadowstrike, who always seemed so steady and sure. His pleading tugged at my heart like nothing else.

I sat up quickly, turning to him, and my breath caught in my throat. Shadowstrike stood there, his sides heaving as if he'd run for miles, his dark scales shimmering faintly in the moonlight that filtered through the window. Blood dripped from a cut above his brow, trickling down the side of his face.

"Shadowstrike, whatever happened?" I asked, my voice trembling as I reached out instinctively. My fingers brushed his scales, and he flinched but didn't pull away.

"A branch," he muttered, his words clipped with urgency. "I was running to find you. Hiccup... he needs you."

My heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean? What's happened?"

"He's about to be killed. In the dragon pit," Shadowstrike said, his voice trembling as much as his body.

I froze, dread settling over me like a heavy shroud. My hands moved instinctively to the wound above his brow, and with a gentle pulse of magic, I healed it, watching as the skin and scales knit together seamlessly. Shadowstrike let out a shaky breath, but his urgency didn't waver.

"We have to go. Now," I said, grabbing my cloak and fastening it around my shoulders in one fluid motion. I moved to Shadowstrike's side, gripping his saddle and vaulting onto his back without hesitation.

His wings flared, and with one powerful leap, we burst into the night sky. The cool wind whipped against my face as the village of Berk unfolded beneath us, but my thoughts were far from the view.

Whatever was happening in the dragon pit, Hiccup was in danger. And we had to stop it.

◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥

The dragon pit was a chaos of fire and shadows when we arrived. A massive Monstrous Nightmare loomed over Hiccup, its jaws poised to snap down on him, red and black scales glowing like molten rock under the torchlight.

Toothless didn't hesitate. With a piercing shriek, he shot a plasma blast that struck the ground inches from the Nightmare's maw, the resulting shockwave forcing the beast to stagger back. The distraction was just enough to give Hiccup a chance to survive.

I slid off Toothless as he barreled into the Nightmare, their bodies tangling in a flurry of claws and wings. Without pause, I rushed to Hiccup, who was pinned under a broken wooden beam. "Hiccup!" I cried, pulling the debris off him and helping him to his feet.

His body trembled, his weight leaning heavily against me. "What happened?" I demanded, scanning his face for answers, but he didn't reply. His green eyes were wide with shock, darting between the dragons locked in combat and the circle of villagers watching from above. Their faces were twisted with confusion and suspicion—some even seemed not to recognize me.

Behind us, Toothless snarled, slamming the Nightmare to the ground and positioning himself protectively in front of Hiccup and me. I let out a breath, lowering Hiccup gently to the ground. "Stay here," I said firmly.

Toothless growled low as I passed him, his green eyes flickering with worry. "Nyx, what are you doing?" he asked, his voice sharp in my thoughts.

I held up a hand to quiet him and turned my focus to the Monstrous Nightmare. It stood now, injured but defiant, flames flickering at the corners of its mouth. Its yellow eyes bore into me with raw fury, and I could see the layers of pain beneath that rage.

I sheathed my sword, holding up my hands, palms out, to show I meant no harm. "Hey, hey, it's okay," I said softly, my voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through me. "I'm not here to hurt you, and neither is he."

The Nightmare growled, its massive form tensing. The ground quaked slightly as it shifted its weight, and its claws scraped the stone floor. "You humans are all the same," it rumbled, its voice low and venomous. "Killing, killing... as if the queen weren't bad enough. We must also endure your endless cruelty."

The words hit me like a blow, and my heart sank. "I'm sorry," I whispered, stepping closer. My eyes locked onto its glowing yellow ones, refusing to look away. "Not all humans are like that. We're trying to change—Hiccup and I—we want to help dragons, not harm them."

The Nightmare snorted, a small plume of flame escaping its nostrils. "Pretty words won't undo centuries of bloodshed," it hissed, but the tension in its body eased slightly. Its gaze shifted to Toothless, who was still bristling with protective energy behind me. "And you, Night Fury... why do you fight your own kind?"

Toothless's response was immediate. "Because I have seen enough pain. Enough of what the queen and her fear bring. I choose freedom, and I choose to protect those who stand for it—human or not."

The Nightmare hesitated, its anger dampening as its sharp eyes shifted between me, Toothless, and Hiccup. For the first time, I saw a glimmer of something other than rage. Exhaustion, fear, and maybe even curiosity.

"Please," I said gently, stepping closer still. "I know you've suffered. I know it's hard to trust, but if we keep fighting each other, we'll all lose in the end."

The dragon regarded me for a long moment before letting out a deep, rumbling sigh. Its massive head dipped slightly, a reluctant gesture of acknowledgment.

From behind me, Hiccup spoke, his voice hoarse but steady. "We can help you. We can help all dragons. But we need you to trust us first."

The Monstrous Nightmare didn't answer, but it didn't attack either. Its flames dimmed, and it lowered itself to the ground with a heavy thud. I reached out cautiously, my hand brushing against its battered scales, and it didn't pull away.

For the first time that night, I felt a spark of hope. The gap between dragons and humans was vast, but maybe, just maybe, we could start to bridge it.

The arena exploded into chaos as the Monstrous Nightmare roared, its voice reverberating through the pit. Its molten eyes locked on me, its bared teeth snapping inches from my face. "Liar!" it bellowed, lunging forward.

Toothless shot in front of me, slashing at the Nightmare's snout with claws glinting in the torchlight. "Stay away from her!" he snarled, his voice thick with protective rage.

I stumbled back, my heart racing as the crowd of Vikings above roared to life, weapons gleaming as they surged toward the pit. Hiccup, still dazed but determined, locked eyes with me from across the chaos.

"Run!" I screamed, ducking under a Viking's axe as it swung dangerously close to Toothless's head. My voice was swallowed by the cacophony of shouting and dragon roars, but Hiccup nodded, retreating toward the far wall of the arena.

Toothless growled, his tail lashing as he leapt toward me, trying to grab me and drag me to safety. I dodged, pushing his head gently but firmly aside. "No, stop it!" I shouted, my voice cutting through the noise. "We shouldn't kill them!"

The Monstrous Nightmare, flames curling at the corners of its mouth, raised its head high, preparing to unleash its fiery wrath. The heat radiated toward me like a wave, and the crowd drew back in fear. But I stood my ground, my heart pounding as I stepped between the Nightmare and Stoick, who had just entered the pit, his axe raised and ready to strike.

"Nyx, move!" Stoick bellowed, his voice booming. He halted his swing, confused but unyielding, as I faced the Nightmare head-on.

The dragon hesitated, its burning gaze flickering between me and the Vikings above. "Why are you protecting them?" it growled, its voice filled with raw anger and betrayal. "They want to kill us all."

I took a shaky breath, extending my arms to shield both sides from each other. "Because this has to stop," I said, my voice trembling but firm. "I know they've hurt you. I know you're angry. But if you burn them now, they'll never understand. They'll never learn that dragons aren't their enemies."

The Nightmare's fiery maw flickered, its rage tempered by confusion. Toothless stepped closer, his posture calm but protective, and growled low at the Vikings who edged toward us. "Nyx is right," he said quietly, his voice directed at the Nightmare. "We're all just fighting because we're afraid. It doesn't have to be this way."

Stoick lowered his axe slightly, his eyes narrowing as he processed what he was seeing. "You can't reason with a beast!" he shouted, his voice torn between disbelief and fury.

I turned to him, my expression pleading. "They're not beasts. They're alive. They're scared. And they only fight because we make them."

For a long moment, no one moved. The Monstrous Nightmare's flames dimmed, the roar in its chest softening to a low growl. The Vikings above hesitated, unsure of what to do as the tension hung heavy in the air.

Finally, the Nightmare lowered its head slightly, its molten gaze meeting mine. "If I spare them, what then?" it asked, its voice wary but curious.

I stepped closer, my hands trembling as I reached out toward its massive snout. "Then we have a chance," I said softly, my heart pounding. "A chance to stop this endless war. A chance for peace."

The Nightmare huffed, a plume of smoke billowing from its nostrils as it considered my words. Behind me, Toothless stood tall, his green eyes unwavering as he silently supported me.

The dragon pulled back, its fiery gaze sweeping over the Vikings, then back to me. "For now," it growled, its tone warning but not hostile. "But if they come for me again, I will not hesitate."

I nodded, relief flooding through me. "That's all I ask."

As the Nightmare turned and leapt out of the pit, disappearing into the night, the crowd above erupted into murmurs of confusion and disbelief. Stoick stared at me, his grip tightening on his axe. "What are you playing at, girl?" he demanded.

I straightened, meeting his fiery gaze. "I'm trying to stop a war, Chief Stoick. Even if it means standing between both sides."

The silence that followed was deafening. Toothless moved to my side, his steady presence grounding me as I faced the bewildered, angry eyes of the village leader and his people.

Hiccup stepped forward, his voice quiet but clear. "She's right, Dad. There's more to this than we understand."

Stoick's gaze shifted between the two of us before he turned sharply, storming out of the pit without another word. The crowd dispersed, their whispers trailing behind them like echoes of the night.

Toothless nudged my arm gently, his green eyes shining with gratitude. "You're brave, Nyx," he said softly.

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding, my hands trembling as I patted his snout. "We're not out of this yet," I murmured, my gaze lifting to the sky where the Monstrous Nightmare had vanished. "But maybe, just maybe, we've taken the first step."