Something Different

Chapter 7

Hiccup's POV

"What do you mean by war?" I asked.

"You'll find out soon enough. Here they come now." Each group came in from different directions, each grouping in their color-coded sections. North and Sandy came in behind them, each going to their respective groups. Bunnymund took his place among us.

"Listen up!" North stood up on a podium. "We are going to have our weekly group fight now. As usual, I would like to remind you that there will be no fatalities in the ring. Also, no weapons bigger than the size of a pillow will be used, and there are no guns or explosives. This is a chance for everyone to test their strength, endurance, and possibly teamwork, but most will practice individuality. You are allowed to work with members of your group, but not others. Alright, Pitch, one of our counsellors, will mediate things. Only two members from each group will enter at once. Let the battle, begin!"

A huge fence raised around the black circle. Three openings came on the sides, one for each group. A man wearing black stood in the center, surrounded by a cage. I could see a trophy with him. That must be the prize. I felt a compelling, an urge, to get that trophy.

Jack's POV

I watched the other group's players. The red ones had seemed to nominate two of their members to send in. One had long blonde hair that she twirled with one hair, a frying pan in the other. The other one had brown hair, sideburns, and a smirk. He held a mace in one of his hands.

The yellow team had put out two as well. One had braided red hair, with a white streak in it. She didn't seem to have a weapon, but she still stood confidently. By her side was a tall, muscular, blond guy, who also didn't seem to have a weapon. Maybe he was hiding something.

I looked over at my teammates. No one was stepping up. No one dared enter that ring. But then I looked over at Hiccup. He stepped in front. He held a dagger in his hand. He smiled. He was going in.

And I don't know what it was, but something inside of me told me that I wanted to go in too. I wanted to fight alongside my roommate. I wanted to prove my worth. So I stepped up next to him, ready for battle. Ready to win.

Hiccup's POV

I looked to my right to find my roommate, my scrawny, nerdy roommate, looking up at me with pride and slightly childish determination, like a lion cub who had just won a play fight. Yet, he was confident, for a change. I was surprised to find him stepping up, and somehow, even though I knew it would be a smoother fight without him, I felt, comforted somehow. I shook the feeling away. Get your head in the game, Hiccup.

The gates raised up, and the ones in red, Rapunzel and Flynn, as I had heard, went straight for the middle cage, circling around it, Flynn swinging his mace, Rapunzel holding her pan up against her shoulder. I guess their strategy was to go straight for the prize. I tried to go after them, but Jack held me back.

"Watch the yellow team first," he whispered. I followed his lead. Anna and Kristoff didn't seem to notice that we were watching them. They walked into the arena, staying close to the walls. They peered at their opponents, trying to work it out. They were so wrapped up in each other, and so was I, that no one noticed Jack.