The Highland Gas were postponed indefinitely after rida’s dramatic display.
Tension still lingered in the air, but the clans returned to the Great Hall for a grand feast as night fell and dawn slowly approached.
Torches flickered warmly along the stone walls. Long tables groaned under mountains of roasted at, fresh bread, and barrels of ale. King Fergus was in high spirits, entertaining the lords with a booming, off-key song about his legendary battle against the Demon Bear Mor’du. His dramatic gestures and roaring voice made the hall erupt in laughter between verses.
Lucian sat with the gang at one of the side tables, enjoying the lively atmosphere. Ariel was beside him, staring curiously at the utensils.
"Hey, look! A dinglehopper!" she said happily, holding up a fork.
Lucian smiled and placed a generous portion of food on her plate, then another on his own. "Now, now. Eat properly. Rember what I taught you back on Berk."
Ariel nodded and tried her best, but she was still clumsy with the knife and fork, occasionally poking the at awkwardly.
Lucian watched her with a fond smile before biting into a juicy chicken leg himself.
Suddenly, Snotlout spoke up, mouth still full. "Hey guys, don’t you feel like this place is kinda... odd?"
"How co?" Hiccup asked, chewing.
"Like, THERE AREN’T ANY DRAGONS!" Snotlout exclaid.
Tuffnut nudged his sister. "It’s not like dragons attack every day, right sis?"
"Yeah, are you dumbass?" Ruffnut shot back.
"No, what I an is, even on Berk there are dragons hiding in the forests. But here? I looked around earlier when I was bored. None. Not even a tiny Terrible Terror."
Fishlegs leaned forward, always eager to share knowledge. "Oh, I know about this one! According to the old books, the Demon Bear Mor’du scared most of the dragons away from this region. The bears here are unusually large and fierce. Their hides are incredibly tough, and their claws and teeth can rival dragons. That’s why anyone who manages to take down a bear in these lands becos quite renowned."
"Heh," Tuffnut grinned. "It’s just a bear. I could hunt one."
They continued eating and chatting until a short, plump woman approached their table.
She wore a simple brown robe over a light brown dress, tied with a sash, and a white bonnet under a brown cap. Her figure was notably curvaceous, especially around the bosom.
She greeted them with a warm, knowing smile. "Good evening, young ones I’m Maudie. The princess has sothing she wishes to give you. Would you please follow ?"
Curious, the gang exchanged glances and followed the woman through the back corridors of the castle. She led them into a secluded storeroom. When she opened the heavy door, they were stunned into silence.
Inside were seven separate piles of treasure boxes overflowing with gold coins, sparkling diamonds, jewels, ancient weapons, and rare books.
"The princess said this is your rightful share from the treasure you helped recover at the Northern Market," Maudie explained with a mysterious smile.
Snotlout’s eyes lit up like lanterns. "Whoa!"
He imdiately jumped forward, followed eagerly by the twins. Lucian, Hiccup, Fishlegs, and Astrid looked at each other before stepping forward as well.
Each pile was clearly divided. In addition to gold and jewels, there were finely crafted weapons and valuable books. As Lucian inspected his share, his eyes suddenly widened at a smaller box tucked to the side.
It contained several glowing, translucent orbs pulsing with soft blue light.
"Mana Crystals...?" he whispered in awe.
According to the books Gothi had given him, Mana Crystals were condensed pure mana. They could be used to cast spells even by people without natural magical talent. They were incredibly precious for witchcraft, alchemy, and noble families. Unlike in so stories where monsters dropped them, these crystals only ford when a mage died, their mana core condensing upon death. Because of this dark origin, they were once hunted aggressively, leading to the Council of Wizards in Calot banning their open sale. Still, a black market thrived.
Lucian looked at the others and noticed they also had Mana Crystals in their shares.
He cleared his throat. "If any of you don’t have a use for these crystals, I’d be willing to trade for them. Gold, weapons, whatever you want."
Hiccup, Fishlegs, and Astrid imdiately pushed their crystals toward him.
"I don’t really need them," Hiccup said with a shrug.
"Sa here," Astrid added.
Fishlegs nodded. "You can have mine."
Snotlout clutched his box protectively. "Hey, wait! This stuff is worth at least one full box of gold!"
Astrid punched him hard in the shoulder.
"Ow!" Snotlout yelped, rubbing the spot. "Fine, fine! Take them! Geez..."
Lucian gathered all the Mana Crystals with a satisfied smile. "Thank you. I owe you all."
Maudie watched the exchange quietly, her eyes twinkling with hidden amusent before she slipped away without another word.
As the gang continued admiring their new wealth, Lucian held one of the glowing Mana Crystals between his fingers, feeling its warm pulse of power.
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