As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the training grounds, Frida collapsed to her knees, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Sweat glistened upon her brow as she looked up at Njal, a sense of pride swelling within her chest.


"I did it," she whispered, her voice tinged with disbelief.


Njal offered her a genuine smile, his eyes alight with pride. "Yes, you did," he said, his voice gruff with emotion.


"And you will continue to do so, for you are stronger than you realize, Frida. Never forget that."


With those words echoing in her ears, Frida rose to her feet, her heart pounding with newfound determination. For in that moment, she knew that no obstacle was insurmountable, no challenge too great. With Njal by her side, she would conquer them all, one step at a time.


The problem was, when the time came, would she want to fight Njal to the death? The searing truth ate at her heart. Njal was everything she ever dreamed about in having a mate. But he was human. Not only human, he was the greatest dragon slayer in history. What would he think of her if he knew she lived among the Gods?


Frida feared that if Njal found out her true identity, she would have no choice but to fight him. A choice she wasn’t sure she wanted to make anymore.


* * * * *


Frida’s sleep was restless, her mind haunted by a vivid dream. She found herself back in Njal’s villa, but the air was thick with the scent of smoke and blood. The sky was darkened by storm clouds, and the once tranquil grounds were now a battlefield.


Nidhogg’s massive form loomed over the villa, its scales glinting menacingly in the dim light. The dragon’s eyes burned with an ancient hatred, and its roar echoed through the valley, a harbinger of doom.


Frida’s heart pounded as she watched the scene unfold, unable to intervene.


The courtyard was in chaos. Marie, the young nurse who had cared for Frida, was desperately trying to shield her daughter, Ivy, from the dragon’s wrath. Ivy’s small face was etched with terror as she clung to her mother.


Frida’s breath caught in her throat as she saw Nidhogg’s claws swipe toward them, sending them sprawling to the ground. Blood stained the cobblestones where they fell, and Frida screamed, though no sound escaped her lips.


She turned her gaze to Njal, who stood defiantly between the dragon and the villa’s inhabitants. His sword flashed in the dim light as he fought with every ounce of his strength. But Nidhogg was relentless, his attacks brutal and unyielding.


Frida could see the exhaustion in Njal’s eyes, the weight of every blow he parried and every wound he sustained.


“Njal, no!” Frida’s silent cry echoed in her mind as she watched him falter. Nidhogg’s tail lashed out, striking Njal with a force that sent him crashing to the ground.


Njal struggled to rise, his body battered and broken, but still he fought on, driven by a fierce determination to protect those he cared for.


As Njal faced Nidhogg, his strength waning, the dragon reared back, preparing to deliver a final, fatal blow.


Time seemed to slow as Frida watched in horror, her heart shattering as Nidhogg’s claws descended upon Njal. He fell to the ground, blood pooling around him, his eyes closing as the light faded from them.


The villa was in ruins, the lives of its inhabitants snuffed out by the dragon’s wrath.


Frida’s vision blurred with tears as she saw Marie and Ivy lying motionless, their bodies broken. Despair and guilt overwhelmed her, knowing that she had failed to protect them, that Njal had died because she wasn’t strong enough to face Nidhogg.