This Is War- Part One, Prologue
Claws of Death

-Valka's Dragon Sanctuary, Noon.
Ramming the dragon down to the ground, he reared up, driving his tusks into the poor bastard's vulnerable, icy blue underbelly. As they sank into the flesh, peeling and tearing at the squelching skin around the wound, he felt guts and blood bath his killing machines.

The dragon's roar soon became a scream, its death slow and painful.

An agonised roar tore through the air, as a resonating thud echoed across the battlefield, as it drove them all the way through, piercing the other side and hovering over the snowy ground, now tinted a sickening red.

Blood gushed out its underbelly, as he removed his tusks, watching as its eyes rolled to the back of his skull, and it died on the spot.

Watching, the reality took its sweet time to sink in;

The Alpha had fallen.

At first, he heaved and panted, slowly turning around, barely aware that crimson blood and guts were dripping and sliding off his tusks, blood splattered across his face and caking his neck.

He looked like a mad-dragon- but, then again, he was.

He already worked for a mad-man, so this was nothing special. But, the agony and horror that followed his victory had him wanting to die.

Lifting his dark, massive head, the Bewilderbeast bellowed, as his mind practically exploded; bright, disturbing lights of rapidly spinning and flashing red, black and blue tortured him, and he fought with all his mind to get rid of them. But alas, they continued to dance in his eyes, and from the outside, it just appeared as if his eyes were turning into incredibly narrow slits.

Despite the onslaught of pain, he soon found himself gleefully accepting and welcoming it; this was what it felt like to be an ALPHA. The king, and all-powerful ruler of all dragon kind.

His roar soon became one of command, and before long, hypnotised, mind controlled dragons from both their sides flew around his head. Shrieking and screeching, they showered their new Alpha with respect and submission.

Coming down with a mighty thud, his eyes and mind slowly started to come back to reality.

The monster of a dragon decided to test out his new ability.

His mind reached out to all dragons, as he easily broke down their mental defences.

BOW, MY SUBJECTS!

The expectantly staring gathering of dragons, the oh so puny dragons, respectively obeyed, practically grovelling before him. They were completely heedless of what they were doing.

Any who weren't in his command yet, well, they were flying around him like little Fireworms trying to protect their pathetic Queen. Ugh, they always were wretched little things. His mind was slowly slipping into a state of what he'd put next to insanity, but he didn't give a single shit. He had everything right now, in this glorious, shining moment. With a furious roar, he rose once more on his hind legs, watching as the annoying, blind souls who didn't see his power and majesty, flew around blindly, trying to find and attack him, while desperately attempting to not crash into a trap or wall, and attempting (and failing) to steal back their independence from his iron claws of will.

His blue and red gaze suddenly whipped to the side, feeling a very powerful jab to his skull, that almost made him wince in pain.

Almost.

Not really.

Turning his gruesome head to the side, he searched the sky for what he was looking for; he reached out mentally, and rather than finding one powerful mind, he found two.

Except, one was human.

While he was beyond furious that those stupid Dragon Riders were messing everything up, again, even in his moment of glory, he couldn't resist snorting in pleasure, by the powers of Loki, he had a aptitude for this!

His frustrated roar split the air, and sent tremors through the earth below his feet, but that foolish dragon and its human didn't appear before him as he ordered.

Batting at both of their minds at the same time, he tried to lure them in; ah, yes, he could control humans, too. It had only been on very rare occasions, but none the less, he could do just that. It was some what of a challenge, too, since the primal instincts in the minds of humans was quite low, and they weren't exactly the same race. But, that didn't mean dragons couldn't dominate humans.

As he lost his patience and rammed his full power into the two's minds, he knew they were done for.

He heard cries and shouts of other humans, and screeches from their dragons, but he inwardly laughed at them. There was nothing they could do now. They should have submitted to him when they had the chance; now, they would meet the same demise as that pathetic snowy Bewilderbeast, laying dead and mangled on the cold, unforgiving, blood stained, snowy ground of a battlefield. A place where the war had already been won, even before the first ship was docked at the shore.

Two equally as pained screams tore split the air like a knife through butter, one human, and one dragon.

He watched, amused but almost pitiful, as a black streak crashed into the ground not far from him, the sound of snapping bones and their heavy landing echoing through the icy battlefield.

He snorted, listening as they went silent. However, they were still alive, and he could tell.

...It was time to finish this.

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

-Valka's Dragon Sanctuary, Noon
Drago Bludvist watched. He watched all of it. Right from when the Muddy Bewilderbeast brutally murdered the Alpha, to when he took down the legendary Ancestral Night Fury.

Only when that happened, did he step in, as his Queen had ordered.

The Bewilderbeast noticed his forthcoming, and snarled his immediate resolve. Drago ignored the massive creature, knowing very well it was just its mind slipping into nothing, and just pits of darkness and insanity.

Eventually giving in, the Bewilderbeast followed his 'master' to where the dragon and rider had fallen.


They found the rider laid on his side, barely breathing. The young man's ribs were clearly broken, and he was unconscious in his own pool of blood.

Not far away, his Night Fury stood, banged up bad.

His wing was clearly broken, the membrane torn into shreds. Blood was oozing out a long cut on his side, and his body was bent in a way that made some of his ribs literally stick out of his body. He groaned, blearily blinking, and trying to grasp what happened. When he saw his human, his eyes widened in horror and panic, and only expanded upon sighting Drago and his Bewilderbeast.

The Alpha looked bored, although the madman at its feet looked more disappointed. “Really?” He asked, basically to no one. “All those years waiting for this so-called legendary rider, and THIS is what we get?” Toothless felt some confusion behind the terror and pain, but it was nearly fully blocked by the overruling emotions. “Pathetic.” The madman snarled. He spun his bull-hook around to face the Alpha, who hissed in warning.

DO NOT TRIFLE AND TOY WITH ME, OLD Master. I am a FREE ALPHA now!

The Bewilderbeast shouted at the man, who merely grunted, muttering something about 'doing this old-fashioned'.

With a single motion, he swung his weapon around repeatedly over his head, shouting words telepathically from long, long ago, under a simple yell. Immediately, the Bewilderbeast bellowed his rage, being confined in the spell's magical bindings.

As it struck, he groaned, a horrific sound to hear, and felt his whole body shudder.

Drago merely looked on coldly, as the dragon once again became his own. The Night Fury had moved some what closer to his fallen rider, who was now awake and alert of his surroundings. The viking was downright petrified, watching the whole thing with no words and only pain and fear to fill him.

“NOW.” Drago snarled, his voice laced with so much venom and malice, it could have downed and entire army.

He slowly lifted his bull hook from where the Bewilderbeast stared at it, entranced, and moved it right over so it landed directly on the Night Fury. The Alpha followed it, and got the idea; its bloody frills twitched, and a series of agitated clicks rose from its throat; it's eyes narrowed even further, continuously switching from extra thin to deadly thin.

Hiccup froze, not needing to be fully conscious, or told what that meant.

Whimpering in a way that was inhumane, he watched in terror, as his beloved partner started roaring and battling, until he finally fell under the Alpha's terrifying, bending will and power....

…......And became the Alpha's own.

Drago pointed his bull hook at Hiccup's chest, speaking a blunt, menacing voice.

“Kill him.”

Hiccup's eyes widened, as the Bewilderbeast sent the command, and was received, by an alien-sounding growl from Toothless.

As if he was never wounded, the Night Fury started to walk and partially limp towards him...

Set to kill.

He was a complete puppet.

His best friend was a slave to the Bewilderbeast.

The Alpha.

Drago Bludvist.

And it was all his FAULT.

So he stood, and accepted his death, unaware of what laid ahead of that one mistake, which turned out to be more of a miracle.

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

-Valley of Echoes, Midnight.
Dark wings covered the moon, blocking the silver glow from touching the land.

It was a dragon.

With pitch black scales that blended in with the night sky, sparkling and shimmering in the pale light of the starlight, and glowing red eyes that were enough to strike terror into the hearts of any foe, the creature was truly a sight to behold.

And upon its back, a large hunk of a man sat, silent as he stared blankly down on the beautiful landscape most would admire.

The dragon dove, tucking its massive wings to its sides, levelling out over the Valley of Echoes.

As it's name implied, the long, dark crevice between the mountain sides, bounced off loud noises
perfectly; such was the case for a haunting shriek.

Dragons, critters, birds and predators alike cowered in fear, as huge shadows passed over their nests and homes, the sound of wings beating against the chilly night breeze alerting them of the beast's nearby presence. With a single roar, Whispering Deaths whimpered. When passing a cold glare over the nest of a Changewing, the residents scurried to hide.

Cowards, it thought.

The rider on its back merely grunted at his dragon's statement, veering the creature towards a dark fortress upon the hill.

Gliding over the high mountain peaks, they encountered one flock of terrified Sand Nadders* and a dumb, and now brutally mangled and dead Snub-Nosed Gronckle [OCDS-2], before they turned, entering a ring of large, towering and intimidating mountains, that closed in on a rocky, barren wasteland which had only two ways out; flying, or somehow find their way through the endless complex of underground tunnels. He flew up high over the mountain, then dived down the side of the mountain in a curving slope.

The black dragon snapped his wings open, hovering over the huge black fortress that contained tortures and memories beyond imagination. They circled it twice, before gliding down to the huge, desolate clearing at its front. Great clouds of grey dust flew up around the beast, shrouding the already dark dragon in a cloak of grey.

Guarding the entrance were six armoured dragons, standing in a defensive line with watchful eyes. Upon seeing the huge dragon land, they stepped aside, and a moment later, the wall seemed to shift, and open, the result of huge doors sliding open.

The rider kicked the dragon's shoulder, who snorted and laid down. The man swung his leg over, and leaped off the huge beast, landing with a thud.

Drago Bludvist, Shur'tugal, Rider of Skulblaka Deathstar, had arrived.

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

-Queen Scarlet's Fortress, Midnight.
“YOU LET THEM ESCAPE?!” She shrieked, and Drago gathered up his tolerance. This was going to be rough.

Her eyes narrowed, as he rose his voice. “We did NOT let them go, your majesty- rather, we attempted to rid of them in a place that would convince the viking world they are dead.” He paused, wondering why he even tried, since she didn't look convinced, even in the slightest. “And,” Drago explained, “The fools have believed it.”

“Yes,” Scarlet snarled, looking ready to slaughter a dozen armies. “And now the GODS have them.”

The crimson dragon lowered her head to look them directly, her glowing, slitted-pupil, piercing yellow eyes illuminating the scales around them in a bright glare. Shining in the light, her scarlet (hence her name) scales glittered like jewels. After a silent pause, she made a deep rumble in her throat, and lowered her head to his level. Drago wasn't even a sixth of the size of her snout, and he was only just smaller than her eye.

“At least the Archipelago is weakened now.” The Dragon Rider cast his dark gaze aside, trying to muster up some excuse to save his ass.

“Go on...” The dragoness hissed.

Drago pressed on, his dragon still silent by his side. “Without the Rider and his Dragon, the Archipelago is now quite vulnerable- Especially their home,” He explained, “We could take the Island now, and surely, that would stir enough controversy-”

“Yes, but we don't need THAT.” The red dragon interrupted.

“We needed them-” She turned her head on one side, so she could stare right at him with one massive eye. Drago couldn't resist it. He cowered, almost going onto his knees in fear.

She stayed calm, which honestly made things even more terrifying. “-We needed the one thing you let slip out of our grasp... Poof, just like that!” She bared her sharp, white teeth at him in a snarl. “And THAT'S the excuse you come up with?”

Drago stayed silent. Beside him, his Skulblaka Night Fury hissed in warning, daring her to touch his rider.

Raising his voice to the conversation, Deathstar made sure to pour a ton of malice into his voice within the next few seconds. Remember, you big bag of scales, He hissed, You need us. We are at your command, but go too far, and you'll regret it.

A little nagging voice tugged at the back of Drago's mind- Hasn't she already gone past the limit? His thoughts didn't reach his dragon, for obvious reasons. Deathstar was awful at keeping his temper In heated situations, especially in arguments such as these. The dragon's muscles were tense with caution, ready to spring or attack at any moment.

Queen Scarlet hissed, nodding slowly. “Yes, yes, I know... Drago, could you tell your little lizard companion to shut his mouth, please?” She looked at her claws casually. “I'd absolutely HATE it for any... Accidents... To occur, within the next hour of briefing.”

Raising a hand and laying it on the dragon's scaly shoulder, Drago soon managed to silence his dragon.

“Now,” Scarlet said. “This is not the first time you have failed me, Shur'tugal. I expect this to NEVER happen again. Sound good to you?”

He glared coldly up at his Queen. “No promises, your highness.”

“Very well...”

She hissed, her eyes glowing briefly as she licked her thin forked tongue over her teeth.

Drago repeated his words. “No. Promises.”

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

This Is War- Part One, Prologue
Claws of Death

The tale of Hiccup and Toothless' prophesied ascension was indeed one to be known, and spread far and wide- across many lands...

Looking up to the sky the Outcasts, once a tribe as their name implied, they once more searched for the black wings, which would descend and reveal the warm, smiling face of his friendly rider... But they never came, they didn't any more, because they couldn't.

Some demanded for his true murderer's head... Drago Bludvist...

As the rider's father unrolled yet again another scroll from the Bog Burglars, he braced himself for yet again more sympathetic words, and reports of sightings... He had sworn to murder Drago Bludvist himself (as painfully as humanly possible), but their multitude of allies had insisted they help with the search...

No-one could find the man, no less figure out his whereabouts...

The chief quietly set down the scroll, sighing. His long-lost wife came up beside him, sat, and remained silent as they mourned for what had to be the fiftieth time...

But in the same way, no man, nor dragon, knew what had truly happened to the dragon and his boy... For the path of ascension, was not known to mankind, not for years after the duo's new beginning...

In the quiet of night, one husky boy sat in his room, reading, trying to understand. Beside him, his Gronckle Meatlug followed his eyes along the page, being quiet as to not disturb Fishlegs in his thinking, and reading. How she wished she could tell her beloved boy, how she wanted to tell him what had happened... For she knew...

Ascension was known to be the last stage of a living being's life, the final journey, which never ceased to end, only ending for the one chosen for them on Midgard... For one's journey never ends, as long as they keep dreaming and believing...

Astrid, once the love of the rider's life, sat on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the ocean. She stared into the distance, no noise except for the quiet sound of the waves clashing against the rocks and beach in the distance. Her Deadly Nadder, Stormfly, keened to see her best friend, who she would never see again... The one she loved, loved as much as her rider, the Night Fury who would never return...

Grief came to all, who heard, who saw, no matter their opinions, and thoughts, for the greatest Dragon Rider, and his Night Fury, had fallen, one more mysteriously than the other...

It was times like these that would hurt the Thorston twins, hurt them worse than any Plasma Blast could. They were known for loving pain, destruction, and basically anything terrible, but this was not something they had ever actually imagined happening... And the pain was unlike anything they could handle... Behind them, their Zippleback was silent, mournful. The four heads exchanging the saddest glances with each other...

But no anger, no bloodshed, and no revenge would ever remove the pain, and it would only soothe it. Nothing could ever end the agony, and end the forlorn feeling they all experienced. And they knew it...

A Monstrous Nightmare lifted his head from his rider's lap, catching his teary gaze with a whimper. Snotlout, who was the rider's cousin, who liked to keep his true emotions a secret, sat in the dark, rather cold empty caves underneath the island, crying like never before for the one he had bullied cruelly for the majority of their lives...

Little did they all know, it was not the last time they would see him... He had a bigger role to fulfil on Midgard, larger than any chiefdom... The meeting of the dragon and his boy was no work of luck or chance... It was more than coincidence, a work of fate, a work of the gods...

Somewhere in the far away lands, an enormous crimson dragon tilted her head to the sky, feeling droplets of blood slide down her snout, and splat on her gold chain mail, as she looked down... At another dead Bewilderbeast... Another dragon who had failed her... A dragon who had once been an Alpha, only to be defeated again...

They would not go down, not without a fight...All evil would one day cower before them, the saviours, and guardians, of Midgard... Justice would soon be laid upon the evil, light brought to the dark, and peace to the world...

After a traumatising audience with their Queen, Drago Bludvist and his Night Fury, Deathstrike, hid in a faraway forest, the thick layer of greenery hiding the huge shadow that was Deathstrike. The black creature's red eyes snapped open, panicked for a brief second, but found he had only been experiencing an nightmare. He lifted his head to gaze at the moon peaking out of the treetops, feeling the rush of wind at the sides of his neck and head... Oh, he wished to be in the sky, without a care in the world...

Riding upon a winged dragon of black....

As a blinding blue-purple rift began to close, two enormous, bat-like and black wings, studded with silver scales scattered on the underneath, flapped steadily and rapidly as they braced the user for a landing...

A rider of the night will come in Midgard's darkest hours...

From its back, slid off a dark, strong and lean figure, wrapped in a black-scaled cloak, landing effortlessly on the ground with a small thud. Beside him, the dragon turned to gaze out upon the mountains, scales glittering like little gems...

And with his Night Fury by his side...

The dragon arched his neck up to the sky, letting loose a huge roar that echoed for miles.

They shall destroy the Scarlet Queen.

The dragon turned to its rider, snorting. He looked back, upon their many years on Berk growing up... The times when they were defeated so easily....

…........

To say in the least, his Hiccup wasn't so much of a hiccup any more.

He found that Shurtugal Hiccup, Guardian of Midgard, and the soul-mate-of-heart-and-mind of the Skulblaka Toothless, Night Fury, sounded a bit more... Appropriate.

….............................

Especially as they descended towards one of Drago Bludvist's camps, and proceeded to attack.

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

This Is War- Part One, Chapter 2
The Man of Unknowing

I blinked, my eyes adjusting to the brightness of the light surrounding me- no, us. A black figure touched the side of my leg, my good leg. I felt like I should be scared, surprised, but I wasn't. As the light began to fade, I squinted, peering into the dissipating gaps, trying to make sense of my location.

Suddenly, all the glowing whiteness seemed to intensify, then disappear completely.

We were in a cove. Me, and the big black creature, who was still beside me. The creature was beautiful, really. I looked around in awe, almost dumbstruck. I felt like I knew this place- but why was I here? Was this a trick by Loki? And who was this creature beside me?

More importantly, what was this creature?

It was covered in shiny, glistening jet black scales. Its gorgeous, vivid, bright forest green eyes shone like emeralds... It had four legs, ending in four sharp claws on each foot. Its head was almost triangular, and it was quite flat; with the way its eyes were positioned, it looked like it would have good range of sight... At the end of his head, there were what looked like flaps- ear flaps. Not the most creative of names, I know, but I found it legit enough for the time being. A row of small spikes ran across his skull, and all down the creature's back, were spines that appeared to be split in two... Very aerodynamic. He was truly a stunning creature.

Most extraordinary of all, however, were its wings.

Two, huge, (mind you, they were folded, so who knows how big they really were) not unlike bat wings that sprouted from his back, behind its shoulders. Further down its side and tail, a second set of wings were located, under the creature's folded wings, just visible to my eye. Continuing down the tail, there were two more 'wings', tail-fins that were slightly bigger than the creature's head.

To say in the least, I was surprised to see one of the fins was bright red, with a white skull on it; the wing looked like it was artificial, perhaps a prosthetic- I couldn't tell. Maybe it was normal, or a good thing for that matter. I knew I should be running as fast as I could, away from the creature, but something inside... Told me I didn't have to fear it at all.

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

I tried not to stare at the interesting creature, although that was sort-of the impression he was emitting, constantly. I didn't him to get angry at me- well, at least, I presumed it was a boy... I didn't know why, I guess second instinct, and the actual possibility we did know each other. And, well... I didn't dare try and check...

For a reason I once again I didn't understand, we began walking around the cove, silent in one another's company. And, it indeed seemed I was enjoying it....

And right there, I really began to wonder why a creature like this, who was bound to have
animal instincts, and tons of power; not to mention, the ability to fly... (unless he was actually a mutated penguin from an experiment gone wrong)

…......

Why didn't he just fly away? Eat me? Surely he was hungry... Most importantly of all, why did he spare my life at all? I was nothing to this stunning, beautiful creature of the night...

But maybe he should be questioning me, if we did know each other...

…..............

And gods, why did my brain hurt so much?!

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, we sat down, barely inches away from each other, just close enough for our comfort and liking. Or, at least, my liking.

Every now and then while we were walking, he would look at me longingly, sometimes coming within a hairsbreadth from touching me; particularly, my hand. But at the last second, it was like something yanked on his brain, and he would whine and turn his head away, and we would continue on our silent journey.

For a long good while, we just simply stared at the crisp blue sky, watching as the bright sun began to set. One time, the creature had its attention on me, as if studying me. I was aware of this, but decided against saying anything- after all, I had done the same to him a while back.

At this time, I suddenly (and rather randomly) realised I was hungry. My stomach just now felt... Empty.

He must of sensed this, because a moment later, he shifted into a position where he could dive his head into the water, and bring out a writhing fish, which he stared at, rather confused for a bit, before it stopped moving completely. At that, we were both staring.

Finally, he seemed to pass it off, with what looked like a shrug... Although my attention was on the slippery and slimy fish he had just dropped in my lap. He enthusiastically nudged my shoulder, looking at me, then the fish. Of course he wanted me to eat this...

Somehow, I wound up eating the fish, which made the creature stop fidgeting in impatience. He seemed delighted, really, but I was confused; The fish I had just ate, hadn't exactly been disgusting or nice, and most certainly hadn't tasted like fish- it tasted like nothing! It was like I had all of a sudden lost my taste buds.... Bud.

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

Bud.

That. One. Word.

I looked at the dragon, which hit me again with even more thoughts and memories, all kind of blurred. Memories kept bursting forth into my brain, flooding and flashing, one after the other, like a million voices talking at once, just with intact ears.

Wait- this was a dragon! A sworn enemy of my people! My people...

For not the first time, memories came rushing in, now seemingly replacing the ones that had just been there. Picturing it, I could see it more close to looking like the Snoggletog Dragon Migration.

Hold on- Snoggletog? Dragon Migration? Well, the latter made more sense, especially with names... Who names a festive holiday Snoggletog? Us, apparently.

In the blinded and confused state my mind was in, something thought it was a good idea to make me subconsciously place one hand on the dragon's shoulder beside me. Most likely, not a good idea.

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO
(Spoiler alert for HTTYD 2, in a sense)

When I realised my mistake, my heart could of burst out of my chest. Oh. Gods.

“I'm so sorry bud! I didn't- Wait...” I paused. If I called him bud, we had to be friends at least- because it seemed more like a nickname, than anything.

“Why am I sorry...?” My thoughts took flight through words, one of the many times I wished that didn't happen to me.

Something I those two lines, or the expression on my face, or a combination of both, had to be immensely amusing, because the dragon proceeded into a state of uncontrolled noises, which sounded like... Laughter?

While the dragon laughed, I noticed something rather important- it had no teeth.

“We were scared of a toothless dragon?” I asked, but as I repeated in my head, one word blotted everything in my head, and threw them out the window.

Toothless.

Toothless.

“TOOTHLESS!” I flung my arms around the Night Fury's thick scaly neck, loving the feeling and warmth emitting from him. All of a sudden, this one dragon meant so much more. I remembered how we met (which made me cringe and nearly cry), bonded, and everything after that in seemingly ten seconds, all while holding onto my best friend.

I didn't even properly acknowledge his happy noises, or how he returned the hug in best way possible, I was so happy.

To think a few minutes ago I thought he would kill me...!

Kill me. The final piece of the puzzle slid in, with a cold chill through my body, and a skip of my heart. My dad hadn't reached me in time...

Toothless killed me.

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

This Is War- Part One, Chapter 3
The Path-Way to Change

“Now, can someone tell me the shot limit of a Deadly Nadder?”

It was just a 'standard' day of teaching at the Berk Dragon Training Academy. Fishlegs was chosen for the lesson's teacher, and his young students were somewhat... Distracted. How typical.

Lined up in front of him, were the Academy’s current group of students, nine of the kids.

They were all within the teen ages of 14 and 16, as was the standard of their level, and what the teens were training at. In two to three years, depending on their success, the students, if they wished, could advance their studies, so when they were ready, they could be trained to become a proper Dragon Rider. And, with that, was the bonding of them and their future life-partner.

The 'Bonding' was now a full-fledged ceremony, that occurred when the eggs hatched... Oh. Forgot.

Riders had to know how to deal with dragon hatchlings- not just from the book, either. So, when the students were ready, they chose (usually with their teacher's help) their future partner as an egg, and they would all hatch on the night they met their riders. Then, they would have a week to help their baby dragon stretch their limbs, get used to their new home, and so on. After a week or so, they would begin their training.

And that's how it would work, hopefully for generations to come.

As of now, there were only 6 trainers, with 1 in final training. Aside from Fishlegs and his Gronckle Meatlug, there was Astrid and her Deadly Nadder Stormfly, Snotlout with his Monstrous Nightmare Hookfang, the Twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut with their Hideous Zippleback Barf & Belch; and in training, was the soon-to-join Eret, with his (rather) new Rumblehorn, Skullcrusher. Speaking of the Rumblehorn...

Skullcrusher had been Stoick the Vast's dragon for roughly two years- until, his old Thunderdrum, dubbed Thornado, had returned, with the dragons that had caused him to leave; the three Thunderdrums known as Bing, Bam and Boom had matured over two years, and were now part of Berk's Academy, Society and Defences.

To which Skullcrusher had responded calmly and respectively, Thornado had taken up the mantle of being the chief's dragon once more, somewhat putting Skullcrusher in a more docile and energetic position as Eret's dragon, who was still young, and in need of learning- after all, Eret wasn't like the other Vikings on Berk; neither was Skullcrusher, in the likes of Berk's dragons, who were burdened with faded scars of the Red Death and the war.

Even with the amazing new additions, the Academy would never be better, or the same...

Because Hiccup and Toothless were gone.

“Six?” An eight year old blonde girl with green eyes, called Ellia, correctly answered his previous question. This brought the husky young man back into the real world, and he could only bluntly nod in response, turning around and not noticing the students' confused and somewhat concerned expressions.

He continued on with the lesson, talking and staring on without emotion, not showing any of his grieving thoughts to the children. This was, until he was asked a particular question.

“Fishlegs sir,” a boy spoke up, frowning. “What's the shot limit of a Night Fury?”

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

Silus walked through the dense forest, muttering words under his breath while kicking the ground
every time he stopped. Silus, a small boy, but tall, had short black hair and blue eyes, dark blue like no one had ever seen before. Perhaps the most distinct thing about him, was, well, his amazing memory...! Ok.... Just kidding, he had the downright worst memory the entire Viking Archipelago had ever seen...

He was a good thinker when put to it, though. And right now, he was quite deep in thought, as could be seen by his very hard face.

Why? What made the Night Fury such a touchy subject? How could it possibly affect the Chief? The Chieftess- Gods, the riders! The dragons! What could possibly-

Wait... His memory was killing him again, wasn't it? Why would it be touchy for them...

He racked his memory for all the recorded dragons, and their riders... His teachers... Valka and Cloudjumper... Heather and Windshear... Hiccup, and what was it? Ah, yes... Toothless...? Who were they again?

…...........................
.................................................
…..........

Oh.

That explained a lot.

He wasn't only the first rider of Berk... He had been the son of the chief! He had rode a Night Fury, hadn't he? Right... Right, the same dragon... Who killed him about a year ago, before his family had came to Berk... HOW DID HE FORGET THAT?!!

He was trying to wrap his head around it, when a branch hit him square in the face. Or, more like branched in the face.

With a exasperated yelp, followed by a groan, he opened his eyes, to see that he had reached the same Cove that Hiccup befriended his dragon, Toothless the Night Fury... Yes, Night Furies were the most aerodynamic, rarest-of-all- and deadliest species of them all- weren’t they?

For some reason he felt was related to this, he was attracted to the cove. Why?

…........................................................

He honestly had no idea.

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

He walked up to the side of the lake, grumbling curses. This had been stupid.

Great. I went ahead and scraped the skin off my knees for nothing... He thought, as he saw a fish jump out of the water. He snorted. Well, at least I saw the magnificent and oh so INCREDIBLY rare occurrence of a fish surfacing in a lake...

He was about to try and make the most of the situation by taking a wash, clear the dirt and dust off his knees, when he noticed something flicker in the water's reflection. Focusing, he gasped, and spun round, now terrified as he heard a very comforting noise.

Behind him was a Night Fury.

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

This Is War- Part One, Chapter 4
See You In Valhalla, Bud

Toothless killed me.

Those words hit me like a freight train.

Trying to close my mouth, wishing I hadn't gasped in horror like I had, I staggered back, nearly tripping. Toothless lifted his head up, now confused. When he read my expression... Let's just say all happiness melted away faster than the close-range sun melts an ice cube.

He whimpered, pawing the ground, his pupils wide and shiny. Crouching low, he whined, begging for forgiveness. I didn't know what to think.

How?

How did my best friend, kill me?!

The Night Fury's ear-flaps were pressed back against his head, and the dragon had never looked so upset and pleading in all my time. My twenty years. Wow...

The expression 'I'm gonna die young' suddenly had a whole new meaning- a literal one.

“I can't believe you...” As soon as those words escaped my lips, I felt like my whole world just got nuked.

Toothless had collapsed, and basically performed the dragon version of breaking down. With his paws over eyes and wings helplessly at his sides, heart-wrenching sounds that were equivalent to crying and sobbing coming from the his throat, Toothless felt like all the godforsaken fire had been sucked right out of him.

My own eyes were watery, and I honestly hated myself. I only knew one thing; this wasn't Toothless' fault, it couldn't be... Had he fallen? Maybe he had been squished... No, only a madman would think that-

Madman.

Oh.

Oh Thor.

Why did his life have to be so confusing?

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

I bit my lip, racking my brain for something, some words that I could use to... Comfort him? Apologise? Forgive? Honestly, I didn't know how to handle this.

I decided to do the one thing that came to my head; Try.

“Hey...” The soft whisper brought the Night Fury to attention, and he lifted his head with a whimper. I was surprised to see the scales around his eyes were noticeably shiny, and wet. Thin streams of blueish moisture trickled down the sides of his head. It was only after that I realised that Toothless was crying. Dragons could cry...?

He whined again, behind him his tail flopping on the ground like a fish out of the water. I quietly went down onto my knees, and crawled towards the hesitant dragon.

I reached out to touch him, and he shrieked in horror, jumping back. For a moment, I wondered if my hand smelled like eel, for some reason, probably due to the fact Toothless had reacted similarly when he had the Eel Effect. I flipped it over, and I didn't have to sniff it to know it wasn't the reason why, Toothless was displaying it perfectly.

Toothless was scared he would hurt me.

There was no denying it. The dragon, with paws and wing over his eyes, had even gone the length of stuffing his other wing in his mouth, to prevent anything from happening.

I wasn't sure how to handle this. Up until now, I hadn't ever thought of how you would handle a conversation between me and my murderer, who here, so happened to be my best friend. It was a bit on the ridicules side, and near impossible- but apparently, now it wasn't.

So, I decided to try a different approach. “Toothless, look at me,” the Night Fury made what sounded like a howl, and my interest spiked over my desperation for a second. I quickly pushed it away.

“Is this what he- I, would of wanted...?” I asked, gently resting a hand on his paw. He let out a muffled warble, and if it wasn't so sad, I probably would of chuckled at how silly the 'Unholy offspring of lightning and death itself' looked right now.

The dragon finally lifted his head, which he then shook and drew it back in.
“Toothless... Please...” I looked at the ground, sighing.

This wasn't going to be easy.

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

Toothless' ears perked up, hearing a shuffle, and then a small thump, as he felt something warm lean against his side.

A few minutes passed, and the urge and his curiosity was getting too dire, so Toothless dared to peek out of his protective cover, even just for a few seconds. He was shocked to see Hiccup contently smiling as he laid against him, eyes heavy-lidded, perhaps from exhaustion. Was he... Was Hiccup falling asleep on him?

He tried to convince himself it was just his hallucination, and all the previous events had never happened, and in a few hours, he would wake up in the Haddock Household, his rider softly snoozing in his bed, and his father soon to leave for his chief rounds doing chief-ly stuff. But every time he tried, the more he realised this was, well... Reality.

Toothless had meant to only peek, for only a few seconds.

Instead, he wound up staring, and considering he was tired at the end, it was most likely for hours.

This dawned on him when his rider shifted, then yawned, and Toothless gaped.

How long had he been staring...?!

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

I sat on the lip of the cliff, one hand on Toothless' head. Dragon and rider sat together over their home, their friendship healed, their souls ready to move to Valhalla, as one.

I titled my head to the night sky, watching the stars twinkling. I could see a group of people taking a midnight stroll, talking quietly. Beside me, Toothless looked at them with great sadness, and when I focused on them, I gasped silently, as tears found their way to my eyes.

My friends.

Among them were Astrid and Eret, too. I couldn't see their dragons, but I had a feeling they were nearby, most likely mourning too.

I hated how sad and quiet they were, how they comfortingly touched each other's hands, leaned on one another... I knew why. Toothless wailed in guilt, pulling away just as I stopped him.

“No Bud... It wasn't your fault.” The dragon crooned, and I hugged his head to my chest. “We've been other that.”

I knew I couldn't do anything to help. In fact, I was wondering why I was still here...

Was this a punishment?

More importantly, and only now did I actually think about it, why and how was Toothless here?

It was actually rather obvious, Toothless had displayed it easily, a second tragedy had happened when I died. It sent shudders down my spine and tears to prickle my eyes to even think of how, and the fresh scar down his neck gave off a chilling presence.

I turned my attention back to the friends I had come to love and protect, choking back the sobs in my throat. I was barely aware of the mirth of liquid streaming down my cheeks, but I knew my eyes were stinging.

“I'm sorry.” I whispered, never taking my eyes off them. “I'm sorry guys...”

“I guess I wasn't strong enough...”

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

I woke up with a loud throbbing in my head, and I looked around, and was surprised to see white walls.

Sitting up, I took in that I was in a room- it was big, in it only the bed I was laying in, a bedside table, and some cabinets to the side. Curtains to my right slightly left open revealed sunlight, so I took it that there was a balcony there, and daylight.

That's when I realised that Toothless wasn't here. Panic flashed through me, no, I couldn't lose Toothless too!

When I looked at the beside table, I saw a note. My panic ceased for a second, as I saw what looked to be Toothless in the writing- Very, very, neat writing that almost made my jaw drop.

I began to read, curious.

Dear Shurtugal, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, Dragon Rider,

Forgive us for the confusion, but in order for events to occur properly, we had to put you into a room where your dragon, Toothless, cannot access you. Do not worry, after this, your quarters will be... Interesting.

Before you panic more than you most likely have, Toothless is safe, and in a moment, you will see him.

In the closet to your left, beside the door (I looked over to it), is a selection of clothes we have chosen for you to wear- yes, you can wear these clothes, in fact, they're rather simple because we feared you wouldn't know who to deal with anything more.

Also, I'm sorry to say, Toothless' Plasma Blast did burn your Flight Suit; However, while I will not say anything, eventually the concept of such a thing will seem... Bizarre.

Please, dress, you only need to be casual, and there should be some water to your bedside table- Then, go outside, where you will be greeted by a man, who will introduce himself, then escort you to your next locations, and your dragon.

I put down the note, slightly shocked and confused, but more on the lines of excited. I had to admit, I was upset by the fact my Flight Suit was done for- Why would such a thing be bizarre? Then again, it was crazy...

I stretched before throwing off the covers, and standing. I found that I was in a silk white tunic with gold and silver lacing, which shocked me. Since when was I a king...? I guess this was Valhalla, then.

I walked over to the closet, noticing how one side of it appeared to be a changing room. I opened the other door, finding various outfit choices, all on the same type of high quality fit for kings and queens. I even found some armour, but I passed it off for now.

I quietly wondered how these were casual, but when I thought about it deeper, It was understandable, and I should respect it. This was most likely casual for them, and now that was my expectation, apparently.

I dressed myself in a dark green tunic, wrapping a gold belt around my waist, and I took the time to notice the fine quality of it. Glittering black jewels were studded into the gold stitched collar, and despite what many would think, it was rather comfortable. The boots were thin, black with gold, and little emeralds embedded into the sides.

Should I really be wearing this? I thought about it briefly, before reminding myself for the umpteenth time they had insisted...

After taking a drink, I looked to the doors, swallowing a lump in my throat.

Then, I pushed them open.

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

This Is War- Part One, Chapter 5
Mountain War

“Come on, you lousy lizards! Move it, or else I'll have Deathstar burn you alive, then eat you for his main course at dinner!” The flock of armoured dragons yelped in fear, flapping their wings harder and propelling themselves further.

Satisfied by master's words, the huge glistening black beast snorted, a spurt of greenish flame escaping his nostrils.

Drago Bludvist sighed, looking around. All he saw was more and more mountain, and it was nearing twilight. As soon as it got dark, all hope for finding their objective would be near impossible, and flying would become dangerous in the tall peaks.

He knew the dangers of flying, flying in the mountains even more so. After all, his dragon was still a mortal creature, in the sense he could be killed, had flesh and blood- they did live 'eternally' though. No Skulblaka to date had ever died of old age....

But nothing was more dangerous than returning to a furious and enraged dragon queen, with fire almost as hot as the sun, scales as hard as jewels, and razor-sharp teeth and claws like swords; and if that didn't terrify someone, Drago wasn't sure what would- Queen Scarlet was a menace, created from the fires of Hel herself. It wouldn't be a stretch to say she was the living definition of Hel.

Deathstar swept his terrifying gaze over his surroundings, looking for even the smallest glint of colour amidst the boring and repetitive sight of cold rock and snow. His gaze flickered, seeing what looked like a streak of gold slither from out of the clouds and behind a mountain peak. The Skulblaka snarled viciously, alerting his comrades.

Drago gave the command for them to break, and they followed without hesitation, swinging their heads back and forth, searching. The black dragon growled lowly in his throat, infuriated.

You said it was moving, Deathstar. I'm pretty certain they don't move. Drago hissed.

That doesn't mean its not one. He flicked his tail.

Fair enough... Drago leaned forward slightly, drawing his bull hook. But if it isn't... He glanced at the other party members.

Don't hesitate to kill.

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

A gold dragon was hiding behind the mountain.

His scales glittering in the pale moonlight, he resisted the urge to growl. On his back, in the saddle between his shoulders, a woman stayed low, one hand holding her weapon. They stared coldly at the party of dragons, led by Drago and Deathstar.

Please, give me ONE reason why I can't kill them right here and now... He reached his thoughts only to his rider, lest their enemies might hear them and determine their location.

Garitirus, please, we've been over this. The lady responded quietly. We grab the eggs, which, should I mention, we know the location of, and they DON'T?

The dragon, now identified as Garitirus, managed to snort mentally, nearly failing.

Fine, but I still don't like this.

Me too. She sighed, her lips mimicking the movement, but never releasing even the most hushed whisper. She gently rested her hand on his scaly neck, before giving his shoulder a very gentle and quiet kick with her foot.

Responding obediently, the golden winged lizard effortlessly pushed off the mountain side, ducking under the clouds in a gentle glide. Analysing the positions of the party, he took a right turn, and emerged from the cloud cover very briefly, best chances being under five seconds, enough to snake around another mountain and hide once more. It was on the ultimate level of quick and stealthy.

But, apparently it wasn't quick enough.

The huge black dragon's head whipped around in their direction, and it snarled.

A man was perched on its back, drawing his bull-hook. The hiding duo narrowed their eyes, recognising him. That meant the dragon was indeed Deathstar, then.

“SCOUT EVERY LAST MOUNTAIN! BRING ME THE EGGS!” Drago bellowed, his voice echoing off the mountain walls. Garitirus hissed mentally, while on the outside, his claws had tightened on the rock, causing tiny pieces of rubble to fall.

This appeared to be enough to draw attention, because the huge dragon had discovered them, due to three factors; One, he had roared in their direction, two, the other party members were heading in their direction, and three, a huge black dragon was flying, claws outstretched, in THEIR DIRECTION.

While he knew it was highly unlikely and he had caused the somehow noticeable tiniest bit of noise, Garitirus waited, also fully knowing this could possibly be an old trick of theirs; to look like they had discovered the enemy (AKA them), when in reality, they were just trying to scare the enemy into the open. They both had scars to prove it.

However, it wasn't the latter. The dragon hit the mountain, causing them to dive under the clouds.

Garitirus! My wing!

The dragon whipped his head around, and saw his rider had fallen out of the saddle from the force of the impact and the rush to escape. He screeched in horror, and dove down, barely even registering the other half of the cry for help.

Bits of rubble struck and bounced harmlessly of his jewel scales, and any landing on his face he ignored, but Garitirus was more concerned for his fragile (In comparison to dragons) rider.

Generally, she managed to dodge everything, but the gold lizard could have sworn he saw a piece of rock hit her left arm.

Not a second too soon, her dragon had saved her, holding her in his talons like she could slip out at any second.

He flew clear off the onslaught, grimacing when he couldn't see the wretched beasts. That most likely meant they were waiting for something to happen, probably something along the lines of an ambush. Drago almost never used brains over brawn, just waiting it out from time to time, then striking with no plan, no thought, and most of all, no mercy.

Garitirus helped the woman back into the saddle, staring at her with concern.

Can you continue?

She muttered a curse under her breath. Yeah. I'll be fine. She poked one limp wing, grunting. Hopefully they will be, too. Remind me again why we need wings?

Her dragon didn't directly respond, only grunting. He was looking around, eyes glued to their surroundings, which was basically mountains. And more mountains. And even more stinking mountains...

Wow, that's a burn and a half... Garitirus growled, unamused they were playing their trick on them. Just where were those demonic bastards?! Damn, were they stealthy or wha-

“VALERIE!”

The dragon groaned. Never mind.

The female rider, now (more like finally) identified as Valerie, refused to respond, knowing where it would near definitely end up in. Garitirus wasn't so timid.

SHOW YOURSELVES, COWARDS! He bellowed, releasing a small jet of purple flame. Valerie rested a hand on her dragon's neck, trying to calm him.

Very well... A deep, menacing voice hissed, as a black head and neck slithered around from the back of a mountain. Deathstar growled threateningly , baring his sharp teeth. His chest and torso appeared, and the tips of his wings appeared at the top of the peak. We shall see who the cowards are, won't we?

Valerie snarled herself, as Garitirus roared. “Don't put your worthless tongue on it, demon.” Valerie yelled.

Across from them, Deathstar took flight, roaring a challenge of his own as he began to approach. Close up, it could be seen by the naked eye that Deathstar was much, much bigger. Suddenly, the black dragon's dread-inducing words were coming true, as the smaller duo had been briefly silenced and stilled.

“You just had to open your big fat mouth, didn't you?!” Valerie shouted, drawing her sword. Garitirus pushed forward, with a grunt at her insult. His icy blue eyes locked onto the black dragon.

If you haven't noticed, we're about to collide with a humongous dragon and his insane armoured bunch of slaves- and you're making snide remarks right NOW?!

Valerie ignored him.

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

The battle raged on, both sides fighting with equal ferocity, despite their downsides and advantages.

While Garitirus was smaller, faster and more nimble, Deathstar was at least three times bigger, and his claws and teeth were sharper and deadlier- his bulk made his defence much higher, and a hit from him when done right could turnout extremely lethal.

For this, Valerie was thankful for her dragon's manoeuvrability. Deathstar could breathe fire longer, his blasts bigger, hotter and wider in range; the black dragon could hold his ground for extended periods of time, too, but worst of all, was his colour.

Deathstar was pitch black. So if his tail was coming right at them, it would be near impossible to realise it was there until it was too late.

Thankfully, they had so far been able to mostly avoid this, only getting nicked here and there. This did mean they had to be further away though, which meant nothing but bad for Garitirus, who was highly experienced and talented in claw-to-claw combat, with dragons his age and size... Not monstrous black dragons that made him look like a Terrible Terror next to a Monstrous Nightmare.

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

The golden dragon eyed the way Deathstar moved; the demon seemed to rely more on patience, than any other he had ever seen.

While taking and absorbing hits, he waited patiently for the right time to strike- he never seemed to show his full deck, play all of his cards; he was like a spider, waiting for her prey to walk right into her trap, where she would kill without second thought, or the glimmer of mercy.

He avoided yet again another torrent of green flames, wincing when he felt the searing heat catch onto his wing-tips. Garitirus swiftly ducked, flying low on the cloud cover. He kept his gaze up, watching the black dragon as it returned the stare. The dragon circled the other, wondering why it hadn't moved at all.

Valerie was watching, equally confused. Garitirus... You're getting... Oh gods. She gasped, while her dragon could share her dread.

He was... Tiring them out.

Of course, well, they had always been bit of the tricksters category, according to the others.

They were defeating themselves- Drago and Deathstar were just easing them, playing along. The duo felt downright stupid, like they had allowed it to happen; well, technically, they had. Valerie muttered a montage of colourful words, and took a mental note to think about it later. For now, they had a strategy to figure out, in less than a minute.

Never mind. They would just have to pull whatever they could off.

“Garitirus! LOOK OUT!” The dragon blinked, looking up- just in time. Deathstar had charged them, face displayed in a vicious, soul-less snarl, claws outstretched as he descended, huge wings spread. Specks of red were merged with the black underside, the dark membrane berated with many rips and tears of war.

The golden dragon only just avoided him, dashing to the side, with the seemingly minor issue of hitting his wing on a peak. That turned out to be an understatement, especially a few seconds later.

Agony tore through them both, on Valerie the mental part that came with being attached to the dragon's mind.

Garitirus howled, doubling over in the air as hot blood flew onto his snout, and nearly in his eyes.

Valerie turned around, seeing a large tear in the dragon's wing, that had reached to the wing bone and nearly tore part of his entire wing off. Garitirus whined in pain, struggling to fly as his rider tried to calm him.

“Ok boy, hold on...” She steered him into a circular flight formation, to allow them to determine their foes' location.

They were flying in place around the now destroyed mountain peak, the dragon roaring in fury at losing his prey. He kept shooting bursts of flame everywhere, but thank the heavens he hadn't noticed them yet.

We've got to lose them! Garitirus gasped, nearly falling out of the sky. I don't think my wing can take much more...!

Valerie couldn't lie. It was a miracle that her dragon's wing wasn't broken, or damaged beyond hope of repair. She didn't even know how severe his current injury was.

Could we lead them into the peaks? She asked. Lose them?

Garitirus shook his head, droplets of his own blood getting caught by the chilly winds. No. He said. I know for a fact I wouldn't be able to make a sharp turn, and don't even start on aerial manoeuvres.

Valerie bit her lip. Then a light bulb lit up in her mind, a thought coming to head.

Maybe that's what will save us!

The dragon blinked, his mind blank. She could practically see his unamused expression, even if his face wasn't visible to her.

Not. Funny.

Valerie cursed. That's not what I meant. Look, just hear me out. The dragon obliged, although not too happily.

If we fly low to the cloud cover, where the biggest grouping of mountains is, I believe we can trick these guys on a new level- They want us dead, no?

Garitirus warbled, his interest and hope flickering. So... He growled. What's the plan?

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

Deathstar roared furiously once more, his rage only fuelling his attacks further.

Where are they? He wondered angrily, clenching his talons and keeping his thoughts to himself. His red eyes scanned the clouds around him, his nostrils trying to catch their scent, to no avail. He hadn't killed them, or had he? He was slightly giddy at the thought.

“THERE!” Drago bellowed abruptly, and the black dragon's head whipped around, indeed, there they were.

The gold dragon was flying somewhat strangely, one wing putting on more pressure than the other... That's when he spotted the large tear, and Drago smiled cruelly and laughed maniacally, pushing Deathstar on.

Why do I love this maniac? Deathstar briefly thought to himself, before releasing a torrent of bright flame from his maw.

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

He didn't even notice the dragon's lazy manoeuvring, or, more specifically, how it was flying, so, so low to the cloud cover; he took it as a sign of fatigue, which he gladly accepted. Drago didn't care either, apparently. Deathstar began to grow excited as he quickened his pace, coming closer and closer to his victims...

He kept firing, the blasts getting more lethal with each attack.

Finally, he hit them. At least, that's what it looked and sounded like. As his latest fire blast ended, a long, agonised howl could be heard for miles, and the glittering shape of Garitirus could no longer be seen.

Deathstar roared in victory, stopping only to hear the sickening sound of cracking bones, and a heavy thud following shortly after.

On his back, Drago smugly grinned, knowing he now had an excuse as to why he hadn't returned with the eggs; he had been busy killing one of the legendary Dragon Riders.

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

This Is War- Part One, Chapter 6
The Escape

Man, we should seriously consider acting for our retirement activity number one. Valerie joked, earning a wing to the head.

Garitirus eyed the hologram of their dead bodies laying mangled on the rocks below, his shoulders shifting uncomfortably at the sight. Valerie touched his neck, now quiet. They scanned the mountains, until Garitirus spotted the right one.

Valerie. She averted her gaze, nodding when her eyes locked.

They glided slowly down, not risking a dive. The golden dragon gripped onto the mountain side, folding the wing that wasn't injured. Lowering his head so it was inches above a ledge, he rumbled the signal for his rider.

The woman walked down his neck, sliding off his snout and onto the rocky ledge.

Just... Get the eggs so we can get the hell out of here, please. Garitirus proceeded to begin his inspection of injuries, waiting for his rider.

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

Valerie knelt down, eyes searching for the three glints in the darkness. Before long, she spotted them, but a frown made its way to Valerie.

Taking them out one by one, she had to dwell longer on one in particular. It was duller than the others, and a chill ran down her spine. Praying it was just dust, she walked back to her dragon, tucking away the eggs in his saddlebags before leaping into the saddle. The dragon tilted his head, spreading his wings to their full extent.

Got the eggs?

Yes. Go!

Garitirus soared away from the mountains, flying low to avoid the chances of possibly being spotted by the now emerged Deathstar.

Now, hopefully they won't look down, and if they do, well, we just...

The golden dragon tilted his head onto one side, cooing.

Act like a Scauldron? Garitirus gave her a look, that she read as 'are you serious?', and she tried a small smile. A yellow Scauldron; come on, they exist!

Her dragon had basically given up, snorting in annoyance. Just to be safe, he flew even lower. His underbelly came only a dozen or so inches from the rushing waves, his talons nearly touching the water. His wing-tips occasionally brushed against the walls of the gorge, and the cold water that sprayed over them in their wake was soothing against his aching body, especially his wings.

Valerie turned around to scan the sky, relief flooding her emotions when she spotted Deathstar flying in the opposite direction of the river, searching the mountains for the eggs they would never find in the early morn.

She smiled, looking up to see the sun beginning to rise in the East, the early morning glow brightly coating her dragon in an even more glorious fashion.

She couldn't help but feel her breath get sucked away, for the millionth time, seeing her dragon so beautiful and handsome, even if he was still injured.

His gold scales shone with a near intense brightness, sparkling in the rays of sunlight. He was a treasure just by sight, even more so in the sunlight. But most of all, she loved him for his soul. She looked at his injured wing, the only thing that betrayed his look. Dry, crusted blood surrounded the tear, dry droplets sprayed everywhere else.

She gently laid a hand on his neck, before collapsing forward, stretching her arms out carelessly. Her dragon cooed, questioning her motives. Valerie simply patted his neck, sighing. Sitting back up, she went back to keeping an eye out for danger. The first thing they would do when they got home, was to look at her dragon's wing, regardless of what he said.

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

Drago pounded a fist on the saddle, furious. They couldn't find the eggs, and they had looked everywhere. Part of him wondered if Garitirus and Valerie had found the eggs before them, but if they had, why would they have fought them?

He was about to command his dragon to look around the next mountain, when he turned around, hearing a screech.

His heart skipped a beat.

One of Scarlet's dragons was flying towards them, its green scales glistening in the first rays of the dawn. It carried a scroll in its talons, and it looked at them suspiciously when it spotted the fruitlessly searching dragon party, and no eggs in sight.

Growling, it dropped the scroll in Drago's hand, then turned tail, flying off with a single roar.

Drago didn't even have to read the scroll to know they had to head back.

Hopefully, she would be satisfied enough with the death of the Rider and Dragon, that she wouldn’t go ahead and kill him and his mount- he knew she was using them, but really, what could he do?

Deathstar roared to the other dragons, and began flying after the messenger, silent after calling. Drago could sympathise with the dragon, for once. He glared at the mountains, deciding what would be better to say there had been a landslide, or some wild dragons had destroyed them...

Either way, she would be furious, and he had to prepare.

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

Valerie sighed, watching as Drago, Deathstar and his dragons disappeared out of their sight.

As they flew over the waterfall, and into the safety of the clouds, empty and clear unlike the mountain skies, she let herself completely relax to an extent. Her dragon released a small burst of flame, happily roaring.

We're safe. Garitirus hummed in satisfaction, and Valerie chuckled.

You're injured-

And I don't care, to be honest. It's no where near as bad as it was a while ago, I'll be flying like normal before long. The dragon's light blue eyes sparkled, and he brought his neck around to look at his beloved rider. What about you?

Valerie frowned, looking at her own wings- one was fine, the other, not so much, but it didn't hurt as much as it could.

I'll be fine, boy. She connected with his loving gaze, all her concerns resting in a few hours time, where she would deal with them. Just take us home, big guy. First thing we're doing, is checking out that wing.

And yours. Garitirus snorted, lifting a talon to scratch his jaw. Then, we sleep until the new age. Valerie smacked his side playfully.

We've still got egg business, doofus!

Ok, after that, we're sleeping. No exceptions. No excusi-oz.

Right, we sleep after that. No 'excusi-oz'. Valerie sighed, falling to lay on her back and take a much-needed nap. Love you, boy.

The dragon hummed.

Love you too, my little princess.

Oo---------------------------oOo----------------------------oO

This Is War- Part One, Chapter 7
Silus And Aurora

Behind him was a Night Fury.

Silus gulped, watching with wide and terrified eyes as it glared at him. Crouching low on the rock, the dragon shuffled its wings, growling. The teen slowly put his hands in the air, causing the dragon's pupils to dilate slightly.

Silus could only hope that meant it was calmed a little...

He had read little about the Night Fury (and dragons in general), so all he really knew about them was that once you had gained their trust, they were more like a giant pussy-cat with wings than the 'Unholy offspring of lightning and death itself' that they had been branded in their first days of terror during the fabled Great Dragon War.

It crept down, leaping onto the ground, and slinking over to him. It stayed a few feet away. Now fully in Silus' sight, he was awed by its appearance- It was just like he had read, perhaps more...

It was very aerodynamic, with its huge wings, and the smaller set behind it. He could see two tailfins, unlike the legendary Toothless, who had been renown for his prosthetic tail to replace his missing one, the left one.

He was most stunned by its colours, though. The Night Fury was black, which melded and blended in with gorgeous purple, dark blue and icy blue underneath her black wings; he could also see tiny specks of silver, like sparkling little jewels in the night... Almost like stars. The dragon's feet got lighter in colour near the claws, which were silver. Her eyes were beautiful, a bright icy blue that was also intimidating.

The dragon didn't seem too aggressive, only angered when he took a step towards her. At least, he thought it was a she. It just seemed to fit.

“Uh... Hello?” She inclined her head to the side, making a warble like sound. The ear plates on the back of her head moved up and down, from what he made out as emotions. Up meant happy or curious, pressed back was angry, and twitching was something. From what she had shown him, and what he had read, they were almost humanoid with emotions, and perhaps even stronger with intelligence.

He decided to introduce himself, even if he had no idea what it would do.

“Hi... Uh, hi! Um...” He cleared his throat, whilst the dragon looked... Amused? He continued nervously, speaking with caution. “I'm Silus... Uh... Son of Goothard, and daughter of Pelli. I'm an amazing student at the Berk Dragon Training Academy, and I truly mean dragons no harm!”

While most of it was honesty, the part where he was an 'amazing student' was a complete lie that Silus was pretty certain the dragon saw through.

She grumbled something in annoyance, giving him an unamused expression.

“Ok, I suck at dragon training.”

She snorted in approval, as if to say 'that's what I figured'.

“Quick question... You're a girl, right...?” The dragon hummed, the ear plates lifting up cheerily. Silus sighed in relief, he was immensly glad that was over with.

“I'll say this...” Silus didn't know if she understood what he was saying, and if she did, how much, but he continued regardless. “ I've honestly heard a LOT about your species. Before they... Uh, left us...” he continued with hesitation, knowing he was entering uneasy territory.

“There was a Night Fury- that's what we call you, and like, he was so awesome! Back then, I was quite young, but he and his rider were the stars of the town...” He seemed to have her complete attention, gods, she was within touching reach! He didn't dare try, though. But he secretly had butterflies in his stomach, they were just so close! Him, and the legendary Night Fury!

“Then... Well, they died in battle...” He quietly finished, looking at the purple dragon. She too had become silent, looking... Sorrowful? Had she known... Oh Thor.

He gasped, suddenly remembering how Toothless had been suspected as the last Night Fury. He wasn't! She had jumped back at the sudden movement, staring at him worriedly with question in her wide pupils.

He shook off the amazement that came with the sight, and quickly thought over his options.

First, he could run back to the village, tell them about the amazing discovery... They probably wouldn't believe him... Could he bring the evidence? The Night Fury? He looked at her, then dispelled it.

With a start, he realised he didn't actually want fame or popularity. He wanted a friend. He had both right in front of him, but which did he choose?

What about her? What did she want? He knew one thing, she probably didn't like humans...

He couldn't be certain about that, though.

Taking note the sun had began to set, Silus watched as she braved to sit beside him, watching him curiously. He couldn't explain why, but now he had seen her... He didn't want anyone to know about her.

Berk wouldn't hurt her, he was certain about that, but that wasn't exactly why he wanted her to be secret. It wasn't greed. Sure, he wanted her to be his friend, but he couldn't be so selfish if he wanted her loyalty and friendship.

No, it was because of the one thing that would most definitely happen; attention.

He had wanted it ever since he could remember... Silus had always been the sore thumb of the group. Unable to do this, scared to do that, bored by something they enjoyed! He just didn't fit in. At. All. He tried to do something right, but eventually people felt they had to just... Shut him out. In regret, he realised this was the only reason he had tried for Dragon Training.

Silus also knew what she would get if she came to Berk, she would be the ultimate centre of attention, study and controversy. He just couldn't see her enjoying that in the least, in fact, she could get aggressive, and hell, he could practically smell how dangerous she was.

For now, he decided, he wouldn't tell anyone about her. He would just keep... Heck, he couldn't just keep calling her 'dragon', and 'Night Fury', could he? No... Part of his mind kept reminding him that she might be gone the next morning, but a stronger force was almost reassuring him she wouldn't go, so he figured, even if it was only temporary, she needed a name.

“Ok, you need a name.” Silus kept it straightforward, and she seemed to understand. The young teen racked his mind for names- it had to be decent, it couldn't be embarrassing.

She purred, creeping closer to him until they were a hairsbreadth apart. Breathing heavily, Silus was frozen, eyes locked on the dragon who could kill him in her sleep. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out other than 'meep'. Eventually, she lowered her head, until her snout rested in his palm.

Amazed, he felt an almost angelic tingle run down his spine, to the tips of his fingers and the ends of his toes.

The Night Fury took a few steps back, fluttering her wings. To his utter shock and surprise, she then turned around, crouching down, offering her back to him.

Silus pointed to himself, staring at her incredulously. “Me?” She rolled her eyes, then inclined her head to her back. “Are you sure...?” The dragon grunted, lightly slapping her tail on the ground.

“Ok...” He walked forward, placing one shaking hand on her neck before throwing a leg over. She hummed In satisfaction, before leaning a little to the left to help him.

Only when Silus was safely secure on her back, did she stand, spreading her wings slowly.

“It would be nice if you go easy, being a Night Fury and all... Never mind, just don't...Don't go too fast, ok? This is my first time ever flying...” The Night Fury cooed in response, giving him an amused look, spreading her wings to their full extent with a quiet snap.

Now he realised he should have been dreading that look, instead of laughing at it. Silus only had time to gulp, before his eyes widened, her crouch foreshadowing her swift spring into the air.

….So much for going easy. Or slow.

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The Night Fury chortled, amused by the teens hilarious antics... Then again, he had asked for her to take it easy, although that's just what she was doing- seriously, did he think she was a Gronckle? Or was her gliding actually fast...?

He had been screaming for nearly a minute now, and she had long slowed into a steady glide over the forest.

She stayed away from the village's prying eyes, not wanting to be seen. As of now, she felt she could trust this boy, but anyone else, not even In the least.

The dragon had came to the village in young curiosity, to see if the rumours were true. She had been ready to go check it out, but then this... Amazing boy had come to her, and she simply couldn't ignore him! She couldn't tell what it was, but something about him stood out to her, in a fantastic way...

And now, here she was.

On the other side of perspective, Silus was everywhere- at least, mentally.

He found that at first, flying, while gloriously exhilarating, was also absolutely terrifying.

He did find that what the riders said was true, though. You could truly feel the wind in your hair, the breeze that rushed past you... Only after he caught his breath, could he actually interpret his surroundings and the awe-inspiring aspects of flight.

The Night Fury cooed, so Silus braved to open his eyes, after clutching on tighter to the dragon's neck in front of him.

He sucked in a breath, awestruck.

They were flying low over the forest, before them the beautiful sight of the sunset's rays reflecting on the ocean surface.

Silus was so simply amazed by the beauty of the sight, that he didn't really mind when the Night Fury gracefully flew higher, so her wings flew among the clouds. In motion to her actions, Silus reached up to feel the clouds, smiling as he lowered it.

“I can see why you love flying so much... It's amazing!” he murmured. She hummed in response, veering to the right.

Silus realised how high they were, but he trusted she wouldn't let him fall... Would she? He gripped on tighter with his knees, just to be safe. He hoped he wasn't squeezing too tight, but the purple dragon wasn't showing any discomfort in the least, in fact, she seemed relaxed and happy.

He didn't know how long they flew, probably for hours... She circled the island a couple times, flying high in the clouds, and inches from the water's surface; she dipped and dived, each time giving Silus more and more comfort with flying, dragons, and quite frankly, her. He would tell her jokes, and she found more amusement in them than he had ever seen. One time, she had nearly fallen out of the sky...!

He would never forget their race across the ocean, though. When he had finally mustered enough courage, he asked her to show him what Night Furies were known for; their legendary speed. And so, that's just what she did.

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She slowed into a gentle glide over the clouds, humming in pleasure. On her back, the young teen had collapsed on her neck, laughing.

“WOW!” he rubbed the side of her triangular head, which eventually converted into a highly enjoyable scratch. “I knew you were fast, but my Thor, I guess that's the true speed of a Night Fury.”

He continued, now excited by the facts that were now a touchy subject. “Toothless, Hiccup's Night Fury, had a prosthetic, so I guess no one knew his real speed... But I bet he was as fast as you, maybe more... I think you're younger than him...”

Although slightly insulted (resulting in a playful slap of the ear-plate to his face), the Night Fury was increasingly interested in this 'Toothless' dragon, and wished she could meet him... But from what they knew, they were dead. She made sure that she talked of the legendary dragon when she returned to her home, if she ever did.

Her life hadn't exactly been... The best. That was before she had met Silus, though. Her prince in shining armour...

(…Well, maybe not that, but some type of saviour...)

The sun had set in the horizon, followed by the glory of night. They flew among the clouds, weaving in between them and over. She even did a few lazy loops, slow for his comfort, but smooth and elegant like herself.

Just as Silus was getting tired, they sighted the northern lights appearing in the sky.

The luminous colours glowed in the dark sky, showering the dragon beneath him in an even more beautiful light; the colours were already similar to the dragons', and her shiny scales made her a jewel in the night. He withdrew a sharp breath, causing the Night Fury to turn her head to look at him, her loving blue eyes causing his heart to melt with adoration.

They looked to the sky in sync, looking at the wavering rays of light. Sliding into place, a single word slipped off his tongue.

“Aurora...”

She whipped her head around, surprised. Silus didn't make a peep for a moment, before repeating the word.

Then, to his amazement and shock, he heard a feminine voice ring in his mind...

Aurora...?

Silus slightly panicked, spinning around in his position, trying to see something that was right in front of him. “Who said that?!” He cried, and the dragon let out a gentle roar, gesturing to herself.

Silus blinked. “What...?”

Then, just when he had nearly convinced himself this was all a dream, she lifted an arm and pointed to herself again.

Aurora. Said the voice, and then it dawned on the young teen; it was her speaking. How, he had no idea, logical or not.

“So... That's you speaking?” She nodded, repeating the word in his head and pointing to herself.

Silus tried to think why she continued to say that and gesture to herself. He knew the voice was her, somehow, but... As she did it again, louder now, he began thinking; her favouring of the word may be what could answer a big question.

“You want...” He stopped, seriously beginning to wonder if he had gone mad... “To be named Aurora?”

She nodded happily, flapping in excitement. Silus! The voice took him off guard, even more so, being his name. However, it ended with a grin.

It seemed as though saying the words required quite the effort, so the fact she cared so much to try his name warmed his heart to another level of loving her.

“Thank you, Aurora... By the way, I think it's the most beautiful name in the world.” he whispered, and smiled when she gave him a very human-like look, and basically did the dragon equivalent of a blush.

Silus rode Aurora around the island once more, flying under the coat of darkness and stars, until the teen sadly admitted he was tired, and Aurora, while reluctant, agreed. She flew him down to the cove, landing softly.

He slid off her back, and as soon as he was on the ground, she was coming in for the cuddle. He didn't resist as she softly pushed her head in his arms, in response being drawn close to his chest. He pressed his forehead against hers, as she hummed in satisfaction and gratitude.

“Thank you, Aurora. You filled a hole in my heart, one I thought would forever stay empty.” The dragon opened her eyes, shining in the pale moonlight. They locked gazes, filled with the new-found love they shared. They had only known each other for about half a day, but had come so far. Somehow, Silus knew this couldn't be wrong. Unbeknownst to him, Aurora felt the same, and knew her decision as they hugged.

“Will you be here tomorrow?” He asked gently, as she nodded.

Silus. She voiced in his thoughts, giving him a gentle nudge to the shoulder.

“Aurora.” He whispered, giving her one final stroke and hug before walking slowly away from the Night Fury, beginning the walk home.

As her future rider walked back to his home, the Night Fury, now named Aurora, sent a mental message to her home, telling them of her decision. Tomorrow, she would see him again, and in a week or so, she would make the request.

After that, they either had an unknown fate, or a great destiny to fulfil... Either way, she would never, ever leave his side... Ever.

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