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Chapter Text

The air is humid, but cold. Thick with fog, I can barely see more than a few dozen feet in front of me even if I had the willpower to open my eyes. The binds and chains are tight against my limbs, the pressure creating permanent scars across my forearms and hind legs. To ensure I can’t escape, my wings have been strapped to my back for a long time. So long, it seems like flying was always a dream, and never my reality.

A shuffle in the brush around me prompts one of my ears to barely flick up at attention. Though it’s the following human fist-sized rock that lands against my face that sparks that fight in my heart again. I twist my head around to peer at the woods with a growl and a snarl; a warning, as if I seem the tiniest bit threatening bound to Valhalla. What more do they want? Fire instinctively builds up in my throat, but the muzzle on my mouth ensures that the blast won’t get far.

I swallow back the flames, wincing at the dryness in my throat. My head returns to the uncomfortable position in the short grass, sighing in tired defeat. The clouds part from above, letting the beaming white moon shine down on my prison. My eyes look up at the sign, the tiniest speck of freedom. A heavy wave of sadness washes through my chest, the flow erupting a small grumble of yearning out of my throat.

In the light of the moon, I see a black silhouette fly past. If it was what the humans call a ‘Deadly Nadder’, maybe a ‘Death Song’, I wouldn’t have cared as much. But the familiar outline sparks fear and worry into my heart. I hope for a moment that it’s simply a ‘Sand Wraith’, or maybe a ‘Wooly Howl’. But as it passes by again, following the scent of the lure, I recognize it to be one of my own.

I lift up my head and call out a warning as efficiently as I can with my restricted movement. A warning to stay away, that it’s a trap. However, the message seems to go misunderstood, as the ‘Night Fury’ turns at attention and dives down to help. My shrieks grow in volume, pleading for the dragon to leave.

She flaps to slow her descent before landing gracefully on the clearing. She trots closer, her bright yellow eyes showing as much worry as she’s able. She looks over the bindings holding me still, and nudges the muzzle on my mouth. I toss my head to the side, repeatedly and desperately telling her to leave.

Another ruffle of the surrounding brush gets both of our attention, and she turns with a growl, flattening her ears against her head. However, the attack comes from the opposite direction as a human-made dart zips out of the shadows and plants itself right in her neck.

She winces and turns to find who stung her, but the sudden rush mixed with the poison in the dart causes her to sway slightly. She stays on her feet to the best of her ability as a figure steps out of the shadows.

Grimmel.

The lanky, self-appointed ‘Night Fury Killer’ with a face longer than a Typhoomerang cockily steps forward. I growl at him, though I know it’s too late. The least I can do is let him know how much I hate him. The other Night Fury still struggles to stand, but forces herself to remain as ready as possible.

Grimmel, on the other hand, shows no care in the world. He approaches slowly, a smug smile spread across his chapped lips as the Night Fury loses consciousness and falls to the ground with a groan. I whine and try to crawl my way towards her, but make no progress other than wiggling within my restraints. Grimmel sighs with satisfaction and nods to his emerging men. The humans hurry forward and work as one to tie up the Night Fury, despite my hopeless calls.

Grimmel smacks his lips and kneels next to me, his face covered in mock sympathy. “Aww, don’t worry your pretty, mountable head about it, Night Fury.” He says, dropping the act and placing his hand on the side of my head. “After the last one sits in my halls, I may let you live. As payment, for all your hard work.”

He grins and stands again, bringing his fingers to his lips and whistling for the next step. Hisses and snarls, accompanied by heavy footsteps bleed out of the brush next. Three ‘Deathgrippers’, each fitted with Grimmel’s poison collar, stalk forward. One flies up, hooking its stinger into the other Night Fury’s bindings and lifting her up.

Grimmel smiles at me as the other two Deathgrippers to the same to me. “After all, I wouldn't have made nearly as much progress without you.”

It’s been years, maybe. Maybe a few months, and it feels like years. Or maybe it’s been decades, but this is so tortuously slow that it’s only been years. I lay, temporarily forgotten, in a cell designed to contain dragons. That other Night Fury wasn’t the first, and she wasn’t the last either. I’ve lost count how many of them Grimmel has taken. I just know his bloodlust won’t stop until each and every one is dead, including me. Part of me hopes that he hurries up on that last part. To this day, I don’t know why it was me that he decided to ‘spare’, and instead used to lure others of my kind into their demise.

The human’s laughter and merriment can be heard, the wind carrying the sounds over the bows of the ships, and into our starving ears. As painful as my hunger cramps are, it’s not as bad as the others. They feed me just enough to keep me alive, but other dragons aren’t as needed as I am.

A Scuttleclaw lays motionless in the cage across from me, and I can only tell he’s still alive by the faint wheezes of his breathing. In the cage beside me, they managed to cram a titan Monstrous Nightmare. His flame has long-since gone out, and he barely holds onto his life. On the other side of me, a young Stormcutter paces around. She’s relatively new to the so-called ‘party’, but her youth looks to us for comfort. Unfortunately for her, she finds no such thing.

A steady gust of ocean wind blows past Grimmel’s fleet, offering us the tiniest reminder of freedom, flying unchained in the sky. But just as quickly as it came, the air stills once more. I sigh deeply and close my eyes, deciding to, along with every other prisoner on this fleet, to sleep away the hours.

A few minutes pass before the ship jostles with movement underwater. My eyes flick open in confusion, but after the ships steady once more, they slowly close with fatigue. It was probably a group of Seashockers or maybe a Submaripper.

However, the ships roughly sway again, causing me to raise my head in surprise. A few shocked calls of men bring my attention to a nearby ship, where they run around like rats to load their wooden fireless weapons. Before they can shoot, the hull they stand on erupts in an explosion of fire. A Snafflefang dives down, unleashing another spray of flames across the retreating men.

A large Stormcutter glides down before dropping onto another deck. A similarly-dressed human slides off its back before running towards that ship’s cages, and pushing all the doors open. All dragons are awake now, and are either calling for help or screeching out of fear.

From behind the strange human, I see Grimmel swing off a rope to land on their deck. He yells something I can’t quite hear over the chaos before drawing his wooden dart weapon. Before he can shoot, the ships jolt again with heavy movement. Only this time, a massive being slowly emerges from the water. One with white scales and massive tusks, bigger than any Shellfire or Submaripper I’ve ever seen. I’ve never seen a dragon like this before.

Its deep growl nearly drowns out the roars of countless trapped dragons. It opens its gaping mouth, but instead of drowning the ship in flames, shreds of ice shoot across the deck just after the strange human climbs atop the Stormcutter and flies away. I don’t know where Grimmel went, or if he was captured in the wall of jagged ice on the slowly sinking ship. My gaze remains fixed on the partnership of the human and dragon.

The Stormcutter soars around, as if it’s unaware of the stowaway standing on his back. Or maybe he allows them to remain. The dragon makes a steady bank, lining up with our line of cages on the ship. Unsure of whether they’re about to help us or hurt us, I prepare for whatever’s in store. But instead of even landing, the Stormcutter tilts slightly over, allowing the human to lean off the side. They hold out a thick wooden staff, and it bashes against each cage door as they zip past.

Each gate slowly creaks open. The titan Monstrous Nightmare roars and flies out. The Scuttleclaw regains some energy in a spark of adrenaline before following suit. Even the young Stormcutter doesn’t waste any time to take flight. I, however, am still bound. Part of me knows this may be the only chance I get to escape, and if I don’t, I’ll be stuck here until I die. I thrash against the ropes and chains, hoping for any loosened opportunities.

I manage to snap the straps holding the muzzle over my maw, and fling the discarded metal away with a flick of my neck. Within an instant I call out in alarm, though it, too, goes muffled by the roars of others, as well as the commotion from the giant beast burying other ships in ice. Stuck to free myself, I crane my neck around in hopes of biting off the constraints, but they’re just barely out of reach. Just another thing Grimmel accounted for.

A thump gets my attention, and I turn my attention forward again. A Razorwhip pokes his head into the gate, opening it further to investigate. I don’t recognize him to be one of Grimmel’s. I lift up my head in a sharp call for help, which he gladly answers. His icy-blue eyes scan over my binds in a quick assessment. His tail flips up, spread slightly with the armor sharper than any claw. With one quick motion, he hacks through the chains.

They pile around my feet as I immediately attempt to stand, using the limbs I haven’t used in a very long time. I nearly lose my balance, but manage to stay upright with great effort. The Razorwhip reaches its neck behind me, seeing one last impediment that restricts my full freedom: the multiple ropes keeping my wings bound to my back and sides.

With his sharp teeth, he bites through the rope and pulls it away before allowing them to collapse on the unsteady deck with the chains. He sees no other restriction, so he turns and leaves the cage. I, however, am processing the state that I’m in.

After months, years maybe of being bound, of having ‘no wings’ and ‘no limbs’, left to be carried by carts or the Deathgrippers Grimmel has forced to serve him. Now I’m free. I take a few shaky steps, still readjusting to the concept of carrying my own weight. I nudge the cage door open with my nose after it was slowly shut with the swaying ship, and step out onto the hull.

The chaos still rages on. While many ships are encased in ice, many others are drowning in flames. Off towards the ship’s cabin, I see the silhouettes of a few men gathering up to fight, but they haven’t seen me yet. It’s the benefit of having black scales. Before they can get the chance to see me, I turn at once and run, not without struggle, down the aisle of open cages.

Ahead of me, I can see that I’m running out of space to run, and soon I’ll have to take off into the sky. I manage to find my footing as my muscle memory kicks in, allowing me to run faster. To prepare for the jump, I stretch my wings out experimentally. It hurts, the muscles are stiff and have been unused for too long. But I know if I don’t use them now, I’ll never be able to again.

As the ship’s ledge approaches, I leap off a groan. My wings flap instinctively, but they’re weak. Numb and starved from confinement, the air catches beneath them, but not enough. I glide unceremoniously towards the water, flapping as if I was a hatchling. A burst of anger and longing sparks in my heart, and I find myself gritting my teeth and forcing the will into my wings. With a final few wrenches of effort, I begin to gain altitude instead of losing it.

To my luck, I manage to catch a current drifting over the ocean and ride it to give me a break. The sea glitters with the reflectance of the fleet’s fire, but the entire world is in front of me now. For the first time in so long, I breathe deeply without the weight of chains around my body weighing me down.

To the side, I see the sudden dragon army fly in a large flock, following a ripple of motion that disturbs the water. I can only assume that the flock is following the ice-spitting beast away from the wreckage of fire and ice. At the front of them all is the Stormcutter. And on his back stands that strange human in dragon-like armor. But I know they’re not a dragon, but then…why does the Stormcutter allow them atop his back? And why did the human save us from their own kind?

It unsettles me, but intrigues me. This human, with an army of dragons, stood against Grimmel. I find myself tilting my head, lost in analyzing the strange circumstance. All I’ve known are cruel humans and killers, but I wouldn’t be free if it weren’t for that one.

I hover in the air, torn between exhaustion from flying again, and euphoria from flying again. I decide to follow after them, but I remain distant. My wings ache, but I push them just a little further to bring me into the clouds. Silently, I drift behind them, nothing more than a shadow on the wind. They don’t see me, and for now that’s what I want. Until I can find out more, it will stay that way.

Behind us, the fleet disappears either in the darkened smoke and fog, or beneath the water. But I continue after my unlikely and surprising saviors, fading away into the night.

Chapter Text

Hours have passed. The bright moon has dipped in the sky, but is still the only source of light. My exhaustion nearly overwhelms me. After so long without using my wings, now they’re weak and barely keeping me out of sight of the flock. Below, the sea stretches on endlessly. Part of me wants to separate and find somewhere to land and rest, but I figure they know where they’re going, and it can’t be too much farther. Suddenly, a faint shape breaks the darkness.

An island, tall and mountainous. As we near, it becomes clearer through the nightly fog. It’s massive, the majority of the island alone a monument of the same jagged ice the white dragon breathed. Crystalline towers jut into the sky like a frozen explosion, glinting with sharp angles while cavernous gaps stretch alongside the ice, leading into the caves within.

The dragons begin to descend, called by something I can only faintly hear. One by one, they land among the ice or simply fly straight through the cracks, filtering through the island and out of view like bees to a hive. The strange rider leads them, the Stormcutter beneath them gliding effortlessly as his pairs of wings cut through the air like water. At last, the final dragon disappears, leaving me alone in the clouds.

I slow to a hesitant hover, my tired eyes scanning over what I can in the darkness. The rocky, snowy island the ice is formed behind, the faint calls leaking through the frozen mountain’s cracks. This place, it doesn’t smell like Grimmel’s cages, or even humans. It smells like dragons, thousands of them, but they live among a human. I don’t know what this place is, but I know it can’t be safe if a human lives among them. Can it?

My curiosity outweighs my caution, and with a stiff tilt of my wings, I begin to glide towards the monument of ice. If it wasn’t clear that the human helped free me and all the other dragons in Grimmel’s grip, following them wouldn’t have been a single thought in my mind. But they did, and I want to know why.

The winds here are strange, but maybe this is normal. Anything would be different than a lucky breeze that manages to waft through a cage. I land on a semi-level ledge of ice, but I’m nothing if not clumsy. Even if I had regained my strength by now, I wasn’t expecting the slipperiness. My claws scrape against the ice as I steady my balance. The ice doesn’t groan under me, the strength in the thick solid is different from any natural-formed ice.

My eyes lock onto a shadowed crevice in the wall of ice ahead. There’s countless entrances into whatever nest this is, but this is the closest way to get to them. I take a slow step, though my eyes stay locked onto the wide crack. My ears remain poised, flicking at every possible sound as I gradually creep my way through the entrance.

The path opens up slightly into a smooth corridor. My eyes adjust to the darkness quickly. The sounds grow clearer now, without being drowned out by the wind outside. There is some growling, but out of slight annoyance rather than rage and fear. Some others chuff softly to another. No roars. No pain. And no cages.

Still, I stay low, making no more noise than a rabbit. My ears have flattened to my head as I thread my way down the ever-shifting ice path. Every part of me is telling me to turn back, take a few moments to rest outside the nest and then flee. But I’m a Night Fury. It’s why Grimmel so efficiently captured and killed us. He knew how curious we are. I try to push aside that thought, that my curiosity is bringing me here, while the other Night Furies died from theirs.

The corridor narrows until it finally ends. I’m faced with a wall of green among the stone and ice. Soft vines curl down from above, trailing over mossy stone as small blooms poke out of their buds. I take a curious step closer. Past it, the sounds easily spill through as if the brush isn’t there. A strange kind of light accompanies them, despite the night outside.

With a flick of my ear and a low, uncertain breath, I nudge my head forward, parting the vines on either side of my face. In an instant, my eyes widen as I freeze.

Before me stretches a hollowed area layered in separate tiers of stone and earth, all covered in soft moss or grass. Dragons lazily lay across them without a care in the world. A few Terrible Terrors fly above, catching the eyes of a family of Rockstompers. A young Nadder tries to play with a Hotburple, but the larger dragon is actively asleep. To the side, a Gronkle eats his fill of rocks.

They’re all…happy? They’re calm, they’re relaxed. It’s almost foreign compared to the constant strife I’ve seen. Past them all, the ledge stops and opens up into a vast cavern. A spiral of stone, greenery, and ice shoots up the center. In that spiral, countless dragons fly without a care in the world. It’s all surprisingly illuminated despite the night sky outside. Above it all, parts of the ice canopy that drapes over this whole cavern glow with a blue-white shine.

Suddenly, closer movement catches my eye. A dragon, larger than the Hobblegrunts and Woolly Howls at the farthest part of the ledge, flies past. It’s the large Stormcutter from before. The strange rider still stands atop his back, balanced as easily as if he were a part of the dragon itself. I watch, ears pricking forward, as they effortlessly fly past. By the way the Stormcutter tilts up, I can tell that they’re slowing to land somewhere nearby. Just as quickly as they appear, they vanish beyond the wall of the opening.

It snaps me out of my curious trance. I blink rapidly and pull my head back through the wall of vines. Glancing around, I see a narrow crevice that splits the stone higher up on the wall beside me. Without questioning my lack of hesitation, I turn and jump up. My claws grip the mouth of the little entrance and pull myself the rest of the way. The tunnel is narrow, lined with cylindrical stones of varying heights, and laden with moss. I climb up a final, slanted stone before the passage opens up into a larger cave.

I glance around, but one side stretches into the darkness, while the other opens up into another ledge. This one, however, is empty. Hesitantly, I let myself leak out of the small tunnel and climb down the rocky wall. In the cavern, the dragons still spiral lazily around the central pillar. A small exhale, and I let myself break away from the shadowed wall to step into the empty ledge. The stone is cool beneath the pads of my paws as I stalk forward cautiously. I don’t make a sound as I approach the edge, laying as low as possible to avoid getting spotted. Sitting at the bottom of the cavern, half-covered in water, is the same white, ice-spitting dragon that destroyed many of Grimmel’s ships. He’s sleeping, but the reptilian rumble of his soft snores shake the water he’s laying in, and echo faintly over his nest. The sound itself is an assurance to the dragons under his protection that he’s still here.

Behind me, high up on the corner of the wall, the stone itself shifts. Except in the shadows, anything could be mistaken for stone. A slitted eye blinks open from beneath a thick, folded wing. Golden-yellow, it fixes on me with a calm, unblinking focus. Hidden against the shadowed stone, the Stormcutter shifts slightly as he reveals the rest of his face to watch me more closely. His massive head rises, then tilts as he studies me curiously.

I don’t see him, as my gaze is still locked on the massive dragon and the nest he created. I start to back up, my desire to remain unseen pulling me from the open cavern. However, the Stormcutter tilts his head towards the other side, and a deep, rumbling call rolls out and breaks the stillness.

It was no more than an announcement of his presence, or a simple ‘hello’. Still, I jump and spin around, nearly slipping off the ledge in my panic. My eyes dart around the ledge before movement gets my attention in the upper corner. The Stormcutter unfurls fully with slow, deliberate grace, as if he’s purposely trying not to spook me more than he already unintentionally has. He climbs down the wall without more than a few heavy thumps that come with his weight. His tan horns and facial plates are dusted with orange, and the bottom of his mouth has a strip of blue scales.

I immediately try to backpedal, but nearly slip on the forgotten ledge again. I quickly orbit around him, but he sits calmly as I do, tilting his head curiously once more as his neck pivots with my path. From this angle, I get a view of his side, but I didn’t expect to see the rider crouched on his back. He tilts his own head before he slips down the dragon’s wing.

Low to the ground, my teeth bare in a reflexive growl, but the sound cracks in my throat halfway through. I force myself to stop, remembering that this is their home, and I’m the intruder. My tail flicks once behind me as I fight the urge to flee once more. But everything I’ve seen about this place tells me that it’s not a prison.

The human creeps closer cautiously, also careful not to spook me. He’s even getting low, as if to make himself look less like a threat. Despite my wariness, my gaze lingers on the strange armor. It’s layered in stiff but flexible tan plates, sculpted to mimic the Stormcutter’s scales. Likewise, a blue streak darts over an arm and shoulder, matching the blue accent on the dragon behind him. In his hand, he carries the same double-ended staff he had used to bash the cages open, mine included.

But as he creeps closer, he lays in on the ground in another sign of peace. The most eye-catching piece of his armor is the mask. It appears to mirror the white ice-spitter, with blue tusks stretching out and multiple horns jutting from the back of the crown.

I nearly forget that it’s a human until he’s a few feet away. The ends of the arms lead into claws, but as he reaches forward, his soft flesh-covered hand is revealed. I recoil a step with a low, uncertain growl rumbling from my chest. My wings tense, half-flared in a cautious show of warning. The human immediately retracts his hand.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” The voice is muffled. Then, he reaches up to grab the large mask before pulling it off his head. Only it isn’t a ‘he’, it’s a ‘her’.

Her brown hair is held back behind her head, but a few loose strands twist down to frame her face. She has faded teal eyes, a mix of blue, green, and grey, and they’re open with shock and awe. Her lips have the faintest sign of a smile. She raises her hand again, slower this time. I stiffen but don’t move. Her finger curls to gently brush her knuckle down my nose. The sensation tickles, and with a slight huff, I shake my head and lean back.

She lets her hand drop, respectful of the space between her and I. When she moves again, she holds her hand out in a silent offer. Her palm faces up, and it’s clear she’s leaving it up to me to move this time.

Curiosity stirs in my chest. Against every instinct except one, I lean down after a short show of hesitation to sniff at her hand. She smells of the armor she wears and the Stormcutter she rides. But beneath it all, there’s something softer. Like lilacs and salt.

As I’m breathing her in, she studies me just as intently. Her eyes are wide, unblinking, and she’s afraid to move. But not because she believes I’d hurt her. She’s been around dragons long enough to know when they’re aggressive or cautious, even from a breed she’s never seen in person before. In person, and alive anyway. She’s afraid to move because she doesn’t want to scare me away.

“How is this possible…?”

Her voice is barely more than a whisper, but it cuts through the tense silence. My ear twitches and I lift up my head, searching her face. Behind her, the Stormcutter remains still, his watchful eyes following our every movement. He makes no move to intervene, seemingly trusting me not to hurt his…friend? I’m only brought back to the human when she places her hand under my jaw gently. I let her as her familiar scent reaches me again.

“A living Night Fury…” She murmurs, lifting her other hand to rest upon my nose.

A ‘Night Fury’, That’s what Grimmel called me too. His harsh voice, the cruel glint in his eyes when he said it. As if it was a craving he was hungry for. The little similarity of the name begins to worry me, but the gentleness in her touch washes it away as quickly as it came. If Grimmel were to place his hand with the same weight on my face, it was sickening. He was examining me with the intent of analyzing his prize. This woman, she examines me with wonder and fascination.

The fear loosens its grip. I ease back away from her touch before shifting to walk around her. My tail brushes lightly against the stone behind me as I slowly and cautiously circle her. She doesn’t move to stop me other than turning slightly to follow me with her eyes. She allows me to learn her in my own time.

Meanwhile, she watches me as well. Her brow furrows in worry when she notices the marks scarring the sides of my wings and legs from the ropes and chains that bound me for too long. She straightens slowly as she rises to her feet. I slow to a stop myself and watch her carefully as she walks along my side. Her hand is raised, and just barely ghosts over the worst of the scars on my wing. I retract my wing slightly out of instinct, though the contact didn’t really hurt.

She steps back up towards my face and places her hand on my head again. “You poor creature…” She mutters, looking back to see the scars. “How could anyone do this?”

Good question. Still, I instinctively shift away from her, a sudden urge not to trust a human too quickly flaring in my chest. She doesn’t move to follow, and doesn’t press. Instead, she clasps her hands together in understanding with soft eyes.

But then, she seems to get an idea, realizing I must’ve come from Grimmel’s fleet. “Are you hungry?” She asks, though her smile tells me that she knows the answer.

My ears flick up in interest, which pulls a soft laugh from her lips. She turns towards the much larger dragon watching us and makes a few hand motions. The Stormcutter lets out a soft call before turning and crawling towards the ledge before jumping off. His pairs of wings spread out wide to assist his direction in gliding down into the cavern.

“Cloudjumper will return with food for you.” The woman reassures. “You must be starving.”

I wander closer to the ledge again, cautiously peering over the side. I don’t know where ‘Cloudjumper’ went, as my gaze returns to the island-sized dragon at the center of the cavern. I hear the woman step towards the ledge after me, looking down proudly at her companion.

“The Bewilderbeast.” She states. “The King of all Dragons. He watches over us.” The woman explains, looking at me from the side. “We live in harmony, in a place where no one is chained or caged. He formed this Sanctuary to protect us.”

I look up at her and tilt my head. Grimmel’s men all talked around me, about me, like I was nothing more than an accessory. Their tool to lure in more of my kind. Only Grimmel would talk straight to me, and it was always a threat or cocky comment. This woman is making polite conversation with me, and it’s…weird. It’s different from what I’m used to. Does she really see us as equals? Living in harmony?

She smiles warmly at me. “My name is Valka.” She says, turning towards me with a small air of regretful sadness. “And like you, I may be the only one of my kind. I’m the only person who wants to live in peace with dragons. I stayed away from my past home to do just that.”

Valka looks at me for a long moment, and my own eyes scan hers. Her smile spreads as she forms a deciding thought. She reaches forward and gently lifts my head up, her thumb ghosting over my maw.

“I think I’ll call you Valkyrie.” She says.

And for the first time in what feels like forever, I don’t feel the weight of my chains. Not here. And not with her.

Valka smiles wider. “Valkyrie the Chainless.”

Chapter Text

It’s been a few weeks since I met Valka. She’s been more than happy to have me stay here, though it’s not like I had anywhere else to go. I had a nest in the past, and a Queen to watch over us. She was what Grimmel called a ‘Foreverwing’. He found a way to poison her to gain easier access to us. That’s where he found me, and I would’ve gotten away if he didn’t fire a bolas through the air. Our Queen, the entire nest, all dead or captured, and all because he wanted me.

But now I’m here, and it’s still strange to me that I’m able to eat my fill. Even stranger, I now lay calmly on the same ledge where I first found them. Or more accurately, where they first found me. My head rests in her lap, and even weeks later, she still seems mesmerized by me. Her palm grazes slowly along the arch of my brow before moving up my ear, paying attention to the smoother, larger scales.

Behind us, and acting as a support for Valka to rest against, Cloudjumper dozes as well. He’s ‘hers’, ‘her dragon’. Each other’s companion-partner between human and dragon in this war between the two.

Valka’s hand lifts before I feel it find contact with the end of my nose. Her finger glides up my snout, trailing up the ridges that form down the center of my head. As she reaches the base of my neck, just above my shoulder blades, one of my ears twitch instinctively. The sensation is strange, like the beginning of an itch I can’t scratch.

She pauses, a small huff of amusement from her nose. “Does that hurt or feel good?”

A small coo escapes my chest with a content sigh. Valka traces the spot again, though it turns into a slight massage to work out a tense muscle. As her fingers dip into the small of my shoulders, a shiver rolls down my spine. I lift my head as my spinal plates begin to separate one by one in a silent ripple down my back. I push myself to my feet entirely and shake out the rest of the itch. Valka stands curiously, looking at my back with awe as I do the same, opening and closing the new and unexpected ability.

“Incredible,” She breathes, stepping forward to rest her hand on my neck. “What other secrets do you hold?”

She then turns to meet my gaze. “Do you want to try them out?” She asks, knowing the answer once more with an excited gleam in her eyes.

Seemingly moments later, we’re airborne. It’s a sunny day, with just a few sparse clouds. In the distance, a few Timberjacks glide through the air with ease, but our attention is on us. Cloudjumper flies a little ways away from me with Valka standing on his back. My strength has regained for the most part, and the best part of my days is flying free.

We soar away from the Sanctuary. The air is crisp and cool, inviting us to move quickly to warm us up. With a few preparatory flaps, I twist in the air and spin over Cloudjumper. Valka laughs and reaches up as I pass by, gliding her hand along the top of my head. I level out again on the other side of them with a playful shake.

Valka laughs and pats the Stormcutter’s neck. “Let’s show her what we can do, Cloudjumper!”

Cloudjumper accepts the challenge, and immediately banks hard to cut me off. I mirror him, but bank much sharper. I turn my flight up through a layer of clouds, twisting through the air and pulling up into a fast corkscrew that sends clouds spinning around me.

Cloudjumper gives chase, but his large stature slows him just enough that I stay ahead. We climb high together, but in a change of pace, his larger dual pairs of wings tread the air much more efficiently than mine. The sun reflects off the sea far below, but even that is misty beyond the faint clouds. Up here, the world is silent, the only sound accompanying the beat of our wings and small grunts of effort is the wind blowing past our heads. I glance sideways, seeing Valka leaning into Cloudjumper’s vertical neck, eyes closed and breathing in the fresh air.

Both of our flights slow before gravity begins to pull us down. Together, we dive, slicing through the sky in a steady, controlled, spiraling descent. Valka spreads her arms out to mimic wings as Cloudjumper and I watch the ocean become a clearer and clearer dark blue.

But Cloudjumper knows his limits, and knows how long it will take a dragon of his size to divert away at this speed. He pulls away, wings flaring wide to slow his descent. He levels off just above the waves, his tail skimming the water in a quick dip before he takes to the air again.

But I intend on beating that. My wings tuck close, eyes locked on the approaching surface. At the very last second, my spinal plates separate again and I lift up with a sharp and tight snap of my wings. My tail also flicks into the waterline, but as I dart across the surface, a wall of the sea erupts in my wake. I rocket upward away from the mist with another small victorious spin, firing a purple blast straight up into the air that explodes among the clouds.

Valka is laughing as I circle around them. “Show-off!” She calls.

I let out a chirping warble in response as I settle in front of them in the air. Cloudjumper calls out and tilts his head back and forth in a mocking manner.

But then, a long object darts just between us, barely missing Cloudjumper. The massive spear plummets back to the open sea as we shout in surprise.

“Cloudjumper!!!” Valka shouts sharply.

We both spur into action, flying quickly to avoid being an easy target. We scatter in opposite directions as our attention snaps to what could’ve sent a spear of that size, that far, and that quickly.

Floating on the water, the same ocean we played over moments prior, is a fleet. Smaller in number compared to Grimmel’s, but the ships themselves are massive. And on a few of their decks are cages. The familiar rusty green metal plants a sickness into my stomach. A deep voice barks angry orders to his men, and the sound of weapons cracking as they reload carries over the wind.

We’re not at the Sanctuary, but if they keep sailing this way, they will be. I look across the sky to see Valka. She pulls the blue mask over her head and raises her staff high to gain my attention. She spins it in her hand as the loose ends rattle, then points it to the attacking fleet.

The message is clear: to attack them back before they destroy our home. Another spear launches, but misses me by a long-shot. Cloudjumper dives down at once, drawing the archer’s attention. He lifts his chest up as the archers rain arrows at them. Each one reflects off his hard skin, protecting Valka on his back. He opens his mouth and releases a solid pillar of fire onto the nearest ships.

With their attention diverted, they almost forget that I’m in the sky as well. I circle high before diving down, a whistle threading through the air as I plummet. I reach them before they can turn their weapons, and fire a plasma blast that rips straight through the deck of one of the ships before exploding. As I lift back up, I can hear the same deep voice laugh.

I pass Valka and Cloudjumper as he rains down fire on the fleet. He slows to a hover before landing on the deck with the caged dragons like usual. Valka slides off his wing as he provides cover as she releases the prisoners.

Before she can reach the last one, a yellow Rumblehorn, a large hand stretches forward and grabs the back of her neck before throwing her back towards the ground. She winces and forces herself to stand, gripping her staff as a weapon.

Before her stands a sturdy man with dark brown, thick hair. There’s a sinister, amused look in his eye, like he enjoys the fighting. One of his arms is blanketed by a cloak made of different pieces of dragon hides. Behind Valka, Cloudjumper flies off to burn down the rest of the fleet, unaware of his rider’s situation.

“Who are you?” Valka demands, slightly muffled behind her mask. “One of Grimmel’s puppets?”

The man laughs as if the concept is ridiculous. “He and I had…creative differences.” He says vaguely. His voice is gravelly, and full of hate. “He wanted to ‘cleanse the world’, I want to conquer it.” He says while pacing carefree.

He stops and smiles at her. “The easiest way to do that is with dragons.”

Valka’s grip tightens against her staff. “Dragons will not bend to your rule.”

The warlord chuckles. “I don’t plan on asking nicely.” He hums and turns away from her to look to the sky. He finds me, darting one way, then the other, each time blowing a deck to Valhalla. “Don’t have one of those in my army.” He chuckles again. “I only wish I could see Grimmel’s face when he realizes that I took his prized bait.”

Valka sprints forward and swings her staff around, but the man blocks it with a spear of his own. “Grimmel is dead.” She claims, twisting back to attack again. “And I killed him.”

The warlord blocks another one of her attacks, using only one arm. “Is that what you think?” He asks before pushing roughly against her staff.

She stumbles back until she regains her footing. The man grins and steps forward. “I heard a tale about a rider and his Night Fury.” He says. “I thought you would have given me more of a challenge.”

Before Valka can answer, there’s a low growl behind the man. His face slightly twists curiously before he turns around. I stand on top of the final cage as the Rumblehorn previously trapped flies away. My eyes are narrowed, wings are flared, and smoke leaks out of the corners of my mouth.

Before he has time to react, I leap off the cage and tackle him to the ground. His spear clatters to the deck, and each of my claws pin his arms to the wood, though only one arm tries to escape. I bare my teeth in a low growl, but before I can finish him off, I hear more footsteps land on the ship with us. I look up to see a few more soldiers circle Valka, weapons drawn and pointed at her.

The warlord seems to notice the predicament, and chuckles. I look back down at him with another sharp growl before jumping off of him and taking to the sky. I glide down as Valka jumps up, grabbing onto my forearms as I pull her away from the deck. I fly towards Cloudjumper, who steadies himself as I drop Valka onto his back.

We circle around the fleet, but just as we’re about to recuperate and attack again, something lashes out of the nearest ship and wraps around Cloudjumper’s leg. He shrieks in surprise as the rope pulls him back with mechanical help. His heavy wings beat against the force, but although the ship sways with his effort, he’s still being pulled in.

I bank around, anger and protectiveness firing in my heart. If they want a fight so badly then they’ll get one. Valka’s voice echoes distantly, maybe telling me to leave. But I ignore her as I fly straight towards the center, largest ship. I hear the warlord’s voice calling orders to his men. It may be smarter to turn, to save myself. But Valka and Cloudjumper saved my life.

A surge of instinct takes over. It feels like my scaly skin is tingling. Above me, grey clouds swirl dangerously before they darken. Soon, they block out the sun itself. Thunder roars as the air itself crackles. I inhale deeply, my eyes trained on the massive net-launcher that the warlord is aiming towards me. Suddenly, a single, jagged bolt of blinding lighting shoots from the sky before clinging to me. With a heavy beat of my wings, I vanish to embers just as the warlord fires the weighted net.

However, the net catches nothing but water. The dark clouds disperse as if they never formed in the first place. It’s silent among the fleet. Even Cloudjumper simply hovers as he scans the surroundings for me with Valka. The soldiers who were previously cranking him in have also stopped to look on in confusion and surprise.

Behind them all, I circle around. My scales stop reflecting the surroundings and return to a dark black hue. The stormy clouds reform, drawing attention to what they’re forming over. A single soldier sees me first and shouts to his allies.

They turn their bows and spears with the intent of killing. The warlord screams out angrily. “CATCH IT ALIVE!! Or it’ll be YOUR HEADS on the mount!!”

Lightning strikes across the sky as the clouds darken and swirl once more. My split spinal plates glow in a luminescent (U/C) as I take a deep, rumbling breath, the back of my throat brightening with the promise of fire. With an angry roar, and an adamant refusal to let any other human imprison me or my found-family, a large blast fires out and zips across the sky faster than a blink.

It lands in the center of the remaining ships, exploding in fire and expanding electricity. The blast burns away at the rope holding Cloudjumper, and he doesn’t hesitate to take the chance to create distance as I fly over the destruction.

The sea itself seems damaged. As the smoke clears, one last surviving ship sways in the waves. It’s scarred, splintered, and barely holding together, but just enough to carry the handful of men. Among them stands the warlord, looking more enraged than the others. Cloudjumper glides down to hover above the smoke. Valka stands on his back, tall and imposing.

“You live only because we allowed you to,” She declares.

The man laughs maniacally. “I’ve been ready to die, Dragon Rider! Go on, burn me like the rest!”

Valka ignores him and points her staff down towards him. “You came to capture creatures you do not understand.” She says coldly. “To grasp for power, but you will find nothing but fire.”

He’s silent, but not out of choice. He seems too livid to actually come up with something to say. I move to hover on the other side of them, glaring down at the humans that have the gall to disturb and threaten the only semblance of peace I’ve seen since I was captured.

Valka looks back down at them, gesturing to the wreckage of their fleet. “You have lost to two dragons.” She announces. “We have thousands more. All protected by their Alpha. You cannot defeat the Bewilderbeast.”

The man seems to smile after a moment. “I’ll just have to find the right contender.”

Valka laughs bitterly before turning Cloudjumper to leave. “I wish you good luck.” She says sarcastically just before she flies away.

I follow after them, though the man’s voice calls after us angrily. “You will NEVER hold onto your dragons, Rider!!! I’m coming for them!!” He roars. “Tell every beast you see!! Tell them that Drago Bludvist is coming for them all!!”

Chapter Text

It’s been almost two years, and we’ve been very busy. The trappers haven’t let up. If we’re lucky, we might get a week without an attack, but that’s rare. More often than not, Valka finds a few ships of trappers during patrol, and we return with the numbers needed to fight them and release the dragons. The Bewilderbeast doesn’t always come out to fight. Though, it’s not always needed. However, when Valka calls on him, he trusts her judgement and follows us into the battle. That being said, despite the victories, the near-constant combat has put us on edge.

The dragons are restless. They’re anxious. Some have lived in this Sanctuary for their whole lives, and they’re unfamiliar with this war. Over these few years, nothing has been heard about Grimmel. No fleets even bearing his insignia. When Valka thinks out loud, she expresses her belief that he really is dead, and the warlord was simply messing with her head. Drago, on the other hand, has been active.

His empire grows larger with each full moon. He has employed an ever-growing army of soldiers, trappers, and mercenaries, many with decades of experience fighting and hunting dragons. There are even a few dragons that fight for him, but out of fear and pain, and not loyalty. Even then, Drago himself has been out of sight. This seems to be calculated, as if he doesn’t want us to see his cards until he decides to put them on the table.

I’m mid-flight, soaring in easy loops around the central column of the Sanctuary, when a sharp whistle cuts through the air. My ears flip up at attention, and I veer away from the formation of dragons to look towards the source.

Valka stands on one of the ledges, her staff raised high in the air. Cloudjumper stands behind her, watching a cluster of baby Scuttleclaws tumble over each other. Valka’s dressed in her thick armor. That alone is enough indication that we’re headed to another fly-by, a warning sweep maybe. Or maybe a full-on fight.

I tilt my wings and dive, cutting through the air quickly before I reach the ledge. My wings instinctively flare out and flap to slow my descent. I land beside her, and she smiles as she places a handle gently on my head in greeting. But soon her gaze drifts back towards the cavern.

There, lying in his resting place, The Bewilderbeast sleeps. Massive, motionless, yet always listening. Valka raises her staff again, and with a fluid motion, she spins it quickly before stilling it to let the rattling echo through the air like a low, rhythmic chant.

The Bewilderbeast’s eyes open, faintly glowing a teal blue. His massive head lifts just enough to acknowledge her. A quiet breath rumbles from his nostrils, exhaling frosty mist. Valka lowers the staff slightly and sweeps its curved end in a wide arc across the Sanctuary. She’s not commanding, she wouldn’t dare. It’s a request.

Even before I arrived here, they fought together. It’s more than uncommon that a Queen accepts humans, just for the safety of her dragons. Let alone an Alpha. But the understanding that Valka has formed with the Bewilderbeast is deeper than what’s common. It’s not a bond. It’s a truce, built on respect and harmony.

With a rumbling groan, the Bewilderbeast rises from his comfortable resting place. Water streams down his sides in rivulets, splashing back into the shallow basin. He inhales, and it feels like the air itself shifts. With a loud roar, he calls out to his dragons. It vibrates the Sanctuary, but it’s nowhere near his maximum volume.

All across the cavern, sleeping dragons stir awake and groggily unfurl their wings. One by one, they rise and take to the air. It’s not everyone, as the Bewilderbeast has willed many to stay and keep claim over this nest. But still, we have plenty of willing dragons to fight.

The Bewilderbeast turns toward a low, open crevice at the far edge of the Sanctuary, one of the few wide enough to accommodate his size, and the one he mainly uses to enter and exit the nest.

Valka then turns. I follow her gaze to see the baby Scuttleclaws clinging like vines to Cloudjumper’s back and neck. He shakes them off and growls, sending them tumbling off like leaves. They scatter in every direction, squealing with playful delight rather than fear. However, within seconds, they regrouped and zipped off the ledge before flying around a large Windgnasher. The big dragon cranes his neck in frustration, but lets them play anyway.

Valka smiles at the sight, and just that sight alone reminds her that this is what she’s fighting for. Cloudjumper lowers himself to allow her to climb up his neck. With a raise of her staff and a chittering spin, the dragons take to the sky.

The Next Day

It’s a peaceful day. Clouds are everywhere, but they’re thin. They scatter evenly in the sky, allowing ethereal rays of light to beam down onto the plentiful sea stacks. A Terrible Terror flaps her wings quickly until she lands on a tall birch tree. Birds chirp peacefully along the landscape. They could be far enough not to see, but the cool wind carries their tune.

Suddenly, a nearby pillar of rocks bursts with a fiery explosion. The Terrible Terror jumps and turns to watch a shadowed figure crash through the explosion as the obliterated pieces of rock rain down on it. The Terror quickly flies away as the dark figure crashes onto the same sea stack before tumbling and rolling down the uneven terrain, knocking against nearly every birch tree it comes across until it falls flat on the small plateau.

The Terrible Terror flies closer and lands next to the figure curiously, only then realizing that it’s a dragon. The black dragon, the Night Fury, untenses his muscles with a mixture of a sigh and a groan. A human body crawls out from the dragon’s wings, and the Terror shrieks before flying away once more.

The armored and masked man groans as he stretches out his muscles. As the dragon begins to stand, the man reaches down and twists a knob on his prosthetic foot that switches the settings ‘riding’ to ‘walking’.

“That really came out of nowhere.” The man chuckles as he tucks wing-like leather fabric back into his suit.

Stone cracks behind them, and they both turn back to see the rocky sea stack crumble and fall completely into the ocean below. The Night Fury turns back to the man with an annoyed grumble.

The man, however, has returned to resetting his armor. “We gotta work on your solo flying there, bud. That locked-up tail makes for some pretty sloppy rescue maneuvers, eh?”

The Night Fury lowers his ears, utterly unimpressed. The man steps towards the same landscape as before and removes his helmet. He’s an adult, but still young; early twenties. He has wild brown hair, with a few small Viking braids near the base of his neck. His green eyes take in the sights of the new land.

“Oh.” He hums. “Looks like we found another one, bud.”

The annoyed Night Fury leans down and grabs a small pebble in his teeth before flinging it towards the man. It bounces against the back of his head and he winces before turning around in confusion.

The man tilts his head sarcastically. “Oh, what. Do you want an apology?” He asks, stepping forward dramatically. “Is that why you’re pouting, big baby boo?”

The Night Fury seems to mock him and turns away. The man smiles and lurches forward, wrapping his arms tightly around the Night Fury’s neck. “Well try this on!” He could put all his strength in, and still only budge the large dragon. “Ya feelin’ it yet? Huh? Picking up on all my heartfelt remorse?”

The Night Fury stands up on his hind legs and waddles towards the edge of the cliff. He begins to carefully dangle the man over the edge, but he doesn’t see it yet.

“Oh, come on. You wouldn’t hurt a one-legged…” It’s then that the man sees the complete lack of ground below him, and he holds onto the dragon much tighter. “AHH! You’re right! You’re right!! You win!!”

The Night Fury audibly laughs, as close as dragons can get to laughing, and falls backwards. The dragon then flips him over and paws at the man.

“He’s down!” The man commentates, playfully fighting back. “And it’s ugly! Dragons and Vikings, enemies again! Locked in combat to the bitter–AWGHHH!”

The Night Fury drops his head on the man’s stomach, knocking the breath out of his lungs. Nearly a second passes before the ‘unholy offspring of lightning and death itself’ has the idea to lick the man’s face, then again, and more, and more. The man groans and tries to push the Night Fury away.

“Toothless!” He shouts, rolling over his own head to escape. “You KNOW that doesn’t wash out.”

‘Toothless’ laughs again and the man lowers his gaze before flicking some of the dragon’s spit on Toothless’s face. It immediately silences his laughter and he pouts slightly as he wipes his own spit off his face.

The man steps back towards the new land before pulling out and unfolding his ever-growing map. As he roughly draws down the landscape, he stops, not knowing what to label this land.

“So what should we name it?” He asks, turning to look at Toothless for an answer.

In return, and not intending to answer this way, he dips his head beneath his arm to itch at a spot. The man nods and jots down the new name. “Itchy Armpit it is.”

He smiles at himself before his mind wanders as he finishes drawing the rest of the land. “Whaddya reckon, bud? Think we might find a few Timberjacks in those woods? The odd Whispering Death or two in the rocks?”

He lowers his pencil and looks at the horizon with Toothless. “Who knows…maybe we’ll finally track down another Night Fury.” He sighs softly. “Wouldn’t that be something?” After a moment, he looks back at his dragon. “So, whaddya say? Just keep going?”

Toothless looks back at the horizon and coos. But before the man can respond, a dragon screech catches their attention. A blue and yellow Deadly Nadder dives down with a blonde woman on her back. They make an extravagant arrival as the Nadder kicks up dirt on purpose before she lands. The woman slides off her back and walks forward, throwing a thumb over her shoulder.

“I’m assuming the obliterated sea stack was you, Hiccup?” She says teasingly.

Toothless runs over excitedly and walks around the woman to say ‘hello’ before he darts off to greet the Deadly Nadder.

‘Hiccup’ smiles at the woman’s comment and waves to her. “Afternoon to you too, Astrid. Where have you been?”

‘Astrid hums and shrugs nonchalantly. “Well, winning races. What else?” She grins and sits next to him on the sea stack. “The real question is, where have you been?”

Hiccup’s smile falls. “Avoiding my dad.”

“Oh no,” Astrid says flatly. “What happened now?”

Hiccup scoffs and stands. “Oh, you’re gonna love this. I wake up! The sun’s shining! Terrible Terrors are singing on the rooftop.” He paces theatrically as he explains while Astrid draws down the map. “I saunter down to breakfast, thinking all is right with the world, and I get… ’Son, we need to talk.”

Astrid smiles and makes her voice tighter and higher, shrugging her shoulders to imitate Hiccup. “Not now, Dad. I’ve got a whole day of goofing off to get started.”

Hiccup shakes his head in disbelief. “Okay, first of all, I don’t sound like that? What is this character? And second…” He gestures with confusion to her arms. “What is that thing you’re doing with my shoulders?”

Astrid laughs and does it again. Hiccup sighs and waves her off. “A truly…flattering impersonation. Anyway, he goes…’You’re the pride of Berk, son. And I couldn’t be prouder.”

Astrid mimics him again, flapping her hands around. “Aw thanks, Dad. I’m pretty impressed with myself too!”

Hiccup laughs. “WHEN have I ever… done that with my hands?” He says, while doing that with his hands.

Astrid laughs and gestures to him. “You just did!”

Hiccup groans and kneels beside her, holding her shoulders still. “Okay, just…hold still. It’s very serious.”

She nods playfully, and he stands to impersonate his father again. “You’re all grown up, and since no chief could ask for a better successor, I’ve decided–”

Astrid gasps and cuts him off. “TO MAKE YOU CHIEF!! Oh, my Gods!! Hiccup, that’s AMAZING!!!”

Before Hiccup can answer, Toothless and the Deadly Nadder sprint by as they play, knocking the two off balance. They spin and land on top of each other with a groan before picking themselves up, but Hiccup stays on the ground.

“Yeah, so…this is what I’m dealing with.”

Astrid scoots closer to him. “What did you tell him?”

Hiccup shrugs. “I didn’t! By the time he turned around, I was gone.”

Astrid nods and stands up with him, folding up the map. “Well it’s a lot of responsibility. The map will have to wait for sure, and I’ll need to fly Toothless since you’ll be too busy…”

She stops and turns to look at him when she realizes what she said. Hiccup nods, thinking the same thing. “It’s…not me, Astrid. All those speeches, and planning, and running the village…that’s his thing.”

Astrid sighs and steps up to him. “I think you’re missing the point. I mean, chief. What an honor! I’d be pretty excited.”

Hiccup looks away, stepping back towards the horizon. “I’m not like you. You know exactly who you are. You always have. But…I’m still looking. I know that I’m not my father…and I never met my mother…so what does that make me?”

He sits back down on the plateau, pulling apart a strand of grass as he gets lost in his thoughts. Astrid sits down beside him and starts braiding a part of his hair to join the other small braids.

“What you’re searching for…” She begins, nodding to the horizon. “Isn’t out there, Hiccup.” She puts her hand to his chest. “It’s in here. Maybe you just don’t see it yet.”

She leans forward to kiss Hiccup’s cheek, but pulls back with some of Toothless’s remaining spit. She ‘blechs’ in disgust as she tries to wipe it off her mouth. All the while, Hiccup’s gaze remains fixed on the horizon. Not on the horizon itself, but what’s on it.

“Maybe.” He says slowly. “But, y’know…there is something out there.”

Astrid sighs and shakes her head. “Hiccup–”

He gently grabs her chin and turns her to face the same direction. Just over the trees is a large pillar of smoke that wasn’t there when Hiccup and Toothless first got here. Astrid’s brow furrows before they share a look and stand together.

“Toothless!” Hiccup calls.

Astrid does the same to her Nadder. “Stormfly!”

Together, Hiccup and Astrid soar towards the rising column of smoke. Below them the sea stacks have stopped, and now they fly over a burnt, ashen forest. Blackened trees stretch out like a graveyard, and the smoke wafts off some heated branches that are just barely left standing.

As they pass over the last of the dead wood, the world suddenly opens up to a bay. And there, sitting atop a small island, is a massive structure of teal ice. The jagged shards look like an explosion caught in time. In the ice itself are remnants of past destruction: pieces of ships, broken weapons, wooden walls and crates, all entombed.

Hiccup glances back at Astrid. “...Stay close.”

They circle around the structure, silent as they take it in. It’s unlike anything they’ve ever seen, and they’ve seen a lot.

“What happened here?” Hiccup wonders aloud.

Toothless glances down to see a muddy claw-print amongst the snow. But it’s giant, larger than a house. He warbles with uncertainty, but Hiccup tries to calm him down, not seeing the footprint himself.

Just as they round the corner, a man’s voice cuts through the air. “FIRE!!!”

A weighted net launches from a mounted crossbow below, spinning through the chilly air towards Hiccup and Toothless. But before it can hit, Astrid veers sharply into its path. The net encloses around her and Stormfly, and with a squawk from the Nadder, they fall to the ground.

“HICCUP!!” Astrid cries

As they fall, Astrid scrambles through the netting. At the last second, she leaps free and Toothless swoops over her, catching her arms and pulling her away from the descent. Stormfly crashes onto the ground below. Soldiers leap out of their hiding places and rush her, but her sharp tail lifts up high and cuts through the net. She shakes herself loose and immediately flings the sharp spines out of her tail.

“Watch the tail!” The same man shouts. “Tie those legs up!!”

Ropes fling forward, tangling in Stormfly’s legs and tripping her up. The man jumps on top of her and holds her head down as Toothless glides down to land.

“STOP!!!” Hiccup shouts.

“STORMFLY!!” Astrid gasps, worried for her dragon. “What are you doing!?”

Hiccup draws his custom-made sword before clicking a button. The blade itself ignites in flames, while Astrid grabs a stick. She knows she should’ve brought her axe, but she had no way of knowing this would happen.

The man grins at them, resting his foot on Stormfly’s front horn. Though it’s the sight of Toothless that widens his smile. “Back again?”

“Again?” Hiccup asks. “Look, we don’t want any trouble.”

“Ha!!” The man laughs. “You should’ve thought of that before you stole all our dragons and blasted our fort to bits!!”

“Wait…” Hiccup blinks, shaking his head.

“What are you talking about?” Astrid presses.

Hiccup steps forward, gesturing to the monument of ice and destruction. “You think we did this?”

The man rolls his eyes. “Dragon trapping is hard enough work as it is, without do-gooder dragon riders sneaking in to rescue them.”

Hiccup’s brow furrows. “What do-gooder…” His eyes widen. “There are other dragon riders?”

The man points at him. “You mean, other than your thieving friend from last night? You tell me.” He gestures to Toothless and then the horizon. “You may have a Night Fury and an ice-spitting dragon on your side, but we still have a quota to fill. How do you suppose we explain this mess to Drago Bludvist?”

Hiccup glances at Astrid, but she’s just as confused. “Drago What-fist?” He scoffs. “Does anything you say make sense?”

One of the man’s soldiers steps forward to elaborate. “He’s expecting a new shipment of dragons for his army by tomorrow.”

The main man nods as another soldier continues the explanation. “And Drago don’t take well to excuses.”

The main man pulls his collar down to reveal a burn scar. “This is what he gave me last time I showed up empty-handed. He promised to be far less understanding in the future.”

Hiccup shakes his head. “Look, we don’t know anything about a dragon thief, or an ice-spitting dragon.”

The man subtly nods to his men hidden up on the wall behind them as Hiccup continues. “Or your lunatic boss and his dragon army, okay? Just give us our dragon and we’ll go, Strange-Hostile-Person-Whom-We’ve- Never -Met.”

The man smiles. “Oh, where are my manners?” He bows, grabbing the handle of his machete behind his back. “I’m Eret. Son of Eret.”

He stands again, now holding his machete. “Finest dragon trapper alive! After all, it’s not just anyone who can capture a Night Fury.” He finishes, pointing the blade at Toothless.

Toothless roars at the threat and Hiccup gestures to him. “And this is Toothless. He says we’re going. Now.”

Eret laughs. “They all say that. RUSH ‘EM LADS!!!”

The hidden trappers attack, but Toothless fires at a large icicle. The blast shakes it loose from the rest of the monument, and nearly falls on the dragon trappers. They shout at the close call, but meanwhile, Hiccup cuts Stormfly loose. She immediately rises to her feet as Astrid swings up onto her back. In seconds, Stormfly and Toothless are in the sky with Astrid and Hiccup on their backs.

Eret yells after them. “YOU WILL NEVER HOLD ONTO THE DRAGONS, YOU HEAR ME?? DRAGO IS COMING FOR THEM ALL!!!!”

Chapter Text

It’s been just under two days since we razed the trapper’s fort to ice, ash, and splinters. The good thing is, they didn’t have too many trapped dragons. A few Nadders, a Sand Wraith, and a juvenile Gronckle, all of which take refuge here now as well.

I’m not asleep, but I’m resting. I hang by my tail, curled around a thick root that juts in and out of the stone. My wings are folded around me like a cocoon as the faint sounds of the Sanctuary drift past. A few distant wingbeats and churs, a splash over water, and baby Scuttleclaws chirping somewhere nearby.

A few footsteps approach me, light, but with purpose. And definitely familiar. My eyes crack open as I lock onto an upside down Valka. She smiles and scratches the bottom of my jaw.

“Get your tail untangled, Valkyrie.” She says warmly, but determined. “We’re heading back to that fort.”

A small groan of fatigue and discontent escapes my chest as I unwrap slowly, stretching my wings out with a yawn-like groan before I drop to the ground with a soft thud.

Valka continues without missing a beat. “I know,” She says apologetically. “But we need to be sure that the trappers have pulled out for good. No scouts, and definitely no signs of rebuilding.”

I shake out the rest of my grievance as Cloudjumper lands behind her, always ready for a flight. The trip itself was long, but quiet. A small flock of dragons from the Sanctuary shadows behind us, brought on by some extra backup just in case the fort isn’t as empty as Valka is hoping. They keep their distance from us, but stick together in a dense group, ensuring safety in numbers. It’s a crisp day, and even through my scales I can feel the icy air as we cut through the sky.

As we near the familiar landscape, a common acknowledgement passes over us. The following dragons have fallen as silent as we stayed, and our eyes are trained on the approaching fort still encased in the Bewilderbeast’s ice. Valka is a liberator, not a rampant murderer. No hunters were fatally harmed. However, as we circle around the broken catapults, frozen debris, and collapsed wreckage, not a single soul is to be seen.

Valka raises her staff, signaling for the flock to stay airborne and alert. In turn, she dives down on Cloudjumper before the larger dragon lands heavily on the snow and dirt. More out of curiosity than anything else, I follow suit. My landing is much softer than the Stormcutter’s. Valka dismounts Cloudjumper and silently surveys the scene. I wander, sniffing the air and searching for any sign that Valka might’ve missed. There’s faint scents of the men that were here before, but faint enough that it’s been about a day since they’ve been here.

But then I sense something else. A strange smell that’s vaguely familiar and almost sickening. Nearby, Valka kneels by some wreckage. But I follow the scent on the ground, determined to find the source. The first thing I come across isn’t the original answer I was searching for, but it’s still strange nevertheless. A rope. A long, slashed rope that smells faintly of a Nadder. But what’s strange is that the Nadders we freed the other day were in cages. And the parts of the rope that were cut are singed with burn marks. Cut with flames, as if a tiny dragon freed the Nadder.

My curiosity brings me past the first strange mystery, and leads me to follow the scent path as the Nadder seems to have fled. You don’t even need a dragon’s sense of smell to follow it at this point, as the large paw prints of the dragon are directed away from the fort, and spaced out far enough to indicate it was running.

Suddenly though, the tracks stop as the Nadder takes to the sky, and the scent is lost. I raise my head and look up at the sky, almost as if I can see them still flying away. But after I’m met with nothing but a grey sky, my ears lower slightly out of disappointment, and I turn back around.

This small clearing has been trodden with footsteps. That’s really no different than the rest of the remaining fort, but those are all man’s footsteps. All the dragons they trapped were caged and imprisoned before we freed them. Here though, there are dragon tracks here. As well as human footprints. Maybe two sets or…I guess one…and a half? I sniff at a small imprint on the snow next to a bootprint. It’s not a ‘boot’, but it’s acting like one. It just smells like metal…weird.

I step away for a moment before I get a scent of the original, familiar smell that first pulled at my interest. I lower my head to follow after it, but I don’t have to take more than a step before I find another claw print in the shallow snow. Only this one isn’t a Nadder. It’s smaller, with shorter and differently-spaced claws compared to a Nadder. And I recognize it immediately.

A strange feeling coils in my chest. I’m not sure if it’s curiosity, or downright unease. I look down and lift up my own claw, seeing my own indent marked in the snow, perfectly matching the one in front of me. There’s no doubt that it’s a Night Fury track.

It could’ve just been mine, but I didn’t walk this way yet. I set my own paw inside the footprint, and the proof is overwhelming when the track in the snow is bigger than me. Not by much, but just enough that it’s clear that it’s a different dragon. The edges extend beyond my own claws, a wider splay in the toes, a deeper indentation at the center.

“Nothing here,” Valka’s voice startles me, despite being across the clearing. She stands and strides towards Cloudjumper. “Let’s head back. If anyone returned, they didn’t stay long.”

I retract my paw and step back, feeling a sickening sensation planting in my gut. It can’t be a Night Fury. It must be my tracks, and it simply grew as the snow melted away. I take comfort in that and physically shake myself out of the surprise. As I take to the sky, following Cloudjumper and the flock, I find myself wondering about any surviving Night Furies. If there are any left at all.

Part of me wishes that the tracks did belong to another Night Fury. I would take comfort in the fact that despite Grimmel using me, more of my kind still lives. But another part of me can’t handle being around another because Grimmel used me. I’m bad luck for any other Night Furies.

But it was my track. I must’ve made it when we attacked the fort before. However, as the fort’s wreckage fades behind us once more, there’s one fact that’s lost upon me. During the attack…

I never landed.

An hour or two into our journey home, the sun has started setting, basking the layer of clouds just above us in a warm, rosy pink. The dusk has painted the seas below us as well, and the water glitters orange and blue. It’s a steady trip, silent other than the rhythmic beating of our wings.

But in that peace, a disturbance drifts by over the clouds above us. A shadow zips past us from left to right, bringing a small trail of the clouds after it before they, too, seem to lose interest. Valka’s interest, however, stays present. Our eyes follow that shadow before it gets too far away to see in the clouds.

Valka raises her staff, spins it in her palm, and points towards the path the shadow disappeared. The command is understood, yet it doesn’t stop me from tiredly hesitating for only a second before I turn to follow the disturbance. It’s probably just a dragon that strayed from the flock, or maybe a wild Wind Walker enjoying an evening flight. I only get a few beats away before a shout is heard.

“AAAGGHHHHH!!!!!”

I halt to a stop as my ears flit up in surprise. Immediately I glance back at Valka, who has also stopped at the sound. She meets my gaze despite wearing her dragon-like helm. It wasn’t a shout of pain or fear, it was more…anger? Frustration, maybe. And definitely not a dragon.

She urges Cloudjumper forward with a soft hand on his neck before she cautiously stands to her feet. As they fly with me, Valka raises her hand, palm open. Wait. I stay below the clouds as Cloudjumper ascends slowly, not remotely stirring the air despite his size. Valka stands still as her staff breaches the clouds first.

Hiccup’s POV

I stay still, watching my dad as he retells his story of Drago Bludvist. After our fun little excursion with Eret, Son of Eret, my dad recoiled at the mention of Drago. Naturally, I ‘disobeyed’ his orders to stay on Berk. Peace can be secured between dragons and Vikings. Astrid and I found our friend Eret again, but my dad brought the gang to find us. Now Astrid, Gobber, Ruff, Tuff, Snotlout, Fishlegs, and I listen to my dad explain his distrust in Drago.

“The rooftop suddenly burst into flames, and from it, armored dragons descended, burning the halls to the ground…” Dad sighs, blinking away the tears from the loss. “I…was the only one to escape.”

The others are clearly disturbed by the story, all except Eret, who is visibly bored as Grump sleeps soundly on top of him.

Dad turns towards me. “Men who kill without reason cannot be reasoned with.”

I turn away from him, as determined and stubborn as he is. “Maybe.”

“Hiccup.” Dad begins to lecture.

“I’m still going to try.” I state, mounting Toothless. “This is what I’m good at. And if I could change your mind…I can change his too.” I reach down and nudge Toothless on. “Come on.”

With that, Toothless takes to the sky, leaving my dad and the others to deal with Eret and the trappers.

It’s been maybe an hour of flying. The sun is setting, and a thick layer of pink clouds are laid out before us. I’ve been biting my tongue, and my grip on Toothless’s saddle is leaving my knuckles white.

Dad just wants me to sit back and hide while this Drago Bloodyfist guy is creating a dragon army? I know he’s just trying to protect me, but it’s my job to protect dragons. Even Eret’s fort had dozens of empty cages. How many other forts are there? How many dragons have Drago already captured or killed? And I can’t have Stoick the Vast’s support? My father’s support?

My teeth clench before I throw my hands into the air. “AAAGGHHHHH!!!!!”

Toothless lowers his head, warbling cautiously at my outburst. I lay back on his back, sighing before patting his side.

“Don’t worry, bud. I’m not gonna let anything happen to you. I promise.”

It’s silent for a moment. And although it stays silent, a strange piece of wood breaks the line of clouds. It catches Toothless’s eye, and he starts to snarl as the threat of possible danger fades back through the clouds.

After another few moments, the same wooden object pierces the clouds again, only on the other side of the flying duo. Except this time, it doesn’t stop with the head of a curved staff. An armored person follows, dipping into my peripheral.

Frustration reignites in my chest. He really can’t let me be for five seconds? I sit up on Toothless, already spilling complaints out of my mouth.

“Aw, come ON, Dad!! REALLY–”

I stop, stunned at what I see. In no way is that my dad. It’s a human, dressed in heavy plated armor, but it’s not metal. It’s mostly dark brown, with a dash of bright blue. He’s holding a strangely shaped staff, and wears a tusked and horned mask unlike anything I’ve ever seen. What’s stranger, is that this guy seems to be flying on thin air, drifting on the clouds alone. The figure subtly raises and taps his staff a few times. As if it was a command, the person slowly sinks back below the clouds.

I lean forward, gripping cautiously on Toothless’s saddle. “Okay…” I mumble, unsure of what we’re up against. “No sudden moves…”

It’s silent. Long enough to where I wonder for a minute if I just imagined some strangely-dressed man hovering in thin air. That certainly seems more probable than someone actually floating hundreds of feet in the air.

But then, there’s an animalistic screech that I’ve never heard before. Before the call even ends, a massive figure emerges sharply from the clouds right in front of us. Toothless halts to a panicked hover as the large creature circles around us. It’s a dragon of some kind, one that I’ve never seen before. Not in the Book of Dragons, or even the Dragon Eye.

My heart beats in my chest as I see the same figure from before standing on top of the dragon’s back. He raises his staff, pointing it straight at me.

“Hold on, hold on!” I repeat, not having the faintest clue as to what action to take.

The large dragon stops in front of us and hovers. Its wings simultaneously split into another pair, similar to a Singetail, but stacked on top of each other. Before I can formulate the words in my head to even process what I’m seeing, a dark figure passes underneath. Just below the clouds, another dragon circles us and fast. Its speed kicks up the clouds, making a cylindrical wall around us.

I look down in added shock, but only seeing a flash of black scales before another roar gets my attention. My head snaps back just as another dragon I’ve never seen dives through the wall of clouds. I barely have time to react before its claws grab onto my shoulders and yanks me from Toothless’s back.

My split spinal plates help me make sharper turns, assisting in these tight circles around the figure Valka’s facing. I haven’t spotted them yet, just the shadows above the line of clouds. But it was only after one of the Thunderclaws dove through my clouded wall and snatched something off of the dragon, did I get a clear sound of Valka’s echoing staff.

Just before I break out of the clouds, I see a dark figure fall through them. My eyes widen when I see black scales and hear a familiar call of panic. But the panic is not for himself as he plummets to the ocean, as his eyes remain fixed on whatever was taken from his back.

“TOOTHLESS!!!” A man’s voice calls.

It must’ve been a human that the Thunderclaw took, but I can’t take my eyes away from the Night Fury. He crashes into the ice, falling into the cold ocean. Immediately, he bursts out of the waterline, flapping his wings frantically, but he only falls back into the cold.

Over the clouds, I hear the young man’s voice call again. “HEY!! YOU LEFT MY DRAGON BACK THERE!! HE CAN’T FLY ON HIS OWN!! HE’LL DROWN!!!”

I hear Valka’s staff again, calling for me. I’m not sure if she’s ordering me to follow, or telling me to fetch the fallen dragon. Regardless of her intentions, I immediately dive down, spurred on by instinct and the adamant refusal to let another Night Fury go.

The cold is numbing him, limiting his muscle movements. Night Furies can’t survive in the cold. The wind passing over my back creates a whistle through the air. A trio of Seashockers slowly drift towards the Night Fury, but I know these aren’t part of the Sanctuary. If they reach him, they’ll eat him.

‘Toothless’ splashes helplessly as the Seashockers swim over him, pulling him under the waves. In a split second movement, a plasma blast fires out of my throat as a warning. It shoots through the water, startling the Seashockers. I watch with slight relief as they reel in alarm and scatter, but the relief is short lived when the Night Fury doesn’t resurface.

I dive into the water without hesitation, grasping onto the first thing I feel in the murky darkness. With an effort that rivals Valka trying to move a perfectly content Buffalord, I heave us out of the water.

He’s heavier than I expected, as he's just a little larger than me in general. That, and he’s out cold, leaving me to carry his dead weight. Every muscle in my limbs strains to hold onto him as my wings pull us higher into the air.

In the distance, the smallest silhouettes of the flock can still be seen. We’re far enough away, and covered in black scales against the darkening afternoon that neither Valka or this Fury’s rider saw what happened. Determined, I readjust slightly to get a better grip on him before I set off to follow the flock.

“We have to head back for my dragon!!!”

Hiccup holds onto the Thunderclaw’s arm tightly as they thread through the inside of the Sanctuary. His pleads have been ignored so far, as far as he’s aware. He tries not to focus on the idea that realistically, even if there weren’t predatory sea creatures and dragons who would love having a flightless dragon for dinner, the cold would render Toothless unable to swim. The Thunderclaw finally hovers to a stop and drops Hiccup on a clearing, surrounded by other curious dragons.

They stalk forward with low, but not all threatening growls. They’ve simply never seen another human other than Valka, other than those that have trapped them, of course. Hiccup immediately pulls out his sword, but not to attack. The extended blade ignites in flames, surprising the dragons, and the dragon liberator that watches curiously from the shadows, veiled by Cloudjumper's wing.

He sways the flaming sword, putting a nearby Shovelhelm in a sort of mesmerized trance. When a few dragons behind him get too close for his liking, he retracts his blade. Instead, he turns the handle around, exudes a circle of Hideous Zippleback gas, and then ignites it, creating a temporary circle of flame that the dragons step away from out of surprise. Finally, he steps forward, hand extended, and ready to tame the same Shovelhelm from before, as his main priority is to use one of them to get back to Toothless.

Valka sees this, and reveals herself with subtle and curious movements. Hiccup turns around at the noise and steps back.

“Who… are you?” He asks as the masked Valka slowly stalks around him. “The Dragon Thief?” Hiccup questions cautiously. “Drago…Bludvist? Do you even understand what I’m saying?”

Valka spins her staff around, the curvature cutting through the air and creating a string-like echo. She stops abruptly, allowing some attached pieces to spin and rattle at the end.

Through the shadows I emerge, still holding the unconscious Night Fury in my grip as I fly down. Hiccup glances around at the sound, but fails to see anything more than a shadow-like figure as Toothless is placed in front of him. Hiccup barely acknowledges anything other than his dragon as he rushes forward to comfort the waking Night Fury.

“Toothless!!!” Hiccup gasps as I retreat into the shadows next to Cloudjumper. “It’s okay…” Hiccup says as Toothless lightly licks his face in a tired greeting. “I’m glad to see you too, bud. You really had me worried there.”

Valka tilts her head, studying their interaction. With the end of her staff, she lightly taps on a Thunderclaw’s chin. At once, the dragon opens his mouth and creates a steady flame in his jaw, acting as a living torch. One-by-one, every dragon surrounding the immediate clearing does the same.

Now basked in a yellow-orange hue, Valka stalks forward, almost along the ground. Toothless backs up and circles around Hiccup protectively. A low growl of warning emanates from his chest as Valka steps closer, except she’s not deterred.

She raises her hand in front of his face, and opens her palm and fingers quickly. He’s immediately put into a content trance as he lays to the side in a lazy groan. Valks trails her hand over his exposed neck as she steps up to Hiccup, her hand outstretched and curious. He, on the other hand, is visibly uncomfortable with the proximity of a masked stranger. But as he leans back, struggling to come up with words, Valka gets a clear look at a specific scar on his chin.

She gasps and retracts her hand. “...Hiccup?” She takes off her helmet to get a clearer look. “C-...Could it be?...After all these years?... How is this possible..”

“Uh…” Hiccup begins hesitantly. “Should I…Should I know you?”

Valka looks down, saddened and guilty. “No…You were only a babe.” She slowly looks up at him. “But a mother…never forgets.”

Hiccup stammers, tongue-tied and aghast as his brows furrow and unfurrow. The second he opens his mouth to actually say something, she holds up her finger to stop him.

At once, she turns and brings her fingers to her mouth, letting out a sharp whistle. At varying speeds, each of the dragons turns to go elsewhere, including Cloudjumper and I. Although I give one last glance at the Night Fury as he slowly comes out of his trance before I turn to follow after Cloudjumper.

Valka turns back to Hiccup, smiling excitedly and waving him forward.

“Come!”

Chapter Text

While Cloudjumper returned to his usual ledge to rest, I decided to sort through my thoughts elsewhere. I find myself flying with a few dragons up the spiral at the center of the Sanctuary. Once we reach the top, we usually disperse, glide down the sides of the cavern, and start again as a way to gain exercise or burn off restless energy without leaving the safety of the nest. This time, however, while the others descend the sides of the Sanctuary, I drift towards the highest ledge on the centerpiece, and land with a soft sigh.

A Slitherwing awakens at my presence, and with an annoyed hiss at the disturbance, she slithers away before taking to the air. Regardless of the complaint, I make myself comfortable. I exhale a steady blast, burning the solid rock to warm up a makeshift bed. Satisfied, I lay on the heated stone and let my head drop on my front leg with a warbling huff.

That man, Valka knows him? He’s her offspring. I’ve never seen Valka with any other human other than the hunters we hold off. And the Night Fury…? It’s been ages since I’ve seen another one of my kind, I honestly just assumed I was the unlucky last one. Left to be alone in the world, surrounded by other species and creatures, but never to meet one like me ever again. To be honest, the thought of coming across another Night Fury still sickens me. It’s like Grimmel molded me into a curse, a bad omen that leads to the death of any charitable enough to attempt to help me escape. Still, that didn’t stop me from taking him out of the ocean and bringing him to safety. I… helped a Night Fury? What a strange turn of events.

I’m taken out of my thoughts as a voice that doesn’t belong to Valka echoes faintly through the Sanctuary.

“...have questions!!! Where have you been all this time?”

Hiccup’s voice follows after Valka as she darts out of a crevice with a wide grin on her face. With the agility rivaling a deer, she runs across the ledge as Cloudjumper lowers his wing from the corner he sleeps in. She climbs on without a word, and Cloudjumper lifts her to hide in the shade. Without a moment to spare, I hear the man’s voice again.

“What have you been doing?! They said you were dead!! Everyone thinks you were eaten by a…”

He trails off as he steps out of the same crevice and fully takes in the Sanctuary, just like I had years prior. He walks forward in awe, only partly remembering how to walk as his eyes follow the steady spiral of flying dragons at the center of the extravagant nest.

“...dragon.”

But then his Night Fury shimmies out of the crevice behind him, and he’s what grabs my attention. The dragon quickly catches up with his rider as he, too, takes in the sights with visible surprise. I lower my head to the ground out of instinct, as if to hide myself from the dragon and man’s prying eyes. Soon, the Night Fury’s gaze finds Cloudjumper and Valka in the upper corner of the wall. His eyes narrow, and a low growl escapes his bared teeth, snatching Hiccup’s attention.

He gestures to the nest. “This is where you’ve been? For twenty years??”

Valka glances at the center, a large smile splayed across her face as he looks back at him and nods once, but silently.

Hiccup lowers his hands, intrigued. “You’ve been rescuing them.” Valka nods again. “Unbelievable.” Hiccup mumbles.

Valka leans forward cautiously. “You’re not upset?”

“What?” Hiccup questions. “No…I don’t know. It’s a bit much to get my head around, to be frank.” He admits as a Hobblegrunt slowly and curiously steps closer. “It’s not every day you find out your mother is some kind of crazy, feral, vigilante dragon lady.”

Valka giggles as Cloudjumper lowers his wing for her to safely slide down. “At least I’m not boring …right?” She asks hesitantly. Behind her smile, she fears for her son’s resentment.

Hiccup breathes a small laugh as he shakes his head. “I suppose…” He says as the Hobblegrunt nudges its large head under his hand. “There is that…one…specific…thing.”

Valka shifts cautiously. “D…Do you like it?”

Hiccup scoffs, but more out of disbelief than annoyance. “I don’t…have the words.”

Behind them, his Night Fury lets out an irritated grunt. A handful of dragons approach the newcomer curiously. He tries to back away from them, but they have him fully surrounded. Instead, he attempts to shrink in on himself. A Windgnasher ignores his clear wish to be left alone and juts her head into his side to smell him. Toothless immediately gets aggravated and shouts at the surrounding dragons, scaring them off.

Valka giggles and raises her hand hesitantly towards his Night Fury. “Can I…?”

Hiccup nods like it shouldn’t be a question, and gestures towards Toothless. Valka immediately kneels in front of Toothless and drops her staff in favor of reaching him.

“He’s beautiful!” She gasps, politely tracing her fingers up his facial spines just like she did to me when she first saw me.

Although this time, Toothless happily accepts the familiar touch of a human. He falls to the ground and crawls around her, rubbing against her lovingly as if they’ve known each other for years. He finally lays on his side, revealing his full throat to the sky. Valka counts the extra appendages that come with the males.

“And look!” She grins. “He’s your age! No wonder you get along so well.” Toothless stands and moves to face her again, basking in the affection. Valka reaches for him, holding the sides of his maw. “He might very well be the last male of his kind.”

Hiccup offers a tight smile and an awkward shift of his arms. “Actually, the last of his kind in general…probably.” Valka stands, smiling at Hiccup as he continues. “We’ve uh…been looking for years but…y’know, never managed to track one down. Isn’t that right, bud?”

Valka hums with a proud smile before she turns towards the center of the Sanctuary, raises her staff high in the air, and spins it around like normal. The rattle gets my attention, and I know she’s calling me. But for a moment, I can’t seem to make myself move. A few seconds pass as I look between Valka, Hiccup, Toothless, and even Cloudjumper, contemplating if I should make myself known. But Valka has never steered me wrong before.

After one more brief hesitation, I rise to my feet, abandoning my previously warm spot to leap off the ledge with a sharp call. Those few sets of eyes are pulled towards the centerpiece, but although I fly down with other dragons, my unmistakable black scales stick out from the colorful surroundings of both foliage and dragons.

For the first few moments, Hiccup feels like he can’t trust what he’s seeing. But as I flare out my wings to slow my descent, blowing a gust of wind across the ledge just before I land with a sturdy grace, he realizes that I’m as clear as ever. As clear as he could ever hope, as he ever has hoped for the past five years.

Feeling their unblinking eyes on me, I find myself minutely gravitating towards Valka–and Cloudjumper, as he descends from the wall. Hiccup’s hands are raised, palms up, in a frozen gesture towards me. His Night Fury’s ears are straight up, and his green eyes are as wide as his rider’s. A flicker of slight humor sparks in my chest when his scaled jaw just barely drops in shock, also mirroring the man at his side. I wonder then if I’m the first of his kind that he’s seen for a very long time, or if he’s been alone since he was hatched. Valka steps towards me with a smile on her face. I glance at her as she approaches, but turn my attention back to the newcomers as she glides her hand over my head.

Hiccup steps–although it’s more of a stumble–forward. “You…” He stammers. “Y-You…there’s...you found one…??”

Valka chuckles through her smile, giving the underside of my jaw some attention as she answers. “She found us, more like.”

“She..?” Hiccup echoes, immediately noting some differences between males and females in the Night Fury species.

The first thing he notices is my ear and head appendages. Two at the top of my head, two larger ear-like ones, then two extra pairs below that. But Toothless, as he aged, has grown more down the curve of his jaw. Mine, however, stops after four. The second thing Hiccup notices is the small difference in the head shape. It’s slightly more angular and aerodynamic for stealth and speed. It’s honestly similar to how Toothless looked when he first found him in the cove, complete with faint markings that Toothless also outgrew. Either only the males outgrow these markings and other characteristics, or I’m still young, Hiccup believes.

Toothless takes a slow, clearly dazed step forward. I instinctively turn and walk behind Valka as a kind of guard. This, however, only gives Hiccup more angles to observe me. Already, he notices a subtle but key difference between Toothless and I. At the base of his tail, just behind his wings, is a triangular fin on either side of his tail to help tread air. I have the same, but with an additional, longer one just behind that. Otherwise, the only physical difference Hiccup can see is how my spinal fins are split into two, while Toothless’s remains whole.

Meanwhile, Toothless also hasn’t taken his eyes off of me. He inches forward, wings folding gently as his curiosity pulls him closer. He chirps softly as he lifts his nose towards me in a tentative, questioning trill. I remain hesitant, and as my ears lay back against my head, a small warble is the only response he gets. Toothless tilts his head slightly sideways, as if trying to read my unreadable expression.

He takes another step, but he’s too close. Too close to danger. I’m danger. If he gets closer he could get killed. Instinct causes me to step back with a muffled growl. Not out of hatred to him, but out of hatred to the fate of any Fury that has gotten near me whilst under Grimmel’s suffocating grasp. I know that’s no longer my life, but I can’t stomach the idea of risking it. The thought alone is unbearable.

As a reflex, I turn away quickly and run towards the ledge before taking off with a silent and swift grace. Toothless runs towards the ledge as well, every part of him piqued with interest, curiosity, and concern, but unable to follow me into the air. Another deep trill leaves his throat as he calls out to me, almost like he’s apologizing or asking me to come back, telling me he means no harm.

After a few beats of silence, Hiccup scoffs out a sigh of disbelief, finally moving, but only to thread his hand through his hair as his other one gestures towards me once I land back up on the ledge I came from.

“I–...I don’t believe it!!” He exclaims.

Valka beams proudly as Hiccup continues. “We’ve been…I mean, we’ve been looking for another Night Fury for years!!!”

Valka’s smile slightly falls, but she sighs it away. “There is a reason for that.” She says, bringing the topic to a happier state. “But let’s not dwell on the past.” She suggests before something catches her attention.

Her eyes stick to the red tailfin connected to Toothless. With furrowed brows, she steps forward and kneels, gently lifting up the fin. The movement doesn’t capture Toothless’s attention, as he’s laser-focused on the ledge I disappeared beyond.

“This…” Valka begins. “Is this Drago or his trappers’ work?”

Hiccup tears his gaze away from the last spot I was seen before focusing on the object that captures his mother’s attention. He sports an awkward smile and rubs the back of his head. 

“Well…” He chuckles guiltily. “About that…”

Valka’s Sanctuary remains lush with life. She took Hiccup and Toothless out into the ocean for the Bewilderbeast to catch and fill the skies with ample fish for the nest, but I remained. They only recently got back, and most of the surrounding dragons have fallen into a content slumber after filling their bellies. Still, a few of the restless ones flew throughout the cavern. They soar freely in the bioluminescent glow of the nest, despite the moon shining outside. However, despite the numerous distractions, Toothless had chosen to place his attention onto one dragon in particular.

Me.

I warmed a large, flat rock on the floor of Valka and Cloudjumper’s usual ledge. It’s easy to find sleep in the quiet hum of dragons. But as I drift in and out of peace, a quieter, suspicious noise can be heard. Toothless, who I’ve heard Hiccup describe as a bold explorer and fearless investigator, has grown all but clumsy and awkward when I’m in the vicinity, as brief and rare as I make those moments occur. He’s shown me a shy kind of longing and curiosity, and despite my frequent departures, he doesn't seem to want to give up.

I keep my eyes closed, as my ears do plenty to fill me in on my surroundings. His steps are comically quiet, as if it were a small rabbit creeping towards me, and not a dragon weighing over half a ton. His wishful thinking underestimated my senses, and the second he gets too close, my ear twitches. My eyes open as I lift my head, my eyelids dropping tired and annoyed as I lock onto him with sharp precision.

He’s just before the ledge I’m on, his head just barely making it over the edge before I caught him. He froze, as if hoping that if he stayed completely still, I wouldn’t see him. Unluckily for him, even if his glowing eyes weren’t clear as day with our built-in animalistic night vision, I could still smell his scent getting closer and closer. A soft huff escapes my nose before I rise to my feet and depart once more.

The next morning, I awake on the highest perch of the central spiral, thinking a flightless dragon couldn’t possibly make his way up here. However, I was proven wrong when a large black claw reached over the ledge. Surprise is clear on my fatigueless face as Toothless tiredly pulls himself up. He pants through his mouth, but it’s then that I see that there’s a large salmon dangling out of either side of his jaw.

Once he sees me, most of his exhaustion is buried under his happy squint. Without hesitation, he lowers his head to drop the fish on the ground, and nudges it forward with his nose. Clearly indicating that the easy breakfast is a gift for me. A bribe, but the fact that the poor guy climbed all the way up here just to give me food for a chance of friendship is…something.

Enough of a ‘something’ to bring me to my feet and casually walk over. He stiffens as I do, as if he wasn’t actually expecting to win over my acceptance with a fish. I lean down in front of him, sniffing at the offering, before sitting across from him and tilting my head. He blinks himself out of it, but just before he tries to lean forward to finally get a good grasp of my scent, his hind leg slips off the ledge. Within a few seconds, the rest of him clumsily follows with a surprised shout. My ears flip up with a mixture of concern and surprise as I stand to look down after him. His wings catch on the air, but he’s only able to shakily glide back down to a lower ledge. As he lands, he immediately looks up at me. Irritated with his inability to fly on his own, he hits the end of his tail on the ground in a quick pout. But before he can figure out his next move, the small flock of energetic and chaotic baby Scuttleclaws all but swarm him.

I heard him before I saw him. Later that day, although sleeping lazily isn’t usually my go-to, the sun was shining just right on this slab and I couldn’t refuse. However, my sun-bathing was interrupted as a faint scrape of claws against the stone beneath me fills the air. For the first few moments, I don’t bother lifting my head. Toothless is trying again, but I’m high enough on a stone platform that he can’t reach me. And the walls are smooth enough that he can’t climb up here either.

Finally, I stretch and lazily roll over before I glance down the side. Standing up on his hind legs, using the wall for support, is Toothless. Still, he’s just a head too short to reach the top of the ledge. His wings are partially spread for balance, and he blinks at me with that wide-eyed, hopelessly transparent look of his. His head tilts in a silent question. Please?

Yet it’s a question I decide to keep unanswered. I exhale, long and slow, as I rest my head on my paws. Still, my eyes don’t leave his. We’re about the same age, give or take a few full moons, him being just slightly older. But it seems he carries himself with a younger soul, maybe due to his time with his rider. Or maybe my previous experiences have matured me far past a dragon of my age. Or maybe a bit of both. Regardless of the reason, I come to find his wishful determination intriguing.

Nearby, Hiccup scribbles down in his hand-held journal, just like he has been any time I’m close enough for him to see. By the time he gets back to Berk, he’ll need a whole new one, as multiple pages are filled with writings and sketches of me. Next to him sits Valka, who happily basks in her son’s presence after 20 years.

Hiccup looks up at the two Night Furies before smiling softly. “I don’t blame him.” He admits. “She’s probably the first Night Fury he’s seen in his whole life.”

I gently swing my tail over and playfully drape my fin over Toothless’s face. He shakes his head free before he realizes his mistake and tries to reach for the extremely rare contact again. I, intentionally, keep the end of my tail juuust far enough away. He chuffs in protests and drops back down to the floor before trying to find a better angle to reach me.

“I don’t blame her either.” Valka sighs.

Hiccup looks away from us with a question he isn’t sure he wants answered. “...her scars?”

Valka nods. “She was captured by a ruthless man. Some would say he was worse than Drago Bludvist.” She notes bitterly. “He used her to lure in other Night Furies. It was his goal to kill each and every one.”

Hiccup lowers his journal as he slowly takes in the horrid information. “How could…Why would anyone want to do that? To any dragon?”

Valka looks over at him and places her hand on his. “Some people…” She sighs. “They were just born different.”

Hiccup glances down at the ground, unable to imagine what that could’ve been like. At the sound of Toothless’s playful trill, he looks back up at us. “That’s why she stays distant.”

Valka nods, always the one to look on the bright side. “So far. But she’s warming up to him, I can tell.” She smiles as I tilt my head and playfully pat at Toothless’s reaching paw. “He’s definitely not giving up.” Valka chuckles and grins at her son. “You have that in common too.”

Chapter Text

Toothless’s failed attempts to win her over, and overall inability to reach her regardless, haven’t gone unnoticed by Hiccup. More than once now, he’s watched his dragon try again and again to approach her, each time full of hope. Only for her to step back or vanish into shadow. And Hiccup knows why, too. It’s not a distaste for Toothless, it’s her past training her to stay away from other Night Furies. They just need to get past this obstacle, Hiccup believes.

Though he lacked his usual tools in this mysterious nest far from Berk, he was nothing if not a resourceful tinkerer. That, and he has his mother helping him now as well. They’d scavenged enough materials, repurposed what they could, and spent the last few days hunched over a flat slab of stone that now served as a makeshift worktable.

Resting there now just as Hiccup spreads out the leather, is a black tail fin.

Valka steps up beside Hiccup, studying the innovation with a quiet admiration. “This will work?” She asks.

Hiccup nods, not taking his eyes off the new fin. “I’ve made an earlier model before, but he didn’t want it.” He states, standing to his full height. “I guess because he didn’t have a reason to.”

A small warble gets their attention. In the wide, open wall at the edge of the outskirts of the Sanctuary, Toothless perches. He’s waiting impatiently, but neither his eyes or ears stray away from the vast expanse of clouds above the horizon. He’s waiting, watching, listening for the return of her.

Hiccup smiles and calls out to him. “Toothless!”

There’s only a faint flick of Toothless’s ear, otherwise Hiccup would be sure he didn’t hear him at all. But even that tiniest sign of acknowledgement is short-lived.

Hiccup raises his voice. “Toothless! Come here, bud!”

There’s a long pause before Toothless exhales deeply, like a sulking sigh as his head lowers just slightly, disheartened. Finally, he reluctantly tears his eyes away from the clouds before shifting to turn around to face his rider. His movements alone are sluggish, but he still warms up when he sees his best friend.

“Got something for you,” Hiccup says as he lifts up the new tail.

Toothless tilts his head as he walks forward, eyes squinting curiously before they widen in recognition. Immediately, Toothless seems struck with lighting as excitement flows through his veins. He bounds forward and circles around Hiccup, nearly causing the man to drop the contraption.

“Alright, alright!” Hiccup laughs. “Calm down, bud!”

Toothless turns and nearly throws his tail into Hiccup’s vicinity, silently screaming at him to put it on. Hiccup agrees and drops to a knee, quickly unlatching the red tail fin and sliding the new one on. As he tightens the straps, Valka steps up to Toothless’s beaming face.

“Don’t be too crazy,” She states. She’s smiling with humor as she says it, but there is truth behind her words. “And try not to chase her off. I like her company.”

Finally Hiccup stands and dusts his hands off. Toothless turns and lifts his tail, stiffing at the new smell. After a few experimental spans of both fins, Toothless turns to his rider, both of them satisfied with the work.

Hiccup grins at Toothless’s excitement and pats his legs. “You wanna go find her?!” Hiccup asks, beckoning him like a puppy.

Toothless bounds and hops around as Hiccup continues. “You wanna go fly, bud?? Well, go get her!!”

With that, Toothless gallops towards the ledge and leaps off, putting full confidence into Hiccup’s work. He flares his wings, immediately catching on the icy air as the great beats take him higher and higher. For the first time since Toothless ran off to retrieve Hiccup’s helmet, he’s flying on his own, in full control.

Hiccup and Valka stand near the ledge, and the former calls out to him playfully. “Say good things about me, bud!!!!”

The sea is home to countless creatures. But from the land and sky, it first appears to be a mirror. A tiny water strider darts and hops across its surface, stealing the plankton from the top of the water. It pauses briefly to eat, oblivious of the other world below it.

From beneath, and in a flash of silver, a salmon swipes the bug off the surface in a single gulp. The salmon swims a few yards away, but in an ironic twist, it too is oblivious, but to the world above.

A shadow appears for half a second. In another sudden motion, I snatch the salmon from the sea before my wings pull both of us back into the sky. The greatly disturbed water settles beneath me slowly. Mid-ascent, I toss the fish high above my head. Without hesitation, I open my mouth and fire a hot plasma blast that catches the fish mid-air and cooks it on contact.

It falls back with gravity, but I catch it in my mouth and down it in a few seconds. I soar higher as the morning sun rises. The water below captures the dawn, and the rising light reflecting off the surface is nearly blinding at the right angle.

Valka’s mission, our mission, replays in my mind. To protect dragons from hunters and stop pointless killing. Over the years, we’ve freed hundreds of dragons, many of which returned to the Sanctuary. We’ve sacked countless forts and small fleets, but never was able to track down Drago. Still, we were making a difference. We are making a difference.

And then, out of nowhere, Hiccup and Toothless popped up. Hiccup seems to share Valka’s passion for dragons, and an intense desire to live in harmony. And Toothless, every time he offers a soft growl, a trill, a curious chirp, I wanted to answer. But every time he gets too close, both literally and figuratively, this jolt of panic would shoot through me. It’s sharp, and it’s cold. A reflex that my experience with Grimmel burned into my brain, even if he didn’t intend to. Even in death, he torments me.

But I’m starting to be able to bear it when it flares. And more than that, I’m starting to ignore it and push back. I only just met them, but I think Toothless deserves more than flinches and disinterested retreats.

I dip one wing slowly, banking gracefully as the wind ripples along my scales. But then, a distant call echoed through the morning sky. It’s unmistakably a Night Fury, but even moreso, it’s unmistakably Toothless. My head turns sharply towards the sound, and I immediately catch sight of him. His black scales are prominent in the midst of the white clouds.

I slow, more from confusion than anything else as he catches up to me. I stop completely, wings flaring repeatedly to stay in a hover, watching him as he banks and circles around me. His eyes sparkle, wide and playful, and full of whatever strange, warm thing that had driven him to keep trying with me again and again.

But as he turns, I notice that Hiccup is nowhere to be found. Neither is his saddle, in fact. And his tail is different too. It’s completely black again, with no red fin. He can fly on his own? For a moment, I wonder if this is actually Toothless or if I’ve somehow ran into yet another Night Fury.

He circles me again, giving a playful little hop midair before glancing over his shoulder to show it off. The fin opened and closed in perfect symmetry. I stare at him in silence as the familiar instinct rises to the surface. To pull away, command him to return to the nest and leave me alone.

But he’s proud of his tail. And that keeps me here. But all I could think was, “Oh, you poor thing. It’s not because of your tail that I avoided you.”

Toothless stops to hover in front of me, almost like what Cloudjumper did to him and Hiccup when we first met. He very subtly tilts his head to watch me. Not just looking, but reading. He’s tried, many times before. Offered me fish, tried to sit near me, approaching me every way possible. And every time I had tensed, or turned, or fled, or ignored him.

Now, he gives a soft snort as he changes his tactics. With a gleam in his squinted eyes, he dips suddenly. His wings fold tight to his back and sides, but snaps them open again just as he descends the length of me. With a few powerful flaps, he flies up behind me and rolls back in a lazy barrel roll above my head. We make eye contact for a short second before he dives down in front of me again. Only this time, he makes it to the ocean before he breaks his descent and flies across the waterline, his speed kicking up a spray of water as he zooms away.

He wanted to play. Or did he? I watch him glance back as he ascends slowly, still flying away from me. No, it’s a challenge. A spark of humor ignites in my chest. This dragon pet wants to challenge me? Maybe he doesn’t even expect me to follow. Maybe I didn’t think I was going to either. But it’s only after the wind breezes past my face that I realize I did. The sea blurs underneath me, that separate world completely forgotten as I see Toothless’s form get closer and closer.

And it’s then that I realize that he won. I’m chasing him. However, even after realizing that, I don’t find myself slowing in the slightest. I keep flying, faster and faster. Not because Toothless tricked me, and not because it was safe. But because something buried inside me was finally heard, and responded to him. Because despite everything Grimmel subjected me to, there’s still a piece of me that remembered what it felt like to be free. I might’ve been free from the cage years ago, but I was still bound by fear. Until now.

Toothless glances back just in time to see me blur past in a streak of black. His ears flick forward in surprise, but he quickly kicks himself into gear to catch up to me next. He was fast, but I’m sleeker.

A school of Thunderdrums dive in and out of the water ahead of us, and without a single glance of communication, we both dive over and under their wings like a winding braid. At our speed, we quickly pass the Thunderdrums. I turn my attention to the sky, and direct my flight higher and higher. Toothless was gaining behind me. I could hear his soft growls of focused effort, the occasional amused trill when I pull just out of reach.

Within a few moments we break the sparse line of clouds. As each of us burst through, a thin gust of the clouds followed after both of us. I turn and curve backwards as we dive back  through the clouds, then make it a point to ascend back up again, treating the layer of puffiness as if it was the waterline and we were the Thunderdrums we’ve already forgotten in our minds.

Finally, I put all my effort into ascending higher, and I can feel it in the air that Toothless is still following me. The clouds do nothing but cool my scales in light precipitation as we fly through each one in our way. But at long last, we break through the last cloud, and the only thing above us is the pink sky slowly turning more and more blue as the day starts. I don’t bother to beat my wings for a few seconds, as my gaze lands on the recently risen sun before gravity begins to slow my ascent. But meanwhile, Toothless reaches me.

I feel his teeth lightly grab onto the end of my tail. I look back in surprise and confusion, but he’s just innocently squinting at me, as if my tail isn’t still in his mouth. As gravity takes hold and we descend, I curl down and grab onto his own tail in retaliation. We roll back through the clouds as a complete circle, neither of us holding on hard enough to hurt, but to stay connected.

Our soft churrs and playful growls accompany the wind, and the breeze alone always feels good in a flight. But soon the ocean rises up to meet us again, and it turns into an unspoken game of chicken. While I usually win against Cloudjumper due to his size, the playing field is even now. The waterline gets closer and closer, faster than I’d like in a spinning descent like this. Though the water won’t kill us, the thought of splashing unceremoniously into the murky depths in front of him embarrasses me. Luckily he seems to think the same, because the same second that I let go of Toothless’s tail, he lets go of mine. We both flare our wings and part, but immediately bank right sharply, right back around towards each other in a mirrored, upward spiral.

Below, the ocean responds to our disturbance, the force of our flight lifting water in our wake. It spirals upward with us, thin trails of mist and spray catching the morning sun like amber. We slow to a steady hover, face to face as the last droplets of water fall back to its home. Both of us panting slightly from the exertion of the flight..

He seems to be waiting for me, as there’s hesitance and uncertainty behind his hopeful eyes. As if he’s waiting for me to decide whether or not he made the cut. Like he was silently asking, Did I do it right? Please? I can fly now? Please?

The moment stretches just a second longer before I finally answer. A friendly, drawn out warble as I tilt my head and blink slowly to show acceptance.

Yes

Toothless’s eyes light up, but before he can respond, another call strikes through the air. Both of our heads turn, and high above, Cloudjumper flies towards us. His massive wings stretch wide as he glides down towards our level. His golden eyes flick between us as he stops to hover.

Riding on his back are Valka and Hiccup. The ladder of which unsteadily stands and waves. “Hey, bud!!” He greets gleefully. “How’s the tail treatin’ ya?”

Toothless gives a welcoming sound as he flies up towards them. He hovers alongside Cloudjumper before Hiccup hesitantly jumps off the Stormcutter’s back and lands squarely on Toothless’s unsaddled back with a soft thud.

Hiccup scratches the side of his neck. “Are you friends yet, bud?” He asks with a grin.

Behind them, about a dozen dragons from the nest follow sparsely, no doubt deciding to get some fresh air outside the Sanctuary. I fly up to face Cloudjumper, offering him another friendly welcome with a soft nudge against his nose with mine, which he returns with a happy noise.

Valka smiles at us all before glancing back at the approaching dragons. “Come.” She states warmly to us all. “Let’s go stretch out our wings.”

Chapter Text

It’s been just under a week since Hiccup and Toothless showed up and we yanked them out of the sky and sea. It’s dark out as the moon slowly rises in the sky, and while the Sanctuary is still humming with an active buzz, it’s quieter than it would be in the sun’s rays. The five of us–Valka, Cloudjumper, Hiccup, Toothless, and I–rest in a cavern deeper in the nest. A bright but small fire burns in the center, keeping us warm enough and blanketing us in an orange hue.

Valka makes her and Hiccup’s dinner, though she’s said multiple times since his arrival that she apologizes that her cooking hasn’t gotten better since he was a baby. Hiccup doesn’t mind though, and it’s clear he’d eat the fish raw if it means he could finally meet his mother. Cloudjumper rests on his own nearby. Tired, though his eyes remain lazily fixed on the ‘room’ in slight interest.

I lay on a soft patch of grass that covers just a small portion of the cold, stone ground. My head is down, but my eyes are also lidded in fatigue, though they remain open to watch Hiccup and Valka interact. I’m comfortable, like normal, but now there’s a new weight on my folded wing. After finally accepting Toothless’s company, he hasn’t wasted the opportunity. He’s settled perpendicular behind me, resting his chin on my folded wing and making a shaky ‘T’ with our bodies. He’s utterly at ease, and perfectly content. And even in his sleep, both his maw and his eyes are perked with a smile.

Hiccup parts from Valka’s side and walks towards me with careful curiosity. I open my eyes the rest of the way and lift my head calmly. A soft, ascending warble leaves my throat in a small acknowledgement. He smiles and gently sinks to the ground in front of me, sitting cross-legged.

“You like me yet, girl?” Hiccup asks with a cheeky tilt of his head.

I like him? But I guess his question is valid, because so far, he’s just been ‘my friend’s son’ and not ‘my friend’. I lower my head to sniff at his hand resting lazily off his crossed leg, and nudge my snout under his fingers. He takes the invitation and grazes his hand over my nose and brow.

“Amazing…”

The fire dies with a soft crackle, its warm orange glow dimming into nothing but a few embers. It leaves us in a cool chill, accompanied by nothing but the bioluminescent glow of the ice and certain fauna. Valka sighs at the change, as the food was just nearly done cooking.

“Cloudjumper?” She calls softly. Though she gets no response. As her gaze travels to her decades-long companion, his eyes are closed, and a steady rumble escapes his sleeping form. Valka smiles and turns towards me. “Would you mind?” She asks, gesturing to the fire pit.

I let out a low grumble, but push myself up anyway. Toothless’s head slips off my wing, and nearly smacks into the ground, but he awakes and jolts upright before blinking in groggy confusion. Hiccup rises to his feet as I part from them, though he doesn’t get a chance to take his next step before a steady stream of violet flame pours from my throat and onto the fire pit.

I pull back and sit back on my haunches as the purple shifts into a familiar orange as the wood begins to burn on its own once more. Behind me, I hear the thump, clink of Hiccup’s footsteps, along with Toothless’s heavier ones approach the fire. Hiccup stops beside me, unsure of whether to look at the orange fire or me.

“That’s…that wasn’t plasma,” He states with surprise and curiosity. Next to him, Toothless looks at me, tilting his head as if the strange, literal firepower will appear again.

Valka chuckles and flips over the fish as they finish cooking. “Toothless was the first, and until now, the only Night Fury you’ve ever seen.” She states with her back turned. “And it’s possible he’s never seen another of his kind either.” She finally places the fish on carved wooden plates and turns back around. “I would imagine neither of you knows everything about the species.”

Hiccup smiles in sheepish defeat as she hands him the plate. “You’re right, I…I mean, I want to, though.” He says, holding the plate low, but keeping his eyes on Valka. “I want to know as much about dragons as possible.”

She smiles in agreement, though reconnecting with her son gives her the most excitement. “I can teach you all that I’ve learned these past twenty years!” An idea pops in her head and she smiles knowingly before she places her plate down on a table. “Like…”

Valka walks past me and steps around to Toothless’s side. She pets down his head, which he happily enjoys, but then she presses into the spot just below his neck. He lightly shakes his head, and his spine follows as the shiver runs down his back. Meanwhile, each of his spinal fins extend and split into two.

Toothless stands and shakes out the rest of the itch before he cranes his neck to see. He flaps them experimentally before excitement flourishes in his chest. He jumps up and barrels towards Hiccup, desperately trying to show them off.

Valka smiles as she rests her hand on my brow. “Now you can make those tight turns.”

Hiccup looks at the change, mesmerized. “Did you know about this?” He asks Toothless before the Night Fury runs towards Cloudjumper.

“Every dragon has its secrets.” Valka states as Cloudjumper turns his head to continue sleeping. “And I’ll show them all to you.”

Hiccup watches as Toothless gives up on Cloudjumper and returns to me, crouching down low and raising his back to show me his fins. An amused trill filters out of my mouth before I crouch down playfully and do the same with mine. Toothless happily bounces back and forth at the extra similarity we have now.

Valka rests her hand on Hiccup’s face, bringing his attention back to her. “We’ll unlock every mystery, find every last species, as mother and son.”

Hiccup smiles, but it’s not just out of excitement, but closure as well. However, the current threat weighs on his mind as well, though now he’s not alone.

“Yeah!” He says. “That sounds…amazing! Awh, this is so great! Now you and I can go talk to Drago together!”

Valka chuckles in surprise. “What?” She questions, lowering her hand. “There’s no talking to Drago.”

Hiccup’s smile falters slightly, but he persists. “But we have to–”

“No.” Valka refuses firmly, still wearing a smile, but not willing to sacrifice any lives. “We must protect our own.” She states, picking up her plate again and gesturing to his. “Now eat up, it’s getting cold.”

Hiccup opens his mouth to say something else, but he doesn’t seem to have the willpower to think of anything to say. He looks at his forgotten plate in his hand and scoffs with discontent. Not out of the food, but that now neither of his parents want to do this his way. Quick pants bring his attention to the side, where Toothless now stands with his back towards him. He showed off to Cloudjumper (kinda), he showed off to me, but now he wants nothing more than to show off to his best friend. He looks at Hiccup, eyes ecstatic, ears perked, and tongue hanging out of his smile, before looking at his fins and flapping them, just to look back at Hiccup in time to see his reaction.

Hiccup paces back and forth on one of the ledges overlooking the center of the Sanctuary, busily packing away his things. Also on the ledge is Toothless. Slowly being drawn out of his sleep, he lifts his head to press further into what he presumably thinks is me. A happy sigh escapes him as he burrows in and his eyes slowly crack open.

He expected to see black scales, but instead saw a white bottom jaw with a pinkish-red upper beak, and bright orange eyes staring back at him with innocent confusion. A Scuttleclaw hatchling blinks once, then licks his nose.

Toothless stands upright with a startled growl, knocking another few babies off his back. His wings flare wide as he protests with another growl, scattering the baby dragons in all directions. Hiccup chuckles at the sight, but turns to finish packing.

“Well, bud,” Hiccup sighs, torn between staying with his mother or stopping Drago before it’s too late. “We can’t wait around for Drago to attack this place. We’ve gotta find him first.”

Toothless begins to step towards him, but his eyes widen when he feels something on his tail. Toothless turns and lifts up his tail to see a blue Scuttleclaw hatchling with purple spots hanging by his mouth, yet still takes the effort to nibble.

From behind, I walk up towards Toothless and growl at the Scuttleclaw. Its large eyes snap towards mine before it lets go of his tail and retreats. Toothless seems to have already long-forgotten about the unwanted baby visitors and walks towards me before nudging his nose under my chin.

Hiccup turns to face us with a smile, but sad eyes. “I don’t expect you to come with us, Val. Even though I’d want you to.”

I look away from Toothless to study him. They’re leaving?

“Stay here and protect this Sanctuary,” Hiccup advises. “If we’re lucky, this won’t need to come to a fight.”

Unsure, I look back at Toothless. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted to go with them. Though, only because it always comes to a fight. If there’s greed, there’s a fight. And I don’t want either of them to get killed by Drago or whatever evil maniac will take his place if Drago were to fall. But I couldn’t leave Valka. I’d rather us all stay here and protect the Sanctuary.

Hiccup sighs and nods to Toothless. “Let’s go.”

Just as Toothless begins to reluctantly turn, a startled sound of struggle gets both of our attention. Toothless turns around with a growl. A large hand has covered Hiccup’s mouth, and a larger man stands behind him. A large horned helmet on top of red hair, green eyes, and a large braided beard. He raises his hand up to Toothless calmly.

“Easy now…” He says with a thick Viking accent. Though to my surprise, Toothless stops growling.

What the man wasn’t expecting was to see me step around Toothless with my teeth bared. His eyes widen as he looks between Toothless and I. In his stunned state, Hiccup pushes away from him and turns around.

“Are you kidding me??”

I step forward at the threat, but Hiccup quickly pieces together that I still don’t know this intruder. He raises his hands to stop me, but it’s when Toothless places himself in front of me that I stop in my tracks. My snarl stops and my ears flip up in confusion. Though after a second, although I stay back, I still look past Toothless and Hiccup to glare and growl at the stranger.

The stranger in question blinks at me before looking at Hiccup. “Is that a Night Fury?”

Hiccup turns back to him, unsure of what to address first. “Ye–, you–, what are you doing here?? How did you get in here?”

The man shakes himself out of his surprise and grabs Hiccup’s wrist. “The same way we’re gettin’ you out.”

“We?” Hiccup questions.

“All clear!!” Another voice shouts.

Another man steps out of the crevice behind them. This one also has a helmet on as well, but with blonde hair, a hook, and a pegleg. “Let’s–” The blonde stranger’s hook scratches under his helmet. “Stoick, I think Grump sat on my head again, because I’m seein’ two Toothless’s.”

Hiccup pulls away from ‘Stoick’. “It’s not two Toothless’s, Gobber, she’s another–”

Stoick grabs Hiccup’s wrist again. “Well good, son. We’ll bring her with us to Berk.” He glances back at us. “Toothless, dragon, come.”

Within an instant, Stoick pulls a complaining Hiccup back through the crevice, led by Gobber. Toothless and I follow instantly, Toothless out of recognition and trust, and I out of uncertainty and curiosity. I know how much Hiccup means to Valka, so if they hurt her son–

“Dad! There’s something you need to know!” Hiccup shouts.

Oh.

“Yeah, yeah.” Stoick shrugs him off as they quickly traverse the narrow tunnels. “Tell me on the way.”

Hiccup frantically goes on. “This isn’t an ‘on the way’ kind of update, actually…”

“I’ve heard enough, Hiccup.”

“...more of the earth-shattering development variety.”

“Yeah?” Stoick asks. “Just add it to the pile.”

In another desperate attempt, Hiccup tries again to break it to him gently. “Dad, unlike most surprises I spring on you, this one you’ll like. I promise!!” Stoick slows to a stop upon seeing Gobber frozen in a stone opening. “You’ll just have to handle it delicately, so…”

Hiccup notices the same thing, though Gobber just takes a deep breath and slowly turns around. “Uh…you might want to take this one…” Gobber mumbles, patting Stoick on the shoulder as he passes. He sits down on a rock with a sigh. “Oh, boy.”

I nudge past Toothless, growling at Gobber and Stoick as I pass before quickly running through the opening. Stoick furrows his brows. Maybe he’s expecting Drago, or maybe some other horrid man he hasn’t heard of before. He draws his sword with a sharp shing and stomps forward.

“Dad?” Hiccup anxiously calls out. “Can you…put the sword away, please?”

Stoick ignores him and steps through the opening. Once through, he begins to raise his sword, but what he sees causes his face to fall and his sword to lower. At the far end of the small cavern, lit up by a wall of luminescent ice stands Valka atop a slope. She stands in surprise, but strong. Her grip on her staff nearly turns her knuckles white in an attempt to ground herself. In a staggered half-step, Stoick drops his sword to the ground in an echoing clatter.

Valka swallows and begins. “I know what you’re going to say, Stoick.” She begins. “How could I have done this? Stayed away all these years.” Her voice is shaky as she tries to formulate her thoughts. “And why didn’t I come back to you? To you son.”

As she speaks, he slowly steps forward. She’s scared, terrified of the heartbreak he may be feeling at her chosen absence. But what she doesn’t realize, is seeing her now is healing him. Every word she speaks, every quick blink to chase away tears, it’s mending a part of him that was torn when she was taken.

“Well, what sign did I have that you could change, Stoick?” Valka continues. “That anyone on Berk could?” She steps back as he ascends the slope. “I pleaded so many times to stop the fighting, to find another answer, but did any of you listen??”

Back at the entrance, Gobber, Hiccup, and Toothless watch. Gobber gestures to the interaction ahead. “This is why I never married.” He states before glancing at Hiccup. “This and…one other reason.”

As Stoick approaches, a few dragons crawl out of surrounded crevices and over the ice, myself included, all watching carefully to protect Valka. I’m on a head-height ledge behind Hiccup and them, hidden by the shadows, keeping my eyes on both Stoick and this other stranger, Gobber.

“I know I left you to raise Hiccup alone…but I thought he’d be better off without me.” Valka says, letting a tear slip from her tear-filled eyes as she holds the staff anxiously. “And I was wrong, I see that now, but…”

Stoick is nearly a foot away from her now, and she backs up against the wall nervously. “Oh, stop being so stoic, Stoick.” She pleads as he raises his hand towards her face. “Go on…shout! Scream! SAY something!!”

His palm gently cups her cheek as another tear falls. She winces at the foreign contact and stares at him with wide eyes. Stoick blinks, and a rare tear escapes onto his own face.

“You’re as beautiful as the day I lost you…” He finally says with raspy, raw emotion.

Valka closes her eyes and cries silently in relief. She expected hatred, resentment. She didn’t expect him to still love her, even after learning the truth. Stoick gently grasps her chin and lifts her face up as he tilts his head to the side, capturing her lips in a kiss for the first time in twenty years.

The surrounding dragons no longer see a threat, and they retreat back into the shadows. With a low rumble, I climb down the ledge. The sound gets the other humans’ attention, and although Hiccup spares me a glance before returning his overjoyed smile at his reunited parents, Gobber seems unsure of my presence.

“Heh…” He chuckles cautiously. “Hello there, lassie.”

I look down at him with unimpressed, narrowed eyes, exhaling sharply at his nervous attempt.

Chapter Text

They gathered on another ledge overlooking the inside of the Sanctuary. The day is stretching on, but not enough to take the light away from the sky. Toothless sticks around Hiccup, who’s sitting on a smooth rock. Next to him sits Valka, who still seems unsure of the surprise company. Maybe she’s gotten so used to being alone, that three guests that aren’t dragons are overwhelming. Or maybe she’s caught in her own guilt, lost in the regret of staying away from Berk for so long. On the other side of Hiccup sits Stoick, who even with the courage he wears like armor, is clearly nervous about seeing his lost wife after she was thought to be dead for 20 years.

The two men, Stoick and Gobber, have their own dragons as well. Stoick rides a green and red Rumblehorn dawning the name ‘Skullcrusher’.The proud dragon is a perfect match for the chief. Strong, protective, too proud for messing around, but not too proud to show compassion. Grump, meanwhile, is…asleep. Hotburples are characteristically lazy nappers, but Grump is on another level. His eyes were shut before he even laid down, and within seconds of plopping onto a patch of grass, his snores echoed over the stone surrounding the ledge.

Leaning against him is Gobber, absently cleaning his hook with a cloth as he listens to the ongoing conversation. He seems to understand the safest course of action: to stay out of the discussion that’s been brewing for decades. Cloudjumper, trusting Valka’s company, flies from the edge to carry on elsewhere. In his path, he flies over my head, gusting me with a few beats of wind from his wings.

I stayed back from the others, close enough not to be hidden, but far enough to show my distrust. And that’s just it. I don’t trust them. It’s clear they care for Valka and won’t hurt her, but it’s still difficult for me to put my guard down. No offense to Hiccup, but if he didn’t have Toothless, I wouldn’t have trusted him either. Maybe it’s a human male thing, since they were the ones who trapped me before.

Stoick laughs loudly, collapsing Hiccup on his shoulder. “Only my son would run off and find his lost mother and another Night Fury in one day.”

“Aha…yeah,” Hiccup nervously chuckles, lightly rolling his shoulder from the impact. “More like, they found me, I think…”

Valka fidgets with the bandages over her palm. “I wasn’t expecting to see you again Stoick,” She says softly, eyes flicking up for the briefest moment before they dart back down. “And certainly not like this.” She adds with a small chuckle.

Stoick shifts on the rock, wringing his hands together. “Neither was I,” He says, just as soft, but with a gravelly voice of a chief. “I thought I’d lost you. And I thought I was going to lose him. And now here you are,” He gestures to the side watching the ascending dragons spiral upward. “In the belly of some dragon nest.”

His eyes land on me. For a moment, he’s amused with the clear distrust in my gaze. It reminds him of before. Before he took his warriors and tried to chase off or kill the dragons in the nest near Berk. Until Hiccup and his friends beat the Red Death. Back when vikings and dragons were still enemies. Stoick would never want to go back, as things are much easier and peaceful now. Nevertheless, beneath his beard he smiles at my wariness, as the familiarity of such a look unlocks a memory he forgot he had.

“With her,” He finishes, nodding towards me.

I’ve been imprisoned around mankind, and lived with Valka a while. I hear enough to understand a good amount of their language. Enough to know he’s speaking of me now. My ear’s flick back as my eyes narrow further, squirming behind a long tuft of grass as if I’m a feline awaiting my prey. And really, in a sense, I am. The first sign that Stoick, Gobber, or their dragons are a danger, I’ll make myself known.

“Val’s been here a while,” Valka explains, finding comfort in the topic outside of herself or her actions.

“Val?” Stoick questions, as that’s a nickname for Valka as well.

Valka nods, “Valkyrie.” She shifts her attention back to me. “She was captured by one of Drago’s superiors. I didn’t even know we saved her until she showed up here.”

Gobber, who’s been silent until now, picks his teeth with his hook as he joins in the conversation. “Never thought I’d see it.” He says, lowering his hook just long enough to gesture to Toothless. “I thought that one was the last.”

Toothless, arguably knowing and understanding more of the human language than I do, looks away from Gobber and watches me. I glance at him briefly, eliciting a warble from his mouth. I don’t move, and don’t respond. My eyes flick back towards the humans intently.

Hiccup smiles at me, almost as pleased to find me as he is to find his mother. “She’s a bit different.” He notes aloud. “Way more cautious.”

“She’s still a bit wild, son.” Valka reminds. “Even I haven’t ridden her. She’s tame, but not domesticated.”

“Heh,” Gobber laughs. “Unlike your dragon, Hiccup.”

Hiccup squints and shakes his head. “Toothless isn’t…” He looks down to see Toothless look up at the attention, tilting his head as if awaiting a command. Hiccup sighs at the proof, but says nothing to continue the argument.

Gobber looks back up at me. “Smart girl,” He states, “I wouldn’t trust a few Viking men stomping around my home uninvited either.”

Valka smiles before pushing herself to stand. “If she truly didn’t trust you,” She begins. “You wouldn’t see her.”

Stoick and Gobber look back at me, a flicker of unease of what I could be capable of lighting their faces. But then Valka calmly raises her hand to her mouth, and lets out a sharp whistle. My ears flick up naturally, though I’m still unsure of whether or not I should move. However, the growl in my stomach complains just strong enough to push aside my grievances. With a stubborn huff through my nose, I rise and stretch out my wings slightly, both to keep my balance and intimidate. I step past the short tuft of brush and climb down the ledge, my eyes snapping back and forth between Gobber and Stoick.

Just as I settle down to wait, a rush of air flows over the communal ledge. Cloudjumper descends with a low rumble, and lands heavily yet gracefully on the edge. Valka strides past her company, and without hesitation, Cloudjumper dips his head, angling downward in an open invitation. She climbs up with practiced ease, settling just behind the base of his neck.

Stoick steps forward, confused. “What’s this?” He asks.

Valka just smiles and gestures with her staff to their idle dragons. “It’s feeding time.”

Before they can ask anything else, Cloudjumper kicks off the stone with a powerful sweep of his wings, pulling himself into the air. He hovers only briefly before they turn to fly out of the Sanctuary. I glance over my shoulder as Hiccup mounts Toothless. I spare a look at the men before turning leap off the ledge, wings unfurling wide as I catch the air and follow.

The wind rushes past us, faster than an ordinary day. Stoick grips tightly onto the handlebars on his saddle, Skullcrusher breathing steam through its nostrils as it barrels forward. Gobber hangs back, Grump’s sluggish flight pattern deeming them slower than the rest of us. Toothless glides gracefully with ease. Hiccup blends seamlessly onto his back, as he has plenty of experience flying together. 

Though I fly ahead of them, I can feel their glances in my direction every few seconds. I knew Night Furies were rare lately, but I didn’t know just how sparse we were. Enough to where they thought Toothless was the last of our kind, throughout the entire world? Am I really the only Fury any of them had seen besides Toothless?

Ahead of me, Cloudjumper leads the flight, Valka crouched on his back. Behind us, the whole of the Sanctuary flocks with us. Hundreds of dragons, all following to get their fill of food. Just as Hiccup didn’t expect it, it seems neither do the next visitors.

Gobber cranes his neck around, squinting at the mass of flickering scales. “Uhh…Stoick?”

“I see it,” Stoick replies, turning forward to call out. “Valka?”

Cloudjumper suddenly banks sharply mid-air, his four wings flaring wide before they beat to hover in front of us. Valka crouches steady, raising one hand to halt us. The riders instinctively pull on their saddles to stop their dragons. Hiccup and Toothless turn to hover on our side, each of us facing the newcomers.

“Yeah,” Hiccup grins openly, “I didn’t know what to think first either.”

Before they can get another word out, each of us look down expectantly. Below, a faded figure swims quickly through the water, getting clearer as he reaches the surface. The Bewilderbeast captures an entire school of fish in his gaping maw before breaking the waterline. Just before gravity begins to pull him back into the ocean, he leans back and spits out each fish into the air.

At once I spiral down, zipping past Sanctuary dragons and falling fish to catch my own dinner. I ascend out of the free-for-all with just a few tails sticking out of the sides of my mouth. Though I quickly realize that I’m not alone. Ascending beside me is Toothless, with Hiccup on his back. He caught quite a few, and proudly sports a smile with a mouthful of wriggling fish.

I bob my head in a ‘congrats’ before deciding to show off a trick he hasn’t quite learned how to do yet. With a steady breath, purple flames flicker in my mouth, cooking the fish quickly. Toothless watches with a never-waning determination, and begins to try again. Though once more, it looks more like he has an eel stuck in his throat. I squint, humored, and exaggeratedly duck and raise my head in mock laughter.

Toothless’s ears flatten with unamusement before he drops the fish out of his mouth and veers towards me. My eyes widen, but I don’t divert quickly enough.

“Toothless!” Hiccup shouts, attempting to pull him back. But with Toothless’s new tail, Hiccup has very little control anymore.

Toothless tilts sharply midair and clamps his paws onto mine, locking us into a tangled hover. We spin slowly, he growls low in his throat as he tries to pry one of the cooked fish from my jaws. I let out a muffled, but playful snarl of my own, raising my hind legs to try and push him away, but he doesn’t budge.

“Toothless, you had your own!” Hiccup calls, but there’s a smile on his face.

Finally, Toothless’s stubbornness prevails as the poor cooked fish snaps in half between our teeth. With some semblance of victory, Toothless pulls away triumphantly, and makes sure to look at me while he swallows down what was mine. I glare at him and quickly consume the rest of mine before he gets another idea.

“Okay, well,” Hiccup looks down at Toothless, happy the ‘fight’ is over. “You’ve proved you’re a big baby.”

Satisfied, Toothless allows Hiccup to urge him back towards the others. “Let’s just go ba–”

But I wasn’t done, exactly.  Hiccup’s cut off as I quickly fly after them, yanking him from Toothless’s back.

“Whoa–WHOA!!!”  Hiccup shouts in surprise.

He’s automatically aware of exactly how high up they are when he’s not seated on top of a dragon. He holds on tightly to my arms, yelling at the circumstance. Toothless keens up at us, startled, before eagerly trying to follow after me.

“Not again!!” He shouts before looking up at me squinting down at him, amusing myself at using him as a pawn. “What did I do?!”

A low, mischievous rumble escapes my chest, like a guilty, but unapologetic giggle. I twist midair, veering sharp enough to just barely dodge Toothless. Hiccup attempts to kick his legs up to hold onto my forearms with all limbs.

“Okay! Okay, you win!! You beat him!! Please let me down!” He pleads, trying not to look down.

Maybe I took slight pity on him, or maybe I’ve just grown to like the awkward rider. I twist, stopping with my chest to the sky, and flying upside down to allow him to rest somewhat easier than if he were still dangling from my grip.

Hiccup cautiously pushes him up, and I dip my head down to look at him. “U-Uhm…” He stammers, peeking over the edge. “Tha-thank you.”

Toothless ascends above us, eager to get his friend back, but enjoying the game. He tucks his wings and dives straight towards us, but I see no reason to stop now. I twist back around and dive as well, warbling when I feel Hiccup’s arms grasp onto anything steady enough to keep him alive. We dive between Valka, Stoick, and Gobber as two black-scaled beings, one after the other. Even their dragons watch us barrel towards the waterline, the frantic call of “TOOTHless…!!!” growing quieter as we pass.

The moon is high over the Sanctuary. The bioluminescent glow of the algae and ice just cast a faint light in the nest. Most of the dragons have settled across the cavern’s ledges or curled into the grassy outcrops. The overall hum of life has dwindled, and is instead replaced with various snores, the loudest of which coming from the Bewilderbeast himself.

Valka brushes her hand gently down Hiccup’s shoulder as he finishes unrolling his bedroll. “Goodnight, my son,” She says softly. “Sleep well.”

Hiccup smiles and turns to hold her loving gaze, from the mother he always wanted. “You too, Mom.”

Valka turns as Cloudjumper lowers his wing for her. “Rest easy, all of you,” She says. “We’re safe here.”

Gobber nods and turns to lay back against Grump, only to see the many Scuttleclaw hatchlings peppered over the sleeping dragon’s hide, each of them in their own deep slumber. Valka chuckles lightly, then finally grabs onto the talon on Cloudjumper’s wing, and allows him to pull her up into the corner of the rough, stone wall. His wings fold protectively around her, and she disappears behind a curtain of tan and brown skin as he curls into a tucked position.

Directly below them, I circle the stone and grass to find a place to rest. My tail ghosts along the surface as I pace, before I finally blow a concentrated steam of fire onto a smooth, flat area of stone. Satisfied, I tuck myself down onto it, wrap my tail around myself, and close my eyes.

Toothless, a few strides away from Hiccup, looks between his rider and I. Hiccup, who’s flipping through his journal at a lantern’s light, glances up at Toothless’s silence. He smiles when he sees the dilemma, and yet part of him wants to prove to Gobber that Toothless isn’t as ‘domesticated’ as he says he is.

“Go on,” Hiccup says, nodding up to me.

Toothless trills happily, and trots over without a single sign of hesitation. Hiccup scoffs at that and tosses a hand up.

“No, i-it’s fine!” He complains playfully. “It’s not like she nearly killed me earlier or anything.”

Toothless slowly stops in front of me, gently bumping his nose against mine. I blink my eyes open and raise my head, sniffing at his presence. He takes the lack of immediate recoiling as an invitation, and circles around me to find where he could fit. I turn my neck, watching him as he walks, before he eventually lowers himself alongside my back. His tail curls up in front of both of us as he makes himself comfortable behind me.

I’m sure I even look confused, with lopsided ears and eyes to match. We’ve played around sure, ate together, whatever, but never this. Part of me wants to stay, or maybe I’m too tired to leave. The other part of me thinks that an unreachable ledge is looking really comfortable right about now.

But then Toothless lifts his head to rest over my neck, and lovingly nuzzles into mine with a contented churr. His action pushes my own head down, although for a short moment I stay holding both of us up. But the weight of his head against me, the warmth from his, the soothing reverberation of his churrs lulling me to sleep, it all pulls at my stubbornness more than fatigue. A slow, reluctant sigh hums from my chest as the last of my resistance faces. I finally let both of our heads slowly fall, letting my own rest against the warm stone.

Hiccup smiles at the scene before he turns to put out the lantern, and slides deeper into his bedroll. Not far away, Stoick struggles to sleep. His eyes linger on Cloudjumper’s folded wing, where Valka is hidden from view. It didn’t go unnoticed to him that Valka has been interacting with him on a limited basis, and only as a familiar guest to her new life. 20 years and he finally sees the love of his life again. She looks like Valka, sounds like Valka, but she’s…different now. Like he’s still trying to find her.

“Give her time.” Gobber’s voice breaks the silence, startling Stoick. Sitting back against Grump with a baby Scuttleclaw sleeping in his lap, Gobber watches his internal conflict. “Been a long time for you both.”

Stoick doesn’t need to respond immediately. He shifts on his bedroll, glancing back up towards the shadowed and faint shape of the Stormcutter. He finally sighs and turns to lay on his back.

“I’ll be here,” He murmurs to no one but her, even if she can’t hear him.

Chapter Text

I watch from the side as Gobber fiddles with his hand, or the lack of one. He twists his hook back on snugly, and glances at my curious gaze.

“Ya like that?” He asks, raising up his arm to show it off. “Got it nicked from one of you.” He clicks his tongue. “Well, not from one of you-you. This one was a Nadder. And this...” He kicks up his leg, where his foot has been replaced by a piece of wood. “Was a Gronkle.”

I tilt my head at the curiosity of his prosthetics, and he continues. “Apparently, I’m quite the delicious meal.”

I’ve never tasted a human before. Not truly. Not in the way dragons do when they’re wild and scared. I don’t really want to, but still, this man entertains me. I lean forward, sniffing cautiously at his foreign hand.

He doesn’t flinch, and in fact, he chuckles. “Curious, huh?”

He reaches out, not to pet or strike, but just to show. The hook gleams dully in the Sanctuary’s light, worn smooth from years of use.

“I used to hate your kind, y’know. Dragons in general.” He mutters. “Still got the scars to prove it. But now…” He shifts his weight with a grunt, patting Grump’s sleeping face. “Now I fix saddles for your riders and found myself becoming a dragon dentist. Life’s funny like that.”

I chuff, soft and low, and settle down, curling my tail neatly alongside my body.

Gobber smirks, gesturing his hook towards the side. “Didn’t think I’d see the day a Night Fury would listen to an old viking’s foolish ramblings. Toothless always sticks to Hiccup.” He glances back down at me. “Just don’t start sniffin’ my other leg. I’m still using it.”

“Give her time,” Stoick’s voice breaks the small, one-sided conversation. We look back to see the chief walking towards us with a bundle of sticks in his arm. “She’ll get tired of you, yet.”

Gobber huffs and mutters to himself. As Stoick passes by us, his free hand pats my head. My nose wrinkles for a split second before I shake my head, but I make no other move to show any kind of distaste. Stoick drops the sticks beside a smoldering fire, the shrinking size of which prompted Stoick to leave for wood in the first place.

Maybe it’s unfair, judging them harshly based on the treatment other men have shown me during my time as a captive. But so far, they seem more like Hiccup and Valka than they do Grimmel or Drago. Much more. Still, I don’t know quite what to make of them. But they don’t regard me as a threat or a prize. They look at me like I’m someone, and not something. And like Valka and Hiccup, they talk to me, Gobber more than Stoick.

Stoick kneels by the fire, his large hands surprisingly gentle as he arranges the kindling. Sparks crackle upward, catching the dry wood easily. He doesn’t look at me at first. He just listens to the wind, the crackle of flames, the distant hum of early morning slumbering dragons.

“Years ago, I thought Valka was killed by a dragon.” He suddenly breaks the silence. Although my attention was already studying the man, now I’m listening to his words. “20 years later, she rides on the same beast’s back.”

I blink once, slow and deliberate. I’ve already heard this story, when Hiccup first came here. He mentioned that everyone on their home island thought Valka was eaten by a dragon, when it turned out to just be Cloudjumper bringing her here.

Stoick’s eyes remain on the growing fire as he speaks. “She was always meant to be part of your world.”

There’s a long silence before he speaks again. He looks up, meeting my gaze. He presses his palm to the ground beside him, leaning forward. “Thank you. For watching over her when I couldn’t.”

A cold gust of wind blows through the open crevice of the Sanctuary, greeting us in this slim cave we reside in. The breeze blows out the fire, leaving us in a slightly shadowed state, only partially illuminated by the luminescent glow of ice and the faint shine of sunlight peering through the open crevice.

Stoick sighs to himself, and begins to sit back up to reignite the firepit. But before he can, my mouth opens, firing a quick shot of flame straight at the arranged wood. The replenished fire is immediate, and Stoick looks back at me with a slightly surprised, and mostly hidden smile.

“Thank you, Dragon.” He nods respectfully.

The faint whoosh of wings in the wind and a steady crunch of snow signals their return before we even hear their voices. Toothless lands first, his claws skidding across the icy ledge outside the cave. A second later, Cloudjumper touches down with a gust of wind, wings folding neatly against his sides.

Hiccup swings off Toothless with practiced ease, a small basket of fish tucked underneath his arm. Valka dismounts more gracefully, sliding down Cloudjumper’s side. Her steps are as light as snowflakes as she reaches back to give Cloudjumper an affectionate pat on the neck.

Toothless hurries inside the cave, his attention snapping to me immediately. His eyes go wide with delight, and he bounds around the small gathering by the fire with an eager, chirping warble.

I watch his approach, and I’m already ready. I duck down silently, tucking my legs back underneath my body, waiting for him to get closer. Waiting to ambush, despite him already knowing where I am. My pupils blow wide as he jumps to a stop, dropping down onto his forelegs with his rear high in the air, wings partially spread like an eager hatchling.

My tail twitches once before I spring forward. Toothless lets out a delighted trill and turns, bolting through the clearing. I chase him, claws playfully striking after him in a blur of motion. We dart past the walking Hiccup and Valka, who both step out of our path with amused, if slightly startled, expressions.

“Oh good,” Hiccup mutters with a grin. “Now there’s two of ‘em.”

He watches me with quiet wonder, a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth as Toothless and I weave between boulders and frost-covered slabs, slipping and sliding but never colliding. He always just stays right out of my reach.

“And maybe more, eh?” Gobber shrugs, standing up to stretch. He spreads his arms out like an announcer. “The species is saved.”

Valka and Hiccup set the fish on the makeshift stone slab working as a table just in time to see me finally cut Toothless off. I tackle him to the ground, and we roll over each other, our tails tangling briefly before we spring apart again.

“She likes him,” she says gently, to no one in particular.

Hiccup doesn’t answer right away, only watches us with a shrug and a smile. But as he turns to help his mom, he finally speaks. “I’m glad Toothless finally has someone like him. I mean, he and Stormfly play, but it’s different when you have someone like you.”

Valka, busy with preparing her first officially cooked meal in decades, doesn’t look up as she replies. “Who is this ‘Stormfly’?”

Hiccup scratches the back of his neck, shrugging with a single, awkward shoulder. “Oh, she’s uh, my girlfriend’s Nadder.”

Valka looks up with a bright smile. “Girlfriend? So I have missed a bunch, haven’t I?”

Stoick chuckles from the fire. “Aye, Astrid. And she wears the pants, too.”

Hiccup glances back at him, a frustrated blush and furrow of his brows. “Dad!”

Toothless turns, deciding to stop running. He stands up on his hind legs just as I do, pushing against each other. But he’s slightly bigger, and a bit stronger. He puts his weight behind his ‘attacks’, and I’m pushed to my back. Before I can writhe to free myself, he laps his tongue over my face. I let out a muffled whine of protest, wriggling out from beneath him and crawling a few paces away. I shake myself off vigorously, ears rattling as I try to rid myself of the slobber.

Toothless lets out a deep, rolling sound. A Night Fury’s version of laughter, low and rhythmic, chest quaking with amusement. I swipe a forearm down my face with a scowl, wiping away the worst of it. Then I narrow my eyes at him. With a sharp motion, I fire a small plasma blast right at his feet. The stone beneath him scorches in a flash of heat and mist. Toothless yelps and leaps backward, eyes wide in shocked silence.

I smirk and sit down proudly before mocking him without shame, rolling out my own laughter. A soft huff escapes his nose, half-amused, half-aghast. Then, without warning, he trots over and plants a paw firmly on the top of my head, shoving it downward like I’m nothing more than a stubborn hatchling.

I grunt and twist my neck, leaning back to escape. But every time I manage to slip free, his paw returns with annoying precision, pressing me down again and again. He doesn’t push hard, just enough to be infuriating . It’s clear his only goal is to be a nuisance, and it’s working.

I growl low in my throat, but he’s relentless. Only when he finally sits back and lifts his other paw to double the problem, do I shoot to my feet, tail lashing and wings flaring in irritation. A sharp, clipped call escapes my throat like a scold.

Toothless blinks, then bashfully slithers to the ground in mock submission. His grin stretches wide as he rolls onto his back, forepaws reaching up to gently bat at my neck like an oversized hatchling. I hold still for a beat, trying to look stern, but the amusement tugging at my expression gives me away.

Without a sound, I turn and walk off, tail swaying deliberately behind me. Toothless springs to his feet in an instant, eager to follow. I glide my tail under his chin as I pass, graceful , and a bit teasing. He leans after it like it’s a rare warmth in a cold tundra. But at the last second, I yank my tail away and flick the end of it back with a soft smack against the side of his head. He jerks slightly, surprised, then gives his head a playful shake. With a happy rumble, he trots after me, unbothered and ever persistent.

I move to lay beside a resting Cloudjumper, whose eyes have watched most of all interactions in this cave, including Toothless and I’s. Toothless walks past, his hungry nose bringing him towards the cooking fish.

It’s only then that I realize that the others are talking. Or mainly, Hiccup is talking about their home. His tone is ecstatic and proud, like he could go on about everything they’ve accomplished until he’s put into the sea to rest.

“Mom, you’d never recognize it! Where we used to make weapons, we now build saddles, wing slings, we–we even fix dragon teeth! You wouldn’t believe how much everything’s changed!”

Stoick, who stood to help Valka around with food prep, agrees. “Your son’s changed Berk for the better. I think we did well with this one, Val.”

My ears lift up at the nickname, but I rest again when I realize he’s talking about her-Val, and not me-Val.

Hiccup smiles at his father. “Thanks, Dad.”

Valka lifts up a tray of cut cubed fish, but accidentally bumps into Stoick’s side. The fish drop to the ground in an instant, and in that instant, Cloudjumper leaves my side. Toothless perks up at the free food, and leans forward to eat it, but Cloudjumper beats him to it.

Stoick chuckles lowly at Valka, and moves to help her. “Oh, haha. I got it.”

He hands her a new tray, and she takes it with forcibly steady hands. “I’m…a little out of practice.”

Stoick smiles down at her. “Well, y’know…I didn’t marry you for your cookin’.”

Back by the fire, Gobber has set up shop against Grump’s sleeping side. He sits on a clothed crate, and uses the Hotburple’s snoring hide as a backrest. On his hook, Gobber has stabbed pieces of fish like a curved kebab.

“I hope not.” He chuckles to himself, speaking to his sleeping dragon. “Her meatballs could kill more beasts than a battle axe. I’ve still got a few knocking around in here, ha ha!”

Gobber takes a bite of the fish, then immediately grimaces in disgust. He looks around before seeing my eyes on him, and he plucks the first piece off of his hook and holds it up for me. I’m on my feet in an instant, and stop before him. He tosses the chunk towards me, and I catch it out of the air. Toothless sees the motion out of the corner of his eye, and hurries forward for a chance to get fed some extra morsels as well. Gobber grins and switches between the two of us, sitting patiently like the hounds on Berk, licking our lips as we wait.

Hiccup’s still pacing around his parents, reeling from the possibilities not only from his family being back together, but from the upper hand we now have.

“And once you move back in, with all your dragons??” He laughs in disbelief. “Drago won’t stand a chance! Everything will be oh-kay!”

Stoick rests his hand on his shoulder with a quiet chuckle. “Slow down, son. It’s a lot to take in.”

Hiccup looks back at his mom, who refills a canister of water in a daze. Hiccup nods guiltily. “Oh, gotcha.”

The young man walks back towards us, scratching Toothless on the side of his head before sitting down next to Gobber. With no more food on the man’s hook, Toothless and I find entertainment elsewhere. While he continues sniffing around the stone for anything dropped, I return to Cloudjumper and lay along the ground in a comfortable curl.

The relaxing silence is broken by a small whistle, a tune that Stoick is making. Gobber seems to recognize it, and leans back knowingly.

“Ohh…I love this one.” He says, and Hiccup looks at him curiously before watching his father walk towards his mother.

The tune is nice. Steady and flowing. Music is a natural thing, every creature knows it. Even the plants. The whistling stops briefly, as Stoick is right by Valka.

“Remember our song, Val?” He whispers, before gently singing the beginning of the song. “I’ll swim and sail on…savage seas, with ne’er fear of drowning. And gladly ride the waves of life, if you will marry me. No scorching sun, nor freezing cold will stop–”

“Will stop me on my jour–!!!” Gobber erupts with a joyous shift to the song, startling us all. Hiccup, Stoick, and even I glare at him for interrupting. He looks around the cave before sitting back down shyly. “Sorry.”

Stoick begins to turn back to Valka, but sends another quick glare at his friend before continuing softly. He reaches forward, grabbing Valka’s hand in his. “If you will promise me your heart…” He brings her hand to his chest, and he’s sure she can feel the rapid, nervous beating beneath his thick clothing. He hesitates, silently prompting her to finish the lyrics. “...and love…”

But he’s met with silence. His heart breaks. Maybe it’s been too long. Maybe she…maybe she doesn’t love him anymore. He should’ve listened to her more when she pleaded to end the war with dragons. He should’ve done a lot of things. He slowly lowers his hand, his breath catching as he begins to turn away, dejected.

“And love me for eternity…” Valka softly sings, as if she’s remembering the words.

Stoick looks back, with hope and relief. She spares him a glance and a shaky inhale as she walks past him, recounting the lyrics.

“My dearest one, my darling dear, your mighty words astound me.” She slowly stops, and brings her arm up. “But I’ve no need of mighty deeds, when I feel your arms around me.”

Stoick laughs and puts his arm against hers. They circle around each other before switching arms and changing direction in a dance.

“But I would bring you rings of gold, I’d even sing you poetry!” He sings with a bright smile on his face. “And I would keep you from all harm! If you would stay here beside me!”

Valka’s smile is just as bright and contagious, just like it was before he lost her. In the energy of this song, he finally realises: He found her.

“I have no use for rings of gold,” Valka sings. “I care not for your poetry. I only want your hand to hold.”

“I only want you near me!”

Together, Stoick and Valka sing the rest of the song. Gobber’s long-since stood and begun dancing to their rhythm. He snatched Hiccup from his sitting position and effortlessly made him dance along as well before the song ends.

“And gladly ride the waves of life if you will marry me!!”

“Meeeeeeee I’m still goiiii–” Hiccup elbows Gobber, and he falls silent. “I’m done.”

Valka and Stoick laugh as they catch their breath, their hands interlocked. Stoick looks down at her, his cheeks red with joy. “Ah…I thought I would have to die…before we’d have that dance again.”

Valka squints with a laugh, shaking her head. “No need for drastic measures.”

“For you, my dear…” Stoick begins, kneeling down on one knee. “Anything. Will you come home, Val? Will you be my wife once again?”

Hiccup walks up to them, and Stoick stands to his feet, bringing their son in. “We can be a family! What do you say?”

Valka pretends to think about it, but Toothless bumps behind her, gently pushing her towards Stoick. She laughs, and as I poke my head in on the other side of Valka, for no other reason than wanting to be included, she giggles and pets our heads.

Finally, she looks between her son and estranged husband with a bright smile. “Yes!”

“Great!” Gobber exclaims. “I’ll do the cooking.”

They share a small laugh before slowly dispersing. Toothless steps up to me, nudging his nose under my chin. I sigh with a soft purr and return the gesture.

Stoick’s voice can be heard not so far away. “Thank Odin you didn’t listen to me, son. We never would have found each other.”

A muffled voice, much farther away, is carried by the cold wind. I perk my ears up as a metallic clang follows, then a few more shouts. It seems Toothless heard it too, because his eyes narrow as an uneasy growl escapes his throat. Our heads lower as we peer towards the open crevice. Whatever’s making those noises, it’s outside.

Hiccup glances over at us as the air seems to shift with our demeanor. “Toothless?” He asks. “What’s happening?”

The others look over at his concern, before they begin hearing the same strange noises. In an instant, Valka rushes through the cave. I follow close behind her, and so do the others. Together, we skid to a stop on the snowy ledge overlooking the icy shore of the Sanctuary.

On the flat land, dozens of wooden and metal contraptions, ballistae, net launchers, harpoon stands, and round cages with jagged, sharp teeth, are scattered among squadrons of men. And on the sea, is an entire fleet of ships, larger in both size and number than anything Valka and I have been warding off. Hulking vessels with reinforced hulls, metal-lined and spiked bows, and white sails with multiple different sigils on the fabric, none of which friendly. How did they sneak up on us like this?

And over it all, we can hear the shouting, commanding voice barking orders to all of his men. Drago Bludvist.

Chapter Text

“Oh, no…” Hiccup breathes.

Valka’s hands tighten, her voice and breath sputtering on her lips as she sees the horror below. Not only are her enemies at her safe haven, but THE enemy is at her safe haven.

“Val!” Stoick reaches out and steadies her. “It’s all right, it’s all right. We’re a team now. Now what do you want to do?”

Valka turns towards him sharply, her voice hardening. “We have to save the dragons.”

“Aye,” Stoick agrees. “You got it. Come on, son.”

It surprises me, that the chief of chiefs, who not only commands respect from the people on Berk, but many different villages of men in many different archipelagoes, that he would follow someone else’s orders so quickly. But the moment Valka whirls and runs back into the cave to retrieve her armor, Stoick follows after her, pulling Hiccup along with him. Toothless begins to turn towards his rider to follow, but stops when he sees me.

My narrow, slitted eyes are trained on the armada that somehow took us by surprise. My breathing is deep, but shaky. A snarl rips from my lips, and I’m more ready than ever to fight. They bring this to my home? The same men who tortured dragons, hunted down my kind like sport, used me as bait. This karma is long overdue.

I leap forward, but Toothless moves at the same moment. He jumps in front of me, planting himself between me and the end of the ledge. He doesn’t growl or scold, he only meets my cold gaze firmly. And just like Stoick, he seems to imply that we’re a team now. My bared teeth slowly disappear behind my lips, though the anger in my eyes doesn’t fade away. I spare another glance at the forming squadrons of hunters before allowing Toothless to lead me into the cave with the others.

Valka has already slipped inside her armor. Dragons from the Sanctuary are already spilling out of cracks and crevices to protect their home. But just as quickly, a few are swatted down by mechanical traps and pinned to the snow and dirt. The four humans stand by their dragons, preparing their saddles for war. Although Cloudjumper doesn't wear one, he’s still ever present as Valka readies herself. 

“We can’t face them head-on,” Hiccup says. “They’ve got siege weapons, nets, long-range bolts. If we fly straight in, we’ll lose too many.”

Stoick tightens Skullcrusher’s saddle, jaw set. “Then we use the terrain. Drop some of this ice on them. Hide in fog, keep cover..”

Valka pulls her expressionless mask over her face. “They won’t stop at the shore. They want to take the Sanctuary. We have to stop them before they reach the nesting grounds.”

Gobber snorts. “Every bolt they’ve got’s aimed at the sky. We’ll need a distraction, the bigger and louder, the better.”

“We have plenty of dragons for that,” Hiccup says, making sure his sword has enough gel to ignite in flames. “And we have two Night Furies. We hit from above, bait them into the clearing, then collapse the ice shelf. If we’re lucky, it’ll take out half their front line.”

Stoick smirks, proud of his son’s thinking. “Now that’s my kind of plan.”

Hiccup exhales slowly. “Alright. We split into two teams. Dad, you and Gobber, you keep them focused on the ground, harass their front and bait their weapons. The rest of us–”

A few explosions bring out attention back to the fray, and we hurry back out onto the ledge where the shore is in sight. One of the traps is consumed by a temporary burst of flames, and a Gronkle quickly flies out with two bodies on its back, one large and one small. Another trap has a thick, steady stream of Zippleback gas leaking out of the crevices, before it’s ignited by the other head. In a second, that same Zippleback flies through the fire and into the sky. Except what surprises me is that there is a human on each neck.

“Surprise!!!” A man’s voice calls out, and the other rider throws her head back and cackles.

Another trap bursts open and a Monstrous Nightmare, fully engulfed in flames, soars high. Another rider on its neck laughs out. “Ha ha ha!!!”

How many humans ride dragons now???

As if to add more confusion to my question, one last trap bursts open with flames, and a blue Nadder zips out with a sharp speed. Although the rider on this one’s back doesn’t seem to know what he’s doing. He grips the saddle like if he doesn’t give it his whole strength, he’ll fall to his death in a split second. The Nadder flies alongside the Gronkle, where the smaller figure, a blonde woman, jumps from the Gronkle to the Nadder’s back with the other man.

Beside me, Hiccup groans. “Okay, new plan.” He says, tossing his leg over Toothless’s back. “We go with our gut and don’t get trapped!”

Toothless crouches low, wings spreading wide before he launches into the air with a powerful burst. Snow and loose stones scatter beneath his takeoff. Valka climbs quickly up Cloudjumper’s neck, gripping the harness tight as the massive Stormcutter spreads his four wings and surges into the sky, cutting through the wind like a blade.

“Come on, Grumpy!” Gobber shouts behind me, slapping the side of his Hotburple. The dragon groans like a waking bear, then finally lifts off the ground, rising steadily after the others.

Beside me, heavy footsteps crunch through the snow. Skullcrusher steps forward, his armor-like hide glinting in the pale light. Stoick sits tall on his back, an axe across his lap. He looks down at me with a steady, calm gaze.

“We’re warriors,” he says, loud enough for me to hear over the fray. “Let’s show ‘em what we can do when it comes to protecting.”

Stoick gives me a final nod, fierce and proud. With that, he clicks his tongue, and Skullcrusher charges forward before leaping into the sky with a roar. My wings twitch with energy. The words burn in my chest, steadying me. I crouch low, muscles coiled, and  leap into the air, chasing the others into the storm.

The Zippleback from before swoops low, weaving through the chaos. With practiced precision, one head unleashes a thick trail of green gas across a line of trapped dragons. A heartbeat later, the blue Nadder darts past and exhales a sharp stream of fire.

The gas ignites with a line of roaring flame that burns through ropes and nets, but leaves the fireproof hides of the dragons untouched. One by one, the freed dragons shake off the bindings and take to the sky, wings beating hard against the cold wind.

Below, I hear Drago’s furious bellow. “CUT THEM DOWN!! ” he roars, his voice echoing over the ice and metal.

Men scramble to follow his instructions, fearing what would happen to them if they don’t. A wide, fixed crossbow creaks and groans as it cranks into position. The soldiers aim without hesitation and fire before the riders have a chance to react. The massive javelin rips through the sky, fast and brutal.

It just misses the blonde girl on the Zippleback. She jerks sideways from the force of the near miss. Her balance thrown, her hand slips from the saddle, and she tumbles off the dragon’s neck.

“ ERET, SON OF EREEET!! ” She calls for help, seemingly only wanting one savior in particular.

My wings snap tight to my sides, and I dive. The wind shrieks past my ears, claws outstretched. She's falling fast, arms flailing, eyes wide, the frozen ground rising beneath her. My claws close around her shoulders, and I wrench upward seconds before she would’ve landed against the ground.

She gasps, body jerking from the sudden stop. “ Euphf!!"

There’s a pause as she catches her breath, clinging to my arms. Then she looks up at me, squinting. “Toothless?” she grins, despite herself. “I knew you liked me more than Hiccup.”

I snort and flap hard, carrying her higher into the sky. Ignoring her confusion between Night Furies, I pivot towards the flying Zippleback, where a man who looks similar to her watches with surprise and relief. I drop the woman back on the Zipplebacks’ neck, and fly high into the air.

The blonde woman blinks up at me, squinting against the wind. “Toothless, come back!!”

Just then, the real Toothless streaks past with Hiccup on his back, a blur of black and brown shooting through the air. The man riding the Zippleback gawks, eyes bouncing between me and the familiar dragon.

“Toothless...two?” he says slowly, then snaps his fingers. “ Two -thless! Get it? Two Toothlesses! ”

Across the battlefield, the Nadder wheels through the sky. The woman, steady and focused, shouts directions to the man as arrows and nets launch from below, narrowly missing them.

“Hard left! Now!”

The man yanks the Nadder’s saddle, eyes wide, and they barely skim past another volley of projectiles. But before they can celebrate, the ice groans beside the Sanctuary with a crack. A massive fracture, jagged like lightning, splits across the sheer wall. A towering shard of blue ice breaks off, and plummets straight toward the Nadder and its riders.

“ Look out! ” She yells.

But before the falling tower can crush them, it explodes mid-air in a burst of purple light. Toothless and Hiccup soar through the mist of shattered ice, weaving past the frozen shards. They bank hard, curving around to fly alongside the startled Nadder.

Hiccup grins at Eret. “Welcome aboard, Dragon Rider!”

Eret clings to the saddle like it’s all that stands between him and death. “Thanks! I think!”

Astrid looks over, breathless. “Where have you been?”

Hiccup smiles and nods ahead. “Oh, y’know…catching up with Mom.”

The earth trembles again, but not from battle. All eyes turn as the white-scaled Bewilderbeast rises from the far side of the Sanctuary, breaking through the ground itself. Ice and mist swirl in his wake, the Alpha’s presence vast and ancient.

In front of him, a woman fully dressed in mysterious battle armor, stands atop the rare and majestic Stormcutter. Her staff is raised high in the air, summoning the Alpha to put a quick end to this petty battle. The Bewilderbeast lets out a thunderous call that echoes through the sky, a commanding roar that ripples across the battlefield and turns every dragon’s head.

Astrid gawks. “That’s your MOTHER?!”

Hiccup grins. “Well, now you know where I get my dramatic flair.” He smiles wider and points up casually. “And that’s not all.”

As if I could hear him so high up, I stop my ascension, suspended for a heartbeat before I pivot in the air. In a second, I tuck my wings and plummet from the clouds. The whistle of my spinal fins slices through the air like a war cry accustomed to the elusive Night Fury, a piercing shriek that warns of what’s to come. My eyes lock onto the biggest ship in Drago’s fleet. The wind whips past my head like a solid thing as I build up speed. Seconds before impact with the manmade object, a plasma blast shoots ahead of me at the speed of lightning. Like an act of Thor, it bursts across the bow with a thunderous boom, tearing through the hull. Purple flames flash into bright orange as they engulf the ship. If it wasn’t already docked, it would sink to the bottom of the ocean. The explosion blooms upward like a fast flower.

I pull up, zipping through the gust of flames as a flicker of the heat and smoke trail after me. Astrid watches in shock as I twist in the air for a short turn, firing another blast at a trapped dragon. The mechanics of the trap burst into pieces, and the Thornridge flies free.

Eret watches with wide eyes as well, connecting the dots behind his head. “So…you really didn’t know about the raid before, did you?”

Astrid’s attention snaps to Hiccup again. “Are you kidding me?!” She demands eagerly.

Hiccup grins and raises his hand beside his head. “Told ya there was more out there.” With that, he flicks his mask down and pulls Toothless away.

Drago watches as his ship is eaten by the flames. He turns and glares at me flying through the sky. “No matter.” He growls. “The Alpha is out. Now, we have a fight!”

The Bewilderbeast leans forward, spewing ice across the battlefield, freezing traps and soldiers alike. Zipplebacks from the Sanctuary curl in the air, biting their tail, and each spew out their respective abilities. They land on the ground, rolling through soldiers like a wheel of fire. Even Gobber directs Grump down behind the aiming soldiers, his heavy boulder-class tail dipping low to knock into the back of each of their skulls, dropping them unconscious to the cold ground.

I’m flying over the fray, ducking low under a net that was fired at me. My eyes narrow at the origin it came from, and the men who shot it are already fleeing. The fire builds in my throat, but I suddenly hear a shout of surprise. My attention immediately snaps to who could’ve made the noise of distress.

I spot Cloudjumper spiraling from the sky, his massive wings tangled in a reinforced net. He crashes into the snow-covered earth with a guttural cry, ice and debris erupting in every direction.

Without thinking, I veer off course, wings slicing the air as I dive toward the clearing. Valka is already there, stumbling from her downed dragon. Her breaths are short and sharp as she yanks at the thick ropes binding his wings, her hands trembling with urgency.

Then, heavy footsteps crunch through snow. Drago. He emerges from the smoke and frost like a predator, eyes alight with smug triumph, like he thinks he already won. Valka whirls around, her staff raised and ready to fight, but he doesn’t flinch.

I descend from above, ready to put an end to Drago, or at least get Valka out of there. But a flurry of arrows zip through the air at me. I veer off and dodge, realizing that the soldiers specifically want me away from them. Drago wants to fight her. But I also quickly realize that I can’t stay still either. As another net fires at me, I cut through the air, circling above them like a vulture.

Drago snarls. “I’ve waited a long time for this.”

Valka grits her teeth, rushing forward and swinging her staff. “You cannot take our dragons.” She says as Drago easily blocks her swings. “They are controlled by the Alpha.”

He smirks. “Then it’s a good thing I brought a challenger."

With a guttural yell, Drago raises his bullhook into the frozen air and roars into the sky. The sound echoes across the Sanctuary like a warhorn. The sea churns violently, docked ships rock and shift. A geyser of icy water explodes into the air, like an exhale from a monster.

Then something begins to rise as chains rattle like thunder. From the depths of the ocean, a second Bewilderbeast emerges. Slightly bigger, its dark grey skin tinged with an unnatural red hue. Its massive tusks shimmer with frost. Iron shackles clink around its neck, limbs, and tusks, but its eyes burn with rage. A sickening silence falls among our ranks. This battle just got a whole lot more even.

“No…” Valka breathes in disbelief.

Drago shouts at the new Bewilderbeast. “Come on!!” He yells. “Take down the Alpha!!!”

“No.” Valka says, more firmly.

Without warning, Valka lunges, her staff swinging with the intent to kill. But Drago is faster than he looks. He sidesteps, grabs her staff, and throws her to the ground with a thud. She cries out, the wind knocked from her lungs as Drago plants a foot on her chest and uses his bullhook to pull her mask off. Her face is revealed. He laughs, raises his bullhook high to strike. Maybe he finds more joy killing her after realizing she’s a woman, which is somehow more brutal.

Just as he prepares to strike, a massive wall of fire surges in from the side, swallowing Drago’s men. The flame belongs to Skullcrusher, whose heavy form crashes into the snow behind Drago like a meteor. Stoick dismounts mid-run and barrels into Drago, knocking him off of Valka. Drago falls to the ground before quickly snapping his surprised attention back. Stoick, showing a stark contrast of gentleness, reaches down to help Valka up with an offering hand.

Valka, breathless, takes it. “Thank you.”

“For you, my dear…” Stoick says, stepping up to Drago, spinning his axe in his hand. “Anything.”

Drago scrambles to his feet, and the two warriors face off, one for power, the other for family. They circle each other as the earth shakes from a far more terrifying clash. Behind them, the Bewilderbeasts mirror their stand-off. With thunderous force, they slam their tusks together, ice cracking and wind howling from the sheer shockwave.

Stoick shouts back to Valka. “Val, you think you can stop them?”

I descend in a tight spiral and glide low. Valka doesn’t hesitate to grab my outstretched claws as I lift her into the air with a mighty beat of my wings.

Valka calls back to Stoick. “I’ll do my best!”

I glance back, firing a quick shot at Cloudjumper. The flames eat away at the ropes, and the Stormcutter shakes free with a powerful roar, wings spreading wide as he soars up after us. Carefully, I twist mid air. Valka walks alongside my side before crouching tentatively across my back. She hesitates only for a heartbeat, just long enough to register that for the first time, she's actually riding me. Cutting her appreciation short, she pushes forward.

Drago and Stoick circle each other, and the former growls out. “You…I watched you burn!!”

Stoick grips his axe. “It takes more than a little fire to kill me!!” He shouts, rushing forward to fight.

With fierce confidence, Valka steps onto my wing as I tilt it down just slightly, just enough to give her a running start. Then she leaps, landing with grace on Cloudjumper’s back as he rises beside us. Together we ascend, soaring up between the two colossal Bewilderbeasts, before hovering in the middle of their angry faces.

Valka raises her staff, spinning it in her hand as she holds up her free palm towards her Bewilderbeast. The white Alpha hesitates, growling low, and its eyes flicker with recognition.

But the dark one does not listen to her. His commander is fighting on the battlefield. He does not take orders from Valka. Drago’s Bewilderbeast opens its maw and bellows a deafening roar, then slams into Valka’s Alpha with enough force to shake the cliffs. He nearly crushes us between them, but we dive out of the way in time. The snow beneath their feet kicks up, as if it too is complaining about the conflict. The white Alpha staggers, tusks dragged down, driven back by the sheer strength of the corrupted rival.

We bank hard, wings slicing through the bitter air as we circle overhead. We try to find any angle, any weak spot, anything that might help. I feel Valka's concern beside me in the sky, her eyes locked on the battlefield below.

“We can’t attack him,” She reasons frantically. “It might only make him angrier.”

She's right. But doing nothing is just as dangerous. Below us, the two Bewilderbeasts collide again, a thunderous crash of tusk against tusk that ripples across the Sanctuary like an earthquake. The white Alpha struggles to stay upright against the larger beast. His breath is labored in the effort, and eyes darting towards the others. Not for help, but out of fear that the dragons under his dominion are in danger.

The battlefield rages on otherwise. Men shoot at dragons, dragons shoot at men. The riders seem to be holding their own though, as I’m sure they unfortunately have experience with this sort of thing. Across the fray, I can see Stoick and Drago still fighting, neck and neck. Drago only uses one arm, yet he remains decently matched against the Chief of Berk.

Drago’s Bewilderbeast pulls back with a growl, then lunges, pushing the Alpha down to the ground. A fearful roar brings my attention back to the larger dragons. With one quick motion, Drago’s beast lunges forward, goring the Alpha’s softer underbelly with brutal finality. The Alpha winces in agony before his voice fades.

Valka gasps sharply behind me, her hands flying to her mouth. “No!”

The other riders, including Hiccup and the ones that clearly know him, stare from afar, frozen. The Sanctuary waits with baited breath as the new Alpha pants. Then, with blood on his tusks, he lifts his head in a victorious roar. A cold dread seeps through me as I glance around. Wild dragons from the battlefield all stiffen. One by one, their pupils shrink into slits, their instincts inside forcing them to listen to the hierarchy of our kind.

Drago throws his arms in the air like a tyrant king. “We’ve won!” he bellows, voice echoing across the shattered Sanctuary. He points the end of his bullhook toward the sky, toward the figure still flying in the air on her Stormcutter. “Now finish her!”

“NO!” Stoick yells, eyes widening the moment he realizes the target.

The dark Alpha rears back, its maw glowing blue before a massive blast of ice hurtles toward her. Cloudjumper tries to dodge, but the shot ghosts behind him. Ice encompasses around his tail, and he falters mid-air, wings bucking unevenly.

“Hold on!” Stoick shouts, already turning from Drago. “Gobber! With me!”

“Right behind ya, Stoick!” Gobber hurries after his friend and chief, though struggles slightly with his peg leg.

Another dragon, under the new Alpha's control, intentionally collides with Cloudjumper. The impact sends Valka tumbling from the saddle. I don’t question how I’m still in my right mind. I twist at once, tucking my wings and diving straight down, the wind screaming past me. I reach her just before the ice, grabbing her tightly by the arms and pulling her to my chest. We spiral, too fast, until I flare my wings wide. The force whips us sideways, and I glide hard along the frozen wall of the Sanctuary.

I part from the wall and level out, slowing to a stop just before Stoick and drop Valka gently in front of him. He catches her, pulling her close.

“Are you hurt?” he breathes.

She shakes her head, eyes still wide. I don’t stay to check on them. I turn sharply and roar, a defiant cry of anger. The Alpha turns, all of its massive, icy attention locking onto me. I leap back into the air, fury building in my chest. The first blast hits his chin, the second just under his eye.

Each one strikes across his plated hide in bursts of purple, explosions rippling like thunderclaps. He growls in frustration, tusks grinding the ice beneath him. He opens his mouth, shards of ice spewing after me. I fly faster than he’s aiming, and to my luck, the ice he breathes ends up stripping across Drago’s ranks. I know I can’t beat a dragon like this. I only want to keep him busy.

“You IDIOT!!!” Drago screams.

“STOP!!” Hiccup’s voice calls as Toothless lands in the clearing. “STOP!!”

Luckily, before Drago can pull the Alpha’s attention away from me, he too is also distracted by his new company. Toothless stays low to the ground, growling at the enemy, though every few seconds, he spares a glance at my harassment towards the Bewilderbeast. Drago takes in Hiccup’s appearance as the younger man pulls his mask up.

“This…” Drago laughs, looking at the young man. “This…is the great ‘Dragon Master’? The son of Stoick the Vast?” He laughs again, then turns to look Hiccup in the eye. “What shame he must feel.”

Hiccup ignores his insults. “All of this loss, and for what? To become unstoppable? To rule the world?” Drago nods boredly, looking out at the battlefield. “Dragons are kind, amazing creatures that can bring people together.”

Drago scoffs, stabbing his weapon into the ground to reach towards his motionless arm. He unlatches a few buckles, and pulls the fake prosthetic off and reveals the stump he’s been scarred with.

“Or tear them apart.” He counters, and places it back on. “You see, I know what it is to live in fear. To see my village burned, my family taken. But even as a boy, left with nothing. I vowed to rise above the fear of dragons and liberate the people of this world.”

Hiccup tenses his hands in front of him. “Then why a dragon army?”

Drago shrugs with a smug smile. “Well, you need dragons to conquer other dragons.”

“Or,” Hiccup challenges. “Maybe, you need dragons to conquer people. To control those who follow you…and to get rid of those who won’t.”

Drago laughs, shaking his head softly. “Clever boy.”

Hiccup steps back to Toothless. “The world wants peace. And we have the answer, back on Berk. Just let me show you–”

“NO!” Drago snaps, having had enough of this conversation. “Let ME show YOU!”

He raises his bullhook high, swinging it above his head with another few raspy, booming screams. The Bewilderbeast turns at attention, and Drago points the end of his weapon towards me. At once, the Bewilderbeast looks back at me, his eyes narrowing into slits.

A piercing warble drowns out every other noise. My vision itself blurs. I cry out in pain and discomfort, struggling to stay airborne. My wings flap unsteadily as my paws reach up in an attempt to rub out the intense sensation. It stings…it’s hot. It’s like my eyes are screaming to get out. Before I even realize it, my body hits the snow. I don’t process it much, and immediately stand up to rub the side of my face along the snow and dirt, hoping anything will help.

“No!” Valka gasps, running out from their cover.

Stoick calls after her, but something else gets his attention. In the clearing Drago remains, ironically, stoic. The end of his weapon is still pointed at me as he speaks lowly, without the slightest hint of fear. He knows he won.

“No dragon can resist the Alpha’s command.” He says, gradually moving the weapon to point at Toothless instead. “So he who controls the Alpha, controls them all.”

The Alpha turns towards Toothless, though I still struggle with the vibration in my skull. Valka slides to my side, and I feel her hands on my head. With a shout, I pull away from her, clawing at my face.

“Fight it!” Valka urges, but she knows more than anyone how difficult that can be, if not impossible. “Please, fight it, Val!”

She doesn't even realize that her son is in danger. A few cliques away, Toothless looks up at the Alpha with worry. A split second later, he struggles with the same sensation, curdling and thrashing in pain. He shouts, trying to fight it. But only when we begin to give in does the pain start to stop, which makes it incredibly hard to fight it.

“Toothless?” Hiccup asks nervously. “You okay, bud? What’s going on?”

Drago continues speaking in a leveled, proud voice. “Witness true strength. The strength of will over others. In the face of it…” He firmly points the staff to Hiccup next. “You are nothing.”

The Alpha lowers his head. A low hum builds in the air as his control spreads. But in our heads, that low hum is louder than a thousand screams. Toothless finally freezes, and he slowly raises his head. His pupils, razor-thin slits, are still with obedience. Toothless has had it hard, but I’ve suffered through captivity, starvation, mental anguish, and abuse. I still struggle for control, though the fight in me is waning. Toothless turns slowly, right toward Hiccup.

Hiccup steps back, steadily raising a hand. “Uh…w-what did he just tell you?”

Toothless prowls forward, his head lowers as his teeth bare in an open snarl.

“Toothless? What’s the matter with you? What’re you—no, stop! Knock it off! Stop!”

Drago smiles, and begins to walk away. He’s done here. The Night Fury's body stays tense, stalking forward like a predator, each step is steady and measured.

Hiccup keeps moving backwards, his heart racing out of his chest. “Snap out of it, bud!”

Stoick’s heavy steps sprint across the war-torn battlefield, stopping at nothing before he reaches his son. Toothless doesn’t even blink. His narrow eyes don’t even look like eyes anymore. He opens his mouth wider, and Hiccup can see the faint glow of blue in the back of his throat.

Hiccup stumbles on a rock, but quickly catches himself. “TOOTHLESS! NO!”

In the distance, Stoick throws his axe forward, cutting through a rope before planting into a wooden beam. The same beam falls across a gap, and Stoick sprints over it, picking up his axe as he goes.

“Hiccup!!!” He shouts.

But the voice falls on distracted ears as Hiccup backs up against a wall of ice with nowhere else to go. “STOP!!” He pleads as his best friend charges up a fiery blast.

Valka’s head snaps up from below. Her eyes widen in horror, and her breath catches when she finally processes: Her son is about to die. She gives me one last glance as I struggle against the control, then she pushes herself to her feet. Gripping her staff tight, she sprints across the ice after Stoick, running with Gobber.

Just then, I feel it: the final pull. My vision turns sharp and narrow. My muscles tense and my wings move, but not because I tell them to. I take off into the sky. Slicing through the air, I land on the snow and dirt like a rock. I don’t even see what I’m looking at, but my instincts tell me what to do. My wings flare to block the path. Gobber and Valka skid to a stop, eyes wide as I lower my head, growling.

Valka stares up at me, breathless. “Valkyrie…” Her voice is barely a whisper.

Behind me, over the icy hills, Stoick finally drops onto the clearing they’re in. “SON!!!” He shouts, his eyes remaining glued onto his only child.

Hiccup looks over at his dad, and raises his hand to stop him. “DAD!! NO!!”

But it’s too late. Stoick surges forward, pushing Hiccup to the ground just as Toothless takes the shot. Ice and snow flutter to the ground. But afterwards, there’s just silence. The rest of the warzone has stopped fighting as well. Drago glances back, smiling smugly with the loss. He surmises that ‘a little fire’ did do the trick this time. That maybe it’s not what he intended, but perhaps it was even better. He looks forward again and walks towards his fleet. 

The world feels like it’s crashing down around me, and I blink a few times. My pupils grow to a normal size, my vision clearing up, and my wings slump in a state of confusion. Valka and Gobber watch me regain my free will, but immediately rush past me. My ears flip up as I crane my head to look after them, but when I see Hiccup coughing on the ground, and Toothless standing tensely, I quickly run after them.

Valka stumbles to a stop as the smoke clears. “Stoick…”

She rushes forward as Hiccup turns. A choked “DAD!” leaves his mouth as he crawls over to the large body, pushing over chunks of ice that lie over top of him. Gobber and Valka rush forward to help Hiccup and Stoick, desperate to save him if there’s any chance.

Toothless shakes his head as he comes to his senses as well. He licks his lips, unsure why there’s an aftertaste of smoke and fire in his mouth. He looks around as I run up to him, cooing softly and nuzzling his head against mine. Is it over? Valka puts her ear to Stoick’s chest, checking for a heartbeat…but hears nothing. She closes her eyes sadly, tears escaping down her cheek.

Hiccup shakes his head in disbelief. “No…No, no, no…No!!”

Toothless and I look over, seeing the grieving Hiccup over Stoick’s body. Around us, the other riders watch on in shock and mourning. There’s a larger blonde man standing beside his Gronkle, a short but buff man with black hair with a Monstrous Nightmare, the blonde twins from before and their Zippleback, the blonde woman with the Nadder, and…the dragon trapper? I guess I’ll let that pass for now…since he’s not attacking us. Most of them have tears in their eyes or on their faces, and I don’t think I hear a single breath among any of them.

I look back ahead, where Valka is crying beside Stoick’s body. What he did to protect Hiccup…I slowly creep forward, though Gobber is the closest one. I stay low to the ground, looking sadly between Gobber, Valka, Stoick, Hiccup, everyone all at once, unsure of what to do at this moment. Though none of them notice me but Gobber. He’s standing off to the side, and glances down at me, tears in his eyes. He doesn’t say or do anything, though there's no animosity in his eyes, only sadness. His gaze drifts back to his chief and friend as a few tears slip from his eyes, darting down his cheeks.

Valka looks up then, cheeks and eyes red with mourning. She sees me, and it seems to unlock another wave of sadness as she sobs. She reaches towards me, but keeps her other hand on her lost love. I inch closer, feeling the warmth of her hand against my nose despite the coldness outside, she brushes her thumb over my scales, feeling the tiniest sliver of waning comfort in the contact.

Toothless gently walks forward, wanting to comfort his best friend as I have mine. That, and he doesn’t know what happened to Stoick, though I don’t either. Toothless and Stoick absolutely did not start off on the best terms, but they’ve formed a mutual respect, and bonded over their shared care for Hiccup. He’s known Stoick for almost as long as he’s known Hiccup.

He steps forward, lowering his head to sniff at Stoick’s lifeless hand. Saddened, a soft, sorrowful coo escapes him, and nudges his snout under the chief’s fingers. Hiccup looks up at the sound, his eyes widening in surprise before narrowing with grief.

“No!! Get away from him!!!” He cries, shoving Toothless’s head aside.

Startled and confused, Toothless looks sadly at him before trying to inch closer again. But Hiccup throws out his arm, his voice cracking. “GO ON!! GET OUT OF HERE!!” He shouts, gesturing roughly again. “GET AWAY!!!”

Heartbroken, Toothless’s ears flatten against the back of his head. Finally, he tears his final gaze away from Stoick and bolts into the distance. Confused and worried I might get the same treatment, I pull back along the ground, a few yards away from them. I don’t know what happened. My chest tightens, and all I want is to disappear. Pressing myself low into the trodden snow, I tuck my wings tight against my back and rest my chin on the ground, peering up at Valka with sad, uncertain eyes. She exhales a trembling breath as silent tears trail down her cheeks.

“It’s not his fault.” She says quietly to Hiccup, her voice cracking with grief. “You know that.”

The Bewilderbeast looks among our mourning group, though he does nothing to further damage us. It’s almost like a flicker of regret or uncertainty flashes behind his icy gaze. But then, regardless, he turns away. A loud, commanding roar escapes his throat, calling for his new followers.

Valka watches sadly as the inevitable result plays out. “Good dragons under the control of bad people…”

My head shakes slightly as I begin to struggle, though the fight is already lost within seconds. My pupils shrink into slits as I rise to my feet. Without a sound, I turn into a trot before I lift off the ground, flying towards the growing swarm of enslaved dragons. The other riders’ dragons, as well as Cloudjumper, Grump, and Skullcrusher, all fall underneath the same irrefutable spell. They each separate from their riders, and lift off into the sky like mindless husks, despite their friends calling after them, pleading.

“...do bad things.” Valka finishes, her voice barely above a whisper.

Controlled, Toothless lifts off into the air as well, though he’s yanked down by Drago’s bullhook, and slammed into the ground. As he tries to get back up, Drago steps on his head, forcibly keeping him down as he roughly situates himself on Toothless’s saddle. Thanks to the new tailfin, Drago’s able to bring Toothless into the sky, though his wings strain under the weight of such a large rider.

Drago raises his staff in the air. “GATHER THE MEN, AND MEET ME AT BERK!!!”

With a rough kick against Toothless’s side, the dragon flies forward. Hiccup stands and runs after them, regret and fear flooding his being. “Toothless!!”

Valka holds his shoulder to stop him with quiet urgency, not wanting to risk Drago coming back to finish them off. “No, don’t!!!”

Drago’s voice cuts through the cold wind. “Move out!”

His Bewilderbeast turns toward Berk, sinking into the water before disappearing entirely. Below Drago and Toothless, his men begin preparing to sail on the remaining ships, their movements swift and practiced. And one by one, the dragons follow. Silent and unwilling husks trailing after their master, and leaving their friends behind.

Valka gazes into the distance. She spots Cloudjumper among the departing swarm, and beside him, is me. Even under the Bewilderbeast’s control, even with our minds dulled and tethered, we stay close. In the haze, we find what little comfort we can in each other.

The humans remain behind, powerless. All they can do is watch. Watch as their dragons, their companions, are stolen from them. And ahead of it all, to top it all off, the warlord that took them sets course for Berk…for their home…and everyone they love.

Chapter Text

Time has passed, but I don’t know how long. It’s like the Bewilderbeast took away my vision, and instead he sees through my eyes. I know where to fly, which way to pivot to avoid bumping into another dragon, though I can’t personally see a thing.

The morning sky is pale and gray, stretched thin over the endless sea. Bitter wind claws at the waves, and the cold bites deeper than I’ve seen in a long while. The water churns violently as the Bewilderbeast crashes through a jagged outcrop of rock, shattering it like driftwood. His large tidal tail swishes the water like air, and every few minutes, I can hear his exhale spraying the ocean’s surface to breathe.

Above him, our dark swarm of dragons slow to a hover, silent and waiting. Drago sits high on Toothless, his figure a stark shadow against the sky, commanding from the front of the horde. The Bewilderbeast rises partly from the sea, his front forelimbs keeping him steady against the island’s mass.

Drago glances back at him. “Take control of their pets.” He hisses.

The Bewilderbeast lets out a low, reverberating bellow that rolls across the waves and over the cliffs of Berk. In the village, the dragons begin to stir. Whether they were sleeping in their riders’ homes, or eating a late night snack in the field, one by one, they lift their heads. Pupils narrow to slits. Without resistance, they rise into the air, answering the call.

Vikings emerge from their homes, puzzled by the sudden movement. They trail after their dragons, confusion quickly turning to horror as they climb the ridges and gaze out beyond the rocks. Their eyes widen as they look on in shock. Beyond the cliffs stands the giant Bewilderbeast, once thought to be a myth, though now looks down at them. Glistening with seawater, he’s flanked by his army of dragons. And not only that, but the dragons aren’t strangers, not all of them.

At the front of it all is Toothless, the one and only known Night Fury, beloved by Berk, who once stood as the village’s fiercest dragon protector. He now carries a stranger on his back, and by no means does it look like they’re here to trade.

Drago looks over the faces of Berk, raising his voice for all to hear, and for none to misunderstand. “Your chief… is dead!!!”

A small few gasps among murmurs are carried on the wind, some in denial, others too stunned to question it. But before the grief can even begin to settle in, Drago has already raised his bullhook towards the heart of the village.

“No one can protect you now.”

The only warning is a low rumble, the inhale of the Bewilderbeast. A split-second later, a massive surge of freezing breath erupts from his maw. It washes over the crowd in a sweeping arc. Some scream and scatter, but others aren't fast enough. The ice crystallizes over them in an instant, frozen mid-motion, arms reaching, mouths open.

Spurred on by a silent command, the most powerful dragons fly forward. I'm among the first to descend, flanked by a few Death Songs. Their amber projectiles rain down, trapping villagers where they stand. Stuck in shimmering resin, their eyes go wide in terror as they try to pull themselves out of the quick-drying, rock hard substance.

Changewings glide down swiftly, landing on rooftops before melting into the scenery. Screams rise as they reappear inches from villagers, lashing out with sharp teeth, dripping with acid. Whispering Deaths dive down at once, tunneling beneath homes and paths. Villagers stagger, running blindly, only to fall screaming into sudden sinkholes before the creatures burst from the dirt behind them, their spinning teeth gleaming below their milky-white eyes.

Thunderdrums descend next as their sonic blasts shake the air. The vibrations are deafening. Vikings collapse to their knees, hands clamped over their ears, unable to stand under the force of the roar. Even the “pet” dragons of Berk turn back now. Compelled by the signal, they unleash torrents of fire across fields, farmland, and homes. Crops are reduced to blackened stubble just as stables collapse in flame. The once peaceful village becomes an inferno of a war they didn’t have the slightest warning to prepare for.

I sweep overhead, the wind rushing underneath my wings. A plasma blast fires from my mouth, striking one of the great stone statues flanking Berk’s ceremonial hall. It bursts in a flash of violet-blue energy, and the statue crumbles before the smoke even clears. I don't look back, as my fuzzy focus turns to a watchtower. In a second, another blast shoots from my throat, and promptly rips through the wood like it was made of paper instead. Ironically, the bell that signals war falls to the ground before ringing, but it announces the danger far too late.

The villagers are running, yelling to each other. Others are frozen by fear or disbelief, or frozen by ice or amber. Some even try to fight, though it doesn't matter, really. Because this is not a battle they’d win, even if Drago allowed them to keep their dragons. We outnumber them 10 to 1.

Around the bend, far behind the towering form of the Bewilderbeast, Hiccup and the other riders finally reach the edge of Berk. Their baby Scuttleclaws flap frantically beneath them, the only ones too young to listen to the hierarchy’s command. Unfortunately, that means they’re also too young to maintain a straight flight path as they make their way to the struggling island.

The village is nearly unrecognizable. Entire sections scorched and others encased in jagged pillars of ice. The hypnotized dragons wheel in the sky above the Bewilderbeast as others reign down terror among the village. Spires of frozen breath jut out from rooftops, while smoldering fields glow with embers.

Hiccup stares at the wreckage, his heart sinking. “No…” he whispers, barely able to process the devastation.

Beside him, Fishlegs grips the impromptu reins with white-knuckled panic, his eyes wide. “They’re destroying everything! We have to save them! What are we going to do?!”

Hiccup’s eyes snap upward, locking on Toothless still hovering above the battlefield, wings steady under Drago’s command. Hiccup’s jaw clenches.

“We distract the Alpha,” he says firmly. “Keep his focus off Toothless.”

Tuffnut, tearing his gaze away from the carnage, blinks. “Uh... how?”

Before Hiccup can respond, Eret leans in with a wild smirk, gripping the reins of his struggling Scuttleclaw. “Have you forgotten who you’re riding with? There isn’t a dragon alive I can’t wrangle—!”

His dragon dives sharply mid-sentence, nearly unseating him.

“—except for this one!”

Snotlout narrows his eyes, unamused. “Pssh. Amateur.”

The group fans out before the ruined village, each rider coaxing their unruly Scuttleclaw into motion. Hiccup veers upward toward Toothless, keeping low in the smoke while the others break off, disappearing behind rocks and ice spires. Together, they stay out of sight as they creep towards the sheep launcher they use for Dragon Racing. And nearby, a few sheep bleat helplessly, taking refuge beside a toppled wagon.

Hiccup’s dragon hovers closer to the edge of the battlefield, and finally, Drago’s gaze snaps to him. A second later, the Bewilderbeast follows, his massive head turning, steam curling from his nostrils. The moment he begins to inhale, a fluffy white sheep rockets into the air, bleating wildly as it arcs right in front of the Alpha’s face before plummeting back down. The Bewilderbeast blinks slowly in confusion.

Below, Eret grins as he catches the animal. “Fire!”

A second loaded sheep soars through the air, before it too falls back down. The Alpha rears back with an annoyed snarl, eyes narrowing as he prepares to release another icy breath. But then a loud horn splits the air, grabbing his attention. He turns toward the sound, and sees the horn, but notices nothing else.

“Black sheep, baby!” Snotlout yells from the grass. A black sheep sails high before smacking the Bewilderbeast square between the eyes, bouncing off his jagged red-tipped spines like a pinball.

“Ten points!!” Snotlout pumps a fist.

The Bewilderbeast huffs, flinging the stunned sheep off his snout with an annoyed grunt. He opens his jaws once more, but the horn blows again. This time, when his eyes land on the horn, he doesn't look away so quickly. After a few seconds, Fishlegs peeks out from behind the horn, his breath catching when they make eye contact.

The Bewilderbeast snarls, and unleashes a blast of ice in an instant. It strikes the horn head-on, encasing it in a glittering tower of frost. Fishlegs dives out of the way before calling back to his friends.

“I’m okay!” he  shouts muffled, from somewhere behind the frozen horn.

Hiccup edges closer, his Scuttleclaw flapping furiously beneath him to hold altitude. The icy wind whips around him, but he keeps his eyes locked on Toothless, hovering just ahead. On his back sits Drago Bludvist.

Drago sneers, eyes flashing with amusement. “You certainly are hard to get rid of. I’ll say that.”

Hiccup doesn’t acknowledge him. His gaze remains fixed on Toothless’s face, on the blank, slitted eyes that had once sparkled with warmth and care.

“Toothless?” he calls gently, raising his hand. “It’s me, bud. It’s me. I’m right here. Come back to me.”

For a moment, nothing happens. But then, barely perceptible, Toothless’s pupils dilates before shrinking again. There was a flicker, but only just.

Drago scoffs at the attempt. “He is not yours anymore. He belongs to the Alpha. But, please, oh great Dragon Master…try to take him…He will not miss a second time.”

Hiccup’s heart aches, but he doesn’t waver. “It wasn’t your fault, bud,” he says, voice cracking. “They… made you do it. You’d never hurt him. You’d never hurt me.”

Slowly, carefully, he places a hand against Toothless’s snout. Toothless flinches, his body tense. His pupils widen and shrink as he fights for control. They hover in front of each other, struggling flight patterns pushing them closer together.

“I won’t leave you…” Hiccup promises, bringing his other hand and forehead to Toothless’s. “I won't let you go…”

Below them, the Bewilderbeast growls low, tightening his mental grip. Toothless’s head twitches in a final battle, but he slowly regains his sentience.

Drago leans forward curiously. “How are you doing that?”

Hiccup continues still, his voice soft, steady, and hopeful. “Please...You are my best friend, bud…My best friend.”

Toothless quivers as his vision clears up. His pupils dilated fully this time, the eerie control fading. His lips curled up slightly as a familiar, soft whimper left his throat. He leans into Hiccup’s touch.

Hiccup grins widely. “Atta boy, that’s it! I’m here!”

Toothless blinks, eyes wide with recognition, and lets out a breathy trill of joy. Drago’s snarl shatters the moment just as quickly as it formed.

“Enough!”

He raises his bullhook and strikes down at Toothless’s head. The dragon winces, but as Drago swings again, he reacts in time. He catches the weapon in his maw mid-swing. With a growl, he yanks the bullhook, and Drago, with all his might. The warlord plummets through the air, limbs flailing, before landing on the Bewilderbeast’s tusk, almost falling off the smooth, curved surface.

Hiccup laughs, full of relief and pride. “Yeah!”

Toothless trills triumphantly. Hiccup quickly stands up on the Scuttleclaw hatchling and jumps off, landing on Toothless’s back before situating himself. He puts his hand against Toothless's head.

“Let’s end this, bud.”

The villagers erupt into cheers as Toothless and Hiccup soar overhead, the dark shadow of Drago’s control beginning to lift from the battlefield. Relief sweeps through the ruins of Berk like a breeze in the desert. Toothless banks through the smoke, gliding effortlessly above the ice-scarred rooftops. As he loops past the plaza, Valka leaps from the back of her Scuttleclaw and lands smoothly behind Hiccup on Toothless’s saddle.

“How did you do it?” she asks, breathless. “How did you bring him back?”

Hiccup glances over his shoulder at her, the wind tugging at his hair. “A dragon’s loyalty. It runs deeper than instincts. They don’t forget who you are, or who they are. You just need to remind them.”

Valka remains quiet for a beat, the words sinking in. She nods slowly, something thoughtful flickering behind her eyes. Then her gaze turns sharp again.

“Bring me to her,” she says firmly.

Toothless gives a happy chirp in reply, understanding immediately. Without needing to be told twice, he rolls sideways to dodge a spray of icy mist from the Bewilderbeast, then flares his wings and shoots forward, streaking above the village.

Below, chaos still smolders, but Toothless stays high, weaving expertly through the clouds of smoke. Hiccup leans low against his back as they cut past the remaining hypnotized dragons circling above. Ahead of them, they see the shadowed figure they’re looking for.

I race along the sky’s edge, streaking away from the chaos with fierce, calculated precision. My wingbeats were quick, tight with tension, smoke still leaking from the sides of my mouth. My controlled gaze sweeps over the village, looking for my next target.

Toothless calls out once, a sound of eager caution. I glance back, realizing I’m being followed. My eyes narrow and I immediately twist, turning fast and aggressively. I zip towards them, fire building up in my throat.

“She’s coming!” Hiccup warns.

Toothless pivots hard, rolling to the side as a blast of plasma shot past them. He dives low, spinning through the air, evading my attacks with swift, deliberate turns. I soar after them with speed and confused anger.

I don’t question it as they led me away. Banking around the broken towers and mountain peak of Berk, Toothless lets me chase them, faster, higher, and farther, guiding the fight away from the heart of the village and toward the open, jagged wilderness that lay behind it.

“Fly steady!” Valka calls, carefully standing to her feet.

Toothless adheres, and flies level through the cold wind. Hiccup looks over his shoulder, brow furrowed.

“Mom, what are you doing?” He questions.

Valka doesn’t look at him. Her eyes remain locked behind them. On me. “I’m trusting her,” she says simply.

Before he can stop her, before he can even understand what she means, Valka steps off the side of Toothless and drops into the open air.

“Mom!!” Hiccup shouts, reaching toward the empty space where she’d just been.

But I see her. Even in my haze, through the fog of the Alpha’s control, her fall breaks through. My pupils dilate instantly. A shrill, anguished call rips from my throat as real instinct takes over. I dive at once. The wind screams past my ears as I fold into a tight descent, just hoping I can go fast enough. Valka descends toward the ground, arms splayed, cloak fluttering like wings.

Her eyes are closed as she enjoys the wind. Maybe she expects me to catch her. Or maybe she’s enjoying the ride in the possibility that I don’t. I’m not even sure if she’s aware I’m right behind her, or if she thinks I’m still chasing after Hiccup and Toothless.

But I reach her just in time. My claws wrap gently, but firmly around her arms. I pull up in an instant, half a second away from plummeting into a cove’s pond, skimming low over the surface. The momentum sprays water behind me in a trail of mist, but I’m only focused on pulling Valka closer, wrapping my forearms around her chest and torso.

I ascend higher as the gully ends, slipping out of the cove’s mouth. I drop Valka safely at the edge of the small valley before landing a few strides ahead of her with a heavy thud. I turn like a flash, eyes narrowed with judgement, annoyance, shock, and frustration, and let out a flurry of chastising warbles and sharp, half-snarled sounds. The meaning is clear:

What were you thinking?!

But Valka only smiles. Wide and wild and tearful and wonderful. She hurries forward, arms outstretched. Without hesitation, she wraps them tightly around my neck. I tense, unfamiliar with this concept. I’ve laid my head in her lap, she’s slept against me, but this kind of touch is strange. Strange, but not unwelcome.

“You’re back,” She breathes, parting to look at me. “You are free.”

Toothless lands nearby with Hiccup on his back. The young man dismounts, watching in stunned silence as his mother embraces me without fear or hesitation. Toothless mirrors her, trotting up to me as Valka stands. He sniffs at my face, pupils dilating happily before a soft coo rumbles in his chest. He closes his eyes and nuzzles under my head.

Hiccup’s gaze lingers on the direction of the chaos, the smoke still curling into the sky from Berk. His jaw clenches as he mutters, “This isn’t over.”

Valka steps back from my side, her gentle expression shifting into something firmer, more resolute. She nods. “No,” she agrees quietly, “it’s only just begun.”

Hiccup moves toward Toothless, placing a steadying hand on his side before swinging into the saddle. Toothless rumbles low in response, ready to continue. For a moment, Valka lingers beside me, her hand brushing my head. I turn to meet her gaze, stepping sideways towards her. She looks at me curiously, and I nod to my back. An honored smile ghosts over her lips. Then, with quiet reverence, she climbs onto my back. For the first time since we met, she’s officially riding me.

Hiccup glances over at the two of us. A faint smile touches his lips, tinged with nerves and pride. He gestures between him and her, and therefore the Night Furies they’re astride.

“Like…mother, like son, huh?” He chuckles.

Valka chuckles softly as she adjusts her grip. “Like mother, like son.”

Toothless and I exchange a glance of mutual understanding before our wings unfurl, powerful and sure. With one synchronized motion, we both leap from the forest floor. The trees blur below as the wind meets us again. Side by side, we soar back toward Berk.

Because Valka’s right. It’s only just begun.

Chapter Text

The village is still drowning in chaos. Fires crackle through what’s left of Berk’s defenses, and chunks of ice spear the ground like jagged teeth. Screams echo between burning buildings and frozen wreckage. Controlled dragons sweep through the sky, continuing their rampage under the Alpha’s command.

From the earth, a grinding, snarling sound splits the air, and then the ground erupts. A Whispering Death bursts upwards in a spiral of spinning jaws and glinting scales. It hovers low, unnaturally still, a terrible silhouette against the smoldering ruins. Just ahead, a woman and her daughter back away in terror, frozen by the sight of the monster looming above them, getting slowly closer.

Then, a bolt of plasma sears through the air, scorching past the Whispering Death’s face. It shrieks and recoils, vanishing back into the torn ground like a serpent retreating to its lair. Above, Toothless and I streak through the sky like twin shadows, wings cutting clean through the smoke. Hiccup leans forward on Toothless’s back, and Valka does the same atop mine, eyes sharp, scanning the battlefield below.

A battered banner flaps violently in the cold wind, shredded and forgotten. As Toothless soars past it, he reaches out and tears a strip from it with a quick snap. Behind him, Valka does the same. Toothless banks hard, and I instinctively follow. Hiccup leans forward, wrapping the cloth over Toothless’s eyes. To my surprise, Valka does the same to me. Her hand lingers, resting gently on the flat of my head.

Her voice is steady. Soft, but full of purpose. “We protect as one. We fly as one.”

A quiet rumble builds in my chest. I’m ready. Together, Toothless and I rise into the sky once more, blind to the chaos. Valka’s weight shifts against my back, and I respond without hesitation. I don't need to see. Her motions, her words are enough. I tilt my wings, banking hard left as she guides me. I trust her. Across Berk, a voice bellows angrily.

“DO SOMETHING!!” Drago’s roar echoes

.

And the Alpha obeys. I feel the air grow colder as a pressure builds behind us. Valka’s body shifts again. “Down, now!”

I fold my wings close and dive, slipping just under the edge of the blast. Frost crackles in the air above me, but I am untouched. I beat my wings once, twice, and shoot back up, cutting a clean arc away from the devastation. To my right Toothless follows, blindfolded like me, but also trusting his rider…well…blindly.

Valka steadies herself on my back as I hear Hiccup call out over the wind. “We need to get those two apart!”

“TAKE CONTROL OF IT!!” Drago howls from the Bewilderbeast’s head, jabbing his bullhook toward the sky.

The Bewilderbeast’s eyes focus again. The air tightens around my mind like a vice. I feel it. The painful pull. Like icy fingers slipping through the cracks of my skull and tugging at everything that makes me me. Toothless flinches too, Hiccup grabs his ears and presses them down.

“Shut it out, Toothless!” He urges, and it seems to work.

I, on the other hand, struggle. It itches my brain, and I shake my head roughly. Valka reaches forward.

“No, Valkyrie!” She urges, then gets an idea. She pulls her staff forward, spinning it every so often to allow it to rattle by my ear. “Listen…”

The familiar rattle, the sound that’s warm and that I’ve learned to associate with her, with the Sanctuary, with safety. It drowns out the weight of the control, and the pain washes away like it was never there in the first place. The next sound out of my throat is softer, a tiny reassurance. Because of the failure, the Bewilderbeast spews out another stream of ice. Toothless and I blindly dodge the blast, dipping and weaving, before ascending higher…and higher…and higher…

At the peak, we pass a stone ridge where the clouds thin, and there, an older woman stands on her wooden balcony. She’s surrounded by scared Terrible Terrors, their wings puffed up, their eyes wide. She’s scared too, aware of the chaos in the village below, but unable to do more than watch. Hiccup raises a hand in awkward greeting.

“...Hi, Gothi.”

She squints at him, not impressed. But we’re already descending. Together, me and Toothless spiral downward in harmony. A loose, mirrored dance in freefall. The banners tied to our eyes unravel in the wind, flitting away like ghosts. Doesn’t matter. We know who we are now. And now we see everything. We see our target: the Bewilderbeast. He looks up at us, watching the small black dots in the sky grow larger.

Our spiral tightens, the distance between us closing. Toothless’s paws brush mine in between us, that’s how close our spiral has become. The whistle ghosts off our backs, a strange, dual song. High-pitched, like a child’s wind-up toy, fluctuating, but rising higher and higher with each second.

A second kind of power ghosts along my spine, like an itch to be scratched. Storm clouds twist above us into a funnel like the beginning of a tornado, mimicking our flight. A glowing luminescence of (U/C) surges through me, pulsing along my spinal plates, bright and sharp and electric. My scales crackle, lightning dances across them, drawn to me like I was born of it. Valka gasps on my back. She’s seen this before, but only once, when we first met Drago.

Toothless cries out, but not in pain, as the energy touches him, as the lightning flickers across him next. It seems to unlock that part of him that he never knew he had. He begins to glow too, a bold blue fire along his fins from his nose to his tail. We are storm and shadow. The lightning and death we were supposedly born to.

We fall faster, eyes acutely focused on the approaching Bewilderbeast. At the last second, we fire. Two plasma blasts: mine, with a streak of lightning-charged destruction; his, a burning comet of pure blue, slam into the Bewilderbeast’s face. The blast cries out like thunder tearing the sky in two, and every viking around is sure that Thor himself heard it.

The Alpha roars, staggering backwards in the water. Drago is flung from its head like a broken doll, and lands heavily on the grounds of Berk. We shoot past, skimming down the Alpha’s spiny back.

Hiccup whoops behind us. “Yes!! That’s how you–!”

The Alpha’s finned tail lifts in front of us in the shock of the attack, unintentionally acting as a counterattack from our blasts.

Hiccup’s arms drop. “Not again…”

Our spinal fins split, not needing a command to know our next move. With a quick effort and a repetitive, strong beat of our wings, we fly straight up, almost as fast as we were when we dropped down. We soar past the end of the tail like a flash, and we split apart in perfect sync. Hiccup banks away and drops down toward Drago, who struggles to rise, reaching for his weapon.

Hiccup unsheathes his sword, igniting the blade with flames before throwing it in front of Drago’s hand, burying the blade into the dirt. Drago shouts in pain and anger and yanks his hand back, burned. Valka and I land gently nearby, the electricity still faintly crackling over my scales. I lower myself to the earth, exhausted but alive. She dismounts quickly, pressing her hand to my neck.

“Hold him there, Toothless!” Hiccup shouts, before taking a step towards Drago. “It’s all over now.”

Behind Hiccup, the smoke clears. The Bewilderbeast stands back up, more angry than ever. Drago’s smile stretches eerily, and he looks back at Hiccup, confidence returning in waves.

“...Or is it?”

Concerned, Hiccup follows his gaze to see the Bewilderbeast reel back with a deep inhale, the ice already forming in the air in front of him. With my last burst of energy, I build up fast flames in my chest, before firing out a heavy plasma blast that zips across the clearing before it strikes right in the Alpha’s mouth. The tidal class dragon, that breathes ice, is clearly unfamiliar with heat and flames in his mouth. He recoils in pain, his eyes narrowing as Drago’s widen.

Enraged, toothless leaps forward, standing in between the Bewilderbeast and everyone else. A deep roar rips from his throat, and he flies forward, landing on the end of a jagged shard of ice. He reels, hateful eyes trained on the much larger dragon.

“He’s challenging the Alpha!” Hiccup realizes.

Valka runs up beside him. “To protect you!”

Toothless fires a blast at the Bewilderbeast, who swipes his tucks across, bashing through the ice. Toothless easily jumps back before landing again, and fires another sharp blast. A second wind rushes through me, and I jump into the sky, shooting heated plasma at the Alpha as well. Hiccup runs forward, climbing onto Toothless’s back before the Night Fury takes to the sky.

The Alpha loses his concentration with the turning tides, and one-by-one, the dragons regain control over themselves. The first is Cloudjumper, who dives down before landing beside Valka. The woman happily climbs onto her familiar friend, and the Stormcutter roars up at the Bewilderbeast. The rest of the dragons quickly follow. The riders’ dragons, Berk’s dragons, the Sanctuary’s dragons, even the armored ones that were captured by Drago for his army, all fly behind Toothless, free.

“No, no, no, no!! No!!!” Drago shouts, rushing back to his Bewilderbeast. He uses his bullhook to climb onto the tusk, making his way up to the dragon’s head. “Fight back!! Fight!! FIGHT!! What’s the matter with you?!”

Toothless lands back on the arm of ice, smoke spilling out of the corners of his mouth. Hiccup, on his back, looks up at Drago with malice.

“Now do you get it?” He questions, gesturing to the willing army behind him. “This is what it is to earn a dragon’s loyalty. Let this end. Now.”

Drago grits his teeth, before spitting out the word like fire. “NEVER!!” He jabs the end of the bullhook against the Bewilderbeast’s thick hide. “Come on!!!”

Toothless glances back, his eyes meeting mine in the air with a sharp call. Obeying, I turn towards the hovering flock, giving out the order like a lieutenant. Each dragon opens their maw, fire growing in the back of their throats. Drago sees this, and continues urging the uncertain beast below him. A second later, fireball after fireball, blast after blast, spray of acid after spray of acid, each dragon fires at will against the larger enemy. Soon, there’s too much smoke from the fire to actually see the Bewilderbeast himself.

Drago retreats higher up on his Alpha, ducking behind one of the spines for cover. He peeks around, screaming out the order. “FIGHT!!!”

But just then, a fireball from one of his own captive dragons burst against the side of the spine. However, it was close enough to knock the prosthetic arm off of his body, and he winces in fear. The Alpha roars angrily, getting frustrated and overwhelmed with getting stuck hundreds upon hundreds of times within the span of a few dozen seconds.

He leans forward, disregarding flame, disregarding ice. His full intention is to bite at Toothless, get rid of him in one fatal crunch. But as he approaches, the blue hue on Toothless’s back fins glow brighter, and electricity cracks along his scales, all on his own. He fires one more shot right at the Bewilderbeast’s face, and the thunderous clap that follows breaks off one of his chained tusks. The severed bone crashes to the ground as the Bewilderbeast roars and recoils in pain.

Toothless squares his feet and roars aggressively. He blows steam out of his nose as the Bewilderbeast gradually backs away, bowing in fear and submission. Drago remains on the beast’s crown, but watches with wide, angry eyes that his plan, his whole legacy, has been soiled. By a bunch of 20 year olds and their dragons.

The Bewilderbeast retreats, plunging into the sea, either not realizing or not caring that Drago is still on his back. The large dragon disappears under the calming sea, but we don’t see Drago resurface.

The dragons descend upon Berk as the vikings cheer, some injured, some with tears in their eyes, but all relieved that it’s over. The wilder dragons, the ones that don’t particularly place nice even with their own free will, primarily the Changewings and Whispering Deaths, vacate to find their own territory elsewhere. But the rest have no problem relaxing at Berk for a little while. Dragons return to their owners, happily accepting their warm welcome. The riders barrel towards their dragons, and they meet in the middle, exasperated to return to each other.

I land on the ground with a heavy sigh, exhausted. Both mine and Toothless’s fins have returned to our deep black, but the memory of the secrets our species holds is still prevalent. As the reunions carry on, a young girl walks up to me in shock, and I look down at her with an air of uncertainty. She has black hair in two pony tails laid out in front of her. Her eyes are a bright blue, but glitter with awe. Faint freckles dart across her cheeks, and she reaches out to me. 

I’ve…never seen a human child before. Are they dangerous? Speed Stinger hatchlings are dangerous until they chill out. Her hand is lightly trembling, but not from fear, from excitement. I look around, and more than a few vikings are taking time out of their breath of fresh air to look at me. It clicks then, that just like Hiccup, Stoick, and Gobber, these men and women have only ever seen Toothless, and no other Night Furies.

Some of them, though, are looking at me in worry. Thinking that maybe Toothless is alright, but they don’t know what to expect of me. They look between me and the curious girl, silently waiting for a single sign of aggression for them to step in and take the girl away.

I look back down at her, not realizing that she’s stepped a bit closer. She can’t be much older than 4 years, maybe younger. My ears shift before I finally decide to lean down. I sniff at her hand before letting it touch the side of my maw. I exhale through my nose, purposely blowing a few strands of her bangs away. She giggles and brings her other hand to the other side of my face.

“...Betiful…” She whispers in awe. At this point in her life, she probably knows about as much of the human language as I do.

I don’t pull from her reach, but I glance around, watching the curious vikings release a breath of relief. After all, I first came to this island under a madman’s control, and helped destroy parts of their village.

Hiccup turns away from his friends to smile at Toothless, resting his head against his. “You never cease to amaze me, bud. Thank you.”

Toothless opens his eyes, and gives a small lick to Hiccup’s face. Then another, then he breaks out mischievously and licks over Hiccup’s squirming, complaining form.

“Toothless!!” Hiccup protests like this isn’t the first time. “You know that doesn’t wash out.”

As Hiccup stands, ignoring Toothless’s laugh, Eret walks up to him. “That was some pretty fine dragon wrangling back there.” He says smoothly. “You’d make a good trapper.”

Skullcrusher walks up behind Eret, nudging his head into his arm. Hiccup smiles, gesturing to the Rumblehorn. “Y’know, Skullcrusher’s gonna need somebody to look after him now.”

Eret’s eyes widen, and he gently puts a hand to his chest. “...Me?” Hiccup offers him a mixture of a nod and a shrug. Eret exhales, resting his hand on the dragon’s head. “I’d be honored.”

Valka walks up beside Hiccup, placing her hand on his shoulder. “Your father…he’d be every bit as proud as I am.”

Hiccup’s smile becomes strained, the wound of loss still heavy on his mind. “Thank you…I’m really glad you’re here, mom.”

Valka smiles, pulling him into a hug. “And here I’ll stay.”

Astrid walks up to Hiccup, losing themselves in another conversation. But my attention has mostly been on the small girl still. I’ve since laid down, watching intently as she shows me her stuffed dragon. It seems to be a Gronkle, which would arguably be the easiest to turn into a stuffed toy.

Footsteps crunch softly through the dirt, drawing both our attention. The girl gasps, her eyes going wide as something massive steps between us and the sun. Toothless’s silhouette is warm and familiar, his head cocked as he sniffs at the small, worn toy in the girl’s hands.

He then meets my gaze with a small coo that slips gently out of his maw. I rise, sparing one last look at the little girl. She pulls her stuffed toy to her chest, smiling widely as she waves at me. I follow Toothless back towards the center of the villagers and dragons.

Just as we slow to a silent stop, Cloudjumper strides ahead, pride lighting every heavy step. He halts before Toothless…and bows. Without hesitation and without doubt, he accepts him as his new Alpha. One by one, dragons across Berk follow. Gronkles, Nadders, Thunderdrums, Shovelhelms, etc. Each lowering their heads, each choosing him.

I watch the others, and finally step to the side to face him fully. I begin to lower myself into a bow, but he’s faster. Toothless lowers his head beneath mine and gently presses up, lifting my chin with the curve of his skull. He won’t let me bow. I stiffen for a second, surprised, but he looks at me with something deeper than typical Alpha-follower dominance.

We beat the old Alpha together. As equals. He turns and sits beside me, proudly accepting the title as long as I’m beside him. Something warm floods through my chest, and I move to sit beside him. I glide my head beneath his in a show of affection, curling my tail around the other side of him, and he does the same to me.

Hiccup smiles widely and proudly at us, Astrid standing beside them. Together, they walk ahead as Hiccup places his hand on Toothless’s head. Astrid holds her hand out to me, and I lean forward to sniff at the semi-new person before letting her palm rest against my nose.

Behind Hiccup, the same older woman from the house at the peak of the mountain taps his shoulder. Hiccup looks back as she gestures for him to kneel. The young man takes a deep, preparatory breath as he kneels down. Gothi reaches into the dirt, where powdered coal from the dragons’ carnage remains on the ground. She scoops some into her hand, rubbing it over her thumb before reaching up, drawing a symbol on Hiccup’s forehead.

When she’s done, she steps back and bows. Beside them, Gobber raises his hands and Hiccups stands once more with the weight of the responsibilities his father once carried. “The Chief…has come home!!!” Gobber announces, and the vikings, Hiccup’s vikings cheer.

Toothless licks his lips before firing up into the sky. I follow suit, and so does each and every other dragon on this island, celebrating the rise of two new leaders, who just so happen to be of the same soul.

Man, and dragon.

Chapter Text

The Great Hall is quiet, but not silent. Hushed voices ripple through the space, low and uncertain, as if speaking too loudly might undo the fragile calm that has finally settled over Berk. Every able-bodied Viking has gathered. Others are still being tended to in makeshift infirmaries. A few dragons have joined us as well. Most are smaller, like Terrible Terrors nestled into rafters and corners. But Grump snoozes near the hearth, and some riders’ companions sit dutifully beside them. Toothless sits just to the side of the raised platform, his gaze sharp and alert. I sit nearby, eyes flicking around the many heads gathered.

At the far end, Valka leans in close to Hiccup, one hand gently placed on his arm. Whatever she whispers, it steadies him. He takes a breath and steps behind the head table at the front of the Hall, squaring his shoulders as he faces the crowd for the first time not as the chief’s son, but as the chief. But the hall is still too loud. Voices murmur about the battle, about the dragons, about what would happen next. They hadn’t noticed him yet.

But Toothless does. Without hesitation, he raises his head and fires a plasma blast into the air above them. It wasn’t threatening, just an announcement. The bolt burst with a crackling thrum that echoed through the hall like a small bit of thunder. Silence falls instantly, and Hiccup clears his throat, eyes scanning the people, his people, before him. His voice is steady but soft.

“We won,” he said. “But it didn’t come without loss.”

He looked down for a breath, then raised his eyes again. “My father was the kind of man who would fight for this village with his bare hands and protected it with everything he had. He was strong, stubborn, and the bravest viking we know. And he believed in me. Even when I didn’t believe in myself.”

The weight of grief was heavy in the room, but it didn’t sway him. “There’s no replacing him,” Hiccup continues. “I don’t think anyone could ever try. But I will do everything I can to protect and care for Berk the way he did. The way he taught me to.”

A murmur of agreement swept through the hall, quiet but sincere. Their faces, though still marked by battle, began to soften. They had a new chief now, and they were ready to follow him.

Hiccup let the silence sit for a breath longer, then straightened a little. “We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us,” he said. “There’s still ice to clear, homes to rebuild, and wounds to treat.” His voice gained momentum, confidence rising with each word. “So we’ll split into teams. One for clearing the ice and amber, one for tending the injured, and another to begin reconstruction and refill the Whispering Death holes.”

A few approving murmurs hums through the hall. He pauses, then glances back toward the closed doors of the Great Hall, where the remnants of a shattered stone statue still lies among the rubble behind it.

“And one more thing,” he adds. “We’ll rebuild the statue that stood out front, but as a tribute to my dad, Stoick the Vast.” This earns a few smiles and nods of agreement. Hiccup looks over the crowd. “Any questions?”

A chair scrapes loudly across the stone floor, and a broad-shouldered Viking swaggers to his feet with a grin that could only mean trouble. I learned his name recently, along with the other riders that fought with us at the Sanctuary. This one is Snotlout. Confident, loud, and his mouth runs fast.

“Yeah, I’ve got one,” he said, cocking a thumb in my direction. “Is the new Night Fury up for grabs?”

A few scattered laughs rise from the crowd, though most are still tired. The dragon beside him, his proud, red Monstrous Nightmare named Hookfang, turns his head sharply and growls low in his throat at his rider even considering replacing him.

Snotlout looks back at him as Hookfang stomps away. “Hey! It was a joke! Hooky!”

Hiccup shakes his head, barely amused. “No one is ‘up for grabs’, Snotlout.”

Valka steps forward, placing a hand on Hiccup’s shoulder as she addresses the hall. “Valkyrie’s intelligent,” She says clearly, “and gentle. But make no mistake, she is not a pet.” Her eyes swept the room, calm but commanding. “If she ever chooses to take a rider, it will be her choice. Not anyone else's.”

Heads turn, interest piqued with desired pride to be ‘the one’. And suddenly, I’m very aware of all the eyes on me. I shift awkwardly under their stares, my ears twitching back as I lean away from them slightly, tucking my tail close. They look at me like I’m some flashy new thing, like the newest innovation that’s top-of-the-line, just waiting for an owner to show-off. The most of which is a man standing beside Snotlout. His gaze is smug and confident, and just by that alone, I can tell that it’s his father.

He leans down to Snotlout, mumbling, “I want that Fury.” under his breath.

Hiccup lets the moment settle, lifting his hand in a small wave to gather the villagers' attention again. “Alright,” he says. “Back to the task at hand. I trust all of you to know your strengths better than I do. So starting now, I want everyone to place themselves into a group where you think you’ll be the most help. Just…use your best judgement.”

He gives a small, grateful smile. “It’s going to take time, but we’ll get Berk standing again. Together.”

There were no loud cheers this time. The vikings immediately set to work, a few voices shouting that ice-clearing is ‘this way’, or rebuilding is ‘that way’. The Great Hall thins out fast, as most are eager to reclaim their homes. Hiccup approaches Toothless and I with a tired smile tugging at his face. He stops in front of him, his hands on his hips.

“How’d I do, bud?” Hiccup murmurs.

Toothless blinks at him, then tilts his head with a soft chirp. Hiccup chuckles lightly and shakes his head. He gives a short exhale, then adds, “Now that you can fly on your own again…you wanna go and help?”

Toothless warbles in agreement and heads off to join the effort outside the Great Hall. Hiccup turns to me next.

“You too, if you’re up for it,” he says, not commanding, just asking. “We’ve got more ice than we know what to do with. If you can help move some of it…I’m sure Berk would appreciate it.”

His voice is gentle, no pressure, just an open door. I’ve helped so far, I don’t know why I’d stop now. I gave a short huff of agreement and followed after the others at a steady pace. I don’t get halfway across the mostly empty Hall before someone’s familiar voice calls out to me.

“Hey, Two-thless!”

Except, they say it more like “twoah-thless’, so there’s more of a difference between Toothless and the name that’s not my own. Still, I stop and glance over, where the twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, are sitting back against a long table, their arms spread across the wood behind them. And behind the table itself, their Zippleback watches me, each head curved over their respective rider.

Ruffnut waves me over. “Come, oh dear savior!”

I shift where I stand, glancing toward the open doors of the Great Hall. I… could just leave, but if I want to belong here, I guess I’ll have to avoid giving anyone the cold shoulder. I glance around once more before cautiously stepping towards them. They watch me until I slow to a stop just a few feet away.

“Question,” Tuffnut begins as I approach. “Do you like destruction?”

“Wait, wait,” Ruffnut says, holding out a hand dramatically. “Let her think about it.”

They both stare at me. I blink slowly, unsure of what they expect.

“…You blinked! That’s a yes,” Tuffnut declares, tapping his fingers together. “Excellent.”

“That was definitely a ‘yes’,” Ruffnut confirms.

I sit, ears angled half-back. I’m not sure what I’ve agreed to. Or what they think I’ve agreed to. Tuffnut leans forward on his knees, serious. “We’re putting together a team. Of Elite. Mayhem. Operatives.”

“Think of it like a club,” Ruffnut adds. “But with fire!”

Tuffnut stands leaning towards me like he’s part of a secret. “Now…are you crazy enough?”

Subtly, I lean away from him, a bit more scared of these two than I was with Drago, but in a different way. I tilt my head, desperately trying to understand these two humans.

“She’s perfect,” Tuffnut whispers.

Ruffnut stands at once, folding an arm behind her back, and lifting the other one to ‘knight me’. “I dawn the–Night Fury–the Shadow’s Destruction.”

“No, no!” Tuffnut pipes in, having a better idea. He wraps his arm around his sister’s shoulders and lifts his hand, visualizing the title as if it’s written on the wall. “The Fury of Chaos.”

Their Zippleback snorts, and I look up, meeting their dual gaze. They seem unfazed by their riders’...energy. One of them, Barf, looks towards the Great Hall door as if to suggest I leave before I get roped into their antics. I look back at the twins and full-heartedly agree, stepping back before turning fully to trot away.

Tuffnut smiles as I leave, wiping a fake tear off his face. “Ah…look at her go. Off to reign down mayhem like a true Thorston.”

Ruffnut shares his faux performance, and clasps her hands together in front of her. “She’s gonna help us start so many fires…”

I slip through the doors, immediately being met with the bright sun peeking through the clouds. My sudden presence seems to startle a dragon, as I hear a quick squawk at attention. In front of the Great Hall, the staircase leads down to the center of the village. But on either side of the beginning of the staircase, there’s a decent patch of grass. On one of them, the blue Nadder from before, Stormfly, raises her head in my presence. Next to her is the Gronkle, Meatlug. On the other patch of grass, Hookfang watches me too. They must be waiting for their riders still inside the Great Hall.

It’s different from the Sanctuary. This is their home. And I can only assume that like their riders, Toothless is the only Night Fury they’ve seen. I lower my head, my ears cautiously still as I hurry forward. My full intention is to walk right past them, without causing any trouble or disturbing their peace.

Except motion meets my ears a split second before Stormfly drops on the steps in front of me. I stop and retract, looking up at her. She doesn’t seem intimidating, just that her curiosity demanded she study me now instead of later. She steps forward, lowering her head respectfully. Despite wanting to know more about me, she still recognizes me as…not as the Alpha, because that’s Toothless. I’m more of a second-in-command.

When I don’t move, she raises back up, rolling her head up a few times in a typical Nadder greeting. I slowly walk around her, circling each other to fully take in the other. She’s pretty. Her blue leather and scale are tinged with yellow and orange patterns, with a creamy-white underbelly. But then a few flutters grab my attention next, where Meatlug hovers off of the rocky ledge before she lands on the ground next to me.

Most of the Gronkles in the Sanctuary didn’t really like other dragons. It’s curious to see one with so much joy in her eyes. She lumbers up to me, the very end of her tail wiggling excitedly. But as the doors to the Great Hall open once more, her attention snaps to the large man walking down the steps.

“Hey, girl!” Fishleg greets, his eyes fixed on his dragon like she’s the only thing he’ll ever need.

But as he steps down the stairs and past Stormfly, I’m finally in view. He stops and officially takes me in for the first time. He breathes deeply once.

“Incredible…!” Fishlegs murmurs, walking around me. I crane my neck to watch him come full circle. “Sleeker body…and-and streamlined skull structure!” He stops by my side. “And a second tail fin at the base of your tail! That lets you make tighter turns, doesn’t it, girl?” He walks back up to my front, eyes wide like I’m a major discovery. “And faint patterns, to camouflage better to your surroundings!”

“Ohoho, Fish- leeeegs!!!” He cheers eagerly, bringing clenched fists to his face with a giggle. “I cannot wait to write this down!” He says, hurrying back to pull himself on Meatlug. The Gronkle’s wings flutter before lifting off into the air and steadily flying away.

I feel Stormfly nudge my shoulder, and I look back to see her eye on me, a bright expression in her gaze. The Great Hall door opens again, and Snotlout strides out, his eyes landing on Hookfang, who’s been watching us from the grassy ledge.

“There you are.” Snotlout gripes, stepping forward and throwing his leg over Hookfang’s neck to sit on his saddle. “All the Monstrous Nightmares are needed to melt the amber. So let’s get you and your gel to work.”

Hookfang’s gaze is flat and bored. With one quick move, he rotates his neck, letting Snotlout fall to the ground. The man scrambles to his feet, glaring at his dragon.

“Hey! What was that for?” The man demands. Hookfang snorts, and turns his head away. Snotlout throws his head back in frustration. “Oh, come on. I make one comment, and suddenly, I’m the villain!”

Hookfang raises his head, spewing a small douse of fire at Snotlout’s feet. The man staggers back from the heat, before glaring up at the large dragon.

“Are you kidding me??”

In return, Hookfang simply turns away and takes to the sky, leaving his rider behind. Snotlout runs forward for a few feet, reaching out for him.

“Hookfang, wait! At least drop me off by my–...” Snotlout grumbles, deciding to walk the rest of the way. “...stupid dragon…”

But the way Stormfly watches makes it clear that this isn’t the first nor the last spat the man and dragon will have, and it’s a normal occurrence. The Great Hall doors open one last time, and the last three patrons walk out: Hiccup, Valka, and Astrid. The latter walks up to her Nadder, gliding her hand along her jaw. Stormfly lowers herself to the ground, allowing Astrid to climb up easier and situate herself on her saddle as Stormly stands again.

Hiccup stops beside me with a smile. “Making friends?”

Astrid smiles, scratching the side of Stormfly’s neck. “Then she has good taste.” She begins to urge Stormfly to walk away, but before they take to the sky, Astrid glances back at me, slowly shaking her head, mesmerized. “Still can’t believe it…”

With that, she faces ahead again and Stormfly takes to the sky. I glance back at Hiccup. He’s already turning away, headed off to whatever task waits for him next in the long, exhausting effort to rebuild. Valka walks at his side, but she looks over her shoulder at me with a warm, reassuring smile.

I dip my head in return, then spread my wings and launch into the air. Berk stretches beneath me, a patchwork of old stone, fresh timber…and smoke, and ice, and amber, and everything that came with Drago. The ice still clings to parts of the village, and already the Vikings are hard at work chipping it down. Some of the larger chunks have been roped off, waiting for dragonlift.

I bank into a glide and spot a clearing near a half-frozen building. I land there, folding my wings neatly as I take in the scent of soot and iron. It looks like some kind of blacksmith. Through the open entrance, Gobber hobbles out with a coil of rope slung over his shoulder. He grins the moment he sees me.

“Well, look who’s come to lend a claw!” he calls. “I’m glad you’re here. This would’ve taken Grump all day, if he ever bothered to wake up.”

Behind him, the Hotburple lets out a snore that rattles the walls. I chuff quietly in amusement and step forward, following after Gobber until he ropes off a decent chunk of ice. After a few minutes, and after he first impressed me with his speedy handiwork with only one hand, he steps back.

“We’re pilin’ it down by the shore.” Gobber says. “Just go over the cliff, you’ll see it from there.”

I crouch slightly and push off the ground with a flap of my wings, rising just enough to get a grip on the rope in my foreclaws. The weight tugs against me, heavy and stubborn, but I grit down and lift with a low growl. The ice finally gives way, lifting from the ground as I soar upward, wings straining for balance.

The flight is slow and steady. Below me, the village buzzes with movement. In a way, we’re lucky that Drago attacked just before the sun had even risen. Now, we have a full day to get started on the rebuilding and clearing.dragons wheeling. I follow the path of activity until the sea comes into view.

Below the cliffs, the shoreline is crowded. A growing hill of ice sits near the water’s edge, glittering under the sun. But what draws my attention more are the people and dragons clustered farther down the shore, gathered around the massive fallen tusk of the Bewilderbeast.

Toothless stands nearby, upright and still, his gaze sharp as ever. Hiccup sits on his back, quietly observant, his expression focused. Eret moves among the crowd, walking along the tusk as they rope off the large bone. He shouts orders, points, and helps them adjust the ropes. It’s clear he’s adapted his leadership role efficiently, from hunting down dragons, to living amongst the islanders who love them.

Among the others, a few unfamiliar faces blur past, and then I spot Snotlout’s father again. He’s standing beside a striking blue-and-orange Nadder, tugging a rope taut, barking something to the men behind him.

I bank gently and begin my descent, the chunk of ice groaning under its own weight. Satisfied, I release the rope and let the chunk of ice settle with a heavy thud. Villagers step in, quickly untying the bindings and shouting to one another over the wind and the waves. I land nearby, my paws sinking slightly into the sand, and watch as they work. They’re surprisingly organized and adaptable, though so is Hiccup, and so was Stoick.

One of the villagers breaks away from the group, holding the rope I just dropped. He approaches hesitantly and unsure. I don’t think he’s aware of how knowledgeable or docile I am since I’m not, what they would call, a tamed pet. He offers the rope out to me awkwardly, gripping it more tightly than he probably needs to. I step forward slowly and lean down, taking the rope gently between my teeth. His shoulders relax, and a small smile crosses his face before he turns back to the others.

I sigh, unsure of how long their distrust or curiosity will last, then turn and make my way across the sand towards the tusk. The Bewilderbeast’s ivory stretches longer than some of the ships docked at the edge of Berk. The dozen Vikings are struggling to wrap more rope around it, planning how to move something so massive. They’re too focused to notice me or care as I pass between them.

Eret jumps down from the tusk just as I approach, brushing sand off of his hands. He looks up, and his smile falters for just a moment when he sees me. Not fear, just uncertainty. Then he steadies himself and gives me that familiar crooked grin.

“Hey there,” he says, tone light, but cautious. “No hard feelings…yeah?”

He lifts one hand in peace, palm out, like Hiccup used to do with Toothless. I stop in front of him and drop the rope at his feet. My gaze narrows slightly, scanning his face. There’s no bravado in his stance now. No smugness. Just quiet sincerity, and maybe a hint of guilt. I glance from his hand to his eyes. His smile tugs wider, a little unsure. I can see it. He’s a changed man. Though, almost being killed by your commander numerous times and saved by the very dragons you once hunted can do that.

With a low sigh, I decide to let bygones be bygones, and lean forward to press my nose against his open, calloused palm. Eret stills, just for a heartbeat, like he can’t quite believe it. Then his fingers shift gently against my snout. His smile softens into something real.

"Guess that’s a yes, then," he murmurs. I huff lightly, warm breath ghosting over his skin, and pull back. He retracts his hand and grins at me.

“If I didn’t already have the honor of riding Skullcrusher,” he says with a low chuckle, “I’d be throwing my saddle at the stars for a chance with you.” He gives a short nod, half-joking, half-serious. “No offense to the big guy, of course. Though I’d wager there's no shortage of vikings who would want to miss the chance at riding a Night Fury.”

“Aye,” a voice cuts in, rough and self-assured. We both turn as Snotlout’s father approaches, his boots crunching over the sand. “And it’ll be me.”

He strides forward without hesitation, hand outstretched. But there’s no patience in the gesture, just expectation. Like he thinks if he grabs fast enough, I’ll simply let him.

“Come on, dragon,” he urges, tone clipped, commanding. “Let’s show ‘em what a real warrior looks like.”

My head lifts a touch higher, eyes narrowing, watching him carefully. On my other side, Toothless lands in a low crouch, and Hiccup slides off his back with easy precision.

“Spitelout,” Hiccup says, voice calm but firm, “you already have Kingstail.”

The Deadly Nadder beside him sidles closer, sniffing at my side with interest, but without the presumptuous arrogance of his rider. His eyes flick toward mine, curious but respectful.

Spitelout grunts, undeterred. “I’ve got more than one sword. I can have more than one mount.”

Hiccup crosses his arms. “That’s not how it works.”

Spitelout’s hand drops, and he sends a short glare to Hiccup. But just like how Kingstail’s tempered arrogance was swallowed in my presence, Spitelout’s suffocating arrogance does the same in Hiccup’s. With a gruff sigh, the man turns sharply and paces away, muttering under his breath as he returns to the task at hand.

Kingstail lingers behind for a moment though. The Nadder leans in and gently nudges my shoulder with the tip of his nose. Toothless trills curtly, a brief, commanding note, and Kingstail pulls back, turning his gaze to the Alpha. Their eyes lock for a beat, and then Kingstail bows his head slightly before trotting after his rider.

Eret lets out a breath, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well,” he says, stepping up beside Hiccup with a crooked grin, “that could’ve gone worse. At least he didn’t jump on her back.”

Hiccup snorts. “Give him time.”

Eret smiles and throws a thumb over his shoulder. “I’ll get back to the tusk. You’ve got your hands full as it is.” He strides off, voice already rising again to call instructions to the nearby crew.

Toothless steps closer to me, the hardness in his eyes softening as he leans in. He gives me a brief, warm lick across the side of my face. I coo softly in my chest, low and content. Then I glance down at the rope I’d dropped, reach down, and take it up again in my teeth.

I step back from them, offering them a small call of ‘goodbye’, before I turn toward the cliffs, and flare my wings. The sand gusts beneath me as I push off, rising steadily over the village. Over Gobber’s hut, I circle once before dropping the rope down into the dirt with a soft thud. I land beside it, wings folding tight to my sides.

Gobber looks up as I land, already reaching for a fresh coil of rope. “There you are!” he calls, grinning. “Knew I could count on ya. Grump still hasn’t moved a scale.”

As if on cue, a loud snore erupts from somewhere inside the hut. Gobber shakes his head, though it’s clear he loves that dragon. “Useless lump. Come on, we’ve got more ice to move before sundown.”

He grabs the rope off the ground and lumbers toward the next slab, and I follow without hesitation. The wind picks up, carrying the scent of salt and soot, and the distant hammering of construction echoes through the hills.

Chapter Text

Berk mostly refers to the main island where the village clings to its land. That’s where the humans live, where their fires burn and their hammers ring, and where most tamed and domesticated dragons stay.

But Berk isn’t just one island. It’s part of a scattered archipelago, an assortment of seastacks and jagged islets. Most of them are uninhabited by humans, untouched save for the usual wildlife, and were mainly used by dragons native to Berk who preferred silence and distance from the bustle of village life or the close quarters of the main roosts. Solitary dragons or brooding mothers, really.

But all that changed when the Sanctuary came with Drago and stayed with Toothless and Valka. We brought hundreds of dragons with us, wings of all shapes and sizes, and a few species that were previously unknown to Berk. The mainland couldn’t hold us all. So now, those scattered islands belong to us as well.

Some dragons roost on Berk proper, close to the humans they’ve bonded with. Others prefer solitude still. The rest, like me, swap between the two. Still, I’ve claimed one for myself. No one else comes here without reason, and that’s just the way I like it. The sea waves keep me company, and I love how it soothes me to sleep. The Sanctuary was beautiful, but inside the nest, everything outside was muffled. Which is helpful when it comes to protection, but you’re definitely separate from the rest of the environment. From the islands, I can watch the sky for threats, listen to the breeze and ocean, and breathe in the fresh air.

Other times, I rest nearby the village. I quickly learned to stay somewhat out of reach, as curious humans and dragons alike would get closer. Never touch, but it’s difficult to sleep when you feel eyes on you. This night in particular, as I’m resting near the doors of the Great Hall, I hear soft, intentionally quiet footsteps approaching me from behind. My head lifts up and I turn to see Ruffnut and Tuffnut, each with a saddle in their hands.

I know what the saddles are for, if not for seeing Toothless, Skullcrusher, and Grump, then for seeing every other claimed dragon here on Berk, wearing a saddle for their chosen rider. My ears lay flat against my head as the twins continue approaching me. They sit a few feet away from me in the grass, sitting cross-legged on the ground with the saddles in their lap.

Tuffnut leans forward happily. “Hey, Vally!” he says brightly, his voice pitched low like he’s trying not to startle me. He wiggles his fingers in a little wave, then pats the saddle in his lap. “Guess what we made?”

Ruffnut rolls her eyes beside him, though there's no real bite to it. “She knows what it is, you yak brain.” Then she glances at me, her expression surprisingly earnest. “But we didn’t bring it to force you. Just…wanted to show you. That’s all.”

Tuffnut nods. “Yes, just, you know, showing you. Warming you up to the concept, is all.” He leans in closer, eyes twinkling. “But mine has skulls and tassels. I braided. I braided.”

Ruffnut elbows her brother. “She doesn’t want your stringy tassels!” She holds up her own, which is also painted with skulls. They honestly just look the same. “She wants mine!”

Tuffnut pushes his sister’s saddle back to her lap. “You always underestimate my craft, woman!”

My ears twitch at the noise, then my nose. I’m too tired to sit here and let them play this out. With a slow stretch, I push myself up, the muscles beneath my scales and leathery skin flexing as I rise. Without a word, I turn away, the cool night air brushing past me as I walk off into the shadows beside the Great Hall.

Behind me, I hear them fumble awkwardly, voices rising and falling in their usual chaotic rhythm. “Uh, r-right! Goodnight, Valkyrie!” Tuffnut calls, and then I hear a wince of pain from his sister.

“What was that for?” Ruff demands, holding her arm.

“You embarrass me, sister.” Tuffnut remarks.

“You’re the one that chased her off, mutton head!” Ruffnut quickly counters.

Their bickering fades into the night as I put distance between myself and the twins, leaving their mismatched words tangled in the cool breeze.

It’s been just short of a week since Drago’s siege. The rebuilding is coming along pretty well, but…it just doesn’t feel right. The domesticated dragons sleep in little stables, or in their ‘owner’s’ houses. They have ‘owners’. I understand being loyal. I’m loyal to Valka, but I’m not ‘hers’. Even Cloudjumper isn’t ‘hers’. Another reason I like sleeping on the separate islands is because it’s wild. I’m wild. If the construction and wooden walls work for the humans and their dragons, then good for them. But it just feels off to me.

I stop at the edge of a cliff, the earth crumbling just slightly beneath my paws as I peer down at the forest stretched far below. Its canopy glows silver beneath the moonlight, shifting and rustling in the breeze like a sleeping creature. Fog ghosts along the leaves and branches like a blanket.

For a long moment, I simply stand there, the night wrapping around me like a comfort. Then, with a breath drawn deep into my lungs, I lean forward and let gravity take me. I fall headfirst, wings tucked tight to my sides, the wind rushing past my face in a hush that drowns out everything.

Just before the treetops rise to meet me, I unfurl my wings with a practiced sweep. The air catches me, and I glide up slowly, leveling out just above the trees, their pine-y scent sharp and rich as they blur beneath me. Moonlight paints my wings, and the stars wink gently through the drifting clouds.

The forest gives way to another drop, one last sheer cliff, this one leading to the open sea. I twist lazily and dip low, letting the momentum carry me forward before angling upward, ascending into the sky with long, smooth strokes of my wings.

I close my eyes softly. The silence is deeper up here. The wind cools the heat behind my eyes and presses against my scales like a balm. I breathe in, slow and steady, and let the stillness settle in my chest.

I open my eyes again just in time to crest a cloud bank. The world below disappears, replaced by a sparse sea of white mist and the endless stars above. The moon hangs almost full and glowing, a silent watcher to my flight.

I glance down. Through the drifting gaps in the clouds, Berk looks impossibly small. The village stretches over flatter parts of the terrain, its torchlight and braziers flickering faintly. From this height, they look no different from the stars around me other than the hue they offer. They’re still just as small.

I tilt into a slow, effortless loll, drifting through the air like the clouds around me. The cold brushes across my face and chest, slipping under my scales and through the scars I’m forced to bear, but I don’t mind. It doesn’t sting like it used to.

Then, softly and gently, my trance breaks. A sound reaches my ears, faint, but familiar. A low chirr, nearly swallowed by the wind. I look over instinctively, body tensing, wings tilting ever so slightly. There, gliding toward me with the same ease as moonlight across the sea, is Toothless. He dips his head slightly when our eyes meet in quiet recognition.

I don’t know if he followed me, or if he also just wanted a night flight. He comes alongside me without a sound, our wings falling into rhythm with one another. For a while, we just glide, beating our wings just enough to keep us airborne. Two shadows against the moon, moving in perfect silence.

After a while, Toothless drifts closer, his wingtip brushing mine for just a moment. I tilt my head toward him slightly, acknowledging him in kind. I drift over as well, only I tuck my wing and slowly roll above him in the air before leveling out on the other side of him.

I glide downwards, and he follows, both of us slipping beneath one of the cloud banks, but still surrounded by other heights of the fluffy white vapor shining with the moon’s bright luminescence.

We part softly, banking around a short pillar of clouds before crossing paths once more on the other side. It’s late at night. Hiccup has been so busy as Berk’s Chief that he hasn’t been able to fly much lately. It’s only lucky that Toothless is able to fly on his own, or else he’d be grounded as much as Hiccup is. I can’t help but feel bad for the young Chief. Valka says he has the soul of a dragon. And if I couldn’t fly, I don’t know what I’d do.

But still, Hiccup may have the soul of a dragon, but he’s still a human. And he’s without a doubt the new Chief. The war with Drago is over. That doesn’t mean there aren’t more dragon hunters or a line of tougher ones trying to take his place, but for now, the water has settled. It’ll ripple, or maybe even splash again, but that just makes these moments of peace the more valuable.

I can sense that there’s a reblooming independence growing in Toothless. He obviously still cares for Hiccup, but he doesn’t rely on him to fly anymore. Toothless glances at me again, eyes round and steady in the pale light. He seems relaxed, but also eager. He glances down at the water, then back at me.

The idea lights a bit of energy in my own chest. Without a word, I reel back, tucking my wings in tight and diving headfirst through the clouds. The wind howls in my ears as I pick up speed, the cold rushing pleasantly over my skin. A second later, I hear the rush of wings behind me, and then Toothless is there, diving alongside me, head low, his eyes alight with joy.

He tucks his head mid-dive to watch me. I look down at him with the same spark in my gaze. His mouth opens, tongue lolling out in that ridiculous, unguarded way he only does when he’s truly happy. The glittering surface of the sea grows closer, light fracturing across its dark surface like scattered glass.

Then, with a flick of impulse, I lean toward him mid-dive and give a small, affectionate lick across the bridge of his nose. His mouth snaps shut in surprise, eyes wide as a startled hatchling. I trill playfully, and pull up just as the water approaches us. My wings flare wide, lifting me up and away with a rush of air, leaving only my memory behind.

Toothless blinks once, then jolts into motion to follow, but he’s a half-second too late. Half of him clips the surface of the water, sending up a splash as he dips low and awkwardly flops partway in. I glance back just in time to see him flailing slightly, wings beating hard to pull himself up again. He breaks free with a heavy spray of mist and a chuff of surprise and embarrassment that rumbles through his chest.

I slow my flight just enough for him to catch up, letting our wings fall into sync again. His eyes narrow playfully now, a silent promise of revenge. But the look he gives me isn't just mischief. It’s affection. And something deeper. Something quieter. It’s not even that ‘we found another Night Fury’. It’s that we found specifically each other. I’ve seen other Night Furies, even before I was captured by Grimmel, but none quite like Toothless.

He glides just ahead of me, banking low over the rooftops before dipping down toward a familiar slope nestled against the cliffs, Hiccup’s house. He lands with practiced ease outside the structure, his paws thudding softly against the worn earth. I follow suit, but then he turns to glance at me over his shoulder as he walks toward the side of the house, tail swaying, looking back as if asking me to follow him.

My gaze lifts to the house. Weathered wood arching every few yards, stone supports, warm, golden light spilling from narrow windows. It’s quiet and lived-in. It looks like it should be safe. But all I see at first are walls. Enclosed spaces. A ceiling that hides the stars. Other than the Great Hall and Gobber’s forge, I haven’t set foot inside a manmade building since Grimmel’s prison.

Then I feel Toothless nuzzle under my jaw. A gentle, grounding pressure. His scales are cool, but there’s warmth beneath his leathery skin. I close my eyes briefly, then press my head against his in return. I stand beside him, and after a moment’s pause, follow him to the side. He crouches, then jumps, hooking his claws into a wide, open window set into the slanted wall. It’s large, big enough for him to slip through with ease.

I hesitate where the house meets the ground, but only for a second. Finally, I leap up, pulling myself onto the angled frame. Yet that’s where I stay perched, my wings folded tight against my sides as I take in the interior.

Hiccup is seated at a wooden desk, his head bowed over some half-finished sketch. At the shift in air, he turns, and a warm smile lifts his face the moment he sees Toothless, who is standing at the center of the room now.

“Hey, bud,” he says softly, maybe a bit envious. “Enjoy your flight?”

Toothless rumbles in response, his ears perking slightly. Then Hiccup notices me in the window, still crouched and watching. His smile doesn’t falter. If anything, it softens into something more surprised, but still kind.

“Found someone, didn’t you, bud?” he says to Toothless, tone light and tiredly playful. He then nods up to me. “You’re welcome in, if you want.”

He gives Toothless one last fond glance, then returns to his work without another word, leaving the choice to me. Toothless turns back toward me, his head tilted slightly, watching me the way he did when I first landed on Berk. Not pushing. Just…hoping. I let my gaze drift around the room.

A bed is tucked near the far wall, not far from Hiccup’s desk. Wardrobes and chests dot the space, filled with things humans probably need or want. Sketches and strange objects line the shelves and walls, maps, tools, rolled up papers, old scraps of metal and cloth for Hiccup’s tinkering. A set of stairs shoots downward toward the lower half of the house. And below me, just beneath the window frame, is a slab of smooth stone, darkened from use by flame and time. Even from up here, it still smells like Toothless.

I crawl down from the frame of the house carefully before stepping on the flat slab of rock. I stand curiously, still observing everything around me. Toothless, though, seems ready to call it a night, and walks around me with a soft rumble. He opens his mouth, and a steady burst of plasma warms the slab before he pats down the embers and settles down into a loose coil as his tail flicks gently against the floor. I stay on the slab, cautious at first, but no one tells me what to do, no one shuts the window, and no one traps me in.

Curiosity pulls at my paws before I even realize I’m moving. I step off the slab with the practiced silence of an apex predator, my claws barely whispering against the floor. I slowly make my way across the room, my eyes fixed on the soft scratch of movement at Hiccup’s desk. He doesn’t hear me until I sit to a stop, my nose hovering just a few inches beside his cheek as I peer over his shoulder.

His hand pauses mid-stroke, the wrapped stick of charcoal frozen above the parchment. He tenses, startled by the sudden realization of my presence. But when he turns his head and meets my eyes, the alarm in his expression melts. There’s something else there now, like a memory. One of his first with Toothless, and one he’s revisiting with quiet wonder.

His gaze lingers on mine for a breath longer before he turns back to the desk. With gentle movements, he pulls out a fresh sheet of paper and presses it flat. Then, without a word, he begins to draw. I tilt my head as I watch. The charcoal moves with confident precision, guided by fingers that have done this many times now. At first, the lines seem random–strange curves and sweeping arcs I don’t yet understand. But slowly, something takes shape.

It’s a Night Fury. No, it’s me. I blink, captivated, as my ears flip up. I’ve only seen fragments of myself reflected in rippling pools or shards of ice. Always blurred and imperfect. With a soft, entertained, and curious chirr, I lean closer. I nudge against Hiccup’s shoulder without thinking, sniffing at the parchment as if the charcoal lines might carry my own scent.

He laughs, the sound light and surprised, and rests a hand against my head to gently guide me back. “Hey—I'm not done!” he chuckles, pushing me just enough to get me to sit still again.

I settle with a quiet rumble, watching intently as he continues. The sketch begins to form. Shoulders, the curve of my back, my wings lightly raised at my sides. He doesn’t miss the details: the finer shape of the snout, the pattern of my ear ridges, even the subtle, almost decorative scale markings and fins unique to females of my kind.

Finally, Hiccup turns in his seat and lifts the finished drawing for me to see, holding it up in both hands. I lean forward again, this time slower, more deliberate. My eyes scan the page, taking in every stroke. It’s…really good.

Though, of course it is. I’ve seen his other sketches pinned on walls, scattered across tables, rolled into scrolls in the arms of Fishlegs. He’s gotten really good at drawing dragons. Precise where it matters, expressive where it doesn’t. And since it’s coming from Hiccup specifically, he’s gotten really, really good at drawing Toothless.

He holds it out gently, and I lean forward again, opening my jaws just enough to take the corner of the parchment between my lips. I’m careful, more careful than I’ve ever been with anything so not fragile. The paper crinkles slightly under my scaled grip, but I don’t tear it. I pause for a moment, and look at Hiccup himself with a silent air of gratitude. Then, I turn.

Hiccup watches me go as I walk back towards the rock slab. Toothless is still sleeping, curled loosely on the warm stone. His body rises and falls with a steady rhythm, his tail twitching faintly as he dreams. I pad toward him, the drawing still held delicately in my mouth. I step into the open cradle formed by his coiled body, careful not to disturb him too much. He huffs softly and adjusts without complaint, curling around me again with a familiar, comforting warmth.

I set the paper down in front of me on the stone, then I lower my head to rest on my forearm, eyes lingering on the sketch of me. I’ve been many things to many beings. A myth, a risk, a threat, a prisoner, a tool, a prize, a refugee, an ally, a friend, a savior, a rescuer,  and to my knowledge, I’ve never been ‘art’ to anyone. Until now.