Chapter 2: Understanding

The cold air stung her nose and ears, her eyes watering from the freezing wind; she didn't feel any of the cold air engulfing her. All she could feel was the exhilaration of flying! She looked down at the ocean, the gentle waves creating a whole new sky was underneath her. She looked up to see the northern lights shimmer and shine. She couldn't help but sigh with contentment. She didn't even feel the cold air, or the fear of falling, she just felt… Free.

Then the whole situation came crashing down on her. Emotions hitting her like a flash flood. She couldn't decide whether to scream or start crying like a maniac. She chose the crying. She was leaving everything behind, for this. Toothless sensing her discomfort, and the tears gently dashing across his back, cooed reasurly. Hiccup couldn't help but smile, at least she wasn't alone. She leaned down and hugged him, whispering "Thanks bud."

After about two hours of flying they chose a small island - well, it was more of a giant rock than an island - to rest on. After eating a few fish stored in Hiccup's bag, they settled down for the night listening to the relaxing sound of the waves.

Hiccup and toothless finally woke up around noon. Hiccup stood groaning while stretching her back with a satisfying 'crack'. She turned around to see Toothless staring at her in horror, as if she had grown an extra head. She couldn't help but chuckle at the face Toothless was making.

After breakfast, which consisted of fish, bread, and an apple, they began to explore - not knowing exactly what they were looking for - but had a feeling they'd know when they see it.

After hours of flying they flew through a thick fog, Toothless's eyes glancing in panic at the difficulty to see. Swifting gently dodging a couples of jagged rocks sticking out of the ocean, She noticed Toothless discomfort as his ear plates flickering as if he was listening to something. She listened intently, but it was silent. As Toothless slowly flew farther, and then she heard it. A faint hum along with the flapping of wings. She looked through the thinning mist to see the they were surrounded by monstrous nadders, hideous zipplebacks and other dragons.

''They're.. hauling in there kill,'' Hiccup thought aloud as she noticed that each carried food in there claws. She felt relieved that she didn't see any viking bodies. I put my hand on Toothless head. "Toothless, bud, we gotta get out of here" Toothless shook my hand off his head, panic clearly written all over his face.

After many complex twists and turns the dragons headed toward a giant mountain. As they entered the towering mound of rock, I couldn't help but squint because it was so dark, I was amazed they didn't crash.

They entered a giant cavern full of dragons and a giant Pit in the middle. There was an something that just felt.. wrong. That wrongness emitted from the Pit in the middle. Hiccup scared and uneasy whispered to toothless "We- we got to get out of here bud," he just stared at a landing on a rock platform, shakingly hiding behind a rock jutting out of the ground.

We watched as the dragons dropped their kill into the Pit. 'They're not eating any of it, why?'. The answer quickly came as a gronckle dropped a tiny fish into the pit.

There was a pause then the ground started to shake, there was a deep growl. "Toothless we need to go, now!" A giant head appeared from the Pit and ate the gronckle whole

Its nostrils flared "Toothless Now!" Toothless lept into the air just as the beast lunged at us. I looked back to see a gigantic head bigger than any gronckle. It had six eyes that seethed with hate and contempt, giant razor sharp teeth and and ridges on its head, like some horribly deformed crown. It snapped up a poor zippleback then retreated back into the Pit.

After flying for hours and as fast as they can they finally stopped on a small island. Hiccup jumped off just as toothless flopped down exhausted "it all make sense, it's like a giant beehive, you guys are the workers and that thing is the queen!" Putting her hands to the side of her face, eyes widened in understanding "OH MY THOR! We've been killing you guys thinking that you were just mindless beasts but no you're being forced to because of that thing."

Turning around she looked at Toothless with new light and understanding in her eyes. "Everything we know about you is wrong."