Valka and Hiccup had flown ahead, aiming towards some air vents that rose up from the sea. I followed behind slowly, watching them as they flew together, mother and son. This was a family. Bloodborne, bound together by more than just loving embraces. I sighed.

I felt a sudden pang of guilt as images of my own family, faded and torn at the edges, found their way into my mind. My mother's golden, waist-length hair that she normally kept in a single, thick braid. When I was younger, I had loved to pick flowers and place them in her braid, or as high as I could reach. She would smile, and with laughter like bells, would lean down and pick another flower to put behind my ear.

"You have the most beautiful hair Lucaria, my dearest!" She would always say, running her fingers through my curly mix of bright blonde and light brown hair. She would often braid it into a ring around my head, leaving small strands to decorate my face. I missed those days terribly, remembering how she looked more like a goddess than a viking. She had a thin frame, one that I inherited, and yet was strong enough to haul huge logs of timber single-handedly for reparations on the village after a storm. She had piercing green eyes, and an incredibly soft face. She looked almost as delicate as the tender white irises I placed in her hair.

And then there was my father, with his short brown beard and messy brown hair. He kept his hair fairly long, and it stuck out at wild angles. The bright red feather that was a symbol of his rank hung from the left side of his face, attached to a strand of hair. It was a stunning contrast to his image. His dark brown eyes held compassion for not only his family and dragon, but for his village as well. Whatever he did, he accomplished for the benefit of our little society.

"One day, Lucaria, you will grow to become a great chieftain, perhaps even better than me." He would swoop me up into a hug, nuzzling me close. I could feel the prickliness of his beard, see the love and hope that lingered in the deep pools of brown of his eyes. Chieftain was a high honor to have, and though it was inherited, it was not a job to be taken lightly. My father worked long days and had to focus on making sure there was enough food for both the people and dragons. Yet I had learned much from simply watching him. His upright and forwards demeanor, his grand voice that could carry across the whole isle and yet soften when he was whispering a song into my ear. His relations with the other people of the town, who adored him and treated him with the utmost respect, which he returned gratefully.

I sighed, finally forcing the thoughts out of my head. I felt a deep sense of fear, wondering if my actions had caused my family's spirits to abandon me. Would they be hurt that I turned to a new family? Would they frown upon my desire to become a daughter to Valka?

I frowned. My family was much more understanding than I was making them out to be. I had lost everyone I knew, and I was sure they realized this. They would want me to find someone to be close to, to have another friend and even someone who could be a mother or father to me in their now eternal absence. I felt tears prick the backs of my eyes, but I blinked them away. I needed to stay strong, if not for myself than for Comet. She was suffering just as much as I was, and there was no point in feeling sorry for myself when I was still blessed enough to have my best friend at my side.

Comet had turned her head to look at me, knowing my thoughts, and seeing my memories. She gazed up at me with her vivid green eyes. I stroked a hand down the side of her neck, eyes closed, and I leaned down so I was right beside her ears.

"It's okay Comet. I'm fine. I just...I miss our family is all." Her already soft gaze softened even more. I lay there, stroking her ears and neck, finding comfort in her presence and care.

As I returned to an upright position, I noticed Valka and Hiccup had already found the air vents. Comet and I sped up to reach them, when I saw something completely bizarre. Hiccup had leaped from Toothless' back, and was not falling-but flying. We flew up beside Valka and Cloudjumper who had paused to watch in awe. We exchanged glances, before she flew after him with Cloudjumper. I followed suit, flying below them, in case something happened.

His flight suit was fascinating, allowing him to fly with little help from Toothless. A human, flying? The notion was preposterous, but here he was, right in front of my very eyes, flying through the air. But suddenly, through the misted clouds, a huge pillar of rock appeared, and he grew nervous, calling out for Toothless. Toothless struggled to reach him though, his tail not as maneuverable when locked in place.

"Hiccup!" I cried, flying quickly up with Comet, only to see him disappear with Toothless through a hole in the rock. The base of the rock pillar reared up in front of us, and Comet took evasive actions, only to find herself caught in a maze underneath the pillar of stone. The sea water roiled beneath us as we navigated the tight passages, her wings scraping against the rock walls. I felt her anxiety grow as we continued deeper into the depths of the rock. The roof descended, and Comet's tail began to hit water.

I grew nervous as the water continued to rise, brushing her legs. If it rose any more, we would be drowned. Comet could swim, but if the cave roof disappeared underwater, there might be no hope for me. Turning around was not an option now. Comet could not turn her long form around in the enclosed space. Sensing my fear, she let out a low whimper.

I held my breath, praying that the passage opened up soon. Comet was struggling to keep airborne, the rock walls rubbing and scraping her wingtips raw. She whimpered with pain, and I leaned down close to her neck, whispering comforting words into her ears. Suddenly, the passage tightened into a tiny bottleneck. I considered the bottleneck before completely flattening myself along her back. She pulled her legs up as tight as possible, and despite her torn wingtips, sped up towards the minuscule opening. It was either this, or drown.

I closed my eyes tightly, afraid to watch. My other senses took over, and it felt as if time were slowing to a halt. I could smell the saltiness of the seawater, could feel the cold, dense chill given off by the water-drenched stone. I felt Comet take one last wing beat, tucking her wings tightly against her body. I heard her cry out in pain as I felt the unforgiving stone brush against the top of my head. I felt the cold rush of icy water against my skin as we crashed through to the other side of the hole.

We landed in a pool of water, shallow and strangely lit up. I did not pay as much attention to the water and surroundings as I should have, but Comet was my first priority, and I could tell, from the pain that radiated into my mind, that she was injured.

I quickly dismounted and rushed to her face, stroking her snout and examining her head and face for injuries. She shook her head roughly before letting out a low moan, throwing her snout towards her wingtips.

I tenderly held one of her wingtips, which was indeed red and bleeding from continued contact with the rough cave wall. I tore off an edge of my skirt and dipped it in the water, gingerly blotting the blood. Comet whimpered when I put pressure to stop the bleeding, but she remained still as I tended her other wing. She was otherwise unharmed, to my intense relief.

She stood up and walked over to me, snuffling in my hair, drawing back quickly as a dark substance clung to her snout. I ran a hand through my hair with a sigh. A small amount of blood had pooled around a cut on the top of my head, though it was not deep. I assumed it was from the rock that I believed to have passed under. I stooped down and rinsed my hair in the water, cringing as it stained the crystal blue waters red. I paused as Comet began to growl.

All around us, a pod of seashockers circled. I realized with a start that it was their bioluminescence that lit up the cave. I backed up beside Comet. There seemed to be no immediate way out of the cave, though a small patch of dry rock lay just outside the circling pod. Comet should not fly with her injured wings, though one large leap might suffice to reach the rocky platform...

Comet, whose mind was following my thoughts, snorted in aggression towards the advancing seashockers. I slowly reached up towards her neck strap, watching the predatory glances of the the water dragons. I hesitated, watching their red eyes glinting. I was almost paralyzed in fear. A slight shift by Comet snapped me out of my trance, and I prepared myself to leap.

In one quick movement, I launched myself up towards Comet's back, and she leaped towards the dry rock. The seashockers immediately released a buzz of electric shock, which I felt even in the air. Thankfully, Comet managed to reach the rock, and the electricity missed us.

Barely.

I tumbled from her back as she landed, hitting the stone with a loud thud that echoed about the cavern.

With cries of anger and frustration, the seashockers surged the rock, leaping at us and attempting to whack us with their lightning-infused tails. I scrambled hastily onto Comet's back, and we glanced around wildly for an escape. A passage opened up towards the ceiling, and without a moments hesitation, Comet lunged for the exit. She cried out in pain as she took off, but she persevered for my safety. With a few quick wing beats, she had reached the passage, and soon we had escaped the cavern and were finally back into the safety of the open air.