Chapter Eleven
Toothless had just led Hiccup and Astrid to the nest after deciding they needed to see the place for themselves. This was something he had done regularly before leaving the Queen. Return to the nest and make sure everything was in order. As the most powerful dragon in the nest, the Queen had always claimed him as her second in command.
With him gone, there wasn't much order in the ranks of dragons, and they were beginning to argue among themselves. Toothless had found that obvious when the Queen emerged from her magma pit, and tried ordering the stronghold of dragons to grab Hiccup and Astrid. The chaos that followed was enough for Toothless to decide that enough was enough.
Hiccup and Astrid had seen everything they needed to. Now, they just needed to come up with a plan to stop the Queen once and for all. While the task was easier said than done, he knew it was possible with Hiccup running the show. Besides, it wasn't as if they were alone.
While he didn't appreciate the human girl that had been with Cybele, they obviously shared a deeper connection than he did with Hiccup. Their disappearance left him feeling worried when he noticed how late it had gotten.
"Whatever happened to that other Night Fury?" Astrid suddenly asked once they had discussed what to do about the nest.
She had almost forgotten about the girl until picturing her riding the Night Fury. After seeing her lack of trust towards Astrid and the entirety of Berk, Hiccup had begun to doubt he would see Aniu again. He couldn't help but wince when he remembered the way he'd reacted to introducing Aniu to Astrid. Considering the way Aniu had been treated back in her old village, he wouldn't blame her for wanting to leave.
"They must have flown off before Toothless took us to the nest," Hiccup replied, looking around worriedly.
He wasn't sure how a human raised by dragons would react to that beast of a dragon. Toothless warbled his own concern, though he was more worried about Cybele than anything else. She was a fierce Night Fury who could easily defend herself. But with that girl, it was a different story. They seemed to look out for one another, like true siblings.
They had been flying for a few more minutes when Toothless picked up a familiar scent. Though it was faint, he recognized it from their time spent in the cove. His ear-flaps perked forward with interest as he flew in the direction of said scent, unbeknownst to Hiccup and Astrid.
They were too busy discussing what they had seen from his nest to figure out what he was planning. For once, he was thankful that humans were easily distracted. It gave him enough time to track down Cybele, and possibly, her friend.
That was until they noticed an island coming to view. It was already late, and Hiccup worried that the others on Berk would begin to notice their disappearance. Yet Toothless stubbornly pushed ahead, ignoring Hiccup's commands as he flew closer to the island.
"It's like something's drawling him here, like the Queen," Astrid mused as they approached the island fast. "Are those… those are dragon tracks!" Astrid realized when she spotted something on the ground.
Toothless landed on the island once they had reached it. He sniffed the air and picked up that scent again. It smelled strangely of sweet honeysuckle, and made his mouth water. Hiccup and Astrid slowly realized that this was no ordinary island either.
"Human footprints," Hiccup observed after studying the ground.
It looked as if there had been a skirmish, but it didn't last long. He recognized those footprints as Aniu's. Exchanging a look of surprise with Astrid, they followed the footprints until reaching what looked like the entrance to a cave.
Their eyes widened in surprise after noticing the dragons sleeping in said cave. They were huddled together in clusters, of all different species. Hiccup shook his head in disbelief when he finally spotted the familiar shape of Cybele among the dragons. Though, she was sleeping further away from the group with her wings wrapped around what he could guess was Aniu.
"How can she stand sleeping with them?" Astrid asked warily.
Her eyes swept among the herd of dragons sleeping together. She noticed with a start that one dragon in particular was larger than the rest. And brighter in color. A purple Deadly Nadder. She had never seen a more beautiful dragon.
"Aniu was raised by the dragons," Hiccup explained in a whisper. "She was taken in when she was six."
Astrid's eyes widened in amazement when he told her Aniu's story, best as he could. The more she heard about this girl, the more she realized that Aniu was a lot like Hiccup. An outsider to her own people, she had fled and turned on them. Then, she found the dragons, and everything changed. If Stoick or the others on Berk found out about her, they would surely drive her away, or worse.
Not for the first time, Hiccup found himself wondering what would have happened if he shared a similar fate. Aniu was the only human he could think of who had been taken in by dragons. Anyone else would have likely attacked at first sight if they saw a family of dragons living together.
"We should go before they discover us," she sighed after they had left the cave.
It was too much for them to stay inside with an entire nest full of angry dragons. Facing the Queen had been one thing, but this was something different. Hiccup knew for a fact that while Aniu might have slightly trusted him, the other dragons would see them differently.
Not only was it late, but the people of Berk would begin missing them. If they sent out search parties and found this island, they wouldn't hesitate to attack. Hiccup couldn't bring himself to be part of that attack, especially after seeing what Aniu had already been through.
Toothless looked back at the cave where Cybele was sleeping. He didn't want to leave her again. Not after everything that had happened. Hiccup was ready to leave when Toothless put on all his weight and made it impossible for takeoff.
"Toothless, we have to leave," Hiccup pleaded after noticing Toothless' odd behavior. "My dad and the others are going to notice we've been gone all day and night." Toothless just rolled his eyes in response and gestured for the cave, suggesting they spend the night there. Hiccup exchanged an anxious look with Astrid, who merely shrugged in response. "Come on, you overgrown lizard!"
He tried pushing his weight against Toothless in the hopes of getting him to move, but his attempts were hopeless.
I am not an overgrown lizard! Toothless thought indignantly. He snorted and laid down, earning a glare from Hiccup. Try getting off this island on your own, I dare you.
"Hiccup, this isn't working," Astrid sighed in frustration. "Like it or not, we're stuck here until he decides to leave."
Hiccup let out his own sigh of frustration after realizing that she was right. He might have control over Toothless' tail-fin, but that didn't mean he could control when they could or couldn't fly. Toothless was a stubborn dragon, and he was going to learn that the hard way.
…
Nina was the first to discover the human younglings who were curled up next to each other. It was a cold night that night, and they had struggled to keep warm until Toothless rested beside them. He knew humans were more vulnerable to the cold air than most creatures, and so, provided what little warmth he could for protection.
His ears-flaps pricked up in alarm as he noticed the Deadly Nadder approaching them. The other dragons aside from Cybele and Aniu were still asleep. It would have been a peaceful morning had it not been for their intrusion. Nina's eyes narrowed as she glared down at the hatchlings.
"How did they manage to find a second Night Fury?" she wondered out loud as Toothless glared back.
"If you do anything to hurt them, I will fight back," Toothless snapped angrily. Nina stood there, rigged with shock as she looked at Toothless. "These humans are my friends, my hatchlings even. I would not let you anywhere near them."
"Such bold words, considering he must be the very human who took away your ability to fly," Nina shot back. Toothless winced at that, realizing she was right. He glanced uncertainly at Hiccup and Astrid. They were slowly waking up to find themselves surrounded by dangerous enemies. "I should have them killed for trespassing. But, I will not do that in front of my hatchlings. They deserve better."
"That human girl is not your hatchling!" Toothless snarled. "She is more dragon than human because you filled her head with lies!"
This time it was Nina's turn to flinch. She knew that he was right about Aniu. The girl had become more dragon than human. But, something about her had sparked Nina's interest. She couldn't just let the girl fall into the wrong hands. Humans were nothing but bad news, yet she had learned to trust Aniu over the years. She was ready to argue when the familiar call of a Night Fury sounded.
"Toothless, what are you doing here with those hatchlings?" Cybele cried when she pushed past Nina.
Toothless stood up the moment she approached him, careful not to harm the humans using him as a pillow. He had been hoping to see her again in the vain attempt at getting to know her better. He knew it wasn't fair to keep pushing the girl around, especially since they were so close.
"I couldn't just leave you," he admitted sheepishly. "They know about the Queen. I led them to the nest."
Cybele's eyes widened in horror when he told them about the mighty beast that resided in the volcano. She knew that it was possible for such dragons to exist. What she didn't know was that one had lived so close by the island they called their Nest.
"A dragon that powerful should be dealt with swiftly," Cybele growled, then looked at Nina with accusing eyes. "You knew she was there all this time, yet you did nothing to stop her! What were you thinking by moving us here?"
Nina bowed her head submissively, something she never did to dragons who were not above her. Toothless narrowed his eyes when he understood her reasons for choosing this island in particular.
"The Queen called you here, didn't she?" he deadpanned. Nina didn't say anything until Toothless bared his teeth. "Didn't she?" he repeated himself.
Finally, Nina glared at him before responding.
"Yes! The Queen beckoned me to this island!" she roared, alerting the humans who had been asleep up until now. Hiccup and Astrid stared at Nina in shock as she towered above Toothless, who stood his ground. "She promised that she would keep our island safe as long as I offered sacrifices to her, and so far, she has kept that promise."
Cybele's eyes widened in disbelief at that. Nina had always taken care of the dragons on this island and even before that. But to hear that she was giving their own friends and family as sacrifice to the Queen only made things worse.
"You… How could you?" Cybele screeched in protest. "We always believed you were caring for us, and now…"
Cybele lowered her head in shame and outrage until noticing that someone else had joined them. She glanced at Aniu self-consciously when she noticed that she was glaring in Nina's direction. She'd heard everything. The look written across her face only confirmed what Cybele had been thinking. Something needed to be done about the Queen, especially after she had already taken so many of their friends.
"I did this all to protect you," Nina growled, then she looked at Aniu who was staring at her with narrowed eyes. "We had everything, until those humans took it all away. Now we have each other, and that is all that matters."
For a moment there was silence. Hiccup and Astrid hadn't moved from their spots, though Astrid looked like she was ready to spring at any moment. Aniu's fists were clenched with fury as she glared at Nina. Never had she expected Nina of all dragons to turn against her own kind. This betrayal would hit them hard.
"Toothless, we need to get out of here, now," Hiccup pleaded once more, hoping this time Toothless would listen to reason.
Toothless turned and looked at him warily, understanding that this was urgent. The younglings needed to return before more started searching for them. It would only end in disaster if more humans found the Nest.
"This isn't over," he growled as Hiccup and Astrid hopped into his saddle. "The Queen is nothing but evil, and needs to be vanquished."
With those last threatening words, Toothless flew off with his human companions. Aniu watched them leave with wide eyes. She glanced back at Nina as the Deadly Nadder began to relax a gain. Then her stance changed to that of a protective dragon once more.
"I won't let anyone change a thing," she grumbled under her breath.
"But, I will," Aniu murmured, her thoughts churning as she left Nina standing there. Cybele was quick to follow her, ears pricked for signs of anyone that might be following them. "They're going to try and fight the Queen on their own," she said once they were far enough away.
"If Hiccup and Astrid are foolish enough to risk their lives, then maybe we should let nature take its course," Cybele replied with a shrug.
"Even if it means losing Toothless in the process?" Aniu snapped.
Despite her anxiety, she was more determined than ever to stop the Queen from taking any more lives. This madness had to end, one way or another. Cybele lowered her head shamefully when she realized what that meant.
Aniu knew how close Cybele had gotten to Toothless. He was the only other Night Fury they knew of in existence. She had a feeling that finding another one would be next to impossible. Cybele was more than aware of that constant danger as well.
"Alright, so what are we supposed to do? Show ourselves to the humans?" Cybele asked after giving it some thought. "I for one am in no hurry to make myself a target, especially since we've managed to avoid the other humans for so long."
She hadn't even thought of that until now. Knowing that they were about to put their own lives in danger should have been enough to deter them. Yet, Aniu felt responsible for putting Hiccup and Astrid's life in danger. She should have warned them about the Queen, when even Nina knew about her. It would have been easier that way.
Toothless had gone out of his way to show Hiccup that there was a reason behind all of the raids. Now that someone knew the truth, maybe there was a chance they could work something out. Dragons and humans had been at war for generations. It was time they found a way to bring peace between them.
"We'll just have to do whatever it takes to keep them safe," Aniu replied, ignoring the look Cybele gave her. "Those humans captured other dragons for their 'training' courses. Maybe if we free the dragons, they will help us."
Cybele wasn't too happy with that idea, but at least she didn't argue. Once the plan was set, they waited until Nina was asleep to make their leave. Nina would try and stop them. Aniu was sure of that now. After finding out what she had been doing all this time on their island, Aniu was more determined to stop the Queen than ever.
I won't let her hurt our friends, Aniu promised herself.
It was strange to think of Hiccup as a friend after the way he'd acted in the cove. Yet, she couldn't allow anything to happen to him or Astrid because of Nina's mistakes. Not only would she have felt guilty for it, but it would only serve to prove that the humans had been right about dragons.
They flew off in the dead of night once Aniu had gathered her bow and arrows. Freeing the dragons should be a simple task. Sneaking into the village was going to be a challenge. Aniu wasn't sure whether the humans would have guards posted at the 'training' arena. She wasn't expecting it to be easy. But, she looked forward to the challenge that would follow.
AN: When I first wrote this story, this chapter was combined into one with the previous chapter. We're slowly but surely winding down to the climax of the story, at least for the first part. Next part is probably going to be a little shorter word-wise, but it also delves deeper into Aniu's past for those who haven't read the original :) Anywho, thanks to Mariah, Jillian Lee, Sgt Sniper Man101 and Guest for reviewing!
Mariah - Only time will tell whether this happens ;)
Jillian Lee - Yeah, I'll have to find the time to watch those episodes. I'll admit, I've been sticking with the BBC docuseries lately like Planet Earth II and Blue Planet II, and Ghost Adventures on Hulu. And this chapter explains how she goes back... though I do feel like it was slightly rushed. I'll leave it up to the readers to decide whether it was rushed or not :) And thank you, I did have a great week! Hopefully you'll have one too.
Sgt Sniper Man101 - They got to meet in this chapter, though it wasn't necessarily a friendly encounter, was it?
Guest - That's alright; I'm just happy you review at all :) And lol, a sluggish Astrid would be pretty fun to watch, wouldn't it? I'm glad you appreciate the emotions I've put into the story. I like to think I'm empathetic myself, so I can relate to everyone in some way. I actually play quite a lot of video games; I have a PS4, XBox One and 3DS. The Far Cry series is my second favorite aside from Spyro the Dragon... Though Pokemon does come pretty close to the top three list. I spend a lot of whatever free time (which isn't much, unfortunately) I have shiny hunting in every game XD
