Chapter 17-

Åse and Storm fly high in the air; they're not supposed to be here. It's too dangerous but the pair couldn't keep away. King is their friend and they were going to help him fight. Storm swoops down shooting at the old bewilderbeast narrowly escaping as his tucks try to knock the pair from the air.

King roars pushing his head into the older bewilder beasts stomach trying to topple him over. However the giant doesn't move an inch his feet dug deep into the sand to stay in place. The older male pushes forward against King and all those who watch can understand why that breed of dragon is the alpha male. The giant though much younger does not shake or yield against the much larger and stronger opponent he simply keeps pushing trying to shove the older dragon to the ground.

Storm flies back down in the middle of their fight coming back up firing a lighting bolt into the older bewilderbeast eyes. Åse jumps off her dragon onto a tusk and jumps higher climbing onto King's red scales. She's going to help her friend or die trying.

Her pale hands grip her friend's face from above; she looks like a speck of dirt moving and climbing up the giant dragon until she reaches the top of his head.

A eardrum shattering whistle rings out, "Fire!" Åse screams and an icy blast comes from the bottom of King building up to the top the glacier like blast stabs the bewilderbeast through the chest. The older dragon cried out and pulled himself off blood dripping from his wound.

Another whistle, "Forwards!"

The younger bewilderbeast smashes through the the women on top of his head shouting out commands bounces up and down as King comes running tusk straight and slams into Drago's bewilderbeast side pushing this sharp armour deeper and deeper until he has the older alpha's standing on his hind legs. Drago's voice can be heard in the back screaming horrid things at the dragon he controls. Weak, spineless, unless he yells at it.

Another whistle, "Fire!" Åse screams happy to take down the largest threat coming their way. The old bewilderbeast sees the icy blue glow and closes his eyes silently accepting his fate. He allows his body to go limp, no longer wishing to fight too tired and abused from it all as he calmly accepts his fate.

Snap.

Åse's elts out a scream, her heart having fallen right out her ass as the shadow of the giant biewer beast comes falling down. King tries to turn but his other tusk is still stuck inside the dragon. Quicker than anyone ever thought possible Storm moves swooping down and grabbing her rider as the ground beneath King brakes and the large dragon falls into the freezing waters below. Drago's dragon landing right on top of him. A scream is heard through the air as the young female leader watches her friend hit his head on the sharp side of the broken ice, blood pouring from the wound and sinking into the freezing depts of the ocean.

Dragos's bewilderbeast slowly stands the night fury and her rider watches in horror silently pleading the God's to allow King to rise back up and finish the evil dragon off but the God's must not have heard their cries. Three bumbles emerge from the giant hole in the ground. Tears prickle in the redhead's eyes as the older male lets out a roar. A roar of victory.

"No!" Åse yells out and it snaps Storm from her mourning. King is no longer her alpha she needs to get them away before she falls under the evil dragons magic hums. She makes a sharp turn, her rider fighting in her talons as she carries them both away as fast and as far as possible.

. "No! Go back! Go back!" Åse cries out to her night fury but she can't. The only thing back there is death. "We have to help him! We have to help him!" she yells but Strom ignores her, her riders crying hurting her heart because there is no helping a dead dragon.

When Storm finally lands Åse has long gone quiet. The night fury is exhausted and nearing collapse when she's let go of Åse and her feet hit the ground. Normally long distance flights don't bother the dragon but with the wound in the dragon's side she's doesn't know where it came from. Probably a hunter from the boats got her or she was scratched during the fight? Small amounts of red blood have been trickling down it slowly wearing the beautiful beast down.

Whimpers catch Storm's attention, she turns her scaly head and see's Åse's head in her hands sobbing quietly. Strom walks over and places her head on her riders red locks cuddling her like her own other use to do when she was a little dragon. The pair stay in silence, tears leaking from their eyes as they both do their best to comfort the other oer their lost King.

The two have known King since he was an egg. They managed to save him before their island was frozen over. He grew alongside them, trained with them and came to the rescue whenever he was needed. He was more so family then a friend it's why he was going to take on Drago's bewilderbeast. To help them, to save as many lives as he could before he met his end because they all knew the likelihood of him beating a dragon twice his size and twice his age was little to none and still he sacrificed himself. He sacrificed himself to buy them the time they need and to try and take down their greatest threat. And knowing all that made the dragons and riders hurt so much more.

By the end of the night Storm places her head on Åse's lap. They cry together until the night turns to day and then night again. They cry until they're out of tears and have fallen asleep in the damp cave they're hiding out in. Neither knowing the trouble they have just gotten themselves into.

The next morning Åse wakes before her dragon, her stomach rumbling softly from the lack of food. She has no idea how long they've been gone but she knows it's time to get back however when she tries to wake her dragon Storm doesn't move. Her body lays stiff like almost dead as Åse shakes her grey body. "Storm?" Åse calls softly rubbing the dragon's side, her nails scratching along Storm's favorite spot when there is no resonance Åse's heart begins to pick up it's pace. "Strom?" she asks a little more frantic as she shakes the dragon but still no answer. "Storm!" she shouts trying to wiggle her cury frame from underneath her dragon. Her pale hands push and pull trying to get free and wake her best friend but then something wet slides between her fingers. Åse pulls her hand back and up to her face, the sight making tears come back to her eyes, "Storm." she whispers, her voice nearly broken as the dragon's thick red blood stares at her from her hand.

Her mind tells her what to do and her body follows, not really thickening or having the time to process what's going on just knowing her dragon needs to survive. "I'm going to get us out of this. I promise, girl." Åse heaves looking at her friend knowing she has to get her out of there. She can't let Storm die.

The dragon seems to hear her a small movement go through the reptile's body. She simply moves her tail softly before falling back motionless onto the damp sand her body exhausted and in pain. Far too tired and too dizzy from blood loss to do much more while her rider continues to fight to get free but the more the redhead struggles the harder it becomes to get free. She can feel Storms breathing getting shallow and becoming far less. Åse can't fight her way out of it so she forces her body to stay still and tries to calm her mind. She needs to think they have to get out of here. They have to.

Åse's eyes focus on the ceiling of the cave. Only one idea left in her brain. "Help!" she screams out but she's sure it falls on death ears as her voice echoes through the cave but still she screams and shouts until her throat is scratchy and raw and she wants to cry again but she can't the second she allows her tears to fall is the second she will be forced to give up and she can not give up.

When a cough comes after another voice cracking scream Åse finally closes her mouth doing her best to catch her breath and she notices something she can still hear herself. She can hear her breathing echoing off the sea caves walls, something so quiet in the silence can be heard through the cave and if she can hear something so small something loud can be heard by something else.

Her blue eyes drift to her dragon still motionless and half alive. All she needs is a sound loud enough. If Strom uses her alpha abilities a dragon will hear her. Even if it is just one dragon they'll save her.

The red headed rider takes a breath, she doesn't want to do this she knows it will hurt but she has no other choice. "I'm so sorry girl." she mumbles softy to her dragon who doesn't understand what she's apologising for until. Stro's eyes sap open pain sugaring though her body as her cut is dug into. A scream for help drier from pure agony as her rider digs into her open wound opening the cut and more blood pours out the grey dragons' side.

Åse apologies once more to her dragon who now lays completely still on her as Storm's roar makes the sharp rocks hanging above the cave quake, the water above them rumble, and the clouds break as the sound carries through the world. To human ears they hear a blood curdling, heart dropping, eardrum shattering sound of the one and only night fury. The offspring of lightning and death. But to the dragons flying by they hear a queen calling to anyone that can hear, calling in distress, calling for someone, anyone to help.