'Some Alphas will treat their followers as they treat themselves, but others will exploit their followers for their own gain." – Snoweyes, Snow Wraith


-Nest of the Red Queen-


Toothless' Note: This part of the journey brought me and Shiver a lot of pain. I almost wish I could move on to the next part but despite that, it's the part that leads to a defining moment in our lives… but I don't mean Berk. Not yet. That comes later, here in the nest of whom I've come to learn as the Red Death I walked a path of discovery for not only the world of dragons but who I am.

Things may seem bright and welcoming at first… It was all a lie.

Me and Shiverwing going into that mountain, as I said, is the worst decision either of us have ever made. We experienced all kinds of hell, saw dragons get killed every day, and even came close to death ourselves many times. One of us getting a little… too close. But the things I learnt about myself, my past, the legacy of my kin… No. The price was and always will be too high.


Upon arriving on the ground, we immediately saw hundreds of dragons surrounding us. I fell into myself and backed up a little. Shiver just stood there and stared. I began looking around the place. There was an orange glow coming from the center of the giant cave, which provided all the light we needed to be able to see. While the walls of the area were a deep grey illuminated by the burnt amber below, they were covered with the colorful array of dragons.

Suddenly, all the dragons turned their heads our way and started approaching us. I panicked, and thought I was going to die. "Okay, Shiver, maybe this wasn't a good idea," I whispered.

All he did was turn around and grunt at me again before he slowly began backing up. I stood behind him, looking up at the dragons approaching us. One of them lunged at us and hit Shiverwing hard, knocking him into unconsciousness. I screeched and turned around only to see dragons covering the exit. I turned my head quickly, looking amongst the dragons I was surrounded by; Kin-rage-fires, kin-sharp-spines, kin-lava-blasts. All dragons that could be imagined were probably present in that very cave. One of them hissed at me causing me to jump in fright.

"Well, what do we have here?" A green kin-sharp-spine said in an airy, whispery voice. He seemed like a fine dragon, or at least he would be if he wasn't under the influence of what Shiver and I had heard.

"I don't recognize this one," A kin-lava-blast of a brown tinge came back with. "I didn't even know there were other kinds of kin out there."

The entire group of dragons began to chat about me. As much as I enjoy being the center of attention, this wasn't pleasant with the new dragons I was in the presence of. But, eventually, the chattering stopped at a whistle from behind the dragons, and closer to the orange light in the center. All the dragons responded with the same whistle.

A few seconds later, kin I hadn't seen before appeared through the crowd. A dragon of which I couldn't see through the darkness, as he was shadowed by the orange behind him. He looked down at me and grunted.

At this point, Shiver woke up, shaking his head to relieve the pain I could tell he was feeling. I kept my eyes on the new kin as he approached eventually becoming close enough for me to see his bright pink eyes.

"I didn't know there were more of you," He said with soft curiosity in his voice. "I thought you were all but hunted, victims of the tall human; the one with hair as white as the moon.'

I looked amongst the crowd, hearing murmurs from other dragons around. One of the dragons I laid eyes on was a blue kin-lava-blast; she noticed my look and growled at me.

"You're a kin-night-fury. Your kind once dominated the skies and our dens; you were feared above all and yet the most loved of our kin. You could harness the power of lightning and your flame was brightest in the night. None could oppose you; none would oppose you for you were in numbers beyond counting. Until the tall human brought you to the brink of extinction."

I closed my eyes, taking in all this new information. First, I now knew my kin name, Kin-night-fury. My kind was once the greatest to roam the skies, my flame was brighter than all and I could harness the power of lightning itself. This was all new to me; I hadn't been with my sire and dam, or as I have heard the humans call them, parents, for long. I never had the chance to learn.

I looked amongst the crowd and saw all the awestruck faces; they seemed just as surprised as I was, if not more. I looked back at the new kin, and he laughed at me.

"Don't take this as being able to leave on your own little one," he chuckled quietly. "I know your kind has the strength to resist the call, we might say we're jealous because of it."

I smiled smugly at this, but he noticed and quickly snapped back. "But don't think you're special. We don't care for arrogance. Arrogance is what lead to your ancestors' demise. And yet, here you are. The lone survivor in the mountain of the Red 'Qure'. I wonder if perhaps this was not by choice but by coincidence. Regardless, you will undergo the trials as all of us have," the purple eye dragon brought himself back in level with the ring surrounding us.

I collapsed into myself edging my way backwards and whimpering a little with fear. Until the laughter began, echoing off the walls. All the dragons around me burst into laughter, and I calmed down a little. I looked amongst them all and began forming a small smile.

"I wouldn't fret, little one. You and your Kin-rage-fire here will be safe," He said, still chuckling a little. 'What do you call yourselves?"

"I am Toothless. And this is my brother Shiverwing," I said clearly and yet there was a twitch in his eye, as if something was wrong.

"I see," he turned to one of the other dragons whispering out of my ability to hear. "He must be without a Sire or Dam. Victim of the tall human perhaps?"

"And clearly from a young age to not know his kin's history. What of his other half kin, the Light-Rage?" The Kin-lava-blast also return softly.

"For all we know they don't journey beyond the Ancient Realm anymore; the actions of his ancestors a lesson to be taught to all," The dragon cast a silent glance towards me. "This is an opportunity we can utilize."

"But if what you say is true, he can leave at his own will. We cannot follow," the Kin-lava-blast stressed.

His purple eyes seemed to drift towards Shiver. "No, we cannot. And neither can he."

The dragon stood tall once more addressing the both of us. "Welcome, Toothless, Shiverwing to the Nest of the Red Qure. Here you are free to do as you please on one condition. Do not deny her commands or she will punish you, permanently," he chortled again. "My Brute kin. Let us introduce them to their new home."


Whilst our first instances of the Red Queen's nest filled us with uneasiness, Shiver and I began feeling a little more relaxed the further we ventured into the twisting catacombs. As it turned out, our family wasn't the only one who made names around certain characteristics of the dragon in question, because the new kin, which I learned was a kin-silver-tail, was named Sliverfire. He showed us around the nest. He showed us the way out to raid nearby human salfs, The Wall, where several dragons over the winters had left prints and finally, he brought us to the 'main event' if you will; the open hollow where the great orange light emanated from.

"Welcome to the Nest. This is where all our fellow kin reside when we're not raiding. Each kin have their own den and age ranges. For example, you," he pointed to Shiverwing. "Look to be about five or six winters old, so, you are at the bottom of that stack to your far left" He pointed to a few shelfs ingrained into the rock wall holding a few dragons on all the shelves except the bottom one.

"Oh, so am I going to be on my own?" Shiver asked, trying not to be rude.

Sliverfire shrugged, "For now you might be but in the future, more young dragons of your kin might come in and live with you."

Shiverwing nodded in affirmation, turning to look back at Sliverfire as the new kin was turning to me.

"As for you, well, we never expected to see your kind again but I'm sure there is a place befitting of your nature and… status."

I looked up at him feeling tension being pulled between Shiver and myself. "If it's alright with you. I would like to stay with Shiver." He gave me a look of confusion even a hint of fright.

"Why?" He asked, backing up slightly. "You'd be better on your own, your ancestors commonly were, it's how they had such a wide influence over the lands and seas."

I shook my head, "Please, despite how everything may seem, we are brothers. We're better together. I ask you, Sliverfire; can you put me and Shiver together?"

He eyed me carefully, clearly in deep thought. "I shall speak with the Qure."

Shiver and I looked at each other; there was clear joy in both our eyes but also a ray of concern since there was no guarantee we would remain together. We both looked back at Sliverfire and asked the same question in our minds, What about right now? It was getting late in the afternoon, almost evening now. Besides, we didn't know what was going to happen once we got settled in.

"What about tonight? If you can't get an answer before sundown what should we do?" Shiverwing asked.

Sliverfire thought about it for a moment, processing the question. Turns out, it wasn't him who'd answer it as a deep rumble began to echo from the massive pit in the center of the nest. Shiver and I stood still, waiting for what we assumed was an earthquake to pass, but we soon enough saw an immense and ominous figure surge through the fog cloud that had begun to form. Lava rolled down her great spines and a coral like crown shaded in a shallow green with crimson highlights. But what chilled me to the bone were her eyes; six of them penetrating and terrible in all their searing glory. In all my winters on this earth, I've never once seen another dragon as large as the mountain itself let alone having six eyes. I saw Sliverfire kneel before this great behemoth coming to a realization that this was whom he answered to, the Alpha of the nest, The Red Queen. We bowed our heads feeling as her eyes centered upon us with a certain malice.

Gazing down upon us and neither smiling nor showing much of any emotion, a grin soon began to form. "What have we here?" she said with a deep, booming, yet hissing voice. "A young Kin-rage-fire and…"

The Queen's gaze grew darker as she leaned in closer tilting her giant head to the side. "A Kin-night-fury. It's been many Winters since I smelt one of your kind. Too many. I feared that you were lost to the world."

Shiver and I looked at each other, both feeling a little uneasy. "Sliverfire, do you bring me a gift, or is there something you wish to make of them?"

"In time my Qure, I'm sure they will make fine hunters. For now, I have a separate matter to address; They are bonded in some way beyond blood kin and they wish to know where they are to rest," Sliverfire responded to the Queen.

"Yes of course they would. It's not unheard of; a pact between kin like brothers and sisters. It's still sad that one should lose their sire or dam so young, left into the world without a place to go, a place to be nurtured. Why else would they be here?" the Queen's grin grew as her eyes returned to us.

I felt a metaphysical dagger to my heart and stomach; she knew this just from looking at us? We'd not even told Sliverfire why we were here. He looked back at us with a shocked expression, but we simply lowered our gaze and looked back to the Queen. There was a light in her eyes, though I could not tell if it was one of sympathy or something more sinister. In time I would learn the difference but then, we were at the mercy of our guide.

"Do not fret little ones. Instead I welcome you to my nest, I am The Red Qure." She stepped back offering us a short bow of her head.

I gave a pleasant smile to the Queen while Shiverwing just nodded. "And who might you be?" she asked.

Shiverwing spoke first. "I'm Shiverwing."

"And… I'm Toothless," I began feeling a little embarrassed as I spoke; I guess I was still a little at odds with the name even then. And she saw that.

"No need to be embarrassed, little one. Toothless is a great name for you." Her smile seemed somewhat more inviting than before.

I self-consciously lowered my gaze as she spoke. "It's alright, I guess."

She laughed deeply before returning to Sliverfire, "So. Sliverfire informs me you wish to remain at each other's side when the moon his high?" She said, looking between the three of us before her features lowered. "I cannot agree to this. I am sorry but that is the way of the nest."

"What?" Shiver gasped, casting a frantic look between myself and Sliverfire. "But that's not fair. All we have is each other."

"Shiverwing. Do not forget whom you stand before. The Qure's word is final," Sliverfire cautioned causing Shiver to lower his eyes and step back.

"You see little one." The Queen said looking down at him directly, "To allow this would be unfair to the other dragons who live here. Never have I let brothers and sisters of different kin remain tied to one another. To change that would upset the order, the structure of our community. Do you understand?"

Shiverwing nodded, his eyes fixated to a single point on the ground near the edge of the outcropping. He sniffed and looked up at me finding I was admittedly showing indifference to the choice.

"Think of this as a learning experience," Sliverfire said suddenly, spooking Shiverwing. "You two can't do everything together. Sometimes you must learn to let go, to learn self-sufficiency. Especially for the greater good."

Shiverwing sniffed and I nodded. Looking around, I couldn't see any nearby dragons, but I could see the sun was setting.


Sliverfire and the Red Queen saw it fit to leave Shiver and I alone for some time to consolidate our thoughts. Shiver was taking it harder than I first realized, his grasp on our bond was so strong he began crying as soon as they left. So, I took him under my wing and held him close feeling the emotional burn myself. He and I were brothers, so being apart was snapping a tether, which tied the both of us together. We both stood there alone to our own bubble, Shiver burying his head in one of my shoulders whilst I held him tighter as I began to feel the tears fall. Other dragons would pass by but pay us no mind. Even in each other's paws, we never felt so alone.

I sniffed and looked down at my brother. "I guess this is it," I said, my voice shaky.

Shiverwing looked up at me and nodded slowly. "We'll still see each other in the daylight, right?"

'I promise. This isn't the end… think of it like a new beginning. A fresh start." I took a deep breath. "We'll still talk. I'll make sure of it."

Shiver nodded and buried his head in my shoulder again and there we stood until Sliverfire finally returned. I heard him behind me taking a deep breath before walking up to us.

"It's time to get some rest. We start early, before sunrise," He said softly.

I turned and looked at him, removing my wing from Shiver. I nodded and looked over at Shiverwing who was still looking down at the ground. I couldn't help but notice Sliverfire's sorrowful look. He sighed before he spoke again.

"I'll see if I can work something out with the Qure so that you two can be put on the same flock."

Shiverwing looked up, a little confused. "flock?"

"You'll find out in the morning, for now you two need rest. Tomorrow, you become one of us,' he stated.

Accepting the terms, I looked around the place. It did seem very cozy at first, but we would at least be comfortable sleeping. "Shiver, as discussed your place is with your kin on the lower shelf.

I looked over at Shiver, who was looking at the shelf. "I guess this is good night Shiver."

"Yeah. I'll miss sleeping with your warmth," he quipped, a shimmer of joy returning despite our parting in sorrow.

I chuckled and pawed at his wing's shoulder joint. "Bye for now, brother."

Shiverwing showed a small smile. "Talk in the morning, brother."

Shiverwing turned, said his goodbyes to Sliverfire and flew off to the shelf of rock. I watched him as he positioned himself comfortably, curling up on the rock and turning towards me. He showed a smile and laid his head on his forepaws; I couldn't help but smile back.

"The Qure and I discussed your living arrangements and it seems there was something befitting after all. As we've mentioned, it's been countless winters since your kind last swarmed the skies but… few once resided in this mountain," Sliverfire lead me beyond the Kin-rage-fire's section out towards the ledge.

He leapt off with ease soaring gracefully into the air before climbing higher towards the open peak of the mountain. I stretched my wings and followed beating hard to keep up with the Kin-silver-tail but soon enough he curled to land at an outcropping that overlooked the greater interior of the hollow nest right down to the Queen's lava induced abode.

"This was once the nest of a Kin-night-fury that lived here when I was no younger than you. He was magnificent, regal even. When he left on the call of his Alpha however, they never returned; this is all that remains of their memory here, until you," Sliverfire explained standing by the edge as I ventured forth into the wide outcropping.

Two columns exposed the hovel which by anything looked carved out, possibly by Kin-lava-blasts. There was a ring of shelves all at even heights around a central slab of granite rock, its surface smooth and glinting light off its sheened surface.

"The granite slab is customary. Your kin favored it above any surface. All this, it's yours now seeing as there is no other kin to dispute the hierarchy," he gestured to the entire hovel.

I took a long look around capturing every detail left here by my kin, the shelving especially creating interest; they were all level unlike the other kin. What did that suggest about them? And the height, far above the rest with a view that encompassed the entire nest.

"Sliverfire. You said you were my age when you knew them. How long have you been here?" I turned around to face him.

"I hatched here. Like you, no Sire or Dam. So, the Qure took me in and raised me. I was still treated the same as any other of our kind, slept and participated in the order of the hierarchy but over time I proved favorable to her and I was appointed as… an overseer, a warden of the nest." He offered a simple smile before his expression turned more solemn. "Do you like it, your den?"

"I do. Um, Thank you. Can I decorate it?" I asked, perhaps a little too hopeful.

Nonetheless, Sliverfire smiled and nodded. "Of course. So long as you keep it tidy, the Qure won't have an issue."

"I understand," I smiled. "Thank you for everything so far, Sliverfire."

He nodded, smiling. "No, thank you. Tomorrow you'll undergo orientation and the welcome ceremony. After that, who knows. But I see great things in your future Toothless. Great things. Now, rest. General rule for you is you must be in your den by sundown and asleep when the moon is a third of the way across the sky. Some dragons are required to stay up late for certain rituals, best to be asleep before they begin."

I sniggered, "That's the first time I've been told that, and it's not been a 'bedtime' situation under my old sire and dam's wings."

He chuckled in response. "Well regimen is important to the Qure. Anyway, get some sleep Toothless. You and Shiver have a lot to do tomorrow."

I nodded wishing him a goodnight before he flew off leaving me alone with my thoughts. As presumed, the granite slab was cool but seemingly a minor issue; dragons after all are gifted with flaming breath. Circling the center of the slab too large for me to fill, I released a concentrated burn igniting the surface with flame before settling myself down upon the roasted surface, comfort, and warmth of my own. Maybe this would grow easier in time, or perhaps it already was in some ways. My thoughts immediately drifted to Shiver, his sudden settlement amongst his kin but still alone. It was strange though, I felt the sharp edges of isolation piercing at my scales, the empty den echoing the ghosts of my kin and yet in some ways, not much had really changed.

I began my journey in company, but it was stripped before I fully learned to speak, I was found and brought to another company, but I still felt like an outsider; I was an outsider. I was welcomed over time, earned their trust, and gained brothers and sisters to love and annoy to wits end. But they were along in that journey; the other kin's would look onto me with the same expression of confusion, the recognition lost in their eyes. Then Logan passed, his condition finally catching up and I felt somewhat alone again, if not for Shiver joining me on our journey into the wilds, I would have been. Now we are here in the great nest of the Red Queen, separated by night as if it was meant to be this way all along. What was most strange about it however was that I didn't feel entirely deterred. Saddened and disappointed regarding Shiver yes but deep down, part of me seemed to understand that perhaps my destiny was meant to be a solitary one. Of course, I couldn't have known at the time, but the thought never left me for the winters to come.


The next morning came with a sliver of light filtering down the peak of the volcano. I can remember the night was filled with images and memories but for the most part I must have slept soundly seeing as I was still in the center of the slab. There were cries and yowling of the other dragons below as they woke up for a day full of unknown adventures. I crept up to the edge of my hovel to find the Queen awake and peering around the nest at her subjects. It was strange at first to see but I didn't think much of it when the other kin were huddling back, cowering almost under her gaze. Slowly she sunk back under the fog bank leaving the others to creep out before flocking together in the air and soaring out one of the tunnels leading around the nest.

That's when the silver scales of Sliverfire appeared blocking out the limited sunlight for a moment. "Good morning Toothless, I trust you're well rested?"

"Yes. Surprisingly," I replied stretching out my wings.

"Are you ready for initiation?" he asked with a positive tone.

I shrugged, "As ready as I'll ever be."

He smiled and took off, hovering in place just above my quarters. I took it as a sign that I should follow him. As such, he led me back down into the deep of the nest just above the fog bank. Every single dragon I saw was sitting in their own sections of the nest, certain groups of dragons within those quarters a little further away from the rest. There was a large rock platform leading to the edge of the Queens abode where many dragons including some kin-rage-fires were waiting patiently. At the head of the pack resting on the rock, my brother lifted his head as he spotted my sleek build coasting in for a swift landing.

"Toothless!" He squeaked, eyes bright and energy exploding inside. "I've been looking forward to seeing you again. How'd you sleep?"

I hesitated for a moment realizing my answer could be considered insensitive. I was never one to brag, but, how else could I describe how I slept? "Ahhh heh. It wasn't too bad…" I said after a brief moment of silence, "I have my own den… with a granite slab."

Shiver's eyes widened as he gawked at me incredulously. "What!" Slowly the surprise turned to confusion. "I mean. Wow, that's good. That's great…"

His stammering didn't help me with my guilt but then again, what choice did we have, Queens orders. "Ahh, Sliverfire told me it's where my kin used to reside before they left so I guess it kind of makes sense. It's actually a little lonely," Maybe that was closer to the truth than I originally thought. "You should come visit sometime. It's way up the top of the nest."

"Really? I bet it has a pretty good view then?" Shiver nudged me with his wing.

"Almost the whole nest." I winced knowing that would fuel his jealousy. To combat such a feeling, I said "There are dragons crawling all over this place."

Luckily Shiver didn't seem too distressed about the arrangements this morning. "Ha-ha yeah, there are way more than we thought."

I started looking amongst the growing numbers. "What's that, four hundred dragons?"

"I was expecting you to say thousands but, that's pretty reasonable," a voice from the side said.

We turned and saw a new dragon approaching us; it wasn't Sliverfire but was of the same kin, a female kin-silver-tail with green eyes. "I'm Silverwing."

"Shiverwing," my brother said.

"Toothless," I followed.

"So, you're the one I've heard so much about. I'm Sliverfire's mate. He's told me a lot about you two," She offered us a knowing smile.

"We've been here for less than a day, how could he tell you a lot about us?" Shiverwing asked.

As was always my way with any confrontation like this, I let Shiverwing take the lead in talking. It was just always easier to not get into confrontation.

"True, you've been here for under a day, but he's learned enough about you to get an idea. It's a close bond you have," she noted.

I smiled. "Thanks."

She smiled and turned around. "Take solace in what you have now. You two have a long few weeks ahead of you. Death could be at every turn."

I remember that well; a cheery notion to be sure starting off initiation with warnings of fatal consequences. I mean it's not something you expect to wake up to but either way, we both nodded and turned to check our surroundings. I'd begun to take in all the different colors. Virescent, cerulean, hazel, charcoal. That general vibe heading towards the cooler end of the spectrum of colors. It got dull to look at quickly, so I diverted my attention to the dragon beside me. I looked up and down his red and yellow scales. He noticed me and smiled. I smiled back.

Suddenly, a voice came from my right; the booming voice of the Queen as she rose from the depths of the pit with all her majesty for view; certainly, a behemoth for the lack of a better word with jagged spines down her dorsal structure.

"Loyal subjects, raiders, brutes and kin," She said to many applauding roars. "Welcome to the induction of our two newest members to the clan. The Red-Tinged and Sharp-mouthed kin-rage-fire, Shiverwing, and the Dark as Night and Laidback kin-night-fury, Toothless."

The nest echoed as Shiver and I stood up, looking amongst the dragons in front of us. I looked to my right to see the Queen's head directly beside me. I jumped and looked up and down her face in surprise.

"As you are no doubt aware, we have a certain induction ceremony before we can fully accept them into our brethren," Everything slowed down as I held my breath. I waited for her to say what we needed to do. "A human kill from each of them."

I lifted my head up and looked at the Queen. The desire, the dream was not one I acknowledged all that commonly; of course, I knew not the fate my sire and dam had fallen to, but it was a theory Logan had championed for many winters. Based on his description, in my mind's eye, I had a vague idea of what humans were like, but of course, I couldn't say for certain. In other words, I was caught in a mix of emotions, excitement, pride and perhaps even a little bit of bloodlust that the opportunity to enact revenge was at hand and yet I still felt the tremor. As I saw the humans appear in the claws of Kin-sharp-spines, I felt the surge of power fill me with a rush of joy. It was as if fate had finally brought a sliver of fortune back in my favour. When I finally feasted upon the eyes of the vicious warriors, I found myself in a second place of mind, if not for a moment. These were rather young humans from the looks of it. Roughly nineteen or twenty winters old. This was the first time I'd seen a human in my entire life.

There were two of them, the one on the left had brown hair, he was tall, standing like a kin-sharp-spine. He was thin, probably not more than fourteen stone and wearing tattered fabric in a dark shade of green. The one on the right was short and plump with hair like the sun and was wearing a tattered fabric in a dull shade of red. They seemed to have nothing in common except for one thing: instinctively, I recognized their expression: terror.

"Humans are without mercy," the Queen said suddenly, "Take no chances. They are vicious, relentless and they kill on sight."

Shiverwing leaned in, an edge of wonder in his eyes, "Vicious is not the word I would use."

"They may look frightened but to believe it is a folly. The moment you turn your backs they'll have their daggers in your heart," the Queen reinforced their resolve causing the other dragons around them to snarl.

Even I was feeling the burning sensation of hate beginning to build, perhaps it was a façade, a trick to lure me in. "I'll go first." I stated firmly walking up to the humans. "Humans murdered my Dam and Sire when I was a hatchling and left me to die alone. It's time I returned the favor," I growled with the heat in my nerves filling me with an energy I have never known.

No one stopped me as I approached the taller one, his blue eyes wide and shivering as he was met with my glare. "Good, Toothless," The Queen encouraged, "Now take this human to the edge and do with him as your heart desires," I looked at the human whose eyes were unchanging, frozen in place under the Kin-sharp-spine's claw. I took him in my own and flew him off towards the cliff. What I didn't expect were his cries to echo into my ears as he clung with soft hands at my paw. I all but dropped him at the outcropping's edge before landing on his limbs, my front claws holding down his slender arms. He struggled and kicked but it proved useless under my weight and greater strength.

I could hear him speaking his own human language, pleading with me to spare his life as his eyes began to fill with tears, knowing he was nearing the end of his life

As they did, everything stopped, my brain surged into blazing speeds as the world around me felt like a blur beyond the thrumming of my heart and the strangled pleads of the human. I had no reason to think that this human was anything more beyond the killer we believed them to be. Yet who could possibly believe this was fake?

"Remember your Sire Toothless. Remember your Dam. Remember what they sacrificed to save you," the Queen urged him on, her voice softer.

It was at this point I remembered a little thing Rachel once said to me. "Humans only know two things of dragons: kill them or flee."

Maybe this human had tried to kill dragons before? If so, should there not be a reason to face me in such fear. Unless he tried to flee only to be caught? Or perhaps it was even simpler than the Queen's words; the strong survive. Sliverfire said my whole kin were hunted by humans. I made a choice that day, one that kept me alive for a long time to come… but I wish I'd known it was the wrong one.

I flexed the muscles in my mouth, letting in the gas to make my fire. I felt the heat burn in my glands; the purple glow illuminating the human's face as his screeching prolonged, his eyes clamped shut. With a screech that built louder than the cheers of the dragons. I reared back onto my hind legs, the release of weight catching the human by surprise as he tried to scramble away all before searing plasma was fired like lightning, the blast exploding on impact with the human in a brilliant indigo cloud. As the cloud settle so too any sound within the nest. All I could hear was the hiss of my own breath as I drew in long hard breaths.

Slowly but surely, the echoes around the nest grew as dragon after dragon roared to the rooftops. I could feel the aftershock of the event fill me, the vibrations attacking my nerves as I finally witnessed my own strength, the power, the force. Sliverfire was right, I was destined for greatness.

I don't even remember how Shiverwing took care of the fat human only that he did emerging at my side with blood on his fangs, a mauling in that regard. All I cared for in that moment was that for the first time in my life, I truly felt part of something, no longer and outsider, an anomaly… If only I knew.


By this point you're probably wondering why I bothered warning you. Up until now, it's been a run of success. Well, we were led to believe humans were the ones who wore masks. They do in some cases, but they will never be as sly or as manipulative as dragons. I thought for so long the brutes of the Red Qure were my new family. It wasn't until it was too late that I realized I was just a pawn in a larger scheme; a weapon for them to exploit in exchange for… false rewards. Ten winters of Hell, this is where they begin…