"Your time here has brought you terrible pain Toothless. But all of us have suffered. Please, if you could save us, we might find solace in more than just hope, see the end of a tyrant," StormTrapper, Monstrous Nightmare


-Ten Winters of Hell-


This journey was long and tiring. I'll discuss a little bit more at the end of the chapter…


The First Winter...

Our first story takes place a few weeks after our induction into the 'clan' as the Red Queen called it. There we were versed in the details of 'teams' and their respective duties in maintaining the integrity and evolution of the nest. There are four basic teams, Foragers, Gatherers, scouts, and hunters of who are tasked with specific tasks. Forages hunt for food be it fish, sheep and even yaks whilst gatherers excavate for materials to reinforce and maintain the structural integrity of the nest. The extent and diversity of these materials are all-natural ranging only in how they are integrated. The Scouts locate and survey nearby human salfs collecting information on the size and population which are then relayed to the Hunters. Their role is critical but extremely dangerous; the greater hauls of recourses come from the salfs thanks to the humans' inherent nature to hoard. I've learnt many strange and curious things about these humans and their habits from older dragons around the nest, but they all return to the notion that being told does not compare to doing.

There are several sub teams, all of whom are assigned specific areas of the ocean. It becomes their territory and that's where they will remain unless they are ordered to move by the Red Queen or any of her immediate ranks. These areas known as 'Scourara' as I've heard others call them many times are as a result of pioneering scouts scouring the ocean for weeks on end. It would not become my role however as my firepower so clearly demonstrated; I was first initiated as a hunter to a Scourara in the northwest, an island designated for new initiates. Slowly we would cycle around other islands as our skills grew facing larger and tougher foes, the best of hunters under the Red Queens reign saved for special Scourara's that instilled fear into even the largest of our flock. I knew then as I know now the Red Queen had her eye on me, her desires to push me out there to where she truly wanted me to go. Shiverwing whilst also initiated as a hunter, was sent to the southmost island implying a certain amount of separation, conflicts with the flow, I guess.

I would not hear of his journey until we returned; I can say in hindsight his tale was not quite as exciting as my own. It felt like forever but soon I could see the island off in the distance. On my left was a green kin-sharp-spine beside me, an experienced hunter having seen many raids by the scars along his underbelly.

He returned a smile. "Is this your first raid?"

I nodded in return, with excitement until his features grew more serious, "Take a word of advice from an old show, stay focused. Even on these smaller isles, the humans hunt to kill. Don't give them the opportunity."

I nodded, finding the prospects bleak but to say my spirits were drowned, not at all. As we approached the island finally making landfall, fires sparked raging high in the shadow of the night. I saw them; bright orange flames appearing to my right rising high above the salf.

"It begins. Hang back and observe for now," The same kin-sharp-spine said. He flew off to the left to swoop on a sheep, one of a dark color and fearful demeanor.

There was no hesitation in his arc as he powered out of the fray, the maneuver was lightning fast and with the precision of practiced claws. If the scars on his hide were anything to go by, I figured any advice from him was sure to be worth it. I took my chances following his lead swooping low at one of the sheep when a glimpse at its terrified eyes struck me with resistance. I barked, pulling in my claws before soaring back into the safety of night. A creature cowering for its life offered no threat to our hunt, it bore no claws, no hooks or fangs to fight with. The dragons of the nest would thrive nonetheless without the extra sheep; many others were already clamped in the claws of the other dragons crying their last breath.

That's when I heard it, the crash of impact and the booming cheers of humans as they rushed in on one of our fallen. Thievery may have left a torrent of confusion in my mind, but I knew in my heart, the humans would not suffer my mercy. I warmed up muscles in my mouth, still hanging back by the edge of the island to blast some of the wooden structures around me starting with a small hut off to my left. It shattered under a blast of indigo light as fire consumed what remained. Banking off towards the inland of the island, I lined up two more structures; their supports showering the nearby humans with shards of wood and splinters. Where others would bear down upon them with streams of lava and sticky flames, my targets were left to nothing but rubble.

Other dragons had noticed and as I lined up for a fourth shot, the air filled with a whirring shrillness; a piercing whistle as I closed in and below, the horrified cries of the humans filling the air with words that had not been spoken in many winters. 'NIGHT FURY! GET! DOWN!'

I fired the shot towards the wooden bridge and into splinters did it disintegrate taking three down with it. The reflection of the light barely touched me before I soared into darkness. From the ground, the humans were huddling peering off into the night sky searching profusely but to no avail. They could not see me; my scales camouflaged with the night. The older dragons were right, I quickly found my forte; not in thievery or plundering the masses like the Kin-Rage-Fire but through sheer power and the cover of dark.

As I circled out by the ocean, I could see a structure on a small peninsula flinging boulders towards the other dragons. One such boulder caught a young Kin-twin-head by surprise splitting the rock into two chunks on impact before the dragon fell from the sky. It was a weapon I had only heard of once, a great stone throwing tower and now to meet its bane. I belted my wings harder surging in towards the tower. As I began whistling and screeching, I heard the shouts from the humans down below as they all seemed to hide under the wooden boards they were carrying. Finally, I charged the fateful blast and watched as the stone supports crumbled under the ring of light, the tower falling with it into the sea below.

Swarms of dragons roared triumphantly as the main flock pulled out with their game in claw. I floated above the others taking in the sight as the humans retreated, the last of the dragons spewing fire to fend them off in their escape. Amongst the pack, murmured croons and warbles echoed from both young and older dragons in light of the spectacular victory, the words as such filling me with bubbling pride.

"I saw the blast that took out the tower. Where did you come from young hunter?" The Green Kin-sharp-spine veered in beside me, the black sheep in his claws long since grown silent and limp.

Behind my excitement, the brimming joy and wonder I felt in the aftermath of such an exhilarating event, I was completely phased by the question. My mind was reeling, centered on how my nerves were buzzing that any such afterthought on where I flew regarding the others was foregone. They weren't the oldest dragons by any means, enough to teach and lead novice hunts but to the likes of Sliverfire, most were second to hatchlings; they did not truly know the prowess of Kin-Night-Furies and until now, neither did I.

"I don't know."

As quickly as it started, the raid concluded, and we all began flying back to the nest. At the time I was filled with adrenaline, but I wish I had the mind to calm down as I had no idea what was going to happen next. I looked to my right, a purple kin-sharp-spine was beside me trailing along with a limp in her wing and empty claws; she seemed worried for one reason or another.

"Are you ok?" I asked her, to which she looked up at me with heavy breaths.

She didn't answer instead casting a warning glare as her features fell back into a sorrowful stupor. "Be wary young friend, some actions have consequences."

I nodded as we flew all the way back to the nest; the journey feeling shorter on the return in comparison because now I knew the route. So, we arrived back quicker than I remembered, and I would quickly learn what was going to happen to the kin-sharp-spine and seven other dragons, mostly kin-rage-fires. Much to my wonder they remained hovering in the centre of the nest above the Queens den. Suddenly, the Red Queen appeared from below with a terrifying snarl that brought fear to us all. Her mouth was open as she rose out of the gas and clamped down on the dragons. She ate the dragons! There was no warning, no prior hints of her apparent cannibalistic appetite nor the reason as to why the dragons so voluntarily awaited their demise. It was the first, but it would not be the last time I witnessed this horror and others to come, for I wish I knew then what I knew now; my time in the Nest would only grow worse.


I woke up one morning in the middle of summer, a month after my first raid. Sleep was a little jarring at times with some nights spent wide awake as the cries of other dragons echoed off the walls. Despite my efforts I was awoken with a blast of violent noise, my eyes snapping open as I jumped back in fright.

"Get up, you defiant runt!" A yellow kin-lava-blast snarled, crouching low for a pounce. "It's time you learn your lesson."

"What?" I groaned.

"You think you're special? Eight raids and not a morsel for our Qure," she said, eyes thin in slits. "It's time that changed."

She screamed and rushed at me, impacting with my side before I could react. I groaned as she remained on top of me, biting into my chest, causing it to bleed. Eventually she climbed off and used her tail as a battering ram, hitting me in the side as I was rolling over and causing me to fall onto my back again. We fought for a good ten seconds before a loud thud made her stop completely and collapse beside me on her side. I looked up on the wall to my left, seeing Shiverwing standing on her; he'd saved my life.

"Shiver?" I wheezed, dazed and weak.

He nodded, hopping down to me. "I've got you brother. Let's get you to Sliverfire," he said, hoisting me into his claws before gliding down the catacombs and nooks of the nest.

I was still dazed as we plummeted down into the depths of the caves, a blurry haze over my eyes obscuring anything in front of me. I soon found myself lying in front of Sliverfire who was awestruck by my bruised and bloodied figure.

"What happened?" Sliverfire said, not to a response from me but Shiverwing.

"He was attacked by Dawntail. Beaten up and bitten. She caught him by surprise," Shiverwing explained.

Sliverfire nodded. "She's known to have a temper."

"But she had no reason to attack Toothless." Shiverwing rebutted with concern rising in his voice.

"No… she said…" I groaned to Sliverfire before I could finish, capturing both of their attentions. "She said I wasn't bringing back food... that I was supposed to bring back food for the Qure."

Their eyes widened sharing a glance between one another before Sliverfire leant down to poke in under his wing. "I see," he sighed licking away at the wounds along his hide. "Why not?"

As best I could, I shook my head crooning a sadder tone as the pain rose, Sliverfire's treatment reacting with my sounds. "I didn't know and…" the image in my mind that never left me, the lone sheep terrified beyond measure. "It feels wrong."

Sliverfire cast me a quizzical glance. "Wrong? It's the natural order. The creatures eat the grass that grows on the lands and we eat them. It's not about being a thief so much as it's about plain survival."

"And who eats us?" I breathed deeply, his treatment somewhat soothing. "The Red Qure?"

The comment held their actions for a short moment. "I think it's best you keep this to yourself. You're lucky she hasn't found out," Sliverfire spoke flatly, "I'll keep this secret from her but be wary Toothless. Some will see your defiance as a threat, others as a rebellion; they aren't as mindful as you."

I raised my head casting him a confused look. "Why are you helping me?"

"I've heard the tales. You may not be a thief but no other dragon spits fire like you can and your thirst for human blood makes you stronger, more ruthless. While you may still soar through skies in other parts of the world, it's been a long time since your kind has ever graced these hallowed walls. We almost forgot your power," Sliverfire praised me helping me to my paws. "Go get some rest, we'll take care of Dawntail."


The Second Winter…

As time went on, and I found myself constantly working away at trying to stay alive while simultaneously coming close to death. Everything was beginning to fall under a haze, like a shadow over my eyes that leant into an unsettling terrain I was not familiar with. I didn't think much of it at first as I thought it was just a side effect the consequential raids. However, as I got used to working on this flock, I couldn't help but notice a change within myself. As slow and subtle as it was, it got to the point that I started to notice the other dragons left with a feeling of contempt or distain even. The most troubling indication was my perception of Shiverwing; a startling realization that left my insides churning for quite some time.

It reached a point that I had to actively tune out different thoughts I had about Shiverwing. Fifteen weeks into the second winter I knew something was wrong, or at least in hindsight it was wrong; my contempt turning to a seething anger and do I dare to say rage. It was almost like an instinctual impulse, a fear induced reaction to defend myself or was it to conquer I did not know, only I had urges to hurt Shiverwing. Eventually, I asked the question of 'Why?' Why did I desire to cause pain to my brother? My oldest companion, a dragon who I could see was far smarter and more composed when it came to scouting than any other dragon in his flock to the south. My thoughts were dragging me to the point that I began to wonder what caused this in the first place. The raids continued and yet I still felt the shifts in my mood deepening over the next four months. My rational fears were enough to overtake my irrational ones, so I took it to Sliverfire.

His involvement with the clan was less now than when Shiver and I first arrived, mostly because he'd had hatchlings. Nine different kin-silver-tail's all roaming around and playing with each other in his den creating an absolute mess. I took it upon myself to lay my concerns down regardless, I knew I needed help.

As I landed in his den, he took notice of my footfalls on the lip of the rock. "Toothless, I'll just be a moment," He smiled at me nodding towards a smooth portion of stone by his side.

"Sliverfire, I need-" I began but I was interrupted.

"Woah there, little one," He said to one of his young, barely six-week-old hatchlings. "That energy of yours won't do you any good."

As the seconds turned into minutes, I became more and more frustrated. I tried prying between the bustle of the den, sneaking in words to catch Sliverfire's attention to little success. "Sliverfire could we just...?"

"Whoa, whoa! Slow down you," he yelled at another hatchling scampering blindly over a slippery portion of rock

I persisted. "Can I ask...?"

It might have been futile to try at a time like this but nonetheless I pushed on my patience worn down. "Sliverfire, we need to talk about something," I said quickly, closing my eyes as I spoke and firmly stating my ultimatum.

He stopped fussing over the hatchlings and looked into my eyes with a momentary hesitation. "Go ahead Toothless." He said solemnly, indirectly apologizing to me for interrupting me when something so important was on my mind.

"Sliverfire, I think there's something wrong with me. I've noticed… I'm changing and I don't think it's in a good way," I stated, opening my eyes and calming down. "I'm not the same as I was a year ago. I feel strange, angry and… and my attitude towards the other dragons is, wrong. I can't tell if they're a threat to me or if I'm threatening them. I thought it was a result of the raids but I'm not so sure now."

Sliverfire sat patiently taking in all this information. "What about your familiar? Shiverwing?"

I found my gaze settling on the empty walls of rock. "Yes. Even Shiverwing."

He sighed, looking for the correct way to respond. "Toothless, what do you know about the relationship of a Queen to her nest?"

I shook my head. "Not much, only what you and the Qure have taught me."

"I thought so," Sliverfire nodded sparing a short glance to his young still stumbling about the den. "In every nest there is a Queen to govern and care for the flock, the manner of which they conduct themselves however is… varying to their individual personality and experiences."

"What do you mean?" I asked plainly.

"If you'd like, I wouldn't mind telling you a story. The story of our Qure," he proposed but there was an edge in his eye that bore something sinister. "I will warn you though, it is not a pleasant tale."

I resolved my nerves and nodded accepting the terms as Sliverfire began. "Over three hundred winters passed in a strange and distant land, an egg was found resting precariously at the edge of a boiling caldera. The markings bore no familiarity and those that found it were no more than lawless scavengers. Grim Gnasher's as you may suspect; as the tale goes, another found their way to the caldera warding off the scavengers before they could eat it. The one who found it was a Crimson Goregutter, a gentle giant and so they journeyed a long and treacherous path back to his home. His home unlike ours is immense; a world beneath our world, endless caves and catacombs illuminated with beautiful crystals where all dragons dwell. Or so I've heard. When the egg hatched, our Red Qure would emerge and even the most ancient of our kind could not recognize her, all except him."

"Him?" I asked as Sliverfire cast a cutting glance my way.

"As I've told you before, every nest has it's Queen but this dragon; he was the King, an aging and tired king but he was still revered and loved by all. He knew of their kind, one as ancient as himself and long since wiped clean from the world, or so he believed. That day he made a decision that would seal his fate, as if any could have known what was to come but regardless, the Goregutter was charged with raising the hatchling. Naturally, they formed a bond, much like how I imagine you did with Shiverwing's familiars. It's a strange irony, your origins appear to run at a certain parallel. As she grew to sizes beyond that of her adoptive father, the King once again returned a personal eye for any sign that may spark old and painful memories."

"I don't understand. What relationship did the King have with her?" I asked finding a severe gap being formed.

"In truth. They are tales and histories that even fewer know let alone me. If I had to guess, a history with the King and her kin. A dark and bloody one presumably. Her growth as I'm sure you understand came with, isolation, seclusion and wariness because of her strangeness. The Goregutter tried his best to offer his comforts, his love for her was as strong as the foundations of the Earth. However, it came to pass, a dark truth was discovered, where vengeance was then sparked by a lie in its place. The Red Qure's powers and influence were growing, her own will reckoning challenge against the King's; she went on a war path to hunt him down. Despite his age, the King answered to the challenge alone and their battle sent tremors through the great halls for all to feel until at last he was defeated, stricken to his last breaths upon his crystal throne. He must have known and there his last order, one that rallied this hidden world with the love for their king saw the Red Qure banished for all eternity," Sliverfire lay his long neck down, the age in his eyes seeping through for just a moment.

"She was cast out?" I clarified.

"No. She was hunted and scorned with no choice but to flee in fury and in pain with but one goal; to one day return and have her final revenge, to conquer the world of dragons for herself. Her aimless trail taking her many leagues until she landed here, wounded, and exhausted. Nonetheless, she carved her way into the mountain claiming it as her fortress to dwell away from the eyes of both dragons and humans. As her wounds healed and her size grew, so too did her influence; her call reached far and in time flocks of dragons soon swarmed the mountain growing in great numbers. Generations came and went, one such pair of dragons were my sire and dam, but their life was cut short soon after I hatched, here in this very cave. As time went on, she amassed this army and with it, a terrible vengeance brooding over three hundred winters. I have only seen seventy-two of them, but it's more than any other dragon can say for themselves," he chuckled with an ironic sense of mirth.

"It's a long time in servitude but it's all I've known, and she treats my family and I well. All of us, are both in her care and at her mercy. I'm sure that the reason you're experiencing these changes are because of the Red Qure. She has that kind of power and influence over those in her care. That's why her army is often so loyal and efficient. I'd have thought she'd have set off on her quest winters ago, back in a time when your kin roamed these walls, but their disappearance stayed her wings. In time perhaps I believe she may be ready. The question is, where will you be when the time comes?"

With the powerful revelations swirling around in my head, I couldn't yet come to grasps with the gravity of my residence and consequently, the guardian who sheltered us. I assumed it must have all been true, but I didn't accept it as fact. Not yet anyway. Her control over me was like a cloud but I could for now see through well enough. It was confusing to say the least, weighing up her benevolence with her malevolence but she didn't seem like an evil dragon. Just, and steeped in order but not depraved.

"Sliverfire. Who was the King she fought?" I asked, wondering if perhaps the detail may allude to the vague and obscured history lost to the ages.

"His name was, as I've been told, was Darkstrike; A Night Fury," his expression was grave.

There lay no rest to my mind in the coming winters; the very thought plaguing my very being as I tried to decipher the significance. They had fought a fatal battle based upon the discovery of a lie, what was the lie? What truth was revealed and was my kind so seemingly centered around such mystery and prestigious worth?


Many weeks passed, and several raids went without incident. I'd not seen the true power of the humans for as of now they still seemed… weak and frail. These creatures who I was told to fear, who would kill on sight didn't seem that threatening. At least until my seventy-third raid.

Everything was going according to plan and there had yet to be any incident. I'd seen a few dragons get caught in nets, but they were able to get out quickly; all but one, a kin-lava-blast whom even with a heightened attribute to speed as opposed to his kin, still couldn't escape. I saw the dragon get driven in the chest by a human's artificial claw and the dragon screamed in terrible pain as he writhed in the dirt. At last the terrible sounds ceased as the claw dragged down his chest cutting him open. There was no hope for him, we were already on our way home. I looked back in sorrow, the silence among my comrades was deafening; we just glided along the sky, silently thinking about our lost friend.

"Ohhh, Screechfire. Shadowdigger isn't going to like this at all," A kin-rage-fire of a purple tinge mourned.

"Who's Shadowdigger?" I asked, slightly confused.

"Shadowdigger is Screechfire's mate," A kin-twin-head said to my left, pulling up alongside me. "They were drowned in love for one another and come next mating season they were going to have kids."

"Oh," I murmured feeling even worse. "That's horrible. Do you know where her den is?"

"It's in the farthest corner of their kin's cave. She and Screechfire preferred more privacy than most dragons and since they were mates, the queen let them have a den of their own."

I closed my eyes settling on a decision. "I'd like to pay my condolences."

The others shared a concerned glance. "Take care Toothless. She will not take it well," the kin-twin head warned me.

Butterflies began to fill my stomach in anticipation as we returned to the nest. My arrival caught the attention of the other kin-lava-blasts and when they saw the direction I was heading only fear and sorrow filled their eyes. At last I reached the end of the cave and saw a kin-lava-blast sitting in the corner enclave, curled up in blissful peace. I landed and took a deep breath trying my best to believe it would be alright. She noticed my arrival and looked up at me, not smiling but rather with a shard of worry and nervousness. I sighed as she saw me and took my place with an earnest tone

"Shadowdigger?" I asked, not expecting a serious answer.

"Y… Yes," She said in a soft and caring voice.

"I'm Toothless, I'm on your mate's scouting team," I introduced myself.

Her eyes widened and a colder sensation ran through my dorsal spines, "What's happened, has he been captured again?"

I could feel the trembling in my paws, the dreaded truth at the tip of my tongue. "No. He's been killed, b… by humans."

She froze, practically dead herself as she fought to deny the truth. "He got too close to the humans. They caught him and… used their strange claws..."

"Leave," she mumbled with the pain left to consume her.

"I'm so sorry…" I tried a step towards her in comfort only for her eyes to thin in ravenous slits.

"LEAVE!" She screeched. "GET OUT, GET OUT!" She swiped her stubby claws at me.

I evaded them just in time as feeling my heart pound in fear. I could feel all the eyes around the den resting upon me, piercing through my hide to see the sheer terror that I embodied. I scuttled away driving a hard path back to my den to the hallowed roars echoing behind me; the dreadful cries that refused to disappear continuing to haunt me for months afterwards. I'm not speaking figuratively either; Shadowdigger was still crying, the nights would sometimes bring her cries in a soft echo throughout the cave. She'd lost more than just a mate; she lost her soul mate.

One night they just stopped. No one said anything nor did they know why.


The Third Winter…

The raids grew more trying, more were lost, and, in the wake, more would feel the pain of having lost one's mate, one's hatchlings and neighbor. After Shadowdigger's outburst, I quickly began to distinguish the difference between the soft howls of physical pain to those weary from mourning. It was like having something pushing against my head all the time, this constant pressure making it hard to concentrate. Even in my isolation, I grew agitated; I wasn't comfortable, nor did I feel safe. Even Shiverwing had been molded in a light that instead of being a welcoming comfort his presence was merely tolerable. I didn't understand why; he'd done nothing wrong and for my best efforts I just couldn't see past the fog. A seasonal meeting with the Red Queen called Shiver and I together in her presence; one in which she asked us simple questions about our time here in the nest. We answered the questions honestly despite the foreign sense of self; only, there came a question where I felt newly out of sorts, as if I was watching myself.

"Would you like to be put in the same flock," The Red Qure asked calmly.

I snarled, somewhat surprising myself but at the same time convicted to my feelings. I had no reason for it, and I knew in my heart it contradicted every prior desire; of course, I wanted Shiver to be in my flock, he was my brother.

"What...? Toothless?" Shiverwing looked at me trapped by confusion.

I could feel my teeth sprouting from my gums and a nasty hiss emanating with them. I lunged at him with a threatening growl, my front claws swiping at his face just as Shadowdigger had tried. For both our fortune Shiver jumped out of the way, at least until my other claw swung outwardly slicing at his leg. He yelped in pain scurrying away with nothing but fear and confusion in his eyes. It was only then that the fog lifted, and I felt the chilling vibrations run down my body.

'Shiverwing?' I said weakly, placing one paw towards him.

Shiverwing was breathing heavily as was I, then without a second glance I fled from the presence; neither the Queen nor Shiver tried to stop me as I powered through the air towards my den. It was terrifying, unlike anything I had known nor thought possible. I lay there crying for hours until a soft breeze wafted towards me. Peering towards the main entrance I found a sight I never thought I'd ever see again; Shiverwing, wearing a solemn expression. However, he stood there for a moment longer; long enough to see him trembling. Perhaps it was my scrambled mind playing tricks, I could be sure, but he was gone in the blink of an eye leaving to cast my mind back to sleep. If that were ever possible…


The weeks passed and every single one of my raids grew in peril. I saw a lot of my fellow raiders die; killed by the humans. By my one hundredth raid, in the summer of my third winter with the Red Qure, I'd seen as many as thirty-four deaths. However, on my one hundred twelfth raid a near death experience left a mark I was sure never to forget. It began with the ever-growing stakes and a sense of power I had grown accustomed to. None could challenge my might; I was destruction from the darkness.

Of course, I was also still young, naïve and entirely vulnerable to a well-placed shot; many nets and iron claws were being thrown at me and it was the luck of a sharp eyed human that tripped me with a net. I blasted a quick shot of fire that ripped through the ropes only to crash into one of their structures; the angled peaks shattering on impact as I bounced off them and onto the ground. I could feel the pain coursing down my back as I warily hobbled into the darkness before stretching out my wings for a hasty escape. They had yet to find me, yet I could hear their unintelligible cries of triumph echo over the clash of metal claws.

At that time, I knew not what they cheered but I remember their words as such. "We got it! We got the devil!" A robust female cheered plunging her mace into the air. "Gobber, circle in from the left. Make sure it hasn't escaped!"

It was a victory short lived as I felt a surge of energy burn through me, one born of a rage I had never known. I filled the air with my cry and charged a blast so terrible they were stunned to more than just silence.

"Oh no," the woman gasped as her mace fell from her hand.

For both the first and last time in all my raids, I revealed myself to the light of their flaming towers for but a moment. That night they saw my scales which shone as black as the deepest depths; it would be the last thing they ever saw. I aimed for their monument, a tower raised in the center of their salf heralding some champion of their past and with one swift blow it shattered into fire and stone. I was gone to the shadow of night before they even had a chance to recover; the shards of their broken memories a brutal… but just way to die. Yet my reign of terror did not end there. I swept through their channels sending structure after structure into flames with blasts like the light that would illuminate the sky during a storm. I smiled as I did it, my lust for revenge no less blinding than the fog in my mind during the past months. I circled around on the seaside ready for yet another assault, but I was stayed; a commanding call from one of my fellow dragons stopped me.

"Toothless!" He yelled, pulling me from my rage filled trance. "Enough. Let them crawl with what little they have left."

I grunted, a huff of steam billowing from my nose. "Fine. Another night."

He chuckled at the remark beckoning me to head back home, to which I happily obliged casting an eye to the human salf one last time. I could still feel it, the heat of the flames that engulfed their home.


The Fourth Winter…

The fourth winter began with a bang, quite literally. The late evening of my Winter Day saw me, as was normal for this one day of the winter, sitting in my den, waiting for it to be over so I could continue raiding. Not that the raids were any better; they were preferable to sulking in boredom. A sudden scraping sound echoed from the opening to my den. Now, I knew at the point I heard the sound that wasn't Sliverfire or Shiverwing; I'd grown used to a certain tradition where I was attacked and beaten by vengeful dragons every few days. The worst was when five dragons attacked me at once but if the raids had taught me anything; I was quite resourceful with my fire. Two fled in fear, the others wounded and beaten but their leader; I blinded him the same way I heat my rock bed.

They should have learned by now but this day, I would not be so lucky. This day left me marked with a permanent scar on my body. It was a yellow kin-rage-fire who I worked with; one who I'd grown to be wary of as his mood which steadily became more resentful with each raid. He had the look of hatred in his eyes and I groaned, less so from the aches and bruises over my body but of their inability to learn.

"Toothless," he said, forcefully, "You're done. You're going to bring home food one way or another. Don't think you're special because you have the strongest fire."

"Morning to you too-" I lazily returned before he interrupted me.

"There are no exceptions! Bring home food or die," he stated with searing malice.

"No," I said confidently, taking to my feet. "I do not steal for others. I catch only what I need."

"Traitor! I would hang you to the Queen myself!" he growled but I was quick to interject.

"If not for what?" I squared him up taking a threatening stance. "I protect my flock."

"You are a savage. You have no control, no pride for the nest. You dwell here like a king of your own. You believe in nothing!" The kin-rage-fire scathed.

"I believe in honor! And I see none in theft."

"Honor? You would turn the human salfs to ash leaving nothing but death and decay! We need them. The human's tend to those lands, breed their creatures and stock their homes with food, food for our Queen. But you do not care; revenge alone controls you,"

"The human's left me to die alone!" I retorted, my anger rising.

The kin-rage-fire narrowed his eyes with a snarl. "And alone you are still. Even your own brother has abandoned you!"

I felt an exploding rage grip hold of me and I rushed him. Though, I was a fool to charge in heated by fury as he predicted it before my eyes. He swept his claws to the side and extended his wing parrying my attack; I was sent tumbling out of the edge with a spray of dust as my claws scraped the ledge. I struggled to flip myself over but even as my wings caught the volcanic air, a set of claws grappled onto me tearing us both of the air and onto a nearby bluff. We crashed, though I was still locked in his grip and as we skidded to a halt, he glared at me with feverous amber eyes. I was pinned under his weight unable to break free when an agonizing blaze of pain pounded from my neck. He had driven his horn through my layer of scales piercing the fleshy hide beneath, fresh crimson blood already seeping from the wound. My cry blazed through the nest startling all who heard and when I thought that in my own arrogance I had brought upon my fatality, another force ripped the kin-rage-fire away. I was weak but I would never forget those eyes; Shiverwing for all my horrors saved me.

He backed up splaying his wings in a protective shield around me as my attacker prepared for another strike. Though, he seemed off for some reason; like the fire in his eyes was disappearing completely and just like that, he collapsed into a heap of laborious breaths. Shiverwing's arrival was soon followed by a group of four kin-sharp-spines who surrounded my attacker prodding and licking at his hide.

"The fool. He knew this would happen," one of the dragons said, "The rupturing's spread, there's no saving him from this."

With a sharp glance, their leader nodded towards Shiver and me. "Get them somewhere safe and tend to his wound."

"The Qure won't like this," another spoke softly as I was bundled up with the help of Shiverwing.

"The Qure doesn't need to know," the leader said softly but sternly.

I was soon lain to rest in my den with the kin-sharp-spine working her best to clean my wound. "Shiver…" I whispered hoarsely.

"Stay still Toothless. This will hurt," the kin-sharp-spine ignited her flame in a thin stream along my wound instantly cauterizing it.

I howled at the blistering heat, but I wasn't nearly as painful as the flame of the words I would shortly hear. "You'll wear this mark for the rest of your life but at least you'll live. Watch him," she instructed Shiverwing before swooping out of the den.

Shiverwing cast her an emotionless eye right to the end before his expression grew remorseful as he laid down next to me. "Don't take it too personally. They've healed hundreds of dragons over the winters; it's hardened them, but they do care."

"Shiver. I don't… why are you here," I breathed through heavy breaths.

His eyes cast away for a moment before they found mine directly, the first time in many moons. "I went to Sliverfire after you… ran away. He introduced me to the sisters, and they healed my leg."

I winced from the added guilt on top of the burning sensation already on my chest. "I'm so sorry."

"It's just a scratch," he played it off nonchalantly. "Sliverfire instructed me to keep an eye on you in that if you were ever in danger, like today. Only then could we interfere."

I found myself staring into his eyes with an untraceable sense of betrayal but gratitude, nonetheless. "I know what you're thinking Toothless," he closed his eyes as his own guilt flood. "Just know that it broke my heart to stay away."

"Shiverwing," I winced under another throb of pain. "I think we made a mistake in coming here."

"Hey. We'll be alright. Sliverfire and the sisters are on our side. They can help us leave if we want," Shiver smiled hopefully.

To his dismay I could only shake my head in dismay. "I don't know if we can. There's something wrong with this place. I can feel it."

With weeks having passed, the wound was finally healed with no more than a scar. Even to the present day some thirty winters later, it has never truly faded. However, it's not all that very noticeable lest for those who know where it is but if you look closely you can see the line along the right side of my neck. It can still hurt on occasion, but a physical scar will never compare to a psychological one.

Four moons passed since I received that scar and I was still seeing dragons killed. It was like some kind of energy that fueled the fog over my mind again; the screeches of their pain and agony sometimes causing me to shake uncontrollably. Some days I was clear and free to my own thoughts whereas others it was no different to the time I lashed out at Shiverwing. In that regard, the growing distance we'd set between ourselves was gone and we enjoyed our days as brothers finding whatever joy we still could in a nest of pain, violence and cannibalism. Somehow, I think he knew when my mind was under siege in that he would keep his distance despite the heaviness in his heart. I couldn't deny it any longer; I was ill and in the depths of my own being I had to watch myself fall in and out of a state of rage centered around my brother. Despite all of which I endured; more assaults, thicker resistance from the human salfs and my worsening state of mind, a part of me found deep within my core knew why.


One night I woke up long after the dragon's rituals had finished, unable to get back to sleep. I knew it was futile to grind away at finding peace in which to sleep by, so I journeyed from my den listening to the soft hum of the nest. It was a sense of peace I'd longed to feel where at once the was silence in both body and mind. I think at last the other dragons had learnt; they didn't come during the night to ambush me anymore especially now that I had grown to my mature size. I swooped down the catacombs melding with the shadows before arcing into the den of kin-rage-fires. Shiverwing had long since outgrown me; he was nearly double my size but there he still lay on the bottom shelf filling it much unlike when we first arrived.

"Shiver," I whispered loud enough for him to hear.

He turned his head and looked at me. "Toothless," he said, cheerily.

I snuggled down at his side resting my head against my forepaws. "What's brought you down here so late?'

I shrugged despite knowing full well why I was there. "I couldn't sleep."

He smiled and joined me curling his neck around to face me. "Sounds fair. It's been a long time since the nest was this quiet." He chuckled. "You're not here to kill me, are you?"

"I'll try not to," I said somewhat matching his mirth before my expression fell into solemnness. "I don't know Shiverwing. I feel like I'm there but I'm not in control; like there's something else and it wants me to try and… hurt you. I don't know why."

"Yeah," Shiverwing said, "Don't hold yourself down too hard, you and I both know something's out of place. Besides, we've lasted this long."

"It's a nice thought Shiver, but I don't think it's possible," I sighed digging into the growing conspiracy on my mind.

"Hey, we'll figure it out, together," he smiled with surety.

It was no ease to the growing fears on my mind; for too long the threads of thought were weaving themselves into an idea that with each became too real to ignore. "Shiverwing," I said, settling on revelation than silent suspicion. "Has anyone ever told you where the Red Qure comes from?"

Shiverwing lay there in silence as I retold the story Sliverfire passed onto me; a dark and bloody history that framed our benevolent Queen with malevolence. It was like unveiling a shade from over his eyes that his prior enthusiasm was drowned by this dark reality.

"I never thought on it. Since we've been here, I've always known what to do, where to go and how to return. The ideas feel more like instinct with no memory of their inception, as if it was always the way. But it's just her, we were spellbound by her song and followed it here," Shiverwing assembled the pieces. "We raid for food to serve the Qure. We gather material to serve the Qure."

I was not so sold on that simple frame of mind. "Fail to deliver and the Qure serves you. These dragons, they aren't workers, they're slaves."

"But you've resisted her," he shuffled in realization pushing up on his wing's claws. "You said you could feel yourself being controlled. When we first flew here, I remember you wanted to turn back."

"I'm sure that was a once off, I haven't been able to do it since," I deflected the idea.

"It doesn't mean you should stop trying. We're older now, more mature, we're stronger. If you could do it then, I'm willing to bet my left wing you could do it now," Shiverwing smiled.

"And then what, I'd be alone in an army of slaves. The Qure would sense it," I tried to dissuade his valiant plans.

"We can find Sliverfire and the sisters. They'd help us…" he suggested but I already knew the twisted reality.

"No, they won't. We can't trust any of them anymore; they all serve the Queen," I could feel the pain rising in my throat, the terrible inescapable truth. "You serve the Queen now."

"During light of day maybe," he wrapped his wing over me. "But here, right now. I am your brother Toothless."

I closed my eyes to fight the pain. "Thank you, Shiverwing."

"Don't worry about me. I'll be alright," he tried to reassure me.

"I always worry about you. It's part of the job," I cracked a grin as he chuckled softly.

Slowly he relinquished his cover allowing me to stand tall and creep back towards the entrance. "Get some rest. We'll find away."


The Fifth Winter…

The halfway point is upon us. Five winters in and you might understand why this was the worst ten winters of my life. It passes as such simply for the fact that when they started back when I was a mere five winters old, all that I was doing in my life was uncomfortable and I was disgusted at what I was doing, as a result I call this the worst ten winters of my life. However, the ten winters weren't without their good learning experiences, as I would discover during the summer of my fifth winter here. A simple mistake that I thought I would get killed for turned into a great learning experience from the Red Queen. I was walking to get some food when suddenly, I felt a claw graze my back. Turning around, I saw a blue and yellow kin-sharp-spine looking directly at me with intent in his eyes; his action was with intent.

"What?" I said to him.

He growled and rushed me. Out of retaliation, shock and perhaps instinct, I jumped to the right and fired a blast at him. He yelled in pain before I shot him a second time, killing him instantly. At that point, I realized my mistake and began to run only for the familiar rumbling to begin. The Red Queen was rising. She appeared out of the orange fog, a similar sight to my first day here, seeing the lava running down her back and head. She turned and looked at me, disappointed.

"Toothless." She said in her usual deep voice. "What did you do?"

There was no use lying, not to her. "I was on my way to eat when he clawed me. I turned to face him but he growled and rushed me; I guess it was just instinct but I shot him twice," I said, trying to remain calm.

She shook her head and breathed out slowly. "Come with me," she said, disappearing.

Usually when the Red Queen said to follow, it was to our den for a private conversation. So, I flew back up to my den and waited patiently for her head to appear out of the entrance. Soon, she appeared and looked at me with a neutral expression.

"What did I do?" I said nervously.

"What you did, Toothless, was self-defense," she said firmly, "I can't fault you for using instincts, but I cannot let this pass unatoned. As a result, your punishment will be less severe, but should it ever happen again, you'll leave me little choice."

Out of relief, I smiled; though, I still had to learn what my punishment would be. The late hours of sunset were upon us and as a result, the punishment wouldn't have much effect at such a time of day.

"From tonight and every night onto seven sunrises, you shall clear any waste you find around the nest," she explained with neither sympathy or contempt.

My punishment was charged and that I did for seven nights.


So, there's one thing about raids I never discussed; we have a preflight assembly. Our flock leader manages us for a seasonal cycle maintaining numbers and flight paths. It was nearly my three hundredth raid where certain news arrived that would instill a shard of pain.

The flock leader stepped back and said, "We have a new member to our flock. Moving from the south ocean, everyone welcome Shiverwing."

I froze, not looking at anyone nor roaring in affirmation; I stood there in silence. My flock leader just said Shiverwing had come to our flock. For his own safety, I wanted him to not be a part of my flock. Not because I didn't like him, but because I had wanted to hurt him. Or at least, the Red Queen part of me did. I wasn't paying attention for the ten minutes that my flock leader was speaking. He told us some news that, even now I don't remember. All I know is, I was in deep worry and thought about Shiverwing. I only came out of my entranced state when he barked for takeoff. Instead of following, I stayed my paws and watched as Shiverwing followed the pack.

"Toothless!" My flock leader, whose name I never learned walked up beside me, "The flock is gone, what stays you?"

"Shiverwing…" I said, cutting myself off and feeling the conscious edge of observation.

The flock leader gave me a look of expectancy, waiting for me to continue. "Shiverwing is my brother," I finally said.

"Then what's the problem?" he stated plainly.

In light of the past winters and where we stood in the eyes of the Queen, I knew the strange conflict between us as volatile but somewhat unique. By spreading word of what happened that day, it wouldn't serve favorably to either of us; after all, I wanted us to be working together for many winters. It was a dangerous compromise now but when weighted against our secret, what choice did I have?

'Nothing,' I said flatly before taking off after the flock.

The raid like so many others was over in little time and casualties were at a minimum. I spied Shiverwing several times during the chaos, uninhibited by a in his actions for the flock; in my heart I wanted to honor his efforts, but it wasn't safe, not like this.


The Sixth Winter…

I couldn't bring myself to work with Shiverwing much. When I was doing my raids, I'd rather not have to worry about my brother and focus on the work. But that didn't stop me from seeing him every time I could. A simple, late-night leave from my den straight to his, where he and I would just sit in each other's company. However, one late evening in the spring of the sixth winter, it would come crashing down.

I'd done my regular leave from my den, being as stealthy as I could, but as I was passing Sliverfire's den, he must have seen me, because I heard him speak out of the darkness.

"Toothless." He said, peering at me from the darkness.

I froze and turned to face him, looking down to the ground. "Sorry… I," I said, turning around and heading back to my den.

"No," he said, stopping me, "Tell me what you are doing?"

"I'm…" I hesitated, feeling the weight of his eyes upon me, "I'm going to Shiverwing's den."

The ridges above his eyes pursed in thought; he didn't seem too upset about it, but he did seem… confused. "Why?" He said, "You have no reason to."

"We don't see each other enough," I countered, "I figured going to see him would be nice."

Sliverfire sighed. "I see. I suppose it's not much of something that could get you in trouble if you're going to another den. It might be good to tell this to the Qure, but I won't."

I nodded and continued my way to Shiverwing's den. He seemed to be tired, so he went back to bed, seeming to ignore me evermore after that. Every night then on, I'd see the glow of his eyes; we'd share a nod and that would be it. When it came to the flocks, I can't say that I was unhappy, but more… uncomfortable with the new position I was set in. I did get a straight answer from the queen regarding changing my raid schedule; a flat no, so our time together became nearly constant from our twilight visits. During the day it built upon my feeling of dread in my core that made me want to regurgitate any and all fluids in my stomach. This feeling kept building for weeks and after time it would overflow like storms on the changing of the seasons.


Every raid, I stayed as far from Shiverwing as possible to focus on my efforts forward. He never questioned my evasive intents with him; he knew my reasons for staying away, he was smart, and I knew that. From time to time our conversations needn't be spoken. However, during the late fall I was in Shiverwing's den as I had been for many nights. We were resting in complete silence when my vision faded out of all color and the world became nothing more than blurred shapes and light. My last reigning thought, true to sense knew she had come; the Queen was battling for control. I felt the drilling pain, the parasitic nature of her influence but it was too strong. Shiverwing was on his feet backing away, now aware of my inner torment as I brushed at my head and thrashed my tail around. I rammed myself against the wall to try and shake her advances, a futile effort if not more to her purchase.

"Run,' I barked between the lapses of her mental barrage. 'Shiver, run!"

I tried my hardest to hold her off, it was nauseating, an attack unlike anything I had felt before. Her strength was that which I could not rival, and I could only watch as my limbs drove forward on their own and lunged at Shiverwing. He scampered out of the way, but my grip was sharper, digging one of my paws into his chest and with bared teeth, I went straight for his neck. Shiver cried out in terrible pain before tumbling over with failing wings to fling me away; he succeeded no less slamming me into the wall before spewing a wall of fire between us. I couldn't guess why but the world returned to its natural state, color filling my mind and with it, clarity. The Queen had let go, her intentions fulfilled or delayed; these were not apparent thoughts, not before the terror in my heart and the sadness.

I looked around me and noticed all the dragons in the other dens were looking down on Shiverwing's den, where I stood, a trembling mess. Shiverwing was standing with his wounds trickling blood but in his features was not rage nor fear but the same sadness I bore. The flames were dying out and at last he stepped towards me, but I could not bear to face it. I bolted away, with the soft hums of the other dragons to fill the cave as I powered to my den away from the others. My legs betrayed me as I collapsed in an effort to reach my slab instead passing into mourning and unsullied grief. How could've I faced him again, what right did I have to face my own brother?


The Seventh Winter...

The raids came and passed and still my distance remained true in spite of Shiver's growing aptitude. He was stronger than ever, pushing through the barricades with ease and all for a spectacle; like a true kin rage-fire, he reveled in his strength and an audience. I had the capacity to feel pride for him, my fears of the pain I could unleash under the Queen's eye momentarily subdued; My brother was proving himself a great hero of our kind. Evidently his wariness was drowned in affect as Shiverwing had now taken it upon himself to come up to my den. It was a welcome surprise that first night and under the cover of darkness, we found an instance of peace. As if the turmoil that spoiled our hearts were but shadows of another world. Weeks passed on and I could say they were our best in many winters of servitude; in a time before I met my human companion and my own wonderous lady love. I wonder if it was my own foolishness to think the future would hold a brighter edge. Though, to say that would be a lie; I first had to experience the worst of pain. The Red Queen, or as I have since come to know her, the Red Death requested an audience in the lower caverns staged by her lava filled abode. It came without any pretense, nor a mind as to her coming reason but I would soon find out and like any regret, you look to what may have been had you done something different.

The lower cleft was empty for only me when the Queen finally rose in greeting. "My Qure," I bowed humbling myself in light of the spontaneity.

"Have you seen the sun today Eli?" she opened peering up towards the mountain peak. "The clouds do not cover her beauty and the weather is fair, only a light breeze."

I shook my head; dawn had not long since passed. "Are there plans to use it to our advantage?"

"Yes, but none concerning yourself. Flocks gathering in the Southeast are said to return with a bountiful harvest and combined with your actions today, I cannot help but smile," she drew in a long and satisfied inhale.

"My actions? I haven't done anything," I eyed her cautiously.

She returned to eye level soaking in the fires of her den. "Not yet. Though, I'm confident you will perform… valiantly. For your sake."

These circumstances were gloomy despite the supposed circumstances of the outside world; whether she was hinting at something sinister or not was beyond me. Given the past winters of her intervention however, I had reason to feel wary.

"At your command my Qure, thank you," I began reserving myself from the appraisal with another bow.

"Where are you going?" she rose to cast her shadow over me.

I could hear a voice like an echo on the winds only it felt closer as if being channeled into my mind. I feel now as though I should have seen it coming; the way my limbs froze as the cloud threatened to settle over my senses was thick but not blinding. I grunted pushing back against the advance and to my surprise, the cloud lifted, and the world focused at will. In truth, the Red Queen's expression was more precarious than my own; where I was brimming with that familiar edge of distain, she was more than just irritated. I could see in those six eyes if not for a moment, fear. It was gone as quickly as it came, replaced with contempt but nonetheless an inkling I never forgot.

"I should be impressed; you have indeed grown strong, with compassion to drive you," her eyes narrowed, and I could feel it pierce through my hide. "I know how you find comfort and the lengths you would go to preserve this livelihood between you and your familiar."

My heart was accelerating as she described the illicit activity Shiver and I partook. "Try as I have, you refuse to resign yourself truly to me. But I have not the patience nor the intent to let it last; I thought in your freedoms you would serve without hesitation, clearly a misjudgment as you rage destruction with raw hate only in mind of your own desires. I worked to bend your mind for the good of the nest but once again you resisted, even in maiming Shiverwing you continued to rebel."

The secret was out, my shield protecting me from the Queen's watchful eye broken and so I fled, my wings carrying me away only to crash headfirst into the volcanic stone. Her will was determined to bring me to silence but in the face of death, I had the strength to push on. I would have made it, hauled Shiverwing if I had to and drag us to freedom if not for the one thing we both overlooked.

"Sliverfire?" I froze feeling the dreaded chill run through to my paws.

"Hello, Eli," he said plainly.

I scrambled away, the flood of betrayal capturing me whole, "No, no what..? Why?"

"Didn't it occur to you?" the Queen chuckled from behind him. "His life began here in this mountain, his mind a subject of my own nurturing; Sliverfire is no more than a vessel of my bidding."

"That's not true, he's my friend!" I retorted feeling the walls beginning to close in. "And the sisters, you sent Shiver to them. They saved my life, you saved my life," I turned back to Sliverfire.

"Because I told him to," the Queen revealed, feeding off my fear. "Everything he told you is just my echo, the other dragons, my subjects in a network of communication and obedience. Even your brother."

There, from within the billowing fog, Shiverwing exposed his graceful form as he prowled towards me with petrifyingly thin eyes. "You've always remained loyal to each other, even in your darkest times. No more, he belongs to me now."

"Shiver?" I gasped, edging back toward Sliverfire.

His teeth were borne, and a thin stream of smoke wisped from his nostrils; it was the same mindless daze I knew, one he described to me many times. "No," I whispered, clenching my eyes shut.

"No, no, NO Shiverwing!" the frantic rate that my heart raced rattled my paws as I turned toward the Queen. "Stop this. Please, leave Shiver out of this he's… he's done nothing wrong! I'm the one you want; I'm the one who's rogue. Take out your vengeance on me!"

The Queen peered down upon me before growing a malevolent grin. "I am."

As if I couldn't be filled with more dread, she proved me wrong once again as Shiverwing charged me down. His claws were outstretched and ready to tear scales from flesh as I rolled out of the way; the stone sarking under his grip as he scurried for another strike. My focus was lost to the Queen and Sliverfire; only Shiverwing was in my eyes even as I took to the air tearing away from his ravenous snarls. The Queen focused her grip on my mind in an attempt to force me back to the earth but in my frenzied state, it was too sporadic to hold resisting her completely. Shiverwing took my hesitation to his advantage ripping me out of the air and we tumbled in a cloud of dust down the catacomb terrace. I hunted for an exit amongst the chaos but snapping teeth tore my attention as Shiver's larger size pinned me down. I batted at his jaw scrambling for relief before rolling us over as I would when we were younger. I launched into the air again letting several plasma blasts loose around him in a thick cloud of dust and fumes. He would follow, that much I was sure but in the depths of the nest there were shadows cast in every direction.

The safety of my element would buy me time at least though I did not know what else. Tucked away in a dark crevasse, I slinked along its rut until the peak was in view. A great rumbling reverberated off the walls as light spilled in the darkness; Shiverwing's fire coated the walls leaving me as a silhouette. He charged through the divide splitting the rocky lips on impact; his movements were false, a creature blindly trampling as two minds fought for control. I slipped out of the rut with Shiver's claws brushing over me at every turn before hauling myself towards the peak. I look back and wish that somehow, I could have torn Shiverwing from that dreadful place; in the mindless, terrified vision that plagued me then, the blinding rays of light were my only salvation and nothing more.

A hope lost, dragged down in a tangle of limbs and claws as Shiverwing enveloped me in his ravenous embrace. We crashed once more, bone rattling to say the least and smothered with dust and ash as I tumbled away. Everything was lost to a swirling haze, my balance lost as I struggled to my paws and if only an inkling of relief were to be found. This day, this horrible day would bring me none nor would I find peace for winters to come; the demonic image I will never forget as Shiverwing rose. His right wing was bent out of place and stained with blood, he limped hauntingly and still those eyes locked onto my own as if there was nothing else in the world.

"Shiverwing," I panted feeling the aches of my own limbs. "Shiverwing, brother please. Stop. Snap out of it!" I cried.

This dragon dragging its limbs before me was a ghost, a tormented creature of malevolence and bitterness. I pleaded so hard, begged for it all to end, the agony in his body undeniable despite what his eyes showed. This was not my brother, the foul and cruel incarnation of a creature created to haunt me; I've had to live with the memory, but I dare not associate them as one and the same. The kin-rage-fire before me was a demon of the Queen, a kindred and compassionate soul left to torment and suffering. I see myself only in the eyes of weakness no matter what others may say, I could have saved Shiverwing if only I tried harder, I could have. Fled to another world far from that evil place, but I still wonder if I had, would the world be as it is now? Regardless, his body was in ruin, his mind imprisoned and tortured but his soul; that I did save if nothing else.

"Forgive me, Eli," the fires of my rage and my sorrows charged and with one precise blast, I freed him from the anguish.

The explosion crackled with energy and smoke billowing in an indigo haze and behind it all, those amber eyes lost their glow before closing forever. My legs gave way and I collapsed to the stone at the bottom of that hell; the clearing smoke revealing my efforts and my true power.

"Let this be your lesson, for the sake of the nest," the Queen's words were faint on my mind before she rose higher to address the growing crowds alerted by the commotion. "Let not your fears spoil this beautiful day, for we have witnessed a true test of courage, strength and loyalty by one of our own. Some might accuse him of being rogue, a traitor to the nest. I can assure you that in his moment of truth; Toothless did not disappoint, he proved himself loyal and defeated his brother Shiverwing. Mourn if you must, but come tomorrow, he will lead the charge East as once again we raid the salf most notorious to our cause."

The nest filled with the triumphant roars of the dragons as they all bowed with shimmering wings. "As I told you, you performed valiantly Eli," the Queen whispered to me before disappearing into the fiery depths of her nest.


Grieving is hard. To lose someone you loved so much that you never wanted to say goodbye only to watch them fall before you, unable to act. It bears an insoluble emptiness like dust on the wind. Then, as it was with Logan, I had to reconcile myself to move forward on what was a lonely path at first. Shiverwing's death remains the hardest part of my life as a whole; my grieving over his loss still lasts to this day. Few dragons dare to admit their sorrows over a lost brother, especially those unrelated by blood. Many dragons have since asked as to why I hold such heavy emotions in his wake; I always tell them the same thing. It doesn't matter how you're related, if you loved them, you'll cry for them.

The days following Shiverwing's death were stretched into relentless agony; I knew I had to obey the Red Queen to all ends. If the choice were mine, I wouldn't have gone through with the raid but her machinations within the nest ran deep and I was but a prisoner. Even as the sun rose in time for my great assignment, the Queen wasn't satisfied with her tempering; she woke me at the cusp of dawn with the audacity to gloat.

"Fair morning to you, Eli," she said, a little too cheerily for my personal liking.

I would endure her conceited wrath for some time yet; it took all my constraint not to lash out. "My Qure," I begrudgingly acknowledged.

She released a throaty chuckle as I shook off my sleep deprived state. "Come the turn of the moon, my finest will be in your command," she spoke eloquently. "Use today to prepare, if you must."

My silence followed with her departure; I dragged myself from the ground and overlooked the nest from my den. Every single dragon I knew was out roaming around the nest; it seemed they were unfazed in attending their daily needs. Their lives went onwards whilst mine remained suspended in a bubble of contortion and grief. I tore my gaze away and collapsed back onto my slab; everything was fresh in my mind, the shrill screeches, the agonizing collisions and the soulless eyes of my deceased brother.

I may have lain there all day; it wouldn't have changed anything as the softness of the horizon eventually grew dark and my time drew near. They were all waiting in an arc with firm eyes that tracked my solemn steps; a flock of my own to lead, a team under my charge and all the while I knew that what they saw was the fabled, merciless hunter. My reputation proceeded me, and it was a respect I felt was misplaced; the humans may have cowered in terror and rightly so, I rained fire upon them willingly, but I didn't deserve the respect of my kin, not after yesterday. The Queen had played her game well, tangling me up as the centerpiece of her masterful deception. Despite all this, how I burned with dread and sorrow from fresh wounds, these dragons were willing to listen and follow; if just to endure her looming presence, perhaps her advantage could become my own. I wasn't sure how at the time; I was struck by the looks of reverence as I passed into the center of the arc. The seasons would cycle on before I found some relative comfort again, forever in memory, never forgotten and never stalled. Shiverwing's memory was mine to carry now.


The Eighth Winter…

"I don't believe I've ever seen you smile Toothless," an older Kin-Rage-Fire approached from behind as I overlooked the parade of dragons feasting at their own leisure.

It stands to reason that in the many months that followed what I could only describe as my personal rock bottom, I struggled, mentally, physically, and emotionally. I became rapidly and rampantly depressed, sometimes struggling to get up from my granite slab. There were days where I'd be lucky to have felt even a semblance of joy. It's obvious that I tried not to forget my dear brother, but I took to the same strategy my entire family took when Logan passed: live in the present. However that's not so easy when the one you lost was someone who grew up as a hatchling with you. Logan, for as much as his death hurt, didn't impact me anywhere near as hard as Shiverwing's did. After all, he was not only my brother, but my best friend.

However, with every cloud comes a silver lining, and for as large as this particular cloud was, I'd started to develop myself a flock unlike any other in the nest. Ever since the Qure put me as leader of the eastern flock, I'd made up my mind that I didn't want any other dragon to go through what I went through. Not under my wing. I made sure that no matter what happened, every dragon under my control came back with at least something, even if it was the smallest of supplies or smallest morsel of food. That to me was more important than actually performing the raid itself, in so much that I set an example that most of the other flocks and flock leaders began to follow in my work ethic, though some remained firm in that the flock must learn to be self-reliant, even the new members. I always countered that the new dragons don't know their own strengths in battle yet, and the most battle hardened sometimes require a little aid. If a dragon couldn't grab anything from the middle of the battle, then livestock reserves on the outskirts of the salf were fair game, but no one should be completely, totally reliant on them. In the months I'd been leading the flock, not a single dragon had been killed by the Qure, and apparently my cautious attitude to battle began to rub off on some of the dragons too!

My flock was something I'd grown proud of in the winter following Shiverwing's death. I can't say they were sympathetic to my personal plight more in that they continued to revere my skills as a hunter and consequently a leader. I'd learned to separate the ideals of the Queen away from those under my charge; it was a strange impasse to arrive at as the inner trials of our community brought terrible forecasts daily, but we all stood against a single threat. The relationship between two different kinds of chaos somehow bred order or at least assimilation in the Queen's sake. I pushed through with her commands and in turn it formed a wall against any suspicions; though, I never forgot who I was. I remained untouched in the wake of my loss; at last I could say I found a sense of peace in this hellish prison. The Queen no longer had the means to invade my mind in a twist of fate I'm not sure she predicted. Whether she realized this or not was unknown at the time but there was reason to suspect she was catching up again. I had a shadow, granted it's not as if my actions spoke against me. Nonetheless, this kin-saw-tooth never failed to spare a cursory glance my way.

The feast I mentioned was but one of a few tucked away from the Queen's watchful eye; not a raid of any sort but a celebration of our own desire, to small losses and large bounties. The salf was as mighty as ever, that fact never waned but there was an oddity about it in recent winters. There were some amongst the flock who liked to flair their might and grow with arrogance and ego whereas others resigned to the notion of sheer luck. Perhaps it was both, so long as we were making our share, I didn't pay much mind beyond keeping the Queens eye elsewhere.

Stormtrapper's comment had me return to the present as I considered his observation. "Really?" Strangely enough, he may have been right; what was there to truly smile about these days?

"It's… It's tough to admit, but without you, I'd fear there would be fewer of us here today," Stormtrapper continued. "You've inspired us."

"We do what we must to survive, nothing more," I replied.

"But you've brought us more than survival," Stormtrapper nodded towards the joviality that spread across their small party. "We've been able to thrive. You've shown us what lies just beyond the reach of our Qure; you may be able to feel her presence, but she cannot influence you anymore. I suppose I'm asking, were it possible, is there a way?"

"What?" I frowned in confusion. "How do you know..?"

"It's in the way you move," he cut me off with an ever watchful eye. "The legend surrounding the Qure is vague, but the truth amongst the rest of us is certain. We're afraid; it opens the mind and makes us easy to control."

I was frozen, my mind caught between the layers but what he said next is something I will never forget. "I believe the day you killed Shiverwing is the day you broke free. Your last tether was severed, ask yourself, what do you live for beyond your own survival?"

As I mentioned, my flock was a source of pride and like most dragons of the nest, I did care, but to the extent of risking self-sacrifice spoke too proudly to be true. "There's no shame in the truth Toothless, ask any one of them and come the moment I can guarantee they too, would sooner flee, myself included."

"That's inspiring," I quipped, but the irony was something we could share.

"Well there's no greater honesty. Even so if I could ask…" he released a sigh. "Your time here has brought you terrible pain Toothless. But all of us have suffered. Please, if you could save us, we might find solace in more than just hope, see the end of a tyrant..."

I hastily turned with a warning glare. "Careful! Her eyes do not rest, and her ears are always listening," I silenced him, casting a cautionary glance amongst the feast. "For the sake of your kin, do not discuss this. Thoughts like these are the reason I'm alone."

"But what if you don't have to be?" he proposed.

"You don't understand… the Qure will use you against me to get what she wants; the same way she used Shiver. You're a good dragon and… a friend. Don't throw it away like this," I stressed feeling a cold wash spread across my neck.

"Then what? We keep going on as is, nothing more than slaves?"

"If it means we survive," I looked him straight in the eye. "Say what you will Stormtrapper, but I don't want any more dragons to die."

"Slavery is no more than a forfeit to life; we might as well be dead than meat for an army," he rebutted, "I think I speak for every dragon here when I say, I'd rather live than survive. In fact, I'd sooner die than merely survive, Toothless!"

"And what about your families? Take it from someone who was raised not by their own kin," I countered once again capturing him on a personal edge. "This is the only way. We do as the Qure says. The last thing you want is to be eaten or worse, me staring you down for the kill."

"Is that so bad? At least you'd make it quick," he said.

"But you know that I hate it. Better or for worse, I've chosen sides. I suggest you choose yours," This conversation was drawing out into dangerous territory; it was risky enough to be brought up in the first place.

"What sides? You appear to align with the Qure," Stormtrapper suggested as I walked away.

I turned to face him. "The sides of life and… death," I caught the passing glance of the same kin-saw-tooth, his white eyes wearing a cool expression as though steeped in idle respect.

"Stormtrapper, who is that?" I asked suspiciously.

The Kin-rage-fire peered behind me to the spiky tail disappearing around the corner. "The kin-saw-tooth? That's Riptorn; tough dragon, spirited, something of an admirer," he noted before moving onto join the other dragons.

In the wake of our celebrations I found that his appearances grew as if he was somehow gaining confidence; I didn't know what held him back, even in our first formal encounter he never alluded to anything beyond his personal regard. He was younger though not by much and like Stormtrapper said, spirited. Spring was turning to summer

"Why are you hiding, Riptorn?" I finally voiced my awareness.

He slowly crept from shadows casting an eye of guilt; he'd been openly caught. "I prefer to keep a distance; I'm not worth your time."

"Why do you say that?" I asked him.

"I've heard stories. Once, you took on a human salf on your own, destroyed hundreds of their homes, fought off the worse of the dragons in this place…" he recited the clearly exaggerated tales of my exploits. "They call you Toothless? Is that supposed to be a joke or something?"

I retracted my teeth and watched as he stared in awe. "How about that. A myth's one thing but you are something else. They say you killed your own brother, that right?"

There was no subduing the pang of irritation that burned from my heart; the sheer nonchalance of the suggestion was something I was still growing used to. "The Qure used him. I let him die with dignity."

"Nasty work eh? Not like human salfs. You can topple them from underneath I say, provided the rock isn't too hard."

The fact of the matter was Riptorn was not inclined to hold back once given the opportunity. His raiding party travelled North to one of the smaller salfs where they bore a kin-lightning-breath on their armor and weapons. Word amongst that flock seemed to idle around Riptorn's deeds; he was building upon his own image and I could see that his interests were turning my way. He wasn't just brave; he was cunning and it was only so clear where he wished to be. Given that, I was happy to indulge; any edge against the humans was worth investing into and he was offering himself freely. I wasn't to regret this, that he assured me was true.

Riptorn nonetheless proved his tenacity and consequent aggression tearing through our Eastern Salf. Like my own, the stories surrounding him proved worthy of the name and he reveled in his own slice of glory amongst the flock. I was happy to stand back and watch as I always had, a silent observer in the web the Queen wove to ensnare her subjects and prey. All this would not have been without Shiverwing; these later months of the eighth winter seem as though the sun might shine through these blackened walls. Part of me wants to believe so but I know that in my absence, everything I gained was practically lost. The Red Death was yet to settle her debts.


The Ninth Winter…

I had to keep a wide angle along the Southern coast to avoid their weapons; the catapult was busting through our ranks with ease and their steel tipped arrows always wound a costly toll. My blast punched along the supports holding several overhanging structures and the humans cascading along its walk were sent tumbling into the sea. Their cries were fulfilling, satisfying that my kin were not lost without payment, I yearned their demise gleefully though my new colleague offered a strange sense of uncertainty. Riptorn hungered like a savage beast for chaos, drilling his way through the salf's structures in showers of wood and flame. We should have warned him sooner, but his bloodlust was insatiable, thus leading to a fate that burns me to my core.

"Toothless, help!' Riptorn cried as the netting tangled around his coiling spines. 'Toothless!"

I was coasting a tighter angle barking commands for the other dragons extract him; the humans were cunning, that I couldn't deny, and we were picked off with ease. For the sake of my company, I had no choice; in my heart I was torn between what little freedoms we had found to leaving a new friend behind. For the first time in my life, I saw fear in those cold white eyes; as I resolved myself, I settled upon a decision that was at the time, cold but necessary.

"We tried our best, but Riptorn's arrogance was his own undoing," I stated when confronted by the others.

They seemed unsettled, in a way we all were, guarded by that conscious decision to leave. I suppose that was the tough price of companionship, we had our ring of trust but at any time it could be stripped clean. In a way it was the Queen who taught me that and my natural sense of isolation was therefore inescapable. These dragons could become no more than colleagues; I would try to protect them as I always had but to deal with the grief in losing one was too taxing. Of course, I was tested at every turn; the Queen didn't grow tired of tormenting me but Shiverwing was my last true tether to her slavery. One day, however many winters it took, I might have my revenge, who was I to know what the future held after all, I could die within the year.

During the days when sun shone brightest, I noticed my shadow had returned. At first I dreaded that the past was here to haunt me but this time, it wasn't a passive interest that followed my movements. I spotted him once, a blue and rather undersized kin-twin-head who seemed afraid. One turn of my head and he disappeared for days on end; I didn't pass any thought about it for a long time, chalked up to my general aura of mystery. Of course, my own curiosity eventually took hold and I couldn't help but follow the trail to a small group of dragons harassing him. The kin-twin-head was dazed upon the ground in a beaten state. Once again, it only took a single look in my direction for the other dragons to flee, the terror in their eyes no less prominent.

"Are you okay?" I asked calmly.

He was shivering with both heads wide eyed in an unfocused state, one of the eyes was swollen with a nasty scar. "Come on, let's get you help."

I leant down and scooped his catatonic form onto my back; until the shock passed, he needed a safe haven to recover. I admit the thought was ironic to the core but for the time being I was still in the Queen's favor. Sliverfire and the sisters had the means to care for him and far be it beyond them to deny a simple request, it was their duty and I had no tether to this dragon; like myself, we were alone. Upon seeing the shells of those dragons, I could feel the icy grip curling around my heart; I had no intention on lingering thus placing the injured kin-twin-head upon a flat slab of stone in silence.

"Toothless?" Sliverfire called, but I didn't reply; I had nothing to say.


The raids become more or less a blur, the field of my induced isolation becoming even more noticeable as I continued on as a mindless drone for the Queen. On the surface there was no means for her to suspect though internally I watched everything carefully to see where her power was strongest. Age was always the consistent factor with the youth being ensnared only to be broken down over time until they reached such a state like Sliverfire. Most were lucky to retain a sense of independence or community amongst themselves but fear no less kept them in line. Given the chance, I suspected they would flee without hesitation; the Queen would therefore need to be distracted. The prominent issue that continued to trap my thoughts reigned back to my ancestors, the Night Furies that once resided in league with the Queen; were they loyal or spies after the death of Darkstrike? All I know is that they left on their own accord, if only I could ask them myself.

It wasn't for some weeks later that I finally saw the young kin-twin-head again; he was looking stronger and less maltreated to our first encounter. However, his wounds left a permanent mark; the right head's right eye was blinded, a milky white frosted over it but they seemed unaffected otherwise. I approached nonetheless unable to shake the curious feeling.

"You're looking better," I announced my presence.

The dragon was startled focusing in to where I emerged from the shadows. "I can only say thank you," the left head replied.

'I do what I can, but in this place, it's never quite enough," I peered up through the catacombs of rocks. "So, who do I have as my shadow this time?"

"You mean there are others?" the kin-twin-head replied.

"Were others," I admitted which sent an obvious chilling feeling through the young dragon, not unlike how Shiverwing had reacted to my ultimatum of running away. "He was lost in a raid some weeks ago," I hastily reassured them, my own instincts somewhat jarred; I was out of practice it seemed.

"Oh, I'm sorry… um my name is Gem, this is Dax," he nodded to the head with the blind eye. "Dax doesn't speak very much, he's more of the thinker."

"Of course," I noted the distant expression in the dragon's eye.

"And well, everyone knows who you are…" Gem's eyes grew wide as his focus latched onto something behind me.

No one could've predicted it and even I was lost for words. "TOOTHLESS!" A formidable force careened into my side barreling me over the edge of the ledge.

Razor sharp teeth gyrated as streams of fire billowed in hurtling waves. The dragon's tail was wrapped around me as I bashed and clawed his head away until the ground finally separated us with a hard thud. Dust floated around us, but I would never forget those dead and vengeful eyes.

"Impossible," I shook my head as I shakily pushed up on my paws. "I saw them… I saw them take you."

"You left me for dead. Everything you said about keeping us alive and you abandoned me to those savages! You're a lying hypocrite Toothless!" Riptorn snarled thrashing his tail around.

"No, you flew too close and they trapped you in their nets," I retorted facing him head on.

"Because I was alone!" he barked.

"Because you didn't listen, it was your own fault," I bared my teeth with plasma charging in my glands.

Riptorn screeched and I let loose, the blast showered him in stone and dust, but the kin-saw-tooth plowed through carving his path. He curled into a grapple then dragged me across the stone before I blasted another shot into the wall. The debris showered us, and I felt his grip release; the blood red haze of the nest filled the air as Riptorn struck again, his teeth grinding away through earth and stone as I drew lines of flame after him. I could feel the tremors in the ground as he dug around with the intent of striking from below. I knew his tricks and his strengths and when the stone began to quake I pounced with a razor claw to slash at his head. He screeched in pain as we tumbled deeper into the nest; the nearby dragons gathered to watch, some growing anxious as they recognized the fallen kin-saw-tooth. Gem and Dax cowered in the shadows as I continued to trash around in a burly brawl with this fierce rival. Some may have believed the Queen was guiding his mind, but I knew what that looked like; this wasn't a game, Riptorn's rage was his own.

"I trusted you!" he blared streaming fire along the wall as I forced his head away.

His tail whipped around my neck hauling me up into the air; I reefed and clawed for any tenable grip using my wings to upset his rhythm as my tail knocked his head. At last my claws dug into his spines and I lurched forward sinking my teeth into his tail. Blood seeped from the deep wound, one he would wear forever and with a strangled and agonizing cry he released his hold as we both plummeted towards the ground. I spread my wings gliding in for a fluent landing as Riptorn impacted heavily, his whines echoed throughout the catacombs as he coiled in feverous pain. I stalked him down with plasma building for a final blow and for the second time in my life, I saw fear in his cold white eyes. The blast struck like lightning as rock and dust exploded in an earsplitting crack.

Riptorn was trembling, overpowered by sheer terror as the dust finally settled. "The only reason you're still alive is because I am allowing it," I seethed with steam emanating from my nostrils. "Let that be a reminder to never cross my path again."

Riptorn growled in a low and quiet fury before curling himself out from under my stance. "This isn't over."


The Tenth Winter…

To my surprise Riptorn kept his word, I have only seen him from afar forever checking his corners as if my shadow lives on his shoulders. I often wondered whether that was the right choice, as he too kept his promise some winters later. The past haunts us with many ill doings though he had my fate marked for death. In defeating this foe, I gained a friend in Gem and Dax and I was shown that with every scar on the surface there were greater ones underneath. This was my fifteenth winter on this Earth, and many resolved to treat me like it was my fiftieth; I had lost my innocence and my freedom of youth in this place as all others had. Gem and Dax however were still so benign untethered by mortality at every corner. I think I can say that for the first time since Shiverwing died, I had fun playing games in my den with this young dragon away from the prying eyes of the Queen. In time I feared she would discover this though what surprised me was Gem and Dax's intuition. They understood my fears, they relished and comforted me in sharing my story; Stormtrapper even made a comment that broke yet another wall of solitude I used to protect myself from pain.

My point is these many winters and the hell they poured down left me fractured and out of place. The hills and meadows I would play in with my adoptive brothers and sisters seemed like a different life, a simple life and I couldn't help but long for it even more. Yet reality rolled on like waves on the seas and the raids grew into the coming of yet another winter. I wish I had the chance to say goodbye; we could've guessed the future for many of them were lost from my life soon after. They weren't dead, just gone.

As it happened, that single weapon the humans used to throw stones brought heavy casualties over the winters. Stormtrapper dared to scale the structure with his fire coating his scales in an awesome display of ferocity. The humans upon the tower beat down upon him but I had my sight locked for an aerial attack. The air filled with a shrill whistle and below I could hear them scream as they always had.

'Night Fury, get down!' a flash of light filled the dawning sky as I breezed through the flames.

I was as invisible as the night; I needed no food to earn my right and the rocks toppled over in defeat. First light breached the horizon with slivers of amber and thus our time was ending; many of my company had claimed their keep with a few holding back on the defense. As such, I circled around with my eye on the remains of the tower; plasma tore another whole decimating it at last. A cold snap suddenly wrapped around my wings and heavy balls of steel bashed against my hide.

'GAAARRRRRRRGH!" I was trapped hurtling through the air towards the island forests.

The canopy grew vastly upon its rocky hills until I was swallowed into an agonizing pain I had never known. If not the searing agony ignited in my tail then all I remember was the darkness that followed.


Toothless' Note

Six months this took. Six months of back and forth between me and my translator in order to get everything right. I feel the six months was worth it though, because this chapter alone has a lot of importance. Not only towards me as a dragon, but to the rest of the story. We all know what's going to happen next, but the ten winters prior to this are what made me who I would end up being. So, with my translator's help, we needed to realize every detail in each and every one of these ten winters. And now, after six months it's finally done. This is the part of the story that is… touchy but important to me. But, I'd never have it any other way. It shaped me and I feel the paths I went down to get to where I am now were destined, as cliched as that may sound.