A shriek echoed through the midnight sky.

Another united with it to perform an obscure melody that chanted of the destruction of the witnesses.

A pawful of heartbeats later, two distant shock waves originated from the far left corner of the night sky. The whole island shook from its base due to the deadly combination of two Death Strikers' plasmablasts.

The roof of the cave rattled with a slight vibration due to the concussive shock waves. The vibrations loosened a small-sized pebble which proceeded to fall from the ceiling on the ground. It was just a mere coincidence that Toothless' head was blocking its trajectory.

The rock produced an indistinct slap on his soft ebony scales, barely audible to any ear, and promptly fell on the ground after bouncing off from the scaly hide.

Toothless remained indifferent to its presence.

A soft sigh emerged from the back of his throat. It was clear that his mother was taking the threat seriously.

Only the Skies could grant mercy to those on the receiving end of her wrath. Or a miracle which would make them vanish into thin air. But the chances of them happening was bleak as the prospect of a Little Biter rejecting a food offering.

He didn't dwell on that thought for long. The invaders had it coming. For now, he had other important matters to focus on.

Like remaining vigilant towards any unannounced visitor. Or deciding whether to quench his thirst or not.

Another shriek, a boom and a clatter of rocks outside the ledge.

Following the clatter, a second small chunk of rock fell on his nose with a thunk.

This time his sigh came out as a groan.

He clicked his tongue.

He hadn't had a drop of water since the evening. The pool of freshwater on the opposite side of his home invited his thirsty soul to take a drink. But in doing so he would need to move from his position of a sentinel.

He smacked his dry lips again.

The temptation was becoming unignorable with the passing time. His eyes trailed over the glimmering surface of the crystal clear liquid.

A glance over the fire-lit sky and the infrequent sightings of the engaged in battle shadows notified him of the increasing ruthlessness of the crisis.

"Maybe later." He whispered to the water which earlier was beckoning him with open wings.

A small smile inconspicuously crept onto the ebony black snout when its focus fixed on the seven oval obsidians behind his tail that stared back at his bubbling with excitement eyes. His heart thumped against his ribcage, showing his joy.

I have more important tasks at paw. He finished his sentence in his mind.

The sight alone shooed away the discomfort he was feeling. Even the anxiety and nervousness he was experiencing lessened their hold on his soul. While nest scuffles were as common as the full moon, nevertheless they made him uneasy. And this unannounced raid on his nest was too harsh for his appetite.

His only expectation was that his parents will deal with it. After all, they were known as Death Strikers for a reason. A very painful death-related reason.

A familiar alarm he had set in his subconsciousness went off right then. It was time for reheating the floor.

He plodded with the gentleness of a young mother and firmly planted his rump on the floor a pawful of steps away, in front of them. His wings instinctively folded on his back and his swinging tail tucked itself neatly around his hind paws.

Sheathing his teeth, he opened his maw and gently breathed out a steady stream of bluish-white fire on the imaginary line encircling the eggs. A low whining noise shattered the awkward silence in the cave in a moment's notice.

The rock floor warmed up with a steady increase of heat. Toothless was counting on his heartbeats and after the designated number he stopped his fire breath.

He touched the heated floor with the palm of his paw.

It was warm.

Not quite painful but instead providing a soothing bliss, summoning him to rest his belly on them. He would've laid beside them if he had the chance.

He hummed softly while nodding his flat scaly head, satisfied with the results.

'First and the most important rule, the eggs need warmth. Not quite hot and not that much cold. You should remember this Toothless.' His mother told him. He nodded feverously with enthusiasm, his eyes occasionally falling on the enlarged belly of his mother.

The memory was drilled into his head permanently. It was a week ago at most. He was excited for the eggs' arrival, more on the fact that he would be able to watch over them when his parents would be absent for reasons.

So far it was good enough.

Even if egg watching was supposed to be a tedious and boring job, to him anything regarding the eggs was awesome.

An aggregate of rumbling roars and disturbing anguish filled shrieks invaded his ear plates like a rapid wave crashing into a cliffside.

Instinctually his ear flaps pressed themselves against the back of his head. As a fledgeling, he couldn't withstand the sight of seeing or hearing someone in pain. This one was no exception.

The paws lightly shuffled over each other. One of them tried to reach an unexpected itch under his chin.

Nervousness again encased his body in its crushing vines.

Taking the role of a dragonic guardian with too much seriousness, Toothless returned to his previous position and place and sat still as a sentinel statue. His tail occasionally thumped on the ground. The thumps and his breathing being the only sounds in the silent cave. Excluding the outside noise that is.

The low grunts and crackles of trees and rocks constantly tormented his mind. More than once the intention of leaving the safety of the cave just to take a quick peek on the situation crossed his consciousness.

He sighed.

Sometimes curiosity could be an annoying itch in his rump.

He lost count of the number of heartbeats that passed by. The annoying itch in the back of his head was becoming intolerable. He was sure by now a black lump had formed on the back of his skull.

The peridot eyes narrowed themselves indecisively. He could not leave the eggs unattended at any moment.

A glance over them acquainted his mind that they were safe for now.

Well, a little peek can't hurt much right? Toothless asked his conscience.

No complaint was registered.

He took the silence as an unspoken agreement and quickly dashed out to take a quick glimpse of the situation, his fast momentum left a trail of floating dust right behind him.

Just as he reached the trailing edge of the ledge, his legs subconsciously stopped him, his claws screeching on the rough terrain. He dropped like a corpse on the ground and slowly crawled towards the edge. His crawling looked so natural it could outclass even a snake.

With an overdramatic slow trend, he poked his head over the edge and quickly ducked back.

The sight was...indescribable. For him though. It was hard to describe what he just saw. And it was much harder to decide whether it was real or a haunted dream.

The first thing his mind perceived was the status of the forest at the base of the mountain. Though it was doubtful if he could call it a forest anymore.

Half of the forest was burning with a raging fire. Thick smoke had engulfed the forest canopies making it harder for him to pinpoint any familiar landmark. If he didn't know any better he would've believed that he was on the wrong island.

Dragon fire spreads rapidly on wood. It wasn't the first time he had seen a fire on his island. It was only the first time he had seen a fire of such magnitude. The pristine green colour of the forest had lost its earthly glow, now contrasting an eerie ashen grey shade. It was looking similar to the setting of a haunted forest.

Even now he could hear the muffled squeaks of the forest animals that were trapped inside their homes, unable to flee due to the fire. His heart couldn't comprehend the sight of such torment.

The second aspect his senses noticed was the stench of burnt flesh and a slight coppery taste hung in the air. His sensitive nose kind of burned from the irritation.

Blood and scorched flesh wasn't new knowledge to him. The hunting trips he went with his father acquainted him with the coppery and tangy taste of the life-giving liquid of the fauns and the rabbits they killed. Once he had even tried to experiment with burnt meat. The taste... let's just say he ended up not liking it that much.

But this blood and burning stench was not of some lowly creature.

It belonged to his kin.

Bile rose his oesophagus, reaching near the back of his maw. With great difficulty, he swallowed up the slurry vomit that was threatening to gush out of the opening on the muzzle.

His childlike stubbornness and curiosity were the only beings keeping him on the ledge.

Toothless squinted his pale green orbs and focused on the blurry forms in the sky. From all the chaos, he could only recognise a few of the dragon kins.

He could not locate his parents.

He zapped his head from side to side trying to discover at least his father.

His plans were halted when an otherworldly monstrocious roar pierced his eardrums.

The vociferation was so good that he cried out in pain due to the sting he felt in his ear plates.

For a while, no sound was heard other than a severe ringing in this auditory organs.

In the meantime, Toothless was immensely petrified. Completely mind-numbing and bone shivering terrified.

The blare ended as soon as it began, returning his hearing ability.

Toothless had no idea what caused that sound. Whatever it was, he knew it wasn't a dragon. If it was, it surely had massive lungs and up until now, he did not know about any massive dragons.

His paws automatically moved on their own. He didn't know why he wanted or more specifically felt he needed to see what was happening outside. He only had a gut feeling that it was important.

Slowly, very slowly for what felt like an eternity of slow trodding, he eventually poked his head out, just enough for his eyes to see the carnage.

What he saw, nearly popped his eyes out of their sockets. His eyes widened so far that the edges of his eyelids began to sting due to strain put upon them. He rubbed his eyes, thinking he might have been seeing something wrong.

He blinked. Once. Twice. Thrice.

Still the image he was seeing remained. His heart dropped to the gates of Hell when he realised what he was seeing was as real as the stars shining on a moonless night.

The thing was a dragon, based on the massive wings, tail with a club on its tip and scaled hide.

The only undragonic thing about it was its six eyes. And its size plus its ugliness.

It was easily thrice the size of any Water Breather, maybe more with thick ashen green-scales like a Bounder Skin and massive serrated teeth of a Flame Skin jutting out of the massive maw, revealing the to the whole world.

Not even an ounce of beauty was found on its hide. The whole back from the back of the bony crown on its head to the tip of its tail was adorned with four roars of bony spiked ridges that we're completely greyish green. Its flanks were covered by a reddish bony protrudes that dotted the whole side.

The most terrifying and perhaps disgusting thing about it was the six cataract gazes that were eying his estates like some kind of prize.

The skin had a rotten texture. And the teeth, if not for the fact that they were in its mouth, they looked like giant flat stalagmites. And they also had a disgusting disposition. It seemed that the creature didn't care about self-hygiene for a very long time.

Two centuries to be accurate.

Toothless gagged from the stench that emanated from the air. It seemed that thing never bathed in its whole existence. The faded colour of the scaled supported his accusation.

The grin on its maw was malicious and full of sinister motives. Seeing its grin sent a shiver down his spine.

His rump planted itself on the floor, his underbelly followed suit. His body pressed tightly to the ground, his whole frame shivered and spasmed in fright.

To say he was petrified seemed to be an understatement now.

His whole body tried to shrink itself as if endeavouring to vanish in thin air.

The beast that would be deemed the spawn of Hell by the elders flew in a circle over the dragons, most of them frozen in shock and horror.

It opened its giant jaws and blew a cascade of torrential fire over them. Few only managed to get out of its range.

In a blink of an eyelid, trees turned to ash, the remaining forest just vanished and the forest animals shrieks were silenced forever. The dragons...it was hard to describe what even happened to them.

In short, it can be said that they turned into big roasted chicken which was overcooked beyond its limit.

Toothless stomach emptied its contents on the stone platform in front of him. He had shut his eyes when the blaze of fire engulfed his Nest members. The awful sight still managed to enter his mind's eye.

He felt light-headed, even more, when he heard the cries filled with anguish and pain from burning alive. It only lasted for a few seconds after which their intensity suddenly dropped low.

Not even the putrid smell of his vomit seemed to affect him anymore. Even if his stomach was empty, his body continued to heave out the last remnants of his digestive fluids.

He took a moment to compose himself. No longer he tried to see what happened.

And it was fortunate for his innocent green orbs.

He missed out the sight where the scales on the bodies of his kin popped and crackled as air bubbles pop out.

He missed out the sight where their skin completely peeled off like the skin of a banana, showing the pulsing red flesh underneath.

Even fortunate he missed out the sight where some of their eyes popped out like balloons, sending blood and gore into the air.

The horrible scent of burned flesh soon increases it's intensity, making him gag and retch. Nothing came out of his maw, though. He wanted to move, desperately wanted to move. Yet his limbs failed to carry out his commands. They were paralysed on the point.

Even his mentality appeared to be deadened. He should've eloped from the terrible spectacle, but he couldn't. He should've returned to the eggs yet he couldn't comply with his commands. His normally excited brain broke down at that moment.

He knew he was an idiot to let his curious side take control of his actions. Where he should be protecting the eggs he was now gawking like a fool on the carnage! The images of his kin burning alive replayed in his brain over and over again. Their cries still seemed to haunt his ears even though none of them was alive anymore.

He again tried to move, but the icy tendrils of terror tightened their grip on his muscles and bones.

He never noticed when his eyes automatically opened and focused on the gruesome scene on the horizon.

Time seemed to stop for him. He saw everything in slow motion yet his mind failed to register them.

He broke out of his stupor when a bone-chilling blare resounded from the maw of the monster.

"Submit to me, Nest of Peace!" The voice was sprouting malice in bundles. "Bow down to me as your Queen, and you may all live for the rest of your pathetic lives!"

At that very moment, Toothless started to despise that voice. He didn't know that he would be doing that for the rest of his life.

A very familiar feminine roar resonated from the skies as if the Skies themselves were provoking the Monster for the humiliating speech.

It was his mothers. No other female had such fury infused roar that trembled the mightiest of foes!

"We do not submit to any Alpha or any fat Queen such as you!" She cried out from the atmosphere and she fired a powerful ball of plasma towards the creature. It connected just above the monster's chin and exploded, destroying a few teeth and making it lose its balance on the ground.

"This will be your last warning, Abomination. Get out of here before I scorch your lousy rump off of this world!"

There was no hesitation in her voice. No fear or terror. Her eyes were burning with hatred for the beast that threatened her hive.

For a moment Toothless had to avert his eyes, afraid if he looked long enough his face would get scorched due to the burning inferno in his mother's eyes.

If looks could burn he was sure Monster would've been turned into a pile of ash by now.

His eyes as well as his fathers were full of uncertainty. He didn't doubt his parents fighting prowess, but still Monster looked to be quite formidable in the least. He didn't lose his hope, though. He was confident the monster would get its rump scorched by his mother.

The monster bellowed out a stream of smoke out of its large nostrils. It regained its footing and with that, it narrowed its six eyes on the female Death Striker in the sky.

"Very well then." The monster replied in a quiet tone. Its maw still didn't lose the creepy grin it withheld.

His whole nest howled out a war cry. They were renewed with raw vigour that got its fuel from his mother's emotions.

All of them grouped with his parents and attacked Monster head-on.

The Boulder skins spat out their lava on the hide. Flame Skins and Spike Tails clawed its hide and spat their respective fires on its underbelly. All the while Monster just shrugged off their attacks as if they were mere ants biting a rock.

His parents repeatedly fired at the beast's hide. It only managed to topple it over to the side.

Toothless's heart stopped.

Their attacks did not affect the monster's body. As if the scales were indestructible and flameproof.

A startled gasp escaped from his mouth when a couple of dragons were crushed by the paws of Monster. When it raised its paws, Toothless saw the remains of the dragons. Their bodies had been turned into pulp, their innards were sprawled over the ground and their bones jutting out in all directions.

He couldn't imagine that this thing could be such a vicious killer.

In the meantime, Boulder drakes tried to ram its muzzle, but they bounced off like toys.

His disgust increased when with a chomp of its maw, Monster ate three of the Boulder drakes. The horrible chomping of bones demoralised some of the surviving dragons of his Hive.

"YOU ATE MY KIN!?" Scarlet yelled in the distance. She dived down with full speed and slashed her grey claws over the eyes. Only one of them received the slash.

The beast screeched out in anger and pain. His mother retreated...or tried to before she was hit by the swinging tail club.

She hit on the rocky ground with a shriek. She tried to get back up. But one of her wings flayed out in anguish. She gasped when she saw her broken wing, the delicate ebony membranes torn to shreds. She could not fly in that state.

Toothless watched with his eyes filled with horror when the creature raised its club and with full force brought it down on his mother's body.

He screamed.


She supplied her aching paws with every bit of strength she could spare in a space of a quarter of a heartbeat the moment she saw the giant club coming down on top of her and leapt to her front.

The intense physical strain she endured throughout the night was taking its toll on her. The fatigue together with the sluggish movements post-egg-laying slowed down her naturally quick reflexes. If she had been in her prime condition she would've effortlessly dodged the incoming club with a wing length to spare. However, it was not the case at that moment.

The front half of her body cleared out of the strike zone. She was in the middle of her jump when the spiked club made contact with the Lowe half of her body.

A howl ripped itself out of her throat when her lower body from her hind legs to her tail was crushed under the weight of the giant club.

Pain.

It was the only thing her consciousness registered. The crunching and grating of bones which would scare a full-grown drake did not bother her in the least.

She could only register the agonising pain that originated from her back.

It was the only thing take came into her mind. Not even the distant scream of her son was able to draw her attention.

The outside world momentarily faded from existence. Her sensitive nose failed to register the scents that hung in the air like a dense fog.

She couldn't feel her blood trickling down her scarlet tinted ebony scales. The pure agonising pain that was becoming dull with each breath came back when the club was raised from her broken body. It spread through her whole body making her spasm uncontrollably. She felt as if had been impaled by several spikes.

She collapsed on the ground, unable to support her spasming body.

The creature turned its body and with its claws grabbed her broken frame of the soil. Two claws slid inside her body from her flank. They pierced one of her lungs. Blood sputtered out of the holes in lazy red streams.

She groaned out due to the pulsing pain in her side. Most of her body was paralysed due to her broken spine. She was barely awake due to the severe damage.

The coppery taste of blood, her blood, filled her mouth. She coughed out blood from her muzzle.

The creature brought her in front of its eyes and smirked.

"Scorch my ass, huh? Well too bad yo..." The monster was interrupted by a huge plasma ball hitting the horn on the creature's head.

The creature gasped when the horn completely broke and fell on the soil.

It momentarily lost interest in the ant in its claws and focused on the filth interrupting her.

What it saw greatly surprised it. Toothless was also shocked by the appearance of his father. His whole back was glowing neon indigo, from the back of his head to the tip of his tail. The light was so bright that Toothless momentarily had to close his eyes from the sudden change in brightness.

Monster again roared in agony and frustration when Amethyst let out his kind of Hell. He spat out a horde of powerful plasmablasts which scorched the back of the creature. The big invisible scales cracked out in succession.

In his rage, however, he forgot about his surroundings. Two Spike Tails and a Rock Digger reached out from his behind and let out a volley of spikes which pierced his back and wings. One such spike impaled one of his eyes, earning a howl of agony from Amethyst.

With his remaining eye, he saw the culprits grinning behind him. Nothing mattered to him at that moment other than ripping their throats out. Not even the poison coursing through his views slowed down his reflexes. It appears that it only made him more feral.

Their grins faded when two of their heads exploded from the orbs of plasma sent their way. Amethyst had a bestial snarl on his muzzle which terrified the Rock Digger. With unnatural velocity, Amethyst attacked the culprit who dared to attack him from his back.

He bit on the while Rock Digger's flank, drawing blood. His claws slashed the hide, earning a howl from his victim. In his attack, he left his back defenceless.

The Rock Digger saw it coming first. He tried to wiggle out of the hold the black drake's maw had on him, only in vain. The swinging club hit both of them on their flank, sending them flying and hitting the trees.

They never came back up again.

Scarlet with the last bits of her strength saw her mate's demise. The blood oozing out of her flank and maw formed a pool underneath her. She felt her life draining from her body with each shallow beat of her weakened heart that refused to give up.

She silently apologised to her little ones she was leaving behind.

A tear rolled out from her eyes when she saw her son's tear-stained eyes looking at the scene from the ledge of their cave. She would be leaving him alone in this world where he would need to protect himself from such dangers.

Scarlet sent a silent prayer to the Skies to look out for her little ones on her absence.

With her last breath, she croaked out her last words. "O-One day...you will fa..."

She could not finish her sentence since the monster clenched its claws which protruded from both flanks of the dying Death Striker, piercing her heart and the internal organs.

Her eyes kept staring at her son with a sorrowful gaze even when they lost their light.


Toothless tried to scream something. But his breath left his lungs. He felt his heart-stopping for a second. It was as if it was being torn into a million pieces.

Steady streams of tears rolled down his muzzle. He could not remember how long he stayed in that position.

Only one thought constantly circulated through his psyche.

His parents were dead.


I will be using some native dragon names here.

Rock Digger - Whispering Death

Death Striker - Night Fury

Boulder Skin - Gronckle

Flame Skin - Monstrous Nightmare

Spike Tail - Nadder.