"Still 'round the corner there may wait... A new road or secret gate... And though I oft have passed them by... A day will come at last when I... Shall take the hidden paths that run... West of the Moon, East of the Sun." - Lord Of The Rings – The Return Of The King
The Hidden World
The flock flew long without stopping, though it did have to slow for those with less endurance. It was a storm of wings and occasional cries from the front of the flight to keep all on course. The massive flock ended up descending to an empty patch of beach and land sometime past midnight.
Shadowwing circled up above and watched everything down below while a few other scouts kept watch on the horizons. Wild dragons wandered with their fledglings out beyond the meager camp. Wild and bonded dragons flew over the sea in the search for fish. There were no lights of any villages or other peoples anywhere around because this was the middle of the wilderness.
He again saw the sight down below which almost made him whine in solemn relief.
Valka leaning against Cloudjumper's side while petting his wings. Thorvald and Sifa walking together with their children while Hookedfang eagerly followed after them. Gobber helping Jingles to polish his bone collection that had after all been made into something like a coat of armor. Eret being chased across the grass by Stormfly who was apparently eager to play fetch with her human. Skald tossing Meatlug some rocks to munch on and being sat on by said Gronkle. All the other bonded pairs that he could see were similarly doing something together, even if only resting. There was a lot of head nuzzling and licking despite everyone's exhaustion.
He saw the ones he was naturally the most interested in. Dawn-Singer, Aurora, and Rain-Eater were sitting together down on the sands with a few of their closest friends, Erevan, Helga, Alvor, and Safiya, while slowly writing. The moon was so bright out that it was even possible to read on the sands well after midnight. It seemed a more solemn gathering than he remembered seeing. Several of the young humans were under a sheltering wing. Not far away from them and next to the water's edge rested Luna, Was-Grounded, Green-Wings, Moon-Dancer, and Mist-Wings. The two fledglings were the most exhausted after the long flight and were sound asleep under their mothers' wings.
He dove down, landed, and bounded up to them all, taking his place at Luna's side and slightly sheltering her under a wing as his brother did the same for Green-Wings. The four of them passed a silent moment simply regarding each other as the waves lapped nearby on the ocean and the bright moon shone off above the horizon. Their purrs of relief were simple yet beautiful sounds to each of them.
"Why?" Shadowwing hung his head and whispered.
"Why what?" Luna asked.
"Why did you want our two-legs to fly with us? Of all of us... I did not think that you would be the one to want to bring them to the hidden world."
She softly chuckled at his words.
"We are not bringing two-legs with us. These are ground-kin, very different life. Why? I learned that I should not think bad about one two-leg or one kin because of bad that others did. The bad of the kind or the nest is not put on each in the nest, even if many two-legs beyond think with such flights. Some kin have done bad in their life-flights."
She paused as she looked down at the dozing Moon-Dancer under her white wing.
"I was still always chilled by the idea of the two-legs making kin be weak life-thralls. But the ground-kin showed us that we are not life-thralls to them when they told us to fly and be free. They would let us go so that we can be safe and live. We can live with them and not be less wild, less free in the liver."
"What if they change badly? What if they have a rot that grows in their livers? Taking them down into the hidden world will change that world for all cycles to be," Was-Grounded offered.
Surprisingly, Green-Wings was the one who answered while rubbing up against his neck.
"I do not believe it will happen," she whispered.
"No?"
"I see how their fledglings live around our little ones. The fledgling... ground-kin will not change and turn their livers on us. Yes, they can be twisted, as our Dawn-Singer learned, but that is not a liver-rot. That twisted one learned. We can teach them good thinking toward us and all kin," Green-Wings explained.
Was-Grounded spoke up again after a moment of thought.
"I once started to become a Monster toward two-legs. That was after I escaped from the thrall-makers and before I found you Green-Wings. I wanted to hate all two-legs, burn all their nests, and drink their life-water. But I remembered that I should not put blame on them all for what one or some did. It would be bad to turn my nose up at all fish because one fish was rotted inside."
He glanced over at his children.
"I also see how warm Dawn-Singer, Aurora, and Rain-Eater are to be able to talk with or fly with the ground-kin. They think of them as nest-kin brothers and sisters, even if they still fight and growl at the other on some suns."
He paused.
"Like another two-leg and Night Fury that were once," Was-Grounded whispered.
Luna hummed softly and continued.
"The ground-kin here have shown us their livers. To be under the ground only with other kin that we cannot give words with, even if our bellies are full, would be a colder and smaller life to only wake, eat, survive, and sleep. To remember the good that the ground-kin are and not have it with us would make life smaller. To forget them through life-cycles as would happen would be bad. Our future young would never know them. We are warmer together than we are apart. We are more as one and less as two," Luna answered them all.
She grumbled with a hint of wariness.
"I do think that the normal way of thinking for the kin in the hidden world is to fear two-legs and not trust them. Peace and life-sharing between kin and ground-kin needs both nests to see the good in that life-flight. What we will make will show all the hidden kin that ground-kin are not Monsters," she explained.
Shadowwing could summon no words and had to settle for squeezing her tail tightly while purring to her and the others. He lay his head down on the sands and hummed softly as she lay her head on his neck to rest. A very pensive mood came over him in the relative silence that followed.
My Luna, how far you... we all have come... And I almost gave up on them. I... did give up. I lost hope...
Was-Grounded grumbled softly, breaking the relative silence.
"What about us though. About us Night Furies and Light Furies. What will we be to ground-kin? We are not truly the same as the other kin who want bond ground-kin. What is our place in what will be?" Was-Grounded wondered.
Shadowwing hummed softly.
"I was thinking much about that on our flight. The other kin are warmed some to be cared for by their ground-kin. We are more like ground-kin in our thinking in some ways. We can do for the other kin what they cannot do for themselves now. We know more of the danger in ground-kin and can see if there is rot or twisted thinking in them."
"You would know best," Luna teased.
He laughed deeply at her wit.
"What I mean to say is that we are between. We are true kin who are warmed by flying, fish, sleeping-piles, and having our nests with many eggs and little ones. But we also think more and want more. We look up at the sky, the moon, and suns, and we think about what might be."
Shadowwing purred to the other three in turn after lifting his head again.
"I was between the worlds of two-legs and kin for many season-cycles. I thought that was twisted, but I think that was where I should always have flown."
"What do you mean?" Was-Grounded asked.
"We and all of our little ones now and to be will fly and live between the two flocks in whatever shared range we live in. We will help protect the ground-kin from kin that might want to hurt them. And we will protect the kin from any ground-kin thinking that would be... thralling," Shadowwing explained.
"We will have the kin be free always," Luna hummed in agreement.
"And especially us. We will keep our backs and wings as ours, though we can always share them with those we want to fly with us," Shadowwing added.
Was-Grounded and Green-Wings both purred in understanding and agreement as well. All returned to a period of quiet rest to reflect on the future.
"And Luna," Shadowwing whispered to her, "if all the other kin are in the hidden world, other Light Furies would be there. Maybe your own sire, dam, and nestmates."
"They would be, I hope," she sighed.
"I promise you that we will try to find them."
"When the time is good for that. I will not bring any little ones into danger between ranges and nests only to try to find those of my old nest. That would be bad of me to put Moon-Dancer or any others in danger," she answered.
Moon-Dancer, perhaps having heard his name spoken, awoke from his nap, got to his feet, and stretched his wings, tail, limbs, and jaws.
"How are you, little one? Do you have your flight-strength now?" Luna asked.
"Yes, dam-mother! I am ready to fly!" Moon-Dancer pawed at the sand and spread his wings.
"Or we can play Monster!" Shadowwing got to his feet and lunged.
He was chasing an eager Moon-Dancer across the sands. He ran and leapt very slowly to give his son a chance. Moon-Dancer found his courage, spun around with wiggling hindquarters, and attacked. The strike was successful as he forced the great head to the ground with one of its ears in his toothless maw.
"Grounded..." Shadowwing hummed.
Moon-Dancer put his forelimbs on his father's head and roared softly.
"Yes, I have grounded the big-"
Luna's maw closed around Moon-Dancer's torso and lifted him into the air with a soft growl.
"Dam-mother!"
He thrashed his tail wildly and tried to nip at her ears, successfully too as she also went down onto the beach. She released him and gave him a tickle and licking attack. He was defeated.
"Maybe we should change his name to Ear-Biter," Shadowwing laughed.
Luna chuckled as well and froze with a gasp. Her tail went still, and she stared off into the distance.
"Luna, what?"
"Ear-Biter, that is what my sire and dam's second was named. My little... sister, remember?"
He blinked in surprise.
"Yes, you told me long ago."
Moon-Dancer recovered himself and warily crept toward her side after seeing that the play was over. A white tail and fins curled around and sheltered him.
"Yes, she was always more filled with fear than I was. I wanted to fly in the above to find my life-mate."
She took a moment to nuzzle Shadowwing's neck.
"But she wanted to stay in the hidden world and not fly above," she continued.
"Her thinking might have been better than her sister's," he teased.
A wing-swipe was his reward for his clever remark.
"She did not get a Night Fury as a life-mate. I think that if I had to fly and live all those life-winds again, all the chills and warmth, the same as they happened before only to be here again with you now, I would," she hummed.
He could summon no words to answer her and had to settle for giving her a soft nose-nuzzle. For her to say that having him in her life was good enough that she would willingly endure all of that again was almost unbelievable of her. They returned to the other Furies, and all lay close by together to rest in peace without any great rush or haste to fly. There were plenty of scouts still on patrol to warn everyone if there were any threats. There were none out here in the complete wilderness.
"How long have you known about the egg? How long do you have now?" Shadowwing whispered.
"Half a moon-cycle, and I can carry it that long if I must. I must drop it and sing to it after that though," Luna answered.
He held her a bit tighter under his wing.
"We will be in the hidden world long before long. Green-Wings, do you have an egg now?"
"Yes, you doubt that my mate and I flew well?" Green-Wings teased.
"How could I? You both fly... much," Shadowwing chuckled back at her.
"I told you that we would not fail in our flight and let you both catch up to us!" Was-Grounded smugly grinned.
"What is he teasing you about?" Luna chuckled.
"My always-close-to-my-liver brother challenged me to a life-race to see which of us will have more eggs. Who will be sire-fathers to more little ones?" Shadowwing explained.
"We are flying ahead of you at this race now and always!" Was-Grounded laughed freely.
Shadowwing rolled his eyes at the taunting remark and hummed with a question.
"How big can nests be? We only have one egg in a season-cycle, but how many eggs can a pair of life-mates have over a full life?"
They all looked around at each other, none of them having an answer.
"None of us saw old life-mates to be able to learn that from. I do not know. Why do you wonder?" Was-Grounded asked.
"Because ground-kin females stop being able to make little ones after enough season-cycles. I do not know if that is true with us."
Luna and Green-Wings shared a glance and a questioning purr.
"We do not know. We will all fly the winds of life and learn," Green-Wings eventually answered.
Luna laughed again and shared another glance with Green-Wings.
"More little ones that we can count on our paws. Maybe," Luna whispered.
Both females chuckled at each other, clearly sharing some inside joke.
Was-Grounded added his own throaty peals.
"I do not know if this hidden world will be big enough for us all. We will fill the hidden skies with our kin! Sire-fathers and dam-mothers of them all!"
All four of them lost restraint at that remark and fell on the sands together. Cries filled the skies and tails thrashed with abandon, at least until Shadowwing recovered himself. He took his place at Luna's side and addressed the others with a slightly wary croon.
"But... we will need to think about nest-sizes once we are in the hidden world."
"Nest-sizes?" Was-Grounded wondered.
"We cannot be too many, or there will not be enough food for all in whatever range we live in," Shadowwing explained.
The other three grumbled softly at that and shared glances with each other.
"What does that mean for us?" Green-Wings asked.
"It means that we will need to learn how many Furies, other kin, and ground-kin can live together. We make sure that our nest-packs do not become too big."
"No flying together?" Was-Grounded barked in dismay.
Green-Wings and Luna laughed openly at that.
"No, not no flying together. Only, we might need to fly together when we will not get an egg from it. That is still liver-warming, yes?" Shadowwing grimaced as he glanced at both females.
They spared a glance at each other and at their mates.
"It is different and not the normal way, but it might be what we must do. And yes, my life-mate, it is liver-warming," Luna answered.
"And belly-warming," Was-Grounded snickered.
"Brother!" Shadowwing exclaimed.
The laughing started again, drawing looks from many of the others on the beach.
Valka finally approached. She was clearly anxious even though she had a faint grin from having watched the recent hilarity.
"S... Shadowwing, can we talk?" she whispered.
He got to his feet, glanced back at the other Furies, took some comfort from their encouraging hums, and followed her, knowing that this could be a painful talk. They walked together away from everyone else so that they could speak and write freely. However, they started by staring out over the ocean together without saying anything for a long time.
"I... don't know where to start," she sighed.
Nor I
"Why?"
He sat down on his rear and stared at the sand for a long time to gather his thoughts on that simplest and most complicated question.
I met Mimir again
"What?" she exclaimed.
I was dead
After the lightning hit me
Grimmel shot me
She stared blankly in evident disbelief and shock.
Mimir said that humans
Should not be allowed there
He lost hope that you are good
She said nothing for a long time until a single tear rolled down her cheek. She somehow seemed to overlook his mention of being dead for a while. Perhaps it helped that he was not dead now.
"Why?" she gasped.
He remembered many dragons' deaths
All because of humans
"He was very sad the first time I met him, but he did not say anything like that..."
Sigh.
"You agreed with him?" she whispered.
He winced at that comment.
I did not know if humans can live there
It is a very different world
"I lived in the Bewilderbeast's nest for twenty years. If I can do it... any of us can. Stubbornness issues... If we could survive on Berk where it snows nine months of the year and hails the other three... I think we can make it in a massive, bright cave where dragons can live."
He warily growled softly.
There is danger from other dragons
They may not want you there
But we will protect you all
We Furies and all bonded dragons for sure
Valka solemnly nodded at that.
"Thorvald and I talked about it with the other families already. That is a risk we would gladly take. We trust you. Occupational hazard and all. When has being a dragon's friend ever been safe? And with all the dragon hunters and ships out there, everyone knows where we are now. We would be on the map anywhere we would go."
Fair point
"It might help if as many people as possible are wearing the scale-armor though when we go down there."
Crazy feral vigilante dragon people
Guess they needed more of this
He gently nudged her side with a paw. They both chuckled at that, and Valka glanced over toward the other Furies.
"What did Luna say to you? I saw her talking to you both for a while... when we were... on the beach," she whispered very softly.
Everything we needed to hear
This was her idea
He sighed.
It will be a very different world for everyone
"But we will figure it out... together. That is what family does, right?" she gently put a hand on his shoulder.
Together, they glanced back at all the resting people and dragon and dragon-rider pairs that were happy and content simply to be. He was quite overcome with feeling at her words and at what he saw before him.
He reached out and put an arm around her back to gather her in for a hug.
"Oh son..." she gasped.
He rolled onto his back and pulled her onto his belly. He held her with both arms and purred warmly.
Got you!
"You! What are you doing! Unholy offspring!" she laughed as well.
The tickling started, which was quite unfortunate for him as he could not as easily and safely dislodge her as he could a fellow Fury.
"And it is ugly! Dragons and humans, enemies forever!" she laughed.
No, please stop.
He rolled slightly and aggravated one of the burns on his back. He froze with a growl and winced at the pain that suddenly flared. She noticed and stopped her tickle attack.
"Son?"
He let go of her and carefully rolled onto his side before slowly getting up with a wince.
The burns hurt a bit
I forgot about them
She frowned and gave him a piteous sigh as she looked at them.
"Sorry... they look... quite impressive to be honest. And you are sure that you have no idea what happened? No idea why you were struck?"
He only slowly shook his head.
Maybe one day I will explain it to you mom. Or at least try to. Not sure I understand it all myself.
"Come on, you should be proud of those even if they hurt a bit. You big baby boo!" she nervously chuckled as she picked up her discarded staff.
"Big baby boo," he grumbled and huffed.
She weakly laughed at his teasing reply. He glanced at her after a moment had passed and saw her staring at him in confusion.
"What did you just say?" she asked.
The tease?
She briskly nodded once.
Big baby boo
She stepped back and steadied herself with her staff.
What is going on mom?
"I thought I heard you... say... that," she slowly whispered.
Yeah, so what are you... WAIT!
He stepped back a few paces from her and stared in shock. All sound around them seemed to cease as they warily regarded each other without looking away. His thoughts started flying impossibly fast.
Is it possible? I mean... I guess I never really tried. Humans cannot hear what we say to each other in our language and definitely cannot speak it. They don't have the ears or throat for it. But maybe... maybe I can make sounds they can hear if I... oh gods... I am an idiot.
He slowly bent down to the sand and wrote with a trembling claw.
I need lots of practice
If it is possible at all
She slowly nodded, seeming to recover something of her inner poise.
"Yeah, let's not try to change everything about the world right now. We will have enough to get used to soon anyway. But think about what this means if... if you can, all of you Furies can. Maybe other kinds."
Together, they looked over toward all the resting Furies, the other children having returned from meeting with their human friends and wherever else they had wandered off to.
"What if," Valka whispered.
Shadowwing closed his eyes and sighed.
What if indeed.
Valka started across the sands toward the other Furies as he followed behind her. The three oldest children got to their feet and hopped over to her to greet her with warm purrs. After sharing words with them, she walked on up to Luna, who gave her a warm croon as well.
Valka slowly held up her hands to Luna's chin and let the Light Fury touch her first.
"Thank... you... Luna..." Valka whispered as he gently leaned her forehead against Luna's nose.
Luna had no time to react before Moon-Dancer decided that he had not played enough and launched himself at Valka. Valka fell onto her side on the sands and was viciously attacked by the laughing yearling even as Shadowwing and Luna stared warmly at the play.
Luna chuckled.
"Kin-liver is like a second dam-mother to him... and me."
"Why for you?" Shadowwing purred.
"She gave me life and the skies by healing my wings."
Shadowwing purred.
"And you are like the dam-mother of the mixed-nest that will be, Luna. You did the same for us all."
She laughed openly at that, as did Was-Grounded and Green-Wings.
Was-Grounded glanced at his oldest who were laying on the ground next to him and his mate.
"What is twisting you, my little ones?"
Dawn-Singer, Aurora, and Rain-Eater gave each other glances before speaking. Their eyes and ears fell slightly.
"Why did you not say what was happening with the kin flight?" Dawn-Singer eventually asked.
"We had to do what was best for the nest. It was not your decision to make," he answered.
"But the two-legs are as kin to us. You would have us break the nest?" Aurora whined.
"They are close to our livers," Rain-Eater bobbed his head.
Green-Wings sadly hummed at them.
"The skies are not that clear, little ones. There is much danger in bringing the ground-kin two-legs with us to this hidden range," she explained.
"Danger? What danger?" Rain-Eater warily asked.
"Other kin might try to hurt them because they do not want two-legs in hiding with them," Was-Grounded explained.
"But our ground-kin never hurt kin!" Aurora protested.
"Other two-legs do though. The other ranges of the world are not safe for us. That is why all kin must go into hiding now. Kin that flew in the above might have been hurt much by two-legs," Was-Grounded answered.
The nestmates glanced at each other again.
"But we will protect our ground-kin," Dawn-Singer firmly declared with a faint growl.
"Yes, we will," Aurora added.
"They trust us to keep them safe in this new world after they flew from the Haven range. And we will," Dawn-Singer continued.
Was-Grounded reflected on it later after his young had fallen asleep next to him and Green-Wings. Everything that happened so recently reminded him of something else that had happened many season-cycles ago.
The kin from fire-nest-island lost their home there and trusted the two-legs. The bond two-legs and Hiccup's sire protected the kin from the bad, rotted two-legs in the nest. Now we will do that for them. It is only fair to protect them now that they cannot stay in the above.
He sighed and looked out to the horizon.
I wonder what this world will look like.
It was very late in the afternoon, almost sunset even, when the massive flight finally arrived on the third day since departure.
The nondescript island, complete with its central peak, cliffs, beaches, trees, and even the strange and forgotten ruins, lay before them. Over the fields, the slopes, and the forest their flight took them until all descended toward a plain next to one of the mountains.
Shadowwing flew them all down toward the massive cave that glowed from within with a faint pale green light. The entire tribe, all their dragons, and all the wild ones started settling down on the plain before the cave.
"That is a big cave," Was-Grounded hummed as he stared with amazement.
"Wait until you see what is below. All of home-nest-island could be in the cave under the waters," Shadowwing answered.
He walked up alongside Thorvald and Valka. The former was staring at the cave in open awe, as were all the other humans in the extended tribe.
"That is it? Our new home?" Thorvald wondered.
"Yes, the hidden world. Or at least that is a door to it. It is amazing," Valka answered.
"I'll take your word for it. Well, there is no point sitting around out here and waiting. Shadowwing, shall we fly?" Thorvald asked.
They all turned around and looked at the assembly of humans and about three hundred dragons. All seemed impatient, in part due to it being a bit cooler this far north.
Yeah, no point unpacking everything just to pack back up.
Shadowwing stepped over to Valka and gently nudged her scale-armor gear.
"Yeah, everyone who has any is getting theirs on too," Thorvald answered.
Shadowwing nodded and hummed in answer as he stepped away from them and walked toward the cave. He flared his wings and gave a loud roar while glowing softly with command.
Fly down into hiding. Go fly on your own. No more being hunted. Safety finally at home.
The roar was echoed all across the plain as bonded dragons flew to their humans and picked them up along with the supplies being brought. Thorvald and Valka both ran back to their dragons, and wild dragons began spiraling in the sky with their broods.
Shadowwing bounded over to Was-Grounded.
"Brother, will you lead the flight down? The winds are warm, and the light is much. It would be good to have an Alpha lead all. I will fly with the tail of the flight."
"It is a strange range and skies for me," Was-Grounded answered.
"You will feel much warmth in the range though. It will make your liver burn hot when you see the rocks that burn with light," Shadowwing happily hummed.
"Are you well to fly last?" Was-Grounded warily asked.
"Yes, and if I do have problems I will have Luna with me."
Was-Grounded nodded, hopped over to his family, shared a few words with them, and they all leapt for the sky. All of them, Was-Grounded, Green-Wings, Dawn-Singer, Aurora, Rain-Eater, and Mist-Wings, joined voices, roared aloud as one, and flew into the massive cave.
As the last flight in the open skies began.
The wild dragons flew first after them, almost swarming to return to a hive as they filled the skies with roars. The rush of wings formed into a massive line that vanished within the cave. All the wild dragons having flown their flight, all the bonded dragons lifted for the sky and flew within as well with Valka on Cloudjumper and Thorvald on Hookedfang at the head of the flight.
And all the while, Shadowwing stood at Luna's shoulder and stared off into the west at the approaching sunset.
"Where are the kin and two-legs flying?" Moon-Dancer asked from beside them both.
Shadowwing and Luna shared a warm glance between them before answering the question.
"They are flying to a new home-range, my little one," Luna hummed.
"It must be a big cave for all to fly in!" Moon-Dancer exclaimed.
"Yes, my son. It is much bigger than the old-home-range," Shadowwing added.
The last of the other dragons finally flew within the cave, leaving only the three of them behind. The entire plain was empty of any visible signs that anyone or anything had passed this way. All was silent save for the wind and their own soft purring.
"Look at it, my life-mate," Shadowwing whispered.
A bright red glow filled the sky as the sun was half vanished beyond the horizon. The brilliant white moon shone clearly overhead.
"I remember the first time I saw the sunfall and the moon that looked like me," Luna hummed.
An eager fledgling hopped up on her back.
"They make me feel warm and happy!" Moon-Dancer added.
"And now we will see no more of them. I do not think I will ever see these skies again," Luna solemnly whispered.
She stretched out a wing and draped it over Shadowwing's back.
"But that is not bad. I flew these skies to find something that I did not have. I have it now, and I will fly the winds of life in warmth," she added.
Shadowwing tore his gaze away from the sunset and faced her, quiet acceptance in his eyes.
"We should go and fly home," he whispered.
The three of them took to the air and flew at Moon-Dancer's pace as they left behind the open skies and began the descent into and down the cave. It was exactly as he remembered. The cave's walls glowed with the pale light from moss as they flew. A faint wind blew in their faces as they slowly glided down, down, down, following after the large flights that had flown before them. Distant cries echoed from ahead as the voices of dragons ahead bounded up the cave.
"Wow!" Moon-Dancer roared aloud.
Wow indeed, my son...
Just as he had done many years ago and after descending for an unknown amount of time, they burst out of the massive cave and into the open air of an impossibly large chamber filled with green, light, and life.
"Shadowwing! Moon-Dancer! Look at it!" Luna cried aloud and spun in a roll out of joy.
He brushed her wing as they flew, and took in the view as they passed through the hidden skies. It seemed almost familiar to him now after his previous experience in a far distant corner of the hidden world. The massive supporting rock columns had the same glowing spikes of crystal while the bases of the columns were shrouded in darkness and mystery. Parts of the chamber were covered in a forest made of mushrooms, mosses, and other alien plants while other parts of the chamber were the same large lakes that he remembered from long ago. The plants themselves even glowed with all the colors of the rainbow. Something almost like a sparkling or glowing mist filled places in the chamber.
The only major difference from how he remembered it was that there were many more dragons now. Their presence filled the air with a more constant drone or hum of activity. And they were all flying in the same direction toward what looked like a brightly glowing passageway at a far corner of the chamber.
They must have all flown that way.
The three of them followed all the other dragons in their flight. It was a storm of wings, roars, and calls all around them. Between spires of light and dark rock, over swarms of tiny orange dragons, around massive glowing mushrooms, along something like a flowing river, along sparkling and roaring waterfalls, and eventually down into a very large passageway filled with the bright glowing crystals.
Where are we going?
They emerged from the passageway into a chamber that dwarfed the previous one in its scale. His jaw fell open as he beheld it in full. It was a bowl-shaped, rocky chamber filled with crevices all along the walls. In the center of the chamber stood the largest and brightest crystal of all, jutting out many lengths from the rocky ground at a slight angle. All kinds of dragons perched on the walls or lay on the ground all around the crystal as though in an audience. Almost every kind of land or sky dragon represented in the Book of Dragons seemed to be present as well as others that were completely new.
He gasped in alarm when he saw what had to be several dozen dragons angrily flying and swarming over all the Haven survivors down on a rocky corner of the chamber. He beat his flight toward them all as fast as he could, and he saw an amazing sight.
Almost all the Haven dragons were flying as well and forming almost a living barrier over the survivors on the ground. Some of the larger ones on the ground, including Cloudjumper and the Timberjacks, were sheltering people under their wings. There was much roaring and many close calls as swarming dragons were beaten back with teeth and fire. Even the bonded dragons on the ground had their wings lifted wide, teeth bared in warning as they stood around their humans. The larger Furies were hovering nearby and roaring at any of the dangerous dragons that tried to get close.
He blinked and stared in open wonder when he saw that Was-Grounded, Dawn-Singer, and Aurora were glowing slightly with blue light.
So they can do that also! Amazing!
The overall effect was very striking, loud, and worrying.
"Brother, what is this?" Shadowwing shouted.
They both dove to the rocky ground a short dash from the assembled refugees to be able to speak more easily.
"They do not want the ground-kin here," Was-Grounded explained.
Shadowwing grimaced as he looked up at the swarm and the other hissing dragons on the ground.
Well, that is obvious. Those are probably the ones that were in the above before now. The ones that were more hunted and are more afraid.
Luna and Moon-Dancer landed behind him, and his son immediately curled up on her back because he wanted rest after the long flight. Green-Wings joined them a moment later with Mist-Wings and Rain-Eater at her side.
"What are we going to do?" Was-Grounded asked.
"We cannot stay in this place. Maybe we can..." Shadowwing started to answer.
"Monsters!" a voice shouted from the open air.
"What?" Shadowwing, Was-Grounded, Luna, and Green-Wings all exclaimed together.
Shadowwing checked with life-fire-sight and gasped in shock at what he saw. Circling above them in the open air, completely hidden to other eyes, was a bright light.
"A Light Fury!" he shouted in amazement.
The other three lifted their voices high and waited. They did not need to wait long before something happened.
A male Light Fury appeared from nothingness in the sky and dove down toward them, touching down and bounding up a safe distance from them. He was noticeably smaller than they were but was also very quick and agile. He had many old scars on his back and sides. His wings had what looked like old tears that had healed long ago. This one was clearly a fighter of some kind or had seen much in his life.
The strange Light Fury stared first at Luna and at the other three of them in a mix of obvious amazement and alarm.
"You are dark wings," he spoke.
"Brother, are we dark wings?" Shadowwing teased.
"The last time that I looked at you, yes, we were," Was-Grounded answered.
"And you, what is your name?" Shadowwing asked.
"I am a Far-Watcher for the packless ones. Why are there Monsters here now? Did you bring those... things?" the Light Fury hissed.
Luna stepped forward without hesitation after Shadowwing plucked Moon-Dancer from her back.
"They are not Monsters. They are ground-kin. And no, these dark wings did not say to bring them here. I did," she confidently declared.
The male's already cold eyes narrowed.
"You... you brought two-leg Monsters into the hidden ranges! Do you know what you have done? They all must die!"
All three Night Furies snarled openly and bared their teeth at him in an instant.
"You do not know what these ground-kin two-legs have done! They have joined life-flights with the kin! They have fought and died to protect these kin from true Monsters!" Luna calmly answered.
The male stepped back from them and growled angrily.
"You, female, you have joined flights with those Monsters and these thought-twisted and rotted dark wings. You are no light wing, you are not one of us!"
If his words were meant to strike at her, they did not have the intended effect.
She only laughed.
"No, if you are what it is to be a light wing, then I am not a light wing. I am a Light Fury!"
"What?" he growled and pawed angrily at the rock.
"Yes, and these two Night Fury males are Alphas of many kin. What are you going to do? Attack an Alpha's life-mate when she is carrying his egg and he is standing with her? It would be the last thing you ever do. We have grounded far more dangerous things than you," she stepped toward him and snarled.
"I helped kill a male dark wing much bigger than you! He threatened my mate. I tore off that male's wings," Green-Wings added with ire in her normally calm voice.
The male Light Fury stepped back from them, still growling softly but no longer appearing to openly consider an attack.
Shadowwing took the opportunity to take a very deep breath and step forward.
"We do not want fighting or killing. We, the ground-kin two-legs, and all the kin in our flight, only want to live in peace. Where is the Alpha of this range?"
The male Light Fury warily regarded him for several moments before he decided to answer.
"Gone," he snarled.
"There is no Alpha?" Was-Grounded interjected in surprise.
"No High-Alpha. He left the rock-light-place so he could die in peace and not leave a body to rot. That is where the High-Alpha perched over all in this flock-making place."
The four of them shared a glance up at the prominent glowing crystal outcropping that rose up into the chamber.
Shadowwing had a thought, a suspicion.
"Do you remember what he looked like?"
"Yes," the Light Fury answered.
"Was he a white kin a little bigger than us and with soft spines on his back and a very long tail. Not a light wing as you say."
"Yes."
"Did he have a name?"
"He-Who-Remembers."
Mimir... he was the last High-Alpha or King down here in this part of the hidden world?
"I do not much trust you for bringing those two-leg Monsters into this range. The other true light wings in the pack think the same as I do," the male continued.
Luna snarled openly at that.
"If you only knew how much bad was in my life-flight because of bad two-legs. But I do not hate these two-legs for the wrongs and rot of others," she explained.
"They are all the same! All rotted thrall-makers and kin-hunters!"
"You do not know what you are talking about," Luna answered.
"I saw two-legs kill hatchlings and crush eggs! Do not tell me that I do not know!"
The four of them stared in surprise at his fierce words that held such pain in them. He slowly caught his breath and calmed though, especially when he saw Moon-Dancer and Mist-Wings nervously staring at him.
"Many of these kin and all in my pack remember. They were out in the bad world beyond until the High-Alpha called them to hiding here and in other ranges. We left the beyond several season-cycles ago."
Shadowwing started in surprise as he remembered that detail from his vision with Mimir.
He really did call the other dragons into hiding. How powerful was he?
"You are wrong about the ground-kin. They are not Monsters," Luna insisted.
The male Light Fury only snarled softly.
"Think about the Monsters how you want. Many kin here do not want those things, and we true light wings will not stay anywhere near those Monsters. They have hurt us enough already, and nothing can change what they did or are. I must tell others of this," the male firmly declared.
The male Light Fury flew off and vanished in a flash of fire in the sky. Shadowwing briefly checked and confirmed that it was indeed flying off down a far passageway.
The four of them looked to each other in weary, deep thought.
"Now what? We are not welcome to stay in this range here with our ground-kin," Was-Grounded observed.
A silent moment passed between them as they all looked around the massive chamber.
"They could not stay in this range here, I think. This place with rock does not have what they need or even what we need. This is not a roosting-range," Luna answered.
"We can find another range for them, but the kin here do not have much trust and have hurt livers..." Was-Grounded groaned.
"Brother, I have an idea," Shadowwing purred.
"What?"
"How bright is our light?"
Was-Grounded followed his gaze and froze when he saw where Shadowwing was staring.
"What are you thinking?" Was-Grounded exclaimed.
Shadowwing turned back to him and gave him a happy growl.
"We are Alphas of our kin flight. I say we go become High-Alphas of this range!"
"And tell the kin that they do not need to fear these ground-kin," Was-Grounded whispered.
"Yes. We cannot make them not fear, but we can make them hear. Those who will not listen to us will fly away to other ranges. Those who will listen and can be peaceful will bend their wings to us, I think. Bring all your nest-kin with you up onto the light-rock," Shadowwing answered.
They flew back to the gathering on the ground, quite thankful that the swarm of angered dragons circling overhead had dispersed, and shared the necessary words, Shadowwing by using a bit of the precious paper. Shadowwing and Was-Grounded turned their flights to the massive central crystal and landed on it. All the other Furies, Night, Light, and Dawn, flew up from the Haven crowd and landed next to them both.
Both families stood as one on that crystal in that moment. The children all eagerly examined the rock that they were standing on, none of them having seen such a thing before.
Was-Grounded bounded over to Green-Wings and nuzzled her nose.
"What are you doing?" Green-Wings whispered.
"Remember what I told you at the ice nest? You do not bow to me," he answered her.
Luna stepped closer to Shadowwing and purred to him, knowing already what would happen.
"Luna, I will never have you bend your wings to me," Shadowwing hummed.
She only hummed softly and glanced toward the glowing rock while Moon-Dancer stood nearby.
Shadowwing and Was-Grounded turned away from their families, spared a very nervous glance at each other, and looked out the crystal to the natural high ledge it formed. They could already see countless shining eyes fixed on them now, but they would be visible to all once they stood fully up there.
"I am afraid," Shadowwing whispered.
"Me too," Was-Grounded whispered back.
They glanced back at each other and gave twined toothless grins.
"As one?" Shadowwing asked.
"Always," Was-Grounded answered.
They started walking side by side. Step by step up the gentle slope of that glowing rock. Slowly walking higher and higher along the smooth surface. Feeling their inner warmth growing hotter with each step and click of their claws and swish of their tails on the glowing rock. The burn in their hearts grew as they held their heads high.
Sacrifices made, lessons learned, battles won, scars gained, comfort given, families started, duties answered, and fates embraced.
They finally stood on the edge of the overlook, and they looked out over the world around them. Many hundreds of dragons, maybe over a thousand, representing all types were present and interspersed apparently at random on the strange ground, up on the wall ledges, in distant waterways, and still winging in from passageways, perhaps summoned by the echoing calls of all gathered together. They both faintly noticed, as if it was only a curiosity, that there was a single-tusked Bewilderbeast off in the distance near a large watery pool. The fallen Alpha was merely resting there in peace among all the free dragons.
They stepped over to opposite sides of the crystal ledge, threw out their glowing wings, and took very deep breaths.
They roared as one.
Two claimed the position together, neither having sought after it for themselves.
Two who had suffered from the worst abuses of power and betrayal.
Two who had learned to trust the other implicitly in all things.
Two who filled their thoughts with a plea to allow those who look very different and who have no other place a chance at peace and a new home.
Two who watched with acceptance as hundreds of dragons in the chamber growled defiantly and turned their tails for distant passageways and far caverns.
Two who watched as all the hundreds of dragons that remained down below in the chamber bowed their heads and wings and raised their voices in roars of acclaim.
Two who watched as several dozen human families bowed and cheered wildly for them alongside their dragons.
Two who were Brothers and Kings.