sorry for the wait
THE CUBS WON THE WORLD SERIES (shouts expletives in joy)
thanks to my editor who is amazing
"What is the meaning of this, my son?" the gargantuan black dragon bellowed, silencing everything but the lapping of the waves against the beaches shore.
"Toothless? Is he..." he stuttered. Hiccup, only just conscious, let the word father hang in the air but Toothless knew exactly what he meant to say.
"I don't know..." Toothless crooned back, trying to think a way out of the terrifying situation. After a few seconds of awkward staring, the titanic dragon began to twitch with impatience. "Umm..." Toothless stuttered. A few more waves impacted the Cliffside as Toothless internally panicked.
Hiccup and Toothless wouldn't remember what happened next other than the terrifying effect the alpha had on both of them. It was as if the dragon's menacing presence itself was enough to torment them. Surprisingly, this feeling of unease wasn't far from the truth.
"I am the alpha! You WILL obey me! You WILL tell me what is going on!" He roared, stepping closer.
Toothless dropped to a knee almost instantly. " Yes, my alpha," he chanted as the alien tugging in his mind forced his body to work. Hiccup barely stopped his battered body from getting off Toothless and doing the same, even with the gaping back wound. His words felt like an unstoppable wave of emotion and control, one of utter power. Somehow Hiccup knew that Toothless had felt like this before. Hiccup didn't ask many questions about the miraculous ability they had gained that allowed Hiccup to connect with Toothless, but that changed as the ghost of a memory slipped into his head. Toothless had done the same thing before, years ago.
He always described the experience of being mentally dominated by the queen as terrifying. Assuming the urges he felt now were similar, he agreed completely but he knew that couldn't stop him. Hiccup was tired of not being able to protect himself. It was the reason he spent weeks stitching together dragon scales and months pounding out steel for his weapons. It was the reason why he spent years practicing with his sword. It was the reason why he pushed himself off of the blood drenched saddle to stare down the giant.
"Let him go," Hiccup hissed. He ignored the immense pain that sitting had caused him; he had bigger problems to deal with now. For a few long seconds, Hiccup thought his attempts at intimidation would work, but that changed in a flash.
"Ha!" he roared, showing every one of his razor sharp teeth. "And you think you can stop me?" He asked sharply, stepping closer to examine the boy on his son's back.
"Let him go," he snarled louder, throwing his body off Toothless to stand on his own and face the dragon on his own two feet. It was at that point that Hiccup remembered that he had a set of nightfury claws rip through his back and he was unable to stand. He hit the ground with a thud as his legs gave out and his mind followed shortly behind, leaving only Toothless and his father conscious on the rocky shore.
"Let's find out what he really thinks about his slave master," He warbled with a smile. Even though his eyes were screaming and internally he wanted to escape, Toothless stood solid as a statue. The green eyes that gazed into him flashed with a dull light and time for everyone else stopped and the world faded into blackness. He dived into his son's mind.
"what is this place?" he asked himself as he opened his eyes again. A dragon's mind was almost always a reflection of their home, no matter how much tampering, but this was not their island, nor his cave.
The sky was dark and starless in the small mossy cove. Even with his tough scales and inner fire ,the wind still chilled his bones. The wind tore through the grass and shook the trees behind him pushing him further away from its source. Pushing forward he trudged on, eventually spotting the black shape he was looking for curled up against the wall.
"What could have done this?"
The wind grew stronger as he approached, wrapping around the shape with an intensity that would have sent normal dragons flying. Then it stopped and he toppled forward. In the eye of the storm sat a lone nightfury curled up against the wall. A set of long claw marks crawled along his back and blood pooled around them.
"Shadow?"
No response came from the motionless dragon other than a very subtle twitch.
"Shadow?" he called again timidly.
"Toothless, your dad wants you." a weak, human voice replied from under the dragon.
"Let go of him!" He hissed at the human under his son before stepping closer.
"No," his son whimpered back, clutching his wounded friend closer to his chest.
"Why do you insist on sheltering that… Thing!?"
Toothless pulled in closer to the wall, shielding Hiccup with his body and thought back. He did not mean to throw his father into the memory but he would not remember the experience later to regret it.
With a surge of the wind the alpha was ripped away from them and tossed back to the sky. When the wind calmed he was looking through his son's eyes. It was dusk over the ocean and the pack that was following him began to descend upon the village. Toothless swept low over the island and began the assault with a quick plasma bolt to one of the towers. Toothless could have sworn he had destroyed the same one last time but the humans rebuilt so fast he could not be sure.
He made another pass.
The alpha felt pride well up inside him as his son incinerated another viking building on the humans inconsequential island. Vast, cool and cloudless, the night sky greeted him as he turned to make another run. That's when he felt it. A brief second after a crack had cut the night air he felt something wrap around him. He was falling. Seeing the ground coming through the canopy, he closed his eyes. When he opened them it was later, much later.
Searing pain ran down his tail and up the rest of his body. He was shot down by the humans and would eventually starve, he knew that. Closing his eyes, he waited for the inevitable death that would await him, if he was lucky they would make it quick but he knew better than to assume that the gods were on his side.
He awoke to rustling in the distance and a branch snapping and closed his eyes again, trying to let sleep take the pain away. He told himself it was just a deer but he doubted that. When he felt the soft pressure on his torso, he warbled and twitched. It might have been mere moments before his death but somehow he still managed to find the shocked look in the small human's eyes comedic. Even though it was small for their kind, he knew the boy would easily end him, especially when he listened to the humans' mad ravings, " I'm going to kill you dragon. I'm gonna' cut out your heart and take it to my father. I'm a viking, I am a VIKING!" He waited for the blade to slay him... but it didn't. What was wrong? Was he planning to kill him slower? Force him to starve to death?... "I did this." The ropes were snapping. What was going on? Did he want to fight me standing up? No, he was much too weak. As soon as he could move, the downed nightfury pinned the boy against a nearby rock and screeched with all of his pent up fury and confusion.
"Why?!"
He knew the human couldn't understand but he didn't care. Everything was wrong. In the boy's eyes, there was no anger, no fury, no lust for battle that was supposed to exist in every human. The only thing he saw in those green pools were fear and sorrow. He saw himself. He loosened his grip around the frail neck and ran, he needed to think.
With that the world came crashing back to reality as his son passed out from pain. Toothless still felt the pain, even though Hiccup was unconscious and it became too much for him to bear.
The alpha just stood there, shocked beyond word, questioning the actions of every human he had ever encountered. Were all humans this way or did his son just encounter the one freak among them and why was he in his son's mind? He wouldn't find out by letting him die.
"Should I kill the human, Sir?" asked one of the nightfurys who had been beaten by Hiccup earlier.
"No... Take them to the healer, make sure the human survives," he ordered, trying to keep his serious tone while dealing with what he just saw.
Later
A light drizzle passed over the island wrapping the dragons that flew above the canopy in a cloak of rain. Three nightfurys flew closer to the cave carved into the sheer cliff of the island's mountain. Two of them carried the unconscious body of a dragon but the grey old dragon who watched their approach didn't care much about them. What the she did care about was what was being carried in the one remaining dragon's paws. There had not been a (welcome) human on the night's isle for hundreds of years and now it appeared that one was to be entrusted into her care. Why hadn't they just killed him already? If her constant pleading hadn't changed the stubborn bastard's mind what had the boy done differently? How had a hatchling impressed the alpha enough to let him come here for care? Moonseeker, the pale grey dragon who's aging blue eyes scanned the approaching dragon, was the best healer on the island and the eldest among the inhabitants. She remembered the humans from before, and she knew of their capacity for good or evil; even though she did not like them, she did not want to see them killed.
Now that they got closer she could make out the individual dragons. Caliban and Crow carefully flew the limp body of the island's lost heir down to the grassy moist patch of dirt outside the cave while Bloodshot unceremoniously dropped a human next to the healer before flying off without another word.
Her mind kicked into overtime.
Why is the human here? Who is he? Why is shadow here? Why does he not have a tailfin? Why is the human alive? Why do all of you look upset? What happened to both of them?
Carefully containing the torrent of thoughts, she turned her curious gaze to the fleeing dragon.
"The human beat her and three others with little more than a scratch," Caliban explained pointing his claw at the unconscious, wounded human, who was face down in the dirt.
"What?!"
Not only had the human changed the alpha's stance on humans, he bested the dragon who many considered the best fighter on the island. He would have some noticeable scars if he did survive but it was impressive nonetheless.
Caliban and Crow picked up the saddled heir and drug him carefully into the cave, answering the old dragon's questions as they went. "What happened to shadow? Why is his tail missing? Why is he wearing a saddle?"
"I am not quite sure... It appears that the human has enslaved him but the alpha appears to think otherwise," Calibian explained.
"And the alpha's word is law," they crooned in unison. The younger dragons did not detect the scorn laced in Moonseeker's words that had formed over the years. She carefully grabbed the human in her jaws and carried the limp and bleeding figure into her home. A gradual decline of smooth stone led the group into the fur covered floor where she treated her patients. Along the walls, small shelves were dug into the rockface, each one containing a wide variety of medical herbs and remedies. They dropped the bodies on the soft floor and began to peel the armor off the human.
"Has Shadow given testimony about this?"
Crow shook her head, "He said he didn't remember us and refused to talk until he got his human back."
"So he doesn't remember anything?" she echoed, shaking her head.
"He didn't even remember his name... he prefered the name given by this... human." With the last painful word, Caliban tore off the dragon scale garment which protected the rest of the human's soft flesh. Moonseeker had grown tired of trying to convince her clan of the great good that humans could achieve when given the chance so she didn't snap back at the young dragon's baseless hatred. Crow carefully gathered up the human's equipment and his prosthetic leg then placed it in one of the empty holes in the wall while the other two got to work.
"Do you think Bloodshot's ok?"
"I don't think anyone would react well after their mate suddenly returned with no memory and failing to kill who caused it." Caliban guessed with a hiss of disgust.
"How do you know the human was responsible?" she asked, stopping the work she was doing.
"I.. uhhh" he stuttered while Crow stuck to the shadows, eager to avoid the elders tirade that he knew was coming.
"You judged before you heard the full story and ignored every explanation given by a human who can't even understand us? Did you even listen to hear what Shadow thinks ?"
"He... well... He could understand us," he stuttered with his head hung low in shame.
"He understood you?"
Caliban nodded.
…
...
"umm... Moonseeker?"
"Right, my apologies. I can take it from here. "
"We shall be off then. May the shadows hide your wings," Crow said, finishing placing the human's things in the back of the cave.
"And may your words carry good tidings," moonseeker instinctively responded, finishing the traditional blessing. The two dragons left the warm cave, flying out into the misty day that was quickly coming to an end. With them gone she inspected both of them more closely. The human's wounds were obvious. Three long claw marks traced across his back from his left shoulder to his right hip, covering him and the floor in blood.
Shadow's wounds on the other hand were much more interesting, yet they were invisible to all but the most trained eye. Across his back three clusters of muscles were torn and throbbing, mirroring the human's wounds almost perfectly.
After a few hours of work, she finished placing the stitches in the human's back and got to work on Shadow. It only a took a few minutes to rub the ointment on his back but it gave her time to think.
After both patients were treated, she lit a small fire in the corner of the room and looked through the items taken off her patients. Both prosthetics had the same excellent quality of craftsmanship that allowed them to fulfil their purposes excellently. She easily recognized the explosive arrows and sword from the brief description she had been given of the encounter but what caught her attention the most was the shield and its engraving. She was entranced by the bright image of the dragon-metal nightfury circling the shield's center. Staring at the emerald that matched perfectly with Shadow's eyes, she came to a conclusion. She would give the mysterious duo the benefit of the doubt. No slave master would put so much work into making their slave look as this boy had. The dragon on the shield didn't look fierce or intimidating as one would expect, he was happy. The dilated green eyes described the same joy that every dragon felt when flying and no slave would ever show that to his master, not even once.
The night came and the fire became the only sustained light in miles. As the night passed, flashes of blue lit up the dark sky when the mostly nocturnal nightfurys became more active. There was a reason why they were called the offspring of lightning and death after all. To an untrained ear they did sound like rolling thunder.
A particularly close explosion rocked the cave, stirring both of them. As they woke upon the warm ground, both dragon and rider twitched in the same ways. Their front paws were the first thing to move, then their heads, and then after a second both sets of brilliant green eyes shot open in panic. They didn't bother to look around the room and take account of the endless supply of healing equipment, the furs that padded the ground, nor the white dragon hiding in the back of the room. Within a fraction of a second they locked eyes and immediately jumped towards each other. It was only at this point that Hiccup's mind started taking in the details of his situation, the most important being that he was currently naked and missing a foot. To Moonseeker's confusion, the human began the chuckle even before he was caught.
"Well that's just great," the human said sarcastically as the other dragon lowered the human back to the ground.
"We've woken in worse positions," Toothless pointed out, before locking eyes with the old grey dragon watching them from the back of the room and instinctually surrounding Hiccup with his tail.
"At least you have scales, Toothless," Hiccup grumbled before he followed Toothless's eyes to the dark corner that she was hiding in.
Even though it was not intentional, every one of the pairs movements from then on were in sync, down to the smallest detail. The human swung his naked body over the dragon's shoulders and grabbed onto shadow's neck while shadow brought his head up to protect him.
"Where is my saddle?" He hissed. The grey dragon did not respond for a few seconds as she took in the sight before her. Even without the saddle or their prosthetics they were still a fearsome sight.
"Fear not Toothless, all of your and the human's things are safe." She gracefully stepped out of the shadows to let the fire's light completely illuminate her. "I am Moonseeker, one of this clan's elders and it's only healer."
The pair relaxed and Hiccup readjusted himself trying not to dig his groin or legs any farther into Toothless's sharp spines. However painful riding without a saddle while naked was, he didn't get off his friend.
"Why are we here? Why are we alive? " Hiccup asked.
"Such questions have plagued all intelligent life since the beginning of time, but I shall not bore you with my theories, for it is my belief that you have asked the wrong question. I do not know why the alpha spared your lives, only that I have been tasked with treating you."
Toothless and Hiccup looked between the old drake and each other before Hiccup huffed and tore himself off of his friend. He let loose a low curse and all three cringed as Toothless's scales ripped into his leg when Hiccup dismounted.
"Well that's just great," he mocked while the shallow scratch sent blood down his leg.
"I thought you learned to be careful with my scales last time you cut yourself open."
Hiccup shrugged, "Glutton for punishment, I guess." Hiccup collapsed against one of his friend's legs, unable to stand without his prosthetic. He turned to the other dragon in the room who was watching the events unfold with supreme interest.
"Umm.. I'll get bandages," she stammered before bolting to the far wall.
'Well this is wierd…'
' You are probably the first human she has ever seen... Plus you're naked and bleeding all over her floor.'
Hiccup scoffed, 'They were the ones that took my clothes, don't look at me.'
'Speaking of which…' Toothless thought, turning back to the dragon that was waddling back to them, clutching a bundle of bandages in her front paws.
"Would you like me to do it?" she crooned softly. Hiccup shook his head and crawled over to the pile. The closer he got to the old woman the more uneasy Toothless felt.
"Oh calm down you big baby," Hiccup shot. "I can feel you panicking."
'I still don't think I will ever get used to having you in my head…'
' I already have.'
"Umm…" Moonseeker stuttered. From her view, the two had stopped dead in their tracks just to stare at each other without saying a thing. It seemed so familiar to her for some reason.
" Oh, right. Sorry."
"You both should get some rest. You still need it."
"She makes a good point," Toothless added.
Hiccup let a grin sweep over his face, " Two overprotective dragons deciding my every move. How am i going to cope?"
"You know you love it," Toothless shot back, opening his Wings so Hiccup could take refuge against his warm hide.
"You know me too well," Hiccup agreed, allowing himself to be wrapped in the black leathery canvas. Toothless didn't sleep easy. He was afraid how the grey dragon watched them from the corner of the room but eventually Hiccup dragged him into unconsciousness.
As soon as she was sure the mysterious and, dare she say it, cute pair were asleep she skulked out of the cave and flew off to join the others.
The pale dragon glided through the crowded sky in her travel to the alpha's mountain. The glittering sky over the clouded island was spotted of shadows and whispers of nightfurys in the dark. For her, the sight was beautiful, a physical reminder of what she had accomplished over her long life. Each familiar shape normally holding at least one story about a wound cared for or a sickness healed.
Even for a Nightfury the mountain's crater was dark. With her growing age and the poor quality of her eyesight she could only make out the colors of the wide eyes that filled the crater. The alpha, standing in the middle, began the meeting with the topic everyone was really there for.
"Moonseeker," She cringed as he boomed her name. I seek your opinion on the situation concerning my son. She started to notice the differences between him and his son. For one, his eyes were older, more judgmental, not filled with the compassion that she had observed earlier that night.
She knew it was coming. She had been the one who had spent the most time with them by far but the mob of gazes that turned her way was still intimidating. Out of the darkness she noticed the piercing glare of Bloodshot the most. Everyone knew she had been hurt the worst by Shadow's disappearance, and seeing the arrogant youth come back completely different and in the hands of a human didn't make her feel any better. Sighing, she resigned herself to the ridicule that would come after she had made her point made. "I believe the human to hold no ill will towards us." She didn't let the expected growls that came from the wave of eyes phase her.
The alpha's response was low, calm, and collected, but everyone could feel the growing rage that lingered just beneath the surface. "Explain why you believe this, Moonseeker."
"The human could have easily killed many of us, but he didn't."
"Is that all?" he asked, skeptical and annoyed.
"I have also noticed how he treats your son."
"Explain." That one meek word held back a tsunami of rage and she knew it.
She stood to her full height and looked into the eyes of the arrogant youngling that she had watched grow into his position as alpha. "Shadows guide me," she prayed under her breath before she spoke her reply.