Alright! I'm back in buisness! Here's my incredibly long chapter that I promised!

johnnylee619 (5/12): Well, if Astrid saw Hiccup then, I bet she'd try and kill him. But you'll just have to wait for that!

Bluebird42: I'm not sure why you're curious about the axe, but OK! Anyways, since last-last week was review week, I'm assuming last week was finals week, so hope you did well!

Jarjaxle: Well, it was originally called the 'Dark Ages' for a reason. That time was pretty bloody all around.

johnnylee619 (5/19): That review made me feel a lot less bad about not getting the chapter out on time! Thanks!

Esteban: Yay! :D

So enjoy this week's extra-long chapter!

Gobber leaned back in his chair, absentmindedly stroking the cover of the book. Gobber didn't usually think on what he read, but this wasn't what he usually read. To read about his apprentice's secret life with a dragon was… almost impossible to believe. If Gobber hadn't seen the dragon's actions when Hiccup was killed, he would have dismissed it the minute it mentioned 'Toothless'. Of course, Gobber had seen the dragon stop anyone from approaching Hiccup, and had also seen that same dragon fly off with the dying body of Stoick's son.

Which brought Gobber to his next question. He could understand the teen not telling his peers, or even his father, but why keep it from him? Gobber had cared for the boy, and even stepped in when Stoick didn't do a thing.

Gobber's question was soon answered as he looked around his room. Adorned on the walls were the teeth of nearly every dragon he had killed. Gobber used to be one of the best fighters Berk had. Then, he had lost his arm. Not soon after, another dragon went for his leg.

Astrid burst into the room, panting heavily as sweat covered her. Gobber quickly rose from his seat, stuffing the book into his vest.

"Dear Thor, Astrid, what happened?"

Astrid wiped the sweat from her brow, setting her axe down on a table.

"Went out, heard sound, and then…"

Gobber raised a hand. "Let me get you some mead. You look like you could use it."

While Gobber retrieved a wooden cup and poured some mead in, Astrid sat down at the table. Gobber handed Astrid the mead, and sat down opposite her. "Drink first, then tell me what's got you so worked up."

Astrid greedily drank from the cup, downing it all in a single go.

"So, lass, tell me what you heard."

"I went out into the forest, to train. I was just finishing up when I heard the twigs start to snap, one right after another. Every now and then there was a really deep, threatening growl as well. It surprised me, so I ran. After waiting a while, I went back. The creature was gone, but it left footprints. Big, dragon-sized footprints."

"So you think there's a dragon in the woods?"

"That's where the problem is. The footprints didn't look like any dragon's that I've seen before."

"Lass, you're inexperienced, and haven't gone through Dragon Training yet."

"Having Fishlegs as one of your peers makes you know a lot about dragons."

Gobber looked at Astrid for a bit, before relenting. "Alright, I'll bring it up with Stoick after I see it for myself. Show me the way."

The majority of the remaining hour was made in silence. Hiccup was still recovering from the very unpleasant experience of seeing Astrid again, and Toothless knew Hiccup needed time to think.

"Look, Hiccup! That's the Nest!"

Hiccup glanced to where Toothless was looking. "Wait, that's the Nest?"

On the horizon sat a long, black strip, its features indistinguishable.

"Yep, where every dragon goes to lay their eggs, and some even live there year-round!"

"I thought the Nest was in the giant wall of fog, off to the north-west."

Toothless paused momentarily, replying, "No, that's not the Nest."

Hiccup gave Toothless a strange look, confused with the pause. "What is behind there?"

"Nothing, nothing at all." Toothless replied.

Hiccup relented, knowing that when Toothless wanted to keep a secret, it was going to stay a secret.

The pair fell back into silence, and the sun was nearing the horizon behind them when they finally arrived.

"Gods it feels good to rest my wings." Hiccup groaned, falling to the ground. He had to admit; the dragons chose a great spot for their Nest. The water was a wonderful aquamarine that was shallow enough for any hatchlings, and the weather was a great temperature. The only problem Hiccup could spot were holes around the island, filled with water. They appeared to be deep, and Hiccup wondered if any of the dragons had fallen in.

"Get up, we're not done yet."

"Really? What else do we have to do?"

"Well, we need a cave. You know, in case it rains."

"Fine, I'm up."

"Quick, follow me. I'm as tired as you are."

Hiccup trailed behind Toothless. His mind started drifting off and his eyes drooped a little. He continued walking, and didn't notice Toothless abruptly coming to a stop.

"OW, OW, my nose!"

"Well, that certainly woke you up."

Still rubbing his nose with a paw, Hiccup muttered, "Useless reptile."

Toothless didn't hear, or didn't care, and was now searching the side of a small hill. "It should be here somewhere."

"Seireadan!"

Toothless' head jerked to the left, and was just as quickly knocked back to the right as a golden figure slammed into him. Toothless was almost immediately subdued, and the other dragon stood on top. It looked just like a classic dragon; four legs, two wings, a long serpentine tail, but all a bright, golden color. The dragon stood on top of Toothless, one paw slightly forward and head thrown back as if he'd just conquered the world.

"Going off for a few months and I can still beat you!"

Toothless chuckled. "Good to see you too, Selyv."

Selyv jumped off. "So, how've you been? Where did you go anyways?"

"Still as hyperactive as ever, I see."

"And who's the new guy?"

Toothless trotted over to Hiccup. "This is Hiccup, a great friend I've come across."

Selyv turned his head slightly, regarding Hiccup with one eye like a Nadder. "Hiccup, huh? Strange name. We should change it to something better. Like… Annstas!"

Toothless shook his head. "Nope."

"Éanna?"

"That's actually quite suitin-"

"Toothless?"

Selyv fell over, bursting into hysterics. "Toothless!? Oh, that's a good one!"

Toothless rolled his eyes. "Actually, that's what Hiccup here dubbed me."

Selyv looked up, his smile vanishing instantly. "You're joking, right?"

"Nope."

"But, what's wrong with Seireadan? It's a great name, and it suits you! I mean, a wild Night Fury, and… and…" Selyv trailed off at Toothless' unamused expression. "Fine, but I still don't like it."

"You'll warm up to it eventually!" Toothless smiled. Selyv returned it.

"So you're looking for your cave, I assume?"

"Yes, I could have sworn it was here."

"It was, but a human warring party stumbled across the island. There weren't too many of them, although they had this stone-throwing machine that collapsed part of the cave system. Now, to get to your cave, you have to go through the Hall."

"The Hall? You've got to be joking me."

"I'm as serious as you are about your silly name."

Toothless grumbled a little. "Great. Now I get to see all the people I wanted to leave behind."

Hiccup, who was feeling a little left out, perked up at this. Toothless had run away?

"Let's get this over with, then. Come on Hiccup." Hiccup nodded. The three of them walked around the side of the hill, and came across a large opening in the side of the hill.

"Wow, is this natural?"

"Some of it, the rest was carved out by a family of Whispering Deaths."

Hiccup momentarily stopped to admire the size of the opening. It looked like you could have two Nightmares fully stretched out and they would barely touch the ends. Hiccup looked back at Toothless and Selyv, and ran a little to catch up to them.

"So, how did you two meet?" Selyv asked.

Toothless and Hiccup shared a glance. There was a tacit agreement between them not to tell anyone of Hiccup's previous form.

"We met on a really cold island. It was more by chance than anything, and eventually we became friends." Toothless vaguely replied.

"There has to be something more! Some sort of excitement, adventure. It has to be more grand!"

"Nope, that's basically it."

"No death, sorrow, or betrayal?"

Hiccup winced at the words, and Toothless quickly answered, "No, sorry to disappoint you. Nothing."

Selyv's expression fell. "Now that's no fun. There's nothing to put in the Chronicles now. Just some boring travelling."

Hiccup interjected, "Wait, Chronicles, what?"

"Oh yes! The best part of the island is the Chronicles. In it, we put everything that's happened since we first arrived here! And even better, I've been chosen to be the next Naktar! Which means soon, I'll be keeping all the records!"

Toothless gave a small nod. "Wow, after all these years, you finally got it."

"Yep. Deirdre is getting older, so he finally passed on the honor to me."

"And what about the Council? Have they changed at all?"

Selyv winced. "Not at all. They still hate your guts, and still want nothing to do with you. It'll be… interesting to see how they react to you being here."

"Great. I was hoping Morrigan had been replaced by someone else."

"Nope, he's still the Leader."

Hiccup glanced at Toothless. "Ok, so far I'm lost. What's going on?"

Selyv stared at Toothless, open-mouthed, before nearly shouting, "You didn't tell him!?"

Toothless grumbled a little, muttering something that sounded like 'Not really'.

Selyv turned to Hiccup. "Well, as you know, behind the Mist Wall lies the Great Red, and-"

"Great Red?"

Selyv glared at Toothless a little more. "Really?"

"Yes, really, tell him the story."

"Alright, this is the story according to the Chronicles. About 460 years ago, dragons migrated up north, braving the cold. They found this paradise, and claimed it as their Nest. They lived in peace, until, 160 years afterwards, a group of humans sailed north as well. They brought with them tidings of death, war, and fear. They laid siege to our Nest. We fought back, keeping them at bay. But they numbers grew unbelievably fast. 30 years after the humans arrived, a dragon named Bres rose up. He was one of the last of the Zi Muansi dragons. Being the largest, he offered protection to the smaller dragons, and he instilled fear into the humans, pushing them back. Many dragons joined his cause, and he kept his promise and protected us.

"However, 240 years ago, Bres betrayed the dragons. When the dragons were assembled for a meeting, Bres rose up from the pits of his lair and went on a rampage. But, Bres was not out for blood. He smacked dragons into the walls, injuring them, and preventing as many dragons as he could from escaping. Once all the dragons that were able to escape were gone, Bres dragged the siblings, parents, and wives of the injured warriors into a cave, deep in the recesses of his pit. From then on, the dragons were forced to do what Bres ordered, or risk the death of the ones they hold dear. Ever since that day, he's been nicknamed the Great Red, as a symbol for all the blood that he has and will spill.

"As for the dragons that managed to escape, they returned to the Nest, and set up the colony. Bres has continued to attack the humans, and has even gained a few loyal followers since then. While we have remained here, offering a safe haven to any dragon that manages to escape Bres' wrath."

Hiccup was dumbfounded. "So all the attack's on ou… the human colonies were because of Bres?"

"Yes. No dragon under his command would dare to revolt. His followers are among the strongest warriors, but they all pale in comparison the size and strength of Bres."

"So what about Toothless' story?"

"Bres has not only been attacking the human villages, he has also been 'recruiting' forces. He lures dragons in with promises of safety, often using his followers to lure them in as well. Toothless' family was victim to one of these lures. 40 years ago, they were migrating north after the humans villages grew too close to their cave. They fled for safety, and the Great Red, of course, took advantage of this. Using his closest advisor, Aengus, he brought them into the pit. Bres struck quickly, grabbing Toothless' father while Aengus dived for Toothless. Toothless was able to evade the attack, but Aengus switched targets and brought down Toothless' mother. Toothless escaped, and managed to find our island.

"We helped him recover, and the second he was well he wanted to go out and rescue his parents. We managed to dissuade him, telling him we needed time. He cooperated with us for a while. But of course, Toothless wasn't too happy with what was happening around here. He saw no warriors being trained, no scouting parties, nothing to indicate we were going to do anything. Toothless went to the Council, asking them for permission to teach others how to fight. Morrigan, the Leader of the Council, denied the request, claiming that this Nest was established as a haven for refugees, not a war camp.

"Toothless wasn't satisfied, and asked the different Council members privately. He managed to get a few, such as Dagda, on his side, but the few he had were outnumbered by the many that followed Morrigan. After a couple years of trying to get permission for teaching, Toothless decided that he didn't need the Council's approval, and started to teach the dragons himself. Morrigan was outraged, and tried to stop Toothless. Of course, Toothless refused to, so Morrigan called for a Meeting of the Council, where the priority was the exile of Toothless.

"Needless to say, with Morrigan's many supporters, the vote was passed quickly. Toothless was forced off the island, and the classes stopped. That was all 34 years ago. Anything that happened after that, I have no knowledge of."

Selyv pointedly glared at Toothless, who finally relented. "After my exile, I decided that Selyv was right, and we needed time. Of course, not just time, but information. I started to find out everything I could about Bres, his nest, his followers, anything I could gather. Among the things I was told, I found out that Bres was ordering the attacks for food. A Zi Muansi grows in size as it eats more food. With the amount of food coming in, it was obvious Bres was preparing for an attack, on what I don't know, but on a size that could permanently wipe out the humans, or even the dragons if he wanted to do so.

"Of course, Bres had little sympathy for the dragons who were forced to follow his rule. If they failed to bring back enough food, they were eaten as a supplement to what they failed to gather.

"I started to help out in the raids on the village, destroying the stone-throwers. Without the stone-throwers, the humans had a much harder time preventing the dragons from stealing food. Bres, of course, thought I was helping him of my own volition. He sent his personal thanks to me, commenting on how 'I would see the truth sooner or later'. I was disgusted, but I used his trust against him. I snuck into the nest a few times, but I was always careful. I was never able to find the entrance to the hostage chamber, but I do know that it's very low, where Bres can constantly guard it. That's the extent of my knowledge."

Selyv was practically jumping with excitement. "Wow! What happened next?"

"Well… afterwards… I stayed on the island in Berk for a night. That was when I met Hiccup here. It was more of an accident than anything else. We were cautious of each other at first, but slowly we started to trust each other. After a while, I decided to bring him here so he could avoid the Great Red."

"There's going to be a few problems with that… First of all, you're exiled, so the instant Morrigan sees you, he'll chase you off this island. Second, because of that, you'll never see Hiccup again."

"I'll find a way to get through his thick skull."

"Well, now's your only chance. We're here."

As they rounded the final bend, Hiccup stared in awe. The Hall was aptly named. Its general shape was nothing more than a large hallway, with a slight curve as it neared the top. There were a few columns to support the roof, and scattered along the edges of the wall were tunnels, most likely leading to other caves. At the far end of the Hall sat three pedestals to the left, right, and above another massive tunnel that Hiccup could only guess at where it lead. Along the sides of the cavern were pieces of wood that were lit up, giving off a meager amount of light.

"Wow, the Whispering Death's made all this?"

Selyv grinned a little. "Well, like I said before, they helped, but most of this was natural. The only that's not natural here are the pedestals and tunnels.

Hiccup slowly walked behind Toothless, admiring the massive cavern. They passed by a few dragons, who at first gave only casual glances, but it wasn't long before the whispers started. The whispers evolved into cries of "Get the Council!" and "He's returned!"

Toothless and Selyv ignored these, making a beeline for the pedestals. Hiccup stalled a little, glancing at the various dragons, who all returned his gaze. When they had reached the end, three dragons swooped in from various tunnels, screeching as they did so. They gracefully landed on the pedestals, turning to face the trio.

The one on the right pedestal was a medium sized dragon, colored a deep blue. Its four legs were thin, and it had webbing between its claws. Its tail was long and slender, ending in a pair of fins that were similar in shape to that of a Night Fury's, but transparent. Its wings looked like a larger version of the fins on its tail. They were long, delicate-looking, and hardly seemed capable of keeping the dragon in the air. The beak on its face was curved, short, and sharp. Overall, it looked more suited to swimming in the water than flying in the air.

The dragon on the left pedestal held itself in a regal manner, its head high and wings slightly extended. It was almost a pure white, with heavily muscled legs and claws that seemed built for gripping and not tearing. It's wings were muscled as well, and its head was thick with a gently curve to it. Its tail and back were armored, but lacking any spines. It was a dragon that could easily outlast any opponent it went up against.

But the dragon on the top was the fiercest looking. It lacked the visible muscles the left one had, but it was sleek, its head having a windswept look, with long spines stretching out from the back of its head. Its wings were long and equipped with short claws at the ends. The tail it bore was slender, almost whip-like. This dragon was undoubtedly the fastest of the three.

The dragon on the top glared at Toothless, his eyes clearly showing his rage.

"Seireadan."

Toothless glared back with unbridled loathing.

"Morrigan."

Morrigan snorted. "I thought one as simple as you could grasp the general meaning of 'exile'. It meant you were never to return here."

The dragon on the left cut in. "I'm sure he knew what the Council meant. He wouldn't return without good reason." His voice was strong and commanding, ringing clearly throughout the entire Hall.

Morrigan threw a glance at the dragon, who stared defiantly back. "Ok then, Seireadan, tell us, why did you come back here?"

"First off, that's no longer my name. It's Toothless."

Morrigan let out a loud guffaw. "Stupid name for a stupid dragon."

The dragon on the left was quick to reprimand Morrigan. "Be quiet, and listen to what Seir- Toothless has to say." This dragons voice was lighter, smoother, and Hiccup identified the dragon as a woman. "Go on."

"Thank you, Miren. The reason I have returned here is to try and make amends. On my journey, I came across another dragon, called Hiccup." There were a few more laughs at this, but Toothless trudged on. "He helped me understand that what you said was right; we need more time to prepare. And I'm willing to wait."

Morrigan shook his head. "You misunderstand. This entire place was founded as a safe haven, a place where dragons can be free from the calamities of war."

"And what if Bres attacks?"

"If he wanted to attack, he would have done so already. The simple fact that he hasn't shows that he will continue to do what he has promised and wage his war on the humans."

"You don't understand! He hasn't been attacking the humans; he's been having them gather food! He might be the largest Zi Muansi on record right now, and the only explanation I can find is that he plans to go on a rampage, destruction on a larger scale than any that we've witnessed before."

"So he plans to wipe out the human race, then? I say we let him. Why would he attack us, after so many years of peace?"

Toothless stuttered for a moment, meekly ending with, "I don't know."

Morrigan hopped down from his pedestal, approaching Toothless. "Exactly. You don't know. And all this conversation has proved to me, is that you haven't changed at all. Your still stubborn, irrational, headstrong, foolish and above all, you fling accusations without an ounce of proof behind them. As such, I see no reason why I should allow you to stay."

"Morrigan," Miren pleaded.

"Thurkear Wiivai Toothless, your exile still stands. You must leave the island by nightfall, or you will be forcibly expelled."

The dragon on the left jumped down as well. "Morrigan, let him stay."

"Stay out of this, Dagda."

"He's my former student, and you expect me to not be concerned for him? If we were to exile him again, we'd be going against our principles. Like you said, we must provide a safe haven to dragons. And I believe Toothless has matured enough that we give him a second chance."

Morrigan let out a small growl, before conceding. "Ok, I will let him stay. But if he tries anything like last time, I will not hesitate to send you off again."

Morrigan spread his wings and shot off into one of the many tunnels. Hiccup watched him go.

"You made it sound like there were more people on the Council." He stated.

Selyv let out a small chuckle. "That wasn't the full Council. The entire Council consists of thirteen dragons of various species. However, out of those thirteen, three are appointed as the 'Tilabili'. They act an emergency Council, making decisions that require an immediate resolution. Those three are the ones you just saw: Miren, Dagda, and Morrigan."

Hiccup watched as Miren spread her delicate wings and somehow managed to fly off into the tunnels.

"Miren is a great dragon. She's level-headed, calm, and she's great at viewing a problem from both sides." Hiccup turned to see who was talking, and was slightly surprised to see Dagda walk up and join them. "However, she can sometimes let her emotions get the better of her. Myself, I cannot really say. It's often hard to find your own flaws. But Morrigan, I often wonder how he even got on the Council. He's rash, impulsive, and often makes decisions that favor him and the ones that follow him."

"Who elects people onto the Council?"

"The people on the Council choose who they want to succeed them. Personally, I think it's a flawed system, but I can't currently do anything."

Toothless answered the question before Hiccup could ask it. "Morrigan currently wields the most power, and for a change on that scale to occur, all it takes is one dragon to say no and it won't be passed."

Toothless was about to say something else, but a yawn interrupted him.

"Go get some sleep. You must have travelled far, and we can talk tomorrow."

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow, Dagda."

"You as well, Toothless." Dagda grinned as he said the name.

Dagda spread his wings and took off as well. Selyv grinned. "Alright, Toothless, remember where your cave is?"

"Not really, no."

"Alright, I'll guide you." Selyv stretched out his wings and, with a small running start, took off. Toothless quickly followed, with Hiccup lagging behind.

"Alright, your cave is on the second row, fifth column! You can't miss it, it's the only one not lit!" Selyv called out.

Just before Toothless was about to dive into the cave, Hiccup called out, "Toothless! Wait!"

"What is it, Hiccup?"

"How do you expect me to navigate that? It's pitch black!"

Toothless blinked owlishly at Hiccup. "I never told you?"

"Told me what?"

Selyv chuckled. "Wow, a dragon that doesn't know its ace-in-the-hole. Priceless!"

Hiccup blushed a little, thankful that the scales hid it from sight. Toothless glanced apologetically at Hiccup. "Sorry. Each dragon has a special ability that only it can do. For the Night Fury's, we can send out waves of sound that reflect off objects and that our ears pick up, painting an image of what's ahead of us. This is especially useful in the dark. For the wave, you can simply let out a small roar, or any sound, and that'll work."

Hiccup glanced nervously at the cave. "Alright, let's try this."

Selyv cast one last grin at Hiccup, before swooping into the cave. Toothless let Hiccup go ahead of him, and Hiccup slowly flew into the cave, letting out a few roars along the way and noting that Selyv was somehow casting a small amount of light.

They managed to reach the cave without any injuries, which Hiccup was very thankful for, or collisions. The cave wasn't anything too fancy. It was simply a dome-like room with a small pool of water in the corner. On the opposite side was another piece of wood, also lit.

"Well, here's your cave. I don't think anybody's lived here since you've left, so everything should be as it was before."

"Thanks, Selyv. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good night, Toothless and Hiccup!"

Selyv took off, quickly disappearing into the darkness, his glow quickly fading. Toothless trotted to a spot close the fire while Hiccup took stayed near the water. They both burned their beds and, without another word, slipped into a deep sleep.

This chapter is where most of the characters are introduced, and most of the history is given. So I hope you read it carefully, because there's gonna be a pop-quiz on this! (Not really, I'm sick of tests and such)

Yes, Selyv does have bio-luminescence. Why? Because, honestly, I have no idea. I'll find a way for it to be important... somehow.

Also, I hope I did a good job at descriptions and painting the general morals of each character.

I'll see you next week...

AFTER MY RANT!

I mean seriously, the quality of the stories on this site have only gone down. And half the time, it's simply not pressing the Shift key! How hard is it to press one of the two buttons on your keyboard? And if you're on your phone, you should still press it!

That's one of my pet-peeves.

From your not-friendly-anymore-dragon,

TheDragon1326