Hehehehehe, this is where shit starts to go down. Introducing the rival male Black Moon, Phantom! I have had a few messages and reviews in the past months, some on my old story, about Hiccup and Shadow being a couple. Yes, I'm talking to you OechsnerC. And me being the sassy asshole of a writer I am, have decided to not make things that easy for the characters. hehehe. So heres the new issue. Phantom is a Black Moon just like Shadow, but she still cares for Hiccup and has marked him. So who will she choose, her own kind, or a human?
Also, I have had quite a few questions regarding magic that the Black Moon possesses. this chapter should clear up some of that unknown information. Enjoy :) Please leave a review.
Two weeks passed and finally their base had been completed. Cabins stood proudly on the mountainside, and their clubhouse rose valiantly in the centre of their camp like a gem in a crown. The Night Terrors stood guard as sentries around the island, protecting it from all flanks, while the dragons and their riders patrolled the surrounding waters for new lands, new dragons, and old enemies.
Dagur hadn't been forgotten, and was still on the top of their capture list, so too was Grey, the mysterious and illusive dragon hunter from a far-away land. And even after all this time, there was still no sight of the secretive Black Moon he was hunting either.
The three targets were nowhere to be found… but that would change soon.
Currently the dragon riders were gathered in the clubhouse around the central fire. Flames licked the logs piled high in the fireplace, and light danced against the walls, creating odd shapes and illusions. The group of seven sat around the fire with a plate of food in one hand, and a drink in the other.
"You know Shadow, we've learned a lot about the Black Moon dragon, but we haven't heard about many other strange creatures of the world. Surely there are other creatures like your kind in other countries." Said Fishlegs.
Shadow paused mid drink and looked at him. She smirked and put down her drink.
"There are no other creatures like me and my kind. The Black Moon is the only monster that can transform between dragon and human forms." She stated proudly.
"But what about creatures that can turn into other animals?" asked Astrid.
"You keep calling Black Moons monsters, as if they are completely heartless creatures." Stated one of the twins. "Well that's because technically we are. We might care a lot about our species as a whole, but we are all individuals, and our own survival is more important than others. If you ever put a Black Moon in a situation where it was either their life or their mates, almost every single time they will choose to save themselves." She said offhandedly whilst cleaning her nails.
"But back to your statement Fishlegs and Astrid, you are correct. There are a few other creatures capable of changing their forms, but like my kind, they are rare. Lycanthropes for one. Werewolves. Full moon like tonight triggers their transformation. They turn into a large man-eating wolf from moonrise to moonset. In that time they have no control over themselves, and would even kill their best friend if they crossed their path."
Shadow looked off in the corner of her eye, reliving memories from unknown times past. "When in human form they can be really nice people, but sad most of the time. They often hate themselves because they are a danger to those around them."
"Are there any other night creatures in the world?" asked Hiccup.
"Oh, there are tones. I ran into a coven of Vampires once; that was fun. Make a note: they can't stand silver, and are vulnerable to sunlight. But they are considered Lords of the Night. Vampires live by drinking the blood of mortals, and can command the creatures of the dark. They have human forms, therefore they are not as superior as Black Moons… Now that I think about it… a Black Moon is essentially a combination of a Vampire, a lycanthrope and a dragon."
She shrugged and took another drink. The others looked back and forth between each other. "How come a Black Moon is similar to a vampire? I mean, I can understand the lycanthropy thing, but what about vampires?" asked Fishlegs.
Shadow took another bite of her meal before speaking. "That would have to be because of Blood-theft. As a general rule, my kind don't use and can't use magic, but we can steal energy. And we can steal a person's energy through their blood, we call it 'life-force', by drinking the blood of a person or another Black Moon, we effectively steal part of their energy. We do this for certain reasons: sometimes it's to share energy between mates, other times it's to weaken an opponent, or make ourselves even stronger." She said, then took another bite.
They were just about to ask another question, but before they could, Toothless burst through the door in a panicked state. He roared an alert, that a pirate ship had been sighted heading towards their base. They were being invaded. Immediately everyone was on high alert and running to their dragons to defend themselves.
Once everyone was ready, Hiccup called the attack formation and directed everyone into the air. They were to deal minimum casualties and injuries. He wanted to deter them from ever coming back instead of outright destroying them. So with a command, he sent the formation of dragons down to the water to fly past their boat.
Obviously these were no ordinary pirates, they had one of the largest boats Hiccup had ever seen, even rivalling the boats he found at the Ship Graveyard, equipped with catapults, net launchers, and even a ballista.
First, Snotlout and Hookfang flew right into their sails, tearing them to shreds so they couldn't sail away. Next, Astrid and Stormfly attacked the rowing benches, scattering the rowers and destroying half their oars. Hiccup still wanted them to have some left so they could leave, but he wouldn't let them get away so easily.
Fishlegs and Meatlug disabled the catapults while the twins and their Zippleback made a gas ring around their hull and set it ablaze. The pirates on board were thrown into a frenzy, running to stacks of weapons and screaming obscenities. Against their dragons, they wouldn't stand a chance and would eventually fall. Hiccup and Toothless landed first on the deck of the ship, catching everyone's attention at the bold gesture.
Shadow, in her full dragon form, landed in the bow of the ship, right on top of the ballista. Her weight put so much stress on the machine that parts of it broke. They would not be using it any time soon. She stalked her way down the ship and transformed back into her half-form. The blood drained from their faces when they saw her, and most of them dropped their weapons and collapsed to the floor in surrender.
A single man who was obviously the captain walked to the front of the group, and immediately bowed to her in fear.
"M-m-my lord… P-please forgive u-us. We d-did not mean to anger you…" he cried. Shadow narrowed her eyes at the man. "Speak plainly to me, pirate scum."
The man continued to cry at her feet. "We had no desire to direct your wrath down upon us. We were foolish in our actions." He wept. Shadow cocked her head to the side slightly. There was something he was thinking that she didn't know, something that he meant that she couldn't tell.
"You had better have a good reason for your actions, lest I decide that your lives aren't worth anything."
The man at her feet sobbed. "We didn't know what we were thinking, we acted on impulse. Please forgive us for imprisoning your brethren." He cried.
Shadow froze at his words, and all at once, her blood chilled in her veins, and her heart sped up. She snapped her hand forward and grabbed a fistful of his hair, yanking him up to her eye level.
"What did you say?" she demanded, her voice breaking with anxiety and unease.
"T-the dragon demon. We captured him when he took on a human form. We thought we could contain him. Forgi–" Shadow didn't let him finish, and practically threw him aside.
With a speed that no one thought she had, she bolted to the big wooden door that lead down into the bowels of the ship. Her heart was beating fast, her breath ragged, blood pumping so fast as she ran down deeper into the darkened parts of the ship and into the brig. She didn't stop to inspect every cage, but instead, bolted right for the one with the heaviest door, and rammed into it with her shoulder like a battering ram. She wrenched the door off its hinges and it landed with a crash.
She stopped breathing at the sight before her. In the gloom of the cage, a figure crouched, lashed together with chains in the centre of the cell, and completely unmoving. She rushed to his side and tore off the heavy chains as if they personally offended her.
Shadow ripped the iron band around his waist in two, and tore through the chains on his wrists and ankles. Her tail whipped around and severed the five chains around his neck, and she caught him before he fell.
He was as cold as ice, and filthy from being locked up for so long. But what alarmed her the most was the lack of movement from him. Shadow swiftly picked him up and ran out of the depths of the ship. She did not stop until she could see the bright full moon above her head.
But to her horror, he wasn't breathing, he couldn't with that ghastly muzzle strapped around his face. Her breath hitched in horror at the mere sight of it. Shadow's claws tore through the leather that kept it attached, as well as the collar still around his neck.
Finally, she got a look at his face. "P-Ph-Phantom?! Oh my god, Phantom!" she cried.
He was ghostly pale and breathing shallow. He was dying. She had to do something. Anything, before she lost him.
She pushed his long black hair out of his face and inspected him, hoping that something could give her inspiration on how to heal him. Suddenly, an idea came to mind. Without regard to herself, Shadow brought her arm to her mouth and sunk her fangs into her own flesh, then let the fat drops of blood fall into his mouth.
He remained unmoving until suddenly his arm shot up and grabbed hers. It shocked her just how fast he moved and how strong his grip was even in such a weakened state. His elongated fangs sunk into her flesh and latched on to her arm, and he drank hungrily.
The others gasped in shock as he drained her blood like a famished animal. The longer he hung on and drank, the closer Shadow came to passing out. Phantom gasped and detached his fangs from her flesh, breathing heavily. Groaning, his eyes fluttered open ever so slightly.
"… Sh- Shadow…?" he whispered. His eyes flickered to a spot behind her head, where the glorious full moon shone down on them. "… The Ghost Moon… My Shadow in the Night… You've come for me…"
Phantom promptly passed out.