It was the Berkian dragons' first Snoggletog away from their humans. Their first winter in their new home, what the humans called "The Hidden World." It was a bittersweet feeling as the Berkian dragons attempted to explain the traditions of the humans to the native dragons of the Hidden World.
Eight dragons, a Deadly Nadder, Gronckle, Monstrous Nightmare, Hideous Zippleback, Stormcutter, Light Fury, and Rumblehorn convinced their beloved Alpha to spend the evening with his family.
"Toothy, go. Spend some time with Blueheart and Nightfire; the hidden world will be fine." Stormfly, the blue and gold Nadder, assured her best friend.
The young Alpha Night Fury sat there yet relented to his friend's encouragement. He glanced to the side, seeing his beloved mate and their daughter waiting for him.
"If anything happ-"
"We'll take care of it. Go. Shoo."
With a sigh and a flex of his mechanical tail, Toothless took off with Blueheart and their hatchling, Nightfire, in tow.
"Why don't we go to the surface?" Blueheart suggested. He glanced at her as they soared through the bioluminescent forest, their bodies lighting up, casting a magical glow on one another.
"You sure?" She nodded.
"I am. I believe it should be nighttime by now, we'll be safe." She assured. She picked up speed, flying just slightly ahead of her mate.
The small family of three made their way to the great waterfall that was the entrance to their home, flying up through the heavy mist.
Blueheart was correct, night had fallen, and the sky was decorated with brilliant stars and splashes of color from the Milky Way. Given it was deep winter, much of the sea was covered by broken ice floes. There were a few large icebergs that crept their way through the frigid North Sea, which Blueheart realized was perfect.
She gestured for her mate and daughter to follow her and landed on an iceberg that had a large arch that provided extra cover even under the blanket of darkness.
There was practically zero chance of any humans being out here, especially during the dead of winter when most of the sea was covered with hazardous ice flows and unpredictable weather, and nighttime, which was their primary cover. Yet, with a young hatchling, the young parents did not want to take their chances.
Trusting his mate, Toothless was right behind her, as was little Nightfire. She was not used to landing on ice, so as she attempted her landing, her claws could not quite grip the smooth surface the way her parents could. She slipped, unable to gain traction, and landed on her belly.
"You alright, sweetheart?" Blueheart asked, coming to her daughter's side and gently nudging her up with her nose. The hatchling shook herself off, nodding at her mother.
"Why the iceberg?" Toothless asked, picking a spot and settling down, with Blueheart nestling up right next to him. Nightfire cuddled against her father's chest for her spot, rolling around slightly to make herself comfy.
"When you and Stormfly were talking about Snoggletog, an idea came to me on what we should do to celebrate; in our own way."
"And what's that?" Giving Toothless a lick on the cheek, Blueheart then turned her head upward in the direction of the Milky Way.
"Have you ever heard the story of how us Night Furies came to be?" Toothless perked up in interest, and Nightfire mirrored his expression, making Blueheart chuckle at how alike they were.
"I didn't even know we had our own creation story," he admitted. She nodded, shaking her head slightly.
"We do. From what I understand, most dragon species have their own creation story. Dragon culture is just as unique and diverse among species as it is among different human communities. Some human cultures share similarities, others are drastically different."
"You are right on that."
"There… is also a reason as to why certain humans have and still call us "The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself," Toothless raised a brow.
"There is? I thought they called us that because we scared them shitless," Blueheart shrugged.
"There made be some credence to that, but the story I'm going to tell you is what I grew up hearing from my father and our elders."
With a captivated audience, Blueheart began her tale…
… The Silver-eyed is the name given to the first Night Fury, born of a battle between Thor and Hel. Legend has it that Hel emerged from Helheim to settle some debt Thor owed her. But the god thunder was not so easily swayed. The pair began to fight, from verbal insults to a physical altercation. The clash of their power created a flash of light so great it blinded both deities. From this blinding light, a draconic figure came to rest on the ground between them. It was drastically different from the great dragon Nidhogg that remained in Helheim.
No. This draconic figure looked as if it was carved from the night sky itself, with two magnificent wings, powerful legs, and a long tail that bore two tail fins. The dragon raised its head and opened its eyes, revealing swirls of pure starlight trapped inside. It bore no pupils yet seemed fully aware of its surroundings.
Sometime following its creation, the Silver-eyed had made its home on Midgard. But this was long before humans made their presence known.
One night, Silver-eyed flew to the heavens above and carved figures free from the veil of night. With its claws, the Silver-eyed created its children, one in the Silver-eyed's image but with blue eyes. Then the Silver-eyed flew to the moon, carving a piece free, forming its second child. Carved in the same image but with softer features and a smoother body, bearing gray eyes flecked with silver.
From the first child came the rest of the Night Furies. And from the child carved from the moon came the Light Furies. A sister and brother. Nótt, the sister, and Máni, the brother.
The Silver-eyed adored its offspring and was fiercely protective of them. When other dragon species began to interact with the Night Furies, the Silver-eyed revealed its power given to it by the gods. From its spines, a brilliant electric blue glow emitted. The fire of which it breathed, its power, and its destructive power increased tenfold. It was like the Silver-eyed had harnessed the power of Thor within its fire.
The child of the night and the child of the moon soon bore their own offspring but went their separate ways. The Light Furies remained close to the water, soon choosing a massive caldera in the middle of the North Sea.
The Night Furies stayed closer to the islands and mainland and were flourishing. The dense boreal forests, massive cave systems, and flowing rivers provided the perfect habitat to raise their young. But their peace did not last.
Humans came into the picture.
The Night Furies did everything to protect themselves and their young from the humans who seemed to be directly targeting them, but the hunters became fiercer and more powerful. Their strength and their numbers surprised the Night Furies, who at first weren't particularly threatened by the humans.
But when the humans began to attack wandering young, the Night Furies initially fought back, but their bodies were no match for the human's fierce metal weapons.
Seeing that the human population was rapidly growing and expanding their settlements, the Night Furies began retreating into more isolated habitats, keeping away from the humans as much as possible. But then it had become evident that the humans were actively seeking the Night Furies, as well as other species that Night Furies previously avoided. It lead to the formation of alliances between clan leaders of different species and subspecies to protect each other and the young and elderly.
The encroaching threat of dragon hunters became more prevalent, forcing entire clans into hiding, even becoming wary of venturing out during the night, and many did their best to persevere. But over the centuries, the human presence became too great, and the slaughter of millions of Night Furies forced them to the furthest reaches of the Archipelago.
During all of the displacement and pain, the Silver-eyed was overcome by grief, having seen its descendants ruthlessly slaughtered.
Succumbing to its grief, the Silver-eyed's soul left Midgard. They were greeted by Thor himself, and through him and the Valkyries, the Silver-eyed became part of the Aurora, its spirit said to dance on the bridges of light. It's believed that whenever you see the Aurora, it's the Silver-eyed watching over its descendants, granting its protection for as long as Midgard stands…
… With the completion of her tale, Blueheart turned to her mate and daughter, both of whom were entranced and utterly speechless.
"So… we really did come from the gods…" Toothless finally said, "I never would have imagined…" he was silent again for a few long moments, and then he glanced at his mate with an amusing thought.
"Could you imagine if we were able to communicate with our riders and you could share that legend with them?" Blueheart laughed, her chest rumbling.
"Oh, I can just see Fishlegs' face," she mused.
"I don't think they would know what to do with themselves," Despite their shared amusement, both young Alpha's did wish there was a way to properly communicate with their riders.
Blueheart then noticed that Nightfire was sound asleep in Toothless's arms. She smiled fondly, giving her daughter a loving nuzzle and lick on the forehead.
"I think it's time to head back." Gently, Blueheart took Nightfire by the scruff, placing her on Toothless's back where Hiccup had always sat, and together, the parents made their way back to their friends.
As they flew, Toothless thought more about his mate's tale.
"I think, that your legend would be good to share with the other hatchlings," he began. Blueheart turned to him.
"Oh?" He nodded.
"The Night Fury hatchlings should know their heritage, that is, if your mother and the elders haven't already shared, since your father is sadly no longer with us."
"You do have a point. I'll talk with them and see."
"And… perhaps the hatchlings of the others should hear it as well. I think it would be good for all the hatchlings to hear different histories. And Snoggletog seems like the perfect time to do so." Blueheart considered her mate's suggestion. She had always been protective and wanted to preserve whatever she could about Night Fury's heritage, so she was slightly unsure about sharing it with other species. But then she thought about Elin, the Light Fury, the one who helped bring Night Furies to safety in the Hidden World.
Her own tale spoke of the shared history of Night Furies and Light Furies, and it would be wholly unfair to deny the Light Fury hatchlings that knowledge.
Plus, what would really be the harm in sharing a heritage with the other dragons they shared their home with? It would add a greater level of understanding to the other dragons of why different species did what they did to survive and endure a world run by humans.
"You're right," she admitted, "I'll talk to my mother and the elders, and Elin as well, and go from there."
"Speaking of Elin, have you noticed that she and your brother Kivar have been getting a little cozy with each other?" Blueheart rolled her eyes; she had noticed it but said nothing.
"I have. I'm not going to get ahead of myself. Just wait and see what happens with them."
With all that said, the two Alpha's returned to the great cavern, greeted by various dragon calls and roars. Despite the volume of the greeting, Nightfire remained sound asleep on her father's back, even as he landed at the cave where the Alpha and his family resided.
Upon their landing at their cave, Blueheart took Nightfire by her scruff as Toothless warmed the hatchling's rock bed. Once they knew it was to their satisfaction, Blueheart gently placed her daughter down, watching as the baby Night Fury curled up into a ball, her finned tail covering her face.
Toothless and Blueheart then lay down in their usual spots next to their child, cuddling up close to each other, ready for a long night's rest.
"Goodnight, Myrai, happy Snoggletog."
"Goodnight Ryvir… happy Snoggletog."