Chapter 6: Dragonstones

Toothless raced through the trees, desperately trying to make it to the edge of the forest. The air was thick with ash, the screams and roaring of dragons echoing throughout the chaos that surrounded him. Fires raged across the surface of Aylan as dragon hunters poured through the undergrowth in droves, wielding spears and arrows dipped in dragonroot. Firing a burst of plasma at a group of oncoming humans, the Night Fury continued to dodge through the burning branches, until he finally arrived at the edge of a cliff. Human ships, beyond the count of any he had seen before, filled the vast ocean like toy boats, launching fiery projectiles at the island. Thousands of dragon hunters streamed ashore, like ants running uphill to take over a colony.

As battle swelled around him, there arose from behind Toothless an unholy wail; a strange bellow of sound that cut through all others, not unlike the grinding of metal, and yet underlaid by the blood-chilling screams of countless species. He turned to see a bright green glow shining from the root of Aylan's crescent mountain. The light flickered for a moment, and then vanished; for a moment, all was silent. Then from the mountain suddenly burst forth a cloud of fire, an inferno of emerald flame that bloomed outwards across the surface of Aylan. Toothless tried to will his body to move, and yet his limbs were paralyzed with dread. The cloud grew, the island quickly vanishing into green as the flames consumed man, dragon, and tree alike. Toothless could do nothing but watch as the endless wall of fire approached, his scales beginning to melt from an unnatural heat…

The Night Fury's eyes snapped open. A bright ray of sunlight was streaming into the cave, a few stray rays warming his body as he lay. Toothless looked around panicking for a moment before registering a warm breath on his chest. Ash was still sound asleep, firmly pressed against him. Trying not to wake her, he leaned his head back down, his mind trying to comprehend what he had just seen. Thankfully, he realized his head felt fine; he could once again think clearly, as though the previous night's experience with the dragonstone had never occurred. And yet it did, for what else could be responsible for such a dream. Can a dragonstone really destroy an entire island? Perhaps it was just Toothless's imagination, and yet the presence of the dragon hunters all but confirmed that he was at least here for the right reasons. He hoped that Moonlight could explain some of it to him, and yet… There was a part of the dragon that wanted to keep the dream to himself, as though it was something meant for him and him alone.

"Sleep well?" A groggy voice cood below his chin. Toothless looked down, seeing Ash smiling, though her eyes remained shut.

"For the most part. I had… some strange dreams."

"Don't be surprised, I'm sure they'll pass eventually." Ash yawned, then nuzzled back against him. "What time of day is it?"

Toothless looked up, squinting at the sun streaming through the mouth of the cave. "I'd say about mid-morning."

"Good." said Ash. "Then we don't have to get up."

Toothless snickered. "Well what if I want to?"

"No."

They lay there for a little longer, simply resting in each other's warm presence, at least until the rustling of wings signaled an approaching dragon. "Ash?" Zephyr's voice cut through the silence.

"Are you two in here—oh. Sorry, did I wake you?" Toothless got up, uncurling his body from Ash, as the older Night Fury looked at the pair of them with an almost amused air.

"No, we were just resting." Toothless spoke, as Ash rose to her feet, stretching catlike.

Zephyr gave Ash a strange look, before speaking again. "Ash, you don't have to worry about getting up. Moonlight wants to speak to our newcomer in private."

"Ha!" Ash exclaimed before laying back down, poking Toothless with her tail. "Sucker."

"Shut up."

Zephyr snickered at the two of them before turning to Toothless. "C'mon, you should eat and then head to the grotto. She's waiting for you."

After a short time, a now-full Toothless found himself passing through the two oak trees into the elder's grotto. The luminescent plants were now dim, yet the sun illuminated the rich greens and flowery colors of Aylan's life. The silver traces on the leaves of the great tree gleamed in the rays, and the pond shimmered with their reflection. To his surprise, Moonlight was alone, and gazing calmly into the water. Toothless stole a quick peek at the dragonstone; the gem gleamed in the sunlight, but it was all natural light, any trace of arcane energy dormant. He approached the ancient Night Fury and bowed his head.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Ah, yes, I heard you come in. Do come closer, dear." Her blank peered at him as Moonlight lay down on one of the tree's large roots. "I trust you slept comfortably, although probably not peacefully."

A lump arose in Toothless's throat. Did she know? Before he could respond, the wizened female chuckled. "You do not need to share your dreams with me, child. If the stone revealed something to you, that is your business to decide its meaning."

"What even is it?" Toothless asked."

"That is a question that has no straight answer. The stones have minds of their own, yet they do not 'live' as we do. They have thoughts and ideas, and yet their understanding of the world is far beyond a mortal dragon. They rarely communicate, and never clearly. Perhaps only their discoverer ever truly understood them, and no one has attempted to directly commune with a dragonstone for over a century." Moonlight smiled at him. "You saw the expanse of its power, the infinite capability guided by its own consciousness. Terrifying to comprehend."

Toothless had to admit, he was terrified. It was unknown, beyond any other sense of the word. "Have you ever looked into it?" he asked.

"On occasion, but my mind is old and weathered. My life is content and close to fulfilment, so there is little desire within me that concerns it. I admire its beauty, and dream of memories of my childhood that it was present for. I'd imagine even a sentient gem gets lonely sometimes. But I never ask anything of it, nor attempt to understand that which I cannot."

Murky sapphire eyes looked in his direction; Toothless had to admit, Moonlight's senses were keen despite her age and blindness. "What do you think of Mystholm?"

"It's incredible!" the Alpha exclaimed. "Everything here is so beautiful, yet different. It's a shame that Night Furies can't share it all, though."

Moonlight stared blankly. "We did once, hundreds of years ago. But the old have become lost in conflict, and the young are few. You are right to help Ash, even if the threat is only potential. She has a good heart, and a deep appreciation for life."

"She does," Toothless nodded. "And I want to help! There's some things I think I need to understand, though, first."

"Then ask away, child." Moonlight posed.

Toothless thought for a moment before answering. "I keep hearing references to old Night Fury history; the time of Nightshade, the Cataclysm, that sort of thing. Ash seems fond of those stories, I was hoping you could tell me some."

The old dragon laughed. "Ah yes, Nightshade and the Cataclysm. Well, lucky for you those stories are almost one and the same. And you are right, you must know of the Cataclysm to understand our current problems." Moonlight leaned down, taking a brief drink from the pond before rising up. "Listen well, dear."

"Many centuries ago, before humankind began venturing north, dragons reigned supreme across these lands and seas. There have always been nests of mixed dragons ruled by Alphas, mostly giant sea dragons and other beasts of great power. But there were also dragons who sought to claim territory only for others of their race; they did not wish to live under the yoke of larger dragons, preferring to create kingdoms for themselves alone. The knowledge of how Mystholm was discovered by Night Furies has long since faded, but our people have claimed these islands for our own for centuries. In those days few could challenge our gifts for stealth and destruction, and our strength lay in numbers that could not be seen in twilight. We conquered Mystholm for our own; in that time we chose a King of the Night Furies, who would rally us to defend our home and ruled on disputes.

The responsibility of the king was passed from father to son for generations; there were wise kings and warlike ones, ones who sought to strengthen our race along with others who only desired to sleep and throw responsibility on others. I was born during the reign of Skyclimber, both a great warrior and a wise king. He had twin sons, Nightshade and Cinder.

While both princes were great Night Furies, Nightshade far surpassed his brother in both ferocity and arrogance. He sought to make our race the dominant dragon across the earth, leading several campaigns to destroy hostile nests and training other Night Furies in the art of war. He was kind to children and innocents, yet his cruelty to dragons he deemed savage or bloodthirsty was equal. He was ambitious, desiring to raise Night Furies to be the arbiters of all life. But more than anything else, Nightshade was curious. He travelled far to understand the secrets of the world and how it worked, holding a soft spot for humanity; he was keenly interested in their ability to create and discover things, avidly collecting human inventions.

When Skyclimber was nearing advanced age, and his sons were in the prime of youth, many wondered who the old king would choose to be his successor. Nightshade desired to do something daring and outlandish, to prove to all our race that he was worthy while also satisfying his natural curiosity. Without consulting anyone he attempted to enter the summit of Nightmare's Eyrie, wishing to discover how and why the mountain erupted. He delved deep into the mountain, and many thought that he would die as Night Furies are not impervious to lava. But he emerged unscathed, his eyes filled with wonder; he had discovered something in the heart of the volcano, remnants of a civilization long dead. And he had proof! He came back from inside the Eyrie with five exquisite gems, presenting them to his father as a gift.

All lauded him for his bravery, and yet in the weeks following, Mystholm was plagued with strange happenings. Fish would multiply on land, the weather would abruptly change, and large objects beyond the strength of a normal dragon would start moving around. Night Furies would hear unfamiliar voices in words they couldn't understand, and chaos began to erupt. Eventually, Nightshade realized that the source of the mysterious events was linked to the stones. He took it as a sign that the world itself had blessed our race with magic, devoting the remainder of his life to studying the 'dragonstones' as he called them.

As he learned, the stones began to grow. The powers within them began to learn from Nightshade, and developed thoughts of their own. Each became different from the other, all five stones becoming their own distinct entity, beginning to communicate in thought only. Nightshade even took to naming the gems based on the ways in which they employed their magic. Herentir, the obsidian stone of order. Nancarin, the ruby gem gifted in destruction. Kemenar, the emerald stone attached to the natural world. Antaris, the ember gem of change and alteration. And Haronar, the first of the stones to awake, whose powers and thoughts both eclipsed—and blended—all the others. Nightshade began to employ the magic of the dragonstones, healing injury, enriching the life of Mystholm, and wiping out any foe who dared to approach our territory. The more they were used, the deeper and greater the abilities of the stones, along with their awareness of life and thought.

Night Furies grew powerful and lively, Mystholm becoming enriched by the arcane. But one of Nightshade's closest friends—a great warrior and leader named Runar—became consumed with jealousy and greed. Seeking the power of the stones for himself, he stole Nancarin and fled to the east, where endless lands stretch to the horizon. None heard from him for many years, until strange creatures began to emerge from that land; foul beasts of some terrible mutation, dark creatures grown from the corrupted bodies of both humans and dragons. Runar, in his greed and lust for power, had poured his darkest designs into Nancarin; the stone warped into a dark, unnatural being, and both Night Fury and stone decayed into evil.

Soon an uncountable number of their twisted creations—which we called Morian—descended into Mystholm, along with other places across the sea. Horrors beyond comprehension were in abundance; the slaughter of every living creature was great, the power of the dark dragonstone rolling over the earth. The old king was killed, and his body desecrated. Setting his grief, Nightshade assumed the role of king, forsaking all desire to place Night Furies above the other races of the world. He rallied all our people to his side, along with many other dragons. Taking the other four stones, he waged war on the dark creatures led by Runar.

Many years of carnage left Night Furies increasingly depleted, and yet Nightshade was able to beat back the onslaught of darkness emanating from the eastern continent. But he realized he could not spend our blood forever. Resolving to give his life for his people, and put an end to the cataclysm he felt he had unleashed, Nightshade took a small army of his most loyal. Along with the four dragonstones, he descended into the heart of Runar's domain. But even this desperate battle was not enough; Runar had become twisted beyond recognition, a savage creature that no mortal being could best in battle. And Nancarin had long surpassed the destructive capability of the other stones, easily contending with the obsidian, emerald, and ember gems. Runar sought to cause great suffering to Nightshade, slaying both Cinder and their mother in combat before advancing on the new king.

The battle seemed hopeless, with the future of creation at stake. But Haronar, whose conscience and understanding of creation was great, decided to forsake its newfound sentience for the good of all life on this earth. The sapphire gem unleashed all of its power in a vast inferno, laying waste to the continent. But his magic was pure and direct, causing unimaginable harm to the dark creatures while leaving the remaining Night Furies unharmed. Runar's body was vaporized, and the dark magic of Nancarin was suppressed, the gem shattering across the land.

Disaster had been averted, and yet the cost had been beyond anything we had anticipated. Night Furies had been driven almost to extinction, with many of our young perishing in battle. And while vast armies of Morian had been destroyed, the eastern lands were still corrupted by darkness. They are the Wastes, and none venture there even now. And Nightshade? The once great Night Fury was broken, forsaking all desire for life and love that he had before. He abandoned the emerald stone here on this island, and the fate of the obsidian gem is unknown. He took only Antaris with him and vanished into the Wastes, condemning himself to exile or death. His betrothed, Holly, died of heartbreak soon after, and the royal line was no more. We few that survived have struggled to repopulate over the century and a half since this Cataclysm, with the survivors warring for power and desire to claim lordship over our race. Whether one can unite us again is unknown, but hope remains."

"Well, child?" Moonlight croaked. "There are some answers for you, I hope. An explanation for the dire straits all Night Furies are in. Those of us who settled on Aylan yearned for a life of peace, while the warriors who still thirsted for blood attempted to survive on Seregon. And they never forgave us for keeping the stone, not after all they had seen."

Toothless was speechless; he never could've imagined Night Furies having such a rich history, or that such a catastrophic event took place. But the Cataclysm explained quite a bit about Mystholm's mystery and circumstances; how rich but different it was, the dragonstones, and their inability to repopulate in large numbers. But this Nightshade character sounded tragic, even if he may have caused chaos by discovering magic.

"Do you think Nightshade is still in the Wastes somewhere? With the other stone?" he inquired."

Moonlight tilted her weathered head. "I am unsure. He had no wish to live, and yet I don't know why he would take Antaris with him if he didn't intend to. In any case, no one knows. Few elders remain who remember him, but the younger dragons worship him as a mystical figure, saying that one day he will return to reclaim his throne."

"Did you know him?"

The old dragon smiled. "We were not close, but I knew and respected him. I fought for him, joined him when he entered the Wastes. I saw many horrible things that day, including the destruction of the sapphire stone. I led a small group of survivors back here to Aylan; we had long settled the island, but I felt that this place would serve to protect us."

"It was Nightshade who put Kemenar into this tree, and that was the last I saw of my king."

Toothless eyed the stone, his fear of it somewhat abated. Its power and nature still disturbed him, and yet after the tale he had just been told, he felt somewhat grateful. The being had such power, yet for all intents and purposes seemed to choose to remain here, enriching Aylan's life with magic. A welcome gift in troubled times. He understood now how desperately Ash wanted to reunite their people. Whether by dragon hunters, by the bloodlust of Night Furies themselves, or by the progression of time, they would die out eventually unless something changed.

"Moonlight, do you think we can do it? I mean really convince everyone to unite again?" the Alpha questioned.

The ancient dragon turned away, gazing deeply into the emerald stone that lay within the great tree. The gem glowed, softly, as Moonlight spoke; "I have hope, and that is all I can give you. You and Ash are young and of good character, I have no doubt that you will do all you can…"

"But?"

"But you mustn't forget that Night Furies are not bound to a place. We who have lived and fought here are proud, unwilling to leave. But you have a home to return to, and the younger Night Furies may find that setting off for new skies is best. Perhaps our conflicts are not from magic, but the consequences of attempting to deny our nature. We are dragons, solitary and aggressive, and that will not change. Perhaps attempting to claim a kingdom for ourselves was a mistake, and now we are facing the consequences centuries later."

The elder faced Toothless once more. "Promise me this. That above all that you attempt to achieve, that you will stand by Ash; that you will protect her, and if all comes to ruin, that you will take her away from this place. She deserves a life, here or back where you are from. But don't let her give herself up for our entire race. I cannot watch someone I love take the world on their shoulders a second time for nothing."

The young Alpha's expression hardened as he stared into Moonlight's blank eyes.

"You have my word."

Author's Note: Now things are getting interesting. Lot's to be expanded upon later, at my discretion :)

Side note: My computer has been acting up lately with converting and uploading documents (erasing words, notation, etc.) so I apologize for any mistakes.

Nerdy Vocab:

Morian: altered form of 'mor' meaning abyss in Sindarin

Herentir: extension of 'heren' meaning order in Sindarin

Nancarin: shortened version of 'nancarindo' meaning destroyer in Quenya

Altaris: 'one who alters' my own personal invention, inspired by Latin and Greek

Kemenar: extension of 'kemen' meaning nature in Quenya

Haronar: inspired by 'ha roshon' meaning the first in Hebrew