Chapter Three: The Aero-Wings 500
Up on the ocean's surface, as the sun's rays reflected off the water, the sound of water
running could be heard from the mighty waterfall marking the entrance to the Hidden World.
Hayze rose from the water hitting the surface, and despite being easier to see through
during the day than at night, it still remained almost impossible to make out what lay within to
the average eye. However, even if one spent all day trying to spot a dragon, today there
were no dragons present. No growls could be heard, no wings could be heard flapping, and
no talons could be heard scraping along the rock. In fact, the entrance remained completely
abandoned, only occupied by the running water that spilled within. While the entrance and
the surface remained devoid of life however, underground, the kingdom of dragons was
buzzing with excitement. Various species of dragons were flying around, greeting each other,
and trying to find a good seat for the upcoming events. Almost every rock, crystal, cave and
structure was covered in various colours of scales, with any spot that had an at least
average view being occupied by at least twenty dragons. Despite a few who decided to
hover above the crowds, most of the Hidden World's residents were able to find a spot that
would give them a good view of the race, regardless of their shape, sizes or different
attributes. If there was space that could be made, and dragons that needed seats, almost
every dragon would find one thanks to the help of their fellow dragons. It was truly a time of
excitement, connection and joy for the dragons of the Hidden World.
Yet at the centrepiece of the Hidden World, one white dragoness was pacing back and forth
tapping her tail along the way. How long is there left? Light Fury growled at Hookfang who
was accompanied by Meatlug and Barf and Belch. He looked out towards the other dragons
in the caverns who were beginning to wrap up their endeavours for seating. I think we should
start to see some action momentarily, your highness, Hookfang responded, giving her a
slight nod of respect. Light Fury only gave him a worried yet frustrated look in response.
Then what is taking him so long? He left ages ago, saying he had a surprise for us, and now
the race is about to begin, and he's nowhere in sight! Light Fury ceased pacing around and
sat abruptly on the crystal's surface, tapping her tail up and down in irritation. Meatlug gave
her friends a concerned look before walking up to Light Fury's side, sitting beside her to put
her in her line of sight. I'm sure he's fine, your majesty, she reassured. Toothless probably
wanted to do something extra special for Stormfly before the race, considering their
friendship and how much Stormfly has been looking forward to today. Light Fury glanced
over at the Gronkle giving her a look. She understood that the two didn't have feelings for
each other and were rather best friends, plus it was reasonable that Toothless would want to
do something for the Deadly Nadder after what happened yesterday. But couldn't it have
waited till the race was over? Why couldn't he have just let her meet the winner when had to
eventually? Why did he not tell me what he was doing before he left? Why is whatever he's
doing going to make him late for the race? Light Fury began to calm herself down as she
could tell she was starting to be paranoid. Instead, she gave Meatlug a small smile and nod
in response, acknowledging what she was saying. Still though, where are you Toothless?
And what are you planning?
As the earth above erupted with sound and commotion from the thousands of dragons eager
for the Aero-Wings 500, the king of Dragons was making his way through a series of caverns
known only to him and a few others. They were wide enough for at least a fully grown
dragon to fit through, and covering them were crystals of all shapes and colours, which
illuminated the space, eliminating the need for a plasma blast to light the way. Toothless was
carrying a small wet plant that stained the palm of his hand, and following behind him was
his 'best friend' grumbling under her breath. Ok, can you just spill the sheep and tell me
where we're going already? Stormfly squawked as Toothless persisted ahead, stopping
occasionally to decide which cave to head down. Not getting a response, Stormfly's frown
grew even further. Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my interest in the race, and I know
you feel like you can do anything since you're the king, but I don't how some mysterious
viewing cave you found this morning can be better than your literal crystal - throne that
oversees the entire kingdom! Toothless could hear Stormfly was getting aggravated, and for
good reason. Based on the increased commotion above, it sounded like the race was close
to starting. Toothless quickly turned to Stormfly and gave her a reassuring look. Don't worry,
he purred. I promise this will be totally worth it. You'll be able to see yourself in the race!
Stormfly gave him a skeptical look as he turned a corner, and found the area he was looking
for. Fine, but can we please at least hurry back to your quarters before they start, I at least
want to see them fin… Stormfly paused mid sentence as they came into a clearing and
stood before a pool of lava. Toothless knew of these from Meatlug's rock herding, as there
were multiple mini volcanoes scattered throughout the Hidden World where different dragons
nested or retrieved food. However, that wasn't what caught Stormfly's attention. Rather,
across the pool she noticed a large luster of dragons clinging to the surrounding walls
cheering, with a smaller yet large group of dragons lined against the lava's bank. Wait… are
those…
The racers… Toothless finished. Stormfly let out a gasp as a huge open smile engulfed her
face. Look! She squawked. There's Skullcrusher, and Sleuther, and hey! Is that Scorch? And
look! Look right there! She pointed towards an orange deathsong who was stretching his
wings humming a slightly audible tune. That's Garf! I didn't know he was here, let alone in
the race! Toothless couldn't help but smile himself, as he could tell the nadder was so
fangirling at the moment. As Stormfly looked joyfully at the sight before her for a moment
longer, a realisation suddenly hit her, and she looked over at Toothless with a look of shock
and gratitude. You did this…for me? She asked, feeling a tear almost form in her eye.
Toothless turned towards her with a determined grin. No, he growled. I did this, for all of us.
For you, for me, for all of our friends and family. He raised his tail, offering her a high five, or
as they liked to call it, a high tail. Stormfly accepted, connecting her tail with his, as the two
turned towards the starting line.
As the racers began preparing for the commencement of the race, a group of dragons flew
towards the starting line. One was a black thunderdrum, who Toothless guessed was the
announcer, given a thunderdrum's range in terms of their roars and communication. Another
was a purple Monstrous Nightmare, who Stormfly recognised as Fanghook, a fellow Berkian
resident. He was probably the dragon responsible for following the race, while reporting what
happened to the Thunderdrum, who would convey what Fanghook saw to the audience. The
final one was a Catastrophic Quaken, who Stormfly couldn't deduce what role he had in the
race's coverage, yet Toothless immediately figured it out.
Good morning all who fly and roar! The Thunderdrum roared, who's echoes reached as far
as the Hidden World's entrance. How is everyone doing today? The entire kingdom roared in
response, eager for the race to commence. The thunderdrum raised his tail to hush the
crowd,before continuing on with his monologue. My brothers and sisters, although I am as
excited as you are for our annual Aero-Wings 500 to commence, there is something we must
address first. The caverns went quiet, with the only noises to be heard being the slight
shuffling of wings. As you know, almost 12 full moons ago, we have received a tsunami of
new dragons migrating to the hidden world, as a result of our mighty king calling for a
quarantine from the surface world for the foreseeable future. Although faint, Toothless could
definitely hear a few moans echo throughout the halls, as he knew some dragons weren't
happy about his choices. Don't worry everyone. I'm gonna make that up to you today he
thought while looking at Stormfly. This was a result of who these dragons called the Dragon
Hunters, who sought to capture us and use us as weapons. Hearing the Dragon Hunters
acknowledged out loud caused Toothless and Stormfly to remember men like Viggo, Drago
Bloodvist, and especially Grimmel the Grisly, who was the primary reason why they had fled
to the Hidden World in the first place. However, none of that matters today, the announcer
concluded. What matters is deciding who is truly the fastest, most durable, and most skilled
dragon in this kingdom. Upon saying this, the entire kingdom burst into a roar of applause
and roaring, followed by the racers readying themselves, indicating they were ready to begin
the race. Fanghook set himself on fire, as the Catastrophic Quaken readied himself above
the volcano's bank.
On your marks… the Thunderdrum boomed. The Catastrophic Quaken slammed against the
Volcano, causing it to rumble.
Stormfly jumped up and down in her spot. I can't believe you found these seats! How did you
never mention them before now?
Toothless smiled slyly, as he marked Stormfly with a blue substance. Because it wasnt here
until yesterday.
Stormfly turned to him with a confused expression. What do you mean? She squawked,
before noticing the marking on her wing. And why did you mark me? She added before
noticing a similar marking on Toothless' wing.
Get set… The Catastrophic Quaken hit the ground again. The lava was starting to bubble, as
the racers on the bank prepared to launch into the air.
I promised You would be able to see yourself in the race, Toothless explained. And I intend
to keep that promise, he finished before gesturing towards the racers. Stormfly looked
towards them, and her eyes shot open with shock when realising the same markings were
on their wings, realizing what was happening.
Oh no, Stormfly groaned.
Fanghook suddenly extinguished himself, as the Catastrophic Quaken hit the ground one
more time, causing derby placed in the lava prior to the race to fly into the air, including the
platform Toothless and Stormfly were standing in the air. After being hurled into the air, the
two began to hover in the air, as the platform fell back towards the lava. However, looking
around, they noticed multiple dragons flying past them, as just as Stormfly noticed a
Typhoomerang about to wipe her out, toothless grabbed onto her legs and flew them out of
the way, flying alongside the racers. Have you gone SeaMad?! Stornfly roared at
Toothless, receiving a confident grin in response. You could make an argument! He roared in
response, letting go of Stormfly, letting her regain her bearings. Stormfly looked around her
and Toothless, trying to find a safe spot to land, without prevailing. The only option was to
keep flying. The Aero-Wings 500 had begun. And Toothless and Stormfly were in it.
…
In the glow of a crystal covered cave, an orange dragon was practicing with his fire, clearly
trying to master his manipulation of it, by forming different patterns in the air. He was a fire
dragon after all. It owed it to himself and his kind to fully learn how to use the ability in any
way he could, not just in combat. There was the cynical part of him that reminded the fire
dragon that he didn't know his kind, as they had sent him away to the Crossworlds Temple to
train under the Titan wing Elderess, in preparation for a prophecy that may not even come
true, let alone be his to complete. He told that part of him to shut up however, as he knew
the severity of this prophecy, and how important it was for their kind to continue to prepare
all these generations later. With that inner argument concluded, he continued working.
The dragon's practices were interrupted suddenly when the biggest crystal in his room
began glowing, and a voice emitted from it. "Charizard," the voice boomed. The fire dragon
immediately knew the voice belonged to his guardian, and stood up tall, ceasing his activity.
"Yes master? What do you require of me?" he asked, fully prepared for another day of
training. Instead he heard a sigh which emulated sadness emitted, and it caused Charizard
some confusion. "Please my boy, you do not need to act like that at the moment. I know you
wish to be as prepared as possible, but I believe what has happened discharges you from
acting like that for the moment. Charizard gave the crystal a confused look. "Master? What is
going on?" Charizard responded, in a stern yet concerned tone. The crystal remained silent
for a moment before responding.
"My boy, I am so sorry for your loss, " Elderess paused before continuing. "But I'm afraid
your entire race has been wiped out."
…
Cheers and roars echoed throughout the caves of the Hidden World, as the first part of the
race was officially underway. Beginning at the volcano and continuing to the first batch of
caves, competing dragons found themselves zipping around crystals structures obstructing
their pathway. While most dragons found this task easier to complete, some were slower
than others, with a few crashing into the crystals due to disorientation. However, this didn't
alarm any dragons in the audience. Rather it fueled their excitement. Some dragons in the
audience were eagerly watching the racers who came from their class or species, laughing
and cheering when they zoomed towards the front, or overtook other tribes. Clearly they
wanted these racers to win to prove they were the superior races. However, in the midst of
this, a couple began to notice black scales in the midst of the racers, flying in a similar way
to that of their alpha.
Wait a sec? One dragon growled. Is that the king in the race?
Wait what? Another screeched. The king is in the race?
As dragons in the audience heard these roars, they all began paying closer attention to the
racers, scanning the group for their alpha. Sure enough, Toothless' unmistakable figure had
almost every set of eyes in the audience upon him.
Where? I don't see him!
Up there! Look! Next to the Blue Nadder!
It's him! It's the Alpha!
Toothless is in the race?!
This is crazy!
Is he insane?!
He's gonna get himself killed!
I can't believe it!
As roars and cries of surprise and shock echoed throughout the crowds, the only dragon that
Toothless was listening to was his partner, as they navigated around the crystals, avoiding
collision with other racers. Toothless! This is crazy! Stormfly squared, trying her best to keep
up with the Night Fury. As they turned a corner, they saw a Gronkle falling in their direction,
and separated just in time for him to fall between them towards the ground. We can do this
Stormfly! Toothless called as he flew towards her to avoid passing dragons. We don't even
have to win! We just have to survive and make it to the end!
If we survive, I'm gonna make you wish you didn't! Stormfly roared in anger, narrowly
avoiding a crystal hanging from the ceiling. Toothless chuckled Your terms are acceptable,
he replied before being separated by a crystal. Eventually, they rejoined and exited the forest
of crystals, and saw dragons ahead racing towards the cave system that led to the next
section up ahead. It's still not too late to pull out Stormfly! Toothless suggested as they fell
behind other racers. Stormfly looked at him, before looking around at the audience.
Toothless knew she wasn't one to back away from a challenge, yet he also knew she wasn't
crazy. This idea was one he thought she would love at the time, but he realized that even
she had her limits. Toothless fully expected Stormfly to tell him to land, slowing himself
down, but instead Stormfly turned quickly and gave him a determined energised look. Come
on your Highness! She roared. We have a race to win! Without another roar, she sped
forward past other contestants into the caves in front of them. Toothless grinned, before
adjusting his tail fins, and sped past the contestants Stormfly had overtaken, joining her in
entering the next section.
As the race continued, word quickly spread throughout the Hidden World that the king of
dragons had entered the race, and was speeding towards the finish line at that very moment.
This is a historic moment folks, the Thunderdrum's voice boomed, reaching every corner of
the dragon kingdom. For the first time in our kind's history, the Alpha himself had entered the
race! Will he claim victory, or will his wings fail him and send him towards the jaws of death?!
Of course given the commotion from both the kingdom's residents and the announcer, it only
took a brief period of time before the news reached the Alpha's mate herself.
He's doing what?! Light Fury roared, causing heads from the neighbouring audiences to
turn towards her. Metalug gave the others a helpless look, while they simply gave her
unhelpful shrugs in return. Now I know this was unexpected, your majesty, to us as well as
you, at least he and Storfmly are engaging in a recreational activity. Meatlug intended to
calm Light Fury with this observation, but the words she chose had the opposite effect. A
RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY?! She roared in Meatlug's face. IT'S COMPLETE SUICIDE
FOR MOST DRAGONS! Meatlug could tell by the panic in her voice that she wasn't
implying her husband wasn't capable of competing, but rather her panic was causing her
paranoia to run rampant. Well, Meatlug tried to reason, most dragons isn't aaalll dragons…
CLOUDJUMPER! Light Fury roared at the top of her lungs, her voice echoing through the
caverns. Now every dragon surrounding the alpha crystal was looking in its direction in
complete silence. While not being a feared presence, most dragons knew better than to get
on the bad side of the king's wife.
Within a few moments, the 4 winged shape of Cloudjumper could be made out, eventually
landing on the crystal. Your majesty, he growled, bowing before her in respect. Light Fury
rolled her eyes slightly. Cloud, stop. You know I'm not into that royalty stuff. But that's not
important right now. The real king - my HUSBAND is in danger! Cloud Jumper stood up,
standing taller than her. I take it you've heard the news. Do you not believe Toothless is
capable of competing? Light Fury looked away from him, giving a wounded look. That's not
what I'm saying! It's just - She stuttered. Cloudjumper placed a wing on her shoulder. I
understand, he purred. He's your mate. You want him to be safe. She gave a look towards
her stomach, before looking back at Cloudjumper quickly. Exactly. I'm sure he can compete,
but I just don't want him to get hurt, or worse… She couldn't bring herself to finish, but
Cloudjumper knew what she meant, and nodded his head. I'll send my fastest troops into the
race, he offered. I'll instruct them to ensure no harm befalls upon him. Light Fury gave him a
grateful look. Thank you Cloud. Although the fear in her voice hadn't fully subsided, she had
at the very least easened up to the point where she could think semi - rationally again. As
Cloudjumper flew off, she looked back at Meatlug and the others, who were each giving her
different looks. Her eyelids lowered slightly. His safety is more important than some race,
she insisted. This is for his own good. She then turned back towards the track, as doubt
began to fill her mind. Of course I'm in the right here, she thought to herself. I'm his wife, I
should be keeping him safe from himself. She hesitated, dwelling on that last part. Right?
Entering the second cavern, Toothless could immediately tell why the race was considered
lethal. Within the space between them and the exit, multiple lava pools lined the floors of the
cavern, with long streams of lava pouring from holes in the cavern's ceilings. However, due
to their activity, huge lava bubbles were forming in the pools every few seconds, composting
and spraying in every direction. Toothless saw some racers ahead get caught in the blast
radius while trying to navigate the lava streams, screeching in pain as the hot substance
pierced through their skin. Some were lucky and crashed into nearby banks or caverns
where crowds of dragons were spectating. Others weren't as lucky.
We can't fly through that without getting hit, Stormfly squawked at Toothless as the too
paused in the air. We're not fast enough, and our scales are only fireproof, not lava proof!
Toothless looked around as racers behind them flew around the pair, and as dragons passed
them, Toothless noticed a couple of racers flying next to others who were hit by the
projectiles of lava bubbles, being shielded as a result. This gave him an idea
Improvise! Toothless roared as he suddenly sped forward flying alongside a Bonapper.
Stornfly remained in her spot of air, confused for a moment, before realizing what Toothless
was attempting. Quickly, she too chose a racer to fly alongside, picking a chubby
Featherhide to fly alongside, but quickly having to change to a Dramilion after it was
immediately hit with lava and fell to the pools below. As the two flew throughout the caverns,
they were able to keep up with the other racers, despite having to find new dragon shields
whenever their old ones were hit. Luckily, they didn't have to change too often, while finding
themselves moving further forward as a result. However, Stormfly found herself in a pickle
when she attempted to find a new dragon towards the latter half of the cavern, as the dragon
she attempted to fly alongside quickly noticed what she was doing, and unfortunately for
Stormfly, she immediately knew who he was as he turned his head around.
You?! Dragur roared as he swung his tail in Stormfly's direction, causing her to stagger back
in the air. Get lost, pets! Dragur insulted Stormfly before he fired a bolt of electricity at a
piece of rock hanging from the ceiling, causing debris to fall behind him in Stormfly's
direction. Before she could react, a shot of plasma heat sped past Stormfly's direction,
incinerating the debris. Turning around, she saw Toothless flying past her, before looking
back and giving her a 'you're welcome' look. She rolled her eyes and launched forward into
the air catching up with Toothless as they exited the caverns and flew towards the next
section.
…
Many crystals lined the walls of the Crossworlds Temple, particularly in its main hall, all in
different colours, shapes and sizes, yet Charizard was only focused on the big blue one that
was centred in the middle of the room. His face conveyed a speechless expression of
multiple emotions, including rage, disbelief, and subtly yet most prevalent, sadness. Within
the crystal, an image was being presented of the orange dragon's home village, high in the
mountains, filled with mostly stone structures, yet some were made of wood from
surrounding forests, in order to provide fire. The village had been the home of Charizard's
kind for generations, at least according to what Elderess had told him, yet the sight that lied
before him was not filled with life or prosperity. Yet what appeared to be pieces of multiple
shattered statues lay all over the grounds of the mountains, some smaller than others. A few
heads could also be made out in the crowd, giving looks that either conveyed looks of rage,
or complete fear. While he didn't bear a single tear or even a sniffle of melancholy, a growl of
anger did arise from his throat, fueled by grief and loss for what he had witnessed.
"Who did this?" Charizard growled fiercely as he looked up to his master, who moved his
hand away from the crystals, ending their projection. "I'm afraid I cannot be 100% certain,
my boy," Elderess expressed with an apologetic tone, "yet upon evaluating the scene of your
old home, I believe there is only one creature capable of carrying out an act like this."
Charizard rage decreased slightly as confusion began to seep into his tone. "But master, that
doesn't make sense." You taught me that the Drunn had been defeated for over 500 years,
since the end of the Old Wars." Charizard recalled the lessons about his heritage Elderess
had taught him as a dragonet. "Plus, the readings said that they only turned creatures to
stone, not completely eradicate them!" Elderess held his head down, contemplating what
Charizard was saying. "How could the Drunn be back, and be able to travel between realms
on its own, let alone be capable of something like this?" Charizard was left without a
response for a moment, yet he stood silently, awaiting his master's response politely. Finally,
Elderess turned back to the orange dragon and gave him a grim look. "Because if what I
suspect is true, then I don't believe the Drunn is alone anymore." Charizard's eyes widened
to the size of moons, as given his teachings, he immediately knew what his master was
implying. "Wait. No. It can't be. You're not suggesting…" "Yes my boy," Elderess confirmed
while looking towards some red crystals, their crimson glow bathing his face. "I believe the
beast's master has finally returned."
…
Having assembled almost a dozen soldiers, Cloudjumper and his dragons flew into a
selection of caves that overlooked the third section of the race. The cave that Cloudjumper
had chosen was mostly crowded with spectating dragons, yet through the crowd, he was
able to make out the layout of the track, as well as the racers flying through the caverns. At
first glance, it seemed weird how slowly the racers were moving, yet upon further inspection,
Cloudjumper noticed they were adjusting their wings to balance themselves in the air.
Looking around at the geysers in the walls and ceilings, Cloudjumper observed that huge
gusts of air were spraying out of each one at different times in quick succession. The sudden
shift of direction in the air flow was causing the racers to adjust their wings in quick time, in
order to keep themselves from crashing into the walls. Although moving slowly, most racers
were moving gradually through the cavern, although there were the occasionally few who
lost their balance, and were sent flying into the rocks as a result. However, Cloudjumper
wasn't paying attention to these few, and along with his troops, were searching for two
dragons in particular. After a few moments, one of Cloud's men roared Over there, pointing
towards the entrance of the caverns, where he saw Toothless and Stormfly had just entered
the caverns, and had quickly adjusted their wings to traverse the wind currents, although
noticeably less perfectly as the others. Cloud knew that if they had made it through the first
half, they could probably complete the second, but he had made a promise to Light Fury,
and he wasn't about to break it, both for her and Toothless's sake. Get them both out of the
race he instructed his men, but refrain from using brute force. This is our king after all. The
point of this is to keep him safe. The dragons nodded, before pushing through the crowd of
spectators, and launching themselves into the air, towards Toothless and Stormfly.
As the two were slowly but steadily making their way through the caverns, Toothless noticed
that a dozen dragons had emerged from the viewing caverns towards the ceiling, and were
heading in the two's direction. However, before they got too far, a geyser suddenly expelled
a strong gust of wind which blew each dragon in separate directions all across the caverns.
Stormfly gave Toothless a confused look. What's their deal? She squawked. Toothless
examined the closest ones who had regained their balance and immediately knew what was
going on. They must be part of the race's obstacles, Toothless lied. We just need to get to
the end without them catching us! As Stormfly nodded and continued forward, Toothless
glanced away, knowing that his mate had caught on to what they were doing. He should
have guessed she would find out eventually. It's not like the king entering the race wouldn't
catch the attention of the entire kingdom. Looking around at the guards who were making
their way towards them, Toothless knew how much Stormfly was enjoying this, so they had
to avoid them at all costs. In between the breaks of wind expelled from the geysers, the
dragons were attempting to fly towards the two as quickly as possible, only to have to
rebalance when a new gust of wind blew from a different direction. Because of this,
Toothless and Stormfly were able to progress forward while moving further away from the
guards. However, at the end of one gust, Toothless noticed the guards were moving away
from them, and instead lining themselves in front of geysers that were about to blow. Instead
of readying himself, Toothless dove down below the aim of the geysers, roaring at Stormfly
to do the same. She did, and looking above as the guards narrowly missed her, ramming
into a wall, she figured out what Toothless has done. We need to fly around the geysers, he
explained. It will take longer, but it will help us avoid them, he explained, pointing his tail at
the guards. Stormfly nodded. Just like on Berk? Toothless nodded in response.
Like Toothless guessed, taking this approach meant that the two began falling behind, but
they were able to still keep themselves in the race without getting caught, since the guards
weren't able to accurately exit the wind gusts at the right time. Eventually Stormfly and
Toothless made it to the last geyser, with racers and troops hot on their tail, but as Stornfly
made her way under the wind gusts path, Toothless noticed a big shadow above him, and
halted in his path. Stormfly, move! Toothless screeched, but it was too late. As Stormfly
turned around, she noticed that a guard had accidentally rammed into a player, and had
fallen into her, sending the three tumbling towards a geyser. Toothless quickly dove after her,
although he realized that the rest of the troops were right on his tail. Before Toothless could
react however, a strong gust of wind quickly blew through the geyser in front of them,
blowing all the guards back towards the entrance of the cavern, along with the racer and
guard that had crashed into Stormfly. Without sparing a moment, Toothless managed to grab
onto Stormfly's tail with his jaw, and positioned his wings to hover in place against the wind's
force, and just as he was about to lose grip of Stormfly's tail, the gut of wind subsided.
Stormfly regained flight, giving him a 'thank you look,' but as they looked back in front of
them, they noticed the remaining racers were way past them, and the race had continued
into the final sections of the track. Stormfly shut her eyes letting out a disappointed sigh,
while Toothless just hovered in place, looking in disbelief and defeat. There was no way they
could catch up, not compared to how fast the others were moving. Toothless gave Stormfly
an apologetic look, ready to tell her to throw in the towel. But before he could, the sound of
rushing air distracted the two. As they looked over at the cavern's exit, they noticed a huge
geyser that was expelling air in the exact direction of the course, towards the final section.
Both Toothless and Stormfly's expressions rose as they looked over at each other, before
grinning at each other, expressing that they both had the same idea.
When the next fist of wind blew through the geyser, the two dragons were ready, standing in
its inner walls, where the strength of the wind shot them into the air like a cannon. Holding
their wings back so as to not create drag, the two zipped through the air, with Toothless's lips
flopping around like plastic due to their sheer speed, revealing his toothless gums. They
sped through the cavern so quickly that the ground became a blur, and before long, they saw
that they were catching up on the other racers. Quickly, the two adjusted their wings to
regain flight, but due to their speed, they ended up speeding past most of the racers,
crashing into one of the leaders. The collision caused the racer to grunt before ramming into
a crystal suspended from the ceiling, before falling to the ground, along with a pile of debris.
Toothless and Stormfly were lucky on the other hand, and were able to steady themselves in
the air, before regaining speed and rejoining the race. However, as they continued, Sorrmfly
quickly looked back to see who they had knocked out, and as the dragon emerged from the
pile of crystal pieces, a smirk crossed her face.
ROOAAAARGH! BERKIANS! Dragur roared at the two as they flew above. Nice attempt
Dragur, Stormfly shouted. Toothless realised who she was addressing, and joined by
shouting. Maybe next year buddy! Without another word, the two shot forward towards the
final leg of the race.
Dragur glowered in anger at the two as they left his sight, furious that he had been taken out
by a couple of domesticated dragons. He paused on that thought. No, he growled. I refused
to be taken out, let alone by a Night Fury and his pet! Without another thought, Dragur
charged up with as much electricity as he could, and shot into the air, sending debris flying
around him, rejoining the racers in the final caverns.
That worked, Stormfly squawked as they entered a cavern system leading the main caverns
of the hidden world. I can't believe it! That actually worked!
As the two looked forward, they
could see Toothless's throne in the distance, knowing they were close to finishing the race.
With a grin, Toothless looked over to Stormfly and asked Is this the stupidest thing we've
ever done? Stormfly chuckled in response. Oh yeah, it's up there!
Given there were less racers in front of them now due to their position, it took a bit for them
to realize what the final obstacle was between them and the victory line. At the front of the
group, one Monstrous Nightmare who had flown ahead and taken the lead was suddenly
struck down by a barrage of magma balls, which sent him hurtling towards the ground,
roaring in pain. A Sandblaster attempted to evade the projectiles, but instead of being hit by
magma, a dozen spikes zoomed towards her from the opposite direction, piercing her wings
and pinning her against one of the crystals in the course. She thrashed around, attempting to
free herself, but eventually gave up due to the pain it was causing her wings. As Stormfly
looked up to locate where these projectiles were coming from, she saw that perched on top
of the cavern's ledges, groups of dragons were shooting all types of abilities from firebreath
to sonic soundwaves at the racers in an attempt to knock them out. Stormfly turned towards
Toothless and squared at him to look up, but he had already seen what Stormfly had found,
and had stopped in mid air. Stormfly stopped as well, seeing that Toothless was observing
the racers passing him, trying to make a plan for them to get through without getting hit. So
far, no racers were managing to pass this final obstacle, so it seemed like they had time.
However, a sudden bolt of electricity that zipped between Toothless and Stormfly's wings
caught their attention, and looking behind, they could see who it was coming from.
At first appearing like a ball of light, Toothless could see that the ball was getting larger, and
that lighting was striking all dragons down that it passed. Oh, and it also had the shape of
Dragur's raging face. NIGHT FURY! The Skrill roared, I'M GONNA MAKE YOU WISH
YOU WERE EXTINCT! Toothless saw Stormfly look towards him in pure terror. What do we
do? She squawked in panic. We can't go through there, she addressed the final obstacle,
yet there's no way around it. But we can't say here, or we're as good as dead!
Toothless looked back towards the obstacle before them, trying to find some way of getting
past it alive. There has to be a way, he thought frantically, feeling himself start to panic.
Otherwise, there wouldn't be a way for any racers to win. As he thought, his eyes returned to
the dragons perched above the course, responsible for targeting the racers. Observing their
perches, he noticed that their ledges were slightly extending out from the rockworks, to the
point where Toothless questioned if they could even see what was underneath them.
Pondering this, Toothless gained a solution.
WE FLY UNDERNEATH THEM! Toothless roared, pointing towards the sections
underneath the perched dragons. The snipers can't see that area below them, so they
shouldn't be able to see us! Stormfly gave him a wary look. But the caverns are double
sided! The other snipers will still spot us! A loud shriek was heard from behind them, and
they could see Dragur gaining ground, knocking racers out of the sky in the crossfire of his
lightning. Do you have any better ideas?! Toothless yelped before darting forward into the
caverns. Stormfly hesitated for a moment, but after looking back once more to see Dragur's
raging face approaching, she darted after Toothless without a second thought.
At first it seemed like they were screwed, as projectiles immediately began to speed towards
the two dragons, causing them to have to weave in and out of their pathways. However,
Toothless could immediately tell that there was less of a barrage on them compared to the
earlier racers. Looking up confirmed his plan had worked, as none of the fireballs or nadder
spikes were being shot from the platform they were flying under. However, the ball of
electricity that narrowly missed his tail reminded him of the bigger, likely more lethal threat
behind them. I'm still here, Night Fury! Toothless noticed that most of the projectiles headed
in Dragur's direction were either being incinerated by his lightning, or had little effect on him,
meaning he didn't have to dodge them and was getting closer to the two dragons. You're not
winning this race, pets! Dragur swore as he shot another blast of electricity at the two,
narrowly missing Stormfly as she dodged out of the way. Toothless, she shrieked. I don't
know if we'll be able to make it with him behind us. Toothless tried to respond, but before he
could, a group of spikes from a Nadder perched above struck Toothless right in his right
wing, pinning him to the wall. Seeing he was trapped, Stormfly immediately halted and
rushed over to free him, desperately trying to pull the spikes out. There were about three
trapping Toothless, and they had dug into the rock deep. Toothless screeched in pain as
Stormfly attempted to loosen the could tell she was desperately trying to
free him without hurting him, but the risk of ripping his wings stopped her from pulling too
hard. Yet they both knew if he stayed there, they would both be skrill chum. As Stormfly kept
trying to free him, Toothless could see that Dragur was getting dangerously close to him, and
almost no projectiles were affecting him at this point. You're mine now, Berkians! Dragons
throughout the Hidden World held their breath as they watched the scene unfold. Go!
Toothless tried to reason with Stormfly. Win the race! I'll be fine! Both of them knew
Toothless wasn't sure of that last part, and in response, Stormfly gave him a stern look. No
Toothless, she growled. You're the reason we're in this to begin with, so it's either all of us,
or none of us. Stormfly stood her ground, covering her wings over Toothless to protect him
from Dragur's wrath, and Toothless desperately tried to free himself to defend her.
However, the two lowered their guard as the light of Dragur's electricity suddenly dimmed,
and as Stormfly lifted her wings and the two looked in the skrill's direction, finding that he
had been pinned against the wall, encased in Amber. Luckily, most of the dragons perched
above had seemingly ceased fire after realising who they were targeting, so no further harm
could befall Dragur or themselves. It seemed he was thrashing around in rage, but the
amber had almost entirely ceased his ability to move. Confused for a moment about who
shot him, the two heard a familiar sound sung above them, and looking up, their faces
immediately lightened up. Garf! Stormfly squawked with joy as the young Deathsong
descended from above to greet them. Garf and Storfmly had been friends since their time
with Berkians, yet he wasn't domesticated like they were. Despite that, he had seemed to
build a strong friendship with Storfmly, which had seemingly aided them in this scenario.
Heya Stormie, Garf sung. Haven't seen you guys in a while. I didn't know you were also in
the Aero-Wings 500. Stormfly's happy look suddenly turned into a judgemental look directed
towards Toothless. Well, it was really a last minute surprise, that SOMEONE thought
wouldn't be life threatening. Toothless gave a cheeky smile in response. Garf seemed to
understand though. Would you guys like some help then, Garf offered through melody. You
seem to be having some trouble with those spikes. Toothless gave him a confused look.
Don't you want to win the race? He cooed. You still have a chance to win without
competition. Garf just gave him a sheepish smile. Eh. I didn't really care about winning. It
was really about the thrill. This comment dwelled in Toothless's mind as Garf joined Stormfly
in freeing him from the spikes. After a moment though, the last of the spikes was pulled out
of the rock, and fell to the ground below, leaving only a few small marks in Toothless wings.
Now go, you crazy bunch, Garf laughed at Toothless and Stormfly. Go and win this race!
Stormfly gave him a nuzzle before shooting off, and Toothless thanked him before following
after her.
Little did the three know, trapped below in his Amber cocoon, Dragur had ceased trying to
free himself, and instead had begun charging up a huge ball of electricity. Due to the way
Garf had shot him, Dragur had enough room to aim his head in Toothless's direction, and
with a loud boom, he managed to shoot his electricity towards the Night Fury. However,
Toothless managed to hear the sonic boom, and dodged out of the way before it hit him.
Stormfly was not so lucky, as the blast hit her point blank in her ribcage, and although the
shot wasn't too strong, it was strong enough to knock her out of the air. Stormfly! Toothless
roared in distress as he flew after his friend. Luckily, since the two had just exited the canyon
and were now in the same caverns as the throne, the blast had sent her into a nearby perch
absent of any spectators. Toothless landed as soon as he could on the perch, and observed
how badly she had been hurt. She didn't seem to have any permanent injuries, but her
underbelly had been badly burnt by the blast of electricity. He nudged Stormfly with his head,
eager for his friend to respond, and to his relief, she gradually opened his eyes, and gave
him a weak smile. Toothless felt horrible, and placed his head on her own. I'm sorry Stormfly,
he cooed. I shouldn't have dragged you into this. I should have known better. Stormfly
weakily lifted her tail and entwined it with Toothless's in response. It's okay, she purred softly.
I shouldn't have kept my interest in it a secret from you. At least we got this far, right?
Toothless lifted his head and gave her a serious look. You're right, he growled. It is good
enough. We're stopping here. Both of us. We're gonna wait for help to come.
And wait they did. Eventually Cloudjumper and the high guard found Toothless and
Stormfly's spot on the ledge. As soo as they saw what had happened, Cloud sent a few
guards to fetch a medical dragon, and got the rest to lift Stormfly back to the alpha's
quarters. During the time it took, Toothless observed as the remaining racers regained
consciousness and crossed the finish line. The dragon to win the race was a female
Razorwhip, whose victory was announced to the entire hidden world by the announcer
Thunderdrum, followed by the cheers of thousands of dragons. However, it all went through
one ear and out the other for Toothless. He wanted to recapture the joy and thrill he and his
friends had felt during their Berk days, and in the process he had forgotten the dangers that
had come with them. But he knew better now. He wouldn't let any harm come to his friends
or family like what had happened to Stormfly today ever again.
If only he knew how wrong he was…
…
"I don't believe it," Charizard growled. "The snivelling serpent's remarks came true." He was
walking through the crystal covered corridors alongside Elderess, when they came into a
larger hall which was covered in multiple holes and little caves, big enough to store various
types of crystals. Elderess reached up into a cave with small blue crystals, and grabbed a
handful of them. "Indeed they did, my apprentice. The revelation distresses me as much as
you." Elderess's remark emulated sadness, but Charizard could sense it wasn't for the same
reasons as him. "We have to act now," Charizard swore. "We can't let similar fates fall upon
the other realms that befell my tribe. We need to find out what Kandikis wants and how to
stop him, we-" Charizard felt Elderess talons gently lay against his shoulder, before
beckoning him to open up his talons, to which Charizard obliged. "You need to calm your
mind, Charizard," Elderess explained. "The mind of a dragon is a lot like water. If it becomes
agitated, then it becomes harder to control, along with all that revolves around it." Charizard
gave him a confused look. What was he getting at? Why was this important to their current
predicament? "But if you allow it to calm," Elderess finished, waving his hand across the
biggest crystal, causing an image to gradually form, "then the solution becomes easier to
find." Aligning with the end of the metaphor, the image had finished materializing in the
crystal. Charizard had a strong feeling he knew what his master was suggesting, but when
Elderess handed him a bag full of the crystals he had picked, his hunch was confirmed. He
was going to fulfil his destiny, and unite the guardians once more. And his first destination
was present within the crystal, being the Hidden World.
Damn that was way longer than I expected. Sorry if this one is a bit longer than the
last two. I just really wanted to use the Aero-Wings 500 as a character building
chapter for Toothless, while making it as action packed as possible. Anyways, here's
some drawings of Toothless I did in relation to this fanfic.