Chapter Two: The Hidden World
As the sun set on the horizon, marking the sky with strokes of yellow and orange, the five
dragons gradually made their way back to their home with their haul in their talons. Although
it had been a challenge to recover every fish due to the sheer number as well as some
predators that stole some of the fish, the group were able to catch most of what Barf and
Belch had spilled, as well as catching a few sharks that had gotten too cocky when stealing
their fish. This of course made the basket extremely heavy for the dragons to carry, yet they
would each rotate out with one another to give each other time to rest and solely focus on
flying. Toothless himself also took turns at helping to carry the basket, not because he was
their alpha and it was his responsibility, but simply because he wanted to help them. Of
course, despite his noble intentions, both he and his friends were exhausted by the end of
their flight, but as soon as Toothless felt like his wings might detach from his body, he
spotted the waterfall up ahead. The entrance to the hidden world of dragons sat in the
middle of the ocean, appearing as a great circular waterfall that guzzled water from the
surrounding ocean, creating a giant Hayze that covered the area, making the only objects
within the waterfall visible to the dragon eye a couple of ledges and rocks that rose from the
ground and split the direction of the running water. For a human in a simple ship, a sight like
this would be enough to either confuse or shock them greatly, before fleeing in fear of falling
down the great waterfall that lied before them. However, the same was not true for Toothless
and his crew, since of course, they were dragons, not humans. Instead Meatlug and
Hookfang (the two currently carrying the basket) clutched their load tight so it would not spill,
and the five dived down into the depths of the waterfall, disappearing into the fog.
Emerging from the fog relieved an enormous open cavern, filled with rock spirals and
formations that rose from the ground and the ceiling. They were covered in mist and liquid
from the waterfall, which dripped down into little pools and rivers at the bottom of the cavern.
There were some caves within each formation as well as along the walls of the caverns.
However, the five flew towards an open one that lied above a river towards the bottom of the
cavern, as it was big enough to fit all five, plus their cargo, at once while flying. As the
entered the cave, the space grew darker and darker as they flew until all that was visible was
the faintest of their silhouettes visible in the water below them. A light ahead eventually
broke the streak of darkness, and as the dragons reached the end on the cave, they entered
into an even bigger cavern with multiple pools of water, waterfalls, and spirals that lined the
entire area, covered in glowing material, plants, caves, nests, and of course, dragons. Most
of the dragons within this area glowed vibrantly due to the blacklight nature of the cavern,
including some SeaShockers that swam in the pools below Toothless and his crew, and
some Fireworm Princess that flew over the five in a big school. Shortly after they flew over,
Toothless looked down and saw how he and his friends had started to glow too. Toothless
mainly gave off a blue glow while the rest of his friends had multiple colours covering their
bodies, but he didn't mind, as he thought the blue glow complimented his black scales nicely.
As the group continued flying, they noticed some timberjacks flying overhead into different
caves, leading to different sections of the Hidden World, as well as nests sitting on perches
below them that began to glow as they flew overhead. Toothless couldn't help but smile as
he saw the outlines of baby dragonets in their eggs. The Night Fury hadn't had any children
yet, but he sure was excited for the day when he would have his own nest full of eggs. As
the group continued forward, the light of the cavern began to brighten as they entered a
wider cave system illuminated by the crystals around them. They ranged in size and colour,
with many expanding from the ground or ceiling, and others emerging from different plants,
or extending from the ceiling to the ground, making them appear like giant support beams.
There were many caves present in the rockwork of the area, some that were mainly dragons'
homes, while others were entrances to different sections of the Hidden World. Some of these
caverns also had water flowing out of them, which all formed rivers that winded through the
rock structures and crystals until eventually merging at a giant moat around the centrepiece
of the Hidden World. Two big crystals that illuminated the whole space, with one extending
from the ceiling, covered in moss and plants, which revealed a few caves present within its
structure, large enough for dragons to fit into. The other opposed it on the ground, standing
tall and wide with smaller crystals extending from around its base. Unlike the one that lied
above it, this crystal had no organics covering it nor caves present within it, but instead, it
made up for these features by providing a solid view over almost the entirety of the hidden
world. Toothless knew this for a fact because he had sat on that very crystal to address his
subjects many times prior. It was his throne, and the crystal above it, as well as the
surrounding river and cave systems attached to the two, were his home. Despite the fact he
never strived to become king, and rather was given the title due to circumstances, he did
have to admit there were some highlights, and his home was definitely one of them.
Wherever he wrapped up the day he could either relax in one of the many cave systems that
belonged to him, or take a nice soak in the river of his private beach. However, Toothless
knew the day wasn't up yet, and he decided to save those luxury thoughts for later.
Turning towards the right, Toothless could already see a large group of dragons gathering
around on a giant fungi platform of some sort, and knew they had gathered for the load of
fish that he had promised to retrieve. Most of the dragons Toothless recognised were
Berkians, however there were a couple of faces that he had not seen before. I'll have to get
Stormfly to check if they came from Berk, he thought to himself. He had decided to only
retrieve fish for the dragons who came from Berk, considering the fact that they were
domesticated for a while, and it would be hard for them to regain their hunting skills.
Cloudjumper, a Stormcutter Toothless had met only a couple of years ago, personally
believed each dragon should learn how to regain their skills in the wild, but Toothless was
still trying to ease them into the idea of staying in the Hidden World, as he wasn't too keen
on the idea of herds of dragons flying around in the open ocean. He had permitted some
dragons to leave occasionally to retrieve their own food, however, Toothless had decided to
place some guards at the entrance in secret, so that no dragons who weren't permitted could
leave without a good reason. Toothless let out a sigh in his head as he heard himself think
that. Forcing dragons to stay here wouldn't have been my first option, but with those hunters
potentially still out there, it's not safe for groups of us to go outside on our own.
As the group lowered onto the nature-made platform, Stormfly flew towards the basket's
base behind where Meatlug and Hookfang were carrying it, and gently tipped it over with her
head, causing fish to spill out onto the platform surrounding dragons waited
eagerly until every fish was unloaded, and one by one, each dragon collected an even -
enough amount of fish for dinner. Toothless and his friends were usually the last to retrieve
fish, despite the fact that Toothless had the privilege to receive first pick, but he didn't really
mind. It made him feel more like a normal dragon, rather than the literal king of every dragon
surrounding him.
Looking around at the crowd though, he noticed one dragon was particularly absent.
Toothless found Cloudjumper with his stash of fish towards the far side of the platform, and
fellow over the crowd towards him. The Stormcutter gave him a little nod of respect as
Toothless landed next to him. Hey Cloud, have you seen Light Fury anywhere? The Night
Fury had a little concern in his growls as he communicated. Not around here this afternoon, I
haven't, your highness, CloudJumper growled in response, before returning to his meal.
Toothless could feel a little panic rising in his chest. What if she's upset with me? I did
something to upset her? Paranoid thoughts began to flood Toothless' mind as he continued
scanning the crowd not finding the dragoness anywhere. However, a brushing of wings
between his own and another's caught Toothless' attention, and as he turned around, now
standing beside him, looking up into his eyes, was the love of his life, Light Fury. Toothless
let out a sigh of relief as he nuzzled his mate, who closed her eyes and smiled as she
embraced his affection. Despite not being exactly the same species of dragon, there were
enough similarities to label her as a Fury. The floppy ears at the back of her head, the giant
curious eyes, the snout, tailfins, even the plasmablast, an ability Toothless had only seen
possessed by the two of differences between them included a sleeker and smaller
builds in some of Light Fury's proportions than Toothless', as well as scales white as snow
rather than as dark as night. However, Toothless didn't mind these differences. In fact, they
just made her more special than a regular Night Fury in his eyes. The only thing that
bothered him was the fact they hadn't given her a proper name. Considering she wasn't the
last of her kind, like he was, calling her 'Light Fury' sometimes felt a bit derogatory to him.
But she didn't seem to mind the name, even viewing it as a title, considering she was the
first of her kind Toothless and his friends discovered.
His affection toward her was suddenly interrupted when Light Fury nipped one of his ears,
causing Toothless to let out a yelp. He turned towards her with a confused and shocked
expression. What was that for? He whined innocently. He could see there was a displeased
expression on her face, but he couldn't tell what her problem was. Seriously? Light Fury
grumbled in response. You left at dawn to find food, and it's now dusk outside. You were
gone the entire day! Hearing what she was saying, Toothless couldn't help but feel a little
guilty. He didn't expect to be gone so long, and the fact they were almost caught by humans
certainly didn't help things. I'm sorry honey, he purred apologetically. It just took a long time
to find a good fishing spot today, and I didn't want my friends working for long periods of
time.
Judging by the tone of his voice, Light Fury could tell he was bluffing to some extent.
Judging by the last part, she guessed that one of his companions from Berk probably caused
an issue to delay them, and given the fact she had been around them for around a year at
this point, the likely suspect boiled down to the two nincompoops, Barf and Belch. She knew
Toothless probably wouldn't tell her that though, because despite the many weird things
about him that confused her to this day, she understood why he was defending the
Zippleback. They had been his friends for a long time before she came along, and the fact
that he would still take the fall for them was another selfless act that annoyingly made her
love him all the more. However, the first part of Toothless' apology caught her attention.
You weren't seen by any humans, were you? She growled with suspicion.
Toothless felt a drop of sweat run down his scales, but he tried to keep it out of Light Fury's
view. No, he answered quickly. A little too quickly. Not a single one of us spotted any humans
or boats in the ocean. Light Fury turned her head and gave him a skeptical look in response.
Toothless tried to pull his best poker face, giving her a toothless smile in return. However, he
could tell she wasn't buying it. Still, he didn't want to say they had spotted some old
acquaintances from Berk while fishing. Given her history with dragon hunters, Light Fury
wasn't as friendly or welcoming towards humans as most of the other dragons Toothless had
met. Toothless could understand why, given his own history with dragon hunters, but it still
made it difficult to discuss things surrounding Berk and his human friends with her
sometimes. Even though she left Berk on good terms with people like Hiccup, even saving
him from death after saving him, he could tell she was still a bit wary around humans and
things that related to them. That was partly a reason why she liked to sit with Toothless away
from the Berkian dragons during feeding time, as they acted a little too much like their viking
friends for her liking. Although she had gotten used to them, and even began to socialise
with dragons like Hookfang and Meatlug, it still took a bit for her to warm up to them,
especially Stormfly, who didn't like Toothless' mate herself when they first met.
Looking at Light Fury for a moment then around at the dragons feasting before him, it
caused Toothless to begin self reflecting once more. These dragons aren't just fellow
residents anymore, now that we've all moved here. They're now my subjects, just like every
other dragon here. Thinking about that made Toothless a little nauseous. The fact that he
was king of all dragons was still hard to fathom, nt that Toothless didn't want to be the king,
or that he didn't like his role, it's just… he wasn't fully sure if he was doing it right or not.
As he looked around at each of his friends, who he easily identified in the large crowd of
dragons, he began to view them as reflections of his whole kind.
Meatlug was the first one he spotted. She was sitting on her belly, chewing on a pile of fish
she had secured, yet she was appearingly not enjoying herself, as her one year old dragonet
was running and jumping all over her, causing a racket and flinging around her own fish,
sending saliva flying all over the place. Other dragons around her looked at Meatlug with
expressions that clearly asked if she was going to do something about it, but instead she just
kept chewing with a zoned out expression on her face. She's probably tired from having to
help me today and look after her dragonet as soon as she got home, Toothless thought to
himself. I bet she probably just wants to have some time to herself, without a noisy dragon
jumping all over her.
Next Toothless found Barf And Belch, who were easy to spot as they were fighting over a
piece of fish in a game of tug of war, their noise and commotion caused other dragons
around them to move away, shooting annoyed and angry glares at the two who either
couldn't tell or didn't care due to their confrontation with one another. Seriously, those two
are as bad as the twins were, Toothless commented in his head, clearly as annoyed as the
dragons around them. There has to be something those two can engage in without
immediately fighting.
Hookfang was identified next, as he appeared to just be eating his haul of fish like every
other dragon, however, upon further inspection, Toothless could see he was being quite
aggressive in his actions, ripping apart fish with his claws and waving them around violently
like a chew toy. A couple of pieces landed on the floor next to him, and while a couple of
terrible terrors tried to snatch some pieces away, they were quickly scared off by Hookfang,
who gave them fierce growls, and even snapped his jaws at one of the terrors tails He's
being way more aggressive and territorial now than in the past Toothless observed. Clearly
he misses the action of New Berk and our Riders, but I'm sure there's something that could
be just as fulfilling for him here, right?
Speaking of which, the last dragon Toothless spotted was Stormfly, who sat on the other side
of the crows with a relatively small pile of fish. However, she wasn't eating any of it. In fact,
Toothless couldn't see anything that indicated Stormfly had eaten a single fish. Instead, she
was just looking blankly at the pile, and then turned around towards her back, looking at it
with hopes that something might appear on top of it. As soon as she did that, Toothless
immediately realised what she was feeling, and felt great sympathy for her. She misses
Berk, he realised. She misses Astrid and the rest of our human friends. Stormfly had always
been fond of their days in Berk, but Toothless had never truly realised how much she cared
about her former riders and home until he saw the way she was acting now. It actually made
him shed a tear, realising Stormfly felt almost the exact same way he did.
Toothless' show of sadness wasn't unnoticed however, and Light Fury put her head
underneath his chin, gently rubbing against him. Is something wrong, love she cooed, clearly
concerned about her husband's struggles. Toothless looked down at her and quickly used
his wing to wipe away his tear. Oh, it's nothing too significant dear, it's just… he hesitated for
a moment, not sure of how she would react to what he was about to say, but continued
nevertheless. I feel like some of my friends and residents from Berk have not fully adjusted
to life in the Hidden World, and are feeling a little homesick. Toothless expected an annoyed
look from his mate, berating him about the incompetence of his leadership and his
domesticated friends. Instead, he received a look of compassion and understanding. That
doesn't sound insignificant to me, love, she responded while lifting her head to look him in
the eyes. Why do you believe that to be the case? Toothless decided he would share his
views with his mate, despite how she may view them. They were mated after all. Surely she
could understand why he thought such things. Well, judging by my friends alone, Meatlugh
seems to be unengaged with everything, including her dragonet, Barf and Belch are a
complete mess, Hookfang's aggression is out of control, and Stormfly, more than any of
them just looks…lost.
As Toothless looked back at his friends, Light Fury looked away for a moment, thinking about
how they could help his friends. She knew Toothless was still nervous about being king, and
he saw his friends as his closest subjects, but despite getting to know them, she still didn't
fully understand them, at least not as much as Toothless did. A foundation of an idea began
to form in her head though, as she suggested, What if we find something for them to do that
they'll enjoy? Toothless contemplated what his wife was saying. Having some sort of thing
for his friends to do would be a good ascension of their spirits. He knew that for a fact, based
on past experiences on Berk, however, he didn't know exactly what could live up to the same
excitement as some of Berk's events. As Toothless asked what Light Fury had in mind, he
received a similar puzzled expression, as she too didn't know what his friends would find
enjoyable.
A loud roar from above suddenly interrupted their thoughts, and every head in the crowd
looked up towards the ceiling. Navigating around the crystals in quick succession were
dragons from different species, who each appeared to have some sort of painted marking on
them. They all appeared to be bigger than most of the dragons in the crowd below, yet they
manage to navigate their obstacles and fly at astonishing speeds, even for dragons like
Toothless. As the crowd continued to look up in sheer amazement of how quickly they were
moving, Light Fury suddenly perked up, as the idea that had begun to form earlier finally
materialised. That's it! She roared, before covering her mouth with her wing, making only her
wide eyes visible. A few heads turned towards her in confusion, before eventually turning
away. What's it? Toothless responded in confusion. Light Fury rolled her eyes, and then
pointed her wing towards the dragons flying overhead. The Aero-Wings 500! She
explained. The Hidden World's annual race where the best dragons race around the entirety
of the Hidden World, while the whole kingdom watches. Toothless stroked his chin,
considering what she was suggesting. Light Fury then added It's almost impossible to get a
good view during the race, as all the good caves are claimed almost weeks in advance. She
then pointed to the nearby caves, and Toothless could in fact see that there were dragons
already occupying even the most cramped of spaces, eagerly watching the dragons
overhead. Toothless then finally understood what his wife was proposing. So you're
suggesting that we invite my friends over to our area so they can get front row seats to the
race? Light Fury nodded happily. Exactly! They'll be getting the best seats in the house!
Toothless smile. Not only did he love how smart his mate was, but he appreciated that she
was trying to put effort into helping him settle his friends and subjects.
As the feasting wrapped up and dragons left the structure, Toothless and Stormfly,
Hookfang, Meatlug and even Barf and Belch before himself and Light Fury. The four initially
looked confused, as they didn't think any of them had done anything wrong (except maybe
Barf and Belch). Toothless then stood forward. So I just wanted to ask you guys if you knew
about what was happening tomorrow? Hookfang scoffed. Of course we know, Toothless. He
growled, annoyed yet slightly amused. Tomorrow is the The Aero-Wings 500, the biggest
race in dragonkind! The other dragons nodded in excitement, especially Stormfly, who
looked more eager than the rest of them. Of course, it's gonna be hard to find a good space
to watch thanks to all our fishing, but aye, what are you gonna do? Hookfang asked
sarcastically. Toothless looked at his wife, who gave him a sly grin back. Well I figured, since
you guys have been my closest friends for the past 8 years, I figured I would let you guys
watch the race with me from my crystal! The four dragons that stood before him did not
respond. They all had shocked expressions and gaping mouths. Belch was the first to break
the silence. Wait, I'm confused, Toothless. What are you saying? Barf groaned and
headbutted his twin. He's saying that we've been invited to watch the race from his castle,
idiot!
Belch's annoyed expression lasted only for a second, before complete shock and joy
covered his face. Wait, are you joking? You have to be right? Meatlug questioned, despite
her pure joy on her face. Toothless gave the four a toothy grin and responded. No, this isn't a
joke. Come whenever you'd like. I'll let my guards know you've been invited to watch the
race with us. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. He let his friends take in the reality of
what he had told them, as they all let out excited roars and growls.
What sounded like a dragon cackling interrupted the dragons' celebrations, as as they all
looked up to see who was laughing, Toothless' smile fell as he realised who the dragon was.
So, you four got seats with the king huh? A purple Skrill with streaks of black mocked from
above. You know what that sounds like to me? The boomer chairs for suckups!
BAHAHAHAHAHA!
Dragur, Toothless groaned. Toothless hadn't seen his face in over 5 years, but considering
this was the homeworld for dragons, he should have guessed Dragur would show up
eventually. Toothless knew the skrill from his early days with Hiccup, as he had been
captured by Hiccup's deranged cousin Dargur, and commanded to kill both Toothless and
the Night Fury. Thankfully, the two had thwarted Dargur's plans and imprisoned Dragur, but a
year later he managed to escape and went on a revenge quest against the Night Fury and
his rider. Long story short, they eventually parted ways on neutral terms, yet that didn't
magically turn Dragur into a good dragon, but rather a giant cow's behind. Even his name
annoyed Toothless. While most of the dragons he knew had cool or creative name, Dragur's
name was just a reworking of Dargur. How original.
Yes, it's me, your royal fishiness, Dragur responded slimy. I figured I'd make my presence
known to you considering I'll be racing in the Aero-Wings 500 tomorrow, and ya know,
winning it! The purple skrill burst out laughing at his own pride, whereas Toothless and the
others rolled their eyes, even Light Fury, who didn't know who Dragur was, but didn't like his
personality regardless. What makes you think you'll be winning tomorrow's race? Stormfly
suddenly squawked. There's hundreds of dragons competing! Dragur tilted his head towards
the blue nadder and raised an eyebrow. Well, that's pretty simple, my little fury fork, he
gloated. Toothless could see smoke clouds starting to rise from Stormfly's nostrils. To win the
race you'll essentially have to be as fast as lighting, and that pretty much confirms the victory
as being mine, considering, ya know. The prideful skrill spread his wings open wide as
electricity surged through his body, on full display for the group. Stornfly glowed with disgust.
That's not logic, she roared. That's pure ego and hubris. Just wait Dragur, you're gonna be
out of the race before you even see the finish line! Dragur showed no signs of concern or
anger at these remarks, and rather seems amused with the nadder's remarks. Well if it's
such a big deal for you, why don't you enter the race and beat me yourself? Stormfly began
to open her mouth but then stopped herself, and hung her head towards the ground. Dragur
smirked. Oh that's right! You're too slow to enter! The crackle that followed was so enraging
that Toothless wanted to fly up and punch the skrill right in his smug face. But he remained.
He had to be the bigger dragon, even though Dragur was clearly making a spectacle for
himself. After laughing for a bit longer, the skrill then turned away and began flying away.
Farwell you're royal incompetence, Dragur called. I look forward to standing at your throne
after I win the Aero-Wings 500! Toothless just groaned in response, knowing that if that jerk
did win, he would indeed have to bear Dragur's presence at the crystal.
Not long after Dragur's confrontation, most of the others left to return back to their dens and
nests. However, Stormfly stayed behind. Sorry for that guys, she apologised to Toothless
and Light Fury. I didn't want to make a scene, I just didn't want that jerk acting like that
towards Toothless, given… you know. Toothless gave Stormfly a reassuring smile. It's ok. I
understand you were doing it out of friendship rather than spite. Toothless expression then
switched from understanding to confusion, as he recalled what Dragur had mentioned during
their confrontation. Did you want to race in the Aero-Wings 500? Toothless questioned
Stormfly. She closed her eyes and hung her head, nodding. Then why didn't you ask me to
enter you in the race? Toothless cooed, a little wonded that she hadn't told him about her
desire. Stomfly looked up at Toothless with a face full of regret yet acceptance. Because
depite being an exciteing fantasy, that's all that it will ever be. I'm not the fastest, biggest, or
even the most skilled dragon you know, so how do you think I would fair against dragons like
Dragur. Toothless looked sadly at her, understanding what she was conveying, but still in
denial nevertheless. Stormfly the stood up tall and turned away, ready to fly. It's alright
though. Getting to watch from your throne will be just as good. Stormfly assured Toothless,
even though he could hear the denial in her voice. I'll see you guys tomorrow. Get a good
night sleep. I have a feeling tomorrow's going be a fast paced one! As the deadly nadder
lifted into the air, Toothless fixated on her last line, as an idea of his own begun to form.
Before it could contiue, Light Fury nudged Toothless' arm. She's right, she purred in
agreeance with Stormfly. We should probably head back home. The crystals are beginning
to dim. Toothles looked around and indeed saw light was fading. Given the crystals drew
light from the surface, them fading indicated the sun had fully set, and it would be rise to get
back home beofre it became hard to navigate. However, as the two readied themselves for
liftoff, Toothless noticed that Light Fury had barely touxhed her pile of fish. Toothless stopped
himself and gave Light Fury a look, who flately gave him a confused glare. Don't you want to
finish your haul before we leave? He pushed a decently sized Tuna towards her, since he
wanted her to have the best food available. She stood staring at the food for a moment,
before looking down at her stomach, which she could tell had grown significantly since they
had fully settled in the Hidden World. Respectfully, she pushed the fish away with her tail,
and readied herself to launch into the air, looking back at Toothless with an eager
expression. Toothless gave a puzzled look for a moment, but he quickly shook it away and
lifted into the air with his mate, as they began to head back towards their home. As they flew,
the idea toothless had beagn to think of had fully formed, and giving himself some time to
consider as they flew, they eventually arrived at the private living caverns. As Light Fury
strode into their sleeping cave, Toothless thought to her, don't worry honey. Tomorrow is
gonna be a day no dragon will forget. We'll show every dragon here we can never cease to
amaze them.
…
The night was as dark as a bottomless cavern, yet the figure of Mount Eradicus still hung
over the forest below like a lingering reaper. Despite being long dormant, the volcano still
held many of the various items or creatures that had been unfortunate enough to succumb to
its lava depths. One of which were the remains of the statue that held a very evil dragon,
who know only remained as scattered pieces of a charred skeleton. However, in the pitch of
night, a blue wave of light swept across the land, and through the cracks on the sleeping
volcano, a mysterious purple substance began flowing through to the statue's remains. It
began reassembling the dragon's skeleton before organs and skin began growing bach on
top of the skeleton, and although the face of the statue still obstructed the dragon's face, the
eyelids remained visible through the eyeball, and as the dragon finished reforming, an eye
as yellow as a snake revealed itself.