The Missing Pieces to a Night Fury's Heart

Chapter 15

Toothless had become eerily still. There came a pall of oppressive silence, silence so thick and heavy that it hung in the air, making it barely impossible to draw breath. His clammy contact with the ground felt fabricated; barren of life. He merely shuddered once before falling victim to the unforgiving reticence around him.

The end of the dragons? How? How could this be?

He longed for a gust of wind to jar him from such troubling thoughts, however, the gales had long since vanished. His ebony complexion scintillated in the relentless rays of the sun overhead.

The foreboding hush lingered in the atmosphere, filling his chest with dread. It was both an agitated and malevolent feeling, forcing his store of oxygen from his lungs.

Toothless perceived the omen to be true. He couldn't explain how he discerned truth from lie, he just had. It was a concept of the utmost misgiving.

How? The inquiry, again, echoed in his mind, feeding his growing perplexity and concern. Finally he stirred, jolting his head to clear his mind. Yet no matter how many times he repeated this movement, he could not rid himself of the dire warning. Instead, he shifted into a standing position, straightening to a posture resembling that of a king's.

He was the Alpha now; he will ensure his dragons' wellbeing. His vivid, immaculate gaze of emerald narrowed in determination.

Suddenly, the cursed, noiseless surrounding was shattered as several shouts rang out nearby.

It took a moment for the dragon to realized Hiccup was calling out his name.

Relieved, he trotted forward, just to be reminded what he had done. Shame washed over him, sinking in with fear and worry. It was a rather unpleasant mix, unsteadying his gait into one of a peculiar amble.

Even with his keen vision, Hiccup spotted him first. His rider sprinted in his direction, his arms outstretched in welcoming.

"Toothless!"

The acerous reptile accelerated his pace, his optics eventually brightening somewhat. Even if he had committed something that sent waves of guilt quivering up his chest-not to mention that baleful admonition-Hiccup still was his best friend.

Skidding to a halt in a position that faced his rider, Toothless anticipated a scoffing, watching as Hiccup's grin dispersed from his lips. However, instead, the human merely stroked his frills as if taking notice of his dragon's perturbed state.

"You just took off running," he said tentatively. "You seem restless. What happened?"

Toothless yearned to recount what had occurred prior to his arrival, yet was reminded humans couldn't comprehend dragon speech.

He simply hummed as if nothing was amiss; that his unsettled expression was simply a play of the aestival light overhead.

Hiccup frowned dubiously, casting Toothless an odd glance. The dragon disregarded the human's mien, and, as an alternative, pushed his head up against his touch. Hiccup exhaled sharply, removing his contact from the Night Fury's charcoal scales. The skeptical visage loitered as the human peered at the frilled dragon.

"Come on," Hiccup eventually said, establishing the conclusion that the dragon refused to convey his mood. "The final race is scheduled to begin twenty minutes for now." Without further inquiry of his behavior, Hiccup whirled around, beginning his return to the village.

Toothless pursued his rider apprehensively, wondering what had become of his contented demeanor.

He had looked so ecstatic when he appeared... The dragon thought, perplexed. Now he looks as if a Deadly Nadder lodged one of its spines down his throat.