━†☓☯☓†━
𝐈𝐍 𝐀 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 filled with dragons and Vikings, everyone was at constant war with each other because of their differences. This was tradition for thousands of years, and there wasn't a soul who sought to change that--except Hiccup. H...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
━†☓☯☓†━
𝐒𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐋𝐘, 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍 consciousness. Everything around you felt cold and stiff, your body especially; it felt as if your soul was being pulled to the core of the Earth. Your heart beat somberly, almost painfully, inside your chest.
You felt lifeless.
A small, waking pain on your tongue made itself known. The pain was muffled, however. There were small remnants of blood and something nasty, likely the cause of the pain being hushed.
Something tight yet firm wrapped around your torso and pinned your wings to your body, restricting you from moving them and flying away. Despite the discomfort, you were relieved you didn't have to carry the weight of your broken wing any longer. The same material was wrapped around your head and pinned your jaw shut, much to your chagrin.
You weren't comforted by the feeling of dirt and rocks on your scales. Nor were you comforted by the haunting thought that the dragon you came to care for could be the reason your pups are gone.
You felt lonely.
But why would he do that to you? Does he not feel as alone as you do? He's so akin to yourself in appearance and species, there was no doubt you were alike. He hadn't seemed bitter when you talked–quite the opposite.
Feeling aside, it couldn't be a coincidence that the hunters raided the island so soon after the humans came. You couldn't let your judgment be clouded. You couldn't leave your pups in the hands of those hunters.
With some effort, you're able to peel your eyes open. You are quick to assess your environment. The space was large and open, with the ground and walls being made of large rocks. The walls led to a large dome made of wood that hung above you, made to keep dragons in and humans out.
That was comforting. At least, any humans wouldn't be able to attack from above.
However, there were two gates on opposite sides of the space. One was small enough for a human and the other was large enough for a dragon. Maybe this is where the humans and dragons would fight... You could easily take down a human and claim a flawless victory! It would be an easy escape.
Your thoughts are interrupted by the sound of rusted metal squeaking. Whipping around, sacrificing your comfort, and stretching your bandages, you are greeted by a human–the same scrawny human you shared a cave with all that time ago. He wears none of the armor he had equipped while you were fighting the hunters.
It would be easy to take him down, even with your injuries. Though smothering him wouldn't be as fast as you would like, he was small enough for it to be effective. Your budding affection for the boy meant nothing when it came to your freedom and pups.
"Hey, buddy," Hiccup says, quietly, trying not to set you off. He crouches down and shows you his hands, proving himself to be no threat. When he spots no hostility, he takes a step closer. "How are you feeling? Sore?"
You huff at him. What a foolish human. First, he sleeps in a dragon's cave, kidnaps the dragon, takes him Odin knows where, and now he's expecting a reply when the dragon's maw is being held shut. 'This would be a quick fight indeed.'
Hiccup continues to approach.
You hiss as best as you can through the bind. Despite the threat being weak, Hiccup understands and stops. "It's okay," he coos, "It'll be okay. I understand."
Slowly, he sits down with crossed legs and looks at you expectantly. "Remember the cave? I'm not a stranger. You can trust me, he says with a smile, scooting closer. He frowns when you take a defensive position.
Why are you so skittish suddenly? You trusted him before, you even let him sleep with you and your pups. Was it because of the hunters? ...Did you think he was one of them?
Hiccup sighs. He looks into your eyes and asks, sincerely, "What's wrong?" You look away pensively, feeling the pressure now that Hiccup's looking into your eyes so intensely. Hiccup continues, "I'm not a dragon hunter, I'm a dragon rider. I save dragons like you–like Toothless."
You perk up. So that means Toothless wasn't tricking you, then. 'I'll have to ask just to be sure,' you think to yourself, making a mental note. Despite your lingering paranoia, you're glad to hear Toothless wasn't even as you once believed. You even feel a little silly for suspecting him.
Hiccup smiles, noticing how your mood lifted once he mentioned his best friend. Hiccup leaves without a word, deciding Toothless' company would be ideal for your healing process.
You wait for what felt like forever, alone with your thoughts before the gate opens once again. Instead of seeing the scrawny human again, Toothless is the one to come bounding in.
"(M.N!)" Toothless cheers, running up to you and nudging your head. Your heart warms at seeing him so excited to visit you.
He sighs, "I'm so glad you're okay," tucking his head under yours. You nudge his head affectionately with your nose, being careful not to jostle the wound on your tongue.
"Toothless," you murmur to the best of your ability. Your volume is quiet and your speech is slurred due to your jaw's restricted movement, but he hears you nonetheless. Now that you've caught his attention, you continue, "The human mentioned something about dragon riders. Can you tell me about them?"
Toothless thought carefully for a moment before he replied, "Dragon riders are good humans. They free the dragons the hunters catch and give them a second chance at life! They aren't like hunters at all, you can trust them," he finishes confidently, looking up at you with hopeful eyes.
"So..." You cough awkwardly, looking away from Toothless, suddenly aware of how vulnerable you were being. "So that means I'll get my pups back? They'll help?" You gulp. "Will they help?" You backtracked quickly. There were still doubts in your mind that the humans would be helpful. Even if their intentions were pure, there was no way for you to communicate with them.
"Of course they will," Toothless hums, pulling his head away from your neck. "They're good humans. My rider, Hiccup, is the reason I can still fly." He lifts the end of his tail into your view. He decides against telling you Hiccup was also the one that shot him down. He wants you to trust Hiccup completely–there was no telling how you would react.
You sigh. All this thinking was making your head hurt. Still, you look deep into Toothless' eyes and see no dishonesty.
