How to train your vessel - Book one

Here be dragons

The mutant exiles dialog being italicized was a one time thing, from here on text in italics is being spoken in draconic.

Everything went by in a blur, all Toothless could remember was a well of voices, human and dragon, and his own seemingly endless vomiting. He knew the feeling of toxins all to well, the thing about your body being made of void and some glowing blood instead of organs or muscle was that void quickly and easily moved your body and materials in it (food, water, air, blood, and waste) but things like poison also spread fast, the void itself mostly decayed any disease and infections before the immune system took care of it, but then the came drawback to that power. Night Fury's were immune to DEATH by disease and toxins and the effects wore off faster than normal, but for that short time they felt the symptoms ten fold. More voices joined the mix,

"Hiccup we need to go!"

"ASTRID HOFFERSON IF YOU THINK I'LL LEAVE HIM THEN YOU CAN SAY HI TO HEL FOR ME!"

"I meant go fight the hunters."

"Oh... Sorry, Don't worry bud, I won't let them get to you."

Everyone left him, only the baby dragons they were trying to rescue remained, who were hardly any help in their panic.

"TOOTHLESS!"

Now what? A group of hunters of course, how long had they been fighting? why was everything going by so fast? How much time had really passed? Hiccup was most certainly booking it for the cave he was in, but he was never a fighter, he couldn't get past the hunters approaching him in time. One of them spoke 

"HA! The Night Fury! Not so tough now are you?" spoke one. 

"What should we do with it? Take it for ourselves? Sell it to Drago? Or maybe Grimmel!" chimed another. 

Toothless had heard of both of them, the mad man and the Night Fury hunter, the former of which was sought after by the warriors from Toothless's homeland for being considered the last human worth killing, while countless 'wanted dead' posters bore the face of the latter.

"You fuckin idiot, Grimmel the grizzly died months ago, 'eaten by a demon' they all say, whatever happened he was skinned and his skeleton hung by the toes from the ceiling of his own house, without a skull." 

"Oh, right. We can still decide between Drago and killing it here." 

"I'd prefer the pay from Drago." 

OH NO. He tried to get up but only flailed, the hunters laughed at his attempt to do anything, Drago was well known for breaking dragons, the few that were helped by a mysterious rider to escape were nothing like who they used to be: stressed, anxious, paranoid, bed wetters, not even mentioning the physical scars and missing limbs. Everything began spinning faster, what would he do without Hiccup? who would take care of Hiccup? His own father rarely even listened to him, Gobber had to tell Stoick things Hiccup said because that's the only person he'd listen to.

 He felt helpless, he'd known dragons that fell to Drago, he always tried to be strong for everyone but he was a nervous wreck who didn't want his friends to worry about him despite the nights of sneaking out to have a break down. Hiccup wasn't the only one who was a poor fighter, Toothless had relied on the mantis tribe to protect him, but now he was alone, most certainly going to be taken. Even if he was rescued by Berk Drago would break him, Hiccup would have to see him in that state only for Berk to be wiped off the map by Drago's army and reclaim Toothless as his personal Night Fury war slave. 

"Who the hel are y-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

"WHAT IS THAT THING!"

"WHAT IS IT?! WHAT I- AAARRRG!"

"IT'S A DEMON! A DEM- *COUGH* *GASP*"

"I KNOW A DEMON WHEN I SEE ONE!-"

"KILL IT!-"

Dead silence. The only sounds that returned were the fighting outside, the hatchlings whimpers, and foot steps. Clearly it'd been at least 10 minutes since he'd been hit by the poison dart since he was able to muster the strength to turn his head. Toothless had expected Astrid to be his savior, she was the only warrior capable of making grown men scream demon. A pair of three-clawed legs was what he was met with, a humanoid stood at 7'8'' minimum, not counting the broad horns atop its head. Abyssal eyes stared at Toothless, a mantle of rich gray fabric swayed with the wind around the black ornament adorning the center of the collar while the most awe inducing nail he'd ever seen was sheathed on the shadows back with the six tendrils sprouting from under the crimson stained mantle. The strangers eyes glowed an oddly calming snow white when Toothless's hero reached down to touch his head, a black square with four clawed appendages wasn't exactly what Toothless expected to describe as a kind hand but here he was.

"TOOTHLESS!"

At that, the mysterious slayer turned to the cave entrance, drew a magnifying glass-like object from the mantle, and ignited it into another blade. The ground shook as more holy light spewed from the weapon, now held in the air, before it and the creature vanished. Hiccup came running in long before even Astrid, and she was the physical powerhouse of the group. A hug was more than welcome at this point and Hiccup never disappointed, even Snotlout needed not be told to shut it while the brothers took a moment to cope with the near loss.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Huh?"

Stormfly nudged gently at the side of his head with her beak, the moment Toothless woke up Hiccup and Astrid decided the cliff they were staring beyond was suddenly fascinating. However they were both, Hiccup especially, just awkward enough at that moment for Toothless to see the concern. 

"Drago nightmare again?" Stormfly pressed on 

"Yes." 

That night was long over, even when the poison wore off entirely the group decided he was to shaken to fly, the amount the night had affected him was what finally got everyone to catch onto his masquerade of only needing treats to get through the day, and now being a black dragon wasn't enough to hide the bags under his eyes from those around him. Berk didn't react the way he thought it would though, instead of everyone thinking he was weak they were helpful, far from therapeutic but even Mildew would shut it with the complaining when he entered the room. 

"We came here because Hiccups dad tried to make him acting chief again right?"

"Yes sleepy."

"just seeing if I missed anything."

"No, you're fine." Stormfly held him closer with her wing, it made him feel like a hatch-ling again, which was welcome after that damned nightmare. "Hey, it's perfectly OK if you feel bad, just remember: don't lie and say you're fine when you're not, just put on that gummy smile of yours, be honest when someone asks how you've been feeling, and help those you love. After a while, that smile will become genuine again." 

"Isn't that something Sleuther said?" 

"Yes, and it works." 

"Fair enough"

"Hate to ruin the moment bud but somethings wrong." 

Toothless and Stormfly both got up and looked at smoke beyond the horizon.