Once in a Nightlight

Chapter 14

Toothless was frantically thrashing his legs in the deep icy water that had engulfed both him and his friend Thunderhorn who laid unconscious in the King's jaws. Around them there was no dry land to hoist themselves on so they remained in the water desperately looking around for something to uplift themselves onto, so they avoided freezing to death there and then. Toothless could already feel his blood running cold from the time they spent in the water, his teeth chattering together loudly and his eyes were slowly turning to a sickly green. 

"I can't see anything!!" Wildfang hissed shakily above the dripping of water from the cave ceilings and the thresh of water around them. The male was struggling to keep himself afloat, his head bobbing under every now and then and he often froze for periods of time to gain back his energy to push back to the surface.

"W-We can't f-float here any l-longer--" The King stuttered groggily and spluttered when a wave splashed over his face, gasping softly when he swallowed some of the revolting cave water and violently coughing. "W-We need to f-find an exit...S-Soon.." He mumbled quietly as his energy began to slowly escape with his breathing, his body screaming for rest. 

The cave was rather enclosed around the two males, the ceiling wasn't very far up and the walls were rather close to the three males. Water droplets dripped onto Toothless's nose which made him sneeze quietly and wrinkle his snout up, looking around one more time for anything that would be useful to them. The King paused briefly before reflecting back on what Wildfang said about the water not being so high years ago. That must mean there's an exit somewhere down below...

"Wildfang?" Toothless croaked over the soft waves, his muscles aching for rest as he continued to tread water. "W-What was it that you said a-about the water not being so h-high years ago?"

"When I came here years ago the water was only a little pond...It must have overflown through a gap of some kind." Wildfang called to the King from the other side of the water, hearing the strain in his voice. The King knew it would be a risk in attempting to dive down into the darkness to find this exit or gap he recalls, but it's better than them losing energy and sinking down into the deep...drowning...

"W-Wildfang I need you to d-do me a favour." Toothless grunted and groaned as he paddled his way towards his friend, his tail latching around his. "I-I need you to h-hold Thunderhorn for me. You said there's a g-gap of some kind, or an exit right?"

"Right...Okay, I'll hold him for as long as I can...Find the exit quick." Wildfang nodded as he slid Thunderhorn onto his back and held him up with a struggled grunt, but he kept his balance. Toothless gave him a grateful nod in the darkness, the only thing illuminated was their piercing eyes. The King turned, staring at the dark water while his heart began to pound in his chest, taking a deep breath and diving in.

The water below was even colder than it was at the surface, immersing himself into the freezing water and blinking his eyes so he could see despite the aching blur. He thrust himself down through the water to the cave walls and clawing at them violently to try and rip some rocks away but instead he sliced his arm with a pained gurgled yowl. Toothless continued his search and dug his claws into the crevices of the stones and brutally attempted to yank them away but it was impossible. He then felt the tip of his tail being lured to the side, watching it before he paddled in the direction he was being tugged to and saw a little gap in the wall, widening his eyes...But he couldn't stay there longer, feeling his airflow beginning to enclose while his throat tightened.  The Nightfury frantically paddled back up to the surface, gasping while he panted harshly for air.

"Did you find it? Did you see anything?" Wildfang puffed, still holding Thunderhorn on his back as the male laid unconscious. Toothless shook his face briefly before turning to Wildfang.

"Yes! I found something...It's a little gap, and I'm sure it's our way out of here...You just need to follow me okay? I need help.." Toothless murmured to the exhausted looking dragon, sympathy in his eyes for him. He had major respect for him, for holding Thunderhorn when he needed it and remaining strong despite how hard it was. Wildfang looked back into the Nightfury's tired eyes before nodding confidently.

"Lets do it."

The two males grabbed Thunderhorn's tail and took deep breaths, then dived under into the ice cold water and violently swam to where Toothless found the gap. Wildfang wrapped his tail around Thunderhorn's mouth and nose so he didn't inhale any water and drown, while the two males began brutally clawing and tugging at the rocks where the gap was. Toothless yanked at the rocks and brutally dug his claws into the gaps so he opened a small aperture that began sucking water into it. Toothless and Wildfang both looked at each other before digging their paws into the opening and ripping the stones from the slots. The entire cave wall began to shake and one by one the rocks began to crumble backwards into the hole and the water began gushing out. Toothless, Wildfang and Thunderhorn got sucked into the gap and plunged down with terrified shrieks and landed on hard ground at the bottom with groans of pain and grunts of exhaustion. 

They made it out. They were no longer trapped in the water, their bodies free of the submersion of the water. Toothless laid there weakly on his side panting harshly, his emerald pearls a blur and threatening to shut from the extreme exhaustion he felt. But the King got up shakily to his paws and padded over to the two males who were laying there in the same position he was in. Toothless took both unconscious males by the scruffs and dragged them away from the damp ground and onto a ledge where it was dry and safe, finding a few sticks in the wall and setting them alight for some warmth. Toothless stiffly settled down on the ground in front of the fire, his eyes slowly shutting while he laid his face on the ground, the ache of his eyelids being open for so long was slowly soothed as he drifted off into deep slumber, deciding it was best for them all to rest before they continued their hunt for the crystals.