Once in a Nightlight

Chapter 15

Toothless blinked his aching eyes open when he had woken. Around him was complete darkness, not expecting to wake up in the cave again thinking it was all a terrible nightmare. The stench of mold and acid stung his nostrils and he wrinkled his nose in disgust. The male felt the aching in his back legs and his arms from the effort of paddling for so long in the water, trying to stand up on his paws but all he did was topple over with a pained grunt. Thunderhorn and Wildfang were both still fast asleep on the ground with the fire crackling softly next to them, barely ignited after it going out in the night. 

Toothless got up onto his paws after lazing around for five minutes, the shakiness in his frail bones making it difficult to stand let alone walk but he refused to give in now, after they had come so far and gone through so much to get here. He slowly padded over to an arch that was to the right of the small cave, curiosity making his paws move forward and go through the arch when he heard the howl of wind being blown in. The air was still damp and cold, and Toothless's body was still stiff but he took the time to explore a little more before his friends woke up, not wanting to stray too far from them. 

Toothless wandered down the cave and felt his paws dip onto a slope, gasping softly in shock but paused to softly press his paw onto the slope, making sure it didn't suddenly dip over the edge to doom. But the ramp was okay, so the King kept moving down the smooth concrete. The walls around him were narrow, but he felt as if some strange energy was pulling him in and luring him through the cave, his curiosity leading him further and further to where he was being drawn to. Around him the cave was shimmering loudly while the sound of rushing water sloshed at his sides, the soft crashing of little rocks rolling down the walls making him flinch every now and then, but as the shimmering got louder the King broke into a jog down the tunnel.

"...What is this place?" Toothless asked himself quietly and heard his own voice echoing off the walls, pausing when the Alpha heard a hushed voice in front of him.


Come...Follow me...

The King stared ahead when he saw a pair of pale gold eyes stare back at him from the darkness, beautifully framed with long eyelashes. The eyes were feline-like, before disappearing. Replacing the eyes there was a white glowing ball that floated in front of him before suddenly rushing off through the cave.

"W-Wait!! Wait for me!!" Toothless shouted as he sprinted across the damp ground below him after the levitating spirit, the puddles beneath his paws splashing as he continued to follow her until he skidded to an immediate stop and stood wide eyed at what was in front of him. 
   In front of the Alpha was a gigantic cave full of crystals that were planted in the walls and along the ceilings. The cave was beautifully lit up blue and pink and made every gem shine wonderfully in front of his eyes, making them shimmer like green pearls. It was magical, the shimmering was much louder and the whispering of wind softly brushed through his ears, the crystals glittered all over to make them look magnificent. 

"This place...It's beautiful..." Toothless exclaimed as he gawked around the cave in pure awe of its beauty, padding forward a few steps so he was in the centre of the beautiful cavern and admired everything around him. "Are these the crystals..?" He asked curiously to the white spirit that had led him to this wondrous cave. The spirit levitated in front of the King for a moment before it began to shift in front of his eyes, shape shifting into a beautiful cream and white dragon that sat in front of him with her golden eyes slimmed. 

"Yes, your highness. This is the Cave of Wonders, the birthplace of every crystal that grows in the Hidden World." She explained to him and dipped her head for respect. "I assume you are here to obtain one? I have heard news that the Hidden World has lost one of it's crystals." She spoke so soft and smooth, like pure silk and honey.

"...This is the Cave of Wonders? It's beautiful." Toothless exclaimed quietly as he looked around the cave one more time then looked to the female. "Yes. One of the crystals had smashed a few days ago and we're in desperate need for another. May I ask, who are you?"

"Oh please, forgive me your highness, where are my manners?" The female chuckled softly and gave him a bow. "I am Lyra. I protect this cave and these crystals with my dear life, I have served for these crystals and the Hidden World for centuries now." Lyra explained and raised herself up, looking around the cave and smiling to herself. "I love these crystals more than anything in the world. Please, take as many as you need." She spoke so gentle to him, the hushed purring in her tone making her sound like a comforting mother. Toothless dipped his head to her respectfully, before wandering around the cave in search for the perfect crystal to repair the one back at home. Toothless carefully sniffed each crystal while making sure to be as delicate as he could be, not wanting to scratch or dislodge the precious gems. 

"They're so beautiful.." Toothless murmured softly and peered over to one crystal that was pulsating brighter than the rest in the corner, tilting his head softly and padding over silently. The King watched the crystal closely, how the swirls of blue and pink danced around inside. 

"This one. I think this one will be perfect, it looks young and strong." Toothless said to Lyra who came over to examine the crystal he had chosen to make sure it was in good condition for him to take back. Lyra gave it a few sniffs then smiled.

"You are very right my king. This crystal is healthy and strong, very young too. I am sure it will give you great power back home." Lyra replied to him and softly placed her forehead against the crystal base. She had a symbol on her forehead in the shape of a star, and it lit up when it touched the crystal's surface and very slowly it dislodged from the wall safely for the King. Lyra took the crystal and wrapped it up in a leaf sling and put it around Toothless's neck so it was placed safely for him to carry. "My best wishes to you in the Hidden World, please come back whenever you are in need of any more crystals." Lyra purred kindly to him before she slowly began to fade away into her spiritual form, floating her way at the top of the cave and hanging from a crystal like a little lamp. Toothless smiled as he watched her and thanked the female for her kindness, before turning away from the Cave of Wonders and wandering back down the tunnel to his friends.