YOU WAKE UP BLIND. Well, maybe wholly blind, but it was as if someone had put a shadow over your eyes.

And you heard an unfamiliar voice calling to you. You bristled against. You knew that nothing she promised would come true if you felt. You could smell her on the other dragons you came across. They were not accessible or safe. They served a queen who did not love them as her own and made them steal food for her.

You shook your head, trying to get her voice out, but it wasn't easy.

Calm now, NightLight. I wish you no harm. Come to me with food, and I will give you and your little Night Wing friend peace and security. Came to me. You gritted your teeth as you tried to block her out. It worked because, eventually, the preset left, and the fog lifted.

Toothless had woken up from his little nap and was looking at you with big green eyes. "did you hear her too?" he whispered. You nodded, still shaken by the little incident. You knew you could hold your own against any Alpha. So it was since you had been here before them. Well, not before The Foreverwing, of course.

"Maybe we should see who this... queen is," Toothless tried, but you glared at him. "no. We'll stay far away from her unless we always want to join the Scaled that attack Hiccup's city." Toothless sighed and curled up again, and you followed suit.

But sleep did not come easily this time.

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You, Toothless, Hiccup, and Astrid are out for a fight. This time Astrid is calmer and isn't screaming her head off. You fly silently as you overhear the two Scaleless's conversation. " So what now? Hiccup, your final exam is tomorrow. You know you're going to have to kill a..." her voice lowers to a whisper, but you hear her and your eyes turn sad.

"kill a Scaled." she finishes, and Hiccup says, "Don't remind me." suddenly, your eyes fog over. You share a glance with Toothless, scared behind measuring but follow suit as the two of you doge emitting cries from the Scalelesses on his back. "Y/N?" Toothless whispers to you as the two of you fly side by side, and you sigh, humming, "what is going on?" he asks. "wait and see," you answer, having a hunch about what is happening. When you look around, you see that you and Toothless are in teh middle of a flock of dragons.

This is not good, you think your mind is buzzing, and your eyes are turning hazy, but due to your ability to resist an Alpha's call, this one cannot get control over you. Other Scaleds, previously invisible in the thick clouds,   appear all around you. You and Toothless touch wingtips as an act to try and comfort each other. It's hundreds of them, all carrying fish and game in their talons. So this is where the dragons go when they return from those raids Toothless told me about, you think, shuddering.

It seems Hiccup and Astrid also understands that these are the dragons from the raids. "It looks like they're hauling in their kill." Hiccup says, and Astrid whines, "Uh, what does that make us?" you look at her and croon out, even though you know she can't understand, it's still worth a try "you're our precious cargo. don't worry I will not let you go to waste" you then focus on there the Scaleds are flying. The Scaleds you follow bank and dive in formation, plummeting through the thickening fog and weaving between towering, craggy sea stacks.

It gives way to a vast, steamy inner chamber, tiered with pocky shelves. Scaleds of all breeds lay about, nested in hordes. A shiver crawl and claws at your spine, and you fly closer to Toothless, trying not to knock into him with your wings. Why did we follow them here? Now the dragon who wanted to control us yesterday will find us! You panic, but a soft touch of a wing, and you look at Toothless, who smiles at you reassuringly. But he doesn't say anything. Instead, the arriving scaleds fly in, dropping the fish and game into a central pit, glowing red and shrouded in mist.

"What my dad wouldn't give to find this." you hear Hiccup mutter, and you snort, not liking the chief of berk, but you've never met him, and boy, are you glad you haven't. You and Toothless peel away from the procession, landing on a small shadowy shelf to keep a low profile. You look around a bit but stay low profile. All of you watch as the food continues to be dropped into the pit.

"It's satisfying to know that all our food has been dumped down a hole." Hiccup comments lowly and sarcastically. You would generally laugh, but this situation is far from average. '

Last to arrive is a dim-witted Lava Spitter. It hovers over the pit and regurgitates his paltry contribution -- a pathetic little fish. As it falls into the steamy pit, a terrible roar rings out. You wince, pin your ears against your head, and shrink back even further. The Lava Spitter tries to flee, but before it can, a huge Scaled head juts from the steamy pit and snaps it out of the air. Swallowing it back whole.

Your eyes widen. Okay did not expect that, you think. "What... is that?" Astrid asks, fear clogging her voice. You want to whack her with your tail to keep her quiet, but it's too late. The monstrous beast sniffs the air, seemingly aware of you. Then, finally, it nears the ledge where you and Toothless are hiding. Its eyes meet yours for a fleeting second, and the beast lets loose a roar. The other Scaldes surrounding you all take flight in fear.

Hiccup tells you guys to get out of here, and you waste no time flying away as fast as possible. as you wash out, the behemoth scaled lunges for you but takes an unlucky Double Trouble instead, making you want to stop and help it, but you know you can't. So you fly on. The other Scaldes around you flee the caldera in fear. You and Toothless share a glance as you fly home.

Now we at least know who it was calling on us, you think and shudders. Never again do you want to see that beast.

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