Toothless and Lumiverse were flying for a while now, following this Night Fury who was still running away from them. On their back, Joke and Hiccup were starting to wonder if this was a good idea to follow him. They were getting farther away from New Berk, disappearing to west.
They had tried to talk to their dragons, convinced them to go back, but the Furies didn't want to give up. How could their viking friends blame them ? After years and years of loneliness, supposed to be the last of their kind, they had finally met another Night Fury, it was only natural they wanted to get to know him. But said dragon didn't seem to want them close to him, or rather je didn't want their riders close to him.
If they could land, Hiccup had no objection to let Toothless and Lumiverse go to him.
''Where is he going ?'' Joke worried as he saw they were in the middle of the ocean.
''I don't know, but I don't like it, we're already too far from the island...''
Hiccup bent on Toothless and softly patted his shoulder, but the only answer he got was a short grunt, clearly telling him not to distract the dragon. It was weird, and the direction they were heading to too. Suddenly, the yellow-eyed Night Fury dove to the ocean level, followed by the other two, while Joke could help but worry.
''There's nothing but water here...''
He cut himself as he spotted something right in front of them. A cloud of fog was rising from the ocean, where a huge hole was swallowing the water. Their wild guide disappeared in it, speeding up and diving in it, while the two other Furies flew above and around this bottomless precipice.
''A great waterfall...'' Hiccup gasped.
''At the end of the world !'' Joke added.
They barely had the time to realise what it implied as their dragons suddenly dove into the mist. They went through it without incident, entering in what looked like a giant cave. They passed the veil of the waterfall and kept on flying into the cave. It was so huge the vikings felt tiny.
It was dark, and the dragons were going farther and farther in it, until they found themselves surrounded in pitch black. Lumiverse and Toothless still didn't slow down, and soon another light emerged from the darkness. A soothe blueish light coming from the water itself, as if it was filled with fluorescent algae.
They could see again, like in twilight, and felt teeny again compared to the sizeless inside of this new world. Countless stone pillars covered in plants were filling the cave like trees in a forest, and everything was incredibly still.
Theuy went through a passage inside the stone, entering in another cave, and this one was even more impressive than the previous one. There was even more pillars, covered with glowing plants and crystals, all in purple, blue an dgreen colors. It looked like a rain of lights. And it was there the lights started to reflect in the dragons scales. Toothless found himself covered with blue rays, Lumiverse in mauve and purple.
They reached the end of the stream, ending up flying above another waterfall, flying in the air. The cave was as deep as high, they couldn't see neither of the bottom nor the ceiling, and the light was brighter here. This time, they could see as clear as day.
They kept their path, flying between the glowing pillars, started to meet other dragons there. Orange lights caught their eyes, but when the Furies flew pass them, they started to move.
Actually, it was dragons, Fireworms. They were shining brighter than the vikings had ever saw them do so, just like the eggs hidden in crevices on the pillars.
Then Lumiverse suddenly dove, earning a faint shout from her rider, and Toothless followed her, descending alongside another waterfall. Lights disappeared in the stone and the dragons scales, darkness surrounded them again for a few seconds before they entered in another cave.
It was filled with ice, shining crystals, waterfalls and huge red plants that seemed tydals and shaped platforms were the dragons were landing or flying around.
Hiccup and Joke had already been honoured with the sight of wild nest of dragons, flying in perfect freedom, when they had met Elska in the Sanctuary, but this... This was bigger and more impressive and more... astounding.
This was the world of dragons.
Groups and groups of dragons were soaring here and there, of so many species the vikings couldn't count them. All of them were free and seemed happy. The vikings spotted some dragon species they already knew, other they had never seen before, and other they had never dreamt to see.
When a hord of black silhouettes flew pass them, Hiccup's jaw dropped.
''Is this... ?'' He gasped.
''Night Furies !'' Joke confirmed.
Indeed, the dragons looked exactly like Toothless, and the two young men couldn't believe they were so many. In this group, they seemed to be ten, maybe twelve. Toothless beamed and started to bostle up, then another group came by, some individuals in it were white, they looked like Light Furies, like Lumiverse.
It was the white dragon's turn to get excited, she warbbled and even purred, which amused Joke. Both vikings wanted to take their time here, to watch the dragons, study them, let their friends join them, yet they couldn't as Lumiverse passed by a Monstruous Nightmare. Said Nightmare eyed them with a suspicious grunt. He was too far away to really see Joke, but he was seeing a mass on the Light Fury's back, and could feel presences.
Knowing their riders could be spotted, Lumivers and Toothless decided to land. They found an ice platform covered with plants and giant mushroom and dropped their passengers there. Both remained astounded, looking upward to this incredible cave.
''The Hidden World.'' Joke breathed.
''It really does exist...''
Both walked to the edge of the platform, still hidden by the plants, so they could have a sight. They spotted giant crystals shining with a blinding light, as bright as the sun itself, and understood it was the source of the light in this underneath world.
A lot of dragons were soaring and twirling around these crystals, like bees around their hive. Wind was blowing upward, toward another crystal on the ceiling. Plenty of dragons seemed to use this as a playground and were flying, pushed by the strong wind, alongside other waterfalls. It was among them Hiccup spotted two familiar frames.
Dragons as tall as Death Song, completely white, with a set of four mings, with sparkling translucent horns. Hiccup grabbed his husband's hand and pointed to the dragons, smiling.
''Look babe, Guardians, like Fiery.''
''Awesome !'' The white-haired young man beamed.
He wanted to move but Hiccup hold him back.
''Wait, you'll spook them.''
Even if that disappointed him, Joke understood and complied. They resumed to only watching them. The two Guardians were whirling in a beautiful dance that looked like a mating dance, and when they landed on a crystal, they were joinded by three others. The tall white dragons were circling one another, playing in their characteristic elegance.
It really was incredible... Hiccup and Joke were marveling of this huge discovery. The hidden world really existed, the dragons were living there in peace, safe from the trapers, the entrance was only reachable for flying being... There was a whole bunch of Night and Light Furies, and even Guardians... It was just unbelievable, and yet real, right in front of them.
The two vikings let their dragons have a tour, they gladly let them join the other dragons, introduce them, which made the two dragons beam. Lumiverse rubbed her head against Joke's and purred to his belly before taking off, while Toothless licked his rider's face before quickly following his mate.
The vikings looked at them flying and whirling, holding hand and eyes full of sparks. They couldn't wipe their smile off their face, huddling against one another while watching their friends. They smiled and laughed seeing them join other dragons, then they got surprised.
A whole group of dragons joined the Furies and started to swirl around them, just like bees around their hives. Hiccup and Joke stood to see better what was happening, and finally understood as the dragons bowed in front of Toothless, who spread his wings before roaring in proud.
''Wow, now that's a king.'' Joke smiled, impressed.
But Hiccup suddenly felt bad. The initial plan of the exodus had been to find the hidden world so they could settle Berk in it, dragons and vikings included. However, now he was seeing this world with his own eyes, he was realizing how senseless this plan was. This place was made for dragons, it was a land of pure freedom, the place were all the dragons were from. It was the land of dragons, humans had nothing to do there.
He realized it even more as he saw how Toothless and Lumiverse were having fun with their congeneres. They seemed so happy, happier than they had ever been on Berk... How, after this meeting, could they ever ask their dragons to leave ? How could they dare tear them off this world that seemingly had been made for them, tear them off their congeneres ? It was like tearing them off their family.
Joke was enthusiastic by the discovery, rejoying from the Night and Light Furies and the Guardians being there, but none of his joyful words reached his husband. Noticing his mute, Joke started to worry and looked back at him, to see a pretty sad face. Hiccup's eyes were sligthly red and shining with incoming tears.
At first, Joke felt puzzled, not understanding what was going on with him, but when he looked back at their friends, he did, and his smile faded too. He didn't know what to say to cheer his husband up, he couldn't do anything else than put his free hand on his shoulder, squeezing the other's hand in his.
''We should go.'' Hiccup whispered.
But then they heard a faint growl behind them. They turned to meet with a particularly ferocious Rumplehorn. He looked at them with a pretty angry scowl and snarled at them. When he rose on his back legs, spreading his wings in a menacing way, he louldly roaled and instantly charged at them. Said roar echoed in the whole cave like an alarm signal, alerting all the dragons who started to rattle.
Hiccup and Joke panicked and had no other choice than back... and jump from the platform. They fell and started to glide along a vertiginous slope of ice, speeding the more they were skidding. Once they were back on the ground, they didn't took the time to calm down as they started to run. The Rumplehorn was still pursuing them, and other dragons were joining him.
Yet, a lot of them were smashed away or derouted but two whistling silhouettes soaring at top speed. Toothless and Lumiverse were zipping between the dragons, making their way as they could – the Alpha making use of his title to roar at the dragons who wanted to attack – so they could reach the source of the commotion. The Rumplehorn had only shouted 'Intruders', but the two Furies knew better who the intruders were.
This world was only reachable for winged creatures, the only intruders were their riders. Fearing for their friends' life, they beated their wings faster than ever, and ended up spotting the two vikings running for dear life, holding on to the other's hand.
Hiccup was often tripping because of his peg leg, Joke hurried every time to pick him up and that was slowing them down. Plus, the white-haired young man's stamina had greatly diminished from his pregnancy and constant tiredness. Hiccup could feel him tiring and getting weaker, and despite the deadly danger and the adrenaline rushing through his veins, the young chief was sick worried for his husband and their child to born.
Toothless roared and forced his body to go even faster, he rammed into a Raincutter threatening to catch Hiccup, pushed the Rumplehorn aside and grabbed both vikings in his front legs before resuming their escape, escorted by Lumiverse. A last roar from their Alpha forced the pursuers to give up.
Hiccup lifted his head towards his best friend and apologize for making such a mess without meaning to.
''I'm sorry, bud, I-I-I I'm sorry...''
As they went out of the Hidden World, both vikings couldn't help but look back at the great waterfall. However, the beauty of this natural formation was spoiled by the presence of a dark ship.
The Furies had come out so fast and from the oposite side, making them unspotted, yet the foursome could see the ship. Hiccup and Joke recognized the grey and black banner from the Slaughterhouse, and got surprised to see the men on bridge free the dragons directly to the entrance of the Hidden World.
Hiccup thought back to Kosmozis' claim, explaining that, since the beginning, the Slaughterhouse was only a cover, capturing dragons only aiming to lead them to safety. The young chief suddenly understand that this safety was the Hidden World. So Kosmozis was really saving the dragons, in the end.
Safety and calm surrounded them again, along with silence. Holding onto his husband in his arms, carried away from all danger by their faithful friends, Hiccup barely noticed the way back home, he drowned in his thoughts, in his memories, in his turmoil.
When his eyes closed from exhaustion, he saw his father's face behind his eyelids.