This is Berk. A place where I once had hope, even in freezing to death temperatures, but now it's just full of misery.

My village is strong,being here for several generations, and we haven't had a damaged building in 7 years, the most prosperous 7 years we've ever had. Fishing, hunting, and sunsets have been better ever since the pests left. No, not the pests you're thinking of like mice, or mosquitoes… oh no… we had dragons.

I wish the sunsets were brighter for me, but ever since my family died out everything's been bleak. My wife was killed by a stormcutter, one of the rare species of the archipelago. Most people would leave our village after the news of someone being taken off, but not us vikings, we

have stubbornness issues that we take to our graves.

My son Hiccup had the worst type of stubborn, just like his mother, which is the only excuse I can come up for his "disappearance." When I first told him he was going to do dragon training he told me he "can't/won't" kill dragons, which I laughed off knowing once training started he'd be great, which he was. But then, he just suddenly disappeared the day when he was supposed to kill his first dragon. I should have probably listened to him when he argued about not going to training, and myself when talking with Gobber, and now I paid the price.

I'm without family, without an heir, with the exception of Snotlout who's unsuitable but is all I have, and without hope.

"WHOOO HOOOO!" With speeds faster than lighting, and unmatched by any other dragon, a night fury sped through the clouds. However, this is no ordinary night fury, this is the alpha of the dragons of Freyja, the old nest of the now dead Red Death. He is also the partner and brother of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, the missing heir to the throne of Berk.

Many a viking has searched for the mysterious Death Rider, some giving up thinking they were chasing a shadow, and some convinced he was a God that would curse whoever crossed him. Many however believed him mortal, and wanted to claim him and the dragon he rode's head, for if they did a great glory and many riches would await them.

Many also searched for the missing heir of Berk. Chief Stoick the Vast had set up a grand reward for whoever brought back his son. When he first made the declaration Stoick had believed due to the fact his son was a "hiccup" he would be easy to find, but was proven wrong in the 7 years his son was gone. Many gave up believing the heir was dead, or that he was just a made up figure formed in the bowels of a crazy, desperate, heirless chief's mind.

What nobody knew however, was that the missing heir, and the Death Rider were one in the same.

"What D'ya reckon bud? Think we should go back home, or do some more flying before the sun sets?" A growl came in response. Hiccup couldn't speak dragonese, the name for the official language of the dragons, but he and his dragon had bonded so much that they could understand each other with a simple look.

"Alright then Toothless, let's go see if Pache's doing okay." With that, they sped off to the dragon infested island they call home. As it came into sight Hiccup had to eye around it for the person he was looking for. His eyes trailed through the beautiful forest, which grew when the poisonous smoke was cleared, and through every cave on the non-active volcano.

As they flew past every dragon, each one bowed in respect for their kind leaders. When they couldn't find who they were searching for Hiccup and Toothless looked for another dragon, who they found easily. When they in front of her cave a skrill exited.

This teenage skrill had red markings on her wings instead of the usual light purple and had three claw marks across her eye that scarred when she was a cast out from her nest as a hatchling for being different.

She was also Pache's dragon.

She bowed down to her superiors and asked, "What do you wish of me to do alphas?"

"Do you know where Pache is? We wish to see her." Toothless replied.

"I believe she is in the hatchling cave. That's where she was headed after our morning flight."

"Thank you Dreamstriker."

"Happy to oblige."

Toothless told Hiccup about the cave, but he only heard a warble. Luckily, he's heard that warble before and know it means hatchling. Toothless had used it many times when addressing Pache. Of course a growl was thrown in there as well meaning the word, Treacherous. He had used it often.

"Alright, let's go give her a little surprise." Hiccup smiled evilly as Toothless gave what was a dragon version of a laugh.

They flew to the outside of the hatchling cave, where all the eggs and newly hatched dragons were kept until they were old enough to leave with their parents. Hiccup got off Toothless and they quietly and slowly crept inside as they spotted their target. The dragons around them saw what they were doing, and ignored them knowing if they showed their respect the surprise would be ruined.

Hiccup slowly crept up to the girl and jumped to tackle her when she turned around and was holding a newly hatched terror. Not wanting to harm the little creature Hiccup had to last-minute dodge them and bonked his head on the cave wall, making a loud 'clunk' sound. Toothless gave a laugh and the other dragons followed his lead wholeheartedly.

"Useless reptile." Hiccup grumbled as he rubbed his now sore head. He looked over to the young 5 year old holding the young terror who had a big smile on her face as she giggled.

"Nice try daddy, but I could hear you when you landed." she helped her father up.

"I forgot about your hearing capabilities." He said and brushed the dust off his leather and gronckle iron armor.

"Yeah, it seems to happen a lot. Oh, I almost forgot… look!" She held up the hatchling to her father. "He just hatched and doesn't have a mom or dad. I looked everywhere but nobody claimed him."

"He's probably another one of those hatchlings from the invasives." The invasives were dragons that went into the nest for one thing, then left as soon as that task was completed. Many times it was to lay eggs.

"Can I keep him Daddy, pleeeeeeaaaaaaaaassee?" she begged, giving her biggest dilated-eyed-Toothless look she could muster. Hiccup gave a loud sigh.

"Very well. As long as you can take care of him."

"YES!" she shouted before mumbling to the little dragon so her father wouldn't hear, "I knew it'd work." She gasped as she had a brilliant idea. "I'll call you Fiendish."

"Oh NO, not ANOTHER annoying hatchling." Toothless groaned and thought of the worst scenarios imaginable that could ever happen with two young kids. They couldn't read his mind, but his horrified look showed that it was probably the island catching on fire. Fiendish opened his toothless jaw and gave a big yawn. "I think though he's a little too young to be in your care for now. Get one of the terrors to take care of him until he's about a week old." Toothless advised, partially because he cared, and partially because he was scared.

"Ya, I guess so." Pache sighed. She was able to understand, and speak dragonese having grown up around the language. She called over one of the experienced parental terrors and gave them Fiendish

"C'mon, let's go for a flight. That'll be fun, won't it?" Toothless tried to cheer up his niece.

"Ya, I guess." she said and hopped on Toothless her father following, knowing what was going on. They dropped Pache off where Dreamstriker, or Striker for short, was. She got on and they flew off to enjoy the afternoon rain, not noticing what was just below them, hidden by the dark clouds.

I got onto the ship headed for dragon island. Recently, Trader Johann had stumbled upon an island inhabited by dragons and witnessed the Death Rider. For years, my chief had suspicions that the Death Rider had information on Hiccup because after doing a full blown island search he had discovered bolas and crevices that showed evidence of a downed dragon. Within further inspection it was showed that in a cove not far from the bolas there were blasts that matched the ones of a night fury during a raid. And guess who just happens to ride the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself? The Death Rider, and once Stoick connected what he thought was all of the dots, the first thing he did was call a meeting, and now me, Gobber, and Stoick are heading out to confront the dragon master.

I just hope they don't discover who he really is, who I really am, and who Pache is.

7 years ago, I found out about Hiccup and Toothless when they were in the cove. I was going to tell the village, but they changed my mind. They ran away, but not after promising to see me when possible, and to use terror messaging.

Later, I befriended a Nadder, Stormfly, who lives in the cove. Hiccup and I wrote to each other every day, having almost run every terror on the island to death. When Hiccup didn't write for about two weeks, I got worried until he explained the Red Death battle and his and Toothless's new responsibilities as alphas.

Just as he promised though, he visited once every month, with a new leg too, and we became boyfriend and girlfriend. 4 months after I turned 16, I found out I was pregnant with Hiccup's child. The gods cut me some slack though, and I was sent on a mission from Gothi to collect 5 bottles of monstrous nightmare gel, which was the only way to heal one of the sick villagers.

The journey and fight would have lasted an estimated 1 ½ years if not for Hiccup. With his help, it only took a week, and a year later when I was 17, I returned home to many surprised villagers who thought I'd be gone longer. Gothi was able to heal the sick viking, and I got rewarded for my heroics.

The baby had to stay with Hiccup though. I knew she'd be safe and taken care of with him though, so I didn't have any worries. He drew pictures of her and sent them to me. I keep every one of them safe in a chest hidden under a loose board in the floor.

We named her Apachexaterrascorpioarosalight Treacherous(that's what toothless kept calling her) Hofferson. I know, it's a mouthful but we decided if we're going to go against tradition and have an oddball baby, why not have an oddball name. Only a year later did she, and I, become Haddocks when I married Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III.

Keeping everything secret is the most difficult thing ever. Snotlout flirts and proposes to me all the time, to which I hurt him. I hide my wedding ring under the handle of my axe, and have to burn most of the letters Hiccup sends me, only keeping the ones I hold in my heart in the chest under the floorboards where I also keep everything about Pache.

When I first learned about dragons I was worried about killing them. I'd have to in order to keep the village from suspecting, but then the raids stopped, making my life slightly easier. Every day though, I train. I don't want to be out of shape in case an attack happens. A few times Alvin and pirates have attacked, which is when I came in handy. I'm one, if not the best(with the exception of Stoick) warriors on Berk, which is how I earn money.

I moved out of my parents house when I turned 20 and dug a tunnel from the cove to my basement, which is at the edge of the forest next to the chief's house. It took a year, but I did it, with Stormfly's help of course. Since Snotlout was declared temporary heir his ego's gone way up. He only had eyes for me which is annoying. I wish I could scream in his face that I'm married and since I have a kid my marriage is sealed, but I can't, so I'm going to have to deal with it. He's such a child.

The twins have dedicated their lives to Loki, so whenever someone needs something like a building, boulder, or something difficult to move, the twins are on it carrying a bag of explosives with them. Fishlegs has begun to teach the children of Berk instead of Gobber, who retired when dragon training canceled. Gobber is now a dentist. Who'da thunk it. Snotlout is a test subject on things like inventions when he's not training to possibly become chief.

The day he becomes chief is the day everyone blows up.

Life on Berk is good, but I'm afraid if my secret life is discovered then everything will change.

I snapped out of my thoughts as we pulled up to dragon island. I recognize it from the pictures Hiccup sent me. I saw the shadow of a skrill and night fury and knew they were leaving, much to my relief. It began raining so all the dragons are probably in their caves taking shelter. Everything was silent. The only noise being the crunch of the dirt under our boots and the raindrops splatting against the ground and ocean.

We walked a little bit around the Island and the volcano, looking for some sort of passage. I knew where the entrance to the nest was, but couldn't tell them. I just hoped Stoick and Gobber wouldn't find it.

We met back up at the boat to fill in our report. "It's like as if the island's dead. I haven't seen a single living thing here that's not green." Gobber said.

"Aye, odd isn't it? It's like the beasts know we're here. But, why wouldn't they attack?" Stoick asked.

"Maybe there are no dragons. We all know about Johann and his stories. Maybe this was just another wild goose chase." I tried to convince them so we could leave before a certain night fury and skrill could come back and be spotted.

"No, they're here alright. I can smell the beasts. Maybe a wild goose chase is what they want us to think we're on. We can use that to our advantage. What seems like the most likely place devils would be safe? Inside no place anybody would dare venture. The fires of hell." he said and looked to the volcano.

He'd figured it out. Inside the volcano was the core of dragon island. There would be no stopping him now. All I could do was hope the gods were in a good mood today, but with the rain falling like a flock of terrors to food, it didn't seem likely they were.