We moved deeper into the forest, branches scraping against our arms as we pushed through the undergrowth. The canopy above was thick—layers of leaves and tangled branches blotting out most of the sky.
Then the forest darkened.
Not gradually.
All at once.
A shadow slid across the ground, swallowing the light between the trees. Leaves trembled. Birds scattered in a sudden burst of noise.
I stopped dead.
Slow, heavy footsteps echoed somewhere ahead of us.
Thump.
Thump.
The ground vibrated faintly beneath my boots.
I tilted my head, listening—and that's when the realization hit me.
Death Songs aren't supposed to be that big.
Hiccup felt it too. "Okay," he whispered, tightening his grip on his sword. "That's… not just one dragon, is it?"
"It is," I said quietly. "That's the problem."
Branches snapped in the distance. Entire trunks groaned as something massive pushed through them rather than around them. Amber residue clung to shattered bark, glowing faintly where it had scraped past.
A low, resonant hum rolled through the forest—not the melodic lure from before, but something deeper. Controlled.
Intentional.
Toothless crouched low behind us, growling under his breath, wings tucked tight.
Hiccup glanced back at him, then at me. "That thing's not flying."
"No," I said. "It doesn't need to."
Another step.
Closer.
Whatever was out there wasn't rushing us. It was pacing. Testing the space. Learning how the forest reacted to its size.
And suddenly, the trees ahead of us began to part.
Not violently.
Deliberately.
I swallowed.
"It knows we're here," I said.
And from the sound of it…
…it wasn't afraid of the forest at all.
The shadow moved again.
Branches creaked and bent as something massive pushed through the trees, and when it stepped into the faint light filtering through the canopy, my breath caught.
This wasn't just a Death Song.
Two pairs of long, twisted horns curved back from its skull, jagged and ancient-looking, while a massive nasal horn jutted forward like a battering ram. Its head frills slowly unfurled—enormous, nearly as long as its horns—rippling as it inhaled, each movement deliberate and controlled.
Sharp, elongated spikes ran down its back and tail, far longer than any Death Song I'd ever seen. The tail fins curved outward in elegant, lethal arcs, strands of amber dripping from their edges and hardening the moment they touched the forest floor.
Its scales were pitch black, swallowing the light around it, but veins of glowing blue traced along its body, pulsing faintly beneath the surface—especially around its throat and eyes.
Toothless growled low in his chest, wings half-spread, plasma beginning to glow faintly in his mouth—but he didn't fire.
Hiccup swallowed. "That… that's not normal."
I shook my head slowly, never taking my eyes off the dragon. "No. It's a Titan Wing Death Song."
The dragon's massive head lowered, blue eyes locking onto us. The humming sound returned—not the hypnotic song from before, but something deeper, heavier. The forest itself seemed to vibrate with it.
Toothless shifted closer to Hiccup, claws digging into the soil.
The Titan Wing didn't attack.
It studied us.
Then its gaze settled on me—and for a split second, the blue glow in its eyes flared brighter.
Like it recognized something.
The humming stopped.
Silence swallowed the forest.
And in that silence, I knew one thing for sure—
This dragon wasn't deciding if we were a threat.
It was deciding what we were worth.
As we stood there locked in that silent standoff, the Titan Wing's blue-lit eyes never left mine.
Then—without warning—my vision blurred for just a fraction of a second.
A familiar pressure settled behind my eyes.
[System Notification Detected]
I stiffened, forcing my breathing to stay even. Whatever this was, no one else could see it—Hiccup was still watching the Death Song, tense and ready, and Toothless hadn't reacted at all.
The words appeared in front of me, hovering just at the edge of my vision.
[Unique Dragon Detected]
[Species: Death Song — Titan Wing Variant]
[Threat Level: Extreme]
[Compatibility Check…]
My heart skipped.
The Death Song let out a low, resonant hum, its chest glowing brighter with blue light as amber began to seep between its teeth, dripping slowly to the forest floor.
[Warning: Dragon exhibits territorial dominance and advanced intelligence]
[Initiating Evaluation Protocol]
I clenched my fists.
This wasn't a normal encounter.
This wasn't just a fight.
Hiccup whispered, barely audible, "Austin… I don't like the way it's looking at you."
Neither did I.
The Titan Wing took a single step forward, the ground trembling under its weight, and the system text shifted—letters rewriting themselves as if responding to the dragon's movement.
[Choice Imminent]
The blue glow surged—then stopped.
The Death Song didn't fire.
Instead, it tilted its massive head, horns catching the light filtering through the trees, and let out a low, vibrating note that made the air itself hum. The amber pooled in its mouth hardened slightly… then dripped away, splattering harmlessly against the forest floor.
My vision sharpened as new text forcefully overlaid everything else.
[System Quest Generated]
I swallowed.
Hiccup shifted beside me, lowering his voice. "It's not attacking… that's not normal, right?"
"No," I muttered, more to myself than him. "It's not."
The system continued, each line appearing heavier than the last.
[Quest: Song of the Titan]
Objective: Tame the Titan Wing Death Song
My heartbeat thundered in my ears.
The Death Song's chest expanded—and the forest answered.
A low, resonant hum rolled through the trees, vibrating the leaves, the ground, even my ribs. It wasn't an attack. It was a call. A challenge. A question.
I froze for half a second.
Then I remembered.
Death Songs don't respond to strength.
They don't respond to fear.
They respond to songs.
I exhaled slowly, tuning out everything else—the size of the dragon, the danger, even the system text hovering at the edge of my vision. I focused on the rhythm of the hum, the way it rose and fell, almost like breathing.
Behind me, Hiccup whispered, confused, "Austin… what are you—"
I didn't answer.
Instead, I let my voice out.
It started low. Quiet. Almost a hum rather than words. I matched the Death Song's pitch, not perfectly, but close enough to show intent. My voice wavered at first, then steadied as I found the rhythm hiding inside its call.
The effect was immediate.
The Titan Wing's glowing throat dimmed slightly. Its wings relaxed. The amber glow faded from hostile blue to something softer—curious.
Toothless' growl stopped.
The Death Song tilted its head, listening.
Encouraged, I took another step forward and changed the melody—slower now, calmer. I wasn't trying to overpower its song. I was answering it. Completing it.
The dragon responded.
Its hum shifted to harmonize with mine, deeper and richer, the sound wrapping around me instead of crushing down. The trees trembled as if caught between two voices learning to trust each other.
I could feel it then—
Not control.
Not dominance.
Recognition..
The system flared.
[Quest Update: Submission Acknowledged]
[Final Condition Pending: Touch]
The Titan Wing Death Song didn't pull away.
Instead, it lowered its massive head, the twisted horns framing its face as it brought itself closer to me. The forest seemed to hold its breath.
Slowly, deliberately, I lifted my hand higher.
My fingers brushed against the ridged scales of its head—warm, rough, alive. For a split second, the Death Song's frills twitched, its nostrils flaring as if weighing the decision.
Then I placed my palm fully against its head.
The reaction was instant.
A deep, reverberating note rolled out from the Death Song's chest—not aggressive, not threatening—but accepting. The sound washed over me like a tide, and I felt something settle into place, as if a final lock had clicked shut.
The dragon leaned into my touch.
Not much—just enough to make my knees tense under the weight of trust being placed in me. Its massive head dipped slightly, horns angling away so I wouldn't be hurt.