Warning: This story involves scenes of blood sucking and death of the protagonist. If this is not your thing then stop reading now. You have been warned!

Disclaimer: I do not own How to Train Your Dragon. How to Train Your Dragon is the property of Dreamworks Studios.

How to Drain Your Dragon

The fresh air; The open sky; The vast ocean; Toothless loved these expeditions to explore uncharted islands. Not only were they a chance to stretch his wings and get some fresh air, they were also an opportunity to have some one-on-one quality time with his rider, Hiccup. Over the years, the two had forged an unbreakable bond together. He was proud to be the boy's partner, and would do anything for the young viking. So when Hiccup announced his plan to chart out the islands surrounding their home, the Night Fury was trilled to get a chance to spend more time with him. There first couple of expedition had been largely successful, and the two had grown closer during their time together. A small part of the Night Fury wished that they didn't have to end, that the two of them could just run away together. Don't get him wrong, Toothless had no problem with the other dragon riders, but there was just something special about the personal bond between a boy and his dragon. It was just him and Hiccup versus the elements; Exploring, surviving, and sometimes even battling together. It was hard to believe that the once nervous and hesitant boy he had first met had matured into such a strong and confident young adult.

So far there current expedition was going similar to the rest. They had managed to chart out several new islands, one of which that grew a kind of fruit which Toothless found to be surprisingly delicious. The two had decided to see if they could find one last island before calling it a day, and after an hour of nothing but blue skies and open seas, they managed to spot the telltale signs of land in the distance. Excited to find a new island to explore the two flew in for a closer look.

However as they drew closer, a sense of unease began to set over Toothless. Most of the island was covered in a thick eerie fog, obscuring many features, and possible dangers, from the their scouting eyes. For some reason Toothless had a bad feeling about this place, and a small voice in the back of his head told him to leave this island and never come back. However it seemed Hiccup did not have the same premonition as he began to steer Toothless down towards the surface. The dragon hesitated at first, his instincts telling him this was a bad idea, but he trusted Hiccup, and decided to push his fears aside for the moment.

Soon they managed to find a small opening in the fog and canopy where they were able to land. The ground was relatively moist and soft, letting the Night Fury's claws sink in slightly as he set down. Hiccup detached himself from the mechanism connecting him to Toothless and hopped down onto the swamp-like soil. He pulled a few things from his pack, preparing to jot down the various features of the island.

While Hiccup did this though, Toothless began to worry. The feeling of unease he had felt earlier had only intensified as they walked along the surface. Things that should have been new and exciting, instead felt unfamiliar and strange. On top of that, his instincts were screaming at him to get away, that this place was dangerous! He crouched into an aggressive stance, bearing his fangs and growling at anything that might be watching them.

Hiccup noticed his partner's sudden agitation "Whoa there, what's wrong buddy?" he asked with concern.

Toothless's eyes continued to dart around nervously. Something was clearly bothering the Night Fury and if Hiccup had learned anything during his years with Toothless, it was that if something was upsetting the Night Fury, it was best to listen. The dragon's instincts were rarely wrong; If he thought there was danger here, then Hiccup believed him.

"It's okay buddy." Hiccup said, trying to calm his partner "If there's something bothering you, then we'll leave."

Sensing his partner's intentions, Toothless did calm down a little, but he didn't let his guard down as he waited for Hiccup to mount him. Once his rider was in place and the mechanism activated to extend his false tail fin, Toothless took the sky. He felt immensely better to be off the ground, even breathing a sigh of relief as they rose above the swamp's canopy. They were safe now... Or so he thought. No sooner had they cleared the canopy when Toothless felt a sharp prick in one of his rear legs. In mere moments, a numbing sensation spread across his body and he began to lose control of his flight.

"Whoa! Toothless! Are --- okay?!..." Hiccup's voice seemed distant as the Night Fury fought to remain conscious "...We're ------ down! Toothless! ---- out!..."

******

Toothless's eyes peeled open as he regained consciousness. He pulled his face from the muck, and shook his head a little to clear his daze. His body was covered in debris and ached all over. What had happened? Where was he? And where was... Hiccup?! His eyes shot open, suddenly alert. Where was Hiccup?! He spun around frantically, checking all sides, but there was no trace of his beloved partner. Hiccup wouldn't have abandoned him; Something must have happened to the boy! Toothless unleashed a roar of concern, trying to contact his lost partner, but there was no reply. In a panic the Night Fury tried to take flight, hoping to get a better view from the air. But he quickly came crashing back down to the ground, a painful reminder of his damaged tail fin. After shaking himself off once again, he sniffed at the air desperately. Faint traces of Hiccup's scent were still present, but to the dragon's dismay, the trail led deeper into the marsh. Toothless groaned in fear, his instincts once again telling him to get out of this dangerous place. But he wouldn't abandon Hiccup; So with the faintest glint of hope, he pushed his fears aside, and set forth cautiously into the murky bog.

Every one of Toothless's senses was on high alert as he trekked through the treacherous swamp. He was aware of every rustling bush, every scurrying creature, and every unfamiliar scent that crossed his nostrils. The marsh was teeming with unknown plants and animals. Despite being a powerful Night Fury, he was out of his element here, which put the dragon on edge. Danger could've been lurking around every corner, and he had no idea what form it would take. But he refused to give up on Hiccup, pressing forward despite his nagging instincts telling him to turn back. He had managed to travel for some time without incident until the trail led him to a massive muddy bog. A strong and putrid odor saturated the air as swamp gas bubbled to the surface of the quagmire. Toothless definitely didn't want to go through there, but unfortunately Hiccup's scent continued to head in that direction. There was no telling how long it would take him to find a way around, nor did he know if he would be able to find Hiccup's trail again on the other side. It seemed he had no choice but to push through. Once again swallowing his fear, Toothless stepped out into the muddy pit.

Progress was slow as he trudged through the muck, the deep mud engulfing his claws nearly to his belly. The muck was also littered with unseen objects, forcing Toothless to watch his step, lest he set his foot down on something sharp. He had managed to make it about half way through the mud pit when his front claw snagged on something, dragging it to surface. Toothless looked down to see what his foot had caught, and the sight made his blood run cold. Staring back at him with a grim visage was a muck covered dragon's skull. Bones! The objects scattered throughout the mud were bones! That explained the foul stench in the air; This wasn't just a mud pit, it was a death trap!

Panic once again gripped the Night Fury. Survival instincts moved to the forefront of his mind as the horror of his realization combine with the threat of imminent death was enough to momentarily override his feeling for Hiccup. He tried to flee back the way he came, but the thick mud slowed his escape tremendously. In fact, he had only made it a few steps before he felt something slither around each of his legs, holding each of them firmly below the muck. As Toothless struggled against the unseen foe, several slimy tendrils emerged from the mud all around the trapped dragon. Were they plant or were they animal? Either way, Toothless didn't want them anywhere near him. He growled and bared his fangs at the approaching appendages, warning them to stay back. When the oblivious tentacles didn't take the hint, he opened his mouth and shot a ball of azure fire at the tendrils in front of him. The fleshy appendages instantly burst into flame, writhing wildly before falling limply into the mud. Toothless craned his neck as far as possible, spitting fire in every direction that he could muster, managing to fend off several more tendrils. However with his ability to turn compromised, he was left with large blind spot all along his back.

Toothless grunted in pain as the first tendril found it's mark in his haunch. The tip was sharp and pointed like a needle allowing it to easily wedge between his scales and sink into the tender flesh underneath. The Night Fury had endured far worse, but the attack still stung, plus there was an unpleasant pressure coming from the wound. Toothless turned to snarl at the offending tentacle, but was met with an unsettling sight. The tendril was pulsing rhythmically, sucking up his blood like an oversized mosquito. The Night Fury was frozen for a split second, watching in horror as small bulges of his life essence traveled down the greedy tentacle's length. Determined to put an early end to the parasite's meal, Toothless tried to launch another fireball in  the tendril's direction, but the little blood sucker was just out of his reach. He had no choice but to wait until the creature had its fill. Fortunately the feeding only lasted about thirty seconds before the tentacle pulled out, leaving a small bleeding puncture in its wake as it retreated back into the muck from whence it came. Although Toothless was relieved to have the parasite gone, the end of that little ordeal only signaled the beginning of a much greater nightmare.

The other tendrils seemed to take the first one's success as a sign that their prisoner was indeed food. The remaining appendages closed in on the helpless dragon, intent of sating their own hunger. Toothless roared out in pain as several more needles pierced his hide, leaving the poor Night Fury a pin cushion of blood sucking tentacles. He thrashed about frantically, trying to shake the parasites free. He even used his wings in an attempt to bat the invaders away, but the tendrils held strong; They had no intention of giving up such a fresh and tasty meal. For nearly a minute they drank from him, leaving the dragon feeling weak and drained. When they finally finished, Toothless prayed that it was over. But alas, it was not so. As the satisfied tentacles retreated, new ones rose to take their place. It seemed the hapless Night Fury would be given no rest from his torment.

Hour after hour the tendrils fed, slowly leeching the life force from the poor dragon. They were always there; Never relenting; Always feasting. Every few seconds, Toothless would feel a prick as a new tentacle joined the frenzy. There seemed to be no end to this monstrosity's hunger, and the constant feeding was beginning to take its toll on him. He felt woozy and weak; His legs began to tremble, struggling to support the weight of his own body. His breathing grew heavy, trying to supply his rapidly depleting blood supply with oxygen. His back was in constant pain, both from the stabbing leeches and the stinging wounds they left behind. It was utter misery.

Toothless didn't think that it could get any worse, but it seemed the monstrous creature was determined to prove him wrong. Right before his eyes, a new kind of tendril emerged. It was different than the others, thicker and without the needle tip. It slithered towards the bound dragon, making Toothless recoil with disgust. Had he the strength, he would have fried the sucker. Instead he could only snarl at the encroaching tentacle as it wormed its way closer. The tendril was undeterred though, twisting towards the frightened dragon's mouth. However as the slimy appendage closed in, Toothless drew on the last of his strength, lashing out at his attacker. He bit down on the unwanted intruder with all his might, extending his razor sharp fangs, which easily ripped into the creature's squishy flesh. He tore the tip of the appendage clean off, spitting out the disgusting piece of flesh, which continued to writhe frantically in its last few moments of life. Blood gushed from the main appendage, which also thrashed about in pain before retreating into the muck.

Toothless chuckled weakly, taking some solace in the fact that he had managed to hurt his assailant. However the other tentacles hardly reacted to the attack, continuing to leisurely glut themselves on his blood. To make matters worse, another bulbous tentacle emerged to take the damaged one's place. Were these things even connected? Their actions seemed unified as a single unit, and yet each tentacle seemed to have its own feelings and needs. Perhaps it was some sort of pack or hive mind. This would all be very interesting... if it wasn't sucking the life out of him!

The second tentacle approached his mouth, but this time he was too weak to fend it off. It easily slipped past his lip and into his maw, where it immediately began to emit a bitter substance onto his tongue. Toothless groaned at the violation and vile taste of the invader. But things didn't stop there; It seemed his mouth was not the invader's final destination as the slimy tendril push to back of his maw and into his throat. Toothless whined in distress, his gag reflex trying to expel the intruder, but it was no match for the slick tube of flesh slithering down his throat. He could feel the thing worming its way down, forcing itself through the entrance to his stomach.

Toothless's mind raced with all manner of horrible fantasies that tendril could have planned for him. Was it going to drain his blood from the inside? Or maybe pump his stomach of its contents? Those two options seemed to be ruled out as his eyes spotted several bulges traveling up the tentacle, rather than down. What could it be? Digestive Fluids? Eggs? Toothless watched in terror as the bulged traveled into his mouth. He could feel each one of them as they slid down his throat, and into his stomach. When the first bulge reached his stomach he winced, but surprisingly there was no pain nor foreign weight, just a slowly increasing feeling of fullness, as if he had just finished a hardy pile of fish. Was this thing... feeding him? At this point Toothless wouldn't put it past the monstrosity to keep him alive so that it could continue to feed off him.

Unfortunately the added nourishment was not enough to offset the loss of blood, only serving to slow his death and prolong his suffering. It allowed hours of feeding to drag out into days, and after nearly a week of torture, the poor Night Fury was in poor shape. His once powerful and fit frame was now sunken and gaunt, drained of strength by those infernal tentacles. His entire body trembled with a mixture of chills, weakness, and pain as the tendrils literally sucked the life out of him. His heart rate was dangerously low, the overworked organ struggling to keep up with the monstrosity's demand for blood. Toothless could swear that some of his organs were already shutting down, deprived of precious life giving fluids. He could feel his consciousness beginning to fade, and he knew that if he blacked out, he would never wake up.

But despite his dire situation, Toothless's thoughts turned to Hiccup. Had the young viking met a similarly gruesome fate? Or was the boy still alive somewhere in the marsh? Not that it would have mattered; Without Toothless, he would be stranded on this accursed island until one of the swamp's monstrosities got him. The dragon shed a few weak tears at the thought of his partner suffering through something like this. And the worst part was that it was all his fault. He should have trusted his instincts and avoided this Odin forsaken place; He should have gotten Hiccup to leave faster; He shouldn't have dropped his guard when flying away. These regrets circled around in Toothless's head, tormenting the Night Fury in his last few moments of life. With these final thoughts, the poor dragon passed out in complete physical and mental anguish, slumping down into the mud beneath him.

The greedy tendrils siphoned off the last of the dying dragon's blood, leaving behind a hollow lifeless husk, before finally retreating back into the muck where they would wait patiently for their next unsuspecting prey. Meanwhile, the Night Fury's body would sink into the mud, where it would slowly decompose, his bones destined to join those of the hundreds of victims before him.