Hey. You know what's awesome… gladiators. You know what else is awesome…. httyd. So what happens when you put these 2 things together? Awesomeness 2x. But seriously this is a How To Train Your Dragon gladiator story and it's my third so far. It was inspired by the book, "Mark Of the Thief" by Jennifer A. Nielsen. I hope you like it and enter the world of ancient Rome!

Disclaimer: I do not own How To Train Your Dragon or any of the characters, names, or items used for this story.

"HADRIAN!" yelled Stoick walking through his house and looking for his son. The former soldier left his house in search of his son. Today was an important yet sad day and Stoick wanted nothing more than to get this over with.

"I'm in the barn!," replied Hadrian from the barn soon followed by a loud ding and the annoyed sounds of sheep.

Stoick sighed and walked across the field to his barn. The wooden structure stood above 25 feet and was painted oak brown from top to bottom. The interior was large and took up 1,500 square feet of ground with two stories. Tools were put in place on the walls and barrels were stacked next to hay. Across from that was the stables with 3 different horses in each stall. Up a ladder to the right of the entrance was the second story or as Stoick liked to call it, the warzone.

"Hadrian what did I tell you about the inventions?" said Stoick as he climbed up the ladder and saw Hadrian sitting on a chair and running his hand through his hair.

The auburn haired boy sighed and moved his emerald green eyes to meet his father's. "Sorry dad, I was trying to make a faster way of creating pottery for us to sell but," said Hadrian looking at the broken shards of pottery and stone laying on the floor making it a hazard , "I may not have planned it out enough."

"Son," said Stoick with a sigh. He was mad at first but then remembered the first time Hadrian had ever built something to help out. It was a strange contraption that shot a rope from his wooden shield. It was a present for Stoick's birthday but instead of what it was supposed to do, the flail flew through the air and broke 4 vases, one of which was Valka's. Stoick's deceased wife and Hadrian's mother. Since that day, Stoick has hated any invention of Hadrian's and tried to make him a fighter but nothing seemed to work. Today was his last chance and if it didn't work, then Hadrian would die.

"Are you ok? You seem stressed," said Hadrian getting up and walking to his father. He could tell whenever something was eating away at Stoick and this definitely was one of those times.

"Hadrian," began Stoick putting his hand on Hadrian's shoulder. He opened his mouth to say more but it was too late. The sound of horses galloping let Stoick know that there was no more time. "I sold you to Alvin for the gladiatorial matches" finished Stoick as the barn doors burst open and in walked Alvin.

The big man looked as if he could be Stoick's twin if not for the black hair and beard compared to Stoick's red one along with the lack of braids. The final difference were their clothing. While Stoick was in a red tunic with a white brown belt at the waist. Alvin chose a black tunic with a grey belt and a matching leather wristband on each arm. "Ah there you are young Haddock, I trust you've been informed," said Alvin grinning and looking at Hadrian.

"Dad how could you! I will die!" complained Hadrian taking a step back and looking at his father. The man that had been Hadrian's father was gone and now in front of him was someone he didn't even know anymore.

"Let me make this easy for ya' kid. Your father here wants you to toughen up and the best way for that is to become a gladiator so he reached out to me. Let's go," said Alvin walking to Hadrian. He was about to grab the boy but had his hand slapped away and watched as Hadrian ran out the barn. "That boy of yours is real trouble eh Stoick? Here's your coin," said Alvin giving Stoick a pouch of coins and walking out of the barn to see Hadrian being held down by a short yet muscular boy pinning him to the ground with a knife pressed dangerously close to Hadrian's throat.

"Ah I see you've met Sabinus, or as everyone calls him at the training grounds snotlout," said Alvin happily and getting onto his horse.

"I killed a wild pig with my bare hands my first day in the arena. It put up more of a fight than you," mocked Snotlout grinning and grabbing Hadrian by the shirt collar and throwing him into the cage being pulled by Alvin's horse along with 2 others. "But you, they'll call you an accident, a mistake. You'll be a hiccup."

"He does need a new name for the matches and you just chose a perfect one Snotlout," said Alvin. When he saw Snotlout get onto his horse they were ready to go. Alvin tugged on the reins and made the horse move forward at a galloping speed.

In the cage Hadrian stared at Stoick with anger and sadness in his eyes. "I will toughen up Stoick but not for you. I'm not your weakling son anymore," thought Hadrian now giving up his name. He was Hiccup and he would make a name of himself in the coliseum. He watched the place he called home shrink the farther away he went and now awaited his new home.

~2 Hours Later~

Hiccup fell to the ground and spat blood out before getting back up and grabbing his wooden sword. He had been sparring with Snotlout ever since he got to the gladiator training area. It was first and foremost Alvin's home but second it was where he taught all the gladiators to become warriors for the entertainment of the public. So as a welcome home ceremony, Hiccup was instantly put up against one of Alvin's best gladiators. Snotlout.

"Come on Hiccup, the training dummy could put up a better fight!" said Snotlout laughing and getting his friends to join in.

First were the twin tornadoes Ruffnut and Tuffnut, or as they were actually named Rachel and Thomas Thorston. They were tall and twin with long long blond hair braided into thick dreadlocks. Tuffnut was the boy and Ruffnut was the girl but together they were pure evil. Within the past hour they've succeeded in setting 2 fires, breaking 18 vases, and almost cutting Hiccup's head off 3 times. They definitely earned their names.

After the twins was Fishlegs whose real name was Frank Ingerman. He was big and unproportional with his small head and short legs. He was the brains of the group and Alvin's treasurer, organizer, and kept track of things in general. He seemed to follow Snotlout out of fear more than friendship but every so often Hiccup caught a welcoming smile from him. Something nobody else had shown him in the past 2 hours.

Lastly was Eret but his real name was Erick Jorgenson and Snotlout's older half-brother by 2 years. Eret was taller than his younger brother and more masculine and had brown eyes opposed to Snotlout's blue. Head topped off with black hair and stubble lining his jawline and chin, Eret seemed nothing like his brother until you found out that they both had 2 things in common. The love of women, even if they weren't loved back, and the love of beating weaker people to a bloody pulp.

"Come on brother, I don't want to keep the girls waiting," said Eret leaning against a wall and wiping his hand clean on his yellow tunic. Behind him were a few girls waiting and squealing for the boys to come out.

"Hold on. I'm almost finished with this walking sack of horse dung," said Snotlout grinning and looking at Hiccup. He had sword in one hand and the other holding something behind his back. He played to win by any means necessary. "Come on hiccup the useless, i'm waiting," said Snotlout tauntingly and hoping for Hiccup to charge him.

Idiotically, Hiccup did just that. He grew angry once more and charged Snotlout with sword in hand and no plan. That was his mistake.

Snotlout had thrown sand into Hiccup's eyes and tackled the boy to the ground right after. This knocked the breath out of hiccup and left him wide open for the fury of punches Snotlout would wail on him. Each one leaving a bruise on Hiccup's skin that would most certainly hurt in the morning.

Once he knew Hiccup was down and out for the count, he leaned close and whispered into the boy's ear. "Don't even try to get up. Your father sees you as nothing but a worthless sack of bones and that's what you always will be" mocked Snotlout before getting up and walking to Eret and the waiting ladies.

Hiccup laid there floating in a state of consciousness and unconsciousness, unable to do anything else. He blacked out then and there but before everything blacked out, a figure grabbed him by the shoulders and dragged him away. The last thing Hiccup remembered was a voice saying "You'll get revenge soon enough," then everything went dark.

So this is the first chapter of When In Rome. I'm already starting the second chapter by the time this one is up and it will be posted soon.

Pack Ink, signing out.