Eret had on his own for days with only his horse for company, he was currently travelling in a vast wasteland which showed very little life. His horse was beginning to wobble due to the fact they had been eating in days at one point whether crossing the bridge hoof went straight through the wood.

Eret managed to pull it out and they continued on their long trek into the wasteland and that's when Eret smoked food. He turned and saw small camp at the edge of the creek and knew that he was hungry. He reached for his swords, but that's when he noticed a pregnant woman down there and knew she needed the food more than he did.

He then continued on his long track starving and thirsty, he then reached for his watering can only to find that it was empty. He then started to doze off, but managed to keep himself awake though only just. As he was in a state of near consciousness he had visions of his mother, a beautiful black haired woman pulling a hood over her head and then vanished.


Then thankfully he finally found himself at a small village and immediately made his way down there, the village was fast more than any he had encountered in the Earth Kingdom. It was no doubt due to landscape that there was not much business and probably war didn't help.

As he made his way into town a muscular man will you pelt hammers connected by a chain to his belt noticed him. Eret ignored him and made his way to the closest store and approached the man in charge.

"Can I get some water, a bag of feed and some hot to eat?" he asked pulling out the only coins he had.

The man shook his head. "Not enough here for a hot meal, I could get you two bags of feed."

Eret said nothing and saw a couple of kids hiding next to the counter. Then one of them tossed in Hiccup one of the men behind him were playing dice.

"Ow!" he yelled.

Immediately the kids made a run for it.

The men turned and glared and assumed that was Eret that tossed the egg.

"Hey!" said the muscular man. "You throwing eggs at the stranger?"

"No," said Eret with his back to him.

"You see who did do it?"

Eret this time faced him. "No," he said and reached for his swords.

"That your favourite word, 'no'?" said one of the men.

"The egg had to come from somewhere," said the muscular man.

"Maybe a chicken flew over," Eret offered as he turned his back to them.

One of the men laughed, but immediately stopped when the muscular man looked at him.

It was at that point that the store manager came back with the horse feed, but before Eret could take at the muscular man took it.

"Thanks for your contribution," he said with a small smirk and then tossed into one of his men. "The army appreciate your support." The man then turned and looked back at him. "You better leave town, penalty for stain is a lot steeper than you can afford stranger." He then tapped one of his warhammers. "Trust me."

They then walked off with Eret's horse feed.

The store manager narrowed his eyes at the soldiers. "Those soldiers are supposed to protect us from the Empire, but they're just a bunch of thugs."

Eret said nothing and made his way over to his horse and that's when one of the kids from earlier popped his head over looking at him.

"Thanks for not ratting me out," he said.

Eret ignored him and mounted on his horse and began to head out. However, the kid rushed over towards him and grabbed the reins stopping him.

"I'll take you to my house and feed your horse for you," he offered. Then before Eret could apply the kid dragged him away. "Come on, I owe you."

Eret clutched his stomach as hunger began to seep in.


Soon they made their way to a small farm which was filled with pigs, sheep and cows.

"No one can ever sneak up on us," he said gesturing to the noises the farm animals were making.

"No kidding," said Eret.

Then kid dragged his horse away and a middle-aged man approached him no doubt the boys father.

"You a friend of Lea's?" he asked.

Lea then exited the barn rushed over to his father. "This guy stood up to the soldiers, by the end he practically had them running away."

"Does this guy have a name?" Lea's mother asked.

"I'm…uh," said Eret as he tried to come up with a name.

"He doesn't have to say who years if he doesn't want to, Selena," said Lea's father. He then looked at Eret with appreciation. "Anyone who can hold his own against those bullies soldiers as welcome here. Those men should be ashamed to wear Earth Kingdom uniforms."

"The real soldiers are fighting the war, like Lea's big brother, Dale," Selena explained. She then looked at him with a smile. "Supper is going to be ready soon. Would you like to stay?"

"I can't," said Eret respectfully. "I should be moving on."

The family looked at one another and then back to Eret.

"Hal could use some help on the roof barn," said Selena. "Why don't the two of you work for a while and then we'll eat."

Eret could tell that he was not going to get away so he nodded in agreement.


Soon he and Hal were beginning work on the barn, but Eret had never really hold a hammer in his life and was having problems naming the tiles to the roof. Lea was watching them from the ladder and he appeared to have great interest in Eret.

"You don't seem like you're from around here," he noted.

Eret shook his head.

"Where are you from then?"

"Far away," Eret answered.

"Oooh, where are you going?"

Eret was beginning to get tired of the boys questions.

Hal looked at his son. "Lea, give it a rest. Stop asking them and personal questions, got it?"

Lea sighed with disappointment. "Yes."

Eret then began to continue with his work.

"When did you get those swords?" Lea asked suddenly.

Eret then missed the nail and struck his thumb.

Hal narrowed his eyes at Lea. "It's not nice to bother people about things they don't want to talk about. A man's past is his business."


Eret then began to think back when he was 15, back when his father was still alive and his mother was still around. Eret was currently with his mother at their estate when they were feeding bread to the ducks in the pond.

Ducklets were swimming towards them and began eating the bread in her hand. Eret just sat there watching as he looked at his mother, his mother was a beautiful black haired woman with a very kind heart.

"Do you know when dad will be back home?" he asked.

His mother shrugged. "I believe the Senate is still in session, the Emperor is expanding our forces at the front."


Later that evening, Eret invited May to the state. Unfortunately she also invited her to friends, Talia and Princess Devi. Devi was currently doing cartwheels, but toppled over. Talia on the other hand performed a cartwheel flawlessly and then performed a backflip, but when she landed on the ground Devi gave her big shot knocking her over. May on the other hand had no interest in was leaning against a tree.

"Devi," Talia complained.

May then noticed Eret and immediately blushed and this caught the eye of Devi. She then leaned over towards Talia and whispered in her ear.

"Watch this," she said.

She then immediately approached Eret and his mother. "Lady Eretson, can Eret come and play with us? We need equal teams to play a game."

Eret folded his arms. "I am not cartwheeling."

"You won't have too," she said holding her arms too. "Cartwheeling is not a game."

"Like I care!" Eret snapped. "I don't want to play with you!"

Devi raised an eyebrow. "You want me to tell my father that you refuse to play with me?"

Eret's mother sighed and looked at her son. "I'm afraid you can't refuse the Princess, Eret." She then ruffled his hair. "Just do it for a little while."

Eret reluctantly joined the girls and Devi pulled an apple off a tree.

"Here is how it goes," she said and then place the apple on May's head. "Now what you do is try and not the apple of the other persons head like this."

Devi then immediately fired a fireball directly at the apple setting it alight. Eret then immediately rushed over to May in an attempt to remove the apple, but unfortunately he ended up tackling and they both ended up in the fountain.

Devi and Talia then laughed.

"See I told you it would work," said Devi to Talia.

"Ah, they're so cute together," Talia smiled.

Eret and May were furious as the stood up.

"You two are such… Argh!" she yelled in frustration.

Eret immediately stormed off just as his mother exiting the house.

"I was just coming to get you, Uncle Bjorn just sent us a letter from the war front," she said and then noticed that Eret was soaking wet. "You're soaking wet."

"Girls are crazy!" Eret roared in frustration.


Once Princess Devi and her friends went home, Eret's mother began reading the letter from his Uncle Bjorn.

"'The city is as magnificent as it is wall. Meridian, must be something to behold, I hope you all may see it someday… if we don't burn it to the ground first,'" she read.

Eret immediately laughed.

"'Until then enjoy this gift,'" she continued. Eret immediately rushed over towards the servants who was holding out a dagger. "'This is a pearl dagger from the general who surrendered when we broke through the outer wall. Note the description and superior craftsmanship.'"

Eret immediately unsheathed the knife and saw words inscribed on it. "'Never give up without a fight.'" He then began swinging the dagger. "I hope Uncle Bjorn and Cousin Vadim come back soon."


Eret chose to sleep in the barn that night and while he was sleeping Lea snuck inside and grabbed his twin swords. However, when he closed the door Eret open one of his eyes indicating that you been awake the entire time.

Lea was out in the meadow practising with the swords, but he was wielding them clumsily. He then began stabbing a tree trunk with the blades with much enthusiasm.

"You're holding them all wrong," said a voice behind him.

Lea immediately jumped and soon discover that the voice belonged to Eret, who had been observing from a distance. Eret then approached him and Lea handed back his blades.

"Keep in mind that these are duel swords," Eret reminded as he put the swords together. "Two half of a single weapon." He then began wielding them flawlessly in front of Lea. "Don't think of them as separate because they are not. They are just too different parts of the same whole."

He then sliced through a sunflower before handing the blades back to Lea.

Lea then began swinging, much less clumsily this time and managed to slice off the branch of hollowed out tree. He looked back at Eret, who smiled encouragingly.


After a few more lessons they started to make their way back to the farm.

"I think you would really like my brother Dale, he used to show me stuff like this all the time," said Lea.


The next morning, Eret was preparing to head out and Lea and his family went to see him off.

"Here…" said Selena handing him some food. "This should see you over for a few meals."

Eret was about to take when they heard the sound of hooves in the distance. They turned and saw heading towards them with the soldiers from yesterday.

"What do you think they want?" said Hal.

"Trouble," Eret answered.

Soon the soldiers approached them and immediately the animals began to act up, clearly even they didn't like the soldiers.

"What do you want Grinder?" Hal demanded.

"Just thought someone ought to tell you that your son's battalion got captured," said Grinder.

Hal's eyes immediately widened.

Grinder then smirked his men. "You boys hear what the Fire Empire did with the last bunch of Earth Kingdom prisoners?"

One of the soldiers smirked. "Dressed up in Empire uniforms and sent them on the front line, unarmed the way I heard it." He then spat. "Then they just watched."

Hal glared at them. "You watch your mouth!"

Grinder then approached them, but Eret positioned his horse to cut across him.

Grinder narrowed his eyes. "Why bother rooting around in the mud with these pigs?"

Grinder and his men then left the farm.


Eret then began to remember the unfortunate message that he heard regarding a member of his family.

It was just a normal day, his father was teaching him Firebending when one of the servants what a message to his mother, who was looking at the pond. When she read it tears rolled down her cheek and she turned to her husband and son.

"Bjorn has lost his son, he didn't survive the battle," she said.

Eret's father eyes widened. "No. Not Vadim."


Back in the present, Hal was hugging his wife, who was in tears.

"What's going to happen to my brother?" Lea asked.

"I'm going to the front," said Hal looking at his family. "I'm going to find Dale and bring him back."

His wife cried as they hugged and they began making their way back to the house. Lea then approached Eret and looked down at the ground.

"If my dad does will you stay?" he asked hopefully.

"No," said Eret unable to look at him. "I need to move on." He then handed him his knife. "Here… I want you to have this." Lea took the knife and unsheathed it. "Look at the description."

Lea looked to the writing on the blade. "Made in Earth Kingdom."

"The other side," said Eret.

Lea turned it around and read. "'Never give up without a fight.'"

He then watched as Eret took off.


Eret then began to remember that night when they heard the bad news.

"Bjorn has lost his fighting spirit," said his father regretfully. "All of his forces pulled out of Meridian and I hear the Emperor is not too pleased."

Eret's mother looked sad. "I can only imagine what Bjorn is feeling right now."

Eret's father then slammed his fist on the wall. "This would have happened if Stoick was still in power! I swear Drago will be the destruction of this nation!"

"Isn't that treason to say such things?" Eret asked.

His father looked at him. "Eret, you're too young to remember this, but I entire nation prospered and didn't need a war to accomplish that. Our beloved Emperor is slowly removing the old houses that stand against him. The Haddocks have been completely annihilated and the Hoffersons are in hiding."

Eret's mother sighed. "I do miss Valka."

Eret's father sighed. "I won't be surprised if our Empire will use this as a means to remove power from us."


Eret was laying down on some grass next to a stream when suddenly he heard a horse and cart approaching him. He looked up and saw Selena approaching him with an anxious look on her face.

"You have to help," she pleaded as he jumped off the cart. "It's Lea the thugs from town came back as soon as Hal left. When they ordered us to give us food, Lea drew a knife on them. I don't even know where he got a knife. Then they took away and told me that he is old enough to fight, is old enough to join the army. I know we barely know you, but…"

She then began to cry.

"I'll get your son back," said Eret as he got to his feet.


It was sunset when Eret returned to the village and everyone was immediately quiet as they could sense the showdown was about to transpire. Leo was currently changing to a water tower with Grinder and his thugs surrounding it.

"Hey, there is!" Lea cheered. He then smirked at the soldiers. "I told you he'd come."

Immediately Grinder and his men drew their weapons and began to surround the water tower. Eret hopped off his horse, removed his hood and faced them.

"Let the kid go," Eret ordered.

Grinder laughed. "Who do you think you are telling us what to do?"

"It doesn't matter who I am, but I know who you are. You're not soldiers… you're bullies. Freeloaders abusing your power, mostly over women and kids. You don't want Lea in your army, your sick cowards messing with a family who already lost one son to the war."

Grinder narrowed his eyes and then looked at one of his men. "Are you going to let this stranger stand here and insult you like this?"

One of the soldiers then grabbed his spear and charged at Eret, but Eret was more than prepared for him. He tossed the spear grabbed the handle of his blades and then slammed the butt into the soldier's chest sending him flying across the dirt and then he sheathed his blades. The soldier and immediately made a run for it.

Another one of the soldiers did the exact same thing, but spun his body around lifting the spear into the air and grabbed the soldiers face. He then put all his body weight down onto the soldier crashing him into the ground. The soldier picked himself up and ran away.

The last soldier then charged at him in the exact same manner and Eret kicked the spear breaking it in two. The soldier looked his broken spear and then to Eret and then ran for it.

Grinder was now the only one left standing and he immediately drew his warhammers. Eret then drew his twin blades and took up a fighting stance. Grinder then slammed one of his hammer is into the ground causing a chunk of earth to rise into the air and he struck it towards Eret.

Eret drew his blade and sliced through the earth with the greatest of ease. Grinder then slammed both hammers into the ground causing more chunks about to rise into the air and then he sent them flying towards Eret. Eret was able to deflect two, but the first quarter in the chest though he shook it off and then charged towards Grinder.

"Give him a left! A left!" an old man yelled from the crowd.

His wife looked at him. "It's not a fistfight."

"He's got a left sword don't he?"

Grinder kept on firing chunks of earth at Eret, but he kept on slicing through them with his blades. However, one caught him in the chest knocking him backwards and he lost his footing making Grinder smirk.

"Look out!" the old man yelled.

"Behind you!" Lea cried.

Grinder then kept on spinning around firing boulders at Eret in rapid succession. Eret did his best to deflect each and every one of the blows, but they were coming too fast and too strong. Grinder then slammed his hammer into the ground sending a massive burst of earth directly at Eret and knocked him straight onto the ground.


As he laid there, Eret began to remember the last night he saw his mother. He was in bed when he felt her touching his shoulder.

"Mum?" he frowned.

"Eret, please my love, listen to me," she said and then hugged him. "Everything that I've done is done to protect you." They then heard footsteps heading towards his room. "Remember this Eret, no matter how things may seem to change… never forget who you are."

Eret was still bit dozy and watched as she left his room as she put a hood over her head. Those last time he saw his mother and he never figured out what happened.


Grinder then began to approach him.

"Get up," Lea whispered.

Grinder drew out his hammer is ready to deal the final blow. Eret then awoke and grabbed his swords and then began spinning around unleashing flames around him. The attack was a surprise for Grinder and he was forced to drop his hammers to guard against the attack, but he was soon sent flying from the blast.

Eret then arose with the flames surrounding him and everyone stared at him. Grinder got to his feet and took a fighting stance, but Eret's true nature causing completely by surprise. Eret charged at him with swords drawn and use them to sent flying straight towards him.

Grinder used his Earthbending to create a barrier of earth, but Eret's attack went straight through it. He was then sent flying towards the building and found himself unable to move.

"Who are you?" he asked.

Eret looked at him. "I'm Eret Eretson former Captain of the Fire Empire Army, until my banishment."

Everyone stared at him.

"I've heard of you," said the old man. "Or rough I've heard of your father. He was killed by the Emperor himself when he tried to stop the war."

Eret looks solemn. "Yeah, he was."

Eret then bent down to Grinder, who immediately quivered with fear. He then took his knife from his belt and then approached Lea, whose mother was untying him. His mother immediately placed herself in front of him.

"Not a step closer," she warned.

Eret immediately stopped and then presented the knife to Lea. "It's yours, you should have it."

Lea narrowed his eyes at him. "No! I hate you!"

Then he and his mother walked off.


Eret then began to remember the night he woke up and he remembered his mother saying goodbye.

"Mum? Mum?" he cried jumping out of bed and began looking for her.

She found his father in the lounge with his hand over his forehead.

"Where's Mum?" Eret asked.

His father looked at him with tears in his eyes. "Gone. They came for her."

Eret immediately broke down into tears and his father pulled him close.


In the present, Eret mounted his horse and began to leave the village and he could feel the cold stares staring at him.