The village was like any other. People went about their duties, running farms and shops. Children laughed and played freely as if they did not know of the war about to befall them. This was what stilled Stoick's hand as he and the riders fell toward it. The village was no different than Berk and it was suddenly hard to believe that they were a bunch of murderers that had led to his son's death. The thing was, looks could be deceiving and a murderer could hide amongst everyday people and never be detected. Nonetheless, Stoick bit back the bloodlust that had been consuming him for months and steered the riders toward the Great Hall. It was time he and Viggo Grimborn had a discussion.

Of course, the moment their dragons were spotted the call went out and warriors came running but no one opened fire. That surprised Stoick. He was used to a bit of a commotion when approaching an island for the first time on dragon back but these people seemed surprisingly used to it. He glances toward his riders, then the two Berserkers accompanying him but they all seemed just as surprised. Not one of them had been here before.

Landing before the Great Hall, which was surprisingly larger and more magnificent than the one on Berk, a notably sign of the wealth and status of the Hunters amongst the Viking nations, Stoick dismounted in front of a group of elders that appeared before the building.

"I'm here to see Viggo Grimborn," he announced, his voice gruff and temper barely in check. His back was tense and fingers twitching in anticipation of finally confronting the man that had murdered his son.

A tall, elderly man with long braided white hair stepped forward and for a moment Stoick thought perhaps this frail man was whom he sought. His shoulders tensed and fingers curled into a fist. He would kill this man and any other who dared to harm his boy.

"Chief Viggo has not been home in nearly a year," the elder said with a small bow of his head. "He had left us to contend with a threat upon our tribes livelihood." He paused, his pale blue gaze moving over the riders. "Ah…Dragon Riders, I should have known. You must be Stoick the Vast." His gaze snapped back to Stoick.

"Aye," Stoick confirmed. "Where is Viggo?"

The old man's face softened. "That I wish I knew. As I said, he left to assist his brother against people effecting our way of life…your riders if I'm not mistaken. He has not returned. We believe one of your riders may have killed him and Lord Ryker. None of their men have returned either."

Stoick was not moved. His eyes narrowed as he studied the elder. "When did you last hear from either brother?"

The elder turned to confer with the other elders before turning back. "Approximately nine months. He claimed to have captured the source of our turmoil and was in negotiations to end the feud. There has been no word since. I assumed your riders had killed our men."

"Yet no one here shows the slightest fear of us," Stoick countered, slightly confused. "Your chieftain murdered my son and no one fears retribution?"

"Your son and his friends murdered a number of our men to free dragons we captured. Dragons we need for trade to sustain this village and feed our people. A war was started but it was not by us. If you wish to kill us in retribution for the death of a war criminal then so be it. We are ready to die to protect our way of life and our people."

It was a passionate speech and Stoick felt his anger grow towards this man. Behind him he heard the sound of his riders drawing their weapons and dragons igniting their inner fire. He raised a hand to still them. Hiccup's death had effected them all greatly and those who were normally peaceful were now out for blood. It had taken everything in their power to keep calm ever since Hiccup's body was returned home.

Still, no Hunter warriors raised a weapon toward them, although there was a group of curious villagers approaching them.

"We did not kill your chieftain," Stoick stated, although it seemed obvious considering there were there in search of the man. "I wish only to speak with him. If you can arrange that, or give me something of his to track him by, it would be greatly appreciated."

The elder nodded. "I will see what I can do," he promised. "But please, you must be exhausted for your long journey. Be our guests."

"No, thank you," Stoick answered courtly before turning away and mounting Skullcrusher.

The elder bowed lowly, as did all the other men in the group. Stoick frowned at them and then looked toward the villagers, only now seeing the fear in their eyes as they held their children close, noting how the women and children, elderly and crippled out numbered the warriors and general male population. It would nothing to wipe the tri e from existence. The dragons wouldn't even break a sweat. But he didn't give that order. Enough people had already died because of this war. One he had not sanctioned, and should have put a stop to when it first began. Hiccup may have been murdered by a madman by doing what he thought was the right thing, but it would appeared the Hunters had suffered greatly as well. "When you find Virgo, contact me. I will have words with him."

"Of course Chief Stoick," the elder promised. "We are sorry for your loss."

Stoick gave a grunt in acknowledgement and gestured for the riders to take to the air.

"He's lying!" Dagur hissed, swooping down on Shattermaster to fly alongside the elder chieftain. "He has to be. No chief would disappear that long without keeping tabs on the going ons of his tribe."

Stoick gave him a look that clearly said to drop it but Dagur pushed on.

"Even when I was in prison I got weekly reports. Virgo is out there somewhere and someone will report to him. We just find that someone and we'll find Virgo." He held his breath, fully expecting the older man to tell him to drop it but to his surprise Stoick gave a nod.

"Alright. Stay here and if you see or hear anything send Terror mail immediately. I want to deal with Virgo Grimborn personally."

Dagur gave a little whoop of glee before breaking from the pack to circle back to as nearby island to spy from.

"I better stick with him to keep him out of trouble," Heather sighed, offering Astrid a tiny smile before breaking away to follow her crazy brother.

The rest of the riders headed back to Berk. Stoick fumes inside at his lack of closure. He was going to find and face down his son's murderer even if it cost him his life.

One Hunter island, Keldor watched the riders fly away in anger. Ryker had promised this would not happen. He said the Peaceable body dressed as the Hiccup boy would be enough to frighten rider away for good, and Viggo had listened to the fool. Now a possible war was upon them and over half the army was gone protecting their new pet. This would not do, not at all. If Viggo was not going to be the chieftain he was supposed to be and support his people then it was up to the council to step in. "Put word out, the auction has moved ahead two months," he announced to Baron, the village book keeper. "And will be at the Amber Isles."

Baron looked appalled. "And what of Viggo?"

"He's about to lose his toy," the elder spat. It was time to end this little game once and for all.

. . .

"Your move," Viggo said as he sat back. It was a relaxing day. One of the few where Hiccup didn't have to service anyone and the Grimborns could simply enjoy a good game of Maces and Talons. It was something Viggo and Ryker had done since they were little boys with the father and grandfather. Hiccup wasn't always into it but Viggo had discovered the boy had an incredibly keen mind and talent for the game. When he had defeated Ryker three out of four times, and Viggo four out of seven times, their egos had taken a hit and Viggo decided to make it more challenging by adding a distraction. But it seemed Hiccup could easily multitask. Once they had decided to screw the boy while they played and strangely enough the boy had won, making himself a distraction for them. Viggo had to admit, it was hard to focus when the youth began moaning and whimpering, even if it was all a rouse. The kid knew exactly how to seduce them. His body had become a weapon and he wielded it like one. With only the sway of his narrow hips he had men falling before him. The boy could prove to be a dangerous thing if he knew the true power he had come to hold over the men in the fort or even the men that paid to fuck him. He was now pulling in more gold than the brothers ever imagined possible. Of course that could also be due to the little gift Drago had left behind.

When Viggo had discovered the young Stealth Dragon hidden in Hiccup's chamber, he had nearly had a heart attack. He had gone to wake the youth for breakfast while Ryker took a group of men hunting. He never expected to see a Dragon of all things mating with the youth. It would have been exotic to watch if an old fear hadn't kicked in. All he knew was a sudden fear for the boy's life and without thinking, had tried to rip the creature away from him. It had almost ended badly as the dragon reared around to protect its mate, but Hiccup had yelled out and single command in dragonese and got between the two. Viggo had never been so scared and he watched with wide eyes as the youth soothed the dragon before turning and calmly assuring him everything was alright.

"You really are scared of dragons," Hiccup whispered, his nude and sweaty body pressing against the front of Viggo's. His long fingers caressed the old scar along the man's neck down to his collarbone. His voice was a soft purr that suddenly held a power over Viggo. "One of them did this to you. It probably nearly took your head."

"Yes," Viggo whispered. He felt like he was drowning in the emerald pools the of his eyes. He inhaled sharply as their ground pressed together. For the first time it felt as if Hiccup was in utter control of the situation.

"Were you scared this one would kill me?"

"Yes," the man admitted. He never felt such fear for someone else before.

"Did it excite you?"

Before Hiccup could say more, Viggo pulled him tight and showed him just how excited it had made him now that he had a chance to process what had happened. It was probably the first time he had taken the boy in such a way. He and Hiccup had had sex many times now but not with as much passion as that day and Hiccup used it as a distraction every chance he got. The blasted dragon followed him everywhere. But as much of a nuisance as it was, it also put on a good show when it mated with the boy, something both Viggo and Ryker enjoyed watching. So when Hiccup began moaning in the middle of a game it was often due to the dragon licking his neither region since the boy was often naked. That or he was sitting on Ryker's lap with a cock up his ass. Sometimes both.

And of course the boy won the match when Viggo's focus went from the board to the boy's throat and the drop of sweat that rolled down it to his chest and continued downward.

"He won in four moves!" Ryker announced in wonder as Hiccup took Viggo's king without so much as sacrificing one man. Viggo didn't really care, his focus on the game long gone.

Hiccup smile victoriously and climbed off Ryker's lap, making the large man groan in despair and dragon under the table whimper. "I told you I could make the great Viggo Grimborn completely lose focus. I can probably make him cum without even touching him."

The boy had become cheeky since discovering his new power over the Hunters and Viggo seemed to be his favorite target. He had some running bets with Ryker on who would crack first and how and had actually accumulated a small wealth of his own. It was like Hiccup was an all new person. Oh he still had nightmares and the odd bout of depression but since the tattoo and new hair cut he had become a little more comfortable around people. It may have had something to do with the Stealth Dragon or he may have finally come to accept his new life. Whatever the cause, he was more playful and was close to being completely integrated into the Hunters. The gods knew that the men had all come to love having him among them and not just for sex, although that was a bonus.

Hiccup simply had a way about him no one could explain. When not entertaining anyone he read a lot. He had read just about every book in Viggo's library, at least those in languages he could understand. The boy spoke and almost fluently read seven different languages, most of which were western and foreign, which left the western of why he didn't know more eastern and tribal languages. But Hiccup was also a fast learner and once he was given access to the Dragon Eye, he began to thrive as he spent his free time deep in research. Had Viggo known sooner that the ancient device really did mean so much to the youth, he would have allowed this sooner. He had assumed the boy only wanted it to increase his own power and not use it as a simple educational tool as many a Hunter had done before. The Eye held both power and knowledge but Hiccup only cared about the knowledge. On his free time he would sometimes spend hours lying on a fur rug copying the images from within the Eye into a small note book Ryker had made him, or trying to translate the words, often with Viggo's help. He was no longer viewed as a slave but a consort and given the same rights, which meant he could now say no to certain sex partners, which he rarely ever did, but it helped narrow down potential buyers if Viggo did decide to continue with the auction which had been put on hold indefinitely.

Hiccup filled two standards with mead for the brothers, handed them out, then sat with his head on Viggo's lap, his dragon curling up next to him. Viggo idly combed his fingers through the soft hair. It was a relaxing habit after a long day. "Tell Ryker what you learned today," he instructed, loving the fact that the boy could be molded into his protégé.

The boy recited the things he learned from the Dragon Eye and scrolls that Viggo had him study that morning. It was the basic stuff the Hunter teens learned at a young age but it was new for Hiccup. Ryker listened and nodded, smiling proudly at how easily the youth was picking up the language and custom. As a reward, he gave the youth some sweets.

"You are an amazing boy, babe," Ryker praised as he knelt before Hiccup and fed him by hand. Not so long ago Hiccup would have glared at him in disgust but now he ate from theirs hands slowly and always licked their fingers clean, sensually suckling each digit while maintaining eye contact. That was perhaps one of the sexiest things he had learned because both brothers melted at mere sight of that pouty mouth wrapped around one thick finger as he stared up at one of the Grimborns and the gentle suction. It always made Ryker hard. He pulled his finger free and swooped in for a kiss. The boy returned it without hesitation. It lasted only a few moments before Viggo gently took Hiccup's chin and raised it to share in the kiss as well.

"Please…" the youth whispered, one hand sliding up Viggo's chest to caress the scar on the man's neck while the other fondled the bulge in Ryker's trousers. "I want you both in me…now."

"You know what to do," Viggo said breathlessly. Excitement filled him as the boy undid the ties to his trouser with one clever hand but it quickly ended when there was a pounding at the door. With a growl, Viggo pulled away. "What is It?" he demanded, cupping the back of Hiccup's head. He was so hard it hurt.

One of the warriors charged with guarding their homeland stuck his head in. Surprise filled him at the display before him, the naked young man kneeling between his leaders. "Ah…my apologise, sir. May I speak to you in and Lord Ryker in uh…private?"

"Anything you have to say can be said in front of our consort," Viggo growled, annoyed when Hiccup's attention returned to Ryker. What had started as light petting quickly turned into a full blown make out session and Ryker had the gall to smirk at Viggo as he laid the boy out on the floor and began ravishing him. Rolling his eyes, Viggo stood and went out to the hall to talk with the warrior in private. "What is it?"

They both jumped when Hiccup cried out in ecstasy, no doubt being thoroughly fucked by Ryker. Viggo glared at his closed door.

The man looked incredibly nervous. He fidgeted and refused to make eyes contact for a few moments before taking a deep breath and getting on with it. "There was an attack on the homeland."

"What?" Viggo asked in surprise. "Who?" The had been no attacks on their ships or scattered bases in months.

The other man hesitated then glanced at the door. "Stoick the Vast…the boy's father. He and his riders…they attacked the village. He's demanding to speak with you and is holding the island hostage. You have to speak with him. Give him the boy or…or something. The council is demanding it. Our warriors have all been captured. I was sent to retrieve you and Ryker. Stoick believes you murdered the boy. If you don't return immediately he has threaten to murder one son every day until you do."

Viggo stared at him in shock. He had to have heard wrong. He may not have met Stoick the Vast but he had come to know a lot about him through Hiccup and such an attack seemed unlikely, even if the man believed his son was dead. The Hunters and Riders had been at war. People died. Why would Stoick attack them now after so many months? It simply didn't make sense. Had he been searching for the Hunters this long? Oddly enough guilt filled him for a moment. Stoick was led to believe Hiccup was dead. They could have held Hiccup hostage and forced Stoick to give up every single dragon on Berk. But then Hiccup would not have been able service anyone. A lot of things wouldn't have happened had he let Stoick know the boy was alive. Hiccup would have still had hope and they would still be at war. But now he had an enraged father threatening to destroy the entire Hunter tribe.

"Alright, ready my flagship. We set sail within the hour," he announced, unsure what to do with Hiccup. There was no way the boy could go with them. That would cause confusion. Hiccup believed he was Little Dragon. He no longer questioned it. But if he was to see his father or one od the riders or that Nightfury they lose him. Hiccup had to stay behind. But Viggo was no fool. He would leave a contingent of loyal warriors to guard him and protect him from any who might try to take advantage of him. Any clients would have to wait. There wasn't much time and Viggo had no interest in dealing with Stoick any longer than necessary. He would take much of his army as he dared. And he needed Ryker at his side. He was the best man to stand at his side if this led to a battle.

If only he knew the betrayal that lay ahead of him.