(Normal pov— New Berk)

Upon reaching the Great Hall, Heather was told of everything that happened after their victory against Johann, Krogan, and the Dragon Hunters: how Berk flourished in architecture, the creation of Dragon Racing, the wars between Drago Bludvist and Grimmel the Grisly, leaving Old Berk and settling in New Berk, discovering the Hidden World, and having to say a very difficult farewell to the dragons. Each of the victories and sacrifices the Hairy Hooligans had achieved and make came at great cost, Heather could see the pain that was etched in Hiccup's face when Astrid had to speak up and tell of how Toothless was controlled by Drago's alpha to kill him but had killed Stoick instead, his final act in Midgard was ensuring his son stayed alive to lead Berk. Not only did he lose his father, but he had to say farewell to Toothless only a year after the war with Drago.

"Gods, Hiccup, I'm so sorry about your father. Stoick was a strong leader, and I know that you two had your differences, but in the end, he sacrificed himself to save you, his one and only son," reaching across the table to place her hand atop of his, Heather then offered the young chief a smile. "He's earned his place in Valhalla; he's supping and feasting with Odin, Thor, and all the gods, so there's no reason to be sad."

Chuckling lightly, Hiccup looked into Heather's beautiful green eyes while giving a firm nod in thanks. "Thank you, it does bring some comfort that my father drinks and feasts with the Æsir, but his absence has affected many. None more than my mother, Valka—"

"Wait, what?! Your mother is alive?"

"She was never truly dead, turns out she decided to live the life of a... crazy, feral, vigilante dragon lady,"

Chuckling at his apt description of his mother, Astrid then continued. "She had been living in the nest of the King of Dragons, unfortunately, that alpha met its end at the hands of Drago's pet monster," she then turned to Fishlegs. "Go ahead, show her what the Bewilderbeast looks like."

"With pleasure," reaching into his pouch that held his dragon cards, Fishlegs then extended one to Heather. "The Bewilderbeast was by far the biggest dragon we've encountered, of course, the Foreverwing was a close second—"

"Oh! Don't forget the Red Death!"

"Yeah, that thing was pretty big!"

Turning to both Ruffnut and Tuffnut, Fishlegs rolled his eyes at their childish antics. "Yes, thank you both, I was getting to that," he then turned back to Heather with a curious smile. "So, that's the Bewilderbeast, everything we learned about it from the Dragon Eye wasn't exaggerated; it used its mind to control the dragons, at least Drago's Bewilderbeast did."

"Good riddance to that ugly, screaming murderous piece of yak dung!" Snotlout exclaimed. "He got what he deserved, he's the reason Hiccup's father, my uncle is no longer among us. Not only that, but he brutalized Hookfang when we were brought before him."

Returning the Bewilderbeast card to Fishlegs, Heather gave Snotlout a friendly nudge. "The important thing is that Drago is no longer of this world, he'll never brutalize or subjugate man or dragon," she then turned to Hiccup with a warm smile. "And because of striking down Grimmel, Toothless and the Light Fury have a chance of bringing back the Fury species."

"All the dragons are safe, for now anyway," Astrid said. "But we all still miss our bonded dragons, they weren't just a part of our tribe, but a part of us."

Nodding in agreement, Heather sighed. "It was hard on me when I had to say goodbye to Windshear, hopefully, she isn't the only Razorwhip in the Hidden World," she then raised a mug of ale up. "Here's to hoping that one day we'll be reunited with our dragons."

"I'll drink to that," Snotlout said while raising his mug. "Skål."

"Skål."

As they all drank in the hopes of one day seeing their beloved dragons, the doors to the Great Hall opened, revealing several of the villagers approaching the chief. Excusing himself, Hiccup heard what the villagers wanted of them, apparently, there was a dispute that needed to be resolved, and if this dispute was allowed to fester, Hiccup feared that blood might be shed.

"Astrid, why don't you and the rest of the gang give Heather a tour of New Berk," he then gestured to the villagers who were arguing. "I'll join you all later on."

Nodding in understanding, Astrid got up to give Hiccup a farewell kiss, for now, one that he happily returned. Seeing Hiccup and Astrid kiss in such a loving, tender way made Heather ach for that kind of affection, more specifically, she wished she could kiss Hiccup and Astrid both in that manner.

Once Hiccup had taken his leave, Astrid turned to Heather with a smile that caused butterflies to swarm in her belly. "Come with me," she then flashed a playful smirk. "And try to keep up."

Returning Astrid's smirk, Heather soon followed her and the rest of the riders out of the Great Hall so that they could give her a proper tour of New Berk.

(Rome, capital of the Roman Empire)

Honor. Pride. Glory.

Nihilus was no stranger to these three qualities, especially when he had first conscripted into the Roman army as a young man. But even before becoming the Empire's greatest warrior, he had been molded to become the very embodiment of such qualities through combat, strife, and conflict. His father, Marius, had been the Empire's previous general and a close confidant of Emperor Dolphus himself, but he had been killed protecting the Empire by those foolish enough to test the might of Rome by unleashing great hordes of barbarian warriors. Marius had died a warrior's death and he died for the glory of Rome, setting an example to all the soldiers of the Empire that when presented with death, you do not cower, but you stand firm and fall to ensure Rome endures for ten thousand years and for all time.

Applying what his father had driven into him as a boy, Nihilus had soared through the ranks of the legionaries until he had achieved the highest position in the Empire's army in this century— Dominus. He was master of Legio I Invicta: The Sword of Damocles, his father's legion, now his to command. Nihilus' legion was elite and ruthless, and they had never known defeat due to their superior training and highly disciplined soldiers. Of course, the Empire had many capable and well-trained legions who were quite capable in war, but Legio I Invicta was the crown jewel of the Roman army, none could overcome them, not while Nihilus was in command of them. However, even though his legion was unbeatable, he had heard many stories of Viking warriors, how some are as strong as ten men, and that even though they're nothing more than inferior beasts, Nihilus knew it would be foolish to underestimate the foe he and his legion would soon face, especially when their way of life and their dragons were in peril.

Despite the challenge the Vikings would bring to bear, Nihilus had orders from his emperor and the Senate, and he would see his fulfill his duty to the letter.

Upon returning to his villa, he found his slaves attending to their duties while the overseers kept a sharp eye on them. Several months ago, a band of slaves had fled from the Empire and hoped to live as free people, however, such foolish beliefs from these slaves would not go unpunished. The emperor had deployed a legion to hunt down these runaway slaves back to Rome and then use them as an example to all enslaved people within the Empire who believed they could flee from their masters without repercussion.

"Dominus," the head overseer of his slaves said in greetings. "How was your visit with the Senate and the emperor?"

"I have my orders to assemble the largest invasion force the Empire has sent. We leave in one week's time from now," Nihilus then gave the head overseer a demanding look. "Where are Proxima and Septimus?"

Chuckling the overseer pointed to one of the villa's chambers they used explicitly for sparring. "Where they usually are, Dominus. They've been sparring for nearly two hours," he then gave a questioning look. "Shall I summon them?"

"No," Nihilus gave his overseer a dismissive wave. "Attend to the slaves, I will have words with my children." Making his way to the villa's sparring chamber, Nihilus soon laid eyes on both his son and daughter with swords in hand, groans, and grunts of effort filling his ears, and stern looks of concentration were etched upon Proxima and Septimus' faces. Eventually, the two siblings entered a fierce blade lock, glaring at each other, oblivious that their father was watching them.

Proxima, then smirked at her brother as his ground was being shaken. "What's the matter, brother? Am I too much for you to handle?"

"Hardly," Septimus growled out. He broke their blade lock and landed a heavy kick to his sister's bare belly, sending her crashing down on the sand beneath them with a groan. Looming over his sister, Septimus then quickly kicked Proxima's blade away and then pressed his own against her neck. "You are beaten, dear sister," he then chuckled tiredly. Leaning closer to his sister's face, he then murmured. "Do you plead for mercy?"

Proxima had always been stubborn, a quality she had her mother to thank for when it came to proving to the Empire that as a woman, she's not a frail flower like most men believe her to be. Just because she's a woman, doesn't mean she's to be underestimated.

A lesson her brother was in need of remembering.

With a growl, Proxima drove her knee into her brother's groin, causing him to cry out in both surprise and pain. Pressing her advantage, Proxima then kicked her brother off of her and then reached for his dropped sword before she loomed over him with his blade pressed against his neck.

Grinning in triumph, Proxima exhaled. "Your head is mine," she then inquired sweetly. "How shall I mount it? On a pike or against the wall?"

Before Septimus could even reply, Nihilus applauded at the display he had witnessed, both Proxima and Septimus quickly stood at attention and bowed their heads in greetings. Approaching his children, Nihilus smiled. "I see you're both keeping your skills sharp, that's good. Because the emperor and the Senate have ordered us to lead our family's legion to go on a campaigning voyage to the barbaric lands of Scandinavia or in this case, the Barbaric Archipelago," as Nihilus walked out of the sparring chambers, both Proxima and Septimus were quick on their father's heels, walking by his sides. "We're sending the largest invasion force the Empire has deployed in its history: eleven hundred ships and one hundred thousand men. Our task is to not only see whether or not the Barbaric Archipelago can provide the Empire with resources, but we are to find and take the dragons the Vikings have fought and even bonded with and add them to the Empire's war machine, allowing us to conquer our enemies from the sky."

"A noble task, indeed," Septimus hummed while wiping sweat off his brow. "When are we to depart from Rome?"

"In one week's time from now," Nihilus then continued. "I'll see to it that our legions are fully armed and ready for the campaign, as well as purchasing whatever we need for the voyage. The North Sea is rumored to be quite unforgiving, and we must proceed with caution. Thankfully our warships are durable enough to transport our troops, food stores, supplies, and war machines. With the proper sacrifices to the gods, let us pray that they show us mercy and allow our voyage at sea to be calm and without great loss."

Proxima then stepped in front of her father to question him. "And you're certain that the emperor and the Senate aren't just sending us away to conspire together? We are the most influential and powerful family in the Empire, second only to the imperial line, and Rome does fear those in a position of strength—"

"The possibilities may be true, but the emperor and those who make up the Senate would be fools to make enemies of us. I not only command the most powerful legion in Rome, but the rest of the legions that make up our army respect me a great deal. I even have trusted men embedded within each of the legions to report any conspiracy against me," Nihilus then reached out to caress his daughter's face. "Worry not, my dear child. Should those we have served betray us because of paranoia and fear, I have contingencies planned to ensure our position in the Empire. And if the emperor were to fall, naturally, I would be next in line to succeed him."

"Assuming none of his witless sons takes the throne first,"

Septimus scoffed at the very notion of the emperor's sons: Janus and Flavius, both of them were not soldiers and so they weren't physically appealing, they were weak in the eyes of many, and they favored time indulging in wagering coin against their competitors in the Coliseum as well as Cirus Maximus. Not only were they gambling fools, but they also abused their standing as princes of Rome to waste time attending erotic masquerade parties which typically led to sexual intercourses or orgies. Needless to say, the emperor's sons were nothing more than invisible rot that was already slowly but surely eating away at the Empire, and should they ascend to become Rome's next rulers, then the Empire would surely plunge into chaos.

"Those two arrogant, witless boy lovers would see our great civilization be driven into the sand," growling like a predator that was deprived of its meal, Septimus continued. "Should those two take power and begin destabilization, I will kill them both myself."

Nihilus snorted in amusement, but then turned to his son. "Hopefully that day needn't come, my son," he then sighed. "The future of the Empire rests on our shoulders, on our campaign. When we set out to Scandinavia, we are exiled from our home, and we cannot return home without victory."

That painful reminder caused both Proxima and Septimus to inhale sharply, the Roman legions over the centuries have found it necessary to complete their respective campaigns to the letter, because they would rather return home knowing their victory has secured the Empire's prosperity instead of returning in failure, living with the weight of shame and humiliation. Such a fate had befallen many of the previous Roman legions which led to where they are today, and their failures were too much to bear that they took their own lives rather than return to the emperor and Senate.

"I pray that is a fate that does not befall on us, father," Proxima said firmly. "Even though our legions stand as the undefeated champions of the Empire, there is always a far more deadlier and formidable opponent out in the world."

"Indeed," Nihilus and his children soon reached the lush gardens of the villa, which was being tended by more slaves. "The Empire has faced many great challengers throughout the centuries: Hannibal, Spartacus, Arminius, and countless others have challenged our Empire, and even though they all fell, those that came after them truly began to exploit our weaknesses and nearly struck us down. When we set off on our campaign, we must not allow ourselves to underestimate our enemies. Especially the Viking known as the... Dragon Master."

Proxima, harboring a secret fascination with the Dragon Master had inquired many of the foreign traders and merchants what form of man this famous Viking stood as. However, most of those she conversed with sadly had never been to Scandinavia and had never had social interactions with the Dragon Master.

"Are you certain that the information you've been told by our latest... pet is trustworthy?" Septimus challenged. "Though she claims to know the Dragon Master, that savage will tell us anything to preserve her life."

Humming in agreement, Nihilus turned to his son. "Despite the toil and labor we've put her through, she has not broken. A testament to a Viking woman's strength and a reminder that it would a fatal error for us to underestimate the Viking people," he then turned to his children. "Come, let us have words with our Viking guest."

As the three of them left the gardens, they made their way out to the fields where their crops had sprouted and were now being collected. Overseers kept a sharp eye on the slaves as they collected the various vegetables that had been grown, the slaves had baskets in had so that they could collect as many as they could. However, one of the overseers exclaimed anger when one of the slaves had thrown one of the vegetables at his face, that overseer was then dropped to his back when the slave proceeded to land a ferocious blow to their face. Now looming over the overseer, the slave kept beating the overseer until two large overseers had to rip the slave off their companion. Getting up from the ground, the beaten overseer spat out a mouthful of blood and snarled as he was about to bring his whip down on the slave's face.

"Hold!"

Looking up at Nihilus and his heirs, the overseer stayed his hand. He bowed his head and backed away as the masters of the villa approached the appended slave. "Impressive, you managed to bring down a man twice your size with nothing but a tomato plant and your fists," he then cocked his head curiously. "Are all Viking women so... fierce?"

Looking up at her captor, the Viking woman's response was spitting at his feet. Septimus was about to backhand their rebellious slave for her insolence, but Nihilus grabbed his son's wrist and pushed him back gently. Crouching down to look his slave in the eyes, Nihilus then sighed. "Camicazi, surely all this rebellion is exhausting, seeing as though it has led to nothing but pain and misery for you. You don't need to toil here in fields, I can offer you a better path, one that's better suited for a slave of your caliber," Nihilus then inquired. "Does that interest you, Viking?"

For Camicazi, she had been a slave to the resurrected Roman Empire for a year, she had been traveling with a group of her fellow Bog Burglars, many of whom were her closest friends. They had sailed to the Mediterranean Sea only to come under attack by a Roman warship that was patroling a grain storehouse on one of the islands nearby. Despite being outnumbered by the Roman soldiers, Camicazi and her Bog Burglars killed many of those trying to overcome them, but ultimately, they were defeated, and Camicazi had to watch in horror as her friends were brought to their knees and they all received Roman swords in their backs. She was then transported to Rome itself to be sold as a slave, she was purchased by Nihilus for three thousand pieces of gold, not only for amusement but also to learn more about the Viking people.

"I'm a fighting man by profession, and in my leisure moments, I train fighting men. Thank being said, I own some of the Empire's finest gladiators and charioteers. In the past, only men could compete in such deadly events, but we have allowed women to engage in fighting as well as racing for wealth, fame, and glory. Does this sound appealing to you?"

Camicazi knew that if her prowess as a warrior was to remain keen, she needed to accept the offer that Nihilus was presenting her. Looking into the eyes of her master, the heir to the Bog Burglar throne replied. "From the moment I can stand I was trained to fight, and I wish to continue to fight as a gladiator," she then inquired. "When do I begin?"

"Dawn. Tomorrow morning," he then dismissed the overseers holding her. Now alone with her masters, Camicazi watched as Nihilus then stood back up before smirking at his children. "If there's one thing I've learned about the Viking people is that they must fight and they must die in battle, lest they forfeit their position in... Valhalla or wherever it is they believe they'll go when they meet their end. I presented her with an offer she possibly couldn't refuse."

Snorting, Camicazi spoke up. "I may have chosen what any Viking would, but do not believe me weak, Roman," she spat out. "You will see for yourself what my people are truly made of when you observe my training."

"Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury of wasting my precious time with a Viking whore like you," Nihilus smirked. "I am to raise my army of elite soldiers and invade the lands from which you hail."

Her eyes widened in horror at this news, causing Nihilus to snicker. "Your people will either submit to the Roman Empire or they will be brought to heel, either way, I will return from the swamp of piss and waste that your people call 'home' with all the dragons your people had lived alongside. Once the dragons are under the subjugation of the Roman Empire, we will finish what our ancestors started and the whole world will submit to the eagle of Rome," he then loomed over the shocked Camicazi. "Dwell on that, while you prepare to face a glorious death in the arena." Nihilus then took his leave with Proxima and Septimus by his side, leaving Camicazi in the care of the overseers once more.

As Camicazi was dragged back to the slave quarters, she had one thought that had entered her mind— escape and warn her people of the invasion the Romans were planning. Of course, escape would not be easy, the overseers and their hounds roamed the villa grounds at night, ensuring that all the slaves here were kept under lock and key. Luckily, Camicazi was a master escape artist, she has been able to escape from almost every trap and prison that she has ended up in by rival Viking tribes who wished to use her as leverage as a means of intimidating or threatening her mother, Big Boobied Bertha. Ever since her arrival in this villa to serve as the master's latest slave, Camicazi had concocted a plan of escape. Before making her move, however, she would need to steal several of the overseer's keys that held the locks to their quarters and collars, which was no problem for her. Even among the Bog Burglars, Camicazi's skills at pick-pocketing are almost unrivaled, except perhaps by her mother, regardless, she had the skills she needed to free herself and all the slaves within this villa. Failure wasn't an option, Camicazi had seen what punishment befalls an escaped slave or criminal of the Roman Empire— crucifixion. A form of execution of a person by nailing or binding them to a cross.

Being nailed to a cross was something Camicazi did not wish to suffer, and so her plan of escape needed to be perfect, there was no room for error.

She wouldn't fail.

Once she and the other slaves made their escape, Camicazi knew that she needed to stay out of trouble and find a way back to the Barbaric Archipelago and warn her people of the imminent threat they would all face. Aside from her mother and her people, Camicazi knew that her old and dear friend, Hiccup Haddock would want to hear of this. She had been forced to tell Nihilus and the leaders of his legions about the Dragon Master, and so she told them nothing half-truths mixed with lies, and although the Romans were skeptical, they took her words as fact, which was good, because they would expect Hiccup to act like a Berserker which would be to attack first and ask questions later. But she knew her old friend better than that, even as a boy, Hiccup's intellect was something that was not to be trifled with, and that was something the Romans would soon learn.

Chuckling to herself, Camicazi knew that these Romans were about to pick a fight with the wrong Viking and that all hell was going to break loose when they provoked Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III.

A/N: Yeah, Camicazi is a slave for the time being, but don't worry, she'll make it back to the Barbaric Archipelago and tell Hiccup everything he needs to know about Nihilus and his heirs. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and I'll see you in the next one! Also, Iʼm updating this story on Wattpad, if you guys want to support me there, Iʼd appreciate it!