A/N: Alright, this chapter is gonna be the Vikings meeting for the Thing, and for those who don't know, Things took place at regular intervals, usually at prominent places that were accessible by travel. They provided legislative functions, as well as social events and opportunities for trade. In modern usage, the meaning of this word in English and other languages has shifted to mean not just an assemblage of some sort but simply an object of any sort. Anyway, this Thing will be a way for all of Scandinavia's Vikings to come together and formulate a plan of retaliation against Nihilus and his legion, as well as Rome in general. Anyway, let's get into the chapter.

(Normal pov— Isle of Hvile)

"Demetrius!"

The Corinthian gladiator was roused from slumber by a fellow gladiator, one of the best, second only to Demetrius himself, a Numidian named Dejerius, his black skin was littered with scars, proof that he was a fighting man. Like most of the gladiators among them, Dejerius was in peak physical shape, thanks to his many years of training and eating right at the Ludus Magnus in Rome. He had short, ebony hair and a light beard on his chiseled face.

Rising from the bedroll he was sleeping in, the Corinthian gladiator yawned into a closed fist and approached the mouth of the cave, where Dejerius waited for him. "What is it, my friend?" Demetrius groaned while stretching his stiff muscles.

Giving the Corinth a gesture to follow him outside the cave, Dejerius then pointed to thick clouds of black smoke not far from their location. "Some of the men that were hunting for rabbit or elk saw the smoke and came back to me so that I could tell you," Dejerius could see his leader's face twisting in concern. How could it not be in a situation like this?

"Is it a forest fire?"

"No, there's no fire spreading throughout the forest," the Numidian reassured. "But something clearly was on fire, and it was recent too."

Humming in agreement, Demetrius then summoned Lydia to his side. Soon enough, his fellow Corinth was by his side. "You will lead in my absence, for the time being. Dejerius and I will take two more of our fighting men and investigate what caused that," pointing to the thick clouds of smoke, Demetrius then placed a hand on Lydia's shoulder. "We'll be back soon, I promise."

"Very well," Lydia placed her hand on top of the hand Demetrius had on her shoulder. "Be safe, and may the gods protect you."

"And to you,"

Demetrius then turned to Dejerius and nodded at him, the two alpha gladiators took two men that were hunting along with them before sprinting into the forest. The running and the crisp, cold air he was inhaling helped rid drowsiness from Demetrius, he had never known cold like this in his life, but he knew that he and his followers would have to overcome that challenge if they were going to survive here in these lands as free people. It was dawn when Demetrius was roused from sleep, but by the time the morning sun hung high in the sky, the gladiators had arrived at their destination.

"What happened here?"

Structures and buildings were smoldering and now crumbled pieces of wood and stone, there were corpses sprawled out and ravens were everywhere, either perched on buildings that were no longer smoldering or they were feasting on the dead shamelessly.

"It appears this was a village of some kind, considering there are women and children here." One of the gladiators said.

Demetrius grunted in agreement before seeing horse tracks on the dirt, not just one pair of tracks, but a multitude of them. Crouching down to get a closer look, the Corinthian gladiator looked over his shoulder. "Whatever happened here, it was no accident. This place was attacked,"

"Question is, who attacked these people and burned their homes to the ground?" Another one of the gladiators said.

While pressing further into the settlement, the gladiators stumbled upon more carnage, they had their weapons at the ready in case there was anyone still there that was intent on inflicting harm. The ravens cawed in outrage and retreated as the gladiators interrupted their feasting, Demetrius, however, cared not for the ravenous birds feasting on the flesh of these dead people, he was more interested in who was capable of doing this. His suspicions were confirmed when he laid eyes on a dead Roman soldier.

"Jupiter's cock!" Dejerius growled. "It seems we now know who's responsible for the attack on this place."

One of the gladiators stepped forward and inquired. "What legion are they from?"

Crouching down to the dead Roman soldier, Demetrius examined the soldier's armor and noted the haunting image of Erebus below the sternum. "They bear the mark of Legion X: Erebus' Shadow. It's one of Vesuvius' men, they're here on this island. So, it would seem that the man sent to hunt us is here on this island with us, however, he doesn't yet know that we're here," Demetrius then got to work on stripping the soldier of its armor while turning back to the two gladiators who accompanied him and Dejerius. "You two, return to Lydia and the others, tell them what we discovered here," the two gladiators nodded and ran back to their hiding place. Dejerius loomed over Demetrius as he stripped every piece of armor off of the dead soldier. "We may need to spy on Vesuvius and his legion by walking among them. This armor will allow us to do so."

"Vesuvius and his men outnumber us, my friend. Compared to their numbers, we're nothing but a fly circling over a corpse," Dejerius sighed heavily. "If we are to live our lives as free people, we must find allies to aid us. The people who live in these lands could help us."

Looking over his shoulder, Demetrius then shrugged as he collected the Roman armor in his arms. "That's if the people of these lands will help us," he then continued. "I'm not sure they will even understand the languages we speak." Rising, the Corinth shook his head. "I don't disagree with you, my friend. However, we know nothing of these lands or the people who live here, we may need to prepare ourselves in case the people of these lands are just as dangerous as the Romans."

"It was merely a suggestion, my friend," Dejerius said. "Just... consider our options, we would have a far easier time enduring in this foreign land if we were allied with the people who lived here; if they can be reasoned with, we can provide them with our knowledge of the Romans in exchange for shelter and provisions."

Pursing his lips, Demetrius found that it was hard to disagree with Dejerius, the Corinth merely nodded and voiced his thoughts. "Let us return to the others and see if they agree with your suggestion," nodding in agreement, Dejerius followed his fellow gladiator and leader as they left the smoldering waystation.

Demetrius may lead this band of slaves, but he refused to abuse the power bestowed upon him, he wanted to make sure all his people had a say in the suggestion Dejerius had given him. And that's what they would do, to return to their companions and voice their opinions on this subject freely.

(Denmark)

"Mistress Stormheart, there's land up ahead!"

Looking out to the horizon with a telescope in hand, Nikora Stormheart could see land ahead and a sizeable fleet of Viking warships was approaching them, the sails of these warships were black and they bore the emblem of an amber eye in the center. The last thing that the captain of The Tempest wanted was to fight Vikings, that's not what they were in Scandinavia for, they were to deliver their precious passenger to safety and then move on. But if there's one thing that Nikora has learned over the years as both a warrior and a freebooter, it's that nothing goes according to plan.

Lowering her telescope, Nikora turned to two men and gave them firm look. "Bring Harald and our Camicazi up here, I need to know who's coming out to greet us," the men nodded and went to fetch the two Scandinavians onboard. Once they were on deck, Nikora turned to the Bog Burglar heir and pointed to the horizon and the Viking warships approaching them. "Tell me, where in Scandinavia are we, and who comes to greet us?"

Taking the telescope Nikora had offered her, Camicazi looked out and hummed to herself. "We've arrived in Denmark, and those warships belong to King Torsten, the Troll, King of Denmark," handing the telescope back to Nikora, the Bog Burglar continued. "Torsten is a great warrior, he rules over all of Denmark, and the Vikings who live in these lands answer to him."

Wrapping the gorilla fur cloak around herself to keep the Scandinavian cold from creeping into her bones, Nikora exhaled before inquiring further. "Is this Torsten the type of Viking to kill first and ask questions never?"

"On the contrary, he may be a mighty warrior, but he's also an advocate of peace. Since you and your people stand as foreigners with a sizeable fleet, naturally, Torsten's men will be cautious, and they will undoubtedly take us to Torsten himself so that we can explain who we are and why we're here. If that's the case, then I will speak, you will speak only if he asks you to."

Harald looked to his mistress, Nikora's face scrunched with thought as she took in Camicazi's words. "I'm with Camicazi in this, Mistress Stormheart," turning to her man, Nikora listened as Harald continued. "Though I don't know Torsten personally, I know of his reputation, and he's not trusting of outsiders, not unless they've proven themselves to him. But when it comes to the word of a Viking, he'll hear them out while speaking with his court and seer."

"Not only that but it's around that time of year when all Vikings in Scandinavia meet for the Thing-- an assembly, where political decisions are made, laws upheld and disputes settled. The gods have blessed us, we arrived at the perfect time when all Viking people are in one place," Camicazi shook her head. "The information I have can't just be for my people, the Bog Burglars, but for all people of Scandinavia. Rome and its deadliest legion are coming here. We need to have words with Torsten, but first, we need to seek safe passage—"

Horns sounded from the approaching warships, interrupting Camicazi, she then turned to Nikora, seeing what she would do. After a long moment of silence, the captain of The Tempest gave orders to drop anchor and signal the rest of her fleet to do the same. As her fleet settled in the middle of the sea, Nikora knew that the best chance she and her crew had of living another day was to cooperate with the Vikings under Torsten's command, she may be a warrior of the highest caliber as were the majority of the men and women under her command, but a wise warrior doesn't start a fight with a superior opponent, and at the moment, Torsten's Vikings outnumbered them.

"You've arrived in the kingdom of King Torsten, the Troll! State your business here or else we will set fire to your ships and take you all as slaves."

Knowing that a Viking would be better suited to speak with other Vikings, Nikora turned to Camicazi and gave her a firm nod, giving her permission to speak on her behalf. Approaching the edge of The Tempest, the Bog Burglar heir looked to the lead Viking warship and barked out. "I'm Camicazi, daughter of Big-Boobied Bertha, heir to the Bog Burglar Tribe! These foreigners are within your king's territory because I paid them to get me back to Scandinavia so that I can warn all Viking people of the imminent doom that's upon us!"

One Viking onboard the lead warship stepped forward, presenting himself. This Viking had blond hair, pulled back into a braided ponytail and he had a braided beard that was well-kept. His

He wore black leather armor, an amber tunic underneath his armor, he also wore black leather pants as well as ebony fur laced boots. A sword was strapped at his hip and a shield was strapped over his torso bearing the emblem of King Torsten, an eye, signifying the Danish king's eyes set towards the future. "My name is Kalf Sævilsson, son of King Torsten," crossing his arms across his chest, he then raised a questioning eyebrow. "The doom that you speak of, it wouldn't happen to be warriors that wear gleaming armor and crimson, would it?"

"Yes. How did you come by this?"

"The waystation of Hvile fell to slaughter by these strangers, there was only one who survive this slaughter, and my father will have this survivor give an account of what transpired at Hvile at the Thing. Many of Scandinavia's Viking tribes, clans, and kingdoms are already gathered, the Bog Burglars are among them," Kalf then smiled. "Come, you and your foreigner friends have safe passage to dock at our harbor. However, the foreigners must remain on their ships, Camicazi, you will be the only one allowed the disembark and join us Vikings at the Thing." Turning the men on his ship, Kalf barked out. "Back to the harbor!" Relaying that order to the ships under his command, the Viking warships began sailing back to the harbor.

Camicazi turned to Nikora and gave her a nod. "Under the present circumstances, you and Harald might want to join me as I tell them more about the Romans. Nothing can be withheld when all of Scandinavia's people are gathered here for the Thing," looking at the retreating Viking warships, Camicazi added. "Besides, knowledge is power, and the more knowledge my people are armed with will give us a better chance at defeating Nihilus and those who follow him."

"She has a point, Mistress," Harald then shrugged. "Besides, perhaps associating with the Viking people can be... profitable."

Pursing her lips, Nikora took Harald's words into consideration, he spoke the truth, the Vikings could pay them for the information they had on the Romans, but of course, the Vikings could also kill them without pity or mercy.

This was a great risk, but if her years of freebooting had taught her anything, without risk, there's no reward.

"Very well, we will have words with King Torsten and all of Scandinavia's Viking rulers. If they wish for our services, it's a service that they'll have to pay for... handsomely," Nikora then gave orders to her shipmaster. "Raise the anchor, and take us into the harbor. Signal the fleet to do the same." The Tempest's shipmaster obeyed and gave orders to the men and women onboard to raise the anchors and signal the rest of their ships to follow them.

Although Roman's imminent arrival in their lands would be of great concern for the Viking people, Camicazi knew she needed to speak with her old friend, Hiccup Haddock, Nihilus and his heirs were infatuated by him and his ability to "conquer" dragons, they would undoubtedly seek him out by force and help them how to bond with dragons.

Camicazi knew it would be great to see Hiccup again after so many years, however, she wished that their reunion would be under different circumstances.

"So, what is it that we'll be meeting about during this year's Thing?"

Looking over his shoulder, Hiccup gave his cousin a reply. "Every year is different, I honestly couldn't tell you," looking back out to sea, Hiccup sighed at the sight of many thousands of Viking ships from all parts of Scandinavia that were gathering at King Torsten's kingdom for the annual Thing.

"I had forgotten just how many Vikings are in Scandinavia," Valka laughed lightly as she stood beside her son. Smiling at his mother, Hiccup watched as she pointed to various ships sailing beside them. "There are Vikings here from Sweden, they fly the colors of Queen Thorballa Oddleifdottir. I've been scouring the wilderness of her kingdom on occasion to make sure various dragon nests were undiscovered by various Dragon Hunter and Trapper regimes." Hiccup had always been fascinated by his mother's life as a "crazy, feral, vigilante, dragon lady," and over the years she had disclosed many tales of her adventures during the twenty years she was absent from his life.

Hiccup smiled lightly before taking his eyes away from the Swedish Viking ships and looking back at his mother. "I've never been to Sweden before, or anywhere outside the Barbaric Archipelago," he then murmured in a low tone. "I envy you and all the adventures you've been on. Sure, the gang and I have had our fair share of exploration and thrills, but you... you've eclipsed our exploits by far."

Chuckling, Valka wrapped an arm around Hiccup and rested her head against his. "There's no need to be envious, my dear, we are where we need to be," she then pressed a kiss against his hair and added. "There's no place in Midgard I'd rather be, than being by my son's side." Hiccup smiled and savored his mother's affection, it had been something he had missed throughout his childhood, now as a grown man, Valka's words of encouragement and affection made him feel complete.

"I'm really glad you're here, Mom."

Smiling, Valka nodded. "And here I'll stay, my dear," holding him tighter against her, Valka repeated herself. "Here I'll stay."

Eventually, the ship holding the Hairy Hooligans docked at the harbor, they then disembarked and quickly stretched out their stiff muscles. Once making sure their ship was secured, Hiccup and his people made their way to King Torsten's grand kingdom. Hiccup had never been to Denmark before, his responsibilities, adventures, and losses over the years prevented him from visiting the Viking capital.

"Ugh! All that sailing was torturous!" Ruffnut groaned. "I miss our dragons."

"I hear you sister, though sailing helps us Vikings stay... fit, it leaves the arse sore and your hands feel like they're bleeding," running a hand through his dreads, Tuffnut used a hair tie to get his hair in a ponytail. "Does anybody else miss their dragons?"

"Yes, Tuffnut, we all do," Heather said before adding softly. "More than you know."

Hiccup missed Toothless greatly, he knew all his people missed their dragons, but for the sake of the dragons' continued existence, they needed to remain in the Hidden World and kept far from the grasp of humans that would kill them to the brink of extinction or use them as nothing more as beasts of war or a means of gaining power.

Though it was a necessary parting, Hiccup above all others hated to be separated from the dragons. It was as if a piece of his soul were missing.

"So many Vikings all in one place, and I thought Old Berk was overcrowded," Snotlout snorted.

Eret, Son of Eret nudged the stocky Jorgenson in the side. "Well, all of Scandinavia's Viking leaders are all gathered here for the Thing. Why else would this place be so crowded?" Snotlout merely scowled at the former Dragon Trapper, causing Eret to smirk. He then looked spoke up over the thousands of people around them. "Hiccup, where exactly are we headed?"

"To the Great Hall, there!" Hiccup pointed to a massive structure that dwarfed many of the surrounding structures and buildings. "Torsten's Great Hall is large enough to hold all of Scandinavia's Viking rulers, my father told me this the last time he came here several years ago." Hiccup then began looking among the crowds of people, as if he was looking for someone, causing the group of Hairy Hooligans to look amongst themselves, confused as to who their chief was supposedly looking for.

Gobber caught up to Hiccup and nudged him. "Expecting to see someone here, lad?"

"Hiccup!"

Before the Hooligan chieftain could react or even answer Gobber, a blur of wavy blond hair crashed into his chest and strong arms wrapped around his body threatened to suffocate him. "C-Cami! C-Can't breathe!"

"Oh, sorry!"

Releasing her old friend, Camicazi laughed boisterously as Hiccup desperately sought to regain his breath while also giving her a mock glare. Both friends soon burst into laughter and embraced each other properly. "Long time no see, Cami," Hiccup broke their embrace and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I see you've grown into a woman in the time we haven't seen each other."

"And you've grown into a man," eyeing her old friend from head to toe, Camicazi playfully punched his chest and followed up with a teasing jab of words. "When are you going to start building muscle instead of inches?"

"Hahaha, very funny," rolling his eyes at the now snickering Camicazi, the Hooligan chieftain then smirked. "My two wives have no problem when it comes to my... inches." It was Hiccup's turn to snicker when Camicazi gave him a look of shock at his bold words. Ruffnut and Tuffnut slapped a hand over their mouths to cover their laughter, Fishlegs blushed furiously, Snotlout's eyes widened before he shook his while smiling, Eret chuckled, Gobber and Valka shared a knowing look while chuckling as well. Astrid and Heather merely smirked at Hiccup's words, shameless and knowing that he spoke the truth.

Turning around to see his family approaching, Hiccup extended a hand out to them. "Cami, I'd like you to meet my family. This is Valka, my mother," before the Bog heir could voice her shock that Valka was back from the dead, Hiccup spoke up. "Valka never was killed by dragons, she was taken to a nest and lived among the dragons for twenty years. During that absence, she was the first Viking to ride a dragon and she's helped dragons throughout Scandinavia from Dragon Hunters and Trappers."

As Camicazi and Valka shook hands, the Bog heir eyed the woman before looking back to her friend. "I can see where you get your height from," chuckling at her words, Hiccup turned to Astrid, Heather, and Zephyr. "I take it these two are your wives?"

Giving a nod of confirmation, Hiccup introduced them. "This is Astrid, daughter of Egil and Ingrid Hofferson. This is Heather the Unhinged, daughter of Oswald the Agreeable, and sister to Dagur the Deranged," smiling at his daughter who was in Astrid's arms, Hiccup gently caressed her auburn hair. "And this is my daughter, Zephyr Haddock."

Approaching the daughter of her best friend, Camicazi extended a hand out to Zephyr. "My name is Camicazi, I'm heir to the Bog Burglar Tribe. Do you know who the Bog Vikings are?"

"Yes. The Bog Vikings are women, who live on an island someway to the West of Old Berk," Zephyr said before continuing. "The Hairy Hooligans had a long-running feud with the Bog Vikings which had started many years ago, when your people stole the shield of my father's great-great-grandfather, Grimbeard the Ghastly."

Impressed with Zephyr's accurate answer, Camicazi looked to Hiccup and shrugged. "You taught her well," she then looked Astrid in the eyes and let out an exhale. "If she grows into a fierce warrior and possesses the keen mind Hiccup has, then those who press her will regret it."

"Of that, I have no doubt," Astrid smirked. Berk's chieftess then gave Camicazi a curious look. "Why are you here, Cami? Weren't you out traveling for the past five years?"

Sighing, Camicazi looked to Hiccup and gestured to King Torsten's Great Hall, where all the Viking leaders of Scandinavia were gathering for the Thing. "I'll explain everything once we're all gathered," she then urged them to follow her. "Come." Nodding, Hiccup turned to his family and friends, urging them to follow him as they approached the steps leading to the Great Hall of Denmark's king. As the Vikings all assembled, they had all disarmed and either drove their swords, axes, and tomahawks, into the center of a massive tree stump kept in the Hall for this very purpose. Those who carried spears, war hammers, or otherwise merely placed their weapons on the side of the stump. With everyone relieved of their weapons, each Viking leader seated themselves on a throne while their in-crowd stood by their side.

"Camicazi!"

The Bog heir turned and gasped at the sight of her mother approaching her, she soon found herself wrapped in the muscular arms of Bertha. Returning her mother's embrace, Camicazi had often wondered whether or not she would ever see her mother again while she was a slave under Nihilus, but she now thanked the gods that she was alive to see her mother, who too was alive and well. "Welcome home, my daughter," Bertha murmured against Camicazi's hair. When mother and daughter broke their embrace, the Bogs leader gently pinched her daughter's pinch and shook her head. "I had feared you were dead. What happened to you?"

"I'll explain everything, mother, I promise," Camicazi gestured to one of the thrones that bore the Bog Burglar emblem. "Go on, take a seat. The Thing is about to start." Bertha wanted to object and have further words with her daughter but now wasn't the time or place. Instead, she nodded and turned to her personal guards, and gestured for them to follow her as she made her way to one of the thrones.

Eventually, when all the Viking leaders has settled, Denmark's king presented himself, causing everyone to rise and bow their heads. "Friends, guests, and children of Scandinavia, welcome!" King Torsten said with extended arms. "I see strong, capable Viking leaders gathered here, that's good, in the very near future, those leaders will need to step up and shine so that the Scandinavian people could rally behind them. Especially with what's coming our way." Many of the Viking leaders murmured amongst themselves of their trusted companions, curious as to what the King of Denmark meant. As Torsten seated himself, he looked to Camicazi. "Before we begin this year's Thing, let us welcome Camicazi, daughter of Big Boobied Bertha, back to Scandinavia after she has been out in Midgard traveling and living life to its fullest for five winters!" The Vikings grunted and acknowledged Camicazi before Torsten spoke once more. "Though her safe return back to Scandinavia demands celebration, my son, Kalf, and my harbor patrol had found Camicazi among a fleet of foreigners, brigands by the look of them. My son has informed me that Bertha's daughter has news she would like to share with us." Extending both hands out to Camicazi, Torsten gave the Bog heir a firm nod. "You may speak, my girl."

Stepping into the center of the ring of thrones, Camicazi spoke so that all could hear. "The reason I was gone for five years was that I... I was enslaved shortly after the Bogs who wanted to travel with me arrived off the Isle of Sicily, which is in the Mediterranean sea. We were attacked by warriors the likes of which we had never seen or heard of. Though we fought valiantly and bravely, we were overwhelmed, and my sisters faced a warrior's death. I, however, was taken to a city so vast and so advanced that it seemed like a society plucked from stories. This city is called Rome. Once arriving in this foreign land and city, I saw sold into slavery, the man who purchased me stands as Rome's supreme warrior, his name is Nihilus Mallius Augustus, Dominus of Legio I Invicta: The Sword of Damocles, the greatest army Rome has to offer," as the Viking leaders murmured amongst themselves, Camicazi continued. "He... subjected me to torture regarding information and facts on the Dragon Master..." she looked to her old friend and nodded. "...you, Hiccup. Nihilus wanted to know about you."

"Why?"

"Because people know of your reputation and saga, your fame has stretched far and wide. Nihilus wanted to know about you because you could "conquer" dragons,"

Rising from her throne, Bertha bore her teeth. "Did this man rape you, Camicazi? I swear to the Æsir if this man robbed you of your dignity and virginity—"

"He did not, mother," Camicazi quickly reassured her fuming mother. "Nihilus is a warrior, he didn't soil his honor as a warrior to rape a... "filthy barbarian whore," as he kindly put it." Turning back to Torsten, Camicazi gestured outside. "I managed to escape Rome and slavery thanks to a banished Viking named Harald Forkbeard, who is now under the employ of the warrior and pirate, Nikora Stormheart. They could be strong allies when Nihilus and legions come here." Her words caused the Vikings to clamor amongst themselves.

"What do you speak of, lass?"

"These foreigners wish to invade our lands?"

"What is their purpose in coming here?"

Silencing the Vikings speaking all at once, Torsten turned to one of his guards and nodded before looking back to his guests. "Camicazi is not the only one to suffer at the hands of these foreigners. It would seem they are already here, in Scandinavia," suddenly, several of King Toresten's personal guards arrived, two of them held foreign armor and weapons in their arms as well as a standard with a crimson banner and gilded eagle and two others were escorting an old man. "My man Toke and a clutch of my personal guards were sent to the way station of Hvile to procure something for me, but instead they found this way station under attack by foreign warriors. Unfortunately, my guards arrived in the aftermath of the Hvile way station's destruction and the slaughter of its occupants," gesturing to the old man, Torsten continued. "This man, Alf Brusisson, was the only survivor of the slaughter, and he has been brought here to given an account of what he bore witness to." Leaning back on his throne, Torsten gave Alf an encouraging nod. "Go on, you have permission to speak."

Turning to the Vikings gathered, Alf spoke so that all could hear him. "These were strange men with strange voices, wearing gleaming armor and draped in crimson, they rode horses and came upon us like a pack of ravenous wolves, and then..." he released a shaky exhale and shook his head. "...they were gone as soon as they presented themselves to us. Like ghosts."

"I can assure you all, these foreigners are not ghosts," Toke turned to two of his companions and nodded at them. The two guards placed the armor and legionary standard on a table in the center of the Great Hall. "This what we recovered from one of the strangers who killed the people at Hvile way station." Many of the Vikings rose to inspect the Roman armor, weaponry, and legionary standard.

Taking the Roman helmet in his hands, Hiccup examined it and found himself in awe at the craftsmanship, but that respect quickly vanished as he asked the question everyone gathered wanted to know. "Who are these people?" He then looked back at Camicazi." What are they doing here in Scandinavia?"

"They're Romans. Long ago, they once ruled the ancient world and stood as one of the most advanced civilizations the world has ever seen. However, when their grand empire faded, it was believed the Roman people had taken their place in the sands of time, apparently, that wasn't the case. These people pressed on and over the centuries grew stronger and had retaken the capital city of their once mighty empire. Although they may have resurrected their society, they are not as powerful as their ancestors were, however, this doesn't mean they are not to be taken lightly, these people are set on expanding their revived empire, and they've set their eyes on Scandinavia as its first major campaign," Camicazi then shook her head. "Not only do they want the bounty of our lands, but they also seek the dragons that once lived among us and take them as war beasts into the Roman legions, conquering the world from the ground and in the air."

Gripping the helmet in his hands tightly, Hiccup scoffed while murmuring to himself. "Of course," slamming the Roman helmet down on the table that held the remaining pieces of Roman armor, weapons, and the legionary standard and eagle, Hiccup extended his arms out. "Once again, we find ourselves at war because greedy humans seek the power of dragons to further their own ambitions and agendas. As an advocate of peace for both our people and the dragons, I'll see to it personally that these Romans never find the dragons and use them against us and the world."

"Neither will we," Queen Mala spoke firmly. "We have had our fair share of dealing with those who would use dragons as a means of conquering and enslaving, we will not stand idle and allow this to happen again."

Valka stepped forward to voice her agreement. "I lost my husband, Stoick the Vast, because of the madman, Drago Bludvist, he used dragons to murder and conquer throughout Midgard. And not long ago, we saw an end to the Night Fury killer, Grimmel the Grisly, and saw the Northern Alliance defeated entirely. But now this new enemy encroaches on our land with the intent of continuing this cycle of violence and death," she then looked to Hiccup, Astrid, Heather, and Zephyr. "I've already lost my husband and had to part ways with my bonded dragon because of greedy humans, I refuse to lose the rest of my family."

"You won't have to, Lady Valka," Torsten reassured before looking at all the leaders gathered. "None of you will. That, I promise you."

"What does this mean?" One of the Viking queens inquired, changing the subject. "Why would these strangers come and raid here?"

"They were not raiding, they were scouting," Hiccup corrected. "By probing our defenses."

Nodding in agreement, Camicazi spoke up. "They plan to invade our lands, even all of Scandinavia, turning our lands into a province that they could exploit. The Romans have a vast kingdom, they are rich in resources, and they possess huge armies," she then looked to Hiccup with an apologetic look. "By escaping from Rome's clutches, I've brought war to our land—"

"These people would've invaded us regardless of whether you escaped from slavery or not, daughter," Bertha reassured her daughter. She then spoke to everyone gathered. "What can we do to repel such a force?" Everyone soon began talking amongst themselves; which ultimately hit them nowhere. Torsten silenced the Vikings by raising a hand.

"I will tell you what we will do against this force, Bertha. We will show these foreigners that they cannot murder Vikings and expect us not to do anything about it," Torsten boomed out while pounding a fist against his chest. His words caused everyone to roar in agreement. "Our ancestors would not! Ivar the Boneless and Bjorn Ironside would not! I will not! Will you?"

"NO!" The Viking leaders and their in-crowds boomed out.

One of the Viking leaders, Dag Sigvatsson, of the Lava Lout Tribe, Berk's most hated Viking enemies spoke up. "If what Bertha's girl says is true and this enemy has huge armies. What hope do we have?" His words of fear and doubt caused many of the Vikings to sneer at the Lava Louts, cursing the notorious slaver Vikings for their lack of courage. "We cannot possibly hope to resist such a powerful enemy—"

"And yet we must resist!" Hiccup boomed out glaring heatedly at the Lava Lout's leader, silencing the doubt Dag had voiced. "We must prepare for Rome's arrival, all of us must prepare to resist this enemy that threatens us all." Turning to Camicazi, the chief of Berk raised an eyebrow in question. "Do you know when Nihilus and his army will arrive?"

"They're already at sea," Camicazi said. "My guess is that we'll have a few months to prepare before they get here." Shaking her head, Camicazi added. "Nihilus and his legion are the best Rome has to offer, they're all great warriors, and they will not stop until they complete their duty." Stepping into the center of the ring of thrones, Camicazi looked at each Viking leader. "I won't lie to you all, if we fail in defeating the Romans in our lands, they will take our people as slaves, they will bleed our lands dry of all resources, and the future of our people will know only the Roman eagle of tyranny."

"Ragnarök is upon us!"

"We cannot allow this to happen."

"All of us are undone. All of us!"

The Hall burst with chatter as many of the bolder leaders rebuked those who were lacking in courage. Once again, Torsten silenced his guests by speaking firmly. "Find your courage! We cannot afford to succumb to panic and fear, that's what our enemy wants!"

Nodding in agreement, Hiccup spoke up. "We must take advantage of the time we have in order to prepare for the arrival of Nihilus and his legion," turning to Camicazi, Berk's chieftain narrowed his eyes in question. "What do the Romans believe in?"

Shaking her head, Camicazi satisfied Hiccup's curiosity. "They have their own pantheon, they have gods and goddesses that they have worshiped since their ancestors ruled the ancient world," she then continued. "One of their gods is Mars, the Roman god of war. Though this campaign is in service to their leader, Emperor Dolphus, it is Mars that they seek to embody, Nihilus believes he and his legions are blessed by their god of war to spread tyranny and death throughout Midgard."

"Then we're not only fighting for the freedom of all Scandinavian people but to protect the secret of dragons!" Hiccup pounded a fist against his armor-clad chest before continuing. "And with Odin's help, we will succeed." He then looked at the Vikings who lacked faith and courage, giving them all firm glares. "No matter how impossible the task may be."

Rising from his throne, Dagur spoke up. "I agree with Chief Hiccup, the freedom of all Viking people as well as the dragons must be kept," he then bore his teeth. "If the Romans wish to put us to the test, then let them. These are our lands, nobody knows them better than we do. When our enemies come, we'll use every advantage we possess to decimate the Romans." Many of the Viking leaders grunted in agreement with Dagur before they then turned to King Torsten, who had the final word.

As Denmark's king rose, everyone else did as well. Torsten looked to his left and his right before speaking. "If we are to stand a chance against this enemy, we must prepare. None of us can stand idle and simply wait for the Romans to enter our lands and try to strip them from us," he then looked at Hiccup. "Out of all of us here, Hiccup Haddock, you have faced foreign enemies that some would say are unbeatable, Drago Bludvist and his Northern Alliance came to our lands, intent on claiming all of Scandinavia's dragons and using them to force into service to the madman or destroy us. Yet you, your people, and the dragons you had bonded with had defeated these mighty foes." He then narrowed his eyes in question. "Can you defeat this enemy?"

As all eyes turned to Hiccup, Berk's chieftain shrugged. "All things are possible, especially if we stand together as one people," he then continued. "We all stand on the cusp of facing our greatest challenge yet, but as Dagur said, the Romans are coming to us. These lands are ours and we know them, the enemy doesn't. We use the knowledge of the land to our advantage as well as our cooperation." Hiccup then gestured to his wives, mother, and daughter. "For the sake of my family, and for the sake of my tribe, I will fight this enemy with every fiber of my being. The question is, will you?" A chorus of "ayes," and roars of agreement filled the air at Hiccup's words. Looking back at King Torsten, Berk's chieftain gave a firm nod. "If we stand together, we can drive this enemy from our shores."

Nodding, Torsten then looked around and smiled. "Then it is settled. We prepare for Nihilus and his legions to come here, but when they arrive, they will be in for quite a welcome," the Vikings eager to defend their home and people grunted in agreement while everyone else was silent. "As you know, I have the largest army in Scandinavia, one million strong. And as a gesture of good faith, I will have one thousand warriors and shield maidens who are sworn to me reinforce your own warriors and to further secure your lands." As the leaders voiced and expressed their gratitude, Hiccup couldn't believe that this was happening.

Peace was over. War was upon them, once again.

All that mattered to Hiccup was that he ensure the safety of his family, his people, and the dragons of the Hidden World. The days ahead of them were uncertain, but one thing was sure for Hiccup, he intended to heed the wisdom of his father, prior to his death.

"A chief protects his own."

And protect his own he would, Hiccup would not allow this enemy to enslave his people and the dragons. He would do whatever it takes to keep them safe, even if that meant giving his own life to ensure the Hairy Hooligans endure and the secret of the dragons remains out of the clutches of those like the Romans.

A/N: There's gonna be a time jump in the next chapter and that's when Nihilus and his legion along with the Imperial Praetorian arrive. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I'll catch you in the next update!