That night, Hiccup and Astrid told the others of their findings in regards to the leyline. They explained how it had a similar presence to King Elendar's arcane font, and they even theorized how both the font and the leyline's substance could possibly be one in the same. But more importantly, Hiccup shared the discovery that both he and Toothless made, which in the end led to him conjuring up arcane magic.

"Don't get your hopes up," he remembered telling Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the Twins. "Using arcane is harder than it sounds. It's like trying to control your dreams in your sleep."

"More importantly however, don't get your heads wrapped around it," added Astrid. "A clear head means good sleep, and sleep is what we need right now."

And Hiccup could not have agreed more with that statement. As he laid down on his sleeping mat, adjusted his pillow, and pulled in his fur blanket, he allowed his mind to clear and wander outwards, and before he knew, he fell into a deep sleep.

...But what awaited him in his sleep was unexpecting.

Hiccup blinked, and all of a sudden, he found himself surrounded by open plains beneath a starry night sky… and yet there was no moon. The blades of grass around his legs blew peacefully in the wind, like a thousand strands of hair, and the stars above illuminated the meadows, along with the glowing white clouds that hovered over the circling horizon.

Yet for some reason, the setting felt all too familiar to him, as if he had been here before...

After taking the moment to glance back at his surroundings, Hiccup slowly began to put the pieces together, figuring out as to where he was, and before he knew it, the memories began flooding back to him. With these memories came a familiar voice that said;

"I promise you, we will see each other again."

Hiccup's eyes widened, and he tilted his head slightly upwards, as if he were staring off into the blue.

"Dad?" he spoke. "I know you're there. You said we'd meet again, and now here we are. But… where are you?"

There was a brief pause. As Hiccup continued gazing off into the distance, he soon heard the voice of his father speak up, echoing in the wind...

"I'm right in front of you, son," said Stoick.

All of a sudden, a flash of blue light appeared before Hiccup. For a moment, the lad braced his eyes, raising an arm in front of him as he averted his gaze away from the blinding brightness of the light. But as soon as it subsided, he lowered his arm, and found himself looking back at the ghostly figure that now stood before him; the figure of his father, Stoick the Vast.

Although the lad was somewhat at a loss of words, Stoick let out a chuckle as he took a few steps forward, before placing a hand on his son's left shoulder.

"I told you we would meet again," he smirked.

"I remembered," replied Hiccup. "I just didn't know when you would show up again."

Stoick sighed, lowering his hand from the lad's shoulder as he made his way to his side, before he too began staring off into the nightly distance.

"I would've seen you sooner if my focus was not diverted elsewhere," said Stoick. "Valhalla requires my undivided attention. In the mornings and afternoons, I fight and spar with the chieftains of old in the fields outside the halls, honing my skills and rebuilding my strength. In the evenings, I retire to the halls to sit at the table of kings, where hundreds of chieftains and I, like every einherjar, feast on Sæhrímnir, the boar whose meat is endless."

"Hundreds of chieftains, eh?" chuckled Hiccup. "Is it really that big of a table?"

"Aye," Stoick laughed lightly. "It is the largest table in all of Valhalla, and it is at the head of this table where the Allfather himself sits. He watches over us in silence, occasionally sipping from his mug of wine as we feast and cheer, and share sagas about our adventures in life… There is so much I could tell you, but alas, that is a story for the latter. Time is of the essence…"

"...Now, you want to know why I'm here, correct?"

Hiccup gave a nod, and to that, his father let out a sigh. The warm expression on his face faded away like dust in the wind as he placed his arms behind his back, and grasped his hands. For a brief moment he tossed his son a glance, and then, he turned his attention back towards the horizon.

"Your enemy is closer than you think," said Stoick. "Drago and his dark armies have based themselves near Dalgard, and they plan to attack with full force. The Dark Legions seem to show no interest in slowing down, and will thus fight until the bitter end. They will throw themselves at you like a large horde of wolves, and will do whatever it takes to bring you down, even if they must sacrifice their own…"

"...However, that is not the worst of it."

Hiccup felt uneasy from the words that came out of his father's mouth. If that was not the worst of it, he dreaded to know what was.

"Wh- What's the worst part about all of this?" he asked, almost stuttering.

"...It is unknown where exactly they will attack from," said Stoick. "Yesterday, the chieftains and kings and I attempted to use the Well of Visions to peer into Drago's camp. We were eavesdropping on him, just as we had done multiple times before. But in that moment, the well's sight was suddenly clouded by powerful chaos energy. We consulted the Allfather, but he had no answers to give, and his face seemed… grim. By now, the Dark Legions have likely broken camp."

"You've got to be kidding me…" sighed Hiccup, his voice stress-induced. "Dad, how are we supposed to properly prepare for this? You have to realize that if we make just one wrong move, Drago's armies will sweep in and take us all out. For Odin's sake, we're going up against fifty thousand troops! We can't-"

"Do not lose hope, my son," said Stoick, once again placing a hand on his left shoulder. "The enemy may be closing in... but so are your allies."

Hiccup's brows suddenly arched. His face expressed an eye-opening look, as if a light had abruptly litten up in the darkness. At first, he could not form any words, but as he gazed up at his father, the large warrior in turn stared back down at him and nodded. Stoick's eyes showed assurance.

"The Alliance of Midgard," said Hiccup. "It's-?"

"Aye," answered Stoick. "They will soon come, with the Berkian Tribe at its head. But even then, this should not be an excuse for you to let your guard down. If you are to even the odds in this coming battle, you must hold off against Drago's armies. But more importantly, you and the other Wings of Midgard must stay alive. You are the only ones who can defeat Drago and achieve victory…"

"...Whatever you do, however, don't let your dragons get involved when you go to face him. They won't stand a chance against Drago's power."

Hiccup gave his father a nod. But before he could add any further words, the wind suddenly began to pick up. To that, Stoick lifted his attention from Hiccup, and spun his head to once again stare out into the star-lit distance. The large viking gave a deep sigh, and took several steps forward.

"Unfortunately, my time has run out! This is where we must part ways, again," said Stoick as he turned to face Hiccup, speaking over the strong winds. "But don't worry! Like I said before, we'll meet again!"

"W- Wait, dad!" said Hiccup, raising a hand towards him. "I need to know just one thing! It's something I've been yearning to know! ...Who is the seventh Wing of Midgard? When will I meet them?!"

Stoick expressed a smirk, and as the wind blew furiously, he called out with a single reply;

"You'll see him again soon! Now, wake up!"

…

Hiccup's eyes shot open. With a wide gaze, the lad immediately sat up from his mat, breathing intensely as his heart raced faster than a horse galloping across the open plains. He felt as if his heart was on the verge of bursting from his chest.

But after a moment of silence, the lad began to calm himself, and took a moment to glance at his surroundings.

From the top of the nearby ramparts, the morning sun shone right into the enclosed hall, like through an open window. Around him, everyone was asleep. Nearby, his friends slept deeply atop their own separate mats, whilst their dragons laid on the cold stone floor next to them, with their heads resting, and their wings folded.

Shaking his head, Hiccup flipped his furred blanket to the side and quickly got to his feet. Upon standing, his eyes fell onto Astrid, who slept as deeply as the others with only her tunic and leggings on her. To that, he proceeded his way towards her, before kneeling down beside her as he shook her shoulder.

"Astrid," he began. "Wake up."

For a moment, there was no response. She merely continued slumbering, and as such, Hiccup shook her shoulder harder.

"Astrid. Wake up!" he said once more.

"Hmph?"

Astrid quickly turned her head to peer over her shoulder, squinting her eyes through the morning sunlight as her gaze fell upon Hiccup. Her blonde hair was a mess, and light bags laid underneath her eyes.

"Hiccup…?" she yawned. "Why are you awake at this hour? Isn't it a bit too early to be up?"

"On the contrary Astrid, time is of the essence," he said in a hasty manner. "Drago is closing in- we don't have much time. We need to assemble the men and get ready."

"Drago is closing in on us everyday," sighed Astrid, resting her head back into her pillow. "We don't know when-"

"This is different!" he interrupted, speaking with a slightly louder voice. "He's already near Dalgard. My father showed up in my sleep again, and he told me that Drago and his armies are almost upon us. We don't have time!"

"You saw your father? Hmph…" said Astrid, once again letting out a sigh as she sank a little bit into her pillow, to which Hiccup frowned in response...

...But before he could add on, her eyes suddenly bolted open, and she immediately sat up and looked back at the lad with a surprised gaze.

"Wait- your father!?" she questioned.

He gave a nod. "It was just like the last time, back in Votunheim, but it was also different. He told me that Drago and his armies are closing in, and they have no intentions in slowing down. We need to wake up NOW, Astrid. The Dark Legions are coming!"

With that, Astrid threw her blanket to the side and immediately stood up. She briefly rubbed her eyes, before reaching down for her equipment, laying beside her mat. "What about Beldrak?"

"Beldrak must be warned," answered Hiccup. "I want you to wake up Stormfly and go as quickly as you can to him. He needs to know what's about to happen, and I want him to rally as many able-bodied dwarves as he can find. Once you give him the message, meet me up outside the gates."

"Uh-huh… And what about the vanguard?" asked Astrid. "How are we supposed to wake them all up?"

"...Leave that to me."

Hiccup spun around back to his mat, and immediately began towards it. To the side of it laid his black leather armor, his sheathed Inferno, and the box that held his dwarven hand-cannon. Almost immediately, the lad gave a hinting smirk.

He knelt in front of the box and quickly opened it, before grabbing a hold of the hand-cannon. He then took one of the steel rounds of ammunition, and proceeded to pump it down the barrel with the hand-cannon's ramrod. Then, he poured in black powder.

"You might want to cover your ears for this…"

Astrid gave a nod, and cupped her ears tightly. As such, Hiccup lifted his hand-cannon into the air, pointing it upwards, and without a moment of hesitation, he quickly pulled the trigger...

BOOM!

"WAKE UP!"

…

The weather outside was much colder compared to yesterday. Although the sun had risen over the eastern hill, much of the skies above were covered in clouds, and with them came the slightest bit of snowfall.

As such, parts of the valley's fields appeared frosted.

Before the gates of the mountain, the entire vanguard stood in formation with their heads facing northwards, and their cloaks blowing lightly in the wind. The vikings, elves, and dwarves held their hands onto the hilts of their sheathed weapons, and stared with attention as best as they could.

At the front of the vanguard, the riders, captains, and dragons gathered around Hiccup. They were all fatigued and exhausted, for they lacked the strength to stand up straight, and they shivered slightly from the cold morning air. Of course, only Beldrak remained absent from the group.

"Gah. This is way too early for my liking," groaned Hookfang. "I really wish I could sleep some more…"

"Unfortunately, we don't have a choice in the matter," said Toothless. "Hiccup woke us up for a reason, and whatever it is, it must be of importance. Perhaps... it has something to do with him sending you and Astrid to Beldrak, Stormfly?"

"I don't know… but I think something's wrong," stated the Nadder. "Though I wasn't with Astrid when she entered the thane's chambers, I did see him run out with a large group of dwarves behind him, and it was right before we left…"

"...It may just be me, but I think we have a battle on our hands."

As the dragons silently conversed, Hiccup tossed glances to each of the captains and the riders, all of whom were staring back at him with confusion stuck to their faces.

He then looked back at Astrid, now geared up as he was. "When will he arrive?"

"I'm not sure," she merely shrugged. "He said he'd rally as many warriors as he could, but that he'd not waste time to try and gather the whole dwarven throng."

"Hmph," nodded Hiccup.

Valara took a few steps forward, letting out a sigh. "So… what is this all about, Hiccup?" she asked. "Why did you wake us up at such an early hour when there is no danger threatening us? I see no orc or foe around us…"

"I don't understand either," yawned Olof. "Also, was it really necessary to wake us up with that hand-cannon of yours?"

"It was," the lad replied. "As bad of a time as this seems, I simply had no choice-"

"No choice...? Are you serious!?" interrupted Snotlout. "It's STILL DAWN, Hiccup! Besides, I was having one of the best dreams ever! I was back on Berk minding my own business, and-"

"If you would let me finish, I will tell you why I woke you up to begin with," responded Hiccup. "Instead of complaining like you usually do, Snotlout."

"Well, ya better say it loud and clear, H," said Tuffnut. "My right ear is kinda ringing because of that hand-cannon of yours."

"...Let's just- take a bit of a breather," replied Heather calmly. "Hiccup, what exactly is going on?"

Hiccup sighed. He slowly turned his back to the group, before narrowing his head downwards as he crossed his arms. For a short moment, there was silence. The others waited in anticipation as the young chieftain gathered his words and thoughts, and then, he finally spoke.

"I saw him again," he said.

"...Who?" asked Fishlegs.

"My father," answered Hiccup.

The groups' expression suddenly changed. Fishlegs, Snotlout, the Twins, and the dragons stared at Hiccup with astounded looks upon hearing those words. In a near instant, it all began to make sense to them. Heather, Olof, and Valara on the other hand glanced back at one another with bewilderment, for they knew not what he meant.

"I- I'm confused," said Heather. "What do you mean you saw Stoick again?"

"You aren't hallucinating, are you, lad?" questioned Olof.

"No. It was all real," began Hiccup. "...And what I mean is that this wasn't the first time it happened. You see, the night before the battle of Votunheim, my dad's ghost appeared to me in my sleep. Using his mind, he created a realm where my consciousness and his spirit could interact. It was there where he told me that the Dark Legions were about to attack Votunheim, and that another army was on the way to siege Nordell..."

"...And now, it's happened again. He told me that Drago and his armies are closing in, and that as of this moment, they're near Dalgard. They're ready to attack with all they have, and they will not stop until all of us are wiped out. They won't slow down, and they won't give up so easily. And, the worst part about this is that we don't know where they'll attack from."

Hiccup turned back to face the group, his eyes expressing a semi-glare. "Do you now understand what I'm saying? The enemy is upon us!"

There was dead silence. The riders, the captains, and the dragons exchanged disquiet looks with one another, and even the vikings, elves, and dwarves, who still stood in silence, suddenly began looking at each other with dreaded anticipation. Along with that, the exhaustion and fatigue that bore them down earlier was replaced with an uncontrollable adrenaline.

One thing was now certain. Battle was upon them.

Snotlout gave a frantic look. "Wh- What should we do?"

"We fight of course," answered Ruffnut, slamming the butt of her spear into the ground. "Duh!"

"And we stay together; especially the six of us," said Hiccup, his eyes gesturing towards Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the Twins in particular. "As the Wings of Midgard, we must fight as one. Show no fear, and give no ground. As long as we stand, we'll be able to hold them long enough until aid arrives."

"Aid...? Do you mean the Alliance?" asked Astrid. "Are you saying that they're…?"

"Wait a moment."

Before Astrid could finish her words, Valara suddenly rose her voice and lifted a hand in the air, silencing the lass. Although Hiccup and the others raised a brow at first, they instantly noticed that the elf's ears began twitching. Along with that, she was now gazing upwards, squinting her eyes as if trying to focus... Something had caught her attention.

"Do you all hear that?" she asked.

"Hear what?" questioned Hiccup.

The elven ranger glanced around. "Just listen closely…"

It was in that moment that all of the elves and dragons suddenly turned their eyes towards the cloudy skies above. Though the others were uncertain, they nonetheless remained silent and did as Valara said, focusing with their ears… What they heard was the sound of many ravens squawking in the distance, with their wings beating in an almost frantic manner, and their screeches becoming louder and louder.

Soon enough, they caught sight of the very same ravens flying above and over them, making their way towards the high cliffs of the mountain behind them.

"That's- weird," said Astrid. "What could cause them to want to fly to the mountain?"

"Hiccup…" spoke Toothless, now growling as he took a few steps forward to his rider's side.

Hearing his growl, the lad suddenly turned his head to face the black dragon, raising a brow. "Toothless? Is everything alright?"

"No," he said, continuing to growl. "Something's wrong. Very wrong. Whatever drove those ravens to the mountain wasn't due to a mere coincidence. I can sense it! Something's happening-!"

Before the black dragon could finish, the ground beneath their feet started to vibrate. The snow on the mountains and cliffs began to shake and fall, and before they knew it, the earth began to violently quake…

"EVERYONE, BRACE YOURSELVES!" roared Hiccup.

The vikings, elves, dwarves, and dragons made an effort to hold themselves up. They immediately began to space out from one another as they spread out their arms and legs, trying their best to stand their ground as the land underneath them shook and rumbled with a force of unnatural intensity. This was no regular earthquake.

After an agonizing moment, the quake came to a sudden stop. But before anyone could utter a word, it happened…

From the ruins atop the cliffs, a great beam of chaos energy shot upwards into the clouds above, causing them to crackle violently with green lightning. Almost immediately, everyone in the vanguard turned their heads to the northeast, gazing upon the beam of chaos magic as it channeled up into the skies. It was a sight that caused their hearts to sink into their stomachs, but not as much as Hiccup and Astrid's.

The two of them knew exactly what it was that laid beneath the ruins; what kind of power the leyline held. And now, the Dark Legions had their hands on it.

"It's begun…" said Hiccup.

All of a sudden, the beam of chaos energy dissipated, leaving behind only the sounds of thunder, and the crackling of green lightning. But what came next caused Hiccup to somewhat shiver...

From the center of the ruins, Drago, the warlord of the Dark Legions, stepped forth into view, accompanied by a dozen heavily cladded dark vikings who were armed to the teeth.

As they appeared, they came to a halt near the edge of the ruins. The dark vikings looked down upon the valley with gazes that expressed no emotion, but as Drago's eyes caught sight of the vanguard, his brows immediately lowered into an evil, determined glare. He came for one reason, and for one reason alone, and he would see it done.

Drago raised his bullhook into the air.

"IT IS TIME! YOUR END HAS COME!"