This chapter is going to be a big one guys, and one I have been waiting to write!
Another new Clan will be introduced to us, and that means another new character! However, this will be the final major character who will be introduced into this story.
Along with that, the reveal of this new character will explain as to why Sigurd, and Hvitserk (who Hiccup recently met) are in this story! Once you find out, you will possibly be mind-blown!
But for now, please enjoy!
The campfire crackled under the shadow of the cloudy late afternoon sky. Hiccup and Magnus sat around it together with both their Dragons, staring at the bright flames that danced and sparked like a fireshow.
Hiccup slightly shifted as he looked around, taking note that they were camped on top of a hill with no trees surrounding them.
"Magnus, are you sure this is a safe place for us to rest?"
The older Viking looked back at him, nodding. "Of course. No one will be able to notice us downhill. And besides, there's no hostile civilization for dozens of miles. We'll be safe."
"And what about the others?" Hiccup asked. "They've been gone for an hour or so by now. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't take them this long unless they're on foot. Though- ...maybe I'm just too impatient."
Hiccup sighed, turning his stare back onto the fire as he began picking at it with a stick.
"You're just a bit tensed right now, Hiccup." said Magnus as he stood to his feet, looking out. "I know you're eager to reach Strongholm, but everyone has their limits. The Dragons have been flying for hours now, and I think it's fair that we give them a rest, as well as for ourselves. Plus, if we-"
"Hiccup!"
The sound of Astrid's voice interrupted Magnus as he turned his back, and through the breezing wind he saw the distant figures of the Dragon Riders flying towards them along with Eira, Hvitserk, and Sigurd.
Hiccup stood to his feet, looking over at Toothless and gesturing for him to follow as the group flew closer until they eventually landed.
Magnus arched a brow at the way they came towards him and Hiccup. Their boots hit the ground hard upon dismounting, almost as if they were carrying important news.
When the Riders approached them, they both knew they were in for a surprise.
"What news do you guys have?" asked Hiccup.
"We've found out where Strongholm is." said Astrid. "It's located West from here, and it's beyond what we imagined it would be like."
"How so?" asked Magnus.
"That Fortress is larger than we thought." answered Heather. "Literally, it's like one giant Great Hall built up like a tower with a village around it."
"And it's heavily defended." Eira added on. "It has siege weapons, a fortified wall surrounding it, everything! It's no wonder Vlar sees this Fortress as a threat."
"I'm not surprised." said Sigurd. "Strongholm was built as just a mere town when my old friend began construction, and over the years he expanded the Great Hall and built it higher until it towered over the walls and village. It became a mighty Stronghold, thus it is why it is named Strongholm."
Fishlegs nodded as he kept note. "Must be at least more than a hundred feet high. That place would be enough to house an entire army. Hundreds, if not thousands!"
"It's as many as I have." stated Hvitserk. "The Grey Raven Clan has the same amount of warriors Strongholm has, so maybe that'll give you a better idea if you're really that interested."
"And I think we get the point." said Hiccup. "Look guys, we know where Strongholm is. So within the next hour I want you all to get ready to fly out again. But for now, let's rest before moving out. I'm sure the Dragons could use another moment to strengthen up."
"Agreed." said Magnus. "Best we prepare for what's to come, and let's hope we know what we're going to be walking into."
...
Hiccup now saw it with his very own eyes. The great Fortress laid ahead of them, and it stood there almost as if it was waiting for them to come closer and closer.
He gulped at the sight of it, not knowing what to expect from it. After all, their new ally could introduce them with friendliness or hostility. Either way, he was unsure.
"And so there it is!" spoke Sigurd. "Before you stands Strongholm, home of the Battleborn Clan as well as to the Jarl who resides there. Strong and proud as the Clan is, the Vikings that live there are among the most skilled and mighty you'll ever find. Only the best may become part of the Battleborn, and if they are chosen to join, then their way into Valhalla will be assured."
"Sounds like they're more of a brotherhood of Vikings." said Snotlout. "I wonder if that's the reason they chose not to follow Ivar. Because they only follow their own."
Sigurd nodded at Snotlout. "Exactly. This is the reason why they show such heavy hostility to Ivar's forces and allies. Ivar seeks to conquer everything in Norway under his rule, but these Vikings only follow their Jarl. They will follow no one else."
"What about us?" asked Hiccup. "We both have a common enemy. And plus, you and Hvitserk seem to know the Jarl."
Hvitserk shrugged. "We can't be certain." he replied, still staring at Strongholm. "The Jarl would likely have to earn your trust for the Clan and see if you're worthy. You need to show him that you are battle born. That's all I can say."
"Indeed." Sigurd agreed. "For now though, let's wait until we reach Strongholm. We're almost there."
Everyone went silent as they continued the flight towards the great Fortress, getting closer and closer. But when they came close enough to Strongholm to where they could make out much more of it, they were amused. Even from afar from where they were, they saw many figures in the distance patrolling the walls down below with siege equipment armed and on the watch.
"Odin's beard…" gasped Magnus. "There's so many of them."
"Aye." said Eira. "But not as many as what Ivar has. For all we know, they could just be-"
Suddenly the sound of a distant horn caught them off-guard as the warriors on the walls below began rushing around towards defensive positions. The group had been spotted.
"DRAGONS, FLYING ABOVE US!" a distant warrior screamed. "Arm the bola launchers! TAKE THEM DOWN!"
Hiccup was immediately alarmed. "Oh no." he said to himself as he looked back at the others. "Everyone, perform advanced maneuvers! Spread out before they-!"
"FIRE!"
The order was given, and rounds of bolas began firing at them from the launchers atop the walls, aiming for each of them even as they were flying around spread out.
The constant rounds were too much.
"This isn't working!" Hiccup shouted as he and Toothless performed complex maneuvers. "We need to draw their fire and get closer so we can reason with them!"
"We can't, there's too many of them!" called out Magnus. "We need to somehow grab their attention so that we can-"
"HICCUP!"
Astrid's voice called out to Hiccup, causing his gaze to turn onto her as he saw bolas fire onto her, one of which successfully hit her and shot her and Stormfly out of the sky.
In turn however, this caused Astrid to fall off Stormfly as she began falling towards the ground on her own.
"HOLD ON ASTRID!" Hiccup shouted. "Bud, bolt forward! Catch her!"
Toothless wasted no time and immediately dashed himself forward, getting himself as close as he could to Astrid before she would hit the ground. He sped up, getting closer and closer…
And he successfully caught the falling shieldmaiden, grabbing her by the arms before flying up to safety.
The same however couldn't be said for Stormfly.
Down below, dozens and dozens of men rushed out the main gates of Strongholm and ran towards the downed Nadder, completely surrounding her with their weapons pointed out.
One figure in particular caught Hiccup's eye however. A commander knelt before Stormfly with a sword in hand, giving off a grim and dreadful expression to her.
"You and your flyers made a mistake by coming here, Dragon." he said. "Though your kind can't talk, I know that you can understand me. Thus, I want you to know that this is where the line ends for you."
The man slowly rose his sword up, readying to thrust it through Stormfly's head. But before he could make his move…
"STOP!"
Hiccup's voice bellowed loudly. From above, and the other Riders swooped their Dragons down towards the ground, landing in the center of the ranks of warriors that surrounded Stormfly.
As they dismounted, they immediately rallied near Stormfly and unsheathed their weapons in unison as the Dragons behind them growled in a threatening response.
"What are you doing to her!?" Astrid yelled as she held her axe out. "Leave her alone!"
The commander looked down at Astrid, laughing. "Are you serious!? Her? That beast is a female?"
"She's not a beast!" Hiccup replied as he swung around his fiery sword, making the warriors back up. "You guys on the other hand seriously didn't need to do that! We've come seeking an alliance with you and your Jarl!"
"An alliance!?" the commander growled. "We would never ally ourselves with you and your rabid dog Ivar! You should have thought twice before coming here, Dragon flyers!"
"Dragon flyers?" asked Heather. "Wait- you're mistaken! We don't work for Ivar! We're Dragon Riders! We are fighting against him…"
"She's right!" said Magnus. "We're the Vikings of the Archipelago. The ones who have been warring with Ivar for months. We've come to-"
"That is boar crap!" the commander spat. "How can you prove to be who you are? From the way you approached us, you had us on our alert!"
"The same was with us when you attacked." Sigurd said as he stepped forward, sheathing his weapon. "But believe us, we've come to speak with your Jarl- my friend, to ask for his aid. We-"
The commander stabbed his sword in the ground, interrupting Sigurd. "Being mighty and courageous now are you? Who do you think you are to make such a claim about our leader!?"
"That is because I am Sigurd you fool!" he spoke back. "Sigurd! Don't you know!?"
"Sigurd? Bah, lies! Sigurd has been dead for months now, ever since Ivar came to power! You are not-!"
"But I am him!" the young Viking interrupted. "I am Sigurd SNAKE-IN-THE-EYE damn it!"
Magnus looked up at him, bewildered with wide eyes. "...What did you just say?!"
Immediately, constant chatters and whispers spread throughout the dozens of Battleborn ranks that stood all around. Even the commander, who had a surprised look on his face, squinted his eyes and looked at Sigurd. And it was then that he noticed a symbolic, familiar detail on the blonde Viking.
His right eye. He knew who the Viking was.
"...So, you really are alive then?" he asked, receiving a nod from Sigurd. "So what do you want then?"
"To see your Jarl. My old friend." replied Sigurd. "We have much to discuss and we have precious time on our hands."
"I see… and is Jarl Hvitserk with you?"
"Yes, I am." Hvitserk said as he made his way forward, showing himself to the commander who slowly nodded his head before looking back at his warriors.
"Step back, Battleborn! They are not our enemies!" he shouted, ordering them to make way for Hiccup and his group.
He then turned to look at Sigurd and Hvitserk. "You and your friends can come with me, along with their Dragons. If you are in need of my Jarl's aid once again, then you will receive it. I will escort you to him. Come."
They all gave a nod at the commander before they started to follow him towards the gates of Strongholm along their Dragons behind them, now seeming relatively neutral to the Battleborn warriors that accompanied them.
As they walked however, Hiccup noticed Magnus' surprised expression as he looked up at him.
"What is it Magnus?" he asked him.
The older Viking looked back at Hiccup. Both his brows were raised. "Sigurd and Hvitserk aren't just any normal Vikings, Hiccup. I think I know who they are..."
…
The great doors to the Fortress of Strongholm opened, leading Hiccup, Astrid, Magnus, Eira, and the others in with Sigurd and Hvitserk at the front, and as they were led in, they were met with a very large room - almost like a Great Hall.
"Wow." said Tuffnut. "This place looks…"
"Edgy." answered Ruffnut. "Talk about a makeover."
Hiccup looked at the Twins, shaking his head. "Guys, stay focused. Right now, we need to see if the Jarl will answer to us… wherever he is."
As he glanced towards the end of the large room, he saw that there was a wooden throne with runes carved into it, and though he expected to see the Jarl sitting there, he saw that it was empty.
"Where is he?" he asked, looking over at the commander.
The commander gave a shrug. "He must be upstairs, most likely in his chambers. If you would like, I can go and get him-"
Before he could finish however, the sound of a pair of doors slamming open caught the group's attention, and as they all glanced their eyes to the right of the hall they caught eye of two opened doors, and out came a man.
It was the Jarl.
The commander sighed with a shrug. "Nevermind then. I guess... I will be on my way." he said before stepping his way out of the Hall.
After the man left, Hiccup's eyes fixed on the Jarl, inspecting his appearance from head to toe.
He wore a sleeveless red vest, and a black woolen tunic underneath. Along with that, his pants and boots were made of leather, and he had a brown furred cloak wrapped around his back.
As for his look - his eyes were light blue, and his hair and beard were dark blonde. Although the hair was short, he had a ponytail which came around and extended down his right shoulder.
And his look alone was recognizable to Sigurd and Hvitserk.
As the Jarl gazed to his left, he laid eye upon the group, and onto the two familiar figures that came into his view. His eyes showed a look of surprise as much as his face did
His words came out slowly.
"Hvitserk… Sigurd… you're both alive? But, how did you…"
"We found a way through, thanks to our friends here." said Sigurd as he and Hvitserk took a few steps forward. "Were it not for them, we'd be dead. But it has all led to this, and we're finally reunited at last… brother."
The Jarl smiled, quickly approaching Sigurd and Hvitserk as he grabbed ahold of them and met them with a reuniting hug. The two younger Vikings held their arms around him as well, recognizing him for who he was.
"Aye, it is good to see you again, brother." said Hvitserk.
"Brother?" asked Astrid. "Wait, but if both of you are his sibling, that means you and Sigurd were brothers all along, Hvitserk?!"
The two Vikings nodded. Hiccup and the others near him to gasp in utter bewilderment, but it also soon came to their realization. They couldn't believe this. How could this be?
Magnus on the other hand wasn't surprised, but now he understood.
"It all makes sense to me…" he said. "When Sigurd said his name was the Snake-In-The-Eye, I thought I knew who he and Hvitserk were. Argarnsson isn't even his real surname. It's an anagram…"
"What?" asked Hiccup as he looked up at the Jarl. "This doesn't add up to me… what's going on here?"
"Eager for answers, eh?" the Jarl chuckled, looking back down at Hiccup. "Well, I know for sure by your look that you are Hiccup Haddock. Is that correct?"
"Y- Yes. How do you know that?"
"Your name is legend to us throughout the halls of Strongholm." he said. "News of your victories have been spreading all across this region in Norway, and your name was always brought up. It is an honor to have you with us."
"Thank you Jarl." nodded Hiccup. "But what about you… who are you?"
"Me?" he asked. "My name is Ubba. Ubba Lothbrök."
Almost instantly, Hiccup was mind-blown. "Ubba Lothbrök?! But if you, Hvitserk, and Sigurd are Lothbröks, then that means-"
"Yes, Hiccup…" Ubba said as he took a step forward. "We are the last true sons of Ragnar Lothbrök. Ivar is our brother. But now that we're together once again, the time has now come for us to prepare the inevitable. Together, we will put an end to our brother Ivar…"
...
Gobber slammed his prosthetic hammer against the face of a Dragon Hunter, smashing his skull in as he looked back at his allies that fought against them throughout the forest they were in. They were beginning to easily overwhelm their foe.
But they were not done there. Before them stood a large cave, and that was their main target.
Gobber gave out a sharp whistle, ordering his forces forward. "Come on lads! Push forward! Free any Dragon tha' ya can find!"
The Vikings of the Hooligan Tribe fought forward. Both villagers and warriors were battling together, and with their overwhelming numbers and strength against the Dragon Hunters, the mercenaries stood no chance.
As they closed in on the cave up ahead, Gobber then noticed more Hunters coming out of the cave in greater numbers, and although they were no match, he knew they were good targets for their riders.
He raised his hammer up, spinning it as he looked to the skies. "Dragon riders! Blast 'em away! GO GO GO!"
As he yelled out the order, the Dragon Hunters turned their gaze to the skies, and above them they saw dozens of Dragons with Vikings atop them move forward with their mouths opened and lit with flames, ready to burn.
"Oh crap!" one of the Hunters called out.
They then quickly attempted to react by forming up a line to shoot the Dragons from the sky, but it was far too late.
The Dragons unleashed Hel upon them, releasing a barrage of fiery blasts which fell upon their small army in seconds as the Hunters were set aflame, screaming in agony as they were burnt or blasted back. Despite having over two hundred Dragon Hunters defending the small location on the island, it was all too much.
Gobber grinned in satisfaction, watching as dozens and dozens of Hairy Hooligan Vikings ran past him and into the cave that laid up just ahead.
From behind, Spitelout and Sven approached the older Viking, giving him a nod of approval.
"We've cleared the forest out completely." said Spitelout. "No Dragon Hunter bastard remains in those woods, and all of the Dragons they caged are now free. The island is secured, Gobber!"
"Alright!" he nodded. "But we still 'ave one last place we need ta check out. We're goin' inta tha cave. Follow me!"
The two Vikings nodded, rushing ahead with Gobber and making their way towards the cave ahead of them. Upon entering it however, they saw that the cave was more than what they expected as it was no simple cave at all.
All around them there were cages and cells with the bones of Dragons in them, along with the remains of any prisoners that were unfortunate to have been tossed in them. It was indeed a dreadful sight.
However, there wasn't much to find, even as the men searched the cells for anything of benefit.
But then Sven tapped Gobber's shoulder. "Gobber, look at this!"
He arched a brow. "Sven, there's nothing here but tha remains o' Dragons an' Vikings. What could we possibly find-?"
The immediate sound of garbling caught his attention however as Gobber turned around, and before his very eyes he saw a Dragon laying near the back of the cave next to a pile of scrap metal and iron. It looked a bit like a Gronckle, but it was bigger and completely different.
This caught the attention of a few of his men. And now it caught Gobber's.
A smile slowly formed on his face as he approached the Dragon calmly, astonished by it's behavior and look. It looked extremely happy as it shifted around whilst eating the scrapped iron, but then its attention turned on Gobber who now stood only a couple of feet away from it.
The Dragon was not at all hostile. And the sight of the blonde Viking almost made it grin.
Gobber smiled. He then decided to cheer it up by picking up a piece of scrapped iron, and raising it in front of the Dragon's face before it happily ate the scrap. In response, Gobber held his hand up towards the reptile's head, petting it as he leaned in closer and rubbed his head against its face.
The Dragon replied by lightly rubbed its head back at Gobber, and to this, the blonde Viking felt himself go soft.
"I think you're magnificent a Dragon…"