Continuing from the last chapter I would like to say that although the conflict in this story is not over, things from here on out will intensify due to what will soon happen. But before we can reach that point, we'll just have to keep on going.

I'd also like to point out before beginning that this story has once again reached a milestone. Two hundred followers! Thank you guys for the support! It really means much to me!

Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

Three weeks later...

The sun lightly shone over Dragon's Wake as thousands of Viking warriors and maidens worked hard around the town, all whilst preparing themselves for the final battle that laid ahead of them.

And though many were patient, the same could not be said for others, including the Chieftains.

From within the Mead Hall, the Archipelago Chieftains, along with Hiccup, Astrid, the sons of Ragnar Lothbrök, and the Riders all discussed their next and final course of action. But as of then, things were heating up.

Dagur slammed his hand against the table as he spoke eagerly. "The time is now! I say we should strike at Ivar when he returns, and cut his damn head off! It's time he pays for what he's done!"

Almost immediately, a series of 'ayes' filled the room, but others had their doubts.

Eret spoke up. "My friend, we have no idea where Ivar is. We don't even know if he has returned to Norway, and even if we did know, we would not stand a chance against him out in the open. He still has a large army behind him!"

Another series of 'ayes' filled the room on Eret's side, but the Thunderhead Chieftain shook his head in disagreement.

"That does not mean we should stop now! Consider what we have done: we managed to wipe out more than half of Ivar's Great Army." replied Snorre. "The Thunderheads, like all the other Tribes, fought fiercely in every battle. We know what it was like. I say we should strike now!"

"And risk more of our warriors?" asked Ubba. "You do not know Ivar as well as I know him. Though my brother is young, he is still a genius at strategy and fighting. He would crush us if we ever faced him in the open, and right now he still stands strong. But you- you're suggesting suicide you crazed fool."

"A crazed fool, eh!? Would you prefer it if I shoved my axe up your-!"

"Silence!" Hiccup spoke, catching the attention of the whole group as the Hall went quiet.

"...Look guys, Ubba's right. Both Ivar and the Völsung Clan have dealt more damage to us throughout this war than any of the other clans; it was not the Dark Eye, not the Bloody Berserkers, not the Broken Axe, and certainly not the Iron Wolf. From this, I can tell you that his Clan will prove to be the most challenging of all… and he still has allies that help make up his ranks."

"Aye, he does." nodded Stoick. "From what my scouts were able to gather, Ivar has enlisted the help of the Germanic Saxons from Southern Denmark, and as well as more of his elite guard, the Jomsvikings. He even still has warriors from the other Clans that we destroyed. Add it all together, and we would be going up against thousands of more troops."

"Then we won't be able to take them on in the open field." said Magnus as he stared down at the map of Norway in front of him. "The only way we can defeat them is to battle them in an area where they would have a difficult time reaching us. Like a cliff or large hill, or even a..."

As he gazed and scanned over the map, something immediately caught his attention which caused his eyes to widen. "Perfect." he said.

Hiccup arched a brow. "What is it Magnus? Did you find something?"

The Warsung Chieftain nodded. "Aye... There is a large plateau nearly ten miles away from Kattegat which could be used as a perfect staging ground to fight Ivar. The only way that he could get his army up it is by climbing the path leading up."

"Fortunately, this would cause problems for them. The way up would be enough to tire out Ivar's warriors if they ever attempted to charge up it. If anything, our horses could run them down and cause massive amounts of damage to their front lines, and we could even have archers positioned at the top to shoot them down. In my opinion, I say we use this landmark."

From hearing this information, the Chieftains exchanged glances and began talking quietly amongst one another, considering whether or not the area was a good strategic point of defense.

Then another voice spoke up. Astrid's.

"...I agree with Magnus. This position could be our main front against Ivar. Plus, we must take into account that this place is near Kattegat - Ivar's capital and base of operations. If he comes to us the moment we are prepared to face him, he would be walking into a trap."

"It would also take him a while to find us." said Heather. "The more time he spends looking, the better we can prepare ourselves for the worst. I say we should do it."

"Very well." nodded Hiccup, looking back at the Chieftains. "Any objections?"

No one spoke a word. It was clear that the plan was well thought out, and their momentum and confidence for taking on Ivar had gone up ten fold. They wanted a fight, and Hiccup knew this.

The young Heir gave a sign of approval. "Good… Now, if we're to obtain the element of surprise - we'll have to prepare hastily before Ivar can discover us. Chieftains, here is what I want you all to do in the meantime:"

"Dad, Alvin, Eret, Dagur, and Mala, I want you guys to motivate as many of our men as you can. Some of them may have their doubts, but if we can persuade them to fight, then they will be more efficient for this upcoming battle."

"Very well." said Stoick.

"Magnus, Eira, Sigurd, Hvitserk, and Ubba, gather as many supplies as you can, in case anything goes wrong. We'll need horses, siege weapons, and stronger equipment in order to have a proper defense for this fight, alright?"

The five gave silent nods, with Magnus replying "As you wish" in an attentive manner.

"Arngrim, Snorre, Bertha, and Mogadon. You guys are experienced when it comes to skill and brute force. I want you four to train every single warrior and maiden that we have, and get them for what's to come. Whatever you do, do not go too hard on them."

"As you command, Heir of Berk." smirked Mogadon.

Hiccup sighed, nodding in approval at his decisions. "You all have your orders. Let's get this carried out and prepare ourselves for what could be the fight for our lives. If we're to ever push Ivar back to Kattegat and siege it, we'll need to-"

"Chief Stoick!"

A voice called out Stoick's name as a warrior came rushing in with haste and excitement, almost as if he had seen something that made him feel that way.

Stoick stood to his feet, curious. "What is it, warrior? You look as if you've seen Odin himself."

"Gobber, Stoick!" the warrior said, smiling. "Gobber is here!"

Stoick's eyes widened with confusion. "What?"

"But why, and how?" asked Astrid. "Gobber could not have possibly been able to track us down unless he had help. It's not like he-"

"He came here on top of his Dragon!" the man answered quickly. "He says he has something to tell to you all..."

…

"Stoick! It's great ta see ya!"

Gobber's voice caught the group's attention as they made their way towards the center of the town, and upon seeing the blonde Viking along with his Dragon - they were shocked.

"...Gobber. You actually befriended a Dragon?" asked Stoick, receiving a nod in response from the blacksmith.

"Aye! Believe as ye may, but I along with many others scoured across tha Archipelago in search o' Dragons ta train, an' make peace with. This big ol' lad 'ere is named Grump. Aye he can be lazy, but he's a great Dragon!"

Fishlegs gasped in amazement. "A new species of Dragons? No way! I can even tell right away that it's a boulder class Dragon! Oh it looks amazing!"

"Ugh, ya already have yer own Dragon, Fishlegs. Ya keep away from mine an' stick with yers, alright?"

"Sorry Gobber." the excited Ingerman chuckled. "It's just great to see a new species of Dragons for once. Haven't seen any other Dragons since the last battle."

"And yet we still have another one ahead, and it just may completely turn the tide of this war to assure our victory."

Magnus' familiar voice caught Gobber's attention, and as he eyed the young man next to Eira, he gave a smile.

"Ah, Magnus! Yer a sight fer sore eyes!" he said, walking up to the cheerful lad and patting his shoulder. "I must say, ya look stronger. Both ye an' Hiccup. Have ye been practicing?"

"Well technically our battles have been how we practiced." said Hiccup. "Plus, ever since Magnus became Chief of the Warsung Tribe, he began perfecting his fighting skills. He even took down Ivar's right hand with a lightning bolt."

Gobber's jaw dropped with surprise as he slowly took in what he heard. "Ye became a Chief, an' ye took down Ivar's second in command with a lightning bolt? Have ye been blessed by Thor o' somethin'?"

Magnus chuckled, shaking his head. "It's because of my sword Nördar. When I reforged it I decided to melt in small shards of a particular iron that have the ability to attract lightning easily. The rest of the blade for some reason however can't attract it as well due to what it's made out of, which is why I wasn't shocked by it. Though I will say, my father never really said what he used to make this blade in the first place."

"It'll remain a mystery to me."

"Tha' may be. Amazing as it is, there's somethin' important I have ta share with ye."

"About what, Gobber?" questioned Hiccup. "Why exactly are you here to help us? And why bond with Dragons now?"

"It's ta fight Ivar o' course." Gobber sighed uneasily as he lowered his voice. "But Stoick, I need ta tell ye about tha Dragon army Berk 'as grown ta help ye with, an' as well as somethin' more important. Ivar, he- ... he's bringing somethin' tha' we cannot stand against alone. A beast beyond any ye've seen."

Stoick's face immediately went grim. "...Let us talk in private. Magnus, you too."

…

"A large Dragon? Under Ivar's command? How is that possible?" asked Magnus.

Gobber merely shrugged as he drank from his mead. "I asked m'self tha same thing when I discovered about it. From what Gothi told me about her vision, she said tha' she saw Ivar standin' in tha center of a fiery battlefield, wielding some sort'a long spear-like weapon in 'is hand, and behind him she saw tha beast."

"Tha' was when I felt afraid…"

Stoick slowly nodded his head as he felt his stomach churn with dread. "And you're saying that Ivar is sending this beast after my son? ...How big are we talking?"

"Tha size of a mountain, Stoick." answered Gobber. "...Well, it's as Gothi described it, but it really isn't. Aye, it's still big, but it's only enough ta swallow half a dozen Dragons whole. Either way Stoick, Hiccup is in danger."

The troubled Chieftain grumbled as he thought about the matter, now fearful for how his son would react. "When Ivar began his invasion of the Archipelago months ago, Hiccup tried to hide how big the threat actually was from me, fearing that I would lose my sanity and hope. He may have been wrong…"

"But I would without a doubt go insane if I heard that a giant Dragon was chasing after me."

"So what are you saying exactly?" asked Magnus. "That we should hide this information from Hiccup?"

"Exactly." nodded Stoick. "As much as how Hiccup is now a man, he is also still a boy. He is my boy, and although I was not there to help him against Vlar which I regret doing, I still care for his safety. If he finds out, he may lose the will to fight."

"An' what if he does find out, Stoick?" questioned Gobber, placing down his mug. "We don't even know how he will react."

"And that is exactly why I want to keep this information away from him. We don't know what he will say or what he will do, so I want to make sure that he won't feel afraid or lose his mind in case he does. Until then however, let us continue as planned."

Gobber placed his hand on the Chieftain's shoulder, patting him. "Don't worry Stoick." he said. "As long as I an' our Dragon army are with us, Hiccup should be safe."

"...What is this army you speak of?" asked Magnus. "Why did you even build a Dragon army, and how were you even able to?"

"Tha what, why, an' how eh?" the smithy chuckled. "Well, when we heard about tha danger, many stood up ta tha plate wanting ta help. Three hundred warriors an' even villagers volunteered ta follow me across tha Archipelago, freeing Dragons left an' right from tha Hunters, treatin' them as if they were… friends. It's thanks ta Hiccup's skills we were able ta achieve this. Tha lad is tha reason why we're here."

Magnus smirked. "And in the end you and the people of Berk were able to make official peace and friendship with the Dragons, thus both Berk and the Dragons are stronger now that they are together... Unbelievable!"

"Three hundred Dragon riders you say?" Stoick said as he arched a brow. "Maybe we do stand a chance against Ivar's beast after all! ...But why would the Dragons be willing to fight him if the Hunters were the ones who imprisoned and enslaved them?"

"Well, remember tha' it was Ivar's general Olaf tha' destroyed their islands when tha Great Army begun their invasion. It wasn't just us an' tha other Tribes tha' suffered, but them as well."

"And the Dragons won't forget what Ivar did to their homes, or even families…" replied Magnus, slightly surprised. "This is why they share a common goal with their riders."

"Well, that may be so. But I have a bigger thought on my mind. The question is, are they prepared enough for what Ivar has at his side?" questioned Stoick. "For all we know, he could have other plans in mind that we don't know of…"

…

Despite the town being busy, what they felt was a calming moment.

Hiccup sat atop his hut with Astrid next to him, overlooking Dragon's Wake and all of its bright views. For once they had a moment alone while Toothless and Stormfly ran around the hut down below, chasing each other playfully.

The two Vikings sighed, resting the side of their heads against each other with the wind blowing in their faces. For once they could have a moment to themselves.

"We barely get to have moments like this." giggled Astrid, glancing with her eyes back at Hiccup. "This war has kept us so preoccupied from our relationship for such a while that it's almost felt like forever has passed."

Hiccup chuckled. "Yeah. Well, we should at least enjoy this moment while it lasts. Serenity is something you don't see a lot of in Scandinavia… but with the dozens of Tribes that sided with Ivar fighting against us, he-"

Astrid immediately held a finger to his lips, shushing him. "Let's not talk about that right now, alright? I understand you want to deal with him, but we all have our limits when it comes to war. Unless our lives are at risk, then yes, maybe we should worry."

"Our lives have been at risk the day we set foot on Norway, Astrid. We have been fighting in hostile territory for two months now, and we may soon be going on three. Everywhere we've gone there has always been danger. We need have our eyes peeled at all times, no matter the situation. Anything could happen at any moment after all."

She sighed, slowly standing to her feet. "Well, there goes our moment for me… but I guess you're right. Though I will say, you are beginning to sound more like your father."

"Well, I guess that's what happens when I see things from his perspective as how he's seen through mine." he nodded as he too stood up to his feet. "I taught my father the true nature of Dragons, and like many others he has taught me how to be a leader."

"And you should be proud of it." Astrid said, smiling as she laid a hand on his shoulder. "I've changed because of you. All of us have changed because of you. Were it not for you, our home would have burnt. Were it not for you, we wouldn't be here."

"Yeah…" smirked Hiccup. "I'm just glad I found out who I really was in the end. It's because of who I am now why I feel-"

"Hiccup!"

Stoick's voice shouted loudly, almost with worry or concern as he spotted Hiccup and Astrid on top of the hut. They could both tell by his tone that something was wrong.

Hiccup looked back at Astrid, shrugging. "Ladies first."

Astrid shook her head with a grin, sliding down the roof of the hut on her feet and landing on the ground before too Hiccup followed, sliding down to meet his father.

Whistling for Toothless to come to his side, he hastily approached the Chieftain and noticed that Magnus, Gobber, and Eira were with him. Something was going on...

"Dad, you look concerned and worried. Has something happened? …Are our preparations not going as planned-?"

Stoick shook his head. "Everything is still going accordingly, and swiftly, but something else has happened. They haven't come back yet…"

"Who?" asked Hiccup.

Magnus stepped forward, sighing. "Six of our scouts which were sent out this morning have gone missing. We have reason to believe something has happened to them. We were able to find one of them."

"...But we found them dead with a Dane axe impaled in their head."

"What? ...Oh this is bad." replied Hiccup, shaking his head. "What about our trackers? Did you send them out to find the rest of the scouts?"

"We sent them out a few hours ago." said Eira. "But they returned without a single trace. We even gave them horses and they still couldn't find them."

"Damn!" gasped Hiccup. "This is not good at all. If they don't return soon, then it could only mean that..."

"...Hiccup?" asked Astrid, noticing that his eyes widened as his voice cut off. "What is it? Is there something that you-"

"There's only one possible reason why they could have gone missing. Ivar's forces may have already captured them without our knowledge."

"We have to do something then..." Magnus replied, sounding almost outraged. "Ivar nor his forces have had any knowledge of our location, but now it seems like they are trying to pin out our location!"

"It's worse enough as it is." said Hiccup. "It could be that the enemy is beginning scout out more ground to discover us. But if Ivar interrogates our scouts and figures out where we are…"

"They'll attack us, and we won't be able to fight back." answered Astrid.

For a moment the group went entirely silent, worried and realizing what situation they were in. But then Gobber's voice spoke up.

"No." he said, before turning the other direction. "We won't lose ta him!"

Stoick arched a brow as he watched Gobber begin walking. "Wait- where are you going Gobber?"

"Ta gather tha riders o' Berk!" he answered. "An' if I were ye, I would evacuate Dragon's Wake. It's not safe here!"

Without another word, Gobber continued his way rushing down the road, making his way to the stables to where Grump was.

Hiccup sighed, feeling dread as he looked back at his father and the others who shared a similar feeling.

"What do we do now?" asked Astrid. "We can't just let Ivar siege Dragon's Wake!"

"We won't." he said. "Instead, I am going to take Gobber's suggestion of evacuating the town, and that's what we're going to do. We're leaving Dragon's Wake for good, and we're leaving tomorrow morning."

"Is that even enough time?" asked Magnus. "We still need to make sure we're prepared to-"

Hiccup shook his head, grunting. "There is no time Magnus! Ivar may just soon be upon us and back in Norway if we don't do something! We should be ready to face the worst!"

"Alright, Son." replied Stoick, keeping a calm tone. "Alright…We'll do it your way."

The Chief then turned to the others, nodding. "Inform the Chieftains and the other Tribes about this. Astrid, I suggest you and Hiccup tell the Riders about this. They must pack up and prepare for departure. We are no longer safe here."

As Stoick soon rushed off with Magnus and Eira to tell the Chieftains, Hiccup looked down at Toothless who was noticeably emitting a light growl.

He placed a hand on the Night Fury's head, letting out a sigh. "I know, Bud. I am worried too..."