The Dragon Riders were currently in Tom's bedroom as he told them about his heritage from what his mother told him.

"So Haddock was really a name," said Jun.

"Yeah, and apparently, my great-great-grandfather was a Haddock," Tom nodded.

"Meaning that you could very well be related to the author of the book," said James.

"Actually, I've translated more of the book. His real name is actually Hiccup Haddock," said Tom.

Eugene snorted. "What kind of name is Hiccup?"

"There are worse names," said Alex.

"Whatever his name is, this is huge," said D'Angelo excitedly. "This means that the whole dragon whisperer thing is in your blood. It's no wonder you can commune with dragons as well as you can."

"Yeah, but there is still much to learn," said Tom, looking at the book. "I mean, like the names of the other Vikings in the book and his history. Not to mention my connection to Thunder."

"We'll find that connection, Tom," Jun reassured him.

"And we're already making progress," said Alex.

"The only question is, what's next on our epic quest?" D'Angelo asked.

"I'm afraid we're going to have to pause on the epic quest," said James.

"Why when we're so close?" Tom asked.

James looked at them awkwardly. "My big sis is coming to visit."

Everyone immediately stared at him.

"Come again?" said Eugene.

"My sister is visiting ICARUS Station," James explained. "She's taken a few holidays off of work to visit."

"And why does that stop us on our epic quest?" Tom asked.

"Because my sister will be able to figure out what we're doing in a heartbeat," said James. "She's a counsellor and very good at reading people."

"Your sister is a therapist?" Eugene snorted.

"Hey, it's a very important job, Eugene," said D'Angelo. "Tons of people have psychological problems, especially teenagers like us."

"In fact, my sister specialises in teenagers like us," said James. "She started just after our father was killed after she saw how devastating it was for me."

Everyone remained silent as they knew James had lost his father very young.

"So you think she'll know that we're hiding dragons and go off on adventures in a Hidden World?" Tom asked.

"She'll know they were hiding something, and we've already got your mum threatening to tell our parents we don't need my sister doing the same thing," said James.

"He's got a point," said Eugene.

"How long is she going to be staying here?" Tom asked.

"Only a few days."

"Okay, until then, no exploring the Hidden World," said Tom.

Everyone immediately groaned.

"But what about our dragons?" Jun asked.

"We can't just leave them down in the Lair," said D'Angelo.

"I'm not saying we can't see them, but we must be cautious," said Tom.

He heard a knock on the door, and Olivia entered the bedroom.

"James, I just received word your sister is on approach," she said.

"Thanks, Dr K," said James, standing up. "Shall we make our way to the landing pad?"

A few moments later, they were all on the landing pad, waiting for a helicopter to approach.

"I haven't seen your sister in a long time," said Tom as the helicopter landed.

"Yeah, I always envied," Jun nodded.

They all watched in anticipation as exiting the helicopter was a beautiful young woman with long raven black hair and forest green eyes.

"Hey, Rose," James waved. "Welcome to ICARUS."

Rose beamed at him. "Thanks, James; I've been looking forward to this visit.

Eugene then leaned over to James. "Dude, your sister is hot."

Jun then pulled Eugene back. "Cool your jets, Eugene."

"Come on, sis, I'm just stating the obvious," he said.

"Rose," said Clara as she made her way onto the landing pad. "Wonderful to see you, dear."

"Hi, Mum," said Rose as they hugged one another. "Have they been keeping you busy?"

"Practically every day, there is something new to discover here," said Clara. "Come on, I'll show you around after we dump your stuff in our dome."

"Can't wait to see what all the fuss is about, but first, I want to spend some time with my little brother," said Rose.

"As you wish, but make sure you keep a close eye on them. They seem to disappear every single day," Clara joked.

The Riders immediately winced at that.

"Really?" said Rose, looking intrigued.

"We're going to have fun, Mum," said James.

"Oh, I know, but you don't have to disappear off into the woods to have fun," said Clara.

"You do when this entire place is boring," Eugene muttered under his breath, earning him a few sharp elbows from Jun and Alex.

"Then I suppose I'll see you tonight," said Clara, walking off.

Rose then turned to James. "So, are you going to introduce me to your friends?"

James nodded and began gesturing to his friends. "Tom and Jun, you already know, and I think you remember Eugene."

Rose narrowed her eyes. "I don't think anyone can forget Eugene."

"Yeah, Eugene the Machine is unforgettable," said Eugene proudly.

"And believe me, we wish you weren't," Jun muttered, turning to Rose. "Hi, Rose, it's been a while."

"It's wonderful to see you again, Jun, and he was well, Tom," Rose smiled. "I believe the last time I saw you was with the polar bear incident."

"An instant that no one seems to want me to forget," said Tom.

"You have to admit it's not every day that a child breaks into the polar bear habitat just to hug a polar bear," Jun pointed out, making everyone laugh.

"And this is D'Angelo and Alex," said James, gesturing to the two of them.

"Hey," D'Angelo waved.

"Hi," said Alex.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Rose smiled. "Now, how would you tell me what you do when you disappear from the eyes of your parents."

"We just play this role-playing game of ours, nothing dangerous," said Tom.

"Yeah, it's called Dragon Club," said Jun.

"And how did you come up with that name?" Rose asked.

"That would be my dorky sister," said Eugene. "She's into all this mystical mumbo-jumbo."

Jun glared at him. "All myths have an origin. They didn't come from nowhere."

"Still having a difficult time with your mother, I take it," Rose assumed.

Jun blinked. "How did you know?"

"The way that you're defending yourself indicates that someone is belittling your interest in mythology and given that your mother is the director of a scientific station as well as how both your parents split up points so that."

D'Angelo then leaned over to James. "She's good."

"Told you," said James.

"Look, this is not an interrogation; I'm just curious," Rose assured them.

"And we're merely telling you we do in our free time," said James.

"Okay, okay," Rose smiled. "Since it's clear that you kids want to disappear from us adults, you're free to go. I have to set everything in my room anyway."

"Then I'll see you at dinner, sis," said James.

Rose smiled before she walked away, and everyone sighed in relief.

"Man, that was nerve-wracking," said Tom.

"You think she bought it?" Jun asked.

"He could be using reverse psychology to get us to lower our guard," said Alex.

"But we've done nothing suspicious," said D'Angelo, looking as if trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

Tom looked at James. "She's your sister? What do you think?"

"I've honestly got no clue," said James honestly. "She has always been difficult to read and incredibly patient."

"Not exactly reassuring," said Alex.

Eugene groaned. "Come on, we've given her the slip. Let's meet up with the dragons."

"All right," said Tom. "But we have to be more careful than normal."

"Since when are we careful?" Jun asked.

"Yeah, half of the time, we just made it up as we go," James nodded.

After being absolutely careful to ensure they weren't being followed, they made their way to the Lair and were soon greeted by their dragons.

"Hey, Pal," said Tom, stroking Thunder. "Sorry that we're a bit late; we had an unexpected visitor."

"Don't blame this on me," said James, stroking Blade. "It's not my poor. My mum decided to surprise me yesterday after dinner."

"Still, your sister seems pretty cool," said D'Angelo.

"And hot," Eugene added.

"Thanks, I think," James frowned.

"So we just simply planned to hang in the Lair for the rest of the day," said Eugene, looking at Tom.

"We don't have a choice, Eugene," said Tom.

"Of course we do. We can simply go; Webs can't stay cooped up in here," said Eugene and Webmaster gave a small growl. "Webs agrees with me."

"We can't do anything that might alert my sister; we discussed this," said James.

"And how is she going to know?" Eugene asked.

"By asking questions, she studied body language and facial expressions. She only knows they were hiding something we don't need to put more fuel on the fire."

"I would like nothing more than to go and explore the Dragon Realms, but we have to protect the secret even if it means doing things we don't like," said Tom.

"Would it be easier just to tell Rose about the dragons?" Alex asked, looking at him. "I mean, your mom knows."

"She found out completely by accident, and that too was down to her intuition," Tom pointed out.

"Guys, Tom and James do have very good points," said Jun.

"Yeah, we can't let any other people like Buzzsaw know about dragons," said D'Angelo.

"And Sledkin," James added. "She's already been obsessive about dragonsight. Who knows what she might do if she discovers that the whole treasure trove is in the dragon realms."

"Exactly, we have to protect the dragon secret no matter what," said Tom. "Even if it means lying to our parents."

Plowhorn then suddenly sensed something and began sniffing the air.

"What is it, girl?" D'Angelo asked. "You smell something?"

Soon, all the other dragons responded the same way as Plowhorn.

"Last time they acted like this was when Eugene snuck into the Lair," said James.

"Do you think someone is here?" Jun asked.

"I know that we should fan out," said Tom.

"No need for that," said a voice and then stepping out of the shadows was Rose. "I'll be more than happy to give myself up."

"Rose?" James stared in disbelief. "W-what are you doing here?"

"Wanted to see what this Dragon Club was all about and to confirm your suspicions of mine," she shrugged.

James found it unusual that she was perfectly fine despite seeing six fully adult dragons standing behind them. "And you're not freaked out about seeing dragons because…"

"Because I only knew they existed," she said.

"What?!" everyone gasped.

"How could you have possibly known about the dragons?" Tom asked.

"Because of this," she said, holding out the wore-looking book.

"A book?" Eugene scoffed. "Don't tell me you're into mythical mumbo-jumbo like my sister."

"I have studied mythology, but it's more of a hobby," Rose admitted.

"I knew I liked her for a reason," Jun smiled.

Eugene looked at James. "We're more alike than I thought."

"We're nothing alike," said James flatly.

Tom then recognised a very familiar symbol on the book Rose was holding. "Wait, that's the dragon symbol."

Rose looked rather surprised. "You know about that?"

Tom then pulled out the Dragon Book. "You're not the only one with an ancient book in his possession. Though technically it's not really mind it belonged to an ancestor of mine called Hiccup—"

"—Haddock," Rose finished.

Everyone looked at her, stunned.

"Wait, you know about Hiccup Haddock?" Tom gaped.

"I know quite a lot about him because this book, written by one of my ancestors, is filled with his life adventures," Rose smiled. "His name was Ragnar Keatson, and he was his best friend."

"Wait, are you saying that way are descendants of one the original Dragon Riders?" James stared.

"That we are," Rose smiled.

"Okay, but how do you know all about this, and where did you get that book?" James asked.

"From dad," said Rose sadly. "He told me the stories when I was quite young, and he always meant to tell you, but then he died. I always meant to tell you myself, but at the time, you were rather distraught."

"So you know everything about Hiccup Haddock?" Tom asked excitedly.

"More or less, I'm not completely fluent in Viking runes," she admitted. "Though I read another to know quite a bit about him and his fellow Riders."

Tom immediately flipped through the pages of the book and showed the pictures of the Vikings. "You mean them?"

Rose looked at the page and smiled. "That's them, the original Dragon Riders."

"Can you tell us anything about them?" D'Angelo asked excitedly.

Rose nodded and then pointed to the pictures of the two twins. "As you can probably tell, these two are twins, and they were called Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston. They weren't particularly smart and spent most of their time fighting with one another, but their unpredictability proved to be rather handy in a few missions."

"They sound quite the handful," said Jun.

"They spent most of the time either blowing stuff up or pranking people, sometimes both simultaneously."

"How did they manage to live so long?" said James in disbelief.

Rose then pointed to the husky Viking. "Now, this big guy's name is Fishlegs Ingerman."

Eugene snorted. "Fishlegs, that's even worse than Hiccup."

"Don't let his big size fool you; he was rather quite sensitive from what I've read," said Rose, ignoring Eugene. "He was a bit of a bookworm, mostly having his nose in a book and particularly like dangerous situations."

"He sounds a bit like you, Alex," said Jun, looking at her.

"Reassuring to know that I'm not the only reluctant Dragon Rider in history," said Alex.

"That said, his fascination with dragons rivalled that of Hiccup, and he was always eager to study something new. I'm sure he was born in this era. He would be quite the scientist," said Rose.

She then pointed to the muscular Viking. "This guy, his name was Snotlout Jorgenson, and from what I've read, he had a massive ego. Always clashing with Hiccup, sometimes trying to assume command and trying to take matters into his own hands."

"Sounds like a complete jerk," said Eugene and then he noticed everyone staring at him. "What?"

"Sounds like Hiccup Haddock had a content with his own Eugene," said Jun.

James then looked at the picture of the inquisitive-looking Viking. "I take it through the process of elimination that this guy is our ancestor."

Rose nodded. "Ragnar Keatson was the team healer, their medic, if you will. He supported Hiccup from day one and was always there with a shoulder to lean on."

"They sounded pretty close," said D'Angelo, looking at Tom and James. "Like us three."

"Yeah, when we're not getting on each other's nerves," said Tom.

Jun then looked at the beautiful Viking girl. "Who's she? She looks like one of the ancient Valkyries."

"Valkyrie?" Eugene frowned.

"Warrior women then descended upon the battlefield to collect the souls of the fallen," said Jun.

"Her name was Astrid Hofferson, and you're right, she was a warrior," said Rose. "She was Hiccup's second in command; she was as tough as nails and had no fear. She later became Hiccup's wife, making her one of your ancestors, Tom."

"Man, how did Tommy's ancient ancestor get a girl like that?" Eugene asked.

"Well, from what I read, he kidnapped," said Rose, and everyone stared at her.

"He did what?!" Jun stared.

"Not exactly the romantic union I imagined," said Alex.

"From what I read, she accidentally stumbled upon Hiccup and his dragon and was going to tell their entire village," Rose explained. "So he kidnapped her hoping to get her to understand the bond between dragons."

"Why did Hiccup feel the need to do that?" Tom asked.

"Because at the time, they were at war with dragons, a war that went on for 300 years," Rose explained. "Hiccup was the one that ended it by showing the dragons were not the bloodthirsty creatures they believed they were and that they could be gentle."

"That must've taken some convincing," said James.

"He nearly died," said Rose. "He was the son of a great Viking chief, a chief well known for his strength and leadership as well as his hatred for dragons. When he discovered that his son had befriended one, he disowned him and led their army to eliminate the dragons once and for all."

"That sounded pretty rough," said D'Angelo. "His dad sounds as tough as mine."

"What he failed to realise was that the dragons were being controlled by a particularly large one. They were forced to steal food to feed this dragon or else be devout themselves, and it had some subtle control over them."

"You're saying this dragon can control their minds," Eugene scoffed.

"It's not unheard of," said Eugene. "If that dragon controlled them like a queen bee or ant, then it's entirely possible."

"Hiccup tried to warn his father of the danger, but he completely ignored him. So, he decided to take things into his own hands and led the younger Vikings into battle. It was then that his father realised his mistake and saw his son's bravery and leadership. In the end, the battle was won, and the dragons were freed from the influence of that particular dragon, and that was when the entire Viking tribe managed to train and ride dragons."

"I can just picture it in my mind," said Jun. "A world where both humans and dragons live together."

"Hang on," said Alex. "Not interrupt this beautiful daydream, but how come the the dragons have hidden away for over a thousand years if they manage to establish peace."

"Because not everyone is willing to accept dragons as equals," Rose sighed. "Hiccup did his best to show their dragons and humans could live together, but others saw them as resources and war machines. Then there were those who would not give up hunting dragons sport. In the end, they decided that the time was not yet right for humans and dragons to live together, so they separated."

"Now we're having the same problem," Tom sighed. "This is why the dragons have to be kept secret."

"I wish it were that easy, Tom, but secrets do have a tendency to come out in the open," said Rose. "Your mother already knows, does she not?"

"Yeah, but she agreed to keep the secret for now," said Tom.

"And how long do you think she will keep it?" Rose asked.

Time wished he had an answer; the truth of the matter was he had absolutely no idea.

"So, Rose, would you like to go for a ride?" James asked.

Rose smiled. "I thought you would never ask."

Moments later, Roserodeg on Blade behind James as they flew around the fissure with the other Riders.

"This is amazing," said Rose. "I mean, I've read about it, but experiencing it is a different matter entirely."

"You haven't seen nothing yet," said James.

D'Angelo then flew up to Tom. "Giving it a good idea to show her around the Dragon Realms?"

"It's not like we have a lot of choice," said Tom.

"Maybe that showing her the Hidden World may not be the best idea," said Jun.

"I think it's an excellent idea," said Eugene.

Jun narrowed her eyes. "No one asked you, Eugene."

They soon flew into the Crystal Realm, and Rose stared in wonder.

"It's like a whole new world," Rose gasped.

"I thought exactly the same way when I first saw it," said James.

"As did we all," said Alex.

"And you explore these Realms every day?" said Rose, looking at them somewhat impressed. "I have to say I've never met a bunch of teenagers like you before."

"Well, I am one-of-a-kind," Eugene winked.

"Which is a relief," Jun muttered.

"We usually spend all day exploring and studying other dragons," said D'Angelo.

"Of course, we've mostly been rediscovering them ever since we found the Dragon Book," said Tom. "And we only skimmed the surface when it comes to dragons."

"So, what did your mother say when you showed her around?" Rose asked curiously.

Tom winced all quickly. "Uh, well, the first time she came down here was to see whether it was safe for us to explore."

"Ah, and I take it that it was anything but safe," Rose assumed.

"It would have gone perfectly. Eugene hadn't sabotaged the plan," Jun glared.

"How was I supposed to know a little dragon could cause so much mayhem?" said Eugene.

James then looked at his sister. "So, you're not going to stop us coming down here?"

Rose looked at him sympathetically. "James, I'm concerned for your safety, especially after what happened with Dad, and Mum feels the same way. However, coming down here has helped your depression immensely, and I don't want to stop that."

"So you're fine for me being down here?" said James, a little surprised.

"So long as you don't purposely put yourself in danger, I have no problems," Rose said, looking at everyone else. "However, I won't stop Dr Kullersen from telling everyone else, especially your parents."

Everyone looked at one another, deeply concerned and worried.

"I'm afraid it will be up to you to convince your parents to keep the secret of the dragons," said Rose.

"That's not going to be easy," said James.

"Yeah, asking our parents, who are scientists, to keep the greatest scientific discovery of the century is not going to be easy," Alex agreed.

"Let's just hope that doesn't happen," said Tom.

They soon landed, and Rose took the opportunity to stroke Blade, who seemed to like it.

"So you call him Blade?" she said.

"Because of his razor-sharp wings," said James. "And he seems like the name."

Blade roared in agreement.

"I can see that," Rose chuckled. "You know I envy you; I wish I could have a dragon."

"Mum said that you once asked for a unicorn for Christmas, and now you want a dragon."

"I was eight years old," she said defensively. "Besides what you told me that there are unicorns down here."

"Unicorn dragons, but I would stay clear from them," James advised. "Trust me, they may be cute but far from harmless."

"Especially Nibbles," said Alex, looking up from the tablet.

"Nibbles?" Rose blinked.

"Long story."

Tom then approached Rose. "So, is there anything you can tell us about Hiccup? I mean, I only know that he was the best Dragon Rider in history."

"Well, I think the best way to describe it would be that he was the Viking version of King Arthur," said Rose.

"What, he pulled a sword out of a stone?" Eugene asked.

"No, but he was a natural leader and quite the inventor. He created a sword that burst into flames at will… a flying suit… he even made a Swiss Army leg for himself."

"Why did he make the leg for himself?" D'Angelo asked.

"Oh, he lost his leg in battle, so he made himself one," Rose explained. "When I read it, it was an unusual design; it had a wooden base with some curved metal rods for the leg itself."

"Sound a lot like that thing we found in the King Realm," said Tom slowly.

Eugene smirked. "Told you it was a leg."

"Now we'll never hear the end of it," Alex muttered.

"He was an inventor?" said Jun, looking intrigued. "And you're saying that he invented the flying suit a thousand years before it was invented."

"So he could fly alongside his dragon Toothless," Rose explained.

Eugene scoffed. "He named his dragon Toothless? That is the least threatening name I have ever heard for a dragon."

"Considering that his dragon had a fearsome reputation, I think that he wanted a gentler name," Rose theorised.

"What do you mean fearsome reputation?" Jun asked.

"His dragon was called a Night Fury and was the most feared of all dragons. The Vikings called them the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself."

"Oh, now that sounds cool," said Eugene.

"The Night Furies must have done some pretty fearsome things done that reputation," said D'Angelo.

"From what I've read, they were the fastest and the most intelligent dragon out there," said Rose.

"Past tense," Alex noted.

"They were completely hunted to extinction. Toothless was, in fact, the last of his kind," said Rose regretfully.

"That's so sad," said Jun.

"And more reason why we need to keep the dragons a secret and why we need to protect them," said Tom.

The Riders looked at their dragons and nodded.

Later that evening, they made their way back to the surface.

"So you're not going to tell our parents about our hidden friends?" Tom asked Rose.

"I promise, but honestly, I think it would be for the best if you told your parents yourselves rather than hearing it second-hand," Rose advised.

"You mean from my mom," said Tom.

"Your mother does agree that the dragons need to be protected, but at the same time, she feels obligated to tell your parents what you're really doing every afternoon. Plus, they could also help protect the dragons."

"She does bring up a good point," said Jun.

"No, we still can't risk it," said Tom stubbornly.

"Let's not go on the merry-go-round again," James sighed. "I think we've talked about this subject enough for one day; let's just go back home and get some rest."

"Rest? We hardly did exploring today," Eugene muttered.

"We were merely showing Rose around, and we didn't want to do something too dangerous," said Jun.

"First time for everything," said James, making them all laugh.

They also went their separate ways back to their respective domes, and James and Rose began making their way home.

"It was nice showing you my world," said James.

"It was exciting, and I wish I could explore more, but money can be here for a few days," said Rose. "There are a lot of people that still need my help."

"People like me?" James asked.

Rose placed a hand on his shoulder. "Everyone has lost someone every now and then. I merely help them come to terms with it so they can start a new life."

James smiled. "Well, they're lucky to have you looking out for them."

Rose then pulled out the ancient book and gave it to him. "Here, I think Dad would want you to know more about our heritage."

James looked at the book, speechless. "Are you sure?"

"I have a feeling that it will help you and your friends to discover the truth of this long-forgotten history," said Rose. "If you guys can learn from the past, you can perhaps make a better future for all of us."

"I'll promise I'll take good care of it," James promised.

"I know you will," Rose smiled. "Now we better make our way home; I'm sure Mum has a delicious meal waiting for us."

The two of them then started to make their way back home.