Chapter 306

Hiccups POV:

It's been five weeks since me and my father went on our herb gathering trip and since then a lot has happened, starting with me and my dad putting some of my ideas into action. The first thing we did is train my snake guardians who had been able to obtain human forms how to handle ships and conduct trade for a project that my dad approved of. This project is them taking ships to various tribes, acting as traders but the real reason would be to plant my automatons on the island so we could keep an eye on other tribes for any form of trouble for either them or us. We hadn't been able to gather any information that would be threatening to the tribe as everything was peaceful for the tribes with them going about their own business, but it didn't hurt to be on guard. This did give us the chance to get our hands on some fine items through trade while giving me the chance to get rid of some of my extra items that were just gathering dust in the storerooms.

It was also because of this that my snake guardians had been able to meet up with a couple of other traders and set up some decent trade routes with them going so far as to create trade routes to New Berk which led to my latest project. A ring that circles the waters of the pillar that holds New Berk with Gronkle iron mixed with diamond steel supports set up closely together. This way it doubled as an extra defense against ships since if they hit the supports, they'd be torn apart from beneath and sink. Along with this dock, I'd connected it to three manmade islands which included the one we got from the pirates which would still serve as a storehouse for the fish to be checked out before being sent up to New Berk. These other two though had other purposes though to make life a little more comfortable for the traders while also ensuring the safety of New Berk.

One building was a bunk house where traders could rest up a bit with a large room when you first enter with a firepit in the center, and doors lining the walls which lead to bedrooms which had beds and side tables on either side with windows looking out. The rooms were simple since most traders preferred to sleep on their own ships where they could keep a close eye on their goods in case of thieves. The second building was a bar where traders would be able to sit down and have a bite to eat when they weren't busy trading their belongings. This building had a large bar at the back with various barrels of mead and some amphoras of nectar while around the open area were various tables and decorating the walls were different tapestries I'd picked up. Along with the buildings, I'd of course also made docks for the ships of visiting traders to be docked at and where they could do their business.

As for how New Berks fishing boats could get passed, I made four bridges in the pathway which could be pushed open so the ships could go through whenever they needed to and closed when they were gone with the openings facing the exits to the ring that held my island. I had also made it so they couldn't be pushed open easily by creating a locking system that was manned by those who were on guard duty on those docks. They'd be given the key which would unlock the cranks that held the paths in place and then it'd be a simple pull of a lever to activate the weighted system that would either open or close the paths.

Besides the buildings and moving path system, I'd lined the pathways with railings to ensure nobody fell into the water easily but that was just an excuse to hide the defenses which were hidden as the support poles. On top of each support were zippleback heads carved into the wood with one facing the dock and the other facing out into the ocean with a life stone built into the bodies and peer stones built into the eyes. Within the necks of the dragons that went all the way down into the water were diamond steel pipes leading to two separate containers below in the water. One container held my clear Loki balls filled with knockout gas while the other contained the mixture that when ignited, creates Greek Fire and built into the tops were opening leading up to the heads. When they go off, the heads facing the ocean will spray Greek fire out onto the waters at any attacking ship which will be lit by a small oil flame I set up in the mouth while the ones facing the docks will spray my knockout gas on any enemies on it.

It was thanks to this and the hard work of my snake guardians who were now acting as New Berks official traders, we got multiple traders visiting New Berk with some holding food, items, clothes and artifacts not even I'd seen. Still though, I mostly just bought the books they had to add to my library and let the other stuff be bought up by everyone else who was eager to get their hands on the stuff. I did keep a close eye on the traders though since the last thing we wanted was another Trader Johan who would play us for fools before stabbing us in the back. Turns out I was right to do so since after the first three weeks a trader came in claiming that he had an excess of Stock he thought we'd take an interest in and the moment my dad and I went below to inspect the goods, we were ambushed by armed men, waiting below to take us hostage. It was clear those men had no idea who they were dealing with when it comes to my dad since they went for him first and as expected, they were beaten senseless and we had the ship taken in under twenty minutes with those who fled to the dock, knocked out by the gas. Wasn't a total waste of time though as they did surprisingly have a lot of good items on their ship besides the treasures which were added to New Berks gold while the other items were distributed. As for the pirates and their ship, we added the ship to New Berks fishing ships while I handed the pirates over to those who placed bounties on their heads and made some good money.

After that we supplied the traders who we could trust with special pendants that they'd have to show the guards at the entrance of the ring if they wanted to get in and give a password specific to them which changes after each visit. We also gave them a word to say that meant there was a trap they'd been forced into with stowaways and to have the guards be ready to deal with it. They also had another word that would mean that they needed to speak with either me or my dad as soon as they'd docked, and the guards would send word using terror mail. As for new traders, they had to go through a thorough checkup before we would even consider letting them past the wall that my island rested on and even if they did pass they'd have to have their ships searched for anything off.

Besides that, not much has happened other than my son Ajmal beginning to crawl around now and having fun with Xiu and Zephyr mostly since they roomed together and Zhang Yong who was always watching over them. He especially loved spending time outside in the garden and playing with the animals who sometimes visited it but he especially enjoyed spending time with Mei and would crawl over to her whenever he saw her. Mei wasn't too big on this at first and would try to avoid him which often made him cry until she'd come back and let him touch her a bit with him occasionally snuggling up to her. The only nibi's who got a similar reaction from him were Saichi and Kane which Gobber would claim just proves he's the son of me and Hadasa with his love for plants, sand and metal. Besides that, I've done a few more raids on shipwrecks and come back with a couple of treasures and some fine artifacts that were now in my house somewhere as decoration or in the vault and some training with the kids. Now though, I was meeting with a new trader who had wished to do business on Berk and claimed to have a message he needed to give me. Accompanying me on this trip besides Toothless was Brant and Chara who I felt needed to learn a bit more about negotiations when it comes to these types of deals while Egil was undergoing some intense sword training under Metal and had been going through it for the last three hours which were not to be disturbed. We came to land on the head of the ship which shook a little as we landed before a gruff voice from below said.

"Hold on a moment, just finishing the sorting of some items."

We all dismounted Toothless and stood on deck as I signaled my kids to be on their guard before a large man with brown hair that's tied into a small ponytail with a short beard that was a little bushy with eyes that surprised me as one was blue and the other sea green. He had a few scars on his arms that I recognized from a few tidal class dragon species that I had running around the bewilderbeast and purple death nests. As for his clothes he was wearing a leather vest with a white shirt sleeved shirt, black pants, brown boots with gray fur on the rims and around his wrists were leather bands and he also had a large machete and pocketknife on his hip.

"Sorry about that short delay but it's nice to meet you." He took his hand with the towel off his face. "My name is-" He was cut off by Brant and Chara crying out.

"UNCLE BRONK!"

The trader took one look at the kids and dropped the towel as all color seemed to leave his face.

"Brant, Chara?" He shook his head. "It can't be." He dropped to his knees as the kids walked up to him and he began feeling their faces. "Is it really you?" I could see tears forming in the eyes of both him and my children as Brant answered.

"Yeah, it's us Uncle Bronk."

"All this time I thought you were both dead after I found out how your parents were killed by those slavers and-" He then paused before looking up at me and glaring as shoved the kids behind him, catching us all by surprise as he took out his machete. "If you're the bastard that bought the children of my brother than you better release them, or I'll take your head off." Before I could reply, Brant and Chara rushed out in front of him.

"STOP, HE DIDN'T BUY US AND WE'RE NOT HIS SLAVES!" Chara then continued her brother's explanation.

"HE RESCUED US, TOOK DOWN THE SLAVERS AND TOOK US IN BEFORE HE AND HIS WIVES ADOPTED US!" He looked down at them.

"Are you telling the truth?" They nodded before Brant said.

"We are, he's our new father and he's taken great care of us going so far as ensure we have the best teachers, weapons and more to ensure we can look after ourselves in the future." It was then Chara jumped onto the ships railing and did a handstand using one hand.

"And the training we go through always pays off in so many ways." She then threw her body off the rail and back onto the deck before Bronk said.

"We clearly have a lot to talk about." We all nodded.

"Let's bring your ship in and we can discuss things over a meal." His stomach growled in agreement.

"Now that sounds good, I haven't had lunch yet." With that said, we took off towards the entrance to where New Berk was.

Nightfall

It's been hours since Brant and Chara's uncle turned up and since we first met, he's received a good meal of yak butter parfait with a fruit salad and cup of nectar along with an explanation on how his brothers' children had come to be under my care. I admit, I thought he was taking it pretty well, especially when he was taken to the training room for a demonstration of their skills and how capable they now were. At least until I asked him what he thought and got no reply, so I gently nudged him, and he fell to the ground revealing that he'd fainted while standing. Brant was the one who woke him up by simply saying 'Pie eating contest is about to begin' which woke him up instantly with him crying out to wait for them to wait and let him join.

Following this we did a tour of the island and introduction to the inhabitants though he did keep jumping in fear and in some cases, climbing the nearest thing in terror when he saw some of the inhabitants including the snake guardians. When he saw my wolves though, he literally ran to the nearest tree and climbed up it so fast he'd put the monkeys to shame and I later learned his fear stemmed from his parents warning him if he didn't eat his vegetables, the wolves would eat him, and his brother used to put a stuffed wolf head next to his head at night. Gave him a great fear of wolves, even more so when I revealed who Adal was and who was the mother of his pups who showed him their battle forms which resulted in the need for a break so Bronk could put on some new pants after ruining his current pair in fear.

He was surprised when I introduced Blanca, Astrid, Hadasa and Chiaki all as my wives and even more shocked when they showed him what they were capable of doing including the transformations. After that I just toured him around the house and island with me needing to wake him up multiple times after he kept fainting when he saw what my island held. The only reaction that surprised me was when he saw the storeroom and I told him it was just stuff I've been meaning to send off with traders which is when he began much to my shock, drooling at the sight. When I told him I'd be happy to let him have some of the items of his choice including some alpaca fur blankets, board games and some old books I already had in my library he dropped to his knees, hugging my legs and continuously thanking me. Once Brant and Chara pried him off my legs, he went to explain how business had been slow with people only wanting things for the coming winter where they'd be snowed in for days and freezing so they were all looking for ways to pass the time and keep warm. Unfortunately, games, books and blankets were not something he had in stock so as anyone could guess he was having a bit of a rough time business wise, and this stuff would sell in a flash for great trades and profits. After that he got to business with my people and sold the majority of his stock since I made sure everyone was prepared for the coming winter.

Now though we were all sat down at the dinner table, enjoying a meal of yak butter parfait, freshly roasted boar, fruit salad with freshly baked bread. It was an enjoyable affair with a little small talk which is when I was hit by the memory of something I was told when I was told about Bronk. I turned to him and said.

"You know in all the confusion, I forgot to ask you for the message I was told you have for me." He slapped his head.

"Of course, after being so shocked that my niece and nephew were alive, I forgot to give it to you but it's back on my ship now." Blanca replied.

"We can get it later as for now, it is time to enjoy the dinner we have in front of us followed by the desert of fresh jam pie." We all smiled at this and continued to eat.

1 hour later

We were all sitting down in the library in front of the fire that was burning to provide us with warmth in the cold night air with me standing in front of everyone as I read the message I had been sent. The message was given to Bronk by a Roman sailor who was sent out to find me but had run out of supplies on his search for me and had given the message to Bronk when they crossed paths after he learnt Bronk would be meeting with me. Turns out comes straight from my old friend and current ruler of Rome, Julius Caesar himself who wanted to inform me about a race across the Italian peninsula, inspired by one of the senators. Apparently, there'd been complaints about how bad the condition of the roads had become which had caused protests among the people due to the trouble they caused with the trade routes since the wagons got damaged, the chariots overturned, and all this made them easy targets for highway bandits. This resulted in a lot of riots which some rebels could use to spark the fires of war in the land which is something Caesar didn't want and intended to have some other senator placed in charge of the road maintenance funds.

When this was brought up, senator Terentius, who was currently in charge of the funds cried out that it was all lies about how bad the roads were and to prove it, the race would be held to show how good they were and to help unify the people, anyone could join. Caesar extended an invitation to me to join the race but has requested that if I choose to race with Phlegon, I ensure his wings are hidden and he not fly as it would be unfair to the other racers and be considered cheating. As for the other rules, I was to have at least three horses to pull my chariot which was fine with me since in addition to Phlegon I also had Aylen and Shāndǐng and they'd all had experience pulling my chariot together. As for his reason for inviting me of all people to this race, to the people of Rome, I was a hero and having me there would lift a lot of spirits and inspire a lot of people to forget the rebellion and stay loyal to Rome while also helping them take their minds off the issues. There were still three weeks before the race was to begin meaning I had three weeks to bring out Phlegons chariot and get some practice done while coming up with a plan for how it was going to go and how to convince my wives to let me do it. I looked up at my family and knew it was going to be a long night, so I took a breath and explained what the letter said to them knowing it was going to take some explaining and convincing.

2 weeks later

It's been two weeks since I met Bronk and received the invitation from Caesar to join the chariot race across the Italian peninsula as a racer and a lot has happened in that time. For starters we were able to work out a few things with Bronk such as visiting rights to see Brant and Chara whenever he comes to Berk to do business. Along with that I was able to convince my wives to let me join the race for Rome with Brant as my second since he was the eldest of my children and the only one old enough to join. The only condition they had was that when it was all over, I'd take them on a tour of all the places we went to so they could enjoy them as well which I had no problems with since I could make portal doors to help us get to them or use my carriage if they wanted to take in the countryside.

Two weeks after we got the message, I brought my family to Rome where we met up with Caesar who offered to take us to where the race would begin since he had a villa where we could stay near the city with a lot of room for us to practice for the race. During this time, he revealed who the racers were so far and how the Roman champion was a man named Blandus with his partner being Horatius with the two having six race wins behind them. The thing about Blandus though is he never removed his golden helmet which covered his whole head with the face being covered by a mask that looks like human face with the mouth being able to be lowered to allow him to eat and drink. As for Horatius, he was a short man who supposedly was the brains behind things when it came to times to overtake, when to turn, how to tend to the horses and more. It was because of their combined skills that they made an invincible team and according to Caesar, they're the ones I had to look out for when it comes to the race.

As for the other racers, they were coming from all over to join the race and there was even a rumor about pirates signing up in order to help pay off the debts for their ship. I didn't put much stock into these rumors though, knowing how they often got twisted and turned as they got passed around with how there were tales of my own heroics and how they had changed as they were told and passed around. Then there's the route and rules of the race, we'd start in the city of Modicia and finish in the city of Neapolis with stops in Parma, Sena Jvlia and Tibvr where the racers will spend the night and gain points depending on the order they arrive in. First to arrive gets ten points, second gets nine points, third gets eight and the rest get one point with the one who has the most points at the end winning. As for how it was all being paid for, it was all being paid by two big producers of Garum and Nectar who in return are able to hang their companies' banners at the starting point of the race, the inns where the racers rest and give out free samples to the people. This saved the senate and the ones organizing the race a fortune since the trophies alone weren't cheap, nor were hiring the workers and setting everything up.

Now Brant and I were in the city of Parma, in Phlegons chariot with him hooked up at the front along with Aylen and Shāndǐng each of whom were ready to race while Toothless was in my shadow as a good night flight relaxes me. As we looked around the roads, we took notice of the various people and chariots who'd been attracted by the race and the prizes it offered. I saw a blue chariot with a wolves head decorating the from owned by Belgium's, a white lion shaped chariot owned by some Greeks, a yellow falcon one owned by some Egyptians, an orange bear shaped one being driven by some Goths and more which made up a total of twenty racers not counting Brant and I. I was then brought out of my examinations by loud cheers and turned to see a chariot that looked like an eagle made of gold being pulled by four black horses with red reins and looking ready to race, driven by a masked man wearing a red leather chest plate and cape which was being held by golden discs. At his side was a shirtless man who was only a little taller than Gothi, wearing leather arm guards and holding a whip which he looked eager to crack. It was easy to tell that the two

Blandus and his partner, Horatius who were ready for the race and from the look of their horses, they were eager to get started. It was then the sound of a gong rang which signaled all racers to get to their starting positions, so I drove the chariot over to our place and looked to Brant while asking.

"You ready to do this son?" He smiled.

"Born ready dad."

I smiled and ruffled his hair making him chuckle as senator Terentius who arranged this whole race walked up onto the stage and held his hands up to silence us all. While everyone began to quiet down, I took a moment to examine Terentius and saw he was an overweight man with a bald head with blond hair on the sides wearing a white tunic that had a purple toga over it standing next to a gong with Rome's imperial eagle on it. Once everyone had quieted down, he smiled and announced.

"IN THE NAME OF JULIUS CAESAR, I TERENTIUS PRONOUNCE THE GREAT RACE OF THE ITALIAN PENINSULA OPEN!" There were loud cheers everywhere, mainly for Blandus and Horatius. "THE WINNERS OF THIS RACE SHALL EACH RECEIVE A GOLDEN WREATH OF VICTORY, THE TRADITIONAL PRIZE AWARDED TO VICTORIOUS CHARIOT RACES OF ONE-HUNDRED AND FORTY POTS OF OLIVE OIL AND FURTHER MOR THEY SHALL ALSO BE GIVEN TWENTY FIVE AMPHORAS OF GARUM, TWENTY AMPHORAS OF NECTAR, RECEIVE A PARADE FOLLOWED BY A PRIVATE PARTY, BOTH IN THEIR HONOR WHICH SHALL BE ATTENDED BY BOTH ME AND JULIUS CAESAR HIMSELF AND FINALLY BE COVERED IN GOLD!" There were cheers from the people. "RACERS TO YOUR PLACES!" We all drove our chariots to our spots. "WHEN I STRIKE THE GONG, THE RACE SHALL BEGIN!"

As soon as the last word left his mouth Blandus and Horatius took off, not waiting for the gong before another chariot followed and not one to be left behind, we took off after them and the race was on. Unfortunately, Blandus and Horatius had gained a head start by taking off before the gong rang as did the other chariot which I now saw to be driven by the Goths who we were quick to catch up to. The riders of the chariot weren't too happy to see us and immediately began to ram into our side, trying to throw us off the road as they laughed but I held the chariot steady and smiled at the sight of something up ahead. I rammed the side of my own chariot into theirs, knocking it a little to the side by not much but enough to get their wheel into the path of a large pothole that they didn't see. The moment the wheel struck it the chariot shook and they began fighting to regain their balance while we rode past them before Brant turned to me and asked.

"Is that allowed in chariot racing?" I turned to him.

"Son, in chariot racing there are a lot of things that are allowed which is why there are just as many deaths in the races as there are in the coliseum." He stared at me. "Don't worry, I've raced chariots before and our one can't be tipped so easily and besides, if either of us gets hurt your mothers will kill me and we've been through worse." He nodded before we turned our attention back to the road ahead and focused on catching up to Blandus and Horatius who had gotten farther ahead thanks to us slowing down to deal with the Goths.

Nightfall

Night had fallen and although we'd been able to make it to Parma without injury, neither me nor my son were in a good mood with how things had been. The reason is we would have gotten here a lot sooner if there hadn't been so many issues aside from the potholes on the road and the other racers. There'd been an overturned cart that was filled with logs blocking the road which needed to be cleared before either us or the other racers could go through. Sadly, a few of the racers were caught by surprise and couldn't stop in time so they either crashed into each other or skidded off the road and crashed. Luckily, there were no deaths but either the carriages would take weeks to repair, or the racers or horses were too injured to continue the race. All this gave Blandus and Horatius a massive lead which helped them win the race for the day and earn ten points while Brant and I won nine by coming in second.

Now we were at the inn set up in Parma, sitting down at a table while waiting for our dinner of ham while listening to the other racers chat about their day. Apparently, the overturned wagon wasn't the only problem on the road since there were also Roman patrols passing who insisted they wait for the full patrol to get across the road before they could pass while others had taken a wrong turn and ended up elsewhere. I had to say, all these obstacles were suspicious to say the least and I wasn't the only one to think so since the other racers were clearly just as suspicious as I was except, they'd begun suspecting each other which was made clear by one of the Goth racers accusing the Greek racers which has started a fight between the two. Knowing we weren't going to get any peace tonight if things grew even more out of control, so I took a breath to calm my nerves before walking between the two and pushing them away from each other as I said in Roman.

"Break it up you two, fighting among ourselves isn't going to solve anything other than risking us being taken out of the race and as for why you two are fighting, you've failed to realize neither of you could have been the one to sabotage those signs since you both fell for it." They each muttered in agreement. "Now I'm with you guys on there being something going on but right now we don't know who it is or why since for all we know." One of the Egyptian racers replied.

"Isn't it obvious?" We all turned to him. "It's the romans who are doing this to ensure their Roman wins." There were murmurs of agreement until I held up my hands for silence.

"We don't know that for sure since they could be making it look like they're trying to help Blandus and Horatius to deceive us and possibly the public, so they focus on them instead of what they're really doing." There were murmurs, discussing what I'd said. "Right now, there's nothing we can do but tomorrow," I took my drink of wine and held it up. "We show whoever it is that's causing trouble that we won't be brought down so easily and race our hardest to show Rome what we're made of." Everyone lifted their drinks up high and cheered in agreement as I took my seat again with Brant smiling at me. "What?"

"It just always amazes me how you're able to bring people together so easily with just a few words." I smiled and ruffled his hair before he playfully shoved my arm off.

"That my boy is the power of speech." I then chuckled. "If only it worked well on Vikings." He chuckled as our ham arrived with a knife to cut it up. "Now eat up, we've got to be up early tomorrow to begin tomorrow's race to Sena Jvlia." He nodded and we began eating.

Nightfall

The rooster crowed at dawn which to all of us was the signal to us and the other racers that it was time to head off and as soon as it let out its final crow, we were off on our chariots, speeding down the road. That was a few hours ago and since then the race has lost a couple of more racers but not to roadblocks or misdirection but because their chariots had malfunctions such as their wheels coming off, reins snapping, horses breaking free and more. This just made me more suspicious about someone sabotaging the race to either keep the attention on something else or someone doing their best to ensure Blandus and Horatius win the race, but the question is why they were so determined and how did they get to the chariots that were meant to remain under guard.

It also didn't help that when we were racing through Florentia, all racers had to slow down during this time since the streets were so crowded. I honestly didn't mind it though since the reason the city was so popular was people came to see the statues and amazing architecture that we were able to pass by and admire along the way with statues that were the size of the ones outside of the Great Hall of old Berk but with so much more detail. I knew when this whole race was done, I had to bring my family here to see it all and enjoy the architecture while also buying a few of the pieces which would look good in the house or garden while also picking up some of the wine. Still, it gave Blandus and Horatius a large lead that made it harder for all the remaining racers to catch up to him, including me and Brant.

The thing that ensured Blandus and Horatius, victory today though was Sena Julia, the second last stop beforea Neopolis which was a city that had streets like a labyrinth so easy to get lost in. Brant and I along with the other racers easily got lost in the streets with the various people telling us which way to go which only got us even more lost in the city, passing by the other racers who just as lost as us. By the time we finally found the Inn, Blandus and Horatius had arrived hours ago, and we were second to arrive with the other racers arriving one by one.

Now we were sitting at the inn, and nobody was happy with how the roman champion had once again won another ten points for themselves while Brant and I won another nine points for arriving second. Neither of us were happy since we both agreed that something was going on with the race to ensure that Blandus and Horatius won it, but I knew Caesar wasn't behind it since he was a man of honor. Still though, who the one pulling the strings was not something we knew but it was something I'd find out and make sure that Caesar knew about it when I saw him. For now, though, all I could do was enjoy my meal of pasta and try to raise my son's spirit when he seemed to be so down after today's loss.

Afternoon the next day

We'd been on the road since the crack of dawn and now my patience had taken all it could concerning this cheating that has been going on. The reason for this is we were now facing another block in the form of a small squad of roman soldiers lead by a centurion who just had the men push a wagon into the road after letting Blandus and Horatius pass by. The reason they claimed is they needed to do a checkup for anything out of the ordinary, but it was clear to me that this was really to give their racer a chance to get a better lead. Now the centurion was going into a long explanation as to why there was a roadblock and since I'd had enough, I turned to Brant and said.

"Son, you may fire when ready." He smiled.

"I've been waiting the entire race for you to say that." He took out his spear and pointed the explosive end at the wagon as the centurion asked.

"What are you doing young man?" Brant ignored him.

"My sons just clearing the road of an obstacle." Brant launched the head at the wagon, and it exploded into pieces throwing the men around it back as the centurion stared in shock, but I just smirked and turned to the other racers who were waiting behind us. "BLOCKS GONE SO LET'S GO!" They cheered and we took off down the road.

4 hours later

We'd arrived in the city of Tibvr, arriving an hour ago with Blandus and Horatius arriving half an hour before us meaning they'd won another ten points for themselves. Now with our chariot parked at the inn and the sun still out, Brant and I had decided to go for a walk through the city to calm our nerves. This brings us to now, with me and my son, walking side by side through the streets of the marketplace while enjoying a comfortable silence until Brants head snapped to the side gaining my attention before I asked.

"Something wrong son?"

"I think I just saw Horatius dive into that alley with some guy in formal robes." I looked at him.

"Let's go and check it out."

We walked over to the entrance to the alleyway and when I confirmed that it really was Horatius, pressed myself against the wall with Brant doing so on the other wall. From there, we got a good view of the man dressed in fine robes handing Horatius and two of the men who I knew were the ones guarding the stables and chariots at each stage in the evening, a small bag. I then heard him promise Horatius a villa in Neapolis along with a high position and a lot more gold if the champion won before he promised the two guard their weight in gold when the race was over for their services and to ensure Brant and I did not make it out of the city tomorrow. I growled and signaled Brant to be ready to which he nodded before I made my way into the alley and extended my shadow beneath them and to the other side of them as I said.

"That's not going to be easy since me and my son do not go down easily." They all turned to me as Brant walked up next to me with his spear in hand and when they saw us, they backed up which is when I released Toothless behind them and quickly signaled him to not let them pass. "Don't bother trying to run, you won't make it past me and my son on this side or my dragon on the other side." They turned and gasped in fear at the sight of Toothless glaring at them as I signaled Brant to stand ready before I walked forward. "Now then, you can either tell us what you're being paid for or" I released my black tapou blade with it dripping lava that sizzled as it hit the ground making the men gulp. "I can show you the pain of burning lava using my black tapou blade."

The two guards immediately dropped to their knees and told me everything about how they'd been sabotaging the wagons and helped arrange the accidents and blocks on the road. The man who was paying them then came clean how he arranged the centurion and his men to create the roadblock to slow me and the other racers down while also arranging fresh horses for Blandus and Horatius's chariot at every city. Horatius confessed that he knew all about it and had been keeping it all hidden from Blandus and was being paid to ensure they won and that Blandus knew nothing about the cheating and didn't question how easy the race was. I clenched my fists in anger since a lot of people had been hurt unnecessarily because of this before they finished, and I asked.

"Who has been arranging all this trouble for the racers?" The one who was giving out the money answered.

"It's Senator Terentius, he wants to ensure a champion of Rome wins to make everyone think the roads are still in good condition so he can hide the funds away and keep them for his own use to fund his luxurious lifestyle." I growled.

"Damn thief." I extended my shadow beneath them.

"Where are he and Blandus now?"

"They are both at the villa Senator Terentius owns in the city and I can take you to it." I smiled.

"Good!" I then looked at the others. "You lot on the other hand aren't going to be leaving yet." As soon as the words left my mouth, I pulled them into my shadow, making the man's face turn white in fear as I looked at Toothless. "Thanks for the help, bud." He just growled and nodded before he was pulled into my shadow while I turned back to the man. "Now let's get going and if you try to run then my blade will cut through you before you make it five steps away." He nodded and we took off.

10 minutes later

We were making our way through the villa with the servant leading us, taking down the guards as we did so when they tried to stop us until we reached the balcony where senator Terentius was laying down on a cline with Blandus. As we walked forward, I released Horatius and the men from my shadow with Toothless behind us to ensure they didn't try to flee from the villa. I grabbed Horatius by the neck and threw him out onto the floor of the balcony gaining the attention of the two men who looked up at us as I said.

"Terentius, you've got some explaining to do." He immediately tried to jump over the railing of the balcony and make a run for it but I shot a bola from my prosthetic, pinning his arms to his sides before I reeled him in. "Nice try!" Blandus then asked.

"What is going on?" I turned to him as Brant explained.

"We came to bring him down for all the cheating he's been doing to ensure your victory which includes fresh horses for your carriage in every city." He slapped his helmet.

"Fresh horses, I should have known it was all too easy."

"So, you really didn't know about any of it?" He shook his head.

"No, Horatius handles the business side while I just steer the horses." He took his helmet off to reveal a brown-haired man with a thick beard and long curly hair that went down his shoulders. "I am a man of honor and I do not believe a victory won by cheating is a victory at all." He shook his head. "I refuse to continue this race as it shall only bring a false victory." I nodded to him in respect before Horatius stood up and looked at him.

"But what about all the riches we were promised for our victory?" He shook his head.

"Keep it, I am a man who cares more for his honor than any amount of wealth." It was then Terentius finally spoke.

"You can't drop out of the race!" We all turned to him. "Do you have any idea how much gold I have had to pay and how many favors I've had to call in, in order to ensure your victory and how much trouble it's been to have your competition sabotaged." A voice from behind me then replied.

"Is that so?" We all turned to see none other than Julius Caesar walking in with his guards on either side of him as he walked up to Terentius. "Terentius, you have brought great shame to Rome with your cheating and for this you shall face punishment once the race is over but for now you shall be imprisoned until a punishment can be decided upon." He turned to his guards. "Take him away!" They nodded as I released the rope from my bola, so he remained bound by my bola and took the other men involved in the cheating as well and once they were gone Caesar turned to me. "Hiccup, I owe you a great deal of gratitude for helping expose what has been going on in this race and you may expect a great reward when it comes to an end." I bowed to him.

"It was my pleasure Oh Caesar, but may I ask what brought you here in the first place."

"I simply came wishing to know how the race was coming along from Terentius when I saw the guard's unconscious and Toothless in the entrance room, so I decided to see what was happening."

"So how much did you hear besides Terentius confessing to arrange the cheating to ensure the victory of Rome's champion?"

"I heard all the cheating methods done and about Blandus dropping out of the race." It was then Blandus walked up and bowed.

"Forgive me Oh Caesar, but I cannot in good conscience continue the race knowing the dishonor I have suffered." He nodded.

"Caesar understands and can respect your decision to choose honor over money." He smiled and nodded. "Now my business here is concluded, I shall return to my own villa for the evening." We all bowed to him as he and his guards left before I turned to Brant.

"We better go inform the other racers about what's going on." He nodded.

"Sounds good to me." With that said we left the villa, picking up Toothless along the way.

Nightfall

We were out on the restaurant's balcony, sitting at a long table with the other racers enjoying the food and a light conversation with smiles on our faces with everyone having a good time knowing Blandus and Horatius were out of the race and the cheating was done with. I decided it was time to make a toast and raised my goblet of wine gaining everyone's attention and said.

"A toast to tomorrows race, may this final lap be a fair and clean race with no more cheating or accidents." They all raised their goblets and cheered to it before we all drank down our drinks and continued with our meals.

Afternoon the next day

It's been hours since we began the last lap of the race and since the beginning, Brant and I had a good lead until Blandus showed up to continue the race which surprised me since he seemed determined not to continue the race. I shrugged it off and continued to race against him which brings us to now with our two chariots racing next to each other with the finish line in sight. It was then Blandus's chariot fell right into a large pothole, destroying his chariot along with his chances of winning which allowed me and my son to pass through the finish line easily as the crowd cheered for us. I smiled and pulled my horses reins to stop them and once they did, I noticed Blandus walking up and removing his helmet to reveal not Blandus beneath the helmet but Caesar who didn't look the least bit pleased with his loss which he made clear by him yelling.

"YES, IT IS I WHO LOST THE RACE DUE TO THE POTHOLE LEFT IN THE ROAD DESPITE MY DESIRE TO BRING HONOR AND GLORY TO ROME DURING THIS RACE!" I knew I needed to help Caesar, or this would be trouble in the future, so I got off the chariot and walked up to him with a smile as I said.

"BRAVO OH CAESAR, I NEVER WOULD HAVE GUESSED YOU WERE ONLY ACTING TO HELP HIDE YOUR TRUE REASON FOR RACING IN BLANDUS PLACE!" He raised an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?"

"Caesar, the people of Rome are smart and not easy to fool so it best to just come clean as your motive was truly heroic in my eyes." I wrapped an arm around his shoulder and looked to the people. "THE REASON JULIUS CAESAR HERE TOOK THE PLACE OF BLANDUS WAS BECAUSE HE FOUND OUT THAT SENATOR TERENTIUS HAD BEEN CHEATING TO ENSURE THE VICTORY OF ROME SO HE WOULD BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN HIS POSITION AND HIDE THE FUNDS MEANT FOR THE ROADS MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR SO HE COULD THEN USE THE FUNDS TO SUPPORT HIS OWN LUXURIOUS LIFESTYLE!" There were murmurs. "AFTER FINDING OUT OF THIS, BLANDUS DROPPED OUT OF THE RACE, REFUSING THE DISHONOR THAT IT WOULD ACCOMPANY IT LEAVING ROME WITHOUT A CHAMPION!" There were gasps. "FORTUNATLEY, CAESAR REFUSED TO ALLOW ROMETO BE FURTHER DISHONERED BY HAVING NO CHAMPION NOR WOULD HE RISK BEING TRICKED ONCE MORE WITH LIES SO HE USED THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BOTH GIVE ROME A NEW CHAMPION AND SEE HOW BAD THE DAMAGE WAS HIMSELF INSTEAD OF RISKING THE ONE HE HIRED LYING TO HIM FOR MONEY OR RISKING A LOYAL WARRIOR BEING HARMED BY THE ROADS!" I looked at Caesar and winked making his eyes widen before he smiled.

"THANKYOU MY FRIEND FOR SUMMARIZING MY PLAN PERFECTLY AND NEVER LET IT BE SAID THAT CAESAR IS A POOR LOSER!" He led me over to the stage with Brant joining at my side and once we were on top, he gestured to us. "CITIZENS OF ROME, I PRESENT TO YOU, OUR CHAMPIONS!" Everyone cheered before the prizes for our victory were brought up. "FIRST I PRESENT THE BOTH OF YOU WITH THE WREATH'S OF VICTORY!" Two wreaths covered in gold were brought up on red silk pillows which he took and placed on our heads. "I NOW PRESENT YOU WITH THE TRADITIONAL PRIZE AWARDED TO VICTORIOUS CHARIOT RACES OF ONE-HUNDRED AND FORTY POTS OF OLIVE OIL, TWENTY-FIVE AMPHORAS OF GARUM AND TWENTY AMPHORAS OF NECTAR!" Fourteen wagons full of ceramic pots were brought up to the stage before a golden cup that was the same size as me, filled with gold was brought up onto the stage. "A TROPHY FILLED WITH GOLD!" He then placed a hand on our shoulders. "AND FINALLY, THE CONGRATULATIONS OF CAESAR!" I smiled at him. "NOW LET THE PARADE TO CELEBRATE OUR TWO CHAMPIONS VICTORY, BEGIN!" Everyone cheered before we were led off stage and back to our chariot which we rode down the road for the people to see.

Nightfall

The party had begun and to say I was getting a headache would be an understatement since the moment the party began, people had been cozying up to both me and Brant none stop. Most were nobles who were hoping to either hire us as their own personal racers or buy my horses since they were some of the fastest and finest horses they'd ever seen and would no doubt breed prize horses for future races. Some were hoping to buy some of the amphoras of olive oil, nectar and garum since they go for a good price on the open market, especially the garum which is highly prized by the Romans. If that wasn't bad enough, the nobles had been trying to convince me to marry their daughters or at least give sleep with them until they fall pregnant with my child with a few asking me to do the same with their wives. To make matters worse was they were doing the same to Brant, trying to convince him to sell to them, race for them and some of the girls his age was constantly flirting with him and in some cases, rubbing their bodies up against him.

Now I had just finished turning down another nobleman's offer for some amphoras of garum since I wanted to sell a few of the amphoras to some merchants I knew who were always paying a good price for anything I sold to them. I turned to Caesar and asked.

"So have you decided what you're going to do with Terentius?" He nodded.

"After you exposed him, we were able to discover what he has spent the funds on, where he stored the remaining funds but as the majority has been spent, we have decided to confiscate the majority of his possessions to sell them and regain some of the funds but as for Terentius himself, he'll be fighting in the coliseum as a gladiator for his crimes." I smiled and nodded.

"He's been fighting to keep his position and now he'll be fighting to keep alive against other warriors and beasts." He nodded.

"As for what happened after the race, you have my thanks for helping with that situation when I unmasked myself as the racer who took Blandus."

"You looked like you needed someone to help get you out of that troubling situation and I'm always happy to help a friend."

"Still, you will not find Caesar ungrateful and as a reward for your aid, you shall be granted ownership of the villa that formerly to Terentius, but the majority of the furniture and all the slaves shall be sold off to regain some of the gold that was stolen." I smiled and nodded.

"Thank you Oh Caesar, my family will be able to use it when we're visiting this part of Rome which will be soon as my wives requested, I take them on a tour of the cities we passed by." He smiled while giving me a look which clearly asked if I was being completely honest. "Okay, I had to promise them I'd take the family on a tour, or they wouldn't let me race and the last thing I want is for them to be angry with me." He smiled and nodded.

"A happy wife means a happy life my friend." I nodded before we got back to the party.

2 weeks later

It's been two weeks since the end of the chariot race and since then a lot has happened starting with me selling over a hundred amphoras of olive oil that I won, half the nectar and twenty of the amphoras full of garum for a fortune in Roman sestertii. I'd used the funds to refurnish the new villa I now owned since as Caesar had told me, the majority of furniture had been sold to regain some of the lost funds which would then be used to pay for reparations done to the roads. We'd spent three days gathering new furniture, dodging the people who were eager to get us onto their sides for one reason or another and dealing with thieves who were hired by nobles to steal my horses. They all got quite a scare though when Shāndǐng turned into his dragon form and glared at them which sent them screaming and running to the guards for help who just arrested them thinking they'd gone mad. Shortly after we got the villa sorted we brought the rest of the family in and as promised, I'd taken them on a trip using my carriage to carry them all and we'd spend a week in the city we visited before we moved onto the next with multiple souvenirs.

Now though, we were back at the villa, with everyone in bed sleeping except for me since I was out on the balcony, looking up into the night sky with a goblet of nectar in my hand. The reason for this is I just needed some peace and quiet to think since I had been having trouble shaking the feeling that something bad was coming and not even an evening flight on Toothless could stop the feeling. I didn't know what it was, but I knew it was big and chances are, I'd need to deal with it but it was as I stood there I felt a familiar fur brush across my cheek and felt warm hands embrace me from behind as a voice asked.

"Now what's keeping you from joining me and your other wives in bed?" I sighed.

"Just the feeling that something big is coming but what it is, I have no idea and that's what bugs me."

"Are you sure you just didn't have too much garum on the fish tonight?" I shook my head.

"No, I've learnt to trust this feeling in the past, so I've learnt not to take it lightly."

"Well real feeling or not, you can't do anything about it until the problem appears so for now just come to bed and get some rest." I sighed knowing she was right.

"Alright Chiaki, you're right anyway so let's get going since I'm sure your sister wives are missing the feeling of your fluffy tails to cuddle." She giggled and we made our way back into the house.

Nobodies POV:

What neither Hiccup nor anyone else knew was how right his feeling was as far away in the mystic desert land of Egypt, forces were preparing something big that would decide the fate of not only Egypt but all the world.

AN: Hey guys, for those of you who have not figured it out, this chapter was inspired by the old Asterix and Obelix comic 'Asterix and the Chariot race' since I wanted Hiccup to go on one more adventure that doesn't involve mystic enemies and just enjoy a regular adventure. As for the ending, I figured I'd give you guys a little teaser for where the next adventure would be taking place as pay back for the fact that my last chapter only got 2 reviews which I must admit hurt a bit since I work hard on all my chapters and love reading the feedback so I'm hoping that this one gets a few more. Till then enjoy the reading and have a nice day.