As Hiccup pushed open the massive doors to the hall, Valka followed closely behind him. The room was filled with all the chiefs of the different tribes on Kumandra, who turned their attention to the doorway as soon as they heard the commotion.

Hiccup's face was a mix of anger and fear, which immediately caught everyone's attention. Raya, who was sitting with the other chiefs, became especially worried as she had assumed that Hiccup would be happy after spending the day with his mother. She couldn't help but wonder what had happened to put him in such a state.

"Hiccup, what's wrong?" Raya was worried for him.

Hiccup marched over to the map, took out a blade, and stabbed it to the edge of the map where he spotted the ships. "They're here!"

"What?" Boun asked.

"They're at our shores," Hiccup informed them in fear. "Right outside of Fang."

"This is bad," Benja said in horror. "We must do something."

Valka seemed to come up with an idea. "I might have an idea." She got their attention. "Something that might help us, and help keep the dragons safe."

"What is it?" Raya asks.

"it might be better to show you," Valka said. "I'll take Hiccup with me, it shouldn't be any more than a day or two."

"What should we do while you're gone?" Benja asks.

"Stall them, see if you can even get the other villages to leave peacefully," Valka tells them.

"You think it's possible?" Hiccup asked her. "Get Stoick and the others to stop attacking?"

"Not forever, but long enough to get us back," Valka stated.

"If we can take the chance of stopping bloodshed before it starts, then I say we try it." Benja agreed with Valka. "We will approach them in the cover of night, and try and get them to leave."

"We sure about that?" Namaari asks.

"It's the best hope we have." Hiccup guessed and approached Raya. "Keep your father safe."

"Keep yourself safe," Raya said as she kissed him. "Get back quickly."

"I'll be back as quick as I can." Hiccup promised.

Hiccup and Valka ran for the exit to call their dragons, so they could find this secret weapon. Raya watched as they took off into the skies and sighed. She wished they could have had a longer time to celebrate their engagement, and just have time to enjoy the moment.

But now they were at risk of losing their way of life with this approaching war. Was there really much of a chance they could end this before it begins?

"Oh, uh, Namaari, before we forget..." Raya quickly called her over. "We have a bit of a surprise for you."

Raya and Hiccup led Namaari out to the fields where they had a few dragons that were tamed and chose to stick around. In the fields, there was a specific dragon known as a Triple Stryke. This was a stockily built, arachnid-like, bipedal, and seemingly digitigrade dragon with armored plates on its back that resemble an armadillo's and two legs. It has two large ear-like appendages on its head and a pointed nose. The most notable feature is its thick, braided tail that can unwind and split into three thinner ones. Each tail is made up of many round segments and is equipped with a scorpion-like stinger, though some individuals, such as Syringaca, have egg-shaped structures on their tail tips instead. Their forelimbs act as pincers, which also resemble that of a scorpion.

"Namaari, meet the Triple Stryke." Raya introduced them to one another.

They used a special tool to summon the Stryke towards them, and they saw how it was first becoming offensive against Namaari before calming down.

"We thought that we could have a dragon ready for you when you got back, and he didn't seem to take a liking to others. And was a little too dangerous and defensive against most other people. But we thought how much you love a challenge," she stated as she scratched the Triple Stryke's neck. "Maybe the two of you could hit it off?"

Namaari remembered the training from when Hiccup taught them on Berk to bond with a dragon and gave it a go. She walked forward, showing no fear towards the Stryke, and then reached her hand out. The dragon sniffed her hand before seemingly trusting her and placing his snout against her palm.

"Looks like he likes you." Raya smiles. "What do you think you'll name him?"

Namaari chuckled as she scratched the Stryke's chin. "Triple Stryke, huh? How about...Striker?" She decided to call him. "You and I are gonna tear these Hunters apart."

"Seems he likes the idea." Raya laughs.

Stoick was standing on a hill overlooking the vast forest of Kumandra, lost in thought about the next move he should take. As the leader of his clan, he was responsible for ensuring their safety and prosperity, but he felt conflicted about the situation at hand. He never even considered the idea that his own son, Hiccup, could be the Dragon Conqueror who had been causing chaos and destruction throughout the land, but it all made too much sense. Hiccup had returned to his home and freed the dragons, something that Stoick had never thought possible. He knew how the dragons operated, as he had lived among them since he was born.

As he was lost in thought, his oldest friend Gobber approached him, looking concerned. "What are you thinking, Stoick?" Gobber asked him, his voice full of worry.

Stoick groaned, unsure of what his plan was. "Hiccup has chosen his side," he replied, his voice resolute.

"So, we are still going through with this?" Gobber responded, not surprised by Stoick's answer. "Stoick, we haven't seen the boy in ten years, and now you're going to kill him?"

"He's made his choice, Gobber," Stoick replied, his voice unwavering. "And if he's grown a dragon army, we need to take it down."

Stoick then marched off, leaving a worried Gobber behind. Gobber looked over at the forest himself, wondering if Stoick truly had it in him to kill his own son.

"Stoick, would Valka have wanted this?" Gobber asked him, referring to Stoick's late wife.

Stoick stopped in his tracks, turning to face Gobber. This was the first time in years that Valka had been mentioned. "She's not here to see what her son has become. Who he chose over his family and clan," he replied, his voice full of sorrow.

Gobber didn't know what to say to that and watched as Stoick marched towards the other chiefs to plan their first attack. The fate of Kumandra lay in their hands, and the decision they made would have far-reaching consequences for all. Gobber looked out to the jungle and was just relieved to hear Hiccup was alive and has found himself a place to call home after being banished from Berk.

But could he go along with a plan to harm Hiccup should that come?

As the sun began to disappear beyond the horizon, the group of Dragon Riders, led by Benja, made their way toward the shore where the Dragon Hunters had set up camp. Accompanied by Tong, Heather, Namaari, Boun, Raya, and Sisu with her siblings, they rode atop their dragons, making the journey seem effortless. However, they knew that their enemies were nearby, and they didn't want to be spotted before making their presence known. With a sense of caution, they approached the camp the Dragon Hunters had set up on the shore, ready to defend their home if things didn't go as planned.

As they drew closer to the camp, they could see the flicker of firelight and hear the sound of muffled voices. They knew they had to be careful, as a surprise attack could put them in a vulnerable position. They wanted to make sure that they ended this war before it even started, if possible. They were determined to negotiate a peaceful resolution with these people, but they were also prepared to fight if necessary.

As they crept closer to the camp, they could see the shadows of the Dragon Hunters moving about. They knew they had to be quick and silent if they wanted to avoid detection. They could feel their hearts racing with anticipation as they prepared to make their move. They knew that the fate of their people rested on their shoulders, and they were ready to do whatever it took to protect their home and their way of life.

"You think you can find the dragons, Namaari?" Benja asks.

"Yeah, I can lead Raya in, hopefully, we won't be spotted," Namaari promises.

"Make sure our troops are ready for transport in the morning." They heard a Hunter say, walking past where they were hiding. "By this time tomorrow, we will have destroyed these dragon freaks."

They waited a few moments for them to pass, and then finally got back to planning. "I will approach these leaders, and keep them from planning any further from as far as they have so far."

"Good luck, ba," Raya said as she pecked her father's cheek.

"You too, Dewdrop," Benja said as they scattered.

Benja approached and walked out of the shadows, getting the attention of a few of the Hunters, who began to raise their Crossbows at him. Benja only then drew his sword, not to strike but to have the dragons light up the area, revealing them to the Hunters.

"I am Chief Benja. Representing Heart. Play nice, or I will have my men and their dragons attack." Benja tells the Hunters. "I wish to speak with your Chief's."

With Hiccup and his mother, they were flying over the horizon. They were making their way through the skies, making their way somewhere Hiccup could barely see. But he trusted Valka to get them to wherever they were going.

"Where are we going?" Hiccup asks.

"To the Sanctuary," Valka said as she gestured out into the distance, where they saw a giant ice glacier. "You'll see why."

Back with Raya, Namaari, and Sisu, they were sneaking their way around the ship. They snuck on board thanks to Sisu swimming them around one of the ships, then began to sneak their way around the lower levels. They were careful not to make any noise, which was easy for the two of them, but Sisu stayed in the water to keep herself hidden.

Looking around, using her heightened senses to look around, she couldn't help but feel she wasn't alone in the water. She swam around, going deeper in the water where she saw an eye open in front of her. She let out a gasp in the water, swimming away as she'd never seen a creature that big in the water before.

Namaari and Raya were making their way around, stealthily sneaking their way around. They were making their way past the cells where Namaari recognized she was once kept and found the Thorston twins were in the cells, cleaning them.

"I can't believe we're being blamed for the escape." Ruffnut scoffed.

"Yeah, it was mostly your fault." Tuffnut agreed as he threw his brush into the dirty water, watching it splash.

"Me?!" Ruffnut asked as she then tackled her brother, the two starting to fight once more.

Raya eyed Namaari as she was confused by what she was seeing. These were the people who held Namaari captive? Namaari only shrugged back at her mental conversation, knowing it is hard to imagine.

"You hit like a girl!"

"You hit like a boy!"

The two girls then snuck around the cell, peaking to watch the fight just to see which one was winning. They kept making their way out, beginning to head upward to find the area where Namarri found the Nightmare trapped.

Stoick, Alvin, Dagur, and Drago approached the Dragon Riders, and Heather growled when she spotted Dagur approaching. She hadn't forgotten what he had done to her family and was eager to rip him a new one for it.

"Easy, little one." Tong knew of her frustration. "We came here in peace."

"You did," Heather whispered as she eyed Dagur. "He's a monster."

"You got our attention." Alvin chuckled as he saw the dragons surrounding them. "Quite the impressive show." He then looked over towards Tong. "Ah, and this is your Dragon Conqueror?"

"Huh?" Boun asked, confused by the remark. "Dragon what?"

"I think they mean Hiccup," Tong whispered.

"You have come to our lands, and have easily come to threaten us," Benja said to the Chiefs. "I wish to remain from shedding any blood if that is possible. We did nothing to provoke your wrath. We are a peaceful people. Our dragons have done nothing to harm you. Leave...and we will not see this as a provoke to war."

"You declared war on us when you rallied with these beasts." Stoick snarled as he stepped forward, easily towering over Benja. "And from reports, you have my son."

"You sound as if we were keeping him prisoner," Benja said calmly, showing no emotion. "Everyone has come of their own accord. This boy, your son...he is one of the finest men I ever met."

"Scrawny fish bone Hiccup?" Dagur laughed maniacally. "You kidding? That kid could barely walk, and you're saying he's what...some sort of dragon tamer?"

"More or less," Boun stated with a grin. "I mean, we're here with dragons, and you're here defenseless."

"Is that how you see us?" Drago asks with a chuckle, stepping forward and eyeing Benja. "Tell your people...you will give up the dragons, and the boy by daylight. Otherwise...we will bring you and everything else to the ground."

Benja didn't seem to be moved by the threat and took a deep breath. "Hiccup warned me that entertaining peace with you was going to make no difference. I was hoping to prove him wrong." He then took a step back and noticed one man in the group was heisted on the idea of war, while the others looked hungry for it. "Kumandra is willing to fight to defeat any threats that come to its shores. Tread lightly on what you do next. We have dragons and Hiccup Haddock. I promise you this is a fight you can't win."

They then turned to their dragons and Benja let the others fly off, leaving him with the Dragon Hunters. He looked over to Stoick, seeing his snarl with his stare towards him, while Benja was trying to read him.

"What?!" Stoick asked, noticing he was staring.

"I have a daughter," Benja informed him. "I raised her since we lost her mother at a young age." He watched Stoick's face from hatred to surprise. "I can't imagine throwing her away like you did with your son. One of the most unique people I have ever had the privilege to know."

Benja then clicked his mouth, causing Falcor to take to the skies, flying them towards Heart.

Raya and Namaari made their way downward towards the traps that were holding some of the dragons. As they were sneaking around the ship, Astrid was roaming the halls. Raya recognized her from their time on Berk and snarled, remembering the stories Hiccup told her about how they were once friends. It pained every time she had to think to a time before she met him because she knew how painful his upbringing was.

"You okay?" Namaari asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Raya promised as she moved around the corner. "This way?"

"Yeah, down those stairs," Namaari confirmed as they made their way down the stairs. They made their way downward and found the traps that they have brought along that hadn't been brought to shore yet. "This is where I found the Nightmare.

"Okay, how did you do that?" Raya asked as they sneaked their way over towards the traps.

"They work like bear traps," Namaari said as she showed Raya how they worked, churning the tears to get the trap to open. "Once a dragon gets inside, they spring closed, and trap whatever dragon comes."

"That's horrible," Raya whispered, leaping upward to crawl inside to see the dragon trapped. It was a Deadly Nadder, looking similar to Cutter but with a purple outline rather than her blue. "Hey there, girl." She said as she slid down the trap towards the Nadder, shushing the dragon when it growled at her. "It's okay, girl. You are a girl?" She wasn't entirely sure about the trap's low lights and the difficulty of seeing the dragon. "It doesn't matter, I'm gonna get you out."

Namaari was holding the trap open when she heard the floorboards creaking, causing her to leap out of the way just when an axe embedded itself into the trap, keeping it open.

"Raya!" Namaari called as she drew her daggers, seeing the person who attacked was Astrid. "We've got trouble!"

"I don't know who you are or how you got in here, but you're not leaving," Astrid promised, drawing an axe from the wall.

"I'd beg to differ," Raya called, shooting her sword to the ground, getting Astrid to look upward just as she came rolling down, attempting to attack Astrid on the way. But the Viking was able to avoid the attack, jumping backward as she came rolling on the ground. "We're leaving." She then pointed her blade towards Astrid. "Because it's currently two against one, and trust me, we don't go down easily."

"And I'm not one to give up easily," Astrid promised as she prepared to strike. "You're freaks. Who has decided to side alongside Hiccup, dragon-loving freaks."

Namaari scoffed. "Man, no wonder Hiccup left them." She told Raya. "He was the only sensible one."

"Yeah, well, we're on a tight schedule, and...let's just say I'd duck if I were you," Raya said, watching the boat begin to shake.

"What?" Astrid asked as she felt the boards creek. Then when she turned around, the Nadder from earlier came out of her trap, sending quills toward Astrid, who leaped out of the way. "You thought that would be enough to stop me?"

"Nope," Raya promised, letting out a whistle.

Then the entire area, Astrid could hear the screams coming from the outside of the ship, followed by the crashing of the floorboard as Namaari's new friend the Tripple Stryke came crashing from the above and reached out with its tails, crashing the traps and causing them to open.

Astrid jumped out of the way to avoid getting crushed while the girls mounted their dragons as Cutter joined them. The dragons in the traps were freed and the two of them took to the skies and avoided the shooting dragon root arrows coming for them.

Astrid ran towards the hole and saw them escaping. "You don't hold onto those dragons!" Rays stopped to hear her rant of anger. "We're coming for them!"

"And we'll be ready," Raya promised as she flew off, the dragons they did managed to free following them. "There were so many of them..."

"They're coming for all of our dragons, Raya." Namaari reminded her. She then realized something and looked around. "Where's Sisu?"

Raya stopped and turned back, wondering where she had gone. "No...Sisu!"

Sisu managed to swim to a safe location where she could leave the water without drawing the attention of the Dragon Hunters. She was startled by an unidentified creature in the ocean, something she had never encountered before, and she couldn't even determine whether it was a dragon.

Seeing the chaos behind her, she guessed that they managed to escape and raced to return to Heart.

Drago snarled as he marched through the burning boats and made his way inside to find some of his generals waiting for him.

"Sir, I don't know how they got in." One said, but Drago only grabbed him by the throat, lifting him upward. "Sir..."

"They breached our boats. We must find this Dragon Conquer." Drago demanded, throwing his general into the wall. "Find me the son of Stoick the Vast. We kill him...and we will conquer all the dragons of this land."