(Normal pov— Kingdom of Deheubarth, Wales)

Kristoff and his band of spies had arrived at the Welsh kingdoms which were now completely under Viking control, but they were able to get good vantage points to spy on the enemy. The Vikings were getting bolder and sacking smaller villages beyond Wales, seeking supplies to further strengthen their army. Just outside the massive fortress of Deheubarth, Kristoff and his fellow spies were on top of a ledge surrounded by forests that were covered in snow, but none the less hid their presence from the Vikings.

"Lord have mercy," one of the spies murmured at the sight of such an army, "there must be tens of thousands of them."

Kristoff took out a telescope and looked around to see anything interesting, as he was looking around the camp, he noticed a figure that was dirty, bloodied, and beaten up while strung up on a wooden cross. Narrowing his line of sight on this battered figure, Kristoff felt sick to his stomach as he realized that this figure was their king. "Oh no," the muscular man murmured to himself, "look down to that cross, they're torturing our king." The other spies took out their own telescopes and gasped to themselves at just how... broken Hiccup looked while not looking mangled, but slightly blue from the exposure to the cold.

"We have to help him," one of the spies growled out, "those savages will pay dearly for this!"

"We can't help our king if we're dead," another spy stated, "King Haddock is guarded by Viking bodyguards by the look and there are thousands of warriors who'll tear us to pieces if we head down there."

"As much as if pains me to admit it, we can't help him," Kristoff said with a pained tone, "our orders were to asses the enemy's movement and how many warriors they have at their disposal." With a heavy sigh, Kristoff continued to look around the Vikings encampment and laid eyes on people who didn't look like Vikings, they were moving supplies with the Dehubarth fortress as well as hauling cages of muzzled dragons, it didn't take long for Kristoff to figure out who those people were. "Well well, it looks like the Vikings have Dragon Hunters on their side," Kristoff said with a groan, " he then continued, "Lady Valka told us about Dragon Hunters and Trappers, they're not to be underestimated."

"Noted," one of the spies said, "they not only wish to destroy our kingdoms but wish to take our dragons as well! If they amass a dragon army..."

"Combined with their own numbers, they'd be unstopable," Kristoff said, "alright, we have what we came for. Let's return to Arendelle and inform Queen Anna and Lady Valka of our discovery." The spies nodded and returned to their horses, as Kristoff placed his telescope in a pouch strapped to the small of his back, he looked back down to where Hiccup was strung up.

"Stay strong my king," he murmured, "hold out for just a little longer. We need you to help us win this war." With that said, Kristoff mounted his own horse and nodded at his fellow spies, they rode like the wind and were mindful to evade detection.

(Hiccup's pov)

Pain.

I was very intimate with it, but the weeks here have been torturous beyond belief.

The first few days I was beaten to within mere inches of my life, but was treated by the Vikings healers just to be beaten down again and again. As the days turned into weeks, I was deprived of food and water, which weakened me severely, but I was give loaves of bread and cups of water so that I won't die just yet. Being beaten and deprived of food and water were all familiar to me back when I was still living in Berk as a boy, but what was realing killing me was being cursed by a seer. My bones felt like they'd snap, blood boiling underneath my skin, vomiting on occasion, and... seeing ghosts from my past.

I was visited by the ghost of those who shunned me and treated me filth back on Berk, but the ghost that was haunting me the most was Astrid. Because after I had killed her five years ago, I had the opportunity to immobilize her, offer her a new life and give the chance to renounce the Viking way. At least, that's what I've told myself over the years, but I know full well that Astrid would never reject the Viking way of life and live in peace. Taking her life impacted me more than I want to admit, because even though we were the best of friends as children, we drifted apart as we grew up and she just... didn't see me.

A cold blade was touching my throat, I looked down and laid eyes on Astrid who wielded a spear and the tip of that spear threatened to end my life. She raised her eyebrows at me inquired. "Remember me Haddock?" I gave no reply, the cold was preventing me from breaking words, that I didn't want to waste my strength speaking to the dead.

"Hey, stay with me now," Astrid said as the spear tip pressed harder into my skin, I hissed in pain as blood trickled down my throat, "you don't get to cheat this, you're going to answer for slaughtering so many of Odin's mortal warriors! Myself included. Let me ask you something Haddock, did you enjoy killing the Vikings you've killed? Did you enjoy killing me?"

Of course not, I don't want to kill anyone! But the Vikings leave us no choice and force us to end their lives instead of surrendering the way of the sword and living in peace.

"Answer me traitor," Astrid snarled out, "did you enjoy killing me?" Summoning what strength I had, I sighed heavily and answered the ghost that was currently haunting me. "Of course not," I then snarled back, "I gave you the choice to surrender, but you spat on my offer and forced me to kill you. You have nobody to blame but yourself Hofferson."

"If I had surrendered? I would spend the rest of my life being stuck in a house, forced to clean, cook, and renounce the All-Father and the gods of the Æsir," Astrid's face twisted with relief as she continued, "I'm glad I refused your surrender! I feast with the gods in Valhalla whereas you will go to Helheim and suffer for eternity."

Snorting in amusement, I shake my head and murmur out. "Oh Astrid, how wrong you are. Valhalla and the gods of the Æsir are all a lie! They're nothing but idols forged by human hands that cannot answer or hear your prayers, they don't await for you in Valhalla, and you're not there with the idols the Vikings created!" Groaning in pain, I then continue. "You... You are the one who's suffering in hell," tears swam in my eyes at the thought of Astrid being damned for all eternity, "without Christ, we're all doomed. Had you surrendered yourself on that battlefield five years ago, you would've gained so much! But... being your typical, stubborn self, your commitment to the Viking way resulted in your death."

"I would rather be dead than be a traitor like you!" Astrid seethed out.

"How can I be a traitor when... when I wasn't even viewed as a Viking?" I groaned out in annoyance. "I tried becoming the 'perfect' Viking my father wanted me to become, but I wasn't good enough for him and the Hairy Hoologans, including you didn't care about me. If I could reverse the sun and choose whether to remain on Berk or come to Arendelle where I met the women who are now my wives, I would come to Arendelle in a heartbeat!"

"Of course you would," Astrid said as he removed the spear from my throat, "you chose the easy way out because you were too weak to endure the hardships thrown your way. You're pathetic."

"I'm being insulted by a ghost," I chuckled out in disbelief before adding sarcastically, "at least she can't punch me anymore." Astrid didn't reply to my words, she vanished from sight and I was instead laying eyes on one of the bodyguards who protect Queen Freydis.

"Shut your mouth traitor," he snarled out, "nobody wants to hear you talking to yourself." A bitter wind suddenly arrived and it made me shiver uncontrollably, goosebumps erupted across my body and it made me groan in pain as the winds licked my battered, wounded body. Warm breath tickled my ear and sent shivers down my spine as Astrid spoke to me once more. "We are held responsible for the choices we make in this world Haddock," she then murmured, "here you are suffering on a cross because you chose to renounce Odin and the Æsir."

"I regret nothing," I said firmly, a smile crept across my face and I continued, "my actions not only led me to my wives, but I was reunited with my long lost mother, and I'm blessed with two beautiful children who will rule when I am gone." Turning to face Astrid, she narrowed her eyes at me and then gave me a sinister grin. "When the Vikings ravage all of England, your wives will become whores and children will become slaves," she shook her head and continued, "you may be blessed with wives and children, but in the end they too will suffer because you chose to forsake the Viking way of life and our gods." She chuckled darkly and continued to fill my head with horrifying images. "When the Viking men bring your family before you? They take your wives and mother while the men will each take their turn while you can do nothing but watch," she then continued, "and your children will—"

"I know what they'll do if they kidnap my family and bring them before me just to torture me further," I snarled out, "the Vikings would be fools to come after them, many would die in the attempt. After all, they are Haddocks."

"A name that was once honored and viewed with respect among Vikings," Astrid said before scoffing, "now you've plunged your family name into muck and all sons of Norway now spit on your name." I then began laughing at Astrid's words, because I don't care what the Vikings think about the Haddock bloodline and name, it's my family and I love my family. "Let men say what they want about me... and my family," I said after laughing for a while now, "you can torture me, break my bones, bleed me dry, but I swear to you, if I die here in this encampment, my death will be the end of every man and woman in who still worships Odin. I will become the martyr needed to finally vanquish the Viking plague once and for all." My words caused Astrid to vanish in the blink of an eye and sighed heavily as I looked to the sky and smiled as snow began to fall lightly.

"Give me strength," I prayed to myself, "give the strength to endure and survive this ordeal. I ask and pray, amen."

(Within the Deheubarth fortress)

The leaders of the Viking and Dragon Hunter forces were gathered to discuss their next course of action as one army. While all of Wales was under their control, they didn't want to get too comfortable here and wait for their enemies to gather an army that matches their own and drive them out of England entirely or send them to Valhalla prematurely.

"Our raids on the villages and settlements outside of Wales have been successful," Queen Freydis confessed, "we have enough supplies to last through the winter. But the impending battles are always on our minds, and our warriors didn't sail the North Sea just to freeze here. It's time we go on the march and lay siege to another English kingdom."

"I agree," Torsten said, "without Haddock to lead them, the Christians won't know how to defeat us all. Now is the time to attack." Many of the Viking warlords gathered all grunted in agreement, all of them except Ivar, causing Torsten to raise an eyebrow in question. "If you disagree Ivar, by all means, share your thoughts with us," he then continued, "I trust you have a better plan?"

"Instead of wasting the lives of our warriors, why not unleash the Red Death to vaporize the enemy army that comes to meet us?" Ivar then continued. "I do not disagree with you all, I desire battle and blood too, but we must be smart about this approach. Especially when our enemy's back is pressed against the wall, they may pull out an unexpected move on us and it could lead to catastrophic results," Ivar then pointed to a map that showed English kingdoms beyond Wales, "I suggest we unleash the Red Death and send only three thousand men, as well as three hundred Dragon Hunters to accompany them to deal with our war beast in case it tries to turn against us."

"Reports from surviving Vikings from previous battles in the past who are now embedded among us have said that Haddock holds an alpha dragon of his own, one that rivals the Red Death," Maeve said, "after having these survivors drawing me a picture of what this dragon looks like, I now know that Hiccup posesses a Bewilderbeast, the King of Dragons."

"Somehow, I doubt whoever is leading Arendelle in Hiccup's place will not risk sending this... Bewilderbeast out to challenge the Red Death, not yet at least," Sif said, "the men are getting restless and we must slake their bloodlust for the time being." Torsten grunted in agreement with his wife and turned to one of the Viking warlords who had long, dirty blond hair which was done in dreadlocks, he was seasoned and leads a clan of Vikings that are more beast than men, and have the ferocity of rabid wolves.

"Chieftain Glott," Torsten then smiled at the old, battle-hardened Viking before proposing a suggestion, "your people have been howling for blood for many days and nights, you and your people were among the first to join my cabal, and so I grant you and your people the honor of going into battle alongside the Red Death and the Dragon Hunters who accompany you." Glott gave a sinister smile, exposing his fang-like teeth as he bowed his head in thanks to Torsten for giving him and his people of the honor of drawing first blood against their enemies. Glott then placed his skull helmet over his head, exposing its sharp teeth that were caked in dried blood and its curved horns, he then placed his large butcher-like sword over his shoulder and dismissed himself to inform his men of the honor they were given by Torsten.

"Out of all the warlords gathered, you chose Glott?! You need men to send out there, not beasts!" Ivar seethed out, Torsten turned to the young man and narrowed his eyes at him. "He and his people have intimidated their enemies by their presence alone, the enemy will be paralyzed by fear at the sight of such ferocity from not just Glott and his men, but from the Red Death as well. I doubt the Christians will even put up a fight, they'll be too busy filling their breeches." Chuckling at Torsten's words, Queen Freydis then spoke up. "It's a start I suppose," she then gestured to all of England on the map, "this land will be ours, all of it! Once our enemies are all dead or enslaved, we take their kingdoms and wealth and settle here where the future generation will be born."

"It's a cause worth fighting for," Sif said as she turned to Torsten and smiled, "our unborn child will be blessed with vast wealth and will be trained in the ways of fighting men and also in the ways of decpetion and tactics." Torsten grinned and his wife as he placed a hand on her still flat belly, but knew that their unborn child would grow within her womb. "I long for the day when our child enters this world," he pecked Sif and added, "and I long for the day when we finally dispatch Haddock to the afterlife."

"Indeed," Freydis said, "he will suffer slowly and painfully before we grant him the mercy of death. But in the meantime, we must prepare for the war ahead of us. Have our spies reported anything back to us?"

"There have been reports that Arendelle has the support of Corona and the whole of Frankia," a female Viking named Queen Ama said, "with the whole of England and Frankia united, we'd be facing a sizable force to rival our own."

"Which is why we're thinning the heard," Torsten reassured Ama, "if use the Red Death to reduce each enemy army to ash, it'll be one less army when we advance to Arendelle and tear down Haddock's bloodstained kingdom." The leader of the Branded Brutes then continued. "We will bring Haddock with us and have him witness the destruction of his kingdom, he will watch as our men each take their turns with his wives and as we turn his children into slaves, when Hiccup has truly lost everything, then we will kill him and the Haddock name will be lost to history."

"Yes," Ivar said, "he will always be remembered as the greatest traitor to the people of mother Norway. He will be viewed as a martyr in the eyes of the Christians and they will fight with every fiber of their being."

"Good," Sif said while grinning, "I'd hate to be disappointed while on the field of battle." Everyone gathered chuckled in agreement. Torsten then turned to Maeve and smirked at her. "Once this is all over, you and your men will be rewarded with gold and silver for your services," he then inquired, "will you remain here or depart these lands?"

"Wherever business is," Maeve said, "and whoever can meet my price if they wish to do business." Torsten and Sif both chuckled at Maeve's words. The leader of the Branded Brutes reached for a jar of freshly brewed ale and poured himself a mug and passed the jar to his remaining companions. "We drink to not only the inevitable death of Hiccup Haddock, but also the second chance the Viking people will have once we have defeated our enemy," raising his mug, Torsten boomed out, "we drink to the glorious future that awaits us! Skål!"

"Skål!"

"Skål!!"

"Skål!!!"

Their plans were set in motions and while drinking their ale, the Vikings were very eager to finally meet their enemy upon the field of battle and destroy them once and for all and claim these lands as their for their heirs and people to settle in. But more importantly, they were ready for glory, reputation, honor, and the opportunity to impress their gods by slaying their enemies on the field of battle.

All in good time though, all in good time.