A/N: Alright, so I'm officially on spring break and off for the whole week, which gives me more time to work on this story! I'm doing a time jump here, about six months have passed since Hiccup and Astrid fled Berk with Toothless's help and the trio will end up in what is now Australia. Once there? They're going to meet the new characters I'll introduce and they're going to be abducted by the Swarm and be exposed to their cruel and ruthless ways very soon. But for this chapter here? I'm going to introduce my new characters, don't be afraid to give me feedback on how I've written the depth of these new characters. With that being said! Enjoy the chapter!

(Normal pov— Unknown location)

"Wow! I had no idea Hiccup and Astrid had to endure that!" The little girl said with sympathy in her voice, she then cocked her head at her parents and asked. "Where did they go?" The father looked at the mother and nodded at her, the mother nodded back at the father and answered the daughter. "Well after Hiccup and Astrid fled Berk? They had spent a week basking in their freedom and savoring the simple pleasures life has to offer."

"Like what?" The daughter asked curiously, the girls father answered her. "Well Ingrid, Hiccup and Astrid continued building their bodies, sharpening their skills in weaponry and just savoring their relationship." Ingrid smiled lightly and cocked her head. "So... what happened next? I mean Hiccup and Astrid were far from home and being exposed to new lands, people and dragons couldn't have been easy."

"You're right about that my dear." The mother said while caressing Ingrid's blond hair. "Hiccup and Astrid's adventures were only beginning and they'd soon stumble upon the evil that was poised to enslave Midgard through cruelty, slavery and war. The Swarm."

"But before continue with Hiccup and Astrid's story, I want to tell you about a certain individual that Hiccup and Astrid met." Ingrid's father said. "And this individual's name is Casper Culworth.

(Normal pov— Many years ago)

Egferth Culworth and his faithful dragon Tracer who was a purple and silver Hobblegrunt soared through the late evening air with elegance and grace, enjoying the breathtaking sunset as it illuminated the clouds and sky with dark purple, orange and yellow. The man was fifty years old, had spiky brunette hair, blue eyes, a cleanly groomed beard and he wore riding gear made out of his dragons scales, therefore making it fireproof.

The elder Culworth and his dragon had just finished a hunting expedition, bringing back nets full of fish and satchels filled with bagged rabbit and berries for his family— his wife Edith and his three children. The eldest of his children was his eighteen year old son Oliver, the boy had an athletic and muscular physic due to years of training as a warrior and dragon rider. Oliver has green eyes, dirty blond hair which he inherited from his mother, he had a short yet spiky hairstyle, his personality is... well let's just say that he's complicated.

The second oldest oldest is fifteen winters old and is in fact another boy, named Casper. Even as a baby, Casper was wide eyed and completely obsessed with the legendary dragon riding Guardians, mostly because Egferth would tell the chronicles of the Guardians to his children. They all took great interest in chronicles and stories, but as they became older? Oliver seemed to despise them and completely shut the stories out, claiming to have heard enough of the Guardians stories and heroics.

Casper had his fathers brunette hair, which was sleeked back yet a long strand of his hair stuck out in the front of his face. The fifteen year old boy had blue eyes too, he was learning how to become a dragon rider and he was poised to learn quickly. Casper's physic was lean and average build due to his dragon riding training which surprisingly help build muscle, he was no warrior but ever since hearing the Guardians chronicles? He wanted to be trained as a warrior as well. The fifteen year old had spirit, potential and he was... a little bit of a dreamer, much to Oliver's annoyance.

And the youngest of the Culworth family was Egferth and Edith's daughter— Judith. The girl was only six years old, inherits Edith's dirty blond hair and green eyes and she too adores the Guardians chronicles, just like Casper. As most children, Judith is energetic and very clingy towards her parents and Casper, not so much towards Oliver. Possibly because the eldest child of the Culworth family has grown to despise the Guardians and tells Judith to grow up and forget about these supposed Guardians that nobody has ever seen.

Yes, the Culworth family were one of many families in these lands that are descendants of the Saxons who supported the warriors who bonded with dragons in England, but that was a time before Vikings ever raided and long before the West would be called England. This was a time of peace and where dragons were plentiful in England, the warriors of this peaceful time trained every dragon in their lands and respective kingdoms and urged their rulers allow all citizens of the West to bond with dragons. However, the rulers rejected their warriors urge and cast them out of their homelands and these warriors were forced to find a new home and... well they soon divided and became the Guardians and Swarm.

Everyone knows the Guardians chronicles and know full well that Swarm are long dead, however many do believe that the Guardians failed in snuffing out the warmongering Swarm and that they survived their extinction and are simply hiding in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to reveal themselves or to strike back.

If you asked Egferth's opinion on the matter? He would say its nonsense and carry on with his own business.

It was dark out and the stars lit up the skies, the Culworth household came into view and it was a most welcomed sight for Egferth and Tracer. Man and dragon have been out for days hunting to provide for the family and it was a very exhausting and long hunt, but the sight of home made the whole ordeal worth it to ensure the Culworth family had food on the table. Egferth steered Tracer down to the front of the house and the Hobblegrunt landed with no problem at all, as the elder Culworth dismounted his dragon, he patted Tracer's head with affection. "Its good to be home, isn't it Tracer?"

::It certainly is my friend, I am looking forward to returning to my mate and hatchlings::

Egferth's wife, Edith had a Hobblegrunt as well and her dragon was Tracer's mate and the two of them had three hatchlings together and they were perfect for the three Culworth children to bond with. The dragons were kept in a stable large enough to contain them, the Culworth household held ample space to hold both man and dragon but Edith rather preferred having the dragons be kept in the stables, not she didn't want them having them around but she preferred not to have to deal with one of the Hobblegrunt hatchlings leaving... messes around the house or accidentally burning their home to the ground.

After removing Tracer's saddle, Egferth gave his dragon the go ahead to visit his mate and hatchlings in the stables and giving the dragon one of the nests of fish to feed the Hobblegrunt family. The elder Culworth entered his home and smiled at the sight of his wife was cleaning dishes, Casper and Judith were reenacting a battle from the Guardians chronicles and Oliver was sharpening his sword and had a look of utter annoyance at his siblings indulging in their childish behavior.

"My army is upon you!! Your days of terrorizing the dragon riding kingdoms are over!!" Casper said in a proud and heroic tone, the fifteen year old boy wielded a wooden sword and a helm made out of his bonded Hobblegrunt's scales. Judith wore a light green long sleeve dress and she too wore a helm made out of her Hobblegrunt's scales and she wielded a wooden sword that fit her hand. "Not so fast! Your army is no match for the Swarm!!" Judith said in a intimidating tone, yet her childish voice caused both Egferth and Edith to share an amused grin and shake their heads lightly.

"Well perhaps! But I... am Shiloh the Brave!!" Casper said proudly while pounding his fist into his chest and daunting a very heroic pose.

"C-Casper—"

"And I've assembled the greatest army in the world— the Guardians!!"

"But Casper—"

"Who've sworn a sacred oath to protect man and dragon alike from those who wish to threaten our world with cruelty, oppression and death!"

"Ohh!"

Letting out a sigh at his sisters pouting face, Casper cocked his head. "Judith, what is it?" The little girl placed her hands on her small hips and pointed out. "Casper, you said next time we played that I would be Shiloh the Brave!"

"C'mon... next go you can be Shiloh. I promise."

Judith looked down at her feet before speaking. "Well... I hope you're not lying..." A small grin crept across the little girls face as her head sprang up to look her brother in the eyes. "...to Noctus the Swarm King!!" She said loudly and then charged Casper and rammed into his gut, causing the fifteen year old to grunt yet laugh and then pushed the little girl aside, causing Judith to fall to the ground and to split her helmet open. "My helmet!" She gasped in disbelief, Judith then turned to Egferth and whined out. "Da—!" Egferth laughed and gently removed the girls helmet off her head and kissed her forehead. "Alright you lot, time for bed."

"Yes. Please!" Oliver said as he placed his sword back in its scabbard and added in a very annoyed tone. "Enough stories about the Guardians." Egferth grabbed Oliver by the shoulder and reminded his eldest son. "Now Oliver, stories are part of our culture and the history of our people. We learn from them so that we can ensure our people never fall back into bloody and violent war." Snorting lightly, Oliver raised an eyebrow at his father. "Even after the eight hundredth time we've heard the Guardians chronicles?"

"Yes. Even then." Edith said firmly; supporting her husbands words before giving Oliver a challenging look. "Unless son, you know all there is to the Guardians and our history." Casper quickly replied to his mothers words. "I know the Guardians well!" Looking at his younger brother in annoyance, Oliver scoffed out. "Casper, its just a story."

"It is not!" Casper shot back at his older brothers words, Oliver then turned to his father and cocked his head in question. "Da, have you ever seen a Guardian before?" Egferth shook his head and replied back. "My son, just because you can't see something, doesn't mean it isn't real. Its like feeling something in your gut; your instincts telling you that the voices of the past whisper to us and tell us what's right." Both Casper and Judith were attentive to Egferth's words, yet Oliver rolled his eyes and shook his head in disbelief.

Edith chuckled at the sight and spoke up. "That's enough for one night my children. Tomorrow's a big day! You're going to learn how to navigate your way back home without the aid of your dragons. Now off to bed." As the three young Culworth's made their way upstairs to their shared room, Judith grasped Casper's hand and asked. "Casper? Do... Do you really think the Swarm King is real?" The fifteen year old nodded and reminded his little sister. "You remember don't you? It was the Battle of Eight Fronts! The Guardians were at their breaking point when the Swarm had the advantage of numbers and were about to finish off the Guardians! But then Shiloh the Brave struck down the Swarm King! The Guardians were victorious and the dragon riding kingdoms were free once more! And they returned to home, to Eden's Embrace."

"Whoa." Judith said in awe, Casper then murmured out. "But some say that the Swarm King still lives! And wears a metal mask to conceal his disfigured face." Judith gasped in awe and fear, before her mind could conjure up horrific images, Oliver barked out.

"STOP!!"

Both Casper and Judith looked at their older brother, who was glaring at both younger children. "You're going to give her nightmares Casper!" Oliver scolded, Judith however didn't see it that way and spoke up. "But this is my favorite part of the story!" Sighing heavily, Oliver looked at his little sister and replied. "I know. We've heard it a thousand times!" Turning to Casper, Oliver continued speaking in a firm and... annoyed tone. "You have a very soft head Casper. I think Da has filled it with nothing more than stories and dreams." Casper didn't appreciate his older brothers tone and frowned before replying back. "There's nothing wrong with dreams."

"Well, thats the difference between us brother. I have my dreams when I'm sleeping." Oliver stated before raising both his eyebrows and asking in a firm yet polite tone. "Now will you please go to sleep." Oliver was wearing a simple tan tunic and comfortable leggings, so he simply placed his sword besides his nightstand and collapsed in his bed, pulling the covers around his muscular frame. Helping his sister into bed, Casper pulled the covers over Judith's small body and kissed her head. "Casper..." Judith said in a sleepy tone, a yawn escaped the girls mouth before she gave her brother encouraging words. "Your dreams are nothing to be ashamed of, don't listen to Oliver." Smiling at his sisters words, Casper gave his little sister one last kiss on the head and then made his way to his own bed and dreamed of becoming a Guardian, to protect his people and the world from the evils that lurk in the darkness. "One day... I will become a Guardian." Casper murmured to himself before sleep took him for the night.

Back downstairs, Egferth and Edith sat at the dining table, having a bowl of elk, potato and carrot stew and discussing how their days went. "How was the hunting expedition my love?" Edith asked with a warm smile, Egferth chuckled lightly and ran a hand through his brunette hair and shrugged. "Same as usual-- long and tiresome. But it brings food to the table and keeps you, the children and dragons fed." The elder Culworth said while taking his wife's left hand and kissing her knuckles, causing butterflies to swarm in Edith's belly. "How was your day my lovely?" Pursing her lips in thought at her husbands question, Edith shook her head lightly and replied. "Same as usual-- making the house clean, teaching Judith our ways, making sure the boys don't kill each other and making sure the family and dragons are fed." Chuckling at his wife, Egferth nodded in acknowledgment and took another bite of the stew Edith prepared and savored the flavor and the feeling of having food in his belly.

Taking a drink of water, Egferth sighed and looked up the stairs and then back to his wife. "Edith, I'm worried about Oliver." Cocking her head curiously, the dirty blond haired woman asked. "How so?" Pursing his lips, Egferth answered. "Well you know how he is... he wants nothing to do with the Guardians and its as if he's rejecting our culture and not acknowledging that the peace the dragon riding kingdoms are enjoying now would not be if not for the Guardians." Edith hummed in agreement and placed a loving kiss on her husbands lips before replying back. "You know how boys are Egferth, Oliver will come around eventually." Sighing, Egferth looked into his wife's eyes and nodded. "I hope you're right."

"While we're on this certain topic, I'm more worried about Casper." Edith confessed, chuckling lightly, she continued. "Yes, Casper has plenty of friends and gets along well with the girls his age. But... he's a bit of a dreamer. Don't you think?" Egferth snorted in agreement. "Its just who he is my dear, the Guardians are that boys idols and who he looks up to. He's not the only one, the Guardians have sacrificed so much to give us this peace." Humming agreement with her husband, Edith finished the last bite of her stew and nodded. "Well, I just hope Casper learns the skills necessary to survive for when he's out on his own and when its time to leave our home."

"Don't you worry about a thing my dear." Egferth said with a warm smile. "Casper may be a dreamer, but I see potential in that boy. He's strong and capable of handling himself, he has proved that by defending his friends from rather nasty bullies." Smiling at her husbands words, Edith took her dirty dishes to the kitchen and began washing them. "You are right about that my love. Children do tend to surprise us, and the same can be said about Casper."

"Thats the spirit!" Egferth said, he then took the last bite of his stew and joined his wife in the kitchen to clean up his dirty dishes. As husband and wife cleaned their dishes in comfortable silence, Edith spoke up. "Many children haven't been seen when they're required to navigate their way back home. I... I worry—"

"You needn't worry Edith." Egferth said in a reassuring tone, he kissed the side of his wife's head and murmured out. "Oliver and Casper know the land well and can navigate their way back home easily. I just hope they come to terms with each other and Oliver accepts Casper for who he is." Nodding in agreement with her husband, Edith replies. "We can only hope." Once they finished cleaning up their dirty dishes? They extinguish the fire, candles and lock the doors to their home and make their way to bed. Burrowing herself into her husbands body, Edith murmurs out. "Winter is upon us, do we have enough food and supplies to weather it out?" Egferth kissed his wife's head and murmured back. "I'll take Tracer for another hunt and gather as much as I can. Better to be safe than sorry." Humming contently at Egferth's words, Edith kissed her husbands cheek and whispered out. "Goodnight my love."

"Goodnight Edith, sleep well." Egferth replied as he held his wife closer to him and knew that tomorrow was a big day for both himself and his sons. He just hoped that this ordeal of navigating the land together would bring his sons closer together and unify them.

All he could do was hope that.

A/N: So not as long as the previous chapters I know, but this chapter was merely introducing the new characters. In the next chapter? Oliver and Casper are going to meet Hiccup, Astrid and Toothless and the four teenagers and Night Fury will be abducted by mercenaries riding Stormcutters that work for the Swarm. I'll get more in depth with the Swarm in the eighth chapter, but until then? Leave me some feedback on what you think so far about these new characters and I'll catch y'all in the next update.