The day after Hiccup's grand introduction to magic he was stuck teaching more people about dragons. It wasn't necessarily dull, but when compared he'd rather be figuring out if he had crazy magic powers or telekinesis.

And he wasn't just stuck for the one day, it was a whole week. At the end of which he had to attend another senate meeting where they finally decided to accept him into the fourth legion. And then he was stuck with official training with a bunch of other soon-to-be soldiers. Soon enough he'd been in the capitol for a month and he was still in completely unknown territory when it came to this stupid god blessing.

He had to agree with Atticus though, the trainers definitely didn't appreciate any form of attitude from their students. And the way they taught was a little too similar to what he dealt with on Berk. Luckily for him, Atticus caught him going over the forms he'd taught him and had started doing training at night with him. Aeliana sometimes showed up to help out as well. And according to everyone else's expectations he was going to be stuck here for another three months at least before he would be allowed to become an official centurion in the legion.

The thing that annoyed Hiccup most was that his motley crew of friends refused to head back to their camp till he'd be coming with them. They said it was cause they were waiting for their chance to finally get a dragon training lesson but Hiccup was quite sure it was because they were enjoying their chance to dodge work.

Or, there was the chance they wanted to hang around him because they enjoyed his company- a ridiculous idea that came to him one night- but that was nigh on impossible. Definitely.

But he learnt all the stories. How Verlin once got drunk and sold all his clothes on accident except those on his back and had to borrow from Atticus for a week. How Aeliana's whole family were soldiers and she was the most recent in a long line of Praetors. How Atticus met Verlin at one of his father's parties and nearly spilled his glass on him. How Aeliana hated one of the trainers so much that she dumped him in the sewers and framed one of the senator's kids. How Charlotte once drank a senior Praetor under the table and that was how she got enough money- independent of her father- to buy herself a place in the city outside the fourth and fifth legions' campsite. How Jael once saved Atticus' ass from a bunch of magic monster things.

And he told them his stories. The 'wonderful' adventures in Viking dragon training. The actually wonderful experience of befriending Toothless. The horrible pranks of the twins and the even worse ones that Daggur would pull on him when he was around. Working in Gobber's forge. The other teens and their ridiculous hijinks- they eve managed to drag out of him the fact that he had a small crush on Astrid. Conversation was easy and they filled a month with tall tales and jokes.

And at the end of the month they got the chance to make their own story.

Johan sent a Terrible Terror ahead of time, the ability to do so something that took Hiccup forever to explain to him. It took him the entire month to figure out a safe course to the Roman capitol, even with the map Hiccup managed to find for him. It wasn't too much trouble for him to make sure the dockhands knew a Viking ship would be approaching and on the day he finally docked Hiccup was there to meet him having weaselled his way out of training for the day.

"Johan!" he greeted, he didn't realise how stressed he was till he saw a familiar face, "aren't you a sight for small eyes."

"Master Hiccup," Johan stood mid-deck, "there is a giant mountain with a beast off the coast that I just barely missed," he warned under his breath.

"right," he blinked, "so you didn't have too much trouble then?"

"not too much, no. but I do have a few things to tell you about, but first, I still have goods to sell, and later I'd like to know where I can get some food in this country."

Johan had to deal with a bunch of annoying superficial crap so that he could get a temporary license to trade. The idea of policing trade was hilarious to Hiccup but the officials went on about the possibility of people selling poisonous stuff and sewing chaos so he couldn't be bothered to put up much of a fight on the matter. Hiccup had to stick around so Johan could actually put it to use.

Switching from Latin to Norse was weird. It seemed to happen subconsciously depending on which language someone spoke to him in but actively switching took a bit more concentration. He'd spoken to a few others who were bilingual- the twins were two of them- and from how it seemed that wasn't exactly a common issue to have. He chalked it up to his knowledge of Latin coming from blessing and not study.

A lot more people than Hiccup expected visited Johan's ship. They all seemed pretty intrigued by the fact that he had goods from somewhere none of them had visited before. By lunch Hiccup was finally able to catch up with his friends, Johan came along saying he had something to tell them all.

Being the middle ground and translating was getting annoying but it payed off rather quickly.

"I'm sorry, treasure? Like, x-marks-the-spot, pirate burial, shiver me timbers, land-ho treasure?"

"was half of that even Latin?" Hiccup blinked as Jael stared at Johan in excitement.

"what did he say?" Johan asked.

"uh, he's excited."

"tell us about the ship, you said it's haunted?" Aeliana frowned, "by ghosts or mythical creatures?"

"no one's sure," Johan shrugged after Hiccup relayed the question, "but they say it's riddle with traps. No one's managed to get to the treasure."

"and where are the ships?" Atticus asked, "the archipelago?"

"yes, which is why I figured you might not be interested. But I've heard this treasure has history with the trappers."

That definitely got their attention.

"you got a map?"

The sheer amount of persuasion that went into getting their military managers to let them go on a quest was immense. For a moment Hiccup didn't think they would let them go. In the end they allowed it provided that they take complete responsibility for it as a campaign. Which meant that the trappers in the north were now officially their problem with a lot of suggestion that Rome and Egypt were included. They couldn't find it in themselves to care that they'd just had years-worth of work dumped on them just because they wanted to go after some cursed ship yard.

Thanks to having a solid path planned it only took a week and a half to sail back North, it would've been shorter if they hadn't had to stop to make camp but Johan's ship didn't have enough beds for them all. And Charlotte may have gotten sea sick a few times but no one was blaming her for the extra travel time.

The shipyard was blanketed with smoke and as Johan maneuvered through it ships rose up around them. ports and sterns rose out of the water like teeth.

"well," Jael craned his neck to train his eyes on a mast, "this does scream haunted graveyard of the desolate."

"why are we doing this again?" Atticus asked, eyes wide as he stared at a decrepit mermaid figurehead, moss and lichen clung to it and grime dripped down like everlasting tears.

"because the treasure has to do with the trappers, who are now our problem, and we could use every piece of foreknowledge as possible." Aeliana explained, voice strong and unwavering, but her head still whipped around at the sound of a ship's boom drumming against its mast.

Hiccup stopped himself from getting too anxious by thinking of how ridiculous they all looked. With red capes and full armour. The only thing that could make it worse is if they were all wearing those ridiculous helmets with the red tufts. He was lucky he wasn't an official soldier yet, granting him the ability to just wear some basic grieves and normal clothes. Although he could do with the warmth of a cape.

"we're coming up on the ships with treasure, there's just a few and they surround the fatal one." Johan explained.

"this heavily trapped ship, what's on it?" Aeliana asked and Hiccup translated.

"no one knows, in fact everyone's quite sure that there isn't anything on it except definitive death." Johan said, voice quivering, "Master Hiccup, I know it may seem selfish but I must ask that I be left aboard my ship while you and your friends investigate. This is much too... frightening for me."

"don't worry, you've no obligation to join us, just stay aboard and ready the ship to leave when we're done." Charlotte said, Johan smiled his thanks.

"we're here." Johan pulled up next to one of the few ships with the right amount of its bow out of the water, "all of them are rather close, you should be able to manoeuvre across to all of them."

Johan tied his hull to the ship and lay down a plank across.

"let's split up, Verlin and I'll take the-" Atticus was cut off when he stepped and fell through.

"Atticus!" they huddled around the whole, careful of remaining planks of rotten wood.

"I'm good," he winced and beckoned down, "get down here Ver, I think I see a few gilded chests."

Verlin sighed and gave Hiccup a tired look, "work, work, work, huh?" then he jumped down, careful to miss Atticus as he clambered to his feet.

"we'll take down here!" Atticus called up, "you guys go on ahead, we'll find a way back up."

"alright," Charlotte huffed, "Jael come with me, let's check out the captain's quarters up there. Aeliana, Hiccup, maybe head over to the next boat."

"cool, we get the parkour route," Hiccup looked over to the pulpit of the ship, it met up with the Stern of the next ship pretty well, "after you, Milady."

"pfft," Aeliana flicked her cape out of the way as she started walking, "don't start with that."

"I thought it was only proper with someone of your statues," hiccup smirked.

"I'm a praetor, Hiccup. My family's knighthoods and history with that business doesn't affect me." Aeliana ducked under the mainsail.

"I just think it's cool," Hiccup laughed, "I mean, your family works for years as guards to lords and dukes and you just want to be a soldier?"

"no one said I wanted to be a soldier," she chuckled, "it's just what's done in my family. I preferred it to the being a pompous asshole's guard."

"oh fun," they reached the Pulpit and Hiccup stared at the gap between the side of the bow and the Stern.

"I'll go first, then help you over."

"oh how chivalrous of you," Hiccup smirked.

"stop."

"no, it's funny."

Aeliana sighed, "alright, get it all out on this mission."

"yes, ma'am," Hiccup laughed.

Aeliana hopped over the rail and crouched on the edge. She jumped and landed right next to the tiller, hand reaching for the rope that connected it to the wheel as she lost balance. She righted herself and turned.

Hiccup followed, she grabbed him by the bicep as he landed and the two almost toppled.

"you good?"

"perfect," hiccup smiled, "let's go look for ghosts."

"don't you want Toothless to come along?"

"it'll be fine, he's not interested anyway. He's napping on Johan's halyard. Let's go."

They found several chests of treasure but nothing burst out and said 'boo' so really it was rather disappointing. They dragged some things to the halyard anyway, knowing their bosses would definitely appreciate money over nothing. Hiccup looked into the gloom, analysing all the ships. Their positions seemed oddly purposeful.

"what's wrong?" Aeliana asked, standing next to him.

"these ships, don't they seem a little..."

"concentric? Well-placed? Especially for a ship graveyard."

"yeah," Hiccup squinted as he tried to make out a shape in the fog, "you see that?"

He could hear drops of water and a mainsail flapping. A dark shadow sat in the middle of the ships. They were guarding it.

"that would be the booby trapped one."

"most likely," Aeliana sighed.

"looks rather interesting."

"yep."

"definitely dangerous."

"very."

"we could die if we went there."

"very possibly."

They gave each other a look.

"want to go?"

"oh yeah," Aeliana grinned.

Hiccup called over Toothless and he dropped them on the ship. As they flew over they saw the name of the ship painted on the bow, flaking off and mould covered, but legible.

"the reaper," Hiccup said as he examined the ship, "classy."

"we have to be careful, Johan warned us about the traps." Aeliana said as Toothless eyed the mast with disinterest.

"yeah," Hiccup analysed the sail, "this definitely isn't from the archipelago. The carvings, the design on the sail, I've never seen it before."

Toothless sniffed at a cage, finally seeming just as anxious as the others.

"It's okay bud, it's just and empty cage."

"it's not made of any metal I've seen before," Aeliana frowned, "you?"

"no," he stared at the ship, "this is definitely not a Viking's ship. Whoever these trappers are, they're from somewhere else."

"that's comforting."

the two started towards the door and toothless crowed.

"what's wrong Toothless? Don't you want to see below?" Hiccup kept going towards the hatch as Toothless whined.

Aeliana tripped. A rope caught her foot and was dragging her off the ship.

"toothless!"

He swooped in and shot the rope, picking her up and dropping her back by the door.

"good job bud," hiccup patted his head, "let's go, no one goes to this much trouble to protect an empty ship."

They walked in and Hiccup jumped as a bear trap wrapped itself around his metal leg.

"benefits, huh?"

"hilarious." Hiccup gestured to the trap, "Toothless, would you mind?" he shot the metal.

"let's go," Aeliana said, starting down the hallway. Toothless warbled and stared into the cages that lined the hall.

"dragon bones," Hiccup murmured, "sorry bud."

"gods," Aeliana said, looking into the cages, "these guys are sickos. Maybe we should get out of here."

Aeliana stepped and arrows shot from the walls.

"change of plan, commander's quarters!" she ordered and the two bolted down the hall.

"get the door bud!" toothless shot it down.

And the two slipped into the room.

"what is this thing?" Aeliana said, picking up a cylinder from the Commander's desk.

"whatever it is, it's important. We can't leave it here for trappers to finally find, it can't be good for dragons."

"aye, agreed. Let's go."

Hiccup was just thinking how easy it was when a giant axe dropped from the ceiling.

"run!"

They ran down the hall, spikes shot from the floor and they jumped. Toothless grabbed them, the two clung on as he sped down the hall. Arrows shot from the walls as they dashed out the door.

"let's get out of here. Back to Johan's ship." Aeliana said.

"agreed, I've had enough of this place already."

As they sailed back they got a good look at the cylinder.

"so do we have any idea what this thing is?" Atticus said, "Jael, any ideas?"

"it doesn't have any kind of symbols of spells or even magical residue," Jael said as she turned it in her hands, "if it's magic it's a kind I've never seen or heard of. Which is almost impossible."

"yeah, I doubt it's magic. If this is a trappers heirloom of some kind it's probably a weapon," Charlotte said, "maybe it emits some kind of sound that is harmful?"

"I don't know," Hiccup sighed, "it doesn't remind me of anything the Vikings knew about and it doesn't look like something that could harm a dragon."

"we'll figure it out. the amount of scientists and scholars in Rome, someone's gotta have an idea." Verlin said as he stretched, "maybe we should stat thinking about how we're gonna deal with this new campaign we've had loaded on us."

"yeah, if we want to take out the trappers up here we're gonna need to have a plan. Do some recon on them. Set up some headquarters," Atticus said, then gasped, "we get to see what you're home's like, Hiccup!"

"we're not getting anywhere near Berk," Hiccup said, "are you sure you're allowed to stay out of Rome that long? You're Praetors."

"yeah but it's our campaign and we're not in war or anything. As long as we don't boast about how we're leaving our camp without praetors it should be fine." Charlotte said.

"yeah, the legionnaires can pick up the slack easily." Aeliana took the dragon eye from Jael to study it herself, "besides, I think I saw a pretty good island not too far off that'd be great for a headquarters."

"well," Hiccup took out the map he'd gotten off of Johan, the Archipelago as well as they knew it, "we best get to work then."