Prologue

It was a mess that only a handful could accurately interpret, scores and checks and cross-marks scattered over the canvas. Despite the success of the past several years, those marks on the board still looked pitiful to the current beholders however; strongholds still held mainly off the coasts of Russia, China, and Egypt, while stations and ports of access dwindled one by one throughout the mainland and archipelagos of northwestern Europe.

Word tended to spread quickly, and though there were still plenty of souls throughout the civilized world that bore strong distrusts or outright hatred of the fire-breathing reptiles known as dragons, the influence of the Vikings of the Barbaric Archipelago was truly beginning to reverberate, in no small part thanks to envoys and semi-nomadic tribes that now routinely sailed the coasts.

None of this sat well with Viggo, who leaned back in his chair and glared with restrained ferocity at the marked map on the wall; that influence was destroying his profit margins and opportunities. His entire posture screamed tension, a building strain that threatened to pull something.

Instead, the wooden game piece he held between his fingers groaned and finally snapped under the pressure he was subjecting it to, and with a snarl the hunter hurled it with vehemence toward the growing refuse pile in the corner of the tent.

Two years had passed since his visit directly to Berk, and despite everything that Viggo had learned about its inhabitants the trip had not permitted him to gain any helpful insight on the famed dragon man himself that posed the greatest risk to his business, and he knew there were secrets he was definitely missing concerning the rest. Only a few such details had come to light since either. It was risky enough fighting with an enemy that he knew well when they had the resources the Berkians did, never mind the sort of threat posed by one that kept its secrets so well, no matter how much promise such a fight could hold for his business network. However, Viggo would not concede defeat now; after so many years, his Coalition had enough reach that things were just about ready to fall into place, and he would not let this one stumbling block hold him back from pushing everything over the edge.

The tent flap rustled, but Viggo didn't bother responding with even a flicker of an eye as the newcomer stepped inside, choosing instead to remain fixated on the infernal map of progress (or lack thereof) that was fueling his ire so.

"Still having trouble pinpointing a new means of attack?" Ryker asked, noticing the game board that had been haphazardly swatted away across the nearby table as well as the mound of crumpled parchment papers. "We could continue focusing on the east and the Pacific rather than waste our troubles in these waters as we have."

"The problem with that, brother, is that some of the most lucrative markets for dragons and their products still exist in Europe and Africa," Viggo retorted, "and some of the most valuable species are found almost exclusively within the archipelagos here. The Nightmare, for example, or the Tide Gliders, rarely stray far from these waters, and many other species are similarly restricted. And if we were to simply ignore the Riders, eventually their influence would spread and even the vast Pacific would hear of their influence. It's detrimental enough that the Alagaesians stand in the way to the east, and we're lucky that it took only a little push to strain the relations there; the last thing we need is for both sides to meet on common ground."

Viggo huffed and shook his head. "No, the most profitable course of action would be in finding a way to neutralize our opposition that the Vikings and their allies pose to expansion now, both presently and in the long-term." He fixed his brother with a serious, no-nonsense stare. "Everyone possesses a weakness somewhere, and while exploiting that faulty point can either bring immediate downfall or retaliation, it also eventually can bring anyone to their knees; we simply need a means to exploit theirs without gaining any further retaliation in the process."

"Ye may be right," Ryker agreed, "but the Berkians' only real weakness I've seen are their dragons themselves, and they're either never alone, or well-armed, more than the wild ones we take on all the time."

"Everyone slips up at some point however," Viggo countered. "The key is making sure that when you do, your opponent misses the opportunity, and when they do, that you're in the waiting when it happens. We could send one of our vessels marked as trading barges, which might provide the extra benefit of garnering some of Berk's resources while we're at it in exchange for mere money." He nodded, the semblances of a plan finally beginning to come to his mind. "Yes, that could be a perfect course of action if we send the right men; focus on the younger dragons, as they are harder to control and inexperienced and so may be more likely to escape the notice of everyone else for a time. Just one would be more than enough to act as a bargaining chip, especially if it's one of their rarer kinds."

Ryker scrutinized his brother with suspicion, considering the numerous ways in which that foolhardy plan could fail. On the other hand, if someone got caught and thrown off the island it wouldn't set them much further back than they already were. His eyes lit up, and a savage smile crossed his face as pieces also began to fit for him.

"Well, then," he began, "perhaps we already have our quarry picked out. Their Night Furies did have hatchlings, and they'll only be a little more than a year old at the moment, the perfect age."

"Indeed, those infernal reptiles' version of rebellious teenagers," Viggo mused, nodding as he formed a matching smile. "Able to fly, but perhaps still clumsy from inexperience, stubborn; opportunities could abound if we can get men in place." He stood up, tracing a finger along the edge of the discarded board game. "Call for preparations now; we'll send a ship immediately with one of our trusted at the head. I think I know who would be perfect for this as well, as he's proved himself more than once. And, start reaching out through our ranks to prepare false trails; the Berkians will start searching immediately once they find out one of their own is missing, and it does no good to make our part in the chaos immediately visible before we have our bargaining bit secured."

"How far should we send them, then?"

"To the ends of the earth, if possible. I know Hawken and some of the others have gifts that could rapidly prove detrimental, but there is always someone out there who can present a challenge to even the most seasoned fighter."

"Well, the religious sects to the south of Europe could be distraction enough; direct them there, perhaps? Or maybe that so-called demigoddess from the East whom we've been leading along for so many years."

"Indeed," Viggo agreed, walking over to the map and picking up a charcoal pencil, leaving a new series of lines and traces across the surface. "Risks still involved in any of them of course; make sure the shipments for serum production are in place as soon as possible so that we can be ready for action immediately upon the ensuing disruption, and get our contacts for the source to the south ready; if the Riders seek assistance from overseas contingencies must be already set. And, make sure that the upcoming base developments and new deliveries are kept on schedule; we can waste no further time once this is in motion."

Viggo finished his tracing on the map, and put down the pencil before walking with urgent purpose toward the door. As he stepped out of the tent flap however, he paused and turned back toward Ryker. "Oh," he said, "and of course send word to our inside on the Berk trades; every lead will count."

A/N-That's right people, it's here.

I was going to wait to post this until after FF stopped having the ridiculous update issues that have been occurring (no one receiving updates, stories not moving up to the front page when new chapters are posted, errors occurring when new chapters are posted, etc. which also means a new Book of Dragons Chapter went up, and was replaced a couple times to attempt to correct the issue, but still hasn't shown so go check that out). But, the wait up until now has certainly been long enough, and this is also going up as part of a celebration: I have FINALLY graduated from college, and have a summer ahead that is devoid of homework! Yay! I also have the actual cover sketch for this book up as the thumbnail art!

Now, this doesn't mean updates will be coming extremely rapidly; I still intend to have a job over summer that will take time up, and as I am still working on writing out the end of this book (just past 250 pages 1st draft now, and only getting into the harshest sections) and also have an entirely new story for my now tied favorite fandom (Closed Doors) being worked on as well as plans for one-shots to fill in missing regions from previous books or slice-of-life etc. shots from here out, updates will probably occur every 2-3 weeks on average. But hopefully the wait will be worth it: this is already turning out as one of the most complex books, with some of the most macabre scenes I've ever written alongside bits of actual romance and deep family drama, so there's a little bit for everyone.

In the meantime until the next chapter is out, what do you think of the prologue? I think you can guess who the major antagonist is going to be, and we're going to be expanding Hiccup's world a whole lot coming up...

Until next time, HawkTooth out!