There was a dark, melancholy feeling to knowing that the place you're standing was a battlefield. The sand was still bloodstained in some places, but the sea had long since washed up halfway to the edge of the beach and carried with it any traces.

One night and half of the past was already washed away. In years this would all be a memory. In decades a story. centuries? There would be merely whispers of lost souls and stories passed through generations.

But now it was a battlefield. Only recently deserted, so recently that it still technically counted. Drago's soldiers were fleeing, their scouts stated that they'd heard rumours of them regrouping in the north half of Britannica. If they were smart they could chase them off once and for all, maybe even take Drago as a prisoner to be rightfully tried in the Capitol.

If they were smart.

Hiccup didn't feel like he had the capacity to be smart right now.

He crouched on the sand, the water waved slowly up the shore, edging just under the tips of his boots. His cape pooled behind him in the sand, his helmet rested next to it. his armour dug in at places, not really made for sitting like he was for as long as he had. He wasn't paying enough attention. If he sat like this long enough maybe he would turn to stone, fade away with the memory of the blood and loss he'd gone through for the past seven months. Or was it six? Maybe it had been days. It was blurring together.

The water drew back from his toes.

His senses were pushed further than he ever had before. He was trying to find Aeliana. Trying to get a grip on her but every time he got close it slipped right through. He wondered if maybe he didn't have enough practice or if there was a limit to how far he could go.

He sighed. Drew back the circle. He could hear the soldiers in the camp behind him, the people groaning and moaning with pain as their wounds were treated. The people mourning over the dead. They'd started this battle with nearly four thousand soldiers between all three legions. They sat just over two and a half now, the numbers from their latest fight higher than ever.

He had a meeting to attend soon. Responsibilities piled up in front of him. decisions, decisions. He should be walking through the camp, helping, guiding, supporting. Strengthening morale. But.

But.

He knew everyone would see straight through it. right now they'd probably rather a drinking buddy to a leader. If he was being honest with himself he was happy to oblige.

Sand crunched under someone's step. Metal creaked as Charlotte lowered herself to crouch beside him.

"not so easy." She started.

"not at all."

Charlotte sighed through her nose.

"even though she made it look as much," Hiccup muttered.

Charlotte dipped her head, eyes shut. Hiccup couldn't stop his from closing, too. A final vigil.

And nothing more was said till the water was at least three metres away.

.

All soldiers bodies were taken to the far back trenches where they could be cleaned up and readied for a funeral. Regardless of being in the midst of battle there were too many superstitions and honour-driven mindsets to allow for a warrior's final resting place to coincide with such a spiritually wrecked site. Once bodies were prepped it was organised for them to be sent home for a proper funeral with their family and friends back home.

Verlin was very outrageously against that.

He took over all organisation. His fellow legionnaires were happy to pick up a few of his jobs to allow him the closure of arranging his sister's ceremony. He wrote to their father with the statement that he would make his way North for the occasion or live with the fact he wasn't present for his child's funeral.

Hiccup had passingly asked why Verlin didn't want to take her to Egypt- Verlin's answer was that she had started her journey there and ended it in the North. Jael did not look back nor did she carry shame. She made her stand on the beach and by the gods her coffin would be there as a constant vigil.

Verlin also made sure it was a mixture of Egyptian and Roman practices. Something to make sure anyone unwanted wouldn't bother attending because they were too busy gasping at the audacity.

Someone even came to Hiccup to complain about the hearsay. He had politely pretended to take them aside to hear their opinions, but actually brought him straight to Verlin so his friend could right hook him across the face. After that they didn't hear much from objectors.

So after three days the procession started, late into twilight.

They didn't take her through the camp, instead from just outside the last few trenches -where actual tents and temporary buildings were setup for extremely injured and newly sent over troops- and marched her down the path every soldier had walked before entering the battlefield where a pyre had been setup.

Verlin sat Jael on Ex and Plode's back and led the dragon at the front. Hiccup, as a representative of an actual death god, walked on Verlin's left as a sentinel to protect from spirits or malicious souls that would taint the ceremony. Verlin carried the jar that held Jael's embalmed heart- an Egyptian practice Hiccup still hadn't wrapped his head around- and Jael's quarterstaff, found tucked away behind her bed with all the magic stuff she'd been able to get in.

Charlotte, being Jael's Praetor, walked on the dragon's right. Atticus brought up the rear carrying a flag bearing her family's crest.

Gaius surprised them all by volunteering to play the mourning tune. He usually didn't allow his childhood hobby of music to be a public thing, but this wasn't exactly a normal circumstance. Hiccup almost expected Verlin to play the music, taking on every responsibility possible, but he seemed relieved that Gaius offered. if a little saddened Aeliana wasn't around to do it.

He acquired a flute- somehow- and when they began the procession he lifted it to her lips and commenced the keening hymn.

A few acolytes and scholars from Egypt had hitched dragon rides north to attend and the twin's father showed up a mere hour before the ceremony began. The three legion's present officers all stood along the path. A particularly well-informed scholar drew Egyptian characters in the dirt and air as the small parade came closer to the pyre.

Verlin lay an ankh around Jael's neck and arranged her hands to hold the staff across her chest, then lifted her behind the shoulders and under her knees from the dragon's back.

Gaius's song rose higher as Verlin stepped up to the blaze and laid Jael carefully across the wood. he didn't appear to feel the heat, unperturbed as he stepped back from the fire.

By morning Verlin had collected her ashes in a ceramic jar, symbols painted along the sides.

They continued their procession, instead taking to the sky. They took it slow, going from the pyre to the beach. At the edge of the sand where the grass ended and the sand began a dugout had been made and Verlin lay the ashes and heart (still in the jar, thankfully) into the hole. Gaius was playing another hymn, beginning when their feet touched the ground and fading once the final shovel full of dirt was placed above the jars.

They gave Eulogies, wept and comforted each other on the shore. And then slumped to the mess hall to eat- because no one felt particularly up to a feast.

They couldn't get drunk, not with all the duties they had, but Hiccup gladly had more to drink than usual.

Unbeknownst to them all, Jael's soul was reborn after several years.

Her heart was weighed against the feather of Ma'at and she found herself passing through the halls of Osiris with no difficulty. The goddess she had devoted her practice to in life, the sky goddess Nut, gave her path into the afterlife blessing.

And when offered the chance to be reborn she did not immediately take it. she took her chance to exist and explore the lands she'd had no access to whilst confined to her body. Now, as a soul existing within the magic of the universe, she drifted from planes of existence to realms of imagination.

She watched some of her friends and gave silent comfort over the years, standing alongside them in spirit on the many battlefields ahead of them, at the great events that would effect their lives.

And after many years- how long she couldn't say, time was an illusion in her new existence- she took the offer to be reborn.

Her soul was stripped of memory and experience, of course. But it was still her. A family far away, in a new land she hadn't visited, welcomed her into their family. There were new gods, cities, practices. But there was nothing abnormal to her, she was new.

She grew into a great scholar, a historian, an author, a powerful mage harnessing magic in a whole new pantheon.

She was happy. She lived one life and moved to the next when she was ready. She explored, she learned, she adventured. She lived.

And she never, not once, ever, looked back.

.

Night was edging in. Hiccup stood at the Easternmost watch-tower along the beach looking out at the water. Toothless crooned next to him.

This was a rescue mission behind enemy lines. They'd sent people over before but those who got out had never been able to procure much. He was running in blind. He still didn't remember how he managed to persuade every legionnaire and praetor to let him do this when the entire Fourth was riding on him. He chalked it up to their faith in his success.

Aeliana was over there. She could be dead but Hiccup knew otherwise. Her soul was still up in the land of the living, the slightest thought of her proved as much. But his abilities couldn't discern if she was in pain or where she was, although he had tried the past two weeks. He refused to not be present for a rescue mission, he would sneak out and tag along whether the rest of them approved or not.

But he refused to bring down too many soldiers with him if this went south.

Verlin was coming, he was his archer, look out, guard. Other than him he had Gaius, who'd volunteered halfway through Hiccup's decision to only take four people maximum. Their final member was Verlin's fellow archer who'd flown with him the past few months- Breha. She was still only a centurion but among the archers and cavalry she was an outspoken member who would surely be upped a rank or two by the end of this. It was an oddly Northern name that Hiccup had been surprised by at first, and her pale skin, fair hair and light eyes had added to his immediate thought that she was a highlander of some kind. But she was just from so far north in the empire that not many could even comprehend her town was still largely Latin speaking.

Regardless Verlin gave her a smile and nod as he joined them all at the watchtower's top. He levelled Ex and Plode with a heavy destitute stare. He did not want to ride this dragon when his sister could not. It was one thing in battle when she fought below, it was another when she was now dead in the ground.

Gaius did have his own dragon, a Nadder small even for her breed named Tylac who fit every archetype of a Nadder with heavy emphasis on cunning. All of them were flying over with their dragon companions and all hoped to return plus one. Hiccup almost wanted to bring sparks along but he knew the poor guy would immediately fall into stress as soon as he got close enough to Aeliana to properly scent her. Their reunion would have to wait for when Aeliana was finally home.

When. Not if. When.

Hiccup refused to allow room for any ifs.

He sighed as he gave the Praetor's badge on his chest a final look, simultaneously proud and hateful of the piece of metal that was hooked below the shoulder guards on his chest plate.

He turned and addressed his team, "stay out of sight, don't make any more noise than necessary, keep your mind on the mission and get out. clear?"

"clear."

"let's go."

.

The fourth, fifth and eighth Roman legions set foot on Britannica.

They lined themselves up, perfect formation, not a dint in their progressing wall of horse-back fighters. The only weakness was seen by the soldiers themselves, in the ghosts of their fallen shield siblings.

Above them dragons and riders flew, just as perfect in their formation. Archers had their bows strung. Swords were readied. Ballistae lugged along at the very back, ready to be assembled and used.

Charlotte sat atop Caeris high above the front line. Atticus and Spike were to her right wing.

There was no Praetor at the front of the fourth's flying cavalry. Legionnaire's did have the front and Charlotte trusted them just as much as Hiccup did but even still, she couldn't help but worry.

A team of four was definitely better for sneaking behind enemy lines, but there was too much area to worry, too many possibilities as to how their mission could go wrong.

She did not want to go through two praetors so early in her lifetime.

Or three friends.

She took a deep breath, loosened her shoulders, leaned back to look at the sky.

It would be fine. It had to be.

.

Hiccup and Toothless hovered over Drago's fleet- what remained of it.

They'd sent scouts to Britannica to discover just how much damage actually made it across the strait, but they'd already managed to find that the majority of Drago's forces on-water had been decimated. What remained docked was probably all that Drago had left as well as whatever was out of the strait on the east side of Britannica when Jael brought the sky down upon them.

Those on the east side were who Drago had flown off to. They hadn't gone immediately after him, but logic suggested he was still wherever Aeliana was and Tylac had sniffed her out to the conglomeration of ships they now hovered near. It was just off the shore of the northern tip of Britannica, on land was the majority of Drago's forces. They were squatting in a decently sized city, nothing too big. The ships likely held the higher-up fighters. And, considering the location benefits, the prison ships.

"Drago will be in the middle one, for sure," Gaius said, low, hunched over Tylac.

"maybe, but that's not why we're here," hiccup reminded him.

"right," he ground out, "no assassination attempts."

"he'll be too heavily guarded anyway," Verlin said, preparing his bow, "let Tylac show us which ship Lia's on, we'll follow behind." Breha nodded, nocking an arrow.

Gaius nodded and took the front, Hiccup close on his right wing, Verlin and Breha shadowing them.

They circled above a boat near the centre, the main deck had nothing to hide behind, no captain's quarters at the stern and no fanciful additions. A main mast stood in front of a hatch, rails sat around the edge. Guards stood at the port, starboard and bow, one next to the hatch and the ship next to it had one man eyeing it.

All other ships seemed connected together so one could travel between with ease along gangplanks and ladders. There was another similairly set up ship next to the one they circled but the others around them were bigger with rooms atop the deck and messes of stuff thrown about. Their hulls rose higher out of the water than what was clearly the prison ships.

"okay, keep it quiet, don't fire, take out the guards and don't let anyone catch on. We need to get down that hatch." Hiccup ordered, "Verlin, Breha, take out any watchers on other ships, Gaius take the second prison ship I'll set down on this one."

Toothless was made for a mission like this. He slipped down without anyone noticing. Hiccup widened his senses and let himself truly see what was going on in the dark. He could sense Aeliana below the ship's deck and two others with her. He drew his own bow and let the arrow thunk into the neck of the man sat at the bow, he slumped slightly but none of the guards noticed.

One more dead on his list of casualties.

Toothless landed on the bow silently as the guards at the sides turned to the ship next to them. The guard at the hatch didn't get to alert them before an arrow soared into his throat. Toothless got there just in time for him to catch him before he hit the ground, Hiccup shot the starboard guard as he noticed them and let him crumple against the railing.

The port side's guard turned and was met with a hit across the jaw. Finally not needing the quick movement Hiccup slipped from Toothless's saddle. He spied Gaius just finishing the last guard on the other ship as Hiccup crouched by the hatch.

"stay there," Hiccup ordered him.

"what? You need back up." Gaius berated.

"check the prison hold in that ship, I have Toothless." Hiccup said. Gaius looked worried but did as told.

"ready bud?" Hiccup asked as he took hold of the handle to the hatch. Toothless growled as his hackles rose.

Verlin dropped to the deck behind him and Breha circled back to join Gaius.

"I'll cover you." He knocked an arrow and crouched by the entrance.

Hiccup wrenched the hatch open.

Aeliana shifted against the wall with a groan and a wince as several more bruises made themselves prevalent.

She shoved air down her lungs and puffed it past her teeth, her limbs ached. She was quite sure it had been more than a week but there wasn't exactly a window with wonderful views of the sunsets. She licked her lips, blood stung against her tongue.

At least she could be glad about the fact it was mainly bruises and she might get some cool looking scars. Being a soldier was only fun if you got a cool scar out of it. Pain, Love it. she ran her tongue along her teeth and spat out whatever it found, swallowed as she shifted her hands over her tender abdomen. Another bonus, her hands weren't shackled.

Wow, things were really looking up.

She heard a thump from above and the hatch screeched open, she glanced out the corner of her eye. She sighed, let her head thunk back against the wood with a groan.

"you're welcome."

Her eyes snapped open.

Hiccup dropped into the ship at the same time as he twisted the ring on his finger. His sword flashed into existence and he took only a second to take in the scene.

Empty cells lined the ship's sides, a shadow leaned against the wood bulkhead in one to his left.

Aeliana.

She dropped her head against the wood with a groan.

"you're welcome," he snickered, "or would you rather stick around, is their hospitality that great?"

Aeliana's head swung to face him, "Hiccup?"

"the one and only," he found the lock on the door and analysed it, dragon proof. The bars, too.

"the hell took you so long?" Aeliana smirked as she struggled to her feet.

Hiccup frowned, running his eyes over her, no armour, no cape, no weapons, "you okay?"

"I've had worse, I've had better, let's just get out of here."

Hiccup nodded and gave Verlin and Toothless a thumbs up, all clear.

"the lock's dragon proof," Lia grumbled shooting it a death glare as she leaned against the bars.

Hiccup sighed and crouched to get a good look at it, "not magic proof, though."

"what?"

"ssh, I need to concentrate for this."

Hiccup closed his eyes, let his senses stretch to the lock, felt the inner workings of it. he could see the ridges and divets where a key would sit. He had tried this before and theoretically he'd use lock picking tools, but he was unfortunately without. His dagger would be far too big.

He instead gripped onto the shadows and willed them into that solid energy he'd used to throw men back on the battlefield when he'd been protecting Jael. He reached out and concentrated, imagining it filling the right places like a spectral key, he opened his eyes to see it. a black almost smoke-like shape that sucked in light like his sword did.

With a thought it twisted and the lock clicked. He stood as Aeliana swung the door open.

"when did you learn to do that?"

"oh, you know..." he shrugged, "around."

Aeliana rolled her eyes and snorted, "let's go before guards show up."

"yes ma'am." He grinned and Aeliana eyed him with annoyance.