When in Rome

stifling

There was a dark, melancholy feeling to knowing that in a few short hours Hiccup was going to be fighting on a battlefield like no other he'd previously crossed.

The quick decisions they'd made and the eighth legion's ability to hold off Drago had given them plenty of time to dig their trenches. They were a good seven feet deep and eight across. The floor lined with wood planks and the sides reinforced with stakes and sandbags.

They had outlook trenches as close to the shore and sand they dared get them and behind their main ones stood several catapults and ballistae, taken apart and hidden, ready for when the initial surprise attack had begun.

They had drilled, planned and prepared. Now all that was left was the battle.

Hiccup inhaled, cleared his mind. the air smelled like salt, but he couldn't focus much on how distasteful he found it. he was grounding himself, connecting to his powers before the battle started. He couldn't be sure how much help they'd be, but his senses always heightened when he could use his powers, and on a battlefield that'd be useful. He'd just have to make sure that he wasn't distracted by people dying.

Because they would.

He could feel the approaching battle looming, every second that ticked on he grew a stronger grip on his abilities. The advance of death was stark to him, standing out like a thumb. he almost wanted to siphon it off, his chances of being distracted were too high.

Someone clapped his hand on his shoulder and he jumped.

"pre-fight fever?" Aeliana asked. Her armour was dark, and under normal circumstances he probably wouldn't be able to see her, there was no moon and the sun was just barely reaching the horizon. From inside the trench there was very little light.

But Hiccup could see just fine now, "not quite fever, really."

Aeliana leaned against the trench wall, hand slipping from his shoulder. She crossed her arms, "you sure you don't want to hang back for the start? Most of the legionnaires are. It's good to have people organising the back lines as well as the front, otherwise we'd be struggling with back-up."

"there's enough of them back here, we still need people running the show up front. You can't lead the whole of the fourth legion on your own."

"true," she sighed, "that's why there's supposed to be two praetors."

"maybe now that we're in actual battle the emperor will appoint someone." Hiccup said, grateful for something to distract him.

"and risk the gods wrath? No. we'll have to wait till the feast of Fortuna for a new praetor," she smiled, confusing to him considering this year's feast was done and they'd have to wait almost a whole year, "unless someone proves themselves at a particularly difficult battle."

"you trying to drop hints or something?"

"possibly."

"I'm not really praetor material." Hiccup said, noticing Toothless finally coming back from a further down section where the fifth were stationed. He didn't have a note to pass on, so instead curled up against the side, out of peoples' way.

"whatever you say mister chief's son."

"I left Berk because I was bad at being a chief's son." Hiccup snickered, noticing the sky growing lighter as the sun approached.

"suuuuure." Aeliana smirked lightly.

"what's that supposed to m-"

Several dragons rushed past, taking their place in the bigger trenches and ready for battle.