Chapter 107: The Third Principle Of Sentient Life

*The New Year's Fire Rout was a pivotal military battle between the Pecheneg-led conqueror coalition and the Song Dynasty. While Song casualties were heavy—estimates range between 45,000 and 70,000 dead between the initial attack and the aftermath—they also dealt the Pecheneg coalition their first significant defeat after a string of unresisted conquests. Proportionately speaking the Pecheneg losses were heavier than that of the Song, and the complete rout of the Pecheneg forces and the subsequent political developments began a short-lived period of political infighting and consolidation among the coalition, buying the Song and their neighbors time to prepare a response…*

*—The Dragon Millennium, Manna-hata University Press, Ltd.*

## Chapter Overview

* Hiccup's retinue find the Buffalords and Hiccup gives his children the saliva.
* Astrid names Toothless' sister Fearless.
* The Song Dynasty manage to capture several Pechenegs and their dragons. The healers report only one Pecheneg has hope of surviving his injuries.
* Emperor Zhào Zhēn appoints Fa Mulan as one of his councillors for her role in defeating the Pechenegs during their attack.
* Hiccup and Toothless follow Fearless back to the Screaming Death's nest. The nest lord is outraged at Hiccup's presence and any suggestion they could be friends with humans and tries to kill them. Hiccup, Toothless and Fearless defeat him by leading him into a mountain and having him knock himself out.
* Hiccup's retinue and Fearless' flock attack Mildew's camp. The human and dragon prisoners are freed while Hiccup, Toothless and Fearless lead Mildew, Mold and the Thingmen to an abandoned nest where they laid a trap with Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Barf and Belch and the remainder of Fearless' flock. The battle is interrupted by the Screaming Death who recovered from his previous defeat. Fearless leads the Screaming Death deeper into the nest, where she launches a plasma bolt into the lava, causing a volcanic eruption that kills her, the Screaming Death, Mildew, Mold and all of the remaining Thingmen.

## Trivia

* The chapter title is a reference to Babylon 5.

## Characters

### Humans

* Drago Bludvist
* Berk Olcayto-oğlu (last appearance)
* Hiccup clan Haddock
* Astrid Hákonsdóttir clan Haddock
* Eret Eretsson
* Valka Zephyr Hiccupsdóttir
* Mildew (last appearance)
* Emperor Zhào Zhēn (first named appearance)
* Fa Mulan (first named appearance)
* Wulfhild of Norway
* Magnus the Good
* Tuffnut Thicknutsson
* Ruffnut Thicknutsdóttir
* Sigurd Trondsson
* Gunnar Bræsisson
* Heidrun Hallvarsdóttir
* Sophia Makris
* Heike Eretsson

### Dragons

* Fearless (last appearance)
* Toothless
* Screaming Death (last appearance)
* Stormfly
* Mistletoe
* Brand
* Barf & Belch
* Mold (last appearance)

## Analysis

### Foreshadowing

<spoiler> The Song report that they have captured several Pechenegs, and Berk mentions that he did not see Kurya die. This implies that Kurya is among the captured. </spoiler>

### Epigraph Tie-In

* The epigraph mentions that the Pechenegs losses were heavy and as a result, there were significant political developments. The chapter shows that Kagan Berk was fatally injured and mentions that his heir Kurya is lost, which prompts Berk to declare Drago his heir before succumbing to his wounds.
* The epigraph mentions the Song Dynasty and their neighbours preparing a response to the Pechenegs threat. The chapter shows that Emperor Zhào Zhēn's first response is to appoint Mulan one of his councillors for her role in defeating the Pechenegs during their attack.

### Other

* The Third Principle of Sentient Life is the capacity for self-sacrifice which is defined as the conscious ability to override evolution and self-preservation for a cause, a friend, or a loved one. This self-sacrifice is shown in Fearless, who sacrifices herself to kill the Screaming Death to save her brother, friends, and the better world her brother told her about.