Home-Bound: The Beginnings (HTTYD)

21 - The Three Torches

A/N: I think I did pretty good with this chapter... What do you think?

When the gang got back to Isunder, it was pandemonium. Catapults were being readied, weapons were being passed around, and the villagers were wearing armor. The setting sky was a dark red, like the copper undertone of spilled blood.

No children were running around and playing like they normally did. Instead, parents were leading their children to the secret underground bunkers that Isunder used for moments of extreme desperation and panic. Unlike the Berkian Hall, the Suni Town hall was not built into a mountain, so the town folk built stone bunkers, instead.

"Allen? What's happening?"

Allen turned to Hiccup in fear. "Go get Luneah. Now. Tell her the three torches are lit."

"What does thar mean—"

"Go!" Allen urged, before running away and disappearing behind a crowd of villagers. Hiccup climbed onto Toothless and took off into the forest, speeding in the direction of the treehouse.

He jumped off Toothless. "Luneah!"

He found her still laying down on the bed.

"What...?" She asked groggily, rubbing her eyes.

"Allen told me to get you."

"Let me sleep more..." She complained, falling back down on her bed.

Hiccup grabbed her shoulder and shook it. "He told me to tell you the three torches are lit."

Luneah shot up, immediately awake, and grabbed her new sword from her bedside table.

"Suit up. Grab your bow, arrows, and armor. And that new sword you made. Everything. We're gonna need it."

She beckoned for Midnight, Hiccup, and Toothless to follow her.

"Wait, what? What's happening?"

Luneah ignored him. "Put Toothless's semi-automatic tail fin on. I'm going to the storage room. I keep some emergency packs in there."

"Luneah! Why?"

Luneah turned her head towards Hiccup, her face devoid of any emotion. "Follow. My. Orders, Lieutenant."

"Captain." Hiccup stepped in front of her. "What is happening?"

"We're at war, Hiccup." She said calmly, before stepping onto a plank on the elevator. Hiccup followed her, and the dragons glided down onto the third floor, where the storage room was.

"War?"

"Whenever one torch in the center of the town is lit, it means that there is a celebration, or big event in the town hall. When two are lit, that usually means that there is a dragon raid, some emergency, or there are pirates seen off the coast. A small threat... an alert." Luneah took a deep breath. "When the third torch is lit, it means an island has declared war, or an armada has been seen somewhere near us. The horn on the mountain will blow three times if the armada turns this way."

Luneah stood up straighter, willing herself to show no emotion, just like she had done so many times before Hiccup came into her life. "Only once in our two hundred year history on Isunder, have we seen the three torches lit. The last time it happened, a third of the population was wiped out."

They stepped off onto the third floor, where the storage room was. Luneah grabbed a large crate and pushed it in front of Midnight.

"Hey, girl. Can you bring this to the town square? Or find Allen. He'll know what to do with this."

Midnight nodded, grabbed the crate in her talons, and flew through an opening in the leaves. Hiccup watched Midnight leave and turned to Luneah, who was grabbing small emergency first-aid kits and stuffing them into her saddle bags.

She handed him a couple. "Here. Take these and hand them out later."

He took them, and placed them in his saddle bag.

"You remember how to use your new sword, right?"

Luneah nodded and pulled out her sword, tossing it into the air with a spin and grabbing it back in her hand again, clicking the extend and flame button at the same time.

The sword lit on fire as it extended, and Luneah held it protectively in front of her face. "Yep."

Hiccup chuckled and pulled out extra saliva canisters.

"Here," he said, handing her some extra canisters and she took them, placing them in a pocket in the armor she and Hiccup had made for small trinkets like these.

"Put your armor on." Luneah ordered.

Hiccup nodded, and started putting his leather armor on. He finished off with fingerless gloves, just in case they had to scale walls with rope, and turned to Luneah, who was already done. There she stood, staring at her hands, looking like she was about to cry.

"What's wrong?"

Luneah shook her head. "What if I fail? What if the reason someone dies is because of me?" She started pacing the dark room. "I can't have that on my shoulders, Hiccup, I can't!"

Hiccup placed his hands on her shoulders, and pulled her in for a hug. "That's not going to happen. If someone dies, I doubt it will be your fault. You are the best fighter on Isunder."

Hiccup pulled back and kissed her, softly. Luneah placed her hands around his neck, and pulled him closer.

Hiccup pulled back, breathing heavier from the sudden rush of adrenaline that rushed through his veins. Now was his time to prove himself to Luneah: his teacher, his best friend, his crush. "I love you." He whispered.

Luneah pulled back. "W-what?"

He placed his hand on her cheek. "You heard me. I love you. I love your smile, I love your voice, your personality, your face, and every single little thing about you. You are perfect."

Luneah felt tears slide out of her eyes, and kissed him again. "I love you too."

Midnight shrieked and came back into the treehouse, her claws now empty. Luneah turned to Toothless and then back to Hiccup. "Now saddle up. We're the main line of defense today."

"Yes, Ma'am."

.