Home-Bound: The Beginnings (HTTYD)

26 - You're a Failure

The mood in Isunder changed in an instant. Ava's condition had severely worsened, her wound becoming irreversibly infected. All the doctors could do was wait for her to die.

Luneah's self-confidence drastically decreased. She was struck with the guilt of failing her duty, to make sure no Isunder citizens were hurt.

Of course the only casualty had to be the Chieftess.

Luneah walked to the Chief's house when she heard the news. Halfway to the doorway, and old woman grasped her arm tightly. "This is all your fault," the woman had spat like it was poison. The woman then stalked off, leaving Luneah there with a gaping jaw and tears blooming in her eyes like glass flowers.

Hiccup then opened the door, having spotted her from the window. He grabbed her arms, wiping the tears with his thumbs and kissing the area between her eyebrows.

"You did nothing wrong, Luna. I promise you that."

He took her hand and led her in the house.

It was dark in the room, the windows covered with thick cloth and the lights dimmed to the bare minimum. It smelled of dried blood and infection in the room, no doubt from Ava's wound. It was humid in the room, and the air was heavy and musky.

Andreas had been by Ava's side the entire time, holding her hand as she drifted between consciousness and her own world, crying, smiling, and laughing with joy when she opened her eyes and then staying silent when she lay there, unmoving.

Mark was practically running the village because the Army/Navy Elite was the next in charge. Of course, Mark understood that Andreas needed time, so he left him alone with Ava. Luneah helped him supervise the Naval Activities, while Hiccup and Allen trained the new recruits.

Ava had weakly asked to speak privately with Luneah. Andreas reluctantly left her bedside for some fresh air outside. Taking the young teen's hand, Ava weakly explained that it wasn't Luneah's fault, and that she was proud that Luneah would be the next Army/Navy Elite. She said that Luneah had made a good call to stop the attacks, and that she trusted Luneah's judgement.

Ava took her last breath the very next day.

She was sent off in a beautifully decorated boat, the very one that she had first come to Isunder on, from Rome. It was on that boat that she first met Andreas.

Flaming arrows were shot at the boat as it sailed into the distance. Luneah was the very last one to release her arrow, her arrow barely hitting the boat. You see, her eyesight was too blurred from the tears to actually take proper aim.

As she released the arrow, all she could imagine was Ava's body right there, taking the arrow to the stomach. Everyone was screaming and crying and it was so loud that Luneah wanted to scream herself.

She sank to her knees with a sob, uncraing of the eyes that drifted up to her from the docks down below.

People of different islands had heard of the Roman Empire's defeat, and most especially the victory of a small nordic island called Isunder against the remaining Roman fleet.

People from all over were opening up to the "land of the heroes" that bravely stopped the Romans, led by a corageous young woman who stopped the attacks when she realized the Romans stood no chance.

Luneah heard this, but all she was reminded of was how she oh-so-horribly failed.

Men from all over were moving to Isunder and joining the Isunderian army, Chieftains were eagerly signing treaties, and trading boats often took a stop at the island, just to catch a glimpse of the brave woman commander who conquered the unstoppable Roman forces.

More refugees returned from the east, making Isunder grow into a bustling trading stop and a land of renowned talent and heroism.

It would never be known, but Isunder was the true capital of the Renaissance age. Isunder was the inspiration for the magnificent Italian buildings, the paintings of Isunderian artists were marveled at for their magnificent sense of realism, and their extremely lifelike drawings of the imaginary characters they call 'dragons'. Few people outside of the Nordic seas knew of dragons.

Isunder was rising from the ashes, and Luneah was the very reason. Of course, she had her mini-Elites around her, but she was their superior. Their commander.

Luneah was the reason for the success of the Isunder Military. Mark, her adoptive father and the current Army/Navy Elite, had proclaimed her proudly as the next General and Military Elite. She would lead Isunder to greatness, he said. Luneah was the pride of Isunder

But how horrible for her, for all she knew, was that she failed.

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