Home-Bound: The Beginnings (HTTYD)

31 - The War Against Time

They landed inside the second floor which had been turned into a new dragon sanctuary, water spilling out of wounds in the tree bark, and a nearby lake providing fresh fish. Troughs made of scale steel were filled every day and cool water from the trees flowed through the interior of the metal, keeping the fish cold.

Not sparing a second glance at the many new dragons that had accumulated there, they ran to the elevator, before using the open space to fly straight up to the storage room where their supplies were stored.

Toothless and Midnight galloped over to Lavender and Sunset, all beginning to push gear and weapons into piles for their riders to pack. It was all a very organized and calculated system.

Allen and Elise were already there, their wooden chests flipped open, sliding on their scaled armor over their thin under-suit wear which was a tight-fitting shirt and pants. It was designed to be thick enough to protect the skin from getting blisters from the steel, but thin enough as to not make the Elites too hot in the armor.

"Jeysannia was needed at the Forge, so she just took her chest and left," Allen quickly supplied, to which Luneah nodded and began stripping of her training armor made of simple leather. Leathre was lighter than the scale steel, but it would not protect against arrows and swords like the scale steel armor would.

Although Allen and Elise had gotten there before them, Hiccup and Luneah finished at the same time, as they had done more improvements to their armor making it easier to put on.

"Where did the ships come from?"

"The northwest. In the direction of the barbaric archipelago. We haven't seen them before. The flagship had a huge Skrill painted on it."

Hiccup's head snapped up and his fingers paused in tightening his chestpiece's final buckle.

"Skrill?"

"Yeah."

"Dagur."

"What?"

He hurriedly checked each buckle on his armor, grabbed his gloves, helmet, arm guards, and boots before walking to Toothless and dropping them at his feet. Pulling the comfortable riding saddle off his dragon, he strapped the slightly heavier but much more durable saddle on and switched out the tail fin.

"Long story," he responded, checking the straps before climbing on Toothless, grabbing his gear and shoving it in his messenger bag.

"I just need to say hello to an old friend."

He placed his helmet on, and Toothless took off, cutting through the pine needles and flying towards the bay.

"What do you mean? How do you know me?!" Saphira exclaimed, stepping back and observing her necklace, only to find a tiny engraving on the side. Indeed it said 'Caldera Cay'.

How she'd never found it, Saphira had no idea.

"Where were you born?" Valka asked, crouching down and taking her hands.

"I... Don't remember. I was taken by Drago ten years ago. I was three."

"Dear, you are the heir and protector of the Defenders of the Wing! You are the true Queen! Your cousin, Mala, a close friends of mine took over when you died and your parents were captured. "

"I- I have a cousin?"

Valka chuckled breathily. "Yes, you do."