A/N-So, a little disappointed with the view turnout of the prologue, but hopefully we'll catch a few more eyes as this goes on. Also, no one guessed the meaning of the 3 words I gave in the last chapter (those found in the cover image), so: Havah means hope, Shinui means change, and Emet is truth. See if you can give me a few reasons why I gave those words in the cover as we go along :)

Chapter 1

Celestial Signals

"There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, the nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea."-Luke 21:25

"Are you really sure this is a good idea?"

I glanced at my mom as everyone piled into the car. "Look, it's been more than a year since everyone learned about me, and at least a handful of people around here already know them. This is a group we can trust, mostly, and besides, they wanted to learn more about what we do and celebrate and this is a very important night, and so on, so forth." She sighed as she sat down. "Alright, alright, but if anything happens tonight it will be labeled as your fault and your responsibility to deal with."

All this was in reference to the three extra passengers in the car with my family: Hiccup, Astrid and Ember. It was the evening of April the 14th, the night of Pesach, or Passover for you non-Hebrew speakers. We were traveling to a gathering in a nearby town to celebrate with our fellowship, and the trio wanted to tag along to experience this event. It was also going to be a full lunar eclipse that night, something considered highly important when it coincided with a feast day, especially when it was to be the first of four in two years that would occur.

To make everything even more important, this night would be the first of many where the two worlds I was involved in would finally be coming together; a lot hinged on this going down without issue.

I'm not stupid of course. I wasn't going to start taking all the teens to the mall on a crowded Saturday afternoon dressed in their usual garbs, but family-and-friends gatherings were a good start to introduce the concept to both sides. Plus, this was supposed to be a fun night with acting, plays and food provided for a lot of guests, so the three tagalongs would be able to blend in a little better.

I glanced at Hiccup, who had borrowed a button-down blue shirt and green pants from me for the night, and then to the seat behind us where Holly was sitting with Astrid and Ember. My sister had insisted she help pick out the two girls' "modern" outfits, and so both were dressed smartly in fashions not overly girly but flashy enough as well. Astrid was sporting a blue-patterned long-sleeved blouse and matching dress pants, while Ember was wearing a fair-fitting dress colored in various autumn greens and browns. Both of them looked very nice for the occasion, and as we started up the car to head out, I caught Hiccup staring back at Astrid more than once.

Elbowing him in the ribs, I earned a stifled yelp and an "Ow!" as Hiccup turned to glare at me. "She's not going to suddenly disappear between now and the next five minutes, you know," I teased, snickering. Hiccup only blushed as Astrid stifled a giggle of her own. I glanced back to find Holly and Ember smiling in amusement at Hiccup's expense as well.

"Alright all of you, behave so we can get going," my dad said, sitting down in the driver's seat. "Buckle your seatbelts too." Astrid and Hiccup quickly strapped themselves in, while Ember only looked blankly at the buckles, never having ridden in a car before. Holly smiled and reached over to help her, and soon enough everyone was ready to go.

After a couple years of flying everywhere, I soon discovered that being stuck in a car is immensely boring. Twenty minutes up to the destination, and I could tell I wasn't the only one who was getting antsy either. Hiccup and Astrid were both fidgeting the whole way, though Ember kept herself busy watching out the windows. So, naturally when we got there, everyone immediately spilled out of the car, grabbing what they could to help and heading toward the building in an effort to move around a little.

Once we had all grabbed our belongings, we all headed into the building. We were borrowing the space in the back of a store that specialized in everything Israel-related, and as we stepped through the doorways everyone's eyes began roaming the books, jewelry and decorations that filled the room before we passed by the curtains separating the two spaces. Having arrived early, most everything was yet to be set up, and our friend and coordinator of the event, Kelly, was waiting for us to arrive and help out.

"Hi Hawken!" she called upon seeing me. "Long time no see!" She walked up and gave me a hug, and I smiled and hugged her back as best as I could with bags on my arms. "Hi Kelly. We brought along some friends to see what we were up to tonight." I turned and gestured to the trio standing awkwardly by the curtains. Kelly turned and saw them, and opened her arms wide. "Well, then, welcome! We're all friends here in fellowship. I'm Kelly, that's my husband John over there," she pointed to the man helping line up tables for the food. I, in turn, gestured again to the three, one at a time. "This is Ember, Hiccup and Astrid," I said. "Feel free to enlist them in helping any way you need them to as well."

Now I saw Kelly's face spark in a moment of confusion. "Huh. You know, your names sound rather familiar," she noted, before stepping back and shrugging. "Ah, well, anyway, if you could help get the tables and chairs set up it would be much appreciated." Then her attention turned to Holly, the next one in, and my sister received the same treatment I did. "And if you will help me get the decorations set up, that would be fantastic!"

I smiled again as Holly was put to work, before dragging the three that were with me over to the tables. "Grab the other end, will you Hiccup?" I asked as I pulled on one end of the table in the stack. Hiccup complied, setting down the plastic-ware he was carrying and grabbing the other end, hefting it up as we carried it across the room. "Aren't you –oof!- strong enough to lift one of these on your own?" he wondered as we moved out of the way for Astrid and Ember to grab the next one. "Yes," I replied, "but it's hard to keep something longer than you are tall balanced as you carry it from one end. Besides, you need the workout." "Hey! I'm getting a lot stronger as the days go by," Hiccup protested. "I'm not the twig I once was." "Oh, come on, you still can't even beat me in an arm wrestling contest," Astrid remarked nearby. I snickered as Hiccup sent her a glare.

As the tables were set up, the other attendees began arriving, and the room began to fill to capacity. We were expecting well over 90 people that night, so soon enough every seat was filled, and everything was ready for us to begin the service. The four of us (me and the Berkians) stayed near the back of the room, in our seats, to keep the reactions from people randomly recognizing the two famous Vikings to a bare minimum. Ember was okay here, as no one knew about her, but Hiccup is…well, he's someone you just know if you've seen him before. Same thing with Astrid.

"Alright, if everyone will take their seats, let's begin!" Kelly called, drawing the attention of the room. The crowd moved to take their respective seats, and Kelly and the other coordinators of the service took their spots near the "front" of the room, where the projector screen had been set up, and a set of words I knew by heart appeared on display. "Tonight we will start by saying the Sh'ma," Kelly spoke. "I know a lot of you are guests to this, so sing along with the words on the screen if you can, otherwise join with the English translation afterward." She paused for a moment, and I closed my eyes as we began, reciting from memory. There were two versions, but this one I knew the best.

"Sh'ma Israel, Adonai eloheinu, Adonai echad. Baruch shem k'vod, malchuto, ley'olam vayed…."

A familiar voice caught my attention, and I opened my eyes to see Ember singing along as well, a soft smile on her face.

"…ha Maschiach, who Adonai. Amen." Ember opened her eyes and noticed my staring, giving me a confused look in response. "So, you know that song?" I asked. She chuckled in reply. "I am a Hebrew believer from Israel, even if from another world." I nodded, smiling, and turned back to face Kelly.

The service that night was a little bit backward from the Pesach celebrations I was typically used to, with the meal served first and followed by the teaching. Kelly and John had enlisted many of the kids and teens, myself included, in helping narrate the story of Passover in her own unique manner, and videos and stories were implicated to help. The teaching was basic, as it wasn't only Hiccup and Astrid who were unfamiliar with it that night, but there was also still knowledge to be had for the rest of the attendees. Thank goodness though, that the two newbies with me held back their questions for afterward. Ember, on the other hand, was more open with sharing what she'd been taught, and was quickly labeled as a well-versed believer.

Too much talking though puts people to sleep, so as the sun began to descend outside what followed was my favorite part: dancing and praise. Kelly and many of our friends attending were gifted singers and dancers, the former also being a writer of her own songs. Many of the kids and dancers took up banners and streamers to wave as the music started up, and I had been smart and brought my own this time, offering some to the trio with me.

"Uh, no thanks, I've got two left feet," Hiccup declined, a sheepish grin on his face. I gave him an arched eyebrow and readied a reply, when Astrid cut in. "I think I'll just sit here with him too, and watch."

"Oh, come on you two," I chastised, "you were the ones who really wanted a taste of"- "I'll take one, just let them miss out," Ember interrupted, taking one of the multicolor flags in my hand and moving toward the open space on the floor, grinning pointedly at Hiccup and Astrid. I smiled in response, and turned again to the reluctant duo. "Well, at least it's good to know someone knows how to celebrate," I commented, moving away before Astrid could protest and heading as well toward the clear space, joining everyone else who was there with their banners.

How do I describe what happens next? It's impossible to put a finger on the feeling that appears; music flows with the dancing feet and the twirling streamers, many of the adults and older kids joining in the dance group in the center of the room and playing out an elaborate story with their movements, and a rhythm that pervades the whole congregation that is never found elsewhere.

Ember and I waved our flags and danced throughout the room, following our own pattern or occasionally joining the line of flags moving through the space and weaving through the dancers and crowd alike, both of us singing as best we could when we caught the words. Halfway through I finally managed to glance at the two Vikings, and found them clapping along with the music and swaying back and forth, huge grins on their faces.

The celebratory portion continued even as portions of the crowd began to disperse, heading out and leaving for home. It was a week night after all, but even then many of us stayed, helping clean up before commencing dancing again as it got later. Before too many people left however, Kelly slowed the dancing and called our attention again.

"As some of you know, tonight is the first of four feast nights over the next two years that will coincide with a full lunar eclipse," she announced. "Those of you who wish to stay can join John and I as we continue to dance and sing, and then when it is time we will head outside to witness this amazing natural phenomenon."

"I thought you mentioned something about a blood moon tonight," Hiccup whispered, looking at me confusedly. I chuckled. "It's the same thing," I explained. "Lunar eclipses are nicknamed blood moons for their color." "Oh. Why?" I just smiled and shook my head. "Don't worry, you'll see soon enough."

My parents and sister were not planning on staying that night however, as Holly had school the next morning (so did I, but not until later), and Mom and Dad both had work to attend to, so as they exited the building I ran over and caught their arms.

"Can I ask you a favor?" I inquired, grabbing one of the totes we brought along and helping carry it to the car. "The others and I want to stay and watch for the eclipse here, so would it be possible for one of you to take Holly to school tomorrow instead?" A moment of silence before my mother sighed. "I suppose," she said. "Just don't stay out too late, you have college tomorrow as well." "I know, but this isn't a common occurrence." I turned to head back in, when my dad called my name again. "If you can bring home the last few things inside that would be appreciated as well," he said. I nodded. "Sure, no problem."

As I entered the building once more, I found Ember having finally managed to drag Astrid and Hiccup to their feet and out onto the floor, getting them to dance to a simple song that was playing at the moment.

"Way to go, Ember!" I called, startling all three of them. "You finally got the benchwarmers up!" "Don't count on it lasting," Hiccup warned, only for Ember to laugh and drag them along the line. I laughed as well as I caught the line's end and joined in.

Finally, at nearly 1:00 in the morning, the dancing died down, and those that remained (a good couple dozen people, surprisingly) filed out the door and into the parking lot to watch the sight. The moon was high above us, bright white at the moment, but beginning to change colors already, the hints of tan coloring one edge.

"So, what causes an eclipse exactly?" Astrid asked as she looked upward. I smiled. "The shadow of the earth blocks sunlight from reflecting off the moon," I explained, "kind of like if Hiccup was to stand behind Stoick, and Stoick faced the sun, so that he cast a shadow over Hiccup. Here, the moon is covered by earth's shadow."

I could see Hiccup pouting as I used his small size as an example (despite him reaching my height already he was much smaller than his father), so I shrugged. "What? The comparison works; it's not like you could cast a shadow over your father." The snort Hiccup gave off only earned a snicker from Astrid.

For a few minutes, we watched as the moon continued to darken, the rusty colors filling the normally white sphere. Then, as I looked on, a chill suddenly swept down my spine. Something felt off, different, and watching the eclipse reach its climax only made the sensation worse. I happened to glance at Ember, to see if I was the only one, and immediately found the reason why.

"Ember!" I whispered loudly. She turned to look at me, confused, so I speed-walked over and pulled her hair back to cover her neck. "Hey! What gives?" she snapped, pulling away and brushing out her hair. "Sshh!" I urged. "Your birthmark is glowing!"

The flame-shaped mark she'd had on her neck since she was born was indeed fluorescing, a strange silvery sheen lighting up her skin. Ember quieted immediately, before pulling her hair down as I had, and then fixating on my forehead.

"Uh, that spiral on your forehead is doing the same thing," she whispered back. I grimaced and pulled my thick hair down as well, hiding the spiral on my forehead. Then, I turned to alert Hiccup and Astrid.

"We need to go," I said. "Do me a favor and grab the tote still inside and then meet right back here. I need to tell Kelly we're leaving." "Why do we have to leave?" Astrid asked. I lifted up my hair, and her eyes widened, before she mouthed a silent "oh," and turned toward the building.

I turned and headed for Kelly, keeping my hair down and my expression as neutral as I could. "Sorry Kelly, but I'm afraid we have to leave," I said. "It was great seeing you again, and I apologize for the sudden exit." She gave me a quizzical look. "The eclipse isn't over yet," she noted. "Are you sure"- she cut off when I moved my hair slightly, letting part of the mark show.

"Oh," she said. "Why are you glowing?" "I don't know, but I'm not causing it," I said, noticing a couple people looking at me with odd expressions. I flashed an awkward smile, before looking at Kelly again. "It's why I need to leave, but I didn't want to just skip out and not tell you I left."

Kelly nodded, before stepping forward and giving me a hug. "Well, glad you could come, and I hope your friends had fun too. Now you'd better get moving." I nodded, before turning and heading toward Hiccup and Astrid, Ember falling into step next to me. I knelt down, morphing Shadowracer and gesturing with my head. "Come on, we need to go!"

They climbed on quickly enough, Astrid balancing the tote in her hands as she sat between Hiccup and Astrid, and I lifted off, camouflaging myself and my passengers from those below. Halfway back, I heard a gasp escape Hiccup, followed by some unintelligible murmur from Astrid.
"Uh, Hawken, something's happening," Ember said slowly. "What, to our marks?" I queried back. "No," she replied, "to theirs."

That spurred me to move a lot faster. Neither Hiccup nor Astrid had any really defining marks or scars (save a line Hiccup had on his chin), so as soon as we landed in my back yard and they jumped off, I morphed back and turned to see what Ember was talking about.

At the base of Hiccup's neck, on the right side, a glowing patch had formed, jagged and somewhat spidery in shape. There was no mistaking that pattern: a lightning bolt. And Astrid held up her arm; halfway up to her elbow, a silvery outline like a pair of crossed swords had formed.

"What on earth is going on here?" she demanded. "I've seen at least one eclipse before, but nothing like this happened last time. Why is my skin glowing? And for that matter, why did your marks light up too?" I shook my head, replying, "I haven't the faintest clue. And unfortunately it's getting too late to really figure anything out. We should find the rest of the gang as well; maybe it's not just us."

"It's also nearly 1:30 in the morning," Hiccup pointed out. "Like you said, it's getting really late, and everyone will be asleep save for the night guards. If we need to find everyone else, it will have to wait until tomorrow."

I sighed. "And I do have classes tomorrow, so I'll only have an hour in the morning to do anything. You three can sleep here tonight; we'll set up the mattresses downstairs, and as soon as we get up tomorrow we'll go to the village and find out if it was just us, or a wider phenomenon." I turned to go inside, but Hiccup stopped me and pointed to my forehead. "One more thing: your mark's gone," he noted. I reached up and felt my forehead, and sure enough, the spiral of scales that had been there for so long was nowhere to be found.

A/N-So, a little more intro to the background of the main character. What do you think?

Also, a quick heads-up for the readers: I have typed out up to Chapter 4 in full, so you'll have at least a few weeks left of certain regular updates, but things may well slow down after that. Don't fear, I won't abandon this tale of course, as I've already written the first draft of over half the last book.

Read and review, and make sure to share this story; I need followers!