Storm Rising

Chapter One- Thunder and Rain

Thunder soared over the continent of Ventus, the grey thunder clouds swirling around her. She could feel the electric thrum of the lightning in the clouds coursing through her, awakening her powers.

She knew that below her a war raged, but up here she was free, for the FlameWings wouldn't dare fly up here during a storm for fear of getting attacked by a group of StormWings at full power.
Their fire resistance wouldn't help them against a powerful lightning attack.

Up here is our territory. She thought as she flew higher into the storm clouds, lightning flashing around her.

Thunder then spread her black wings to their full length and soared on the strong winds that blew from all directions. These winds would normally throw a dragon around like a leaf caught in a strong gale, but the StormWings had mastered the ways of the storms' winds and were able to navigate their way through them easily.

"Thunder!" She heard a voice yell over the wind.
She winged way towards the voice, knowing that it was her mother who was calling for her.

Thunder didn't want to go to her, knowing what was coming. She knew that her mother Nimbus and her father Rainstorm would scold her yet again for flying out in the open during wartime.
They would tell her that she could have been killed or captured, and Thunder would listen to them, taking in their words, drilling them into her head, and then go back outside and fly in the storm.

"Thunder!" The voice called again, closer.

Suddenly a bolt of lightning lit up the clouds and Thunder saw the outline of her mother silhouetted against the bright flash of light.
She flew towards it and found her mother.

"Thunder!" She cried, relief filling her voice, her stormy blue eyes worried and afraid.

"Hey mom." Said Thunder.

"Come back with me." Her mother said, her tone changing from relief to anger in a heartbeat.
Thunder reluctantly followed, watching the lightning reflect off of her mother's gold underbelly and spines.

She was one of the rare dragons with grey scales and gold patterning, and Thunder herself was even rarer with black scales and golden markings and spines. 

She inherited her father's scales and her mother's markings, and her older brother Cyclone had the usual black and purple coloring.

He's off at war. Thought Thunder as they flew down through the clouds.

Where I should be.

Thunder was only a year to young to fight in the StormWings' and ForestWings' army, but she had a talent for fighting with weapons and her abilities.

The two dragons leveled out as the ground came into view, trees obscuring the cave openings in the sides of the Skytooth Mountains.

These were the homes of the StormWings now that they had been pushed put of their original homes at the tops of the peaks of the Skytooth Mountains by the FlameWings.

Suddenly she missed her home with all her heart, longing to be close to the sky again, but that was impossible now that the FlameWings had control of most everything.

Thunder resented the FlameWings for what they had done, for how many StormWings they had killed, and hated their queen for letting it happen.

The StormWings were now almost gone, and Queen Phoenix was close to achieving her goal.
Only about a thousand of them remained on Ventus when their had been several thousand before the war. The ForestWings were also suffering, though not as much. Their army now consisted of almost all ForestWings and little StormWings.

If something didn't change soon none of them would survive.

Thunder pushed these thoughts out of her head as they neared the entrance to their cave, preparing herself instead for the scolding that she was about endure.

They landed on the soft, muddy, pine-needle covered ground outside their cave. Her mother led the way in, Thunder following close behind.
They passed several passageways that lead to other StormWing families' caves until they got to their own at the end of the corridor.

It was a spacious cave lined with soft moss and pine needles with sleeping alcoves dug into the back wall. They, to, were filled with soft moss and pine needles with soft blankets neatly folded on top of them.

Several soft talon-sewed pillows and carpets lined the floor of the cave and a bookshelf full of the books her family was able to salvage from their old home was carved next to the entrance.

"Did you find her?" Asked her father, emerging from the reading corner.

"Yes." Said her mother.

"She was out flying again without telling us." She said.

"You would never let me go if I told you." Said Thunder.

"You're right, because we care about you." Said her mother.

"We didn't know if you had been captured or injured or killed. Our tribes are at war, Thunder. You must understand that." Said her mother, looking her in the eyes.

"You cannot run off like that."

"We want you to survive." Said her father.

"And that means staying safe and protected here."

"I can't stay here." Said Thunder.

"I can't be locked up in a cave all the time. The lightning and the wind call to me. I can't stay here. I have to go out and fly in the rain, feel the lightning." She said.

"We all feel it." Said her mother.

"But we must learn in this time of war that in order to survive we must stay hidden. Phoenix doesn't know where these caves are, and we would like to keep it that way." She said.
Thunder nodded, understanding.

"Good. Now it's time that we all got some sleep." Said her mother.

That night Thunder lay awake looking at the the stone ceiling of the cave wishing that it was open sky and stars instead.

She thought about how much the War of Thunder and Fire had changed her parents and her brother. How it had made them more protective and scared for their lives but at the same time more brave and kind and caring.
Thunder also thought about how it had changed her, too, making her more protective of her parents and friends. How she had learned how to use every weapon available to her and how she had mastered her powers.

I would never had done any of it if the War hadn't been started. She thought.

Everything would be different, and we would be free.
We would be flying in the storms, happy.

With these thoughts on her mind Thunder fell into an uneasy sleep.