Storm Rising

Chapter Eleven- Flames in the Sky

Thunder and Nimbus watched the glowing orange dots come closer and closer. Thunder lashed her tail, feeling herself tense.

"Mom." She said suddenly.

"Yes?"

"I have an idea."

Nimbus looked deep into her daughter's eyes.

"What is it?" She asked, her eyes saying that she already knew what she was going to say.

Brief memories of the storm and the power she had harnessed flashed through her mind.

"I can lead them away from here," she said.

"I can use the power I've unlocked to make sure that don't tell the others where we are."

Nimbus looked at her for a moment longer, then at the rapidly growing FlameWings.

"Go." She said.

"But please come back to me."

Thunder looked long and deep into her mother's eyes and saw pain and sadness within them. She understood why it was there. She had already lost one dragonet, losing both of them would destroy her.

"I'll come back, I promise." She said, turning and spreading her wings.

She took off and flew towards where the FlameWings were approaching from, gathering height and strength with each long wing beat. The StormWing took a deep breath and called upon the power she had discovered earlier that day.

She saw the sky darken, the clouds roil and low thunder roll over the mountain.

Electricity crackled over her wings and spine as she approached the FlameWings.

"So the Chosen One chooses to face us?" Asked one of them, his voice a low and dangerous hiss.

Thunder watched as three of them circled around behind her.

"Come back with us and surrender yourself and we won't attack this continent." Hissed the same dragon.

"Or we will kill you and the other dragons you brought with, including your family."

Thunder narrowed her eyes, trying to look like she didn't care, but in reality she was terrified. Her family could die if she didn't win this battle.

"Never." She hissed at him, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.

The wind picked up, howling around the six dragons and Thunder spread her wings, gliding up into the clouds, the five FlameWings close on her tail.

She called lightning bolts to her, and they struck her scales, and she absorbed their power, electricity running along her scales.

She fanned her wings and dropped back, the FlameWings flying right passed her. Thunder opened her mouth and bathed the nearest dragon in blue flame, going until his fireproof scales gave out and he fell screaming to the ground far below.

She dodged the flaming dragon coming at her and raked her claws down his side, causing him to roar in pain and anger. The StormWing then flew up into the clouds further as driving rain began to fall.

Below her the others followed.

Suddenly a FlameWing was in front of her and the others were around her, trapping her. She looked from one dragon to the other, her heart in her throat.

"Come back to me." Her mother's voice echoed in her head.

"I promise I will." Her own voice echoed back.