OPERATION: RAINMAKER

Chapter Eight: Perun Returns

"What? What is it?" She said nervously.

He shushed her, not answering for a full minute.

"We're not alone."

Her eyes bulged and she stared into the grey.

Cloud...

cloud...

cloud...

cloud...

wings...

Wings?

A smooth, cruel laugh echoed through the fog.

Reign seized up in mid stroke. They spiraled downwards.

"Rain!" The captain flapped his wings frantically. With his fore-paws he slapped some sense back into her. "Pull up!"

She beat her wings clumsily, halting their descent.

"It's Perun," She squeaked, petrified. "What are we going to do? Oh Captain I'm scared, there's nowhere to run or hide."

"We'll think of something. Just don't go AWOL on me now," Velklædd panted, climbing up onto her head. "Keep your wits about you."

The fog swirled around them.

"Hahaha oh this is rich, isn't it? A sad excuse of a wardenrain, and a chipperguin, all alone in the big empty sky. What could go wrong with that? Say, not a bad start for a joke."

"Perun," The captain raised his crest and hissed. "What are you doing back here? We fixed you up for good."

"Well that's true." The great skrill emerged from the mists. By comparison just one of his wings covered Reigns full wingspan. She shrank back at the sight of him.

"Let me tell you the tale. When I woke and found your note, I thought to myself 'oh that old island's getting dull anyways. Why not see how this plays out?' So, of my own choice, of course, I did go to Russia. I'll hand it to you captain she is the loveliest skrill I ever did meet. Flashy, wild, ferocious, a voracious carnivitarian, and such a delightful accent. We danced, we flew; we ate a fine Siberian Ibex under the auroras. I looked into her eyes and she into mine... But alas, things just didn't work out between us. So here I am! Fresh from a good night's sleep on East Island and plotting my revenge as we stumble across each other's paths. The world is so very small, isn't it?" He laughed wickedly, and as he did sparks flared from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail.

"Then what happened?"

"What?" He stopped laughing.

"Then what happened?" The captain repeated.

"I-just- ...told you the whole story."

"No you told me the first part of the story and then cut it short just when it was getting interesting. You, Russia, a meal of Siberian Ibex..."

His eyes grew wide. "There's nothing to tell. We just weren't each other's type."

"Could you elaborate a little? I mean, so much detail and then all the sudden zippo. Did she fall ill? Have an irritating habit you couldn't stand? Become allergic to you?"

"Allergic? No! Nothing like that."

"Or perhaps," that cocky smirk crept up Velklædd's face, "She saw your true, arrogant nature. Or the sick pleasure you take in being cruel to the weak. Perhaps she couldn't bear to be a partied to your tyrannical, iron-clawed rule and sent you away with a dagger in your heart!"

"Ok. Wow." The skrill looked like he was about to burst into tears.

"Climb," The captain muttered under his breath. He tapped Reign with his tail. They had lost a great deal of altitude just by hovering. The little wardenrain caught an updraft and road it back another ten yards. "And be prepared to dive when I say so."