Dragon Prince: The Storm's Heart

Chapter Sixteen: Storm Spire

Shira can be seen riding Aethra across the morning sky. They could count more hues and shades than in the box of paints and watercolors that she had bought a few years ago. Shades of sapphire, violet, magenta, amber, and gold shimmered and shined, like a giant rainbow had blanketed the sky and stretched out over the land.
It was barely morning, but the night stars continued to sparkle like diamonds. Despite the lightness of the dawning sky, the stars were so bright and clear like distant diamonds sparkling in the morning sky. While the faint outline of the moon was in a pale circle of silver, glowing faintly in the dawning sky. As the sun started to rise, it had caught the colors of a blazing, aflame ember as it rise in the east.
Straight ahead of them fluttered a kaleidoscope of birds, thousands of them. Aethra flew straight into them, Shira glanced down at her. With her azure blue wings enveloping her, the dawning sky shining above, and the everlasting forests shimmering below, she looked serene as a book illustration. She felt winded with joy and excitement. Shira caught her breath and watched the world pass underneath her feet, blurred and beautiful. They headed up, and then suddenly, Aethra lifted her snout and shot to the tops of the clouds. Here, the wind filled Shira's ears and blew her hair down.
The sky became painted with pink, orange, gold, and blue the tops of the clouds skidded underneath them, momentarily darkened by the dragons' long shadows. After a few moments of gliding, Shira stopped gripping the dragon's scales and let one of her hands fly up into the air. The wind, chilly as it was, felt like a god's touch on her skin. She closed her eyes and reveled in the feeling of absolute freedom.
They rode like that for a few more minutes, both enjoying the gradually rising sunlight, dipping into and out of the cloudbanks like a playful dolphin or a curious otter.
"Slow down Aethra!" called out Shira.
Aethra slowed down a bit, but Shira enjoyed the ride still as the others caught up with her. She smiled as she looked up to see the bright colors of the dawn appearing in the sky. The stars sparkled like faint diamonds in the sky, while the sky is like bright golden and blue silk that sparkled with the beautiful dawn colors can be seen overhead. As the clouds cleared, a golden circle of the sun had also appeared in the sky and had casted its fiery yellow beams of light over the clouds and the land.
Aethra rumbled, sounding distressed. Shira raised an eyebrow and looked down curiously to see a beautiful green field dotted with trees and flowers. Her eyes were drawn to a massive dragon that was once known as Avizandum, who is now petrified into a massive statue, his right talon stretching out towards the Storm Spire and a faint outline of a spear used to cast the dark spell is still embedded in his chest.
They finally started to reach the Storm Spire, the home of the Dragon Queen and the Dragon Prince. But Shira started having trouble breathing for some reason.
"Oh snap. I've almost forgot." She begun drawing a magical blue rune in the air. "Ventus Spiralis."
A single of sparkling sky-blue magic went around them. Shira coughed several times, gasping in a breath before beginning to pant after she felt new air entering her.
As she flew, she quickly regained her breath, picking up the pace quickly. Finally, she found a smaller mountain attached to a rope bridge across a gap in the top of a needle of a mountain that pierces through the clouds and landed on the cliff of the bridge. They soon arrived to a large platform at the top of the mountain, a bridge of wood and stone ahead of them while on the other side of the bridge, was a large mountain, cut into the stone. It looked slightly rough and worn, but still beautiful as it reaches out to the sky, while at the very front, was a massive door engraved with beautiful runes.
"What should we do?" Shira dismounted Aethra and looked at the cave curiously. "Hello? Is anyone home?"
Rayla's ears flicked up and turned to look at the entry warily. She soon looked at her three companions, the two Sky mages and the baby dragon have immediately became on high-alert.
"Are you expecting someone?" Rayla asked Ibis. He looked up from speaking to Callum about Sky spells in confusion. "No." Ibis shook his head, worry and confusion went over his face.
Callum stood up and stood next Ibis, who gotten out his staff and ready to fight. Rayla grabbed her blades and flipped them open. "Someone's comin'." She gestures for Callum to sneak around in case he needs to use his magic to fight as a backup. She gestured for Ibis to stand his ground to protect Zym and Queen Zubeia. She creeps forward, her blades held out in front of her protectively, and makes out a shape in the growing darkness. "Show ya'reself!"
"Rayla?" The newly announced couple both became still and cautiously gotten out of their battle stances as the person revealed herself. The person is followed by a young Storm dragon that resembles Prryah slightly. The person pulled back her cloak's hood to show that she is actually a certain friend of theirs.
Zym tackled the girl with affection, giving her zappy kisses and jumped onto her shoulders, nuzzling her happily and making Shira laughed at the adorable baby dragon. Yet, the little dragon didn't stop and continued to give Shira love and affection by rubbing against her.
"Shira." Rayla soon hugged Shira and Zym, but it wasn't long till Callum joined the embrace and Rayla wrapped her arm around him too. "What are ya doin' here?"
"King Ezran has sent me," replied Shira. "He's going to speak to the other rulers of the Human Kingdoms and put a stop to Viren's ambitions."
Rayla scoffed. "If I ever see that creep again, I won't be hesitant to kill him."
"Let's save that for later, Rayla." Callum smiled at Shira, brotherly warmth shining in his green eyes. "Maybe we should head indoors."
Aethra nudged Shira gently with her snout and they slipped into the gap. "That's Aethra. A dragon friend of mine." Shira was even more impressed by the beauty inside.
There was many sculptures, frescoes, and decorations based off of the Storm dragons. Blue mineral veins run through the stones of the Storm Spire. On the ground was many pieces of artwork: jugs, jewelry, weapons, cloths, and much more as great gifts from elven warriors of past.
"Come." Ibis looked at the girl in curiosity. "I'm afraid we have bad news to share with you..."
Her eyes widened. "What? What is it?" Then she facepalmed. "Sorry. I've forgot to introduce myself again, didn't I?" Ibis nodded. "I'm Shira."
As they went deeper into the cave, there was towering stone pillars entwined with more carved dragons rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long shadows through the unique, blueish gloom that filled the place.
They all walked calmly on between the dragon columns. Every footstep barely made an echo off the shadowy wall. Shira kept her eyes sharp and alert for any sudden movements. The eyes of the stone dragons seemed to be following her. But it wasn't long till they see every dragon that represents the primal sources and their families are with them, watching Shira with wary curiosity.
"Queen Zubeia... she's fallen into a deep sleep and hasn't woken up since," explained Ibis.
"But she's still alive?" Shira asked.
"Oh yes... she still lives," Ibis confirmed with a nod before sighing. "At least... at the moment. We do not know how long she can hold on."
Shira felt her heart sink at the words, but decided to keep her chin up. "I want to see her."
"You could try," he said, turning away and walking towards the entrance.
It was oddly dark, the torches burning dimly as if in mourning. As he led them down a hallway, Ibis looked back at the others. "My name is Ibis, Mage of the Skywing Elves. When I heard that Queen Zubeia was ill, I thought I could use my magic to help her. Losing her mate and her child had irreparably broken her heart. For a while... it seemed she would be alright. But... eventually, she closed her eyes and has not opened them since."
Shira released a breath, preparing herself as she squeezed her hands. They arrived at a large cavern, standing in the entryway at the top of a flight of stairs. Veins of blue metal ran across the rocks while a hole in the ceiling allowed sun and moonlight to flow in and illuminate the area. The ground sprouted a collection of crystals, flowers, bushes, and grass.
In the very center was a dragon, bigger than anything Shira had ever seen. Her scales are a dark blue, and her spine is covered in a mane of white fur like Zym's mane and tail. Her head rested on the grass, and her tail wrapped around herself and a verdant cushion of soft moss and flowers where Zym's egg used to stay.
Shira stood at the top of the stairs and looked on in amazement before Zym slowly headed down first and they followed. Walking up to the dragon, Zym looked her up and down. But when he nuzzled her, not a single movement was made from her and it distresses Zym into flying back into Callum's comforting arms.
Ibis nodded. "Yes. This is the Dragon Queen, Zubeia."
Shira looked at him in concern. "When did this happen?"
"About ten days ago," replied Ibis. "A few weeks after the assassination of King Harrow." He glanced at Callum in concern, who looked stricken with both empathy and grief.
"Oh dear, this is bad," said Shira.
"What do you mean?" Callum asked Shira.
"Viren had broke out of prison a few days ago and has been gathering traitorous troops to attack Xadia." Shira looked at the two royal dragons in concern. "Ezran is going to be having a meeting with the other rulers to counter his attack on Xadia."
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After Shira has brought forth the message, she was resting against Aethra's scaly side. She watched as Callum gently played with Zym, while Rayla watched on with an amused smile. But Shira's curiosity quipped up when she saw Ibis passing through.
She followed him, feeling curious about him. "Umm... excuse me?" Ibis stopped and waited for Shira to join his side. "I'm not sure how to ask this. But... umm... I've heard Skywing elves have wings. But you don't." Shira flinched back nervously. "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."
Ibis laughed softly and looked at her with a gentle smile. "Don't apologize, you didn't offend my ego. As I guess from your outfit and lack of knowledge, you were not born in Xadia?"
Shira nodded as they headed outside. "You got that right. This is my first time in Xadia." She smiled at the landscape that spreads before the mountain. "I never met my father, and my mother died a long time ago. She didn't really tell me much about my father." She looked down, her grief may have faded over time, but it's still a sore subject to talk about.
"I'm sorry, I know what it's like to lose someone." She chanced a sideways look at his face, there was sorrow and empathy on his face. He was old enough to be her father, and from the way he talked, she'd guessed he'd been in the Storm Spire for a while. Maybe he hadn't commented about her elven features yet because he'd seen others with the similar features... elves related to him.
Or maybe I'm totally desperate, Shira added quietly. She shook it off and looked at him curiously. "It's been a long time, it doesn't hurt so much anymore. Could you tell me something about the elves and the Flenimu of the Sky?"
"No problem." Ibis chuckled softly. "It is true that all Skywing elves and Skywing flenimu are born connected to the Sky, but less than one in ten are born with wings, in Flenimu wings are practically non-existent. And of the rest, only a few can learn it." Ibis took his position on the platform. "Manus. Pluma. Volantus." His arms soon transformed into majestic black wings. "Mage wings."
"Wow, that's amazing." Shira's eyes were wide at the astonishing sight. "Could I do it?"
"Forgive me." Ibis laughed softly. "But flenimu are very rarely mages, and you on top of that no one has ever taught magic and you don't know how to use it, so...."
Shira smirked at him playfully. Shira started tracing a shimmering rune shape in the air. As her fingertips moved, arcs of light formed, creating the light blue glowing curves of the ancient, powerful symbol.
"Fulminis!"
The rune disappeared. Blue lightning crackled out of Shira's hand, and danced across the sky before it disappeared as quickly as it came.
"And yet you are a mage too," commented Ibis, trying to cover his shock. "This is quite interesting."
"My father is a mage too," Shira admitted with a shrug. "At least, that's what my mother, Bianca, managed to pass on to me before...."
Ibis seemed stunned as his wings transformed back into his arms and looked at her closely, hopeful desperation in his eyes. "What did you say?"
"My mother is a woman named Bianca?" Shira could feel her heart racing for some reason. "Did you know her?"
Pieces were starting to come together in her mind, bubbling in a funny, hopeful, confused way.
"I didn't just know her." His expression became ragged with emotion. "I've loved her."
Shira raised her head and met Ibis's eyes. The Mage of the Skywing Elves put his staff away, he stepped forward and seized Shira's hands in his.
When I was out searching for answers of my past...
Shira felt as though she couldn't breathe. His hands around hers, his eyes fixed on her. There were only real things in the mountaintop; everything else was blurring and sliding away.
But what I wanted...is finding my father.
Ibis gently gripped Shira's hands tighter. "Shira. You're my daughter."