Coldsnap: Storm's Call

Prologue, Part 2: Flash Flood Friends

This is Part 2 of the Prologue for Coldsnap: Storm's Call. In Part 1, we witnessed as The Ascendant, heavily grief-stricken at Earth's current state, created the Mage Aspects and their Sect Leaders with the sole purpose of looking after the planet and providing for its inhabitants. However, though we were introduced to four familiar factions, there was a new fifth faction consisting of Commander Windsor Galeforce, Typhoon, and the Storm Sect, all of whom we have never heard of before. This time, we continue to delve into the dynamics between the five Sect Leaders, including this newcomer, and watch as Galeforce finds an unlikely friend among the Mage Aspects.....

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Hydraxus, brimming with happiness and excitement at the thought of getting to know Galeforce a little more, strolled through the Grand Terminus on his way to its portal network, humming a cheerful little ditty to himself. He had just gotten done ordering a squad of Water Sect mages to venture to Earth and put out a particularly devastating wildfire known as the Black Dragon Fire that was currently engulfing a significant part of the People's Republic of China. They would be back soon, but until then, the Sect Leader figured he might try to continue building bridges with one of his own.

The Grand Terminus's portal network consisted of six portals; five of them led to the Firelands, the Whitecap Tundra, the Tidal Throne, the Stonemount Gorge, and Skycrest, while the sixth one could be configured to lead to any location on Earth at a moment's notice.

Facing the portal that led to the capital of Skycrest—the Storm Sect's home region—Hydraxus took a breath, then leapt through the gateway.

Once he stepped out onto the other side, he was met with the majestic splendor that was Skycrest. The region itself consisted of a series of four massive floating islands over an expanse of clouds, all with buildings of similar architecture—purple exteriors with ornate gold lining—and perpetual streams of strong air serving to transport the mages back and forth between areas. Should anyone accidentally fall off the islands into the abyss, the clouds would immediately recoil and "bounce" them back up to the surface, ensuring they would remain safe no matter what happened.

The southern island was the smallest of the four; it was the island on which the Skycrest portal was stationed, only having a small landmass for visiting mages to plant their feet on when they first arrived. There was nothing of note here except for a wind stream that would take the mages to the center island.

The western island was where the storm mages went to if they wished to train. Several advanced simulators would create possible scenarios which would require the mages' powers to solve, and, rather amusingly, if they fixed the problems quickly enough, they would receive tickets that could be redeemed for prizes in the center island, similar to an arcade.

The eastern island appeared to have some kind of park or sanctuary; regardless, it certainly looked more suited for relaxation than work. Birds would occasionally perch on the tree branches and chirp cheerfully, adding to the rather peaceful surrounding ambiance, and there were rectangular benches for mages to sit on, giving them time to reflect on themselves and their progress.

Finally, the center island hosted an inn to hold visiting mages from the other regions, as well as a bank, a series of shops, and an office where one could book zeppelin tours giving them a bird's eye view of the entire capital. It was also the island on which Commander Galeforce and his right-hand woman Typhoon had constructed their base of operations: the Windswept Pinnacle, which was a towering, lavish spire in the middle of the town where the two of them could keep a vigilant eye on their followers.