In the outskirts of Skywing territory...
Cloud flew after his father, the rain and hail beating against his face in the night. Like all Skywings, they could both fly faster than the other tribes. But the crimson scaled dragonet felt like he would never be able to escape the despair, the anger, the rage, and the overwhelming fear he was feeling. It was all just to much right now, as thunder crashed, sounding like a mountain sized monster, roaring at full blast, and as if the jagged blades of lighting firing down were its claws, ready to cut the two Skywings into pieces.
It's note like there aren't monsters though...
Cloud looked down at the ground, which wasn't flooded yet, but soon would be. There were no aggressors in sight, but that didn't mean they weren't there. The monsters were probably hiding right now, ready to come and snatch up the passing dragons. They would probably drag them back to there layers, where they could cut them to pieces and-
I'm not helping...
Cloud glanced up at the Skywing in front of him; his father. They both had the same red scales. The same gold zig zag marks going down their backs and tails. The same glowing yellow eyes. But even though they looked the same, aside from the age difference, father and son, couldn't be more different.
Cloud's father, General Elevation, was one of the greatest warriors in the Skywing army, and to any Skywing, in all of Pyrrhia. He was quicker than even most Skywings, and he saw things most didn't. He was capable of using almost any blade, whether it was a sword, knife, scythe, or pitchfork, whether it was iron, gold, or lead, or whether it was heavy, light, broken, or rusted. He was a real Skywing, and Cloud knew that no matter how much he tried to be like him, he would always be a thousand steps behind.
Cloud had always been a terrible sky dragon. Ever since he had been born, he had been the weakest out of five dragonets, all of which tormented him, hurt him, made fun of him, and were now very, very dead. Cloud knew they had all been bad siblings, every single one. He didn't miss them either.
But he knew that his father was angry. Out of his five children, the only one that was alive now, was weak, cowardly, stupid, slow, and couldn't even speak up when it counted the most. In the big, big world, Cloud knew that he was just a little, puny, scrawny insect, and he knew his father could tell as well. He could see it in his eyes. That gaze always said; There is something wrong with you. No matter how much I train you, discipline you, even beat you, you still are the same. Where is your pride? Where is your strength? Where is the skill you should have? I look at you once, and I know. You can't possibly be my son. You're a mistake. That's. It.
Cloud looked up slowly, not surprised to see his father much further ahead. He struggled to catch up to him for a time, the rain hitting his wings and pushing him back like some kind of freezing, invisible wall. Finally, he gave up with a sigh, trailing behind General Elevation.
What is he thinking right now? We can't be that far away from the house right now, can we? It must be over one of these peaks. Maybe then, we'll be able to get out of this Kingdom. Maybe if I'm lucky, since I did something so important, he'll actually say something ni-.
Clouds thoughts were snatched away by the wind as he narrowly avoided a pair of glowing orange claws, the scorching heat inches away from his scales. The Aggressor roared angrily, beating its wings to chase him. Cloud dove down, going in between the branches and trees so fast, he could barley see as he snapped most of the twigs he passed.
The Aggressor didn't have to dodge trees. As it came closer, it's heated scales burned right through the rain and the trees, cutting through them like paper.
Cloud gripped a tree trunk and swung around, passing the monster as it gave another roar, flames flickering out of its nose, mouth, and eyes.
Okay... Okay, I think that should have made me lose hi-.
Cloud crashed into a tree with a crash, his wings ripping in some places as branches clawed at him, splinters stabbing the areas between his scales. He let out a scream as the aggressor was there again, stamping down on the ground, trying to crush him as he rolled back and forth, dodging those scale melting claws.
I'm not going to end up like them!!! I'm not going to end up like my siblings, my brothers and my sisters!!!!!!
He rolled underneath its underbelly, leaping up to the top of a tree, and flapping frantically as he struggled to escape.
I'm not going to end up like my mother!!!!!!!!!
All of the sudden, he screeched in pain. A burning sensation went up from his tail to his shoulders as the aggressor touched the weak spot all dragons had on their tails. He plummeted out of the air, the monster coming after him. He hissed in pain as his wings were scratched more by the branches. He hit the ground hard, the dirt and earth piling up behind him as he skidded to a stop.
He was silent for a second, the only sound being the thunder and pouring rain. His eyes widened though, as the aggressor landed with a thud a few meters away from him, little flames coming out of the spaces between his scales.
Run! Cloud run!!!
Cloud shivered as the monster walked closer and closer, it's jaws opening and closing hungrily. Even as he thought about running, he shivered even more, unable to move.
Run!!!!!! Pigeon poop, RUN YOU STUPID EXCUSE FOR A DRAGON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cloud came back alive, leaping back with a yelp as the aggressor pounced on the spot where he had been just a second before. Blowing a burst of fire at the monster to hopefully distract it, he flapped his wings, flying for dear life.
"Dad!" he screamed, flapping faster and faster, knowing he was being followed. "Dad!! Dad, dad!!! DAD HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
###
General Elevation spread his wings to full length, seeing the torch light of his home up ahead. He heard the screams of his son behind him, but didn't turn around.
I must reach the seller. If my son can survive while I prepare myself, I will come to his aid. If he can't, then he wasn't worth the effort in the first place.
Tucking his crimson wings in, he dived down, noting the aggressor that had shot out of the forest after him, it's scales sizzling as the rain fell on it.
I'll have to deal with the monster when I get out. It should be easy enough.
Landing, he ran into the cave, completely silent as the aggressor struggled to squeeze in after him, roaring at the top of its lungs. Elevation ran into a side cave, his claws clicking on the stone floor.
Reaching a pair of enormous iron doors, he dragged his claws across the metal until he found the doorknob. Pulling it out, he turned it once to the left, then twice to the right. The doors pushed forward with a cloud of steam. Then, they both freaked open, crashing none to quietly as the hit the cave walls.
Strutting into the room, he came up to the very far wall, which unlike the other rooms, was not lit. The only hint of something being there, was from the torch light reflecting from other rooms, onto what looked like a suit of nearly pitch black armor.
The Obsidian armor, Elevation thought, pulling the leg and knee plating first.
Legend has it it has the ability to be destroyed by nothing, and harness the power of a hurricane.
He put on the chest plate, and then gripped the helmet, slowly putting it on.
It is also said that it changes shape to fit any dragon... And only can be used by that dragon, or those he or she chooses... Along with its weapons.
He put out both of his front claws, and in an instant, a pair of obsidian swords flew into his now armored hands, right off the wall where they came from. The many axes, knives, machetes, and other blades flew onto the back, shoulders, and waist of his armor. Last but not least, an ebony shield protected the many blades on his back. It was a detachable shield, and much like the rest of the armor, it could come back whenever Elevation wanted it to.
Racing out of the cave in full armor now, he crashed into the aggressor silently, the heat resistant, animus touched, obsidian armor protected every scale on him, as the pair rolled through the air and crashed into the ground.
My weak spot is still my eyes.
Elevation held the shield in front of him just as the aggressor shot flames at his visor, the one spot where he could see. Then, with one clean motion, he threw the shield, it's sharp edges slicing through the monsters heated scales, and then caught it as it came back like a boomerang. The only sign it had done work was a dim orange glow at the edge which sizzled in the rain, and the aggressor, which had just fallen the ground, now decapitated.
He tilted his head, listening carefully.
"..............................Dad! Dad, help!!! Help please!!!! DAD!!!!!"
Elevation spread his wings, and with a boom, he leaped into the air, placing the shield back onto his back. He looked back and forth as he flew, until a second later he spotted his target. Tucking his wings in, small extremely sharp blades appeared on the edges of the visor, the shoulders, the tail and the wings, as Elevation dropped like a comet. Then, in an instant, his armored form punched through the back of the aggressor, and out its chest, landing on the ground. The monster fell onto the ground dead, a few feet away from his son, who was breathing heavily, his eyes so wide they looked like they could pop out at any moment. A sizzling, glowing hole was going through the monster, showing it wouldn't move any more.
"Turn around Cloud" Elevation said, stepping forward and taking off his helmet.
His son obeyed, and the Skywing looked down at the scorch mark at the end of his sons tail.
"Listen Cloud. This is where I need you to go. You might be able to make the flight to Jade Mountain Academy, and I can't fly you there. They will have medicine that can help you there."
"B-... B-b-but d-d-d-dad.... I can't do this alone......" His sons trembling skyrocketed, and he was sure he would brake down crying right there.
Elevation up at the sky, lightning zig zaging through the clouds. Then, he looked down at his... son. Then, he pulled the shield of his back, knelt down, and placed it in the two trembling hands of the Skywing dragonet. "Here is the shield. It is invincible, so no matter what comes at you, you can count on it to protect you. If you survive. I trust you can at least do that."
Then, putting his helmet back on, Elevation left his son in the stormy night.
