Dragon Binder: Book One of the Dragonblood Priestess Series (First Draft)

Chapter 23: The Storm

Yina continued to practice her magic in the mornings and nights.  Occasionally she would also practice when they found a good place to rest.  She had to be careful however since the for the last two days a soft mist had started to continuously fall.  

"I hate being wet all the time."  Yina complained as they stomped through the mud completely soaked.  The jackets helped, but when you were constantly in the mist it did not help.  "It will probably start storming sometime soon."  She added, dreading it.  Most of the time in this part of the world it would mist for a few days and then storm for a day.  Once done it would go back to a light mist for another two days and then be done.  

The storms were not on a perfect cycle, but one could expect them to pop up at least twice in a month sometimes more.  The storms tended to be quite violent though, so having the advance notice was helpful.  Both of them were worried, if they could not find a good place to hunker down and ride out the storm it could prove fatal.  

Nyssa did not seem to be bothered by the weather as she flew high above them letting the wind guide her.  It aggravated Yina a bit, she was supposed to be using her ability to get into the air to find them maybe a cave or something.  

Having found no suitable place to take shelter the three gathered under a large tree.  The expansive limbs full of leaves helped a little but not enough to completely remove the wetness they felt.  In order to get any amount of decent sleep Tyn and Yina would curl up under Nyssa's wings, one on each side.  Her leathery wings allowed them to escape some of the mist, not to mention she gave off quite a bit of heat.  

Earsplitting thunder caused the trio to snap awake as the beginnings of the storm rolled in.  Lightning flashed overhead causing the early morning darkness to light up the surrounding areas.  The mist had shifted into a light rain, it would only be a few hours before it would become a true downpour.  

"We have to hurry.  Nyssa go find us a place."  Yina grumbled gathering up her wet blanket and briskly trying to cover as much ground as they could.  

"I miss a roof."  Tyn complained kicking a rock across the forest ground.  Most of the wildlife had already retreated to wherever they could find shelter.  

"Buildings in general."  Yina replied as she pushed through the leaves of a low hanging branch water splattering into her face.  Growling she ripped the entire small branch down and tossed it to the ground.

"I found a cave."  Sent Nyssa.  "Just past a open meadow it becomes a bit rocky, there is at least enough space for you two to fit maybe more.  The rain is making it hard to really see with great detail."  The lightning had started to pick up as the storm moved towards them ready to give them hell.  

"Great."  Yina acknowledged the message and picked up the pace.  She was ready to get someplace dry and hopefully make a fire.  In the rain there was no way the raptors would continue to follow them or even see the smoke created by a fire.  

Both of them were agitated to find out that the meadow she had talked about was over a hour away from where they had been.  Rain pelted down on them leaving red welts on their skin.  Yina barely felt them, but she could tell that they were really hurting Tyn.  

All what was left was the open meadow.  "Ready?"  Yina asked Tyn as she started across the meadow.  It was common knowledge not to run across open areas during a storm, lightning loved to strike anything and everything during these storms.  

They were less then half way across when the first bolt of lightning struck, it was easily less then twenty feet from them.  The hair on Yina's arms started to stand up as she pushed a little faster.  No more then three steps later and a bolt slammed straight into her body.  She felt no pain as the lightning coursed through her body.  

After the first had made contact a barrage of lightning started to strike around her, a few more actually hitting her.  "Run Tyn."  She screamed a bolt landing close enough to send a jolt through him.  As the arc of lightning touched him Tyn's body flew through the air, Yina had to resist running to him as the lightning continued to center in on her.  

Yina sensed it, the magic inside of her was overflowing, even without her mental push the magic filled her entire body.  That was when pain started to envelop her body, the pain of the magic wanting to escape.  It was like when water froze and expanded, if the container it was in couldn't not hold the ice it would break.  

Just then Nyssa swooped in hovering high above Yina soaking in most of the lightning bolts giving her a breather.  A few stray bolts of lightning continued to get past the dragon and slam into Yina.  With a violent scream she released all of the power she could a shock wave rippling out from her body.  

Tyn was walking slowly backwards unsure of what to do, the minor bolt that had arced over to his body had left him pretty beat up.  All he could do was watch as the shock wave dissipated and standing there was Yina, but not Yina.  

Yina was completely made out of lightning, it was not like before when she had shifted into a lightning bolt.  Her human form was still there, even her features, it was just made out of lightning instead of flesh.  A booming laugh left her lips that sounded like thunder, looking up she flashed up into the sky making contact with Nyssa.  

A blinding flash caused the entire area to light up for several seconds, when it dulled both Yina and Nyssa were made out of pure lightning.  Yina was riding on the back of Nyssa her arms stretched out pulling in lightning as it flashed past.  

"More, I need MORE!!!"  Yina roared as they flashed across the sky disappearing and reappearing in various places trying to catch all of the lightning that the storm was generating.  

"Yina, come back, what are you doing?"  Tyn screamed as loud as he could unsure if his voice had even pierced through the noise of the rain.  The sight of her flashing about was terrifying to him, something about it just seemed off.  

More thunderous laughter left her lips as she flung her arms about sending massive streaks of lightning from her fingertips towards various objects mostly trees.  The sound of splintering wood could be heard as the bolts destroyed trees.  Manic laughter left Yina as she started to move away from the area.  

"Lightning has taken her."  A strained mental message from Nyssa came to Tyn, it was barely a whisper in his mind.  "The primal force of it has taken over, it is to much power for her to control as she is now."  

Almost as if to agree with her dragon Yina let loose a barrage of lightning that struck several dozen time in a line back towards where they had come.  Even in the rain a fire came to life from such concentrated lightning strikes.  

Birds tried to retreat from where they were hiding only to be shot down by Yina.  Tyn could not see her face, but he could assume she was enjoying what was happening.  "What do we do."  Tyn screamed hoping that Nyssa had a idea.  

"I do, when i tell you to, throw your sword straight up."  The mental message seemed even weaker then it had before.  Drawing the sword Tyn stood at the ready, unsure of what was going to happen.  With a flash Yina and Nyssa appeared in a new spot.  

"What are you doing, why did you move us here."  Yelled the thunderous Yina as she tried to force her dragon mount to obey her.  With each attempt more lightning was sent out striking random places across the meadow.  One hit only a few feet from Tyn, but he stood his ground waiting.  

"NOW."  Yelled Nyssa in his mind.  With no hesitated Tyn pulled his arm back and tossed the sword straight up into the air.  It was only eight feet above him when the lightning dragon twisted and the lightning version of Yina streaked towards the sword.  

The sword acted like a lightning rod as Yina slammed into a piercing scream causing Tyn to cover his ears and bend down.  Looking back up he saw the body of Yina, now in flesh form falling the sword piercing her left shoulder.  

Tyn began to sprint, slipping several times on the grass but keeping himself from falling.  There was no way he could make it in time as he just watched on in horror.  "YINA!!"  He screamed.  

A lightning flash later and Nyssa wrapped her arms around Yina and slammed hard into the ground sending mud and water spraying everywhere.  Skidding to a stop Tyn pushed his way through the tangle of Nyssa's limps and pulled Yina out holding her in his arms.