The Son of Thunder

Part I: Acts

Chapter One

Lightening had his feet laced through the bars of the cage and was hanging upside down. He was naked from the waist up, doing his daily exercises. His abdominal muscles flexed as he lifted himself against gravity.

Shawna watched his body tense and relax, the beads of sweat rolling over his nipples and collecting on his chin. She wished his skin was darker, but he was stark. She ignored it whenever possible. She was focusing on his progress now. He had done one hundred crunches.

He stopped and inhaled deeply.

"Come now, Lightening. You have one hundred more to go."

He put his hand out for a towel and dabbed his face, particularly the folds of his chin, then tossed it back. He then pulled himself up and latched onto the bars, letting his feet drop him upright with dust unsettling around his boots.

"You're not done."

"I'll decide when I'm done.

"You're not a man yet, Lightening."

"I'm rashaman and I technically reached thirteen annae three moons ago." He patted her flat chest, dark as the earth and covered only a little more than his. Shawna glared at him. "Don't be petty," Lightening hummed. "We both know it's true."

"Don't be so anxious to grow up, child."

He pulled his shirt over his head. "Isn't that what you've always wanted, elder?"

She watched as Lightening began to wrap his hands in the black linen strips. "I wanted you to be married tomorrow, too."

He waved it away.

"I want you to rule this empire."

Again, he waved his hand, the loose strip following his motion. He caught it up and finished wrapping, then tucked the end of the cloth in the folds. "I'm the chosen one. But unless I marry, I don't have to worry about that until I'm eighteen or you," he shoved his finger into her mild cleavage, "die."

"I wanted you to have this at your thirteenth annum."

"I'm not going to. And I will never challenge you again."

"Really?"

"Shawna," he moaned.

"Maybe you love your brethren more than Thundonia."

"Just because I embrace the Star Child ways doesn't mean I value them over Thundonia."

Shawna snatched his arm. "You can't have both. A time will come when you will have to choose."

"Thundonia and Valley of the Star can live as one," he said, wrapping the other hand.

"Thundonia was forged out of my hatred for those people," Shawna said, inches from him, several inches taller than him. Shawna's eyes darkened. "They will be your followers soon."

Lightening grit his teeth, ignored her.

"Of course, you could always go back to Valley of the Star, announce that you're Rasha and take your rightful place as purest," she taunted. "They've got your whole life planned out for you. They do that, pick out everything the day you're born and announce it three moons later at your initiation. They've even got you a nice little wife waiting back there."

Lightening folded his arms. It was easier to wait for her temper tantrum to pass.

Shawna was snickering at him. "I hear she's cute. Perhaps you'll like her better than the wife I chose for you."