The sky above the northern fjords was alive with fury.
Kael stood at the cliff's edge, his wings outstretched, feeling the raw force of the wind whip through the feathers of his metal-plated wings. The storm had come suddenly, as they often did in these parts, sweeping in from the sea with a vengeance. The air tasted of salt, a sharp tang that made his throat ache, but it was the power of the wind that gripped his soul. This was his birthright.
As the scion of Aeropex, the Sky Dragon, Kael had learned to master the winds since he was a boy. His wings—the unique gift passed down from his ancestors—were not just for show. They were weapons. Tools. Wings of metal that could carve through the air with the force of a thousand storms. And now, as a man, he was expected to control that power. Harness it. He was the heir to the legacy of the wind itself.
The storm howled around him, a chaotic whirlwind of dark clouds, cracking thunder, and jagged lightning. Kael's feet were planted firmly on the rocky ground, but the air was alive beneath him. His muscles tensed as the storm picked up, and for a brief moment, he felt a deep surge of excitement. The sky was calling.
With a steadying breath, Kael unfurled his wings, stretching them wide to their full span. His metallic feathers gleamed like liquid silver in the dim light of the storm. It was time.
A deep roar of thunder rumbled through the mountains, and without hesitation, Kael leapt into the storm.
The wind caught him almost immediately, lifting him higher into the air. He soared above the cliffs, his wings cutting through the turbulent atmosphere, a predator hunting through a wild, unfathomable sky. The storm was a living thing, pushing back, testing him, as though it had a mind of its own. But Kael welcomed it. The wildness of the storm was part of him—part of his inheritance. It was Aeropex, the Sky Dragon, speaking through him.
Kael spread his arms wide, letting the wind take him. The elements were his playground, the sky his battlefield. He tilted his wings, letting the wind spiral him into a sharp dive, then back up again, riding the gusts and updrafts as though he was one with the very air.
It wasn't just about the thrill. It was about power. Control. The control that Kael so desperately craved.
He had never known anything other than this. Ever since he was a child, his mother had spoken of his destiny, the legacy he carried, the great Sky Dragon Aeropex whose name was whispered in every gale. She'd taught him to listen to the wind, to feel its currents, to communicate with it.
But lately, something had been changing.
The wind, though it had always been with him, had felt... restless.
Kael closed his eyes for a moment, letting the storm rush past him. Beneath the deafening roar of the gale, he could hear it—faint whispers carried by the wind. They were unfamiliar, and for the first time, he felt out of sync with the sky. Something was wrong. Something was different.
He banked hard to the left, spinning to face the storm head-on. There, on the horizon, a strange silhouette pierced the sky—a dark figure, standing against the backdrop of swirling clouds. It was a shape he didn't recognize, a figure against the light of the storm.
Kael narrowed his eyes, squinting against the sudden, violent gusts. He didn't know who or what it was, but the figure wasn't part of the storm. It was something... else. Something unnatural.
A shiver ran down his spine, and his instincts flared. Whoever—or whatever—this was, it wasn't just a manifestation of the weather. The storm was trying to warn him. The wind was agitated, and for the first time in his life, Kael felt as if the sky itself was not entirely under his control.
He pushed forward, the wind tearing at his clothes as his wings cut through the air, guiding him closer to the silhouette. The figure remained steady, unmoving, even as the winds howled around it. Then, with startling speed, the figure turned to face him.
Kael's heart skipped a beat.
The figure was a man, tall and cloaked, his face obscured by shadows. His presence was like a force of nature, a magnetic pull that drew Kael in, compelling him to follow. The man's eyes gleamed with an intensity that Kael couldn't understand, and for a moment, the wind around them seemed to quiet, as though the air itself was holding its breath.
"Who are you?" Kael shouted above the gale, his voice carrying no further than a few feet.
The man didn't respond immediately, only stared at him, unblinking. But Kael felt something shift within him, a deep, resonant thrum from within the man's gaze. It was as if the wind itself was acknowledging him, as though the very currents recognized him.
And then, finally, the figure spoke, his voice low and calm, barely audible over the wind. "You are Kael. The heir to Aeropex."
Kael's heart stilled. "How do you know my name?"
The man tilted his head, a faint smile playing at the edges of his lips. "I know more than just your name. You are the one who will lead the storm."
The words struck Kael like a physical blow, and for a moment, his wings faltered. "What do you mean?" he demanded.
The stranger's smile deepened. "The winds have changed, Kael. Aeropex is no longer the only one who controls the skies."
A shiver of unease crawled up Kael's spine. "What do you mean by that?" he repeated, his voice harder this time.
The man's eyes glinted dangerously. "There are others. Others who will come for the power of the dragons. And if you are to claim your legacy, you must stand against them."
The wind surged around them, as if the storm itself was responding to the tension in the air. Kael's heart pounded in his chest. He didn't know what this man meant, but one thing was clear: this was no ordinary encounter. His connection to the sky—his very legacy—was under threat.
The stranger stepped backward, blending into the storm, his figure dissolving into the chaos of the winds. But his words lingered, echoing in Kael's mind like a storm that would not quiet.
"Find the others. You are not alone. But hurry—before the wind takes you."
With that, the man vanished.
Kael stood alone in the sky, the storm now a quiet rumble in the distance. His wings folded slowly against his back as he descended, his mind racing. The man's words echoed in his thoughts. Find the others. You are not alone.
Kael's connection to Aeropex had always been clear, undeniable. The wind was his ally, his power. But now... now it felt like the wind was slipping through his fingers. The storm had changed, and he wasn't sure if he could keep up.
As he touched down on the rocky ground, Kael realized that his path was no longer a solitary one. There were others—others with powers tied to the ancient dragons. The echoes of his mother's warnings resurfaced: The dragons are awakening. Their heirs must rise.
But against what? And who else would answer the call?
The winds carried no answers, only the weight of destiny.