GATHERING STORM

The sky above Tempestria was dark, filled with thick clouds that blocked the sun. The air smelled of smoke and ash. The land was scarred by war. Cities lay in ruins, and the people lived in fear. This was the world now—a world at war with Kullos, the enemy who sought to destroy everything.

In the middle of this chaos, a young girl named Catriona walked through the remains of a once-great forest. She was a druid, someone who could feel the energy of nature. But now, the forest was dying. The trees were blackened, their leaves gone. The ground was cracked and dry. Catriona placed her hand on a tree trunk and closed her eyes. She could feel the faint pulse of life, but it was weak. Too weak.

“This isn’t right,” she whispered to herself. “The forest shouldn’t be like this.”

Catriona was small for her age, with wild brown hair and green eyes that shone with curiosity. She wore a simple robe made of woven leaves and carried a satchel filled with herbs and books. She loved to learn, to understand how things worked. But the war had taken away so much. Her home, her family, her peace—all gone. Now, all she had was her hunger for knowledge and her determination to help.

As she walked, she heard a noise. It was faint, like the sound of metal clashing against metal. She froze, her heart pounding. The sound grew louder, and she realized it was coming from the east. Without thinking, she ran toward it.

Catriona reached the edge of the forest and hid behind a large rock. In front of her was a battlefield. Soldiers in dark armor fought against creatures made of shadow. The shadow creatures were fast and deadly, their claws slicing through the soldiers like paper. But one man stood out among the chaos.

He was tall and strong, with broad shoulders and a face hardened by years of war. His armor was black, with silver markings that glowed in the dim light. In his hand, he held a sword that crackled with energy. He moved like a storm, swift and unrelenting. Every swing of his sword cut through the shadow creatures, sending them back to the darkness.

Catriona’s eyes widened. She knew who he was. Everyone in Tempestria knew his name.

Daelen StormTiger. The Protector of Tempestria. The man who had fought Kullos for years and survived.

Catriona watched as Daelen fought, her mind racing. She had read about him in her books. He was a legend, a hero. But seeing him in person was different. He was more than just a story. He was real.

As she watched, one of the shadow creatures lunged at Daelen from behind. Without thinking, Catriona raised her hand and shouted a word in the ancient language of the druids. A burst of green energy shot from her hand, hitting the creature and knocking it to the ground.

Daelen turned, his eyes narrowing as he saw her. “Who are you?” he demanded, his voice sharp.

Catriona stepped out from behind the rock, her heart pounding. “My name is Catriona,” she said, trying to sound brave. “I’m a druid. I want to help.”

Daelen frowned. “This is no place for a child. Go home.”

“I’m not a child,” Catriona shot back, her fists clenching. “And I’m not going anywhere until you listen to me.”

Daelen stared at her for a moment, then shook his head. “You don’t understand what you’re getting into. This war isn’t for people like you.”

“People like me?” Catriona asked, her voice rising. “You mean people who care? People who want to stop Kullos and save Tempestria?”

Daelen’s expression softened slightly, but his voice remained firm. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. This war isn’t about caring. It’s about power. And power is something you don’t have.”

Catriona felt a surge of anger. “You think power is everything, but you’re wrong. Knowledge is just as important. Maybe even more.”

Daelen opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, a loud roar echoed across the battlefield. They both turned to see a massive shadow creature emerging from the smoke. It was bigger than the others, with glowing red eyes and claws as long as swords.

Daelen tightened his grip on his sword. “Get out of here,” he said to Catriona. “Now.”

But Catriona didn’t move. Instead, she reached into her satchel and pulled out a small, glowing stone. “I can help,” she said. “Trust me.”

Daelen hesitated, then nodded. “Fine. But if you get in my way, I’m leaving you behind.”

The shadow creature charged at them, its claws slashing through the air. Daelen met it head-on, his sword clashing against its claws. The force of the impact sent shockwaves through the ground, but Daelen held his ground.

Catriona stood back, her mind racing. She knew she couldn’t fight like Daelen, but she had other skills. She closed her eyes and focused on the stone in her hand. It was a druid stone, filled with the energy of nature. She whispered the ancient words, and the stone began to glow brighter.

The shadow creature roared and swung its claws at Daelen, but he dodged and struck back, his sword cutting deep into its side. The creature staggered, but it wasn’t enough to stop it.

“Now!” Daelen shouted.

Catriona opened her eyes and threw the stone at the creature. It hit its chest and exploded in a burst of green light. The creature screamed as the light spread across its body, dissolving it into nothingness.

For a moment, there was silence. Then Daelen turned to Catriona, his expression unreadable. “You’re full of surprises,” he said.

Catriona smiled slightly. “I told you I could help.”

Daelen studied her for a moment, then sighed. “Fine. If you’re so determined, I’ll take you with me. But don’t expect this to be easy.”

Catriona’s eyes lit up. “Where are we going?”

“To another world,” Daelen said. “A place where you can learn to fight. But remember—this isn’t a game. If you come with me, there’s no turning back.”

Catriona nodded, her determination unwavering. “I’m ready.”

As they walked away from the battlefield, Catriona couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement. She was finally going to learn how to fight, how to make a difference. But deep down, she knew this was only the beginning. The war was far from over, and the storm was still gathering.

Daelen led Catriona away from the battlefield, his strides long and purposeful. She had to jog to keep up with him, her satchel bouncing against her side. The air was thick with the smell of smoke, and the ground was littered with debris from the battle. Catriona glanced around, her heart heavy. This was what the war had done to Tempestria. This was why she had to help.

“Where are we going?” she asked, breaking the silence.

“To a portal,” Daelen replied without looking back. “It’s the only way to reach the other world.”

“What’s the other world like?” Catriona asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Daelen hesitated, then said, “It’s different. Dangerous. But if you’re serious about learning, it’s the best place to start.”

Catriona nodded, though a small part of her felt nervous. She had never left Tempestria before. She had read about other worlds in her books, but reading about them and actually going to one were two very different things.

They reached a clearing in the forest, where a large stone arch stood. The arch was covered in strange symbols that glowed faintly in the dim light. Catriona recognized some of the symbols from her studies—they were ancient runes, used to channel energy.

“This is the portal,” Daelen said, stopping in front of the arch. “Once we step through, there’s no turning back. Are you sure you want to do this?”

Catriona took a deep breath, then nodded. “I’m sure.”

Daelen studied her for a moment, then turned to the portal. He raised his hand, and the symbols on the arch began to glow brighter. The air around them shimmered, and a swirling vortex of light appeared within the arch.

“Stay close,” Daelen said, stepping toward the portal.

Catriona followed, her heart pounding. As they stepped through the portal, she felt a strange sensation, like being pulled in every direction at once. The world around her blurred, and for a moment, she couldn’t see or hear anything. Then, just as suddenly, the sensation stopped.

Catriona blinked, her eyes adjusting to the new surroundings. They were no longer in the forest. Instead, they stood on a rocky plain, under a sky filled with two suns. The air was dry and hot, and the ground was covered in red sand. In the distance, she could see strange rock formations that looked like they had been carved by the wind.

“Where are we?” she asked, her voice filled with awe.

“This is the other world,” Daelen said. “A place where time moves differently. A day here is only a few hours in Tempestria.”

Catriona looked around, her curiosity growing. “What kind of world is this? Is it magic? Or technology?”

“Both,” Daelen replied. “And neither. This world is… different. It doesn’t follow the same rules as Tempestria. That’s why it’s the perfect place to train.”

Daelen led Catriona to a large structure in the distance. As they got closer, she realized it was a fortress, made of the same red rock as the ground. The walls were tall and thick, with towers that reached into the sky. The entrance was guarded by two figures in armor, their faces hidden behind helmets.

“This is the training ground,” Daelen said. “It’s where you’ll learn to fight.”

Catriona felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. She had always wanted to learn, but now that she was here, she wasn’t sure if she was ready. She glanced at Daelen, who was already walking toward the entrance.

“Wait,” she said, hurrying after him. “What kind of training will I be doing?”

Daelen stopped and turned to her. “You’ll learn to use your abilities in combat. But more than that, you’ll learn to survive. This world isn’t kind to the weak.”

Catriona swallowed hard but nodded. “I understand.”

Inside the fortress, Daelen led Catriona to a large courtyard. The ground was covered in sand, and the walls were lined with weapons of all kinds—swords, spears, bows, and more. In the center of the courtyard stood a tall woman with white hair and piercing blue eyes. She wore a sleek, white suit that seemed to shimmer in the light.

“This is Mandalee,” Daelen said. “She’ll be overseeing your training.”

Mandalee stepped forward, her eyes scanning Catriona. “So, you’re the druid girl,” she said, her voice cool and measured. “Daelen tells me you have potential. But potential means nothing without discipline.”

Catriona straightened, trying to look confident. “I’m ready to learn.”

Mandalee raised an eyebrow. “We’ll see about that. Your first lesson begins now.”

Mandalee led Catriona to the center of the courtyard and handed her a wooden staff. “This will be your weapon for now. Show me what you can do.”

Catriona gripped the staff, her hands trembling slightly. She had never used a weapon before. She glanced at Daelen, who stood at the edge of the courtyard, his arms crossed.

“Focus,” Mandalee said, snapping her fingers. “Your enemy won’t wait for you to be ready.”

Catriona took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She thought about the energy of nature, the power she had felt in the forest. She opened her eyes and swung the staff, channeling the energy through it. The staff glowed faintly, and a small burst of green energy shot out, hitting the ground in front of her.

Mandalee nodded, though her expression remained stern. “Not bad. But you’ll need to do better than that if you want to survive.”

As the training continued, Catriona began to feel more confident. She was learning quickly, but she knew she still had a long way to go. Daelen watched from the sidelines, his expression unreadable. Mandalee pushed her harder, testing her limits.

But even as she trained, Catriona couldn’t shake the feeling that something bigger was coming. The war in Tempestria was far from over, and Kullos’s army was growing stronger every day. She knew she had to be ready.

As the two suns set over the other world, casting long shadows across the courtyard, Catriona made a silent promise to herself. She would learn everything she could. She would become stronger. And she would do whatever it took to save Tempestria.