Return of the Stormcriers

CHAPTER 1 - A COMING STORM

   One hundred and three years later...

   The wind was whipping through the sparse clumps of grass that sprouted from the rocky ground of the Azure Coast, rustling and whistling hauntingly through the early evening when Matthew Drake finally finished tying down the ox cart. He stood and brushed his hands on the legs of his trousers, knocking off the clumps of wet earth that stuck to his palms. The wind blew Matt's messy, brown hair away from his face, exposing his deep, emerald eyes to the world. The years of hard work had packed a fair bit of muscle on his tall form, giving him a solidly built, if slightly rugged appearance. At seventeen, he had been a man for over a year, but like good sons all across the rural areas of Verden he still lived and worked on his parents' farm. The oldest farms in the kingdom were often worked by generations of families that had owned and tended their land for three quarters of a century if not longer.

   Matt let his vision wander across the sparsely vegetated landscape that spread out as far as eyes could see. A less charitable soul would have found the rocky countryside drab and featureless, but he had always found his home to be desolately beautiful in its own rocky, dramatic way with spits of jagged earth and plateaus of crumbling stone bursting from the ground at unpredictable frequency. Granted, the same features that gave most of the Azure Coast region of northwestern Verden it's haunting beauty, also rendered the land craggy and inhospitable, nowhere close to the ideal terrain for a farm. The Drake farm had only two, small fields that were suitable for crops. The rest of the farm was used for raising hardy coastal sheep and mountain goats. One of Matt's primary duties was to shepherd the animals along the cliffs and crags around the farm where the animals fed on the sparse grass protruding from the rocks.

  The low rumble of distant thunder drew Matt's eyes skyward. Dark clouds, heavy with rain, hung low over the land threatening a torrential downpour. Matt sighed wearily. I better get the sheep in the barn before the rain starts, he thought. As much as he could appreciate the visual beauty of the land around him, it was miserable to clamber over slick rocks and steep ledges in the buffeting wind of a large storm.

  He hurried toward the upper field where the animals had spent the day. The sheep and goats were all grazing contentedly when he reached the field; the animals raised on the Azure Coast might not be the fattest in Verden, but they were hardy. Matt approached the nearest sheep, extending a hand gently, attempting to coax the animal towards him. To his surprise, the sheep's eyes rolled with fear as it stomped its feet and backed away from him as he drew close.

  That's odd, he thought, biting his lip with worry. Normally, the herd followed him without question; he had raised them since they were babies and they responded to his commands obediently. He stepped to the side, carefully approaching a second sheep, his placating hand remaining outstretched. Like the first, this sheep also backed away swiftly, snorting in fear. The wind began to roar around him, spinning the dry, scattered leaves that had been dropped by the few skeletal trees that dotted the crags, into little funnels that whipped against his body.

  "What's wrong?" He took another step forward, and then froze. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. Chalk it up to primal instinct, but he had never been more certain of anything in his life. He was being watched. He looked around, scanning the surrounding hillsides and plateaus but he saw nothing. A chill crawled down his spine, making him shiver despite the sweat he had worked up. "Come on," he urged the animals, irritation slipping into his voice. He could not explain the terrified feeling that had settled in his gut, but every fiber of his being was screaming at him to run. With as much mental effort as he had put forth into anything in his life, he stood his ground, digging his feet physically into the looser earth he tread upon.

"Come on," he repeated, lunging towards the nearest animal, grabbing a handful of wool and holding tightly, ignoring the beast's desperate pulls and bleats of annoyance. Corralling the creature closer to him he called to the rest of the livestock while maintaining an iron grip on the sheep before him. Tugging at the stubborn beast it begrudgingly took several steps towards him, complaining loudly with each footfall. Slowly, the rest of the livestock began to follow their fellow, as sheep were want to do. Whether they were unwilling to let their companion be led too far away from the group, or unwilling to be left behind on their own it was impossible to know.