Mirror

Chapter 6 - Tempest

"Come join us, Tempest. Sulking will do you no good," Aquilo said. Flood started a fire and began the long skin-and-gut process.

"I'm fine over here," Tempest said hotly. "I have my own meal, remember?"

"Who would want to eat a rodent?" Permafrost wrinkled his nose.

"Anyone hungry enough and grateful for the food Earth provides us with," Tempest said haughtily.

"Do you need help cooking it?" Lynx asked, tipping her head. She was the nicest of the band, in Tempest's opinion. But Tempest didn't need anyone's pity.

"I'm fine," she said. She climbed the sunelm, still holding the prairie dog tightly in her fist. It's body was cold by now, and it knocked against her arm limply.
"How did you catch it?" The admiration in Lynx's voice made Tempest's insides roil with envy. Nobody ever speaks to me with such idolatry. She shook the branches as hard as she could, trying to disturb her bandmates below with a flurry of green leaves. But the leaves stayed put, and the conversation below continued nonetheless.

Night steadily approached, smothering the world in the fold of her black wing. The only source of light was the small fire which the five band-members circled around. The smell of roasting meat taunted Tempest, curling around her tantalizingly. She fell asleep with hunger gnawing at her belly.

Tempest awoke, drenched in sweat. She groaned; her whole body ached from sleeping on stone. Her head throbbed, feeling heavy and thick. When she looked up, she could see noon light streaming through crack in the cave ceiling. All the Storms were asleep, including the Alphas who, even in slumber, looked menacing.

Tempest nearly jumped in alarm at the heavy blue paw laying on her leg. She shoved it off and stood up, shivering from the dawn chills. She crossed the cave, kicking bones aside and tip-toeing between bodies, and climbed out to the top. For a few moments, she sat there, taking deep breaths, eyes closed. She let her mind wander.

She wondered why Blood had chosen the day after the Bane Trials to begin the attack. Why after all these years? Did something or someone provoke this? Were any Storms killed last night? Had anyone failed the test?

A nose nudged her hand.

"You'd better do well today," Tempest said in a stern voice as the leopard sat beside her. "As much as I hate to admit it, my life kind of depends on you right now." The leopard gave her a thoughtful look. She wondered if it understood anything she was saying at all.

"I should give you a name. I can't keep calling you 'the leopard' in my head," Tempest said. "Give me some time to think."

And then, the peaceful silence of the morning was shattered by the waking of the other Storms. Tempest waited.

"Onward, Storms! We shall begin with our attack on Borealis City!" Blood shouted.

"What!?" Tempest spluttered. Was she out of her mind? That was the second most advanced city on the continent! A discontented muttering spread throughout the crowd.

"We'll be slaughtered!" someone exclaimed.

"You're not afraid, are you?" Blood accused, narrowing her eyes. "The Stormlets are only for the strongest, bravest, most powerful of all chromaveins." The crowd parted to reveal a small lightning Storm.

"I'm not afraid!" She said defiantly, but her shaking legs said otherwise. She muttered to herself, "I'm just not stupid." Tempest waited tensely for Blood to kill her, just as she'd done to the water Storm.

"Then, let's go," Hurricane said. Tempest let out a breath of a relief that she didn't realize she'd been holding in. The Sapphire Alpha was already out of the cave in a couple antsy hops. She appeared to always be on the move, like a restless river. She couldn't seem to stay anywhere for long.