A Storm for a pretty face

Maple had found a quiet floating island and intended to keep it that way.

The stocky dragon lay comfortably on a broad shelf of stone, wings folded against her sides as she watched the clouds drift lazily across the sky. The wind tugged at her long mane, carrying the scent of rain from somewhere far away. She wasn't doing anything in particular. She rarely needed to. Simply finding a place to sit and observe was enough.

Movement below eventually caught her eye. A dragon was standing near the edge of the island. A small dragon, at least compared to her. Maple didn't recognize him.

That wasn't surprising. She didn't know many dragons beyond passing encounters, and this one certainly wasn't familiar. He had unusually large wings for his size, a fluffy neck, and a sword lodged in one of his legs. The weapon looked old enough that it seemed more a part of him than something temporary.

The stranger noticed her looking.

Neither dragon spoke.

For several moments they simply regarded one another.

Then the smaller dragon smirked and Maple’s eyes narrowed.

The dragon turned away before she could decide what he was planning.

At first she thought he was preparing to leave. Instead, he stepped farther onto the open stone and unfolded his wings. The membranes stretched wide, surprisingly broad for a dragon of his stature.

Maple watched without much interest.

Dragons stretched all the time. Then the wind changed.

That was enough to earn a second glance.

The breeze that had been drifting lazily through the floating islands began moving with purpose. It circled the stone outcropping and tugged harder at Maple's mane. High above, thin clouds slowly altered course. The smaller dragon remained focused on the sky and Maple sat upright, Interesting.

Clouds continued gathering overhead. Not quickly enough to seem unnatural at first, but steadily enough that the change became impossible to ignore. Wisps became clusters. Clusters became banks. Within minutes, a growing mass of gray spread across the heavens.

The dragon was creating it.

Maple realized that much fairly quickly.

Storm magic wasn't uncommon, but there was a difference between summoning a gust of wind and shaping weather on a grand scale. The stranger seemed intent on the latter. Clouds rolled together across the horizon. The sunlight dimmed beneath their growing shadow. Winds swept between the floating islands, growing steadily stronger as the storm expanded.

Maple rose to her feet.

Not because she was impressed.

Not yet.

But she was curious.

The dragon's concentration never wavered. He stood firm against the strengthening wind, enormous wings partially spread as power continued flowing into the sky. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

Then came the first flash of lightning.

It illuminated the clouds from within.

Another followed moments later.

The storm continued growing.

Maple found herself studying the dragon rather than the weather. He wasn't showing signs of strain. There was no dramatic display of effort. Instead, he seemed completely absorbed in what he was doing, as though the creation of a storm large enough to dominate the horizon was simply something worth doing.

Or perhaps worth showing.

That possibility crossed her mind when she noticed him glance toward her.

Only briefly.

Then he returned his attention to the sky.

Maple's eyes narrowed slightly.

Hmm.

Thunder rolled again, louder this time. The storm now stretched across much of the visible horizon. Massive clouds towered overhead, layered upon one another in dark spiraling formations. Lightning flashed repeatedly within them, illuminating vast structures of vapor and rain.

The winds became powerful enough that Maple had to brace herself against them.

She wasn't concerned but intrigued. The dragon looked toward her a second time, a little longer than before.

Maple pretended not to notice but the corner of her mouth twitched upward.

Now she was beginning to understand.

Not who he was.

Not where he came from.

But she understood enough.

The storm wasn't random.

The location wasn't random either.

The dragon had seen her and then decided to make the sky impossible to ignore.

Maple looked upward once more.

The storm had become magnificent.

Great towers of cloud stretched across the heavens while thunder echoed between floating islands. Lightning flickered through dark masses like veins of living light. Rain fell in distant curtains, blurring entire sections of the world beneath shifting walls of gray.

For a long moment she simply watched.

Then her gaze returned to the smaller dragon.

He was already looking at her.

Caught.

His smirk immediately returned. Neither of them spoke. There weren't any words needed. The storm overhead spoke well enough for itself. Maple looked back toward the immense clouds one final time before glancing down at their creator. For the first time since noticing him, she wasn't bored.