T-Minus One Year: Vallen
Vallen could feel the wind, whipping all around his body, threatening to knock him over. The cold rain beat on his skin, like tiny rocks being pelted at him. The thunder clapped loudly overhead, whispering of its dangerous might. The violent sounds through the forest were nearly deafening. Vallen took a breath, then opened his eyes.
The storm was ready.
With the wind at his back, Vallen ran forward before leaping into the air. The wind behind him quickly grew in force, propelling him upward. Now in the sky, he beckoned the wind to push him higher, and higher. Despite wearing protective equipment, he could still hear the wind roaring in his ears as he ascended. The tree’s below were left behind as the clouds grew ever near. Then all at once, the wind was pulled back and for a brief second, Vallen was in the sky as if he was suspended in air. He watched the clouds light up once more, the lightning moving through them like snakes. He smiled slightly. He could feel it coming.
Gravity began to pull him back down as the wind furiously blew him off to the side. He maneuvered his body just so as to stay up right in his descent. He eyed the trees, and measured the distance he still had before he reached the ground; There was plenty of room to work with. He felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end, his whole body feeling the electricity as it grew ever near to making its connection. Lightning ripped through the sky overhead heading right at Vallen, but he simply stared at a tree down below. With just a flick of his hand, the lightning strayed its course, zig zagging its way to that tree Vallen had guided it to. He watched the lightning strike its target, as he felt one with the storm.
Then as the thunder boomed a second later, Vallen’s concentration dropped and he laughed. He dived back into the wind, tumbling and twirling as he commanded it to gain might and carry him farther off. Being lost in the storm was exhilarating, and Vallen laughed again.
Later…
Vallen stepped out of the bathroom, rubbing his hair dry with a towel, before tossing it haphazardly back inside. While riding through a storm was a great way of alleviating stress, afterwards he would always come back an absolute mess, and so a shower was always in order.
Now dry and in clean clothes, he pulled his hair back into a tight low ponytail. He eyed his study, all the books and research papers tucked neatly in place on the shelves. Collections of plants in small vials and bottles adorned a corner of the room, while a few ancient artifacts and awards given to him covered another. In the center of the room was a large table, where his current project lay waiting. Vallen looked at the many empty bottles on the table, his brows knit.
He was trying to capture the raw might of a storm in a bottle, but his efforts so far had been futile. He thought the problem was that he had been trying to craft the bottles himself, which was not his expertise in the slightest, and so he had requested many others to conjure and create bottles for him. However, none of them passed the test. One after another, if filled with a storm too large, would explode. He needed them to be stronger, to be able to carry a large enough storm wherever it could be needed: Whether that be in farmlands facing drought, or an army about to invade the border.
As Vallen stroked his chin, mulling over what to do, a knock came from the door.
“ Vallen, someone’s here to see you,” the woman behind the door said.
“ Maralese, I told you I didn’t want to be disturbed today. Send them away,” Vallen said, his eyes still intently staring at the bottles.
“ He says his name is Feragna, he says you’d want to see him sir,” Maralese replied.
Vallen knew Feragna was quite a pesky person who wouldn’t take no for an answer. The man was stuck up and greedy, and probably far more vain than even Vallen himself was. But, despite all the annoyance he was, he was a good source of gossip and Vallen tolerated his presence for that alone.
Vallen sighed, as he turned towards the door. “ Send him in then,” he said.
The door soon opened and a large man stepped inside. “Vallen, ol’ chap! Oh, you won’t believe what I just heard today,” Feragna said in a bolstering voice.
Vallen crossed his arms. “ And what was that?”
“ An opportunity of a lifetime to get your name carved into the book of history, that’s what!” Feragna said. The man had a gleam in his eye, the kind of thing that would taunt a person, like the secret that they held could make all your dreams come true if only you knew it too.
Vallen raised a brow but tried to remain skeptical. “ And what kind of opportunity would that be?”
Feragna’s expression only grew more mischievous and knowing. “ They’re setting out on an expedition for a new world.”