Chapter 1 The Stormlands
Chapter 1
The Stormlands
Jenna shielded her eyes against the howling winds, struggling to stay on her feet. Sand and debris whipped around her as the massive vortex tore across the desert plain. She had seen tornadoes before of course, but never anything on this scale. This monster stretched from the dunes to the bruised sky, its twisting tendrils tearing at the earth.
There was no shelter for miles - she was exposed out here in the open. Jenna turned to run but it was too late. The tornado had spotted its prey. With a deafening roar, it changed course and lurched towards her, moving with unnatural speed and purpose.
She tried to veer away but the pull was too strong. The edges of the vortex curled around her like grasping fingers, drawing her into the chaos. Jenna was lifted off the ground as the winds swallowed her whole. She tumbled head over heels, blinded by the howling sandstorm within.
Just when she thought her lungs would burst, the chaos began to subside. Jenna collapsed to the ground, coughing up grit. As the dust settled, she slowly opened her watering eyes.
What she saw made no sense. Impossible towers of crystal rose all around, catching the light of three setting suns. Strange trees with leaves of silver swayed in winds that smelled of ozone. Where ever this place was, it was not Earth.
Jenna slowly got to her feet, still unsteady from the turbulent ride. She gazed around in a daze, trying to make sense of the alien landscape. The spires glowed violet in the setting suns' light, casting long shadows across crystalline dunes.
A sharp gust of wind made her whirl around, fearing another tornado attack. But it was only the breeze, swirling tiny tornadoes of its own along the ground. Jenna watched them spin in mesmerizing dances, never growing larger than her hands.
As she caught her breath, Jenna noticed strange markings etched into the nearest spire. Stepping closer, she realized they formed words in swirling script. Could the storms that ruled this place truly communicate?
Before she could decipher the meaning, a rumbling shook the crystals underfoot. Jenna turned to see a massive tornado approaching on the horizon. But this one moved with purpose, altering its course directly towards her. She braced herself to be snatched up once more.
To her surprise, the vortex slowed as it neared, the howling winds dropping to a whisper. Two bright eyes formed within the funnel, gazing down at Jenna with an eerie intelligence. When it spoke, its voice boomed across the plains yet also whispered in her mind.
"Greetings, outsider. I am Cyrus, ruler of these sands. You have entered my domain uninvited. Why have you come to the Stormlands?"
