"Stormcleaver"

She soared high above the churning sea. The sun shined through the broken clouds, causing her midnight blue scales to glitter. The dragoness flew among the massive mountains and canyons of clouds, using her tail as a rudder as she twisted and darted about in the air. All around her, the wind howled and the darkening sky seemed to close in. Vervada let out a defiant roar, staring at the threatening sky ahead.

I can't let anything stop me! the blue dragoness thought to herself.

Down below, massive waves rocked the seas. Vervada's adventure across the sea had taken a disastrous turn as she found herself flying right into the path of a hurricane. There was no place to land and the sea was too rough to try and float. Vervada knew she had no choice but to press onward.

Fear is your greatest enemy! If you let fear take hold, you shall surely die! she growled to herself. Those were the words her mentor, Raugmar the Black, had always told her.

Vervada flapped her wings, trying to steady herself as the turbulent wind tossed and buffeted her all about. She weaved between the massive clouds, banking and turning sharply.

I wish Iormungr were here. she thought to herself.

Alas, she had embarked on this particular adventure alone. She had been exploring a massive, unknown landmass far to the west of Alagaesia along with Iormungr and his Rider. They had crossed the ocean together several times going to and from the mysterious land, but this time Vervada was making the trip alone. This time, she found herself flying alone across the sea with a massive hurricane bearing down upon her. Vervada looked up as the clouds began to obscure the sun overhead. She knew they were too high to fly above. There was nowhere to go but down. Angling her wings back, Vervada dived steeply toward the churning sea below. As the water rushed up at her, she leveled off, skimming the waves. The midnight blue dragoness pulled up just in time to avoid a large swell. Then the rain started. The rain came down in relentless torrents that pelted the lone dragon as she flew just above the turbulent water. Rain poured from her scales and gusts of wing threw her about.

Vervada let out another defiant roar, flapping her wings and pressing onward. She was a mighty dragon, far stronger than any storm! Lightning flashed across the sky overhead, briefly illuminating the world around Vervada, followed by a deafening crash of thunder. The dragoness growled, pressing onward. A massive wave loomed ahead, forcing the dragon to pull up sharply. The white crest of the swell touched her belly as she narrowly climbed above it. Nearby, a bolt of lightning struck the surface of the sea. Vervada panted, squinting her blue eyes as the wind increased, blowing large drops of rain into her face. For what seemed like an eternity, the blue dragoness fought her way through the shrieking winds and blinding rain. It was as if the heavens themselves were pouring down on her. Vervada snorted, blowing water from her nostrils that she had accidentally inhaled. The rain was so heavy that there were times she thought she could drown in midair. She turned her head to the side and gritted her teeth, struggling onward. Then suddenly, much to her surprise, Vervada broke through the rain and clouds and into the bright sunlight.

The only sound was that of her own exhausted breathinh and panting as the dragoness gazed in awe at the sight that lay before her. She had found the eye of the storm. All around her, the black clouds swirled in a circle, leaving a patch of blue sky and sun overhead. There was no wind and no rain. Vervada climbed higher into the air and spread her wings, gliding and taking advantage of the calm to let her tired wings rest. She knew that soon she would have to face the rest of the hurricane. Vervada reluctantly flew to the opposite side of the eye wall and braced herself for what lay ahead. Then, with another defiant roar, the midnight blue dragoness plunged into the storm. Instantly, wind and rain buffeted and tossed her about. This time, however, the wind was blowing from the opposite direction.

I can use this to my advantage! She thought.

Vervada spread her wings like a sail and allowed the wind to push her along. All around her streaks of lightning forked across the sky. The crashes of thunder were almost constant. One bolt struck a little too close for comfort and Vervada felt a tingling sensation in her wings. She had had enough. With all the lightning, it was simply too dangerous to fly at high altitude. Angling her wings back, the dragoness dived for the sea again. Leveling out just above the water, something caught her eyes. Nearby, a funnel cloud touched down, forming a waterspout.

Great! Vervada growled, winging away from the howling, menacing waterspout.

She knew she would be pulled to her doom if she got too close. The dragoness pressed onward. She wasn't sure how much time passed but the with the wind at her back, the second half of the journey seemed to pass quicker. Gradually, the rain let up and the winds became calmer. The clouds lightened and the sun came back out as Vervada emerged from the other side of the hurricane. Far off in the distance, she could make out the green, rugged coastline of Alagaesia.

I'll be home by nightfall! She exclaimed excitedly to herself. And I'll have quite a story to tell Iormungr!

That was the day Vervada became a living legend among dragons everywhere. Her feat of flying through a hurricane demonstrated her strength and skill and earned her the unanimous respect of both bonded and wild dragons alike. That was the day she became known as the "Stormcleaver".

To be continued...

So yeah, just wanted to write about how Vervada, Saphira's mother, got her nickname.