Primarch II's story continues...i hope you enjoy it...
Thorondor was four when he met his first Storm Rider.
And not just any Storm Rider.
The Storm Riders were the greatest warriors on Tempestas, though they were hardly a unified entity as they owed their loyalty to the various eyries that they called their home. Many names of the Storm Riders were etched into history and legend, but the greatest of them was one who still walked amongst them.
Torwald, the Thunder Bearer.
Grim, grizzled and tough, Torwald victories surpassed even the greatest Storm Riders of ages past, his name known throughout Tempestas. To the people of Tempestas, he was a hero.
To many other Storm Riders, he was a dangerous renegade. Torwald did not follow the traditions of the Storm Riders by swearing loyalty to a particular eyrie. Instead, he and his followers based themselves at a fortress known simply as the Iron Roost, aiding the people of Tempestas as needed and often calling on all Storm Riders to do the same.
Thorondor had heard of all this, and admired Torwald for it. Meeting the Thunder Bearer had been one of the most profound moments of his life.
The circumstances though, had been far more dire.
II II II
"Gwaine, I'm all for adventure," said Thorondor. "But this…"
"If you're too scared, pup, just say so," ribbed Gwaine, grinning widely.
Thorondor smiled.
The two of them were standing on one of the narrow pathways carved into the side of Left Peak, dangerously near to sea level. On most days, the particular path they were on would be inaccessible due to the violent waves, but the sea was calmer on that day. Nevertheless, the boys were careful to wear their safety harness, for the spray of the waves still reached the path.
Firiel would likely skin both him and Gwaine alive, if she ever caught them before the waves did, thought Thorondor idly.
"There it is," said Gwaine, pointing.
Further out, some hundred metres away ahead of them was rock island that was usually hidden by the violent waves. The calmer sea meant that it was periodically exposed, revealing the prize sought by the boys.
An oyster, one nearly the size of an aircraft.
Thorondor was impressed; an oyster that size would probably be able to feed two families, but more importantly, its location was hard to get to. Not only that, the calmer sea meant that predators are likely to be lurking beneath the surface.
Thorondor's smile widened. It was a most formidable challenge indeed.
Gwaine noticed the smile. "So you're up for it?"
"Of course," answered Thorondor. "You know, I'll understand if you want to back out…"
Gwaine laughed in answer.
II II II
Strong waves aside, the swim had been uneventful. Thorondor had reached the island first, with Gwaine arriving a minute later. Smiling, Thorondor had helped Gwaine up onto the island. Tying their safety harness to a solid rock formation nearby, they had approached the oyster, admiring its massive size.
"Magnificent," said Thorondor, tapping it with his knife. "It must have taken a very long time for it to grow."
"Yes," replied Gwaine. "Seems like a shame to eat it."
"Yes…but our people need it," said Thorondor.
They stand back, taking in the oyster.
"So how are we going to carry it back?" asked Thorondor.
Gwaine stared at Thorondor for a long moment. "I have no bloody idea."
The two of them stared at each other and started laughing. They laughed long and hard, the sound rising above the waves.
"Well, I suppose I'll have to settle for beating you here first," snorted Thorondor with amusement, sheathing his knife.
"You got lucky," protested Gwaine. "A wave pushed me a little off course."
"Doesn't matter, I still win."
"Brat."
The two of them chortled a little at that. Around them, the waves start to beat harder against Left Peak and the island they were on.
"I guess we better get back," said Gwaine at last. "Before the sea…"
Before he could finish, a sudden wave suddenly swept across the island, throwing them off their feet. Thorondor's safety harness held, but to his horror, Gwaine's broke, and he was swept across the island towards open sea, scrabbling desperately to hold on to the island's slippery surface.
"Gwaine!" screamed Thorondor.
Without thinking, without hesitating, he ripped away his safety harness and dove after Gwaine, riding the wave to close the distance between them. Ignoring the pain as his body slid across the surface, he grabbed Gwaine's hand and managed to seize a rock outcropping that halted their slide.
But only for a moment.
A second wave and the strength of Thorondor's grip caused the rock outcropping to crumble and swept them out towards open sea.
Desperate, Thorondor drew out his knife and stabbed into the rocky surface, praying to Tempestas that knife wouldn't break.
It didn't.
Thorondor and Gwaine held on, hoping for a lull in the waves so that they could make a break for Left Peak, but the sea was rising quickly and violently.
This is not good thought Thorondor, smiling grimly. At the rate the sea was rising, they'd both drown soon.
"Thor!" Gwaine yelled over the roaring waves.
Thorondor turned and his eyes widened.
A giant turtle was swimming towards them, completely unbothered by the violent waves.
Definitely not good thought Thorondor. Giant turtles were one of the most ferocious predators in Tempestas's seas. Their near-impenetrable shell meant that very few other predators could prey on them, let alone the weapons available to the people of Tempestas.
The giant turtle rapidly closed the distance, its dark eyes fixed on them with hungry intent. Thorondor swore under his breath. He and Gwaine were the best swimmers in Left Peak, but there was no way they could outswim the beast.
That left only…
"Gwaine!" called Thorondor. "Do you trust me?"
"What?" asked Gwaine, his eyes fixed on the approaching beast.
"No time, take a deep breath, just hold on and don't let go!" yelled Thorondor.
"Thor, what are you…!" Gwaine screamed when Thorondor let the knife go, allowing the waves to carry them out to open sea, right towards the beast.
It was madness.
And brilliant.
The giant turtle was clearly surprised, and only too late made a snap for them, missing them by inches as the force of the waves caused them to shoot past it. They kicked desperately for the surface, finally breaching it, taking deep breaths.
"Are you…you…" gasped Gwaine incoherently.
"We're still alive aren't we?" retorted Thorondor, smiling grimly. "But I don't think we're quite out of it yet."
The turtle had turned and was pursuing them, riding on the very waves and currents that were sweeping them away.
"Any more bright ideas?" asked Gwaine, drawing his knife.
"I'll admit I didn't think that far ahead," answered Thorondor.
The turtle bore down on them, closing the gap swiftly, its beak wide open, revealing the serrated edges.
"Thor…" growled Gwaine nervously.
"We're going to have to fight," said Thorondor quietly.
Before Gwaine could respond to the ludicrous statement, the turtle was on them. It went for Thorondor, clamping its beak down on him.
Gwaine screamed Thorondor's name in horror as the water frothed and bubbled. The beast reared its head and Gwaine gasped in shock.
Thorondor was holding the beast's mouth open with his hands and legs, his muscles straining powerfully. His thick boots held off the serrated edges, but his hands had no such protection, and they were bleeding profusely. Gwaine caught a glimpse of Thorondor's face as the giant turtle shook its head, growling in frustration.
Despite the pain he must be in, Thorondor was smiling, albeit in a strained manner.
Holding his knife between his teeth, Gwaine swam towards the beast.
II II II
It was interesting, that even though he was facing certain death, his muscles straining, his hands screaming in pain from the serrated edges of the turtle's beak, and its rank breath blasting away in his face, Thorondor felt no fear.
Only an insane sort of exhilaration.
Was this how all men felt when death stared them in the face?
The beast tried to bite down, but Thorondor still managed to muster an inhuman amount of strength to keep it at bay, despite the flesh of his palms tearing.
How long could he keep this up? For a long time, he was certain, but if the beast were to dive…
As though realising it, the beast began to dive.
Smiling grimly, Thorondor realised it was all over, there was no way he could keep the beast at bay while having to hold his breath at the same time. He wished that he could have said goodbye to Firiel…
Suddenly, the beast jerked and roared in agony, releasing Thorondor. Swiftly, Thorondor kicked away and swam as hard as he could away from it, grimacing a little as the saltwater stung the wounds on his hands. Turning to look back, he saw the giant turtle thrashing in pain, a knife buried in one of its eyes.
"So now what?" asked Gwaine, swimming up to him.
"You saved me…" said Thorondor, smiling gratefully at him.
"Not for long, that thing is just getting angry," retorted Gwaine. "Should we try to swim away?"
"We could, but…" began Thorondor, but then, as though realising what they were talking about, the turtle charged at them, bellowing with rage.
With no other option, Thorondor and Gwaine tried to swim away, but the beast swiftly caught up to them, opening its beak to swallow them whole.
There were a series of noises, as loud as thunder, followed by a screech. A dark shape swooped down.
Thorondor and Gwaine turned to see a huge Storm Eagle attacking the giant turtle, clawing and pecking at its face. But it was the warrior on its back the caught the boys' attention. Armoured and armed with a wrist-mounted gun and a glaive.
A Storm Rider.
The turtle snapped at the Eagle and it broke away, hovering out of reach. The Storm Rider fired off a series of shots that missed – deliberately, Thorondor realised; the Storm Rider was trying to scare the beast away. But the giant turtle was maddened by its earlier wounds and charge towards the boys again, ignoring the Storm Eagle and its mount.
Then the Storm Rider did something that Thorondor would never forget throughout his life, not even during all the events of the hateful future.
The Storm Rider leapt from the Eagle's back right onto the turtle's head. He used the force of his fall and gravity to drive his glaive right through the beast's skull.
The turtle jerked and spasmed for a long while before finally dying, twitching slightly, a floating island-corpse.
Thorondor and Gwaine swam towards it, where the Storm Rider sat on the massive shell, waiting for them. He watched them silently as they climbed onto the dead beast's back, not moving to help.
"Th…thank you," spluttered Gwaine with exhaustion. Thorondor said nothing, studying the Storm Rider.
He was old, Thorondor realised. Definitely past his prime, but there was a strength about him that Thorondor could feel and he instinctive knew that the Storm Rider was far stronger than Gwaine and himself. There was a lightning emblem on the Storm Rider's right shoulder pauldron, and that and his age, gave Thorondor a very good idea on who he was.
"You…you're the Thunder Bearer," said Thorondor, his voice soft with awe. "You're Torwald."
Gwaine's mouth fell open with a mixture of shock and awe.
The Storm Rider nodded curtly. "I am."
The warrior removed his helm, revealing a grizzled and scarred face, with a neat grey beard and moustache kept short and equally grey hair cropped close to his skull and hard storm-grey eyes.
Eyes very similar to Thorondor's.
"How did you two end up out here?" asked Torwald.
Gwaine told the tale and the Storm Rider's eyebrows shot up.
"Truly?" responded Torwarld, disbelief in his voice. Looking at Thorondor, he added: "Show me your hands."
Thorondor obeyed, revealing the wounds that were already starting in the middle of healing. Torwald studied them silently for a moment.
"You held off the beast with your bare hands?" asked Torwald. Thorondor nodded, and the Storm Rider turned to Gwaine. "And you stabbed it in the eye?"
Gwaine nodded.
"Hah!" a hard smile appeared on the Thunder Bearer's face. "Foolish youngsters; you would have definitely died if I hadn't been passing by. But you have strength and courage. Impressive, most impressive."
He stood, and Thorondor knew that if he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Torwald, he would still be half a head shorter than him. It was unsettling; at four, Thorondor was already taller than all the adults at Left Peak; only Gwaine was his equal in height, but only barely. The Thunder Bearer was a warrior of immense size and even greater presence.
"Where are you from?" asked Torwald.
"Left Peak," answered Thorondor.
"Part of the Trident's Peak," said Torwald, nodding. "I was headed there anyway. I'll take you boys home."
"But…" asked Gwaine hesitantly. "Can your Eagle carry all of us?"
There was a screech and the Storm Eagle landed behind Torwald, folding its wings as it perched on the dead giant turtle, glaring down at the boys.
"Careful, boy," chuckled Torwald. "Tor doesn't like to be insulted."
II II II
That was how Thorondor and Gwaine found themselves riding a Storm Eagle alongside the greatest Storm Rider to ever challenge the Eternal Storm of Tempestas.
The wind howled and the Storm rumbled overhead, but Tor the Storm Eagle and his rider flew confidently, ignoring the two awestruck boys.
"Wait till we tell everyone about this," whispered Gwaine in awe.
Thorondor nodded, turning his face up to face the Storm, his smile widening.