Wonderstorm

Everyone stared at Ezran flabbergasted by his words. "I'm sorry. There is no miracle healer," he repeated.

Willow turned pale. Her brother's voice matched the voice that had been uttered in her dreams before the sun had set today. Was what she had seen what she was seeing right now?

"Why are you saying this?" asked their sister.

Ezran put down Bait and his bag. "Ava told me…"

"What do you mean Ava told you?" Carol interrupted. "She barks. How can you understand what she's saying?"

"I can understand animals," he simply answered.

Willow shook her head. "Don't be ridiculous!" she snapped. "You can understand anything they say!"

Ezran huffed and rolled his eyes. "I knew you guys wouldn't listen,"

Raylan knelt before him. "I'm listening,"

Carol took a glance at Felix who eyed her with beady eyes.

It's true. He can understand us. He purred.

Although she couldn't understand him, their deep connection allowed him to guess whatever it is that he always told her. She knelt before her brother. "It's hard to believe Ez, but we'll try and understand,"

"Thank you," Ezran was grateful for their words. "Carol…you know how I always told you sometimes I go to try and make friends with other kids in the village…the truth is. I can't,"

Carol blinked. "What?" She was surprised. She always knew no one in Katolis wanted to be friends with her because she wasn't a royal but Ezran…her half-brother was a different story. She thought at least as the future king people would want to get to know him more than her.

"I've always been different. It's hard for me to fit in and make friends. At first, I didn't like it, but I realised fitting in is boring,"

"It is," Raylan agreed. "You can only be yourself and that's what should matter,"

"With animals somehow, I've always felt a connection," Ez stroked Bait and then Felix who purred affectionately. "And a few years ago, I realised I could understand what they were saying,"

Willow was not impressed. "You mean like that time a year ago when you told me that a group of racoons had told you that there was treasure hidden behind a waterfall and I went through it and I got soaked wet and cold?" She crossed her arms and furrowed her eyebrows trying to act more mature. "No. I didn't. Instead, I just got myself soaked to the brim. You see case closed,"

"The racoons were being mischievous. I have since learned that you can't trust them," Ezran's words felt useless. He noticed some hesitation in Raylan and Carol's eyes. "Do you guys believe me?"

They shared glances then Carol stood up. "I do believe you have a passionate connection with creatures Ezran, but the miracle healer is real. She has to be. And even if we might not find what we want up there…what other options do we have?"

"She's right guys," Ellis agreed. "Without that miracle healer or whomever it was…I wouldn't have my Ava," she hugged her wolf's head.

"We've come this far," Raylan stood tall and stared up at the tree. "We can't turn back now. Otherwise, this has all been for nothing," the group made their way upwards and upwards through the forest. Willow walked far behind, wanting to be alone for a while.

Carol noticed something was different about her. She walked back a bit to talk to her. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing," she deadpanned.

"Come on. I'm not above tickling the truth out of you," She tickled her cheek and her little sister giggled.

"Promise you won't say I'm crazy?" Willow begged.

"I promise,"

Willow closed her eyes and took a deep breath in and out. "The reason I spend a lot of late nights up, it's not because of the thunder. It's because I see things,"

Her sister became intrigued. "What do you mean?"

"I see things. Things that…feel so real. Like they're going to happen,"

"You mean like visions of the future?"

Willow struggled to think. "I think so. But not all of them happen. I think I see only potential futures,"

"Why have you never told us before?"

"I didn't want you all to think I was mad. Before we hiked up the Caldera, I dreamed about things like watching Caldor walking through a hallway cloaked, or Ezran saying there was no miracle healer. I tried to deny what he said but when it turned out that what he said was actually what I saw, I was scared. Now I'm worried that everything else I saw was real. That it's happened or it's happening,"

Carol side-hugged her. "It's okay Willow. You're not crazy one bit. Maybe the next time you see things, you could tell us and we can try to change it,"

"I don't think it's that simple Carol," Willow dredged to tell her image of the lightning bolt striking her as she held up the egg. She considered doing it when all of a sudden they heard a loud yelling howl in the cold tense air.

The group felt their hearts jump in shock. "What was that?" Ezran panicked quietly.

"I'm going to check it out," Raylan walked off before anyone could stop him. He walked past some rocks looking for anyone when all of a sudden he saw a mummified body hanging in a tree. He nearly jumped but he held himself together.

He approached it carefully. It moved and a booming groaning echoed from behind the webbing. "Turn back," it bemoaned. "Before it gets you,"

Before Raylan could react, he saw the entire body disintegrate into a pile of ash. Breathing heavily, he dashed off and made his way back to the group, walking ahead of them.

"Raylan, what's wrong?" Carol asked, trying to reach out to him.

"It was barely alive," he breathed, too pale as a ghost to turn around to meet her eyes. "It was the most horrible thing I had ever seen," he felt sick. Carol gently clasped his shoulder and he held it gently, feeling her comfort giving him strength again.

They walked a little more upwards. Ezran and Willow were behind.

"Sorry I didn't believe you at first about talking to animals," she apologised.

"It's okay," he said. "I was expecting it anyways,"

"You know I have a strange thing too,"

"I know you do," he said. "I overheard you and Carol talking,"

Willow fumed at his eavesdropping. "It was Felix who heard you and he just told me everything," Ez stroked Felix who purred at being praised for his enhanced hearing with his cool ears.

Felix sniffed around but then his ears twitched again and he growled into the air.

"What is it boy?" asked Willow.

They heard a distant screech. They kept calm and held their breaths. A monstrous face appeared. They screamed. Felix yelped and he scurried forward leaping into his person's arms. "What's wrong, boy?" Carol stroked him to make him feel safe. "What's wrong guys?

"We saw something," panted Willow. "In the dark,"

Carol's expressions softened, seeing the state they were in. "Guys…if you all want to go back, that's fine. I'll continue up alone," she placed Felix down and turned her back to keep going but Raylan grabbed her hand.

"No. We're in this together," he said, determinedly. "You're not doing this alone,"

"He's right Carol," agreed Ezran joining them. "We've come this far together. So, we'll end it together," They kept walking upwards. But a giant web of spider silk blocked their path. Ava and Felix sniffed for a way around it but no luck.

"Looks like we hope to go through it," Raylan pulled out his blade.

"You shouldn't do that," Carol tried to take his sword but he lifted it out of reach.

"I can do this. Please," he beseeched.

She saw how not doing much made him feel useless. "Okay," she knew he would stubbornly not change his mind.

He gently pierced the tip of the blade into the webbing, giving it, a slash and it came apart. "Don't touch the webbings," they kept walking on, avoiding the webbing that appeared along both sides of the pathway. "Stay close,"

"It's getting too dark," said Willow. "Bait, light up,"

"Bad idea," Raylan shook his head. "Light will attract enemies," They kept on walking when they heard a group of eight feet behind them.

Felix turned around and started barking. The group turned around and they saw a giant spider of green and purple with black beady eyes. It screeched and it roared. They screamed. Carol pulled out her primal stone and sent a bolt of lightning flying at him. It jumped out of the way and right in front of them. They were forced to run and hide behind some trees.

"We have to get past that creature," Carol held the egg close to her chest. Her heart sank seeing the egg's flashes growing slower and dimmer than ever. "It doesn't have much time,"

"That's not the only problem," said Raylan, huddled close to her. "One misstep and we're caught in those webs,"

Willow at her hiding spot with Ezran eyed him strangely. "What are you doing Ezran?"

Ezran narrowed his eyes at the creature. There was something about it. "Something's not right. But that's a good thing,"

"We should turn back," begged Ellis. "Find another up the caldera,"

"We don't need to," Ezran slung off his rucksack and tried to walk out towards the spider.

"No!" Willow grabbed his hand. "What are you doing?"

"I know what I'm doing," trying to walk away again, he was grabbed by her hand but he pulled himself free and tried to approach the spider.

"Ez! What are you doing?" Carol hissed, scared for her brother. "Get back here,"

"I know what I'm doing," he repeated. He faced the spider. It roared into his face. His sisters spit their fingernails. He screamed again into his face.

"He's crazy," muttered Willow.

"No. I think he may be right," Carol gently placed the egg down and approached their brother and the spider monster; Willow followed them. They saw the spider and Ez playfully interacting with each other.

"Scream out loud," he insisted.

Carol screamed out loud. The spider roared in her face. And it licked her face. Willow tried too and the spider chortled for joy. "Guess you were right Ezran," she said. "Did you know this was going to happen?"

"Nope I did not," said Willow. "I don't see everything that's gonna happen in my dreams,"

"Come on guys," called Carol. "Let's go," the spider let them pass and they made the final stretch of the journey up the hill. As they did, Willow thought it was time to tell everyone else what she had seen before they made their journey up the caldera.

"So, you see visions of the future in your dreams?" Ellis asked.

"Yes," she answered awkwardly.

"Why did you tell us?"

"I guess I was afraid of being called mental. I've always had it for as long as I can remember. I didn't want to believe it at first because sometimes they do happen and sometimes they don't,"

"It's possibly only protentional futures you see," said Raylan. "Still, sounds like a really useful gift,"

"More like a curse," grumbled Willow. "It means I have to live in fear of something awful that might happen,"

The word 'curse' made Raylan tingle. "Willow, any chance you might have seen…anything…about your dad?"

Willow thought for a second. "I don't remember at all. Normally I just try to forget things every time I wake up. But I haven't seen anything about our dad. As I said, I don't see everything,"

"A moment ago, you mentioned something about Caldor walking through the castle hallways cloaked…" spoke up Carol. "Any chance you might know what he was up to, or what he was going to do…" She had missed her close friend since the start of their quest. But since her sister had told them she had seen a vision of him acting strangely, she had become scared for him.

"No," said Willow. "But we can trust him. He's your closest friend in the village. It probably didn't happen at all. I just want to pretend this ability I haven't doesn't exist,"

"Look, guys!" Ellis pointed upwards. "We've made it!" the group stared up and they saw the tall tree up close. They walked through the roots into the den where Ava and Ellis had been when they were younger, where the miracle leader had found them.

"So, what do we do?" wondered Carol. "Do we just wait?"

"That's what we did, and she just found us," said Ellis. They waited for a while. They saw nothing. They waited again. Still nothing. "I thought she'd turned up by now,"

Carol opened the bag. The egg was so dark now. "The egg is running out of time," she stroked it.

"There's gotta be something we're missing," Raylan said, scratching his head, trying to think. Ezran tried to think too. Willow wasn't sure about thinking. She closed her eyes for just a split second. And then she remembered.

A flash of light descended towards them.

She opened them up again. But as she still, she felt something powerful outside the tree. She stood up and walked out.

"Willow where are you going?" asked Carol. They followed her outside to the clifftop, looking up at the full moon. "Sis, what is it?"

"Something's coming towards us. Look," Willow pointed up and the in the flashes of moonlight through their fingers over their eyes, they saw a giant winged creature descending upon them. Someone was riding them "I saw this. I felt it,"

The flash of light disappeared and they could see the creature was a night-coloured phoenix with three long plume tails. Standing beside it was a tall elf with white hair like Raylan, in a bun with two long plaits over her shoulders. She wore primal moon clothing with a long cape and moon brooch on her chest.

"OH no," Raylan pressed his hand to his forehead.

"What is it?" asked Carol.

"Ezran and Ava were right. There is no miracle healer. She's a fake,"

"You mean…" Carol thought for a second. "Of course, she's a moon mage. An illusionist," Thought she loved the sky arcanum above all, she loved to study everything about the other sources of primal magic.

"It is true," addressed the Moonshadow elf. "I am no healer. I am Lujanne, Guardian of the Moon Nexus,"

"I'm such an idiot," cursed Raylan, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I should have figured it out. None of the monsters we faced was real. They were all illusions,"

"Yes. They were just to scare you. That's how I protect the Nexus,"

"No wonder that spider didn't scare you," Willow said to Ezran.

"Wait a minute. If you're not a healer…how did you save Ava's leg?" Ellis asked the elf desperately.

Lujanne approached them, stroking the wolf's furry cheek and kneeling. "I remember you and that little cub, both so frightened. I saw she had lost her leg, and I understood that humans would have trouble accepting her. But I knew her spirit was strong and that was all that mattered. To help you, I created an illusion. A leg that others would see and feel, even though it wasn't real," she touched the blue collar with the moonstone pendant around Ava's neck. "I enchanted the moonstone collar to hold the spell," she stroked her face. "She never needed that fourth leg to be happy. Others did," she took it off and the fourth leg disappeared. Ava and Ellis realised that although she only had three legs, her spirit was strong and that was all that mattered.

"Lujanne, the help we need is real," Ezran implored. Carol kneeled and pulled out the egg from the bag. "An illusion won't help us,"

The moon mage gasped. "It's the egg of the Dragon Prince," Raylan explained. "It was stolen by a dark mage but we saved it. We were trying to deliver it to Xadia but a terrible accident happened,"

"There must be something you can do," begged Carol. They couldn't have come all this way for anything.

Lujanne inspected it sorrowfully. "Its life is fading quickly. The only change of saving it now would be to hatch it,"

"Well, how do we do that?"

She closed her eyes remorsefully. "I don't know. I know nothing about how a sky dragon is born. There is nothing I can do to help it,"

"You must know something," begged Willow.

"I'm sorry," she lamented. The egg's light faded away. Heads were hung down. Ears flopped. Carol fell to her knees and cried into her hands; she felt like she had failed everyone.

"This is all my fault," Raylan lamented. "I dropped the egg,"

"No," Carol wiped her nose. "It's my fault. I should have trusted you,"

"No. I should have been honest with you. And I've been a big jerk to you,"

"We're kind of jerks to each other," she cried.

"I let you all down," Raylan shut his eyes too. "I let my family down. I let the world down,"

"No. You tried Raylan. That's what matters," Willow hugged him and so did Ezran. Felix purred and licked Carol's face. Ellis walked over to hug her.

As Carol cried, the dying voice of the egg called to her. Make a storm. Make a storm. She raised her head slightly and her heart sparked with hope again. She realised before what it had tried to tell her this morning,"

"That's it!" she realised. She stood up and pulled out her stone.

"What's it?" asked a confused Ezran.

"The egg tried calling to me this burning that it had to be born in a storm. This is it! There's still hope!" she held up her primal stone and drew a ruin in the air. "Vocare Nimbum!" The magic flew into the night sky. Clouds swirled like a tornado around the group. Lightning struck everyone.

"Everyone take cover!" Carol shouted. Ellis, Ava, and Lujanne took shelter under the giant moon phoenix's wings. She, Raylan, and her siblings hid behind some rocks. She stuffed away her primal stone and hugged her family close. Raylan as well. They peeped over and watched the tornado of wind brewing around the egg. Suddenly it rolled out of the bag towards the cliff.

"No!" Carol sprinted to save it.

"Carol!" Raylan chased after her. The egg was about to tip off the cliff to its death. Carol jumped and she caught it. She felt a hand clasp her foot. Raylan's sword dug into the earth keeping them both from falling to their deaths but the storm's winds kept flopping up and down in the air. Giving everything, he got, he manage to throw Carol right into the eye of the small powerful storm brewing over them. He managed to climb back up and took cover again. She looked up and saw the eye of the storm. Lightning was striking all around. She knew what she needed to do.

Her siblings knew what she was gonna do. "No!" screamed Willow. "You'll kill yourself!"

"I have to do this!" Unafraid and determined, Caroline raised the egg into the eye of the storm and powerful strikes of lightning struck the shell. It exploded into flashes of powerful rainbow colours. Everyone watched as the energy surged through the egg, right through Caroline too. Raylan watched in amazement as the brave human princess held up the egg which would now spark with life again. The Prince would be born. It glowed blue. And then boom!

Everyone closed their eyes as the storm died out and powerful winds receded. All was calm again. Raylan, cringing with more pain than ever, poked his head out of his hiding spot. He gasped. "Carol!" he rushed forward to her limp, unresponsive body, her hands cradling the egg as her eyes were shut. Her clothes were a bit charred from the lightning bolt

Ezran and Willow poked their heads out too. They gasped when they saw the state their sister was in. Willow dug her head into her bother's chest crying; she could have prevented it if she had told her what she had seen.

Raylan held her up. "Carol! Carol, can you hear me?"

Felix bounded over. He licked her cheek and rubbed his face against hers. Nothing. Come on. He begged. Don't go. The siblings were shocked. Ellis and Ava were afraid too.

"Come on," begged Raylan. "Please wake up,"

Carol suddenly sat up, coughing loudly. "Pain. Everywhere," she groaned. "Ow, my head," she touched her forehead.

Ezran gasped for joy. "You're alive!" He and Willow engulfed her in a big bear hug. Raylan watched happily.

"Don't you ever scare us like that!" warned Willow. "I mean it,"

"Did it work?" she mumbled. She placed the egg and the ground and they all gathered around it. "Please work. Please work," she begged. Nothing happened. She gasped, pressing her quivering hand to her lips.

"You tried everything," Raylan comforted, patting her back.

Willow glanced again at the egg. Crack! "Guys! Look!" Everyone glanced at the dark egg as it cracked. Then from out of its shell popped out the head of a cute baby dragon. It was blue and white with six baby horns poking out of its head. It tripped over the pieces of its egg and fell to the ground, eyes shut tight.

"He's not waking up," Ezran nudged Bait. "Come on Bait. Lick them awake," Bait grimaced. "Come on,"

Fine. Bait grumbled glowing red and licked the dragon's eyes. They wouldn't open.

"Help him, Felix," pleaded Willow.

Felix licked the baby dragon and its eyes flickered open. They were pearly blue. Beautiful. The animals stood back in shock and the first Zym could see were the emerald-green eyes of Caroline. It bounced on her licking her face. "That tickles," she laughed. "That tickles,"

My name is Azymondius. It purred.

"He knows his name!" squealed out Ezran. "His name is Azymondius!"

"That's right," Carol sat up and stroked the baby dragon's head. "I heard it too," her joy dropped. "Wait for a minute" she stared at the dragon holding out its tongue like a dog. "Did I just…

You did Caroline. Azymondius purred.

"I can understand him," she spoke out, bewildered like everyone else.

You can hear my thoughts. He purred.

She didn't speak with her lips. And you can hear mine.

"Amazing," Lujanne breathed surprisingly. "ln all my years, I have never seen a human bond with a dragon like that,"

"How is this possible?" Carol asked, pale while.

"It must be because you were struck by the same bolt of lightning that struck the egg. Somehow it's connected you two together," Raylan couldn't believe if. "It's a miracle. You saved the egg, Carol,"

"And you saved us," said Carol proudly. "Thank you," she stroked the baby dragon. We'll call you Zym.

I love it. Zym licked her face.

"We should call him Zym," she announced so everyone could understand.

"It's perfect," Willow reached forward to pet the dragon and he purred at her touch and so did Ezran. The siblings giggled for joy as they played with the baby dragon. Felix and Bait felt left out.

Zym approached Raylan, recognising him as an elf. "Welcome to the world little guy," he smiled. "You're going to make a great Dragon king someday. I know you will,"

Zym noticed his purple hands. He felt no strength left in them. Your hands. He licked them.

"It's okay Zym. What's important is you're alive. One miracle is all I need for today,"

The baby dragon nibbled on his left wristband. They stared intently. With a simple pull, Zym snapped the band with his teeth. Raylan's left hand was free. Then he snapped the right one. He had saved his hands. He gasped for joy. "Thank you," he breathed relievedly to the dragon. "Thank you,"

Thank you for saving me and Caroline. Zym purred and they nuzzled heads. The children laughed, overjoyed that Raylan's hands had been saved. Two miracles happened today. The dragon was saved. And so were his hands.

Carol felt tiny sharp pieces in her bag. She looked inside and gasped. "What's wrong Carol?" asked Ezran. She emptied her back and a flood of sharp blue glass fell out. Her primal stone had been destroyed. "It must have exploded when the lightning hit you,"

Raylan pressed his fingers to his lips. She picked up a few pieces and then dropped them again, her lips shrivelled. "I'm so sorry," he apologised. "I know how much that stone meant to you,"

"It's okay," Carol wiped her nose and eyes. "What's important is Zym is alive. We saved him. That is what matters,"

"We know how much it meant to you,"

"It did," she couldn't contain her sadness. "Our mother left this for me. And now it's broken. I felt like she was with me again when l had it. And now I don't,"

"Don't say that" Willow comforted. "You didn't need that primal stone to feel like she was with you. She has always been with us, watching over us, in you. Just like back at the ice,"

"It's just like I said before. You're very cool. Even without it," said Ellis. Carol smiled a little, feeling true recognition from her family and friends.

Thank you. Zym approached her and she saw the deep gratitude in her eyes. I will never forget your sacrifice to save my life. Thank you. He leapt on her like a dog and licked her again making her laugh along with everyone else. Felix turned his back and lay down, feeling very jealous.

Gren and Caldor were riding on horses through the forest under the half-moon. Caldor eyed it quite tensely. Gren noticed but didn't ask anything about it. "So, how are we supposed to track down the children?"

"Claudia will use a finding spell to try and find them. Once we see it, we can find them before they do,"

"But how?"

Caldor didn't need to answer. A flash of pink coloured the forest around them. They looked up and saw a stream of light flying from the tallest mountain in Katolis that towered over their home, stretching through the night sky. They stared into the distance and saw just beyond the mountains and the borders of the kingdom, a tall summit with a caldera where the light had touched. "That's where we'll find them,"

The children and teens sat around playing with Zym when they saw a powerful strike of colour flashing above them. It turned into wisps of beautiful lights that floated around them like fireflies.

"Beautiful," breathed Ellis.

Raylan reached up his right hand which was still recovering a little and touched one. "They kind of tickle,"

Bait caught one with his long tongue and swallowed it before burping it out again. Felix played around with them.

"You all must be exhausted," said Lujanne. "How would you like somewhere to spend the night?"

"That would be wonderful thanks," said Carol greatly. She yawned. "We've barely begun our long journey and yet it's been so tiring so far,"

"Follow me then,"

The group stood up and Carol saw Felix alone. "You okay boy?" she tried to pick him up but he instantly stood up and walked off. "What's up?" Her fox didn't come to her. She saw Zym struggling to walk a bit. She pulled off her cape and bent down. "Hop in," the dragon hopped into the folds of her cape and she wrapped it tightly around him, cradling him like a baby.

You're so warm. Zym purred like a pussy cat.

"You sure are mother material," Raylan complimented.

"No, I'm not," denied Carol. "Let's just get somewhere to sleep,"

Ezran yawned. "Nothing like a good sleep. It's been quite a journey so far," he picked up Bait. He noticed something was off about Willow. "What is it, Willow?"

"Why do I get the feeling something bad is gonna happen?" she wondered. The group exchanged confused glances. As they did, Lujanne stared across the distance and saw the mountain tip from which the flash of light had arched. He looked at the worriedly.

Stalking through the dark forests around the village, four men cloaked and masked walked with their horses. They each had a different coloured symbol tattooed over their right eyes. They saw the tip of the caldera high above the mountains and saw the strike of light that connected it to another mountain very far away. The one who led them narrowed his eyes. "That's where we'll find her,"

And that's it. Season One is finished. I hope you all enjoyed this episode. And what did you think of all the new additions I added? Please send reviews and let me know what you all thought. See you all soon for Season 2.