Children of the Plains

“You’re the stormbird!” he exclaimed in awe. “I saw you flying through the clouds the night before you saved me from the yevi!” Duranix cocked his huge head. “Stormbird, eh?” he said. “I like that. Much more elegant than ‘dragon’.” Duranix’s chest heaved. He thrust his serpentine neck forward until his massive head was less than an arm’s length from Amero’s wide eyes. The effect was so terrifying Amero’s knees failed and he sat down hard. The dragon opened his mouth, revealing wickedly curved fangs. It took Amero a heart-pounding moment to realize that Duranix was actually grinning at him. “What do you think of me now?” the creature asked. The voice was still recognizably his, but the sheer power of it, even at a whisper, rattled Amero’s teeth. The boy opened his mouth but no sound came out, so he swallowed and began again. “I hope we shall always be friends.”