Raindrop's Arc

Chapter 2 of 15

The ripple held for one breath. Then the wind hit. A huge spinning vortex tore through the tiers, flinging drops in every direction. Raindrop slid sideways across the cloud stage, drum clutched tight, the pattern breaking apart in seconds. Zephyr Whisperwind moved into the gust. Their pale robes unspooled into long ribbons, and the ribbons curled the wind down into a slow, twisting corridor of air. The hurricane thinned. What remained was a steady downward pulse — a soft column of rain falling in even rhythm, marking the calmed spot like a pillar. "It will hold," Zephyr said. "Not long. Long enough." Raindrop set his feet on the stage and pressed down. The cloud held. He tapped the drum once. The beat carried clean through the new quiet. Above him, the scattered drops hung crooked and far apart, knocked loose across the whole sky. He lifted off the stage toward the nearest stray drop. The dance could wait. First he had to bring them back.