Stormchaser 2022 Event Masterlist

This was it.

Jupiter paced back and forth. Though there was the occasional bolt of lightning overhead, the storm had greatly subsided. That did not stop her heart from racing or her hands from shaking.

"Why did I have to steal those opals?"

"That's," said a voice behind her, "what I'd like ta know, too."

Jupiter jumped and whirled around. There was Koroit, looking down at her with those three gleaming eyes.

I'm going to get cursed, Jupiter thought. Or exiled to the void. Or killed.

"Why did you steal my eyes?" Koroit asked.

"I-" Deep breaths. "I was stupid. I thought I-I could... use them, o-or sell them, or just keep them as a trophy, or something. B-b-but if I had known for a moment this would all happen, I wouldn't have done it! I had no idea how powerful they were!" She bowed her head. "I'll accept any punishment you give me."

"Hm." Koroit was quiet for a long, excrutiating moment. "After seein' all the damage you caused, I sentence you to..."

Jupiter closed her eyes.

"...community service."

Her eyes shot open.

"Huh?"

"You could have ended the world," Koroit said. "But you also tried to clean yer own mess. You helped track down and return my eyes. In a way, you redeemed yourself." She flicked her tail at the scene around them. "But you also caused so much damage with this here storm. It's only right you help clean up the mess from it."

"I-I can do that," Jupiter breathed out. "Yes, n-n-not a problem."

"Between you and I..." Koroit leaned in close, dropping her voice to a whisper. "I'm halfway impressed you managed to steal from me in the first place. Sure, I might've been hibernatin', but you still found and broke into my restin' place. Not just anyone can steal from a god. Just..." A wink. "Don't do it again."

"Of course not!" Jupiter said hurriedly. Another deep, steadying breath. "Thank you."

"Stay out of trouble, darlin'," Koroit said. "I'll come check on you. I don't expect you to clean up everything on yer own."

~~~~~~~

This was it.

Wisp had been waiting for a sign to finally do what he'd been thinking of doing. It was a hard decision, one he spent many a night mulling over, but this was definitely it this time.

"I knew this day was coming sooner rather than later," Sorbus said, sitting next to his old friend. "You have done so much for you and your people."

Wisp gave him a half smile.

"I only did what I promised to do. It was my duty."

"And now you may finally rest." Sorbus bowed his head to him. Wisp was surprised at the show of reverence coming from a god. "I'm very proud of you. Your brother would be, too. Your retirement is well earned."

"I'll miss you," Orion said.

A year ago, he would not have felt ready for this. He would have begged Wisp not to leave him alone. Now, however, he felt prepared.

"I'll still be around," Wisp assured him. "I'll still contact you when there's a nest to be found." He looked up at the dwindling rain. "Or when something threatens to end the world again."

"Hopefully not any time soon," Sorbus said. He turned to Orion. "I could not ask for a better successor. I look forward to working with you."

"As do I," Orion responded.

~~~~~~~

This was it.

This is what they'd been waiting for. A sign it could be done.

Word of what Jupiter had done had spread quickly, until it reached a particularly interested pair of ears.

Was it true? A normal Nabi, with nothing spectacular about her, no Aurus blood, no godly parent, managed to steal Koroit's eyes?

“If we can steal from the gods," they thought out loud. "What’s stopping us from becoming gods ourselves?"

THE END

(I'd love to hear your feedback about the event!)