“Cai Lien get up we have to get out of here”

I was bulled out of my bed, only to realize my cottage was half burned. My brother and I navigated through my small house and out the door just in time to see its remnants collapse to the ground. As my brother ran down the eroded rode, another man knocked me to the ground.

“My name is Li Shing, I want you to know who is the one that killed you.” With that he took his katana and cut me across the arm. The pain was unbearable, and I started losing myself. “This is in the name of Kia Ma the new ruler.” I heard a strange windy sound, and I saw my hands twitch before I blacked out.

I awoke after what seemed like days, only to find that I was being carried away, and that my attacker was dead. In reality it was only a matter of seconds that I was unconscious, but some much happened then that I didn’t know. I was still being dragged, but soon my feet left the ground, and I realized that it wasn’t a man carrying me away, but a large green, serpent-like dragon flying me to somewhere. I blacked out again before I realized any details.

I woke up again in some cave lined with torches, treasure, and a large dragon curled up about ten feet by me. As I stood up the dragon spoke to me “Cai Lien, I have been your guardian since the day you were born, you were meant to achieve a great victory for our land, and the people who inhabit it. I am your guardian Tai Fao, and I am her to train you for this matter.

“I… uhm… I don’t really know how to respond to that, this is quite a collection of treasure that you have here, and how long did it take you to get all of this. I mean this collection is amazing.”

“I take no pride in these little objects, I only keep these to protect my real treasure, the treasure that will help you complete your destiny, but I can only show you if you accept this fate, you must decide now.”

“What would happen if I don’t accept this task?”

“The world as we know it will be forever changed; nothing will ever be the same again.”

I just don’t know if I am the one that can do this, I am just a girl, a seamstress, I don’t know how to fight.”

“That is what your training will be for; I can help you achieve power grater than my own, but you must be willing to comprehend the consequences as well, you be granted more power, but your appearance will be changed, you will gain control of elements, but you will not be able to hide it. You must accept this however.”

“What are you talking about”
“Let me show you what can be grasped if you accept”

The dragon rose up into the air and circled around me creating a small whirlwind. My skin turned green and my body became slender. As my body changed the flying mass around me began to disappear. My face grew longer revealing a face similar to the dragon that was once here. A tail lengthened from my spine, and my limbs grew smaller, but more flexible. I was now a short lengthy dragon I did not look threatening, but I felt like I could move mountains.

“Do you like what you see, if you accept your destiny, this can be you” said an invisible voice.

I responded “I feel wonderful, if this is what I will become, I will gladly accept my destiny.”

“Excellent, now I may show you my true treasure.” The whirlwind reappeared, and my body altered its appearance yet again revealing my true body once again. “Now follow me.” He took my down a large whole hidden behind numerous stalactites. Inside it I saw several pedestals with magnificent gems mounted upon them. “These are my true treasures, the six crystals of the elements. Each one represents a different element that is controlled by the dragons of the East. Amethyst, sapphire, ruby, onyx, emerald, diamond, and topaz, all represent the elements of storms, water, fire, night, life, sky, and earth. I chose the emerald when it was my time to decide, I became what I am now, I have the responsibility of maintaining the balance of nature, and am allowed to possess living creatures to do so, like I did to you.”

I walked around looking closely at each and every gemstone in the room. I admired each precious rock, and marveled at there gleam. I loved the shimmer of the sapphire, the radiance, of the ruby, and the uniqueness of the diamond, but the amethyst is what my heart truly wanted. I reached out to grasp the fist-sized stone, but the amethyst would not budge as a strong aura circled around my body.

My hands developed claws, as purple skin crawled down my fingers engulfed my hands. It progressed up my arms making them more flexible, I could bend them in any direction. As the purple skin progressed up to my neck and head, my ears grew longer and pointed. My face grew longer and revealed a purple muzzle. By body slimmed down and the transformation slid down my legs. Claws formed on my toes, and my feet grew longer for my future landings. My body was completely covered in purple skin, when a tail emerged and grew out. As my transformation neared completion a yellow streak skidded up my arms and came down my back. I began to shrink, I was twice as small as I used to be, it seemed like I was two feet tall, but my long tail made up the two feet I lost. “Now begins your training” said Tai Fao

I hobble around getting used to my new body, I had two less toes, and a gigantic tail; it was a little hard to walk on two legs, but it was possible. I felt that it was just as comfortable on all fours though. I managed to crawl down from the whole in the ceiling until I met up with my teacher.

“How are you feeling Cai Lien” he said

“Oh it is the most wonderful thing I have every felt, why did I not do this sooner” I responded.

“Because it was not until now that you were ready to fulfill your destiny, but you still require more training starting with flight. What you need to do is take a deep breath, and picture the freedom of the skies, release the dream of flying.

I let the urge fill my head, I thought of nothing, but the excitement of flight. I lost the feeling of the ground beneath my feet; I felt a breeze blow past me as I let my thoughts run wild. I opened my eyes and realized that I was flying above the ground. I felt adrenaline flow through my body as I did figure eights through the formations in the cave. I weaved inside and out of crevices, and flew anywhere and everywhere I could.

“It seems that flying is second nature to you, I knew that the guardians picked you for a reason.” Tai Fao said

“The guardians?” I responded.

“Yes they are the ancestors of all the dragons, the masters of the elements, in your case the guardian of the storms is Mai Shen. He was fierce, but a great guardian. He caused floods that created the oceans. You should be proud of your decision Cai Lien.” He said.

“Thank you” I said.

“Flying is only the first of many skills you shall have to learn in order to defeat the enemy. Do you remember the day you were first attacked?” he asked

“Yes I do some one tried to kill me he shouted something, but I can’t remember anything after that.”

“You remember Li Shing, he was a servant of the guardian of change. A long time ago a dragon named Kia Ma was a humble servant of the guardian of life. One day she asked “Guardian, why do you let the feeble creatures, the humans, live, they will not be useful in any sort of way; all they do is end the life of the innocent.” “He responded “The humans are meant to serve a different purpose, they are meant to evolve, to change the world for the better.” “What are you saying? You think that those who can only bring doom shall create a better world. No I shall do what you are too cowardly to do; I shall rid the humans of this land.”

“Kia Ma disappeared after that. However she has rose to power after all of these years, her followers are growing numerous, and her power is increasing. She plans to eliminate the human race except for her select few whom she personally finds useful for her works of destruction. She sent that man to kill you, and you brother to prevent her impending downfall. His speech told me the dire importance of my mission, and that my choice was the only way to stop her terror, but then I realized “What happened to my brother, Tai Fao, did you see.”

“After you were struck down, I had to possess your body, so that you could live. Under my control you killed him. Your brother was so afraid that he took off running the other way, and I did not see him after that, my mission was to protect you. I only hope that his guardian saved him.”

“I did not know that he had a guardian, if he was safe now, would he be a dragon like me?” I asked

“I don’t know, I he was safe I am sure that he would be in the same situation as you right now, so I do not see why he would still be human.” Tai Fao exclaimed.

My heart sprang upward at the thought of my brother and I both being powerful dragons. I thought of when I might meet him again, we would have the time of our lives.

“Now for the rest of your training, you must learn how to breathe” he told me.

“But I know how to breathe, why would I have to learn.”

Tai Fao understood my confusion and demonstrated. He curled into a coil and filled his entire body with as much air as he could take in. With a fury he exhaled a plume of green sparkly balls. “Ire” was the word that came to my mind.

Now it was my turn I mimicked everything that my teacher did to the exact detail, I opened my mouth and breathed out, but only a small spark came out. I repeated my technique over and over again with no luck; spark after spark after spark. I got nothing. I tried one final time inhaled as much oxygen as I could possibly take, and opened my mouth and large bolt of electricity escaped and hit a rock with a vengeance. The rock crumbled to bits.

I looked down at my body, and I seemed to be a foot taller, and much thicker. “Very good, you have finally mastered your breathing, and I have seen you noticed your growth. That is the first sign that you are progressing to become a great guardian. Now tell me how do you feel?” he asked.

“Fantastic, I feel like I have a storm inside me supplying my energy.” I responded.

“You are half right about that, the element of storms grants you with near limitless energy, you could fight for hours without tiring out yourself, but you still need your rest please go to sleep you have to start your difficult training tomorrow.

I felt like I was sleeping on air curled up over myself. I quickly fell asleep, and had a vision. The guardian of storms was next to me atop a mountain we were both looking down at a city that was surrounded by small withered trees, we both took off and circled the skies, and created a large storm. The people on the ground screamed with excitement at the miracle that ended their drought. Then I was violently woken up. I saw two creatures scuttling through the cave. They crawled up the columns of rocks, and searched every crevice of the cave. They seemed to be looking for something. I stood up and seemed to take them by surprise. The two creatures hurried into a small crevice in the side of the cave. I grabbed one of them from the crevice to find out that they were dragons much smaller than my original size; the other scurried from the hole and out the mouth of the cave.

My curiosity got the best of me and I help on to it letting go of its neck. The small black dragon bit down on my arm. I only once felt a pain as bad as that, and that was when I was cut only the day before. I dropped the thing in pain and I fell to the ground unconscious.

I awoke the next day to my forearm which turned completely black. I was confused at the events the happened last night, because I had not remembered any of the details. I turned to Tai Fao who was still coiled up. I glided over to his face to see that he was awake, but in pain. “What happened?”

He labored to speak “Cai Lien those dragons last night, they where hers, those were her minions. Did they bite you?”

I showed him my black arm.

“Ah so her power is continuing to increase, I am not fit to teach you though, not in my present condition. Those little ones did not hold back on me, their venom is terrible. Is there anything you wish to tell me about last night, the attack or not, tell me anything?

I told him about my dream were I was with Mai Shen, where I created a storm over the village.

“So this is what must be done, you must train now with him, he is who shall lead you to your full potential.” Tai Fao spoke.

“But how do I find him” I asked

“Take the amethyst from my treasure room, fly it up to the top of the mountain we are living in, and brew a storm with the power of the stone, only he will know what it means.” Tai Fao said “This will be the last time we see each other, Good bye Cai Lien”

I flew up to the hidden chamber and found the gemstone that had granted me this power. I removed it from its pedestal and flew out the mouth of the cave, and up to the top of the mountain. With the stone still in my hands I circled the mountain which generated a large windstorm. I released lightning strikes from my mouth and kept my storm alive. After what seemed like hours, another dragon appeared from behind the mountain. He joined in on the storm and let his power mix in with mine. The storm created a giant sphere around us.

“So you are the destined to defeat guardian of change, I applaud you for your courage. I am Mai Shen guardian of Storms, and your name is…”

“Cai Lien, I am the destined, and you are to train me to become the one who does defeat her.”

“Tai Fao, how is he, what happened last night that caused you to find me?”

“Kia Ma sent her creatures to attack us at night, they left me mostly alone, but Tai Fao was hurt badly, I doubt he will die, but he needs someone.” I said

“Nonsense, he is the guardian of life, he will be able to regenerate, and be fine in a day or two. He sent you to me because there is no time to be wasted for you training come with me.”

I was surprised that Tai Fao did not tell me he was one of the six guardians; I figured he was just a dragon of life, but he was the guardian all along.

I was flown up above the clouds with Mai Shen who struck a storm cloud with lighting making it swirl into a vortex and we entered. Inside was a large open corridor. The entire area was a cloud, with water dripping from various points.

“Welcome to my cave in a cloud you will continue your training from here.” He said “I will train you in all trades of the dragons of the storms; you will master the wind, lightning, thunder, and rain. You will be able to fly faster that the wind. It is my duty to train you while the other guardians are still in hiding, from Kia Ma, I remain to teach you to stop her.

“Why are they in hiding if they are so powerful” I asked.

“You don’t understand, do you see how you arm is black and mine is still that of a storm dragon’s, this is because the poison does not only affect you body, but also your mind. They can recover from any pain, but if their minds become corrupt, she will gain more power, that is why I must train you in secret and do it quickly.