Storm went looking for his siblings.
He found them with Dust'an and Razor in an open field that had been set aside for training purposes a short distance from the village's border walls, with the other Griffins and Dragons.
Dust'an and Razor had taken to training the younger members to ensure that they were combat ready.
Dust'an had spent his entire childhood fighting off creatures his size or larger in physical combat.
This made him the perfect instructor for the young Dragons and Griffins.
He had made significant progress in his rehabilitation and was not only capable of speaking properly now, he also had far greater self control.
He still came off as 'gruff', even rude on occasion when compared to regular dragons but he no longer came off as a feral animal.
Storm had forbidden his siblings from taking part in actual battles, but he hadn't forbidden them from taking part in the combat drills.
Storm watched his siblings work together to fight off a griffin nearly twice their size that Razor had 'volunteered' for the drills.
He smiled with pride.
"Perhaps I have been to hasty and harsh!" thought Storm.
After watching for a few minutes, he stepped forward and spoke to Dust'an and Razor.
"Apologies for interrupting, but may I borrow Pyrite and Lapis for a moment?" Asked Storm.
They nodded their heads and gestured for Pyrite and Lapis to step out.
Instead of addressing them immediately, Storm walked off to the side until they were out of earshot of the other youths.
Lapis looked up at Storm expectantly, while Pyrite avoided eye contact.
"I hope that you two understand that my reaction yesterday wasn't an attack on your ability.
I just want to ensure that you two are safe and the news caught me be suprise yesterday. " Explained Storm.
Lapis nodded her head, but Pyrite continued to avoid looking at Storm.
"Having said that, I realize that I have been unfair.
You two have just as much right as I to want retribution, I judged you two as incapable without giving you two a chance to show me what you're capable of.
So, that is why I called you aside now.
Do you still want to take part in the fighting?" Asked Storm.
Both siblings nodded their heads without hesitation.
Storm took a battle ready stance.
"Then show me what you're capable of." Exclaimed Storm.
The siblings didn't need to be invited twice and rushed at him from either side.
Pyrite jumped at him and intended to tackle him to the ground, while Lapis swung her tail at Storm's legs to trip him.
Storm stood up on two legs and used his forelimbs to catch him out of the air, while hoping over Lapis's sweeping tail.
He twisted Pyrite through the air and threw him at his sister after he landed again.
They collided, and both siblings were sent flying.
"You'll have to do better than that if you want to impress me!!" Called Storm.
His siblings got to their feet and snarled at him in response.
A shimmer passed through their scales and both siblings dissappeared from view.
Suprising Storm in the process.
"Already learning magic at such a young age?" Thought Storm.
He suddenly grabbed the air to his side and felt his claws close on something.
His brother appeared in his grip a moment later.
"Unfortunately, that won't help you!
Dragons don't just use their eyes to find our opponents exclaimed Storm.
His brother suddenly dissappeared from his grip.
At first Storm thought that he had turned invisible again, but he could no longer feel him.
"An illusion!? Of all the low tricks to fall for!?" Thought Storm.
Something big and heavy struck Storm from behind a moment later.
He crashed to the ground and was just about to try getting up when he felt a heavy weight settle on his head and neck and kept him pinned to the ground.
He braced his body and tried to push the object off him but the weight suddenly doubled as another object sat settled in place.
The air shimmered and Pyrite and Lapis appeared above him and kept his body pinned as they laid down on top of him.
""All right!! All right!! You've made your point!!
Now, get off me!!" Exclaimed Storm.
"Nah!! I don't think it's settled in completely yet!" Said Lapis.
"We'll keep you down here for another minute or so just to be sure!" Said Pyrite.
Storm released a small amount of electricity through his scales.
Causing both young dragons to yelp and jump off of him."
Storm slowly got to his feet again.
"It seems you can hold your own.
Very well!
You have my permission to take part in the fighting!"
Both dragons threw themselves at him again as they embraced him.
After a moment, Storm looked up to find Razor, Dust'an and the other recruits all staring at them.
The moment his siblings saw they had an audience, they became shy and released Storm.
Storm frowned in response.
"Don't you have training to get to?!"
"Sorry!! But we couldn't get them to focus the moment they heard you 3 were sparring!" Exclaimed Razor.
"If you can't beat them! Join them!" Said Dust'an with a grin.
Storm, Razor and Dust'an left the young dragons and griffins to themselves as they crowded around Pyrite and Lapis.
"They admire you, you know?" Said Razor.
"Who?" Asked Storm.
"The young ones, all of them.
They specifically joined up because of you!" Replied Razor.
"They shouldn't admire me!
I'm doing this for my own reasons." said Storm.
"They don't see it that way.
Most of them grew up hearing about, Calamity's exploits.
Remember that most of them lost at least one family member to the hunters.
Most of them feared the hunters, but stories of you taking the fight to them, has emboldened them." Explained Razor.
"I'm not sure if I like that!
I don't want to be responsible for anymore lives!" Said Storm.
"Like it or not, you're a hero to them.
And more people will be flocking to your shadow as your notoriety continues to rise.
And if things go bad, you'll be the first one they blame." Explained Razor.
Storm gave no reply.
"I'm not trying to scare you.
I'm just warning you so that it doesn't catch you by suprise when it does happen. " said Razor.