The storm responded to his presence, the winds calming as if recognizing their creator. Northern felt it—the connection between himself and this variant. An extension of his will, infused with elemental fury.
The response was immediate.
The storm intensified, clouds compressing and darkening to near-black. Lightning hammered the tower repeatedly, each bolt absorbed into the structure. Then, the transformation began.
The tower didn't simply shift—it unfolded.
Stone walls rippled like liquid, flowing and reforming. Floors compressed horizontally, stretching into a massive hull. Spires bent and merged, becoming prow and stern. Lightning rods realigned along the deck, creating a defensive network. The rotating rain curtain expanded, forming a spherical storm barrier around the entire vessel.
Within seconds, the Tempest Spire was gone.
In its place floated the Thunderhead Dreadnought—an airship that looked less like a vehicle and more like a living storm given shape.
