Chapter 33 – A Thunderous Morning
The next morning arrived beneath a heavy sky, rumbling faintly as if the heavens themselves were stretching and waking up. The clouds carried the scent of rain and sea salt, and every now and then a distant flash of lightning split the horizon. Against such a dramatic backdrop, Moana found herself unable to look away from what was happening above.
High overhead, Thor and Shiro were locked in a breathtaking duel. Shiro had taken on her full dragon form, her scales gleaming faintly beneath the weak morning sunlight, each beat of her wings sending gusts of wind across the cliffs below. She lunged and twisted, her claws striking against Thor's axe with sparks that lit up the sky. The speed of their movements made it seem less like training and more like a fight to the death.
Moana froze at first, mouth hanging open, heart racing with every booming impact. She had seen many wondrous things in her travels, but never anything like this—a human battling a dragon as an equal in the skies.
Astrid moved silently and sat down beside her, posture relaxed, as though the incredible display above was nothing out of the ordinary. With a faint smile tugging at her lips, she remarked, "Impressive, isn't it? Sometimes it's hard to believe he's human."
Moana turned to her, blinking, before looking back at the sky. "How… how is that possible?" she asked, her voice full of awe.
Astrid's smile softened, warming into something touched with pride. "He was born that way," she explained. "Different from the very beginning. His father knew it, and that's why he named him Thor. A name that carries thunder, strength, and destiny."
The words sank into Moana, leaving her momentarily speechless. Instead, she let herself be swept up in both the explanation and the vision before her eyes. A faint smile curved her lips. "The world is so vast… there's still so much I don't know," she murmured, almost to herself.
Leaning back on her hands, Astrid let the morning wind whip strands of her golden hair across her face. "One thing you can be sure of," she said firmly, her eyes still fixed on Thor in the sky, "you'll see much more yet."
As if he had been called, Thor ended the training session with one final upward strike of his axe, sending a shockwave of air that pushed Shiro back. The dragon twisted mid-flight, her body shimmering as she shifted into her young woman form. Thor caught her effortlessly in his arms, descending gracefully from the clouds until his boots hit the ground with a solid thud. The energy of the duel still lingered in the air, like distant thunder refusing to fade.
Once his feet were on solid ground, Thor's expression softened. His eyes found Astrid immediately, and without hesitation he walked to her. She rose to meet him, and he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into a strong embrace. Without a word, he kissed her—a gesture so natural it was clear it belonged to the rhythm of their everyday life.
"Good morning," he said at last, his voice warm with a faint rumble of laughter beneath it.
Astrid smiled back, brushing her hand across his chest. "Good morning."
Only then did Thor turn to Moana, his tone shifting to something gentler, more casual. "And you? Did you sleep well?"
Moana straightened, masking her lingering astonishment behind a confident smile. "Very well," she replied with a little laugh. "After facing so many dragons, a simple night's rest hardly shakes me." Her words carried humor, but also truth; she had grown stronger through her journeys, and her spirit showed it.
Thor chuckled softly, folding his broad arms across his chest. His expression grew more serious, though still approachable. "I need to talk with Gobber today. Are you two coming with me, or do you already have plans?"
Astrid slid her hand down to squeeze his arm affectionately, a smile full of love and loyalty on her lips. "I don't have anything to do right now," she said. "I'll fly with Stormfly later, but until then, I'm free."
Moana hesitated only a moment before speaking, her eyes bright with curiosity. "I still don't know much about this place," she admitted. "So I'll come with you. Maybe that way I can learn more."
Her excitement was almost contagious. Thor laughed, shaking his head slightly as though amused by her eagerness. "Then let's go," he said simply.
And so the three set out together, the path toward Gobber's forge winding between cliffs and sea, each step carrying with it the promise of new stories, new discoveries, and the unshakable sense that greater adventures still awaited them.
The morning sky continued to rumble above, but the storm never came. Instead, it lingered like an omen—a reminder that thunder, like destiny, is never far away.