(Elsewhere, another time...)

The sun was slowly descending over the Western Rockies, bathing the rugged landscape in shades of orange and gold. The elongated shadows of the peaks formed irregular patterns on the rugged terrain, where vegetation barely clung to life. Huge, fragmented rocks littered the ground, some still bearing the ravages of ancient landslides. It was a place where stability was a fleeting luxury and the silence, occasionally broken by the crunch of loose stones, was eerie.

Thorr landed with a thud, brushing some of the dust around his claws. He looked out over the landscape with a serious gaze, analyzing the place that would be his home for the next few days. 

"It doesn't look so terrible," he muttered to himself, though he couldn't deny that the unstable slopes and lack of vegetation gave a sense of vulnerability. "Though I wouldn't be surprised if the place tried to kill me at any moment."

The young dragon walked around the area calmly, looking for a suitable spot to settle down. The wind was strong up there, blowing between the cliffs with a force that threatened to carry away everything that was not firmly anchored. However, for Thorr, the challenge was more of a welcome one. 

"If this place is going to test me, let it be. It wouldn't be real training if it was easy."

After a while of exploring, he found a small gap between two large rock walls that offered some protection from the wind. He decided that this would be a good place for his refuge. Wasting no time, Thorr closed his eyes and let his mind connect with the earth. He could feel it vibrating beneath his claws, an infinite network of energy running through every stone, every grain of sand.

Concentrating, he raised a claw and slammed it hard against the ground. The earth responded, rising as if obeying a silent command. Rocks and fragments of earth piled up and compacted, slowly forming a simple but sturdy structure. The walls were thick, made of the most solid minerals Thorr could detect in the surroundings. With a final gesture, he added a roof of flat stones and a narrow entrance so that the wind could not easily enter.

He examined his work with a mixture of satisfaction and criticism. It was not exactly comfortable, but he was not there for comfort. This was about survival, and this shelter would serve its purpose.

Once finished, Thorr allowed himself a moment of respite. He looked out at the horizon from the entrance of his shelter, the sky now tinted purple as night approached. His mind wandered for a moment to the others: Jhonny, Edel, and Ray.

"I hope they're facing their own challenges," he thought. Though he would never admit it out loud, he was somewhat curious about how they were doing.

He finally shook his head, pushing those thoughts away. A solemn air enveloped the young earth dragon. The harshness of the place reminded him of another time, another battle. His claws gripped the ground tightly as he muttered,

"Grandfather... I promised myself I'd never be weak again, I can't afford to fail now."

(Flashback)

(Wildgreen Valley, years ago...)

The air in the valley where he lived with his family always smelled of damp earth and fresh leaves, they were one of the few safe and fertile places during the Dark Wars. The place was surrounded by low mountains and covered in vibrant vegetation that fed many dragons and lesser creatures.

In those days, Thorr was a relaxed, playful, and confident young earth dragon. He prided himself on being brave and enjoyed every moment with his family. From an early age, he trained by moving rocks and developing his physical strength, convinced that strength was the only way to be a great dragon.

One afternoon, as Gorak watched his grandson lift a larger than usual rock, Thorr stopped, panting, but with a big smile.

"Did you see that, Grandpa? I'm the strongest in the valley!" he proclaimed, wagging his tail proudly.

Gorak, with a solemn calm, approached. "You're strong, Thorr, but I want you to remember something."

"What thing?" the young dragon asked, tilting his head in curiosity.

The old dragon put a paw on his grandson's shoulder and, with a wise look, replied:

"It is not the strength of the body that counts, but the strength of the spirit. A strong heart can move mountains, even when the muscles fail."

Thorr, not quite understanding, replied enthusiastically: "But I also have a strong spirit! I am brave, aren't I?"

Gorak smiled tenderly, seeing the innocence in the young dragon's eyes. 

"I know, little one. One day you will understand." 

That place could have been like a second Lunaville, but unfortunately this one was found and everything changed the day a large unit of the dark army arrived: huge forest trolls, evil gargoyles and orcs with axes destroyed everything that crossed their path and whoever got in their way. Without wasting time, Thorr's parents and a small army of veteran dragons launched an attack. Thorr wanted to accompany his parents, but Gorak (just as a lion carries its young) took him and took him to a network of underground caves.

"Thorr, stay here. No matter what happens, don't come out," Gorak ordered with a stern look.

"But Grandfather, I want to help!" young Thorr replied, refusing to back away from the fight.

But even in his youth, Thorr could see the tension in his grandfather's eyes. It was not the kind of look Gorak showed easily.

"Your time will come my dear grandson, you are still very young," Gorak told him, "On the ground that is now the world, fossils like me may perish, but it will become fertile for your generation and those to come..."

With that, he made a jerk with his paw and immediately a stone wall rose up, enclosing and separating Thorr from the battle; then he proceeded to rush into battle. The young earth dragon, still wanting to help, tried to move it, but at that time, he did not control all of his elemental power. Impatient, frustrated, and helpless, he tried everything from scratching the rock wall to hitting it until he hurt his paws.

From the cave, a defeated Thorr could hear the roars and rumbling of battle. His father, his mother, his grandfather, everyone... was fighting outside. Minutes, hours passed... but the noise didn't stop until much later. The young dragon tried to listen on the other side of the wall, but he didn't hear anything until he thought he heard the sound of large footsteps.

It made his blood run cold: he was alone, wounded, without much combat experience or elemental skill. However, the wall moved away and Gorak appeared, he was wounded and quite bruised, but still alive.

"Grandpa!" Thorr said, hugging him and regaining a ray of hope. However, it vanished when he dared to ask: "And, dad and mom?"

Gorak did not respond immediately, but stroked his head and said:

"I'm sorry, Thorr," he said to his grandson, "We must leave the site, I will take you to Cavescity."

And, after the earth dragon child shed tears upon finding everything outside destroyed, Gorak, with his earth power, built a statue in tribute to the fallen and left with his grandson.

(End of Flashback)

Back in the Western Rockies, Thorr took a deep breath, feeling the weight of that memory as if it were yesterday.

"I will not fail," he whispered, more to himself than to anyone else, "I will not be a weakling again."

The silence of the shelter was suddenly interrupted by a deep rumble that echoed through the mountains. The young dragon, who was still glimpsing those shadows of the past, snapped his eyes open. The ground beneath his paws began to vibrate.

"A landslide?" he thought, quickly standing up. He remembered the warnings of that place: "These mountains are unstable, and movements are unpredictable. Always stay alert."

The rumble grew in intensity, and small stones began to fall from the roof of his shelter. Thorr gritted his teeth and assessed the situation.

"I have to keep it stable... but how?"

He tried to feel the stability of the ground, but he couldn't sense any fractures or movements beneath the surface. However, he felt as if his connection to the earth wasn't strong enough yet.

"Damn!" he exclaimed, frustrated by his own inability.

The shaking intensified. The ceiling began to crack, shedding larger fragments of rock. Thorr knew he couldn't rely on his powers at this point. Then, it will be my strength.

With a determined roar, he positioned himself beneath a large rock that blocked the exit and held it with his front paws. His muscles tensed as he supported the weight. The earth continued to tremble, and the shelter creaked ominously.

It was then that he heard a distant sound, a deep, low rumble, like a roar that seemed to come from deep within the mountain. The intensity of that sound unsettled him, but he couldn't stop to think about it.

The forces of nature prevailed. With a deafening crash, the roof of the shelter collapsed completely, burying it under an avalanche of debris. Everything fell silent, and for a few moments, it seemed like it was all over.

But from among the rubble, a deep growl broke the stillness. A giant rock moved, followed by another. Then, with a mighty roar, Thorr emerged, pushing the stones away with his front paws. His body was covered in dust and a few scratches, but he was also coated in a light green aura.

"That was... closer than I expected," he muttered, panting and shutting down his elemental power. He shook the remains of dirt from his scales and looked back at what had been his shelter. Now it was nothing more than a pile of stacked rocks.

With a mix of frustration and relief, Thorr looked out at the horizon. He remembered the sound he had heard during the collapse, that deep rumble that still echoed in his mind.

"That wasn't just any landslide..." he thought, feeling a new sense of urgency, "Whatever caused that sound, I'm not going to let it catch me by surprise again."