The castle walls stood firmly against the storm, which came out of nowhere, that tried with all the might to destroy the walls. But without success. The castle always stood there. A group of knights looked from the windows at that terrible power, that unstoppable force. Their moral was low, but still they held their ground.

The castle still stands. The people are worried it’s on its last legs, that the tales are just tales. The knights hold watch, hoping for a better day. And, so it lasts for days. The storm continues. People uneasy. Will it ever end.

“How long will this last?” asked one of the people.

“Who knows,” replied the man in front.

“How long will the castle hold out against this terrible storm?”

“I don’t know for sure. There wasn’t a storm like this one.” 

At that time nobody knew. All they knew is that the castle stands. Thunderbolts came, elaborated patterns on the night sky.

The people wait. The knights are prepared.

Near the castle things are different. How different? Total different. No rain, no storm, not even a single drop. The merchants are worried. What will this season bring? Will there be any gain in all of this? The water levels are low. No river trade. They must use the machines to make rain. Those machines are from an age long lost.

Long ago, in this land, the machines were operated by mountain giants and yetis. They knew the secrets of the machines. Those machines could keep the great serpents at bay. The terrible bulls wouldn’t come near them. Now, who knows will happen when the machines are down.

The first man to defeat great serpent was a unknown hero. The battle was fierce, but the hero in the end defeated the terrible beast.

Men in small groups hunted the serpents and for a time they were stopped. But they will return if the machines aren’t activate. They bulls were a different story. Far stronger than the serpents. They were formidable force. Larger groups were needed. Even then there was trouble. The bulls were too strong.

A wizard was needed. With his magic, the skeleton army was forged. They defended the northern border.

Now, the mechanics are working over-time for the machines to be prepared. The first mechanic, a humanoid bear, gave every inch of his power to activate the machines.

No answer. He fell to the ground tired.

The second mechanic used a different approach. He used the power of air, to activate the first machine. Nobody knew what element was needed for the rest. The maker left no notes. They were at a stand still. They couldn’t find any clue. There was nothing. The machines were made from metal found in the ground. The ground... That was it, the ground is the key!

“Dig,” said one of the mechanics, “somewhere here is a metal plate with electricity. We must find it.”

After some time, they found it. The machines were working again.

The threat has passed, for now.