Chapter 1: What does it all mean?
As Soren admired his reflection wearing his new helmet in the nearby stream, he couldn't help but wonder about the oath he had taken earlier. A Guardian! He was finally a Guardian at last! Soon his thoughts were interrupted by a short-eared owl. And a pretty one indeed! Soren turned around only to face Otulissa. "Oh hi! Didn't see you coming just now." "Looking good with your new helmet?" Otulissa smirked. Soren's face immediately reddened and he bowed his head down in embarrassment. She churred softly seeing his face reddened and asked: "So what's up in your mind huh?" "Erm it's nothing at all. Just excited for officially being a Guardian at last. Things' been getting better in the tree though." "Yup! And it's just getting better." "Wha" Before Soren could ask what she meant, she immediately connected her beak against his, her tongue snaking in and out his beak. "Wow!" He muttered to himself. "Enjoyed that?" She inquired. "Yeah," "Well then, Guardian boy, how about breaklight now?" And she immediately flapped off towards the dining hall. "Oh how I love that woman." Soren smirked as he flapped off after her.
As the duo reached the dining hall, they went towards Mrs P. where all their friends seated. "I'll tell you, your music is as good as rubbish!" Digger's voice rapped across the table. "Oh yeah, how about your stupid jokes? I don't see anything humorous about them." " Well, it at least it beats your lousy noise!" "It's not noise!" "Yes it is!" "No it doesn't!" Soon Twilight and Digger were having another yes-no argument as usual. "Hukla hukla." Mrs P. sighed. In the special language of blind snakes, hukla hukla meant young owls will be young owls. "Hey Otulissa, take a bite!" Soren crooned as he fed her little bits of tasty roasted mice. When Twilight and Digger finally stopped their argument, Digger spied and peeked at Gylfie with adoration. He had always a huge crush on Gylfie although everyone except Gylfie knew. It was the same with Gylfie. Whenever Digger was not looking, she would peek at his beautiful green eyes which shone. Twilight who was observing his friends merely muttered loudly in disgust: "I wonder how I'm gonna hold my lunch after this." Digger immediately turned around and glared at Twilight sharply, before lamenting: "Oh don't you even complain! Haven't I spotted you talking with Strix Struma recently?" "Er…we're discussing about war strategies. "Twilight knew that it would not do any good to him if Digger were to disclose his secret that he had an enormous crush on Strix Struma.
After breaklight, Soren went back to his hollow to sleep for the rest of the day. Immediately sleep was upon him as he slowly closed his eyes to the darker wold. He was flying around the tree as happy as he could be. Suddenly he saw another barn owl in front of him. For he was up for a challenge he immediately speed up his pace to catch up with him. Surprisingly, his speed was fast as he disappeared into thin air around the bend. Nonetheless, Soren slowly catch up with the owl as he stopped on a nearby branch. But he was truly flabbergasted when the owl suddenly faced him and said: "Hello Soren!" It was Kludd, his brother whom he thought had died back then. But what truly shocked him was the sky was suddenly covered with hundreds of black wings attached to hundreds of strange black birds. The foul stench filled his nostrils as he suddenly felt yeep even though he was not flying. His wings dropped heavy against him as he was suddenly blinded by a yellow glare. "Wake up Soren!" "Huh oh it's you Digger!" Soren was now fully awake as he peered outside to see the sky now filled with a soft lavender glow as hundreds of stars shone. "Oh it's just a dream!" He muttered to himself as he remembered the horrible dream Tons of questions filled his mind. What was that flying creature? Was his brother alive and where? And what does this all means? "What time is it Digger?" He asked. "Late! You almost slept through tweener. Luckily there are a few mice and milkberry tarts left." Then he asked him: " Soren, are you having a daymare?" "Erm…no! Not at all!" he lied. He did not want to share with anyone about his horrible nightmare and his gizzardly feelings. After all, gizzard matters were private and not meant to share with anyone at all. Not even his best friends though. However he was not the only one who had a nightmare.
Back at the deep cannonlands of St' Aggie, another barn owl was also having nightmares. He was flying over the cannonlands as he looked over his subjects. The shocking news that he was the new ruler of the Pure Ones and earning the title of Metal Beak seemed to tingle in his gizzard. It was as if the world had turned inside out or upside down, or both. He had only been here for a few weeks before his stupid, yeepish brother Soren and his tiny friend betrayed the Pure Ones and fled to the Guardians. He had not expected to meet him again in battle and furthermore, messed up with the flecks trap that they had ingeniously set up for the Guardians. And it was because of Soren that he had his left side of his face burnt up and disfigured. Curse that brat! Racdrops! However Nyra had seemed to take a fancy of him and even made him Metal Beak. It meant that there's a chance for him to get revenge on his brother and his measly Guardians. And that the Pure Ones will rule! While deep in thought, suddenly right in front of him was Soren, the owl he swore he had his talons on his throat. Then the orange sunset in the sky suddenly disappeared and became as black as Midnight. The foul smell that seemed to be worse than the stench of crow filled his nostrils. What in glaux name were those flying creatures? That was his last thoughts before he went yeep and his world was blinded with a terrible yellow glare. "Wake up Kludd!" Kludd eyelids immediately popped open to face a beautiful white barn owl who was shaking him awake. It was Nyra, his queen and his secret love interest. "I'm sorry for waking you up my lord, but it seems you had a nightmare. Are you ok?" "I'm fine, nothing to worry about." He smiled as picked himself up. "Well, it seems it's time to get up now. There's a new bunch of recruits in training under your charge." "Ok." But what was that nightmare all about? That he's gonna meet his idiotic brother again? And what were those flying creatures? Crows? And what does it all mean? However he soon forgotten all about it as his mind was now occupied about the new recruits. And he had not thought about it for a long time.