Chapter 38: Meeting Many

Rift collapsed as the tiny shot glass slipped out of his paw, an empty bottle of Fireball Whisky laying next to him.

Rift: Silver doesn't *hic* own any Spyro characters or storyline, only his *hic* OCs and story. I am owned by a hooman, *hic* Rifty Agon. If you don't like the story *hic*, then go wallow in self pity.

At that, the orange dragon passed out.

Silvus' POV:

Today was like two days ago,except this time, Gabriel was sitting in front of the Nature Guardian statue. The last Guardian that I was to meet for now, ss the Shadow, Fear, and Poison Guardians were not heard from. But first, I needed to learn a little bit about the current Guardian.

"The first Nature Guardian was a dragoness, Fysi." Gabriel started, gesturing towards the light green armored dragoness. "Mother Nature herself they called her. She was a kind and powerful soul and her spirit still lingers,providing for all wildlife."

"You talk like you knew her." I said.

"There is a difference of knowing someone, and knowing of someone." His response turned towards me.

"You know of her." I said.

"Some say that I am the Keeper of a Forgotten History." He said, turning away from my back toward the marble statue, pointing a claw at the current Guardian's name, which was glowing green. "Tozzon, meaning creatures or animals, is the current Guardian of Nature. A young dragon, about the age of Vrochi. He was suggested by the Guardian preceding him, but wasn't actually chosen by that dragon."

"Who was that Guardian?" I asked.

"Skios, another personal trainee of mine and Hadriel's, due to the death of his predecessor. But back to Tozzon. He is helping all creatures, as are the rest of the nature dragons. The reason why they are isolated in a forest is because most nature dragons do not appreciate other dragons hunting creatures." Gabriel sighed while shaking his head. "They are bent upon only eating non-living things, which is why they are mostly separate from us."

That is a horrible reason to separate from all dragons. But that does explain why the only nature dragon I've ever met was my father.

I then voiced my thoughts to Gabriel. "I am in agreement with you Silvus, but I am confident that they will come around eventually. That is why Skios suggested Tozzon to be his successor. He is in disagreement with their customs and is slowly converting them."

Gabriel went silent. He stood up and began walking towards the staircase leading to the top of the mountain, but stopped once I asked one question.

"What happened to Skios?" I asked while following him.

"Skios committed a similar crime as your mother's." Gabriel said, smirking as he began walking again. "And around the same time as well."

Wait...is he saying that Skios, was my dad. Another Guardian too!

"Are you saying-?" I cut myself off as he left the room, then I heard a yes from down the staircase.

My jaw dropped. I can't believe it! Both of my parents were Guardians! Both!

I kept jumping around in excitement until another thought came to mind. Why didn't they tell me? Did they think I wouldn't be able to handle it? Or did they think I wouldn't be able to keep that a secret.

These dark thoughts kept running through my head over and over again. They wouldn't leave, it caused me to get angry once again. Then it all went away when memories of the previous day came in. My lasting anger, the rage, and then..the resolve. The importance of withholding information. It may take a while until I fully understood the importance of this.

The rest of the day went by as it normally did. Training with my element, gaining endurance, and some other things. It was becoming routine for me, doing almost the same things day after day. At least I am going to meet some of the Guardians.

Gabriel informed me that I was to meet with Tozzon and his Messenger of Nature. I was to travel to a clearing near his forest city by the name of Wesensart, located in the Forest of Osten. A strange name yes, but then again, when is a name not strange.

I am going to fly there first thing in the morning, or as soon as I wake up. I really need to ask Gabriel about the timeframe on this island, it is very confusing. Anyway, it is around the time that I should be off to bed. I didn't feel totally worn like I normally did, but I was still very tired. Maybe I am progressing, however slow it may seem.

Flying across the ocean was becoming almost almost a daily thing for me, the same endless blue everytime I fly across it. Unlike Dante's Freezer, there were no islands anywhere near Shimmering Shores. I knew that if I flew south for a couple days I would reach the ice island, the place of my first adventures with Kafto and his siblings. I wonder if the survivors made it to Warfang. It would be comforting for Kafto to know that his sister is safe, especially in his current state.

Kafto….he suffered two great losses since meeting me. First his twin sister, Kafta, at the hands of the Ice King. And then, he is attacked by a dragon that inflicted several wounds so great, that Ignitus may need to find a new Messenger. My thoughts drifted from my friend to what I could do to help him, or comfort.

Maybe I can find Snow for him. One part of my mind said. What? if she is already at Warfang. The other said. Finding Snow is out of the question, with the fact that she may be at Warfang already reunited with Kafto. Maybe I could reunite the rest of the family.

An image of a frozen Kafta flashed through my mind. The events of last year played through my head like a vision to fill in the endless blue of the ocean. I remember her getting frozen by the Ice King and falling to the ground, frozen in her leaping position. Then another memory broke through, she can only be released once the Ice King is killed. I don't remember who told me that, but I decided not to dwell on it, for I had reached the mainland.

One day's flight brought me to the Forest of Osten. It is one of the largest forests according to Gabriel. Though I still had at least a week before I reached the meeting point in which that I was to meet Tozzon and the Messenger for him. I wonder if they will bring a hatchling as well like Vrochi and Kryma did. Which reminds me, I should ask Gabriel if he knows anything about Kardia

The days passed with ease, flying was a breeze, but days of endurance training and my current soreness wouldn't end well once I returned to Shimmering Shores. But I made it to the clearing. Unlike meeting with Vrochi, the pair of nature dragons were already waiting. Both appeared to be male and light green. They looked similar in structure and build except I could tell who was who by the Messenger wearing armor. Could they be brothers?

My suspicious were correct when both sat up on their hunches to meet me. Over the Guardian's left eye and the Messenger's right, was an outline of a leaf with each of their dark brown eyes containing it. They were apparently the same age, only eights years into Guardianship and Messaging. Each regarded me with much respect for training to become a Light Messenger, especially the Messenger.

His name was Fyto, he confirmed verbally that they were brothers. "It's good to see that a young dragon will be joining the Messenger crew. I thought I would hold the title of the youngest!" He sounded excited by this revelation. "I bet Kafto and Trak were pretty pent up about their record being beaten." Fyto sighed while shaking his head.

"Wait you know Kafto and Trak?" I asked tilting my head curiously.

Kyto smiled in return. "Of course! All the Messenger know each other Silvus!"

"That is why Gabriel sent you too meet us after all." Tozzon said. Once again, how did he inform them without actually flying there?

"Which of us haven't you met?" Fyto asked.

"I haven't met electricity, ice, poison, fear, shadow, or wind." I said counting on with my talons.

"Well, rest assured young dragon, you will meet them all once you finish your training!" Tozzon said standing up. "Speaking of training, you may need to get back to it."

Fyto stood up after his brother, as did I. "Of course, it was an honor to meet you both." I said bowing my head.

"As it was an honor to meet you as well Silvus." Tozzon said returning the gesture, as well as Fyto.

"Good luck with training." Fyto said and I nodded in response.

Instead of turning and taking off like I expected, the pair just turned and walked into the forest. Curious...they prefer walking on the ground instead of flying in their own territory. That is dangerous with all the ape activity.

Speaking of ape activity, I saw much of it on the return flight. Especially as the coast came into view, I was forced to land when I saw large swarms of apes and dreadwings coming from the ocean, where Dante's Freezer is. It will be difficult to return there.

I moved through the grassy land, my scales blending in perfectly with the green grass, unlike the patch of yellow that I was seeing. Wait, why am I seeing a patch of yellow?

I approached the yellow patch slowly while crouching. The scales of my underbelly barely brushing the grass below. Right as I reached out to touch the yellow thing, faster than I could comprehend, the patch of yellow shifted. I could see golden scales instead of yellow, then a yellow paw grabbed onto my wrist and I was pulled toward the creature.

My yelp of surprise was muffled by another paw. I tried to free myself, but couldn't get out of the grasp of the yellow creature. It took me a moment to realized that my captor was wearing armor, dragon armor...Messenger armor.

The dragon that held me suddenly let go, most likely upon realizing that I too was a dragon. I looked up at the dragon's face to meet their gaze. I looked straight into the dark blue eyes of the Messenger for Electricity. I could see the relief in the eyes of the dragoness, the slender body giving it away. But then, the relief was replaced by anger.

"What are you doing! Hatchling, you need to get back to your forest!" Now the unmistakably female mistook me for a nature dragon. She tried to push me back the way I came, but I stopped her.

"No no I'm not from there." I said, planting my forepaws firmly on the ground bringing me to a halt. "I'm an ice dragon." She didn't believe me.

"Yeah, sure little trickster, I know a nature dragon when I see one." She pushed me while being quiet about at the same time. I wonder if I'll learn to move silently.

I didn't know how I was going to make this dragoness believe me. "I know Volteer!" I tried desperately

"Sure." She said simply.

Well that didn't work, maybe Gabriel?

"I know Gabriel." I said planting my paws down again, which happened to catch my aprabt fall.

"How do you know that name." She stopped, I turned around to meet her gaze. By now, we were totally out of view of any apes or dreadwings.

"Because I am going to be his Messenger." I stated. She seemed to have realized something at this point.

"Oh! Oh so sorry about that, you're Silvus, right?" She asked.

"How do you know that?" I asked curiously tilting my head.

"Ah right, you don't know me." She said. I inclined my head. "I am Katrina, Messenger for Electricity. Volteer told me about the encounter he had with you and Kafto. Said something about an ice dragon with green scales. Strange how I didn't put two and two together when I first saw you." Is she related to Volteer? "So what are you doing out here? I was sent to scout out the ape activity after the destruction of the electric village." She said sadly.

"Wait, what?" I nearly shouted. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yes, yes most of us made it out. Volteer included, we made it to Warfang...but we lost some." She said looking to the ground, I bowed my head in respect. "I was sent to see where they came from."

"And did you find them?" I asked

"The force that destroyed Volzahl came from Concurrent Skies." She said glancing northward, most likely the direction that the place was located.

"By the looks of it, this force is coming from Dante's Freezer and the other islands between it." I said, looking at all the great ships and the apes coing from it. Many of them had staffs with many different colored gems. I looked from the yellow glow of some of the staffs, then looked at Katrina's armor with the electricity crystals. Could they be the same?

"I see Gabriel is training you well." Katrina said. "What are you doing out here anyways? Meeting with Tozzon and Fyto?" She asked and I nodded. "Ah lucky guess. You should get going then, these ape forces won't be gone any time soon. It was good to meet you Silvus."

"You too Katrina." I said before we parted ways. Katrina seemed to disappear. I didn't know how, but she was there one second then gone the next.

I shrugged it off and proceeded to successfully avoid the huge group of apes. I got into the sky quickly and flew back to Shimmering Shores, where I would stay until my training was complete. That I can promise.

Silver stares at the unconscious body of Rift with the empty bottle of Fireball Whiskey in his hand.

Silver: Well, I'm never bringing him to the store again, or letting him touch my phone.

Silver sighed as he sat down on a stool next to the orange dragon with a bucket of blue paint. He grabbed a big paint brush and dipped it in, starting to paint on Rift's scales turning them that color relatively quickly.

Rift doesn't wake up.

Silver: Well, he'll be awake by the time this dries. Next chapter we'll see his reaction! See all of you then!