His heart was racing, and his talons were all sweaty, the training was hard but that wasn't the problem, it was fear. Flora made him train with catching food, battle moves, and defence but for him, it was all too much especially for only being weeks old, why was she doing this? She was nice at the start but now I think she is getting...extreme.
His moves were anything but impressive, he lacked strength but had the speed, winning each race Flora held against him as they battle it through the wind. It seemed like she was more concerned about his flaws than his non with her pushing him harder and harder and getting more aggressive.
His speech improved but to Bombard 'barely' with Skygaze normally slipping with uneasy words when he talks or tries to at least. 'Stop!' Calling out, he was exhausted; the sweat from his talons made his grip loosen as he grabbed onto the rock that was below Flora.
' Hurry up, maybe...use your powers or something? HURRY UP' She ordered, her face was worried, but he didn't know why, all he knew was she wanted him to do better, and he couldn't just give up, they were family...right?
The cliff was difficult, it had hardly any rocks or cliff hangs to grab hold of, and his mission was to climb the mountain without flight. Of course, he disagreed with his training, he was a water wyvern, he wasn't built like Earth, and had much smaller talons with thin skin but he wanted to try, for her. He slowly grabbed another rock above him, kicking his leg to raise, with one of his legs hovering not knowing which rock was secure and which wasn't, that was the scariest part.
Biting hard onto a small edge with his teeth hardly secure, he lifted himself once again, the bitter taste of rock-and-hard metal gave off a tang of self-confidence as he continued his way, Flora shouted from the top 'Come on little one! Hurry up!' Why does she want me to hurry so badly? I think I'm doing great, but she has changed her demeanour.
He looked down at the bottom of the cliff and saw the smug Bombard waiting with her devil eyes as she watched him like a hawk down below, she had a grin on her face which was 'new'. 'I...I can do that! This!' He whispered to himself taking one step at a time, his wings waved through the Icey cold wind through the pink and yellow dawn skies, again and again, he climbed, one foot there and one just right above it. He was doing well.
' Think you are gonna have a feast up there? Climb to the top already weakling' Bombard mocked, she was getting impatient. He bite his lip and continued, climbing and climbing until he was near the top, with only a few more wide gaps to go, he followed his technique again, one foot to the side and the other above but there were fewer gaps and hangs to garb onto too, it was getting difficult.
'Rig!' He cursed as he tried to see the stable ground, by now each slow step he took other rocks and stones would fall off into the distance down, down below making him get nervous if he fell too. Suddenly one of the hidden rocks gave way, loosening his grip, he tried to hold on to his other rock with his talons but through all the sweat they were no use 'Flora! Rahhh!' He cried as he fell, his large wings free-falling with him almost getting in the way to see anything.
Falling...it felt relaxing to Skygaze, he had so much fear only seconds before but now? He didn't feel anything. The soft touch of wings was only the real sensation of him being alive right now but even then...he didn't feel real, voices called out to him with worry, they sounded scared and lost within themselves as they plead for something, he didn't know what.
Gradually the pleas and moans turned into words, words of excitement from one and another, of fear, 'Skygaze! Are you alright? I should have never done this!' Seconds later another voice spoke but with a brash voice sounding like Bombard's 'Why are you regretting! You unlocked him, he is floating! You should be proud sister, the talent he has is amazing!' Another called back with a hint of rage 'Talents? That's his power, but never wanted him to fall! He is fragile'
' He is alive! But maybe knocked out, alive mainly!' One ended, and the echoes of the voices roared within his head as he tried to picture everything, moving his head the mysterious voices were right, he was floating, about meters up in the air. His wings were stretched out and his body hovered over the grass, his eyes lit up with bright, neon blue eyes as he looked around. Everything was still blurry, the haziness made him wonder, Where am I? Surly I'm still near the cliff, but I feel like something happened, Flora isn't here but Bombard is...
He was in a trans, colours mixed and voices turned against each other again as he gazed upon the sky, it was like he was rising, his power flowing through him. 'It's happening' a voice said whispering in his ear, it wasn't Bombard's harsh voice but it wasn't Flora's settled voice either, it sounded like Viv.
'Let them regret ever doing this to us,' She quickly continued, he still couldn't see anything, but he knew he was still in reality, it just wasn't the same. 'Make. Them. Pay.' She ended with the same laughter she roared when he was in that dream, her laughter slowly withered away as well as her voice in the distance, and he opened his eyes.
' Where...I? He tried to speak, but across was Flora, walking back and forth, she looked terrified while her sister was next to him looking at him with the same awful look, she didn't look impressed as she moved a wet cloth over his head, the water came down onto his snout and sneezed. 'Aaachoo!' He swiped his snout with bags around his eyes. Flora looked up and she opened her mouth 'You're awake! Oh, I can't believe you are! You have been knocked out for so long...' He shook his head and replied with a raspy voice 'No, it's only been a minute. I don't know what happened but just sleep crazy dream' His speech was getting better but needed to have more of an understanding of words, but it didn't matter for now.
' A couple of minutes you mean? You've been unconscious for a day and a half? It's night if you haven't looked around. But good news! You did some powerful stuff! You floated, and you had these weird eyes... but still!' He widened his eyes, for one and a half days? How- it felt like only minutes and... that voice, Make. them. pay...? He didn't reply, he went silent as he gazed around the den.
She was right, it was nighttime, maybe even midnight with the moon shining so high, the den was lit with small candles, and on the prey counter was medicine and other things, he looked down at himself and saw wounds, small scratches on his talons with his skin still wet somehow from the sweat he had from his training. The wet cloth gave off some tension from his forehead, he felt hot, but yet cold at the same time.
' You have a fever, we don't know if it was your 'trick' or not but for now you are unwell, you must recover. Hopefully, you can show a bit more power next time before failing' She brushed off as she went to replenish the wet cloth, Flora lowered her head and went to Skygaze explaining 'You floated mainly, I know you are confused but also something else happened... your eyes went blue as they glow. They were so bright; you were muttering some things, and we were so worried! Well, mainly me but still!'
He got up quickly and ordered 'What did..i..sa' Trying to say, What did I say. She was taken aback by how interested he was in why he wanted to know what he said, she nodded and explained again. 'That's, weird...anyway, you mainly mumbled but I heard a proper word, you said 'Revenge' multiple times. Luckily only I heard that, if Bombard knew...that wouldn't be good, not at all' She shook his head, and looked into the abyss.
' Why? Did anyone say anything? Wait...who did you talk to? How did you even talk to anybody? Tell me, I know you are worried but please tell me, you need to' Flora pleaded. She sounds desperate, why is this so important?
' Pain...felt pain, not physical but brain...They want revenge, they want someone to pay' He clarified. Her face crumbled, her eyes turned teary and it seemed like she was...out of reality as her eyes wandered with large concern. She kept whispering to herself 'No, no, no....' She paced back and forth as she was in deep thought.
' Why? What is the problem!' He asked, she was scared and he knew it, Is this about me? Other wyverns? What's the problem? I thought I was finally safe. 'You...they want revenge, they want us dead. They want all of us dead and they are using you to do so...'
He shook his head and frowned, he was frustrated 'Viv...used? Finn...me? Not me- but Viv' He snarled, he forced himself to get up even more, he stretched his wings and padded over to Flora asking quite bluntly. 'I'm not safe am I, where can I be safe? Tell the truth' She had teary eyes as she was forced to say 'No, you aren't safe but I think I know where you can be. Bombard won't like this, but we need you as well as you need us'
' Where I am sick, but I recover but I don't recover from danger, something wants to be here and I gave in, they are coming,' He confessed 'When neon eyes, I heard voices. Where do I be safe? What help shall help me?'
' The wind wyverns can help, I secretly know one, her name is Gale and she was a healer. She is one of the last wind wyverns so she will be secretive, you shall be too, you can't see anyone else, can't be seen. I know it's hard keeping quiet but it's for your safety, as you said something bad is coming and I can't defend you,' She wiped her torn snout, her nose was filled.
' I can't protect you, I'm sorry...but I can write letters. I can organize this soon, I thought we had more time, but I never knew you were so special...' She ran her long talon across his blue/white cheek, by now he was teary too.
' Go to Gale? Why can't you come? Why am I not safe, safe no, guilty yes. Did the voices do this?' He asked, she slowly nodded ashamed, she didn't even bother to say anything else as she looked past Skygaze and mumbled to herself more.
Bombard took a while to get the wet cloth because she forgot and gathered herbs instead soon remembering about the cloth and retrieving it, it was helpful for the time and Skygaze's fever, Flora saw her older sister in the den and quickly grabbed Skygaze's flabby neck and plotted him down onto his bed and pulled the remaining herbs closer, 'Forget we had this conversation, remember you have a fever, you can't do much and please, know your limits Skygaze. I love you'
He dipped his head and went back to his bed, pretending not to have this 'secret' conversation as he lay down. Bombard marched her way back through, she was carrying a couple of herbs with that succulent wet cloth that gave brief comfort for his fever. He didn't realize it but right now his head felt like it was burning, I must have forgotten I had a fever, merely didn't want to remember but now it's back and it hurts.
'How is the kid doing? I got a new wet cloth and a couple of herbs, you don't have a gag reflex, do you? I hate wyverns with that, it's extremely annoying, anyway. Drink this up with some smashed herbs and you will just be in bed for two-three more days, Flora? Keep an eye on him, make sure if he is throwing a party trick make sure he has a crowd' She mocked while handing him a bowl of milky sweet liquid, it didn't taste as nice as it looked, it had a thick texture to it as he gulped it down and sipped on some water to get rid of the taste as much as he could.
' Can I tell you a story? I.. never had the best childhood and being an earth wyvern isn't the greatest elemental wyvern to be, being a fire wyvern is the real deal, such power and bravery runs through their veins while the rest think earth wyverns are just big, lazy, get-in-the way wyverns, yes we are quite large but that doesn't make us weak does it? Slow and big creatures we are, we are only good to be shields and healers that's it. I was always self-conscious about it when I was growing up and even growing up, being an adult, it is horrible, being an earth wyvern is one thing but an earth wyvern with traumatized wounds on their faces? That's another,' She slowed down as she took a breath and continued.
' I remember the two wyverns fighting against me, another earth wyvern and a junior fire wyvern, holy if that fire wyvern wasn't a junior and was fully trained, I don't think I will be alive right now, especially with the help of that earth wyvern. Her name was Clear-Rock, I knew her when we were young, we even were friends once, but she was a much better earth wyvern, larger than everyone else and smarter too, most were jealous just like me. But when she became older, she worked for the majors, became a spy then general, I was a target for a while until my sister convinced them to release me and forgot everything that happened, all charges gone'
' What...happen, majors?' He asked, he was curious as he silently listen to her story still laying in his bed. 'Oh, of course, sorry little one. The majors are higher-up wyverns that are the leaders of each element of the island, two for each element but water wyverns weren't a part of being majors, they never were even alive. Three for wind even though it is always two with fire and earth, as our majors are Cliffhanger, the funny name, isn't it ?!,'
'And Poison, Poison has been our major for a long time while Cliffhanger is what you would say as new, then there are fire wyverns. Tonguesprayer and Flameguilt, were both equally the same, but Flameguilt was always the nicer one if any charges were laid on you and if you were a fire wyvern you pray for him to be on your side' She winked as she took a sip of water and carried on.
'And Poison, Poison has been our major for a long time while Cliffhanger is what you would say as new, then there are fire wyverns. Tonguesprayer and Flameguilt, were both equally the same, but Flameguilt was always the nicer one if any charges were laid on you and if you were a fire wyvern you pray for him to be on your side' She winked as she took a sip of water and carried on.
' Now wind, they are tricky as they always swap as they have three and one switches, Serpent, she is a main, Blastblow, he is a main but the third is named Speedtooth, she is a little weird. Anyway, my sister works for our majors, Cliffhanger and Poison, they are...ahem...looking for someone and it isn't safe for now, of course, it will be safer soon-' She gulped as she stared into her bowl of water trying to not make eye contact with Skygaze which failed.
' Bad? That wyvern after me? What Clear-Rock and fire wyvern do' He asked poorly, she accepted and explained. 'Let us move away from all that major business, shall we? I was facing against Clear-Rock an earth general, a wyvern that is just below the class of a major,' She uttered.
' She was fierce as she attacked me, knocking me over and over again, I was in the battle young and wasn't experienced sadly so I was pretty bad, that fire wyvern kept spitting fire towards my face to intimidate me but the real damage was Clear-Rock, the last blow, as she grabbed onto my snout and clawed my snout mercilessly, knocking me out. I had this torn nose ever since' She looked ashamed once more as she tilted her head with a sulking face.
' I hope you are okay now; your scar shows courage and brave. You have helped me much, like speech. And caring wyvern, mother wyvern, good wyvern' He complimented, she nudged her head into his body and replied with a soft voice.
' Thank you, sweet child, but I think the majors are close to knowing about you, they are dangerous, you are special Skygaze. A special wyvern that must be protected and for now can't protect you, well mainly me but Bombard may be rude and a bully but she is nice on the inside, you will have to dig deep in though,' She rubbed his cheek again and finished.
' You are a special wyvern Skygaze, the special Skygaze, you will be powerful, you will be cunning and smart but sometimes you must travel alone, through a world that brings such danger it also brings safety. Through that safety you will grow stronger, you know something is coming and you seem like the only wyvern on the whole island that can even communicate with 'it'. I believe in you Skygaze, you will be a great wyvern someday,'
'But, by this account, I may not see that day'.