Having failed to find Shalli, Zhel heads back to his cave in the mountains. After the flight, he lands inside the cave to find Shalli waiting there for him. She is sitting on one of his chairs, reading a book on the legends of old, and as he comes in, she looks up. She has a sour expression on her face.

"And just where have you been?" she asks sharply. "I've been waiting for you for about an hour!"

"I was at Karia's," he says. "I was giving her back the books that I translated for her. They were in the dragon alphabet."

"You said that you'd have those legends for me today," she says. "I just came by to pick them, up, and you're not here, and there's no evidence that you even worked on it at all!"

"I'm so sorry Shalli," Zhel says. "It was just that I found some really interesting stuff in the books that Karia had me translate, and you know how I get when I find something interesting. I did it all last night, and then I read them. You wouldn't believe what I found out!"

"What?" she asks. "What were the books anyway?"

"I..." he starts to say, then cuts off. "I'm sorry Shalli, I can't tell you. I promised Karia that I wouldn't tell anyone, not even you. But I will tell you that it's about who and what I am."

"You mean why you can turn into a dragon?" she asks. "And why you have the mind talents of a dragon?"

"Yeah," he says. "But I can't tell you. I promised."

"Zhel," she says in a coaxing voice. "You know who and what I am. You know who my father is. Karia does not know that. I think you should tell me what she told you."

"I can't Shalli," he says. "Not yet. I want to, but I want to be sure of what I suspect first. I promise I'll tell you once I'm sure."

"Zhel," Shalli says. "There's more to this than just who and what you are, isn't there?"

"I really can't tell you Shalli," he says. "I'm sorry about the legends thing, but I can't do it right now. I'll do it as soon as I get back, I promise. Right now I need to pack." He starts to grab containers and books, and a few sets of clothing.

"Pack for what?" she asks as he ties the bundle of things around his ankle "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to visit the dragons," he says, taking off from the mouth of the cave. He turns around and waves as he flies off. Shalli stares at him, and finally turns away, a look of disgust on her face.

"To visit the dragons?" she asks herself. "I wish I understood that boy." She then leaves the cave and walks off through the mountains.

In the distance, Zhel is flying toward the Plains of Kalashi. After a few hours, he is past the plains, and into a territory full of mountains and valleys. Before long, he lands in an empty valley and continues on foot.

Within five minutes he is confronted by three dragons. Two are male, one young with green scales and topaz wings, and the other old with purple scales and sapphire wings. The other dragon is a female of indeterminate age. She is large, and her scales are black as the night. Her wings are amber colored, and her eyes glint gold out from her face. She appears to be in charge of the party, and she glares at Zhel.

"I don't recognize you stranger," she says to Zhel. "What are you doing here, and why are you coming from the human lands?"

"I'm sorry," Zhel says, trying to be polite. "I was just looking for someone... I didn't mean to cause any trouble."

"Who are you looking for?" she asks suspiciously.

"I was looking for someone who might know the name Sholombala," he says, after taking a deep breath.

"What was that name again?" she asks sharply.

"Sholombala," he says meekly. "I...I..."

"Where did you hear that name?" she asks. "Where is he?"

"Then you know him?" he asks.

"Of course I do," she says. "He was a most respected member of our society, but he has been gone for over twenty years. Now, how did you find out about him, and where is he?"

"I'm afraid he's dead," Zhel says. "He died twenty years ago."

"How did you find out?" she asks.

"I'm his son," he says.

"His son?" she asks, astonished. "How dare you say that? He has no son! I should know."

"I swear," Zhel says. "I am his son. I have just learned this today, but I am sure of it."

"If you claim to be his son, then come with me," she says. "We need to talk."

"Okay," he says, following her as she leaves the other two dragons and takes off for a high up cave.

Once inside, she settles down on the floor of the cave, and motions for him to do likewise. He does so, and she gets out two dragon-sized mugs of a steaming liquid. She hands one to him, and the other she keeps for herself.

"Drink this," she says. "It is a potion that will force a person to tell the truth, and nothing but the truth. I have nothing to hide, so I am not afraid to drink it. If you are telling the truth about being Shol's son, then you will have no trouble after drinking the potion."

"Very well," Zhel says, inspecting the drink with alert magical senses. After finding that what she said is true, he downs the potion in one gulp. She does likewise.

"So," she says as the potion takes effect. "You claim to be Shol's son. I will have you know that I was not aware of him having any children, and I am in a very good position to know about that. You see, I am his mother."

"You are?" Zhel asks, astonished?

"Yes, I am," she says. "And you should believe when I tell you that I could not imagine my son finding anyone he would be willing to have a child with. I know he did not before he left."

"I am only twenty years old," Zhel says. "I was born right before he died. My mother died with him."

"So Shol found a wife while on his mission?" she asks. "Another one of us on a mission among the humans?"

"Actually," he says. "That is part of why I came here. I have read both my mother's and my father's diaries from right before I was born. I am aware that both were Guardians, which would have to be true anyway, but from what I read, my mother seemed to be a Guardian for the humans, and my father for the dragons."

"What?" she asks sharply. "There are no human Guardians. We dragons were the ones who needed the protection, not the greedy humans."

"Do any of your kind have the mind abilities that normal dragons have?" he asks quietly. "Because my mother did, and so do I."

"That's not possible," she says. "We don't need mind abilities. The dragons already have that. What we need is the magic so that we can protect the dragons from the human magicians."

"That's what I thought," he says. "I know it might sound weird, but to me it seems as if there are two types of Guardians, those that serve the humans, and those that serve the dragons."

"And you think that your mother was one of the human ones?" she asks, curiously.

"If I'm right, then I know it," he says. "But what would that make me?"

"Something completely new," she says. "A hybrid. Do you have the magic as well? You mentioned that you have mind abilities..."

"Actually, yes," he says. "I do have magic, and mind abilities, both very powerful."

"You are certainly unlike any Guardian I have ever met," she says. "Though it is obvious that you are my son's son. You look so much like him. Would you be willing to show me your human form?"

"Of course," he says. "But I'm not changing in front of you."

"Why not?" she asks.

"I grew up among humans," he said. "I just don't feel comfortable naked in front of people, especially women."

"Oh," she says. "Well then, I guess I could leave while you change. Would you like to see me as a human as well?"

"If you want," he says.

"Very well then," she says. "I will be outside. Call me when you are finished."

With that she walks out of the cave, leaving Zhel alone. He concentrates briefly and he is a human again. Reaching into his pack, he grabs clothing and starts to don it. Before long, he can hear the woman, his grandmother, outside, berating someone else.

"But Mother," the other person, male says. "I had heard that someone had come asking about Shol. And now I find you here in human form. What's going on?"

"He claims to be Shol's son," she says. "And he says that Shol has been dead for twenty years now. And just what do you think you're doing sneaking up on me like that? I thought you were one of the dragons and that I was going to be killed!"

"I'm sorry momma," he says. "I didn't expect you to be in human form."

"Well I am," she says. "Now you have two choices. You can either go away or switch to your human form and come in with me."

"Very well," he says. Then she moves to the mouth of the cave and calls into Zhel.

"Are you ready yet?" she asks.

"Yes," Zhel calls out, and she walks in, followed by a boy of perhaps sixteen years of age, both naked.

She is a woman of medium height, and rather slender. She has long blonde hair that shines. It almost looks to be of a similar shade to Zhel's eyes. Hey eyes are the same gold that they were as a dragon, a bit darker than Zhel's. Zhel finds himself blushing as he stares at her.

The boy is tall and slender. His hair is long, falling down to his shoulder blades, and blonde. It is a slightly lighter shade of blonde than hers, but still very reminiscent of gold. His eyes are hazel, not particularly bright colored, but they seem to pierce Zhel as he stares at him intently.

Embarrassed by their nakedness, Zhel lowers his head. He is blushing furiously, and his face almost matches the color of his hair. The boy stares at him curiously, and the woman begins to laugh.

"I am so sorry," she says, laughing. "I had forgotten that you might be uncomfortable seeing us unclothed. Am I correct?"

"Y-yes," Zhel stammers, keeping his head down.

Then he rummages around in his bag and pulls out some of his tunics, handing them to the two. The boy looks curiously at the woman, and she motions for him to put the tunic on, as she is doing with hers. Once they are covered, Zhel raises his head again, still blushing.

"You resemble him even more in human form than you do as a dragon," she says.

"You believe what he says then Mother?" the boy asks her.

"Yes Mik," she says. "I believe him. Now, perhaps we should all know each other's names? I will start. I am Rabalabi, and as I said earlier, I am Shol's mother, and therefore, your grandmother. This is my other son, Mikaluku."

"My name is Zhelenstilo," Zhel says.

"So he gave you a dragon name," she says.

"From what I've found out I think my mother gave me my name," Zhel says.

"How come we never heard about you before?" Mik asks Zhel suspiciously. "It's been twenty years since Shol left, and we haven't heard one thing about it."

"He died right after I was born," Zhel says. "I was told that a mob of humans came upon him and my mother in the mountains at my naming ceremony and killed the two of them. I was only a day old, and I don't remember any of it. The only reason I know is because Karia had me translate some diaries."

"Karia?" Rabalabi asks.

"One of the human's Guardians," Zhel says. "She's had my father's and my mother's diaries, but they were both spelled shut. She asked me to open them, and then when I told her that some of the diaries were in the dragon alphabet she asked me to translate them. That was yesterday. I translated over night and then read them, and that was the first I ever heard of Guardians."