Prologue: Reflections

A/N: This fic is a collaboration between Native Avenger and Warrior of Spectra. The Legend of Oculos: Twilight of the Death Dragon is a prequel to a previous fic Native Avenger and I wrote, The Legend of Spyro: The Forsworn.

This fic focuses on the "Death Dragon" Oculos, the loyal second in command and loving mate of Persephone, the Dragon-Goddess of the Underworld.

This fic takes place immediately after Oculos' defeat near the end of The Legend of Spyro: The Forsworn and focuses on Oculos' history, starting from when he was a Dragonling, and how he rose through The Forsworn ranks to become Persephone's second in command. Most importantly this fic goes in depth on Oculos and Persephone's relationship.

With out further ado, on with the story!

...

Mortality is a frail force, Oculos was first taught that when Persephone took him under her wing, when a mortal is wounded, the cradle their wounded limb like a mother protecting her newborn. Mortal life was so much like glass. Even the slightest trimmer can destroy mortal life in one single small trimmer.

Even with his power over the luck of mortality, Oculos had always known he was mortal, that he could be killed like any other person in the world.

But the thought of death did not frighten him.

No…the thought of the most painful death possible did not make the Dragon cower in fear like most mortals. Even now he did not fear death…but what he feared was something more…personal.

Persephone…his wife…the two had only been mated for a day, but even then it brought joy to Oculos. He fulfilled his mission, and his wife's safety was secured…

That was until the Purple Dragon, Spyro, and his allies defeated The God of Death while the god inhabited Oculos' body…and with his defeat, Oculos could only think the worse of what The God of Death would do to Persephone. The memory of Persephone whimpering in pain as the God of Death tortured her filled Oculos mind.

As Oculos had fallen to his death after the God of Death's presence left his body, Persephone saved him from the fall from Warfang's highest tower and she had taken him to a distant forest. In his last moments in the physical world, Persephone made him drink a drop of her blood…and she kissed him softly as his eyes closed.

And then he passed on…

Or so he would have thought…

The void was nothing, not even black…it wasn't describable to the mortal eye. All Oculos knew was that he was neither in the Afterlife nor the mortal realms…was he in between? Was he really dead but his soul was trapped in a netherworld?

Oculos' eyes opened, at least he thought they were open, his unnatural yellow eyes with his crimson pupils scanning the void around him.

A deep and sad sigh escaped his mouth as his body continued to drift, again the familiar soft chill filled his heart as it beat again.

What was happening to him? Oculos had wondered countless times. What was to become of him? But most importantly: What would happen to Persephone now that he failed his mission to be the God of Death's Avatar?

Despite all of the questions that filled his mind…he regretted none of his actions. His life had purpose, he served Persephone faithfully, and died for what he believed in and died to protect the love of his life.

Even now, drifting in this void, he regretted nothing.

Now…all he could do...was think…think of the distant past…before he became Persephone's second in command…back when he was just a lowly soldier raising through the ranks of The Forsworn…and being tried for a crime that he never, would never, commit.

…..

Twenty Years ago: Lumimyrsky

He was only seventeen then. Yet he had achieved so much in his teenage years. To the outside world, he was the General of Lumimyrsky's military and King Adla most trusted advisor. But to those who truly knew the young grey dragon, Oculos was a loyal follower of Persephone, the immortal leader of the infamous Forsworn.

A secret army who brought terror to the world with just it's name. With agents of The Forsworn reaching out across the world, hiding in the shadows and manipulating the politics of mighty kingdoms, The Forsworn was truly a force to be feared.

In Oculos' case, the grey dragon was one of the few to gain the favor of Persephone, the Dragon-Goddess of the Underworld and was one of the few who Persephone trusted with her entire immortal being.

But none of that seemed to matter now…not in his position…

The grey dragon was blind folded, his unnatural yellow eyes unable to see his surroundings. But he was not intimidated.

As his paws and talons clicked on the stone floor, causing echoing sounds, he occasionally felt the sharp blade of a sword gently touch in between his shoulders.

"Move faster," Oculos' 'escort', a bipedal snow wolf like the Cheetahs of Avalar, growled at the dragon. "We don't want to keep The Court busy."

Oculos made no comment to his escort, and merely replied by stepping faster.

About two minutes later, the seventeen year old Dragon and his escort reached their destination. The sound of a wooden door could be heard creaking open. Oculos was pushed forward into the room. Oculos felt his paws touch a carpet as he stepped into the room, the feeling of warmth brushed against his scales as he entered the room.

The sound of whispers touched Oculos' ears when he entered the room. He could just barely make out a few of the whispers. Most of the whispers had been from allies he had known.

"I can't believe he would do such a thing…"

"Serves him right…"

"No one could be that loyal to Persephone without wanting something in return…"

Oculos ignored the whispers.

Oculos was soon lead to a stop when he felt a scaly paw touch his chest…soon the feeling of cold iron chains touched his neck as a cuff clamped down on his neck firmly. Soon his forelegs were restrained along with his wings and tail. The sound of a locking mechanism could be heard.

The whispers died down when the sound of a familiar clicking of talons tapping across the stone floor filled the room…and the aura of the mighty Dragon-Goddess of The Underworld filled the room…gracing Oculos' presence as he humbly bowed his head.

The clicking of the talons stopped as a gust of wind filled the room.

Seconds of silence filled the room…until the familiar winter cold voice spoke in a soft, yet commanding, tone.

"Take off the blindfold…" Persephone voice filled the room.

"But milady…" The wolf guard asked, worriedly. "He will…"

"He won't." Persephone interrupted coolly. "Remove the blind fold, now."

"Yyyeesss…Milady…" The Wolf guard hesitated as he fumbled with Oculos' blind fold after hearing the Forsworn leader's cold words.

Light graced Oculos' eyes as the cloth blindfold was removed. At first the light was disorientating, but his unnatural eyes adjusted…When his eyes adjusted, he realized that he was standing in the middle of the sentencing chamber of one of The Forsworn safe houses within Lumimyrsky…behind him were several high ranking Forsworn agents, sitting in chairs…waiting eagerly for the trial of Persephone's youngest high ranking follower.

But his eyes did not focus on those behind him…but the one who was sitting high above him on a stone throne.

Sitting on the stone carved throne several feet in the air…was Persephone herself.

Her ebony black scales were as dark as night, emerald green and crimson markings blazed parts of her scales. A jagged scythe blade took the form of The Dragon-Goddess' tail blade. She had three sets of horns, Cynder, the Terror of the Skies, almost resembled her…except the Dragoness' features were more mature…and cold.

Persephone looked down at Oculos with her piercing crimson irises that spread terror to all races in the Dragon Realms, even her own followers. But to Oculos…only he was not terrified by her eye…to him…the eyes were beautiful.

Oculos bowed his head humbly…diverting his eyes from his leader.

He heard someone pace in front of him.

"Milady," The familiar tone of the ice Dragoness Cecilia, Persephone's second in command, filled the room. "Out almighty leader…I requested your presence here today because of a plot…this…" The ice dragoness paused.

Oculos looked up at the ice dragoness.

Cecilia was a rather attractive dragoness. Her dragoness form was slender, something most male dragons found attractive in a Dragoness. Her scales were a light blue with white markings. A long scar ran across the left corner of her mouth, a war scar that she had received when she still served The Empire of Warfang in it's war against the Ape king, Gaul's, forces.

Cecilia had paused, her face trying to restrain her visible shock.

"This dragon…" Cecilia continued, regaining her composure. "Attempted to overthrow you…you…the Dragon-Goddess of The Underworld."

There were whispers in the room…some were shocked at the accusation towards Oculos…

Oculos kept his eyes diverted from Persephone's; he felt her gaze fall upon him. She shifted her weight to one side and rested the side of her head on her left fist.

"Proceed Cecilia…" Persephone began.

And so the trial had begun…and little did the young Oculos know, that his future would be forever changed…

But all he could do now…was think back to that night…the night it all began all those years ago back in the Tall Plains city of Tasangot…