TRIGGER WARNING
-(mild)verbal/physical abuse
-Stockholm mentions
-toxic relationships
-imprisonment
-side characters dying
Despite the M rating his is not a romance story. It does not contain any sexual actions. I flagged it as not appropriate for young audiences because of the many adult themes it is covering.
It's about a character building up a toxic relationship with Ripto which contains physical abuse. All of the named triggers are MILD but still present in most of the chapters.
It is not a hardcore violent fiction, just a darker version of the original story.
All characters belong to Insomniac Games.
The story takes place simultaneously to the second game in the original Spyro series: Riptos Rage
I included an OC character named Mina the Faun as the main character to not get the original faun characters of the franchise into a bad light. However she is replaceable with any other faun girl from Fracture Hills when it comes to personality and looks.
Chapter 1: You can't be serious
„Sooo Lila...hows that thing between you and Alpin going?"
The blue faun with the green dress cracked a smile as she looked down on her yo-yo. It was late afternoon and getting dark already at Fracture Hill, the valley of the fauns.
„Oh good, good. You know he's been stressed out a lot about that new song he's composing for Kristas Birthday Party." She took a sharp breath and the three girls sitting around her got alert.
„You know he's never written a song for me."
They gasped in unison about the newly learned gossip and started looking at each other. None of them noticed the silent but huge glowing portal popping up only a few steps away from where they were gathered.
„Speaking of who-" Mina, the oldest girl in a rose dress said, „where is Krista? I haven't seen her in hours."
„She's probably meeting with him..." Lila mumbled and pet the pink little pig that lay next to her in the grass. It gave a silent grunt.
„You shouldn't be so hard on her-it's not her fault Alpin writes that song for her. Maybe you should-"
The floor suddenly shook and catapulted the fauns into the air before they fell down again.
„What the fuck was THAT?" the faun with the yellow dress shouted and they turned to where the portal just had opened. Two giant creatures stood next to it- a blue and a green lizard creature. The blue one was walking upright and swung a club that looked like a giant chicken leg, the other one was on all fours and had the appearance of a bull. They both just stood there for a short moment, looking around.
"Okay, nobody move" Mina whispered to the other girls.
She heard one of the creatures saying something...something about a king of Avalar. And the Earthshapers they could see further down in the valley.
Suddenly the pig Lila had as a pet jumped up and made a shrieking sound. It was so horribly loud all the fauns froze - and the creatures turned to them.
„KILL THAT NOISY THING" a voice came from the bigger of the two creatures, but in the already dark valley it was hard to tell if the creature was actually the one saying that.
The smaller of the lizards now came darting at the fauns. Mina jumped into two of the girls and knocked them out of the beasts way at the last second- but not Lila. She stayed in front of her pig paralyzed, just staring at the giant creature stomping at her. It swung its free hand at her and hurled her out of the way, then it lifted the club over its head and let it flung down on the still screaming pig. The noise stopped with a gross cracking sound.
The fauns closest to the hideous view gasped, Mina had already sprinted to where the beast had knocked Lila to. She was sitting upright again, holding her head. „Oof," she sighed and grabbed Minas Hands. „Everything's dizzy i think I should-" with that she fell down on the grass again.
„What the heck man?!" Mina shouted at the lizard. „Are you out of your mind??"
It didn't bother about the small creature shouting at it and slowly returned to where it came from.
„HEY!" she screamed after them and started following up.
„I'm talking to you!" it kept walking away from her steadily and she had to sprint to keep up with the giant beast.
It went straight for the portal that it came out of and jumped in.
She did a hard stop in front of the portals edge but already felt the strong suction pulling her in from this far away.
Another faun was calling her name but before she could turn around and get some distance between her and the portal the second lizard rushed past her into the glowing surface and swept her away into the light.
ooo
Mina stumbled blinded by the flashing lights around her and landed on a hard surface with a loud thud. She'd never used a portal before so the impact of it hit her unexpected.
„Now what do we have here..." a somewhat deep-ish but surprised voice growled from far on top over her. She slowly glanced up from the floor she was lying on, careful not to move too much. The two giant lizard creatures who just had rampaged through Fracture Hill stared down at her in confusion. She could tell from their dull expressions that they weren't quite mentally present. None of them could have just said that, right? They're far too huge for such a tiny even if sinister voice.
„Don't just stare like that- ANSWER ME!" the voice shouted and the now scared faun jumped up on their hooves. This was easier thought than done, she wasn't used to polished tiles covering the floor around her. Her hooves failed to get any grip on the smooth surface and she fell down again, this time on her bottom.
The voice let out a silent sigh and she could finally make out where it came from. There was a smaller, orange creature sitting in between the horns of the bulky green one.
Mina looked back at where the portal should have been but there was nothing there. Instead she looked at what seemed to be a circular arena type of room build entirely from tiles and stone. The red light of the setting sun gave the place an intimidating vibe.
The orange dino-like creature made a harrumph sound of impatience.
She flinched back and fixed her eyes on the small guy who seemed to be the leader of the pack. He had a tiny statue, even smaller than her. A huge twisted horn grew from the top of his head which was almost surmounted by the ridiculously huge collar of the dark purple cape he was wearing. His eyes gleamed down at her in a sick yellow.
„Wha-„ she croaked but immediately lost her voice again.
„Not a talker?" the creature hissed and snipped their fingers.
The blue lizard grabbed its club again and reached back. The blood froze in her veins when she realized what was about to happen. In the fracture of a second she jumped back on her legs and dashed forward, sliding between the legs of the green lizard. The club hit the spot where she just sat and shattered the tiles with a loud bang.
„Crush you idiot! Don't KILL her goddamn it!" the small guy screamed out and jumped off the back of his mount.
The faun was curled up below the belly of the huge lizard, paralyzed with fear and unable to move. She was breathing heavily while rapidly looking around the room. Where could she run where could she-
„BOO."
She winced and let out a high pitched scream when the orange dino peaked into her badly chosen hideout.
„Are you going to come out of there voluntarily or do I need to make you?"
She felt a wave of terror rising up her throat and face and tears formed in her eyes.
„Please-„ she sobbed and tried to sound halfway understandable by doing so.
„I didn't plan to intrude your home it was an accident i swear...please can we talk about this"
The dino gave her an evil smirk and showed a row of sharp teeth.
„We can talk all you want little goat. Just come out of there and I won't make Gulp lie down."
She didn't hesitate to obey his command after hearing that thread and crawled out of her hiding spot at an instant. Right before the dinos feet she put her hands on her thighs in order to get back up when she felt a sharp sting in her neck.
„Who said you can stand up?"
She froze in pose. Was that his claws resting on the back of her neck?
The sting vanished as fast as it had appeared and the same hand grabbed the fauns chin to tear it up jerky. She coughed at the sudden strain on her neck and tears rolled down her face.
„You don't seem to be a strong one..." he mumbled and turned her head from one side to the other forcefully.
„Just another goat...are you of any use to me?"
He let go of her face and she rubbed her chin where he had just grabbed her. It didn't hurt that bad but she felt like he had ripped her of her pride with just this one touch...
„I came here by accident, trying to confront you about knocking over my friend and killing her pet."
He snorted.
„That's not what I asked. Tell me what you're useful for or I'll throw you in a cage until I find out."
He wouldn't do that now, would he? Mina didn't know if there would be anyone searching for her. Yet alone where she even was right now. She had no chance but to cooperate and check out what even was going on if she didn't want to get into serious trouble.
„I overheard you talking about a king of Avalar. I suppose becoming that is your plan, right?" she said in a more confident tone.
He raised an eyebrow. „Go on."
„You are going to need a native guiding you around here. To give you insights into the various worlds that Avalar consists of. I can be that person...if you let me go once you achieved your goal."
She thought that she had a pretty good chance with getting away like that. Give the man what he wants, play stupid, run away at the first opportunity.
„You don't tell me what I have to do, goat!"
That guys ego was massive. She had expected this to be easier.
„You see actually my race is more related to bulls than goats. Which you would know if you let me be your-"
Suddenly his pupils narrowed to tiny slits and she shut up mid sentence. Was he going to grab her face again?
She pulled in her ears and closed her eyes to prepare for the impact but he didn't reach out for her again. Instead he turned around and raised his voice at his minions.
„GET HER OUT OF HERE" he screamed in an aggressive tone. „I am Ripto! I'm the king of Avalar! And a king doesn't need peasants to tell him what to do!"
Crush and Gulp both turned to her slowly and started closing in. She shook her head and finally got up on her hooves again. She had to think quick, what could he possibly want…
„Have you ever been the ruler of a world before?" she shouted. „Because from where I am standing it looks like you're not doing it right!"
Ripto froze and so did his henchmen.
She saw her chance and kept talking before he could interrupt her.
„Where's your court? Your army? Your people? You have absolutely no structure in your kingdom. There's nothing here except this empty castle. Do the creatures of Avalar even know you're their king now? You need some marketing to get this title out in the world or else you'll just be this strange guy chilling at the castle."
Crush and Gulp both turned to their master and waited for new instructions. He had clenched his tiny clawed hands to fists and tapped the floor repeatedly with one of his feet.
Seconds passed that felt like hours.
„Okay," he then said and turned around to the faun again. „You stay. And be my consultant on how to build up my kingdom. But you better don't try anything stupid... Gulp!"
The green creature lifted its head.
„Fetch me something to keep her in place."
The lizard brooded for a moment and then ran off deeper into the castle.
Mina thought of running straight to the next window and take the chance of jumping- if they were at the castle in Summer Forest there'd be a good change she might hit water. But she felt her legs shaking way too badly to take even a single step. She also didn't realize until now that Ripto was eyeing her and slowly stepped closer.
„How old are you, goat?" he asked and stopped right in front of her, arms crossed. He wasn't even as small as she had first guessed, his eyes were on level with her chin when she stood upright. She couldn't answer at first because she literally forgot her age staring at the menacing slit pupils of the dinosaur. He seemed like a time bomb ready to explode at every wrong word she might say.
She opened her mouth but just a second too late in Riptos opinion.
He grabbed her left braid and pulled it down so she was on his eye level.
„Ouch!" she screamed out and grabbed the braid herself to loosen his grip on it.
„I don't like repeating myself," the small dinosaur hissed and let go of her hair with a jolt. She bounced back and rubbed her scalp.
„I'm 20.." the faun muttered and avoided looking directly at her tormentors face.
„Ah good. So you're no child then," he said with a grin on his face. „Excellent."
She was hit by another wave of terror as she couldn't make out what that was supposed to indicate.
Gulp crashed back into the room before she could go any further with her assumptions and spat down something rattling on the floor. It was a huge chain, each link of it was the size of her hand. At the far end of it there was an iron collar with a lock, the key was stuck inside.
Every creature in the room looked down at it when Mina was the first to catch her breath again.
„You can't be serious."
