[AN: I promise this is the only one you'll see as I'm working on this. Just gonna throw this out straight up: This is an attempted novelization of The Legend of Spyro in its entirety with hopefully some respectable twists that still compliments what the original was going for, but adding in a bit of my own. As such, some of lore established in the original games might be lost or changed about as I write this. I promise you, I'll give it my all in entertaining the readers in this re-re-imagining (whoa) of the games that have sprouted countless side stories I love reading on this gosh darn website.
And with that...]
Thee rise of yore, come hither the beasts of legend.
Bestow thy sun, Aether exist.
Guidance thy moon, Convexity is born.
Balance thy chaos, Transcendence prevail.
Follow thy mark, a new age begins.
Generations anew, hither the purple young.
The past is prelude
Tomorrow a dim promise
Allow us entrance
Do not reject us.
Aether - Convexity -Transcendence
~.*.~
In a far off land, away from any type of civilization, there echoes tales of an island filled with mysterious energy. It is said that whoever would find this legendary place would be granted with the power of immortality. Many, with sights of greed, searched for this sacred place, but none have ever returned to tell the tale. Only their stark remains came back to warn anyone foolish enough to throw away their life for their lust of power.
In time, as the world continued, many have dismissed such a place exists. The lands being all but labeled as a myth to teach the young a lesson in humility.
But... the sacred lands do indeed exist.
The roar of thunder echoed across the barren, almost surreal, landscape. The dead trees swayed about from an unknown breeze. A strange, bluish glow radiated from the rivers filled to the brim with raw energy. Ancient buildings, some in a state of disrepair, stood tall emitting a low hum of flowing energy, the symbols plastered on them glowing the same bluish tint as the rivers.
The land was devoid of any life, except for one being who watches all.
On this land, radiating with power, sat an ancient dragon in a middle of a grand, stone room inside the tallest structure. The dragon, with a hint of amusement on his black and grey snout, looked at a book that had just popped into existence.
The dragon adorned a dark, ornate cloak over it's cold, grey scales. Pieces of it's decorative shoulder pads shone brightly from the dozens of candles shimmering in place. His tattered, equally grey and black wings stretched slightly at the sudden intrusion of isolation. His grey eyes bore down at the purple covered book before it glowed an eerie blue. The blue gem that hung down from his black plated neck that extended down his chest and belly emitted a faint glow in response as the book hovered slowly towards the dragon. Taking a careful claw, he motioned the book to open its contents.
His gaze hardened as realization flowed through his veins. The book was small and only contained a few pages, but the presence of the book and runes that were continuously being written by an invisible quil made the dragon stiff as he read the contents. He began to stroke his long, white braided beard as the book added pages upon pages of runes. With a sigh and a nod, he willed the book to close with a soft thump before gently grabbing it with his talons.
"I suppose this marks the start of a new beginning," he softly declared to himself. He placed the book down next to him, a look of longing and sadness forming on his features. He closed his eyes, head drooping downwards in a solemn bow causing the ends of his four black horns to jingle with tiny blue gems. When he opened his eyes again, it glowed a solid blue.
His expression never changed.
~.*.~
"The dark army, they're coming!"
"Sound the alert, protect the temple!"
"Get in formation!"
In the light of the setting sun, bodies upon bodies of dragons of all varying different sizes and colors moved about with purpose. The stomps from their feet and the clanks of their golden armor shook the very air around them. Some of them were shouting, some of them pulling large instruments that resembled cannons, some simply in a harden trance as they quickly mobilized. A ringing toll was added in the mix with dragons roaring in the heat of a battle that was about to be underway.
They stood outside a large complex that was easily larger than the mountains nearby. To all dragons, this was a place of honor and glory. A culmination of what dragon-kind represented as a whole. Majority of the dragon populace lived here, raising future generations of their kind to grow their numbers.
And it was because of this intrusion that most, if not all, were prepared to defend their homes with their lives for the sake of preserving dragon-kind.
The structure itself was nothing to scoff at. The stone walls were crafted to give a sense of importance with its intricate patterns. The tops of the structure sprouting towers upon towers that give it a sense of power. Surrounding the superstructure were tall walls with even more dragons perched with catapults and other ranged weaponry.
Most of them stared down a valley, the swampy decor that surrounded it only amplified the approaching mob of specks in the distance. The others loaded the wall's catapults with round objects that pulsed with a series of red, green, blue, and yellow.
"Steady yourselves warriors!" a gruff voice bellowed in the forefront of the dragons gathering in position. "Strike on my mark!"
Most of the dragons tensed up at the call. The bell tolls did not stop, but the growls and roars have ceased to a palpable level of tension. The large, earthly green dragon, adorning a celestial silver armor littered with markings, stared ahead with a stern expression. He waited patiently and anxiously for the approaching mob to come closer.
He was clearly bulkier than majority of the dragons that stood behind him. His creamy colored wings were currently folded on his flanks. His wings matched the belly plate's color, that extended from his jaw to the mace-like tip of his tail.
Two other dragons, wearing similarly colored armor approached his sides. One was of an electric yellow color while the other was a cold cyan. They both didn't take their eyes off the coming mob, their features hard to read with their intense stares. Both of them also shared the same purple wing and belly, but of different shades.
"Ignitus is directing all the civilians to the shelters," the cyan one started with a huff. The dark lavender frills on his head rattling in clear disapproval at this news.
The yellow one glared back with bright yellow eyes in annoyance. "Honestly, he's only verifying and ascertaining the safety and well-being of those who cannot or know how to fight or help with this dire, troubling, unsettling situation." he responded with hushed haste in his string of words.
The earth-colored dragon nodded in response, not paying any heed to the minor scuffle. In just a few moments, he knew chaos was going to ensue. If the dark army were bringing this many forces to a place filled with the strongest of warriors, it could only mean one thing.
They're after the purple egg. The egg that has been prophesied to bring a new age.
A low growl sounded from deep within him. He didn't think the dark army would care for something only dragons hold dearly. Just another reason that he should make them pay dearly for even attempting to charge at their holy temple.
The two other dragons must've thought the same as they both gave low growls of anger at the advancing army. The cyan one stood his ground with an icy glare while the yellow one was just about ready to pounce. A buzz of electricity suddenly sparking on his armor in response to the dragons loathing features.
The Dark Armies war cries were increasingly getting louder. Their features starting to get more distinct as pieces of armor, weapons, and glares could be recognized from the earthly green dragon. His attention, however, was to the one leading the assault. Even from this distance, his face turned to a scowl as he silently cursed himself at the sight.
It was their leader, the King of the Apes, as he recalled their leader declaring long ago. He had only seen this figure once before in his life, and it was when he was still in training. He had always led resistance to the dark army in other parts of the lands, but never had he led his brothers against the king himself. The thought chilled him, and filled him with even more anxious eager. Their leader's presence did not bold well.
The effect was being shared not only by himself, but the other dragons behind him. Their looks of vigorous determination faltered as they all came to realize what exactly was marching towards them. Some snarled in disapproval, some audibly gasped in realization, some even flinched at the sight of the leader.
The yellow dragon next to the leading dragon however only growled deeper as more jets of electricity exploded onto his armor. His body noticeably showing tremors. The cyan one continued with his icy glare, with an added soft tapping of his claws on the soft soil.
It was now or never, and with a roar, the earthly dragon shouted his signal. As if on cue, the King of Apes decided to also cry out and motion his army towards the now barreling dragons. The air instantly was filled with projectiles coming from both sides.
Clanks and cries of pain erupted soon after. The apes had sent a barrage of arrows towards the charging group. A few of the first wave of dragons fell from their charge, the arrows lodging within their wing membranes making them lose their balance. The others retaliated back from the first wave of arrows with a series of breaths. Fire, ice, thunder, and even chunks of rock were thrust forth at the charging apes.
Ripples of raw power erupted from the blasts that hit their mark. Roars, cries, and what sounded like a thousand voices echoed over the valley. The beginning of the battle was upon them, and the earthly green dragon jumped after the first wave to join the fight to help his brethren.
The yellow dragon had already gone ahead right behind the first wave. He immediately, with anger etched on every surface of his draconic maw, shot forth massive electrical, spherical balls of energies at the onslaught of apes. In a beautiful, but deadly display of sparks, the orbs found their targets and exploded in a surge of electricity sending the nearest group of apes in the air.
The cyan dragon had followed suit after the earthly one, opening his jaws to unleash shards after shards of ice. All of them perfectly hitting their marks in the process. Apes left and right, despite their armored protection, fell from his masterful accuracy. A glint of satisfaction was momentarily flashed onto his eyes before returning back to the same icy glare.
The earthly dragon, when he deemed he was close enough to the charging force, slammed his forelegs onto the ground and started to concentrate. With a roar, he willed the ground ahead of him past the advancing dragons to violently shake and crack beneath the charging apes. They stumbled and tripped on themselves in their wake, but he didn't stop there. With an audible grunt, he quickly willed the ground to jut out spikes piercing the apes with sickening tears and screams.
That didn't stop the continuing charging apes though. They attacked back at the charging dragons with swords, spears, machetes, and other blunt looking weapons with murderous intent. However, most of their blows simply bounced off the defending dragon's hides as they answered back with swipes from their talons, swipes with their swift tails, and even more breaths of elements.
An ape had dodged the earth-colored dragon's attack, slipped through the charging forces, and let out a cry as it raised it's mace ready to strike. A jolt of electricity suddenly from his right knocked the rushing ape over, follow by another barrage of orbs careening towards the approaching mob. He looked towards the yellow dragon and gave him a nod.
The second wave of dragons rushed past both of them, adding their elemental powers into the fray in the process.
"Keep the pressure, warriors!" he bellowed out. "Don't let any of them past!"
"Terrador, there's a strange disturbance in their efforts!" the yellow dragon shouted back next to him. "They're not using their crystal consuming weaponry!"
The cyan dragon stopped just on his left with a grievous frown. "He's right, something isn't right in these bunch of hooligans."
Terrador looked at the new forming battles with the second wave. A frown appearing on his maw as he inspected the continued onslaught of apes. What was the point to throwing their numbers so mindlessly at his brethren who were much better equipped? And as the yellow dragon had just pointed out, why weren't they attempting to drain their elemental powers that they all possess?
That's when he realized he couldn't locate their leader. A quick glance at the ever growing battlefield and he saw no sign of the king where he was just at moments ago. A feeling of dread filled his being as he searched frantically for their leader in the midst of the battle.
"Volteer, quick, get inside the temple, now!" Terrador ordered the yellow dragon that caused him to look at him quizzically. "Bring the rear defense inside the walls with you!"
The cyan dragon looked quickly behind him in Terrador's outburst. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary that would elect such an order. He was about to retort back when suddenly, with a woosh, the cyan dragon was smacked on his exposed flank by an unseen incredible force. With a roar of pain, and an explosion of blood that was spilt, the impact sent him staggering where he stood and collapse just behind Terrador.
The earthly dragon didn't think about what just happened. In reaction, he lashed out his tail towards the unforseen enemy. His tail hit its mark on something as a scream came to. An ape materialized from thin air to trip over himself from the impact, dropping the cleaver with the cyan dragon's blood. Terrador spat out an earth looking needle from his jaws to end the ape's life before it got a chance to recuperate.
"Go, Volteer, now!" he screamed as he looked towards the walls to see dragons suddenly getting attacked by other invisible apes.
The yellow dragon didn't hesitate this time. Casting a worried look for just a moment at his fallen icy companion, he sprinted with lightning speed towards the gates and quickly went out of sight.
Terrador turned towards his cyan friend, wincing ever so slightly at the gash that had appeared on his side. "Cyril, can you hear me?"
The cyan dragon grunted, taking one of his forepaws at an attempt to cover the bleeding mark. "Nothing like a good wound, hmm?" he groaned, his expression clearly showing the pain the deep gash was causing him.
Terrador looked turned back his attention to the battle down below. The apes were starting to take out the crystallized weapons. Now that their threat of the catapults were gone for the moment, they began to push back. The defending dragons were all too aware at the magic sucking abilities those crystals gave.
Terrador growled in disgust. He had never seen his enemies disappear like that until now. How they harnessed that power, he didn't care, his brethren were starting to lose hold of the situation that only moments ago looked like an easy defense. Putting pressure was exactly what the apes wanted, they played right into their hands.
And now his friend had a pressing injury to attend to. Going back with their rear being compromised was out of the question. So with that, he screamed for a healer in the midst of chaos. One fortunately had heard the call.
"Master Terrador, sir!" a red dragon adorning a white cloak over his back ran up.
"I need red gems!" he ordered the healer, motioning to Cyril.
The healer didn't hesitate at the command. Almost in a fluid motion, he grabbed a red crystal from one of his many pouches attached to his sides and sprinted over to the fallen dragon. Without asking or saying anything to the other dragon, he placed the crystal directly on Cyril's wound causing him to grunt in pain at the contact.
Terrador, satisfied at the speedy response, ran towards the crowd of dragons that were continuously being pushed back. "Cyril, take the healer and help our brothers at the gates!" He didn't wait for a confirmation, knowing that his friend would go back regardless to aid. Right now he had to form the current battling dragons back to the entrance.
"Warriors, retreat back, the enemy has penetrated our defenses and our friends need help!" he roared out. "Fall back, fall back!"
The defending dragons complied, moving back more forcefully as they made their retreat towards the gate. Seeing his words reached the defense, he jumped, beating his wings, and flew back towards the dragons that were apparently fighting against nothing but air. Cyril, whose wound were suddenly gone, was already on one of the walls, spitting out a steady stream of ice breath to nothing in particular. The healer he brought with him was tending to those who were unfortunate enough to come to the ends of the cunning apes.
Terrador landed on the other wall. He surveyed the fallen dragons, many of them of writhing in agony at unseen blows. Closing his eyes, however, he felt the ground around him. He may not be able to see his foes, but he could certainly feel their presence.
One was actually standing right in front him, but he wasn't about to give it a chance. With a grunt, he spat out another orb of green energy. A startled cry was all he heard before he heard his attack hit its mark. He felt the other apes back off in surprise at his awareness. The green dragon didn't stop there, in one swift motion he spat out two needles at the invisible apes, earning him two more startled cries of pain.
He opened his eyes to see them materialize, the one in front already dead from his orb, and the others clutching at their newfound wounds. With a roar, he charged at the nearest one, spun, and took the tip of his tail to send it flailing off the wall. Completing his spin, he latched out his talon to the last one. The claws only met armor, but it momentarily stunned the ape briefly for another opening. He headbutted with his ram-like horn at the ape's gut, knocking the wind out of it before spitting another needle that took its life.
Seeing that it was useless against this earthly dragon, the remaining apes appeared before him. Getting into a battle stance, Terrador locked eyes at his foes, waiting for them strike. The sounds of close battle telling him that his brothers were back at the gate.
~.*.~
Inside the holy walls, it was no where being a safe haven as chaos had already erupted inside the gates. As Volteer dashed, calling out to the officers at the gates to come with him, he made the startled realization that it wasn't just a few apes that got passed by them. It seemed as if an entire platoon of dozens got passed them. He saw guards fighting all around, majority of which only seem to be combating at only air. Many of them receiving blows that appeared out of nowhere, crumbling and eliciting cries and gasps.
"Master Volteer!" one of his following officers roared over the commotion.
Volteer nodded quickly at him. "Assist in any way you deem possible! Have any earth units feel them out and focus on full area elementals! I shall go to Ignitus to warn of these developments before I assist further!"
He nodded and broke off of Volteer's run.
"I want all of you all to stay and assist!" Volteer called back to his other officer companions. He needn't, however, as they have already dashed towards their brothers.
His scales emitted electrical energy once more as he put on a burst of speed. If he wasn't trying to save his home at the moment, he would've appreciated the spacious air inside. When he dashed into the temple, he was greeted with a high ceiling with platforms on many levels. What was usually the sound of a bustling pseudo city was now filled with screams and roars.
Volteer was immediate to begin his search for Ignitus. Unfortunately, amongst the temple's guards and straggling civilians trying to escape from the invisible army, he did not see his friend. He ran into one of the many grand hallways getting a sudden idea that perhaps Ignitus was in the incubating room.
He didn't know how long he sprinted for, it didn't seem like he was getting anywhere as he chose intersections that only led to more hallways. Occasionally he would notice a guard running off to where he was coming from, but he was quickly leaving the sounds of battle behind him.
He didn't stop running until he saw his target, a wooden door plastered with runes glowing a mythical orange. He stopped just in front and hastily muttered:
"The past is prelude, tomorrow a dim promise. Allow us entrance, do not reject us."
In mocking fashion, the doors slowly shook and began to slowly lift up from a mechanism hidden in the walls. Volteer attempted to peer through the cracks below as the door slid open, but couldn't see much of anything. He tapped his hind leg impatiently at the slow rising door.
He was finally rewarded to the sight of a short hallway that led to a tall, dome-shaped room. He still didn't see his friend, but he was sure Ignitus was further in the back where they kept the eggs. When the door had risen to an acceptable level, he squeezed in the entryway, scraping parts of his silver armor in the process.
"Ignitus!" he cried out, passing a strange green pool in the center of the room. "Ignitus!" he cried again, going through another set of hallways. "Ignitus!" he cried once more, approaching an open doorway that led to a dimly lit room. A few candles were the only light source in the spacious chamber. Standing by an altar with a surprised stare was the red dragon Volteer was looking for.
Ignitus also adorned silver armor, which was only natural. The marks and shapes etched onto them in fine detail were a privilege he, and his three other friends, have accepted. They were, after all, guardians of their respective elements. A title that was passed down from their elders from generation to generation.
And Volteer had been given the title not too long ago as well after proving himself to be a capable warrior that showed mastery of his element. The electric elders had deemed him worthy just only a century ago. It was that thought that had entered Volteer's mind that made him feel ashamed with himself.
All around them were hundreds of eggs neatly organized on nests. There were red, green, blue, and yellow colored eggs all tucked in bunched groups. Different shades adorned each nesting area, some of which looked to be different than the vivid colors most dragon's bore.
But their pride was the egg that was placed on the altar behind the red dragon had just been looking at only moments ago. It was the purple egg of prophecy! A swell of relief flowed through Volteer, but a nearby explosion rattled his thoughts and brief escape back to warn his friend.
"The Dark Army, they have infiltrated our fortification!"
Ignitus after hearing this quickly looked around the chamber. A somber expression had appeared on his maw. Volteer knew what he was about to do. It was their best course of action if a situation like this should ever occur. Ignitus turned his attention back toward the purple egg, the red crests on his head and back folding over themselves.
"May the ancestors watch over us all..." he wearily muttered.
In one swoop, he clutched the egg from its pedestal and quickly went to a wall marking a flame symbol. He drew in a breath before unleashing a barrage of fire towards the wall. The wall immediately gave way from his flames revealing another doorway that he quickly sped through, leaving Volteer staring at the dark corner he had just turned through the hidden path.
Another explosion, and the room began to tremor. The ceiling began to crack, parts of the room's foundations giving way from the power of the recent explosion. Volteer looked around nervously seeing parts of the walls and ceiling fall. Had he been followed?
Another explosion, this one coming from his immediate rear, sent him in a blind leap into the room. He turned around, his features turning to a scowl. What materialized in front of him only made him narrow his electrifying eyes at his intruder.
"Well well well," the deep booming voice mocked with a chuckle. It was the Ape King, his bulky frame appearing before Volteer with a twisted smirk. "If it isn't one of the guardians, how nice of you to show me where your future rests."
The Ape King was nothing short of displaying incredible power by his presence. Wearing a purple viking helmet, he carried a large, dark hammer that shimmered with unspeakable powerful energy. Shades of purple and green escaping in silent crackles of strength, the violet crystals that were embedded pulsated silently. His elongated, scarred face showed no mercy, one of his eyes glowing an eerie green while the other simply bore down at the electric dragon.
Volteer snarled at him, a surge of fear coursing through him in the prospect of having to fight the king alone. He shook his unnerved feelings out however, and started emitting a surge of electricity as his body began to shake with raw power. Whatever happens from this point, he knew that he was the only one at the moment between him and the eggs.
He couldn't fail, he mustn't fail!
The Ape King chuckled wickedly at Volteer's stance. "Me? Fight you?" He laughed mockingly. "You're nothing, not even worth my time dealing with you."
He took a step toward the electrifying dragon. Volteer dared not to make a move, adrenaline flowed through his veins as he focused on nothing but the Ape King's movements. At this, the king spat out a noise of amusement as he continued his approach.
He wasn't going to stop, and Volteer knew his threatening pose wasn't going to hesitate the king. Words would do nothing either, he had to attack. With a roar, he exhaled a massive bolt of lightning at the slowly approaching beast.
The Ape King's green eye glinted in response to the lethal blast. The bolt hit its mark, sending another explosion that shook the chamber causing smoke to fill the vicinity. The eggs near the blast rocked and shook, but none of them fortunately were caught in the blast.
For a second, Volteer thought he had somehow defeated the King, but he knew it couldn't be that easy. His muscles still tense, he didn't let up his stance as another surge of electrical energy coursed through him for another shot. When the smoke cleared however, the king was gone.
This confused Volteer, but he trusted his instinct that he was still there. When nothing happened for several more seconds however, he started to look around the cracked, but otherwise, empty chamber. He growled, he thought the King must've employed his cloaking powers that the apes suddenly have.
He didn't want to unleash his fury, not when he's surrounded by hundreds of eggs. He cursed to himself at the cunning king for limiting his options.
"Scoundrel..." he grunted in his tensed state. It was when he muttered that he heard not only the king chuckle, but many other apes that apparently had entered the room.
The situation not looking good, he randomly chose an empty spot and shot another bolt of lightning. Another explosion shook the room, but his shot went completely wide leaving nothing but a small crack on the floor. More laughter filled around him at his failed attempt.
That's when he heard a very distinct smash...
With wide eyes, he stared at the source, to see a yellow egg had been snatched and thrown at the ground. The pieces shattered, leaving nothing but shells and a loss of life. Time slowed down as his senses began to go in a panick. His worst fears were being realized, and it was that fear that caused him to shoot multiple lightning bolts at random locations.
More cracks, more smashes, and only a few yelps were all he received back. But no bodies were to be found as the smoke kept clearing away. Only more losses of life as eggs kept on being smashed one by one.
Volteer roared in fear and irritation, he didn't stop his barrage of bolts. Breath after breath escaped him as he hit unoccupied spots. Occasionally he would finally hit one of the heathens, but they would just go out of sight once more after the smoke cleared.
"Pathetic."
Volteer yelped in pain as shocking pain exploded through his body sending him hurling toward the wall. It buckled on impact, cracks instantly formed as the room shook once more. He collapsed on the stone floor with a loud clank, feeling as if his body was on fire and drained of any strength.
"Stupid dragon, know your place. Be thankful it is not your life I'm after tonight."
Volteer grunted and attempted to pick himself up. His reward was being met with another shocking sensation and thrown across the room. He crashed into one of the nests, feeling the eggs getting smashed against his weight as he skidded to another wall with another loud clank. He groaned, eyes closed, clutching at his sides as his body tremored with pain.
The Ape King, along with a dozen of other apes, materialized back. All of them looking at the beaten dragon with twisted smiles of glee.
"Fool, now tell me what you did with the purple egg!" the Ape King ordered. He took his mighty hammer and placed it with ease at the fallen dragon.
Volteer cried out as another shock surged through him. His body convulsed at the intense pain. Even still, despite this, he managed to open his eyes and growled at the king. He was never going to divulge that information to the king.
The king chuckled, an evil grin forming on his face. Another surge of power flowed through his hammer, striking Volteer on his left shoulder armor. A loud clank sounded follow by an unmistaken crack of bones.
Volteer cried out as his left forepaw was dislodged from its socket. His armor doing nothing to protect him from the blow, but only worsening it as it buckled and pierced his yellow scales as if they were nothing. He bared his sharp teeth, the pain he felt was staggering. Blood began to trickle down the now oddly bent forepaw.
"I won't ask again," the Ape King darkly spat.
Volteer, opening one of his eyes and trying to ignore the pain, answered with a very weak thunderbolt. It struck the king, but the effects of his attack showed no signs that it even phased him. The Ape King huffed at the response, his glee instantly gone as his features turned to one of being unamused by the feeble attack. In one motion, he took his hammer and swung at him again. This time aiming for his left hind leg.
Another cry escaped him as the same actions repeated. His armor buckled once more and pierced the scales he had covered there, but miraculously he didn't hear or feel his bone shatter at the force. A steady stream of blood started to slowly seep through the ruined armor.
The king didn't stop though, he raised his hammer and sent another swing to his exposed left flank. Another cry and surge of pain flowed through. He raised his hammer and struck again. He cried out once more with another bruise and gash.
Over and over he was beaten. Each hit causing a dent, a cry, and more wounds. His world began to swim in a daze of pain and confusion, but Volteer would not submit to the king's abuse.
Eventually what felt like an eternity, the swings stopped. Volteer tried to hide his pain, but it proved to be impossible as he withered slowly about. He didn't bother to look at the king anymore, or the fact he had walked away and ordered his troops to begin smashing the eggs.
He dared not look at the destruction and the loss of life that surrounded him as he heard gut wrenching sounds. Eggs were being smashed left and right, and he was powerless to stop them. All the while he felt blood dripping freely from his open wounds.
He had failed.
~.*.~
He didn't stop flying. He flew as hard as he could, the purple egg firmly grasped in his claws. The sounds of the battle were begging for him to return and help his brothers, but he knew he had to ignore his desires. The future of dragon-kind was at stake here, and the fears swimming in his thoughts were more than he could bear.
But he kept a steady cool, he had to.
Ignitus glanced back at the distancing temple. He saw flames and explosions rattling the holy temple. The sun had completely settled which gave the scene a haunting, foreboding hopelessness look. He sent a small prayer for his comrades. He didn't want to believe, but it was starting to look like a lost battle.
Best hide our future with haste.
He turned back around, looking below him at the many tall mushrooms and the nightlife that had risen up. It would be awhile before he reached his destination. If only he was in his prime he could go faster, but putting more strain on his old wings was simply out of the question. Another glance back to confirm that nothing was following him, and he let out a frustrated sigh.
At least the ancestors are granting me this much.
He looked down at the purple egg in his clutches, a sympathetic smile forming on his muzzle. He didn't know what the future holds now, but he knew no matter the outcome of tonight, this young dragon would be the savior of their race.
But no matter how powerful this dragon was to be, he would be subjected to the horrors of war in his youth and be the main target of the dark army for its entire life. A cruel fate, but he knew there was nothing he could do. He just wished he could've done something else other than this.
But it was for the best, hide the egg in a relatively safe area and have the legendary dragon grow in solitude away from the realities of war. The Golden River will help guide the dragon to a safe haven.
After a long while and the noise of battle gone, Ignitus finally found the river stream in question. The water giving a silver sheen from the stars that shone brightly in the clear night. Gliding downwards towards the calm water, he landed gracefully on its bank without so much as a thud. He looked around, straining his ears to see if there was any danger present.
When he was content, he placed the egg down just on the edge of the bank and went towards a collection of mushrooms. He looked around the group, trying to find one that would be suitable enough to carry the egg down the stream on its own. When he found one, he carefully tore the mushroom from the soft soil and began to hollow out the underside with his claws.
Once he was done carving a bowl shape, he grabbed it with his mouth and padded back towards the egg. He set the mushroom cap down near the water and carefully placed the egg on top of it. With a soft push, the water gracefully took the cap.
He sat on his haunches watching the egg drift off down the calm stream. A slew of thoughts and conflicting emotions raged his head, but he mentally shook them away as he bowed down to the retreating egg.
"May the Ancestors watch over you. May they watch over us all."
With one last look, he quickly jumped up and was already off heading back to the temple. He only hoped that he wasn't too late at saving only just the one...
~.*.~
"Oi, they just keep on comin'!" the red dragon healer next to Cyril growled in frustration, his white cloak showing clear signs of battling the horde of apes. Rips and blood stained the cloak for all to see. "At this rate, my supply of red gems is gonna be gone!"
"Stand firm, healer, we got a job to perform," Cyril responded to the dragon's valid complaint.
They had been moving back inwards ever since they were surprised from the Ape's cloaks. It had grown more and more dire as each second passed. Terrador was faring much better than he was at the moment, but he was constantly being caught by invisible blows. It was a wonder he hadn't already collapsed in this battle yet.
Thank the ancestors for this healer.
Cyril growled in disapproval when turned his gaze at the entrance to see the attack had already migrated in their home. It was as if the hooligans had already infiltrated their holy temple before the battle even begun. Bodies, both dragon and apes, littered the entryway as the sounds of panicked citizens could be heard inside.
A roar was sounded nearby and Cyril whipped his head back to see the healer had been struck cleanly on his neck by an invisible swipe of a sword. He instantly doubled over and began to choke on the grave injury he had been inflicted.
Cyril, following the blood stain hovering in the air, shot out multiple shards of ice at the empty space. Most of it missed, but when he found some of his shots hitting its mark, he didn't let up. Shard after shard came out until finally the Ape materialized and fell over, dead.
Without missing a beat, he ran towards the healer, dug into his many pouches, and pulled a red crystal gem. He took the healer's paw away from the open bleeding gash on his neck and placed the gem firmly on the gash eliciting a gurgled roar from the healer.
It glowed a fierce red, a seething hot sensation was felt on his claw as the open wound started to miraculously mend back in place. After a dozen seconds had passed, the wound had healed completely and the gem ceased to glow. The only sign of inflicted damage now was a thin line of scar tissue.
The healer coughed out the remaining blood in his throat, his eyes forming tears from, no doubt, the pain that blow brought.
"Thanks, Master Cyril," coughed the healer.
Cyril didn't answer back, since as soon as he threw the now colorless gem away, he heard the apes shouting amongst each other. His confusion only grew when he saw the advancing apes suddenly start fleeing. He looked around to see if there was anything to even hint at a reason, but as far as he could tell there was no reason for them to suddenly flee.
He had a bad feeling about their sudden choice in tactics.
"What's going on?" coughed the healer, just as confused. "They were pummelin' us good, they were."
Cyril wished he had an answer. He looked towards the bulky earth dragon that was still battling the apes. They were clearly trying to get away from Terrador, but his roars told his enemies that he wanted them dead. He managed to score one or two, but ultimately the rest had fled towards the gate.
Cyril glanced back towards the entrance to see if any other apes were fleeing within its walls. None came out, only the panicked noises that resonated within the temple's walls answered back.
"Cyril, check the eggs!" Terrador called out to the ice dragon before directing a stern glare at the retreating forces. Cyril thought he saw a hint of apprehension in his features but quickly dismissed it as he ran past the bodies.
He ignored the spacious nature of the entrance and bolted through a hallway. He saw more bodies along the way, and the thought that something terrible had happened hit him full force.
Going left and right, following the intersecting hallways, he found the door leading to his chambers, and ultimately, the incubating room. It was already wide open, cracks could be seen on the walls around the doorway. He grimaced as he ignored the signs that something had obviously happened here. He passed a green pool, a counselling room, and several more hallways before stopping in his tracks in disbelief.
Dear Ancestors...
The incubating room was in a state disarray. Parts of the ceiling had crumbled, walls looked to have caved in, and worst of all...
The eggs... our eggs... dear Ancestors...
He sat down on his haunches, his mind numb with terror at the scene in front of him. His jaw had slacked open without him noticing, his eyes dilated at the intensity of the scene in front of him.
"No..."
Emotions inside him flared. He didn't know how he should react. Here he was, sitting and staring at the destruction of his race.
How was one suppose to react?
"No..."
He had failed, they all had failed.
His expression changed to terror, his breaths getting faster as fear struck his being at the sudden realization of what this meant. What were they to do now?
He saw movement in a corner of the room. His crazed eyes looked at the crumbled form of Volteer, the blood and... eggs covering his entire body.
Without thinking, he slowly entered the destroyed room, taking care of avoiding his... his brethren with his pawsteps. He approached Volteer, the horror on his face not going away. He didn't know what he was doing anymore, his body seemed to move on its own accord.
"V-volteer," Cyril cracked, his voice not sounding like the calm and commanding tone he's used to hearing himself. "A-are you ok-kay?"
Volteer groaned in response, but didn't say anything.
Cyril sat back down next to him. He looked around the destruction of his species once again. It was truly the most terrifying thing he had ever laid witness to, hundreds of lives suddenly gone in a blink of an eye.
He didn't know how much time had passed, he felt like he was staring around the room for a long while. His trance was only broken when he heard pawsteps running toward the room. His gazed fixed to the other entrance he had just realized was there and saw a red figure run and stop in his tracks as well with the same horrified expression.
"I-Ignitus..." Cyril cracked weakly towards the red dragon.
Volteer stirred at the name, turning his head and straining one of his yellow eyes to open to look.
Ignitus expression change that to solemn. He bowed and closed his eyes in defeat.
"Dear, Ancestors..." was all he said.
At this, Cyril suddenly had a burst of rage burst forth. His frozen face being replace with a vicious snarl.
"You!" he roared at his old friend. "What in the blazes were you doing!? What happened here!? Why didn't you protect the eggs!?" He felt tears start to form in his eyes. "Why didn't you save them!? Why did you run off!?" The tears started to flow down his flushing cheeks. "WHY!?" he roared as loud as he could, his ice cold eyes glaring like daggers at the red dragon.
Ignitus didn't answer. He looked up at Cyril with a look of sorrow in his eyes.
"Cyril," groaned Volteer beside him getting his attention. "He was... only doing... what was best..." he strained his words.
Cyril huffed. "Well you can see how much that helped, now can't you?" He motioned one of his forepaws and wings to the room's condition. "This is easily the biggest embarrassment of our kind, and I don't want to be part of this... this... travesty!"
Volteer winced, turning his head slowly towards the angry ice dragon. "The purple egg... it's safe..."
At these words, the ice dragon faltered briefly and dropped his vicious glare toward Ignitus. His eyes drifted to Volteer's. Volteer nodded at him to ascern that what he heard was correct.
"So that means-"
"That our future is preserved," Ignitus finished softly, his eyes downcasting at his forepaws. "Forgive me."
And just like that, his furious anger towards his friend was replaced once again. This time with a deep sorrow. He relaxed his muscles that he just noticed were tensed. He took a deep breath and sighed.
"I'll stay with Volteer," Cyril declared softly, his voice returning to its usual calm demeanor. "Terrador is in the front chasing off the assault as we speak."
Ignitus took a deep breath himself, nodding at the ice dragon before walking out of the chamber.
Cyril looked back to Volteer. The electric dragon seemed to be at a lost as his eyes took in his surroundings in his crumpled form. That's when Cyril noticed one of his forelegs was twisted at an odd angle. His frown only grew at the dire state his friend was actually in.
"Do you want me to get a healer?" he asked. He wasn't certain if he wanted any dragon to come in this chamber at the moment, but his friend's condition certainly made him reconsider.
"No..." Volteer replied weakly. "I don't... deserve it..."
Cyril hummed as he continued to look over his friend's condition. Despite the blood coating his armor and the broken foreleg, Volteer didn't seem to be in any fatal danger.
"I'm sorry."
Volteer gazed at him, weakly showing confusion in his grimaced features.
"I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough."
Volteer didn't respond. Instead, he laid his head back down and closed his eyes.
Cyril followed suit, bowing his head and closing his eyes, praying for all the lost young that the Ancestors would watch over them all. For on this day, the year of the dragon, would mark the start of the decline of the dragon race as they all know it.
It was a race against time. Their only hope was one purple egg that could change it all. Their current future was bleak, but Cyril, with a hint of hope, was certain it would work out in the end.
It just had to.