Skylanders: Dark Warriors

by CynderFanForever

It's been three months since the final battle with Aemus, and Cynder has finally recovered. For once her life is peaceful. But then a monster returns to Skylands, one Spyro and Cynder already know, and his plan is one none of them saw coming. During this journey, Spyro and Cynder's faith in one another will be put to the test, and their lives will never be the same again.

2. Traitor In the Midst

Chapter Two: Traitor In the Midst

The King of Epíneio (also known as the Haven Realms), the Green Dragon Nestor, stood on the balcony outside his quarters. His mate lay inside, sleeping. At the moment, he was unsure what he was supposed to do. He'd received a message from one of his advisors that trouble was coming. But he was unsure what that was supposed to mean. He sighed, looking in front of him at the large moon. He'd never seen such a sight. It was the largest moon he'd ever seen.

"Is something wrong, Nestor?" came Merissa's voice from within the quarters. Nestor turned to look at her. Her scales were the same color as the sea: midnight blue. Her eyes, however, were a periwinkle color. She was the most beautiful Dragoness Nestor had ever known. "I can see something is bothering you, my love. Could you please share whatever is troubling you with me? I might be able to help you."

"Yes, Merissa, I understand that," he told her. "But no matter what I tell you, there is so much I cannot tell you. But, I shall do my best. One of our advisors, Sadiki, has told me there is trouble stirring somewhere in this Realm. I am not sure what to believe there, but I know it is best to be careful. There is much evil around, and I'm sure we've all felt it."

"Yes, we have," Merissa said. "But isn't there some evil that has gone away now?"

"Yes, actually," Nestor admitted. "I received a message from the Skylanders recently. As you know, every month or two, they send notes out to the Realms in Skylands that count them as their allies. Their leader, Spyro, is an old friend of mine, and my brother, and as you know, Nils is the King of the Dragon Realms, which is where Spyro grew up. According to Spyro, in the past four months, they've gone through much, including: a battle with Kaos, which resulted in another battle with Vathek, the Wyvern who is the half-brother of the King of Dragon's Peak, Ramses. Vathek was killed, and Ramses has revealed he is dying, as well. The Skylanders were forced into a battle with Kaos and a battle with one of their own, who was corrupted by the tyrant. Truthfully, I'm not surprised it happened to her."

"What do you mean?" asked Merissa. "Who are you talking of?"

"One of the Skylanders. Her name is Cynder, and I'm sure you've heard of her before. She was also known as the Terror of the Skies. Spyro revealed that she is not only the second-in-command of the Skylanders, but that she is his mate. I've heard talk that she is not evil any longer before, but I am not completely sure." He shrugged. "But if Spyro trusts her, then I guess we can. But I'm still unsure. Spyro mentioned in his letter that she's gone through more than any of the other Skylanders, with a demon from her past, a White Dragon known as Aemus, who worked under her when she was corrupted by Malefor, returned. After a week of battles, they confronted one another in the fortress she once owned, and she was badly injured in their final battle. However, according to Spyro, she destroyed the White Dragon."

"How long has it been since then?"

"Three months. Spyro said she's been recovering for that long, as well, and he's been taking care of her throughout that time. He ended the letter with his signature, and his mate's signature. It seems he's in love with that Black Dragoness, and if they're mates, then I am truly surprised. But what matters right now is something else he said, though it was written as a sidenote. He said Kaos is still out there. That makes everything that much more dangerous." Nestor sighed. "I don't know, Merissa. There is much madness to be found in these dark times. I wish it wasn't true, but there is no point in not believing it to be the truth any longer. I've sent a message back to Spyro and told him I would like to meet with him soon. He told me he would be delighted, though he also said he will be on vacation at the time with Cynder and a few other Skylanders. I guess we'll just have to wait for now."

"Don't place too much upon the young Dragon's shoulders, Nestor," said Merissa. "It seems he's gone through much. To be caring for his mate for so long, I don't know how I'd manage, though I'm sure I would pull through. I love you very much, Nestor."

"And I you, Merissa."

The two kissed. Then Nestor walked to the door that led out of his quarters and down the hallway. Two doors were situated on either side of the hall, one for his daughter, and one for his son. He opened his son's door first. Inside, Daniel was seemingly asleep. Nestor silently padded to his bedside. It was then that Daniel revealed he was still awake, and he smiled at his father.

"Hello, Daniel," Nestor said. "I see you're not asleep yet."

"It's hard, Father," Daniel replied. "My mind works all through the night, if you know what I mean."

Nestor laughed. "Oh yes, I know what you mean. I run an entire Realm, after all, or don't you remember?" Nestor sighed again. "We'll be having visitors soon, just so you know. So I'd suggest cleaning your room some before they arrive. I'm not sure when they'll arrive, but they will be soon enough."

"Who are they?"

"I believe you remember Spyro."

"Spyro's coming? I can't wait! Isn't he the leader of the Skylanders now?"

"Yes, he is. But he will not be coming alone, it seems."

"Wow, I can't wait to see him again! I want to ask him all about the Skylanders when he arrives!" Then Daniel finally heard his father's other words. "Wait, who else is coming with him? I would have thought it to only be him."

"Well, no. Though there might be more coming, there is one specific person coming along. I know this might come as a shock to you, but Spyro has a mate now." Daniel's gray eyes widened. "Yes, it's shocking. It has been nearly four years since you last saw him in person, of course. Things change during those times."

"Do you know his mate's name?"

"Her name…is Cynder, and she's a Black Dragoness. I don't know much more of a description for you, other than the fact she has magenta chest and underbelly scales, and I will admit, when I saw her, she was quite beautiful, though I didn't get to look at her for long."

Nestor was speaking of his first glimpse of Cynder, which had been six years before. Though that had been when she was corrupted by Malefor. He still wasn't sure if she retained anything from those days, but he knew to proceed with caution when he met her again. The last time they'd met, she'd possessed all the attributes he'd described to Daniel, though her eyes were red. He had been sure that wasn't her true eye color, but he wasn't sure what they really were. He'd been knocked unconscious not long after, and he never saw her again after that, only getting messages of her movements through the Realms, and of her disappearance, which he now attributed to Spyro's doing. But now, it seemed, he would be seeing her quite soon.

"I'm going now, Daniel," Nestor told him. "Sleep well, my son, knowing you are safe from harm."

Daniel nodded, closed his eyes, and fell asleep almost straight away. Nestor knew for sure he was asleep as soon as he heard snores coming from him. He laughed again, and then exited the room. He entered his daughter's room then. Juniper lay in her bed as well. She was completely awake, however, and she looked to her father with her violet eyes as he entered.

"Hello, Juniper," he greeted. "Do you not think it's time to sleep?"

"Hello, Father," she greeted back. "It's just a little hard, if you understand my meaning. There's a lot going on in this world, I know, and there are times when we don't know what will come of the next morning."

"Yes, but I wouldn't let that bother my mind if I were you," Nestor told her. "We should just look forward to what will be coming in the morning, do you not agree? We can't keep our minds on the past all the time…" Nestor's voice trailed off as he began to think. Then he recovered and returned to speaking. "Just so you know, we might have visitors coming soon. Don't worry, though there is a female coming, she will not be sharing your room, as the two who are coming are mates, actually. I am sure you remember Spyro, the Purple Dragon who saved much of Skylands? You'd remember him much more than your brother. After all, you were eleven at the time, and Daniel was seven. Spyro was about fourteen or fifteen at the time, of course."

"Yes, I remember him," Juniper said. "He saved us from the Dark Master. There was another monster he saved us from…"

"Well, there's something I must tell you. He has a mate now…"

"Oh, that's amazing! What is her name?"

"That's the thing. Her name…is Cynder."

Juniper gasped. "But that was the monster who caused much destruction all around Skylands!" she protested. "Why would he have a lifemate ceremony with her?"

"I believe there is an answer to that. She was corrupted, it seems, by the Dark Master. Spyro defeated her in battle and caused her to become her normal self. I'm not sure what to think. I believe we'll just have to wait and see when they arrive here around next week or so. In a letter Spyro sent, he mentioned he's going on vacation with her first, so we'll wait."

Nestor shrugged.

Juniper sighed, and then she said, "Well, I have heard tales of what the Dark Master can do. He manipulated others, and that wasn't very right of him to do, if you ask me. Maybe that's what happened to Cynder. As you said, we'll just wait and see." She yawned, and then said, "I'm off to sleep, Father. I will see you tomorrow."

Nestor nodded, kissed his daughter's cheek, and then exited her room. Finally done talking to his children, he decided it was best to return to Merissa. He entered his quarters, where she was now asleep on their bed. He got up there with her, and just before he went to sleep, he thought of all that was happening around him.

I believe the past can change, he thought, but there are just so many doubts about Cynder right now. It might just be how I feel, but I don't think she was the right choice for Spyro. I guess we'll just have to wait and see when they arrive here.

Finished thinking, Nestor closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Unbeknownst to him, however, there was a force outside, lying in wait for him to finally fall asleep. At the signal from one of the soldiers that Nestor had finally fallen asleep, more soldiers began climbing the towers. Their King had told them they needed to be as silent as possible, and said that if they were forced to fight, they would need to make it quick and silent. Their mission could not jeopardized by their bloodthirst, he'd explained.

The general saw that there was still much of the army on the ground, and they believed there was still a chance they could be spotted by some of the guards on the roof if they weren't careful. There were still some careless soldiers in their midst, that much was certain, but he couldn't wait for the moment when Nestor realized there was a traitor in his midst.

"Hurry up and climb!" the general hissed at one group of the soldiers. "We cannot waste anymore freaking time, do you understand me? I will gut you if you waste anymore time!"

"Silence!" one of the soldiers said, and the general growled at him. He didn't believe he should be spoken to in such a way. But he decided that for the time-being, he would leave it be. He knew who the soldier was, and he would find him later and likely kill him in his sleep.

The guards on the top of one of the towers stood there, watching over the lands. They hadn't experienced trouble in quite some time now, something they believed was a good sign. Little did they know that they were about to be proven wrong in that respect. They didn't see any of the soldiers climbing the tower, which would lead to their downfall.

"So how's the mate and children?" asked one of the soldiers to another. He was a Teal Dragon named Cosmos, and he was speaking to a Golden Dragon, with brown spots dotting his whole body, named Titan. The both of them had been best friends since childhood. While Cosmos came from the Magic Crafters Realm, where his father ruled, Titan came from the Peace Keepers Realm, where his father ruled. They'd joined Nestor's guard after the invitation to do so.

"They're all fine," Titan said. "We've gone through troubles, of course, but when the world around us is so dark, what do you expect? I've no reason to complain other than that."

"Good," Cosmos said. "You know, sometimes, Katya can be some work, you know?"

Titan laughed. "Well, she's not as strict as Laya. That mate of yours can be worse than mine," he said. "But they're both good Dragonesses, you know? It's best for us to stop talking about them for the time-being. They've done a lot for us, and so we need to appreciate them more. You know what I mean?"

"Of course."

Cosmos sighed, wondering how much longer he could stay awake. He was very sleepy at the moment, having not gotten much sleep in the past few days. He was a Dragon with the ability to see into the future, somewhat, in the form of visions. His visions had become worse and worse. The last one involved Titan dying from a wound in his chest. He would not allow his greatest friend to die in such a way, however. He wouldn't allow him to die until the day finally came, which Cosmos hoped was long from now. Either that, or that such a day as that never came.

"So have you heard anything about the Skylanders recently?" asked Cosmos, attempting to get his mind off such a dark subject. "I read they just faced their most powerful adversary yet!"

"Yes, I heard," Titan said. "I was there when Nestor told us all about the events that had transpired. Remember?" He saw a flicker of recognition cross his friend's face. "There. Now you do. But yes, I am surprised they would count that Dragon as their most powerful adversary. I wonder if he had some of Malefor's power within him. But what made me wonder most was when Spyro wrote about the Dragon who defeated the White Dragon. Or, should I say, the Dragoness. I've heard her name before: Cynder. We've all heard tht name, so it makes me wonder how she became a Skylander, and what's more, how she became Spyro's mate!" Titan sighed. "I don't know."

He and Cosmos heard a gasp of pain suddenly from one of the other guards on the tower. Titan turned and found a soldier standing over the body of one of the Dragons. Titan and Cosmos recognized him as Delbin, a Crimson Dragon, and the leader of the Kingsguard. Blood poured from his throat, which they found had been slit.

"Well, this is unexpected," came of the soldiers' voices. "We weren't supposed to take any prisoners. All of you should have been dead by now! Oh well, let's just get this over with, shall we?"

"Who do you work for?" Titan growled.

"Not telling you," said the soldier. He snarled, and then leapt at Titan. Titan slammed him on the ground, breaking the soldier's back.

The soldier gasped for breath. He looked up at Titan and said, "You…will…die…" The soldier passed on, a mad grin upon his lips. Titan wondered about the last words all of a sudden. And then he turned around to find a horrid sight.

By now, the rest of the soldiers had made their way onto the tower, and the towers farther from them. Titan's golden eyes widened, and he couldn't believe what had happened. He still had no idea who was behind the soldiers, though it scared him. He looked around and found a blade being held to Cosmos's throat. The Green Dragon said, "Don't let them get in, Titan. Kill them all. That is all you can do."

"Don't kill him!" Titan roared at the soldiers. "If you want me to let you in, then you must not kill him. Do you understand what I am telling you as of this moment?"

"Oh, we hear you, loud and clear," said one soldier. "But do we really look as if we care much?"

And the soldier holding the blade at Cosmos swept it across his throat, killing him instantly. Titan felt tears pouring from his eyes, and he leapt at the soldier who had killed Cosmos, breaking his neck. The blade used to kill his friend clattered to the ground.

"How dare you!" Titan yelled at the soldiers. "How dare you kill him! He had a mate and children! Do you realize what you have done? I WILL KILL YOU ALL!"

But before Titan could do anything, he felt a horrible pain in the back of his head, and Titan fell into unconsciousness. The soldiers stood over his body, looking around at one another.

"What should we do with him?" asked one.

"Leave him," came a voice, and the other soldiers hurriedly got into formation as their leader appeared. "We could have use of him. But for now, we must find a way inside."

Nestor's eyes flew open when he heard the roar from above. He looked around and found Merissa awake, as well. Her eyes glowed with fear in the darkness. "What was that?" she asked.

"I don't know," Nestor replied. "I'm going to check. Go to the childrens' rooms, see if they're awake. If they are not, if they are asleep, then leave them as such. We cannot startle them."

Nestor got to his feet and ran out the door, hoping to find what was going on inside the castle. Merissa followed him. She made her way down the hall into Daniel's room first. When she opened the door, she found he was wide awake, wiping the sleep from his eyes.

"What was that sound?" he exclaimed. "What could have made that noise, Mother?"

"I do not know," Merissa admitted honestly. "There is something going on, I believe. There is the possibility, of course, that one of the guards could have played a prank on the other, but something tells me I am wrong. Oh, this madness. Follow me. I need you with me so I can keep my eyes on you. Do you understand me, Daniel?"

He nodded, and Merissa left his room as he came with her. She entered Juniper's room. She was not awake just yet, but she was beginning to stir. She remembered Nestor's words, but there was no point in not waking her.

"Juniper, wake up!" Daniel hissed. Juniper's head shot up, and she stared at her mother and brother with wide eyes. "You need to wake up! Something is happening outside!"

"What is it?" she asked, looking to her mother. "What is happening? Does it have to do with Father? Has something happened to him?"

"Nothing has happened to him, Juniper," Merissa said, reassuring her daughter some. "But follow me. We must wait for him in the throne room. Do you understand me?"

She nodded, and she followed her mother out of her room. They made their way to the throne room. It was a large room with a throne at the northern area of the room, and the doors to the hallway that led to the entrance and the dining hall at the southern area. All around them were stained-glass windows depicting Dragons of many different ages performing great labors and tasks. Nestor had mentioned making one with Spyro defeating the Dark Master, but Merissa had persuaded him against it, believing no one would know who Spyro truly was. Nestor had attempted to tell her how wrong she was, but she didn't regret her words.

Meanwhile, Nestor walked up the stairs to the top of the tower. He wondered what his guards were doing up there. Holding a wrestling match? A smile crossed his lips at that thought, but it faded soon, because that was something that wouldn't happen. Not that he didn't allow it, but the circumstances, combined with the way the state Skylands was in at the time, it seemed something much more was happening.

Could anything in Spyro's letter have spoken of what might be happening tonight? Nestor thought. He mentioned they'd gone through much in the past few months, and that could mean there might be more evil around here. But I can't be sure. I just hope Merissa got the children and herself out of the castle. I would love to check, but I cannot at the moment, because I'm doing this, of course. I wish we had a mental link, but unfortunately, we do not. I don't even know if that is possible right now.

He made it to the top, where the door that led outside was. He opened it, only to be assaulted by a soldier wearing a black cloak with a hood that hid his face. Nestor growled and attempted to knock the soldier off, but succeeded only in hitting his head on the corner of one of the bricks that made up the tower. Dizziness ensued, and blood trickled from a wound that had formed where his head had collided.

"Get off me, you da—" Nestor began, before being punched in the chest with a heavy hand. The leader of the Haven Realms gasped, and he looked in front of him to see what was going on. He found Titan unconscious there—he knew he wasn't dead, as his chest was rising up and down—and then saw Cosmos not far from him. His eyes saw the slit throat and the wide-open eyes, and automatically Nestor knew he was dead. He surveyed the area and saw many of the other guards had the same fate, including the leader of his Kingsguard, Delbin. "What have you done to my guards? How dare you do this to me? To them!"

"It was only worth it," came a deep, brisk voice. Growls ran through the speaker's throat, and Nestor thought he'd heard it before, though he was unsure where. "Your Kingsguard is nothing now, Nestor. Your life means nothing now, as a result of their incompetence. But we'll allow those alive to live for the time-being, until they do something to us or our master."

"Who are you?" Nestor growled. "And who is your master? Tell me now, blast you!"

"No," said the voice, and Nestor felt a punch across the face. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth now, a result of a split lip. He felt himself being dragged across the ground, and he realized the soldiers were making their way inside. Or ways, as he felt himself being carried down the stairs to the lower level, though he heard glass breaking as well.

Merissa was still hiding with Daniel and Juniper in the throne room when they heard the glass breaking. She wondered where her mate was now. Nestor was missing, and many thoughts came to her mind, though she hoped most of those thoughts were only her being paranoid.

"Where is Father?" Juniper's scared voice asked.

"I don't know, sweetheart," replied Merissa. "He'll be back soon, though, I'm sure. There's no need to worry."

"I hope so," said Daniel.

And then the doors leading to the hall burst open, and in came a group of soldiers. Nestor was being dragged along by his neck. Many of the soldiers were Apes, by the looks of it. Merissa gasped when she saw her mate, and she couldn't believe what was happening.

"What have you done to him?" she demanded.

"Exactly what must be done," replied a voice from behind all the soldiers. To Merissa, it sounded almost familiar.

She noticed Nestor finally waking from unconsciousness, and when he opened his eyes, he looked around. They came to rest of Merissa, and his eyes widened. "Merissa, get out of here!" he said. "Take Daniel and Juniper out of here before something bad happens! Before he comes!"

"It's too late for that," came the same voice that had spoken earlier. And out of the crowd came a large Ape with one red eye and an emerald gem in the place of his right eye. He was battle-scarred, most definitely, and he was certainly the scariest creature Daniel had ever seen. Neither Daniel nor Juniper knew him, but both Nestor and Merissa did.

"Gaul," breathed Nestor. "How did you arrive in this world?"

"Help," Gaul replied. "Not only did the White Dragon Aemus give me my chance, but there was someone who you believed to be on your side that betrayed you, Nestor. Someone you counted as a second son."

"Who are you talking about?" Merissa asked.

Another Dragon came out of the crowd of soldiers. It seemed he'd been crouching from sight to hide himself away from wandering eyes. His scales were violet, with yellow eyes and yellow chest and underbelly scales. He smiled menacingly at Nestor, Merissa, and the children, and then nodded to Gaul.

"Sadiki," said Nestor in a hushed voice. He seemed alarmed, and Merissa could not blame him, for the Violet Dragon had once been a trusted companion of Nestor's, and as Gaul had mentioned, Sadiki had been counted by Nestor as a second son, for his family had been murdered long ago by the forces of Malefor, before Cynder had arrived on the scene. He had sat at the table of Nestor during feasts, sometimes living with he and his family. But now, he was here, and he was nothing more than a disgrace, in Merissa's opinion. "How could you join with…him?"

"Did I look as if I had a choice?" Sadiki asked. "Unlike you, he gave me a home. You only gave me a refuge, where I could wait out the troubles in Skylands. But he kept me protected, and I no longer had to worry about the troubles on the outside, because I was allowed to slaughter them. Meanwhile, you never allowed me to join your army or your Kingsguard! You darn fool, I wish I could kill you now, but I think the Ape King has a few things he must say to you before we move on. Don't you, my king?"

"Yes," said Gaul. "We've come to take over the Realms, to bear witness to the dawn of a new age, and the failure of your pathetic race of Dragons! Malefor wanted to see this plan through, but unfortunately, that failed, a result of the Skylanders, and their leaders, the Purple Dragon Spyro, and the Black Dragoness Cynder, who was once one of Malefor's generals. She has caused more damage to this world than anyone, and she must be taken out. She destroyed our master, and she murdered Aemus! She must be stopped, and soon enough, we shall set out to defeat the Skylanders."

The soldiers cheered and clapped. Gaul looked around and noticed the emblem in the middle of the floor. It was more of a seal, though it poked out from the floor a little. Gaul wondered what the seal had to do with anything in the throne room, as on the seal was emblazoned a Dragon's head.

"You are mad, Gaul," Nestor said. "My brother will come and end you!"

"Oh, Nestor, don't be stupid!" Sadiki drawled. "You know nothing. Nils will not come to help you at all. If he does, we will kill him. Him and all his army. We will kill them all, and then we shall kill his families. The main Dragon Realms will fall into our hands."

Nestor growled and snapped at Sadiki, though he was unable to do so, as Gaul used a staff taken from a holster on his back to knock Nestor onto his back. The leader of the Haven Realms tasted blood, and he spat blood up. He looked to Merissa, Daniel, and Juniper. They were obviously scared for him, and he could not blame them.

"Your family will remain safe for the time-being," Gaul explained to him. "We will think of what to do with you soon enough. Soon you will write a letter to Spyro and tell him to come here. I have a plan to end him and the rest of the Skylanders, especially Cynder. They will pay for all that they have done."

"Do not lay a hand on them!" Nestor roared. "They deserve no such thing by your hand! You may hold a grudge against Cynder, but she is not evil! She seems to have done the right thing by killing Aemus and destroying Malefor. She is better than you ever could be."

"SILENCE!" thundered the Ape King. "Now tell me, Nestor, about this seal in the middle of your throne room. What is it supposed to mean or do?"

"Why should I tell you?" he snapped back.

"Because, if you relent, I shall rethink the notion of allowing your family to live," Gaul said. "If you do not want such a thing, then you must give me an answer."

Nestor sighed, knowing it was better for him to give the answer than to relent. He would not allow his family to be killed by the Ape King. He looked one last time to Sadiki, wishing he could have saved the young Violet Dragon, before telling Gaul all he knew on the subject of the seal.

"The seal is supposed to represent the Pure One," he began. "The Pure One is a being, believed to come as a Dragon, who has the power to end darkness in the Realms. They are more powerful than most, though they follow by the rules of the One they serve and obey. That seal there was built into this castle as a self-destruct mechanism, though it is accomplished more through Magic than it is by machinery. if the Pure One's blood touches that seal, the castle will begin to fall apart. But I have no reason to believe in such an old tale."

Gaul thought things over for a moment, though he was unsure what he was to believe. Finally, he decided on what he was supposed to think. He would believe it for the moment.

An idea suddenly crept into the Ape King's mind. His thoughts were not collected like others'. Instead, they swam around like a swarm of buzzing bees. But one came clearly, and he nearly smiled when he thought of it, though his lack of emotion and scarred lips made it impossible. It was risky, but he believed it could work.

He walked over to Sadiki and asked, "Would you wish to become stronger?"

Sadiki seemed surprised by the words, and he finally said, "Yes, my king. I would very much take delight in that."

And then Gaul took a blade from a sheath on his hip, and then swept it across Sadiki's throat. Blood poured from the Violet Dragon's throat, and he fell to the ground dead. Nestor couldn't believe his eyes when he saw this. How could Gaul have done such a thing to such a young Dragon? It was demonic! It was one of the most horrendous things he'd ever witnessed. He looked to Merissa and found her covering their childrens' eyes. Nestor turned back to Gaul and exclaimed, "Why, Gaul? What was the meaning behind such an act? You shall get nothing from it, I swear!"

Gaul snorted, then took his staff out again. Nestor noticed an emerald on the top of it, and a small blade at the very end. The large Ape slammed the blade into the ground, and he recited a ritual, or so it seemed. Black smoke surrounded Sadiki, and Nestor could only watch as the Violet Dragon's yellow eyes flew open, though they were now pupil-less. His slit throat was still present, but the fatal wound no longer bled. Sadiki came to his feet and bowed to Gaul. "My master," came Sadiki's voice, which seemed more eerie and ghostly now.

"How is this possible?" Nestor asked Gaul. "What kind of black sorcery is this, Gaul?"

"Nothing you need to know," Gaul said. "If you must know, I have decided upon what I shall do to you, Nestor. You shall be sent away to a cult, which contains some of those who once followed Malefor before his demise. You shall not see your family ever again, and their is no point in telling them good-bye, for it is futile. You will only see them in death. They will be imprisoned in the dungeons, and become my slaves."

"NO!" Daniel screamed. He ran to Nestor and hugged him. He looked to the Ape King, who saw tears in his eyes. The emotions gave no sympathy to Gaul, however. "You cannot do this. Please. You must understand this cannot happen, you monster!"

"You do not wish to leave your father's side?" asked Gaul. "I will never understand these emotions, nor would I ever wish to. Fine. You shall join your father in being a prisoner of the cult. If you do not wish this, then return to your mother and sister."

But Daniel did not budge. He remained standing where he was, and Gaul admired his bravery. The Ape King was sure Sadiki would, as well, if the Violet Dragon didn't lack emotions. The undead servant would have to be taught emotions again, and Gaul would only allow some to him now.

"Your world is coming to a close, Nestor," Gaul said. "You shall no longer see your mate nor your daughter. They are mine forever, and if you should ever see me, it will be when I visit the cult to meet with their leader. Your son will be perfect for them, I believe."

"This cannot last, Gaul," said Merissa. Tears poured from her eyes, and she held Juniper to her chest. "You will be stopped in your endeavor, whatever that might be. You cannot take on such things without help from others. I'm sure the other enemies of the Skylanders believed they could do what you're planning to do now, but you will fail in all of this."

Gaul laughed, though it was emotionless. He opened his mouth to speak again, but there was the sound of a groan behind the soldiers. They parted to reveal Titan, grumbling and cursing beneath his breath. He woke finally and looked around the throne room. He saw his leader on the floor with his son, Nestor's mate and daughter in the corner, the Violet Dragon Sadiki, whom he realized was a traitor, the soldiers, and finally, Gaul.

"What is this?" he asked. "My King, what have they done to you?" He looked to Gaul. "What have you done?"

"I have done nothing," Gaul replied. "I am merely a liberator of those who have fallen from Malefor's light. You are the Dragon who mourned his friend's death, killing one of my soldiers in the process. But you shall not harm anyone else you oppose, for the time being." He looked to Sadiki. "Tell Roarke we are bringing him contenders. Three, to be exact." Though Sadiki no longer acted on his own or expressed his own emotions, he still understood what Gaul was telling him. He nodded, bowed, and then exited the room. Gaul turned his sights to Nestor and Daniel. "Your kingdom is now mine. You no longer shall rule the Haven Realms. They are mine, as well. Your reign has fallen. The Skylanders will soon come, and they shall be destroyed. This might be the end of your world, Nestor, but for I and the followers of Malefor, this is only the beginning."