Chapter 4

A/N: There is a reference to another game if you read below.

The hands of darkness covered the land quicker than anyone that tried to outrun it. Spyro and Bane Kal had wasted precious time due to creatures popping out from the forest and attacking them. While the river water did provide them extra stamina, they wore out quickly because of numerous enemies attacking the duo. Drinking from the river did not help recover their stamina and Bane Kal said the effect only works once every one week. In the end, they had to rest for the night.

"There is a glade nearby. We can set up camp there and rest for the night," the lynx said.

Since they had no camping equipment, Bane Kal had to make do with what nature could provide. A small tree grew next to a large tree and Bane Kal bent the small tree and tied its tip with a rope he brought along. He tied the other end of the rope to the large tree and it held tightly.

"Now that we have a frame, we can use the sticks to create the wall. Spyro, go get me some long and thick sticks," Bane Kal said.

As the two constructed an improvised tent, Spyro felt like as if he was being watched. He looked around and scanned the dark surroundings but he could not see anything except small glows from fireflies. Then again, he felt that something familiar was nearby though he could not put his finger on it.

"Bane Kal, do you feel something?" Spyro asked.

Bane Kal stopped and looked around carefully before shaking his head. "I think you're tired. C'mon, shake a leg and give me a hand…or paw for your case."

The two leaned the sticks against the bent over tree and used rocks to prevent the sticks from sliding too much. It didn't look like a proper tent but it will have to do for now. Syro started a campfire while Bane Kal went to the river to catch some fish for dinner.

"Isn't it nice just to sit in the middle of a dangerous forest and enjoy the campfire?" Dark Spyro said as he materialized from the surrounding darkness.

"I did not invite you for camping, freak. Go away and leave me alone," Spyro groaned.

"Well, I don't need an invitation since I'm you. I must say that you've become more sociable and you even made friends with a criminal. I guess evil minds think alike," Dark Spyro said.

"Bane Kal's not evil…he's just lost and is seeking redemption."

"Once evil is always evil, Spyro. The deeds you do will go down in history and people will remember you by what you have done that made an impact on others. In other words, you were known for saving the world but Bane Kal is known for murdering people. If I were to guide you down the path of ruination and darkness, I feel that you can be in the same league with Bane Kal."

"You're an idiot. I wouldn't listen to you just like that. You're nothing but a persona of my darkness and while I have some fight in me left, I'll never let you control me."

"Oh, cocky little fellow aren't we?" Dark Spyro sneered. "Listen closely, Spyro, you may have some fight in you left but you know that you'll run out of it sooner or later. What will you do by then? Fall back to the recesses of the mind of your former body, watching helplessly as I do Malefor's bidding? You have nowhere to run, Spyro, I will control you. It's only a matter of time…"

Dark Spyro walked towards the campfire and looked at it. He seemed thoughtful and smiled evilly before using his paw to grab the fire.

"Look at this, isn't it a miracle?" Dark Spyro said while showing Spyro a dark fireball.

"Oh no…this isn't suppose to happen!"

"But it did happen, Spyro. For me to able to manipulate my surroundings means that I'm close to taking over your body. See, Spyro, what I said has proven to be true. However, I still have a long way to go before I'm in control. Nevertheless, the wait is worth everything Malefor stand for."

Spyro snapped back to reality and found himself holding a ball of dark flame. He quickly tossed the fireball into the campfire and the campfire burned with a dark tinge flame before returning to normal.

"No…this is really not good. I gotta control myself," Spyro muttered.

"Control what?"

Spyro turned around and saw Bane Kal walking towards him with a pack full of fishes. He placed the backpack on the ground and took some sharp sticks to skewer the fishes.

"So, what were you trying to control?" Bane Kal asked again.

"It's nothing…I was thinking we should've brought something for pest control. The insects around here are annoying," Spyro lied.

Bane Kal swatted a fly and nodded his head. "Well, I guess bug spray wasn't on our supply list."

As the fishes were being roasted over the fire, Bane Kal looked up at the sky and closed his eyes. Moments later, Spyro heard him snoring.

"That was quick," the purple dragon muttered.

As he watch the fishes cook, Spyro felt woozy and moments later, he fell into a deep sleep. The next thing he knew, Spyro found himself in a large gothic cathedral with elegant spires and a colorful stained glass window. The corridors were so huge that it could fit hundreds of adult dragons.

"Is this…a dream?" he wondered to himself.

The corridor he was in led to a central chamber where light shone down from a circular stain glass window onto an altar with something on it. Spyro examined the item and saw that it was a decaying gold chalice.

"I see you have finally found your mind's sanctuary," someone said from behind him.

Spyro's eyes widened. The voice was familiar, a voice he had not heard ever since he killed Cynder. He turned around and to his joy, he saw Ignitus.

"Ignitus, I'm so happy to see you!" Spyro exclaimed.

"Yes Spyro, I'm happy to see you too," Ignitus replied with a warm smile. "As much as I want to stay and chat, I'm here to address some important matters to you," he continued with a grim expression.

"Why can't you summon me to the Chronicler's chamber?" Spyro asked while eyeing the decaying chalice.

"That," Ignitus said and pointed at the chalice, "is the reason why. The chalice represents the purity of your soul. In normal circumstances, a soul should not be that decayed and to have more than twenty percent of it decayed means something is wrong. I could not summon you to my chamber due to the state of your soul."

"So…does that mean my soul is tainted beyond recognition?"

"No, your soul will still be yours as long as you have the will to fight back but how long can you hold is an entirely different question. The decaying gold chalice means your dark side is taking gradual control. We have to curb it."

Ignitus took out an amulet and gave it to Spyro. It looked like a simple gold amulet and did not look significant to Spyro.

"This is an amulet I've made. It can help weaken the control of your dark side but do remember that it needs constant energy to keep the effect working. Go, put it on."

Spyro obliged and slipped on the golden amulet. He waited for something to happen but nothing worth nothing occurred.

"That's it?" Spyro asked unexcitedly.

"You were expecting something spectacular, weren't you?" Ignitus asked with a smile. "Don't worry, rest assured that the amulet is now protecting you from your dark side. He may interact with you but he cannot do your soul further corruption…that is if you maintain your amulet once every full moon."

"Do I hold up the amulet and point it towards the moon?"

"Yes and remember to do that once every full moon. Once the amulet is fully charged, it will glow brightly."

Ignitus looked around with an alarmed look on his face. It was as if he felt something and Spyro thought he felt it too. It was ominous.

"This cathedral is the sanctuary of your soul but it does not mean it's invincible. There is a certain darkness that lurks the hall of your sanctuary and…it's very ominous. Spyro, whatever it is, your resolve must be greater than your enemy's determination. This may be your only chance to face down your dark side. Hunt it down and beat it back," Ignitus said and disappeared in a flash of light.

"Ignitus, wait a minute!" Spyro called out.

Suddenly, he felt a presence somewhere in the hall he was in. He looked up towards the second floor of wooden pews and saw his dark side looking down at him with white glowing eyes.

"Your dead mentor continues to help you, Spyro. Aren't you happy that he's such a nice guy?" Dark Spyro asked.

"Does it matter to you, prick?" Spyro growled.

"It does because his death gave me temporary control over you. Too bad that Cynder she-dragon has to get in the way by calling you back," Dark Spyro said and glided down from the second floor and landed in front of Spyro.

He tried to get near the chalice but he bumped into an invisible barrier instead. Dark Spyro looked at his counterpart and noticed the golden amulet he was wearing.

"It's funny that such a small thing can contain such powerful magic. Ignitus is really someone who deserves to be the Chronicler but I will get you when the amulet weakens. When it does, your soul will be mine," Dark Spyro remarked.

"Not if I power up the amulet first," Spyro countered.

Spyro was surprised to see his dark side laughing at him, as if he just said something stupid. His voice echoed through the halls.

"Do you seriously believe that every full moon is safe? Aren't you forgetting the Eternal Night?" Dark Spyro asked.

Spyro gasped a bit and remembered how he got his dark side. If the next Eternal Night alignment did happen and he absorb the rays, that would corrupt the amulet instead.

"I overestimated your intelligence, Spyro the Dragon. You should've known that doing that will cause untold damage and render the amulet useless. You have exactly ten more cycles of full moons before the Eternal Night comes again. By then if you try to recharge your amulet, you're dead meat," Dark Spyro continued. "In other words, you're still fighting a losing battle."

"Damn you, I really want to kill you right now," Spyro growled angrily.

"You can't kill a shadow," Dark Spyro said with an evil grin.

Dark Spyro began to transform into Spyro's worst nightmare and moments later, he found himself staring at Malefor.

"This is what I envisioned you to become, Spyro. Accept your fate," Malefor said.

"No…you're just an illusion," Spyro said while backing away.

"Care to reiterate what you just said?' Malefor asked and grabbed Spyro by the neck.

Malefor could easily lift him up with a single paw. His grip tightened around Spyro's neck and the purple dragon felt like he was going to die. His vision started to black out until a white blast hit Malefor in the face.

"Ahhh!" Malefor cried in pain.

He dropped Spyro to the ground and Spyro wheeled around to see his savior. What he saw was something he could not comprehend for the being had such a bright aura emitting from it that the body could not be seen except for a faint silhouette which looked like a young adult dragon.

"Away with you, scourge of darkness. Leave this tormented soul alone," the being said in a hollow female voice.

Malefor was visibly afraid but he looked at Spyro angrily. "You win this time but you won't be so lucky next time."

With that, Malefor dissipated into a veil of black mist. Spyro had to squint his eyes to look at the angelic being and no matter how much he tried to indentify who it was, it was impossible because the light was bright.

"Spyro, do not fret. I am the messenger of the dragon deities and I have come with an advice and some encouragement," the being said softly. "You are the balance of this world, Spyro, and your soul's condition will determine whether the world will fall into darkness or be saved. While you may be put to the test by your dark side, rest assured that you are not alone. I am your guardian, your shield and your fortress. I have been watching you ever since your self-exile and it saddens me to see you suffer needlessly but remember I will always help you and your dark side will never conquer you."

"Sounds rather doubtful…after all, my dark side has made sense…" Spyro muttered with uncertainty.

"Making sense that is only appealing to the dark side. While he may have you cornered, that does not mean you can't fight back. The Eternal Night is indeed coming in ten more full moon cycles but by that time, I will be there to help you and hopefully, you will know my identity by then. For now, do what you must and save Natasha. She's alive but in grave danger. Hurry," the being said and Spyro woke up suddenly from his dream.

"Bane Kal, wake up," Spyro said and shook Bane Kal from his sleep.

The lynx shook his head and opened his eyes slowly. "Spyro, what's the big idea waking me up in the middle of the night?"

"I'm sorry to wake you up but we have to go. You have to bring me to Mount Grendor now," Spyro said.

"Now? Spyro, we spent a day fighting and we've exhausted the extra energy in us. I can't really move right now," Bane Kal muttered.

"Bane Kal, this is important and if we don't hurry, the dragoness I'm going to save will die. If you're not going, I will so just point me the way."

"Fine, if you wanna go alone then go. Just follow the river and it'll bring you to Mount Grendor," Bane Kal said impatiently and went to sleep.

Spyro thanked him and took a few fried fishes before leaving into the darkness.

Ivan paced up and down the table as the Dragon Councilors looked at him with uncertain expression on their faces. Not long ago, they received a report saying that the Jabberwockies have left Warfang and were headed south.

"What are they up to?" Ivan asked the councilors. "They've wrecked Warfang and now, they're heading for the Hyperion Peaks. What is over there?"

"As far as I'm concerned, the city of Avanir is located there but to assault the Hyperion Peaks is nearly impossible. They have hidden watch towers and bobby traps hidden in the mountains and since not many Jabberwockies can fly, the ground forces will find it difficult to take the city. Only one road leads to the city gates and even the gates themselves are made of magic-infused carbon steel with double plating for extra strength. If the Jabberwockies are intending to take the city, they have to try very hard but they can always starve the citizens inside the city into submission," Aeron said.

"They must have an underground route in case the city falls," Aqua said.

"They do but I think it has long fallen into disuse since the city has survived on so many occasions that the kings and queens of the city thought they needed it no longer," Melkor muttered.

Ivan contemplated the thought and looked at the councilors. They knew what needs to be done but time is not on their side so far. The mouse looked grim.

"Aeron, who is your fastest scout?" Ivan asked.

"Aaron Hawk. He can fly from here to the Hyperion Peaks within two hours. I'll have him send our warning to the royal family of Avanir," Aeron said.

The midnight hour approached quite soon and after sending his messenger to inform the king and queen of Avanir about the impending invasion, Aeron retired to his study to read some books. He could not rest easy because he was wondering what Malefor's army would do next and how Spyro was faring. He was worried for that young dragon because the raw and unbridled power he possessed can not only save…but destroy as well. He could only hope and pray that Spyro could hold out against the dark powers that infested the lands.

He was about to light his pipe for a smoke when the door to his study opened. He quickly kept the pipe and pretended to read a book with interest.

"I saw what you're trying to do, Aeron, there's no point of hiding it," Aqua said softly and sat beside him.

"Yeah…well…it's a bad example for everyone if they saw me smoking," Aeron muttered shyly.

Aqua examined his expression and saw him look rather grim and down. Aeron looked like as if he already advanced one hundred years in age.

"Something is bothering you. You never smoke unless you're under pressure," Aqua said flatly.

Aeron paused for a few seconds and nodded his head before letting out a sigh. He took out his pipe and lit it. "You're right, Aqua, I am under pressure right now. As leader of the Dragon Council, I'm contemplating whether to call upon our forces in hiding or watch and see how situation unfolds itself. As of now, I'm leaning towards the former," he said grimly.

"But to call upon the Assai'rah is not very easy. It involves a lot of…rituals and appeasing of the spirits. They're no ordinary dragon warriors and you know it will cost you your life summoning them," Aqua remarked.

"I'm well aware of that, my dear, but duty comes before life and I cannot forget my sworn oath to the Ancestors lest a curse befalls me. I am bound to the Final Oath of Duty which is 'Duty before Comfort'. You must understand that if all goes wrong, I will be responsible for everything and also understand that we are the representatives of the pantheon of dragon deities," Aeron said while nibbling on the tip of his pipe.

Aqua smiled and leaned close to him. "Maybe that is why they chose you to be leader of the Council."

"To me…it's just nothing at all. I always felt like I was chosen by chance rather than by my abilities. We may have our burdens and compared to everyone else's, our burden is considerably heavier. However, this is nothing compared to the multiple burdens carried by the purple dragon. Long has he suffered darkness and loss and there are times when he just…felt like going back to the swamps and live his life with his adopted parents…never knowing who his true parents were." Aeron looked at his pipe and threw it aside carelessly. "Sometimes, I question why we even exist in this world at all when we are subjected to so much suffering."

Aqua looked at him with soulful eyes and she felt like sympathizing him but she knew that the last thing Aeron wanted from any of them was sympathy.

"Vektum sha'la zhahir…duty before comfort," Aeron muttered the Final Oath softly in Ancient Draconic.

***/

Volteer opened his eyes slowly and looked around him. He could not see a thing but he could feel restrained. The yellow dragon tried moving but he could not move and heard the rattling of chains.

"By the Ancestors, I must be in the dungeons," he exclaimed.

His suspicions were confirmed when three Jabberwockies with glow crystals approached his cell. It illuminated the dark dungeons and when Volteer looked to his right, he saw an unconscious Cyril chained to the wall like he was.

"Hey look, this one's awake," a Jabberwocky said to his companions when he noticed Volteer staring at them.

"For an old coot, this one sure recovers fast," another one said.

"But he's in no condition to be a vessel for the Demon Knight. The other one is in a better condition though," the third Jabberwocky said while gesturing at Cyril.

The two nodded their heads and opened the gate to Volteer and Cyril's cell. Volteer could only watch helplessly as the three approached Cyril and one of them took out a red crystal. He turned to Volteer.

"Did you know of a place called Sanctuary? Three Prime Evils existed there and they were held in crystals called the Soulstones. Here in Dragon Realms, the Ancestors have forged Soulstones of their own and called them Demonites. Like how Soulstones are created for a purpose, the Ancestors created Demonites to capture powerful demons. It will not last forever and soon, the demon held inside will be released. The demons of our realm cannot exist in the mortal world so they need a host body for their souls to take over. Your friend will have the honors of being the first host," the Jabberwocky said with a mocking smile.

"Don't you dare lay a claw on Cyril! You'll regret it if you do anything to him!" Volteer said angrily.

He shot a bolt of lightning at the nearest Jabberwocky and punched a hole in his armor.

"Restrain his mouth and make him watch his friend suffer," the Jabberwocky with a Demonite said.

The two other Jabberwockies held down Volteer but he struggled so hard that the two had a hard time keeping him down. The other one with the Demonite went close to Cyril and stabbed the crystal into Cyril's forehead. Cyril, still unconscious, only flinched in pain and fell silent.

"Now, time will tell when he will fail. Keep an eye out for your friend," the Jabberwocky said.

They left the cell and the two dragon guardians were left in the dark again.

"Who…who the hell was here? It feels like somebody's stabbing me in the head," Cyril muttered moments later.

"Cyril, thank goodness you're still okay," Volteer whispered. "Are you feeling anything?"

There was a moment of pause before Cyril spoke up. "I don't know. My head hurts and I feel something wet dripping from my forehead. I don't know about you…but…I'm hearing things," Cyril said.

Volteer listened to his surrounding and heard nothing but dripping water and the scampering of mice on the cobblestone floor.

"We need to get you out of here and fast. You're in danger right now," Volteer explained.

"How am I in danger, you twit? I seem to be stuck and there's no one in here. By the way, where are we?"

"I reckon that we're beneath Warfang in the prison dungeons…or maybe the sewers because it stinks down here."

"Even the dungeons stink so I guess we can't know for sure. It's so dark yet my eyes cannot adjust to it. The darkness is unnatural."

Volteer could only pray and hope that Cyril would be alright. If what the Jabberwocky said was true, they were in a lot of trouble.

-To be continued