The midday sun blazed high in the sky. Calcifer led the trio of dragons as they walked down the wide path in the forest. Spyro bent his head low as he walked, not saying a word. Rory, meanwhile, looked every which way at the forest, eyes sparkling with amazement.
"This forest is unbelievable!" Rory said happily. He glanced at Spyro, hoping for a response. When the purple dragon said nothing, Rory frowned.
"I'm Rory, by the way." He said. "It's nice to meet you."
Still, the purple dragon said nothing.
"Oh, come on…" Rory protested. "Aren't you going to say anything?"
"Leave him, Rory." Calcifer scolded. "Let Spyro speak when he's good and ready."
"But…"
"I said leave him alone." The adult snapped. "Can you not see he's quite troubled at the moment?"
Just then, a cackling sound came from the top of a mushroom. Spyro flinched. "Did you hear that?"
Clacifer snarled, clenching his forepaws. He looked around, listening for another noise. At first, the forest seemed silent again. The adult dragon relaxed himself.
"Perhaps it was nothing." He suggested.
Suddenly another cackle sounded. Then another one. And then a great howl. Calcifer hissed in rage. He activated his gauntlets and prepared to attack.
"Where are you?!" He roared.
Rory and Spyro looked around. They couldn't see any apes, but they could hear them all over the place.
"You don't think…" Rory started.
The three dragons looked up. High above their heads, apes leapt from mushroom to mushroom, cackling and laughing the whole time. Nearly a dozen of them jumped back and forth across the air above the pathway. And then, suddenly, they stopped.
Calcifer snarled, getting into a battle stance. Spyro and Rory, meanwhile, kept looking for the apes.
"Where did they go?" Rory asked.
"Keep calm." The adult dragon said. "They're just trying to spook us."
Suddenly, a great, mighty roar sounded behind the dragons. Spyro's eyes went wide. Without thinking, the purple dragon ran ahead of the other two.
"Spyro, wait!" Rory exclaimed, chasing after him.
Spyro leapt over a log and glided across a small gap in the path. He landed in a small clearing, before a mushroom tree. He sat in the mud, chest pounding as he caught his breath. A moment later, Calcifer and Rory landed in the clearing and approached him.
"What were you thinking?!" Calcifer demanded.
"I'm sorry, I…" Spyro stuttered.
"You have to stay by me at all times!" The adult dragon snapped. "Suppose those apes were planning an ambush. They could have grabbed you and run off!"
"I said I was sorry!" The purple dragon exclaimed.
"Can't you chill out, bro?" Rory asked.
"Ugh, fine." Calcifer groaned. "What do I know? I'm just the dragon in charge of your safety."
As the dragons were talking, the mud around the tree shook around. Several frogweeds climbed up out of the mud. The adult dragon groaned.
"Nevermind. Let's just get rid of those things and keep moving."
The three dragons used their fire breaths to burn the frogweeds away. Once they were gone, Calcifer walked up a small path that led up and around the clearing.
"So where are we going again?" Spyro asked.
"We're heading for my father's home." Calcifer answered. "It's quite a ways away from here."
The three dragons passed by a short, white mushroom. It appeared to shake as Rory passed by it.
"What the…" Rory tapped the side of the mushroom with a paw. It suddenly leapt up into the air, revealing six spider-like legs.
"WHOA!" Rory screamed, leaping back.
Calcifer and Spyro spun around as the spider-shroom advanced on Rory.
"What is this?" Calcifer demanded.
"I don't know." Spyro shrugged. "I've never been this far outside the dragonfly village before."
Rory set the creature ablaze with fire breath. It cried out in agony before exploding into red and green gems. The youngling quickly scooped up the gems, crushing them.
"What are those gems?" Spyro asked.
"They're Draconian Gems." Calficer replied. "They're remnants of an age long past, scattered across the world for us to remember where we came from."
"And… they turn into monsters?" Spyro wondered, an eye ridge raised.
"Not usually." Calcifer snorted.
Across the way, a few similar white mushrooms shook about in the dirt. Rory sighed. "I think there are a few more."
"They shouldn't be too much of a problem."
The three dragons continued on their way up the path. Along their way, they dealt with any odd spider-shrooms and frogweeds that appeared. Eventually, they reached the highest point of the pathway. It stopped at a cliffface. Across the large gap in the air was a narrow path, walled off by mushroom stalks on either side. Spyro looked down at the forest floor down below. It was a good fifty feet down.
Calcifer spread his wings and leapt into the air, effortlessly gliding to the other side. Rory took a running start, leaping at full force and spreading his wings halfway across the drop.
The purple youngling gulped nervously.
"What are you waiting for?" Rory asked. "Come on across?
"Uh…" Spyro stuttered. "I don't know how to fly."
Calcifer and Rory exchainged dumbstruck glances.
"You don't know how to-?!" Rory protested. Calcifer placed a paw on his muzzle.
"You don't have to." The adult dragon declared.
"I don't?" Spyro asked. "But how do I get across?"
"Just do what we did; glide." Calcifer explained. "Start off by taking a few steps back."
"Okay…" Spyro did as was told. Calcifer let go of Rory's maw.
"Jerk." The red youngling groaned, rubbing his face. The older drake ignored his brother's complaining.
"Now, Spyro, you're going to make a running start." He continued. "When you get to the cliffface, you're going to leap into the air as hard as you can. When you're at the height of your jump, spread your wings out wide. The air currents will guide you safely across."
"Uh…" Spyro stuttered. "I don't know if…"
Calcifer stepped up to the opposite clifface and spread his own wings.
"Listen to me, Spyro." He said calmly. "If you can't make it across, I'll catch you. Do you trust me?"
"Well…" the purple dragon shrugged. "I guess I do. Alright…"
Spyro took a few steps back again. "Here I GOOOOO!"
The drake ran as fast as he could. He leapt into the air upon reaching the clifface. At the height of his leap, he spread his wings out and shut his eyes. Just as Calcifer said, the air currents gently led Spyro down to the opposite clifface. His paws hit the dirt, and he sighed.
"See?" Calcifer said.
"I get it." Spyro replied. "Thanks for the voice of confidence, Calcifer."
"You're welcome." He turned around to face the pathway. "Now, let's be off."
The three dragons turned to walk down the new pathway, Spyro in the back. As they were flying, the fast fluttering of wings could be heard behind them.
"Hey, that sounds like…" Rory began
"Spyro!" Sparx's voice called.
"Huh?" Spyro turned around confused. The golden dragonfly flew across the gap and up to the purple drake's face.
"Give me a minute…" The dragonfly huffed, catching his breath. "It took a while to catch up to ya."
"Sparx, what're you doing out here?" Spyro asked.
"So, ah, me and the old man were chatting…" Sparx began. "And the whole 'belonging' thing, you know, came up. We decided that best friends belong together."
Sparx turned to look away for a second. "Even if one of them is purple and has weight issues."
"Weight issues, huh…?" Spyro grinned. "At least I've never been turned into a lantern."
Rory chuckled, while Calcifer groaned.
"Oh please!" Sparx snapped. "Lantern Shmantern. Let's see what's out there."
"Stop right there!" Calcifer interrupted. "And just why should I let a dragonfly come along?"
"I don't know, why should purple face go along with red lard balls like you?"
"HE is coming with us for his own safety." Calcifer stated. "YOU would just get in the way."
"I never get in the way! Hah!" Sparx flew up to Calcifer's face. "I laugh at the face of danger, just like I laugh at you! Haha!"
Without warning, several spider-shrooms sprouted out of the mud before the dragons.
"GAAH!" Sparx hid behind Spyro's head. Spyro and Rory laughed.
"Case in point." Calcifer turned around and burned the first spider-shroom to ashes.
"Well, I'm not leaving!" Sparx shouted behind Spyro's head.
"Fine by me." The adult drake rolled his eyes, moving on to deal with the other spider-shrooms. "Get squashed or eaten or something. I don't care."
Once the way was clear, Calcifer started moving forwards. Rory and Spyro followed behind.
Sparx went up to Spyro. "You'll make sure they don't let anything eat me, right?
"Maybe." Spyro laughed.
~~...~~
The three dragons and dragonfly continued down the twisting paths of the forest. After a few hours of travelling, they arrived at a sudden drop in the path, into a wide canyon. Here and there, a regular tree replaced the giant mushrooms. In the distance, the sound of riverwater splashing against an unseen shore could be heard from behind the far wall of stalks and vines.
"Ah, we're getting close to the exit from this bizarre forest." Calcifer declared.
"Where do we go from there, big guy?" Sparx asked.
"My name is Calcifer, you knat." The drake sneered. "But if you MUST know, we head onto a riverbank, and take a boat to the mainland.
"If you say so." The dragonfly shrugged.
"What's a boat?" Spyro asked.
"You don't know what a boat is?" Rory asked incredulously.
"I believe it." Calcifer stated. "I wouldn't imagine a village of dragonflies would need to travel by water."
"No, but Chunky over here tended to make a splash in the local ponds." Sparx remarked.
"Very funny, Sparx." Spyro rolled his eyes.
The three dragons all glided down into the canyon. As they came to a landing, cackling and howling came from the two sides of the canyon walls.
"Of course." Calcifer muttered. "We'll have to fight."
Sure enough, several apes leapt over the walls and landed into view. Most of them wielded bones as clubs, while a larger ape held an axe.
"Surrender!" The large ape roared.
"Not on your life!" Calcifer snapped, activating his gauntlets. Rory got into a battle stance, while Spyro just stood there, fidgeting.
Two small apes charged forwards, ready to smack them around. Rory dodged to the left, burning them with fire breath. Meanwhile, Calcifer ducked as a third ape leapt at his neck, and grabbed the beast by its leg with his jaws, tossing him into two more.
Spyro took a step forwards, but the adult drake blocked him off.
"Spyro, stand back!" Calcifer ordered. "We can't risk you getting hurt!"
"But I want to fight!" The purple drake complained.
"I'd back off if I were you, dude." Sparx commented.
"You don't know the first thing about combat!" Calcifer took a moment to headbutt an oncoming ape.
"Then TEACH ME!" Spyro demanded.
"There's no time!"
"Then I'll improvise!" Spyro ran around Calcifer and charged at the nearest ape.
"You idiot!" The adult drake hissed.
Spyro collided with the nearest ape, sending it flying backwards. Seconds later, three more apes charged at him. Beforet hey could do anything, Rory ran up and set two of them aflame. Spyro rammed into the third one, knocking it back. He then turned on the other two, who writhed in pain in the flames.
"I got this." Rory replied. He spun around, smacking the two apes with his tail blade. The two exploded into gems upon impact.
"Wow." Spyro muttered.
"Behind you!" Calcifer roared.
"What?" Before the purple drake could turn around, Rory shoved him out of the way. An axe crashed down right were Spyro was a second later.
The large ape lifted the axe back onto his shoulder. The ape pulled a purple gem from his pocket. The smaller apes seemed to gasp, and they fled the area.
"They're running away?!" Sparx exclaimed, confused.
"Get away from there, you two!" Calcifer shouted.
Rory and Spyro backed up as the ape smashed the purple gem in his paws, absorbing the mist.
"Get ready, purple freak!" The ape shouted. "Today you face Captain Dewclaw head on!"
The captain spun his axe around in the air, leaving behind an ethereal trail. The ape's body began to glow with a purple aura.
Calcifer charged forwards, ready to pounce, when a massive purple wall of flames burst from the ground before him. The flames spread around to form a ring around the area. Spyro and Rory were trapped inside.
"What the?!" Sparx exclaimed. Calcifer stopped in his tracks before the wall, swearing.
"We'll have to fight him together!" Rory said to Spyro.
"Okay…" Spyro muttered. He tried to mimic the fighting stance Rory made. Dewclaw laughed.
"You can't even fight." He scoffed. "This is almost a waste of my time."
Rory moved to circle around the ape, snarling. Spyro took a step back, ready to charge. Dewclaw swung his axe left and right before performing a spinning strike towards the purple drake. Spyro ran to the side, while Rory charged forwards, unleashing fire breath. The flames burned the ape for only a moment, before he turned and swung around and counter-attacked with a downward swing. Rory dodge-rolled to the side, while Spyro ran up and unleashed his own fire breath.
"Don't waste your time!" Calcifer cried out from beyond the wall of flames. "Use physical blows! Get around him!"
Spyro and Rory dashed around Dewclaw, who sneered. He spun around and slammed his axe down between them.
"Go, go!" Rory exclaimed. The two dashed about again, trying to reach the ape's backside. Over and over again, the ape moved to swing at them, never letting them get the drop on him.
"Wait a minute…" Spyro said to himself. The purple drake move around the area, tryng to be opposite Rory. Dewclaw moved to face Spyro, axe at the ready. While he was distracted, Rory ran forwards and rammed the ape in the base of his back.
Dewclaw dropped his axe, snarling in pain as he held his back.
"Damn you!" he roared.
"Now's your chance!" Calcifer exclaimed.
Rory and Spyro pounced upon the struggling ape, using their flame breaths to their fullest. Dewclaw twitched in agony. He fell to the ground and rolled onto his knees, howling. The two younglings backed away.
"Did we win?" Rory asked.
After a moment, the wall of purple flames died down. Dewclaw groaned as he stood up, struggling to lift his axe. Rory and Spyro got into battle stances, while Calcifer stormed forwards, ready to attack.
"This isn't over!" Dewclaw snapped. He leapt up onto the stalk of a nearby mushroom, and vanished from view.
"Spyro, you rock, dude!" Sparx declared, flying around the purple drake's head. "He was all like, 'I'mma chop you up'! And you were like, Dash! Zoom!"
"Uh, thanks." Spyro shrugged.
"Nice to see you can think on your feet." Calcifer remarked. "Maybe if I can find the time, I'll teach you to refine your technique."
"Hey, what about me?!" Rory complained. "I helped too!"
"Yes, but you've had prior training, Rory." The adult drake said.
"I guess so," The little brother shrugged. "But you NEVER offer to teach me!"
"We'll continue this argument later." Calcifer stated. "We need to continue on."
"But-"
Calcifer ignored Rory and led the way out of the canyon. The others followed, Sparx gushing on about Spyro and Rory trying to pester his brother.