Chapter Seven: Survivors

Deeply sorry that the chapter updates are getting slower, just been busy with other stuff lately. This chapter gives a more understanding to how much carnage there has actually been so far after eight years. I know I've been keeping to Hunter for awhile now, but I didn't want him just miraculously showing up after a few days. No i wanted to show you the struggle the three have to go through while getting back to safety unlike Spyro and his family. Just bare with me if the story is starting to turn stale, this has all been pre-written and will not disappoint. Just continue to follow the series and you'll understand. -VPR

The early sign of dawn gave Hunter a sigh of relief as they continued on through the night walking to their destination, not wanting to waste time and make it back to Avalar as soon as possible. The smell of blood tickled his nose when they began to draw near the campfire which they seen burning brightly in the night.

"I smell blood; this may not be good brother." Prowlus said as Hunter nodded his head.

"I smell it to, but we have to inspect it though we are tired." Hunter said as they finally made it to the fire, it was a Cheetah house made of bamboo. The two Cheetahs knew exactly where they were.

"The village…" Prowlus stammered as they saw what was lay upon their eyes for them to see. They Cheetahs which tried to seek refuge in the village where their homes rested were picked clean by the Roamers. Prowlus felt the guild rest upon his shoulders as he saw bodies of his former comrades mark the grounds in randomized places. Some were just blood stained bones which seem to be strung across most of the village, most bones still had flesh on them, including full hands and skin. Most of the victims were just half eaten morsels.

The stomach churning sights which the three could barely take in all at once included torsos being completely ripped open like cans. Intestines lapped over some of the ripped open bellies and heads which were smashed open as though they were smashed by a rock seeped into Hunter's mind. Blood soaked the grass and dirt among them along with limbs which were half eaten was strung across homes and fires without care made Bianca shiver in discomfort.

"Is this the Cheetah Village?" Bianca asked as Hunter nodded his head, still looking at the few homes which were ablaze and bloody carnage which was in front of him.

Prowlus finally lost his control over his stomach as he lurched over onto his knees and allowed his stomach to wretch in front of him before finally saying weakly, "Hunter… the secret passage… we have to go… there's nothing we can do here."

"Right, follow me." Hunter said as he walked through the village fearlessly as though he did not care what challenge lay before him. He was angry, allowing his frustration to push him through the bloody grounds, even walking straight through puddles of blood without hesitating. Seconds passed quickly as they arrived to the sealed tunnel without running into a single Roamer which to Bianca seemed a bit odd.

"Stand aside, I have the key." Prowlus said, just starting to regain control of his stomach as he placed a special stone which resembled the shape of a Cheetah paw into the center of the large stone door.

"We didn't run into one single Roamer in the village… and it seems to have been deserted for quite some time," Bianca said as the door slowly began to slide open. "Hunter…you don't suppose-"

"Too late get in a tree, quickly." Hunter said he helped Bianca get up into a large tree which overhung the passageway. Prowlus climbed up into another tree which was nearby as soon as the door opened completely. Roamers began to poor out from the door as though they were begging to be released.

"The civilians managed to coax them in there… but one might have had to been the unlucky one." Bianca whispered, clinging onto Hunter's waste more securely as he continued to watch the mob poor out.

"There must be a hundred or so in there if they wanted to take down the whole village," Hunter said as he just watched the moaning horrors drag aimlessly out into the early morning sun. "When all of them clear out, we'll close the door behind us, they won't be able to get back in." About two minutes worth of waiting, the last Roamer finally stumbled its way out into view, a Leaper of all things to be last. Hunter signaled Prowlus to get down before him and Bianca could so he could grab the paw stone, soon followed by Hunter and Bianca.

"He'll be a minute before he can relock the door; all we have to do is-" A wild shriek split the morning air as Hunter was unable to finish his sentence. A Leaper from the group spotted them which alerted all of the other Roamers to head to their direction.

"You've got to be kidding me." Prowlus said as he grasped his bow until Bianca took it from him.

"I know how to use one, give me you arrow pack, just work on the door." Bianca ordered as Prowlus quickly gave her the pack which was slung around his back which in turn she slung around hers.

"We don't have enough arrows to take them all on, we need another plan" Hunter said as he struggled to pick out the closest targets while doing the best he could fending off the Leapers which scurried quickly towards them.

"I hope this works," Bianca said as she grabbed a small container filled with an orange and blue power and wrapped it onto the tip of an arrow with the piece of rope it had around the neck and fired it at the ground directly in front of the herd. "Give it a second…" Bianca said as a Roamer stepped on the glass container, scattering it and causing the ingredients to hit the oxygen in the air, making it erupt with intense flames while the wind scattered the remaining bits of powder in front of the rest of the herd which also set ablaze.

"Will that hold them off?" Hunter questioned, smiling to Bianca's whit as she smiled back to him.

"Yes until the powders burn off completely, it burns with intense heat," Bianca said as she grabbed another arrow and wrapped another container at the tip which was filled with a white and black substance. "I was in charge of making special weapons for my master while I was bound to her; these are only a few of an assortment I have made."

"You don't seem too bothered by these things even though they're strung across the world like rats, how can you not be fazed by these things?" Hunter asked as Bianca shook her head.

"Because they only inhabit this region, they do not exist outside where I come from, like they know their source of power is near here." Bianca said, making Prowlus and Hunter freeze, shocked by this news as Bianca released her next arrow, this one creating spikey ice pillars to ward off the next wave of Roamers.

"You mean… it is a contained plague?" Hunter asked as Bianca nodded her head.

"Yes, your harbinger of chaos, Draikor, must be near for these things to want to stay here," Bianca said as loaded another ice potion. "Those ice pillars won't last forever, they become frail and easy to bust through, help me hold them off!"

"So to exterminate this chaos, all we have to do is make a clean sweep across our region and kill them all off," Hunter said as he fired an arrow at a Berserker's head just as soon as it broke through the ice pillar. "We can actually beat this thing with enough time and troops." Bianca fired another arrow into a rock near the Berserker Hunter had freshly killed, breaking the veil instantly as another wall of ice formed.

"They die instantly if they get too far away from here though, like they're whole life consists on being near their main life support," Bianca said as she looked towards Prowlus. "Is that door ready yet, they're getting to close!"

"Got it, get in, hurry!" Prowlus said as he retrieve his arrows and bow from Bianca who threw a smoke screen veil before entering the dark tunnel, soon followed by Hunter. Soon after they entered, the door sealed shut behind them, blocking them from the ear splitting shrills and shrieks of the undead abominations behind them.

"Ok… we're safe," Hunter said as he sighed and took a deep breath before continuing on. "Bianca… I must know more about your master. Tell me now please."

"She wanted to kill off every dragon in her region for a spell to give her eternal life… and to end life on this planet," Bianca said as Hunter and Prowlus listened carefully. "I saw her kill a baby dragon… I couldn't take her ways anymore. I killed her with the techniques she taught me over the years and released all of her prisoners. But by then, the Lizard tribes from the Ease had already taken over most of everything."

"So you came here, hoping to forget?" Prowlus asked as Bianca nodded her head shamefully.

"She reminds me of Cynder, not given a chance to do good, evil manipulated he until she finally broke free," Hunter said as Bianca looked up to him. "She deserves a chance to redeem herself."

"Thank you for your kindness, but you is this Cynder you speak about, I feel like I've heard that name before." Bianca asked as Hunter smiled to the question.

"During Malefor's reign years ago, Cynder was his dark servant who was led by Gaul, the Ape King," Hunter sad as Bianca soon remembered. "Spyro loved her more than anything, and went out of his way to free her from her dark prison. Since then, Cynder has been doing well due to Spyro's love for her."

"Will I get the chance to meet her in Warfang?" Bianca asked as Hunter shrugged his shoulders.

"It depends on if they made it to Warfang in our absence, which we shouldn't waste more time, we must press on." Hunter said as he followed the torch lit tunnels, along with Bianca and Prowlus.

"Wait a minute; is this the same Cynder who brought fear to all of our hearts, the Terror of the Skies?" Bianca asked, making Hunter smile as they pushed on.

"If you're worried about her being of any threat, rest assure, it's our enemies who have to worry," Prowlus said as he kept looking around the tunnel for any signs of Roamers. "She's changed, trust us. If you do well to her, she will no doubt do well for you."

"How is Spyro, is he doing well?" Bianca asked, stopping for a second to fix her satchel strap.

"He's had a lot on his mind lately no doubt," Hunter said as he and Prowls waited patiently for Bianca to finish. "He's a father now, that being said and the fact that he's being pressured by how life is here with the Roamers and all. Plus, Draikor's son is still on the loose, who knows what he's planning on doing."

"I did not know that a monster like him could have parenting skills." Bianca said as they continued on.

"Yeah, his parenting skills are a bit different than ours." Prowlus said, noticing that light was up ahead in the tunnel.

"Don't get your hopes up yet, we're not there yet," Hunter said as the light source came into view. "They are just pieces of wall cut out from the wall to see over the edge of the cliff we are now upon. From here we can see the Dragon City. In about a few more hours, we will be among the outskirts of the city." The city seemed dark and somber to the eyes now, not like it used to seem.


"Do any of your friends know we're here?" Spyro asked as Skyro shook his head.

"None, they think I'm ill, so they said they will let me rest." Skyro said as Spyro chuckled.

"That's an old trick, we'll first train your fire element and hopefully try to spark you electricity element as well," Spyro said as he unlocked the secret room in the basement. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"Let's do this, I'm ready." Skyro said as Spyro lit the small brass pan filled with a flammable liquid which erupted with fire quicker than he first thought. The walls had a small indention carved all around the large room back to the other side of the door into another brass pan. The room was fully illuminated with light, showing the fine stones which the room was made from.

"Now son, pay close attention to my words, they will guide you to success," Spyro said as Skyro took a deep breath and nodded his head, shrugging off all of his thoughts as he prepared himself. "Clear your mind Skyro, and feel the fire that flows through your veins. Allows its heat to consume you, and breathe with it. Feel the heat build in your chest and into your lungs, and let it leave your body under your control… Give life to the dim ember in your heart and let it erupt from your soul." Skyro look a deep breath and felt the heat boil and rise in his chest to a point of intensity.

Skyro allowed the fire blaze from his maw, coursing through his body and setting the floor ablaze with intense flames until he soon ran out of air which made him stop and stammer with disbelief, "…I did it… I did it dad!"

"Yes you did my son, very well, your fire breath might me stronger than I first anticipated," Spyro said, smiling as his son stood still, taking in what he had just done. "Now this one might be a bit harder to do since you haven't had any type of experience with it. Don't fear the unstable nature of electricity however; it is as easily tamed as it is uncontrollable. Are you ready?"

"Yes… I hope." Skyro said as he positioned himself like his father did when he was about ready to fight.

Spyro smiled again as he said, "Surrender to its erratic nature. Allow its energy to charge through your body and anticipate its movement… then unleash it… willingly." Skyro's body began to twitch a little bit at the legs and chest as the high voltages of electricity began to charge inside of his body, soon causing him to stand up onto his hind legs before opening his mouth and slamming his feet own onto the ground. The bolt of electricity which ripped and twisted in different angles struck the ground with so much force, it caused the ground to blacken and crack under pure power.

"He's already showing power now… how strong will he be when he is older?" Spyro thought as Skyro grabbed his chest to calm himself before he spoke.

"I could feel it race through my body… like it was living inside of me," Skyro said as he breathed a bit heavier than usual, looking at the ground ahead of him which still had steam rising from it. "Dad… how powerful was you at my age?"

Spyro didn't know the right answer to say, he knew how Skyro felt years ago, but what he was witnessing was amazing as he said, "Strong… but you're already showing intense power already… I'm very impressed."

"Can we learn just one more?" Skyro asked as Spyro shook his head.

"No my son, I think we need to stick with practicing with the two you have already," Spyro said as he moved a few barrels in front of Skyro. "I had a time gap in between each of my elements, but seeming how you've adapted to two very quickly, I feel as though piling on the other two might be a challenge. Then there's the ones you need to learn from your mother; I just want to make sure you don't miss anything that you can learn from these gifts."

"Are dragons the only ones who have these types of gifts?" Skyro asked, flapping his wings once to cool himself off.

"Everyone has a gift in this world," Spyro said as he motioned Skyro to step back a few steps away from the barrels. "Cheetahs have unique acrobatics, tracking, and hunting senses while the Lizard tribes have endurance, natural venom, camouflage abilities, and can adapt to nearly any type of situation. Even Moles have their own gifts such as technology, intelligence, and moral. Dragons are peacekeepers; we either guard or destroy as you can see by our history… I only wish that one day we can live in a world where nobody has to live in fear due to wars or violence. I've tried to make this come true… my color says that I must… but I always end up having to face another foe… this is why a dragon's life is sometimes frowned upon."

"Has there ever been peace?" Skyro asked as Skyro shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know… if there ever was it did not last long… all of it originates from Dark Magic," Spyro said, his head seemed to hang a bit low as he spoke. "Your mother knows more about Dark Magic than I do… she was infected by it… do not ever trust its essence, not even if it promises you power far beyond recognition. The pain of killing and corrupting everything around you is not worth it."

"Your father was blinded by it to, right?" Skyro asked as Spyro nodded his head.

"Yes… the type of blindness you do not come back from," Spyro said as he shook his head. "He only saw clearly again when before he died… by me. I thought I was infected by it to, but it turned out to be the demon which caused all of this mess to begin with, Zpharah. Your mother was to, but I destroyed it, Namulis. I'm not evil… I just know what it feels to have something like that claw and rip at your mind, body, and soul. Your mother and I raised you to believe in good and that everything that loves or can be loved deserves to be given the chance to be loved… we are just afraid that you will turn out the wrong way."

"Dad, you can trust me, I've seen and still growing up through dark times, the last thing I want to be is somebody who pushes evil among this world." Skyro said as his father smiled to his son's bold statement.

"Let us not worry about these matters right now and continue on," Spyro said as he shook his head clear of the past and present. "I want you to focus your flame into a single point and knock over each of the barrels. A strong blast of fire can clean out multiple targets when the area is close range or when you are fighting a single opponent, but when you are up against multiple enemies in the skies especially, you need to be agile and accurate. Do you understand son?"

"I need to keep the pressure on all of my foes by showing them that I can pack a punch while still being quick, right?" Skyro asked as Spyro nodded his head.

"That is correct; now show me what you can do under pressure." Spyro said as Skyro positioned himself low to the ground and focused on the barrels.