Chapter 07: Ghosts of the Past
"At first he mastered fire, which was odd because he was not a fire dragon. Then came Ice…"
Chronicler to Spyro, September 22, 2201
-[]-
May 19, 1965 | 12:37 PM [Local Time] (1237 Hr MLTY)
Dragon Temple, Peninsula of the Dragon
Subj: Malefor Age: 13 -3 Years Before Anomaly
Malefor flapped his wings, slowly setting down on the Temple balcony. The other Guardians landed near him or had already landed. The Temple was... well... awesome to say the least. It wasn't nearly as large of the Temple of Our Ancestors back in Arcantheus but the fact that the temple was nestled on the top of a plateau in the middle of an expansive mushroom forest only added to its majesty. Aurelius landed next to him, looking up at the large temple.
"Good to be home again... come Malefor, there is much to see and discuss. This will be your new home for training."
"What about Arcantheus and the temple there?"
"We'll visit there every so often but this, this is the Guardian's true home and I believe yours as well. Don't worry, you'll grow to like it here." Aurelius said as he walked towards the central door. Two guards stood at the door before stepping to the side, allowing Aurelius safe entry along with the other Guardians who shuffled in. Malefor couldn't remember the last time he had seen all the Guardians together like this. The last time was probably when he arrived at the temple earlier that year.
They entered, Malefor looking all around at the large room that was presented to him. The room before him sat with a brilliant stone floor, vines covering it slightly as they grew from the wall, some mushrooms forming along the elaborate patterns that decorated the room. In the center of the room sat a massive statue that... kind of looked like him. Malefor lifted an eyebrow at the sight, looking it over.
"The Master Mason in charge of the Temple thought it would be a paying tribute to modify the temple to your likeness." Aurelius explained, standing by Malefor.
"My... likeness?" Malefor asked.
"Yes young one, you're very important after all. The Master Mason shares what many in the realms feels right now, hope and admiration for you."
"But... Master if I may, what have I really done to deserve this? I'm barely getting through training and I haven't really..."
"Nonsense Malefor, your mere existence brings them hope. You see young one, legends speak of you, speak of this mighty purple dragon which is supposed to suppress the forces of darkness and bring about a new golden age to our world. We live in a time where the darkness has started to show itself again, and people are worried, afraid. They see you as a beacon of hope, something to look up to, somebody to save them."
Malefor looked at the ground, a little overcome with the idea of it all. It was true, in recent years, well, more than recent, several unexplained creatures had begun to roam the realms, causing terror and havoc, especially in the east. Those who lived in the realms and even beyond in Avalar and the Islands were feeling uneasy about this... especially since the creatures matched the descriptions of those who would bring an end to this cycle through destruction and death. He understood why many felt afraid and were uncertain... but did he really have all the answers? He wasn't even sure of himself, but so many people were counting on him.
"If you believe so Master." Malefor bowed to Aurelius, accepting this for the time being. He was unsure of it... but Aurelius sure believed in him, and that was enough for the time being.
"Very good Malefor, come I am sure you're famished after that long flight. We shall prepare a feast for you and the others here at the Temple at once before getting you ready for the next phase in your training."
"Master, may I ask what is this next phase?"
"We've shown you the basics of fire and combat with your claws, but now it is time to refine your techniques and teach you different ways to use your abilities. You will now train with some of the best these realms have to offer." Aurelius lead him out of the central room and beyond to a room with a small circular pool in the middle. Malefor stopped to peer at it for a bit before Aurelius ushered him onwards. They passed through several more rooms before arriving at a room similar to the one at the entrance but on a smaller scale with stone tables lining the walls and a glass dome sitting at the top, much like in the entrance room as well.
Within the room sat a few dragons and dragonesses, all looking much older than Malefor and all looking like they were gifted in some aspect or another. There were only a few of them, less than about 8 or so.
"These are our apprentices, training to one day become the top of their elemental grade, masters of their elements. This is our future Malefor, and you will train side by side with these dragons." The group of dragons turned to look at Malefor, some of them looking at Malefor with disdain, some with excitement. Some were... harder to read then others. One of the dragons, a fire element obviously, looked at him with a stare that could destroy concrete. Malefor could feel his eyes sizing him up, piercing his very being... He could tell all of them were older than 20 years, some younger perhaps but all around that age. They were double his size and all indeed frightening.
"You will get to know each of them well over the next few years before we begin your next phase." Malefor nodded, looking at them before moving with Aurelius to the other side of the room. The dragons continued to watch him before talking amongst themselves and breaking up to meet with their respective guardian.
Malefor sat at one of the tables by himself as Aurelius had gone to sit with two other dragons Malefor didn't recognize, probably other residents of the temple. He looked at the wall before him, seeing a few leaves that had grown along it and were slowly overtaking the table. Malefor wondered how many more years or even months of un-attendance before this whole table would overtaken by the leaves and growth.
"Hey you!" A voice called out, grabbing Malefor's attention. Malefor turned, seeing the flame dragon from before walking up to him. He stopped beside Malefor, towering nearly a foot above him, peering down onto him.
"Can I… help you?" Malefor asked, feeling intimidated by his larger form.
"You're the one they keep talking about right? You're Malefor."
"Yeah, that's me."
"Listen and listen good… I'm the one who is going to be the top fire apprentice here. I have been training for years for this apprenticeship and I won't let someone like you ruin those chances… do I make myself clear?"
"What? I don't know what you're talking about." Malefor said, looking confused.
The dragon shoved Malefor into the table, growling a bit.
"Just stay out of my way." He said before walking away, shoving past another dragon who watched him leave before sighing and walking over to Malefor.
"Don't mind him, he can be a hot head sometimes." He said, helping Malefor up. Malefor rubbed his side where he hit the table, shaking his head. Malefor looked at the new dragon, he looking to be a darker shade of green, an Earth Dragon. He had several sets of horns coming from his face and neck, forming more jagged face. He was obviously from Peace Makers.
"What's his problem?"
"He's just got a stick up his ass. His name's Darius. He's actually nice… once in a while. Seems you did something to piss him off."
"Like what? I haven't done anything!"
"Seems that you've learned fire, incredibly fast. So fast that it's all everyone's talked about. You mastered fire projection, something Darius over there's been working on for months. He comes from a well to do family from Artisan's and his father was insistent on him seeking this apprenticeship. Guess he feels like you're a threat to him."
Malefor shook his head.
"I don't see how that threatens him…"
"It's no secret he's got aspirations for being the next Fire Guardian… maybe he thinks if you become the master of fire, he'd never see that chance."
"That's… stupid! He's got a lot more he needs to take care of before worrying about me if he's thinking of Guardianship…"
"Yeah, yeah I know. You gotta understand though… he comes from a family that strives for such perfection, he's got to be feeling the pressure. There's no such thing as second place in his family. Just… avoid him if you can. Other than that, welcome to the Temple! The name's Magnus."
"Nice to meet you… Magnus. I'm Malefor."
"Oh yeah, we've all heard about you… we've all been excited to meet you. Well… most of us. There are some who are like Darius and are weary of you leaping ahead of them in the Guardian's eyes."
Malefor frowned.
"I don't want to intrude… I never had a choice in the manner…"
"Yeah I know… don't worry about them though."
"How many of you are here at the Temple?"
"Apprentice wise? There are only about 8 of us in total, but we're not the only ones here. There're also a great number of older dragons who were like us at one point but have gone to the next level of their training or are trying to learn a special art that you can't learn anywhere else. There are also a number of Guards who protect this place and… well that's it. There aren't too many dragons here, we're a little isolated here in the mushroom forest. I think the Guardian's like it that way."
"I would imagine… "
"Hey, looks like they're bringing out the food for us, let's go get some." Magnus motioned over to a few plates the Fire Guardian presented for the others to eat. Malefor smiled, smelling the food. It had been a while since he had eaten… He nodded to Magnus.
"Oh I think I'll do just that…" Malefor said, making Magnus smile.
"That's the spirit, I think you'll love it here."
They both trotted over, joining the small line of dragons that all went to get their plate of food ranging from cooked dear to several selections of fish. Malefor hoped Magnus was right… this place seemed incredible but Malefor knew in the back of his head that this was only the first day and if his encounter with Darius was any forerunner, things would be very tough here for him...
The rest of the day was spent in orientation, spent being shown different parts of the temple and where he'd be staying. The temple was much larger then he once thought, many tunnels spanned the underground and the many structures that dotted the peninsula. Many sections sat vacant, hallways looking like they once had a use, but after many years had fallen into disservice.
Malefor walked from the Pool of Visions into the main dojo, seeing a few figures moving about in the room. He could see a few of the apprentices here, practicing obviously under the supervision of a Guardian. One apprentice was in the session right now, knocking over several enchanted dummies that came his way. The other apprentices sat off to the side, watching and taking note while the Guardian gave suggestions to the apprentice in session. This particular dragon, was Darius. Malefor frowned at that, but walked to the side. He had hoped to do a session after arriving, so he could stay sharp. He didn't want to lag behind just because he was new here. He also wanted to get a good look at the dojo, see how he was going to be training.
The dojo here was much smaller than the one in Arcantheus. It might have been… a fourth of its size. Obviously this was because the temple here was much smaller than the grand temple in Arcantheus. He didn't think a temple that size would fit on the small peninsula…
The others noticed his arrival, each looking annoyed or miffed at the idea of him being there. Darius was the most annoyed, stopping his session altogether to watch Malefor enter the room. He immediately went back to his actions, knocking a dummy so hard it flew into the wall nearby and exploded, clearly a show of force. Malefor merely sighed.
"No showing off Darius, one does not win battles using all their force in one hit." Berylsythe said, commenting on the action. Darius huffed, adjusting himself before knocking another dummy down. Malefor watched Darius, taking in his every move. He was clearly talented, easily knocking over the dummies with little effort. He even managed to get a trio of the larger dummies with a single hit. Well, he almost did. His attack scathed the third one, not defeating it. Still, he was above the dragons he had seen at the elemental academy in Arcantheus. Malefor guessed that you had to be that good to even qualify to be an apprentice.
"Very good Darius you are improving. You are lagging though, you're last time was better than this one."
"Sorry master, I was slightly distracted." Darius said, scowling in Malefor's direction.
"Make sure it doesn't continue, you can't allow yourself any distractions in battle. One slip, and the enemy can take you in a single blow. Remember that."
Darius nodded, the other apprentices nodding as well.
"Well now, since Malefor is here, why don't you come and have a session?" The fire guardian turned towards Malefor, causing him to perk up.
"Wait, I was next master Berylsythe." One of the apprentices said.
"Yes, yes, though I would like you to watch Malefor since he is here. He might be younger then all of you but he is qualified to be here and I believe each of you can learn something from him."
Malefor nodded, walking towards the center of the dojo. The others grunted and spoke softly amongst themselves, obviously miffed.
"Right then, Malefor when you are ready." The guardian stepped back, several dummies spawning as he left the main area. Malefor assumed the appropriate battle position….
He was ready.
At once they charged, each moving towards him in many directions. He counted at least seven smaller dummies with three larger towards the rear. He sprang into action at once, leaping towards one dummy and kicking off of its chest, sending it down onto the floor and launching himself into the air. He twirled around while airborne, breathing a jet of fire onto two below him, scorching them under the intense flames. He landed on his feet in-between two, the dummies making swipes as soon as he hit the ground. He dodged one blow that came from behind while grabbing the one immediately in front of him and throwing him around in a circle, causing him to collide with the one behind them and send them crashing down.
Malefor followed this up by spitting fire onto him, eviscerating them in no time. The final two leapt at him, Malefor able to swipe his tail around and cut one clean in half. The other dodged the attack and instead grabbed at Malefor's horn. Malefor tucked his head down with the dummy's arm attached, tossing him into the air with one powerful stroke. Once airborne, Malefor leapt up and impaled the dummy through the stomach, all the while dodging an attack from a larger one that had finally made its way into the fray.
Flapping his wings, Malefor was able to land on the back of the larger one, planting his hind-legs onto its back and thrusting forwards with great strength, sending it stumbling forward and towards its two comrades who raced to attack Malefor. Malefor now hovered where the larger dummy used to be, he smiling at the dummies while bringing his fore-legs up. He had been practicing this attack for some time now, let's see if it paid off…
Malefor twirled his paws in a circular motion, eliciting curious stares from the group of apprentices who had sat watching silently the entire time. Malefor closed his eyes , concentrating hard before applying energy to his talons. A small sphere of fire energy began to grow in his thrall, growing into a sizable orb before Malefor opened his eyes and cast it forward towards the larger dummies. The orb of energy traveled fast and true, impaling each dummy before traveling to the next, slicing through each one's gut with clean precision. The dummies visibly flinched as the orb sliced through each one before each of them came crashing to the dojo floor, exploding in a flurry of straw and enchantment energy.
Malefor landed on the floor, turning to look back at the apprentices. Many of them looked with a bit of surprise and astonishment that he was able to perform that maneuver. Darius had a look of astonishment before banishing it immediately, returning to his look of glum and malice. It made Malefor smile inside…
"Very well done Malefor! I barely just got done teaching you that maneuver and here you've mastered it! Very well done indeed."
The others scoffed silently, some continuing to look with curious amazement.
"Master, perhaps you could have Malefor perform that move again, I would like to see it." Darius said, surprising Malefor who turned quickly to look at the fire dragon. He merely smiled, looking at Malefor with a glum smirk. He was up to something…
"Very well, Malefor could you perform that move once more?" The Guardian turned towards Malefor, he answering with a simple nod. He turned back to the center of the dojo, watching a large dummy spawn opposite of him. With his back turned, he did not even see Darius move to his right and pull something off of a small crate against the wall.
Malefor watched the dummy begin its charge, slowly making its way towards him. He closed his eyes, trying to concentrate while moving his paws again in a circular motion to start forming the energy. The orb once again formed, growing in size and power. Again, he opened his eyes and cast the orb forward, moving so now it would cut the creature in half rather then slice clean through. He was so focused on casting the energy forward he almost didn't notice as a crystal slid across the floor right under the dummy.
A displacement crystal! The crystal glowed a bright white as his orb neared, the crystal giving off a pulse of energy that interrupted Malefor's own, causing the orb to fall out of his control and fly clear past the dummy and back towards Malefor.
Malefor leapt out of the way, feeling the heat of the orb as it past only inches from him. He landed on the ground, quickly turning to see the orb headed right for the group of apprentices that had been watching with an intent gaze until now.
Some of them assumed defensive positions while others tried to move quickly out of the way. That orb was out of control, moving left then right, in every direction as it careened their way. There was no telling where it'd hit!
Malefor grunted, leaping up as he tried to think of anything that could possibly stop the orb, anything! He opened his mouth without even realizing it, attempting to breathe something, anything!
What came out of his muzzle surprised him more than the absolute feeling of cold that was now gripping his throat as opposed to fire. Ice shot out from his muzzle, ice! The ice streaked forward, catching the orb and negating the fiery effects of the orb, causing it to explode in midair, the energies dispersing.
Malefor sat, breathing heavily as he watched this, feeling the cold subside from his throat. Did… did he just do that…?
"Malefor… did you just breathe ice…?" Berylsythe turned towards Malefor, astonished.
"I… I think I just did…"
"Wait, wait, no dragon can wield two elements, that's just the fundamentals of our species... right? One apprentice asked, looking dumbfounded. It was true… no dragon could breathe two elements… only one. Just one.
"Well it appears Malefor can…" Berylsythe looked just about as astonished as each of the apprentices, unable to fathom what they had just witnessed. They almost didn't even turn when they heard crystals rolling on the floor nearby, Darius next to them, looking like he was 'trying' to pick them up after knocking the crates over.
"I thought I would try to get one ready… see how well Malefor could control his… ability…" Darius said, trying to act coy as a very upset Berylsythe walked over towards him.
"Darius I expect more from you, from your family. Interference with another's session is strictly forbidden, and you endangered the others here."
"I'm sorry Master Berylsythe… it won't happen again."
"See that it doesn't Darius, you're supposed to be the best in your element. Act like it."
Darius visibly flinched at that, but preceded to bow out of respect. Malefor would have felt great anger at that moment… but he was still getting over the fact he just breathed a second element. Berylsythe turned towards Malefor, smiling wide.
"Aurelius will be pleased to hear this, and so will Fayveer. It looks like you'll be doing training with him now as well…"
Malefor nodded, watching one of the ice apprentices become annoyed. Oh great, now he'd have to worry about more than just Darius… Looked like today was going to get a LOT busier than he expected…
[Dysnc...]
[Done]
Dragon Realms, Uncharted System
October 2, 2204 [UER Military Calendar]
8:37 AM [Local Time] (0837 Hr MLTY)
Mushroom Forest
"Hurry up slow poke!" Eatherine yelled back to Malefor as he tried to climb up a few rocks.
"My leg may have healed but it's still sore!" He yelled up her. She gave him a smug look, standing atop the rocks and looking down at him. He only continued to climb, ascending to her position. They had set out an hour or so ago from that cave, leaving it far behind. There were bound north, to Arcantheus. For that, according to Eatherine, they'd have to travel north past the Dragon Temple towards the mountain pass that served as the gate to the southern peninsula. From there, they'd head north into the Plains of Mandobar where they'd follow some ancient roads into the Dragon Kingdom. From there it'd be a day's walk to Arcantheus.
So far so good...
"Come on, I don't have all day…"
"I'm here, I'm here!" Malefor climbed the rocks, shaking his head as Eatherine just laughed, walking down through another path that carved its way through the mushroom swamps.
"How far out do you think that storm is?" Malefor asked, looking up to the clouds. He had been watching as a large set of grey clouds had slowly drifted in since sunrise. If it was a storm, they'd have to settle in while it passed. It wouldn't be wise to traverse a swamp in a storm, especially when it could flood so easily and wash away unsuspecting dragons to their doom…
"Probably only a few hours, we should find a cave or something before it hits. I'd hate to be caught in it." Malefor nodded.
"Maybe we should have just slept in this morning." Malefor joked, looking at the Dragon Temple in the distance as it loomed over them.
"No, you kidding me? That storm might've actually swept us out of the cave. You forget it's at the base of a gulley."
Malefor looked down at his scales, still tattered by the slip that he had fallen in earlier. It was slowly coming off, slowly chipping away to reveal his purple scales underneath. He couldn't wait to get this stuff off... He had grown used to it by now but he could for sure tell the difference as his scales were once again revealed to the world.
"Hey maybe we could go to the Dragon Temple over there, see if we can ride out the storm there." Eatherine stopped, looking up towards the Temple on top of the cliff.
"Oh no, no I don't think that's such a good idea…" Malefor stopped, remembering his last experience in the Temple.
"Why not? I don't think the Guardians would be heartless to turn us away."
"I… I don't have good experiences there." He rubbed his arm, looking at the ground. She raised an eyebrow at him.
"Ok, what now? What happened at the Temple?"
"I… I don't want to talk about it."
"If you say so. We'll just have to find a cave then."
"Hey, I can see one up there!" Malefor pointed up onto a ledge above them where some of the rocks had collapsed, creating a small crevice large enough to serve as a shelter from the storm.
"Alright, let's go check it out." She leapt up onto a few rocks, climbing up to it. Malefor climbed up after her, flapping his wings a bit to catch up. Off in the distance they could hear low rumbles, the storm fast approaching.
"Man... that thing must've caught a wind or something, it's coming fast." Eatherine said before trotting into the small cavern.
"Least we can use this place to ride it out." Malefor said, looking around. Eatherine set her pack down that carried her belongings, inspecting the roof and walls.
"Looks pretty good, but we might want to patch some of these rocks here, they might leak water down into here." She pointed to where the roof wasn't a solid piece of stone but rather several pieces of different stones resting on top of one another.
"How will we do that?" Malefor asked.
"I'm an Earth dragoness... I'll take care of that. Go and grab us some food though, we might be in here a while and I don't want to have to use you for food, you're still covered in that slit stuff." Malefor laughed at that, shaking his head before turning back to the forest.
"I'll be sure to dip your food in the slit." He said, looking back at her.
"No, no, none of that." She turned to him, shaking her head before climbing on top of some rocks, using her abilities to slowly shift rocks and dust into place to seal the cracks. Malefor smirked at this before walking out of the cavern and back into the swamps.
The clouds had gotten much closer in the few minutes they had spent investigating the cave. She was right, the storm must've caught a strong gust of wind to be traveling this fast. It might hit them within the next few minutes. Malefor grunted, sprinting into the swamp to find food quickly.
His paws splashed in the pools of water that were common in the swamp, the water actually having increased and was submerging his entire paw rather than a small portion of it. Had the water level risen already? The storm hadn't even hit! The area they were in was downhill from the area the storm was hitting already, it was possible water was already making its way down here into the basin. He hoped their cavern was high enough to not get swept away in case this storm got REALLY bad.
He lifted his paw up, seeing the murky water drip off of it. It was kind of nasty looking but... hold on a second... His paw was purple again! He could see his scales again! He felt a sense of relief, knowing that the slit would soon come off of him completely. He considered the idea of rolling around in the water but its yellow color made him think otherwise... It'd probably be better to just sit in the rain then roll around in this stuff.
Another rumble in the distance caught his attention, snapping him out of his trance. He looked around, trying to find anything eatable to stockpile before heading back. He hadn't seen any animals, or berry bushes. He'd have to look further in...
Each step he took he could feel the wind at his back, slapping against him and giving him chills. The mushrooms around him swayed in the wind, slowly rocking back and forth. It had grown much darker too, the sun almost having been eclipsed by the black clouds as they had gotten closer, some of them not on top of him already. Birds chirped before a large flock flew away from a nearby roost, scattering around the forest. Malefor cursed at himself. He had just let some food get away...
He looked around again, trying to see if he could see any more birds or animals in the forest. He... could see something flying overhead in the distance. Was it a bird...? No, it was a... a dragon actually. A dragon? Who would be stupid enough to try and fly with that storm overhead? The dragon was pitch black, only some features visible to him but it wasn't a dragon he had seen before. He looked a little older then Malefor, maybe by just a year. Why was he out here in the first place? It didn't matter... Malefor doubted the dragon would hear him and he knew for a fact he couldn't fly up there. He didn't even dare gliding again after what happened last time...
There wasn't anything here, he'd have to search somewhere else for food. He moved over some vines, leaping into another puddle and looking around again. He didn't even notice that the dragon he had spotted earlier was actually flying low, towards him as he looked around the base of another mushroom, inspecting its bushes.
He was startled when he heard a splash behind him, spinning around rapidly to see the dragon behind him.
"Woah! Don't scare me like that!" Malefor said, almost leaping around the side of the mushroom to gain a tactical position, scrubbing that idea as he had to remind himself he wasn't in a battle situation.
"Sorry, I'm looking for someone and you're the first dragon we've ran into in the mushroom forest. Not many dragons live out here." The dragon said, looking him over.
"I don't live here, I'm passing through with a friend." Malefor said, relaxing a bit but on guard a little as he mentioned he was looking for someone.
"You shouldn't be out here, there's a storm coming in." The dragon said to him, looking up at the black clouds.
"Yeah... I noticed... We're just gathering recourses before we go and take shelter in a cave."
"You said you were with a friend, who's this friend of yours?"
"Oh, she's an Earth dragoness. We're traveling up north from Warfang."
"'Going up north from Warfang? Why would you go up there?"
"I'm looking... for something. We're going up north to find it." The black dragon looked at him with an odd look, lifting an eyebrow. "Who's this you're looking for anyway?" Malefor asked, trying to deflect from his statement.
"We're looking for the Dark Master, he's somewhere in this forest."
"The Dark Master? I thought that Spyro guy defeated him."
"He's back, and he's masquerading as a young dragon, like you and me. If you find any other purple dragons out here, be sure to tell us at the Temple immediately."
"The... Temple?"
"The Dragon Temple, yes. We're trying to hunt him down before he's able to return to full power."
"I see... well... I better go before this storm hits, we've got a lot of work to do..." Malefor turned quickly, trying to get away from him. If he was from the Temple, then Malefor had no desire to continue talking to him, at least in the sense that nothing good came from there. At least now, from what he could remember the place was amazing but now...? Whoever was in the Temple now for some reason had a vendetta against him and purple dragons in general. Why such hatred for purple dragons? That Spyro was a purple dragon, why was there hostility to him? Was it because he looked like this Dark Master? Malefor couldn't figure out why there was such hatred there for him... he hadn't done anything!
"Why don't you and your friend come with me, back to the Temple? It would be much safer there."
"No, I think it'd be better for us to stay put. It'd take too long to get back to the cave, then to the Temple. We're better off there." Malefor tried to play off the fact that he had no desire on stepping in the Temple, not while that "Cynder" was there. She had it out for him the most. That and... it was kind of true. With the rate that storm was approaching, it'd take too long to get Eatherine and fly off towards the Temple, assuming he could even do that.
"If you say so... hey, what's wrong with your tail?"
Malefor turned, looking at his tail as he had let it get submerged in the murky waters of the swamp without realizing it, the water having taken off some of the slit and revealing purple scales beneath.
"Oh... that? Must be something in the water... messing with my scales." This time though, the dragon didn't seem to buy it, walking over. Crap... He was going to have to get away quickly...
"It's not doing anything to me and we're the same color... you sure that-"
"Hey, look out!" Malefor quickly, pushed the dragon aside, a mushroom nearby collapsing into the area they were at. The wind was so strong several of the mushrooms were starting to topple over. Things were getting dangerous and Malefor had to get to the cave! He had landed in the water, picking himself up just as the other dragon was. Water covered Malefor's face, dripping off and obscuring his vision. He brought up a paw to whip away the water before opening his eyes, seeing the black slit dripping from his claws.
Uh oh...
"Hey... what the?!" The dragon saw this, seeing Malefor's purple face as the water had washed the slit away.
"I uh..."
"You're him! You're the Dark Master!" The dragon yelled, leaping at him. Malefor quickly leapt back, landing on the mushroom's fallen stalk to avoid his strike.
"What the hell is wrong with you? I'm not the Dark Master!" Malefor panted as the dragon didn't seem to listen, instead charging a beam of purple energy
Oh no, oh no!
Malefor quickly leapt back as the beam split the air, hitting a mushroom behind him and splitting it into several pieces. Great! Just great! Malefor quickly sprinted away, trying to escape. He could feel the heat as the dragon continued to fire beams, each slamming into the water or a nearby mushroom, blowing it to pieces or splitting it in half.
The sounds of the beams impacting were only supplemented by another rumble as the storm was now right on top of them. Rain had started to fall, a light sprinkle right now but it was coming down in large droplets, meaning it was going to get worse, and quickly.
Malefor turned, seeing the dragon standing atop the fallen mushroom stalk from before, looking right at him. Malefor froze, seeing the dragon look at him with an amount of hatred only rivaled by Cynder. Their gazes were locked before the dragon lifted his head up and fired a beam right into the sky, the beam drowning out the storm and casting its light for all to see.
Malefor had to get away, he had to get away! He took this moment to run, run as fast as he could into the forest. More thunder roared above as the rain was starting to fall harder, his vision being obscured now from all the water coming down. He stopped in a small gorge, surrounded by tall rocks and mushrooms that went on forever. Where in the hell was he? Where was the cave?! Great, now he had lost Eatherine!
He looked around, quickly and sporadically to see if he was being followed. It was hard to see in the rain... and it was only going to get worse. With a low grunt he sprinted through the gorge, walking along a line of vines and roots that formed a bridge. Underneath water was starting to collect from the rain, growing higher and higher with each passing moment. More thunder rumbled as he reached the end, climbing up and over onto rocks, seeing more swamp ahead of him. He was completely lost now, nothing seeming familiar to him. He turned back, looking around to check for anyone again. The sky was black... nothing visible up there. Suddenly he saw a flash of lightning and within that flash he saw two silhouettes... two dragons. One of them looked like Cynder.
No, no he had to go! With renewed vigor he sprinted through the swamp, feeling the water level rising with each foot step he took in the murky waters. The rain had grown harder, his vision now restricted to a few feet in front of him. Each droplet of water felt like a rock hitting him, crushing him into the ground. The wind didn't help matters either, the gorges and small cloves that were common throughout the forest only making the winds stronger and faster. He felt like a force was pushing him back, each step feeling like an undertaking.
A beam split the air, landing nearby. He could only see the flash as a mushroom was ignited by it but quickly extinguished by the raging downpour. Had they seen him? Was that just a test shot? He had to keep moving...
Another beam landed a few dozen feet in front of him, causing two mushrooms to collapse in his path, blocking the way out. He grunted, leaping over the fallen mushrooms to get past them and to the next area. Another beam hit, landing right behind him. They knew where he was...
The water was almost up to his knees now, making it difficult to keep running. He had to get to higher ground, or at least to more solid ground... He tried to climb a nearby set of rocks, try to ascend a level up from the gorges he was going through but the dirt had been reduced to mud! He couldn't get a grip... He found himself tumbling back down into the waters with a large splash. He coughed, spitting out the water as he rolled back over, looking behind him.
There they were... The dragon from before sat hovering above the water, watching as the other dragon- Cynder- leapt into the water and right onto him.
"Now we've got you Dark Master... now you die!" She pressed her claws against his neck, shoving him back down into the water. Malefor gasped, trying to keep his head above the water.
"I don't understand! I'm not the Dark Master! Why do you keep calling me that? Why are you trying to kill me?!" This only enraged her, making her grab his head and shove it back down into the water. He coughed and gasped as the water flooded into his muzzle, making him gag on the foul tasting water.
"This is for all you've done to me, done to Spyro, done to all of us!" She grabbed his head and slammed it back down again before using her paw to hold his muzzle down into the water. She was going to suffocate him! He fought and struggled against her, trying to get free. He was now in a fully panic, oxygen leaving his body quickly. He didn't want to... but these people were out to kill him. He had to fight back. He had to survive...
He clenched his eyes shut before using his hind-legs to kick her in the stomach, sending her flying into the mud-covered wall. The other dragon dashed over after seeing this, trying to shove Malefor back into the mud. Malefor quickly rolled to his side right before, letting the dragon slam into the water and sink in. Malefor quickly leapt up and on top, keeping him pinned and using him as a jumping platform to get away.
Using the dragon he leapt up on top of the ledge he had been trying to get on top of for a while, climbing up and out of the muck below. He ran onwards, Cynder and the dragon slowly coming back to their senses.
"No! Don't let him get away!" She yelled, firing a beam at him. The beam slammed into a nearby mushroom, blowing it apart. He had to keep going… He couldn't stop.
Another beam landed nearby, blowing Malefor into the air and causing him to slam back down hard onto the muddy ground.
The two dragons flew up, firing beams down onto him. He rolled to avoid each beam, shielding his eyes from the tremendous light. He couldn't keep running… he had to fight them! He had to stand and fight… or else they were going to kill him. He had no other alternative…
Opening his eyes back at them he snarled, opening his muzzle and unleashing a stream of fire that leapt at them. The stream let out steam as the rain hit it, but the heat was enough to keep them back. They quickly recovered, swooping in towards him. Malefor stood up, bringing his claws to bare just in time for Cynder to land in front of him, trying to send him back down. She swiped at him, Malefor quickly reacting by catching her arm and twisting it. She yelled loudly from this, clenching her eyes shut. Malefor pulled her in and used her as a shield to deture the other dragon who was charging a bolt of energy. He stifled the bolt at the sight of Cynder covering him, giving Malefor the opportunity he needed. He tossed Cynder at him, knocking them both into the mud.
Panting, Malefor leapt up and unleashed another stream of fire that blanketed the both of them. The dragon erected a purple shield that deflected the fire, it flowing harmlessly around them. Annoyed, Malefor broke his attack and instead swooped in for an attack. The dragon lowered the shield in time to see Malefor immediately in front of him, kicking him away from Cynder and into the mud. Cynder, recovering from her daze looked up at Malefor who grabbed her by her sides and brought her up to him.
"Why do you pursue me? Why do you keep attacking me?!" He yelled at her. She looked at him for a second before snarling.
"You're the Dark Master… You're a monster! You deserve to die, for all you've done to us!"
"I am not the Dark Master! I have done nothing to you, I don't even know you!"
"Yes you have! You are the reasons for all the problems here! You've destroyed our kind… pushed us to extinction! This is all because of you, you damned monster!"
"What in the hell are you talking about?! My name is Malefor, not the Dark Master! I was born in Argus and trained at Arcantheus! I am NOT a monster!"
"So was the Dark Master." Malefor looked up, seeing the other dragon who had walked up by now, panting softly.
"No… no… I am not like that… I've never done anything wrong!" He tossed Cynder in the mud, panting himself as he could feel an overwhelming sense of dread and anger grip him. He hadn't done a damn thing! What were they talking about?!
"You trained an army of Apes, lead them to destroy our kind, your kind!"
"No, I never did such a thing!"
"You controlled our lives… destroyed them!" Cynder yelled, joining in with the other dragon.
"No! No! You're both lying!" He grunted, gritting his teeth as they both stood up, walking closer to him.
"There are only two purple dragons known to have existed, Spyro, and you."
"No, that is not true! I…" He looked down, remembering what Aurelius told him about the purple dragons. He was the first… but… now he was the second…? He had seen this Spyro, was he really the other only purple dragon…?
"You don't know… do you… " The dragon said, glaring at him.
"No! No! They… they said I was born for greatness! I would never do things… things like this!"
"You did… you've destroyed everything and everyone…" Cynder said, flexing her claws.
"No! I don't believe you!"
"You are the Dark Master…"
"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Malefor snarled, clenching his eyes shut and opening his muzzle. A bright light escaped his muzzle, lancing out towards the two dragons and blowing them apart from one another. The bright purple beam split the mushrooms, igniting several and singing the very ground it touched.
Malefor extinguished the beam, panting as steam rose from his muzzle. Before him sat a scene of destruction, of death. Smoke rose from the burned mushrooms and debris that lay scattered around him. The two dragons lay in the mud, motionless as rain fell upon them.
What… what had he done…? Did he… did he just really do that? What energy was that… He had never used that one before… Did he kill them…? He walked over to them, raising a paw out just in time to see Cynder move slowly. He flinched, backing up slightly. Her scales were burned, singed by his attack. His eyes widened as she snarled, looking at him with great rage. Steam rose from her mouth as she was now able to fully stand up.
"Y-you monster… I'll kill you…"
"No… no…" Malefor backed up more before turning and running. He could feel the rain and wind slap against him, holding him back, pushing him back to Cynder. Behind him he could hear her anger, her anguish… Beams of energy streaked past him, blowing rocks and plants apart on contact. He clenched his eyes, gritting his teeth. The wind was too strong, he couldn't get away…
He could feel it catching his wings, surging past his body. He clenched his eyes, trying to keep himself grounded but it was growing more and more difficult with the raging winds. They were catching onto his wing skins, threatening to send him airborne. Another blast rocked the ground, a beam landing right under Malefor. Malefor yelled out as the blast sent him into the air, right into the waiting arms of the raging winds. His wings were unfolded from the impact, catching the raging winds and sending him flying out.
He was panicked now… He was trying to orient himself, find his bearings but it was impossible while he was tumbling around in the winds above. He could see above him the clouds swrield and raged on, the storm growing in strength. The rain felt like fists against his scales as it was getting worse, and all the while he was at the mercy of the wind. Cynder flapped her wings, having no problem controlling herself in this maelstrom. She fired beams at him, each crisscrossing the air and coming close to him. He tried desperately to flap his wings, get away from the beams but it was so difficult to even orient his wings. The wind was too strong!
Finally he managed to put his body into a roll, avoiding one of the beams and narrowly dodging the other. He couldn't keep this up! He finally managed to open both his wings to catch the wind perfectly and orient his body to finally answer her attacks. He opened his muzzle, calling upon that mysterious energy he had just used. He could feel it boiling in the back of his throat, waiting to be unleashed. He fired at her, letting the beam cut through the air and burn anything in its path. She saw the beam and flapped her wings to get out of the way. The beam split the clouds behind her, thunder and lightning shooting out of the clouds behind it.
He canceled the beam and charged another, firing it at her just as she prepared another volley for him. By now he had managed to learn how to maneuver better, so he was now able to answer her attacks in kind and avoid her own as they exchanged their beams.
Lightning split the area around them, the storm only having intensified during their battle. Wind and rain swirled around them, the clouds churning with a certain blackness that made Malefor feel cold inside. Yet, with this darkness there was a certain illumination within the clouds, creating a light purple-orange look to them as it continued to rage. Another blast drew Malefor's attention as she was trying to draw closer to him, the wind proving difficult for her as well. Malefor thought he'd use this to his advantage, flapping his wings to grow closer but growling as he too had a problem drawing close to her. The intense energy they were generating in their fight was creating a cyclonic field in-between them, forcing them apart.
Cynder had stopped her attack, now only flapping her wings to keep herself up while seeming to concentrate on something else. What was she doing? He grunted, trying to fire another beam at her, missing horribly. She finally looked up after that, holding something in her paws which she was concentrating on heavily. She pushed her paws forward, a visible gust of wind making its way to him through the large cyclone. Malefor gasped, trying to shield himself from the field, only to feel his body get knocked out of the field and thrown into the sporadic winds and gusts of the storm. The wind knocked him around until he slammed into a rock, landing hard into a pile of mud.
Groaning, he slowly picked himself up, looking into the sky and seeing her form streaking towards him. She hovered close, firing a red field onto him. Malefor clenched his eyes as the field passed over him before opening them again, seeing Cynder in his face, her features and form having morphed into something he would attribute to a demon or deformed dragon, a snarl escaping her muzzle and sending chills down his spine. He gasped again, backing into the rock as he form seemed to envelop him, casting thoughts and images into his head... thoughts of death, of terrible things happening to him and his friends.
"No! NO!" He yelled, firing a beam through the confusion and hitting a startled Cynder who was actually hovering feet away from him. What the hell did she do to him?! He grabbed his face, clutching it. He could feel his heart throbbing... his adrenaline pumping through him. He opened his eyes just in time to catch Cynder falling into the forest below before recovering and pulling herself back up. Lightning flashed in the background, illuminating the torrent of rain that continued to dump onto the swamps. From his position he could see the lower regions of the swamps, where they had been earlier, flooded completely and being swept away in this maelstrom. He hoped Eatherine was alright...
He was drawn back upon the sight of Cynder flying back into the air. She didn't hesitate a moment before firing off another crack of energy. He leapt to the side, flapping his wings to get airborne again just in time to avoid the blast. With the heat at his back he sailed into the winds, opening his wings fully so he wouldn't tumble around haphazardly as he had before. Now he was able to control his flight, retaliating to Cynder's attack with his own, grazing her arm. She answered his attack and they once more dueled at long range with the beams of energy. Cynder didn't let this continue, however. She drew herself in close, collapsing her wings onto her body and letting the wind thrust her into Malefor. Malefor, still at the mercy of the winds, was incapable of stopping Cynder before she collided into him.
She grabbed onto him with her claws, snarling at him as they sailed into a mushroom, plowing through the upper part of it and splitting it in half. Malefor landed on his back, yelling out in pain as his body was tossed around like a rag doll on the ground. Cynder had broken her fall on Malefor, rolling off to the side before recovering completely, sprinting over to him. Malefor moaned, his already injured leg letting off a spike of pain when he tried to move it. Damn it, no! He had to move, he couldn't stop now!
He pulled himself up, gritting his teeth as he saw Cynder leap onto him, smacking his arm away. She clawed at his chest, chipping away at his protective chest plate.
"This is for all you've done to me! Done to Aaron, done to Spyro!" She reiterated his name with a blow to Malefor's face, sending his head down into the mud. Malefor coughed and let out a sharp gasp as she slammed his body down over and over, swinging her paws into him and clawing away into his exposed belly. He tried to fight back but the pain was overpowering. His entire body wasn't responding anymore, almost shutting down. He yelled out in sheer terror now, never having felt such fear like this in his entire life. He felt that at this moment, he was going to die. He could see images flashing through his head, images that were spurred by that attack Cynder had delivered onto him only earlier... They all felt familiar to him yet distant, like he had forgotten them. They were all the same though, all of them were of death, destruction... of darkness.
How could this be though...? How...?
There was only one... no... this... this was impossible!
"GET OFF OF HIM!" A loud voice cut through the rain, a female voice.
Eatherine!
He opened his eyes, seeing Cynder get tackled and sent into the mud. Eatherine stood atop of her, gasping as she flexed her claws.
"Don't touch him... don't you touch him!"
"Get off of me!" Cynder yelled, kicking her away. Eatherine landed hard, quickly getting up and whipping the mud from her face. "Why are you helping him...? He's the Dark Master!"
"What? Are you crazy the Dark Master is dead! Spyro killed him!"
"No... he's right there..." Cynder slowly got up, limping over to Malefor and picking up his head, now fully purple as the slit had washed away in the storm. Malefor could only pant, having to close one eye partially from the bruises he had received from Cynder. He saw her face shift into fear, then to anger.
"You... you were a purple dragon... you're the Dark Master! I... I can't believe I never made the connection!" She walked over, Cynder dropping his head back into the mud.
"Eather... Eatherine I... I..."
"SHUT UP! This whole time I've been harboring a monster! It's because of you my parents are dead! You caused all of this! This is all your fault!" She panted, walking around in a circle, trying to make sense of the entire situation. Cynder just stood back, watching as her mind became unraveled. Malefor closed his eyes, a tear shifting down his eyes.
"HOW COULD YOU?! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST DIE!" She punched Malefor in the gut, making him cough out and gasp, trying to refill his lungs.
"I..."
"SHUT UP!" She punched him again, this time in the face. His head was sent back hitting the other side. He clenched his eyes, his energy gone. He couldn't even lift his head anymore... his body... it was all dead to him...
Eatherine just stepped back, clenching her tear-filled eyes. She had no more words for him...
"It's alright... we've all been deceived by him..." Cynder said, walking over to set a paw on her shoulder comfortingly. Eatherine just sobbed, her body relaxing and drooping. All the energy and anxiety she had felt just moments ago flowed out, flowing through her sobs of anguish.
By now, Malefor was able to lift his head somewhat, seeing Eatherine in her state of despair. Cynder was looking up now, looking at Malefor. She walked over now, putting a paw on his neck. She pushed down, causing Malefor to gag and try to gasp for air. She was crushing his windpipe! He couldn't lift his arms to resist either... he just felt like... succumbing to death... that was all he had now as the anguish washed over him... he was starting to remember things... remember horrible things...
"Now... you will die..." He could vaguely see Cynder on top of him again, looking down with sheer anger. He could, at the corner of his vision, see a dragon figure flying away, and one flying towards them.
"Cynder! Don't do it!" Cynder turned at the voice, sounding frustrated. She wasn't able to say anything though as a new form flew in and grabbed her, lifting her off of Malefor.
"What?! No! Spyro I have him! Let me finish him!" She yelled, trying to fight against the new dragon who had flown in and restrained her.
"No Cynder! I need him alive!"
"No Spyro! I have to kill him! Let me finish him!"
"No Cynder... I need him..." Cynder continued to struggle as Spyro slowly pulled her off and onto the ground. Rain continued to fall onto them, splattering across Malefor's badly injured face. Thoughts raced through his head, ones he had long ago forgotten but were now just returning. The images... they just splattered across his mind, filling in the gaps that were once empty.
What had he done...?
Oh God... he could...
He could remember it now.
He remembered everything.
End of Chapter 07
