CHAPTER 7- A HARD DAYS NIGHT
The males ate outside the cave while the remaining room inside was occupied mostly by Terrador, and the rest by Ember, Snow, and the nameless baby dragon.
They had killed a few sheep and were roasting it over a fire, at Austins suggestion, instead of eating it raw like dragons normally would.
"So what is the deal with Terrador? Is he going to be ok?" Austin asked turning to Spyro as they sat around the fire they had built.
"The girls say he just needs to rest. So your guess is a good as mine." he answered taking a bite of his leg of lamb, not averting his gaze from the flames.
Austin also turned back toward the flames and produced a small metal flask.
He proceded to hold it between his front claws and unscrew the top with his teeth.
"Austin what are you doing?" Draganta asked from across the fire
"I'm getting...a drink...its been a long day." He said finally getting the cap off and taking a swig, then shaking his head as if what he drank was bitter.
"What is that?" Nero asked
"This here is my...um...relaxer. After a day like this one, the contents of this container are key." Austin laughed
"Can I have some?"
"Knock yourself out buddy." Austin said passing it to the left.
Nero took a big gulp and prompty spit a little bit back out into the fire, making the flames shoot up larger, then settle back down.
"What...is this...?" Nero coughed passing it back to Austin.
"Its called, wild turkey. Not for the faint of heart." He said taking another drink and reacting the same as he did the first sip.
"Pfft, faint of heart, pass that this way." Draganta said, being one of the older males, and confident that no drink of any species could make him flinch.
'This stuff cant be that bad.' Draganta said as he took a mouthfull.
It was unimaginably bitter, by far the worst liquid Draganta had ever tasted in his life.
'Oh my god this is awful!' he thought as his face reflected his feelings.
He noticed everyone around the fire looking at him, to see if he would spit it out like Nero had.
'Damn, they're all watching me. Oh well, I made a commitment, time to follow thorugh...' he thought as he forced himself to swallow the incredibly bitter liquid.
"See? Its...not so bad." Draganta said as normally as he could, himself feeling the bourbon warming him all the way down to his stomach, then spreading a comforting warmth and slight numbness.
"Hey thats pretty good..." he said handing it back to Austin, then leaning back, feeling very relaxed.
"Told ya. Spyro? There's still a lot left, thirsty?" Austin said smiling shaking the flask so the liquid sloshed inside.
"No, I'm good, thanks though." he said as Austin took another swig and looked at Flame.
"Flame? Interested?"
"Eh, what the hell." Flame did the same as the others and soon all of the liquid was gone, and all around the campfire, everyone who had partaken was getting a little rowdy.
"Nero! I bet you five gems...that I can take you down!" Flame said, his ego inflated by Austins drink.
"You're on! Prepare for a beat down!" Nero shot back
Those who werent wrestling were gathered around the two, cheering loudly for the both of them, except for Spyro, who supervised, and kept the others in relative order.
Spyro just laughed as he watched them from the comfort of his seat by the fire as it began to die down after hours of burning.
Soon the effects of the Austins bourbon began to wear off, and Spyro restored order.
"Guys you cant be too loud, the girls and Terrador are asleep in there." he said laying down where he would sleep, yawning and setting his head on his forepaws.
"Sorry buddy, we'll be asleep soon." Austin said laying down as well.
Flame lay down next to Nero and tried to get some sleep, but found one question burning on his conscience.
"Hey Nero, you awake?"
"Yeah, whats up?" He whispered
"What was it like...you know, being evil? I was under mind control once, but I dont remember anything."
"Well, I dont remember much, and from what you guys tell me, I was only bad for a day...but I remember hatching. Everything around me was dark and cold...then could feel a dark presence all around me, it was the dark master. After that, I remember a dark energy beam all around me, then it was like the cold darkness around me was suddenly within me, and after that, its all a blur." He answered
With that, they all fell asleep as the fire died out and the embers glowed a bright orange, casting a faint light on them all night until the sun rose the next day.
Early that morning, Spyro entered the cave while the other guys were still sleeping.
Ember was asleep with the hatchling by her side, curled up next to her on its back, all four legs sticking up and mouth agape, getting a smile out of Spyro as he walked to Terrador's bedside.
"Hows he doing?" Spyro asked.
"He slept through the night fine, but he needs his element back. He's not going to last very long without it." she said as she blew ice on a cloth and lay it over his forehead.
Spyro nodded and turned to wake the others.
"Where are you going ?"
He stopped and turned to see Ember rubbing her eyes as the baby dragon continued to sleep.
"To Tall Plains. Thats where Terrador said one of the other elders is being kept. We need to try and save him before Cynder steals his element as well."
Ember got up from her bed and walked over to him, nuzzling him close...it had been a long time since they had any alone time.
"Hurry back Spyro..."
"Dont worry Ember, I'll be as fast as I can." He told her, kissing her lightly on the cheek as he stepped out of the cave to find most of his friends awake already.
"Ready to go Spyro?" Austin asked stretching and letting out a yawn.
"Yes, Tall plains is a few hours flight west of here, so we better get started now."
But before they could take off, Snow came out of the cave and held them back.
"Hang on a second. Now that Terrador is here, with the baby, we need an extra hand taking care of him."
"Looks like someone is going to have to stay here." Spyro said
"Who?" Draganta asked
"Theres only one fair way to decide. We have to draw straws." Austin said.
He grabbed five pine straws off the ground and burned the end of one of them, then covered them with his hand, mixing them up as he closed his eyes so he wouldnt see which was the short straw.
"Okay, whoever draws the burnt straw, has to stay here." He explained
They all nevously took a straw and it turned out that Flame drew the short one.
"Damnit!" Flame said
"Then its settled, Flame stays here with Terrador." Nero said conclusively
"Shouldnt it be you staying here with him? You did do this after all." Flame said bitterly.
"Sorry bro, we drew for it, and you lost. Dont worry, we'll work in shifts. When we get back, someone else will watch them." Austin said as he stretched his wings and got ready for takeoff.
"Alright guys let go." Spyro said flying lead while the others followed.
Flame waved from the ground then went inside the cave to see where he could be of use.
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Cynder's streaked across the sky to her fortress, with her usual dreadwing escorts. She dispised apes with every fiber of her being, almost as much as she hated that little purple pest and his band of do-gooders.
She had gotten word that they had rescued Terrador and freed one of the hatchlings from her masters grip. No matter, Nero was weak and did not take to her masters power immediately, not like the rest of them. Especially Ash...he grabbed the reigns of power with both claws, and since the dark master saw such promise, he was guarding the most important prisoner, second only to Ignitus. Cyril. God knows all the elders power should be nearly drained, and soon her master would be free at long last.
She arrived at her fortress to find a foul smell radiating from her chamber. She entered to find Gual, sitting mockingly on her throne.
"Gual, I should have known the terrible smell was you. What the hell do you think you are doing here?"
Gual merely scowled, more than smiled, as he rarely did, and said
"Ah little Cynder, so much you have yet to learn. You would do well to remember your place around here!" He leaped from the throne and hit her across the face with the blunt end of a spear he was carrying.
The hit stung and she moved her head with the blow and bit down hard, not to show any pain. All it would take to kill this miserable ape is a quick swipe to the neck, her razor sharp claws would be more than quick enough to get the job done, but the penalty for killing the dark masters second in command would be severe, if not lethal. She slowly moved her head back to where it was and glared at Gual, her expression unchanged by his abuse.
"Do you feel better now?" Cynder said softly but hatefully with a proud smile across her face for not giving him the satisfaction of knowing he had hurt her.
"You let the purple one and his comrades rescue an elder. Such failures are the reason why I fail to see what my master saw in you, the day we first made you what you are."
"I assure you Gual, it was no failure. I had already collected his element, and keep in mind who will be ahead of who when I, and I alone set the dark master free. Just because you've been around for longer than I have doesnt mean you are better than me. Soon, you will be just as expendable as the disgusting creatures you command." She said with an arrogant smile.
They got face to face, each others breath in the others face, a glare on each of them. Gual turned and walked toward the balcony and summoned a dreadwing.
Cynder turned her back to Gual when she heard the whistling of a spear through the air, she turned and deflected it with her tail, causing it to stick into the roof.
"Looks like you're still worth keeping around." Gaul sneered as he saddled his dreadwing and set off into the two rising moons.
Cynder turned away and felt the inside of her mouth with her tongue...she tasted blood.
"One day I'll make him pay."
Cynder looked out over her courtyard, and saw a red dragon, all four limbs restricted by red energy beams, his energy being slowly drained.
"Almost ready Ignitus..." she said smiling maliciously
Ok , so not alot of action in this chapter I know, but everyone has to rest before a battle right? word. next, chapter 8- Tall Plains Takedown!
