Hello! I have great news for everyone who likes Skylanders, which I assume is everyone reading this story. Activision has announced a new one called Skylanders: SWAP Force! Check out the teaser trailer, and expect me to include them in this story eventually! Also, to clear up any confusion, I will be including Giants characters. The number of people asking this is too darn high!
Skylanders: Origins
Chapter 10: Let the Flames Begin
Spyro was sweating like crazy. The exertion he was doing was straining him to a deep level, and it was difficult to focus. The exercise wasn't physical, but rather mental capacity.
The purple dragon was standing on the balcony that connected to Eon Tower. Master Eon himself was standing with him, teaching him how to control the darkness that was present inside him.
The lessons were given to him only an hour after his return, as the Portal Master wanted Spyro to know how to maintain the creature inside of himself in case of emergency. The purple dragon had agreed instantly, not wanting Dark Spyro to take charge again.
It wasn't that he doubted his other self's abilities, but he was nervous what that other self would do if he was free. Previously, he was tame, and only attacked the enemy, but what if it attacks his friends? Spyro couldn't let that happen.
"Alright, Spyro, concentrate," Eon instructed, pacing in front of the purple dragon.
Spyro did as he was told, closing his eyes and tensed up his face. Eon had told him to center the light within him, so it can hold back the darkness. The process was discomforting and slightly painful, but Spyro knew it would be worth it in the end.
Many minutes passed as Spyro concentrated on centering his light, until he couldn't go any further and fell down in exhaustion. Breathing hard, he looked up to Eon with an apologetic expression, and muttered, "Sorry, I just can't hold it for very long."
Eon's kind smile never wavered as he said softly, "Do not worry, young dragon, results will only come if effort is put into it. From what I've seen, you have put everything into these practices. I have the utmost confidence that you will eventually reach your goal."
Spyro gave a smile of certainty, and got back to work with the helpful words of Master Eon.
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Not to far away, on Eon Tower's dome top, Whirlwind watched Spyro's training. She had been ever since he accepted the lessons; She couldn't help herself. To her, Spyro was more than a friend. He had helped stop the insults about her from her home town, and even saved her on some occasions. He was handsome, brave, kind, and a hero. She couldn't help but love him.
"What are you looking at?" asked a curious feminine voice from behind Whirlwind, making her jump. She turned her head around, slightly red, and saw Cynder, the new captain of the Undead. The black dragoness' head was tilted to the side; she had no idea why Whirlwind would be up here.
"I was just, uh, keeping look out," Whirlwind quickly replied, hoping Cynder wouldn't investigate further. To her dismay, the dragoness came up to her side and peered over the edge to see Spyro and Eon still training. Then gazing up at Whirlwind she asked, "Why are you watching Spyro?"
Whirlwind stuttered her answer, unable to tell Cynder the truth, but also couldn't come up with a lie. For Cynder, she was still new to the whole "friend" concept; Being a servant to a dark dragon your whole life does that. The black dragoness couldn't read other people's expressions or features very well. In this case, she was absolutely clueless about almost anything relating to friendship and such.
'How the heck do I get myself in these situations?' Whirlwind thought in her head as she played with her feet nervously.
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"Hold up, Spyro," Eon instructed with a wave of his hand. Spyro was thankful for the break, and took the time just to rest. His head, on the other hand, followed Eon's gaze to see a dragon with a blue cap and a brown satchel, the mail dragon.
He landed in front of the two and reached into his bag and pulled out three letters and handed them to Eon. With his job done, the mail dragon took to the air again and flew off into the distance. Eon looked at the letters in his hands, describing each one individually.
"A letter from Gill Grunt's parents... A "Land and Sky" magazine subscription... Oh, an invitation."
Spyro perked his head up at that. The last time anyone went on a vacation was when they watched the Quickwings. "What's it for?" The purple dragon asked, holding his excitement at bay.
"There is an archery tournament at Gandar Stadium," Eon explained, "They're giving us three tickets to watch the event. Most intriguing."
"Are you going to go?" Spyro questioned. Though the Skylanders could take a break, the purple dragon had no idea how long Eon has been working. Perhaps he could use a vacation more than anyone.
However, Eon shook his head, "Though it is flattering to be invited, I believe you, and who ever you chose to come with you, should go. After all, you have protected Skylands many times in only a few weeks.
"I guess," Spyro responded bashfully; He was still getting used to the praise he has been getting more of lately. "But who should I take with me?"
Eon chuckled, "I can't make that decision for you. Trigger Happy, Bash, and Sunburn are on a mission and Gill Grunt has the cold again."
"Again? Jeez, how does he get sick so easily?"
Master Eon handed the tickets over to the Skylander and began walking back inside, waving his hand from behind, "Enjoy yourself, young dragon."
Spyro didn't reply as he stared at the tickets given to him. Three tickets, four Skylanders. Who was he going to choose?
Suddenly, the purple dragon heard laughter from above him. Gazing upward, he raised an eyebrow; Who would be laughing that hard at the top of the tower? Shaking his head, Spyro spread his wings.
'The first Skylanders to ask, I suppose,' Spyro thought.
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Meanwhile, at the top of the tower, Cynder was laughing so hard that she was lucky she didn't topple off the side. Whirlwind could only look off to the side, trying to hide the blush that had grown from Cynder's laughter. The black dragoness continued her laughter until she saw Whirlwind's distressed expression, causing her to stop instantly.
"Wait, you're serious?" Cynder asked with surprise, "You like Spyro?"
Before Cynder's laughing fit, Whirlwind could not think of a logical excuse as to why she was spying on Spyro. So, forfeiting the thought of lying, she told Cynder her feelings toward the purple dragon. The black dragoness, thinking it was a joke, took it the wrong way and the result was evident. She really was bad at this whole friendship thing.
To answer Cynder's questions, Whirlwind simply nodded, still not looking at Cynder directly. "Oh... sorry," Cynder apologized, her head dipping low. This was also a new thing to the black dragoness: apologizing. Sure, it was the first thing she said when she was free from Malefor, but that was a given. Overall, she had much to learn, as much as any new born.
"It's... fine," Whirlwind replied quietly, not sure what to say. The awkward silence that followed grew, until a familiar voice called them out.
"Hey, Whirlwind, Cynder," Spyro yelled out from behind Whirlwind. The Skylander jumped again in surprise, and quickly turned around to face the purple dragon. With her incredibly red face apparent, Spyro tilted his head to the side in confusion.
Shaking it off, however, Spyro landed and Whirlwind backed away slightly to allow room for him. "I have tickets to an archery tournament," the purple dragon announced, holding up the three slips of paper for the other two to see.
"Where is it held?" Cynder asked as Whirlwind's red face began to die away.
"At Gandar Stadium, do you guys want to go?"
Whirlwind made to answer, but caught herself. She would love to go with Spyro anywhere, but she had already made plans to keep Gill Grunt company, since he's sick.
"I'd love to go," Whirlwind told with a frown, "but I already have something to do today."
Spyro nodded in understanding, and turning to Cynder with a smile, he awaited her answer. Cynder was slightly startled by this, and Spyro noticed as her expression displayed it.
"What's wrong?" the purple dragon asked, showing concern.
"Well," Cynder responded, "are you sure you want me to go with you because of my... past."
She finished the last word with her head facing the ground. Spyro gave a sympathetic grin, as he said, "Of course, you deserve the break. You could do with some entertainment."
Cynder thought about it a moment, but then slowly began to nod, "Alright, I'll go with you."
"Great!" Spyro expressed, "Head down to the Portal of Power, and I'll meet you there."
Without a second glance, the purple dragon took flight and headed for the ground below. Cynder was about to do the same thing, but was stopped by Whirlwind when she placed a paw on Cynder's shoulder.
Turning her head to face her, Whirlwind had a worried look, as she requested, "Please keep it a secret. I don't want him to know."
Cynder gaped at her, remembering Whirlwind's feelings to Spyro, and gave a firm nod, after which she spread her wings and glided to the balcony below.
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Stealth Elf had just finished meditation for the day, as she stepped out of the Life dormitory building. She was somewhat hungry, and bored, but she liked the silence that was given. It reminded her of home, and it was helpful to not have Trigger Happy pop up suddenly.
As she made her way to the Mess Hall, Spyro swooped down and landed right in front of her, halting her in her walk. The purple dragon himself had a goofy grin on his face as he exclaimed, "I've got tickets to an archery event! Want to come? Cynder's coming!"
He was speaking faster than normal, but Stealth Elf got the gist of it. She wondered what type of skilled archers there were at this event, and so happily said, "Sure, I'll come with you and... Cynder."
The reason she hesitated was because she was still cautious about the black dragoness. However, Spyro trusted her, so Stealth Elf should trust his judgement.
With a smile, the purple dragon told her to meet him and Cynder at the balcony to head there immediately. When Spyro hastily left, Stealth Elf couldn't help but chuckle at his antics. She couldn't remember the last time that dragon was so cheery.
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Stealth Elf arrived at the Portal in a few seconds, thinking it was not wise to keep a jittery Spyro waiting. When she got there, Cynder and Spyro were already on the Portal, ready to go. Getting the hint, the female Elf also jumped on, then a thought came to her.
"Don't we need Master Eon to teleport us to this stadium?" she pointed out.
"He already put in the coordinates," Spyro explained, and standing up straight he shouted with determination, "Gandar Stadium."
The three were teleported instantly, and found themselves on an island where it was mostly taken up by a large oval stadium. It was nearly 4 stories high, with gray being the dominant color. The crowd of creatures cramming to get in was chaotic, with pushing, shoving, and yelling.
"Well this'll be a relaxing vacation," Stealth Elf remarked with sarcasm, crossing her arms.
Spyro could only agree with the Elf, eyeing the haphazard mob with alarm. However, upon inspecting his tickets again, the purple dragon noticed three letters that made him smirk, resting his uneasiness: VIP.
"Just wait here," Spyro said without looking at the other two Skylanders. He trotted over to the crazy crowd, and Cynder and Stealth Elf could only look at each other with puzzlement. Spyro strolled through the chaos with incredible ease, as if he was repelling the crowd away from him.
Upon approaching the ticket station, the Mabu that was standing in the booth, eyed him uncertainly. It appears that he was used to creatures trying something fishy.
Spyro wordlessly handed the tickets to the Mabu, who snatched them and scanned the pieces of paper. The more he read the more he gawked with wide eyes, causing Spyro to be confused. When the ticket master finished, he shouted over the noise, "VIP is to your right past the guards, you can't miss it."
To not strain his voice, the purple dragon nodded, worked his way back to his two friends who hadn't moved an inch. When he reunited with them, Spyro gave a smile, and gestured for them to follow him. They did so when the purple dragon began to walk to the entrance to the VIP.
Surprisingly, the guards, who were two tall black dragons, moved out of the way when they saw the Skylanders coming, allowing the three to pass unhindered. After the checkpoint, there was stairs leading to the VIP box that overlooked the stadium. As they were walking upward, Cynder couldn't help but ponder aloud, "Wouldn't it be easier if we had Skylander badges? That way we can just get into anything we wanted to?"
Spyro thought about it a second and responded, "Maybe, but I think we would abuse it more than anything."
There trek up the stairs was finally rewarded when they arrived at the VIP box. The interior was brilliantly lighted, with gentle coloring and three rows of seats, and the quiet atmosphere was pleasant. Out the window, the three could see the large green field, with large stands holding hundreds of spectators. The trio walked over to the front row, as there was conveniently three empty seats there. Right when they took there seats, with Spyro sitting in the middle, Cynder to his right, and Stealth Elf his left, the show was starting.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," the announcer said, shushing the crowd that made up the stadium stands. "I am proud to present the 9th annual archery tournament!"
This was followed by cheers from the crowd, and when they settled down, the announcer continued, "The contestants for today's tournament are... Dodger, Cooper, Pixel, Yorkshire, and Tod!"
As the announcer shouted out each name, the contestant would come out of a tunnel that was connected to the side of the stadium, on the ground floor. Each challenger was Mabu, and would throw his arms in the air, accepting the cheers that were given without humility.
"And now- Hold on a moment... I see... Good news, everyone, a late comer has just arrived! And he is Flameslinger!"
Like the rest of the contestants, this challenger entered through the tunnel, however, unlike the others, he had a quiet demeanor. Upon entering the field of the stadium, the crowd whispered and murmured with each other instead of their normal cheer.
One thing that was clear when the three Skylanders saw him was that he wasn't a Mabu, but an Elf. His hair was tied in a pony-tail kind-of way,with brown garbs and shoes, and a beaten-down bow. The most notable, that shocked everyone, was that he was blindfolded with a red cloth.
That wasn't what Stealth Elf was surprised about though. She was only wide eyed at the fact that there was another Elf. One that wasn't, to her knowledge, evil. Flameslinger casually walked up to the row of other archers that had formed, adding himself to their ranks.
"Now the rules are straightforward," the announcer said, "Each contestant will shoot an arrow at the target, the top three will continue to the semi-finals, and then the top two will go to the finals. First up is Dodger!"
Dodger stepped forward, taking out his bow along with an arrow. He aimed at the red and white target that was set up a short distance away and fired. Unfortunately, the arrow went right over the target, causing some of the audience to laugh or boo.
Cooper did the same, but Pixel was able to hit his target, though it wasn't close to the center. Yorkshire missed as well, and Tod got the same results as Pixel, just barely hitting the target. Finally, it was Flameslinger's turn. He nonchalantly walked up to the position, and drew out an arrow, taking aim. The audience seemed to simultaneously hold their breath, and the Skylanders were no different.
For Stealth Elf, she was secretly hoping for the Elf to win, even though she knew next to nothing about him. It just felt right to cheer for her own species, especially if they don't plan to harm anyone.
After a few tense seconds, Flameslinger released his arrow, and it whistled through the air, hitting it's target perfectly in the middle. The crowd cheered loudly, clapping and shouting there excitement at the Elf's victory.
"The semi-finals has begun!" the announcer came on again with vigor, "the contestants that made it are... Pixel, Tod, and Flameslinger!"
The results for this part of the tournament were the same with Tod getting much closer to the target then Pixel, and Flameslinger hitting his target like before.
The big finale had arrived; The moment everyone was waiting for: the finals. Tod was first up as he drew an arrow, aimed, and fired. Surprisingly, his arrow hit dead center, causing the crowd to cheer. Flameslinger showed no reaction to the Mabu's triumph, as he simply took his own position at the target.
Like the last two times, everyone held their breath, the volume decreasing significantly. The Elf drew his arrow, taking aim, and waited. The three Skylanders leaned in subconsciously, seeing if they could get a better view of the action. It was a full minute before Flameslinger finally released his arrow, which flew through the air.
Time seemed to go in slow motion as the arrow approached the target. The aftermath that followed left everyone speechless, even the announcer. Flameslinger's arrow went right through Tod's, splitting the Mabu's arrow in half, and hitting the target dead center yet again.
Minutes passed as everyone tried to register what they have just seen. At that moment, Stealth Elf couldn't hold in her excitement any longer as she jumped up with a fist in the air. "Yes!" she exclaimed, "He did it!"
She finally realized what she had just done, as she landed back on her seat. Spyro and Cynder stared at her with wonder, as she awkwardly cleared her throat and got comfortable again in her chair.
With Flameslinger, his victory celebration wasn't too different from Stealth Elf's. First, he did a fist pump, high fived a random Mabu citizen that some how got onto the field, and moon walked out of the stadium and into the tunnel.
All three Skylanders saw this display, and could only stare at the Elf's last location, completely flabbergasted.
"And that," someone said behind the trio, "is why you bet on the blindfolded Elf... BOOM!"
"That was... quite a performance," Cynder commented, not taking her eyes off the field, and Spyro and Stealth Elf said at the same time, "Yep."
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After the awards ceremony, with Flameslinger surprisingly absent, the trio made their way back down the stairs to the now calm, and rather tranquil, entrance. As the numerous spectators left the stadium, the Skylanders found an open spot to rest for a moment.
Surveying the passing citizens, Spyro said to his companions, "What did you think of the event?"
"It was enjoyable," Cynder replied, then looking at the ground, she commented, "that Flameslinger was strange though."
"Have to agree with that," the purple dragon nodded, "How can he fire so perfectly when he was blindfolded?"
"It's nothing I'm familiar with," Cynder muttered, putting a claw to her chin.
Stealth Elf would have agreed, if she wasn't so deep in thought. She was extremely curious about the other Elf; Witnessing someone completely blindfolded shoot three perfect arrows dead center on a target was not common. She considered herself skillful, but what he had done almost seemed impossible.
She had to meet him.
Looking over to the two dragons, she suggested, "Why don't you two explore a little, I want to check something else."
And she disappeared, in her usual fashion of invisibility. Spyro and Cynder stared at where Stealth Elf used to be. They then faced each other, looking at the other's eyes. Hastily, the duo looked away, a slight tinge of red present on each face; They didn't know they were standing that close to each other.
"So..." Spyro started awkwardly, still not looking at Cynder, with her no different. "Do you want something to eat?"
"...Sure," she answered, quickly trotting away. Cynder couldn't quite put a claw on it, but she had a strange feeling just then. One she has never felt before in her life, then again, a lot of things were new, now that she was free. Still, this feeling felt... erratic. It made her heart beat faster and her face feel hot. A sense of longing was present within her. What the heck was wrong with her?
Shaking it off, she continued over to the exceptionally close food court adjoining Gandar Stadium; She can think about it later. Spyro remained where he was a second longer before moving to follow Cynder. He wondered where Stealth Elf went, but he couldn't really find out.
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Not knowing where to start her search, Stealth Elf walked the perimeter of the stadium. It wasn't much, but she had to start somewhere. She was having little success with her quest, as the time ticked away. She was beginning to think she should start searching in the stadium, yet something compelled her to continue on the outside. This tactic was finally compensated when she saw a familiar Elf sneak off into the nearby forest.
The female Elf followed, being quiet so to see what he was doing. Flameslinger was heading pretty deep into the forest, as the canopy overhead became thicker and thicker. It came to the point where light just barely trickled in, and Stealth Elf had to squint slightly to see. However, Flameslinger had finally stopped and looked around suspiciously, seeing if anyone had tailed him.
When he thought no one was there, Stealth Elf was that stealthy, the male Elf took out his typical brown bow and took aim at some nearby Chompies that were wondering almost blindly. He shot a Chompy, took out an arrow, and shot another Chompy, repeating the process.
'He's practicing,' Stealth Elf figured out in her head, 'commendable.'
A loud, distressed yell snapped her out of her thoughts, and she eyed the source of the sound. Not to far away, in a pond, a transparent fire spirit was drowning. How he had stumbled upon an obvious pool of water was beyond Stealth Elf's comprehension.
The spirit himself was ghost like, as are all spirits, but he had an orange glow about him. Spirits, overall, are nomads, never staying in one place for very long. They monitor the flow of their element, and adjust it when it begins to imbalance the others. They rarely converse with others, and them needing help was even more seldom. Still, this one was in trouble, and it was Stealth Elf's job as a Skylander to help those in need.
However, before the female Elf could make a move, Flameslinger was already sprinting to the spirit's side. He grabbed his out stretched and struggling arm and pulled him to the shore. When this was accomplished, the fire spirit rested on the forest floor, taking deep breaths from the scare.
"T-Thank you, k-kind sir," the spirit sputtered.
"Heh, no problem," Flameslinger responded. He then gave a half salute and began to walk back to his training.
"Wait! Wait!" the spirit called out, causing the Elf to turn around with a raised brow. The spirit hovered back up in his ghostly form, and went over to Flameslinger, "I must reward you for saving my life."
"I didn't think I did that well," mused Flameslinger, putting his hands on his hips. "Maybe a really good thank you can suffice."
The fire spirit shook his head, "Oh no, you don't know how thankful I am."
The spirit weaved a sort of magic in the air and two objects seamlessly appeared, one in each hand. In his right, a golden-colored bow, it seemed to shimmer in the sunlight, and as Flameslinger took it, he could feel warmth radiate from it. The second gift, in the spirit's left hand, was a pair of brown boots. They looked almost exactly like Flameslinger's current footwear, but these also radiated heat as it glowed a faint orange.
Taking the boots as well, Flameslinger instantly ripped off his current pair and quickly slipped on the boots given to him. He examined them, pulling off heroic poses, and when he was satisfied, he felt slightly giddy.
"Score," he whispered with a wide grin.
"The bow," the spirit explained, "can allow you to shoot fire arrows that have a lingering effect. Quite useful for some tough enemies. The boots can leave a trail of flames, capable of setting any enemy ablaze. And when the trail connects with each other... well, you find out."
Flameslinger's smile faded to confusion, "Wait, enemies? Sorry to say I'm not a hero, but I'm not a hero."
The fire spirit merely chuckled, "On the contrary, I believe you can become one. All you need is the right motivation."
"You mean besides being the best archer in Skylands?"
"Yes."
The male Elf nodded, as he put his new bow on his back, discarding his old one. "Ah, I see, so I have to be the... best runner in Skylands?" he offered, gesturing to his new boots.
The spirit laughed again, and stated, "No, my friend, but you will see eventually. In fact, in only a few minutes, you will understand completely."
"I may not be an idiot, but I think I may need more time than that."
"Humor," Spirit remarked, chuckling, "is a good start."
The fire spirit floated away, phasing right through the tree tops above, leaving Flameslinger alone, or so he thought. Stealth Elf had watched the whole exchange. First thing she noticed was that Flameslinger was definitely not a humble archer, but a wise-cracking, overconfident Elf with fancy skills with a bow and arrow. Still, she had to talk to him, perhaps he knew other Elves that would lead to her real family.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed through the shrubbery that was her hiding spot. Flameslinger, on instinct, retracted his bow and aimed an arrow right at her. Upon seeing her, however, Flameslinger relaxed his shot, placing his bow away. He crossed his arms, looking her over, before saying, "You going to introduce yourself?"
Stealth Elf narrowed her eyes at his brash behavior, but answered the question. "I'm Stealth Elf, I've been following you for a while."
"Fitting name, considering I didn't see you in my mind's eye," he replied curtly.
The female Elf rolled her eyes, "How can you see at all with that blindfold?"
"Easy, my eyes are so awesome, they can see through this. That's, at least, as far as I can tell. I haven't really figured it out."
Shaking her head, she told him everything she had seen to the point where she revealed herself. At the end of the tale, Flameslinger was laughing quite hard.
"What's so funny?" Stealth Elf asked, not liking his sense of humor so far.
The male Elf calmed down enough to answer her question, but he still had a few bouts of laughter, "It's just, you say that you followed me because of my skill. But I think there is a different reason you may or may not be aware of."
"Oh please," Stealth Elf snapped, waving her hand dismissively.
"You actually like me, huh?" Flameslinger said as if it were true.
"Ridiculous!" Stealth Elf answered rather quickly. "The only other reason for following you is to ask-"
"There! I found him!" shouted a new masculine voice right behind Stealth Elf. At that moment, Flameslinger grabbed her shoulders and threw themselves to the side, just in time to avoid a charging Drow Goliath. The monster, instead, crashed into a tree, making it whine with pain as it held its head.
"Drow? Here?!" Stealth Elf shouted in alarm. Why would her sworn enemies come to an island that only held a stadium? Also, she couldn't help but think about the irony of the situation.
She couldn't think any further, as a dozen Drow Spearmen followed behind pointing their weapons at the Elf duo. Looking back at the Goliath, Stealth Elf could recognize the Drow Elf from anywhere.
"Why are you here, Mike?" she questioned, eyeing the leader of the Drow.
"Friends of yours?" Flameslinger asked with a hint of amusement as he drew his bow once again.
"Gah, I don't have time to answer your stupid questions!" Mike barked, still rubbing his head. "Get them! And get those enchanted items!"
"You wish!" the male Elf exclaimed as he shot a fire arrow at an incoming Spearman. The Drow was hit and almost instantly set ablaze by the enchantment, causing everyone else to freeze and watch the dying evil Elf.
Flameslinger stared at his new bow with newfound fondness, as he quietly said, "Awesome."
Shaking off their comrades death, the Drow charged again, in mass this time. Stealth Elf drived her daggers into two different Elves, and leaped over the rest to attack from behind. Stealth Elf jumped back aways, allowing him room to fire off arrows.
Stealth Elf continued to strike each enemy with anger as her fuel; Any moment to take out these evil Elves was good for her. Meanwhile, Flameslinger casually fired arrow after arrow at the enemies.
"3... 4..." he counted after each takedown.
After the Spearmen were all defeated, Mike growled and charged at Flameslinger. The male Elf was prepared as he aimed another arrow at the charging Goliath, waiting for the perfect moment. Suddenly, the large Drow changed course, instead heading straight for Stealth Elf. Taken by surprise, the female Elf couldn't dodge the incoming hand as it grabbed her waist, lifting her up.
Acting fast, Flameslinger shouted, "Distract him! I have an idea!"
'He has an idea?' Stealth Elf thought as she struggled against the hand. 'Oh brother.'
Nevertheless, the female Elf wielded her dual daggers and shoved them into Mike's hand. The Goliath wailed as he released Stealth Elf, who dropped to the ground and quickly cut Mike's back legs, causing him to fall to his knees. While this was happening, Flameslinger had begun making a trail of fire, circling around the Goliath swiftly.
When Stealth Elf was out of the way, Flameslinger connected his trial of fire, and the interior of the circle became a column of fire, cooking anything inside. The two Elves stared at the fire with wide eyes, not expecting something like that to happen. Flameslinger recovered and threw his arms up in the air and shouted, "I love these things!"
After the fire died down, all there was left was a smoldered floor and a soot-covered Goliath. Mike was dazed, and simply fell to the ground with a grunt, unconscious. How he had survived, the two didn't know, but it hardly mattered at the time; They had beaten him, that's all that mattered.
"High five?" the male Elf asked, his hand hovering for the return.
Stealth Elf sighed irritably, but returned the gesture, albeit mildly. Regardless, Flameslinger fist pumped the second time that day in triumph. A few seconds past, and then he asked, "So am I a Skylander or what?"
Stealth Elf face palmed; Does he ever say anything serious?
"Holy- Did you guys do this?" asked a familiar dragon who landed a short ways away, followed by another familiar black dragoness.
"Spyro, Cynder, how did you find us?" Stealth Elf asked honestly. She didn't think they would discover their location anytime soon.
"Well, when you see a large flaming column out of no where..." Spyro commented.
"Who did that anyway?" Cynder asked.
"Me, of course. Isn't it obvious?" Flameslinger spoke up.
The two dragons regarded him for a few moments before they recognized him. "Your that archer at the stadium," Spyro connected.
"Yeah, that's right. Want an autograph?" Flameslinger questioned.
Cynder gave perplexed expression has her brows furrowed, "Why would we want your autograph?"
Flameslinger made to speak, but stopped, then pondering the notion himself. He shrugged, "No idea, all the fans ask for them though."
"It's like a more sane version of Trigger Happy," Spyro whispered to Cynder, who chuckled at the comment.
"So do I get to be a Skylander now?" The male Elf asked excitedly.
"Wha- how do you know that we are Skylanders?" Spyro asked quizzically.
"Just a guess," Flameslinger replied flatly. "And besides, if taking out this guy," gesturing to prone Mike, "is not enough, I don't know what is."
The purple dragon inspected the Goliath, confirming that it was the leader of the Drow. Spyro was mildly surprised by this; how can someone they just met, take down a guy like this so fast? Saving the questions for later, he announced, "Yes, you can be a Skylander."
"Sweet!" Flameslinger squealed quietly.
"Now where do we dump this guy's sorry butt off to?" Stealth Elf pondered aloud.
"We can ask Master Eon when we get back," Spyro replied, "come on, let's go home."
"Home?" Flameslinger asked, barely containing his excitement, "As in, the Ruins?"
Cynder narrowed her eyes at the male Elf, "How do you know of that?"
"Uh... lucky guess?" Flameslinger suggested, scratching the back of his head.
Rolling his eyes with a smile, Spyro gestured for everyone to gather, once they were, he shouted, "To the Ruins."
"And beyond!" Flameslinger chimed, right before the group was teleported away.
Man, I never expected this chapter to be this long, it just... spilled out. Anyway, hope you enjoyed and thanks for the suggestions for the next Skylander to be included in the story. Here's a question: What other side adventures, besides recruiting, should the Skylanders go on? I have a couple of ideas, but I want your suggestions! They're important too! Also, I got the idea about the "Land and Sky" magazine from NewYearJirachi.