Oh look people are actually reading this. I guess I'll post.
Cynder found Yeras quickly, in a tent of her own with two stone cups being heated over a fire. It was very small, barely holding the two dragons. There weren't many possessions here, other than a book or two, and a mat. Yet, Yeras hummed to herself as if she were on top of the world, tilting her head to greet Cynder.
"Oh good, glad to see you found this." Yeras said warmly. "Come on in, sit down; I'm making your favorite cup."
"What type is it?" Cynder did so, sitting opposite Yeras.
"Has a dash of mint in it." Yeras looked at tad disgusted. "Honestly, it always freaked me out whenever you drank it. Never understood how."
"If I knew, I'd tell you." Cynder chuckled.
"Speaking of that, I'm sure you have many questions regarding our friendship." Yeras took the tea and placed a cup before Cynder. "May want to wait a bit before you drink it, dear. Anyway, feel free to ask anything; as I said before, I have no secrets."
"Well...I suppose we should start at the beginning." Cynder said after a moment. "How did I meet you?"
"Ah, funny that's actually a surprisingly simple story. You see, I was twelve when we met; about three years younger than you. If I remember correctly, it went like this."
Yeras skittered across the alleys of Warfang, the grand, stone buildings appearing to glare down upon her. It was nighttime from what she could tell; a click of her tongue showed nearly empty streets. Only a patrol or two were out. She sighed a bit; even during the day, the place felt so empty.
Her tiny claws hid behind a piece of rubble; it had been a few months since Malefor had been defeated, and yet the devastation looked like the siege had happened yesterday. There were still inaccessible areas, even more decimated homes and buildings. The moles and dragons were hard at work from what she glimpsed, yet it just seemed like a hopeless task.
Her stomach growled; she hadn't eaten all day. Bruises and cuts scarred her form; thankfully, not deep or life threatening. Still, it was enough to drive her away and hopefully start a life somewhere new. Somewhere where she wouldn't be called names or played too roughly with with the other drakes. Not even the Matron of the orphanage could stop them from doing what they did today.
Then, the sweet scent of meat filled her nostrils. Clicking her tongue, she saw that a butcher was closing up shop. If she hurried, she may be able to snag a slice or two of meat. Her wings flew open as if to fly, but were too withered to hold her weight. With a frown, she snapped them tightly to her sides, sneaking over.
There were no guards in range, and the butcher had his back to her. Reaching up, she was about two seconds away from grabbing when a loud cough could be heard. Freezing in place, Yeras slowly turned face Cynder, who looked down at her with an amused expression, which then turned concerned.
"What happened?" Cynder asked.
"Drakes played too roughly with me at the orphanage." Yeras explained, glancing at the butcher. He looked ready to leap into action, but a swift signal from Cynder told him not to. "So I ran away."
"That's not nice." Cynder frowned. "When did you run away?"
"...This afternoon. I couldn't go into the dining room because I was afraid they'd hurt me again."
"Wait, they intentionally hurt you?" Cynder's lip curled. "Stay right here." She ordered, going up to the butcher and asking for a slice of meat. The butcher gave it to her for free; Yeras almost didn't believe it. Could she have just asked and gotten one like that?
"Eat." She gave it to her.
Yeras accepted the meat, tearing into it with tears in her eyes. Her stomach stopped growling, her body relaxing. Cynder waited for her to finish eating before speaking.
"What is your name?" Cynder asked.
"Yeras."
"Forgive me for being blunt, but I must ask; your scales...do you have Convexity in you?"
Yeras was taken aback by the question, but not because of the bluntness; rather, because someone knew what it was. Then again, this was Cynder; she would be the expert on it alongside Spyro. The reality of what was happening was beginning to sink in at that moment, suddenly finding herself staring at the other dragon.
"Yes." Yeras finally managed to speak. "But, I can't use it. It just hurt me is all...and took my eyes." Yeras indicated to a loose blindfold, which was ragged and in danger of falling off. "It's okay, I can see you by echolocation, but..."
"But?"
"The others...they think I'm gonna go kill crazy and destroy the orphanage. I've tried telling them I can't, but they don't listen. The matron does, but I don't...fit in. So I decided to just leave."
"On your own, with no help?" Cynder gazed down at her. "That's not going to work, you know."
"You did it with Spyro."
"Well, see, that's the point; I was with someone, and you don't have anyone." Cynder shook her head. "I have to bring you back, you know. I can't let you off on your own."
"No, please, don't bring me back there!" Yeras pleaded, clutching onto her scales. "I don't wanna go back! I don't wanna be the outcast anymore!"
"Drakes will be Drakes, Yeras. You gotta deal with them on your own, but I'll help you get started." Cynder smiled. "Here, I'll even write down where I live. If they do anything, I want you to find me, okay? I'll even help you learn how to defend yourself."
Yeras was hesitant to accept the offer. She knew there was no arguing, yet she wanted to fight back against it. With a sigh, she decided to place her trust in Cynder. She was a hero, after all. If she could keep her promise, then what worry did she have? Swallowing what she could of her anxiety, she nodded at Cynder.
"...And as the year went by, you and Spyro taught me how to-everything alright, dear?" Yeras tilted her head at the snarl on Cynder's face.
"Yeras...please don't mention Spyro around me." Cynder tried to calm herself.
"Oh...uh, okay. May I ask why?"
Cynder scowled a bit, averting her gaze. "I was always treated inferior to him. From what I was told, I was nothing more than a damn sidekick. Yet, I was built up, and then I find out I was merely the replacement."
"No, hun, that's not how it is." Yeras placed a comforting claw on hers. "You may not be the purple dragon, but you got abilities that rival his. Sure he was a bit of an attention grabber, but let's not forget what I just told you. If it hadn't been for you, I probably would have died on the streets. It was also you who helped me try and find my brother over the next couple of weeks, but we never found anything." She said with an uncharacteristic tone of sadness.
"...Fair point." Cynder said after a minute of silence. "Not only that, but whenever I hear his name, I just...feel sad. I don't know why."
"I think I may know why, but I dunno how to word it without angering you." Yeras said quietly. "May not be for the best if you feel that strongly about him."
Cynder gave her a hard look before sighing. "Perhaps you're right. I'm not ready to know why, yet; I want to, but I believe the Guardians when they say my mind is fragile."
"If you ever feel like you want to know, find myself or the Guardians. I'm sure they'll tell you more."
"Thank you." Cynder smiled once more. "So..we...taught you how to fight back, was that it?"
"Yeah, pretty much. Few times I came crying to you two, but as the years went on that was less and less frequent. Hasn't happened since before Malefor's second resurrection."
"Random question that has been bothering me since we left...but...you'd know the answer." Cynder took a sip; she found it to be quite refreshing. She could see why she liked it before. "Did I ever...have a hatchling?"
"No, you didn't." Yeras shook her head. "I remember you thinking about it before Malefor, but to repeat, no."
"Alright...thank you." Cynder felt a weight lift from her shoulders. "So...back to you, what is your role here? Do you take care of things, hunt, what?"
"Oh, I can't do anything physical like that." Yeras waved a wing-claw. "No, see...umm...well...the Guardians kinda...well...keep me around because sometimes I get...visions."
"Visions?"
"Well, kinda sorta...I don't know what else to call them." Yeras sighed. "Well, for the most part, I get bad feelings whenever something, you know, bad happens. For example, I got one when you were about to die."
"I see..."
"But, it doesn't always work. I didn't anticipate the whole Necrolites underneath us thing, nor the fleeing. I was completely thrown into the dark alongside you."
Cynder nodded, allowing Yeras to continue. "So, basically, the visions work the same way. I will sometimes get them, sometimes not. They aren't reliable, either. For instance, I got a vision that I was going to trip and fall into a river if I ate smoked meat the next morning. Didn't happen."
"So they are just completely random and often make no sense?"
"Bingo. I mean, there was this one time that came true when I was studying at Temple once we got everything set up. Got a vision in the middle of combat training about someone who was about to be attacked by a gang of students. Told the instructor, and lo and behold I was right. Course, I had a bloodied nose for the rest of the day because I went catatonic while fighting dummies."
"How often do they appear?" Cynder placed her cup down, leaning forward in interest.
"I can go a month without one, or I can get at least ten a week. I haven't even come close to picking out a pattern."
"So, is there anything else you can do?" Cynder felt strange asking the questions. She should know all these things, and yet it was like meeting for the first time. No doubt Yeras felt the same.
"Well, I can make tea, use my element, cook, and watch the hatchlings. Not much of a fighter, but if need be I can defend myself quite well." Yeras sighed. "Other than that, not really much."
Cynder nodded, unsure of what to ask next. There were millions of questions that came to her mind, ranging from personal to random. She was staring directly the one who knew her, yet, her mind was so rampant it drew a blank. Yeras clicked her tongue as if to check if she were there, Cynder moving slightly to show she was.
"Come, let us go help out the camp for a bit." Yeras suggested kindly. "I won't make you sit there and dwell; if we move, I'm sure you'll think of something."
Cynder smiled. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."
"I'm what?" Viberian asked with a raised eyeridge.
"Targeted, but not for malice...well, it may lead to malice." Volteer pulled out the resurrection book. "This was my mistake more so than any of yours, but sadly there is no way to reverse this that I can see."
"What is it?"
"Well...there is a reason that Cynder is acting differently than we both remember her." Volteer rested his eyes for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "You see, she has...absorbed us."
"She what now?" Viberian blinked.
"I had the same reaction; I scoured the entire book until I felt the binding about to burst trying to look for any side-effects of our ritual. It was staring right at me; my old age must have made me overlook such a important detail."
"Was Convexity one?"
"No, but her actions under it fuel my fears." Volteer averted his eyes. "You can confirm that she advanced on you, correct?"
"Yeah, but that was just Convexity, right? Or...?"
"No, that is actually one of the side-effects." Volteer sighed. "As I said before, she absorbed us. By this I mean bits of our personality, as well as how she treats us. She will not like Cyril because he put her body in ice, so all she feels is cold around him. She is a clever thinker and may have an affinity for spells from me."
"That explains the grapes and change of demeanor." Viberian felt some closure to that mystery.
"However, you and Terrador...you two were the ones who physically touched her."
"Meaning?"
"She can, and will, consider you...more than friends. The way the ritual works, from my understanding, is that the resurrected individual can sometimes become...imprinted. It could be friendship, or...lover. That advancement, while fueled with Convexity, is bringing out part of the problems. Now, this may not be a concern for some, but for us, it is."
Viberian swallowed the information, unsure of how to process it. His head turned to the exit, butterflies in his stomach. "I...can see the concern; if she makes a move on me, and if Spyro is not dead..."
"My point exact; we have never seen his rage, so I fear not just for Cynder, but for you. You will be the target." Volteer placed a claw on his shoulder. "This does not mean for you to stop being around her; no, this is just me trying to warn you. She may treat you as a possession and get jealous if you speak so much as to another female casually. An important thing to know, though, is that she is not in control of this. This is her still-recovering brain scrambling and reacting to fill the void Spyro left."
"So, if she recovers, she won't act like that anymore?"
"I can't provide an answer clearly, but I want to say that it is extremely possible for all reactions to subside. It just depends, of course, on her speed of recovery. The fact that she hated Spyro is another example; her brain recognizes the name, but...with Convexity returning, I can only assume it is how she viewed him when she was under Malefor's control. Her mentality is struggling against it, which is why she will sometimes look saddened at his name."
Viberain started to pace, a jittery feeling welling inside. "I see..."
"Of course, these are all hypothetical guesses; these are just the symptoms of the effects. For all we know, she could break the chain and go back to normal at any minute. I have not had the privilege to speak to anyone who was resurrected." Volteer said with a reassuring smile.
Viberian didn't feel reassured, though. "So, I'm going to have to get to Terrador before her, then."
"That is the idea. Once we land, I will attempt to distract her long enough for you to inform him." Volteer glanced about the tent. "On that subject, I suggest we begin to pack up. Continue to talk to her and the like, but just be careful. I do not want to see either of you get hurt."
With a nod, the Fire Guardian left the tent, deep in his thoughts. If Cynder was attracted to him, even if she could not control it, then he would have to avoid her if it got too much. He wasn't ready for any form of that type of affection, not so soon. The idea of it made him seek the only one he knew could get comfort from.
He found Gravia sitting by the river, tossing stones in. Viberian sat wordlessly beside her, Gravia looking up at him before her face fell. She instinctively wrapped her claws around his, hugging him softly. Hiding a tear, Viberian soothingly stroked her head; if there was anyone else who knew his pain, it was her. Just as he lost his mate, she lost her mother. Unconsciously, he found himself glancing at the bite-scar in his reflection.
"Are you thinking about mom?" She asked innocently.
"Yeah..." Viberian formed a pseudo-smile. "I miss her."
"I do too..." She snuggled against him. "She's still watching us, right?"
"Yeah...all of our fallen continue to protect us as spirits." Viberian looked down at her.
"Well, if she's watching us, wouldn't she be sad if we're sad?"
He paused. "I suppose she would be...she was always distressed whenever we were..."
"Well, let's try and be happy!" Gravia hopped off, tail wagging as she nudged him with her horns. "I want mom to see us okay! I don't want her to worry in her rest..."
Viberian had to stare. It was absolutely amazing at how mature she could be, yet so innocent. To top it off, she was right. He couldn't sit around and mope when he still had his daughter to take care of. Yet, it seemed so hard to do so. Looking into the river, he smiled softly, nodding at Gravia. He would be strong for as long as he could for her.
Cynder couldn't help but notice that Viberian was being strangely distant to her again over the course of the day. Whenever she greeted him, he wasn't rude, but he seemed to run off at the slightest thing. More than once he outright avoided her, but she supposed he was still bothered about the Convexity incident. She did hope that he would be comfortable again soon, though.
While she helped out the camp, she felt a tad bit guilty at her impeding departure. She had decided to leave in the next day or two to seek out Ignitus, but she hadn't had the faintest idea of how to get to him. Sure, she knew the way, but the ocean part was going to be the main killer. Maybe she would contact him tonight.
Assisting Yeras in lifting a heavy piece of equipment to be placed on a makeshift cart, she debated if she should go alone or bring someone with her. Her first choice was Viberian; his medical expertise and element would be useful, especially in cold environments. Her second, of course, was Yeras. Perhaps Ignitus could help with the visions she was having.
The day went by rather slowly, being forced to circle the survivors multiple times to search for threats and to stave off the boredom. She saw Cyril barking orders up at the front, Volteer blabbing to Viberian about something she couldn't hope to understand. She did see Yeras slinking a bit in the back, flying much lower than Cynder. An idea forming, she decided to make due of what she supposedly did for her in the past again.
"So, are you up for a little hunt?" Cynder asked her.
"I don't know how useful I will be, but alright." Yeras said uneasily.
"Well, you need practice anyway; god forbid this camp falls and I'm not there."
"I suppose that's fair."
Cynder jerked her head to the forest with a grin, the two flying away from the camp. Having Yeras use her echolocation, the duo flew above the trees. Three minutes later, Yeras alerted her that she had found something. According to her, it was a deer, and they plunged into the trees eagerly.
Landing on a branch, Cynder found the deer easily, Yeras landing on the ground. Cynder didn't say anything, though, letting Yeras do it her way. For all she knew, this could work. The black-blue dragon stepped softly over the roots and lush, glowing plants, the sound of air freezing as ice formed in her maw.
A ball of ice launched itself at the deer, striking it dead. As impressed as Cynder was with the strike, there was also a problem; the deer was compeletely frozen solid. Landing before it, Cynder tapped it, only to have it wobble and shatter into tiny pieces. The sight it gave would haunt her dreams for a week.
"Erm...where did it go?" Yeras cautiously walked over. "I heard something breaking. Were you carrying something made of glass?"
"No, you froze the deer solid and it's...well, you're standing in it." Cynder replied. Yeras instantly jumped away.
"I told you I wouldn't be that useful." Yeras tilted her head down.
"Well, you proved to me that you can defend yourself at least." Cynder gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "I'm never going to get on the wrong side of you."
"Should we look for another deer? Or do you want to pick up the pieces and bring them back?" Yeras chuckled at Cynder's previous comment.
Cynder, however, was mortified by the question. "Ew, no! We're finding something else, hopefully this time not a Popsicle."
Returning to the air, Cynder glanced back at the refugees, noting that they haven't really moved that far. In fact, they could probably spend all day here catch up within ten minutes. It was times like these where she really, really wished that they could devise some sort of transportation beam; if it took longer than a few days to get there she was going to dive straight into at tree and spare herself the wait.
Then, Yeras called to to her, concern in her voice. Approaching, Yeras indicated down, but was apprehensive about descending. It took some coaxing to get her to go down, but she stayed behind Cynder, who's eyes were drawn to a strange, translucent light. Landing, Cynder could not tear her vision away from the sight before her.
There, growing on it's lonesome in the middle of a large, lively tree, was a shimmering white gem. Yeras raised her hackles at it, retreating behind Cynder more.
"It hurts." Yeras explained when Cynder asked what she was doing. "I don't know how, I don't know why, but it's making me sick while making me feel like I'm burning alive."
"Odd, I'm not getting that reaction; I'm going to investigate, though, so you may want to stay back if it's doing that to you." Cynder motioned her to stand behind a tree.
Yeras did so instantly, poking her head between some branches. Cynder almost laughed at the sight, but turned her attention back to the gem. When she approached, she began to feel queasy, but nothing she couldn't handle; it was similar to doing flips in the air. Reaching out to touch it, she felt her claw warm up, as if she were standing on a heater. Plucking it from it's spot, she found white energy swirling and churning inside like a maelstrom.
Cynder tossed it up and down, finding it remarkably light. It was very smooth to the touch, and despite the initial warmness, was very comfortable. This made it even more confusing as to why Yeras was snarling at it. Placing it in her satchel, she saw that Yeras instantly reverted back to her old self, looking a tad muddled.
"You alright?" Cynder asked.
"I think so," Yeras checked herself over, "I don't know what happened. One minute, I was fine, the next it was like my instincts were screaming at me to fly away and never look back."
Cynder looked into her satchel dubiously, remembering what Ignitus has told her about gems. "We should go to Volteer about this. Maybe he'll know why you reacted that way."
"Cynder...this gem...where did you say you found it again?"
Cynder found Volteer rather easily, this time alone as Viberian had gone to see Gravia from what she was told. Yeras kept in the air when Cynder produced the gem, Volteer's eyes bulging out of his head when she did so. He swiped it from her and immediately pulled out a book from his large satchel, reading it intensely while making off color comments.
Eventually he threw the book into the air, evidently frustrated. Taking the gem in his claws, he peered at it intensely before looking straight at Cynder.
"I don't know why you said it was warm, it's like touching Cyril's scales to me." Volteer scowled, looking up at Yeras. "To have her have such an intense response to simply being near it is peculiar."
"Do you have any ideas?" Cynder asked.
"One, but it should be utterly impossible." Volteer cleared his throat. "If you remember, I used Light to stop the Necrolites on the bridge. It is an expert level spell, and being able to channel the Fury energy is nothing to be taken lightly either. However, nowhere in my own studies or anyone else's has anyone been able to condense it into a solid, much less a gem."
"So, how does this exist, then?" Cynder held it in her claws again, positioning it away so Yeras wouldn't be bothered.
"Your guess is as good as mine, young one, because I have never seen the spell cause any harm to anyone if they didn't have any-." Volteer froze mid-sentence, suddenly whirling to Yeras. "Oh..."
"What?"
"The spell, as I was saying, has never hurt anyone who didn't have a trace of darkness on them. Yeras, as we know, is stained by Convexity. Even if she cannot use it, her body was mutated by it. You also have traces of it in you."
Cynder glanced at the gem again, wondering how she didn't piece it together sooner. It was so glaringly obvious, yet she managed to overlook it like searching for a belonging in a bag. Giving it back to Volteer to inspect, he pulled out a notepad to scribble on. Once he did, though, he accidently dropped the gem.
When the gem hit the ground, the grass around it grew double length and looked greener than an Emerald. Taking it away from the grass, it didn't wilt or wither. It was as if the gem had boosted the growth rate of it permanganate. Transfixed at what he had seen, Volteer did the next logical thing and place it near a tree. The bark grew stronger, the leaves fuller, and the slight curve it had straightened.
"Remarkable..." Volteer's jaw dropped. "If you don't mind, I think I am going to experiment with this. I'd advise taking Yeras away until I can find a way to shield her from it as well."
They left the lurking shadows of the forest after three days, stepping into the warm, still burnt plains near the Cheetah village. Viberian frowned when he saw the disarray the village was still in; now that the smoke had cleared, he could see the damage fully. The gate was beyond repair, the entire right side of the village forever decimated. Even if they rebuilt their buildings, the grass and plants would never regrow.
Making sure Gravia was secure with Cyril, whom he had been chatting with for some time, Viberian took off to the village in search for Terrador. Keeping an eye out for Cynder, he was pleased to see that she was nowhere in sight. He hated to avoid her so, but until he was sure he knew what to do if she acted as Volteer feared, this was for the best.
It didn't take long for Viberian to find Terrador, the Earth Guardian helping pull a cart of debris away to be burned. In the bonfire, Viberian spotted wrapped up bodies of Cheetah; now that he looked about, the village seemed so empty from when he first walked in. He didn't see Hunter or Prowlus, but he thought he heard the latter inside of his tent.
Once Terrador was finished, Viberian indicated for him to step aside and go somewhere private. Once there, Viberian told him everything that Volteer had said. Terrador, predictably, did not take the news very well. He quite literally dropped the fruit he was eating, stared at Viberian, then sighed.
"I wish I hadn't known this." Terrador muttered.
"I'm sorry, but I felt you should know." Viberian replied.
"No, it was right of you to tell me; the problem, now, is what do we do with her?"
"I'm keeping my distance for a bit," Viberian said unhappily, "I may talk to her tonight, but I'm terrified to run off alone with her now. Especially since it's only been a year since Eimuria..." Viberian glanced at the ground.
"I understand completely; I may adopt your method for a day or two." Terrador nodded before looking back at the refugees. "How is Gravia taking it?"
"Much better than I am." Viberian laughed hollowly. "She's the one comforting me when it should be vice versa."
"Perhaps it is because she is younger and has less concerns." Terrador shrugged. "You've seen more death than her as well; it'll take the fire right out of you."
"I should smack you for that pun." Viberian could only stare. "I suppose you're right, though. Cynder's advancements just ripped that wound right open, but I can't blame her if she's reacting out of fractured memories and emotions."
"Believe me when I say that I was the same." Terrador chuckled softly. "My daughter died in the temple raid twenty three years ago. Never was quite the same after that. Are you all right?"
Viberian's eyes had narrowed into slits, flame licking his maw at the mention of the temple raid. Fury built inside of him and he stormed off a bit, shaking his head when he realized what he was doing. Glancing back at Terrador, he saw a perplexed look on the older dragon's face.
"Sorry, just...forgotten memories returning is all." Viberian explained vaguely.
"You were there that night?"
"I was. About Gravia's age if I remember correctly, give or take a year."
"You're older than I thought you were."
"A lot of have said that."
"So, what were you doing at the temple?"
Viberian shifted his gaze again. "I'd rather not talk about that. Please don't ask about it."
Terrador smiled kindly. "Very well, I will not pry. However, I am very curious as to how you survived through Malefor at such a young age."
"That, my friend, is a very long story that we don't have time to get into. Let's just say that I didn't walk out of it alone," He said fondly, eyes drifting upwards, "I digress, though. How are things here?"
"As good as they'll ever be." Terrador indicated for them to walk back to the village. "The death total is at fifty now, with forty seven remaining. Prowlus has sent word out to neighboring tribes that may be alive about what has happened to warn them."
"I see..."
"The Dark Flame that Malefor's companion made still smolders under the ashes." Terrador indicated to a scorched road. "Although it may not look it, standing on it may scald your scales."
Viberian made a mental note to avoid it. "Well, what's the good news?"
"All of the Gnorcs are gone from the area, and there are no signs of Necrolites. And I see Volteer has not dampened his mood, either."
Viberian looked back at the dragons, seeing Volteer toy with that light gem Cynder had given him a few days ago. Viberian had been conscripted into assisting him with a few experiments, if he could call it that. It was mostly seeing how big he could grow a plant or something, and while Viberian was impressed, he was less-so after standing by for four hours.
"What is that?" Terrador asked.
"Ask him, he'll shove his notes into your face until your eyes bleed." Viberian chuckled. "All I really know is that it makes plants grow more, and that Yeras just about spits acid at it."
"Why is that?"
"Some sort of reaction between the convexity in her and the properties of the gem. All I got from it."
"Interesting...because we found a gem of our own that does the exact opposite."
"What?"
"I meant to tell the Guardians as a whole later, but go grab Volteer; he'll need to see this."
Viberian had to admit; when he was first told about the gem, he was expecting some sort of Convexity gem. What he saw, however, was similar yet so very different. The gem in question was located where Cynder had fought off the dragon. The ice that had been formed had melted only a bit, Terrador bursting through it the other day to investigate.
Inside, though, a crystal cluster not unlike the Rubies or Emeralds awaited them, but it reminded him more of Yeras's ice more than it did crystal. Terrador raised a wing to stop him from traveling further, indicating to the ground. It was full of death and decay, the plants dead all the way to the roots. The very soil looked tainted; Viberian dared not think about touching the crystals.
"Unbelievable." Volteer examined it from a safe distance. "You say this formed after the Abomination left? To grow so fast in such a short time..."
"I was as baffled as you are," Terrador responded, "I wouldn't carry that gem so close, by the way. Who knows what may happen?"
"Well, that is exactly what I hope to find out," Volteer said enthusiastically, "Right, so, if this Light Gem creates life, and this Dark Gem creates death...I wonder..."
Volteer motioned for them to stand back, placing the gem down at the edge of the Dark Gem's reach, taking off himself. Viberian watched as the Light Gem produced life around it, but when it tried to grow in the corrupted area, plants died the instant they bloomed. After jotting down what he had seen, Volteer plucked up the Light Gem again.
Then, before anyone could stop him, he plopped it right next to the Dark Gem. What felt like a miniature explosion blew Viberian onto his back, a wave of shimmering white and black energy spreading like a small halo. Viberian felt both sick and on top of the world, stumbling to his claws with his vision skewered.
"Whelp, I got excellent news, and not-so-excellent news," Volteer appeared unaffected by the blast, "Good news is that I now know what they do when put together. The bad news is that the Dark Gem is destroyed." He indicated to the chunks of the gem that were scattered about.
"Volteer, you really need to learn to think." Terrador groaned. "You could have just killed us."
"I didn't, so stop complaining and assist me in fetching these fragments."
Viberian went to lend whatever help he could, but his eyes were drawn to something glinting in the sun. Turning his head, he saw what he thought to be another Dark Gem, but there was no tainted ground around it. Curious, he walked over, finding it instead to be a piece of a helmet. The dark armor shimmered, as if beckoning Viberian to touch it.
Compulsion made him do so, finding it be rather cool to the touch. Picking it up, it was fairly light, yet incredibly durable. Not even one scratch blemished its features. He had another urge to put it on his head, but his muzzle was too short for it. The dragon must have been huge to wear armor like this.
Yet, he found himself donning it regardless. The lower jaw part wasn't there, yet it stayed on as if it was. A presence could be felt in his mind, a pair of glowing, violet eyes invading. They stared unblinkingly, curiously, as if trying to read his mind. The eyes grew closer and closer, the shape of some sort of reptile coming closer out of the shadows towards him. It walked on two legs, a long, twisted claw reaching out for him. It was seconds away from touching him, Viberian fighting to get away as it was millimeters from his scales.
"What are you wearing?" Volteer trotted over, taking Viberian by surprise and knocking him out of the trance he was in.
"Don't know, just found it here." Viberian ripped off the helmet.
"So your first instinct was to put it on?"
"It was like a force compelled me to do so," Viberian recounted exactly what he had seen to Volteer's horror. The mention of the figure made Volteer snatch the helmet away from Viberian. "...then you approached, and I tore it off."
"Viberian I have no idea if I should smack you or hug you," Volteer said, "You may have just given away our location, or fallen under an influence, but you also may have seen the puppet master behind this. You say it was on two legs, yes?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"Then it could not be Malefor or the Abomination." Volteer examined the Light Gem and the Dark Gem pieces. "I wonder if it is behind these two...regardless, we should take this armor back and examine it more closely with the other Guardians, Cynder included."
Viberian, finding nothing to disagree with, nodded and followed Volteer back to to the refugees.
It didn't take long for them to find a suitable place to make camp; above the waterfall where they had previously fought the elemental, another stretch of land extended before them, ending at the foot of a mountain. The only thing Cynder did not like about it was that she could see the dark, green-tinted clouds beyond them; a reminder of how plagued this land really was. She still had not figured out how the Necrolites did not enter, but she had a faint idea with the Light Gem.
The gem in question was one of the reasons why she found herself in the new Guardian 'Sanctuary', standing next to Viberian and Cyril. It was much bigger than it was before, Terrador crafting part of it from the land itself. The only problem of the windowless, stone room was the lack of windows, plunging them into darkness until Viberian lit a lantern.
Cynder felt uncomfortable under the glow of the Light Gem in such a small area at first, growing tolerant after a short period. Volteer had begun to blab about the Light Gem and it's properties, Cynder losing interest until the Dark Gem fragments were produced. Cynder snatched one, feeling a strong connection with it. The other Guardians observed her closely, but she didn't feel any different.
"Maybe it is too small or the power was diluted after it shattered." Cyril hypothesized.
"That may very well be the case." Volteer agreed, pulling out a helmet. Cynder recognized it instantly; it was his mask! Cynder went to reach out and touch it, Volteer jerking it away.
"I wouldn't," Viberian looked down, "I put it on and I was nearly possessed."
Cynder put away her claw. "Well, you're not tainted with Convexity, so it may have a different effect on me."
"No, Cynder," Volteer snapped, "You are not to put it on under any circumstances. Viberian, inform her what you saw."
Viberian did just that, Cynder growing numb at the mention of the new figure. The violet eyes; where had she seen those before? The way he described the figure, it was so familiar. Cynder eyed him until he finished until she asked, in her mind, the most important question she could think of.
"That figure...did it have wings?"
Viberian raised an eyeridge, concentrating. "I...I really couldn't tell. Now that I think long and hard about it, I think I noticed something that resembled wings, but-Cynder?"
Cynder had walked into the tent-part of their new headquarters, hyperventilating. She clutched her head, feeling a strong sense of fear. Red energy crackled in her claws, her staring with horror at them, begging them to stand back. Everything twisted and turned, like when the Vampire had hit her with the attack. Yet, this time, all she saw was the pair of violet eyes in the shadowed room followed by distorted laughter.
"Surprised to see me?" A male voice asked in her mind, causing her to black out completely.
Cynder awoke in the the familiar realm of the Chronicler, surprised to see herself here so soon. Ignitus did not take long to appear, a grave look on his face as he examined her. He went to answer her unasked question, motioning her to be silent.
"I brought you here because you were about to have another reset." Ignitus walked over to her. "The description of the figure must have triggered a memory you cannot handle yet."
"I'm guessing this is the one you were talking about." Cynder ruffled her wings with a wince.
"All evidence points to it," Ignitus confirmed, "However, this does give us a bit of what to expect. You've met him, and it may be someone from your past. That narrows it down considerably, if that it is true."
"Can you tell me who they are, or will they trigger another one of these?"
"I'm hesitant, but you do deserve to know." Ignitus cleared his throat, reading off of his book. "There is the Ape Warlord, Gaul, but unless he has changed forms, it is not likely. Malefor, of course, is 'alive'. Those were your enemies, but perhaps...this figure was an ally?"
Ignitus sounded just as confused as she was by the notion. "I do not recall any reptilian creatures walking on two legs crossing your path. Perhaps it could be a dragon on hind-legs."
"That sounds more likely, especially if there are wings." Cynder agreed.
"Indeed...but we can speculate all we wish, but I believe you have news to share with me regarding that gem."
"Oh, yes, I do." Cynder explained everything for what felt like the third time in a row.
"Poor Yeras; she has never caught a break, and now traveling with that so close..." Ignitus closed his eyes. "If you can, though, attempt to find another gem and bring it to me. I will not burden you with such a beacon for so long."
"Question about that; how am I supposed to cross the ocean to get to you?" Cynder scowled. "I don't even know if I can swim!"
"I had hoped to inform you when you were ready to leave, but since you are here, I may as well do it now. In Dante's Freezer, you will find a weapon left behind by the Ice King during Malefor's second reign. It can create never melting ice, and if used properly, can make a raft of sorts. I will instruct you on so when you are set, but you will also need the Essence of Wind from one of the few Elemental Lords left in the world. With it, you should be able to cross the ocean within a week."
"Which one should I go to first, then?"
"Dante's Freezer is closest, but the nearest Elemental Lord is a ways beyond that. I'm afraid you may have to select your companions, should you require them, as it is unlikely you will be returning."
Cynder nodded grimly. "I'm debating if I should let them know I am running off."
"I would be honest with them; I trusted the Guardians in life, and I do so now in death. If need-be, I will make myself known to them, but for the sake of Viberian, I would rather not."
"Understandable, but I have one, final question."
"What is it?"
"If I were to bring Yeras to you, could you help her with these visions she has?"
Ignitus mulled it over, wing-claw under chin. "I may be able assist, but I will have to read her book to get a glimpse of it, but-hold on, something is going on in the real world."
Cynder waited patiently until she saw Ignitus reel in shock. "Malefor is attacking the camp. You need to get out NOW. Grab who you can and flee! You are still too weak to fight him!"
Cynder awoke to the scent of burning flesh and ash, springing to her claws and dashing out of the Guardian sanctuary. It was just like being in the Cheetah village; bodies everywhere, the enemy in all directions, and fire...fire that burned the very air. Waving a wing to cover her head, she barely had time to react as a Necrolite lunged at her face.
Blasting it backwards with a gust of air, three more stopped eating a young dragon, turning to her with flesh in their maws. Taking off into the air, they spread their withered wings and, powered by dark energy, flew after her. Slicing, cutting, and pushing them away with all of her powers, she found a moment to breathe, staring down at the camp.
It was there that she found a giant, stitched horror running towards her. It had the body of a dragon, legs of a spiked insect, and four wings. The top half of the head was also draconic, but the lower jaw was removed and replaced with a lashing tendril. The beast towered over Cynder, and with a glare, shot its appendage.
Cynder avoided it, whipping wind at its face. The tendril smacked the host and stuck to the scales. Then, it tore it off its face. Scales stuck to the tendril, split skin and scales where it had struck. Such a sight repulsed Cynder. Swinging with all of her might, she cut through the chitin legs; foul fluids spewed to the ground. It fell forward, and a scorpion-like tail whipped forth, Cynder's head nearly sailing away from the attack.
It was too dangerous to approach now. Cynder grabbed a large pole and to the skies she flew, wind guiding the pole down so that it struck through the head. It quivered and shook, but after a shrill, gargled shriek, fell silent and immobile. Cynder caught her breath and looked around the camp.
From above it was even worse; what little survivors remained huddled together, fighting off what they could in futile attempts to escape. Cynder raced down to assist, only to see them fall under the horde. Pupils dilated, she trembled, aware of a presence behind her. She didn't dare turn around; she already knew who it was just by the chuckle.
"It's rude to ignore your guests." Malefor said.
Cynder had no choice now. Slowly facing Malefor, she saw the undead dragon a mere ten feet from here. She could smell the decay on him, stronger through the flames. The large inferno behind him cast him in silhouettes, his eyes and fangs the only parts visible against the night sky. She backed away unconsciously, him advancing at the same pace.
"Look at you...the same fear you had when you died. I never got a chance to taste you...I wonder how it will be?" Malefor crooned to her. "Maybe I'll keep you alive, slowly stripping away scales from flesh, listening to your screams...you'll be all mine...mine and mine alone..."
Cynder couldn't find it in her to reply, but she managed to steady herself. There was no running from him as he reached an intimate distance.
"Perhaps I can do other things with you...ooh, imagine the possibilities." Malefor cupped her under the chin. "I see it in your eyes, though; you wish to flee. Tell you what, I surprised you...I'll give you ten seconds, then I'm coming for you..."
Cynder didn't even realize she was flying until after five seconds, desperate to get away. She dove into the burning forest below and maneuvered through threes and thick plants. There was nowhere to hide that he wouldn't smell her. There was no one nearby to help her, either lost in the confusion or dead. Viberian, Yeras, the Guardians...they could be amongst the dead or-.
Malefor crashed through the trees to her left; Cynder nearly tore out her shoulder to stop herself short. He flew past her, flames searing her wings and the forest around. The entire area around her lit up, black smoke preventing her from flying up. What looked like an arena ring formed afterward as Malefor stepped back out of the forest on his hind legs, the fire on him giving him a ghastly look.
"You suck at this game." Malefor shook his head. "Now the only way out is to beat me unless you want to suffocate from the smoke."
Cynder got herself into a battle stance, internally screaming. How had Malefor caught up to them so fast, better yet catching them by surprise? How did Ignitus miss this crucial detail? She reacted just in time to avoid a wide-clawed swipe.
Hitting him with her poison element, she felt a chill run down her spine when he deflected it with his own Air element. Droplets splattered her form, rotting wind knocking her to her back. She rolled off, the scales where the drops had hit falling from her body. Malefor gave her no quarter, slashing with elemental claws. He also lashed his tail at her. It was all Cynder could do to avoid being struck, much less attack.
Realizing she was heading towards the edge of the ring, Cynder made a daring move to leap over him. At first it felt like it succeeded, using her element to propel herself upwards. Then, soemthing sharp dug into her tail, a strong force catapulting her towards the ground hard enough to snap her left limbs like twigs. Cynder bounced off the ground and convulsed in shock, unable to pull herself up.
"That's it?" Malefor licked his bloodied talon with ecstasy. "You really are nothing without Spyro by your side. I bet even he thinks you nothing more than a dirty little whore, the only female dragon for miles. Probably pretended to be your mate just for the sex."
Cynder paled at what Malefor had said. Spyro...was her mate? She thought back to what Yeras had said, lining up the dots as Malefor picked her up by the neck and forced her to stare into his eyes.
"Oh, they didn't tell you?" Malefor inquired wickedly. "Oh dear. Well, I'm the bad guy here, but I bet if you ask the Guardians, they can confirm it. Of course, I think I may have just killed them in this."
"You thought wrong, Malefor!" A familiar voice shouted, a blast of ice hitting Malefor in the face. Malefor dropped Cynder on her side. A flash of blue scales pulled her away, relief pouring into her body as the familiar glow of Rubies passed her vision. Blinking a few times, she found her rescuer to be Cyril.
"Can you fly?" He shot a glance at Malefor, who was swiftly recovering from the attack.
"No choice but to." Cynder sprang into the air, her wings sore but able to hold.
A ferocious roar echoed after them as they fled. Cyril froze the flames so they could fly through. Cynder glanced back and saw that Malefor had finally taken flight, Cyril leading her off the side of a cliff. Down they went, into plague-infested land that almost reached for them. The trees were wilted and decayed, Necrolites peering through them, and the overwhelming stench of rot nearly knocked her out again.
Malefor, however, made any form of rest impossible. He chased them almost exactly where they were going somehow. Whenever they would turn to whip around a tree, rock, or brush, he either followed or burst through it to cut them off. Once, Cyril was nearly killed instantly by Malefor's charge, only managing to stay alive through a quick jet of air from Cynder.
Eventually, though, they seemed to lose him. They knew better than to stop, but Cynder was just about ready to drop from the sky. The Rubies helped, but she was dimly aware of her left side still being weak, wing included. Cyril noticed this, suggested that they should find a cave that they could reinforce.
"Necrolites I can handle, but if we are to avoid Malefor, we need to find someplace he wouldn't dare look." Cyril looked absolutely repulsed. Cynder figured out the reason when he spoke again. "I would suggest we should mask our scent by...covering ourselves..."
"That wouldn't work." Cynder indicated to some scratches. "If the disease gets anywhere close, I'm done. Even being here is a risk."
"Well then what do we do?" Cyril snarled. "We can't exactly sit here and wait for him to find us!"
"Did I say that? There has to be a cave somewhere around here that we can lay low for a bit."
The two searched and searched, every possible cave they found either overridden in rot or too small to be of any use. More than once they swore they saw the former purple dragon, but he didn't come in after them. Eventually, Cyril was able to identify the area around them, face growing grim.
"This is the marsh where we used to govern," Cyril explained, "I didn't recognize it, or realize it was so close to Avalar, but I remember venturing out this far more than once."
"Should we try and go there?"
"No, Malefor would be waiting for us. It's too obvious."
"That's exactly why we should go," Cynder argued. "It's so stupid and idiotic that he'd overlook it; he certainly seems arrogant enough."
"That he is..." Cyril twitched his tail, eyes upwards. "It is, however, our best hope. With luck, Volteer would think the same and lead some survivors there."
"How long will it take to get there?"
"Perhaps a day or so? It's hard to judge when you have Necrolites in every corner and their leader nearby."
"Valid point." Cynder indicated back up to Avalar. "Should we try venturing back to see if there are any survivors? If Malefor buggered off somewhere, then we can handle any Necrolites there."
"Absolutely not!" Cyril looked ready to smack her upside the head. "Do you want to be eaten? We may very well be the last two survivors, and I will not risk you!"
"Cuz I may be the only female dragon for miles, right?" Cynder muttered bitterly.
"Where the devil did you get that from?"
"Malefor mentioned Spyro was only my mate for that reason," Cynder flew back up to Avalar. "If I am so important to you, then you will do well to protect me; I'm going back, and if you want to stop me, you'll have to tie me down."
"This is incredibly foolish..." Cyril flew after her after a minute.
Cynder ignored him, the wind whipping by her face nearly drowned him out regardless. They the inferno where she had fought Malefor and reached the camp in less than five minutes. They found that most of the Necrolites had cleared out. Landing, Cynder scattered any Necrolites nearby to search for survivors.
The only survivor she found lay eviscerated on the ground, whimpering softly. No amount of Rubies would save her, so Cynder put her to rest. Checking every tent, she found nothing. No traces of the Guardians or Yeras. That was, of course, until she found a bloodied blindfold on the ground, ripped to shreds. It was unmistakably Yeras's.
"The poor dear..." Cyril mumbled, assisting Cynder to search for signs of her demise. Cynder wasn't sure if she should happy or not to find no answers.
Then, a massive pillar of fire scorched the heavens from the distance. The distant sounds of Necrolites screamed alongside a loud roar of fury. Cynder didn't hesitate to leap towards it, Cyril right behind. The roar sounded so familiar; she wanted to say it was Viberian's. Using her element to propel her across the sky, she hoped she wasn't too late.