Chapter 11: A Question of Trust

I just stood there, staring in disbelief at the two young dragons that for some twisted ass reason decided to come along with us on our incredibly dangerous journey! Are they tired of living? Do they just want to see if they could have the most epic and ridiculous death imaginable?! I have Malefor in my brain! Are you two insane?!

Ember looked absolutely terrified. "IT WAS HIS IDEA!" She suddenly shouted pointing a claw at Flame.

Flame gave Ember a glare. "Oh thanks!" He said sarcastically. The two scrambled to get out of the bag, seeing no point in hiding in it anymore.

I chanced a look at Spyro, he was absolutely livid. He looked so pissed I half expected steam to come out of his ears, well, if he had ears. "What are you doing here?! Are you two out of your minds?!" Spyro snapped. I saw them shaking in their scales as Spyro unleashed his verbal assault.

Ember hid behind Flame. "F...Flame convinced me to come, he said it'd be our only chance at a real adventure!" Ember said.

But Spyro was having none of it. "You both need to go home! NOW! It's too dangerous for you two! I don't even like Kevin coming with us let alone you two!" Spyro said.

"Dude!" Kevin exclaimed in response to Spyro's comment. Cynder turned to Kevin. "Come on Kevin, you're about as useful in a fight as Sparx." She said. Kevin blinked. "Well screw you too!" He said.

However, for some insane reason, Flame stood his ground. "I'm not leaving! And you can't make me!" Flame said like the bratty child he was.

Oh dear, Spyro didn't take too kindly to that comment. He slowly walked up to Flame, his eyes full of rage. Oh man, I hope I'm not gonna have to pull Spyro off Flame later so we don't have a corpse on our hands.

Flame was trying to hide it, but I could tell he was absolutely terrified. He knew he couldn't take Spyro in a fight. But his ego was too big to swallow and he'd be damned if he'd ever show it. "I won't ask you again Flame, take Ember and go home. I don't want to risk either of you getting hurt if Malefor gets control of Zane again." Spyro said, trying his hardest to keep from choking Flame like he owed him money.

Ember tapped Flame on his shoulder. "M... maybe we should listen to him Flame." She suggested. However that would require Flame to admit he was wrong about something, so he of course refused.

I had to step in, Spyro was about ten seconds from sending Flame floating back home in an ice block! "Spyro it's useless, he's just gonna follow us anyway. Might as well make it easier to keep an eye on him." I pointed out, knowing that Flame wasn't one to give up and go home, hell he'd probably find some other stupid method of following us. At least here I'd know where he was so he couldn't get himself killed being a moron.

Spyro thought it over for a second. "Fine, but if things get hairy and I tell you to stay out of the way, you stay out of the way! Is that clear?" He said, finally relenting.

Flame nodded, just happy he got to tag along. Ember seemed a bit more relived, I guess she was just happy Spyro wasn't going to punt them all the way back to the village. I could tell Spyro still wasn't thrilled they were coming along for the ride, but I guess he agreed with me that if we didn't let them come then Flame would just find another means to follow us.

Later...

Tensions had eased between Flame and Spyro since we discovered them in Kevin's bag. I laid down at the edge of the raft just looking into my own reflection in the passing waters. Everyone else was bored to tears, I knew this because I could hear Kevin humming a song, something he always did when he had nothing to do.

I was so close to being out of this mess, on the other side of this raft trip was my one way ticket to becoming human again and getting Malefor out of my brain once and for all.

I felt that chill in the back of my neck again, signaling that Malefor wanted to tell me my face was dumb or something equally as lame. "Oh please Zane, such childish mocking is beneath me and you know it." Malefor said, yeah sure it was.

I don't know why he's so calm, I was seriously a boat ride away from kicking him out of my brain, you'd think he'd be begging me to literally jump ship. I heard Malefor laugh, you'd think I'd stop forgetting he can hear my thoughts eventually but nope. "You're so certain The Chronicler can remove me from your subconscious before I take full control aren't you Mr. Andrews? However, what if it's not that simple? What if he sees it more fit to kill you on the spot? What then? Come now Zane who are you? Just some random human doomed to a meaningless existence just like the rest of your kind. It's so much simpler to kill you than to go through so much struggle for someone of such little significance as yourself." Malefor said, oh joy he was trying to demoralize me again. How many times do I have to prove your full of it before you get the message?

I heard Malefor laugh again. "Tell me I'm wrong then Zane, tell me with the certainty you claim to have that The Chronicler won't see if more efficient to kill us both than to waste the effort of removing me from a worthless human he has little to no attachment to. Tell me that if you were in The Chronicler's position that you wouldn't take the easy route to save countless lives at the expense of one." Malefor challenged.

I... I can't... he has a point. Who the hell am I? Just some loser who works at an old video game store making minimum wage. What was I in comparison to all of dragon kind in the eyes of someone like The Chronicler? "See... you see it now don't you Zane? These creatures you call "friends" are taking you to your own undoing. Who's to say they don't know this? Think about it, who are you to Spyro or Cynder? They barely know you or Kevin. Would it really break their hearts if you died? They say it would surely, but can you tell for certain they really mean it?" Malefor said.

No... that wasn't true! I trust Spyro and Cynder, Spyro promised me he'd get my body back! "Oh he "promised" you did he? What is a promise but pretty words forming a trust that can easily be broken? He knows your time is running out, and he doesn't care at all. As long as I'm gone, what's it matter what becomes of you?" Malefor continued.

I didn't want to agree with him, but I couldn't come up with a logical reason I could use to refute his claims. Why would Spyro give a damn about me? Hell the only reason he ever agreed to help us in the first place was to keep Malefor from coming back. And I don't recall him ever saying anything in my defense when Cyril was calling for my hanging back at the temple! And Cynder, she didn't seem to care either, hell she made it abundantly clear how much she didn't like Kevin, who's to say she didn't think the same about me?

What the hell am I doing?! No way in hell they're gonna let me walk out of the White Isle with my head still attached! "Yes you see it now! You can never trust a dragon Zane, they fool you with pretty words and empty promises, but then stab you in the back when it suits their needs." Malefor said before vanishing.

I heard someone approach me. "Zane? You okay?" Spyro asked. I slowly got up from my place. "I'm a complete idiot..." I said coldly.

I saw the confused look Spyro gave me. "What do you mean?" He asked. I looked sharply at him. "Why would the great Spyro bother to help some random loser like me, if it was just as easy to kill him and be done with it." I said.

Spyro was shocked at what I said. "Zane... what are you talking about? The Chronicler's going to get Malefor out of you, no ones killing anyone!" Spyro said.

I wasn't buying it anymore, I could see right threw him. He knew I was dead the second I set foot on The White Isle. "I'm done listening to your lies Spyro! You know the Chronicler's just going to kill me and be done with it! Hell I bet you're banking on it!" I accused him.

Spyro's confusing melted away into anger at my accusation. "That's ridiculous! Zane I want to help you! What would ever make you think I'd lie to you like that?!" He said.

I noticed we had the attention of everyone on the raft right now. But I didn't care, I wasn't going to let Spyro walk me to my own execution. "I can't believe I never saw it until now, you don't give a damn about me! You never did! None of you did! Just as long as Malefor is gone that's all that matters right?" I said.

I was done with this sharade. I wasn't going to die, not like that.

I don't know what the hell was up with Zane, I get he has a little distrust in the dragons, but this was so sudden. Zane was never this distrusting before, hell he was actually a bit gullible in fact.

Spyro wasn't liking what he was hearing, and you know what, neither was I! This was stupid! If Spyro wanted to waste Zane he'd of done it by now! "Zane it's not like that! You're my friend I wouldn't do that to you!" Spyro said in his defense.

But Zane wasn't convinced. "Oh! You're my "friend" now? Wasn't it not three days ago you had Kevin trapping me under his foot so you could slap me around? Give it up, I figured you out just own up to it." Zane said rather bitterly.

I got up. "Dude Zane, what the hell?!" I asked. This was so unlike him, so much so that if it wasn't for his voice being normal I would have sworn this was Malefor talking.

Zane looked at me. "You knew too didn't you?!" Zane accused me. I just shook my head, not sure what the hell I was hearing. Dude was out of his skull if he seriously thought I'd ever let these guys put him down like a sick dog.

Cynder seemed to have had enough of this and straight up dragon bitch slapped him. "That's enough! I can understand you having distrust in me and Spyro, but how could you ever think Kevin would do that to you?! What's wrong with you?!" Cynder scolded him.

Zane just shook it off. "He knew, Malefor, he tried to warn me that you guys were sending me to my death bed but I didn't listen to him, because you told me not to! How sad is it that I can trust the villain more than the people I thought were my friends?!" Zane said.

Okay, I see what's happening, Malefor's doing that villain thing were he's convinced him we aren't really his friends, and that the world is so cold and cruel and life is pain and all that other whiny garbage.

I grabbed Zane by the wings and slapped him silly. "Dude what the hell?! Don't listen to Malefor! He's an asshole! He's trying to steal your body!" I said, completely flabbergasted he'd ever listen to that badly auto-tuned jerkwad.

Zane just looked at me. "At least he was being honest about his intentions." Zane said bitterly, you know Zane, I'm about ten seconds from-

THWACK!

Whoa! Cynder just out of nowhere karate chopped Zane right on the back of his neck and knocked him out like a light. "DUDE!" I exclaimed, thinking this solution was a tad extreme.

Cynder looked at me. "He's losing the mind battle, if Malefor was able to turn him on us so easily it's not a good sign. If we're going to get Malefor out of him we can't afford to have him fighting us along the way and wasting valuble time." Cynder explained.

I looked at my unconscious friend. "But did you have to be so... rough?" I asked. She gave me a simple nod and walked off.

Spyro sat next to me. "It's not true, I do really want to help him get his body back. I thought... I though he trusted me?" Spyro said, upset about Zane's accusations.

I turned to him. "It's alright man, I know, once we get him to The Chronicler he'll see the truth." I said, Spyro took comfort in that, I just hoped that Zane would be a bit more... agreeable when he woke up.

Meanwhile...

I can't believe Cynder knocked me out! I knew it was her! Who else would be so... direct about it? It seemed that she knocked me right into another one of Malefor's memories. All the while I kept thinking to myself why I had suddenly stopped trusting Spyro, who by the way hadn't given me any real reason not to.

However my thoughts to my actual life were interrupted by the sudden wave of exhaustion that washed over me. I was training with the Earth Guardian, who wasn't making it easy on me, every muscle in my body was begging me to stop moving. "Come on Malefor! The Apes grow in numbers and power while we wait for you to master your elements! Get up!" The earth guardian demanded.

I tried to get up but I was running on fumes and fell right back down. "NOW MALEFOR!" He demanded, popping a rock up against my chin with the force of an uppercut from a pro boxer.

Blazor came in and was horrified at what he saw. "Boldar! That's enough! He's exhausted and needs rest! Can't we wait until tomarrow to continue his earth training?" Blazor pleaded with the earth guardian.

"We are on the brink of war Blazor! We cannot afford to wait any longer than necessary. We don't know how much we may need him if things don't go in our favor! He must learn the elements, and he must learn them NOW!" Boldar insisted.

However Blazor was unwilling to back down. "Look at him Boldar! He can't even stand! He's no use to anyone if he's too tired to even walk! He's done for today." Blazor said before helping me up and escorting me out of the dojo.

"You can't baby him Blazor! Not with a war on the horizon!" Boldar called out as we left.

Blazor took me outside the temple, into the lush woods out back. "Forgive me Malefor, I never thought they would push you this hard." Blazor said to me as we laid down on the soft grass.

I turned to him. "It's not your fault, but I do need to learn Blazor." I pointed out. Knowing that I needed to master the elements and soon.

However it didn't seem Blazor felt the same. "Not like that! Even legendary dragons need to pace themselves young one. Boldar shouldn't be trying to push you like he is. Mastery should come at it's own pace, not at the pace of others." Blazor told me.

I suddenly broke down, why I had no clue, usually Malefor would give me little mental hints as to what was going on but didn't seem to want to this time. "Malefor? What's wrong?" Blazor asked along with me.

I looked at him with teary eyes. "I just... I want to make you proud Blazor." I said, Blazor gave me a warm, almost fatherly smile. "I am proud of you Malefor. You've come a long way from the lost little dragon you used to be. You don't have to push yourself beyond your limits just to get my approval." He told me.

"He was like the father I never had. I trusted him more than any other dragon in Warfang. He was the first, and only dragon to show me any kindness" I heard Malefor's voice say suddenly.

Soon everything crumbled around me, the landscape turned into a war torn hell hole. "But then that war came. The apes had blindsided us. I had mastered my elemental powers by then but it wasn't enough." He continued.

I looked around, noticing I wasn't Malefor anymore, I was human me again, weird, so I slowly moved through the ravaged dragon city to see Malefor fighting off several ape soldiers alongside Blazor. "They just keep coming!" Malefor said before shooting a fireball at a Dreadwing knocking it right out of the sky.

Blazor turned to Malefor. "Just keep on them Malefor, they have to run out of troops eventually." Blazor said taking his own shots at the apes.

However unbeknownst to either of them, a tower was giving way. It toppled over and began to fall right were they were standing. Blazor at the last second noticed this and pushed Malefor out of the way, the tower falling right ontop of the fire guardian. "BLAZOR!" Malefor called out before trying in vain to lift the tower off.

He then noticed the other guardians standing there. "HELP! Blazor! He's trapped!" Malefor pleaded, I was expecting them to go and help him, wouldn't you? I mean they were fellow guardians after all. But they didn't, they just stood there. "Wh.. What are you doing?! Help me!" Malefor pleaded.

Boldar stepped forward. "I'm sorry Malefor, but it's a hopeless effort, he's gone. We have bigger things to concern ourselves with than him right now. We cannot afford to lose our hold over Warfang to the apes..." Boldar said. Malefor's eyes widened in disbelief, that one of Blazor's friends would just declare him dead on the spot and act like it was just a scratch on their car.

They then all flew off to fight the other apes. Malefor uselessly trying to save his fallen master. "M...Malefor..." Blazor said weakly. Malefor then looked down at the elder dragon, his eyes filled with tears. "It's hopeless... I can... already feel it coming... the life leaving my body... don't... don't risk your own life for one so fleeting as mine." He said.

Malefor wasn't having any of it as he tried to lift the fallen structure. "NO! I won't leave you like they did! I WON'T!" Malefor said as he struggled to save Blazor, but I could tell from where I was that it was a hopeless effort as a pool of blood began to form from under Blazor.

Blazor grabbed Malefor's front leg. "Malefor... please... promise me... promise me that you'll change this world... end these horrible conflicts that... ravage this land... This world... it doesn't need another... warrior... it needs a savior... can you be that? A savior?" The dying dragon asked his pupil.

Malefor began to break down, "I... I'll try... but please! Don't die! Please!" Malefor pleaded. However it was too late... whatever life was in that dragon had left, Blazor was dead...

Malefor's voice sounded in my head again. "I did my best to honor my master's wishes..." He began before the scene changed to an older Malefor arguing with the guardians. "But my efforts were futile, the guardians were unwilling to make peace with the apes after they had ravaged the city, and the apes were just as unwilling to stop their attacks." Malefor explained.

The scene then changed to Malefor alone in a room, an angry look upon his face. "It was then that I realized there would never be peace, not as long as both dragons and apes existed. I would end the conflicts that ravaged our world by force." Malefor explained. "So I trained myself to my fullest potential, learning everything I could and then some." Malefor explained.

The scene then changed to Malefor being banished from Warfang. "However, those fools thought I lacked restraint, and banished me from the temple, claiming I had been consumed by the power I held. They who let my master DIE dared to accuse ME of evil!" Malefor explained, growing slightly angry.

It then cut to Malefor leading an army of apes. "I then realized it, we dragons were vile, selfish creatures, nothing but hideous beasts hidden behind a mask of wisdom and benevolence. Nothing but snakes looking to take one another down for our own selfish desires. They never wanted me to bring peace, I was just another weapon of destruction to them. So I turned on them, I went to their enemies the apes, and taught them how to harness the power of the spirit gems. I would honor my master's wishes through the very force they used to ravage our lands." Malefor said before everything vanished.

I soon found myself face to face with Malefor. "You see now Zane? Why I do what I do? The evil these dragons commit! The selfish creatures that dared call ME a villain, when they allowed their own friend! A brother in guardianship to perish for the sake of the power they held in Warfang! You humans are no different! You stab one another in the back for petty cash and other such things! You see now Zane?! You see why no one can be trusted? Because trust is but the trap these monsters use to get fulfill their selfish goals!" Malefor said to me.

I fell to my knees, not sure what to think anymore. "They betrayed me, and they'll betray you as well. Such is the nature of man and dragon alike. You're only worth anything to them as long as your useful to their ends. And when you outlive that usefulness? They stab you in the back and leave you for dead. You see now? This world will never know peace, neither mine nor your's. They will never allow it as long as war benefits them. Think about it..." Malefor said before everything went white.

Reality...

I woke up on the raft. The gentle sound of the waves being the only thing to break the silence. I looked over to see Spyro was still there, watching me with a sad expression. "It's not true... I never wanted you to die Zane." He said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

I said nothing as I got up. Unsure how I really felt about Spyro at this point. I went to leave but Spyro stopped me. "Zane please, I want you to listen." Spyro said to me. So I stopped, figuring it was best to hear him out.

Spyro sat down and looked me in the eyes. "When you showed me those games, told me about how much you used to look up to me when you were little. I began to feel that I needed to live up to that. To be that hero you looked up to and save your body from Malefor." Spyro began.

"But over the time we'd spent traveling, everything we'd been through, you became something more than someone for me to save, you became a friend. When you said those things earlier... It hurt... I felt like I was failing you... I know that it's hard for you to trust me and Cynder, but I want you to know we all want you to get your body back so you can go home with Kevin and live your life the way you deserve to." Spyro explained, he was so solemn about it, I couldn't find it in me not to believe him, he sounded like he was speaking from the heart.

I regretted ever doubting him, how could I say those things? Here he was trying to be the hero I thought he was so many years ago, trying to be my friend, someone I could trust, and I crumpled it up and threw it in his face like the ungrateful asshole I was. "I'm sorry Spyro... I shouldn't have doubted you." I said.

Spyro gave me an honest smile. "It's alright Zane, it's been a rough few days for you. Just try not to forget who your friends are okay?" He said.

I nodded, I had a weird mix of feelings swirling in my head right now, everything I had learned today was making it so much harder to tell good from evil. Who was I really helping here? Was Malefor right about dragons and humans? Or was Spyro right? Hopefully, when I found The Chronicler, I'd have my answers.

A/N- I think I did a good job with Malefor's tragic back story, it could have been better admittedly, but I wanted to keep it from consuming the rest of the story too.