To Ben Slater: Thanks for the suggestion, but I'm saving Blinx The Mole for the upcoming
sequel to this. As I said at the beginning, I want to keep the
characters at a minimum for this story. But once again, thanks.
Throughout the depth of the dark forest, the few lizardmens were
scanning the area for the other amulets in hopes to return it to their
master. As they kept waltzing the area, the lead lizardman, for some
reason, halted his position, simultaneously halting the others from
advancing.
"Wait."
As he slowly gazed in various directions, he instantly caught a glimpse of a dimly glowing object off the speck of the dirt ground about several feets from his position.
The lizardman smirked evilly in delight to the indication that another amulet was found.
Inside Terra Tower, William was pacing back and forth in front of the several technicians while gazing at the photo of Spyro's right inscripted hand.
All the while, the technicians were trying to stomach in what they have heard from the professor and still they couldn't believe it. Although, they became pretty convinced after the footage they saw, but still became uneasy from that revelation.
"Sir, I don't understand this."
William halted his pacing and gazed the technician in front of him.
"You told us that Sparrow was imprisoned in that amulet. Why didn't you tell us that--"
"I didn't know of this spiritual possession until now."
"Well, what are we gonna do?" A second technician asked
"We get back to work. Hopefully, the guards will keep this whole area, as well as we can keep this entire tower, secured at all cost, understood?"
"Yes, sir!" All technicians unisonly replied
"What about Spyro, sir?" The first technicians asked
William shook his head.
"We leave him be."
"But he doesn't know of this."
"I know he doesn't, but he'll find out eventually. Now let us get back to work."
The technician nods.
"Yes, sir."
William and the technicians went about their work in the tower.
It has been several hours throughout their walk in the forest as Hunter resumed tracing with the tracker for other amulets.
"Anything, Hunter?" Valora asked
Hunter shook his head in response as Valora nods slightly before going into her own thoughts. It may seem that Valora couldn't help but notice something suspicious about the newcomer, Cianca.
Although she may seem normal to Spyro and the others, she couldn't shake the bad feeling that something was up at the moment. Nonetheless, she shook the thought off for a while as Spyro took notice of it.
"Something wrong, Val?" He asked as Valora gazed him.
"Nothing."
Spyro gazed from her without saying a word.
"Spyro?"
Spyro gazed Valora.
"Yes?"
Valora briefly paused for a second.
"Just out of curiousity, who were you really talking to back at the clearing in the woods?"
Spyro groaned slightly in annoyance at the obvious question.
"Oh, god. I can't believe we are back to this subject again." He muttered under his breath, in spite of the fact that Valora can hear him. "Look, Val, I already told you. I was talking to no one."
Valora gazed Spyro in disbelief.
"Really."
Spyro grimaced in realization to her gaze.
"You don't believe me, do you?"
Then, after a quick train of thought, Valora answered in a sarcastic tone.
"Hmm. Let's see: When I asked you the first time, you said, and I could've sworn that you unknowingly said Sparrow. "
"Valora--" Spyro started to say, but was abruptly interrupted by Valora
"And then when I asked again to insure that I heard right, you said it was no one when you came to the anticipation of what you accidently said and noticed my gaze. (serious tone) So, no. I don't believe you."
Even though they're walking, Spyro grew silence for a while. In response, Spyro gazed from Valora and sighed deeply as Valora took notice to this in anticipation.
"So Sparrow talked to you?" She asked in a provided whisper
Spyro kept his eyes forward, avoiding her gaze before exhaling a bit. He became a little uncomfortable at the moment about answering her; Especially after that unexpected kiss he got from her back at the mid-village due to a case of mistaken identity regarding Sparrow. So, without further hesitation, he answered.
"Yeah. He, uh...He's in this amulet; Which is the reason why I've been acting the way I've been acting. After the recent events that has taken place throughout the hours, I was beginning to suspect that he was evil or something."
Valora was about to speak when Spyro instantly gazed her in anticipation to this.
"I said evil, didn't I?" He asked as Valora nods slightly in response
Spyro sighed deeply and gazed from her.
"Sorry. But what was I suppose to think? I mean, what I was doing was kinda, you know...weird. Not to mention that I talked to you dirty like that back at the mid-village."
Valora issued a cocky smile before speaking.
"Hey, I'm used to dirty talk."
Spyro took a quick glance at her and chuckled softly before gazing from her.
"I bet you are. Plus, look at how dark this amulet is." Spyro said, inspecting his inscripted hand.
However, Valora grew surprised by Spyro's reaction to this.
"Y-You weren't freaked out by the whole thing, were you?"
"Uh, yeah. I mean, when I first saw him, he was a mirror of my reflection through a puddle of water with that shabby little evil grin he was making."
"Heh. That's my Sparrow for you. Always scaring the few. Been doin' it since he was a little dragon."
Spyro slowly gazed her in shock.
"You're kidding me."
"Nope. Got that kind of jestering behavior from his father."
"And how do you--Wait, don't-don't tell me." Spyro said before quickly getting into thought of the obvious answer. "He told you, right?"
Valora snickered.
"You're a quick learner."
Spyro grins.
"Complimentary."
They both softly chuckled.
"Guys! I think I found something!" Hunter called from out the front of the group.
Spyro, Valora, and the gangs quickly advance to Hunter's position as the Amulet Tracker was steadily beeping in indication of an object nearby.
"What is it?" Spyro asked
"I think we're close."
Spyro gazed Hunter in confusion.
"I thought you said you found something."
"I did."
"Then, where is it?" Valora asked, briefly impatient
Hunter grew unresponsive as he started waltzing forward while the rest followed. As they got from out of the woods, they came into view of a large mansion-like temple surrounded by a circuler concrete wall and a medium size steel gate. In the middle of the gate is a gray statuette that pictures a viciously open-mouthed creature.
The gangs approached with interest and stopped at the gate, gazing up at the mansion in wonder.
"Well, Valora, you're the expert on Terra Techa." Spyro said
With her gaze still at the mansion, Valora spoke to Spyro.
"Spyro, I know what you're gonna ask me and unless I came here for any daily routine, I wouldn't know a thing about this place, much less even come here."
Spyro paused briefly and nods. If he'd known that Valora was gonna say that, he would've dodged the speech from her mouth right now and dropped the subject. A little late now.
"Okay. (gazed Cianca) Cianca?"
Cianca kept her gaze at the mansion before responding.
"From what I've heard, this place is called the Terra Temple."
Cianca grew silence as the gangs, save Spyro, gazed her as if there was more info to it.
"Uh...we got Terra Temple. Anything else?" Spyro asked
Cianca gazed them and strugs her shoulders.
"Haven't been here before so...that's all I got."
Spyro and the gangs gazed from her as Spyro nods slightly in understandment.
"Okay. Is, uh...is this where you detected the amulet, Hunter?"
Hunter nods.
"Yep."
Spyro smiled with determination.
"Alright, guys. Let's go inside."
The inside of the temple was royal-like with black, white, and red tiled floorings, stoned walls on each sides, a high ceiling with a golden chandlier, furnished furnitures surrounding the lower sides, two flights of separate stairs in the middle leading up and such.
The double doors creaked open as Spyro and the gangs entered and examines the place as the doors slowly closed behind them after entrance.
Spyro whistled in amazement over the place.
"Wow. Wish they had this kind of temple in my world." Spyro complimented
"Well, what if it's haunted?" Valora asked
After a quick train of thought, Spyro answered.
"You know something, you're right. I halt my statement."
"Alright, Spyro. The amulet's here. What's the--" Hunter started to say, but was interrupted as Spyro's inscripted hand glowed once again.
As the gangs noticed, the yellow beam shot out in the direction of the stairs and on the door on the far left side corner.
The beam abruptly fades as Spyro grins.
"I guess we go up." Spyro said before going ahead of the group
Hunter shook his head.
"I hate when that happens."
The group follows Spyro up the flight of stairs and to the far left door.
After several minutes that they've been following the trail, specifically Spyro, seeing that his inscripted hand is the tracer, they finally entered a large chamber-like room that has a large heavy circular designed platform in the middle passing itself off as a floor. Now save the decorated furnitures in the area, the platform carried a huge stoned dragon-shaped statue with its arms formed into an 'X' on its chest along with stoned hands and claws. The stoned dragon was on its hind legs with its wings spread out and has medium sized horns that's a similarity to the purple dragon's horns, except the coloration.
The gangs approaches the statue as Spyro was half paying attention to the steadily beeping Amulet Tracker and gazing astonishly at the glorius statue. But was mostly gazing the statue.
As the gangs kept their awkward silence, Spyro decided to speak.
"Uh, okay. Since it's my first time here, I'm gonna take a wild guess." He said, before pointing to the stoned dragon. "That's me, right?"
Valora shook her head.
"I don't know. I don't see the Terra Warrior mark on it."
Spyro nods in understandment.
"True. Hunter, where's the amulet?" Spyro asked
Hunter once again grew unresponsive as he started to approach pass Spyro toward the statue while gazing the Amulet Tracker. As soon as he got close enough to the statue and trailed it to the bottom to the feet of it, the Amulet Tracker started rapidly beeping as Hunter anticipated this.
"It's right here." He muttered, but neither could hear him.
"What?" Spyro asked
Hunter turned to face Spyro.
"The Amulet's right here."
"Uh, Hunter..." Sparx started to say in a bit of confusion before Hunter intervened.
"It's under the statue. There must be a basement down there."
Spyro nods before approaching close to the statue. As he did a close inspection of the statue, while the gangs watched, he clearly caught sight of a bizarre writing on the lower chest of the statue.
'Hmm...An ancient writing.' Spyro thought
Spyro slowly looks at his inscripted hand and slowly closed his eyes to concentrate in order to have his spiritual ally help him out, specifically Sparrow, in hopes to translate the ancient language.
The gangs watched in wonder.
The inscription on Spyro's hand starts to brightly glow as he spoke.
"Heed thy words I call of you, give us the path to follow through." He said before opening his eyes, dark brown eyes showing, and shouting a runic language about three times. "Oponus Entri'um, Oponus Entri'um, Oponus Entri'um, Oponus Entri'um!"
Suddenly, a brief quake has emitted in the room as the eyes of the statue started softly glowing a yellow color. While the gangs tried to maintain their balance, the stoned dragon statue slowly extends both its arms and hands forward and out before simultaneously it stopped as well as the quake.
Spyro gazed the upper chest and caught sight of a circular spliced eye, Terra Warrior symbol, onto the statue's upper chest. It was deeply carved to the indication that only a Terra Warrior may break the seal from under the statue.
Spyro nods in understandment to the lock before approaching closer to the statue. He briefly came to the indication that this statued dragon is Sparrow due to the carved symbol, but brushed the thought off for a while. Extending his inscripted hand, Spyro came within reach of the carved marking before his hand glowed once more. A beam of yellow light shot out while Spyro remained unaffected by it. After a few minutes, the light stopped the process before another quake emitted to the house while the soft bright glow remained on the craving. This time, the entire statue moved slowly backward. As soon as the statue was out of reach of the platform, Spyro took a few steps back as the circular platform horizontally opened like a mechanical double door, revealing a one-way long path downstair to, what Hunter believes is, a basement.
The gangs approached Spyro's position and started inspecting the downstair pathway.
"Alright, guys. Let's go." Spyro said
Without a word being said, the gangs descended down the stairs into the pathway, aware of the fact that they were being watched by a glowing speck of light from behind them.
In the lair, Lord Ripto surveyed the gangs entering the pathway upon a reflected mirror. And from the look on his face, it's almost as though he was standing there watching ever since the gangs entered the chamber area.
Ripto issued an evil grin towards his reflected enemies before...
"My lord."
Abruptly, Ripto turned to find a lizardman, who bowed before him and extended his left hand, revealing a white amulet in his hand as an offering to his master.
Ripto smiled wickedly before holding his hand out. Telepathically, the amulet was snatched from the lizardman's hand and in the grasp of Ripto as he opened his hand and gazed the amulet steadily. With a soft evil grin, he spoke.
"Excellent work. Are the others still in the forest resuming the inspection?"
The lizardman nods.
"Yes, my lord."
"Good."
Then, while Ripto kept his gaze to the amulet, the lizardman gazed at the mirror and notice his surveying of the Terra Temple before gazing Ripto.
"What about our enemies, sire?"
Ripto issued a brief pause and gazed from the amulet to the lizardman in response.
The lizardman nodded in anticipation to this as he got up and departs.
Meanwhile, in the long darkened corridor, which was lit up by a series of torches during entrance aside from Sparx's glow, Spyro and the gangs kept waltzing the area until they came upon a weakened wall that is full of cracks.
Spyro halted everyone's position as he approached further and, with one hand, inspected the structual integrity of the wall. He nods in recognition to this as the gangs noticed.
"What is it, Spyro?" Sparx asked
"It's a weakened concrete."
"Which means?" Cianca asked
Spyro took a step back before answering her.
"Which means I can bust it open."
With that being said, he instantly got on all four and, with horns extended, charged towards the weakened structure of the wall as the concrete gave out, with several dirts and debris meeting the ground, and issued a path further into the corridor.
Spyro stood on his hind legs and blew out smoke from his nostril in satisfaction before he and the gangs advanced on. After several minutes, they've entered a room similar to the previous chamber room. Only it was more of a waiting room than a regular one, which makes the area an antechamber room. Although it is a large area and not of medium size, the place was large enough to with-held a purple glowing amulet that Spyro and the gang has caught sight of within the closed mouth of a medium statued gargoyle head on the top platform high above.
"Okay. There's the amulet. I'm going for it." Spyro suggested
"Oh, no, you don't." Dale protested, advancing in front of Spyro, who halted his attempt. "It's my turn to get this one."
Spyro gazed Dale surprisingly and chuckled incredulously.
"Y-Your turn?"
Dale grimaced.
"Yeah. You had your turn."
Spyro nods.
"That's true. But-But, what--"
"Wait a minute." Dale halted Spyro's statement in recognition of his implication. "You-You think I'm afraid, do you?"
"No!" Spyro instantly answered defensively. "No, I'm-I'm just saying that, you know, you should be careful."
"Careful? Come on, this is an antechamber. Okay? Getting that bright and shiny thing up there is a piece of cake."
"Oh, yeah? How are you gonna get up there when you don't have no wings whatsoever?"
Dale grew silence for a while before bowing his head in shame and sighed. Apparently, he has came to the realization that he hasn't any wings.
"Good point."
Spyro nods.
"That's what I thought. But don't worry. You'll get this one." Spyro said, issuing a pat on Dale's back
Dale gazed Spyro and smiled as Spyro returned the favor.
Approaching a few inches from Dale, Spyro stopped and gazed up at the statued gargoyle head and spreaded out his wings in an attempt to leap up and snatch the glowing object. But before he could do so, he halted his attempt, sensing an immediate presence within the place.
'What the--'
While this became true and before he could inspect his surroundings, his thoughts were interrupted by about eight portal that appeared throughout the antechamber, unleashing a swarm of vicious Riptocs.
Spyro grimaced in frustration.
"Son of a--!"
Spyro was instantly cut off by the vicious snarl of the Riptocs as they slowly approached their way. The gangs, minus Sparx, got into fighting stances as the snarling creatures sprint towards them.
Two Riptocs leaped in mid-air towards Spyro and Dale and simultaneously spat electric projectiles from their mouth.
Spyro and Dale scattered out the way of the attack as the projectile hits the floor.
As Dale regained his footings, he quickly armed his gauntlet, aimed, and fired at the first Riptoc. But the Riptoc's projectile cancelled that attack out before the creature landed on the floor.
Dale took anticipation to this and fired another shot behind the first shot, which ironically, caught the first Riptoc off-guard as the projectile struck it hard, having the Riptoc soaring across the area at an intense pace before the creature got impaled by a short bronze spike in the wall.
The creature screeched in pain before it disintegrated into red dust.
Spyro snapped the second Riptocs neck and threw it to the ground, having it reduce to dust as he gazed over to the others, who were fending them off.
Cianca grabbed a lunging Riptoc by both arms as the vicious Riptoc's mouth was open in an attempt to fire a projectile straight at her head.
Cianca noticed and swiftly releases the Riptoc's arms, then performed a backflip kick to its chin before the projectile fired in the upward trajectory, coming in contact with the concrete wall, landing a cracked dent on it.
Before the Riptoc could land on the floor, Cianca landed first, quickly took out a dagger from her buckle and made a swift stab at the Riptocs chest, having blood drain from its wound before disintegrating in its spot.
The blood stain was on her dagger as Cianca twirled the dagger in hand before instantly turning around and stylishly throwing the dagger in the direction of another vicious Riptoc, who happens to be lunging at her from behind.
The dagger, at an intense pace, went in its open mouth and straight out of the back of its head as the bloody dagger impaled on the wall, while the Riptoc's corpse fell to the ground motionless before it disintegrated.
While Hunter and Valora fend off the remaining four, Spyro ran over to the spot where the gargoyle head laid uptop a small platform where the speck of light shoned from out the closed mouth of the statue.
"Alright, Sparx. You're gonna have to go through that little hole in the mouth and get it."
"Why me?"
"Well, because if I break that, the Riptocs will draw their attention over here."
Sparx nods in understandment.
"Good point. Okay, here I go."
Without another word, Sparx flew up towards the statue for the amulet while Spyro went over to assist his allies to devise the distraction.
However, before he could get there, he halted his pace, sensing yet another strong presence by. Suddenly, four more portals issued inside and four lizardmens, armed with staffs, were unleashed, surrounding Spyro at his very spot.
Spyro kept his eyes on each and every one of them in order to avoid a surprise attack from either of them. But then got into thought and nods in anticipation to their sudden presence.
'So, Shorty thinks he can keep me occupied. He thought wrong.'
As the first lizardman lunges at the purple dragon in an attempt for a quick attack, Spyro instantly caught him on sight, evades back and grabbed the lizardman's staff with both hands.
With the second lizardman instantly dashing towards him as a means of attack, Spyro, with the lizardman still holding on to his staff, swung the staff in a half-circle, colliding the lizardman with the charging second one, which was enough to get the first lizardman off the staff and tumble to the floor with the second one.
Meanwhile, Sparx was about to come out with the purple amulet, but kept himself hidden, noticing Spyro's predictament at the moment.
Hunter threw a devastating roundhouse to the last Riptoc, having the creature soar and hit the concrete with enormous force.
Hunter cracks his neck a bit before Valora, Cianca, and Dale met up with each other.
"You guys alright?" Hunter asked
Valora nods.
"Never better." Valora answered
Hunter nods.
"Good."
Then, Hunter gazed over to where Spyro was and noticed his predictament at the moment.
"Listen, Spyro got those guys covered. So, let's get the amulet."
Hunter was about to head up when Valora held him back by the shoulder. Hunter gazed her in confusion.
"That won't be necessary." Valora said
"Why?"
"Sparx got it under control."
Hunter grimaced.
"How do you know that?"
Valora moved Hunter's head in indication to where Spyro is fending off the lizardmens.
"If you look carefully, Sparx's not with Spyro, so I assume that he's in the statue with the amulet."
Hunter gazed Valora.
"Then, you don't really know that because that's just an assumption."
Before Valora could say another word, four more portals appeared and four more lizardmens emerged, armed with staffs.
"Can we talk about this later?" Valora suggested, while gazing the lizardmens
"Deal."
Instantly, the lizardmens dashed at their adversaries.
Meanwhile, Spyro, who plainly took care of the 3rd lizardman earlier on, ducks from the swing of a staff from the 4th one and sweeped the lizardman's legs with the staff that he took from the first one.
As the lizardman hits the ground on his back, Spyro took notice of the activity with Hunter and the others. The last lizardman was about to get up, but Spyro, with quick reflexes, issued a punch to the lizardman's face, rendering him unconscious.
Instantly, Sparx came out with the purple amulet, heading towards Spyro's position.
However, the lizardman's that were fighting off Hunter and the gangs, took attentional glances to where Sparx is.
As all four lizardman's dashes over to where Spyro is in an attempt to grab the amulet, Valora noticed, instantly took out her battle ax and swiftly threw it directly at one lizardman's back, having him lunge forward and hit the ground motionless.
Hunter took out his bow and arrow, quickly nock the arrow, and fired two arrows in the direction of the two lizardmens. The arrows made contact with both lizardman's back, halting their pace before they collapse to the ground motionless.
There was only one lizardman left and Spyro was ready for it. However, the lizardman, who threw his staff down, was prepared to deal with Spyro and claim the amulet to return it to his master as both Spyro and the lizardman went into hand-to-hand combat.
As the whole ordeal became a stalemate, Spyro ducks from a swinging left hook, then quickly blocks and grabs a back fist with his right before throwing a crushing left knee to the midsection and, grabbing his arms with both hands, swiftly flips him to the ground.
"Spyro!" Sparx called, while Spyro's gaze was on the lizardman
Spyro looked up and saw Sparx carrying the purple glowing amulet. However, before Sparx could hand him the amulet, the lizardman leaps to his feet.
Sparx instantly noticed.
"Spyro..."
Before Spyro could turn, a roundhouse meets his face, sending Spyro rolling to the ground as the gangs watched on.
"Shouldn't we help him?" Dale suggested
"Fighter's Circle comes to mind, Dale." Hunter said, as an instant reminder
Dale nods in understandment.
"Oh. Good point."
Meanwhile, Sparx was flying away from the lizardman, who's in pursue of claiming the purple amulet from him. So far, he wasn't getting any luck.
Spyro was on his hands and knees, shaking his head from the impact of the blow he received before gazing over to where the lizardman was.
Instantly, Spyro got up and started sprinting towards his opponent. During sprinting, he spreaded his wings and lunged over to his opponent at a dominate pace.
As lizardman kept chase to Sparx, he halted his pace and noticed Spyro a little late before the purple dragon collided with the lizardman, having him crashed into the structual concrete wall shattering half the wall from it. In turn, it rendered the lizardman unconscious as Spyro stood and shook his head of the dizziness before Sparx flew up to him with the purple amulet.
As Spyro regained his sights, he saw Sparx carrying the amulet as the others ran up to him.
"You all right, Spyro?" Hunter asked
Spyro shook his head again of the dizziness and responded.
"Ugh! Yeah, I'm fine."
"You sure?" Hunter asked again
"Yeah, yeah. (To Sparx) Got the amulet, Sparx?"
"Yep." Sparx answered as Spyro extended his hand.
Sparx flew up and dropped the glowing amulet in his companion's hand.
"Hope it wasn't too much trouble." Spyro asked Sparx, while gazing the amulet
"Phew! Never was."
Spyro nods as he tossed the amulet in Dale's direction. He instantly caught it and gazed the object for a moment.
"Wow." He said in amazement before gazing Spyro.
Spyro smirked, while Dale smiled.
"That's not for safe keeping, Dale. So, hang on to it."
Dale nods.
"I will."
"Good. Come on, guys. Let's get outta here."
With nods of agreement, they retraced their tracks and started out the room.