Another hurricane is ravaging the US, so again I offer my sincerest condolences to the families in Florida who have lost love ones. May the Ancestor guide you through this tragedy.
My thanks to HolyCross9, V2d12, and NomexGlove for their reviews of the last chapter, I am so happy to see my story being received so well. 91 reviews already, and I know they will only come faster with these next chapters.
Now this would have been done a few days earlier, but I had to scrap two whole pages of shit, as I myself thought the dialog between Spyro and the Queen was forced. It had crap about her father being to blame for his actions, and some other garbage that just didn't seem right, then I came up with this conversation, which I hope you will find much better.
Chapter 25 Who is to Blame
A pit stop had to be made, before Cynder would leave Warfang with Tempest, across the street at her home. The Wind dragoness did not dispute her either, especially when she advised her why. And now, standing before an ornate glass case, filled with a collection of different armors, Tempest's eyes droll, and begin browsing for the right combination.
"What about that black and gold set, can I use that too?" she asks, as Cynder begins fitting herself in the same color gear. A grin falls across her face, as the blue dragoness picks the only armor she cannot use.
"That's Spyro's Fury armor, and I don't think you should put it on..." Cynder replies, placing her black and gold helmet on to complete the set. Her eyes flash white and her scales darken with the power only she and Spyro possess.
"It could hurt you."
A grin befalls Tempest face. "Well, If you can handle it..." she says sarcastically, eyeballing the armor again.
"Ohhh...I'd love to try...but we don't have time to mess around, so what do you suggest?"
Cynder looks upon a set of light blue and white accented armor she found after the war, while hiding in a cave from a posse of angry dragons. But she has had trouble controlling it, for only a master Wind breather could withstand the elemental power this ancient armor adds.
The black dragoness is an amateur at best with the element she was born to use, as Malefor trained her to hone the three dangerous elemental powers he gave her at birth. But she knows Tempest is not a novice, and offers her the priceless artifact.
"This is called Typhoon's Barrier..." she says, and Tempest's eyes light up with the name, having only heard of this special set of armor. "...it is light as a feather, but strong as a tornado."
The blue dragoness nervously takes the helmet from Cynder's paws, flinching as she feels nothing, believing she dropped it, yet it sits firmly in her paws. She coaxes it around her horns, sliding it down to the top of her head, where the helmet suddenly transforms to fit her jaw line.
"This is so cool..."
Tempest then takes the tail plate from Cynder's paws, fastening it to the small of her back before receiving a shackle for her left wrist. The Fury powered Shadow dragoness holds the second braclet for a moment, waiting for Tempest to give her her undivided attention.
"When you put this on, it will complete the set, and you will feel a power that I cannot describe in words, so be ready."
Anxiousness fills the heart of the blue and white dragoness, whose color almost matches the second shackle Cynder hands over. She looks upon the white ribbon on her right wrist, placing it gently into the opened braclet
"By the Ancestors..." Tempest remarks, feeling a surge of power before she can even clasps the magical shackle. And when she finally does, the Wind dragon practically explodes with power, as the voice of the mighty Typhoon himself can be heard whispering to her spirit.
"...I have never felt anything like this."
Cynder is forced to close her eyes, as Tempest's words come with a fierce breath of wind, knocking over several items in the armory. The embarrassment turns her cheeks a shade of violet, as several of the glass shelves shatter when Spyro's heavy Earth helmet is knocked loose, falling like a stone to the bottom of the once ornate case.
"Sorry."
Her voice is a whisper, as Tempest realizes too late about the difficulty controlling such power. However, Cynder just smiles as the damage she did was much more extensive.
"I destroyed Cyril's Ice room when I put that on for the first time.
Tempest's eyes light up, but before she speaks with exasperation, the Wind dragoness places a paw over her mouth to block her breath.
"That was you!"
Cynder's cheeks become a bit red now, and a very wide smirk crosses her muzzle.
"Yeah, and he don't know about that so don't say a thing."
It had been about five minutes since Spyro entered the Throne room, and not a single sound was heard from next door, as Praxus and Sparx try to listen from over six feet away. Or roughly the distance a rather large security guard told both Spyro's brother, and his own general, to remain back.
However, from this distance, both insects were waiting for some noise.
Praxus, awaiting his queen's rage. And Sparx, well he was waiting for the sound of his brother's body impacting the wall or something.
But nothing, not a sound at all.
"This is either really good, or really bad." the general remarks, drawing a query from the dragonfly to his right.
"How so?"
Praxus looks up at Sparx, a rather snide grin on his face.
"He is either having a civil conversation with the royal family, or he is dead...I cannot tell which yet."
Sparx shakes his head, as the latter choice sounds a bit far fetched.
"Twenty of your guards couldn't kill him, what makes you think your queen can?"
Praxus' smile remains, as he knows the power this Cicada Killer possesses, and in one tenth of a second could have the purple dragon down, writhing in pain.
"Her stinger is filled with the most powerful neurotoxin on the planet, and she can snap that thing out faster than he can move..."
Sparx smiles, as the general quickly remembers the young boy who nearly died in the street today, until the purple dragon moved almost faster than time itself.
"I don't think he's dead, General...so you can relax the scare crap, cause I'm not buying it."
Suddenly a loud noise of disruption is heard, however, it is not from the Throne room, but the window. It draws the curiosity of both Grublin and Dragonfly, bringing them to the opening that faces the town square.
"Well, that's something you don't see too often." The general remarks with an odd nonchalant tone of surprise, watching as snow falls from a clear sky on a seventy degree day, and only upon the center of the city.
"Nope, I see Cyril do that all the time..." Sparx replies, having watched this scene play out a dozen times from his bedroom window, as the Ice guardian would cool himself down on hot days with a simple flurry. However, he becomes a bit concerned, knowing another reason he does this every so often.
"He uses snow to cool himself off in hot temperatures...or to cool off hot tempers."
Praxus looks out the window again, gazing through the snow flakes at the four dragons, who seem to be getting crowded now. And again he uses a nonchalant voice to denote the trouble.
"I don't suppose either of the four guardians can speak, or simply understand the insect language?"
Sparx shakes his head no, a fact that's confirmed, as Terrador's booming voice rises from the ground.
"I said! We don't understand you!"
"Maybe I should go down there." The yellow dragonfly remarks, as he and Zip are pretty much the only two that can translate, except the queen herself.
But she is busy right now.
"You mean you're finally gonna leave your brother alone in my custody?"
The sarcastic sound of his question brings a smile to Sparx's face, though when he turns to Praxus, nothing funny is said.
"I trust you to keep him safe, General."
Without another word, the small insect buzzes out the window into the snowy, but still sunny sky. And so, left alone with a non talking security guard, Praxus returns to what he was doing before.
Eves dropping from six feet away.
For a half an hour, the large mantis remains stationary, staring at the largest beetle in Truex, wondering if there is any way to get around him, without going through him. He is beginning to feel the strain of not knowing, and more so as complete silence is not what he expected.
"I don't suppose you will let me take a peek in there... will you, Sargent Dozer?"
The large beetle smiles, then looks down at his general and shakes his head no.
"You do know I out rank you?" he continues, more sarcastically than ordering, and again the large beetle returns a different gesture, sarcastically.
Now your probably asking how do you make a sarcastic gesture, other than the obvious middle digit being displayed. However, as Dozer moves from the door jam, allowing him to stop his hunch, he shows his general why he was chosen to guard the queen's throne room in an emergency. His height increases a whole foot, adding to the three feet he already towers over the large mantis general. The massive beetle then opens his half shell wings, showing off the rather large muscles that cover his now exposed frame.
Finally, he uses his last powerful attribute, his voice, which is deep, gruff and adamant.
"I don't care about ranks."
The general, still staring at Dozer's arms, which are roughly the thickness of his legs, simply smiles.
"Very well, carry on."
Suddenly, the door opens, and a pair of eyes sneak out from behind the three inches of oak.
"Ahh general..." the queen whispers with an odd smile, as she gestures a hand for him to come.
"I think you need to see this."
The town square was already a buzz, feeling a jolt of Spyro's power from the palace, but nothing near what some had experienced with the blast felt during the Eternal Night. However, watching the four dragons that accompanied him leave, then return five minutes later, many began looking for answers.
None could be given, as both translators had made their way into the palace, so confused stares and embarrassed smiles are all the dragons offer to their squeals.
"What do you think they are asking us?" Volteer questions, drawing an odd look from his friend, who accompanied the Electric drake to Truex only a few days earlier.
"You were the one speaking their language before, don't you understand any of it."
Volteer grins, as several more grublins bark at him from the ground, adding to the bevy of citizens who want answers.
"I could tell them 'your welcome', but that may leave them more confused."
Cole, who keeps moving his damaged wing away from the grasps of many grublin children, thinks he understands what they want of him, but he can do nothing except say a name they still cannot understand, as it is not his real insect name.
"Yes, your friend Zaxxon made this, but it won't stay on if you keep pulling at it."
Terrador, whom is not amused by the way they are completely surrounded, keeps gesturing the crowd to move back. And though they understand his request, as well as his rising anger, no one can back away with the crush of grublins surrounding them. They never become violent as they bare no ill will towards the four dragons who did nothing to them. But they are curious, as they should be. They have never seen creatures of their magnitude, in both size and power, and yet so docile.
"Can you lift the whole city?" Do you really breath fire?" "Can you move like lighting?" "Does Ice flow through your veins?"
These and many other questions are asked of all four, but none of them can tell what they want, as it sounds like simple chirps and clicks. It is the same problem Spyro had growing up, not understanding the high pitched squeals which seem to sound alike.
"We don't understand, so please stop yelling at us!"
Cyril can see his friend is getting a bit anxious, so he tries cooling him off with a sudden flurry. However, all this does is get Terrador's eyes rolling, especially as the questions come faster to the blue dragon.
"How are you doing that?" How is snowing like this in the spring?" Where are the clouds?" "Why is not freezing cold out?" "Can you shoot snowballs from your mouth?"
The crowd gets louder, as the snow falling upon their bodies feels magical, cooling them ever so slightly in the warm sun. The grublins begin to frenzy, but not in anger, playing in a blizzard that should not exist. However, as several the younger insect citizens keep hounding Terrador, the big dragon raise his voice a bit higher than even he wanted to.
"I said! We don't understand you!"
Even he shows embarrassment, as crying is universal.
"Good job, you stubborn old crank." Volteer remarks with sass watching as the crowd loses a bit of their joy, focusing some anger at the big green dragon who just yelled at a group of kids.
"Are you making friends down here, Terrador?"
The voice comes from above, as Sparx arrives just in time.
"Please. Please, everyone settle down..." the yellow dragonfly asks, calming the crowd in an instant, as they here their language spoken for the first time.
"You must forgive my big stupid friend for being ignorant." Sparx tries to control his laughter, as none of the dragons can understand a word he utters, or how badly he talks about Terrador, which he continues with great joy.
"He's just a stubborn rock with no feelings, aaand he don't like insects."
The crowd boos and hisses at Terrador, who gives Sparx a very annoyed look.
"What did you just say to them?"
"The truth."
A single brow is lowered, telling Sparx how full of shit he thinks he is. However, the yellow dragonfly just continues what he does best.
Talking.
It was odd to Queen Zyla, watching the one she knew killed her parents, speak to her children with kindness and humor. Even her oldest daughter, who she can tell still despises him, begins talking in a more civil tongue, asking question that slightly ridicule the purple dragon
But even when she would ask him sassy rhetorically question, like 'how can you live with yourself?', Spyro would reply.
"To know that you hurt someone you never met... Well, It makes it really hard."
Every answer he gave seemed to be right. And every humiliated sigh, or humbled stare, placed in the right spot to show his pain.
This could all be rehearsed. Zyla thought to herself, knowing how anyone would do what they can to avoid guilt.
"Sspyro, come forward." her voice startles the purple dragon, as it is more clear than Zip's, snapping him to her attention. And even though he is startled by her near perfect words, he asks nothing of how or why.
"Yes, Your Majesty." he says with respect, gently bowing before her once again.
"I wish to sspeak with you now, but undersstand, if I believe you to be lying, I will sstrike you down where you sstand."
Fear fills his heart for a moment then fades with his resolve. He would never lie, positive he will speak the truth, and if that is not enough...then he will proudly die.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
She is stunned he makes no effort to run, not even a flinch. His voice was also assuring to her, that he will stay and face her judgment, and with that the first question is given.
It is the easiest question to ask, and yet still hard, as Zyla gives one word with great pain.
"Why?"
Spyro relives the memories from the same day that brought this question, but in a different way then he is used to. The pain of all the Grublins he encountered today, changing that perspective, seeing how many innocent citizens his power hurt, and now putting faces to that pain.
His answer for a child, no longer adequate, but fearing it is all he has, Spyro lowers his head in concession of his possible punishment.
"I didn't know what I was doing." he raises his eyes from the ground to show this truth he speaks, though it is not exactly true. It is a lie, one the purple dragon has been telling everyone, including himself, to the point that even he believes it.
"I was just a stupid whelpling that took it upon himself to save the world, and I failed everyone..."
Spyro looks to his left, and this magnificent creature's eight adorable children, then to the wall and the tattered remains of the ones who raised her.
"...but mostly, I failed you and your family that day."
Queen Zyla calmly reaches her upper pair of arms out, placing them on Spyro's shoulders as if to give him an embrace, however, it is not the kind he was expecting. With tremendous power, the large killer bee compresses the purple dragon's arms to his side and lifts him up off the ground. Her lower arms secure the mid section of the startled Spyro, and before he can do a thing about it, Zyla thrusts her tail end under her now raised body, and presses a long stinger against his gold chest.
"That answer will only work for my children... and I had warned you that I will not take a lie."
The queen's anger is felt in her grasp and her voice, and Spyro watches as several drops of thick black liquid begin oozing from the tip of her stinger, streaming down the purple dragon's gold chest.
"If I even penetrate a tenth of an inch into your sscaless, you will die in my armss. And no matter how fasst you are, even if you decide to take my life, know that I will not misss from this closse."
Spyro is broken, knowing he would never attack her, nor can he escape the powerful grasp she has. Even with his manipulation of time, Zyla would press her stinger into his chest, and the pain for him would be nearly every lasting. The truth then comes to him first, as a memory of what really drove the purple dragon begins surfacing. And with a jolt to his system, like suddenly being manhandle, Spyro is forced to do something he never not want to.
"Why did you come to the Well of Ssoulss?" she presses, as her eyes can see the truth now rising from deep inside, and with great pain, the young dragon answers the first question she asked correctly.
"Cynder."
His voice is soft, as he finally admits to himself, that she was the catalyst for his actions.
"The Terror of the Ssky?" Zyla questions, and Spyro snaps his eyes to hers, showing anger now.
"She was never that dragon."
The queen suddenly has him right where she wants him, emotional, stressed, exhausted, and helpless to defend himself from anything. And being the way he is, Spyro comes completely clean of his only secret in life, one he hopes is never heard by his wife.
"I went to the Well of Souls, not to confront Gaul, but to stop him from opening a rift to the Realm of Convexity. He needed a dragon, so the only way to do that was to find Cynder and get her out of there." he begins, relaxing his body in her powerful grasp, giving in to the moment as he recalls the thoughts in his head from that day.
"Ignitus, and the other Guardians said it was my destiny to defeat him... but I didn't care about that, I just wanted her to be safe." Spyro continues, never looking into the queen's eyes, as another pair fill his view now.
"She was never given a chance to be a dragon, and I thought that is what I was doing this for...but again I was wrong."
Zyla grins for a blink of an eye, seeing the signs she had thought caused such a great power, as love had struck the young dragon, but he just didn't know.
Spyro's eyes are to her, and the love he feels now is shown, as it has been there for long time.
"I needed her to be safe, and because I was not listening to reason, I became careless." Spyro confesses, as his actions to find the black dragoness led to the destruction of an entire city. However, the purple dragon is stunned as Queen Zyla removes one her securing hands from his arm, and places it atop his nose.
"Love iss a very difficult emossion to control, esssplessially for ssomeone sso young." she replies, gently stroking the front of his round muzzle, settling Spyro further. More so, as Zyla retracts her stinger a few feet from his chest.
"But why did you not ssay thiss firsst?"
Spyro's pain is felt, as she looks into his eyes for more answers.
"Everyone blames her for what happened. Even some who had never been effected by the Terror of the Sky's wrath, aim their hatred towards her. It is painful to watch this wonderful dragoness beg for forgiveness..and for something she didn't do." the purple dragon takes a deep breath, seeing the hundred of dragons who have hissed and spit at her, including throwing a few paws at her face. But at as the last image is himself, Spyro reveals his reason for deception.
"I'm sorry I lied, but I did not want to be one of the dragons that blame her too."
Zyla shows the smile she has been hiding, as the purple dragon has just about passed every test given him today. However, one remains, a very odd test that cannot be conducted while in this state.
Queen Zyla looks away from the broken eyes of the Butcher of Zandera, focusing on the ones that bring joy to her heart. They are smiling, as Zip has kept them in the conversation, seeing their mother has lessened her threat against the purple dragon, understanding he made a grave mistake. He is no butcher in their eyes any longer, and for once, they will all sleep well tonight with that knowledge.
"Becausse of everything you have done ssince that day, Sspyro. I can forgive the actionss of a young child who thought besst, but did ssomthing horrible." Queen Zyla takes a deep breath, seeing she has the purple dragon's undivided attention to her sudden decree.
"You ssaved the world, and the remainder of my Grublinss, to which we sshould all be grateful. And when thosse you ssaved sspit upon you, sstill...only peasse was on your mind."
Spyro's relief goes beyond physical, as his actions, or lack there of, proved what was needed. He took on all manners of punishment, some more deplorable than others, but came out clean in the end.
He says nothing, allowing the queen to keep the floor, as is procedure.
"I am ssaddened that I cannot exspresss my true feelingss, for I am honored to be in your presssansse. But I will alwayss sseee the reasson my parentss are gone, when I look into thessse eyess."
This time Spyro breaks protocol, speaking without being given permission, but it comes from deep within his heart as it always does.
"I am so very sorry, your Majesty. I would do anything to take back what I have done to you and your great civilization."
She allows him to finish his apology before gently clasping his nose.
"I know."
The queen rubs the front of his muzzle again, lifting it up so she can examine his face.
"And I also know a little bit about dragon anatomy," she whispers softly, seeing the exhaustion stressing Spyro. "and most youngssterss, your age, don't have bagss like that under their eyess."
The purple dragon chuckles in her palm, as the day has taken its toll, thought it has been well worth it.
"Yes, your Majesty...I have not been getting much rest lately."
The queen watches the purple dragon's eyes drift for a moment, as he thinks of something other than the stress of this encounter.
"It must be about Ssynder, as well"
Again Spyro chuckles, as his eyes give him away.
"Yes, your Majesty...my wife was attacked a few days ago," he replies, but knows his eyes are telling a different story, which he shares. "and on top of that, we have been discussing starting a family."
Spyro turns to her children, realizing the queen has had the same fear eight times already, as a mother's greatest worry is the safety of her children.
"She is afraid her past may impact our child's future."
Zyla turns to her kids, knowing the pain she feels inside for their well-being, as any parent would, but still a grin crosses her face as her babies smile for momma.
"Tell her it iss worth the fear."
Spyro simply bows his head, keeping the room silent as the queen admires her children for the millionth time. And after taking in the beauty she still finds overwhelming, the queen gestures her hand beside them.
"I know it is not a what you would consider soft, but if you wissh to rest, I will make ssure you are not dissturbed."
Spyro can see a giant pad laid upon the ground, embroidered with lettering he remembers from school, bringing back something he can do.
"Love is what makes a family strong."
It is horribly pronounced, as Spyro still cannot uses his vocal cords the same way as an insect, but he can still read it. The purple dragon looks at Zip, who cannot stop beaming, as it appears his friend has passed his mother's first test.
"So!? What did I just say, Zip? I know it had the word family." is translated, making the kids laugh again at Spyro's inability to understand the insect language, even when it comes from his own mouth.
"Oh...I completely agree with that..." he returns after Zip tells him what he said, walking over to the velvet rug where her children will sleep sometimes while mom is working.
"And this is a perfect place to take a nap..." Spyro looks at the younger kids who smile as their brother translates again. He then makes a silly face, looks back at their mother, then back to them and whispers.
"...but I say anywhere is a good place for a nap."
With a few more giggles, the Hero of Avalar inspects the large red carpet for a cozy spot, and without a care in the world, he lays down as if he were at home. It is another part of Zyla's test, the trust he gives, which is only a gentle stare in her direction. Spyro reads the queen as she has been reading him, and believes it is safe to close his eyes.
So he does.
Queen Zlya then motions for her children to leave, as the security risk is over, though the two young twins remain behind for a moment.
Zip buzzes over to his mother, who continues watching the purple dragon fall asleep.
"Mom..." he whispers softly, taking her attention to him. "...thank you for listening to me."
The boy's eyes tear up, as he has never had a confrontation with his mother before, or at least, has never had one where he felt he caused her pain. But momma quickly cures him of this, as her four arms take him from the ground to her chest, giving love she has never expressed so strongly in his young life.
"You did good, Zappella..." she replies, one of her hands coming off his back, giving several soft loving pats to his backside, where she had warned she was going to spank him.
"Now go outside and play with your sister..."
"I don't want to go outside!" Lexy says a bit louder than momma likes, bringing a hard stare to quiet her down. However, she can also see a new dilemma, as her youngest daughter shows the tell tale signs of being tired...aka cranky.
She looks to the rug she normally lays her down for a nap, which is now occupied by the Butcher of Zandera, but shockingly, Lexy has already begun walking over to an empty spot on her rug.
"I want to take a nap too."
Again her voice is a bit loud, drawing a small grin from Spyro, who has no clue what she is saying, only that the young insect is right beside him now. He can feel the carpet disturbed by her tiny body, but what happens next is more of delight than he can express with a smile
"LEXY! NO!" the queen barks, not caring about waking Spyro as her daughter starts walking up the side of the purple dragon, finding a place on his side to lay down.
"What!?" she barks back, expressing how much she needs this nap, as her anger is for something very important.
"This is my spot, Mom!"
Zip, with a smile on his face as well, and knowing Spyro is not asleep with the noise around him, translates what is needed.
"You're in her zzzpot, Zzzpyro"
Both mother and brother, who could swear the humble dragon would concede, are stunned as the Spyro lifts his head and looks at the small Cicada laying on his side.
"It's very comfortable, Lexy...thanks."
Zip translates with laughter in his voice as Spyro puts his head right back down.
Lexy stands up and stomps on him while squealing for him to move, but Spyro only smiles wider, never raising his head again.
"I was here first."
The queen begins smiling herself as her daughter jumps down before Spyro's nose, and without fear, pushes on it. To a mother's joyful surprise, the much much larger purple dragon gives in to her demands, slowly, moving an inch or so with every angry shove she gives, until finally exposing the spot she wants.
Lexy then stares hard at her bed snatcher, before laying down and acting as if she is asleep.
Spyro laughs, as he has done this ritual with Sparx many times in the past, always giving in to the small insect's demands. He lays his head down on the corner of the red rug she has allowed him, and again Spyro closes his eyes.
However, a moment later, his eyes are force to open, feeling the young insect is still moving. She is closer to him, but Lexy lays down when spotted. Spyro grins, and closes his eyes again, opening them quickly when she rises once more.
With a giggle, Lexy is back down on the cushion, faking her slumber, waiting for another chance to get closer. Spyro doesn't let her this time, as he moves in himself, making her pop up to investigate. And before she can do anything to push him back, Spyro's wing is draped over the young insect.
Lexy squeals with laughter, popping her head out from under his wing, but then she grasps it and pulls it down upon her. The tiny Cicada quickly lays down under the securing canopy, finding the perfect place for a nap, and in seconds the young girl is out cold.
Zip looks back at his mother, whose fear was there for only a moment, but it faded seeing the joy this brought to both of them.
"That looks comfortable."
He doesn't wait for permission, just as his twin sister didn't, and quickly Zeppella is on the large carpet, tucking himself beside his sister under Spyro's gold wing. The queen gazes at the purple dragon, who stares at her with a look of surprise, but still a smile. Spyro also lays his head down, listening to the siblings talk softly to one another, recognizing another word he learned in school.
The one he practiced every day, to say to his family.
"Your children are adorable, Queen Zyla." he mentions in a fading voice, as the word 'love' is passed back and forth between brother and sister, and without the ability to say another word, Spyro is sleeping.
The queen is left alone in the room, watching the Butcher of Zandera perform his last test. However, as the scene is one she cannot believe herself, the proud mother softly walks to the door for a witness.
"Ahh General...I think you need to see this."
She gestures her lower arms up and down softly, to signal Praxus to step lightly. And with a finger from one of her other hands, the queen tells the general to remain quiet as well.
He cannot believe his eyes, seeing the purple dragon laying motionless upon the carpet he has seen her children sleep.
"I didn't think you were gonna kill him?" he whispers a bit sarcastically, but the queen smiles and replies with her own sass.
"I didn't do that to him...you did."
Praxus smiles himself, as marching Spyro through the streets was his idea, making him face his enemy in a parade of anger and hate. However, the second part was not his idea.
"Well I didn't call for a Mucktar, Your Majesty, which I think is ten times more painful then getting hit with rocks and slurs..." he returns in jest, recalling the nasty ritual of spitting upon a condemned prisoner. Praxus then turns his eyes to a shiny clean Spyro, who has curled himself around Zip and Lexy, snoring softly.
"...but he looks to have passed that test better than even you expected."
The queen nods her head, watching the purple dragon fall deeper into his slumber, now guarding her kids with more than a wing, as his face tucks in around them.
"Is this another one of your tests, Zyla?" he asks as a friend, and not as her general, to which she offers her attention.
"Yes Praxus, it is."
"He will pass it...of this I am sure" the mantis says with a smile, looking at his new friend, one he is finding great respect for with every thing he does.
"He is the Guardian of Avalar."
"Hero..." she corrects, looking to the tattered images of her parents.
"But I just wish he could have been a hero for them too."
He didn't see much after turning to offer his little brother one last smile, especially when the butt of a crossbow slammed the back of his head. And what he did see, really didn't make sense.
"Jasper! No!"
He heard his name called out, just as he hit the ground, then the weight of a giant Kodaik, who quickly began tying his legs and then his non working arms. Though, the brown dragon had witnessed two things before his eyes gave out, and they swirl around in his now unconscious mind.
He saw his brother shot down, and though his vision was faded, that moment was clear.
'Jacob'
Jasper cannot overcome the guilt he feels for what happened, as this is his fault.
'I never should have ran'
However, there is another memory swirling around, one that he cannot shake either, as it is far beyond imagination. With his vision fading, along with his hopes, the Earth dragon watched his little friend being brought over to join him in hell. But that is when it happened, something he has never seen in his life, something that makes him hold onto the little hope he has.
Suddenly there is a terrible smell in his dream, and Jasper opens his eyes to a Kodiak, holding something before his bloodied nose.
"Who said you were allowed to sleep during my time!?" he barks, slamming his other paw into the bound dragon's stomach, making him gag the contents of his stomach into his muzzled mouth.
The large bear tosses his smelling salts on a small table to the side, allowing him to ball up his other fist, which he delivers to Jasper's right cheek. His jaw takes all the power of this punch, as the young Earth dragon is secured to the wall by more than his arms and legs. Jasper's neck and horns are also held firmly in place, keeping his head stationary for a more painful beating.
"You thought it funny to call me a vixen?!" is asked with another vicious punch to his ribs as a question mark.
The large bear grasps a knife from the same table, digging it under one of the scales on Jasper's left arm, prying it up and then taring it off. The brown and black chested dragon screams with pain through two small holes for his nose, as the muzzle placed on his face was not meant for him to breathe well.
"SHUT UP!" the large Kodiak grunts, smacking the helpless drake across the face with his massive clawed paw, leaving several lacerations on Jasper's cheek.
"You have yet to feel pain..." he continues, raising his knife to the Earth dragon's left eye. "...but Krax wants that revenge personally."
Jasper stares at the blade before his left eye, knowing it is the same eye he jabbed on the head Kodiak with his horn. It allowed him the precious seconds needed to get out of the mine and airborne for a daring escape, but now he regrets what he did. The pain he feels already is more than anyone can take, though the thought of what is to come only terrifies him more.
The young Earth dragon desperately tries to pull his arms and legs from the binding restraints, holding him tightly against a stone wall. If he could tare his arm from their sockets, he would, but even that is impossible the way he is bound.
The large Kodiak jabs the knife into the top of the table, leaving it for his Master to apply pain, however, he still has a few minutes left to take his frustrations out, as Krax gave his fellow Marauder first crack at the 'wise ass' dragon. He thrusts a large paw into Jasper's midsection, forcing him to choke as he tries to double over, but the restraint around his neck holds firm. A punch to his left cheek follows after, again absorbing all of the force with no where for his face to recoil.
"You laughing yet?" he taunts, showing the burned section of hair on his left arm, before hitting him again across the right cheek with that paw.
The large bear then moves in close, pressing his weight against Jasper's chest, leaning in to the now suffocating dragon's ear.
"Oh, and just so you know... I will find that little wingless whelpling one day, and if you think you are taking a beating...?" the Kodiak pauses, actually taking his weight back. He looks into Jasper's eyes, waiting for him to catch his breath through the small holes of his muzzle.
"Trust me, that boy will scream louder than you when I get my paws on him."
Before he can think of this horrible thought, the large bear connects with the hardest punch to his face yet, so powerful, that Jasper's battered body cannot absorb the impact without breaking. His left horn, burrowed into the rock his head was slammed against, finally snaps from the restraining stone wall, allowing his jaw to give with the force.
But he wasn't wingless, at least that is what his impaired vision had seen.
With his arms tied behind him, and wings being use to straight-jacket them further, Jasper watches the little red dragon become infuriated. He suddenly defends himself with something he has only seen his foster father do, as Scorch surrounded his body with fire.
The large Kodiak dropped this living breathing raging inferno, backing away to take a shot from his crossbow, and that is when it happened.
As if he had them his whole life, the magic inside Scorch's body produces the flaming guard for his missing wings. They fluttered with the power coming from his tiny frame, a power he should not have at this age, for the young whelp was not able to control it...or that is what he thought.
Scorch rose from the forest floor, flying, soaring nearly a hundred feet into the sky, before rocketing down to the ground like a missile. His impact shook the area for a few seconds, and the heat from the explosion became intense even faster. However, that heat suddenly seemed to fade, as if the fires of hell where parted around him.
There was no discussion after that, as the three Kodiaks took what they had and ran, leaving a smoldering wingless whelpling behind.
"He was flying..."
A strong stench of ammonia snaps Jasper back to see the one that got burned, and through his pain, the Earth dragon stares at him. He begins laughing into the muzzle, infuriating the large Kodiak further, but not as much as when Jasper mumbles a single word. One he knows will be understood through the restraining device over his mouth.
"Vixen!"
Jasper is not about to be broken, and neither is Spyro, who is finally getting some sleep...or does he. Cynder and Tempest are on their way, and the four Guardians are going to smother Sparx when they finally get an insect to dragon translation dictionary.
What happens next is gonna shock you, maybe... Well I was shocked. Stay tuned
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