A/N: Warning; this chapter contains a torture scene. To those who are squeamish, please skim. I am sorry, but this is an important development of Spyro, as well as his and Cynder's relationship
Chapter 24: The Revealing of Character
Cynder let out low moans of pleasure, feeling exhausted as she lay underneath Spyro. The purple dragon was laying on top of her back, his arms wrapped tightly around her chest as he instinctively lapped his tongue against the back of her neck. Cynder whined a bit when Spyro gripped her neck between his teeth, but a growl and sharp jerk silenced her.
The both of them were basking, laying on a large round mattress that acted as Cynder's bed. Her sleeping room was a circular room. There were a few tables set against the walls, some having books and recipes for potions, one of them having an alchemy table. Directly across from the door was a balcony that was in the process of being drenched in rain. One of the tables was completely cleared, the books cast off with a reckless arm; she remember Spyro pushing her against the table as he reached her, and then sweeping the books off. There was a shattered vial by that table; a potion that preventing Cynder from becoming gravid used to be in that vial.
Cynder was able to move her head enough to glance down her body. It was covered in shallow cuts that Spyro had given her. He too had cuts along his sides, and theses ones leaked small amounts of blood. Like always they had a disagreement upon who would be dominant. Like always, they had devolved into a fight. Like most times, Spyro had won. She had resisted at first by slashing her tail blade across his sides and flanks; her attempts had weakened and she fully submitted. Looking back, she snarled with disgust at her behavior. Another sharp jerk silenced her snarl but not her thoughts. She hated that she had submitted to Spyro, and hated the male even more when he forced her submission. She couldn't really despise him more than now.
He was making it clear who was in charge. He made clear by the way he still laid on her, the way he bit her neck and took advantage of her compromising position. It wasn't that it was embarrassing to be under him like this, it was that he made it clear it was a victory. That he had 'conquered her' and now hold her under his control. The way he walked when he left was as if he had just proven he was stronger, faster and smarter. It drive a stake far into Cynder's pride.
Cynder felt one of Spyro's paw tug from under her. She had hoped that he was finally leaving, but that thought ended when he gripped her jaw with his paw. Spyro tilted her head up and placed a kiss right on Cynder's lips. She felt sick as his maw brushed her lips. Cynder also hated him for this. The way he smiled when he kissed her, the way he moved and held himself all pointed that he wasn't loving on her and showing a sign of affection, but rather that he was rewarding her. It was almost as if he was saying 'You did good, so here, you get the honor of me kissing you. Oh lucky you!'
Why would she still agree to do this with Spyro? Because it simply felt wonderful for her.
She let out a soft whine, trying to show her discomfort from the kiss. He just chuckled at her discomfort, as always. He pulled away, only to lean in and nibble her neck.
"Well, that was nice as always." Spyro stated with a smile as he pulled his other forearm from under her and sat on his haunches. He didn't pull himself off of her though.
"You don't have to stay. It is done, we both had fun, and now you can go." Cynder said as she faintly struggled under him.
"Actually, I was hoping for a bit more… fun." Spyro stated, placing his paws on Cynder's shoulders, sliding them down her forearms and to her wrists. Honestly, Cynder wouldn't have minded too much to go another round. "Well, more fun for me that is." Spyro said.
Cynder was miffed at what Spyro said, but her eyes widened when she felt a cold envelop her forepaws. She looked and found that Spyro had frozen her paws to the ground. The purple dragon was quick. Spyro struck her on the back of the head, confusing her long enough for him to freeze her wings, tail, neck, and hind legs to the ground.
"Spyro! I am willing; you do not have to go that far!" Cynder protested. Spyro chuckled and stood up, prowling around her in a predatory fashion.
"As much as I do like to use chains with you, this is about something else. I questioned Aiden's slave." Spyro stated. Cynder stared at him angrily.
"Release me. I will call for help." Cynder threatened.
"Scream all you want; you put a sound ward on the room before we started, remember?" Spro pointed out. Cynder realized that he was right. She instantly started searching for a way out.
"I noticed something on the night Aiden was killed. He could feel again. The pain of the fight is actually what brought about his death. He hesitated when he was hurt." Cynder quieted as she heard this.
Her mind was racing quicker.
"When questioning the slave, she told me something very interesting. Every full moon, she would go and meet with your servant Terra and collect a potion. Aiden would drink that potion, then he would be able to feel again." Cynder did not saying a thing, remaining silent as Spyro paced around her.
"Now, the first question that came to mind was how Terra obtained the potion. I was tempted to interrogate her myself, but you would have none of it, I know." Spyro stated. He was directly behind her.
Cynder let out a shriek as Spyro slammed his metal tail blade straight into her back; the serrated part brought a special tearing pain. Stems of painful roots shot through her body, thick spider webs of pain going to her toe tips and back to the puncture. Spyro wiggled it his blade side-to-side, trying to get it in deeper. When the blade was planted firmly in her back, she started to pant. Even the act of breathing brought pain to her as it moved herself in smallest way. Slowly, she felt something in her back heat up. It grew, and grew, till she began squirming at the uncomfortable heat. She thrashed harder and harder as the heat in her stab wound increased and increased. The thrashing didn't make the heat go away, and only aggravated the stab in her back. She began to cry out, and that cry quickly turn to a pain filled scream. She writhed on the ground as her wound was burned and burned again.
She shouted, her back feeling like someone was pour lava straight into it. She screamed vile curses at Spyro, threatening him despite she was the one is massive pain. At once, the blade was forced deeper into her back. The piece of metal that encased the tip of Spyro's tail tip was jammed into her back, tearing her flesh and forcing the burning pain into raw parts inside her back. With a rough and painful tug, Spyro removed the blade from her back. She caught a glance at Spyro's tail blade; it was cherry red from heat he was pouring into it. He paced his way back in front of her. His face was cold and plain, not hint of malice or even sadistic joy in his dark eyes. That made him even more unsettling. Anything to at least imply he had a twisted soul that enjoyed her torment. But no, his soulless gaze settled on her pain contorted face.
"How did Terra get the potion?" Spyro asked gently, as if he was confronting a loved on a serious matter. Cynder spat in his face. Without any thought to it, Spyro's tail blade whipped around and slapped Cynder across the face with a meaty smack. Cynder's face was turned from the slap. The still cherry-red blade burnt her face even. Her cheek stung viously; despite the pain, it was nothing compared to the still smoldering wound on her back.
"How did Terra get the potion?" Spyro asked again.
"Bite me!" Cynder snarled at him. Due to her poor choice of words, Spyro lunged his head forward, biting into her shoulder and pulling back. She screamed as he ripped the scales, skin, and even a bit of flesh from her shoulder. Blood steadily fell from that wound. Spyro simply raised his tail blade, pressing the red-hot blade against the wound. She was tempted to scream as the wound was painfully cauterized.
"How did Terra get the potion?" Spyro repeated.
"I don't know!" Cynder spat at him. She noticed that Spyro's tail blade had cooled. The blade whipped around, slashing a deep and cut along Cynder's side. He moved there, holding out his paw above the wound. His paw glowed a sickly green, several drops of poison accumulating on his claw tips. The fat, oily drops hung there, then fell on to the wound. Immediately, Cynder let out a shriek of surprise as the poison ate away at her flesh, rotting the already deep wound, which only brought more pain for the dragoness.
"How did Terra get the potion?" Spyro repeated.
"I don't bloody know!" Cynder yelled at him. Spyro moved to her back, and stabbed his tail blade into her back, repeating the same process of stabbing her back, heating the blade, then stabbing it deeper into her back. Once again, the pain was extremely intense. But unlike last time, after he removed his blade he stabbed in a new spot on her back.
Cynder screamed...
And screamed…
and screamed…
She hated this feeling. She was completely helpless. Nothing she could do would stop the pain. Wait, there was one. All she had to do was say one word, and she could control at least when the pain was there and when it wasn't. One simple word.
"MERCY!" She cried out, tears of pain running down her face. "MERCY! PLEASE MERCY! I AM BEGGING!" She finally broke down, sobbing in pain as Spyro removed his blade from her back. If she would have look, she would have seen the thick and deep stabs and burns puncturing her back.
"How did Terra get the potion?" Spyro asked, knowing he would gain his answer.
"I brewed it for Aiden; Terra would give it his slave Keeja then leave." Cynder answered, staring at the ground.
"What does the potion do?" Spyro asked his next question.
"It was supposed to greatly increase any feeling, so it would be easier for torturing. But when Aiden took it, it amplified his near nonexistent feelings to a normal level." Cynder explained.
"Why did you give it to him?" Spyro asked.
"You know bloody well why." Cynder said, glaring up at him. Spyro nodded, removing her icy bonds. He went to a corner, grabbing a burlap bag and dropping it in front of Cynder's face. Red gems spilled from the sacks and in front of Cynder's face. Spyro grabbed them again, and began slowly applying them to each of her wounds. By the time he was done, it looked as if nothing had happened to Cynder.
"Same time next week? This time, without torture." Spyro said as he walked to the balcony, the rain drumming the stone,
"You're sending mixed signals, Spyro." Cynder stated to his turned back. "What could possibly be in your mind that would make you think I would willing invite to my bed ever again?" Cynder asked, hoping he eyes were burning holes in his back.
"Well, you would invite me back for the same reasons that I invite you back. Our personal feelings do not matter; we do not share any love or friendship so actions against one another do not matter. And, it feels too good. Don't look at me like that, you know you love it." He smiled and chuckled darkly. "I do."
"You're a male."
"Irrelevant. Besides, I am the only male dragon around to satisfy those urges you have. Yes, I know about those too. You should really pay more attention to detail. Now, I take my leave." Before Spyro left, Cynder had an epiphany.
"You planned this." She said to him. "You planned this whole event." She repeated, almost in awe.
"Yes. I knew that you would have wanted a way to shut me up, and to entertain yourself. I smelt that you were in the mood, so all it took was a bit of over exaggeration to convince you. Then, you would put up a sound ward as always, and I would be clear to interrogate you as I saw fit." Spyro said as he looked over his shoulder. He crouched low to the ground, launched out of Cynder's room, over the balcony and into the sky. Cynder stared after him. She realized finally how dangerous Spyro would be if he was against them.
And she hated him even more.
≤Ω≥
Syra was crouched in the bushes, her body low to the ground. She had left the Taigapack's camp, and was traveling through the scented and frosted forest. She had never seen trees so green against such a white back drop. It was odd to her, but beautiful none the less.
Her eyes twinkled as she stared at the calf in a clearing in front of her. It was small, but perfect for her to take down. She had already killed the mother; it was too much for her to eat, so she shifted the body into a cave somewhere. She knew about the calf, and was now taking advantage of its mourning. The calf had wandered aimlessly, its sad lows easily covering any mistake Syra made whilst stalking.
With a splitting smile, she pounced. Syra landed directly on the calf's back. It let out a startled cry as the sudden weight of a dragon dragged it to the ground. Syra's pounce had also broken one of its legs. She held it against the ground as it kicked and struggled. Then she stepped off, and the calf tried to run. She laughed as it tripped over its broken leg. Syra shifted through the shadows and appeared right in front of it.
"Boo!" She shouted, the calf lowing and trying to turn away. but once more, the broken wound caused the beast to topple. Syra leapt up and slammed her paw against the calf's sie, batting it a few feet away. It tried to get up, and she rammed it with her horns, keeping it on the ground. It cried in pain, but Syra smiled.
"What's wrong, little one?" She asked as she prowled around it. "Are you hurt?" She asked condescendingly. Just then, her ears picked up something. A faint crackling that signified the approach of someone else. She cursed under her breath, her tail whipping and slashing across the calf's throat. It died much quicker than it would have with just Syra. Dimitri shouldered his why through the bush, his white hide matching the snow.
"Syra! What are you doing?!" He asked frantically as he trotted to her, his nostrils flaring as he caught the metallic smell of blood. "Are you hurt?" He asked as he walked to her, sniffing over her back and head to see if he could find the source of the the blood.
It had been a few hours after Connor and the other wolves had left. Angel and Dimitri had found the camp and entered, Syra vouched for them as comrades. Of course, she had done so by running up and circling Dimitri like they were long lost and Dimitri were accepted into the camp on the single condition that none of the dragons could leave the camp till Alpha Liam returned since Connor had left, the black she-wolf, whose name was Aislinn, had been watching over Syra, blankly looking at her and sometimes speaking. Syra had easily snuck out after getting bored.
"I am not hurt." Syra said in an innocent voice. "I went hunting." Syra said, looking up with wide eyes at Dimitri. "What are you doing? I thought we weren't allowed outside the camp?" She asked him innocently.
"I have permission to find you. We are all looking for you Syra!" Dimitri exclaimed. Then he looked and saw the dead calf. "You actually caught something? The wolves are very picky about other people hunting on their territory!" Dimitri reprimanded her. She ducked her head, appearing like shame was heavy on her back.
"I-I am sorry. They were just so nice, I wanted to get them food and help out…" Syra sighed and looked to the ground. "Are you going to punish me?" She asked, looking up at Dimitri. The ice dragon fidgeted uncomfortably.
"Yes…. but I think we may be able to work something out." Dimitri said, raising a paw and rubbing her neck gently as to sooth her. She smiled at him and butted her head against his neck.
"Thank you, Dimitri." She said, like the little kid she should be. Dimitri didn't smile, a worrisome frown across his lips. He slung the calf over his back, walking along and back to the camp. Syra picked her pace up, prancing up to him till they were side by side. When they finally made it to the camp, Aislinn was standing in front the camp entrance. As soon she saw them, she walked over to them quickly, wringing her hands.
"Where were you? Not only were they worried, they suspected betrayal!" Aislinn said as she crouched in front of Syra, checking her to make sure she was okay. The little dragoness was a bit miffed at the attention from the she wolf.
"I am sorry. I wanted to get some food for the others. They were so nice to me." Syra stated. Aislinn pursed her lips together, looking at the dead calf on Dimitri's back. He quickly explained Syra's false excuse. Aislinn sighed and shook her head.
"If anyone asks, I will say you are carrying it for me." Aislinn stated as they walked back into the camp. When they were eventually questioned, Aislinn responded in wolfish. By the way the wolves who asked smiled and congratulated her, Syra guessed this was progress. Syra had to guess that Aislinn had been inactive for a long time, so much so that her being up and about was a major improvement. Dimitri brought the calf to a wolf standing at the roasting spit and fire in the center; the wolf nodded and went about skinning it, allowing Dimitri, Syra and Aislinn to go back to Aislinn's den. Angel was pacing in front of the den. When she saw Syra, the wind dragoness stopped and turned on her heels.
"Where were you?" Angel asked Syra.
"She was hunting for the pack." Dimitri responded, causing Syra to smile to herself. I didn't imagine I already had his trust. Fool. Syra looked to ground, so to seem ashamed
"Sorry…" She muttered to the guardian.
"It has past, and no longer matters. And Dimitri, when I have asked Syra a question, I have asked for her answer. Not yours." She corrected. Dimitri nodded stiffly, motioning for Syra to follow him into Aislinn's den. When they got in the, Syra leapt onto Dimitri, catching him off guard. She rest her head across his forearms, one paw hooked around his wing while the other lazily flopped on the ground.
A/N: If the end of this chapter is odd, it is because it is. I cut this scene off of my current chapter because I have been really busy. So here is your update, nothing special. And this time, I will respond to reviews.
Unit Omicron: Verruckt is going to be a character that is very interesting. He will definitely going to be grey, though.
BlueThunderfanracing: Yep, the ending scene is certainly something else. I believe that I am carving a very new path through the Spyro Archive. Where other authors would have Evil Spyro and Cynder love each other, in this they are only using each other.
Avimus: Okay, I am going to explain what Gahiji was saying last chapter. He was asking why he was being sent out to fight. He expected Spyro and Cynder to try and give him money and stuff to persuade him to join their cause, so he was confused when he was being sent out like a common soldier. Spyro stated that hi kind loves blood, so sending him to fight would be better then giving him all the fancy things. Understand now? And Volteer will be much more mellow then Verruckt, as Volteer is much older.
B1ackbird: Do you still detect that Spyro and Cynder romance? And Verruckt wasn't supposed to seem evil. Just confused.
.Chaos 97: It will make more things interesting when they go back to normal.