A/N: You wanted a quick update? I give you a quick update! I should be studying for my finals, which are in about 3 days, but I wrote this instead. Hooray for procrastination.
25. Enter the Caverns
The sun was sinking fast, the afternoon wearing quickly into evening. Spyro knew they were cutting it fine. If they didn't find any grublins soon, they might as well consider the mission failed. There'd be no chance of seeing anything in the dark. The purple dragon soared at the head of the squadron alongside Seriphos, with Cynder and Ember flying side by side behind him. Prowlus was holding tight around the green dragon's neck, trying and failing to keep the fear from his eyes. Clearly he wasn't used to the sensation of flight.
As they soared over the lake above the dam, the cheetah chief made the mistake of looking down. The glistening water, dappled gold by the evening sun, seemed miles away. Swallowing hard, Prowlus quickly jerked his gaze away and stared straight ahead. His grip on Seriphos tightened considerably—a little too much, as the green dragon was quick to point out.
"You're starting to strangle me, Prowlus," he growled, his voice a little strained as the cheetah's trembling paws constricted on his windpipe. "There's no need to hold on so tight. You won't fall."
"You say that now," Prowlus snapped back, keeping his eyes firmly ahead. But he loosened his grip anyway, much to his mount's relief.
Ignoring the arguing pair, Spyro strained to reach the far side of the lake before the sun could sink too low. They had to find the grublins. At least one would be sufficient, but without any they might as well be flying blind. His nervousness was showing clearly through his body language—the twitching of his tail, the trembling of his wings, the way he outstretched his neck in a desperate effort to go faster.
"Chill, Spyro," said Sparx, who was still managing to keep up with the purple dragon. "No need to look so tense. We'll find them. They're grublins; with mugs that ugly, how can we not?"
Spyro replied with a strained smirk, "I know, Sparx, I know. I'm just a little nervous."
The dragonfly waved an airy hand dismissively, "Come on, Spyro, we've had worse then this! We stopped the big bad evil guy from destroying the world! How could this be any worse?"
Sparx paused and then added, "We're just…chasing a bunch of monsters that want to kill us, to find the stronghold of a dragon that wants us dead, to save a dragon that hated you in the first place."
With a groan, the dragonfly held a hand to his head and muttered, "Oi, why do I agree to these things?"
Chuckling appreciatively, Spyro grinned at his surrogate brother, "Don't worry, Sparx. At least this time we can face it together. This time I didn't have to leave you behind."
"Yeah, that makes me feel better," Sparx muttered, and though his voice was laced with sarcasm, Spyro knew he appreciated the thought.
Soon the water of the lake gave way to trees and earth as the sun sank dangerously low. It was getting dark and Spyro was getting worried. He set a course for the old grublin camp, thinking perhaps that was their best chance, however slim that chance may be. But they'd barely been flying for ten minutes before someone shouted from behind. Spyro turned, alarmed, to see Meadow pointing at something on the ground to the right. Delos, who was carrying the cheetah, had paused in mid flight to stare in that direction and he soon snapped his gaze towards Spyro.
"Spyro, there's grublins down there!" he called.
Spyro's heart leapt and he gazed hopefully down into the trees. Sure enough his sharp eyes caught sight of a small group of grublins making their way slowly through the trees. There were about five of them, no doubt stragglers that had fallen behind the main pack. Thinking quickly, Spyro came up with a plan.
"Listen closely," he muttered to those closest to him, those being Seriphos, Ember, Cynder and Prowlus. "They're moving too slow for us to follow from the air and we could lose sight of them through the canopy of the trees. We're also easier to spot in the air and we want to keep a low profile. So we're going to follow them on foot. Got that? Spread the word, and let's go."
Prowlus seemed pleased, "Not a bad idea, dragon. The sooner I get my paws on the ground, the better."
"The sooner I get you off my back, the better," Seriphos grumbled, but Prowlus pretended not to hear. Spyro couldn't help but grin.
Silently, the four dragons spread the word amongst the others and soon Spyro was leading them all down to the forest floor. As the cheetahs dismounted and regained their composure, Spyro crept ahead to spy on the group of grublins. They were moving slowly, muttering mutinously together as they bashed their way through the undergrowth. They seemed quite unhappy about something and oblivious to the eyes of the purple dragon that watched them from within the trees.
"Never again!" Hunter sighed, leaning against Naxos as his knees trembled. "Never again! Flying is not for cheetahs!"
"I couldn't agree more," Prowlus replied as most of the cheetahs nodded in agreement. Meadow, on the other hand, seemed to be rather disappointed about being back on the ground.
"You know, I rather enjoyed that," he said to Delos, and the red dragon grinned at him. Prowlus snorted disapprovingly, shooting an incredulous glare at his fellow cheetah. But Meadow didn't seem to care.
"Hush!" hissed Spyro, having crept back to the squadron. Though their numbers were less than a hundred, they still felt cramped amongst the tightly packed tress.
"We need to be silent," Spyro warned, "Make as little noise as possible or this isn't going to work at all. I suggest we line up in twos. It will make it easier to move through the forest. Quickly and quietly, I need you all to get yourselves in line."
There was a hurry to do as the purple dragon suggested, and Spyro dearly hoped that the grublins ahead couldn't hear the rustling noises they were making. At last Spyro was facing a long organised line of dragons and cheetahs. Cynder and Ember stood at the head of the line, gazing expectantly at him.
"Good," murmured Spyro, keeping his voice hushed, "Now, all of you follow me and keep quiet!"
With Seriphos at his side and Sparx hovering next to him, Spyro led the squadron deep into the forest, following the trail the grublins were leaving. It was rather easy to follow, thanks to the grublins efforts at cutting away the undergrowth. Nevertheless, it was slow and tedious work. Spyro was glad the sun was going down, otherwise it would have been stifling hot.
For several long minutes, the dragons and cheetahs crept and crawled through the undergrowth and around trees, stealthily following the grublins. The silence was so thick that Spyro could hear his own nervous breathing and the thumping of his heart. He held his tail high, careful to stop it scraping on the ground and making noise. He hoped the dragons behind him would follow his example. For once, Spyro envied Sparx. The dragonfly was merely floating along at a leisurely pace, no bothersome tail or large troublesome wings to hinder him. For him, being silent was a simple matter of keeping his mouth shut.
Ahead, Spyro could see the back of one of the grublins ducking in and out of his vision amongst the undergrowth. He kept his eyes on it, not wanting to lose his guide. Every step was taken with extreme caution, but Spyro's concentration was beginning to wane. He took another step, his paw thudding heavily into the ground. Usually, the sound was muffled by leaves, but this time was different. A resounding crack was heard as a large twig snapped cleanly in two beneath Spyro's paw. He froze as up head, half hidden by the undergrowth, so did the grublin.
"Halt!" he hissed, and heard his quiet order echo down the line of dragons and cheetahs behind him.
Everyone stopped moving. Trembling, Spyro backed up as quietly as he could and lowered himself to the ground. Beside him, Seriphos did the same. The grublin up ahead was concealed mostly in the undergrowth and Spyro could only see part of its back. It had stopped, frozen as though listening, clearly having heard the sound of the twig snapping. Spyro held his breath. He was sure that at any moment, the grublin was going to turn around and spot him through the undergrowth. But somehow, by some bizarre stroke of luck, the grublin didn't turn around. Instead it continued on its way, disappearing into the thick undergrowth.
Spyro could hardly believe his luck. Breathing a silent sigh of relief, the purple dragon straightened up and continued on. The others followed close behind, and this time Spyro was sure to take each step with extra caution. To his relief, there were no more similar situations in the moments that followed. Everything proceeded smoothly until the trees began to thin out. Spyro noticed it slowly, how the trees were becoming farther apart and the dense undergrowth was beginning to thin. The grublins could now be clearly seen ahead, which meant that they could clearly be seen if the grublins were to turn around.
"Spyro…" Seriphos muttered softly, having noticed it too.
"I know," Spyro whispered back, "We're just going to have to be careful and hope luck is on our side. If they turn around, they'll see us immediately."
"We could capture one and force it to lead us to its hideout," Seriphos suggested, clearly eager for some action.
Sparx scoffed, "Sure. They're grublins. They're not going to listen to us. Good luck understanding them, too."
"Sparx is right," Spyro sighed, "I've dealt with them before. They're not very agreeable creatures. And even if we could understand them…I think they'd rather die than surrender to us. We'll just have to be careful."
"Very well," Seriphos sighed, defeated.
They continued on, trying to keep under the cover of trees and undergrowth as much as possible. But it was becoming harder and harder as the forest receded. The ordered line of dragons and cheetahs began to spread out. The grass was becoming taller, dry, and yellowed. Clumps of rock stuck out from the earth, replacing the trees that no longer seemed to grow past this point. Spyro felt as though he'd just stepped into a dry meadow. Stopping behind a large outcrop of stone, Spyro peered around it and took in his surroundings.
The yellowed grass stretched all around him, dotted with outcrops of stone and rock. Behind him, the forest stood green and majestic. Ahead of him, Spyro could see a mighty mountain range rising high into the sky. The further they came to the mountains, the more the ground became rocky and the grass began to disappear. The grublins were making their way through the grass, scrambling over the rocks in their way, heading for the mountains.
"Looks like that's where we're headed," Spyro muttered, gazing at the mountains.
"Alright everyone," he turned around to face his team, which had been milling about behind him, "The grublins are heading for the mountains. The rocks should provide good cover for us, but be careful anyway. It shouldn't take long before we reach those mountains. We're almost there. Come on."
"Right behind you," Sparx mumbled, keeping close to Spyro as the purple dragon moved on.
There was very little light now, only the tiny bit of sun that turned the bottoms of the clouds orange. Soon it would be dark, but Spyro wasn't worried. Soon they found themselves out of the grass and crawling over rock, hiding behind outcrops and sneaking after the grublins. Spyro was watching them very closely. They were very close to the base of the mountain now and Spyro had no idea where the grublins would head next. But suddenly, before his very eyes, they disappeared. It was as though they suddenly sank into the stone. Spyro froze.
"What?" he yelped, staring at the spot they had previously been, "Where did they go?"
"Hey, Spyro, what's up?" Sparx asked.
"The grublins just disappeared!" Spyro replied, shocked and confused. He pointed with a claw. "They were right over there!"
Interested, Sparx shrugged and hovered over to the spot at which Spyro was pointing. The purple dragon kept his eyes on the dragonfly and crept slowly after him. Sparx had paused in mid air and was staring at something in the rock.
"Hey, Spyro…you'd better come see this, buddy," the dragonfly called.
Interested and curious, Spyro hurried over to his surrogate brother. What he found was a whole lot of rock at the base of the mountain and Sparx staring into a deep dark tunnel that travelled at a smooth slope down into the earth. Where it led, Spyro didn't know. But he was sure that he had finally found the hiding place of Alta and the grublins. This was it.
"Everyone!" the purple dragon called, turning around to face the rest of his squadron, most of who had been sneaking around the rocks, "I think we've found it!"
Exchanging curious looks, Cynder and Ember hurried over to Spyro as the rest of the squadron did the same. Seriphos stared dubiously into the darkness of the tunnel, his eyes straining to see anything in the shadows.
"In here, Spyro?" he asked, sounding a little unsure.
"I'm sure of it," the purple dragon replied, his face glowing with determination. The sky had darkened as the last rays of sun disappeared, unnoticed by the squadron.
Most of the others didn't seem to share his confidence and Spyro noticed how they hesitated. Sighing, the purple dragon placed one paw in the tunnel and turned around to face his team. They stared back at him anxiously.
"You sure you wanna go in there, Spyro?" Sparx asked, staring into the darkness. Spyro nodded.
"I'm going in," he said. "If Flame and the missing search party are in here, I have to save them. Regardless of who comes with me, I must continue. I'm not giving up now."
Spyro stared hard at the dragons and cheetahs facing him, "But it's not too late to turn back. I won't think any less of any of you if you do. You don't have to do this. It isn't too late to turn back."
An uncomfortable silence fell as Spyro waited at the entrance to the tunnel, waiting to see who would stay and who would turn away. He met Cynder's gaze and knew from her expression that she wouldn't leave him no matter what. Ember, too, gave him a stiff nod, her face set with determination.
"With you all the way, Spyro, you know that," Sparx mumbled quietly, his voice quivering with fear.
Spyro nodded appreciatively, but the others seemed reluctant to speak. They glanced at each other, hoping desperately that somebody else would speak up. But no one did. Spyro was about to turn away and venture into the tunnel without them, when Prowlus spoke up.
"We've come too far to turn back now," growled the cheetah chief. "We promised to help and we aren't about to give up. How could we hope to turn away and still keep our honour? We've come this far, and we will continue until the very end. You have my tribe's loyalty, dra—Spyro. We will follow you."
The cheetahs nodded in agreement and Spyro couldn't help but smile. He nodded gratefully at Prowlus, who nodded stiffly at him in return. Inspired by the cheetah's speech, soon the dragons were nodding and agreeing with his words. Spyro sighed with relief. With new hope in his heart and friends at his back, he headed into the darkness of the earth with only Sparx to light his way.
The feeble glow of a dragonfly couldn't penetrate the thick darkness of the tunnel, but Spyro was glad of it anyway. He kept close to his surrogate dragonfly brother, finding comfort and confidence in the yellow light that shone from his tiny body. He could feel Cynder walking close to him, her scales rubbing against his every now and then. Footsteps behind him and the breathing of dragons in the darkness reminded Spyro that he wasn't alone.
An orange light, flickering and uneven, appeared at the end of the tunnel after several moments of walking in darkness. Eager to be out of the darkness, Spyro picked up his pace and soon found himself in a large cavern lit by fire torches on the walls. It amazed him how big the cave was, stretching far above his head. The rock walls were smooth and even, as though they had been scooped out by a giant claw. His squadron followed him into the cavern, fitting into it surprisingly easily.
"So, um, which way?" Sparx voiced what they were all thinking.
Spyro stared around the cavern, dismayed at what he saw. There were several tunnels branching off from this cave, some lit by torches and others disappearing into darkness. The grublins were nowhere to be seen and Spyro had no idea which way he was supposed to go. Which tunnel would lead them to Alta? And which one would lead them to the grublins? Or would they be down the same tunnel? Spyro didn't know. Nor did he know just how big this maze of tunnels could be.
Hunter strode around the cavern, stopping to gaze down each of the tunnels in turn. He was walking with a slight limp, thanks to the injury in his leg, and Prowlus wondered if it was the right choice to let him come along. Evidently, Hunter didn't have any luck at deciding which tunnel was best, because he turned back to the others and shrugged helplessly.
"Any bright ideas?" he asked, but was met with hopeless gazes.
Spyro was thinking deeply, staring at each of the tunnels. After several moments in which no one seemed to know what to do, the purple dragon stood up and moved closer to the nearest tunnel.
"Maybe we're over-thinking this…" he muttered quietly, before breathing in deeply. His nostrils flared, searching for a familiar scent. But he smelled nothing. Scowling, Spyro moved on to the next tunnel, the one furthest to the left.
Moving his snout close to the ground, he took a long draught of air and tasted the scent that came with it. It was a rotten scent, one that usually made him feel sick, and quite familiar. It was also particularly fresh. Snorting the smell from his nostrils, Spyro turned to face the bewildered squadron.
"The grublins went down this tunnel," Spyro revealed, "I'd know their scent anywhere."
"Bet they don't smell very nice," Sparx snickered, and Spyro glared at the dragonfly. He always seemed to know the worst thing to say at the most inappropriate times. But some small part of him appreciated that. Sparx was particularly good at lifting the mood.
"Well, then what are we waiting for?" Seriphos asked, not questioning Spyro's word and moving to go down the suggested tunnel.
But Spyro made no move to go down that tunnel. Instead he walked past Seriphos towards the other tunnels. Confused, the dragons and cheetahs watched as Spyro took a whiff of each of the tunnels in turn. One in particular he stopped at and stood for a while staring into its dark depths. Spyro knew the scent that came from this tunnel. It was one he had only smelt once before, but wouldn't ever forget—a slightly musky smell that was just as pleasant as it was unpleasant. It reminded him of trees and old bark.
"Spyro?" Cynder asked uncertainly when the purple dragon hadn't said anything for a while.
He turned to meet the curious glances of the rest of the squadron.
"This scent is Alta's scent," he revealed, gesturing back down the tunnel he stood at the mouth of. "He's down this tunnel somewhere, I'm sure of it."
Seriphos's face fell, "So then, which tunnel do we go down?"
The green dragon was torn. Should they follow the grublins, or hunt down Alta? He had no idea which would be the better choice. But he didn't have to worry. Spyro already seemed to know what needed to be done.
"Seriphos, I want you to take everyone down that tunnel," Spyro pointed at the one furthest to the left, "I have a feeling that the grublins might be the ones responsible for the missing search party. Wherever they are, they could be holding the dragons as prisoners. I want you to go down that tunnel and find them. Take the squadron. If you run across the grublins, you're going to need them to fight."
"And what about you, Spyro?" Seriphos asked, though he had a feeling he already knew the answer.
"Alta's down this tunnel," the purple dragon replied, "and I'm willing to bet anything that Flame is with him. You're going to need everyone to take down the grublins, but…I can deal with Alta on my own. I'm going after him and I need you to deal with the grublins. Can you do that?"
Seriphos hesitated, "Are you sure, Spyro? We all saw your condition after fighting Alta at Warfang…you didn't exactly get off without a scratch. Surely you don't think you can take him on your own?"
Spyro opened his mouth to argue, but Cynder beat him to it.
"He won't be alone."
Spyro stared at her, surprised, "Cynder…?"
The black dragoness stared back at him, her emerald eyes glinting with determination. Her scales swam with gold light from the torches on the walls and for a moment Spyro was blinded by her almost aggressive beauty.
"I'm going with you, Spyro," she said. It wasn't a request.
"So am I," Ember added, much to Spyro's surprise. "Flame's my friend. I have to help."
"Cynder, E-Ember…" Spyro stuttered, staring from one to the other, trying to find some way to respond.
"Come on, Spyro, you really didn't think you could get away from us, did you?" Cynder teased. "We're not letting you have all the fun."
"Right, and if you're going to free Flame, you're going to need all the help you can get," Ember added, full of a surprising confidence that she hadn't had before. "We've got your back."
"I…I don't know what to say," Spyro stammered, his cheeks heating up.
Cynder moved closer to him, her snout almost touching his, "Then don't say anything. We're coming with you whether you like it or not. And there's nothing you can say to change that."
Spyro remained stunned for several more seconds before grinning, "If that's how it's going to be, I guess I've got no choice."
The purple dragon turned to Seriphos, "Think you can handle the grublins?"
The green dragon didn't seem all that pleased with letting the three young dragons face Alta alone, but he knew from their determined expressions that he had no chance of dissuading them. He glanced once at Prowlus and the cheetah nodded in agreement. There was no turning back now.
"Leave them to us, Spyro," Seriphos confirmed, "those grublins won't stand a chance. But be careful. The guardians would never forgive me if I didn't bring back all three of you alive."
"I know," Spyro grinned reassuringly, "but we'll be fine. Good luck, Seriphos. See you soon, I hope."
Seriphos nodded slowly, "Yes, and good luck to you. Alright, dragons, you heard the purple dragon! Stick close and follow me! We've got some grublins to hunt!"
Grinning excitedly, the dragons followed Seriphos into the darkness of the tunnel. Spyro watched them go, hoping that he would see them all soon—alive and well, preferably. With the dragons gone, only the cheetahs remained. Prowlus seemed to be waiting for something. Spyro stared expectantly at him.
"Something wrong, Chief Prowlus?" he asked, but the cheetah shook his head.
"No, Spyro, I just wanted to…" Prowlus rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "I wanted to wish you good luck. I guess not all dragons are as bad as Malefor…even purple dragons. And I hope you can forgive my actions towards you during the war…"
"Don't worry about it, Prowlus," Spyro shook his head, smiling gently, "it's in the past. Good luck, too. We'll see you soon, hopefully."
Prowlus nodded stiffly, still looking awkward, and led his cheetahs towards the tunnel. Most of them disappeared into the darkness, but Prowlus and Hunter hesitated at the mouth of the tunnel. They both turned back to the purple dragon.
"Good luck, Spyro," Hunter said, holding a hand to his heart. "You are a true friend."
"May the ancestors look after you," Prowlus added and turned away.
Before Spyro could respond, both cheetahs had disappeared into the darkness of the tunnel. The purple dragon stared after them, appreciating their words and yet worrying about their safety. He could only hope that he would see them again.
"May the ancestors look after you," he repeated softly, his words echoing down the tunnel after them.
A silence fell in the cavern. Cynder and Ember waited for Spyro to turn around and lead them down the other tunnel, but the purple dragon was distracted by something. Sparx was hovering casually beside his head, staring into the dark tunnel with an apprehensive look on his face.
"And there goes our protection," the dragonfly muttered, displeased that the squadron had left.
"Sparx?" Spyro stared up at him. "What are you…?"
"What?" Sparx stared down at the purple dragon and a horrified look crossed his face. "You didn't expect me to go with them, did you?"
"Well, I…" Spyro hesitated, and Sparx seized the opportunity to keep talking.
"There's no way I'm leaving you, Spyro!" he insisted. "Brothers stick together! I thought you knew that!"
"I know, Sparx," Spyro sighed, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I know."
"Well, let's go then!" Sparx hovered over to the other tunnel, Spyro following behind.
Spyro stopped in front of Cynder and Ember. They gazed back at him, their eyes filled both with fear and determination. Spyro knew this was it.
"Are you ready for this?" he asked them.
"Of course," Cynder replied, and Ember nodded quickly.
Spyro hesitated and then admitted, "I'm glad you're with me. Both of you."
"Don't worry, Spyro," the two dragonesses grinned together. "We'll always have your back."
With newfound confidence, Spyro led the two dragonesses deep into the darkness of the winding tunnel. He wasn't sure what would be waiting for them on the other side, but Spyro felt that with Ember and Cynder beside him, he could face anything.
The tunnel into which Seriphos led the squadron was wide and well lit with fire torches along the walls. He was glad of it, preferring this to the dark tunnel they had previously been down. But he did wonder what was waiting for them at the end. Prowlus had caught up to him and was walking at his side, his paw resting nervously on the hilt of his short sword.
"Do you think they'll be waiting for us?" the cheetah asked stiffly, glaring down the tunnel as though expecting an army of grublins to suddenly come charging around the corner.
"They won't know we're coming," Seriphos replied, equally as stiffly, but he didn't seem very sure about his own words.
"I hope you're right," Hunter muttered from behind.
"Yeah," Naxos was looking around at the walls curiously, as though he had never seen a tunnel before. "Wouldn't want to enter a cavern full of angry grublins just waiting to slaughter us."
Delos glared, "That's just the image I needed to give me confidence, Naxos. Thanks."
Naxos pretended he didn't hear the heavy sarcasm and grinned goofily, "No problem!"
Seriphos rolled his eyes, focusing on what was ahead of him. An uncomfortable silence fell amongst the squadron. Their footsteps sounded unusually loud in the echo of the tunnel. On and on they marched, believing this tunnel with all its twists and turns would never end, until at last the end was in sight.
Anxiously, Seriphos crept carefully forwards, prepared for a surprise attack from whatever was waiting for them. But there were no signs of life. Surprised, Seriphos stepped out into the open cavern and was instantly struck dumb with awe. The other dragons and cheetahs followed close and their faces soon matched Seriphos's as they gazed upwards.
The cavern was huge, as big as the gardens back at Warfang if not bigger, and stretched far above their heads. But what awed them most was the honeycomb of caverns and tunnels dotted all around the walls and ceiling. Dark tunnels stretched into the rock all around them, some high in the walls, some closer to the ground and others that seemed to open in the middle of the ceiling. There were countless tunnels around them, leading to who knew where and who knew what. Seriphos didn't know what to say.
"Whoa," Naxos breathed, which just about summed up what everyone was thinking.
"Where do they all lead to?" Delos whispered, his voice hushed with awe. "How big do you think this place is?"
"Who knows?" Seriphos replied, "But the grublins are probably around here somewhere. We should—"
He didn't get any further. His voice was drowned out by an unearthly shriek and suddenly the cavern was full of howls and screeches as hideous creatures poured into the cavern. Grublins. There were hundreds of them, waving crude weapons and shrieking ugly war cries as they surrounded the surprised squadron. Seriphos stared around him frantically, searching for an escape route, but found that all exits were blocked off by the beasts. They were as good as trapped.
"Not good," Hunter muttered, backing up as the grublins surrounded them, "this is not good at all."
Prowlus had drawn his sword and was glaring menacingly at the grublins, "Why aren't they attacking?"
His answer soon came when a huge, hideous beast, three times the size of the grublins, marched into the room. The troll raised its wooden club above its head, its blotchy skin glimmering in the firelight, and gave one, long, unearthly howl. Just like that, the grublins suddenly lurched forwards towards the surrounded squadron. Seriphos paled.
"Oh no."
Spyro stopped as the tunnel opened out into another cavern, this one smaller than the first. He felt Cynder and Ember come up behind him and move to either side of him like bodyguards. Their eyes were drawn to the opposite wall, where three tunnels branched off in different directions. All eyes turned to Spyro.
"Which way now?" Cynder asked, her voice echoing in the cavern.
Spyro didn't answer. Instead he walked towards the tunnels and breathed in the scents that wafted from them. But after a few moments he shook his head in defeat. It was no use; Alta's scent was everywhere. He turned a helpless glance on the two girls.
"I don't know. His scent is all over this place," Spyro shook his head and glanced back down the middle tunnel. "He could be down any of these."
"What about Flame?" Ember asked hopefully. "Can you smell him?"
But though Spyro tried, he could only shake his head. Alta's scent masked all others in the cavern and Spyro couldn't get a single whiff of Flame's scent. Sparx looked from the dragons to the tunnels and back again, an idea forming in his tiny head.
"Look, all this scent stuff is really weird," the dragonfly muttered. "Why not just do it the old fashioned way and check each one?"
Spyro stared quizzically at the dragonfly, and Sparx rolled his eyes.
"Come on, Spyro, it's easy enough to understand. Three dragons," he waved a hand at the three of them, "three tunnels; doesn't take a genius to figure out."
The three dragons in question exchanged dubious glances. They knew what Sparx was suggesting, but none of them seemed too keen to go through with it. Spyro turned back to his surrogate brother, a worried look on his purple face.
"You think we should split up?"
"Well, yeah," Sparx shrugged, "what else can we do?"
Spyro met Cynder's gaze, wordlessly asking what she thought was a good idea. Reluctantly, the black dragoness realized she had to agree with the yellow dragonfly.
"He's right, Spyro," she sighed. "It's the only choice we've got."
"It's kinda spooky," Ember added, peering into one of the dark tunnels, "like it's all been set out for us."
Spyro was reluctant to agree, "It'll be dangerous…"
"We can take care of ourselves, Spyro," Cynder reassured him. Ember nodded in agreement, though she looked frightened.
"But…" Spyro insisted, looking from one to the other.
Cynder shook her head, "What else can we do if we don't split up? He could be down any of these tunnels, and we have no idea how far they could go. Splitting up is our best bet."
"You're right," Spyro sighed reluctantly, realizing he had no choice but to give in, "But I still don't like it."
"Don't worry, Spyro," Ember reassured him, "I'm sure we'll meet up soon. I hope."
The purple dragon walked over to the mouth of the middle tunnel, "I'm taking this one. There are a few things I want you to remember before we split up. First of all…"
Spyro raised a paw and scratched three long vertical lines into the rock at the mouth of the tunnel. He turned back to the girls, who were still standing in the middle of the cavern, watching him.
"I want you to mark the tunnels you enter and exit," Spyro explained, "Like what I just did. Make it different from mine in case these tunnels converge at some point. We don't want to get lost. Got that?"
"Right," Cynder agreed, and move to stand at the tunnel to the left, "I'll mark my tunnels like this."
With a sweep of her lethal talons, the black dragoness gouged three horizontal scratches into the stone. Following Cynder's example, Ember strode over to the tunnel at the right and created her own mark: a set of three diagonal scratches in the stone. Spyro nodded approvingly.
"Good. Now, secondly," he glanced sternly at both of them, "I need you to promise me this: if you come across Alta or even Flame, don't try to face them alone. Yell for help. Sound carries well in these caverns. We will come to you. Understand?"
Cynder had never seen him look so serious. She met his eyes briefly and nodded, "I promise."
"Ember?" Spyro turned to her.
She nodded quickly, "I promise, Spyro. Don't worry."
The purple dragon sighed softly, "Good. Thank you…"
"That goes for you too, Spyro."
Startled, he turned to face Cynder, who had spoken. She was staring sternly at him, her emerald eyes full of worry and anxiety for the purple dragon. She met his gaze unflinchingly.
"Don't try to face Alta alone," she insisted. "Yell for help and we'll come. Promise me you'll do that, Spyro. I…I don't want to lose you…"
Spyro stared at her for a long time before he finally nodded. He had planned to deal with Alta on his own, if he was the one to find the oracle dragon. But he knew there was no way he could persuade Cynder to agree with that. Nor could he ever lie to her. They were in this together, after all.
"You won't lose me," he replied gently, moving closer to her. "I promise."
Cynder leant forwards to nuzzle her snout against his, closing her eyes, "Thank you, Spyro. Be careful."
"Same to you," he whispered, before capturing her lips in a gentle kiss. Across the cavern, Ember turned away and stared at the rock wall, her face burning. Sparx made a disgusted face, sticking his tongue out, and slapped a hand over his eyes.
"See you soon," Spyro murmured when he released her, and stepped away.
"Ancestors be with you," Cynder replied, extending a wing to touch his face in a gentle farewell.
"And you," Spyro smiled, before turning to face the pink dragoness.
"Ember!" he called, and she quickly looked back at him. "Good luck! May the ancestors look after you."
She smiled gently and nodded, "You too, Spyro. Good luck."
The three of them turned to face their respective tunnels, glancing one last time at each other. Each hoped that it wouldn't be the last time they saw each other.
"Be careful," Spyro said to the both of them. "See you soon."
Without another word, Spyro strode into the darkness of the tunnel with only Sparx at his side. He hated to leave the two dragonesses alone, but he knew he didn't have a choice. They had to find Alta and rescue Flame, and if that meant splitting up then so be it. Secretly he hoped that he had chosen the right tunnel, but little did he know how wrong he was.
He and Sparx had been walking for a few minutes when the tunnel opened out into a large cavern. It was completely empty, no sign of Alta or Flame, but it was the walls that drew Spyro's attention. Sparx had noticed it too. The dragonfly hovered away from Spyro, into the middle of the room, staring around at the walls all around him.
"Hey, Spyro, check this out," Sparx called, his voice echoing around the cavern.
"I know," Spyro replied, his voice hushed, staring at the rocks.
There were strange patterns painted on the walls and—Spyro glanced down at his feet—on the floor, too. They were made with earthy colours: dull red, rich brown and pale beige, swirled and twisted into strange, contorted shapes. Something about it seemed oddly spooky, and Spyro couldn't help that prickly feeling in the back of his neck.
"Weird," Sparx muttered, tapping at one of the paintings on the wall. "Kinda creepy, too."
"I don't like this," Spyro muttered, glancing around the cavern. "It's too quiet. Alta isn't here, so where is he?"
Sparx shrugged, "Maybe one of the she-dragons ran into him?"
Spyro stared at a spot on the floor, stained with a deep reddish-brown splodge that reminded him horribly of blood. He shook his head, his eyes full of worry.
"I hope not."
Ember was scared and she knew it. There was no other way to describe what she was feeling at the moment. The furious pounding of her heart, the prickling feeling on the back of her neck, the trembling of her limbs, the sweat on the pads of her feet and her quick-paced, shallow breathing all pointed to one thing: complete and utter terror. But she didn't turn back, no matter how dark the tunnel was. She had to find Flame; she had to save him. And she wasn't giving up now.
The tunnel seemed to stretch on forever, slowly sloping further and further down into darkness, lit only by the occasional torch on the wall. It did her nerves no better when she began to notice the odd patterns that appeared on the walls. The further she went, the more there were; strange, spooky markings that reminded her of pupil-less eyes staring deep into her soul. Her whole body trembled with fear as she tried not to look at the markings. But they were everywhere, covering the rock walls in dark earthy colours that reminded her of dried blood.
Taking deep breaths in an effort to calm her trembling nerves, Ember stared straight ahead and continued on into the darkness. It felt as though she had been walking for hours and she was starting to feel very trapped. But just when she thought she couldn't take it any more, the tunnel suddenly opened out into a dark cavern. Two torches either side of the tunnel she had just come from spread the only light across the rock floor. Ember strained to see anything beyond the pool of flickering orange light, but could see only darkness. She licked her lips nervously and stepped forwards into the light.
"Well, well, seems we have a visitor," said a voice from the darkness across the room, startling the jittery Ember. "Give us some light, Flame."
Ember took a step back as a burst of fire suddenly lit up the rest of the cavern, lighting the previously unlit torches on the walls and at the far side of the cavern. In the light of the fire, Ember could now see clearly what was facing her across the cavern. A grey dragon sat in the centre, completely at ease, with a red dragon standing stiffly at his side. Ember didn't need Spyro here to know who this grey dragon was.
"Y-You're Alta," she whispered, trembling under his icy gaze.
"Yes, I am," he replied in a smooth, amused voice, "no doubt the purple dragon told you all about me? You know, I was expecting him to come, not a little pink dragoness."
Ember felt her muscles seize up in fear as Alta stood up, completely forgetting her promise to Spyro to 'yell for help.' She stared at the grey dragon as he stood in the centre of a pool of firelight, his scales reflecting the golden hue of the flames. He was wearing oddly mismatched pieces of armour that shimmered handsomely in the light.
"So, tell me," Alta said airily, scrutinising her with his innocent blue eyes. "Why are you here instead of him?"
Ember swallowed hard, trying in vain to stop the trembling of her limbs, "I-I came to…to help F-Flame!"
Alta raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"
He turned to glance at Flame, who was staring intently at Ember as though trying to remember something. There was something strangely familiar about the pink dragoness, but Flame just couldn't think of what it was.
Shaking his head, Alta turned his amused gaze back to the dragoness, "What makes you think he'd want your help?"
Despite her fear, Ember still found the courage to glare at the grey dragon, "He needs my help! I came to save him from you!"
Flame stared at her, his eyes wide. What was she talking about, and who was she? She was so familiar, and yet Flame was sure he'd never met her before. Or had he? So intent was he on watching the pink dragoness, he almost didn't hear Alta's next words.
"A shame, then, that he doesn't want to be saved," Alta hissed, his voice cold and mocking. Ember shrank back from his gaze as he uttered three more words: "Flame, kill her."
For a moment Flame did nothing, standing stock still as he gazed at the pink dragoness. Kill her? Why should he kill her? She hadn't done anything wrong. He didn't want to kill her. But then he felt an uncomfortable tug at the back of his mind and a sharp pain lanced through his head.
'Kill her!'snarled a voice in his head. Alta's voice.
A reckless rage swept over the red dragon and suddenly he wanted nothing more than to tear this dragoness limb from limb. He forgot everything he had previously been thinking of, stopped questioning where he was or what he was doing, and suddenly attacked. Alta stepped to the side as the red dragon rushed passed him, teeth bared and claws outstretched, blood-lust shining in his empty golden eyes.
Ember gave a strangled yelp as Flame leapt at her, too stunned by the sight of her friend attacking to yell for help. She felt like there was ice in her veins, weighing her body down, stopping her from moving. But at the last second she came to her senses and rolled out of the way. Flame skidded on the ground as he missed her, digging his claws into the stone and twisting violently around to face her again. Ember scrambled away, unknowingly leaving her back open to Alta. But, fortunately for her, the grey dragon seemed content to merely watch the battle.
A wild snarl echoed from Flame's throat as he bared his ivory fangs at the pink dragoness. She trembled, backing up slowly, her confidence disappearing in the face of danger. The red dragon leapt for her again, his claws hissing barely an inch from her face as she rolled out of the way again. Alta watched with half-hearted interest, stepping calmly out of the way when Flame almost crashed into him.
Ember could feel the blood pumping through her head; her heart felt like it was about to give out. But as Flame turned to face her again, she couldn't help but meet his eyes. If it wasn't for the menacing snarl on his face and the odd emptiness of his eyes, this red dragon would look exactly like her old friend. There was nothing different, he was the same Flame and it was her job to bring him back to his senses. Breathing deeply, Ember felt some of her confidence return and her eyes turned hard with determination. Running away wasn't going to help Flame. She had to act.
"I'm not going to fight you, Flame," she said, her voice steady. "You need to stop."
She leapt to the side as the red dragon let loose a volley of burning flames from his maw. It charred the rock black where she had been standing moments before. Still terrified, but filled with determination, Ember tried again.
"I need you to stop this, Flame. I need you to remember me!" she called. "I need you to remember who I am!"
"He won't," Alta said from across the cavern, looking bored. "You're wasting your breath. Just stand still and let him kill you, won't you? I'm getting bored of this."
Ember ignored him, springing over Flame's back as he charged at her with his horns lowered. She had barely landed on the ground again, when she felt Flame's jaws suddenly clamp down on her tail. A yelp of pain was torn from her throat as the red dragon tugged hard on her tail and dragged her onto her side. Her back slammed into the rock wall as he swung her across the ground and released her.
Ember lay still for a few moments, catching her breath and trying to ignore the stinging pain in her tail and the grazes on her shoulder and wing. She raised her head to face Flame again and saw that his fangs were dripping with her blood. She felt sick and her eyes burned with tears at the sight of him.
"I know you can hear me, Flame," she choked, her voice breaking. "I know you're in there! Please."
It was only a second, but Ember was certain she saw Flame hesitate. She pushed herself upright and staggered towards him, blood dripping from her injured tail. But she was forced to dance to the side again as he lashed out with his talons. They glanced across her chest, leaving shallow scratches in her scales.
"That's enough, Flame," Ember sniffed, blinking away the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. "You don't have to fight me. I know you remember who I am. You just have to fight it. Just…just open your eyes and look at me. You know who I am."
Again, he hesitated and Ember strode slowly towards him until her snout was almost touching his. She saw his snarl waver and fall, and something flickered in the depths of his eyes. Gently, Ember rubbed her snout against his and shifted her body closer to him.
"You know who I am, Flame," she whispered, nuzzling his cheek gently. "It's me, Ember. You remember me, don't you? We're friends."
Flame's body trembled and relaxed, and Ember felt his head move until his cheek was pressed against hers. Her chest was almost touching his and she could feel his every breath.
"Friends…" Flame purred, sounding confused. "Em…ber…?"
Ember smiled and the tears finally fell from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks, "I knew you'd remember. I knew—"
"I told you to kill her!" Alta roared, cutting Ember off and causing the pink dragoness to jump away in shock.
Flame looked stunned for a moment, still caught somewhere between two minds. The grey dragon stalked angrily forwards.
"Kill her, Flame! Now!" he roared, and suddenly Flame began to moan.
He fell to his knees, clutching at his head as he began to shake. Alarmed, Ember made to run towards him, but Alta stood in her way.
"Get back!" the oracle dragon snarled, causing her to stagger backwards in alarm.
"Get up, Flame, and kill her!" Alta roared again, and Flame began to shake his head.
"N-No," he moaned, squeezing his eyes shut. "N-No, I won't!"
"Flame! Fight it!" Ember screeched, trying to dart around Alta. But the grey dragon slammed the flat of his tailblade into her head and she tumbled across the ground.
"I order you to kill her!" Alta snarled at Flame, stalking over to the trembling red dragon. "You don't get to argue! Kill the pink dragoness and do it now!"
But Flame shook his head roughly and staggered back to his feet, scrambling away from both Alta and Ember.
"No!" Flame roared, eyes still squeezed shut as he shook his head as though trying to throw something off. "No, no, no! I won't do it! Get out! Get out of my head!"
With a roar of rage, Alta swung a hefty strike at Flame's head and sent him crashing into the rock wall. His head hit the stone hard and he crumbled to the ground limply, where he lay trembling and wincing as rubble from the wall tumbled over his body. Ember screamed his name, but didn't dare run to him with Alta in the way. The oracle dragon looked disgusted.
"Fine!" he spat, glaring hatefully at the red dragon. "Then I'll do it myself!"
Ember felt her whole body seize up with fear as Alta turned towards her and began to stalk closer. Never had any dragon looked at her with such hate and disgust. She wanted to run, but her legs wouldn't move. She wanted to scream for help, but the words seemed to be stuck in her throat. All she could do was stare back at him and meet his cold, unforgiving blue eyes.
"I'll kill you myself!" Alta snapped, and slapped Ember viciously across the face.
The force knocked her back across the ground and she scrambled to get to her feet before he got to her. Trembling, Ember began to back up as the grey dragon stalked ever closer. Suddenly she ran into something behind her and glanced behind to see she'd hit the wall. There was nowhere else to run. Alta was too close to escape now, his eyes murderous as he observed his trembling, terrified prey. Ember's limbs almost gave out as she met his gaze. She was trapped.
"You're too much trouble for your own good," Alta snarled, angling his body so that his tailblade was pointed straight for her heart. "It's time I put you out of your misery. Don't worry, I'll make it quick. At least this way you won't have to witness the demise of your entire race!"
Ember whimpered and shut her eyes, preparing for the strike. Neither of them noticed that Flame had begun to move. His eyes took in the scene before him—Ember pinned to the wall as Alta prepared to skewer her—and suddenly his mind felt miraculously clear. Jumping to his feet, the red dragon leapt towards them. As Flame skidded to a halt between Ember and Alta, the oracle dragon drove his tailblade forwards. He hadn't expected Flame to be there, and his eyes widened with shock as the red dragon took the strike instead.
Alta's tailblade drove deep into Flame's chest, the sharp point cutting swiftly through both scales and muscle with ease. Flame grunted and glared at the stunned grey dragon, tasting blood at the back of his throat. His golden eyes burned with hate.
"You will not hurt Ember," he growled, blood leaking from the corners of his mouth.
Shocked, Ember opened her eyes to see Flame standing in front of her. The necklet could be clearly seen around his neck now, back to its original gold colour, and cracks were starting to appear in its normally flawless surface. Alta stared in horror at the red dragon. He wrenched his tailblade out of Flame's chest at the exact same moment that the necklet broke. It shattered into thousands of tiny shards, cascading over the floor as Flame crumpled to the ground.
"M-My necklet," Alta whimpered, eyes wide and horrified, his tailblade coated with Flame's blood.
Flame coughed as blood poured from the wound in his chest and dribbled from his mouth, covering the rock floor. His golden eyes stared wildly around until they came to rest on Ember, who was gazing stunned and horrified at him. A smile appeared on his lips and he whispered two simple words.
"I remember."
Ember could only stare as Flame's eyes closed and he went limp at her feet, his blood staining the rocks. She couldn't move, she couldn't breathe, she couldn't even hear—nothing but the pumping of the blood in her head and the heavy thudding of her heart against her ribcage. Her whole body suddenly felt cold and she felt as though all life had just been drained from her soul. She didn't know what to do or what to think; it felt like she had forgotten how to breathe. She wanted to tell Flame to get up, to open his eyes, but she couldn't speak. Suddenly the realisation of what had happened washed over her, and she did the only thing she could do.
Her scream echoed throughout the caverns, a single petrified note.
A/N: What have I done? Will Flame be alright? That's for me to know and you to find out. :D Get ready for the final confrontation next chapter! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. You give me the motivation to write these so fast! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. :)