Let the battle begin.
Chapter 34 Plan of Attack
It takes only a minute for the mood in the Ancestor's Cave to change, and Tempest is woken by the blinding light of three hundred powerful auras, along with the loud voice of her king, as he powers them even further.
"...It is time to show these evil bastards what a fully powered dragon can do!" she hears him barking with rage, finishing up a speech to inspire the first wave of their counter attack. He smashes his tail against the large green crystal, shattering it for the third time, leaving a gigantic pile of unused shards on the ground.
Hydricks eyes then focus upon the little white and blue dragoness that suddenly returns to her feet.
"We have the Spirit to defy our enemy for the first time..." he says, bowing to the tiny dragoness, then returning his eyes to the battle ready group before him. "...now lets show them that Spirit, and drive them back into the sea!"
The cave shakes with a thunderous cheer, and Tempest's shyness returns for a brief moment, as her eyes are blinded by pure white light.
Suddenly a massive paw grasps her behind, and she is smothered by two large purple arms.
Easy, young lady... Malefor's thoughts are easily feed to her mind, with years of experience talking to Diamond and Cynder. ...just focus on the real, and you can block out most of the light.
Tempest does her best to stop the power she feels, then opens her eyes. But as this magic is new to her, the light of everyone's power still remains bright.
"I can't!" she replies, almost feeling helpless in her inability to stop this.
Malefor wraps his wings around Tempest, blocking more of the light, then feeds another series of thoughts to her, but none are his own.
I can't do this, Spyro! It's too bright.
Tempest can see a thin dark purple and red dragoness, crying in the arms of another purple dragon, as she fights with the power just learned. Her husband, and the love of her life, glows so brightly in her eyes, no matter if they are opened or closed, that the poor dragoness hadn't slept in a week.
She had to move away from her family for almost a month, until she learned to control it, but now she sees only what she wishes...
Malefor's voice returns, as does a more recent vision of Cynder, showing her infallible ability to use this Spirit power well. Ending a long dispute between two fierce rivals, showing the lies they had been told by others to keep them at war.
...and uses this power to bring peace and justice.
"But..." Tempest pauses from the thought she was going to say, however, Malefor still hears it loud and clear.
...how can this Spirit power be helpful in a war?
He starts laughing, which startles the young dragoness, and more so as he answers the question she didn't ask.
It is not your Spirit they will use to fight with, young lady, but the spirit of everyone around them, as they now feel a connection made through you.
Still encased within Malefor's arms and wings, he demonstrates what he is talking about, as a special bond is shown to her between he and the white dragon she felt inside her soul. This allows Tempest to understand the connection between the two, and how Malefor would call upon his greatest powers just by thinking of their friendship.
He made you feel the strength and support of those around you, and that is where a true dragon draws their power."
The purple and gold dragon then shows the power he is drawing from now, allowing Tempest to see the smiling faces of her friends, along with herself, while they were playing yesterday.
"I will draw my power from their joy and my courage..." he pauses, lowering down to peck her head with a soft kiss. "...I will draw that from you."
Malefor finally opens his wings, and Tempest is shocked to the core as everyone is now facing her, bowing. Even King Hydrick, who genuflects himself, looks upon this young dragoness in awe. However, the words from Malefor have turned this shy dragon's backbone to iron, and she stands tall as he makes a speech never heard on this planet.
"As King of Raptoria, and by the will of the Great Ancestors, I hereby declare Tempest; daughter of Helius and Frost, Spirit Elder of Rap..."
The cave shakes as several boulders are flung at the mountain, and Malefor sternly looks at the king, making him wrap this up quicker.
"...toria!" He remarks a bit sarcastically, before bowing again. A sad set of eyes are then shown to the young girl, as weeks of celebration and festivities should accompany the discovery of a Spirit Dragon. He then gestures a paw toward the exit, and Malefor takes his cue.
"ALRIGHT!" be barks, startling everyone but Tempest, whom he still has his paws around, sending her a preview of what he will say.
"This island is ours, and no one is taking it from us, not this day!" Malefor continues, pumping up the group before they charge into battle. "The moment I step out of this cave, I will disappear, and hit them with everything I have to clear a path. "
The purple dragon then looks upon a small group of six fire breathers.
"You will be the first wave of advance when I leave, and must be out of the way of the cave so I can get back inside to replenish my magic..."
Malefor pauses as the cave shudders again, jolted by a powerful impact from below. The shrieking sounds of the Raptorians begins getting louder, yet no one shows panic, just staring upon the purple dragon as he speaks the plan of attack.
"...follow the path I make, advance upon the beach, and reduce their ships to cinders!"
He doesn't wait for acknowledgment, knowing these dragon will follow his call in battle, as Hydrick placed him in command of their limited army.
Or basically every dragon that can fight.
"Earth dragons!" Malefor barks, getting the attention of over a dozen with this call "You will count to ten, then follow behind the first wave and give them cover from the high ground. Keep the small ones off of them, and I will help while on my return to the cave."
His eyes then focus to Sterno and his son Lodi, showing the seriousness of his words.
"I will only have a few more seconds of Dragon Time when I get back the second time, and if I haven't figured out how to take down their King, then I will keep him occupied. It will be up to you to hit the three queen-sized Raptorians with whatever you can."
"Understood!"
"Regardless of what happens..." Malefor returns after Sterno's reply, looking at everyone in the cave, and showing a very angered pair of eyes, making sure his order is followed. "...everyone returns to this spot in one minute...no exceptions!"
"Yes,Sir!"
The cave rocks with the resounding voices of over a hundred young able bodied dragons, and a few older ones who aren't as able, but very willing to fight. However, a very silent voice is heard over them all, as it is spoken to Malefor' mind only.
What do I do?
The large purple dragon, knowing he has no time to give his reasons, leaves with the shortest explanation he can.
"You are the most important part of this fight, and must stay by that crystal, making sure our family is comforted..." Malefor turns to the nearly two hundred dragons, huddle together in this cave no larger then Spyro's home. All of them shudder as the cave is struck again, and once more the voice get louder, as if they are just outside the door.
"...they are afraid, and you must help them stay calm in this moment of terror..." Malefor stares deep into the soul of this young dragon, seeing the fear she still has, but also the strength he saw in his best friend and mentor. "...I have no doubt in your ability to do that."
The purple dragon then starts his charge to the door, bringing nearly twenty along side his flanks, but yet his eyes remain focused up her
"Your spirit will be the only way we will survive this day, so we will need you to stay as tough as a diamond!"
A surge of pride fills her heart, as the spirit within Tempest's soul is comforted by the words of an old friend. The white and blue chested dragoness just nods her head, and shows Malefor a smile.
Without another word, the purple dragon increases his speed, heading into the narrow sectioned mouth of this cave. He is tailed by only the six red and orange colored dragons, as the Earth movers stop to begin their count.
A beam of Convexity is then fired from Malefor's muzzle, destroying the thick wall he had made to keep the Raptors from getting in while they were regrouping. However, the moment he opens the cave, hundreds of these evil creatures begin swarming in, as they were just waiting outside.
A smug grin crosses the massive dragon's face, as he sees the first victims of this counter offensive.
Malefor comet dashes before this first wave of Fire dragons, showing the elemental powers they posses being used with a master's touch. In three steps he's out of the cave, bringing a column of fire along with him, incinerating everything that tried to get in.
As he had said, the purple dragon then disappears from view, when his body begins moving faster than can be seen in normal time. He looks upon the carnage of this once pristine island, and plots the safest route for the six behind him to get down to the beach.
Several of his well honed talents are called upon, as Malefor uses his prowess in all the elemental abilities to make a swath of destruction his friends can follow.
He slams his paw against the ground, dislodging a section of the cliff with his Earth skills, sending it down the mountainside in slow motion. At the same time, a slick of Ice is laid down like a red carpet stretching halfway into the destroyed Dragon city, allowing this cluster of rock a faster approach to the newly massing mob below.
The purple dragon, still standing in the same position, uses one more talent to help, seeing thousands of Raptorian soldiers are gathering at the end of the path he is making, and uses one last blast of Fire magic to clear the way.
He tilts his head back and launches a massive ball of fire, arching this heavy orb of Liquid Flame as high as he can, so it will spread out further upon impact.
Seeing his first job done, the Purple dragon looks for his intended target, and heads out to recon the King of Raptoria.
Behind him, six pairs of eyes open wide, reaching the cave entrance, and seeing a path being laid out by no one. They know it is Malefor, but are still astounded seeing the magic he used with such precision, and all faster than they could see.
However, one last attack is seen, as it took a while to for this bomb to hit the ground, being fired so high in the air.
"Holy crap!" one dragon barks, as all six take off down the mountain, quickly following the avalanche of rock that keeps picking up speed, sliding without friction on the ice rink Malefor placed before it.
Suddenly the ball of fire slams to the ground on the beach, sending out a inferno in all directions, allowing these six to continue unabated the a fire storm, that clears their path completely to the city.
However, as the enemies numbers are great, the Raptorian army quickly begin to navigate around the explosion, noticing the small group trying to advance towards their base.
"TO THE RIGHT!" the lead Fire dragon barks out, but before anyone can make a move to change direction, a shower of convexity rains down from the sky, vaporizing the threat before it becomes one.
After looking over his target from above for a few moments unnoticed, and still holding Time, Malefor returns to the cave. He unloads his magic, helping to keep the first wave of dragons free of obstruction, before zipping back inside.
He flies past the twelve motionless Earth dragons who have stayed out the way as asked, continuing their count. Malefor then gently swipes his paw across Tempest's face, and absorbs the pile of unused green crystals lying before her, recharging his magic energy to full.
Without stopping, the fast moving dragon zips out of the cave, streamlining his body to avoid the group that just reached ten, and have now begun charging. His timing is so close, that a breeze is felt by the leader of the second group, as Malefor's tail just misses clipping his muzzle.
"Should have told them to count to eleven!"
In real time, Tempest feels the touch on her face, and is quickly overwhelmed with a series of thoughts that came faster than she could comprehend. However, her powers quickly sort it out, and her eyes turn to Sterno.
"Be ready, Master Sterno!" she commands in a strong voice, as the red dragon's attention was quickly to the pile of shards that just disappeared into thin air, showing his aura fluctuate with confusion.
"Malefor is going to try and take him down now, but he is not sure if he will be successful...and that means he will need you to remain focused on your task."
The large dragon balks, as she tells him to calm down. He readies to snap back, but stops himself, understanding that he is feeling nervous, and realizing she can see it.
He simply takes a deep breath, then nods his head.
"How do you know that, Tempest?" one of her friends asks with a sheepishly fearful tone. "What did you just see?"
She smiles at one of the few whelplings that would hang out with her, as most found this shy dragoness very anti-social. But this one dragon was different, as she always saw his mood brighten when he looked upon her.
"I saw a fast moving light, Charrlton..." she replies to the young fire dragon, and shows him a very wide smile. "...and it touched my heart, telling my what Malefor's soul was doing."
"That's cool!" He replies, wagging his tail, hearing her voice so calm and confident, something he's truly never heard from this shy dragoness.
Tempest's voice would always be jittery, especially around him, and that tone returns quickly, seeing the excited look upon his face.
"You really think so?" She quips, already believing her best friend would shy away now, seeing her demonstrate such unnatural powers.
Charrlton just nods his head, and gives her that smile, the one that always makes her blush.
"HEY!" Sterno barks, as Tempest loses the moment, and his voice becomes very sarcastic. "Focus, sweetie!"
The look she gives would kill, but yet her heart races with joy. The color of Sterno's aura changes rapidly, as a powerful bright glow begins drowning the darkness within him. It allows her to focus, seeing him settle down so fast, realizing he is now feeding off of her confidence...her Spirit.
"I've never been more focused in my life, Master Sterno." Tempest replies, boosting his aura a lot further, as her voice remains solid and sure.
Meanwhile, outside the Ancestor's cave, the wave of Earth dragons finally emerge. They charge full bore, following the same path the fire dragons took ten seconds earlier, using their more precise attacks to lay down cover for their fast assault.
From high up the mountainside, these twelve dragons get a perfect view of the more threatening raptors, and take the appropriate action.
Terrance takes the lead, firing a full volley of small sharp projectiles. He is quickly joined by several more, whom fill the dark night sky with these tiny darts, allowing them to cover more ground as they fall from above unnoticed.
The six Fire breathers keep their course, watching as the flanking group of Raptorian soldiers are taken down with a barrages of spikes, leaving most of them impaled to the ground.
They hit the north side of the abandoned city, skimming across the roof tops of the still smoldering structures, getting closer to the two ships that have landed. They all stop at the town hall, reaching maximum range for their most powerful attack.
The six dragons call upon the technique just demonstrated by Malefor, and learned with the knowledge of the magic crystal they have been absorbing for nearly eight hours of battle.
All six tilt their heads back, making sure they arc this fire ball high enough to reach over two hundred yards, and like a set of cannons, all six release a volley of Fire Bombs.
They smash the beach, driving thousands of Raptoians back into the water as they explode. However, they fall short of the targets, barely singeing the sails of both ships.
"SHIT!" half of them yell out with disappointment, seeing no where closer to perch for this attack.
"Suck it up, guys!" returns the largest of the six, quickly finding a new place to launch without being attacked, reaching his paw out towards the ocean.
"There!" he barks, pointing a talon to the break water, and a cluster of rocks only a hundred yards from shore. "We can reach them from there!"
"You're crazy, it will be impossible to generate enough heat to fire these things..." one dragon replies, seeing these large rocks getting pounded by heavy surf, and knowing there must bring their core temperature to maximum. "...well be soaking wet and freezing cold in seconds!"
"You wanna go back and hide with the whelplings and the elders, then go..." he replies with anger, only increasing the Fire within. This red and orange bangle-striped dragon opens his black wings, and leaps from the burnt out frame of the tallest building of the town. "...I will do what must be done, because my brother is depending on me."
This large teenaged dragon looks up at the cave, envisioning his younger brother Charrlton, and the Spirit his heart feels now to protect him.
"Now whose with me!?"
The other five nod their heads, as they know this must be done if they are to win the battle for their home, and quickly follow behind the lead dragon.
"WHAT ARE YOU IDIOTS DOING!?" Terrance yells from behind, but his voice is drowned out by the ocean all six have begun crossing. He quickly turns to his left, and his wing-man whom shrugs his shoulders, seeing their friends disobey the orders given by Malefor.
"I don't understand it either..." another Earth Dragon remarks with a smug grin, bringing Terrance's attention one hundred and eighty degrees to the right. His excitement is easily seen, as this old dragon is happy to be taking the battle to the Raptorians for once. He then launches a large boulder from his muzzle, smashing a nice sized group of these vermin flat. "...but that don't mean we should stop laying down cover fire! Does it?"
Terrance quickly returns his eyes to his wing-man, whom shrugs his shoulders again and launches his own Elemental attack.
"We don't want to get in trouble for disobeying our orders!" the large black and tan dragon replies, looking around dramatically, then dropping another large stone from his mouth. "Malefor's probably watching now, moving as fast as he does, so just keep firing."
Terrance balks, knowing how Malefor is impossible to see while moving in Dragon Time, and he too looks around. His mouth opens wide, laying down the covering fire he was told to, but keeping his eyes focused upon the six that keep heading further out to sea.
Upon reaching the eastern shore for the second time, Malefor realizes his first trip had not gone unnoticed, as the Raptorian king is no longer in a seated position. In fact, the purple dragon can see a look of anger on the oversized raptor's face.
"I know you're here, coward!" the Raptor King barks out, turning his head from right to left, and taking several very pronounced sniffs of the air.
"I can smell your fear!"
"That is not fear you smell, it is death..." Malefor's voice returns, distorted in it's transition from Dragon Time.
"...YOUR DEATH!"
The large raptor smirks, but that smile leaves quickly as a large boulder appears from no where, heading full speed towards his face. He raises his left paw to block it, but is quickly struck several times in the ribs under that raised arm, as Malefor uses his exposed flank as a heavy bag.
Feeling pain and not focus, The Raptor King loses sight of the large boulder, which clips his lowering paw, and smashes him directly across the bridge of the nose.
Using his time perfectly, Malefor then backs away as the Raptorian is hard pressed to defend his face and bruised ribs, lowering the arm he raised quickly to his injured left side.
The purple dragon waits for him to slowly pull his paw away from his face, and swings his tail across the large creature's partially exposed nose.
With two tremendous impacts, literally felt one after the other, the large raptor is knock back on his duff. Malefor quickly tries to take the upper hand, using his Earth skills to begin encasing this large creature in stone, however, this magic comes at a heavy price, as his enemy can see the green hue coming from the invisible dragon's mouth.
Even in Dragon Time, Malefor cannot move from the path of this raptor's large tail, as it comes from behind and faster than anticipated. He is only clipped, but it is enough to break the purple dragon's focus, and he drops from his fast moving time frame.
"There you are!" the large creature barks out arrogantly, quickly getting back up to his feet, and stretching out to grasp his slightly smaller opponent.
Playing opossum, Malefor returns his hold on Time and gets to his feet even faster. He leaps into the air, then fires a stone spike as hard as he can down into the outstretched paw of this large creature, staking it to the ground tightly.
The purple dragon then reappears in regular time, showing a grin of complete confidence.
Seeing his enemy helpless and writhing in pain, Malefor knows he has only once chance at ending the fight now, and grasps the purple dragon's pelt that covers the Raptor King's head, neck and back.
"My family will no longer protect you!" he barks, yanking with all his might to rip the body of one his descendants from this evil King, so he may be able to deliver a death blow.
However, realizing his life is more valuable than his paw, the Raptorian King uses all of his strength to stand, ripping his paw up from the ground, to get it free. He then uses this blood soaked paw to grasp Malefor by the horn, pulling him from his armored body with the unbelievable strength he posses.
"YOU ARE TOO WEAK TO DEFEAT ME!" He yells with the rage and adrenaline that now courses within his body, holding Malefor up from the ground by one horn, and driving his good paw into the exposed gold chest of the much weaker dragon.
Malefor slams to the ground hard, but knowing what is at stake, he ignores the pain and bounces back up to his feet. He stares up at the creature that towers over him on two legs, as he is more comfortable fighting from his four paw stance.
"You are nothing without my family protecting you, bastard!" He returns, and unnaturally raises up to his hind legs, showing the anger he feels with an eye to eye confrontation. "And I will show that a dragon's spirit is a far greater asset than your pathetic strength."
Malefor's eyes flash white with power, and his scales begin darkening with his Furious Rage, however, he controls it, using the spirit he feels coming from the cave nearly a mile away, seeing Tempest's smile shown over and over.
I will be your strength.
After a sad chapter I brought some joy and some fighting. A good taste of action to start and a few teasers of what will happen, and this is only the beginning.