Spreading the Poison

The introduction Spyro and Windy had into the rain storm had been sudden and abrupt, once they came out of the dizzying spiral they were greeted with the gale force winds and driving rain as well as brutal electrical discharges. To make matters worse there was nowhere to land, only an endless sea of raging waters below. From the surreal sand sea to a traditional one of water, what were the chances?
Spyro's wings were sluggish in hurricane force storm he found himself lost within. The thunder was deafening and the lightning that preceded it blinding. The rain fell in a torrential downpour that hammered the poor dragons and their riders relentlessly. Spyro couldn't see through the sheets of water, his eyes were barely open as the drops came at them hard enough to sting. He knew his riders were uncomfortable and couldn't do a thing about it. He was also keenly aware of the fact that Windy's feathers weren't like a duck's and the water had severely limited her mobility. She barely managed to keep a lead in front of Spyro, partly from the purple dragon's decision to fly behind her. He kept urging her on and performed a risky move by breathing fire above and below her flapping wings periodically in an effort to dry some of the moisture. It seemed futile but as she was still aloft it must have helped somehow.

"Spyro!" the impossibly loud voice of Niall called to him. "Eloryn and I have an idea, we need you to hear it and believe it possible for it to work!"
The dragon's ears rang with the volume; the priest must have cast to amplify his voice over the storm. "Tell me!" he shouted back and hoped that the vibrations his riders felt would help them figure out what he had said.
The plan the two eirian had hatched seemed insane and doomed to fail. But Spyro saw merit in it as well. They were in a new frontier where the imagination ruled and nothing was impossible so the dragon was willing to give it a shot. The only thing that bothered him was how they were going to pass the information to Windy and her riders. Spyro felt the tingle in the air as his vision warped slightly and a great, clear orb began to encase him starting above and working down under him. The sound of the rain and wind vanished instantly, not even the thunder seemed to pierce the bubble they were floating in.
"You can land," Niall said to the dragon in a normal volume. "The spell will hold us aloft and allow us forward momentum."
"Yeah and your scales are starting to chafe me!" Pop Fizz grumbled. Rather it had to be the armor he wore as an elf but it just felt better to blame the dragon.
Carefully Spyro touched down on the bottom, Niall had explained in full what he and Eloryn had come up with and it was done in such a way that he could get behind the idea. The dragon shrank back to his normal size; the bubble was now massive and largely empty. "Oh thank you," the dragon panted as he stretched out on his belly. His wings burned and felt so very heavy. He realized that as water dripped off his scales or the clothing of the others it failed to collect in the bottom of the sphere but rather passed right through.

"If we overtake Windy can you allow her to pass through the wall?" Eloryn asked. She had her hands clasped over her chest as she watched the other dragon and her two riders struggle to stay airborne.
"If we can convince them quickly of the safety in the structure before doubt makes it fall apart," Niall nodded.
"Man, this is way cool. I wish I was a caster as opposed to an alchemist," Pop Fizz said with a whistle. "Maybe I could make a potion that does the same thing." He walked around on the bottom and tapped armored toes against it in admiration. His neon color choice made him glow amid the dreary grey storm outside of the bubble.
"Brace yourselves," Spyro grunted as he rose to his feet. He increased his size again and waited for the others to climb onto his back before he laid down flat on his belly to make as much room above as possible for Windy.

The hybrid didn't know what had happened, she just knew that suddenly there was no wind or rain pelting her and it had become eerily quiet.
"We're safe!" Double Trouble laughed in glee, "The priest has worked out a way to give us a reprieve."
Windy stretched her neck below her, her wings very nearly brushed Spyro who was looking up to her with a grin. His own wings were still, once he shrank back to normal Windy carefully landed, deposited her riders and followed suit. She was wet and miserable but at least she could catch her breath. "What next?" the hybrid gasped and collapsed on the floor of the sphere. She shut her eyes so as not to see the roiling sea below.
"Pick a direction," Niall prompted. "Every way looks the same to me. If we can find land maybe we will have a place to start."
"Just keep going the way you are," Rider sighed. He sat down heavily and rubbed his eyes. "Did we really lose them?"

The mood in the bubble changed instantly, for a moment the others had forgotten about the disaster in the desert. Now without their focus on surviving it all came back.
"The psionics should have pulled them out," Eloryn said. "They are watching all of us, they have to be safe!" She still didn't sound so sure of herself and it did nothing to inspire confidence in the others either. "I want to get out of here too."
"I think you're looking at it wrong," Pop Fizz squinted at the princess. In the blink of an eye he dropped his temporary elven look and reverted to a gremlin again. He took a moment to admire his furry hands and checked his potion pack before he continued. "Look at it as a game and you can use cheat codes!" he said happily. Some of the others gave him a funny look. The gremlin's ears stood up straight and swiveled forward. "My Portal Master does that a lot," he said with a wave. "There's almost always some code somewhere that allows her to have an edge. Unlimited ammo, all weapons. Invincibility. Why can't we apply the same logic to here? This ball thing is a start, right?" He held his arms out wide and looked from person to person.
Spyro sat up a little straighter, "In your moments of clarity you are scary insightful."
"I try," Pop Fizz grinned with a shrug and let his ears relax.

The rows of corn the psionic siblings and Flameslinger had arrived in were finally behind them. The landscape opened up to show a red and gold rocky scene just as vast as the blue of the sky above.
"How are you to know that where we need to be is there?" Flameslinger asked Seraphina. Behind them was the tall field of corn and ahead was a huge canyon with an object that looked strikingly like a giant seed of some kind complete with a sprout of bright green growth and trailing roots that weren't long enough to reach the dirt of the canyon floor or even walls.
"My experience has always been that the innermost part of any mind is symbolically suspended and held separate like a floating fortress. Some have been massive battle ships riding the waves of the sea during a hurricane, others have been castles in the sky and one was even a giant phoenix that constantly flew through the other mindscapes. Rarely have I ever needed to venture into one." Only after the trio had cleared the corn field did Seraphina summon her staff back to her side. "How lucky you are to have your first experience lead you into the very core of a mind other than your own."
"Yes, lucky," Flameslinger said with a curled lip. "How are we to be arriving there?" When he turned back to look at the royal siblings he groaned loudly at the sight of their wings held out wide.

"If you were to adapt wings of your own you might find the experience much more liberating," Anicetus grinned. The prince coiled his legs, crouched down and sprang up with a strong downbeat of his platinum wings. "You can make them look like whatever you wish!"
"I am not one for the feathers," Flameslinger said as he studied Seraphina's wings. She had yet to take flight and seemed to be waiting for him. "They are too délicat for one such as myself. Beautiful on you ma chère, a little how you say féminin on your brother," he grinned at her.
"Oh brother. Never let him hear you say that, please," she sighed in return.

When Flameslinger finally took to the skies it was with wings inspired by those of a common dragon or gargoyle style. The bat-style wings bore green supports the same shade as his skin and as with his desire to be flashy the membrane spread between them was pure flame. He believed they would allow him to fly and so they did. He left streamers of fire behind him reminiscent of the trails his boots would leave in the earth. "I am betting I will get there before you!" Flameslinger called to Anicetus.
The prince looked back to his sister as if asking for permission to accept the challenge. Seraphina gave him a surprised look, he knew better than to take the matter so lightly. Still there was a part of Anicetus that was eager to test his mettle against one who thought he had already learned all there was about psionic ventures. He paused for only a moment in thought before he pumped his wings and raced off. Flameslinger laughed in delight and sped after the more experienced flier.

"Fools," Seraphina hissed. She tightened her grip on the white staff she carried and brought it up in front of her horizontally with the ground. "We have only found environmental hazards so far, the lack of nightmare crawlers worries me. We will not be further separated!" Light erupted from both ends of her staff and shot out like streamers after the two racers. Upon reaching them the streamers turned into harnesses that looped around the midsections of the two. Seraphina spread her wings out and let their efforts guide her flight through the air.

Anicetus knew instantly what had happened; the addition of the harness of light didn't bother him at all. Nor did the fact his sister was now coasting along under the efforts of Flameslinger and himself. The other elf apparently hadn't noticed at all because he never hesitated even for a moment and continued to pick up speed.
We have met no hostile forces in this mind thus far; you would throw caution to the wind upon reaching the center of what makes Timber all he is? Seraphina's voice was furious and scathing as she addressed her brother. I would expect such disregard from one unlearned but from you?
The prince cringed, the damage was done however and all he could do was catch up with Flameslinger. He had no reply for his sister and instead picked up speed to close the distance.

Flameslinger laughed in glee, the freedom he felt was amazing! He felt so weightless, so unrestricted. The feel of the wind running from head to toe, the lift he felt with the wings. The way the landscape raced by below him. The canyon was so deep it turned black as the light failed to reach down to the bottom. He could smell the earthy scent the floating seed-like object gave off in his proximity. Best of all he was in the lead, the prince couldn't keep up with the speedy archer. Flameslinger grinned to himself and reached up to slide his blindfold back in place, he wanted to prove without a shadow of a doubt he could win the race.
But when his hands fell away from the newly raised blindfold his jaw dropped in surprise. Tangled in the roots of the giant seed he saw Stealth hanging limply. "Ma chère," he nearly choked. "She is still here?" Flameslinger didn't know what it meant; he didn't have a clue as to how it was possible. All he knew was the race meant nothing, getting to Stealth meant everything.
Do not go to her! Seraphina said frantically into his mind. It is not what it seems!
The priestess's words were ignored as Flameslinger put all he had into flight. Only then did he notice the harness of light around him when it tried to pull him back. He flipped onto his back and looked down to see both Seraphina and Anicetus pulling on the line. Fluidly he took his bow in hand, drew an arrow and aimed carefully at the glowing line. Nearly as soon as he loosed it the line snapped, Flameslinger rolled over and sped off again.

"He is so infuriating!" Seraphina hissed. "Very well," she growled before she grabbed Anicetus by the wrist. In the blink of an eye the two of them were suddenly ahead of Flameslinger and between him and the figure tangled in the roots. "You will stop!" Seraphina barked in an abnormally loud voice. Anicetus slammed his hands to his ears and dropped a little lower in the air from shock. Flameslinger cringed and changed direction to slide around Seraphina instead of stopping. "You do not understand what you are up against, stop what you are doing and return to us!"
"You are going to lose him," Anicetus muttered.
"Stall him!" Seraphina hissed, "I will catch him as he falls." Anicetus did as his sister asked and through chronokinetics prevented the other elf from following but things didn't go as planned. Flameslinger was very close to the roots and his proximity must have triggered something. The twisted roots sprang to life, the figure tangled within was drawn up suddenly into the seed-like object and Flameslinger was wrapped tightly in the organic matter himself.
Anicetus released the time stall on Flameslinger right when he noticed the movements of the roots. Fire flared up from within the ball of organic matter and Flameslinger emerged unscathed. "Impossible," the Core Skylander howled as he was forced to dodge more roots. He could see the two eirian heading for him but couldn't afford to spare the time to call out for them. Flameslinger went into a diagonal dive in an effort to escape the oncoming tentacles. He flipped to his back again and took aim before he released a barrage of arrows. They made dull thumps as they struck roots. Smaller roots lit up easily, larger ones simply hissed as the flames were extinguished.

"Not so fast!" a familiar voice hissed.
Flameslinger had half turned before something struck him and altered his momentum quickly. All he could see was a wing with black fingers and magenta webbing. "Cynder!" he cried happily as the dragon carried him off. "You have survived!"
"You are trespassing," the dragon growled at him. "You don't belong here."
"Cynder?" the elf questioned.
"Silence!" she tightened her talons on the other Skylander and he cried out in pain. "I know exactly what to do with you."
"What are you doing, we are on the same side!" Flameslinger yelled. The dragon didn't pay any attention to him, she angled up and the roots parted for her before she vanished with her captive into a crack on the underside of the seed.

"By the light," Anicetus exclaimed and pulled up short to hover in the air, "They have been corrupted! Meilyr…"
"Can still be saved," Seraphina said. "One more time. Once under the seed fly up as fast as you can and do not stop until you have to!" The priestess grabbed her brother again by the wrist and willed the two of them near where Cynder had vanished. The vines began to writhe again and tried to crush the duo as they pushed their way up and into the object that represented the stronghold of Timber's mind.
Darkness greeted them on the other side, all either could hear was their own breathing and that of the other. Seraphina flared up suddenly with a soft glow that still didn't seem to penetrate the void. Anicetus too followed her lead in hopes the combination of effort would reveal something.
"Where do we go from here?" Anicetus asked softly. His voice echoed and sounded as if he had shouted in the empty space.
"Their awareness is weak," his sister murmured. "They are separated. Flameslinger's mind is still strong, he is safe for now."
"Sera, I have never tried to free those trapped in another mind before." Anicetus' voice sounded so frail as he spoke. Doubt in his own abilities wasn't something the prince was used to feeling anymore than Seraphina was to hearing it.
"I know, Ani. I know. You have to help me with this, we cannot lose anyone."
"I hate Surpin," Anicetus said darkly. "I promise I will hunt him down myself and destroy him."
"One thing at a time, Ani. One thing at a time."

The concerns of the psionic siblings were unknown to the third group traveling Timber's mind. They had their own worries to focus on in the grey landscape of howling wind, driving rain and tumultuous seas.
"Land ho!" Pop Fizz exclaimed happily while pointing. "I see it, I see it!" He hopped up and down in excitement as the magic sphere drifted through the wall of rain. The gremlin's ears vibrated like mad and he did a little jig out of pride and excitement over his find.
"Take us down, Niall," Spyro said as he pushed past the gremlin to get a look himself. "I think I see something, a building maybe." The dragon squinted through one eye and pressed the side of his face against the wall of the orb to try and get a better look. It was a faint image with lines and angles too perfect to be a naturally occurring structure.
"What's the plan once we reach land?" Rider asked. "The rain doesn't look like it's going to let up any time soon."
"We hope there's a building there and that it holds a door to another area," Double Trouble ventured forth with a guess. "I want out of the rain as much as everyone else. I want to get back on track, maybe we are on track but don't know it yet."

Windy sat quietly near Eloryn; the two seemed content to simply sit there without adding to the conversation. Windy didn't know what to think of what she had seen; it was so very different from Sprint's mind. Timber's was… empty. Maybe empty wasn't the best way to describe it but it felt lonely. Windy gave a half smile that faded quickly, lonely. Well it was better than being chased by nightmare crawlers she had to admit. The hybrid looked to Eloryn; the princess was lost in thought and stared into nothing with her fingers plucking absently at her pale blue dress. The Whirlwindling raised her head to watch Niall concentrate on guiding the sphere down to land. As they neared it the outline of the island and everything on it became clearer. Strangely enough the rain that hit the sphere also seemed to grow lighter.
"What's on your mind?"
Windy turned in surprise to see Rider near them. "Nothing," Windy shrugged. "Just glad this time hasn't been like the last time. I think it is taking longer though. I don't know," she shrugged again.
Eloryn looked up suddenly to Rider and Windy. "I think, I think," she wrinkled her nose and sighed. "I do not know what I think." The princess rubbed her head. "Physically we are sitting in Uzern, mentally we are here. The location is both familiar and alien to me. There are times I think my psionic clairvoyance is within my grasp and then it seems to flutter away. Maybe luck Seraphina possesses is rubbing off on me? If I could make use of my ability I could guide us as sure as if we had a map." The princess was frustrated, it was obvious she had grown very accustomed to her inherent talent and the loss of it during something she always linked to psionic skill had stressed her.

"You blame yourself too much for our situation," Rider said as he sat next to the princess. He laid his halberd down and folded his arms over his knees. "We're making progress. Moving forward is better than just sitting around."
The look Eloryn gave him said she didn't think it was good enough. "We have been separated into three different groups. I have never been separated from Seraphina. She always knows where to go; she always knows how to handle anything that pops up. This is her territory; we are just along for the ride. To be on our own suddenly makes it feel so much heavier."
"You rely too much on your sister," Windy pointed out.
"Windy," Rider said softly. He shook his head, now wasn't the time.
"I used to be just like that with Sprint. And when she wasn't around I thought it was all lost. I missed out on a lot because I was so scared to be on my own. You can't live your life based on how you can get help from your sister. You gonna just sit there now or are you gonna use what she's taught you and help us get out of here?"
Eloryn narrowed her eyes and folded her arms across her chest.
Windy opened her mouth to say something else but closed it without a word when Rider planted his hand in the middle of her scaled chest. "Whatever," she grumbled as she stepped away.
"It is not as simple as she seems to think," Eloryn said to Rider. "I might know more about how to interact with this place but I am still limited by the power of the mind we travel. If the mind tried to overpower changes Seraphina made she could bully her way through with her psionics. She was always the stronger mind; here Timber has the home field advantage."
Rider's brow knit in confusion. "So, that means you can't even try?"
Eloryn rolled her eyes, she wanted her clairvoyance back and that was that.

Rider sat with the princess for a moment longer before he nodded and stood. "I watched Cynder be swept away in the sands along with her riders the same as you. Niall says the gargoyles monitoring us pulled them the moment they felt there was no hope. I am torn over this but I lean more towards believing it. I have to, I refuse to let despair take over. I am overwhelmed and confused in this place and right now I as well as everyone else look to you and Niall to step in and help us get back on track. Niall has stepped it up. What about you, princess?"
Eloryn stood up and walked towards Rider with a dark look on her face, the undead Skylander actually took a step back from her intensity. Eloryn closed her eyes and with a sigh seemed to deflate. "Very well. Then Niall and I will pool our knowledge to get everyone to safety."
"Good," Rider smiled with all the charm he could tap into, "Because I know that both princesses of Meir Valan are strong, competent women who can hold their own. I look forward to working with you, Princess Eloryn," he bowed before her.

The sphere of travelers touched down on the island and once everyone was prepared Niall dispelled the enchantment to let feet touch the warm sands.
"Imagine that," Pop Fizz blinked as he held a hand up to shield his eyes from the bright sun. Once on the island the rain had vanished, not completely but it failed to touch the island. Rather the island was surrounded by a halo of blue sky and shining sun while just beyond the storm raged on. It was as if the island was protected by a sphere much like the one Niall had summoned, even the water was calm for a certain distance away from the island. "Who'da thunk it?"
"Ugh, did it have to be a sandy beach?" Spyro complained. He walked as if he were stepping in something foul.
"Stay together," Niall commanded as he stepped ahead of the group. "Follow me. Double Trouble, watch the rear." As the priest gave orders he cast again, the crystal on his staff glowed with the spell even if its effects weren't readily seen. As Double Trouble drifted to the back so too did his staff glow with much the same lack of indication as to what the spell might be.

The sand crunched under the feet that traveled it in a steady flow of slaps and rolls as it was displaced. Everyone was on edge; Niall didn't need to tell anyone to be vigilant as everyone kept their gazes roving. The structure wasn't far down the beach; it was a grass hut that seemed to be in decent shape from the distance it was seen at. Wooden wind chimes hung from the eave that began over the door and stretched out into a decent sized awning. A sturdy wooden chair made primarily of driftwood from the looks of it was draped with a towel. A small rock with a sanded flat top sat next to the chair and was decorated with a bottle half full of liquid. By all accounts the place looked like someone lived there but where were they?

Something caught Rider's eye and he glanced back to an area of tropical trees and ferns.
"What is it?" Double Trouble asked him.
"Just thought I saw something," he murmured.
Double Trouble whistled and the rest of the train looked back to him. "Rider's seen something over there," he pointed. "Is it worth investigating?"
"Go lad," Niall nodded to him. "Alone you have a better chance of finding something. You see anything you call to us right away."
"If you scream like a little girl I'm going to make fun of you when we get back to the others," Spyro grinned and swayed his tail behind him trollishly.
"Your faith in me is astounding," Rider said sarcastically.

The undead elf that currently looked like a country lord of the living stepped away from his allies and set off across the beach while they looked on. Strangely enough Rider felt no apprehension as he moved farther from them.
Something was definitely there, as Rider closed in on the location the ferns moved again. He stopped and cocked his head to the side, how was the best way to approach the area? He didn't know what it was or which way it was looking. He took a careful step forward, if he moved smoothly enough he wouldn't make much noise in the sand. Rider thought to hold his breath then realized that like the sweating he wasn't breathing. He ticked another thing off on his list of things he had forgotten how to do during his tenure as an undead elf.
Whatever it was appeared to be moving away from Rider so he picked up his pace a little to ensure he didn't lose it. Rider glanced behind him, the rest of his group and moved closer to the hut to check it out and no one was left to watch him. When Rider turned back around he found someone standing before him.

"Light! Never sneak up on a bloke like that!" he exclaimed as he lowered his halberd. He raised an eyebrow and stared at the aqua skinned she elf in a bikini before him with the purple hair. He knew her from somewhere, suddenly it hit him. "Hex?" Rider ventured forth with a guess.
"Rider," she said warmly with a smile and her arms out. "It's so good to see you!"
"It is?" he asked in confusion. Hex had never used that tone with anyone before let alone appeared so warm and friendly. Rider's posture stiffened when Hex stepped lightly over the sands with a seductive sway of her hips and pressed herself against him. When Hex's arms wrapped around Rider's shoulders the elf dropped his halberd in surprise.
"It is," she purred into his ear. "I knew you would come. Ever the clever one deciphering my messages."
What in the world was she talking about? Hex had never been enigmatic in how she dealt with him. There was a part of Rider that thought how she was acting was wrong but another part of him was thrilled with her decision to change her mind about relationships. Rider slid his arms around Hex's waist and when she didn't pull away he let himself return her smile. "I've always found you beautiful," Rider spoke softly to her.

"I was wrong to have run you away," Hex said with a wounded look, "Can you ever forgive me?" She ran her fingers through his hair and cupped the back of his head gently.
"I already did, the moment I bowed in respect to you and turned to leave."
Hex's lips spread into a coy smile before she moved in closer to Rider. "Good, that means less talk now."
Rider's eyes widened in surprise when the sorceress kissed him full on the lips. After a moment his eyes closed and he returned the favor.
"Rider! What in the world are you doing!" Niall called suddenly.
Rider stumbled away from Hex and turned wide eyes to the priest, he wasn't alone. Pop Fizz stood there with his jaw nearly to the ground and Spyro could barely contain his laughter. "It's Hex, I found Hex!" Rider stammered and pointed to her.
"He's mine!" Hex hissed at the others before she grabbed Rider by the wrist and dragged him through the brush. Rider wasn't sure what to do and simply stumbled along after her.

"No! Do not let her get away!" Eloryn screamed suddenly. She ran past a baffled Pop Fizz and Spyro with Double Trouble hot on her heels and Windy not far behind.
"You heard the princess, move!" Niall bellowed. He paused long enough to grab Rider's halberd and rushed off through the brush after the others.
"Where are we going?" Rider called to Hex.
"Away from them," she said darkly. "They'll try to take you away, to convince you I'm not me. But you know better, don't you? I am Hex, the woman you have always desired. You would rather be with me and not with them, right?"
Rider stumbled, it didn't feel right. Why would Hex covet him so? Why would she fear others trying to turn him from her? "Hex, what's going on?"
"They've been compromised. I can take you back to Seraphina where's its safe. Let her deal with them."
Rider looked back over his shoulder, when had he and Hex crossed water? Suddenly he was on another island and the others were lined up on the shore far behind him. "Something's wrong," Rider said aloud. He tried to pry his wrist from Hex's grip but failed. A moment later and he was swept up into the air when the sorceress returned to her pale blue and black armored dragon form. Rider was clutched helplessly in Hex's front claws and could only watch the Skylanders behind him. His mind whirled with dark thoughts, what had happened to Hex? Had she fallen to the same thing the Skylander Rider was trying to rescue had? The elf closed his eyes; he couldn't watch the water race by below him without getting a feeling of motion sickness. He felt like such a fool, of course Hex wouldn't do such a quick about-face.

"Damn it all!" Niall hissed. The eirian elf ran a hand through his sandy hair and stared skywards at the draconic form taking Rider further from them. His scarred eye twitched as he turned back to face the others.
"I'm on it, hurry!" Spyro darted out ahead of the others and took a larger form. Pop Fizz and Double trouble climbed onto his back as Windy followed his lead and let Niall and Eloryn, now carrying Rider's halberd, board. The dragons took off in a flash and sped after Hex. Her sinuous form glided through the air and she gave a defiant roar as she zipped off in another direction suddenly. Windy was the first to react and pulled into the lead.
"If we lose her we might very well lose Rider to the same poison!" Double Trouble yelled.
"I know, I know!" the purple dragon barked back.

"Where is she taking him?" Pop Fizz didn't really expect an answer but he had to ask anyway.
"Don't know; just know that we can't lose them!" Double Trouble replied. He laid his staff flat alongside Spyro's flank, the last time he had flown it had been such a hassle to keep his staff from blowing away and now he was struggling with it again.
In the blink of an eye Hex was gone, simply vanished without a trace.
"Do not stop!" Eloryn called to Windy. "Keep going and remember where Hex was when she vanished. It is a door, you can use it too!"
"But I can't see it!" Windy screamed. "What if they're lost! What if I miss it?"
"You can do it!" Eloryn bellowed.

Spyro had heard the whole conversation amazingly and had already plotted out the course in his mind. He began to count down as he estimated the distance to where Hex and Rider had vanished. He was three paces behind Windy; the hybrid vanished when he got to three. When Spyro hit one the scenery changed.
"Look out!" Windy screamed in panic when Spyro nearly slammed into her. The two of them weren't expecting to emerge into a small canyon. Windy had let her surprise get the best of her and rather than wheel up to clear the other side of the canyon she had turned to the side and circled back to where she had first arrived. Her wings just barely missed Spyro's and the riders he carried.
"Up, up!" Spyro called to her as he ascended to clear the cliff.

"They went that way!" Windy called to Spyro when he continued to fly across the landscape. She fluttered up towards the seed-like object floating above their heads. Windy just had seen the roots that hung below sway closed as Hex's tail vanished within.
Spyro wheeled around and followed close behind the hybrid. He saw Niall cast to keep the thrashing roots away from Windy and said a silent thank you to Double Trouble when he did the same for Spyro.
"I think I'm gonna hurl," Pop Fizz whined. His ears were pinned against his skull and his eyes rolled back.
"Not on me you don't!" Spyro snapped.

"That is where we need to be!" Windy yelled to her riders. "I know it!"
Niall took Eloryn by the shoulder. "We will find your sister within as well. If not now we can be assured she will find us soon enough."
"I know," Eloryn said as she tightened her grip on Rider's halberd. She didn't know how to wield it but didn't want the other elf to be without it when they found him. "It will not be long now."

There had been a brief moment of light, the flutter of wings and a deep growl before everything fell silent and dark again. Seraphina and Anicetus hadn't seen what caused the commotion, they had finally found a place to land and explore with their limited sight.
"One of the dragons?" Anicetus asked with his head craned back in the direction of the sound.
"Rider is here," Seraphina replied. "And Hex, weakened as the others."
"What about Meilyr, can you sense Meilyr?" Anicetus' heart skipped a beat and he grabbed his sister's shoulder to grip tightly.
Seraphina closed her eyes and shook her head. "He is not here, Ani." A halo of light bloomed around her but did little to the chasm of blackness around them. Anicetus too decided to glow and extended their range of sight that much farther into the nothingness around them.
The expression the prince wore seemed to clash with the friendly glow he was emanating. "Curse the luck! We need them all in one place to make it easier!"
"I worry about Meilyr too, I will find him before it is too late." The priestess took a deep breath, "Come on, we need to keep moving. Timber knows we are here and if we can find him first things will be in our favor."
"What of the others, Eloryn?"
Seraphina looked back over her shoulder, "Not far behind. They follow Hex after her abduction of Rider. Leave them for now; we need to draw the most attention to keep them safe. They can take care of themselves once we are seen as the larger threat."

"How do you plan to draw more attention than the others?" Anicetus questioned.
"By altering as much of the scenery as I can. Be on your guard, brother. I need to know that you have my back." The priestess moved away from her brother slightly, still close enough for them to stretch their arms out and make contact but far enough away to not be crowded.
"If you exhaust yourself," Anicetus said slowly.
"Pray that I do not," she said as she met her brother's worried gaze. Seraphina took a deep breath and all at once the darkness fled. Instead it was replaced by the purest blue sky above with the bright rays of mid-morning sun. Lush grass stretched out seemingly forever in all directions. Tall trees, not the magnitude of elfwood trees but still impressive in their own right, sprouted up and reached towards the sun with branches full of bright leaves. The only area not populated by the towering trees seemed to be where Anicetus and Seraphina stood. The sky was open to them and there was enough room for several full grown dragons to spread their wings. As soon as the trees had stopped growing and the thick shafts of light that broke through the canopy had stabilized the undergrowth began to sprout. Flowering shrubs, those with berries. Vines, moss, lichen and wild flowers popped up to add color and variety to the forest floor.

"Sera," Anicetus warned. She didn't stop there; the forest was filled with the calls of birds and other wildlife. Anicetus saw the brightly colored feathers of birds as they flocked through the trees and saw smaller furry forms dart by and into burrows or through undergrowth. The place had come alive with a gentle breeze and Anicetus could smell the warm bark where sun touched the trees as well as fresh, fertile soil and the musk of various animals. "Sera stop. The detail is overwhelming. I think you have drawn enough attention. I thought you wanted to find Timber before he found us?"
The priestess sighed deeply and leaned on her staff for a breather. "I have decided we do not have the time to continue playing hide and seek. We end this now."

The void of darkness exploded into color and life suddenly around the two dragons nearly as soon as they had commented on the emptiness.
"Whoa, did we trigger something?" Spyro asked as he was forced to land. He had become tangled in tree limbs with the sudden appearance of the forest. When he finally found the forest floor he saw Windy had already returned to her normal size and the two eirian elves stood next to her with their gazes roving the forest.
"Seraphina. This is her work," Eloryn said happily. She dropped Rider's halberd without a thought and bounced on the balls of her feet excitedly.
"How can you be sure?" Double Trouble asked.
Eloryn moved to a purple orchid and plucked it. It didn't look like any orchid the others had seen before. Behind the purple orchid's blossom was a golden sunburst, like it had been the casing of the bud before it had bloomed. The princess then pointed to another flower with a vibrant red bloom that was trumpet-like with a bulbous attachment to the stem and tapering opening. Growing on the stem and positioned just right to look like a halo around the flower was a golden hoop. Eloryn removed her circlet and held it in her hand for others to see what she had recognized. "The orchid is the symbol Seraphina chose for her personal seal. The red flower looks like my egg shaped ruby. This is the work of my sister. Seraphina must be here."

"Why alter the scenery?" Windy asked in confusion.
"She intends to draw Timber out," Niall replied. "And any security he has implemented. Namely our companions who have begun to merge with the awareness of your friend."
"But she stressed how important it was to not do that!" Spyro gasped. "Why would she break the rules she made sure we wouldn't forget?"
"Because of the others," Pop Fizz said slowly. His ears drooped and he turned wide, sad eyes up to meet the gazes of his fellow Skylanders. "Because we could lose them if something isn't done to set them free. I don't want to lose anyone. We're a team, now and always. What can we do to help?" he asked Eloryn. "What can our skills offer?"
Eloryn thought on it for a moment. "Your potions, Pop," the princess replied.
"They can still affect people, of course!" Windy bounced around. "Wait, how? I mean don't they gotta know what the potion will do before it can do it cuz this ain't like real life where acid burns you even if you don't know it's acid." The hybrid took a deep breath following her run-on.
"Leave it to me," the gremlin grinned. "You just tell me when to use 'em and I can take care of the rest."

"Care to cast an invisibility spell, Niall?" Eloryn spun to ask him. "One that lets us see others under it but anyone not present during casting sees empty space?"
The priest chuckled, "If we keep our heads down then we can move around undetected."
"Then you better cast a spell to hide our scents or Cynder will be able to find us," Spyro warned.
"Might as well gift everyone with stealth while we're at it," Double Trouble murmured.
The sloshing of liquid drew attention to Pop Fizz, "Group effort. Niall makes us ninja vanish, Trouble does the über neat stealthy skills schtick and I got the no smelly bodies thing." He passed around a vial of pale yellow liquid. "Hope you like lemonade! Me, I love the stuff. If I could all of my potions would taste like it!"
Windy watched the two casters prepare their spells. "After we're ready, what next?"
"We wait to see where everything is going down," Spyro grinned. "We fix this nightmare and go home. Man I'm gettin' tired." Without skipping a beat the dragon downed the potion Pop Fizz had given him and smacked his lips, it was the best damned lemonade he had ever tried.

Black lightning struck the ground and made Seraphina jump to the side. A shadow blocked the light for a moment and when she looked up the priestess saw the unmistakable shape of Cynder circling back around for another pass. The dragon was massive once more and carried a single rider. As she swooped down her narrow jaws opened for another screech and jagged bolts of electricity.
Anicetus snagged the dark blue cape he wore suddenly and brought it up to shield himself and Seraphina from the debris that showered down after the strike of lightning kicked it up. "That was quick."
"Timber thinks familiar faces will make us hold back," Seraphina said as she stepped out from the protective cover of Anicetus's cape. "He is not very understanding on how psionics work. If I hold back we lose them. I cannot allow that." The princess shielded herself as Cynder made yet another pass and opened her jaws to let loose a stream of sickly green liquid that just as quickly turned into a mist. Any plant life the mist touched turned brown and shriveled away. The dragon howled and swooped in for a final time at a distance to deposit her rider in the clearing Seraphina had deliberately left open around her.

"Meilyr," Anicetus choked. Of course it would be his friend. After all it had been Stealth that tempted Flameslinger away and if he had put the pieces together correctly Hex had taken Rider. Who else could get under his and his sister's skin better than the elf they had grown up with?
"We need not do this, Princess," Meilyr said to Seraphina as he strode through the clearing toward her. His expression was soft, kind and he looked at her with the respect he had always felt for the eldest princess. "We have always been on the same side." He hadn't drawn his sword yet and extended his hand. "You could shape this place however you wish. Join us and make this place yours. Make it ours."
"I have my own niche, one more splendid than this sad attempt," the priestess said while drawing herself up taller. Meilyr was as much a part of Timber now as Timber was himself. Any insults Meilyr heard so too would Timber.

Meilyr shrugged and turned to Anicetus, "My best friend, would you turn your back on our friendship now?" He reached out a little further to tempt the prince to follow him.
"It was you that turned your back on us!" Anicetus snapped. His skin flushed and he went for his blade. "You betrayed us, Meilyr! You betrayed your country, king and family! What will your father think?" The only way Anicetus would be able to face Meilyr was if he convinced himself his oldest friend had been treacherous of his own will.
"My father does not rule me!" Meilyr shouted back. His blade seemed to simply appear in his hand without him physically having to draw it. "Very well, you are either with me or against me!" His statement was punctuated by Cynder's roar as the dragon circled back around to scatter the area with lightning near the two eirian opposing Meilyr. "We will end your lives if you cannot see that our offer is a generous one!"
"You can try," Seraphina said as she took her staff in hand to use as a pole arm. "I will not make it easy."
"Nor will I," Meilyr snarled. With a bellow of rage he charged out to meet Anicetus' leading sword.