A long pause between chapter, I know, sorry.
Not much to say here, except thank for staying with me, and I will try to post sooner.
Chapter 37: Flying High with Honor
As the group of five dragons readied themselves for battle, Spyro's nerves began consuming him. He continued looking upon the group of children, who slept gently upon him before, now staring at the purple dragon with fear again.
Must I do this to another race he thinks to himself as he looks to the heavens, begging the Ancestors for any alternative than complete annihilation. His words are heard up above, and also by a member of the group, who answers the purple dragon's prayer.
"I believe Spyro should stay out of the fight to begin." The fully white dragon offers, rebutting Terrador's strategy of attack, which called for the powerful hero to take point.
"Since he can alter Time, it would be beneficial for us, if Spyro remained an observer. If we falter, he can easily pull us from danger." The white drake continues.
A small grin appears on the purple dragon's face, and it increases in size as the mighty Guardian Master reluctantly agrees to the idea.
"I don't believe we will need him for our plans anyway. We should have no trouble removing this treat ourselves, gentleman." Cyril adds, for he knows the overwhelming advantage any dragon has against someone that is unable to fly. The Ice Guardian rests a paw upon his friend's shoulder, then looks to Terrador, Cole, and Diamond.
"And I, for one, am tired of making this young dragon do all ourdirty work."
"Hey! I didn't make him do shit! It was you, Terrador, Volteer and my dad that sent him to the Well of Souls..." Cole remarks sarcastically, swiping Cyril's paw from Spyro's shoulder, and offering a grin for his good friend.
"...scarring the pure spirit of this timid little dragon."
Spyro rolls his eyes, and smacks a now snickering Cole's paw from his shoulder. At this moment, Diamond moves himself between Spyro and Cyril, separating the Ice guardian further from the purple dragon.
"And I wasn't even in Warfang at the time, so don't include me in your guilty conscience...making this sweet innocent whelp do such horrible things to keep your paws clean."
The Hero of Avalar shakes his head, hearing the same pure sarcasm coming from the Great Elder. The Ice drake gives Diamond a stunned look of pure disgust, however with no retort coming to mind, as their sarcasm is also filled with truth, Cyril remains silent.
Terrador, stubborn to a fault, actually shows a crack in his normally solid facade, and a swirl of compassion and pain intertwines with his aura. His eyes, always focused on the main objective, turned to the one who can ensure victory for him again, but this time, his gaze is different.
He can see the pain in Spyro's eyes, where it has been since arriving in Truex, knowing the hatred he feels from the citizens here, and how he helped put it there.
"We are not above getting our paws dirty, Master Diamond..." The large dragon remarks with a stern confident tone, but his voice changes for the reason he did not fight four years earlier.
"It was just that...during the Eternal Night, I was unable to help because..."
Terrador looks down with shame, whispering his reason for sending the purple drake alone.
"I was... afraid"
Spyro, Cole and Cyril gasp, never hearing such confession from the stoic Earth dragon, yet Diamond only becomes more sarcastic.
"Well that's wrong on an entirely different level..."
Another voice compounds Terrador's feelings and his anger.
"No kidding!" Sparx adds, finally breaking his silence, for he didn't want to intercede until it was the right moment.
"I wasn't afraid to go..." He continues, causing Spyro to chuckle, then earning a stern stare from his brother, but for only a moment.
"Okay...so I was afraid, bro, but I still went with you."
Sparx shows his willingness to tempt fear, as he flies directly up to Terrador's nose.
"And if you guys came with us, maybe things would have been different..."
Sparx turns his eyes towards a still gathering group of grublins, a very cheeky grin on his face.
"Who here remembers the Eternal Night, when my brother and myself arrived?"
Many attitudes change, and angered eyes focus on Spyro again.
"Obviously, most of you do-" Sparx quips, but does not allow this anger to manifest, offering another simple question. "-but if Spyro was accompanied by these largedragons, would your brothers and fathers and friends have bothered attacking him?"
Silence fills the group and Sparx returns his eyes to Terrador.
"I rest my case."
The Earth dragon looks at his fellow Guardians, clueless of what has transpired, however Diamond can see the change in attitude of every grublin around him, and without Sparx offering an explanation, the white dragon gives his own.
"The grublins were confident they could stop this intruder, as it was only one little whelpling..." The white drake offers, and several grublins' auras change again, as they understand his words, and the truth within them. Diamond then turns his special eyes to the ruler of Warfang, whose very presence is awe inspiring as well as frightening.
"...and they may have been hesitant to attack someone your size Terrador."
Diamond looks around the city, seeing many auras of pain and fear, believing all of this could have been avoided...but at what cost.
"However, if the Guardians did go with Spyro, things would have evolved very differently, and I would venture that none of us would be standing here right now."
The Great Elder pads over to Sparx, who translates the words not understood by many. As he watches their auras turn gray with confusion, the wise old dragon offers more wisdom.
"What has happened is fate, good or bad, it is how things were meant to play out. The Guardians would have slaughtered Gual, and Malefor would have remained concealed within the Realm of Convexity...but only for a time." Diamond begins, and several grumblings are heard upon translation.
His blind eyes focused on the group of hornets, beetles, and one mantis, all showing their hatred for any excuse of what happened, causing Diamond to raise his voice to them.
"If Spyro was not exposed to the Dark Energy that destroyed your home, he would not have had the power to defeat Malefor, and Avalar would have been destroyed!"
The alternative hits many of the grublins hard, realizing Spyro was given the ability to do what could not be done by any other. Though the thought of this is not completely comforting, it is a consolation to them, knowing their family's losses were not in vane.
With a different color suddenly coming from the insect warriors, Diamond turns his eyes to Spyro, who is very unsettled again.
"My friend stopped The Destroyer as it marched around the globe, he put an end to Malefor's reign, and pulled this world back together as it fell apart around us. He is a protector of all, and though you saw how fierce he is in battle, Spyro is the gentlest soul on Avalar."
Not even a grin breaks across the purple dragon's face, as he still is focused on the pain he feels around him, but with one simple gesture of peace, Spyro's soul begins to feel some of the comfort he deserves.
A single solitary grublin responds, stepping before the Butcher of Zandera, and offering his upper hand with respect.
"I can forgive you."
It stuns Spyro, as this is one of the fathers who chased away his child, and the purple dragon takes this offer immediately.
It is not just the words of the honorable white dragon that has swayed him, but the expressionless glare given, as Diamond spoke of heroism and courage. It is the humble way Spyro acts, the humility in his every word, and the ability to seem beneath everyone, though his power would suggest different.
"You are not my enemy..."the hornet like grublin looks towards the pack of children that have yet to disperse, upset that his boy is not among them now. "...and I thank you for saving my son from the Dark Master's evil."
Sparx begins translating, but is interrupted by another hornet in the group.
"Well, I don't know if I can forgive him so easily...especially for the amount of blood he spilled." The other grublin grumbles, stepping up to Spyro, and offering only his aggravated eyes, eyes that see the truth, no matter how painful it is. "I understand it was not your intentions to hurt anyone. You thought you were protecting your friends...but took mine away."
This hornet looks to the group of children as well, then to his comrades, some of whom are unsure of their choice to fight beside the Butcher of Zandera.
"This dragon has done great harm to us all, and if you wish to forgive him for his actions, that is your choice..." The hornet glances at Sparx, whom continues translating in his brother's ear, before returning his eyes to Spyro. "...but I cannot...for in my eyes, you have little honor."
The angry hornet, half Spyro's size, rises up to the eye level of his foe.
"However, you have proven you are not the evil dragon we have come to fear, and though I hope you be damned, I also thank you for being here today."
The hornet offers his lower right hand, showing what little respect he can, though still giving some, but to Spyro, this handshake is respect enough. He smartly remains silent, knowing whatever he says will not sway this grublin's feelings, and simply bows his head to the angered hornet to show his respect.
With a slight grin, realizing he has done the right thing, this angry hornet turns to his friends, now numbering more than two dozen.
"For HONOR!" He barks out, drawing a sword from his side and holding it up above. It startles all five dragons, who were not expecting this sudden cry to battle, but the grublins are ready, and with this shout they all respond by drawing their own swords.
"HONOR!"
The angry grublin, with sword in hand, glances back at Spyro, the small grin still pasted on his face.
"Are you ready to regain your honor?"
The buzzing within the grand temple of Truex, where the elders of the grublin nation argued democratically about the path their city will take, hummed for more than two hours. The main subject, the complete and total evacuation of their home, and with it, the end of a long line of succession.
Several argued that Zyla should remain queen, but their voices were silenced by an uproar of opposition, however those voices diminished when the fate of their former heir was to be decided.
In fact, the loudest voice in opposition of her execution, was the one who replaced her.
"It is not her fault, what has transpired..." A robust sized beetle remarks, the crown of this nation resting squarely upon his head, as he circles the condemned Cicada matriarch. "...in truth, we owe Queen Zy..."
A pause is taken as he corrects himself for how he has referred to this large bee, who served well for the past four years.
"We owe Zyla, and her family, far too much. For this reason alone, I will not have her, or her bloodline, ended."
"But that is not tradition!" Several grublin elders grumble, stuck in their old way, however as the new king turns a sharp eye to them, silence is given for his reply.
"Tradition be damned..."He says with a certain grin, looking to the descendant of a long line of leaders, who made this civilization as strong as it is today.
"...we would still be digging around in the mud if not for the Cicada family's push to better our standards."The new king barks with conviction, recalling the history of their struggle, and how the beginning of the Cicada dynasty put the grublins on the right path.
"We could not heal our sick, or feed our children, before the Cicada's took power. That was a tradition many of your forefathers were happy to break."
Again silence is given, as the ominous sized grublin continues breaking tradition, for his next words speak of an alliance never thought possible, and a treaty most thought Tomaz would break.
"She has even brokered a deal that will benefit our nation for years, maybe centuries to come."He remarks, walking over to the scroll that was signed by Zyla and pawed by the Great Elder of Warfang, Diamond. The king grasps it in his hand with care, then walks it over to the profoundly honored Cicada.
"You have given us a future...so how can I take yours."Zyla lowers down before her new king, reaching out her hand which he takes in his own.
"I will also not deny our nation of it's best chance for a better future, and must prevent any opportunity of someone else taking that from us."
Zyla turns her eyes up from the ground, looking to her new king, and now savior as he makes a sudden decree. Her life is still in danger, for some will take tradition too far, however as an official to the grublin nation, Zyla would become untouchable.
"I hereby declare, from this date forth, that you will be known as Zyla...Ambassador of the Grublin Nation."
Stunned beyond the ability to produce the right words, for his decree has freed her from the remaining fear she felt, the former queen speaks without thinking.
"Thank you, Tomaz...I mean, King Tomaz." Zyla shows great embarrassment, placing one of her free hands over her mouth.
The large beetle smiles at her mistake, as he did the same thing just moments ago. He then takes Zyla's hand softly down from her mouth, holds it tightly, and bows one last time to his former queen.
"I thank you for your family's service...your Majesty. I truly hope your wisdom will continue guiding us..." Tomaz looks to her elder children, who have remained by their mother's side. "...for generations."
Zyla's heart races, as does Praxus', for he was sure he was going to lose his friend today. She had warned him of her choice to renounce her title, as the mounting army outside her city was becoming too much for even the dragons to handle, however he never expected this, and a strong respect is giving to his new king. A respect that is tested in the next few seconds of his leadership.
"I want the city's women and children evacuated to the south immediately..." Tomaz rises to his feet, his voice flowing with a regal quality, his posture strong and confident. "...have the workers ready the gardens for transplant. We are leaving Truex."
"General Praxus..." He calls, and the mantis is at attention. "...I want you to release Sargent Grubz and his men from their cells."
The large mantis, only half the size of his new king, shows a look of defiance. To his own amazement, never defying his queen's orders, the general questions his new leader.
"Why?"
With a gaze that burns through him, Tomaz steps up to the smaller mantis-like grublin.
"I hope you don't plan on asking me that question everytime I give you an order, General." A certain grin crosses the face of a good friend, who is stunned, but not surprised at this defiant retort. "It will be quite hard for you to follow them, if I'm forced to knock you on your ass all the time...like I used to."
Embarrassment for his outburst, followed by many sour memories of growing up next door to this large beetle, forces Praxus to lower his head in shame, but as he was in his youth, the smaller mantis still stands up to this large grublin, who has always respected him for this.
"I don't mean to question your orders, your Majesty...but..."
"But?" Tomaz's grin widens a little further.
"But what?"
Not a word is given, for Praxus remains stunned in his silence, wondering why he is not just being defiant, but is still defending Spyro so vehemently.
"We need him, Praxus...now more than ever."The king's voice is different, like Zyla's would change when she spoke to him as a friend and not the queen. "The army is shorthanded already, and I need good soldiersto escort the families from Truex, or they will be vulnerable to attack."
Praxus nods, as his new king speaks not only from the heart, but his words are all too true.
"I know you believe he will immediately attack Spyro, General, and he has every right to seek revenge for his family..."
Praxus looks up at his king, seeing the smile on his face, as the defiance in this one time neighbor is still there to keep him true.
"...but you also need to let him know, that Spyro has every right to defend himself." A vice-like grip is placed on the general's shoulder, as this friendship is still strong to them both. "And you make sure he understands this, Praxus. You tell him his duty is to the city first...understood. I don't need him getting killed in five seconds."
"Yes, your Majesty." The general replies with a smile of his own, and with a gesture of his head, the mantis general is out of his sight, clearing the way for Tomaz's eyes to spot one more issue his majesty must face.
"Ah great..." Tomaz grumbles with some concern, as a group of five dragons and dozens of grublins are seen leaving the city through the window of the temple. "...now I need another group to go chase them down."
He looks to his new ambassador, who herself has a very snide grin, seeing the strain of leadership on someone else's face. Even more so as the king points at the crown on his head, offering back her throne in a joking manner
"You sure you don't want this back."
With his mind racing at the power displayed by Tempest, as she pummel a strong Earth dragon without the aid of her special armor, Scorch was in the dragonesse's ear as the group took off towards the north, however when both Cynder and Tempest climbed to unimaginable heights, taking on speeds that began bending the wingless whelpling's horns back, he suddenly became very quiet.
Never wanting to get higher than a hundred feet off the ground, Scorch always yelled for Jacob or Blazer, or even his mother, to drop back down, fearing a fall he could not stop, but now, knowing they must make time, the wingless dragon bites his tongue as Tempest crest higher than ten thousand feet.
Into the strong jet stream that soars above Avalar, the Wind dragonesses are aided by harnessing this power, allowing them to travel great speeds without much effort. The pair rolled to gain more acceleration, reaching velocities that nearly pull their riders free.
Until finally one young whelping gives in.
"Slow down, Aunt Cynder!" Onyx cries out first, and only a breath before the terrified wingless whelp screamed first. Tempest grins as Cynder frowns, for a small wager is now hers.
"I win! Your rider squealed first."
The black dragoness, unable to turn her head in the slightest at these speeds, uses her peripherals to shoot Onyx a glare, but to his great satisfaction, Cynder stops increasing her speed, as does Tempest.
At nearly a thousand miles an hour, even the powerful full bred Wind dragoness cannot turn her head, for her aerodynamic ability to slip through the air would be compromised, so she just glances back at her winning jockey.
"You can open your eyes now Scorch, I'm not gonna spin anymore."
The boy holds her neck tighter anyway, and his eyes remain shut.
"I'll open them when we land, thank you."
"Hey that's not fair!" Onyx barks with anger, glancing over at his friend to see he is practically dead weight on Tempest's back. "I was watching this craziness the whole time."
The tiny black dragon becomes even angrier, for he lost at something he didn't even know he was playing.
"And if I knew this was a contest...I would easily beat him."
Scorch, terrified of heights and great speed, finds the strength to lift his eye lids a fraction of an inch. Though after seeing the world pass quickly below, they shut once more, however as Onyx begins laughing, the boy opens his eyes fully, and locks them on the tiny black dragon.
"I am Fire..." The small red whelpling slides down Tempest's neck towards her back, allowing for less resistance to the wind.
Having been flown around his entire life, Scorch places himself exactly where to give the blue dragoness a better ability to fly freely. He lowers his hind paws under Tempest's wings and grasps her tucked in arms with his front paws, crouching down so low, that the wind never touches him
"...and you are gonna get smoked."
Onyx's anger increases, as does his smile, for the boy seems ready for this scary race to continue. As he taps Tempest's flank, egging her to take off again, Onyx is compelled to swallow his fear too.
"Go Aunt Cynder, GO!"
The pair barrel roll several times, breaking speed records as they go faster, aided by the winds aloft and their respective armor, however Cynder soon lags behind, for she cannot keep up with the speed of this powerful tempest.
Taking the aid of the great Typhoon himself, the blue and silver-white Wind dragoness cannot help but feel the thrill of this moment too. She has never reached speeds like this, and her slight grin turns to a rousing smile
"This is incredible!" She howls, feeling the air passing by so fast that it stings her scales, but it only stimulates her excitement more.
"Did we win!?" Scorch begs, keeping his head down against her long blue neck, and holding on for dear life. Her laughter resonates a soft vibration on his chin, and Scorch smiles. He turns his head slightly, taking in the view of something so spectacular, that he regrets ever telling his fathers, or his mother, to keep him grounded.
"By the ancestors, it's so beautiful up here." He whispers, his red eyes open wide to a world he has never seen like this before. Upon hearing his words, as well as having a few miles on the chasing pair, Tempest slows down to a near stop.
It takes only seconds for Cynder to speed by, as she could not slow her momentum fast enough, but as she makes a wide banking turn, down and to the left, the Shadow dragoness quickly rises up beside the drifting pair.
"What's up, Temp?" She asks, and the blue dragoness just gestures her head behind her.
Cynder's smile covers her entire narrow muzzle, as the inspired gaze of the wingless whelpling, and the inability to control her emotions one hundred percent, sends Cynder soaring to new heights, but nowhere near as high as Scorch.
"This is amazing..." he offers, his eyes looking back to Warfang, nearly a hundred miles to the south already, but still visible on the horizon from so high. Scorch's stunned gaze, follows the path of the river, including places he had been with his mother, all from a vantage point never before available to him.
"I can see everything from up here."
Onyx, the little daredevil he is, leaps from his drifting Aunt's back, burrowing his hardest through the strong currents, landing beside his small red friend. With joyfully devious intentions, that sounded much better in his head, Onyx gives an unsuspecting Scorch a little shove.
"HEY!" The red dragon squeals, as does Tempest when Scorch digs his claws into her back, however Onyx had already held onto his friend, making sure he would never fall, but this does not keep six eyes from burning through him.
"I'm sorry, Scorch...I thought that was gonna be a lot funnier..." He admits, but Scorch still begins shaking and crying. It hurts the small black dragon, realizing how bad that was, not understanding what it must feel like to be a dragon that cannot fly. However it is a ploy, and as Cynder grasps Onyx by the horn, yanking him before her pure white eyes, the little red dragon plots his revenge.
"What did you promise me, Onyx!?" She barks with a strong rasp in her voice, chilling the tiny Shadow dragon further for his stupidity.
"I should bring you home, right now..."
"No need." Tempest interrupts, her voice very sour, for she is now forced to leave Cynder behind as well. "Scorch told me that he wants to go home." Her eyes, focused with strong anger, turn to the small black dragon. "And he doesn't want you to come with him, Onyx."
The black dragon is crushed, truly understanding what he has done.
"I'm sorry, Scor..."
"DON'T TALK TO ME!"
The same voice is used when he first met the small wingless whelpling, as if he is hated again.
"But Scorch, please...don't...you're my friend"
"Can we go Mrs. Tempest..." The wingless whelp begs, his false tears flowing faster, but he struggles to hold on, making his friend feel worse with a broken voice that keeps his prank unknown.
"...I can't look at him..."
Scorch turns away, for he cannot control his emotions, wanting to laugh in Onyx's face, but he doesn't, and neither does Tempest, who offers a wink to her friend, Cynder, hoping she will understand, and she does.
Onyx breaks down in tears as the blue dragon begins lowering down out of the air currents. He can see his small red friend shudder up and down with his crying, and watches speechless as this friendship is broken by another stupid prank, pulled on a tormented boy.
"What did I do Aunt Cynder?"
Her eyes return to their normal green color, but they still show the same anger as before.
"You did the worst thing possible." Cynder tosses her nephew over her shoulder, then opens her wings to catch the wind.
"You broke his trust by doing the same thing that everyone else does...and you're supposed to be his friend...how can he trust you?"
Onyx, is crushed further, hearing no support from his aunt, and lowers down on the black dragonesse's back. Cynder, on the other hand, smiles as she watches Tempest turn back up into the jet stream, realizing the joke on Onyx is working to perfection.
"If he comes back, what would you do to say you're sorry to him?" She speaks softly, giving advice while watching her friend return to the sky.
Tempest places a talon before her mouth, and Cynder acts like nothing is happening, keeping the unsuspecting whelp's eyes on her.
"I don't know Aunt Cynder..." He begins, standing back up on his shaky paws, but still looking down at her black scales. "...I just hope he gives me a chance."
Cynder's smile increases, as Tempest sneaks beside them, but more so seeing Scorch down in a pouncing position.
"Would you be willing to beg for his forgiveness?"
The small dragon, not seeing the whole picture around him, nods his head up and down. At the same time, Scorch lowers further, ready to jump from Tempest's back.
"He won't even talk to meeeeeee..."
Scorch's leap is unseen, and he slams into the unsuspecting shadow dragon, sending him flying off his aunt's back. All three begin laughing, as the tiny black whelpling is caught by the strong winds, and sent tumbling. His wings, helpless to gather this force, flap uncontrollably, and a shriek of pure terror flies from his mouth, however Tempest is quick to aid the trouble making whelp, grasping him before he could pass out from spinning over and over.
"That's not cool!" He barks at his friend, who cannot stop pointing and laughing.
"You shoulda seen your face..." Scorch continues chuckling through his words. "...you were so scared."
"Shut up!"
Scorch adds to the embarrassment, suddenly showing a sad face, and repeating the words that meant so much to him, in a very sarcastic manner.
"But Scorch...please..." The red dragon pauses to make weeping noises, only angering the tiny black dragon further "...you're my friend."
"Wow..." Onyx remarks with a sour tone, as he has been played like an amateur. He then looks at Tempest, whose smile is as wide as Scorch's. "...you guys are jerks."
"Onyx!?" Cynder barks, showing her displeasure in his choice of names, however Tempest nods her head, then hands the small black dragon to his aunt.
"Yes we are..." She says, reaching over for her passenger and returning him to his rightful place, on her back. "...and don't you forget it."
Both give the black dragon a smug grin, the stunned shock on his face only increased their smiles.
Onyx finally loses his fear, understanding now the show that was put on just for him. As both fly away, into the strong currents aloft, the small Shadow dragon realizes he has chosen a good friend in Scorch.
As does Cynder, who enjoys the spirit of her new best friend, Tempest, knowing she was probably the influence behind most of this retaliation. She follows the blue dragoness, confident in the path taken in life more than ever, and having no fear for her well being.
The Terror of the Skies is gone, and she is now just a dragon who flies along with a friend and her family, like everyone else does in Warfang.
Meanwhile, a hundred miles south, two brothers begin the same journey they set out upon yesterday morning, chasing down Cynder, however this time it is different, and the attitude of Jasper and Jacob define this trek north to Truex.
"Did you hear how angry he was..." The blind dragon speaks softly, though his escort, and brother, flying just a few feet ahead, can hear not only his words, but his heartbreak.
"Blazer has never spoken to me like that before."
Jasper slows his pace, allowing his brother to close in beside him.
"He was not angry, Jacob...he was disappointed." The brown and black dragon responds, stroking the Ice breather's neck with his paw, consoling him the best he can.
He knows his brother is not the normally calm and settled dragon he has become in the past five years, nor is he in control of his other incredible senses, ever since finding out about Scorch's sudden departure. In fact, the normally sure pawed dragon crashed into several citizens, while running to the infirmary for his father's help, but what startled him most, was how Jacob did not understand Blazer's subtle reaction to the news.
"Scorch left the city with Cynder!" Jacob balled, entering the infirmary in a panic, hoping for any advice from his father. Though what he got from Blazer only increased his fear.
"So, what do you want me to do about it?" The large fire breather returned, almost nonchalant in his words, though Jasper noticed his worry. The Earth dragon also understood his voice to be shaken, though he tried to play it off.
"You are his Guardian now...you need to handle this...right?"
The question stops Jacob's heart, and he looks up with concern in his opaque eyes.
"But poppa..."
"BUT NOTHING!"
The large dragon's voice echoed hard in Jacob's ears, but more so in his heart. It shook him to his very core, never being spoken to by Blazer like that before, especially when he continued.
"You have taken on the responsibility of raising a child. If you cannot handle this, then I will be forced not only to take Scorch back...but I will need to find another replacement for Guardian of the Orphanage."
"You need to settle down and focus, Jacob." Jasper's words yank the blind dragon from this strong fresh memory.
"He doesn't trust me, Jasper..."
Jacob's reply stops the larger of two dragons, and he grasps his blind friend's arm to hold him there as well.
"Blazer knows you are the right choice, brother, but he has to separate himself from you a little, and see what you will do on your own."
Jacob lowers his head, feeling even less comfort in this.
"So the first thing I do, when I get in trouble with my son, is beg for help..."
Jasper, as cynical as can be, and with a sarcastic tone in his voice, adds to the list of incorrect moves.
"And now you're leaving your post as Guardian, chasing down a child you know is not going to be harmed..."
Jacob snaps his useless eyes up to Jasper, showing his distaste in the choice of words used, however the Earth dragon only smiles wider, patting Jacob on the shoulder.
"He is with Cynder and Tempest, two of the strongest willed dragons I've ever met, I assure you...Scorch is going to be fine."
Jacob lowers his head again, beaten by the words he knows are all to true. The blind dragon looks around at his surroundings, finally using his other senses to see what his eyes cannot, and what his heart has blinded him from; his responsibility to others.
"What am I doing out here, Jasper?" He questions, feeling himself pulled in two directions, however the blind dragon is finally comforted by an answer he was not expecting.
"You're acting like a father."
Again Jacob brings his opaque eyes up to his brother, showing a completely different set of emotions, as confusion and concern taints the tearful gratitude he gives.
"I need Scorch to be safe, Jasper, and even though I know he is with Cynder and Tempest..." Jacob looks down again, seeing many different scenarios, none of them good. "...I still want him close by."
The blind dragon then looks towards the city, where another youngster will soon be in need of a Guardian.
"But tonight, I'll have a lost whelpling girl that I must look after, and making a five thousand mile trek north, for someone I know will be safe tonight...is foolish."
Again Jacob's eyes are to Jasper, and as useless as they are for him to see, those he looks at see all. With a complete gaze of uncertainty, almost wanting his brother to disagree with reason, Jacob asks if he is wrong.
"Right?"
A soft laugh, a stink of arrogance, and the steady pulse felt through Jasper's paw, tells Jacob what he already knows. He must go home, and with the same sarcastic tone used early, the stubborn Earth dragon verbally agrees with the assessment.
"Very foolish."
The blind dragon takes a deep breath, then opens his wings, however before he heads for home, Jacob takes a long hard look up river. Jasper, unwilling to leave his brother, especially in this nervous condition, waits for him, but after a few long moments, the older Earth dragon assures a new father.
"He will be fine...I'm sure of it."
"I truly hope so..."
Jasper, knowing his brother needs a little push, motivates Jacob with the reason he is so sure.
"You know, Clayton tells me that Tempest can pick up five tons of stone with her forepaws, then walk over fifty feet on her hind legs...twenty times a day." Jacob's stunned eyes cause a pause, a smirk, and a more dramatic finish to his reasoning for Scorch's safety.
"And if that is not enough...Cynder is with him."
A certain sense of relief is felt, though a little more than the Earth dragon wanted.
"I guess he is in better paws..."
Jasper clamps Jacob's snout, recalling the special gift made for his new son, and the emotions shown since feeling Scorch's absence.
"No... they are only stronger paws, Jacob...not better."
For the first time in his life, Spyro flies at the rear of the pack. His duty, to protect everyone in the group, and only if necessary, get his paws dirty, but it is unlikely he will need to, as three Guardians and the Great Elder accompany him into battle this time.
Their power combined is more than enough to crush any Arachnid army, even if their queen is indestructible, but she is not the target of this battle, only the overwhelming numbers that follow her, which must be reduced by any means available. However, those numbers will not be reduced by Spyro, and for this, the purple dragon flies with very little weighing him down. On the other hand, this cannot be said of Sparx, who flies beside the purple drake's right horn, a very large weight is pulling him down.
"No honor?" He grunts angrily, his eyes focused on the one hornet who insulted his brother in such a way.
"That stupid fly don't know what honor his, bro."
Spyro, content in what is happening around him, only smiles. He understands honor well, and how he has destroyed that in the grublin's eyes, but the hope of finding it again keeps the purple dragon flying straight and true.
"He knows, Sparx...trust me buddy...he knows."
"But, how can..."
Spyro pulls Sparx from the sky, cupping him in his paws, as he moves along. His grasp is gentle as he raises the one soul who will never question him to his eyes. With the voice that always calms his brother, Spyro offers his thoughts on honor.
"You have seen me do countless things that prove who I am, Sparx...but they have only seen my anger and wrath. I totally understand the rage and hatred they feel towards me, but what I didn't understand, is why they are giving me a chance to redeem myself...until now."
Sparx's eyes ask for reason, and with little hesitation, Spyro looks to the hornet who questioned him, and with a smile on his face answers.
"They have honor..." Spyro turns his head back, looking upon the city that lowers behind the horizon. "...they all have honor." He returns his eyes to his brother. "And the very least I can do, is try to rebuild what I took from them."
The small dragonfly slumps his shoulders, realizing he would only be compounding his brother's pain if he argues. Though he cannot bring himself to completely understand, Sparx concedes that his brother will regain any honor he believes lost.
It is who he is.
The yellow dragonfly nods his head then retakes his place beside his brother's horn.
"You will rebuild your honor, Spyro..." A smile fills his face as he continues flying with a god among dragons, a best friend forever, or basically... his little brother. "...of this I am sure."
The odd combination of siblings fly together in tandem, feeling the love and honor both have for one another, however only five miles from Truex, reaching the apex of their flight, the party of dragons and grublins suddenly notice the numbers that had scared them earlier are no longer visible.
"Hey! Where the hell did they all go!?" Cole calls over to Cyril, who glides along with the same confusion as the new Fire Guardian.
"I'm not sure...I don't see them anywhe..." He begins, until several grublins begin squealing and pointing towards the mountains to their right side, where a harrowing sight is seen by all.
"Oh no..." Terrador remarks with great concern, seeing nearly a dozen cave entrances in the mountainside, and the disturbed soil of millions of footprints heading into them.
He falls from the sky, driving the earth around him several feet down, but he holds his footing, listening to the ground with his paws.
The group is down around him in an instant, filling the ground with more vibrations, but not enough to pull Terrador's attention from what he sees below. Before anyone can settle their wings, the Earth dragon opens his own.
"BACK TO THE CITY...NOW!"
Jacob finds his calling...Cynder and Tempest continue flying high...but most importantly...the FIGHT BEGINS.
stay tuned