Well everyone, I'm sitting here in tending to the election. Been sitting here for close to five hours and only two people have voted. Then again since our district is rather rural, and plus we only have one major thing on the ballot, and the fact that it's deer hunting season, I really don't expact to see more than fifteen people.
Anyway, on with the story. Got my earphones on and my playlists jamming. Let's make some magic!
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING OR ANYONE IN THE SPYRO UNIVERSE. ONLY MY OCS.
Chapter 33: The Three Mothers
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The familiar rush of the sea rocked the Guardian back and forth as she sailed onward. With Eve's help (and discovering another benefit of the plague cure, increased mana capacity), Neal was able to not only replace the steam lines with more solid ones but even repair the engine, improve it. The Guardian was easily setting a pace at sixteen knots which kept every member of the crew from Captain Gregory on down singing the ship's praises.
"This ship could out run, out maneuver, and out fight any pirate who dares show his face near us!" Cheered a crewman for the fifteenth time that day.
The crew and to be honest everyone on the ship was in high spirits after the triumph at the Necropolis. After sending a message back to Warfang thanks to a friendly sea dragon they encountered, they ship adjusted their course and resumed their original journey to Blue Waters. Neal had been in the highest spirits of all as not only had Lyca decided to forgo her own cabin and settle into his cabin, he had also created some new aircraft for the Guardian's hangar and had even taken them up a few times to get a feel for them.
Since the hangar was large enough for three aircraft, Neal had decided to go ahead and fill out the allotment in case they were needed. First, of course, he upgraded the Airco D.H.2 to the D.H.3 variant. Having a fast scout, the next logical choice was a fighter and he chose the French Nieuport 28C. Next was a fighter bomber and Neal then turned to the German designs and for some reason the AEG seemed suitable enough since the Guardian had a long enough flight deck.
He had taken the time to go through the Book, examine all sorts of ideas, blueprints, modifications, and various other types of aircraft and eventually managed to modify and improve the designs with more modern components thus bringing out the best possible potential in the aircraft. As Neal landed the AEG for the second time, he cut power to the engines and leapt from the cockpit with a pleased expression. Lyca greeted him with a kiss and he smiled.
"An even better flight than before. I have to admit I had my doubts about taking a twin-engine bomber off a deck but I managed to do one better, I managed to land a twin engine bomber on a flight deck!" Lyca smiled at him and nodded.
"You certainly are in high spirits love." Neal smiled broadly.
"And why should I not? Take a look at this Lyca, I've managed to not only repair the Guardian but also create two new aircraft and update them and my mana is barely dipped past the seven mark! Just a few days ago doing even half of that would have left me with little to no mana remaining! Hah, listen to me I sound as happy as a lark." Lyca nodded.
"It's good that you're happy. I rather like this side of you, but I'll tell you what, how about we go to the cabin, I have something I want to show you." Neal chuckled and gave her a side glance.
"Do you really have something to show me or are you flirting?" Lyca smiled and walked past, brushing her tail alongside him and giving him a wink as she glanced back.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Neal smiled and started towards the aft castle but then a yell came from the bow and turning to see what the commotion was about, Neal was stunned to see the water around the Guardian starting to turn a very bright blue that was almost flouresent. He then glanced forward towards the bow and his jaw dropped at the sight.
Stretching upwards towards the sky were three large mountains that for the most part seemed to have nothing but deep green grass covering them. A large cliff also stretched out from under the mountains but that wasn't the most astonishing part. The waterfalls flowing from the in between the mountains was glowing the same bright blue as the sea water around them and it appeared that the twin streams merged into one that then spilled out from the cliff, creating a glow that, if it had been night, would have been far better than any lighthouse and would have been a beautiful sight to see.
Neal turned, gave Lyca a deep kiss and then started for the bridge. Once he arrived, he saw Gregory going over an old sea chart with Eve and the wolf captain was grimacing.
"Fir the life o' me, I canna see a decent place to dock. I'm afraid we're gonna hafta sit this one out. Neal, maybe you can use one o' them flying machines o' yers to get over there and find a safe spot to land?" Neal nodded to him, turned and started for the hangar.
As he approached the hangar, he saw Spyro and Cynder, along with Skylar and Lyca standing by the hangar door and he nodded.
"Gregory says there's no place to dock the ship so it looks like we're going in by air. If there's a ruin on that island, chances are it's near the water and if it's anything like Grandis Fortunae... minus the undead, of course, it'll likely have a grand central causeway." The group nodded and Spyro and Cynder went about getting their armor ready as Neal and Skylar pulled the AEG out of the hangar and onto the flight deck.
As Neal climbed into the cockpit, he suddenly felt a strong pull coming from the island. Glancing back at it, he swore he imagined it, but the waters started glowing even brighter for a moment before dimming back down.
Still, he settled into the pilot's seat, checked on Skylar and Lyca who had climbed into the nose and tail gunner positions, and then pressed the starter for the linked twin engines. Thankfully, the engines started on the first go, their low growl as they spun up to speed a welcome sound. The large wooden two-bladed propellors spinning in sync and becoming a blur as they rotated faster and faster. Spyro and Cynder took off from behind him, immediately making a bee-line for the island as Neal opened the throttle and released the brakes.
The rolled down the deck smoothly and as it picked up speed, the tail slowly lifted off first and became level behind the wings. As the medium bomber reached the fan tail, Neal eased back on the stick and smiled with satisfaction as the aircraft slowly rose of its own accord into the air. As he leveled out and turned the aircraft towards the island, he looked up and caught a glimpse of Lyca, who was in the nose gunner position, smiling broadly with her hands out to her side and her face to the wind, eyes closed. He chuckled to himself at her pose and started humming 'My Heart Will Go On'.
Glancing behind though the normally stoic Skylar was glancing about worriedly and Neal belatedly remember that this was his first time flying in a machine.
"Skylar, you nervous?" Skylar glanced to him and nodded.
"Flying dragonback is one thing, this though... it's something else. I'm both apprehensive yet excited." Neal nodded.
"I know what you mean. The first time I went up in an aircraft, I was scared out of my wits. Still, once you feel the wind rushing past you and the sense of how fast you're traveling, it kinda all melts away." Skylar nodded and seemed to calm down somewhat as the plane flew on. Then Neal lightly pulled back on the stick and the plane rose to climb over the cliffs.
The made it over the cliff with a good three dozen feet to spare and the sight that Neal now saw was incredible.
The island was shaped like a massive bowl, the three mountains ringed one side and the rest of the island was built on an elevated cliff that sloped downward. The entire bowl was filled with lush green vegetation, trees, grass, plains, all leading into the center where, to Neal's surprise, was a city. The outer buildings of the city were shorter than those leading into the core which stretched taller yet still gave the appearance that all the buildings were the same size. Then, most impressively, at the center of the city was a large white marble tower that rose forth from the city center, stretching high into the sky before terminating just below the horizon line of the cliff. Then, to his elatement, he spotted something oddly familiar.
There, stretching along the outside of the city, was a massive straight stretch of road, seemingly carved from a single massive piece of stone. Nearby, Spyro and Cynder were flying around the city as Neal approached and passed over the city. Still though, something was off...
...unlike Grandis Fortunae which was a ruin in all sense of the word, Blue Waters seemed remarkably intact. It was as if the dragons had never so much as attacked the city. Still though, more strange, there were intact wagons, and even fresh trails through the grass-
Neal paled and looked for Spyro and Cynder and saw them still flying, diving and climbing as they examined their surroundings and the buildings in the city. He then looked forward to Lyca.
"Lyca! Fire a warning shot! That city is not abandoned!" Lyca paled and glanced around the bomber but then did as Neal had asked and fired a three rounds into the air. Spyro and Cynder glanced over to the aircraft and saw Neal waving towards the platform urgently.
Then, a bolt of blue fired arced up from the city, striking the right engine of the bomber. Neal felt the engine give out and sieze and heard the strain of the left engine trying to compensate. He glanced at Lyca and Skylar who both gave him worried glances and he frowned.
"I'm going to try and land on that stretch of stone. Prepare for crash landing!"
Lyca watched as her mate struggled valiantly with the sluggish controls, trying to keep the aircraft level. She also saw the fear in his eyes and saw something else she didn't recognize.
As another and then another arc of fire flew up, Neal managed to evade and dodge them and Spyro and Cynder used their powers to ward off any that would have been a direct hit. Neal glanced ahead and saw the stone road coming into view and grimaced.
This was going to be rough.
The hit the stone road hard. The landing gear collapsed under the strain of the impact. The undercarriage sliding along the ground as the other propellor snapped in half. Thankfully, the aircraft didn't catch fire but Neal was in a haze, he glanced forward at Lyca and Skylar and nodded.
"Everybody out! Get away from the plane!" Skylar and Lyca managed to climb free of the wreck but as Neal pulled, he felt pain in his leg. Glancing down, he saw that his foot had gotten caught and pinned by debris. He uttered a strong curse and then heard something he wish he hadn't.
The sound of a damaged, over-revving engine catching fire.
The bomber was now burning and Neal was pinned in the cockpit unable to escape. Thankfull Cynder was there to see he was in trouble and leapt to the plane and started tearing at the fuselage. Spyro on the other hand was trying deperately to put the fire out by dropping dirt onto the engine. However, he seemed to realize that this wasn't enough and then, summoning all his possible strength, he opened his maw-
-and shot out a cone of liquid frost that struck the engine dead on, the ice flashing into steam at first but then overpowering the flames and smothering them out. Just then, a metallic pop came from the plane and Cynder managed to pull Neal free from the plane and away to safety where Lyca immediately descended upon him checking him for any injuries. Neal smiled and gave Cynder and Spyro a wry glance.
"You guys keep saving my life and people are bound to start talking." Spyro and Cynder chuckled at the weak humor but then their muzzles creased into snarls and Neal managed to get on his feet just in time to nearly fall flat on his ass at a sight that stunned him.
Humans. Row upon row of humans, some in armor, some in robes, most in simple clothing but all armed with a variety of weapons including, Neal was stunned to see, primative crossbows. All eyed him with a mixture of shock, curiousity, and distrust but didn't outwardly try to attack.
Slowly, Neal stepped forward, hands raised. He must have guessed he looked so different to them, so foreign. The humans here were much live the ones back in his world. They had multiple skin tones ranging from white to black and even some red and tan. As he stopped, one of the humans in the group wearing robes heavily embroidered in gold leaf came forward. He was dark toned as if from many years in the sun, his head was shaved bald, and he wore a circlet of steel around his head. In his right hand, he carried a staff topped with a medium-sized gold crystal.
The man looked him over, his brown eyes seemingly boring holes into him as he scrutinized every single detail. Then, he glanced at Neal's belt and noticed the sidearm and combat knife and then gazed at the others.
Lyca had drawn closer to Neal, placing a protective arm around him and Skylar had also slightly drawn closer but refrained from contact. Spyro and Cynder remained seperate but maintained a sense of hightened awareness.
Then, the man gave a nod and then motioned to Neal with his left hand.
"I apologize for the destruction of your flying machine. When we heard the noise, we had thought we were under attack and readied to defend ourselves." Neal nodded his understanding.
"I understand. To be honest, it was as much a surprise for me as well. Ever since I came here all I've heard is how humans were extinct and that how I was the last. I... I had thought..." The man nodded understandingly.
"It is good to hear that there are others outside of the Three Mothers who still live. I am Alquer, Archmage of the Azure Academy." Neal nodded.
"I am Neal Foster." Alquer nodded and then noticed his crystal and smiled.
"You have a trace of magic about you. My crystal, it reacts to those of magical potential. Tell me, have you cast any spells?" Neal nodded.
"That's why I came here. I followed some ancient texts that said I could find a focus here." Alquer nodded.
"Furthermore, there is something... unusual about you... You may be open with us here. We who live here have long ago forgiven the treachery of the dragons." Neal nodded.
"I am... I am a descendant of Archmage Gartome, and I am also a Forger." Alquer froze for a moment and then smiled broadly.
"So, the ancient legends were truth after all... a human child given to the dragons to safeguard one of their most special powers. Our texts speak highly of Gartome, how he was an incredible wizard of immense power and also a man of truly unshakable moral character. Now then, your friends, who are they?" Neal motioned to them.
"This is Skylar, he was the first companion I had come along with me after I came to this land. The dragons there are Spyro and Cynder. And this is Lyca, my mate." Alquer went wide-eyed for a moment but quickly hid his surprise.
"Of course. It is an honor to meet all of you. Now that introductions are out of the way, please, come to the tower and rest. The day already draws to an end and the island is not safe to wander at night." Neal glanced to him curiously.
"Why? Is there something here?" Alquer nodded slowly.
"Yes. Despite what you see, there are actually two tribes of humans living on this island. We are the descendants of those who originally lived on this island. The other tribe is the descendants of those who took shelter here when the dragons started burning our cities in the ancient days. They disagreed with Archmage Gartome's thoughts of remaining silent and secluded and wanted us to use our abilities for revenge. They never cared that the war had ended, they wanted to kill dragons. Your companions especially need to take care." Neal sighed and nodded.
"Things are never easy are they? I thought I'd come here, magically find a focus crystal, then be able to sail off to Dante's Freezer and rescue my children from Axian." Alquer gazed at Neal and sighed.
"You have my sympathies. Tell me, what are their names?" Neal nodded.
"Domino and Rivet. They are orphan dragons I adopted shortly after arriving here. Apparently though, they also have another brother, Frost, who is being held prisoner as well." Alquer nodded.
"Your quest is urgent then. I suggest we speak to the High Council in the morning and see about getting you special access to the Crystal Caverns." Neal nodded his thanks and the group of humans disbanded leaving Neal and the group to follow Alquer and a few other robed figures down towards the tower. As they entered the city Spyro came alongside Neal, concerned and whispered to him.
"Can we trust them?" Neal shrugged.
"I don't know Spyro. We aren't going anywhere for the moment though so for now, let's just be on our best behavior and don't cause them any problems. Besides, I'm interested in meeting this council and plus despite everything to the contrary, I do need a focus if I'm to face Axian." Spyro nodded and sighed.
"Just remember, we're here for you." Neal returned the nod and smiled.
"I know, and for that I thank you."