Chapter 51. "Fathership"

Spyro heard evil Primero's laughter several seconds after Primero decided to kill his mate. He couldn't believe that it really happened. He couldn't accept, acknowledge fact that he killed Cynder. Then, from behind earth wall, he heard a voice.
"I don't know if that's curse or blessing, Spyro, but you have damn luck today." The purple dragon raised his sight, surprised by those words. Wall of earth turned into pieces. Then he saw, what really had happened. On Cynder's bed, right next to her, there was standing Zealous. Her tailblade had pierced Douten's paw stopping it before it harmed her mother. The purple dragon gave Vixen quick glance. Though it hadn't gone according to her father's plan, she was smiling with relief. Zealous tried to jump away, but Douten caught her in the air. He placed tailblade at Cynder's throat and talons at Zealous's.
"You know, Spyro, normally I would just kill them both, but this situation becomes so exciting! This is..." Douten started gesticulating quickly trying to find right words. "...marvelous!" He finished sentence almost shouting. "How about double bet, huh?" Douten grinned devilishly. The purple dragon hissed angrily. "Vixen, fly to the field we were talking about earlier. Tell Patro that we may need him." Primero said to his daughter.
"Change of plans, father?" Vixen asked curiously.
"Yeah, possibly. Go now, you should hurry up. They have to be ready." Vixen nodded and jumped away through window, from which flew Zealous.
"Let Zealous go. It's not about her." Spyro started, just as the black dragoness disappeared.
"She's Cynder's daughter, she was involved in this at the day of her birth. Give me some arguments, maybe I'll change my mind." Douten wanted to continue his game.
"When Vixen was standing next to me, I could easily knock her out and blackmail you, as you do now to me. I haven't done it, so you shouldn't change rules of game too, when it goes on already." Spyro argued.
"It's my game, I can change its rules whenever I want. And besides, how do you think, what I would do, if you caught Vixen?" Primero asked, watching him curiously.
"Exchange?" The purple dragon guessed. "If you really call yourself her father, that's what you would do."
"No. I'd rather kill her. If she got caught, she would stand in my way. At this point she wouldn't be useful for me anymore, so I would see no point for her to live." Primero explained. Spyro glared at him with disbelief and contempt.
"So that's what daughter means for you?" He asked. "Is she just a tool, which you can easily get rid of, when it becomes useless?"
"Exactly." Douten agreed. "But she isn't even my daughter, I care about her even less, than you said."
"So why does she call you father? What's the point of that?" Spyro said that coldly. He despised that earth dragon more than before.
"My beautiful words blinded her. She thinks that I care, love, protect her and Vengantimos. She, even so precious for her Sable... The bond between those two is such a funny story. They all are just my puppets. This cloak of lies guarantees me that I won't be betrayed." Douten was grinning devilishly enjoying moment. The purple dragon watched him carefully. He had a feeling that there was something sham in his words, as he wanted to hide the truth from him, but it most likely was just a feeling. "I don't blind myself that wyverns will win that battle. Maybe some of guardians will die, but I don't believe that any of Vengantimos will survive, maybe one or two will escape dragons. And speaking of Vixen... After this all I'll just leave her behind, so dragons could satisfy themselves with sentencing her to death. Why should I care about her anymore?" Primero asked.
"Don't you have conscience?" The purple dragon asked.
"I've got rid of this long time ago. It just makes everything harder. And you know, the alchemy, the science, is many times more useful than conscience." Douten smirked, amused with his wordplay. "You know that in every war, there must be made some sacrifice." He noticed.
"War?" Spyro snorted scornfully. "Don't adulate yourself, Douten, could you?" It wasn't a question. "Don't call this little, private vengeance of yours a war, it doesn't deserve to be called so. And even if it was, the leader should care about his soldiers, protect them. And you?" Spyro gave him disgusted sight."You're monstrous."
"This is just good business, nothing more. Tell me Spyro, what's the point of keeping alive something completely useless?" He repeated his question.
"They... they are not things! Those are lives! They have their own souls, feelings, dreams, plans! They have their own life, you can't treat them as tools! I can't believe that you blame Tremor for stealing you title of guardian. How couldn't you acknowledge that your duplicity, callousness and vindictiveness did it?" Spyro replied.
"Good speech, short and pithy. Filled with such emotions." The earth dragon admitted and chuckled silently. He sounded as if he was satisfied with sudden outburst of the purple dragon, as if he expected it. "But, we're not talking about me, but Cynder. I think, it's my turn for an argument now." Douten changed subject. After all, he didn't have much time.
"So?" Spyro wanted to finish this all, his heart was filling with desperation and anger every second.
"After Cynder was caught by Malefor at Dante's Freezer, she surprisingly easily changed sides, haven't you noticed that?" Douten asked.
"No, she never changed sides."Spyro refused. Primero laughed silently.
"You hit the point, Spyro. Indeed, you did. But now, there appears question. Has she been good or evil since ever?"
"Her acts say much more than any of your words." The purple dragon said confidently.
"Again, I agree with you, though I read all yours words otherwise, than you seem to mean them to be." Douten smiled with amusement.
"Then tell me, why you think so? All she did, was good." Spyro noticed. Douten shook his head in disbelief.
"She lured you to the Well of Souls, tricking into releasing Malefor. She, with such easiness, was controlled by Malefor at your first meeting with him. She allied with Liun without any doubts. Do you need more proofs?" Theearth dragon asked.
"She was used to bring me to the Well of Souls. Cynder couldn't oppose to power of Malefor, for too long time he had influence at her, but thanks to my help, she released herself, didn't she? The only reason ,why she allied with Liun, was to protect me. That's all, what you've got?" The purple dragon asked. Douten said no word for several seconds, so Spyro used that moment of hesitation. "And also, if she was so evil, as you speak, would she decide to have family? Mate? Daughter? I know that those words mean nothing for you, but for good-hearted dragons with mind not as twisted as yours, those things are important." Douten smiled with admiration.
"I've been underestimating you, Spyro. You not only countered my argument, you also managed to make your own and offend me at this same time. And I thought that at this moment, Cynder would be already dead..."
"Let Zealous go. All we say is not about her."
"I've already said, it's also about her."
"Prove it, then." Spyro demanded. Primero laughed loudly.
"Did anyone tell you that you have a sharp tongue?" Whole that situation was amusing him. "You know, your last arguments were so good and clever that I started considering, if some of your words have a little of truth in them. I'm not sure about it, but there exists minimal possibility." Douten admitted. The purple dragon couldn't know Primero was only playing with him.
"So will you release Zealous?" Spyro asked.
"Not so fast. What about compromise?" The earth dragon smiled devilishly.
"What do you mean?" Spyro asked, his heart rate spiked, he knew something big was coming.
"I let you make a choice, who of them I will release." Douten offered.
"Just like that? Is there no snag?" Spyro asked surprised. He couldn't believe, it could be that simple.
"There is one." Douten grinned. "One of them will be returned to you and second will die. I will leave together with Vengantimos, finishing this battle. You'll buy yourself safety of yours and friends. But remember, someday, we shall return." Douten grinned showing his teeth, as he understood that the purple dragon had no idea, what to do. "So, Spyro, who of them you love more? Your mate, or your little daughter, huh?" Spyro looked at both dragonesses, aghast in surprise. "Hurry up, Spyro, we don't have whole eternity." Douten said with completely carefree voice. "Choose."
"You're sick, Douten. You can't make me choose between them!" Spyro tried to oppose.
"I can." The earth dragon said firmly. "You will choose or I'll kill them both." Spyro glared at his scared daughter and started considering. Thousands of thoughts were appearing in his head, but he couldn't find answer for one question. What to do?
"You better hurry up, Spyro." Douten started counting down. "Ten, nine..." Seconds were passing inexorably and Spyro couldn't come up with any solution. Mate or daughter, how could he choose between them? He loved them both from the bottom of his heart. He simply couldn't choose. And yet, he had to. He could attack Douten, of course. But he was prepared for that, Spyro wouldn't be able to save any of them. Darn it! If only time wasn't passing so quickly...
"Three, two, one..."
"I made a choice." Spyro lied to buy himself priceless seconds. Douten smiled, glad to hear that.
"Which is?" He asked. Then, in Spyro's head appeared idea. He found solution. Only one, which he found as the right one. It was so simple that Spyro couldn't believe he didn't think about that at the very beginning.
"Let them both live." He said. The earth dragon watched him surprised. "And instead, kill me." Primero laughed silently, shaking his head in disbelief. "Don't laugh, I'm serious." Spyro said confidently. Zealous watched her father fearfully. Spyro smiled to her. "Don't worry, everything will be alright." He promised.
"Love. It's beautiful and yet disastrous bond." Douten enjoyed every word. "It gives and takes life. And its greatest act is sacrifice." Douten watched Spyro with admiration. He respected him for this choice. "So, are you sure, you're ready to do it?" He asked with note of disappointment.
"At first, release them." Spyro said.
"You know that I can't release them both. I won't have any warranty that you'll let me kill you."
"How can I believe you then?" The purple dragon noticed.
"Because yours and no one else's death will work just perfectly for me. At first, I'll kill you. In the next attack, Zealous, at the end, when Cynder will be crushed and hopeless, I'll finish her." Douten was speaking about his new plan with such excitement that Spyro knew, he was going to fill that plan. That was going to buy both Cynder and Zealous safety, at least for some time.
"I believe you." Spyro decided. He stepped closer to Primero. "Zealous, close your eyes, please."
"Dad..." Young purple dragoness tried to refuse.
"Just close your eyes." Spyro pleased. "Everything will be fine." He smiled warmly to her. Zealous watched her father with disbelief. Simple tear left her eye, as she understood that her father was going to die. Then, she closed her eyes.
"Are you sure, you want to do it?" Douten asked Spyro. "Are you sure that the powerful and mighty purple dragon wants to die just to buy several months of life more for that cursed dragoness? Does he know, what will it bring to all dragons? Loss of someone like him? Especially, when he's not even the main target?" Primero watched him with disbelief.
"He does." Spyro agreed. "Just do it." He ordered. If his life was the price for their safety, there was no problem about it. Douten sighed deeply. His tailblade slipped away from Cynder's throat leaving no scratch on it. He aimed at Spyro's throat. Then, he straightened his paw. He wanted it to pierce through Spyro's throat, but it stopped about ten centimeters from it. Douten's eyes grew wide, as he watched black paw holding his arm. Neither Spyro believed that it really happened. They both looked down at the black dragoness. She was awake, already charging wind at Primero. Spyro smiled triumphantly and Douten cursed silently. Cynder released wind, but the earth dragon jerked his head, avoiding it for centimeters. Then, holding Zealous, Douten jumped away from house through the window behind him.
"I'll be waiting for you a mile at the northwest! If there comes with you any other dragon, I'll kill your little Zealous right away!" After those words, Douten flew away.

Four youngsters were right next to Cynder's house, when they saw Douten flying away with Zealous. He was flying low above ground and quickly disappeared in dense forest.
"What the..." Torch watched that happening, dumbstruck.
"No idea, but Zealous is in trouble." Zap said. He was still glaring at the place, where several seconds earlier was the purple dragoness.
"We have to help them!" Sierra and Tundra said at this same moment. They followed Douten, before any of boys reacted. Torch and Zap just followed them with their sights. They weren't in such hurry as girls. Torch sighed deeply, watching them.
"Do you think that it's good idea?"The fire breather asked.
"No. But we won't lose to girls." Zap noticed. None of them liked that idea, but what could they do about that? Both youngsters glared at each other, shrugged and flew to forest. At that moment, they were noticed by Angelo. The vice-captain sighed deeply with annoyance, when they flew inside the forest. He couldn't have seen Primero, he was already too far away.
"Are they leaving town? Where are they going?" He slowly followed Torch and Zap, hoping that he wouldn't lose them again. If he wanted, he could literally appear next to them, but he was very curious, where they were flying.

"Spyro?" Cynder called her mate. "Douten is Primero, isn't he?"
"He is." Spyro agreed.
"Then why did you..."
"Allow him to kill me?" The purple dragon guessed the ending of her sentence. "Because that was price for your and Zealous's safety." He explained.
"I think I don't get it." Cynder watched him with asking sight.
"We better follow Primero, I'll explain you everything while flight." Spyro suggested. His mate nodded, agreeing. As they left house, she straightened her wings slowly. She seemed to be weakened, most likely the poison still had its influence on her. "Are you alright?" The purple dragon asked.
"It could be better. The poison still has influence, the vision blurs and head hurts terribly, but I don't have time to complain about it. Let's hurry up, we don't have much time to lose." Two dragons jumped in the air and flew to Primero.

Douten landed at the field where Vixen was already waiting for him. It was quite big, from the closest trees, there was at least one hundred meters.
"Vixen, where are the wyverns?" He asked.
"All around you, dad."The black dragoness said. Primero smiled. "Do you really think, we'll need them?" His daughter asked doubtfully.
"Yes, they'll be necessary." The alchemist assured her.
"You've been followed, dad." Vixen noticed. Douten turned around. He didn't notice anyone at first, but he knew that he could trust dragoness's senses. After moment, from trees, there appeared four hatchlings. Primero smiled, as he recognized them. Zealous felt relief seeing them, but she was also scared about them. She knew they didn't stand a chance against Primero.
"Well, well, well." Douten said slowly. "Who do we have here?" Douten smiled devilishly. His sight stopped for longer at Tremor's daughters. In his mind appeared some idea. Vixen read through his plans.
"Father, they're just hatchlings." Vixen said silently, worried about those little dragons. Little, lost hatchlings… She knew this feeling. "There's no need to kill them..."
"Silence." He replied even quitter, so only black dragoness heard that.
"Hey, you! Give Zealous back!" Tundra shouted. She, like all four hatchlings was mad at the earth dragon, their scales erecting in anger.
"Or what?" Douten was watching hatchlings with pitiful smile. Those youngsters' bravery actually astounded him.
"Or you'll regret that." Torch said angrily.
"Wow that sounded even fearfully. If you're so self-assure, then come here and get her." Douten said mockingly. Young fire breather howled angrily and started running to Primero.
"Wait!" Zap shouted.
"It's a trap!" Sierra tried to stop him, but Torch didn't listen to them. He jumped to Douten. The earth dragon was about to give him deadly blow, when in front of him appeared from nowhere yellow flash, even hatchlings didn't recognize who was that. The newcomer blocked Primero's paw by hinder leg. His tail wrapped around Zealous and before anyone noticed that, the newcomer bounced from the alchemist and stood between hatchlings and Primero. This speed... Sable wasn't this fast and he was the lightning user. The newcomer, a yellow dragon, was holding Zealous in tail and Torch in his arms. Vixen smiled with relief.
"Not bad timing. What's your name?" She asked curiously.
"Angelo, the vice-captain of guards of Leafen." The lightning dragon introduced himself. Douten watched his daughter with anger.
"You knew, he was going to come." He blamed her. She couldn't overlook someone moving so quickly. Vixen hung her head shamefully.
"They're just hatchlings, there's no need to kill them." She muttered silently, watching her paws with remorse. Primero hissed angrily. It was her first so serious disobedience to him since ever. The black dragoness wished she could just melt into the ground. At that moment, there appeared Spyro and Cynder. They landed right next to Angelo and smiled, seeing that Zealous was safe.
"Angelo? What are you doing here?" The purple dragon asked with surprise. The vice-captain blushed with embarrassment and scratched his neck, while trying to make up some excuse.
"There's no need to worry. Everything's under control." Angelo assured them.
"Yes, you've just took a walk with youngsters when you met Douten trying to kill you, haven't you?" Sparx, who just flew at the field too, asked with note of irony. Spyro sighed deeply. He glared at Douten.
"So, you have no advantage anymore."
"I don't need any advantage to kill you." Primero replied.
"Cynder, Sparx, stand back, I'll fight him." Spyro said and made step forward, when Cynder stood next to him.
"Forget it. He wants me, not you, I'm not going to stand back and watch you fighting. Not after I've almost lost you in fight like this." The black dragoness disagreed. Spyro knew that she meant his encounter with Liun.
"Come on, you both." Primero said. There was no need to repeat that. Spyro released stream of fire. Vixen stood in front of her father and beaten wings stopping it. She heard sound of electricity. Meanwhile, Douten drank small elixir and started focusing. This potion was necessary for him to do next move.
"Dad." Young black dragoness called her father with worries. From the fire appeared stream of lightning, which was absorbed by Douten's wall of earth. Next to Vixen appeared Cynder. She slashed with paws, but Vixen blocked the blow. The black dragonesses were forcing, younger was slowly losing. "Dad." She said impatiently. She couldn't keep them both busy for long.
"Not yet." Primero replied. At that moment, Spyro flew above the dragonesses to Douten. Vixen jumped away from her opponent and slashed, aiming at purple dragon's underbelly.
"Spyro!" Cynder warned him. He turned his head and leaned back avoiding small tailblade. He shot to Vixen lightning, but she flew next to it and pushed him to his mate with strong wind. Sparx, following Spyro for whole that time, was thrown away with powerful blow back to the youngsters. Cynder slowed him down with his own wind, so he didn't crush. Meanwhile, Vixen landed between two dragons and Douten. "Dad!" She screamed.
"I'm ready." Douten hit strongly the ground. All around four fighters started creating pillars of earth. Before anyone reacted, they were closed in cave high for about twenty meters and length and width of fifty. Light was getting there through small holes at its top, so there was only dusk. Unfortunately for Spyro and Cynder, those were too small to fly through them. Both Spyro and Cynder watched the dome above them with disbelief. Could one dragon do such a thing?
"Now, I have advantage. And I swear, neither of you will leave this place alive." Douten smiled devilishly.
"Are you sure, you want to verify this theory?" Cynder asked.
"I already know it, Cynder. This is your end." Primero hissed. Spyro and Cynder looked at each other.
"I'll take Douten." The black dragoness said. Her mate sighed deeply. He really didn't want to fight Vixen, but he knew that Primero was Cynder's opponent. And besides, someday he had to face Vixen.
"Alright." He agreed. Two mates made offensive poses. Douten smiled, seeing them ready for fight.
"Come on, Spyro, Cynder. Prepare to die."

Angelo was watching a cave, which appeared in front of him several seconds earlier. He tried to make hole in it, but his lightning didn't work at all.
"Great, now he has to fight without me!" Sparx watched the wall, searching for any cracks.
"You're speaking, as if that would change a thing." Angelo noticed with smirk at his face. "Kids, we're going back to city." Five hatchlings watched him surprised and started asking him to change his mind. "No." He interrupted them. "You already brought me troubles. What were you thinking, when you left house? You could die, if I haven't come in time!" Youngsters hung their heads sadly.
"We're sorry." Zap said.
"We'll tell parents that it was my idea, so you won't be in trouble." Torch suggested. Angelo smiled.
"That's nice, but no, it's my fault. I shouldn't have expected you to stick in that house, since if I was you, I would do exactly this same." He was going to pay for those words, but he couldn't stand youngsters taking responsibility for his own mistake. "We better go, we never know what may happen, if we stay here too long."
"Mr. Angelo, there's someone." Zap pointed trees at their left. Vice-captain's eyes grew wide. He noticed the presence in that moment as well. He couldn't believe that youngster discovered that faster than him. But thing, which really scared him, was smell. Those weren't dragons. Angelo knew, what was coming.
"Kids, stand with your backs to cave and make sure that's no enemy is behind you!" Youngsters watched him surprised. "Now!"Angelo shouted and all five did as he said. The vice-captain stood in front of them and made defensive stance. "Kids, listen to me." He whispered. "When you see them, don't move, whatever happens. Understood?" They all nodded quickly.
"Good." He said silently. "Come on, wyverns!" Angelo shouted. "Show yourselves!" From trees jumped two wyverns. They attacked at this same moment, but Angelo was too fast for them, he literally went through enemies, slashing killing them both with quick swings of tail before they even noticed that. The lightning user wiped blood from his tailblade at grass. From trees started walking wyverns. They surrounded him. There were tens of them, too many for only one dragon. Angelo cursed his bad luck. "Sparx, fly for help. Quickly." He pleased. The dragonfly nodded and flew away the fastest he could, all the wyverns ignored him.
"So, aren't you going to give up, dragon?" The leader of wyverns asked.
"I'm not." The lightning dragon refused confidently.
"Kill him." The leader ordered. Circle started tightening, as wyverns started walking to dragon.
"Don't move and everything will be fine." Angelo said to youngsters, while watching carefully the enclosing enemies. He really wished he believed his own words.