Chapter 42
I never thought I'd be riding a dragon. Yet here I was, soaring through the air on the back of Ignitus, the wind blowing through my hair, making me shiver lightly. It might have been a more pleasant experience, if I wasn't heading straight to what could very be my death. There was simply a huge wall of flames in front of us, crackling loudly, it was almost deafening. Even though we were quite a distance from it, I could feel the heat from here.
Spyro and Cynder were flying on each side of Ignitus, not a word was said as we flew towards the massive wall of fire ahead.
I swallowed, feeling myself tremble as we approached, still not sure if I was ready for this.
'I don't think we'd ever really be ready for this,' Sane spoke, making me flinch just a bit.
I gave out a small sigh, clutching onto Ignitus tightly as we flew. 'I don't know, I just kinda wish it didn't have to be this way.'
'Well you have never listened to me when it comes to going home or just going to Malefor right out,' Psy grumbled.
I shook my head. 'Not that! I mean, I just wish I was never really brought here in the first place, I wish no one had to die here, and I wish none of this ever happened. I just wish that all of the sorrow and torment in this world just stopped.'
'That's what… we have set out to do,' Con said weakly. 'Defeat Malefor, and stop all of this.'
I shook my head once more. 'Again, I think Spyro and Cynder would have handled it fine.'
'A little help doesn't hurt.'
I frowned at that, but didn't respond. I still couldn't shake the feeling of dread and slight regret within me though, and I was pretty sure it probably wasn't going to go away too easily. A thought soon entered my head though, and I took a look at the ring of fire ahead.
"Hey Ignitus," I said loudly over the winds. "Are we going to fly over the ring of fire?"
Ignitus shook his head. "No, we are going to have to travel through it. Malefor and his forces would easily spot us flying above it and that would make it much more difficult for us. We need to travel through the ring in the hopes to get to Malefor without being spotted too early!"
I blinked, a bit surprised at his response. "Yeah, but how are we going to get through it without flying over it?"
"Leave that to me! I shall shield you all from the flames with my power and get you through safely!"
I frowned, looking at the massive wall of fire. It was huge, hell, might have been too high to fly over safely. I couldn't quite tell how thick it was though, unsure if he would actually be able to get us passed it.
"It seems dangerous Ignitus!" Spyro spoke up, looking at the guardian in concern. "Maybe we should look for another way!"
Igintus shook his head. "We do not have the time young dragon. Trust me, I shall get you passed."
Spyro nodded, however he didn't look too convinced.
We soon landed a ways away in front of the wall of fire, my eyes widening as it was now sweltering hot. I swallowed, starting to rethink my agreement to this once again. I looked around at the jutted black spiked rocks around us, almost as if they were magma from a volcano. It gave off a real sense of doom and dread within me, making me shiver a bit.
"I don't know if I'll be able to handle the flames like you can!" I shouted over the sound of roaring fire.
Ignitus looked to me. "Trust me young human, you will pass through unscathed!"
I kept my frown, looking down.
'I can help protect us from it with some shields - I think,' Sane said.
'We'll be fine you wusses, a little fire can't hurt us,' Psy groaned.
'That's a bit more than a little fire there Psy…' I thought.
"Stay close to me," Ignitus spoke sternly, making me flinch.
I got closer to the dragon, both Spyro and Cynder doing the same. Spyro happened to be on Ignitus's right, while I was on the opposite side with Cynder. Cynder looked to be a bit nervous, I thought about talking to her, but I didn't know if this was the right time. I looked to see Ignitus standing tall, before he shut his eyes and took a deep breath. He suddenly outstretched his wings, a blue glow soon forming around us. I blinked, noticing the outline of a shield within this glow, surprised to see this type of magic being used. It also seemed relatively cool within this bubble, making me ease up, feeling somewhat safe.
The four of us made our way to the wall of fire, Ignitus pausing for a moment before he entered. I could feel a tad bit of heat now, and I flinched a bit as I felt Cynder get a brush up against me, the young dragon having gotten closer to my side. Ignitus pushed through the fire, slowing down as we entered it, seeming to show strain on his body. I shivered as the fire surrounded us, knowing we were just inches from being burned alive. Ignitus kept pushing forward though, but I could see his shield shrinking every now and then. I flinched at this, my eyes wide with panic and fear.
'We aren't gonna make it!' I thought.
'I'm trying to put up some shields to help! But this fire is too damn hot!' Sane shouted in my head.
"Ignitus!" I just barely heard Spyro say through the roaring flames.
Ignitus didn't seem to notice Spyro's call though, still pushing forward through the flames. I began to panic a bit, feeling Cynder press closer to my side. I looked down to see her with wide eyes as well, fear washing over the both of us. Fire was everywhere, and it seemed to be getting closer by the second, not to mention the fact that it was getting hotter and hotter.
"Ignitus! Let's turn back! There has to be another way!" Spyro shouted, his eyes wide as he stared up at Ignitus.
Ignitus panted, his head hanging low, and I could have sworn I saw a tear run down his cheek. He soon looked between Spyro and Cynder, his gaze heavy with grief and sorrow.
"Spyro, Cynder – Seth – I have never done right by any of you," he said through pained breaths taking a glance at me, before he looked up with determination. "Allow me to do this…"
Spyro's eyes widened, fear and shock running across his face. "What are you saying!?"
"My path ends here, but yours lies beyond this." I guardian gave us all a smile. "Draw strength from each other… and follow your heart – it will never fail you."
I was stunned by his sudden proclamation, unsure of why he was saying this to us. Before I flinched, realizing what he was saying.
'He's not gonna…' Sane trailed of in my head, reaching the same conclusion as myself.
"Now go – go!" Ignitus exclaimed as he outstretched his wings, letting out a blinding light around him. "Go!"
I covered my eyes, unable to react as I felt myself being hoisted off the ground and hurled through the air. I heard the cries of both Spyro and Cynder along with me as we hurtled through the fire unscathed. We were soon tossed out of a blue orb that had formed around us, I tumbled to the ground, along with the other two.
I groaned a bit, holding my head and shaking it, hearing the other two quickly get up off the ground.
"Ignitus!" I heard Spyro wail, seeing him rushing over to the ring of fire. "No!"
I sat up, still in shock at what had just happened, realizing we were now on the other side of the ring of fire. Jagged black rocks and magma surrounded us, pointed and sharp, and I was all ready beginning to sweat from the heat.
"Spyro, stop! It's too late!" Cynder called after him, her voice heavy with grief as her gaze hit the floor. "We can't do anything for him now…"
Spyro whirled around and glared at Cynder, tears welling up in his eyes. "N-no! He isn't gone!"
"Spyro…" Cynder said softly, a tear running down her cheek as her shoulder's slumped. "Let it go."
I saw a mix of emotions rush through Spyro's face, his wings sagging as tears rolled down his cheeks. I saw sorrow, pain, agony, and finally, anger. I saw darkness begin to flow around him suddenly, making me flinch. I watched the dragon's scales turn black as what I could only describe as a black void surrounded his form.
"No!" Spyro shouted with a face of rage, his eyes pure glowing white as he rose into the air, darkness and purple lightning swirling.
"NO! Spyro DON'T!" Cynder wailed out, taking a step forward as she had eyes full of horror.
"You can't stop me!" Spyro spat at her.
I quickly stood up. "Don't do this Spyro!" I shouted as I slowly approached him. "Its not worth it!"
Spyro shot me a glare, and I saw the darkness spread and twist around him. "Why should I listen to you!? All you have done is bring us pain and torment!"
I flinched at that, feeling hurt from his words as I paused.
"That's not true Spyro!" Cynder said, giving him a desperate look. "He's tried to help! And he just wants to help you!"
"Why would he help me!?" Spyro roared, a bit of purple lightning striking the ground around him. "He's just a pathetic hairless ape!"
I flinched once more, feeling both anger and hurt boiling up within me. There was venom in Spyro's words, and he was clearly more pissed off at me than Cynder.
"I-I know what its like to go through this-" I tried to say, but he quickly cut me off.
"You have no idea what its like to go through this! You don't know what its like to lose someone you love so dearly!" He bellowed; eyes filled with rage.
That struck a nerve within me, a nerve I had buried for a long time. The sweltering heat, the pain of losing Ignitus, and the hurt of being insulted all boiled up into one after hearing that comment.
I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists, glaring at the dragon in the air. "I – don't know – what its like?" I began to shake with rage. "I – don't know – what loss is?"
"Seth…" Cynder said next to me, but I ignored her.
I took a step forward towards Spyro, and I saw his gaze waver for a moment.
"I know that pain more than you'll ever fucking realize!" I shouted, a tear running down my cheek. "I have lost so much more than you ever will!" I felt myself shaking, more tears welling up in eyes. "I lost my parents when I was just a kid! I lost my world only a few days ago! I got torn from my family! My friends! And my entire reality for god's sake!"
Spyro had landed on the ground by now, his darkness fading as his eyes began to return to normal. I saw fear and regret in them as he took a couple steps away from me.
All of my anger and sorrow was peaking at this point, and I really didn't realize just how much of a toll this place had taken on me. My face was covered in tears as I shouted at him, and I felt power spiking in my spine.
"So don't you DARE talk to me about LOSS!"
I could feel darkness taking hold, making my entire body swell with rage. I wanted to hurt Spyro as he kept walking backwards, his head down and his eyes still wide with fear. But somehow, I held myself back, I could hear jumbled words of both Psy and Sane in my head, but I didn't care to make them out.
"Seth please!" Cynder shouted behind me, making me flinch a bit.
I looked down, my throat dry as I felt the tears fall from my cheeks. I needed to get away, I needed space before I snapped yet again, and I couldn't hurt these two because of it. I suddenly whirled around and bolted away from them, unsure of where I was even going, but I just needed to get far away. I ran deeper into the hellscape of Malefor's lands, not caring what dangerous I would face…
Meanwhile…
Cynder watched in shock as Seth suddenly bolted away, her instincts told her to rush after him, but she felt herself pause at the sound of soft sobbing. She turned to see Spyro with his wings drooped and his shoulder's sagged, weeping to himself as he slowly crouched to the ground. Cynder felt torn, she couldn't leave Spyro here, but she also couldn't let Seth go into such a dangerous landscape. Her head whipped from Spyro, to Seth, the human getting further and further away. She flinched as she met Spyro's eyes though, seeing him give her a face of pure sorrow and distraught, begging her to stay, begging for comfort. Cynder frowned, staying still for a moment longer, before she slowly made her way over to Spyro.
Spyro's gaze hit the ground as she approached, sniffling through his sobs. "I-I'm so sorry… I-I didn't mean t-to…" he choked. "I-I just feel s-so alone…"
Cynder frowned, swallowing as she felt tears of her own welling up. "You're not alone Spyro…"
The dragoness nuzzled her companion comfortingly, feeling Spyro ease up at her touch as he nuzzled her back. She whispered comforting words into his ear as she crouched next to him, doing her best to help her friend in his time of sorrow and pain. Though her eyes wondered to where Seth had left. She knew he was long gone by now, and all she could do was pray he'd return, and that he'd be safe.
Back to Seth…
I don't know how long I ran for, or even how far I got. Truth is I didn't really care, I was just running from Spyro and Cynder. I was running from a memory, that longed to catch up with me. One that I had been running from for years now.
I leapt over rivers of magma, ran over the blackened rocks, and pushed through the sweltering heat. I needed to get away, I couldn't let it catch up with me! I couldn't…
'Seth stop! Calm down!' I could just barely hear Sane say in my head.
I ignored him, feeling agony and sorrow rushing through me. I was beginning to realize just how much I had lost, all of the pain began to resurface, and the loss of Ignitus hit me harder than I thought it did. My vision was blurring from tears, and I felt myself stumble from time to time. I ran for a bit longer, before my foot caught on a rock, making me fall forward. Luckily I managed to catch myself, my eyes widening as I looked ahead, seeing I had almost fallen down a crevasse into a river of flowing magma. I panted while on the ground, whimpering as I shook my head and sat down on the rocky ground. I held my head in my hands, shaking it as I tried to force all of the thoughts out.
'Just calm down!' Sane shouted. 'They'll go away! Please! Don't think about it again!'
I cringed, feeling my body shake. I could hear the voices of my parents in my head, I could hear my mother's screams, and the laughter of those bastard murders. I felt woozy, like I was about to puke, turmoil rushing thought me.
'Don't fight it,' Psy said almost comfortingly. 'You can't keep fighting it back forever, you can't keep running from it, you need to let yourself feel these emotions again before they consume us. Let them flow, and remember.'
His voice was so calm, no malice or bitterness in it. It was strange, for once it seemed like he was actually trying to help me, and not twist me to do something his way. My shoulders relaxed, tears kept flowing, and I took a very long sigh. He was right, I needed to let this happen.
I needed to remember again…
…
Six years ago…
I had awoken in my bed by the sound of a loud bang and my mother's scream ringing through the house. Cold sweat was running down my face as I looked around my room, illuminated by the full moon outside. I could hear muffled voices from below, and the sound of my mother weeping. I couldn't make out the voices, it sounded like two men, but I had no idea who they were. I slowly made my way out of bed, before putting on my t-shirt, pajama bottoms, and slippers. Next, I carefully opened my bedroom door, peaking out into the hallway. There was nothing there, but I could make out the voices coming from downstairs.
"You bastards!" I heard my mother shout, her voice shrill and full of grief.
I had never heard this tone from her, making my heart wretch at the sound of her misery. I was wondering where my father was and I slowly made my way down the hall, hoping to get to the stairs without making a sound.
"They've always gotta cry, don't they?" I heard a gruff sounding man say. "Your man there tried to jump us sweetie, he should have known not to sneak up on a guy with a gun."
I froze at his words, my blood running cold as terror and shock rushed over me. What had happened to my dad!? What were these two men doing in here!?
"I think they've got a child there Jimmy…" A somewhat sinister yet formal voice spoke up from below, making a chill run down my spine. "Just take a look at this lovely family photo here."
I heard my mother whimper, making my heart lurch once more.
"No, he died a few w-weeks ago…" she said in a somber voice.
I swallowed, starting to take a couple steps back. Maybe I could hide up here, or find a way out of a window and run to the neighbors a couple miles down the road and get the cops!
I heard the gruff sounding man groan. "Look honey, you'd better tell us if you actually got a kid or-"
During one of my steps back, I suddenly made a board creak below me, making me freeze up in terror once again. I held my breath as the whole house went silent as I shivered in fear.
"Well, sounds like someone might be wondering about upstairs…" the formal voice spoke.
The gruff man sighed once more. "I'll go get the brat, you make sure the little doll here-"
My mother suddenly gave out a wail, interrupting the man. "I WON'T LET YOU NEAR HIM!"
"God damn it!" the gruff man shouted in return.
There was a loud, sharp bang that rung through the house, making my entire body jolt as I felt tears welling up. It took me a moment to realize it was a gunshot, before I heard the thump of a body hitting the floor from downstairs. I gave out a low whimper, a sound I never thought I'd make. My body practically bounded forward on its own, I sprinted down the stairs until I reached the railing, looking over it into my living room. My eyes laid upon a scene I will never forget, one of the worst sights someone could possibly see.
I saw my parents – lying dead in a pool of red, sticky blood. My father had been shot in the chest, his face blank and his eyes lifeless, a knife in his hand. My mother was face down in her own blood, her body over my father's looking like she had clung to him before she died.
The life seemed to leave my body as I suddenly slumped to a sitting position against the wall on the stairs, my vision blurring with tears as my mouth hung agape. I couldn't move, I couldn't think, hell I couldn't even breathe. I felt like my whole world had just been destroyed right in front of me, my entire body in shock as I gave out another pathetic whimper, tears rushing down my cheeks.
"Get down here kid," the gruff voice spoke again.
I flinched, before looking up to see a man in a jacket and ski mask walk towards the stairs with his gun pointed right at me.
"I don't want you to end up like your folks here, so don't run."
I whimpered, before I slowly rose from the ground, putting my hands up in the air as I crept down the stairs, not wanting to provoke him. My bare feet were cold on the wooden floor, making me shiver, though most of my body felt numb at the moment. I caught a glance of another man in the house, he was wearing just about the same getup, but he was a bit taller than his friend. I looked to the man with the gun pointed at me as I stood in front of him, keeping still now.
"Please don't h-hurt m-me…" I croaked, trembling in fear.
"As long as you don't be stupid, you'll live through this kid," the man replied in a stern tone.
The man soon waved to his partner. "Walt, you take care of this kid, go tie him up in the kitchen or something while I go nab the rest of the goods."
The other man "Walt" sighed as he walked over to me. He gripped my wrist tightly, before dragging me with him.
"Comere kid…"
I swallowed as he brought me into the kitchen, tears still streaming down my face, sobbing a bit as I reached my other hand up to wipe my eyes. I felt the man stop, expecting him to tie me up or handcuff me. Instead however, I heard a sinister chuckle, making my spine shiver.
"What's happening in your head there boy?" the man asked in an almost amused tone.
I looked up at him with teary eyes, flinching as I saw a wide smile stretched across his face.
"Turmoil? Sadness? Utter despair?"
He took his mask off, revealing a thin, almost frail face, with a large scar on his right cheek, and a five o'clock shadow. His brown eyes were dull, yet menacing, almost lifeless as his hair was muddled, black, and greasy. His toothy yellow smile was what made me shudder, that accompanied with his pale white skin. His smile grew as he looked down at me, and I felt his thin hand wipe a tear from my face.
"Don't worry boy, those feelings will fade, and turn into something much greater."
I recoiled in disgust, looking at this man with wide eyes, wincing at his words. His voice was so eerie, and it almost felt like he was goading me. He brought his face closer, still having that same toothy yellow grin.
"In fact, I think I can see it now," he tilted his head. "You hate me, don't you? Its starting to boil up deep inside, and rightfully so." He lifted up his gun. "This is the weapon that murdered your dear mother right where she stood," he pointed the gun at his head. "This is the face of the man that killed her in cold blood, the man who took her from you."
I was trembling as he spoke, out of both horror and anger. It felt so taunting, so infuriating the way he spoke, and the words he told me. I clenched my fists, more tears welling up in my eyes as I glared at the man, feeling this hatred starting to rise as he had said.
"Let it fester, let it urge you for sweet revenge," he continued his grin widening. "You don't want me in jail, no, that'd be too good for me." He brought the gun up, putting the cold metal of the handle in my hand, making me flinch. "You want me dead, you want me gone, you want nothing more than to see me in twisted agony like your mother." The man lifted up the gun, pressing it to his forehead, my hand on the trigger. "You have certain lust for blood, a madness within you that you wish to satisfy, that you must satisfy."
My finger was on the trigger, but I couldn't move. I listened to his words, I knew I wanted him to pay, but I wasn't quite sure if I actually wanted to kill him. So many emotions twisted in my head, but it was utter fear and shock that kept me from doing the deed.
"Walt, I got the shit, let's-" the gruff man suddenly spoke behind me, making me jolt. "What the hell…"
I saw Walt roll his eyes, before he stood up in a flash, swiped the gun from me, and aimed it. There was a sharp bang above me, making my ears ring as I crouched down and screamed, covering my ears tightly.
I heard the cry of the gruff man through the ringing, and he cursed some sort of jibberish. I heard another bang, making me wail in terror as I curled up into a ball, tears rushing down my cheeks as I kept my ears covered.
"You just had to ruin it didn't you Jim!" Walt growled.
"Y-you fuckin… you lunatic!" I heard "Jim" shout through the ringing and my covered ears.
I shakily turned around to see Jim on the ground, leaning up against the wall while blood was oozing from his leg and his right shoulder, his gun on the ground next to him.
"I know you were a crazy bastard! I should have put a bullet in you!" Jim spat, holding his shoulder.
Walt chuckled and grabbed Jim's gun off the ground before Jim could, a wide smile stretched across Walt's sickly face.
"Now kid," he said in an eerie tone, turning to me with wild eyes. "You can kill the one who murdered your father."
"What the-" Jim was cut off as Walt smashed him in the face with the end of his gun, making Jim grunt in pain.
Walt yanked off Jim's mask, showing a somewhat bruised, burly face. His brown beard was scruffy but covered his whole face, his teeth were crooked, and his hazel eyes were full of rage.
"Here kid," Walt said, handing me a gun. "Take it…"
He turned to me with an unnerving gaze, staring into my very soul. I saw the gun in his other hand and whimpered, knowing I had to listen to this crazy bastard, or with his quick reflexes, he could end up shooting me instead. I shakily reached up and took the gun, swallowing as tears streamed down my face, trembling. I was in autopilot, just reacting to things, still trying to process all of the horrors that were going on around me.
Walt stood behind me, taking my hand with the gun, raising it towards the crippled man on the ground. "Now… get your revenge."
I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe, I could hardly think. I didn't want to pull the trigger; I didn't want to do this sick man's will. But there was a small part of me that wanted to see the man on the ground in front of me dead, I wanted to see his blood, and I enjoyed seeing him in pain. But my finger wouldn't move, and my hand shook in Walt's grip. I heard a sigh behind me, before I felt the cold metal of the barrel of his gun on the back of my head. I gasped and jolted at this, shaking violently.
"Its either you, or him kid," Walt spoke in a low tone.
Jim shook his head, coming out of his daze with a grimace, now trying to crawl away as he slumped off the wall and onto the tiled floor.
"You crazy fuck…" he rasped, his injuries making it difficult for him to move.
I watched the crippled man try to desperately escape his fate, both sympathy and anger rising within me. I wanted to help him, but at the same time I wanted to make him pay.
"Don't be so pathetic, boy!" Walt hissed in my ear, making me shudder. "End his miserable life!"
I heard him cock his own gun behind me, making me whimper as I gritted my teeth, tears streaming down my face. I aimed the gun at the broken man on the ground and shut my eyes tightly. I slowly squeezed the trigger, before crying out in terror as a bang rang throughout the kitchen. My arm jerked back, my hand almost hitting me in the face. I felt numb, my arm going limp as I nearly dropped the gun, sniffling and bawling into my other hand. I didn't know what happened, all I knew is that I didn't want to look.
"You nailed him right in the back of the head kid…" Walt said in a sickeningly amused tone. "Not a bad shot," he nudged the back of my head with his gun, "take a look."
I slowly opened my eyes, before they widened in terror. All I could see was blood, I dare not go into more detail, but the image of what I had done to that man had burned into my head. I nearly puked, disgusted by what I had just done. But there was a twinge of satisfaction, a twisted sense of pride within me. I had made him pay, and now the bastard was dead for what he had done.
"One down," Walt spoke up behind me, before he got in front of me, and kneeled down. "One to go." He took my hand in both of his, aiming my gun right at his forehead once more, grinning like a madman. "You feel that madness within you? I can see it in your eye," he chuckled. "Behind that terror, behind that sorrow, I see the drive for blood, the drive for revenge."
My mouth hung open as I stared into his eyes, his words sinking in. I was terrified, I was distraught, but I was also angry. It was such a small part of me, but it was there.
"You want me dead; you need me dead," the sickly man continued. "You need to take your revenge, you need to make me pay for all the suffering I brought upon you and your dear parents, its what they would want."
My finger twitched on the trigger at his words, but I didn't fire the gun. I didn't know what I wanted; I didn't know what to do. I wanted him to pay, but I didn't want to kill him outright. So many emotions were racing through my head, I couldn't take it, I felt so numb. Something jabbed my kidney, making me jolt. I soon realized it to be the barrel of Walt's gun. The madman chuckled pressing his gun further into my side.
"I don't care which one of us lives here, I just know that the madness we share must go on, one way or another," he said in a dark, eerie manner. "You must let this madness take hold if you want to survive, it will control you, it will consume you, and it will be so much fun."
I swallowed hard, tears streaming down my cheeks as I whimpered. I didn't want it to be true, but it all felt so real. Everything he said made my blood boil, made my back tense, and spoke to a deep, dark part of me. I couldn't move my finger, stuck in a never-ending battle within my own head. Either way, it seemed like this sick bastard kneeling in front of me would win.
"Do it!" Walt shouted, chuckling.
I brought my head back, trembling in terror, feeling my finger begin to squeeze the trigger. I didn't want to die, but I didn't want to take another life.
"DO IT!"
I wailed in terror and pulled the trigger, a sharp bang ringing throughout my entire house. I only saw red, there was something wet on my face, my hand, my arm, and in my mouth. I was frozen, unable to take in what was around me anymore. I didn't want to look at the body in front of me, the red pool of blood beneath my feet. I fell to my knees, and puked, hard. I shook as my hands were on the ground, soaking in the blood, my body felt ice cold. Before I knew it, I went limp, falling to my side as tears continued to stream down my face. It all felt like a horrible nightmare, and my brain just couldn't handle any more of it. Soon, my vision blurred, until I finally passed out…
Return to the present…
This memory had come back in full, the screams of my mother, my dead father's face, and the bloody bodies of the two bastard murders on the floor. I was bawling into my hands, shaking violently as I sat with my knees up to my chest. I had tried to force back that memory for so long, but it finally caught up, and hit me full force. My world was a blur, my mind was boggled, and my entire body was weak. I didn't know what to think.
'We can't outrun what we have done… what happened to us,' Psy said softly. 'We shouldn't have to outrun it, we need to face it, we need to accept it. You are not a monster, as much as I have the lust for blood, the rage, the madness that that bastard had spoken of, he did not win.' I heard him sigh in my head. 'We will not be hurt like that again; we will not let anyone hurt us like that again. We are strong, and we always pull through.'
I was a bit surprised by Psy's words, even if they were a bit skewed. I began to realize just how much Psy actually cared, even if he acted like he didn't. He didn't want to feel that pain again, but he knew we couldn't run from this memory. Maybe I needed to accept it, maybe I needed to finally move on, rather than run…
Though as I was sitting in turmoil, I didn't notice the noise of something creeping up behind me. The only warning I had was a massive blow to the back of my head. I didn't even have time to cry out in pain, my entire vision went blurry as my body slumped to the ground.
Until everything went black…
Meanwhile…
Volteer sighed to himself, sitting down on the rocky ground. He had managed to aid in getting all of the wounded out of the camp, his job was done for now. Though his shoulders felt so heavy, the weight of the situation pulling them down. He was scared, that was for sure, but he tried his best to hold onto hope.
He looked to the massive tent that he and the other guardians had pitched up before, until he decided to see if he could find Cyril in there. It would be nice to have his opinion on what to do next, and Volteer also wanted to check on his friend, knowing this time might also be difficult for Cyril. As Volteer made his way over to the tent, he noticed many troops gathered up on the edge of the canyon, seemingly waiting for something as they conversed between each other. Volteer blinked, he knew Ignitus said some troops should stay behind in case Malefor sent a counter attack, but this seemed a bit much. There were almost 150 to 200 troops gathered around from what he could tell, it was the bulk of the dragon city guard. Volteer frowned, pushing his way inside the tent, before he paused. He was surprised to see both Cyril and Terrador in the tent, the two other guardians looking to Volteer.
"Ah, Volteer," Cyril spoke, "We were just about to go looking for you."
"Terrador?" Volteer said, confused. "What are you doing here? Didn't you go to escort and guard the citizens seeking shelter?"
Terrador nodded. "I was, but Cyril wanted my help with something, so I came back right away."
Volteer glanced between the two curiously. "And what did you want help with?"
Cyril stood tall, a very serious look on his face. "We are going to aid Spyro, Cynder, Ignitus, and the human by launching an assault on Malefor's temple."
Volteer's eyes widened. "That is insane! We would be swarmed by Malefor's army!"
Terrador took a step forward. "If we do not act then Ignitus will be swarmed by that same army!"
Cyril nodded to Terrador, before looking back to Volteer. "Ignitus put a lot of faith in those two young dragons and the human, but I myself would like to see them come back to us alive." He stood up straight. "We are not looking for a head on fight, merely to distract his forces in order to give the four of them a chance to defeat Malefor, and shatter his power along with his control." The ice dragon took a deep breath. "You may stay and aid those in hiding if you with Volteer, but Terrador and I have all ready made our decision, as have the troops outside."
Volteer stared at his friend, frowning. He knew he couldn't change their minds, since they did happen to be the most stubborn of dragons when it came to things like this. Volteer looked down, thinking over their words, those in hiding would need a leader, but his friends would also need all the help they could get. He thought of Ignitus, Spyro, Cynder, and finally, Seth. He let out a long breath, knowing he couldn't let them face the Dark Master's forces alone. If the other guardians were going, he knew he had to stand by them during this terrible time.
"I will go with you," the yellow dragon stated.
Cyril nodded in return, standing up straight. "Then we shall leave immediately, come." The dragon walked past Volteer, but not before placing a claw on his shoulder. Cyril gave a small smile. "Thank you for coming with us, my friend."
Volteer nodded, smiling in return. All three guardians exited the tent side by side, ready to gather their troops and face the terrible army of the Dark Master.
Though Volteer couldn't shake the feeling that they may be walking straight into a trap.
A/N: Here are with another chapter, and so soon eh? All it took was a quarantine to get me to do a consistent update schedule…
Though I can't guarantee anything, I have been hoping to try and grind out the last few chapters of this fic in the attempts to get it done by the end of this year, since you guys deserve it after so long. I hope this gives yah something to distract yourselves during this weird time.
I hope you're all doing well, honestly, may you, your friends and family all be safe during this time.
Again thank you all for sticking with me through this, I really hope you all still enjoy this crappy story I started so many years ago.
Here's to hoping you see me soon, have a good one all, see you in the next chapter.
Poll
Seth X Cynder: 35
Seth X Shelia: 21
Seth X Relia: 3
Seth X Ember: 7
