A/N: Apologies for the wait, I know I usually update weekly. I ran into another situation where I wasn't exactly sure many words this was going to total to so I wrote it all at once and then split it accordingly so I wasn't left with an oddly short or long chapter. Anyway, the chapter after this one is already written now, just have to edit it. So hopefully it will come out more quickly than usual. Hope you all enjoy.
Spyro beat his wings, propelling himself forward. From where he'd leapt off the ground, he heard the tell-tale hum and destruction of convexity. He didn't dare look back, knowing that Taelas had begun his own battle with Sol. He couldn't afford to distract himself; he would have to trust that his son could take care of himself.
Trying not to dwell on his thoughts, Spyro gathered himself as he closed in on Cynder and Arum. The two black dragons were in a tangle, or rather, Cynder was tying the larger onyx dragon in knots. She latched onto his form, her ivory claws digging into his scales. As quick as ever, she scampered along the behemoth pausing only to lacerate his hide.
The two plummeted from the sky as Arum twisted and turned, trying in futility to wrest the dragoness from himself. Despite the furious assault, the wounds Cynder inflicted didn't last. Violet energy sparked from each cut she created, sealing Arum's body back together.
Annoyed by the lack of progress, the dragoness kicked with her hind legs rocketing the dragon towards the earth as she separated and spread her wings, steadily slowing her own descent. Arum crashed into the city streets cracking the cobble beneath him. He opened his eyes almost instantly. The first thing he noticed was Cynder, still floating far above him. The second form to catch his eye was a purple dragon hurtling towards him.
Arum didn't have a chance to react as Spyro smashed into his ribs. There was a sickening crack as a shockwave radiated outward from the two dragons. The ground beneath them heaved as Arum was shoved deeper into the newly formed crevice.
Not trusting that the unpredictable drake wouldn't simply spring up once more, Spyro planted his claws and pushed himself backward, landing lightly on the ground as Cynder descended to his side. The two watched as a burst of convexity pulsed from their enemy, his chest popping back into its original shape.
Shocked at his near instant recovery, Spyro was the first to act, spitting a bolt of lightning at the dark dragon. Arum was faster however, a beam of violet light escaping his lips. The energy overwhelmed the electricity instantly and Spyro and Cynder had to leap aside to not be caught in the blast.
"Hold him!" Cynder shouted as she darted lightly across the ruinous landscape around them.
Spyro didn't need to be told twice. He didn't know what she was planning, but it didn't matter. The purple dragon grasped at his element and the temperature around him dropped instantly. Ice stretched across the stones until it reached Arum, encasing his claws.
Irritated, the black dragon didn't even try to free himself. Instead, he glared at Spyro, a beam of convexity coursing forth. Not expecting such a response, Spyro hardly reacted as the energy collided with him. While he could absorb some of the volatile energy, its density alone still sent him tumbling head over heel across the ground.
In that brief moment, Cynder took her chance. She pounced from her perch, her talons tearing the rubble beneath her asunder. Deftly, she spun through the sky her bladed tail slicing towards the black dragon's neck with deadly precision.
Where she should have felt her blade sever his skull, she instead stifled a yelp as teeth clenched around her tail. Arum had managed to rear his head back far enough to dodge her strike. Cynder braced herself as she felt him tug on her tail painfully, wrenching her through the air. She flew for a short time before crashing into a half standing structure, knocking out yet another wall from its fractured form.
Spyro shook his head, shrugging off the blow that had floored him. He only witnessed Cynder being tossed aside. It was enough for him to realize that things had gone awry. While he worried for her safety, he knew the best thing he could do to keep her from harm was to continue the fight. The purple dragon spat two fireballs at the maniacally grinning black drake. Arum turned just in time to see the whistling projectiles explode at his paws.
Spyro heard him roar through the explosion. A moment later, Arum dashed through the plumes of smoke, jaws widening, claws outstretched as he lunged at Spyro's throat. There was murder in his eyes. The violet dragon grit his teeth and stamped the earth a barrier jutting forth before him. He heard Arum crash into it, the slab cracking from the force and then shattering entirely.
Spyro's eyes widened as he was met with Arum's furious glare for a split second before the black dragon pinned him to the ground. His claws swiped once across the purple dragon's crest opening fresh wounds, blood spattering on the stones. Spyro roared in agony as he thumped his tail against the ground on instinct alone.
Spears of earth rushed forth from his sides, piercing Arum's hide, but he simply cackled and snapped the impediments knocking any fragments away with ease. The onyx dragon raised his claws once more, ready to continue his onslaught. It wouldn't come to pass however as Cynder burst from the shadows beneath him. She rammed her head into Arum's chest, knocking him off balance. It gave them enough space that Spyro could manage to slap the ground once more, a chunk of earth knocking the black dragon all the way over.
As Arum crashed, his mere weight shaking the earth, Spyro gathered himself. He could feel Cynder's worried eyes upon him, asking the silent question.
"I'm fine." Spyro answered, ignoring the flaring pain in his chest and the sensation of blood trickling across his golden crest.
"We have to keep wearing him down." Cynder said after a brief moment, trusting her mate well enough to not prod him on his injuries.
"Easier said than done." Spyro muttered as he watched Arum rising once more to meet them.
Taelas felt convexity wash over him. He struggled to stay standing as Sol unleashed his wrath mere inches away from his face. Grunting, the purple dragon dove to the side skipping across the marble flooring, smoke rising from his scales. He heard Sol laugh as he began to pick himself up. He'd never been so thankful to have his violet coat in his life.
His eyes darted to Lyara; the silver dragoness had reacted to the attack, but was still stiff and unmoving. Her resolve was no doubt teetering as she tried to determine what to do, Sol's words having overwhelming her mind. Looking back to the white drake, Taelas found him turning to look at his sister. He knew nothing good could come of such an interaction. Whether it was words or an attack that he would spew, Sol would only tear her down further.
Unwilling to let such a thing come to pass, Taelas stamped the floor. As Sol opened his jaw a slab of marble knocked into his chest. The white dragon hardly had time to absorb the shock as he felt a sudden heat. Fires burned around Taelas, the flames streaking from his hide like jets. The young dragon rushed forward, burning streaks of black into the marble flooring.
Sol's claws stretched towards him; his reflexes primed as he swiped at the purple dragon. To the god's surprise, Taelas skidded to a stop, the black talons missing their target by a hair. The flames however, continued forward as a fireball the size of a small house swept forth and carried the agitated dragon away.
Taelas ignored the crackling fires and furious cursing of his adversary as he turned to Lyara who still seemed dumbstruck. The silver dragoness returned the stare, but it was devoid of any true emotion. Her red eyes were watering, but Taelas couldn't bring himself to take pity on her, not yet, this was no time for such things.
"Lyara!" He shouted, his voice making the dragoness jump. "I need your help!" The purple dragon growled emphatically.
"But I-
"No buts!" Taelas interrupted. He paused for a second, his concern for her showing through for the briefest of instants. "Remember what you came here to do. Remember what's at stake."
"What's at stake." The dragoness said quietly, staring upward at the rift in dimensions that threatened to swallow them whole.
"That's right." Taelas said before narrowing his eyes. "Now I need you to snap out of it!" He barked.
The silver dragoness twitched slightly at his raised voice. Her visage faltered for a moment, but quickly hardened once again. She gave a curt nod that Taelas returned, relieved that he hadn't simply shattered her composure. The purple dragon turned, knowing he'd given his enemy far too much time to recover already. Before he could register it, he felt the white dragon's skull in his chest. Lyara's eyes widened as her brother launched the purple dragon away. His body crashed through the foundation of the guardian tower, and, from what Lyara could hear, another building no more than a second later.
"Taelas!" She called desperately, only to me met with silence. She wanted to run to him, but knew it wouldn't be allowed. Slowly, her eyes panned up to her brother who smirked at her.
"Is it concern for an ally, or something more that makes you call out so dramatically?" Sol asked smirking at his relative.
Lyara didn't answer as she took a step back. She desperately wished she could still utilize her icy element, but knew those times had long since passed. There was still another method at her disposal, something that, if it worked, would prove far more powerful against her brother. The white dragon smiled at her, very aware of the difference in power between them.
"What Marindor hoped to accomplish by sending you here I'll never know." Sol chided. "Perhaps he just wanted to ease his own conscience. To die thinking that he'd put forth an effort, no matter how meager."
Lyara did what she could to ignore his jabs. They would do nothing but harm after all. Instead, she leapt forward and latched onto the white dragon's leg much like a child, gripping him as tightly as she could she'd only have the element of surprise once.
"What's this?" Sol asked. "Desperation? Or some ill guided attempt to sway…
The white dragon faltered as he looked down to see the dragoness' scales slowly tinting to a violet hue. The change was slight, but enough to set off a chain of thoughts in Sol's mind. His eyes widening in realization, Sol raised his foreleg and attempted to throw her off.
The silver dragoness clung tightly onto him; her eyes shut as she tried to concentrate on the task before her. To some degree she was surprised. She wasn't sure she'd be able to lift the energy directly from Sol's body. She managed it with other creatures like the apes of course but her brothers were entirely different beasts.
In a fury, Sol reached across with his other paw, grasping the smaller dragoness and ripping her from his limb. Her talons raked his scales, but the wound simply closed itself up, telltale purple sparks emanating from it in place of blood. With a disgusted look, Sol tossed the dragoness aside. Lyara bounced once before slamming into a nearby wall, the breath leaving her body. As she crumpled to the ground trying to suck in oxygen Sol kept his distance, glaring at her.
"I see." He said, pure ire in his words. "The old fool did more than I gave him credit for. I knew you could absorb convexity that was weaponized against you. Your ability to repair the focal points means you have some level of intuition regarding the weave as well. But as it turns out, you still had another trick to show."
Lyara didn't answer as she rose on wobbling legs. She could feel the energy she'd absorbed eating at her. Silently, she wondered where Taelas was, surely, he hadn't been done in by the previous attack. As she considered her options, she tried to steady her breathing content to let her brother ponder aloud if it wasted time.
"To be able to pull convexity directly from another living being." Sol said shaking his head. "The old boulder really outdid himself. Still, it doesn't matter. Seems even he couldn't predict the toll it would take on your body. You'd end up suffocating yourself before you could end me."
"You'd be surprised what I'm capable of." Lyara growled as she readied herself. It was a bluff of course, she doubted that she'd be able to simply pull the life from her brother without being slashed to pieces, but she had few other options at the moment.
"You won't live long enough to try it." Sol snarled, his penchant for games gone.
The white dragon took one solitary step and the earth rumbled in response. Lyara braced herself, fearful of whatever new power he was about to invoke. When she saw Sol's eyes shifting wearily, she promptly mimicked his confusion.
It was then that Taelas burst from the marble beneath the white dragon. The purple dragon soared upwards ramming Sol's chin and knocking him onto his hind legs. Fury in his eyes, the youth reared his head back and spat a crimson bomb at his enemy. An explosion boomed forth, enclosing Sol entirely. Taelas opened his wings, the heat and wind pushing him backwards to where he landed next to Lyara.
"Sorry, I left you alone." He said, glancing at her. Despite the dire circumstances she was smiling, glad at his unexpected, but welcome, return. Taelas watched her shake her head and he turned back to Sol who was emerging from the torrent of fire he'd been doused with. His blackened scales popped with violet energy, renewing themselves.
Taelas narrowed his eyes as he lowered himself into a ready position. "You with me?" He asked quietly.
"Always." Lyara answered as they both burst forward in opposite directions, each focused on the scowling Sol.
Spyro wobbled as the earth beneath him trembled. He could just see Arum beginning to rise. The black dragon appeared to be shaking, but the purple dragon was having a hard time deciphering what was moving, the earth or Arum.
Suddenly, Arum released a roar that was louder than any the two had ever heard. Cynder winced as the sound deafened her other senses. Through pained eyes she looked to Spyro who thrusted his horns to the sky. She didn't argue, not that he would be able to hear her anyway.
The two dragons leapt backwards, their wings flapping as they gained some distance from the ball of rage that was Arum. Cynder watched the black dragon cautiously until she noticed Spyro beckoning her in her periphery. The purple dragon pointed a claw at the grim violet scar that loomed above them.
Cynder watched as, to her horror, the rift widened, seemingly in reaction to the black dragon's call. She muttered a curse to herself as lightning struck nearby. More rubble lifted into the air, and worse, began to tumble through space at dangerous speeds. The natural laws of the world were fading as the rift widened.
Still unable to communicate over the noise, Spyro called upon one of his elements. Cynder felt the temperature drop as her mate pulled ice from the air. They made eye contact and she nodded to him. A moment later, Spyro launched all six icicles he'd created. Cynder drew her wings back and thrashed them forward, the distortion in the air was almost visible as it propelled the ice like a hail of bullets.
The first struck Arum's leg, the impact deadening his cry. As silence fell once more the second and third pierced his side. Refusing to be further impaled the black dragon stretched his wing and swept the other missiles aside. Seeing no more incoming he shifted, shattering the ice that held him in the process, hardly aware of his already sealing wounds.
"This is insane." Cynder breathed, glad at least to be able to hear her own thoughts once again.
"To think we tried to fight both at once." Spyro muttered.
"We can't let him open the rift any further." Cynder said, eyeing the chaotic environment that was only growing more unstable around them.
Spyro nodded, quietly as he considered the situation. "I'll distract him, you come up with something." He said as he snapped forward. He could feel Cynder scowl at him, unhappy at being left to ponder a strategy. Spyro didn't mind, she would come through for him, she always did. For now, it was simply important to keep the black dragon busy while they worked out a way to bury him.
As the purple dragon grew near, he watched as Arum tensed. With another, albeit less deafening, roar, a pulse of convexity erupted from the black dragon. His momentum making it nearly impossible to dodge, the energy crashed into the purple dragon and he landed sooner than expected. To his credit, he did keep his footing. The brief exposure to the volatile energy made his body numb, but did little else.
He didn't have time to consider how lucky his partial immunity to the attack was as Arum rushed towards him. Spyro dodged the first swipe and swung his tail around, bashing the black dragon aside. Arum was quick to recover however and he leapt up and headbutted the purple drake, knocking him back through a dilapidated structure. Arum watched with satisfaction as the building collapsed onto his foe. His smile was wiped away almost immediately however as the stone that should have crushed the purple dragon suddenly defied gravity.
A short moment later the shards were catapulting back towards him. Unphased, he opened his maw, convexity turning the rock to dust that harmlessly swept past his claws. A superior smirk on his face, Arum charged forward once again.
Spyro, who was only just rising, dipped to the side, his wounds protesting as the black dragon whisking past him. Arum must have been expecting such a move as he turned and slashed with claws leaving the purple dragon with another gash along his flank. Spyro retaliated in a similar manner, his claws digging through the flesh of enemy's forearm. Of course, it immediately began to heal in spite of his efforts. As Arum grinned at him, the violet dragon spat electricity and backpedaled into the air to create distance.
The paralyzing shock didn't hold Arum for long and as Spyro landed he looked up to find his adversary already mid pounce. Staggering in shock, the adult fell onto his back. With Arum closing in, his mind raced and almost without thinking he propped up his legs catching his enemy in his claws. Arum's neck stretched as he tried to tear a chunk from his target's hide, but with straining muscles Spyro kicked off, launching the obsidian dragon away to land on his own back with a dull thud.
As Spyro scrambled to an upright position he heard a familiar voice beneath him. His mind caught up a second later and he faced his shadow to see the silhouette of Cynder's eyes within.
"Sink him into the earth." She said quickly. "A pit, and cage the top."
Spyro didn't question the command. Grasping the earth, he roared menacingly, rearing back and slamming his front paws into the ground. A shockwave rippled forth. The rising Arum stumbled, and Spyro watched as the ground beneath him suddenly gave way and he crashed out of sight. Breathing heavily, Spyro approached the side to find the black dragon recovering already. He slapped the ground again and pillars of stone burst from the rim intersecting and leaving Arum to look up at a series of barriers. It hardly seemed to bother him as he leveled a disappointed scowl at the violet dragon for his feeble attempt at entrapment.
Spyro couldn't say he was very impressed with the idea either. He peeked at his shadow, expecting to still see Cynder's eyes staring back him, however there was nothing there, she'd already moved on.
A grunt from Arum drew Spyro's attention once more. He peered into the pit to find the black dragon being tossed and shoved about. Amidst the shadows was a slicing darkness. Cynder's lithe form shot from shadow to shadow passing over her foe with each jump. Her claws raked his hide as her tail blade pierced his flesh. By the time Arum turned to snap at her she was already gone, leaving only violet sparks in her wake.
Taelas jumped above Sol's deadly claws. His hind legs were still caught sending him rolling in mid-air. Thinking quickly, he grasped at the earth with his mind, a chunk of rock jutting out to catch him at an angle. His blackened talons gripped the stone and it snapped from its lodging. His muscles straining, the dragon swept himself around hurling the stone at Sol.
The white dragon felt the rock hit his shoulder and growled in irritation. He spat a beam of convexity at the lilac drake who jumped away, a smattering of stone pelting his hide. Sol went to turn towards Lyara but, to his annoyance, Taelas landed and immediately bounded forward once more.
Growling, Sol turned his attention once more to the relentless pest. Taelas scampered forward and breathed a wave of flame. Unphased, Sol swept his powerful wings once, the gust scattering the fire back towards the purple dragon.
It was then he felt Lyara's paw upon his hind leg. Instantly, he felt his lifeforce being drained. The pace at which it was dispersing was far quicker than he'd imagined. A bolt of electricity jolted him back to reality. Snarling, Sol spat a small but powerful burst of convexity. The energy impacted at Taelas' paws explosively and tossed him into the air, burning his scales rock peppering his hide.
Having gained the time he needed; Sol shifted leaving a concentrating Lyara to stumble forward as she lost her physical connection to her brother. Sol mused at her tinting scales. Lyara looked up to meet his gaze. She did her best to hold a stern appearance, but Sol could see the uneasiness in her eyes.
"Still the same nuisance you were all those years ago." He snarled, eliciting no response from his sister.
The conversation didn't get a chance to continue as lightning crackled and Taelas snapped into the back of Sol's skull. Sol's head dipped forward, but, as if he'd been expecting it, his paw reached out and grabbed the purple dragon's tail as he zipped past. Taelas yelped as his hide stretched, his momentum quickly being lost as he dangled upside down in front of the white dragon who grinned at him.
Taelas opened his maw, and Sol saw a telltale orange flicker in the back of his throat. The white dragon moved faster however and swung the dragon by his tail through the air only to slam him into the marble, the surface cracking under the impact.
Taelas gasped as he broke the marble tiles beneath his body, his entire world shook as pain radiated through his body. Somewhere, he heard Lyara call to him as his vision swayed unpredictably. With considerable effort he tried to raise his head, but found his muscles unwilling to comply leaving him to lay prone. Through his blurred vision, he saw Lyara next to him, the embodiment of worry. Of course, the purple dragon's muddled mind still tried to focus on Sol, he could see the white behemoth watching them curiously, making no moves yet.
"Taelas get up!" Lyara shouted desperately, nudging the fallen dragon as hard as she dared. She watched as his eyes fluttered, his consciousness coming and going. "Don't leave me here alone!" She cried. "I need you!"
"Need him, do you?" Sol questioned from behind her.
The dragoness stiffened and, in a flurry, she turned and opened her maw the convexity she'd absorbed pouring forth. She felt it sap her strength as well, but ignored the feeling. When it had left her system entirely, she noted that she'd only succeeded in pushing her brother back several feet, leaving him otherwise unharmed. Silently she chastised herself for acting without thinking.
"Anyone else and you'd likely have done them in." Sol said idly.
Lyara ignored him and turned back to Taelas, the purple dragon hadn't moved. He was still, aside from the slightest movements of his chest shifting up and down. She nudged him again, willing him to get up, knowing that she'd have little chance alone.
"Please get up Taelas." She whispered urgently.
"You've grown quite attached to him." Sol prodded from behind her, he was moving closer, Lyara's dread growing proportionately. She turned angry crimson eyes upon him. The look was enough to make even Sol pause, a smile coming across his lips. He noted the shimmer on her lids.
"Seems you are in fact more than just companions." He offered casually. Lyara watched his eyes focus on Taelas' body. She could see the knowing glint, watch as a sly grin pursed his lips.
"Sol…" She said, trying to keep her nervousness hidden.
"What kind of brother would I be if I didn't keep ruffians away from my dearest sister?" Sol asked with a smile.
"You won't touch another scale on him." Lyara hissed as she turned and readied herself.
Her threat was met with a laugh as Sol began to approach them. Lyara wasted no time and darted forward. Sol's talons reached out to meet her, but she ducked to the side. Understanding her disadvantage, the dragoness bashed into his other leg sweeping it from underneath him.
Genuinely surprised, Sol stumbled as he tried to regain his footing only to have Lyara knock against his underbelly. While small she packed enough punch to lift him from the ground slightly.
Sol scrambled immediately, trying to regain sight of the dragoness when he felt her weight upon his back. A moment later he felt convexity being forcefully tugged from his body. Craning his neck, he saw his sister with her paws planted, talons digging into his hide. Without a second thought, he shook her loose with ease and reared his back legs up to kick her falling body away.
As the white dragon turned to face her, Lyara landed on her paws doing her best to shrug off the previous. The two siblings glared at each other, neither willing to back down. Sol was the first to move, convexity burst from his maw. The silver dragoness cringed. She knew she had no time to dodge and instead held firm as she focused inwardly and absorbed the blast into her body.
When the purple light faded, she found Sol before her. Her mouth opened in shock, but the white dragon slammed a paw down atop her, knocking her skull against the rapidly deteriorating marble flooring and crushing body. Through the haze that left her reeling, Lyara felt her brother remove his paw and she strained to look up at him. She found he was once again looking to Taelas, who hadn't moved. Lyara watched as Sol turned back and gave her a vicious smile.
"Now you can watch from there as I tear him limb from limb." Sol muttered darkly. "All the while knowing that you were the one to bring this upon him."
Lyara didn't speak, the words of defiance wouldn't leave her lips. Still, she struggled to rise much to Sol's chagrin. Looking almost bored he brandished a sharp onyx talon and thrust it into the dragoness' hind leg, a spurt of blood staining his white scales.
Lyara screamed in agony, all semblance of stoicism gone from her mind. A second later, Taelas eyes snapped open. The purple dragon raised his head, immediately regretting it as he rolled onto his side, his paw catching and holding him somewhat upright. His vision swirled as he tried his best to remain perfectly still.
As his environment came into focus, he dared to look up. He could see the carnage around him, the collapsed buildings, the tear in the sky, the stillness of the floating rocks. The last realization left him perplexed as the rubble in the air had been constantly shifting and crashing into itself. The purple dragon blinked and when he still saw no movement, he turned to find Sol frozen along with Lyara. Droplets of blood were hanging in midair, a grizzly smile was stuck on Sol's face, a look of anguish on Lyara's.
"It's just like before." Taelas said in awe as he considered the only other occasion that he'd managed to wrest control over time in Ryn's village. He stood slowly, his head pounding as he watched the two siblings locked in a brutal struggle. He half expected them to snap back into motion at any instant.
"Somewhat confusing at first, isn't it?" A voice asked from beside him.
Taelas whirled around to face the mystery speaker, his head immediately reprimanding him for his actions. He felt sick as he stumbled and struggled to stay standing. The voice said no more, but he could see part of the figure before him. It was a dragon, a large one, likely male judging by the thickness of his legs.
Taelas ventured to skim his eyes upwards across the teal scales of the newcomer. He raised a brow as he found saddlebags adorned at his sides and a large crystal hanging from his neck. When he found the dragon's eyes, they seemed to pierce him and he hesitantly took a step back as he realized he was clearly being examined.
"You look so much like him its uncanny." The dragon added, his voice weathered, but comforting. A small smile played across the adult's lips as he noted Taelas' crimson wings and crest. "With a bit of Cynder mixed in as well of course."
"Who are you?" Taelas ventured, holding his attention on the elder before him. He seemed somehow familiar, yet he was sure he'd never seen a dragon like him before. Despite his mind telling him to worry he felt at ease in the dragon's presence.
The older dragon chuckled quietly. "I am known now as the chronicler." He said simply. He noticed a small glint in Taelas' eye, understanding steadily creeping in, as stories from his father popped into his mind. "However, you might be more familiar with my other name. Ignitus."