A thundering clap drew Azulia from her trance. She has been staring at the moon and the stars for a brief moment while her mate slept. Sleep did not come to her that often, if at all. Even if she was sleepy, that certainly woke her up. Cyril did not awaken from the noise, but a smaller vampire nearly fell when his icy platform cracked.
Glancing down to the courtyard, she saw a familiar figure. Why was Yeras here again? She was down in a moment and there she saw that she was different. She had just saw the transformation and yet there was something off. Did she miss a few details? No, that was not possible; this one had stormy eyes that crackled with electricity.
And he was male.
"Hiya!" The male Yeras greeted her enthusiastically. "Are you Azulia? I remember Yeras mentioning you but I can't always tell anymore." He said with a tilt of his head.
"Yes." Azulia answered slowly. "And you are?"
"Oh, right. I'm Scyion, Yeras's twin." He shook her claw. His touch was static, like raw electricity coursed through his talons. "I couldn't stand being up in the air elemental plane; too giddy that my sister was alive so I took a small vacation to visit her."
"Air elemental plane?" Azulia raised an eyeridge. Yeras had never mentioned this one to her and yet there was no denying the similarities.
Scyion walked around a bit, letting the snow crunch under his claw. "I have never felt snow." He said as he picked it up. "Anyway yes, I am a steward of the Lord of Air, Aethion. I sonic-boomed my way down; sorry about the noise by the way." He said sheepishly.
"Yeras has never mentioned you." Azulia just accepted it at this point. Given all that happened, nothing surprised her anymore. She had no idea if that was a horrifying thought or not. "Then again, she wasn't here too long to chat. We barely had time to process Spyro being back..."
"Oh, I don't blame her for not mentioning me; probably never came up." Scyion shrugged and pulled out a crystal. "Says she was here not too long ago but for some reason I can't find her on this. Do you know where she went?"
"Sorry, I can't tell you that just yet." Azulia narrowed her eyes at him. "You look like her, but how do I know you are not a trick sent by The Sorcerer or Malefor?"
Scyion gave her a confused look at first. "Oh right, I just kinda showed up and-yeah okay gimmie a second."
He reared onto his hind legs. A vortex surrounded him as silvery runes on his body began to glow. His eyes shone brighter, and a symbol appeared on his head. She couldn't quite tell what it meant other than it was ancient and powerful; nothing like anything the Sorcerer had done.
When he finished, he fell back to all fours. "There, you saw the symbol, right?"
"Yes I did. I know they mentioned going to see your lord, but I had to make sure." Azulia stated.
"Oh I understand completely!" He nodded vigorously.
"She went to the Chronicler's Isle." Azulia told him. "Even with your powers you likely wont be able to just teleport in. I'd contact The Chronicler himself if you can."
He held up his crystal again; inside, she could see a swirling maelstrom. "Oh I see it. Thank you!"
Just like that, he was gone in a bolt of lightning. For a moment, Azulia just stood there with her bewildered kin. No one expected this and a low murmur fell between them.
"Oh dear there is another one." Azulia rubbed her temple. "This conversation is going to be so much fun…"
Yeras never felt restricted in her movements in the past, but this was next level. Her body was lighter and more fluid than ever before. She avoided the bolts of magic that dummies fired at her with ease and kept it up for about five moments before being hit. Her body was wired and stimulated constantly and if there was one downside, it was that she was always out of breath from how fast her heart beat.
It was utterly impossible to sit still and listen to Ignitus talk about what she needed to do. Something about controlling her movements better. Ugh, she wanted to listen but everything was just so distracting! Her echolocation fired off almost constantly now, allowing her to see everything as they happened instead of waiting on soundwaves.
"Did you hear what I said?" Ignitus's voice powered through her wandering mind.
"Uh...no." She answered quietly. Or at least tried to. "I can't pay attention. It's not your fault it's just thatitsutterlyimpossibletofocuswithoutbeing-oh there I go again."
"It's been two days and it still hasn't subsided." He muttered and paced. "I have an idea that may work."
He pulled up a few dummies in the arena they were in. It was hidden away and quite small compared to what she expected. According to Ignitus, before he inherited the isle, it used to be where the previous Chroniclers would have their best champions and heroes combat each other to learn and train. With the world the way it was, it was doubtful Ignitus would be able to do the same.
"I want you to try and chain your electricity between them." He instructed.
Yeras nodded and reared onto her hind legs, foreclaws down by her hips. Raw elemental energy split the air and crackled forth. She knew the moment it released she had messed up, for she just about fell forward in exhaustion. The lightning caused the first one to explode and burnt the others, but she was face-down in the ground as a result.
At least she could pay attention again.
"Well, the good news is that you would have obliterated any immediate enemy." Ignitus gave her an emerald. "You're getting better but you lack restraint. That's your biggest flaw right now."
"Well at least I can take out anyone near me now." Yeras's voice was muffled before she lifted her head. "Now what? Do it again?"
"Actually, you have earned a small break." Ignitus beamed down on her. "You have a visitor that has been waiting patiently to see you."
She gave him a confused look before a loud CLAP nearly made her deaf and even more blind. Her vision was momentarily filled with something that looked like static before she realized what was going on. She recognized the familiar shape and shot like a bolt at it, nearly knocking her twin to the ground.
"How?" Yeras pulled back from her embrace. "I thought you could only come down when we were going to fight?"
"I never said that." Scyion replied with a wide grin. "I asked my Lord if I could spend time with you before and he granted it to me."
"Yes, you can be excused." Ignitus said when Yeras looked back.
The two off almost immediately. Yeras bristled with excitement and felt the energy she had tried so very hard to tame surge back. It was all she could do not to bound into the air. She startled a fish on accident with her movements, causing it to nearly slap Scyion in the face in its panic.
"So...you can use electricity now." Scyion broke the silence.
"Yep! I did the thing and I'm a purple now." Yeras bobbled her head. 'Did the thing'. What was she, ten? Then again, that was the age where – no she wasn't going to think back.
"Well I'm glad." He tilted his head as they got to a small beach. He shifted the sand over his scales like a hatchling experiencing it for the first time. "What caused the change, if I may ask?"
"Spyro tried to share his experiences with me, purple to purple. See if he could repair my core." Yeras bent down and found some feed for the fishes that floated. They began to circle around her, bumping into her occasionally. "It caused an overload of sorts and was destabilizing me. So I had to change to survive."
"I've never heard of such a process." Scyion was given a few to feed the fishes. His reaction to them swimming around him was one of astonishment and excitement. "Speaking of, I thought Spyro was the body for The Sorcerer?"
"Apparently he broke free." Yeras answered quietly. "Can I trust you to be discreet?"
"Of course."
"I don't fully trust it; not yet." She said quickly. "It just seems really convenient. But at the same time, all of our suspicions were wrong before. I've even heard rumbling in the past that Faulnox was Spyro. So I'll give him the benefit of the doubt."
"This is a new outlook for you." Scyion said after a moment. "Not bad, but to be honest, I was thinking the same thing when Azulia mentioned it."
"Well, ever since I transformed, I've noticed a few things." Yeras finished feeding the fish. They still swam around her for a bit before slowly started to disperse. "Mostly physical so far."
"Nothing bad I should hope."
"No."
Scyion looked around a bit. "Actually, come to think of it, where are the others?"
"Not sure. Cyndi's probably sleeping again."
"Cyndi?"
Yeras shifted a bit. "What we used to call her as affection."
"Ah, I see."
The two of them passed more time with small talk. For Yeras, it was both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. It brought back memories, but also allowed her to create new ones. She didn't think she would see him again so soon, so this...she never wanted it to stop. Seeing his excitement about the smallest of things as they wandered around was just the breath of fresh air she needed.
Malefor stomped into his lab and nearly startled a few of his servants into dropping several vials. He snarled as he took in the lab with fresh eyes. Just the other day, this place would have been nothing more than a haven of sorts. Instead, it was a place of horrors. Abominations, plagued victims, the like. Each vial held something that could wipe out a small town if administered.
To make matters worse, a familiar cloaked figure stood toward the middle of the lab.
"Ah, I was wondering when you'd show." The Sorcerer said, his voice more raspy and withered. "Impressive work."
"What are you doing here?" Malefor narrowed his eyes.
"Isn't it obvious?" Glacia reappeared next to him and whispered into his ear. From the lack of reactions, he was the only one who could see her. "He suspects you, Malefor. Why else would he just show up?"
"I've been hearing about this little project of yours. I came down to see it." The Sorcerer said cheerily. "Even if its not done I would like to see the progress."
Malefor said nothing. He had mentioned it in the past, but he never thought now would be the time that he decided to pop in. While passing, he got a chance to look at the body of the Sorcerer. This purple he used as a skin-suit looked like a dry raisin. He must have pulled this one out of deep storage; it was a wonder how it held together.
"Why that body?" Malefor changed the subject briefly.
"The other one couldn't contain me for the moment. So I chose this one while it recharged."
Malefor narrowed his gaze as the Sorcerer stepped downstairs. There was more to that story; granted, he did know the endgame of their little plan, but it didn't explain the rapid body changes. He was burning through them faster than Spyro, as if they could not contain his power. The raw power radiated from the form and threatened to destabilize a few of the carefully crafted creations.
Underground was massive, ten times the size of upstairs. More Necrolites and workers scurried around down here. A low humming hit his ears; the sound of the weapon. A small smile hit his muzzle. All of his hard work over the past two years had begun to pay off. No one, not even The Sorcerer, would be able to survive this.
"Well, let's hope it kills you too." Glacia whispered into his ear. She floated beside him, her wispy form more like a skeleton now. Great, now she can read his mind. "Yes I can, dearie." She added sinisterly.
Passing by wards and other protective mechanisms, he watched her continuously be shredded and mutilated by them. It was horrific and gory the way they dismantled her – Exploding into ink, body parts ripped off – but she continued to return. She was persistent and forever, just like she was back when he was young.
"This is it?" The Sorcerer asked as they came across a dark chasm. No light emanated from it; even if he were to shoot a ball of fire, it would just be swallowed up by the darkness. He could hear the humming of the machine and see various souls being drawn toward it. The ones that were embodied to him, however, stayed.
"This is it." Malefor confirmed.
"Interesting." The Sorcerer bent down and held a claw over the hole. "That amount of power...you could obliterate an entire world with it. Surprised you kept it hidden for so long."
"It needed to be perfected." The purple answered slowly. Glacia drifted over the hole, standing above it like a specter. In the darkness, eyes snapped open and glared at Malefor. They didn't bother him so much as surprise him. Each and every soul going into it was aware he was there.
"Speaking of," The Sorcerer stood up. "You have lost control of your undead." His glinting white eyes bore into Malefor. "Don't think I hadn't noticed."
"A temporary set back." Malefor explained smoothly.
"See that it is, and don't come out until you are in control again." The Sorcerer fired a beam at him and knocked him into the gaping darkness. It…hurt. The blow hurt. It was so foreign to him, like when Yeras had managed to make him feel pain. He was stuck in free-fall, time slowed down as he fell deeper and deeper into the darkness. All he could hear was the cries of the damned before blackness clouded his vision.
Viberian came to a small epiphany as he trained against the dummies. He was trying so hard to be precise with his element, and as a result was always too slow or too weak to do anything. Condensing his power into a smaller forms drew a lot more from his core as well. So, he came up with a better idea.
Drown everything in fire.
Ever since that fight in the lab, his mind had ticked away at how effective it was and how he could do more with it. With a few idea bouncing with Kalmorag, they both realized he was much better at widespread attacks. As such, he had been practicing for what felt like days.
The dummies reset, and Viberian wanted to test something new. Dodging and dashing to and fro, he managed to clump the dummies together. While he did that a lava-like substance began to form in his mouth. It was a slow build and while it didn't burn him, the heat that radiated threatened to burst out before it was ready.
Then, it was time to unleash his attack. Liquid flame poured out of his maw and gushed like a waterfall. It was slower than his other attacks, but the devastation it wrought was worth it. The dummies that stepped onto it began to ignite or melt. This attack wouldn't be good in the middle of a chaotic battle, but if they had to funnel something? Oh, the damage it could cause!
"That's about ten percent less strain on your core. It's actually recovering for once." Kalmorag reported.
"When do you think it'll be optimal?"
"Five months at this rate."
"Okay but what if we get separated? Will I be able to hold my own for a bit?"
"Doubtful. But, knowing our life, it can change at any moment."
Viberian flopped to the ground, exhausted. He'd been at this all day. It was kind of lonely to train day after day without anyone really here. Their sleep schedule was so mixed up that oftentimes only one would be awake and it left little time for them to interact or even say hi. Maybe he should stay up until Cynder or Yeras gets up. Hell, he wouldn't even mind Spyro. Just someone.
"Viberian." Came the voice he least expected.
Ignitus strolled into the training ground. His expression was one of regret and Viberian knew exactly what was going to happen. It was about time, too.
"What?" The fire guardian asked anyway.
"I believe it is time for me to explain myself to you." Ignitus said slowly. "You have more than earned the right to know."
Viberian shut his eyes and let out a huff. Better sooner than later, he supposed. "Go on."
"It will actually be better to show you what happened." Ignitus said as he pulled out his own book. It glittered a crimson color and flickered with flame. It floated before Viberian and a flash temporarily blinded him.
Twenty five years ago, my mistake was made in your eyes. It is something that I myself have never forgiven myself for, and I do not expect yours even by the end of this. Looking back, there was so much more that I could do. Yet, we can't change the past no matter how much we try. See through my eyes, Viberian, and then judge.
Ignitus snarled as a torrent of flame washed over the apes in one of the main halls. The damned mongrels were limitless! The reports of ape movements didn't even come close to how many streamed into the temple. They marched forth with zero regard of their own safety; even for apes this was unnatural. Some dark force was controlling them – The dark Master, perhaps?
It didn't matter. He was going to burn each and every one of them before they came anywhere near the egg chamber. That was where they were going from the looks of it; how did they catch wind of the purple? Were there spies among them? It was impossible – no self-respecting dragon would ever do such a thing!
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement. There, huddled away, was Viberian. He was quivering in his scales and called out to the elder dragon.
"What are you still doing here?!" Ignitus roared. "Get out of here; NOW!"
"The way got blocked!" Viberian's voice barely carried above the shouts and yelps of the apes.
Frustration snapped in his mind. Why wouldn't it be blocked? Nothing was going right this evening, after all, so why would this?
"Go to the end of the hall and take a sharp left. Once there, dive out a window and it will take you to a swamp."
"What do I-"
"STOP TALKING AND RUN!"
Viberian took the cue and scampered away as more apes flooded the chamber. This time, they brought explosives. They detonated upon contact with any surface, forcing Ignitus to retreat back. The temple shuddered and heaved under the assault. A draconic guard was flung backward through a wall from a bomb, his face all but gone.
Another shout drew his attention. His sister was in trouble! Eyes widened in horror, he neglected to realize an ape had lunged at his chest. Ignitus didn't feel the blade penetrate the space between his scales. Not immediately, anyway. He drenched the halls in fire once again and took off, the pain slowly starting to form as blood dribbled from the wound.
A horrific sight greeted him. Part of the temple had collapsed and bodies littered the floor. Young, old; no one was spared. Ignitus charged through the apes who were still defiling the corpses, burning them to cinders. Frantically, he searched for his sister but could not find her. Kicking down the guest rooms, he managed to find a few survivors and got them to safety before returning for any more. It wasn't as much as he hoped, but it was better than none.
Then, he found her. His eyes widened at her bloodied, battered body. She was alive but barely breathing. Her pulse was practically non-existent. Creating a wall of fire around them, he held her close; she wouldn't survive even if he had rubies.
"Immolia." Ignitus barely managed to choke out. "I-…" He couldn't form the words. This was his last chance to say goodbye, and he was screwing it up!
"Did…Viberian…g-get out?" She wheezed out.
"Yes." Ignitus gave a reassuring smile, tears streaming down his face.
"Good." She coughed up blood. "You…"
Whatever words she had died in her mouth as her breathing suddenly stopped. Her wounds had caught up to her, and she fell limp in his claws. He shuddered and convulsed, ready to unleash a fury that would obliterate all the apes. Flames flickered from his eyes and licked his maw. No more would suffer at their paws any longer.
A crash from the egg room followed by the cry of Terrador broke his concentration. That was right; he couldn't do it. Not yet. The eggs were the priority!
Leaving his sister, he lashed out at any ape that got in his way and barreled through the door. He froze; no, no, NO! The eggs – they were all destroyed! What little was left was being smashed by the apes. The anger that had boiled came out in a ferocious roar that took them off guard long enough for Ignitus to slash and burn them.
Momentarily free of fighting, Ignitus searched for his child. He found him smashed and broken against the floor; not even an embryo. Nothing for him to hold except for crushed eggshells.
"SAVE THEM!" The younger Guardian, Volteer, shouted at him. The electric Dragon shouted something else that was drowned out by the rumbling of the temple, but Ignitus didn't need to be told twice.
Grabbing the purple egg, Ignitus took to the skies as the temple fell apart around him. He couldn't keep flying; his friends and mate needed him! But there was nowhere to put the egg without it being spotted. Where could – he spotted his salvation just as the thought process consumed his brain.
A river! The egg could float down it and be safe from the apes! He dove down and landed in the tall grass, pushing the egg along.
"May the ancestors look after you." Ignitus said as the egg drifted away. He watched it go for a moment before curling his talons and flying back to the temple. Free of all restrictions, he was going to bring hell to the Dark Master's forces, then search for his mate and Viberian.
Viberian stepped away from the book as the vision ended. He didn't know what to think anymore; seeing the other side of the story just obliterated most of his hatred if it were true. It's possible he could have altered it, but that was a thin accusation.
"Do you see now, Viberian?" The book snapped shut in midair. "I searched for you and my mate for so long, but I found neither of you. It wasn't until I became the chronicler did I discover what happened to the both of you."
"What happened?" Viberian asked quietly.
"She survived, but she thought I was dead. She found a new life with someone else, and I have not interfered to keep her happy." Ignitus said heavily. "Something I am realizing you are doing."
"Can we not discuss that right now?" Viberian muttered. "I…need a bit to process this."
"Of course." Ignitus gave a small, knowing smile. "By the way, I'd get some rest. I am not having all of you on different sleep schedules anymore, so be prepared to train against each other when you awaken."
"Oh good, I was getting lonely." He paused. "Actually wait, why aren't we having the others in the fortress train here too?"
Ignitus didn't have an answer.
"Guard your left more." Spyro said as he lifted Yeras off the ground. She and Spyro had been going at it for at least an hour, and just as she came close to victory, she had an opening that he was able to exploit.
"I'm doing it." Yeras scowled. "Let's not forget you've been fighting dark overlords for most of your life and I just started."
"I'm not trying to offend you." He said quickly. "You just need to do that more."
"One more." Yeras glanced to Ignitus for approval. Along the stands were Cynder, Viberian, and Scyion, but this time there was someone else; Azulia and Cyril. Cyril still had that look of disbelief on his muzzle and continued to look at Ignitus as if he were seeing a ghost; they evidently had not talked about this yet. Azulia was focused intently on their bouts, eyes narrowed critically.
Once he nodded, Spyro and Yeras got ready for round four. Yeras was determined not to let this happen again; the thought process made her heart race. Something was wrong, though. The way her heart raced and her increasing aggression was unlike her, even with the new changes. No one seemed to notice so maybe it was just her overthinking.
Spyro limited himself to the elements she had, but that didn't make their fights any easier. No, one blow from him and she was floored. Spyro was powerful and a juggernaut on the battlefield, but if there was one advantage she had over him, it was speed. Pacing herself was a problem, as well as trying not to use so much energy crystals.
They danced around each other, each trying to sneak in blows. She hit him more than a few times; glancing blows at best. Something was strange this battle; an energy began to radiate from all around. It was foreign and seeping, like raw magic.
Ignoring it for now, she continued the battle. Electricity whipped and cracked between them while ice crystals began to cover the floor. Traps were set in the ice on both end; One time, Spyro charged, only to have ice slam into his gut. He retaliated by zapping her through the ice, knocking her back. This kept going until something snapped within her.
Yeras fell to the ground as a writhing mess. The energy from before was seconds away from bursting out; it was the worst agony she had ever felt in her life! More than the experiments – More than any blow she had suffered. Spyro stopped mid-attack and his jaw opened slightly in surprise as she screamed out.
Then, the pain got worse. It was like her life itself was seeping away, but she felt stronger than ever before. Rearing onto her hind legs, she clutched her face and horns, screaming out. A blast of energy erupted from her maw as she did and that was when everything came together.
Convexity. She was using Convexity.
And it was killing her.
"How?" Came a shriek from Cynder. "She can't use it!"
"I don't know!" Ignitus roared back. "Yeras, listen to me; you need to get rid of it! Fire at anything and expend yourself!"
Yeras nodded and focused long enough to form a beam of Convexity. It lasted no more than a few seconds before wracking white-hot pain flashed through her. If anything, using it made her feel worse. She called for help and fell to the ground again, unable to use the energy but unable to get rid of it, either.
Her salvation came from Spyro. He stood above her with a somber look. It wasn't pity, but there was curiosity in his expression. Then, he raised his claw and brought it down on her head.
Maybe it was the residual energy from Yeras's convexity that guided her actions, but Cynder could not stop herself from flying at Spyro and tackling him to the ground when he struck the suffering dragon. It was like hitting a brick wall, but he was knocked off his claws and into the sidewall. The ebony wasted no time in checking on Yeras; she was alive. Scyion was right behind her, cradling the unconscious body.
"It was the only way." Spyro grunted and got to his claws. "She was suffering and couldn't exit the form on her own."
"How did she even use it?" Cynder turned to Ignitus for answers. Judging by his face, he didn't seem to have an idea and was scouring her book for answers.
"Will this be common?" Azulia leaped down. "I may have a temporary solution."
"If it's another necklace, I don't think it'll work." Cynder gave a disapproving scowl.
"Not a necklace; armor." Azulia indicated to Cynder's gauntlet. "Same material, and it nullifies energies and magic. It may work on this."
"Do it." Scyion said.
Azulia walked around Yeras a few times, eyes locked on various parts of her body. Taking measurements, Cynder dimly noted. Even if it didn't work, having a set of armor that would nullify energy would make her invaluable once she learned how to fight. Provided she didn't turn to Convexity again, of course.
"Move her up here." Ignitus said to Scyion, who used his element to lift her up. "Cynder and Azulia, stay down there; you two are up next."
"Are we really going to do this after what just happened?" Cynder asked in disbelief.
"The Sorcerer will not stop for you to tend to her, Cynder, and neither should you. We have medics for that reason, and you need to keep moving forward." Cyril spoke instead of Ignitus.
"That's cold, even for you." Cynder snarled.
"But I am right, aren't I?" Cyril leaned forward. "I do not expect Azulia to stop for me should I be struck down and vice versa. This will be a battle to the death, and you need to be prepared for losses and how to handle them."
Oh, if he was any closer, she would have taken out his crystal and beaten him with it. Anger boiled her blood, but deep down she knew he spoke the truth. She cast her eyes over the room and a sinking feeling filled her gut; it was probable that at least one of them would not make it. She couldn't bear the thought.
"Don't go planning our deaths, Cyril." Azulia hissed out. Evidently Cynder wasn't the only one having difficulty.
"One never plans death, dear, but-"
"Stop talking."
"You wanna do a two on one round with him?" Cynder smirked at Azulia. Her eyes gleamed a brighter color as a cold smile slowly formed. Cyril's scales nearly bleached themselves.
"Let's get past this first." Azulia crouched low as the two of them prepared for combat.
Never again would Cynder challenge Azulia. The Vampire Queen was in a completely different league, and while she was able to stand talon to talon with her at times, she seemed to have a near-limitless amount of stamina. When she fought, Cynder's life was in her claws; she wasn't lying when she mentioned that she was made for combat. Every ounce of blood Cynder shed was absorbed into her, bolstering her attack and regeneration.
No wonder why Cyril always shrank whenever she glared at him.
Cynder stretched in her dorm, feeling exhausted despite the gems pumped into her. She knew that Vampires would be a part of The Sorcerer's army, and yet she dreaded fighting Azulia again. There had to be a weakness she could exploit; perhaps it was her rank that gave her the power. Cyril had pulled her aside earlier to mention that she could swarm into bats and transform herself.
She bolted up. That was it! Her powers seemed to mimic shadow! If she could counter that, or be on the same level with her own, that may just be the key! Then, she pouted. How in the world was she going to get better in such a short amount of time? For all she knew, a week could have passed in the outside world. It felt like two months here.
A distraction drew her attention away from her racing mind. At first, she thought it was Yeras; she had a habit of coming to her before she went to bed lately. Instead, it was Viberian. She perked up at the sight of him – she hadn't had a lot of one-on-one time with him in a while. It was like he was avoiding her again.
His face was conflicted and never met her gaze, and he kept to the edge of her room.
"You look like a child who got cuffed." Cynder said with a smirk.
He laughed quietly. "Sorry. Just...trying to word something."
"Who died?" Cynder approached him to get a read on him. She'd only seen this expression on him once before, and that was when she had come onto him in the air elemental plane. The struggle was real for him.
"No one, fortunately." He sighed. "Right um..."
"Go on." Cynder prodded. "I've never seen you at a loss of words. It's kind of adorable."
"I think I may return your feelings." He blurted out.
It was like a gust of wind had slapped her across the face. Her eyes widened, mouth dropped. For a moment everything stopped. She expected a lot of things out of the crimson dragon, but this was the last thing she expected. Then, she started to laugh. When he gave her a confused look, she grinned widely.
"If this is what was so hard to say, I can't say I'm surprised." She snickered. "I've seen the way you looked at me lately. Always the sly glances, watching my form in battle. I've shown off more than a few times for you and you just stood, transfixed. Hell, I noticed it even when we were fighting in the lab."
"And I thought I was being subtle." He glanced away, his scales darker than ever before. "B-but I was afraid to tell you because I didn't know if it was loneliness or misplaced or-"
She clamped a claw on his jaw. "You're babbling. Take it slower."
"Right..." He adjusted himself and was unable to meet her face again. "I didn't want to do anything because I feel like I was disrespecting my mate. It felt too soon. But then Spyro pointed out that I kept looking at you and it just...clicked in me. I don't know. I feel like it was too soon but I haven't been able to think straight for a long time now."
"Well, I hope it's not just my body you are into. Or that I am this paragon or whatever." She teased.
"N-no I-"
"It's a joke, relax." She placed a claw over his. "I don't want you to force anything, alright? If you truly feel the way you do, then we take it slow. Don't force your boundaries for me. Tell me no if you don't want to do anything."
"I'll try. I've always had a habit of doing too much to make others happy." He mumbled.
"Well, that's not necessarily a bad thing." She gave him a short nuzzle under his chin. "But again, we'll take it slow and see how it works out."
He smiled at her words. All of the tension had disappeared, and a look of genuine happiness replaced it. She'd seen it a few times before, but this time it felt...different. Like a burden had lifted from him. She knew he hated to be so grim and morose, and to change his attitude right before the final battle...well, she wasn't going to demolish that attitude. If anything, it may be a key to their morale.
She knew it would keep hers up.
Malefor wandered the perpetual darkness, lost and blind. He couldn't see where he was going or what was near him. It was a void, and it was driving him insane. How long had he been down here? How was he going to get out? He'd designed the weapon to be inescapable, but he wouldn't be blasted down here if The Sorcerer didn't expect him to come out. No, he was too valuable to his plans.
"Are you lonely yet?" Glacia's voice came from all around him. "Do you feel cold? A sense of growing despair? Helpless against your fate?"
Glacia showed up before him, looking more like herself than usual. Her form was almost complete minus the leaks and cracks on her form. Blood dribbled from her mouth along with her eyes, and every few seconds she seemed to begin to melt only to reform herself.
"What do you want me to say, Glacia?" Malefor snarled. "I'm sorry? Yeah, that won't fix anything."
"No, no it won't." She approached as another spirit began to form. "But I think you owe her one."
This spirit was smaller and more broken than Glacia ever was. The neck was broken in three places, and the front limbs had a similar fate. Her eyes were orange; in life, they were fiery.
"Terir." Malefor said softly, addressing the ghost of his step-sister.
"You could have saved me," She said, her tiny voice echoing. "You chose to run off instead. I tried to follow you. I fell. You didn't try."
"I did try, but you were long gone by the time I saw you." Malefor snarled. "Our parents were already dead, and there was nothing I could do! Nothing except this."
"Oh, is that your excuse?" Glacia turned hostile and appeared directly before him. Her form shimmered and turned wispy again. "You were better to leave us to die."
Suddenly, the room shifted. Fire raged all around them and Malefor recognized where he was; inside the temple he once called home. The sounds of screaming mixed with the howls of apes and other creatures he had enlisted. No one was spared in this slaughter save the ones who caught an early wind of what was to come.
He saw himself standing over corpses, directing commands. He was roughly the same age as he appeared now, but he was much more haggard. Broken. His eyes back then were dim and faded and raw Convexity leaked from his body. Blood covered his body, but not from the 'battle' around him. No, that was the blood of Aure, his closest friend, and his family.
"Way to prove what everyone said about you, by the way." Terir jabbed. "I never believed it, but after seeing this, you aren't my brother anymore. I don't think you ever were."
Her words stung but he didn't show how much. Beside his younger self, he noticed an older Dragon wrapped in chains. The form was shadowy, but he knew who it was. The one who ruined his life.
"Do you see?" His younger self asked the dragon. "In your desperate need to prove I was a threat, you created me. You murdered my family, and now I'm going to skin yours right in front of you. How does that feel?"
A muffled cry.
"No, don't worry, I'm not going to kill you. You're going to watch this. All of this." Malefor had said, a wide grin crawling onto his face. "Everything you ever wanted or needed will be gone by the morning. I'd allow you to say goodbye but...you didn't give me that chance when you threw my family's heads at me."
Despite the grin, no humor came from Malefor. He had felt nothing at the time. No satisfaction. Not a single thing.
The scene changed to darkness once again, but now there were more spirits. The ones he had killed that night, he dimly realized. He could feel their hatred, their confusion, their sadness. They didn't need to ask; Malefor knew they were all asking WHY.
"Aren't you going to answer them?" Glacia whispered into his ear. "About why they had to die to satisfy your revenge?"
"It's not like any of them would have helped me. Remember, I was exiled at that time because they feared me." Malefor snapped back. "You were so keen to get rid of me when I was the one who saved you!" He turned his attention back to the crowd. "YOU LEFT ME TO DIE!"
"We did not deserve it." The voices said. "You killed us."
"YES YOU DID DESERVE IT!" Malefor roared back. "NOTHING YOU DID WAS TO HELP ME! YOU WERE SO EAGER TO PRAISE ME, BUT THE MOMENT SOMETHING HAPPENED, YOU TURNED ON ME!"
There was no answer. "We did not deserve to die."
"Oh shut UP!" Malefor turned around. He was losing control of his temper again.
"They didn't deserve to die. We didn't deserve to die." Glacia hissed. "You could have settled it another way."
"No, I really couldn't have." Malefor snapped. "If I went after him on my own and make it one on one, I would have been executed. I had no friends; he saw to that. I made an alliance to bring him down, and I did just that. You and Trevor decided I needed to die for that too." He sneered. "Instead, look at you now. I would have kept you alive, you know. I would have left everyone alone had everyone not abandoned me."
"So you blame your actions based on the mindset of an angry drake." She sounded disapproving.
"How old did you think I was again?" He asked slowly. "Oh that's right, barely an adult."
"Why did you absorb us, then?" Terir stepped forth.
Malefor softened. His voice and breathing had turned ragged. "Because it was the only way I could keep you alive."
Silence. They stared at each other for what felt like hours. Glacia and Terir exchanged looks before speaking.
"That doesn't forgive your actions." Glacia didn't have the harshness anymore.
"Oh for-what more do you want from me?!"
"You know exactly what we want from you."
Malefor burst from the darkness some time later, landing heavily on the platform. The workers and nearby Necrolites leaped back in surprise. The only one who didn't was that plated insectoid; Xasper. He had annoyed Malefor many times in the past, but if he was here now, he could be used.
"What are you doing here?" Malefor questioned.
"Sorcerer wanted me down here to make sure you actually came out." Xasper said. "Happy you did. I had a show scheduled later."
Right...he served as the 'morale booster'. He was practically made for that. Malefor had blotted out most of his actions in the past, but perhaps...
"Go do it. But I will need your assistance later." Malefor brushed past him.
"What now?" Xasper groaned.
Malefor gave a chilling smile.
Yeras shot straight up from her sleep, panting heavily. Her body shivered and quaked, bile threatening to pour out. A nightmare like no other had entered her mind and words would not describe what she had seen. It was almost like a vision of the future, but it was impossible. Not after everything.
Unable to get back to sleep, Yeras left her dorm and wandered the halls. Everyone else was asleep, giving her the perfect excuse to be alone with her thoughts. How could she tell the others about her vision? Vision was the best way she could rationalize it. Yet they almost never came true, so why did this one shake her to her bones?
Somehow, she found herself on the sandy shores again, watching out to the horizon. She couldn't see anything in the distance, but the sounds of waves and the feeling of sand relaxed her. Over the waves, she was aware that someone was approaching. The soundwaves given off told her that it was Ignitus, who stood next to her.
"You saw it, didn't you?" He asked grimly.
"Did you look at the book?" She questioned.
"No." He shook his head, sighing. "When I became the Chronicler, I also inherited the memories of the others. This is not the first time they have seen this look, and I know it won't not be the last."
"Does it mean it will come to pass?" Yeras's voice cracked.
"More than likely, but visions are not always accurate. It could mean other things, just told from a different perspective." Ignitus put a comforting claw on her. "How did you die?"
Yeras explained it to him. It was a slew of different images; Spyro walking toward a portal of Convexity with Cynder. Her standing in a metal tunnel. The chill of ice and crackling of electricity. It was a mess, and it would take hours to begin to decipher the other images. One thing was clear; a bloodied tail, but who's was unknown.
"So we don't know if that is your blood on the tail." Ignitus said after she finished. "But it does appear someone will die or be grievously injured."
"What can we do?" Yeras looked up at him. "I doubt it will fly over with the others. I don't like keeping secrets from them, either."
"Telling them may cause something worse to happen." The Chronicler sounded conflicted. "What we can do is prepare for that moment."
"How?"
"By practicing your visions." He tilted his head down. "Try and get some sleep; We'll start after."
"No."
Poor Volteer was brought along next. He was filled to the brim with excitement and buzzing when he was invited to see the White Isle, but the moment he stepped in, he said no for three reasons.
The first reason was in shock; he had a completely different idea of how the isle looked. According to his readings, it was once a palace-like place and not the dilapidated ruins it was now. His disappointment crossed onto his muzzle before it was replaced by horror.
The horror was reason number two; He would have to fight Azulia soon. The Vampire Queen had been practicing making armor from her abilities and needed to test it against electricity. It was fleshy and bloody, filled with spikes that would harm the attacker. It almost looked rubbery at times, and no one could blame Volteer for being petrified.
Reason number three was the most obvious; The fact that Ignitus was the Chronicler.
"I had the same reaction." Cyril muttered to the bewildered yellow.
"No, this is impossible." Volteer shook his head. "Inconceivable!"
"That I am the Chronicler?" Ignitus asked.
"The fact that you did not once reach out to us!" Volteer puffed up and snarled. Without his wings, he didn't look as intimidating, but the sparks from his eyes made up for it. "We mourned you! We were at a loss for a Fire Guardian for years! We didn't know how to replace you, and yet here you are, alive. Or at least, so to speak!"
"I can't interfere." Ignitus said.
"WELL WHAT DO YOU CALL THIS?!"
"End of the world."
"That's poor." Cyril rolled his eyes. "Even I would have revealed myself much sooner."
"It would be my first act!" Volteer added on. Then, he glared back. "Then again, I am not surprised. You sat by and watched Spyro grow up without once interacting. Had the world not ended, you would have sit back and read your damn books."
That hit Ignitus deeply. Cyril could see the pain absolutely demolish any sense of calm on him. Even Cyril winced at the harshness. The two were fairly close in the past, and to see it just be destroyed here and now...
Good lord he had gotten soft.
"Well, I can't take back what I did." Ignitus said slowly but firmly. "I don't know what you want, but acting like this isn't going to fix anything."
"Like you have any room to judge." He deflated a bit. "But you are correct. We will be having words once this is all over, but The Sorcerer takes precedence."
"We just need Terrador now." Cyril broke the tension. Again, something he didn't expect to do. "Then the circle can be complete and we can yell at each other more instead of getting something done."
"Speaking of, where is he?" Volteer inquired. "He should be back by now."
"It may have taken longer to find the Cheetahs." Cyril shrugged. "In the meantime, it is time for you to go against my mate."
Judging from the blood that drained from his face, Azulia wouldn't be able to gain much even if she did bite him.
"It is this way." Hunter said to Terrador as the bulky Dragon flew across Avalar.
The forest itself wasn't as damaged as previously thought, but the land was forever scarred. Parts of it would never regrow in his lifespan; trees were withered and decayed, the very soil drained of all life. A few Necrolites scuttled about, but nothing that would be a cause for concern as of now.
Hunter was easily found, appearing as if expecting the guardian. According to him, the Cheetahs had survived for the most part, but they were scattered.
"I was lost and alone for days," Hunter had explained, "It wasn't until recently did I find a small settlement. There are still many others out there, but we are hoping they find us."
Terrador had been here for a few days, helping search for the lost Cheetah. It was going quite well until another problem surfaced; strange dark crystals had begun to terraform the land. They were easily smashed, but the bigger ones posed a different problem. While he was able to ram them down, the crystals themselves seemed to be suppressing the land itself. Once destroyed, trees phased back into existence and one time a hill reappeared.
Now, they had tracked another one down, and another potential problem had formed itself.
Much like how Volteer had recklessly slammed a 'light' gem and a dark crystal together in the past, it seemed the world was doing the same. Only this time with crystals the same size as Terrador and about to bring down a mountain.
"Can you contact the others?" Hunter inquired. "I believe these Light Crystals may help, but..."
"Going inside is not wise." Terrador eyed the flashing cave that the crystals were stored in. "However, I know we are not alone."
"We are not?" Hunter twitched his ears. "Ah. Do you mean them?"
"Azulia is too paranoid to send me off truly on my own." Terrador glanced down to a treetop. There, almost invisible, was a Vampire. "And I think she'll know that we require her assistance."
Context: That whole Malefor bit in the hole was remnants of my forgotten Malefor prequel to this series. However, the weight of my own ambition caused it to crumble. And now I am stuck with plot threads that need to be addressed for a story that hasn't been told. Granted, you really don't need a lot of context and most of it can be said via dialogue, but if there is any confusion, that is why.