Chapter 8: Underwater Currents, part 2
Having dealt with Sirorrialth at Breeze Harbour, Spyro and his friends climbed back into Beaky's boat. They returned to the island where Moneybags' stall was situated. Just as they reached the shore, Ignitus flew towards them.
"Ignitus!" Spyro said at once. "The Sorcerer, Sirorrialth, is here! He just attacked us and we only just managed to capture him!"
"What? You encountered Sirorrialth?" Ignitus exclaimed in shock.
"Yep, and we sure showed him," Sparx said with a smirk and pump of his fist. "Thanks to Spyro."
"At least he won't bother anyone again," Sapia said.
"One can only hope," Ignitus said gravely. "That Sorcerer is a deadly enemy. He's a master of dark magic and very cunning."
"Ignitus," Spyro said, "Sirorrialth was a Purple Dragon, like me. I thought you said there had only been one other Purple Dragon."
"And that was the truth," Ignitus said. "Sirorrialth isn't really a Purple Dragon. What you saw was just a spell he cast upon himself to change the colour of his scales. Sirorrialth is vain to a fault. He has always sought to stand out and have others marvel him. And what kind of dragon inspires more awe than a purple dragon?"
"So, what's his real colour?" Elora said.
"No one knows," Sapia answered with a shrug. "We don't even know where he comes from."
"Meh, who cares about that? We just scored ourselves a huge load of treasure, so let's go pay that Moneybags," Sparx said, pointing at the bags of gems they had brought from Breeze Harbour.
"Well, I am impressed..." Ignitus said.
"Aye, them 'eroes were a big 'elp fer us Breezebuilders," Beaky declared. "An' don't worry about the Sorcerer. 'E'll be under lock an' key while ye 'elp the rest o' Avalarrrr."
"Well, just in case, I'll go and keep an eye on him, myself," Ignitus said. "I don't want to take any chances with that traitor."
"Good point," Sapia said. "They've got him at Breeze Harbour right now. Will you need any help?"
"I'll be fine," Ignitus assured. "You lot just get to freeing the Wind Dragons." And with that, he took to the air and flew off towards the Harbour.
"Will he be alright?" Spyro said. "I don't want him captured too."
"Yeah, me neither," Sapia said. "But Ignitus is a strong Dragon. If something happens, he'll be able to take care of it. Anyway, let's go and get the gear we need. Moneybags better keep his end of the bargain."
"Indeed" Elora said, as they headed back to where the shop was; Sapia and Sparx ahead, with Spyro and Elora following with the bags of gems.
Soon, they saw Moneybags just as he was closing his travelling shop.
"There he is!" Elora said. Moneybags started and turned around to sees the heroes.
"Well, well, I was about to close up shop. I see you were busy. "
"Yeah, and we got the gems you wanted," Spyro said showing the shining treasure. Moneybags was very pleased.
"Very good, my little friend," he said, beaming. "900, I trust?"
"Yes," Sapia said warily. "We had them counted."
"Very good," Moneybags grinned. "Right then, I shall keep my mouth shut tight about seeing you all; and you get three sets of scuba gear, including one of those made especially for young Dragons."
"Thank you," Sapia said, as they took the gear. Then, she leaned close. "Not a word," she breathed, before turning away. Moneybags scowled after them, but then shrugged and finished packing up.
Spyro, Elora and Sapia had just reached the nearest beach, when they saw Tod and Frank hurrying over.
"Ah, you got underwater gear," Frank said. "Excellent! Come on! We'll take you out on a boat to where the Wind Dragons are being held and you can dive from there!"
"Thanks, it can be a big help," Spyro said. The heroes followed their allies over to a boat. They climbed upon and Tod started it up.
"Next stop, the depths of the Crystal Cities!" And the boat set out to the open sea.
At the Harbour, Bianca hid near the jailhouse where the Breeze Builders were holding Sirorrialth. For the past half hour she had been thinking about how to free the Sorcerer when Ignitus came into view.
"Oh no," she whispered. "Now I have two things to deal with. I guess I should inform Cynder, since she does need Ignitus, after all."
As Ignitus walked by, Bianca began casting a spell to contact Cynder. Meanwhile, the Guardian met with a Breezebuilder Captain.
"Is the prisoner here?" Ignitus asked sharply.
"Aye, 'e's in 'is cell and 'is staff is far away from his mangy grasp," the Captain replied. He then led Ignitus to Sirorrialth in his cell. Ignitus noted the scorch marks and tears in the other dragon's cloak. The children had certainly fought valiantly.
"Well Ignitus, never thought I'd see you again," Sirorrialth said, grinning wickedly.
"I'm glad I gave you something to look forward to," Ignitus said coldly.
Outside, Bianca had successfully cast the communication spell. A shrunken projection of Cydner's face appeared before her. "Miss Cynder, I have the Fire Guardian Ignitus in my sight," she said. "He's at Breeze Harbour. Where are you?"
"I've charged the next Orb with Aureole's power," the black Dragoness replied. "I'm on my way to Convexity right now. Call in reinforcements to prevent Ignitus from escaping again, but remember that we need him alive."
"Yes, Miss Cynder," Bianca replied, then recast the spell to call the Rhynocs stationed nearby.
Ignitus was now interrogating Sirorrialth for information about the Dark Armies. "Now, where is your partner Red? And what do you want with Spyro?"
"Well, I should think the second one is obvious; we see him as a major threat for our operation to revive Dark Master," Sirorrialth said. "Personally, I've waited many years to have my chance of destroying him with my own hands."
"Ah yes, you were the one who pursued me during the attack on the Temple. I take it you never told your allies that Spyro might have been alive?"
"I didn't want anyone else to take the chance away from me," Sirorrialth admitted.
"Well, you won't be getting your chance at all," Ignitus said, with a satisfactory smile on his face. "Now, I ask again: where is Red?"
"Hmph, if you must know, he's in the Jurassic Jungles, making slaves mine for Dark Gems," Sirorrialth said.
"Dark Gems…? Those crystals shouldn't be used by anyone," Ignitus said. Behind a growling mask, his thoughts filled with worry. "Red is a fool to think he can control their power. And thanks to you, I now know where to look for him."
"Well, don't think that he'll go down easily. Like me, Red is a formidable dragon and skilled in the art of magic; unlike those dimwit dinosaurs, Ripto and Deina," Sirorrialth said, earning a glare at him from Ignitus.
Just then, a ruckus began outside; a fight, from the sound of it. Shortly after, two Rhynocs came charging into the prison. Ignitus whipped around. The Rhynocs were large, muscular creatures that resembled rhinoceroses, clad in armour and wielding spears.
"You're coming with us!" one of them snarled.
"I will not surrender easily," Ignitus replied in kind, raising his spear.
"Then it'll be fun bringing you down! " the other Rhynoc said, as he and his comrade charged forward to attack Ignitus. However, the Guardian was faster and knocked them both to the ground. The Rhynocs were resilient, though; they got back up and charged again.
Meanwhile, Bianca took advantage of the distraction to make her way over to Sirorrialth's cell. "About time you got here," the Sorcerer sneered.
"I did the best that I could," Bianca said indignantly, as she used her magic to open the lock.
Sirorrialth pushed the door of his cell open. "Finally! Now where's my staff?"
"I didn't bring it, it's still in the hands of the Breezebuilders," Bianca said. The Sorcerer snorted in displeasure.
"Then I'll take it by force! This old dragon still has his tricks..." Sirorrialth smirked. He and Bianca ran off, just as Ignitus noticed his enemy getting away.
"No!" Ignitus gasped and made to follow them. However, he was struck one of the Rhynoc's shields.
"Ha ha ha! That the best you can do, old man?" The soldier laughed, just as more Rhynocs arrived, ready to capture Ignitus.
Meanwhile, the boat Tod and Frank were using to take our heroes out to sea had used their desired destination. At the prow, Spyro, Elora and Sapia were getting their scuba gear on.
"Man, this tank is heavy," Elora complained.
"Don't worry; once you're in the water, it'll feel much lighter," Tod said. "Now, a few essential tips before you make your dive. Firstly, and most importantly, never hold your breath, even if your mouthpiece comes out. Otherwise, your lungs could burst when the pressure changes."
"Okay," Spyro said, as he strapped his mask on over his eyes.
"Secondly, always stick together," Frank said. "That way, should you run out of air, you can share someone's tank. Now, I have a device with here that can create small bubbles around someone's head, providing a temporary oxygen supply. That's for the Wind Dragons. Once they're free, we can get them up to the surface, but they'll need help from us. That leads to another piece of advice; pace your ascent to the surface. Or else you'll get the bends."
"The what?" Sparx asked.
"It's sickness caused by rapid changes in pressure," Frank said. "It is very painful, and can be fatal."
"I see," Sapia nodded.
"And keep equalizing your ears," Tod added. "Do that by closing your nostrils and blowing gently."
"Well, you three heroes can handle things well down there. Me, I'll stay up the surface, keeping those turtles safe," Sparx said.
"We know you're not coming, anyway. You can't swim," Elora said with a smile.
"You make it sound like it's all about me," Sparx said, rolling his eyes. Spyro looked down at the water.
"I hope there isn't a lot of Wind Dragons trapped underwater."
"I'm afraid there is, kid," Frank said. "With these Apes, they can't take any chances."
"And what about the Wind Guardian, Aureole?" Spyro asked. "Where might she be?"
"In the Aquaria Towers, no doubt," Frank said. "That's where Cordelia resided whenever she was around."
"Well, no more dilly-dallying," Sapia announced. "Let's get down there." With that, she, Elora and Spyro inserted their mouthpieces; and they, along with Frank, dived into the sea.
It was a different world. The water was clear and serenely blue, with shafts of light streaming from the surface. As they descended, Spyro felt a pressure in his ears. As he had been told, he pinched his nostrils under his mask and blew out. The pressure left his ears at once.
Small groups of fish darted past them as the group swam forward. Soon, they saw the wreckage of crystal buildings; this made Spyro and Elora's hearts sink (no pun intended).
Whoa, this used to be a wonderful civilisation... they thought.
As they swam on, Spyro spotted a Dragon Statue ahead, sitting on the ocean floor. He pointed and they darted towards it. Just then, arrows shot past them. Apes were swimming towards them, pointing crossbows at them. One of them shot an arrow at Elora, but Frank blocked it with his shell.
"You and Spyro free Lateef here," he said, handing Elora the bubble device. "We'll deal with those bozos!"
Sapia nodded and took aim with her own crossbow. She managed to hit one of the Apes. The Ape exhaled sharply, bubbles streaming out and scrambled up towards the surface, streams of red behind him.
Spyro and Elora swam over to the statue. Elora produced a bubble around the statue's head. Then Spyro touched it. There was a flash, and the dragon, Lateef, was freed. He was grey and white, with feathery wings, long prominent ears, a gold necklace and a red scarf and loincloth.
"Thank you for releasing me," Lateef said, his voice echoing inside the bubble. "What! Are we underwater? Of course, those dirty apes managed to take us into the ocean! How are we supposed to use our element without air?"
Elora pointed to the surface. "Oh! Of course, the surface. That is a safer option. Thanks for telling me. Good luck, young ones, and expect the unexpected and prepare for what's not there." With that, the Wind Dragon swam up to the surface, as Spyro and Elora looked around for another Dragon Statue.
Meanwhile, Bianca and Sirorrialth had managed to retrieve the Sorcerer's staff. Sirorrialth would have killed the Breezebuilders, but Ignitus, who had managed to fight off the Rhynocs, had intervened. The two magicians then flew off, leaving the Rhynocs to hold Ignitus until Cynder returned.
"Now, to find that little whelp and give him a real taste of my power!" Sirorrialth growled.
"But he bested you in battle! You sure it's wise to fight him again?" Bianca asked.
"That child was lucky! Next time, I won't be holding back!" Sirorrialth said, leaving Bianca uneasy. "Now be silent; otherwise I'll have a word with Deina!"
"But Mistress Deina and the others want the Purple Dragon alive, don't they?" Bianca reminded him.
"Oh, to blazes with that!" Sirorrialth snorted. "That dragon is a threat to the Dark Master! He needs to die and I'll be the one to kill him! And if you get in my way, I'll subject you to the most unimaginable horrors!"
Bianca gulped at his threat and said no more, as they continued their search for Spyro.
Spyro and Elora continued their search for Wind Dragons. They had managed to free a few more - Zikoma, Mazi, and Azizi - and were close to reaching another. However, the Apes proved persistent. Sapia and Frank held them off as best they could. Spyro had decided to try something. If he could swallow water, maybe he could manipulate currents of water as well.
Okay then, hope this works like last time Spyro thought as he faced the Apes. Closing his eyes, he felt the water around him and focused it to make currents surge towards the Apes. The arrows fired at him suddenly veered off course and the Apes themselves were flung backwards, some of them losing their scuba gear. In a panic, they scrambled about for their gear. Their fellows swam over to help.
"Good show, Spyro," Frank said. "You seem a natural with the element of water. Now, on to the next dragon..."
The next Dragon they freed was Kasiya, a somewhat overweight dragon balanced on his thick tail with hand and leg warmers and a nightcap. Just as he was stretching to recover, Frank decided to clarify something they all had on their minds.
"Is Guardian Aureole at the Aquaria Towers?"
"That's right," he said. "I think I saw Cynder leave not long ago." Spyro's heart sank. They were too late.
"Could you help me to the surface?" Kasiya said. "I can't swim!"
"Here," Frank said. He and Spyro each took an arm and began to haul the large Dragon to the surface. But more Apes came after them. Suddenly, an arrow hit Spyro's air tank, and bubbles began to leak out. Spyro panicked.
"Just keep breathing," Frank said. "You should have enough to get up to the surface!"
One of the Apes managed to close in, but Kasiya swung his tail at him like a wrecking ball. The Ape lost his mask and swallowed water by mistake. Unable to recover the mask, he slowly drowned. The rest got distracted by Elora and Sapia firing from below.
Soon, they reached the surface and Spyro pulled his mask out. "Thanks for the save, young Dragon," Kasiya said, as he swam over to the nearby boat.
"No problem," Spyro said. Then he checked the hole in his tank. All of the air inside had escaped. "Great!" he said to Frank. "My tank is empty. Now what do I do?"
"Guess you'll have to share with Elora or Sapia then," Frank said, shrugging.
"I need to get to the Towers to free Aureole," Spyro said, just as Elora and Sapia resurfaced. "But what about the other Wind Dragons?"
"Sapia and I will see to them," Frank said. "You go and rescue the Guardian."
"Will you two be alright without us, Frank?" Elora asked.
"Don't worry; we'll be fine," Sapia said. "Just grab Aureole and get out of there fast!"
"Understood!" Spyro said. "Elora, if I could have your extra regulator..."
Elora passed her extra regulator to Spyro, and at Frank's OK signal, they dived once more.
Unfortunately, at that moment, Sirorrialth had deduced where they were going. "They must be going for the Wind Guardian," he said. "Well, I'll be sure to give Spyro a nasty surprise when he gets there."
Bianca was worried. After making sure Sirorrialth wasn't looking, she contacted Deina. "Mistress, Sirorrialth is planning to kill Spyro against orders. I can't talk him down. What should I do?"
"Hrmm… That self-absorbed oaf… When he isn't looking, cast a spell to knock him out! But wait for the right time!" Deina ordered. "Once Sirorrialth is out of the picture, bring Spyro to me!"
"Understood..." Bianca said.
As Bianca cut her connection, Sirorrialth used his black magic to teleport himself and Bianca to the Towers underwater.
Underwater, Spyro and Elora dived deeper, following the directions Frank had given them. Soon, they saw an area with metallic towers surrounded by crystals. This had to be Aquaria Towers. They were both awed as they swam closer, but Elora stopped Spyro. She could just hear something coming. It was an Ape riding a metallic shark on patrol, making sure no one got into the towers. After hiding behind a clump of seaweed, the duo then spotted a nearby cave that could be a way inside.
After making the coast was clear, they darted inside. It would have been dark, except for the crystals lining the walls. Soon, Spyro and Elora saw a break in the water above them. They swam upwards and found themselves emerging in a small, dark room.
"Frank was right," Spyro whispered as he removed his regulator. "This air bubble they cast around the place is really effective; it's like being on the surface."
"Yeah, it is amazing," Elora said as she and Spyro got out of the water and took a deep breath.
"Well, we need to find Aureole fast," Spyro said.
"But how will we find her? She could be in one of the towers," Elora said, as Spyro looked around, and then spotted a door.
"Let's go that way," he said. He and Elora made their way over to the door and listened, in case there was anyone on the other side. Hearing nothing, they pushed the door open and crept off along the corridor. Then, they heard the sound of scuttling legs. Quickly, the two friends hid behind a column, as three large Crabs scuttled past, each ridden by an Ape.
"Man, interesting mounts they have here," Spyro whispered, the moment they were gone.
"Yeah, it makes sense, given where we are. Come on, let's keep moving," Elora said.
Then the two entered another room and saw two Apes standing before another body of water. Spyro and Elora hid out of sight, wondering if the water was a way to Aureole.
"So... heard about the purple dragon still alive?" an Ape soldier asked his partner.
"Yeah. I can't believe that pipsqueak is here, though," the other replied. "You bet we'll be rewarded when we catch him?"
"No doubt at all," the first Ape replied.
Elora drew an arrow from her quiver. "Well, sorry, boys," she whispered, "but you won't get that chance." And she dropped them both with an arrow each.
The Dragon and faun went over to the water and saw it was a passage.
"Reckon this leads to Aureole?" Elora asked.
"Only one way to find out," Spyro said, and they dived into the passage. They had left their diving gear behind, so it wouldn't slow them down. As such, they hoped this passage wasn't long. As they swam forward, a mechanical shark drifted through a junction ahead. Fortunately, Spyro and Elora were in the dark, so the shark didn't see them.
Above the junction, the two siblings came to an opening and they climbed out, drawing in fresh air gratefully. They found themselves in a large room that looked a throne room. And there, lying in a heap across the room, unconscious, was the Wind Guardian, Aureole. Like all the other Wind Dragons, she had feathers; in her case, they covered her whole body. This, coupled with her hands, feet and beak-like mouth, made her look more like a giant bird than a Dragon. Her robes were rather like those of a monk, with only her left arm in a sleeve.
"There she is…" Elora exclaimed.
"Perfect, let's wake her up and leave this place," Spyro said as he moved forward.
"We better hurry; we don't want to alert anyone here," Elora said.
"Don't worry Elora, I don't see anyone here so this might be easy," Spyro said, sure this wouldn't be any trouble... until the lights started to dim. Next moment, a puff of black smoke burst in front of Spyro. When it cleared, he and Elora were shocked to see Sirorrialth here, with a rabbit girl in a purple robe.
"What the?!" The duo was shocked to see him again.
"Thought you could get rid of me, dragon?" the evil sorcerer said, grinning like a maniac.
"No, but I wish I did," Spyro growled.
"Well, I'm going to give you a real show of my power, little Dragon. No holding back this time!"
"I beat you once; I can do it again," Spyro said.
"Bring it..." Sirorrialth raised his staff and sent lightning bolts at Spyro who dodged them, and retorted with a burst of fire on him. This set the Sorcerer's robes on fire, providing a distraction so that Spyro could attempt a tail whip at him. But the evil dragon recovered and he grabbed the young Dragon by the tail and threw Spyro across the room at the wall.
"Ready to die?" Sirorrialth asked his foe.
"No way, I can still fight you!" Spyro said, struggling to his feet, just as Elora shot Sirorrialth with an arrow, causing him to cry out in pain.
"Leave him alone!" Elora warned him.
"You stay out of this, goat legs!" Sirorrialth snarled and he fired a blast of something eerie green at Elora from his jaws. Elora managed to dodge it and fire another arrow, but Sirorrialth blocked it. Spyro took advantage of this distraction to shoot an Electric Orb at the Sorcerer, causing him to cry out in pain. Elora charged forward and jabbed out with her sword, slicing at his legs. But Sirorrialth didn't seem too fazed by the slashes to his knees
"Pathetic!" he said, and he shot at Elora again. This time, Elora was struck before she could dodge it and she was slammed against a wall and slumped to the floor.
"Elora!" Spyro cried in horror. "What have you done to her?!" he snarled at Sirorrialth, smoke billowing from his nostrils.
"Oh, just a little touch of an element my Master discovered: Poison," Sirorrialth replied nonchalantly. "Don't worry, she's not dead... yet!"
"You'll pay for that!" Spyro said, and he unleashed a burst of Plasma from his lips just like with the Ice King. Sirorrialth dodged the attack by teleporting. Next moment, the Sorcerer reappeared and struck Spyro, sending him flying across the room.
"Impressive, your powers are getting stronger and yet you're reckless with them," Sirorrialth said, grinning nastily.
"Shut up!" Spyro snapped as he used his Plasma blast again and it hit Sirorrialth back, sending him flying to the wall. Bianca hid behind the throne watching the battle.
I should make my move soon she thought, this is getting intense!
Sirorrialth raised his staff and levitated rocks from the floor, flinging them at Spyro as he charged again. The Purple Dragon tried to dodge them, but some of them struck him, one leaving a gash in his side. Snarling in anger, Spyro reached with his mind and lifted a ball of water from the pipe, hurling it at Sirorrialth. The Sorcerer dispelled the water, but Spyro took advantage of this and whirled himself up into an Electric Tornado. He surged forward, lifting the Sorcerer off his feet, and sending him spiralling into the throne, knocking it over. Bianca tried to run but ended up trapped under the throne, unable to move.
Sirorrialth took to his feet, fuming. "Alright, you asked for it, runt!" he snarled, and he exhaled a cloud of dark gas that quickly filled the room, and rendering visibility impossible. Spyro coughed as the gas filled his nostrils.
"Where *cough* are you?!" he demanded.
Just then, a beam of red energy shot out of the darkness at Spyro. The moment it hit him, Spyro found himself filled with unimaginable fear.
"What? W-W-What's going on..." Spyro said. Next moment he was faced with powerful visions of the land burning; sounds of moaning and evil laughter, then he heard tortured screams.
"Mom? Dad?" Spyro looked around desperately; everything is brightly red. He saw Apes laughing at him; snarling, he charged at one of them, but he went through it and hit the wall, leaving a lump on his head. Spyro was very confused.
"You cannot win, little Dragon!" Sirorrialth's voice echoed through the air. "You've come back too late! The Dark Master will rise again, and everything you love will perish!"
"SHUT UP!" Spyro yelled, and fired Plasma again everywhere.
"The only reason you're here at all is because of me! I sent those Apes and Thieves into the Swamp to search for you, and now, it's led to this!"
Spyro felt anger like he'd never felt. So Sirorrialth was the one responsible for his parents and Elora's being captured, was he?! The Electricity Fury he subsequently unleashed sent streams of lightning in all directions, dispelling the smoke and revealing the Sorcerer, who was now wounded, but far from dead.
"Not bad, runt," he said. "But I'm done toying with you."
"As am I with you!" Spyro said, though his voice was now layered and his eyes were glowing. This surprised Sirorrialth.
"What?! What's this?! A Fury Surge?!"
Spyro felt suddenly more powerful than ever before; as if he were one with the cosmos itself and wielding its power. He felt a stream of power well up inside, and then, a burst of glowing purple energy burst from his mouth. Sirorrialth threw up a shield to defend himself. The blast shunted him backwards across the room as he fought to maintain it. This was power like he'd never dealt with before, and his shield was weakening.
Spyro threw more into the blast, determined to destroy the Sorcerer for what he had done to him. But then, he heard a voice, as if from far away, say "Spyro, no! Stop!"
The familiar voice broke through Spyro's anger, and the power in him subsided and faded away. He staggered and fell sideways onto the floor. Sirorrialth dropped his shield, but he too had been weakened, and could barely stand.
"I'll... be... back... Spyro!" he rasped, and grabbing Bianca's hand, he teleported away before Ignitus, who had just arrived, could stop him.
"Ignitus..." Spyro said, his eyes half open. "What... happened?"
"You were going out of control," Ignitus said gently, just as Elora moaned loudly.
"Oh no, Elora's been poisoned!" Spyro said, fearing for his sister.
"Don't worry," Ignitus said. "We'll get her treated as soon as we can. Come on, let's get out of here, before Cynder returns."
"Hey, don't forget me," came a voice. Aureole had woken up.
"Aureole," Ignitus said. "Are you alright?"
"I've been better, but I'll live," the Wind Guardian said. "But that faun may not. How do we get this poison out of her? Do we use healing crystals? Do we find an antidote? Where could we find one? Should we freeze her, to slow its effects?"
"We'll think of something," Ignitus said. "Let's just get to the surface."
Aureole nodded. She bent down and slung Elora over her shoulder.
"Our... diving gear," Spyro said. "We… left it somewhere."
"It's okay, Spyro," Ignitus said, lifting the young Dragon into his arms. "We just need air bubbles to return to the surface."
Back on the surface, the Wind Dragons had gathered in a cave to hide from Cynder and the Apes, who were searching for Ignitus. Elora was placed on a bed as Lateef studied her.
"Well, I guess she's lucky the poison that Sorcerer hit her with wasn't fast-acting," he said. "No doubt he wanted her to die slowly. Thankfully, that means we should be able to counteract it."
"But... how?" Spyro asked; he was still feeling a little woozy from his outburst.
"Well, we may have a cure set for her. We Wind Dragons are experienced healers," Lateef said. "We've worked on potions made from healing crystals with the Magic Crafters, which can be used on creatures other than Dragons."
"Whatever it takes, okay," Spyro said.
As the Wind Dragons bent over Elora, Spyro turned to Ignitus and Aureole, the latter of whom was still recovering from being drained.
"Ignitus, what happened down there? What was that I did to Sirorrialth?"
"Something that is both remarkable and terrible, Spyro; it is called a Fury Surge."
"Fury Surge?"
"Yes. As you know, all Dragons can unleash Elemental Furies, but when a Dragon is swept up in the excitement and fury of battle, they can open themselves to the influence of our ancestors and enter a trance-like stance where they can use their element, or in your case, elements, to the highest extent, often in ways far beyond their realm of knowledge, or any Dragon's in some cases. It can be very enlightening, but it can also be very dangerous."
"Why?"
"Because once this floodgate of power is opened," Aureole said, "it can be difficult to close it again, even for strong-minded Dragons. At best, it can be very draining, as you can testify; but it has driven some Dragons to the breaking point due to the sheer sensory overload. Some have even died from overexertion, especially the younger Dragons."
Spyro was surprised by this. He could've killed himself with the Fury Surge! "Yikes..."
"Indeed…" Ignitus said. "And you're lucky I arrived in time to calm you down. It wasn't easy, given I'd used up energy getting the Rhynocs off my back with a Fire Fury. But Spyro, you should be very careful if you ever use that Surge again. In fact, I would advise against it for the time being."
"I don't think I want to use it anyway, but Sirorrialth really made me furious. He told me that he sent the Apes who attacked my old home. Just thinking about that makes me want to... to..." Spyro felt angry and upset.
"I understand your anger, Spyro," Ignitus said. "It is natural to feel anger; I do too. Sirorrialth brought you into this war too soon, if you ask me. But we can't change that now. And I promise you; he will be brought to justice for what he's done."
"I hope so," Spyro said, his mind a long way away…