Chapter 41: Earth Training and Rescuing Ignitus
Terrador brought Link and Clay back into the temple. As Link walked inside, Cyril handed him a red crystal from the healing room, which he took gladly. His wound immediately began to seal up, the pain lessening.
"After you're healed, I'll take you into the courtyard," Terrador stated. "I won't be able to have a long lesson with you, I'm afraid time is against us."
"Do you know anything about Cynder's plans?" Cyril asked.
"You mean Malefor's plans, Cyril," Link corrected. "Cynder is being used as a weapon by Malefor's dark powers."
Terrador nodded in understanding. "She's trying to open the portal in convexity," he replied. Volteer and Cyril exchanged dark looks.
"What's that?" Clay asked.
"A link from our world to the realm of the Demon King," Terrador replied. "If she opens the portal, she will release the Dark Master."
Link's wound healed fully and he put down the crystal.
"We best get going then," Link stated. "Terrador led Link through the courtyard that Ignitus had trained him in and into another one by the edge of the cliff.
"Earth is very different from the other elements," Terrador stated. "While the others can be summoned and left to do their effects on their own, Earth requires much more control. You need to tell it constantly what to do, and have patience. You must remember that the ground takes decades, sometimes centuries, to move at all, so it takes a great deal of focus and control over your frustration to master."
Link nodded.
"This time, reach your powers, not within yourself, but into the ground beneath you," Terrador said. Link closed his eyes tightly, straining to reach out. The ground began to crack violently beneath him.
"No Spyro," Terrador stated. "Calm, focused. You are straining yourself too hard. You need to be at harmony with the element to control it."
Suddenly, a vision appeared in Link's mind. He saw a small, old, and green creature instructing children with strange swords that had their blades glowing and humming.
"Through you, let the Force flow," the creature stated
The vision faded and Link tried again, this time staying relaxed, his breathing slow. The soil began to move beneath him, swirling up into patterns and shapes in the air. He opened his eyes and smiled at his new power. Feeling confident, he tried something more. Summoning some more strength, he made a large chunk of stone lift from the ground with a thud, and moved it through the air.
"Very good, Spyro," Terrador stated. "I'm afraid without delving into advanced forms of this power, there isn't much more I can teach you. Earth tends to be very self-discovered."
"Thank you," Link stated.
"You're welcome," Terrador replied. "Now, let's go and find Ignitus!"
They went back to the pool, joining the other two Guardians, Luna, the dragonets, and Flame.
"I'm betting Cynder is holding Ignitus at Shadow Fortress," Link proposed. "Security is highest there for sure. We would need to fight our way in. Cynder will be expecting me."
"Well that's reassuring." Sparx stated. The Guardians all looked concerned. There was a moment of silence.
"It's now or never," Cyril stated. "If we are to go at all, it must be now."
"Agreed," Terrador said. "But Spyro, the choice is truly yours."
"I want to save Ignitus," Link stated firmly. "We all do."
"Alright then, Terrador stated. "Shadow fortress is in the north, built within the storm-crystal fields. Once you are there, there's no flying, not in the storm the crystals generate. You'll need to enter through the front gates, and find a way to the top from inside."
"Alright," Link stated. "Just like Arbiter's Grounds, though lacking the swarms of undead this time." He looked at his shadow rather reluctantly. "Have the shadow crystal ready, Midna. I think I might need it eventually."
Clay raised a paw. "Isn't that the physical manifestation of the curse Zant placed on you, Spyro?" he asked. "The curse that would trap you in the form of a wolf eventually?"
Link nodded. "That is indeed true, Clay," he replied. "But I have the one thing that can reverse the curse." He gestured to his gauntlet.
"What if we come across Cynder?" Sunny asked.
"That, I'm afraid, is inevitable," Terrador answered. "You'll have to face her at some point or another anyway, might as well be now."
Link saw the terrified looks on the dragonets' faces before Glory stepped forward. "We are a team," she stated. "If I die facing Cynder to free her from Malefor's control, then I died for what is right."
"That's the spirit," Terrador stated. Link led the dragonets into the courtyard and went north, as Terrador had said.
Like when he faced off with the bulblin king on the bridge, he was as focused as possible and went forward without commenting on anything. Sparx recognized this and also refrained from speaking for as long as he could.
"So... this time we save the Goddess?" he asked.
"Yes, Sparx," Link replied. "Or at least the dragonets and I have to. You can wait for me if you like, this place will be tough."
"Heck, at this point, what do I have to lose?" Sparx asked. Link smiled, glad to have his brother on his side.
They flew over a mountain, and found themselves above a large field of glowing, white-purple crystals, which were sparking and occasionally sending a bolt of pink lightning into the air, fueling a storm that raged overhead. The further into the fields they went, the wetter, windier, and louder the storm became. Eventually, at the eyes of the storm, they came to a huge, black sinister looking castle. Here, the rain and the lightning stopped, but the wind was still active.
"This has to be it," Link stated.
"What, the giant, evil, black building in the middle of the crystals where terrador told us it would be?" Sparx stated. "I'm guessing that's it." Link and the dragonets rolled their eyes as they came to land on a path just in front of two huge, black doors. There were apes everywhere. They hid behind a rather large crystal.
"Well," Link stated. "Glory camouflage your scales to pull pranks on the apes."
Glory smirked as she blended into her surroundings she crept around the apes, causing some of them to trip over her tail. She even grabbed some with her jaws and ate them. The rest of the apes heard their companions scream in terror, but only saw a pool of blood where Glory's victims stood. Link, Clay, Sunny, and Starflight jumped out from behind the crystal and blasted fire into the middle of a group of apes, creating a giant explosion and sending those farthest from the epicenter flying everywhere. Those that were caught in the blast were severely burned."
The rest of them, overcoming their surprise, came running at them. Link blocked a few with a wall of ice that acted as a temporary shield. He, the dragonets, and Midna's shadow wolves fought off the ones on their side of the wall. Link then hooked around it and took on the ones behind with a Skyward Strike, killing them. There were still dozens more to face, however.
"How about we use water to electrify the apes?" Clay suggested.
Link nodded in understanding as be created a larger wall of ice as Clay and Sunny melted it with their fire breath, creating a small flood which swept over the apes, but didn't bother them too much. Link and the dragonets flew up as Link electrified the water at such a voltage that every single ape fell dead, their fur singed and their faces contorted with expressions of agony."
"When did you get smart?" Sparx asked.
"I've been learning," Link replied. They proceeded to the doors and pushed them open.
"She must be at the top," Link proposed. He led the others inside. It was brimming with ape guards, but they advanced up the tower, closer to Cynder, leaving dead apes and pools of blood in their wake. Eventually, they came to a platform in a tall, cylindrical room. The moment they stepped onto it, it began to rise upwards.
It carried them to the top of the tower, where they were greeted with the sight of Ignitus chained up like Terrador had been, a red crystal draining what seemed to be a thin rope of flame from him. It appeared to be causing him great pain.
When he saw them, he panicked.
"Spyro, no!" he shouted. "You shouldn't have followed us!"
"We didn't have a choice," Link replied. He turned around, and as he expected, saw Cynder standing there, watching him.
"Recovered from our last encounter?" she sneered. "Maybe you're more courageous than I thought."
Link chuckled. "A strategic retreat isn't being a coward," Link retorted. "It's being smart."
"Spyro, run!" Ignitus shouted.
"Not this time," Link stated. "This time, you will leave as our ally, Cynder!"
"Then by all means," Cynder answered. "Bring it!"