Welcome back to The Violet Riddle. Last time, The Chronicler and Langdon had a chat in Langdon's dreams while the group rested. And in this, Langdon was essentially warned that things are about to take a turn for the worse. And once the others learned that the Chronicler is communicating with Langdon, they all realized they've got to get moving. So what awaits them at the Altar of Fear? Read on to discover...
(The scene opens with our heroes rushing through the Ancient Grove, desperate to get to the Altar of Fear, wherever it is. But just as they get to the center of the Grove, they see exactly what they didn't want to see, the Sorcerer has beaten them to the Altar.)
Sorcerer: (Taking the gem necklace off the violet gem) Just where I thought it was. After all this time, hidden in my own home.
Spyro: We're too late!
Sorcerer: (Seeing he's not alone) Persistent aren't you. But I suppose I should be thanking you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here right now!
Cynder: We can't let him get away with that gem!
Sorcerer: You really think you can defeat me? I hold the home field advantage here! But you are welcome to try, at your own peril.
(And now the battle begins, everybody starts rushing at the Sorcerer, and he really does hold a home field advantage, as he takes out Spyro, Cynder, and Langdon almost instantly, binding them with vines influenced by his dark magic. Ember falls back quickly, but Flame is still fighting, up until the last when the Sorcerer grabs him by the throat)
Sorcerer: Now then, do you yield?
Flame: (Spits in the Sorcerer's face) We will never yield to you, demon!
Sorcerer: Meddlesome whelp.
(Without a second thought, the Sorcerer throws Flame into the river that nourishes the Grove with poison, the acidic environment dissolving him almost instantaneously as he cries out in pain)
Ember: (Seeing what just happened) FLAME! (Turning her attention to the Sorcerer) YOU BASTARD!
(As Ember attempts to Comet Dash the Sorcerer, he casts his dark flames to neutralize hers and then counters with a dash attack of his own, knocking Ember into a series of vines, which he later manipulates with his dark magic, strangling Ember to death as the helpless trio watch on)
Sorcerer: Let this be a warning to you, do not interfere. I can and will kill you in any gruesome way you could imagine.
(And with that, the Sorcerer takes off into the night, and as he does, the vines binding our remaining three heroes die, allowing them to get up and realize the situation they're in)
Spyro: I can't believe he just did that...
Cynder: Poor Ember, Poor Flame...
Langdon: We can't let him get away with this!
Spyro: You're right, Professor Langdon. For Flame and Ember, we have to keep going.
Langdon: What element was next in the sequence.
Cynder: Water. Spyro, I believe this is one is yours.
Spyro: Gladly.
(With that, Spyro channels the element of Water, one we have never seen him use, and as the process unfolds, it kind of resembles Water-Bending in form and implementation. But ultimately a stream of clean water hits the violet gem in the ground, casting a beam of violet light into the sky, at which point, our terrific trio flies off after it, ending our tale for today)
And that's where we'll wrap up for today. So, the Sorcerer has won once again, claiming his second gem necklace, at the cost of Ember and Flame's lives. A little window into my process: those two were never going to make it out of this story. But I had planned to kill them off separately. I don't know why I decided to kill them both off now, probably because I didn't want to write the survivor being mopey over the deceased. So, where is the Altar of Water? Well, it's not where you'd probably expect. And it also contains a meeting that was supposed to happen later on, but since I had no better location for Water, it got moved up. What does that mean exactly? You'll have to tune in next time to find out! Same time... same channel!