The Makings of a Plan
Author's note: Boom! New update! This one took rather long to write. I would like to apologize to you guys beforehand because there will be difficulty in uploading new chapters in these months to come. Summer's here and I'm going to be juggling a lot of things, like family, vacation times, and kids. Updates are going to be a little more sporadic and inconsistent but I do promise there will be updates. I also have plans for another story but I'm not going to get into that. We'll see where things go. Without further-ado… here yah go.
Flashback
Dragons surrounded a long table that nearly stretched the length of the room. Decorated to the brim with an assortment of food, delicacies and bouquets, Dragons in merry conversation weaved tales meant to woo and woe. Idle chatter and humorous jests resonating off the warm stone walls. Every corner was occupied, dragons of all kinds mingling with one another free of worry and doubt.
Moldrar laughed, head thrown back as his chest heaved with every inhale. Numerous others joined in, taking the opportunity to join in his joviality and revel in companionship.
"Superb story Ezrom! Where ever did you find such a joyous tale?"
The ice drake before him beamed, a chuckle in his throat. He delicately closed the book in his paw, making sure to place it on the floor beside him to avoid ruining it with food or drink.
"Is that even a necessary question? From the vast libraries of Shiveria of course," An earth dragoness sat next to the Lightning drake piped up.
Moldrar hummed, swallowing a mouthful of food before washing it down with a swig of mead and wiping the remains of his mouth before speaking.
"By the flame I simply must visit you more often. I hear the city is most pleasant during the summer."
There was a long pause of silence between the four companions, eyes darting back and forth between one another with absurd grins; they all promptly burst into laughter.
"I do make plans to visit, really. I'll have to condition myself weeks beforehand."
"Months," The earth dragoness cut in.
"Bah. That would be excessive." He gave a dismissive wave of his tail.
There was a smirk from the pale dragoness directly across from him, Ezrom's mate.
"Every dragon is different, and I'm sure you could acclimate but you may find it difficult the first few days. Either way, I'm certain you'll enjoy it." The pale dragoness's voice was serene, smooth but playful and inviting.
Moldrar stomped his foot to the ground, a profound smile on his face.
"Then it is settled. Now then, we toast! To Shiverum!" He proudly raised a goblet with his tail. The others raising their glasses as well.
"Shiverum," they chimed in unison.
End Flashback
Eliesia wandered aimlessly through the cathedral grounds, the delicate white flowers swaying and shifting beneath her with every pawstep. The tomb stones surrounding her whispered invasively in her ears, harrowing portents that warned of the coming storms.
There was a hum, a somber tune that hung in her mind like the makings of a memory with no picture. She could hear the voices of others, a cold choir that haunted her purgatory.
She lazily glanced across the scriptures of the surrounding graves, old disheveled writing weathered away by time. She cursed them, herself, the world for leaving the past in shambles. The dragoness could catch…. glimpses. She remembered Moldrar… his ever gentle demeanor and soothing hospitality that spoke volumes of etiquette and manner.
The ghosts of faces and names danced in her mind and eyes; she could see them when she slept and dreamed. Were they dreams, nightmares, or fragments? The lines were too blurred.
The only thing louder than the voices was the throbbing. The artificial heartbeat pulled her towards her responsibility, the only thing that could fix this slowly crumbling world, the first flame.
She steadily paced around the perimeter of the building. Partially broken stained glass windows let her peer inside the rekindled church, providing gentle wafts of warmth to wash over her. The faint sounds and snores of whispering and slumbering dragons seeping through the cracks of their refuge; everything seemed so vulnerable.
'This is how we lost…' She cursed herself.
She froze, the flickering shadows of dragons scraping across the ground catching her attention. Instinctively she looked up, catching glimpses between leaves of undead dragons flying over the forest canvas. As the moment passed she slowly relaxed, talons sheathing and muscles loosening. She kept walking until she found herself back at the mouth of the church, taking a few steps away from the door.
How long could they hide here? They would be found eventually wouldn't they? She looked back up to the shadows in the sky.
"You've been making me nervous," a voice spoke up from behind her, startling the dragoness.
She spun around, talons unsheathed and tailblade threatening to strike. She quickly relaxed once she realized it was the purple dragon. What was his name?
"Spyro…" She breathed out unintentionally. She thought it was in her head.
"You seem on edge. It's nice to know you remember my name though."
The drake slowly approached, eventually coming shoulder to shoulder with her. He never made eye contact with her, always gazing off into the distance; it was unsettling. There was a deep sigh from the purple dragon before silence once again took over.
She looked at him closely. Upon closer inspection she was able to notice a few things. First were the numerous gashes across his body, blood trickling down to spoil the white flowered ground. Second was his eyes. They looked sick, half lidded and sunk into his head; he hadn't gotten much sleep.
"You need to treat your wounds. You'll become ill." She moved towards him slightly only to have him jerk away. She looked up to be met with a hesitant stare.
With a huff she looked away, a scowl across her face. If he wanted to get sick that was his choice. She didn't bother to look when she heard the shuffling of grass and scales.
Spyro heated up his tail, a small flame flickering from his mouth and against his tail blade. He stopped once the end was a deep glowing red. Giving himself a once over, the purple dragon found several easily reachable wounds. Talons flexing in the soft grass and dirt, he clenched his jaw and steeled his muscles.
There was an audible hissing sound that disrupted the silence, Eliesia's head flipping around to watch in bewilderment as the purple drake attempted to cauterize his wounds on his own. It took everything in her will power not to scoff at him.
"Stop," she ordered, slapping his tail away.
The purple drake hissed, scowl across his face as he glared at her.
"What are you doing," he loudly whispered.
"I could ask you the same thing. You're doing it wrong."
The purple dragons face contorted, head reared back in disbelief. Shaking himself, his eyes remained annoyed but expression intrigued.
"It shouldn't hurt that much, not if it's hot enough."
She brought up her tail blade to her mouth, a white flame emanating from her maw. In seconds the blade was the same color, so hot that it hissed as it burned the air around it.
She gestured his paw towards him, silently asking him to come closer. He found himself obeying, shuffling his body closer to the dragoness.
She lowered her head and tail, inspecting the numerous cuts and gashes along his body. She slowly and delicately moved the piping hot blade towards him. He threw his gaze to the sky, preparing for the searing pain he was sure would come.
There was a loud hissing sound and what felt like a pinprick but it was much more bearable in comparison to his own attempt. He gazed down at her, face loose and questioning.
"How do you do that?" His voice sounded tired.
"With a steady tail and years of practice and study." She moved to his other side.
Spyro nodded his head, adjusting his neck to relieve some kinks.
"I normally rely on crystals but…" His words faded from his mouth.
Only a simple hum came in reply. With a shake of his head he continue.
"We lost them with the city. The few we had we used for the weak."
She couldn't stop the smile that glimpsed across her face. How could she have gotten this dragon so wrong when they first encountered? He put so many others above himself.
Spyro gave a haunted chuckle as if trying to comfort himself.
Head rotating he took in the sights, using the time to think. There were still so many questions that hadn't been answered. He looked back to the dragoness beside him, her eyes gazing at his cuts intently. He wanted to know more but… how to approach her.
"What is this place?"
Her eyes flickered up to him before settling back on her task; no answer came. Spyro gave a deep exhale, head turning to look back at the church. The dragoness suddenly stood upright, never looking at him.
"Eliesia… We need answers." His head leaned forward, trying to convince her to look at him.
"What is this place? How do you know Moldrar? What… what does all of this tie into?" He was growing desperate, the silence was killing him.
Eliesia took a shuddering breath. She owed them answers. Why was she so afraid to share them? Was it shame? Fear?
She forced out another shuddering breath, eyes lost and searching as she spoke.
"Moldrar was a friend…"
Cynder shivered, a cool breeze drifting through the mouth of the cathedral. Her eyes flickered open, the orange glow of candle light slowly filtering in through her drowsy lids and helping her wake. She gave a large yawn, lips and tongue lifting up in a silent display of her teeth and maw.
She blinked the yawning tears from her eyes, head spinning around to brief herself on her surroundings. She felt a hint of panic, not recognizing where she was. However, the memories came flooding back.
She could hear the screams all around her, the heat of the burning building as they crumbled to the ground and collapsed. Her heart raced, eyes wide as she relived the nightmare of reality. She could practically see it all.
Cynder shook herself, chest heaving as her mind swam and head spun on a swivel. Moments passed, the panic in her stomach slowly fading. She looked to her side.
"Spy-" No one was there.
Muscles heaving and bones aching she stood up glancing around the chapel.
'He couldn't have gone far.'
She took it as an opportunity to look around, wandering deeper into the stone haven until she came to the set of stairs that led to the upper balcony. She took the left set, her talons scraping and clicking against the stone floor.
Just as below there were numerous pots with burning candles placed atop them. A sweet aroma emanated from them that she hadn't noticed earlier. She closed her eyes, beautiful images filling her mind.
There was a field of wheat, patches of flowers in full bloom scattered across an ocean of green and gold. It looked to be a valley, mountains and trees rising up on both sides before disappearing into the clouds.
A sudden wrap in the knuckles had her startled from her day dream.
"Do not breathe so deeply around the incense unless you wish to slip into an everlasting dream," A frail voice chastised.
Cynder recognized it as Amphious; she deadpanned.
"Doesn't seem like such a bad thing." She thought back to how she woke up.
Another smack on her paw had her rubbing it soothingly.
"Okay, okay… sorry. Why do you have so many if they're so dangerous?"
The wolf hummed, a wheezing chuckle vibrating in his throat.
"It wards off the beasts, the dead."
Cynder glanced back at the pottery, watching the flames flicker carefully, realizing flecks of gold and purple dotted the inside of the orange light. She tried not to look too much into the coloring and what it meant. She quickly decided to change subjects.
"What is this place," she questioned as she admired the ceiling.
Numerous murals and paintings decorated the underside of the roof, many depicting great cities and happy celebrations.
Amphious tisked his teeth, pulling her attention away from the magnificent displays.
"I'm afraid that is not my story to tell…"
Cynder frowned, realizing what the wolf meant; she needed to talk to Elieisia. She would feel better about it if both her and Spyro confronted the dragoness together.
She snapped from her thoughts, thinking back to the absent purple dragon.
"Have you seen Spyro?"
The wolf hummed a throaty chuckle, frail arms lifting up his wooden cane; he pointed in the direction of the door. Cynder felt her throat tighten. She desperately hoped he didn't mean Spyro left.
Without another word Cynder bowed her head in thanks, making her way down the stairs and towards the the entry way.
'You're being ridiculous Cynder, he wouldn't leave.' She berated herself.
As she approached the door she found herself slowing down, ears picking up faint whispers of two voices. She immediately recognized spyro's, the only voice she could match to the others was Eliesia's.
The ebony dragon rounded the corner, spotting the fire dragoness tending to the purple drake's wounds; there was a faint hissing sound. The pair sat at the foot of the hill that rounded up to the church, both dragons taking turns to look at one another. Cynder pushed forwards quietly, gentle pawsteps nestling among the petals in the grass.
Looking to Spyro she noticed he was completely okay with everything. He wasn't in pain so why did it hurt her so see the two dragons talking?
Eliesia had stood up, having finished treating Spyro, she spoke.
"There were five of us, including me. We sought knowledge and and wisdom to share with the world. Great cities and cathedrals were constructed as monuments of our age."
Cynder couldn't see her eyes nor face; they had their backs turned to the ebony dragoness.
"Moldrar… who was he?" From the sound of his voice Spyro was deeply intrigued.
Cynder felt a twinge in her heart. She didn't know what it was or why she felt it, only that it hurt. It felt as if there was a rift between her and the purple dragon she held dear. A tear in their… relationship, a tear she had put there when she left.
Eliesia continued her story, wings stretching behind her slightly as her words filled the evening air.
"He was one of us of course. The best of us… This was his church. He… he held great feasts and parties here for all to enjoy." There was a heft in her voice. She spoke the words so squarely but… she seemed afraid of them, unsure?
"You said there were five of you…" Spyro carried on for her.
"Fire, Lightning, Earth, Ice and wind…" She nodded her head as she spoke, paws shuffling under her weight slightly.
Spyro looked in deep thought. Cynder could just see the left side of his face, snout pointed down and eye scanning the ground.
"So… In a way… you were like guardians." He looked back to the fire dragoness for an answer.
Eliesia shook her head.
Cynder felt her mind pick up. Sudden realization washing over her. 'The guardians! We split up after the attack…' She made to speak but Eliesia spoke before her.
"We were much more than that… There was more to us…" She seemed to struggle with her words, like she was reaching for them but couldn't hold onto anything.
There was a pregnant pause, a hole in the conversation; no one spoke, just pondered.
Finally, Cynder cleared her throat, grabbing the attention of both dragons.
"We need to talk with everyone." She spoke firmly, looking between both of them.
Gaze resting on the dragoness for several moments, Spyro took the time to acknowledge her with a bow.
'Has she been there the whole time?'
His friend returned the gesture, only, there was hesitance.
Spyro looked behind her to see Amphious gesturing for them to come into the cathedral, frail paw beckoning backwards.
Spyro entered without hesitation. Eliesia however, hung at the entrance, front right paw hovering over a layed down carpet across the entryway. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.
Spyro felt a smile tug at his lips; he knew how hard it was to hold onto old memories. It had been months after the death of Terrador before he had the strength to step paw into the temple again.
A loud tap and whistle had everyone in the church stirring from their slumber, lazily blinking the sleep from their eyes. Sweet dreams fluttered from their minds, leaving them to process reality. The wolf looked to Spyro, expectation in his eyes.
The purple dragon didn't miss a beat, clearing his throat before announcing loudly.
"Warfang! We need a plan!"
There were murmurs, the still groggy dragons drawing together to form an audience.
"It's still night, we need rest."
"Didn't you hear earlier? It's going to stay dark. This nightmare won't end until we put a stop to it."
"By the Ancients… This world is but a grave…"
Spyro cleared his throat one more time before looking to Cynder, waiting for her to share an idea, she had called the meeting after all.
The dragoness steeled her nerves, paws shuffling underneath her while her wings shifted on her back.
"We've lost a lot in these past few hours…"
Spyro gazed off to the side.
'Was it really hours? Or was it days?'
The purple dragon found his attention drawn to the a form of a grey-scaled drake with deep blue highlights along his horns and spine. He pushed through the crowd, drawing the attention of everyone else in the room. Annoyed glares burrowing into him; he looked to the ground shamefully.
"Im sorry," was the short and quiet apology he had offered after drawing the ire of every other dragon in the room.
Spyro recognized him but he couldn't remember from where.
"There are no signs of the guardians. The best bet we have in surviving all of this is bringing them back together."
Eliesia opened her mouth to argue but a reassuring tap from Amphious's cane had the dragoness settled.
There were murmurs through the crowd, questioning glares and dismissive growls. A single brave drake spoke up from the front of the crowd; ivory scales with yellow tinged horns and spines labeled him as a popular philanthropist among Warfang.
"Who put you in charge? Why is it you show up just in time for disaster to strike?!"
It would seem every dragon had their breaking point, others considerably lower than the rest.
There were murmurs of agreement among the crowd. However, other dragons such as the blue and grey drake frowned at the insinuation.
"I find it difficult to take orders from the Terror of-"
Spyro confidently strode up to the dragon, easily able to dwarf the silver spooned drake. There was a deep growl resonating within the purple drake's chest, Spyro's head raised prominently above everyone else's.
"I suppose you have a plan then, Ligolith?" Spyro's aura easily drowned out any confidence the dragon before him carried; no reply came.
The intimidation tactic was simple enough but when considering the pigment of scales, it was easily received; the drake backed off, joining the rest of the crowd.
"Rushing at the throat of another Warfang citizen will serve nothing but the benefit of our enemy."
Eliesia made to open her mouth once again before deciding to close it.
"I will admit… there is very little we understand right now."
He looked around the room, head turning back to offer a grateful smile to the undead fire dragoness, a gesture she returned unconfidently.
"I can promise answers but I can't promise victory… not if we don't trust one another."
There was a growing smile on the faces of Warfang, emboldening hearts filling the chest of every dragon as he spoke.
"But right now, at this. Very. Moment. We need each other more than we need answers. If we can't hold fast to ourselves, all is lost."
He glanced to Cynder, gesturing her forward. All eyes transferred to her as the ebony dragoness took over.
"If we lose the heart of Warfang, we lose this war. We need the guardians."
Another voice spoke up, this time from the grey and blue drake from earlier.
"And the guardians need us."
Spyro beamed at the younger dragon, finally recognizing him and giving a grateful bow. A glance over the room revealed none in opposition, all eyes focused on the two veterans.
"Now… does anyone have any clue of where we can find any of the guardians?" The purple drake glanced around the room. Cynder did the same.
The same young dragon stepped forward.
"Percium…" Spyro addressed reassuringly, right forepaw gesturing towards him, offering the floor to the younger dragon.
"Shiverum…" The drake's expression was a steel mask, the integrity of which was slipping.
Spyro immediately understood. Percium had family in the city, specifically on his mother's side.
At that time Eliesia felt the fire in her breast freeze over, the shadows of history and lost memory biting into her mind; she felt a mental wall crack.
"You're sure?" Spyro wanted to double check.
The Ice drake bolstered his chest, mask firm; he nodded.
Cynder looked to Spyro, seeing the purple drake deep in though. The ebony dragoness shifted her paws, talons sheathing and unsheathing to gnaw at the carpet. The purple dragon bowed to the young drake gratefully.
"Then that's where we go."
Author's note: Hey Guys. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter; I definitely loved writing it. It felt great to right something empowering. I wouldn't get used to it though. ;P After all, it's a Blood Souls inspired story. Anyways, thank you for your continued support. As always, feel free to leave a review or send a PM. It always makes my day to see one from you guys. As always, I'll see you in the next chapter!