Here is the next chapter, hope you all have been enjoying the story so far. This is when Spyro earns his place in Spargus...


Ch7: Arena Test

Damas kept a strong gaze, though he wasn't sure what to expect from this foreign creature. This was the first time a creature not native to the planet had ever shown up in his midst. Despite that, he chose to approach this the same way he treated every new visitor.

"So its true," he told Spyro, "an alien invader has come."

Spyro was shocked for a moment when he said 'invader.'

"No you have it all wrong," he started explaining which astonished the wastelanders. "I come in peace, and it was a rather unexpected journey."

Damas turned to Jak, "you didn't say he could talk."

"I thought I didn't have too," said Jak.

"So you're the leader of this desert city?" Spyro asked the king.

"I am, and I must ask, what are your plans on our world?" Damas asked intently.

"As of right now, I'm not sure, I arrived unexpectedly through an unusual series of events, though I'm relieved to have landed on the world of my friend Jak," replied Spyro.

"So you have come here before?" asked Damas.

"Yes, last time I landed it was in a place called Haven City." The dragon's answer made the wastelanders go silent, and made them slightly uneasy.

"You are familiar with it?" Spyro asked, though at the same time Jak and Daxter winced, wishing the dragon hadn't asked that question.

"Unfortunately yes," Damas answered with spite, which worried Spyro.

"If you have nothing good to say about it, then forgive me for mentioning it," Spyro quickly apologized while lowering his head. "I understand how harsh it can be." Spyro well remembered how rough the city was, he actually pitied Jak for living in a place that was war torn. Spyro's world was only torn by one evil dragon before he was imprisoned, ever since then things had been quite peaceful back home. Now that he had returned to Elorin in a new location, Spyro was hoping they would be more lenient than the Baron was. The last thing he wanted was another trip to jail.

"You seem to display humility in the presence of authority," Damas exclaimed. Spyro kept his head down and waited for the king to continue. He started walking around Spyro before speaking again, "An admirable quality in a being."

Spyro breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short lived. "But that alone does not console me," said Damas. "Out here the presence of strangers can be of great benefit, or great threat, seeing how this is the first time we have encountered an extraterrestrial, it will be a trial to remember."

"Trial sir?" Spyro asked.

"You will be tried like all who walk to our doors for the first time, entered into the arena, if you are worthy and of use to us, you will fight for your survival, and live."

"Fight for my survival? With all due respect your highness, I'd prefer to prove myself without violent action," Spyro explained hastily, "Is there an alternative way I can be tried?"

Damas kept silent as he continued pacing around the dragon, meanwhile Jak and Daxter watched with concern, as far as they knew no one had ever asked Damas for an alternative means of trial, and were worried Damas might be offended by it.

"The trial stands," Damas said walking back toward his men, while Spyro lifted up his head in shock, feeling dejected.

"The arena will open momentarily, as a fellow newcomer, Jak will escort you to the stage, and I suggest you not dawdle." Having finished speaking, the king and his followers exited through the city door. Jak approached Spyro, who was still unsettled at the kings lack of reprimand.

"Did he just completely shut me out?" Spyro asked.

"Damas does not give leniency to anyone, regardless of their ethics or morals," said Jak.

"Just be glad he didn't imprison ya," added Daxter, "I thought he would go gun-ho in the presence of an alien."

"I guess," said Spyro, "I have fought to protect myself and my friends on several occasions, but never for my own survival just to prove my worth."

"Well it's set in stone Spyro," said Jak. "For your well-being, you can't hold back, these guys will fight for one thing, to kill you. They don't take prisoners, and they don't show constraint to anyone, do you understand?"

"Yes," he said with unease. Jak nodded to his reply and led the way to the city lock. Approaching the lock, he presented his pass to the scanner and the door opened on top and bottom. Jak entered the city followed closely by Spyro, who started to take in his new surroundings. The buildings were constructed out of the mountain rock, and it seemed strikingly familiar to Warfang, the Dragon city back home. The people however were more than different. Upon entering, Spyro's presence was starting to turn a few heads. Spyro merely followed Jak as he led him to the arena, Spyro was hoping to not intimidate the wastelanders, especially since they were carrying guns. A couple even holstered their arms as he walked by, forcing Spyro to move alongside Jak as they continued their trek. They passed through the middle of the city, where a water well was stationed for the citizens. The trio approached the mammoth steps which led to the arena, and Damas guards from before, Krust and Bore were awaiting them.

"The king expects you at once alien, now go," Krust said while standing aside. Jak and Spyro looked at each other for a brief moment, before marching ahead up the steps. It was quite a long trek, Spyro was considering flying all the way up to the top, but thought it best to not leave Jak behind as he was his guide. From the top of the steps, Spyro gazed at the city from another point of view, he immediately thought to himself that this city was to this planet like Warfang was to his. Spyro then looked ahead, and saw that the hall split in two directions.

"Which way?" he asked Jak.

"Doesn't matter just pick one," he answered. Spyro decided to take the right side as it was closest. They made a short turn to the left, and at the end of the hall, he was met with the wide open area of the arena. Spyro was astonished with where they were. Below was an active lava pit, it covered the whole arena cavern, which opened up to the open sea in the background. Spyro hadn't seen anything like this since the catacombs and the burning wastes. Wastelanders were gathering in the side balconies, waiting to oversee the next round of trials. They were unaware however to know that an alien would be tested this time around.

"This is the arena? A boiling lake of lava?!" Spyro exclaimed.

"In the wasteland it's do or die purple boy, or so they tell me," replied Daxter, "I know, it sucks doesn't it?"

"PEOPLE OF SPARGUS!"

The three of them as well as the crowds grew silent at the commanding voice from above them. Spyro looked atop to his left to see Damas sitting in an arena throne upon a cavern balcony, giving acknowledgements to his people.

"Another round of trials has begun! As you are aware, those who pass the tests are assured to join our fair city in the life of survival, but today, our halls bear refuge to a new kind of being," Damas announced.

The crowd grew silent in anticipation, and Spyro began to draw a sweat from his brow, and it wasn't just due to the heat of the lava.

"An alien outworlder has landed upon our doorstep through mysterious means, whether by his own actions or the will of the Precursors themselves, but he has assured me directly that he means no harm to our world," Damas continued.

Everyone seemed to be murmuring to each other, taking in their king's worlds and expressing their opinions on this foreign matter. Jak however nodded to Spyro in reassurance that the king was speaking of him in a good manner, which brought a sense of relief to the purple dragon.

"Alien or not, we will uphold the traditions of our city and test this creature as any newcomer, to prove his worth to us, or die trying," Damas finished while turning his head to look at the dragon on the lower balcony, who seemed hesitant to look him back in the eye. Damas gave a gesture with his gun to move forward onto the landing platform in front of him. Spyro turned back to Jak one last time.

"Go ahead," he told him giving the same gesture. The purple dragon took a deep breath and moved forward onto the landing platform. There was a physical jolt, and then the platform started to descend down toward the lava. Damas then turned to the remote device in his hand, one that was only to be handled by the king himself, and pressed a key. Everyone looked on to see the purple dragon for the first time, some were silent while others were roaring, though it sounded quite belligerent.

Suddenly, the lava started to upset itself, and was becoming quite unsettled. Spyro looked with concern what was going on as he descended closer to it. Suddenly, a platform nearly as wide as the lava pool itself arose from the pool, marking the sign of a new round of arena games. The arena platform settled itself as Spyro reached the end of his descent. He paused for a moment, taking in the unease of the moment, and brushing it off as he flew down onto the arena. The platform ascended immediately, leaving Spyro on the arena floor, though it didn't matter to him, for he could always fly out of here. However, this seemed like something that couldn't be avoided, and braced himself.

Above, Damas watched with interest while pressing another key, then walkways rose from the ends of the arena and descended like drawbridges over to the cells below the spectator stands. Suddenly, a parrot monkey flew over and landed upon his throne catching his attention.

"Huff, apologies for the late arrival sir," he huffed, "Hoff! I was in the middle, Gasp! of my morning meditation, Phew!"

"By meditation Packer you mean nap?!" Damas exclaimed.

"Oh well, you know how it goes, you say tomato I say tamoto, it goes back and forth," Packer commented, though Damas paid him no mind.

"So who are we testing today?" the parrot monkey flew atop his shoulder to get a better view, and he couldn't believe who he saw.

"Raawwkk!" he screeched, "A purple dragon? It couldn't be, could it? Ah but who else could it be? Why didn't someone tell me that Spyro is back?"

"You know the alien too?" Damas asked.

"He tagged along for Jak's last adventure, though I don't know the full details, you'd have to ask…Aha!" he spoke upon seeing Jak and Daxter below him, to whom he immediately flew down.

"You two! Why didn't you tell me Spyro is back?"

"Can it featherbrain! We just found out ourselves!" Daxter yelled back.

"I hate it when you keep me out of the loop," Packer complained.

Spyro looked to both his sides, upon seeing the walkways reaching the cell-holes in the cavern walls, he was waiting for whatever came next. Damas spoke again over the sounds of the crowd and the unstable lava.

"LET THE TRIAL BEGIN!"

There was a locking sound, and the cell walls opened up to reveal the dark caves behind them. Spyro watched slightly unsettled, until he heard something, growls and roars coming from within the cave. The noises started to show their silhouettes, and slowly they lurked out of the darkness, and Spyro was shocked to recognize the figures.

"GRAWWRR!"

The swarm of metalhead grunts stormed out of the cavern and raced toward Spyro. Jak and Daxter could only watch in horror as the monsters swarmed toward their friend. Spyro stood his ground against the first wave of grunts and immediately leapt into action. He jumped and then alley-looped over the whole swarm and landed behind them. The metalheads ground to a halt upon the dragons initial move. Spyro then went on the attack, clawing at the metalhead closest to him, and knocking it into the next one. He immediately spun around with his tail, knocking three other grunts away, lowering the count of the swarm that was still aright from eight to three. The three remaining lunged for the dragon, but Spyro stood his ground with a scowl on his face, and electricity slowly started exfoliating from his body.

The metalheads nearly had a claw on him, until he expelled an electrical field which encompassed them all, and then retracted them away by 15 feet. Spyro noticed another one about to strike, and lunged, grabbing it by the leg and spinning it around his head. He released it, causing it to fly into the lava pool, where it immediately incinerated. Another roar was heard, and Spyro turned toward the other open gate on the opposite side of the arena. The noise caught the attention of the others too, Jak, Daxter, Damas and Packer gazed toward the cave. Damas on the other hand knew what was coming and kept vigil. With a low growl, the creature stepped out of the cave, shocking the heroes.

A metalhead ram-head rhino blew steam out of its nose, and started lurking toward the dragon. Spyro didn't have to time to be shocked though, because the remaining grunts were starting to get up again, and growled hastily toward him. Before they could lunge, Spyro took a deep breath and spat a wave of fire toward them, incinerating four of them, while forcing the remaining ones to stand back. The king and his subjects were shocked by the abilities the purple alien possessed.

Spyro ended the flame having finished off four of them, but the remaining three immediately leapt toward him in rage. He ran toward them as well, dodging one and rolling another off his back and colliding with the final one as they grappled into a submission hold. All the meanwhile, the ram-head had eyed its target, and was pounding its hooves into the arena floor, ready to attack. Spyro was still pounding the grunt with his feet, forcing it to release, and allowing him to claw it away again. He turned toward the other two who were lunging for him again, and immediately shot out an earth blast, knocking them across the arena and over the edge into the lava.

Satisfied that they were out of the way, he turned toward the ram-head, who looked ready to charge. Spyro turned toward the remaining grunt and thought of a plan. He jumped into a position that put him in between the grunt and the ram-head. With his wing, he then gestured toward the ram-head to bring it. The ram-head growled heavily and stormed toward the dragon with every intention on flattening him. He drew closer and closer, though Spyro waited for the right moment…Jak and Daxter were vigilant…the crowd kept watch…the king looked on…the ram head was nearly on top of him…and he jumped away! The grunt behind him gazed up in horror of the incoming ram-head. The ram-head ran and crushed it, putting it out of its misery.

"Clever," Damas commented, "His battle skills and cunning do not disappoint."

"Ha, I knew no metalheads were a match for purple boy," Daxter told his partner.

"Spyro can handle this no sweat," Jak added with confidence.

Spyro lowered himself onto the arena floor as he faced the ram-head again, who had turned around toward him again after crushing the grunt. Steam was blown out of his nose again as he prepared another charge.

"Come and get me beast," Spyro spoke softly.

The ram-head pounded its hooves once again, and charged. Though this proved no problem for the purple dragon as he took a breath once again, and with all his might, shot the largest ice shard he could muster from his mouth. The shard zoomed toward the ram-head who roared upon charge. What happened next silenced the crowd. The shard had entered the beast's mouth, and plowed through its innards and out the other side, causing the ram-head to drop dead during charge. Its carcass skidded toward the purple dragon and halted in front of him.


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