Chapter 6: Safety

October 27, 11:32 AM

Spyro sat, looking out towards the bay doors of the Osprey that had been carrying them since morning. So many things had happened, in such a short amount of time. A conflict he had feared occurring, had occurred, and now he was caught in the middle. It wasn't a very good place to be… No, in fact it was a terrible place to be. In the cockpit of the aging aircraft sat Jericho, a human, a Forger. In the aft of the craft sat a dragoness with onyx scales, Cynder. Cynder, was a Sentinel. For as long as Spyro could remember, any time he heard of Sentinels it was always associated with humans, with Forgers. They were either hunting their relics, or just flat out hunting for them. For years Spyro wondered why they would waste their time looking for Forgers, since he had been under the impression they had all been whipped out years ago.

That all changed, when Jericho had entered his city. Now, the two enemies sat on opposite ends of the Osprey, and Spyro sat in the middle, unsure of what to do next. Cynder sat, looking down at the floor silently. She had recovered from her injuries she had sustained in the storm, but she was still weak. According to Jericho, any longer out there and she would have easily perished. Nobody, especially dragons, can survive the storm's energy draining affects. Spyro just sighed, looking down at the floor again. She was a Sentinel, a Sentinel… For some reason they were hunting Spyro, or at least the ones in the city were. Any time they saw him or recognized him they went after him, talked about "delivering" him to their boss, whoever the hell that was. Why would they have so much interest in him? He thought Sentinels, for all their flaws, were extremely pro dragons. Even if their ranks included numerous species that were not dragon, it was clearly understood that they were always the favored species. Why go after Spyro? Why was he so special to them?

Whatever the reason, it was clearly there. Cynder, however showed no signs of this motive. Was it because she was just a Sentinel in training, a recruit? Had they not informed her of why the others were targeting Spyro? She obviously had no idea that her brethren were targeting Spyro. She was even offering to help Spyro, help him get this damned collar off of him that inhibited his elements.

Spyro brought a claw down, feeling the metal that gripped his neck so tightly. He had almost gotten used to it, but he could always feel that tightness… He could also feel the ever so subtle way it drained him of his powers, not letting him use elemental attacks. Cynder was his only hope of getting it off… She had saved him and he had saved her in the short span of a day. Now, Spyro didn't know what to think. For all she had done for him, she was still a Sentinel. What would happen, when Jericho landed the craft? Would they part ways, and if so, who would Spyro follow? Would he follow the Forger Jericho, someone who he was so curious about, so curious about his history and species, or would he follow the only individual able to help him rid himself of this collar? He might never meet another Forger again, and Spyro had no idea if Cynder might actually learn of Spyro's 'importance.'

What was he going to do…?

Spyro sat silently, looking down at the floor. His two lifelong friends, Flame and Sparx just looked on at their friend, unable to make out just what was happening in the young dragon's mind. Flame wished he could help his friend, wished that he could encourage him but at the moment, Flame didn't even know what the right thing to do was anymore. He was just as lost as Spyro. What a mess…

Before any of them were able to think of anything else, they felt the craft begin to slow form its usual speed, and they could all hear the obvious sounds of the engines powering down outside.

Looking up, Spyro saw Jericho holding the control sticks furiously, the sunlight coming from outside the frontal cockpit being obscured by trees now. They were landing.

The craft touched down soon after that, though not as smoothly as Spyro could have hoped. The craft jolted as it touched down, as if the engine had died a few feet above the ground. It took a few moments for Spyro to collect himself, almost having been thrown from the bench where he had been sitting to the floor. The others did the same as Jericho emerged from the cockpit.

"What's happened?" Flame asked, catching Jericho's attention as he was grabbing a sack of items under the seats.

"Engines finally died. That storm last night sucked all the juice from them, and this is as far as we're going to be able to go."

"So much for the straight ride over there…" Spyro said, jumping onto the floor.

"We are a lot farther up the coast then I thought, it shouldn't be long now." Jericho said, grabbing his weapon. Cynder just watched him, a glare in her eyes. Spyro watched her as well, hoping she didn't do anything. Half of his was watching Jericho for the exact same reason. He wasn't sure if he was able to trust any of them.

"You, stay right there…" Jericho said, pointing to Cynder as he walked by there to hit the door release switch. The door hummed to life, slowly lowering to expose the outside world to them. Cynder didn't say a word to him, only sitting on the bench like she had been. Spyro collected his things, as did Flame. They joined Jericho at the ramp, slowly walking down onto the grass. They had landed in an expansive forest, with luscious green trees spanning as far as they could see. In the distance they could see mountains, and puffy white clouds danced over the expansive morning sky above. It was quite the view.

Jericho quickly turned around after getting a few feet away from the craft, his weapon pointed in Cynder's direction.

"No sudden moves now." Jericho said, his finger on the trigger.

"It's funny, you think I'm your prisoner?" Cynder asked, getting off of the craft, almost with a bit of disgust for it.

"Well you sure aren't in charge around here."

"Neither are you. Your time has long come and gone. You'll see soon enough. Besides, you won't have to worry about me for much longer, I have NO intentions of taking the company of a human…" She remarked coldly.

"Fine, go off by yourself. I'm sure you'll do just fine after that storm. In fact, it'd make me happier to know another Sentinel bites the dust, good riddance."

Cynder just growled at him. Jericho paid her no mind, only turning around to walk down the road in front of him. Flame turned to Spyro, who turned to Cynder. Cynder gave Spyro a quick look, one that spoke of her absolute hatred of Jericho, and some annoyance to Spyro for sticking her in this situation like he had. She said no words to Spyro, only walking forwards in Jericho's direction. Spyro knew what she meant by it, and followed right behind her with Flame and Sparx. Spyro figured that she was only going to go as far as she could before fully recovering, or when they reached her friend's home. Then there, she would owe nobody anything, including Spyro and could go on her merry way to her destination.

Spyro had to think of something, something to save this whole situation. He didn't want things to turn out this way, but… was this just the world he lived in? Some part of him felt that way, and there was nothing he could do.

They walked down the road for quite a while, all in silence. The forest was expansive, and there seemed to be no end to it in sight. The only unique feature was the road that ran straight through it, and not a natural road either. It was made from that almost black concrete that was back in Spyro's hometown, so he figured this used to be a Forger road. Could it lead somewhere?

"Man, I hope we're not lost…" Flame finally said, almost under his breath.

"We're not lost, I know exactly where we're going…" Jericho said, looking down at an old map he had retrieved from his pack.

"Where are we then?" Spyro asked.

"If this is right… We should be coming onto a city soon. An important one."

"Important?" Spyro asked, tilting his head.

"Yes, we might be able to find something there we can use."

Spyro hoped Jericho knew what he was doing, especially since he had never been out here before, and neither had Flame. Only Jericho and Cynder knew of the outside world, and he was relying on them both.

They walked for at least another hour in silence, following the road for as long as it would take them. Spyro's legs were beginning to tire, and Spyro was being reminded of the fact that they hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon. Spyro hoped they found a place to rest soon, or at least to have some lunch.

"There we go…" Jericho said finally, seeing an old sign in the distance. The sign had faded paint on it, the green color having deteriorated over the long years, almost rusting right off.

"YOU ARE NOW APPROACHING US SAFETY ZONE EAST. PLEASE HAVE ALL ID READY AND APPROACH THE MILITARY CHECKPOINT SLOWLY. USE OF LETHAL FORCE IS AUTHORIZED." The sign read, some parts almost illegible but Spyro was able to guess what it said. Another sign sat behind it, with the name of a city. Now that Spyro could not make out at all. That sign was far too gone to be readable.

"Safety Zone East? What's that?" Flame asked, stopping to look at the sign.

"It's one of the places my people built during the war, to protect themselves from your kind." Jericho explained, passing the sign.

"So it's like a fortress built by your people? Do you think there are any of your kind there?" Flame asked, turning to Jericho.

Jericho didn't respond for a few seconds, just looking at the map.

"No, I don't." Jericho finally said.

"Wasn't it a fortress though? It didn't last?" Spyro asked now, curious.

"I don't know, I've never been this far east before. I doubt it lasted though." Jericho explained.

"He knows there's nobody there because they killed themselves. Those "Safety Zones" did nothing to save your people from yourselves. Your hunger for power saw through to that." Cynder said, breaking her silence. Jericho paid her no mind, just continuing forward down the road. Spyro and Flame raced to catch up, having stayed at the sign to read it.

As they marched onwards, they began to notice the wreckage of those cars on the road, just like Spyro had seen in his own city. They lined the road, all racing the same direction as they had been walking. They went on for as far as Spyro could see, it was an incredible sight! The wrecks had decayed over the years, and it was clear they had been stripped of parts long ago. Their remains still sat there, however.

The sightings of the wrecks were a sign they were getting close, which excited Spyro. They had been walking for several hours now, and he hoped they got there soon. Thankfully for Spyro, he wouldn't have to wait for much longer.

Finally, he could see the familiar gray silhouettes of human structures in the distance, cresting over the expansive forest. It was a city, and where there's a city there are people, and possibly food.

Before they reached the city, the reached a large structure in the middle of the road. A fallen sign by the side of the road simply read "MILITARY CHECKPOINT." Was this what the sign back there had talked about? Several more cars were backed up at the checkpoint, many looking like they had taken hits from something. The metal was horridly bent and warped like Spyro hadn't seen before. Other vehicles sat by the roadside, and part of the building was missing. It didn't look like it had collapsed, but had rather been blown across the field behind the building.

Jericho walked in-between the old husks of vehicles, making his way through the structure without much care. Spyro and Flame, however, were slowly walking through, taking in every detail they could. Spyro stopped to peer inside the old destroyed building, seeing several desks toppled over and a shelf or two laying on the floor. Grass was growing in-between the cracked floor, and it didn't look like anybody had been here in quite a while.

"Don't get too far behind!" Jericho yelled at them as he had already walked a distance away from it. Cynder was slowly following him, but turned to see Spyro and Flame being distracted at the structure. Sparx had even found something that interested him, a soft torn stuffed 'bear' that he had found in one of the old cars. He gleefully carried the small stuffed creature away.

Spyro and Flame raced to catch up, not wanting to fall behind the others.

It didn't take long for them to reach the city itself, and it was unlike anything Spyro had seen before. A large concrete wall blocked off the city, with large guard towers sitting directly behind the walls, overlooking a massive field. The field sat before the wall itself, and judging from the fact that there were many burnt and destroyed tree stumps, this field had been created on purpose in front of the wall. Craters dotted the field, along with the burnt wreckage of vehicles Spyro had never seen before. One vehicle sat near a crater, heavily damaged and warped but it was massive. Unlike other 'cars' who had a large main part mounted on four wheels, this didn't have wheels at all. A large belt was on either side of it instead, and a large bulbous metal structure sat on top of the main body of the vehicle. The structure was turned at an angle, suggesting it could rotate a full 360 degrees. On one side of the structure a large cylinder protruded forward and was hollow. Was it a gun? Was this a large gun mounted on a vehicle? Wow, what was this thing?

There were more of these vehicles of various size and design scattered around the field. All were horribly destroyed and damaged long ago, having had their parts scavenged and left to rot in the sun. Some vehicles looked far too gone to be of use to anyone ever again.

Spyro and Flame looked at the strange vehicles, but Jericho and Cynder paid them no mind. They continued walking towards the broken wall, a large gash severing the large concrete wall in two, exposing itself to the world. Jericho turned, looking at Spyro and Flame who raced to catch up to them after inspecting the destroyed armored vehicles.

"Looks like a massive battle raged here…" Flame said, looking around.

"Indeed there was." Jericho simply said, stepping onto the shattered grey concrete pieces. He walked up to the opening in the wall, pointing his rifle into the massive gash to inspect the area. He waved his hand forward, telling them it was all clear. He walked down off of the hill of debris and onto the ground again. Spyro, Flame, Sparx and Cynder all followed, cresting the debris hill in the gash and peered into the "fortress" for the first time.

Inside, there was what looked like several houses and buildings, things Spyro was used to. In the distance, farther away there sat the massive towers of a city. Unlike Spyro's city, however, this one was eerily silent. There was no life whatsoever that they could tell.

The ground was fractured running down the streets, separating them into clusters of rock. Steam rose from the shattered rock, and strange plants grew from the ruptures in the asphalt. Spyro shifted his muzzle as he smelled something foul coming from the cracks, almost backing away. Jericho grabbed his gasmask, slipping it onto his face.

"What is that?" Flame asked, waving his claws to divert the stench away.

"It's what's secreting from those." Jericho said, pointing to a large plant growing near a raised section of asphalt. The plant was massive, gorgeous as a massive bulb made up the main part of its mass, with large pedals branching off and vines that entrenched itself into the ground. The pedals were extended from the center somewhat, and they could see a bit of liquid drip from its base, into the cracks that the plant was creating. The plant was easily the size of Spyro, it was huge!

Cynder growled, backing up a bit.

"Thing's toxic, it eats creatures like us, don't get too close." She said, circling around it to avoid the plant.

"Toxic? We're breathing in this air?!" Flame said, nervousness in his voice. Spyro grit his teeth, holding his breath.

"Just hold your breath. This thing likes to gas its victims, then eat them." She said as she held her breath as well. Jericho held his rifle up, walking around the plant while watching it. They all walked as far as they could around it, the plant throbbing and moving to their presence. Was it sentient? Did it even know they were there?

Some spores came out from its bulbs, landing nearby, as well as more of that strange liquid dripping down from its vines and tentacles onto the cracked ground. Yeah, it definitely was aware of them.

"Just don't breathe in that crap, you'll be fine." Jericho said, breathing in from his mask.

"Easy for you to say…" Flame said, following right behind as they moved beyond the plant. Spyro took in a breath, smelling none of that stench again. He sighed, taking in more breaths of fresh air.

"Man, didn't know there was shit like that out here…" Flame said, shaking his head.

"You have to be careful in places like these, they're abandoned for a reason." Jericho explained as he kept his mask on, walking down the road. The road ahead was collapsed down somewhat, a lower level then the ground around it. Houses and buildings sat on the higher ground, with what was left of the road sinking into a pseudo-gulch as the road had collapsed down. Crystals were growing from the shattered rock, and it looked like their growth had caused the ground to shatter and give way.

Spyro saw something, near the crystal. Looking closer he could see that it was actually a body, a body of a dragon no less. The dragon looked to be a few years older than they were, and was clearly dead. His body had deteriorated somewhat, and he was only inches from the crystal. More bones lay nearby, all from various creatures, but mostly dragons.

"Would you look at that…" Jericho said, seeing it too. Cynder grit her teeth at the sight.

"What killed them all?" Spyro asked, confused at the sight. He thought those crystals were supposed to heal, why were there so many dead near it?

"See that?" Cynder said, pointing to a tentacle that was gripping the base of the crystal. Soft black particulate also swirled within the crystal's natural pure blue or purple hue, tainting its aura. The crystal's light dimmed each time the tentacle pulsed, and after following the tentacle it was clear that it was coming from those strange plants.

"What the… is it poisoning the crystal?" Flame asked.

"Those plants like to grow around these life crystals, they both draw energy from them and use them as bait to lure in unsuspecting victims. Don't touch those crystals, they're all tainted." Jericho explained, stepping over one of the bodies. Spyro held his head low, following right behind as they stepped in-between the dead dragons. At least the air wasn't poisoned here.

They cleared the crystals, walking back up onto level ground as the road wasn't collapsed or shattered here like it was back at the crystals. Instead, there were just blocks of half crumbling buildings, all succumbing to nature as trees, vines and various other foliage was consuming the structures. Many buildings that were once made of wood no longer remained, at least in anything Spyro could recognize as a building. The wood was all rotten, and collapsed into what could easily be mistaken as a mound of earth or grass, since there was so much growth around it. A large building up ahead caught Spyro's attention, since it was made from red brick, and had a massive plant growing inside of its ruins. While the walls remained, what was once inside was obviously gone as the walls were bulging from the size of this plant, its vines and appendages breaking free through small holes and swallowing several nearby buildings. What a strange place.

"Are all these plants poisonous?" Spyro asked, turning to Jericho and Cynder.

"Not all of them, that large one is inert. It doesn't have its poison gas anymore, it just spreads more of those little bastards. Keep on your toes." Jericho said. Cynder just kept silent, looking around the empty streets. They could definitely see the spores, the small green flakes passing through the air like a fungus growth.

Spyro could see more of those vehicles from outside here too, the cars and trucks all laying silently on the street, all succumbing to the same fate that befell the buildings. Vines and plants had entangled them so tightly, that they were now just permanent fixtures. Spyro doubted they would ever be moved again.

Up ahead, they could see a gate, with more of those armored vehicles Spyro saw outside. Like the ones outside, they were destroyed and tossed aside, the small concrete and metal gate also having been forced open. The gate looked to head into the city, and a larger highway up ahead.

"That's where we're going." Jericho explained, pointing to the overpass.

"What's over there?" Spyro asked.

"A quick route to wherever the military last set up its base. Chances are there are more vehicles there, maybe some in working condition." Jericho said, jogging towards the overpass. Spyro just raced to catch up, wondering how sound his plan was since their last "vehicle" didn't hold up so well.

They reached the overpass quickly, scaling up one of the many onramps. The plant growth here was not nearly as prevalent, though many buildings were crumbling and being claimed by wildlife. The spores and strange plants were not present, which Spyro was thankful for.

The overpass was a mess of vehicles and obstacles, more than Spyro had seen before. They clogged the road for as far as Spyro could see, and many were all in the same state, destroyed and abandoned. The overpass went right into the heart of the city, and Jericho was quick to make his way through the wrecked vehicles. They followed close, not wanting to fall behind.

Signs of battle were becoming more evident now, as buildings had been blown apart while some lay intact. Parts of the road had collapsed, or had been destroyed on purpose and more armored vehicles sat along the road. There was one area where they had been lined up, blocking the cars. Their guns pointed upwards, to the sky. Why would they have done that?

"Hey, look over here Spyro!" Flame exclaimed, having run in front of Jericho. Spyro looked seeing what Flame was pointing to.

Up ahead the overpass met the ground again, being almost level with the roads running alongside it. Concrete barriers had been erected right on the road, blocking all cars. A gateway had been erected in the small passageway the concrete barriers allowed and armored vehicles sat in a line around it. It looked like all the other scenes but this one was different. There was something else there with the destroyed wreckage.

"Well, that's gross…" Jericho said, seeing what Flame had seen.

Bones, there were bones here. Bones from fallen humans lay scattered in the ground, almost covered by patches of grass or moss that had grown on the freeway's surface. They lay against the concrete barriers and amongst the destroyed wrecks. Nearby there was a rather large body, that of a dragon. In fact, there were multiple dragon skeletons on the freeway, right against this barrier. All their bones were illuminated by the soft glow of a purple crystal that sat near the edge of the road. Unlike the crystals from the lower city, there were no vines tainting this crystal, or black particulate swirling within it. This crystal was pure.

Looking around, it became obvious of what had transpired here, and its outcome. The humans were all laying against the wall, while the dragons had been attempting to enter it.

Spyro turned to Cynder, who had been disclaiming Jericho's claims that this was all a war started by dragons. She just looked at the skeletons and shrugged it off.

"No telling how old these are. Could be recent for all we know." She said while walking by them. Spyro walked to one of the skeletons, looking it over.

"Why were they trying to break through here…?" Spyro asked. Sparx just buzzed by his head, looking on as well. He frowned at Spyro, who frowned back.

"They were trying to break through the Safety Zone, and this is where many of her human defenders died…" Jericho explained, walking through the destroyed gateway. Inside there were more remains, all scattered along the ground. It was a massacre.

Cynder just remained silent, walking through the skeletal remains, not caring that she stepped right onto the bones. Jericho took his time, making sure not to step on human remains. Spyro and Flame followed too, making sure to be careful where they stepped as well.

They reached the end of the narrow passage, finding themselves on the open freeway again. In front was a sight they had seen all before, more cars, more wreckage. Though Spyro could now see through the massive towers that stood all around them, seeing the horizon beyond, and the sun as it was starting to set in the distance.

They walked forward again, Spyro wishing they'd find a place to rest, though curious as ever to continue onwards, see what this "safety zone" had to offer.

"What the… look out!" Jericho yelled, taking cover behind a car. Spyro looked left, right, trying to find out what Jericho was talking about. It was then that an arrow pierced the metal of a car in front of Spyro, the loud DUNG echoing across the empty city. Spyro ducked low behind the vehicle, looking around for its source.

Nothing. There was absolutely nothing.

"Spyro, look!" Flame yelled, having moved to another car. Spyro looked up, seeing who he was pointing at. There, he saw a familiar figure standing on one of the nearby buildings. There, he saw Hunter.

/Transitioning…/

[Done]

"So what they say is true, there are really more of you." Hunter said, extending a hand to help Jericho up. Jericho grabbed his hand, pulling himself up to Hunter's hideout.

"Yeah, you could say that." Jericho said with a smirk. He turned to see Cynder land behind him, Spyro, Flame and Sparx already having landed up at Hunter's little hideout. Hunter's home, or outpost as it were was a small series of rooms in the side of one of the many skyscrapers in the city. This one just so happened to overlook the main highway that Jericho had chosen to go through, and had a perfect angle to view anyone possibly traveling down the road. The rooms had been mostly cleared of debris, and had been worked on a bit, some furniture and different objects being moved in, along with barriers and barricades. The entire area was fortified, and with a quick glance Spyro could see weapons, food and medicine stashed in cases of emergencies.

"This is a nice place you got here." Jericho said, taking off his mask and looking around. He set his pack down on a nearby table, sitting down on a couch Hunter had against a wall overlooking the road.

"It is, it is one of many outposts my group uses in areas like these. We monitor and defend areas like this."

"Defend from what?" Spyro asked.

"From certain factions." He said, turning to face Cynder who was looking at him, almost glaring. She just huffed, going to sit along the wall that overlooked the street. Hunter turned to Spyro, who just sighed.

"Spyro, you should really be cautious of those you permit in your company. Some individuals are… more toxic then others." He said, turning away from Cynder.

"Save your breath cheetah. We know all about you and your… 'group.'" Cynder said, shaking her head while looking at the road. Hunter didn't respond, only inviting Jericho and Spyro into the other room.

Spyro and Jericho followed, Flame sitting on one of the couches, rubbing his arm awkwardly as Cynder just stared out over the road.

Sparx buzzed with Flame, shaking his head a bit before flying around the look for new items. Flame watched Sparx leave, groaning as he wished he hadn't left him behind.

"What brings you this way Spyro, why leave the safety of your city. Why… do you have a Sentinel in your group?"

"I… I just wanted to help." Spyro said, unable to give a true, honest answer.

"I'm heading to New York, and he wanted to help. The… dragoness over there owes Spyro a favor." Jericho explained, walking over to the table where Hunter was standing, pulling up an old chair and setting it down in its reverse position, crossing his arms along the back of the chair as he sat backwards in it, resting his head on his arms.

"New York? That's an awful long way from here. Why would you want to go there?" Hunter asked.

"I'm delivering something. Something important to me." Jericho explained, sitting back a bit.

"It's interesting you'd want to go to New York. As far as I know, there's nothing out there."

"Well then that's good enough for me, means none of this world exists over there."

Hunter just shook his head, turning to Spyro.

"What kind of favor does she owe you?" He asked the young dragon. Spyro sighed before gripping the collar around his neck.

"She knows someone who can remove this. It's inhibiting my elemental attacks." Hunter walked over to Spyro, examining the device around his neck.

"Yes I've seen these before. They were actually originally made by the Forgers- you're people." Hunter explained, turning to Jericho who shrugged at the mention.

"They seem to have been modified… enchanted. I wouldn't be able to help you. Who does she know that can help you?"

"She knows someone along the way to New York, someone who specializes in these locks. She's offered to help me, since I've helped her."

Hunter just shook his head.

"Be careful Spyro, Sentinels are not to be trusted. I'd be cautious of what she offers."

Spyro just looked at the ground, not responding. Hunter just sighed at that.

"I…. I know Hunter. I just have no other option." Spyro explained finally.

"I understand. I trust you Spyro, I just hope you know what you're doing young one."

"We came this way hoping we could find some old military vehicle, maybe use it to get us farther along the way." Jericho said, standing up from his chair.

"There are few if any vehicles salvageable here in Avalar. Most are owned by my Order, and kept along the old docks. I doubt they'd let… her approach."

"You wouldn't be able to help us, give us directions to something we could use?" Jericho asked, his plan now defeated. Hunter rubbed his chin, sighing softly.

"Well, I could let you use my personal vehicle here. I can take you north out of Avalar. It should put you farther along your path, and if I know the same locksmith your friend is speaking of, you should be within a day's walking distance."

"Good, that'll get her out of our hair. The quicker the better." Jericho said, delighted at the news.

"Yeah, that'd be great!" Spyro said, smiling. He couldn't WAIT to get this off of his neck, though the thought of ditching Cynder fully saddened him, even if he knew exactly what was at stake. Her being here threatened him, threatened Jericho. He just… he didn't think that it was fair to lump her in with those Sentinels in the city. They were evil, she… she wasn't evil, at least not yet. He hoped… well, he didn't know what he really hoped. This was his problem.

"Jericho, you're the first human I've ever seen, and I thought you had all been whipped out." Hunter said, turning his attention back to Jericho. Jericho smiled.

"Well, we don't really want to be found… not by this world. We're way to few and far between."

"I have so many questions, I hope it's not too much for you after your travels."

"No, no, not at all." Jericho said, sitting down at the table. Hunter walked over to a small crate, pulling out some fresh food he had hunted earlier, preparing to cook it. At last, Spyro thought, they could get some food. The smell of food brought Flame in as well, his tail flailing from excitement. Cynder even turned slightly from her sitting position, the smell drawing her in as well. Her face read of one wrought with confusion, hatred, fear and uncertainty. She slowly moved from her spot, walking towards the delicious smell of food. Even those who harbor hatred cannot resist a fresh meal forever…

Jericho and Hunter sat at the other end of the table, talking lightly while the others engorged themselves on the feral elk Hunter had retrieved some time earlier that day and prepared for them. For Spyro, it was delightful to finally get to eat something after almost an entire day. Things were tough in the city yeah, though they always managed to find something or had some stockpile to live off of. Here, this was another story.

They finished some time later, and it wasn't long before Flame had fallen asleep. Spyro looked around, seeing that Cynder was laying down near the entrance to the outpost. She seemed to be doing the same, retiring for the night. Spyro felt that was the right thing to do, rest before their journey tomorrow. Sparx had already fallen asleep, right on top of a nightstand in the first room with Flame. Spyro found a nice spot on the couch next to Flame and joined them in slumber.

Jericho and Hunter remained in the other room, talking softly in the small, dim light of a candle. The soft cool air of the autumn night started to filter into the small outpost, the open walls letting it drift in and out as it pleased.

"This is a noble mission you have, yet I fear it may be in vain." Hunter said while sipping on a cup of tea.

"I don't think it is."

"What do you hope to find then, in the ruins of New York?"

Jericho sat back, looking out of the window.

"I've often thought about that myself. I don't know what I expect to find. I just… want to fulfill this. Whether or not I find anything, it was my father's goal, and his father's goal. I have to finish it, and hope it isn't in vain."

"Beyond the fortress of Baltimore there lays nothing but wasteland, wasteland covered with traps and perils one cannot imagine along the route to New York. Those who have made it speak of a place of great evil, where no man or creature exists, only pure evil. They say what lives there are descendants of demons of devils born of fire from the Great War. Is it worth your journey?"

"I sure hope it is, because I'm definitely not scared of any demons." Jericho said, extending a hand down to grip the USB softly."

"Is that it?" Hunter asked. Jericho nodded, showing him the USB device.

"I recognize this, I've seen a few myself. They are far too gone for anything useful. I would be surprised if the data on this device has survived all these years."

"Well we've taken great care of it, and made sure this little guy doesn't take any damage. It better work."

Hunter took another sip of his tea, looking out of the window Jericho had been looking. He turned, looking into the other room where Cynder was laying down.

"I do not trust her. Sentinels are our sworn enemy, I am surprised she is even in your company." Hunter remarked, sitting back.

Jericho just took a sip of the tea Hunter had given him, shaking his head.

"You know, I wonder that too. I don't trust her one bit, but Spyro seems to trust her. I honestly have NO idea why, especially after what happened back in his hometown."

"I wouldn't trust her. I hope he knows what he's doing."

"I don't know myself. I don't even know why I agreed to take him along on this, I should have gone myself."

"Spyro has great potential. I can feel his strength, he will become a powerful dragon one day. He is a worthy companion to have indeed…"

"Oh give me a break… He's just another dragon, just like the rest of them."

"Are you so sure of that?"

"Yes, I am actually. I know a regular dragon when I see them." Jericho said while taking another sip from his cup. Hunter looked at him for a few seconds before placing his cup down, looking at Jericho.

"What do you believe in Jericho?"

"What kind of question is that?" Jericho asked, looking down at the cheetah.

"Surely you believe in something, is it destiny perhaps? Do you believe in your people's old religions of God?"

"I only believe in what I can see, and whether or not it's going to stop me in my goals."

"Destiny is it?"

"No, I don't believe in any of that crap. I just want to get to New York, that's it."

"You're driven so hard by this goal, yet you don't believe in destiny. I find that odd for someone such as yourself."

"Alright then, what do you believe in? Enlighten me." Jericho said, crossing his arms. Hunter sat back, thinking for a few seconds before continuing.

"I believe we, all of us, exist in this world under the graces of someone far beyond our understanding. He's given us our life, and has set up a world of balance we are to follow."

"You have a funny understanding of balance." Jericho remarked. Hunter ignored his remark, continuing anyway.

"Our world isn't in balance, and hasn't been so for quite some time. Darkness is spreading over the landscape, and something has to stem the tide." Hunter peered into the other room where Spyro was, watching his sleeping form.

"What, you think he's going to do all that?" Jericho asked, turning to Spyro as well.

"I think he's here for something, don't you?"

"What? He's just a dragon man. A normal dragon."

"He's a purple one at that."

"Your point?"

"In all my years, we've never seen a purple dragon before, this is odd."

"You still haven't explained why that's important in any way."

"Purple has always been a color of balance, and has been seen as one by dragons and my kind alike. A balance between a warm red and cold blue. Dragons are always born with scales indicative of their elemental abilities, yet no element exists for purple. I think it's a sign."

"Of…?"

"Haven't you been paying attention Jericho? It's a sign of balance. He's our balance."

Jericho just shook his head, looking into his almost empty cup of tea.

"So, then what am I supposed to do with your 'balance'?" He asked in an almost joking manner.

"You have to watch over him, and trust his judgment."

"Why me? Why do I have to watch over your people's 'balance'?"

"Not mine, yours as well."

"Whatever, why me?"

"Because he's taken a liking to you." Hunter remarked with a smirk.

Jericho just rubbed his head with his gloved hand, not able to believe what he was hearing.

"Look, I'm no babysitter. He wanted to come along with me to New York. I'm heading to New York. It doesn't matter to me what he does when we get there or if he goes along somewhere else on the way. It was my grandfather's dream to deliver this to New York, and I will see it through."

"Yet you still claim to not believe in destiny."

"Destiny doesn't matter to me. I do what I do."

"Then you'll agree to safeguard our young one here."

"What? I never said that. Look, he can follow me to New York but I won't let him stop me from getting there."

"Oh don't worry Jericho. I think you'll find he's your best chance at getting there."

"We'll have to see about that. I hope you keep your deal with that car of yours. It'll be a hell of a lot of walking if we don't."

"As long as you keep yours to keep him safe." Hunter said, raising his hand to shake Jericho's.

"As long as he stays out of my way." Jericho said, grasping Hunter's and shaking it, sealing the deal.

Hunter nodded to Jericho who turned out the candle light on the table. He walked over to one of the side rooms and sat down against the wall to get some sleep. Hunter walked into the farthest back room, obviously his personal quarters. Jericho closed his eyes to get some sleep, but found it difficult to do so.

Why should he have to care about this dragon? He wanted to come along with him, it's not like he offered the dragon a ride. He was… almost forced into it. Dragons were the ones who killed his people, why should he care about one insignificant dragon and his friends? He just wanted to get to New York. He just wanted to be rid of this burden that had plagued his family for so long… They could finally be done with it.

The sound of scraping wood caught his attention, forcing Jericho to sit up slightly. From where he was sitting, he could see towards the entrance, the room where the others were sleeping. He could barely make out Cynder's form standing up and walking outside.

"What the…" Jericho whispered, grabbing his weapon and going to investigate. She could possibly be going to the bathroom, but he was going to take no chances with her. She could be reporting back in to her bosses, giving them tabs on where they were going. He couldn't just sit back and let her betray them. If he had to kill her, so be it. Forget whatever Spyro thought about it.

He saw her walk out of the broken wall that served as the 'entrance', she making her way down the small wooden planks Hunter had erected along the hill of debris, acting like a ramp to get down. The planks connected the building to the overpass, and he could see her slowly making her way onto it, backtracking the way they had come.

"Where are you headed…?" Jericho said, making his way to the planks to follow her.

It was almost pitch black out, and it was hard to keep track of her. If it weren't for the pair of night vision goggles he kept in his sack he wouldn't have been able to keep track of her. The night vision scopes were dim… he really needed to replace the batteries. They barely gave him enough light to navigate.

There, he saw movement against the concrete walls of the checkpoint near Hunter's hideout. He could see her move passed the walls, to the other side of the checkpoint. She was making her way back to the corpses they had seen earlier. What was she doing?

Jericho managed to find a fallen piece of rebar that connected to a parking garage. The old structure ran parallel to the road, and overlooked the checkpoint. He could get a better angle of her from there.

He arrived at the parking garage, almost falling off the narrow piece of rebar. He walked across the cracked concrete until he saw her. She was kneeling over the bones of the dragon they had seen earlier. What was she doing? It looked like she was saying something soft. He grabbed his weapon, placing it against his shoulder. The older M4 series rifle was growing old with age but he knew it wouldn't fail him. He peered into the scope mounted onto the weapon and trained the sight on her. He kept his finger off the trigger, for now. He couldn't be sure of what she was up to, and he for damned sure didn't trust her.

He saw her moving towards a dim crystal growing along the side of the overpass, never letting his scope sway from her. It gave him a perfect view of what was to come.

/Transitioning…/

[Done]

Cynder walked silently in the night. The great moon was almost in its new phase, which mean the night was almost pitch black. It gave good cover for her to move out without anyone noticing. She didn't want to attract attention to herself, especially right now.

She made her way from Hunter's outpost back to the checkpoint from earlier in the day. Hunter's outpost overlooked the exit of the checkpoint, and it would have been a natural bottleneck for anyone moving through here. A smart place to be indeed… It wasn't so much the checkpoint that interested her but what lay beyond. Crossing the threshold to the other side, she saw where the bodies were. They were still illuminated by the light of the purple crystal, creating an eerie sight in the silent night.

She walked over to the bodies, peering at the bones of the dragon specifically. The large dragon was an adult, obviously from its size. It lay only feet from the fallen bones of humans, of demons. To her humans were demons, only worthy of death. They had brought such devastation to their own world that the great Gods had seen fit to strip them of their status. It was now up to dragons to assume their status, by any means. For them to resist was simply clinging to the past. They had been long ago judged, and their punishment was just and swift.

Their creed, as Sentinels was to purge the world of humanity. It was a job given to them by their lord, the Dark Master. It was by his creed that they extinguish any traces so they could finally finish the job of assuming this new world and restoring balance to it. As long as humans like Jericho existed, the threat of the world plunging back into the darkness was very real. They were so close to healing this broken world, and to let humans further exist only threatened their goals.

She had NO idea why Spyro would even let a human like Jericho live. She knew those living outside their borders didn't… exactly subscribe to their ideology but she knew the stories were there, the evidence was there. Spyro should KNOW not to trust humans let alone travel with one. The ONLY reason why she even let him live was because Spyro trusted him… and she owed Spyro for saving her. That… and she was… a little weak from that storm. If it weren't for Spyro, she'd kill that human with ease.

Spyro's curiosity would be the death of him, she knew that for sure. She had to convince him that trusting Jericho is foolish. Perhaps she could convince him to come back with her to the west. She was sure someone like him would be great at spreading the message of unification.

She put too much faith in Spyro though, why should she even care about him? It was her role as a Sentinel to help secure that future, not worry about the fates of individual dragons. Well… it would be her role if she was a full-fledged Sentinel. One day she would be, she just needed to complete her training. Once her roles with Vivex were done, she could finish her training and become a true Sentinel. She had dreamed of that day for so long…

She kneeled down in front of the fallen dragon, looking over his bones. His… or her bones, were shattered by bullets in several places. It was obvious what had killed the creature, the demons lying nearby. She sighed at the dragon's fate, hoping its soul had found peace. She softly chanted a prayer, asking the Gods to guide this soul to the great beyond to find peace. There, it wouldn't have to deal with the great imbalances they had to deal with here in the real world. Who knows, maybe his soul was watching her now, giving her strength.

She looked up, seeing the crystal that was illuminating the scene. It was an ancestral energy crystal, like the ones they had seen in the forests the previous night, and even here in the city. Those crystals, however, were poisoned. It was thought that crystals like these would sometimes grow near the bodies of fallen dragons, and encompassed their life force for future dragons to come and draw life from. It was their way of giving back to the world, back to their people after they had long left this existence. She smiled softly, pressing her claw onto the crystal. Perhaps this would help heal her body after the ordeal.

She grunted, gritting her teeth. The crystal was… cold. It held no warmth like other crystals, and even its warmth was irregular. She felt something pulse over her body, and she felt like throwing up. What the hell?

She backed away from the crystal, its dim falling away into blackness. She gripped her gut, feeling her insides convulse in pain. It was then that she noticed the aroma in the air. Shit, how could she have not seen it?! She… she was starting to become dizzy, unable to coordinate herself as she attempted to get away. She could hear it now, coming for her.

Shit, how could she be so careless?! Shit! She tried moving but fell to the ground in a stupor. A soft groan escaped her lips as she could only breath in that aroma… It wasn't like the other aromas from before this one was sweet, but with a distinct sour aftertaste. She knew that smell… She knew it all too well.

Without further delay, she could feel a vine slowly entangle her leg. She could feel it pulling at her as the sounds of leaves and vines were making their way onto the overpass. In her blurred vision she could see a large bulbous plant sitting right below the overpass, its vines entangling the legs of the structure.

The crystal was a trap, a beacon for dragons like her to get caught in. This plant was just like the ones they encountered earlier in the city, except this one was even more subtle. It could lay dormant for years and years before needing to feed, and could call upon its prey with great efficiency. Those who found themselves unfortunate enough to be "selected" rarely were ever able to break its powerful grip on them… They just became plant food.

The crystals it poisoned were unlike the ones from earlier, they didn't carry the tale tell signs of taint, they looked just like normal crystals. This was its lure, this was its trick. This is why it was dangerous to travel alone; it always selected its prey when it was alone…

She could feel the vines grabbing her legs, pulling her closer to the large plant bulb that way just below the overpass. The vines were going to drag her over the edge, and the plant would just suck her right in. She felt her body press against the railings, and she could feel the plant slowly pulling her over. She clenched her eyes, unable to control her muscles anymore. She was at the complete mercy of this plant. Why, why did she come out here alone? She let out a soft sob as more vines encompassed her, unable to do anything to stop them…

CRACK, CRACK, CRACK! Three loud cracks resonated through the silent city, and she could feel the vines jolt to each sound. What was that, an explosion? Gunfire? Whatever it was, she quickly felt herself being dropped to the ground, and rolling to a stop. She managed to open her eyes softly, seeing a figure use a cable to swing over from a nearby structure. The figure stopped next to her and kneeled down.

Who was it, who had just saved her?

She could barely make out any features on the figure, he just reached down and grabbed her, picking her up. Her vision was still blurred, and she couldn't make out any details as she could only see the street ahead up them, the ground bobbing up and down in a haze. The plant's drugs were still in effect, her body still numb. She could still smell though, and she could make out a single distinct smell.

She could smell… human.

No… this couldn't be right, could it?

It was Jericho.

End of Chapter 06

A/N: Hey guys, NewLegend here, sorry for the slow updates _ I'm trying to write when I can, though sit downs are few and far between. Finally kicked myself in the ass to get this chapter finished and start the next one. It's a pain in the ass editing these, especially with multiple versions going different places XD; Also, video games. Lots and lots of video games, they hurt writing :

Anyway, here's to another coming out "soon".