Chapter 08: Locksmith

October 29, 5:33 PM

Soft rain showers fell onto the land as Spyro and his allies walked across the spacious yellow fields. The dark cramped mall was behind them now, only a memory as it sat below the ground, so far behind them. Light grey skies took its place, as well as the massive field filled with tall yellow grass, waving softly in the wind.

Spyro could feel the cool autumn winds on his face, along with the final breaths of summer slowly flowing out to the sea. It was truly a special feeling, the old flowing out for the new, the warmth of summer fleeing the dark cold of winter. Spyro could feel it so in this rain, even if it was just a light shower.

"It's just over here." Cynder said, motioning towards the edges of a nearby hill. The hill looked like it marked the end of the spacious fields, or at least hid another beautiful set just beyond. There was only one way to truly find out, and that was to head up. They banked over the hill and peered over, met with another beautiful sight.

Beyond was indeed another beautiful yellow field, though Spyro would describe it more as a valley. A large swath of land before them went inwards, like a giant bowl. All along the bowl was a crest of land that formed a lip all around it, filled with thick trees and foliage. It all ran to the same set of mountains that had been flanking them this entire trek through the fields, marking the ends of the valleys on either side. Down in the bowl itself there were a few interesting items, jutting out from the usual yellow grasses and plants.

Two massive reddish-grey objects jutted forth from the grass, two metal monoliths. They were long structures, resembling boats. These massive boats, however, were larger than any Spyro had seen in the lowly ports of the flooded city. Rather, they were absolutely massive, and supported large structures with all sorts of interesting designs on their decks. Poles and masts shot forth from the tops of these massive structures and what looked like ancient guns were mounted along the bow and sides of these ships, showing signs of possibly being warships. The larger of the two caught Spyro's attention though, being different then what Spyro was used to seeing, and was much different than the first one sitting closer to them.

This second ship sat against the far edge of the bowl, and was tilted slightly towards them. Unlike most ships that had a deck filled with different structures, or no structures at all this one had a completely empty deck. Its main deck was completely flat, from bow to stern. Only one structure sat on this massive flat ship, sitting near the rear of the ship, and off to the side. It was so miniscule compared to the vast flatness that made up the ship's deck. The ship had been split in half by some massive force, and was tilted into itself as it rested softly against the yellow grasses in the background. Why was this ship flat, like it was? There were no large canons or guns on this ship, so it wasn't an outright warship. What else would it have been then? A massive cargo ship, a large fishing vessel of epic proportions perhaps? What use would the forgers have had for such a vessel? Not only that, but why was it here, so far from the sea? Well, Spyro shouldn't act so surprised. Spyro had seen ships like that nestled in the strangest of places. During the last war, it was said ships like these were washed inland for hundreds of miles, and landed in the strangest of places. These two were probably no different. Even so, it was a strange sight to see these weapons of war, beached so far inland and now useless.

"Ah, would you look at that." Jericho said, looking it over as he shielded his eyes from the distant afternoon sun somewhat.

"There it is, there's my friend's home." Cynder said, lifting her claw up towards the derelict ship.

"Where, over on that big ship?" Flame asked, astounded at the site as well.

"No, his home is over there, next to it."

Spyro squinted, barely being able to make out a small wooden home just off to the side of the ship's bow. It looked to have connections to the ship, but definitely off to the side.

"Why'd he choose to live near an old aircraft carrier?" Jericho asked.

"He's obsessed with the thing. He dreams of one day making it sailable."

"But… it's split in half." Flame said, perplexed.

"Didn't say it was a smart dream." Cynder said with an almost scoff.

"Aircraft carrier, is that what it's called?" Spyro asked.

"Yeah, it's an old class of warship." Jericho explained.

"Why's its deck flat like that?"

"Well, it was used to carry aircraft across the world. They would launch and land from its deck. That's why it's flat, so planes could take off. In the old days, they were symbols of power and strength. Now, it's all just scenery." Jericho said with a bit of a smirk.

So, aircraft carrier, that's what it was called. It made sense as to why it would have a flat deck like that. Still, what a strange ship design. It was a far cry from the fleet of fishing and trading ships that dominated the flooded city back home. Spyro wondered what other ship designs the forgers had perfected and used before the Great War ended it all.

"Well let's hurry up and get that collar off of you. The sooner the better." Jericho said, starting off towards the ship, following the edge of the valley below.

"Yeah… good idea." Cynder said, looking at Jericho then back to Spyro. Spyro gave her a neutral look, though behind it was one of uncertainty. He couldn't even tell if she was having the same look as well, though he was sure of it.

It took a good while to reach his home, the valley proving absolutely massive. It was just as massive as the fields behind them that took hours to traverse. Even though their goal was within sight, it was still just so far. The evening sun was beginning to fall against the horizon when they reached the trees surrounding his home, and they could take in the details of the ancient carrier. Spyro could see the different wooden bridges the locksmith had created leading to the ship, and the various wooden scaffolding he had created all along the ship's derelict hull. Yeah, he was definitely obsessed.

"Let me go first, I'll do the talking." Cynder said as they walked towards the entrance to the locksmith's home. The home itself was pretty simple, the two story wooden structure was built obviously by the locksmith himself, and carried none of the wear and tear of any ancient forger structure. A small chimney attached to the home bellowed soft puffs of smoke, making the home all the more inviting as the chilled autumn air gripped the valley around them.

Cynder knocked once on the wooden door before pushing it in, entering. Spyro and the others followed right behind, Jericho readying his gas mask and hood to camouflage himself, just in case.

"Hello? Horren? It's me, Cynder." Cynder walked into the entrance, walking around the dimly lit room. Spyro followed her, with Flame right behind. It was fairly dark in the home, only a few candles near the entrance providing light and some windows in a nearby room filtering in light from the outside.

"Hello?" Cynder asked again, walking towards the larger side room.

"Maybe he's not home." Flame suggested, getting a look from Cynder telling him to be quiet. Flame immediately shut up, retracting a bit from his foul up. Spyro just looked around at the ornate hand carved wood, watching as Sparx observed it himself, providing some light in the dark entryway.

A loud CLANK and a following curse word drew their attention to a room at the end of the entryway, in the darker part of the home.

"Hello?" Cynder asked, walking towards it. She reached the end of the small entryway, pushing on a door to another room just beyond. The room was lit up, passing light into the entryway itself.

Beyond they could see a workshop of some kind, taking up both floors of the home. It was lit up by a large electric lamp hanging from the ceiling, and it was illuminating a large piece of machinery that was bolted to the floor nearby. It looked to originate possibly from the forger vessel, only feet away.

"Yes, yes, yes, who is it?" The voice asked, coming from around the large piece of machinery.

"It's me, Cynder. I've come through on my way back to Baltimore."

"Cynder? Is that you?" A soft furry face popped out from behind the machinery, belonging to a bi-pedal muskrat.

"Hey Horren! Yeah, it's me, Cynder." She said, walking over to him.

The shorter musk rat leapt down from atop the machinery, landing near Cynder. He looked somewhat older in years, but… definitely had that spring in his step still. He was a chubbier fellow, and wore all sorts of tools and devices on his vest that almost covered his whole body.

"Well hello there Cynder, welcome back! It's been a while since you had passed through here." He said, shaking her paw as he lifted a pair of goggles from his face.

"Well we had been down in southern territory for a while. I was just on my way back up to Baltimore."

"Were you now? All alone?"

"No, I did uh, travel with a few people." Cynder turned to Spyro, Flame and Jericho, who were standing in the back of his workshop. They waved softly to him, the short musk rat not wasting any time in walking up to meet them.

"Well hello there, don't be shy. Welcome to Horren's Works! What do you think of that old carrier out there, ain't she gorgeous?"

"She's a sight alright…" Jericho said through his gasmask.

"Who're you young one?" Horren asked, walking over to Spyro.

"Oh, I'm Spyro. The dragonfly over there is Sparx." Spyro said, remembering he hadn't introduced himself. Sparx gave a wide smile at being introduced flying all around Horren's head. Horren just laughed at him before Sparx buzzed away to investigate the giant piece of machinery.

"Name's Flame." Flame said, nodding to the musk rat.

"Jericho." Jericho refrained from talking much, standing slightly back from the others.

"What brings you all here?" Horren asked, walking back to Cynder.

"Well, we were hoping you'd take a look at this." Spyro said, walking forward to present his neck brace.

"Oh… I see…" Horren walked towards it, putting on his goggles to get a better look. He placed his paws against the brace, feeling it over. All along the brace there were small divots where inscriptions had been made. It was hard to see before but Horren could see them, running his fingers along each of them to get a good feel.

"Ah yes, one of those energy inhibitors I've heard about." Horren ran his furred hands over the metal, feeling every inch of it.

"Hmm… brace is of human design, built… 50 years ago? Gemstone and coupling are new… maybe, 5 years at best. Inscriptions are… hmm, draconian in script. How odd."

"Odd, what do you mean by odd?" Flame asked.

"Means a dragon wrote them, that's what." Horren said in an obvious manner.

"Well I'm guessing you lost the key, which is why you need me, right?"

"Uh… yeah. Cynder said you were supposed to be a locksmith of some sorts."

"Well, she'd be right. I love to tinker with machines but blacksmithing is something I do know…" He walked over to a toolbox near the wall, opening it and pulling out some tools.

"Will you be able to pull it off?" Spyro asked, watching him.

"Sure I will, just needs an enchanted key." Horren explained, pulling out a small block of metal and a torch.

"What uh… what're you going to do with that?" Spyro asked, seeing him pull out the torch.

"Well, gotta make a key for it. Gotta have a mold for it too." Horren pulled out a welder's mask and put it on before firing up the torch. Spyro gulped a bit at that, especially as he began pelting the metal block with the fire, burning and melting it.

"Well, we still have the key, just not… complete." Spyro said, making Cynder shake her head as Spyro said his sack down to retrieve the broken key from before.

"Oh, how unfortunate. This was the best part." Horren said with some disappointment, setting his equipment down to retrieve the pieces from Spyro. Spyro gave him the broken key, Horren inspecting it over closely with his special goggles.

"Ah yes… One moment." Horren said, walking back to his desk to make a replacement. They could barely see just what he was doing, only hear the falls of his hammer and the sound of hot metal sizzling. A few moments later he held up a new metal key, steam rising from the freshly forged item.

"Oh cool!" Flame declared.

"There we are, one good key. Now, to enchant it…" Horren walked over to Spyro, setting a hand on his collar again.

"Um…"

"Hold still, I must read the enchantments in order to get the precise one…" Horren explained as he held the key close.

"Enduktem ho'ori, fu hasin… endukto!" Horren said, reading back the inscriptions carved into the brace. The inscriptions began to light up, one by one as they were read back, the key giving a soft glow as well as Horren rubbed it. The key gave off a blue glow after he had finished, before the glow faded away. Horren smiled, holding up the key.

"Presto, one enchanted key. Now, how hard was that?" Horren asked, Spyro only giving a nervous chuckle.

"Now… let's see what it does…" Horren now pulled the key into the keyhole, letting it slip in until it clicked. He turned it once before turning it again. The brace clicked again and the stone on the front of the brace came to life, glowing a bright white. At once the brace opened up, and a wave of energy blew forth, knocking Flame, Jericho and Horren back as the brace flew off of Spyro's neck. The wave of energy washed over the entire room, blowing out candles and shattering light bulbs and even a nearby window. The brace flew off of Spyro's neck, flinging itself onto the floor nearby, the gemstone having shattered in flight, its remains scattered across the floor.

"Whoa… damn thing!" Spyro said, rubbing his neck. At once, he could feel the change on his body, the energy flowing through him, the power, the life…

"Oh my…" Horren said, looking at the streaming brace. He looked back to Spyro before walking over to retrieve it.

"Do they always do that?" Flame asked, rubbing his head.

Horren picked up the broken brace, the metal itself scarred, along with the shattered gemstone.

"How fascinating…" Horren remarked, examining it again.

"Mine didn't do that when I took it off…" Cynder said as she walked over.

"Well, it only does that if it is unable to contain a dragon's soul once the enchantment is broken. It seems you managed to overpower this bracelet… You must have a very powerful and pure soul young one." Horren said to Spyro who gave a soft sigh, rubbing the part of his neck where the brace had been.

"I'm just… me though." Spyro said.

"Well you're enough of you that you managed to break this. I've never seen one of these stones react that way before. They're supposed to hold in a dragon's energy, farm it. They sell charged stones like that, and I've never seen a young dragon like you overcome one like that."

"Man Spyro, what over surprises do you have?" Flame asked in a joking matter. Spyro just smirked at him.

"By the way, did you say you had one of these on Cynder?" Horren asked, turning to Cynder.

"Yeah, those filthy gorillas tried to put one on me but it didn't work out for them… It's why I bought Spyro here too, they captured him too."

"But… I thought that Vivex had left you there as part of an agreement…" Horren said, now a little confused.

"Wait a minute, what agreement?" Cynder asked, now concerned.

"I… thought he told me that in order to gain their allegiance… he was to leave you as a gift for the leader's nephew… Didn't he tell you?"

Cynder just looked at Horren for a few moments, mouth agape. She began to grit her teeth, rage boiling in her eyes, rage and shock.

"N-nobody told me about… a deal l-like that…"

"Oh, I'm sorry I thought you knew… I though the deal had changed that's why you were here… I hadn't realized that you had escaped them."

"No! No, Vivex would never do this to me! He would NEVER sell me out like that!"

"That's what the gorilla had told us, back there…" Spyro said lowly, recalling what the gorilla leader had claimed while they were in captivity, that Vivex had indeed sold her out. They had thought though at the time that he was just bluffing…

"No! No he was lying… and you're lying, he would never abandon me like that!"

"I'm so sorry Cynder… I thought you knew." Horren said lowly, putting the brace against his chest softly and almost defensively.

"No! No!" Cynder cried, backing up slightly, almost in a state of confusion and panic as reality began to sink in of what was happening.

"Cynder, he never told you any of this?" Spyro asked, stepping forward to her.

"No! He just said he was going to head out for Baltimore early… that I was going to stay one more day to just… wrap up negotiations… No… no how could I? He would never have set me up like that! Never!"

"It sounds like a set up. He left you behind to complete the deal." Jericho remarked.

"No! Shut up! You don't know! We've traveled together for so long, he'd never sell me out like that!"

Everyone just looked at her, not wanting to say anything as they all knew her, and knew the Sentinels. To them, this was not a surprise. The only one shocked and surprised was Cynder, and her face spoke of anger, confusion and absolute panic.

"No… no, no, no, no… This can't be happening…" Cynder gripped her head, taking a few steps back.

"Cynder…" Spyro again walked towards her but she rejected this, leaping back.

"No! S-stay away!" She turned quickly, dashing out of the workshop and towards the entrance. She burst through the doors and left outside into the newly arrived night. The others just stood and watched as she vanished into the night.

"Cynder, wait!" Spyro called, racing out for her.

"No! Spyro! Hold up!" Jericho dashed over to Spyro, grabbing onto him.

"Let go of me, she'll run off!"

"Spyro she's dangerous in her state, give her time to cool off! She won't run off… trust me." Jericho said as he held the purple dragon down.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because something tells me we're the only ally's she's got left."

Spyro stopped struggling before relenting, Jericho releasing him soon after that.

"Poor, poor girl." Horren said, placing the bracelet on a nearby table, having watched her flee like that.

"So, she got sold into slavery so the gorillas would sign the agreement with the Sentinels?" Flame asked, trying to understand just what was going on.

"It sounds like it. Vivex told me she had been left as a "gift". I had no idea he had sold the poor girl like that. If one uses a brace like this, it's to either tame a dragon, or harness them for energy." He tapped at the now broken bracelet, his claws tracing over the cracked and shattered gemstone.

"So, then they probably won't be very happy to see her back at their base then. To them, she just screwed up the deal." Jericho said, rubbing his chin softly through the gas mask.

"Exactly. I fear she may not be welcomed home, and that's exactly where she wants to go."

"Who wouldn't?" Spyro remarked, turning back to the door where Cynder had fled.

"So who is this Vivex guy anyway? He like her boss or something?" Flame asked, having never heard the name before. Cynder had never mentioned it to them, and Spyro only knew of his name because his name was mentioned during the whole debacle in the city.

"He's a Sentinel from out west. He leads a sizable amount of Sentinels up north, near the fortress of Baltimore. He was mentoring Cynder along with a few other inductees, and this was her final mission before being inducted into the Sentinels."

"So I guess he's pretty big here in the east, huh?" Spyro asked now.

"Pretty much. He's the biggest name over here that I am aware of. If there are any other Sentinels above him, they'd be up in Baltimore."

"Why help them though? Why help the Sentinels?" Spyro asked, confused why someone would so willingly assist them.

"World's different then you think. In my younger years I used to go out west, venture into their territories. I've seen their lands, seen their people. It's where I originally met Vivex when he was younger too. We've actually been decent friends for a long number of years now. It's why I also help him, he's not like the other 'true' Sentinels. Though these recent years, I'm not so sure any more."

"What do you mean?" Spyro asked.

"Ever since he earned his spot here in the east, he's really gotten himself into some strange business… and is aligning himself with the true Sentinels more every day. He's almost as evil as the pure ones."

"What do you mean by 'pure Sentinels'?"

"You see, Vivex, he's not exactly a true Sentinel. He's not like the bi-pedal soldiers that make up the Sentinel ranks. He's still… normal. True Sentinels… they have been touched by the kiss of darkness, and now mindlessly obey the Dark Master's every whim. They have no emotion, or care other than to accomplish their mission. Cynder and Vivex, they have yet to receive that kiss." Horren explained, walking back to the large piece of machinery to continue working on it.

"And… all Sentinels are inducted like this?" Spyro asked, thinking of Cynder and her goal to become a Sentinel.

"Most of them yes. There are those who get to retain their minds, but most receive that kiss… I fear the day Cynder receives it. She's such a nice girl… she'll just be as mindless as all the others if she does become a Sentinel."

"Wow I wonder what causes it… I guess it's all that darkness…" Flame commented.

"You could say that… I've heard of strange magic the Dark Master uses on his own soldiers to make them more powerful, and fiercely obedient. It's magic unlike anything we have here in the east."

"Guess that's what gives him so much power." Jericho remarked, rubbing his rifle. Horren only nodded.

Spyro turned towards the door, looking at it as the door swayed only slightly. Jericho watched him, giving a soft sigh as he knew what Spyro was thinking.

"Spyro, look. You can't save her. She's gotten herself into this mess, I don't think a simple talking can convince her not to walk back to the shit storm that is Baltimore."

"All she's known all her life are the Sentinels and the Dark Master. It's hard to say it's all her fault." Spyro remarked, looking at the door still. Jericho crossed his arms.

"Yes but someone that far along, I'm not so sure you can save them."

"I've been told the same thing about you." Spyro simply said, giving Jericho only a slight glance. Jericho sighed, rubbing his head as he had nothing further to say to the young dragon. Spyro turned back to the door, peering for a few more moments before walking towards it. Flame and Sparx just watched, not sure what to say or do as their friend and companion went to the door to confront the young dragoness who could either be in a state of absolute panic, or a dangerous foe capable of killing them all.

Spyro walked out of the door, walking into the black of the night, leaving his friends inside Horren's home. Horren himself turned to the door as Spyro left. He gave a soft smirk to the leaving dragon.

"A strange friend you have there." Horren remarked.

"You have no idea." Jericho simply replied.

Spyro walked into the chilly night, looking around as only a soft wind greeted him. The sun was barely cresting below the horizon behind the mountains, only a dim orange and purple array of colors presenting themselves to Spyro now from beyond the mountains. It was quite the sight to see, and it stirred other things in the air above, creating various interesting colors as the sun's final rays hit them. Spyro hadn't seen these strange hues in his home, figuring it had something to do with the air here. Blues, greens and purples lit up in the sky above, reacting to the sun's rays as they passed through. It was beautiful, but it wasn't what Spyro wanted to see.

He looked down, towards the beached aircraft carrier. A bridge connected Horren's home to the bow of the ancient vessel, a perfect and obvious entrance. Spyro, however, didn't want to use that door. Instead, he opened his wings and sailed upwards, to the deck of the ship. He landed just a few feet away from the end of the bow, peering across the barren flat deck.

Old decrypt aircraft of some sort were the only items left on the deck, all having slid down the angled deck towards the giant hole. They had all fallen into one another, crushing themselves from the angle the ship was positioned at. Their rusty remains still intrigued Spyro as he trotted closer to them. The large angular aircraft were very different then the "Osprey" Jericho had, being more sleek and shaped in an overall triangle shape. There were no propellers or props on these aircraft, how did they fly? Where did the other people sit, how was this aircraft even used? It was way too small to fit anyone in the back, and only two obvious seats sat in the front. What would this aircraft carry? Did it actually carry nothing but weapons?

Looking beyond the wrecked aircraft Spyro saw the only structure that was atop the deck, the strange tower off on the left hand side. It was a small tower, only a fraction of the size of the ship overall. Spyro had never seen a ship design like this, and Spyro had seen a lot of designs before. He had once seen a massive ship like this one near his home, though Spyro had been told that one had been an old cargo ship of massive proportions. Like this ship, it had an overall flat deck, but not to this extreme. Its tower and structure was actually quite impressive, this one was so small…

It was a 'combat' ship after all, not just some cargo ship. Man, the Forgers were sure able to build massive ships. However, Cynder was still not in sight. Where would she have gone? Spyro would have thought the obvious place for her to go would be to the ship… though she wasn't here.

At that thought, a series of metallic clangs caught Spyro's attention, making him turn down towards the deck of the ship itself. There were several holes in the deck, leading to the levels below. Was she there?

Spyro trotted along the deck, finding a hole sizable enough for him to fit through. He managed to slip on down, falling into a passageway several feet below the deck. The passageway was dark, and very narrow. It was full of debris and Spyro found it a little hard to navigate the passage without any lights. Was it a mistake to come down here?

The passageways were all narrow and mazelike, going off in several different directions. Why build a ship with such damned narrow passageways? You could barely fit through any of them! Well, with all this debris in the way you couldn't! Spyro found himself using the hallways somewhat illuminated by holes in the roof as guides to navigate the maze of various hallways. Eventually he reached a large metal door that was somewhat ajar. He pushed on it only slightly, letting the door's heavy weight carry it open.

The room on the other side was a stark contrast to the hallways he was just in. The room was massive, containing several different objects which Spyro guessed were aircraft. The remains of these craft were all smashed up against the far wall because of the ship's angle, and were all combined into one mess of parts. Spyro could make out the remains of a few Ospreys in the pile, though they were way too far gone for any repairs to be made to them. Their hulls were twisted in ways Spyro couldn't even well see from this angle, and their metal was a bright orange from the rust.

This must have been some holding room of some sorts, holding the aircraft before they went above deck to fly away. Yeah, that must have been the case. Looking towards the end of the room, Spyro could see something else on top of a pile of metal. It was a figure…

"Cynder?" Spyro asked, walking closer to the black dragoness who stood atop the broken remains. She didn't respond, only looking down on the other side of the pile.

"Cynder, what're you doing in here?"

"Go away Spyro."

"Cynder…"

"Look… Spyro, I'm happy you're trying to help but please, just leave me alone." Her voice was broken, it was obvious she had been crying before he had arrived. He frowned at her, only moving to a flat surface to sit down. Cynder turned, seeing this.

"Spyro, leave, please!" She said, getting more angry.

"Why don't you want to talk?"

"Isn't it obvious? I just got abandoned by my mentor, of course I don't want to talk! Just go away!" She kicked a piece of metal, letting it roll down the side of the debris. Spyro moved passed it as it rolled harmlessly to the side. Cynder just huffed at him, walking down the hill to another pile of debris. Spyro just watched her before getting up to follow.

"Go away! Why won't you go away?" She asked, turning back to him.

"I just want to help Cynder. You helped me, I just want to help you." She gave an ironic laugh, shaking her head.

"Look, Spyro this isn't how it works. Our debts are paid. You're free to go home now, just go home already. Go follow that human of yours, follow him into a lake for all I care." Cynder said with some slight hatred, though Spyro could tell she was deflecting her fear and anger of the situation into those insults.

"Look Cynder, I know you're hurting…"

"So then leave me alone!" She yelled, knocking another piece of machinery down. She leapt from the second debris pile onto an old catwalk lining the wall. She didn't give Spyro a moment to respond, only trotting down the catwalk to a room that overlooked his room. Spyro grunted, dodging the piece of machinery. He leapt up onto the catwalk and followed her into the room. She saw him follow her, kicking a table towards him. The old table gave way before it gained any real momentum, just sliding to a stop in front of Spyro. He looked at her, seeing her panting as tears dropped from her eyes.

"Why won't you just go away…?" She said softly, shaking her head. There was little hate left, little anger. It looked more like fear, and confusion.

"Look Cynder… I know it hurts. I just want to help. I helped Jericho in his time of need, and I want to help you." He said, walking over the broken table. Cynder panted for a bit before scoffing and shaking her head.

"Help? That's all you want to do is help? I don't believe it…"

"It's true. I just… want to help." Spyro said, his eyes conveying pure sincere emotions. He did want to help, he wanted to help someone who he feared for dearly. She just shook her head.

"What the hell kind of dragon are you? Nobody in this world just wants to 'help'." She said, looking at Spyro who just stood his ground, silent.

"No, I don't believe this." She said, trying to go for the door.

"Cynder if you shut us out, what do you plan to do then?" Spyro asked as she moved passed him.

"Easy, I'll just leave you and that stupid human and go off-"

"To Baltimore? What then? Do you know what you're going to do then?"

"Look, you're not turning this around on me alright? You're the one who doesn't know what the hell you're doing, following some stupid human around!" She said, planting a talon on his chest accusingly.

"Then where are you going?"

"Home! I'm going home!" She yelled back before walking to the door.

"Are you sure you can get there?"

"I know I can get there sooner than you can get wherever the hell it is you're going!"

"So then you want to do that, walk by yourself to Baltimore then back west?" Spyro said, going to follow her back onto the catwalk. She growled in anger and frustration, knocking over a small set of tool boxes that were on the catwalk. One clanged by Spyro, harmlessly hitting the guard rail before tumbling down to the floor below. She just looked at him, shaking slightly.

"You won't be able to make a trip west by yourself Cynder. I doubt they'll also welcome you back into Baltimore with open arms…" Spyro said calmly and deliberately, a stark contrast to how Cynder was at the moment.

She opened her mouth to say something, but instead just turned around and began to walk towards the end of the catwalk. The catwalk ended near the end of the room, overlooking a hole in the hull of the ship, letting the outside world into the room. From this angle, they could see the starry sky above. Spyro walked slowly towards her, stopping only a few feet behind her.

"Why you follow the Forger… why you follow me here… Why you saved me back in the city… Why I came to this stupid coastline… Why I followed Vivex from Kansas City… Why, why any of this?" She began to ask, more to herself then to him. Spyro remained silent, letting her go on. She let out a soft sigh, more of frustration then anything.

"You can't control these things, they just… happen." Spyro said, watching Cynder whose gaze remained up towards the stars. She just took in a breath before looking down slightly, more towards the Earth.

"When I was a little girl, all I wanted to do was become a Sentinel. It was every youngling's dream to become a Sentinel. To see them in their powerful armor, their weapons and that ambitious goal… it was what all of us wanted. Only the best could become Sentinels though, and you had to train for so long… I was one of the few 'lucky' ones to be sent for our final missions… Oh how happy I was back then. Now, what's happened to me…?" She asked, looking back up at the stars. Spyro frowned at her, not sure what to say.

"You just followed your dream, followed your mission."

"Heh, that's all I had to follow back then. Our glorious mission…"

"What was that mission?"

"What it's always been, the eradication of humanity and the unification of all species under one banner. No more war, no more famine, no more poverty. Only unity, unity towards a new future. That is our dream, our mission."

"Guess they didn't mention at any costs, huh?"

"No, no they didn't. They didn't mention being abandoned like this, no matter what. I still believe in that mission Spyro, I truly do…"

"Then what are you going to do now?"

Cynder was silent for a few more moments before turning to face him fully now.

"I will go to Baltimore, and I will find the truth. I won't be a pawn for someone's simple agreement and schemes. I will fulfill the mission, in my own way."

"Well no sense in going alone."

"Don't be foolish Spyro, this is between me and Vivex now."

"Cynder, it's a long way to Baltimore from here."

"And you'd go all the way there, what about your human?"

"My human?" Spyro asked, as if he were being accused of something.

"Yes, your human." Cynder said, giving him a somewhat humorous smile.

"Well, it's all on the way to where he's going anyway. I'm sure it all follows the same path one way or another."

"As long as he doesn't get in my way, I don't care where he goes. I only care about reaching Baltimore now. Why would you want to come along though, you're still an awful long way from home."

"I just want to help."

"You're curious and you want to help, is that it?" Cynder asked, recalling their previous conversation.

"Yeah… I guess so."

"Who are you…?" Cynder asked, genuinely puzzled on Spyro's explanations and motivations.

"I…. I'm just me."

She just shook her head, walking passed him. Spyro turned, seeing her stop ahead, turning to him.

"Thanks… " She said before turning around, walking back down the catwalk. Spyro smiled slightly before going to follow, both leaving the silent husk of the aircraft carrier to rejoin their friends in the warmth of Horren's home.

Spyro walked into the doors, followed by a very tired Cynder. Horren was back in his workshop and Flame had been sitting by the door, waiting for his friends return. Sparx was not there, but Spyro was sure that the little guy was busy exploring Horren's home. Jericho stood near the entrance to Horren's workshop, his hood down and mask off.

"Jericho?" Spyro asked, seeing that he was no longer in vogue.

"Her friend is very perceptive." Jericho commented, giving a smirk but then a frown as he saw Cynder walk back in.

"You can't expect that gas mask trick to work all the time, I've met one or two of you that use that trick…" Horren commented from the workshop. Spyro just shook his head softly.

"So...?" Jericho asked, looking at Cynder.

"I'm going to Baltimore. I'm going to find the truth, and I don't care where you go, I'm going there." Cynder said bluntly and straightforward to Jericho. He frowned at her, relaxing from his position against the wall.

"Long as you don't interfere with me, I don't care where you go." Jericho said, crossing his arms. Flame shook his head at the two, looking to Spyro.

"Guess we don't have anything better to do, do we?" Flame asked, almost jokingly. Spyro sighed before nodding his head in agreement.

"So it would seem…" He said softly.

"Your friend over there's offered us his home to stay the night before we head out tomorrow. Since Baltimore is near my own destination… I'm sure you know the path there."

"I know a path… I've never traveled it alone."

"Oh joy."

"Shut it human, I'd like to see you lead the way."

"I've plotted my own path… I'm interested to see how you get to Baltimore."

"Like I said, I know a path."

Jericho just gave her a playful smile, shaking his head before walking off to retire for the night.

"I still don't like him." Cynder simply said before walking off to find her own place to sleep. Flame watched her walk off, giving a soft chuckle.

"Be interesting to see how this all ends up, huh?" Flame asked.

"It would… but Flame?"

"Yeah?"

"Wherever we go, let's all try to be careful. I still don't think we're out of the woods yet. There's no telling what we'll find in Baltimore."

"I know… I know, I'll follow your lead."

Spyro smiled at his friend, nodding. Flame smiled back, inviting him to go lay down for the night.

/Transitioning…/

[Done.]

Death… it was all around. Where exactly was it though? It was… all around but… nowhere at the same time? No, no, none of it made any sense. Screams… whispers… omens… it was just all… just all too real, too real to comprehend fully. It was like seeing a sea of grey, with different colors washing through, each color throbbing with its own message… a grinding, almost screeching sound originated from each of them, yet none at the same time.

What did it all mean?

Spyro awoke with a sharp gasp, sitting up from the padded floor.

The air was still, only a single light coming from one of Horren's windows giving some illumination to the room where he had picked to sleep. Flame was asleep next to him, long gone to a seemingly good dream. A dream… it was all a dream. It felt more like a nightmare though…

Spyro put his paw against his head, feeling it throbbing somewhat. He stood up, hoping that a quick walk might sooth his body and let him fall back to sleep. He walked through Horren's home, passing Cynder and Jericho on his way back to the main entryway. Spyro noticed a room to the opposite side of the entryway, a room he didn't notice until now as it was dimly lit. It looked like a study of some sorts, with several books lining a small bookshelf.

The room was quite small, with only a few shelves lining a table. There were a few scrolls laying on the table as well, some of them having looked like they were recently opened. Spyro walked over, using the ambient moonlight to see the writing on them.

The scrolls looked quite old, and looked to be scrolls talking about dragons, and mysteries and legends surrounding them. Each scroll told a story or an idea thought of by someone and they dated to around the time the world had really began… right after humanity's world ended. They all asked questions of the world around them, and of the curious nature of dragons as they seemed to be the perfect species for such a world. More and more Spyro read, before there was more talk of something referred to as the "dragon's soul". More and more writings pertained to this, and they were all ideas and theories to what they could be. Each different idea spoke to how a dragon's soul could give a dragon different abilities, and how one's soul could grow over time…

One scroll caught Spyro's attention, the scroll specifically speaking about a theoretical "perfect" dragon soul. This soul, as the writer put it, would be so perfect, so pure that it had limitless possibilities. It was not bounded by the limitations other souls or dragons had. It talked about how if such a dragon existed, this dragon would no doubt be able to do great things, and would upset the natural balance of a world, forever. The final line stuck out to Spyro the most, however.

"How would such a dragon be forged into this world, and what circumstances would demand someone of such ability?"

The scroll ended after that, a soft sketch of a dragon having been etched into the corner of the scroll. Indeed, what circumstances would ask for someone of such power…?

Spyro's gaze fell from the scroll and instead traveled to the shattered collar sitting on a crate at the far end of the room. It was sitting perfectly in the moonlight, and the cracked gemstone gave a soft reflection. Spyro walked to it softly, stopping just inches from it. He let a claw drift from him to the gemstone, touching it softly.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" A voice asked, startling the young dragon. Spyro almost jumped, flinching as he turned to see Horren standing in the doorway.

"Oh… man you scared me Horren. I… I didn't mean to go wandering around your home…"

"No, no it's quite alright young one…" Horren said, walking over to the collar. "I guess you already read the scrolls I had dusted off, no?"

"I… yes… I did."

"You ever hear of a dragon soul before?"

"A… few times, yes."

"It's very important in this world, as you know. It's coveted, and feared by many. A pure soul has great potential, for good, or evil."

"Why is it so sought after?"

"It's been described as raw power, able to fuel anything you could think of. Many try to take it from dragons forcibly so they can have it. Some thrive on it for their very existence. Some souls are even more sought after then others… Yours would be no exception."

"M-mine?"

"Yes. No ordinary dragon could have done that to the collar. You've got quite a lot of power within you young one… No doubt from a powerful soul, and a powerful dragon wielding it."

Spyro shook his head softly, backing up from the collar as Horren crossed his arms behind him.

"No… I mean, I'm just a normal, dragon, aren't I?"

"Yes, yes, indeed a dragon, but no normal one. You're purple."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Have you ever seen another dragon of that color?"

"Well… no…"

"You see… I do believe you are something special…" Horren walked over to the table where the scrolls were, picking up the one Spyro had just finished reading.

"You think I'm like what they talked about in those scrolls?"

"That and more… those who thought and wrote about dragons in those early days never quite understood what they were really thinking of. I think you're exactly what they talked about."

"I mean, I just broke one stone, I don't think that's a big sign, is it?"

"Possibly not, but something about you… it speaks of pure, of innocence. After all, what could possibly get a human, and a Sentinel to cooperate with one another? That, is something I've never seen."

"I guess so…"

Horren just chuckled, shaking his head.

"Get some sleep young one, I think you have quite a journey ahead of you." Horren said, turning to leave.

"Wait, Horren. I did… want to ask something."

"Yes?"

"When we were coming here, we passed through an underground mall. While we were there I kept… kept having these visions of humans walking around, in a time of peace. Now even I've had a few dreams of omens and death… what does it all mean?"

Horren looked at him for a few moments before walking back to him.

"You passed through the old underground mall…?"

"Y-yes…"

"That is a cursed place… none go there too often and when they do it's not for long. They say there's something about that place, that it'll drive you mad if you try to stay there. I've never heard of one seeing images of… humans. That's fascinating that you were able to see something when others only felt pain and heard screeching sounds that drove them to insanity."

"So… you wouldn't be able to tell me what it might mean?"

Horren thought for a moment, rubbing his bearded chin.

"I wonder if the collar might have had something to do with it." Horren remarked, walking over to the shattered gemstone and picking up a small shard of it.

"I thought the gemstone was just supposed to contain energy. Why would it have anything to do with visions?" Spyro asked, confused slightly.

"Maybe not, but a gemstone like this is meant to capture raw energy around it. Perhaps energy around it was absorbed, and you were able to make more sense of it all. You have curious powers, yes. It isn't crazy to imagine what could be read from the energies around us, with the right set of eyes." Horren explained, reaching over to hand Spyro the shard.

"What… do I do with this?" Spyro asked, looking back up at him.

"I'd consider keeping this around. Who knows what else you might see in the world around you, no?" Horren smiled at Spyro, who gave a weak smile back. All sorts of thoughts and possibilities were going through his mind. Why had he seen the visions, would he have seen them anyway without the gem? What if the combination of the gem and Spyro let him see these visions? Were there other places where Spyro could do this very same thing?

"Well, rest up, you've got a big day ahead of you tomorrow." Horren said before going to leave again.

"Alright… I will." Spyro said, watching him leave. He stayed for a few more moments before leaving himself, going back to where he had been sleeping. As he left into the hallway, he could have sworn he heard clawed feet echoing softly through the house. Was somebody else there?

As he passed where Cynder and Jericho were, he saw Cynder laying nearby, but in a slightly different spot. Her posture was also… unnatural? Had she been there listening to them speak? Spyro watched her for a few more moments before moving on, thinking nothing more of it. He lay back down near Flame and closed his eyes. He hoped that this time, he might actually be able to get some restful sleep.

End of Chapter 08