Chapter 13: Barton Hole

November 9, 9:12 AM

Sunlight cast itself onto the trees, a soft breeze slowly washing over the entire forest and brushing off what might have been left over from the night. Birds flew overhead, passing over the slow moving clouds. It was a bright, and sunny day.

Spyro sat, feeling the sunlight strike his scales, filling him with a sense of relief and happiness as it was a warmer morning today, rather than cold and brisk as it had been before. With winter fast approaching, a nice warm morning was very welcomed. He took in a deep breath, before opening his eyes to look around again.

He was outside, in the parking lot in the middle of the small square formation of buildings they had taken residence in the previous night. He sat there, staring at a gaping hole in the building directly across from their hide away. It was a hole, created by a monster, a monster whom he had seen with his very eyes create. Sparx was with him, slowly hovering by his head. He hadn't told his friend of what he had seen last night, but Sparx's curiosity rivaled his own. Sparx could tell something was bothering Spyro, and hovered with him to keep him company. It helped Spyro, but there… were so many questions that he had. He looked around, looking around the environment for more signs of life from the struggle.

The rocks still lay where he remembered them scattering, and he could still see the beast rising from the dark decrypt interior to ambush the two humans… just as he had seen in the vision… or… whatever the hell it was.

He looked over, seeing the very car where the older man had been killed. The indention was still there, as real as it was all those years ago. Time hadn't moved that car an inch. It had only added a layer of grass and rust to the metal husk.

He stood up, walking through the old parking lot, stepping over fresh fields of grass and fields of flowers. One could hardly tell that there was once pale grey concrete beneath the dirt in these areas. Nature was so quick to overtake what man had forged all those years ago. The vision of the parking lot full of pristine cars filled Spyro's eyes once more. He could see them, parked in all their spots, coming and going… Now there was just grass and some shattered concrete. They were all that remained.

Sparx hovered in front of him, giving a concerned chirp. Spyro turned to his friend, frowning. Sparx's face looked as if it were asking if there was something about this place that Spyro knew, something that was troubling him. It was funny, how Spyro could read so much from Sparx's expressions and the same in reverse. The small chirps and whistles Sparx made Spyro could so easily understand, as if he was speaking as clean as day. There was some connection between the dragonflies and the dragons, they could speak so well to one another, even if they didn't even realize it at first.

"This place Sparx, there's something odd about it. Like… the other places we've visited. It's as if I can see the people here still… I don't know what any of it is…" Spyro said before walking off again. Sparx observed him for a moment before following close behind.

He continued walking to the very place where he and the beast had faced off. He had barely noticed them on his first pass through of the parking lot yesterday but sure enough, there were the holes in the ground where Spyro had fallen and struck the ground. There he saw the places where the beast had pounded his mighty fists, breaking ground and leaving indentions that Spyro could still see… all this time later. Sparx followed his vision, landing and observing all the items in the environment in much the same way Spyro was. The dragonfly would even come across other items that were all familiar to Spyro, all having some connection, or being affected by him that day… last night. He peered his head around, trying to remember exactly where the creature had died and come to a rest.

In his vision… in the past… this entire place was a parking lot, with shops and different buildings bordering it. There was even a large road that ran nearby, almost following the dirt path itself, the one they had used to traverse this valley. Now, only this small square of buildings survived, and trees had overtaken the rest. He squinted his eyes, trying to make sense of the geography, to try and see where the beast may be now. If everything else was here… perhaps it would be too?

He retraced his steps, remembering he had sent the beast flying several yards back. He looked in that direction, seeing that there was thick overgrowth there now. He trotted over to it, hoping that maybe nature hadn't hidden everything of that day.

Tall grass shrouded the area, as well as tall, thick oak trees. Spyro moved through the thick overgrowth before seeing something large resting in-between two trees. It was… massive, easily what he might be looking for.

He walked closer to the large mass, seeing that it indeed resembled the beast. Little grass had grown around the base of the collapsed creature, and Spyro was having trouble making out any actual details of the creature. He remembered it was large, and had the stature of a massive gorilla. Yet, unlike the furred beasts he was familiar with, its skin was a dark, pale gray. Black plates covered most of its skin, like a protective armor. Even then, its skin was tough, and hard to damage. No skin remained, of course. He could see the armor plating, still forming a general form that resembled the creature. Something was holding the armor together, and it wasn't bone. Spyro could see no bone at all while peering around the creature's body. There was… something else in there, almost like rock. Rock? That couldn't be right, the creature was very much alive with actual skin when he fought it. The rock also didn't resemble the creature one for one, rather it… resembled some of the creature's shape, but not all.

Spyro did recognize the large head piece the creature wore. He walked over, looking at it closely. The headpiece was thick, and somewhat ornate. It had a swooping design, with arcing horns that came up from the helmet itself which covered its head. Two eye slits were visible, empty now that the creature was dead. Spyro could still remember those… bright, green eyes as they stared him down. He felt such a great evil coming from those eyes… the likes of which Spyro had never felt before- even from a Sentinel. Peering again at the headpiece, Spyro saw that like the body, there was no skull holding it in place. In fact, Spyro could see nothing under the helmet. It was far too dark to make out a lot of detail, and indeed Spyro only saw darkness as he peered into the creature.

Sparx landed on its head, looking around it before taking off immediately, he didn't feel comfortable around the creature, and Spyro couldn't blame him. He looked at Spyro, as if to ask if he knew this creature. Spyro nodded softy.

"I do know this creature Sparx. Like, I… I don't know… It's like I've fought him, killed him, but this body is so old. How can that be? I'm so confused by this buddy, I really am." Sparx frowned at him, giving a soft chirp, asking if this was like before, like in the mall and the other "haunted" places.

"It is like the mall Sparx, there's something about these places that… affect me, I'm not sure how. There's something going on, but I don't know what."

Sparx gave another chirp, as if to ask about Cynder.

"No, I've already asked, and I'm afraid to say everything I've seen. I don't think anyone would believe me if I did."

Sparx chirped again, saying he would. Spyro smiled at him.

"I know you would buddy." He turned back to the creature, frowning again.

What kind of creature was this? He had never seen or heard of such a thing before. It sure as hell wasn't a dragon, or even a Sentinel! No, this creature was something else… something far different. What was it that he had seen last night? What was it… that he had done…? Had he traveled into the past…? Had he in fact been doing this that entire time…? If so, why couldn't anyone see, or hear him? It wasn't until he used his breath attack could he be seen, or even heard. He didn't feel like he had traveled back in time, his body felt well rested, yet… he still felt sore where the beast had struck him.

Spyro looked down at his paws, looking them over. He brought them up, examining them in acute detail, confounded as to what exactly he had witnessed… and even done. How had he done it…? He… he didn't know… these things just happened. He was seeing memories right? Ghosts of those who had walked before? Their ghosts and memories were so deeply imprinted into the Earth that he could see them, make sense of them like Horren had said. But… those weren't memories… he fought that beast. He fought and killed it, and he could see all of what had happened before him.

There was obviously something going on here that Spyro could not understand, could not comprehend. He needed to ask someone about this, someone with far greater knowledge then he.

He looked up and turned, looking back to their hideaway. Cynder, Baltimore… could he find someone there perhaps? Could someone there shed any light on this? Would it even be wise to let anyone know about this? He could be deeply endangering himself, and his friends… Still, if it was he who was doing this… he wanted to know. He wanted to know what in the hell was going on, and why he was seeing, and living, all these strange things. Why it was only he who was enduring this, and seemingly nobody else.

Why could nobody else see these things, or do… what he could. It's like a power flowed through his blood that nobody else possessed, and it was capable of things… things beyond his own imagination.

He took in a deep breath before closing his eyes and turning around. He didn't have the answers at the moment, he'd have to wait until he could find some. He turned back around, looking at the dead creature on the ground. For a moment he looked at it, again asking himself the questions of what is this, where did it come from, once again opening his mind to deep thought. He sighed once more, trying to keep himself from going back into that. He wanted to move on for the moment… and not ask so many endless questions. Eventually he found one question, one valid question he could ask and terminate these thoughts.

"I wish I knew what was going on around here buddy, I really do…" Spyro finally said, turning to Sparx before walking off. Sparx looked at the body himself before zipping off with his draconic friend, leaving the corpse to its fate amongst the overgrowth. He walked out of the tall grass, the foliage and the overgrowth to return to the half covered human courtyard. It was nearing midday, and he knew Jericho would want to set out before it got too late. With them being so close to Baltimore, he'd hate to delay them once more with his exploring.

He heard a crashing sound and looked out to see Flame was in the old parking lot, obscured by a few of the rusted car husks. He was… on something, riding something more like it. Spyro heard Flame yell out with glee before he disappeared from view, another crashing sound playing out for him to hear. The dragon turned to Sparx who gave a look of childish curiosity. Spyro just shook his head and smirked before going to walk over to where his other dragon friend was.

"Flame?" Spyro asked, walking to where he last saw his friend.

"Spyro! Hey, check this out!" Flame yelled, laying upside down in the middle of a pile of debris. Spyro raised his eyebrows, seeing that Flame had found one of those large wheeled baskets that were always laying around old Forger market buildings. It was still intact, and in one piece, unlike many of the ones they had found back home.

"What're you doing?" Spyro asked, laughing at the sight of him.

"Dude, these things are awesome! You can totally ride them, as long as you can fit inside. These are better than the ones back home!"

"Maybe because they've been picked at less…" Spyro admitted, walking over to where there was a collection of the large baskets. Jericho had said this was an old shopping center, and the vision had shown him that was true as well. It made sense these would be here. There was a covered open air room where a few dozen of them looked to be resting, somewhat protected from the elements… somewhat. Sparx hovered into the room after Flame had pointed it out, the small dragonfly wandering over to one of the backsets and beginning to investigate it, a small chirp showing his approval.

"Come on, get in one! Let's have a race!" Flame exclaimed, quickly getting back up and pushing his cart back up. Spyro turned, about to laugh at the idea but shook it off, wondering how much fun it might actually be… He walked up to one of them, slowly using his claws to move the cart from where it was, pulling the small vines and grass that had grown around its base away. It still moved pretty well… now to get inside. He used his claws and talons to lift himself up into it, almost yelling out when the cart started to move quickly as he added his own weight to it. Flame laughed at him when he saw it, he easily getting into his own cart. Spyro had to scramble so the cart didn't just topple with him still trying to get inside!

With a quick motion he managed to settle himself in, feeling the cart move quickly now as it got onto uneven ground, causing him to bump around. It didn't move far, slowly coming to a rest a few feet from where he had started. Spyro chuckled nervously a bit, turning to Flame who just beamed at him.

"Dude, check this out…" He unfurled his wings, bringing them out like sails on a wind boat. He flapped them slowly, causing him to move forward. He gripped the cart tightly with his talons, using his wings to give motion to the cart. Slowly he managed to traverse the otherwise uneven and shattered ground of the parking lot. He even managed to navigate his way in-between the old cars scattered everywhere. Spyro watched with deep fascination before bringing his own wings out to try the very same trick.

He gave them a light flap, feeling the cart respond to his motions. He gripped the sides of the cart for safety, giving his wings a more powerful flap this time. The flap was… a little too powerful then he had hoped, propelling the cart a few good inches off of the ground before landing and speeding forward, eliciting a yell from the young surprised dragon.

"Now you're getting it, come on!" Flame yelled to his friend from nearby. Spyro gave it a few more flaps, feeling like he was getting the hang of this after all. He gently flapped his wings, nudging the cart along. He found it easy to navigate it now if he gave gentle and gradual changes to his wings. This was actually very fun!

"Come on, I'll race you!" Flame called out again. Spyro nodded back at him.

"Alright, you're on!" He replied, flapping his wings with assurance.

The two found their way to a very flattened and straight stretch of open lot. They settled in, bringing their wings to a ready position.

"Ready to get smoked?" Flame asked.

"We'll see to that…" Spyro replied with a chuckle. Flame smiled before looking forwards.

Sparx hovered in front of them, his bright little orb observing them before Spyro heard him make soft whistles to imitate a countdown. Its finale came with him making a much louder one, along with a small backflip for emphasis. With that, they gave their wings an aggressive first flap, propelling both of them forwards at a great pace. They raced forward, creating a large plume of dust in their wake. Spyro had to hold on tight as his cart almost went airborne several times during the race. He had managed to get ahead of Flame, but the clouds of dust they were kicking up were almost obscuring everything, even themselves!

They were reaching the edge of the lot, about to collide into tall grasses and trees. Spyro had to lift up on one side of the cart and manipulate his wings so he could do an immediate about face. He felt his cart almost tilt at a forty five degree angle, RIGHT on the edge of tipping over. He held on tight, trying to use his wings to balance himself out before feeling all wheels touch the ground again. He had done it, and was going back to the starting spot, where he assumed Flame intended to end the face. He saw a huge plume of dust behind him, what he could only assume to be Flame's attempt to do a U-turn as well. If so, he had to keep going to stay ahead!

He flapped his wings to face forward, feeling that the finish line was just right there!

Suddenly, he saw something come from his right, and turned to see Flame emerge from a cloud of dust, his cart moving in full reverse! He was breathing a jet of hot air behind him, his wings flapping back to move him at an even faster rate than Spyro! He flew past Spyro and screamed across the finish line, almost crashing into an old car in the process! Spyro watched in amazement, having to bring his own wings up to brake himself while Flame gladly let his cart fall over with him in it, he too happy to care! He was laughing, gripping his stomach while slowly getting up.

"What in the…?" Spyro began to ask, watching his friend pick himself up.

"Man you should have seen your face! I totally left you in the dust!" Flame yelled out proudly. Spyro shook his head, wondering how in the hell he pulled that off. Spyro managed to execute a flawless turn around but Flame… he just out did him so it didn't even matter!

"You boys done playing in those tin cans?" Both dragons looked up to see Cynder hovering above them, watching with an amused face.

"Cynder! You should check these things out! They're so awesome!" Flame called out, surprised to see her here.

"Oh I saw, I watched the whole thing. Spyro, you really need to work on your… cart racing skills there if you want to beat Flame." Cynder said jokingly as she came to land.

"Very funny." Spyro simply said in return. "Find anything?"

"Yeah, just as I thought there is a village just up the road a bit. It's friendly, should be an easy pass through. Hell we might even be able to have some nice lunch."

"Long as they don't throw us in jail…" Flame said with a groan.

"We're out of that warzone so that shouldn't happen anymore…"

"I hope so, my neck aches from that last collar they slapped on." Spyro rubbed his neck a little, thankful there was nothing there this time.

"Spyro, go grab Jericho so we can head that way. We don't want to waste anymore of the day here."

"Right, I'll go get him." Spyro heeded Cynder's instructions, heading back to the old restaurant to get their Forger. He climbed the stairs back up the second level, walking into the bedroom to find it empty. Where had he gone? There was a room at the end of the long room filled with beds, a room Spyro hadn't gone into yet. He heard sounds coming from that room, possibly Jericho. Spyro trotted over to the door, peering inside.

He was met with an unexpected sight, one of Jericho's back to him, completely bare from the waist up. He was rubbing a wet cloth over his body, washing it.

"Spyro, is that you?" Jericho asked, hearing the dragon's talons on the floor.

"Sorry Jericho, I didn't mean to intrude…" Spyro said back, a little embarrassed.

"No you're fine I'm almost done. What did Cynder find?"

"She said that there's a small village just up the road. She said it didn't look like much trouble, and would be easy to pass through."

"Alright, I'll be down in a moment. I just need to finish cleaning up."

"Right, I'll tell them." Spyro said, quickly turning around to leave. He felt embarrassed that he had walked in on him bathing, but at least he didn't catch him completely bare. The thought ran across Spyro for a moment what a bare Forger even looked like. He had only ever seen Jericho bundled up in his jacket and armor, and he had only ever seen his face. That was the first time he had… seen such a wide swatch of his skin. It had struck Spyro as odd since he was so used to fur, or scales… Forgers were so pale, and had… so little hair. His skin was so leathery, so smooth. It was so different to Spyro, a creature who was otherwise naked everywhere he went. The thought almost embarrassed Spyro a bit, even though he thought it a legitimate curiosity. What did humans look like without all their protective clothing? Were they just like every other anthro's body structure? Were there other things only Forgers had? The more and more he thought about it, the more it just made him feel uncomfortable thinking about it! He just resided himself to dismiss it for now, and head back down to meet the others.

/Transitioning…/

[Done]

Proudly they marched, the sunlight striking their bodies, unable to stop them from their forward march. They had left the small hidden shopping center a few hours before, managing to leave way before midday, trying to preserve as much light as possible. The group had returned to the main road, following it to this village that Cynder had spotted earlier. The dragons trotted alongside Jericho who walked with his hoodie and gas mask on. The day was actually getting somewhat warmer, a very odd day indeed for this time of year. Spyro didn't mind, instead he smiled as he felt the warm sun striking his scales. The longer it was warm, the better. He did not like the cold days of winter at all. The longer they stayed away, the better.

"How far away's that village?" Jericho asked Cynder, who turned to the human with a look of surprise.

"I was half expecting Flame to ask that… Trust me, you won't miss this village. It's really hard to overlook." She simply said back. Spyro turned to Flame who shrugged.

"We'll see…" Jericho said with an interested tone in his voice.

"Hard to miss? What do you mean?" Spyro asked the dragoness.

"Trust me Spyro, this village is REALLY hard to overlook. You'll see when we get there."

Spyro shrugged himself, curious as to what the village might have.

They continued walking for a least an hour before Spyro started to see something large in the distance. The valley was starting to get narrow, and the road was beginning to run alongside the edge of the valley. The valley was bordered with large, tall cliffs, though it appeared as though the cliffs were the result of the ground splitting under great duress, some of the ground raising itself to high elevations while the rest either remained the same or sank, creating this valley. Just as with everything else in this world, it appeared to be sudden, and very abrupt, signs still everywhere for one to see.

Further ahead, he could see that large object, getting larger with each minute they drew closer. Up ahead, there appeared to be an indention in the cliff wall, a small alcove that housed something. After a while Spyro took to the air, getting higher in the hopes of seeing just it might be. It took a while for it to even become fully visible, but what stood before Spyro looked as if it were a large creature, made of stone, rock and Earth. It stood silently and unmoving as it sat in this indention in the cliff. Buildings, homes and tents had propped up to form a small collective at the base of the creature's feet, and Spyro could see some buildings perched on the cliff edges surrounding the creature. There were even bridges running from the cliff edges to large plates of rock located on the creature's back. Buildings were even on there as well, along with what seemed to be a flag baring the colors of the village, perched at the highest point of the creature! Trees, grass and roots also grew from the creature's limps and even atop its back where the plates of rock rested.

This entire village seemed to have been built in the footprint of this silent and unmoving creature. Why? Why would you build an entire community in the shadow of this large behemoth? Was there a sense of security? A sense of protection? It baffled Spyro, but there was something about this creature, something very mysterious and… awe inspiring. The creature was massive, Spyro didn't know if he had mentioned that yet. It stood on four legs and had the stature of feral beast. Rock and stone seemed to make up a bone structure for this creature, and plates of hardened rock sat above those. Was this creature some sort of rock golem? He had heard myths about such creatures but could this possibly be something of that nature?

Spyro eventually returned to the group, who were all staring in awe of the creature already. Cynder didn't seem phased, looking like she had seen this already. Spyro guessed this was the uh… thing that you couldn't miss about the village.

"Wow… look at the size of it!" Flame yelled out.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Cynder commented, smirking.

"What is it?" Spyro asked, waking over to them.

"It's a Silent Goliath. Myths and legends talk about how creatures like these shaped the world, long before anything existed. Magic born deep within their bodies spread itself into the land, and they spread it until they could walk no longer. Now they sit silently, unable to move but still standing watch over those of us in this world. People here regard it as a God, and look to it for protection." She said, never breaking eye contact with the creature's head and its two empty eye sockets. Spyro looked at them too, staring deep into the creature. There was something odd about the creature, frightening even. It kind of unsettled Spyro, but he was sure it was because he had never seen such a thing before. Jericho didn't sound or look too impressed, only looking at it for a moment longer before silently dismissing it and following the path again. Spyro watched him for a moment before frowning.

"I'm guessing he doesn't think the same way about them…" Spyro commented softly.

"Oh I'm sure he does…" Cynder replied.

Spyro trotted to follow the Forger, figuring if they did business in town it might be beneficial for him to tag along and stay close. He could see many different people moving around, many different anthros of various shapes and sizes, all going about their day. The town seemed sleepy, as if this wasn't the right time of day to come across it. There were a lot of trading outposts and tents that lined the road, looking as if the towns people would barter and trade with people moving up and down this road. The road seemed empty, devoid of any travelers today. A few of the posts lining the actual road looked occupied, their sleepy merchants and sellers looking like they could use a customer.

As they drew closer into town, Spyro could see some of the traders and merchants begin to stir, as if they had been noticed. As expected, the anticipation of potential customers excited some of the merchants, many new fresh faces standing proudly at their stands, ready to accept any potential offers. From where he stood, still several yards away from the post, Spyro could see food vendors, clothing, armor, weapons and various other shops and trades.

They drew in closer now, only feet away from the first post. Spyro was happy to see what was offered, but was startled when all of a sudden, the shop owner seemed to come to some sort of... realization. He quickly fumbled at his counter, releasing a latch that forced a large wooden panel down, covering the shop up.

The others were just as surprised, Jericho standing back a bit.

"Huh..." He said, turning over to the next occupied post. The same response was given there, a shut window that forced them to move on down the line. Other shop owners began closing their posts, but a few remained open. In fact, those traders look far more excited then the others. In fact, there was something odd about their excitement, and it bothered Spyro.

A few figures emerged from one of the trading posts, very large and muscular anthro deer and rabbits. They blocked off the exit on the other end that lead out of the posts and out into the open valley. They didn't appear to be directly threatening the group, but they stood in just the perfect way that would block them if they tried to continue. Jericho got a bad vibe from this, raising his hand so it blocked Spyro from going any further.

"Come on, let's go this way..." Jericho said, ushering them to turn around and head back the other way. They left the row of shops, the suspicious figures and shop keepers taking notice. They backtracked and headed towards the buildings, blending in with the regular town's folk that walked around, going about their day. It was like a little maze within the actual town, few if any paved roads existing here. Grass grew freely in the space between the buildings, with little organization in the roads.

"Well that was odd." Cynder stated bluntly, making Flame shake his head.

"Why can't we just get a warm welcome from anyone anymore? Some fanfare maybe?"

"I don't know, those guys acted strange. Let's just see what else is in this town then get out. I don't feel like finding out what those guys wanted." Jericho responded.

"I'll agree to that!" Cynder said with elation.

"Hello, hello there friend!" A voice caught all their attention, and nearly made Spyro leap from his skin! A short mouse anthro around three quarters of Jericho's height walked up with his hands held together from around the corner of a small fruit stand. A fancy top hat rested on his head, a hat that seemed almost too large for him. He also wore a light jacket that looked very old, with some tears and patches around its edges.

"Hey… there." Cynder said, grimacing a little at the new comer.

"You guys look new and fresh to our town, welcome! You must be tired, hungry, yes? No? I assure you we have everything you might need here!"

"Who are you?" Jericho asked, unmoved.

"Oh where are my manners? I'm Barley, and this is the lovely town of Bratton Hole! Come, come be my guest, we are so excited to meet newcomers!" He stepped forward, inviting them to follow him deeper into the town. They followed the winding roads, ranging from narrow to very wide open, some even having bricks lain in-between the buildings. As they drew closer to the center of town, Spyro noticed that there was a large circular town's square built directly under the Goliath. It had the only real paved area in the town, and was surrounded by freshly crafted buildings, all built recently and not of Forger origin. They looked to copy the Forgers, but were made using existing craft and talent.

"Why build this place under a giant thing like that?" Flame asked to nobody in particular. Barley overhead him, and proudly turned around to answer him.

"Well that's quite simple! Silent Goliaths like this one helped shape our world! They give us protection even long after they have gone! Why else would we build here? He watches over us, even long after his death!"

As he talked, Spyro looked up into the belly of the creature. He could see that there was little in the creature's stomach or gut, most of it was exposed. He could see large stone "ribs" coming forth, denoting where skin might have been at one point in its life. There was only solid rock and stone left, with grass and foliage growing on top.

A sudden rattle caught Spyro's attention, making his head crane backwards behind them. Nothing, just the same pair of mice that they had passed already, doing the same thing they were doing when they passed them. Still... Spyro felt that there was something else there. Every time he moved his head, he could see… something but it was always hidden, just around the corner. They were being followed. Barley continued onwards despite this, finally coming to a stop in front of a large tent. It was easily the size of a small building, and was reinforced like one. A smoke stack rose from its back, small puffs escaping it.

"Here, here this is my home where I keep many of my wares. Please, be my guest! I have so many things to show to travelers that would be a great interest to you!" He pointed to Jericho, who seemed skeptical of his claims. "That old rifle of yours, it looks like its seen better days! I happen to be one of the only few people in the area who has replacement parts for old Forger Assault Rifles!"

"Do you now?"

"Yes! You have what appears to be a modification of the good old M23A standard issue rifle of the old American Armed Forces. Replaced the… I believe M4 Carbine just before 2020. Oh yes I have many parts for that weapon, even modifications if you're interested…" The mouse opened the flap to his large and colorful tent, inviting them inside. Jericho seemed interested, as did Spyro. Jericho entered first, and Spyro was right behind.

"Go! Now!" The mouse quickly barked, which got Spyro's attention. He felt hands grab him and pull him into the tent. Two other mice darted out from behind some creates near the entrance, grabbing Cynder and Flame to pull them inside quickly too. Jericho saw this, and quickly raised his weapon. Another mouse ran up, grabbing his weapon to subdue him.

"Spyro!" Jericho yelled, trying to wrestle the mouse away from his gun. The other mice in the tent had moved the dragons inside and closed the flap before moving crates in front of it to seal off the exit.

"Relax Forger! Calm down you're safe here. Darrel, you can let go of his weapon now." Barley instructed, holding his hands behind his back in a relaxed manner. Jericho watched him for a moment, dumbfounded that he knew he was human. The mouse holding his weapon let go and retreated, as did the others who surrounded the dragons. Jericho relaxed a bit, but still clutched onto his weapon. Cynder had been knocked to the ground and rubbed her head, visibly angry.

"What's going on here?" Spyro asked, breathing in deep.

"I'm helping you, that's what. I'm sure you all noticed the way the merchants were acting up at the road. The guards who blocked the road in front of you, it was all a trap, set for you. I have saved you from that trap."

"A trap? Why a trap?" Jericho asked.

"You can remove your gas mask Forger, we all know who you are. Your disguise doesn't work amongst us traders. We know all who walk these roads." Jericho looked dumbfounded for a moment before removing his mask and hoodie.

"How the hell did you know?" Cynder asked, curious herself.

"Oh Sentinel, you guys aren't exactly as… inconspicuous as you'd like to think! There's been many, many rumblings amongst the inner trading circles about a small band of travelers with two very interesting members. A Sentinel, and a Forger. It took us a while to figure out the Forger part but trust me, you guys aren't as secret as you think. There are a lot of people in the inner trading circles who have… taken a great interest in you guys. Why would a Sentinel and Forger travel together? What might they be working towards? What could they be sold? Or, sold to…" Barley said, pacing back and forth in front of them.

"And what about you? Who are you going to sell us to?" Cynder asked, venom lacing her voice.

"Yeah, sounds like you're doing exactly what those guys are trying to do already!" Flame chipped in, growling a bit. The mouse looked at them, a short blush on his face somewhat confirming that the thought had gone across his mind.

"I have no interest in selling you to anyone, but my kin and I find it very curious that a Forger and Sentinel are working together. We um, thought that perhaps that something might be worth quite a lot."

"Oh, typical trader bullshit." Cynder said with a huff.

"Now, now, wait just a moment. I've told you up front, I don't intend to... sell you out to anyone. Curiosity drives us, curiosity with possible benefits. Not to mention, there's no telling who those other traders are with, or what they might have tried to sell you."

"You act like that makes you any better." Jericho crossed his arms sighing at the creature.

"You might think so Forger, but I will tell you that in this world, there is a very clear difference. And yes, it does make us better. Nevertheless... you would NEED us anyway to get down the road. Not only are there traders interested in you, but other parties as well. Bounty hunters roam these lands, itching to jump on any Forger, or even Sentinel. There's curiosity in the air, and in these parts its very dangerous. Dangerous, indeed."

"So then what? Why would you help us?" Spyro asked, trying to wrap his head around this concept.

"Simple, I told you! I'd rather be the one to find out, and you'd rather that I be the one to find out! A friend you have in me, that much you can be sure of! Barley at your service!"

"Forget it, I say we ditch the rat and head north ourselves, let them come." Cynder snapped at the mouse, making him raise his hands defensively.

"Alright, fine, fine. So, you'll head to Baltimore along the old northern road out in the open. Right into the hands of those who would love for nothing more than a juicy target to hit. I'm telling you they smell blood in the air."

"Then we'll cut through DC."

"Well then I know you're a fool! The old city fortress city has been taken over by militaristic monks, looking to restore the old monuments of man. They won't let anyone near now, so you'd be foolish to try. A well rounded trader could lead you to an alternate path, a much safer and quicker path into Baltimore."

"You're price? You can't just be in this for curiosity."

"Oh trust me, I am. A Forger and Sentinel teaming up? Why, this is truly a juicy tale if any has been heard before."

"I trust him." Spyro said, making Cynder and Jericho's heads snap to him.

"You can't be serious Spyro. He's a rat, a con-artist at best."

"I'll have you know I have nothing to do with those wretched cousins of mine, a mouse I am, and a trusted mouse I shall be!"

"I trust him, you saw how those other merchants were ready to pounce on us. He's up front about it, and we'd be better off using a guide going north if what he says is true."

"I won't let you down." Barley said, bowing to them. Cynder growled, walking up to Spyro.

"If this scoundrel sells us out, it's your head." She simply said. Spyro just smirked, making Cynder groan and walk away. Jericho just shrugged, slinging his rifle.

"Perfect! We uh, should head out before nightfall I'd wager. We just need some proper food before we set out." The mouse said, rubbing his paws together with glee.

"Food is good! I can get behind that plan!" Flame said.

"Of course you would..." Spyro said with a chuckle. Flame just stuck his tongue out at him.

"So uh, since I've offered my help, why don't you two share the uh, the secret." Barley said, still rubbing his hands. His excitement was one that someone might have if they had been starved for days then shown food. Jericho looked at him for a moment before rubbing his head.

"There's not much to it, we're both heading north. Since we're both heading north, we figure why not go together." He said to the mouse.

"Oh, it HAS to be better than that. Why else would this have stirred so many?"

"Well that's easy, blame the purple one over there. If it weren't for him, the Forger and me would have killed each other long ago. Blame him for being able to wrangle us together." Cynder said, trying to keep her angry Sentinel vibe throughout the sentence but it faded, almost turning into admiration by the end of it.

"We all owed him favors for our survival, and without him none of this would be possible, I think she's got a point. You want your juicy secret, look at him." Jericho added.

"Well I'll say. You must have the greatest diplomatic mind we've seen yet!" Barley exclaimed, turning to him.

"I... I just didn't see the need for any of it, for any of this. We all need each other for survival, if it weren't for Cynder, for Jericho or even Flame none of us would have made it this far. I think we've all realized this from our travels, so I think necessity is the true diplomat here if there ever was one."

"Fascinating..." Barley said, his eyes so wide with elation it almost bothered Spyro. Perhaps that idea was SO farfetched out here that maybe THEY were the crazy ones for not being astounded by this. It certainly had stirred the curiosity of many already, who's the say the mouse wasn't justified in this? Yeah, it did sound pretty crazy now that Spyro thought about it. The two sworn enemies, Forgers and Sentinels, working together. Then again, after experiencing what they had, it didn't sound crazy to Spyro. It seemed realistic, plausible.

"Well then, let's get the food, come, come!" Barley said, inviting them deeper into the tent, where the other mice had scuttled to. Barley had managed to set up a table in no time, filled with some simple foods. A wood stove sat in the back of his tent, with a smoke stack that rose up and beyond the cloth to expel the heat from the burning fires. Spyro could already smell various meats, his stomach rumbling again even thought they had actually had a decent breakfast.

"If the route into DC is closed, then what road would you suggest?" Jericho asked, looking at his personal map and comparing it to what the mouse had told him.

"Up until recently, D.C. was the best way into Baltimore, since the two are within stone's throw of each other. Because of those monks, most merchants are now diverting to the otherwise underused Barren Road that goes along the outside of D.C. and right into Baltimore. If we head out now, we should be able to traverse it in no time at all! You will be there by dusk, I promise you that."

"What makes the road so barren?" Flame asked, already halfway into a roll of bread.

"Oh you'll see young one. They don't throw those titles around so easily around here! There's a reason those two cities were fortified during the days of the Forgers. You'll see, don't you worry." Barley said before setting a bowl of soup down for them. Spyro took in a deep whiff, unable to help himself from the aroma. Jericho even smiled at the smell, setting his weapon down and scooting himself forward for the bowl. He nodded in thanks to the mouse, rubbing his chest off in preparation of the food. The mouse nodded back to the human, his eyes glancing over his chest. It was then the mouse stopped, fixated on a sown on patch to the jacket, which bore Jericho's last name, Garrison.

"My word... Whose jacket is that?" Barley asked, stopping what he was doing.

"Why, what's it matter?" Jericho asked, now very suspicious.

"It wouldn't have belonged to a... Mr. Michael Garrison now, would it...?"

"How do you know my father's name?" Jericho asked, astonished. The mouse looked at him for a bit before smiling, then laughing. Jericho sat up in his seat, obviously very unamused.

"Sorry, I'm sorry I just can't believe it! You're Jericho, the son of Michael! I can't believe I didn't see it sooner!"

"How do you know my father?" Jericho asked, a bit more force behind it.

"Simple! I met him, many times in fact!"

"What, that's impossible..."

"Oh, on the contrary! In my younger days I used to do trading east of the Appalachian mountains, in old Ohio. We would make regular trading runs with your little group of human villages. As head of security, I met with your father on multiple occasions! In fact..." Barley walked over to Jericho's rifle, which sat up against the table. "That is his rifle, isn't it? The barrel on that weapon is not of Forger origins, I smithed it myself for your father when no replacement could be found."

"That's impossible, we never did trading with any creatures outside our own! We were a completely isolated and self-sufficient community."

"I'm sure what's what your father told you. Truth be told your kin had to trade with us regularly from what I understand. The world was still too new to you Forgers, and your old ways of survival just weren't good enough to survive on your own. We happily traded with you and your kin, giving food and warm clothing in return for pristine and intact Forger weapons. Those weapons are true gems in this world, almost one of a kind in their rarity anymore. Those weapons have helped us in turn for our own survival, and we're in your father's debt. He is truly a great man."

"Yeah... he was.." Jericho looked down at the table, making Barley change his expression. Jericho didn't even have to tell Barley, he could tell from his posture.

"So, I take it that your father hasn't sent his only son on a wild errand, one that would take him to one of the most inhospitable places on this Earth for a Forger, Baltimore."

"No, he hasn't..."

"He's dead then, is he?"

"Yes, killed by Sentinels. Our entire community was wiped out." Jericho explained, still looking down at the table.

"I'm so sorry to hear that... Your father and his comrades were good men, all of them. I'm sorry to hear that it's gone. Why then, are you here?"

"Delivering his final mission, one he had held onto for his entire life. To deliver a package to New York City."

"Why, that's in the forbidden zone! I see why you'd have to pass through Baltimore then, to reach it..."

"Yes... This mission is all I have left of my father, and I will see it through, no matter what."

"Well then, let Barley give you a helping hand! Before I was doing this just out of curiosity for this interesting partnership but I owe it to you and your father to help you to Baltimore. I will help you see this mission through!" Barley said, jumping up onto the table, shaking the bowls.

"You don't have to Barley, we can manage to Baltimore with this path you've shown us." Jericho said, not wanting to put him in danger now too.

"No boy! You can count on Barley! At your service!"

End of Chapter 13