Chapter 22: Duel
November 16, 2:31 PM
Breathe in slowly, then let it out. Slow, deep breaths. Yes… yes that should calm him down.
If success was to be guaranteed, he needed a clear mind, a focused mind.
"I'm circling around, thirty seconds. You ready?"
Jericho's voice coming from the cockpit broke Spyro's concentration, and made the dragon grumble a little.
"We're ready!" Spyro called back.
"Are we…?" Cynder asked, turning to her purple friend. Spyro remained silent for a moment before looking back up at her and nodding.
"As ready… as we'll ever be…"
She nodded back to him, and returned to her ready position. They booth stood in the back of the troop bay, facing the exit ramp. The door remained sealed, but that wasn't going to be the case for much longer.
"Initiating! Hold on tight back there!" Jericho slammed hard on the throttle, and they felt the aircraft roll onto its side and enter a steep dive. Both Spyro and Cynder sank their claws into the floor, finding these large metallic holes where cargo was meant to be hoisted to the cabin floor and used it to secure their own talons with. They held on dearly as the craft's angle of approach grew sharper, and more inverted. The two dragons grit their teeth, waiting for the signal.
"Forty seconds, altitude… eight thousand feet." Hunter was calling out information, while Jericho remained silent at the controls, focusing on the task at hand.
"Thirty seconds, opening cargo bay door. Five thousand feet. Engaging!"
They felt the thunder of the mounted grenade launcher going off on the nose of the aircraft, and they could feel their drop ship leveling out even if they were still in the steep dive.
The large ramp sealing them into the troop bay shuddered then slowly opened, revealing the open sky to them. Wind and air rushed out of the open ramp, pulling on the two dragons, but they held onto the floor dearly.
Not yet. Not… yet…
"Twenty seconds, three thousand feet! We're getting close Jericho."
"Stay on target… stay on target…"
The craft remained in its dive, and they could hear explosions all around. Puffs of black smoke could be seen behind the craft, tailing them. Even though all they could see was the sky at their backs, Spyro could only imagine the absolute chaos that was happening below. Soon, they'd be joining it…
"Ten seconds, two thousand feet!"
"Ready Spyro…?" Cynder asked again.
"Ready…"
"One thousand feet!" Hunter yelled, turning back to the dragons. At that moment, they felt the dropship pull sharply up, shifting from a dive to an immediate climb. Both Spyro and Cynder waited for just a few precious moments longer, waiting until the entire craft shifted direction. Now they could see the ground below them, almost in their face.
"Go now!" Hunter yelled, seeing that they had now reversed course and were heading upwards.
When Hunter called out a thousand feet… it was almost deceptive. Sure, they were a thousand feet above sea level currently, but that didn't mean they were a thousand feet above the ground…
At once, they let go of the metal floor, letting their talons slip free of the cargo holes. With the momentum of the craft going upwards, and their bodies being sucked out the back, they safely slipped out and into the open sky. Spyro opened his wings to brake his descent, and he spotted a Sentinel only ten feet below him who he was going to target. The Sentinel looked up, startled by the dragon's presence. He opened his muzzle to attack Spyro, but within a few moments, the purple dragon was all over him.
Their attack, had truly begun.
1 Hour Ago…
"You'd think something like this would be easier… There, she is taking it Jericho. That is the last of our fuel." Hunter finished twisting and tightening the valve connecting the spare fuel tanks stowed above the troop bay, and the main fuel line stored in the ceiling. They could hear the fuel beginning to pump from the containers into the main fuel line, filling the hungry tanks.
Jericho gave a sigh from the cockpit, and rubbed his head. Hunter stepped down from the crate he was using as a stand, and pushed it aside. Spyro watched as the cheetah walked back to the cockpit.
They had been flying for a few hours now, enough time for them to munch on a few things, and catch some fleeting hours of sleep. As much as Spyro wanted to stay awake and alert, the experience at the Citadel had drained him. A few hours rest was very much welcomed.
"Well let's hope this fuel is enough to get us where we need to go…" Jericho looked over to the fuel gauge, watching the number of gallons in the tanks rise.
"Do you think it'll be enough to get us to the Sentinel staging area?"
"I don't know… I had to burn an awfully high amount of fuel just trying to play catch up. We… should have enough to get there if we don't have to make any more detours."
"We still don't know where their staging point is… do we?" Cynder walked over into the cockpit, joining the other two. Spyro remained in the troop bay, furiously scanning over the maps and documents he had sprawled out on the floor to examine.
"No… You sure you don't know anything Cynder?"
"They didn't tell me anything while I was in prison. I know… as much as you guys do."
"Well that helps a lot…" Jericho leaned back in his seat with frustration.
"We know they intend to assault US North, so it has to be from somewhere to our northeast." Hunter turned over to Spyro who was bringing in one of Vivex's maps.
"Vivex has a few notes on where the staging ground should be, but nothing solid…" Spyro placed the map on the floor between Jericho and Hunter, all four of them looking down at it.
"What's this?" Cynder moved her talon to a point of interest on the map. It was the only point of interest really, aside from the target of New York and the notes on the moving American fleets.
"It's… a retrieval site. Other than that, I don't know." Spyro said, looking at it. The "retrieval" site did lay to the northeast, and seemed to be where a lot of troops would be funneling through. Maybe…?
"Spyro, does that retrieval site not look familiar to you?" Hunter inquired, leaning down to get a better view.
"I… no. Why?"
"Look closer."
Spyro leaned in, and saw that a little over four miles from this so called retrieval site lay a town. It was a town with a familiar place.
"Oxford… Robert's depot!"
"They were moving large amounts of troops through there when I arrived. Masters and myself thought they were just amassing a searching party for you, but it is likely that is where their staging ground is."
"What? Are you kidding me? We were next to it the whole time?" Jericho gave an annoyed glance as they all started pouring over the maps again to verify.
"That's likely where they're taking the crystal Jericho. We should head there as quickly as we can." Hunter instructed, turning back to his seat.
"Way ahead of you!" Jericho pushed forwards on the throttle, sending the craft accelerating forward at breakneck speed. Spyro and Cynder had to brace themselves as they rocketed forward, so they wouldn't go flying into the back of the troop bay.
"Hold on, we don't even have a plan for when we get there!" Cynder yelled, holding onto the doorway tightly.
"Easy! We hit them, and hit them hard!" Jericho yelled back.
"Jericho it isn't that easy. We should think this through." Hunter said calmly, trying to diffuse them.
"Hunter is right Jericho. I think we really need to warn the Americans of what's happening. When I was in Vivex's office, he had so many notes on the Americans and their… military capability."
"How would they even have that sort of information? How's Vivex been able to spy on them at all? They've got such a good defensive parameter…"
"Those life crystals, they can do more than just power machines, they can… I don't know, do stuff! The notes said that they were using them to spy on the border facilities. They've been watching the humans and their fleets closely. He knows how they conduct wars, and he's… obsessed with the… Third Fleet. He's been watching them for some time now." Spyro managed to retrieve one of the maps floating around the room containing the information. He carried it over to hunter who took it and began looking it over.
"Spyro's correct. It seems as though Vivex has been tracking this 'Third Fleet' as they've moved from port in New York and come down south. The Third Fleet has a large amount of carriers. Vivex seems to be… very focused on that ship class."
"It would make sense. Carriers can carry aircraft, and a lot of them. Have them, and you can send your planes to bomb any target you want. My dad said that's how we used to wage war before all this happened. We bombed them with our carriers once, we'll do it again." Jericho said, looking forward in his seat.
"It's not that simple Jericho. It says here that Vivex is anticipating the Third Fleet to move south, link up with some convoy coming north, then head out to sea to Europe. If your carriers are so important to your warfare, they're all leaving."
"That's what Vivex wants. He's been waiting for the carriers to leave so he can strike."
"If that's the case, I'm sure we've still got airfields and air bases to strike from. It's not like there'll be a shortage of defenses against Vivex's army."
"I don't know, I think this is all part of his plan. If he's been watching the border facilities then this'll be something he's planned for. Jericho… we really need to get the information to the Americans that an invasion is coming." Spyro walked over to Jericho and looked at him, waiting for his response.
Finally, Jericho released the throttle and let the craft decelerate. Cynder let out a sigh of relief.
"I know that it's important that we warn them of the invasion… but Spyro, how are we going to do this? Even at Oxford, we won't be close enough to blast out a distress signal. The blackout towers will scramble our signal before it ever gets there."
"That's why you have to keep going while I stall Vivex at Oxford. Drop me out of the back, and keep going to New York."
"Wow, wow, wait a minute! I am not going to just leave you here with that… demon-thing!"
"Jericho I don't think we have a choice in the matter." Hunter looked solemnly at the human who turned to both him and Spyro, his mouth open with shock.
"I didn't come this far with you to just drop you off out the back! There's no TELLING how many Sentinels there will be there! We got lucky at the Citadel because most of them were already on their way to Oxford! You're going to get overwhelmed Spyro…"
"It's… it's what I'm going to have to do. I have to stall them or find a way to stop that life crystal while you bring in reinforcements from the Americans."
"That's even if they believe me! They might just shoot me down and call me an intruder…"
"Don't worry Jericho, I'll be there to back Spyro up." Cynder walked into the cockpit, joining Spyro by his side.
"No, no, no Cynder. You're way too injured! Your wounds haven't even started to heal yet."
"Shut up Spyro. You need help and I'm the only other one who can help you. Hunter can stay with Jericho while they go back to… New York or wherever and get more help. Besides, I'd really like to pay Vivex back for what he did to me… and Asimov…" She grimaced and grit her teeth when mentioning Vivex's name. Spyro took in a deep breath and exhaled. It didn't look like there was any way he was going to be able to dissuade her.
"Alright Cynder… but we really need to help those wounds heal."
"Deal. I'm sure they keep some crystals around the staging area. If we steal one of those, it can help my wounds heal. Just like it did for Vivex…"
"Right… So then it' settled. Once we reach the staging area, you'll drop us out the back and keep going to New York."
"Alright, but I still don't like it. You two better be alive when I get back. There's no telling how long it's going to take to go there and come back. I hope I have enough fuel for a maneuver like that…"
"We'll have enough fuel Jericho, don't worry."
"You say that now, Hunter."
"How close are we to Oxford?" Cynder asked, turning to Jericho.
"We're actually getting very close. We should be there soon. I'd get ready if I were you guys."
"We should scout the area out before deploying them. A circle or two?"
"Good idea Hunter. I'll stay high and in the clouds so we're harder to detect." Jericho put the aircraft into a gentle ascent, putting it up in the layer of clouds above them. Spyro and Cynder walked back into the troop bay to prepare for the drop, and Spyro tried to calm his nerves about a wounded Cynder helping him.
Transitioning…
[Done]
"Heads up back there, we're getting close!" Jericho flicked a few switches on his instruments, but kept looking down at his radar panel. Hunter was busy with his eyes glued to the chin mounted canon's camera feed, using it as a camera to peer down below the clouds. Both Spyro and Cynder walked out from the troop bay, and looked out of the windows. Thick clouds obscured their view, meaning they couldn't see down below. It also meant that someone looking up couldn't see them, either.
"Got anything on the spoke there Hunter?" Jericho asked, turning to his co-pilot. Hunter scanned the camera for a few moments before shaking his head.
"Alright… I'll tease it a few feet. We'll get a looksee, shall we?" Jericho gave the nose of the craft a slight kiss, letting it sink down a few feet. The clouds parted around the aircraft, and a great expanse of ground opened up before them. For miles in every direction forests occupied their vision. At the heart of this field, almost below them, was a massive open plain, with towering creatures standing watch over the landscape. It was the field of giants, a sight Spyro was not unfamiliar to. For everyone else, this was their first sight of it. They looked at it with reverence.
"Wow… look at that…" Cynder said, scanning the ground down there. There must have been a dozen of them, maybe more in that field! A large mountain sat near the center of the field, surrounded and flanked by all the Goliaths. As they continued to look down there, they could see the Sentinel army. Hundreds, no, thousands, maybe even tens of thousands of soldiers marched in massive battalions by the large central mountain. Sentinel Ospreys hovered over the central mountain, and were even landing on small platforms along its banks. As they scanned even closer, they could see that this mountain looked to be an uprooted piece of ground. Human built buildings, parking lots and even a bridge rested on the disjointed and fractured ground, looking so random and mismatched amongst the continuous forest and plains.
It looked so odd to Spyro…
"That mountain there, they're using it as their base of operations…" Jericho said, stating what Spyro had been thinking. At least a dozen or more Ospreys hovered around it, and even more had put down on the old parking lots scattered across the mountain. There was no sign of the crystal, or the Osprey that had been carrying it. There was no telling where it might have gone.
"If life crystals can be used to power… things… you think they're trying to resurrect one of those goliaths with it? Maybe more of them? That might explain why Vivex thought it was so important… Those things were almost unstoppable…" Jericho asked, staring down at the mountain. Spyro too, was locked on his gaze on the mountain. He had been focusing on it for such a long time before it finally dawned on him.
"No… they're not going to resurrect 'a' Goliath… They're going to resurrect THE Goliath…"
"What? 'The'? What're you talking abou-" Jericho turned to Spyro, confused as to what he meant. He didn't even get to finish his statement when suddenly, the entire dropship rocked from a violent wave of wind. Jericho fought to get control of the stick, and looked down to see its origin.
Down below, the massive 'mountain' was coming to life. Massive clouds of dirt and debris shot out from where the mountain met the ground, and suddenly it began to rise. What they mistook for large rock formations shuddered and came to life to reveal themselves as legs and arms. A large head with hollow eyes rose up from the ground, and the eyes suddenly filled with a brilliant purple energy. As it rose, the sudden shift in ground and pressure caused a shockwave of energy that washed over the nearby forest and plains. The thousands of Sentinel soldiers had to shelter in place to just not get washed away by the rush of energy!
"Oh my God… look at that thing!" Jericho's eyes went wide at the sight of the mighty beast. It was easily almost ten times larger than the standard Goliaths. From tip to tail, it might measure a mile, or maybe even more! It was truly, a king of beasts. It was a king, powered by the Dark Lord himself.
"Jericho… Jericho!" Spyro quickly gripped his human companion as he could feel something sharp in the air. Jericho looked at him in a panic, but Spyro wasn't able to verbalize what he could feel. Spyro only looked at the beast with shock, making Jericho turn back to it. Then he saw it, they all saw it.
A third and final wave of energy washed out from it. It was almost invisible, but the eyes of the creature dimmed as it erupted forth from the beast. Trees and mountains shuddered under this force, and when it struck their aircraft, they felt it.
Everything in the cockpit cut out. All lights and electronics shut off immediately. Soft red emergency lights took their place as the entire craft fell silent, and Spyro caught the final whirls given by their turbines.
"We've lost power! Everything's dead!" Jericho yelled, frantically scanning his switches. Without engines, their craft began to silently fall forward into an awkward glide. Their large engines mounted on their wings proved to scoop up a massive amount of wind resistance, making them drop like a rock without any engine power.
"Crap! Crap! Nothing's working! Auxiliary power's dead too! Shit! I can't get anything back online!" Both Jericho and Hunter scanned everything, trying anything! Nothing worked, all their instruments were dead!
"Jericho?! Jericho!" Cynder yelled out in fear as she pinned herself to the side of the cabin. Spyro had to press himself against Hunter's seat, almost falling right over the cheetah. As he did, his vision caught sight of a panel up against the roof of the cockpit. Two red lights kept blinking next to it, one of the only sources of light in the cockpit. Bright white text spelled out "Emergency Power Cycle." Two switches labeled "Arm," and "Cycle," sat next to them.
"Jericho! Up there!" Spyro yelled, pointing up to the panel. Jericho looked up, and his eyes immediately locked onto it.
"Well that wasn't on the original Osprey!" Jericho reached up and immediately flipped arm, then cycle. At once, the power returned to their aircraft. Jericho wasted no time in reaching over to the engine restart and began madly flipping at switches. They could hear the whirl of the engines as the turbines started to come to life. The craft shuddered as their airspeed began to rise, and Jericho pulled hard on the stick to recover them from the dive. They had started out at nearly ten thousand feet, and had lost four thousand in the short ordeal.
Jericho pulled them up, shooting them back up into the clouds for cover. Surely, their cover had been blown now.
"Jesus Christ…" Jericho said, letting himself breathe again. Everyone in the cockpit gave a collective sigh of relief, as well as Spyro who slumped back behind Hunter's seat.
"That… that wasn't on the original Osprey…" Jericho said again, looking up at the panel.
"It was likely built, for such an occasion…" Hunter added, looking over to Jericho with a chuckle.
"Jesus… now I understand why they couldn't kill those things. One flick of its fingers and all power is cut to anything nearby. I can only imagine those pilots back then… unable to restart their engines…"
"Never mind that! That… thing is still down there!" Cynder cried, rushing over to the window again. Jericho lowered the craft again, letting its belly pierce through to the ground again. The King Goliath was still down there, and it was beginning its march northeast. This was Vivex's trump card. This was his end game.
"If that thing reaches New York, they don't stand a chance Jericho… I don't think anything can stop that…" Spyro turned to Jericho, who couldn't take his eyes off of the creature.
"If that thing reaches anything, its dead… We've got to stop that thing, but how…?"
"You two have to stall it, for as long as you can. The Sentinels brought it back to life using the life crystal. If you can find a way to break its connection to the King Goliath, or something, it could stop the monster." Hunter turned to both Spyro and Cynder, who gave nervous gulps.
"Would warning the Americans even still be useful at this point…?" Jericho asked, still staring at it.
"Something's better then nothing! With advanced warning, maybe they can figure out a way to delay or slow it. Maybe they can move the flash drive…" Spyro said, trying to think of something.
"Right… right, right. Well, they likely saw us during that escapade, so we can't stick around for long. My fuel is looking pretty bleak too… If we're going to do this, we're going to have to do this now." Jericho said, changing his focus to his instruments again.
"What're you thinking Jericho?" Hunter asked.
"I'm thinking… I'm thinking we dive the bastard, drop Spyro and Cynder out the back while lighting them up with the canon. We're deliver them right to the monster, nad cut up some of them with our canon. We'll then rocket away, and warn the Americans."
"You think we'll survive this dive of yours? What if the Goliath uses the pulse again?"
"We'll use the emergency power cycle. That's what it's for, right?"
"If you're that confident in it… then alright."
"Have to be confident in something…"
"Whatever you've got planned, we're ready for it Jericho." Spyro said, calling from the back. They had recovered two sets of goggles and placed them on their heads. They had discharged anything lose from their bodies and were going in with only what they needed. The bandages Hunter had tied to Cynder's back still clung there, and as much as Spyro wanted for her to stay here, he was glad she was helping him. Having someone to watch his back was… helpful.
"Alright, here's the plan you two! We're going to dive these bastards, and give them hell with the forty! Then, we'll pull up at the last moment, and open the door for you two the jump. We'll get you as close to it as we can, then get the hell out of here!"
"What?! You're going to do what?!" Cynder asked, turning back in panic.
"Don't worry about it! Worry about what you two are going to do!"
"Oh Ancestors…" Cynder muttered, clinging her claws to the floor. There were small holes in the floor, for cargo to be fastened by hook to the floor. They placed their claws into the small holes, and felt the aircraft lurch somewhat.
"We might need these…" Cynder let go of the floor and ran over to one of the nearby equipment cases. She retrieved two sets of goggles and wrapped one around her head. She walked over and placed the second on Spyro's head, making sure it was fastened tightly.
"Goggles?"
"I… I think we'll need them since I imagine it's going to be rough out there…"
"Right…" Spyro gave a smile, but noticed that Sparx was floating next to them, smiling.
"No Sparx… I don't think it'll be safe here for you." Spyro said, frowning. Sparx gave a frown too, and shot him an angry look.
"It might be way too chaotic to keep track of you… I think you should stay here with Jericho and Hunter. Don't worry, we'll be ok."
"I'll make sure he doesn't get killed, don't worry about it!" Cynder said with a chuckle. Sparx still grimaced but nodded as he floated over to the cockpit area.
"You so sure about that…?" Spyro asked, turning to Cynder.
"About what? You not dying? Well… we're about to fight a super empowered Vivex who's got dark magic flowing through him… Well, we can try our best, right?"
"…Right…"
"I'm circling around, thirty seconds. You ready?" Jericho asked, calling from up front.
"We're ready!" Spyro called back.
"Are we…?" Cynder responded. Jericho gave a chuckle.
"As ready… as we'll ever be…" Spyro shook his head, making sure his goggles were fastened on tightly. Soon after that, he tilted the stick to roll the craft to its left, then put it into a sharp dive.
Lower and lower they sank, speeding towards the massive King Goliath as it slowly made its way across the field. Now that it had freed itself from the prison of the ground, the mighty beast was actually beginning to move more quickly. Energy radiated off of it, all of it corrupted and tainted by the Dark Master.
As they broke from the clouds again and began to dive, the Sentinels spotted them and responded. They fired anti-aircraft guns at them, ranging from simple machine guns, energy weapons and even Sentinel equivalents of the missile. Jericho had to dodge and roll the craft to avoid them, trying his damnest to stay on target.
Ospreys began to wind their engines up to engage Jericho, but they were coming in so quickly, that Hunter was able to use the chin-mounted grenade launcher to down the Ospreys before they could even gain altitude.
Brilliant balls of fire erupted where the Ospreys were, and several came crashing down onto the Sentinels standing on the back of the Goliath. The closer and closer they got, they could see hundreds, thousands of Sentinels, all crawling on the beast. They had set up a command center up there, with guns and artillery as far as the eye could see. They were all training those guns up to Jericho, and he knew he didn't have long to carry out his attack.
Hunter began shifting his fire to nail the weapons aiming up at them, sending Sentinels ducking for cover as their guns and positions erupted into a fury of fire and flames. They were now only a thousand feet above the creature, and Jericho had to think about pulling up before they smashed right into it.
"Opening the door!" Jericho called out, flipping the switch. The door in the back opened up, and they could all feel the suction of the air escaping from out the back hatch. Jericho kept the aircraft on course until the last possible moment before he jammed hard on the stick, raising the nose and putting the dropship into a steep climb. As they did, both Spyro and Cynder released themselves from the grated floor, and disappeared out the back hatch.
"They're out Jericho, seal it up!"
"On it!" The hatch slowly lumbered to life and sealed itself, allowing for things to calm down inside the cabin.
"Alright, punch it!" Jericho slammed on the engine's power, setting them to overdrive. The ship lurched forward with great speed, sending them rocketing away from the incoming fire.
"Jericho, where are you going? New York is that way on the map!"
"It'll take us at least an hour or so to reach the blackout towers and get close enough to broadcast any kind of warning…" Jericho's eyes drifted to the map Spyro had given him of the US Navy's current position. Their last reported position was only a hundred or so miles off the coast, nearby actually. They were… projected to be farther out by now, but…
"Then where are you going?"
"This map, the Navy's out there. They're outside the blackout zone, which means even if we're far away we can still broadcast to them… we can get a warning to them much sooner."
"But you saw the maps, they're heading out to sea by now. They might not even be close enough to help, or hear your message."
"It's a better gamble then shooting straight north for an hour or even more. We can get to them quicker, and I'll bet you they'll be able to mobilize a lot sooner! It's worth the gamble."
Hunter stared at him for a moment before relenting, unsure if the human's gamble would pay off.
"Come on, you saw that… how's Spyro and Cynder supposed to… survive any of that for… an hour at the longest? They'll kill them both with all the crap they got down there. We've got to get them help, and get it NOW. Now come on, we've got to catch up to the third fleet before they get away!" Jericho put as much power to the engines as he could get, completely ignoring what his fuel was telling him. This gamble had better pay off, because he knew he also didn't even have enough fuel left to reach FOB Raven, let alone any carrier off the coast…
Transitioning...
[Done]
That maneuver had probably only lasted for about… less than a minute at the longest, but it had felt like an hour.
Spyro slammed the Sentinel he had landed on right into the ground. His teeth had left their mark, right on the creature's exposed neck. He stood on top of the Sentinel, and watched as Cynder used her dark breath to send her own Sentinel flying off the edge of the Goliath.
Jericho had dropped them along the side of the creature, and they felt the entire ground move as the beast took one giant leap forward. The entire backside of the Goliath was made up of loose ground and Earth. A good analogy would be to say that it was as if this entire creature was born from just… stepping out of the ground, and carrying every bit of what was on top of it, with it. Parking lots, old shops… hell, even a park was here. The ground was uneven, with some parts looking like they had sank from the lack of… bottom support, so their section was lower then the main section. Steep cliffs divided them from the main section, but it wasn't anything their wings couldn't solve.
They left the shattered parking lot from where they had landed and ascended to the tops of the cliffs. They were immediately greeted by the smoldering signs of their charge. Craters and pock marks remained in the concrete where the grenades had struck, leaving several Sentinel bodies lay strewn across the ground. Two anti-aircraft guns lay in ruins, their burnt metal husks still fresh. Fires cracked as the wind whipped the broken and charred metal.
"Man, looks like we missed one hell of a show…" Cynder commented, walking passed the burning remains.
"Yeah… glad Jericho hit them hard before letting us out…" Spyro replied, keeping close to her. They had to brace themselves every now and again as a ferocious gust of wind slapped against the massive goliath. Sometimes the gusts would be so hard; it threatened to send them airborne. It didn't help that it was bitter cold outside, and the harsh winds at these altitudes only meant that the cold went right to their bones. Spyro hoped they wouldn't have to spend too much time up here, exposed to the harsh elements.
"Wait, Spyro, hold up…" Cynder stopped the purple dragon, making him halt and listen for a moment. It took a little while, but he finally heard what Cynder had. Voices and footsteps raced towards them, and they decided to leap passed the burned anti-aircraft guns into a line of bushes and trees along the edge of the concrete. Poking their heads out, they saw a wall of Sentinels flood the area, scanning their surroundings with their weapons.
"They probably dropped off those damned dragons here during that raid!"
"I can't believe we couldn't nail that thing out of the air, it was just one aircraft!"
"Shut up and keep looking, Vivex doesn't want any surprises."
"He also doesn't want us to kill the dragons if they turn up…"
"Yeah, right. I'm sure nobody would complain if they 'accidently' died of a gunshot wound…"
Both Spyro and Cynder rolled their eyes, and waited for the cluster of forty or so Sentinels to move along. The dragons crept through the bushes, trying to remain undetected as more Sentinels began to fill the area. They eventually saw a break in their formations, and made a mad dash to leave the bushes and ascend up another cliff face to get above them.
There, they were met with the cracked and shattered remains of a town, or even a city. Old human buildings rested on the broken concrete, each tilted a certain way as the ground continued to shift as the goliath walked. The larger buildings had collapsed under their own weight, and the stress from the movement. Some of the smaller ones were still standing, but were coated with debris and rubble from the other structures. Streets could still be seen snaking their way through the carnage, but from the shifting Earth most of the paved roads had been upended and turned into a jagged mess of rock and stone.
Moving to the central street that looked to run the length of the goliath's spine, they saw rows of tents pitched amongst the ruined buildings. These were likely there to house the Sentinels who were stationed on the creature, but they remained silent. Crates of ammo and supplies lay scattered around, a perfect opportunity for the two dragons as they raced forward into the empty camp.
"What're you doing Spyro?" Cynder asked, seeing him beginning to open crate after crate.
"We have to get you a crystal so your back can heal. There's no way you'd survive a fight with Vivex with your back in the way it is… Your wounds will reopen." Box after box revealed more ammo and weapons, with little in the way of healing supplies. Honestly, it didn't surprise the dragon at all. No, it only frustrated him.
Finally, after upending most of the crates in the camp Spyro managed to find a crate filled with glowing red gemstones. They glinted in the light perfectly, and were exactly what the young dragon was looking for. Not nearly as potent as other kinds of healing stones, but they would do for the moment…
"Here Cynder." Spyro grabbed one with his talons and passed it to her. She was hesitant at first but nevertheless she reached over with it to her back, and watched as the gemstone began to glow softly. She closed her eyes and gave a soft sigh as the gemstone began to go to work. The results weren't immediate, but with the gemstone in hand it was enough to soothe the pain she was feeling.
Spyro looked around and saw a couple of bandages and harnesses laying around. He grabbed one, and walked over to Cynder.
"Huh? What're you-" Cynder began to protest, but Spyro didn't utter a word as he strapped a harness to her and tied the gemstone to her back, so it was constantly pressed against her wounded scales. With it firmly secured in place, the gem could go about healing her body while they could continue on. As she saw this, she smiled at him, and let him finish tightening the bandages.
"Thanks… Spyro…" She finally said. Spyro smiled at her, and patted her on the back.
"We should get moving now…"
"Where to though…? How are we meant to stop this thing?"
The two of them looked around for a few moments, feeling wave after wave of cold air wash over them. The goliath had begun its long trek from the massive field towards US North. It was making good time, and Spyro could only image that within a good day to maybe even half a day it could be bearing down onto the walls of the safety zone. Of course, by then, it would be far too late to stop it.
"We have to destroy that crystal… It's got to be what's powering this massive beast. If we can find it, we can break its hold, and stop their invasion in its tracks."
"Spyro, that's not going to be easy… We don't even know where the crystal is, and I bet Vivex himself is guarding it…"
"We have to try. We have to give them a fighting chance. Ancestors knows they didn't have one last time…" Spyro looked at the ground sadly, but quickly raised his head with renewed vigor.
"It's hard to tell from here, but I think I saw Vivex's helicopter hovering over the forward part of the creature. Judging by how the creature is standing, I'd wager it's… heart is where the crystal is now. The heart, would be further up the beast's form, towards the front."
"Well then we're heading forwards then." Spyro nodded to Cynder, and the two of them raced forward out of the camp, to where the head was. There were lots of buildings and even a large field or two between them and the creature's front. More than once they had to stop and hide amongst the rubble as Sentinel soldiers searched the surroundings. They hadn't given up on them, and Spyro knew deep down that the Dark Master probably could feel his presence here. Judging by how they knew about him at the Citadel, Spyro was no fool to think that they'd be able to completely sneak into this place. No, not with that crystal activated the way it was.
"There, I think I see something over there…" Cynder said, pointing to what looked like a church steeple in the distance. The church looked to be positioned somewhere near the front, and proved to be an advantageous marker for them to follow. They would just have to get passed an old town square with a fountain positioned in its center. Flanked on all sides by trees or shattered buildings, it was a lot of open ground to cover at once. Luckily, it didn't look like any guards were standing around to see them, so they took their chance to make a break for it.
They sprinted across the open ground, arriving and passing by the cracked fountain. Spyro looked up to see the form of a human angel carved into the stone of the fountain. It was an interesting sight as the angel silently held its hands out to present the water from the fountain, silhouetted in the gray clouds behind her.
"That's far enough purple boy…" A voice caught their attention, and they snapped their necks backwards to see a black dragon hovering over them.
"Asimov…" Cynder muttered, seeing him. He looked down at them with a far different expression then the one Spyro remembered last. His eyes were solid, and filled with anger. His pupils were now slits, much like those of a true Sentinel's. Almost everything about him reminded Spyro of a Sentinel now.
"Vivex thought you two would show up, even after he warned you two to stay away… But I guess that won't stop a 'hero' like yourself, huh?"
"Snap out of it Asimov! Vivex is controlling you!"
"I'm under nobody's control… I was only shown the power that I could have with Our Master, and shown just how I can finally serve Him. I would never turn down such an offer…" Asimov punctuated his last remark by charging his talons with his black electric energy. He arced it down towards them, and it shattered the concrete next to Spyro with its force and impact.
"This isn't you Asimov! It isn't too late!" Cynder yelled up at him, trying desperately to break through to the good dragon she knew was deep inside of him. He didn't seem to respond to it, only landing down in front of them. Sentinels flooded from the ruins around them, and quickly enveloped them. They had no way to escape. Both Spyro and Cynder readied themselves for battle.
"There's no need… Vivex thought it'd be far better to show you two what he's planning. No need to kill you two first."
Neither Spyro or Cynder responded this time, only glaring at him. Asimov returned the glares, and waved his snout forward, ushering them to continue walking where they had been heading, to the church steeple in the distance.
"He's waiting for you two. Don't keep him, Vivex isn't one you want to upset now. Isn't that right, Cynder?"
Cynder gave an angry huff as she turned around. She gave Spyro one last look, seeing the young dragon returning a look that spoke of uncertainty. Even so, the young purple dragon walked forward, flanked by at least a hundred heavily armed Sentinels. Cynder followed behind him, and Asimov used his wings to hover just above them. They walked the rest of the way, not saying anything else. They reached the edge of the ruins and came upon a staircase built by the Sentinels. The purple and black metal snaked its way up as they were getting close to the neck of the beast. The stairs followed the contours of the creature's back, and went to a moderately sized church at the top. Most of the walls of the stone church had collapsed and faded away, but its steeple and cross stood defiantly.
Upon reaching the top of the stairs, and entering the remains of the church, they saw the ornate stonework that had been charred away by what they could only image to be the birth of this monster. The wooden pews and seats had been cleared away and replaced by crates and other large gemstones. The windows in the church that were once filled with what appeared to be colorful and beautiful stained glass were shattered and cracked, letting in the light from outside. The roof was mostly gone, and only a few wooden support beams remained holding up the remaining parts of the walls.
In the back, where the alter was, sat a mighty dragon that they all recognized. Vivex towered over what remained of the alter and the back wall, and he gave them one long and cruel smile. They only returned a glare to the monster.
"Well, well, if it isn't our two heroes. Come to stop me, have you?"
"We're here to make sure you don't succeed Vivex. Your invasion won't work." Spyro said, unwilling to stand down.
"Oh yes, yes, of course it won't. I'm sure those pitiful humans will be able to do SO much more against this mighty creature then they did in the original war… They cowered at the sight of these goliaths, and their nightmares were FILLED with the thoughts of this beast… This King Goliath was made to SMASH their last lines of resistance and to establish a new kingdom for Our Master in what would remain of New York. I'm so pleased that we were able to resurrect this beast, and finish its mission. Soon, there won't be anymore 'America'. Soon, the last vestiges of this pathetic nation and race will be gone forever."
"Not if we stop you, and destroy that crystal!" Cynder yelled, her teeth grit with anger. Vivex laughed at her.
"I'd love to see you try. The Dark Master himself has cast a powerful spell on that crystal, stopping anything from being able to shatter it. Even now, it is buried deep into this creature, right under this church. I invite you to go down there and break it. I'd love to see you try and try… only to fail. Speaking of which, I think my Master is about to awake the rest of his army! Oh, I do hope you join me for the show!" Vivex flapped his wings and took to the sky. He flew up and above the church, clearing the broken roof. He looked down upon them, inviting them to join him. Begrudgingly, the two flapped their own wings to go airborne. Asimov followed right behind, and the four of them hovered high above the church.
In all directions the landscape fanned out before them. They could see for miles and miles as the dark gray clouds of mid-morning swirled high above them. The dark green evergreen trees raced off in the distance, tinted somewhat white from the fresh flakes of snow that would occasionally come down from the clouds. A bitter chill ran down their spines as they could see the towering shadowed figures of the other goliaths occupying the field. Unlike the King Goliath, they were much smaller, maybe a tenth the size. There were far more of them though, numbering a dozen, maybe even more! From up here, at this height, it looked like the wave of an advancing army. Truly this unstoppable force had been halted here, before they ever saw the light of the safety zones.
Until now, that is.
"Before you lies the old army of Our Master! The humans thought that by taking away The Master's crown jewel they could silence these mighty beasts! For too long they have sat in these fields, waiting to fulfill their mission! Now, with the power of My Master, humanity will be reminded of the monsters that stalk their nightmares. They will learn to fear, all over again…"
Spyro and Cynder watched the mad dragon as he hovered before them, extending his arms out in his speech. The clouds swirled above, as if answering his calls. Both dragons slowly moved back from him, definitely intimidated. He looked at them with an evil glare.
"Now… rise! Answer His call and rise!" Thunder clapped in the distance as a sharp bolt of purple energy shot forth from the massive King Goliath below them. It arced itself across the field and connected to several of the nearby goliaths. The energy raced through the silent and empty husks, filling them with life. Their eyes glowed a bright purple, and their forms began to move and take shape. Pillars of smoke came off of them as they broke free from their earthly bonds, and shook free the vegetation that had long entangled them. One by one they began to march forward, joining their king in the center of the field. There must have been at least eight, then twelve, then fifteen! In between them marched the army of the Sentinels, numbering in the thousands as their battalions moved in-between the goliaths. Smoke was being kicked up from their tanks too as they marched in formation under the mighty beasts.
It all made sense to Spyro now. This was Vivex's end game. This was to be his army to smash through US North's defensive lines. Even if Jericho warned them… would they even stand a chance?
No, no, they had to! This was a stand they had to make, one that Spyro had to make. If he didn't then nothing would stop this slaughter! He grit his teeth, and shot a look of defiance towards Vivex.
"No! We'll stop you! We'll destroy that crystal and wipe your army out! The Dark Master will never see that flash drive, and he'll never conquer the east!"
"Such cute words! Come at me dragon, show me what a purple dragon can do! I've waited for this for such a long time… I'll use the powers given by My Master to crush the life from you! Show me what you can do, hero!" Vivex clenched his fist, and cast a bolt of black lightning at Spyro. The dragon flapped his wings narrowly to avoid, and cast himself forward at the dragon. Cynder swooped in behind too, but had to dodge as Asimov used his own attack against her. She grit her teeth and decelerated, aiming to engage Asimov so Spyro could focus on Vivex.
Above, Spyro shot forth and flew right by Vivex, pelting him with a blast of fire as he soared by. Vivex hovered in place, and blocked Spyro's attack by a wall of energy. Spyro didn't stop, and instead began a series of hard hitting and fast attacks, slamming Vivex with element after element, not wanting to stop or break his momentum for even a second. Vivex took each hit, absorbing and repelling them as they came. He maintained his spot, moving little as Spyro came at him from every angle possible.
"Give it up Spyro! You're pathetic attacks are useless! Watch TRUE power!" Vivex cast another bolt of energy at Spyro, but this time the energy tracked the dragon through the air. Spyro saw this and increased his speed, trying to outrun the bolt of black energy. It kept up with him, and closed the distance fast! Spyro tossed himself back, facing the bolt as he continued to sail onwards. As he let his momentum carry him, he brought his arms out to cast his Inner Light forward. A blue shield appeared in front of Spyro, and intercepted the incoming attack Vivex had sent. It collided and created a flash of light as the two energies canceled themselves out. The force through Spyro back, making him spin back around so he could control his flight once more.
Vivex gave an amused huff, and decided that playing with Spyro was over. He flapped his mighty wings, and soared up and after the purple dragon.
Down below, a bolt of energy cast itself towards Cynder, who narrowly flapped her wings to get away. She panted, unwilling to retaliate. Asimov frowned at her.
"You two shouldn't have come here. You should have stayed away. You don't know what's coming…"
"I know what's coming Asimov, and I know that this isn't you. Why serve Vivex? Break free from his darkness!"
"I'm sorry Cynder, but The Master called me. I couldn't say no to Him. He has a purpose for me… a plan… I must do this. I don't want to fight you Cynder, but I must if I am to complete His plan."
"You don't have to Asimov! Don't listen to him anymore! Break free from his influence, he's clouding your mind, poisoning it! I've felt it, I've felt the pull, it's like a drug. You have to break yourself from it!"
"Like you did when you betrayed him? You may have turned your back on us, but I can't. I will not turn my back on The Master. He needs every last one of us if his plans are to succeed!" He fired another bolt at her, slightly off aim so she could easily avoid it. She bit her lip as she looked into his eyes, seeing those feral slits. They were hardly the same eyes that looked back at her in the Citadel. She knew he was in there somewhere… but it was hard to see past the corruption.
"He only needs you because he's using you. The Dark Master uses us all, you can only see that once you've broken yourself from his spell. Spyro will stop Vivex, and I am going to help him. If… if that means keeping you away from him, then I will."
"I'm sorry Cynder, I wish it wouldn't come to this. My enemy is the purple one, but if you won't stand aside, then I have no choice."
"I guess that's it then…"
"Let this determine who is worthy of being Vivex's student. I will win, and take your place, as it should have been." Asimov lowered his head before he took in a deep breath. As he raised his muzzle back up to face her, she could see the charged bolt of electricity forming inside his body. She readied herself as he cast out his attack. It flew hard and fast, but her quick reaction meant that she dodged it. Another crack of electricity was sent her way, forcing her to remain on the move. Against her best wishes, she decided that she could no longer be passive. She charged her own black fire and unleashed it down onto him. Asimov used his wings to propel himself backwards so he could avoid her jet of hot flames. Another bolt of lightning went her way, and the fight continued on.
As his unrelenting lightning attacks continued, Cynder switched to her dark energy attacks, as her fire wouldn't be effective at these ranges the farther and farther she had to keep herself. She grunted as she harnessed the darkness from deep inside and cast itself out, calling on all the powers and training she had received as a Sentinel to help her now.
The beam flew right at Asimov, and struck him on his arm. He cried out in pain, but kept moving. With a huff he fired several cracks of electricity her way. Too caught up in firing her beam of energy, the electricity struck her in her chest and caused her to gasp for air as the charged lightning spread itself through her body. Her body and muscles contracted from the powerful hit, but she couldn't stop. She grit her teeth and kept moving, all the while firing off her beam attacks. Hit after hit singed Asimov's scales, and forced the two of them into a duel of long range attacks as they circled one another, trying to gain the advantage.
The clouds churned an evil darkness as both Spyro and Vivex soared high above the dueling dragons below. Vivex had erected a shield of dark energy, protecting him from Spyro's elemental attacks. He moved swiftly and effortlessly around, casting attack after attack towards the purple dragon. Spyro had spent so much time avoiding these attacks that he barely had a chance to retaliate with any of his own! The open and endless sky meant there were very little places to hide, either.
"You can't keep running dragon! Eventually I'll strike you…" Vivex roared, firing off another blast of powerful dark energy. The black and corrupted force propelled its way through the air, and narrowly missed the purple dragon as he had to rapidly change direction to keep himself from being an easy target. Vivex stopped himself as he fired again and again, tracking the moving dragon. Spyro took this change, putting himself into a dive away from Vivex. As he moved towards, he let momentum once again take over as he focused himself on aiming. He ditched his elemental attacks, and this time called on his Inner Light. Gritting his teeth, the dragon opened his muzzle to unleash a blue beam of energy that flew right at the stationary dragon. It hit right onto Vivex's shield, and create a flurry of bright sparks as the two energies combined. They negated one another and created an explosion, shattering Vivex's shield. The dragon gave a low growl as he tried to erect it again, but Spyro wasn't going to let him.
Spyro fired another shot, this time it forced its way passed the shield and hit Vivex directly in the chest. Vivex let out a roar of pain as the energy burned its way through his protective scales and began to singe and burn his vulnerable flesh underneath. He had to flap his wings and send a pulse away from his body to break Spyro's attack.
Spyro's beam had done its damage, and from where Spyro could see, it had done a lot of damage to Vivex. The mighty dragon panted, and reached up to grip his injury.
"You'll pay for that!" The dragon wasted no time in flapping his wings for a pursuit. Vivex switched between his blue fire and dark blasts, sending attack after attack against the fleeing Spyro. Whatever Spyro did, he wanted to AVOID getting in a close range duel with Vivex. He didn't want for Vivex to use his size as an advantage over the dragon. No, instead he wanted Vivex to remain a big fat target.
"Oh yeah? Well you'll have to catch me!" Spyro continued on his dive, heading straight back down towards the Goliath. Vivex came in right after him, firing blast after blast onto the dragon. Occasionally, Spyro would toss himself back so he could fire retaliatory shots at Vivex. Most of them missed, but some would strike against Vivex, hitting and breaking his shield, and letting more pass through to strike him directly. Vivex ignored the pain as the beams had clearly bored themselves right through his scales and even his body.
Going right, left, side to side, Spyro was trying everything he could to keep himself a moving target. He had to keep Vivex guessing so it would be that much harder for him to get hit. He hated to think what would happen if-
Suddenly, a searing white hot pain flooded the dragon's senses. He cried out in agony as he felt one of Vivex's powerful darkness blasts strike his side, and burn right through his scales. He was momentarily impaired from the pain, and his wings suddenly began to lose their lift. Spyro began to tumble, and struggled to regain himself as he plummeted right towards the Goliath below. Less then a hundred feet above the rocky surface of the giant, he recovered and pulled up from the ground. He hugged the terrain through, following the contours of the Goliath.
Vivex wasn't far behind.
Another blast followed the one that had hit, and Spyro found that Vivex's attacks were getting far more accurate, and lethal. He could still feel the pain from the first hit, not wanting to image what a second might feel like.
Gunfire erupted from below as Spyro remembered that the Goliath he intended to use as cover from Vivex was ALSO crawling with Sentinels! They fired whatever they could get their hands on, and even a few of the winged Sentinels flew up to give chase. Three dragons came up after Spyro, as well as two gryphons, and eagle and a gargoyle Sentinel.
Boy, had Spyro stepped in it this time!
They all pursued Spyro, with Vivex in tow behind them. He had to put something between him and them, and fast!
He stopped following the top contours of the King Goliath and instead put himself into another dive, going for the belly of the creature. Underneath, the Goliath was just as rough and jagged as the surface above. Jagged spikes and crumbling rocks lined its belly, as you could imagine if a section of ground just randomly pulled itself out. He used the rough underbelly as cover, moving from piece to piece, hoping that it would limit the attacks coming his way. The chasing Sentinels broke formation, trying to surround and envelop him. Vivex just came straight at him, using his shield of darkness to obliterate any obstacle in his way.
One of the pursuing dragons leapt out in front of Spyro, giving him a snarl as he unleashed a blast of dark fire onto Spyro. Unwilling to stop, and pulling a page from Vivex's playbook, Spyro enveloped his body with his Inner Light, creating a shield and bubble. He kept flying head on, drilling right through the Sentinel's attack, and going right for him. The Sentinel's eyes widened as he realized his mistake, and let out a cry of pain as Spyro plowed right into him. The charged shield around Spyro shattered the Sentinel's armor, and even began to burn away at his scales. The force of the impact sent the Sentinel flying down, and Spyro watched as he tumbled helplessly downwards. One of the gryphons and gargoyles caught up with Spyro, and each fired their weapons or dark attack against him. Spyro kept his shield up, and their blasts struck and were deflected off of it. Spyro's eyes clenched as he felt the energy being pulled right from his body to keep the shield up. He didn't know how Vivex just effortlessly kept his up all the time while attacking, it was taxing on young Spyro!
He dropped the shield, if only for a moment as he fired a return shot at the gryphon Sentinel who was now attempting to charge Spyro from the left. His beam of Inner Light hit the gryphon head on, forcing the creature back. The gryphon wasn't done, even if he was wounded from the first hit. He flexed his talons and came in on Spyro, swiping at his side. Using his own claws, Spyro thrust his hind legs out, and kicked against the gryphon's chest, knocking him back. It left the creature vulnerable as Spyro fired another bolt of Inner Light that hit him again, square on. Feathers flew off from him, burning from the intense heat of his energy attack. The gryphon let out a shriek as he too tumbled down. The steam from the attack hadn't even finished coming off of Spyro's muzzle before the gargoyle came down on him. The dragon felt the creature's claws grip onto Spyro's neck and muzzle, attempting to keep Spyro from using his attacks. The gargoyle pulled hard, yanking on Spyro's upper muzzle to try and keep his head pointed away from the attacking gargoyle. Panting, Spyro fought to get the larger beast off of him, but he was being overpowered. The gargoyle reached and unsheathed a knife, which he tried to thrust down into Spyro's neck. Spyro saw this and immediately pulled a hard roll over to throw the gargoyle off. The creature growled as this quick maneuver caused him to drop his knife. Unwilling to give up, the creature instead grabbed on both parts of Spyro's muzzle and began to use all his physical force to try and snap the bones in Spyro's jaw. The dragon let out a cry of pain as he felt the powerful beast pulling his muzzle apart, and almost swore that the flesh itself was being split in two. The gargoyle let out a sickening laugh, his eyes filled with such a rush from Spyro's pain.
Using his own claws, Spyro swiped at whatever vulnerable flesh he could find in-between the gargoyle's armor. Even as he chipped away at the other creature, he did not relent. He was soon joined by the other gryphon and another one of the dragons, who all swooped in. The gryphon unsheathed his sword, and dove in for the kill on Spyro's exposed chest. He felt the hands of the other dragon, and soon realized he was enveloped- and possibly dead in a few moments if he did not act immediately.
Calling on his power, Spyro clenched his eyes shut and focused a field of energy that grew and pulsed itself from deep within the dragon's body. It had enough force to shove all of them off of the dragon by at least two dozen feet. Free of their grasp, Spyro coughed and rubbed his muzzle, relieved that his jaw was still attached correctly.
It didn't take long for them to recover and swoop back after Spyro. The dragon flapped his wings and propelled himself forwards, but instead of moving in a straight line away from them, Spyro decided he had to engage these Sentinels. He pulled a hard turn to his left, and swooped back at his attackers, firing a charged beam of Inner Light at the closest target, the gryphon. The gryphon made a swipe for him, but the beam struck him dead on just as it had his partner. The beam blasted right through his armor and uniform and charred his skin a dark black. As he tumbled down, Spyro decided for a head on charge to the gargoyle. The gargoyle recognized what was happening and flew up to avoid, sending black fire down to meet the dragon. Spyro passed right under the Sentinel, and rolled onto his back so he could fire right up into him. Spyro decided to be a bit creative, and chose to hit him hard with his electric attack. Using a continuous beam, Spyro caught the Sentinel and locked his muscles with the powerful lightning. Throwing his muzzle to the side, Spyro used the influence of the electricity to send the ensnared Sentinel flying, right into the attacking dragon Sentinel. The two collided and quickly fell, leaving only the last dragon and eagle.
They were RIGHT behind, coming in at Spyro. They charged in, but one was hit from the left by a blast of dark energy. The eagle cried out in pain as his feathers were charred and on fire from the intense attack. Looking over, Spyro caught Cynder, who swooped in from the side. She continued on, and was quickly pursued by Asimov who fired off a blast of dark lightning at her. She ignored Asimov for the moment and made another pass, swooping back in. The attack missed the last dragon, who caught her coming in at the last second. The dragon moved his head to send a reply attack to her, but was instead hit head on by Spyro's blast. It hit him in the head, and Spyro didn't even want to watch the effects as the dragon tumbled helplessly down. Frustrated, Asimov charged his body with darkness and charged himself right at Cynder, who had to swerve hard to avoid, narrowly hitting a nearby piece of rock.
Spyro wanted to thank Cynder for her help, but the two of them quickly moved on as their duel moved away from there.
However, something hard and shocking struck Spyro. Vivex, where in the hell was he?
This entire time, Spyro had been dueling with the Sentinels, and had forgotten the massive dragon with whom he had been fighting? Turning around, Spyro found himself face to face with the mighty black dragon.
"Have we finished with our fun now?" Vivex asked, only five feet away from Spyro.
Spyro didn't reply, but instead charged a quick blast of energy, only to feel Vivex's claws strike at him. They tore into his chest scales, and sent the young dragon flying back. Yelling in pain, Spyro tried to keep himself aloft, flapping his wings furiously.
Vivex didn't give him a moment of reprieve. He followed up his strike with a blast of dark fire, forcing Spyro to erect his shield to keep himself from being swallowed by the flames. As the fire subsided, Spyro was met with the sight of Vivex, who charged headlong at him. He broke through Spyro's shield and the two collided. The heavier mass and force from Vivex overpowered whatever effort Spyro could put up, and he was now in Vivex's claws. Vivex grabbed a hold of him, and brought a claw to Spyro's neck. He came down hard with his grip, almost crushing Spyro's windpipe immediately. Spyro gagged and gasped for air, using his claws to try and remove Vivex's, but it was no use!
"Come on now Spyro! Accept it! Accept that you cannot win against The Master and his power! Accept your fate and die!" Vivex brought his claws down harder and harder,
"Spyro, no!" Spyro heard Cynder's voice, and turned his head to see her swooping in again with Asimov right behind. She had to pull a dodge roll to keep ahead of the pursuing dragon, but she was able to deliver a strike of energy right to Vivex. The bolt flew and hit Vivex on the side, causing him to roar in pain. It didn't do too much, but it gave Spyro the chance to reach over and bite hard on Vivex's arm. Vivex gave a snarl, but didn't let go of Spyro as he kept his grip firm. However, Spyro injected his Inner Light into his teeth, and sank them deep into Vivex's flesh. He pumped the energy into Vivex directly, and watched as the bright blue light raced up Vivex's arm, and caused it to lock up. Vivex's eyes widened, and he immediately released Spyro as he found he couldn't move his arm anymore. He gripped his arm and yelled in pain.
"What?! What did you do to me?! What is this?!" Vivex cried out, his arm all but useless to him.
"Taste… taste what real Inner Light is like…" Spyro barely managed to speak, but delivered his response nonetheless. His neck seared with pain, but he couldn't dwell on it.
"Asimov! Keep that bitch away! Don't make me kill her myself!" Vivex roared out, furious over her continued intervention.
"Try me you bastard!" Cynder called out, streaking on by. Asimov grit his teeth and soared after her. Asimov fired off another shot in anger, this time finding his mark on Cynder. She cried out as it hit her hard, but she kept going.
"Cynder!" Spyro yelled out, watching as she pulled up and away from the underbelly to get away from Vivex and Asimov. Asimov disappeared from view, following her.
"Don't worry, she'll be dead soon anyway. Now, let's get back to YOUR death!" Vivex came back at Spyro, but the purple dragon instead swooped in and passed Vivex. As Vivex made a grab for Spyro and missed, Spyro took this chance to fire his attack again at him at point blank range.
The beam of energy once again his Vivex, this time on his side. The mighty black dragon cried out in pain as it pierced his scales and flesh, burning through his body. Spyro didn't let up. He continued pumping the powerful beam into Vivex, watching as his body was beginning to lock up from the energy.
"No! NOOOOO!" Vivex cried out, trying to fight back but the absolute and pure power from Spyro's light was burning away at him.
Before Spyro could continue, an arc of black light came from the Goliath, and connected itself with Vivex. It surrounded and enveloped his body, overpowering Spyro's attack. Flapping his wings, Spyro flew back from it as he could feel the raw darkness coming from the energy.
"Yes! Yeeeeees! YES! Give me the power Master! Give me the power to destroy him! Yeeeees!" Vivex's form began to grow, his spikes and talons growing and becoming more accented. His voice became more distorted, and his eyes began to glow an evil purple. His tail before longer, and grew a blade at its end. The wounds and damage Spyro had given him began to disappear, replaced by healthy and new scales. Even his broken and disabled arm healed and flexed itself with repaired muscles. Spyro watched in awe as the work he had done was suddenly erased as the Life Crystal healed Vivex and empowered him.
"Yes…. Yes… now you understand Spyro. You are doomed. You cannot win… Whatever you take from me my Master will give right back! You cannot win!" He fired a blast immediately after speaking, casting it from his talons. He didn't even need to use his muzzle anymore as beams of energy just cast themselves from his form towards Spyro. Spyro had to move, he had to run! He immediately flapped his wings and flew, moving away from the underbelly and back up to the surface of the Goliath. He kept going, ascending up. Vivex wasn't far behind. Spyro could hear his malicious laugh.
As Spyro ascended higher and higher, all he could think about was where in the hell Jericho was. He realized more than ever that he needed help. He needed help right now.
/Transitioning…/
[Done]
Cynder let out a hard cry as she impacted hard on a set of rocks. She rolled down, coming to a stop on solid ground. Above, Asimov hovered, panting as steam came from his muzzle. Cynder wasted no time, picking herself back up and readying herself for more combat.
The two of them must've circled that goliath five times already. After her strafing run on Vivex, the two dragons sailed up and entered another duel of elemental attacks before Cynder decided to take this fight to the surface of the goliath itself. Well, it wasn't so much her choice, it was where she landed after Asimov had struck her…
"It's just you and me now Cynder…" Asimov said, landing across from her in the empty and open pit where she had landed. Jagged rocks came up all around, enclosing the two of them in an almost arena-like location.
"It is…" She said, letting out a deep breath.
"It's not too late you know."
"Funny, I could say that to you, Asimov."
"You can still do the right thing, and help The Master. It's not too late Cynder…"
"Asimov… after all this… after all I've done, and after all we've done, you think I'll go right back to him? They used me, and I know he's just using you. He's gotten into your head… clouded it with his dark magic… You have to think for yourself, and not let it cloud you."
"I can see perfectly right now Cynder… I can see how you've strayed, and how much its displeased The Master. He would like for you to return, and for all of this to end. He wants both of you to come into his graces…"
"Spyro would never follow him…"
"The Master thinks there's hope. I know, he's told me…"
"Asimov…"
"I know what I'm saying Cynder… Vivex may protest but he's not in control here… The Master sees everything, and knows everything… He wants nothing more than a perfect and united world…"
"Yeah, under his control…"
"Our Master knows best Cynder… I just wish you could see it! I just… I just wish you could see what he's shown me! It's… it's so beautiful Cynder…"
"I don't doubt it is… I just know it's all lies. I know all of it is just… just some broken dream he's offering. I'm through! I've been through since Savannah and I'll never go back! I'd rather die…"
"I'm sorry Cynder… I wish it wouldn't have to be this way…"
"It doesn't… but you won't fight back against him…"
"The Master needs me, he needs you."
"Yeah… right…"
Asimov sighed and closed his eyes. He stood in a relaxed position. His shoulders rolled down, and Cynder sensed an overwhelming feeling of disappointment about him. She still stood ready for combat, her talons poised to strike.
"Maybe one day you'll see." Asimov finally said as he looked solemnly at the ground.
"Maybe you will too. Let's finish this Asimov."
"If that's what you wish to do. Let's finish this, and find out who is really the true Sentinel."
Asimov stepped forward, flexing his muscles. His tail swished behind him, and she could see an energized bolt of energy gather along the length of it, and culminate along his tail blade. She knew what this was.
It was just like their time sparring in the gym and training rooms. It was just like that game, of who would strike first. Who landed the first blow in hand to hand combat would gain the advantage, throw the opponent off. As the energy in his body grew and collected in his talons and tail blade, she knew that this would truly be it.
She closed her eyes, and focused her own energy. Just as it had with him, energy began to gather along her body, and traveled down to her tail and talons.
Steam rose from the ground as the superheated energy began to cook and bake away at the rock beneath them. They looked deep into each other's eyes, and slowly began to pace. They walked in a circle, moving closer to one another, but none of them willing to make the first move.
Cynder could feel her heart beating deep in her chest. The one who made the first move, wasn't always the one who came out on top… You had to watch your opponent, gauge their responses and reactions. You had to play at them, make them make a mistake. You had to strike at their most vulnerable time, not at their strongest… Any slip up, any little minute detail could make all the difference….
As they continued to circle, they both were glued to each other's eyes. They studied their opponent, looking them up and down, watching as they moved their legs slowly and methodically. They didn't give one opening for their opponent to use… At all times their guard was up, and ready to retaliate. Years and years of training came into focus here, as well as years and years of experiencing the other's tactics and responses…
Even if Cynder had always won their little games, each and every time, she was no fool. She knew what the Dark Master's powers could do… she knew that this wasn't going to be so simple… Still… she had to show that she was truly the best, if she intended to survive.
They were now only two yards from one another, almost well within striking range. If they got any closer, they'd be well within a first strike range, putting them both at great risk. It was always good to keep your opponent just outside that range, so if they came at you, they would have to still close some distance, giving the slightest moment of vulnerability.
They kept themselves at the minimum distance, still strafing… Cynder took in deep, sharp breaths as her nerves began to explode. She could see Asimov's eyes jittering somewhat, and she knew he was being filled with the same anxiety that was flooding her at that very moment.
But this stalemate couldn't last forever.
This had to break.
This had to end.
Cynder decided she'd gain the initiative, and use a lure.
She shot forward, bolting dead ahead and away from Asimov. Asimov grit his teeth and sailed right in, coming right for her. She knew this would happen, so she immediately compressed herself and threw herself onto her side so she'd slide right under his attack.
Asimov came right over her, but he moved to bring his claws down. Cynder made a move, swinging her energized tail right up into him, but he saw this and flapped his wings to get away from her tail.
She finished her slide and rolled back onto her stomach and picked herself back up. It wasn't even a moment before he came back down on top of her, swiping again and again to strike her. He was on the offensive, and she had to move and jolt her body to deny a hit. She used her hind legs to leap back and back, opening a distance he kept closing.
Eventually she stepped to the side and swung her tail again at him. He dodged, bending backwards before leaping up and sending his own energized tail at her. She saw this and leapt up and above his tail. She brought her claws down onto him, but he gave a powerful beat of his wings to send him flying to the side and away from her.
He landed and kicked off from the ground, launching himself right at her. She took to the ground again and slashed her tail, which forced him to use his wings to get above and away from her, but that didn't stop him from using his own tail. It lashed hard, and almost struck her right on her face and neck. She managed to get away by rolling herself to the side. Asimov brought his claws down once again onto her, forcing her to move and move to avoid him. Again he struck, hitting hard with his claws. The superheated energy enveloping his talons sank deep into the rocks, splitting them in two. She could feel the powerful energy radiating from his talons as they passed near her, and knew what it meant if they connected with her flesh.
More and more he came at her, and with the force of his blows chunks of the ground began shooting up into the air. He kept pressing and pressing his height advantage until…
Until he suddenly broke his momentum and halted as his legs got caught in falling rocks.
Cynder knew what this meant.
Asimov knew what this meant.
She leapt onto her legs and quickly moved, her claws slicing through the air silently and efficiently. They connected with his chest, and the searing energy blasted its way through his body. Asimov's eyes went wide as she sliced right through his scales and flesh. Her face locked up as she retracted her claws, feeling the blood of her comrade evaporating off of them. The energy enveloping her talons dissipated and disappeared, leaving her pearl white claws stained with Asimov's blood.
The dragon heaved as he gripped his chest, smoke rising from his wound. The energy had done its work, and had spread to every corner of his body. He looked up at her, panting deeply. His eyes… even as his pupils were feral slits, she could still see him in there… It was him, right then and there. What had the Dark Master done to him? What had he seen that made him so willingly forget everything else…?
Then it suddenly dawned on her, why had he done that? Why did he make such a foolish mistake? He had the height advantage over her, he had her on her back and on the defensive. He overplayed his hand… he kept pressing and pressing until his inability to hit her became his greatest weakness. Did he lose on purpose…?
Asimov managed a weak smile before his body locked up and he collapsed to the ground. The energy that she had used had locked up and shut down his body. It was a classic way to subdue your opponent instantly and efficiently… But it required a lot of energy and focus… She could feel it now, as that had taken a toll on her just as much as it had with him.
She began to breathe heavily as she had to regain her composure. As she did she looked back at her friend who lay collapsed on the ground. He was lucky that such a move hadn't killed him… He was lucky that she didn't follow through with the attack, or do as they were trained… and aim for the neck…
She gripped her claws with shame, but knew it had to be done. He would live from this, which brought solace to her heart.
A crack of thunder brought her attention back to the real world, and she looked up to see Spyro soaring overhead. Clouds swirled and churned high above, and she could see the demonic presence of Vivex as he swooped in after Spyro. The young purple dragon fired a blast of brilliant white energy at Vivex, but it seemed null as Vivex blocked it with a shield of black energy. He then brought his claws forward and cast a brilliant purple beam at Spyro. Cynder could almost feel all the air in the field heat up from that beam…
The power… the absolute power… It was terrifying to think of.
The two of them sailed up into the clouds, disappearing. Grunting, Cynder took off after them into the thick soup above.
End of Chapter 22