XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXCHAPTER 5XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"OWWW! Watch it," hissed Cynder at the cheetah who had tightened her new bindings too much. The cheetah simply grunted and walked away being done with Cynder and Spyro, they both rested on a bed across from each other in a large room, some of the cheetahs that had been hurt by the creature rested on the other beds in the room as well as other injured and or sick cheetahs.
"you okay?" asked Spyro who was lying on his back half asleep, he had a long scar that ran through his stomach, which had been made by Thyrougn's sword actually managing to pierce through at some points causing him to lose little blood, but not as much as Cynder. "yeah I'm fine," said Cynder closing her eyes and relaxing for a bit, she had a scar across her face going from her left cheek to her forehead barely missing her eye. The bindings around her stomach, chest, and paws were replaced stopping the bleeding as well as slightly numbing the pain of her wounds.
"well this morning's off to a great start," said Spyro sarcastically. Cynder sighed and looked out a window that was next to her bed, she saw cheetahs carrying rags, clothing, blankets, wood, and the occasional cart full of hay, "what do you think they're doing?" asked Cynder. Spyro opened his eyes and looked at the window she was looking out from but from where he was he couldn't really see much, other than roofs or parts of the wall that surrounded the town.
Spyro slowly got off his bed and walked over to the window seeing cheetahs walking back and forth towards the wall, "I have no idea, think they're leaving town?" Cynder shook her head and looked around trying to find where they were taking it all, "then what do you think they're doing?" asked Spyro sitting on the edge of Cynder's bed being careful not to hit or bump into her.
"wish I knew," said Cynder looking away from the window and at the cheetahs that had been injured during that morning's fight, "this is all our fault, if we hadn't come here no one would've been hurt," said Cynder closing her eyes. Spyro looked at her and saw that she was feeling bad so he decided to try and cheer her up, "well...look at it this way, if we weren't here more of them would've gotten hurt...or worse," Spyro stated.
"but if we hadn't come in the first place none of this would've happened," Cynder pointed out looking even more disappointed than before. Spyro wanted to say something but she had left him with nothing to say, come on Spyro think of something...I can't just let her feel bad (sigh) great, first her past haunts her, then the nightmares, and now she feels bad for causing something we had no way of avoiding, "Cynder don't think like that, you seemed like such a strong, determined dragoness...but now you're just depressing," Cynder opened her eyes with a look of guilt before shutting them again and rolling up into a ball.
Way to go moron you ended up making her feel even worse! Spyro smacked his face and tried to think of something to say that would actually make her feel better. While Spyro tried to think something up Cynder was lost in her own thoughts trying to get a hold of her emotions, Spyro's right, why am I acting this way...so weekly and fragile, Cynder didn't understand her sudden change of personality but as she tried to find out what was going on one of the injured cheetahs that was one bed to her left had woken up screaming loud enough for the whole town to hear him.
"AHHHHHHHH! MY LE-EG,!" he screamed as he noticed that almost half of his left leg was gone, "YOU!" he yelled pointing a finger at Cynder going from a look of pain to one of anger, "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT YOU BROUGHT THIS UPON US, THORIN CAN SAY THAT YOU'VE CHANGED AS MANY TIMES AS HE CAN BUT I KNOW THAT YOU'RE STILL THAT SAME, EVIL, TWISTED, DEMONIC CREATURE YOU ALWAYS WERE AND ALWAYS WILL BE," Cynder shrunk in fear as the cheetah yelled at her.
Normally those words never really effected her but being in the weak minded state she was in and the fact that she knew that it had been her fault for bringing those things here, it just made her feel more and more guilty to the point of wishing that she was dead so that no one else would suffer. The healer barged inside the room having heard the screaming and quickly forced the screaming cheetah to drink a blue liquid which caused the cheetah to slowly black out, after the healer made sure he was unconscious he left the room mumbling something about "needing to find hay" and anything "flammable" which confused Spyro but he quickly looked back down to his partner who looked as if her sole had been sucked out of her.
The look on her face had no emotion, her eyes looked full of sorrow and emptiness, "you should have left me behind when we fled from the core spyro." said Cynder as she closed her eyes letting a single tear slide down her face.
Spyro looked at her surprised at what she had said, I knew she felt bad, but... Spyro grabbed Cynder by the shoulder trying to get her attention but she kept looking away with her eyes still closed, "Cynder?" she opened her eyes but kept looking away with a pained look, "Cynder don't...don't say that, I would never do that to you." "well maybe you should" she quickly said closing her eyes once again, "what good am I alive anyway...I'm nothing but a waste of time," she said in an almost whispering level,"I've killed so many, ruined so many lives...and even after being freed from Malefor's spell death still surrounds me and the ones near me," she moved her scythe tail up to her face leaving it only inches away, "maybe I should just end it..end my life so that no one else gets hurt."
"Cynder!" shouted Spyro grabbing her tail and keeping it away from her face, "you can't do that, I won't let you." Cynder kicked Spyro onto his back and quickly pinned him down with her scythe tail pointed at him. Cynder's sudden movement took Spyro by surprise but at least that bought him some time to think of something to say that would calm her down, "and why not, why would you want me to stay, I've done nothing but bring us both trouble." she screamed as Spyro tried to break free, "why Spyro," Spyro struggled even more but just couldn't move or think clearly of what to say, "Why!"
"Because I love you!" screamed Spyro. Cynder's eyes grew wide as she stumbled back shocked at what Spyro had said, "y..you what!?" asked Cynder not believing what Spyro had said. Spyro realized too late what he had said and tried to think of something to explain himself but couldn't think of anything, he...loves me? but...no it..it can't be...can it? Cynder wondered frozen stiff at what she had heard.
"Cynder I..I uhm...well you see..I" he was interrupted as the door to the room they were in swung open with Thorin standing in the entrance. "well it's good to see that you both are doing alright, hey mind if I take this door," he asked as he literally ripped it off its hinges and handed it to two other cheetahs that were behind him, "hey were building some defenses for tonight wanna help out?" asked Thorin walking towards some empty beds and taking blankets, sheets, and even the straw out of the cushion.
While Spyro looked at Thorin wondering what he was doing Cynder still stared at Spyro blushing furiously, "anyway," Thorin said trying to carry everything on his back, "all we need you to do is just fly over the huts and take as much straw and dump it on the wagons out there, but if you don't want to that's fine t.."before either of them knew it Cynder had bolted out the "doorway" and down the stairs.
Thorin looked down the hall and then back at Spyro, "what's with her?" he asked wondering why she had ran away so quickly. Spyro scratched his head and looked at his friend, "uh-h-h-h-I don't know..but I will go and ask her," he said quickly running after Cynder. Thorin stood inside the room looking down hall wondering what had happened, "are they eager to help or did I miss something?" he wondered looking down the hall while scratching his head.
"Cynderahh," Spyro had run out the door without looking and accidentally crashed onto a cheetah that had been carrying sacks full of hay, "sorry, hey have you seen Cynder?" Spyro asked handing the cheetah one of the sacks. The cheetah shot an angry look at Spyro taking bag out of his claws and placing it over his shoulder, "if you're talking about the bringer of death and sorrow she's over there helping to get the straw down from the huts," he said pointing towards a hut that had two wagons by it and a black shape on the roof.
"Thank...you?" by the time Spyro looked back the cheetah he had bumped into had vanished, Spyro simply shrugged and ran towards the hut thinking of what to say to Cynder. Man what did I do...so much for friends she'll probably never want to talk to me again seeing as how she just ran away, not exactly a good sign, Spyro sighed feeling that he had wrecked his relationship with Cynder, I did mean it but...maybe I should just apologize but.. Spyro's thoughts were interrupted as he ran onto a wall falling backwards and shaking his head trying to focus on reality.
"excuse me but did you by any chance see Cynder walk by here?" he asked a cheetah pulling a cart full of wood, the cheetah simply pointed up and kept on walking. Spyro was a little confused at first but looking up he caught a glimpse of a familiar looking scythe tail sweeping some straw off of the house and onto the ground next to him, how did she get up there? Spyro wondered but looking down he simply shrugged and looked for a way for him to get to the roof.
He walked to one side of the building and found claw marks going up on one of the walls, so many injuries and she still manages to climb up a wall...she's a lot tougher than I thought she was, I mean I knew she was tough but this much...guess I should have expected it, he said as he dug his claws into the wood slowly making his way to the roof.
While Spyro climbed, Cynder was busy trying to understand how and what she felt, after hearing the words "I love you" coming from Spyro the dragon she love her head had become a mess with questions and worries. he...he loves me...no..no it..it can't be I mean why would he...what if he just said it to get me to let go of him, Cynder's eyes shot open as she realized something she hadn't thought about, what if he was telling the truth, what if he really does love me..oh no I took off so fast he might think that I didn't agree to what he said...what if he never talks to me again out of embarrassment...ohh no what am I gonna do? Cynder wondered as she looked up desperate to find an answer to all her questions.
"Cynder?" her eyes shot open as she heard the one voice she didn't want to hear, she slowly turned around seeing Spyro standing at the edge of the wall she had climbed up on. Awkward silence fallowed as both looked down at the ground trying not to look at each other out of embarrassment, Spyro cleared his throat and looked around trying to figure out what to say, "uhh...hmm, Cynder...what I said earlier...I" "did you mean it?" cynder asked in a whisper interrupting Spyro.
Spyro felt shivers run down his back, the question had caught him by surprise he didn't know what to say or even how to say it, so he spoke the only thing he could think of that would get him out of that situation, "mean what?" he asked scared for what she might say. Cynder slowly rose her head to meat Spyro's gaze, making him grow more and more nervous, "that you...love..me?"
Spyro couldn't break eye contact it felt as if she was holding his gaze with some kind of spell, okay don't panic...uhhhhh, just say that it was all a mistake and...and..Spyro only now noticed the look of worry and fright that lay on Cynder's face, just looking at her in the eyes made him feel as if he were to lie he would be stabbing himself on the back, I...(sigh)..I can't lie to her. Spyro excepted defeat and readied himself for what was to come as he slowly looked back at the floor and nodded at Cynder.
Cynder completely froze as she saw Spyro giving a "yes" to her question, he...he, her mind couldn't understand, such feeling...such joy, she had never felt so happy or relieved before. Cynder slowly walked towards Spyro and stopped only inches away from him, Spyro raised his head and looked around nervous for what she was going to do, "Cynder...I'm sorry I didn't mean ta" Spyro's sentence was cut short as Cynder drove her head forward giving him a deep, passionate kiss. Spyro was surprised by the sudden action locking his gaze forward looking at nothing in particular, Cynder ended her kiss and placed her head underneath Spyro's jaw wrapping one of her forepaws around his neck pulling him closer to her, "I love you too...Spyro," she said, a single tear of joy sliding down her cheek.
Spyro hesitated but slowly wrapped a paw around Cynder and held her closer to him. The two stood there saying nothing for about six to ten minutes before they were interrupted by a cheetah yelling from down bellow, "hey where's the rest of the straw, move it dragon we don't have all day!" he yelled as he packed the last of the straw that had been left on the ground onto one of the wagons. Spyro and Cynder let go of each other before looking away slightly embarrassed, "we should get to work," said Cynder slicing the straw into small peaces and sweeping them off the roof while Spyro simply picked up large amounts of straw and threw it over the edge. With two dragons the task was easily done and they had finished clearing the roof in a matter of minutes, after which they proceeded onto the next clearing the roof from that one and so on.
It was around midday when all the roofs had been cleared, leaving Spyro and Cynder to go around town looking for ways to help. While they did they found Thorin walking down the street carrying wooden planks on his shoulder, seeing as how they didn't have anything else to do they walked up to him and asked him if he needed help, "hey guys, no thanks I'm fine I've carried heavier things trust me this is nothing."
"well then do you know anyway we could help out?" asked Cynder. Thorin rubbed his chin trying to think of anything that they could help out with but after a while he shook his head causing both dragons look down in disappointment, "sorry guys I just can't think of anything..." Thorin paused and looked up at the sun, "actually, it won't be long till the sun goes down," he looked back down at the pair of dragons that sat infront of him, "you guys think you could look around the forest and see if you could spot those creatures, it would be useful to know just how many of those things we are up against."
Spyro and Cynder both looked up at him, "sure, but where do we start looking?" asked Spyro. Thorin wondered about that for a second but Cynder quickly thought of a solution, "why don't we split up, you take one half and I'll take the other, that way we can scan the surrounding forest in half the time and at the end we add up how many creatures we spotted."
"not a bad idea Cynder, at least you're sounding like yourself once more so that's good," Cynder smiled happy to hear that she was sounding like her old self again, "but are you sure you'll be okay, after what happened the last time I don't want you getting hurt or feeling bad again." Spyro was concerned for her safety which he had been for the last couple of days, for some reason he just didn't want her getting hurt.
"hey it's me were talking about, I'll be fine...plus I'm not the one with the broken wings so if I do get in trouble I can simply fly away," she said flapping her wings a little before folding them against her side once more. "hmph sure rub it in why don't ya," said Spyro folding his paws looking away from her, she simply giggled and walked around him so that he was looking at her once again. "sorry Mr. delicate, anyway I'll take the East, you take the West that sound good to you."
"yeah I guess," he said still a little annoyed. "good, we'll meet up at the wall's entrance after we're done okay," Spyro unfolded his paws and sighed looking down and nodding, Cynder then walked away running her tail against the bottom of his mouth as she did, which made him raise his head and look towards Cynder with a small smile and a raised eyebrow.
"well, seems you two are getting along just fine, you can almost hear the wedding bells off in the distance, ta da da daaa ta dee da daaahahaha," Thorin kept walking down the road humming the little tune and laughing at times. Spyro would have been confused as to what he meant had he not read about weddings while he was still living on the dragon temple, a wedding was a ceremony the cheetahs used to become mates as far as he knew, though dragon's had a different way to become mates, just thinking about that made Spyro's heart race.
He quickly shook the thought out of his head and ran to the walls exit, that thought was so unnecessary...but what would it be like I wonder... "Spyro," he looked at Cynder who was facing away from him, she lowered her fore paws making it so that her lower half was higher, Spyro started to run faster as he continued to think about it, "I want us to become," Spyro was so distracted by his thought that he didn't notice the wall quickly getting closer and closer, "mates," she finished as her tail rose exposing herself to him.
His fantasy was interrupted as he ran head first onto the wall smashing his face to the point to where he could literally see stars, he stumbled a little bit before falling onto his back holding his muzzle in pain, "owwwwww...why" he said as tried not to yell. After a couple of minutes he got himself off the ground and continued walking still holding his face, that's what happens when you let your mind race, you should've stopped but no you just had to keep thinking about that didn't you.
Spyro sniffed and looked around realizing he was outside the wall, he sighed walked closer to the woods looking around seeing if he could spot anything. As he scanned he could see shadows moving about in the thickness of the woods, it was hard to count them but eventually his sight adapted and was able to see a little easier in the darkness making it so that spotting those creatures wasn't so difficult, nothing really happened while he looked around, some stared at him as he walked on, others tried to hit him with swords or arrows which vanished in a cloud of smoke as soon as they hit sun light.
Eventually he finished his half of the woods and met up with Cynder at the walls entrance, "took you long enough I've been waiting here for..." Cynder gasped as he saw Spyro's face, his muzzle was a little red at some points and was bleeding in others, his left was a little purple and forehead was roughly bruised, "what happened did they get to you," she asked as she ran towards him. "no It's...see what happened was."
"He was running as fast as he could and literally smashed his face against the wall, it was hilarious hahahaha," said Thorin walking up to them clearing a tear he had in his eye from the memory, "oh it was priceless, I don't know how he didn't see the wall but man was it awesome to watch him run straight onto it hahaha," Spyro shot an angry glare at Thorin who closed his mouth trying not to laugh.
"you ran onto the wall?" Cynder asked surprised at him, he looked down and nodded, "that wall, that big, huge, obvious wall?" she asked as she pointed at it, Spyro gave her a simple nod and kept on looking at the ground, "why would you..how would...what were you doing?" Spyro was a little hesitant but slowly walked over to her ear and whispered something causing her eyes to widen and to blush furiously almost to the point that you could see it on her scales.
"uhm...well uh..you...shouldn't think about... "that" yet..."she said feeling a little awkward, Spyro only looked away looking embarrassed, "anyway...I counted nine...you?" she asked trying to change the subject. Spyro looked up at her trying his best not to look away and shook his head, "uh...seven...as far as I could tell," he said feeling a little less embarrassed.
"so..nine...four-teen...six-teen! We gotta fight six-teen of those things!?" asked Thorin a little scared at the thought. Spyro and Cynder nodded after doing the math as well, "we'll be fine Thorin, you got two dragons and a whole town fighting, not to mention..whatever that is," said Cynder pointing at the pile of wood, hay, and various other things surrounding the wall.
"huh, oh that's for protection seeing as how those things die with fire I thought surrounding the wall with these thing and then setting them on fire would be a good idea...so long as the fire doesn't spread towards the wall we'll be fine...I hope," Thorin said walking over to the wall and talking to a muscular looking cheetah pushing a cart full of arrows, "blacksmith, buddy, are the arrows ready yet?" asked Thorin.
The blacksmith shot him a look of annoyance and grabbed an arrow with a rag tied just before the arrowhead, "I craft great swords worthy of kings, I make armor that not even the sharpest blade can cut...and you MAKE ME TIE RAGS ON FUCKING ARROWS!" he yelled at him throwing the arrow to the ground making it stick to the floor. Thorin raised his hands to his face as if to protect it from an incoming punch but the cheetah only threw the rope that he was using to pull the cart at the ground and turned around to leave.
The blacksmith quickly turned around and stomped on Thorin's foot causing him to yell in pain as he grabbed his foot and jumped around, the blacksmith left with a smile on his face, "you bastard, THIS IS WHY YOU'RE SINGLE YOU ass, oh my foot." Spyro and Cynder tried to hold in their laughter but soon fell to the ground with tears running down their face, "hilarious right Thorin, hahahaha," said Spyro as payback for his laughing earlier.
"haha, guess I deserved that...owwww" Thorin set his foot back down to the ground looked up at the wall where cheetahs with bows stood laughing, "you guys stop laughing and get down here, grab one quiverfull of arrows and get back to your posts," he said as he walked back into town. Once again Spyro and Cynder had nothing to do except walk around and try to find a way to be useful, though they didn't have to wait for long as the sun was setting behind the mountains.
Everyone was sitting still as they waited for the battle to commence, the archers were ready with their paws hovering above the quiver's on their back ready to pull a arrow out and start it on the nearby torches, which were placed next to every two cheetahs so that they would be able to ignite them. Spyro and Cynder sat at the top of the wall and looked around the trees hearing rustling and twigs snapping as darkness crawled closer towards them, "now what?" Spyro asked Thorin who had a arrow stringed onto his bow.
"now," he said as he set his arrow on fire and pulled it back aiming towards the trees, "we fight," he said as the arrow flew off towards the trees
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Hello everyone, I'm alive and so is this story, sorry for taking so long but with work and me being somewhat lazy it kinda got hard to concentrate, not to mention the fact that I just bought Starbound so you can tell where all my free time goes...anyway, sorry for taking so long, and if you want to shout at me feel free but hey, at least the story is still going...right?
Anyway as for the (ta da da daaa ta dee da daaahahaha) that was Thorin singing the little tune that they usually do in weddings, just in case you didn't catch that. Also I know all too well that there will be problems with grammar, and details, I'm good when it comes to coming up with the story...not when it comes to writing it so...yeah.
Anyway, if the story seems rushed Please tell me cause, I tend to do that on occasion. Well that said I don't know when the next chapter will come out but know this...TheDude 64 will not give up until the story is finished...or until you guys beg me to stop writing for some reason.
Well that's all I have to say so...peace...I guess.
