Spyro Bridge Across Worlds Remake
by
Bolt Greywing
Illness
As Zach slowly came to, his mind and senses were still in a bit of shock form the battle that occurred only moments before. He didn't know how long he had been out nor how he managed to get away from those wolves. Everything felt so much darker than normal and to make matters worse he could hardly move.
Great that is the last thing I need is to be made more vulnerable. Zach thought to himself.
While he had a bit of peace and quiet to himself he decided to examine the area surrounding him. However the constant sound of something dripping interrupted his train of thought. How could he concentrate with that awful noise affecting his sensitive ears? The noise was quite loud, so much so that it felt like someone was using a jackhammer somewhere in this very area. Yet where indeed to the source of this noise be coming from?
Out of desperation he decided to found out the source of the noise for himself.
As he dragged and crawled his way across the unfamiliar ground he soon spotted the source of that infernal noise.
Its that infernal water droplet that was driving me crazy this whole entire time. Zach thought out loud.
As he turned his head to examine the rest of the room he noticed what appeared to be icicles jutting out of not only the ceiling but the floor as well in certain areas. This further enhanced the eeriness of the place itself. Zach then decided he must be in some sort of cave himself, but to what end he was uncertain. Suddenly he could hear what appeared to be voices emanating from the entrance of the cave itself.
Zach felt a chill run down his spine as if some kind of unknown danger was now awaiting him. He didn't know what the danger was, but his body was pumping adrenaline into his system at an alarming rate. His body had shifted into a full alert state though he didn't know many of the dangers that awaited him he could sense something near him that was certainly not friendly. It was then like his instinct was telling him of an ancient enemy, one of which the likes he never knew.
It had to be the apes. He thought to himself.
Last time he had been captured by the apes with relative ease, this time however he wouldn't go down without a fight. Yet he knew for a fact that in his weakened state would put him at a significant disadvantage not to mention he didn't even know how to fight. What he was attempting to do was suicide, his mind shouted at him. It had told him to flee, run or hide, but there was no place to run to. Not to mention he could get completely lost in the various passages.
As the footsteps got closer and closer, his adrenaline continued to rise as panic steadily began to set in. When they were nearly on top of him, he realized it was now or never. He jumped at his would be attackers hoping to do at least a small amount of damage to possibly escape capture. He knew that he wouldn't be able to sustain a long drawn out fight. However that never came to pass. A strong swing to his chest area was enough to cause him to gage and see stars before his vision finally faded away.
When he finally came to, he saw the mouse he had saved earlier and next to it was a very large green dragon. "Ow my chest."
"Good to see you awake young dragon. I was wondering when you would wake up." The green dragon spoke.
"Thank uh, what hit me?" Zach asked.
"Um?" The green dragon replied nervously.
"What?" Zach asked.
"Should we tell him?" the little mouse asked.
"Tell me what?" Zach asked a bit puzzled as to what this was all about.
"Well while you were out a group of apes explored the caves I put you in. It was only when they came back a second time that you were awake." The green dragon explained.
"So that explains why my chest hurts so much." Zach replied.
"Yes and on top of that you were quite feverish as well. Luckily we arrived just in time." The little mouse smiled.
"We easily dispatched those seven apes. They won't be bothering you anymore." The green dragon replied.
Zach stumbled slightly as he attempted to walk causing the green dragon to catch him on his way down. "Easy lad."
"Thanks I am still a little bit dizzy." Zach spoke.
"Perhaps it might be better if you just rest." The green dragon replied.
"Maybe a little snooze might do me some good." Zach replied as the green dragon helped him get down into a comfortable position.
"Yes rest there white dragon we will help you get well." The mouse chimed in.
"Wood mouse go fetch a blanket of leaves from my den, he will need to be kept warm." The green dragon replied.
"Yes. Mr Green dragon." The wood mouse replied as she scampered off.
"I am sorry that I am causing all this trouble for you." Zach spoke.
"Nonsense your no bother at all lad. I been longing to meet one of your kind for a very long time." The green dragon smiled.
"Well I am really not anything special, I am just a white dragon." Zach spoke.
"Look laddie being born a white dragon is a very special gift, any dragon would give up his horns and claws to be in your paws." The green dragon continued.
"I don't want to be special, all I want to do is go home!" Zach spoke.
"And why do you want to do that?" The green dragon asked.
"Why, why?! Where to begin, lets see. Well first when I came to this place I was captured by apes, then I nearly drowned in a lake, and finally I was almost killed by a relentless pack of wolves." Zach sighed. "I couldn't even help the mouse I tried to save. Some help I was."
The green dragon walked over to Zach and gently lifted his head. "Look young dragon what you did for that mouse, is something that most dragons wouldn't have even dreamed of doing. You stepped into a battle that you wouldn't have even won. You were vastly outnumbered yet you chose to protect that small mouse, that takes a lot of guts to do something like that. Why did you choose to protect her?"
"I… I… don't know. It just felt..." Zach stopped as he lost his train of thought.
"Wrong." The green dragon added.
"Yes. I couldn't just leave her where she was." Zach spoke though he felt a bit down trodden.
"Don't be too hard on yourself, you did the best you could." The green replied as he padded the white dragon on his head.
This wasn't how he imagined to meet the white dragon, he seemed so unsure of himself not like the legends had described him to be. Then again legends could always be wrong. Still how would he be able to encourage this young lad. he wondered.
His thoughts on the matter were interrupted to say the least as the wood mouse had now just came back with the leaf blanket he had told her to get from much earlier on in the day. He hadn't realized how long he had been talking with the white dragon himself.
The green dragon helped the mouse to get the blanket placed smoothly on the white dragon's back. After some amount of time the green dragon went away to mix up a sleeping potion leaving the wood mouse and Zach alone.
"I'd like to thank you for saving me white dragon, I owe you one. By the way what is your name?" The wood mouse asked.
"My name is Zachary but most call me Zach." The white dragon replied.
"Zach. That is kind of a strange name for a dragon." The wood mouse went on. "Though what brought you to this part of the forest?"
"I remember traveling in some kind of fire portal. I'd don't know much about this strange world." Zach replied. "After a while I wound up here. I remembered seeing you walk and if it hadn't been for you I'd wouldn't be here at this moment."
"Oh little old me?" the wood mouse squeaked in surprise. "Your just being modest."
"No really the way you moved across the forest floor was really amazing. Me I am just a klutz at it." Zach replied as he looked a bit embarrassed.
"Oh. Hehehe. I wasn't expecting an audience especially from such a hatchling." The wood mouse blushed.
"Hatchling?" Zach queried.
"Its what we call dragons who don't know how to walk yet." The wood mouse giggled.
"I am guessing your going to call me that a lot." Zach replied.
"Quite so as I will be traveling with you." The wood mouse smiled.
"Oh great." Zach replied as he rolled his eyes.
There was a moment of pause between the two as neither said anything for the moment other than enjoying each others company. Zach finally decided to break the silence. "What's your name?"
"I am Faye the wood mouse." The wood mouse replied.
"Nice to meet you Faye." Zach smiled.
The green dragon finally returned back into the picture after having made the sleeping potion. He presented the bowl to Zach and set it out in front of him. "I think our young friend could use some rest as the next few weeks will be a long day for all us." The green dragon spoke.
"Is this particular liquid safe to drink?" Zach asked as he was a bit skeptical.
"Its a sleeping potion for you white dragon. It will help chase off any of the nightmares you will have." The green dragon replied.
"Well I am not too sure but I will trust you." Zach replied as he was still unsure of the green dragon's intention.
"I can tell that your quite unsure of me. However I can assure you that potion will not harm you. I learned it from the elder dragons of old and as such they knew what they were doing when they created this particular brew." The green dragon replied.
Zach picked up the bowl and began to drink from it. "It tastes a bit warm."
"That is what it should taste like." The green dragon replied. "Its normally given to restless young hatchlings to help them sleep."
"I'd like to thank you for your help." Zach spoke.
"Think of nothing of it." the green dragon replied.
When Zach had finally fell asleep, the green dragon waited about ten minutes to make certain that the sleeping potion was taking affect. When he heard the sound of Zach's deep slumber and saw the slow rhythm of the dragon itself, he knew he could safely escort the mouse Faye back to his den. When they reached his den he turned to look the mouse in the eye after he settled into a more comfortable position.
"Something matter?" Faye asked.
"Yes, its wrong, all wrong." The green dragon replied.
"What is?" Faye queried.
"The white dragon he is just not what I thought he was." The green dragon sighed.
"Somethings are not always like legends say they will be." Faye replied.
"Its just that I was expecting more from him. I see a great danger, during my troubled sleep. One of the likes has never happened before, I fear for this young creature. He is not yet ready." The green dragon shook his head.
"I am certain he will go far. Yet I wonder why you told him there was seven apes in the cave when we both knew there was only four." The mouse replied.
"I wanted to boost his confidence for he felt so unsure of himself. Why did you tell him he had a fever?" The green dragon asked.
"Because he is not well and is taking it rather badly. I hope he does last through these three days as I don't expect him to live for long." Faye replied. "He is quite a nice fellow."
"Oh sure like that is going to help." The green dragon sarcastically replied.
"What do you mean?" Raye replied. "I was only making him feel better knowing what he was facing."
"Telling a dragon that he is being killed by a virus and is suffering from hallucinations is not a good idea." The green dragon continued.
"And why not?" Faye asked.
"Because a dragon's pride is a very special thing that is easily broken. Without it we are nothing." The green dragon sighed. "The white dragon's pride is in tatters and it be best if he died knowing that he lost his battle to an ape."
Faye looked at him in shock. "You didn't?!"
"I did." The green dragon replied.
Faye ran back and looked on the dragon Zach who was changing into all forms of colors.
"Its better this way." The green dragon replied as he got up and walked to Faye.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?" Faye asked in alarm.
"I gave him a bit of poison that will influence his dreams. At best he will be dead in a couple of hours at most a day or two. If the illness kills him first then he will be dead quite soon." The green dragon smirked.
"YOU MONSTER! HE TRUSTED YOU!" Faye replied.
"Yes and I wanted you to see first hand." the green dragon replied.
"Your sick!" Faye replied.
"If there was another way I would have did things differently." The green dragon sighed. "I'd rather not have him be taken by the apes. They will come in much greater numbers."
"Then why did you do it?" Faye asked.
"I have my own reasons, but I can't disclose them." The green dragon replied.
As the green dragon left she turned her anger at him but as it died down she could only help but look sadly at Zach.
"I don't know if you can hear me Zach, but please be brave. Fight this battle as best you can. I believe in you." Faye squeaked softly as she curled herself up into a fitful sleep.
(Author's notes: This chapter is a bit darker than I originally intended it to be. So I don't know how many of you are still following this series but this will be the last we see of Zach for a bit. I felt the tone needed to be a bit dark in this point as to drive some more character development as well as present a significant challenge.
I hope you are enjoying reading this one so far as I have one more chapter to tell before I move on to a new character.)