...Is my Friend
"Mommy, that's the dragon that saved us!" a small, furry, red cub, no more than six or seven, told her mother; she was tugging on her hand for attention. The crimson mother and her two cubs were at the back of the silent crowd watching the purple dragon.
The mother stared on, ignoring her tiny cub's pleas.
"I want the village to decide the fate of the dragon!" she heard Prowlus tell everyone. She had always admired both men. Prowlus, because of his selflessness, even though he rarely showed it; he was someone you could rely on as a leader, and overall a man of valour. While Hunter had all the qualities of a warrior; he was cunning, quick, strong, and most of all, kind. But admittedly though he was a bit odd, always preferring to be out there in the wild, instead of at home with his kind.
"Mother, you can't let Father do this. He saved us," the other cub begged; he was older than his sister by a couple of years, with bright red fur like his father.
"Mommy, please don't let Daddy hurt him," his sister continued.
"Now hush you two. That dragon is still a bad dragon, who has done many bad things," the mother said strictly, trying to enforce that fact on them.
"I don't care what the rumours say, Mother. I don't believe them and neither do you. I know what he's done and he is a hero!" the young male cub said defiantly, clearly not believing his mother. For someone of his age, he was very upfront about his opinion, and had a wild spirit burning within him.
Some of the crowd turned to see what the commotion was; the mother quickly bent down to silence her unfazed children.
"Please, Mommy," the little cub girl whispered, staring at her with big, innocent, grass-green eyes.
The mother gazed back. There was no way she could ignore their pleas now. So, she sighed and gave in.
"Okay…I will go talk to your father." The mother let the hands of her hopeful children go. "Stay here and don't move. I mean it."
"Will anyone here support Hunter's story?" Prowlus once again called out to the crowd, his eyes slowly scanning the crowd. Many of them looked away uncomfortably, daring not to look their chief in the eye, for it was like staring into a tempest.
"I will!" the mother yelled out.
Many of the crowd turned behind them to find out who was brave enough to stand forward, and like a hatchet through a log, they parted, allowing the mother to pad through unhindered.
"Kiera? What are you doing? Wait, are you...?" Prowlus asked in disbelief. His eyes lost their chilling glare, replaced instead with a gaze of uncertainty.
"Yes, I'm here to support Hunter," Kiera admitted, stopping in front her slightly taller husband. She stared upwards into his eyes with her own.
Many of the villagers fidgeted nervously. Things were about to get very awkward…
"Why did it have to be you of all people...?" he thought. "Very well. What do you have to say about the dragon?" Prowlus said sternly, trying to speak with authority, as if he was still in control, even though he was faltering on the inside.
"Spyro has saved our lives. In fact, he even saved our children when an orc broke through the lines and cornered us...We would have been dead if not for him..." Kiera said grimly, as if the orc was now standing in front of her with its stone, yellow eyes and malicious grin.
Upon hearing those words Prowlus ears drooped. Immediately, he pulled Kiera into a loving and fearful embrace, holding her dearly like he had just found her after many years. Yet he was unable to believe it was really her. Many of the crowd just stood around, unable to do anything but peer at the purple dragon with renewed respect. He had just saved the lives of the chief's family.
"I am so sorry, Kiera…" Prowlus's sternness completely vanished, replaced with overwhelming relief. "I put my title as chieftain in front my title of husband and father and because of it…I endangered you and our children..." Prowlus whispered in regret.
Kiera pushed Prowlus away and placed her hands on his shoulders, gazing even more deeply into his eyes, sincerely and meaningfully.
"It's okay. Because this dragon," She pointed stiffly at Spyro, "sought out on his own initiative and helped us. They have finally put a stop to these attacks by slaughtering their leader. And because of that we owe him and Hunter for their selflessness," Kiera explained carefully.
"Of course, you're right. I am just sorry it wasn't me that was there for you," Prowlus admitted, still weeping for the family he'd almost lost.
"We're fine, but we'll save that for later. Right now, you should be sending Hunter and his friend on their way before those dragons from Warfang arrive."
As much as Hunter wished no one's life was ever put in danger, he was glad that it was Kiera's. Because, if Prowlus would listen to anyone, it would be his own wife.
"Yes please! I don't like all this lovey and stuff. Let's just get a move on already." Sparx grumbled impatiently.
"Shh…" Hunter hushed harshly. In response, the tiny dragonfly huffed indignantly and crossed his arms.
"Yes. You are right," Prowlus said, leaving his wife's meaningful grip and turning to face his fellow golden cheetah. "Hunter, please forgive me for my rash actions and assumptions. This dragon has once again proven his worth and value to us. You are free to take him. Though he is behind darkness that surrounds us, I am glad to say that we in Avalar have been lucky. The sun's rays keep us warm enough and the crops still grow. Your secret is safe with us. And, if any point he's in need of a place to rest, Avalar's gates are open. He can be considered one of us. Tell him, I apologise for my actions."
"He will understand, I'm sure of it. And thank you. Your words will mean more to him than you may realise," Hunter said, placing a curled hand to his pale chest as a sign of respect to his chief.
"Consider the cheetahs his friends. We will send word to the other villages that he can be trusted. Now, you better be off. The storm is fast approaching, and so are the dragons. We here have a mess to clean."
"Sir! The dragons are closing in fast, and it looks like the Sentinels," the lookout cheetah reported.
Sure enough, Prowlus and Hunter looked towards the sky; the specks on the horizon had gotten closer. You could almost make out their colours against the dark skies behind them.
"Hmm. Change of plans then. Kiera, take the dragon and hide him in our home. Then see what you can do for his wounds. Hunter, find someplace out of sight, and take the talking gnat with you. I shall welcome our 'guests'," Prowlus instructed.
"Thank you. Sparx, let us go and find shelter."
"Why do we need to hide? It's him they're after," Sparx mumbled.
"It's not as simple as that. Now come, and try not to make too much noise," Hunter instructed. He searched for a suitable spot hidden behind the village wall
"Again with the noise? Really? Fine, I'm coming," Sparx dejectedly replied, before following Hunter to the darkest and most sheltered corner of the village.
Kiera carefully picked up the unconscious dragon with more ease than expected. "Poor thing, must have lost weight during his time in the wild…and he's dehydrated." On route, she gathered the happy children and the four of them made their way to the house. She hoisted herself up to the stilted structure.
Upon entering the doorway, she looked around; it was different in shape and size to the other houses, being much bigger and circular, whilst having extra rooms at the edges. All the rooms had multiple windows to allow what little light to enter. From above, the house looked like a fat cross.
The centre of the room was hollowed out and made of shaped stone. A small fire flickered inside of it, providing the house with some light. A few chairs dotted the place, along with a dining table nestled nicely in the corner holding a few well-crafted arrows, and a beautiful elm bow leaning carefully against it. The room standing opposite her were her and Prowlus's bedroom, while the room to the right was made for the cubs. The last room, to her left, was a storage room containing nothing but barrels and unused boxes. It wasn't well-decorated, but still held that quaint feeling.
However, she didn't have time to sightsee. Kiera needed a spot she could hide Spyro whilst she tended to his wounds. She first spied her bed, because at least then she would have somewhere comfortable to rest the dragon, and the Sentinels were forbidden from entering the chief's hut. But then again, if the dragons took one peak into the doorway they would simply get a clear view of their target. No, she needed somewhere hidden. She then turned her gaze to the left and paused at the storage.
It was almost perfect. She could hide Spyro behind the barrels, and the boxes always contained straw to protect the goods; she could create a makeshift bed from the stuff.
"Jack, Serena?" Kiera asked urgently but nicely.
"Yes, Mother?" both eagerly replied.
"Mommy needs you to get straw from the boxes and place them in a pile behind the boxes, okay?"
"Sure thing, Mom." Both raced off to the storage room and created an absolute mess. But sure enough, they made the bed, and had hidden it well.
"Done!" both children sung in their high-pitched, angelic voices.
"Thank you. Now go and hide in your bedroom, because real bad dragons are coming. I will come and get you when it's safe. Mommy needs to look after our friend."
"Okay," they both reply in unison before scampering off to their room like a couple of red, blurry rockets. "Be careful, Mom!" the older child called out.
Kiera nodded and smiled. "Right…now to move." Her angled, furry ears pointed upwards when she heard Prowlus's voice in an almost sarcastic and spiteful way, welcoming the dragons. He was still clearly bitter from the last encounter with the Sentinels…
She hastily but carefully manoeuvred herself and the slowly breathing dragon around the barrels until she discovered the small mess of a bed made by the children. She smiled to herself, the kids meant well, but sometimes she wished they were a just bit cleaner. She carefully placed the dragon on the makeshift bed before scraping up the loose straw and placing it around the dragon to give him as much comfort as possible
"Let's check your wounds." She used her soft paws to carefully open up the dragon's wing membranes. "No tears? That's good at least..."
She then examined the rest of his dulled purple scales.
"Two burn marks," she noted, noticing the black scorching on his forehead and left flank. "And a stab wound…" She then noticed on his front left claw the ragged remains of a leaf tied around it, barely holding on and almost shredded into strands. How it survived the battle was beyond her.
She carefully cut the leaf off using one of her sharp claws and almost gasped in shock. The wound itself wasn't at all bad, if anything it was but a tiny graze that had already healed over. It was simply the amount of dried blood that adorned the area around it; it was clumpy, and ugly to look at, the work of neglect.
"Well…it looks like no permanent damage at least. But still…I can't help but think about them. You're no monster, just another creature like us. You're susceptible to bleeding, burns, and scaring just like us. It's unfortunate you had to face these hardships." She then shook her head and refocused. "All you really need is a good scrubbing to clean those wounds and help prevent infection." She smirked. "Look at me, talking to an unconscious dragon like he can hear me..."
"I see you have returned. To what do I owe the pleasure…" Prowlus greeted the four dragons through gritted teeth and arms on hips. If there was one thing he hated more than grublins, it was the Sentinels, because at least he could ram his blade into a grublin's stomach and no one would care. But the Sentinels, in his opinion, were rude, obnoxious, and overall useless.
"Let's cut to the chase. Where is he? We saw the beam and know he is still snooping around." The leader was a deep-crimson fire dragon with several head spikes and the standard dragon tail. He also, like Charditus, Spyro, and the rest of the Sentinels, was the same age. The rest of his team also consisted of nothing but fire dragons of varying shades of red. Although, nothing stood out about them.
"If you were referring to the purple dragon, then yes, he was here. But he is gone already. The dragon didn't stay long enough for me to capture him."
The Sentinel team leader wasn't buying it. He turned around to issue orders to his team.
"Come on, Sentinels, search the village. I'm sure they're concealing the dragon here...And don't be afraid to get messy," he hissed, slowly turning his head towards Prowlus as he said the last part.
Prowlus growled in frustration and hatred.
"My people have already searched high and low for the dragon and he is nowhere to be found. You will find nothing," Prowlus lied. He crossed his arms in utter disapproval. To him, the dragons deliberately aggravated him for the hell of it.
"Or maybe you didn't look hard enough…" the dragon said sarcastically, raising his talon to his lips and pretending to think. "Maybe we should start with the chief's hut?" He pointed to the large hut on the opposite side of the village.
Once more Prowlus growled in elevating anger, taking heavy steps to put himself between the purposely provoking dragon and his home. "You have no right to search any of these houses."
"Step aside, old man. If you're not hiding anything there shouldn't be a problem…right? Unless…you are hiding something. If we find even a scale in that house you will be executed for supporting the purple dragon and conspiring against Warfang!"
The red dragon glared behind Prowlus's shoulder and spotted Kiera grabbing a bucket and sponge from next to the doorway. "Is that your wife? You have a fine taste in woman at least. Maybe I should go say hello to her and ask if she has seen the dragon? I'm sure she will be more cooperative..." The dragon grinned maliciously. Kiera froze when she realised they were all staring at her, she quickly ran back out of sight towards the storage.
"By the Ancestors, I swear if you even dare lay a talon on my wife..." Prowlus hissed, he was visibly shaking in fury, but discipline kept him from drawing his sword.
"Then you know what we want, and we will get him one way of the other. Won't we, boys?"
The other dragons nodded slowly but evilly and eagerly, showing their intent.
"Fine. But I am warning you, you are wasting your time, and do not even think about touching my wife." Prowlus growled. "Please, Kiera, keep safe..." He had given up on hoping they would leave in peace. They clearly intended on creating an bigger mess and any action against them would only result in war, a war that he and his people would not survive.
"It's about time you got that into that thick head of yours," Infernius grinned. He brushed the side of Prowlus's leg as he passed before approaching the house.
Back in the house, Kiera scrambled back over to Spyro. Sloshing water from the wooden bucket all over the floor. She worked out that the dragons were soon to appear in her home, so she would have to move fast, even if that did make a slight mess.
She carefully placed the bucket next to Spyro. She raised her gaze when she realised the dragon was starting to stir.
"Where…where am I?" Spyro groggily mumbled, raising his head slightly.
"Shh…you are with friends. But right now, you need to keep quiet. There are dragons, the Sentinels are coming in any moment now, and they are looking for you. Please forgive me…" Kiera whispered.
"Wait…why?" Spyro asked, still recovering from his blow to the head. But before he could fully take in his surroundings he felt a pair of soft hands tuck his aching claws and tail in closer to his body. Darkness then descended upon him once more as Kiera placed an inverted barrel over him. All thoughts blanked from his mind like the light, as the sound of floor scrubbing began.
Spyro's attention was grabbed as a new demanding voice entered the house, a voice Spyro didn't recognise. It was a bit muffled from behind the barrel, but the loudness of it made it so even Spyro could hear it clearly.
"Search the house, turn it inside out, and look for the dragon. He is here somewhere," Infernius ordered.
When he said that, Spyro knew they were referring to him.
Immediately the three other dragons split up and begun searching the house individually. One headed for the chief's bed and begun tearing it up, 'checking' to see if the dragon was there. Straw was chucked everywhere and the blanket shredded. Similarly, another dragon headed into the room of the two cubs and he begun 'searching'. But the cubs were clever and predictive. They had snuck out of one of the windows before the dragons could enter. So, they at least were safe. The last of the lackeys headed over to the table and began lazily snapping the once beautiful arrows. Once carefully crafted to be beautiful, strong, and streamlined, now nothing more than twigs for the fire.
All this time Prowlus was despising them more than anything, wishing nothing more than to see their lifeless corpses on the floor. It took a great amount of self-control to stop himself from making sure just that happened. They were destroying his house and dignity. In fact, to make matters even worse, he knew they weren't even searching for the dragon, simply using it as reason to destroy his home for their stupid amusement.
Finally, Infernius stormed over to the storage, where Kiera was on her hands and knees scrubbing the area just in front of the barrels. Infernius didn't even hesitate in waiting or asking politely, instead grabbing her left arm and pulling her face to face to him. Fear washed over her while looking at his piercing yellow reminding her very deeply of the orc.
"Where…is…the…purple…dragon?" he bluntly put it.
Kiera's breathing quickened as she couldn't beckon forth any words. Thankfully though she was only in that situation for a second as Prowlus pulled her away from Infernius's horrid grip and into an almost possessive hug of comfort.
"Not even my own people can talk to my wife like that. Get out of my village. We're tired of your dictatorship. You're nothing but arrogant pieces of shit, and I should gut you where you stand!" Prowlus susurrated very bitterly, his tone filled with hatred. His free hand grasped the handle of his sword and drew the hungry blade from it's sheathe.
He had just declared war, but he didn't care - these dragons had crossed the line...
Boom!
Thunder clapped overhead, signifying the storm's grand entrance. The repetitive sounds of pattering rain became ever so clearer.
However, Infernius didn't make a move, but instead called out for his team to return.
"Heh! Just you wait, Prowlus. We won't tell Umbrafor of your threats against us...But you will get what's coming to you." He then turned around and headed for the exit. "Come on, guys. We are done here," he ordered, walking outside with the others and taking to the dark, wet skies.
Prowlus followed them, and watched prudently to make sure they were gone. Finally, he turned and headed back into the his home. He sheathed his weapon.
"Are you alright Kiera?" Prowlus asked.
"I'm fine."
"Where are the kids?"
"In their room."
Prowlus nodded. He Let Kiera go from his hold once more to check the room.
"Kids, you can come out now," Prowlus asked at the doorway.
"We're here, Father," Jack replied, helping his sister back through the window.
"Good."
"Are the bad dragons gone, Dad?" Serena asked, heading back to her father and hugging him. Jack did the same, hugging his father's waist. "Yes, Serena, my little dear," Prowlus smiled. He picked Serena up in one arm and placed the other one around his son's back, "they are gone."
"I'll go check on Spyro," Kiera said, heading over to where she left the confused dragon.
"…I suppose that means I am left to clear up the mess," Prowlus laughed. He was half glad that the nuisances were gone, but also half tired of the mess they created...
"Don't worry, Dad, we'll help you," Serena commented.
"Thank you. Your help would be greatly appreciated." Prowlus placed his daughter down. Today had been very stressful, and he hadn't even had breakfast yet.
Meanwhile, still stuck in the barrel, Spyro could feel his own blood boiling. He had understood the situation from sound alone. This time had allowed him to recollect some of his thoughts of prior events. The Sentinels must have spotted his convexity beam shortly before getting knocked out. But to have gotten here so quickly must have meant they were nearby to begin with. Then somehow, he ended up here. Then the sentinels trashed the place in after they claimed to be looking for him, but instead simply did it because they were cruel. Well, whichever squad they were, they weren't the Emerald Squad, because Spyro didn't recognise their voices.
Spyro's train of thought was pushed suddenly from his mind as the barrel that kept him hidden was suddenly lifted off, flooding his eyes with dim light.
"Are you okay, Spyro?" Kiera asked. She placed the barrel back down the right way up next to him.
Spyro took in his unusual surroundings. He almost whimpered at the sight of Prowlus.
"Easy, Spyro, he won't hurt you. We're friends now," Kiera reassured, gently moving the wet sponge up and down his body, removing the dirt and filth that plagued him.
Spyro averted his gaze up towards Kiera who responded with soft and reassuring smile, her eyes warm.
"Friends?" Spyro asked unsurely.
Prowlus put down the pile of broken arrows on the table and calmly approached the dragon. He crouched down next to the anxious dragon's side.
"Both Hunter and my dear wife Kiera, the one you saved, have convinced me to allow you to stay, dragon," Prowlus said, his stern tone was missing.
"Your wife?" Spyro asked; he Gave Kiera another estranged look.
"You are still in shock. So, I will give you a moment to rest, then we'll talk. My wife is a better nurse than I, so I shall leave her to it." Prowlus stood back up, and continued on with his cleaning duties.
"What happened?" Spyro asked the obvious question.
"Heh, you mean after you blasted that grublin so badly I almost feel bad for the horrid thing?" She stopped scrubbing for a moment to answer the dragon's questions.
"Oh…yeah. I remember that. But what happened after that?"
"Well, after that, Prowlus knocked you unconscious."
"I can't say I'm surprised... But if that's the case, then why am I here?"
"Well, you have Hunter to thank for that; that cheetah always was persuasive, but for the better, of course. Then those rogues came. They call themselves the 'protectors of Warfang', but they have no respect for anyone but themselves. Thankfully though, they're gone now, and we are safe." Kiera sighed.
Spyro got the idea the cheetahs weren't huge fans of the Sentinels, and he could see why. They were rude, violent, and overall - bullies.
"I've already given myself the courtesy to check you over for injuries. And it's fair to say you're a fighter alright. Though you shouldn't worry. None of your wounds are as bad as they look. They just need a little cleaning," Kiera said, giving Spyro one more top to bottom scan to make sure she was correct. "Now hold still. I need to clean your wounds, and this may sting a bit."
Spyro tried to relax, but regardless winced when he felt the wet sponge glide down his side across the burn mark. For five minutes, she continued sliding the sponge across his scales. Even the pain subsided and it even became pleasant at continued rubbing vigorously, as more dirt and dried blood flaked away from Spyro's scales, revealing more of his original colour. What more the water begun making his scales shine, returning the dragon's once dulled, dry scales to their vibrant, purple, shining beauty.
"There, that should do it. Your wounds should heal better now, but try to take it easy from now on," Kiera said, satisfied at her work.
Spyro certainly felt satisfied as well. He was clean and didn't feel as sluggish as he once did. The pain was still there but it felt nullified. In other words, he felt good and happy. However, a deep regret nestled within surfaced.
"Now rest a bit, you're in no rush, I don't think Hunter is rushing anywhere without you. But when the weather clears, I'm sure you'll be ready to continue your journey," Kiera suggested.
"Thank you...you've done a lot for me. Spyro replied. "Even though I don't deserve it."
"Hold it, dragon, I still need to speak with you," Prowlus said as he appeared from around the doorway of their bedroom.
"Of course," Spyro replied as Prowlus once more approached him.
"Good, now listen closely. When I first saw you, I was angry, and admittedly scared for the safety of my people. I only saw you as Umbrafor wanted me to see you - a monster. Now, I'm not going to deny it, I am stubborn. But even I see I was wrong," Prowlus stated.
"I'm sorry. Sorry for everything I've done. Because of me, the world around us is ruined..." Spyro sighed sadly.
"I did not come to talk to you about the distant past. You have done a deed I won't ever be able to repay. You helped save my people. So, as chief of this village and Avalar, I hereby name you as Spyro: Citizen of Avalar. You are now one of us. All I ask is you find a way to return these lands of Avalar to their once prosperous beauty."
Spyro couldn't believe it. He was finally accepted somewhere! "Thank you…I will do everything I can do just that. But first, I need to get to the temple with Hunter," Spyro said confidently. Prowlus's speech had invigorated the dragon with a new sense of determination: the will to finish what he'd started.
"Good, that is all I can ask from the warrior who saved my family," Prowlus said. "We will have supplies for you and Hunter ready for when the storm passes."
"Thank you. And one more thing. I might just be getting my hope up, but have you heard anything about Cynder?"
"The black dragon?" Prowlus asked in uncertainty. He then shook his head, "No, I haven't."
"…I should've expected that," Spyro replied, trying not to show his disappointment.
"Very well, rest easy.""
"I will."
Prowlus nodded and left the room, followed by Keira. "Kiera, lets go. We still need to clean up the rest of this mess those damn creatures left."
Spyro looked on, staring into Oblivion. "Why is it I still feel lonely. I mean, in times before, I only had Sparx. I understood that I was alone, because I was. But now, even when I am now surrounded by people I trust - and who trust me - I still feel a gaping hole within me…Do I really miss Cynder that much? What is it that makes her so special to me? I mean… I don't want to say it, but what if she is truly gone…what if I feel like this forever?"
Again, Spyro shifted his gaze to the cheetahs as they had a moment of bonding. He would've never expected someone as rugged and stern as Prowlus to be a family man. Surely there must have been others in the village kinder for Kiera to pursue. And sure, Prowlus was a chief, but he wasn't exactly a friendly person to be around. But there must've been something Kiera saw in him…Maybe that was what was happening to Spyro. He had seen something in Cynder no one else saw.
"But why is it still gnawing at me, like I know she is still out there. It's a feeling I've been having ever since we were separated. Where are you Cynder...?"
I am surprised by the amount of content in this chapter but in a good way :). Just hoping you all are enjoying reading this as much as I am writing it. To those of you who have either followed or favorited my story, I thank you. It does mean a lot to me knowing people are enjoying my story.
As for the next chapter, I promise we will be going back to Charditus and his team. And we might even see where Cynder is… :D
CHAINSAWS!
Welp, I should let you get to writing. XD BAIIII