*Depressing songs blast loudly in the background.*
Kain: Why is he playing that music so loud?
Wolf: He did something and he's really depressed about it.
Kain: Should…should we go see if he's okay?
Wolf: I wouldn't, not when he's like this.
Kain: Well, let's get started then.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the copyrighted things I use, I do own my OCs and this story.
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Chapter 5: Fall
"You've got to be kidding me," Jacy said. He and Aingeru stood outside of what appeared to be a supped-up mall. All the windows were boarded up but he could see muzzles of sniper rifles sticking out of some of the gaps. The glass doors had been replaced with large steel ones.
"The remaining Survivors refused to leave until you returned so we were forced to find a safe house that was usable and could house all of us," Aingeru explained, motioning towards the mall, "This is the best we could find."
"Malls were up with amusement parks on the list of places not to make a home base," Jacy said, looking the mall over, "How were all of you able to do this in so little time, anyways?"
Aingeru turned to look at Jacy, a look of surprise on his face, before saying, "You've been gone for ten days Jacy."
"Th-that's not possible!" he stammered, shocked, "The portals transport instantly!"
"I guess Merikh finally broke the Temporal Marked One and used him to slow your return as much as possible," Aingeru theorized, "But this isn't the place for a discussion, let's get inside."
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Blane stepped through the exit of the compound and found that they were on some sort of island. He turned around and began to walk backwards and saw that the compound had been under the platform of the remains of a great statue. All that was left of it were the sandaled green feet, the rest having fallen into the water long ago.
Blane took his gaze away from the platform and back to the doorway where the freed gladiators walked out, some of them shielding their eyes from the sun. Aaron was one of the few that wasn't and he made his way over to where Blane stood.
He looked to where he'd been looking moments before and said, "That statue, or what's left of it anyway, used to be a symbol of peace, freedom, and liberty. Now it's just a relic of a past that no one can really remember."
"I can only imagine how magnificent it looked," Blane sighed, looking back up at it, "It would've been one of the few good things about coming here for the second time."
"You've been here before?" Aaron asked, surprised.
"Spent five years training with Jacy and Kera after they saved my life," Blane responded, nodding in affirmative, "but they still managed to keep the whole 'Survivors' thing secret from me."
"They must've had their reasons," Aaron speculated, looking over at him, "but you can ask them why when we get back to the city, yeah?"
"Yeah," he agreed, nodding his head, "but first we need a boat, and those'll be down at the docks."
"Then let's get down there," Aaron said, grinning.
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"I don't remember the Electric King being this strong!" Spyro shouted as he fired an Earth Missile at said foe only to see it get smashed against the Electric King's shield.
"Obviously someone decided to upgrade," Deryx said as he slashed at the King's helmet only for it to scrape off and barely leave a scratch.
"Less talking, more fighting!" Nguyen yelled before he launched an Ice Spike at the foe's arm, where it hit the purple electricity connecting the joints and severing the connection. The gauntlet hand that held the shield fell to the ground, lifeless, and the Electric King let out a roar of anger. He threw his sword at Nguyen and it sunk into his shoulder. He let loose a roar of agony as his right foreleg gave out under his weight and he collapsed.
"Nguyen!" Deryx shouted, looking over at his friend before glaring at the King, who was laughing maniacally. He muttered something incomprehensible, the scars on his palms glowing faintly, before the lifeless gauntlet began to float and flex its fingers before it grabbed the Electric King's helmet and lifted him off the ground before throwing him into the wall next to the door. The King fell out of the crater he'd made and onto the ground where he twitched for a moment or two before he stopped and the electricity keeping him together faded.
Afterwards, Deryx collapsed due to the drain of the magic and the gauntlet fell to the ground with a metallic clang. Spyro looked back and forth between him and Nguyen, unsure of who needed immediate help. Deryx rolled over onto his back before pointing at Nguyen.
"Help him first," he panted, "I'm in no danger."
Spyro nodded before he hurried over to where the blue dragon lay, bleeding heavily and struggling to remain conscious. Spyro reached him and saw that the sword was impaled nearly a third of the blade into his shoulder and the flesh around the wound was turning a sickly green color.
'Poison!' Spyro realized, shocked. He quickly shouted, "Cynder!"
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"Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to attack me?" Cain said, eyes narrowing.
The figure remained silent for a moment before he spoke in a deep, emotionless voice, "I am not here to fight; merely to stall you until it is deemed no longer necessary."
"Stall me all you like, but the youngling leaves and you nor any of your 'Death's Embrace' buddies bother her, got it?" Cain responded.
"Very well," the man replied, "You have my word."
"I'm not going to leave you!" Serenity objected.
"You are," he ordered, glancing back at her fiercely, "Tell Arcaein and the Guardians that the enemy has breached the city. I'll hold him and any others that show up here as long as I can."
"But—" she tried to complain but Cain cut her off.
"Go!" he shouted furiously and she took off out the back door and flew towards the temple. Cain tuned back to face the cloaked man and smirked before saying, "Where were we?"
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Wolf: Rest in Peace, Nguyen.
Kain: Now I see why he's so depressed…
Wolf: Yeah…If only Kera was here, she could pull him out of this slump.
*Kain cracks his knuckles*
Kain: Then let's go get her back.