Ok so finally I'm back officially after my personal break. Thanks to everyone who actually stuck around. It's been a while but this story is nearing its end my friends. So stick around for a bit longer. Please everyone read and respond, tell me how I'm doing, just don't be a jerk and flame unjustly.

Chapter 11: Dark Pacts

The trio of dark dragons flew through the night sky heading towards the cursed mountain far to the north. Krelas and Venirax flew behind Grex some distance.

"I find that he is hiding something important from us," Venirax quietly stated.

"I would not be surprised if there is something more to tell," Krelas replied, "Only now does he share with us that he helped the Curtons."

Grex heard all that his two companions said and thought, "This may become more difficult than I thought. As long as they enter the mountain I have a chance to finish this."

He turned his head back towards them and growled, "Hurry up, time is of the essence."

The two dragons growled in frustration at his command and increased their speed. For the next three hours they flew northward growing ever closer to the mountain that was their destination.

It was not long after another hour of fly when they began to descend towards the base of the mountain. It was about half way down the mountain's sides when Grex veered upwards into a small cave that went towards the core of the mountain in an upwards direction.

The two followed Grex into the cave unknowing of what may transpire in the depths of the cursed mountain. The tunnel began to change directions the further in they flew, its current course had turned downwards at a great slope almost causing Krelas and Venirax to collide with the stone. They quickly pressed on trying to keep up with Grex.

The tunnel twisted and turned half a dozen more times before the tunnel opened up into an extremely large cavern. Flames lit the cavern well enough for them to see a majority of the cavern. These flames were not from the earth or the mountain but made by someone or something.

A deep, rumbling chant was soft in the air, just audible to the dragons. Grex dove down towards the source of the sound and light. Krelas and Venirax followed him once again trying to keep up with him.

Grex saw the bottom of the cavern and fully extended his wings to slow his descent. A few moments later he landed heavily from the force he carried during his descent causing the rock and stone to fissure around him.

The chanting had stopped and the creatures that were causing it turned towards Grex. These creatures were grotesque, draconians without wing or element. All were the shades of black or ash grey from their tails to their horns on their head to their dull and almost lifeless eyes.

They gathered around Grex murmuring to one another. Krelas and Venirax landed outside of the circle worried that they themselves might be surrounded and in their minds' thoughts of their deaths came by a mass of little understood creatures that stood before them.

Grex's mind was thinking the near opposite; he knew these creatures well, more than any other creature alive. He had visited them here in the mountain many times throughout his life, but very rarely since joining with Malefor.

A low distorted voice sounded in the silence, "He returns as promised!"

The circle of draconians knelt down before Grex and began to chant again in their twisted and dark speech. Krelas and Venirax watched with confusion flowing through their minds.

"Krelas?" Venirax asked, "Are these not the same creatures that Grex spoke of?"

"Yes," Krelas replied, "He knew they would be like this. I see why he decided to come here."

The chanting died down and Grex spoke in their dark language uttering what sounded like a command to the creatures. The mass turned their attention towards Krelas and Venirax whose hearts went cold.

Grex motioned with his wing as he said, "Come."

They slowly made their way to him unsure if they were safe amongst these creatures which so much evil was spoken of. When they reached Grex's side they followed the draconians as they moved towards a small, dimly lit tunnel entrance. A few of the creatures took the lead acting as guides through the dark passage way.

It wasn't long that they travelled through the dark passages before they came to another cavern. Here there were no fires to light area and reveal the contents of the cavern. Krelas and Venirax could hear the draconians scuffling around, doing nothing to calm their spirits.

Both dragons were forced to the ground when what they guessed were the draconians landed on them. They struggled but the weight of the creatures on top of them were too great for them to fight back and before they could try anything else they were struck unconscious.

"Can't we finish the ceremony?" Grex asked, "It's been too long, we can't wait for them to wake up any longer."

"They must be awake for the ceremony to be completed," replied the draconian who stood before the two dragons that were bound to two of five rocks in the center of a large circle laid out by stones and platforms.

Many fires lit the area from small depressions in the floor, creating an eerie light. The draconian was the head of the group no doubt. He approached the bound dragons as four other draconians quickly came to his side. When the draconians were before the dragons he made some hissing and growling noises, when he fell silent the four rushed to the dragons, two per dragon and began chanting in their dark voices once more.

Grex watched them eagerly, hoping for this ritual to finally be over. He had been waiting for what he believed was four hours, far too long in his opinion. He had faith though in these creatures as he knew them so well. He had made the travel with them from the Realm of Curses to this realm shortly after its creation. Since then they have been occupying this mountain.

"Finally," Grex thought, "Our ancient task will be completed and we may return with our prisoner."

Krelas and Venirax's angry roars and curses brought Grex back from his thoughts.

"Grex what is this?" Venirax shouted, anger thick in his voice.

"This is the part you must play in Spyro's defeat," Grex replied, "Giving your lives for my ascension."

"Ascension to what?" Krelas growled.

"A full fledge demon," Grex answered, "I came here shortly after this realm's creation. The ancient evil is what we are here for. He was to be imprisoned for interfering with this realm. He was ordered to come back to explain his actions but did not return."

"Why are you doing this?" Venirax asked, "You're a dragon why would you want to be a demon?"

"You both are truly clueless," Grex commented, "I have always been a demon since I was sent from the Realm of Curses to bring the demon back. I took the form of a dragon to fit into the local population and learn what I could. Eventually at the appropriate time I would capture him. The creatures before you are lesser demons loyal to me and have accompanied me for this day."

"Why did you serve under Malefor then?" Krelas questioned, "What drove you to follow him instead of seeking out the thing you were looking for?"

"How do you think Malefor became so powerful?" Grex countered, "Not from his training, not from his gifts of multiple elements, no it was because the demon I sought possessed Malefor. Malefor was born a short time after the evil was defeated long ago. The demon saw its chance to destroy the dragons from the inside out. He possessed the first purple dragon adding to his already great powers. It's because of this he was able to kill every other purple dragon that rose against him."

"Malefor died," Venirax replied, "The demon is gone."

"No it's in Spyro and Cynder," Grex continued, "The demon possessed them seeing their power."

A draconian came before Grex and said, "Lord the demon we know who he is."

"What's his name?" Grex asked.

"Death," the draconian replied, "We have confirmed this with the traits he has. He kills instead of tortures like we do and prefers indirect ways to make his targets suffer, highly unusual characteristics. He is the only that fits the description."

"We are going to need every ounce of power from these for me to succeed," Grex stated, "We can waste no time. I'm sorry my friends but the time has come to prove your worth."

"Damn you Grex," Venirax spat.

"Do not be so quick to damn me as your soul will be damned to empower me," Grex replied with a chuckle, "Finish the ceremony."

Chanting instantly started up and sounds on rocks smashing against rocks formed the tempo for the chanting.

The head draconian came up to Grex and explained, "When the time is right you must utilize your power with darkness to your full extent and with that focus on taking their souls from their bodies. The ritual will destroy the conscious in the soul but will leave the power and energy perfectly intact. The souls will be absorbed then into you and you will be strong enough to defeat Death and bring him back to the Realm of Curses. We will await you at the rift within the realm."

Grex nodded showing that he understood what he was told. The ritual continued with the tempo steadily increasing along with the chants until the head draconian nodded to Grex. Grex let the darkness flow from him, expending all the darkness he commanded. A great form of pure black expanded from him and directed itself towards the two soon to be dead dragons.

"Let their suffering compel you to be merciless, let their anger fuel your powers, let your dishonor drive your revenge, let your duty purge the fugitive, and let their deaths bring you victory," the head draconian shouted.

The shadows covered Krelas and Venirax and seconds after being enveloped, their cries of pain and death filled the chamber with the chants of the ritual. The cries ceased as two orbs of soft light came from their bodies. The darkness quickly left the empty corpses of the two and surrounded the orbs, dragging them back towards Grex.

The two souls enveloped by shadows were absorbed into Grex's being. Immediately upon the absorption, his body radiated with dark energy and his form seemed to be of shadows more than flesh and scale.

Grex looked himself over very pleased with the appearance and the power he felt flowing through his form.

The head draconian approached in a bowed stance, "My lord you have succeeded, long have we waited for this day."

"The victory is not assured yet loyal servants," Grex replied quickly, "But we shall wait no longer to see how fate plays out."

With that said Grex threw himself into the air and flew through the tunnels to confront his prey who had evaded him for so long and finally will be defeated.