A/N
Hey people, its Psyco here with a rewrite to one of my original Spyro stories. I thought the beginning, hell, the entire story was full of my more overused characters and ideas. The song this story was based on had inspired me once more to get back on track and, after having some random and very cool thoughts about an OC, I decided to go back and create this. My other works are IN NO WAYS forgotten or put on hold unless explicitly stated so in the summary section or my bio, so don't worry about that.
Also, it is important to note that some races, locations and other such things may have been borrowed from other people's works. The sergal race and Amelia's weapon were created by Trancy MICK, and I will also be borrowing the idea of the panther race from Dardarax, as well as the concept of the albino which I have tweaked quite a bit. I would like to ask that everyone please, at the very least, take a look at these two amazing individuals' works before reading further so you can understand any possible references.
Thank you for reading this, now please enjoy the story.
DISCLAIMER! I don't own anything Spyro related, and I don't own anything I borrowed from MICK or Dardarax.
"Why must leaving have to be so hard?" Ezban asked himself this time and time again even though he knew the answer well. Ezban loved helping people, no matter the difficulty. He would often stay a little longer to make sure everything was safe and to help out with little side jobs whenever possible, making friends all along the way. Every time he helped a village or small city the inhabitants would shower him with praise and symbols of their gratitude, and it felt great. The people gave him many different kinds of rewards for his efforts, but these gifts did not matter nearly as much as the strong friendships he forged over the duration of his short stays, and having to leave them behind was always what hurt the most. Ezban loved being able to settle down for a while and relax with his newfound friends every once in a little while, but he was an adventurer. It wouldn't take long for his near-insatiable wanderlust to take over, forcing him to get up and move on.
"It's so sad, but then again this is the path that is laid out for me." Ezban smiled as he spoke to the gentle mid-day breeze. It's welcome caress picked up once more and slid over his smooth scales and soft fur as if trying to supply a comfort that he didn't need. Ezban didn't care that no one was there to listen to his idle ramblings, it was a little quirk of his. Whether he was out traveling or not, Ezban often found himself speaking aloud to no one, as if his only companion was the world around him, leading him on with subtle nudges to lay bare his thoughts and let their weight float away on the refreshing breeze that greeted him each day. "To always wander, never finding rest until the day I die or the world's secrets are all laid bare before me. It might be a sad life to others, but I find a strange kind of bliss in it. Always on the move, seeing new things and meeting new people. I love it, and I know many feel the same."
What Ezban said was correct. Almost everyone who claimed to be an adventurer suffered from an insatiable desire to travel, an unquenchable wanderlust. To some it is a curse, never to find a place to settle down, to always be on the move, but to just as many if not more that desire is a blessing and fact of life. It was a blessing to be out there free and always amazed, in awe of the world around you as everything slowly changes and awakens a new mystery or hidden wonder. How many have encountered this rare and beautiful creature, or done battle with this accursed beast? How many have experienced such a beautiful and refreshing sunrise from atop this mountain, or witnessed the elegant dancing of mystical lights from the crystals lining this cave's walls? To see and experience such things was not even half of the treasures this lust for exploration bore to its servants, the adventurers. Few things can compare to this, yet it all comes with a price.
Wars could be started over simple misunderstandings, monsters might begin stalking your trail and ancient evils could be awakened without intention. Friends and family could be torn apart and never see each other again until it was too late, and one or more of them is gone without saying "goodbye". Ezban suffered from this separation regularly with how many different peoples he saved, how many lives he delivered from harm. It was common for them to become acquaintances who are simply grateful for your intervention, while it was just as common for friendships of varying strengths to be born. To leave this behind to dive into the unknown was painful and very hard to do over and over again, but that was part of what made Ezban strong. He knew that he had friends all over that were waiting for him to return one day, and with this knowledge, he pushed on with an unwavering vigor. Once all has been seen, all wonders and mysteries made known to him in their varying splendors, then and only then would Ezban be able to silence the voices of the world that pulled at his very soul.
"But that day is far away," Ezban stated with glee. "There is still so much to see and so much to do. Monsters still hunt innocent flesh and threaten civilizations, demons still march on mortal soil to pillage and torture, and mysteries that can baffle the greatest of scholars still remain unsolved. Should I manage to satisfy my desire to travel and discover the world, then I will just move on to discoveries of the mind and spirit. I'll look into the ether, no, dive into the swirling mass of mystical channels to solve the mysteries baffling the brightest minds of our age. I will move from one adventure to another until all I have left to explore is the peace of a quiet life."
There was so much to the world, far too much for one to handle alone, but that didn't matter to Ezban. The sheer challenge of attempting to do and see it all was more than enough of an incentive to keep going. That, and the waves of demons cascading down the infernal slopes of the now repurposed Well of Souls. Malefor's temple, a once holy building to the dragons, was made to float above the now magma filled gate into the ether known as the Well of Souls. Souls from all parts of the spectrum were given the opportunity to enter the physical world through this ancient and mystical device, and in the legend, it has been said that Malefor was able to tear open a hole in space and time to bring these souls into the mortal plane once more. While it is unlikely that this is was what happened, it was an unarguable fact that Malefor had to be stopped and whatever he did to the world undone. This meant finding Spyro and Cynder, the two dragons that are foretold to be the key players in Malefor's downfall.
If they weren't found in time, then...
"I will stand against Malefor, and so will many other brave souls willing to put their lives on the line to keep this wonderful and mysterious world safe. We will march on his accursed temple, and end his vile existence once and for all. We must, I must, or this world and its many wonders will be destroyed, and the beautiful lives thriving on them will cease to exist. This cannot be allowed to happen." Ezban's statement was loud and ringing with an inspirational conviction. He wouldn't back down. He would stand with the multitude of adventurers and bring an end to this vile monster once and for all.
That is if he managed to make it back to the Dragon Realms, more specifically Warfang. It was in this city that the Guardians resided, heading the war effort against Malefor and his endless waves of demons. The Guardians were a group of wise leaders and scholars that proved their worth in one way or another, and four of these outstanding individuals were very close to Spyro and Cynder. Chances are good that they had found the two young heroes after five years of searching, or at the very least were close to doing so. If he managed to make it there in time then Ezban would be able to partake in their rescue, if it turned out they even needed one. Ezban was fairly close to the Ice Guardian Cyril and the Electric Guardian Volteer, and they were likely to let him help in any way possible if it meant finding the young purple dragon and his friend.
Ezban pulled out his map and looked it over once again. On the map was a detailed depiction of the mountainous Sergal Realms. The snowless and rocky mountains were marked in a dark gray that shifted to the gentle green of the connecting grasslands. The Sergal lands were beautiful and rarely snowed, though nowhere near as dry as the borderline uninhabitable deserts just to the south that was home to the Armadillos and other desert going races. To the north were the even larger mountains of the Gryphon Realms, which snowed constantly. Ezban would have loved to pay a visit to the north again so he could see the gryphon king Alaric Stone Feather once again. Despite his legendary love of drinks and rather blunt personality, Alaric was a great leader who pushed his people to be strong, and strong they were. Even the weakest amongst his people was a force to be reckoned with.
But Ezban wouldn't be able to visit his old friend, sad as it is. His current objective was to make it to the nearby port town of Emerald Waves. Emerald Waves was a great town, especially in terms of size. Buildings could reach as high as ten stories in the least popular districts. The castle and trade buildings in the town's center were easily twenty stories and have the width to match, though there was still enough room for the citizens to go about their business in relative comfort without feeling overwhelmed by the large feats of architecture. Bridges connected the upper levels of the huge trade buildings to the castle for easier access, and large areas were set aside for dragons and gryphons to take off and land without disturbing the amazingly smooth flow of the busy streets. The wall that protected the city was even bigger, towering over the tallest building at an awe-inspiring thirty-five stories with the guard towers reaching another five for a full forty stories, and this was just the height. The walls were easily thick enough to handle some of the most powerful battering rams that the demons could design, but that was only if they got close enough to do any damage in the first place. Archers, mages, and engineers filled as much of the walls as they could, ready to rain destruction down upon anyone foolish enough to try and force their way in. Beyond the walls sat huge farming communities which surrounded the city in tightly knit groups, each connected by a series of Ape-made transports such as trains and guarded by a multitude of military outposts and training camps. All in all, the city was an amazing place that would soon fall to the demons.
Malefor's forces had put the city under siege for weeks, and it was likely that it would fall soon if it didn't receive the aid it required. Adventurers trickled in but weren't able to do too much to break the siege. This meant that Ezban would have a hard time finding a boat to take him to the Dragon Realms. Trade ships always offered rides to adventurers willing to put in a bit of free labor, but even that wouldn't be enough of an incentive for them to brave demon infested waters. If the siege was also taking place on the water, which it more than likely was, then he wouldn't be able to return to Warfang in time. This left only one alternative, something that Ezban was looking forward to.
He had to help break the siege.
Sure, it was likely his intervention would be able to make a difference but to stop such a major siege? It would be difficult, borderline impossible unless he could find a large enough raid group. They had to be skilled too and equipped with outstanding gear, but they could do it. Greater feats have been accomplished by less prepared and trained individuals, with the hero Spyro as a prime example. Now, all he needed to do was find a way into the city.
It would be impossible to just tear through the horde of demons and scale the city's walls, there was just no way of such a thing happening. A separate path, well guarded by friendly units or sparsely occupied by the demons had to exist. It all depended on where the majority of the fighting was taking place. Rarely did the enemy disperse their forces evenly along the walls of a besieged city, meaning there was at least one sufficient entry point for Ezban to take advantage of. He just had to find it. To do this Ezban would need to be quick on his feet and always aware of his surroundings, or a simple mistake could have him swarmed by far more enemies than he was comfortable handling on his own.
A few more hours of travel passed before Ezban even caught a small glimpse of the city on the horizon. The city would have been a beautiful and welcome sight, had it not been accompanied by towers of billowing smoke clouds and the disturbing hordes of hell fiends storming the stalwart stone walls. Just a glimpse of the action had Ezban wondering if he might have made the wrong choice coming here on his own. The sheer scope of the battlefield was intimidating, to say the least. War machines that were nearly half the height of the walls were in groups of no less than four or five as they struck separate parts of the walls. Squeezing between the churning treads of the demonic war machines were a combination of corrupted beasts and actual demons, all of which were tossing spells, cannonballs and other projectiles at the walls with varying degrees of success. Standing at the rear of this assault were huge constructs that spewed out waves upon waves of demons and beasts. The demons appeared in flashes of light from what seemed to be huge portals, while the beasts crawled forth from fleshy hives.
"What a sad sight this is, to see such a wonderful city damaged in such a way. I must do something, but I cannot. I have no raid group, nor even a small party, and there is no way for me to enter the city. Perhaps I should find another way around, or see if there's a group getting ready to make a push into the city." Ezban wondered to himself what he should do at the moment, but a single glimpse of the city showed that there was no way for him to sneak in. The demons had done something nearly impossible: they perfectly sealed off the city. There was no way in or out, and that meant he wouldn't be able to get into the city to provide aid for them or get a boat to the Dragon Realms. Ezban let out a dejected sigh and turned to leave, only to be stopped by a rough yet jovial voice calling to him from the left.
"Well, would ye look at this one, lads! A fine young dragon wantin' to get into the city. Oi lad, you wouldn't happen to be running away now would ye?"
It was a familiar kind of voice, one that Ezban had heard before, though the tone was a little deeper back then. It was the rambunctious and carefree voice of a pirate, a young one at that though not too young. Ezban turned towards the voice and was greeted with a small band of pirates, as he expected, except a few warriors and guards were seen thrown in with them. It was a major contrast, but given the situation, it was not uncommon. The city's guards were easily noticeable, what with their bright emerald tabards bearing a trio of wavy navy blue lines in the center of the chest.
Standing in front of the group was a tall ginger-furred gnoll with bright green eyes whose defining feature was his long, brown leather trench coat practically drowning in accessories, designs, and alterations. His coat had both sleeves ripped off to reveal the smooth muscles underneath, and bits of metal could be seen on the shoulders and going from the waist down in the form of scales. Small pockets and tribal designs filled the areas not covered by armor. Under the trench coat was a short sleeved white shirt which had its collar hidden underneath a thick red scarf that fluttered gently in the breeze. A thick leather harness was strapped to his chest over his coat and attached to it were pistols, pouches, knives, and grenades. The harness was hooked to his black leather belt through slits in his coat which held up a pair of baggy pants that ended mid-calf. Strapped to his belt were a pair of large falchions and a few more pouches. The last piece of noteworthy attire was a bright red bandanna with tied atop his head, the added length of it dangling between his shoulder blades. All in all, the pirate proved to be a shining example of what those of his profession should look like.
"Yes I am, and unless you know of a way into the city and are willing to show it to me, then I should be on my way. I must return to Warfang as soon as possible and this situation is not making such a task easy for me." Ezban replied, followed by another sigh as he once more surveyed the battlefield. "I find it amazing that they managed to set up such a formidable siege. I didn't think they would get the opportunity to set up a portal let alone one of those deplorable Spawners."
The pirate chuckled and strode up beside the white dragon, both hands on his hips as he too turned to survey the battle. His grin never left his face as he reached over to give Ezban a friendly pat on the head, though it felt more like a heavy slap than a pat.
"Ye think I would 'ave wasted me time talkin' to ye if that was the case? Please, lad, gimme some credit here! I 'ave a whole band ready to lead an attack on the right flank which, might I add, 'as a very thin concentration of demons. Ye're lucky that one o' our scouts spotted ye on yer way here, otherwise I never would 'ave found ye." The pirate spoke with a kind of conviction that let Ezban know that they weren't going to just attempt to enter the city, they were going to enter the city, and nothing would stand in their way. This pirate came bearing great news, but under these circumstances, Ezban wasn't sure what to do. It wasn't unheard of for sudden opportunities such as this one to arise, but there was still a good chance that this would turn around to bite the poor albino in the ass. They could be thieves looking to steal what he had or use him for some other purpose of which he could not think of at the moment.
Despite this, Ezban couldn't help but trust the energetic pirate.
"You don't know how beautiful those words are to me right now," Ezban stated with a relieved chuckle. "Come, show me this group of yours. I wish to meet the men and women who will be helping us enter the city."
The pirate let out a loud barking laugh and quickly strutted back to his mismatched group of pirates and guards. Ezban followed close behind, a large smile on his face as he matched the gnoll's pace as best he could. The pirates and guards around him gave him welcoming pats and comments as he allowed the Gnoll to take his position at the front once again. Just as they were getting ready to head out the gnoll looked over his shoulder at Ezban.
"The name's Theo Sweet, but me crewmates calls me Sweet Shot. What do ye want me to call ya lad?"
"My name is Evandrael Ezban, but you may call me Ezban. It is a pleasure to meet you."
Barely an hour's worth of travel had the small mismatched group standing at the gates to one of the nearby farming communities. They'd passed a couple on their way here, and all of them were either sparsely populated or completely deserted. It seemed as if the siege had taken a greater toll on its surroundings than Ezban originally thought. Craters and large stretches of burnt land could be seen as they persisted with their pace, the land's scars sliding by as they quickly traversed the countryside. Now they finally arrived at an active community in which many individuals, from a multitude of backgrounds and professions, scuttled about getting supplies and machines ready for the coming battle.
"This is all that remains of the local population." One of the gryphon guards who was among the first to greet Ezban said as the two of them took the longer path to the command tent. Theo told them to meet there after getting Ezban settled in to go over their battle plans. "At least, all those willing or able to fight. Many do not wish to be here, but duty calls even the most reluctant here to do what they must to fight for their city and loved ones. It is sad really, and I wish we could just tell them to stay away, but this damnable conflict prevents that. All I can do is give my best, and hope that it is enough to keep them safe."
"That is all we can do, Walter, that is all anyone can do," Ezban told the now named Walter. He was right, after all. No one could be expected to give more than they had. No one expected anyone to provide a miracle, for as many see it, there were no more miracles to be had. No messiah or grand savior was coming to this town, no overpowered individual was going to pull out some ultimate spell to crush the near infinite waves of demons crashing against the sturdy stone walls. This was a job for the army, the soldiers trained to give their lives for the safety of the people, and the adventurers that stood against all evil forces with unbreakable wills. They would be the ones sung about in the end, and that was how it was meant to be.
They soon arrived at the command tent and were greeted by two sergal guards who stood aside for them to enter. Once inside they were greeted by Theo's always present grin, a panther with a huge sword on his back and dressed in heavy plate mail armor who was pouring over a large map with a grimace, a sergal dressed in light leather armor covered by a long black cloak, and another sergal dressed in a large set of regal armor with a sword at his waist and a heavy shield on his back. They all sent polite nods at the two arrivals and allowed Theo to introduce them.
"Lady and Gentlemen, I present to you some lad named Ezban that I found wandering towards the city," Theo said with a theatrical bow. "Ezban, I present to ye the brilliant minds behind our little group. The panther with the huge slab of metal is named Erwin Straus, the head of our mages. The sergal with the cloak is our Spymaster, Amelia Nighteye. The last one is the head o' the city's guard and our main strategist, Sir Damian Fendrix. I figured that I should introduce ye to yer new superiors while ye're here."
Erwin took charge at that moment and held his hand out to the white dragon, his light blue eyes gleaming with interest. His armor was of the usual heavy variety that most frontline fighters had, except this set had what appeared to be glowing runes scattered across the many gleaming surfaces, little engraved channels connecting the major runes to the smaller ones. His pauldrons were huge, but not to the point of being a hindrance. They had a smooth shape, lacking any extraneous protrusions that many warriors tended to add. Around his waist was a leather and chain belt that held several small pouches and magical foci, and dangling from it was a small sash that seemed worn by ages of travel. It was a panther war flag, one that was used a long time ago during one of their great civil wars by those loyal to the king of that time. The last notable thing about the panther was his sword.
Hanging from Erwin's back was probably the largest and most unusual sword that Ezban ever saw someone using. It was unnecessarily wide, easily a little over half a foot near the guard, while the guard was even wider. At the ends of the guard were two gems that glowed with an eerie light, same as the one on the pummel which sat at the end of a foot and a half long hilt. Continuing down the blades nearly five-foot length that tapered down to a nice point, a large circular gem of some kind was encased in a heavy steel socket and sat just a few inches from the blade's point. This gem's glow was dazzling, easily noticeable from a good distance away but not even close to being able to blind someone. It was obvious that this weapon was meant more as a focus for spells and not so much as a sword. If anything, the weapon would fit more as a mace or hammer instead of a greatsword thanks to the over-sized gem.
"It is an honor to meet you, young adventurer," Erwin said with a rumbling baritone, one reminiscent of a gnoll warrior. "Amelia's scouts told us they'd spotted you nearing the battle and were wondering if they should bring you to us. It is a good thing they had Theo do it since he was already out on a patrol, otherwise, they would have missed you."
"I'm glad they didn't. There's no way I would wish to miss an opportunity like this. I have no time to go around and find another town with a port close enough to take me to Warfang, let alone find a ship sturdy enough to brave the waters. By joining you, I will get to help take back this city, and return home to my own on time." Ezban told the mage. Erwin nodded at that and dismissed Walter, the gryphon bowing as he quickly left the tent. Sir Damian directed the two back to the table and Ezban stood next to Erwin as the meeting began again.
"Now that you're all settled in and ready to move on, there's something I need to know." Damian began as he pointed at Ezban. "You, what can you do? Are you a long distance mage that bombs everything, or do you prefer to be up close and personal with the enemy?"
"I can do both. I use an old and forbidden form of magic that allows me to assume the forms of whatever souls I have within me, granting me their abilities, strengths, and weaknesses." Ezban told them. In the past, telling someone you could use a forbidden magic such as this was almost a guarantee that you would be executed or jailed. Present circumstances demanded that those individuals be allowed to roam freely so long as they use their powers against Malefor's forces. This, in turn, allowed those who practiced such magics to finally be open about it. Ezban wondered if, in the near future, this would give rise to widespread academic research into those magics. That would certainly be interesting. Damian nodded and proceeded with his explanation, quickly ceasing Ezban's distracted thoughts.
"That's good, then we will have you going frontlines with Erwin and I when the battle begins. We have pinpointed a weakness in the enemy's lines and are just waiting to capitalize on it. The city knows about this as well and is preparing to act when we do. We will begin with a sudden bombardment from our archers, mortars, and mages. If you want to add a few volleys of your own then be my guest, just don't exhaust yourself. The demon army will not have a clear shot at us from the seas, but you can expect a few attempts to get through. Ignore most of what comes from the sea, we'll be having support from the city to keep them busy. This commotion is going to draw a lot of attention, so once our initial strike is released all ranged units will be situated closer to the ocean to prevent extensive casualties and provide some form of defense for the civilians we will be escorting. A small number of close combatants will join them in case of any flanking attempts by land-based units. At the very front and left sides of our assault we will have our heaviest warriors and defenders, but directly behind them, we will have our heavy damage units. Leave most of the attention for our heavy units, while you rain down hell from right behind us. I hope you have a form that can strike from short to medium ranges, we'll need someone strong at our backs when we start taking hits. Other than that, we'll be receiving mortar and spell support most of the way into the city."
Ezban did a quick mental recap of the plan before voicing his agreement, the others in the room nodding alongside him. Damian dismissed them all with a grin, his anticipation for the coming battle easily apparent as he went to help prepare his men. Amelia gave a cute little giggle and skipped out of the tent, most likely to prep the archers and more delicate units. Theo was also quick to leave the tent, no doubt heading to where the alcohol was being sold so he could gather his men. Erwin shook his head in exasperation at the pirate's all too gleeful exit and opened the tent's flap for Ezban.
"Follow me," Erwin said. "I must show you where you can gather reagents and mana replenishing equipment. There is no doubt in my mind that you will burn through that stuff, and the last thing I want is one of my mages depleting their reserves in the middle of combat. Since I am lacking experience with your type of magic, you will have to tell me what it is you need so I can help you find it."
"Mana potions and green spirit gems," Ezban replied. His needs were simple in that regard. Using Ezban's kind of magic required nothing besides a lot of mana. Other materials such as fake souls were used to enhance the abilities of his other forms, but such things were either rare or expensive and unnecessary at the moment. Erwin directed Ezban to a large house oozing with the prickling stench of alchemy. Chemicals, ores and exotic biological substances filled the air with a mind-numbing mix of scents.
"Quite the interesting place, wouldn't you agree? Dabella and Denlin are eccentric individuals, but none know their trade quite like they do. I've tried out many of their potions and found that all of them are almost ten times as effective as the ones you can get anywhere else, though the price alone should suggest as much." Erwin explained in response to Ezban's expression of discomfort. "And don't worry about the smell, you'll get used to it."
The two mages entered the house and were immediately greeted by a hyperactive female cheetah and a rather decrepit looking male mole. The cheetah wore a pair of dark blue tights tucked into a pair of knee-high leather boots fastened with three golden buckles. Around her waist was a brown leather belt with a lot of pouches and vials attached to it, and a pair of pistols crossed right above her tail. She wore no shirt, much to Ezban's embarrassment, and instead went with a cloth wrapping to preserve at least some of her modesty. A long blue trench coat with black trim and golden buttons hung from her shoulders, the front opened to show off her enticing physique. She also had on a large tricorn hat with several charms hanging from it that hid most of her head. The cheetah looked up from the test tubes she was working with and gasped at the sight of two customers. She shook the mole to get his attention and ran over to greet their guests.
"Oh, hello there Erwin! It's wonderful seeing you here today, or right now. You were here earlier weren't you? Oh well, hope you enjoyed the potions. Who is your friend? He looks so~ adorable!" The cheetah spoke so quickly that Ezban could barely understand her, and the sudden cheek pinching after the word "adorable" made him extremely uncomfortable. "Hey, new guy, what's your name? I'm Dabella, and it's a pleasure to meet you."
Ezban was so caught off guard that he wasn't able to come up with a response. Dabella leaned in a little more when she didn't get an immediate response but was pulled away by Erwin, much to Ezban's relief. The cheetah was just far too energetic and touchy-feely for the albino to handle. A raspy chuckle by the test tubes pulled Ezban's attention towards the decrepit old mole. The mole was short, shorter than a regular mole should be. His form was hidden under a long black robe with charms and runes stitched all over it, and a large pointy hat with more charms hanging from it than Dabella's covered his head completely save for a tiny bit of his mouth. A long wooden staff with an eerily glowing orb on top was held in his gloved hands.
"I apologize for my apprentice's antics, but she suffers from an overabundance of misdirected energy. I am currently trying to figure out a mixture to cure her of this, but have had no such luck so far. My name is Denlin, and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, young Keeper." Denlin spoke without any visible movement of his facial muscles as if he wasn't speaking through his mouth at all. "I must say, you are a curious youth, but I doubt you are here to hear me run my mouth. Please, tell me what it is you seek and either of us shall brew it for you."
Ezban found it much easier to talk to the mole even though his voice made him shiver every time he heard it. Not being overwhelmed by every single sentence made conversation so much easier. He gave his own greeting and told Denlin that he needed a lot of mana potions and other such equipment. The old mole quietly shuffled back to his test tubes and got to work, his hands moving with a speed and dexterity that didn't go along with his apparent age. It was amazing to watch Denlin work. He was so quick and seemed to know exactly where everything was without looking. Substances that seemed ready to explode moved at dangerous speeds as he threw them together into a large beaker. After a few minutes passed the mixture went from a disgusting mix of browns and reds to a toxic blue color. Denlin pulled out ten potion vials and filled them up before plugging them with corks. He walked over to Ezban and handed him the ten vials.
"Here are your potions, young dragon. Do take good care of these, they are quite volatile." Denlin's words made Ezban very uncomfortable, though he suspected that the old mole was just playing with him if the subtle lighthearted chuckles were anything to go by. He, none the less, meticulously slipped the vials into one of his pouches dedicated to restoration equipment and offered his thanks to the old mole along with a large bag of gold. Denlin smiled as he took the money and leisurely returned to whatever mysterious project he was working on. Ezban gave a quick little peek at the mole's work and found himself completely baffled by the substances the alchemist was working with. He paused for a moment to ask his meager variety of souls what exactly the mole was working on, but those that could or would respond were incapable of identifying it.
"Well, now that we have what we need, we can go finish the rest of our preparations. Follow me," Erwin said. Ezban gave a small jolt as the panther's words pulled his attention away from Denlin's rather mesmerizing work. With a quick yet polite "thank you," the two mages quickly made their way to another section of the farming community, one where the hum of charging magics and the frantic rustling of arcane tomes gave away its purpose immediately.
This new section of the community was set aside for the more intellectual professions. Mages with varying degrees of power, skill, and specialty were bustling about in the final stages of preparation. Spell tomes were rapidly leafed through, foci were tuned and kept well within reach, potions and reagents were sorted then packed away, and long lasting support spells were nearly finished channeling. Ezban immediately felt at home here, and he barely set foot within the protective boundary.
"Since you're one of our most adaptable units, if what you told us is true, then we must have you introduced to our Second in Commands. Yes, I do mean that in the plural sense. While this is an important military effort, it is almost impossible for us to be able to assign someone with the ability to effectively lead all of our types of units. It is because of this, and the fact that everyone you met in the command tent tends to run off as one small party, that we have assessed and chosen certain individuals to lead our main forces." Erwin told Ezban as the two weaved between the frantic mages, "And while it is true that you will be joining our party, you must still become acquainted with key individuals, and one of those individuals seems to be coming right now."
A Psychonis outfitted with many shielding charms and small segments of armor quickly floated over to the two arrivals. Her form was slender, especially so when taking into account her race. The bright blue fur along her back and sides melded nicely with the darker shade along her belly, legs, and lower jaw. Her two antler-like horns were a dull ivory color that matched the color of her eyes, a characteristic that all Psychonis shared that fascinated Ezban to no end. Being completely blind, yet able to see at the same time, was a baffling concept. It made the albino wonder why she decided not to wear an eye cover like most of her kind tended to do. Despite these things, this Psychonis was sadly rather plain. There was no symbol of status, no special piece of armor or clothing, nothing to really set her apart from anyone else.
"Ah, you must be Ezban. I am Nolliel. It's a pleasure to meet you." Nolliel spoke with a dreamy voice. It was gentle, quiet, and echoed pleasantly in the ears. "Since Erwin briefed you on a lot of what you must know, I shall keep this brief. My job is to manage all mages and tactical applications of heavy magics out in the field. I will frequently relay important objectives and orders to you and your party directly, though mine won't be the only ones you shall receive. There will be many more eyes watching the flow of the battle, and as such, you may find yourself being contacted by other key figures. They may have their own ways of doing so, but more often than not I will be the one directing their messages to you. I also ask that, in return for my services, you relay any information or orders you receive to me so that I may help the rest of our forces plan accordingly. Do you have any questions for me?"
"How should I contact you if I do find myself receiving these orders? I'm not skilled enough in mental magics to effectively relay a message to you." Ezban asked in reply.
"That is part of the reason you were brought here. Every member of your party has their own communication device I helped to build that allows you to be mentally linked with me. In doing so, we will be able to maintain constant conversation no matter how far away you shall be. All you have to do is imagine speaking with me, as well as feel for the mental trigger I will implant in you, and whatever you wish to say shall be sent through to me. All I ask is that you keep your messages to a minimum. Is there anything else you would like to ask?"
"Yes, but it's mostly just idle curiosity on my part. Why don't you give these out to all units, or at least enough to keep information flowing to the main zones of the battlefield?" Ezban turned to observe the preparations of a trio of mages, all of which seemed to be preparing some kind of magical explosive. Likely some kind of mortar round, though it looked a little too unstable to handle the force of a regular mortar. Maybe it was to be used with some kind of summoning array? That was definitely something to be looking out for once the battle heated up. "It seems like having something so useful could make our forces exponentially more effective should it be spread out, instead of in one small party."
Nolliel grimaced at that, a sharp contrast from her previously expressionless face, and said, "Because there are still limitations to this system. If I handed out too many, the sheer number of conversations and call outs would overload my mind. I've experienced it before and, believe me, it is far from a pleasant experience." She levitated an object over and held it before Ezban so he could see it. The device was a metal disk with a swirling design in the center that was surrounded by a series of ornately inlaid runes.
"Another issue is how expensive these are to make. These are very high-quality materials and I would much rather spend a couple hundred gold on a small amount, instead of bankrupting our forces to make sure everyone got one. The last and most important issue is that my power is limited as well. You've never attempted this, so you wouldn't know, but maintaining communications in such a way for more than four or five people for so long drains me immensely, and I'm already pushing the limits by supplying your party and the other two commanders. I would be incapacitated before even a minute has gone by if I tried even double that number." Nolliel paused for a moment when she noticed a small commotion nearby and hastily asked, "Do you have any other questions? If not, then I shall do the synchronization process immediately so you can be on your way."
Ezban shared her grimace as he shook his head "no." To think that such a simple looking device would carry such limitations, it was disappointing, to be honest. Nolliel gave a frankly adorable giggle at his expression and got to work. A small, almost unnoticeable "ping" echoed from both the device and inside Ezban's mind, immediately followed by a sudden jab of pain. It felt like something was being poked into his brain, like a small needle. The pain was gone just as quickly as it appeared, though a dull ache persisted afterward and the sensation of a needle remaining in his brain stayed, thankfully without the pain.
"There, you may now store the device anywhere you wish so long as it can still send and receive a signal. Before you go, just quickly send me a message so I may be sure everything is working properly. That mental trigger I mentioned earlier should feel sort of like a needle, so be sure not to forget about it."
Ezban did as he was told and thought of a message, a letter of sorts, and on the letter was a quote from a short novella he'd had the fortune of reading back home. Nolliel's eyes dilated for a moment, so quick it was almost impossible to notice, before shrinking down to normal size as she gave the albino an amused smirk.
"A fine choice of reading material, if a bit childish. Anyways, everything seems to be in working order. Do not worry about straying too far, the battle will not be big enough for us to worry about any range limitations. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must return to my duties. I wish you a pleasant tour of our camp, young Keeper."
As the Psychonis started floating away Erwin sent Ezban a curious look. Obviously that last part had to have caught his attention since Nolliel was the second one to call the albino a "Keeper."
"It's an old term for practitioners of my kind of magic," Ezban explained in answer to the silent question. "It's unoriginal, I know, but you cannot deny it is a very apt description of me. I am a Keeper of souls, hence the title Keeper."
Erwin replied with a silent nod and quickly made his way out of the increasingly frantic movements of the mages. Ezban was close behind him, though the bustling of so many people proved more difficult for him to navigate. The short jog to the next group, the guardsmen, had the two nearing a large pond of tents. Shades of green and teal stretched a good distance, with a large bonfire in the middle. After navigating through all the green, the two made it to the bonfire. Surrounding it were groups of soldiers either training, playing games, doing maintenance on their weapons and armor, or simply lazing about socializing. On the other side of the circular clearing was a large tent with a huge flag draped over the top of it. Two gryphon guards, both anthro, stood to either side of the entrance with immense halberds crossed in front of it. Their intimidating eyes briefly flickered to Ezban before settling on Erwin.
"He is expecting you, sir." The right one said.
"You may enter." Said the one on the left. They both moved their halberds to a vertical position and gave crisp salutes with their empty hands. Erwin responded with his own and walked in when the right guard pulled the flap open, Ezban scurrying in behind him. Inside the tent was a long table with a detailed 3D map of the battlefield. This was obviously the product of the local mages. It showed the trees, hills, the city walls, and the demon forces in a multitude of colors and symbols that Ezban wasn't quite sure how to interpret. Some dark blue showed their own forces. Standing around the map were three individuals moving around the blue forces and drawing arrows for troop movements, one of which was a familiar sergal guard captain.
"Glad to see you two made it on time," Damian said in greeting once the two were situated near the table. "Especially you, adventurer. It shows initiative and the ability to follow orders. We don't need someone going off and possibly hindering our efforts because they're lost or wanna play hero. Now, direct your attention to the map. Scouts have surveyed the battlefield and found some rather unsettling information and I've been forced to rethink our strategy."
Ezban watched as Damian placed an armored finger on a navy blue circle, namely where he and his new temporary party were going to meet before the battle. He traced a line from the circle to a decent sized clump of red.
"The initial strike will be a charge from the front. Stupid, I know, but it seems that the initial horde was replaced with units capable of dispelling or countering most magical assaults. Thankfully, this means that they're likely very squishy and not well trained in close combat, so a direct and vicious assault would be our best bet. Our party will be using the confusion of the assault to push towards the center of this horde. Once there, we'll unleash a heavy burst of damage that will send them reeling and hopefully disperse the horde, allowing us to crush them while they regroup. That should take care of the first horde rather easily if it proves successful, and leave the next horde for the mages to ravage. From what I have gathered there is a hastily made bomb being made by the mages that should slow them down and give us the opportunity to initiate a pincer maneuver, locking them in from both sides and utterly annihilating them."
"But what about the possibility of enemy reinforcements," Erwin brought up while pointing at another clump of red. "It seems there are some groups close enough to provide them aid if we attacked like that."
"Which is why we need to hit fast and hard, right?" Ezban asked. "If we are to take into account nearby forces, then the faster we eliminate these "squishy" targets the better. We would at least have a little time to prepare for the next wave if we're swift enough."
Damian pointed at another clump of blue and said, "Exactly, but that will leave us tired if we expend all of that energy so quickly. With this in mind, I believe it will be necessary to rely on the mages, archers and whatever other ranged units we have to deal with those other targets. That leaves us without any such support in our initial assault, but since those units tend to be squishy I'm willing to take that risk. We won't have much time to recuperate, so be sure to pack as many restoratives as you can, and make sure they're fast acting."
Having nothing else to say, Erwin gave a resolute nod and made his leave, Ezban right behind him. Things were looking up, it seemed, and with such a ripe opportunity available swift action was necessary.
"This news was a blessing," Erwin said as he navigated his way between the tents and frantic soldiers. "We have a much more effective way of managing our resources now. Having all of our ranged and magic units attacking at once will be devastating for the enemy, especially if we can focus our heavy ordinance on one large group instead of spreading it out. Corral all of the more physical units, then wreak havoc upon them all at once."
"You certainly seem eager," Ezban observed with a bemused look at the panther. "One could almost feel intimidated by your bloodlust."
Erwin gave a hearty chuckle and fingered the hilt of his huge sword."As an adventurer, I'm certain you know what kind of despicable things those freaks have done. We must take our vengeance where we can."
"I cannot bring myself to disagree with that. I do find myself fighting a little more viciously than I should at times." Ezban acquiesced. "I might even take up a fight or ten in the arena back in Warfang. Have you ever been there? It is quite the spectacle. I even remember seeing an old friend from the gryphon kingdom show up just to battle there."
"No, I can't say I have, though I probably should. The chance to test my skills against new and challenging opponents sounds thrilling, to say the least." Erwin analyzed Ezban from head to tail tip then said, "But that will have to wait. Come, let's get that armor looked at. There's another adventurer here who knows a thing or two about that."
"Why? My armor is perfectly fine. Or, at least, I think it is..."
"Just to be perfectly sure is all. We can't have you going out there in weak or faulty armor. It'll be quick, I promise."
Ezban pouted and said in the most childish tone possible, "But I don't wanna!"
"Too bad," Erwin said in the most commanding voice he could muster. "Just do it. It will put my mind at ease."
With a pout still firmly etched into his face, Ezban followed the senior mage to a hastily cobbled together smithy. It was a large tent with holes cut out to vent the smoke and other floating debris from metal working. There weren't that many soldiers there, and the only visibly experienced smith was a quadrupedal gryphon whose body was almost completely covered in thick metal plating. The walking suit of armor, despite not having thumbs, was working the forge like a professional. Those huge gauntleted talons held an intimidatingly large hammer with ease as it came down again and again on an unfortunate piece of metal. It probably knew there were two guests in the tent, as it paused momentarily mid swing, before continuing on. That last swing brought the metal to a near perfect point. The armor held up the weapon, a huge sword that was most likely going to one of the gryphon warriors, then tossed the accepted weapon into a barrel of oil to cool.
"Are we interrupting you, Mairona?" Erwin asked as he came beside the gryphon. He looked into the barrel at the recently finished sword and whistled. "Well done."
"Thanks, and no, you were not." A deep, yet still gorgeous voice echoed from the heavy helmet. It was shaped like a beast, with fangs and everything. "That Buster right there was the last commissioned piece I had."
With one quick motion, the gryphon pulled off its helmet and dropped it to the ground, the heavy metal sinking visibly into the hard packed dirt nearly as deep as Ezban's jaw currently was. Standing before him, shrouded some of the most intimidating armor he had ever seen, was the most beautiful gryphoness Ezban had ever had the fortune of laying eyes on. Her snow white facial feathers, shined and smoothed like those of the legendary seraphim, adopted the orange glow of the coals gracefully. Her beak, meticulously polished with the same care as her feathers received, curved to the sharpest of points.
Yet, even with all of these gorgeous features, one stood out the most. One thing shined with a beauty that had Ezban void of words, and that was her eyes. Her eyes, a deep and bold shade of light blue, shared the same hue as the sky pierced by the holy light of a descending angel. Along the outer edges that wondrous shade of blue faded to a gentle shade that bordered on the color of white that only the blessed land of paradise could produce.
She was perfect.
"Excuse me?"
A simple question quickly tore him from his appreciation of the blessed beauty before him and allowed Ezban to finally realize he was staring with what he assumed was an expression of boundless awe. Ezban quickly composed himself, a small curse to his easily wandering mind slipping through his lips as he gave a deep bow to the ray of perfection before him as he introduced himself.
"My apologies, miss Mairona, but I wasn't expecting to meet someone even half as beautiful as you are. I humbly beg your forgiveness. My name is Evandrael Ezban, but you may call me Ezban. It is truly a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Mairona, amused and flustered at the albino's greeting, giggled and shyly looked down at her helmet while telling him it was alright. Ezban lifted his head and glanced over Mairona's shoulder at the almost cooled sword with obvious interest. Here was a beautiful gryphoness, whose face alone was enough to steal his breath away, dressed like a veteran warrior and forging fine weapons with seemingly little to no effort. By the name of every conceivable deity, this angel was truly a slice of perfection, and he hasn't even taken the time to get to know her yet! Oh fates, please allow him the opportunity to do so!
"As much as I wish I could be here for conversation with an angel such as yourself, I'm here strictly for business at the moment." Ezban lamented aloud. "Erwin here wishes for me to have my armor inspected before the battle, even though I told him that everything was in working order."
"Then let's appease that idiot. Get over here, this shouldn't any longer than a minute." Mairona said as she beckoned him over. Ezban walked right up to her and stood perfectly still as she poked and prodded every bit of metal. She lingered a moment on the plating near his haunches before mumbling to herself as she backed off.
"Everything looks good, not a piece out of place," Mairona assured the two. "You were right, this armor is sturdy and will do its job despite not being as thick as the suits I usually see your kind wearing. I'm going to assume that is to allow for more maneuverability and hope you have the skill and agility to make use of it."
"Then with that, we can finish up our preparations and gather everyone for the assault," Erwin stated, looking up from the Buster that Mairona just finished. "Let's go, Ezban. Theo's group is probably in one of the houses cleaning out our supply of alcohol, and I don't want to test his claims of being a better shot drunk."
"Neither would I," Ezban agreed. He turned back to Mairona and bowed to her once more. "I am sad to say it, but I must take my leave. There is still work to be done and a battle to muster for. I hope to see you in town before I make sail for Warfang. It would be nice to share a drink and converse for a bit before I travel for yet another battlefield."
"It would be a nice little farewell if Warfang wasn't my intended destination as well," Mairona said eagerly. "So, who knows? We might not be on the same ship, but there's a chance we could meet again in the dragons' capital!"
Ezban agreed with a wide grin before being ushered out of the tent by an impatient Erwin. Mairona waved them goodbye and giggled at their retreating forms. That albino really caught her eye, or at least, a certain feeling she got from him did.
"Oh yes, you wonderful beast, we will meet again. I have so much I plan to do with you, to you, if daddy allows it."
A/N
Well, there you have it folks, the first actual chapter to my new Spyro story. If you haven't already guessed, I'm basing this story on the concept of an RPG. It's got everything: the quests, stories, myriad of characters, and parties full of a TON of different combat roles and characters with their own unique stories. I will be at least referencing those character stories later in the book, and while I plan on putting as much as possible into the story to give you all a better understanding of each important character's life, I might have to create side stories that explore the lives of the characters before they meet and party up with Ezban.
Please, review with what you like and don't like, and don't hesitate to toss out ideas on what you think would be a cool addition to the story. I have a forum up for this story that you can access from a link in my profile where you can create anything from your own characters to entire story arcs or side missions that might add to the story. I have a path/idea on what I want to do with this story already, but I would love it if you all could help shape this story and the world it takes place in. Like all RPGs, there's never only one person who makes the world in which the game takes place, it's a team. Let me hear what you think, and help shape this world!
Also, please note that chapters might not be this long from now on. This first one was just a kind of introduction and I might not be able to get the other chapters to reach 9776 words (which does not include the notes above and below). That is not to say they will be small, but I'd bank on them being between 5000 and 8000 words at the max. I'll try though, just for all of you!