Hey, guys, I'm back! I'm really glad my exams are over so I got writing! Hope you guys'll continue supporting my stories!
"15 years ago, around the time when the raids were happening, I was also just born on that day, like you and Cynder." Bolzan began.
"I wasn't a dragon at that time, I was a human but I had dragon blood within me. I'm not really sure how, but on that day, Malefor stormed the city and razed it down to the ground with his dark army. Maybe it's because I had dragon blood or something but I remember seeing my parents burn before my eyes, my father was fighting off the dragon's onslaught of minions but he, too succumbed to their numbers." In Spyro's mind, he could imagine the pain and suffering there, the buildings blazing, lighting the sky crimson.
"I was taken from the city by Malefor who took me to his lair." Bolzan cringed at the thought.
"There, he replaced my eye with this orb that more or less functioned identically but it had the ability to look into hearts. The process was… painful to say the least." Bolzan subconsciously placed his paw over his left "eye".
"So, if you weren't a dragon, what made you become one?" Spyro asked as they continued to ascend the stairs.
"I'm getting there. Malefor then began "infusing" me with Shadow and Light. Since these elements can only be controlled by dragons, the dragon blood within me awakened and, slowly and painfully, I became a dragon. The sudden surge of energy caused me to become physically 15 years old when, mentally, I was around 6 years old."
"That's around the same time I found out I was a dragon, too!" Spyro exclaimed, amazed by the coincidence.
"Yes, quite a stroke of luck there. Anyway, since I'm not a purple dragon, I couldn't use both elements to their full potential. Instead, the lines between Shadow and Light are blurred within me."
"Blurred how?" Spyro asked, genuinely curious.
Bolzan smiled.
"I've never told anyone about my past before because I was, admittedly, scared that people would ask a lot of questions. I see I wasn't too far off."
"Sorry…" Spyro replied, blushing.
"No, it's alright. I don't mind the questions."
"Wait, if you were 6 years old that year, did you see Cynder?" Considering that Cynder was corrupted by darkness at that time, Bolzan should have seen Cynder at Malefor's lair.
Bolzan frowned, deep in thought.
"Nope. I do recall some of the apes saying something about her but I can't remember what they were talking about."
"Alright. So, what's with the boundaries being blurred or something?"
"Oh, right. Well, most of the time, dragons capable of utilizing light are excellent healers but almost incapable of fighting while shadow dragons are excellent fighter but can barely heal. My version of light, however, can be used to fight and my version of darkness can be used to heal. However, my light attacks aren't very powerful. They do make up in accuracy, though. My darkness is capable of healing extremely rapidly but it can't heal as well as light so, I tend to prefer to use shadow to heal in the middle of a fight. Also, I can't use shadow to heal others or else, they would likely expire. Neither element is as powerful as it can be but, I don't mind." Bolzan explained.
"Anyway, when I was 9, I couldn't take the torture anymore. One day, I just snapped."
Bolzan had a slightly regretful grin on his face.
"When I came to, I was outside his lair; I looked back and saw a trail of bodies, no doubt killed by my hand. I couldn't care less. I spat out the blood in my mouth and set off to an unknown destination."
"I then spent the next 3 years roaming, trying to learn the ropes of being a dragon. It wasn't fun but, eventually, I got the hang of being a dragon. My elements, however, weren't going to be reined that easily. I often ended up unleashing my elements randomly, destroying a large part of the land around me."
"Eventually, after roaming around for 3 years, I came across the city of Lazarus. Like you, I passed out before I even got close to the city. I woke up and I met Baero, Solaris and "King" Eratos. I also met Lazarus and, after some training, I could finally control my elements. I was made a Guardian fairly recently, around last year."
They reached the door to the Guardians' wing. Bolzan opened his jaws and a bright light shone, 5 thin beams of light struck the door's coloured gems and the door vanished in a burst of light.
"Well, shall we go help Cynder?"
Spyro released Bolzan and, as Bolzan went to his room to get some things, Spyro went to check on Cynder. When he entered Solaris' room, he saw Eratos standing over Cynder's body, his claws brimming with darkness. The calm look on his face as he raised his paw to strike Cynder made him seem much more sinister than he had ever been. Spyro ran into the room and rammed Eratos, causing him to stumble.
"Who are you and what are you doing to Cynder?" Spyro asked, panting.
"I'm the king of Lazarus, Eratos, and you will not stop the Dark Master's resurrection." Eratos answered calmly. He suddenly appeared behind Spyro in a burst of darkness, his claws still brimming with darkness. He grabbed Spyro's throat with his left paw, gagging him as he raised a claw menacingly to Spyro's heart.
"The Dark Master requires the heart of a purple dragon to resurrect, thank you for "volunteering", I'll make it quick." Eratos grinned maliciously as he pushed his claw closer to Spyro. Eratos' paw was like a vice and held Spyro tight, rendering him unable to retaliate. As Eratos' claw was about to pierce into Spyro, he suddenly roared in pain and dropped Spyro. Eratos spun around and saw Bolzan, his mouth shining with light. Another white lance fired from his mouth and struck Eratos on the chest, sending him reeling but, otherwise, barely damaging him. Eratos growled menacingly and swung his paw, sending a wave of darkness towards Bolzan. He deftly dodged it and promptly sank into the shadows, reappearing next to Spyro.
"Are you alright?" Bolzan asked Spyro who was coughing on the ground, gasping for air.
"I'm fine…" Spyro gasped.
"2 interlopers? I suppose I'll just have to kill both of you." With that, Eratos charged up an orb of darkness in his mouth and prepared to fire it at them. There was no escape.
"Get away from my son!" A squall of wind roared through the room, knocking Eratos off his feet. Baero stood there, his wings poised. As Eratos struggled to get up, a massive paw made of shadow grabbed him and pulled him through the ground. He materialized outside the room in a shadow cage. Solaris stood nearby, her paw jammed into the ground.
"Hurry up and save my daughter!" Solaris shouted, straining to hold back Eratos' strength.
The cage burst, throwing Solaris onto her back. Ignitus caught her and helped her back to her feet.
"I suppose I'll have to dispose of all of you as well…" He launched into an onslaught of shadow-infused claw swipes which were promptly deflected by Solaris' own darkness. Ignitus breathed scorching flames at Eratos which he managed to avoid through the shadows.
As the battle raged on outside, Baero turned towards Spyro.
"We'll buy you some time. Now go!" Baero turned around and joined the fray.
"You heard him, let's get started." Bolzan took 8 green crystals out of a bag that Spyro failed to notice in their haste. He placed them in a rough octagon around Cynder, whom they had lowered onto the ground.
"Each crystal gives you 5 minutes so you have 40 minutes to get in there, save Cynder and your kids and, if possible, defeat Malefor. Think you can handle that?" Bolzan asked.
"Yes, anything for Cynder." Spyro replied as he took his place next to Cynder.
"Good. It'll be quite uncomfortable during the transfer so, prepare yourself mentally." Bolzan said and, with that, he placed one paw on Spyro' chest and one paw on Cynder's.
"There'll be a timer in the form of 8 flames on your chest. Get out of there before the last flame goes out or else you'll be trapped in there." Spyro nodded and readied himself.
"Good luck, Spyro."
A black flame and a bright light flared on each of Bolzan's paws. The 8 crystals lit up and formed an intricate runic circle joining them up in a network of light and darkness. Suddenly, Spyro felt as if he was being turned inside-out, like something was being ripped out from him. He was suddenly falling through oblivion towards a bright light.
He opened his eyes and found himself on a vine covered floor. Cynder was chained to the ground nearby, in the middle of the room. Cynder saw Spyro and tried to reach out to him but was cut short by an indistinct dark shape that materialized between them. Although it had no features except for a dragon-like form and two crimson eyes, Spyro instantly knew who it was.
"Malefor…"
Malefor laughed maliciously and fixed his burning gaze onto Spyro.
"Welcome, Spyro, I've been expecting you…."