Forgetting Who You Are

Chapter 4

The eyes of the purple dragon shot open, he was back in the healing solution in Ash's home. With the burnt Thrask pacing at the foot of the pool. Spyro spoke in a pained voice. "I'm back"?

Ash snapped his attention to the purple dragon. "You're alive! Not to often you hear that after a run in with a Corrupted Nomad".

He was confused. "Corrupted what? Nomad? What's that"?

"It's a stronger version of those things you saw lying dead in the abandoned city. Where I first found you. What do you remember"? He asked, leaning in.

"I remember, being alone. Aside from Vesh and Takkye no one came to help. Why"?

Ash sighed. "From what we know, Nomads have the ability to control a portion of time. They can slow our personal time and move at blinding speeds by speeding up their own. But for some reason you were only affected the first time. What happened? What did you do"?

Spyro told him of his encounter. "What do you make of it"?

Ash thought it over for a few moments. "I'm not sure. It seems that for some reason, it could only control your time once. After that, you somehow took control over it yourself. And by doing that, you've made yourself a target. You are in danger. Both of you. I have to get you to Warfang. And we can't wait for a ship".

"How can you get us there? I thought the only way was the supply run"?

Ash put a hand to his forehead. "Not necessarily. It is the safest way yes. But not the only way".

Spyro grew happy. "That's great"!

"However", continued Ash, "the problem is safety. Option two is safer than waiting. Especially after your little fight. But it is still extremely dangerous".

"What is option two"? He asked, worried for the answer.

"Long distance teleportation. Short distance is fine in small doses. To much of it though and you scatter across time. It's painful. Thankfully short distance only affects the caster. What makes long distance so dangerous is it affects everyone around you. Risking your own life is one thing. Could you risk the lives of everyone in Warfang on a chance"?

Spyro shook his head. "What about the temple"? Asked Cynder as she walked in. Back to her mirror finish. "The guardians said they'd wait for us in Warfang, the temple is much closer to Lourndas. We could fly from the temple to Warfang, and be in a safe place without compromising the lives of the city".

Ash nodded. "Yeah, that could work. But there's one problem". The dragons stared at him intently. "You need a guide. And our culture does not allow travel beyond our borders. Our knowledge and visions are to dangerous".

The hopefulness the dragons had before, melted from their face. From beyond the doorway, a healer spoke as if talking to herself. "If one gave their sight and quill, one might be able to leave. But I'll let them figure that out for themselves".

Ash cocked his head to the side, considering the idea. "No". Said Cynder. "I'm not letting you throw away what makes you you, simply for a shortcut".

"It's not just getting you there faster, it's getting you there at all. If we don't teleport, the corrupted will hunt you down relentlessly".

"Then how will we be safe in Warfang? If they hunt us down relentlessly, what's so safe about going somewhere else"?

"If we leave on a boat, they can track us. It's impossible to track something that just disappears and reappears somewhere else. Although it presents more risks, it is all in all safer for those involved". He began walking up the stairs. "It isn't fair to let you die because I was selfish". He continued upward, to the elder.

Cynder looked toward Spyro as he lay in the solution, shifting as it checked for internal damage. "Still feel weird"?

"Less now. But yeah. It's not very pleasant. I can tell you that much".

She smiled to him as she walked around the pool, and lay her head next to his. "Everybody was saying you wouldn't make it. That the poison was too strong. But I knew you'd pull through".

"It's nice to know someone was cheering for me. But what about Vesh and Takkye? Are they alright"?

"Well, we heard the screech and everyone went into overdrive. I got caught up following a mob lead by Desmios. When we found you, you were draped over the children, protecting them. I can't tell you how happy Desmios was. So happy in fact, he flew you back here personally. I of course followed, but I wish I came later. Alone. He didn't shut up about how grateful he was you saved his children. And just kept apologizing. To you. He still hates me. If it weren't for almost dying, I would have chosen to be in your position. At least I might have gotten a grateful look".

"I'll have to thank him. And make him apologize. He won't say no to the slayer of corrupted"! Spyro tried to sound as tough as possible, while being probed by slime.

"I can't wait to see the full extent of your fury, oh great purple dragon".

They shared a laugh as a healer came by to start the removal process. Cynder was shoved out the door. She walked up the stairs and back into the main room.

She found a nice patch of soft grass bathed in sunlight, and let her eyes rest.

As her eyes fluttered open, she took notice of her surroundings. Cynder was no longer being bathed in the glow and warmth like before. Instead she was surrounded by a bone shaking cold. She expected this, it was a desert after all. She stood and stretched. "I wonder if Spyro's still in the healing bath"?

With that thought in her mind, she walked towards where he was. The stairs were dark. She found she needed to use a torch at the entrance to see. When she got to his bath, there lay the purple dragon in the thick liquid.

"Wow, Spyro, you must really enjoy that stuff to be in it all day". He did not respond. "Hey Spyro? Spyro wake up". She went to touch him, but he reached up and grabbed her arm. "Hey! What are you doing?! Let go"! He pulled her under the viscous liquid. She tried swimming to the top, but it never came. Behind her came a voice.

"Oh Cynder. How far you've fallen. Why do you continue this charade? You know where I am, come free me". The voice was all to familiar to her. The dragon she thought was Spyro, was in fact a different purple dragon all together. Her old Master. Whose name she dare not even think.

She struggled harder and managed to break the surface of the liquid. She climbed out of the bath and a deformed version of Spyro had risen from the pool. She ran away. As she ran up the stairs, a differently deformed version of Spyro rose from each of the baths. When she broke free of the stairwell, she was met with Ash, unwrapped, with skin smoking.

His face read pain, and his skin had begun to flake into ash. "You did this to me. You destroyed who I am. YOU'RE THE REASON I SUFFER EVERYDAY! HOW CAN YOU LIVE WITH YOURSELF"?

Cynder had tears in her eyes as she screamed back at him. "NO! I didn't do this! That was the old me! I'm not like that anymore".

The Spyro walked up the stairs. "Are you so sure about that? The past is a mirror to our future. You can't deny your true self".

The words were poison. They were repeated and repeated until she herself started to believe them. "Isn't accepting yourself so much easier"? Images flashed before her eyes. The horribly maimed and beaten bodies of her friends were all she could see. Then, from the darkness, she saw a familiar scene. She was in a hut, talking to Vesh, the young gryphon.

She was rolling on the floor as she spoke. "I know you won't hurt us, you're too pretty. Pretty things don't hurt anyone".

It was those words that snapped her from that world. The sun was still beating down on her black scales. She was sweating, but not because of the heat. Her breathing was erratic and panicked. After a short while, she managed to compose herself and get her breathing under control. "That dream felt too real". She thought as She turned towards the healing baths. Her heart began beating harder the longer she stared.

Spyro walked out of the cave that connected the grand area with the healers den. He looked around and spotted the black dragoness. He picked up his pace and got to her side fairly quickly. "Hey Cynder. Where's... What did we agree to call him"?

She swallowed. "Ash. We call him Ash. And I don't know".

"Oh. Okay. So what are you gonna do while we wait for him"?

"I don't know".

Spyro cocked his head to the side. "Are you okay"?

"I'm fine". She said sternly.

"Are you sure? You don't seem like yourself"?

"I said I'm fine"! She snapped.

Spyro took a step back. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to"...

"Forget it. I just need some time alone. Okay? To think".

He nodded as she took flight. "What was that about"? He wondered.

He too came to lay in the sun drenched area. He laid on his back, looking upward, thinking about what he would do when they arrived at the dragon city. Considering Ash's words. "How am I going to fake it? Should I come clean? And what did Cynder say? I mean, from her reaction it seems pretty obvious. But If I'm wrong? What if what I think she said is the complete opposite? Then again, she got really close. So I can't be THAT far off". His mind wondered to his vision of fire and the burned dragon. "And the dragon in the dream that night. What did he mean that it was my fault? Every time I think about him, I feel sad. Am I sad for him? Or sad for me"?

Ash stood over the purple dragon. He got his attention with a soft kick. Spyro's head snapped out of it's locked position. He hadn't noticed how much the sun had moved. Only his lower half was wrapped in it's warm embrace.

"Preparations are almost complete. I've been requested by Desmios though. So I have to go see what he wants. When you're ready, find Cynder and go to the elders chambers. They'll direct you from there".

He nodded and went off to find his black and magenta friend. He managed to find her on a balcony, looking over the massive desert.

"Hey, Cynder"? He said as stepped behind her. "Ash told me he's ready. We have to go see the elder. I was told to come get you".

She sighed. "You've never seen this place before it was a desert. It was beautiful. But I destroyed it. I know the thrask don't blame me. But the gryphons sure do. And I don't like thinking about it, but I'm reminded about everything everyday. Every life I've ever taken. Every life that was lost before me. Even those that sacrificed themselves for us. Every dream. So I have a question for you".

He stepped beside her. "Of course Cynder, what is it"?

"Do you blame yourself for Ignitus' death as well"?

Spyro froze. "Oh shit". He swallowed a ball in his throat. "Well Cynder... I uh... uh...".

"Don't worry. I know it's hard. I won't force you. You were closer to him than any of us". She licked his cheek and pressed herself against him. "If you ever need to talk about it with someone, you can talk to me, okay"?

He was still frozen. He knew they had been friends since before his memory issue, but without those memories he didn't feel like he could return what she was giving him at the moment. Nervously he stammered out a few words as he pulled away. "Uh.. y-yeah. Of course. We.. uh.. we should get going. Get back home, you know"?

Cynder was visibly saddened. "Right. Let's go". Forcing a smile, she led the way.