Chapter Sixteen: Darker than Black

(Four days prior to Spyro's death)

"The purple dragon is getting closer… I can feel him." Draikor said as Cynder growled in pain as she looked towards the black dragon in dismay.

"Why do you kill… what's the point in boundless slaughter?" Cynder asked as she gave into the pain and remained motionless.

"That is a long story of my gruesome past…" Draikor said as he turned towards Cynder and stared blankly into her weary green eyes.

"I want to know... to see if you really are worthy to die a peaceful death." Cynder said through her teeth as she could feel the last of the green poison dry among the side of her mouth.

"Very well…," Draikor said as he closed his eyes to recap the broken memories. "It all started when I was only three years of age… My mother and father whose names I will never know tried to fend off the oncoming groups of Apes and Dreadwings until they were hopelessly surrounded and killed… I had to drink their blood for nourishment and I had to eat them little by little until there was nothing left. By the time I had finished off the bone marrow of them I had plenty of strength to fend for myself."

"Where did you go afterwards?" Cynder said as she tried to keep Draikor talking.

"I drifted from the south to the west, I don't remember how long I drifted," Draikor said as he sat down to remember his past. "I showed up briefly in Skabb's fight tournament though he feared me for what I done to him. I made him who he was before he died by Spyro's hands."

"You're the reason why he was impaired?" Cynder said as she realized how long ago it was since she last seem Skabb.

"Yes… I wanted to leave his ship but he refused to see this through, so I nearly beat him to death until Scratch and Sniff finally gave in to my demands. That is how Skabb received that scar among his face and why he wasn't right in the head."

"After that, where did you go to next?" Cynder asked as she saw Draikor hang his head low.

"I drifted around again, killing whom I pleased," Draikor said as he turned his head towards Cynder. "I enjoy how warm blood slips through my fingers and teeth. I enjoy how it feels to take a life from somebody else. It is a strange kind of sensation, to know what it is like to be in control over somebody like that. I know for a fact you would understand Cynder."

"That is a lie; I never took joy in killing somebody!" Cynder said as she gritted her teeth together.

"Oh on the contrary, I do believe you completed every task Malefor and Gaul assigned you to do, don't think you can just forget and move on from a life like that." Draikor said as he smirked to Cynder's drained face, knowing the comment hurt her from the inside.

"That doesn't mean that I didn't try to atone for my own sins unlike you," Cynder said as she tried to raise her head to make the point but failed. "You insist on drowning in your past that you are unwilling to forget what happened, happened and move on. I took in liberty and to my own heart to help those in need to make myself ease away from all the pain and loss I caused to long ago, much like any other normal person would do who is not as insane as you are!"

"Silence," Draikor shouted as he slammed the back of his fist into Cynder jaw as he stood over her limp body in triumph. "I know what is inside of you Cynder, why do you think I chose to kidnap you when I could have just as easily have chosen anyone else in this purgatory of a world?"

"Because you want to kill Spyro for joy and prove you are the better dragon in this world." Cynder answered with a sarcastic tone as she slurped the blood running down between her teeth back into her mouth and swallowed bitterly, trying to ignore the taste.

"I need his blood to be spilt when I have your half of the evil." Draikor simply said as Cynder showed the look of shock.

"I don't know what you are talking about you maniac." Cynder said as she tried to look away from Draikor.

"You lie," Draikor said as he grabbed Cynder's head and yanked it in his direction. "You have the other demon inside of you and you know that! You have had it your whole life, you are just too scared to realize it you weak little whelp!"

"Shut up, I wasn't given the choice to receive or decline it," Cynder roared as she ripped her head away from Draikor's hand. "Malefor ordered Gaul to possess me because he knew I would be more powerful that way!"

"It doesn't matter what or how you got the power, it will be mine once I kill the purple pest." Draikor said as he walked back to the edge of the overhang again to observe the land below.

"If you can… you have no idea how upset he's going to be when he sees you, his power will double when he gets angry." Cynder said as she smirked to Draikor's threat.

"I plan on him losing it, the demon knows everything he knows and, in fact, knows him better than he knows himself," Draikor said as he smirked back at Cynder. "He will be baffled by my knowledge of how he fights. He doesn't stand a chance."

(Three days prior to Spyro's death)

The wind among Warfang began to settle as Prowlus pushed through the bustling morning streets of Warfang, heading towards the city hall to speak with Terrador about the condition of Avalar and the shortage of crops due to Draikor's destruction.

"Prowlus, what brings you to Warfang this afternoon?" Volteer asked as he stopped Prowlus in the middle of the busy streets where Moles and other miscellaneous pedestrians made their way through the busy streets.

"Draikor has burned all of our crops and we are forced to come to you for aid," Prowlus stated as he removed his hood from his head. "Is there any chance you might have extra corn and soy beans or any seeds you can spare to get us by for a couple of weeks until our next harvest?"

"That we do, did you bring enough to carry about two dozen bags worth of rice and corn by chance?" Volteer said as he pointed to the emergency storm shelter.

"They are awaiting my orders outside the main gates." Prowlus said as he thanked Volteer for the kindness.

"Draikor didn't hurt anyone did he?" Volteer said as he and Prowlus walked back to the main gates together.

"No, he just startled most of the inhabitants," Prowlus said as he motioned his followers to enter the city. "Did he harm anyone here?"

"No, just knocked a large hole in the wall where we kept the crystal holding Spyro's demon… I hope he is doing ok out there with Hunter." Volteer said as he and Prowlus inspected the Cheetahs carrying the bags of food.

"Spyro and Hunter will look after one another, they will make it through ok," Prowlus said as he turned to leave the city. "We can never thank you enough for your kindness to our village. Please let us know if you need anything from us, we will be happy to help."

(Two days prior to Spyro's death)

"We are getting close, I can smell him from here it seems." Spyro said as he and Hunter observed for a brief moment where they were heading.

"Look, we can see the Volcano of Cripyro from here." Hunter said as they both looked up to the monstrosity of a volcano.

"I will never forget the battle I had there with my father," Spyro said, remembering the battle which took place between him and Malefor. "I kind of wish that I knew he was my father before we fought… maybe I could have saved him from the darkness."

"Spyro, he died a noble dragon, you could not save him from the darkness," Hunter said, trying not to sound too harsh as they stared among the volcano together. "It was only after he was closing to death he realized who he really was."

"Yeah… I see what you mean." Spyro said as they set up camp once more and rested their aching bodies.