Legend of Spyro: Stormfront
Chapter 24
The air was laden with smoke and ash. The hellish fumes bellowed from the summit pluming into the air in a large cloud, and the tiny grey particles were drifting through the air like a summer snow. The night stars were veiled behind the impenetrable smog. The only light was from orange glow emanating from the summit, or the occasional small stream of bubbling lava leaking from some pit of hell.
Two dragons gently landed upon a small outcropping, their landing kicking up the ash that had settled on its black rock floor. As they walked their passage left footprints where only a few had ever walked before. They approached a long dead lava tube that had once been a passage for the heat of the volcano, now nothing more than a cave.
"You can rest here for now Quake. I'm going to do a little excavating."
The green dragon only nodded and grunted a response, tired from his long day of flying. He smiled inwardly to himself thinking about the day. It had almost been fun he thought tricking all their friends. Of course this was no laughing matter, one mistake and he could end up dead.
If everything went like it he should come off free and clear and no one would ever know. Quake recalled Spyro's words when he told him of this crazy plan.
"…At that point the corruption should leave you and your body will revert to normal. Just play along that you were brainwashed and you should be fine."
But Spyro on the other hand… in fact he had no idea what would happen to Spyro. Spyro had refused to tell him what would happen to himself.
He'll just tell them everything and life will go back to normal, yeah. No more war, and no more lies. Quake's last thoughts left him as he drifted into sleep.
*.*.*
Rey felt a bead of sweat run down the back of his neck. His blood ran cold as the steel pressed against his head. He slowly turned as to not provoke the aggressor. As he turned he could tell neither his father nor the other lower rank electric dragon even knew of his plight.
His eyes only glimpsed a hooded being, furred paws clutching his weapon fully drawn his hands not quivering in the slightest. A pair of eyes gleamed back at him. The thousands of torch lights did not penetrate at this distance the shadows of his cowl. Behind him he glimpsed a furred yellow tail with black spots.
Then he noticed another brown cloak emerging from the depths of the trees. It moved silently behind the electric dragon that was with them. He already had his bow in his hands. He removed an arrow from the quiver on his back and drawing the bow slowly after fitting in arrow in the knock. The deadly pointed shaft aimed at the back of the scout's neck.
When he was apparently ready the other cloaked figure nodded towards the one that had Rey in his sights.
Rey stood motionless for a moment. Fear gripping him as he thought about what would be his final moments in life. He felt a deep sense of regret that he would never make any sort of impression on his father.
Then the hooded and cloaked figure cleared his throat loudly, as if announcing his presence.
Rey watched as his father and the lower ranked soldier turned oblivious to the danger. The solider was met with an arrow aimed directly at his chest. He gasped in sudden surprise and shock, before his training kicked in and he lowered into a stance ready to fight.
The figure only extended his drawn bow a little further, exaggerating his ability to shoot.
Rey's father moved a large orange scaled paw and motioned for the soldier to back down. The lower rank seemed startled for a minute, and seemed about to question the General's unspoken order, but he dropped his battle stance after a moment's hesitation.
"What is it that you want? You obviously aren't here to kill us or you would have done that already." Rey's father spoke just as insanely calm as ever.
A bead of sweat dripped from Rey's nose still believing he would be dropped at any moment.
The cloaked figure aiming at the scout looked towards the one pointed at Rey. A silent nod passed between the two and they lowered their weapons.
Rey sighed inwardly as the deadly point was moved towards the ground.
"We have come to deliver a message." A deep voiced mewed out from the hidden cowl. "The Guardians would like a word with your commander in the morning. To the west there is a lone hill, with ruins upon its summit. They wish to meet there."
They backed away noiselessly farther into the growth, and Rey seemed to watch the pair disappear before his very eyes, and then they were gone.
*.*.*
Quake awoke to the dark of the cave that he had somehow fallen asleep in. He stood and stretched his joints popping pleasurably, as the sound bounced down the cavern. He stepped outside, as the hellish landscape greeted him. The air still smelt of ash and sulfur and his nostrils did not greet the stench with open arms. He coughed for a moment before standing and blowing his nose to clear it of any debris. It was still early in the morning, however he could see well with the light provided with the ever glowing corona above him.
The volcano rumbled ominously, and the ground shuttered at its power. Quake nearly fell over, however it subsided quickly the false calm returned.
Quake recovered his balance to see Spyro flying in the distance a deer clutched in his sharp talons. Quake heard his stomach rumble in response to the anticipation of food. Within moments Spyro had landed dropping the dear carcass as he did.
"Good you're awake. Soon as you have finished eating we will leave."
"What about you?" Quake asked thinking his friend was not eating.
"I ate before I left the forest, I can't carry two dear." He responded reasonably.
Quake nodded satisfied with the response and quickly gorged himself upon the meal. He belched loudly to signify that he was done. The sun had just begun to shed its light on the horizon, it would lend them just enough light to see where they were going.
Spyro turned towards the edge of the precipice and unfurled his brown golden wings. "Let's get going."
Quake followed soot and they were soon flying above the remains of the burned lands. Quake felt uneasy being within the realm of the former dark master. Here life seemed to never have existed blotted out under the burning flames of hell, as if the very land itself had been scarred to where it could not heal.
They began to approach the edge of the destroyed landscape. However the sight was at its worst. Here where the fires had burned the hottest under Malefor's magic. The land seemed to have melted and a deep gorge had been made, a black pit.
Spyro slowed for a moment in the air, as if straining under a heavy burden.
"Spyro what is it?"
"N-nothing." He responded solemnly, he recomposed himself and the hint of whatever emotion Quake had witnessed was gone again.
Eventually the blackened land began to break, bits of grasses here and there, slowly trying to reclaim what the earth had lost. Further than that small scrub and a few trees dotted the land until finally it seemed the ground beneath them had returned to the way it should be
They flew for about another half hour before anything raised Quake's awareness. In the distance another dragon was flying away from them. He was undoubtedly a scout on patrol for one the armies, but which one Quake hadn't a clue.
"Spyro!" Quake shouted.
"I see him. Get into the cloud cover above us and don't come out of it." He yelled over the strong wind.
"But we could lose each other." He responded.
"Just keep flying straight and stay close." Spyro yelled back.
Quake gave several powerful strokes from his wings, and soon he was lost in the white mistiness of the clouds. He let his tongue hang out to condense some of the water and take a midair drink.
Here and there he would catch a glimpse of purple scales telling them that he was still with Spyro. However at one point he lost sight for several tense minutes before coming to the end of a cloud only to see Spyro a few yards to his left.
Spyro motioned for them to land. Spyro folded his wings almost completely so that he would plummet towards the ground. Quake followed suit. This would prevent them, hopefully, from being seen by anyone in the vicinity.
Quake watched as the ground approached at a rapid pace. As he continued his dive he began to just barely inch his wings open. When he was mere moments from reaching the ground, he flared them. He nearly screamed in pain as the force jolted his wing joints, however he controlled himself. They landed discreetly in a small valley formed between two hills.
They both rested for a moment letting their aching wing joints rest for a moment before they continued. The top of the disk that was the sun was now just starting to become visible in the morning twilight.
"Alright you know what to do. Get in, get out and get back to the volcano with our guests."
Quake grunted an affirmative and quietly stalked away towards one of the camps.
*.*.*
The great general folded his ruddy brown wings and landed at the bottom of a steep hill, two guards along with him. He strode quickly to its top followed closely by his bodyguards who were watching for any sign of an ambush.
Nestled upon its top he could see broken stone work. He could make out where once proud towers and strong walls had stood but now dilapidated into ruin. Only the foundations of the archway that held the gate now stood. The stones had been cast down upon the sides of hill as if thrown by the Ancestors themselves.
He strode through the remains of the arch, the gate that once stood all but gone. There in the courtyard were the same two hooded and cloaked figures that he had seen the night before. He could see their spotted and furred tails more clearly in the daylight, and could now tell for sure they were mammalian in origin. His two guards stepped in front protectively as this was not who he was expecting.
One of them spoke in their strange mewing tongue. "The Guardians will arrive shortly." The group of dragons moved away from the entrance to keep their backs protected.
Sure enough the distinct flapping of at least two sets of wings could be heard in the distance.
The General decided this could be a good time to retrieve some information. "So tell me Hunter how is the Cheetah tribe doing?"
The cloaked figure was obviously taken off guard. The General sensed that his guess had been correct.
The figure removed his hood show his feline features. "How did you know?"
"I didn't. However the evidence pointed in that direction. So is the entire tribe here on the Warfangian side or just you and your comrade?"
The cheetah seemed to mull it over for a minute deciding if it was best to tell him. "No, my friend Meadow and I have come of our own volition."
The wizened general decided to keep pressing to get as much as he could from the disgruntled cat. "And what drives that volition?"
"To stand by our friends and a personal debt we owe to them."
He nodded slowly. "I understand."
Then three large dragons appeared through the broken archway one of gold, one of green and one of blue.
"You must be the Guardians." Erwing greeted.
"Yes that is us the current leaders of Warfang." The blue one proudly stated his pompousness all too unsubtle.
Introductions were exchanged, none of them warm or welcoming. The pleasantries ended quickly.
"So why did you ask for me to come here?"
The large green dragon known as Terrador stepped forward. "We wanted to warn you that you stand no chance. This will only lead to senseless slaughter."
An idea filled the confines of Erwing's mind, he then began his trap. "You would use the purple dragon against us?"
"We will use every asset available to us to repel you invaders." The ice blue dragon stated.
And now he would call their bluff. "Then I'm sorry to inform you that Spyro himself told me that he would not fight with you."
The three Guardians were stunned; they had fallen right into the trap. The two cheetahs looked towards the ground in hopelessness.
"You lie!" The ice blue dragon yelled. The green dragon could not keep him from snarling. Only Volteer remained calm and collected. Erwing felt that if any mind were to challenge this would be the one. He could sense his intelligence.
Volteer then spoke, breaking the silence of the gathering. "Deducing from your behavior however, he did not take your side either."
The general snorted. He as well had been caught. "You are correc-"
The earth underneath them trembled briefly. Then the sound of an explosion ripped through the hillside. The cheetahs clasped their ears in pain, and the dragons had to keep themselves balanced on the shaking ground. Then all went quiet.
The Guardians began to look around trying to determine the source of the blast. In the distance back towards the camp where the Warfangian army was tented a mushroom cloud of smoke rose, followed by a steady stream of black.
"Sabotage!" Cyril exclaimed as he turned towards Erwing and his guards who were now in front of him for protection.
"I ordered nothing of the sort. An accident perhaps?"
"Hunter!" Terrador yelled calling the cheetah to him
"I'm on it!" He yelled in reply and began leaping and bounding back towards the camp and soon he was gone.
*.*.*
Flare opened her eyes to see a dimly lit room made of a smooth black rock. A small whole in the wall was the only light source she could see. Everywhere else was completely sealed by the impenetrable rock. An icicle hung from the ceiling in one corner, a round basin carved beneath it. It slowly dripped filling it with water.
Plink, plink, plink.
The room was hot, so Flare deduced that it must have been artificial. The silence unnerved her, only to be briefly interrupted by the dripping and the ripples across its surface.
She began to panic. Where am I? Why was I captured?
The foreign dragons must be holding her. There despicableness made her angry. Then her resolved kicked in. She would not talk, never. She would die before betraying her friends.
She began to look for a means of escape, but then she finally noticed an orange brown lump on the floor.
I'm not alone! Her mind screamed to her. Indescribable joy filled her in at least having a companion. She cantered quickly over to his side. A bruise had formed on the back of his neck, and he was still out cold. She gently shook him trying to wake him.
He made no move for several minutes but after repeated attempts to rouse him, he moaned loudly.
"Oh my head." He stated as he rolled over, he then caught sight of Flare. "W-who are you? What did you do to me?" He yelled jumping away from her.
"I would ask you the same question, but you asked first. My name is Flare, I live at the Academy. I woke up here just like you."
"What Academy?" He asked.
Flare then jumped into a battle stance. "You aren't from Warfang! Are you?" She interrogated.
"No, I'm from Dragon Cove one of the colonial cities." He stated a mix of pride and sorrow in his voice.
"What's your name invader?" Flare asked harshly, not even attempting to hide the hatred in her voice.
"Rey."
"Listen." Flare began. "I'm going to escape, you can help me or you can stay out of my way. I don't know why your own people have you locked up, but it isn't my problem."
"What do you mean my own people? Did you not see who captured you?"
Flare faltered for a moment her tough attitude disappearing for a moment. "Who was it?"
"I was ambushed by a dark green earth dragon, who I know was Quake." Rey answered her gravely.
"What are you saying?" Flare responded in horror. Her heart might have been denying it, but her mind knew what had happened.
"That your friends are our captors, Spyro and Quake."
"No! I don't believe you! This is some kind of trick to get me to talk!" She yelled backing away from him. "Stay away from me!" She huddled into a corner, tears pouring down her face.
At that point the conversation ended. He had more important things to think about anyways like how to escape.
Rey thought he heard Flare whisper something through her tears. It sounded like, "Flame."
Sorry this took so long. Life's distractions have gotten in the way recently. Please review!
