Chapter 18: Old Enmities Forgotten
Character RuGaard
The smell of home was wonderfully refreshing, or it would have been if every whiff of air did not carry the smell of demon on it. He was surveying the walls of the town, no city-state, of Haven from the air as a black mass gathered on the horizon, the demons. The air was warm, a pleasant kind of semi-humid temperature that made the old copper dragon feel clean and young again. Nilrasha swooped past him as she delivered news to AuRel and Kalathanon about the condition of the outlying area. His own recon work concluded RuGaard followed his mate down to the opening into the caverns that honeycombed Haven's under-belly. Had he been told a hundred years ago that he would return from hiding to rule a newly formed empire and then go soaring through the stars and time with K and his Dragon Company, RuGaard would have had that person checked into a mental hospital.
"What news from the plains my love," RuGaard asked his mate as he landed beside her.
"Not good," The demons are trying to set up a forward post in the forest to the west of here, "Near your hatching cave if I am not mistaken."
His face saddened for a moment at the mention of his parents cave, the place where he had been outcast and then betrayed his family, but he shook off those thoughts his family was back, in one form of 'life' or another and they were as cohesive as if they had never had the fight on the egg shelf. Well with the exception of one. There was a red sibling that he and AuRon teamed up against before turning on each other, he didn't think of the red when Cynder and Zar's necromancy brought back the other dragons in his family.
"Something is troubling you dear, I can see it," Nilrasha stated.
"Just old memories that sometimes haunt me still," RuGaard replied as they entered the cave where K and AuRel, RuGaard's father were pouring over old maps with his sister Wistala, Hawk and Hightower.
"The demons are massed to the north and west but have not moved the bulk of their forces in," Hightower was saying, "I can only assume there is some reason for them to be waiting there or they are a distraction for a much more potent attack."
"Our scanners are only picking up the demons near here and the ones to the north-west," K said, "No they are devising something up there, probably siege weapons."
"The walls are not weak by any means," RuGaard added to the conversation as he and Nilrasha walked up to the table, "But they are not dwarf work so a good pounding will fell them."
"Add to that a forward camp of demons in the forested mountains to the west and we have ourselves quite a mess," Nilrasha said.
"The west," AuRel said, "That's near our cave, I think AuRon, yourself and I should go and 'welcome' these demons to our home."
RuGaard nodded, as bad as his brother was for interesting company the gray preferring to keep his thoughts to himself, AuRon was the best stalker they had. Then, almost as if on cue, AuRon and NooMauk walked into the room. RuGaard smiled as his brother got drafted by their father to go on the pest control raid then said. "I'm not thrilled about this either."
"Well at least I'll have you at my back instead of one of those magic using dragons," AuRon said, "While their magic is powerful they seem to have less physical strength due to it."
"You are correct," K said as he looked up from the maps. Their somewhat shadowy leader was in his black cloaked human form with only the fire of his green eyes showing from beneath the hooded visage that he wove for himself. "And while you could easily beat most of the Avalarian dragons in a match of physical strength, Spyro or Malafor could beat you like the disgusting trolls that roam the dark corners of your world."
"The trolls used to be much worse, before the... well it doesn't matter now," RuGaard said, "Well if we are going to go clear out the homestead then lets do it before dark, I want to be back in time for dinner."
Hawk laughed at that comment, the two of them being of like mind when it came to food, K rolled his eyes, and NooMauk walked over to them.
"Well if you want this done quickly then I'd best come along," the elder dragon skeleton said, "Besides I've always wanted to see where such a scamp like AuRon grew up in."
"Well then come along," AuRel said as he stretched his necrotic wings and then vaulted into the sky through the hole in the top of the cave. The others followed with RuGaard in the back behind AuRon, the gray's wings creating drafts that made his own flying easier, scale armor tended to weigh one down when flying. It took them an hour to get to the foothills of the mountains and another to find the demons' camp. It was just down the slope from the mouth of the cave RuGaard had hatched in, but it was missing a single important component, demons.
"Does anyone else sense a trap," NooMauk asked.
"Sure seems like one," AuRon hissed from the shadows where he was concealed, his skin changing colors as the light played over his gray hide to make him invisible.
"Then lets spring it," RuGaard stated as he walked into the clearing and called, "Demons hello?" He braced for an ambush but instead got the misty cloud of red energy that held his undead father together and a wall of dragon bones around him.
"I thought you had more sense than that," AuRel chided as he got off RuGaard, "But I still don't see any demons so maybe your instincts are better attuned than mine."
RuGaard accepted the comment with a nod as they surveyed the clearing. Demons had definitely been here and recently. There were felled trees that had been stacked up for future use and a few tent-like constructions along with weapons and armor suited for the disfigured monstrosity that had set up the camp. Then there were the foot prints. Most were demon prints but there was one set that stood out to RuGaard and he called the others over. There in the midst of the camp were the tell-tell signs of dragon claws, but only claws no other print marks were visible and he didn't smell dragon either.
"Those are definitely dragon claws," RuGaard said, "But how?"
"I think I know," AuRel said as he placed a paw down next to the tracks. When he raised the paw a larger set of similar prints was resting beside the first one, "Its another undead."
"Ok but who's side is it on," RuGaard asked, "If it killed these demons then maybe it would join up with us."
"I do have a name," a deep rolling voice called out in thick but fluent drakine, the native language of the dragons on RuGaard's planet. Then a pool of blood began to seep out from the ground and started to coalesce. Slowly a dragon drew itself out of its hiding place underground and rolled its wings about as it looked them over. This dragon was different from AuRel, Irene, or Zara, who all had a loose mist that held their bones together. No this dragon had a thick, sticky mist that was focused on guiding the blood as it flowed through the air. The blood finished forming the shape of the dragon and a few bones were now visible, the six horns were made of bone as was the spike on the tail and the claws.
"It's a necromancer," AuRon said as he backed up.
"Again with the it," the dragon said, "I do have a name, right father?"
RuGaard, AuRon and AuRel all jumped back at that statement. This dragon before them was none other than the red that had died in the fight for championship at their birth.
AuRel recovered first, "Well I don't really have anything off the top of my head. You are a self made dragon from the look of you what do you want to be called my son."
RuGaard inwardly grinned at the master stroke his father had just deployed. By giving the red the choice of a name he conceded any control that the red might have reservations about but by calling him a son also bound the undead dragon to them as family. RuGaard now just hoped that their undead brother would not try and take revenge for his premature death.
"Hmm... Name myself. An interesting concept, maybe Cracker-Jack. No! That sounded better in my head, ah I know Ace," The red or Ace now replied. "So you're my father, another like me, you two are my brothers but are still alive, I was sure the gray would kill you copper after I took your leg... wait how did you heal your leg?"
"It's a long story little one," NooMauk said, "But come we have tarried here to long as it is, the demons come."
"Not while I'm here they wont," Ace replied as the corpses of the demons that used to inhabit the camp tromped out into the clearing. "You all keep your 'living' ilk out. Feast on their flesh and drink their blood."
The demons gathered up their weapons and armor at Ace's command and then took up positions in the clearing like they were just 'normal' demons. A nasty ambush for any other demon to fall into.
"Now, I'd very much like to meet whoever is responsible for your healing," Ace said, "Oh and close your jaws it is unbecoming of you."
"Where did you learn to speak, or use those powers of yours," RuGaard asked.
"Oh that, yes I suppose it must seem odd for me to be able to talk with you, indeed I was not around to learn to speak from anyone," Ace said, "Fortunately I met this real nice dragonelle during my time in the spirit world, Zora her name." Ace tilted his head as though listening to something then continued, "Actually she says she knows several of the dragons you travel with. Shall we continue this conversation in flight?"
AuRon took off first, followed by NooMauk then AuRel, Ace and then RuGaard. He drew up alongside Ace who nodded his head in acknowledgment.
"So that's it then," RuGaard asked, "No revenge or anything for us killing you?"
"What? Revenge? No." scoffed Ace, "To be fair I attacked you first anyway, if there is anyone who I would take vengeance on it would be AuRon, but I can't bring myself to be mad at him. That strike with the egg tooth was inspired."
"Your something else brother," RuGaard commented, "I was mad at him for years for not letting me back on the shelf. It never dawned on me that I could have ended up dead."
Ace laughed at that drawing the rest into the conversation which kept up until they landed back inside the underground command center.
Character Kalathanon
"So your the forth sibling of AuRel's clan," K said as he surveyed Ace. "You, like your sister Zara died young correct, before your wings came out. So where then did you get the wings?"
"Demon bones," Ace replied, "No my original body was the one I left this world with, I built up to this one over the past few months thanks to the demons. How did Zara get hers?"
"Oh I believe that Zar used the bones of dead dwarves to enlarge and wing her body, much like you used the demon bones," K replied, "To be honest I was not expecting you, for obvious reasons and since the necromancy that Cynder, Zar and Mephisto cast in and around your cave didn't bring you back the first time. Still I am glad you made it thanks to this Zora was it?"
"Yup that's her," Ace confirmed, "You know her?"
"The name I've heard before but I can not place it," K said, "You could probably ask around to find out who knew her."
"I think I might at that," Ace said, "but first I got to ask, my brother's right sii you healed that?"
"Indeed," K replied, "As well as his wing, his eye, and both his mate's wings."
"Strange for one who reeks of destruction to bring about so much healing," Ace said as the flaming dragon left the cave to meet the rest of his family.
K watched the newest member of his Dragon Company leave before turning his attention back to Hightower and Hawk. "Ok so if the base to the west is being guarded by Ace's zombies we are free to focus on the north."
"Which is fine and all but there are a half million demons up there," Hightower said, "What are you going to do, even with your considerable power, to a force that large?"
"Us, nothing," K replied, "But Doug in the space ships in orbit could rain down death like the grim reaper himself upon these amassed demons."
"Not if they are in the Dark-wood," Hawk said, "Try as you might no light, saber, laser or otherwise can harm anything withing those woods."
"Why is that," K asked, "I would assume it would take more than some trees to stop the barrage of lasers Doug could call down."
"The trees are just a symptom," Hawk explained, "Those woods are the largest untapped source of wild magic on the continent."
"So that's where you and Fisher got you immunity to magic from," Hightower commented, "Sounds like you have first hand experience with this 'Dark-wood'"
Hawk looked like he was about to reply when Fisher and Jackson ran into the cave.
"Bad news," Fisher said, "The Dark-wood is here."
"What," K asked with that chilling voice he fell into when things were falling apart around him.
"Exactly what it sounds like," Jackson added, "One minute there was the plain to our north and then there was this forest. Its so gloomy that you can't see past the first line of trees."
"Show me," K said. They took off for the walls where he could get a good view of the situation. Celantra was already on the walls with Spyro and Cynder. The citizens of Haven were locking themselves in their houses while harried looking guards ran this way and that, as if any sort of preparation could help against the desperate fighting that would ensue as soon as night fell. RuGaard landed next to him as K surveyed the forest.
"Grim isn't it," the copper said, "I could send AuRon off to gather the Ariel Host."
"No your dragons would just get slaughtered," K counseled, "no what we need is some of Doug's ships in low orbit with kinetic rounds."
"I can do that," Doug's voice sounded in K's head.
"Then get it done," K thought back.
"Your talking with him again aren't you," Celantra stated.
K was going to reply but then the demons charged from the forest. With a scant hundred feet between the forest and the town, ranged attacks were of little use. Still K, C, Spyro and Cynder laid down a killing field of magic giving the rest of DC time to mobilize. Cortana was the first one out, followed by Eragon and Saphira. Adam and Starkiller were in with Sataen's family by the gate, Marion, the cat Jinxirattuholingtonbumin, and the Spartans were dispersing through out the city to react to the demons that were being dropped in by fliers or catapult. AuRel and NooMauk led the dragons like them out into the sky to counteract the flying demons, while Ignitus led strafing runs across the hundred foot stretch between the forest and the walls.
Before long the thuds of Doug's bombardment began to sound as craters started appearing in the fields. Even with all their power arrayed against the demon hoard, a half million demons were to many for even K, Celantra and DC to keep out of the city without help. There was a battering ram demon arrayed against the front gate even in the face of withering fire from Marion and the Spartans. Then Riza was there with her ACU building up the defenses around the gate and staving off the breach that was sure to come.
K spotted a rather nasty looking pair of Char that were heading in to melt through the walls, rendering the gate useless. He glanced at C and nodded to the two demons, she nodded back and he hopped down from the wall to intercept them, white spikes firing from his hands through the fall. He landed in a shock wave that deflected the incoming wave of plasma from the two demons before he sprinted to them and eviscerated the pair. He looked up just in time to see Wistala crashing towards him caught in a grapple with one of the flying demons. K dodged back to the wall then used it as a prop to propel him up onto the demon that was harrying Tala before it could rip her neck hearts out, but not before she crashed into the ground. After K killed the demon he healed Tala's injuries and was about to return to the fight when a shock wave rolled over him followed by a cataclysmic boom.
"I don't believe it," Wistala said, "Its the Lavadome."
K followed her gaze to see a large crystalline half dome with what looked like teeth hanging from the bottom of it hovering in the air. If that wasn't enough of a sight to take in displayed across the structure was Legion 141 an Egyptian man and... K could swear that the other man looked just like Moroni used to before they fell. What was even more distracting was that they all looked like they were ready to put on a rock concert more so than to fight demons, and as the long, low thrum of the guitars started the intro to Bon Jovi's "Blaze of Glory," K face palmed himself. Or hi did until the first lyrics were sung.
"Wake up in the morning and I raise my weary head. I got an old coat for a pillow and the earth was last night's bed. I don't know where I'm going. Only God knows where I've been. I'm a devil on the run, a six gun lover, a candle in the wind, yeah!"
That voice, that was Moroni's voice, but it couldn't be, could it? Then the dome lit up and beams of heat burned bloody swaths across the forest that it traveled over. On top of that what looked to be five squadrons of fighter aircraft came soaring out from the top of the dome. And all the while "Blaze of Glory" was being rocked out by Legion 141 and their two new friends.
"When you're brought into this world, they say you're born in sin. Well at least they gave me something. I didn't have to steal or have to win. Well they tell me that I'm wanted, yeah, I'm a wanted man. I'm a colt in your stable, I'm what Cain was to Abel, Mister catch me if you can! I'm going down in a blaze of glory. Take me now but know the truth. I'm going out in a blaze of glory. Lord, I never drew first, but I drew first blood. I'm no one's son. Call me young gun. You ask about my conscience, and I offer you my soul. You ask if I'll grow to be a wise man, when I ask if I'll grow old. You ask me if I known love, and what it's like to sing songs in the rain. Well, I've seen love come, I've seen it shot down, I've seen it die in vain! Shot down in a blaze of glory. Take me now but know the truth. 'Cause I'm going down in a blaze of glory. Lord I never drew first, but I drew first blood. I'm the devil's son, Call me young gun."
K pulled his swords out from another demon as the battle continued on. Tala had returned to the air where she and DharSii were helping to keep the faster demons off of AuRon. And still the song persisted.
"Each night I go to bed. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. No, I ain't looking for forgiveness but before I'm six foot deep. Lord, I got to ask a favor and I'll hope you'll understand. 'Cause I've lived life to the fullest, let the boy die like a man. Staring down the bullet let me make my final stand. Shot down in a blaze of glory. Take me now but know the truth. I'm going out in a blaze of glory. Lord I never drew first, but I drew first blood. I'm no one's son. Call me young gun. I'm a young gun, yeah! Young gun, yeah. Young gun..."
Sometime during the fighting Celantra had joined him on the battlefield that was the northern side of Haven and now they were driving back the remainders of the hoard of demons as even the scorched forest seemed to retreat. K shot two more, sword-spikes into the backs of the retreating demons, then C gave him a lick getting most of him wet with her tongue.
"Hey, Look I'm glad we won to dear but lets try not to get me soggy," K teased.
C nuzzled him before looking up. Following her gaze, K saw that the Lavadome, as Wistala had called it was floating right above them now and Legion 141 was... floating... down to them. Despite this there was only one figure that K really saw, Moroni. Not the twisted corrupted Moroni that Cloak had erased from time back on Earth, but Moroni as he used to be a Cherub in the service of God with all the power and authority that that position offered. K had a few questions to put to his old friend.
"Moroni," K said flatly.
"Kalathanon," Moroni replied just as inflection-less.
They looked each other over and K felt Celantra moving to flank Moroni in case the situation exploded. K smiled then said, "Since when did you like rock and roll?"
Moroni and Legion 141 seemed to release a collective sigh of relief, only to hold their breath again as Carter stormed over to them. The Leviathan-Spartan simultaneously threw his helmet to the ground revealing a pure black skinned face with red eyes and short, spiky red hair, and pinned Moroni to the wall of Haven with his eighteen inch long combat knife.
"You bastard, you killed Cloak," He hissed, "I demand payment for that."
K lunged as the knife stroke connected with Moroni's head but strangely no blood flew. Instead Carter was holding three strands of Moroni's hair, which he then handed off to Cloak as she came up beside him.
"Oh Carter dear, for all your suave you can be so uncivil at times," She reprimanded as she took the hair, "Oh Moroni I will need a bit of your blood if you don't mind."
"What are you two doing," K asked. His suspicions about the two having gone into high gear.
"Probably getting their dragon bodies back," Moroni answered as he took the knife from Carter and pricked his finger, "Here this should be enough."
Cloak caught the blood droplets on the strands of hair which began to sizzle. Moroni backed away from the two and put Legion 141 behind him, K got between C and the two Spartans as they were surrounded by light. Then an explosion knocked K into C and threw the others there to the ground. As K looked up he saw Cloak and Carter, both in their Leviathan bodies. Carter with his red and black and the spikes, and Cloak with her blue and gold and tiara-like horns.
"Ah its good to be back," Carter said, "Moroni your still a bastard."
"Carter," Cloak chided.
"But, were even now," Carter replied.
"I think not," Moroni said, "If it was not for Cloak banishing me from time I would never have found this redemption in time to warn you of Lucifer's plans. I owe you one, Cloak."
"What about my brother's plans," K asked.
"Lucifer is planing an invasion but not to this universe from hell," Moroni said, "No he is aiming for another dimension, the one that your Starkiller comes from, then he will hit this dimension if his invasion of that universe fails."
"If that is so then why are all these demons here," the Egyptian man asked, drawing K's attention for the first time.
"Hold it I know you," K said, "High Priest Imhotep? When did you get released from the Hom Dai?"
"How do you... Anubis?" Imhotep asked shakenly.
K morphed into the jackal-headed god-like being that he played as when he had subverted Egypt, then back into his 'normal' human form. "It is good to see you again Imhotep, I have need of you."
"My lord," Imhotep replied as he bowed to K.
"Oh drop the titles and bowing," K said, "I gave up that position long ago, but it seems you still have the powers I gave you all those thousands of years ago so you really can be of great help to us. How does fighting our way into Hell to try and redeem the other demon lords sound?"
Imhotep looked up at him then turned to Legion 141, "Is he serious?"
"Oh yeah," Soap replied, "And this time he is not going to be leaving us on some backwater planet."
"How does our home count as a backwater," Ghost asked.
"Cut it out," K intervened, "Moroni, you're sure Lucifer is planning an invasion of Starkiller's universe?"
"Helped draw up the plan myself," Moroni answered, "Whatever your planning you need to finish up with the token force that is here and head out immediately."
"Token force," Celantra said, "There is half a million demons here. What does a main force count as?"
"Between five and ten million," Moroni replied, "and that's not counting some of the stronger special forces divisions."
"Where did you guys find the Lavadome," RuGaard asked as he and Nilrasha landed beside them, "and who are the new faces. Cater, Cloak glad to see your back to your drakine selves."
"Tala used that term too," K said, "What is it?"
"The giant crystal globe that they flew in on," Nilrasha said, "Also used to be the seat of the dragon empire, the old dragon empire."
"So you used an inter-dimensional, time and space traveling device as a city," Doctor said as he inadvertently dropped in on the conversation. "That's mighty brilliant and you say we need to head to another dimension?"
"One step at a time," K advised, "First we kill the demons here then we worry about getting to Starkiller's universe."
"If we are heading back then Qui-gon should go back with us," RuGaard remarked, "It is his universe too."
"So then we finish these demons and head for Middle Earth," K announced, "Spread the word we head out at dawn, Moroni show me how that dome you found works."
Character
Spyro
Spyro and Cynder were leaning against each other after the Dark-wood had been driven back. Before the crystal dome thing had appeared and started burning everything underneath it, Cynder and he had been in the middle of a very high speed aerial and ground fight against some new nightmare that Lucifer had unleashed and now the two were leaning against each other as they caught their breath.
The new demons looked like a demented dragonfly. Four wings provided extreme maneuverability while a long tail and small compact body allowed for a highly stable and light platform for the four arm-like grappling appendages that could clip a dragon's wings off in a heartbeat with their vice-shaped claws. The blue, white, and gray coloring that these demons sported didn't help either, allowing them to blend in with the sky. The only weakness that Spyro or Cynder could find was that these demons had only one eye on the front of their bodies.
"Should have brought the armor," Cynder said between breaths.
"Against these things sure," Spyro replied, "But its harder to use our powers with the armor on, a lot harder."
"Then we should start getting used to it," Cynder commented.
"Mom, Dad, there you are," Krista called from above them, "Come on K wants us to be ready to attack the Dark-wood at dawn."
Looking up Spyro saw that his daughter and Geyser, her mate, both had the sense to wear their armored power suits that Sarge had made for the dragons. The industrial Spartan must have spent every free second of his time making the suits over the past twenty-five to thirty years just to have gotten so many.
"Ok we'll be there just give us a second," Spyro said.
"Also that Moroni is back and is apparently on our side now," Geyser added.
Spyro and Cynder both looked at each other before gliding into the air, "He's what," Cynder asked just to clarify.
"He's working with us," Krista replied, "Or at least K and Carter haven't killed him again yet."
"But Cloak erased him, meaning he never was," Spyro said, "Cynder was there when it happened."
"Dear what if K is right," Cynder said, "What if his redeemed back to God tale is true, and now if Moroni has undergone the same experience... What if K is not trying to kill the other demon lords?"
"You think he is going to try and save them," Krista said, "That seems a little far fetched even for K but..."
"K is just crazy enough to try," Spyro added as they were starting their decent to meet with K and their new 'friends', "I think we should have a plan ready that we can use in case he does something stupid."
"Agreed," Geyser and Krista replied and Cynder nodded her agreement.
The next few hours went by with introductions to Moroni and Imhotep, then drawing up an attack plan for invading the Dark-wood. That feat was not as simple as it sounded as half way through the planing process AuSurath, one of AuRon's sons, landed bringing news that the Dark-Wood had breached the lands of Hypatia, the heart of the empire.
"Well that makes this a right bit more complicated," Fisher remarked.
"Tell that to my siblings," AuSurath replied, "I must head back soon to report on you status there are several factions who think that Tyr RuGaard might be dead along with the rest of you."
"Hold your flight for a day and we can prove that we are not dead," Tala said.
"Agreed this will have to be a three sided war," K said, "One spearhead will come from here, Haven, another from the Forest Lands Castle, and the third from the seat of your empire RuGaard."
"So who will go where," Spyro asked.
"You, your family, and the Guardians will head north with Hawk, Fisher, and Griffen since they are the only two who are known to the people at the Castle and because having an ACU around is always helpful. The Primes will accompany you as well." K replied, "AuRel you and your family will go to Hypatia Riza will go with you as will Adam, Marion, Jinx, Tyreal, and Starkiller. Lastly Legion 141, the Spartans, the Doctor, River, Jackson, Ivan, C and myself will remain here. Doug will of course remain in orbit, Cortana, John, Arbiter, Blood-Raven, Xarle, Tom I want you all to head back to the ship, as well as you and the other Leviathans, Scaron."
"As you say," Scaron replied.
"If you're heading back to the ship could you send down our power armor," Spyro asked.
"Sure thing big guy," Xarle said as he climbed onto Scaron's back.
"Right then everyone rest up tomorrow will be interesting," K said as he dismissed the meeting.
"Finally I'd thought we'd never get out of that cave," Spyro remarked to Cynder as they made their way to the side passage that their room was off of.
"I'm just ready to get some sleep," Cynder said, "We may not age like other beings but you and I are a good hundred and fifty years old."
"True, but Ignitus is even older than that," Spyro replied as the two ducked into their cave, "He must be about a thousand."
"Oh stop rationalizing and come here you, It gets cold in here without you," Cynder said.
"Sorry," Spyro said as he curled around her and the two drifted into sleep.
Spyro woke with a start as something hard snapped across his nose. He struck out with his claws and sent Fisher flying across the cave, leaving a trail of blood from the slashed he had inadvertently put into her. He jumped over to the injured woman and healed her with his regenerating breath.
"Ow," Fisher said as she picked herself up, "Guess that's what I get for slapping an adult dragon across the nose."
"Sorry," Spyro replied, "But why did you slap me?"
"Cynder's fault she said to let you sleep in," Fisher replied, "thanks for the patch up big guy, now lets go the others are ready to head to the Castle."
"Want to ride," Spyro asked.
"Sure," Fisher responded as she climbed up on his back, "Meet the others out front of the north gate."
Spyro walked out to the entrance to the cave system that they had taken up residence in and then jumped into the air and glided across the city to the north side. His armor was waiting for him there and Cynder was already in hers, as were the rest of his family and friends. Griffen lumbered over in his ACU and Hawk was on his shoulder.
"What took you so long," Hawk asked.
"The big lap dog here startles easy," Fisher replied.
"Haha, that he does," Cynder said, "Go on and get into your armor you'll need it."
Spyro dropped Fisher off on Griffen's other shoulder before landing to get the armor on. Just like his first time trying it on the armor was a tight fit, but that was by design. The actual black, armor plating rested a good foot above the padded underside, hydraulic mechanisms, and miniature reactor that supported and powered the suit. After he got it on the suit powered up and motion trackers, range finders, target monitors and other information were displayed on his visors. He test fired the rockets to make sure they were functioning properly then used the on board communication relay to call Cortana.
"Cortana, Spyro here, we are ready to go," Spyro said.
"About time," Cortana replied, "Ok I'll tell Doug."
Spyro shut the channel, once Doug knew then K would know and they could start moving.
"So anything we should know about this Castle before we get there," Spyro asked Hawk and Fisher, "Preferably anything about the people there?"
"Well they have seen dragons before and even let a friend of ours who was a dragon stay there for a time," Fisher replied.
"Ok but I was wondering why you left," Spyro asked.
Before he could get an answer K flew into their midst, "Ah good you're ready to go, Now the Forest Kingdoms is in the middle of the Dark-wood, how the castle has survived I don't know, but the people in there are going to need food, water, etc. so C made up some packages for you to take, they shouldn't be heavy for you in those suits. You'll find them just inside the city, pick them up before you leave. Now I must go see the others off and do be careful, I... I've lost to many friends to this war."
K took off again before anyone could say anything to him. Spyro jumped back into the city to see about these 'packages' that K mentioned. They were cargo crates, fifteen of them, from Doug's ships, the big ones. If they were filled to the top then each one must weigh a ton or more.
"Now how are we going to carry all of those," Terrador asked as he landed next to Spyro.
Spyro knew it was Terrador because of the elder dragon's voice and the tags on the armor. Since all the armor was blacked out, Sarge had painted the first three letters of each dragon's name on the armor in their dominant color. So Terrador's armor read 'Ter', Cynder's was 'Cyn' and his own was 'Spy.'
"I guess we carry them," Spyro replied, "After all the suits allow us to lift much more than we normally could."
"True," Terrador said, "Still, that's a lot of weight and carrying it under us is going to make for some interesting flying."
"Well lets get going them," Fiona said as she landed on one of the boxes and took off with it.
"Huh, I guess they are lighter than they look," Spyro remarked.
"Or she is stronger than she looks," Terrador chuckled, "She is your daughter after all."
"True," Spyro replied as he grappled a container and jetted into the sky. It took them the better part of the day to get to the Forest Kingdom Castle and most of that time was spent worrying about if the demons would come out to fight them or not, since the crates made not only flying but fighting clumsy and tiring. So when they got to the Castle and were told to wait in a holding pattern until someone decided to let them in or not, Spyro, Hawk and Fisher had had enough, and so had everyone else. Besides it's not like the Castle could very well argue with armor plated dragons that were bringing them food. Even so a messenger ran out when they landed to tell them, quite nervously, that they couldn't land there since the king and his officials hadn't decided to let them in yet.
"Well if you don't want people landing in your courtyard and bringing you food you should shield the top of the castle," Fisher replied before sending the messenger on his way.
"That was more diplomatic than normal," Spyro commented.
Fisher was going to respond when a mass of people in very fancy cloths pushed their way towards them, parting to allow a tall, rugged if somewhat graying, man with a cool demeanor and strong face and presence come to the forefront.
"Rupert, Julia," The King, if the gold crown on the stately man's head was any indication, "By the moons it is you, why you must be close to sixty now but you don't look a day over thirty five."
"Harald," Hawk said, "You look... better?"
"Ha that's probably cause I'm not trying to take Julia from you or subvert you in some way to make me look better," Harald, the king, replied. "No I look terrible and feel worse."
"Wait hold up," Spyro said, "Rupert and Julia? Seriously? Those are your real names?"
"So you brought more dragons to us I see and whatever that thing is," Harald remarked, "What do these ones collect egg shells, flowers?"
"I'm guessing there is some history here," Cynder said, "Why don't we get these supplies passed out and you can tell us all about it."
"Why do I get the feeling we just landed in a whole mess of crazy," Spyro thought to Cynder.
"Probably because we did," Cynder replied.
"Hey just got word," Griffen said drawing some of the attention of the growing crowd of people, "RuGaard and company have arrived in Hypatia."
"RuGaard that stuck up dragon king," Harald stated, "You know he tried to get us to join some empire or another, and ruled by dragons no less, ridiculous."
"You realize we are the heads of state for our race back home right," Spyro said.
"Oh great," Harald remarked, "So your not just armored dragons but royal, armored dragons. well at least you can sleep inside the castle is bigger on the inside, even enough space for the talking statue there."
"Hey I'm not a statue," Griffen said as he glided down from his ACU and morphed into his human form.
Harald just stared at Griffen for a moment before putting his hand to his head and muttering something before saying, "Rupert I need to know what you two have done to stay so young, with friends like these I'll need it."
Spyro chuckled at that as they were led inside to explain the situation about the Dark-wood and DC.