Chapter 5: The Camp part 1
The flight was quite uneventful for the most part, Fira and Terrik tried to ask Spirit and Frost about their current situation but their question got deflected entirely and they eventually dropped it. Try all they might the dragons ended up having to set down as the sun began to disappear over the horizon taking its warm light with it. In a few minutes the dragons were sitting around a campfire.
"I'm going to catch you ladies some food." Spirit stated.
"Hey." Flame shouted gaining laughter from the group.
"I will join you Spirit." Frost stated. "I would like to learn to hunt anyways."
Spirit smiled.
"It would be nice to have some company." Spirit chimed.
The two walked off into the forest leaving the other confused.
"I am not the only one who is curious about those two." Terrik blurted out.
"No but I am just glad they are not arguing anymore so just drop it Terrik." Spyro growled.
Cynder got up and began to walk off.
"Where are you going?" Fira asked.
"I'm going to wander around the area, but don't worry I will not go far." Cynder answered.
This seemed to sit well with most of the others who remained in their positions. Spyro however watched as Cynder left then waited a few minutes before he got up.
"I am going to scout the forest." He stated.
He got no argument from the others and left following Cynder's trail. When he reached its end he noticed that she had settled down in a small clearing at the edge of a river the flowed through the forest. She lay on her back gazing at the star filled night sky completely oblivious to her surroundings. Spyro slowly approached and Cynder turned her head towards him once she finally heard him.
"Are you following me?" Cynder asked.
"I'm just concerned." Spyro answered. "Even if we are a safe distance away from the ape camp it is best not to be alone."
Spyro slowly made his way beside Cynder and then he lay down on his back beside her.
"I always did this when I was young." Cynder whispered. "The skies so beautiful at night."
Spyro just sat silently listening to every word Cynder said.
"Sometimes my mother would join me." Cynder whispered in a voice of sorrow. "She always loved the night sky."
Cynder began to tear up.
"She loved how the twin moons seemed to glow in the dark and create light." Cynder shook away tears. "She taught me about the moons and even many of the constellations."
Cynder pointed to a group of stars that if connected looked like a dragon with its wings spread wide.
"That's Draconis." Cynder stated.
Spyro smiled sadly.
"She sounds like a wonderful dragoness." Spyro replied.
"I miss her." Cynder whispered. "I miss them both."
"Keep them in your hearts and remember their deeds." Spyro stated.
"I have made peace but it is still hard to let go entirely." Cynder replied.
"You can never let go of the ones you care about entirely, they are always there." Spyro stated. "Follow your heart and they will be proud of you."
Cynder smiled.
"Are you always so comforting?" Cynder asked.
Spyro chuckled.
"I'm just a big softie when it comes to my friends." Spyro answered. "I would do…anything…to protect you all."
"Your life is not worth all of us Spyro." Cynder stated with concern for his selflessness.
"I would never take an unnecessary risk." Spyro stated.
"I hope not." Cynder replied and went back to lying on her back.
Spyro rolled onto his back as well and the two sat there in silence.
"What is it like to live in the temple with all the other trainees?" Cynder asked after a couple minutes of silence.
"For me it is not as normal as you would think." Spyro stated.
"Why?" Cynder asked.
"Why do you think?" Spyro asked.
Cynder paused for a moment before realizing the answer.
"Because you are the purple dragon." Cynder answered.
Spyro nodded.
"I was not raised around the others; I was isolated for the first few years." Spyro explained. "I would have been isolated till I was ten but during my fifth year at the temple I was found by Frost and Flame who I became quick friends with."
"Did they make a fuss about your scale colour?" Cynder asked.
"No they just saw me as a lonely hatchling that needed a friend." Spyro answered. "But when I was introduced to the rest of the temple they looked upon with awe, it was as if I was an incarnation of the ancestors."
"They revered you?" Cynder asked.
"Sort of." Spyro answered. "I am seen as the one who will bring peace to the realm, able to wield and master four elements in a short amount of time, they saw me as…I guess the best way to say would be hero."
"With the help of Frost and Flame they got used to me, but I still hear whispering from time to time." Spyro continued. "So I haven't really had a normal time at the temple having learned pretty much all that is essential I am really just still there for when I am needed on a mission."
Cynder sighed.
"Something wrong?" Spyro asked.
"It sounds like they treat you like a solider and nothing more." Cynder answered. "You are a dragon just like them regardless of your scale colour."
Spyro smiled.
"At least I have friends that understand me." Spyro whispered.
"They have been around you enough." Cynder replied.
Spyro turned to Cynder.
"Well I bared part of my soul now it's your turn." Spyro stated.
Cynder turned to Spyro and stayed silent for a moment before sighing.
"I'm not a shadow dragon." Cynder confessed. "I never was."
"Why is that?" Spyro asked.
"I wield more than shadow." Cynder stated. "Poison, Fear and Wind are also under my control."
"I learned that I knew wind at a young age." Cynder continued. "I found I could easily manipulate it to do whatever I want."
Spyro realised then that the wind around him was moving unnaturally. It seemed to gently caress him like a soft silk blanket.
"Fear and poison did not come until after I was captured by the apes." Cynder stated. "I learned them in the arena."
"That explains why that that ape convulsed after you bit him." Spyro stated.
Cynder nodded.
"I poisoned him." Cynder confirmed.
Spyro smiled.
"We have a lot in common." Spyro snickered.
"Weird." Cynder replied with a chuckle.
The two began laughing.
"Should we head back?" Spyro asked.
Cynder rolled onto her back.
"Just a few more minutes." Cynder answered.
Spirit and Frost stood of the carcase of the deer which Spirit just took down.
"Nice kill." Frost complimented.
Frost moved himself under the carcase to carry it.
"Shall we head back or do you think the other carnivores will want more?" Frost asked.
Spirit snickered.
"I will get more for them later if they ask nicely." Spirit replied.
"I could go and let you take a break from hunting." Frost stated.
Spirit brushed against Frost's side causing the deer to fall off his back.
"I would prefer to accompany you." Spirit cooed.
"S-S-Spirit." Frost stated while blushing madly.
"I should have confessed earlier." Spirit began. "I have a crush on you, I always have."
"How could you when all I have ever done is put you down?" Frost asked.
"Even when you put me down and I would reply with my own insult I always felt hurt." Spirit answered. "It is like I was damaging any chance of ever making everything better."
Spirit began fighting tears.
"I may have been able to hide it up but every time you insulted me it felt like a dagger striking me." Spirit tearfully whispered.
Frost wrapped Spirit in a comforting hug.
"That's the past; I'm here for you now." Frost soothed. "Is there anything I can do for you Spirit?"
"Nothing right now, just be my friend." Spirit answered.
"I always will be." Frost replied.
Terrik and Fira cuddled close to each other in the warmth of the fire while Flame batted a rock between his two front paws, boredom apparent on his face. Terrik and Fira didn't notice though they were too busy nuzzling each other. At least until Flame gave off an obnoxious yawn.
"When will they be back, I'm starving." Flame whined.
"Really Flame you are going to start this." Fira growled.
"I can't help it I want food." Flame retorted.
Terrik sighed as Fira and Flame began arguing. Fortunately for him the argument was cut short when Frost and Spirit came back dragging a deer.
"Finally." Flame blurted out.
"If you're so hungry go get your own food next time." Spirit growled.
"So cooked or raw?" Fira asked.
"How do you want it?" Spirit asked.
"Cooked." Terrik answered.
Flame groaned and stared hungrily at the deer as Spirit carefully used the fire to cook the deer. A while later Spyro and Cynder returned to the delicious smell of the perfectly cooked deer.
"I take it Spirits been cooking?" Spyro asked.
Frost cheerfully nodded as he began devouring the piece Spirit placed in front of him. Spirit then gave pieces to everyone else and they all began devouring their share, soon after the remnants of the deer were devoured and everyone was sitting around cheerfully in the warmth of the fire. Spyro gazed at the twin moons one of which was almost at the mid-point in the night sky. Everyone else was showing signs of drowsiness.
"We have a long day tomorrow so it is best if we get a much sleep as we can." Spyro stated with a yawn following.
"Sounds good to me." Frost added sleepily.
Gradually the group fell into slumber surrounding the dying fire.
It was late morning then they awoke all fresh and ready to go.
"It's still a short flight if I remember correctly." Spyro stated. "We will land a ways outside the camp and proceed to it on the ground."
Everyone else nodded and they took off in the direction of the ape camp. They reached a safe distance from the camp by just past noon landing on an elevation nearby that allowed them to survey most of the rocky canyon that the camp was located in. Tents dotted the landscape of the canyon and hard to see pillars of smoke rose from fires located around some of the tent clusters. The apes only distinguishable as coloured dots patrolled the camp along with two crudely armored dragons one an earth the other an ice. The seven dragons looked over the camp.
"Must be some of the synth gem addicts we have heard about." Fira stated.
"That raises a problem, they are adults." Spirit stated. "They will be quite hard to pacify."
"Just counter their element as best you can I will take the ice and Frost can take the earth." Fira suggested.
"Even then they have a size advantage." Frost replied.
"Then I will stick with you two and the rest can locate and free the slaves after they neutralized the apes." Spirit answered.
"There is no need to locate the slaves." Spyro stated. "They are being held in that cave."
Spyro pointed at a cave located just outside the camp that was heavily patrolled.
"So me, Cynder, Terrik, and Flame will hit the guards, you subdue the dragons then help us." Spyro stated. "After the guards are dealt with we will free the slaves and deal with any reinforcements."
"What about the rest of the camp guards?" Frost asked.
"We will draw them to the cave entrance you have to cut off the two dragons as they make their way there." Spyro replied. "If they don't respond then just ambush them, but wait for us to attack first."
"What if they don't fight back?" Spirit asked.
"Try to talk to them but be careful." Spyro answered.
Spirit nodded.
"Everyone good?" Spyro asked.
The six dragons nodded to Spyro. The dragon split into their teams and moved into the camp hiding behind the environments natural rocky outcroppings and the sparse amount of bushes and trees that managed to grow in whatever soil was in the canyon. Spyro and the four dragons accompanying him managed to get close enough to ambush the guards. There were at least sixteen apes outside the cave and probably more inside.
"What now?" Terrik whispered.
"We wait a few more moment to let the others get into position to ambush the dragons." Spyro replied.
Flame gave an inpatient huff and sat down behind his piece of cover. The group then waited for a few minutes hoping that the apes would not look around their location. When Spyro believed they had given Spirit and the others enough time he motioned for the others to prepare. The others readied to leap out of their cover at the closest ape. Spyro looked to others who all had confident looks on their faces; he steeled himself and got into combat stance.
"NOW!" He shouted.
Most of the dragons then leapt from their cover towards the nearest ape. Cynder however leapt into her shadow and shot out of an ape's shadow jabbing her tail into the base of the ape's spine and carving it up to the bottom of the neck cutting the back open and severing the spine through the middle. Flame just landed on top of his target and shot a point-blank fireball into its chest. Spyro launched a fireball at his target killing it before it could respond. Terrik flew a significant height above his target and formed into a ball of rock before dropping on the ape. Four apes down and twelve left. The current ape in charge hid the look of fear that was just on his face as these four dragons appeared.
"Hold them off I will alert the camp." The ape ordered as it fled.
"Smashing time!" An ape of obvious lesser intelligence and literacy shouted.
The leader took off towards the camp and the eleven remaining apes charged. The dragons intercepted the apes foolish charge taking half of the force with their retaliation. Unfortunately Spyro was right about the caves though they had just lowered the number of apes to five, eight more came out of the cave. But these ones looked physically worse than the five that were already out. They stumbled and seemed to wobble as they moved in a completely uncoordinated fashion. They fell easily and only one remained.
"Typical." The ape growled. "Drunk and disorderly."
The ape drew his sword and moved into a defensive stance.
"Go ahead; attack me." The ape growled.
Flame roared and charged at the ape. Unfortunately the ape was ready for this and grabbed the blunt edge of his blade and held the sword horizontally with the side of the curved blade facing Flame. The red dragon charged into the block and was surprised when the ape held his ground. The Ape pushed forward and caused Flame to stumble, the ape then kicked Flame, knocking him off his paws. Cynder was the next to enter the fray. She brought her tail down in a vertical slice which the ape dodged with a back step and then brought the handle down on Cynder's head knocking her senseless and placing her in a vulnerable position at the ape's feet.
"One down." The ape growled as he raised his sword. "Three to go."
Before the ape could bring down the sword; Spyro leapt at him with an angered growl. The Ape was unable to react to this and found himself under the rapid assault of the purple dragon's claws. Flame was quick to join the attack accompanied by Terrik. The ape finally collapsed under the three dragon's brutal assault collapsing into a heap covered in slashes that coated the once brown fur crimson. Cynder picked herself up and gazed at the dragons that were looking over the dead ape.
"Good to know I can count on you to come to my rescue." Cynder joked. "My drakes in shining armor."
Spyro gave a kind smile while Flame blushed. Cynder giggled playfully.
"We always help one of the team." Terrik stated as he gave Cynder a cheerful nod.
"Best not stop here though." Spyro stated. "Flame you enter the cave and find the slaves; watch out for any apes that may have stayed behind."
Flame grinned and nodded.
"What about us?" Terrik asked.
"We cover the entrance and wait for the response force the apes will send." Spyro replied.
Flame nodded and trotted into the cave in a cautious manner leaving Spyro, Cynder and Terrik to watch the outside.
"You think that Spirit, Frost and Fira are doing all right?" Terrik asked.
"They should be fine." Spyro answered.
"Sorry it's just this is going to well." Terrik stated.
"I know what you mean that is why we need to keep our guard up, things can go wrong at any second." Spyro replied.
"Anyways it will be worse for us; that ape that fled will most likely direct any attention to us most likely making the others jobs easier." Cynder suggested.
"Lets just hope things go well for them." Terrik sighed.
Spyro nodded in agreement and went back to his cautious patrol of the cave entrance; silently hoping that the others were not in danger.
Author's note: Wow these chapters have been taking a while and the reason for that is this one was going to be bigger but I cut off the current part I was working on and decided to make it into another chapter just so that I could at least submit something. Anyways I hope you enjoy this. I am trying my best to keep this story entertaining.