Chapter 65
They didn't think about one detail while leaving, Athron let them out into the city, at least to the upper part of it, alone and without escort. Hiding only Iris while keeping unseen purple and black scales in the open, not to mention that Sparx was also unhindered by any harness. Flapping his extraordinary wings as if this society was used to seeing them.
It all smelled like being a bait, yet they couldn't ignore the fact that there was most likely something more to it seeing as Iris was far from the freedom they were granted. Having them running around unshackled was probably some power play from Athron's side they couldn't really understand, but why such grace didn't fall on Iris as well remained a mystery.
Possibility existed naturally that proclaiming a winged creature as your flesh and blood in this world would render everything you worked for to insignificant scrap. Considering the war these dragons were locked in it was quite a serious consequence. Still, seeing Iris walk as well as examining the general structure of the clothing she was wearing, one couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something else in play here regarding their feathery companion.
There was no chance she will share her worries with them, even Iris was aware of her specific situation, but the true goal of this harness, if it had any to begin with, remained a secret to her as well.
The way she walked as if being a tied prisoner headed towards a guillotine was the only thing speaking any sense of truth by noting the harness' uncomfortable form.
"Gosh. I might not be your biggest fan, but as a girl having a little kink for all sorts of chains and chokers, seeing that thing squeezing you makes even me uncomfortable" Cynder winced at the sight of blood lazily dripping along the underside of one thighs "That's without mentioning all the mental scars you leave on our brains just by sheer existence. You sure you don't want me to look at it?"
"Silence. Don't draw unnecessary attention whore" Iris snapped, her voice through the mask sounded like a snake's rattling tail
"Sorry to break it to you, you whinny, little bitch, but right now with all that blood leaking from your snatch you are the one catching all sorts of eyes. I'm pretty certain that this gore soaked world has plenty of psychos willing to indulge in such a treat."
"Cynder for Ancestor's sake! Chill a bit, will you?" Sparx shivered "It's cool your black scales are showing and all that but if you don't have an appetite for our puke I suggest easing up a bit."
"Hey! She started it!"
"Seriously Iris, maybe you should really let Cynder look at it" Spyro winced as well, his eyes didn't dare to look past her nose however, spotting even there tears blinking at the edges of her eyes. He couldn't even imagine just how painful it must be to have so much weight pressing against your still healing nose.
"Mother knows what she's doing." Iris hissed, as much as she tried to keep it stable, the group she traveled with had enough experience with ambiguity to be able to catch details not keen on showing their true face, like vibrating tone of pain in her voice for example. "End your blabbering then fools before you waste my patience."
They didn't doubt that Athron knew what she was doing, however seeing her lack of care for even her own blood they had a feeling that whatever the Queen's plan was, they weren't its true benefactors.
The city seemed well-behaved at least, they could see members of both order guarding factions looking their way, none were eager on approaching them though. They were left alone with doubts noting the reasons behind it, probably never to discover if they recent battle, or Athron herself had anything to do with it. One visit inside the Queen's castle seemed to push Skyward through an invisible portal which changed its entire attitude towards newcomers.
Who knows, maybe there was more to this harness that one might think.
"Where are we going Iris? This is not the way we got to the castle" Spyro noted as they unexpectedly changed their route.
"This city has shades of my home. There is a shortcut that'll help us avoid the border between levels. Follow and be silent or I'll make sure you'll get enough volunteers willing to slice your tongue out."
The purple drake rolled his eyes, regretting sometimes that his parents raised him so well.
Another droplet of blood announced yet another change of course. All of it was probably a coincidence, yet when thinking about the possibility of Athron having supervision over them through the shards, or whatever it might be inside their chests, seeing as this blood dropped exactly on turns and corners which would make anyone lose their chase they couldn't ignore the feeling that Queen might have her touch in it as well.
Suddenly being left alone by the strong in this world no longer seemed so weird, nobody dared to openly stand against Athron after all and since there was a risk that the Queen never left their side so nobody had any reason to show their hostility without putting their necks on the line.
They could almost feel safe and protected if not for the fact that Iris' mother seemed to have a heart made of ice more solid than any known building material on this world.
The scenery changed as they descended lower, buildings no longer formed granting total privacy spaces, becoming more condensed they began to resemble seen on lower level buildings more and more. Freshly sewed sinew became thinner here, letting an occasional petal through, marking the devoid of apparent aggression spots with very well known to this world shade of blood.
"In my times we used to make the corners more round, buildings looked so much better wielding some feminine curves." Cynder noted, scratching against her eyelid as if she would rearrange a monocle
"What?" Sparx frowned.
"What?" Black eyebrow bounced up.
"That pool washed your brain clear from all nonsense or something? Since when you are an expert in absolutely everything?"
"Sparx look, you know I'm always ready for some bicker fighting but I think this is not the correct time for this right now. We should at least pretend to look serious, we can spit at each other later."
Embraced by glowing aura eyes stared at the girl as if trying to make sure if she is truly real. Cynder had a thing for sarcasm and keeping things at a distance, they spent so much time with each other already that he had no troubles seeing when she was joking.
She wasn't in this case.
"Bro, I'm scared"
Cynder laughed "Why? I'm keeping my fangs to myself"
"I've noticed it too Cynder. Are you sure everything is all right? You're awfully..." Spyro scratched the back of his head "…giddy lately."
"Ancestors! What's wrong with you guys? A girl can't share her opinion on something anymore?"
"A girl can, but preferable the one who operates in our timeline."
"What?"
"What are those times you were talking about, the ones where you used to make corners more round?"
Green eyes blinked, once, twice and then a torrent more, no matter how many times she opened her eyes though, Spyro maintained his stoic posture. The feeling of going crazy wasn't alien to her, Corruption left a mark all these years ago and when she thought she'll never get close to losing her mind again, this moment right here was changing her opinion on that matter relatively quickly.
"IIIIIIIII have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." Cynder hissed, voice vibrating with a tone of irritation that announced worthy of an ice dragon lack of patience.
"You said that buildings around here looked much better with some feminine traits."
"Are you seriously going to pester me for some stupid figure of speech? Don't you have better things to do like, oh I don't know, maybe getting the damn bomb out of our chests?"
"That's a pretty weird figure of speech Cyn." Sparx noted.
"Oh forgive me, I wasn't aware I'm walking among linguists." Cynder stretched out her body gracefully, giving a bow worthy of the most royal of courts "It won't happen again masters."
Both brothers exchanged more than meaningful glances, coming to a mutual agreement that there was no point of pushing the topic further. It was quite difficult to force Cynder to admit to things she wasn't particularly aware of, that wasn't surprising, hardly anyone recalls his own words. It might be nothing, probably even was, yet they came to a silent agreement that it wouldn't hurt to keep one eye open nonetheless.
Crazy in this world isn't as rare as one might believe.
"Damn it, of course she had to join the party too" Sparx sighed, rubbing his forehead with one hand while pointing ahead with the other.
This city stirred from narrow corridors and thin alleys, valuing open space between big buildings as if purposefully limiting spots for a potential ambush. Still, no matter how one might try to make the upper part of Skyward look like a more civilized place, all the gathered up petals on the sinew wrapped the terrain within a bloodshot aura, making all the senses dance around the perspective of being a blood cell inside a vain.
And wounded and sick veins tend to clog.
Iris led them into a dead end, having her nose squeezed against a wall that bent and curled like a resting tail. Formed into a pipe structure undulated constantly, processing something within its bowels. Judging from the red hue passing along Iris' body one could easily guess that this specific pipe was transporting waste in form of gathered up petals.
The only possible way onwards from this particular spot was down, all you had to do was to claw your way inside the tube somehow and be sent into an area populated by dragons that royals up here treat like a necessary nuisance. Iris was unmoved by this obvious blockade, in fact she didn't seem to be bothered by the dead end at all. Walking restlessly she kept cramming her wounded nose into the wall, squeezing droplets of blood from her already molested enough nostrils.
Painting long, bloody tears along the surface like a pair of droplets from eyes that forgot a long time ago what it really means to be happy.
Cynder cleared her throat loudly.
As everyone expected, there was no reaction.
Noise of snapping bone echoed loudly, between spilled streaks rolled down a piece of something white.
They all hoped that it was a scrap of chipped wall.
"Iris!" Spyro shouted, immediately shivering as if an electric bolt would struck him. Unable to tell if it was caused by disturbed imagination running wild or a sudden realization of the danger saying her name out loud might cause around here.
Athron's appeal for irises might be known to more souls than they might think.
To everyone's surprise Spyro's yell had an effect, beautifully curved blue legs stopped moving, freezing kicked in the air white foot in midair. Iris jumped back on three legs, head moving up and down across the wall, eyeing it as if it would just grow into existence right in this very moment. Hind paw landed back on the ground, propping a foreleg on the opposite side to touch the nose. White claw scooped a streak of blood, rubbing it between the toes, surprised in equal measure about its existence. Head returned at the wall, pressing the bloodied paw against its surface, tapping across it as a hand feeling it's lover's pecs.
"Where are we?" Iris mumbled, her usually melodic tone sounding like a rasp of choking on blood throat.
They were struck speechless, none of them could believe it but all three in this very moment preferred to have the standard hateful and cold Iris ahead, at least then they would know what to expect to some degree.
"You were about to tell us that right now. We're taking a shortcut to Ignus' place and you're showing us the way. You tell us how that's going." Sparx spoke up. He had a certain experience when it came to dealing with troubled girls. Traumatized Cynder needed a nursery approach, so there was no reason to not try using the same directions when dealing with Iris. Problem is though that in the second's case, even he didn't see any future for visible improvement.
And unfortunately to the world, there is only one golden heart locked inside purple scales available this universe.
"This is the wrong place. We wasted time." Iris dug her claws into the stone, leaving a deep scratch mark between show of shooting sparks as she turned away from the dead end.
She glared at the trio who did everything they could to turn their eyes away the moment her piercing orbs touched them. She pressed onwards without a word, shoving her way through both dragons. Spyro and Cynder bounced back into stability, green eyes stared at the purple ones, assuring them of their silence yet also giving a very precise warning that such approach wasn't one they valued too much.
And as they turned to follow the girl they noticed blinking dots disappearing back into the shadows inside the gloomy alleyways. Their eyes weren't the only ones valuing silence around here it seems.
One might have believed that Iris knew where she was going, an impressive feat considering they made their way up here under a thick blanket. Yet Athron put trust in her daughter, after all as a girl from the future who got older around her uncle she was aware of some acts Ignus' own sister might have not known about.
Confidence in Iris case became quite corroded lately however.
Her neck never stopped moving, announcing jerks through creaks of worn armor it indicated its subtle uncertainty about the surroundings. Her behavior reminded Spyro and Sparx of their own life when they started travelling all those years ago, holding to scraps of what they knew they too looked for landmarks that in any way would look familiar and would allow them to find their way around the world.
Which, when considering through how much trouble they went through, wasn't the most motivating perspective when being in a place basically hostile to them in every way.
Iris' neck cracked finally, spotting a mark she recognized. Shiver shot through her body, seeing as her tail tip stiffened, tugging at her spine they could easily say that it was one caused by relief. They didn't really want to know what exactly could cause Iris to feel such alien to her emotion.
Truth be told, they doubted that Iris wanted to know that either.
As they neared their destination they all recognized the mark as well, mark that depicted the petal of their leader's namesake. Clearly a figure deprived off Ignus' sole involvement considering that Athron was familiar with such symbolic as well, besides her there aren't many dragons in this world who enjoy some simplistic beauty. If that was the case then what are the odds that Iris' mom didn't know about passageways wearing symbolic so valued by her family?
Something wasn't adding up here, having spies while being Queen is probably a normal thing to deal with, especially in a world like this. Nobody from them believed in coincidence, Iris was serving a purpose here just like them most likely, question was why Athron needed her when there are signs pointing that she was aware of her own brother's secret meetings?
Thinking about it all Sparx couldn't stop seeing images of masks with constantly changing colors flickering all around. Barbed tongues that protruded from their carved, open mouths promised an unbreakable union if given the chance.
Tongue popped from his mouth instinctively, making a round across rather moist, unhurt lips. Bloody spots appeared on them nonetheless, bouncing tongue on previously unseen bumps tore small holes in the tissue, opening's shapes matching the size of imagined barbs ideally.
This city is too small to accommodate two queens.
"It's here." Iris announced, though her voice carried her typical, cold aura, sensitive to differences ears could still notice shaking tones of relief within them.
"Great but how are you going to open it?" Cynder scratched her choker "It's not like your young uncle expected his future niece he didn't know existed come knocking over."
White fangs bit into the white front toes, the wet crunch made everyone wince, having tissue crushing under their teeth was nothing special for both draconic members of the startled trio. Sight of your own fangs biting into your own flesh was something else however, especially when they all doubted that there was a lock there needing blood from more toes than just one.
That goes without mentioning torn shreds of tissue of course.
Iris wasn't known for respect when she enters one of her peculiar phases, even when it comes to her own body. She had to bit into a vein somewhere since blood poured from her gaping mouth in still pulsing streams as she withdrew her fangs. She smacked her bloodied paw on the wall, giving it a crimson spit for good measure.
They weren't surprised that the lock clicked, they doubted that there was any blood enchanted mechanism capable of withstanding such a wave. In this particular case it was not about the amount of used crimson, but the fact it actually worked in the first place.
"Well, my bad expecting classics from this family. Got any other wonderful traits we should know about?" Cynder watched the red splotches sinking into the wall as if it was some ever hungry maw.
"It's always about blood." Iris responded, giving her wounded paw a deep lick that far exceed standard wound cleaning with put into it effort.
The thick streaks were too much for her tongue alone, dripping down her steady lips they painted her mask in crimson red. She didn't bother cleaning it, stepping into the opened tunnel. They followed her inside, giving the surroundings a proper look over before crossing the doorstep.
It was going too easy for their liking.
All this suspicion, secret passages, chaos from not so long ago and general distaste to Skyward' leadership in general and there still wasn't any guard or protector nearby ready to stop them in their trucks.
The hall was everything one might have expected, long tunnel sinking down was big enough to fit two adult dragons next to each other even. Not to mention the stale air that struck them right after crossing the doorstep, air possessing a specific tingle of freedom to it like it got trapped in this place by accident.
Spyro crossed a tunnel like that when they were heading for the Destroyer.
"You have access to escape tunnels? This city was supposed to be locked tight. Not only it isn't, but this path connects right with the Upper City. Isn't that dangerous? Especially if Ignus' spies know about it too probably?" Purple eyes kept looking around the spread wide walls, while the city's corridors they went through looked like clogged veins, this one lost all that specific charm. Characteristic mushrooms were nowhere to be seen, whatever is presenting them from growing must still be around here somewhere.
As an peculiar expert when it came to freeing yourself from clanking prisons, that characteristic crunch on your neck had a similar feeling of properly hidden freedom like the chain he once wore.
"Yeah, reckless thing to do to keep it open like that when it's almost public knowledge. Back in the days we took more than one city like that, discovery of such exploits makes sieging that much more simpler." Cynder nodded her head as if agreeing with invisible debaters.
Spyro frowned together with Sparx, giving the black dragoness a meaningful stare she didn't seem to understand at all.
"Known scars are better than new wounds. There's no better lure than weakness." Iris basically sang, her voice vibrating with rich tone in accordance with the spoken quote. Through clicking tongue alone showing more respect than people tend to display on a cemetery.
"Mother always said that everything has a weakness, she always believed they cannot be avoided so instead of trying to cover it, thus exposing unknown to her previously flaws, she opted on empowering the desire of exploiters. Known enemy is better than an unknown one she always told me. And whether we like it or not, foes can show a hint of brilliance here and there when desperate enough."
Iris stroked her claw across the wall, gasping faintly when her tail suddenly flicked upwards, sending a vibrating rattle across the outfit she was wearing.
"They were created after Junkie found a way out. Now I understand why Mother called them her rattlesnakes. They carried Junkie's elemental prowess even in my time. Potential can be so wasted sometimes."
"I didn't know you met the siblings." Spyro noted
"Only legacy, at least hers, Buckler is unknown to me. I don't mingle with such filth, it's only elemental potential I'm familiar with. In time two more tunnels will be created and that will be everything these fools have to offer. Since I never heard about them getting their due for weakening the city I suppose they were squashed like the bugs they are in some ditch somewhere. Good riddance."
They weren't sure if they will need such knowledge, but it was interesting to hear it nevertheless, if not for the siblings influence in the royal life then at least because it was nice to hear Iris speak like a normal dragoness for once. Might be a fickle illusion of team spirit, but it was one nonetheless and in group like them it was still more than any could hope for.
Sparx however stored this knowledge in the back of his mind, after all when the time comes for them to leave Skyward they still had the option of taking a dragoness with a spiked tongue as their guide. Now at least they know where to find a miner.
Upper City, despite its rather vile, silent hostility was far more troubling in its deafness than the increasing noises of crowded life vibrating across the walls. It became clear they had left the royal district, muffled conversations echoing between thudding paws announced their arrival beneath bustling area of the less prestigious side of Skyward. Wardens, Bones, prisons and tortures, everything necessary to make population afraid and willing to aspire to supposed greatness through rules many would never be able to obey, or survive if ambition takes them that high, not without the royals' approval.
Athron might have changed it all with her recent decisions, yet it didn't change the fact that if the commoners would find out about this tunnel, Skyward as they know now would cease to exist. Why respect barriers, if you have an open path bypassing them completely.
Who knows, it might be actually this discovery that shaped Skyward into Rime, a city which even Iris remembered for its open approach.
Well, they know more than anyone else how life changing secret tunnels can be after all.
"We're here" Iris announced when the tunnel came to a dead end.
Her three companions exchanged glances between each other, only the glowing one reacted to this words, unable to keep back his snort.
"What makes you think so?" Sparx grinned, hardly containing his teasing chuckle
The chained dragoness wasn't impressed by his wit, not noticing it at all in fact. White eyes kept looking around the walls, blowing freezing streams of air. Some of the rocks moved, flashing green they turned around, flipping backwards like freed eyeballs.
"Spies" Iris growled "Our arrival is expected."
The dragonfly gulped, after spending so much time around Spyro and Cynder he had no trouble identifying uniqueness. Each world needs its heroes and villains, characters capable of changing the course of time, harbingers of fate many falsely believe to be dependent on themselves. Fate however held only a few favorites, creatures so vital that they define future generations.
Marble was the other one besides Athron who tugged at destiny's rains around here. It was her eyes watching them in this tunnel, just like they did before they entered Skyward.
Spyro and Cynder roused their muscles, if the twins were any indication then it seems that a battle was upon them.
Iris thrust her claws into a pair of flipped eyeballs, wet sound that came after made the trio behind shiver involuntarily. They all scrunched their eyes, winking several times to make sure that everything is still in its rightful place. No blood flowed from the holes despite expectations, a mere warning sign for those fain hearted it seems.
Iris didn't belong to those.
She turned and twisted her claws, drilling them deeper with each shake, nobody from them could tell if she was doing it on purpose or if she was having another one of her specific moments. A click was heard soon after though, clearly pointing on the former.
Still, the second option couldn't be totally ruled out in her case either.
She pulled her blades out, the trio behind expected guts and gore to follow, yet nothing squeezed through. Iris' blades were as clean as a scientist's gloves. No wall fell down this time, nothing special resounded anywhere nearby, nobody would ever expect to find some secret door in this place.
Rather anticlimactic Sparx had to admit.
"Don't hesitate, we go in one after the other, the entrance will lock itself the moment it stops feeling bodies. There's no saving anyone if these door lock on you, believe me, you don't want to die this way."
"Very considerate of you princess, but there's one tiny problem" Sparx bit on his finger, looking around meaningfully "Where are the door"
"Ahead of me. It's an illusion. You simply walk through."
"An illusion? Really? What kind of dragon is capable of such magic?" Spyro asked, truly in awe. Elemental dragons are powerful creatures but their potential is limited to nature's force they were hatched with. And as far as he knows, Skyward's citizens were as much surprised seeing a purple dragon just like they were a black one. Shadow, let alone dark magic, shouldn't be something anyone around here could even understand.
"Illusions are my family's specialty. Now come." Iris gave them no time to think on what she just said, sinking into the wall as if it was some very stiff curtain.
They followed her immediately, putting each tail as much as they could between their legs they made sure that the distance remained as small as possible without being too obnoxious about it. Despite the rather gruesome perspective of failure, the passage itself was quite a forgetful experience. It ended before it even began, revealing before them a room in familiar stone which announced their arrival with a click of one of the pressed blocks at the entrance. Spread in several rows, lifted chunks made sure that no matter how long one's legs can be, there was no avoiding their touch.
While everyone instantly knew that this was some kind of an alarm, only Iris felt it's quiet chime vibrating across the ground. Claws clenched the floor at the silent sound as if trying to catch the flowing tones, tones that not only were spread in whispers now but also in known to her future. Melody as beautiful as it was painful.
Mother sang this lullaby to her when she was young.
More noises followed soon after, tapping claws, beating tails, whimpers of muffled voices. The alarm worked and whoever designed could read it just as good as she did. It was a short sound though, their arrival was anticipated, the only mystery remaining now was whether this short lived commotion was a sign of finished preparations or retreat.
"Did they-"
"Be ready to fight. Chances are they might be willing to silence their troublesome opportunity" Iris cut in, answering the question that was more obvious than Tat's affection for Goldie.
They advanced cautiously, if not for years spent on battles they might even be surprised just how easily shades of loyalty can switch colors. No more than a moment ago they walked these halls as curio, trophies to be spoiled and used as the conspiring royals see fit. Most likely the news of the twin's disappearance reached the ears of the rest of the group, and while knowing Athron's way of life they might even expect the Queen giving the arrivals an offer they couldn't refuse. They could only hope that the figure of Ignus can somehow stir the events in their favorable direction, after all how could a Queen so set on stabilizing her position allow a conspiring brother at her side if she knew he was plotting against her?
The trio of friends couldn't really wrap their heads around all of this, in those few days they spent locked in that pool seemed to happen things that far escalated the typical flow of event in normal circumstances. Puzzles were obviously missing in this game, one might think even that all these moves are motivated by emotion only. A believable argument, after all fury is a popular advisor in battle throughout ages.
A solid excuse.
If they wouldn't be dealing with an ice dragoness of course.
These kind of dragons, especially when in positions of authority, isn't known to act by heart's call alone. Their actions might seem fervent and insane in some cases, but in the end it all was a result of cold calculation. Athron must have done similar math herself and the only ingredient which could create such a chaotic stir walked right in front of them. Iris was undoubtedly a fountain of knowledge for someone who knew how to operate in that puddle of logical thoughts and insane wailing.
It remained to be seen what Athron had exactly found and if they are useful cogs in her developed machine or merely dispensable tools.
Iris was too bloodthirsty of a creature to take the former for granted though. She might have changed a little, true, but loyalty in her case is as fickle as a child's attitude.
Arriving in the chamber where they served as prizes or exhibition for some announced itself in the most mundane way possible. Empty halls where only sound of their own breaths betrayed presence of sentient life, clean floors and stair's railings shyly giving away to spider web, all of it and more pinpointed at lack of sentient life around this place.
A trap.
Iris' claws clicked ahead unhesitatingly, ready to spring whatever surprise was being prepared for them. Body quaking sideways occasionally, in opposition to legs' orders betrayed its own agenda and judging from the audible grinds of armor joints against scale, one could suspect that muscles wouldn't mind an opportunity to free themselves from this burden.
A droplet of her blood splashed on the floor, rousing up an echo that made all wood around this place to whine. She scooped it up with her tail, smudging it across the ground in some unknown to them battle mark.
Or simply because she thought such action to be reasonable. With her you can never know.
"You don't need to be so dramatic. I knew you were coming without the need of smelling your blood" Resounded Ignus' familiar voice across the room, bouncing off in accordance to the hearable gulps of swallowed wine. Even without seeing him they could picture it twisting his mouth.
"I'm the only one here. Politics become tedious given enough time."
Rumbling sounds of scrambling up, massive body echoed from somewhere above, they saw Iris' muscles flex automatically. A reaction too familiar for Cynder to be easily ignored, trauma is an effective puppeteer, it keeps tugging even when you might already believe that you are free from its strings.
They never let go, all you can do is to ease the jerk when it inevitably happens, finding solace in gold heart hidden behind purple scales for example. Sweetness makes all that burning pain that much more tolerable.
Iris had no such support, her tugs were still strong, wounds so deep that even when her body seemed to absorb the shock already, tail still kept moving, outside reflection of one's soul was being slapped by memories she would most likely preferred to be forgotten.
And all of it was caused by the noise of a scrambling from ground soul which had a little too much to drink.
With a choking gasp that almost forced him to puke his insides out Ignus flopped over the stairs railing above, hurling his front paws by the barricade he looked like a victim prepared to have his head chopped off any moment now. Eyes, even if foggy, managed to squint in total focus, forcing the paws to prop himself up. Face twisted not only in abhorrence to the thing it just tasted, but also regret about the act they recently committed.
A standard reaction for someone who distastes alcohol and the burden it brings.
What must have happened that the future Ignus changed his views even as far as to border them at trauma?
"What did she do to you girl?" Ignus stared at Iris in total shock, looking like he no longer needed stomach turning wine to make him want to throw up "Take that thing off! You're bleeding for fuck's sake! What is even the purpose of this nonsense?"
"Mother knows what she's doing," Iris responded, her voice more fitting of a golem than a living, breathing thing
"Athron knows something alright. Her attitude towards me changed, it was never loving to begin with, but now it took a more darker turn. The fact that you all are here, dressed like that, is a sign that my sister found something in you that I missed and it seems like she wants to cut off the roots before they spread, whatever they might be. What have you told her?" Though he addressed everyone, his eyes remained locked on one dragoness only, instinctively feeling that responsibility can only be attached to a single soul in this place.
It didn't take a genius to figure out that there was specific tension between Iris and her older uncle, one that far differed from typical relations you might expect from family that went through traumatic events together. Since there was one dragoness in the group who was no stranger to ugly experiences, she had no troubles noticing with her emerald eyes a tick that spoke louder than lips could ever possibly do.
A metaphor that in Iris' case took a literal meaning as strong as one could imagine.
No words left her blue lips, only a single paw moved, grasping wrapped in gold medallion around the neck as tarnished as the soul of its wearer was.
"What does it mean?" Ignus wasn't in his top shape, alcohol in his system was making itself at home, flopped across the railings legs wiggled around, hectically jerked from side to side like they were arms of a crowd without enough limbs to fully compensate for its applause.
What body lacked though, eyes made up for it tenfold, aimed at the locked in fist paw they addressed their question to the only muscle capable of providing any answers here.
Ignorance is intoxication's close relative however, it too drives muscles to action in situations where mind still cannot comprehend reasoning behind it.
A silver claw ran over the etchings, it had passed over these unknown glyphs so many times and yet, right now, it couldn't follow their tracks at all.
"I understand nothing anymore," Iris whined, a whimper so pitiful that it made her companions to even gaze at her in surprise, wondering if she was about to cry.
Naively believing that eyes which are as dry as a desert still remembered how it is to cry.
"No matter, Athron loves to manipulate and this is nothing else but torture for her. Whatever you're holding there provoked her to take action. I suspected as much, but even I'm shocked she would so openly try to remove me. The thing in your paw has great value and seems to betray secrets only violence can solve. Now the only question remains is how bad you're willing to be someone's tool?"
This time eyes rose to greet everyone gathered below, not even trying to hide their disappointment.
"It seems that legends are true after all. Purple is destruction, with no sense of gratitude in addition."
"We don't have a choice, Athron implanted something in us that will most likely end in our death if we won't obey. Look, just come with us, we were ordered to be end whatever Athron sees as threat, nobody said anything about killing anyone."
"Pleaseeeee," Ignus burped, tilting the bottle for another chug, snout contorting as if it would be dealing with extreme pain right now "At least pretend that you're intelligent."
"Dude, aren't you guys family?" Sparx shrugged "Frictions among siblings is normal, big sister might only want to teach you a lesson, not like totally waste you. Been there done that. Family's blood is sacred."
"Not in this family." Iris added, breath which left her throat marked a chilly spike right towards the dragon above as she tilted her head.
"Look guys, it doesn't matter anyway." Purple eyes scaled the deadly path which, on close inspection, looked like a broken heart's sliced off chamber "It will sound bad, but the truth is that whatever happens to you here is irrelevant. True Ignus lives in the present, he will be there no matter what, we can fight here, but even if you win nothing will change.
"You're a ghost living in the past, one that already happened, you can't change something that has already ended. In our universe unfortunately timelines can come to a close only in one way, and that is total destruction. There's no future to be found among ashes I'm afraid."
Bottle that so eagerly splashed wine around stopped moving suddenly, only noise that measured time in any way froze completely still in the face of honest truth. Truth, which nobody knowing the golden heart beating inside the purple chest, expected.
Especially when it comes out of nowhere.
Spyro sighed, feeling heavy weight of gazes looming over him. "I have enough of putting my friends in danger just because I'm too soft to stand up for myself. If I'm supposed to make hard decisions then I might as well practice them on specters. So if you really care about the future you'll come with us peacefully, sparing your niece more traumatic experiences and showing some good will for a change. Among everyone we met carrying your bloodline, Iris is the one that matters the most here."
Silence.
That tormenting bitch was back even when she kept her eyes open. Iris relaxed her toes, giving them that much needed relief before unavoidable torment comes.
Or so she thought at least.
Demons remained silent unexpectedly, there were no whispers, nor pounds, the only hum echoing in her head belonged to the one, purple dicked(masterpiece) who acted all high and mighty all of a sudden. It was a different kind of power though, it boiled her blood yet it had nothing to do with aggression and violence as is the custom in her forsaken family.
It was Peace.
Peace, what a godlike feeling that was, she didn't even remember when was the last time she felt like that, she mattered the most in the eyes of a dream come to life. She hoped to relieve her childhood when traveling back to her homeland, never dreaming however that she would reach so far deep to scratch even fantasy though.
Too bad you can't see this uncle. Your younger self was aware, so there might have been a chance for you as well.
The world was changing around Spyro and she was being changed with it.
There's a chance you might never recognize me again.
Wouldn't it be a wonderful dream to experience?