Chapter uploaded: May 29th, 2023
Last edited: August 17th, 2024
A/N
Hello, AzureDragonZX here, once again.
So, um… Interesting story. This chapter was originally set to come out last week. I had written a lengthy 14.5k words for CH4, and it was only when reading it through again, in full, that I realized how overwhelming it was. As a result, I decided to divide CH4 into two smaller parts. From what I understand, the Spyro fanfic community generally dislikes it when individual chapters are too long, so I guess it all worked out for the best, in the end.
Anyway, we're picking up where we left off last time with Makoto. Spyro, well… we'll see him soon. I think it's safe to say the introductory chapters are over, so there'll be more meat to everything now. This one chapter I've had in the back of my mind for at least a year now. It feels good to finally get it out!
With all that said, enjoy!
More Than One Heart
Chapter 4 - Living With Determination [Part 1]
It had been hours now that Makoto had been lost in the forest. He had next to no experience with wilderness survival, having spent most of his life in the city with plenty of accommodations, and it was beginning to show. The plan at first was to follow the dirt path that cut through the long, curly grass until it led to civilization. But the trail led him nowhere in particular, and he could almost swear the trees around him were the same ones he had passed by a long time ago.
Scanning his surroundings, he detected a complete lack of life in every direction.
'It's so quiet out here. You'd think I'd have run into some nocturnal animals by now,' he thought.
Whether it be an ability bestowed upon him the day he awakened to his Persona, or his year of combat experience honing his battle senses, Makoto had an uncanny ability to sense the presence of living creatures, and react to or even predict their movements. It was akin to a sixth sense that he could use providing he wasn't distracted… or just not paying attention.
This "ability" of his was nothing compared to the navigators of his old team. Their clairvoyant powers could stretch out to cover buildings hundreds of stories tall or even entire cities, with the added benefit of being able to analyze every minute detail of a target. However, being able to anticipate danger in a world with supernatural monsters was an exceedingly useful tool to have.
Makoto sighed in annoyance. By now, any sense of urgency he had was replaced with the worst emotion known to man…
Boredom.
He squinted at the enormous trees that hemmed him in. It didn't feel like an exaggeration to claim each of them was a kilometre tall at least, with the required circumference to support them.
He was no more than an ant in comparison.
Figuring that it was time to change his approach, he entertained the idea of climbing one of the trees, using the added height to survey the whole forest and locate a way out. It was a cliche idea, but at this point, Makoto was willing to try just about anything.
He approached one of the taller-looking trees in the area. Looking up, he saw that the nearest branch was very high off the ground, practically the height of a medium-sized building. Out of range even for him, but it could still be done if he kicked off the truck and effectively made it two jumps instead of one.
Makoto took a step back and did the mental calculations in his head. Once he was confident, he ran up, tensed his legs and took to the air…
Somehow, he overshot the jump.
Several thick branches soared past him before his momentum gave signs of slowing down. In a panic, he reached out with a foot towards one of the tree's limbs, hoping he would land safely…
…The feeling of sturdy wood beneath his feet got him to open his eyes again. He had to look down to confirm what had just happened. Standing on the ball of just his right foot, Makoto was maintaining a near-perfect balance on a branch without any vertigo to speak of, despite how high up he was.
'I… did that?' he thought in awe as he brought the other leg in.
Makoto had long since stopped judging himself by normal human standards. People who awaken to a Persona, like him, were vastly superior physically to ordinary humans. Feats like dashing faster than the eye could track and lifting that massive sword from earlier were strong examples of this. But some of his recent feats should have been impossible, even for him.
Because he was only focused on survival, Makoto hadn't stopped to see if he had physically changed at all. Now that he had the time to reflect and because he was curious, he decided now was a good time to look over his body.
Resting an arm against the tree, he tried lowering himself down onto the full weight of his feet. As he did, he could feel his balance falter slightly. Not enough that he would fall, but he had to consciously try to keep himself steady. As he suspected, both of his feet were now a lot longer, partially explaining how that stance from before was possible for a plantigrade being like him. And despite having been barefoot this entire time, he hadn't developed any blisters or bruises.
It felt weird… Like he was mimicking a dog.
While his feet were the most immediately obvious change to him, anyone who knew Makoto in the past would sooner comment on how much he had seemingly grown. Before, he had been a fairly short man at 170 centimetres, but now he was well past 200–over a foot taller. In addition, his body proportions were very different. While he had previously been slim and relatively athletic, he was now more fit and muscular, most noticeably in his upper torso. His waist, meanwhile, had stayed the same size if not shrunken slightly, making his broad shoulders and hips more prominent.
It was odd… Makoto didn't feel any different from all of this. After all, he hadn't noticed anything until now. It was as if God had given him a body that drew out his full potential.
'What's happened to me…? Am I even human anymore?'
Feeling overwhelmed, he brought a hand to his head. He was warm… unnaturally so. But between the steady sound of his pulse and a few deep breaths, he was able to calm down.
Wiping a few tears away, he thought back to the task at hand.
'I don't know what's going on, but I can use this to my advantage for now.'
Winding up again, this time with the intent of climbing as high as he could, Makoto jumped up, reaching up into the night sky. A couple of leaps later and he emerged above the canopy on a lone branch that gave him a decent view of the forest below.
Reclining against the trunk with his arms crossed, he looked to the sky above and saw the two moons hovering overhead, reinforcing the current time of day. Their combined light was more intense than the moonlight he was used to. Without the trees' shielding, it wasn't significantly darker than regular daylight anymore, and the world around him was blanketed in a beautiful blue glow.
Unfortunately, down below, there was nothing but thick greenery in every direction. No discernible landmarks or exits to speak of, effectively making his entire idea useless. Makoto lowered his eyebrows in mild annoyance. It was as if the forest itself wanted him to get lost…
It was a very magical sight though, he had to admit. While he had no intention of staying here for long, part of him felt at peace. Maybe someday in the future, when he had settled back into society, he could return to this place and use it as a private resting ground for when he needed time to himself.
He looked up at the twin moons again, baffled at their mutual existence. This was a mystery that he wanted answers to as soon as possible.
'Is it the same as before…?' he asked himself while looking at the larger, green orb.
The idea of the Shadows returning to the real world was scary. He wasn't sure if humanity could survive another apocalypse. But he hadn't seen anything since waking up. Perhaps he was overreacting, and there was no magic involved…
'No… Even now, I can still summon Orpheus, right?' Makoto fiddled with the hem of his pants, instinctively reaching for a certain pistol he used to carry.
It was hard to summon his Persona without the proper equipment. While in the Sea of Souls, he had managed to awaken Orpheus through sheer determination alone, but now that the life-or-death adrenaline was gone, he was out of luck.
Wanting to test a theory, Makoto brought two fingers up to his temple, angling his hand so it looked like he was "pulling the trigger".
He flicked his thumb.
.
.
.
'Yeah, it wouldn't be that easy…' he chuckled solemnly when the Persona didn't emerge. 'But I did feel something, at least.'
He could confirm now that Orpheus was still resting deep within his consciousness. And even if he couldn't reach him at the moment, magic was still possible in this world. If not today, he would eventually find a way to harness that power again.
Though that also brought up the problem of what he would do once he escaped. Makoto had no idea how much time had passed since 2010. Enough apparently for the world to undergo an evolution of some sort, as evident by all the magical phenomena around him, but how different was society now? In the span of a few years, entire cultures change completely, and what was once normal is obsolete and outdated. How was a random young adult from Japan with no living friends or relatives supposed to survive?
And that was before his "mutation" was even considered. How could he explain that to people? Would anyone ever accept him like this…?
These thoughts passed through his mind as he closed his wet eyes and reminisced on simpler times. Back when he was with that one group of friends he considered family.
A time when he could laugh and smile freely…
'Everyone… I hope you lived your lives to the fullest. I may not have been around to create new memories with you, but just know… you deserved the peace we all fought for. All of you.'
Makoto's time in the treetops lasted longer than he cared to admit. Listening to the rustling of the leaves and breathing in the clean air, he'd be content to spend the rest of the night up there, if not for the fact that he didn't trust himself to not fall asleep and inevitably tumble down to his death.
'I should probably get going now,' he said with a stretch.
He moved over so that he was sitting on the branch with his legs hanging over the edge, and then pushed himself off. He fell a great distance before landing on the branch below with a grunt, but he felt no pain from the recoil. After repeating the action a couple more times, he was satisfied that he could make it the rest of the way safely if he jumped, so he gathered his wits and dropped down.
.
.
.
*THUD*
"AAAHHH!"
A loud voice cried out from below him. Instead of landing on solid ground, he hit a passerby that had been beneath the tree at the time!
Makoto collapsed to the forest floor, tumbling around in the dirt a few times. His hood fell off in the process, causing his blue hair to fall over his face. Likewise, the person he collided with fell forward.
Scared of the implications of what he just did, Makoto stood up slowly as a cold chill ran up his spine.
This wasn't good…! He landed on someone's head! The force generated from a fall of that height would kill an ordinary person. Whoever he hit was probably just a pile of blood now–!
"Damn it! 'The hell was that!?"
Against all odds, his unfortunate victim survived and was getting back to their feet, unharmed. They were understandably furious with him, but their curse-ridden proclamation got cut short once they turned to face him.
"Oh, um… Look dude, I get that I shouldn't be out here on my own this late, but could you lay off me? I wasn't ready to head home just yet!"
English… Makoto knew the language and was mostly fluent, but most of his exposure was limited to the music he was always listening to. The person behind him spoke in an accent that sounded American, and they were 17 years old if he had to guess, if not older.
The stranger broke eye contact with him and continued their monologue, too caught up in the moment to pay him any mind. From the few details he heard, it appeared that they had him confused for someone from a larger group of sorts that lived nearby, and that he was returning home after a long week of physical work of some kind.
Even with their backs turned, Makoto was able to create a rough visualization of how this individual looked in his head. Their exaggerated mannerisms and boisterous voice made him envision a teenager who frequently skipped class to hang out with his friends behind the school building. A stereotypical punk who used his size and physical strength to harass and humiliate anyone who crossed his path, and who enjoyed the fame and fear he earned from his misdeeds, intentionally letting his ego and arrogance cloud his judgment.
Despite this, this person wasn't getting aggressive with him. In fact, they were being defensive about something… The juxtaposition was jarring, to be sure.
"–and Sapphire's been insistent that there's more to that weird feeling I'm getting, so she's been upping the intensity lately." He took a deep breath. "So yeah, I needed this, all right!? Can you guys ease up on me for once!?"
Knowing that he couldn't stay silent forever, Makoto let out a deep grunt to maintain the illusion that he was the individual this person thought he was. It appeared to work, and their frustration calmed down slightly.
"Okay, there we go!" The teen huffed, throwing his arms up in exasperation. He knelt down to pick up his dropped travel bag but suddenly stopped. "Wait a sec– What are you doing all the way out here? Isn't this a bit far from your guys' usual patrol route? And, no offence dude, but your voice sounded awful just now!"
Makoto tensed at the accusation and backed off, pulling the hood back over his head. He hadn't thought far enough ahead to continue with an actual conversation!
"Wait… Did you get lost or something?" The person leaned in closer.
From underneath his cloak, Makoto saw a pair of blue eyes shimmering with a mischievous gleam, ready to take advantage of the situation.
"Oh, I see what's going on…!" The cocksure personality had returned. "Tell you what. I tell you that you only need to walk in that direction for another… fifteen minutes at my usual pace to get back to the city. And in return, you don't tell Sirius that I've been wandering out late again. (Evenifit'stheendoftheweekandI'mheadinghomenowanyway.)"
He reached out and threw an arm around the young man, pulling him close.
"Sound good, dude?" He then tightened his grip and gave Makoto a playful shake, acting as if they had been close buddies for a long time.
'Why do I always attract the loud ones…?' Makoto groaned internally. A faint, exasperated smile formed on his face as he voiced his agreement, too overwhelmed to do anything but play along.
"Tha-hanks!" the teenager exclaimed in jubilation before letting go and running across the grassy field at inhuman speeds. "Okay– You're the best! I'm outta here. See you sometime next week!"
Makoto didn't look away until they were completely out of sight.
'What just happened…?' he blinked in bewilderment and straightened out his clothes. It was hard to tell what was more odd, the fact that his bluff worked or that that person shrugged off a fatal injury as if it were nothing more than a bug bite.
Whoever they were, they must be very formidable…!
With the encounter behind him now, Makoto was left with the decision of what to do next. Before they left, the teenager mentioned something about a city. His time in the treetops confirmed that there was nothing noteworthy in the provided direction, but there was something about that conversation that made him want to believe in that person's words. They weren't lying to him. That outburst was genuine.
'I don't care anymore. I don't have any other leads…'
This was the final push. He no longer dwelt on what to do when he got back to civilization. If it meant stability and a safe place to stay, he would be more than happy.
There wasn't much to go off of, given the limited directions, but ultimately, he opted to take the advice literally and walk straight ahead until something stood out. The grass path was lined with large, faded footprints. Makoto never got a good look at that person's footwear, but assuming they were wearing boots, these prints were probably theirs.
'I'm going the right way, at least…' His head was now stubbornly glued to the trail instead of his surroundings.
Eventually, however, the large boot marks were accompanied by something else.
Animal pawprints. A canine if he had to guess.
There actually was wildlife out here!
Reacting fast, Makoto darted into the shadows, out of sight. Scanning the forest for movement, he, again, found nothing. But his keen senses picked up on something else.
Something smelt bad… Like old, sweaty gym clothes combined with bad breath.
Unidentified tracks and a foul odour? It didn't take a genius to put everything together.
At some point in his contemplation, he had reached for his katana, ready to draw it out again to defend himself. In his head, he could see the forest replaced with the long corridors of the dark labyrinth, trapping him on all sides as a large canine-shaped Shadow came out of nowhere, saliva dripping from its mouth as it wound up, ready to tear him apart…
"No. This isn't real," he reasoned. The Shadows hadn't followed him here; they didn't exist in the real world.
The day's worth of fighting and then hiking was finally catching up to him. Before, he had only ever experienced continuous combat for an hour at most. Pushing himself this much wasn't healthy.
Taking a few deep breaths, Makoto calmed down and brought himself back to reality, with no monsters in sight. Sighing in relief, he put his sword away.
'I'm reaching my limit…'
Swiftly reaching into his pouch, he pulled out his last healing medicine and quickly chugged it down. His stamina returned once again, but he was still struggling to keep his eyes open. He needed to move.
He quickly scanned ahead in the direction of the paw prints. This time, he managed to sense two strong presences a good ways off but still relatively close to him. One struck him as bold and defiant, and the other, malignant and twisted. Both felt dangerous to him, and Makoto debated whether it was safe to continue.
"Why are we out here, Terrak?" A voice spoke out in an authoritative tone. "Do you plan to ambush me outside the gates where you have an advantage?"
The second person replied soon moments later, sounding antagonistic yet amused.
"Always so defensive… No, that won't be necessary, if you behave. For now, I need your cooperation on something."
It would be a lie to say Makoto was eager to learn what these two were talking about. He wasn't the type to get curious about matters that didn't concern him. But given how close he apparently was to the conversation, it was probably only a matter of time now before he got involved, one way or another.
Reasoning that he didn't need to interfere if he observed these people from a distance, he slowly eased his way into the bushes. Crouching down so that he was mostly hidden, he slowly peeked up. What he saw next caught him off guard.
In his childhood, Makoto had seen multiple cartoons and films that featured animals with human-like intelligence and appearance to some extent. But seeing beings like that in real life was something he never would have expected.
Standing in the clearing ahead were a canine and a primate. Both stood on two legs, wearing clothing, and, if those voices were any indication, they could talk as well.
The shorter mammal, a sort of wolf if he had to guess, had a mix of white and blue fur, the latter forming a mane that was swept back and ran down its spine. It wore brilliant garments of blue, gold, and black that, along with his proud posture and defiant gaze, gave him a regal impression. The actual design of his clothes, however, reminded Makoto of a ninja. Everything was loose-fitting and there were numerous small weapons and other useful tools strapped to his body. The canine also had a long strip of black fabric wrapped around his eyes that covered most of his face, completing the ninja aesthetic.
By comparison, the… gorilla was dressed in rags. Torn blue cloths covered his body, layered under thick animal furs and leathers. He also had a single large dagger hanging off of his leather belt that he knew how to use, judging by the skulls decorating his clothes.
The primate was also significantly taller than the wolf. Makoto himself probably wouldn't even make it up to his waistline, and his rough physique made the size difference all the more obvious. His fur was a deep black, but the individual hairs were so thin and densely knit that one couldn't distinguish the strands from each other, making it look like a black aura was radiating off his skin and adding to his menacing appearance. But there was one feature that stood out more than anything to the human.
'That mask…?'
The ornament on the primate's face looked very similar to the ones the Shadows had. Only he had never seen one with this design. White, shaped like a skull, and it had the number XIII emblazoned on the temple.
…The Death Arcana?
That was new… and very ominous.
Despite the similarities, Makoto didn't think the gorilla was actually a Shadow. It was wearing clothes like an actual person, and the mask, as foreboding as it was, looked to be made of real bone, and it curved around the primate's head perfectly.
The wolf suddenly snarled at the larger mammal, whom Makoto now identified as Terrak.
"The Dark Army hasn't attempted to attack Lycanus even once. Why is your king suddenly interested in us, ape?"
Unlike the animals from those old cartoons, these two had some feral qualities that were unlike a normal human. Their voices were coarse and laced with guttural-sounding growls, especially in the wolf's case. And their body gestures weren't as animated.
The 'ape' laughed at the outburst and began circling the canine. It was now that Makoto noticed that the two of them weren't alone. Multiple smaller apes were surrounding the pair, all with crude weapons drawn, making sure the wolf didn't try anything while their leader interrogated him.
"Oh, I can assure you, Sirius, it has nothing to do with this overgrown garden of yours. My men HATE the place, you know. If I'm not there to chaperone them, they'd get lost the moment they step foot in here." There was some nervous movement in the crowd. The apes were all visibly insulted by the comment, but they couldn't deny its accuracy. "No, there's something you have that I want. Or rather, someone…"
He placed a hand on the wolf's shoulder.
"Where's the dragon?"
Sirius slapped the hand away with the back of his paw, making sure the long silver spike on his arm gauntlet stabbed the ape's palm and sent a clear message.
"A dragon wouldn't survive out here and you know that."
"~And yet, you found a way!~" Terrak spoke in a playful, bouncy voice, intentionally getting under the wolf's skin. Sirius' ear twitched and he let out a low-pitched warning growl as he slowly reached for the colossal green sword on his back.
Suddenly, a rustling sound from above grabbed Makoto's attention and he turned his gaze upward. Standing above him was another heavily armed "wolf ninja" perched in the trees, watching the pair below while staying out of sight. At some point, more and more wolves appeared and were all hiding in the branches or at ground level like him. Judging from the tension in the air, they all wanted to step in and aid Sirius, but they refrained for reasons he didn't know.
Altogether, Makoto counted about two dozen wolves, all of which seemed to ignore his presence. He blended in with the crowd seamlessly.
"I have no interest in these accusations." Sirius, who Makoto was beginning to suspect was the alpha male of this pack, drew his large weapon with one paw, and pointed it forward. He was quickly losing his patience and was now willing to use force to drive the apes away.
Terrak, meanwhile, didn't seem to care. He was fully convinced his "friend" was lying.
"Aww, is that supposed to scare me?" He let out an amused chuckle. "You know, a lot has happened in the world since this war started. People are getting smarter. Stronger. Or so they think… Case and point, that oversized butter knife of yours. You seem awfully proud of that thing. Compensating for something?"
As if in response to the taunt, a large surge of power arose from the wolf. His entire body was bathed in an ethereal blue light, greatly intensifying the killing intent in his eyes.
"Decades worth of alchemy and research into your kind has been put into forging all our weapons. More than capable of removing your head from the shoulders. I wouldn't laugh if I were you," he seethed.
'What is that power?' Makoto wondered from the sidelines, in awe of the wolf's strength. 'It looks a lot like when someone's about to summon, but… I don't sense anything like that coming from him. How is he able to do this?'
The ape, conversely, was unimpressed by the display and let out a loud sigh.
"I've lost count of how many times I've gone over this. But since you mutts never leave your little forest shelter, I'll be generous and explain it slowly."
He took a step closer to the alpha wolf, who stood his ground, his weapon's aim never deviating from the ape's throat. Terrak ran a finger against the massive weapon's sharp edge in a mocking gesture. Despite how deadly the sword looked, it didn't actually pierce his skin and draw blood until he visibly forced the finger down.
Terrak held his paw up to show the extent of the wound.
"Yes, those fancy weapons of yours can scratch us a bit." His yellow eyes glowed from within his bone mask. "But even then…"
In the blink of an eye, the ape reached out and snatched the weapon from the wolf's paw by the blade. He let out a chuckle when the surprised look on the wolf's face turned to horror as his weapon actually began to deform under the brute's strong grip.
"…We aren't weak to them!" He raised his paw again. The larger wound had already begun to close. The flesh was sealed shut without a single visible scar.
"H-How did you–"
"I've been at this long before you were even born!" the ape roared and began circling the alpha again, this time without the light-hearted demeanour. He was a predator cornering his prey. As he talked, Terrak made subtle hand gestures behind his back, signally to his men to hand him a larger weapon. "You aren't as special as you think, mutt! If it were that easy, I wouldn't be standing here today. Not by a long shot!"
While this was happening, the wolf standing a few steps away from Makoto was getting restless, and small whimpers escaped his mouth. Every so often, the human looked over and saw him reaching for his own weapon, ready to jump in and assist his alpha. Makoto understood the feeling, but there was still no guarantee that they could save him.
'If that is a Shadow, they can't win…' he thought as he pulled his katana out of its sheath to stare at the translucent blue metal. Ordinary people had no hope of defeating Shadows, no matter how brave or resilient they may be. If anyone could help the wolf now…
"Enough of your games!" Sirius suddenly barked, regaining composure. "Your claims are baseless, and we will say it as many times as it takes. There isn't–"
Terrak interrupted the wolf by swinging an oversized axe in his direction. Sirius reacted just in time and dodged out of the way, twirling through the air as the weapon nicked the fur on his ear, before landing to the side, thankfully with his body intact.
"What are you–!?"
"Wait for it…" The ape stared ahead at the trees, dismissing the wolf entirely. He hadn't been aiming at him in the first place.
Nothing happened right away, but eventually, the tree that resting directly in front of where Sirius had been standing began to topple over. That one stroke was enough to cleanly slice it in half.
Everyone present safe for the ape leader shielded their eyes as the large structure hit the ground with a deafening THUD, knocking up dirt and debris. When the chaos finally settled, Sirius gasped at what he saw in its place, a small pile of crystals sprouting out of the ground, glowing with magical properties.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Did you not notice that there?" Terrak chuckled as he tossed the axe back to the grunt who handed it to him. "That's right. Spirit Gems. I don't think I need to tell you what this means, right?"
The alpha wolf began to backpedal, his mind racing to think of an explanation.
The rest of the pack, meanwhile, were all getting increasingly anxious as their leader was being pushed back.
"Control yourself, Lucas!" A female wolf in the trees barked at the timid male from before, who was acting up again. "You'd only make things worse."
"But he–"
Another female on the ground patted Lucas on the shoulder, trying to calm him down.
"We all feel the same way, Lucas, But if we all act now, they'll take it as an admission of concealment, and attack the city. We can't act unless he signals us to."
Makoto looked on at them in sympathy. He knew what that feeling of powerlessness was like. Being rooted in place when either your involvement or inaction would mean the end of someone's life. Hearing the desperation in his voice was painful.
But then he saw the wolF'S EYES…!
.
.
.
An Explosion…
Fire…
Glass Shattering…
A family trapped inside a car…
Only the child surviving…
The mother's face smiling down at him before the end…
.
.
.
…Makoto had stopped breathing as the flashback hit him, and it took a moment to regain control of his body.
'Just now…?' he blinked in disbelief.
At that moment, he intimately felt every emotion the wolf named Lucas had as if they were his own… Because he had been in the same position at one point.
'Why am I hesitating…?' The question was less Makoto berating himself for not having acted when the morally correct thing to do was to help, and instead, lamenting being so passive once again.
There was a time when Makoto rarely acted on his own accord and only did as he was told, simply because someone asked it of him and he had no reason to refuse. But that was a long time ago, and the person he was now would take action to prevent any unnecessary death if it was in his power.
This was no different… And if this would also spare Lucas from the mental scars of watching his close friend die, the risk was worth it, in his opinion.
Walking out from behind the tree, Makoto fully removed the sword from his back, holding it in his hand. Behind him, he heard Lucas speak up in a panicked voice.
"H-Hey! What are you doing!?"
The small commotion drew the attention of the other wolves who voiced similar remarks, only more angry and insistent.
"That idiot!"
"He's doing this for your sake too, you know!"
"Stay back! This is his fight to handle alone."
'His fight, hm…?' The human looked down at his weapon. 'Maybe it started that way, but someone has to even the odds now. Even if only by a little.'
The nameless apes in the back were the first to notice him, and it wasn't long before their chatter caught the attention of their leader, who tilted his head in confusion at the sudden intruder.
"Hm…? Calling one of your runts for backup, are we?"
Makoto froze at the comment.
What was he talking about? He obviously wasn't a wolf.
"Discard any concern you have for me, pup." It was Sirius who spoke this time, using a caring but firm voice. "Go back to your family, where it's safe, and wait patiently for my return."
…Well, this was awkward. He had intended to stand against the apes as a third party, yet everyone here seemed convinced that, not only was he on Sirius' side this whole time, but that he was a child.
Makoto ambled in place slightly, wondering what the next course of action should be, while tuning out the nasty remarks still being thrown at him. It made sense to hide his weapon for now, but he didn't know if it was too late to avoid a fight altogether…
It took one of the apes getting up in his face to break him out of his musings.
"This one's cute! Acting all grown-up, thinking he can protect his pwecious alpha~!"
With the beast this close, Makoto was able to finally get a good profile of what he was facing. The primate was much taller than him and covered in dark-coloured fur barely covered by torn cloth. This one, in particular, had a brown mask on its face whose design he recognized.
'These masks… There's no doubt about it now. They're identical to the Shadows'.'
That would explain how formidable these apes were. But how had they managed to obtain this power for themselves…?
"What? Aren't you going to say something? Where's all that bravado gone?" The grunt leaned over Makoto close enough that their faces were almost touching.
Its breath… It was so vile, that Makoto had to turn his head away in disgust, almost gagging. The shrewdness of apes behind him saw this and began cackling.
"Woah, SAVAGE!"
"Hey! He thinks you need a shower!"
"Imagine being told off by a mutt without him even saying anything? That's kind of embarrassing!"
The ape in question heard every word being sent his way. He couldn't see it, but both his leader and the alpha wolf also couldn't help but snicker at his misery. Overcome by rage, he lifted his large axe up and jumped into the air.
"Die, you worthless dog!"
Makoto didn't flinch at the outburst. He saw it for the pathetic loss of control it was and remained calm.
Feeling indifferent, he closed his eyes and brought a hand out. Even if the shove would physically do nothing, it would get the smelly ape out of his face, at least.
.
.
.
A loud cry echoing throughout the forest made him open his eyes immediately.
In front of him was a large outline in the vegetation that matched the shape of the primate with its limbs outstretched, perfectly. Somehow, he had knocked the poor ape back so hard that it crashed cleanly through several smaller trees and other plant life.
Makoto's jaw hung open in confusion as he looked ahead. That push was only meant to force the ape back a few steps… yet he launched him back that far!?
'That… wasn't supposed to happen.' He almost wanted to go over and apologize…
The leader of the primates let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing his temple through the mask.
"That idiot… They're wolves for crying out loud! That's what happens when you charge in without thinking."
Sirius took a step back, taking a protective stance in front of Makoto while pulling out a pair of twin blades from his hips.
"Enough. Attack a member of my pack again, and we'll respond with lethal force!"
With that, he let out a deafening howl into the night, signalling to the others to come out of hiding. Instantly, twenty wolves stood by his side, all cloaked in that same blue energy, ready to fight.
Terrak raised an eyebrow at the threat, chuckling to himself as he drew his weapon.
"This is going to be fun…" His own men got themselves ready. Only unlike the wolves, wisps of actual magic surrounded them and their weapons.
"Go get 'em, boys!"
Both groups charged each other in a flurry of attacks. The canines struck with their superhuman power and agility, while the primates responded with elemental magic and deadly spells.
From within the whirlwind of chaos, Makoto raised his arms to shield his eyes from the incoming blasts. Gritting his teeth, he looked ahead to see three apes closing in. Two grunts and Terrak himself.
Two wolves appeared from behind him, Sirius and the female who was consoling Lucas earlier. They both were about to run ahead and engage the three when he raised a hand to stop them. He sent the two a quick look that told them everything.
'Hold those two off. I'll deal with the main threat.'
The two canines were shocked by the notion and were about to snap at him for acting foolishly, but then they got a better look at his face. It was then that they realized that the person before them wasn't from their pack. He was a rogue who had chosen to stand with them. Despite this, something about his confidence reassured them that he knew what he was doing. Eventually, they both backed down and calmly agreed to his plan.
Makoto could say with confidence that his allies were experienced fighters, even more than him. Now that they knew their tools were inferior, the wolves worked around this weakness either by disarming the apes or using their weapons' longer range to minimize injuries. Makoto had to take a moment and admire how swift and precise their attacks were.
Soon, the hurricane of movement parted, and he found a clear path ahead separating him and the ape leader. His feet moved without him needing to think, and soon, he and Terrak were facing each other.
Normally, Makoto wouldn't have been phased by the giant ape. He had faced much more deadly opponents before. However, most of his powers were still repressed, and when combined with his current exhaustion, he knew he needed to plan his next actions carefully, or this monster would end his life.
A brief amount of time passed with neither of them taking the initiative. Eventually, the ape noticed that the human was staring at him. Amused, he crossed his arms over his chest and let out an arrogant smirk, revelling in the attention as if a group of girls was ogling him.
"Bit off more than you can chew, pup?" he taunted. It was entertaining seeing young children try to stand against him. The way their fiery spirits got crushed when their attempt at heroism failed was always so satisfying. "Of course, if you still want to fight… I can put you in your place."
Instead of the small wolf cowering in fear, however, he got a different reaction this time.
'I'm not going to make the same mistake again…' The young man aimed his only weapon forward and readied himself. While the ape was undoubtedly stronger than he was, Makoto knew his speed could turn the tide. And that was his key to victory.
Terrak made the first strike, a poorly telegraphed overhead slash that was easily dodged. This was followed by a strong punch that hit the ground as the human leapt over him, landing on the other side.
The ape's backside wasn't left exposed for long, as he pivoted around to block the incoming sword strike with his dagger. Both blades fought for dominance briefly before Makoto loosened his grip. Using Terrak's strength against him, he let the giant tumble forward as he slid in close, now with a clear opening.
Two carefully placed slashes drew blood and knocked the ape off balance, causing him to let go of the large blade in his hands in the process. Makoto brought his foot up when he saw this, kicking the dagger into the air, to which he jumped up, caught it, and immediately threw it back at the titan, piercing his heart and bringing him to his knees.
Landing back on the ground, he quickly scanned the battlefield and was surprised to find that all the ongoing fights had been progressing in their favour. Every ape was either on the floor or heavily staggered!
Like water, the wolves all moved into position, surrounding the primates on all sides and taking back control. With him standing in front of the downed leader, it was up to him to confirm if it was time to end it all.
They were ready…
"All Out Attack!"
What happened next was a series of coordinated strikes at lightning-fast speeds as the entire pack let out a chorus of howls as they all charged the apes with him. The forest became a blur of blue and white. None of them had a specific target in mind, only focusing on maintaining pressure and not letting anyone escape. They would strike an ape once before darting ahead to the next one.
The assault eventually ended once they all showed signs of slowing down. Ending back in the same formation they had been in when they started, Makoto didn't know just how much damage they had dealt, but experience reminded him of what always followed after the entire team coordinated an attack like this.
He twirled the katana in his hand before slowly positioning it over the sheath on his back. The tension in the air grew strong as the blade slipped back into its saya, the ape leader even looking at him in surprise and intrigue. Just as it was about to click into place, Makoto closed his eyes and turned his back to the apes.
"Done and dusted."
*Clink*
All at once, a torrent of blood erupted from the chest of every ape in the forest, including Terrak himself, and they all collapsed to the floor.
The fight was over, and they had won.
The canines quickly reassembled and a few of them moved in to verify that there weren't any stragglers that they missed. The human tuned most of them out, bringing a hand to his forehead to brush his hair back. His head felt cool and crisp, and devoid of sweat.
It amazed him how well the fight turned out. Their coordination just now was so perfect, it felt as if he had fought alongside these canines for years. Also, from what he saw, despite many of them having notable bruises, burns and other injuries, there were no casualties on their side either. With the odds so heavily stacked against them, he couldn't have imagined having a better outcome.
Suddenly, Makoto felt something hit him on the shoulder. Looking over, he saw that one of the wolves, the same fiery female from before, had walked up next to him to congratulate his efforts, giving him a playful nudge.
"Not bad, kid! Managing to hold your own against one of the Dark Army's top commanders? You've got potential!" She praised while ruffling his hair through the fabric of his hood.
It took every bit of willpower for Makoto to not shove her away. He knew she was just acting friendly, but he was still uncomfortable by it. The wolfess saw him grow stiff, but to his dismay, mistook it for him being shy, and brought him closer into a tight hug.
"Oh, you're an adorable one, aren't you?" she chuckled, "Hey, once all this drama subsides, how about you start training under me? I can help hone that fighting spirit of yours! Would you like that?"
"Personal space!" She didn't hear his voice that was heavily muffled from under her fur.
"Raya, not now!" The loud voice brought their attention back to the situation at hand. Makoto, seizing the opportunity, snuck out of the female's embrace just in time to see that the ape brutes somehow hadn't died, and were all beginning to rise back up.
'So, that wasn't enough…' he thought bitterly.
While his minions were all struggling to stand, Terrak himself was already on his feet. Black blood dripped from his many wounds, but he didn't appear fazed by this.
"He isn't– His wounds aren't healing!?" a wolf in the back yelped in shock. Unlike before, when he had purposefully injured himself, Terrak was visibly affected by their combined attack. Or as the human noted, he was wounded in the areas where Makoto's attacks had landed.
Beaten and bruised, Terrak glared at the canines who had gotten the best of him. Not in anger, but excitement. Nothing had made him feel that alive in years!
Reaching for his chest, he yanked the large dagger out and took in the sight of the blade drenched in his own blood.
"So this is what it's like…!" he beamed.
The tall ape suddenly rushed forward until he was standing right in front of Makoto. He looked down at the human like a young child at the mall who just discovered their new favourite toy.
"I LIKE you, pup!" he exclaimed loudly. "What's your name!? How'd you learn to fight like that!? How old are you? What's your favourite food? Favourite colour? Come on, no need to be shy! Tell me everything!"
He made a move to scoop Makoto up into his arms and hold him at eye level but stopped when the wolves all leaped forward and formed a protective wall in front of their young ally, forcing the ape back. Sirius, meanwhile, took the katana from Makoto's hand while whispering a barely audible thanks, and pointed it at the giant.
"That's enough! Our business here is over. Leave this city and go back to your mountain where you belong!"
Terrak let out a loud, immature whine as his fun was cut short. Things were just getting interesting…!
On the other side of the wall, Makoto stumbled back, too overwhelmed by the current events. He thought they had won the fight, but with the ape leader still alive, there was no telling what would happen next. There was also the fact that, unlike his minions, Terrak never used any special skills or spells.
'He was holding back more than they realize…' Makoto thought to himself.
The beast that was Terrak was an opponent he had no hope of defeating as he was now.
'In the end, this didn't amount to anything. It's just like with the dragon… At this rate…!'
The mere thought of the black dragon brought back painful memories. He was used to facing death in the eye, but having a blade pass through his heart was a humbling experience. He was still mortal at the end of the day.
'If only I could control my powers… Maybe I could've summoned him again.'
"Hey, withdraw your aura!" he heard Raya say from his side. Makoto didn't realize she was talking to him until they made eye contact.
While he was distracted, he had been subconsciously drawing mana throughout his body. And this was visible to everyone, as he was faintly emitting the same energy that manifested whenever he called upon a Persona.
This did not go unnoticed by the others. The ape leader especially, who hadn't taken his eyes off him until now, seemed curious about something and forced his way through the defensive wall… only to run past them, much to their shock and confusion.
Sirius lowered the sword in his hand and turned around.
"What's gotten into that monkey now…?" He then let out a gasp at what he saw, a brilliant magical energy that flowed around the smaller individual like a miniature tsunami.
"That power… could it be…!?" His voice was a mix of awe and fear.
Meanwhile, Terrak had moved over to the small pile of Spirit Gems behind the tree stump. A couple of smaller fragments had survived, and they were now glowing in bright colours… in response to that one wolf's poorly controlled power.
Picking one up, his head darted back and forth between the crystal and the young male several times in disbelief.
"You mutts are full of surprises, aren't you?" he finally said in disappointment before crushing the gem in his hands.
The apes behind him chattered in anticipation, knowing what usually happened when their leader was like this. This was a rare opportunity to see him let loose. The wolves were as good as dead now…!
…Terrak flipped his bloody dagger back into its holster.
"All right you guys, that's enough," he announced. "Time to head back."
A series of surprised yelps erupted throughout the crowd. Some were disappointed that the execution they wanted never came to be, while others were baffled by the order itself.
"What!? We're letting them go? They're obviously hiding something from us!" one of the apes from behind barked. It was the same one that Makoto had shoved earlier.
The titan growled in a low pitch Makoto didn't think was biologically possible.
"We just found out what they're 'hiding'. Our mission here is over!" His words silenced most of his followers, but the one that spoke up was not satisfied. Terrak interrupted their next comment before they could object again.
"If you want to stay and snoop around by yourself… be my guest! But that means you'll have to find your own way back." He pulled a scroll out from under his fur cloak, opening it to use the teleportation spell it contained. One by one, every ape present magically vanished from sight, safe for the two of them.
Terrak looked over his shoulder to face the protestor.
"I hear the woods are nice this time of the decade. A nature walk might do you some good!"
The ape stood still in horror at the implication of being left behind in the endless forest. Terrak began rolling the scroll back up in a taunting gesture, prompting the grunt to run to his leader in desperation. As he got close, he tripped over a loose twig and tumbled forward with his arms hanging out. Terrak didn't react to this, and stood still as the ape disappeared at the very last second before they collided with each other, the lingering magic washing over him harmlessly.
"That's what I thought…" he muttered before facing the wolves again. "Misunderstandings aside, I had fun today! We should do this again sometime–"
"Get out!" Sirius bellowed.
The ape raised his hands in a placating gesture.
"All right, all right… I get the picture." He turned around to leave, but not before looking at the small cloaked figure standing in the back one last time. The excited gleam in his eyes returned briefly, but he controlled it. He knew better than to act on his own interests without good reason.
'I REALLY hope to see you again someday, pup!'
With that, Terrak walked away, disappearing into the void of black magic while whistling a slow, creepy melody.
Now that he knew without a doubt that the threat was gone, Makoto finally gave in to his exhaustion. His body and mind were heavily taxed by this point, and he had to lean down with his hands on his knees to keep himself from falling unconscious.
Around him, the wolves regrouped while their alpha gave them orders. Sirius was barking at the night guards, instructing them to secure the city entrance, when someone tackled him from behind in an embrace.
"You're okay, sir!" Lucas yipped with his tail wagging back and forth. "I was so scared!"
"Lucas… Let go of me." The smaller wolf only tightened his grip at his words and nuzzled his alpha in glee.
Sirius coughed loudly, drawing everyone's focus.
"Lucas! What happened just now? How did a rogue wolf get this close to the city entrance?"
That got his attention. Lucas finally let go and immediately stood up in obedience.
"Well… The thing is, sir…" He stuttered, trying to answer as best he could. "I-I knew he was there, but… I didn't think he was a rogue. I could barely smell him at all so he didn't stand out to me!"
The alpha was not impressed with the answer and leaned in closer.
"Do you mind explaining yourself again?"
A male hunter standing next to Makoto suddenly spoke up.
"It's true, sir! The rogue doesn't have a discernable scent other than the damp clothes he's wearing. No body odour at all!"
Hearing it from a second source was enough to get the alpha's attention and interest.
Sirius walked over to the rogue, who, in their state of exhaustion, didn't react to his presence. He took a whiff of their blue fur. It was dirty and didn't smell of any soaps, but didn't reek of sweat or grime either. Confused, Sirius moved down to their cheek and gave it a quick lick. His throat rumbled in surprise as he immediately realized that the wolf's face was covered in skin and not unusually fine fur like he originally thought.
'This boy… isn't one of us. He isn't even a child; he might be the same age I am.'
He placed a paw on the youth's face, breaking him from his trance as the two stared directly into each other's eyes. The combination of the stranger's blue fur and white skin looked identical in appearance to their own coats, explaining the oversight. Even the apes shared that thought, from what they just witnessed.
Just then, two of the sentries return. Standing in front of their leader, they both knelt down before Sirius.
"No apes in the area at all, sir!"
"No magical surveillance either."
The alpha male let go of the young rogue and nodded to his followers. He then reached into his equipment pouch and produced a small sack containing two green and gold orbs.
"Both of you, head to the gnorc village immediately. Inform Flash and Nina that Spyro is not to return for the next month, at least. Not until we can guarantee his safety. These orbs should be enough to force the portals open for the trip there and back."
"Yes sir." The pair took the sack and vanished in the blink of an eye without another word.
Sirius quickly ushered everyone back into the city with a wave of his hand. Soon all but three of them remained in the forest: him, Lucas, and Sapphire.
"What of the stranger?" Sapphire broke the silence by asking the question both she and Lucas had, gesturing to the young adult who was still catching his breath.
"We're taking him back with us."
They were both half expecting the response, but they weren't prepared for how insistent Sirius was being. It was almost entirely unheard of for Lycanus to take in strangers.
"So, he's coming with us… because he saved your life?" the younger male asked as he gathered the rogue's dropped belongings, with Sapphire helping them to their feet.
"His actions just now made up for our own negligence! We have gotten so accustomed to Spyro's living here that we let our guard down." The alpha breathed a sigh of relief and scratched the fur behind his ear. "We were fortunate they sent Terrak to investigate instead of Sideon…!"
"All right, if you say so!" Lucas replied before heading back into the lupine city with a spring in his step.
"He never changes, that guy…" Sirius said with a small smile on his face. Despite the less-than-professional demeanour Lucas had, Sirius couldn't bring himself to hate his optimism. It was infectious in a way.
"Are you ready to go?" he asked his female companion. By now, Sapphire had hoisted Makoto onto her back. The young man was on the verge of falling asleep.
"Yes… Should we head back to the temple?"
"No, we need to make a detour. Meet me by Spyro's house." His tone grew tense and foreboding, something Sapphire picked up on.
"There's more to this isn't there…?" she whispered. "It's not like you to behave this way."
The alpha didn't answer her immediately, staying silent before he leapt into the treetops and stared down at her.
"I'll tell you shortly, but yes…" He then took off, fading from sight almost instantly. Back on the ground, Sapphire whispered to herself in confusion.
"Brother…?"
A/N
First half of this mega-chapter, complete!
Fun fact, the wolves in this story are a hybrid of two fictional species (one of which I do not try to hide at all). If you think you can name them both, write it in a review! As a hint… They are both known for having blue fur, but they can come in other colours.
Anyway, I hope this chapter was enjoyable to everyone. Again, most of CH5 has already been written and proofread, so I don't expect it to take my usual timeframe to get it done. (Ugh… I really need to improve my writing pace!) Regardless, I think I'll take a short break for now. I have a lot of pastimes beyond writing this story, and I want to catch up on some of them that I've been neglecting. But I should be back to writing soon! Probably. Most likely…
Until next time, farewell!
-AzureDragonZX