The Monster of the Swamp
Sid was growing frustrated as everyone stood where they were as they looked upon the gloomy-looking tree that didn't seem to hold such great significance.
"Come on!" He grumbled. "We have been standing here for five minutes and yet no one has said nothing about the tree. We risked a lot getting here! Can anyone explain to me why it was worth coming out all this way for?"
Sparx nodded in agreement as he too shared, Sid's impatience on the matter. "Yeah…the tree is beautiful and all but now that we have found it can we go home now?"
Spyro and Adir looked at each other with confusion. Even they were at a loss now. They couldn't have risked their lives all for nothing. There just had to be some sort of reason.
"This feels like the right place." Spyro said as he started to take a careful step towards the edge of the swamp where the tree stood at the center. "But I'm not sure what we are supposed to do here."
Sid slapped the front of his face in disbelief. Molly and Rai gave surprised looks at the dragon and their brother.
"You gotta be kidding me?!" Rai scoffed. "After all we went through you have no idea?"
Molly slammed the bottom of her spear down on the ground piercing through the soft dirt implanting it very upset. "This a bunch of bolognas! I can't believe we left the temple and our family for this!"
Adir felt his family's frustrations. He didn't know how he could explain this since this was all an enigma to him as well. "Believe me when I say there is a reason. I don't think the Chronicler would just send us on a wild goose chase." He explained though his family just shook their heads.
Sparx flew next to the young man and just grumbled. "Well this is wonderful I'm just going to back and hang with the others while you and my purple brother figure it out for a few minutes." He then flew to the others that stood with impatient and frustrated looks.
Adir sighed as he then looked at, Spyro who made it to the swamp's edge. "Hello? We're here give us a sign or…something!" Spyro called out hoping that maybe someone possibly the Chronicler would answer back and show the reason why they risked themselves as they did.
Sparx floated next to, Sid who had his arms folded watching the purple dragon call out to nothing. "Now what is he doing?" He scolded.
The Dragonfly shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know maybe he is trying to talk to a lily pad or a rainbow to talk to." Sid glared at, Sparx but then looked back ahead for the little bug had a point in a sense. If there was someone at least living to talk to then they all can get an explanation.
Spyro waited for some kind of response but there was silence. Nothing but the calm sound of the river flowing through the swamp. He turned around about to walk up to, Adir to see what they could do until a creaking sound was heard that alerted everyone present.
"Uh…what's that?" Rai asked taking out his swords as the sound got louder like wood was mashing against each other. Everyone looked around the swamp, but nothing was acting out of the ordinary until, Adir looked at the tree that had spent so long looking for.
"Hey! The Tree's going under." He pointed towards the tree as it started to sink into the swamp as his family quickly ran over to him getting a grip on their weapons as something was amiss with the tree they searched tirelessly for disappeared into the poisonous water within a minute.
Spyro and Sparx were just as surprised to see the tree disappear into the swamp. "Now, why would it do that?" Sparx asked but no one knew the answer.
Before anyone could say another else that was a loud growl that came from the swamp that made everyone take a step back. They peered downed where the tree once stood and heard that same growl. Something new emerged from the center of the swamp and it looked to be made of wood, but it was not the tree.
Rising the through poison waters was a monster made of wood and wrapped with vine. It roared as it emerged pulling one arm out from the water then another as it pushed the rest of its body free. It stood as tall as the tree's and it had glowing purple eyes with three pointed wooden stacked fangs rearing upward from its lower jaw. It roared once more at the group below it beating its wooden chest intimidatingly.
Sid gripped his ax tighter as he started to think back on what he and the others saw shortly before they made it to the tree they sought. "I think I know what killed all those pirates and destroyed that ship we passed by." He claimed as the giant wooden being towered over them across the lake as it slammed one of his wooden feet down so hard that it knocked everyone off balance.
Sparx was dreadfully afraid of the gargantuan being in front of them and quickly retreated to the forests edge. "Uh…Its my turn to pass out now. You're on your own guys!" The Dragonfly then collapsed onto the ground acting like he lost consciousness.
Spyro and the group all watched, Sparx shaking their heads at his idiotic display and cowardice. "Oh, brother." Spyro mumbled before looking back on at the wooden monstrosity in front of them. It reared its left arm back then swung it forward intending to crush those intruding upon on.
"MOVE!" Adir screamed as he, Spyro and Rai all jumped to the left and, Molly and Sid jumped to right dodging the monster's attack.
"That does it!" Sid growled as he raised his ax and leaped at the hand of the monster striking down upon it piercing his sharp axe partially through. It roared what they believed was pain before, Sid took out his ax intending to strike again but it lifted its hand back up before he could take another swing.
Angered by the attack the monster roared at, Sid reeling its right leg back and before, Sid could react as he turned forward to fact the monster it struck him hard into his chest sending him flying back right over where, Sparx was still laying crashing into the woods out of sight.
"Sid!" Adir and his family screamed in horror as the kick had to have done serious injuries if not worse to their cousin. The Monster intended to kill them all they had to take the offensive.
"Blast it!" Adir shouted pointing his left arm shooting a streak of flames at the monster as, Spyro flew up and shot a breath of fire and, Molly did the same next to her brother shooting out fire from her arms while, Rai ran back to the woods to find, Sid to see if he was okay.
The Monster took a couple of steps back as the flames upon its body were hurting it severely. It then began to spin its upper body quickly with its arms in the water throwing off the flames and dowsing itself with water to cleanse the fire.
Molly quickly understood the situation. "Shooting fire works but as long as it's in that lake we aren't going to get much of anywhere." She pointed out as the monster after it extinguished the final bit of flames on its body it then began to throw punches and kicks at the trio as they barely were able to dodge as the vines the massive wooden golem allowed its limbs to stretch far.
"Then we gotta get it to come out of the water and up here!" Adir replied as he dodged another one of the monsters attacks and proceeded to counter with a slash of his sword upon its hand chopping a little bit of its bark off of it making it roar in pain and anger as it tried to wail down at him only for him to roll out of the way in time.
Spyro flew higher than the monster and shot two fireballs upon its head. It tried to swat, Spyro away from itself but the dragon was far too fast for him. Adir and Molly tried to think of something that could antagonize the creature enough to make it leave the lake it stood in. Adir recalled the battle with the god of the shine back in Tall Plains. He remembered something he did that delivered a heavy blow upon the stone being that was one of two blows that finished it. Perhaps it could work here as well.
He was about to make his sword become a double-bladed spear but then he saw it was too far away for him to get an accurate throw with his spear but then he looked at, Molly and got an idea.
"Molly!" He yelled to get her attention. "If, Spyro can get you close stabbed that thing in the eye with your spear that might just get him to come out of the water."
Molly looked at her brother in surprise over his sudden plan but nodded as there was no time for debate. Seeing she was up to carry his idea he called up to, Spyro who just shot another fireball at the creature temporary setting it ablaze as it began to splash water on itself to extinguish the fire as the dragon flew down to his friends
"Spyro, can you get, Molly close enough to that creature's face?" He asked.
"I can!" He agreed. "Are you up to this, Molly?" The young woman nodded as she trusted the dragon to do his part. He flew just above her grabbing onto her shoulders with his front legs and carried her with ease flying straight for the monster as it just finished getting rid of the fires upon it.
Molly gripped and pointed her spear forward and just as the monster saw the two coming at it one of its eyes suddenly went dark as, Molly pierced her spear directly through the center of its right eye. It roared in tremendous pain as, the Dragon pulled, Molly withdrawing her spear from the wooden beast and carried her back to the land where, Adir quickly gave her sister a high five for her excellent performance and, Spyro with a quick couple pats on his scaly back.
The Monster placed a hand over its now lost eye as its vision was temporarily gone. It blinked its remaining eye a few times to regain its sight and looked at the beings responsible for its loss. Now more enraged than ever it stepped towards the edge of the lake and climbed up the side and stepped forward causing the trio to quickly fall back to the side of the forest.
"Alright, now what!?" Molly demanded as the monster stepped towards them shaking the ground with its thundering steps almost knocking her off her feet.
"I'm thinking! I'm thinking!" Adir replied as the monster tried stomp down on them. Spyro flew back up in the air and tried to distract it to prevent it from squashing his friends.
They managed to get the monster out of the lake which gave them the chance to take it down but it was so massive that it would still take time and if they did manage to set it ablaze again what's to stop it from going back to the lack to again dowse the flames?
"Molly, we have to finish this fast!" Adir told his sister.
"Well, yeah. Got any more bright ideas?" She asked as poked her spear into one of its feet and it hurt it only marginally making it raise its foot and stomp down as, Molly and Adir jumped out of the way.
"We could set it ablaze again but if this thing has a brain it will go back to the lake. We gotta take it out before it can!" Adir explained.
Spyro flew under the monster quickly to lose the sight of the monster for a moment. "Got another idea then?"
"Maybe." Adir responded. "We gotta get this thing off its feet then I suggest we go for the head. No head. End of monster!"
"Good idea, Adir." Molly smiled as the the monster stomped around trying to squish those below it. The Dragon flew back up in the air and used his claws to scratch through the back of it to get its attention. It tried to swat at, Spyro which left, Adir and Molly to go along with, Adir's plan as they ran behind it.
Together they both used their fire element power and shot fireballs directly at the monster's feet causing them to explode upon them shattering its feet as blazing barks of wood went in all directions causing it to fall forward with the two humans behind it staying clear of where it would fall.
With its feet gone it could no longer stand and tried to raise itself up with its arms but, Spyro was not going to allow it. Gaining some attitude and allowing his body to become engulfed in flames with his element power and then dived down at a high speed as the monsters head turned upward only to see the flaming dragon come down upon it as its only eye went narrow in fear as the dragon impacted directly on its head and pierced through it melting away the bark within seconds effectively cutting its head in two and the flames left upon it began to burn away what was left of its head then began to trek upon its body burning away the wooden monster that now was going to be reduced to lifeless ashes.
Spyro landed next to his two friends as they all took a quick look over each other to make sure none of them were hurt in any way. They were a bit shaken and out of breath but in good condition. They faced the remnants of their fallen foe taking a moment to watch the former monstrosity burn away.
"That's what I call a bon fire." Molly joked. Spyro and Adir chuckled at that remark and smiled for a moment until someone came flying up next to them. It was Sparx who watched the whole fight through barely shut eyes.
"Have a nice pass out, Sparx?" Adir asked in mocking tone.
The Dragonfly didn't pay any attention as he looked at what was left of the monster that came from the swamp as only its lower area was all that remained ablaze. "So…you guys killed it!"
"We came out all this way so you guys could kill it?!" He cried. He then started to buzz around the dragon and humans waving his arms about and spoke in eerily and mocking tone. "Spyroooo, Adirrrr I am the mightttty tree speaking across the vooooid. Journey hither and vanquish me."
Molly just grunted from, Sparx's mockery. "Cut it out, Sparx!" She snapped then looked at her brother. "Sparx is an idiot but he makes a point. We seriously came out here just for us to face a tree monster?!"
Adir put his arms up in confusion. Spyro too was confused by all of this. It couldn't be right. "Yeah, I'm not sure that we were supposed to do that."
Spyro watched the final pieces of the monster burn away to nothing but a massive pile of ashes. "You don't think that was the, Chronicler, do you?" He asked looking at, Adir.
Adir scratched his head. "I really don't think so. I mean the Guardians said he was a dragon and that definitely was not a dragon." He replied.
Molly just looked down and sighed. This seemed like a great waste of time but then she remembered her younger brother and cousin quickly raising her head back up. "Oh, my! Rai, and Sid!" She screeched getting everyone's attention.
"That's right! Sid took a pretty heavy hit and, Rai went after him. Let's go find him and see if he's okay!" Adir responded.
"I found out where he landed but there was no sign of him." A Voice called from the forest as it was, Rai that quickly ran up to the group who held a big concern on his face not bothering to address that his family and friends had defeated the monster that emerged from the swamp.
Adir and the others were glad to see, Rai but hearing that, Sid was missing did not sit well with them. "What do you mean there is no sign?" Sparx spat. "A guy that size could be spotted a mile away."
"That's what I am saying! He's just gone!" Rai retorted.
"Then we must find him." Adir suggested but then they heard a lot of barking noises coming from the forest as they all stepped back. It wasn't the death hounds and they immediately knew it just had to be pirates as the barking and yelling got louder.
The Group stepped back further passing the giant pile of ashes that remained from the monster of the swamp and coming out from the forest were dozens of scavengers. They all hollered and pointed their cutlasses at the group.
Spyro and his friends readied themselves for a fight as the situation looked bleak there were so many scavengers this time. This was not another patrol or a landing party from that ship they assaulted when it was docked their numbers were very great and the upcoming fight would be a lengthy one.
However, the scavengers stood their ground a short distance away from the group. Spyro and the others were expecting them to charge but they were not. Suddenly something far bigger than all the other scavengers were starting to come up from behind the many dog-like beings.
A path was made way for it as this scavenger stood out from among the rest and not because it towered over them all and stood taller than, Sid. It was scavenger like the rest of the howling dog beings, but it was far different than the rest of them.
The Figure had a golden hook fitted upon where its right hand would be showing it must have been lost. It wielded a long blade that looked to have some kind of aura around it, but no one could be sure. It had armor pieces upon its shoulders and right above its head upon the back looked to be a chest filled with gold and jewels that looked to be strapped onto its back a with a tiny cannon with the chest and its right leg was missing and had a golden peg leg. And one last distinctive feature was that the way it looked at them with its long tongue hanging out and droopy look on its face showed that it was not greatly intelligent but two different colored parrots sat upon both its left shoulder and in the treasure chest looked down upon the group with belligerent and detached looks.
"Alas…if it isn't the group that's been wandering lost in the ancient groove." The Red feathered parrot with an eye patch over its left eye spoke in a dignified voice. "You've all been quite a nuisance to us."
"Yeaaagh." The Tall Scavenger nodded.
"Did that parrot just talk?" Rai asked getting a nod from everyone.
"Hey! Show some respect foo!" The Parrot in the treasure chest cawed in a sharp tone.
The Tall scavenger grumbled in agreement showing it was incapable of speaking clearly due a great lack in mind. Sparx was somewhat amused by it.
"Whoa, what's with the gurgling nitwit?" Sparx asked.
"If I were you, I'd shut my mouth!" The Purple parrot warned. "I won't say it again!"
Molly looked at, Sparx. "Yeah, for once stay silent if it's possible for you."
Adir kept firm as the parrots and that scavenger they sat upon that seemed to speak for the absent-minded individual. "Just who are you?" He demanded.
"Mind your manners, boy. The answers to both that and the purple dragon's question will be answered." The Red Parrot replied. "I am, Scratch and my partner in tthe he chest is, Sniff and upon we stand is, Skabb. Captain of the scavengers."
"A pirate captain. How swell." Rai mumbled.
"And for your earlier question. No! That isn't the Chronicler, whoever that is. That was Arborick!" Scratch explained.
"That monster had a name?" Adir cringed.
"Yes! And he was going to be the main attraction in our tournament. And now its ruined thanks to you lot." Scratch finished.
"Apologies. We didn't know." Molly said with no sympathy in her voice. One less monster in the world is always good.
"Oh, not to worry lass. You and the rest of the lot will do just fine." Scratch assured with something sinister in his voice.
"What does he mean by that?" Sparx asked but everyone took a stance reading their weapons getting the idea of what the parrot spoke about.
"I don't think so, feathers!" Rai spat holding his two swords at an angle with electricity searing around his body.
"I dare you just to try!" Molly warned gripping her spear with fire forming on her hands.
"You're not taking us or anything!" Adir shouted holding his sword with his right hand and formed a sickle of ice in his left hand while, Spyro lowered his body into a stance to be ready for a fight growling.
"Oh, as fun as it would be to engage in such a skirmish, I am afraid we don't have time for that. You will surrender your weapons and come with us as our prisoners." Scratch demanded.
"And why would we do that?" Adir barked.
"Otherwise your friend here will truly learn of great pain!" Sniff warned as the pirate captain moved to the side to show what was behind him and it was, Sid being held by six scavengers as he was struggling to free himself.
"Get off me!" He yelled as the six scavengers held him down and he was swiftly kicked in his already wounded chest causing him to drop to his knees with knives and cutlass's pointing over his body and one right on his throat.
The Group gasped at the sight. "Sid!" Everyone screamed as their family and friend was being held, hostage. He was too far within the dozens of scavengers to run or fly to. Even if they used their powers they held with a knife to his throat and all it would take is one second to slit it and end him.
"What do you say?" Scratch asked. "Come with us willingly?"
"Or do we end your friends suffering with a very painful slice to his skin." Sniff finished as, Sid tried to move but his wounds kept him from using his full strength and even if he wasn't knocked away like he was he wouldn't be able to shake off those that held him.
Spyro and Adir looked at each other with worry. They knew they couldn't save, Sid like this. To engage them in a fight would no doubt end with, Sid becoming a casualty. Adir couldn't risk losing his cousin. He nodded at, Spyro showing he was willing to stand down for his cousins' sake and, Spyro nodded in agreement.
Sparx, Molly and, Rai saw them both nodding and had the idea of what they were thinking. They didn't like this but if it meant, Sid's safety they had no choice. Adir and Rai put their swords away and, Molly dropped her spear. Some scavengers came over and quickly picked up her spear and snatched away, Adir and Rai's weapons.
"Wise choice. Bind them and bring them to ship for transport. Our tournament will be full swing with something much grander." Scratch ordered as immediately a group of scavengers hastily grabbed the humans and dragons binding their hands in ropes and the dragon with a noose on his neck and, Sparx was grabbed and shoved into a tiny cage.
"Oh, man. Talk about a blast from the past." Sparx cringed as he was carried off and the others were dragged along where a ship that haven't been seen yet was awaiting as the scavengers followed to make sure none of them tried anything as their, Captain walked along drooling a bit as they went as the parrots upon it grinned as they had a caught not just one but many prized fighters. They would most assuredly do well in what they had in store for them.
