A Grim Tale
The Battle was won. The Skavengers were defeated. The Days of their piracy were over. Their numbers meant nothing to the attackers and no matter how much they desperately tried to defend what was left they had lost. Skabb was dead having been down to the ocean below by the Purple Dragon and four of the two legged furless warriors and, Sniff had joined the Skavenger Captain in death in sea by the Dragonfly.
What remained of their forces fled with the prisoners having been set free by the leopard girl and they all cried out for blood on their captors. The last of the Pirates fled in a few life boats. Their numbers so few they had a slim chance of making it anywhere. The Apes had decimated them before when they had an entire fleet to stand against them. What they had left any one of their rescuers could deal with them. They were no longer a direct threat, and it was time to take in their newfound freedom.
Moles, Llama's, and other creatures of other folk were beyond grateful to the dragons and the warriors that followed them into battle. Some of their saviors were wounded especially the Ice Dragon who still was too weak to even flap his torn wings. Tracy had used every red crystal she had on her to help, Cyril. They managed to stabilize his condition, but he was not in any shape to fight or even move for that matter.
Rai, Molly, and Sid assisted in helping the freed prisoners. Some of them had been partially starved in their captivity. Most hardly been given even a meal unless they won their gladiatorial fights or stayed alive long enough to earn food but what little they were given barely got them by. Thankfully many of the galleys were still undamaged and had plenty of supplies to share with the dozens of prisoners that were beyond grateful for their freedom.
Jim along with, Spyro and Sparx helped out putting out any fires that remained on the other ships. They did not want anymore damage upon the vessels where they stood become engulfed in flames and, Cyril was being cared for by, Tracy. Her caring hands did offer some comfort to the Ice Guardian. She was kind and wise. Cyril admired the woman for her medical care. She used tarps and torn sails to make bandages and tied them together with rope and pieces of wood. When there was little more she could do she assisted with the other prisoners that were in need of care some of them having wounds that still had to heal from their gladiatorial battles and some were injured during their assault on the Skavengers.
Meanwhile Adir went with Zima to the Captains quarters to find the map that could lead him and his companions to the White Isle to find the Chronicler. They had achieved a great victory here that was a fact but, Adir understood that though they stopped the Skavengers and saved many lives and freed a great number of prisoners but looking at the moons in the sky with the sun nearly setting in the horizon they were almost touching now. Time was of the essence and if they couldn't make it to the Chronicler in time to figure out how to stop the coming darkness, Adir did not want to believe what could become of his friends and family.
"Where could it be?" He said looking through many shelves in the quarters of the Captain trying to find the map he remembered seeing before. But every scroll he took out just had invoices. Logs of supplies and letters sent or received of news of captured prisoners for their arena fights or information of activities that required the attention of the Captain.
"Any luck?" Zima asked sitting at the desk looking over some of the scrolls and papers that laid on it trying to find the map that, Adir talked about. She found some maps of other regions, but they were not the right one. Some of the maps had some familiar spots on them. It gave her some memories that were both pleasant and some awakened poor memories that she wished she could forget.
"No." Adir replied having gone through the last shelf finding nothing but for a gold coins and a silver dragon miniature statue. It was well crafted and sculpted from pure silver. Very valuable and possibly worth a fortune but money was something that never was on, Adir's mind. They all had a duty and responsibility for others they could not think of riches and in this realm for as long as he and his family been around so far what would money even matter while they have been trying to survive a war that they were all drawn into. He walked over to the desk standing next to Zima.
Adir noticed she was looking rather gloomy looking at a map that showed a snowy region that was had to be hundreds if not thousands of miles away. Other than Dante's Freezer Adir had not been anymore that had a great amount of snow at it. "Are you okay, Zima?"
The Leopard girl sighed sadly. "I am just poor memories. If you look here that is where I am from." She pointed towards the region that, Adir looked at. It looked to be very far in the north. "The Farnnia Ice Plains?" He asked seeing how it had many mountains on it but valleys and plains that stretched for hundreds of kilometers.
"Yes. I am from there." Zima answered though her voice was filled with sadness. "I'll never go back there."
"Why? Was your home attacked?" Asked Adir leaning on the table giving her a pitiful look.
Zima shook her head. "No, my family was lost there. I used to live the life of a noble. My Parents were part of a high-class community until there were lost in an accident. But everything we had was taken from my brother and I for we were far too young to handle our parents' business's. Without even a single consideration he and I were cased out into snow and left to fend for ourselves." She explained.
"Oh!" Adir gasped. "That's horrible!"
"I know. From then on my brother and I did what we could to survive. Thankfully our parents had us train in the instruction of some of the best hunters of my people. We hunted and gathered for ourselves but without coin we could hardly live under the cruel blizzards that came through our region constantly. We had to steal to afford our shelters. We only ever took what we needed from those who could afford the loss of a few misplaced bags of coin or precious materials for trade.?" Continued Zima.
"So, you and brother were thieves?" Asked Adir a little off put to know that the ally he gained during the battle was someone that stole from others but given to what had happened to her family he could not be too judgmental. It sounded like that she and her brother were robbed first.
"Thieves, yes." She confirmed. "But as I said we never took anything from those that shared our troubles or were in worse conditions than we were. Sometimes we took what we needed and gave what we have left to those that did not have the skill we had to get something they needed to live. But over time we slowly came to discover there was something more to our parents accident than we were led to believe."
Adir tried to think more on what she meant. "You think they were murdered?"
Zima hissed in hate recalling that revelation. "I didn't think. We knew after our latest excursion sneaking into one of the noble structures. While we looked for something that could be sold at a high price I happened to find old letters that talked about leading two nobles to their deaths and forging of a will that indicated that their children be left with nothing as they were irresponsible, disobedient and describable. My Brother and I were loved by our mother and father. We did everything that was ever told of us without question. We did our chores. Followed their wishes and we were told that one day the family business would be ours. My Parents owned the rights to mines that gave our city the minerals needed to build our tools, weapons and structures. That gave my family a grand fortune and a high reputation."
"Oh my god!" Adir was shocked by that. "I can't even imagine."
Zima slumped in the chair putting a hand over her face trying to keep herself from showing her despair. "My Parents were set up and killed by someone they trusted. It was our Uncle. Once we loved him like a second father but in the letters it has his name written on them. He gave instructions to some of his associates to lead my parents to a place in the mines where they rigged it to collapse, and they died in the ensuing chaos. To all, including myself we thought it was just a horrible accident but the way my brother and I were quickly cast out and left with nothing without a single care by someone we loved we should have understood from the beginning something was wrong. And our answers to the questions plaguing our minds came to light when my uncle and some of his own associates entered the room and my brother and I hid in the rafters across the ceiling. They gloated of their business dealings and how their plans of stealing from the others had ties in the city that gave them more power. They had riches without end and with nearly every business tied to them the royals of the city granted them all that they desired, and it all came from having to steal from those that would give them prestige. My Uncle had killed his sister and her mate and tossed us to the wilds all to take something that he had no right now."
Adir's heart broke for Zima. She had been through a tremendous deal. He had thought little of her due to her criminal past but given to what she had gone through and lost to a monster that was in her own family he cast aside anymore doubt. "What did you do then?"
"With the understanding now that everything we ever known was stolen from us. Our lives robbed of what could have been my brother and I set out for vengeance. Realizing that our Uncle employed some of the worst leopards in my city but due to his influence no one would know the real truth. My Brother and I became assassins. We used our skills at hunting to track down and kill my uncles closest minions that ran his business's. And doing so we discovered he forced many to work for him under poor conditions and wages that they lived on the street and in the cold barely surviving while he reaped in every among of riches and glory he could stand. It was not long until we gained the attention of the city guard. My Uncle called for the heads of those that were killing his men. The City was against us but the people knew who my Uncle truly was when he attempted to kill the workers so no one would understand the truth behind his dealings." Zima carried looking back at Adir more confidently though the story still was heavy on her heart.
"Did you manage to get to your uncle?" Adir asked next.
"I did. Once we figured out my Uncles latest move it was time to take our revenge on the one who betrayed us and our parents. Robbed us of our livelihood and made us live as what we were." Zima replied continuing the last bit of the story. "Near one of the locations of the mines on one of tallest mountains there was rebellion of workers who could no longer work under my uncles strict conditions that he had to handle it personally. We revealed ourselves to him once most of his men had to keep the rebelling workers at bay. Needless to say, he was very shocked to find out that his niece and nephew were still alive. He thought us frozen to death in the streets where we were left. We attacked head on carving our way through his bodyguards he fled like a coward. His guards were formidable, but we managed to break through them and made our way to our Uncle that cornered himself on a cliff. We were slightly wounded from the fight with his guards, but we still had vengeance to drive us. Enraged to discover that it had always been us that had been interfering with him for months he attacked us both. We managed to elude him, but he had the advantage despite the loss his guard. My Brother and I fought him together, but he was much stronger than we were. He managed to knock my brother aside and pinned me after the fight lasted a great deal. His hands were on my throat intending to choke the very life out of me. My Brother, however, tackled him and they went off the side of the cliff nearby. I hurried to edge after catching my breath but all I saw was, Uncles corpses impaled on rocky sharp-edged rock and below in the snowy canyon was a river with flowing ice with no sign of my brother. Likely he fell into the river, but I never found him after that. We achieved in avenging our losses, but I had no lost everything." Zima lowered her head and tried to keep a tear from flowing.
"I am truly sorry, Zima." Adir apologized putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Your kind, Adir." Zima said with a sniff giving him a smile. "Since then, I had no reason to remain where I was. With nothing else I took what I could and left the city and my life there behind. I sought something new in the southern regions. I desired to see things most of my people had never seen before. To witness extraordinary things like my brother and I had talked about doing before we discovered our, Uncles treachery. When I came through the many lands and regions I encountered a great deal, but I learned that lands were at war. The Dragons were trying to fight against the Apes and their King with a Tyrannical Dragon led the forces. I stayed clear of the fighting though I helped some refugee's find shelter and during my travels I ended up getting careless and the Skavengers captured me, and you can understand what became of me then." Zima finished her tale and all she could do was close her eyes and took a deep breath. Thinking of her brother she missed him dearly and would have given anything to have him on the journey she went out on. If he was with her perhaps she would not have been captured in the first place. He always looked out for her even to the very end.
"Through out my life no one ever helped me. Only my brother ever did. But you and your friends had come here, and you all saved my life. Freed me from a life of battle slavery. You forever have my gratitude, and I will gladly assist you and yours with anything to repay the debt I owe." Vowed Zima looking straight into Adir's eyes smiling widely. She never met anyone like Adir before. She didn't even know what he truly was, but his nobility and sincerity was clear. He was different in many ways, and she admired that.
Adir only could smile back at her. "I do appreciate that and welcome any kind of help. There is a lot going on that we need to find answers to and only the Chronicler a Dragon of great wisdom could give us the answers we seek which is why we need to find the White Isle." He explained.
"I see. Well, you can rely on me I will follow you anywhere you need to go. I will help anyway I can." The Snow Leopard said before looking under the stack of maps on the table until something caught her eye. In great letters something said Isle and lifting up the other maps she found one that showed a great sea and a mark where that was close to the land miles away.
"Hey this might be it!" Zima exclaimed getting Adir to look at the map. He looked at it and saw that an X was put just on a spot that looked very accurate to where they were standing now. Peering off the right side there was nothing but ocean but then he came across an engraved picture that looked to be an island and above it in great letters said, "White Isle."
"Yes!" Beamed Adir snatching the map in his hands. "This is it! Great job Zima!" He gave her a thankful pat on her shoulder that looked to be too hard slapping her more than patting making her wince.
"Oh! I'm sorry!" He apologized but she only grinned at him.
"No need for that. Your okay! Let's get back to the others and see how they are doing." She suggested and, Adir nodded in agreement. They both hastily left the Captains Quarters going back up to the deck. Adir stopped for a moment to look over the map. The White Isle looked to be dozens if not a couple hundred miles from their location. That was going to be a long journey, but would they have the time to do that?
Zima rested her arms on the railing of the deck. She watched as Adir looked over the map. He was remarkable. He seemed younger than herself but full of potential and a shred of honor. He had a caring heart. If he and his companions came only for the map then they would have left her to die and the other prisoners to rot but they went out of their way to save them all. Perhaps all that she heard of the dragons were true and these warriors that were with them were as noble as they were?
Once Adir got a good clarification of where they were he hastily went to Cyril and his mother who was checking back on him. Cyril still barely moved but his was alive and that's all that mattered.
"Are you doing alright, Cyril?" Asked Adir kneeling down next to his head.
Cyril turned to him though he grunted in pain trying to do it. "I could be better, lad." He tried to sound enthusiastic, but his wounds were still great. He needed more red crystals and proper care. There was hardly anything they could do for him right now.
"Mom?" Asked Adir looking at the Elder of his family who stroked the side of, Cyril's head giving him a worried expression.
"If he remains out here like this I don't know if he can make it. We won't be able to protect him forever." She replied grimly. Already in the weeks she known Cyril he became a good friend to her. They to rode to battle together and when she got her Ice element he taught her so much in little time. She didn't even want to think of losing someone she came to care for.
Adir sighed in frustration. This was very bad. The Moons above were coming closer together by the hour. Cyril was wounded gravely and there were freed prisoners that were still in need of help. Spyro flew down to Adir along with Sparx noticing the map in his hand.
"You found the map. Great work, Adir." Complimented the Purple Dragon.
"Actually, she did." Adir pointed to Zima who stood close with her arms folded looking away shyly. She was only glad to assist but the compliments were nice. Her brother only ever complimented her and no one else. Adir certainly was kinder than most she ever met.
"So, are we going to get going to find the spooky moon temple?" Sparx asked waving his tiny arms mockingly.
Adir wanted to say yes. They did need to get to the Chronicler as soon as they could. They had the map to follow but with, Cyril and the other prisoners in great need they could not travel to the Isle with so much risk.
Adir turned to Spyro and had to express his worries. "Spyro I know we have to go but, Cyril is in very bad shape. The Other prisoners have just escaped their prison thanks to us, but can we risk their lives further by going together like this or, Cyril who can barely move as it is?"
Spyro took notice of what he was saying. Adir was right. With so many at great risk and need of help to head to the White Isle would be a tremendous risk. There had to be someway for to get Cyril back to the Temple and take the freed captives there as well for the other Guardians to look out for and get to the White Isle before the Eternal Night could be upon them. To take them all back first under escort would take a great deal of time and that was something they did have at all.
The Purple Dragon knew the others would not oblige to what he was about to suggest but it was possibly the best way. "Get everyone over here. We have to talk immediately." Asked Spyro and, Adir quickly dispersed along with Sparx.
They went across the ships to find the others. They gathered up Sid and, Rai who were busy taking account of how many prisoners there were. Molly was bringing every one of them much needed provisions that satisfied their great hunger and, Jim was found last putting out one final fire with a bucket of water before helping himself to some grog that came from a barrel nearby on deck that was about to be shared by the pirates before the attack came.
Everyone gathered near Cyril many looking gravely concerned for the Guardian. Zima joined in with them as she wanted to understand the plan that was about to be given.
Spyro knew this was no easy way to put this, but he had to say it now. "Adir, Sparx and I must head to the White Isle alone." This was met with gasps and shocked faces of everyone around them except for, Adir who could silently agree with the Purple Dragon. That was exactly what he was thinking.
