Author's notes:
Wheeewww it's been a while since I cranked out another update! This is gonna be another double update, since I ended up splitting the chapter and all. Honestly, I didn't have plans on splitting it. I fully intended to tell the entirety of this chapter, but both Azure and Stryker insisted I should show it given how important it "feels". I trust their judgment so... here you go!
Messages from my two beta readers below:
AzureDragonZX. Hello, AzureDragonZX here once again, and… wow! I did not think that the next chapter would ultimately be split in two like this. There were just so many great scenes that we came up with, and before we knew it, we had reached the average length of an Aimless chapter. I won't spoil anything here, but let's just say there hasn't been a chapter quite like the upcoming two in a long time. I hope you all like it! Also, before I forget, have a great rest of the year, and Merry Christmas!
Strykeruk. Merry Christmas all! You're in for a treat with the next two chapters. Lots of good ole plot development and characterisation to boot. Took a fair bit of writing on Silents part as always so kudos to him. I'll let you all get on and read it now. Enjoy!
Oh, you two. XD What did you expect to happen? I had initially planned on showing only one major scene and merely telling the transition. And wow, sending out those holiday greetings already. Y'all realize I'm still working on CH55, right? I'm not swapping back to my original story after uploading this!
Timestamp key: "D" for days, "W" for weeks, "M" for months, "Y" for years, "EM" for early morning, "LM" for late morning, "EA" for early afternoon, "LA" for late afternoon, "EE" for early evening, "LN" for late night, and "AD" for all day. Note that the Dragon Realms follow the sexagesimal system for keeping time, just like Earth. (In other words, 60 seconds per minute and 60 minutes per hour.)
Snip category key: There are four categories of snips. "Settling In", "City Life", "Beyond the Wall", and "The Journey Home". All four represent parallel storylines that take place within Aimless, and other than "Settling In", each snip category has at least two subtypes. Those subtypes aren't listed due to potential spoilers.
Enjoy!
The Journey Home — For Science!
Chapter 54: The Three Ds
"There are two kinds of secrets: the kind you want to keep in, and the kind you don't dare to let out."
~ Ally Carter
[52D/LN]
Watching Joshua convert ice directly into electricity had left Cynder in awe. It was a feat unheard of in the Dragon Realms.
Not even the Purple Dragon could do it.
The moment would surely go down in history.
Unfortunately, Element Conversion was a skill too advanced for Joshua as he was now. He would need to first build up his tolerance to the unique demands that the Unknown Element put on his body. And inimitable they certainly were! Listening to Joshua and Volteer conjecturing had opened her eyes to how little she personally knew, showing how far she still had to fly in the flight of life.
Joshua's power operated on the basis of his consciousness, and was given life through his thoughts and willpower alone. It never gave him direct tactile feedback except when he was "synchronized" with somebody or with another dragon's element—a concept that eluded Cynder's comprehension. In many ways, the Unknown Element was the exact opposite of the other draconic elements—forces of nature to be felt and manipulated. Guided through one's pathways of mana.
It discerned outward instead of inward.
Its actions were merely deliberated, not requiring the assistance of somatic gestures, breathing techniques, or the grasping of mana itself.
Made manifest by unemotional determination in lieu of an impassioned spirit.
Establishing a baseline for how the Unknown Element worked was the point of takeoff. From there, they could unravel its mysteries and figure out its magical significance. Its political importance was now paramount.
Joshua still had a long flight ahead of him, but now Cynder could clearly see a path where he had a good chance at becoming a valued citizen of the Allied Territories—a high-flyer on par with Spyro and herself.
Thank Azeroth the Infinite that Joshua had decided to stay in Warfang instead of listening to Submaster Kaos and abandoning them for Skylands! Cynder couldn't tell if the human was diving into fog for the sole reason that the heroes he'd looked up to as a child lived here, or if he actually wasn't exaggerating about the "life debt" he felt he owed her and Volteer. Whatever his reasons, she felt as though Ventura, Spring of Fortune, was watching over them.
Cynder empathized with Volteer's curiosity. Exactly how could the Unknown Element be used to further their understanding of magic? How could its existence explain Convexity and all the other elements from which it surges forth? Such questions cannot be answered until Joshua Renalia has attained a certain level of mastery.
And as the first to take this flight, with no mentor to guide him, there was only one thing he could do—unending repetition. Trial and error, and lots of practice.
Cynder wasn't sure if they could allow that just yet. There was still a chance that Joshua's growth might lead them into stormclouds. Not until they finally find out how the massacre from the last red cycle occurred could they proceed with the plan to let him walk among the Temple apprentices.
To her chagrin, Volteer announced a premature conclusion to the field demonstration shortly after Joshua fell asleep from the stress of his one-of-a-kind achievement. The Guardian had wanted to see the Unknown Element in its shield form and experiment on its tolerance to both physical and magical attacks, yet it was clear that the price Joshua paid to stretch beyond his current ability was something that spirit gems could not instantly resolve.
Councilor Tuconsis approached Cynder and Volteer and took them aside to give his feedback on the field demonstration. He was undeniably pleased, green skin all smiles. He looked like he'd be doing aerial rolls had he been a dragon.
The gnorc informed them that he would compile his thoughts in writing, send copies to Terrador's and Cyril's offices, and file the scroll with the Office of the Keeper for recordkeeping. To Cynder's shock, Councilor Tuconsis even told them he would use his own authority as Councilor of Defense to formally grant permission to transfer Joshua to the Second Floor whenever they deemed he was ready.
Cynder was so surprised that, instead of bowing in silent gratitude or expressing her thanks, she asked him why the other Guardians couldn't make it to Joshua's second field demonstration. Their absence would be the only reason why the gnorc would explicitly use his authority.
"They are too busy, Lady Cynder," he explained. "We've received reports about heightened ape activity around Blackstone Pass. It is no coincidence that this is occurring while our lands in the north are being pestered by a bunch of belligerent baboons. Master Terrador suspects the two are somehow related. He and Master Cyril are currently poring over hundreds of scrolls to find out how."
The ape conflict in December...
Merely mentioning it reminded Cynder of Spyro. It was like a stab in the heart that caused her to jolt. The gnorc had received no news beyond short letters flown back and forth by their fastest messengers, each denoting the slow but steady progress that Vinetar Claytor and his caravan made across the Allied Territories. By tonight, they should be arriving at the frontier city of Uzali, where they would rest before starting the week-long trek up Icy Peak and into the December Cliffs.
The lack of information concerning Spyro himself worried Cynder. She had not seen her beloved mate since Joshua's demonstration at Windvale Arena. He had believed so strongly in the human's deceit that he had never entertained the idea that he was wrong—not even once—blatantly ignoring all the evidence to the contrary. It had gotten to the point where he would avoid mentioning his name as much as possible. The stubborn hero never gave Joshua a chance, despite the effects it was having on his relationship with her.
She couldn't even recall the last time she had slept with Spyro on the same mattress.
Yet…
Yet… Cynder still loved him. She hoped that he would return to Warfang—to her—smooth and whole.
The depressing thoughts didn't have time to pull her down from the satisfaction of having figured out the mechanics of the Unknown Element. Rather than wallowing in this quagmire, as soon as Tuconsis departed for the offices upstairs, Vara approached her and Volteer. With the etiquette of a dragon raised in nobility, the monoscale asked if she and Blink could stay with Joshua and Kilat until the human had recovered enough to walk the few hundred pawsteps separating Proudtail Hall from the third floor of the Residential Area.
Neither Cynder nor the Electric Guardian saw a problem with her request, and it was only natural that they would stay with him. Vara looked so relieved once they gave their permission to stay, as if she'd much rather spend time with Joshua than return home. Cynder had investigated the young apprentice as early as the morning after she had been summoned to the Audience Chamber for questioning; she wasn't the only one who'd noticed her rapport with the human.
The investigation, which Cynder did not conduct personally, was nothing more than a brief excursion to Over Steward Hoffbar's office and some interviews with the knights assigned to Blowout District. It produced a scroll containing a sad tale of a noble lineage that had fallen from its glory days during the Great War, had sought refuge after the Apes overran their home and wiped it off the map, and was now living on a periodic stipend approved by Moneybags. Apparently, Vara's family could be traced back to the Sunburst Dragon, a famous Ancestor whose name was still being invoked by dragons today. The stipend was enough to grant some measure of support from the City of Dragons, but still left the fate of the family line to their wings.
The investigators' outlook on the family's prospects was unfortunately not very positive. Vara's parents put her under great pressure, yet her performance as a Temple apprentice was practically glued to the ground. Being a monoscale also meant she had little to no friends for moral and emotional support when times were hard. Cynder understood how Vara felt, having suffered beneath unrealistic expectations herself during the last four years with barely anyone to support her beyond Spyro and the Guardians.
Before she met Joshua, Vara was often seen with a fire dragoness, Serenya, a resident apprentice. Like her, Serenya was a monoscale and her performance records flew dangerously close to the ground. The investigators couldn't discern much about Serenya herself, aside from the fact her apprenticeship was supported by her older brother, Merlveet—a well-known squire of Talonpoint Keep.
The report also wrote Serenya off as "reclusive, with an interest in the arts". If she was not in her room during her free time, she had likely flown off into Fracture Hills or visited the Stone Hill Artisans to provide some assistance, if not indulge in her interests.
Serenya's introverted nature and different interests probably made it all the more difficult for Vara to get the attention she craved from the only person kind enough to befriend her.
Knowing all this, Cynder wasn't too surprised to see Vara all but clinging to Joshua. He was likely her only other friend.
Vara went so far as to ask Cynder and Volteer if she could secure permits for her and Blink so they could continue visiting him on the third floor. Vara even folded her legs in front of them and bowed deeply to present her neck—one of the most respectful gestures anyone could make to a dragon. To their shock, Blink also joined the monoscale and bent his knee to them with the same request.
Volteer gently declined the request, with Cynder finding herself explaining why. As she spoke, she could feel the four adolescents paying rapt attention to her words. "I know you've been waiting for Volteer and I to finish processing Joshua's transfer to the second floor ever since we mentioned it earlier this week. We had to adjust the process slightly because of the fight Joshua and Blink had with three apprentices. You're all thinking this has caused a delay, which is probably why you're requesting those permits. We just don't think it'll be necessary. The field demonstration we held just now is actually a part of the modified procedure, otherwise Councilor Tuconsis wouldn't have been here." She paused to take a deep breath. "Lifebringer's wings, Joshua, you left a great impression on him!" On all of them, really.
Cynder smiled at the group. Smiled at Joshua, specifically. "You'll be no different from an apprentice once we give you the new room. You'll be free to go around the Temple and your friends will be able to visit you anytime. We'll still have some number of restrictions in place but overall, you'll be soaring at a much greater height than before and—
Cynder didn't get to finish her words. Vara interrupted her with a raucous cheer. She grinned and bounded on Joshua, recklessly pushing him to the ground and annoying his sister. The monoscale ignored Kilat. "Can you believe it, Hairless‽ You'll have something like a normal life soon! We can visit you anytime now!" She leaned in and whispered something to his ears, flustering Joshua enough to push her away and give Kilat an opening to step between them and growl.
Neither Cynder nor Volteer held Vara's outburst against her. They did nothing even as Blink rejoined them and started bickering with Vara as if they weren't around two of Warfang's highest officials. Maybe the other Councilors—and Cyril too—would have found their insouciance a vexing sight. Not them, however.
Cynder and Volteer elected to remain in Proudtail Hall as well, waiting for Joshua to recover his ability to walk. A few minutes into their wait, Volteer would perk up as though he'd forgotten something. He cleared his throat and thrummed the air with a burst of lightning so that he could announce Joshua's first assignment as a teaching assistant. He would be reporting to Cyril directly on the next immediate Meredy, which was three days after the field demonstration.
As expected, Joshua didn't hide his astonishment at the fact that Cyril wanted him first. "I was thinking you guys would put me under Volteer or someone working under him. Not some dude who's been completely hostile to me from the start!"
Cynder's muzzle frowned at the thought of his assignment. They had pressed Cyril about this decision, to which the old dragon had reasoned that he didn't believe Joshua was being sincere at all. He pointed his wing at the various things being said about Joshua on Warfang's airstreams, once again claiming that his efforts were "dragon dung". He all but demanded Volteer and Cynder to give him an opportunity to "draw out his true nature".
"One lounge," Cyril insisted. Strongly insisted. "Assign him to me for just one lounge; the both of you may watch over the furless ape if you want. I swear to Azeroth, you will all see the real devil lurking beneath his skin."
The Ice Guardian was determined to see Joshua fail. His confidence spooked Cynder. Now that Cyril was the only one staying aloft on a flight to execute Joshua other than Spyro, who wouldn't return to Warfang for at least another half-cycle, she anticipated he was most likely ready to get his scales dirty and set the human up for something that might trap them all in turbulence.
Cynder resolved to do everything she could to learn why the Incident at the eastern gates occurred. If she could only figure it out, Joshua could guard himself against whatever scheme Cyril had in mind.
Throwing herself into the investigation, the weekend had passed without Cynder realizing it. She had spent the entirety of Mazarach and Valorem twisting and turning at the most concerning mystery about the Unknown Element. Now, it was Virith, the first day of the week. To Cynder's horror, it was nearly over. Joshua's appointment with Cyril was tomorrow morning and she was nowhere near solving that puzzle.
What happened last cycle? Why was the Unknown Element so catastrophically potent back then? Why didn't Joshua suffer any of the backlash that he experienced in Proudtail Hall? She recalled how responsive his power was. It was adaptive, counteracting each and every situation that Joshua had faced with what were clearly appropriate countermeasures. Each retaliation was designed to kill their targets, if not the body parts they struck.
Volteer had theorized Element Conversion was a feat that was nearly on par with contact necrosis. He and Cynder had watched Joshua struggle—nearly kill himself—to transform ice into electricity. She didn't remember the human experiencing this trouble during the Incident. Not at all.
She had already eaten the tray of food brought in from Coalfire Refectory in her and Spyro's quarters—a palatial suite atop the White Mountain adjoined with other luxurious apartments as well as the four spires of the Warfang Temple itself. The sun had long since set, yet Cynder refused to rest and sleep. She continued to reflect, to cogitate.
Her tail lashed out and struck the floor. "What am I missing‽" she uttered to herself, exasperated. Cynder was laying down on a platform in the parlor, with a desk in front of her. Scrolls were scattered on its surface, all of them partially rolled up since the dragoness didn't bother tidying them after unfurling the parchments. Each contained transcripts of interviews made almost immediately after Joshua was detained in the Temple. Some were journals describing the damage the human had wrought at the eastern gates.
Cynder glanced at a painting of Spyro and herself, affixed to the wall beside her. Seeing the image of her beloved had her clenching her paws. She needed to figure this out now. Cyril intended to provoke Joshua as much as possible tomorrow. If they didn't know what caused the tragedy in the first place—what made Joshua's Element so stupidly sensitive—then Cyril would be flying blind! Into a potential twister, no less!
They might risk repeating the Incident all over again. Worse, there was nothing she could do to save Joshua if they lost multiple Guardian Candidates and the Ice Guardian himself just because they went too far instigating him. If Joshua was sentenced for execution, only Azeroth knew how Skylands would react. Cynder knew Submaster Kaos was watching them through Skydancer and the other orators. The Portal Master would surely intervene. Knowing his reputation, he would reappear right before the sentence would be carried out, take the human away, and inflict irreparable damage in the process.
She shuddered. Kaos' intrusion was hardly a remote possibility considering his brazen attempt to recruit Joshua into the Doomraiders, last cycle. He was the epitome of typical Skylander arrogance, doing whatever he wanted without regard for the consequences. Cynder let out a nervous breath as she recalled Spyro and Volteer's accounts of the day he showed up at Proudtail Hall. The lunatic was actually willing to rip the Treaty of Tall Plains apart and push both their countries into war!
Cynder's emerald eyes returned to the notebook spread open on the middle of her desk. It had a quill and ink bottle resting beside it. The exposed pages contained her compilation of notes on the Incident and everything she now knew about the Unknown Element. It also included the information Kaos had essentially tortured out of Joshua, which the Skylands Empire provided after repeated follow-ups with their orators.
Cynder huffed in anger when she reviewed the vellum pinned to the page.
.
.
.
.
S̢͇̥̻̥̝̞̜̃̓͒̀̄̇͂̍́͆̔ͥ͠͞e̸̤̘̖͙̝ͯ̀ͩ̃͌ͨ̿͠c̪̝͉̲̹͔̻͍̜̖͙͙̪̜ͫ̑̌̔̌͗͂̒ͧ̔͒̅ͣ͜͞ͅo̴̵̘͎͔̖̯̘̔̍̓̆͗̀n̽̏̑̈́ͬ̈̈̽̋̑͐̿̈̊ͯ͋̋̈́͠͡҉̡̞̻̥d̵̨̹̫͔̮̮͇̟̼̭̺͙̘̦̩͖̫̤̳͌ͩ̌̈ͥͩ̾̈́̾̾͋ͮ͒̓͑̓̔̃
͇̙̫͍̻̩̼̣̭̼͉̣̭̟̙̥̠͚̼ͯ̇͂̃̏̅̓́̎̌́͝N̷̵̨̡̩̯͇͍̫̰̤̲̗̤̪̩̤̖̄̓̈ͯ́̅ȯ̡̹̗̤̰̱̓ͨͥ̒̈̅̎ͣ̆̀̚n̡̢͎̯͍̲̣̹̞̱̣̗̒̃̇̏͋̾͝-̨̌̋̾͆̆ͨͨ͑͛̅̔̑̍̃͗̄́̕͡͏̖̯̟̭͎͈̰̱̥͖̫̳̻Ṉ̵̢̗̮̱̮̱̤̈͊ͨͯ̄̏́͠u͒ͦͦ̂ͪ͌ͩ̚͡҉͓̗̪͉̤̦͔̬͙̯m̵̶̳̪͈̙̠̰̘̋ͮ͂̿̑͌ͬ̊̎̅̈͆̓ͬ̈ͥͮ͜͜ī̧̢̢̓ͭͦ̔̚͘҉͙̭̻̞͎̥̮̙͚̖͉̰͇̪̥͙ͅͅn̵ͯͭͣ̏̒͋͂ͣ̂ͪ͋̂̎̚͜͏̡̱̩͚̣̳̀o̵̜̯̬͔̰̤͖̰ͩ͌͋͋̆̀̓̄̍́͒̑ͤ́͝u͈͚̹͍̻̖̭͖͚͕̍ͪ͛̃ͪ̎̉ͬ̌͆̓̃̿̎̐͗̑̅̉̀͝s̵̵̯̘͇̩̰̬̻̙̼̫̳̹͇͇̜̤̖̈́̑͐̔̈͂̈́͢
̡͖̼̗̉̍ͨ̓ͣ̋̔̈́̌̌̂ͨ̈́͐́̚͟͡͝Aͤ̄͛̆̽͑̀̈̚͢҉͏̵̱̲̯̫̟ͅz̷̧̞͓̲͖̥͔̰̖̰͔̼̼̓͒ͤ̈́͆͡e̪̫͓͎̟̭̗̯ͨ͋ͯ̊ͮ̅́͘͟r̸̶̶̯͙͓̜̥̠̭̫̪͈̯̫̻̠͐̔̒͐̑̒̿̌̐͌̌̈̐͐ͣ͠ͅo̴̷ͮͥ͊̐̿̐͋ͣ̒̒͑ͨ҉̦̝͇̟̜̖̦̳̮̭͠t̟̮͖̦͉̭͈̦̼̳̲ͩͩ͆̏ͪ͛ͩ̋͑ͭ͛͟͞ͅh̴̍̅̀̀̍̀̀̌̓̎ͤ͌ͯ̓̒͌̾̚͠͏͉̥͚̥̮̮̣͕͕̩̣̫̯'̴̣̝͕͎̜̙̟̅̾̽̒ͩͩͮ͛ͮ̆̈̆͟͝s̸̴͉̲̹̺ͯ̓͊̑ͦ̎̊͛̒ͥ͑̎͌͠͠ ̄͐ͤ̍̉ͪ́ͯ̋ͮ͏̗̲̟̯̰̥̟̘̥͇͘W̴̧̪̝͚̗͈̞̼̳̋̑͛̂̆̎́̕h̵̴̴̴̳͙͉̲̻̗̯͔͎́͆ͧͩͬ̀ͩ͑ͮͤ̊͌͞ͅè̵̡̢̤͖̜͍̺͕̼̬̗̯̘̮̙̱ͤͯ̉̆ͦ̉̐ͤͫͨͦ̌͆ͮͯ͋́̚͜ͅe̶̶̵͖̜͙͓̙͓̹͇̭͊ͩͤͨ̓̀̑̽ͪ̍̇͌̅ͪͮ͗͑̂͢l̨̠͈̺̯̳̲͎̩͇̦̹̱̮̳̞̺̐͆̓̎ͬ̅ͦ͌̏͂ͩͨ̀͡
̷̛̗̲̜̻͚̠̜̙̥̭͍̗̠̗̞͉͎̲̱́ͨ̊́͟U̐̏͒̎̌͗͏̞̤̭̝͔͇̺̩̲̣̻̼͓͖̗͈͍̪̕s̤̬̺͊͂̑̅̋͋ͪ͛̋͌͐̋̌ͩ̚̚͢͞ͅű̶̪̯͈̺̦̩͙͗͒̑̂ͣͬͣͪ̂ͦ̿̏́̈́̽͘r̛̬̳̲͉̮̬̰͚̓ͣ̏̏́p̷̬̱̪̥͎̝̦ͭ͂̑ͬͫ̈́ͭ̽ͥ͘͡e̡͚͕̩͔̰̞̱̩̞͗̔ͣ̿͐̉̋̀̆̓͌̈́ͭ͌̎̒͒͟r̸̵̸̨̺̺͇̼͙̬̂̿́̓ͮ̔ ̷̛̛̝̹̯̖͈̝̘͎̽ͤͦ͗̍ͮͪ͒͛͒̇̊̽̚͟ŏͭ͊̊͊̈́̉͏̵̸̜͚̞̻̼͕̪̫̼̭̗̯͎̥̤̮͚̤̝͞f̵̧̢̛̭̼̟̤̗͓͙̤̼̟͙̝ͣͩ̊ͯ̄̑͗̓ͥ̉̋̽ͩ̔͗̽̉̋̈ ̸̷̧͓̻̤̹̙̝̘̪̋̏̿̂̋̒ͬ͊̇͋̌ͬ͒͐̆̚A̴̶̧̳̳̣̠͚̒̀͊̔͐ͬ̋̆̅ͧ̌ͪͮͦ͐͂ͯͨb̶̧̭͍̣̲͎͙̺͖ͮͫ̃̉̄̇ͪ̅́̚s̡̳̮̻̠͚͙̀̐̿͐̎ͯ̎́ͨͬͥ̇̑͑ͪ͗̔͐́͞͠ͅo̸̺̩̝̮̦̙̣̹̪̪͔̍͒̈́ͦ͋ͧ͞͠l̠̖͙̟̠͍̬͍͖̤̯̥̟͌͑ͥ̐̓̈̿͋̂̄̽̐͢͡͝u̅ͪ̒̀̄̎͛̾ͯ̓ͪ͆̾́́҉̻̘̦̜̣̯͉̤̦̯͚̫̙̜t̷̢̟̤̰͖̒͂ͦ̓͞e̡̛̜̦͉̤̲̝̦͔̪̜̻̅̌̇̑̎̑̕͢
.
.
.
.
Cynder had nearly lost her scales when she first saw this after excitedly pulling the rolled-up carapace out of its scroll case. A literal copy of the Portal Master's notes, there was no way she could comprehend the runescript. She had imagined that either Kaos refused to dumb it down or his mind was simply too twisted to bother. Volteer had suggested bringing it to Talonpoint Keep and having a gnorc sorcerer try deciphering the page, only to find out that none of them could make sense of it.
Fortunately, beneath the inscrutable runes was a line written in plain Skyscript. A quick visit to Skydancer's embassy and a veiled threat or two were all that it took to convince the orator to have it translated into Dragonscript—the pencraft of the Allied Territories.
"Very important! Must convince Joshua to move to Skylands," the translation produced.
Cynder wished she could understand the rest of Kaos' writing. Surely it would reveal a few clues as to what he had seen in Joshua and why he offered him a chance to move out of Warfang. Knowing what she knew now, Cynder had a feeling the Portal Master intended to station Joshua at the Grand Celestial Palace and supervise the boy's growth, if not train him himself.
The dragoness's thoughts dredged a cream-furred rabbit from her memories. An archmage's apprentice from the far north, beyond the Allied Territories' borders. "Maybe I can ask Bianca to look at this the next time she visits Warfang," Cynder muttered to herself, turning the page to what she had written the other day about the Unknown Element.
From what she could tell, the Unknown Element granted Joshua the power to detect life within a certain radius. Supposedly he could also sense magic, but it sounded static to his ears and he had deemed it impossible. Analyzing the observations made by his guards and Volteer himself indicated his detection had a wide area of effect. Even now, Cynder likely still fell within his sensing range. At the very least, her "sphere of life" would be difficult to distinguish from the hundreds of people residing in the Warfang Temple.
Each life signature could be assessed individually on a sea of stars that only he could see. A constellation where each and every celestial body of note represented another sapient. Joshua could "synchronize" with people, allowing him to feel what they felt as though they were himself. Cynder felt her head spinning, unable to grasp how such a thing could be experienced.
Thud! Her tail thumped on the floor behind her again. Cynder growled. She couldn't afford to be distracted. She was running out of time!
Her eyes traveled down the page. She had scribbled a line there, writing down that the Unknown Element's native form was immaterial. It could easily penetrate armor or solid objects. This alone made Joshua more dangerous than any dragon. What good were scales, armors, or even entire barriers when the attack would just pass through them unhindered?
Worthless. This detail only proved how outclassed Warfang's knights were.
The next line spoke about Joshua's ability to manipulate the elemental mana of other dragons. Cynder remembered encircling it thrice, highlighting it with the phrase "probably at little cost to himself". Both the field demonstration at Proudtail Hall and the remedial exercises he had given to willing volunteers at Windvale Arena showed how valuable he was in instructing young apprentices with their element channeling. Vara's sudden improvement in the Summer Examinations added to that. Element Conversion was a powerful application of this ability and Cynder could envision the human becoming a force to be reckoned with so long as he had a dragon fighting by his side.
Cynder turned the page again and saw, in her own writing, the "Three Ds". A set of rules that governed the Unknown Element—Discernment, Deliberation, and Determination.
Joshua had proven to them that the Three Ds were absolute. The Unknown Element wouldn't respond to him if he was missing any of the three components, the most important being the clarity and stability of the "mental picture" in his head.
The pages that followed this overview contained incidents during which the Unknown Element had manifested. These only consisted of those reported to the Office of the Keeper, each with a written comment on what Joshua had done. They were few—Joshua was smart enough not to cause trouble when he could. The biggest ones so far would've been the time he had concealed himself and meandered to Alona Hall, the time he abandoned his post at the lavatorium to protect his sister from bullies, and the time he and Blink got into a fight on the second floor.
Sweat drenched her paws. Cynder curled in on herself and buried her snout on the stone. Maybe she was looking at this the wrong way. Maybe she shouldn't focus on the interviews and the reports. Maybe… she should review what she herself had experienced?
She glanced at the portrait beside her, eyes falling on her mate. Spyro… would he have reflected inward? He was the type of sapient who would do that, wouldn't he?
Cynder took another breath. Yes. Revisiting the Incident as she had experienced herself was the only thing she hadn't tried. It was something she had avoided. Limiting her views to merely her own perspective never profiled the landscape as completely as researching what others had to say about things and opening herself to new angles of approach.
She murmured, "I shouldn't let Volteer influence me too much."
Cynder shut her eyes and recalled the Incident, beginning from when she, Spyro, and Sparx were touching down from the sky, their eyes drawn to a fracas happening in the eastern gates. Where her two companions were wary of Joshua, she had nothing but curiosity for the so-called "bald ape" who had yelled out Spyro's and Ignitus' names seconds before they landed.
Cynder remembered acting on that curiosity and approaching Joshua, who had disarmed himself and raised his arms in complete surrender. Joshua's behavior, and the relief evident on his face, was what had led her to deem the boy sincere and give him a chance to speak.
They had managed to start a conversation. Joshua was apprehensive, of course, since he knew certain secrets that she, Spyro, and the Guardians had decided to conceal from the general public, almost as if he had witnessed them firsthand. Cynder had been about to fly into his reasons for visiting Warfang when Kilat assaulted her with hatred in her eyes and the pure intent to eviscerate her neck.
Looking back at the moment, Cynder felt that the entire conflict could have been avoided if they had simply finished that conversation. She knew now that Joshua had gone to Warfang for help. He had wanted to see his childhood heroes up close and secure any form of assistance for both himself and Kilat. Had she had the chance to continue speaking with Joshua, she likely would have asked him why he didn't actually consider sneaking into the city, to which the human would have pointed to Kilat, his adoptive dragon sister. He was thinking of her more than anything else.
Cynder imagined that it wouldn't have taken much to get Joshua and Kilat settled in from that point onward. Spyro would still have had his reservations, if his outburst back in Windvale Arena was any indication, but the dragoness still believed—still hoped that his feelings towards Joshua, irrational then as they were now, wouldn't overshadow his love for her.
Cynder continued to speculate, musing that the cycle that followed would have turned out very differently. She was certain Joshua would have brought up the Unknown Element and the human nations on his own initiative. Those two things alone would have allowed him a place in the Temple's guest rooms and perhaps half, if not a third of the security he had now. He would've had unrestricted freedom from the start. Yes… even if some things wouldn't have changed, he would've led a different life overall.
So where did it all go wrong?
It started when Kilat attacked her—a common reaction whenever a resentful survivor of the Great War first lays eyes on her. Her first strike and the fury that accompanied it dragged out the city's resentment towards her in full view. The late Infernus—who had always gone out of his way to disparage Cynder—had exploited the situation to his own advantage, diminishing Spyro's trust in her judgment and igniting the crowd's anger.
Cynder had not interfered with Spyro's fight with Joshua—if she could even call that one-sided beating a fight. At the time, with events overtaking her she simply couldn't conceive raising her claw against her own mate. The thought had never occurred to her until Infernus put his scheme to kill her in motion and Joshua saved her life by giving her the opportunity to counterattack.
Before then, she had watched. She was squirming from her inner conflict, knowing completely that Joshua held no malicious intent towards Warfang or the Allied Territories at large. She had been torn between that knowledge and how Spyro insisted Joshua was an unhatched egg. Even back then, the dragon couldn't properly explain his prejudice against the human, attributing it to some terrible "feeling" that constantly crawled on his scales. Him, a hero who would always defer judgment.
A hero who would always seek understanding first.
A hero who wouldn't normally allow himself to be influenced by others.
Given enough time, Cynder believed she would have intervened eventually. Even though she had been neutral, she had actually been resisting the urge to stop them throughout the entire fight.
Maybe she would've flown in too late and things would've happened as they did. Or maybe her intervention would have come at the last moment and, at the very least, spared Spyro from the horrific injuries he'd suffered then.
Cynder hummed. She didn't wish to recall those injuries. She had never seen a dragon suffer like that, bleeding profusely from his maw, his nose, his eyes, and his earholes, even during her time as the Terror of the Skies. The fact he had actually survived it was a miracle.
...or was it?
Cynder began assessing the Incident through the lens of the three Ds. What was Joshua thinking during this time? Was he staring at tornadoes, growing increasingly frightened as the Unknown Element ceased responding to him? Did Spyro's aggression and Joshua's inability to flee push the human into the mindset that he had to do everything and anything he could to survive? Had he become so focused—so determined—on staying alive that it was all he wanted at that very moment?
Understanding bloomed within Cynder's mind. The three conditions had been fulfilled. She couldn't forget the moment Spyro had taken Joshua down, only an instant away from biting into his neck. That moment of truth when Cynder had to do something or watch her mate slay an innocent life. A flash of purple-white light had blinded her from whatever occurred left. When her eyesight had returned, Spyro was slumped over with his snout drenched in ichor. Perhaps the only reason he had lived was because deep down, the human truly didn't want to see his hero dead by his own hand.
Cynder felt tears dripping down her flews. It was a painful memory, still. She soldiered on, recalling what happened next. Joshua had been hunched over Spyro after he had fallen. She couldn't remember exactly why he had done so, or what his next actions would have been. All she could remember was her utter, mind-numbing shock, barely able to process her beloved's complete and sudden defeat. Fury like no other had overwhelmed her, filling her spirit with overflowing rage. It had evaporated all the sympathy she had towards the human. The scorching anger instantly aroused the urge to kill—to take revenge—and before she knew it, Cynder had found herself charging at Joshua.
Reviewing the memory once more, she knew that all she saw back then was an anxious and panicking human, literally screaming for mercy—for leniency of any sort. Cynder remembered ignoring Joshua, dismissing his entreatments for a second chance, in favor of obliterating the boy as she had with every other monster she had fought during the Great War.
In an instant, he was curling in on himself, barely able to stand on two feet, unable to run, unable to do anything but await his own demise.
He shrieked.
The Unknown Element manifested once more. It came to life, enveloping him, protecting him from Cynder before shooting a lance of life-stealing clouds at her. It had missed, of course. She wouldn't be here reminiscing about the past otherwise. But it had struck a tree and instantly turned it into a lifeless husk.
Cynder scowled. That was it. That was the turning point! From there, everything plummeted into freefall.
Something changed after Joshua begged her to stop and she ignored him. After she struck him with one of her favorite moves for dealing with small opponents she could toss around on the battlefield.
But what? The Three Ds couldn't possibly explain this. Joshua was panicking. He couldn't think. He couldn't visualize anything. Surely all he could focus on in that moment was the ferocious black dragoness in front of him? Rabidly snarling, enraged, with her claws ready to render him into pieces?
Any mental images he could conjure couldn't possibly shake off his pure, unstoppable terror.
The Unknown Element had no chance of—
Cynder perked. Her eyes dilated.
.
.
.
The furless ape whimpered at his imminent death, his eyes completely shut. Cynder heard his heart pounding. His breathing had gone tight. He poured all his heart and soul into his one last plea to whatever god he followed, demanding a miracle. Demanding anything so that he could live for another day. The consequences be damned. "I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"
.
.
.
Cynder hitched. "Discernment, Deliberation, Determination." She enunciated the words slowly, and one at a time. She said it again while re-examining the last few moments.
The prerequisites that were the Three Ds had been fulfilled at that instant right before Spyro had a chance to rip into Joshua's neck.
And when he had been facing Cynder?
When she had been growling with rage, he was too busy pleading his case to have deliberated anything. It wasn't until after she had attacked him with—
"No!" Cynder squeaked. She sat up straight. Her paws clenched the cushion on which she sat. "Mother of Knowledge, no! It can't be that. Anything but that."
She felt her tail going stiff.
It couldn't be... It simply couldn't! The Incident in its entirety… that was—that was all their—? No! How could that be? They didn't know anything. She didn't know anything! The blame couldn't be on—
"Azeroth! I need to stay aloft," Cynder scolded herself. She got off the platform and snaked around the desk. The countless vellums scattered and strewn about crinkled beneath her paws. She sent a few scroll cases rolling as she left the parlor, her snout focused on the exit. "I can't just beat the wind," she was muttering to herself. "I have to ascertain the real cause. I have to find the truth now!"
The parlor led to a short corridor where visitors could place their belongings. A stand and a shelf had been placed there, so that any visitors—quadruped or otherwise—could leave their coats and any other accessories they were carrying. A thick, wooden slab was installed at the entrance. High quality, well-polished, and upon which the relief of eight dragons was carved.
Cynder quickly reached for the circular latch on the side of the slab, inserted her claws into the notches, and twisted the metal. As soon as she heard its loud click, she slid it open. In her urgency, the sliding door echoed across the vestibule.
Outside, Cynder saw two dragons—both Talonpoint Knights—jerk awake. Fire and Poison dragons, if their scales were any indication. Other than that, she didn't know who they were. Terrador and Councilor Tuconsis had conceived a scheme in which Talonpoint Keep constantly rotated its knights to prevent them from growing lax in a familiar environment.
"Y-Your Grace‽ By Azeroth, you're still awake!"
"Do you require anything, Lady Cynder?"
"I do not," Cynder replied. "I'm only going out on a night stroll. You may resume your work." She noticed they had been laying down, asleep in the wide walkway. Elite guards normally patrolled the residences given to Warfang officials, rather than staying in one place. The fact these two were slumbering yet alert suggested they were taking a quick break.
"Don't worry," she replied with a smile. "I won't tell anyone." Cyril or Tuconsis would surely breathe hellfire over this, but what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them.
Both dragons chirped their gratitude while Cynder turned around and, after shutting the door behind her, continued down the walkway. Because of her hurried gait, her claws clicked and clacked on the cobblestone floor. A fresh breeze caressed her black and maroon scales. She looked askance at a well-kept courtyard, lush with trees, flowers, spirit gems, and various statues of the Ancestors as well as the greatest high-flyers of past generations.
The weather was good. The twin moons, Zella and Adrano, were out, with Zella the green in its crescent shape. Cynder lamented how a perfect midsummer night like tonight would've been great for a good sleep, but she simply didn't have time. She continued to follow the corridor, lit using torchlight rather than the dim crystals used in the Temple corridors.
All the patrolling guards she passed—each a veteran knight from Talonpoint Keep—greeted Cynder respectfully when she sauntered through the corridors. Their stoic expressions rendered it impossible to know whether they, in truth, resented her.
Cynder arrived at a sliding door that had the bust of a dragon head adhered to its surface. The inscriptions on the door were flowery, yet intricate. Whoever had carved the wood paid meticulous attention to the work. The bust, she noticed, held a knocker in its snout and was placed just below her eye level. She could and had already seen both bipeds and adult dragons using this without issue.
Instead of placing her paw on the notch next to the door and letting the magic formation inscribed therein identify her mana signature, Cynder clasped the knocker and banged loudly. She repeated it thrice, paused, and knocked again, putting more force into it.
Patrolling knights glanced at her as they passed, their curiosity evident at the noise she was making. "Volteer!" Cynder yelled, her tight grip unfaltering even as she thumped the door a few more times. She hoped she didn't have to slip into shadow and break in. "Volteer! Wake up! Wake up!"
The dragoness did not cease her knocking until she heard muffled noises from within. Her sensitive hearing—just slightly better than Joshua's—brought sounds of grumbling from the other side as well as soft footfalls that would have definitely been audible if it weren't for the thick lumber obstructing the foyer.
"...coming, coming. Who is it?" the old dragon spoke.
"It's me, Volteer. We need to talk now! It's about Joshua!" Cynder did not realize her words had also transmitted her anxiety until she heard his pacing quickened and the Electric Guardian slid the door open with such urgency that it slammed against the wall with a thud even louder than Cynder's banging.
Volteer was taken aback by her haunted expression. "Mother of Knowledge, Cynder! What's troubling you? You look like you're staring at tornadoes!"
Cynder eyed the nearest patrols. This wasn't something she wanted to spread through the airstreams just yet. "Let me in," she said. "I can't risk letting the airstreams catch this."
Volteer understood and stepped aside. Cynder hurried through the entrance, brushing all four of her paws on the rug in the foyer. Each of the suites here were constructed identically, with the furnishings and décor being the only thing differing between units. She didn't continue to the parlor, opting to sit on her haunches by the step and wait for the old dragon to close the door behind him.
Volteer shuffled over to her. While he normally towered over Cynder, with her head only reaching the base of his neck, the Guardian was hunched over when he muttered, "You mentioned that this concerns Joshua. I assume you arrived at a conjecture?"
"Yes, you assume correctly," Cynder confirmed, her voice reduced to a whisper. "It's… It's something we never would've considered if we both didn't know about the 'Three Ds', and I never reviewed my personal experience of the Incident with that knowledge."
Volteer blinked slowly in understanding. "Understandable. You and Spyro were the only ones who had closely interacted with Joshua before the turbulence became a storm. The only ones who survived, rather." He took a deep breath as he scrutinized her trembling body. "Why are you here, Cynder? What do you need?"
"Right." Cynder straightened her posture and stared directly into Volteer's blue eyes. "I need ten knights up in Alona Hall as soon as possible." It was the highest spire of the Temple's four towers. If anything happened up there, no one would know of it. "All from Talonpoint Keep, so we can keep this beneath the clouds."
Volteer jolted. "You want another field demonstration now‽"
"Yes! We need to check if I'm correct now! This can't wait. Joshua's appointment with Cyril is early in the morning." Cynder was fidgeting. She felt her tail shiver as she spoke. "Honestly, I need ten knights and Cyril's session pushed back as far as we could get away with." A shudder zipped through her from head to tail. "I don't know what he's planning tomorrow, but if I'm right, we can't let him go too far a certain way or we'll fly through this crevice again and the Incident will repeat!"
Volteer's expression turned grim at her declaration. "I need a profile of the landscape first. Can you elaborate on your hypothesis?"
"Flight plan as a whole, there's a possibility that the Incident was a storm of our own making. In more ways than we thought. You see, after Joshua incapacitated Spyro…"
.
.
.
.
.
.
Cynder stared up the stairway to the Third Floor of the Residential Area. Alone on the mezzanine, her eyes were fixated on the landing. Nobody had bothered her on the way there. Few apprentices were present in the halls and even fewer were alert enough to notice her black scales moving through the gloom. The knights standing guard were just as drowsy, struggling to stay awake. The few who'd noticed the Savior dismissed her presence as a dream. A figment of their imagination.
Cynder felt her paw pads sweating from apprehension, leaving her scent on the steps. She didn't actually want to proceed with this impromptu experiment. Part of her dreaded confirming what was still conjecture. Confirming the implications... Yet she had no choice. They had to do this. She had to do this.
Cynder shut her eyes and tried to banish the tightness in her breast.
Cynder wished Spyro was here to support her, now more than ever. The Spyro she loved would wrap his tail around hers. They'd hold each other's paws. Hook their wings together. She'd feel better and more confident, every single time. Despite their differences, Cynder lamented his absence.
Why'd you have to fly off, Spy? Their relationship had never been the same since Alona sent Joshua into Warfang and breathed turbulence into their lives. She could only pray to Azeroth the Infinite for a better and brighter future for the both of them.
Another minute passed before Cynder stretched her body and raised her head high. "I hope you find whatever you're looking for in December," the dragoness muttered as she finally forced herself up the steps.
The knights stationed on the third floor were more alert than anyone else she had encountered in the Temple tonight. After Vara's intrusion last cycle, they took no risks and quickly reacted to any unusual movements. Cynder noticed they were wearing their full sets of armor, as though geared for field combat. In reality, she inferred, it was less for self-defense and more for pure intimidation.
Cynder's high status insulated her from their attention. They heard her claws clicking rapidly in the air, but paid her no heed the second they saw the Heroine of the Dragon Realms elegantly loping through the corridors with haste. Her muzzle was as the cobblestone floors, unchanging and unflinching. She was fully committed now.
It took only a minute for Cynder to arrive at the cul-de-sac containing Joshua's room, passing a yawning gnorc who had ended his shift a few minutes ago. When she turned at the last corner, she was not surprised at all to see that three of his guards were fast asleep. The most recent arrival, Streeg, had his head bobbing up and down—a sign he was nearly about to join the other three.
Honestly, if Cyril couldn't accept such an obvious sign of Joshua's pacific nature, she didn't know what it'd take to convince that stubborn egg.
Cynder coughed loudly before strutting forward. Her emerald eyes panned the four Talonpoint Knights—Seriphos, Coulombrin, Copeland, and Streeg. An earth dragon, a lightning dragon, a leopard, and a rhynoc, respectively. All nine knights rotating through the four posts were recommended by Councilor Tuconsis for their skill and, most importantly, their ability to remain impartial, should Joshua ever become a threat.
Audits commissioned by Over Steward Hoffbar through an independent contractor stated that these four had the best rapport with Joshua. They had relaxed around the human long before Adrano the red entered its full phase. Likely within four or five days' time, the auditor had written in their comments.
Seriphos proved himself as the lightest sleeper, arousing at the sound of Cynder's approach. His eyes suddenly dilated at the appearance of the female Savior. "L-Lady Cynder!" he stammered, dumbfounded to see her approaching them. The dragon knight whirled around and rapped his colleagues' armors, knocking them awake. "Get up. Get up, scat eggs! Lady Cynder is here!"
Coulombrin reacted quickly. The electric dragon came forward and bowed low. He showed the back of his neck in deference to her. "I apologize for what you just saw, Your Grace."
"It's fine, Sir Coulombrin," she said, flicking a wing in dismissal.
"Oh! Erm… That's, great. That's great! We—" Coulombrin yawned. He twisted his head away to hide his gaping maw, but there was no hiding the fact he and the other three—and the gnorc who'd just left—had been enjoying their quiet shifts a little too much. "Sorry, Your Grace. Our nights are usually slow and uneventful. Even with Seriphos scolding us that we should be more—
Cynder uttered, "I said it's fine." She had verbalized each word with a sense of finality to it. She wanted to move on to the reason she was here in the first place.
"Still, Lady Cynder, we must pay our respects—
Streeg, surprisingly, was the one to fly straight through the proprietary. "Lady Cynder, your presence here, irregular. Why?"
Cynder stepped towards the sliding door in the middle, her eyes on Copeland as he stepped between it and the dragoness. "Urgent business," she said, her mood turning sour. She had no time to waste. "I'm taking Joshua to Alona Hall."
"Alone?" Seriphos responded. "Lady Cynder, I can't help but feel you're doing something unsanctioned. You should—
Cynder slammed her tail on the floor and whipped her head at the Earth dragon. The knight flinched at her vicious gaze, backing up two steps when she snarled at him. "We don't have time for this dragon dung! I might have just figured out why the Incident happened and we need to verify it now! Volteer is flying to Talonpoint Keep as we speak so he can send a half-platoon to meet me up there. I understand this is sudden, but if this isn't done, we'll be flying right into another storm tomorrow morning!"
Seriphos had been expressionless throughout the entire time Cynder spoke. Talonpoint Knights generally held great respect for administrative procedure. They were taught to follow them at all times, and to only circumvent them in times of great emergency. Though Cynder was one of the Saviors, she was still a single dragon. The City of Dragons, and the Allied Territories at large, was not governed by the whims of a few.
It was not until Cynder's warning that he blanched. "You're referring to Master Cyril's lecture, aren't you?"
Her wing snapped towards the earth dragon in reflex. "That's right. I don't need to explain further, do I?"
Copeland yielded to Cynder first and stepped aside. "You don't. I don't like it—None of us like a breach of protocol, but if this unofficial study can save lives, then so be it. We will support you when we submit our weekly reports this Rhetorsha."
"Thank you, Sirs."
Coulombrin moved to assist Cynder as she proceeded towards the sliding door. The dragoness popped her wing, flicking her tail in dismissal. "No need, Sir Coulombrin. I need to explain this to Joshua anyway."
Not bothering to wait for his reply, she raised her paw to the circular panel and inserted her claw into the notches. For a moment, she felt thankful that they had disabled both the locking mechanism and the enchantment that had been placed on the door. Then, taking a deep breath, Cynder pulled the door sideways. It slid easily, zipping so quickly that the edge of the panel slammed into a protrusion.
Thud!
The door opened to the sight of Joshua sprawled on his futon. His back was slightly inclined against a pillow, legs clutching another, and one foot buried in a third. His good arm was draped around Kilat, hand wedged between her jaws. The child herself slept on his stomach, drooling, clutching his limp arm like a doll. Her hindlegs were stretched out, paws mashing her brother's face as they slept.
It was a heartwarming scene.
One Cynder only had a split second to appreciate.
Joshua Renalia sprung up the instant after the door banged on the stopper. "What the f**k‽" He instinctively sat up, alert.
Kilat flopped over. Her sticky paws fell of Joshua's face, tail whipping his head on the way down. "Ah!" She yelped.
Joshua scrunched his face. "Ugh, Kilat! I keep telling you to keep your smelly paws away from my"—He locked eyes with Cynder, his jaw dropping in surprise at her presence.—"C-Cynder‽" He stuttered. "What are you doing here?"
"Well..." Cynder attempted to explain, but she had no idea what to say to Joshua right now. She needed his cooperation, but she couldn't tell him everything at the moment. She needed his sincerity here. Something that couldn't be faked. "I need you for something."
"In the middle of the night‽" Kilat snarled. She jumped onto the pyramid of pillows and bared her fangs, lowering her head a little to display her curved horns. "Go fly in a volcano! Come back tomorrow or something."
Cynder narrowed her eyes. Her tail had gone stiff. Nostrils dilated as she breathed deeper, trying to analyze her posture. "It'll be too late by then, whelp. This is urgent!"
"Urgent," Kilat scoffed. "Suck an egg! Joshua spent the entire weekend worrying about tomorrow. He's been pacing our room all day, staring at tornadoes!"
Joshua reached for her lone wing, muttering, "Kilat…"
The child shrugged him off and went forward two paces. "You and Volty had Mazarach and Valorem to talk to Brother! We could've talked—discussed—ugh, I don't know… anything!—about Cyril's lounge back then. But we didn't hear anything from you! I don't know about Volty, but I'd bet my only wing you were just drifting along the winds!"
Cynder clenched her paws. Her tail went rigid. Wings curved tightly around her. This little girl thought she was just going to leave this to Gintomyr? That she would leave Joshua trapped in turbulence, all alone, while the Ice Guardian and his entire lounge poked his wings?
How dare she‽
She didn't know how hard Cynder had worked trying to figure out how the Unknown Element fit into the Incident last cycle. She didn't know how Cynder felt like she was hovering between a storm and a mountain at this very second, knowing neither what Cyril planned nor what provoked the Unknown Element.
She didn't know anything!
The stupid brat couldn't possibly know—!
Coulombrin entered the room before Cynder lost control of herself. The sound of his heavy armor jingling in the air resonated throughout the room. "Ground yourselves!" He bellowed. He swiveled his head towards Kilat. "Especially you, Kilat. We are well aware of your animosity towards Lady Cynder, but shouldn't you feel relief that she's here now? Don't waste this precious time fighting."
"But Coulombrin, I—
Another loud cough interrupted her. Thick footfalls amid the jarring clinking of metal drew everyone's attention to the door. Seriphos had also walked in, and was now staring down at Joshua and Kilat with stern eyes. "Enough. From the point of takeoff, Lady Cynder is here because of Cyril's lecture tomorrow morning. She and Master Volteer have not abandoned your brother. You know they never will. It is rude—ungrateful— to presume otherwise!"
Kilat slapped her tail on the floor. "They took so long! She took so long! We've been waiting since yesterday!"
Seriphos rebutted with a stomp of his own. "I'm certain they had their snouts to the ailerons all weekend, child! Otherwise, they would've done something by now."
Kilat didn't look like she believed him, while Joshua had a resigned expression on his face, as though he knew there was no stopping the little girl. In this moment, anyone could accuse Joshua of hiding behind the whelp's tail, or say he had gotten all tied up in her wings. Neither spoke good things about his character; he had to step out and fly on his own if he wanted the people of Warfang to respect him.
Cynder managed to ground herself thanks to the knights' intervention. "Thank you, Sir Seriphos, but I can take care of myself."
The words were verbalized more harshly than she intended. Both Seriphos and Coulombrin whipped their muzzles at her, regarding her for a moment before blinking their assent. "Your Grace."
Cynder flew straight to her response towards Kilat, noting her defiant gaze and her brother's apprehensive posture. "It's true Volteer and I have our snouts to the ailerons trying to help Joshua, little girl. But the world isn't as simple as you think it is." She snorted in irritation. If it wasn't for Kilat, she would be escorting Joshua out of the Residential Area by now. "Everybody knows Cyril has been hostile towards Joshua from the beginning! You're right to worry! Even I'm unaware of his plans, and I don't know how far he'll go poking Joshua's wings." She quickly added, "Figuratively."
The hastily added remark caused Joshua to roll his eyes upward. "Well, duh," he uttered. Cynder didn't know what he actually meant, but she guessed he was agreeing with her, if in a sarcastic manner.
"I swear to Azeroth there will be hard limits to what Cyril can do to him! We'll make sure of that. The problem is you." Cynder quickly closed the gap between her and the two children. Kilat placed herself between them, glowering, while Joshua stayed pensive, looking up simply to maintain eye contact. "Joshua, you can still ruin this all by accident. We know more about your element now, but it's not enough! We still don't know what caused the Incident."
Joshua sighed. "I can't help you with that, Cyn. F.Y.I., you and Volteer are the ones doing most of the thinking when it comes to that. I've been spending all my free time learning how to control it. That's the only reason we know how it works. Mostly."
Cynder was starting to think some of Joshua's strange utterances were acronyms given the way he verbalized a certain number of them. Interesting. She should discuss the human nations with him sometime in the future.
"That's why I need you to come with me to Alona Hall, Joshua. There's a test I need your help with."
"Alona Hall‽" Joshua exclaimed. "Seriously? Isn't that the place where Spyro caught me with Vara? Cyn, that's so far! Can't we do it at Proudtail Hall, like usual?"
"No!" Cynder insisted. "We're doing this up there. I'm not changing my mind on it. I'll carry you myself on dragonback if I have to!" Cynder eyed Kilat the entire time she spoke. No response yet. Good.
Joshua palmed his face, pinching at his eyes. "Jesus f**king Christ, you're dead set on having it all the way up there. What sort of test do you have in mind?"
"I'll tell you when we're there," Cynder replied. She hated being cryptic towards him, but she needed to get out of here. The more she dawdled, the more time she lost. She needed to find the truth now, and only then could she and Volteer decide on how to approach tomorrow's appointment.
"If this test is that important, you can just give us a quick overview." He responded with a raised eyebrow and a skeptical tone.
Anxiously, Cynder snapped at Joshua. "Not here!" She faltered at the way he backed up a step, but she steeled herself. She needed to see this through. Cynder raised her paw, mindful of his adopted sister. "Take my paw and let's go, Joshua. The sooner we do this, the sooner I—we get our answers. I'm sorry Volteer and I took this long, but we'll have a flight plan ready by sunrise. You have my neck!"
Cynder didn't have Joshua's sensory abilities, yet even she could see the doubts on his hairless mien. He likely—no, he definitely knew what she was feeling at this moment. He was suspicious of her non-answers and was clearly hesitating. Cynder let her paw linger in the air, knowing Joshua would come willingly in the end. She just had to wait—
Pak!
Kilat swatted her paw away before her brother did anything. Her claws had been sheathed, yet the gesture stung much more than a light scratch would have. "What about me? I don't know where Alona Hall is."
Cynder let off a light growl. She'd been hoping for a smooth flight. Kilat wasn't making this easy. "You're staying here. It's—
"I'm coming with Brother! I go where he goes. I always go where he goes!"
"Vulcan's Flames, it's for your own safety!" Cynder rebutted.
Kilat snarled louder. Her lip curled back as she took on a more aggressive stance. "My safety‽ I can't f**king trust you with his!" Joshua uttered something to her, but she let his words pass through her ears and kept going. "Joshua, all alone with a bunch of knights we don't know and the Terror of the Skies herself? I'm not a stupid egg—
Cynder's patience finally snapped. "I've been doing everything I can to help Joshua!" She brandished her wings and lowered her stance, even glaring into the child's cobalt eyes. She seethed with the desire to tear her horns out. "Everything! My relationship with Spyro's collapsing because of it, you damned brat. I haven't slept with him for more than a full cycle! And I've been chastised hundreds of times by the people I encounter during my patrols!
"Egeria's Wings, your brother would've been executed last cycle if I didn't attest to his character. He'd still be scraping dung in the lavatoria if I didn't fight those scat eggs in the Council, and this is how you treat me?" She unsheathed her claws by instinct. She bared her teeth and faced down the child. Seriphos and Coulombrin made no move to stop her, doubtlessly unwilling to make a move against one of the most powerful dragons in the Allied Territories.
"YOU BUTCHERED MY FAMILY!" Kilat screamed. Roared. "And the Apes killed my best friend! I'm not letting someone I love die again!"
Her words stabbed deep into Cynder's heart. The hate, the vitriol pervading them were no different from the vast number of people who detested her with every fiber of their being. It reopened an old agony she thought she had moved on from, but she suppressed it. She tried to. "I have no intentions of seeing Joshua dead, Kilat."
Kilat snorted. "Bullshit," she jeered. "Explain Spyro, then."
Joshua raised his voice to the point even Cynder heard him. "Kilat, enough. Look, it's fine. I'll—
"Goddammit, Brother, it's not fine!" Kilat growled angrily at him. "None of this is f**cking fine! I don't give a shit that Cynder has your neck. She doesn't have mine!" She snapped her muzzle back at Cynder. She looked ready to attack. "For all I know, the Purple Dragon is just doing what you tell him to! The Fellows in my lounges all say he's all tied up in your cloaca!"
Cynder had had enough. "We're leaving now." Resisting the urge to smack the brat, she shoved herself forward. She brushed past Kilat, smacking her away, grabbed Joshua's tunic with her teeth, and began to drag the human out of his room.
"C-Cyn," he stammered as he was dragged away from his futon, "Can you like wait just a sec and let me—
"Not without me, you bitch!" Kilat shrieked, suddenly clambering on her back.
Seriphos, Coulombrin, and Joshua all shouted together, voices an indecipherable cacophony.
Pain flared on Cynder's back, close to the base of her wings. With a yowl, the black dragoness contorted. Joshua was hurled at the guards' paws while Kilat was thrown to the wall. The child displayed amazing reflexes and alacrity, instantly righting herself and landing properly on the floor.
Kilat screeched before blasting a lightning bolt at Cynder.
Cynder tucked her head away, glimpsing the golden glow streaking past her cheek. Crack! Behind her, the attack smashed into the enchanted walls, scattered, and left behind an ugly, black mark. "Seriphos, Coulombrin, restrain this whelp! Knock her out if you have to."
Coulombrin was the first to move, lunging towards the young dragoness. Kilat eluded him at the last second, turning into a yellow blur. The Talonpoint Knight jostled into the wall whilst she veered around his legs to attempt another attack.
Only for a gauntleted paw to collide with her. Seriphos swatted her to the side. Kilat rolled until she slammed into the far corner, displacing a few scroll cases and a knapsack Volteer had given Joshua during his first week.
"Sorry, Kilat," Seriphos uttered, his paw ready to smack her head.
In the meantime, Cynder had strolled over to Joshua and, with her tail curled around his waist, started to usher him out.
"I can't just leave like this! You need to let me—
"We don't have time, Joshua!" Cynder grunted and pulled him away. She couldn't give him the space to focus or he might use his element to enfeeble her. "Lives are at stake here!"
"God the Father! Really‽"
Cynder heard Kilat snarl. Seriphos let out a yelp. A deafening thud echoed behind them. The child mewled a split second before the Earth dragon bellowed with even greater pain.
"Oh, f**k!" Joshua blurted. "Kilat, stop! KILAT!"
Cynder felt the air shift behind her. She shoved Joshua through the open door, quickly glancing at Copeland and Streeg before pivoting sideways. Kilat landed in front of her, snarling in frustration.
The child sprung forward—a yellow ball of scales with brown horns lowered for a solid strike, crackling with electricity. Cynder let out a growl of her own and met her attack.
Their horns clashed.
Kilat was not pushed back in the slightest, her momentum augmented by electricity.
Yet she lacked experience.
Cynder instantly spat a gust of wind at the child and knocked her away. With some breathing room, she glanced outside to check on Joshua, only to see him still lying on the floor. His hand was outstretched; a white orb was flickering above him. It was only a matter of time before he calmed himself down to launch an attack.
Cynder didn't know who the intended target was, but she wasn't taking any chances. "Copeland, kick!"
The leopard obeyed without hesitation. His muzzle stoic and professional, the Talonpoint Knight stepped beside Joshua. His will had been so fixated on the two hens that, by the time he realized what was happening, Copeland had already landed his kick—not hard enough to hurt, but enough to break his focus. The human yelped.
Cynder had but a moment to see the white orb vanish into the ether when Kilat charged at her once again, screaming.
"CYNDER!"
"I'm sorry, girl, but you're staying here!" Cynder slipped into the floor. Into darkness. She resurfaced behind Kilat, popping out of the child's shadow. She clawed the prepubescent dragon, her talons clad in a green aura.
The strike rang true. Cynder left three rows of claw marks across Kilat's flank in her wake. It spelled the end of this fracas. Still, she couldn't help expressing amazement when Kilat spat an Electric Orb at her a split second before crashing on the nearby dresser.
Cynder evaded the last-minute retaliation easily. She watched Streeg rush inside and flop on top of Kilat, squashing her to the floor. The child let out a squeak. "Please stop," the rhynoc pleaded. "I don't like hurting children."
Kilat ignored the knight. She squirmed beneath his corpulent body, panting for breath. "Alona's wings, you did something to me! I, I-I can't—ah, F**K!"
Cynder caught her breath. She had to admit, Kilat was a tenacious one. No wonder Volteer valued her so highly. He didn't call her a child prodigy for nothing. She peeked at Joshua, who had a helpless look on his face. "I'm sorry, I didn't want it to come to this," Cynder mumbled, knowing the human's hearing was good enough to hear it.
"Kilat," she said, focusing now on the little girl, "I applied a weak poison in that last attack. It will sap your energy and eventually knock you out in a few minutes, but you'll be smooth and whole when you wake up. So will Joshua, I promise. I have your neck."
Kilat snarled ferociously. "F**k you, Cynder." She began to glow an ominous yellow. "F**k you. F**k you to hell!"
Cynder gazed upon her, saddened at her rage laced with human curses. The war hero prepared to knock her out with one solid blow to the head. A strike strong enough to leave a bruise on her pretty scales. "I'm—
Joshua suddenly hurled himself in between them. "No more!" He yelled. "Please, no more fighting!" The boy had tears in his eyes. "Kilat, I know how much you're worried, but I'll be fine. I trust Cyn, no matter what! She's my hero. My hero!"
Kilat ceased her Electric Fury. She stretched her forepaw at Joshua, crying. "Don't leave. Joshua, please, don't leave…"
Joshua rushed over to his sister in a panic. "Streeg, get off." He seized the rhynoc's armor and tried to lift him up. The knight refused to budge; he pressed down further. Kilat wheezed, quickly losing consciousness. The sight worried Joshua even further. "God-f**king-dammit, get off my sister!"
This entire time, Streeg had been eyeing Cynder, waiting for her permission. Joshua was too emotional at the moment, she judged. Channeling the Unknown Element and subsequently taking them down was incredibly unlikely.
Cynder blinked her consent.
The Talonpoint Knight immediately got up, allowing Joshua to cradle Kilat in his arms. He lifted the dragoness like how a biped would carry their infants and brought his cheeks to her snout.
"Brother," she whimpered, weak. Kilat licked his cheek. "Don't go…"
"I have to," Joshua replied. "I have to. This is bigger than just me, Kilat. Cyn says lives are at stake."
"S-she's lying…"
Kilat slumped in his arms, asleep at last. Joshua sniffled and hugged the dragoness in a snug embrace, rubbing his cheeks on her snout.
Cynder turned away from the siblings, seeing Seriphos and Coulombrin slowly rise from the floor. They were rattled by Kilat's resistance earlier.
That child was not someone to underestimate.
Cynder ordered the Talonpoint Knights to restrain Kilat as soon as she came to, and to keep her in this room until she and Joshua returned to the Residential Area later. Recalling what the whelp said, she commanded Coulombrin to accompany them, if only so the human didn't feel he was alone with people he didn't know for an unknown and possibly dangerous test.
Once she was finished, Cynder stood above the human. She stared down at him. "Let's go, Joshua."
Joshua lowered Kilat to the mattress and placed a pillow under her head. He kissed her nose then, slowly, got to his feet. "This test had better be worth it, Cyn," he growled, his voice frigid. "I trust you with my life, but I don't like this."
"By Alona's name, it will be. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry."
"You did what you had to do," Joshua uttered. "Let's just get this over with."
Author's Notes:
Now that was pretty intense, wasn't it? It's not done yet though! Cynder's test is coming up real quick. I don't know if I'll make it before the New Year, but I'll certainly do my best.
Oh, and will you look at that? The notes Kaos promised to pass over had been received after all. XD Didn't think I would forget, huh? I wonder how much y'all can gleam from that...
Replies to reviews:
Guest #1 (Guest). It's not his element that reacted. :)
AlbertDs1921 (Guest). Hello, and thanks for the review! Joshua's ability to maintain the existence of his element is dependent on his strength of will and the degree of focus he's put into it. If that hasn't been made clear in CH53, you should have better clarity in this chapter and the next.
Keep it a secret from Spyro when he comes back from December? Impossible. The gossip mill is strong in Warfang.
Djax80. You're not used to writing long reviews, huh? XD It's OK. You've been sticking around with me since Chapter 1 and I'm glad to know I've managed to hold your interest for so long.
One of the double-edged traits of the Unknown Element is its intangibility. So, no. Joshua cannot. In fact, it's one of the things that makes Joshua easier to kill or incapacitate.
Yeah, I know you won't mind long chapters, but I can't go TOO long, now. XD I used to churn out like 15K ~ 20K beasts in the past. Not going through that again...
Me too. Hope we all can make it through. Fuck Omicron.
Gshopper. You are correct that he willed them to death. The mechanics you described is a good way of looking at it, except, he doesn't need to use their own mana. Don't forget that he actually killed Kilat in CH19 (before resurrecting her).
Yep! The previous chapter had a very good description of what psychology calls "ego boundaries". I have actually met a couple people who said to me that the extension of ego boundaries into something other than the self is a state of nirvana, from Buddhism/meditation. I wish I can relate or empathize with them, but unfortunately, I cannot.
Samo28. Glad you liked the chapter! :D I had to throw in Element Conversion in there. XD It was the perfect opportunity. Honestly, it might've been good to have it fail at the very last second, but... eh... Joshua doesn't get a lot of victories so...
Oh, that mystery will be covered very soon...
TheOmittedDragon. Hello and thanks for your review! I'm glad you've been following the story for this long. :D
Yoshifu101. Kilat's mannerisms, speaking style, and attitude were taken from my younger sis and the youngest sister of my first ex-girlfriend when they were around 10 to 12. (They are adults now.) So I'm not surprised she reminds you of your little sis so much. XD
Transmitting a message to his family? Hmm... we'll see. ^^
EndlessPossibilities57. I don't watch Stranger Things. D: Bleeding from the nose is a common trope for mental power overuse.
Someones (Guest). Luckily for you, I decided not to kill her off. It was really tempting, though.
Bizzleb.Hehe, yeah. IRL responsibilities sure take up a lot of time nowadays. Well, we make do where we can!
I felt like using Kilat's perspective for once. I haven't used it in soooooooo many chapters, so her viewpoint, her love, and thought process are sure welcome! Glad you liked it.
Hehe the interactions were fun to read and visuaize, weren't they? It makes going through the whole character building really worth it! That's how real friends are like - they squabble with each other and shit on you, but they also enjoy your company and are willing to stand beside you. :D
Now that Joshua has pretty much settled in and we're heading into the meat of the story, wrapping up the loose end that is the Unknown Element, how it works, and how it caused the Incident at the gates is pretty natural. XD I'm glad you found the explanations clearer. The previous chapter was years in the making.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Kranos459. Whoa! A bunch of reviews there! Not as much as JustAnotherReaderPlz but I can sure see your progress XD You read a lot faster than him too :P
CH32 — Spyro's first POV chapter is deliberately being delayed, as you already know. He will feature more often after his debut chapter comes out.
CH33 — manual labor is manual labor. It isn't glamorous. It's unsafe, too. But it's character building.
CH53 — at least we have gotten a brief insight into Spyro's views towards Joshua though, in terms of where he's coming from. It basically sums up to a "Purple Dragon thing" as Jayce said, but surely he'll be able to overcome that, right? Right? XD
I am glad you believe the characters are fleshed out really well and you find the story an amazing reading experience. Thank you so much for your comment!
Aaaand yes, child abuse is unpunished here, I'm afraid. Child welfare, women's rights, and animal rights are all modern concepts. Hopefully Joshua can do something about that! If he can't go to Earth so soon, then he can set up his own little bit of home right there
pedrohccalixto01. ¡Muchas gracias por tu revisión! Espero que sigas disfrutando de Aimless. Me alegro de que la barrera del idioma no haya sido un gran problema para ti (o para cualquier aplicación que estés usando para traducir mi fic).
BettingChicken (Guest). Prosthetic? I don't think technology in the Allied Territories can go that far, even with magic.
They'd have to seek help from the magitech artificers of Skylands or an experienced magus like Bianca. Help from either of those routes... won't come cheap.
MysteryWriter175. That would've been hilarious if he died. It'd end his story abruptly though.
Glad you found the chapter lighthearted. :D Although... the next test Cynder's gonna do on Joshua isn't going to be as cheery. It'll be grim and serious as you rightfully expect.
Guests #2 and #3 (Guest). Judging by the tone of your reviews and the chapter progression, I think this is all from the same person.
CH50 — Narcissism? What makes you say that? Just because he asked what people are saying about himself? That's not exactly a sign...
CH53 — Hmm, he has a degree of confidence in his own abilities, so from time to time, he might act a little bit like his Classic incarnation, but I don't think he acts "high and mighty" to the point of pontification and carelessly throws around his Savior position to get whatever he wants. If I've ever portrayed him like that, it was not intentional and you should pinpoint it to me for correction.
Guest #4 (Guest). No problem! Good to see you around, whoever you are. :D
Thank you so much for your feedback. I really appreciate it! I worked really hard on making sure the character interactions are fluid, natural, and distinguishable from one another. ^^;
Avatar‽ Haven't heard that name in a while. I suppose the synchronization that Joshua does through his element has a resemblance with the bond there.
Henchman1997 (Guest). Ohhhh Guest #4 was you? XD LOL. It's all right, though.
Why not create an account so you don't forget? I can also reply directly to your reviews, if you do so.
JustAnotherReaderPlz. Heeeeeeyyyyy! Took you a long while! Glad you finally finished CH44. I wonder how long it'll take for you to see this reply. Hehehehe...
Bianca being condescending? Unfortunately, she got that from her mistress! The Sorceress, or rather, Archmage Cauldra tends to look down on non-Magi or those who serve no purpose to her whatsoever.
Spyro's development is the key focus of the December Cliffs arc. The extra challenge there is to do it without going into his POV even once. (*≧艸≦)