Chapter 7

"A… conduit with instructions? To do what?"

Mortimer turned to the counter and pointed to the old book. "From what I can tell, you only have a fragment of the original crystal, but the remaining piece is inscribed with runes. It will take more study to understand fully, but I believe it somehow translates—"

"Wait, wait, wait," Kiran interrupted. "You're telling me the only reason I can understand you is because of the crystal?"

Mortimer rocked his head back and forth. "Essentially, yes. As to the how and why? I don't fully understand it myself. I've seen what dark magic can do. Usually, it's used for destruction, but I've seen Malefor harness it with other purposes in mind. Cynder's transformation and corruption, for example. It brings to question who created this and what it was intended for.
"Dark magic," Lumen spat. "Absolutely disgusting. We should destroy that abomination before it causes more damage!"

A jolt of fear ran through Kiran at that suggestion. If they destroyed the crystal, any hope he had of returning home would be gone. As much as he hated the feel of the crystal and the danger it posed, he wouldn't let it be destroyed on a whim. His hands grasped his chair tightly as Lumen tensed and readied himself to move just in case the dragon tried to do something.

I'm not letting you destroy it. Not yet.

Thankfully, Mortimer jumped in between them and took some of Lumen's attention. "Normally, I would agree! However, as we've been tasked with researching this, we'll avoid that course of action for now."

"For now? When will we have justification to destroy it?" Lumen snarled. "Once it has corrupted or killed a dragon, perhaps? I can feel its disgusting presence from a few feet away, so I can only imagine what it's done to Kiran. He may already be corrupted beyond saving, seeing as he's not averse to it like one should be. Dabbling with this magic can only lead to destruction. This is our chance to prevent that."

Kiran crossed his arms indignantly and met the venomous glare Lumen was giving him with his own. "Thanks for the vote of confidence. I can see that you're keeping a level head about all of this and aren't forgetting why we're doing this."

Lumen's wings twitched, and his tail lashed back and forth behind him. Mortimer winced as it passed dangerously close to one of the few tools still in place. "N-now, hold on! There's no evidence that shows other races are affected by dark crystals in the same way dragons and apes are. So if we could calm down for a moment—"

"Calm down?! Look at your forge! That harmless crystal nearly destroyed it! Imagine what would have happened if it had hit me or if it did more damage. It's too dangerous to be allowed to exist!"

Kiran could almost feel Lumen forming a ball of destructive light in the back of his throat as he reared back. Truly afraid that Lumen might do something rash, he jumped up from his chair and swung his arms wildly in an attempt to prevent them from coming to blows. "Stop! STOP! This isn't your decision to make!"

Lumen stopped, but his death glare remained.

"You have to talk to the council!" Kiran blurted. "Ultimately, it's their decision! Share what you've learned, and we'll agree to whatever they decide, ok?!"

Mortimer quickly chimed in, nodding his head rapidly. "He's right, Lumen. We've been tasked with researching this crystal and helping Kiran. We can't go against our assignment without consulting them first. Besides, if we can gain even a sliver of insight from this piece, it may help us to find a way to return him home and to understand why creatures are appearing across the land!"

"That's assuming anything positive comes of this," Lumen snapped back. Despite his clear disapproval, his rigid posture relaxed, and his shoulders slumped in defeat. If Kiran had to take a guess, his loyalty to the city outweighed his personal convictions, if only slightly, and he was beyond thankful for that.

"So we'll wait?" Mortimer asked hesitantly.

Lumen looked as if he had swallowed a bucket of lemons. "Fine. Just know that I am entirely against meddling with anything of this nature and will take action if something drastic occurs."

Kiran didn't like the vague nature of that statement but let out a sigh of relief. He hadn't expected Lumen to be so reactive to one crystal. Why was his response so strong and immediate? He understood that dark crystals were despised — for good reason — but the anger that swept over Lumen must have meant there was more to his reaction than was visible.

Too bad prying would only get him yelled at.

Deciding his attention was best spent elsewhere, he sat back down in the chair with his potential way home throbbing in his shoulder. For all the trouble it had caused, there was now an air of mystery surrounding it, and Kiran found himself wanting to know more.

"So…" Kiran rubbed his shoulder to ease the pain. "Now that we know that the crystal translates for me, what are we going to do about the language barrier? I don't want this thing attached to me for any longer than is necessary."

"Fantastic question, though the answer to that relies entirely on you. You'll have to learn how to speak in our tongue without the crystal before traversing without it. I would feel remiss to send you out without being able to speak, yes?" Mortimer said.

That's what I was afraid of.

Kiran slumped in defeat. "So I'm stuck with it for now?"

"Yes, but don't lose heart. Consider it an opportunity to learn, which is something I'm sure we all enjoy!"

Kiran would have agreed if there wasn't a nefarious piece of darkness stuck to his skin. Adding that into the equation changed things considerably and made it so that there was an element of necessity that sucked away any enjoyment he might have had.
Mortimer continued after a moment of silent staring on Kiran's end. "Ahem, right, well, is there anyone that could teach you our language? If not, I know of a few—"

"I do," Kiran interjected, stopping him before he was given into the paws of another stranger. "She's a friend of mine that already wants to teach me how to read and write. I'm sure she wouldn't mind helping me learn the language as well."

Lumen growled indignantly, and his claws curled. "We're not supposed to be bringing others into this study, Mortimer."

"Are you volunteering to teach then? I'll be quite busy with my own research, so that would leave you as the only candidate available," Mortimer said with a sparkle in his eye.

All the gusto that Lumen had built up suddenly vanished. "Me? Teach him? You're kidding. Please tell me that was your version of a joke."

Mortimer continued to smile, which greatly annoyed Lumen. "No, absolutely not. I'm not doing anything of the sort, so you can shove that idea back into your—"

"It's settled then!" Mortimer clapped his hands together. "You can report all of this back to the council to garner their input, and in the meantime, Kiran can inform his friend of his need to learn. Once all that is finished, we can continue as we were and delve into the mystery that lies before us!"

"No, that's not — You can't just — Rrrgh, Mortimer, I swear, you're asking for too much!"

"Am I? I hardly think what I'm suggesting is as such. Now, unless you have an alternative, we should do as I've said," Mortimer replied while crossing his arms.

Lumen, looking around for support, reluctantly and derisively gazed over at Kiran. "I don't suppose you would agree with me, would you?"

"No, sorry. I'm with Mortimer on this," Kiran answered with a shrug.

"Of course." Lumen huffed disappointedly. "Naturally, I'm outnumbered by those that clearly don't have a clue as to what they're dealing with." With a heavy sigh, he turned to leave and made his way over to the door. "I'll go to the council and ask for their input. Until then, do not engage in any other activities regarding the crystal. None of this can happen unless I'm here, so don't get any ideas, or I'm shutting this down."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Mortimer said.

"We won't," Kiran promised.

Lumen stared them both down for a few seconds before slithering out the door. Once he was gone, the tension that was in the air dissipated.

"Well, that's a relief. I thought for sure he was going to attack me," Kiran said while leaning back into his chair.

"I could see him doing that. He's highly regarded by the council, but I could do without Lumen's particular temperament. Perhaps it will change as we learn more about the crystal and the magic imbued within."

"Hah! I doubt it. He doesn't seem like the type to change his mind easily."

"Yes, but you never know. I've seen stranger things occur in my lifetime."

Kiran took a moment to re-evaluate Mortimer as he grabbed a broom and began to sweep up some of the broken glass. He didn't seem that old, but age was hard to discern with the apes. He had been alive during the time of the war, after all, so he must have seen the world pulled back together. Kiran felt that if he had witnessed something of that nature, the idea of a stubborn dragon changing wasn't that far-fetched.

What a time to have been alive. I can't even imagine what that was like.

"I guess I should go talk with Shimmer. If she's willing, should I bring her here today, or…?"

Mortimer stopped sweeping, motioned toward his workshop with an arm, and laughed sadly. "Oh, ancestors no! I couldn't imagine another bearing witness to this disaster. Why don't you bring her by tomorrow? That will give me time to clean up and give Lumen time to get answers for us. Let's say… early morning? I'll continue my investigation into that crystal while she teaches you."

"Sure. I'll make sure to be here on time."

"I imagine you will. You seem the responsible type."

Kiran wasn't sure what to think of that comment but took it as a compliment. With nothing else to discuss, he bid Mortimer farewell and left him to clean while he embarked on a journey to find Shimmer.

Hopefully, that won't be too hard, though I can't imagine she'd be anywhere apart from Phyl or Nova's house.

Lumen

Lumen paced back and forth inside the small room that he was in, muttering darkly to himself. His impromptu meeting with the council had not gone as expected, which infuriated him. His report, despite being as scathing as possible toward the crystal, had been met with excitement and curiosity. Even Arca, the one dragon he trusted most, responded in a way he had not anticipated. He had been certain that she would have done everything in her power to put an end to this, but she encouraged them to continue instead. It left him indignant, to put it lightly.

What was she thinking?! What good could possibly come from their meddling?! The research being performed was dangerous, but more importantly, it could put their mission in danger. Those two idiots were more capable than they appeared, and if Mortimer was able to unlock some of the secrets of the crystal—

Why are we risking it all? We should've shut this down and been done with it!

Lumen put an end to his fuming when the door to Arca's office opened, and she stepped in, a somber smile on her face. Out of respect for her, he tempered his anger, levelling it out into a controllable simmer, and stepped to the side. Arca shut the door behind her and turned to him, pausing only for a moment before speaking, one eyebrow raised.
"I can hear you from the hall, Lumen. There's no point in trying to hide it, I know you're angry." Her words were cool. Calculated. She was always perceptive, and there wasn't much Lumen could keep hidden from her. It was one of the reasons he respected her and sought her advice when he was confused.

Still, that didn't make it easy to hold back a snarky response. "I don't understand what you're doing, supporting the ape and human. Isn't this exactly what you've been trying to avoid, bringing attention to anything that could expose us? Why the sudden change!?"
"It is different, isn't it?" She mused, smirking. She met his angry glare with a gentle touch, brushing her tail along his chin. "You're correct to question the change, but I thought you might have been able to see that an adjustment is needed. We've made progress in our goals, but if we don't accelerate our plans, then we may be exposed regardless of outside interference."

Lumen tried to understand why that was the case, but he couldn't. Hardly anything had changed, so this new direction was baffling to him. Why not continue as they had been and hinder the two idiots in any manner they could? It would remove an unnecessary risk and ensure that they were able to continue undetected.

His confused stare made it clear to Arca that he was lost, and she patted his cheek with her tail. "Fret not, dear. All will become clear. A moment to gather my thoughts, then I'll explain."

He closed his eyes and snorted. The small gesture put his mind at ease and reminded him that he could trust her. They had the same goals, after all, and she was the only other dragon that was still attempting to save his father.

He could afford to listen to what she had to say.

"Kiran's arrival has changed everything." She sauntered over to her desk and sat down, half-obscuring her face in a veil of shadows. "Before he arrived, few had an interest in what was occurring inside and outside the city. The council was content to flounce about uselessly, and I had a valuable ally to help keep things that way. Now, however…" Her claws tapped on the desk methodically, digging into the wood. "Some people are taking notice of what we hoped would remain hidden, and Vesper has been deposed. The playing field has changed, Lumen, and we must adapt with it."

Has it truly shifted that much? A moment of consideration made the uncomfortable truth clear. She may be right, and their time could be more limited than he thought. "Alright, fine, I concede that point. But how does allowing them access to a dark crystal help us?"

"How does it indeed?" Arca smiled sweetly, a twinkle of amusement in her eyes. "Tell me, what have you noticed about Kiran and that crystal?"

Lumen pondered the question, knowing that the answer must have been right in front of his snout. "He doesn't seem to be affected by it like one would expect. Using the magic — there doesn't appear to be any corruption. It's odd and unnatural."

"Exactly!" she said, her smile growing wider. "All of the subjects that we've had reacted terribly once they began channeled the magic from the crystal. Their bodies, weak as they were, couldn't contain the amount of power required for the spells inscribed within. Kiran, however, has not only used the inscribed spells but appears to have an innate power like dragons that will allow him to survive. Do you see the potential of this?"

"You're saying… he may be the vessel that we've been searching for?" His snout twisted with disapproval, and the very thought made him want to spit. How could a creature, so close in appearance to a wretched ape, be any better of a vessel? It hardly made sense.

"That's precisely what I'm suggesting. We've faced failure after failure, hampering any progress that we have so desperately sought. It's become clear to me that apart from dragons, there are few, if any, that can be touched by dark magic and come out unscathed. I believe Kiran may be one of those few."

He couldn't stop himself from scowling. "And if he's not?"

"Our window of opportunity continues to narrow. Hunter and Strongfang have been more attentive as of late, and Leah taking Vesper's place among the council weakens our position further. We must act quickly, or Gleam may be lost forever."

"DON'T SAY THAT!" Lumen's wings fanned out from his sides, and he threw his paws onto her desk, his teeth bared. "We can't give up on him! Not now, not ever!"

A claw gently brushed along his cheek, bringing a sense of ease with it. Steadily, his wings relaxed, and his lip fell back over his fangs until he was sitting again. Arca pulled back from him, and Lumen thought, just for a moment, he saw a small, dark tendril on her neck. "I would never give up on my love. You know that. I only speak the truth so you may understand why I make the decisions that I do."

Lumen knew she was right but couldn't hold back his anger. They had been trying and failing to save his father for over a year, and the wait was starting to dampen his spirits. "I know, I KNOW! I just— why can't we use her? I know she's a dragon, but—"

"The last thing we need is for Spyro and Cynder to have a reason to be involved." Her voice was sharp and left no room for argument. "If they have even a sliver of suspicion that artifacts created by Malefor still exist, they'll stop at nothing to reclaim their daughter and destroy everything. This, might I remind you, includes the prison that holds your father. No, Nova is off the table until we have no other choice. Kiran is our best option for now. If all else fails, we have a backup."

Lumen growled discontentedly. "Whatever. I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?" He hated waiting. Cynder was living proof that alterations could be made to a dragon without destroying the host, and Nova was of her blood. That meant, in his mind, she was the perfect choice. We should have taken her months ago. It would have been a service to Warfang to rid it of another monster. But instead, we wait, and for what? To use a disgusting human instead? What a joke. My father deserves better.

Lumen was drawn out of his thoughts by a disquieting hiss. He looked up and flinched back from the angry, slitted eyes that were looking back. "You're right. You don't have a choice, but you'll listen, won't you? Because, as I recall, you have no hope of saving Gleam on your own."

"I—" His words clung to his throat because he knew she was right. Growling, he flicked his tail and then bowed his head in submission. "I'll… listen." The words felt like acid on his tongue, and he was glad to be rid of them.

Arca smiled, her teeth flashing brightly, and purred contentedly. "Good. Now, we need to discuss what to do about Vesper."

"Who cares? She's not part of the council anymore."

"That's exactly why we care, Lumen." A heavy breath fell from her mouth. "If she's of no use to us, then she's a liability. A liability that knows far more than we can allow."

His eyes widened with realization. "So… we get rid of her?"

"Yes. And her followers, of course."

"But how? Even if they're pathetic, there's a lot of them, and they have-"

"I know what they have. Soon, she'll move forward with her plans. And we're not going to stop her."

"What? Why wouldn't we?!" He snarled. "She's insane! She wants to destroy the city!"

"Oh, I'm aware, but to do so, she'll be using my gifts. The fool has accepted them without question, and when the time is right, I'll use that very gift to remove her permanently."

Lumen fell back from her desk, barely holding back the magic building in the back of his throat. "So you're going to let her destroy Warfang? How does that help us at all?! What about the dragons in the city?"

"My dear Lumen," Arca purred. "We can't save every dragon. Conflict is inevitable. What we're allowing to happen will cost lives but ultimately result in a peace the world has never seen." She smiled and curled her tail around his legs, pulling him close. "I know I haven't revealed everything yet, but give me your faith. Just as I will save your father, I will save this world from the taint that infects it."

Lumen wrestled with himself, wanting to believe that what she said was true. Deep down though, part of him protested, warning him against continuing down this path. He stamped down on that protest, silencing it for now. He had to do this. It was the only way to save his father, and if he left Arca now, she might consider him a threat. His talons were tied, forcing him to do as she wished. "I still don't understand. Why don't we destroy them now if you have the power to do so?"

"Because," she said as dark tendrils began to spread along her bright yellow scales, and her eyes were swallowed with intense malice. "What better way to deal with our problems than to have them destroy themselves? Vesper will be a tool for us, whether she realizes it or not. Her hatred will allow us to rid the world of a monster it should have destroyed years ago. And once her purpose has been fulfilled?"

Arca smiled wickedly, and Lumen shivered beneath her, knowing exactly what she intended to do

A/N: Heyo! Man, what a chapter this was to write! A lot of pieces are starting to move, and it looks like there might be some consequences as they all settle into place. Exciting stuff! As always, please leave a review to let me know your thoughts! I love hearing from all of you.

Once again, big thanks to Author-san 9001 for being my beta reader! He's a fantastic writer, so check out his story sometime!

JyroRL - Hey hey! Thanks for the review! And I'm glad you're excited for Kiran and Amber to meet again because I've got some juicy plans in place. I'm not going to give any hints, but there's going to be a lot coming up soon. Mwahaha!