Spyro: Dawn of Light, 2-1

SPYRO: DAWN OF LIGHT


PART 2



CHAPTER 1




Neves sighed as he looked at his reflection in the Pool of Visions, readjusting his new glasses and running his paw over his crest-scale.  Looking a bit closer he fiddled with the small crest growing under his chin, his eyes wandering over his Terrador-training broadened shoulders.  He yelled and jumped; something sharp had pinched his tail.  Shimmer giggled and brushed against him, her freshly groomed scales shining like water pools..  "Oh, uh, Shimmer...I was just, uhhh..."

"Don't play dumb, Neves," she laughed, flicking her tail against his.  "You don't need to fuss about your appearance."

Neves sighed and looked back at the pool.  "Well, I guess...but I still can't see him."

"He said he'd be back, stop worrying!"  She flipped over him and nudged him away from the pool.  "Spyro's fine on his own, now c'mon before it gets dark!"

"But..."

"You pwomised," she whined, giving him pathetic puppy-eyes.  He sighed and laughed to himself; she was growing to be a stunningly beautiful dragoness, strong yet slim and very fluid in her motions, but those eyes never changed, they still had their power on him.

"All right, fine, let's go."

"It's been three years, Neves, I think Spyro can handle a simple hit-and-run mission."

"Yeah, but still..."

"'But still'?"

"He's still so anxious about Cynder...I can't see her either, and after the last mission..."

She nipped him on the muzzle.  "Neves, shut up and drop it already, geez!  Spyro will come back for news and we'll tell him what Gnasty's up to now!  Now c'mon, you need to relax!"

He shrugged and flew up into the air after her as she jumped off the temple balcony.  Neves sighed again.  "I'm sorry, Shimmer..."

"I know, you're worried about Spyro, same old same old."

"No, it's not that...I mean, yeah, I'm worried about him, but...I'm sorry for not paying attention to you..."  They landed in their chosen spot to watch the sun set.  "It's all this guardian stuff, I keep paying too much attention to it."

She rubbed against him.  "Hey, it'll be fine."  He wrapped his wing around her and curled his tail around hers, and she grinned and leaned against him.  "Y'know, about that thing you do at the Pool with your glasses...you look better now than you did three years ago when we met.  Why do you keep readjusting them?"

"I dunno, but this pair is looser than my old ones...too bad Gnasty got me, that frame was my favorite."

They fell silent for a while, watching the colors change, until Shimmer sniffed the air and pulled away from him a bit.  "Do I smell food?"

Neves smirked, walked to a boulder nearby, and from behind it he produced a rather large meal for both of them.  "I tried some new spices I picked up in the Settlement.  I think they're good but you're the real test."  He brought the small stone tray over to her.

"Delcanth fishies, fried mushrooms and...what's this?"

"Wild goose meat; I got you the better meat off it, most of it was fat."  He stuck out his tongue and grimaced.  She giggled and licked his cheek.

"Mmmm...smells really good, thank you."

He smiled and nuzzled her lightly.  "You're welcome."

On the temple balcony, Rivyera sighed with a small grin as she stared off in the direction the two had flown.  She turned her head slightly as the temple door opened, hearing Ignitus came out for some fresh air.  "How are they?" he asked, sitting down nearby.

"Doing very well...I'm happy to see my son caring for someone.  I think she's the one, but it's up to them."

Ignitus sighed and she turned to him.  "What of the others?"

"You're worried about Spyro too, aren't you?"

"I have reason to be...we all do."

Rivyera stood up and stretched, lashing the air briefly with her tail.  "I know, Ignitus...but they've grown these past three years, of any of them Spyro can take care of himself."

"I'm more worried about Cynder, though.  We haven't heard anything about her since that night...until now."

Rivyera froze.  "What?!"

"When Plazyma, Caelos, and Flame return from their missions I will tell everyone what I've seen."

"Shouldn't Spyro be told?"

Ignitus shook his head and turned to leave.  "Spyro already knows."




Out in Tall Plains, Spyro sat atop a lone rock spire, staring off into space as the wind blew past him.  He looked down into a puddle nearby and sighed...would Cynder even recognize him now?  He was taller, longer, still thin but getting muscular, and had a much longer wingspan than when she'd been kidnapped that night.  "I never even got to tell her..."  He sighed and tugged at the silver armor on his shoulders.  The Atllawa tribe of Tall Plains had fashioned this armor for him, and had made it earth-resistant for when Tephra attacked.  Odd thing was, ever since the kidnapping, the only enemy they'd heard from was Gnasty Gnorc and some rogue bands of golems.  His gnorcs were far stronger now, although they still carried a deep hatred towards the apes and rhynocs.  The apes had been disappearing recently, and the rhynoc forces were gathering towards Elamrof... "Why?  I know they've done something to her...that couldn't have been her here today..."  He looked at the tall, thick plumes of smoke rising from the Atllawa fields.  He glanced down by his tail and chuckled to himself as he saw his dragonfly buddy snoozing on a blade of grass, its body glowing and fading in a slow, regular pulse.  The little guy, now dubbed Sparx, had followed him from his trip to the beach two years ago and was still hanging around.  Spyro flicked it lightly with his tail and the fly woke up and jumped into the air.  "You ready to go?"  They'd worked out a system of flashes and motions for communication; Spyro received a "yes".

Spreading his wings he took off and headed back to the shrine.  Kane was still there, waiting for something.  "The purple dragon returns," he said, walking over to Spyro as the dragon landed.  "What the heck was that thing?"

Spyro sighed...he didn't know for sure but the possible answer scared him.  "I don't know, Kane...but whoever it was, it's in league with Ripto.  How're the repairs going?"

"We're still trying to put out the fires, could you give us a hand with that?"

"Ha, finally asking others for help huh?" Spyro said with a smirk.  Kane rolled his eyes.

"Yeah yeah, let's just get back, I was hoping for a message but it seems the gods aren't going to let on what's happening just yet."

"Kane, not to insult your beliefs or anything," Spyro said as Kane followed him along the long bridge, "but why was the 'shrine god' a rock golem?  I've slain a lot of those around Elamrof."

"Long, long ago the shrine god was a statue inhabited by one one of the gods, and it gained life from our belief," Kane explained.  Inside, Spyro rolled his eyes, but let Kane continue.  "Before you slew it, however, it was becoming more like a monster, not heeding our pleas for help with our dying crops and failing water.  The drought cycle is five years long but it's only two years into the current cycle; we should be having more water, not less."

"I can help with the fires, I need practice with my water breath."

"...Water breath?"

As they passed a dying flower Spyro opened his mouth and breathed a stream of water at its roots.  "There.  Water breath.  Elemental opposite of fire breath."  A huge plume of smoke suddenly rose into the air, followed by others, and the columns of smoke that had been slowly dwindling now turned thick and black.  Spyro and Kane rushed into the village to find that the fires had returned.  Not only that, but there were several thick-armored enemies with glowing weapons running through the village, randomly beating the Atllawas.  Kane shouted in fury and tackled one, but it flipped off the ground and immediately counterattacked.  "Crap!  Elites!" Spyro said to himself.  Seeing yellow armor he charged himself and began floating in the air.  The Elites watched, tensed and ready to react if he pulled a sudden motion.  The Atllawas grew more nervous as the sky darkened.  With a loud roar a huge bolt of lightning leapt from Spyro into the sky, then quickly rained down and hit each of the Elites in the village, killing them outright.  Spyro fell back to the ground feeling weary, but he wasn't done yet.  Focusing his energy he flew up into the air, this time using his wings, and held still in the air, his eyes closed.  The clouds above grew darker and thicker, and within a few seconds it was raining, enough to douse the fires to the point where the Atllawas could handle the rest themselves.  Spyro fell back to the ground looking rather drained.

"What were those things?" Kane growled as one of his tribe members bound his injured arm.

"They're called Elites," Spyro said a bit hoarsely.  "No idea what they are other than that they've been extensively trained."

"You've obviously fought them before, where are they from?"

"No clue, they pop up every now and then."  He wanted to add "especially where that creature appears" but thought against it, maybe it was coincidence.

"Well, it pains me to say it but thank you for your help.  Now beat it, we've got repairs to do."

Spyro smirked and rolled his eyes.  "Sure, sure, whatever," he replied, jokingly tossing Kane's attitude back at him.  The purple dragon flew up into the sky, feeling Sparx alight on his head.  "Tired from following me around?" he asked, though he was unable to see a response.  "Long day...gotta tell Ignitus about the golems too, took us long enough to find out what's going on."  As he slowly flew back to the Temple, his mind kept churning...what was that thing he'd seen?  Something had attacked him and the village...but it couldn't have been...  "Gaaah...damnit, three years of silence and now this, what the hell..."



On the mainland in Warfang, Flame and Caelos were resting after a recon mission into the battlefield and the underground ruins.  Or rather, Caelos was.

"Flame!"

"Flame, over here!!"

"Can I have your pawprint pleeaase??"

"Easy girls, easy!" Flame laughed, sitting up and posing while holding his paws out in a stopping gesture.  "There's enough Flame to warm everyone here!"

"Flame, do the grin!"

"Like this?" he asked, striking another pose and catching the setting sunlight on his teeth.  Most of the young dragonesses squealed.  

"Shimmer and Plazyma are so lucky, they get to be with these hotties every day..."

"I heard Flame and Spyro look similar!"

"Think Spyro's even hotter than Flame?? I've never seen him!"

Flame's face twitched a bit but he shrugged it off.  "Nah, he's nothin' compared to this!"  He jumped into the air and did several tight flips, landing and striking another pose.  The girls squealed again and crowded around him.  "Hey whoa whoa, easy!  Flames need a lil personal space or you choke them, y'know?  Don't wanna get too close or it might singe ya."

From a distant rooftop Caelos was copying the sound waves from Flame and replaying them where he could hear them.  Rolling his eyes with a frustrated snort he focused the air around himself and then sent a sound beam straight at Flame.  "Hey, we need to go back!" he called through it.

Flame tilted his head and listened.  "Sorry girls, my super hearing has picked up another cry for help.  I must be off!"  They all whined and then squealed yet again when he leapt up and flew in circles over them before darting off.  Caelos joined him in the air, not looking very thrilled.

"Super hearing?"

"Er...you heard that?"

"Duh."  Caelos punched him hard in the shoulder and flew ahead.  

"Ow! hey...easy there, I need to look good for the girls, c'mon, it was a joke dude!"

As they neared the temple they met Spyro and landed together on the balcony, neither daring to ask Spyro what was wrong; the purple dragon had a weird look on his face.  "Finally back," came a voice from across the dojo.  Plazyma walked towards them, ignoring Flame's usual stare at her graceful frame.  Her finscales had undergone a strange growth spurt; now instead of having one hanging over her eye, she had several covering half her face.  She could toss them back behind her head but she preferred the "mysterious" look.  "Wooing the girls again I assume," she added with a hint of dry frustration.

"Nah, just providing some fanservice," Flame said vainly.  He yelped when a jolt shot across his muzzle.

"Eyes off my tail," she growled, knowing where he was looking.  "Caelos, usual, report at midnight.  Spyro?"  Spyro had wandered into the hallway, unaware of her or the others.  Plazyma groaned.  "Emo-boy needs to stop dwelling on his lost girl."

"He's not emo, just confused," Flame retorted, then added under his breath "and taking forever to figure stuff out..."

"Whatever.  When Shimmer and Neves get back from their date it's report time."  With that she walked out, zapping Flame again when he stared after her.  Caelos tapped him with his wing.  

"Doesn't that get old?" he whispered.

"What, the shocking?  Nah.  It's an indirect electric kiss."

Caelos punched him again with a scowl.  "Three years have really gone to your head."  Flame rubbed his shoulder with his wing, watching in confusion as the wind dragon left him.  Shaking his head he sighed and decided to go find Spyro.  The purple dragon was sitting atop a statue out in the temple garden, staring absently at a tree nearby.  Flame only saw him when his tail flicked in agitation.  

"Hey Spyro!"  Flame flew up to the statue and sat down by him.  In the monotonous moonlight, one would have thought they were identical twins.  "You okay dude?"

"I dunno.."

"Modus operandi with you lately.  What happened out there?"

Spyro sighed and rolled over onto his back, staring at the sky.  "I'd rather not talk about it right now.  Still trying to make sense of it before I have to tell the guardians."

"Still thinking about Cynder?"  Spyro growled.  "We'll find her.  Ignitus has seen her once or twice, which means she's still alive out there somewhere."

"Shouldn't you be back with Ember right now?"

"Ehh...she's not really interested in me.  I'm just gonna let her go, I'm sick of her games."  He sighed and looked at his foreleg as he flexed his muscles.  "Terrador's training really worked well but she's not falling for it like the other girls.  I don't get it.  What've you got that I don't?"

"Purple scales.  Elemental powers.  A sense of decency and humility."  Flame glared at him; Spyro couldn't resist a smirk.  "Looks like The Flame got buuuuuurned."

"Shut up."  

A motion caught Flame's eyes and he stood up quickly.  Spyro hung his head upside-down over the edge of the statue to see Shimmer looking for them.  "Boys, it's dinnertime, what're you doing out here?"

"Spyro's being a thickskull again," Flame said, whipping Spyro with his tail jokingly and jumping off the carving.  Spyro sighed and stretched, sliding forward off the statue and landing like a cat on the ground.  He watched Flame whisper something in Shimmer's ear, then bolt through the garden to the temple with a frightened yelp.  Spyro and Shimmer traded annoyed glances and she walked alongside him.

"What'd he say this time?"

Shimmer grunted.  "You don't wanna know.  He still doesn't get it."

"I don't think he ever will..."  They both laughed under their breath.  

"You okay today?"

"Yeah, just..."  He sighed and shook his head.  "Got a lot going on, lot to think about...makes me hate being purple."

"I've noticed Terrador and Cyril expecting a lot of you recently, more than they do for the rest of us."

"And I hate it.  They could've sent Flame to Tall Plains but they don't even consider you guys anymore, I'm the first one they call on."

"Bring it up tonight, Neves too doesn't like it."

Dinner was quiet and rather slow, there was a strange unease in the air, particularly from Ignitus' expression.  Plazyma tried to compliment Shimmer on her use of herbs in the salads, but got little more than some agreeing nods and grunts.  Shimmer shot her a smile but otherwise didn't say anything, eyeing Ignitus uneasily.  Finally when they were finished Plazyma sighed noisily.  "Alright, what the heck is going on?  Let's get this meeting started already, the tension here is choking me."

The guardians all laid down, tucking their paws under themselves.  This was the signal that the younger ones should start off.  They glanced at each other nervously before Caelos sighed and started signing.  In three years he had learned how to speak in sign language and the others had learned how to read him.  ::Flame and I went to check on the disturbances in Warfang, but it's the same as everywhere else, strange golem outbreaks.  There were mostly stone golems, a few smaller earth-based, a few using the city ruins.::

Volteer groaned and mumbled under his breath, "I pray the golem activity increases haven't reached that gargantuan monstrosity..."

Rivyera looked at Plazyma.  "Tell us what you found."

"Not much.  Cliff Town is the center of the golem activity out there, and the cliff faces are a sort of base for the wyverns out there.  I tried to find a central strike point but they're smart, they're spread too far apart to take out easily in one strike.  It's nothing like the nest five months ago."

Terrador turned his attention to Spyro, as did the others.  "That leaves you, Spyro."

Spyro sighed.  "I don't know much about what happened, but I ended up fighting the shrine god, which turned out to be nothing more than a small but strangely powerful stone golem.  When I beat it, I noticed that the other golems in Tall Plains suddenly just fell apart.  I think they're linked together.  This happened last night."

Caelos grabbed their attention by flinging his wings up in the air quickly, then started rapidly signing.  ::Last night several golem armies simply stopped cold!::

"I noticed that too but I thought it might have been some weird magic flaw," Plazyma said.

Ignitus turned to Spyro again, intrigued.  "What else?"

"Well I also noticed that the whole area in general seemed to change, but I can't tell how, it just..felt different.  Like I'd broken something larger and more integral than a golem.  But here's what really bugs me.  Shortly after I defeated it, something huge, long and dark attacked me.  It was swathed in shadow so I couldn't tell what it was, maybe a gigantic Darkwing, but it was vicious.  I had to hide from it, even my Fury attacks were ineffective against it; by the time I could tell it was gone, it had attacked the village and set almost everything on fire.  Today I spent a lot of time helping clean up, and then just before I left, another wave of Elites appeared and started attacking everyone.  I had to use up my last Electric Fury on them."

Ignitus sighed and sat up.  "From what you all have said, it seems the golem activity is somehow related to the Atllawa shrines.  Somehow, an evil force took over their shrine god statue and animated it, and seems to have linked it to the other golem activity we've been hunting.  This will take more investigation, but at a later time."  He looked at Spyro with a strange expression.  "I had other news but it seems now is not the time."

"Has there been any other activity from Ripto or Gnasty?" Neves asked.

"None yet.  Gnasty is still recovering from your last battle it seems, but his gnorcs are growing in number in the fields.  I can't tell if this is just more appearing or if they're amassing for some sort of mischief."

Nightshade sat up and yawned.  "If this is everything, you young ones should head to bed.  Seven, if you wish you may convene with us to discuss our next actions, but I would recommend you get some sleep."

Neves shook his head and stood up.  "I'm coming too."  Shimmer nuzzled his shoulder and he nuzzled her nose softly in return.  "Sorry, I'll see you later tonight."  Plazyma rolled her eyes in disgust and left, the others following her.  Shimmer stayed behind with Neves until he and the elders headed into the guardian sleep chamber, then followed her friends to the other room.  The lighted stones had been put out, but Spyro was still awake, sitting by the window and staring outside at nothing in particular.  

"Spyro?" she whispered, walking up next to him.  

"What?"

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I guess..."

He didn't seem to want to talk so she backed away.  "You should get some sleep."  He didn't move until he heard her crawl into her bed and fall asleep.  With a sigh he lay his head on the windowsill, thinking back to three years ago.  Seeing Neves and Shimmer together was almost painful for him...  He stared at the horizon in the distance, drawing abstract shapes in the stars with his mind's eye.

"Cynder...where are you?"