File type: Word Document(.docx) [Download]
-----------------------------------------
Could not generate preview text for this file type.
-----------------------------------------
Could not generate preview text for this file type.
Chapter 13: Be You For Me Pt.1
The sound of the rattling chains, the occasional shudder and the grunts and groans of exertion from the apes inside the wheels did little to improve Gaul’s mood. But while it would have been possible to improve on the workings of the lifting platform, it had been one of many things that had been put aside and had been for twelve years while the Ape King had mustered all his wit and cunning, dedication and reserves of labor to his ultimate plan to ensure the victory which had long been denied to him. Deeper and deeper did they go, passing by numerous doorways and passages of multiple levels as the elevator descended through the fortress. The Ape laborer's managed a steady pace despite the weight of their work, the wheels turning proficiently as the light of the top floor faded into darkness.
Gaul remained standing as he was, his piercing eyes staring into the stone as it rolled past them. His left hand still clutched the staff, his claws tapping over its shaft pensively as the teeth of his bottom jaw flexed almost like fingers themselves.
He finally lifted his head and looked up, seeing the darkened tunnel with the intermittent torchlight flickering the shadows of the chains against the cavern walls. They passed by another set of torches, the final set, as the cavern then entered into a deep blackness, Gaul’s single glowing eyes the only source of light as the seconds rolled by. There was a new sound that began to enter the cavern; a sound from below that grew louder they closer they came to it. It was the echo of voices, indistinguishable from each other, sounding more like bees around but which echoed up the walls of the cavern. The wheels cranked in the dark, the chains creaked and shivered as the sound of voices grew louder and louder, almost drowning out the metallic workings of the elevator. A faint sliver of orange light suddenly began to streak through the slots of the platform around the wheels, casting against the Ape King as the light began to creep around the edges of the platform. The orange light grew brighter as the voices grew louder though not clearer, still an unreadable cloud of noise. As the platform descended further, the light suddenly shone in as the round opening of a cave came to view. The platform came to a hard stop, the chains having been extended their full length through and below the mountain. Gaul stepped off without a wasted moment, walking across to the cave opening and into the cone of light.
Emerging from the cave, the Ape King walked out onto a high cliff face inside an underground cavern of seemingly endless expanse. The cliff face stretched on beside the cave exit for miles on either side, the walls of the cavern dipping in and out in a zigzag like pattern with torches lighting the whole way. Straight out from the cave exit was a long balcony constructed from timber and steel that lead far out into the cavern. Beside this, built against the walls of the cliff face were towering wooden staircases that led down into the cavern, well worn and stretching on for almost the whole length of the cavern. The ceiling of the cavern was marked by clusters of spirit gems and elongated rock spires, some of which reached all the way to the ground like giant natural pillars. Fixed to the ceiling by chains were dozens of huge torch bowls with huge flames bellowing out to provide light across the cavern. Gaul stepped onto the balcony and began walking towards the end of it where a large horn like device was placed.
As he walked on, the full expanse of the cavern floor came into view, revealing the source of the near deafening voices; which suddenly began to quieten down as they saw movement on the balcony of which they had constructed. A sea of violet armor and dark tunics filled the entire breadth of the cavern, thousands upon thousands of ape soldiers, assorted into individual battalions of the common soldiers, larger lieutenants and hulking commanders. Among the ranks were scores of snarling death hounds, pulling at their master’s chains and carts of weapons and equipment. From end to end of the cavern they stood shoulder to shoulder, thousands of eyes all staring up at the balcony as the Ape King walked towards the horn at the end. From there one could see the multiple caves on the other side of the cavern, some natural and some mined out, leading to yet more caverns that the blanket of ape forces continued on through out of sight. Gaul approached the large horn on the end of the balcony; it was heavy bronze instrument similar in shape to a French horn, with a large mouth piece at Gaul’s head height. On the left side of the mouth piece was a small grey crystal sitting in a small socket like a candle holder. The Bell, or the opposite end of the horn, was shaped in the likeness of a Dreadwing with the bat-like face and menacing teeth hanging from the edges of its mouth.
Gaul stood before the horn, looked over to his staff, and held it towards the grey crystal. Upon contact, the green head of the staff shimmered and a thin stream of green magic fizzled into the crystal, filling it with the same sickly green aura. A greenish haze swept over the whole horn, tainting the bronze metal as the instrument gave a light shudder. From amongst the army of apes, almost impossible to see before, the crystals of similar horns placed throughout the cavern began to light up in rows all along the ground, each one magically linked to the one on the balcony. Gaul watched as the green crystals lit up across the cavern, the awaiting audience watching in silence as the Ape King stared down at them, scanning his head from side to side at the legions he commanded. He touched the mouthpiece with the tip of his staff, a loud metallic clang reverberated throughout the cavern, carried by the horns placed among the troops so that they may hear their King as if he was standing right beside them. After a few moments, Gaul inched forward and leaned towards the mouthpiece.
“My loyal subjects,” he began in as smooth a voice as he could muster, which echoed through the cavern, “We are on the cusp of new chapter in our struggle against our enemies. We have shown a tenacity and dedication to our cause that is unrivalled by any other creatures of this world! All that you see around you, all that is here, it is because of you. You and your tireless efforts to complete our mission, your fierce dedication to your comrades and our Master is shown all around you. What you have done here is a task that even the cowardly moles would never have conceived of! Twelve years of blood, sweat, sacrifice, toil and patience. As our enemies have bragged and grown fat with the spoils of their bounty, we have been working day and night to prepare for the final victory; the downfall of the dragons and the resurrection of our Master!” Gaul shouted, throwing his arms up theatrically, the apes down below erupting into fearsome cheers. The cavern rocked with the sound of the thousands of shouting voice, causing flakes of rock and dust to fall from the ceiling.
Gaul raised his hands after a few moments, dampening down the cheering as he began again;
“The Dragons and their allies think we are beaten; that we are but worms hiding in the dirt and that it is only by their fair hand that we live in the squalor they have forced us into. Their arrogance goes even further; they believe that we lack the spirit and the tools to bring the fight to them. But they will soon see how wrong they were!”
There was another avalanche of warcrys and cheers from the apes, their voices rocking the the underground as Gaul held his hands up again to quieten them.
“Our toils and our patience will soon be rewarded. As we speak, our sappers and petardiers are making the final preparations for our assault on the Dragon City. Twelve years ago, we watched our brothers be dashed against the walls of that decadent city. But the walls that protected those within years ago will now trap them like rats as we take their city from the ground, from above, and from below! They will watch as we tear down their monuments to our past defeats! They will weep when our boots march in their streets! The meek and the cowardly among them will beg our forgiveness as we dance in the blood of any who dare stand against us!”
A roar more bloodthirsty and enraged like no other erupted like a volcano, Gaul wearing a wicked smile as he let the chorus of vengeance fester among the ranks, watching as his subjects held up their weapons and banged on their shields. Deathhounds howled chillingly as thousands of blades were waved in the air, each one eager to be wet with the blood of the enemy. He let this go on for perhaps a minute before he again raised his hands to silence the hungry crowd. The Ape King cringed furiously as he thought of the next part of his address; the one he had been dreading and purposely stalling on; the escape of the four dragon whelps, including the much-vaunted purple dragon. He knew he had missed a prime opportunity to eliminate the greatest threat to his plans, but he couldn’t let doubts cloud his mind or those of his troops before such an enormous undertaking.
“Some of you may believe that the escape of the four dragon whelplings had put our plans into jeopardy. But while it was unfortunate, I can assure you all that it would never have happened had most of you not been down here, working tirelessly towards our goal! But it matters not, their actions make no difference to our plans. We will press forward and their so called ‘savior’ will meet his end by our hands! He is nothing more than an abomination! A paper tiger, a puny imitator, he has nothing on the purple dragon who is our master! We will kill him and present his remains to Lord Malefor when we ensure his return!”
The Ape King orchestrated another volley of cheers from his subordinates, who after several moments of various cries and bellows, started to coordinate into a single worded chant that swept through all the ranks in the cavern. In an orderly and menacing display of military precision, the apes all began to recite just one word; Gaul.
“Gaul! Gaul! Gaul!” they chanted, slamming their weapons against their shields like a drum and stamping their feet in time. The symphony of chanting, stamping and pounding filled the Ape King’s blackened heart with ecstasy. He gripped his staff in both hands and held it above his head, letting out a deep, guttural roar into the air as he joined in the frenzy. A flight of Dreadwings from far down the cavern swept above the countless ranks of ape soldiers, each one screeching in a bone chilling high pitch, the flyover acting the same as a drop of blood into a school of starving piranhas.
“No longer shall be wait!” Gaul proclaimed amidst the chanting, “No longer shall we suffer! Soon, our Master will return! His coming will bring forth a new age of power for the Apes! No longer will we live under the feet of those who claim to be our betters! Now, my subjects, march! March to your rally points! March to the battle! MARCH TO OUR REVENGE!”
There was a final, momentous uproar as the chanting reverted back to an all out shouting match as the frenzied apes brandished their weapons and jumped into the air in war hungry glee. Gaul slipped his staff over his back, reaching behind and grasping the hilts of the twin blades on his back scabbard. With a frightful, bellowing roar, he pulled the swords from his back held them out to his sides, their menacing size enough to freeze the heart of the stoutest warrior. Drawing a breath, the Ape King slowly raised his arms up with the blades in hand above his head pointed to the ceiling. With a furious roar, he drew his arms back and threw them forward, his hands clasping the swords fiercely as he aimed them towards the tunnels leading to their fate. Without any other sign, the army standing below ceased its frenzy and calmed itself. With well-practiced and heavily enforced discipline, every ape in the cavern turned towards the tunnels leading out of the cavern, the ranks already stretching out into them and beyond.
From every battalion commander, there was a synchronized shout to their own troops that echoed across the underground space, “Forward, march!”
With these words, the entire sea of violet armor and dark tunics started marching, the heavy crunch of boots rumbling through the earth. Joining this was the rattle of weapons and armor as the thousands and thousands of apes marched slowly towards the caves. The Ape King stood watching them as the back ranks slowly marched away from him like the edge of a great carpet being slowly pulled back across the floor. He smiled a cunning smile, his green glowing eye began to sparkle brighter as he heard heavy, plodding steps behind him but paid no immediate heed to it. The steps halted a short distance behind him, Gaul drawing a deep breath of satisfaction as his armies marched out, finally turning to the creature standing behind him. Gaul stamped the bottom of his staff harshly on the floor.
“When out attack begins, it is imperative we deal the fatal blow before the purple whelping has a chance to become a real problem. The Guardians will do anything to protect him, but they cannot die until we have what we need from them. You will look under every roof; you will scour every rock and tree and anywhere they might hide him. You will do whatever it takes to bring me his body and the black dragoness he has a miserable amity for. She must be taken alive, no exceptions. That is your mission; you will not fail me.”
The small, armor clad figure hopped down from atop his Dreadwing. His glowing red eyes glistened intently, seemingly regarding the threat in the voice of the Ape King with disdain, even mockery. Such an act would never dare be perpetrated by any other ape other than this one. He uttered a muffled chuckle beneath his helmet as he proclaimed,
“Tha’ Masked Assassin never fails!”
Back at the Dragon Temple…
Spyro passed through from the dojo into the temple grotto where the pool of visions was, his spirits sailing high above his head. The grotto was empty as he had passed by the other Guardians in the dojo who had been waiting for himself and the Fire Guardian to have their moment together. He had left Ignitus sitting alone on the temple balcony, who had told him that he had left him plenty to think about. Despite the renewed aches in his body from his boisterous and impulsive aerial display around Ignitus, Spyro still had a noticeable pep in his step that was not just a limp. He smiled broadly as the door to the dojo closed behind him and he made to return to his bed as Ignitus had asked him to, happy that he now felt no more ill feeling about the Fire Guardian of any of the others, even if they had put on a show for him. He walked around the left side of the pool of visions towards the dormitory when his eyes wandered over to the door towards the sparring area. He paused just before the door to the dormitory as he thought about his friends who he had been told were sleeping there. He looked to the dormitory again before he shrugged and decided he would check on them, though he expected to find them all asleep.
“I’ll bet they’ll get a real kick out of what Ignitus said to me,” he said to himself cheerfully as he wandered over towards the door across the room. The door opened for him as Spyro walked steadily down the short corridor towards the second doorway that led to the sparring area. He sighed contently as he approached the second door which opened to him, granting him access to the sparring area. Not wanting to wake his friends if they were asleep, Spyro half stepped through the door and scanned across the room from right to left. The room was mostly dark with only a few torches lit in the center of the room and a pair of oil lamps sitting on a low table that he guessed the mole nurses must have bought with them. The table was covered in glass vials, jars and a mortar and pestle used to mix potions and medicines. He saw the dirt training areas and mock ape dummies leaning against the walls of the room, which unlike those in the dojo could not be bought to life with magic. As he panned over to the left, his eyes passed over a trio of painted target boards set on wooden stands until finally he saw what he was searching for.
He saw Flame and Ember curled up sleeping on their cushions which were placed against the wall just short of halfway across the room. He smiled as he saw them and casually glanced over to Cynder’s cushion on the end of the pair. It was empty. Spyro frowned as he blinked twice to make sure he had not simply missed her laying in the dark, but looking again he knew that the cushion was empty. He looked back and forth across the room to make sure he hadn’t missed her, but scanning across several times showed the room was empty beside Flame and Ember. He took a few steps further into the room, the door closing behind him as it no longer sensed him, the noise did not disturb his two companions.
“Cynder?” he called out not too loudly, wanting to be sure his other senses hadn’t failed him. There was no answer other than the snoring of Flame and Ember. He looked towards them and wondered if he should wake them, Spyro then looking ahead to the door at the far end of the room. He knew that the outer doors were locked at night and that only the Guardians could unlock them, which they usually did every morning. But with what he had seen in the tunnels beneath the Mountain of Malefor and the suspicions of Ignitus, Spyro felt especially paranoid at what any askew detail could mean. He walked as fast as his weary body allowed until he reached the doorway, which did not budge a fraction even as he pressed his paws up to it. He let out a sigh of relief that it was secure and at the knowledge that Cynder must have left the room via the grotto.
“She’s probably just gone to check on me,” he told himself calmly, “Man, she’s such a sweetheart. She’d kill me if she ever heard me call her that…”
Spyro turned and walked back towards the inner door, half expecting to see the black dragoness come walking through before he got there. He looked at across as Flame and Ember still sleeping as he passed by, smiling fondly as the red dragon rolled on his back and stuck his feet into the air, mumbling something in his sleep. The sound of the door opening drew his attention back as Spyro expected to see Cynder returning to the sparring area, raising his eyebrows as one of the mole nurses came waddling through the door instead.
“Ah! There you are!” she exclaimed, “I was wondering how long Ignitus was going to keep you. You should be back in bed resting up,” she told him as he approached her, “What are you doing in here?”
“I just wanted to check on my friends,” Spyro replied cautiously, “Have you seen Cynder? She’s not in her bed.”
“Cynder? Why yes, she passed through the dorms just after you went outside, wanting to see you, I suppose. She seemed quite anxious,” the nurse said wonderingly.
“Where is she now?” asked Spyro firmly.
“Well, last I saw her she was headed out into the garden. Said it was stuffy inside and she wanted some fresh air. That was about ten minutes ago. I haven’t seen her come back inside,” the nurse remarked with a light shrug, “Now, I was just coming in to mix up some more medicine for you…”
“She shouldn’t be outside alone,” Spyro said critically, “I’m going out to find her,” he declared and made for the door but the mole nurse clapped her hand on his shoulder.
“Now hold on, young hero, you are not yet in fighting shape,” she said as she waved her finger at him disapprovingly, “You should be getting back to bed.”
“I need to make sure she’s okay,” Spyro protested, “Its dangerous outside the temple at night.”
“Never fear, I’ll go find her. Or I can get the Guardians to if you prefer…”
“No!” the purple dragon shook his head fiercely, “I don’t want her to get in trouble,” he said as he turned his body to the mole nurse and pulled away from her hand on his shoulder, “Look, if she’s upset then she won’t want anyone to herd her back inside like a sheep. She can very moody when she is upset. Let me find her and talk to her, she won’t make a fuss then. We’ll come straight back; I promise.”
The mole nurse scratched her chin as her tiny eyes searched the eyes of the purple dragon for any hint of deceit. She groaned as the obvious response to his plea was unmistakably clear but she sighed and shook her head in submission, “Alright. But by the time I’ve finished mixing up this next batch, the two of you had better be back inside or I will have to inform the Guardians.”
“Thanks,” Spyro nodded gladly as he turned and headed quickly through the door into the grotto. He glanced warily around for the Guardians as he hobbled his way past the pool of visions and through into the dormitories. He moved as quickly as he could stand as he rounded the corner into the hall towards the door to the memorial garden. He paused as he saw the three other mole nurses all slumped against the wall near his quarters, snoring loudly. He couldn’t help but laugh at how they conducted themselves, not that he thought they had done a bad job but that they seemed quite easily distracted. But for the sake of time, he did not want to wake them and have to explain himself with Cynder’s well being at the forefront of his mind.
“I mustn’t wake them,” he muttered softly to himself, the purple dragon catching a breath before he reached out with his right paw and gingerly touched the ground, tiptoeing across the stone floor as the nurses snored away. He gritted his teeth as he watched the three bipeds with deathly fear as they slept together in line with each other. His claws lightly tapped the ground with each step no matter how hard he tried not to, holding his breath as he crept by the three moles.
“Quick…. Quick!” the one in the middle suddenly burst out in her sleep, nearly making Spyro jump, “The head nurse… is coming!” she muttered as she rolled her bead back and forth, her mind soaked in dreams.
Swallowing hard, Spyro continued sneaking by as the nurse to the right of the center kicked her feet out, her hands folded over her chest,
“Say… who’s the handsome devil with all the broken arms and legs…” she asked dreamily in-between snores. Spyro clamped his gums tightly to muffle the giggle he couldn’t keep suppressed as he finally passed them by and came within reach of the door, hoping the noise of it opening wouldn’t wake his erstwhile carers. As soon as his paw reached within a few feet of it, the round door creaked open automatically, Spyro hastily looking back to ensure he was not caught. The mole nurses snored away merrily and unphased as he tiptoed the last few steps until his tail had passed through the doorway. He carefully continued tiptoeing until he heard the door shut behind him, whereupon he breathed for the first time in what seemed an eternity.
“Whew!” he exclaimed, taking a deep breath before he set off at a spirited pace to find Cynder. He hoped he might meet her coming back before he made the end of the tunnel, but as he followed the curve and the outside of the temple came into view, he saw nothing of her at all. Spyro frowned as he walked out onto the cobblestone path that split around the cluster of mushrooms planted in the lower garden. He looked up at the towering mushroom canopy that walled around the garden, their undersides glowing like candles behind purple coloured glass. All around he heard the chorus of night life in and around the mushroom forest, the chirping of insects and buzz of mosquitos teamed with the walloping of strange birds. As he walked around the decorative mushroom cluster, there was a heavy rustle to his right among the grass sprouting from the base of the mushroom perimeter.
Spyro froze mid-step, wearily looking towards where the rustling had come from. He saw a rat come scurrying out from the grass and take off across the path in front of him while the sound of the distant undergrowth crunching beneath the weight of something unseen slowly resided into the night. Spyro remained still for several moments after the noise had gone, anxiously waiting for it or some other noise or happening to occur. He knew it was most likely a Toad weed, Giant Snail or a Bulb Spider hunting for prey; the local populations of these creatures had generally learned to steer clear of the temple and its inhabitants. However, that was not to say they may not try their luck if they happened upon someone who was leaving themselves particularly exposed. Spyro’s mind was leaning toward other possibilities though as he cautiously began to walk on with his eyes scanning the undergrowth and top of the mushrooms intently.
“Cynder?” he called out, though not too loudly owing to his increased fear of what else could conceivably be stalking through the night; something of the Ape variety. He followed the path as the stairs to the memorial statue lay in front of him, Spyro checking over both shoulders before he began pulling himself up the large steps. The night time was bright thanks to the sparse clouds in the sky as he heaved himself over one step at a time, reaching the top and seeing the golden monument shimmering in the light of the twin moons. A quick sweep of his head still showed no sign of Cynder, Spyro pulling himself to the top of the steps and halting as he beheld the golden image of Pyra and the valiant Mole-at-Arms. The thought just occurred to him that he had rarely ever seen the monument in the night time as he had, most of the time, obediently followed the Guardians directives to not be outside the temple at night. The only times they had been was when the Guardians had taken them on night time excursions or training exercises to hone their skills in the dark, such as tracking or moving stealthily if the need arose. Spyro looked into the eyes of the Pyra statue and wondered what he would have thought of what he was doing.
“Cynder?” he called out, this time a little louder and with more concern. After waiting and hearing nothing, Spyro’s heart began to drum out a worrying beat as he started to slowly walk around the right side of the monument, taking the inner path of the double ring of cobblestones surrounding it. As he stretched his neck out to peek around the path as he walked, he heard a gently rustle from the other side like something brushing against the flowers planted between the two paths. Hopeful relief washed over him as he quickened his pace and saw the light of the moon bounce off the scythe like tail of the black dragoness he had been searching for as it swept back around to her left side while she sat looking up at the back of the monument.
End of Part 1 of 2
The sound of the rattling chains, the occasional shudder and the grunts and groans of exertion from the apes inside the wheels did little to improve Gaul’s mood. But while it would have been possible to improve on the workings of the lifting platform, it had been one of many things that had been put aside and had been for twelve years while the Ape King had mustered all his wit and cunning, dedication and reserves of labor to his ultimate plan to ensure the victory which had long been denied to him. Deeper and deeper did they go, passing by numerous doorways and passages of multiple levels as the elevator descended through the fortress. The Ape laborer's managed a steady pace despite the weight of their work, the wheels turning proficiently as the light of the top floor faded into darkness.
Gaul remained standing as he was, his piercing eyes staring into the stone as it rolled past them. His left hand still clutched the staff, his claws tapping over its shaft pensively as the teeth of his bottom jaw flexed almost like fingers themselves.
He finally lifted his head and looked up, seeing the darkened tunnel with the intermittent torchlight flickering the shadows of the chains against the cavern walls. They passed by another set of torches, the final set, as the cavern then entered into a deep blackness, Gaul’s single glowing eyes the only source of light as the seconds rolled by. There was a new sound that began to enter the cavern; a sound from below that grew louder they closer they came to it. It was the echo of voices, indistinguishable from each other, sounding more like bees around but which echoed up the walls of the cavern. The wheels cranked in the dark, the chains creaked and shivered as the sound of voices grew louder and louder, almost drowning out the metallic workings of the elevator. A faint sliver of orange light suddenly began to streak through the slots of the platform around the wheels, casting against the Ape King as the light began to creep around the edges of the platform. The orange light grew brighter as the voices grew louder though not clearer, still an unreadable cloud of noise. As the platform descended further, the light suddenly shone in as the round opening of a cave came to view. The platform came to a hard stop, the chains having been extended their full length through and below the mountain. Gaul stepped off without a wasted moment, walking across to the cave opening and into the cone of light.
Emerging from the cave, the Ape King walked out onto a high cliff face inside an underground cavern of seemingly endless expanse. The cliff face stretched on beside the cave exit for miles on either side, the walls of the cavern dipping in and out in a zigzag like pattern with torches lighting the whole way. Straight out from the cave exit was a long balcony constructed from timber and steel that lead far out into the cavern. Beside this, built against the walls of the cliff face were towering wooden staircases that led down into the cavern, well worn and stretching on for almost the whole length of the cavern. The ceiling of the cavern was marked by clusters of spirit gems and elongated rock spires, some of which reached all the way to the ground like giant natural pillars. Fixed to the ceiling by chains were dozens of huge torch bowls with huge flames bellowing out to provide light across the cavern. Gaul stepped onto the balcony and began walking towards the end of it where a large horn like device was placed.
As he walked on, the full expanse of the cavern floor came into view, revealing the source of the near deafening voices; which suddenly began to quieten down as they saw movement on the balcony of which they had constructed. A sea of violet armor and dark tunics filled the entire breadth of the cavern, thousands upon thousands of ape soldiers, assorted into individual battalions of the common soldiers, larger lieutenants and hulking commanders. Among the ranks were scores of snarling death hounds, pulling at their master’s chains and carts of weapons and equipment. From end to end of the cavern they stood shoulder to shoulder, thousands of eyes all staring up at the balcony as the Ape King walked towards the horn at the end. From there one could see the multiple caves on the other side of the cavern, some natural and some mined out, leading to yet more caverns that the blanket of ape forces continued on through out of sight. Gaul approached the large horn on the end of the balcony; it was heavy bronze instrument similar in shape to a French horn, with a large mouth piece at Gaul’s head height. On the left side of the mouth piece was a small grey crystal sitting in a small socket like a candle holder. The Bell, or the opposite end of the horn, was shaped in the likeness of a Dreadwing with the bat-like face and menacing teeth hanging from the edges of its mouth.
Gaul stood before the horn, looked over to his staff, and held it towards the grey crystal. Upon contact, the green head of the staff shimmered and a thin stream of green magic fizzled into the crystal, filling it with the same sickly green aura. A greenish haze swept over the whole horn, tainting the bronze metal as the instrument gave a light shudder. From amongst the army of apes, almost impossible to see before, the crystals of similar horns placed throughout the cavern began to light up in rows all along the ground, each one magically linked to the one on the balcony. Gaul watched as the green crystals lit up across the cavern, the awaiting audience watching in silence as the Ape King stared down at them, scanning his head from side to side at the legions he commanded. He touched the mouthpiece with the tip of his staff, a loud metallic clang reverberated throughout the cavern, carried by the horns placed among the troops so that they may hear their King as if he was standing right beside them. After a few moments, Gaul inched forward and leaned towards the mouthpiece.
“My loyal subjects,” he began in as smooth a voice as he could muster, which echoed through the cavern, “We are on the cusp of new chapter in our struggle against our enemies. We have shown a tenacity and dedication to our cause that is unrivalled by any other creatures of this world! All that you see around you, all that is here, it is because of you. You and your tireless efforts to complete our mission, your fierce dedication to your comrades and our Master is shown all around you. What you have done here is a task that even the cowardly moles would never have conceived of! Twelve years of blood, sweat, sacrifice, toil and patience. As our enemies have bragged and grown fat with the spoils of their bounty, we have been working day and night to prepare for the final victory; the downfall of the dragons and the resurrection of our Master!” Gaul shouted, throwing his arms up theatrically, the apes down below erupting into fearsome cheers. The cavern rocked with the sound of the thousands of shouting voice, causing flakes of rock and dust to fall from the ceiling.
Gaul raised his hands after a few moments, dampening down the cheering as he began again;
“The Dragons and their allies think we are beaten; that we are but worms hiding in the dirt and that it is only by their fair hand that we live in the squalor they have forced us into. Their arrogance goes even further; they believe that we lack the spirit and the tools to bring the fight to them. But they will soon see how wrong they were!”
There was another avalanche of warcrys and cheers from the apes, their voices rocking the the underground as Gaul held his hands up again to quieten them.
“Our toils and our patience will soon be rewarded. As we speak, our sappers and petardiers are making the final preparations for our assault on the Dragon City. Twelve years ago, we watched our brothers be dashed against the walls of that decadent city. But the walls that protected those within years ago will now trap them like rats as we take their city from the ground, from above, and from below! They will watch as we tear down their monuments to our past defeats! They will weep when our boots march in their streets! The meek and the cowardly among them will beg our forgiveness as we dance in the blood of any who dare stand against us!”
A roar more bloodthirsty and enraged like no other erupted like a volcano, Gaul wearing a wicked smile as he let the chorus of vengeance fester among the ranks, watching as his subjects held up their weapons and banged on their shields. Deathhounds howled chillingly as thousands of blades were waved in the air, each one eager to be wet with the blood of the enemy. He let this go on for perhaps a minute before he again raised his hands to silence the hungry crowd. The Ape King cringed furiously as he thought of the next part of his address; the one he had been dreading and purposely stalling on; the escape of the four dragon whelps, including the much-vaunted purple dragon. He knew he had missed a prime opportunity to eliminate the greatest threat to his plans, but he couldn’t let doubts cloud his mind or those of his troops before such an enormous undertaking.
“Some of you may believe that the escape of the four dragon whelplings had put our plans into jeopardy. But while it was unfortunate, I can assure you all that it would never have happened had most of you not been down here, working tirelessly towards our goal! But it matters not, their actions make no difference to our plans. We will press forward and their so called ‘savior’ will meet his end by our hands! He is nothing more than an abomination! A paper tiger, a puny imitator, he has nothing on the purple dragon who is our master! We will kill him and present his remains to Lord Malefor when we ensure his return!”
The Ape King orchestrated another volley of cheers from his subordinates, who after several moments of various cries and bellows, started to coordinate into a single worded chant that swept through all the ranks in the cavern. In an orderly and menacing display of military precision, the apes all began to recite just one word; Gaul.
“Gaul! Gaul! Gaul!” they chanted, slamming their weapons against their shields like a drum and stamping their feet in time. The symphony of chanting, stamping and pounding filled the Ape King’s blackened heart with ecstasy. He gripped his staff in both hands and held it above his head, letting out a deep, guttural roar into the air as he joined in the frenzy. A flight of Dreadwings from far down the cavern swept above the countless ranks of ape soldiers, each one screeching in a bone chilling high pitch, the flyover acting the same as a drop of blood into a school of starving piranhas.
“No longer shall be wait!” Gaul proclaimed amidst the chanting, “No longer shall we suffer! Soon, our Master will return! His coming will bring forth a new age of power for the Apes! No longer will we live under the feet of those who claim to be our betters! Now, my subjects, march! March to your rally points! March to the battle! MARCH TO OUR REVENGE!”
There was a final, momentous uproar as the chanting reverted back to an all out shouting match as the frenzied apes brandished their weapons and jumped into the air in war hungry glee. Gaul slipped his staff over his back, reaching behind and grasping the hilts of the twin blades on his back scabbard. With a frightful, bellowing roar, he pulled the swords from his back held them out to his sides, their menacing size enough to freeze the heart of the stoutest warrior. Drawing a breath, the Ape King slowly raised his arms up with the blades in hand above his head pointed to the ceiling. With a furious roar, he drew his arms back and threw them forward, his hands clasping the swords fiercely as he aimed them towards the tunnels leading to their fate. Without any other sign, the army standing below ceased its frenzy and calmed itself. With well-practiced and heavily enforced discipline, every ape in the cavern turned towards the tunnels leading out of the cavern, the ranks already stretching out into them and beyond.
From every battalion commander, there was a synchronized shout to their own troops that echoed across the underground space, “Forward, march!”
With these words, the entire sea of violet armor and dark tunics started marching, the heavy crunch of boots rumbling through the earth. Joining this was the rattle of weapons and armor as the thousands and thousands of apes marched slowly towards the caves. The Ape King stood watching them as the back ranks slowly marched away from him like the edge of a great carpet being slowly pulled back across the floor. He smiled a cunning smile, his green glowing eye began to sparkle brighter as he heard heavy, plodding steps behind him but paid no immediate heed to it. The steps halted a short distance behind him, Gaul drawing a deep breath of satisfaction as his armies marched out, finally turning to the creature standing behind him. Gaul stamped the bottom of his staff harshly on the floor.
“When out attack begins, it is imperative we deal the fatal blow before the purple whelping has a chance to become a real problem. The Guardians will do anything to protect him, but they cannot die until we have what we need from them. You will look under every roof; you will scour every rock and tree and anywhere they might hide him. You will do whatever it takes to bring me his body and the black dragoness he has a miserable amity for. She must be taken alive, no exceptions. That is your mission; you will not fail me.”
The small, armor clad figure hopped down from atop his Dreadwing. His glowing red eyes glistened intently, seemingly regarding the threat in the voice of the Ape King with disdain, even mockery. Such an act would never dare be perpetrated by any other ape other than this one. He uttered a muffled chuckle beneath his helmet as he proclaimed,
“Tha’ Masked Assassin never fails!”
Back at the Dragon Temple…
Spyro passed through from the dojo into the temple grotto where the pool of visions was, his spirits sailing high above his head. The grotto was empty as he had passed by the other Guardians in the dojo who had been waiting for himself and the Fire Guardian to have their moment together. He had left Ignitus sitting alone on the temple balcony, who had told him that he had left him plenty to think about. Despite the renewed aches in his body from his boisterous and impulsive aerial display around Ignitus, Spyro still had a noticeable pep in his step that was not just a limp. He smiled broadly as the door to the dojo closed behind him and he made to return to his bed as Ignitus had asked him to, happy that he now felt no more ill feeling about the Fire Guardian of any of the others, even if they had put on a show for him. He walked around the left side of the pool of visions towards the dormitory when his eyes wandered over to the door towards the sparring area. He paused just before the door to the dormitory as he thought about his friends who he had been told were sleeping there. He looked to the dormitory again before he shrugged and decided he would check on them, though he expected to find them all asleep.
“I’ll bet they’ll get a real kick out of what Ignitus said to me,” he said to himself cheerfully as he wandered over towards the door across the room. The door opened for him as Spyro walked steadily down the short corridor towards the second doorway that led to the sparring area. He sighed contently as he approached the second door which opened to him, granting him access to the sparring area. Not wanting to wake his friends if they were asleep, Spyro half stepped through the door and scanned across the room from right to left. The room was mostly dark with only a few torches lit in the center of the room and a pair of oil lamps sitting on a low table that he guessed the mole nurses must have bought with them. The table was covered in glass vials, jars and a mortar and pestle used to mix potions and medicines. He saw the dirt training areas and mock ape dummies leaning against the walls of the room, which unlike those in the dojo could not be bought to life with magic. As he panned over to the left, his eyes passed over a trio of painted target boards set on wooden stands until finally he saw what he was searching for.
He saw Flame and Ember curled up sleeping on their cushions which were placed against the wall just short of halfway across the room. He smiled as he saw them and casually glanced over to Cynder’s cushion on the end of the pair. It was empty. Spyro frowned as he blinked twice to make sure he had not simply missed her laying in the dark, but looking again he knew that the cushion was empty. He looked back and forth across the room to make sure he hadn’t missed her, but scanning across several times showed the room was empty beside Flame and Ember. He took a few steps further into the room, the door closing behind him as it no longer sensed him, the noise did not disturb his two companions.
“Cynder?” he called out not too loudly, wanting to be sure his other senses hadn’t failed him. There was no answer other than the snoring of Flame and Ember. He looked towards them and wondered if he should wake them, Spyro then looking ahead to the door at the far end of the room. He knew that the outer doors were locked at night and that only the Guardians could unlock them, which they usually did every morning. But with what he had seen in the tunnels beneath the Mountain of Malefor and the suspicions of Ignitus, Spyro felt especially paranoid at what any askew detail could mean. He walked as fast as his weary body allowed until he reached the doorway, which did not budge a fraction even as he pressed his paws up to it. He let out a sigh of relief that it was secure and at the knowledge that Cynder must have left the room via the grotto.
“She’s probably just gone to check on me,” he told himself calmly, “Man, she’s such a sweetheart. She’d kill me if she ever heard me call her that…”
Spyro turned and walked back towards the inner door, half expecting to see the black dragoness come walking through before he got there. He looked at across as Flame and Ember still sleeping as he passed by, smiling fondly as the red dragon rolled on his back and stuck his feet into the air, mumbling something in his sleep. The sound of the door opening drew his attention back as Spyro expected to see Cynder returning to the sparring area, raising his eyebrows as one of the mole nurses came waddling through the door instead.
“Ah! There you are!” she exclaimed, “I was wondering how long Ignitus was going to keep you. You should be back in bed resting up,” she told him as he approached her, “What are you doing in here?”
“I just wanted to check on my friends,” Spyro replied cautiously, “Have you seen Cynder? She’s not in her bed.”
“Cynder? Why yes, she passed through the dorms just after you went outside, wanting to see you, I suppose. She seemed quite anxious,” the nurse said wonderingly.
“Where is she now?” asked Spyro firmly.
“Well, last I saw her she was headed out into the garden. Said it was stuffy inside and she wanted some fresh air. That was about ten minutes ago. I haven’t seen her come back inside,” the nurse remarked with a light shrug, “Now, I was just coming in to mix up some more medicine for you…”
“She shouldn’t be outside alone,” Spyro said critically, “I’m going out to find her,” he declared and made for the door but the mole nurse clapped her hand on his shoulder.
“Now hold on, young hero, you are not yet in fighting shape,” she said as she waved her finger at him disapprovingly, “You should be getting back to bed.”
“I need to make sure she’s okay,” Spyro protested, “Its dangerous outside the temple at night.”
“Never fear, I’ll go find her. Or I can get the Guardians to if you prefer…”
“No!” the purple dragon shook his head fiercely, “I don’t want her to get in trouble,” he said as he turned his body to the mole nurse and pulled away from her hand on his shoulder, “Look, if she’s upset then she won’t want anyone to herd her back inside like a sheep. She can very moody when she is upset. Let me find her and talk to her, she won’t make a fuss then. We’ll come straight back; I promise.”
The mole nurse scratched her chin as her tiny eyes searched the eyes of the purple dragon for any hint of deceit. She groaned as the obvious response to his plea was unmistakably clear but she sighed and shook her head in submission, “Alright. But by the time I’ve finished mixing up this next batch, the two of you had better be back inside or I will have to inform the Guardians.”
“Thanks,” Spyro nodded gladly as he turned and headed quickly through the door into the grotto. He glanced warily around for the Guardians as he hobbled his way past the pool of visions and through into the dormitories. He moved as quickly as he could stand as he rounded the corner into the hall towards the door to the memorial garden. He paused as he saw the three other mole nurses all slumped against the wall near his quarters, snoring loudly. He couldn’t help but laugh at how they conducted themselves, not that he thought they had done a bad job but that they seemed quite easily distracted. But for the sake of time, he did not want to wake them and have to explain himself with Cynder’s well being at the forefront of his mind.
“I mustn’t wake them,” he muttered softly to himself, the purple dragon catching a breath before he reached out with his right paw and gingerly touched the ground, tiptoeing across the stone floor as the nurses snored away. He gritted his teeth as he watched the three bipeds with deathly fear as they slept together in line with each other. His claws lightly tapped the ground with each step no matter how hard he tried not to, holding his breath as he crept by the three moles.
“Quick…. Quick!” the one in the middle suddenly burst out in her sleep, nearly making Spyro jump, “The head nurse… is coming!” she muttered as she rolled her bead back and forth, her mind soaked in dreams.
Swallowing hard, Spyro continued sneaking by as the nurse to the right of the center kicked her feet out, her hands folded over her chest,
“Say… who’s the handsome devil with all the broken arms and legs…” she asked dreamily in-between snores. Spyro clamped his gums tightly to muffle the giggle he couldn’t keep suppressed as he finally passed them by and came within reach of the door, hoping the noise of it opening wouldn’t wake his erstwhile carers. As soon as his paw reached within a few feet of it, the round door creaked open automatically, Spyro hastily looking back to ensure he was not caught. The mole nurses snored away merrily and unphased as he tiptoed the last few steps until his tail had passed through the doorway. He carefully continued tiptoeing until he heard the door shut behind him, whereupon he breathed for the first time in what seemed an eternity.
“Whew!” he exclaimed, taking a deep breath before he set off at a spirited pace to find Cynder. He hoped he might meet her coming back before he made the end of the tunnel, but as he followed the curve and the outside of the temple came into view, he saw nothing of her at all. Spyro frowned as he walked out onto the cobblestone path that split around the cluster of mushrooms planted in the lower garden. He looked up at the towering mushroom canopy that walled around the garden, their undersides glowing like candles behind purple coloured glass. All around he heard the chorus of night life in and around the mushroom forest, the chirping of insects and buzz of mosquitos teamed with the walloping of strange birds. As he walked around the decorative mushroom cluster, there was a heavy rustle to his right among the grass sprouting from the base of the mushroom perimeter.
Spyro froze mid-step, wearily looking towards where the rustling had come from. He saw a rat come scurrying out from the grass and take off across the path in front of him while the sound of the distant undergrowth crunching beneath the weight of something unseen slowly resided into the night. Spyro remained still for several moments after the noise had gone, anxiously waiting for it or some other noise or happening to occur. He knew it was most likely a Toad weed, Giant Snail or a Bulb Spider hunting for prey; the local populations of these creatures had generally learned to steer clear of the temple and its inhabitants. However, that was not to say they may not try their luck if they happened upon someone who was leaving themselves particularly exposed. Spyro’s mind was leaning toward other possibilities though as he cautiously began to walk on with his eyes scanning the undergrowth and top of the mushrooms intently.
“Cynder?” he called out, though not too loudly owing to his increased fear of what else could conceivably be stalking through the night; something of the Ape variety. He followed the path as the stairs to the memorial statue lay in front of him, Spyro checking over both shoulders before he began pulling himself up the large steps. The night time was bright thanks to the sparse clouds in the sky as he heaved himself over one step at a time, reaching the top and seeing the golden monument shimmering in the light of the twin moons. A quick sweep of his head still showed no sign of Cynder, Spyro pulling himself to the top of the steps and halting as he beheld the golden image of Pyra and the valiant Mole-at-Arms. The thought just occurred to him that he had rarely ever seen the monument in the night time as he had, most of the time, obediently followed the Guardians directives to not be outside the temple at night. The only times they had been was when the Guardians had taken them on night time excursions or training exercises to hone their skills in the dark, such as tracking or moving stealthily if the need arose. Spyro looked into the eyes of the Pyra statue and wondered what he would have thought of what he was doing.
“Cynder?” he called out, this time a little louder and with more concern. After waiting and hearing nothing, Spyro’s heart began to drum out a worrying beat as he started to slowly walk around the right side of the monument, taking the inner path of the double ring of cobblestones surrounding it. As he stretched his neck out to peek around the path as he walked, he heard a gently rustle from the other side like something brushing against the flowers planted between the two paths. Hopeful relief washed over him as he quickened his pace and saw the light of the moon bounce off the scythe like tail of the black dragoness he had been searching for as it swept back around to her left side while she sat looking up at the back of the monument.
End of Part 1 of 2
Category Story / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Gender Any
Size 50 x 50px
Comments