FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 30

"You will have a lot of explaining to do Orbis"

The earth dragon took a deep breath, the growing structure of Skyward's outside wall was slowly shrouding their path with its ominous shadow. The flashes of the recently raised alarm still present on the structure, blinking at them with its ominous glimmers that only increased the intimidating effect of them being predatory glares the closer they got to the city.

Every time they returned to Skyward Orbis believed that metaphor becoming more and more real and palpable.

This city was eating them alive, it was only a matter of time when its teeth begin to scrape against their bone. Each return to these walls refilled his will to actually help Dawn, even though she had a way to deplete it to the last drop. Each path back only making him appreciate the difficult times they spend together outside this coffin.

He sensed that his disobedience stopped being only a brotherly care and overprotective desire a long time ago, trying to make up for Dawn's ruined childhood was still a driving force behind his actions, but he couldn't deny any longer that he himself also wanted to desert this place.

A notion only intensified by meeting Spyro and hearing the tales about their world.

First however he has to deal with the known and unknown horrors of his home. He only prayed that his muscles were strong enough to carry all the incoming displeasure for the entire group.

"I'm aware"

"Hope you're prepared kid, you never brought such a haul before" the big ice dragon muttered, jerking his body, his frame creaking with the noise of gliding against each other armor parts and the harness wrapped around his body that due to the unexpected tension scratched against the plates so hard that it made them burn red.

The big dragon growled in irritation.

"The reins are getting tense boys! What seems to be the problem here comrades?!" he roared out commandingly into the open sky

"Small bump on the road, the package got stuck Sir!" a young voice came from behind

"In the Wyrm's name! What are you waiting for then!?" the dragon tugged at his harness, jerking his body forward with a fierce roar, the jingling of the metal deafening "Release it! Have you forgotten what you were taught boy?!"

"Treat your enemy just as he would treat you!" the young voice recited from behind, proudly, his words acknowledged only by a short nod from the leading ice dragon

"Fly feather lady! Fly!" the drake exclaimed enthusiastically, throwing a solid kick

Orbis winced when he heard a female's groan which turned into a solid, coughing fit moments later when the owner of the familiar voice faced the consequences of the kick.

The harness jingled free, armor of the ice dragon creaked in relief, once again he progress forward without trouble.

The earth drake held his breath as he looked behind, having great difficulties with considering his plan to be a successful one when his eyes embraced the outcome.

It was a solid plan to provoke a fight there was no other way of making things believable, but it got way out of paw, Dawn and Iris nearly killed themselves, painting the ground with more blood than he wished and unfortunately blood in this world provoked better than any insult.

The arriving Skyward's defenses were shocked only for a little bit, not by the battlefield, but by the strange guests present. He took advantage of the small window to cover the one who they agreed to proclaim as ally before the fighting began. He shielded Spyro with his presence, indicating that he was a friend before the instinct of Skyward's fighters kicked in fully.

When it did there was no mercy when it came to pacification, especially when the fighting terrain looked the way their did. The dragons dived from the sky swiftly, the mass of bodies too much for either Sparx and Cynder to avoid, both of them getting trampled by the dropping figures, neither of them showed any restraint.

The drop alone was enough to render Sparx barely alive, his small body simply not made to withstand such pressure, Cynder managed to scramble from the initial drop, yet her persistence to survive only made the situation worse for her. The kicks, slashes and punches that followed soon after made short work of any resistance she ever dreamed of mustering.

He still can feel Spyro's shaking vibrating throughout his bones as he watched his friend being beaten into a pulp while he could do nothing about it.

The strange flash of white however that he noticed in the purple eye however seemed to speak a different story and it was not one of defenseless but restraint.

Luckily Cynder lived and as bad it might sound, it was good that they made her bleed like they did, the alternative was far worse.

If not for all that unnecessary blood things would have turned out differently. Things are how they are however and there was no changing that now, all that remained was the physical manifestation of his failed plan.

It was always the ones participating in the plans paying the highest price, the mastermind is left to deal with the guilt.

The Skyward's force put everyone in chains, harnessing them to some dragons and forming an escort of shame to the gate of Skyward.

Orbis' eyes immediately traveled to the one that groaned not so long ago. It was Iris who stopped the convoy for a while, it was not due to her rising any opposition however, she was in no place to do so even if she wanted to. All of her paws were outstretched forward, hogtied by a thick rope that reached all the way to the leading ice dragon's harness. Seeing the horrible wound on the neck the dragons decided to gag her by thrusting a Binding crystal into her mouth and tying it tightly around her mask.

She had no strength to stand, she was being dragged across the uneven ground, painting a trail of feathers and blood behind. Deserving a kick only because she was dragged against a bump.

The dragons considered her a wind dragon hence she was showed no pity, even the rope that gagged her was wrapped tighter then it was necessary, the clench pressing the mask harder against her snout so edges of it began to eat into the scales, painting lines of red across the blue snout.

The cruelty of this world is known to him to the point that it killed all sense of empathy in his heart, worse things happened and could happen to Iris than being dragged along like thrash to be thrown away.

Still this particular treatment boiled his blood.

If they only knew who she was.

Athron's rise to power wasn't a simple one, even though it was quite clear that she was spectacular example of a dragon she still had to claw her way through to the throne. Skyward's superstitious and traditional thinking still makes their current leader a target. Many would like to see her downfall and even more believe that this feminine domination is a flaw, a wicked joke of fate that won't last the test of time.

And now they were mistreating Athron's own daughter, a clear indication that the progress they faced now was no mistake of the universe. It was their future, their hope that all this fighting might end one day and lead to a future where everyone lived according to the same rules.

This is sickening.

It made him hate the place he lives in even more, for the last days he and his sister teamed up with a group of unknown origins. A half breed, a dragonfly, unknown black dragoness and a legendary purple drake each of them so different from one another and yet they worked together. It wasn't perfect of course, their relationship full of mistrust and anxiety but it still was better than pure hostility.

It was possible to live among others without craving for their blood just because they think differently.

Iris' and Spyro's words about the Moonborne painted even Athron in bad light, yet at the same time her daughter's opposition gave enough hope that there will be a time in the future where the Crystal Wyrm changes her ways.

And in this world, the far cry of change, even if a faint one, is to be treasured like water.

He doubted though that the rest of his group will see it that way.

His sister was barely awake just like Iris in fact, he wasn't sure if she would be happy to be compared to her enemy but it is how it is. The only difference between the two girls was that, that Dawn wasn't being dragged across empty ground, they prepared a magical carriage for her to lie on and even treated her wounds in a more medical manner than merely blasting fire at it.

But the bad thing about it all was the fact that there were more guards around her than an actual, if misleading, wind dragon. In this times you couldn't be picky about your fighters, especially if they were as talented as his sister was, this is why they tolerated her misbehavior and his flexible discipline.

But they didn't forget.

Dawn was always...skeptical when it came to Skyward's rules of conduct, she didn't have many supporters, if any, not among her superiors, not among her comrades and neither in her own home. He could understand her frustration, she didn't like to feel useless hence she didn't agree with the males being more respected in the society due to their natural strength, nor she liked to feel like a trophy in the contest of the most dominant suitor that would dominate her as a mate, preparing her to bring more offspring into the war torn world.

Of course Dawn yelled about the mistreatment louder than it actually was. Females weren't slaves, in fact the society considered the contest for someone's attention as a manner of prestige. Only the most talented of females received the most attention, looks were merely a secondary bonus, it was always a race for the better genes. Only the pairing of the most talented could produce worthy leaders and fighters.

There weren't many female fighters in Skyward, not because they didn't know how to defend themselves, it was because they weren't allowed to join the ranks of the army out of fear that they might lose their life and despite what Dawn might think, the life of a female was more precious than that of a male.

Fairness was irrelevant in times like this, you did everything you could to gain an advantage over your enemy.

Something his sister didn't want to understand.

Of course when you are as stubborn and provocative as your sister, that nevertheless has prestigious blood running in your veins and real talent for a fight to back it up you might get more preferable treatment despite your misbehavior. She was still alive and female or not, she would be sentenced to death for the troubles she makes a long time ago if not for her bloodline and skills.

And him.

Still, preferable treatment only works when you show the rest of the population that even the highborn are not immune to the harsh rules of law. Whatever happens Dawn will be reminded again that her actions are not welcome.

And then she will run and he will follow like always, repeating the never ending cycle of pain and stress for all eternity. Every time they returned he wondered when Athron will finally have enough of them and stops tolerating their lack of discipline, because he couldn't believe that Dawn was so clever to avoid her guards so fluently whenever they slip away. He suspects that the Wyrm turns a blind eye and simply allows them to go their own way, knowing that they will always return with something and cause enough mischief in the enemy lines to make it worthwhile.

She had nothing to lose if they die, if they will draw their last breath in the open world Athron will finally get rid of the thorn in her side. Whether they return or not the Crystal Wyrm wins regardless.

Of course there was always the fear that the Wyrm will finally have enough of them and will punish Dawn in the worst way possible, finally tired of her recklessness. He just hoped that bringing a purple dragon into Skyward won't be the thing that finally wipes away the last strand of restraint Athron has.

The uncertain mercy of the Crystal Wyrm was a fickle boon, yet there were those in their group that couldn't count even on that. Besides Iris there was another who was deemed to be the enemy in the eyes of Skyward's dragons.

The superstitious instinctive notion proved to be true, one glance was enough to judge black as evil and bad. Even more so when that black was seen fighting with him.

The provocation worked, yet he doubted that the result even grazed the wishful, probable end his recent companions thought about.

Cynder definitely wasn't thrilled with the result.

She was in a better state than Iris, yet the beating she got when the dragons attacked her definitely killed her satisfaction about drawing attention to herself as well as any desire to fight back. Skyward's forces were brutal, they tortured her until they were sure she won't try fighting back, yet leaving her with enough strength to make her walk by her own which only added more stress to the already weakened bones.

Not to mention that to say that she walked was a big overstatement.

She had a Binder in the form of a bracelet wrapped around her neck, slighter above her own choker, the necklace giving away a fierce green light. Both of the chokers had a ring attached to them through which thick chains were wrapped, the metallic arms stretching forward, reaching a harness of a draconic warrior marching ahead, fitting into the rings on the bonds that were embracing his tail.

Tail that constantly moved, tugging the black dragoness behind, making her weak legs fight for balance constantly.

Bruises and cuts covered her black figure, tail and wings dragged across the ground, numb, without any dose of power to keep themselves aloft. Cynder's neck was also tired, unable to hold the head steady, head that was constantly dropping down, yet whenever her chin got close to the Binder the bracelet burst with even more intense light that seemed to burn the dragoness and cause her head to spring back up only for it to drop moments later to repeat the process again.

The constantly irritated, bobbing head preventing her wounds to heal, whenever her snout dropped down blood dripped onto the ground, even flowing down her eyelids, eyelids that were constantly closed, just like the wings having no strength to move up.

Cynder was using the last remnants of her strength to keep breathing and swaying on her legs, he doubted that she would be able to even walk if not for the constant tugs the swishing tail ahead was forcing.

Orbis hated himself for seeing her in such a state, it was his idea and it was simply unfair to see someone else paying the price for it while he can't do anything to change that. He only hoped that Cynder will be stubborn enough to remain relatively upright until they reach the city. She will be shown no mercy if she falls, they will only torture her further when that happens.

He doubted they would kill her, she was no wind dragon, her unusual scales were protecting her in a way, so as ugly as it was there was some silver lining if she won't be able to continue, after they would be done they would have to scoop her up from the ground, she was too valuable to be discarded. A slim hope that the beating she received was not as bad as it seemed, nobody from their captors was keen on carrying dead weight he suspected.

It was disgusting to think just how little stood between Cynder's death however, if her scales were white and her body carried some feathers she would be dead by now, or at least shoved there if she would fall. Nobody would care to pick up a wind dragon, they would only beat her to death.

All his life he was taught that they were the good side in this war, he understood that brutality is respected in war, especially among his kind. But pictures like this, where dragons unknown to general public are treated the same way as known enemy only intensified the feeling of regret he felt for a long time now.

They were swimming in this bile of aggression for so long that they no longer see reality for what it truly is, that perhaps enemies weren't lurking around every corner.

To only think he would never consider such a thing if he wouldn't follow his renegade and troublemaking sister.

Luckily, considering the circumstances, Sparx was the last creature that received the harsh treatment and he was probably the victim of an accident than intentional rage. Skyward acted with its known aggression, not caring who else was among their targets, or what size he is, the strike was dragon oriented.

The blunt drop knocked Sparx unconscious in an instant, he would probably be trampled down if not for Spyro's intervention. Loyal soldiers or not the ranks of Skyward's forces were not surprised by much, but seeing a strange colored dragon protecting an even stranger creature can put a thron of bewilderment even in the most fervent of soldiers.

After that nobody dared to attack Sparx further, in fact Spyro's action triggered some sense of remorse, or self-preservation in the ranks because the leader himself made an ice cage in form similar to the one where you keep birds and proposed to place Sparx there, it would keep him safe while also securing the escort since they were unfamiliar with the dragonfly's capabilities.

Seeing one of their own vouching for an unknown dragon and having that dragon protect a creature that it's not his kin demanded some kind of respect. Allies are scarce in this world.

As a sort of apology Sparx fell under Spyro's protection, the cage he was being kept in placed in the purple dragon's mouth.

Speaking of Spyro, he was the only one from the group that avoided the wrath of Skyward. The dragons weren't surprised to see a strange wind dragoness with blue scales, a glowing, flying creature, or another dragoness with black scales which were never seen before in this world, all of them were treated with similar level of aggression.

Spyro however was not.

Of course Orbis wanted to believe that it was his intervention that made the group consider Spyro more than just an enemy, but truth be told he doubted it was it completely. Spyro had an aura around himself and no matter how loyal and blind you can be towards orders and habits, this special aura touched you whether you liked it or not.

And an aura that Spyro had, this hard to describe veil of goodness that almost bordered of divine made you reconsider your actions.

Just as he did when they first met.

Nobody ever saw a purple dragon hatching throughout the years while the power hungry dragons, mortal enemies, kept popping up in regular intervals.

It took him a while to notice that their society was rotten to the core with their militaristic ambitions and way of life. From the early days of one's life the child is prepared to face the dangers of this world and taught to aspire to be the greatest among the fighters.

It was this society that rendered all aspects of mystery and discovery when it came to the surrounding world to absolute nothing, no matter how different a creature or a thing might seem from the general accepted opinion, it was surely an enemy, or minimally a danger that you should be cautious about.

Of course a child doesn't have the fortitude of an adult, capable fighters were priceless so when the stress levels became too high the children that couldn't take it anymore were sent away to relax, indulging into games and listening to stories. The stuff that a young mind craves more than strict rules of obedience. He himself partook in those relaxation methods and he still remembered how natural and nice they felt, something that was noticed also by their supervisors who with time taught every young adept that relaxing meant being weak.

And so fantasy of a childhood was strangled like a war prisoner on the gallows.

Luckily a mind is a magnificent thing, one would think that when you mature you forget about all those stupid games and stories you played and heard, but no, they never get discarded, merely stored somewhere deep down in your brain, awaiting a trigger that will remind you of their existence.

Spyro was such a trigger.

The Skyward dragon's fell into the same pit they did when they first laid their eyes on the guy, all the tales they remembered from their younger days sprang into the foreground, all of them instantly remembered that they all pretended to be a dragon like that at least once in their lives.

As stupid as it might be, the memory of that paralyzed them and was more shocking than seeing legions of your enemy forces marching against you on the battlefield.

And that childhood fascination proved to be strongest even than the call of habit.

Nobody dared to touch Spyro, however safety rules of Skyward were still the most important doctrine a fighter must live by, hence the Binder around Spyro's neck. However this one had no chain attached to it, the purple drake was walking by himself, out of some strange respect nobody even thought about treating the drake like a spoil of war.

In fact the soldier that put the choker on him first asked for the drake's permission and explained why they have to do it.

Orbis only wondered if this is really the stored childhood memory holding everyone back, could the aspect of shock really be that strong that it forces you to ignore the muscle memory you have been taught from the very beginning? Or perhaps each of them saw what he did in Spyro? That there was this unquestionable, almost divine aura of good, for lack of better word, around him?

That there was mercy in his eyes and lack of desire to purposefully hurt someone?

Was he radiating the childhood that all of them craved but none ever tasted?

Or perhaps Spyro was really the only one who risen among loving parents and neighbors who taught him how to be a decent sentient creature and they see it as magnificent and holy only because their rotten way of life pollutes their vision on the world?

He believed it to be something of both, Spyro had some divine flare about him and the white flash in his eyes he saw not so long ago, cold as death itself, only added more mystery to the divine aspect of the drake.

One thing was certain though, their lives will no longer be the same after they met him.

A suspicion that was only intensified by the way the soldiers acted around Spyro, they flocked to him, ignoring the others prisoners entirely, they were studying the young drake and he could see shy worship in their eyes and lots of confusion.

If the Moonborne spoke the truth and Athron was really preventing the world from spawning a purple dragon then she will have a real hard time wiping Spyro out of existence.

People won't forget him.

The question remained if Athron cared enough for the opinion of her people, majority of which didn't like to see her sitting on the leader's throne anyway.

"What is it kid?" the ice dragon grumbled, giving his harness a fierce tug, the feminine whine he heard echoing behind made his mouth twitch into a smile "You've been staring behind you for so long one might think you're seeing your own army back there. Not even you expected to bring back such a haul eh?"

Orbis gulped, jerking his head back into its natural position after the reprimand, his glowing eye drawing a magical dash in the air. He fixed his gaze ahead, muscles flexing, pretending to be confident, yet the fiercely glowing scars on his neck betrayed the tension he was going through shining like the strongest of lanterns.

His eyes wanted to twitch, pupils to run rampart in search of some believable explanation, anything he could cling on to, to be seen as if all of this was not a set up. It was a very long time when he had to struggle like this last time.

"There is a bet going on in the barracks, when the Wyrm will finally have enough of your lack of discipline. Today my bet is on the line kid, Athron seems more tense than usual and I was quite certain that if you come back again with some meager offering you will be done, but this...." He shook his head in disbelief "This nobody expected, Athron will surely be interested in this peace offering which means you owe me some rations kid. I have a suspicion that this is some kind of a trick boy"

"What sort of trick?" Orbis rasped intimidatingly, menace in his tone successfully masking the worry that was eating his soul

"I think you knew about the bet and have something against me, guess it's a payback for my needling. What are the odds that when my turn actually came you brought back living fairytales with you?"

"Hazard is a fickle partner" he answered indifferently, yet deep down his soul smirked, each time they got back it was this guy who met them when they returned, each time he commented on their spoils, each time tormented them with the gloom vision that this will be their last jump to the side.

Athron however always accepted their peace offerings, well at least this is what the soldiers in the barracks believes happens. Returning back to the city empty pawed would be suicidal after Dawn's rebellious actions, it was only logical to bring back something that would help Skyward in the war. Be it loot, information or prisoners.

Of course they had never spoken with the Wyrm personally, they had always brought back what they had either to the quartermaster or the dungeon master, It was no secret that the information reached the leadership about who brought what, it is essential to record such change of goods.

Everyone believed that the word reached Athron, they themselves did too.

But now considering what Spyro told them about the Mooborne and his own thoughts on the matter, he was afraid that the peace offerings they were bringing back meant nothing to the Crystal Wyrm.

Because she simply didn't care about some two youngsters causing mischief and it might be the good will of some commander who is in close relationship with their parents that keeps the fury of retaliation held back from their necks.

They will surely find out where the truth lies in the nearby future, there was absolutely no chance that Athron will ignore their spoils this time.

Which could be helpful in its own way since he won't have to come up with a sensible story how the dragons of these scales, plus a glowing creature were so close to Skyward in the same time, without any patrols catching them beforehand.

Despite this good and bad perspectives, this was the first time since they returned that he was really scared.

The ice dragon growled.

"If I find out you had stuck your paws where they don't belong I'll make sure that they get sliced off" he grinned "Or perhaps I'll make a move on that misbehaving sister of yours, our stock of meat is running low and she already has a nice cut, won't be hard to open her up and gut her like a fish"

The green spark that was jumping between Orbis' front horns hissed violently, splitting into more lines that seemed to embrace the small spikes like tiny snakes.

"I'm not interested in your childish bets as well as your empty threats. Stay away from my sister if you value your health"

"I would like to see you try deserter" the aura around the blue dragon turned icy cold

Orbis remained unmoved by the clear aggression radiating from the dragon, his eyes remained fixed ahead, on Skyward and what lied inside for them. It was all more important than the words of some frustrated loser.

"Believe me, if you try to wrong my sister it won't be me who you should worry about"

The ice dragon squinted his eyes, mouth parting open to voice another taunt.

"Wyrm's Wrath! What did you just drag back with you this time Orbis?!" a shout came from the small window above the gate, in the solid block that was the Skyward's wall the small opening looked like an eye of some sort of a golem flapping open, it's loudly projected shock interrupting the ice drake from spitting his frustration

"Am I seeing things or is that really a purple dragon behind you? What is wrong with your sister? She doesn't look good, is she breathing? That black one will faint soon, is that dirt making her black like that or is it a natural color? What is the purple dude keeping in that cage? How-"

"Shut up boy and open this forsaken gates!" the ice dragon roared commandingly

"Sorry! Of course! You heard the boss guys, get to work!" the guard shouted, disappearing from view

The group of dragons stood in front of a massive gate that seemed to be sculpted from the same monolithic walls that served as Skyward's defenses. The only thing differing it from a typical slab of rock was the huge, carved draconic head in the very middle of the gate, it was so big that it almost filled the entire structure of the gate.

It wasn't a typical, intimidating ornament either.

The mouth of the fake dragon's head was opened, in the depths or its rocky gullet twinkled a magical flame, constantly shifting colors, from hot red, to mild yellow and freezing blue, elemental power. The magical aura surrounding the gate, making it shimmer slightly, clearly indicated that it was not only constructed to withstand an assault, but also to repel one if need be.

The head was massive, it's striking power was probably no less intimidating, it would take a formidable force, one with enough protection no less, to siege this gate. A gate with a head so big that it rivaled the high of an adult dragon, making young ones like Orbis look like ants.

Metallic chains rattled somewhere deep inside the structure, so loud that it seemed as if the gate itself would roar a blare of fury. The echoing screeching vibrated in the air for quite a while before the mouth of the head began to crack, partying open. Only then one could spot huge chains reaching from the thumbs of the gate, stretching upwards where they disappeared into the thickness of the monolith.

The jerks with which the gate opened were far from fluent and Orbis as a dragon who hatched amongst those walls knew why it was so. There was no mechanism manipulating the gate but living creatures pulling at the chains. Every young dragon is being sent at least once to the gate as a test of physical mettle, there was a time when he was graced by this privilege.

And he wasn't much fond of the memory.

The cogwheels around which the chains were wrapped were no more crude than the gate itself, there was absolutely no option to operate the wheels by their steering mechanisms, your paws would give away faster than during a fierce battle. So the dragons operating the gate wrap the chains around their bodies and push forward, using the strength of their entire bodies.

Of course in Skyward you never learnt things by explanation, only by trying out things yourself, a habit that the older dragons, who are already familiar with the rules of the place, really like to abuse. As a dumb youngster he believed their words that only the most powerful have the chance to open this gate, that there exists a way a young boy can operate the machine with without using much force, but that requires a specific sense that can only be achieved when you truly connect with the device.

He still didn't know how he could fall for such an idiocy, all this years he justified his naïve action by being a earth dragon, dragons like him really have some sort of connection with material things.

So he put those chains around his naked scales and started walking, of course it turned out that the test was no trial of strength but wit. There was no chance for a dragon like him to move the thing, nevertheless he tried from every angle, making the rough chains only tear into his body deeper.

He basically shredded his own body that day.

Of course the guards operating the gate now used special armors and oils to make the, still, ordeal more tolerable.

While Orbis observed the opening gate, walking down the ugly memory lane, Spyro watched the ungraceful structure with almost palpable disgust. There was absolutely no innovation in the way the gate worked, everything was forced, powered by fuel of muscles alone, crude and impractical, lacking the tendencies of automation where the living saved their strength on more valuable things than pushing a gate open, a gate no less which I on your side so it should be made in a way that it cooperated with its owners.

He couldn't imagine it being opened several times a day, perhaps if the dragons of this city had so much determination to fuel ingenuity as they did aggression they could be more than mere thugs in shining armors.

He hoped that whoever operated those gates spits his lungs out.

Would be even better if the remains would drip on their captors, it was always ecological to segregate trash after all.

By the Ancestors, his blood was boiling and there was no sign of stopping, not when he couldn't get rid himself of the sight of his brother's abused, dangling body in front of his nose. He could smell his blood and if not for the condition of his friends, he wasn't sure if he could control himself.

Nevertheless, the sight of the gate and the way how it was operated was enough of an evidence that Skyward was unfamiliar with the concept of cooperation. A sight that confirmed the Moonborne's theory but rather contradicted Iris' desire to find her mother. The girl was so overprotective of her mother's memory that it was simply impossible for her to be raised in such a pit of despair.

The stench of sweat, bile and uncontested anxiety invaded his nostrils already, there was no way Iris would want to return to a place where their inhabitants were alien to ventilation as they were with civilized manners.

Skyward seemed to not only block off air, but sanity as well.

He really had to clung to the words of Iris where she muttered out in disbelief that this wasn't the city she remembered, it gave him some hope that all this pain wasn't for nothing. He really hoped that this place wasn't a coffin, he would hate to share such limited place with dragons like that.

But unfortunately Skyward as sure as hell smelled like one.

The massive gate eventually opened, whenever things like that happened you would be greeted by the cacophony of voices and civilization hitting you like a hammer, all those stored noises finally finding a way to escape.

There was absolutely nothing of the sort in this case.

The passage that greeted them was as bleak and dull as the walls of the city. In fact he could hardly see what is in front of them, yet the soft whine, which turned the back of his left leg black, coming from his mate indicated clearly that their captors seemed to expect that.

A tunnel stretched in front of them, the same size as the gate, it was made of the same depressing material the monolithic walls were, the dark surface of the rock only making the already barely lit tunnel more gloomier and far more claustrophobic.

There were no lights here in fact, no torches or lamps, the only source of any illumination were the tiny red petals floating in the air in random patters. Petals that to Spyro looked like pieces of burning feathers plucked from Flare's body. The illumination they were giving was minimal, only the sheer amount of them managed to light up the bleak path ahead, and even that was a bare minimum. The strange light source was simply unable to keep up with the aura of the dark rocks.

They progressed forward through the dim corridor, it was big enough to house the whole group, yet the presence of the walls was still palpable, stirring up claustrophobic fears. Not to mention the thick smell of dirt and dust with the dancing petals all around that looked like small tongues, it really felt as if they would be willingly walking down a gullet.

The claustrophobic corridor wasn't empty however, many, small red windows started opening up from both sides and the wall behind the group. Many draconic heads popping out from the openings, watching them closely, their sticking out noses looking like butts of bees feeding on a flower.

This corridor wasn't meant to be opened for travel, it was not a communication zone that connected the city with the outside world.

It was a death trap, not even an ant would be able to pass through here with so many dragons spitting their elements into the passage.

Choking silence surrounded them, nobody spoke a word, even the ice leader ahead that chatted with Orbis previously said nothing as if fearing that the smallest, unexpected move would provoke all those heads to attack. The only noise that echoed in this place was that of their clicking claws and the scratching whizz the carriages on which Iris and Cellsa were pulled created.

Followed by the occasional splatter of blood.

Spyro however could sense that this silence was not a result of cold, militaristic school, he could feel the many draconic eyes drilling into him and if he concentrated long enough he could even hear the nervous tap of a claw or an anxious swish of a tail. The noses that popped from the openings weren't there to act intimidating, all of them stuck out their nostrils to check if their eyes aren't fooling them, which could be quite expected after spending who knows how much time in this choking coffin with barely any spots for air to circulate through.

And smell was a sense that was more reliable for dragons than sight.

He only hoped that his smell will make at least one of them vomit.

The only positive thing about it all was that the travel through the gloom corridor didn't last long, it was hard to see what ahead of them, yet the glowing petals and opened windows shone enough light to figure out where the end was.

End that was formed from another door naturally.

Above which two more red windows glared at them like hungry eyes of a predator, the two sticking out noses frozen in the openings. They moved only when the ice dragon leading them let out a meaningful cough.

Rattle of chains immediately echoed in the hall, the noise of it was so shrill due to it having nowhere to escape that if felt as if someone would be drilling into your skull.

The door ahead creaked open more fluently than the ones behind, so quick in fact that Spyro didn't really get a good glimpse of it to tell if it also resembled a draconic snout or not. All of that however turned unimportant when smell of wet scales and sweat blasted through the crack in the door and noises of militaristic drills rumbled all around, in the corridor the noise sounded like an unending avalanche.

Many of the burning petals that floated in the hall pushed through the opening, yet the area didn't go dark since many others replaced them inside until the door at the end finally opened and the tug of air calmed itself.

They were greeted by an immense cavern, realizing only now that what the young drakes called walls of the city were actually reinforced structures of a mountain full of caves.

That explained the smell.

However there was no denying that Skyward hit with some specific charm, charm that would be greatly appreciated by moles. The main hall was massive, reaching so high that they couldn't see the ceiling, only knowing that one was there due to the many, big, rather beautifully looking red mushrooms. Their caps were burning like lava, their gills instead of looking like veins were filled with a feathery structure, just as were their stalks. The mushrooms were constantly swinging, dropping their burning feathers.

Skyward was full of them, up above in the distance they looked like flocks of birds. There were so many of those mushrooms that it was impossible to count them, their sheer number however managed to illuminate the cavern perfectly, not only that but there was some familiar energy about them, they really had an aura of a Spirit Gem around them.

The light also opened Skyward to more detailed examination and it was a depressing sight. In every end of the cavern were rising huge blocks of stone, each having their own massive doors that looked as uncomfortable as the ones at the entrance, meaning that they weren't opened very often.

The doors must lead to the other parts of the city, however since they were already familiar how the door worked it was only clear that the city was separated into zones, that, when considering what one has to go through to get inside, seemed like entrances to prison blocks.

The other evidence supporting the first impression was the fact that there was absolutely an outrageous number of dragons present in the main cavern. The ground level was separated into many sections by crystalline palisades that encircled several rooms where the drakes trained their magical powers, alone and in groups. Besides them were many more groups participating in all other martial training.

The ground level was nothing more than a massive training zone, besides a main pathway running along the floor that separated those traveling from those fighting there was nothing else there.

What was lacking below was corrected above.

Shinning buildings dotted the walls, all of them glowing with the same energy as the mushrooms, each of them clearly inspired by their caps, being flat but high, like many small plazas. Bigger and smaller ones, many of them protruded from another building, from the distance the entire web of buildings looked like a massive tree filled with bird houses, each having a crystalline floor, however those floors knew what privacy meant, there was no possibility to look through it from the ground.

Each of those stretched out stalks and caps glowed with the same red light, yet their pulses were far from any unison, each spasm its own master which made the web of buildings so much more breathtaking. They were like veins pumping blood.

The buildings together with the floating petals covered the cavern in a red hue that was both romantic and depressing at the same time. There was a special charm to Skyward, being in the dark, illuminated only by nature cave, surrounded by undoubtedly magical things with the essence of Spirit Gems to them gave this place a specific aura of mysteriousness, one that its inhabitants were probably aware of, there was nothing common about it, living around palpable power and using it as a recipe for your daily life was unheard of. The relationship definitely added to the majesty of this place and its citizens.

But one could not help but wonder how dragons, creatures with wings, made for the open sky can spend their lives underground like bats. Perhaps even worse than bats, those creatures at least leave their roosts at night with a great chance to return back if they avoid their predators, which isn't the entirety of the animal world.

A thing that can't be said about the dragons of this time that could have enemies hiding behind every tree.

Majesty, probable danger, focus, all of it became unimportant when the group entered the city, every training session was abruptly ended, each fighter and observer turned towards the group. Many heads craned forward from the buildings above to look down on the dragons below. Each muscle that moved previously froze in place.

Life stopped in Skyward for a moment.

Spyro looked around the mob or dragons staring their way, visible shock painted their snouts, there were two things about the crowd that immediately caught his attention. None of them moved despite the fact that the initial paralyze faded already from many of the snouts which only proved the immense discipline this society has to be ruled by.

Crowds of people would be already trampling them if they were in Warfang right now.

The second characteristic that made his crowd special was the lack of feminine allure, all the draconic faces looking their way belonged to a male.

Orbis' eyes traveled across the cavern and its inhabitants, he believed that taking Spyro through the main gate would surprise the people, after all the fairytale of the courageous drake was known mostly to all. All at least imagined once to be one and having a living memento of those good times couldn't be ignored.

He did not expect total lack of enthusiasm though.

Perhaps they have achieved shock and a temporary immunity to Skyward's hospitality towards prisoners, but this complete silence, this lack of any excitement, lack of life basically made his heart sink when he remembered that whenever Dawn acted her own reckless way he was there to scrutinize her for it. He supported her of course, but the poisonous indifference of this place killed whatever spark of life he had in him.

He began to wonder that perhaps it was Dawn that was saving him and not the other way around.

Seeing his own reflection in all those faces only made him anxious, fearing that bringing Spyro through the main gates wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Report to your father Orbis, Wardens must know of this" the ice dragon unstrapped his harness "For what's it worth I hope you won't get punished too much. I enjoy our bickering kid" he turned towards his subordinates, glancing over the specific additions to their typical hauls of bodies to question

"Take them to the Pits!" he ordered, a rasp of strange regret echoing in the voice

Spyro balked, widening eyes glaring towards Orbis

The earth dragon visibly cringed under the blow of the stare, even though his back was turned towards Spyro, he could still feel the dragon's outraged glare pounding at him. Spyro didn't have to be familiar with their world to realize that when their captors mentioned some pits they didn't mean a relaxing resort by it.

"There is no necessity to lock them all up"

The crowd surrounding the group stirred visibly, even though none dared to speak up it was clear that they didn't specifically like the idea of strangers walking freely among their ranks.

That or they were tugging at the acidic line of jealously and contempt, after all he and Dawn weren't popular in this place, most of Skyward believed they were troublemakers, privileged no less due to their parent's position. Hearing one of them trying to give orders was more offending than a direct insult to most.

But that didn't change the fact that he and his sister owed Spyro and his group a favor.

"Is that so Orbis?" the dragon strode towards the young drake, his fierce posture towering over the dragon "You won't be questioning my command boy in front of the entire city, do you hear?" he whispered, yet the snarl that vibrated from his mouth was leaving no room for objection

Spyro grabbed onto the cage where his brother was held, throwing a guilty and furious glance at swaying Cynder that barely could stand. He was seriously getting sick of all of this.

"We require the assistance of a healer" despite the boiling blood that threatened to implode his heart the words that came out of his mouth were assertive and calm, remaining professional and away from the raging emotions

Maybe he was reckless sometimes, but he wasn't dumb to throw a childish tantrum, the state that all of his companions were in right now put them in extreme danger if he would do something stupid.

"Nobody is dying here" the ice dragon dismissed the request with an irritated wave of paw "It is not my decision to make anyway. My duty is to serve this city and no matter what you did I will follow my orders. The Pit is your destination, you will wait there, if better individuals than myself will decide to let you go then so be it. For the time being we follow regulations, there is no room in this place for free gratitude"

He spread his paws wide as if trying to embrace the area around.

"Ask anyone here if they believe it is safe to let you run free without evaluation, purple or not"

The disciplined crowd remained stoic as ever, however there were some incomprehensible whispers circulating around, the voices sadly never reached a tone loud enough to be heard. The dragons of this city acting as if they would have their personal executioner around, ready to chop their heads off the moment they step out of the line.

It was clear that Skyward was warding against one more thing.

Justice.

It came to him finally why this city looked so familiar, the dark cave, the floating petals small enough to serve as food for pet fish, the buildings in the shape of mushroom caps, a far cry from civilized architecture, this was not a city.

This was a hive.

And the dragons around were nothing more than mindless drones following regulations set up by their masters.

It explained why Orbis was so stiff.

Skyward seemed to be a place of ironic contradictions.

Where brutally hysterical Cellsa is the most normal of the bunch.

And where the Pits with bars they want to lock them up behind might be the safest place in the city.

A place of rules, lots of citizens and protective embrace of walls where they will have to put more effort to fight for their lives than when facing Malefor.

It was definitely clear now.

The Moonborne didn't lie.