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The Top of the Mountain

At night, Shyplis was talking to his captives while Seraphor was hunting away. Knowing that he could only stand on their discussion, the silver red just walked around the forest near the springs to find some sleeping foxes for dinner. After a while hunting, he was satisfied by the fact that the forest was indeed full of nocturnal animals, and pretty small so he wasn't forced to burn the forest to find a way.

When he went back, Shyplis happily gestured Seraphor to sit beside him. The black dragon wasn't hostile anymore and their water restraints were released.

"Seraphor, let me introduce you to Ornia," said Shyplis while pointing his claw to the bulky one. "And Mikol. You two, this is Seraphor, my friend."

While both gave their front legs, Seraphor was confused how to reply, so he just did the same gesture and Shyplis pulled his right leg to touch the paws of Ornia and Mikol. They both happily smiled at Seraphor, that replied their smile reluctantly.

"Well, they need to go home. It's late and they need to tend on their grandfather," said Shyplis. "If fate still with me, I'll go meet him."

"Yes. You're always welcome."

Then the black dragons opened their wings and left the scene. After they left, Shyplis said, "They were the grandsons of my old friend Jet. I can't believe that tricky black dragons had established a family while he was a kind of a carefree dragon."

"You really are popular around here."

"It is...well, it's 200 years ago. Let's get some rest. We'll continue our journey."

After resting for the night, Seraphor got an unpleasant waking from Shyplis. The sky was still dark and Seraphor had just got a good dream when the dark purple dragon shook his body.

"What the hell...?"

"It's time. I've found their lair. It's time to go and save that little dragoness."

Maybe it was because of the lack of rest, Seraphor didn't take that seriously and needed a while to completely realize what Shyplis said. He was surprised and he asked, "Seriously?! Did you ever go to sleep?!"

"No time to explain. I myself was also surprised to the fact that the lair was at the top of this mountain."

"Top? You mean the summit?"

Shyplis gave Seraphor a draconic nod, and it made Seraphor thought how did the dark purple managed to go to the summit in the deep of the night while flying. It was no point on thinking, though. Only if they could same Amber everything should end and nothing, nothing...could stop Seraphor from making a new life.

"What are you waiting for? We gotta stop the mess!"

"Yeah, I know we can go, but..."

"But what?"

"We gotta fight our way up!"

"What's the problem with that? I know we both can pass everything if we work together as a team."

"We're not dealing with any minions, but dragons. We're going to fight dragons."

The revelation made Seraphor got even more surprised and exclaimed, "What?! When did that goddamn Darkness able to recruit many dragons?!"

"This world is larger than you could think, Seraphor. It's the only way, and of course we must take the guild on killing our..."

"Screw that! I've left that ideology long time ago. I was living in a world where we dragons were tore apart between taking two opposing factions. I've killed many, and I'm beyond repentance. But, taking the guilt under your scales is much more painful than leaving them behind. It must be done."

Shyplis became silent, couldn't know how to reply. Somehow, although Shyplis was older than Seraphor in many ways, he stopped aging when he was still around 27, so if it didn't know how long he resurrected, Seraphor was still older. While looking very small like a whelp, Seraphor was wise like an Elder. He had seen many wars from Shyplis' speculation, and had suffered as much as his world had suffered.

"We can't discuss on things we can't change while we're trying to save Amber. This is for Spyro's and Flame's sake," said Seraphor slowly. "Let's try on something to pass those dragons without even trying to make our position became a disadvantage."

After hesitating a while, Shyplis then said, "Let's do this!"

The dragons then walked through the same inclined path beside the hot spring, but this one was less threatening that the previous one because it was primarily rock formations. The silver red slipped once, but it was because of loose rocks, so he could still hold on to the destination.

They hid behind a rock when they both smelled a nearby big creature (both Seraphor and Shyplis had better senses than Spyro, but Seraphor had a better hearing sense). They saw a dark brown scaled quad walking around while sniffing the air, possibly trying to find any intruders.

"I can't believe there are many quads around here," whispered Shyplis to Seraphor. "The continent is mostly populated by bipeds, but there were some quads."

"We have to either kill that dragon or to make him unconscious," replied Seraphor. "We can't think too much. We'll go your way. You're the one thinking."

The dragon sniffed the air, seeming to realize the two of them. Improvising, Shyplis threw a rock with the help of his front leg. The dragon was distracted for a while because of the rock while Shyplis jumped and put the dragon into submission, while at the same time a bone cracking sound was heard when both landed. The silver red realized Shyplis broke its neck.

"You have a gut to kill that dragon," said Seraphor. "I thought you despise that."

"Like you said, right? It's just fact, and something logical as we can't risk him to roar."

They both walked around the side cliff while occasionally trying to scan around them if there's a dragon flying to them or any dragons perching over head. Shyplis told Seraphor the mountain dragons were more hostile than the ones at the town and they were much like Seraphor, feral dragons.

After climbing the mountain side while at the same time subduing many dragons (killing some) on the way, they finally could see the clear morning sky, alongside the sunrise...tainted by the black smoke coming from the top of the mountain that made it red.

"What the hell happened to the sun?"

"It has started. The Darkness is reviving and we're walking to our possible last fight. You're up to this, Seraphor?"

"I'm up to anything, Shyplis. If everything can be done to save both Spyro's mental and the whole realm, I'll be glad to help."

The dark purple dragon then smiled, relieved on the fact that Seraphor was, like a purple dragon, vowed to save everything. Much like Spyro, he had the sense of justice and truth, possibly because of his involvement in a war back in his world in such a young age.

"First, we must find a way to get inside. If you're really Spyro's counterpart, I have a concern. I could guess you're thinking a way to blast in with your elemental magic and doing a massacre, right?"

"Uh...how do you know all of it?"

"I can read Spyro's mind, and I speculate some parts of you are the same with him. Okay, considering you powerful magic, that might as well work, but although you've made a body count much like Rambo, there's a chance the target we're trying to annihilate run away and we'll screwed all of our shits to get up here."

"Yeah...I guess. Anyway, I wanna ask."

"Yes?"

"How do you know this 'Rambo' while Spyro is a big fan to it?"

Shyplis seemed to sigh, then he took his head closer to Seraphor, eyes serious. Now Seraphor was half scared since he never saw maroon lizard eyes this close before. Even Xerocia never put his head this close for his eyes to be seen by the silver red.

"Listen, I don't give a shit to any movies that depicted unrealistic violence like that new movie I watch when I was around this age before I engaged in that fight. I only give examples with that recent new movie for our condition right now. What dragon would like that out-of-the place, unlimited ammunition, cannot die, and one-man army that had no certain past rampaging on the whole fucking hour of explosion, blood, death, and gore?"

"It's...the dragon you're currently swapping place with?"

"I still like 'First Blood' better than the one I'm talking about. We need to be smart, but also precise. This is the real world and we're not the mythical humans, so our strategy will be different. We'll take a break here while I scout around for potential entry. Stay sharp."

"O...okay," said Seraphor. He was relieved Shyplis turned his head away so the silver red wouldn't see the maroon eyes. They were threatening although Shyplis expression was only serious and not glaring at Seraphor. Maybe red eyes could become one from many intimidating looks to otherwise shy dragons like Xerocia (though, Xerocia was too soft to be intimidating).

The morning break was hidden by the mist underneath them as there were clouds covering things under them. Since Seraphor only got 20-years of chance to fly properly and under the clouds, he was amazed to see the white clouds looked like white pillars of pillows billowing like a smoke. It looked soft, and Seraphor could imagine himself to play and jump inside the cloud, if he still got the wings.

It was not a very big loss, though. Many dragons said losing wings mean losing life, as dragons admired their wings more than their own battle skills. The wings were like their own love, the only thing that differed them from land-bound reptiles. Seraphor though otherwise, seeing his handicap proved to be something not to become a burden of...but since he was still the strongest from all dragons, he didn't need wings to burn any flying dragons to ashes.

"Maybe it's a compensation for losing wings," thought Seraphor while watching the red sky, covered by dark smoke full of darkness.

"Seeing the sky from up here is usually breathtaking," said Shyplis beside Seraphor. "This is the first time I've ever reached this point."

"I've never seen things beyond the clouds. It's like those old human sayings about the heaven beyond the clouds. It's partly true."

"We still don't know what those dragons are doing, but if we can stop the Darkness, this scenery will still here and we can enjoy it."

"I agree. Have you found the entrance?"

"I found one but it's heavily guarded by magical sentries. It will be very dangerous as they can't be destroyed by elemental means. Also, using physical attacks will make you hurt for the rest of your life."

"Wow, what a defense. I wish the pros had those."

"Yeah, I know your concern, though. Anyway, I found a secret abandoned cave leading directly to the inside of the main lair. In fact, the cave was...in many ways, only fit your size."

"So, your plan is for me to try to find any kind of deactivation switch inside the lair, and then you'll join me?"

Shyplis nodded, then put his left front leg on Seraphor's own left front. "Everything depends on you, Seraphor. I'll keep in touch."

"You?"

"I have a magic to talk with any dragons from their minds. Don't worry, I won't gonna penetrate your mind so I can see your dirty secrets. In fact, I haven't."

"You won't dare, Shyplis, because I'll gonna open that gut of yours."

"I won't take any risk, then."

The place Shyplis was directing Seraphor to was not as pleasant as the rest of the mountain top. It was as if most of the plants there were dead, as if nothing had been taking care of any life around there. No, the plants were still alive, but they were losing hope to any kind of nutrition and water because of the intense darkness that started to root out any life near its proximity. The place was not dead, but dying.

"From you aura, I guess you felt the sorrow of these plants because of the Darkness," said Shyplis when he saw Seraphor's ear leaves fell as if closed.

"Seriously, I felt there was life around me. I...never can guess what had been bestowed upon me."

"Don't be that sad. It's a miracle you can sense life. In fact, I'm pretty sure you're going to be alright with that power."

"I mean, sensing plant's life."

"Oh.... Well, that should be alright. You can do stealth, right? The art of silent kills and movement?"

"I prefer the art of direct kill and massacre, if that suited you."

Shyplis knew Seraphor was trying to act cool by talking with this world's style of talking, so the dark purple sighed and said, "I know it's hard for you, but with that small slim body of yours everything should be alright. Remember, no acting hero. Your only task is to lower the defense system at the main entrance and come out. If you find an opportunity to fetch any captives, do not do it. Just tell me the position and we'll do it together, alright?"

Seraphor just nodded. Shyplis was the one controlling the strategy, since he was the only one capable of quick thinking if everything gone awry, not like Seraphor that was still able to think strategy, but always ending everything by destroying things.

The cave Shyplis mentioned was really a small cave with Seraphor was the only one able to go through. If either Spyro or Flame was present, they would still be able to follow Seraphor, but they both were still unstable and could just destroy every plan they had made. Trying to slide in, Seraphor realized he didn't have any control over his bony wings, and he couldn't close them as there were really not even one muscles were left.

"Uh, Shyplis, a little help?"

"You have no control on those horrid wings?"

"No, I mean, just help me fold it. It still can fold, but without my control."

"You really are a burden sometimes," said Shyplis while helping to fold the wings in a manner like a normal dragons. "There, done."

"Thanks."

"You should flex your..."

"You do know the reason, right?" interrupted Seraphor while slid inside the place. Shyplis was taking watch around while murmuring, "Damn, I miss kicking assholes."