The Darksield Chronicles

Chapter 36: Loss

Sandstorm POV

Sandstorm was cutting through a pair of apes when he felt a tremor through the ground. All around, fighting stopped as dragons, Dragon Blades, apes, wyverns, Dreadwings, cheetahs, and moles all glanced toward the mountain where Malefor and the others had disappeared.

Sandstorm squinted and saw a shape flying toward them from the direction of the mountain. It looked like it was Spyro carrying Cynder and another young dragon. Where was Wraith?

Suddenly, another tremor rumbled through the ground, and the top of the mountain exploded in a shower of energy, fire, and rock. Smoke billowed into the air as a massive shockwave shot out from the mountain. The blast of pure force sent several combatants flying as both sides hunkered down. Then the soundwave hit, a deafening roar shrieking in everyone's ears. After it passed, it left a dim silence over the battlefield.

Then the apes turned and started running, Golems following on foot, their rumbling steps shaking the ground as the wyverns and Dreadwings followed.

The battle was over.

Sandstorm searched the skies again and spotted Spyro, Cynder, and the other dragon free falling. He immediately bolted into the sky, Blaze at his side, along with two other Dragon Blades and a young red dragon. Sandstorm recognized him as Flame from Wraith's story.

They intercepted the three of them before they could hit the ground, Flame catching Spyro, Sandstorm and Blaze catching Cynder, and the other two Dragon Blades catching the green dragoness, and gently carried them down. It seemed like the rescued dragons were only unconscious.

Sandstorm turned to Blaze. "We need to go. Tell Stinger and Magma to pull all the troops back to the rendezvous point."

Blaze nodded and shouted the orders to the other commanders while the other two Dragon Blades took to the sky. Then the rest of the Dragon Blades followed, the clouds of smoke hiding their retreat.

Sandstorm glanced at Flame and saw that the young dragon was focused on Spyro and Cynder and the green dragoness, probably waiting for them to wake up. Sandstorm spread his wings and shot away.

They would wait for five days. If Wraith didn't show, then they would leave for the forgotten city.

Flame POV

Flame wasn't sure why Ivy was with Spyro and Cynder, and he wasn't sure where those winged creatures had come from either. It was all too confusing. He looked up to thank the creatures for their help, but to his surprise, they were gone. He glanced around the field. In fact, all the creatures were gone, as if they had all vanished.

Suddenly Marsh ran over. "What happened?" he demanded. "Where did those creatures come from? What's going on? Why is Ivy here?"

Flame shook his head. "I don't know. All I know is that we should get them to the infirmary. How many were killed?"

Marsh shrugged. "I don't think any dragons were killed. There were a lot of cuts and wounds, sure, but for the most part, everyone's alive. Those creatures—whatever they were—certainly helped. I wonder why."

Flame suspected why, but right now he wasn't sure whether he could trust Marsh with Wraith's secret. Speaking of Wraith... he glanced toward the smoking mountain in the distance. No one could have survived a blast like that close range. But still, he had to hope.

"Come on," he said to Marsh as he hoisted Spyro over his back. "Let's get these three to the infirmary."

Marsh nodded and shouted for Flare and Streak. Almost immediately, they flew down and helped to carry the unconscious into Warfang.

Spyro POV

When Spyro opened his eyes, he found that he was in the Academy Infirmary. He turned and saw Cynder next to him and Ivy one bed over. He coughed hoarsely and sat up.

"What happened?"

Flame came over. Spyro spotted Streak, Flare, and Marsh hanging out by the wall, apparently not wanting to intrude.

"You tell us, bro," Flame said. "One second you're flying off after Malefor, the next you're flying back carrying Cynder and Ivy when the mountain explodes, and we have to catch you out of the air."

Spyro stared at him. "The mountain did what?"

Flame nodded. "It exploded. Where's Wraith?"

Spyro hesitated because of the others being there, but then he decided that he should just go with it. "He stayed behind to hold Malefor off. He said that he had some kind of plan."

"Who's Wraith?" Flare asked. "Was he that creature that flew off with you guys after Malefor?"

Spyro nodded. Then he winced. "Uh oh."

Flame looked confused. "Uh oh, what?"

Spyro gestured toward Cynder.

Flame nodded, apparently understanding. "Alright, so what happened to Ivy?" Marsh seemed to listen more intently to this question.

Spyro took a deep breath and told them about Ivy's dark form and the battle, although he left out the parts about Wraith's different forms and his parents' deaths. Just as he finished, he saw Cynder starting to wake up.

Cynder POV

Cynder groaned and opened her eyes. Her head was pounding.

"What happened?" Then she focused on the faces around her. "Where am I?" She tried to sit up, but Streak and Flare stopped her.

"You were unconscious," Flare explained. "You weren't waking up, so we decided to bring you here."

Cynder nodded. Then a thought occurred to her. "Where's Malefor?"

Marsh coughed. "He's probably dead. I don't think anyone could have survived that explosion."

Cynder felt a tremor of fear run though her. "What explosion?"

In answer, Spyro pointed out the window.

Beyond the window, she saw that the mountain where they had been fighting Malefor was almost completely destroyed.

"Wraith told me to run and get you guys out of there," Spyro tried to explain. "He said that he was going to buy us time."

Again, that cold feeling of fear sent shivers down her spine. "Spyro," she said slowly, "where is Wraith?"

Spyro hesitated. "He was inside the mountain when it..." He trailed off.

"No," Cynder muttered. "NO, he CAN'T be gone."

Spyro put a wing over her back to comfort her as tears filled her eyes. "I'm sorry, Cynder. He fought to give us time. He said that he could handle it."

Cynder shook her head. "He can't be gone, Spyro; he just can't."

She felt talons on her shoulder and looked up to see Flare looking down at her with an expression of pity on her face. "I'm sorry, Cynder. I'm guessing he meant a lot to you."

She nodded. "When he first met me, he saved me from a group of apes all on his own without a moment's hesitation. And I never got to repay him for all the other times he..." She broke down again. "I can't believe he's gone."

Suddenly, a voice cut in through her tears. "Who's gone?"

She wiped the tears from her eyes and raised her head.

Leaning on one sword, with clothes covered in dirt and blood and slightly burned, slash marks across one side, and with a grin on his face, was Wraith.