Shadowbook

Chapter 23: The Edge

When we returned to the palace, we ran into Astor's father, who looked very worried. "What is it, Father?" Astor asked.

"Astor, I have terrible news."

Astor's whole body tensed. "What?"

"Well, we were quite sure that we had successfully prevented the Dark Shadows from doing any damage... except for one..."

"Which one?!"

"Abaddon is at large, and he wants you dead."

Genuine fear flooded Astor's face. I'd never seen him so scared. He looked like he was about to cry. "Oh no... Oh— Oh no!"

"If someone wants Astor dead, I'll slaughter them first!" I snarled.

"You are very brave, Nyx," said Spyro sadly.'

"Why did you not destroy him?" Astor whimpered.

"He is our kin, Astor."

"Oh."

"Wait, this person who wants Astor dead is related to you?"

Spyro sighed. "I had two older brothers. My eldest brother's name was Adonis and he was about as popular with women as Astor is now..."

I laughed. Astor smirked. Spyro continued,

"Abaddon was younger than Adonis, but older than me. One day—" Spyro's breath caught in his throat. "Adonis died whilst hunting soon after my father, Erebus, died of an illness."

"They both died at the same time? That must have been very hard for you!"

"It was. I lost them both. With his dying breath, my father had Abaddon exiled."

"Exiled?"

"It takes quite a lot to be exiled from Umbragard," said Spyro. "Shadows are at peace with their darker natures, so it is very rare for a Shadow to do truly evil things. When something bad does happen, we believe in the power of therapy. So for a Shadow— let alone a prince— to be exiled by his own father is really saying something. The word 'scandal' is barely in a Shadow's vocabulary, but this was the closest thing to a true scandal that Umbragard has seen in a very long time."

"Why was he exiled?"

"Even as a boy, he meddled with... twisted experiments. Shadows have few rules, but at some point we have to draw the line. Eventually, it was evident that we had no choice but to exile him. I still remember my father's final words. With one brother dead and the other banished, I had to take the throne. I, the youngest child! I could never have expected that! After my father died, I had to take his throne in my grief. But Astor was born right around then, so I named him after my father and Adonis.

"I am quite convinced that Adonis' death was an accident, but sometimes I wonder... As the second child, Abaddon was next in line but would only take the throne if Adonis died, that is, if he had not been exiled. Sometimes I wonder if Abaddon somehow planned Adonis' death..." Spyro's breath caught in his throat again, and I saw tears in his eyes. "When Astor was sent to the Conscious world at age ten, and therefore no longer under our protection, Abaddon tried to kill him out of spite. But Astor escaped with a pair of wings."

"Oh! So he was the Sorcerer that you confronted in the valley?"

"Yes," Astor mumbled.

"I furiously drove Abaddon far away from Umbragard for his attempt on my son's life," said Spyro. "Astor claimed the hollow that he inhabited, and now it belongs to him. It seems that now, Abaddon wants revenge."