LoS Into The Shadows Ch7
#7 of Into The Shadows
Chapter seven:
The Master
Spyro awoke with his throat was dry, his head was throbbing and his vision blurred. He tried to remember what happened... the munants were expecting them and set a trap, using the eggs as bait. They were captured. He felt chains around his ankles and neck. He hoped Cynder... Cynder!
"C-Cynder, where are you," he whispered weakly.
"Spyro, are you alright?" he heard Cynder's voice. He saw a blurry figure walk up to him. The sound of rattling chains echoed throughout the room. At first he thought it was a munant guard until he felt something nuzzle his cheek.
"Yeah, my head hurts though. What about you, you okay?" His vision was starting to clear. He saw Cynder sitting beside him. The room seemed purposely designed to look and fell small. The ceiling was less than half its height at their third of the room. It was longer than it was wide. The doorway was very narrow; anyone would have to go in a single file line to get in or out.
"Yeah, same here," Cynder answered. Spyro turned to look at her but he could barely see her in the exceptionally poor lighting in the chamber. Spyro weakly stood and began to walk to the entrance.
"I wouldn't if I was you," a familiar voice said.
Spyro and Cynder looked in the direction of the voice and saw Crimson sitting leisurely in the back corner. He had a small bleeding gash on the back of his head.
"Why not?" Cynder asked.
Crimson picked up a small pebble and through it gently out toward the other two-thirds of the room. The pebble stopped where the low ceiling ended. The other side of the room began to warp and bend slightly before going back to normal and the pebble violently shot back causing a spider-web crack in the wall behind them. "That would be messy," he paused for a moment before continuing. "We're in a cage, basically. I've seen people try all sorts of ways to get through that, all ending in death. Some survived but they weren't around for much longer. The chains we now wear are an improvement from what I used to wear. Not only do they completely stop us from using our elemental attacks but, as an added bonus, they severely limit our physical strength as well. We're pretty much helpless."
"So you want us to give up and wait for them to fetch us?!" Spyro shouted angrily.
"That's all we CAN do!" Crimson shouted back.
"You... lizards have fun there?"
The three dragons quickly glanced at the doorway, where a large munant stood. It was endowed with freshly polished golden armor and had a very large dent in its helmet. It was followed by six other munants. "Master wants to see you. You will follow us or we will drag you there," it said angrily looking at Crimson. "Come on, MOVE!" it grabbed Crimson by the neck and through him at the far wall. The other munants waited eagerly in case the dragon tried to fight back. After that violent display, Spyro and Cynder hastily followed out of the 'kennel'. The munants roughly shooed the dragons into the hallway, making sure to block all routes of escape. Spyro, Cynder, and Crimson were lead through the halls in silence from the munants.
"As soon as I see the chance, I'm going to try to get us free," Spyro whispered
"What part of limited strength did you not get? Even at your strongest, you stand no chance against this... improved model of mutant," Crimson whispered back.
"What about you!?"
"It's still too strong."
"QUITE!" the head mutant shouted before it kicked Spyro in the gut. Spyro let out a cry of pain as he slammed into the wall and fell onto the floor with a loud thud. Cynder rushed to Spyro's side and the head mutant growled loudly at her actions and reared its leg for another, much harder, kick. Its tiny eyes glowed with spiteful hatred as it brought its leg down.
Cynder shut her eyes tightly, expecting a hard blow to her side... nothing. No pain, nothing. She cracked her eyes to see Crimson standing between her and the mutant; its vulgar foot stopped a hair's length from his face. He stared acrimoniously back at the golden plated mutant, almost daring it to continue.
The mutant's eyes widened before it sharply turned its head and said, "We can't keep Master waiting..." Crimson turned to help Cynder carry Spyro, his tail dragging behind them, as they were led.
They continued for about a mile though the tunnels until they reached a set of massive crystal and metal doors. The dark red crystals and black metal seemed to twist, weave, turn, and mix in impossible ways. The doors swung slowly but loudly as the group entered.
Crimson stopped suddenly causing Spyro to fall of Cynder. Cynder looked behind her to see what happened. His eyes were as wide as saucers and his body was trembling in horrid fear. She looked at what he staring at and her mouth gaped. It was a somewhat well lit large room. Mutants without armor, standing at attention, lined the walls. A glowing dark red crystal was jutting out of the wall over every third or fourth mutant. In the back of the room was a deep black crystal throne with someone sitting on it.
This someone had a large unmanaged pale-gray mane that covered most of its body. It was so skinny that its old ghastly gray skin was taut against its thick bones. The brass boots it wore were several sizes too large but somehow stayed on its feet. It propped his head on its left hand while its right gripped the armrest. Its face was old and wrinkled but its eye shone with unnatural youth as it stared at its guest with disinterest.
It sat up straight and beckoned the lead mutant to its side. "Why are there three?" it asked coldly, his sight never left the three.
"Well... we didn't which one Master wanted."
It gave an understanding nod before asking, "And why are they damaged?"
The mutant could only utter an uhm before the-so-called-master effortlessly whipped its hand back at extreme speed at the mutant and knocked the mutant's head clean off its shoulders. Its body fell to the floor before the master looked the mess it caused with disgust. "Get this filth out of my sight." Spyro and Cynder looked at each other in shock. The master turned its attention back to the dragons and said with its appearance becoming slightly more pleasant, "And get those chains off them. We're all civilized here," The mutants standing at the walls began to work, moving the dead body, cleaning the foul smelling clear blood on the throne and floor, and remove the shackles from the dragons, before moving back into their places. "Crimson, it's good to see you. Don't be afraid, Come here." it said calmly and Crimson slowly walked up to the side of the throne. His wide eyes stared at the floor as he turned around and sat down. "It hasn't been the same after you left from home. But now you're back... and you brought some friends." its eyes shifted to Spyro and Cynder. "You may call me Master and you might be..."
"C-C-Cynder," Cynder stuttering as she answered quickly.
"Sp-Spyro," Spyro followed weakly.
"So you're the renowned Spyro who repaired the planet when Malefor sought to destroy it. And that means that you were his travelling companion, Cynder? It seems my Crimson has taken a liking to you." This caused Cynder to blush but Crimson remained staring blindly at the floor. "I was planning on studying Malefor but now I know my efforts were misplaced. It's good that he's gone. He destroyed my most favorable specimens all those years ago... except two... one he took for himself and the other was lost. The rest of my specimens hid from him but nowadays all of my specimens are coming out of hiding, it'll be easier to acquire. Research was slow, failure after failure; my Crimson was the result of my greatest triumphs in science and these things..." it said, pointing to all the mutants in the room. "...the outcome of my flukes and useful failures. But now that I possess a purple dragon, my research will be accelerated greatly. I just recently obtained a new batch of specimens to test any data I receive from studying you... and my dear Crimson."
"You mean the eggs you stole," Spyro strained a frustrated yell.
"What are you implying? I do not steal. I just compile materials and ingredients needed for my experiments, that's all. The specimens I collect will live productive lives for my research and they will be safe from the pains of this chaotic world. And when they brake, I will find better specimens. The only use I have for a broken specimen is to study what remains."
"So the people you kidnap become part of your experiments until they die. How horrible!" Cynder almost screamed.
"It's not horrible; I give purpose to these things. I give them a reason to exist," he answered coldly. "Spyro, aid me in my research, let me study the full power of the purple dragon and help me give this world purpose."
"...no," Spyro uttered under his breath.
"oh?"The master said with intrigue.
"No, I would never help you. You would torture and destroy anything you can get your hands on. Just look at your home, is reeks of death." Spyro said so loud that his voice was almost a yell.
The Master shifted its weight and rested his head on its right arm. "Pity..." it said, looking down at the dragon beside it. "Crimson, kill the purple one and I will keep the female."
Crimson stood at attention quickly and walked between the two other dragons and the master. He dropped to a more predatory stance, baring his fangs and snarling.
"Please, you don't have to do this!" Cynder pleaded, earning a vicious bark in return. Something was wrong. Crimson lunged at Spyro; His stare was devoid of emotion and blank, so empty...
...almost soulless.