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A Happy Family and Other Stories to Come

"Now, kids, remember. When you're hunting on the ground, you don't always have to open your wings. It scares off your prey and you won't get your snack for the day. Now, I know this is a little bit too uncommon, but you don't use flashy elemental skills when hunting. If you do so, not only does it dangerous for yourself, but you can disturb the ecosystem if you do that. For instance, if you're burning the whole forest down."

"Dad, we want to play some video games. We don't need some snacks after your big hunt."

"Hey, doing some workout is good for your health, and it doesn't apply to humans only. Rhaynis, you know playing video games don't always make you feel fine, right? You can just..."

Rhaynis gave her father doggy eyes that it quickly made him changed his mind, and said, "Alright, just this one, okay, but don't get too carried away. That's Uncle Spyro's console, and it's 5 years...uh, I mean, more than a hundred years old, so it's antique."

"Dad, you know that's not even from this world, right?"

"Is that even necessary, Visy? C'mon, I'll beat you in 'Skylanders'."

"What the...hey, where did you get that game?!"

But both dragonlings had disappeared behind the cave wall, and the tune of their console turning on was heard. Seraphor just sigh and said, "If Spyro sees the history he'll be mad as hell. Just who the hell make that kind of game?"

"Some goddamn idiots who made me into small chess pieces!"

Seraphor was startled by it, as he didn't know his purple-scaled dragon friend/parallel was beside him all the time.

"Whoa...hey, I didn't know you're there."

Spyro hated a game called 'Skylanders', as it depicted him as a weird puppy-like dragon who can only breathe fire, which was kind of cute, and was kind of weird at the same time, since it's as if Spyro was still a whelp and was playing around with the other characters of the so-called 'skylanders', which was basically a toy programmed into the game.

"Just who made that game? Sure, I follow the 'Legend' series since everyone knew my history, but making me into chess pieces? Still, I'm quite surprised on how the newer kids could enjoy playing and collecting figurines...ehm, 'chess pieces', and be happy with it. Don't you think so, Sera?"

"Well, you can call that game a crap or other things, but I'm happy that they loved that game."

"But they won't be getting a well-place exercise on them, right? That's what you were ranting before. But, truth be told, Vysrenis is the more athletic of the twins."

Seraphor made a sigh. "Still, I'm wondering about your purpose coming to my lair unannounced. Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing, really, but Cynder's egg had started to stir lately, and I'm worried about it since I don't really have a prior experience to egg-hatching. Yort is away in Qeveriyt and Xiciro was overseeing the trade route in Pol Hain. I want to find Avila but I stumbled into you rambling about that 'game'. Besides, I don't really need the console yet."

Seraphor made another sigh. It was true that both he and Avila had active and healthy dragonlings, but he never saw ANY hatching procedure, so he couldn't help his best friend in any way. In fact, Avila's eggs hatched the moment they were not inside her belly, and it wasn't a normal procedure, either.

"Spyro, I really want to help you on this, but I'm not the right dragon to ask about it, you need to see--

"Is there something wrong, Spyro?"

Both dragons turned their heads to the source of the voice, where they were met with the sight of a black dragon with a very strong presence. Her tails were still flailing about, which Avila claimed became a habit, and she was not very different before, except her voice, which had a flanging effect that was sort of scary and sexy at the same time, for Seraphor at least. Her body had become surrounded by some sort of black aura, and her eyes had a somewhat inversed color, with her iris black while her slit pupils became white, with no visible evidence that her sclera was visible at all.

She then approached them and said, "I can go to my counterpart if you want to, Spyro, but be with my son and daughter. Just tell him the rest, Sera."

Then, just like that, Avila opened her feather-covered leathery dragon wings, and left, disappearing in one instance before reappearing on the sky, flying, leaving feathers on the ground.

"Now that's the coolest ability I've ever known," said Spyro with a smile. "So, what does she means about that?"

"Oh, you know...both of them are adolescents now, just around your age of 13. And they are having a slight uneasiness on how they see the world."

"You mean puberty? That's fine, it will go off soon."

"The problem is, Vysrenis' fire became sort of out-of-control, but it isn't harmless unless he forgot to turn them off. Rhaynis, on the other hand, became kind of a seducer...which was the way she get off with playing your console and 'Skylanders' from the start."

"Maybe you're the one getting soft."

Seraphor then contemplated on that comment. "Guess I am."

While Sypro and Seraphor were talking about their own lives, the world revolved around them without end, constantly giving the best of them in each new day. It had been 50 years since the discovery and subsequent destruction of Dragonsbane prison, where dragons of all sorts were imprisoned there to be subjected into a terrible experience. Most of these dragons had returned to their normal lives after starting a new turn on their story.

With the open trade route between the Western Region and the neighboring continent, the Order of the Dragons had new members guard the cargo ships and to aid them when crossing the sea, while the older, more experienced members were helping the inland dragons to find and destroy any remaining Dragonsbane forces that remained. Most fled North and could never be seen again, and this had caused a little tension between the humans and the dragons.

The humans were convinced that this was the defeat of the Dragonsbane faction, and they had no chance to retaliate after they destroyed a whole village, while at the same time, almost cutting off the business relationship between the Northern Region and the Western Region. Despite of this claim, the dragons were convinced that the Dragonsbane, the source of their misgivings, needed to be destroyed, and all related sources to be purged, which gave rise to what Seraphor believed as a fascist-like philosophy. When the younger and current generation of the Order did that especially by burning up all history books related to dragon slaying and anti-dragon magic, Seraphor could still tolerate them, until the day when the dragon slayers were publicly executed even though they wanted to surrender. True, Seraphor hated them, but he wasn't heartless at all, especially if the enemies were genuinely giving up, like what his father-in-law did. This act of no-mercy made Seraphor had enough of the Order, and cut ties with them, including some of his remaining friends.

Now, he raised his hatchlings without the problems with politics, in Dragon Realm through a portal not far from Xici kingdom, where king Antaris, grandson of the late king Hansel, ruled. Xici had also severed its political ties with the Order, though they accepted them as their ally, owing to their efforts in defending the kingdom years ago. Now, dragons in the kingdom were considered 'freelance', as now, they refused to be involved in the same political matter, feeling that it was disgraceful for a dragon to pick sides.

The political atmosphere had also affected those living within the wall, especially those who still wanted the Order to be the way it was, like Asola and Jaradas.

The dragons witnessed a group of dragon riders having a parade on the dragon street with their dragons, celebrating the recent victory of the dragons after they completely destroyed a whole kingdom. While most of the short-lived humans cheered, it wasn't look like it with the dragons. They just stayed at their places, trying not to give bad impressions.

Jaradas saw the parade, too, from the dragon shelter just beside the big road. He didn't want to watch the parade, especially the prisoners who would surely be executed. His uneasiness was known by Asola. As time went by, only Asola and Flicrist knew that Jaradas was once a human and a dragon slayer, and his uneasiness was apparent, despite of also knowing that some of the dragons knew of his origins, yet his 'dragon slayer' part was kept obscure.

"Don't worry, my dear. Just...don't think too much about it," said Asola while trying to comfort the green dragon. "You're making Darenum uncomfortable around his father."

"Where is he now?"

"He's flying to meet Engalor just now." The crimson dragon then moved closer to him. "Hey, how about you and me take a relaxing flight to Dragon Realm? There's no harm in that, right?"

Jaradas knew very well that Asola had been concerned with him, owing to the fact that he was a former human just 50 years ago, and that right now, he should be 83 years old if he's still a human. Instead, he felt like he hadn't aged at all. Yet, the one that troubled him was not how long he had lived, but on the conflict of choice, between a dragon and a human's life. True, the transformation was permanent, but traces of his human self still resided in him.

While flying through the portal leading to Dragon Realm, Asola took notice to Jaradas' troubled expression. She coaxed him to land on the beach and said, "If you keep doing this, you won't move on. Just...let your human side dies inside you and believe yourself to be a whole dragon. For a human, you have lived long enough."

"That's not the problem, Asola. It's just that, I never thought even dragons are susceptible to a kind of a dilemma called 'vengeance'. They're killing those slayers because of what they've done to the dragon's families, and as a former dragon slayer myself, I...I felt sympathy on them, and concern. What if they knew that our son is dragon conceived with a human-turned-dragon? I don't want that to happen, but I'm still plagued with the thought."

Asola kept silent when Jaradas expressed his concerns, and when he finished, she said, "Look, just because you're a former human doesn't mean they need to know? You're what you are, okay? You were a human, but now you're a dragon. Our son is not human, he's a dragon. Isn't that fine with you?"

After saying that, Asola made a sigh and said, "C'mon, let the humans and the young ones fend off with their affairs. We're both free dragons so just leave the humans and be a nice family together."

"I...guess you're right. Thanks for the prep talk. I knew you're the best dragon I've ever knew."

"Hey, that's what family is, right? Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. Flicrist moved here just a while ago, so while we're at it, do you want to meet him?"

This raised Jaradas' head. "Sure thing!" he said.

Yet, despite of all the ends that followed, the story is far from over.

All of the characters followed their day on day activities, and the day ended for them, especially when Cynder's egg had hatched, giving both Spyro and her a healthy dark purple female dragon hatchling. As it happened, at the same time, at Qeveriyt...

"Okay, good night then, Yort. Thank you for the herbs."

"I see you in the morning, Bartoz."

Bartoz, the undead black dragon, flew away from wher Yort stayed. The night was covered with sandstorm, which was normal for those living in the desert dragon city. After retiring from the Order, Yort became a healer, alongside Bartoz and his rider, yet that night, it would be the last time he became a healer.

He wanted to go back to his cave when he saw a yellow-scaled dragon walking to him, and made a smile.

"Do you want to tell me about your problems, young one? I'm kind of closing up, but maybe I can give you..."

Suddenly, Yort felt a pain on his chest. At first he thought it was his heart acting again, but this time, it was like burning. Just then, he saw what struck him.

"Never thought a seasoned veteran like you would become such a frail, old dragon, you are, Yortascix," said the dragon beneath him, carrying a pillar of flame on its front leg. "But then, you're never the one I really hate."

Yort tried to form a word, but what he did do was just spurting out more blood, yet he managed to say, "Who...are you?"

"Me? So after 150 years, you forgot the dragon who had become the leader of the betrayers? You really are something there, Yortascix." He then stared at the bigger Yort. "Look at me, dragon, and tell me, how does it feels to see an old friend?"

Yort tried his best to stare back, but then he realized something, and to his horror, he realized the identity of the dragon. It was a nightmare relived again, as he knew the dragon personally, a long time ago, including Seraphor, Avila, and of course, Xiciro, who was his comrade.

"But...Impossible. You're supposed to be dead!"

"Dead? Like you're?"

He pulled the flame pillar out of Yort, leaving the bigger dragon coughing in pain. The attack missed his heart, but he wouldn't survive with that much blood.

"Why...do you emerge now...Ceroz?"

"Ceroz? Now that's a name I never heard for a long time," said the mysterious dragon. "But...you've made a grave mistake. I'm not what he is. My quest is for revenge, not for a crazed dragon like him. His legacy is over, but maybe...I can make use of what he left off. Yes, I know that silver red from somewhere, and I'll make sure he realizes the pain of losing someone he dearly love, in you."

Yort couldn't move any longer. The only thing that he could do was to stare at the yellow dragon, as he made a smirk and turned around. Yort was still conscious when the dragon opened his wings, and flew into the storm, disappearing from view.

Knowing that his revenge is genuine, Yort made a decisive move; something he could do to save his friends. With little strength, he moved his front leg, thinking of something to write.

He didn't know when his comrades would find him, but...at least, he would think the message was delivered, before starting to lose consciousness....