LoS: Heart of Power: Ch 20

A Life Altering Choice


Cynder was still starring in disbelief at the Blue Light which spread across the eastern sky. It could not be true, she had seen the hourglass in the last chamber, there had still been time!

Cynder did not get a chance to say anything though before she heard a loud thud behind her. Turning around quickly she saw that Spyro had collapsed upon the ground.

"Spyro!" exclaimed Cynder and Ravina almost at the same time, almost colliding as they leapt towards him. But before they could even lower their heads to examine him a loud snore escaped Spyro´s mouth and continued at a steady pace as he breathed in and out.

Cynder smiled as she raised her head again. She was suddenly aware of how incredibly tired she was and Ravina also let out a loud yawn as if to underline that fact. There would be time to figure everything out later.

Slowly Cynder laid down next to Spyro, being careful not to disturb him. Huddling close to him she then placed a wing across his back and placed a light kiss upon his cheek. Spyro moved a little at her touch, but if anything seemed to only relax more.

Cynder then cast a single quick glance towards the eastern edge of the valley where the blue light of the comet shone and then closed her eyes almost immediately drifting off into sleep. The last thing she noticed was Ravina also lying down not far from them.

Cynder did not wake until the sun stood high in the sky the next day and she carefully rose to her feet to avoid disturbing Spyro. Almost immediately she noticed that Ravina was gone, but before she had time to really contemplate it, a shadow fell over her.

Looking up she saw Ravina descend towards her, carrying one of the large worms Spyro and Cynder had lived off during their journey across this wasteland.

They ate the worm in silence, Cynder roasting it with black flames first. They decided to let Spyro sleep for as long as he wanted, after all there was no hurry to get home and he had exerted all his strength the day before. As they finished the meal Ravina lay down on the ground again, watching Spyro for a moment before turning to Cynder.

"I stayed awake last night long enough to confirm that the Blue Comet indeed came from the east" said Ravina and sighed. "I think we can safely say ten years have passed since we stepped into that place."

"I know" said Cynder. "But I don't understand how it could happen. I watched the sand of the last Hourglass as we flew by, we still had time."

"I have a theory" said Ravina. "When we entered the place, the sands of time were so to speak already running. However it was not until we actually brought down the first Guardian that an hourglass was created. Perhaps this led to the hourglasses being imprecise since some time had already passed before we started the first."

Cynder was silent for a moment contemplating it before answering. "Perhaps or perhaps the Observer was lying all along. After all he was the only one of us who knew anything about that place, at least he said he knew the place."

Ravina glared at Cynder, but her expression quickly relaxed as she instead looked towards the cave with a sour expression. "The Observer was not a liar" said Ravina firmly. "He might have been self centered and  uncaring towards those who did not serve his purpose and he did twist the truth to best serve his goal. But he did not lie and…he genuinely did not want to live anymore."

Ravina watched the cave with sadness. "He saved my life more than once, I would not be here without him and he was my only link to Spyro. But though he was cold most of the time I could see the pain inside of him…how tired he was of his life. I wanted to help him achieve his goal of dying. But in the end he went past a line I could not follow. I could never choose him over my own son."

Ravina looked back at Cynder, her expression and voice firm. "But not once did he outright lie to me."

"But that does not change the fact that we are here because of him, that everything that happened, happened because of him" said Cynder firmly. But she then seemed to soften a bit before she continued. "But he did help us once and I should not forget that. I am sorry for what happened, though I am glad you choose as you did."

"Thank you, Cynder" said Ravina then with a small smile.

Spyro did not wake up until the evening and he almost immediately devoured a worm which Cynder and Ravina had caught while waiting for him to wake up.

Afterwards he lay on the ground silently with Cynder by his side.

"What do we do now?" he finally asked looking at Cynder.

"We go home, what else?" said Cynder with a smile. "We should tell our children we are alive after all. But perhaps we should only…" Cynder´s voice seemed to trail of for a moment as if she wanted to say something more.

"Cynder, is something the matter?" asked Spyro.

Cynder seemed uncertain for a moment and then shook her head. "No, it was nothing. Let us just get home for now."

"Yeah, home" said Spyro slowly and was silent for a moment seemingly lost in his own thoughts. He then rose to his feet. "There is something I have to do before we leave."

Spyro turned around to face the tunnel leading into the cave. It was only hours ago they stepped out through that tunnel and discovered how long they had been gone, but it felt like a much longer time.

"Spyro, what are you going to do?" asked Cynder.

"I am going to seal this place of so that no one stumbles across it by accident. I know the chances are small, but I know I will not rest easy until this is done" said Spyro firmly.
"You seemed to have no trouble sleeping until now" noted Cynder with a chuckle.
Spyro smiled, but then looked at Ravina. "I am sorry, mother, but…"

Before he could continue Ravina cut him off. "If it is about the Observer then I am clear on it. I wish it could have ended differently, but he made his choice and I made mine. Nothing more can be done for him" said Ravina with a tired expression.

Spyro nodded and then focused upon the tunnel. Slowly the cliff wall around the entrance started to crack and grow, stretching tendrils of rock over the entrance. Soon the tendrils meet and weaved in and out between each other until the place where the entrance had been looked exactly like the cliff face around it.

Spyro stood watching it for a moment silently and then slowly spoke and Cynder and Ravina could not determine if he spoke to himself or them. "Perhaps one day when my life nears its end I will return here and put an end the Observer, Malefor…all of my kind… once and for all."

He then turned away from rock face with a  deep tired sigh. "Let's get out of here."
They travelled west heading back towards the sea which separated them from their home. Like last time the journey across the desolate wasteland below took just over one week, but it felt like much longer for all of them.

What had happened in that strange place weighed heavily on their memory and very little was spoken between any of them. In particularly Ravina noticed that Spyro and Cynder spoke very little to each other and both seemed brooding. It unnerved her a bit, but ultimately decided it was best to leave them to their thoughts for now.

As they finally reached the ocean. Without the Observer to guide them towards the island they would have to rest on, Ravina instead showed them how the Observer had taught her to find it. Ravina guided them south along the coast until they reached a large cliff formation. From here they rested till night and Ravina then guided them out across the ocean steering after a cluster of stars.

And just as the night was turning into day they found the small island, landing exhausted on it.

Resting through the day, they finally got ready to complete the last part of their journey as the day was ending.

But before they set of, Spyro turned towards Cynder.

"Cynder there is something I need to talk to you about before we return home" said Spyro slowly.

"I also have something I need to talk to you about before we leave" said Cynder looking at him.

For a moment they stood simply watching each other in the light of the setting sun. Despite finally opening up both were having a hard time finding the strength to say what they wanted to say. But this needed to be discussed now, they had already delayed it for too long.

"I am not sure it would be a good idea for us to return to Warfang or our home at all" they said at the same time and both looked at each other in surprise and just stood there for a moment looking at each other.

In the meantime Ravina was quietly walking a bit away from them. This was not her conversation. But she could not stop herself from staying just within hearing range.

"Cynder…" said Spyro slowly unable to understand why she had also said that.

Cynder looked at him with a small smile. "I love you Spyro, I love you more than anything in this world and if it was to break apart again I would be right here besides you until the end. But I think we have to face that we cannot live peacefully in this world without attracting attention, both good and evil."

Spyro felt like a great weight was lifted of him as Cynder spoke those words. "All these years I have done everything to protect us, our family, our friends" said Spyro. "But my power…our power, is feared and to be honest rightly so. We have seen what Malefor could do, what he almost did and that desolate wasteland we just left was the caused by my lineage…and though I would never do such things I..."

"You fear you might do it if I died" said Cynder with a heavy heart. "I fear I might do similar things if something was to happen to you, my love."

"Ryukishin, The Council of Elements, Meltor…" started Spyro.

"…Demetrius…and now Malefor once again" continued Cynder.

"All have they attacked us, trying to either kill us…" said Spyro with a grim face.

"Or break us" said Cynder similarly grimly "despite our best attempts at just living in peace. "

Cynder stepped forward and looked Spyro deep in the eyes. "Perhaps this time it is best if we don't give any future enemies a target, that we remain gone and dead in the eyes of the world. If we run away together then perhaps we can finally be at peace."

Spyro also stepped closer to Cynder. "And if we are no longer targeted then we won't be in danger either and the world will be safe from us at the very least. But…"

Spyro looked away for a moment and instead gazed out to sea. "I don't want to leave our children, Vynin, Carx, Larshyr, in the dark about our fate…or our friends. Even if it might ruin everything I wish to tell them that we are alive."

"Off course we will do that" said Cynder with a smile drawing his gaze back to her. "Unless Vynin has moved in the ten years that have passed she will still be living a good distance from Warfang and before we leave we will visit her and gather our children for a goodbye."

Spyro smiled. "They will understand why we have to do this, they are strong" he said.

"Off course they are, they are our children" said Cynder with a broad smile as well.

They stood close together at ease after finally letting out their thoughts. Slowly they kissed and for a long moment they stood there simply feeling the closure and love of each other as the last rays of the sun disappeared in the west.

They slowly broke their kiss. "Let's go" said Cynder.

"Just a moment" said Ravina suddenly as she walked back towards them. "I could not avoid overhearing what you were talking about and it got me thinking myself." Ravina was silent for a moment thinking about how best to continue.

"I had originally planned to leave once we touched down on our land and then immediately starting the work on a cure for Vynin and Gravi" said Ravina. "But hearing what you said I wondered if I could come with you as you tell you family of your decision…I wish to apologize for what I have done…especially towards Larshyr and Zera."

"Are you certain about that?" asked Spyro slowly. "Though I don't think they will attack you, they most likely won't be very friendly."

"I know and I am certain" said Ravina firmly. "If I am forced to flee in front of their anger then so be it, as long as I can say I am sorry for what I did it will be fine."

Spyro nodded and turned around and together they set of eastwards for the final stretch back home.