Crash and Spyro, A Friendship Across Lifetimes

Chapter 13: A Secluded Gathering

  THE Council of Elders: Thomas, Astor, Magnus, Titan, and Red (whom was not present) had taken refuge several hundred feet underground in a secret catacomb that was underneath the surface of Artisans. Magnus, the Elder Dragon from The Realm of the Magic Crafters, was successfully able to prevent the imprisonment of his fellow Elders into crystalline statues, and Thomas transported the group deep underground to prevent capture from the Gnorks. This council's worst fears were becoming reality.

The amount of energy it took to cast a spell that could simultaneous entrap thousands of Dragons at once was almost unfathomable. The spell would need total manipulation and control of the energy from the legendary Power Gems. And the Sorceress of the Forgotten Realms had access to that power. The purple gem which presided at the tip of her scepter was one of seven Power Gems in existence. Millennia ago, the Sorceress at one point did possess all seven Gems, and used the power to grant herself immortality. It was the turning point in the war between the Dragons and the Sorceress, and ensured the desolation of the prosperity that the Dragons once had. Thomas' ancestors fought valiantly to steal all but one gem from the Sorceress, and although the gems raw power amplified their strength and vigor, they could not defeat the Sorceress. The Gems act as a conduit to one's own energy, amplifying it and allowing it to be a weapon. And the more Gems a wielder can syphon energy from, the more the Gems act as a catalyst to the wielders life energy. It makes the manipulator almost a God. The Sorceress fended off the Dragons, and as a last resort, the Dragons were forced to retreat and seal off their flow of energy to the Sorceress by hiding the Gems in the Dragon Realms. Using the Power Gems along with several Dragon's life energies, a barrier was created around these islands to keep the Sorceress from obtaining ultimate power. One of the Power Gems was in this catacomb, and four others were hidden in the other Dragon Realms: The Peace Keepers Realm, The Magic Crafters Realm, The Beast Makers Realm, and the Dream Weavers Realm. There was not a Gem hidden in the Realm of the Gnorks. Instead, the final Power Gem was hidden in a place that no Dragon knew much about: A place known as Avalar. Thomas's ancestor thought it best to not allow the Sorceress to be able to obtain all the Gems if she ever successfully invade the Dragon's last home world. Thomas was starting to think that this was a good call.

"That's it," Titan, Elder of the Peace Keepers Realm uttered defeatedly, "we're fucked. It's all over. The Sorceress has breached an impenetrable wall and killed all but five Dragons.

"You may be right Titan," Astor, Elder of the Dream Weavers Realm responded, "but as long as there are Dragons left standing to oppose the Sorceress, we will do so, till our dying breath."

"I understand your sentiment, Astor, but the entire military of the Peace Keeper's Realm has been systematically killed. We the Elders do not have the strength, the capacity, or the magic necessary to stand up to the Sorceress. Her control over the Power Gems energy is too complete. She has been manipulating it for a thousand years. Not even Magnus could survive an encounter with her. And right now, the armies of the Gnorks are invading the five Dragon Realms and claiming the lands as their own or in the name of the Sorceress. We lost."

"Well what do you suggest we do, Titan? Kill ourselves?"

"No, but until someone comes up with another idea, it's starting to sound like our only option."

"You can't be serious."

"No you're right. I'd rather have the Sorceress slowly syphon the life out of our decrepit bodies as she slowly and painfully murders all of us in the most excruciating ways she can think of.

Thomas and Magnus stood quietly in the back, they were thinking about the same thing.

"Thomas," Magnus said, "do you sense Spyro?"

"I do." A unique ability of an Elder Dragon was his deep knowledge of almost all things that happened on their island. It is referred to as intellectus, and each of the Elders had this ability for their own respective islands. Astor and Titan stopped arguing and focused on Magnus and Thomas.

"You know how he escaped the Sorceress' entrapment spell, right?" Magnus asked.

"Yes, Spyro does not know nor had the ability to deflect such magic, but was spared that curse's fate. He was spared by the orange creature that showed up at our meeting earlier today. That things name is Crash."

"As I suspected; you also recall how Crash was able to deflect my spell as well. The necklace he was wearing has a soul entangled within, and that soul can wield the power of the Gems."

"You can't be serious" Titan butted in.

"I sensed the spirit, Titan." Magnus responded. "I could feel the power of the Gem within the room once Crash appeared from the portal.

"It seems that Spyro and Crash have made an acquaintance." Thomas added. "Crash even appears to have saved Spyro's life."

"Really" Astor exclaimed. "When Spyro was born, we knew he would have a strong connection with the Power Gems and be able to wield its energy like the Sorceress can. But why can this "Crash" creature and his neckless do the same?"

"I'm still not convinced our prophecy about Spyro is accurate." Titan interjected. "Remember, he is the child of Ignitus, after all."

"Oh, you're bringing that up again, Titan." Astor complained. "Ignitus' relation to Malefor is not relevant."

"They were brothers, Astor. And Malefor was just as dangerous as the Sorceress is now."

"Titan," Thomas interrupted, "You can't hold Spyro and his father accountable for Malefor's actions. So can we drop the discussion?" The mentioning of Thomas's two sons made him feel really uncomfortable.

"All I'm saying is that Spyro's relation to Malefor probably means he has the ability to wield magic in its dark form like Malefor and the Sorceress can. And that is something we should be concerned with."

"You have to choose to wield magic in that form, Titan" Magnus reminded Titan.

"Titan," Astor said annoyed, "do we have to remind you that we are dealing with the Sorceress right now. She is the bigger problem.

"Fine, but this council still hasn't proposed a solution to our daunting problem."

"We can't fix the problem." Thomas said. "It is now out of our control. However, Magnus and I are sure that the issue will be resolved.

"And how do you know this?" Titan asked intriguingly.

"Because I have confidence in my grandson" Thomas said confidently.