Crash and Spyro, A Friendship Across Lifetimes

Chapter 35: Not About Right or Wrong

HUNTER looked at the purple Dragon standing in front of him. He was sure that that the all Dragons were dead. Apparently he knew Elora. Her unexpected death six years ago tore at him, but Hunter had grieved for long enough. Now was the time for action.

Hunter was aware of the role Dragons had in the world thousands of years ago, as a matter of fact he was sure almost everyone in Avalar knew. They were the creatures who first discovered magic, which governed its use and acted as unofficial protectors of the world. Their protection wasn't perfect, it wasn't unanimously wanted, and it certainly wasn't appreciated by everybody. It was most likely for this reason that a war broke out between the Dragons and the Dinopotamuses in the first place. But seeing as how that war turned out, Hunter had to concede that the earlier arrangement sounded better than the current state of Avalar.

Cheetah's territory lay uncomfortably close to the Sorceress', and for millennia they had been a thorn in her side. Alone, Cheetah's attacked the Rhynocs invading their home and alone they kept them at bay. Their deep knowledge of the savannahs which they called their home gave them a distinct advantage against the Sorceress' foreign mercenaries. But their numbers and apparent disregard for casualties proved to be too much to bear over time. And it didn't help that the Cheetah's bold defiance of the Sorceress' despotism put his race directly in her crosshairs. Steadily, Cheetah's were displaced from their home, a lot of them slaughtered directly by the Sorceress and her dark magic, and now his proud race was reduced to bunch of refugees. It was for this reason that Hunter could empathies with Spyro. And for this reason he and the remaining clan of Cheetahs will aid Spyro of the Dragons; James Byrd, Bentley, and their warriors of the winter; Sheila and her allies of the autumn; and the monkeys who inhabited Summer Falls.

""A Rhynoc! Oh! Let me at him! You wanna piece of me, Rhynoc boy! Eat Laser, punk! Come on, now! No fair hiding!" Agent 9, as he for some reason called himself, continued to rant. The monkeys of Summer Falls had impressively defeated an army of Rhynocs who had intended on conquering the place in the name of the Sorceress. The laser that Agent 9 was so fond of was a creation of the Professor's.

His strange behavior continued to worry everyone around, although Bentley seemed to be enjoying his antics, and even spurred him on. "My, you're a sporadic and energetic little simian, aren't you Agent 9" Bentley said as Agent 9 climbed onto a neighboring tree and looked at the out of place, large white Yeti.

"Are you making fun of me, tough guy?" Agent 9 said as he looked at Bentley with one eye closed.

"Potentially, though the interrogative I wish to have resolved is what you blaster pistol could do if I was."

"And I thought no one would ask." He said as he laughed maniacally. He chucked a rock into the air and obliterated it with his sidearm once the rock was descending form its parabolic movement.

"Tatum, please!" The Professor asked impatiently after Agent 9 had unexpectedly fired his dangerous weapon. "I know your 'impatient,' but can you wait to unleash your frustrations once we've actually entered Artisans?"

"You can't be serious, Professor." Byrd said angrily after witnessing the erratic behavior of this primate.

"Listen, Tatum may seem a bit, unstable, but he and his family are more than capable of aiding us in our mission. Just give him a chance."

"I need solders, Professor, not renegade lunatics."

Agent 9 acrobatically made his way towards the Professor and Byrd before commenting on Byrd's assessment of him.

"Ohhhhh come on, Byrd. James Byrd. Oh that has a nice ring to it. You're my hero. The Professor told me all about you and how you're a secret agent. I want to be an agent just like you. Agent 9, reporting for duty!"

"A secret agent, what is he talking about Professor?"

"Oh... well, you see. When you saved Bentley's life from the Rhynocs, I kind of got the impression that... uhm..."

"Don't we have more pressing matters to discuss, Professor?" Hunter butted in. His impatience was growing. This gathering was one of the largest gatherings of the Sorceress enemies ever. It couldn't have been overlooked, even if all movement here to Summer Falls was done via teleportation.

"Your right Hunter. I'll have to get back to you on this, Byrd."

"Please don't." He replied somewhat annoyed.

"Ooh, ooh, I'll tell you the story, Agent James Byrd!" Agent 9 said as he shook uncontrollable in joy. Byrd's palm dug into his face.