The Legend of Spyro: A Duel with Destiny

Back Again

Merry Christmas everyone! Unless you don't read this on the one day of the year where it is in fact Christmas. And let's face it, that's quite probable.

You don't have to listen to the Christmassy song above if it's not Christmas, it's really nice though... Not really a standard Christmas song, but worth a listen at any time of the year in my opinion.

"What's wrong?"

Seizo looked up as Miasma approached him, he was glad she'd showed up at that moment, he had been just starting to get frustrated and she had always and would always make him feel better. He gave her a smile, she returned it shyly.

"Nothing's wrong really. I was just thinking."

"Are you playing chess against yourself? Warfang isn't as interesting without Spyro here, and I also want to talk more with Cynder too, she seems really nice."

Miasma sat down next to the young earth dragon, Seizo wanted to put his wing around her like Spyro had done for Cynder, but he also didn't want to make her uncomfortable at all, so he just touched his tail against hers instead.

"I'm not exactly playing chess. I'm just using the board to help me think. Malefor almost seems to be playing a game against us, he practically threw Thoran at Warfang. It was a deliberate move, like a sacrificial piece, and I can't help but feel that he did it to further some plan."

"So you're sort of playing against Malefor?" Miasma asked.

"Well, Warfang's not as interesting when Spyro's gone. Malefor could be good challenge."

Miasma looked at the board. Seizo had used only black pieces, and the positions seemed to be random, not like a normal game of chess.

"The pieces aren't divided into black and white." Miasma noted.

"Neither is life." Seizo said. He moved a piece, Miasma watched him think.

She had always loved his mind; she could almost see it working behind his eyes, watching them flicker around, never remaining still for long as new thoughts constantly occurred to him. She enjoyed trying to decode his thoughts; their shared love of puzzles had been one of the things that had drawn them together from the start.

She returned her attention to the chessboard, using the movement to edge ever so slightly towards him, they were almost touching. One of them would only need to reach out. Seizo moved the same piece he had moved before back to its first position, and then sighed.

Miasma recognised that he'd run out of thoughts for that moment. She could talk without distracting him now. Seizo didn't mind her interrupting, she knew her conversation was welcome at any time, but she still didn't like being disruptive at all.

"So what do each of the pieces mean?" Miasma asked, trying to make sense of the board. She did like puzzles, perhaps she could help.

"Each one represents one of the major players in this game. There's Malefor, Thoran was here but his piece has been sacrificed and removed now. Malefor has the ability to create an army of orcs, pawns really, but if he hasn't used them on us then where are they? The guardians have pieces. Flare isn't with them because she went to Shattershelf just after Spyro and Cynder left. Spyro and Cynder should have reached Darkmire's tomb by now, I've left their piece there because I can't tell where they're going next."

Seizo indicated the piece that marked Spyro and Cynder.

"Why are Spyro and Cynder represented by just one piece?" Miasma asked, the symbolism of that had a romantic quality to it, she thought it was a nice representation of their unity but she doubted that was why Seizo had done it.