Chapter 14 - The Sacrifice

Chapter Fourteen: Sacrifice

The real battle was about to begin. The two Dragons continued to circle around each other. Spyro watched Cyra with her black armour, darkened scales and crest and those corrupted, piercing orange eyes, with cat-like slits for pupils. It pained Spyro to see her like this when before she was such a fun-loving, bubbly character but he had to fight her, he had to try and put a stop to this,

“So. You wanna fight me, do ya?” Cyra sneered, “Hah! Well, excuse me if my blade slips into that weak, pitiful heart of yours” Cyra added, with she grinned evilly

“Yeah? Why don’t you get on with it then or are you just gonna talk me to death?” Spyro dared

“Alright. Seeing as you’re so eager to die…” Cyra sneered.

She continued to stare into Spyro’s eyes and then began to growl in long, low growl. Cyra then lowered her front half and then launched herself towards Spyro. Spyro then, having quick reflexes managed to roll to the right out of the way and she skidded to a halt on the ground. Cyra then, as soon as she landed, unsheathed her sword and swung it at Spyro. Spyro then blocked her strike with his own sword and he then swung his sword but she then managed to jump out the way. Cyra then swiped her free paw at Spyro and three deep cuts were drawn onto his right cheek.

“Grah…!” Spyro growled as he felt the searing pain of her claws slicing his scales.

“There. Now we’re even…” Cyra said as blood dripped from Spyro’s newly cut cheek, “But not for long, GRAAAAH!” Cyra yelled as she lunged her sword forwards. Spyro then lowered his left shoulder and the sword slid of his shoulder plate and he then rammed his body into Cyra’s and managed knock her onto her back and pin her down. Cyra then broke Spyro’s grip with her forelegs, slipped out from under him and kicked her back legs right into Spyro’s stomach.

“Ugh…” Spyro gasped as he cripple away as the wind was taken out of him. Cyra then held Spyro’s chin up with her claw as he gasped for breath and laughed in his face

“Is that the best you can do…?” Cyra laughed, “I can’t believe your parents died for you…what a waste…” Cyra added

“You leave them out of it!” Spyro growled as he recovered his breath but Cyra continued

“Lord Raku told me of how your miserable parents shrieked and cried after they confronted the him…all for the piece low life trash like you…” Cyra sneered. Spyro then started to growl as she continued to laugh and joke about his parents’ deaths. It all just got too much for Spyro and all hell broke loose.

“SHUP UP, WILL YA!?!?” Spyro yelled as he suddenly swung an uppercut at Cyra and caught her on the chin. This forced her head backwards and he then punched her in the stomach, knocking the wind right out of her.

“Ow…” Cyra groaned as she gasped for breath, “Ok, now we’re talking. I’m done toying with you, now prepare yourself for a real fight…” Cyra said

Spyro and Cyra then once again recovered and with swords drawn, they got back into their fighting stances. They then both lowered their bodies and all of a sudden, they then sprung forwards and got locked into combat. Spyro and Cyra unleashed a flurry of fast and powerful sword strikes and all you could hear were the two blades striking each other and clashing with their armour. And even though they were in the midst of a battle and Cyra was letting of a furious flurry of attacks at Spyro, he sensed something different about her. Cyra hadn’t even tried to kill him yet, even when she had managed to break Spyro’s guard numerous of times. Was she just toying with him for her own cruel enjoyment or was it something else? Spyro thought about this, because Cyra had knocked Spyro down many times and had never struck once, yet any other Shadow Dragon would have by now…

As Spyro thought about this, Cyra then swung a fast, powerful sword strike but Spyro managed to block with his sword just in time and he then counter-attacked by thrusting his sword at her, which she moved her head out the way of. Cyra then slid her body forwards and dug her elbow into his stomach. Spyro, however, managed to edge back far enough so it didn’t hurt so much and he then leapt at Cyra and did an overhead sword blow, which Cyra managed to dodge. Cyra then managed to pounce on Spyro and held him down. She laughed wildly as she watched him struggle under her grip. Spyro then managed to roll away from her and struck his tail in her ribs. This then threw Cyra back and she managed to do a somersault and when she landed, charged right at Spyro. She caught Spyro unawares and managed to ram her horns into Spyro’s side.

“Ah…” Spyro groaned as he lay on his side, wincing at his broken ribs. Cyra then cruelly, walked over to Spyro, placed her paw on his side and laughed as she pressed against Spyro’s broken ribs

“Aah! Grah!” Spyro groaned as the pain of Cyra pressing against his ribs like that became unbearable

“Hah! Listen to ya, Screaming like the weakling that you are!” Cyra laughed cruelly, “You’re no match for me! I haven’t even begun to show you what I’m truly capable of!” Cyra added with an evil cackle

“Grrr…Cyra…!” Spyro growled, trying breath under the unbearable pain in his ribs, “Why don’t you just kill me all ready? If you ask me, you’re just putting it off.” Spyro added

“What do you mean putting it off!?” Cyra demanded, with a sudden upsurge of anger.

Spyro then smiled because that sudden change in her mood made it obvious. She hadn’t killed him yet and any other Shadow Dragon would have struck him down by now. Spyro knew it would happen somehow and now it was time to attack her conscience…

“You don’t want to kill me, do you?” Spyro asked, “There’s something inside you that’s preventing you from doing it…” Spyro added

“That’s a lie!” Cyra yelled as she increased the pressure on Spyro’s ribs

“Ugh! Is it?” Spyro chuckled slightly, “I can see it, you know. You had so many chances to kill me, yet you let me off every time. Why is that?” Spyro asked, digging deeper into her and after a struggle, managed to get back up, wincing at his broken ribs

“You shut up! Or I will kill you!” Cyra warned Spyro

“Hey. Why are you getting so uptight?” Spyro asked, “You’re scared…you don’t know why don’t want to kill me…but I do… You don’t want to kill me because…” Spyro added

“SHUT UP! I’M A SHADOW DRAGON UNDER RAKU, THE MIGHTY LORD OF DARKNESS AND I WILL KILL YOU!!” Cyra butted in, screaming in rage as her orange eyes glared into Spyro’s

“But will you?” Spyro replied, “I can sense it... You’re not gonna be Raku’s loyal servant for much longer...” Spyro added with a smile

“SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!” Cyra screamed with her eyes glaring at Spyro. Cyra showed rage and fury but deep down, she was scared. She was a servant of Raku, a Shadow Dragon, yet she hadn’t even killed him yet. Shadow Dragons normally kill at first sight without remorse, yet Cyra hadn’t. Then a thought appeared in her head. Did she…love him…? ‘No!’ Cyra screamed in her head and banished that thought from her head as soon as she could.

“What’s wrong? You’re awfully quiet” Spyro said, smiling as he watched Cyra go into deep thought, “And…do you remember this?” Spyro asked. Cyra then looked at Spyro and noticed that he was holding a little golden amulet, hanging on a gold chain.

“Where did you get that!?” Cyra gasped, as she looked at that little amulet remarkably like the one featured in her dreams…

“The chain broke during the transformation.” Spyro replied, “Here.” Spyro added as he gestured the amulet towards Cyra

“Get that thing away from me!” Cyra yelled as she backed away

“Why you so scared? It’s just an amulet.” Spyro asked, “I know why. You’re breaking…you’re mind is shifting…” Spyro added

“SHUT UP…GRAAAAHH!” Cyra screamed as she pounced onto Spyro, knocking him onto his back and pinned him down, which also aggravated his broken ribs, “SO! YOU WANNA DIE, DO YA!!??” Cyra screamed, with her eyes glaring at Spyro insanely, whilst grabbing Spyro by the throat.

“Grah…Cyra…” Spyro choked under Cyra’s grip

“FINE!!!” Cyra screamed insanely in Spyro’s face. Cyra then place her other paw over Spyro’s chest and a dark purple aura wrapped itself around Cyra. Spyro then felt as though his limbs were become increasingly heavy and tired as a strange, green light suddenly started flowing from Spyro’s chest to Cyra’s paw

“With yours and my energy contained within me I shall become MORE POWERFUL THAN EVER AND YOU WILL DIE!!” Cyra yelled as she laughed insanely

Cyra continued to absorb Spyro’s energy for as good minute five minutes until he reached the point where he couldn’t even lift his head. Cyra the reached over and took Spyro’s sword, looked at it’s blood-stained, silver blade and smirked

“Actually, I think I’ll let you suffer…and I’ll make your death nice and slow…and painful…” Cyra grinned, baring her fangs, “Oh! What a shame that you should die from your own blade!” Cyra added as she let out a wild and insane laugh

“S-strike me…then…” Dared Spyro, who was now extremely weak from Cyra’s attack

“Fine! If that’s what you want!” Cyra replied. Cyra then poised the sword high and pointed it towards Spyro, ready for the strike. Cyra, however, stalled for a moment and began to hesitate…

Meanwhile, Raku was seen floating up high over the battle scene, launching powerful blasts from his staff at defenceless Dragons.

“Is that all that your army can muster?” Raku laughed, “Pathetic!” he yelled as he continued to launch blasts of energy. Then it was when he blasted a Peace Keeper out of the sky, he sensed a change.

“What? What is this?” Raku pondered as he sensed a change in one of his followers, “One of the Shadow Dragons. Its mind is fluctuating!” Raku gasped, “But that’s impossible they are above the mind shift age to fluctuate!” Raku added, “Wait! Cyra! What age is she!? If she’s entering the mind shift then…” Raku then realised that it was Cyra the he sensed and he scanned the area until he spotted two little Dragons: one on top of the other poising a sword.

“W-what’s…wrong…Cyra? Why are…you…stalling…?” Spyro asked

“Shut up! I will kill ya!” Cyra yelled and repositioned the sword but she hesitated again. Why was she doing that? She’s a Shadow Dragon! She should’ve killed him ages ago but she couldn’t…why?

“CYRA!” boomed a voice familiar voice. Cyra then looked up and saw Raku, floating in the air, with his cloak swaying in the wind.

“M-my lord!” Cyra gasped

“Stop toying with him and kill him now!” Raku yelled,

“Y-yes, my Lord!” Cyra replied. Cyra then turned back to Spyro and poised the sword again. She was ready to strike but it never came… What was wrong with her? Why all this bother just to kill a Dragon? But Spyro was more than just a Dragon, he was her lo-- ‘NO! HE’S NOT!’ Cyra screamed in her head but then there was a distant vision of him and her sharing a kiss in a lake of water under the setting sun…was that a memory…? ‘NO! IT’S NOT!’ Cyra screamed in her mind again. Cyra continued to battle with her mind and as a whole bunch of foreign thoughts began to pour into her head

“CYRA! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!? KILL HIM NOW OR I’LL KILL HIM FOR YOU!!” Raku bellowed, who then pointed his staff down towards Spyro and Cyra

“NO!!” Cyra suddenly yelled, “I-I’ll kill him myself!” Cyra added as she swiftly turned back to Spyro and repositioned the sword again. As she looked at Spyro’s battered and bruised body, she began to hesitate again. Something was happening to her.

“CYRA!” Raku yelled, “KILL HIM!” he boomed

“There’s nothing you can do” Spoke up a green Dragon; with many wounds etched on his scales. It was Nestor.

“What do you mean, Dragon?” Raku asked, “SPEAK!” He demanded

“Cyra is entering the mind shift, one of the many miracles of life and there is nothing you can do to change that.” He replied, “She is reverting to who she was before and you will lose a valuable asset from your army.” He added and as soon as he did so, it was beginning to happen as Cyra suddenly gripped her head in pain as a searing headache developed and threw off her helmet. It was then revealed that the mark given to her by Raku was burning furiously on her forehead.

“GRAAAAH! I WILL KILL YOU!” Cyra yelled as she lunged the sword down towards Spyro regardless of the pain, but then, “WHOA!” Cyra suddenly screamed as she dropped the sword as the pain suddenly became too unbearable for her to cope with. “GRAAAH…AAAAH!” Cyra screamed in agony, as she held her head in pain

“GRAAAAAH…NOOOOO!! WHAT’S HAPPENING TO MEEEE---AAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!” Cyra screamed as her head became so painful she felt it was going to explode and then a black aura burst suddenly burst around her body. She knew no more.

A picture began to out of the shadow that draped around her. The sound of swords clashing and armour banging were beginning to become clearer. As she opened her eyes, the blurry picture of a Dragon green in colour began to focus with each blink.

“Nestor?” she said weakly but when she gave it more thought, she then realised where she was, “The war!” she suddenly yelled as she sat bolt upright. And yes, she looked around herself and saw many dark Dragons of the shadow realm in the midst of combat with the Dragons of the Dragon Kingdom; this was the war that Nestor warned them of.

“It’s all right, child.” Nestor reassured, “The spell has been broken and you will never be controlled by him again” he added

“You mean he won me over? That’s funny; I don’t remember much of anything. The only thing I remember was the great thumping headache that night back in Artisans and that’s it.” Cyra explained, the Cyra though for a bit. Where was Spyro? “Wait! Spyro!” she gasped, “Where is he?” she asked

“Cyra?” called a weak voice from behind her, Cyra turned around and saw Spyro badly bruised, with three, bleeding cuts on his face, lying motionless on the ground

“Spyro!” Cyra gasped, as she crawled over to him, “Oh! My God! What happened to you!?” Cyra cried as she looked at Spyro’s wounds and bruises etched all over Spyro’s body

“Cyra…?” Spyro looked at her and yes, it was true. He looked into her eyes and he saw the light of the sun reflected on those dazzling blue eyes that he missed so much.

“Cyra listen, what happened…wasn’t your fault…” Spyro added

“What!?” Cyra replied, Cyra the realised what had happened “You mean, I did this to you!?” Cyra gasped, “Oh! My God! Spyro! I’m so sorry…!” Cyra cried with a slight sob

“No…Cyra. Don’t be sorry…this wasn’t your fault. Raku’s the real culprit…he’s the one…who did this to you…” Spyro replied. Spyro then looked back into Cyra’s light blue eyes again and smiled, “You don’t know how much I missed you…” Spyro sighed with a weak smile and Cyra then half smiled back, “I love you, Cyra” Spyro added,

“Oh. Spyro…I love you too” Cyra replied with a smile, with tears forming in her eyes.

“Oh. And I think this is yours” Spyro said as he held up her amulet. Cyra then smiled, took the amulet and put it on, she then bent down towards Spyro and she kissed him. To feel her lips touch his again was the happiest moment of his life. As she continued to kiss him, he then began to use the energy he had left and he stroked her arms. Just to touch and to kiss her again was all he ever wanted. He savoured the moment…

“Hey! Nestor! We could use a little help here…” started a Beast Maker that was completely covered in cuts and bruises, “Hey… wasn’t she trying to kill him a minute ago?” he asked, a little confused when he saw the Spyro and Cyra locked in embrace

Spyro and Cyra then pulled back and Spyro smiled as he saw the beaming Smile on Cyra’s face. They then hugged each other but something then caught Spyro’s eye. As he looked up properly, he saw a dark energy form overhead. It was Raku. Spyro then knew what was happening and just as he predicted, Raku launched a beam of energy from his staff at Spyro and Cyra. Spyro then made a split-second decision.

“Cyra! Look out!” Spyro yelled,

“What?” Cyra replied and before she knew what was happening, Spyro suddenly brushed her out the way with the last of his strength and Cyra watched in horror as a beam of dark energy suddenly shot Spyro through the stomach.

“GAH…!” Spyro gasped as the shock of the beam shot through his whole body

“SPYRO! NO!” Cyra screamed in shock. Cyra then rushed over to Spyro and lifted him up into her arms.

Everyone was shocked. Nestor looked on in horror as what was a happy moment of relief soon turned into a terrible feeling of shock, sadness and despair as the beam shot through Spyro’s stomach.

“Oh Spyro…I’m so sorry…” Cyra sobbed as she looked at the deep wound in Spyro’s stomach from Raku’s attack “It’s all my fault…” Cyra sobbed, hiccoughing with tears streaming down her face

“No…Cyra…This wasn’t your fault…ok?” Spyro managed to breath out, “None of this…was your fault…Raku’s the one you should blame…not yourself…” Spyro added as he in haled deeply

“No…Spyro…please don’t die…”Cyra sobbed

“I’m afraid I can’t…stop that now…please don’t cry…Cyra?” Spyro coughed, Spyro winced as he tried to keep his focus, “ And I have and always will…love you…” Spyro forced out, “please…don’t forget that…” Spyro added

“Oh! Spyro…I love you too…” Cyra wept as she hugged Spyro’s body and with the last ounce of his energy he then wrapped his arms around her. Spyro’s arms then began to slip from her shoulders, the beating of Spyro’s heart, drumming against Cyra’s chest began to subside and his breathing began to shallow.

“Spyro! No!” Cyra gasped, but it was too late. Spyro breathed out his last breath and he was no more.

“Spyro?” Cyra called, as she nuzzled his snout but there was no response, “Spyro…?” Cyra called again with tears cascading down her cheeks. Her body then shook as she began to sob over Spyro’s limp, lifeless body.

“Nestor?” asked another Peace Keeper Dragon, who too was covered in cuts and bruises with a slash on his eye “What happened? What’s all the commotion?”

“I-it’s Spyro…” Nestor gasped

“What about him?” the Peace Keeper asked

“H-he’s dead…” Nestor said in a saddened, shocked tone. The Peace Keeper’s expression then changed from shock to sadness

“Spyro…dead…” He said quietly in disbelief

As Cyra continued to sob over his body, the thoughts of never being able to hold or kiss him ever again played in her mind and the situation began to sink in…

“SPYRO…!!!!!” Cyra screamed, “NOOO….!!! PLEASE….!!! NOOOOO…!!! YOU CAN’T BE DEAD…!!!” Cyra wailed, “NOOOOO…..” Cyra cried as she mourned over Spyro’s body.

She couldn’t believe it. Spyro was…dead! He killed him! Raku killed Spyro!! NO! Cyra then thought of that monstrous murderer. He had already killed both her real and her foster parents and now Spyro too! That thing had taken away everything from her! A sudden rage then began to build up within her and Cyra then ceased crying… She looked up and saw that…monster hovering in the air. She watched that monstrous being that had done nothing but destroyed everything she ever knew and loved… He wasn’t gonna get away with it this time! She then began to growl and bare her fangs as the rage began to surface… Something awoke… Something that would knock that rotten, smirk off his rotten face…

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