At first, all was black, an empty void, sight, hearing, touch, smell, all senses were useless here. Movement felt heavy and slow, the air (air?) weighed down on his lungs, as if he was underwater, yet still able to breathe, if only barely. Then came a faint echo, a soft whisper that assaulted his hearing, as if the speaker was shouting rather than whispering. The words spoken were not Equestrian, Draconic or Human, in fact he didn't recall learning about this language at all.
Tharg Yarnthor Ilvenar
Tharg Mortgar Draconig
Tharg Eavos Sapientor
Tharg Livsvoltor Victargor!
The black void was suddenly torn aside, as a symbol of a dragons skull shot from the darkness, straight towards him.....
Spyro awoke, breathing heavily in shock and fear. If Dragons had sweat glands he would have been sweating bullets right now.
But quickly he calmed down as he recognized familiar surroundings, the infirmary at Castle Dracyrs, home of the Human noble house Palentine, he could even see the symbol and motto marked above the door.
As his other senses returned, he could smell a lingering scent of herbs and vinegar in the air, the stone walls around him whitewashed and scrubbed clean of any grime, everything spotless and pristine, including his bed, which looked like it had been changed fairly recently with soft white linen sheets draped over him.
"Steady great Draig" said a calm voice to his left. Spyro turned to see house Palentine's resident doctor, Esclepious Yeoman-son, a thin yet strongly built man of early 40's, completely bald and clean shaven. Spyro didn't know him personally, but his reputation as a dedicated and experienced physician, knowledgeable on Human, Equine, Griffon and even Dragon was known far and wide. There were even rumours his baldness was due to him shaving it so no infected hairs would accidentally fall into the wounds of his patients. Amusing rumours to be sure, but as Spyro looked down at his body he noticed many severe scars, some of them bolt wounds, but others looked as if he had been burned alive. If the wounds were as severe as they looked, Spyro would owe this man his life.
"Tha...argh!...ank you...."
"Don't try to move yet. There's still some bruising in the chest and back legs, but you should be able to move in about 10 minutes, if you rest. You're lucky you have such strong skin and bones, those wounds would have left anyone else near death."
"Yes....those clubs were pretty tough.......wait, the cave! How did we get out? One of the guards was going to kill Sparx, then I felt angry, by body felt like it was on fire, then, nothing.
"Where are Sparx, Ratchet and Remus, are they alright? Are they.....?"
"Fine. They're all just fine. My apprentices have treated their injuries and they are now outside the door. Though before you see them I suggest resting for a few more minutes, calm your thoughts and let your body heal, then you'll be in a better state to receive them."
"I need to see them! Its imperative I speak to them now!" protested Spyro, before a bowl of sweet smelling herbs was held under his nose, and his anxiety slowly drained away, replaced by contentment and peace. He then fell back into a dreamless sleep.
..............................................
Awakening a few minutes later, his body felt much better than before, though a reminder of his ordeal still marked his shoulder where the bolt had grazed it, leaving a pink scar and a cracked scale on his otherwise flawless skin.
"Feeling better master?" asked Esclepious.
"Yes, thank you" said Spyro, who suddenly remembered how he came to be asleep, "Though that stunt with the herbs was uncalled for!"
"If I had not you would have jumped straight from the bed and run towards the hall, more than likely causing yourself more injury. This isn't my first week on the job."
Spyro had to admit, that was exactly what he was thinking of doing. "Point taken, now can I please see my friends?"
"As I said, they're outside the door waiting for you."
Spyro walked briskly towards the door and swung it open, to be greeted by a blinding gold light as Sparx flew forward and wrapped his insect legs around Spyro's snout, followed by Ratchet and Remus who both seized Spyro and wrapped all four of them in a tight embrace.
"You're alright! Thank every God and his mother, he's alright!" cried Sparx, too overwhelmed with joy to notice his friend struggling to breathe under the combined weight of his friends.
"YES......I'M FINE..........NOW PLEASE STOP.....TRYING TO CHOKE ME...TO DEATH!"
With that they both released him, apologising all the while.
"That's fine, just give me a heads up next time you want to rush me OK?
"Now. What happened?"
Ratchet and Remus looked to Sparx, whose face sank immediately.
"As you know, we were captured."
"You don't say?!"
"I know wise guy, hold on! Whilst you were unconscious we were led blindfold into the caves, well, Remus and Ratchet were blindfolded I just had a cloth thrown over my, ahem, cage......"
"I know you're trying to explain Sparx but you're stalling. Just come out and say what happened!" said Remus.
"Alright, alright! sigh I took a gamble, I purposefully aggravated fatso, hoping he would be dumb enough to open the cage to get me, allowing me to fly out, or failing that, getting you to.....unleash your hidden power."
Spyro looked at Sparx quizzically, "Hidden power? What are you talking about Sparx?"
Sparx again hesitated, before breathing deeply and replying, "I ran across your father talking with one of the Equestrian Princesess, Luna, I think it was, last week when she and Celestia visited to prepare the Castle for Midsummers eve. I was just flying along, minding my own business...."
"He was sneaking out to meet, 'an important contact', I think his words were" said Ratchet, chuckling suggestively.
"Watch your mouth you half Chicken! Elora's no........ARgh! Anyway......." continued Sparx ignoring his friends small smiles of amusement, "I couldn't help but overhear them speak, with my hearing as astute as it is", at this he wiggled his antennae, "so I made my way towards the door and perched on the door handle.
"Are you sure your grace?" said the Dark blue Dragon.
"I'm not, Nerevor" replied the equally dark blue Alicorn, a look of uncertainty and worry painted across her beautiful face, her eyes betraying worry buried deep in her heart and mind, "I sensed something different about him whilst I was performing my duties. I've never felt such hidden power in an individual in my life, not in Twilight, or myself, or even my sister. I don't think he is even aware of this power."
"What does this mean? No Draig has been that powerful for over a millennium."
"I don't know, although if it is true, then your son might become a target for those who wish the Dragons to remain powerless. I need your permission to investigate further before taking any rash actions."
"I don't think that would be advisable your highness. Draig dreams are very different from the dreams of your subjects or humans. Even with our power diminished, in our dreams we hold more power over ourselves than anything else in the world. Anyone who tries to interfere or interact with a Draig dream is not likely to come out unscathed"
"I know, which is why I will need your help and that of your fellow Draig. If I'm to enter into his dreams and find the source of this than I......."
"I don't think that will be necessary Luna" came another voice, this one a female, and by the clip clop sound on the stones, an Equestrian.
"Why not Twilight?" Luna asked the mare.
"Because I may have found the reason for it in this book", at this Sparx's curosity led him to silently enter the room and fly up to the rafters, confident the shadows would hide him and his vibrating wings too soft to hear. He looked down and saw a purple Alicorn mare, slightly shorter than Luna, with a more human like face, holding an ancient tome, very ancient by the look of it, nearly coming to pieces in her hooves as she opened it.
"Right here, on page 324, 'a human prophesy that speaks of the return of the Barnwr, the Judge, a Draig that used to be the bridge between the humans and the Draig in their homeland of Targaris, and the source of both the Draig and Humanities prosperity. He exemplifies the best traits of both races, processing the strength and wisdom of the Draig and the courage and compassion of humanity, and more than that, he mastered all the elements of nature'.
"So this creature was a guardian of sorts?" Luna asked.
"The most powerful guardian in the world" replied Nerevor, "a hero transcending multiple generations, sometimes born as a human, other times a Draig, the Barnwr is the prodigy of our connection to the physical world and Vallhalor, the realm of the unknown. But the line was broken two thousand years ago."
"How?"
"Continue reading Princess Twilight." replied Nerevor sadly. Twilight nodded and continued;
'The last Barnwr was a Draig from the North, whose name was Iscenharct, or Iscen as he preferred to be called. When the storms of Amon bore down on Dawnsbreak, Iscen fought against the oncoming storm, and seemed to be winning. But through unknown factors, Iscen was brought down and killed at the pinnacle of his victory, allowing the weakened storm to resume its destructive course.
'Though the city was saved from most of the destruction, the power of the Barnwr and the Draig disappeared that day, and both Humans and Draig lost their connection to the Earth, and to each other.'
"From there it details the history of the break up, the War with Tirek and the fall of the Kingdom of Dawnsbreak, nothing else mentioning the Barnwr" Twilight finished.
"So what are you saying?" asked Luna
"It's only a faint possibility, but from what you've told me, the power you've sensed in Nerevor's young son could be because......"
"NO!" said Nerevor loudly, "The Barnwr line died with Iscen. My son is not the Barnwr!"
"I only said it's a possibility....."
"And its not so. I don't wish to discuss this further Luna. This matter is closed!" He then unfurled his wings and took to the air, flying straight out a large open air window.
Luna sighed deeply, then seemed to decide not to press the issue, she and Twilight walked out the room, leaving Sparx unable to speak.
"I didn't say anything because, I suppose like your dad, I was afraid of what this could mean, and I didn't know for sure if what they said was true, or even possible. But for curiosities sake I went to read up on the subject and I found additional information in the library on the Barnwr, discovering another passage in the book that vaguely described Iscen becoming extremely powerful under emotional stress, using that power to weaken the storm.
"I couldn't find anything else on him, so I decided to let the matter be, thinking it was just theory, until we were captured, then in a desperate move I purposefully aggravated fatso to try and hurt me, if he opened the cage, I'd be home free and come back here to get reinforcements, if not, I hoped to heaven you did have some crazy powers, just for one chance for us to escape. A desperate gamble, and...a friend manipulating another friend" Sparx looked downcast as he said the last line, clear guilt reflected in each of his numerous eyes.
Spyro didn't know what to feel at this moment;
Betrayed?
Grateful?
Excited?
Afraid?
He couldn't bring himself to say anything, his words stuck in his throat as though it where a river dammed by a huge bolder.
"I'm, sorry for using you like that" said Sparx, "but please understand why I did it. I never intended...."
"It's okay Sparx" interrupted Spyro, "you don't need to apologize. This...is just a little confusing, that's all."
"As it is for the rest of us buddy" said Ratchet.
A melancholic silence filled the room as the friends pondered through this revelation. Was it possible? And if so is this the reason why they were ambushed by well armed and armoured soldiers in Equestria of all places?
What did this mean for them, and most importantly, why was this kept secret? Something as important as this had to have been hidden from Spyro for a reason.
At last after a whole minute, Sparx broke the silence, "so what do we do now?"
"Now?" replied Remus, , "I think we find out more about the Barnwr, any information we can get. If someone's trying to find you, then its likely they won't stop at one failed raid. The men who captured us will likely keep trying and hurt anyone who gets in their way.
"So needless to say we need everything we can find to prepare for their return."
"I agree" said Ratchet, "and we can start here in the castle, Spyro's dad was there at the meeting and it's likely Lord Cassius will know something thanks to his connections with the Court of Canterlot."
"Not to mention said court right here in Dracovale for the Summer Solstice Festival" continued Remus, "as the son of Cassius Palentine I think I might be able to garner an audience with one of the Princesses."
"Will your dad allow you that privilege?" asked Spyro, "you know how strict he is regarding law and Royal favour."
"I'm well aware of that, but I think in this case he'll understand. He may be strict on law and tradition but he's not stupid.
Trust me, I'll persuade him."
"Very well" said Spyro, now more confident and sure, "I'll go find my dad and confront him on this issue, as will Remus. Sparx and Ratchet, I'd like you to search the library and archives for any more information on the Barnwr and the history of Draig and Human cultures."
"We're on it" said Ratchet.
"We'll find that information faster than you can say 'maneesfas'
"maneesfas?" asked Ratchet quizzically.
"Yeah, man. he's. fast!"
"That Sparx, is one of your worst puns" said Remus. "With a track record like that I wouldn't be surprised if you called a mountain Boy-is-it-big!"
..............................................
Meanwhile just a few miles West of Dracovale on the coast near Fillydelphia, (sigh, Equestrians are so fond of their terrible horse puns aren't they?) Spyro's old captors hid in another cave in a cliff-side overlooking the sea. The Captain looked out over the golden sunset, as the night began to set in.
He was waiting for an old contact of his, someone, or in this case something, who was perfect for the task he had in mind.
As the last rays of light melted away beyond the horizon, the Captain turned away towards the inside of the cave, coming face to face with his contact. From the shadows he could not make it out clearly, its clothes and skin blending seamlessly into the shadows, his dark green eyes the only indication he was there.
"Make this quick Aviur" the shadow spoke, his voice hoarse yet carrying a hint of charm, as though it had sounded different before.....whatever changed it happened.
"You've been a valuable ally in this strange land Shade, despite what you think of us" replied Aviur, "now comes your most important task yet.
"I want you to find and capture the Barnwr."