//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7: The Abyss 
// Story: The Tales Of Spike - Empress Of Evil 
// by Spyro_Story 
//------------------------------//

Out at the land of Doma, Starswirl the Bearded has manged to get there on time. It wasn't his first time because he's been here before long ago, he never thought he'd come back after all these centuries. Starswirl sees the the dark tower far away from his distance, ready to continue headed straight forward. 

While he is walking on the waste land, he sees all armored skeleton ponies on the ground, hearing the echoes in agony of those who died in war. It is hard to ignore it, but Starswirl has to keep moving forward.

"I'm coming for you Empress Ravahna." Starswirl said while he's almost there to the tower. "I have defeated you once, and now I shall do so again."

At top of it, there's Nemnok watching Starswirl far down without a wise wizard not knowing. A sorcerer makes a grin smile on his face because he is anxious to see him again. "It would seem our old guest has arrived my Empress." Nemnok said to his Empress of evil.

"Let him come, it is only a matter of time for my revenge upon him." She said when she gets up off her throne.

"Indeed." Nemnok agreed with her. "And soon, he'll be fallen right into our trap."


....


The fog is everywhere around Spike and Sparx. They cannot see where they're going to their destination. luckily the compass led to them, but the baby dragon has to be careful where he steps on.

"This is really hard to see Sparx." Spike said while moving slowly. "I don't even know where i- WAAAH OOF!... am." His words cut off because he tripped by the stone from his foot and landed on his face. Sparx chuckled for a hilarious scene. The baby dragon gets up from the ground and spat out the dirt out of his mouth. "Ha ha, very funny." He said when he's not amused.

By the time he gets up, they now continues to move on forward, hopefully this time he won't tripped again. While they disappear through the fog, a very far behind them were three Dredoks appears out of nowhere.

A couple of minutes later, they still keep moving through the fog. But until then, the fog itself starts to faded away, perfectly clear for Spike and Sparx to see almost. "Finally, we can see anything now." Spike happily said. Until suddenly, a beam out of nowhere almost hit the baby dragon's head. Causing them to stop their track in shock, and turning around quick to see what's behind them. Their eyes widened in fear of seeing the Dredoks are here to eliminate Spike. "Oh no, it's the Dredoks, why are they here?"

Another shot of the beam almost hit him again, causing the baby dragon to back away and ready to run. "Oh yeah? Lets see how you all like this." Spike said when he spewed out his fire ball and hit the Dredoks. "Hah, how do you like... them... apples?" His words slows down because the Dredoks are still burn but feel no pain at all. The baby dragon forgets what Starswirl says, 'the Dredoks are neither living or dead'.

The Dredoks began to charge towards at them for the kill. Spike and Sparx also fly away from them for their lives as fast as they can while the Dredoks are shooting with a multiple beams.

The chase has been difficult for Spike and Sparx to avoid their beams while the Dredoks still chasing them. The blasts causes a explosions everywhere in the forest. Suddenly, one beam managed to hit Spike's wing. The pain overwhelms him, causing the baby dragon to crash landed to the ground and Sparx go to him in such a rush with worry.

"GAH, my wing... I think its broken!" Spike shouted in pain. The baby dragon check his wing to see how bad it is. But then, he notice now that his wing bone is actually broke. "If we can't out run them, we need to hide now."

Spike and Sparx had to find a place to hide before the Dredoks find them finger them and destroy. However, Sparx did found a tree hole to hide when he told Spike that he found it. They hear the sound of hooves steps, meaning that they're closer. So the baby dragon and dragonfly had to rush to the hole.

And by the time they got in, Sparx swoop in his backpack and Spike had to be very quiet not to make a movements and noises. The Dredoks got there on time, but no trace for the baby dragon. But suddenly, another Dredoks sees the hole, believing that Spike is in there. "Uh-oh, not good." Spike whisper when he crawled backwards. But then. "WAAAHHH!"

He falls into more deep hole, sliding down to a different direction while he and Sparx are screaming. It was really long slide to go farthest down there.

Spike use his claws from his hands and feet to stop falling, but it didn't when his claws are heating up and burn. Luckily for Spike, he is fire proof. And then, he pops out the hole and falling down the short abyss full of crystal on rocks and water fall with glowing moss.

The baby dragon crashes into puddle safety but painfully because it's not deep at all. "Uuugh... that hurt, at least we've lost the Dredoks though." Spike said to Sparx in relief while his dragonfly friend comes out his backpack.

But he noticed the pain of his left wing could be broken. Without it, he can't fly anymore. So he will do it the old fashioned way.

While the baby dragon wrapped the band aid in his wing, they now need to figured it out to find a way to the service. "Okay Sparx, we need to get back out somehow. I guess we go... that way." He said by pointed the tunnel on the right.

And so they decided to go the tunnel which is very dark see, but luckily for Sparx can glow out the light to see perfectly. But they do not know what lies beneath the tunnel, so they better watch out for anything what's in store to them.


....


Meanwhile, Starswirl the Bearded has entered the dark tower, keeping his distance of his surroundings for what's coming to him. Seeing this place is abandoned for centuries, but not anymore. "Empress Ravahna, I am here, show yourself!" Starswirl shouted in echo to call upon the Empress of evil.

However, the wizard hears the sounds of hooves steps, coming from everywhere not know where. Starswirl uses his magical horn to be prepare for what's coming. Until sudden, he sees the four Dredoks steps out of the shadows.

"Servants of the Sorcerer, where are you masters?" Starswirl asked in aggressive tone, but none of them can speak. "I will not ask you a second time, where are they!?"

"Right behind you." A voice came from behind. Until, Starswirl has been binded by some sort of magic snakes that holds him and stopped his horn from using magic. The tightening has caused the wizard's agony and collapse to the floor, trying to break free.

Starswirl looked up to the sorcerer face to face. "Nem... mok!" He barely said in pain.

Nemnok takes a further steps to see Starswirl with a chuckle because he finally has an opportunity to trap him for the Empress. "It has been long... long... time, my dear old friend."


To Be Continued...