Ascension

There comes a time when we are tested not just physically, but morally. Is it best to hold on to your ideals? Or abandon them for what everyone else claims as rational?

If you haven't read the other two stories, I'd recommend trying those out first. Not really a fan of Remember Me personally, so read that one with caution.

A blackened sky and barren world stretched before two figures as they walked a mountain passage to the end of their journey.

One was a purple dragon. A hero known throughout the realms as the savior of the world time and time again, his name was Spyro.

The other was a bipedal, covered head to toe in bandages. The bandages did little to cover up his frail, sickly figure. This body was that of Eiyel, the once god of death to the dragon realms.

Together the two walked the high cliffs beyond the greatest of all walls. A wall built to separate it from the terror of an unknown threat. The threat is unknown to all but the gods themselves. And they aimed to keep it that way.

"This way. We're almost there". Eiyel led the purple dragon through a ruined mountain shrine, used to call upon miracles from the old gods.

"The sooner this is over, the better. Maybe after this, we can finally relax".

Eiyel chuckled. "Don't count on it. If we do this right, we'll have more work than ever before". He stopped suddenly, causing the purple dragon to bump into him. "Hold up, I hear something". He peered around the corner at which he had stopped. "We're good". The god pushed onward to a strange stone engraved with a star sigil. "You know what this does".

"Do we really need them? I mean, you're here". Eiyel pushed Spyro towards the stone, and he touched it with hesitation.

A bright light opened a swirling portal before them, and from it stepped two warriors. Everyone was already well acquainted, and introductions were left brief. "Yheia, Qyysus". Spyro spat the second name, a tension hung between them.

The one named Yheia stepped forward, breaking the tension. "Good to see you! Surprised to hear the summons after you sounded so sure of yourself when you left". Yheia was female and had a certain way about her.

On her back was a rifle which seemed to be made of segmented black metal, with a river of lava flowing underneath. It had no sights. Instead she wore an eyepiece over her right eye. An old artifact from an ancient time. The straps disappeared around her head, looking to embed themselves into her skull.

The eyepiece itself was quite intimidating, seeming to stare into ones soul. It was a circular red gem encased in a brass ring. There was an outer, half circle of brass circling around the first. From the outer ring jutted three antenna, each different lengths. The longest one in between the other two, had a glowing red light on the end, matching the colour of the ruby gem perfectly.

Around her waist was a plethora of ammunition and explosives, along with knives. Over the bandages, she wore basic armour. A well fitted leather breastplate, reinforced with chainmail and a magic ward.

"No warm welcome for me? I'm heartbroken". Qyysus spoke with his usual patronizing tone, talking down to the purple dragon before him. Qyysus wouldn't measure up to a fully grown dragon, but he came close. Another thing that was sizable, was the enormous, black sword he balanced on his shoulder, keeping it steady with his right hand.

It was so enormous, 'sword' wasn't even the right word to describe it. It was more like a forged slab of metal. The blade alone would tower over a dragon. Seven feet long, two feet thick, and three feet wide. Above his bandages was a similar style of reinforced leather chestpiece, but he wore a metal pauldron and gauntlet over his left arm. He had no eyepiece.

Spyro rolled his eyes to Qyysus' words, not amused by his tone. He looked beyond into the next room, where a great beast stood in wait. It was a spiked club wielding cyclops, and it towered over all four with room to spare.

"We have a friend". Stated the purple dragon.

"Leave this to the experts". The swordsman sounded cocky, but a sword that size could cut down any foe that stood against it. The three stepped in front of Spyro, Yheia with her rifle, Qyysus with his sword, and Eiyel with a spectral fist.

The monster roared and ran through the narrow passage, turning stone to dust with a single strike of its club.

It reared the reinforced weapon back and slammed it down onto Eiyel's position, only to be stopped by Qyysus' sword. He deflected it to the side as Yheia drew her rifle and fired into its knees, grounding it permanently.

As it fell, Eiyel delivered a strike into its face with his spectral fist. The cyclops eroded away like ash from a burning log.

The three shook off the excitement and continued forward with Spyro following close behind. "I could have helped, you know".

"I don't doubt that". Said Eiyel as he shook the strain out of his hand. "But it'd be best if you didn't use too much energy. If what we were told is true, you'll need it all".

"If you think it best, I'll trust your judgement".

A set of immense doors stood between them and their goal. Qyysus made short work of them with a swift kick. "Built to keep a god out? Obviously not built well enough". The four stepped inside and were overwhelmed by the size of the room. It wasn't a room, it was more like a city. A city without buildings or citizens, save for one. The one sat in a throne some thousand meters away, leaning on their hand.

He wore a white coat that reached his knees when he stood, a hood masking his features, and a crown overtop of the hood. It was adorned with the horns of dragons. "So you've finally made it. How long I've waited". Though he was so far away, it sounded as if he stood beside them when he spoke.

"You bet it, you son of a bitch". Qyysus ran forward with his sword ready, but was soon thrown back and rendered unconscious by an unseen force.

"He has wards"! Exclaimed Yheia as she drew her rifle. She lined up the shot but was unable to pull the trigger. Instead her rifle exploded, searing her body, face and throwing her against the wall, presumably dead.

Eiyel stepped forward, a spectral fist at the ready. "Hiding behind magic is pathetic. Face me like you would a sparring partner! Fight me like a god"! He pounded his chest as the stranger adjusted his seating position.

"I don't use magic. Let me show you". He turned his hand and forced his middle finger against his thumb. He flicked his fingers at the two as they laughed.

"Is that i"... Eiyel's question was cut short as his body was scattered into pieces and into the door behind him.

Spyro's head jerked towards him in utter terror, and as he turned back, the stranger now stood before him. He grabbed the purple dragon by the throat and raised him off the ground. "Weak. You are all so weak. That means I get my prize. Maybe that'll teach you to face me without ample strength". He cocked back his free hand, then plunged it into Spyro's chest.

Spyro screamed as much as the restricted airflow would allow, and was soon met with the eerie sight of his still beating heart in the stranger's hand. The crowned one then crushed it in his hand, where pieces glowed before fading. He dropped the purple dragon, who somehow remained alive through the ordeal. "So foolish. Now you will learn the true meaning of suffering. Undying for all eternity".

Spyro's eyes slowly shut as he bolted upright to his heart pounding in his chest. He was no longer in the throne room, but was instead where he had been the night before; his room, in the realm of the Gods. Eiyel sat in a chair overlooking the holy city. "Still having nightmares? Are you sure you don't want to see the dreamweaver? She'll take them away right quick".

Spyro settled down and got out of his bed. "I don't think a total lack of dreams will fix much. Nice to hear some concern from you, though".

Eiyel waved him off. "Don't mention it. But you should still try to fix it. The last thing you need to be is tired when you learn to open a void gate".

"Yeeaahh... about that. When is that gonna happen"?

"Soon. Don't worry". He opened the door.

"You always say that, and yet soon never comes. When is soon"?

"When you're ready".

Spyro rolled his eyes as he gave up trying to argue. "Where's"...

"Dining hall. Best not keep 'em waiting, right"? The former god stepped out and into a void gate, leaving the purple dragon to his day.

I'm back baby! And with the final installment of the FWYA series! Quite the hiatus, but I've been going over some pretty crazy ideas, and I have to say, they are pretty interesting. I don't have as much written as I would have liked (especially for a year-ish), but I do have ideas. All in all, I expect this to be the best of the three. It'll definitely be better than RM, but FWYA is a story to beat.

I'm mainly posting this so as to give me a reason to write more and more. If I don't write, I can't update. And I don't like that feeling.

There are new characters, some of the cities I mentioned in FWYA make an appearance. Obviously Eiyel, Yheia and Qyysus are in this story. And they have their own backstories and aspirations. So yeah, there are A BUNCH of things to go over. So many things, means a long story. And a long story, means more viewers.

Anyway, that's enough of my ramblings. I'm not sure when I'll be able to post yet, considering work and all. But I should have a weekly schedule, or maybe a 10-day schedule. Who knows. I'll see how much I write from now till next Tuesday/Wednesday. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Maybe some theories. More to come, a whole lot more.