Chapter 10
Three days after the two had been rescued, they were finally allowed to leave the infirmary. Spyro and Hunter walked out of the castle, Hunter’s back was still bandaged, he walked carefully down the steps. Spyro walked alongside him, his cuts and bruises beginning to fade. The black ring around his neck was still prominent but was showing signs of improving.
The two showed clear discomfort being so exposed, their eyes wandering across the courtyard. They leaned on each other as best a biped and quadruped could, with Spyro keeping his shoulder against Hunter’s legs.
Hunter spoke up, “does any of this feel real to you?” He gestured toward a bench, already tired. Spyro hopped up next to him and sat down, putting his head against Hunter’s side..
“No, it really doesn’t,” Spyro said, "I still think I’m gonna wake up back in that cell. I can still taste the bit in my mouth.” He looked up at Hunter who was keeping watch, for what he couldn’t say.
Hunter finally shook off his vigilance for a second and looked down at Spyro. “I still smell that place everywhere, I’m constantly trying to get dust out of my fur that isn’t there. I know there are no threats in this place and yet…” He looked up at the sky. “Are we ever gonna feel normal again?”
Spyro thought for a moment, then gave Hunter a smirk. “If anyone can do it, I think we can.” He said pushing Hunter’s side with his forepaw.
Hunter returned the grin. Despite it all, it was nice to see Spyro smile again, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen it.
Heavy footsteps approached causing both Hunter and Spyro to tense up. Hunter instinctively put his hand in front of Spyro, and the dragon flared his wings.
They turned to see Nestor approaching, and slowly relaxed.
The leader of the Artisan dragons took in the sight of the two, his body slumping at the sight,mouth open. Spyro got down immediately from the bench and approached the older dragon. Hunter followed more slowly, carefully getting up.
Nestor bent down and took Spyro in a hug, tears in his eyes “I’m so sorry this happened, Spyro,” he said. “If I’d known such evil was on our borders…this is all my fault.” Spyro hugged Nestor back, crying.,“I thought I’d never see you again,” the young dragon said.
Hunter could only stand there and watch, dragon society is built around communal bonds. There are no traditional families per se, but Nestor had always been the closest thing Spyro had to a father figure. Still, to have the normally stoic elder dragon break down this way was a bit jarring.
Nestor looked up at Hunter and reached out a hand gesturing to him. Hunter didn’t hesitate and joined in the hug, soon he was sobbing too.
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Sometime later, Hunter and Nestor were standing in a meadow not far from the castle, Spyro was sleeping under a tree. Hunter was feeling somewhat intimidated by the large adult dragon standing before him
Nestor spoke first. “I want to apologize to you Hunter, it took far too long to track you both down, we scouted the various realms, but it never occurred to us that something like that pit could exist so close to our own home.”
“No”, Hunter said, “this is my fault” He glanced over at Spyro who was sleeping peacefully under the tree. “I had multiple chances to go back for help, instead I recklessly tried to free him myself and just prolonged his suffering and it nearly got him killed.”
“Hunter,” Nestor said, leaning down and looking him in the eye, “I got Titan’s report about what happened inside that place, you told him that when you found the quarry, Spyro was barely holding on.” He placed a firm hand on Hunter’s shoulder, “You’re the reason he’s alive, if you’d have gone back for help, we’d have found a corpse.”
Hunter considered the truth in Nestor’s words but it didn’t feel right to absolve himself of responsibility. “But what if…”
“Hunter!” Nestor said more firmly. “What ifs don’t change what happened, you did what you thought was right and in the end you saved a dragon child’s life, that is a debt that can never be repaid.”
Hunter didn’t know how to respond to that, a dragon being indebted to a non-dragon was no small thing. The two walked back toward the tree where Spyro was sleeping.
Hunter leaned up against the tree, and looked down at the small dragon. The black ring on Spyro’s neck was still sticking out against his purple scales. “Look what they did to him,” he said, his voice shaking. “That collar burned his neck for weeks and he never told me what it was doing, I just don’t understand why.”
Nestor looked down at the burned scales on Spyro’s neck, a knowing look in his eyes. Finally he spoke, “the collar wasn’t designed to do that,” he said, looking back up at Hunter.
Hunter shook his head before looking back at Nestor “what do you mean? Then why…”
Nestor raised a hand to cut Hunter off .“Magical suppression collars, while crude and barbaric devices are only designed to suppress the use of external magic. Dragons however, we can use our magic internally to heat ourselves, the collar can’t compensate for this, which causes a feedback loop that can cause magical burns on the neck.”
Hunter’s eyes widened at the revelation. “Then that means?” he couldn’t even get the words out.
“That’s right,” Nestor said, “You mentioned to Titan that he kept you warm night after night, yes?”
“Yeah.” Hunter said, with tears in his eyes, carefully kneeling down next to Spyro, ignoring the pain in his back. “And it almost cost him his life.” He put his hand on the dragon’s neck, avoiding the band of blackened scales. “I can understand why he was willing to put his life at risk on that final night for me, that I get, but to torture himself every night just to keep me warm?”
“He was worried about you,” Nestor said, placing a hand on Hunter’s shoulder. “He knew you couldn’t waste your strength shivering in the dark in a place like that.”
“But to not tell me?” Hunter said, lowering his eyes.
Nestor kneeled beside the cheetah and spoke. “If you knew, would you have let him continue to do it?”
Hunter didn’t say anything. He just kept looking down at Spyro, resting his hand against the sleeping dragon’s neck, a heaviness in his heart, his tears never ceasing.
“Don’t worry,” Nestor said softly. “In a month or so, that ring around his neck will be gone. It’ll be like it was never there.”
But I’ll know it was there. Hunter thought. And I’ll never forget.
Nestor stood up and spoke. “There’s something I’d like to discuss with you Hunter. Please follow me”.
Hunter slowly got up himself, glancing at the little dragon one last time before following Nestor to a bench nearby and sitting down with him. He positioned himself so Spyro remained in his line of sight.
“Now Hunter,” Nestor said. “I want to make you an offer” he shifted on the bench.
Hunter shifted his eyes back to Nestor, unsure what the dragon meant.
Nestor began “you’ve both been through so much, you suffered and nearly died for each other in that place and I think it might be best for Spyro, and you as well, if you stayed in the Dragon Realms for a while.”
“Stay? Here?” Hunter said in disbelief “but I’m not even one of you, non-dragons aren’t even allowed to live here.”
“I’m the leader of the Artisan dragons,” Nestor said with a smile, “and as I said, we owe you a debt that can never be repaid.” He leaned back on the bench, “don’t think of it as moving in, just an extended stay, until you both find yourselves again.”
Hunter considered the offer. He’d honestly never even thought about going back to Avalar. All his time and energy had been focused on Spyro. It honestly didn’t make sense to go home, not after everything. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if he hadn’t been allowed to stay.
He looked over at Spyro still sleeping under the tree. “Alright” Hunter said, “I’ll do it” he stood up.
Nestor smiled and rose as well, he held his hand out to Hunter who hesitantly took it. Then placing his other hand on Hunter’s shoulder, firmly gripping it. “Welcome to the Dragon Realms, Hunter of Avalar”
The two separated and Nestor gestured toward the tree where Spyro slept. “We should tell
Spyro, I also have something else I need to discuss with both of you,” he said as the two walked back towards the sleeping dragon.
Hunter knelt down and gently rubbed Spyro’s side, trying to avoid startling him. “Hey buddy” he said.
Spyro opened his eyes wide and he tensed up for a second before realizing he was safe. He looked up at Hunter with a look of shame before lowering his eyes and giving a quiet “sorry”.
“It’s fine Spyro,” Hunter said with an understanding look. “Nestor has something he wants to talk to us about.”
Spyro got up and gave a long stretch before sitting back down on his haunches. “What is it, Nestor?” he said. His eyes were already wandering to the field, keeping a careful watch.
“Spyro,” Nestor said. "I've given Hunter an offer to stay in the Dragon Realms indefinitely. You haven’t really been apart in weeks and I’m not going to force you two to be now, not after everything you’ve been through.
The news hit Spyro like a wave, for a moment the tension seemed to leave the young dragon’s body. “Thank you Nestor” he said, showing clear relief.
“You're quite welcome Spyro,” Nestor said smiling “I’ll arrange to have a second bed placed in your room for Hunter.” His eyes then became serious “You’re going to need each other for what comes next, I promise you both, the nightmares are going to come and they will be horrible.”
Spyro and Hunter looked at each other, both taking Nestor’s words to heart. They nodded in understanding.
Nestor spoke again. “To that end, I think it would be helpful to both of you if you spoke with some of our healers who handle matters of the mind.”
Spyro immediately got defensive at the suggestion, flaring his wings. “Now wait a minute!” he said angrily. “I don’t need someone telling me how to feel!” he started breathing harder, “I just need to…to…”
Hunter immediately knelt down at Spyro’s level, wincing from the pain, he put his hand on the dragon’s shoulder, grounding him. He waited for Spyro’s breathing to return to normal before speaking. “Dude,” he said, “I think it might do us both some good to talk to someone.”
“Do you really believe anyone can understand what we went through?” Spyro said incredulously.
Hunter thought for a few seconds before speaking, “I honestly don’t know, but it can’t hurt to try can it?” He gave Spyro an almost pleading look, despite his own uncertainty.
Spyro tilted his head then looked to Nestor who said, “no one's going to make you go Spyro, it’s entirely your choice.”
Spyro lowered his head and took a deep breath and exhaled. “Alright…fine,” he said.
“Thank you,” Nestor said smiling, “I promise, it will help. Now there is one more thing I’d like to discuss with you.” He sat down in the grass cross legged and spoke. “You’ve suffered in ways no being should and you’ve had to rely on each other through it all, so this next part might be hard to hear.” He then spoke slowly and carefully, “I think it would be best for both of you if you spent some time apart.”
Spyro immediately tensed up the second the words were out. “You…you just said we’d be staying together,” he stammered, eyes blinking rapidly, his breathing becoming shallow and rapid. He pressed himself against Hunter who wrapped an arm around the dragon’s shoulder protectively.
“Why would you even suggest such a thing!?” Hunter asked angrily “You have no idea what it was like in that place. We’re all we’ve got!”
Nestor raised a hand and spoke softly, “I’m not going to force either of you to do anything. ”I’m just suggesting that you develop your own routines, you need to learn how to function apart again.”
Spyro and Hunter stared at him, still unsure.
“Hunter,” Nestor said, looking him in the eyes. “You’re an archer, yes? I can arrange to have you work with the Peacekeepers, get you a new bow, set up an archery range here in the Artisan Home World.” He smiled, “It might feel good to practice your skills again.”
Hunter had to admit, he missed the feel of a bow in his hands. He considered the idea. Would be nice get back into it, he thought
“And Spyro,” Nestor said softly “you should work with your fellow Artisans again, learn their crafts, you also haven’t been around dragons your own age in a long time. I think it would do you some good to get a chance to be a kid again.”
Spyro, still breathing heavily. “You’re…you’re not gonna make us stay apart?”, his voice was shaky.
Nestor shook his head gently. “No…I would never do that.”
“What if I want to spend that time practicing my skills?,” Spyro asked pointedly, his breathing slowing. “I haven’t used my wings in forever and my flame is weak from that stupid collar.”
“Of course.” Nestor nodded. “Spend your time apart however you desire, those are merely suggestions,” he said “I only ask that you try to spend a few hours a day apart, nothing more, and not to push yourself too hard, you’re still healing after all”
The dragon and cheetah looked at each other and nodded. Spyro turned back to Nestor and said, “Alright, we’ll give it a shot.”
Nestor gave a smile and stood up. “Thank you for being willing to try,” he said. “I’ll see you all later, but for now, just try to relax, there’s plenty of time for you both to heal.” He walked away, leaving Spyro and Hunter with much to think about.
