Legend of the Dark Realm: The Mage, the Beasts Messenger, and the Fallen Dragon
The wind over the jagged peaks of Meridian carried a bitter chill, but inside the cavernous council hall, the air was suffocatingly hot.
Prince Phobos stood before the massive stone map of the realms, his hands resting lightly on the edge. Gathered around him were three improbable allies: Vash the Stampede, his trench coat frayed and dusty; Spyro the Dragon, wings flared in tense anticipation; and Will Vandom, her hand instinctively resting near the Heart of Kandrakar tucked beneath her collar.
"That's the fallen dragon, Red," Phobos said, pointing a slender, pale finger at a glowing crimson mark on the map. "I thought he was long gone, but it looks like he's been mining dark gems and planting them all over the realms. He's even got Legato and his minions doing all his dirty work. Dark gems fuel his mysterious power."
Vash let out a low whistle, adjusting his amber glasses. "Dark gems, mind-controlled goons... man, can't anyone ever just mine silver or gold?"
"Dark gems drain the natural energy of the land," Spyro growled, a plume of smoke curling from his nostrils. "If Red gets a hold of enough of them, he’ll corrupt everything."
"How long have you been standing there?"
The voice echoed from the shadowed archway above the council table. Phobos didn't even turn around.
"I've been watching you the entire time," Legato Bluesummers purred, stepping out into the dim torchlight. A faint, unnerving smile played across his lips, his white hair gleaming. "I am surprised you decided to appear. Did you think it was idle talk?"
Vash’s hand hovered dangerously close to his revolver. "Legato. I should've known you'd be pulling threads in the dark."
Legato ignored Vash entirely, his dark eyes fixed on Phobos. "So tell me... who am I hunting?"
"Come to taunt your prisoner, mage?" Phobos sneered, turning at last to face Legato with cold disdain. "Set the Knights of Vengeance free, why don't you? See how well your grand plans hold up when real monsters walk the halls."
"Careful, Phobos," Will warned, stepping forward as the Heart of Kandrakar began to glow softly against her chest. "We don't need another war inside these walls."
Phobos scoffed, turning a sharp glance toward Will and the figure standing beside her—Queen Elyon, her eyes filled with a mixture of sorrow and steel as she looked upon her disgraced brother.
"You would never have defeated Ripto without me," Prince Phobos told his sisters, Will Vandom and Queen Elyon, his voice dripping with venomous pride. "When Meridian was under my power, someone had to have a vision!"
"A vision of tyranny," Elyon said softly, her power flaring around her like a halo of light. "And look where it brought us. Red is using your old dark magic conduits, Phobos. If you want to prove you're better than the beast, help us break the dark gems."
Legato chuckled softly from the balcony above, the sound chilling the room. "A fascinating family reunion. But I'm afraid Red's harvest is already complete."
Spyro took a step forward, sparks flying from his teeth. "Not if I smash them first."
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