Legend of Malefor Ch.9

Chapter 9

     "Glad to be part of the family, Syne," Malefor said with a smirk. "So what elements do you have?"
     "Oh, you know... fire, shadow, electricity, fear, ice, wind, earth, and poison."
     "Really now? All eight?"
     "Yeah!"
     Spyro nudged Pandora. "Mom, can I talk to you?"
     "Sure, let's go to the kitchen." The two walked out of the room.
     Cyndra frowned. "Dad doesn't really like any of this... he just wants to know why Grandma chose you as her mate..."
     Malefor lowered his gaze onto her. "Well now, must all our decisions be justified to him? I love Pandora; what more is there to know?"
     "He just finds it hard to believe you're capable of that emotion," Cyndra said with a shrug. She got an amused look in her eye and turned to Syne, who was gazing off into space. "Hey, speaking of love... stop thinking about your girlfriend. I hear way too much about her."
     "She's not my girlfriend!" Syne yelled. "Get out of my head!"
     "Well, maybe if your thoughts weren't so loud..."
     "I'm sure Spyro will get used to be being his father soon enough," Malefor said.
     "Yeah... hey, mind if I read some more of your memories? Your life has been so exciting," Cyndra said, reaching her paw tentatively toward Malefor's face.
     He thought about it and shrugged. "I don't see why I should mind." He lowered his head and pressed his forehead against her paw. She closed her eyes with a sigh.
     He waited, wondering if he'd be able to sense her reading his mind. In a way, he could. Whatever memories she brought up, he would see. Then he began to wonder if he could block her from seeing anything.
     "I don't know; you could try," Cyndra murmured in response to that thought. "Usually people just let me look... They find my ability interesting... And if they want to keep secrets... they just ask me not to touch them..." She was speaking slowly, distracted by the memory of Malefor fighting Spyro and Cynder.
     Malefor closed his eyes and focused entirely on the small presence inside his mind. It was gentle and respectful in the way it went through his memories. Carefully, he tried to push it away. It wavered slightly.
     "Not good enough," Cyndra said. "Still seeing your memories."
     Malefor focused again on the invading presence. It was still and expectant. After a pause, he shoved it out of his mind and held it at bay.
     "Hey, great job, I can't read anything!" Cyndra sounded genuinely excited.
     "What happened?" Syne wondered.
     "He's blocking me from his mind. I can's hear a single thought. Cool." Cyndra kept her paw on Malefor's forehead for a few more moments, attempting to break through to his mind again. He lowered his defense and let her back in.
     "I see no reason to guard against you," he explained. "You're perfectly trustworthy."
     "Wait, I want to see if I can break through a mental barrier. Block me out again."
     "Very well." Malefor pushed Cyndra's mind away from his again. It shoved back at him feebly but couldn't break through. After a second, it pushed harder. He held it at bay easily, though.
     "Oh, come on!" Cyndra was obviously trying very hard, but she was very young. Her mental strength was much less than that of a fully grown, elder dragon.
     Malefor laughed at her efforts and gave her a light push, saying as he did so, "Just keep trying. Practice with your brother; I'm sure he'd love to help you. Now take a break. Don't strain yourself." He reopened his mind, feeling her gentle presence enter again.
     Then the contact disappeared; Cyndra had pulled her paw back. "Dad and Grandma are coming back. Hey Syne, let's play outside."
     "Okay!"
     The two young dragons ran outside.
     Something about her tone made Malefor suspicious. Why the sudden exit? He knew that she wanted to spend more time with him...
     Then Spyro and Pandora came back into the room. Malefor stood up and went to greet them.
     "I guess I was wrong about you..." Spyro mumbled, meeting Malefor's eyes hesitantly. "Mom told me about your promise to her... And if she trusts you, and Cyndra trusts you, that's enough for me."
     Pandora smiled with satisfaction. She leaned close to Malefor and said in an undertone, "I threatened to pluck his scales off one by one unless he started treating you right."
     Malefor laughed. "Well, that was nice of you. Spyro, come here. I want to... apologize, I suppose, for all that I've put you through. And Cynder. But I was doing what I thought was right."
     Spyro approached him. "And now what do you see as right?"
     "...Getting to know my family. Especially you. I've never acknowledged you as my son before now... but you are. And I want to get to know you."
     Spyro stared at him for the longest time, expression unreadable. Then his face suddenly split into a wide, unexpected smile. "Well, here's your first lesson: Tag, you're it!" He jabbed Malefor's shoulder and ran outside laughing.
     Pandora touched Malefor's neck gently with her snout. "Go ahead... chase him. No matter how immature you think it is. It's his way of interacting with his loved ones."
     "Loved ones? Hmm... all right, then." Malefor went outside, looking for Spyro.
     "Dad went that way," Cyndra said, pointing toward the backyard.
     Malefor nodded and went around to the back of the house. "Spyro? Where are you?" A purple tail whipped out of sight behind a shed.
     Smirking, Malefor ran behind the shed.
     "Found you!" He tackled Spyro.
     Laughing, Spyro pushed him away. "Don't make me hurt you."
     "You? Hurt me? That's a laugh." Malefor shoved Spyro down and stood over him, preventing him from standing up again. He grabbed Spyro's front legs and twisted them painfully backwards.
     "Okay, ow, that hurts... Kids! HELP!" Spyro yelled.
     "What are your little ones going to do?"
     Spyro just smiled. "You'll see."
     "Aaaahhhh!" a voice cried, and suddenly, a purple missile slammed into Malefor, knocking him off balance. "I'll save ya, Dad!" It was Syne.
     Cyndra trotted over, perfectly calm. "Move, Syne. I'll deal with Grampa."
     Malefor laughed, turning to face her. "You? A ten-year-old?"
     Cyndra's purple eyes flashed. "Don't underestimate me."