My buddy  _inlustriusghost and I are big Spyro fans, and he's got a great OC-based fiction he's building with his character, Bright Sight. This story is a collab with him to build out that world, and I'm grateful he let me play in it. Enjoy!

Art by  _inlustriusghost


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The Star and the Spear

At some point, a dragon becomes more knives than scales. Bright Sight had already lost count of the weapons on the figure towering above him. “S-s-sorry! I didn’t–” The blue dragon’s voice caught in his throat. His knees shook. He clutched his tube of star charts. His mouth was dry, and not just from the dusty air of the Peace Keepers home world. He held up an empty palm and shrunk as small as he could. “I didn’t know!”

“We have rules here, punk!” bellowed the burly yellow dragon. He eclipsed Bright, easily twice his size, and his horns were as wide as Bright’s wingspan. His belly scales were blood red, and the leather straps and holsters that cross his chest, arms, and legs were full of blades. All except one. His fist clenched tightly around a freshly-drawn, jeweled dagger. “The landing area’s marked clearly! Can’t you read?”

Bright glanced around. A dozen other dragons, all larger than him, stared at him, and Bright stuck out like a sore claw. Almost all the Peace Keepers had earthy tones to their scales – yellows and reds and browns – but Bright’s were a deep, rich blue, and his belly scales an enchanting purple. His red robe was ripped in several places from his crash landing, but at least it let in the slight breeze of the hot desert.

“Look at me, whelp!” The yellow dragon grabbed Bright by the robe and yanked him forward, and Bright couldn’t help but yelp. “I’m talking to you!” This dragon’s eyes looked bloodshot and crazed, with deep, dark circles beneath them. His nostrils flared as he took a deep sniff. “Dream Weaver, ain’t you?”

Bright nearly fainted. “Yes, sir! Lateef sent me to–”

“Ha! Figures that old weirdo would send some whelp here instead of fixing problems on his own.” His other hand gripped the jeweled dagger tighter, and his tone grew darker. “You’re not on your fluffy little cloud anymore, kid, and maybe you need–”

“Whoa, now!” Bright turned to see a tall, tan-colored dragon swoop down and land just about ten feet away. His belly scales were a light purple, not too different from Bright’s, and he wore purple leathers, including arm bands and what appeared to be some kind of battle skirt. He deftly twirled a spear around with one hand, then jammed it into the dusty ground as he stepped up to the two of them. “What’s the problem here, Trondo?”

“Cut it, Dax,” Trondo snapped. “I’m exhausted. We’re all exhausted, and Lateef has the nerve to send some wide-eyed apprentice punk who doesn’t even know where to land!”

The tan dragon, Dax, took in a deep breath and let it out very slowly. Bright noticed that Trondo did the same, and his grip loosened slightly. Dax’s voice dropped to a lower, calmer tone. “Yeah, the Weavers haven’t exactly been pulling their weight lately.” He nodded at Bright. “But I doubt our friend here has much of a say in that.”

Trondo looked back at Bright. He snorted a hot, wet breath in his face, then loosened his grip and set Bright down. “He still shouldn’t fly so recklessly.”

Dax nodded. “Agreed.”

Bright looked quickly back and forth between Trondo and Dax without words. “Sorry. Again,” he mumbled, looking at his foot claws.

Dax rolled his shoulders back. He stood tall, sunning his broad chest in the intense sunlight as he addressed Trondo. “So, he’s sorry. Think we can make it right, Trondo?”

Trondo stood up taller, once again leaving Bright aghast at the mountain of a dragon before him. Trondo growled and rolled his tongue around his mouth as he eyed Bright. Finally, he sighed and rolled his eyes. “Just do whatever stupid job you’re here to do, and stay out of my way.”

Bright let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “Yes, sir.”

Dax smiled. “Sounds like we’re good, then.”

“Grr… Fine,” Trondo huffed. He stomped away, grumbling something about taking a nap.

Bright’s jaw was slack. “How did…” He looked back at Dax.

Dax smiled and scratched at the dark-brown horns that poked out along his jawline. “Please forgive him. He’s right: nobody’s gotten any sleep, and the Dream Weavers have taken their sweet time sending help.” He looked Bright up and down. “I assume that’s why you’re here.” He stepped forward and held out a hand. “My name is Daxis, but just Dax is fine. Welcome to Peace Keepers.”

“Uh, Bright. Bright Sight.” Bright met his hand and was nearly knocked off balance when Dax gave it a hard shake. “Do you, uh…” Bright glanced around the dusty landscape. Everywhere, there were stone structures and tents, and all the dragons were covered in leather armor and weapons. “Do you know who I should talk to? About helping, I mean.” He fiddled with his star charts.

Dax crossed his arms, stuck out his lower jaw, and looked up. “Hm. Titan won’t be back until tonight, and Marco’s at Council over in Artisans, so…” He looked back at Bright. “No.” Bright deflated, and Dax quickly perked up. “But hey, I can show you around.”

“Thank you thank you thank you!” His grip on his tube loosed, and he sighed, then wiped his brow.

“First things first,” Dax said. He turned around and, with a deft flourish, grabbed his spear. “You need to lose that robe before you pass out. You can store it at my place.”

Dax sauntered away, and Bright loped along behind him.

Even this early in the morning, the heat felt oppressive, much more than Bright was used to in the skies of the Dream Weavers lands. And despite the intense sunlight, the Peace Keepers home world seemed clouded and dark. Most of the dragons lumbered around hunched over, their movements lethargic. Two dragons cleaned off a cannon, but their eyes fluttered closed at every wipe of the cloth. A small unit of dragons practiced claw-to-claw combat in the shade of a large earthen spire, but for all their roaring, their bodies slapped weakly against each other, and each match was quick. Bright noticed that even Dax had to correct his posture every few steps as they walked towards a cliff face with several Dragon-sized holes dug in it.

Bright swallowed, his throat dry. “It’s hitting everyone pretty hard, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Dax said flatly as they stopped in front of a hole with an ornate, purple curtain over it. “We’re here. Come inside.” He pulled back the curtain and motioned for Bright to enter.

Bright paused, then ducked into the hole. The cave was surprisingly spacious and decorated. A colorful, woven rug – certainly Artisans-made – covered a large section of the floor. A large, fluffy bed with a dizzying amount of pillows took up the back corner, next to a simple wooden desk. Better than the decoration, though, was that it was much cooler than outside.

“It’s not much, but it’s home,” Dax said. He lifted the hood off a gem lamp and breathed a small gout of flame onto it. It sprung to life with an orange light.

Bright found himself staring at a wooden rack full of spears and three different sets of leather armor, arranged in order of increasing intricacy.

“Woah,” Bright muttered. “Do you really need all these?”

“Not often, thankfully. Can I take your robe?” Bright blinked, shrugged it off, and handed it to him, and Dax continued. “We’ve had some rhynoc raids in the Forgotten Realms lately, but they’re mostly ornamental.” He folded the robe and set it in a small chest near his bed. “You can leave that pendant here, too. I promise it’s secure.”

Bright tensed, then grasped the medal on a ribbon around his neck. “I’ll, uh, hang onto it.”

“Alright.” Dax shrugged and sat on the bed. “So.” He motioned to the chair at his desk. “What have you heard?”

Bright took a deep breath. He felt small in Dax’s home, and without his robe, his skin tingled. He thought back to the last thing Lateef had told him – “Dream Weavers is not the only realm with secrets. It is your task to uncover the truth.” – and sat down. “I’ve only heard what’s been reported. For the last week, everyone in Peace Keepers has been having nightmares. Nothing is wrong with them medically, as far as anyone knows, but nobody can sleep, and it’s causing a lot of problems.”

“And plenty of animosity,” Dax cut in.

Bright’s ears perked up. “What? Why?”

Dax leaned his arm on one knee and smirked. “If you found a bunch of weapons tucked in all the pottery in Dream Weavers, I bet everybody would have some strong opinions.”

“Right…” Bright scratched at his arm. “But that’s about all I know. Have you heard anything else?”

“Hard to say.” Dax breathed deep and sat up. “I wouldn’t trust my own perception at this point. A few of us have started hallucinating. Heh.” He nodded. “I don’t suppose you know much sleep magic?”

Bright straightened up. “Oh, I do!” His heart sank immediately when he saw Dax’s eyebrows raise and his face fill with hope. “Well, a little. I’m still learning.”

“I’ll take it.” He leapt up and flopped on the bed with the beat of his wings. In a couple smooth motions, he removed the leather bands across his chest and arms and began arranging the pillows. “Lay it on me.”

Bright’s muscles locked up. “I haven’t tried it without a trainer before! Usually Lateef is with me–” He spoke faster and faster. “–or I have a practice circle, and I’ve only ever used it on another dragon once, and–”

“Bright,” Dax interjected. Bright paused, and Dax continued. “Come here.” He motioned with a claw.

Bright took a step forward, then another. “I might… Look, I don’t want to hurt you, and if you’re already sleep-deprived, we don’t know what will happen.”

He felt a strong hand on his arm.

The frills on Bright’s head stuck straight up. “Uh… Yes?” He looked down at Dax.

Dax smiled softly. His body was still, and he was reclined. Locking eyes with Bright, unblinking, his chest rose and fell, slowly, and his grip relaxed, little by little, breath after breath.

Bright felt a tingling across his skin. As he looked down at Dax, he felt his muscles relax, starting with his arm, and working its way to his shoulders, wings, and the rest of his body. His heart rate slowed, and so did his breathing.

He blinked a few times and cocked his head to the side. “How did you do that?”

Dax just smiled. “You’ve got this, Bright. Give it a try.” Dax closed his eyes and folded his hands behind his head. “Maybe you’ll learn something.”

Bright sighed, and he softly said, “Okay.” He raised his arms and began to trace patterns in the air. “Okay,” he said again to himself. “You’ve got this.”

No sooner had he started his movements than his muscle memory took over. His claws twisted in the air, and his body rocked back and forth in large, flowing motions. Soon, small lights trailed from his claws like glowing strings in a rainbow of colors. He breathed in time with his spell, and he leaned forward to pass his claws over Dax. Small motes of light blinked into existence. They shone beautifully and hovered in place above Dax, clustered above his head.

Dax cracked an eye open. “This is new.”

“It’s a basic dream spell. If it works, it should help you focus on something pleasant.” He furrowed his brows. “But you need to be asleep for it to work.”

Dax gave a thumbs up and settled back in, and in moments, his body went slack.

Bright felt a thrill shoot up his spine. He whispered, “Dax?” When his companion didn’t respond, he smiled wider, and he leaned further into the spellcasting. With a few more movements, it was done, and he stepped back to admire his work. Over a dozen small stars gently danced a few feet above Dax. They looked like small crystals hung with no string, and they each shone with a small point of light.

He took a deep breath and watched. Dax didn’t stir. His chest raised and lowered with a smooth rhythm, and over time, a slight smile spread across his unconscious face. He snored slightly, and Bright let out a small squeak at his successful spell.

Dax continued to slumber, and Bright watched. The stars emitted a small melody, and as he looked on, everything seemed normal. Dax would breathe in and out, and the spell continued its work.

For twenty minutes, Bright went over every mental note in his head, and he took out his star charts to verify that he’d cast the spell correctly. Everything seemed fine, and he saw no signs of distress. He wondered if this was all it would take.

He felt himself start to nod off, too, so he stretched his legs with a quick lap around the room. He stopped at the weapon rack again and looked at one of the spears. It was similar to the one Dax had brandished earlier, but it had a well-polished shaft and beautiful filigree on both ends.

Curiosity took hold of him. Bright pulled the spear out of its holster, glancing back at the still-sleeping Dax. When he didn’t see any unusual motion, he gave the spear a slow spin, and he nearly dropped it when the tip dragged against the floor with a scraping noise. Bright tensed when he heard Dax take a sudden breath, but he looked over to see that he was still asleep. Sheepishly, he placed the spear back into place.

But then, he felt a small push.

It wasn’t anywhere on his body. It felt like a pushing at the back of his mind, but it had an almost physical force, pressing against him and pushing him away from Dax. Bright’s frills stood on end. “Dax!”

He looked over at the sleeping dragon, who didn’t stir. Bright sighed in relief, but then, he saw that his stars looked… wrong. They weren’t dancing above Dax anymore. Instead, they seemed like they were struggling to move at all, like they were churning through a thick liquid, and little by little, they were blinking out of existence. As they did, Dax flinched, just a little at first, but then more. His head jerked to the side, and he wrenched his eyes closed. He growled and snarled in his sleep, and his arm flailed.

“Dax!” Bright dashed over. “Dax, wake up!” He reached down and shook him awake as the last star blinked out.

“Gah!” Dax sat bolt upright, sweat pouring down his forehead. He wiped some of it off, panting, and looked to Bright. “It’s okay,” he huffed. “I’m fine. I’m okay.” He repeated it a few more times to himself.

Bright deflated. “I’m sorry. It looked like it was working, but… I failed.”

Dax sat up straight. “Hey, no! No worries, Bright. You did good.” He yawned and clapped Bright on the shoulder. “I got a little cat nap in, so it worked!” He lightly punched Bright’s arm. “Cheer up.”

Bright flinched. Were all the Peace Keepers so physical? “I’ll try.” He looked back up at Dax. “So, what happened?”

Dax sat with one leg sprawled on the bed and one knee up, where his arm rested. He furrowed his brow. “Things were fine for a while, but at the end…”

“What went wrong?” Bright took a half step forward. “What did you see? Tell me everything you remember.”

Dax nodded. “Me. And Boris. We were at his place. I had him all tied up in ropes, and then they turned into snakes and started biting us, and… And that’s when I woke up.”

“Strange,” Bright said, cocking his head to the side. “But it looked like you were having a pretty good dream for a while.” Bright chuckled. “Heh heh. So Boris was showing you how to use his ropes, and you accidentally tied him all up?”


Dax went wide-eyed, then looked at Bright. He paused. “...Yes,” he said woodenly. “Yes, that is what I was dreaming about. Uh...” He looked around the room. “What did you see?”

“Well, I used a pretty basic dream spell. My conjured stars floated around your head for a while, like they’re supposed to, but then they just… failed. It wasn’t like anything I’ve ever seen. It was like…” He thought back to his training. “It was like when I was first starting, and my conjured stars didn’t align with the ones in the sky.” Bright raised an eyebrow when he saw Dax breathing heavily. “You okay?”

Dax sucked in a deep breath and leapt to his feet. He spoke quickly. “Well, maybe we should get out there and look for more clues before anything else happens and hey, I bet we can find something over at the edge of the territory because, ha! If it’s stars you’re after, we should really go someplace you can see them, right?”

Bright wrinkled his nose. “What?”

Dax took a deep breath. “You use the stars, right? So why not look at the sky?” He stepped towards the cave entrance, starting to get ahold of himself. “We can get a sneak peak of the night sky if we head to the northeast part of Peace Keepers territory. There’s a portal that’ll take us right there.” He looked over his shoulder. “You up for a night flight?”

Bright beamed as he thought about getting away from the hot desert. “Let’s do it!”

“That’s what I like to hear!” Dax took half a step, paused, and glanced at his weapon rack. He furrowed his brows. With a deft claw, he reached out and turned a single, elaborate spear a quarter turn to the side, lining it up with the others. He glanced back at Bright with narrow eyes.

Bright grimaced. “Sorry.”

Dax snorted. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s go.”

Bright sighed in relief. “Uh, sure! It’ll be nice to get someplace quiet and relaxing.”

===========

“GAH!” Bright screamed into the wind as he narrowly dodged a rock spire.

“Now dive!” Dax yelled through a laugh. He barrel-rolled in the cool air. “Just one more arch!”

“O-okay!” Bright twisted his wings and plummeted for a few feet. He barely caught himself just above the surface of the ocean. His tail slapped against the water, but he pulled himself forward in the air. He was panting and sweating, but he kept going.

If he wasn’t worried about bashing his skull in, he would have loved the beauty of this seaside area. Lighthouses illuminated giant, dragon-sized crystals that jutted out of the rock faces on the edge of a vast ocean. Their light was reflected in the calm waters, and the air was cool and comfortable as it beat against his belly.

The electrified archway was ahead of him. It crackled, just like the others, and his scales scintillated as he drew closer. His heart pounded, and with increasingly powerful beats of his wings, he moved towards it, until he finally pushed through!

“Woo-hoo!” Bright shouted as he banked up into the dark sky. He threw his fists into the air, riding on his adrenaline high.

“Nice work, Bright!” Dax pulled up next to him and flapped in place. “You didn’t even fall in the water! Well done!”

Bright was all smiles. “Oh my GOSH! I know, right!” He clenched his fists and danced in the air. “How was my time?”

“Uh…” Dax looked at a fairy behind Bright as he struggled to stifle a yawn. The fairy checked a stopwatch, grimaced, and shook her head at Dax. “Well… not bad for a first flight!”

“I’ll take it,” Bright panted. “So when do we–”

“DOWN!” With one beat of his wings, Dax rushed forward and grabbed Bright, tackling him in midair. The two of them plummeted, spinning over themselves, and Bright saw a flash of golden fire streak just above them, right where they’d been hovering, as a searing heat brushed against his wingtips.

“Ah! What is that?” Bright shouted as they separated and took off flying. They banked around outcroppings of rock and tried to distance themselves from it.

“Don’t know,” Dax yelled back. “But it’s slow. I think we can outfly it.”

“Uh…” Bright said through his panting breath. “Maybe you can, but I’m beat.”

Dax’s eyebrows furrowed, and he nodded. “We’ll just have to beat it, then. Hya!” His wings rotated back, and he flew upwards and back in a perfect semicircle.

“Wait, Dax!” Bright tried to pursue, but he was too out of breath. He landed on a small cliff and looked up.

It was a ball of golden fire. It zipped around erratically, as if looking for its target. Little pops of energy bursting from it, and it made a loud, eerie, buzzing noise.

“Hey, hothead! Looking for someone?” Dax burst from behind a large crystal. The fireball turned immediately toward him, right as he reeled back with his spear. “Catch!” His muscles tightened, and he threw the spear with all the force he could muster.

Bright looked on. The calculations ran through his head, and in that split second, he saw the spear going directly for the ball of fire. His heart welled.

...then dropped to his stomach when the fireball dodged out of the way. His wits snapped back to him, and he shouted, “Dax! Look out!”

Dax hovered in place as the fireball raced towards him. It’s violent glow shone against the crystals and illuminated Dax. Bright could almost feel the heat against his own scales as he watched in horror.

And then, Dax smirked. “Thanks, Sevrin.”

He spun his wrist with a flourish, and a small light appeared. Dax whipped his body around itself, gaining momentum as the light elongated, and with a flash, his spear reappeared in his claws. Building on the force of his spin, he shouted a guttural “Hyargh!” and drove the spear deep into the direct center of the fireball.

Another loud popping noise, and Dax was thrown back against the face of a mountain, where he crumbled onto a ledge.

Bright’s feet felt welded in place. “Dax!” he shouted. “Please be okay!”

Dax shook out his head and quickly pushed up onto his feet. “I’m fine,” he shouted back as he took position, bracing himself for another thrust of his spear. “But it looks like…” He trailed off. His eyes widened, and his mouth hung open. “Oh, no,” he muttered. He shook his head, and a dark heaviness took hold in his eyes. “No, no, no, no…”

“What is…” Bright looked up, and he tensed. The fireball was still there. But now, it was a different color: a bright, angry, electric blue, only slightly less intense than the gold from a moment ago. “That thing’s still alive!?”

It zipped around in place, then abruptly stopped in midair. It swelled and turned its attention back to Dax.

“For the moment,” Dax replied. In a lower voice, he said, “I’m sorry, buddy. I’ll make it quick.” He lunged, but this time the fireball easily dodged his attack. Dax took the opportunity to dive underneath it, then pulled up just before he hit the water. “Bright! Got any offensive capabilities of your own?”

“Uh… Maybe? I don’t really train that way.”

The blue light spiraled around Dax, who banked left and right to keep from getting burned. “A distraction, then? Anything!?” Dax raced towards him.

Bright sucked in a breath. “No! Just some illusions and–”

“Perfect!” Dax flapped harder and aimed for the space just above Bright’s head. “Just daze it if you can.”

“But I–”

“No buts! Just do it!” He closed the gap even further, and Bright knew there was no hiding from this one.

Bright concentrated on his small rock platform. “Okay, you can do this. Just like you practiced.” He felt the magic well up in him, and he twisted his claws around each other, conjuring. “Just a little light. Something to daze him. I can do this. I can do this.”

But something felt wrong. The magic welled up inside him, yes, but it was much more chaotic than he’d been expecting. Bright swallowed a lump in his throat. “No, no, not now!” He frantically conjured faster, but the more he struggled, the more out of control the magic felt. He kept at it, but it felt like trying to gather sand with a net. “This isn’t–”

“Now!”

Dax passed overhead, and the wind from his wings was just enough to break Bright’s concentration. The magic released from him all at once, and a misshapen constellation of stars exploded from his hands, some more literally than others.

The blue fireball dove right into the field of stars, where it seemed to get physically caught on something. It struggled against the field of tiny glowing orbs, but they had manifested solidly, at least to the fireball.

“Good work, Bright.” Dax looped in midair.

“Wait, no! It’s not safe!”

Just as Bright shouted, the first star popped in a flash of light, followed by another, then another. Bright hit the ground and covered himself with his wings, trying to shield himself from what he knew was coming.

He felt a strong arm grab him and roll him over the side of the rock just as a dozen stars exploded in fire and light. The heat washed over them, but Bright felt no pain, and he dared to look up a moment ago when the light had faded.

Above, he saw a sickly green light shining just above the outcropping, twitching and lethargically moving in the air. But now, the light was much dimmer, and he could make out a shape inside. “Is that… a giant dragonfly?”

Dax sighed, his arm still around Bright, as he looked up at it, too. “It was,” he grunted. In a swift motion, he stood up and squared his shoulders. “Wait here, Bright.”

Bright’s mind flared. “Wait, that’s a dragonfly? Like the kind that protect us?”

Dax just nodded. “Not anymore. It’s been corrupted.” Bright looked up, and he saw how different this dragonfly was. It looked monstrous: it had a massive, toothy jaw, spikes all along its back, twisted claws at the ends of its legs, and a constant sneer as it emitted a vicious buzz mixed with a cacophony of growls.

Dax squatted down for a takeoff.

Bright scrambled to his feet. “Wait… W-what are you going to do?”

Dax looked at him solemnly. “What I have to, Bright.” He leapt up, and with one flap of his wings, he jumped over the outcropping, where he tackled the glowing monstrosity and dragged it out of sight.

“Wait, Dax! No!”

True to his word, Dax made it quick, and not a breath later, the light faded, and the buzzing ceased.

Bright stood there, so very cold on that rocky outcropping. He held out a claw, reaching for… something. He didn’t know what.

Dax peered over the edge. “This is going to–”

Bright roared, “You killed it!” Fire raced through Bright’s body, and he leapt up onto the ledge with Dax, lunging directly for him.

Dax easily grappled him to the ground and held him in place. “Bright, listen: we’ll do what we can, but you need to calm down.”

“It was just a friendly dragonfly and you killed it!” Horror gripped his heart, and he looked at his claws. “And you made me help you! You monster!”

“Bright, you need to–”

“No!” Bright beat furiously at Dax’s chest, but Dax didn’t flinch. “You could have done something! We should have–”

“Bright Sight!” Dax barked, flames curling out of the sides of his mouth. “He’s still breathing! I’m going to try to help him, but I need you to calm down first!”

Bright froze. “Fine,” he huffed after a beat.

“Good.”

Dax stood up slowly, keeping an eye on Bright, then hopped over to the creature. It no longer glowed, its shell a dull, bone white. It was the size of Bright, and it looked even more monstrous like this. Its wings fluttered helplessly, and worst of all, it looked like it was in pain, like it had been in pain for a very long time. Its eyes locked with Bright’s.

Bright sobbed. “We don’t have to… We can help, right?”

Dax took a deep breath. “Maybe. It’s up to him, though.” He reached into the small bag at his hip and pulled out a jar with a glowing blue-and-green butterfly inside. He knelt down beside the dragonfly, which weakly snapped at him. “Sh, sh… It’s okay. You’re going to sleep for a while.” He opened the bottle, and the butterfly fluttered out.

Like a starving dog, the former dragonfly scrabbled up to the butterfly and ate it in one bite. Then, it collapsed, barely breathing.

Dax stepped back and put a claw on Bright’s shoulder. Bright stared at it, unable to look away.

The dragonfly’s eyes changed. Whereas before, it was full of malice and hatred, now it looked almost sorry, and it was no longer in pain.

Bright sputtered, “Is he…”

“Just watch.” Dax held his shoulder, as if to keep him grounded.

The bony white exterior began to glow, and the dragonfly dissipated into small, white and black glowing particles that drifted skyward. Bright tried to take a step forward, but Dax held him in place. The glowing dust continued to scatter, until all that was left was a small pile.

Dax let go and motioned towards the pile. “C’mere.” Bright followed and nervously peered over Dax’s shoulder as he squatted down and tenderly wiped away the dust from the small pile, revealing a cocoon. With gentle claws, he picked it up and placed it in the same jar, along with some moss he plucked from the rocks. “There we go, buddy. Rest now.”

Bright gulped. “Is he… going to be okay?”

Dax stood up and cradled the jar. “Hard to say. Corruption magic gets in there deep. He’ll probably live, but he might come back as that monster again, and if so, well… Then he’s too far gone.”

Bright’s voice caught in his throat. “So what’s going to happen to him?”

Dax spoke as softly and gently as he could. “We’ll have to wait and see. He’ll need someone to take care of him. The Artisans have a good–”

“Me,” Bright said, stepping on Dax’s words. Dax looked up, and Bright stepped forward with a claw at his chest. “I’ll do it.”

Dax raised an eyebrow. “You sure? It’ll be a lot of work.”

Bright nodded and took the jar. “I used those bursting stars on him.” He gently rubbed his hand on the outside of the jar. “I owe it to him. I’ll make sure he gets better.”

Dax paused, looked Bright up and down, and smiled. “Then I think he’s in good claws.”

Bright brought the jar to his face and frowned. “Sorry, little guy. I’ll make it better.” He looked back at Dax. “Who would do something like this?”

Dax let out a low, rumbling breath. “Corruption magic isn’t well understood. It’s forbidden, obviously, but that doesn’t stop folks like Gnasty Gnorc from messing with it. The biggest problem is how versatile it is. I’m no mage, but it seems like it can be used on just about anything.”

The realization sounded like a thunderclap in Bright’s mind. “Wait… anything?”

“Yeah. Gems, dragonflies, pits of sludge–”

“What about stars?” he asked, looking up.

Dax’s eye ridges raised. “You don’t think…”

Bright had already set the jar on the ground and dug madly into his pack for his star charts, which he spread out along the ground in a wide display in front of him. A few curled in the wind, but Dax weighed them down with small rocks nearby. Bright was frantic, eyes darting from the charts to the sky and back again. And all at once, his fronds stood out on end.

Dax gasped. “What’s up?”

Bright’s jaw hung open. “Take me to the most magical place in Peace Keepers. Right now.”

===============

Dax and Bright peered over a rock. Below them, three large, decorative pillars rose out of a soupy, purple-and-black sludge that roiled with a disgusting rainbow of sickly colors. Bridges joined the areas at the tops of the pillars, and abandoned cauldrons littered several corners of the arena.

Bright squinted his eyes in the evening sun, which still burned bright as they tried to see anything. Dax rolled his eyes and extended a wing over Bright’s head to give him a bit of shade.

“Thanks,” Bright whispered.

“No problem,” Dax whispered back. He looked out over the cesspool. “This place has been corrupted since Doctor Shemp settled in. Even after Spyro burned his butt off, it never fully recovered.”

Bright frowned. “Can’t you do anything about it?”

Dax shook his head. “Dragons from across the realms have tried, but they haven’t found a solution yet.” He sneered. “And it’s not like we can convince anyone to help us most of the time. You heard how long it took the Dream Weavers to send someone here.”

Bright’s wings felt heavy. “Well, we’ll see if we can figure it out now.”

“Sorry, didn’t mean to take it out on you. Lack of sleep, I guess.” He looked out over the area. “Now, you’ve got the keen eyes. See anything strange?”

Bright squinted again and looked across the way. “What about that cave over there?”

“What cave?”

Bright blinked at him. “Th… The big hole in the side of the cliff face?”

Dax narrowed his eyes, then shivered. “I don’t see a cave, Bright.”

“How can you miss it?” To Bright, it was so obvious: a small hole had been dug in the side of the rock, clear as day. “I’m pointing right at it.”

“Then whatever’s in there is messing with more than just our dreams. Sounds like it hasn’t gotten to you yet. Let’s go.” Dax leapt forward and spread his wings with a mighty flap.

“Wait!” Bright called. “You just said you can’t see it!”

“Don’t need to.” He smiled over his shoulder. “I’ve got a friend with some good eyes.”

Bright’s heart swelled at the compliment, but then it sunk right down to his knees when he realized how much danger they were in. He wasn’t about to let his new friend down, though. “I’m right behind you.”

As they neared the gap in the searing heat, there was a flash.

“Dax, look out!”

Even through the illusion, Dax could see it: a blast of sickly green energy shooting right towards him as a mocking voice laughed at him. “Nyah nyah nuh-nyah nyah!”

Dax spread his wings and folded them in, taking a dive and ducking just below the energy blast. It sailed past Bright, who caught up with Dax and hovered with him in the air. A smiling, green thief waved its hands mockingly at them from just inside the hole where the illusion dropped. “Nyah nyah nuh-nyah nyah!” It took off running, but to the dragons’ shock, it ran sideways across the sheer cliff face, then up to the rim, completely defying gravity.

“That’s new,” Bright said, eyes wide. He steeled himself. “But don’t worry! We can catch him!” He flapped his wings and–

“Wait,” Dax barked. “I don’t trust it.”

“Dax, he’s getting away!” Bright pleaded.

Dax shook his head. “Even if he found a spell to walk on walls, don’t you think it’s odd he’s not carrying anything?”

Bright looked, and sure enough, the thief appeared to be taunting them with… nothing.

Dax continued. “Everything is in the mind, right? The dreams, the illusory walls… It’s a distraction. Which also means…”

He grabbed Bright and barrel-rolled past another green energy ball.

“...whoever is in there really doesn’t want us to get inside! Let’s go!”

The two of them dashed through the remnants of the illusory wall, which dissipated at their touch. Inside was a surprisingly roomy cave, set up with bookshelves, a magic ritual circle, a bed, and a cauldron, over which a lightning wizard conjured some kind of spell. His skin looked pale, and his face throbbed with green veins all around his glassy eyes.

Dax pointed his spear at the wizard. “I am Daxis of Peace Keepers. You are in violation of our sovereign borders. Surrender peacefully, or face me!”

The wizard’s head rolled back, and it extended a bony hand, which crackled with energy.

Bright shouted, “Look out!” and conjured a field of stars between them and the wizard, just as the green lightning shot from his hand. The magic broke across the starfield, burning it up in the process.

“Nice one!” Dax launched at the wizard, dodging two quick bolts, then landed behind him. He pulled his spear back like a baseball bat, and just before he swung, his face twisted into a wince. “This is going to hurt,” he groaned as he swung with all his might. His metal spear connected with the back of the electrified wizard, and for a brief moment, Bright saw almost cartoonish flashes of Dax’s skeleton inside his body, and he heard a horrible frying noise. But the wizard was knocked a great distance past Bright and near the entrance of the cave.

“...Ow,” Dax grumbled.

The wizard quickly picked himself up and stared at Bright with cold, hollow eyes. Drool fell from his twisted, yellow-purple lips, and he reached a hand out to Bright. Bright stood there, transfixed and taking quick, shallow breaths as a thousand horrible fates spun through his mind.

“No you don’t!” Dax shouted as he tackled the wizard, using a wooden chair as a buffer for the electric attack. The two of them tumbled out of the cave and down the cliff face. They crashed, head over feet, against the rock, and the wizard was the first to recover. It began hovering, flying away from the cliff face.

“Dax!” Bright shouted as he looked over the ledge.

Dax tumbled again, but finally, just above the purple sludge, he kicked off from the wall and flapped his wings. “I’m fine! Disrupt his spell! I’ll keep him busy!” He soared up to meet the wizard.

Bright clenched. “But how?”

“You’re the magic dragon! HYA!” He threw his spear at the wizard, who deflected the missile. Dax recalled it to his claws in another flash of light. “Figure it out!”

As Dax circled around his foe, Bright gulped and looked back at the room. All the individual components made sense to him, but everything felt bigger. Deadlier. This wasn’t the training hall in Dream Weavers. This was real, and he knew that one wrong move could spell his doom.

And even worse, if he didn’t try, it could be the end of both of them. Bright fiddled with his claws, and small sparks shot from his cracked horn without him noticing. He shook. “H-how do I… I’ve never done anything like this alone before. I can’t. I can’t…”

He stepped back, and he felt a jar tap against his hip. When he looked down, he saw the cocoon.

And he knew he wasn’t alone.

“Okay, I don’t know if you can hear me, but we have to do this.” Bright imagined his small friend responding. “We’ve got this.”

Bright looked around the room again. Squinting his eyes to adjust to the darkness, he saw that the ritual circle was slightly aglow. He hadn’t noticed at first – the magic seemed so subtle that it wouldn’t even hardly be able to levitate a feather, and it looked like a harmless weather forecasting spell.

But he squinted his eyes at it. “But Dax said…” Cautiously, he conjured a small star and sent it towards the arcane circle. When it crossed the threshold, it popped with a crackle of energy, belying the circle’s true power.

Bright nodded. “Okay. Okay. Gotta dispel the illusion before I can read it. Let’s see…” He swirled his claws around each other and focused. His brows furrowed. The room seemed to darken, and swirls of blue and purple light formed in his claws. He blasted his energy at the circle.

...and it dispersed across an unseen shield. His heart sank, and he turned back to the fight. “Dax! I can’t dispel it! He’s too powerful!”

“Mage-mashing 101, kid!” Dax shouted back. He was sweating and dodging as many lightning bolts as he could. Even with his speed and training, a few grazed him. “Break their concentration. Gimme ten seconds, then try it again.”

Bright turned back and re-conjured his spell, but he kept an eye on Dax and the wizard. Lightning shot all around Dax, but he nimbly dodged the worst of them, only taking glancing blows that left his scales singed, but not burned through. Dax rushed the caster, and the wizard prepared for Dax to dodge.

But Dax had no plans on dodging. “Now!”

He thrust his spear into the wizard at point-blank range. It found its mark, but as soon as it did, lightning shot through it to Dax, who suddenly stopped flapping his wings, wings that found themselves coated in green corruption magic.

Bright stood aghast, but then, he saw the arcane circle dim out of the corner of his eyes, and he took his shot. The purple-and-blue energy slammed into the shielding spell, which shattered like glass, revealing the true scene: a ghostly green set of sigils around a map of the sky. The stars shuddered in this map, all out of place, creaking like bones trying to reset themselves. However, green globs of some kind of fluid held them in place.

Bright whipped around. “I got it! I–” He gasped. “Dax!”

Dax plummeted. His body twitched, and his spear fell away. The wizard retreated a few dozen feet as dark smoke curled out of his chest. Dax fell and fell and fell. His wings slowly spread out, trying to cushion his fall, but he still slammed onto one of the pedestals with a hard thud.

Bright swore he could hear a bone break. He stood, frozen.

The wizard tried to cast another lightning bolt, but he recoiled from the pain.

Dax’s head turned, shakily towards Bright. He couldn’t speak, but Bright knew what was on his mind. Bright had to finish this.

Bright’s heart pounded. He turned around again, looking for anything that would break the spell. Finding nothing immediately, he felt a spark, a draconic instinct, welling up deep within him. It was a heat in his belly, as strong as any of his magic, and it grew inside him.

“Here goes nothing.” He conjured an enhancement spell directly in front of him, then pulled back his shoulders. He dug deeply into himself, all the way to his toes, as that heat spread through his body. It rose up to his chest and his neck and his throat, and with a mighty roar, he unleashed a jet of fiery fury on the arcane circle in front of him.

A flash of light.

A loud crash.

A held breath, and an utter silence.

The silence was broken by the screeching of the wizard. In seconds, the spear wound spread and overcame his body, and he evaporated in a puff of smoke that was carried off in the wind.

Bright leapt into the air. “We did it! We… Dax!”

Bright looked down, and Dax still lay there, motionless. Bright dove, flying faster than he ever had. “No way. No way, Dax. Please don’t be–” He landed, and Dax remained paralyzed. The corruption magic on his wings had vanished, but he looked like a wooden puppet. His expression was vacant, and his mouth was twisted open in the remnants of a scream.

Bright dug into his pack. “There has to be something. Something!” He looked back at Dax.

...and saw that Dax was giving him a thumbs up.

Bright squealed with joy. “Thank goodness!” He hugged Dax, who just said, “Ow.”

“Oops! Sorry. Uh… Can I help you somehow?”

“Just,” Dax strained through a motionless mouth. “Gimme… like… two minutes.”

============

Titan nodded from the chair behind his desk in a large, hollowed-out cave. He folded his hands and furrowed his brow. “Unnerving. Whoever this was, they inhibited our ability to gather intelligence, then worked under our noses. I don’t doubt that the wizard was working for someone.” He sighed. “We’ll need to redouble our security efforts. I suspect it won’t help, but at least now we know what we’re looking for.” He stood up and saluted. “Good work, Daxis.”

Dax saluted back, though one of his wings was bound in a splint. “Thank you, sir. However, this wasn’t a solo effort.”

Titan nodded. “Bright Sight, the Dream Weaver.”

Dax thought back to the battle and this very, very long day, and he smiled when he thought of his new friend. “Yes sir. He was instrumental in locating and disrupting the spell circle.”

Titan smiled back. “I’ll send a letter of commendation to Lateef.” Titan sat back down and looked again at Dax’s hastily-written report. “Get some rest. You’ve earned it. Dismissed.”

Dax saluted again, then headed outside into the setting sun. He took a deep breath. It was dusty and cool, and it felt more like home than it had in weeks. The tension in the air was gone. The temperature felt perfect. Most of all, it was peaceful. The only sounds were a gentle wind, the desert bugs, and a lot of snoring dragons.

With a deep breath, Dax relaxed and walked back to his cave as fast as his bruised body would allow. He peeled back the curtain and said, “Sorry that took a while, Bright. Good news, though. Sounds like you’re getting a recommendation… Bright?” Dax looked around, and he saw that Bright’s red cloak was gone. “Hm…”

He perked an ear and looked around. Instinctively, he tried to take off, but he winced in pain and settled on a jog instead. At least his instincts were right about one thing, and he raced towards the balloonist.

And there he was, wrapped up in his red cloak and double-checking his star charts.

“Little late for a ride,” Dax shouted as he approached. “Didn’t feel like flying?”

“Dax!” Bright hopped out of the basket, then looked back at the annoyed balloonist with an apologetic wave. He turned back to Dax. “Uh… sorry. I wanted to say goodbye, but I’m a little exhausted to fly, and the clock is ticking on the ride, and–”

Dax cut him off with a laugh. “You’re good, Bright. I’m glad I caught you.” Dax stood up tall. “You did good today. It was great working with you, and I hope we get the chance to do it again sometime.” He extended a claw. “Thank you. Couldn’t have done it without you.”

Bright swelled, and his smile almost broke his face. “Sure thing, Dax! And thank you, too. I haven’t ever done anything like stop a wizard or break a curse or, or…” His face reddened. “I wish I could thank you, too. Is there anything I can do?”

Dax laughed. “Just shake my hand, Bright, and promise me I’ll see you around again.”

“Oh! Right.” Bright extended a claw and met Dax’s grip. This time, though, he wasn’t knocked off balance. He felt grounded, solid. He gave Dax’s claw a firm shake, and for some reason, he could swear he felt taller than he had this morning. “I’ll see you again. I promise.”

“Excellent.” Dax nodded to the balloonist, who cleared his throat. “Better get going. Take care, Bright.”

With a few more goodbyes, Bright hopped back into the balloon. The two of them, the Dream Weaver and the Peace Keeper, waved as Bright rose higher and higher into the sky. They both smiled, and even if they were worse for wear, they felt at ease, knowing they would face another tomorrow. They watched each other grow smaller and smaller with a happy thought on their minds.

And neither of them noticed a large, yellow, knife-clad dragon scowling at them from the shadows.

The sun finally dipped behind the horizon as the balloon sailed over the mountains. Bright took it all in, and for the first time since he’d landed in Peace Keepers, he breathed easily, and his mind cleared. He stood tall, he took in the beautiful sights of the darkening desert, and he felt at peace.

While the balloonist busied himself navigating, Bright dug into a pouch he kept at his belt. He pulled out a small jar with a cocoon inside and held it up to his face. “Well, buddy, I don’t know what happens next, but I think we both have some things to do.” Bright smiled. “First up: let’s get you someplace nice and comfortable. Someplace with lots of butterflies.”

And inside the cocoon, a small glow sparked to life.