Vortex : The Dragon Lands

Chapter 14: Year of the Dragon

What was it that drove Dante to make an escape from the tower window? Is Melson innocent? What was the photo? The next two chapters are going to reveal what lead up to that moment. 

Advisory! -- The next chapter is going to be extremely gory so tread at your own pace. 

12 Hours earlier...

Zophia woke up with Cypress by her side eating breakfast at a tavern. Most of the Anthros had gotten used to the humans and didn't stare as much when they were out in public. She played with his black wavy hair which turned into a crisp golden brown in the sunlight. It was the first time the peasants in the village and her guards had ever seen their princess so happy. Zophia had 4 guards with her at all times due to her father's paranoia of being with the humans all the time. Meanwhile Violet began arguing with Jake inside the cabin, two guards stayed behind in the cabin in case Zophia returned.

"You have feelings for Cynder... don't you Jake". Jake stopped drinking his coffee not knowing how he would answer the question, "It's complicated, she's a really good friend, but I just made the wrong move at the wrong time and," Violet became blunt and interrupted Jake, "You love her..." The guards looked at each other, Jake was becoming agitated, "You can't know that, you can't..."

Jake confessed, "I might have feelings for Cynder, but it's not love; we're friends and I don't want that to change because of what happened."

Violet leaned in towards Jake and kissed him ferociously, Jake grabbed the back of her pigtails and they licked the coffee off each others teeth and tongues.

Tobious walked in spiking his black coffee, "Oh don't mind me and the guards, I'm sure they like to watch too. If you guys like each other, take my advice and leave it Jake. I might run out of booze soon and if Spyro gets you again you're gonna be looking at a ton of infections and a lot of pain."

Jake couldn't help but chuckle, "you really know how to say the worst things in the best way possible".

"I kid, Humor's my way of coping in this backwards place, that and vodka." Tobi said.

The group continued to eat their breakfast while listening to soft jazz. The guards couldn't wait to go back to the palace and spread the gossip with other knights.

After their brunch and Tobi's "liquid lunch" they helped Jake walk out to the street where he started his physical therapy with some of the locals. The surrounding workout fanatics were more than happy to lend Jake a paw and help workout his muscles to the road of recovery, Although seven feet tall and tough they were softies at heart.

Violet was concerned he would try too hard but she knew he was strong and left to the market to find more medicinal herbs. Jake began to do some push ups, "Careful not to strain yourself too hard Jake, you don't want to open those stitches back up or they'll take longer to heal." Jona said.

After about an hour of his recovery session Brius decided to give him some personal questions. "So what was it like Jake"?

He was a bit confused by what the wolf meant, the dog became persistent, "What was it like being inside of a dragon? Most of us villagers just stay with our own, but it looks like your people are in a rush to get your numbers going up again hehe." A lot of the surrounding workout fanatics were curious to hear Jake's, "details."

He couldn't believe a group of Anthros with muscles bigger than his face were asking him for sex advice, but after what he'd been through with Spyro he couldn't talk about it. He continued to do more pull ups. Brius knew it made him uncomfortable and dropped the conversation piece, "Uh... sorry, Let's just focus on the workout. Here, you want to extend your arm so you pull the muscle fiber..."