What Comes After Death

Chapter 7

I gently placed the compacted sand block with the other sand blocks. I landed softly next to them, allowing myself a moment to rest. I looked to some of the construction the moles had started, stacking the blocks on top of each other to create a structure of a building. I admired the moles for being able to use the natural materials around them to build.

I looked out to the rest of the cave, many of the half-constructed buildings lay around the place, being placed on the different levels laced along the cave walls. I stood on the edge and observed the large cave. They expanded since settling down here, and continue to do so. They left much space for me to spread my wings, but also planned to build many structures that we can both live comfortably. I sighed, admiring how much the moles had achieved in a whole moon cycle*.

I watched the hardworking moles below; from the higher levels, they looked like little ants scurrying around, carrying almost double their weight. They looked comparably smaller against the other dragons and cat folk from the village. I was so scared to introduce the village to the moles, paranoid that they would also chase them away, and it would be all my fault again. But instead, they welcomed the moles and even insisted on helping us build.

I spotted Zander near the entrance of the cave. As chief of the mole tribe, he had done a fantastic job keeping his tribe together, treating them all like family. He treated me like family as well, but some part of me felt like I never truly belonged. I shook off the thought and decided to fly down to speak to him. As I slowed down to land, everyone kept about their business but Zander turned to face where I was landing.

"Ah, Crystal!" he greeted me pleasantly.
"Chieftain," I landed and pulled my wings in.
"How goes the renovation on the upper levels?"
"Smoothly. I took the necessary supplies that they need for now. Is there something else I can help with?"

Zander nodded his head thoughtfully then turned to some bags leaning against the wall, "there are some supplies needing to be taken to the village," he then gestured to a small cluster of moles, "also, these moles are eagerly waiting to visit the village. Could you possibly take them with you?"
"Yes chief, I can handle that no problem," I assured him.

Zander called to the group of moles and they ran over to me excitedly. I lowered my body, "hop on." They climbed onto my back one by one, helping each other up. Once I felt they were all comfortable I stood up and walked over to the bags. We said our farewells and I grabbed the bags with my mouth. I walked out the cave entrance, waiting a moment before taking to the skies.

Once comfortably in the air I swapped the bags to my paws. One of the moles on my back shouted, "thanks for carrying us to the village!"
"Yeah! We've been so excited to see the village and meet new creatures!" another mole called out.
"It's no problem. It is quite a nice place," I called back to them. They mumbled in excitement, the wind carrying their voices behind me.

I flew slower and closer to the ground than I usually do because of the moles on my back, but it wasn't a nuisance as I tend to skip over the scenery of this area. I never really took much notice of this area since the scorpion attack. I shook off the terrifying thought and smiled to myself as I thought of how well the village and the moles got along. Along with helping us build, they began trading with us, as both places had useful recourses.

I saw the village in the distance and called out to the moles again, "We are almost there, I see it up ahead." They all squirmed with excitement at my words. I slowed down my flying as I approached the village until I was at a walking pace. I swapped the bag back to my mouth and planted my feet on the ground to start walking. As I walked through the entrance we were greeted by a few moles and cat folk. I nodded a greeting and lowered my body for the moles to slide off my back. They all slid off quickly and ran to their friends, greeting one and other.

One of the cat folk approached me, "would you like me to carry that for you?" I hummed my gratitude and passed it to her. She nodded to me and began walking into the village. After the moles ran off their respective directions, I walked beside the tiger that took the bag from me. I watched all the villagers, including moles, happily minding their own business, this is all I wanted for the moles, for them to live happily. And they were... but...

"Crystal!" a voice called my name. I turned to see a dragon walking toward me, "You have returned! Have you been practising the new move I taught you a few weeks ago?"
"yes Master, I have." I bowed my head slightly.
"Come I want to see it in action," she gestured toward the training ground. As we walked she spoke gently, "you know, you have come so far since I first started training you. It's incredible how little you knew."

I smiled in gratitude.
"But now, you can handle yourself in a fight, perhaps even in a battle." I heard a hint of proudness in her voice.
"All thanks to you."
"Of course. Knowing that though, you are still quite a way off mastering it. But I have faith you will," she finished as we reached the training grounds.

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I rested the book on the roof tiles in front of me. "Sand blocks? Large cave near a volcano? Is she perhaps talking about... the Ruins of Warfang? Built by the moles for their strong relationship with dragons...?" I stood quickly in realisation, "Is this... the Crystal?! The Crystal that saved the mole race?! The reason they exist to this day?!" I puffed a few times, putting all the pieces together, "Why did I not realise this sooner?!"

I steadied my breathing to calm myself, this journal was never discovered... perhaps it never existed in the real world. Her legacy was only told through stories. Though it only happened a few decades ago, a lot of the information is missing. I eventually calmed myself and sat back down on the roof. I looked down at the book. So what did happen to her? I flipped to near the end of the book, turning over a lot of pages to reach it.

*about a year

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Little bit of lore for you, feel free to skip this:

Crystal continuously calls them cat folk and not just cheetahs because there are a few different cat types (cheetahs, tigers, leopards and such). When Malefor raged war, the cat folk went into hiding and broke off into tribes, sticking to their breed. For example the Cheetah village, Tiger Village, etc. In the years of hiding, they grew to despise dragon kind, forgetting what dragons are really like.

Keep in mind this is lore I created, not saying this is indefinitely Spyro lore.