Work Text:
Skylands was a place teeming with life of all kinds. Mabu, trolls, elementals, dragons, elves and all matter of magical beauty. But with that beauty came those who would exploit the forces of Skylands for selfish needs.
Whenever these villains made their action, it fell to heroes from all matters of life and abilities, to stop them. They were known as Skylanders.
One of the many heroes was Ignitor, a flaming elemental in an eternal suit of enchanted armour. His sense of duty matched only by his disdain for witches and undead spirits.
Upon being called upon, Ignitor met with Master Eon, kneeling as a knight should always do to his leader.
”You summoned me, Master Eon?” He asked, flames crackling from his steel prison.
“I did, and you don’t have to kneel.”
Ignitor rose as Eon conjured a small projection with his palm.
”We have sensed a presence in the underworld, and have selected you to investigate.”
Were he able to smile, Ignitor would. Smiting the undead wretches of the world was a good way to relieve his suffering of entrapment.
”I understand, I will go at once.”
Eon held up his hand.
”But you will not be going alone. The forest is teeming with undead and twisted magics. You will need assistance to enter. And I believe you know who I’m referring to?”
The door to the office opened, and from outside floated a pale eleven sorceress in a sleeveless black gown. Her eyes were an undead white and her horned headdress gave her an intimidating aura.
”I do not need help from some witch.” Ignitor declared, spitting the word like acid on his tongue.
”You do not have a choice,” Hex replied calmly.
Eon silenced both parties with a mere raised hand.
”Regardless of your differences, you are both Skylanders and must learn to work together. It is only through trust that we can defeat our foes.”
Ignitor glanced at his partner, nodding slowly to Eon before being dismissed.
“I can sense you glaring at me,” Hex stared as she floated through the corrupted forest.
Ignitor’s blade rested in his grip. Ready to be unleashed on any creature of the night.
”If you were aware of what I have been through, you would understand my distrust of your kind.”
”You’d be wise to not presume I’m your enemy.”
Hex floated away.
”This way..”
Ignitor watched as the elven witch went further into the forest. He heard the telltale sounds of rising from the ground and swung his sword behind him.
A zombie’s head hit the ground. A dozen more rose from the dirt, groaning in pain. Ignitor chuckled, igniting his flaming sword.
”Wonderful! A battle to win!”
Before he could fight, four rotting hands clutched his boots, locking him in place. His sword was disarmed.
“Release me at once, you horrid shapes!”
Blasts of purple magic returned the arms to the earth. Ignitor turned to see Hex, her palm aglow with magic.
”You’re welcome.”
Ignitor kept moving.
”I told you I did not need help.”
Their journey continued until they reached a mystical barrier. Ignitor swung at it with blazing flame and steel, before Hex stopped him.
”I can break the spell. Stand back.”
Ignitor watched as Hex crouched down before the barrier.
"What are you waiting for?"
"Why do you despise witches so much?"
Ignitor asked why she cared.
"I need time to prepare this spell and I'm tired of you glaring at me. So..."
Ignitor sighed, sitting down.
"I was not always... like this. I was once a young knight, Ignatius. On my way to slay a dragon, I came across a woman who granted me a suit of magic armour. She said it would let me face the dragons fire unharmed."
The knight scoffed.
"It turned out that once the flame hit the armour, I was transformed into a fire elemental and bound to this suit for all eternity."
His gaze turned to his gloved palm.
"No matter how many evildoers I smite, how much I fight or the damage I endure, this cage remains. I am starting to forget who I used to be. And it is all because I trusted a witch.”
The woods were silent for a moment. Hex’s voice gained a touch of sympathy.
"I'm... sorry you had to go through that. Losing who you used to be is not a pleasant experience."
Ignitor scoffed again. What could she know of his pain?
He must have said that out loud as Hex’s attention turned away from the spell circle and towards her companion.
”I was an elf before this. I trained myself in many matters of magic. I was respected, not feared by any except my enemies. Until I entered the underworld, trying to slay a dragon.”
She looked to her palm, pale and cold as death.
”As soon as I entered, I became one of the monsters. My heart no longer beats, blood no longer flows, all I feel is the magic of undeath. No matter how hard I try, I see the stares of fear from those I protect.”
Ignitor couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Did he… have something in common with a witch? He was celebrated as a hero after slaying the dragon, while she was treated as a monster.
It… wasn’t fair.
”I am… sorry. You did not deserve to be ostracised. Especially by your own.”
Hex didn’t smile much even after joining the Skylanders, but now, under the faint glow of the night, one could almost imagine the slightest smile on her face.
The barrier flashed purple, before it fades into mist.
”Let’s continue.”
As they passed through, Ignitor asked Hex a question.
”Why did you ask me to stand back?”
”I just wanted to scare you.”
Ignitor scoffed, humour touching his words.
”Nothing scares the great Ignitor!” He boasted.
A twig snapped behind him and he immediately unsheathed his blade. He then realised how he looked, and awkwardly sheathed his weapon.
After a few more minutes of walking, the Skylanders stopped before a wooden cabin. Ignitor sensed something familiar.
No, that was impossible.
“Hex, did you know all along?”
“I found the witch who cursed you. I thought that if I could show you that I can help, you’d stop despising me.”
Hex looked away, almost embarrassed.
”I wanted to surprise you.”
Words failed Ignitor for a few seconds.
”Thank you. I… don’t know what to say.”
”Then do not say anything. Go inside.”
Ignitor pushed open the cabin door, finding no one inside.
”You have visitors!” Ignitor shouted, his rage barely hidden.
The sound of glass shattering came from behind a door, followed by an aged woman’s voice.
”Be there in a second!”
Precisely three seconds later, The door burst open with a silver haired witch coming through. She got behind the counter, taking a look at her customers.
”So, what can I get for-
She noticed the burning inferno caged inside an armoured suit, and felt a bead of sweat roll down her face.
Hex spoke coldly, a stark contrast to Ignitor’s trembling rage.
”Do you remember selling a suit of armour to a man called Ignatius?”
The Witch nodded.
”Your armour has unwittingly turned him into a fire elemental with no escape. We were hoping you could remove the curse, or at least make the suit possible to exit.”
The witch’s immediate response was to shake her head.
“Sorry, can’t remove a curse once it’s casted. But I can give you some armour polish for free,” the witch cackled to herself.
As Ignitor’s inner fire crackled, Hex stood in front of him.
“It seems you don’t understand the concept of transaction. That which you have taken must be paid.”
Dark tendrils of magic snaked around the old witch’s head, before she suddenly collapsed to her knees in pain. She cried, curling up and wailing in terror and pain.
Hex kept the pain going, staring coldly at her target.
“An eye for an eye, a curse for a curse.”
Ignitor couldn’t pull his vision away. This was the witch who caused his entrapment, shouldn’t he feel pleased by her suffering?
“Hex, that is enough!” He shouts, stepping between his fellow skylander.
Hex was perplexed.
”Did you not hear her? Her curse has doomed you. She deserves to know that pain.”
“But killing her will not return me to my true self. Just as killing your dragon will not return yours. Nothing can. All I can do is fight to protect others. It’s all either of us can do.”
Hex paused for a moment before she sighed and released the hold her magic held on the old crone.
The witch was a gibbering wreck, tears of fear rolling down her face. Hex lifted her read so that her eyes met Hex’s own.
“He is the only reason you’re still able to think. If I hear you try something like this again, I will find you. And you’ll learn just how powerful I can be.”
The witch looked into Hex’s blank white eyes.
“Is that clear?”
“Yes! Yes! Of course, anything!”
Her business completed, Hex turned around and left. Ignitor soon followed.
Ignitor caught up with Hex back in the forest. It was silent, no words between them.
“Do you have something to say?” Asked the sorceress, a touch of regret in her words.
”I… wanted to say that I was wrong to treat you with such scorn considering our common ground. Will you accept my humblest of apologies?”
Hex regarded the kneeling knight for a moment.
”I accept. But you don’t have to kneel.”
Ignitor got back to his feet, the awkwardness of the situation registering.
”Do you… want to train together when we return?”
”Perhaps another time. It has been a long night.”
Ignitor chuckled.
”On that, we agree.”
He raised his sword to the sky in victory.
”Here’s to many more!”
An undead roar came from afar. He immediately ceased his chant.
”We should likely leave.”
”I agree.”