Disclaimer: I don't own Spyro the Dragon, or anything assorted with it, except for the concept of this fic and some of the characters.

Chapter 2

Trust

"I'm fine," Cynder said again, as the medic finished wrapping the bandages around her.

After Cynder had fainted, Pyris had called for help. Spyro and Sparx had happened to be passing by. Sparx had gone off to tell the medic, while Spyro and her made a makeshift stretcher out of a blanket and dragged her most of the way to the area of the temple that was the medical ward.

"Are you sure?" Spyro asked.

The medic, a huffy yellow electric dragoness growled. "I'm the medic, you should be asking me if she's going to be okay, not the patient. And she's going to be fine."

"Oh," Spyro blinked, feeling as though he had just been slapped.

"How did this happen anyway?" the electric dragon asked.

Cynder glanced at the floor. "I don't know," she lied.

"You don't know?" the medic repeated. "What did you just wake up and had several large scratch marks on your side?"

Cynder didn't answer and her attention stayed on the floor. The medic frowned, but stepped back finished with the bandaging and ordered the youngsters out of the room, instructing Cynder to get plenty of rest. The black dragoness couldn't but chuckle mentally at that statement. She doubted that sleep would come easily to her.

Spyro waited until they were safely out of hearing distance of the medic before he asked. "So what did happen?" Pyris looked over at her, clearly wanting to hear the answer as well.

Cynder looked over at them. She might have told them, but Sparx was still hovering above them. "I can't tell you…"

Spyro glanced up at the hovering dragonfly having caught the way that Cynder had looked at him. Sparx immediately took the hint and flew off down the hall. "I've got to go see a gnome about an apartment. Living in this temple is like living in a church."

He glanced back over at her. The three friends stopped and faced each other and Cynder found herself still hesitating to tell them. What would they think if she told them that she was having such strange dreams, dreams that could cause her actual harm?

Spyro and Pyris glanced at each other, realizing that she still was hesitant to tell them.

Pyris stepped up to her sister. "Listen, we're not going to judge you like those others would, we're your friends and I'm your sister."

Cynder nodded and reluctantly started to explain. "I dreamed that I was back in Convexity. He was there and he slashed me with his claws."

"But how could that have hurt you?" Spyro asked. He looked at her, genuinely feeling scared for her safety.

"The Dark Master isn't exactly bounded by the normal rules of reality," Cynder said. She looked at Spyro. "Have you had any dreams about him at all?"

The purple dragon shook his head. Cynder sighed. If Spyro could fight off the Dark Master's hold, why couldn't she? The three of them turned and continued back toward Cynder's and Pyris' room.

Spyro left them there and headed toward his room. He shook his head. He had thought that he'd broken the Dark Master's hold on Cynder. He stepped into his room and curled up in the nest that served as his bed.

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Ignitus yawned and looked up at the door to his room, a quiet knock was sounding against it. The darkness in the room confirmed it was still the dead of night. He stood up and breathed a small stream of fire, igniting the candles on his nightstand. Another stream of fire, opened the door.

The medic dragon, Medrin, was standing there, looking sour as always. She didn't seem tired, compared to the sleepy fire guardian. Ignitus wondered what could be so important or secretive that she had to wake him in the middle of the night.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Cynder visited me today," she said. "She had four large scratches on her side. She didn't tell me what did it, but they looked like animal claws, only no animal that I know of."

Ignitus stared at her. His sleepy mind trying to understand what this meant. The Dark Master had claws, was it possible that he had found a way to hurt Cynder, from within his prison?

"I didn't want to tell you in the morning cause I didn't want anyone overhearing," Medrin explained. "The poor girl already has enough people distrusting her because of her past. I expect you'll do what you can."

Ignitus nodded. "Don't worry I will."

Medrin nodded and turned and left. Ignitus yawned and subconsciously added. In the morning.

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Cynder hadn't been able to sleep at all. She was too afraid that the Dark Master would attack her again and so she had went for a walk. The fog didn't bother her, she had been through worse things then a little mist.

She stopped for a moment and inhaled the crisp jungle air. The air carried the scent of several flowers. She halted as she heard the sound of an animal grunting. An animal that she was very familiar with.

She ducked into a tangle of bushes as the sound came closer. Soon three small baboons had emerged from the fog. Cynder couldn't help but wonder what they were doing so close to the temple. They couldn't possibly be thinking of attacking it?

The leader turned back to his followers. They glanced around and Cynder ducked down. She looked back up and saw the leader drop something and then they turned and fled back the way they had came.

Cynder cautiously crept out of the bushes, her senses alert for a trap as she approach the object that had been dropped. It was white-colored, not much bigger then Sparx, and bleeding!