Hi readers!
I want to thanks those who left their review on last chapter so far. I feel sorry for last chapter looking like a filler, and need to say that it wasn't my intention by any way. I just wanted to give the characters some more time to develop themselves, even if there was a lot of time in the last part. But thanks for telling it on your reviews anyway, that's what reviews are for.
This chapter may contain mostly fighting and more "free time", and as you already know, I suck at fighting. I hope I did improve at least a bit in it. And well, the numbers of the first chapter were not amusing, but I'll keep doing my work amused or not, don't worry about it.
That's all, thank you and have a good reading.
The following day.
It was early morning in Warfang, and the six dragons were still resting, before starting their activities. Due to Flame and Ember's today training being harder, the Guardians tasked Grace and the mole healer to watch the training and help if someone gets wounded. With that, she would be the first to wake up, but while she slept, she had a glimpse of the past when some memories long gone went back to her mind.
"Amphars please, don't die here." She said beginning to cry and leaned closer to the unconscious, bleeding dragon.
"Grace, give him some space. The healer will treat him." Hunter said.
Grace looked to mole healer, took some steps back away from the Amphars and laid on the cave ground while the mole started trying to heal him.
"How bad is he?" She asked crying, after some moments.
The mole gave a loud sigh and said. "I will not lie; he's in pretty bad shape. He's heart still beating but it will not last longer if he keeps losing blood like this."
"Make him stop bleeding then!" She demanded, louder.
"It isn't that simple, his wound is the belly is too deep." He calmly replied.
"So are you saying that he's going to die?" She asked, trying to hold her tears.
The mole didn't reply. Grace just burst crying even more.
She woke up at once, spooked. Her heart was beating fast, and her breath accelerated. Instead of a dark cave, however, Grace was in her room. The warm sunrays made their way through the open curtain and iluminated her room.
Amphars was right in front of her, sharing the bed, laying on his side while facing her, and peacefully asleep.
"Just a bad dream." She muttered to herself while gazed the dragon, attenpting to slow her breath.
Impusively, Grace turned her attention to the dragon's belly, to check if he had any scar of that day she didn't notice before, but he didn't have any. She found another thing instead, and couldn't help but giggle to herself.
Since Flame and Ember's training would take at least half an hour to begin, her first idea was to wake up Amphars so they could wait together.
She approached him a bit more in bed, touching their chests so she could reach his ear.
"Heeey." She softly whispered close to it. "Wake up, will you?"
He moved his head and released a sigh through his nostrils.
"Morning, lass." He sleepily said, still opening his eyes. "Slept well?"
"Morning, Amphy." She nuzzled him briefly. "Well I had a bad dream, but I'm fine."
"Bad dream? What kind of?" He concernedly asked.
"Don't you worry with that." She replied, then changed her tone to a more playful and meaningful one. "You on the other side looks like had an interesting one."
"I didn't dream, why do you say?" He raised a brow, confused.
She replied by just giving a glance on his belly. He followed her sight to understanding.
"Oh...that happens at morning, you know." He shamefully laughed.
She laughed too, and then said looking at his eyes. "Well... we still have some time before before the training begins, you know?"
He couldn't help but smile. "How much time?" He curiously asked.
"Enough." She leered at him.
He giggled, and with a front paw he got hold of her maw. She closed her eyes in anticipation, and the dragon gently pulled her maw for a kiss.
Flame and Ember made their way to the training arena about half an hour later. Spyro and Cynder were ready and at the center of the arena, the Guardians at the arena borders, and close to them was Grace, Amphars and the mole healer.
"Good morning Flame and Ember." Terrador met them, as they did back.
"As you already know, today is your last day of training, and you two did well against the dummies, so today you will face Spyro and Cynder. They may be more experienced than you, but this is about learning and showing us what you got, not winning." Terrador calmly said.
Flame and Ember nodded their heads to the Guardian.
"Remember: No biting, and no lower parts." Terrador continued.
"And no biting on the lower parts." Amphars teased, loudly enough to everyone hear it.
"I guess that too." Terrador replied the dragon. The others just giggled.
"You funny." Grace giggled to him.
"I try." He beamed at her.
"And in case of anything goes wrong or someone get hurt, Grace and the healer will be watching and ready to help." Terrador said and glanced to Grace and the healer.
The healer nodded respectfully back to Terrador, but Grace was distracted by cuddling Amphars.
"Isn't that, Grace?" Terrador called her attention.
She snapped, and quickly replied, embarrassed. "Yes sure! Sorry, Terrador."
Amphars just gave the Guardian a shy, guilty smile.
"No problem." The earth guardian said and changed his gaze from them.
"These youngsters...always in love." Terrador mumbled to his fellow guardians.
"Well...giving our current situation, we can't comply." Volteer replied.
"I know..." Terrador said, and got his gaze back to the arena.
"Any questions?" He asked. Everyone stayed quiet. "Good! Begin!" He said so loudly that it was almost a shout.
Spyro and Cynder took defensive positions, side by side.
Flame started by lunging for Cynder who rolled away just in time. He quickly turned and hit her with a small fireball while she was getting up. He smirked seeing that he hit her, and she waved a paw for him to come in reply. He lunged to claw her, but she blocked his paw and hit him on the belly. The hit made him get back a bit. Cynder then turned and stuck her tail on his neck. He fell down.
"Don't lower your guard." She said, waiting him to get up.
"I hear you." Flame replied and got up. He gave a deep breath, and unleashed fire over Cynder. She had to take flight to evade the flames completely. Flame took off after her.
He didn't know how good Cynder was when fighting in middle air.
He fired fireballs after her, and she gracefully evaded them. He noticed that she was too fast for him, so he stopped and released a big fireball at her. Cynder turned sharply, and quickly dived back to him. Flame fired more fireballs, but she rolled with her wings close to the body evading them again and getting even more speed. She headbutted him in the chest and sent him to the ground. He recovered his flight just when he was about to crash.
Meanwhile, Ember was having a hard time trying to hit Spyro with ranged attacks. He was fighting defensively, and still had landed more hits on her than she did on him. Eventually she gave up, and dived from middle air to him engulfed in fire, like a comet. Spyro jumped backwards, and her forepaws hit the dirt. But Ember was quick and used her forepaws to propel herself ahead with speed, nailing Spyro on the chest with her forehead. That surprised him, and he landed on his back about two meters backwards. He almost didn't had time to get up, and Ember was already unleashing a fury of claws at him. He walked back while tried to block or evade all. He got hit twice, but in the last he was able to counter her with a mighty punch down her chest and Ember got back. While she was out her breath, Spyro finally lunged to attack her. Instead of trying to block or evade, Ember headbutted him when he was about to claw her. She got hit, but managed to knock Spyro off his balance and he fell on his back. She quickly stepped over his with a fore paw, pressing her claws against his chest.
"Ha!" She proudly said, panting heavily.
Spyro only panted lightly, looking up to her. She had a cocky grin, even panting.
"Well played Ember. Training is over!" Terrador said.
"That was...tricky." Spyro said to her.
Ember took her paw off him and giggled, still almost without of breath.
Flame and Cynder stopped where they were, gladly for Flame.
The four dragons walked from the arena to the Guardians.
"You did well, all of you." Terrador spoke. "Just remember it was a training. In a real fight, your enemy won't wait you to get up."
"We understand." Ember said. Flame only nodded.
"You two are free to go." Terrador said.
Ember then walked to Grace and Amphars. Flame followed her.
"You took easy on her, didn't you?" Terrador whispered to Spyro.
"Just on the beginning." Spyro giggled. "But I guess she earned it."
The guardian just left a small laugh.
"And you Cynder..." Terrador continued. "I thought that Grace would have work on Flame."
Cynder just laughed, amused.
The healer quickly started tending to them, picking Flame first.
"Why am I the first?" Flame questioned the healer who only laughed.
Flame might have underestimated Cynder, since the thought he could have a better fight with her. That left him somewhat troubled.
"Good work Cynder! I'll remember you if Flame get off the rails." Ember said to Cynder, and both laughed together.
Flame kept himself quiet, and glanced away from both. Ember noticed that, and turned her attention to him. With a front paw in his cheeks, she pulled his gaze to her. She quickly approached and touched their lips for a light and brief, but passionate kiss.
"I'm just kidding, silly." She whispered to him after the kiss.
It was impossible to continue troubled with such a small thing after that. Flame couldn't help but smile, and then she smiled back, releasing his cheek.
After Ember released him, Grace approached her, and started healing a few scratches along her body.
"Hi there, nurse." Ember teased. "Had a good morning?"
"Hi Ember." Grace smiled. "Where does it hurt?"
Ember just replied with a meaningful gaze at her.
"I'll tell you later." Grace replied with a shy smile.
Ember laughed.
"Now you are in a pretty good mood today, aren't you?" Grace asked, while continued searching for wounds and closing then.
"You say that like I'm not always in a good mood." Ember smiled.
"Yes, but today you look even better! Flame may be doing great for you!" Grace meaningful laughed.
"I do my best." Flame pipped in, chuckling.
"I believe so." Grace giggled too, before glancing Ember once again.
"Anything else, Ember?" She asked.
"No, I'm good as new!" Ember chirped.
Grace only beamed at her before turning and going back to Amphars' side.
Flame also was also already healed by the mole, in the meanwhile.
"Come on Ember, lets get going back to the mess hall." Flame called.
Ember nodded to him, and glanced back to the others, beaming. "Bye all." She said and followed Flame back inside the temple.
Once they were relatively distant to the others, Flame called Ember.
"How did that happen?" Flame curiously asked.
"What?" Ember pretended to do not know, yet not containing a smile.
"Did you beat him? Spyro?" Flame questioned, even more curious.
"Well, I saw an opportunity to throw him back and used it." She said and giggled.
"Nice one!" He said, laughing.
"I won't say I would win in a real fight, though. But thanks anyways." She said and beamed at him.
Terrador then turned to the mole healer.
"Thank you for coming healer, your help is appreciated." He politely said.
"Don't mention it, Master Terrador. I may now go back to the infirmary in case someone needs me." The mole replied just as politely as Terrador and took its leave.
"Same for you, young dragoness. You may go now to meet your friends at the mess hall."
"Thank you, Terrador." Grace bowed her head politely and left. Amphars did the same and followed her.
"You are way too distracting." Grace said when he got to her side.
"It's because you're way too beautiful." He said and beamed at her.
She gave a surprised laugh and averted her glance to the ground.
"Spyro, Cynder, your work is done now. We are very proud of you two." Terrador said.
"I'm very happy to help, Terrador!" Spyro smiled. Cynder joined him.
"I know you are." Terrador chuckled. "Now it's upon them to show themselves worthy of being the Fire Guardian."
"I thought you were to decide which one of them would be chosen." Spyro confusedly and curiously said.
"That's right, but there is one last test they need to fulfill." Terrador replied.
Cynder and Spyro glanced to each other, than back to him.
He laughed, and continued. "Come. We will tell you more about their last test on our chambers."