Chapter 2

The plaza was quiet.

The morning sun was just over the horizon but the city of New Warfang was still asleep. The empty plaza was populated with several chickens that pecked away at food crumbs left on the ground after yesterday night's celebration. So silent was the city that the chicken clucks were louder than the soft rustling of tree leaves. The streets of the plaza were littered with empty paper bags, bottles, and pieces of detonated firecrackers. Puddles pooled on the streets as the dawn rain came and washed away the filth into the city's sewers.

Some of the chickens splashed about in the puddles while others leapt onto the chairs and stone bleachers in search for food crumbs and insects to feast on. The crows and pigeons joined in the search for food as well. Besides the plaza, many of them gathered in large groups in the marketplace too where there were plenty of meat crumbs, bits of bread, and leftover grain to feast on. They were the city's cleaners and they did well in clearing up the rubbish.

The bell of the Citadel gave a deep and solemn ring which marked the beginning of morning. Barud Jhek, or Victory Bell as it was called, was a great bronze bell crafted by the moles. So big and heavy was the bell that it required three cranes to lift the bell to the top of the citadel tower. The bell's ring resounded throughout New Warfang, acting as the city's alarm. With each powerful ring, it shook the tower badly and it seemed like as if it would shake apart. Even the cheetah bell-ringer felt uneasy with his job but the moles have assured him that the flying buttresses that supported the massive tower were strong enough to help the tower withstand the shaking. It didn't put him at ease.

The Citadel of the Cosmos, or simply known as the Citadel, was the heart of the Alliance Government. It was a place for meeting and a place of learning. Not only did the citadel had a meeting hall for the Council, it had courts, theatres, classrooms, chapels, and even an arcane library dedicated to students pursuing knowledge of the arcane. Mysticism, Divination, Conjuration, all schools of magic were taught here. Perhaps the main reason why it was called the Citadel of the Cosmos was because of its detailed map of stars painted onto the ceiling of the Citadel which ran from the west wing to the east wing, a total of five football fields long.

Inspired by the ancient architectural design that predated the Second Age, the moles built the Citadel with great spires, beautifully crafted stained glass windows, magnificent ribbed vaults and the detailed flying buttresses that supported the massive Citadel. Dragon gargoyles decorated the roofs and balconies and they acted as aqueducts that channelled rain water into the moat that surrounded the Citadel.

At the west wing of the Citadel was Spyro and Cynder's room. It was specially designed with a spacious interior with two great arched stained glass windows. One window portrayed Spyro striking down Malefor in a fierce battle while the other window showed Cynder breathing fire at a horde of Apes. During the twilight hours, the dimming sunlight would shine through the windows and projected an array of beautiful colours onto the floor and the surrounding walls. Little arches that surrounded the arched windows created crepuscular rays which complemented the projected image. It was as if the two dragons were deified, worshipped and adored by the people of the Alliance.

Spyro and Cynder took no interest in their adorations and praises, preferring to live a simple lifestyle instead of being pampered and treated like gods. The people showered them with gold and tributes despite their protests. They conceded in the end and decided to keep a beautiful transparent leafy-green gem given to them by an Atlawa mage. They kept the gem on top of the fireplace, at the bottom of a large wall portrait of Ignitus. The words "Barud ui ruh mhak" or "victory to the fallen" was inscribed at the bottom frame of the portrait. It was at Spyro's insistence that artists made the portrait to honour the fallen fire guardian.

Though the room was spacious, there were not many things in it. There was a large beautifully-designed canopy bed of red and purple in which the two lovers slept together. The embroideries were made from the finest wool and the pillows were stuffed with high quality cotton. The bed itself had just the right hardness so that it didn't feel too hard or too soft. Filmy white curtains decorated the bed as well and they could be drawn if the dragons wanted some privacy. Still, they had no reason to draw the curtains because they hadn't mated. They felt it was not time for that yet.

While the two dragons were still fast asleep, a soft breeze blew into the room through an open window. The breeze caused a curtain to flap softly, tickling Spyro's nose a bit. It made Spyro sneeze and he swatted the curtain away with his paw but the soft breeze made the curtain tickle him again. He groaned and turned away from the curtain. Spyro tried to sleep again but the tickling had awoken his senses. He rubbed his eyes and blinked it a few times. Cynder was still fast asleep and to Spyro's surprise, she was snoring so loud that it sounded like a mini thunder. He stifled a laugh because he had never heard her snore like that before.

He leapt from the bed and stretched himself while yawning silently. He gave his wings a little flap before taking a deep breath and letting it out with a soft sigh. It was a cool morning and the wind was neither too cold nor too strong. Spyro felt like going back to sleep again but he knew there were other duties for him for the day. He decided not to wake Cynder up so he left the room quietly. He was careful not to slam the door shut but the hinges creaked quite loudly. It was loud enough that the creak echoed through the hallway but Cynder didn't even stir from her sleep. She was tired after yesterday's celebration.

Walking down the hallways of the Citadel was breathtaking to Spyro. The moles made sure that each hallway had windows which allowed natural light to flood in to complement the light given off by torches. He could hear the soft pitter-patter of his claws hitting against the dark cobblestone floor and the echoes gave him a sense of how big the Citadel was. In the middle of the Citadel was a cloister where a large oak tree grew in the middle of it. It was a place for scholars to study and a place to relax and enjoy some peace and quiet. There were stone chairs where people could sit to read a book or just hang out. The flower gardens attracted a number of insects which helped add colour to the place and the gardeners were sure to take care of the flora.

There were already a few creatures hanging out in the cloister. Ignisia, the new fire guardian, was there tutoring a couple of young fire dragons the art of concentration. Seated under the tree was the orange bandicoot he saw last night, snoozing away under the tree's shade. Spyro saw Ignisia sat on the grass with her eyes closed and she mouthed something which he assumed was a challenge to hit her because one of her students approached her with his claw raised and ready to strike. Just as the student was about to claw her, Ignisia parried his claw and pushed him back. The young dragon fell backwards and was caught by a friend while the other students voiced their approvals of her and clapped their paws.

"I never thought I'd live to see a day like this when we can go back to living the life before the rise of Malefor," a voice said.

Spyro turned around to see who it was and saw Terrador standing behind him. The old war veteran had told him countless stories of past wars and how life was like before the Dark Master's reign. Spyro remembered Terrador telling a tale of how Malefor attempted to assault the city once when he was a young dragon. It was a lesser known part of history as the attack was not significant, most likely Malefor testing the city's defences. That and the fact that the Elders didn't want to create a scare among the populace so they kept mum about the incident. Terrador knew better because he was playing at the city's ramparts when Malefor attacked during midnight. It was from that day on that young Terrador dared not venture from home in the middle of the night. Those were the days of innocence, long gone but never forgotten.

"It's a beautiful sight, isn't it?" Spyro remarked softly.

"Beautiful yes…but how long can it last? What's going on up north is worrying me. Their recent intrusion into Mitrial Island cannot go ignored and while Cyril's plan to warn them to stay away won't work, it's better than going to war," Terrador said.

"It won't last forever," Spyro said. "What if they go beyond Mitrial Island? They'll be setting their feet on our soil."

"And that we must avoid. This is where you come in, Spyro. I've discussed with the Alliance Council the next course of action and we've decided that you and Cynder are best suited for spying on them."

"So you want us to infiltrate their city?"

"No, no, that's too dangerous. I want you two to stake out on Mitrial Island and eavesdrop on their conversation. Some scouts reported that Ape Commanders have been frequenting the island for some reason and when there's someone top in the military hierarchy, there will most likely be important information."

Spyro gave the plan a thought. What Terrador made sense and it piqued his curiosity. He had flown to Mitrial Island a few times in the past. It was a relatively large island with a great cliff covering the eastern half of the island, forming a natural barrier against attacks and providing the advantage of high ground to defenders. Other than the large cliff, there was nothing special about Mitrial Island. It had a lot of trees and a good site for a stone mine but that was it. The island didn't even have gems growing on it nor did were there any ancient artefacts or ruins. What could attract the interests of the Apes was beyond him.

Perhaps there was something there the Apes knew about but not the Alliance. If there was something there that was of value to them, Spyro wanted to make sure they had no chance of recovering them.

"Alright, we'll do it," Spyro said.

Terrador smiled and gave a small bow and said, "Thank you, Spyro. I'll have the blacksmith prepare you two for the mission. You can retrieve your equipments from him at the armoury. Remember, do not attack. This is a recon mission."

As Terrador debriefed Spyro, Ignisia had just dismissed her students and had them return to the classroom. She stayed behind so she could see the two dragons talk. Her eyes wandered from Spyro to Terrador and she settled her gaze at him for a while until Terrador seemed to notice her stare. He smiled at her and she smiled back at him though she was hesitant. Spyro turned his head to see what Terrador was looking at. Spyro smiled at her too and gave her a friendly wave.

"She seems nice," Spyro said.

"Believe it or not, Ignisia was once the princess of a kingdom located in the East. She's Ignitus's distant cousin. They're from the same bloodline but that bloodline split during the Second Age when dragons were at war with each other. One family remained in the West while the other migrated East," Terrador explained while he kept his gaze on Ignisia as she walked towards the cloister's main entrance.

"I didn't know Ignitus was from a royal family," Spyro said with wide eyes, happy to hear that his mentor was of royalty.

"Well…" Terrador scratched the back of his head. "Ignitus's ancestors were not born into a royal family. They were, however, shrewd merchants. After the war, Ignitus's ancestor stayed here while the other side went East and married into royalty. It's a long history, almost 2000 years in fact."

"Have Ignitus and Ignisia met before?" Spyro asked.

"No, they haven't. They knew about each other and wrote letters frequently but never met face-to-face," Terrador answered. "They're similar in many ways. Both are kind and capable leaders, both are fire-breathing, and they're devout worshippers. I think the only difference is that Ignisia is more fiery compared to Ignitus."

"No doubt about that," Spyro said after a soft chuckle. "I'll get a move on and inform Cynder about our mission."

"You do that. May the Ancestors keep you safe," said the Earth guardian.

When Spyro was returning to his room, he did not notice an orb of light trailing him quietly. It was only when Spyro reached for the door handle of his room that the orb of light flew in front of him and gave a loud boo. The purple dragon gave a yelp and leapt backwards, eliciting a laugh from the light orb.

"Man, you should see the look on your face," Sparx said in between laughs. "That was priceless!"

"Sparx!" Spyro said with a frown.

"Oh lighten up, Chosen One, you looked like you could use some cheering up. Take it from me for free. You won't believe how much clowns and jesters will charge you to perform for you," Sparx said with a smile while crossing his arms.

"I can't imagine," Spyro replied. "I already have one too many jesters in my family."

"Well, somebody's gonna need to keep the smiles going, eh?" Sparx said and followed Spyro into the room.

Sparx, Spyro's dragonfly half-brother, returned to what remained of the swamps a year after the reformation of the world. He was homesick but fate gave him no solace. His parents were missing and the home he once knew had been replaced by a grassy plain. The river that ran through the swamp was still there but it was shallower and clearer. The entire placed resembled nothing like his home. Having nowhere to go, Sparx decided to live in New Warfang. He met other dragonflies there and took fancy on a particular dragonfly named Anna. It didn't take him long to get married to her and became a father of three a few years later.

When Spyro and Cynder returned after a long absence, Sparx was already training as a precision mechanic. The moles had an employment program that trained dragonflies to reach into hard-to-reach places in machines and fix it from the inside. Sparx wasn't exactly the "best employee" material (due to him being claustrophobic) but he did his job anyway and he lived a good life. Now that Spyro was back, he could return to his normal routine of teasing and making fun of him. Cynder may have softened up to him but the little golden dragonfly still had his suspicion of her, much to Spyro's chagrin.

"You look like you're ready for war or something," Sparx said with his arms crossed.

"No…it's not war. It's just a small task that Terrador wanted me to do," Spyro remarked while walking up to the bed to wake Cynder.

"Like running errands? Or maybe he's asking you to scrub his back?" Sparx joked.

Spyro ignored him and went ahead to wake Cynder up. He leapt onto the bed and nudged her gently with his muzzle. She stirred and her eyelids fluttered open. When she saw Spyro looking down at her, she smiled and gave his muzzle an affectionate lick. He smiled back and licked her back as well. When she leapt of the bed, Cynder stretched herself and turned her head left so she could bite at an itch on her wing that was annoying her. Spyro went close to here.

"We've got a task from Terrador today. He wants us to take a look at Mitrial Island," Spyro said.

Cynder stopped biting her wing and looked at Spyro with creased eye ridges. "Is it that bad already?"

"No, there're no skirmishes yet. But Terrador wants us to eavesdrop on them," Spyro said in a whisper, not wanting Sparx to overhear what they were discussing.

"Eavesdrop? I don't see how that'll help, Spyro. Ape grunts don't have the smarts to plan anything without messing everything up," Cynder said softly.

"You're right," Spyro said, "they can't. But the Ape commanders can. Terrador's scouts have seen commanders visiting the island and when there're commanders, there're important stuffs. That's what Terrador wants us to find out. He wants to know why they're interested in a seemingly insignificant island."

Cynder nodded her head. "Then we better get going," she said. "C'mon, let's go eat and get ready."

"Are you two lovebirds going on an adventure without me? Where's the fun in that?" Sparx asked from behind them.

"Don't you have work to do, Sparx?" Cynder said.

"Um, hello, official leave," Sparx replied. "I'm free for the day and I'm ready for another adventure."

"Odd, I don't seem to remember you liking adventures."

"A little of Spyro rubbed off on me I guess. Besides, any adventure beats scrubbing the insides of an oil pipe. I swear those moles have oil pipes going through just about every place imaginable."

"Have a little appreciation for technological advancements, Sparx," Cynder said as she walked passed Sparx. "We're lucky to have an accessible supply of fuel to burn and keep us warm without having to go too far to chop firewood."

"Yeah, well, during my time, there're no such things as oil pipes and oil wells."

"C'mon, you're not that old. We're about the same age," Spyro said.

But Sparx went on with stories on how life was like before the technology revolution. The two dragons ignored him anyway and left for the dining hall where they grabbed a quick breakfast of mutton and ham. They didn't even stop to greet Cyril and they ran past him without even giving him a glance. Sparx followed them and the trio went to the armoury which was located east of the Citadel. The armoury was managed by Javier, an elderly mole with a white moustache. Despite his age, Javier could move about with the agility of a young mole. Years of handling heavy objects made his body strong and he could lift a sledgehammer without breaking a sweat. He was the creator of the first portable cannon, or the arquebus as it was commonly called. They were invented during the Dark War but never saw action until recently. By then, he had already improved the arquebus and created the musket.

Javier wore a dirty old apron and a pair of magnifying goggles which allowed him to make small changes to his equipments. His armoury functioned as a blacksmith as well where his son, Victor, worked the blast furnaces and created weapons and armour for the Alliance military. Like his father, Victor had a knack for inventing things. Many associated him with his creation called the Tyralin Blade. It was a blade which was folded multiple times during the swordmaking process and infused with carbon and bits of diamond. The end product was a tough and sharp blade that shone brightly when polished.

Despite all their achievements, both father and son were humble moles.

When Spyro, Cynder, and Sparx reached the armoury, Javier was seen striking his hammer on a piece of red hot metal. He didn't see them coming until Spyro got his attention by ringing the bell that hung at the entrance of the armoury. He lifted his head to see who it was but didn't stop hammering the metal piece. When he saw who it was, Javier smiled.

"Ah, Spyro and Cynder. Please, come in," Javier said happily.

"Good morning, Javier," Cynder greeted in a polite manner. "I hope we're not disturbing you."

"No, no, it's nothing too important," Javier said. He set aside his hammer and jumped of the stool he was standing on. "I've got your equipments prepped and ready for your mission. You can take your pick."

"Whoa there," Sparx said while flying in front of Spyro's face. "Mission? You're going on an adventure and you didn't invite your own brother?"

"I didn't take you for an adventurer," Spyro reasoned. "I know we've stuck together since we were born but…this might be dangerous and I don't wanna put you in danger."

Sparx scowled at Spyro. "Danger? Really? Pfft, it's my middle name. Don't you remember who punched that blabbermouth parrot?"

"We don't have time for this," Cynder growled. "We'd like to get suited up as soon as possible," she said to Javier.

The mole nodded his head and gestured them to follow him to the storage area where he kept Spyro and Cynder's equipments. The storage area was mostly empty save for two dragon mannequins and several weapon racks. Javier retrieved the armours on the mannequin and gave them to Spyro and Cynder. They were chainmail armours composing of a helmet, body armour, two pairs of bracers, and a tail guard. After putting them on, Javier gave them each a leather jerkin for additional protection.

"That should protect you enough from attacks while keeping mobile," Javier said. "These armours are not enchanted so you won't get any buffs from it."

"It's alright, we'll make do with what we've got," Spyro said.

"Now, before you two go, can I ask of a favour from you?"

"What is that we can help you with?"

"I'm running low on iron to make weapons and armour with and I've yet to receive my weekly shipment of iron ore. I get my ores from the Glittering Mines near the north coast and since you're headed there, can you help me check with the foreman in charge?"

"We'll do it Javier," Spyro replied almost immediately.

"Thank you, Spyro. I hope it's not too much of a trouble for you," Javier said with a smile.

"No trouble at all," the purple dragon said and returned the smile.

After Spyro and Cynder left the armoury, Sparx flew up to Javier as he was about to return to his work. "Hey, don't I get a little something too?"

Javier rubbed his chin and nodded his head. He beckoned Sparx to follow him. It excited him but instead of leading Sparx to the storage area, Javier led him to the furnace room and pointed at the oil collection basin.

"Since you're here, you may as well help me take a look at the basin. Oil's not coming from it and I think it's clogged. I'll give you some gold pieces for your effort."

Sparx shook his head in dismay and slapped his own face while Javier chuckled a bit. Spyro and Cynder went to the northern ramparts where Hunter was peering at the skies with a telescope in his right hand. He heard the soft pattering of claws tips hitting the cobblestone floor and turned around to see who it was.

"Leaving so soon?" Hunter asked.

"We want to get this task done as soon as possible. It's better to quickly make sure what the Apes are up to so the Council can decide on the best course of action," Spyro answered while Cynder switched her attention from him to Hunter.

"Well then, you're in luck today. I've been observing the skies and the northbound winds are blowing," Hunter remarked while pointing a claw at the sky. "If you ride the winds, you can reach the border within a few hours…that is assuming you don't stop for a break."

"I doubt we'll need that," said Cynder. "We've trained our wings for the past five years now by carrying adamantine orbs while flying. Not to mention giving us one heck of a jaw strength," she added as she rubbed her chin.

"That's good. I'd like to know what they're up to as well. I will not keep you any longer. Do what you must and may the gods watch after you two."

After greeting each other farewell, Spyro and Cynder flew into the sky until they reached the altitude where the northbound winds were blowing. From there, all they had to do was stretch their wings and glide through the winds, occasionally giving their wings hard flaps for a burst of speed.

Terrador was alone in the council chamber. He was staring at his reflection in a window, pondering the recent nightmares he was having. It seemed like an omen to him, recurring every night like a continuation of a story. Terrador saw himself standing before a great dark horned figure with glowing red eyes. The shadow emitted such horror that even a war veteran like him shuddered before it. He dreamt of a burning Warfang where the engines of war hurled balls of fire at the city, tearing down buildings as if they were made of paper.

When the gates broke, a tide of living darkness stormed in and suffocated all who were unlucky enough to stand in their way. It was nothing like what he has seen in the past. Not even Malefor could conjure up such beings. Terrador reasoned that the dark dragon was not the Dark Master because it looked too slender to be him. It had to be a dragoness but there was no other dragon in the Realms that could control darkness except…

Cynder.

"No, it can't be her," Terrador said angrily, mentally chiding himself for even thinking of something like this. "But who else can do that except her?"

He had observed her since she and Spyro returned to Warfang. Cynder had not displayed any signs of torment and she did not even attempt to show off her shadow powers, most likely ashamed of it rather than being modest. He saw that she was genuinely happy, always smiling and ready to help someone in need. Cynder had long shed her image as the Terror of Skies but could it be possible that somewhere deep in her soul, an irreparable darkness had become part of it?

Could it suddenly overpower her and take control of her?

It was worrying and the nightmares gave no comfort for his restless mind. The more Terrador thought about it, the more he felt disturbed by it. His was conflicted between wanting to think Cynder as a genuinely reformed dragon and assuming she was a liability to the peace of the Realms. But it was then that he recalled seeing a second figure in his nightmares. It was larger than the first figure and had a greater wingspan but this one exuded a darker aura of malice and destruction. Then, a thought hit him.

"Maybe Malefor's behind this but how is that possible?" Terrador wondered.

While he was deep in thought, a wispy shadow flew behind him and darted towards the chamber's entrance, keeping close to the shadows before disappearing through the slit underneath the door.

Note: I'd like to thank those who have reviewed my story and Mr Teggsy for proofreading my previous chapter. Keep it coming and feel free to make suggestions. Peace out!