Chapter 4

Elektra watched with interest as Leon stood in front of the mirror and ran his dagger across his face, cutting the patchy stubble that he had grow while he was still in his bed at the healer's den. After he set down the dagger he reached into his satchel and pulled out a small contraption that Elektra had never seen before.

"What's that." She asked.

"What?" Leon said looking down his side, thinking that something was on him.

"That…thing in your hand." She said, pointing at the contraption. It looked like two small daggers with odd-looking hilts that crisscrossed and were joined with a small rivet at the base of the blades.

"Oh these?" Leon asked holding up the contraption. Elektra nodded, "they're called scissors. We used them to cut hair." He demonstrated by cutting his own hair. He placed the scissors back into his satchel once he was satisfied with the length of his mane.

"Why don't you just let it grow out?"

"Because an opponent can easily grab it and pull me to the ground where I'm at a disadvantage…plus, it just generally gets in the way."

"Was it always about fighting with your people."

"I'm not talking about them with you."

"Why not?"

"Because…I'm just not."

"Have you talked to anyone about it since…you know."

"No, I have not talked about the my people since they were brutally murdered by you bloodthirsty animals."

Elektra was taken aback by his sudden hostility, "Do you even know why the dragons attacked you?"

"No, they just started killing everyone, and any attempt at contacting them was useless…and that's what pisses me off the most. There is no good reason," Leon began clenching his fists tightly, "but if I knew why…then perhaps that would put my mind a little more at ease…at least more than it has been since the incident."

"I see." Elektra said walking over to him and placing her paws on his shoulders, "I'm sorry."

Leon shrugged her off, "I don't want your pity."

"I wasn't showing you pity…I was showing you kindness."

"I don't want that either."

"Well…you have it either way."

"I'll bet you won't be so kind next time I have my blade to your throat."

"We'll see." Elektra said.

Just then, a noise caught their attention. They turned to see the vanguards enter the room and form a line in front of the door. "Elektra…can you leave us alone for a bit?" Spyro asked.

"Of course." Elektra said before leaving the room.

Spyro watched her go before turning to Leon with stern eyes, "We need to talk."

"About?" Leon asked skeptically.

"About how this is going to work."

"I'm listening." Leon stated.

"Wait," Sin appeared beside Leon, "I want to hear this." The vanguards felt the drop in temperature, and began shivering.

"W-what the hell j-just happened?" Flare asked.

"I d-don't know." Charlotte said before spiting a fireball in the fireplace casting a warm orange light around the room.

"W-we're not alone i-in here." Sting stated.

"What do you mean?" Zephyr asked.

"W-who is t-that?"

"Hmm, interesting." Sin said approaching the black dragon and noticing that his eyes followed him.

"Sting, are you okay?" Charlotte asked.

"H-he looks l-like you." Sting said.

"Can you hear me?" Sin asked. Sting nodded his head and Sin's eyes grew wide in surprise. He turned to Leon and said "This could be trouble." before disappearing again.

"Sting, what are you talking about?" Cynder asked.

Sting stared at Leon for a moment before replying, "N-nothing, I'm j-just tired. I m-must be s-seeing t-things."

"Or maybe this guy's doing the same thing to you that he did to master Anima." Twitch said growling at Leon.

"That dragon had it coming." Leon plainly stated.

"I-it wasn't him." Sting said.

"Are you okay?" Spyro asked.

"Y-yeah."

Spyro didn't believe him, whatever Sting saw made him fully alert, but Spyro continued anyway, he sat on his haunches and the other vanguards followed suit, "Have a seat." Leon hesitated before sitting Indian-style in front of the dragons. "Now, I realize that this situation isn't pleasant for any of us…but we need to work as a team to stop the dark master…and that means that we need you to put aside your hatred, at least until the dark master is gone. We're willing to work with you if you're willing to work with us, but I need to know that we can trust you."

Leon stared hard at the purple dragon, "For now…we share a common goal. I will help you defeat Malefore."

Spyro stood up and approached Leon and held out his paw. Leon hesitated again before reaching forward and shaking the paw. "You can come back in now, Elektra." Spyro called into the hallway. Elektra came back into the room and, much to the vanguards surprise, Fang was with her. "What kept you?" Spyro then noticed the bag in Fangs mouth. "What's that?"

Fang set the bag down and pulled out a glass bottle with a small scroll tied around it, "It's a gift…for you." He said, giving Leon a hateful look. He slid the bottle to Leon, who picked it up and unfurled the scroll.

"Uh oh." Leon said.

"What does it say?" Elektra asked.

"I don't know…I never learned draconic writing styles."

"Over two-thousand years of knowledge and you never learned dragon writing?"

"I didn't think that I would ever need to."

"Here," Elektra took the note and began reading it aloud "Dear Leon, I fear that we may have gotten off on the wrong paw, as a council member, I shouldn't be so harsh towards one in your position. Please accept my apologies and this bottle of draconic brandy. Signed, council member Anima."

Leon examined the clear liquid in the bottle, "Well, I'd hate to seem rude."

He uncorked the bottle and brought it to his lips, but his hands froze in place as Sin spoke in his mind. "Don't forget your training." Leon brought the bottle away from his lips and smelled the rim of the bottle. At first he only smelled the alcohol of the brandy, but then something else reached his nostrils. He took one more whiff to be sure before looking holding the bottle up to Elektra. "Smell this."

Elektra craned her head down and sniffed the bottle. She then flicked out her tongue and tasted the air above the rim using her Jacob's gland and her eyes narrowed, "Nightshade!" She exclaimed.

"Leave it to a dragon to use such a cowardly method to solve its problems."

"Fang, did your father-" Charlotte began but Fang cut her off.

"No, my father wouldn't do such a thing!"

"S-sure does s-sound like h-him." Sting said.

"Shut up!" Fang yelled.

"Come on, we need to bring this up to the council." Elektra said.

"I'd rather not make a big deal out of this." Leon said passively.

"Someone just tried to kill you!" Cynder exclaimed

"There's always someone trying to kill me…you get used to it after a while."

"We're going." Elektra said defiantly.

Leon sighed, "Damn it, I should've just drank the poison." He mumbled before standing up. The dragons and Leon made their way down to the meeting hall. The council was in the middle of a discussion about what they should do about defending the other cities when they heard the sound of the vanguards walking down the stairs.

"Is there a problem?" Boltor asked when they rounded the corner and bowed to the council. Their eyes fell on Leon as he reached the bottom of the stairs as well.

"I'm afraid there is, master Boltor." Elektra said.

"I've recently received a gift from this black dragon." Leon said pointing at Anima.

"No thanks necessary." Anima said smiling haughtily.

"Yes well, not to seem…unappreciative but I'm allergic to deadly Nightshade."

Anima's smile immediately disappeared. "Anima, what is the meaning of this?" Terrador asked glaring at the black dragon.

"I have no idea what he's talking about." Anima said.

"The proof is in the bottle, and the note you sent with it." Elektra stated.

"I gave him the brandy, but I never poisoned it." Anima argued.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't expel you from the council right now!" Terrador roared.

"You must be joking. My lineage should be enough to keep me in the council. Need I remind you that my great ancestor, king Cassius, led the dragons to an age of prosperity so many years ago?" Anima said.

"I knew I recognized that voice." Leon thought to himself.

"I am sick and tired of you waving your lineage in front of our faces!" Vulcan roared.

"Anima you are hereby-" Terrador began, but he was cut off.

"It wasn't him!" Fang yelled, causing the dragons to turn to him, "I did it. My father gave me the bottle and I added the nightshade to it. I just couldn't let him live." The vanguards and the council was shocked by what they had heard.

"Well then, Fang, I'm afraid that I have no choice but to strip you of your position." Terrador stated firmly.

"Don't do that." Leon stated causing the dragons to turn to him, "We'll be facing an armies of orcs, and we'll need every dragon we can get. Besides, his cold-blooded viciousness gives us a much better chance at survival."

"Hmm," Terrador thought for a moment, "captain Spyro, it's your call."

Spyro stared hard at Fang for a moment before saying, "Leon's right, we need every dragon we can get."

"As you wish." Terrador stated, "Is that everything?"

"Yes." Spyro said before he and the vanguards bowed deeply, Leon remained standing in defiance. He and the dragons ascended the stairs once again. Once they reached the top Charlotte turned around and slapped Fang with her tail.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She snapped, "I knew you wanted him dead but, I would have never guessed that you would just try and murder him in cold blood!"

"As much as I enjoy watching you dragons fight each other…I doubt that this black one even knows what Nightshade looks like." Leon said causing the dragons to turn to him, "He was just taking the blame for his father…something any good son would do."

Charlotte looked back at Fang, who just hung his head in shame. "You knew?" She asked looking back at Leon, who nodded his head. Fang pushed past the vanguards and entered his room without another word.

"You know what?" Sin manifested himself beside Leon, causing the temperature in the room to drop. He watched as the black dragon left "He reminds me of you. Like he's your dragon counterpart."

"What's with these cold spikes?" Flare asked shivering.

Sin turned to see that Sting was glaring right at him. "Don't look at me like that!" Sin snapped before disappearing again.

"When do we leave?" Leon asked.

"The day after the ball." Spyro stated. "We figured that a little bit of fun before battle might improve our performance."

"Very well." Leon said before he and Elektra headed for their bedchamber.

"Good night." Cynder called after him.

"Never is." Leon stated before he and Elektra disappeared behind the curtain.

The Spyro and Cynder entered their room and Cynder flopped down on the cushion. "It's been a long day." Spyro said idling up next to her.

"Yeah…but this is a huge step." Cynder observed.

"Are you happy?" Spyro asked causing Cynder to look up at him.

"I'm always happy…when I'm with you." Cynder said smiling. They kissed and wrapped their paws around each other and fell into a deep sleep.

Cynder was running frantically through a dark hallway, tears in her eyes, she passed several orcs who gave her a look of bewilderment as she passed by, it wasn't long before she realized where she was. This was her castle when she was still under Malefore's control. She turned a sharp corner and slowed to a stop in front of her old bedchamber. She pushed the door open and peaked inside. "Daddy?"

Leon shot up and looked around frantically, as if expecting an attack. He relaxed when he saw Cynder in the doorway. "What's wrong, Cynder?" He asked groggily.

"I-I had a bad dream." She cried.

Leon sighed, "Come on, and shut the door behind you." Cynder slid inside and used her tail to shut the door. Leon moved over and allowed Cynder to join him on the cushion. He wrapped his arm around her.

"Promise me you won't leave me." Cynder said

"I promise. Now, please don't cry, you know I hate it when you cry." He whispered, before the two fell asleep.