Author's Note -

I'm a little sad that my last chapter didn't get as many reviews as usual. :-( One reviewer said that the chapter was 'boring', so I edited the Spyro x Cynder dream to a Cynder-killing-Ember dream to make things more interesting! :D If you haven't already seen the edited chapter, please take a look (and review!).

Hopefully this chapter will be more interesting, guys. ;)

Ten Ways to Kill Ember

Chapter Four

Death by Falling

I never thought I'd say this, but I am so fucking glad to be going back to Malefor.

Honestly, after two days and one night of having to put up with that stupid, annoying, immortal pink whore, paying a visit to my wicked old master seems like heaven. He may be cruel, and he may be manipulative, and he may even have teeth like Barney the Dinosaur, but at least he doesn't constantly mock my fashion sense.

Charlie seemed a little freaked out when I tried to calmly explain that saving Ember's life wasn't part of the plan. I then proceeded to leave, at which point he asked if I was going to take Ember with me; I said no, and left her in the kitchen, unconscious and most probably with a very stiff neck.

So now, as I walk down the cobblestone path leading away from Charlie's house, I feel elated. Why, if my life were a movie, there'd be a bright, upbeat theme playing in the background. The evening sun shines upon the street, bathing everything in a pleasant golden glow and reflecting off the cobblestones so it looks as if I'm treading on a path of light. I feel like a free dragon, walking joyfully away into the sunset...

Cynder...

Malefor's deep, rumbling voice cuts into my thoughts like a narrator. That's how he lets me know that he wants me; he calls my name. I think he has a habit of doing this, because once Spyro told me that he heard a dark, sinister voice call his name after he rescued me from Convexity.

Cynder, Cynder...

Good heavens, dragon, keep your horns on. I'm on my way. And I'm not going to fly, or walk any faster. This is the happiest I've been in a long time. I want to cherish this moment; this moment of freedom and bliss...

Cynder, Cynder...

"Cynder, Cynder!"

What the fuck? Since when was Malefor's voice all shrill and girly?

"Cynder! Wait up, you silly sausage – you're making my tits bounce!"

No. Please no. Please, please don't let it be who I think it is. Please let it be that I'm imagining it, or that Malefor is playing a trick on me, or that he's had a sudden sex change or something...

Just keep walking. Pretend you can't hear her, and maybe she'll go away. What's the name of that clothing brand she's always going on about? 'Keep Calm and Carry On.' That's what I'll do. Keep calm. Carry On.

"Cyyyyynnndeeeeeeeeeerrr!"

OK, there was no fucking way I imagined that.

Keep calm, girl. Stop. Close your eyes. Turn around. Don't do anything stupid, because you're on a street and someone could see you. Deep breaths. In. Out.

Open your eyes.

"Haaaiiiiiiiiii!"

Fuck.

"Ember, what are you doing here?" I snarl, trying to control my shaking body.

"I could ask you the same question!" she shoots back, glaring. "What did you think you were doing, leaving me alone in a dragon's house whilst I was unconscious? He was a complete and utter stranger, Cynder; he could have done anything to me!"

What a stupid fucking moron.

"For your information, whore-bag," I snap, "I have somewhere to be."

I turn to walk away, but Ember jumps in front of me.

She laughs, "No you don't! You're never busy 'cause you don't, like, have any friends. You're lucky that you have me to come and visit you and, like, take you shopping and stuff."

This fucks me off, because I am busy this time.

"I have a date with Malefor, actually, so if you'll excuse me..." I shove past her and stomp on.

A loud, high-pitched scream sounds from behind me.

"A date!" Ember shrieks, then runs so that she's walking beside me. Her eyes are dancing with fun. "Oh my gosh, that is, like, so exciting! Is he good-looking? Maybe we could have another threesome, or something. They always say you should never have sex on the first date, but I do it anyway. Wait, why am I asking you if he's good-looking? If you've managed to pull a guy with your ugly face and tacky jewellery, he has to be gross!" Another shrill laugh.

I sigh and roll my eyes. "Not that kind of date. I just meant that I'm meeting him, that's all. I need to do, er, a few little jobs for him..."

She grins and winks. "You're going to do a few little jobs for him? Now that sounds kinky! Can I come?"

"No, Ember, not those sorts of jobs. I'm not a hooker like you. I mean evil stuff, like..." I advance on her threateningly. "Like killing people."

Ember's eyes flash with fear for a moment, and I wonder if she's finally got the hint before they light up again.

"Oh my gosh! Please let me come! We'd be like Charlie's Angels, killing people and fighting the forces of evil!"

"We would be the forces of evil, dumbass."

"We can be bad girl cops then. I was a bad girl cop in a kinky sex roleplay once," she tells me, pressing her index toes together to make a gun shape.

"I don't care about you or your fucking sexual antics, Ember. You're not coming with me and even if you did it'd be pointless, because Malefor would never have you."

X

"You know, I think I might have her," Malefor says thoughtfully. "You could always use the extra hand there, Cynder."

Ember and I are standing at the root of the volcano where Malefor's crystal prison lies, and I cannot believe my ears.

"What?" I shriek, furious. I feel like the volcano itself, angry and bubbling and ready to erupt. "I do perfectly well on my own, thank you! I'm the best killer in all the realms!"

"Best killer, yes," Malefor muses, "but you're not exactly the best at seducing, are you? You're notorious throughout the realms for being a bloodthirsty murderer, Cynder, so it'd take a very stupid victim not to recognise you, let alone be lured into a remote place so that you can kill them. Now, Ember, on the other hand..."

"Ember's notorious too!" I scream. "She's known as the Bike of the Dragon Realms!"

"Yes," Malefor says slowly, "but Ember's pretty."

That hurts like a bitch. My own master favours a slut over the dragon that has served him for years. I feel disappointed but try to shrug it off.

"And if she's known throughout the realms for being a dumb slut, nobody will suspect her of having anything to do with a murder," Malefor continues, "simply because she isn't clever enough to plot something so evil. Yes, it's decided." I can only hear Malefor's voice vibrating from the crystal he is imprisoned in, but if I could see him I'm sure he'd be smiling. "Ember will come with you."

Oh, fucking hell and bells.

I bow and say though gritted teeth, "Yes, master."

"Does this mean I can go?" Ember pipes up hopefully.

"Yes, Ember, it means you can fucking go."

She cheers.

X

"So, what's the plan?" Ember blinks at me.

"For fuck's sake, Ember, I just told you the plan!"

"I know, but I wasn't really listening. What was it?"

I sigh. "It isn't difficult, Ember, even for a complete bonehead like you. All you have to do is find a guy in Dragon Village, ask him if he wants to fuck, and lure him into the woods."

"And then what?"

"I'll take it from there."

She smiles as we near the village. "OK."

"I'll be watching what you do from the shadows to make sure that you don't mess up, OK? Take him to the waterfall and I'll meet you there."

"OK. See you later!" She hugs me and races into the village.

I follow her, slipping as swiftly as a shadow around the edges of the village, but Ember skips away, further than I can see.

I only find her again when I hear her; her voice is so squeaky and high even deaf old Elder Titan could hear her. I hide behind a tree, my eyes like two shards of emerald in the shadows. They narrow and glitter with curiosity, wondering what unlucky dragon Ember has picked today.

"I said," Ember squeaks, "do you wanna fuck?"

A blue dragon sitting on a bench narrows his eyes suspiciously at her. "Are you a hooker? Because I don't have any-"

"Nope! Free sex. Right here, right now. Actually, in those woods over there in a few minutes."

"Hm." Pause. Thought. "Yeah, alright."

"Great!" She giggles. "You won't regret this!"

Probably because he won't live to regret it.

I slink back to the woods even more quickly than I had come, stopping at a tall, gnarled oak tree. Its branches overlook a huge waterfall. Large, jagged rocks rise from a steamy pool of water at the bottom. I was hoping that we'd kill this dragon, chuck him over the waterfall and then watch him sink to the bottom of the pool, never to be found again, but it's also very likely that he'll instead be impaled by the rocks. Oh well – at least if anyone finds him they'll think he was killed my the rocks, not me.

The crunching of twigs beneath footsteps breaks me out of my thoughts. Swiftly I dive into a bush. Shortly after Ember appears, followed by a blue dragon.

He's older than us by more than just a few years, but he's not bad-looking. Quite hot for a dragon his age, actually?

Shit, did I seriously just think that? Kill me now.

"How about here?"

"Yeah, babe, whatever. Look, are we gonna fuck or not?"

"Oh, you're fucked alright," Ember giggles. "Cyndeeeeerrr!"

As soon as her voice sounds I jump out of the bush. I see the dragon's terrified face before my eyes become clouded with fire and lust. I stick to him like a leech, my claws sinking into his body; my fangs sinking into his head. I rip my neck back, tearing away the sensitive skin on his scalp.

He falls to his knees.

Blood spatters everywhere.

But I don't stop. I bring my claws up, then force them down and rake them across his flank. Left, right, left, right...

The dragon stopped shaking a long time ago, but I continue to slash and bite and rip. It feels good; like I've been bottling my anger up for ages, and I'm finally letting it out. Finally...

"Cynder, stop!"

I whip around, snarling, and see Ember watching me incredulously. For the first time, fear glitters in her blue eyes as she sees the true monster within me emerge. Reluctantly I step off my kill, and see the mess that I've created: a barely-distinguishable heap of torn, mangled flesh, sitting in a pool of its own blood. An eyeball rolls away from it and sits at my paws.

Sighing, I pick up the mauled body in my jaws. Many of his limbs and organs hang from a thin thread of flesh. Then I toss it over the cliff, disappointment and regret weighing in my belly as I watch it fall. I was so close to letting out all the anger I'd been storing away for years. So close, but stopped before I could. So close.

Unless...

"Cynder? Cynder, what are you doing?"

Ember yelps in surprise as her body is grabbed. I think she's forgotten how strong I am. Either that or she's incredibly light, despite all her voluptuous curves. She struggles and squirms, but I hold on tight. I could probably crush her if I bit down hard enough, but I don't.

I throw her off the cliff.

And now – just now – as I see her fall down the abyss and vanish into a haze of steam with nothing but her screams telling me that she hasn't yet reached the bottom, all the anger, all the hatred and all the suffering...

It all melts away.

It's much easier to destroy than it is to create. Much more fun, too. Much more fun to take life away than it is to create.

I peer over the edge of the waterfall. Her screams have faded away into nothingness now. That's what I feel – nothing. Not anger; not sadness. Not joy or euphoria, either. I just feel... content. Like a heavy weight on my shoulders has suddenly been lifted.

I turn and I'm just starting to walk away when I hear:

Splash.

I freeze, my paw in mid-air.

"I'm OK!"

And all the anger, and all the hatred, and all the suffering comes racing back.

Author's Note -

Hope you liked this chapter better, guys. I have a small inkling on an idea for next chapter, but as always, please let me know if you have any ideas for the next chapter. Keep Calm and Carry On is the name of a clothing brand in England, but I don't think they have it in America, just in case any of you Yanks were wondering what I was on about. :3

Scarlet x