Author's Note: Well, we're nearing 2K views so thank you all. From here one out, the story begins where the original Eclipse left off. As always, thank you B1ackbird for providing such immense help via beta reading. Also, thank you Nomexglove and Coincidencless for your helpful feedbacks! Reviews are how i decipher what's good/bad about my writing so just a quick note is appreciated, especially since the story is completely original from now on!

Update 05/2018: Removed unnecessary bits and added smoother ending.


The Starlight Eclipse

Chapter 7 – Within A Starlit Crucible

Lavender and rose coloured skies of a dying day marked with wayward west winds saw the furtive departure of three rain cloak covered dragons from Clarity whilst the city - shaded gloomy and grey in the sullen shadow of an inbound storm front that slowly smothered the setting sun as its sinister swells steadily swirled down stark mountain slopes that stabbed into its skyward sanctuary - slid into slumber.

Only a small committee of Sentinels, with the addition of Iana Evanstar, saw the group's departure over the city walls and of them, all but one held hope in his eyes for their safe return, preferably with reinforcements in tow. The Sentinels, though dubious of the Overseer's plan, had in the end admitted that there was no other option... With the exception of General Tallius, who was overruled and now simply silently scowled as the three young dragons gradually became specks in the distance before the looming darkness devoured them.

Corin cast one last look at the city as he drifted further and further away from his home, eyes scanning over the beautiful buildings and then over the dragons standing on the wall, slowly disappearing from view before the night ate them completely. This could very well be the last time he saw it. Aside from his mother, were there any moist eyes to see amongst those stoic faces? Any sorrow for the loss of one of their own? His final glimpse saw only a dozen white statues and he turned his head back forwards bitterly, gritting his teeth as tears threatened to overpower his self-control.

"Hey… so Corin, we haven't really gotten to know each other." Laindon pulled up alongside the new Ingrata and smiled innocently, flicking his head and throwing off the hood. "My name's Laindon, no family name of course, and I'm somewhere between seventeen to twenty years old, no clue exactly, years kinda blend together when you're stuck with the same routine day after day after pitiful day, savvy?

Corin glanced at his companion and grunted, not bothering to reply.

"Wow, I see how it is, you think you're better than me?" Laindon huffed tauntingly and stuck his tongue out. "Well I'll have ya know we're one and the same now chum, all that's different is that you…" He turned on his side mid-flight and pointed two claws at the brand seared into his chest. "…Ya lucky enough that ya don't got one of these yet."

"Look Laindon…" Corin turned back to him, remorse written over his features. "I don't have any gripes with you, I'm just… so tired." He trailed off. Why me… of all the dragons why me…

"Oh… I see, I do see indeed, I guess you ain't one of them night owls like I am. Well that's a-okay my friend, for your new pal Laindon is here to keep you awake." Laindon grinned and somersaulted cheerfully over the white dragon, straightening himself on Corin's other side. He opened his mouth again before another voice, this one feminine, interrupted him.

"Laindon, let the poor guy have some quiet, he's been through a lot." Cynder softly reprimanded the grey dragon, who frowned and meekly raised both arms.

"Hey, just trying to make conversation. It's gonna be a long flight down the valley, so I'd figure we can all get to know each other!" He replied defensively.

"I know, but I don't think Corin's in the mood right now, how about you wait until we settle for the night?" Cynder responded with a reassuring smile and Laindon's frown disappeared at the prospect.

"Okay, whatever you say!" He merrily sang before quietly muttering to Corin. "Hey, I'd offer ya moral support but I'd reckon my morals are iffy at best." He separated slightly from the downcast white dragon before beginning to hum quietly to himself, a smile glued over his features as he swayed back and forth in the air like a caged bird tasting its first breath of wilderness's winds, his rain cloak fluttering behind him.

Cynder focused back on flying, lightly channeling her element of wind to break through the turbulent eddies created from the changing weather. The sun was set by now and the sky, whatever bits of it were visible through breaks in the thick cloud cover, was painted with serene streaks of lavish lavender and radiant red. Nightfall was soon to be upon them and while she had no qualms flying through darkness and rain to hasten her journey, she knew that neither Corin or Laindon would fancy the idea too much. Besides, she reminded herself, if there was lightning then she would have no choice but to land. Having metallic wing and tail blades may help during a fight, but were rather detrimental to her health in the case of thunderstorms. She subconsciously brushed her claws against the folded blades of the talons she wore on her arms, feeling the deadly edges that had been washed free from any blood before they were returned to her by the Overseer.

The three flew on in silence for the next hour until even the twin moons that gave them the barest of visibility was tucked out of sight by the blanket of the now invisible clouds high above. Rain that began as light showers soon turned into cascades of heavy droplets that laden their unprotected wings and heavy winds constantly threw them off course or threatened to dash them into the trees below. Another tropical storm blowing in from the east was to be the first obstacle in what is no doubt going to be a long and arduous journey. Though their scales were kept mostly dry by the cloaks provided for them, the heavy resin-coated fabric made the winds even harder to maneuver against.

"Cynder, we need..." The back dragoness turned and strained to hear Corin's voice.

"What?" She screamed back, futilely covering her eyes with a hand to stop the stinging raindrops.

Boom… shrieked the heavens as they wept harder and harder, flinging thunderous javelins of lightning at the Earth below.

The words coming out of the light dragon's mouth was eaten by a clap of thunder that made her jolt but it took only a second for Cynder to realize what he wanted when the dragon gave up on speech and instead, desperately jabbed a claw towards the forested earth below.

She angled her wings downward and the two dragons followed closely behind as she flared her wings above the canopy and powered her way through the leaves and branches with a blade of wind, granting them entrance into the slightly less wet undergrowth below. She landed and dashed beneath a protective tree out of reach of the torrential downpour before throwing off her hood and shaking it free of any water that had managed to drip inside before covering her head again, shivering as cold water trickled down her neck.

"Whew, never flew in one of those before." Laindon laughed and shivered at the same time as he shook himself dry. "That was fun!"

"That was also a delay not even two hours into our journey." Corin grumbled as he shook his wings and huffed, warily scanning the surrounding bush for any dangers. Unable to see anything in the darkness, he squeezed closer to the others and dug his claws nervously into the damp earth.

"We need to find a safer place to take shelter." Cynder muttered as she too took another scrutinizing look at their surroundings. Who knew if there were fellbeasts nearby. If one of those gets the jump on them, they would have little time to react with such thick foliage obscuring their vision. "Perhaps a cave or some boulders, anything that we protect us from roaming predators or Demons."

Corin rubbed his chin thoughtfully before posting a reply. "We're still a distance away from the mountains, so Devourers shouldn't be too much of a worry; however, we're close to the Crucible, an old-"

"-Celtac fortress that never finished construction, right?" Cynder finished for him, smirking as the white dragon's face lit up with surprise.

"Who told you that?" He asked before his gaze fell onto Laindon, who was hopping up and down with a wing raised into the air and a grin plastered over his face. "Right..." He rolled his eyes before reaching into the satchel slung over his back and dug through it, searching for something. A second later, he pulled out a compass and gathered a small ball of light between his jaws, just enough to see where the needle pointed. Squinting, he tapped the glass cover of the device before pointing a claw at a seemingly random spot amongst the wall of foliage surrounding them. "That way, shouldn't be any more than an hour's walk if we hurry."

"Why don't we just fly?" Laindon whined. "The forest isn't safe at night, especially this far into the wildlands."

A flash of lightning above them made him jump and Cynder chortled as the dragon instinctively ducked beneath his wings. "Well seeing how none of us are electric dragons, I'd rather not push our luck in the middle of this tropical storm."

"Y-yeah, gotcha." Laindon stammered with a nervous laugh of his own.

"Alright, let's go, remember to stay close and keep the dragon in front of you in sight, one wrong step and you could easily get lost, especially since it's dark out." Corin warned them, compass still held in his claws as he shoved his way forward into the jungle, sending a waterfall of rain that collected on the leaves with each step.

Cynder fell in behind him and grimaced as she felt cold, sticky mud seep between her toes. Two hours, only two damn hours and she was already wishing for a warm bath to wash away the grime that dirtied her scales. She reminisced upon the stay at Warfang, which, though short, had certainly spoiled her. She inwardly chuckled at the memory of her first hot bath after three years stuck in a time crystal followed by a whole week of journeying through Avalar. In a lull during the siege, after the golem fell, was when she had her first glimpse of what urban life was like. When she and Spyro had met with the Guardians, licked their wounds, and then took the much-appreciated opportunity to clean themselves and explore the city.

Ah yes, she could almost feel the near scalding, steamy showers they had melted into, letting weeks of dirt and blood wa- oof. The dragoness grunted and phased back to the real world as she abruptly collided with Corin, who had stopped and now stood as still as stone, with just his head slowly swiveling back and forth, looking around them.

"Hey, what's the-" She grumbled in irritation only for him to hold up a claw.

"Shhh!" He hissed briskly. "Something's out there…"

Cynder held her breath and searched the shadowy trees surrounding them but the fierce wind made seeing anything impossible and the lightning high above only offered split-second windows of vision into the undergrowth. Maybe I can use the wind to scout out ahead… She closed her eyes and tried to feel the breeze again and hissed in frustration a second later when the rough currents of air surrounding her jumbled any information into static. She shook her head in frustration. It's no use, overpowering these winds simply to scout ahead will drain my mana too quickly…

Behind her, Laindon abruptly began to tap her tail rapidly with a claw, making her flick his hand away and turn back to glare at him. "What?" She huffed in annoyance before raising an eyebrow at the panicked expression glued onto the grey dragon's face as he frantically pointed into the undergrowth behind them.

"What the..." She squinted and followed his eyes before spotting a pair of glowing, green halos peering back at her. They flickered and she realized at once that it belonged to some sort of creature. A Demon perhaps? Here? She turned and stepped in front of Laindon, who proceeded to tug Corin's tail as well, drawing his attention to the two empty rings that observed them.

Cynder flexed her claws and tensed, preparing herself for a fight as the eyes began to move forward slowly, like how a predator would stalk their prey. Whatever it was paused a few meters away, then, with an aggressive screech, lunged.

The black dragoness jolted in incredulous surprise as a lump of feathers and limbs tumbled through the bush, slipped on the mud, and landed in a squawking, warbling heap before her. The lump quickly righted itself and peered up at her with two green eyes that radiated light like two sparkling emeralds, before emitting a guttural squawk again as it angrily advanced on her once more.

"Is that..." She stared down at the feathery creature that lacked any wings yet possessed wickedly sharp, curved talons on its front paws.

"Fellbeast!" Corin squealed in fright just as the creature leapt at Cynder once more, claws outstretched.

The dragoness quickly snatched her diminutive attacker out of the air with her hands, maintaining balance with her wings as she did so and wrapping her claws gingerly underneath the front legs of the tiny terror. It chirped angrily at her and snapped its toothy jaws at her snout.

"Wow, it's so-" She hesitantly spoke before another voice again interrupted her speech.

"Cuuuuute!" Laindon gasped and bounded around her, snatching the baby fellbeast from her hands and wrapping it in a tight hug, ignoring the ensuing bout of annoyed growls and unsuccessful struggles. "Look, it thinks it's an apex predator!" The grey dragon shoved the squirming creature before Corin's disbelieving face and grinned when the disgraced warrior stumbled backwards.

"L-let go of that thing!" Corin demanded, a wary look replacing the shock.

"What? No! It's mine, I'm going to name it Laindon Junior and... and..." Laindon trailed off as his eyes widened. A second later, he meekly laid the baby fellbeast down and sheepishly patted its head. Cynder too, swallowed nervously.

"What, what are you..." Corin flinched as warm air billowed down the back of his neck. "Oh..."

In an instant, the light dragon dove forwards towards his companions while concurrently, Cynder charged up an orb of crimson energy in the back of her throat. With a powerful clap, two massive, toothy jaws slammed shut where Corin's head was just a heartbeat earlier.

Laindon's terrified scream was drowned out by an ear-splitting, unearthly screech that shot out in crimson waves from Cynder's throat. Her siren scream cut circles in the falling rain as it blasted towards the adult Fellbeast that was preparing to lunge at them.

Corin's hands clasped against his ears and his teeth gritted painfully as an unnatural fear prodded his mind and his consciousness screamed at him to run. From what, he knew not. A second later, the feeling was gone and he blinked away the sudden dizziness that momentarily eclipsed him before clumsily clambering back onto his feet.

Cynder still stood in her battle stance while Laindon and Corin blearily regained their senses. The adult fellbeast had turn tailed and fled after being hit by her attack, with her young no doubt following, and a path of broken trees and damaged undergrowth marked where they had run off to.

"Are they gone?" Laindon nervously swallowed. As if to answer him, a chorus of eerie howls reverberated through the understory from at least a dozen different sources originating from every direction, causing the three dragons to involuntarily quiver with unease.

Corin turned to his companions with anxious and fearful eyes. "We're not far from the Crucible, if we run-"

"We won't make a hundred meters!" Laindon stammered, pressing himself against a tree as if it was to be his savior from a dozen bone-crushing jaws.

"If we stay here, we'll all be torn to bits, Corin, lead the way, I need light. If I can see them, I can fight them off!" Cynder growled and shoved Laindon in between her and Corin. "Go, stay between us," she charged up another siren scream in while Corin shut his eyes and initiated his own magic.

A second later, the dragoness instinctively shied away as brilliant white light flooded through the light dragon's scales themselves and shove back the looming darkness surrounding them. He opened his eyes again, his body now a brilliant beacon beneath the sea of night, and turned towards his companions. "Hurry!" He yelled and darted forwards with them hot on his heels, no longer caring about the water that splattered over their faces and drenched their scales

Cynder's eyes caught movement to the side and her eyes locked onto a monstrous shape barreling through the brushwood right towards them, aiming for the light that guided them towards safety.

"Oh no you don't," She hissed beneath her breath before aiming and discharging her second sonic wave that cut through leaves and branches like a crimson guillotine before striking the fellbeast mid sprint. Red waves exploded outwards and dissipated into the leaves as the creature let out a choked caterwaul, all neurons surging into overdrive as a nonpareil fear eclipsed its mind. The terrified beast stumbled before tripping on its own paws and collided heavily against the ground, uprooting saplings and ferns as it slid to a stop just as three dragons ran past. Cynder turned her attention away and before she even had a chance to rest, a cracking of wood above her gave her a split-second warning of the next attacker, dropping in from the cover of the canopy. She rolled to the side, using her wings to propel her away as another fellbeast dropped down from the shadows above. It landed in the mud where she ran just moments before and as it recovered, another wave of fear sent it earthwards again.

Cynder felt her body turn parallel against the ground and she used her speed to rebound against a tree trunk. Her claws dug into the wood and with a powerful kick, she was back behind Laindon once more, who was screaming incoherently, his yells audible above the noise of falling rain and savage roars.

Up ahead, two fellbeasts pounced in front of Corin, who quickly skidded to a stop and curled inwards. The light that irradiated from his scales abruptly amplified tenfold and in the blink of an eye, night converted to ephemeral day. Laindon, evidently familiar with the ability, looked away in time but Cynder was caught off guard by the move. Her vision disappeared as they were blasted with the dazzling rays of a second sun, blinding her and causing her to fumble. She collided painfully against a bush, hearing her cloak rip and tear as vicious brambles sank their teeth into the cloth. She felt a pair of hands clasp onto and tug harshly at the base of her wings, pulling her upright.

"Get up! We need to go!" Laindon cried out and painfully pulled her back in the right direction. Realizing that she had no other choice, Cynder quickly transitioned from wielding fear to wind, summoning forth a prevailing gust that whipped through the path before her, suppressing natural currents, and with it, she discerned where empty air contrasted with slick stone and densely cluttered leaves. Despite her vision now stolen from her, she still saw with unparalleled clarity… as long as she could keep the wind flowing.

Corin threw himself against one of the stunned fellbeasts and racked his claws viciously down the side of its face. The creature howled in agony and stumbled back into the trees, clutching its maimed head while the other one took a wild swing. Corin caught sight of the potentially fatal blow in his peripheral vision and instinctively ducked under, eyes widening as the claws missed the tips of his horns by mere centimeters before embedding themselves into a tree trunk. Corin backpedaled and recovered before turning back towards his friends in time to see Cynder and Laindon push past the incapacitated feathery fiend. He turned and bounded out of reach from the other set flailing talons and scanned the wall of trees once more.

"What are we stopping for?" Cynder called out to him while rapidly blinking, trying to rid herself of the vivid shapes that floated around her returning sight.

"Just getting my bearings," Corin called back hastily and wiped the mud off the glass of his compass. For a moment, his light pulsated and he groaned as he felt his mana pool neared empty. "This way, follow me." He rammed through some low hanging vines and branches as another fellbeast bounded through the trees, hot on their tails.

Using their smaller statures, the three dragons ducked under and weaved between obstacles like fallen logs or thick foliage. Behind them, the forest squawked and growled with their pursuers but with the distance they were able to put between them and the pack and with rain quickly washing away their tracks, they would soon be untraceable. Corin let his glow die away to save what little magic he had remaining.

Cynder panted, realizing that her own magic had already been fully spent and hoped that there were no more obstacles left separating them from the safety of the Crucible. The prospect of having to take on any more than one of those predators with claws alone was not one she particularly fancied.

As they ran, a constant roar that started as nothing but a whisper in the torrents of wind gradually grew louder and louder and the trees fell away revealing rocky shore and a raging river. They stopped as loose pebbles shifted between their claws and watched as a vein of lightning illuminated the sky. Across the raging rapids, in the second before thunder collided with their ears, the outline of a giant structure was backlit against the night sky.

The Crucible stood looming and sinister above them, carved into a hill and featuring sloped walls and multiple ramparts. They stared at the ominous building for a second longer before, just a few meters down the river, one of the pursuing fellbeasts burst onto the shore as well, baying deafeningly as it turned and spotted them.

"Let's go!" Corin ushered them into action once more and took to the air, skidding low over the river to minimize the chance of being struck by lightning before peeling up and making a mad dash for the fortress wall. Cynder and Laindon tailed closely, spreading their wings before finally touching down on stone brick and scrambling behind Corin, kicking up water that pooled against porous rock. The three ducked into an opening in one of the towers and immediately were overcome by a moldy, rotten miasma that only seemed to be exacerbated by the moisture. As light all but vanished, they were forced to use their wings to press against the wall to guide them down a set of stairs leading deeper into the overgrown corpse of the Crucible. Grass and vines jutting out from cracks in the stone tickled their feet as they walked, constantly reminding them of nature's slow but sure reclamation of dragonkind's ephemeral constructs.

The distant sounds of baying fellbeast assaulted their ears but they grew no louder. The raging river had undoubtedly stopped them in their tracks.

"Corin, any magic left?" Cynder whispered as she adjusted to surreal feeling of deafening storm faded into a distant pounding of never-ending drums. Water flowed down the stairs and formed filthy pools on the ground, mixing with the dust to brew a rancid stew. She crinkled her nose at the smell of decay before shaking off the water that still clung to her tattered rain cloak. Her hood though, thankfully protected her horns from the muck. Those were always a pain to clean, especially by herself.

"Just a little, perhaps enough for a few seconds at most. But don't worry, I have something for us," he grimaced and reached back into his satchel, putting back the compass before pulling out two metal and glass orbs. He handed one to Cynder before rummaging through the bag's contents to pull out a flint and steel, which he set on the ground.

"What is this?" The shadow dragoness turned the device curiously over in her claws, careful not to let the slick surface, made even more slippery by the water that dribbled down her arms, slide out of her grasp. She tenderly turned it over before feeling a bump against the otherwise smooth sphere. She curiously pressed on it and nearly dropped the orb when the it split into two halves, revealing a mirror-like finish within.

"A light trapper, or if you would rather, a lantern." Corin chuckled at Cynder's reaction. "It traps the light we can breathe but I don't have enough to power both of them fully. At the very least though, it should be enough for some light, for a few minutes anyways until we can get an actual fire going." Corin took the device back from the dragoness and exhaled a small puff of light into the opened orb, closing it shut and latching it closed as the tiny white glow suspended itself in the orb's center. A circle of dim, white light ignited against the darkness.

"Woah, hey, we look scary!" Laindon chirped and pointed to their shadows. Cynder turned around and chuckled. The dripping cloak that lay over her back and wings distorted her figure and the rips and tears made her look particularly menacing. She turned to the other two dragons and realized that they were mostly in the same tattered state, three ghastly specters who haunted these crumbling walls. They almost looked like the Demons themselves, enclosed in a veil of shadows.

He handed it back to Cynder before repeating the process with his own orb. The light danced weakly and wasn't enough to illuminate but a few meters in either direction but even this was a welcome improvement compared to the near-pitch black shadows that previously obscured their surroundings. They were in what appeared to be an old mess hall, with enough stone tables and seats for at least a hundred dragons. Broken plates and utensils littered the ground, as well as shards of twisted metal. The walls were moist and infested with scrawny vines and moss. Overhead, the ceiling, which was about double a normal dragon's height, was caved in in multiple places, revealing the dark interiors of other rooms or letting in rain from the outside. All around her, she could hear things scuttle about, be it bugs or mice or something else. This fortress had become a bastion for life seeking protection from the horrors of the forest outside. Chandeliers and lanterns that once hung from the ceiling law shattered and dusty on the ground, adding to the mess that they would have to navigate through.

"It's all I've got left, my mana's dry now." Corin looked at Laindon expectantly.

The grey dragon cocked his head as he noticed the stare that bore into him. "What? Have I something in my teeth?"

Cynder was momentarily struck by a sense of déjà vu but quickly shrugged it off as Corin huffed, rolled his eyes, before holding the lantern out towards his partner. "Use your element, I'm all out here."

"Oh…" Cynder blinked as Laindon looked away sheepishly and rubbed an arm. Whatever he was going to say probably wasn't good judging from his pose.

"Yeah… about that. You see, I don't actually know how to use my element." The grey dragon murmured bashfully.

Corin opened his mouth in shock as those words processed slowly through his brain. "You… don't know how to use your light?" He asked incredulously. "Everyone's taught that…"

"Yeah well, ain't no one taught me anything. I'm just a dirty Ingrata remember? Though I can do this!" Laindon opened his maws wide and a white glow grew at the back of his throat, momentarily causing the other two dragons to wince at its brightness; however, as soon as it appeared, it flickered and died.

"Yeah… that's all I can do." Laindon frowned.

"Right… I should've expected that I suppose." Corin sighed in defeat before scooping up the flint and steel and handing it to his grey compatriot. "Slight change of plans, let's gather some wood or any other supplies that could be useful." He turned to Cynder, who still stood there with the ever-dimming lantern in her hand, it's ephemeral light struggling against shadow's omnipresent hunger. "Seeing how you're fairly capable of handling yourself, I'll take Laindon with me, see if you can find anything in any surrounding rooms. Don't go far, we don't know what's in here," he warned.

"Sound's good, holler if you need me." The black dragoness affirmed and silently stalked off, inspecting her dust-blanketed surroundings as they were slowly revealed to her by the lantern's feeble rays.

"Oh, and Cynder," she turned to Corin once again, another circle of light floating in a shadowy sea. "Try to dry off those talons before they rust."

"Will do." Cynder nodded before turning back around and continuing her search.

Laindon watched as her light disappeared around a corner before turning to Corin and shooting him a toothy grin despite the shakes that still shot up his spine every few seconds from residual adrenaline. "So, let's get to know each other! Seeing how we're basically, best friends now," he chirped.

"Laindon..." Corin took a deep breath and rubbed his temples. "Just help me find something that can burn..." he groaned and started his search as well as his grey scaled companion strode close by, staying at the edge of their lantern's reach.

"Come on don't be like that. If there's one thing I've learned is that you've gotta make the best of whatever life hits ya with, savvy?"

Corin didn't respond and instead just pushed past an old doorway that creaked loudly before giving off a loud crack, making both dragons jump as it fell off its hinges and impacted the rocky ground with a thunderous boom. He gasped and felt his own heart thunder as well at the sudden noise before forcing himself to calm down. He is... was a Warrior, and he shouldn't be frightened by such disturbances.

"Uh… can we use this as firewood?" Laindon jabbed the heavy door with a claw.

"Would you like to drag that hunk all the way back?" Corin responded before taking a quiet step into the room.

"Yeah… no." Laindon huffed and followed him in.

Corin cautiously treaded into the dark, waiving his lantern around. They found themselves on the balcony of a foyer with an open archway leading out into the Crucible's atrium. Splattering rain and distant thunder filled his ears once more as he flared his wings and glided down to the first floor, looking around at the mess he found himself in.

"Wow, whoever was here last really did a number!" Laindon ogled the cracked furniture and machines that lay scattered over the floor before squinting and carefully trotting over towards an object on the ground.

"Found any-ah!" Corin leapt back as his companion abruptly spun around, a wild grin plastered over his face as he waved around a rusted dagger.

"En garde foul beast!" The grey dragon chortled. "Prepare thine self for reckoning by the blade of the Magnifi-"

"Laindon!" Corin screamed crossly at him, holding his chest and glaring at him.

"What?! Sheesh, can't I have any fun around you? A journey ain't fun unless ya breath some fun into it, savvy?" Laindon replied defensively before taking a closer look at the blade he carried. "Huh, is that blood?" He muttered before tossing it away with wide eyes. "Oh yeah, definitely blood." His face contorted in disgust.

"No... no, I don't savvy!" Corin growled and stared his partner down. "I've lost everything and this journey's my one chance at redemption and you, you treat everything like a damn joke!" He kept his glower as Laindon shrunk back.

"H-hey, just trying to be friendly here..." The grey dragon replied meekly before hesitating for a moment.

Had he been thinking clearly, the young Warrior would have seriously admonished himself for such an outburst, but with his emotions still in shambles, he only wished to continue to vent out his frustration. "I don't care! You don't understand what I'm-"

As if granted a burst of courage Laindon stepped forward and returned Corin's glare. "Don't understand? Don't bloody understand?! You know why I treat everything like a damn joke?" He growled crossly as Corin's ensuing words died in his throat. "It's because that's all I am to you pure ones, I've been trodden on, pummeled, and cast aside my entire life because of dragons like you."

Corin blinked and bit his lip, realizing the truth in those words as Laindon continued. "You lost everything, true, but at least you had something to begin with. Wealth, friends, a loving family. I had none of those things, but I still try my damnest to try to make other people happy."

"Laindon I-" Corin guiltily realized the truth in Laindon's speech. He had indeed lived a life far more lavish than anything this dragon before him was accustomed to and he certainly didn't warrant any right to dump his own grievances upon his grey partner.

"No! listen here Ingrata, if everything is taken from you, then you fight to keep things they can't take, your beliefs, your pride, anything that makes you you. Have some nerve! As long as you can stand on your own four legs, speak with your own tongue, and think with your own damn noggin, then you've got better things to do than mope. Take this journey as a challenge and stop bagging us with that sulking sorry sack of scales act!" The grey dragon was pressed almost nose to nose with Corin, boring into the disgraced warrior with fiery eyes.

Corin found that he couldn't maintain contact with those icy blue orbs and sighed, looking away. "You're right..." he muttered in defeat. "I'm sorry." Great, first he got his honor taken away and now, he's apologizing to an Ingrata of all people. He dug his claws into the ground as whatever rage that bubbled within him was quelled by a wave of resigned defeat. His best friends were all lower castes that he was and he never thought of himself as being superior in any manner except for social rank. Why should he think of the Ingrata any differently? Right… I shouldn't. Corin inwardly growled to himself. Curse stupid rules, curse Taurus that smug bastard, curse that damn caste system that always made him too scared to show his love for another. This was one cruel, whimsical world but he wasn't going to change anything by degrading into a moping wreck. He was not going to let himself fall any further down his pit of self-pity. No, that was not who Corin Evanstar was!

"I know and I know," Laindon smirked. "Now let's go get that firewood, the lantern won't last five more minutes." The grey dragon huffed and turned away, waiting for him.

Corin nodded and trotted by, silently looking left and right at the twisted metal devices and weaponry scattered over the ground. He approached another heavy door, leading deeper into the fortress and gingerly shoved it open, wiping away a nervous bead of sweat when it didn't simply collapse like the previous one.

They entered a large chamber lined with wooden bedframes. A portion of the ceiling was collapsed, letting in rain that formed a deep pool at one end of the room.

"Wood, dry wood." Laindon cheered happily and loudly smashed a bedframe with his tail.

"This must've been a barracks." Corin looked around at the walls and noticed a worn tapestry, or the remains of one seeing how much of the artwork was missing, eaten away by moths or perhaps simply rotted away. It displayed an army of Celtacs facing off against a rolling shadow with hundreds of beady red eyes, an image portraying the First Solar War decades ago. It suddenly struck him that dragons most likely died in the room where he stood; after all, when Pelcis fled here with the remnants of his guards, he knew that there was little chance of clemency from his former subjects.

He walked down the rows of old beds, eyes darting back and forth at the debris that littered the ground. There were swords and spears here and there as well as a few pieces of discarded armor. There were also little trinkets such as dolls and jewelry scattered around the floor, where they came from was anyone's guess.

He stopped abruptly as the smell of something burning wafted into his nose. Smoke? He took another sniff of the air and realized that he wasn't imagining a phantom scent, no, there was definitely something burning. He crept forwards, the dwindling light of the lantern illuminating a circle around him.

"Hey, wait for me!" Laindon called from somewhere behind as he scampered after him. Corin didn't turn to acknowledge his companion; instead, he followed the smell, which grew stronger and stronger with each step.

Crunch. He yelped in surprise as his foot fell into something hot and crumbly. Looking down, he realized that he had stepped on the scorching charcoals of a small fire's corpse, sending flickering cinders into the air. He frowned and stared at the worms of heat the glowed softly in the darkness. It looked as if it was hastily stamped out just recently...

They weren't alone.

"Corin, duck!" Laindon cried out, jolting the Warrior out of his thoughts.

"Duck?" The white dragon turned to look at his partner when a heavy weight barreled into him, sending him tumbling. The light orb flew out of his hands and shattered against the stony ground, plunging everything back into shadows.

Instinctively, Corin flared his wings to right himself and used his back legs to kick away his attacker. A surprised grunt rewarded him and the weight lifted, allowing him to skid to a stop and clumsily scramble back onto his legs. His eyes widened as his attacker came into view, a writhing cloud of living shadows broken only when two crimson orbs revealed themselves, glowing bright and menacingly in the dark.

Devourers.

Corin leapt back in fright, nearly tripping as his hind leg caught the end of his cloak. What in the ancestor's names is a Devourer doing here? He swallowed nervously as the beast approached him, growling in a warped and unearthly tone. He tried to summon light only to be met with the chilling feeling of nothingness. His mana pool was dry. He had only his claws to defend him this time against a Devourer in its nightly domain. I'm a Warrior…He reminded himself, telling himself, no… begging himself to stand tall and stop quaking with fear. I'm a Warrior, I am trained to fight! He would not run a second time. I'm a Warrior… oh shi-

He fell into a battle stance as his opponent emitted an ear-splitting screech and leapt at him once more, vanishing halfway in midair. His training reminded him that the rift would open a split second later behind him and he spun around just as shadow birthed the beast into reality's plane once more. It dove for his throat, shadowy claws extended. He kicked backwards and shielded himself with his wings, yelping in pain as sharp talons stabbed into the membrane before the weight knocked him back once more, sending them both tumbling until the Devourer emerged on top, pinning him beneath. He struggled to throw it off, lashing out desperately with tail and claws as his opponent fought to subdue him.

He grappled back with all his might, blocking blow after blow aimed at his vulnerable chest and neck. No, I can't die here! Not as a disgraced warrior… not with Clarity in danger… His mind raced. He had to get out from this position before the Devourer landed a lucky hit. If I can just free my wi-

A sudden yell soon followed by a screech of pain released him from his attacker's hold and he bolted upright once more to see Laindon, silhouette made far more imposing by the flailing cloak, tackle the Devourer only to quickly be thrown off a second later. The grey dragon rose back up, uninjured, and growled from beneath his hood. Corin gritted his teeth and advanced on his opponent. With two against one, perhaps they stood a chance.

His hopes were dashed a second later when Laindon took a step forward and was abruptly tackled by another shape that lunged from the shadows. The grey dragon let out a surprised gasp as the wind was knocked out of him before he impacted the ground with a dull thump, going limp. His cloak fell over him, blending him into the dark.

The second figure joined the original Devourer who pierced Corin with those two red eyes and for a split second, the Celtac noticed that this newcomer's eyes weren't glowing the same bright red as normal Devourers do. He didn't have much time to ponder it however when a third shape slunk behind his two opponents, its form broken by shadows that strangely bounced with each step.

Three against one... I'm so dead. He gulped and took a step back but to his disbelief, the new figure instead pounced onto the back of the Devourer that attacked Laindon, drawing a howl of pain as they fell into melee of wings and limbs. A flash of metal reflected the moons for just a blink of an eye but in that split second, Corin felt relief surge through his veins. It was Cynder, her form made even more menacing by the shredded cloak obscuring her body.

With the black dragoness's ambush holding the Devourers' attention, Corin steeled himself and leapt at his original adversary. Here's my chance to kill a Devourer! I'll show them all, Corin Evanstar is no coward! His claws tore into the shadowy tendrils and he felt blood splatter over them as they gouged deep into the creature's flank; however, the beast simply shrieked a shrill cry of pain and rage before jaunting away, reappearing a few meters away to glower at the light dragon, pure fury in its soulless eyes. Corin growled and tensed himself, preparing to attack again. I am a Warrior… I am trained to fight… I am trained to kill. They rushed towards each other, battle cries filling the air.

Meanwhile, Cynder clung to her own opponent with all her might as it bucked and struggled to throw her off. Suddenly, she felt two claws reach over and wrap around her front wrists, holding her in place before the Demon reared onto its hind legs and toppled backwards.

Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second and she tried, but failed to release herself from the iron grip before a heavy weight coupled with the crushing impact with the ground blasted the air out of her lungs with her cloak offering the barest of cushions. Her grip instantly faltered as pain jabbed up her spine and the Demon scrambled back onto its legs before lunging towards the dazed dragoness. She blearily saw the attack coming and forced her wings to shove off against the rock, sliding away just in time to avoid the pounce. The Demon didn't relent however as it leapt at her again but this time, she was ready. As its head came forward, the agile dragoness quickly rolled sideways into a crouch and, as the body followed, she tensed her legs and threw herself with all her might at her opponent.

Her attack landed perfectly and both of them were sent tumbling across the ground until Cynder finally forced the stunned Demon under her and emerged on top. Her brief window of advantage however, was shattered when two arms griped her sides and used her momentum against her. The dragoness closed her eyes, gritting her teeth and preparing herself for jarring impact as she felt them both spin around before she landed heavily on her back once more with a grunt. Opening her eyes, she saw Demon towering above her, arms firmly holding her own against her sides. Oh, you thought you won? She snarled and shot her head forward, bashing her forehead against the beast's snout and sending it stumbling backwards in pain. She shot up and followed up her initial attack with a quick swipe at her foe, but the Demon's arm shot forth to block her attack. She whipped her tail around, intending to slice her target with a savage swing and gasped with shock as it quickly ducked underneath. This one's faster than the ones I fought in Clarity… Very few creatures could come close to matching her fighting prowess. The fact that her rival seemed to be able to counter her every move was infuriating.

She quickly jumped away from a bite and flared her wings as her opponent followed up with a downward swipe with both arms. As deadly claws ripped into her cloak, she blasted off with a powerful flap while spinning around so her back was to her foe. Come on, who can resist such an open target. Cynder smirked as the Demon leapt upwards, intending to drag her back earthward but with another powerful flap, she shot out of reach, leaving her opponent fumbling for balance as its claws swept empty air. The black dragoness grinned as the exhilarating thrill of battle once again surged through her pumping veins and she angled her wings to pull a tight back flip, feeling her vision darken as gravity rapidly multiplied. She extended her limbs as her maneuver now put her directly above the exposed back of the unbalanced Demon below and let gravity as well as her own momentum take over. Her cloak billowed loudly behind her back. Gotcha… Her triumphant eyes widened in surprise as two wings flared out from her target and it dashed out of the way. Without time to stop, the dragoness collided heavily against the ground, gritting her teeth as he bones took the juddering impact. The rock itself cracked beneath her claws and a cloud of dust exploded upwards. In the second she needed to recover, a tail swipe took out her legs from under her, knocking her onto her side. Even as she fell, she prepared for the next attack and as the Demon leapt at her once more, she rolled, using her wing to shove her opponent away as she landed on her feet once more.

In the dark, the shadowy figure growled at her and she returned the gesture with her own fearsome snarl. Taking the moment to regain her breath, she reanalyzed the situation. This Demon clearly didn't use elements, and the fact the Demons had wings meant they were even more mobile than she had once though. A small grin crept over her lips as the two combatants analyzed each other. Despite the danger she was in, a part of her felt unbound excitement. Here was a chance to push herself to the limit, just her own claws and blade against her opponents. She hadn't had an opportunity like this in a long time. Those grublins didn't stand a chance against her, nor did any of their grotesque brethren. Here though, she felt something feral infecting her brain. She felt so… alive.

They circled each other before she feinted a step and proceeded to dash at the unsuspecting Demon, drilling her claws into the stone and swinging her tail forward like a deadly whip while her opponent tensed and with surprising grace, vaulted and rolled over her in midair before a pair of wings emerged from its back as well, allowing for it to perform a flip where its tail swung over its head before it landed, now in the same position she was while she took its position. Without a moment's hesitation, they charged each other head on, the Demon jumping and diving at her while she raised herself onto her hind legs, twisting down on the base built into the gauntlet clasped over her right arm, releasing the deadly talons that fell over her claws. She brought them to bear, intent on gutting her opponent as it dove. As the Demon dove down at her, she reared up and threw her right arm forward, aiming for its head. She saw her opponent flare its wings in surprise at the sight of those ominous blades and attempt to change course to no avail. Without any other choice, it threw its own arms forward, no doubt in a last-ditch effort to block her blow.

Clang!

She jolted in pain as the talons struck something metallic and her wrist complained painfully before she found herself being knocked backwards into the wall, which brought her to a painful and sudden halt, drawing a pained hiss from her throat. She pushed herself back up but the Demon followed a split second later, driving her back against the stone with its righthand shoving hard against her chest, pinning her and driving her breath harshly out. She kicked back against the wall and managed to push them both a step back, freeing her wings. Her foe raised its left arm, revealing some sort of metallic gauntlet that gleamed in the moonlight before it came down at her throat. Cynder smirked as she saw her opening. With one hand gripping her chest and the other poised for a strike, the Demon had neglected to consider her wings… or more specifically the deadly blades at the joints. The arms thrust towards her throat at a spot just beneath her chin, igniting with a menacing fire and she cringed awaiting the ensuing, likely fatal attack. Determined to at least bring her enemy down with her though, she brought her wing blades viciously forward, directly towards the unprotected base of the Demon's neck.

The passing flame's sudden glow bathed the two combatants in orange light, giving both combatants their first glimpse of their adversaries just as two attacks were mere millimeters from impact.

Time slowed as both combatants' muscles seized. A sharp crack deafened Cynder's right ear as fire infused claws swerved to puncture the rocks beside her head, tearing a new series of rips on the hood of her cloak and blasting her cheeks with sudden heat. Concurrently, her own wing blades veered around her opponent's neck, missing by mere centimeters. Suddenly, she was nearly face to face with her purple-scaled foe with her wings wrapped around his neck. Alluring emeralds locked with magnetic amethysts and two pairs of horrified eyes glimmered in the fire's flickers. Cynder blinked and opened her mouth yet try as she might, no words would form.

Her limbs, without warning, felt so unbelievably heavy and she let her claws creep forward on their own accord to rest upon the shoulders of the one who was just moments away from potentially killing her. Was she shaking? She stared down at her arms and realized that they indeed quivered beyond her control. Was it actually him?

Those purple torches sparkled at her, igniting the fire which burnt away all her fears and doubts, ignited a light which burnt for her and her alone.

Feeling her quivering touch, Spyro fell sat back onto his haunches, confusion sweeping his features as tears formed at the corners of his eyes. Abruptly, he wrapped his wings tightly around her as if she were a precious gem, his precious, onyx gem worth crossing any sky for. They pressed their foreheads together, unable to form words.

However, tearful joys of reunion swiftly dried as chilling horror crept up Spyro's spin and he quickly snapped his head sideways to where Corin and the Demon were still dueling it out. He reluctantly released his wings from around Cynder and pulled the still flame-infused arm out of the wall, desperately waving it in the air to grab the combatant's attentions.

"Syrina, stop!" His voice cracked with the scream, but his cry fell upon deaf ears as the Demon jaunted to slash at the Celtac's throat from above. Slumbering stones awoke and came alive as an earthen wall thrust between the two fighters. The Demon hissed in rage and jaunted again, this time vaulting through a rift before Spyro and advancing towards him, soulless red eyes locking directly onto his.

Cynder snapped out of her stupor and vaulted forward to come to Spyro's aid when the Demon's shadowy tendrils abruptly flickered and vanished into smoke. The red orbs faded, revealing two light brown, piercing irises underneath that perfectly reflected the flames. In the space where a Demon stood, a black dragoness their age now occupied, shaking away the last remnants of shadow that clung to her scales.

"What are you doing?" The dragoness hissed at Spyro, who stared blankly back. Rather than answering, he turned back to Cynder and stumbled towards her, as clumsily as a newborn hatchling on its first steps.

Cynder noticed that now, his violet eyes were overflowing with dazzling tears that hung like ripe grapes on a dying vine, ready to drop and splatter. She dazedly dragged her feet forwards too until they stood in front of each other, wincing and looking away as something stung at her eyes. She brought up a hand and rubbed away the unwanted intruder, but there was nothing except for a wetness that wasn't from the rain. She suddenly realized that her vision too was clouded with her own salty droplets that rolled like amber from the corner of her eyes down to her chin. She was crying again... but this time she couldn't have cared any less.

Ignoring the silent stares, she stepped forward and pressed her chest against Spyro's. The rain cloaks they wore crinkled loudly as he returened the embrace, but she paid it no heed as she found herself enclosed again within familiar wings, wings that she had thought may never hold her again and all of the sudden, the world melted away from her sight. She blinked and felt hot tears roll down her cheeks as she held tight, worried that he would disappear into nothingness if she let him out of her grasp.

"Don't you dare worry me like that again..." Her demand shook pitifully.

"I'm sorry, I-"

She cut him off with a claw, telling him to let this moment stretch on as long as possible, but soon, the chill from the dripping cloaks as well as their tired muscles warned them that the world had finally caught up.

"Cynder..." Spyro's voice quietly murmured next to her ear and she cracked her eyes open, emitting a soft whine of complaint as he pulled back from their embrace.

Spyro snickered at the noise and whatever he was going to say was lost as his gaze fell upon the alluring lips. Almost impulsively, he pressed forward again, cutting off any more protests with a deep kiss, watching with amusement as her eyes shot wide open for but a second before falling again like heavy curtains so that only a sliver of emerald peaked out.

They held it until their lungs complained for air and they slowly distanced from each other again, gasping for breath.

Feeling his breath return, Spyro continued in an undertone. "Cynder, you have no idea how worried I was."

"Wow... I'm touched." Cynder couldn't help but smile as her heart skipped a beat. "You know me, I can take care of myself. If anything, I was worried about you!" she smacked her lips and playfully narrowed her eyes at him.

"Me? You don't give me enough credit!" Spyro chortled, but she just shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"In all serious, I'm just relieved beyond words that you're alright. We almost just killed each other!"

Spyro cringed and rubbed his forearm only to feel the gauntlet's cold steel. "Yeah... sorry?"

They stared at each other, uncertain of what to say given their bizarre predicament until a giggle escaped her lips. Spyro felt his own expression curl to mimic her's. For a sparse few seconds, they simply savored the relief while the adrenaline soaking their bodies drained away. Cynder grinned, leaning forward to place one last peck onto his cheek then tapped his wings, signaling for him to let go. She slipped out and leaned against his wing, massaging her forehead with a claw until she froze, realizing that, during the fight and ensuing reunion, she had neglected to make sure her charges were safe.

A few meters away two dragons, one pearl white and the other midnight black, were entangled in a heated argument as another storm grey dragon looked apprehensively back and forth between them. Just a few seconds after the shadow dragoness's reveal, Corin cautiously limped forward, jaws agape and ignoring the burning pain of his injuries. His lips quivered as words tried to form but nothing came out. He stared at the dragoness that he had been attempting to kill just moments ago before collapsing onto his haunches, head swimming with questions. "You... you..." He stammered, eyes glued as she slowly turned to face him, a fiery scowl crossing her features.

"What are you looking at, sunblight?" She growled.

"What are you?" Corin's shaky voice came out as a mere whisper.

"What does it look like, moron, I'm a Draker!" Her hissing voice carried pure venom as she addressed the light dragon with narrowed eyes and bared fangs.

"A Draker… a Devourer…" Corin suddenly felt so dizzy and stood before turning away, stumbling a few steps as his head swam. A Devourer, a Demon, a dragon… No, that couldn't be right. The Devourers were mindless monsters that threatened to plunge the Earth into chaos! A Devourer, a Demon, a dragon… His eyes squeezed shut and he forced himself to take a deep breath.

"No... you can't be, the Devourers are monsters, mindless murderers!" He growled.

Syrina bared her fangs and growled right back and flexed her claws. "Figures that's what your people tell you. Well Celtac, they lied, played you like the damn fool you are. Your kind are the murderers here, the monsters who razed our people to ashes."

"What do you mean? You attacked us eighty years ago!" Corin argued, feeling his eye twitch sporadically with his growing umbrage. He wasn't going to simply take the work of some deceitful shadow dragoness...

"Is that how they chose to remember things?" The dragoness lurched back and cackled shrilly. "Well of course you would, typical Celtac, misconstruing a simple truth."

Corin gritted his teeth as a spike of vexation stabbed through him. "You're lying..." He snarled. "You and all of your detestable kind are no more than liars and butchers."

Syrina ceased her laughter and a toothy, wicked grin stretched across her face. "My detestable kind? I'm not the one who was indoctrinated into thinking my enemies were mindless killers, but if you insist. I won't mind beating some sense into your dense brain."

The light dragon snarled and fell into a battle stance, ready to fight once more, but a flash of grey shoved itself between the two.

"Hey, hey, I know you two in the middle of something, but this isn't the best time to argue like an old married couple!" Laindon beamed and sat up on his haunches, shoving them apart with spread wings.

"She can't be trusted. Don't you remember seeing the aftermath of yesterday's massacre?" Corin hissed at him and circled around. "Move aside, I've got to put someone in their place."

"As if! I hope you wouldn't mind me painting this stone with your blood." Syrina tried to dart around Laindon as well only for him to grab her bared snout with a hand, forcing her to pause and temporarily shift her murderous gaze.

"Let go before you lose that hand." She grumbled, her voice muffled. "You seem to be the smarter of the two, so I'll give you one second."

Laindon quickly did as he was told, casually shrugging but not moving from in between the two. "Hey, all I'm trying to do is keep this newly made group of ours from falling apart. Think of how upset Spyro and Cynder would be with your hatchling-like behavior right now, savvy?" He scolded the two like a parent would their misbehaving children.

Both Corin and Syrina hesitated, contemplating his words before sighing in resignation not long after. They simultaneously turned, glaring at each other and muttering "This isn't over..." then quickly turned tail and stalked off in opposite directions.

Laindon watched them for a moment before wiping a bead of nervous sweat off of his forehead. "Whew Laindon, still got it, still got the touch." He inwardly chortled before his attention fell upon the other two dragons in the room.

"Oh hey! Did you see what I just did? No? Well, while you two were busy with your lovey-dovey-ness, I just saved someone's life! Not sure whose though." Laindon tittered as he sauntered up to Spyro and Cynder, squeezing between them and threw his forearms over their shoulders. Both dragons simultaneously let out a startled gasp and jolted, glaring daggers at him, but he either didn't notice or didn't care as he leaned uncomfortably close to Spyro and said, "Hey, so not to be intrusive... but it's kinda cold in here and seeing how you can make fires..." he jabbed the purple dragon's side expectantly with a claw, ignoring the simmering displeasure creeping over the purple and black dragon's faces.

Finally, Spyro groaned and rolled his eyes, exasperated beyond belief. "You're right Laindon, thank you for your help."

"Don't mention it! It's my civil duty as the voice of reason in our new party." He puffed up his chest as the purple dragon yawned and padded away, searching for some suitable firewood. As he walked, he felt the Ingrata's eyes burn uncomfortably hot against his back.

Ahem! Laindon glanced away at Cynder, who glared at him and pointed to the elbow still resting over her shoulder.

She choked out a gasp when he pulled her tighter and swayed, causing her wings to instinctively flare as her balance faltered. "Yeah, I know, he's a hot one." The grey dragon pointed them towards Spyro, who was pushing broken peices of wood towards the remains of their previous fire. He met their eyes and raised an eye ridge, looking them back and forth. In the end, he just shrugged, throwing Cynder a I'm too tired to ask face.

She crinkled her nose and vanished, leaving Laindon to utter a surprise "Oi!" as he tipped over and smacked against the ground. The black dragoness reappeared, wavering slightly as the minuscule drops of mana she'd recovered drained away again, but she held herself steady and patted Laindon on the head as he pushed himself up.

She smiled sweetly at him and said, "Listen, I like you and all..." The sweetness soured into a deep glower in an instant, making his eyes widen nervously. "...But you have five seconds to disappear before I flay you." The sweetness returned as she let him go and as soon she did, he let out a squeak and scampered away. He ducked behind Syrina, who scowled and glared at him in confusion, but her head followed his pointing claws to rest on Cynder and for the first time, they flickered with intrigue.

Cynder put on her warmest smile as the shadow dragoness tilted her head and strolled her way. Oh no, how am I supposed to explain killing those other Drakers? How did Spyro explain himself?

"Hey," Syrina stopped in front of her and sat back on her haunches, her tail swishing back and forth behind her, marring the stone with her sickle-shaped tail blade. "You're Cynder right?"

She nodded in affirmation and held a hand out and the Draker stared at it for a moment, then smiled as well and clasped it in her own. Ow... Cynder grimaced behind her pleasant expression as her paw was crushed between the other dragoness's iron grip, but thankfully, it released her a second later.

Trying to think of something to say, she went ahead and asked the first question that came to mind, even if she already knew the answer. "So, you're one of the Demons? The supposedly evil creatures terrorizing Clarity?"

"Evil? It's relative I suppose." The Draker huffed and crinkled her nose. "Though I can't say I wasn't flattered when I learned of our reputation." She tilted her head at her and said, "You know, Spyro told me a lot about you."

"Oh? Did he now?" Cynder raised an eye ridge, curious as to what information he revealed. Am I stoking my ego at this point?

"Wouldn't shut up about you," Syrina snorted in amusement, throwing a sidelong glance in the purple dragon's direction. "I swear, it's like a child losing their favorite toy. He even called for you when he was sleeping."

"What?!" Her smile broke into laughter as she pictured him, all curled up, murmuring in his sleep. "That poor thing, I swear I want to hug him to death sometimes."

Syrina chuckled and shook her head. "You two were made for each other. He told me how you two fought a war, saved the planet, took down some evil purple dragon..." Her eyes narrowed as she trailed off. "I don't believe the last two parts, but he was quite adamant."

He didn't tell her the whole story, about... A serpent with tattered wings flashed its deadly teeth at her and Cynder shook her head to rid herself of the image of her corrupted form. "Yeah... we've been through a lot..."

Evidently, the Draker noticed her hesitation because she shuffled her wings and cleared her throat, changing the subject. "So... I guess I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Syrina Marinus."

"Cynder, just Cynder." She automatically responded then realized that the dragoness already knew full well who she was so she continued by asking, "What are you doing here? I didn't think that your leaders will simply agree to let him go, especially not after losing so much."

She watched Syrina's face fall and the other dragoness glanced away, then towards Spyro, who was casually chatting with Corin and Laindon, sharing a few chuckles every once in a while. Despite the Celtac abandoning them in the heat of battle, she noted that Spyro didn't appear upset at all, which was just like him. Always believing in second chances. The thought brought warmth and pride to her heart.

She turned to Syrina as she cracked open her lips again. "I think we both have some explaining to do." The Draker rubbed her neck as Spyro looked over and caught their gaze, becoming for them to join with a raised wing. Cynder shrugged and took a step, but froze upon sighting Corin's icy hazel glare shooting past her shoulder, towards Syrina and the dragoness responded in kind, neither of them budging.

Realizing that she had to prevent the two from tearing each other to pieces, the black dragoness cleared her throat, drawing everyone's attention. "Hey, I know that you two spent your entire lives viewing the other as enemies..." She turned to Spyro and exchanged knowing looks. "...But sometimes, we you have more in common than you would think. And right now, I think we've all got stories to tell, so I need you two to call a truce, if not for your own sake then for ours."

She heard Syrina's claw carve grooves into the stone underfoot and Corin was grinding his teeth together. Neither spoke for a few tense seconds, but Syrina finally sighed and look towards Spyro, who nodded in encouragement. Letting out a long sigh, the shadow dragoness dipped her head ever so slightly in acceptance. Everyone turned to Corin, who's eyes darted over each of their faces, but he too let out a begrudging groan and said, "Alright, fine."

"Lovely." Cynder strode forward until she was side to side with Spyro, who leaned downwards and bathed the wood with his fire breath, birthing a luminous, steady flame that casted dancing shadows of the five dragons as they circled around the light. She hummed in contentment when the purple dragon sat back and proceeded to pull her closer with a wing.

"You're amazing, you know that?" He whispered, just loud enough for her and only her to hear.

"Oh, I know." She playfully bumped him with her cheek and motioned towards the rest of the group. "Now, I think you've got a story to tell us."

Spyro nodded and tapped his chin with a claw, pondering where to start. His brain recalled the events of the last two days and he looked towards Syrina, reminding her that this story was as much hers to tell as well. Catching the expectant stares of his companions, he recalled himself waking up, surrounded by unnatural shadows...