I can assure that at least some of you guys are feeling sorry for Cyril, well guess what? You have no reason to be! If Terrador can find happiness in Zephra, than why can't Cyril find a good dragoness to share his life too? In fact, what if it was the last kind of dragoness he expected to fall for…?

Age of Life

Chapter 7

Pyromania

The Guardian of Ice was about as cold on the inside as he was on the outside. There's an old expression that says "When we hit our lowest point, we are opened to our greatest change", but this wasn't the case for Cyril. No matter how much he tried not to think about it, every time he pictured what that sorry, heartbroken dragoness' face looked like after he crushed her heart, it only made his face get more drained as each new image of possibilities flashed before his each. After seeing the couple in the building, at the start of his walk, share their love for one another in the form of mating, Cyril was pounded continuously by thought after thought of what the future held for him. In his thoughts, he was thinking that it was possible for him to wind up in that situation someday, but in order to do so, one must first find the right mate, and falling magically in love. This was something Cyril had never done, or even thought about doing, it was obvious that in his head, he was his own worst enemy. His conscience was his own worst enemy on the battlefield of romance. For the rest of the walk, he dreaded when a female would hit on him next, for he was sure he'd only make the same mistake, and break yet another female's heart.

Cyril knew not how long he had been walking around, but he saw the rays of dawn's light wrap around the city and over the walls like a mother putting a scarf on her child, and in his case, the morning sun seemed to glow a bright red. Usually, a red signals the Summer Solstice in the realm, but Cyril was sure his eyes were playing tricks on him, as it was still early Autumn in the city. He walked down the street, and the morning life was already beginning to show in the city. Lights in home were starting to turn on and shadows moved in the alleys. Moles and other dragons were moving about through the streets by foot or by some other means of transportation, and the waterways that flowed through the western reaches of the city were sparkling in the morning light. Normally, it would have been a good day, but Cyril just spread his wings and tore into the sky and bolted back towards his home in the higher areas of Warfang. As he flew, he left himself be carried on the early morning winds, and even though it was refreshing, he still felt spoiled on the inside.

He touched down in front of his home, which was an actually house-like structure, not an apartment looking dwelling like Terrador had. Cyril sighed and walk up the stone pathway to his front door, he needed to try and get some sleep, for there was going to be a council meeting later that day. Once he reached his door, he was about to push it open when he heard a sniffle. His head instantly turned to the right, as if his brain was perfectly attuned to the noise. He walked along a small path extending from his door, and walked to the side of his home. And there, walking on the street, was a young looking dragoness, her head down, and shedding tears as she walked. After he questioned why she was there, she fell down on her side and wept endlessly. Cyril didn't know what was wrong, so he decide to try and ask for her to let him help. It was his duty as a Guardian. He slowly walked up to the dragoness, and seeing as she was laying in the shadow of his home, he couldn't see what color she was, or what she really even looked like at all. His words were kind, and his mind was clear, for he knew how not to speak to a lady now.

"Miss…?" He spoke quietly. He saw the face of the woman look up, but he couldn't see how it looked. He only heard a sniffle once more, and she waved her claws at him.

"Go away…" It wasn't a pleasant wave. It was a wave of dismissal, whoever she was, she didn't want help. "I just got dumped my fiancé, I don't want to talk to any dragons right now." And he saw her figure curl up into a ball and stay that way on the ground.

"You sound sick…let me help you…" He was right, her voice had a sorry, fluid tone, almost as if she spent too much time at the local tavern.

"I said go away…! I didn't ask for your help!" She yelled at him, but she didn't pick her head up. Cyril shook his head,

"But you need it…" He wasn't sure if it was how he said it, or what he said, but the dragoness simple stood up and kept her head down, not showing him her face, as if he could see it anyway.

"Fine…"

Cyril smiled, knowing this time, he'd be helping out a lady instead of hurting her. "My home is right here, follow me."

And with that Cyril walked around the wall and back to his front entrance with the female following him. He was pleased that she was trusting him, after all, as peaceful as this city was, a drunken dragoness was easy prey for just about any maniacal monster lurking in the nighttime. He walked into his home, but he never looked back, he figure that since the dragoness hadn't shown him her face, she'd like to keep it that way. He walked up the stairs to his room and opened the large door, and she walked inside, and looked around. The windows were only just starting to catch glimpses of light, so as Cyril watched her from the door to his room, he could only see the color of her scale on her upper foot. They were a gleaming Macintosh red, so Cyril concluded she was a fire dragon.

"You can stay here…" He said quietly, and she stopped looking around and stepped up onto the bed and curled up and laid down on her side. She saw Cyril watching her, and even though it was for safety, she told him sternly,

"Don't look at me…!" And Cyril jumped a little, but followed her request and turned his head away. Even though he still didn't know what she looked like, he was closing the door ready to go into the other room and rest up for the day, but stopped, he needed to know something else other than her element.

"Can I at least learn your name…?" He asked her in a gently, care-giving voice. The dragoness looked up from her curled up position, and she saw the caring look in his eyes. She, just like him, hadn't see his face due to the shadows in the house, so neither knew what the other looked like. However, through her oozy mind, and splitting headache, she managed to say,

"Tathria…what's your name?" Tathria, Cyril though that was a beautiful name. But her next question stunned him, and he only shook his head.

"Tathria…it would do you no good to know. Trust me…" And he closed the door and left her to her own. He walked to the spare bedroom in his home and was feeling rather conflicted. He was pleased he helped out a D.I.D. like any Guardian should, but was rather upset that she didn't trust him enough to tell him anything besides her name. He had also figured out her element on his own, she didn't even tell him that, and he still never saw her face. So that's all it was, Tathria the Fire Dragoness, and he knew nothing else.

The morning sun wasn't only cutting through Cyril's eyes, the sun was also creeping into Terrador and Zephra's cave in Avalar. The sun shone on the water, and it made the whole cave sparkle with the refracting light. One gleam in particular shined over Zephra's eye, and this made her stir and awake. She shot her head up and saw all the beautiful rays casting inside her home, and she nudged Terrador to get up and see them as well. "Hey…Terrador…get up!" She urged him, and nudged his head several times. He groaned and looked up to see her by his side, and even though he smiled, his gazed was instantly redirected to the lights inside the cave. "Look at this…!" Zephra exclaimed. Terrador chuckled and shook his head.

"I knew about this already Zephra. The water covering the entrance to this place redirects the sun's beams every few weeks. This isn't something I haven't seen before." Zephra was amazed that he knew about this, as to her it was amazing.

"Wow…I wish we could stay and look at it more." She was right, they did have prior attendances.

"Right, we have a meeting to attend to today. Which reminds me, I need to get Spyro and Cynder as well, they'll need to be here for this one. My dear…?" He said to her, and she turned to listen to his request, "Will you fly to the Council Hall and see if they've already gathered? I need to go and get Spyro and Cynder." But Zephra shook her head 'no'.

"Terrador, let me get them. You go to the meeting, I'd hate for you to get in trouble for being late." And with that, Terrador smiled and told her where Spyro and Cynder were living in the commons, and she took off through the waterfall, getting her whole body wet and waking her right up to fly. Terrador followed shortly after, also getting completely wet.

There were many representatives at the meeting that morning. Moles, cheetahs, and dragons weren't the only one there that day. There was a manweersmall and an atlawa attending as well, this meant that whatever this issue was today, it didn't just affect Warfang. Terrador had gotten to the Council Hall fast that he thought and he had a few spare moments to wait outside for Zephra and the other two. A few minutes prior to the last few members arriving, Terrador saw three dragon figures flying towards the Hall. He knew who they were as soon as they got close. Zephra touched down on the steps to the building with Spyro and Cynder on her left side. "Sorry I took so long my dear…" Zephra apologized, "I got a little lost." Spyro and Cynder didn't think she was tardy, but Spyro stepped up to Terrador.

"Terrador…what's wrong? We never have to attend two Council meetings in a row. What has happened?" But Terrador only shook his head.

"You won't like it young dragon, not in the least." The Earth dragon couldn't lie to the young one. Cynder approached the two of them and looked up to him.

"Hey, has anyone heard from Cyril?" Cynder asked, but no one answered, signaling a no.

"We should probably worry about the meeting first Cynder…" Terrador said, "Go on inside and take your places, we'll discuss Cyril in time." And Cynder walked inside with her head hanging low, and Spyro followed after her to comfort her, as both were still feeling down about not being able to help him. Terrador walked up to Zephra and she said to him,

"I'll head over to the library, meet me there after the meeting." She said, and Terrador nodded his head with a smiled on his face.

"Of course Zephra…" And she smiled too, and after a quick goodbye kiss, she flew off and Terrador turned around and went inside.

The meeting started, and Cyril hadn't shown up, but no one who knew him was surprised. The main governor of the city decided who would speak first, and he gave everyone's attention to a cheetah dressed in traditional hunter attire. "Please welcome Farshot from the Cheetah Village in Avalar. He has some grim news for us." And Farshot stood up and walked in the center of the room.

"Thank you…my fellow citizens of the realm…Malefor has been defeated, this we all know…but peace has yet to completely envelop our world. I regret to inform all of you that one of our scout patrols in Warfang has found a grublin colony that is alive and thriving. We all know what kind of danger grublins pose to our city, especially due to their ability to mass multiply like the insect pests they are. We as a village are not sure how to deal with this current situation, so we ask upon you all for assistance in eradicating this plague from our good land." His request was heard, and everyone seemed to instantly be in favor, but the governor silenced them.

"You call for aid is heard by us my friend…but what does the Purple Dragon himself have to say on this matter." And everyone looked at Spyro. He inhaled deeply and stepped out on the floor next to Farshot.

"I, as the Purple Dragon, value all life. I know when it is my place to take a life, or to spare one for that matter. A colony of grublins poses a great threat to us as a city, but we mustn't forget that grublins don't serve Malefor anymore. They're just normal creatures again, and to slaughter them for our own benefits would be inhuman. However, perhaps, if possible, we could find a way to block off there passageway…" Spyro was interrupted by a loud clank noise coming from behind him, everyone turned and faced the door and saw Cyril walk through it. He looked a lot better, almost as if nothing had happened the day before. The governor cackled a bit at the sight.

"Councilman Cyril, Guardian of Ice, how nice of you to join us…" Cyril bowed his head in respect.

"My pardons comrades…I was side tracked…" And he flew up to his chair with the other two Guardians and sat down, joining back in. Before Spyro continued, Terrador leaned over and whispered.

"Side tracked…? Why are you late…?" But Cyril shook his head.

"My business is my own my friend, and it shall stay that way." Taking the hint Cyril was giving him, Terrador dropped the subject and continued listening to Spyro.

"As I was saying…" Spyro proceeded. "If we could find a way to sever their pathways to the city, we can drive them away humanely, and have easier minds about the whole matter." No one seemed too interested in his humane plan, but the governor put a halt to the discussion.

"Although I agree that everything alive deserves to be treated as so, we cannot risk the lives of an entire city for the sake of having a clean conscience. I say we evacuate all areas in the Valley until we come up with a solid plan to defeat these grublins, should they even strike at all. All in favor…?" To Spyro's disappointment, nearly the whole room raised their fore limbs, signaling their agreements. "It's settled then…" Spyro hung his head low, this wasn't what he wanted, it could start a war between the grublins and the dragons of Warfang, but the Council had spoken, there was nothing he could do.

"I'll oversee the evacuations myself…" Spyro said to everyone, and he turned around to walk out, wasting no time, Cynder followed after him and they took off towards Avalar once they were outside.

The meeting raged on for a few more hours with pointless domestic concerns, and just about everyone was sick of it by that point. Once the members began to disperse, Cyril was the first Guardian to leave the room and head outside to fly home. Volteer followed him and stopped him as he was about to start flapping. "Cyril…" And the ice dragon turned around to face his friend. "You seem different today, like something happened to you overnight. Is there something we should know about?" The 'we' referring to Volteer and Terrador.

"No…everything is perfectly alright. I am just, readjusting to the world after what happened. Please Volteer, respect my privacy." And he sprang up and flew home.

Once he arrived home, he walked up the stairs to his room where he had left Tathria to sleep that morning, and he easily knocked on the door. There was no answer, he knocked again, still nothing, so he pushed the door open gently to peer inside, but to his horror, there was no dragoness on the bed, and the window was exposed. Tathria had left, ran away from the kindness offered to her. Cyril started panic, his heart was thumping hard as he flew out the window as well to try and see if he could figure out what direction she had gone. He looked around, but saw dozens of red dragons, it'd be impossible to tell which one she was. He flew around the city with his heart exposed, constantly calling out her name to see if she's answer, but no one ever responded. He flew high up into the sky and looked down at the entire city, she was in there somewhere, but he'd never seen her face, finding her would be next to impossible. Forced to accept what the reality of the situation was, he felt himself grow cold and a tear formed in his eye. "She's gone…" He said to himself as his tear formed and fell to the ground like a raindrop.

Meanwhile, Spyro and Cynder had broken the news to Chief Prowlus about the grublin colony evacuation, and even though he was reluctant to pick up and leave, he wouldn't risk the lives of his people for his headstrong attitude. While assisting several cheetahs with their goods, Spyro noticed Hunter in the distance walking out of one of the larger huts in the village. Smiling, he looked at the family he was helping. "I'll send someone for these things, there's someone I have to meet up with." The father nodded his head and bowed in respect, Spyro smiled and bowed back and walked away towards the hut where Cynder was with Chief Prowlus. "Cynder…" He said walking, and both of them looked at Spyro, "Guess who's here…?" Cynder smiled and jumped up, and Prowlus excused her from his presence. They both trotted over to the hut where Hunter was, and he heard them coming without even looking behind him.

"Spyro…Cynder…" He said and then turned around, "I didn't know the two of you were overseeing this."

"I offered my services…" Spyro told him. "I don't trust the Council to see that this gets done right on their own. They'll need my help." Hunter laughed after Spyro's, very true statement.

"Indeed, they'll need your help." Just then a bump was heard inside Hunter's hut, and since it was covered with animal skins, they couldn't see who it was.

"Hunter…" Cynder began, "You have a guest?" She asked politely, and Hunter smiled at her.

"I do…it's an old friend of mine" He then stuck his head through the doorway and they heard him say. "Why don't you come meet these two…?" And then he backed away, and from the door came an average sized yellow dragoness. Both Spyro and Cynder were in awe at the dragon that stood before them.

"You're friends with an electric dragon?" Cynder asked him. But he shook his head.

"No, I'm friends with an electric dragoness…right?" He said the last part to the adult dragon standing in front of them all.

"Quite…Hunter…you never told me you were friends with the Purple Dragon. That's a high honor…" She said and bowed her head to Spyro. "Call me Destry, Storm Class." Spyro and Cynder both bowed back.

"I'm Spyro…and this is my mate-to-be…Cynder." And Cynder smiled up at Destry.

"It's good to meet you." Cynder said happily that she got to meet one of Hunter's other friends.

"You too…" Destry said.

Wow, two new dragonesses in one chapter? You guys must think I'm crazy! But I'm not, if you think I'm crazy, then you are the one who's crazy! Nah, just kidding! See you all later!