Chapter 9- To the Castle

Spyro and Terrador were getting ready to fly to the castle to save Cynder. They both hoped to get to the castle before Zyla could do anything to Cynder.

Spyro was putting on his armor in the training room when Terrador walked in. Terrador looked at the middle of the room, where in the old Temple, a statue of Malefor before his corruption had stood.

"I think that, after this, we should put a statue of you and Cynder there," said Terrador. "It would only be right, after all that you and Cynder have gone through. Are going through."

"You can do that if you wish," Spyro told him. "Truthfully, I don't care as much about that. I don't know about Cynder though. She might want that."

Terrador let out one of his small and deep laughs. Like most of the other laughs he had ever released, they were not very emotionally filled.

"So are you ready to go yet, Spyro?" Terrador finally asked after a few moments of uncomftorable silence.

"I am," Spyro told him, having just put on the last main piece of armor. "We need to hurry, so come on."

They ran to the balcony, where Cyril stood.

"Going now?" he asked them.

"Yes, we are," Terrador answered. "Cyril, I want you to contact the cheetah village in Avalar and tell them what has happened and where me and Spyro are going. We will need some help when we get to the castle."

"I will do just that, Terrador," Cyril pledged. "I hope all goes well, and that when you come back, none of you will be seriously harmed in any way."

Terrador and Spyro opened their wings and began to fly north towards the castle. Spyro was determined to save the dragoness he loved, and no one would get in his way. He would do anything for Cynder. He would even give up his own life for her.

"Hunter is going to meet us there," said Terrador.

"Why?"

"I told him that we would need help, and he said that he would help us in any way that he could against Zyla. He will be helping me outside while you are inside, searching for Cynder. When you and her get out of the castle, I shall release a fury that will shatter the entire castle. If that doesn't kill Zyla, then we will have to battle her ourselves."

"We'll have to kill her, now won't we?"

Terrador hung his head. "I am sorry to say this, but yes, we will. The only reason I didn't kill Cynder when she was under the Dark Master's control was because she was not only stronger than I was under his control, but I knew that she wasn't serving him faithfully. I knew Malefor had corrupted her. But Zyla would have lost all of Malefor's corruption with as much of a beating as you have given her. This obviously means she serves the Dark Master more faithfully than anyone. And this makes her an even tougher opponent."

Spyro nodded. "I will do my best to end her, Terrador," he said. "You can trust me on that. She hurt Cynder, and no one hurts the dragoness I love."

Terrador nodded at the young purple dragon's statement. He agreed, but also thought it might be a little hard-hearted for him.

After hours of silence and flying, just as the tiredness began to grow on them, the castle came into sight.

"There it is," growled Spyro. "Time to get back the dragoness I love."

They neared a small hill. Hunter, wearing a black cloak, stood there, his quiver slung across his shoulder.

"It is good to see you again, Spyro," he greeted. "Though I wish this meeting could be under better circumstances."

"You and me both," Spyro grumbled.

"So are we going to begin the battle or not, Terrador?" asked a voice behind Spyro and Hunter.

They turned around to see a female cheetah and a small army coming towards them. Spyro could tell that she was the new chief of the village in Avalar. Her fur was golden with few spots. Her jay-colored eyes missed nothing. She held a staff in her left hand.

"I am the new chief for the tribe," she announced. "My name is Mara."

"Hello," greeted Spyro.

"You must be Spyro. It is an honor to meet you." She bowed to her knees in front of him.

"There is no need to bow to me," he said. "All we really need to do right now is to plan out how to do this. How are you guys going to distract the guards while I inflitrate the castle and look for Cynder?"

"I will begin the distraction," volunteered Hunter. "I will shoot one of the guards with my arrows, and once one of the other guards see what has happened, they will sound the alarm, I am sure of it. Once that happens, I believe we all will charge towards the castle and attack. This should give you enough of a distraction to enter the castle."

"I like it. Terrador, will you be supplying aerial attacks?" asked Spyro.

"Yes," he answered. "I will make sure that none of the guards try to kill any of you from up on the roof. I believe it is time I tell you all of my plan after Spyro gets Cynder out safely."

"What is it, Terrador?" asked Mara, seeing a look of sadness upon his face.

"After he gets Cynder out of the castle, I will release a very powerful fury that will obliterate the castle," he explained to those who did not know.

Spyro still wondered why he had the look of sadness on his face. There was nothing sad about his plan. Or was the sad look meant for something else? He did not know, but he wanted to.

"I agree with this plan, Terrador," announced Mara.

"As do I," said Hunter.

"What do we do now, Terrador?" asked Spyro.

"For now all of you rest. I shall keep watch. As soon as night comes, we shall attack."

Spyro looked up at the sky. It was nearing twilight. But Terrador was right; he needed more rest.

He lay down on the ground and put his head on his paws. As his eyes drooped, his last thought was of Cynder. He hoped that he could save her.

Spyro suddenly felt somebody shaking him. He looked up to see Hunter, who was holding his bow in his other hand.

"What is it, Hunter?"

"The battle is about to begin," Hunter answered. "We need you. As soon as we begin attacking them, you must find a way into the castle, then continue into the dungeons and find Cynder. Get out of the castle as fast as you can, and then we will continue from there. Do you understand?"

Spyro nodded. "Let's do this!" He opened his wings and flapped them a few times. He was ready to get back the dragoness he loved.

"Okay. Want me to do it now, Terrador?" Hunter asked.

"Yes," the guardian answered.

Hunter raised his bow, nocked an arrow, and aimed it at a faint, fuzzy outline on the top of the castle.

Spyro knew the cheetah could see the soldier better due to his night vision, which was given to all cheetahs.

Hunter released the arrow, and Spyro saw it streak across the sky. After a few seconds, Spyro heard a scream off in the distance. He suddenly saw a fuzzy outline fall off the castle. Then another voice yelled, "Assassins! From the north! Assassins from the north!"

And that was when Spyro heard Zyla's cold, drawling voice.

"Where?" she roared.

"Out there, to the north, your majesty!" the soldier yelled back.

"Then get the army, go out there, and find the assassins, will you?" Zyla screeched. "I am going to check on the prisoner."

It was then that Spyro heard the soldier ordering something inaudible. The sound of a drawbridge opening reached everyone's ears. Spyro knew that the battle had begun.

He turned to Terrador. "It's time, isn't it?"

"It is," answered the guardian.

"I have to go now," Spyro announced.

Just as he began to fly into the air, Terrador stopped him.

"Spyro," he said.

Spyro turned around. "Yeah?"

"Be careful." Terrador seemed to have a small bit of unknown emotion in his eyes.

Spyro nodded, and then flew toward the castle. He had to enter the castle from the roof. Going from the main entrance was too risky. Any of the soldiers could stop him if he entered that way.

As he reached the castle's roof, he saw a small amount of soldiers there. He breathed a burning torrent of fire that incinerated all of them before they could yell out.

He saw a trapdoor in the middle of the roof. If he was to enter without causing too much noise, that would be his best bet.

He reared up and formed into his comet dash. He broke right through the trapdoor and found himself inside the castle. He could hear soldiers' yells from the main hall. It seemed they were all going out into the open to battle Terrador, Hunter, Mara, and the cheetah army.

He went to the edge of the end of a wall and peered over the side. He saw the last of the army disappearing out the entrance. The drawbridge began to close and then once it had closed all the way, it left Spyro in almost complete darkness.

Spyro looked around, and then knew that he had to get down to the dungeon so that he could find Cynder.

As he made his way, he thought, I will find you, Cynder!