I'm afraid i must apologise for the delay but when studies start, you lose time.

A.2.1. The Search

"So we're lost?" said Cirion to Hunter. The group had been walking for hours through the forest.

"This is not my fault; replied the feline as he examined the surrounding area. "The growth here is so thick; I can't tell if there are any landmarks in the area. If I could see through the trees, I wouldn't have this problem."

The young fox looked up at the trees around him, then, checking the straps on his pack, he turned to Cynder to catch her attention. "Don't look at me;" she stated, "I didn't recognize any landmarks last time you sent me up."

"I know that, but I might."

A look of confusion crossed her face. Then she rolled her eyes as a smile crept onto her face. "Are you absolutely sure you want to do that."

"It's worth a shot. Besides, it can't be as bad as porting for your first time, can it?"

Before the others could ask what they were doing, Cynder had leapt up into the sky, throwing the fox onto her back as she went. They could only stare as the black shape disappeared the canopy. "That is the most reckless and stupid thing I have ever seen her come up with." Said Spyro, shaking his head in amazement.

"Seems like something Sparx would think of."

"How are you feeling back there?" inquired Cynder once she leveled out.

The vulpine, who was feeling worse by the second, was clinging for dear life to her spines. "I take back my previous comment."

"Fine by me. Now, can you tell where we are?"

He took a deep breath and managed to get a better seat on her back before examining the surrounding lands. Seeing a town in the distance, he frowned and carefully pulled a map from his pack.

"Recognize anything;" came a yell from below.

"Yes I do, unfortunately. If that's the town I think it is, then we're about two days from Warfang."

"Why is that unfortunate?"

Because that means that we're within gryphon territory, and they don't take to kindly to strangers." He motioned in the direction left of the town. "Warfang is that way. But we'll have to wait till night fall until you can fly home. We don't want to be seen."

"Let's go tell the others then." As she dived back down into the trees, only one thought kept him conscious; the fact he would have to explain this to the arrogant cheetah.

"You want me to do what!"

Cynder smiled as she wandered off into the trees, leaving her new friend to explain the plan to the others. She was trying to keep herself from falling into hysterics.

She was failing.

"I don't see the problem." Said Spyro, looking from Cirion to Hunter.

"It's honestly not that bad." Said Cirion with the straightest face he could manage.

"Says the fox who was screaming his head off not five minutes ago;" said Hunter, slumping his head in his hands.

"I wasn't expecting her to be that fast. I'm more used to slower fight."

"When have you ever been flying; he muttered?"

Instead of answering, he turned to Spyro. "Think you may have to carry him."

"Shouldn't be a problem. I've had to carry Cynder in the past."

There was an indignant huff from the bushes. "I don't remember that!"

"That's because you were unconscious at the time. Just ask Sparx when we get back."

A look of panic suddenly crossed her face. With a quick call of; "I'll take your word for it;" she once again dashed off into the undergrowth, leaving the other three staring after her.

Finally, Hunter turned to Spyro. "Any idea why she keeps disappearing like that?"

"Not a clue"

"Trust me, it's better that you don't know;" said Cirion, who could glean a sense of what she was thinking and thought now would be a good time for a change of subject. "Anyway Hunter, stop trying to change the subject. You're going up there. Night's falling. We need to get out of here as fast as we can and that's the fastest way."

As he reached out to grab Hunter, the cheetah made a grab for his sword, only to fold up on the forest floor.

Spyro looked around to see the fox rolling on the ground, whooping with laughter. Next to him stood Cynder, the small log that had been in her talons quickly disappearing into the undergrowth. As he caught her eye, she gave him an innocent smile. "So, do you want to carry him, or shall I?"

Terrador looked out over the city and sighed. The Gryphons had agreed to send an emissary to assess the situation. She was due to arrive in three days. He was hoping, no, praying that hunter had returned with the two young dragons by that time for, now that there was no chance of Ignitus returning, he needed Spyro as the last trained fire dragon in order to make the deal with the gryphons.

There in lay a second problem. He still hadn't told Vithis about Ignitus's death. When the emissary arrived, she would be expecting a fully trained fire master and dragon with a highly regarded talent for the element. It wasn't going to help negotiations when they discovered that there was only the novice left.

It was for this reason that he had called the meeting that was occupying his attention. Nine other figures occupied what had once been the chambers for the council of eight, the group of guardians whose purpose had been to both keep the peace and ensure that the magical knowledge of the dragon race was kept from harming it.

'How ironic,' he thought, smiling to himself, 'that he was gathered here to discuss the distribution of that very knowledge.'

To his immediate left and right stood the two other guardians, neither of them looked as worried as he felt but they had been together for long enough for him to know him better.

Next on the right was Prowlus, flanked by meadow. The cheetah chieftain had grudgingly made the trip into Warfang in the hope he could remove the unwanted squatters from his village and finally get the peace and quiet he had been longing for.

Standing on behalf of the refugees were the leaders of the three major settlements of the surviving dragons. Many of them had chosen to return to Warfang after the death of Malefor, the fact that they wouldn't leave was the cause of all the food and residence problems that had caused this meeting.

Mole-yair and Exhumor had taken time from the repairs of the city to give the moles opinion on the matter. Though they were not a race with magical ability, they didn't want to see their workmanship destroyed by those they were helping.

"You have all been asked here today to settle whether we are to give our knowledge of fire magic to the gryphons." He announced, looking at each person in turn. "Although this is a breach of our frame of mind, it is required for the survival of all our peoples. I don't need to know the details as we are simply taking a vote. So, all in favour?"