Chapter 9: Flames of War

Somewhere Deep In the Forest...

A lot of complications had arisen since my defeat at the hands of that infernal Spyro, I had no mountain to claim as my dominion, and it would take far to long to construct one. No destroyer to carry out the great cleansing, all I had was the grublins, since I could create them in seconds with my dark magic. No doubt Spyro was regaining more and more of his memories by the second, creating a ticking clock on my advantage over him.

I wanted my revenge, I wanted it more than all else right now. The fact that little runt and my former pet defeated me was humiliating. The great Dark Master undone by mere children! They had to pay for that indignity.

I had an army of grublins ready to go, the winter weather complicated things a bit, raising grublins from the earth when it's covered in snow and ice was troubling, but I managed it. I would not be denied my vengeance by mere weather. I was to send the grublins into Warfang by dusk, with orders to kill anyone they saw.

I knew of Spyro's attachment to my former general Cynder, it was made obvious by the statue he chose to examine before denying my offer in that dream I crafted for him. Killing her would break him, I knew it would, which is why she was a primary target. Besides, she had a hand in my humiliation, it served her right for betraying me to die by the hands of my grublin armies.

There would be no where left to hide for any of them, my armies will burn that city to the ground, and little Spyro will have no one left but his inevitable death by my hand.

Warfang...

Me and Cynder walked back to her place, now I had two elements at my disposal, but she looked worried about something, it was different than yesterday, she seemed more scared than embarrassed. "Cynder, somethings bothering you, you know you can tell me right?" I asked her.

Cynder stopped, and turned to me with a solemn expression upon her face. "Spyro, do you remember when I told you to get over your life in the human world and you shifted into that... other you?" Cynder asked me. How could I forget? I almost killed her back there!

But why was she bringing this up? "Yeah..." I said hoping to find out where she was going with this. "I know you just want to protect me, and that you think people shouldn't hold me accountable for what I did in the past, but I'm scared someone's going to take it that extra step too far and make you shift into that other you." Cynder explained.

I just stood there, why would she think I'd do that? Yeah they were being jerks but that didn't mean I was gonna kill them over it. "Spyro please, promise me you won't turn into that other you again." Cynder said.

I didn't think I could, it's not like I could control it, it just sort of happened. "I... I don't think I can, I can't control it Cynder you know I can't." I replied.

She didn't like that answer, "Spyro! Please I don't want to see you like that again, promise me!" She demanded, what did she want from me?! I can't control my dark side! She knows that! If she didn't she wouldn't be worried about this because I wouldn't shift into it!

I looked away, "Cynder I'm sorry, but if I could control it, this wouldn't be an issue. I can try but I can't guarantee it." I said hoping it would be good enough to put her mind at ease.

Cynder seemed to be skeptical, but I think she understood what I meant. "I'm sorry Spyro, I know you've had a lot to deal with these past few days, I just don't want you to end up getting hurt or imprisoned because of me. I'd never forgive myself if you went off the deep end on my account." Cynder said sadly.

I nuzzled her. "I'll do my best Cynder, that's the best I can promise you. I've hurt you enough, I don't want to add to it." I told her.

Suddenly Sparx had decided to make himself known. "Get a room guys geeze! It's unsettling how "cuddly" you two have been getting lately." Sparx commented. I just shook my head, he really needed to let whatever grudge he had against Cynder go. It was starting to get grating.

Suddenly I heard an explosion of all things, me and Cynder looked in the direction of the noise to see a huge gaping hole in the walls surrounding the city. "Wh...what's happening?" I asked Cynder. She said nothing and took flight. Something was happening, something bad.

I flew after her, and now I could see it, there was a huge fire around the area where the hole had been made, and through this hole creatures made of earth and plants were funneling through in a mob. "What are those things?!" I asked Sparx, I recognized them from somewhere but I couldn't place it.

I heard Sparx make a whiny groan. "Grublins, I guess I should have known Malefor would make more, because he's a jerk like that." Sparx replied. Grublins? Was that even a word? Then again neither is Malefor, or Spyro, or 90% of the other names I've ran into in this world. Whatever these things were they were attacking the city, which meant I had to kick their asses.

I swooped in, shooting a lighting bolt down at them knocking one on it's ass as the others scattered. I dive-bombed after another one tackling it to the ground and taking it out with a well placed paw to the face. Two more rushed me, they only got rocks to the face for their troubles. However these things just kept coming! It was pure madness!

I soon found myself trapped in a mosh pit of grublins, I did my best to keep them at bay but they were overwhelming me like zombies on a kill. I was way in over my head, they dog piled me, punching and kicking me repeatedly. Suddenly one of them found itself frozen solid, fell right off the pile, and shattering into pieces upon hitting the floor. Suddenly a blue arm swatted the others off allowing me to see who had come to my rescue, and I didn't quite expect this.

It was Cyril, of all guardians to save my purple butt it was the one who disliked me the most. There's an irony in there somewhere I'm sure. I managed to get the remaining grublins off with Cyril's help. "What is going on here?!" Cyril asked me fighting off more of them.

"I don't know, me and Cynder were just talking and then there was some kind of explosion, and well, you can figure out the rest." I said fighting off my own mob of grublins.

I could tell how annoyed Cyril was getting having to fight these things."I should have known Malefor would have sent these accursed things after us again at some point! Where's Cynder?" Cyril asked me.

Crap! I had completely forgotten about her! "I... I don't know, when the explosion went off the flew away before I could ask her what was happening, I haven't seen her since." I explained to him as I took out a mob of grublins with a rock shot, knocking them all down like bowling pins.

Cyril then looked to me. "Go find her! I can handle these things!" Cyril ordered me. Uhh... how about I don't leave you to the mercy of a swarm of monsters? I mean, you're big and all, but there's thousands of these things! "No way! I'm not leaving you to the mercy of these things!" I objected

But Cyril was having none of it. "I can handle these things, no grublin can best the mighty ice guardian Cyril! Now go! Before I make you!" He demanded. Figuring it was useless to try to change his mind I did as he said, hoping he was right and could indeed take these things on his own.

I searched the city frantically for Cynder, scanning street after street for the black dragoness. "CYNDER?! CYNDER!" I called out as I flew through the now panicked city. My panic rising with every second I couldn't locate the former terror of the skies.

Sparx to his credit was also beginning to worry about her. "M...maybe she went to inform the other guardians?" He suggested, I wanted to believe that, after all Cyril found me. But deep down I knew that was wishful thinking, I had a gut feeling she was in trouble. Besides why would Cyril have asked me where she was if she had gotten them herself? Wouldn't he already have known where she was?

Suddenly I felt something tackle me in mid air, it was some kind of winged grublin thing. It had me wrapped up in it's wings and was gnawing on the back of my neck. I moved my head back, headbutting it and causing it to let me go. Yeah protip, never headbutt rock monsters, it's not fun. My head was throbbing from the impact but I had to shake it off if I didn't want this thing to kill me.

Good thing I did too because I just merely dodged getting sliced by it's wing. I shot a lighting bolt at it knocking it out of the air and sending it spiraling down to the earth. "YEAH! How'd you like that rock face?!" I boasted, reveling in my victory. It felt good to actually win a fight for once.

However someone had to ruin it. "Uhh Spyro, I hate to interrupt your victory dance, but that thing's buddies aren't as happy for you." Sparx pointed out, I turned to see several more winged grublins flying in my direction. I shot lightening at them, knocking one out of the sky but the others were gaining fast, too fast to get out another attack without risking them knocking me out of the sky.

So I turned and flew away, occasionally craning my head back and shooting rocks at them. Man they just kept coming! How many of these things did Malefor make?! Does he get them in bulk? Is there a website or something? I was beginning to sincerely question my chances here. I may be the purple dragon, but I was still a small teenage dragon against and army of rock demons.

However suddenly some kind of goo or something knocked one of the grublins out of the air sending in spiraling down like a shot down fighter jet into a building. I turned my head to see it was Cynder. Oh thank god I found her and that's she's okay. Well okay she found me but still. She was okay at least.

We both landed, taking out the last flying grublin with our respective breath attacks. "Cynder where have you been?! I was so worried!" I said, relived to see she wasn't hurt or dead or whatever.

"Spyro calm down, I'm okay, I've fought these things before, in fact I should have been worried about you." Cynder said in between laughs. Well good to see you find this funny.

However soon enough we were surrounded by grublins again. "Looks like we're gonna have to table this conversation for later." I said getting ready to fight. Cynder nodded and did the same.

Fighting with Cynder felt so natural, how we both complimented each other, her speed and my magic power seemed to balance one another perfectly. Not to mention it felt familiar, I had periodic flashes of me and her fighting together during the latter stages of the war. With each one I noticed my fighting skills improving slightly. Which helped a lot in this situation.

Soon enough we dispatched the last one. Cynder looked to me. "Not bad for a dragon with memory loss." She complimented me.

I nodded. "You're not too shabby yourself." I returned the compliment. However suddenly Cynder's eyes went wide. "SPYRO LOOK OUT!" She cried before pushing me aside.

SHUNK!

I felt blood splatter on my back, my heart stopped, I slowly turned my head to see that a grublin had tried to sneak attack me with an icicle, and Cynder had been stabbed by it, right in the side. I looked in horror as the grublin pulled the icicle out of her, the frozen object caked in blood.

"CYNDER!" I cried as I saw her body limply fall to the ground. No... god no! Not her! Please no! She can't be dead! She just can't! Even Sparx was horrified as to what had just transpired, too shocked for words.

I turned to her attacker, enraged that he had the gaul to stab my friend! I wanted him DEAD! I felt the anger rise as I moved in on the grublin, slowly and menacingly. I knew I was shifting into my dark form, but I didn't care at this point, I wanted him to pay for what he just did to Cynder.

I shot out an element I wasn't familiar with, a purple energy of some kind. If froze the grublin in stone, which I shattered into pieces with no hesitation. I noticed more grublins were closing in, good, I needed to vent some anger.

I cut down each one with ease, too angry to care about anything else. I slew them down to one. I saw it cower in fear as I drew in closer and closer. I had no intentions on showing this thing mercy, I inhaled and engulfed it in flames, this being the first time I had ever used fire. I'd have been excited I had just learned fire but I was too enraged at what had happened to care.

After they were gone, I felt myself shift back into my old self. My anger quickly melted into panic as I rushed to the side of my fallen friend, praying she was alive. I noticed a pool of blood forming from where she was. "Cynder! Cynder please don't leave me!" I pleaded as I turned her on her back. She laid motionless, I feared the worst, the one dragon to help me through all of this, becoming a dragon once more, regaining my lost friends, everything, was dying in my arms. It wasn't right! Why her? That grublin was aiming for me, if only I had payed attention...

I noticed everyone in the town gathered around. These people they didn't care, I knew they didn't, hell they were probably happy she was dead, perfect penance for the sins she committed as the Terror of The Skies. I couldn't even stomach looking at them. "Don't pretend like you people care! You never even gave her a chance! You couldn't let it go could you?! Despite the fact she helped me save you people you still couldn't let it go could you?! I hope your happy now..." I chastised them before I felt a claw on my shoulder, it was Volteer, "Spyro that's enough!" Volteer said sternly. I could see the other guardians were there with him. Even Terrador despite the fact he was supposed to be resting.

"She's losing a lot of blood Spyro, we need to get her medical attention before she bleeds out." Terrador said. I didn't know how to respond, I didn't even know if she was still alive at this point.

Suddenly I felt movement in my arms, I looked down to see Cynder looking up at me weakly. "S..Spyro listen to them... I'll be okay.." She said weakly. I couldn't stop tears from welling up in my eyes, I didn't want to lose her! I couldn't lose her! I stepped aside and let Volteer scoop her up and carry her on his back.

I chanced another look at the villagers, they all had guilty expressions upon their faces. I shot them a dirty look before following the guardians to the temple. Sparx flew up next to me. "You gonna be alright buddy?" Sparx asked me, being bizarrely comforting. I couldn't even respond, being to occupied with guilt and sadness to even say so much as an "uh-huh". "She's gonna be okay Spyro, she's tough, trust me I know." Sparx said to me, in hopes of lifting my spirits.

But all the while I kept asking myself how I could let this happen. She did nothing but look after me since I returned, she was someone I could always turn to when I needed help. But now she was barely hanging onto life. All because I was too stupid to pay attention to my surroundings.

Thankfully the last of the grublins had already been dealt with, but I couldn't get myself to revel in even that. Not with Cynder in critical condition. And with me to blame for it. I looked up at the night sky, the stars seemed to shine brightly upon us as we moved towards the temple. All I could do was pray to the ancestors to spare Cynder's life, she didn't deserve to die, not because of me.

I suddenly had another flashback, of the moments before I sacrificed myself to save everyone. Cynder pleading me to turn and run. But that would have been pointless since the world was breaking apart so I shot that down real quick and went to reconstruct the world.

However, I jumped at what she said next.

"I love you..."

Three simple words, but yet they made little sense to me. She... loved me? Suddenly everything she had been doing for me made more sense. Her reaction to my return, her willingness to protect me, everything was put into a new perspective.

And suddenly I realized, I loved her too, in all my years as a human I had fantasized of what my dream girl would be like. But I never thought she'd be a dragon, but there it is. However this meant little now, now that she was barely clinging to life, what a tragic irony that I would learn of Cynder's true feelings on what could very well be her deathbed.

All I knew now was that Malefor was going to pay for this either way, first Terrador, and now Cynder, it stops here, no more of my friends get hurt! Even if I have to do it myself I don't care. I'm ending this one way or another.

A/N- Will Cynder recover? Or will fate deal Spyro yet another cruel blow? Well you're gonna have to wait for the next chapter to find out! *Trollface*