Chapter 11- The First Disciple

"I'm bored," said Elleca yet again. The search for Arragor had lasted all day. Every inch of Warfang should have surely been inspected by now, but still the eight young dragons waited. The sun had already gone down some time ago, but no one had come bearing any news, so they continued to follow the order to patiently await the return of the elders. Most of the children had found ways to occupy themselves. However, Elleca was quick to become restless and had claimed to be dying of boredom at least twenty times. She paced up and down the Council Chamber, exploring every inch of the room on both floors. Every time she passed one of the open doorways, she would stare through it longingly, wishing she could leave. There was nothing to do in a room that was empty save herself, Roxy, and her new found friends who were quite content to just lie around and do nothing.

Everyone else tolerated the pacing, but found the constant complaints of boredom annoying. Every time she cried boredom, the others offered suggestions on how to pass the time, but they were all boring things like sleeping or talking. As a lightning dragon, Elleca had an energetic spirit. She wanted to roam, to do something full of excitement and adventure. The mere idea of being confined to this room was enough to make her feel squished, like she couldn't move or breathe, so she said. This was the reason for the pacing. It helped her spend her excess energy, but it was a poor substitute for play.

After a few moments of silence, which was unbearable to Elleca, she gave a long sigh that grated Tera's last nerve. "You know, you don't have to stay here."

"We're only here to keep Wither company," added Vera.

"He shouldn't have to stay here alone," said Tera.

After this, Elleca stopped complaining, but she continued to pace in a circle around everyone on the upper floor. After a few minutes, Roxy joined her. "If it's any consolation, the current events promise plenty of excitement in the near future."

She turned to Roxy who was now walking beside her on the right side. He always walked next to her on the right side out of habit. She turned to him and looked past him to make sure no one was paying attention to her. Tera and Vera were talking, Sora and Renna had fallen asleep, and Psy and Wither were quietly comparing the differences between the dark clouds of Psy's shadows and the ones formed by Wither's nothing. Satisfied, she focused on Roxy and began to whisper, "I'm worried, Roxy. Life has always been peaceful for us. We've never had to worry about a thing in our lives, but we've also heard the stories of what life can be like during war times. It wasn't really all that long ago that the last war was won. My parents told me that they only just finished repairing all the damage to the city a few years before we were born. The time for peace has been short, but it's all we've known. Our parents may be ready to plunge into war again, but I'm scared. I don't think we're ready for this, and according to the Chronicler, the war will be decided by us. That's a huge responsibility."

Roxy listened to his friend's troubles with a sympathetic ear and nodded in understanding, knowing how she felt because he was in the same situation. "Elleca, don't worry about it too much. The future will come in time. Just try to stay here in the present with everyone else. If you're afraid of the responsibility of playing an important role in this war, then just remember that Wither is our leader."

"But how is he supposed to be our leader? He's just as young as we are. We're not masters, Roxy. We don't have the phenomenal power that our elders have gained over the hundreds of years that they have lived. How are we supposed to make a difference?"

"Have you already forgotten what Wither has done? Elleca, he's not like us. He's special. He drained Arragor of all his power and then brought down the Fire Master like it was nothing. He stopped a supernova that could have devolved into a black hole, killing us all. Wither has done more at his age than most can say they've done in their whole lives. I bet only his parents and Yarrow remain stronger than him. He has to be able to defeat everyone else in the city in battle. I know he's last in the class, but he deserves to be number one. If anyone can help us in the coming trials, it's Wither."

A voice suddenly replied, "That's right." They both jumped and looked to the left, through one of the doorways. The elders were returning to the Council Chamber in single file through it. Yarrow pointed at the lower level and said, "This is our floor, you two."

Getting the hint, they climbed the stairs back down to the first floor where Tera and Vera were waking Sora and Renna. Psy and Wither were already looking up at the elders in expectation. Judging by the looks on their faces, they had been unsuccessful in their search for Arragor. All the elders, including Spire, took their places in the circle above them. The children each faced their respective teachers and waited to hear what they had to say. Yarrow sighed and said, "We were unable to find Arragor. I believe it is safe to say that he has run away from Warfang altogether. I also believe that we should begin preparations to defend the city tomorrow, but such a decision is not entirely up to me. We must take a vote. Either we ignore the Chronicler's warnings of danger or we notify the city to ready itself for war."

The vote to prepare was unanimous. As the elders talked amongst themselves about procedure, the question about whether or not the children of the city should participate was brought to attention, and the debate on it was only ended when everyone agreed on Valorie's idea. The children would help with the preparations, but be hidden in the catacombs beneath Warfang should a battle break out. However, the children before them were not grouped in the same class as the rest of the children. It was agreed that while the rest of the elders supervised and aided with the preparations, Spyro and Cynder would continue the teachings of dragon martial arts and elemental warfare with the 'special' children, as it was decided that they might someday need it.

Wither cut in with a question for the elders. "What about all of the non-magical races like the cheetahs and the moles? They're our allies. Someone should tell them to prepare."

Terrador nodded his head and replied, "A messenger has already been sent to the friends of the dragon nation. Should everyone be willing to make the journey, an invitation has been extended to come to Warfang. Our non-magical allies will appreciate the protection and in return they can help defend the city. As for the moles, you know as well as I do that the vast majority of them live under Warfang, so they should be safe there."

"What about the dragons that don't live in Warfang?" asked Renna.

Cyril responded in a solemn tone. "Unfortunately, it is too much trouble to go around, searching for lone dragons or small groups that live elsewhere. When war breaks out, everyone will have the choice of either flocking to Warfang or hiding in a hole somewhere."

This answer didn't seem to be what Renna wanted to hear. However, she couldn't argue for them, for there was truth in the elder's words. Everyone had to defend the city. There was no time to gather wanderers. The needs of the many outweighed the needs of the scarce.

Yarrow nodded in agreement with Cyril then said, "We will do all of this tomorrow. It's late now and we all need to get some sleep. We have important business to attend to in the morning. Meeting adjourned. Go home everyone."

All of the dragons present were more than happy to oblige. Everyone was clearly tired from either searching the entire city or being stuck in one room all day. The elders shuffled home with dragging footsteps, and Wither's friends had to stretch in order to avoid cramping up on their way out the door. All of them said their goodbyes and left the Council Chamber. Their parents had already been summoned by the elders to take them home. The elders began to file out through the upper doorway, leaving Spyro, Cynder, Yarrow, and Wither alone.

Wither shifted to the upper floor and landed between his parents. Spyro jumped and closed his eyes, letting out a sigh. "I still haven't gotten used to that yet."

Wither looked up sheepishly at his father and said, "Sorry dad."

"It's all right. It's just new, that's all. I'll get used to it eventually."

Cynder joined in the conversation saying, "We all need to get used to it. You may only be a child with minimal training, Wither, but we cannot deny that the unique nature of your element places you well above even most of the elders. These past few nights I have even lain awake, wondering if you could even be able to put up a good fight against the three of us."

"Well mom, not to be disrespectful, but what could you do against a non-existent being draining you of your very life force? I could probably defeat all three of you at once without raising a paw. Should I choose, I can make myself untouchable."

Yarrow spoke with warning in his voice. "Watch yourself, Wither. We realize you are capable of all these things and more, but as your mother said, you have just recently begun to hone your abilities. Attempting all of those tasks at once may prove too much for you. Remember, you have to concentrate on what you want for it to happen. Try to do too much at once and you may find yourself in a vulnerable position. Don't think power is everything. It helps, but hard work and motivation are half of what it takes. You know why the three of us are the best of the best? I'm a life dragon, which makes me quite powerful indeed, but I'm also an ancient. I've spent countless years learning how to control my element, and in time I was able to master it. Your mother was touched by the Dark Master's evil, which was unfortunate. However, it granted her powers much like those of a purple dragon, which, as you know, your father is. They both worked hard to save the world and were deeply motivated to end Malefor's reign. So no, power isn't everything. Remember that, Wither. Don't become arrogant. Let this be your only warning. If you do so on the battlefield, you may not live to learn from the mistake. We need you, Wither. You're too valuable not to participate in the defense of the city. Don't let us down. The best way to make sure you don't is to practice every day with your friends. Your parents will teach you well. Listen to them in the days to come."

Wither nodded and mumbled an apology. Anyone else his age would have been punished for the challenge to his elders like that, and he knew it, but being the son of two of them and the best friend of the other got him off with a warning. Yarrow softened his gaze and said, "You must be a good leader for your friends. I don't think your dream meetings with the Chronicler are over yet. We still don't know what we're up against or how you and your friends will play a role in the future. I want you to tell us if you have any more of these dreams."

Wither nodded and turned to his parents. "Should we go now?"

Cynder sighed and ran a paw down her face. "Yes, we're all exhausted from an entire day of running through the whole city. If you don't mind, can we hitch a ride on one of your wonderful shortcuts?"

Wither grinned and hopped on top of his dad's back, where he clung to the orange back spines to maintain a physical connection. Everyone said their goodbyes to Yarrow before Cynder wrapped her tail around the end of Spyro's, and together the family of three shifted to the hallway leading to Wither's room. When they landed, Wither jumped down and told his parents he was off to bed. They warned him that he would have to wake up early tomorrow for class before slipping upstairs to their own bedroom.

Alone, Wither went to his room and burrowed into his cushions. There he lay awake. Though he tried to fall asleep, thoughts were flooding his mind and wouldn't leave him be. He couldn't help but feel like something was on the horizon, something dangerous, waiting to strike. He peeked out of a small gap in the cushions. His room was dark and appeared as though there were things lurking in the shadows. It had been about five years since he was afraid of the dark, but he was afraid now. He closed his eyes tightly to keep out the uncertain images. How was he supposed to fight in a war if he was afraid of something as simple as the dark? He knew he would have to be strong for his people.

Then he opened his eyes as he remembered something. He laughed at himself for not thinking of it sooner. A black cloud formed in front of him, and he reached in and pulled out the black crystal he had stored in the Void. The glossy, black surface was even darker than the shadows in the room, yet it provided comfort rather than fear. With it beside him, nothing could hurt him. He maneuvered it underneath a pillow and placed it between his paws. Then he laid his chin down on the pillow and closed his eyes, grinning at his silly fear of the dark. After a moment, sleep took him. He lay peacefully, knowing that he was protected by his dark creation.

He awoke to the sound of his parents yelling his name. His eyes popped open, and he emerged from the mountain of pillows, wondering what was the matter. "What? What's going on?"

His parents were in the hallway close to the far wall, looking at him through his doorway. Spyro knitted his eyebrows together and asked, "Did you just attack us for trying to wake you?"

Wither's face scrunched up in a confused frown, but then he remembered the crystal and realized what must have happened. He reached into the cushions and pulled out the gem that faintly whispered, hungering for the wealth of energy slowly flowing into it from Spyro and Cynder, even at this distance. "No, I had this next to me last night. I felt safer with it."

He showed them the crystal, and they backed up even further until they were up against the wall. Cynder replied in an exasperated tone, "Well, put it away. We can't come in there with that thing. It will drain our magic, and we need to be fresh for today so we can teach you and your friends."

Wither tossed the crystal behind him and caught it up with a black cloud. As soon as it was gone, the invisible aura around him was as well. His parents came in his room and sat down. "Killer defense system," said Spyro. "It's good to see you won't even let your guard down while you're asleep, but this is your home. We're in the middle of Warfang, we're in the room right above you, and there's a whole series of traps separating this floor from the ground floor. Nothing can happen to you here."

"Now go to the roof and eat," commanded Cynder. "When you're done, go to the arena. Class will be held there. We're going to leave now, but you shouldn't have any problem getting there on time. You have fifteen minutes. See you at class." They left his room and headed up the stairs.

Wither shifted there and started in on his morning meal. After a few seconds, his parents caught up to him. They did a double take when they saw him before quickly realizing how he beat them and said a second farewell before taking off toward the arena. For a moment, he sat with his head down, content to eat whatever prey his parents had brought him today, but when he looked up from his meal, he was astonished by the scene that met his eyes. All around the city, dragons were creating defenses and traps for the coming war. Each citizen was doing their part, but it was obvious that more was expected of the earth dragons than any other elemental group. They were taking up the arduous task of hollowing out the ground to create a gigantic trench around the entire city. From what he could tell, it was about twenty feet deep and thirty feet across. It dipped on both sides to form a U shape like a half pipe. The excess earth didn't go to waste. What was carved out to form the trench was condensed and compacted into super-dense double-tipped spikes. One end was plunged into the ground at an angle so that the other end faced outward, away from the city.

If any enemy troops got past the wall of spikes, they still had to go into the trench and climb over the other side. The ice dragons were following the earth dragons as they made the trench. They were blowing their magical non-melting dragon ice all over the smooth surface of the half pipe, making the steep surface too slippery to climb over. A second group of earth dragons was making another trench further away from the city. It wasn't as deep as the inner trench, but it was quite a bit wider. It was only five feet deep, but about fifty feet across. The excess earth went toward more spikes, and this group of earth dragons was followed by the city's few poison dragons. They were creating a toxic moat that no foe should be able to cross.

For the moment, none of the other dragon's special skills were needed, so the remaining citizens were doing crystal runs. Many were down in the crystal caverns beneath Warfang, bringing the sacred gems to the surface. From there, the wind dragons, among many others, flew them to the dragons working on the defenses so that they could continue to exert their magical influence around the city.

Wither had never seen such activity before. So this is what we do in war times? He went back to his meal and tried not to get distracted by all of the strange goings on around him, but as he tried to focus on his food, he noticed a low hum in his ears. It had been there for a while, but only now could he hear it. He looked all around, but couldn't tell where it was coming from. It almost sounded like it was coming from inside his head.

He was still trying to work it out when the buzz got louder and turned into what sounded like a thousand voices all fighting to be heard over one another. He clamped his paws over his ears, but this had no effect. The voices were in his head. He thought he was going crazy until a familiar voice rose above all the others, turning them into the barely audible drone again. "Wither? There you are. I couldn't make contact with you when I sent out the city's instructions."

"Yarrow? Where are you?" asked Wither as he looked around in confusion.

"Don't you know? I'm in my garden. I've connected the citizens of Warfang into a single collective so that we can be as efficient as possible. However, I was unable to connect with you until just moments ago. Your parents told me about the crystal you slept with. That must have been interfering with my connection."

"I thought they were going to the arena."

"They did, but everyone can communicate to each other through the channel I'm keeping open. Just think about whom you want to talk to, and they will hear your thoughts."

"You mean like this?" thought Wither.

"Exactly."

"That's incredible!"

"This ability is one of a life dragon's greatest. The hive mind effect is new to everyone, so there is some getting used to it, but it's very helpful in keeping everything organized. Well, that's all for now. I need to get back with the other people I was talking to. Oh, get to class. It's about to start."

Yarrow's voice left Wither's mind, but he could still hear the low hum if he concentrated enough. He scarfed down a few more bites then shifted to the arena. He landed in the middle of a circle. One portion was made up of his friends, which were facing their new teachers, Spyro and Cynder. Everyone jumped from his unexpected appearance. "Whoa, Wither! That's really scary!" said Tera.

"Yeah, don't do that," added Vera.

Wither gave everyone an apologetic grin. "Sorry. It's the best way to get around, and I would have been even more late if I had have walked."

"Actually, you're just in time," said Spyro. "Please take a place with your friends."

Wither sat down between Renna and Psy. Renna swished her tail across his to catch his attention and mouthed a hello when he turned his head. Then he heard Psy whisper, "I give your entrance a ten."

"If we're all done chitchatting then let's get to work," said Spyro. Everyone sat up and looked at their two new teachers. Once he had their attention, Spyro continued, "We need to work on your fighting skills to prepare you for war. We'll start off by sparing with you ourselves. Cynder will test Wither, and the rest of you are to work together against me. When we're done, we'll work on your weak points. First, you will spar with me, and Cynder and Wither will watch. Then Wither and Cynder will have their bout while everyone else watches." He turned to Cynder and said, "All right, I think the two of you should back up now."

Cynder motioned to Wither to follow her to the stands. On their way there, Cynder turned to him and said, "Don't think I'll go easy on you because you're my son. I don't want you to hold back. Give it your all."

Wither kept walking and looking straight forward. "Don't think I'll go easy on you because you're my mom. I want to see if I really can best you in the ring." They made it to the stands and took a seat.

His friends had all gathered together and were facing his father and waiting for the signal to start. Spyro looked around at his new students and shouted, "Begin!"

Only about a second after he said it, Elleca was on his back. She dug in deep and refused to let go. The others let loose with a volley of different elements. The combined force of their attacks slammed into him, forcing him on his hind legs. Seizing the opportunity, Roxy ran forward and tackled the Purple Dragon in the chest, nearly toppling him. However, Spyro flared his wings to gain some balance back, which was only lost again when Elleca did a flip over his head, landing in front of him. She had used his shoulders to pull herself over him, pushing him back in the process. He landed on his back the moment she landed on her feet.

Everyone rushed him while he was down, but a wall burst through the ground between him and his eager students. On the other side, they heard Roxy yell out. Then the wall was blown apart and the pieces pummeled the others. Most of them were able to pick themselves up and retreat, but Sora was knocked down and didn't get up. When the dust cleared, the students saw that Roxy was frozen solid. They tried to regroup, but Spyro suddenly let out a long jet of flame that formed a wall of fire, splitting the group in two. He charged after Tera and Vera. Both were very talented and powerful for such young dragons, but hardly a match for an elder, let alone the Purple Dragon. They did their best to fend him off, but a wide electrical burst was all it took to drop them both, paralyzed.

He turned to face the fire wall and dropped it right before releasing another burst. The electrical wave pulsed through Psy, dropping him like Tera and Vera before him. Elleca, however, was too quick to be caught so easily and as for Renna . . . she was nowhere to be found. When the fire wall dropped she wasn't behind it anymore. This didn't seem to bother Spyro. He faced Elleca and studied her up and down. She was doing a quick, jittery dance much like the one Xath had done during the competition. Spyro knew she was trying to generate enough electricity to unleash a fury attack. This didn't really bother him either. What really surprised him was the speed at which she moved. It was almost unnatural how she blurred in place as his eyes tried to focus on her. She was generating the energy quickly and would have a sufficient amount in just a few seconds.

She was going to be a bit more challenging to take down. She was too fast to hit with a normal attack. The only way he could finish her off would be if he let out a pulse. The only problem was that a pulse could be too powerful for someone as young as Elleca. He quickly judged her distance and speed before delving deep within himself to let out an earthen pulse in all directions. As the emerald bubble expanded, Elleca tried to outrun it, and she almost did, but the edge of it caught her and lifted her up off the ground. She was tossed to the ground and bruised rather badly, preventing her from recovering as quickly as she normally would have. By the time she did pick herself up, Spyro was looming over her. She tried to get away, but he grabbed her by the tail and held her down long enough to freeze her in place.

When she was still, he turned away from her and looked around. Three paralyzed, two frozen, one unconscious, and one missing. Now he was ready to question Renna's whereabouts. She was nowhere to be seen. Had she run away? She would be in a bit of trouble if she did, but as Spyro was about to speak with Cynder, a blaring sunbeam struck him in the back. He cried out as the unexpected blast burned his scales. He turned to deal with the light dragon, but she wasn't there. For a moment, he just stood there in confusion, but then another burst struck him in the same place on his back. He growled and turned around, trying to get a glimpse of his target, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Next to Wither, Cynder leaned forward in shock. "I don't believe it. She's so young . . ."

Wither looked up at his mom in confusion. "What's going on? Where's Renna?"

Cynder was still trying to recover from the shock, but she leaned over and whispered to Wither. "Light dragons can bend the light around their bodies, rendering themselves invisible, but it's a very advanced technique. She shouldn't be able to pull it off for another year or two."

Wither looked back at the fight in admiration. Spyro was looking all around, narrowing his eyes and staying very still. After a moment, he saw a slight shimmer to his left. He lunged for it and let loose with a stream of fire. He missed his target, but scared Renna into losing her concentration. The air began to ripple and a strange, warped looking dragon shape stood next to the flames. Spyro pounded the ground and the earth rippled upward in a wave of rock. The rippling dragon ran out of the way and began to flicker. In between flashes, Wither could see Renna attempting to regain her invisibility. Unfortunately, she couldn't focus hard enough and was beginning to tax her abilities with rapid movement. She realized that she had been found out and gave up, returning to normal. Spyro formed walls around her from the earth, leaving her only one exit past him. He walked up to her and said, "Well done! That was an outstanding display of elemental talent. This fight is over." The walls and rubble melded back into the ground. Spyro thawed out his frozen opponents with fire, cured the ones with paralysis, and revived Sora with one of the emergency red crystals off to the side of the arena.

Cynder and Wither stood and returned to the center of the arena where everyone awaited them. When they got there, Cynder placed a paw on Renna's shoulder and asked, "When did you learn to do that?"

Renna saw that everyone was looking at her and looked down in embarrassment. When she looked up at Cynder, she replied, "I read about it in the Book of Light. The idea of being invisible was so interesting that I've spent all of my free time practicing it ever since."

Everyone looked impressed, Spyro and Cynder especially. "You definitely had me confused there for a minute," said Spyro. "You took full advantage of the element of surprise. You also got a few good hits on me. Your performance was by far the best I have ever seen for someone your age. Excellent work." He then turned to everyone else and addressed them. "Elleca, you were a close second. Were it not for Renna's outstanding display of invisibility, I would have given you first place. Your speed is phenomenal. How do you move so fast?"

Elleca shrugged, looking agitated, "I was born that way I guess."

"I can barely even see you when you're going at top speed. That's definitely your greatest attribute, but I was also impressed with your martial arts. You fight like a master."

Elleca thanked him for the praise before he moved on to everyone else. "Roxy, you did so-so. That was a gutsy move, tackling me like that, but effective. Make sure you don't put yourself so close to danger though. Were it not for Elleca, I would have finished you off even sooner than I did. As for the rest of you, make sure you stick together. Once you let me separate you, it was all too easy. Safety and strength are in numbers, especially at your age. You must work together to bring down your foes. Don't become separated in a fight or it will be a short one. Anything you wish to add, Cynder?"

"Only that you, Psy, need to work on your reaction time. You could have at least blinded Spyro with your shadows to make Elleca's job easier. You had about a second after the fire wall came down, but you were too slow. Be more alert. You're too casual and you lose focus that way."

Spyro nodded and looked down at Wither. "Do you have any remarks for your classmates?"

Wither looked around at his friends. They all looked eagerly at him, especially Renna and Elleca. They seemed to value his opinion even more than his parents'. "I guess I would just say that you were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time, Sora. Tera and Vera, rather than sticking together maybe you two would actually be better off apart." Spyro and Cynder exchanged confused glances at this. "Remember that you have a telepathic connection. You could certainly do more apart. Communicate with each other through your link and attack on opposite sides. Rather than going for power in a concentrated attack pattern, you may find more success in a strategically coordinated one."

Spyro and Cynder looked up in surprise. "You two are mentally connected?" asked Spyro. They both nodded. "Interesting. I had no idea. Then I agree with Wither. If you can flank your opponent in battle, then many options and advantages become open to you. This strategy coupled with your gift would make for some pleasing results. As for the rest of you, I must ask you to refrain from using Yarrow's connection to do the same. The purpose of our exercises is to help you improve your abilities, and that is one that may not always be available to you.

"All right, I believe the time has come for Cynder and Wither to duke it out. Let's go to the stands to watch everyone." Spyro turned toward the stands, everyone following in his wake. Only Renna and Elleca turned to wish Wither luck then they were on their way.

When they had taken their seats, Wither looked up at his mother. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, held it for a moment, then slowly exhaled. When he opened his eyes again they were filled with that same utter indifference to the world that they had when he had cursed Arragor. Wither stared right into his mother's eyes and felt a hint of satisfaction when she shivered.

From the stands Spyro shouted, "Whenever you're ready!"

Cynder shook her head and focused on Wither again. She opened her jaws and shouted, "Three! Two! One! Go!"

She instantly blew shadows into her son's face and charged at him with claws extended and teeth bared. She swiped at him, but her paw went right through him. The shadows around his face dissolved, and he jumped backward, disappearing. He landed on her tail and bit down with all his might. Cynder let out a growl of pain and whipped her tail, sending him flying. Before he hit the ground, he disappeared again and materialized, still flying through the air due to his previous momentum, and tackled her right in the face.

This jerked her back and caused her to stumble, which he took advantage of by hanging from her neck with his front paws until she lost her balance. She landed on her side with him still pinned beneath her, but he turned transparent and phased through her, allowing him to shift on top of her and bite down hard at the base of her wing, this time causing her to let out a yelp.

Cynder rolled and almost squished him, but he shifted again and stood about twenty feet away. She stood and peered at him, thinking. He was impossible to hit if he nullified himself, and he kept shifting, which made it impossible to get a fix on him. She was already in a little pain due to the bites, but he hadn't suffered so much as a pat on the wrist yet. She took a step toward him, but when she did so, he lifted up off the ground slowly and was enveloped in the darkest of clouds. When the clouds receded he was gone.

She looked at the spot where he had disappeared in frustration then gasped when clouds began forming in the air around her. At first they did nothing, but then they surged toward her in long, flowing steaks that twisted around each other and their target, surrounding her in a cage of writhing nothingness. Suddenly, one cloud after another zoomed inward and passed through her like ghosts. Over and over again, they surged through her and around her, weakening her with every pass.

It reminded her of the time Spyro did the same thing with floating purple dragon heads in Convexity several years ago, but this was worse. The dragon fury purified her, seeking out the evil long instilled in her and purging it from her body. This was like having her very life force ripped away. Within seconds, she was brought to her knees, breathing deeply like one does right before being sick. Her eyes began to droop when the clouds dissipated and spit Wither back out before her. He had decided that she had had enough. He had proved himself.

The slight buzz returned once he came back out of the Void. At first he thought it was Yarrow checking up on him, but then he noticed that all the other voices had fallen away. A strange, unfamiliar voice whispered to him. "Do it."

"Huh?" Wither cocked his head a bit and stumbled.

"Use the crystal. Use it like this."

Wither shivered uncontrollably for a moment before becoming still again. He had his head down and was breathing like his mother had been seconds before. As she recovered, she looked up and asked, "What's wrong, Wither?"

Then he looked up. What she saw was the most haunting thing she had ever seen. If his eyes had been bad before, they were demonic now. No traces of her son remained behind them. They were black, but not pitch black. They actually seemed to be glowing black. She didn't know how it was even possible for something to glow black, but that was the perfect way to describe what she saw.

The eyes weren't the only things to change. He now wore a grin that made him seem far more malicious than he had ever appeared, and the air rippled around his back spines and head spikes in small, flowing streams. The last change was the tail spade, which was normally just an oval with a pointed tip. It was now opened up and separated into slivers, all held spinning in circles by an unseen force, and there, in the center of the swirling masses, was the dark crystal of Wither's design. He pointed it at Cynder and said, "Wither and wane, this stone is your bane. Submit to my will or I'll drive you insane." He chuckled at his wit as she grasped her head between her paws and let out a deafening shriek. His voice echoed in her mind, the last syllables of his speech playing out over and over again in her ears until they slowly faded out.

Spyro and the others stood in horror at the scene before them. As Wither spoke, his words pushed out in palpable waves that they could literally feel beating against their chests and faces before the tide of his speech made its journey back to its origin like the tide going back out to sea, tugging at their forms and almost pulling them in a step or two. Spyro dashed to the center of the arena, forgetting the students that followed behind him. When they got there, Cynder was floating a foot or so off the ground, held in place by the grinning dragon and his crystal.

"Wither! What are you doing?" shouted Spyro.

Wither turned toward Spyro. As he did so, his tail moved away from Cynder and past his father and friends. Cynder fell in a heap on the ground and didn't move. As Wither's tail pointed briefly at his friends while turning, it brought them all to their knees. Only Spyro was strong enough to hold his ground, though he felt his strength ebb at a frightening rate for the brief moment the crystal was pointed at him. It was like it was on overdrive.

Now he was face to face with his monster of a son, and it left him speechless. Wither answered his father's question in a voice that tugged at the very fabric of existence. "I'm taking back what's mine."

Spyro's face twisted into a hurt and confused expression. "Why are you doing this? Stop. Don't make me hurt you, Wither."

Wither laughed and stared Spyro right in the eyes. "Hurt me? But didn't I tell you? You cannot defeat me. I am eternal!"

With these words came understanding and a deep seated fear. "No. How? Get out. Get out of him! Wither!"

Wither laughed again, pointing his tail back at Cynder. This time she woke up and stood. Shadows played all around her body as it was plunged into darkness. Her glowing white eyes and horns were all that could be seen in stark contrast to the swirling blackness that had surrounded her once before about twenty years ago. Wither's grin slackened a bit, and he appeared confused. "But is it right?" he seemed to ask himself.

The voice whispered back, "Right, wrong, it's all subjective. Only you can decide what is right. I'm simply giving you a little nudge. There's so much to learn. I can teach you if you will be my student."

"But I'm Yarrow's student, and I don't even know who you are."

"Is it not obvious? I am the one who learned nothing before you, the one christened Dark Master. Death beckoned to me twenty years ago and I ignored the call. You're not the only one who has learned of nothing. I can teach you everything about your power. There's so much you don't know. Everyone will fear and persecute you for your differences where you are now just like they did to me. Come. I'll teach you."

"You can teach meabout my power? Uh, what kind of power are we talking about?"

Wither could hear his father shouting at him, but he sounded so far away the words were almost lost on him. "Don't listen to him, Wither. He's trying to possess you. Don't let him take control. Fight him!"

A rumbling laughter filled his mind as Malefor answered, "The kind of power that can bring the world to its knees, the kind of power that can make you the king of everything, the kind of power that can make you invincible."

Wither could feel something tickling his mind. He didn't exactly know why the thought of such things sounded so tempting, but he found himself wanting to know more. "I think I would like that."

Spyro listened as his son seemingly talked to himself. "No, Wither. If you're not careful, he'll trick you into thinking you want what he wants. He's filling your head with his thoughts to make you think they're yours."

Looking up, Wither gazed at his father with his glowing black eyes and listened to his words. He looked at his friends who watched him in confusion and asked Spyro what was going on. They seemed to think he was acting strangely, too. Maybe he was under the influence of Malefor's dark powers. "Yeah, I think you're right." Wither began to resist the power that was surging through him, though it was exhilarating and difficult to give up.

"Oh no, you don't. I'm not giving you up that easily."

Suddenly, Wither's body began to shudder before he raised his head up to the sky and let out a pained cry the likes of which he had never made. The air vibrated and cracks appeared in the space around him, making the world appear as though everyone was looking at it through a broken window. Lowering his head again, he shouted, "No! You're just trying to weaken me. You want me to give up this power now because you're scared. I'm more powerful than you are and you don't like it. Being the Purple Dragon isn't fun anymore when you're not number one, is it?"

Backing away, his heart beating in horror, Spyro replied, "No, Wither! That's not it at all. Please, I'm your father. You have to trust me. Just shake him out of your head and let yourself calm down."

"I think not, father. You know what I am going to do? I'm going to get back at you for all the pain you've caused me. You stole my childhood. I'm not normal like the others because you never gave me the chance to grow up like a normal youngling. I've lived my entire life in a tower with only night visits to old crones forty times my age. All my life, I've been forced to live in books and fantasies, but no more! No. You've gotten away with all of that, but that ends today. You and my mother will have to pay what you owe!"

At these words, Cynder lunged forward and slammed into Spyro with all her might. She raked her claws down his side and stabbed him in the back with her tail. She attacked him relentlessly without pause, ripping and tearing and beating her husband into submission.

"Cynder! Stop this. You're stronger than the darkness. You've beaten it before. Don't you remember? Please, your love for me is stronger than your hate. That's what you told me last time. You said you love me so much that you could never succumb to the darkness while I'm around." Spyro kept falling back, refusing to fight his wife, but sustaining injuries all the while.

Wither's friends looked on in terror as Wither laughed while waving a paw, somewhat matching Cynder's movements. "Yes, that's right. Fight. Fight for my amusement. Your bodies are canvases and my pain is the paint. Feel my pain you monsters. May you etch your own evil into one another. Fight!"

All of Wither's friends looked back and forth between the maniacally laughing dragon they had thought their friend and the two fabled heroes that were being pitted against one another. The sound of a pained cry got their attention. Spyro was still refusing to defend himself, taking heavy abuse from his mate. Tears were flowing down his face and blood was running down his body and dripping on the ground. "Please, Wither. We love you. Don't do this."

Raising himself up, Wither replied in a low voice, "Love? What do you know of love? You always claimed that you kept me in that tower to protect me, but you know what? If you truly love something, you'll set it free. Your 'love' came too late. I've taken what you've given me to grow on, and this is what I've come to. Are you not satisfied? You made me this way. If I'm not all that you've expected then it's all. Your. Fault. Don't talk to me about love ever again. It is a blasphemy to call what you've done to me love. Mother, finish him."

Cynder raised a paw and smacked Spyro across the face, sending him to the ground. He looked up, his eyes mirroring the sorrow in his heart, as she lunged at his neck.

"Stop!"

The shadowy dragon halted an inch from the vulnerable flesh of Spyro's throat. Wither stopped laughing and froze in place as the shock of the exclamation paralyzed him with surprise. "Wh—what?"

Renna was standing with her friends weeping freely as she watched the scene almost come to an end before her. "Stop, Wither! Just stop. Why can't you do that? What's wrong with you? Leave them alone. They're your parents. Of course they love you. Please, you have to let go of your pain. They may have hurt you, but they were only doing what they thought was best for you. This isn't going to get you back the years that you spent in your house. I don't know how you feel about how you turned out, but this is not the Wither I know. The Wither I know came out of his house on the day of the Great Awakening a sweet and kind dragon. You didn't let anything that anyone did bother you. You were a good friend. I want that Wither back. Give him back!"

Wither shuddered and gasped as the clouds in his mind lifted immediately, as if by some magic. "What? No, is this what it means to have this kind of power? What have I become? No! I don't want it! Take it back you beast! Take it back! I don't want it! I don't want it!"

Recoiling at the sudden surge of power that backed Wither's will, the Dark Master gave a roar of frustration and shouted, "Fool! In time, you'll come to learn that your hollow heart marks you as an anathema to all others! Until you come around, you and all of Warfang shall face my wrath!"

Wither rippled until he was back to normal then fell to the ground. Cynder returned to her normal self and followed suit. When Wither awoke, he was terribly disoriented. His father was standing over him with tears still streaming down his face and his friends were off to the side looking equally scared. "Ugh, did I lose?"

"Wither! My boy. You're all right. Thank the ancestors. I thought you were hurt. Hold on. I'll be right back." Spyro ran over to a lump on the ground several feet away. Wither recognized it as his mom. Then it all came back to him.

He jumped to his feet, shouting hysterically. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't—"

Spyro cut him off. "It's not your fault, Wither. Just hold on." After a moment, Spyro was able to revive Cynder with the help of a substantial amount of crystals, and she stood shakily, using her husband for support. "Are you all right?"

She took a deep breath. "Wither—"

"Is fine. Shaken, I imagine, but he's okay. What about you?"

"I'm fine. I just need to rest. Use those crystals on yourself. You're a mess." She looked up at Wither and saw his eyes were wide and he was holding his paws against his mouth in sheer horror at what he had done. Giving him a warm and teary eyed smile, she said, "My baby, you're okay."

Wither nodded. "What happened?"

Spyro cast his gaze downward. "I believe that the worst has happened. From what I can tell, the Dark Master has returned."

Everyone froze at these words. "How do you know?" asked Elleca after a moment of silence.

"Right before Cynder and I defeated him, he said, 'You cannot defeat me. I am eternal.' Also, he must have somehow possessed Wither and used him to get to Cynder again for revenge, but I thought he was dead."

"Apparently not," mumbled Cynder. Everyone sat in silence for a moment, now knowing what they were up against.

"So what you're saying is that Wither isn't responsible for what he just did?" asked Roxy.

Shaking his head, Spyro said, "Please, none of you should blame him. No one can be held responsible for their actions while under Malefor's control. When he corrupts someone as heavily as he just did, it's not even the person who's performing the actions anymore. They're just a shell to house Malefor's will so that he may do things from their bodies. He seals their minds away inside themselves and isolates them from the outside world with thick walls of darkness."

Turning her head, Cynder said, "Thank you, Renna. I don't know how you were able to break through to him, but if you hadn't—oh, I don't even want to think about it."

Everyone seemed to relax and motioned Wither over to join them, giving him hugs and patting him on the back to let him know everything was okay. Once he was settled amongst them once more, Wither spoke up. "Thank you, Renna. I don't know what I would have done without you. Thank you for pulling me out of myself."

"You're welcome, Wither. I just couldn't watch you or your family hurt anymore. It had to stop."

"On the bright side, I think that possession was a onetime thing. Malefor was trying to get me to be his student so he could teach me about my powers, but I refused once I realized what was happening."

"What did he say?"

"He told me to face his wrath."

Cynder stood up fully now and asked, "When?"

"I don't know."

Just then, the air began to ripple several yards away. A large fissure appeared to open up in midair and darkness poured out. It swirled around in a shapeless mass for a moment before receding back into the fissure, which disappeared along with the ripples, leaving behind Arragor. He was quite a sight to behold. Everyone observed that he was orange again, which meant that he had somehow gotten his powers back. However, the most interesting thing about him was that he was covered from head to tail in shiny, black armor. For a moment, no one said a word. Then Spyro took a step forward and asked, "Arragor?"

Arragor turned to him. A malicious glee twinkled in his eyes. He lifted an armor clad paw and shoved it in Spyro's direction. Instantly, Spyro was thrown backward against the wall. "Spyro!" shouted Cynder before she, too, was thrown back against the wall.

"Mom!" Wither turned to face Arragor. "That's it. You're done." He summoned up black clouds of nothing and flew them through his opponent.

Arragor raised a paw to touch one of the passing clouds and chuckled. "It tickles."

"What?" Wither stood in confusion as he watched Arragor saunter over in a jolly manner. Wither went transparent as he got closer to protect himself from the larger male.

Again, Arragor chuckled to himself and said, "Oh no. You don't exist right now. How will I ever fight you?" He raised an armored paw and struck Wither hard enough to bring him down. Wither laid there, struck in more ways than one. The only thought that was going through his mind was, how? Then he looked up and realized that Arragor's armor was made of specially shaped and fitted black crystal. Impossible.

The next thing Wither knew, he was being lifted off the ground by nothing more than Arragor's paw movements. He turned the struggling dragon to face him and said, "Oh how the mighty have fallen. Now that your powers don't work on me, you can't hurt me anymore. We're back to the way it should be, with me on top and you at the bottom. Don't worry. I won't leave you there too long. I am a merciful dragon. Master Malefor told me to kill you if I could, though he doubts I can. I must say, with these new powers, it can't be too hard. Your death will be swift. Your family and friends will be the next to go, followed by any who oppose us. You should be honored to be the first. Oh, but don't you worry Renna; you'll be coming back with me." There was a darkness in his eyes that Wither had never seen before, but there was still a look of uncertainty, too. Though Wither wasn't quite sure Arragor could go through with his threat, he couldn't take the chance.

Wither looked to his parents, who were still pinned against the wall, then to his friends, who were all pinned to the ground by Arragor's powerful new magic. He looked back to Arragor and said, "The gods will have you for this. Not even the ancestors will be able to protect you from their wrath." Then he summoned up as much strength as he could and drew his parents, his friends, and himself into the Void, praying that Arragor couldn't follow them there.

" . . ."

". . . er . . ."

"Wi . . . er . . ."

"Wither!"

Wither jumped up in surprise. His friends and his parents were all gathered around him, watching him. He realized that he must have passed out and tried to get up, but forgot that he couldn't get up in the Void. There was nothing to get up off of, so he willed himself to rise in what he perceived as a general upward direction even though space and distance were meaningless here. Once he was level with them, Elleca asked what everyone else was thinking. "Where are we?"

Wither spread his arms and said, "Welcome to my domain."

Renna looked around in awe and a hint of fear. "So this is the Void?"

"It's so—" said Tera.

"Empty," finished Vera.

Cynder tried to step forward, but when she failed to do so, she looked down in confusion at her feet that were flailing in place, walking on a non-existent ground. "How do you move in here?"

"Well, technically you don't, but I know what you mean. Try using someone else as a reference point, and imagine how you want to be positioned in relation to them."

"Thank you, Wither. We may be safe in here, but what about everyone else? If Arragor could do that much damage to all of us, then think what he could do to the rest of Warfang."

Elleca interrupted the black dragoness for a moment. "What I want to know is how Arragor was not only able to get his powers back, but also come back stronger than ever, wearing freaky black armor, and capable of ignoring Wither's powers. And what did you mean when you said the Dark Master wanted to teach you about your powers? I thought you were the first of your kind."

"All of these are excellent questions," said Spyro. "First off, while it's true that Wither is the first nothing dragon, that doesn't necessarily mean that he's the first dragon to learn about nothing and use it. What's the one kind of dragon that can learn any element? I'll give you a hint, you're all looking at one. Malefor was a Purple Dragon, too, and he created dark crystals before Wither. Maybe Malefor discovered the power of nothing all those years ago."

"Then why didn't he use it? He would have won," said Cynder.

"Maybe he was still too new at it to fully understand it."

"That would explain why Arragor was able to negate my powers," said Wither. "I noticed that his armor was made of black crystal. He must have been the one who brought Malefor back. Now he's working for Malefor in exchange for power."

"But if that's the case then why didn't his armor drain everyone else?" asked Sora. It was the first thing she had said since the attack, and everyone looked to her in surprise, but it was an excellent question.

Wither thought for a minute then shook his head. "I don't know. Truth be told, I don't really fully understand how my power works. I think there's only one person who does."

Spyro floated up to everyone else now and took a place by Cynder. "There's still the matter of saving Warfang. Arragor could be doing anything right now. He surprised us earlier, but if we're ready for him, then taking him down should be doable. All we have to do is get close enough to smash his armor. I have a feeling it's the source of his power, otherwise he would be much larger like a fully grown dragon. So what do you say, Wither? Can you put us back in the arena?"

Wither lowered his head in thought, reluctant to put everyone back. What if Arragor was still there waiting for them? He didn't think he could drag that many people into the Void again. Not so soon. But his parents seemed confident that they could put Arragor in his place, so he closed his eyes and opened up the Void, setting them back down in the arena.

Thankfully, Arragor wasn't there anymore, but as soon as he came back to Warfang the citizens reconnected with his mind. "Where have you all been?" said Yarrow over the frenzy of every other mind shouting orders and screaming in fear.

The message was addressed to everyone, but Spyro took over. "Arragor's back. He attacked us and nearly killed us, but Wither dragged us into the Void at the last minute to save us. There's something else. Malefor's back and he's got some nasty new tricks. It looks a lot like Wither's power, and he's shared quite a bit of it with Arragor. He's incredibly dangerous."

"I can see that. He's attacking the city. He's been destroying everything in his path. No one can restrain him. I've done my best, but it's not enough. We need you."

"We're on our way," said Cynder.

"He's making his way to the main plaza, hurry." The link faded back into a buzz.

Spyro turned to the students, a stern look on his face. "Stay here. This will be extremely dangerous, and we don't know what all he's capable of."

"Yeah, like that's going to happen," said Wither.

"We don't need your help. Do as I say, son." Then the two fabled dragons took to the skies. They circled the arena then took off toward the plaza.

When they were gone, Psy walked up beside Wither, never looking away from where his parents had disappeared, and asked, "So we're going to go watch, right?"

"I was thinking from the top of a tall building." Wither turned to his friends and asked, "Who wants to go? You don't have to if you don't want to, and I won't blame you if you want to stay here."

For a moment, no one said anything, but after everyone looked at each other, Renna took a step forward. "From the time I was just a hatchling I always drew attention. My status as a light dragon made me the center of attention, and it was difficult to find out who my friends were, but once I had true friends, these friends, they respected me. They always followed me and for the most part, did what I asked of them when I was in need. I've always been a little uncomfortable thinking I was the leader of this group, but I was."

She took a few steps closer to Wither and looked him in the eyes. "But then you came along and discovered your power and we all had those dreams. I think that position goes to you now. I don't know if you've realized it yet, but we're not just your friends. You have incredible power, which means your decisions have incredible weight. I think I speak for everyone here when I say we'll follow you anywhere. We'll do anything you ask of us. You have a kind heart, but you're not afraid to make harsh decisions when the situation calls for it. So far, you've demonstrated that we can all trust you. I know you'll lead us on to do great things, not just for ourselves, but for everyone else in the world. There's a war going on, and you're our general."

When she finished, Wither stood for a moment, looking at her with mixed emotions. Then he slowly swiveled his gaze around to look at each of his friends. "Is this true?"

Sora stepped forward and smiled for the first time in a while and in a surprisingly loud and confident voice said, "'Til my heart stops beating and I've breathed my last, I will follow you into battle, neither knowing nor caring if I am to return."

Everyone was shocked into silence by Sora's strong words of devotion and friendship, but after it wore off, they all nodded in agreement. Tears found their way to the corners of Wither's eyes. All his life he grew up watching the youth from his roof, only wondering what it would be like to have friends. Now he was not only a friend to many, but an icon to all. He had finally begun to live up to his parents' names. When he regained his composure he said, "My friends—thank you. Now come. Gather 'round."

They all did as they were told, getting as close to him as they could. When they were tightly packed together, Wither was enveloped by an expanding black cloud, which poured out of his body until it covered the whole group. "What are we doing here again?" asked Roxy in confusion.

"Yeah, I thought we were going to watch the fight and jump in if necessary," said Elleca.

Wither smiled and said, "Calm down. This is just another way for me to teleport. Rather than shifting, I can take all of us there at once by taking a detour through the Void. It's everywhere and nowhere, so I can come in from anywhere and come out anywhere, too." True to his word, the Void receded as the world flowed back around them, leaving them standing on one of the tall buildings bordering the plaza. Roxy motioned them to the edge of the building where they crouched down and peeked over the edge to see what was going on.

About a block away, one of the buildings shuddered and a rumble shook the center of the city. Some of the elders could be seen circling it in anticipation. The building shook again and the elders dove down out of sight behind the buildings. Flashes and explosions could be seen above the buildings, and faint shouting could be heard coming from behind them. The fight was slowly working its way to the plaza where several citizens were still trying to run and hide. Wither still hadn't seen his parents yet, but he knew they would soon be in view once the fight was brought out into the open space of the plaza.

Suddenly, a low boom resounded across the square and Wind Master Valorie was thrown down a street away from the commotion and landed in a heap at the base of the stairs leading to the Council Chamber doors. The shouts were getting louder, and Valorie tried to respond to them, but was too shell shocked to get up. A large red blast of fear energy fill up the street she had just been blown through. Arragor was right in the middle of the blast and ran in terror from Vivian, who gave chase with several of the other elders in tow.

Terrador shouted to the remaining citizens running about, "Everyone, get out of the plaza!"

By now, most had been able to slip down alleys and side streets, but a family of three was unable to escape before the other elders, previously hidden, blocked off all the escape routes. One of them shouted, "Please! Let us through!"

Shadow Master Noh stood his ground, warily eying Arragor, who turned to him expectantly, hoping for a way out of the trap. "I'm sorry, but it's too dangerous. We have to contain him."

Just then, Arragor leapt the one hundred fifty feet in a single bound to land between the mother and father, grabbing the son and pulling him away. "No! Let him go!"

Arragor dragged him to the center of the plaza and began to whisper to him. "Take care! He has a hostage," said Cyril. Four of the elders blocked the exits at the corners of the plaza while the other three surrounded Arragor. Valorie was still trying to move, but it was apparent that more than one of her legs was broken. Yarrow was in his garden still keeping up communications, and Spyro and Cynder were still nowhere to be seen. That left Noh, Hexus, Cyril, and Terrador guarding the exits and Vivian, Volteer, and Spire circling Arragor.

"We have to save that hostage," said Wither. "Maybe if I try to sweep him into the Void real quick, then the elders can take care of Arragor."

"I don't think that hostage necessarily needs rescuing," said Sora as she squinted down at the specks below. "That's Obsidius he's got."

It was true. Everyone else had been too worried about the whole event to focus on the details. The hostage was green and actually a lot larger than his captor. As he peered over the edge, Wither couldn't help but wonder what Arragor was whispering to Obsidius. Spire stepped closer and tried to calm Warfang's assailant. "Arragor? What happened to you? Where have you been?"

"I've been to the heart of the world and I've been blessed with power and good fortune."

"How has this happened?"

"Come with me father. Come with me, and earn a position of greatness in the new world."

"What do you mean?"

"I ran away from Warfang in shame when Wither cursed me, but in my travels I discovered the Dark Master. He required the wretched curse inside me to free himself from his infernal prison. Once he had it, he broke both our curses and granted me fantastic powers beyond my wildest dreams in exchange for my services. Together we will bring about the end of this world and in its place, build a new, perfect world. Come with me father! Master Malefor would be grateful for another general!"

At the mention of the Dark Master, all the elders froze. Spire looked at his son in horror. "No, it can't be. Stay here. Let us help you. You don't have to go back to him. Is he controlling you with that armor?"

Arragor bared his fangs. "No, father! I'm doing this because it's what's best. If you don't want to join us then you can fall under our unstoppable might along with all the other fools who won't bow down to us. You ought to be grateful for my offer considering the way you've always treated me. Despite all of that, I'm still trying to save you."

Just then, a flash of purple light lanced down from the heavens. It would have struck Arragor if Spire hadn't jumped in the way at the last second. He landed on the other side of Arragor and didn't move. Spyro and Cynder descended from above the clouds and landed with the rest of the elders. Cynder shouted to Arragor in fury. "You let him go or next time I won't miss. I'm not afraid to destroy you just because you are a child, Arragor."

"There's no one else willing to get in the way now, Arragor," said Spyro. "Let your friend go and come with us. Even after all of this, we'll still treat you better than Malefor ever will."

Arragor looked all around at the elders surrounding him. Then he began to laugh. The elders braced themselves for an attack, but it never came. Instead, Arragor let go of Obsidius who stood beside him without fear and made no attempt to escape. "What is this?" asked Vivian in bewilderment.

Then Arragor raised his head up high and shouted for all to hear, "I am General War, the First Disciple! Feel my power!"

The black crystal armor around his body began to spark with tremendous amounts of energy. "Everybody get back!" shouted Volteer. The elders surrounding Arragor backed up to the others blocking the exits and raised their wings to shield themselves from a seemingly devastating blow.

However, the threat was a trick. Rather than unleashing a wave of destruction as predicted, Arragor channeled his power into a single point, condensing and compacting it until it could get no smaller. When it was no more than a pinprick of light, he touched the tip of a claw to it and slowly drew his paw down, tearing a huge gash in the air with his claw. "Stop him! He's trying to get away," said Spyro, but it was too late. Arragor and Obsidius stepped through the rift and let it close behind them just before the elders could follow.

Spyro banged a fist on the ground in frustration. Cynder placed a paw on his shoulder to calm him down. When he was calm, he let out a sigh, and they both looked up to the roof where Wither and his friends watched.