CHAPTER 14

That night everyone ate like kings as they celebrated Spyro's return. Even Cynder eventually came down after waking from her long sleep.

"Cynder, you're awake!" Spyro said leaving his seat to greet her.

"I wasn't sure how long you were going to be out." He said in a slightly worried tone.

"Just needed my beauty sleep I guess. Whats all this about?"

"Its a party for us!"

Cynders eyes lightened as she heard this. She had never even been to a party, let alone have one thrown in her honor.

"Really? What for?"

"Because we're alive, silly! We only just saved the planet from destruction!" He said happily.

Spyro nudged her in his direction and sat her in the seat next to him he had been saving. They sat and ate, exchanging tales and jokes about the long table well into the night. Soon after midnight, the guardians and Flame decided to turn in, leaving a few straggling Manweresmalls, along with Spyro and Cynder. Both were stuffed to the rafters with food, so much so that Spyro actually thought his belly had gotten bigger in the course of a few hours.

"Well, I guess we should get to bed before Terrador falls asleep." Spyro said to Cynder.

"Oh no master Spyro, we have prepared a room for you and madame Cynder!" Mole-yaire said coming around the corner of the large table which was as tall as he was.

"A room...? As in one...room?" Spyro said nervously.

"That's right big boy...one room. For me and you." She said seductively, Spyro praying she was just teasing him.

After a few seconds, Cynder burst out in laughter.

"The look...on your face...priceless!" She said recovering her breath.

Spyro was more relieved than annoyed at Cynders joke.

"Since when do you tell jokes?" Spyro asked as they followed Moleyair to their room.

"Since you're more afraid of me than you were of Malefor." She said smiling.

The room they were led to was about the size of the guardians chambers, however this one was lined with tall bookshelves and torches mounted on the walls for light, though they were all extinguished. A fireplace sat stately in the center of the room, wood already split and placed in the rack, only needing a little bit of a dragons fire to get it going. Spyro noticed there was only one bed, and it was nowhere near the size of Terradors.

"Looks like I'll sleep on the floor-"

"Nonsense! You aren't sleeping on the ground like an ape! Two friends cant sleep in the same bed together?" Cynder said walking toward the cushion and pawing it to get a sense of its softness.

"I guess so..."

Cynder rolled her eyes, she was really getting tired of Spyro treating her as if she was going to jump him the first time they were left alone.

"Spyro listen to me. You dont like me like that. I know you dont. So stop acting so weird and come to bed!" She said pulling a blanket over herself with her tail, her back facing him as she tucked in her wings.

Spyro realizing how foolish he had been acting sighed with relief as he climbed into bed with her.

"I'm really glad you understand Cynder." He said as he grabbed the other end of the blanket and pulled it over himself.

"Its no problem Spyro. It's not hurting me." She said as she rolled back over to face the open window as the moons shone brightly over the fortress city.

She clenched her eyes shut as a tear escaped.

"Its killing me..." She whispered.

The next morning, the guardians set out back to the mountains to hear the verdict of the Skywatchers.

Upon spotting the village, they found it destroyed, the smoldering ruins telling a very grim tale.

They landed immediately and examined the damage.

"What happened here?" Cyril asked looking for survivors.

Terrador sniffed the air carefully, he smelled much ape blood, but no dragons blood.

"The apes were here. I can smell their filthy blood." He said, his expression changing to a glare.

"Apes? But how? Malefor is gone, and the apes in his command were cursed!"

"Not all of them, it would seem. Come, their tracks lead in this direction, they cant have gone far!" He said flying low as to follow the tracks.

XXXX

"This is ridiculous! I've been in training for months to be the Fire Guardian, and they still pushed back the date of the ceremony!" Flame complained to Moleyair at breakfast.

"Surely zee guardians have a reazon, you must trust zeir judgement master Flame."

Flame sunk in his seat and crossed his arms as he considered Moleyairs words.

"Yeah...maybe..." He said getting up from the table and heading outside just as Spyro and Cynder came down to eat.

"Hey Spyro...oh, I don't think we've met. I'm Flame." He said stopping as he saw Cynder.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Cynder."

"Well Cynder, I hope you and Spyro can join me outside after breakfast for a little fun?" He asked in his most swauve voice.

"Sure, that sounds good." Spyro answered as he went on his way.

"Who's mr charming?" Cynder asked as they sat down.

"My half brother apparently." Spyro said not pausing as he took a bite of his game hen.

"Huh. Since when?"

"Three days ago, while you were asleep."

XXXX

The guardians followed the ape tracks far off the mountain and into the jungles where the apes still lived, though most were peaceful.

"Take heed brothers, the ape camp is ahead!" Volteer said moving some bushes out of the way and exposing a small camp with six beat up dragons inside separate cages.

"So you dragons think you can walk all over us now that the dark lord is gone? Theivery is punished by death in these parts! The fact that you are dragons will make this all the more enjoyable." The largest ape of the group said through gritted fangs. The elders sighed as they exchanged glances.

"Looks like our 'tribe' got caught stealing food from the apes." Terrador whispered.

"Well, we could try to appease the apes into freeing them." Volteer suggested.

"Yes, but they will probably want the stolen food back, and judging by the stomachs of our Skywatcher friends, I don't think it will be in the same condition as it was stolen. There must be another way..." Terrador said thinking to himself as Cyril marched through the bushes.

"Cyril! Where are you going!?" Terrador asked as every ape in the village drew their weapons and pointed them at him.

The ice dragon concentrated and a blue aura surrounded him. Within a few seconds, a column of ice radiated from the dragons body, freezing everything except for the other guardians hiding just out of range.

After the fury attack, the other two joined him in the now frozen village center.

"There. Sometimes rash action is the best course. Dont tell anyone I said that." He added breaking open the now brittle bars and grabbing the frozen solid young dragons.

"You could have killed them! Volteer said examining the crystallized huts and apes.

"Oh nonsense, everyone will be good as new soon enough, all they have to do is melt." Cyril said confidently

They grabbed two under each arm and took flight toward Warfang, and a place to let the young ones...thaw.

XXXX

Spyro, Flame and Cynder stayed outside all day. It was good to not have to be working toward a goal or trying to rescue someone for once. Now, all they had to do was waste day after day lazily soaring and recalling previous adventures to the young Manweresmalls in the city square while their parents rebuilt the city. As the day came to a close, they spotted the elders coming back toward Warfang carrying some peculiar items. The young dragons went up to meet them as they landed.

"Who're the popsicles?" Flame asked as the guardians set the still frozen dragons in various poses down in front of them in the dying sunlight.

"Its a long story. Once they melt, they'll be trained just as you were, Flame." Cyril said as a Manweresmall walked to them with a cart.

"Master Terrador, place them on the cart. I'm sure I can find a suitable place for you dragon-sickles to warm up." He said. Once his cargo was loaded, he was off to the furnaces.

"Rest up tonight young ones, we will need you tomorrow to go find more like them."

"Finding a frozen dragon shouldn't be too hard." Flame said as they walked away.

"I don't think that's what he meant." Cynder said.

"I know, that was the joke. The dark master took your sense of humor too huh?"

She glared daggers at him as he quickly apologized.

"Its ok Flame...I'm just still a little sensitive about that is all..." She admitted.

"No worries sis, I promise I wont rip on you for being an evil pawn of the scourge of the land."

"Uh...Thanks. Why'd you call me sis?"

"You might as well be! You're Spyro's girl, and he's my brother, so you might as well get used to it."

"Uh, we arent...together." Spyro was quick to answer, which earned a sigh from his ebony companion.

"Oh. Well either way, I wont make anymore jokes about...you know..."

"Thanks Flame, I really appreciate it." She honestly looking him in his bright orange eyes, himself enjoying the soft greens of her own.

"No problem. We're family now, and nothings gonna change that."

"Night guys." He said breaking the few second stare as he went back to his room.

"Night Flame." They said in unison.

ohhhhhh foreshadowing! leave some revs!