Chapter 12

The Scion

After gathering a small contingent of guards, along with some surprisingly willing Cheetah warriors – including Hunter and Meadow – Terrador returned to the docks to oversee the processing of the prisoners. Eyes were trained on all exits of the ship, including the cannon ports and blasted holes dotting the ship's underside. The cheetahs were all too eager for this task; from what little Terrador knew of their history, he knew they would not trust each other any time soon, and sighed deeply. 'It seems the Skavengers will forever be trusted by no one.'

Hunter nodded in cold agreement, not echoing Terrador's attempted emulation of pity. 'They've only brought it upon themselves. We gave them plenty of chances to contribute meaningfully to our combined society, and they've failed every time.'

Terrador watched from the edge of the bath entrance as moles provided the necessary restraints. The cheetahs and dragon guards handcuffed every soldier, leader and commander that filed out in a forced straight line, brought to bear by the assorted dragons lining the ship's plank. Even the two chirrups were put in metal cages, though they both stared out blankly. Few of them viewed the creatures with the same pity as the Earth Guardian's, though Terrador noticed the many miserable and defeated expressions of the captives.

Why are they like this? Is it in their nature, or is it something else?

He shook off such feelings; he needed to remain focused if the procession around to the prison district was to go off without a hitch. The animosity in the air was apparent, and Terrador feared more an attack from one of the guards than a prisoner. What bothered him the most was at the forefront; Snotty was the only one who seemed to be enjoying himself. From the way his eyes darted around at the sights around him, it was as if he was sizing up the entire city as another mark.

Perhaps Cyril was correct... There is something off about that one.

When the few dozen or so prisoners were all falling in line led by the guards, moles began filing into the ship and unloading the treasure chests, food, drink, armour and weapons into suitable packages and sliding them down a sturdy wooden plank covering the ship's dustier one. The dragons were scant interested in anything but the food; the alcoholic rum and salty water was far from their liking. The cheetahs, on the other hand, paid particular interest in the long, curved cutlasses and sabres. Hunter eventually got his turn to go inside, and took favour to Snotty's personal rapier. He couldn't help but grin as he brought it out before Terrador and Meadow, turning it over in the fading sunlight.

'Say what you will about him; he took care of his blade.'

Hunter tested the weight and feel of the hilt, swinging slowly to his sides in wide circular motions. He bore his sharp teeth with pleasure before tucking the sword and scabbard into his belt, under his cloak. 'I'll have to get some practice; I've only ever used inferior daggers up until now.'

Meadow nodded in agreement as he sheathed a short sabre for himself. 'For hunters such as us; a clean blade has many uses.'

Terrador didn't object to them taking the blades; they would be far more useful in their hands than being stored away in the armory. He then thought of some of the weapons they managed to recover from the Apes; as such crude and evil weapons needed to be destroyed, or locked away if that was not possible. He eyed the two cheetahs almost like two children with dangerous weapons. 'Don't get too greedy, here. The weapons were not part of the stolen property, after all. After their sentence is up, we may very well return their weapons.'

Ignoring their look of disapproval, he shifted towards the edge and opened his wings, eyeing the two cheetahs expectantly. 'Can I leave the cargo-handling to you, Meadow? I need to be there to put Snotty away, especially.' He glanced at Hunter expectantly. 'You'll be retiring your falcon, I presume, Hunter?'

As the two cheetahs nodded, and he took flight, several dragon guards hurried inside at the growling and hissing coming from within; it was likely there were still Blundertails and Skurvywings within the cargo holds. Terrador let them continue; the Earth guards would know how to handle the animals respectfully.

As he flew overhead, the abandoned prison district's empty atmosphere settled over him, and even had an effect on Snotty as he entered with the guards. He seemed more subdued and exhausted, especially now that there was nothing interesting to see. Terrador's pity for them only increased watching them on his way down; the prison hadn't been used for years. It had been neglected to the point where the prison was in far worse shape than the pirate ship – even with the cleaning the moles and dragons did while Spyro and Cynder were gone.

Terrador took the lead in front of Snotty, leading the long line up the steps and the faded grey pavement. He eyed a long row of large cells, barred by thick, rusted metal poles and operated by large cranks embedded in the walls between cells. Terrador stopped at the smallest cell, substantially separated from the others, turning to the captain.

'The smallest one will be yours... Snotty.'

The captain scrunched his face up with impunity as he peeked inside. 'Eh? This dressin' room ain't fit for a pig!'

Terrador couldn't help but chuckle deeply. 'It seems your preconceptions of prison are mistaken.'

'But why are yeh' pullin' me from me crew? I can't spend me sentence mumblin' to meself!'

The Earth Guardian emitted a knowing smile down at him. 'And let you "mumble" to your cohorts? I hardly think so.' He edged along and gripped the large crank, easily turning it with one claw. 'Enter, if you please.'

Snotty couldn't help but silently poke his tongue out as he slipped inside. After Terrador let the gates close with a clang, the following guards began sealing large groups of Skavengers in each of the cells, housing the soldiers, leaders and commanders separately. However, Terrador eyed the Chirrup's cages thoughtfully as a guard brought them before him. 'Now – what to do with you...'

Scratch eyed him flatly, despite the dragon's head dwarfing the small cage. 'If you would, kind sir, put us in with the leaders? They are not as smelly as the soldiers, or so stupid as the commanders.'

Sniff poked his nose out his cage with an edge of disgust. 'Oh no you don't! Let us go! I wanna smell that sweet air before I die of impatience!'

Terrador stood still for a moment before nodding to himself. 'I believe I know just the place.'

He took the cage's hook in two of his claws, much to their protests, as he addressed the guards. 'I want twice the guards posted on the west wall from now on. Feel free to rotate yourselves from other posts, if need be.'

While some didn't look too pleased, they inclined their heads with respect as he flew off, the two cages clanging against each other, while making no effort to make the trip any more comfortable for his captives.

'You stupid muscly chump! Quit that flappin', yer hurtin' my ears! And you stink! Why do I have to put up with your chumpy horns and your chumpy claws and–'

Scratch just covered his wing and groaned at the compounded annoyance.

The dragon glanced around as he approached the aviary at Warfang's summit. 'Hunter? Hunter!' As the cheetah poked his head out of the small building inquisitively at the booming voice, the dragon dangled the cages together, earning a screech from Sniff. 'I have two new guests for you.'

Hunter's ears perked up with interest. 'Interesting... to think Talon and the others will have new... playmates.'

Scratch simply looked horrified at the suggestion, while Sniff stared over the city and the evening sky. 'Nice view here! Now all ya gotta do is let us out.'

As Terrador set the cages on the stone pavement, Hunter approached and folded his arms sternly. 'That will be for him to decide,' the Guardian rumbled. 'Hunter, can I entrust them to your care?'

Hunter smiled with amusement as he turned towards the aviary. 'It would be more accurate to say I entrust them to their care.'

Scratch shook his head in terror. 'Oh no... We... are going to die...'

'Shut it, Scratch!' The purple chirrup hissed without subtlety. 'If they let us out with them, then... you know!'

Hunter simply shook his head as he grabbed the cages. 'Thank you, Terrador. You should rest... It's been a long day for many of us.'

Terrador couldn't help but listen curiously as Hunter unlocked and slid the cages open inside. Within seconds, he could hear Sniff's muffled screeches among a swarm of flapping wings.

'OWOWOWOWOWOWOWO–'

'Oh, you shut it, you loud fool. We're prisoners here, cage or not. These... things... They are monsters...'

Terrador chuckled again as he made for his quarters. Well, at least Hunter and his birds can have fun with them.

As the large warrior started down the path once again, he stopped to admire the elaborate carving of the phoenix coating the hall's main gates. Its regal wings were spread out in a magnificent, but welcoming gesture, and if such a creature existed, Terrador believed the darkness brought about by Malefor wouldn't stand a chance. The concentrated colour of the sunset only enhanced the image, creating a deification of the sun itself.

Unfortunate that we lost the original source of this depiction. Even with Volteer's knowledge of the primal deities, we still know nothing of the other two...

He blinked with curiosity, and pushed through the gates gently to sit himself on the other side of the gates. As if mirroring the image outside, another massive avian was shrouded in rich, but subdued colours; a combination of blue and purple currents shrouded its long upturned wings against a gradient background, matching the sunset colours pouring through the surrounding windows. While Terrador felt the depiction mirrored the phoenix outside perfectly, the most notable feature was its eyes... dim, grey eyes that were very gentle, contrasted against its deep purple feathers. He also felt something else... as if the creature was looking down at him with slight envy.

The moles and dragons who first built this city still fail to disappoint.

'Sad, isn't it?'

Nadina's gentle voice echoed through the hall, drawing Terrador's gaze around to her resting near the west window, bathing in the fading sunlight. He admired her for a moment; the reflective sheen of her turquoise scales giving her a transfixing glow. Her silver eyes soon matched his, and he ducked his head with subtle embarrassment as he joined her. She gazed up at the figure again.

'So many see the enormous phoenix outside and marvel at its beauty, but most pass right back out without noticing the raven. And yet whoever created them put equal care and effort into each carving.'

Terrador's muzzle curled with slight amusement. 'As we Guardians understand it, the two were placed like that on purpose. We can test perception, in a sense, by observing their reaction to the interior gates... if they have any. But only when they get the chance.'

'That's easy for you to say. From the platforms here' – she pointed her head towards the six alcoves – 'it's always in full view. It's not really a test when it comes naturally for you, is it?'

Terrador snorted lightly. 'Well, we need some form of entertainment up there. It gets quite dull standing in place for hours on end, if the situation demands it.'

Nadina sighed sympathetically. 'Well, it comes with being a Guardian, doesn't it?'

'Indeed...'

After a moment's pause, Terrador examined her with concern. 'How are you feeling? Hopefully, the effects of the Elraith's attack have worn off by now.'

Nadina frowned thoughtfully as she slowly stood up, tensing her shoulder and inhaling deeply. Before Terrador could brace himself, she blasted him with a cold gust, blowing his wings backward and pushing him back a few feet. He shivered violently as he gaped at her.

'Ah! That... that's cold! What was that for!?'

She just smiled fondly. 'I just wanted you to lose that stone face for just a moment, is all.'

Terrador couldn't help but sit on his hind legs and rub his forelimbs together. 'It's not even winter yet...'

'And that's how I know you haven't changed. You can't stand the cold, and that's why...' She glanced backwards toward the dais of Fire. '...Well, that's one of the reasons you and Ignitus were friends in the first place.'

They both fell silent as Terrador bowed his head respectfully. 'He was a fine dragon.'

'I know... I'm sorry, Terrador. I wish I could have known him better.' She smiled gently as she glanced up at the regal carvings coating the ceiling. 'We did meet briefly... when he recruited you. We all could tell he was experienced, wise, and kind. That's why we trusted him with you. You were the strongest Earth warrior; we all knew it was true.'

Terrador managed to grin appreciatively. 'Thank you for the vote of confidence.'

Nadina's expression grew more serious. 'I've been thinking more about that though. Without Ignitus... Terrador, what will you and the others do? Will you try and find another Fire Guardian?'

Terrador shook his head, even though he hadn't considered the possibility before now. The idea of Ignitus truly being gone hadn't sunk in yet.

'I... do not know. I presume we may find one if the need arises.'

'So there are no fire dragons in Warfang right now that you would consider?'

Terrador hesitated before he spoke. 'Only one; I believe, is worthy... It can be none other than Spyro. While the others certainly helped in the war... Spyro's potential, even as a fire dragon alone surpasses them all.' He growled sadly. 'I can't bring myself to ask him, though. Like Cynder, too much of his life has been taken away by a fate forced upon him. It is my wish that he lives his life the way he chooses. In fact, for all their forsaken generation... I wish the same. The generation we Guardians failed.'

Nadina shook her head. 'Terrador, you really need to work on that. You need to stop dwelling on the past. But... you may be right. I may not be a Guardian, but I wish the best for them. And for you, too.' She smiled gently. 'It's easy to forget how young you actually are.'

The earth dragon nodded silently. 'Years matter little for a thousand-year life span.' He sighed as he swept Ignitus' image from his mind. 'As for a new fire Guardian... there may be other fire dragons out there that we can find. I expect we will see many more dragons in the near future. Or, at least I hope.'

Nadina nodded, leading him outside to inspect the state of the city. Even in a few days, most of the major damage to the city's large tower structures was cleared of rubble, and solid foundations were laid for smaller, intact buildings to serve as residences for the Cheetahs and Moles in the meantime. While the Dark district for the dragons had been the most heavily damaged, there were still more than enough dragon dwellings vacant to accommodate twice as many dragons as were living there currently. Within another week, the mole architects and dragon builders would have finished their work.

'So you do plan to hold a summit of all the races?' As Terrador nodded, she nodded back. 'The wind dragonesses and I can help find them – you only have to give the word.'

The earth guardian frowned, caught off guard by her initiative. 'I don't want to impose, Nadina. It seems like the wind dragonesses have been doing too much work as it is.'

'Well, we are the best at travelling. I just feel like we need to pull our weight, given the impressive progress of your builders here.'

Terrador chuckled at her reassurance. 'Very well, but I will still send some of the other warriors to known holdouts. And the other races will be invited too, as they were as much victims of this war as we were.'

The two of them continued to watch the city as the sun sank below the horizon. Nadina opened her maw to yawn briefly before turning around.

'It's funny to see how far we've come. Especially you; the rockheaded young warrior to reserved, responsible leader.' She smirked fondly. 'Who would have thought?'

Terrador nodded, mirroring her expression. 'I could say the same for you. Though I would not consider you rockheaded...' He cleared his throat awkwardly. '...No offense.'

She chuckled as she headed back to her chambers, leaving him filled with nervous apprehension, but at the prospect of finding other dragons or not, he couldn't say.

'Good night, Terrador.'

As she left, he pondered such a summit of all the united races, along with the dragon species. Were the dragons truly decimated by Malefor... or not? He could only cling to hope. And perhaps there are more Earth and Wind dragons out there for us to find.

Spyro stirred as a falcon's screech from afar drew him from slumber. As he moved, however, it became obvious that a warm figure was pressed up against his side. Suddenly feeling rather hot and briefly confused, he wrested himself away from Cynder without thinking, breathless.

She grunted softly and opened one eye, completely relaxed in comparison to his shocked state.

'Uh...what? Did we oversleep?'

He took a few moments to form whole words as he exercised his jaw.

'Cyn-der... We... did... What... did we...?'

Cynder raised her brow as she took the meaning, her own face flushing a little. 'What? No! Don't be silly, Spyro.'

Spyro managed to calm himself, but his own memory after Clauk party seemed to be failing him. 'So what happened? For some reason, I can't remember anything clear after I drank that grove nectar...'

The buzzing of wings signalled Sparx waking up – oddly enough from the living room. As he hovered in, his face seemed to have intense disgust permanently painted all over it.

'Pathetic, Spyro. I'd think with all that weight you carry around, you could handle that stuff.' He looked between them stiffly. 'And this is why I sometimes regret coming to live here.'

Cynder sighed. 'Come on, what's the big deal, you two? We did the same thing after we escaped the planet's destruction.'

'We did?' It took him a moment to remember, ignoring the accusing stare of his brother. 'Well, of course... It was cold.' He shook his head at his own inhibition. 'Ugh. Never mind, then.' He glanced up at the ceiling, feeling somewhat embarrassed. 'Remind me not to take that nectar again. Or at least, warn me before I drink that much.'

Sparx folded his arms scornfully. 'How about I warn you about basically anything? You can save the world without me, but go on a mission or a drink and you end up in the gutter.'

'Sparx...'

As Cynder got up awkwardly, she breathed in the fresh air coming through windows with the morning breeze. She stood there for a moment, contemplating the day ahead, her expression falling a little.

'Spyro? I know this may be a bit sudden, but...'

Spyro waited patiently, sensing her rising anxiety. 'What is it, Cynder? Are you OK?'

She exhaled, bracing herself resolutely. 'I want to go to the Dark district.'

Sparx stared at her incredulously. 'What? When did you get that idea? I thought the place was a wreck.'

Spyro, on the other hand, knew exactly why she wanted to go there. 'You want to know more about your people.'

Cynder turned to him with a soft gaze. 'Of course I do. Tytus, Tython... Clauk... I know they've accepted me. That's enough for me to want to build a life for myself here. Because... I know that they, at least, won't force me out. And the other dragons I've met have been so nice, too...'

Sparx shook his head doubtfully. 'I don't think we'll find any shadow dragons there.'

Cynder shot him a brief glare. 'Don't you think I know that, Sparx? Ugh... I just want to see if there's anything left.'

Spyro nodded determinedly. 'I understand. I'll go, of course, but Sparx...'

'I know, I know. I'll keep my mouth shut.' He paused on the way out. 'Mostly.'

Hunter eyed the landscape before him miserably that morning, counting in his head the times during the night that the new guests stirred up trouble. Sniff had attempted many escapes despite the late hour, and Scratch didn't help matters by chastising his companion rather loudly. The cheetah warrior had half a mind to just leave Talon and the other falcons to babysit them, but he didn't think that was fair to them. He hadn't factored in their thoughts on the decision, so he saw fit to suffer the consequences alongside them. His chance to slip away came as the two chirrups fell silent and finally went to sleep, and with the other falcons' approval, they left.

Talon was at his side, as always, perched and walking along the stone parapets, surveying the landscape with him. Even he had lost his patience dealing with those two pirate birds. Or so Hunter thought; he couldn't always tell what his avian companion was thinking.

Some good had come from his lack of sleep, however. As he was drawn awake that morning, and couldn't get back to sleep, he saw fit to inspect his new blade. Weapons and tools of fine craftsmanship were highly prized among the nomadic cheetahs, and Hunter couldn't help admiring it like a pristine treasure. Nor could he shake off the odd, tingly joy of calling one his own.

I'll see to it that those pirates never lay their hands on another fine weapon like this.

Enamoured by the subtle runes carved into the lower edge of the blade, he couldn't help but stand and swing it around him, making sure no dragon guards were near, of course.

Perhaps I'll ask the Guardians if I could train with Spyro using this weapon. He and Cynder will face Orcs and other possible blade wielders in the future, after all...

A familiar, but unexpected voice reached his ears just as he was getting into his technique.

'Hunter! There you are!'

He managed to grin despite himself as Shiall leapt up several large blocks as only a cheetah could, reaching him in just a few seconds. Upon reaching him, she pulled him into a light hug, causing Hunter to sigh with embarrassment.

'Shiall, please... Can't you exercise restraint? I'm on duty.'

She snorted into his coat. 'You're always on duty, Hunter. Whether it's taking care of the falcons, going on scouting missions or helping the dragons, you're never sitting still. Well, in a manner of speaking...'

She beamed as she spotted Talon hopping towards her, and she crouched to scratch at his feathered head.

'And how have you been, Talon? Hunter's cutie boy?'

Hunter groaned self-consciously. 'Shiall, he's not a pet... You always forget that.'

She continued stroking the bird, earning gentle trills in response. 'Well, he likes the attention. Perhaps you're too serious about treating them like people.'

Hunter looked her up and down, and was surprised she wasn't carrying any of her usual scrolls or writing materials, only a simple dagger at the hip. 'How is the translation coming along? Did Volteer's prattling drive you away?'

She grinned cheekily. 'You could say that. I just needed some fresh air... and I didn't get to say hi to you and Talon when I came in with Meadow.'

Talon cawed in an annoyed tone, causing her eyes to widen slightly.

'Really? I must have been so excited for the deciphering that I didn't hear you...'

Her gaze was then drawn to Hunter's unsheathed blade, staring with a similar envy to his own upon seeing for the first time.

'Where did you get that weapon? It looks well-crafted... a gift from the moles, maybe?'

He shook his head, testing the edge one more time with one claw. 'No, in fact it was the pirate captain's weapon. I have yet to practice, though... in fact I was getting ready for some rounds just as you came along.'

Shiall eyed her own dagger at the hip, pulling it out and flipping it into the air. 'How about you do some with me?'

Hunter eyed the puny weapon rather pitifully. 'A dagger against a sword? I know you're skilled, Shiall, but that's hardly fitting practice.'

She crouched down with the small blade in a defensive position. 'You'd be surprised. I think you've used that bow of yours too much in recent years.'

Hunter smiled determinedly. 'Well, at least this morning won't be so boring after all...'

He extended his sword defensively as well, as they began to circle each other. Since the ramparts were built for dragons, there was plenty of space for the two felines to manoeuvre. Talon hopped backwards out of the way, while several nearby guards eyed them with interest as a break from their monotonous duty.

When it became clear that Hunter would not attack first, Shiall edged forward swiftly to swipe her dagger up at Hunter's stomach, which he blocked, but she pushed it backward with her palm on the smooth edge, swinging around and stabbing down as the rapier was flung backward with her first attack. She stopped the dagger before it touched him, but she grinned triumphantly.

'In a real battle, this would be between your ribs right about now.'

Hunter only grunted in response. I'm still not used to its weight...

He then took his turn to swipe at her with a series of strokes, while Shiall easily avoided them with her sidestepping and ducking the slower weapon, but didn't move to attack. After a good twenty strokes, she strode forward underneath a wide slash, grabbed Hunter's sword arm and swung her dagger to his neck, still keeping a safe distance. She let him go after a second, but the embarrassment over his normally stoic yellow face was palpable.

'You're lucky I've never seen an orc, grublin or pirate use one of these.'

Hunter pursed his lips and spoke through somewhat clenched teeth. 'I suppose I am... but this isn't practice, is it? Just you showing off.'

Shiall shrugged apologetically. 'We just trained in different areas. I've never been one for ranged combat... not that I get any chances anyway, given how Prowlus boxes me in with administration.'

He nodded in agreement, all too familiar of Prowlus' governing methods. Him allowing her to come to Warfang was probably the most he would ever let her do. He clenched his paw over his blade, somewhat disappointed with his performance.

'Do you have any advice? Clearly I am not used to the weight, but is there anything you can tell me?'

Shiall eyed him eagerly, holding her arm out as she gripped her small, but elegant blade. 'Don't bend your wrist too much, or you'll tire it out. But don't keep your wrist pointing the thing at right angles, either. You want the edge to swing like an extension of your arm. The gist of it? Just get used to the grip, and eventually your wrist won't tire out when you swing, as it will feel natural.' She pulled her arm and eyed her dagger proudly. 'Of course, it takes less time with a lighter weapon. It might take years for you to get used to that...' She suddenly narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. 'Have you considered going to the pirate captain? From what I've heard from Spyro, he was quite skilled with it. Even I doubt I could go against him.'

Hunter's ears twisted back with displeasure. 'I'd rather not, if you understand me.'

'Hunter...'

Her disapproval sounded strange to his ears as he faced her. 'You know how they treated me. I still can't get those filthy images of them out of my head... not to mention our history with them. Scavengers, literally, feeding off of the hard work we've tried to build for generations. That Malefor has prevented us from expanding is just the final insult.'

Shiall eyed the stone below sadly. 'I know the cheetahs have suffered, but you shouldn't let the past stop you from making sensible decisions. You want to get better with that sword – he knows how. He's in jail right now, so what have you to lose?'

He knew she was right, and he sighed as he sat on a raised parapet, sheathing the blade carefully. 'Knowledge alone is valuable, regardless of its source... I'll see to him, then. But I still can't stand to look at them for more than a few seconds.'

'Hunter!' The guard on duty, this time the wind dragoness, Ralis, barked up at him, causing him up to snap up. 'I believe we have a visitor. Two, in fact. What do your feline eyes see?'

Talon was the first to spot them from the forward cannon, cawing affirmatively. Hunter's eyes widened with suppressed excitement. 'Two dragons? Two more survivors? We must get them in safely! Who knows how many grublins are after them this time...'

Shiall shook her head doubtfully. 'Wait, Hunter... from Talon's tone, they don't seem to be in a hurry. We should go to them and find out what's up, though. Let's go.'

He followed her as they leapt down the stone blocks to speed through the open gate.

The large electric dragoness stared up at the gates to Warfang with reverence and elation at having made it this far. She had always lived alone or in very small groups; the sight of a full city of dragons, and smaller rodent-like people and feline warriors living together was a magnificent, yet odd, sight.

'The craftsmanship is just marvellous! Look how those dragon statues stand proudly side by side! Though I suspect the gem eyeballs will become unsettling... I do hope the entire city is not filled with them...'

The younger male at her side took a short look at the architecture and quickly lost interest, instead choosing to focus on the few strange characters he could see. He observed some of the moles poking their heads over the ramparts with not-so-subtle fascination, exclaiming in a strangely high voice.

'What are those things, Mom? They have really big heads and noses... and they're waddling around like they have wedgies...'

'Sion, how many times have I told you not to use that word?' His mother sighed. 'Or any such words. In fact, upon our arrival, please try not to talk at all, alright dear?'

Sion nodded obediently, but picked up on two tall figures running across the grassy plain with surprising speed. He gaped in amazement at their movement.

'How do they move that fast!? I wish I could do that! Hey Mom, one's got a sword. Are they attacking us?'

'Honey, cheetahs very rarely attack dragons. If at all.'

'What's a cheetah?'

She couldn't help but clench her brow with frustration, but before she could tell him off for forgetting, the two cheetahs had stopped before them a safe distance away, not at all worn out from their sprint. The larger one on the right approached and extended a paw in greeting. 'Hail, travelling dragons. Will you need an escort inside Warfang? Are there grublins in the area?'

He could answer some of his own questions just by looking at them. The dragoness was a voluptuous Electric dragon, with a gold tinge to most of her body scales, along with blue stripes and frills running down her body. She watched them politely with brown eyes.

The younger dragon had deep bronze scales, with sky blue eyes. His chest and belly, along with his thin horns, were bone white. Oddly enough, he had a mixture of red stripes and dark green jaw frills, and his musculature was also unusually developed for his age. Even more strange were the large sharp spines jutting out of his elbows and shoulders. Neither of them seemed to be in a hurry, nor did they bear any battle scars or injuries.

The electric dragoness eyed his paw awkwardly for a moment before attempting to tap it with one wing. Hunter snapped it back before the large body part could damage him, and she chuckled lightly.

'I apologise, but it has been many years since I've seen civilisation, or people... but where are my manners? My name is Telsa. And this is my son, Sion.' She paused for a moment. 'Oh! An escort? How lovely! I wish the grublins were half as hospitable.' She eyed Shiall politely and nodded in recognition, despite the feline's bewilderment at her apparent naiveté. 'It's really quite difficult to get a word out of those imps.'

Hunter chose his words carefully, not fully understanding. 'Wait; were you... prisoners of these grublins? Did they take something from you?'

Telsa shrugged proudly. 'Nothing I couldn't handle, feline warrior. They simply ambushed us on the way here, and I had to scare the little bugs away after we tried to talk. Primitive folk. Pay it no mind.'

Tried to talk? Shiall stared with a mixture of curiosity and disbelief. I find that difficult to believe... either that anyone would try, or that they were even capable.

Shiall studied them as they followed Hunter at a more relaxed pace back. Still transfixed by the regal dragoness, a sharp pain in her rear snapped her back to reality.

'Ow! What...'

Sion retracted his claw as she shot him an annoyed glare, glancing up at her obliviously. 'I was just wondering if that tail was real...'

'Sion! Get over here right now, young man! And do not touch things that aren't yours!'

The young dragon silently hurried past her to catch up with his mother, leaving Shiall's annoyance turning into awkward curiosity. Wait until the Guardians get a load of him. Or better yet, that blue dragoness who has zero patience.

While Telsa was intent on sightseeing as much as possible as they entered the market district, her attention was soon focused on keeping her son out of trouble. His attention now drawn to the moles milling about their stalls and shopping on their own, he made an effort to disappear from the group. Mere minutes upon entering the market, Telsa was briefly engaged with a small stall lined with ornaments and jewellery; some of which were clearly designed for dragons. While Shiall was content to look as well, Hunter cleared his throat awkwardly from behind.

'Telsa, where is Sion? We still need to find a home for you both, and it won't do for him to wander into the prison district. Or worse yet, the ruins.'

Telsa immediately withdrew from the stall, picking up on Hunter's grim tone and surprised them by turning over large crates, shoving aside market supplies and riling up some of the traders as she passed by and knocked their displays from their positions. One elderly fire dragon growled in distress as his fried meats were scattered on the pavement.

'Hey! You going to pay for that, lady?'

She gave a rushed apology, before she continued calling for her son over the light rabble over the market. Several dragons eyed her sympathetically, but Hunter was quick to spot a signature commotion signalling her son's presence. A small group of mole children were scrambling away from an unknown assailant, with Sion leaping between the moles and eyeing the small mammals playfully with his tail waving behind him. The cheetahs moved to block him for a moment, stopping the smaller dragon in his tracks.

'Hey! You let them get away!' Sion cried miserably as the moles ran back to the market. 'I nearly had them!'

'What were you thinking?' Hunter replied with sudden hostility. 'Were you really going to eat them!?'

Sion blinked innocently and shook his head. 'I was just playing tag.'

Hunter shook his head in disbelief, distinctly picturing the predator-like technique he was using. 'I don't believe tag involves stalking your opponent like some victim.'

Sion twisted his muzzle sulkily. 'Well, I was having fun, and you ruined it.'

'Sion!' Telsa sped forward with the urgency of a mother bear, but was quick to adopt a scolding frown. 'What did you put those poor moles through? They're people too – you can't toy with them like that!' She used a wing to swipe him to her side. 'Don't leave my side again.'

Sion glanced back towards the fleeing moles mournfully. 'But waiting around is so boring...'

Hunter twitched his ears with amusement. 'I am inclined to agree, Telsa. We should find you a home, and then introduce Sion to his peers. He should be fine with them-' He paused as he examined Sion again. 'How old are you, young dragon?'

'Fourteen and a... mm... quarter.'

So he is younger than Spyro and Cynder. Considering his behaviour, it's no surprise, but that strange body...

The young dragon was suddenly at his heels, beaming up at him with excitement. 'Did you say there are other dragons like me here? Is the purple one here? Can I meet him?'

Hunter nodded cautiously. 'Hold up, young one... yes, there are other young dragons here, like you. And yes, Spyro lives here–'

'Wow!' Sion retracted his energy in an instant, already at his mother's heels. 'The purple dragon? The one who beat up Apes and Grublins even when he was a kid? The one who stopped Malefor and save the world? I can't believe he's here! Mom, can I see him? Can I, can I!?'

'Sion, just calm down and let's follow this nice cat to find a house...'

Hunter and Shiall both folded their ears with displeasure at being called cats, but Sion didn't seem to hear any of them, now racing around asking the moles, cheetahs and dragons to Spyro's whereabouts. While Hunter and Telsa tried unsuccessfully to reel him in, Shiall grinned with amusement at the whole scene. Looks like Spyro has a fan.

As the young hyperactive dragon pushed his way through the market place, just like his mother, he ended up knocking several moles and cheetahs over, including one carrying a large bag of gems. Rubies, emeralds and some topazes spilled out onto the street, but Sion continued without a backwards look. Sion eventually found a willing guard after the other shaken or frightened residents turned him away. Clauk was on duty when Sion scaled the wall to ask him.

'Spyro? I'm not sure, but he usually likes to hang out at the library. Or his house in the Fire district, the first on the left; the red-gold one. The library is in the tall towers just beyond them.' He raised a claw to point out the towers in clear view of the wall. 'See?'

Sion nodded once, already pointing himself to dive off the wall. 'Thank you, mister!'

And with that, he unfurled his somewhat stunted wings to glide down swiftly and raced across the stone pavement to the residential district. In just one moment, Hunter was already up there where Sion had just been.

'Clauk! You should have stopped him!'

'Why, Hunter? I figured another of Spyro's generation would be a welcome sight...'

The feline warrior simply shook his head and pointed his head down at Telsa, who had already stopped in place after hearing their conversation. Shiall was following slowly, still wearing an amused grin.

'What did that nice guard tell my son?' She asked as Hunter descended.

'Well, he directed him toward the library and the Fire district...'

'So he won't go towards the ruins or prison district you mentioned?'

Hunter shook his head slowly. 'Well, they are in the opposite direction. But I don't know your son well enough to predict his movements.'

Telsa quickly calmed down as she spotted Sion in the distance. 'He'll be alright, then. He may act like a darling baby, but he won't get lost. And if worst comes to worst, he can always find me if he really wants to. This has happened before, believe it or not.'

Shiall snorted. 'Oh, I believe it all right.'

Telsa turned toward the Grand Hall up above and rolled her shoulders in preparation for flight. 'I should be fine on my own now... and to introduce myself to the Guardians proper.' She smiled endearingly down at Hunter next to her. 'You have my thanks, warrior.' She raised a claw and patted him on the head. 'Nice kitty.'

Shiall burst out laughing as the dragoness left, with Hunter left dumbstruck. 'Did she just...'

'... No. No, no, nothing! Heroes of the Storm, no. Legends of Neratha. No!'

Solaris ran her eyes over the contents of each book in quick succession with half-bloodshot eyes. Following her discussion with Spyro and Cynder, she found she couldn't sleep well in her home by herself, and after brief contemplation, she quietly returned to the library and began browsing despite Areth not being on duty yet. The dutiful librarian was surprisingly accommodating and set aside many single books along with a list of known titles they had in the library. Areth also didn't poke her nose further into the reason behind this research, and let Solaris continue her work. The pile of books behind the blue dragoness was beginning to pile up as she ran through each of the books repeatedly, despite Areth's assurances that none she'd already checked contained the information she sought.

'The Lost Phoenixes, even with light and dark elements, have nothing specific!?'

She sighed heavily and leaned back on her haunches, wiping her face with her paw and glanced around for a sundial.

How long have I been doing this? It was nine-Lunos when I started... and now it is two-Solus. Five hours... and I'm no closer to finding out more... Ancestors know Spyro and Cynder don't want to discuss it further.

She thought more upon the nature of Convexity, and why so few, including her own people, had no clue it even existed. While part of her wished it really didn't exist, and that Spyro's fears were unfounded, logic dictated that some sort of weapon or threat was responsible for the Guardian Dragons' losses over a long period of war. And if Convexity really did exist, she was truly baffled at Spyro not taking all steps to safeguard his people from it. Even if it was impossible to do anything, she believed, he should at least try.

Spyro seems naive and too caring about innocent lives, considering how he handled his mission... but then why is he ignoring this? A soldier knows never to be complacent even in times of supposed "peace". Perhaps he's not cut out for war or fighting. How disappointing...

'Excuse me? I'm looking for Spyro, can you help me?'

She raised her head in annoyance at the loud voice nearby.

Areth answered after a slight pause. 'Ah. A new arrival, I presume? I apologise, I have not seen Spyro in the library today. Solaris is in, however. She's one of his peers; perhaps she has a better idea than I do? She's got a pile of books over there in the fictional history section.'

Anger flashed through her briefly before the patter of claws ran over the stone floor toward her position. An odd-looking bronze drake poked his head around the corner nervously. For a second, he stared at her in open-mouthed admiration, which only made her uncomfortable.

'Uh... hi. Um... is your name Solaris?'

She rolled her eyes at the interruption. 'Do you see any other adolescents around here?' She sighed and dipped her head to keep reading. 'What do you want?'

'Do you know Spyro?'

She eyed him flatly. 'Of course I know Spyro! Warfang isn't exactly overflowing with teenagers.'

'OK, so–'

'And no, I don't know where he is.'

She tried to focus on the text in front of her once again, signalling that she wanted to be left alone. Unfortunately, Sion didn't take the hint, instead poking his head further until he was standing right in front of her, eyeing the pile of books behind her curiously.

'What are you doing?'

'I'm trying to find out about' –she hesitated briefly– '-a specific element. And more about the... strange customs of Guardian Dragons.'

Sion tilted his head. 'How long have you been sitting here? You look really tired.'

'I'm more frustrated than tired. Now go away! Before I have Areth throw you out.'

He didn't seem to hear her, helping himself to her pile, only to pick out one that collapsed half of the entire thing.

'What do you think you're doing!?' She hissed angrily, immediately piling the books back on top. 'You nearly messed up my planned review order!'

He turned the book over to look at its cover. From the colour alone, they could both tell it was written by a fire dragon. 'Is the element fire?'

'No.'

'Ice?'

'No!'

He grinned cheekily. 'Oh, I like this game! How about light-'

'Will you shut up!?'

There was an awkward pause when Areth hissed lightly at the noise. Sion blinked with wounded confusion. 'You're the one yelling at me...'

'Ugh.'

He put the book down at his feet, and while Solaris grabbed it and replaced it in her pile, he pulled out a couple of books from the surrounding shelves.

'It can't be that hard to find it... there're only four elements, right?'

Solaris fought to subdue her intense chagrin with his presence. 'A simple trip to the residential district should answer that question.'

'I've been there... and I don't know what you're talking about.'

Is he blind as well as stupid? Her annoyance had bubbled up to a point where she couldn't take much more, especially after poring over text after text for hours on end. She stood up firmly, picked up another pile of books she'd already processed, and waved the first title tantalizingly in his face.

'I reviewed the chapters here first. The most likely: Light and Dark Magic. No.'

He stared obliviously as she began throwing the books over her shoulder as she waved them in his face repeatedly.

'Marco, Rapunzel and the Restraining Order? No!'

After going through over twenty non-fictional books, she began digging into a pile of fiction.

'Handel and Greta – no. Ami the Fairy, no! The Golden Goose, The Little Gemcutter, Pretty Sorceress!'

Sion simply grinned as she went on and on. 'You must really like books if you can be bothered with all these boring stories.'

'Boring stories? This is important work!' Solaris slumped her shoulders in defeat. 'That's it. I'm leaving.'

She shoved past him without a word, leaving Sion to stare at her pile of books left in a messy pile.

'But – what about your books?'

'Do what you want! You obviously don't care about such things.'

Sion stood there, dumbstruck, not sure whether he should clean up or continue looking around. Worried that he might get in trouble with the librarian, he began picking up the books and shoved the books roughly into open sections in the shelves. Then, with a flash of panic, it occurred to him that he had no idea where they were supposed to go. He soon slunk back to Areth anxiously, dreading his possible punishment. Areth didn't look up at him until he tapped her desk.

'Excuse me, uh... Solaris left a pile of books and I don't know where to put them...'

Areth regarded him with slight annoyance. 'Yes, I heard enough.' She reluctantly closed her logbook and strode out from behind her stone counter and strode over to the mess in the shelf section. Sion stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do.

'Do you want any help?'

Areth shook her head before folding her wings to fit through the shelf gap. 'I'd prefer not. I think you've done enough for one day.' She glanced away distractedly. 'To have my daily watering delayed by an unscheduled cleanup in the history section...'

Sion watched her miserably, but without any further direction, he eventually found his way out to a nearby balcony and launched himself down toward the residential districts.

Cynder stood in the threshold between the Light and Dark districts. While both districts had yet to be fully restored, especially compared to the other four, there was an ominous silence blowing through the small suburb. The Light district behind them had prominent gold, white ornaments and flags with many depictions of stars, planets and mythical creatures. It even had some elderly dragons living in the inner dwellings, giving the place life and energy despite many buildings still lying in ruins.

What struck Cynder the most was how the Dark district was almost as stunning; if not for the crumbling buildings, missing walls and incomplete decorations, it's beauty would easily have rivalled the Light district. Ebony and blue patterns enveloped the few intact buildings, some with gleaming silver roofs and others with white crowns. But despite the few buildings fully intact, there wasn't a soul to be found. Spyro and Sparx followed her silently as went from building to building, her tail trailing more mournfully the deeper they went in. Eventually, they happened upon the largest dwelling so far. If there were leaders of the district, they would have lived here; or so they surmised. Spyro helped her open the creaky doors as they went inside.

The inside was lightly dusty, but apart from the different decorations and state of repair, the house reminded them of their own. As they explored further, the basic setup was the same, with several bedrooms, the main hall below for eating and relaxing, and two balconies. The tower went up further with an extra level, however, a staircase leading to a circular room opening into a balcony with a view of the entire district. The room, however, was the by far the most interesting part of the house. Instead of the usual silver and blue colours, the walls were purely black, painted with markings and messages arranged in rings running around the entire room. The setup reminded Spyro of the Starlight towers, as they both had devices for measuring or observing cosmic events. While Spyro began to examine the messages curiously, Cynder only hung her head as she sat on the balcony overlooking the area. Spyro and Sparx stayed with her on either side, Spyro standing next to her anxiously.

'Are you alright, Cynder? You haven't said a word since we arrived.'

Cynder shook her head slowly, finding it hard to even move her body. 'There's no one here. I wanted to see for myself where my people lived... but this place just...' She sighed. 'It just reminds I'm the only one here. And while I want to believe I'm not... if any of them alive, I would have seen one by now! Or heard of one! Anything...'

She stared down at the empty district. 'There's just nothing. Nothing but silence... and too much death...'

Sparx, meanwhile, was mouthing at Spyro silently. Spyro hesitated, but quickly took the hint, hating to see Cynder like this.

'Cynder... that might not be true.'

She glanced up at him curiously, still carrying her sorrow in her eyes. 'What are you talking about? I've been with you since we broke out of that crystal... so you haven't seen anything either...'

'But I have. I saw it in a dream.'

She appeared unconvinced. 'That doesn't mean anything, Spyro.'

He paused as he collected thoughts, closing his eyes briefly. 'I know you don't want to... but do you remember that time, just before you left the temple? I had dreams then, too – of the Mountain of Malefor. They led me to the Chronicler... eventually.'

Cynder stared at him with surprise, silently inviting him to continue.

'The only reason I found you in the Mountain of Malefor was... because the Chronicler showed me. You as Gaul's prisoner, and how to get to the Mountain of Malefor. This dream... felt like those other visions he showed me. He still might be.'

Cynder was silent for a moment, trying to process what she just heard. 'So it might be true? What did you see?'

Spyro paused for a moment. 'I don't remember much, but... I was in Convexity itself. You might not remember what it was like, but... I did see some Shadow dragons in there. And Volteer told me... all we know about your people is that they vanished. They might have fled to Convexity.' He bowed his head. 'I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. I didn't know what you would do... but I just... couldn't to see you like this.'

While he saw brief confusion in her eyes, hope eventually filled them. 'So my people... they might be alive after all...' She sighed heavily, but managed to smile, like a burden had lifted from her. 'Thank you, Spyro. For telling me.'

He blinked in surprise before smiling back. 'Oh... um... no problem.'

She leaned forward and nuzzled his cheek briefly, causing Sparx to scrunch up his little face with annoyance. 'Ugh! I'm still here, you know.'

They smirked with slight amusement, letting Cynder sit for a few more moments. Then, out of the corner of their eyes, a small dragon was climbing the ruins of the left wall. He stopped when he spotted them, using one his slightly arrow-shaped wings to wave at them.

'Hey! Do you guys know where the Fire district is? I'm looking for the purple dragon!'

Cynder and Sparx immediately shot Spyro a confused look, who simply shrugged. Sparx, however, was quick to take advantage of the situation.

'Uh... sorry! We haven't seen him.'

'Aww... And you two look his age, too...'

Spyro's glare intensified as he watched Sparx trying to appear helpful.

'The Fire district's in further. If you keep going, eventually you'll find a district that's covered in mostly red paint. It's the one two districts after th–'

'Sparx!' Spyro scolded. 'Stop being stupid.' He stood up and called over the balcony. 'I'm Spyro. What's your name?'

Sion didn't answer for a moment, but even from a distance, they could tell he was beaming with excitement. He hastily scrambled up to the tallest block and launched himself to glide and grab the side of their balcony with surprising speed. The moment he climbed over, he looked Spyro over in a moment of awe before clumsily grasping his claw with both of his.

'I can't believe it! It's really you! And you're really purple!' He shook vigorously before Spyro awkwardly pulled out of his grasp. 'Weird colour, though. I've always wondered why such a special dragon was like that.'

Sparx cleared his throat before either of the other's could respond. 'And you are?'

Sion responded without looking at him. 'Oh! Yeah, my mom said it's polite to introduce yourself. My name's Sion...' He blushed with embarrassment as he spotted Cynder. 'Oh... wow... two pretty dragons in one day...'

Spyro regarded the new dragon's chest and shoulder muscles with disbelieving envy, while Cyndercouldn't help but stare at the same with admiration before smiling gratefully. 'Oh, well... thanks... I'm Cynder.' She regained her composure before standing up as well. 'Where's your mother? Is she alright?'

Sion tilted his head in confusion. 'Of course she's alright. Why wouldn't she be?'

Sparx buzzed up to Sion's face impatiently. 'How about the whole war with Malefor that nearly blew up THE PLANET?'

The bronze drake immediately recoiled in shock. 'Ah! Talking mosquito!'

'Dragonfly.' Sparx smacked his face in exasperation. 'I think this guy's lived under a rock his whole life. Funny, he doesn't look like an Earth dragon.' Sion eyed him warily, but let him hover around to examine him. 'Jeez, and here I thought Spyro was heavy... Are you an Electricity dragon? Though you're a shade darker than any I've seen – being Volteer.'

'I'm a dragon,' Sion responded simply.

Spyro nodded, attempting to sound polite. 'We know that, but what kind?'

Sion shook his head, suddenly appearing ashamed. 'I'm just... a dragon. I don't know what kind.'

'Wait a minute...' Cynder began, 'what kind is your mother?'

'Electricity! I know because she's used it all the time to chase away grublins and those other uglies.'

Cynder nodded. 'So you could be an Electricity dragon.'

Sion shook his head sadly. 'I wish... but if I was, I should have been able to do something with it by now.' He quickly smiled again. 'But anyway! I found you, and... well... Do you want to go somewhere? This is the first time I've been in a city, so I don't know where to get food without making people yell at me...'

Cynder smiled pleasantly. 'So would you like us to show you around?'

'Does Spyro get to come?' Sion asked hopefully, gazing at him with what seemed a desire for approval.

Spyro raised a sceptical brow. 'Uh... yes. I was planning to spend the day with Cynder anyway.'

'Does Sparx get to come?' They all glanced at the dragonfly at the mocking tone. 'What? This guy shows up and he still doesn't know my name!'

'Mosquitoes have names?'

'Gah!'

Sion blinked with blank confusion. 'So your name's Gah?'

While they found their way out of the districts easily enough with Sparx taking the lead, Sion began leading them in another direction entirely, despite them trying to get to the market for some food like Sion asked.

'Sion?' Spyro asked, perplexed. 'Aren't you supposed to be following us?'

'Oh... yeah... but I want to see where my Mom went first.' He raised his head to try and see above the cheetahs and dragons walking around. 'A couple of those cats said they'd try to find us a house or something.'

'So did they?' Cynder asked.

Sion grinned sheepishly. 'Well... uh... I ran off before finding that part out.'

Sparx frowned miserably. 'So now we're going to spend the day looking for your mother? And here I wanted some more butterflies...'

Sion shook his head vehemently. 'We're not going to spend the entire day! I know how to find her, I just have to concentrate.'

Spyro nodded to himself, remembering Volteer's lessons about parents and offspring. 'OK, then, Sion. We'll follow you for a while.'

Sion beamed at Spyro's instilled confidence, and closed his eyes for a second. He then sped forward suddenly without a backwards look, making it difficult for them to keep up as he preferred to climb up and climb the tier platforms rather than flying or taking the steps.

Early on, Cynder was nearly impaled by one of his elbow spines as he stopped suddenly to look around, saved only by Spyro pulling her back. While Sion apologised profusely at the look on Spyro's face, he knew she couldn't studying Sion as they went. Inwardly, Spyro couldn't properly process his own physical inadequacy. Is it just me, or am I the scrawniest drake in existence? He tried not to let it show, though, as Cynder's brief depression had seemingly evaporated with Sion's presence. He quickly flushed the petty thoughts from his mind.

They ended up circle around and flying over the Fire, Water and Earth districts to land in the middle of the Air district. As they landed, though, Spyro's gut immediately dropped. The stone was carved in a clear sky-blue with interflowing wisps of cloud flowing through the pathways and around the central fountain, which had clean flowing water. It was almost like the ground was liquid or air rather than solid rock. Sion didn't seem to notice, though, and turned towards the towers on the rampart side, appearing to have found what he was looking for. The house itself had a hurricane painted around the ground storey, its top edge lined with spiralling lightning bolts. Sion hurried forward and pushed through the thin wooden doors before everyone else. After a moment, they heard light humming to a rather sweet tune in one of the bedrooms beyond.

'Mom!' Sion called out suddenly. 'Is that you?'

'Oh!' After a moment, Telsa emerged with a bright smile as she spotted her visitors. 'You didn't tell me you were bringing visitors! I might have prepared something for you all...' She shook of some of the dust off herself, as if she'd been cleaning just before. 'But where are my manners? My name is Telsa, and I presume you've met Sion? Such a darling, don't you agree?'

Sion rolled his head heavily. 'Mom! Not in front of Spyro!'

'Ohh! Spyro, is it? We've both heard such tales...'

Spyro looked up at her curiously. 'What kind? And from who?'

Sparx smirked to himself. 'And how accurate they are. I've heard some pretty weird stuff come out of dragon's mouths.'

Telsa glanced away in recollection. 'Well... it was a long time before you were actually born, my dear. Prophecies, legends... possibilities! Ah, but I'm sure you've heard enough of speculation about the purple dragon.' She glanced over both of the young dragons with approval. 'But we don't need them. I can see you've both grown into fine young dragons. I pray you both find happiness and long lives – we shouldn't need prophecies to accomplish that, don't you agree?'

She stepped forward and frowned down at her son. 'Just what have you been doing, Sion? Look at how grubby you've gotten yourself!' He groaned as she brushed some off with the back of her claw and even licking his neck lightly. 'How do you expect to find a nice dragoness to settle down with if you're covered in a pile of dirt? You really should be able to keep your scales nice and clean by now...'

Sparx snickered as he hovered by Spyro's head. 'I guess no Electric dragon can keep quiet, huh?'

Sion eventually turned to gaze at Cynder intently. 'You know, that other blue dragoness was really mean, but Cynder is different...'

As he did so suggestively, Sparx and Spyro stared at him open-mouthed, while Telsa immediately pushed his head down with plain humiliation plastered over her muzzle.

'Sorry! Never mind him, he doesn't know what he's talking about...'

Cynder eyes were wide open, but she had a slight flush to her facial markings. Spyro cleared his throat awkwardly.

'Uh... Sion? You... can sense magic, right?'

Sion slowly shook his head. 'No, I can't. Why?'

'Just checking.'

Sion squirmed and protested under his mother's firm grasp. 'Mom... uh... why...?'

Sparx, still staring with shock, whispered in Spyro's eardrum. 'I think we should leave.'

Spyro nodded silently as the three of them excused themselves and backed out through the wooden door. Cynder sighed breathlessly.

'Well, that was... fun.'

Spyro simply shook his head with disapproval, as Sparx hovered disjointedly towards the fountain in front of them. 'Uh huh. Now, if you don't mind, I'm gonna go throw up now. Bye bye.'