Brian's POV

As soon as I heard the gunfire I was airborne looking for the shooters. But right now, I was more worried about Cynder. She wouldn't attack them alone, that I knew for sure. She would've come back to the cave to get me first. Or she'd try to sneak away with her shadow element if she was discovered.

Unless she was hurt. . . or worse, killed.

No, She's a tough dragon, and clever too. No way they could've killed her that easy. She probably managed to lose them already. now to find her.

I echoed and found twenty six- no thirty people and one dragon in a clearing to my left so I landed and slowly moved my way there. From under a few bushes I watched the group. Yep, definitely Mercs.

"Sir, what about the dragon?" One of the mercs asked another. Guess he was the leader.

"Eh, forget about it. It can't get far with a hole like that blown thru it's tail. Probably already dead." the leader answered. as he kicked the dirt. Dirt with a blood trail on it. Cynder. . .

"No sir the other one, over here." The first merc signaled as he walked over to an unconscious grey dragon. Thats odd, but that's not important right now. I Assumed she was female because her build was similar to Cynder's except she had only four small horns and no tail blade, her scales were a stone grey color while her wings and underbelly were a lighter grey. A rope bound her wings together while another was tied around her neck like a leash.

"It's too weak. besides, the boss'll be happy enough with the fact that we killed that purple dragoness thats been screwing around with us." The leader reasoned as he turned around and started to walk away.

"So, what do we do with it?" The merc asked.

"Simple," the leader replied, "Kill it." The merc hesitated on that order, he started having second thoughts. Instead of complying he started to plead for the dragon's life.

The leader stopped mumbling under his breath before turning around and drawing his gun.

"Kill it. Kill it or I'll stop your whining, Permanently." The leader threatened and that's when I made my move.

I lunged forward roaring. Putting myself between the leader and the merc and dragon. All the mercs stared at me eyes as big as dinner plates. They were terrified of me that easy?

"T-t-t-The black dragon?" One of the mercs stutterd.

"These two are coming with me, anyone with a problem with that?" I growled at them. Now they were utterly terrified. "He can talk? no one said he could talk." the mercs whispered among themselves. "Yes, I can talk, all dragons can." I growled. The leader was the only one who got his courage back as he aimed his revolver at me. "I've already killed one dragon today, so I know you dragons aren't bullet proof."

"True, but how are you going to kill me with an empty gun?" I scoffed calling his bluff. That was the problem with revolvers, you could tell how many bullets were in it.

The leader dropped his revolver and dove for a AK-47 on the ground picking it up. Instinctively I fired an energy blast at him. The orb only leaving a crater surrounded by burning grass where the leader once stood. All the other mercs dropped their guns and ran away.

"Stay here." I ordered the merc who defended the dragon. "I'll do better. I think your friend fell into the river over there. I'll stay here and cut it loose." The merc explained as he started cutting the ropes on the dragon's wings. "You mean "Cut HER loose" and, why do you turn your back on the others so quickly?" I asked. "I wasn't with them by choice, They have my son, I had no choice." the man began to sob. After a sympathetic nod, I took off and followed the river.

Downstream I found some of the Cheetahs by their fishing nets gathering red crystals. As soon as I landed they told me that Cynder had floated into their net and they pulled her out. When I walked over to Cynder's sleeping form I looked over her wound. Note to self: Red crystals can even heal dragons from bullet wounds. The gunshot wound was closed and healing nicely, I was relieved I've seen too many people die from guns, I didn't want to add Cynder to the list. "Your one lucky dragon Cynder. I'll be back with Spyro and the guardians as soon as I can, I promise." I spoke over her sleeping form.

Turning to one of the fishermen I asked him if they could run messages to Dix and the man with the grey dragon. They told me they could if they weren't gonna get shot. I told him to tell Dix that Brian sent him, and the black dragon for the man in the field. As soon as he said OK I was airborne flying as fast as I could for Warfang. . .

Cynder's POV

I slowly started to open my eyes to discover that I was in Ignitus's study. I stood up and walked around a bookshelf to find Ignitus pulling a book out. "Ignitus?" I asked. He let out a huge sigh of relief as he set the book down and walked over to me before pulling me into a hug.

"Yes Cynder, do you feel any pain?" He asked me as he spread a wing over me. "No, nothing hurts," I replied, "A little sore from the hug yeah, but no pain."

"Thank the ancestors, I was afraid that your injury would even cause you pain here." Ignitus sighed as he walked over to his reflecting pool. "When I discovered the pain you were in from your injury I thought that by bringing you here, I could grant you some relief from it." Ignitus explained as the book picked itself off the floor and flew over to him.

"It sure did, thank you." I thanked him as I looked at the cover of the book he was reading. It was titled "Beasts and creatures from human mythology" Ignitus saw that I was interested and lowered the book so I could see it.

"The human mind is an intriguing place isn't it? This book holds the stories of fictional but fascinating beings from human imagination." Ignitus explained as I looked into the book. Some of the creatures were interesting like dwarves, and elves, being so close but not human. Others were monsters like Minotaurs and the Hydra, Some were symbolic like the Griffin, Some servants to the gods like Angels. But what was weird, was how many dragons and depictions of them there were Some had dragons a bloodthirsty monsters. Some as symbols of power and honor. Boy this was interesting, And like it or not I was getting tired.

"Ignitus, why do you read these?" I asked trying not to yawn.

"First, to learn how humans think better. And second, while they are greatly exaggerated, most myths carry a lesson in them. Life lessons that would do all of us well young dragon." Ignitus explained as he pulled out another book. "The Space race: mankind's quest to reach the stars." Ignitus read the title out loud as I turned the page and continued reading a human legend.

". . . Poseidon built Cleito's home on a high hill at the very center of the island. The home overlooked a fertile plain bordered by the sea. For his beloved wife's protection Poseidon surrounded her house with five concentric rings of water and land. He carved the rings with the ease and skill of a god. He made hot and cold springs come from the earth. With the development of a future city his descendants never lacked for water.

Cleito bore Poseidon ten sons, five sets of boys. Atlas the first son of the first set of twins, was made king over the vast territory by his father. His brothers were appointed princes and each ruled over a large section of the territory that was distributed to him. The most valuable section of the kingdom remained his mother's home on the hilltop and the land surrounding it. This was given to Atlas. Atlas himself had many sons with the succession of the throne always passing to the eldest son. . ."

Guess what mythical city Cynder's reading about! I dare you. Please review!