"Wow," Plax swallowed hard as he stared across the landscape at the dragon city of Warfang. "That city is huge." Then he looked over at Zephyr with a grin. "Like your mom." Zephyr scowled and elbowed him. Plax yelped when the black dragon's elbow barbs pricked his side.
"Hey, knock it off you two!" Max snapped, instantly silencing the two males. "Stay focused." He turned back to stare at the dragon city and still found himself awestruck at the sheer size of it from a distance. Warfang was easily twenty times larger than Certrona.
Hunter and the guardians all scanned the city, searching for any sign of movement. Fires continued to burn throughout the city, indicating that invaders had taken up residence within its walls. Hunter tightened his grip on his bow and shook his head sadly.
"It seems Malefor took the chance to strike just after my people left."
"I wonder what happened to the other refugees," Cynder pondered aloud and looked at Spyro.
Spyro let out a long sigh but kept his stare fixated on dragon city in the distance. "We'll have to worry about them later. For now we should focus on Malefor and Liun."
"I agree." Flame nodded, walking up beside the purple dragon. "It wouldn't do any good if we found them only to get attacked again."
"So what are we waiting around for then?" Tremor asked. "The longer we wait, the more time Liun has to create more trouble for us."
Spyro smiled at his green friend. "Alright, Tremor. You lead the way since you seem so eager to fight."
"Oh, I see how it is." Sparx pouted. "Following him is a good idea but me it's not. That's fair."
"Sparx, now isn't the time." Cynder pointed out.
"So, what else is new?" The dragonfly crossed his arms and sat down on her shoulder. "Let's get this over with."
Tremor slipped into the woods, and the other guardians followed close behind. The young earth dragon stepped delicately, feeling every vibration in the earth beneath his feet.
"Tremor, slow down!" Candice hissed. "You're moving too quickly. There may be sentries lurking about!"
"We're fine Candice." Spyro whispered before Tremor could speak.
"Yeah," Tremor nodded. "The woods feel clear of any enemies."
"Are any of our allies in the surrounding area?" Hunter asked looking about, his green eyes almost glowing in the darkness of the woods.
"Hm," Tremor closed his eyes and concentrated. "I don't sense anyone close by. But the whole area is honeycombed with tunnels."
"The manweersmalls," Spyro muttered, remembering the vision from weeks before. He began to spread his mind out over the land, searching for any sign of the city's inhabitants. When he found none he opened his eyes and looked up at Hunter. "They seem to be out of the range of the dragon city. I don't sense any of them anywhere."
"Then we shall be thankful for their relative safety." Hunter drew his bow and readied his arrows. The warriors slipped through the trees until they were at the edge of the forest. Crouching low in the bushes, they scanned the high outer walls of the city.
"How did the wolves get into the city?" Plax asked skeptically.
"Probably the same way they got into yours." Tremor whispered. "They climbed the wall."
"That's a very high wall to climb." Zephyr muttered craning his head back at the wall of stone. The catapults were destroyed along its rim and the stones were stained with blood and abandoned pieces of armor were scattered about.
"So what now?" Ember asked, looking about for a way in.
"Should we blast our way in?" Tremor thrust his head forward as if he were thinking about ramming the wall.
"This plan requires stealth and cunning pebble-brain," Candice hissed. "Not showing how much damage you can do to our home in one sitting."
"But Tremor may have a point," Stella replied. "For all we know, Liun could be expecting us. So being sneaky about it may just be a waste of time and energy."
"Spyro," Hunter knelt down beside the young dragon and pointed to the temple towards the top of the city. "Can you sense what has become of the guardians?"
"I can try." Spyro closed his eyes and went into his meditative state. He let his body go numb with the energy of the world around him. It felt rather uncomfortable with the large amounts of negative energy in the air. Just in his little group he could feel the uneasiness of his friends; especially from Candice in particular. Spyro began to zero in on the city itself. The entire dragon city was crawling with wolves. As Spyro narrowed his mind towards the upper levels of the city, he sensed a surge of dark magic. Just when he had gotten to the upper tower where the temple resided he felt a surge of evil energy. From inside the temple he could see the multi-colored glow of crystals within. A roar came from deep inside the temple and a shock wave struck Spyro, sending him back into his body.
"Spyro!" Cynder gasped when she saw him collapse to the ground. "Spyro, are you alright?"
Spyro's eyes opened wide. "We have to attack! Now!"
"Wait, what?" Flame shook his head, unsure of what his friend was saying. Before the others could speak, a loud roar erupted from Tremor's throat as he fired an earth missile across the field and blew a large hole in the outer wall.
Wolves began barking in alarm as the ground shook and slabs of stone crushed any that were too slow to get out of the way. The dust began to settle and was replaced with a cloud of black fire. The wolves grabbed their weapons and leveled their spears at the hole in the outer wall. The dark flames continued to spread out from the wall and suddenly there was a feral shriek as Max sprang out of the shadows and landed on a pair of the wolves, driving his killing claws into their throats. The others turned on him and thrust their spears towards him. The raptor sprang forward and shrouded himself in shadow fire, disappearing from view.
"After him!" One of the wolves barked as the shadow zipped away, deeper into the city. A split second later a blast of electricity burst from the shadows surrounding the hole in the wall. The nearest wolves were downed and Stella charged through the shadows with Cynder and the others close behind.
"We have to get to the temple!" Spyro shouted.
"Go!" Hunter growled as he put three arrows through the throats of a group of surprised canines. "We'll catch up to you as soon as we take care of these pests."
"Right!" Flame rushed towards the main stairway that led to the upper levels of the city. "Spyro, come on!"
"I'm coming!" Spyro called but paused to glance over his shoulder. Across the courtyard, Cynder shrieked, causing the wolves to cower from the harsh noise of her voice. She sensed Spyro's eyes on her and whirled around, sending a gust of wind across the stone tiles. The wolves were blown across the courtyard and slammed against the far wall.
"I'll clear a path!" She hollered and ran past Spyro towards a throng of mutant wolves coming down the stairs. With an angry roar, Cynder's eyes flashed red and the wolves froze in their tracks. Their eyes rose as the young dragoness transformed before their eyes into the towering beast she had become so well known to be. The dragoness hissed black fire and struck with her long eagle-like talons, sending bodies and weapons flying off the stairwell. "Follow me!" She called. "And stay close!"
"Don't need to tell me twice!" Sparx swallowed hard and zipped off after his friends.
"What's going on down there?" Liun asked when the earth missile shook the city.
"It would seem that the young guardians are still alive after all." Malefor growled.
"Should I go take care of them?" Liun asked, turning towards the platform at the edge of the temple.
"No!" Malefor snapped. "Let the wolves take care of them. We have our own priorities right now."
Liun's mouth twisted as he pondered for a moment. At last he reluctantly turned back towards the cluster of crystals in the middle of the room. "Well, let's get started."
"Master!" Scraunch huffed as he leaped over the edge of the platform of the temple. "The city is being attacked by the guardians. What are your orders?"
Liun's eyes narrowed at the wolf. "Hold them off as long as you can. I want the honor of killing the guardians myself."
"As you wish." The Alpha bowed respectfully. He raised his head and turned back towards the platform but stopped when another wolf staggered to the top of the steps. "Tuerto." Scraunch growled and pinned his ears back. "How dare you show your face here."
"I am sorry, Pack Leader," The red wolf wheezed. He was clutching at his broken ribs and his right arm was shattered. Blood stained his rust-colored fur and his left eye was swollen shut. "But the guardians... we almost had them... but they forced us back... they have a warrior who single handedly defeated most of our troops just as we were about to overrun the city."
"I see." Scraunch scratched his chin thoughtfully. "It must be the purple dragon."
"No," Tuerto shook his head. "It wasn't the purple dragon. He was nowhere to be seen. This single dragon was one of the guardians. He possesses a great power. Far stronger than the northern pack's Alpha, Snarl."
"Interesting." Scraunch glanced back over his shoulder at Liun who was listening with great interest. Then in a flash he turned back around and rammed his blade through Tuerto's gut. The red wolf coughed once and his eyes widened in shock as blood splattered onto the platform. "But as I told you before, failure will not be tolerated."
"F-orgive me Pack Leader..." Tuerto wheezed as the strength in his body spilled out onto the stone floor.
Scraunch pulled his blade out and Tuerto fell to his knees. "I forgive you, brother." He rested a hand on his fellow warrior's head. "Now be at rest and join those who have failed in the past." He shoved the dying wolf to the side and stalked towards the edge of the platform. "I have dragons to kill." Without so much as a second glance he descended the steps towards the battle below.
Liun watched him leave before turning back towards the crystals. "Let's do this," He muttered and the crystals began to glow even brighter.
"Behind you!" Zephyr cried and fired an earth bullet into the chest of a wolf rearing up to impale Plax with a spear. The teal dragon ducked and glanced at the mutant with wide eyes. He turned back in time to see another mutant with half his face smashed in from one of Zephyr's earlier attacks rise to his feet.
"Move!" He shouted and rammed Zephyr out of the way as the wolf swung his blade. Zephyr saw Plax yank his head back before falling to the ground. His heart nearly stopped when he saw his friend fall.
"Plax! No!" He fired a massive ball of earth and scored a hit dead on in the side of the mutant wolf's face, turning it to mush. The black earth dragon rushed to his friend's side to see him still alive. Plax clutched at his face, his paws red with blood. "Plax, how bad is it?" Zephyr asked worriedly.
"It's just a scratch." Plax waved him off, removing his paw to show a nasty slash across his nose, exposing the bone and just barely missing his eyes. "I can still fight."
A sudden roar grabbed their attention and they whirled around to see another mutant wolf get punctured with a shower of ice spikes. The canine was pinned to the wall and trying to free himself when Candice put another frozen spear through its head.
"Keep alert, you two! These ones are not pushovers like the others you've faced!"
"Yes ma'am!" The males nodded before turning back to their battle.
Candice whirled around and struck another wolf across the face with her tail blade, gouging its eyes in the process. The beast howled and staggered back, letting his pack mates surge forward. Candice spread her wings and with a mighty flap sent a blizzard of stinging icicles into the flesh of her attackers. The wolves collapsed as another mutant barreled through. It caught Candice off guard and struck her with a massive fist. The ice dragoness slammed into a tree in the courtyard and slumped to the ground. The mutated wolf sprang into the air, ready to crush the dragoness beneath his feet.
"Oh, no you don't!" Tremor jumped in front of his dragoness and covered them in a shell of dense earth. The wolf's feet struck the barrier and Tremor smiled. Spikes shot out of his ball of earth and punctured the mutant's feet. The monster howled and fell onto his back. Tremor slammed his paw into the ground cracking open a large fissure and swallowing the wolf up along with several of his pack mates.
Candice opened her eyes and shook the stars from her head as Tremor knocked the barrier away into a cluster of wolves closing in on Zephyr and Plax. She looked up at him and her mouth hung open slightly.
"Are you alright?" Tremor asked plainly.
Candice couldn't help but crack a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine." She nodded and gazed at him almost flirtatiously with her brilliant amethyst eyes. "Thank you."
"Good, I'm glad." Tremor smirked. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to you."
"I know," Candice muttered. "I'm glad to have you back, but don't think this means that I'm not still mad at you."
"I figured as much." Tremor nodded. He felt the vibration of footsteps coming towards them and slammed a hind leg down, catapulting several wolves into the air. "I just want you to know I'm here for good." Before Candice could say another word Tremor turned and charged back into the fray leaving the dragoness somewhat speechless. "Come on!" Tremor shouted to the other dragons. "We have to get back to Spyro and the others! We need to be able to give them our support!"
"Right!" The earth guardian spread his wings and flew over to Stella who had followed his lead and took hold of Hunter. They lifted the cheetah warrior into the air and beat their wings hard towards the main staircase. Zephyr, Plax and Candice took to the air leaving the massing wolves to bark and snarl as they took pursuit.
Max slipped through the shadows of the city, leading the initial group of wolves away from the others. The mutants were fast but the raptor was faster. Rather than being forced to run on all fours like most dragons, his mutation allowed him to run on his powerful muscular hind legs at speeds greater than any other dragon on all fours.
The raptor dragon sprang up onto the roof of an adobe cottage as the pursuing mutants swung their blades at him. When their attacks missed they sprang into the air after him, clawing at the sides of the wall and drooling with extreme lust for blood. Max stepped back and turned to run again but skidded to a halt. Climbing up behind him were even more wolves carrying spears, already leveled at his chest. The black dragon hissed menacingly and his green eyes began to glow. His pupils turned to cat-like slits and he let out an angry snarl. The wolves paused for a moment which gave him the chance he needed. Max jumped straight up and beat his wings hard sending up dust into the wolves' eyes. The canines snarled at the stinging wind and Max inhaled deeply. With a low groan of a roar he exhaled a cloud of neon green venom gas. The cloud descended with shocking speed and the mutants screamed in pain as their skin and fur was melted away by the acidic cloud.
Nearby, another horde of mutant wolves witnessed the fate of their comrades and stopped what they were doing. The canines glanced between themselves, unsure of what they should do. Max turned his feral eyes on them and his spines stood on end. He locked eyes with the mutants and screeched. The wolves jumped in fright and turned to flee. Max nearly laughed as he became shrouded in shadow fire before merging into the shadows of the city. The wolves had not gone ten yards when a black cloud in the shape of the raptor dragon burst up in front of them. Max's eyes were glowing deadly green and his neon energy could be seen building at the back of his throat.
The wolves scattered. Max looked around for a split second before ducking into the shadows again. His shadows spread after them, searching for the nearest target. The nearest wolf felt something burning wrap around his leg, yanking him back towards a stone wall that was shrouded in black shadow. The terrified wolf yelped as it was dragged into the darkness and silenced with a sickening crunch.
The next wolf rounded the corner only to run into a cloud of darkness without so much as a cry. Another wolf passed an alleyway and was yanked back into it. Two more were pulled into the ground and another had its head removed after quickly ducking past an outstretched shadow. It took only a matter of minutes before all the wolves in the surrounding area were dead and gone.
Max emerged from the shadows and the black fire vanished. The black raptor licked his bloody lips and sighed with satisfaction. His heart was racing and his blood was boiling with excitement. He looked around where he was and heard nothing else moving. He clawed his way to the top of the nearest wall and looked around. He could see large pillars of earth shooting up along the main staircase to that led towards the upper levels of the city. It was Zephyr firing earth bullets at the wolves clambering up the stairs after him and the other guardians. The black dragon's gaze drifted towards the upper levels of the city where he could see Cynder, Spyro, Flame and Ember battling their way past wave after wave of wolves. Cynder was making quick work of the mutated canines, knocking them off with sweeps of her long talons. Flame and Ember brought up the rear, breathing fire to create a barrier between them and the wolves that flooded in from the sides of the staircase.
Max narrowed his eyes at the bloodthirsty canines and took to the air once again. Cynder was doing her best to keep up with the mutant wolves' speed but she was quickly beginning to tire. At the top of the stairs was the lower temple and training hall. Cynder barreled into the wolves, thrusting her long horns about, catching several wolves on their hooked ends. Inside was a long corridor leading across the city to the other side where the next flight of stairs would take them to the main temple at the top of the city.
"Cynder, switch back!" Spyro ordered. "You won't be able to fight at your best in that form here!"
"Alright," Cynder acknowledged and began transforming back to normal. She was almost done when a group of mutant wolves dropped from the ceiling with wild howls.
"Look out!" Flame shouted and shoved Ember out of the way. Cynder's eyes flashed red again and she let out a sonic shriek, shattering the wolves' ear drums and breaking the ceiling over their heads. The dragons scattered as the slabs of ceiling crashed to the ground. Cynder rolled out of the way just in time to avoid being crushed to death. The black dragoness coughed hard as the dust filled her lungs. She raised her head to look back down the corridor and her eyes grew wide as the hall became filled with wolves. The canines licked their chops excitedly, eager to get their first kill of the day. Cynder hissed and rose to her feet. A moment later a cloud of venom filled the hall, disintegrating the wolves. Cynder tilted her head curiously as the cloud drew closer. With a strong breath of wind she blew the acidic cloud away. Standing at the end of the hall with a big grin was Max the dragon.
"Max, it's you! You're okay!" Cynder exclaimed and bounded over to him. Max lurched across the hall towards her, his grin spreading wider with glee. Just then his eyes picked up movement on the ceiling. The pair of wolves dropped down and the black dragon lurched forward.
"Cynder, look out!" He roared and sprang into the air. Cynder turned her head and froze as the wolves bore down on her. Max raked his killing claws across down the front of the first wolf and hit the ground with a disgusting thud. Cynder struck the second wolf with her tail before using her wind to blow the wolf off the side of the railing. She turned back around and her mouth fell open. Max lay on his side with the end of a spear sticking out of his stomach. The raptor was gasping heavily, his lungs struggling for air.
"Max!" Cynder cried, trembling in shock at seeing her friend impaled like a wild animal.
"H-hey...Cynder." Max wheezed and cringed as a wave of pain swept over him. "You're not hurt are you?"
"Why Max?" Cynder shook her head. "Why did you do it? Why?"
A gentle smile spread across the dragon's long muzzle. "Because... no one is allowed to hurt a dragoness I care about."
"But how can you say that?" Cynder wept silently over the heaving mass of black scales. "You don't even know me that well."
"That's true," Max groaned as he lifted his head but his strength was fading quickly. "But... I'd willingly throw myself in front of any danger for you... because I fell in love with you the first time I laid eyes on you."
Cynder emitted a startled squeak and her mouth fell open. "Max, I... I don't know what to say... I love Spyro. So why would you want to tell me this?"
"Because life is precious." Max replied weakly. "I don't want to leave this world regretting anything."
"Cynder!" Spyro's muffled voice came from the pile of ceiling debris. The black dragoness shielded Max with her own body as the rubble was blown away by Zephyr's earth missile. When the dust settled the dragons mouths fell open.
"Max!" Plax and Zephyr exclaimed and bounded over to him. They were quickly followed by Stella, Hunter and Candice who created a wall of ice, blocking off any more wolves from taking them from behind.
"H-hey." Max tried to chuckle. "What's up?"
"Not you, that's for damned sure." Plax cringed when he saw the spear lodged in his friend's side.
Max's eyes seemed to smile at them before turning back to Cynder.
"Don't forget me, Cynder."
"How could I?" Cynder sobbed. "You've been a great friend to me."
Those words seemed to put the raptor at ease as he began to relax. Spyro walked up with a deeply saddened look on his face. Seeing Max like this filled him with such deep regret he couldn't bear to look at him any more.
"Hey Spyro," Max grabbed his attention with a rough cough. Spyro turned around and his eyes locked with Max's. "I don't have any regrets and neither should you. You have great friends and a wonderful dragoness to stand by your side." He looked over at Cynder then back to Spyro. "I envy you for that, but it's also one of the reasons I respect you the most. Just do me one favor."
"Anything." Spyro nodded resting a paw on the raptor dragon's shoulder.
"When you guys remember me, forget the wrongs I may have done. Help me leave behind some reasons to be missed. And when you're feeling empty, keep me in your memories. And just leave out all the rest."
Spyro squeezed his eyes shut tight, letting his tears fall. Behind him Tremor and Candice walked up. Max smiled at the earth dragon and gave a friendly curl of his lip. "I guess we'll have to postpone that sparring rematch, huh?"
Tremor's mouth twisted up as he pondered what to say or do. He turned to Candice and whispered something in her ear. The dragoness looked at him then to Plax and Zephyr.
"Alright, stand aside." She ordered as a shrill howl echoed throughout the city. Everyone moved away from Max as Candice walked up and took a deep breath. She released a cloud of ice across the raptor's body, covering him in a thin yet dense coat of ice. When she was done she turned back to Plax and Zephyr. "Get him out of here. He shouldn't have to die in a place like this."
"What are we supposed to do?" Zephyr asked; his eyes wet with tears.
"Take him home," Tremor replied solemnly. "Where it's peaceful and he may have a chance."
"A chance?" Plax shook his head. "What chance could he..."
"We'll do it." Zephyr nodded. Plax gave the black earth dragon an astonished look.
"Good luck then." Candice placed a comforting, supportive paw on Zephyr's shoulder. "He's counting on you."
"I know." Zephyr nodded and turned to his friend whose eyes were still fixated on the black raptor in the ice. "Come on Plax. We have to go."
"Hurry," Stella warned as she glanced back over her shoulder at Candice's wall of ice. The wolves were pressing up against the wall, banging their weapons against the dense ice.
Zephyr and Plax did their best to grab up Max's frozen body before spreading their wings. Tremor knocked away the railing with a swish of his tail allowing them to take off easier.
"May the ancestors watch over you!" Flame shouted after them as they flew off across the city.
Another howl interrupted the moment and the dragons jumped.
"Spyro, we need to get to the main temple!" Ember exclaimed.
"Go on!" Hunter ordered. "We shall hold them off as long as we can."
"But hurry!" Stella pleaded.
"R-right!" Spyro nodded and headed for the hallway exit and dashed up the stairs. The ice at the opposite end was beginning to crack. Hunter raised his bow and took aim at the darkest shadow on the opposite side.
"Hold it," Tremor stopped him with an extended wing. "Hunter, you, Candice and Stella fall back to the base of the stairs. I'll go on ahead and try to push them back. If Spyro is going to be facing Liun and the Dark Master, we need to buy him some time."
"Very well." Hunter nodded and took a few retreating steps backward. "Be careful though. We are at a disadvantage here."
"I personally like these odds." Tremor smirked. "But thank you for the concern." The earth guardian turned towards the wall of ice as Hunter and Stella fell back to the base of the stairs. When Candice took up position beside him he gave her a surprised look.
The ice dragoness gave him a half smile. "I'm still mad at you," She stated with an almost inaudible giggle.
Tremor smiled. "I know." Both dragons began to glow with energy. "You ready Candy?"
"Always!"
Tremor roared and fired an earth bullet into the wall. The ice shattered and crumbled onto the stairs, crushing wolves and knocking others off, sending them plummeting to their deaths below. Those lucky enough to avoid being crushed started to climb over the slabs of ice. Candice breathed a cloud of ice, freezing them in place. Tremor rolled forward, slamming his clubbed tail across the floor causing the stone stairs to shoot out like missiles, shattering the wolves where they stood. The earth dragon shrouded himself in stone and rumbled down the staircase. The wolves panicked when they saw the massive boulder thundering towards them at immense speed. The ones that tried to fight were crushed alongside the ones unable to get away. Others dove off the side of the stairs only to realize that the ground was hundreds of feet below.
Tremor cleared out the whole staircase and burst free from his protective shell. He had ground the stairs to a smooth marble finish. Candice came sliding down the ramp on a path of ice, freezing over what was left of the stone staircase as she went. When she neared the bottom, she projected her energy up ahead and froze over the courtyard at the bottom of the stairs. The wolves yelped in surprise when their feet froze over. Candice covered herself in snow and compressed the ball into a dense ice boulder. Tremor cringed when he saw her slam into the wolves with crushing speed.
"You know that actually looks like fun." He laughed when his dragoness emerged from the ice.
Candice blushed. "I learned from you, pebble-brain."
Scraunch watched as the two dragons continued to battle his warriors with a look of shock spread across his face. His eyes narrowed in on Tremor as the earth dragon proceeded to crush his pack mates beneath his might. "It was you." He growled angrily and his grip tightened around his spear. "It seems that the report about you wasn't far from the truth." He pinned his ears back and leaped off the balcony he was on, dashing towards the guardians below.
A chill ran down Spyro's back and he paused on the stairs.
"Spyro, what's wrong?" Ember asked causing Cynder and Flame to look back at him with worried expressions.
"Don't worry about me, have to keep going!" Spyro groaned. The weight in the pit of his stomach was growing heavier the closer they got to the top of the stairs.
When they reached the upper platform, the dragons stopped in heir tracks. The temple was so dark that light seemed to vanish completely.
"Something feels very wrong here." Ember shuddered and moved closer to Flame. The dragons moved forward carefully. Tuerto's body lay in a bloody heap before them. Ember moved closer to her mate as they stepped around him, just in case he should decide to get up.
"Stay close to me," Spyro muttered as they entered into the temple. For a long time the dragons could see nothing but darkness.
"Spyro," Sparx whispered. "I feel like we're walking into a trap."
"Well we can't turn back now," Flame replied before his friend.
"Flame's right." Spyro nodded. "We have to stop Malefor and Liun, here and now."
"Ah, so you have survived after all." A familiar growl echoed through the darkness.
"Malefor!" Spyro growled and pinned his wings back.
"Oh, don't tell me you've forgotten about me already Spyro," Liun's voice snarled. "After all you've done to me, you have the nerve to forget that I even exist?"
"We've all been trying to forget!" Sparx spat. Flame snorted loudly in agreement and a tuft of flame that lit up the darkness for a brief moment.
"Oh, is that Flame I hear?" Liun laughed. "I'm actually glad to know you're here. I have a surprise for you."
"What have you done with Terrador and the others?" Ember demanded, clearly getting worked up over the dark dragon's taunting.
"Come find out if you have the guts." Liun laughed. All of a sudden the temple torches were lit with black fire casting the walls in an ominous evil glow.
"Come on!" Flame charged forward with Ember close behind.
"Wait for us!" Cynder called. The guardians ran down the corridor to the main chamber and froze in the darkness.
"Where are you, Liun!?" Flame bellowed. "Show yourself!"
There was no response from the black dragon. The room suddenly became illuminated as the purple crystals lining the walls began to glimmer.
"What's going on?" Ember whimpered, backing into Flame. The four dragons looked around to find themselves surrounded by the purple crystals.
"Isn't it obvious?" Liun suddenly appeared out of the darkness. His body was glowing with convexity and his eyes seemed to light up the rest of the room. "I've waited for months and suffered at the hands of you guardians the entire time. But I'm finally going to have what should be mine. The power to rule over this world and everyone in it!"
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Flame snarled and lunged for him.
"Flame, wait!" Spyro shouted.
A superior smirk spread across Liun's face. Flame felt a crushing force in his chest as Liun rammed him with his horns, knocking him to the ground. Before he could get up Liun pinned him with a heavy paw.
"Flame!" Ember cried and was about to go on the attack when Liun halted her.
"Ah ah ah," He scolded and leveled his broad-head tail blade at Flame's throat. "You don't want to attack me and have me slip do you?"
Ember glanced from her dazed mate to the dark dragon looming over him with his wicked eyes fixed on her. Ember felt a cold fear grip her heart but then Spyro brushed against her side.
"Let him go, Liun. Your fight is with me."
"My fight is with all of you." Liun growled. "I won't forgive you for what you did you my face." Spyro noticed the savage burns that spread from the black dragon's right cheek down to his hind leg. "But we'll get to that in a little bit." He looked up with a devious smile. "But before we do I should probably let you finish with your goodbyes." The guardians raised their heads and their mouths fell open.
"By the ancestors," Ember gasped.
Cynder shook her head in disbelief. "Spyro... it's...."
"The guardians." The purple dragon felt his heart sink. High above in the chamber floated the crystals which held the guardians and eastern city elders prisoner. Flame managed to turn his gaze to the ceiling and his heart froze when he saw the bright orange crystal pulsing rapidly.
"G-Grandpa!"
"Flame..." Infernus wheezed inside the crystal. His lungs almost unable to produce any sound at all.
"What are you doing to them?" Cynder shouted furiously, her eyes glowing with red energy as she began to transform again.
"If I am to be denied the power of the purple dragon, I might as well have the next best thing!" Liun proclaimed. "I will have the power and knowledge of the elders and guardians of this world for myself!"
The crystals began to pulse faster as the elder dragon's power continued to drain.
"Stop it!" Spyro roared. "Stop it right now!"
"Spyro!" Flame cried. "Help them! Save my grandpa!" He tried to shove Liun off but the black dragon's power was growing stronger by the second.
Spyro charged forward and Liun struck him with his tail blade. Spyro crashed against the far wall, leaving an impact mark in the hard stone.
High above, the elder dragons began to moan as their life force continued to drain out of them.
"Do not... give up... hope!" Terrador gasped.
"It's... your time... to shine!" Cyril cried as his body continued to wither away.
"You are... the new age of protectors... for... our world." Volteer coughed. "Do... us proud!" The elders gave a final roar of defiance before the crystals shattered.
"Grandpa!" Flame screamed as he saw the guardians and the elders from his home disintegrate into tiny orbs of light only to be absorbed by the purple crystals. The crystals blazed with brilliant energy that blinded the guardians. Flame felt the pressure on his neck release as Liun hovered in the air above him. Ember rushed over to her mate and helped him to his feet.
"Are you alright?" She asked worriedly.
"Grandpa." Flame sobbed. "My grandpa's gone! He took my grandpa!"
"Flame, Ember! Get away from him!" Cynder cried as she helped Spyro to his feet. The purple dragon was still dazed and his vision was blurred.
Liun and Malefor's evil laugh echoed throughout the temple. The crystals melted into orbs of convexity and merged with Liun's body. Malefor's subconscious took over and his maniacal laugh thundered in the heads of the guardians.
"I live!" He roared in triumph as Liun's body began to change. "My might can not be paralleled!" The black dragon beat his wings once and sent out a shock wave of convexity coursing through the city. The wolves and dragons screamed in fright before their eyes were overtaken by the Dark Master's blinding energy. The last thing the guardians heard was a tectonic-shaking explosion and then the silence of dark was all that remained.