Chapter 13: Personal Heat, part 1


The following morning, Spyro awoke feeling rested from the training and stress he had been through the day before. He got up slowly and yawned, stretching his body all over.

"Hey purple boy, rise and shine!" Sparx called to his brother.

"Oh, hey Sparx. What's up?" Spyro asked.

"Well, I figured I check on you and let you know that the Guardians have finished planning a rescue mission to save Elora and the others."

"Good, good," Spyro mumbled, somewhat distracted. Though he had slept well, thanks to Aureole's chanting, he was still very worried. He would not feel better until his family were safe again.

Sparx rapped on Spyro's head. "Hey! Is anyone in there? The Guardians are expecting us!"

"Okay, okay! I'm up!" Spyro did another stretch, until he felt a satisfying click in his back. Then, he followed Sparx out of the room.


Ignitus and Aureole had just finished discussing their plan of rescue for the fauns and Water Dragons, just as Spyro entered.

"Ah, young Dragon," Ignitus beamed. "Did you sleep well?"

"Well enough," Spyro replied. "What's the plan for rescuing my family?"

"Aureole and I will assist you and Sheila in reaching the Dino Mines. That is where Red is holding up. Should he make an appearance, I shall be the one to deal with him." A shadow passed over his face as he said it.

"Oh boy, with this Red guy, I can tell he won't be happy seeing you," Sparx noted. "You guys have a history?"

"Red was once the Elder at Jurassic Jungles; as well as my mentor in Fire training. He was a noble and wise Dragon once, until one day, I learned a terrible secret. He had ordered the near-extermination of the Riptocs."

"What?! A-are you serious?!" Spyro gasped. Ignitus nodded solemnly. "What did he have against those Riptocs?"

"He came to see them as inferior and a threat to us. We were once on peaceful terms with the Riptocs, but they wanted to learn our secrets. Red saw them as unworthy and following an argument, he had them hunted and killed. When I revealed his plans to the other Elders, he was banished." Ignitus' face darkened. "Now he serves the Dark Master as one of his generals. He must be captured, and I want to be the one who brings him in."

"Easy, Ignitus," Aureole whispered, a paw on the Fire Guardian's shoulder. "We discussed this. No unnecessary aggression."

"All right then." Ignitus sighed. "I will do my best not to lose sight of what's important."

"We'll need to rescue those prisoners from the Dino Mines," Sheila said. "Then, we'll need to save those Water Dragons and their Guardian."

"Yes. Cordelia. I have heard she's imprisoned in Boyzitbig," Cyril replied.

"Boyzitbig?" Sparx asked, bemused by the odd name.

"An active volcano near the Jurassic Jungles," Ignitus replied. "We Fire Dragons kept it under control and used its lava to forge weapons for our Peace Keepers. Now it's part of Munitions Forge, where the local Manweersmalls are made to mine the metals for the Dark Armies."

"Manweersmalls?" Spyro asked.

"Little moles who are expert diggers," Volteer said.

"That explains a lot," Sparx said.

"There's also the issue of the Dark Crystals being excavated in the Dino Mines," Volteer added. "I must give you the high sign, Spyro; the ore being unearthed in those tunnels negatively affects the limbic system, which, for the inexperienced, can compromise their ability to use their cortex properly, and-" He was cut off by Cyril whacking him over the head with his spectre.

"In English?" Sparx asked.

"The Dark Crystals enhance negative emotions," Ignitus said. "That's why we'll need to stick together. So, Spyro, remember; do as Aureole and I say, and your family will be safe. I promise."

"Yes, Ignitus," Spyro promised, though he wasn't too sure how well he'd keep his word.

"All right then, let's go."


"The Jurassic Jungle is an ancient, tropical land where Dragons and Dinosaurs resided in harmony. It was my old home with the other Fire Dragons. However, it is now used as a war zone. Past the Jungles are the Dino Mines, a prison camp ran by Red and the Riptocs."

"And the Riptocs are responsible for…?"

"Mostly muscle, loaned to Red by their leader Ripto."

"Does everyone in Jurassic Jungle have clever names like that," Sparx said, unimpressed.

The three Dragons, Kangaroo and dragonfly had arrived inside the humid jungle. The sky was full of dark clouds from the volcano, Boyzitbig, in the distance. In the shelter of a narrow ridge, they ran through the plan one last time.

"Okay then, so I have to get to the Mines and find a safe spot for you three to get inside?" Sparx asked. Ignitius nodded. "All right, the things I do for those I love... I'll be right back."

"Be careful Sparx," Spyro said, as Sparx flew ahead to find the Dino Mines.


The Dino Mines themselves were partly flooded, with cracked infrastructure and broken railway tracks. The prisoners were watched by Riptocs and Dinosaurs, and their discomfort was of no concern.

Elora, Sapia and Zen had been made to work alongside Elora's parents, Cleem and Shabae. They were both in poor condition, despite having only been in the mines a few days. Flash and Nina had been sent elsewhere.

"I'm glad we found you, but wish it was on better terms," Elora whispered to her parents.

"Same here. We never wanted you to be captured and brought to this awful place," Cleem coughed. His lungs had been by the dusty cavern air, at times making it difficult for him to breathe. "How did you get captured?"

"We were captured by Deina's bunch of thieves and her apprentice back at Tall Plains..." Sapia explained. "They were after Spyro."

"Hey, no talking!" a passing Dinosaur yelled, banging his club down threateningly.

The Fauns waited until the Dinosaur had left, before continuing in lower voices.

"Spyro will come for us, I know it!" Elora hissed. "Hopefully, soon."

"You don't say!" Zen muttered. "Before any of us gets trench-hoof from all this water!"

Another Dinosaur drew near, forcing them to halt their conversation. They waited for him to pass out of earshot.

"I don't like the look of these Dark Gems," Elora said, picking at a vein of crystal on the wall. "Are they dangerous?"

"Oh yes," Cleem coughed, swinging hard at the wall with his own pick. "To Dragons, definitely."

"Then, Spyro will have it rough!" Sapia murmured.

Elora was very worried for Spyro. When he came to save them, the Dark Gems would pose a serious problem for him. If he could find them, that is.


Outside, Sparx watched over the camp as Riptocs patrolled the area. He saw one crushing a Dragon dummy as well as another two fighting over food.

"A good distraction might help," Sparx whispered to himself. Then he heard someone coming and dived into a bucket. Looking up, he saw two large creatures passing. One was a Dragon; clearly Red, judging from his scales. The other was a blue dinosaur-like creature. Red held two lanterns; one blue and the other pink.

"So, you seem particularly interested in this Spyro whelp, aren't you?" Red asked.

"Of course," Deina replied with a grin. "I know many things about Purple Dragons, and I could teach Spyro so much. Plus, with Spyro as his pawn, the Dark Master will be truly unstoppable."

"You leave Spyro alone!" came a voice from one of the lanterns; a most familiar voice.

Dad?! Sparx realised with a start.

He peeked out of the bucket and realised his parents, Flash and Nina trapped in the lanterns. Red snarled and shook them both.

"Quiet, you! Be grateful that you're here, instead of working in the mines!"

"We won't be silenced! And you will not hurt Spyro!" Nina yelled.

"You insects amuse me," Deina replied with a small smile. "You should know that Spyro himself is a powerful creature and a threat to our armies."

"Then you should be afraid!" Nina said.

"Never say 'should,' my dear. It makes reality that much harder to swallow."

Sparx waited until the two reptiles had walked off before speaking to himself.

"I've got to create a diversion. That should allow the others to come in."

He looked around and spotted a crate of dynamite sticks. Pushing aside the fact that this was extremely dangerous, he grabbed two sticks, lit them on a torch and threw them in opposite directions. Moments later, BOOM! BOOM! The sticks exploded, blowing up walls and injuring several Riptocs. Red and Deina came racing back to investigate. Notably, Red was no longer carrying the lanterns

"That'll distract them," Sparx smirked.

"What happened?!" Red shouted at one of the Riptocs.

"I don't know! The walls just exploded!" the Riptoc spluttered.

"Then get your men together and fix that hole!" Red commanded.

"I can't; they're too-"

"Useless!" Red struck the Riptoc on his head with his staff.

Spyro, Sheila, Ignitus and Aureole had taken advantage of the chaos to scurry inside. Ignitus believed that they didn't have to worry about dragon detectors inside the prison, given it was run by a Dragon.

"Any idea where they are, Sparx?" Spyro asked.

"Well, I just saw Mom & Dad trapped in the Lanterns by the Red guy," Sparx said. "But I think they might have been expecting us."

"Then we have to make sure that Red doesn't get to the controls. Aureole, you and Spyro have to stay together and free the prisoners, while I deal with the traitor," Ignitus said.

"Ignitus, I think I can handle saving Elora and the others," Spyro suggested.

"No, young dragon. You need to trust my judgement so you can remain in control! Now please, follow Aureole's orders while I handle things here." Ignitus flew off as Spyro sighed, rather annoyed.

"Spyro, you have to understand. I promise we'll save your sister and Sapia. Come on," Aureole said kindly, and she set off. Spyro followed her, and Sparx did the same.

"Why do I have a feeling Spyro's going to go rogue?" Sparx muttered to himself. Spyro and Aureole flew over a nearby bridge towards a small cliff, with an opening that led into the mines. At a small hut, no doubt where Red stayed, they saw Flash and Nina in the lanterns.

"Boys?!" Flash cried, astonished. "Is that you?"

"Mum, Dad!" cried Spyro. Sparx opened the lanterns and their parents flew out and hugged them. "Thank goodness you're alright!"

"You too!" Nina agreed, stroking Spyro's snout. "I knew you'd come for us! But it was very dangerous! And who are these people?"

"Where are Elora and the others?" Spyro demanded, before Sheila and Aureole could introduce themselves.

"Down in the mines," Nina replied, pointing into the tunnel

"Right!" Spyro said. And he charged off in the mine.

"SPYRO, WAIT!" Aureole called after him, but Spyro ignored her.

"As I feared," Sparx moaned, before he, his parents, Sheila and the Wind Guardian followed.


"I think that explosion might have been some kind of distraction," Deina said to Red. "I reckon Spyro's here, already!"

At that moment, however, Ignitus appeared.

"Red!" he yelled.

"Ignitus?!" Red gasped, surprised, but pleased. "Well… I had a feeling I would see you again."

"Yes! It's time you answered for your betrayal against your own kind," Ignitus said.

"I had to do what is best for us! Pity you can't see that, my old student," Red growled.

"What I want to see is you and Deina brought to justice; you two have crimes to answer for."

"I have no business with you, Ignitus. I have a better prize to go after," Deina said as she ran off in the direction of the mines. Ignitus made to follow, but Red blocked his path. Riptocs amassed around them.

"No!" Red ordered. "Go with Deina and capture Spyro. I'll deal with Ignitus!"

"Yes sir!" But not many Riptocs got away, as Ignitus torched them with Fire.

"Well, Ignitus," Red grinned. "It looks like it's time to see which of us is the true Master of Fire!"

"We shall see…" Ignitus glared at his former mentor. The two circled each other for a moment. Then Red shot a jet of blue Fire at Ignitus. He dodged the burst and countered with a Fire-enhanced Tail Whip, which Red blocked with a Magic shield.

"Why do you side with the Riptocs, when you hate them?!" Ignitus demanded, blocking a blast of Magic with his shield.

"A means as an end, Ignitus; and we all have a common end. To revive Malefor and usher in a new era for the Realms!" Red cried.

"You know the consequences what will happen if the Dark Master is freed!" Ignitus aimed a punch at Red, but he countered with his Dark Gem Staff. At once, Ignitus faltered as though his strength was being sucked out of him.

"Dark Gems, my old student!" Red sneered, as Ignitus wrenched his hand away. "With the right spell, you can safely use them to put others in their place!"

He raised his staff and conjured large balls of molten magma, infused with dark magic, and sent them flying at Ignitus, who took to the air to avoid them.

"I won't let that stop me!" Ignitus yelled, doing a Comet Dash at Red, which sent him flying backwards.

"Blasted fool!" Red staggered to his feet. With a roar, he sent another wall of Fire at Ignitus.


Spyro, meanwhile, had blasted through the Riptocs guarding the top of the mine. Within the shadows, he now observed the Dinosaurs that patrolled the caverns.

"Elora, here I come! This should be easy." The Purple Dragon charged forward, catching the eye of the guards.

"It's the purple dragon, boys!" one of the Dinos cried. "Get 'im!"

That was all he got out before he got blown back by a gust of Wind. The other guards moved in, shooting at Spyro; only to receive blasts of Ice, before getting zapped with Electricity. One of them hit the supports, cracking it. There was an ominous rumbling above their heads. However, Spyro didn't notice this, having charged onwards.

"Out of my way, creeps!" he shouted, knocking a dinosaur back and pinning him against the wall. "Now where are the prisoners being held? One of them is my sister!"

"Not telling ya nothin'. If I does, Red'll have my scales!"

"If you don't tell me, that 'Red guy' will be the least of your troubles!" Spyro snarled.

"I wouldn't let your anger get the better of you, little one," came a soft female voice from behind him. Spyro looked over his shoulder. Deina was standing behind him.

"What the? Who are you?" Spyro asked.

"Allow me to introduce myself, I am Queen Deina, Ruler of the Forgotten Realms and Sorceress Supreme!" she said, bowing. Spyro noticed that there was no malice in her voice or her face; Deina's expression and tone were, surprisingly, gentle. "It is so good to finally meet you, Spyro!"

"So you're the one who hired those thieves that kidnapped Elora, Sapia and Zen!" Spyro said.

"Well, they were meant to bring you to me, alive. But I suppose they did do their job, in a way. I had no intention of harming your friends; not seriously, anyway."

Spyro was perplexed. Why was Deina speaking to him so gently, as if she were a mother or something? He shook his head; it had to be a trick! She was an evil sorceress; he couldn't trust anything she said!

"Let my friends go! They have nothing to do with you!" Spyro challenged.

"Oh, I will, if you turn yourself in, Spyro," Deina replied, "and I recommend you do so. Because there's so much I can tell you, and I don't wish to seriously hurt you."

"Hmm, how about no!" Spyro snarled. "How about you let us all go, or else?!"

"Must you make things so complicated?" Deina sighed. "I expected better from you after all this time."

"Drop the nice act!" Spyro hissed. "I see through your tricks!

And he charged at Deina. Instinctively, she countered with an Electric barrier, zapping Spyro and allowing her to knock him back. Shaking his head, Spyro breathed Ice at her, but even that didn't faze her, though she now looked aggravated.

"Okay, then; if you're going to fight, I guess I must do the same!"

With a grim look on her face, she fired a powerful magic blast, knocking Spyro back in the wall. He slumped to the floor, dazed.

"What are you?" he croaked.

"I'm an expert in the arcane arts. I am one of the powerful dinosaurs in the land! And I know a great deal about Purple Dragons. I'm afraid nothing you can do can hope to surprise me, my dear boy."

"We'll see about that!" Spyro hissed. Scrambling to his feet, he shot a stream of Plasma at Deina. She was knocked back by the attack.

Deina was surprised. "What the?! You can do Elemental Synergy?!"

"Guess it is part of my perks," Spyro smirked, until they heard the thunder of approaching footsteps. More Riptocs and Dinosaurs, no doubt! But then, Spyro heard and felt gushes of Wind blowing towards them, along with cries of 'Hi-yah!' Aureole and Sheila had clearly engaged the soldiers.

"Well, looks like your allies are here, as well," Deina glared at Spyro.

"Yeah; and looks like I need to save my friends," Spyro said as he ran off into the Mines.

"I won't let you get away from me that easily, boy!" Deina yelled, charging after him.


Meanwhile, Elora and the other Fauns heard echoing sounds of scuffling and rumbling. The guards nearby shouted to each other in alarm. 'Intruders' were mentioned, as were 'dragons.' A smile then brightened Elora's face.

"I think it could be Spyro!" Elora proclaimed. "He's here to save us!"

"If it is him, he's clearly having a hard time!" Zen noted. At that moment, more rock fell from the ceiling, which made them all nervous. Was the tunnel about to cave in? The idea of being buried alive made their fur stand on end.

"ELORA! SAPIA! WHERE ARE Y-ARRRGGGHHH!"

Next moment, something purple came flying out of the darkness towards them.

"Spyro?" The Fauns are surprised as Spyro landed near them with a splash.

"Elora? Sapia? Guys, I found you!" Delighted, Spyro ran to hug his sister.

"Spyro! I knew you would come!" Elora hugged her brother tightly.

"Are you guys alright?" Spyro asked.

"They won't be, if you continue this foolish opposition!" said Deina, as she approached.

"I will not let you hurt them!" Spyro snarled, standing in front of them.

"Oh really, why rush in to save these woodland creatures? You'll only get them in trouble!"

"They're my family, and I never abandon family!" Spyro said.

"And yet… you abandoned Ignitus and Aureole just to save them," Deina pointed out.

A lance of guilt pierced Spyro's heart. That was true, but he was sure Ignitus and Aureole could take care of themselves.

"After I'm done with you," he hissed, "I'm going to help them!"

"Not if you continue fighting like this!" Deina said, before firing Electric shots at Spyro. Spyro dodged them, before deciding to counter with his own magic. Remembering his training under Cyril, he levitated several rocks into the air and flung them at Deina, who raised a shield to protect herself.

"Impressive. You've learned magic too. Those Guardians have quite an adept student to have taught you such tricks"

"Then get ready for class, because I've got plenty more tricks to show you!" Spyro hissed, before whirling himself into a Wind Twister interlaced with Fire; he reckoned as they were underground, there was little chance of the fire spreading out of control. The Fire Tornado swirled towards Deina, who countered by levitating water from the ground and shooting it at Spyro.

"Ahhhh!" cried the young Dragon, as the water doused his flames and knocked him into the pool.


Streams of flame shot forth and back as Red and Ignitus fought on. Red raised his staff and shot a stream of Ice at his foe; Ice so cold that it would burn all that it touched. Ignitus countered with a burst of lava-enhanced Fire, melting the Ice-Fire the moment the two attacks collided.

"Not bad Ignitus," Red said. "You've fought well, my old student."

"If you hadn't betrayed us, your praise would be welcomed!" Ignitus yelled, before Comet Dashing at Red again. This sent them both crashing hard into the ground, which cracked beneath them. Mere feet below them was a cavern of the mines, and its ceiling would not hold up against the dragons' battle for long. Ignitus, failing to register this, flew up to deliver another blow. However, Red fired a Dark Volt up at him, shocking him. The Fire Guardian tumbled down, landing on Red before he could move out of the way. The ground crumbled beneath them and they plunged into the mines.

"This has to stop!" Ignitus shouted.

"I will never stop, until we bring the new era!" Red refused.

"Then, I will just have to make sure you don't walk away alive!" Ignitus growled.

"Bring it!" Red challenged as they continued to fight.


As for Spyro and Deina, both were reaching their limits, having thrown various attacks at each other with neither gaining a significant advantage.

"Had enough?" Spyro gasped. The Dark Crystals were taking their toll on him, though he felt determined to fight on.

"Spyro, we have to go! You need to recover your strength!" Elora begged.

"You know she won't let us just walk out of here, Elora," Spyro said.

"You bet I won't!" Deina said, raising her staff again. But before she could unleash another spell, she was grabbed suddenly from behind by Aureole.

"What the?!" Deina cried.

"Stay away from him!" Aureole hissed. While the two of them grappled with each other, Sparx flew over to Spyro, Sheila right behind him.

"Spyro! Glad you're okay!" Sparx beamed. Then, he smacked Spyro on the head.

"Ow! What was that for?!" Spyro demanded.

"For seriously bailing on us, hornhead! And they say I'm the reckless one! Even I won't go in rushing to save the day!"

"Well, at least I found them!" Spyro protested, but before they could argue further, more rubble fell from the ceiling.

"Let's just get out of here!" Elora cried. "Before this whole place comes down on top of us!"

"Right!" Spyro hurried to break the chains binding the Fauns in place with a blast of Fire. Cleem and Shabae were too weak to walk, so Sapia and Zen supported them.

"Let's go!" Sheila cried, and the group began to make their way back towards the surface.

However, Deina had other ideas. Pushing Aureole back, she aimed a blast of energy at Spyro. He barely saw it in time to duck to safety. Deina was about to attack again when Aureole grabbed her staff. The two wrestled for it, giving the children and their parents time to escape with the other prisoners. With Elora in the lead, they raced through the crumbling mines.

"What were those weird crystals?" Spyro asked. "They make me feel… weak."

"They're Dark Crystals," Elora said. "They have that effect on all Dragons. That's why they've been mining them."

"Then I reckon we collapse this mine, so they can't get anymore!" Spyro said.

"What?!" Sparx said. "That's too risky!"

"We can't let more of those Dark Crystals get out!"

"And we don't need to be crushed! Spyro, use your common sense!"

"Then you need to get the others out of here! I'll give you a head start!" Spyro said. Then he realised something important. "Elora, reckon there will be more prisoners in here?"

"Yes," Elora said. "I can help you find them!"

"Those Riptocs have been running you ragged for hours. Are you sure you want to stay here any longer?"

"I'm fine. Besides, someone needs to keep you on a leash!"

"Hah, hah, hah! Alright; Sheila, we'll meet you and the others at the surface."

"Alright then. Good luck," Sheila said, as she escorted the others out of the mine, while Spyro, Elora and Sparx hurried in the other direction.

"Be careful, kids!" Nina called after them.

Elora led Spyro and Sparx through the mines. Surprisingly, they encountered little resistance. This puzzled Spyro, as Ignitus had said this was meant to be a high-security prison. Something didn't seem right.

In one tunnel, they ran into an old face.

"Oh, my dear friends!" Moneybags cried. "Thank goodness you're here. This labour has ruined my suit!"

"Oh great, you again!" Spyro scoffed, annoyed. "What are you doing here?"

"I… he, he… got in trouble for turning Sheila loose back in Tall Plains," Moneybags mumbled awkwardly. "I thought they'd let me off after leading them to you, but-"

"Wait, you led them to us?!" Sparx interrupted furiously.

"Yeah, I think we'll be on our way!" Elora said coldly, not wanting to help the two-faced bear.

"No wait! You have to help me escape these mines!" Moneybags begged. "It's horrible here!"

"Yeah, no! We're here to save prisoners, and you're one of the bad guys," Sparx said.

"I've told you before; I was just doing my job. Besides, you may need me!"

"Oh, really?" Spyro's voice was laced with scepticism. "For what? Getting you a new suit or something?"

"No! Though that would be nice…"

"NO!"

"Alright, alright! I have information on Munitions Forge, and who's guarding Cordelia, the Water Guardian!"

"What do you know?" Spyro inquired suspiciously

"It's an Ape Conductor, who rides a train called Steam. He uses it to patrol the Forge through the railway tunnels. He makes certain that the Manweersmalls dig up all the Dark Gems they can find in the mines."

"So… how do we get to the Forge without this Conductor knowing?" Elora asked.

"I know of a secret passage which will get you there. But I do need to be freed if I'm going to help you."

Spyro, Sparx and Elora glanced at each other, wondering if freeing Moneybags would be a good idea. What if he pulled a fast one and demanded a big payment? That was the last thing Spyro wanted right now, especially with everything else on his mind. Still, maybe they could at least find where it was, and then, go on without the bear.

"Alright," Elora said. "You can show us where it is. But no payments this time. Understand?"

"Oh, yes, of course! Just free me, and I will help you. You have my word!" Moneybags said as sincerely as he could muster. Spyro went over to break the chains holding him. "Ah, thank you, all right then, I'll show you the secret passage then."

"Show us first, and then you can go!" Spyro said.

"Of course, of course!"

"But first, let's free the other prisoners," Spyro said. "Then, we'll set this place to blow!"

"Blow?!" Moneybags paled.

"Can't have them harvesting Dark Crystals now, can we?"

"Well, good point. Lead the way."

They proceeded onward to find the other prisoners. In one of the deeper mines, they saw mole-like creatures being forced to dig Dark Gems by the Riptocs. One of them roared at a scared mole to dig faster.

"Looks like we have some more Riptocs to deal with…" Elora said.

"Tell me about it!" Sparx agreed. "So Spyro, any ideas?"

"I do. I'll deal with those Riptoc chumps while you and Elora free the prisoners and get them to an escape route. Moneybags, you stay here, understand?"

"Yes," Moneybags replied, crouching down out of sight.

Spyro used a Comet Dash to ram into the nearest Riptoc, drawing the attention of the others.

"The Purple Dragon! Get 'im!"

Elora and Sparx went over to the moles to free them.

"Who-who are you?" one of them asked fearfully.

"We're friends," Elora whispered. "I'm Elora."

"And I'm the former god of Tall Plains, Sparx," the dragonfly boasted.

"Why, you don't have the stench of those creatures, Cynder or Red, so you're not enemies huh?"

"Uh… no, I was brought here to mine those Dark Gems. Who are you anyway?" Elora asked.

"Why, young lady, I'm Mole-Yair, leader of the Manweersmalls forced to dig in the mines. Though, I'm not much of a leader anymore. When my people are not mining here or at Munitions Forge, they're holed in the caves of Boyzitbig, waiting for it to blow."

"We can help you, sir," Elora said. "After we free the prisoners here, we're going to destroy this place. Then we're going to head over to Boyzitbig."

"Yeah, some Dragon friends of ours are trapped there as well," Sparx said.

"Ah, the Water Dragons, of course," Mole-Yair replied. "Yes, looks like we can help each other out."

"Sure, what can we help with?" Elora asked.

"Well, my brother Exhumor is at Boyzitbig and he knows that place inside and out!"

"Inside and out?"

"Yes, and I did heard a Water Dragon is being kept at the centre of the volcano."

"That's where the next Guardian is being kept!" Sparx said. "That's all we need, for now."

At that moment, Spyro came over after dealing with the Riptocs. Elora noticed their bodies were burnt and even mauled to a degree. She decided it was best not to think too deeply on that.

"Spyro, this is Mole-Yair," Elora said. "His brother is working at Boyzitbig, and might be able to help us find the Water Dragons and Cordelia."

"That's good," Spyro said. "Come on!"

At that moment, there was a flash of light, and Red suddenly appeared close by. "Ah, there you are, little dragon!" he snarled.

"So you must be Red, running this place!" Spyro growled.

"Indeed, I am. I have to say, you exceeded my expectations making it this far into my territory. Alas, you are still but a mere child," Red said.

"And you're an angry old man, siding with the bad guys," Sparx shot back.

"Well, we're all working together for a common case."

"If you dare threaten my friends, you'll regret it!" Spyro challenged Red.

"We can't focus on him. We have to go," Elora said.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Red said, and he shot a stream of energy at Elora, slamming her into the wall. That was the final straw for Spyro.

"NO! Now, you've done it!" Spyro snarled, his voice becoming distorted and his eyes glowing white again.

"Oh no…" Sparx moaned, worried.

"So, this is the form you defeated Sirorrialth with? Impressive, but you are facing a master Dragon…" Red sneered.

"BRING IT!" Spyro flew at Red, who fired dark plasma at Spyro. But the Purple Dragon dodged it as they flew up ahead.

"Elora, are you okay?" Sparx asked his sister.

She groans. "I guess… but I am roughed up a bit… where's Spyro?"

"He's gone all angry-mode again!"

"Oh no! We have to stop him, before he kills himself!" And she sprinted after the two warring Dragons. Sparx, Mole-Yair and Moneybags followed.

Red fired more dark blasts at Spyro, but the purple dragon deflected them and sent an Electric-Ice blast at Red, knocking him back.

"Impressive boy… But you won't be able to catch me!" Red smirks as he flew away from Spyro.

"Get back here!" Spyro yelled. He pursued Red, just as the former Elder fired a beam at the ceiling, causing debris to fall. Some only just missed him by inches. Spyro then cast a teleportation spell, which allowed him to appear right in front of Red and Comet Dash him in the stomach. "You're going to pay for your treachery!"

"Foolish Dragon," the former Elder hissed. "You can't possibly keep this Surge up forever!"

"Watch me!" he snarled, and he began firing a barrage of various elements at Red - Fire, Ice, Plasma, Water, Electricity, Wind, Ice-Fire, Electric-Ice and Magic.

Red's responding shield sent the blasts flying into the walls, causing the cavern to shake terribly. During his search for Red, Ignitus shepherded the prisoners he had released. He felt the tremors and feared what they meant.

"Spyro!" Then, Red was blasted into view, followed by a Fury Surge-enhanced Spyro.

"Spyro, NO!" Ignitus cried, hurrying forward.

Red was now badly injured as Spyro pinned him down, glaring at him.

"Who's the runt now, old man?" Spyro said. And he prepared to finish Red off, but Ignitus called out to him.

"Spyro, stop! Don't do this!"

"Stay back! This creep isn't getting off that easy!"

"Spyro, please! You'll die!"

"I'm still feeling fine, and it's been minutes!"

"You're drawing strength from the Dark Crystals! They're poisoning your mind!"

"I'm in control!"

Suddenly, Spyro felt a pair of arms grab him from behind and try to pull him away from Red. Shabae, unable to bear waiting for her daughter and her foster sons, had run back into the mine only to find Spyro at the verge of something unthinkable.

"Spyro, wait!"

"NO! GET OFF!" Spyro wheeled round and, purely on instinct, hit Shabae with a blast of Magic. She was slammed back into the wall. It was only then that Spyro realised what he'd done and gasped. This broke his focused rage and he returned to normal. He then realised that Elora and Sparx had seen everything.

"Oh no! No, no, no! I-I-It can't be…" Spyro was horrified at what he had done. Elora said nothing; did nothing. She only stared with tears in her eyes, horrified. Very upset, Spyro flew off in shame.

Very upset, Spyro flew off in shame.

"Spyro, wait!" Ignitus called out. Red then recovered and clutched his staff.

"Hold it right there, Ignitus! We need you to free the Dark Master!"

"I'll never help you free Malefor!"

"I didn't say you had a choice!"

"Well, here's a choice for you; this place is collapsing! Either continue this pointless fight, or surrender, and you may have a chance of living!"

"I have a counter-offer. You come with me and this cave does not becomes these children's tomb?"

"Never!" Ignitus gathered the injured Shabae up in his arms. "We'll meet again, Red! And you will face justice!"

Before Red could retaliate, rubble came down on top of him; he was only spared from being crushed by throwing up a shield. Taking advantage of this reprieve, Ignitus grabbed Elora and Sparx, and flew off.

"Hey, wait for us!" Moneybags and Mole-Yair hurried after them.


Meanwhile, Aureole had broken her fight with Deina to find Spyro, only to find that she had lost track of him. She then sought out Ignitus, only to be almost bowled over him as he flew towards the surface. Realising the situation at once, she grabbed Moneybags and Mole-Yair, and flew after her peer.

Soon, everyone was out of the mine, just as it collapsed. Ignitus, Aureole and the other prisoners had rendezvoused a safe distance away; the Riptocs and dinosaurs had been too flustered with getting away alive to bother them.

Ignitus lay Shabae down on the ground, where Aureole bent over her.

"Who did this to her?" Cleem asked, horrified.

Elora and Sparx were uneasy as to what to say, but Ignitus spoke first.

"Red did this… he attacked her while she was looking for Elora."

"What?!" Elora & Sparx asked, surprised.

Cleem shook with fury. "I should've known that monster would do this!"

"I will make sure he will be stopped. You have my word," Ignitus said.

"Hey, big guy, what about Spyro?" Sparx asked.

"He must still be trapped in the mines… We need to find him; he could be in danger!"

"No," said one of the Manweersmalls. "I saw a purple creature fly away from the mines moments ago."

"Where was he going?" Elora asked at once.

"He was heading in the direction of the Forge," the prisoner replied. "Though I don't think he's realised that, given he appeared to be in a state."

This made everyone very worried for Spyro. "We have to find him before the Dark Armies can capture him," Ignitus said. "I'd go myself, but I'm a little drained from my fight with Red."

They heard a familiar screech, and looked up to see Cynder flying overhead, her head swivelling from side to side. "And now Cynder is here, looking for me."

"Then Elora & I will go. We can't leave our bro, alone!" Sparx announced.

"Are you sure about that, little Lora?" Cleem asked, anxiously. "It'll be very dangerous!"

"Don't worry," Sapia beamed. "Elora can handle herself just fine."

"I'll be fine, dad," Elora promised, hugging her dad tightly.

"As will I," Sparx added, hugging his parents in turn.

"I'll come with ya!" Sheila said.

"Right," Elora said. She turned to Moneybags and Mole-Yair. "Okay, you two. Show us to the Forge!"

"Okay," Moneybags said, slowly backing away. "I just need to prepare first. Acquire some climbing gear; do some stretches; consult my doctor; and check up on my health insurance…" A pointed shove from Sheila set him towards the volcano. "Or we could go now… Now is good…"