At the Pinnacle

It had been an unnecessarily tense conversation for Cyril. Although his expression wasn't showing it, he found it hard to approach the subject of Cynder.

The issue wasn't that Spyro wasn't talking; in fact, he was doing the opposite. It had been a while since he'd had a proper conversation with the purple dragon without him responding with one word answers. No, the problem was himself. He'd been on the receiving end of Spyro's rage before, and had since kept his distance while talking. Having to cross that line took the guardian out of his comfort zone.

Solaria chimed in every now and again, usually when the conversation was going stale, just enough to keep the ball rolling. He was impressed at how both parties tried bridging the gap, trying equally to make progress without crossing each other's boundaries. He really started to believe this marriage had a chance to survive after all. Perhaps the next few days would help close this long, miserable chapter for the both of them...

However, this didn't solve the bothersome favor he had to do. Solaria had left the kitchen to put Ignirius to rest, so now was the best opportunity he was going to get. He buckled in, took a deep breath, and dove head first into the deep end. "Say, I apologise for the sudden leap in subject. But how have you and Cynder been? I had heard of your little quarrel a few days ago and was wondering what became of that." For a second he thought he saw a hint of regret on Spyro's face before it faded into a smile.

"It's actually been going great. I would rather not get into the details of what happened, but we've made up and are getting along really well."

Cyril smiled. "That is good to hear. How is she, by the way? I had the pleasure to talk to her a few days ago, but I do admit I am curious how she is getting on."

Spyro's smile beamed brighter. "Also great. She's finding her feet and has herself a job."

Cyril couldn't resist giving a knowing smirk. "I know. I may have helped in that regard," he mischievously replied.

Spyro looked surprised, but amused. "I didn't know you had contacts in bounty hunting."

The guardian was taken aback. His brow raised in confusion. "Pardon? That isn't the job role I assisted her with, not at all. I helped her get into the Warfang Guard. When did she change positions so quickly, and why would she choose that blithering job of all things?"

Spyro laughed. "I reacted the same when she first told me. At first I thought she was mad. But the longer I thought about it, the more I realised it's perfect for her."

"Surely she realises that job is for thugs and ruffians? She is above all that nonsense." His claws tapped on the table.

Spyro didn't take notice of his annoyance. He was busy imagining the good things Cynder could be doing at this moment. "I don't know. Sounds exciting if you ask me."

He frowned. "Do not tell me you believe in this preposterous idea?"

The purple dragon shrugged. "I would probably give it a go, break up the mundanity of my days. But…" He sighed. "I know Solaria would never let me do such a thing."

The guardian noted a hint of sadness, but shelved it away for the moment. Cynder's disregard of his kind gesture of help irked him. In fact, even Spyro's lack of care for Cynder's welfare aggravated him. "If given the opportunity, would you convince Cynder to return to a more suitable role?"

"No."

He was further bewildered by Spyro's answer.

"It's not my job to decide what she wants to do. She has to make those decisions for herself. If that's what she wants to do, then, as a friend, I have to do what I can do to support and cheer her on."

Cyril had to admit, that was a grown-up thing for the young dragon to say. Even though he believed there were some exceptions to that opinion, he had to respect it. He put his pride to the side. "I do suppose there is an element of truth to what you say… Regardless, I presume the two of you will be spending more time together?"

Spyro nodded. "We're planning on meeting up tomorrow morning. Not sure what we'll be doing yet, but I'm sure we'll think of something during that time."

"That sounds riveting. How long do you plan on spending? If you don't mind me asking."

For a moment, he looked guilty, like he had something to confess to. "Honestly, I don't know… Look, please don't tell Solaria this, but I plan on spending a good few hours with her. But if she found out, she would get mad again and, well… I don't need that at the moment."

Cyril's eyebrows rose and a stern frown formed on his face. "Keeping secrets from her now, are we?"

Spyro's worried expression intensified. He shook his claws. "Wh-what? No. She knows I'm going out. It's just that, when she asks, she gets really weird about it. I know she doesn't like Cynder, but she keeps trying to force information out of me about her. Then it just turns into an argument."

"She is your mate, so of course she should know everything."

"I'm sorry if I sound like a bad guy, not sharing anything with her. But with my life as it is, and the way she goes about it… I just want – look, never mind." He sighed. "Forget we had this conversation. I'm just ranting."

"No, no, Spyro. If you have an issue you wish to talk upon, I will gladly listen." His claws merged together.

"I appreciate the thought, Cyril. But I don't think you're the right person to talk to about this."

He stood up. "Spyro, I have been a guardian for an impassable amount of time. I have been passed on the teachings of many brilliant teachers of ice before myself. I have also been a governing figure of this city for over thirteen years, dealing with all sorts of issues from complex heritages, war, and even the most ridiculous of problems. There is no greater dragon alive that could assist you than myself."

The purple dragon felt suffocated by Cyril's speech. "Thanks, Cyril, but I'll pass."

He frowned, annoyed by Spyro's ignorance. But he took a different approach. "All I ask is that, after your visit with Cynder, you come by my office to talk. I can see you're dealing with a pressing issue and I want to help."

"Fine. I don't think you will understand. But okay."

Cyril nodded. This wasn't the response he was hoping for – in fact, it was rather rude – but it was better than nothing. "Much obliged. That is all I am asking. Now then, I suppose I had better get going."

Spyro nodded; his mood remained glum. "Solaria will be back soon, so probably. Thank you for your time."

He was irked by Spyro's attitude. It felt like he was trying to get rid of him now. Had he said something to annoy him? He'd only offered his help. Despite that, the conversation made Cyril realise something. In all the time he'd been helping Solaria, he'd never considered Spyro's side of the story. This doubled down his desire to help. He was adamant he could help. After all, he'd been closely monitoring the situation for a while now and had dealt with dozens of similar cases before that. "Well, Spyro, it has been a pleasure chatting. I wish you and Solaria a pleasant evening."

The two dragons exchanged bows before Spyro escorted the guardian out of the front door.

Dinner went off without a hitch, surprisingly. Solaria never once complained about his attitude. Spyro even managed to convince her to go somewhere they both liked, even if she did give him a miffed look. He felt oddly good about that. Perhaps taking some liberties wasn't so bad after all.

In fact, they even squeezed in a few conversations. They were mostly about work, politics and other mundane subjects, but there were few about their favourite things. Though, the moments of silence were still common.

All the while, Ignirius wasn't at all interested in his food. He was more entertained colouring in the river on his colouring book with a purple crayon.

The gossip of the other diners helped to fill in the silence, while the melody of the live orchestra sung through the restaurant. This was the life Spyro wished for. No chaos, no distractions, and no presumptuous dragons thinking they could help you. Just him and his family enjoying the evening to themselves.

And yet… and yet it felt so empty. He didn't know if it was the lack of excitement, the imminent foreboding arrival of his dark side, or something else.

He put that thought away for the time being. For now, he could just enjoy the evening and look forward to tomorrow. He didn't know what was going to happen, but it was bound to be good.

The day had been an absolute blast for Cynder. She'd nailed her first job.

Banzai had helped track down the bread thief from atop her back. For someone who was retired, he still had a spring in his step. Maybe it was the adrenaline returning to his old bones.

At first, the idea of having the lunatic mole ride on her back as they searched the city was uncomfortable. Having seen the crazy things he'd done so far, she couldn't fathom what he was up to. Yet, she was surprised at how calm and focused he was. He instructed her where to go and which streets to search down. Between his knowledge of the city and her ability to fly, it didn't take long to find the culprit.

Her excitement had been gradually building, and practically exploded when they did find the thief lurking in a trashed alleyway with some of his buddies.

The poor guy didn't know what hit him as the dragoness landed directly on top of him. She had one talon placed firmly on his back as the mole tried scuttling away like a trapped rodent. She triumphantly spread her wings.

His friends went to surround her. That was their plan anyway, until one of them stammered and spurted her name. The others briefly stared at the pointing mole before turning back to her, and fear crept into their widening eyes.

What a sight it must've been, she thought; the former Terror of the Skies gallantly scaring off the moles while Banzai screamed insults at them. She could only imagine how terrifying this was for their target. They had only performed some minor crimes, and yet they were hunted down by the most infamous dragoness alive.

After the other moles had scurried away, she carried her quarry to the guards. She only got twenty gems and a request for an autograph, but tomorrow she'd be picking out a bigger target. Something she could sink her teeth into.

Following their capture, she and Banzai returned to his bar to celebrate her first success. It was slightly busier than usual since it was a Friday evening, but thankfully she got the special treatment. She enjoyed yet another serving of delicious venison while the mole gorged himself on a bottle of wine.

Banzai then explained that he had to return to the bar and prepare for the weekend. He also added that he wouldn't be able to accompany her for the next couple of days. He did suggest that she could either hold off for those days or that she could go off on her own since he believed she was ready.

Obviously she accepted the latter option, as she wasn't actually going to be 'alone.'

For the moment, though, she had the afternoon to kill, and a gentle flight sounded ideal. Maybe she'd pay a visit to Twilight Falls again.

Tomorrow, though, was when the real fun would begin.

Click.

The door sounded as Spyro carefully closed it behind him.

It was late morning, an unusual time for the purple dragon to be getting up, considering he normally awoke at dawn.

Solaria was up earlier, but that was only to feed their child. Shortly afterwards she'd returned to her bed and to the realm of dreams with her forelegs wrapped around his chest.

He crept to the balcony and dove off, gliding towards the kitchen. He grabbed some breakfast and dashed. He wanted to meet up with Cynder as soon as possible, as he'd been eagerly awaiting spending more time with her.

He had a general idea of what today held. He would spend the morning and afternoon with Cynder, briefly see Cyril in his office, and then end it off with an evening with his family.

After his morning meal, he headed for the door. He almost had his claw on the doorknob when he froze. He couldn't just leave without saying goodbye, could he?

He was worried about the hullabaloo he would cause, disturbing her only to say he was off to see Cynder. On the other hand, leaving without saying anything would come off as cold. He guessed he had to at least say goodbye. Maybe he could do it in a way that wouldn't awaken her.

He turned around and flew back up to the balcony. He entered again and walked over as silent as a ghost. He gave a quick peck on her cheek. "Love you. Hope you have a good day."

She reacted to his words and shuffled around. Her eyes remained shut, but the smallest of smiles appeared on her face. "Love you too… dear," she mumbled before rolling over to the other side.

He then finally left home. He wanted to hurry since Cynder was probably waiting impatiently now. The thought of her erupting with excitement cheered him up, and he picked up the pace.

"There you are!"

As he anticipated, Cynder was eager to see him as well. If he had taken any longer then she might've come looking for him instead. She was waiting on the roof, probably to try and spot him as he approached. As soon as she did, she bolted off towards him.

"Sorry. Are you ready to go?"

Her smile was infectious as usual. "Of course! Are you ready?"

"Ready for what? We haven't even discussed what we're doing today."

"It's a surprise." She had a large smirk on her face.

He didn't know what to think of her 'surprise.' However, he did notice she now had her own satchel. It was of a simple design: a dark leather bag with a flap. Although, it was already bulging. What was she carrying in that thing? She was also still wearing the locket he'd given her a few nights ago. He appreciated that.

"Come on, we got a long flight ahead of us. I've already packed snacks for us, along with a few other essentials."

He gave her a perplexed look. "Where are we going?"

"Outside the city. Our destination is a good hour's flight away. We're going on a trip down memory lane."

This further confused him, and his face reflected it.

Cynder rolled her eyes and grabbed his foreleg. "Just trust me. You'll like it. Besides, I'll only tell you if you agree to come."

He gave her a frown. It had been a long time since he had even left the city, let alone gone anywhere far away. "Fine."

"We're headed…"

"...to the Ancient Grove."

Of all the places they could've gone, this was one of the last he'd expected. In fact, he wasn't even certain if Cynder had ever been here. Yet here they were, in this poisonous bog of vile monsters. He still hadn't figured out what part of this trip Cynder considered 'great.'

Though, to be fair, the flight here had been pretty spectacular. He'd gotten to soar high above the clouds and stretch his wings, something he rarely got to do. He didn't know why, but something about the open skies made him feel free. Seeing the world beneath him made him feel proud to be a dragon.

They hovered at the edge of the ominous woods. Eerie purple light glowed from the river, a dangerous reminder not to touch it. A choir of shrieks and roars emanated from the belly of the forest.

Spyro laughed nervously. "So, now that we're here, can I ask why?"

She nodded. "We're hunting a troll."

Once more, he was slapped with a faceful of bewilderment. "What? Then why am I here?"

"Because this is where our target is."

"No, Cynder. Why did you drag me out here?"

They both landed on the seaweed-green grass beneath them.

"Alright." She dropped the smile. "I still believe this is the best course of action for you."

He growled. "We've talked about this before, Cyn. I can't do this."

"I know... But can we please just give it a go?"

He began wandering off. He could feel the dark energy brewing within again. "No, Cyn, we can't."

"Listen, Spyro." She quickly caught up, trying to grab his attention even though he wouldn't look at her. "I know we've talked about this. But I also know that you really wanted to do this."

He continued to storm off, but was forced to pause when she stopped in front of him.

"Please just give it a go. Look, how about this? If you don't enjoy it, we'll never speak of it again? Okay?"

He looked away for a second, the scorned look never leaving his face. After a moment of thinking and weighing the pros and cons, he turned back. "Fine, but I am not fighting that thing."

"Deal. But...that invitation will be left open." She breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright. This troll has been coming to this guy's farm every night, stealing crops and wrecking the place."

"Who has a farm way out here?"

Cynder shrugged. "Beats me, but it was the only troll in the area. So, here we are." She pulled out the bounty from her bag. On it was the description of the job and a helpful map pointing to the location of the farm. "If we follow the forest to the right, we should reach the farm."

"Got it. Lead the way."

They nodded in unison.

They spoke with the farmer, who was a kooky old mole running what he called a Venomroot farm. They didn't stick around to listen to him blather about agriculture. Luckily, he seemed to have zero clue who these dragons were and just assumed them to be a pair of capable claws here to rid him of his troll issue. He led them to the back, where a clear break in the fence indicated the start of a trail of chaos into the trees.

After Spyro swallowed his brave pill, they entered the ominous forest.

They jumped branch to branch to avoid the predators skulking on the ground beneath them. The path of destruction was easy to follow; thick tree branches had been ripped off and heavy round footsteps pressed into the earth. It didn't take long before the beast's high-pitched grunts could be heard. As they got even closer, the hulking monstrosity came into view.

It was lugging its heavy forearms forward, occasionally stopping to sniff the ground. Despite Spyro growing in the last ten years, this beast was still twice his height at least. Its hide was different from the usual green or yellow. It was deep purple, presumably to help with camouflage. Yet its loud moans and clumsiness seem to negate that. Perhaps, as an apex predator, it had no reason to hide.

Its stalkers moved swiftly and silently through the trees, gradually getting closer until they were right behind it.

Spyro was still certain that this was a bad idea. What if Cynder got in trouble? How could he help? It had been months since he'd properly used his elements, so he wasn't sure how they were fairing.

She gave him a grin, the kind that yelled 'watch this.' He tried shaking his head, but it went ignored.

She leapt from the branch with her fangs bared and landed right on the troll's back. Her teeth sank into its hairy neck, drawing green blood. However, its thick skin prevented too much damage, as she mainly ripped out hair.

The beast roared and stood on its hind legs. It flailed its arms, trying to hit its attacker with no success. Even shaking failed to remove the dragoness, as she had tufts of hair firmly gripped in her claws.

She took another bite, ripping another chunk of hair and skin out of its neck.

In another pained attempt, it tried to crush the dragoness into a tree, the same one that Spyro still hid in. At the last moment, she vaulted over its head and onto the ground.

The troll crashed into the tree, violently shaking it and almost tossing the purple dragon out of it. But it only took a second for it to regain its balance and glare menacingly at her.

She looked up, giving the purple dragon a stare.

He couldn't make out what it meant. Was it worry? Anticipation? Or did she want him to have a go? "Oh, to hell with it!" He jumped off the tree branch and hovered in the air. He steadied his nerves before focusing on the target.

The troll was starting to advance on Cynder.

He took a deep breath and time slowed to a crawl as he felt the energy burn within him… and then he exhaled.

An inferno erupted from his maw, swamping the beast in intense heat and golden light. It was so bright Cynder had to physically shield herself and take a step back. All the while, a big cheesy grin spread across her face.

Spyro, meanwhile, felt amazing. This surge of energy, the rush of adrenaline! He felt alive! He continued that stream of fire until his mana ran dry. By then, he realised his mistake.

The beast reeled in agony, but the fire died quickly. It made a clumsy swing towards the drake, which he backed out of the way of.

"That was great, Spyro!" Cynder yelled.

The beast turned back towards her and made a lunging overhead swing. She easily avoided the side of it and took to the skies.

"Let's finish this together!" Spyro said.

They gazed at each other for a second before nodding. They rose higher into the air, back to back. The troll couldn't do anything but crane its neck and helplessly watch.

The two dragons arced, one over the other, as their wings briskly touched. Their bodies then curled up and plummeted towards the earth as a double horn-dive.

Crack!

The monster's thick skull caved instantly. Life left its devilish eyes. Its burly body fell forwards with a thud.

The two heroes landed in front of the lifeless beast.

Cynder looked up at her partner. The biggest grin she'd ever seen on Spyro was spread across his face. It was the kind of smile that told her he wanted to do this again. Today, she'd won two battles. At this rate, nothing could go wrong!