Legend of Spyro - Four Pillars of Aether

by Blazcowitz43

A New Beginning Re-imagined. Twelve years after the Temple raid, the four survivors of that dreadful night live a happy carefree existence. They are Spyro, Cynder, Flame and Ember; the four who lived. Spyro is a rare purple dragon who has been taught his whole life that great things await him, but can he unlock the secrets of Aether and defeat Malefor, the first purple dragon?

9. Chapter 8: Avalarian Nights

Chapter 8: Avalarian Nights

"Avalarian nights, like Avalarian days,

Such a wondrous sight,

By foot or by flight,

You'll soon be amazed.

Avalarian nights, like Avalarian days,

Where Cheetah's call home,

Standing guard as they roam,

Never to be displaced ."

The sun hung low over the horizon and was increasingly hidden behind Warfang's towers and outer walls. Its rays baked the already orange brown skyline in another layer of dark orange as the day drew near its end. This was no more apparent than to the four survivors as they flew just above the towers of the northern quarter of the city in the direction of the Observatory. With sundown being so close, Spyro had suggested that they pay a visit to Mason to see the invention he had spoken of before heading to their rendezvous with Ignitus. The day in Warfang, with a few exceptions, had been an enjoyable outing for the four of them, though only Spyro and Cynder had anything left of the allowance given to them by the Guardians. Flying close together alongside each other, Flame's ridiculous poncho flailed behind him like a cape and Emer's new necklace catching the sun as they swung around and between the buildings, the enormous mountain of Castle Hill to the right of them as the four continued laughing and chatting cheerfully as they flew on.

"What do you think he wants to shows us?" Cynder asked loudly as the wind rushed past them, the Observatory now straight ahead.

"Something that will probably blow up in our faces!" Flame answered pensively. Spyro only laughed as they soared alongside the great viaduct they had performed aerobatics on earlier in the day. Had they had more time they may have done so again, but the four friends kept a tight formation as the enormous dome and protruding telescope of the Observatory grew and grew the closer they came. The Celestial Moons began to glow their signature red and green as barely an hour of daylight remained, but in spite of the carefree attitude adopted by the group, Spyro did not want to be late for Ignitus as he looked towards the violet haze covering the sea. As he turned his head back in front, he eyed the telescope that was pointed towards the sky above the mountain range to the north and a flash of inspiration hit him like a lightning rod. To the surprise of his companions, he pulled up sharply away from them, aiming towards the top of the telescope as the others, after a delay, climbed after him. Spyro looked behind him to see that they had indeed followed him, his reasons soon becoming clear as he barely skimmed his claws over the surface of the dome of the observatory. Rather than simply enter through the main entrance, it occurred to the young purple dragon that it was much faster and more fun to enter through the dome, especially as he assumed that Mason would be working with or near the telescope. He flew straight up, his friends following behind as he came to a halt in the air and looked down towards the open viewing port that the enormous telescope would pan up and down in as it observed the heavens. He smiled at the others as they quickly flew up beside him.

"Why do you always have to lead?" asked Cynder indignantly.

"You can take the long way if you like," he replied in jest.

"What are we doing up here?" queried Ember curiously.

"Going to see Mason!" Flame replied plainly, his straight-faced response flying in the face of why they were flying above the observatory instead of into it. Or perhaps the red dragon just absolutely trusted Spyro regardless of his antics. Regardless, he seemed confused by the scowl he received from Ember as Spyro suddenly propelled himself down into a glide towards the telescope. He aimed at the bottom of the viewing port below the massive telescope, Cynder, Ember and Flame following behind in single file. He swooped into the massive dome of the observatory, banking right as he entered inside and glided towards the floor. The enormous telescope took up most of the centre of the dome, the bronze instrument in appearance little different than the smaller handheld devices used by everyday observers and lookouts apart from its giant size. Sat in a platform that turned the entire dome, the instrument had large gears that allowed the machine to turn and adjust its elevation. The behemoth eyeglass progressively narrowed until the eyepiece was little bigger than an average telescope. Spyro's feet easily touched the floor as he landed just beside the small eyepiece, his friends landing beside him as he gazed about the room.

"Professor?" he called as he moved his head around the interior for the eccentric mole. Silence answered him as the young dragons began to wander about the room, staring at the numerous bookcases and tables that lined the walls of the observation deck. The tables varied in their height, some tall and some short to accommodate dragons and moles. There was a large door just behind telescope with the usual mole sized door built into it for those who worked at the observatory. The furnishings were all built to sit perfectly against the curved walls of the room, the tables and bookcases all purposely curved to make it so. They sat in a linear order; an enormous multishelved bookcase followed by one or two curved tables before meeting another large bookcase, the pattern repeating all around the room. Each table was covered in various diagrams, strange devices and vials of colourful, mysterious liquids, some of which bubbled and gave off strange smells. Flame placed his paws up on one of the tables and smelt the fumes of one such vile, cringing before he hastily pulled away.

"We'd better not touch anything," Spyro said warningly as he gazed in fascination at the giant telescope.

"You think maybe we missed him?" asked Cynder as she peeked onto a table at the tools and mysterious devices strewn across it.

"Maybe he's already gone to see his old army friends," suggested Ember.

A loud explosion behind the door suddenly rocked the building, shaking the vials and chemicals on the tables and making the four young dragons jump.

"We're under attack!" screamed Flame as he hastily ducked under a table, the roar of the explosion suddenly followed by the sound of a familiar voice coughing, cursing and ranting behind the door,

"Oh blasted blinking blue blazes!"

"No, it's just Mason," Spyro said calmly, Flame sheepishly crawling out from beneath his cover as Ember chuckled at him. The four of them all looked towards the door as they heard Mason's continued ranting become louder as he walked up the hall towards the door.

"…I should have known black power would be too powerful! I really need to come up with some sort of vent system to get rid of the fumes when that happens…"

The small door creaked open and through it stepped the Professor, his already singed coat made blacker still with smoking vapours rising from the hairs of his moustache and his friar haircut. He was brushing off his sleeves as he stepped through the door, pausing as he beheld the four young dragons standing in front of him, lifting up his spectacles which were smudged with ash.

"Ah! There you are!" he said cheerfully as he pulled a rag from his pocket and wiped off his glasses, "I was afraid you had forgotten about me!"

"Not at all, Professor," Spyro greeted warmly as they walked up to him, "I guess we just lost track of time, though."

"Well, no harm done," the mole said resignedly, "You'll have to excuse my appearance. I'm afraid I had a bit of an accident. Still, we live and learn."

"Are you hurt?" asked Ember worriedly.

"Nothing I'm not used to, Miss Ember. Well, I say! What a lovely necklace you have there!" he said brightly as he leaned in to have a closer look at it, lifting his glasses. Ember beamed as Flame inched over beside her,

"Yeah, I bought it for her," he said casually.

"Really?" asked Mason as he turned to him, pausing abruptly as he beheld the poncho that he was wearing, diverting his trail of thought, "How interesting…"

Cynder promptly cleared her throat as she stepped forwards, "Hey, yeah its great and all but, wasn't there something you wanted to show us? I mean, we don't want to be late for Ignitus…"

"Yes, yes of course!" Mason said readily, pulling his spectacles back down and turning towards the door, "Come along! Its right this way!" he waved for them to follow.

The four exchanged wondering glances with each other as they followed behind Mason as he pushed the door open and waddled through. They entered into a tall stone hallway with a closed door straight across from them, black smoke seeping underneath it and evidently the sight of whatever Mason's latest wayward experiment had been. The mole professor paid it no heed as they followed him to the right, down a flight of stairs that that spiraled down to the next level. It was surprisingly dark even with the torches reflecting against the white stone walls. The stairs themselves were yet another unique aspect of Warfang; essentially two sets running parallel to each other with the inner most steps being much smaller for moles and the outside steps being much larger for dragons. Spyro and his friends playfully hopped down each of the large steps while Mason scurried down the miniature steps as fast as his little legs could carry him.

Eventually the staircase bought them to the next level and Mason led them into a large open room. Just to the left of the staircase were full sized rectangular windows that allowed the sunlight to stream into the room, it currently being bathed in the orange hues of the sunset. All across the room there was yet more bookcases and tables, some tall and some short, all scattered with papers, bubbling vials, various tools and machine parts. Suspended from the ceiling was a large skeleton of a dragon and the skeleton of a fearsome Dreadwing. Usually this room would be a buzz of activity as numerous mole and dragon scientists studied, experimented and of course argued with each other but all were absent due to the holidays. As soon as they had entered into the room, Spyro and his friends found their eyes fixed on something at the far end of the room that Mason pointed to as he led them toward it.

"Their she is!" he boasted proudly as the group approached. It was a wooden contraption mounted on heavy wooden scaffolds to keep it off the ground. Spyro felt his brain turn inside out as he struggled to comprehend the strange machine.

"What is it?" he asked confusedly.

"It's my flying machine!" Mason chuckled gleefully, "Soon the skies will not just be the domain of those born with wings!"

The 'Flying machine' as he called it was certainly a sight to behold if perhaps not for the reasons he might have hoped. It had a double set of wings that stretched almost the full breadth of the room, almost a hundred feet in length. The top wing was supported by a series of poles and struts from the bottom wing while in the centre of them was a narrow log shaped wooden hull with apparently three mole sized seating compartments. The hull was almost as long as the wings with a smaller tail plane and rudder like fin at the rear. The young dragons wandered around beneath the odd machine as they took at its details. Mason quickly climbed up a ladder that was leaned against the left wing and climbed onto his invention.

"So it flies, does it?" asked Flame doubtfully.

"Yes!" Mason said brightly, "Well, I mean, theoretically it does. I haven't quite finished it yet."

"But how?" asked Ember curiously, "Does it flap its wings like a bird?"

Mason chortled, "No, no, Miss Ember. I did some equations and concluded that wasn't the optimal approach," he said as he clambered onto the machine and inspected the centre section.

"But why a flying machine?" queried Spyro.

"We already have airships, after all," added Cynder thoughtfully. Mason peered down to the floor at them as he leaned against the wooden frame.

"That's true, Miss Cynder, but they are large and slow moving and need an entire crew to operate them. My intention is to create something that a single mole could operate. Something that would allow us to soar through the skies alongside our dragon allies, for leisure and for battle if need be. Imagine hundreds of these machines swooping over the Apes and dropping ordinance right on top of their heads! I wish I'd had the idea during my army years!"

The four young dragons all looked at each other ambivalently at Mason's words. The fact was despite his proven genius, the Professor had thought up as many if not more hair brained schemes that never came to pass. But he had always told them that their was no such thing as a failed experiment so long as you learned something from it, even if all you learn is how something doesn't work. Spyro jumped into the air and hovered just beside the end of the left wing of the machine, his eyes narrowing as he peered at the struts and strings that connected through them. His companions all did the same as they hovered around and stared in wonder at the bizarre contraption.

"Let me show you how it works!" Mason grinned excitedly as he clambered into the front seat of the hull. He grasped a wooden stick that sat just in front of him and began moving it backwards and forwards and sideways. As he did the strings on the wings began to move about, causing small flaps as the back of the wings to rise and fall in response. The machine creaked painfully as he worked a set of pedals that made the tailfin turn left and right like the tail of a fish.

"In flight, this is how I will control the machine," he explained in a raised voice as the creaking grew louder, "It's all very simple, not much harder than rowing a boat."

"But how does it fly? What makes it move?" Cynder shouted over the noise.

"What?" he shouted. Spyro flew closer to the machine and made a funnel with his front paws around his mouth,

"What makes it fly?!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Aha!" exclaimed the Professor as he raised an inspired finger, "That's perhaps the best part!" The whining of the machine thankfully came to end as he left the controls and clambered out onto the wing, the young dragons breathing a sigh of relief as the mole climbed across the wing and began to clamber down the ladder. They each dropped easily back to their feet as Mason touched down after them.

"Just over here!" he said as he turned towards a low table pressed against the wall to the right of the machine. The expressions worn by the four young dragons showed little faith in his invention but also a reluctance to let their true thoughts be known, especially when he seemed so happy to show it to them. That fact bought on a question from Ember,

"So who else have you shown this to?"

"Aside from my colleagues? Nobody! You are the first members of the public to see this invention, my friends."

"Well, we're very honored," Ember said in a well disguised fib.

"It's my pleasure," he replied cheerfully as they reached the table. Spyro raised his eyebrows again in perplextion as the group beheld two roughly hexagonal metal boxes that were similarly sized to beer kegs. The one on the left sat facing them while the one on the right sat on its short end with its other end facing the ceiling. There was a double bladed wooden fan attacked to it while a second fan presumably for the other box sat idly on the table. Beside them both were two yellow electrically infused crystals, their light shimmering against the metal boxes.

"What are these things?" Spyro asked. Mason stepped up onto the table and put a proud hand against the upturned metal box.

"A new propulsion system I'm working on. I call it an 'Elemental combustion engine'," he said as he leaned down and picked up one of the yellow crystals, "My theory is that I can use the power of element infused gems such as these to power these engines to propel my craft through the sky," he illustrated by sweeping the gem over his head like it were his machine in flight.

"Uh, okay," nodded Spyro doubtfully. The Professor obliviously began examining the yellow crystal and twisting it about in his hands thoughtfully as the others peered more closely at his peculiar designs. Looking to his left he saw a frown of thought or perhaps disappointment suddenly creased Cynder's brow as she eyed the second crystal.

"So these engines are going to be powered by electricity?" she inquired.

"Well, for the moment, yes, but theoretically I could use any element. Electricity or Fire seem the best suited though," Mason replied.

"What about Wind?" Cynder suggested sharply. Spyro felt a touch of concern arise as he looked to see Mason's response. The professor scratched his head and then his chin as he processed the theory.

"Wind you say? I must admit I hadn't given it any thought. There aren't any Wind dragons who work here after all and there isn't much call for Wind crystals."

"Just a suggestion," Cynder said dolefully. Spyro reacted almost immediately,

"Hey, uh, thanks very much Professor but I think we'd better get going now. Like you said, Cynder, we don't want to keep Ignitus waiting."

"Of course, of course," Mason nodded readily, "I need to start to get ready myself for my reunion with my old regiment."

"Thanks very much, Professor," said Flame cheerily. "We appreciate you showing us this," added Ember.

"Not at all, my friends," Mason smiled, "You'd best be on your way, now. Don't want you to get in trouble with Ignitus."

"Oh I'm sure we'll find a way," Cynder replied with cynical humor as she turned to leave, "Have a good time, Professor."

"And you, Miss Cynder," he returned dutifully. Spyro was the last to turn as he beckoned the mole in good nature,

"Goodbye, Mason, we'll see you later!"

The sun was half submerged behind the horizon as the four who lived flew out of the dome of the observatory, sights set on the far end of the city. They flew once more along the viaduct that ran the length of the city towards the western gate where they were expected. The great colossus that was Castle Hill stared down on them as the four young dragons flew towards it as they saw the lamps being lit on the viaduct. A pair of red fire dragons with a mole standing on their heads with a wooden pole and wick walked along the viaduct and lit each torch ceremonially. Spyro waved to them as they flew over before he and his friends pulled sharply to the left to circumvent the plateau on which Castle Hill stood. They swept past the tall shaded cliffside and the three spine like stone ridges that grew out the side of the mountain like the roots of a tree. As they swept around to the other side the viaduct came into view stretching onward towards the western gate. They banked to the right until they flew four abreast over the viaduct, passing over another pair of lamplighters as they pressed onward.

"I hope we're not too late or we might get in trouble," Flame called out nervously as they approached the guard towers of the blocky western gatehouse.

"It's only just on sundown, we'll be okay," Spyro called back reassuringly as he glanced at the massive walls that surrounded the entire city, noting how they rose and fell with the landscape the closer they came to them. He looked ahead and saw a distinctive red silhouette standing just outside the open gateway as a few late trade caravans passed through behind the city's walls. Spyro smiled as he saw Ignitus waiting for them, glancing quickly to his companions as they all stared at each other in relief that he didn't look angry. They hopped over the caravans heading in and steadily glided down onto the viaduct just as they entered the arch of the gatehouse. The four young dragons quickly galloped through the passage of the gatehouse as the Fire Guardian stepped slowly forwards from the outside.

"Good evening, Ignitus," they all said together.

"Good evening, young dragons," he replied with a wry smile, "Arriving in the nick of time, I see."

"We went to see Mason," Flame quickly explained fearfully, "He had something he wanted to show us!" Ignitus only chuckled at his immediately fearful response.

"I'm sure he did. I can see you spent your time and money in the city well," he said as he eyed Ember's golden necklace and Flame's ridiculous poncho, "I hope there wasn't any trouble."

"Nothing we couldn't handle, Ignitus," Spyro explained confidently, his eyes shooting over to Cynder who smiled at him thoughtfully. The Fire Guardian eyed him fondly but suspiciously,

"I was thinking more of trouble that perhaps had followed the four of you, but as I see no angry locals in need of placating, I'm going to assume you have behaved yourselves," he said as he turned his heavy bulk around towards the green lands outside the city.

"Of course," Cynder assured him firmly. She and Spyro, Flame and Ember took places either side of Ignitus. The Guardian arched his head up to the sky as he and his young companions observed the first glimmers of the first stars beginning to appear. The top layer of the sky was a shade of deep violet as the last traces of orange slowly reseeded as the crest of the sun faded behind the horizon. Ignitus lowered his gaze and cast a look over the four young dragons standing either side of him.

"Well, then, are we ready to go?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," Spyro nodded affirmatively.

"To Avalar, then?" asked Ember excitedly.

"To Avalar it is!" Ignitus grinned broadly, his massive wings shot outwards and with a great thrust of his legs, he leapt into the air with a tremendous whoosh of his wings. Spyro and the others staggered back from the gust of air created by the Fire Guardian as they watched him climb swiftly into the sky.

"Come on, lets go!" Spyro cried eagerly as he took off after him, Cynder, Flame and Ember following swiftly as they chased after Ignitus. The Fire Guardian looked over his shoulder to them as he continued to climb at a steep angle, the forests and pristine fields soon dominating the world below. He gradually leveled out just below the cloud cover, Spyro and the others catching up and following close alongside him. The purple dragon looked behind at his friends and at the city they had left. Warfang was now becoming a distant silhouette as tiny specks of light began popping up all across her walls, towers and streets as the night steadily came. The night air was chilled as Spyro breathed it in deeply, the only sound being the rhythmic beats of the mighty wings of Ignitus that drowned the sound of his own wings flapping like mad.

The Celestial Moons shone at their full brilliance as the sky became alight with clumps of millions of stars like millions of glistening eyes staring down at the world beneath them. They passed over the great fields of the outlying farmlands and a few cottages and outposts that dotted the landscape. Only a few clouds mingled as the landscape shone almost as brightly in the moonlight as during the day, the rolling hills and dense forests alive with fireflies and hooting owls. Clumps of Spirit gems growing free in the wild glistened all about the land as the moonlight shone through them, flashes of red, green, blue and pink all glimmering like stars in their own right. As Spyro looked upon all this below, he thought that in truth when the sun went down the world did not go to sleep, rather its other half came to life to claim the night as its own. He couldn't help but murmur a laugh of happiness as he admired how truly beautiful it all was. But as an hour drifted by and soon another, he was unable to suppress the nagging thoughts and feelings that he had tried his best to keep down all afternoon. Thoughts and feelings all stemming from the unpleasant meeting with Glacious and her entourage. He may not have been the main target of her vitriol, but her final remarks had affected him more than he had let show, even with him drowning his screams in the fountain. How dare she make such a deeply personal remark? To mock the fact that he and his friends were orphans? Even for her it seemed simply too mean spirited to believe. But she had and it had brought back questions and emotions he thought he had left behind him and hadn't considered in years.

Spyro and Cynder, Flame and Ember had no living relations. They were orphans. But Flame and Ember at least knew who their parents had been. Flame had come from a family of purebred firedragons that had all perished in the war against Malefor. His mother he was told was named Fiamma and his father named Azur. Both had been members of Ignitus's own Battalion of dragons, the Inferno Battalion and had died in the defence of Warfang the night of the temple raid. Ember's mother had been an Ice dragoness named Noelle and her father a Fire dragon named Fheenix, their mixed courtship having resulted in her confusing coloration and perhaps prematurely decided name. The near constant wars that had been fought against the Apes ever since Malefor's betrayal had severely affected the dragon population and left many family lines greatly reduced or destroyed altogether, hence the four of them living at the temple. But Flame and Ember at least had those names to hold onto, something of their lost families.

But he and Cynder had nothing. They had no inkling about who their real parents were, about their real families. Of course, they had asked the Guardians but there was little to learn from them. Along with the many dragons who had died in the war against the apes, many records of names and logs of births in Warfang had been destroyed in the many sieges and attacks the city had endured. Ignitus had told them that Cynder's egg had once been among those kept inside city before ending up with those sent to the temple along with those Flame, Ember and Spyro. A great raid by Dreadwings had caused heavy damage and losses to Warfang and in all the confusion and chaos who her parents had been had been lost. No one had come forward to claim her egg and even with Wind dragons being a relative minority in Warfang, it had been assumed her parents had been among those killed.

As for Spyro, there was just as little to be learned. As the purple dragon is a creature of magic, a miracle of fate, it did not matter the color or element of the parents if fate chose that their offspring would be such a legendary dragon. Perhaps it was because of this that his egg had been anonymously delivered to the Dragon Temple with no information as to who it had belonged to. Like with Cynder, no one had come forward to claim it before or after his egg had hatched, the most likely reason being his parents had been killed without letting anyone know they had been the ones to conceive the legendary purple dragon.

"Perhaps they believed it was the safest thing to do," Ignitus had told him years ago when he had told them the story.

'Or maybe they just didn't want the burden,' Spyro now thought coldly.

The terrain began to become more mountainous, a tell-tale sign that they were closing on their destination. From up high Spyro could see the wide dispersed mountain ranges that formed a natural wall to the valleys below. He stared more intently as the snowy peaks of the high formations began to give way to the smaller, grey faced and grassy topped plateaus that typified the Valleys of Avalar. He looked around himself and saw the increased excitement in the faces of his companions as they soon saw the twin moon's reflection on the mountain streams that snaked their way over the landscape. Just ahead they saw the land clearing and giving way to a larger valley that was surrounded by tall cliffs and more dense green forests. Streaming through the valley like a belt of crystal was the Avalar river, fueled from the mountain streams that poured over two waterfalls at either end of the valley. In just moments the five dragons were flying above the piece of paradise that was their destination; Avalar.

"A sight that never grows weary!" Ignitus declared cheerfully as he ceased the heavy beating of his wings and held them out flat, allowing his speed and the air to carry him silently above the glorious scene below. Spyro followed his example as did the others, in moments the night was filled only in the sound of the wind rushing past them and the nurturing sound of the river flowing through the valley. At its southern end stood one of the towering waterfalls that could be found throughout the valley as it poured into the river which uniquely looped around the center of the valley, essentially creating a small island in the middle that the ring of water surrounded. From there the stream broke off into a few different, separate streams that funneled water all around the mountains and surrounding valleys. Ignitus banked gently to the right, his compatriots doing the same as they swerved slowly towards the northern end of the valley. In the distance were the lights and smoke of a village just to the right of the river, which turned to the left and continued to run along the valley.

The village was where lived Hunter and the rest of the Prolwus Cheetah tribe that called the valley home. The village was built in the northeast corner of the valley, surrounded by wooden palisade walls that formed a loose inverted 'L' shape while a small wooden dock was built just out into the river beside the village. Inside the palisade were the wooden huts that the Cheetah's lived, though several other buildings were also built throughout the valley outside its walls. Inside the village at the three corners of the 'L' were three tall wooden watch towers which resembled the crow's nests seen on the Doxantha,bearing the crimson banner adorned with the image of a flaming Cheetah's paw that was the Prowlus insignia. The dragons began to descend as they approached the village, seeing the figures of the Cheetah's in and around it looking up at them as the lookouts in the towers evidently saw them. Spyro and the others followed Ignitus as he banked across the river and lined up on the entrance to the village as a small crowd began to gather and advance down the dirt path through the open gates.

The Fire Guardian landed gracefully as he landed just beside the dock with Spyro and the others landing just behind him. He looked behind to be sure they had landed safely before as a group they walked to greet the welcome party strolling out to meet them. The dozen or so laughing and waving felines all looked fairly similar in appearance and while they were all collectively referred to as "Cheetah's" their fur colour and patterns was wide ranging. Some did have the typical yellow fur and spots of the Cheetah while some were orange and black striped like Tigers while some had the fur and spots of the Leopard or the blue grey or brown of the Puma. Spyro and his friends all wore the same gleeful expression as they saw Hunter at the forefront of the group, holding up a cheerful wave as his jade eyes shone in the dark.

"Good evening, my friends!" he said warmly, "I trust you had a pleasant trip?"

"It is always pleasant coming to Avalar, Hunter," Ignitus replied merrily as the four young dragons all wandered around in front of him.

"Hi, Hunter," Spyro greeted with a smile, "Thanks for letting us stay."

"You should not thank me, Spyro," said Hunter as he held up his finger, "Thank Chief Prowlus for it was his decision to allow you to stay with us."

"Yeah, if only for the sake of diplomacy," Cynder added dryly. Hunter smiled apologetically and nodded in agreement as he looked to Ignitus and shrugged his shoulders. The laughing and cheerful bantering of the other Cheetah's suddenly quieted down as one other member of the tribe approached them from behind and strode stiffly as they made way for him. Flame and Ember moved over closer to Spyro and Cynder as they saw the blueish grey eyes and orange fur of Chief Prowlus, carrying a wooden staff in his left hand as he stepped up beside Hunter. Standing together one could see the similarities in their attire, though Prowlus wore a much darker brown tunic with more lavish gold trim to denote himself as the leader of the tribe. His expression was firm and formal as he locked eyes with Ignitus and ignored the young dragons standing beneath him.

"Welcome to Avalar, Ignitus," he said politely but bluntly, making little effort to hide his surly attitude. Spyro tilted his head up to Ignitus and watched him bow his head respectfully to Prowlus, pretending to ignore his obviously sour demeanor. Only then did the tribe leader turn his attention to the four younglings, regarding them indifferently as they all looked back at him in their own way; Spyro merely nodded formally to him in a token gesture of respect while Cynder stared at him bluntly and unmoved by him. Flame hurriedly straightened up his poncho and stood nervously at attention while Ember tried to soften him with her most cutesy smile which failed to have any effect on him.

"As agreed, I shall take responsibility for these four young dragons for the duration of their stay. But while they are here, they must be on their best behaviour and follow all the rules and laws of our village," Chief Prowlus said strictly to Ignitus.

"But of course," Ignitus agreed civilly, "I feel confident enough to give you my word that you should have no trouble from my students. Isn't that correct?" he asked as he turned his eyes to the students in question.

"Absolutely!" Spyro answered readily.

"Sure," Cynder said tentatively.

"Yes, sir!" Flame cried while quickly standing on his hind legs apparently in an effort to look more presentable, poncho notwithstanding. Ember pressed all four feet together and uttered a short and quick, "Yes!" in response.

"I hope so," Prowlus replied judgingly, turning his face back to Ignitus, "Will you be staying with us for dinner, Ignitus?"

"Thank you but no. I must be getting back to Warfang," he explained.

"Very well," Prowlus said dispassionately, almost as if relieved. "Safe journey, Ignitus," Hunter said kindly, seemingly to counter the tribe leader's indifference. The Fire Guardian nodded thankfully before he gazed upon Spyro and the others who turned around to face him.

"I will see you in two days' time. You will be in safe hands, but please behave yourselves and stay out of trouble," he told them earnestly.

"We will, Ignitus. We'll be okay," Spyro replied seriously. The old red dragon gave a soft smile as he took the time to regard each of them individually, all four of them smiling back at him endearingly and loyally. He let out a weak sigh as he lifted his head and seemed to stare at nothing out in the valley for a few moments. Spyro raised the ridges of his eyes, about to muster the words to ask if he was alright when the Guardian suddenly flustered his wings and shook off whatever was on his mind.

"Until then, enjoy yourselves!" he bided swiftly as he about turned and leapt away into the air, his massive wings carrying him away into the night sky. Spyro stepped as if to follow but halted, his expression of curiosity following the Fire Guardian as he quickly faded into a speck before vanishing altogether into the dark blue sky. As he did, Prowlus turned stiffly to Hunter,

"These four will be in your charge. Make sure they don't cause any trouble," he snapped harshly as he turned and walked back towards the village, waving for the other Cheetah's to follow.

"Yes, Chief Prowlus," Hunter replied squarely as his leader left him, turning his head to the four wide eyed youngsters who stared back at him inquisitively. He sighed regretfully as he stepped towards them,

"I'm sorry, young friends. Prowlus still doesn't know who to treat company."

"Well, that's putting it mildly, isn't it?" Cynder asked sarcastically. Hunter chuckled wryly as he waved them towards the gate,

"Come along the, you are just in time for dinner."

The four survivors followed Hunter up the slight incline towards the gate, where they could see several Cheetah cubs standing just inside and anxiously awaiting their arrival. The sight of them soon made the four dragons run past Hunter to meet them, the two groups meeting in a foray of laughter, tackles and literal and figurative back slapping. The adult Cheetah's stood back and watched humorously while Prowlus merely glared at them. The cubs always gave them a warm welcome whenever they visited, finding the presence of dragons in their valley quite a novelty as few of them had ever left Avalar, much less traveled to Warfang. They were of course particularly in awe of Spyro, the Legendary Purple dragon who could wield four elements and not just one, but Flame and Ember and even Cynder found admirers in all of them. For the cubs, just like the Mole pups Spyro had entertained in Warfang, there was nothing more 'cool' or 'awesome' than being able to shoot magic from one's mouth.

The huts inside of the palisade were generally built in the same way, constructed of timber pillars sourced from the valley that supported the thatched roof and the open second floor made from wooden planks and made accessible by a wooden ladder. The main dwelling was on ground level with the walls consisting of heavy cloth or leather tied to the supporting log pillars. Having seen the inside of them, Spyro knew the ground was generally covered by carpets with a small fire pit in the middle for cooking or warmth when the nights were cold. The second level was generally used for storage of goods and personal items, though some Cheetah's preferred to sleep on the open second floor rather than on the ground. The huts were all built even spaced around the perimeter of the palisade which had a raised platform running around the inside to allow for archers to fire over at any potential attackers.

Inside the foot of the 'L' shape that made up the village were two large cooking fires blazing away with a deer spit roasted over each, a Cheetah beside each one rotating the meat over the flames. There were several wooden benches and tables built around the fires that the Cheetah's soon settled down upon as they feasted on the day's hunt. The smell of sizzling venison made Spyro's mouth water as he and his friends were finally freed from the rowdy cubs as their parents called them to eat. They all looked up at Hunter sheepishly as he chuckled at the reception handed out to the four young dragons. He beckoned towards the awaiting feast as they followed behind him and the palisade gates were closed behind them. Hunter led them towards the fire on the right as they watched the other Cheetah's enviously as they cheerfully feasted and poured ale or wine from clay flagons into their wooden tankards. The cubs, being younger, drank water and juice made from local fruits and consequently so too could Spyro and his friends be expected to do the same. Hunter led them to a table on the right side of the fire, the villagers already their shifting over to make room for them.

"Thanks!" Spyro said brightly to them as climbed onto the bench and sat his front paws on the table, shuffling over for Cynder as she took a spot on the end. Flame and Ember sat across from them with their backs to the fire, the young red dragon letting Ember take the spot across from Spyro while he sat on the end of the bench. Hunter stood between them at the side of the table as he rubbed his hands together,

"You make yourselves comfortable. I'll bring you your plates," he said courteously.

"Thanks Hunter!" they all said together as he strode towards the meat. Barely a moment after he left Flame began squirming in his seat,

"Lets eat already! I'm starving!" he pleaded anxiously.

"I'm surprised you have any room left after all that toffee and humbugs you ate today," Ember remarked sardonically.

"That was hours ago! I could eat a whole boar!" he boasted.

"Too bad then that they've only got deer," Cynder smirked teasingly. Spyro chuckled as he sat gazing about their surroundings as they waited, the sweet smell of the roast and sizzling flames swept into his nostrils as the laughter and conversations of the villagers filled his ears like an uplifting song. He nodded back to the friendly smiles and nods he got from most of the Cheetah's whose eyes met his own while he looked back and forth across them. He watched the cubs sitting with their families, observing as siblings bickered and their parents touched each other's paws or leaned affectionately against one and other. He felt guilty as clouds of jealously began to drift across his mind, telling himself he should feel glad for them instead but his heart remained divided.

The remarks by Glacious had left a stain on his mind. Hunter returned promptly with four plates and drinking bowls for them as it would be easier than for them than trying to handle a tankard. He poured fruit juice from one of the flagons into their bowls as another Cheetah carried a platter of meat that he had carved up and forked a sizeable serving to each of them. Flame was almost drooling as he beheld the feast as Hunter and the cook made their way down and refilled the plates of those ready for a second helping. The smell of the added herbs settling into the meat made their eyes dizzy as the four dragons quickly settled into their meals. It was every bit as good as it looked and smelled, easily topping the snacks they had eaten in Warfang. Through mouthfuls of food both Spyro and Cynder chuckled as they observed the differences in behaviour their friends opposite them; Ember constantly looked down and wiped her mouth to prevent any trace of meat of juice from defiling her precious necklace while Flame, in one of the few instances he didn't show reserve or timidity, gorged himself as if starved and carelessly used his new poncho like the bib that it resembled.

There was little said between them as they ate and Spyro continued his habit of taking in all that was happening around them. His eyes caught Hunter walking with his own plate as he finished helping to dish out the food for the rest of the tribe. He had expected him to sit with them as he did usually, but instead Hunter strode over to the other fire and sat on one of the benches to eat with the other Cheetahs. As he sat down, Spyro saw Chief Prowlus sitting at one of the tables behind the other fire with eyes looking towards the closed gate. He lifted his head when Hunter sat but said nothing to him, Prowlus turning his head over towards where Spyro was sitting. The purple dragon beamed as their eyes met, he nodded appreciatively to the plate in front of him, but the orange furred feline regarded him scornfully and turned back to his meal. Spyro's eyes grew large as he pouted sadly, slowly looking back to finish his meal, suddenly feeling less hungry.

The jocular chattering of the Cheetah's continued on as the feast started to come to its end. Flame had indeed kept to his proclamation and eaten about the weight of a boar in venison, asking for seconds even as his friends had already eaten their fill. His poncho was smudged with juice and meat stains by the time he had finally filled his belly and joined his companions in licking their paws and claws clean. Spyro remained quiet as he kept glancing over towards Prowlus who had not given a second look in their direction since. Hunter finally made his way over to them as the tables were being cleared.

"Eat well, my friends?" he asked cheerfully.

"Very well, Hunter, thank you," Cynder commended sweetly as they all nodded in agreement with her.

"Thank the chef," he chuckled lightly, "When we have this place cleaned up, we will be having a story telling which you are welcome to attend."

"That's great, we'll be there!" Flame exclaimed enthusiastically. Spyro felt unusually withdrawn as he suddenly faced Hunter with a curt,

"Are you sure we will be welcome?"

Hunter's face wore an expression of shock at Spyro's almost hostile tone. He scowled at him, though more in confusion than in anger.

"Of course you are! Why would you doubt that?" he asked sombrely. Spyro looked at the shared expressions of shock of his companions and sighed apologetically,

"I'm sorry, Hunter, I didn't mean to say it like that. I just can't help but think that Chief Prowlus would prefer if we didn't," he said. Hunter turned around and looked back to where he came, seeing Prowlus talking among a group of the other villagers. He turned back to the young dragons with a firm expression.

"Never mind him. You are our guests and he knows that he must make you feel welcome," he declared resolutely.

"He's never made us feel welcome," Flame added sorely, "Every time we visit, he acts like we're a disease."

"He's always been mistrusting of outsiders. That's just the way he is," Hunter answered plainly. There was a grumble among the group but Hunter simply waved his hand dismissively, "Now now, lets not get ourselves into a tizzy. It is by his permission that you have been allowed to stay with us, so lets take that for what it is and say nothing more."

Half an hour or so later, the leftovers of the meal had been cleaned up and the dragons and villagers were all gathered at the other end of the village at the top of the 'L' in two groups standing opposite the newly lit ceremonial fire. Spyro sat at the front with Cynder, Flame and Ember along with the cubs and Hunter about twenty feet from the fire. On the other side of the fire behind the second group of Cheetah's was the home of Chief Prowlus, a much larger hut that had two large crimson tribal banners draped beside the doorway. It was also used as a conference building for the Chief and the most senior members of the tribe, like Hunter. It had the same open second level as the other huts but was more densely packed with boxes and chests, which Spyro had always assumed were full of personal items and treasure, given that Prowlus was the Chief of the village. Spyro saw him behind the flames at the front of the second group, the purple dragon wondered then why his wealth of possessions didn't seem to give the grouchy feline any joy as he rarely ever seemed happy, at least not whenever he or his friends were around. There was light chatter echoing among the gathering as everyone waited for the night's storyteller to emerge from the hut to the left of where the dragons and cubs were sitting. Spyro looked up to his right where Hunter was standing, still not satisfied with the answer he had given them for his Chief's apparent dislike for them and dragons in general.

As he sat their more than once had he nearly but then resisted the urge to press the matter to him, deciding that he did not want any more grief to ruin an otherwise enjoyable day. The chatter suddenly cut off as a rustle came from the hut, all eyes turned as a figure emerged from the doorway. The shimmering gold eyes of a hooded blue-grey she-Cheetah glanced around at the surrounding audience. She wore a dark blue tunic with sagging sleeves that fully covered her arms unlike most of the other Cheetahs whose tunics were sleeveless. Her hands were slipped inside her sleeves and out of view as she strolled out casually towards the fire, behind her two other Cheetah's carrying drums walked out, one taking a seat just outside the hut while the second walked over to the other side of the fire. The hooded she-Cheetah paused in front of the flames before she slowly side-stepped and turned her body to face the four dragons at the front of the crowd as the second drummer sat crossed legged opposite his partner across the fire. The she-Cheetah pulled her arms apart and exposed her hands as she lifted off her hood, revealing the two-gold bracelet sized rings in both her ears as she slowly returned her hands in front as she pressed them together as if she were praying. She panned her head around the crowd before she turned herself to the group behind her, giving a soft nod to Chief Prowlus.

The she-Cheetah then turned around and looked back to Spyro and his friends, her fingers flexing as she smiled politely to them, "As you all know, we are privileged to have the famous 'four who lived' once again in our village," she announced brightly, "We know their story very well, it is one that I have told myself around this fire many times. But tonight, I have decided to tell the story that is the genesis of that tale. Indeed, the story that set into motion the events that led to the beginning of their story which continues to play out this very moment as they sit among us."

"Which story is it, Roaraya?" one of the cubs demanded excitedly, a murmur of laughter following in the wake of his exuberance as the cub's father clipped him lightly around the ear for bursting out. Roaraya, the storyteller, opened her hands and turned her palms out to her listeners dramatically,

"The story of the Great traitor. The story of the Fallen Legend," she said ominously, "The story of the Dark Master."

The light murmurs cut off sharply as even the night itself became silent. Spyro looked to Cynder as she and Flame and Ember looked between themselves with surprise. While it was a story that they were extremely familiar with, they could not recall it being told in the Cheetah village, or at least not when they had visited, much less in the theatrical way that Roaraya was well known for. With lightning speed, she reached into her pocket and threw what looked like sand into the fire, the flames suddenly releasing a roar not like that of a raging fire but like that of a roaring dragon. The flames whooshed into the air as they curled and morphed, an unsettling image taking shape within its form as the four young dragons stared, mesmerized and even fearful of the magical theatre.

The image grew wings that spanned across the peak of the fire, rising up as a dark dragon silhouette with glowing eyes that scowled with contempt at its audience. Spyro felt a chill run down his spine as he stared at the gargoyle like face, the horns that curved upwards like the talons of a demonic beast, the hard, snarling teeth that seemed able to tear stone and metal as easily as flesh and bone. The cubs gasped and some hid behind their hands as the frightful sight swelled and roared away into the air as the flames returned to their normal state. The silence continued among the village as Roaraya glanced curiously around, her purple eyes settling once more on Spyro. His eyes flinched as he saw all those around and across from him focus their attention on him, swallowing nervously as he put on a toothy grin to try and hide his discomfort. He caught sight of Prowlus's disapproving scowl from across the fire as he flashed his grin towards him, feeling the edges of his mouth beginning to strain.

"Don't look like you are trying so hard," Cynder whispered as she leaned over to him. Immediately he allowed his mouth to loosen as the cubs beside him shuffled up closer, eyes and ears open anxiously for the story to begin. Perhaps it was because they were older, or perhaps in Spyro's case was because he had been particularly introspective this anniversary of the temple raid. Whatever it was, he and his friends seemed more invested in this telling of the story they had been told their entire lives. Like Roaraya had said, it was the story that had set the stage for everything that had happened before them and more than likely would do so for their future. The cubs and young dragons all sat wide eyed and alert as the night wore on and Roaraya's magic dust made the flames dance to her will. The adult Cheetah's perhaps treated the story with more weight as they could well remember the dark times of the last war and the value of the twelve years of peace that their cubs had been born into, only knowing war from stories.

Roaraya stepped around the fire continually as she told the tale, illustrating with her hands like she was conducting an orchestra and every so often throwing more dust into the flames to conjure up another image. The story began as it always did, with the ancient prophecy that had been passed down through the generations that there would one day be a dragon that would bring about an everlasting peace upon the world. The prophecy of the purple dragon had remained unfulfilled for centuries until the day Malefor was born, the first purple dragon in history. The young hero to be amazing the elders and his peers with his fantastic abilities, not just been able to wield four elements but wielding them in ways that no dragon, even Guardian, had ever been able to. It had been a time of great excitement and anticipation as the young Malefor won favour with almost everyone and his power and prestige grew. The sky was the limit for future saviour; there was no limit to his potential.

It was always foreboding to Spyro every time he had heard the tale, especially that of Malefor's younger years. It was hard to imagine that he had once been someone like him or even like his friends. Someone who had been raised in the same halls of the temple as they had, someone who had honed his skills in the same dojo against the same straw dummies in preparation for fighting the same real enemy. Spyro wondered if Malefor had ever felt the same feelings of doubt or apprehension as he did, the sense that the whole world was resting on his shoulders and if he would measure up to their expectations? He wondered if he had had the same kind of relationship with the Guardians of his time as he did now with Ignitus and the others? He thought that the answer should be obvious given what he ended up becoming, yet still Spyro's curiosity persisted.

"As he rose through adolescence, there was yet one thing that eluded him," said Roaraya as she circled the fire, "The power of Aether, the mysterious element that surpassed all others had not yet come to him. Malefor became impatient, arrogant as he trained harder and pushed fiercely for the elders to impart more and more knowledge to him, to share more secrets of the elements as he lusted for this great power that he did not possess. Few dared besmirch the dragon of legend, so the elders appeased him and he became more powerful still. But still the power of Aether did not come to him. When he finally reached adulthood, fortune smiled upon him and Malefor finally discovered the power of Aether. How and why, nobody knows for certain, but from that moment everything changed… for the worse," the she Cheetah said darkly as she swung out her left arm and tossed more dust into the fire, the flames howling as they changed into an ominous dark purple, a black shadow of Malefor's silhouette rising from the centre of the purple flames. There was a collective gasp among the younger audience and some hidden ones amongst the adults as the silhouette turned to smoke and the flames returned to their orange glow. Roaraya stepped around the flames slowly before she resumed her telling;

"The dragon elders were just as eager to learn the secrets of this mysterious power, so they allowed him unlimited freedom to explore and practice in its lore, to study and master it. At first, Malefor was cooperative with them, but it did not take long for his arrogance to return as he sought to discover the secrets of Aether without their intervention and observation. Only now did they begin to fear what he was becoming, of what he might be capable of if he chose to move from the path they had started him down. Little did they know, it was already too late…" Roaraya's eyes narrowed as they once more settled on Spyro, who tried not to show how unsettling it was for him, as if she was drawing comparisons between the subject of her story and him.

He heard faint whispers among the adult Cheetah's standing behind him, though he couldn't make out what it was they said. Looking back across at Chief Prowlus, Spyro began to suspect that he was paying more attention to him than to Roaraya's story. He felt a touch on his left paw that caught him by surprise, turning to it he saw Cynder had moved her paw overtop of his as if she had sensed his unease. She only gave a modest smile at his befuddled expression, which he swiftly changed to a broad, unintentionally goofy grin. He payed no heed to Ember's furiously jealous expression as she sat beside her while Flame continued to keep his eyes on Roaraya as she continued on.

"But Malefor's desire for power and knowledge outstripped the desire for understanding of the elders who had so readily been riding on his coattails. He became obsessed with it, delving deeper into its murky depths and soon refused to come out. He had begun to harness the forces of Dark Aether, a power that so terrified the elders that they finally tried to force him to restrain himself. But whatever respect he'd had for them had long vanished and he ignored them. When he was bought before the council to face up to his disobedience, he mocked them and challenged them. He argued that his power was his to control and not theirs, that he was above their authority. His unrivaled power along with his insolence was the final straw; Malefor was exiled. He fled to the mountains to the far north of our realm, their he made a new home and a new moniker for himself; the Dark Master."

Roaraya drew more dust from her pockets, raising her hands like she was conducting an opera and thrashing them forward as the dust settled onto the fire. The flames violently flared up high, rippling like a flag in the wind as a new image came to life. From the base of the fire rose a towering stone edifice like an enormous weed tearing out of the ground. An image of a mountain against a bleak sky took form, its exterior riddled with sharpened thorn like rocks all across it. As the image finished rippling, it exposed the peak of the monstrous tower as it came into full view. Genuine fright sank into Spyro's body like the cold of winter as he stared at the mountain peak, formed into the unnatural likeness of a dragon's head with its mouth bearing its teeth towards the heavens as if it threatened to devour them.

"In what is now known as the Mountain of Malefor, he created a fortress and gained the allegiance of the Apes after he gifted them the ability to harness the power of the spirit gems for their own purposes. Then he began to wage war upon his own kind, without mercy or remorse. Perhaps his greatest crime was what proceeded the demise of his mortal form at the hands of the Dragon Guardians…"

"The Night of Burning Tears," Ember suddenly announced impulsively, her outburst taking her companions and the audience by surprise, but Roaraya did not seem to mind the interruption. The mere mention of the catastrophe weighed heavily on the hearts of the young dragons, but especially on those dragons who could still remember it. Spyro felt his mouth dry as the she Cheetah nodded solemnly to them before she slowly turned her back and slipped her hands into her pockets once more. She drew them out slowly, some of her mystical dust slipping from her palms and being carried away by a sudden gust of wind as she raised her arms above her head. Spyro, Cynder, Flame and Ember collectively held their breath as she paused for a brief but dramatic moment.

"The Night of Burning Tears," Roaraya concurred soberly as she flicked her hands forward and the dust went flying into the fire, the flames bellowed and morphed, the image of the mountain exploding in a swirl of magic flame. She leapt back as the flames expanded outwards like a flower opening in the spring, several Cheetah's edging back in fright. The enchanted flames stretched far out and above from the kindling that had fueled them, shimmering above it like aurora borealis in the sky. Finally, the waving flames began taking up another distinctive, terrifying image.

Spyro at once recognized the Warfang skyline that they had seen from the Doxantha and from when they had left for Avalar, but it was apocalyptic. The vision played out like a frightful memory plucked from the mind of a survivor; the towers crumbled like ash and great sheets of flame swept through the streets like a storm wind. Though the image was flat and lacked perspective, the vision was accompanied by nightmarish screams as the unseen citizens stared up at the sky into the face of their doom as a roaring image of Malefor suddenly appeared, raining yet more fiery doom upon the city that had once been his home.

"He sent his armies against Warfang time and time again, but her walls had never fallen no matter how much they had tried. Believing his army to be broken, the Dragon Guardians; led by Dragsooth of Fire, the father of the current Fire Guardian, noble Ignitus. Alongside him was Bissthlan of Ice, Hargen of Earth and Zygoren of Electricity, whom he led in a raid against Malefor's mountain fortress, only to realise too late that Malefor had outwitted them. He had left his fortress and awaited them to leave the city without their leadership and protection. He assaulted the Dragon city himself, the sheer strength of his malice fuelled the fury of a thousand dragons as he unleashed his full power upon the city. Though the survivors called it the 'Night of Burning Tears', the Dark Master rained terror upon the city with every element he had mastered. Not just the natural elements, but the dark elements he had unlocked through the power of Dark Aether; Poison, Fear and Shadow. Scores of noble warriors fell as they tried to face him, but like leaves from a tree they fell all too easily."

"What about the Guardians? How did they stop him?" one of the cubs asked fervently. The young dragons looked to each other as they found themselves unconsciously edging forward as they sat. Roaraya turned to her right and threw a handful of dust into the air, the flames bobbing like ripples in a lake as they burning skyline of Warfang morphed into an inky black mass as the image black mass reformed into an image of four dragons, the Guardians, flying high above the smoke of the city, each channelling their elements into concentrated beams as they surged like blades towards an image of Malefor, his head arched back and mouth open as he roared in pain at the elemental beams coursing through him. The sight lifted Spyro's heart as he watched the scene of the tyrant dragon facing the combined power of the dragon Guardians. It was a glimmer of hope, a light shining through the darkness, but then again, he already knew how the story ended.

"As fast as their wings would carry them, the Guardians returned to the city as Malefor decimated it. In a battle that has been lauded through the centuries, the Guardians fought him with all the power they could muster, but despite all they had done, Malefor was left only weakened after enduring what would have killed any other dragon. He fled the battle and the Guardians, though wounded and exhausted, pursued him. What happened after that, we only know from the words of Dragsooth, the Fire Guardian, the only one who survived long enough to tell…"

"Convexity…" Spyro murmured slowly, only Cynder seemed to notice what he had said as he saw her tilt her head to him in the corner of his eye. Roaraya slipped her hands back inside her sleeves as the flames behind her died down, the aurora like form closed in on itself as the fire began to burn just as it had from the start. She cast a quick gaze around at her audience as the flames crackled softly behind her.

"In his seclusion, Malefor had fully immersed himself in the forces of Dark Aether. What we know of the powers and knowledge it gave him barely scratches the surface of what he uncovered. He had found a way to summon a gateway to another realm, a place that had been thought of only as a myth. But then so too had the Purple dragon been until he was born. This place we know only as Convexity. The Dark Master opened the gateway to this dimension and fled through it, the Guardians following after him, not knowing if there was even a way to get back. Dragsooth described it as an iridescent void that seemed to go on forever, like flying through space among the planets. He described strange creatures that floated through the air, some he said looked like flying eels or enormous whales. He also described, most mysteriously, a stone platform floating in the middle of this strange void with a glowing violet portal in its center; a doorway to another world.

"It was there in this strange dimension that the Guardians fought they're final battle with Malefor. It seemed that he drew strength from this portal, like he was somehow connected with it and whatever lay beyond it. Weakened, but knowing that no one else could stop him, the Guardians fought against his overwhelming power, but realised to their horror that the power he drew from the portal of Convexity made him essentially immortal. They could harm him, but not kill him. In a final, desperate attempt to defeat him, the four Guardians mustered all of their strength in unison, their elemental powers creating a devastating Fury attack that at last seemed to deal the fatal blow to the Great Traitor. Malefor fell before the portal, his reign of terror seemingly ended. This heroic act cost Bissthlan, Hargen and Zygoren their lives in the process, taking every once of life in them to achieve this. Only Dragsooth was left barely alive afterwards, laying on the stone platform dying next to his fallen brothers, sure that he was soon to join them.

"However," Roaraya announced forebodingly as she brushed the top of her head with her right paw, "As he lay on the platform, the whole realm began to shake like an earthquake. The debris and strange objects floating in the sky began to be drawn into the portal. So too did the bodies of Malefor and the fallen Guardians. As Dragsooth struggled to his feet, fighting against the force trying to draw him in, he looked back a final time at the bodies of his brothers and Malefor. He saw the hateful, yellow eyes of the traitor looking back into his, still alive but his body too weak and broken to move. In that moment, Dragsooth had to make the choice to either finally finish him, or try to escape. With the portal dragging him in, the Fire Guardian mustered what life he had left and made his escape, flying out of Convexity and leaving Malefor to what he thought was his inevitable fate. As he returned to our realm, the portal closed behind him and Dragsooth fell unconscious and fell to the ground just outside the ruins of Warfang. He awoke the next day, living just long enough to recount what had happened before he finally passed on. The survivors hailed the sacrifice of the Guardians, believing they had finally defeated the Dark Master. This news sowed discontent among the Apes and along with the defeats they had suffered, their army fell into disarray, even rebellion. The final victory seemed to have been achieved… until Malefor sent a message beyond the grave."

The cubs gasped and whispered fearfully to each other as Spyro on reflex drew a deep breath as he felt his scales quiver like a swarm of spiders were crawling over them. He felt Cynder clutch his paw tighter in hers, his claws digging tensely into the dirt beneath them. Roaraya turned back to the flames for a final time, slipping her hands into her pockets as she drew two more handfuls of enchanted dust. She casually tossed them in one after the other, the flames widening though not as greatly as before. The inky likeness of the ruined skyline of Warfang reappeared, a black cloud sitting above the city, though the flames had died out days ago. The cloud was shaped roughly like a triangle, the partial features of a reptilian face just distinguishable. Spyro looked nervously into the scowling yellow eyes that gazed upon the city with remorseless vile. Every face in the village, even Prowlus, regarded the image with trepidation.

"Trapped within Convexity, Malefor ushered his powers to deliver a message to the world; a proclamation that one day he would return to finish his work. That he would rise again as the uncontested, most powerful being in the world and ordered his armies to continue their war against his enemies for however long it took for his return. With that promise, the cloud vanished and Malefor was not seen or heard from since. The Apes reformed and rebuilt their armies and followed in his words to continue to wage war against the dragons and all their ally's. The last war, as we know, ended twelve years ago and the Apes have not renewed their hostilities since then. Some think they have finally conceded defeat, but others… think they are just biding their time, waiting for the right moment to restart the war in the Dark Master's name." The image in the flames faded away as they settled again, the she-Cheetah let her arms fall loosely by her side as she walked towards the Cheetah cubs and young dragons. She sighed and drew an exhausted breath, her eyes dipping thoughtfully as she stopped just before the younger members of her audience. When her purple eyes opened again, she took the time to gaze into the eyes of each of her youthful listeners, their awe as stratospheric as ever. When her eyes touched that of Spyro's, he felt like she was looking into him, not at him, like she could see all the trepidation, fear and self-doubt that the story had bought up inside him. He watched as she finished perusing the younger audience, Roaraya saying finally,

"For the sake of our young, I hope that Malefor's promise remains unfulfilled and that you may experience life without war, but if the day comes that Malefor does return…" she said as she cast her eyes at Spyro, "I hope that the promise made long before his time, about the purple dragon that would restore peace to the world, what we thought Malefor was to be before he left that path, will come true for all our sakes." Cynder gave him a reassuring nudge as he sat with all eyes focused on him, but he could not prevent the response that came to mind almost straight away,

'Yeah, I hope so too.'

The next morning in Avalar was as glorious as there had ever been. The sky was as clear as crystal, unveiling every detail of the surrounding forests and mountains of the valley like that of a great landscape painting. The rising sun swept away the shade over the lush, thick grass that covered the ground as the hum and chatter of insects filled the air as the rivers flowed like an elixir that preserved all life that it touched. With the beginning of the day, the Cheetah's had started to go about their business as they did every day; there had been an early breakfast just after dawn of bread and leftover meat from the previous night. Spyro and Cynder and Flame and Ember had joined in with the breakfast, Flame forgetting his poncho when they had emerged sprightly from their tent beside Hunter's hut while many of the Cheetah's had been yawning and groggy, save for the cubs who were as restless and energetic as ever.

The fire which had been used by Roaraya the storyteller continued to blaze in the morning as it had during the night while the other fires had died down, owing to the infusion of magic preserving its life. Spyro had paused just after leaving the tent and stared into it thoughtfully as the others went on ahead of him, the glowing eyes of the apparition of Malefor still visible in his mind as it had been when they had been before his eyes that same spot. He looked away from the flames distrustfully as if they may conjure them again as he followed on to join his companions. Spyro sat down with them around the same table they had eaten dinner at as the Cheetah's all slowly began to congregate around the seating area, Hunter being among those who had risen before dawn to help prepare the breakfast. The dragons watched as he and a few other Cheetah's began placing loafs of bread and plates of leftover meat on each of the tables as the villagers began to help themselves. On each table were also jars of jam and honey for those who wished for a lighter start to the day. Hunter eventually came to them as the young dragons found themselves being accompanied by the cubs who chose to have their breakfast with them,

"Good morning, young friends. I hope you slept well," he greeted cheerfully as he set the plates of bread and meat down, which they and the cubs all began to settle into eagerly. Hunter walked back and picked up a goblet laying on another table, surprising them by choosing to sit down between Ember and Flame as he took a piece of bread and lathered it with honey. He noticed that Spyro was eyeing him oddly, almost suspiciously, the reason of which he seemed to know and announced so with a wry smile.

"I suppose you are wondering why I am eating with you now and not last night," he said, a response that caught everyone but Spyro off guard.

"I didn't really notice," mumbled Flame with a mouthful of bread, oblivious that he was not the one whom the question was aimed at.

"I did kinda' wonder," Spyro admitted sheepishly as he reached across for his own helping. Hunter chuckled lightly before he took a bite from his bread, chewing it for a few moments before he said,

"I was just trying to remind Chief Prowlus that we are both on the same side."

"What do you mean?" asked Ember. Hunter gazed down upon her and said,

"Just so he knew that I haven't turned my back on him. So he doesn't think that I am spoiling you."

"You mean not making us feel like we are intruding?" asked Cynder cynically. Spyro and Hunter chuckled lightly as they cautiously looked around to be sure that Chief Prowlus wasn't listening in on them. As they did, Spyro noticed that Roaraya was no among the Cheetahs gathering around for breakfast. He guessed that the she was especially tired from her use of magic last night, but before he could remark as such Hunter spoke up again.

"But unfortunately, I have to tell you I won't be able to accompany you today. I have business in Warfang to attend to and expect to be gone most of the day."

"Really?" asked Spyro in a disappointed tone, "But I thought you were in charge of looking after us?"

"I am," Hunter replied simply, "Which is why I've asked Meadow the Herbalist to keep an eye on you while I am away."

"Meadow?" asked Cynder, "Does that mean we have to help him pick flowers and grind herbs?" she said dismally.

"No," said Hunter, "But I expect you to behave yourselves while you are in his charge. I mean it; he won't turn a blind eye to any misbehavior like I might," said the Cheetah as he eyed Cynder amusingly.

"Meadow doesn't like fighting, does he?" quired Flame as he looked up from his food.

"He's a pacifist," answered Ember for Hunter, "He doesn't believe in violence. That's why he chooses to be a healer."

"That's correct," nodded Hunter, "But that's no reason to laugh at him or underestimate him. If we all believed as he did then there would be no need for warriors."

"But don't you?" asked Spyro curiously, "Don't you believe in peace?" Hunter chuckled mirthlessly,

"Of course I do. But our enemies do not. Unless they were to have a sudden change of heart, a lasting peace an only be achieved through war, unfortunately."

"But as Roaraya said," added Cynder, "The Apes have been peaceful for twelve years. You think they are just waiting until they are strong again?" Hunter shrugged his shoulders as he drank from his goblet, "Gaul is far more cunning than your average ape. He learned a hard lesson the last time his armies were defeated. He has had twelve years to learn how and why. What troubles me is if that time has been enough for him." "What do you mean?" asked Spyro.

"Well, will he wait another twelve years or has he had the time he needs to plan his next move, whatever that may be?" he asked ominously. Spyro swallowed hard as the four dragons swapped eyes with each other, the excitement of the new day taking a downward turn. In an effort to change the subject and mood, Cynder cleared her throat and leaned across the table nearer to Hunter;

"So, what is your business in Warfang today, Hunter?" she asked.

"I'm trying to negotiate a deal with a merchant to take a larger stock of our wares. Prowlus thinks we should limit out trade with Dragon City, but I think it is essential for our prosperity that we try to expand our trade. We may be self-reliant, but there is no harm in raising a little capital."

"Huh," Spyro remarked, "Will you be using a courier again?"

"Of course, I have already sent for one. Why? Are you offering to convince whoever they send to give me another free ride?" Hunter grinned. The other three dragons all laughed somewhat nervously as they recalled the purple dragons angry spat the previous day. Spyro only turned his head away with a blush, Hunter seemingly confused at the response.

"No, I think actually I'll give you the rest of my allowance to pay for the last time. I feel guilty about it," Spyro said flatly.

"Come on, Spyro, it was only a little fun," jeered Cynder, trying to cheer him up, "Besides you only ever did it the one time. If I were you, I'd probably demand everything for free."

"I don't want to flaunt who I am," he replied gravely, "I just want to do what's right."

"How very noble," remarked Ember with dreamy eyes, causing Hunter to roll his own in annoyance. He took another sip from his goblet as Spyro finally started to eat, the others all following suit as the cubs seated by them began squabbling over the bread plate. They began talking excitedly about the story of last night, recalling with wonder the spectacular magical effects used by Roaraya to bring the tale to life.

"It was great, wasn't it, Mr Spyro?" the cub beside him asked as he nudged him with his elbow, causing the purple dragon to smile and nod in agreement, though the story had in fact left him feeling more concerned than amazed. He hid his feelings as not to spoil their enjoyment.

"It was a scary story, huh?" Flame asked aloud earnestly, gazing around the other faces at the table.

"We've heard it a hundred times over," Cynder replied dismissively. Her answer was met with a grim silence from the rest of the group, save for the cubs who kept loudly talking and playfully shoving amongst themselves. Even Hunter ignored them as he and the three young dragons seemed expectant of an answer from Spyro. The purple dragon looked up from his breakfast and cast a weary eye around at the faces all turned on him. Spyro's eyebrows rose as his eyes grew large and solemn.

"Yeah," he confessed frankly, regretfully, "It's a scary story."

End of Chapter 8

Next Chapter: Hide and Seek and Hermits