Training for Flame was tense this last week with everything that happened; Red and Terrador were more stern with Flame. Thankfully, with Red's tutelage, Flame was able to get his fire powers in a spot where the Guardian's were satisfied with it; the look on Cyril as Volteer clung to him in surprise when he enveloped himself in white flames was something that was going to stick with Flame for a while.
"Yes, well, er…" Volteer attempted to regain his composure "Once again you have found an unorthodox fighting style for a fire dragon, but there is no denying these results."
"So what do you say Volteer?" Flame smiled "Think I'm all trained up in the combat department then?"
"Almost!" Cyril stepped in "You've practiced against only training dummies. We will still need to test your style in a real combat scenario, and then there is the matter of your Elemental Fury."
"Elemental Fury. Those big explosions of your elemental powers. Takes a lot of you?" Volteer and Cyril looked to Flame "Red told me. I thought maybe he could train me in that too. But he can't use it..."
"Surprising, given his attitude…" Cyril muttered.
"Right!? That's exactly what I said." Flame smirked, stepping out of the ring and sitting beside Volteer and Cyril.
"Admittedly, the Elemental Fury is the typically the last, and the hardest dragon technique to master." Volteer said "As you said, it takes a lot of energy from the user, and raw emotion. Anger to be precise."
"With it being called 'Fury' that makes sense…" Flame sighed "I mean you know me. I don't exactly get angry."
"Indeed." Cyril added "And previous records indicate that it can be anger brought up from minor annoyances, otherwise it usually ends up out of control. It needs to be a controlled anger."
"Controlled anger?" Flame asked.
"It sounds oxymoronic, does it not?" Volteer chuckled "That's what makes controlling it and mastering it so difficult. There are some adult dragons who cannot even use it."
The three dragons piqued up to the sound of Terrador stepping in, Spyro and Cynder flanking his sides. Flame had been getting used to the earth dragon's interesting combination of scorn and melancholy on his muzzle. A heat spiked through his back at the thought of the lie he told Terrador about him and Ember. There was no more meeting at the Temple because of it.
"Terrador." Cyril greeted him first, earning a grunt and a nod.
"Another negotiation. I have the information right here." Terrador, revealing a folded parchment.
"Wait? There was another meeting? How come none of you woke me up for that?" Flame asked.
"Ah, we only wanted you up so early so you could begin to understand how such discussions work. Upon reflection, throwing you into a council meeting so soon was not the best idea." Cyril said.
Flame blinked and sighed "You're so lucky I'm used to getting up early now…"
"Regardless." Terrador interjected "You're going to Aeolus, the Kingdom of Wind Dragons. It's going to be Spyro and Cynder, Volteer, Flame, and Red." He handed the note to Volteer "If you need me, I will be in my quarters. Good luck." and with that Terrador quickly turned back around and left the training room. A tense, awkward silence hung over all of them as he disappeared into his room. If he wasn't training Flame or on the council with business, he was in his room.
"I suppose we should get ready then…" Volteer broke the tension "Young Flame, meet at the front of the temple when you're ready." Volteer and Cyril were already walking into Volteer's room. Meanwhile Flame, Spyro, and Cynder all turned into Flame's room.
Flame, Spyro and Cynder opted to simply wait outside the temple for Volteer and Red. Flame didn't have much to pack for trips like this, so he was already set to go.
"You really should consider getting supplies or something to travel with. At the very least decorating your room a little, Flame," Spyro said.
"With my position as Guardian of Fire as shaky as it is. I don't wanna bother. Don't wanna set my roots when I might be...uprooted," Flame added, half smiling.
"But the Guardians said your training is going well, and if Red isn't wanting to be Guardian anymore, there's no competition." Cynder offered.
Flame sighed "There's still this negotiation to get through too. Last one almost fell through because of me, remember?"
"And that's what training with Red has been for. He talks about training with you at the Capitol, you know?" Spyro said.
Flame chuckled, he didn't think Red cared that much to boast about the training. He looked to Spyro and Cynder "Okay tell you what. This negotiation goes well. We're decorating my room. Deal?"
"I'll take a piece of that action as well." The three dragons turned to the sound of Red walking up the steps to the temple "I can get you a simple bookcase so you can take some books home for more training."
"Ancestor's above…" Flame laughed "Mornin' Uncle Red."
"Nephew." Red nodded "Spyro, Cynder." Red turned to Flame "So you have a second chance at this. Do you think you're ready?"
"Truth?" Flame shrugged "I dunno." He looked to Red "Just do me a favor, if I'm about to say something that's going to ruin the negotiation. Please shut me up."
Red chortled "I prepared some silence spells for the occasion, rest assured." earning a snort from Flame and a laugh from Spyro and Cynder.
"Ah, we're all here then." Volteer and Cyril approached the group of dragons. Volteer quickly leaned into Cyril before gathering with the group, heading down the stairs "Oh I'm so excited to attempt to reconnect with my dragon brethren. The Wind Dragons are a reclusive type, even before the Great War. Did you know they are the only dragons species known to exhibit sexual dimorphism?"
"Sex what?" Flame sputtered.
"There are notable differences between the males and females of the species." Red huffed "The males are silver while the females are black."
"They are?" Cynder asked, stopping on the stairs. Volteer stopped to look at Cynder.
"By the ancestors I hadn't even considered that…" Volteer beamed "This could be an exciting development for you, Cynder."
"Cynder…" Spyro leaned into Cynder, nuzzling. Cynder leaned back, a small smile beginning to creep on her muzzle.
Flame watched Volteer and Red take off before joining Spyro and Cynder "What's up?" Flame asked. Spyro looked to Cynder, clearly not wanting to take this from her.
"Well it's just…" Cynder inhaled "I spent all this time thinking my color was because of The Dark Master corrupting me when I was an egg…" Cynder exhaled, eyes growing watery "What if it's because I'm a wind dragon? I mean I can use it, and I always felt good using it." she smiled "It's just nice to know Malefor didn't have anything to do with this."
Flame nodded, smiling "I bet that is a good feeling. Who knows, maybe you'll even learn about your parents or something!"
"My parents…" Cynder smiled, nodding. Then her eyes grew wide "Oh ancestors, my parents…" she said again. Flame noticed she was the last to take off as they all flew off towards Aeolus.
Flame had expected the group to land at Aeolus sometime ago, but they had been flying for hours by now the early morning had turned into late afternoon. They long since flew past the Enchanted Forest, past the Silver Delta, and Flame gave the risen city of Atlantis a wide berth as they flew by it. Flame finally had the audacity to fly closer to Volteer and Red, Spyro and Cynder stayed in the back.
"Hey!" Flame panted "I'm gonna be that dragon but...are we there yet?"
"I know it's a long flight, but we're at the final part now," Red said "We just need to start flying up now." The group of dragons stopped and began hovering just below a large formation of dark gray clouds.
"Fly up!?" Flame spat.
"Yes. Did you truly believe the Kingdom of Wind Dragons to be landlocked?" Volteer chortled "Aeolus is in the skies, surrounded by a maelstrom of thunder clouds. Such as these." Volteer's eyes seemed fixated on the dark clouds in delight.
"How are we supposed to fly through it?" Spyro asked.
"Normally you don't, that's how the wind dragons stayed as safe as they did during the war." Red said, holding his staff forward and letting it glow a bright and eerie pink "But because we have the advantage of an invitation..." the others watched as a portion of the clouds began to swirl and open up into a gaping hole, large enough for a small formation of dragons to fly through "We don't have to worry about that," with that, Red's staff stopped glowing and he flew through, the others following close behind. Flame couldn't help but notice Volteer was flying too close to the edges of the entrance; small particles of electricity struck him. Volteer shuddered and smiled warmly as it did. Flame looked back towards the others and noticed Cynder's flight moving slower and slower. Flame lagged behind to Spyro, figuring she had told him before she'd tell him.
"Spyro...is Cynder...?" Flame began quietly. Spyro sighed, looking back towards Cynder.
"Yeah, she'll be fine. Just nerves." Spyro looked ahead "She was excited to see where she came from to start. But then when you said she might meet her parents. I think that's what got to her."
"Damn, really?" Flame said "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset her."
"It's alright. You didn't know." Spyro nodded "Cynder did a lot when she was under Malefor's control."
"Terror of the Skies...I've heard the stories…" Flame lingered. Spyro nodded solemnly.
"She's been getting better about it. I'd like to think you, Ember, and I are all helping her with that. But it's a different story now. I just hope she knows we're all here for her."
Flame nodded, the topic of parents got him thinking about Ignitus and the complicated feelings from that "Hey, Spyro…" Flame began trying to find the most delicate way to word it "Has...the Chronicler visited you at all?" Flame began, thinking fast when he saw the confused look on Spyro's muzzle "I mean...since the end of the war?"
"Oh uh...no." Spyro said, looking ahead "Why?"
Flame gulped "Nothing, just thinking out loud…" Flame nodded and picked up the pace, leaving Spyro behind as he thought about that. Ignitus spoke so highly of Spyro, he figured he would have made an effort to see him at some point. It had been nearly a month now since he first met Ignitus, and with the time of peace and recovery, there should have been ample time to visit him, right?
Flame's thoughts were diverted to the appearance of the massive city in the clouds. Chunks of land dotted the skyscape, and upon these pieces of earth were buildings of different types; it was like a giant metropolis in the clouds. The group of dragons followed Red and Volteer as they touched down on the largest formation, A large castle with swirling architecture towered over them. Flame could see Cynder's eyes were looking everywhere except the castle. Even from here they could see dragons of silvers and blacks flying around going about their day; some stopped and whispered, looking at the differently colored dragons; a few more stopped to observe the black dragoness with them.
All eyes were back on the castle as the portcullis opened up, three dragons of silver and black stepped forward. Red and Volteer stepped forward with a bow.
The first dragon was a lithe yet imposing silver dragon. Flame had never seen a dragon with hair before, but this dragon had two knotted braids of hair on both sides of his muzzle. Even the wings had a feathered design about them.
The second dragon was a medium built black dragoness. A rich magenta underbelly made Flame see double; in addition to the intricate white markings all across her body.
The third dragon, another silver dragon, this one with a long well kept beard that went straight down. Large and intimidating, Flame figured this one could give even Terrador a scare.
"The Anemoi of Aeolus: Boreas, Notus, and Eurus." Red spoke calmly, looking around as is if the other had lost something, before returning his attention to the three wind dragons.
"The Delegates of Warfang…-?" The lithe silver dragon spoke, presumably Boreas. His sentence trailed as he observed Cynder looking at the city around them. The surprised expressions on Notus and Eurus broke the tension slightly.
"Windborn!" Boreas spoke up, keeping his sharp tone and yellow eyes on Cynder. A hip check from Flame made Cynder snap to and look to the three wind dragons and shrink.
"She is with us," Volteer interjected.
"My name is Cynder…" Cynder stepped forward, finally finding the strength to look at them.
"The reports stated there was a wind dragoness assisting the purple dragon during the Great War. I had assumed them to be exaggerating…" The dragoness spoke, most likely Notus.
"We assumed all the eggs were destroyed in the grotto…" the third dragon spoke, Eurus "...Are there any others who survived?" Flame couldn't help but to look away.
"I'm afraid not...I apologize." Volteer stated.
"The one time we decide to join our dragon brethren in the tradition of the grotto...and the Dark Master decides to amass a genocide of the dragons…" Boreas spat, growling under his breath "But I digress...we are here for the negotiation…" The three dragons turned and walked back into the castle "Come"
"I thought Aquarius had an attitude…" Flame muttered.
"They have a right to be." Volteer approached Flame.
"What's more…" Red also stepped in "The loss is still probably fresh to them…"
"Loss?" Cynder asked sheepishly.
"I noticed it too. I merely didn't wish to say anything…" Volteer said "There are supposed to be four in the Anemoi; representing the cardinal directions…" Volteer sighed "The wind guardian, Zephyrus isn't here."
"Deja vu…" Flame muttered, earning a hiss from Red.
"We must tread carefully. You've seen they are hesitant to interact with non-wind dragons." Volteer gulped "And they are not the type to ask us to leave if we step out of line. One wrong move…"
"And it's a fight…" Cynder finished grimly.
The color disappeared from Flame's scales as he heard all that, the door closing behind him as his second chance came upon him.