Dark Horizon

by Soulfire72

The Dragon Realms have finally settled into a new age of peace, and Spyro and Cynder begin new lives amongst normal dragons. However, when Spyro and his new friends discover the world's magic being devoured, Spyro's desire for the truth will lead him down a path from which he cannot turn away. Part 1 Complete!

33. Buried Secrets

Chapter 32

Buried Secrets

---

A sharp, impatient knocking jolted Sion from his dream. It was an odd dream, one that he barely remembered… But he remembered feeling anxious and uneasy – even more so than usual. And so, he had little hesitation in getting up from his bed and answering the door, despite there being little light outside. As he passed, he heard his mother shift her head, but she pulled her head back into a coil when she saw him pass by.

He opened the door, still rubbing his eyes. Solaris was standing there with a frown etched into her scalp.

Before she could say anything, Sion shut the door. He rubbed his eyes, pinched one of his frills, flinching as he did so, and opened the door again.

'Huh. So I wasn't dreaming.'

Solaris snorted angrily.

'Stop fooling around.' She lowered her voice. 'A squad of wind dragonesses just left.'

Sion's grogginess vanished instantly.

'What?! You mean–'

Solaris immediately clamped his snout shut with her claws.

'Ow!… Mph… quit it!' He muttered through his teeth.

'Keep your voice down, idiot.'

She released him after a few seconds, and he rubbed his snout miserably.

'Your claws are way too sharp.'

She ignored his comment as she tipped her head towards the Fire District.

'Cynder is gone too.'

Sion opened his mouth, but quickly covered it with a paw under her warning glare. Instead, he darted around her and galloped to Spyro and Cynder's house, flinging open the door without so much as a knock.

Sparx was already awake, and after sparing him a momentary glance, continued darting in and out of rooms in a panic.

'She must have left a note… or something! Why did she have to be so good at sneaking?!'

Sion quickly joined him in searching the bookshelves and the other rooms, barely noticing the blue dragoness not long after.

'There's no point, you know.'

Sion slowed down in the kitchen area long enough to look at her pleadingly.

'Which way did they go? The wind dragons?'

'…Southwest.'

'Then we should follow them!'

'Think about that for a second!' Solaris snapped. 'We have no idea where they are going! And neither of us are good enough flyers to keep up.'

Sion paused for a moment. 'But Cynder is…'

Solaris nodded, and Sparx drifted in from Cynder's room, his wings drooping tiredly.

'So… what? We do nothing?'

A deep voice echoed throughout the building. 'That would be best.'

Sion stood up straight as he approached the Earth Guardian. 'Terrador? Is it true? Did Nadina go with them?'

Terrador nodded reluctantly. 'We predicted this would happen… Nadina is aware as well. Rest assured that if Cynder is discovered, she will not get into serious trouble.'

Sparx folded his arms dejectedly. 'If that's the case, what was with that whole shebang with her not being assigned to that team?'

'To allay the fears of the populace, what was important was to send an objective party… and not deliberately assign Cynder.'

'So it's fine if she goes on her own?' Sion asked, confused.

Terrador was silent for a moment. 'All dragons are aware of their bond. They could hardly blame her if she went on her own.'

'And the moles and cheetahs?' Solaris questioned.

'Cynder had directly aided them towards the end of the war, so her position should not be affected.'

The group exchanged a wary glance between each other.

'So why shouldn't we do anything?' Sion eventually let out.

'Because we can't do anything,' Solaris said shortly. 'We'd just get in the way.'

'Keep in mind…' Terrador continued, now taking care to lower his voice, 'that their mission is to observe Spyro and check on his progress. From what Ignitus told us, they could not find a way to remove that… creature… from Spyro. And so, he is going to seek out grublins, specifically the ones he saw in a vision. I'm sure you are all aware of that.'

The group nodded one after the other.

'And the only lead Spyro has is an image of a mountain, and after speaking to Nadina, she said it could be one of the Blowback Mountains. And that is their destination.'

There was a long period of silence.

'So… now what?' Sparx muttered miserably.

Terrador sighed. 'Now we wait for news, or their return. And if we have to wait long enough, we send a falcon…' He thrummed worriedly and drew in his wings. 'I hope it will not come to that.'

---

Several days passed, with no news to speak of. Sion and Solaris continued their day-to-day activities, but Sparx could do nothing but meander about miserably. Sion often found him hanging around places they frequented – from the training dome to the baths and the market.

One day after training, Sion found the dragonfly hovering in the ramparts above the western gate, staring over the plains and the distant forest. Sion approached and sat beside the dragonfly, but was unable to say anything, simply joining him in watching the dusk-lit landscape.

'It's funny, you know.'

Sion opened his mouth for a moment, but remained silent.

'I always figured Spyro and Cynder would leave me behind at some point. I thought it was because they were dragons and I… well, wasn't. One day, they would be big enough that simply being around them would be dangerous for me, and that I would be better off being with other dragonflies.

'I regret leaving them before they had to face Malefor, but I thought I would make up for it by being by their side when they needed me again. But… even now, I…'

Sion quickly shook his head and stepped up a bit closer.

'They'll be alright. They're really strong, right?'

Sparx glanced at him dejectedly. 'That's not really helping them right now…'

Sion thought for a moment. 'They will need you, so you just need to be ready when they figure something out. Being… miserable isn't going to help, is it?'

Sparx was silent for a while before sighing.

'I guess… but I still feel like I should be doing something…'

He suddenly froze as his eyes scanned the landscape, only his wings continuing to vibrate.

'What?! What's wrong?'

Sion quickly shifted his focus to where the dragonfly was looking, and after squinting for several seconds, he stared in shock.

Off in the distance, perched on a small plateau, he spotted a figure obscured by the long evening shadows, almost like a statue. However, he quickly realised – or believed he saw – large wings, purple scales, and a cloak. And its gaze was unmistakably longing…

Before he could fully comprehend it, a gold speck of light sped off ahead of him.

'Sparx!'

He scrambled to follow the dragonfly off the stone parapets – stopping to shake his head at a couple of guards patrolling the wall. As he flapped his wings to catch up to the dragonfly, they saw the figure watch them briefly before vanishing into the trees beyond. Sparx sped on faster, faltering slightly in his flight path as they approached the plateau.

'Spyro!' Sparx called breathlessly, briefly pausing to rest in the grass where the figure had just been standing. Unperturbed by the silence, he started darting around the area, even skirting close to the treeline.

'It's… no use, Sparx,' Sion admitted miserably. 'It's too dangerous to go after him.'

Sparx paused as he was about to go deeper into the forest, reluctantly retreating and sinking to the ground. He started to pat at the ground weakly.

'He was here… he was so close…'

'I know… I'm sorry, Sparx.'

He looked around at the surrounding trees, but apart from the rustling of thick leaves all around, they had no company.

Was he really here? We both saw him, and he sure looked purple… If so, why did he come here, just to leave like that? I guess… he just misses everyone…

He mulled it over in his head even as Sparx continued to stare at the ground.

We miss you too…

---

Spyro flew through both night and day, anxiety keeping him from resting sufficiently. He could not stave off the feeling that he had sat in place for too long, and that it might be already too late.

The moment he left the White Isle he had braced himself for another invasion into his head, but nothing had happened. Waiting until he returned to the main continent, he cautiously asked the creature again what it wanted, but once again, there was no response.

With silence as his only answer to go on, he focused on following Talon as well as he could. Despite him being a falcon, Talon's use of high-altitude wind currents reminded him of the mission to the Desolate Lands, and he had trouble keeping up despite their contrasting wingspans. Talon himself showed no signs of exhaustion or fatigue despite sleeping even less than he did; it wasn't hard to imagine that the falcon understood the urgency of the situation, as he had shared Malefor's image of the mountain. It was his only lead now, and he needed to find answers, even if they had to be from grublins. Somehow, he had to communicate with them, and the means to do so occupied much of his thoughts as he flew.

Almost a week after leaving the Isle, Talon screeched to answer the mountains looming into view through the morning sunlight. The wind picked up as they spotted the distant mountains, forcing them to slowly descend. The range sported huge white peaks in assorted rows – as if a gargantuan predator were baring its teeth. The clouds shrouded them more the higher the peaks went, with several having clouds constantly moving or swirling around the peaks. Judging by their speed, the wind at that level would be just about impossible to fly in.

That might make it difficult if the entrance is up there…

He did not relish the idea of scouring the entire mountain range for some hidden entrance – if such an entrance existed to him at all. It was possible that grublins could travel directly through the ground, and if so, he might be locked out completely. Not helping matters was the fact that the image of one mountain – while it might narrow their search – didn't give him a useful point of reference.

He angled himself towards a cluster of pine trees jutting out at a slight angle, spiralling around the lower half of the closest mountain, where the breeze was slight and wouldn't affect his flight too much. Talon swiftly angled his descent along his path, levelling out to avoid the sharper upper branches as they both landed in the snowy soil. He looked around, while Talon ruffled his feathers and gazed up at the dragon expectantly, offering no guidance of his own.

Now what?

He paced through the trees for a few minutes before his stomach rumbled. As he grimaced, the notion of hunger rushing back after months without the sensation, Talon hopped ahead, taking the initiative and flying up to branches overhead. Spyro followed, now aware that Talon was likely the more experienced hunter.

He navigated the trees with some difficulty, as he found it difficult to push through even the widest gaps without sharp pine needles digging into his scales. While there was no real pain, it was still irritating enough for him to want to fly again, but then whatever Talon was tracking might flee from his presence.

Thankfully, after only ten minutes or so, Talon glided down from the trees and cawed quietly – just loud enough for Spyro to hear him over the rustling leaves. As he neared closer to the open ground, he stared in wonder at the large claw print before him.

It was as big as Talon's wingspan, and clearly belonged to a bird of prey itself. The print was odd in that one digit was grossly elongated compared to the other two, as if the bird's feet had a sword sticking out of one of its digits.

'Looks dangerous...' he muttered.

For some reason, he recalled hearing about something like this. He combed through his memories as he tried to place it. His chest tightened suddenly as Cynder's face emerged, and on reflex he flinched and recoiled from his memories. He breathed in and out, refocusing as he recalled talking about her hunting trips.

Before all... this... she was talking about a hunting trip... to hunt...?

He stared at the footprint one more time, and gave it a long, calculating look.

A flightless bird?

He pondered for another minute, but couldn't quite recall the name. What he did know was that a flightless bird of that size was likely dangerous on the ground. But it would also last him quite a while, enough to explore the mountain range thoroughly.

I don't have much time. For all I know, that city could be destroyed...

He didn't relish the idea of hunting in the first place – but right now, searching was his first priority. And to regain his energy. He would have to use magic.

He and Talon began to follow the footprints that were several metres apart at worst, and almost lost their path when there was too much snow. Gradually, however, they began to hear a periodic tapping of claw on stone and heavy flaps coming from vertical, rough rock. The trees thinned out as they went, and the mountainside angled steeply above. Multitudes of rocky platforms jutted out with varying degrees of thickness; Spyro was not comfortable navigating them without flying to and from each.

On one of the distant rocks, finally, was his target. Large, thin blue feathers curled out from its head. The feathers fanning down its tail and the tips of its small wings were a similar hue, camouflaged slightly against the blue sky. The rest of its feathers and down were a combination of brown and grey, likely to blend in with soil and rock. There wasn't enough snow at this altitude for white to be needed.

It raised its long thick neck to the sky and boomed a screech. Spyro flinched and almost cupped a paw to his head.

They're loud when they want to be. Couldn't it have done that sooner?

He was tempted to study the bird longer, but he was tired and hungry, and would have to save that for another time. He crept as close as he could without leaving the treeline, but the rocks he would have to use as steps provided the biggest problem. The bird had long, powerful legs, which were probably adapted well to hopping up and down in this terrain. He, on the other claw, was heavy, and sluggish from travelling. Even if he did use magic, it would be a challenge to catch it. He had no magic that could kill it from long-range without completely obliterating the carcass. Talon couldn't help either – this bird was many times more dangerous than he was. And with how big he was now, sneaking up on it was downright impossible. He would have to be quick.

As soon as he left the treeline, attempting to creep along the ground silently, the bird swivelled its head in his direction. It tipped its head quizzically for a moment, before bounding off down the rocks in the opposite direction.

Spyro growled impatiently and took off into the air, circling the mountain ever so slightly. He kept his gaze trained on the bird as it effortlessly leapt up and down the rocks without slipping or slowing down.

The purple drake could just keep up with his flying, but his joints ached rapidly. He edged as close as he could, paying close attention to the rocks, and eventually he traced a predicted path that the bird would have to go. Three rock platforms ahead, he opened his mouth and charged an Earth Missile, positioning himself so that the bird would have nowhere to go.

He fired, and the bird squawked in distress as the rock it landed on crumpled beneath its feet before it could launch off again. Spyro dove after it, and before it could regain its footing on more rocks below, electricity erupted from his jaws. The bird's cries fell silent as its joints twitched and its whole body went limp.

Spyro managed to catch its neck in his mouth and its body in his claws, clamping and twisting with a crunch to make sure it was dead. He felt somewhat guilty: using magic made it so effortless it felt like cheating. The Nature dragons were right to discourage it, or dragons would be tempted to hunt in excess – or worse, sport.

He carried the carcass back to the forest where Talon watched him hidden within pine branches. Spyro looked around briefly and quickly found a rocky surface to avoid any dirt sticking to the meat. As soon as he laid the carcass on the flattest rock he could find, Talon glided down and began to poke his head forward with hungry eyes.

He squawked in surprise when Spyro stretched his wing forward as if to block him. 'Let me cook it first,' he said. 'Wait, isn't it weird for a bird to eat a bigger bird?'

Talon gave him an unamused look before retreating up to the nearest tree branch. Spyro grimaced as he studied the body. Then, when he had decided on how to divide it, he tore off its wings and divided its body into two with his claws, trying to keep the internal organs from spilling out. Once the meat was properly positioned, Spyro gradually began to heat the rock with a steady stream of fire. It felt good to use it; despite his fatigue, he had plenty of fuel left for this – since he hadn't used magic in months.

He didn't make any more elaborate preparations, instead just heating the rock until the bird's feathers turned black and the exposed meat from red, to pink, to light brown. When he finally ceased the flames, Talon swept forward and began to tear at the smallest pieces.

Spyro smiled gratefully as he watched. 'I suppose you deserve it.'

Talon paid him no mind as he ate. Spyro tore into the breast meat first. Upon the first bite, he suddenly felt so hungry he could barely taste the first mouthfuls as he shovelled down meat as fast as he could. He didn't even bother to forgo the bones at first, not until his jaw began to ache from the effort. The meat was tough, and would have been chewy had he been someone smaller or with weaker jaws. The feathers he could have done without, but he didn't have the luxury of peeling off the surface layer. It didn't taste too bad; it would probably go well with some seasoning from the markets.

He suddenly dipped his head sadly. After a quiet moment, he shook his head.

The purple drake realised he had eaten almost the whole carcass – Talon getting a smaller portion – and he still didn't feel full. But at least he wasn't hungry anymore.

It was still early afternoon, and he could still use the time to search. The question was how he would do that.

Searching physically won't do any good. Unless I happen to be at the exact position from that vision I got from Malefor, I might not be able to recognise it at all. Talon's probably stumped, too. If he had known exactly where it was, he would have taken me to it by now. If searching physically wouldn't work, then... maybe with magic?

He had Earth magic, and the ability to sense the surrounding Earth was not a skill he specialised in, but it might be the only possibility.

Just as he was about to close his eyes in meditation, he flinched as Talon cried in alarm, his beak raised toward the sky. Spyro looked up, and saw dozens of dark, spiralling figures against the blue hue, growing larger every second.

Don't tell me... Elraiths?

However, they didn't sport the white eyes and flashing bodies, instead were more ragged with thin yellow scales down their back and tail.

Degenerate wyverns. Not as bad, but still...

'Talon, stay here!'

There was no point in hiding as they were already zeroing in on his position. He could not run, either – otherwise his search would take even longer.

He took off to meet them in the air, and by the time they were in range, their number seemed to have grown to two dozen. Before they could get close enough to spit their dark energy, Spyro loosed a bolt of electricity that arced between the first six enemies. He immediately followed up with ice spikes that impaled their necks and chests, and the creatures plummeted to the ground below with a low hiss. He stopped himself and flung his body sidewards to avoid the wyverns' circular energy blasts, and took off away from the mountain, letting off electricity and ice spikes as they followed.

He slowed down as he spotted another swarm of the creatures ahead. They were heading straight for him, just like the first group. And there were nearly a hundred.

Where are they coming from? And how do they know where I am?

He dove to avoid them, narrowly avoiding their breath attacks, funnelling the group to herd them all in one great lump. Stunning others at once with electricity, he faced the swarm – now in a somewhat uniform spherical shape. Focusing his mind and inhaling deeply, he unleashed a focused ice bomb that burst in the middle of the swarm, snap-freezing all but a few and sending them quickly plummeting. The few that remained screeched angrily and finally broke off their pursuit.

He took a deep breath, still scanning the skies around him for any more. Despite there being no enemies nearby, he couldn't help but feel like he was being watched.

He glanced back toward the mountainside, and he almost dropped a foot in midair. The area he had taken off from was crawling with movement; even at this distance, he could tell there were grublins, orcs and mutants crawling over the snowy plains.

Talon!

---

He tucked in his wings slightly and dived through the air, praying he wasn't too late.

Nadina watched the purple dragon dive with an unexpected urgency. The efficiency with which he dealt with those wyverns was... troubling, as much as it was reassuring. Spyro could protect himself. The only reason he would behave with such urgency...

It must be Talon. And we've seen entire battalions roaming this area on the way. Remaining hidden is all we can do. And on top of all this, we want to contact Spyro without inciting that spirit to attack...

She still had little idea of how they would go about this. If there was a good chance Spyro could find whatever he was looking for on his own, that would be one thing. But swarms and armies surrounded the mountains, and even Spyro could not fight them off and locate a hidden city at the same time.

She retracted her snout from the gap in the lush thicket. Her squad only consisted of her, Ralis and three other wind dragonesses. A typical scouting force; not one for combat. Her team could easily avoid all the enemies and disengage if they got caught by surprise. However, they were not actually capable of fighting all the enemies in the area; not without attracting unwanted attention. Doing so would force them to retreat.

Ralis frowned as Nadina faced her. 'Well? What happened?'

'Spyro destroyed them all... rather too easily, if I might say so.'

'So what's the problem?'

'There were survivors.' Nadina shook her head regretfully. 'Spyro has already drawn too much attention to himself. How he's going to go about finding the grublins like that is beyond me.'

'Where is he now?'

'He left in a hurry back where he came from... I'm guessing Talon could be in danger down there.'

'Should we follow?'

Nadina was silent for a moment. 'What do you think? Is it our best option?'

Ralis frowned silently for a second. 'It's hard to say. We would likely blow our cover, but we can't just sit here either. This region has been unsecured ever since the Deep War, so the enemy grublins may gather if we reveal ourselves.'

'And yet,' Nadina said, 'that will happen anyway, what with that display in the sky.'

She looked to the other scouts for any ideas, but they hung their heads in a similar fashion. They were stuck. If they got too close to Spyro, it became more likely the Aethereal would attack, but if they kept their distance for too long the grublins would become too much of an obstacle for them to reach him.

While everyone was still pondering the situation, they failed to notice a cloud of shadows gliding through the bushes. It approached the group, and did not go around. Instead, it funnelled through and into the middle of the clearing, billowing out and clearing in plain view of the scouting party.

Nadina was the only one who did not react with surprise, and in some of the group's case, hostility. Of course, given Cynder's appearance, it couldn't be helped – the young dragoness could be downright menacing when she wanted to be. And right now, she looked in no mood for small talk.

'Cynder... I would ask what you are doing here, but the answer is obvious.'

The other dragonesses glanced tersely towards Nadina without taking their attention off Cynder.

'You were expecting her?' Ralis said simply, to which Nadina nodded.

Cynder narrowed her eyes. 'Then why didn't you send for me to join you?'

Nadina gave her a firm look but slowly shook her head. 'I'm afraid I'll have to explain later – we, and maybe Spyro, are in a bit of a predicament. How much of our conversation did you hear?'

Cynder gave the other dragonesses – who were still head-down in a defensive posture – an annoyed glance, and with Nadina's nod, they relaxed a little. 'I heard that you're stuck here, since this place still has a bit of a grublin problem.'

'I would call it more of an infestation...' Ralis said, 'but yes, that is the situation.' The commander studied her briefly. 'Perhaps you can help, since you're here – with Nadina's approval, apparently.'

'What did you have in mind?' Nadina asked.

Ralis waved her wing at Cynder. 'You saw how she got here. She may be able to get close to Spyro without giving herself away.' She fixed her gaze on Cynder. 'Can you fly and cloak at the same time?'

Cynder's determined gaze faltered a little. 'No, I can only do it on the ground.'

'Still...' Ralis mused. 'I think you are our best chance. Would you be willing to get close to Spyro and see what his goal here is?'

Before Cynder could open her mouth, Nadina hissed quietly. 'That is an incredible risk you are asking her to take! You saw what it did to–'

'Wait, Nadina,' Cynder cut her off firmly but gently. 'Ralis might be right. I've thought about that Aethereal, and I think, out of everyone, I would be the safest to approach it.'

All the other dragonesses blinked in surprise. Ralis and Nadina, however, were briefed in more detail before they left.

'You refer to the way it talked to you,' Ralis stated. 'We are aware of this. I always found it curious that it even bothered, when it attacked nearly everyone else. Not even Cyril got that much.'

The group quickly recalled this and nodded at each other. Nadina reluctantly did the same.

'Well, that is true, but...' Nadina growled to herself, but the more she thought about it, the more she realised they had no other choice.

'Are you sure, Cynder? We would not ask this of you lightly.'

Cynder fixed her determined gaze on her. 'It's what I came here for.'

Nadina swung her head back to Ralis. 'So how would you suggest she get close without flying?'

'It does not matter whether she flies or not – she just needs to get close enough to talk. Or yell, if you still want her to keep some distance. She can cloak on the mountain's surface if it's not dark enough. Speaking of which...' Ralis glanced at Cynder again. 'We should wait until nightfall. You would have the most freedom then.'

Cynder ground her teeth reluctantly. She hated to wait after coming all this way, but she knew Spyro was strong enough to handle himself for one day. 'Alright. Just make sure you all stay hidden in the meantime.'

---

Spyro and Talon were able to flee the bulk of the wyvern horde that showed up not long after. Thankfully, Talon had remained concealed in the trees without any of the grublin platoon finding him. He attempted to communicate with them in case they were part of the group he was looking for, but all this earned him was a bolt that grazed his shoulder. He couldn't risk presenting an image of the city itself in case this gave them the means to invade the city should they be allied with Malefor.

Instead, he unleashed a wave of frost that encased the closest in a thick ice wall, while also trapping the rest behind it. The ease of it surprised him, but the snow and moisture in the air likely made his ice magic more potent. Once they were frozen, he examined their thoughts more closely, and found the same image of the mountain Malefor had let slip in his anger. He could only assume these grublins were Malefor's – if they were looking for the same thing he was. By this point, he had herded the grublins around the mountain and was able to circle back.

Talon was able to keep up throughout the rest of the day, but they were unable to land for more than half an hour at most before grublins tracked their location. Or worse, burst out of rock faces just as they got there.

Spyro's first attempt to search below the surface was on the second peak. Still avoiding the swirling wind front above, he still flew as high as possible and found the flattest, most horizontal surface he could. He found a slope at a slight angle, and had to use Terrador's wall gripping technique to remain in place while he tried to concentrate. It took him some time to actually focus, as this was the first time he was using the technique outside of training.

Talon perched on a nearby jutting rock, and Spyro trusted him to warn him if an attack was coming. Once he was able to fully shut out physical distractions, he tried to get an idea of the mountain's scope. Initially, he couldn't tell if he was even searching until he hit an abrupt fold, and upon further examination, he was able to get an idea of how the mountain's interior was structured. Most of it was solid rock – however, he could see that the base of the mountain had flatter internal sheets, but abruptly spiked upwards around the centre of the peak. Emanating outwards, he was able to pinpoint the surface of the mountain, as he was unable to see past a long conical surface. Once he got an idea of what the rock felt like, he found nothing indicating a hollow cavern large enough to house a city. However, he had no way of telling if he'd searched the entire mountain, as he had never used this technique before.

From what he could tell, there were half a dozen defined peaks in the area, but Spyro was only able to thoroughly check five of them in this way. The longer his search went on, the faster the grublins found him, but the quicker he was able to search. It soon became a matter of finding a large enough hollow in the mountain that didn't run too deep to be affected by tectonic plates or magma in the planet's surface. That was the plan, anyway, but he couldn't search deep or long enough to actually find such deep geological features.

However, upon checking the final mountain and still finding no hollow space, he realised he would have to search deeper in the mountains somehow. The mountains' bases were far wider than their peaks, and he couldn't search the same place twice easily unless he waited for the grublins to move on. That, or destroy them all. Not only did that sound like too much even for him, the notion of killing that many grublins sickened him, even if they were loyal to Malefor.

The temperature also began to drop rapidly as soon as the sun approached the distant horizon. Spyro's wings and body ached, and he was mentally exhausted as well from focusing his magic in such an unfamiliar way. He had to find a place to rest, at least for a few hours.

Talon followed silently, unfazed by the plummeting temperature, as the two circled through and around the mountain passes. Cold wind frequently hissed around them, despite them keeping as low as possible. Spyro found it difficult to keep his eyes open – both from the incoming wind and oncoming drowsiness.

Thankfully, Talon jolted him to alertness with a sharp screech, quiet enough not to give their position away over the surrounding wind. The falcon tipped his body to one side, prompting Spyro to follow. He exhaled with relief as a dark round shape came into view through the gathering snow. A part of him was apprehensive that it was full of grublins, but he was too tired to prepare himself for that. He also felt like Talon wouldn't deliberately lead them into a nest of grublins.

Talon landed just inside the cave's entrance, folding his wings and looking up at Spyro expectantly. One look into the cave told Spyro it was too dark for the falcon, or him, to see. With a flick of his beak, Talon pointed him to a small clump of trees just to the right of the entrance. With considerable effort, Spyro pushed one of the pine's trunks with his paws until the trunk cracked, then leapt up and pulled it down, dragging it into the cave as quickly as possible. Spyro stopped for a moment to consider the best way to get a fire going while getting the falcon inside safely. After studying the tree clogging up a third of the cave's view outside, he lowered his head toward the falcon.

'Stay close to the entrance for a bit, Talon. I can move through the dark if I use that same technique I've been using all day. I'll get a fire going and come get you.'

Talon ruffled his feathers gruffly, but otherwise found a small divot in the closest rock face and sat quietly. Spyro, groaning to himself, began to haul the tree through the cave while simultaneously feeling out the cave's layout with his senses. It took some effort to begin, as being plunged into darkness in a mountain cave brought back unwelcome memories that he'd rather forget.

The cave had a few branching paths, but didn't go too far in. He settled for the first branch as it was the most likely to be within view of the entrance. As soon as he got to a grotto large enough for him to curl up comfortably, he began to rip the tree into enough pieces to create a fireplace. The tree was small, but big enough that half of it was still left by the time he was done; if he needed to stay here more than one night, it might come in handy.

After Spyro had successfully started the fire, he looked around. He was sitting in a low central position, and stalactites and stalagmites jutted out of the grotto's ceiling and floor. There was also a dark opening off to his left, and he heard water quietly trickling from within after listening for a moment.

He doubled back to see if the cave's entrance was visible, and when he found it wasn't, he ripped off another branch from the tree, stacked against the right wall among the stalactites, lit it, and carried the unburnt section in his mouth.

After running for a minute, he heard the familiar tap of Talon's claws on the cave floor, and with an acknowledging nod, Spyro turned around and led the falcon back to the fireplace. Once he got there, Spyro tossed his branch onto the fire, curled up around it and immediately found himself drifting off to sleep, with Talon sitting between his tail and the fire.

The falcon remained awake for another minute, as he spotted a distant shimmering far up the cave path. After watching for the whole minute, and no more movement, he nestled close to Spyro and went to sleep as well.

---

Ever since Cynder had left, Sion found himself anxious and stressed, even as he was getting used to his rounds and growing more confident in a guard's routine. He had thought that becoming a guard would put him in a better position to help others, but now he felt stuck. He could do nothing for Spyro and Cynder now, and any thought of going out was quickly quashed by the prospect of running it by the commanders or the Guardians. He had no compelling arguments for why he should go, but his body was tensed up and ready to spring out violently at a moment's notice.

Solaris felt the same way, which worried Sion more. It wasn't often that she showed concern or anxiety, but she was stiffer and frowning a lot more than usual. Normally Sion wouldn't have seen her, but he often found her wandering near the walls and armoury, as if waiting for news herself.

Sion found himself constantly thinking about what Spyro and Cynder were going through even while on duty at the prison, detachedly letting the moles roll out their fish baskets and slowly eating his own share.

He was startled when the pair of moles approached him with wary expressions, even though he was only halfway finished.

'Huh? What's wrong? Did I take too big of a basket?'

They shook their heads fervently, one pointing back towards the cells. 'There's... something wrong. In the second last cell.'

Sion put down his half-eaten perch and frowned, focusing on the entrance to that specific cell. The last he remembered, he'd opened the cell for the moles and they'd got the basket in without incident. The cell was still closed, and the moles had been waiting for the Skavengers within to eat.

He sniffed the air as he got closer, and something was off. He was used to bad smells since the Skavengers were not the ideal models of hygiene, especially in prison, but something about this scent was particularly foul. It also was familiar somehow, but he found it hard to place even as he glanced through the bars and studied the shrouded figures within.

What is it? I know I smelt it before...

The smell filled him with a sense of dread to the point where he was completely focused on the cell in front of him. Then, he finally remembered.

The Silent Plains? Why would I smell...

He froze for a second in realisation, then rushed for the crank and burst through the entrance. The prisoners barely reacted, but one in particular didn't move at all.

The moles peered in anxiously, keeping clear in case any of the prisoners tried to make a break for it. The fact that none of them did, made it clear to them what state they were in.

Sion crept up to the still figure off to the right: one not much bigger than Snotty, lying on his side and facing the wall. The smell was coming from him.

'Hey!' He growled as he shook the canine's shoulder gently. 'Are you okay? Say something!'

No response. Sion slowly turned him over, but the dim lighting through the windows wasn't enough. Grimacing with the scent blanketing the air, he carried the Skavenger with his neck and one arm and brought him outside. The moles darted back as he lowered the Skavenger onto the stone pavement. His eyes were closed, but his skin was pale around his face and striped arms. Sion placed the back of a knuckle on his neck, but felt no pulse.

Sion's gaze immediately shot up to the nearest ballast on the southwest wall.

'Guards! Anyone up there? I need help!'

There was a momentary shuffling of heavy clawed feet before he spotted a helmeted fire dragon rushing to the edge of the ramparts, staring at the Skavenger for a moment before his eyes shifted to Sion for an explanation.

'He's not breathing! Can you let the infirmary know I'm coming?'

The fire guard paused for a second, studying Sion with an edge of concern.

'Can you handle the body?'

The fact that the guard immediately implied the Skavenger was dead sent a momentary wave of nausea over Sion, but he shook it off and nodded. 'I'll be fine. Go!'

The guard took off toward the town centre, and Sion turned back to the body. He quickly noticed the moles staring not at the body, but at the cell. As he got closer, he realised the Skavengers inside were whining and more active than normal. He reluctantly closed the cell, knowing they were afraid.

What can I do? Nothing...

He returned his attention to the body, and now was almost wishing he'd asked to swap roles with the guard. The fact that the Skavenger was probably dead meant he'd likely be dragging a dead body across the city.

He mustered his nerve and propped the body over his neck and shoulder once again, shifting his gait so he could move as fast as possible without dropping the body. The moles hung back and began gathering their inventory, seemingly in a hurry to get away from the area. To his surprise, Snotty said nothing as the bronze drake passed his cell, though Sion could feel the Skavenger's gaze following him until he was out of the prison.

---

The trip to the infirmary was tiring, but it wasn't until Sion had delivered the body to the moles and several Ice dragons that he actually felt like throwing up. He was able to hold it back as he told himself repeatedly that guards and soldiers would have to deal with things like this at some point. The infirmary was right next to the armoury, if somewhat hidden underground just like its neighbour, so it wasn't too hard physically to get there. But Sion quickly felt useless as he stood by as he could be no help to the doctors. The mixture of disgusted and grim expressions on their faces as soon as they got near the body didn't help matters.

They had barely been examining him for more than ten minutes before the moles came out shaking their heads. The ice dragons instructed Sion to go back to his duties as normal, and leave everything to them. Sion couldn't immediately wrap his head around it, but he knew this would cause more political problems somehow, and he instinctively distanced himself from getting involved.

He was quickly reassigned by Lattik back to the wall and replaced with the guard he'd alerted earlier. It did little to ease his anxiety, but the few minutes he had back at the jail made him absolutely miserable. The Skavengers were no longer lifeless and silent, but actively scared for their lives. He constantly wished he could do something, but the fact he was only a guard trainee meant he could do nothing for them that would help.

Throughout the rest of the day, whenever he asked the fellow dragons about what was going on, they couldn't speak. Most of the guards honestly had no idea what would happen, and Lattik remained tight-lipped.

For the first time since Sion started training, he actually felt mentally exhausted from the stress. The thought that he might be partially responsible for the Skavenger dying made his stomach squirm. He wasn't the only guard on duty at the jail, but he was there proportionally more, and he cared more for the Skavengers' fate than most.

He dragged himself home that evening, wanting to shut himself in his room for the night. When he opened the door, however, he was greeted by several expectant and concerned gazes. Telsa, Alaia, Sparx, and even Solaris were there, though Solaris quickly averted her eyes from him and pretended to browse the nearest bookshelf.

'We heard what happened,' Telsa explained, 'so Alaia and Sparx got everyone over here before you got home.' She unfurled a wing as she stood aside, revealing large slices of cut and cooked venison. 'I don't know if you're hungry, but you should eat nonetheless.'

Sion stared at everyone in bewilderment without saying a word.

'Sion?' Alaia murmured. 'Normally you'd be saying something or jumping on the meat by now.'

'I...' Sion grimaced. 'I don't feel like eating tonight.'

Everyone else in the room apart from Solaris glanced at each other worriedly.

'You'll need your strength, bronzie,' Sparx said. 'A lot's gonna happen in the next few days.'

'What do you mean?'

Telsa waved her wing, bringing everyone over to the central dining table. 'Take a seat and we'll tell you.'

Solaris was the last to join them, opposite Sion and next to Telsa. 'By that, she means I'll tell you.'

Sion narrowed his eyes at her for a moment as Telsa dropped a piece of meat onto the metal plate in front of him. 'How would you know? All the guards and even Lattik wouldn't say anything, and I've been pestering them all day when I could.'

Solaris scowled with irritation. 'Well, it's all conjecture on my part, but...'

'So you're just guessing?'

The others around him gave him an odd look.

'Well...' Sparx rubbed the back of his head. 'Even when she guesses, she tends to be right.'

Solaris turned her scowl upon the dragonfly. 'I prefer "conjecture" rather than "guessing."'

'Same difference.'

Telsa tipped her head forward towards her son. 'Listen to her, Sion. What will come next won't be easy for you, and to be honest, you will be out of your depth.'

Sion's stomach squirmed again as he was reminded of it all. 'Fine,' he relented with a sigh. 'What do you think's gonna happen?'

'Well, to start with, the Guardians will likely appeal to the moles and cheetahs to reduce their sentence, as Mason had originally proposed. They would have far more political pull now that failure to do so likely cost a Skavenger's life.'

Sion nodded slowly, resisting the urge to tell her he already knew that.

'And then what?'

Solaris lowered her gaze for a thoughtful moment. 'That depends. How much do you think the Guardians would care for the Skavengers at this point?'

Sion didn't answer right away, to the point where Sparx answered first.

'Well, I'd say Cyril cares the least. He'd always been rather cold to the Skavengers, if you know what I mean.' He grinned to himself for a moment, quickly reverting back to a serious frown. 'But I can't blame him. The Skavengers aren't exactly innocent.'

'On the other claw,' Alaia continued, 'Volteer and Terrador would push harder. As long as Mason and enough moles come around, they might actually get somewhere.'

Solaris shook her head. 'Not if Prowlus has anything to say about it. Remember that he seemed pleased that they weren't eating in the first place. Perhaps this is the end result for them he wanted all along.'

'That is rather extreme,' Telsa said, 'even for him.'

As the others began to speculate back and forth in between mouthfuls, Sion just stared at his meat quietly, until he finally spoke up.

'What about me?'

The room took a moment to fall silent.

'Huh?' Sparx said.

'Do I have any say in it?'

It took a moment for everyone to understand what he meant. Solaris was the first to shake her head. 'Not really, no.'

'Young lady!' Telsa cut in.

'What?' The blue dragoness eyed her flatly. 'Sion is just a guard-in-training. Compared to a Guardian, he realistically does not have enough influence to make a difference.'

Sion was about to say that the Guardians cared about what he thought, but then he realised he'd already made it clear to them how he felt.

'So I can't do anything?'

'Well, aside from trying to convince Prowlus yourself...' Sparx folded his arms and closed his eyes, 'I don't think so.'

'I wouldn't try that,' Solaris countered warningly. 'Not unless you know the underlying reason for Prowlus' hatred of the Skavengers.'

'Well, Hunter was one of their captives,' Sparx said. 'That could be the reason why.'

'I dunno,' Alaia shook her head slightly. 'It seems more personal than that. Not a single cheetah I've met hates them as much as he seems to.'

'So does anyone know why?' Sion asked hurriedly.

Everyone fell silent again until Telsa shook her head.

'I'm afraid not. I never thought to ask until now, and even then the affairs of Cheetahs and Skavengers were not high on my list of priorities.'

The discussion didn't go anywhere from there, and Sion finally resigned himself to finishing his meat. He wanted something done for the Skavengers – but as to what, he still didn't know.

---

Once everyone had finished their meal for the night, Telsa bade them farewell. Sion particularly felt bad for Sparx as he was returning to an empty house, duty-bound to stay there in case Cynder or news about Spyro came back. Sion had briefly raised the topic near the end of dinner, but the only means of communication about the situation would be through Ignitus, as falcons could not travel safely around the Blowback mountains for too long. However, if enough time passed, the Guardians would likely send out a pursuit party, and it had only been a couple of days.

While Telsa was packing away the leftover meat, Sion saw the visitors off out the front door. Solaris was last and was halfway through the door when he spoke.

'Um, Solaris? Can I ask you something?'

She raised a surprised brow back at him. 'What?' she said shortly.

Sion didn't answer immediately, biting his jaw a bit and glancing away uncomfortably. Solaris rapidly deepened her frown and her groan betrayed her thinning patience.

'By Zhuroth, spit it out, you worm!'

Sion instinctively faced her and snickered. That's a new insult...

'Uh... yeah, anyway. I was thinking... you're going to be with the Guardians when they do all that political stuff, right?'

Solaris' frown softened. 'If by "political stuff" you mean the cheetahs, moles and Guardians inevitably arguing amongst themselves and ultimately not getting anything done, then yes.'

Sion's heart fell. 'Is it that bad? More of them could die at this rate...'

Solaris attempted to soften her tone. 'To be fair, it hasn't even started yet, so I might be presuming.'

'But you think they won't get anywhere?'

Solaris gave him a hard look. 'So long as Prowlus is involved, yes. He has a history with the Skavengers that runs deeper than the others, if his behaviour is anything to go by.' She blinked and frowned again. 'Is this leading somewhere? I have to prepare my notes for all this. Prowlus is already on his way here, and will likely be here by tomorrow.'

Sion swallowed and paused before he spoke next.

'Can you... let me know what happens? Each day, if they keep going?'

He waited for her answer nervously. He knew that she would have to take some time just for his sake, which he admitted was hard to imagine.

Solaris studied him silently, with a mixture of suspicion and confusion of her own. 'Do you expect me to advocate for the Skavengers?'

'Would you?'

She slowly shook her head. 'I have no experience dealing with Skavengers, and thus have no authority. Besides, if I interrupt I may not be allowed to attend at all.'

Sion nodded slowly in understanding. 'Alright. So... will you? Keep me up to date, I mean?'

She sighed in defeat. 'Fine. I'll come find you depending on when you finish. I should be able to figure out the military's rosters on my own.'

'Uh... sure.' Sion glanced away awkwardly. 'Thanks.'

Solaris turned to resume her journey out the door. 'Oh, and if you blab to anyone that I'm helping you I'll tear your armblades from their sockets.'

Sion chuckled lightly as she disappeared. 'Sure, whatever you say.'

---

He felt light. Trees, fields and water passed below him, gliding smoothly with only the gentle breeze and rustle of leaves in his ears.

Memories of civilisation flashed through his head as he flew on. Those of Warfang, Avalar, even the old temple. They filled him with a mild sense of longing, even nostalgia, but at the same time he was glad to leave them behind.

He focused his attention ahead, now coming into a wide expanse of ocean, the evening sun shining its brilliant colours through thin waves of cloud billowing out from the shining orb. It wasn't the sun that caught his attention, however. Rather, it was the expanse of unknown lands that lay below it.

The passage of time seemed to blend into the planet's surface as he flew on unburdened, and he momentarily panicked as his trajectory arced up into the sky without his input. He soon let himself go, curiosity over what lay beyond taking over.

The longer he seemed to go on, the more the real world seemed to drift behind. Without even thinking about it, his body seemed to lose all mass entirely, with the sky above clearing as if he was diving through a massive layer of water. He felt a cold rush just as if he'd been thrust into the ocean, and yet... Sensations such as temperature vanished as well, leaving him drifting in a black void, with countless stars still gleaming brightly.

---

Spyro gasped and coughed for a moment as he woke, his jaw still resting against the hard floor, which for the moment felt welcome. He remembered the dream vividly, especially the final moments. He breathlessly tried to get his emotions under control, but what bothered him the most was that he was confused by it all. It would make sense that he'd dream of flying, soon recalling his wish with Cynder, which he remembered now with renewed longing. But from what he knew from reading, flying too high was very dangerous – not only because it would become impossible to breathe, but there was a point where a dragon would literally burn to death in the atmosphere. One dragon that mastered breathing magic experienced this firsthand.

What bothered him, then, was why he would dream of such a thing. Or rather, that it was something else.

Could it be the Aethereal? Just what kind of creature is it? Was it? Was it ever alive...?

A sharp but low screech jolted him out of his introspection. He finally realised that he could barely see, and he soon remembered where he was. As his eyes adjusted a little, a long curved shape was soon visible right in front of him.

'Ah!' As he stood up, Talon blinked up at him quizzically. 'Ugh... Don't scare me like that...'

The falcon tilted his head and quickly dipped it back toward the entrance. Spyro frowned for a moment as he tried to gauge the bird's thoughts.

'We're not alone?'

Talon answered in his head, but the bird showed no sign of alarm.

'Whoever they are, they're not a threat?'

Spyro calmed his breathing and concentrated, as another dragon was likely nearby. If so, he needed to keep his distance, but also find out what they wanted with him. However, the moment he tried, he was overwhelmed with a familiar mind that left him elated yet terrified.

Cynder?!

Talon remained silent as Spyro's body quickly jumped to action, though he stopped himself from rushing to her position. Cynder was likely in one of the other tunnels.

She found me...A lot faster than I was expecting, too...

He still couldn't decide if it was safe to get close to her. As a result, he directed his thoughts inward.

You. Can you hear me?

It took a moment, but he felt the slightest acknowledgement at the edge of his perception. Spyro was almost hoping there was none at all, and that the Aethereal had disappeared, but he shook off his disappointment. He was tempted to ask it about the dream, but decided that he would only try and talk to it if necessary.

If I talk to her, will you attack her?

No answer. Spyro waited, his impatience rising exponentially the longer Cynder was within reach.

Answer me!

He tried to calm down and to detect some sort of non-verbal answer when it acknowledged his first question, but there was nothing. He soon realised that it was actively avoiding answering the question at all.

Why? Why won't you tell me anything?

He waited again, with no response. He sat himself down and ran the back of his knuckle down his aching temple. He couldn't ignore Cynder's presence, and unless he spoke to her in some way, he couldn't be sure she wouldn't catch up to him some other time and possibly awaken the Aethereal. He slowly resolved himself to at least see her, despite the risk.

He stood up and crushed the remaining light out of the fireplace, glancing down at the falcon, who was watching him patiently.

'Better keep your distance until I speak to them, Talon. I don't know if that thing will come out.'

He knew that Talon probably knew who it was by his reaction, but he wanted the falcon to keep out of this conversation, wherever it would lead.

Talon, however, ruffled his feathers and haughtily hopped back towards the put-out fireplace. Spyro felt a twinge of guilt – though he couldn't quite place why.

Eventually, he pushed himself out of his procrastination and focused on Cynder's presence. At first, he was worried she would suddenly retreat, or get closer, but she remained where she was. The further he crept through the darkness, the more he realised she was expecting him.

He used faint traces of Earth Magic to pinpoint her final position, where the path ended fanning out into a somewhat semi-circular lair. Upon emerging within sight of this lair he spotted her brilliant green eyes immediately, and stopped himself from going any further. If the Aethereal attacked now, she would have nowhere to run, but she at least had the advantage in night vision and shadow magic.

'Cynder?'

He barely managed to croak out her name under the tension in the air.

He couldn't make out her expression, but her eyes lowered from him sadly.

'...Spyro.' She closed her eyes as if trying to maintain her composure. 'I'm sorry we had to meet like this. I bet you can't even see me properly.'

Spyro, now aware she could probably see him fully, swallowed and nodded.

'The... Aethereal wouldn't answer me when I asked if it would attack you.'

'I'd really like to talk about that...' Cynder began hesitantly, 'but I'm here to see if you need help. The wind dragons have been observing you for a while, now. You seem stuck.'

'Yeah,' Spyro answered awkwardly, attempting to make the conversation seem normal. 'I've been trying to locate the city in these mountains using Earth magic. I can't get a good read because the grublins keep forcing me to move.'

'Earth magic... can do that?'

Spyro grimaced sheepishly. 'It's not a skill I've had to use like this.'

Cynder nodded thoughtfully and was silent for a moment.

'What if we kept the grublins away from you? Would it be enough?'

Spyro stared at her for a moment in surprise.

'It would be a better chance, but I don't know if it would be enough. I only have Talon's vision to go on, after all.' He frowned worriedly. 'I'd be asking all of you for a lot, though. The mages, archers and wyverns are the biggest threat while flying.'

Cynder shot him a determined look. 'Even if I had to do it by myself, I would.'

That brought him some relief. He'd fought alongside her long enough to know what she was capable of.

'I... know you would. Thank you.'

Cynder nodded, and they paused to look into each other's eyes. 'Spyro, we could...'

She stepped forward, and a surge of panic shot through Spyro's spine as he backed away in response. It was not only instinctive, but he felt a clear response from the Aethereal within – like when it acknowledged one of his questions, except magnified and clearly displeased.

'No! Cynder, I'm sorry...' He shook his head anxiously. 'I can't get close to you.'

Cynder could only watch him miserably as he turned to leave.

'I have to go. I won't start immediately, so you can let the wind dragons know what I'm doing. I'll start in about an hour, and I'll be starting on this mountain.'

He paused long enough to spot her nodding reluctantly, and he exhaled miserably as he hurried away. Cynder remained lost in her thoughts for a moment as he turned back to his campsite.

Even if it wouldn't attack me, it seems to be able to control him so easily...

---

Spyro had to force himself to focus on plotting a path through the mountains for the next hour, gently flying up and down to survey the mountainside. However, seeing Cynder again – even in limited visibility – brought back a rush of emotions he found hard to control. It made him feel even more desperate to go forth and figure out the Aethereal inside him, and for his life to return to normal.

But ever since he left the White Isle, he had the sinking feeling that his life would never be the same, no matter what he did. There were a few moments where he was sorely tempted to throw away his quest and go back to Cynder, but each time he did he remembered its reaction to her simply taking a step towards him.

I'm sick of being dragged into this.

He didn't allow himself to wallow in self-pity for long, as a cold lump of snow smacked him in the snout. He snorted with annoyance and continued. When it came down to it, he couldn't forget about that vision from the dying Orc. Maybe he was the only one that could help them in time, as Warfang was still mixed on whether their former enemies should be worth their attention. At least that's what he told himself, as he flew silently and miserably through the cloudy sky.

After almost an hour, he had a pretty good idea of how to weave through the mountains at the optimal height, and thankfully he didn't encounter too many grublins. However, as he stood atop his cave entrance, he grew concerned with how fast the distant clouds were moving. In fact, the clouds above were rapidly swirling around the mountains in bursts, like giant rotating discs that switched on and off on their own whim.

It had to be the Blowback Mountains...

He spotted several emerging figures through the misty air, recognising them both from their shape and their presence. Cynder and Nadina were leading the small pod, and he retreated to the side enough to give them all space, kicking up snow as they landed. After they recovered from their initial anxiety at seeing Spyro after what happened in Warfang, Cynder was somewhat confused by their prolonged stares at the purple dragon. It wasn't until she focused on him further that she realised why.

Spyro looked very different from when she last saw him in full view, even without full sunlight. His head and body resembled an adult fire dragon even more now, but with a harder jawline and without the red scales. The fact that Spyro hadn't lost his muscle over the many months apart doubtless made him pleasing to look at for the dragonesses. That or they were a bit envious of the cloak he wore in the chilly weather.

On introspection, Cynder glanced back at Nadina beside her and realised how small the height gap now was. She had grown, too. She caught his gaze on her, but he averted his eyes as she glanced back at him. It wrung her gut as she saw his eyes: dull, confused and miserable, which was difficult for her to bear.

Has everything changed that quickly?

'Is that... everyone?' He asked awkwardly, and Nadina nodded gently.

'Cynder's told us the situation. If we need to keep the grublins off you, then that is what we will do.'

'Do you have a plan?'

Cynder and Nadina both glanced off to the side at Ralis, who cleared her throat.

'We can easily take care of the smaller, flying creatures. However, it is the wyverns that concern me most – we may have to rely on Cynder's powers if they show up. And if they show up in force, then you might have to help us periodically.'

Spyro nodded slowly, managing to drag his gaze off Cynder. 'What about Orcs? Especially the large ones.'

Ralis raised an intrigued brow. 'You've encountered them?'

Spyro answered with a grim frown. 'More towards the base of the mountains, but yes. And they may be able to burrow just like the other wingless grublins.'

The dragonesses glanced between each other nervously.

'...Let's hope wherever this entrance is, is clear of them.'

Spyro exchanged a nod of agreement with Ralis, before lowering his head and exhaling heavily. 'Stay safe, everyone. I would hate for anyone to suffer on my account.'

He turned away before they could react, spreading his voluminous wings and taking off down the path he had scouted for himself. Cynder and Nadina took off after him, with the rest following soon after, keeping a set distance where they could clearly see him. And yet, Cynder couldn't help remembering her dreams, where Spyro was getting further and further out of her grasp...

---

Their progress was smooth at first, despite the erratic weather now pushing its boundaries. The clouds above seemed to press down on them, the enormous rotating masses making them feel small and insignificant – as if they were ants with a rock bearing down on them. Spyro ignored it, but the dragonesses couldn't help but feel unsettled at the atmosphere.

However, the wind began to pick up even as they kept in what was supposed to be the optimal altitude, and they had to drop closer to the base of the mountain range. The dragonesses were more or less unaffected, with the ability to adjust their flight or cancel particularly strong gusts. However, Spyro slowed down significantly as he maintained his distance ahead.

Grublin platoons emerged frequently below them, though Spyro quickly launched large Ice bombs to slow them down, especially when he landed and began magically scrying the first mountain. At Ralis' suggestion, Spyro used an Earth Missile to blast a circular pocket in the rock surface large enough for him to fit, while also allowing them to easily keep it clear of Grublins with wind gusts while Spyro worked.

After nearly an hour, Spyro emerged from the hole, and answered their enquiring stares with a shake of the head, wordlessly taking off to the next mountain. It felt odd, surreal, to Cynder – to watch him from afar, almost like they were strangers, on a task as important as this...

They arrived at the second mountain soon enough, but the ground was strewn with several large groups of grublins and orcs. Many of the smaller orcs carried crossbows that they levelled at them immediately, preventing Spyro from landing. He and the dragonesses focused on eliminating the archers while also finding a suitable spot to land, with Spyro and Cynder launching the majority of their attacks while the rest of the pod deflected the whistling bolts.

It took a few minutes, but they managed to scatter the forces enough for Spyro to again carve out a scrying area. However after only another few minutes the grublins and some orcs mounted their counterattack, forcing several of them to land around Spyro and protect him while he worked. Cynder was the first on the ground, along with Ralis and Nadina, with the rest circling overhead to give them cover. Thankfully, the biggest enemy they faced were axe wielding orcs who attacked in squads and were still dealt with easily, either being flung off the mountain or ripped apart with the dragoness' claws.

However, as time dragged on, the dragonesses overhead provided less and less support, and when Cynder paused to check on them, it became obvious why. Wyverns were gradually arriving and harassing them with their dark breath attacks. The dragonesses were able to deflect them easily – but apart from physically attacking them, they had no way to effectively kill them and were getting overwhelmed.

Ralis quickly ordered her to go and help them, and Cynder swiftly utilised her Siren Scream to thin out their numbers. Most of them fled, and those that remained got ripped up when they lingered. However, this did little to stop the ongoing reinforcements.

Thankfully, Spyro emerged from his hole just in time, roaring out his arrival as he sped for the growing swarm before them.

'Get clear!'

Cynder and the other dragonesses darted out of his way, and anticipating his next attack, pushed strong wind currents in a pincer motion to clump the wyverns as close together as possible. Spyro unleashed a bolt of electricity that arced between dozens of them, and when they were jolted, flung an Ice bomb into the middle of the group. The mass of frozen bodies plummeted down and smashed into the side of the mountain, dropping off into the frozen mist. The rest fled.

Many of the dragonesses stared at him in amazement for a moment, but Spyro quickly beat his wings and took off towards the next mountain, prompting the dragonesses to gather behind him.

'It will be harder next time,' he called out warningly. 'The grublins can communicate pretty quickly. It wouldn't surprise me to see a troll or something equally big waiting for us.'

They quickly followed him, keeping a wary eye on both the mountainside and the skies. Spyro's display had driven all the wyverns off, thankfully, but as they drew closer to the next mountain, enormous gangly figures emerged through the shroud of snow. Almost immediately, they were hailed with a volley of dark bolts, aimed mainly for the more clustered pod of wind dragons. Spyro was able to deflect a dozen or so with an Earth shot, and most were able to react in time.

However, Ralis dropped sharply after the volley, and the other dragonesses instinctively leaned in to support her, keeping her aloft for a moment with wind while Nadina managed to catch one of her claws and steady her. She started flying again, but more erratically.

'Ralis! Where were you hit?'

Ralis growled reluctantly and tipped her head toward her left shoulder, in which a pulsing dark bolt was sticking out. Nadina winced; not only was she at risk of frostbite, but the dark energy felt from the projectile likely meant her magic would be sapped at the same time.

Before she could say anything else, Ralis jutted forward as she continued flying and keep up with the others. 'Don't even say it. I'm not retreating until Spyro has accomplished his mission.'

Her tone brooked no rebuttal, and Nadina reluctantly followed.

Meanwhile, Spyro and Cynder had engaged the bulk of the marksmen below, with an enormous flower-like ice formation jutting out of the surface where many of the orcs had been. With such a large attack like that, the orcs quickly focused on Spyro as he began to circle the area and get closer to the surface, with Cynder and the rest of the wind dragonesses hot on his tail. Nadina had to hope that Ralis would still retain the stamina to fly, as it was unlikely they would be able to rest on the ground until Spyro was done.

Please let this one be the right one...

Unfortunately, it looked like they were getting nowhere on this side of the mountain. Despite Spyro and Cynder's attacks from the air, the number of orcs had barely thinned. Worse, several trolls had also begun to appear, misshaping the ground as they emerged and with each downward swing of their massive fists.

Hesitating, Spyro retreated out of range of the crossbow bolts to regroup with the others. Even at a distance, he peered at Ralis worriedly, but she shook off his concern with a huff. Spyro slowly shook his head to himself before speaking.

'We'll have to go around to the other side. If there are still no wyverns, then that'll mean most of the resistance will be orcs and trolls. I might need all of you down there on the ground with me.'

Silence pervaded the group; they all knew that having to fight the large enemies on the ground was the riskiest option for them, aside from Spyro and Cynder.

Cynder also glanced at Ralis in particular, pursing her jaw thoughtfully. 'Maybe it would be enough if I joined you and the rest of you–'

'Don't think us helpless on the ground,' Ralis said vehemently. 'We are still dragons, after all.'

Spyro sighed. 'Fine. But whether or not this one is right, you all have to retreat after this. I'm not having anyone die on my account.'

He didn't wait for a response, immediately turning to fly around the mountain, with the rest soon trailing behind. Spyro accelerated with more rapid and heavy beats as they flew around the mountain, until he gradually angled his trajectory down and into the side of the mountain. The dragonesses watched him for a moment as he tucked in his wings and emerald energy began to gather in a shell around his body.

'Wait, is that–?'

Cynder didn't have time to wonder any further as Spyro, encased in a jagged rocky shell, slammed into the side of the mountain. Talon squawked in surprise and followed in tow with the rest of the dragonesses. As they got closer, they spotted several jagged rocks jutting out at a flat angle from Spyro's crater.

'Cover,' Ralis said simply. 'Could be useful.'

The dragonesses took up the best positions they could as Spyro began the scrying process once again. Talon perched on the highest angled rock and surveyed the empty surface. They waited in silence, knowing that every second counted.

It was only after a few minutes that they began to hear distant rumbling footsteps, punctuated by Talon's warning screech. It was unclear if they were the same enemies or just reinforcements closer to this side of the mountain, but half a dozen trolls and giant orcs were approaching, flanked by several squads of marksmen.

Nadina and Ralis studied the groups from a distance, and with a meaningful nod, turned to face the approaching force.

'Leave the archers alive if you can; destroy the larger ones first.'

It took Cynder several seconds to grasp their meaning, but the other wind dragonesses immediately grunted the affirmative. However, she stayed at the front, knowing her abilities would make the greatest impact in disrupting the enemy coordination. The lopsided terrain would slow her down a little bit, however.

When the bulkier foes were within range, the marksmen squads loaded their weapons and unleashed a cloud of arrows all at once, intending to scatter them from their position.

'Now!'

Nadina, Cynder and Ralis chained their wind together into a cone, funnelling as many arrows as possible around their formation. The rest of the wind dragonesses followed up on the chain, redirecting the arrows into the charging brutes, aiming at their necks and feet. They didn't go down immediately, but a giant Orc and a troll stumbled and fell, their brethren having to manoeuvre around their massive corpses.

Unfortunately, that trick did not work again, as the marksmen immediately started pacing their volleys apart and in smaller bursts. Cynder took that as her cue to attack, avoiding and cloaking past the initial line and blinding the marksmen with blankets of black fire. Once most of the archers were incinerated or blinded, she doubled back to help deal with the other large grublins.

The wind dragonesses were strong enough to hold their own, but when half the remaining melee forces were dead, reinforcements were soon to arrive. Talon had taken off from his perch and dove at the trolls, pecking at their eyes and evading their massive blows with an agility that seemed almost supernatural. With his help, the wind dragonesses were able to deal fatal bites or claws to their necks.

However, despite their losses, another group of orcs arrived. There weren't as many larger ones, but even so, they were not able to kill them faster than they emerged from the snowy ground. After three more rounds of reinforcements, their wounds began to take their toll.

After incinerating a squad of axe-wielders, Cynder cursed to herself as she saw one of the dragonesses roar with pain as her wing was torn into with several bolts from spaced volleys, and narrowly avoiding a giant club that instead crushed one of the pillars.

How much longer, Spyro?!

Meanwhile, Spyro was fighting desperately to focus on his task despite the others fighting around him. He'd had plenty of practice with meditation beforehand, but not when others were fighting for their life to buy him time.

However, despite his anxiety, he felt some measure of excitement after the first few minutes. He could tell that there was something different about this mountain, and while he couldn't directly sense it, there were slight signs of carved formations at the edge of his awareness. Whenever he found such signs, he pursued them relentlessly, and slowly but surely he began to hone in on the structure. As it slowly formed, it became clear he was only seeing a tall, hidden entrance, thin enough for Malefor's grublins to miss it. That or they had some other magical defence at play. However, he still saw no sign of the city itself, or any sign of a cavern structure. Those would be deeper still.

He followed the tall column back to the surface, trying to pinpoint the optimal entry point. He surprised himself when he had somehow looped around back to a point not far from where he already was.

Just when he was about to confirm the distance from his current position, his focus was abruptly cut off and a sharp pain speared through his skull, and his magical state was immediately broken. His eyes flashed open, and he frantically looked around. The only explanation for something like that was either the Aethereal interfering, or... someone close to him had been wounded. Or worse.

He leapt up onto one of the rocks still standing, peering desperately through the snow. He saw Cynder in the distance, though to be more accurate he saw her silhouette disappearing in a cloud of dark fire.

He felt relieved for a moment. But after a moment's pause, his gut clenched, and his eyes honed in on the only other being it could be.

And above a dying troll, he saw Talon, falling from the sky with a bolt sticking out of him.

Spyro was frozen for a moment as he took in the sight, before his body erupted to life and dove forward. He caught the falcon in one claw, staring at the limp bird miserably.

I... I never wanted this...

He resisted the urge to pull the bolt out, instead calming himself long enough to sense the falcon's energy. He was still alive, but he was fading fast.

Spyro searched his memory for anything he could do. He said he didn't want anyone dying on his account, and if it was possible, he would follow that through.

And soon, after recalling his experience over a year ago, hunting in the forest – he knew what to do.

He raised his head and roared at the top of his lungs.

'Everyone, retreat!'

However, he remained standing where he was, deliberately attempting to draw the attention of the enemies while the other dragons seized the opportunity to take off. After launching several loud firebombs and earth missiles, he spotted Cynder finally taking off in the distance. Still cradling Talon in one paw, he focused all his determination and energy into his next attack, blasting the ground beneath with plumes of flame that helped him take off with a beat of his wings. He kept the attack going for several seconds, waiting for the snow to completely melt. The crowd of enemies below were hit with a wave of condensed moisture, and Spyro immediately followed up with a stream of electricity that fanned out into dozens of bolts running through the wet surface below.

With the swarms incapacitated for the moment, Spyro pushed himself around to follow the dragonesses, slowly concentrating on Talon while maintaining his flight at the same time. He aimed his snout at the bird's exposed belly delicately, freezing the wound slowly in the tiniest stream he could manage. Once the wound was sufficiently sealed, he closed his eyes and reached out with his mind. Once he was able to feel Talon's presence, faint as it was, he poured what energy he had into their connection, until he felt the falcon stir slightly in his paws.

Talon?

It was exactly what he was hoping for, but even he was amazed the bird was able to survive. Even more so when Talon responded, but only with his mind.

...Not... finished...

He wasn't sure what the falcon meant by that. But that wasn't what was important right now.

You're wounded. I have to get you to safety, but... I'm so close.

He thought about it for a moment and opened his eyes. His gaze shot to Cynder initially, then reluctantly shifed to Nadina. Approaching any of them was a risk, but he had to take it. For Talon.

You've done enough, Talon...

He could tell the bird was unhappy with those words, but he wasn't sure why. In fact, he never truly understood why Talon came with him in the first place, especially if he was refusing to leave now. As he wondered, he felt something familiar about Talon's presence.

And then, he was recollecting the odd dream he had last night. It felt the same.

That... dream. That wasn't mine, or the Aethereal's... it was yours.

Talon physically stirred again and opened one eye.

'You aren't so different from me, are you? You just want to be free. I'm not sure from what, but...'

Go back with the others. And if you want to be free, I'm sure Hunter will understand.

That seemed to silence Talon in contemplation, and Spyro took the chance. He glanced at Nadina expectantly, and she peered down at Talon and nodded.

Spyro spurred himself forward, reflexively bracing himself for any attempt for the Aethereal to take over. The moment he was within reach, he hurriedly but carefully dropped Talon into Nadina's waiting paws, backing off the moment he did to watch them from a distance.

'Thank you, everyone. I managed to find the best way in... but I have to go now.' He fell silent for a moment, swallowing. 'I hope it will all be over soon. You should all go home.'

The dragonesses were unable to object, with most wounded in some way. They would need their strength just to return to Warfang, and they knew it.

Cynder wanted to object, but she found herself similarly tongue-tied. She wanted so desperately to get him to come with them – or failing that, to stay with him. That was her hope now, but Spyro still was so instinctively against it. Heat rose in her throat for a moment.

And it's all because of that... thing.

Then, Spyro looked at her, and the anger vanished instantly. They shared a longing gaze, feeling like an eternity, but neither one wanting to break it. Eventually, Spyro broke away with a pained clench of the jaw and flew away hurriedly.

'Spyro!'

Cynder flew right after him, despite the protests of her fellow dragonesses. She felt her wings being pushed back by wind gusts, but she ignored her surroundings entirely, concentrating only on Spyro's form flying forward before her, getting further and further away. The way it reminded the black dragoness of her dreams sent her into a growing panic.

Spyro flew with purpose, close to where they had just retreated, and straight into the waiting swarm. He didn't even bother picking them off from the air, instead landing and straight-up attacking the remaining trolls and orcs head-on. Flashes and explosions clouded her vision, of fire, ice and electricity.

It was then she realised the wind gusts holding her back were too deliberate and focused to be natural. She glanced backwards, eyeing the two relatively unwounded dragonesses furiously.

'What are you doing?!'

They took a moment to answer. 'You need to get clear. The only reason Spyro would fight them directly like that is–'

She fell silent as they looked on. Spyro's form was visible again, but now shockwaves were pulsing through the ground around him as emerald energy seeped from his claws. The amount of power they felt from him was immense.

The orcs and trolls around him howled in terror as the ground collapsed beneath them, with most of the visible surface cracking and caving in. Finally, the surface crumbled with a deafening rumble, and the surface of the mountain fell away, with Spyro going down with it.

Cynder tore away from the dragonesses at that moment, diving straight at where Spyro had just been, clawing away at the rock to no avail. The wind gusts pushed her back again before the surrounding rock could crush her.

By the time the dust cleared Cynder was still clawing away at the rocks.

'Cynder, it's... too late.'

The black dragoness fell silent for a moment, before she raised her head to emit a wailing screech that echoed through the mountainside.