Prologue

The wind blew through a grassy field the soft sound of the plants shifting in the breeze giving a serene feeling gazing upon it before a shadow blew over it roaring. The red dragon flapped his wings stirring the grassy fields below him as he flew over the walls of a massive city. Diving down into it he skimmed over the roof tops gazing down at the cheetah's, moles, and dragons milling about with other species thought lost during the wars against Malefor and his hoards of slaves, monsters, beasts, and traitors. The world had been rebuilding in the fifteen years after his defeat. With a smile the red dragon flapped as he rose higher heading to a massive dome in the center of the city. From his current height the young dragon could see two massive statures. One a Large bronze statue depicting a elder dragon reading from a old tome while lying on his side. Ignitus, The Gallant, he had remembered reading on the plaque that sat on the base of the statue. Yes, the world still wept for him as flame felt his wings grow heavy before he sighed. He had hoped to learn from him one day. He found his eyes drifting to the Silver statues of Spyro and Cynder. They stood side to side posed with their head's held high as they stood tall and strong. With a heavy flap the dragon growled hating the remnants of Malefor's armies even more now. Angling himself high he flew towards a open flight door in the side of the dome.

Using the momentum of his landing to hit a smooth gallop so he could quickly and carefully run through the halls. He found the doors to the meeting room of the guardians closed as he figured they would be. Nodding he took out several scrolls and slid them inside of the slot near the large double doors. Closing the slot he pulled the causing a bell to ring.

On the other side an icy blue fore paw opened and reached into the slot pulling out the scrolls, and a tome. "Young Flame's delivery arrived. Such a punctual dragon." Cyril stated softly to the other four in the room. Sitting back at his side of the table he placed the newly arrived scrolls in the center along with the tome. He opened one how ever with the sigil of Warfang's scouts. He opened it quickly his eyes tracing over the parchment a frown growing.

"What's the matter Cyril?" The green scaled Guardian Terrador asked his deep baritone rumbling the air. This caused Volteer to pause in his conversation with a soot scaled dragon to his left to look to Cyril.

"More bad news from the south west. A new threat has rose up. A soothsayer in services to this so called, "Son of Malefor" the apes we captured rant about. He's cut us off from the Stone Empire's border… The wild lands to the south of us is lost. We don't have the numbers to maintain a presence out there any more." The ice dragon stated with a sigh.

"That is not good… Our only allies at this point will be the remnants of Windscar… And Avalar at this point. That new threat to our south-east cutting us off from the Stone Empire, then we have rumors of the remnants of the Thirteen just beyond Avalar in the west… luckily for us Avalar valley is massive and its hard to hide a army there, or survive the cheetah clans hit and run tactics."

"You are correct Terrador, but the clans are still heavily wary of us. On top of that to the north I've been getting reports of my home is under siege! Face it, we're on the brink, if all those armies allied together, the dragon race will be extinct or utterly enslaved." Cyril said putting his head into the grasp of a fore paw.

Volteer snorted sparks from his nostrils, "You give up far to easily Cyril… I will not give up! Weoweittoallwhodiedforthischance!" The yellow dragon stated his speech picking up such speed it was hard to hear exactly what he said. Cyril snarled about to snap back when…

BOOM

The thunderous slap of Terrador's tail echoed in the meeting room silencing the two quarreling dragons. As the silence began to drag on the soot gray dragon spoke up in a soft feminine tone, "I know times are tough. Malefor's forces have spent thousands of years building up to a ridiculous degree. But these armies are all held together by the thinnest of bonds. But… I fear this generation of Guardian shouldn't be the only ones to hold the reigns of Warfang…"

When Volcana finished speaking the other three looked to each other thoughtfully. Terrador looked to the temporary fire guardian, "Are you proposing we recruit new guardian candidates?"

"I am. Our four elements have stewarded here in Warfang for thousands of years, not only that we're down a true guardian. I was brought up to fill in for a fire guardian. I'm an Ash dragon. Not a fire dragon. Not a pure one that is. I'm no where near the strength requirements or knowledge of the element of fire. In case we fall there would be a new set of guardians…. But I also feel that rebuilding the guardian council is a must. Wind, fire, ice, earth, lightning, water, fear, poison, and shadow all must be filled. If we are to survive we must rebuild everything… or our race is doomed…" Volcana said her face stern and stoic as the other guardians looked to one another again and Terrador looked forward taking a deep breath.

"All in Favor?"

A chorus of "Aye" echoed in the chamber.

"The motion carries…. May the Ancestors guide us."

With a blink of his right eye Hati staggered as he broke contact with the vision pool before him. The wolf growled and stood up leaning on the silver headed staff in his right hand. The ruby eyes glinting in the torch light with the Onyx's gem inside the wolf's jaws. "The strings of fate are in motion." He whispered to the other Sages. As he looked up a massive red dragon stared at the wolf and nodded, "I've sensed them moving. I do not like the direction they're going."

"Neither do I Skol, but we can't let our pride get the better of us. You ignored Hati's warning about Malefor, and look what almost came to pass! We're lucky our planet craved balance and gave birth to Malefor's only counter… Another purple dragon." Stated the crocodile sage to Hati's right as he sat cross legged.

"I concur with the sage of the earth. But I do wonder what the Moon Sage has in mind." The water Sage stated her eyes locked on the wolf as he stood up straight looking to the final sage. The sage of the skies.

She pondered what was said as her feathers rippled. The gryphon tapped a claw against her staff. "Whatever Hati proposes we must accept it and let him steer the strings of fate… We can not interfere after the blunder we made in ignoring him."

Skol looked to his brother and snorted haughtily before he nodded in agreement. "Damn it. We can't afford to be indecisive at this hour. I hope you have a plan dear brother."

"I have no plan… The strings of fate are already in motion. It is finally time for a resurgence." hati stated looking into the massive pool. The smooth waters shimmered and flowed before they shifted into a clear over head picture. "And fate has given him the perfect start."

Hati and the others stared into the pool as they watched a silvery gray dragon with abnormally large wings, and double joints. His scared metal armor, and crudely made animal hide gambesons along the unarmored areas of his body. Skol's eyes widened seeing where this was his scales seemed to vibrate as he stood up.

"Don't you dare! Those dragons deserve to stay gone due to their connection to him!"

Hati glared at him and channeled shadow magic in protest. "The council has spoken brother. Now… be silent and let fate take over." Hati said threateningly causing the dragon to gulp and lay back down.

"Now… let us see what fate has in store." With that his staff clacked on the the stone floor pulsing the energy down into the pool.

The rhythmic sound of armor clinking on his body Marshal looked around making sure nothing was following him. He had finished scouting for warfang in the territories of Windscar. He did not like that he had to hide some information from the guardians, The Black Hurricane is gone his forces scattered to the wind. It made no sense. Shaking his head he sighed and kept walking forward along the mountain pass. He was only walking due to the wing tearing winds whistling through the mountains. He may be a wind dragon, but he was one to be more safe than sorry while traveling.

He enjoyed the feeling of the wind on him at this altitude due to the soft chill it provided. He inhaled and sighed only to freeze and dropped into a combat stance when his spine tingled as as shadow rushed passed him. "What the hell was that?"

His tail rose up the hammer like tail blade rose up as he glanced about. He then saw a moving shadow to his left rushing into a cave. He snarled thinking it was a spy from the thirteen! But he stopped once entering the small cave. Within it stood a massive element crystal. It radiated shadow magic. He glanced back to see runes, and non-draconic magic at the entrance making him blink. Why did he detect this crystal if it was hidden? He approached it cautiously Shadow magic circled the base lighting up the crystal showing a dragon inside. She had something clutched to her chest. Staring into this crystal Marshal raised a fore paw and rested it there.

"How did you get in here?" He asked as he looked over her. He noticed wounds covering her body from head to tail. He wondered what happened to her. The moment he touched the crystal it glowed as the energies that led him here rushed into it causing it to break and crack in front of him. "W-what...No no no no no don't break! She'll…" He stated before he saw it shatter completely but the dragoness was still whole as she fell forward. He rushed forward to catch her before she hit the ground the crystal's already melting into pure energy, but they flowed into the object clutched to her chest.

Her eyes opened showing a deep beautiful amethyst shade to her eyes, a tattoo forming on her neck in a intricate pattern like ivy flowing into Nordic symbols. "S-save him….Protect my baby." He voice whispered weakly just as she shifted pushing the object she held into a fore leg, and he reflexively took it. Realizing it was an egg! A shadow dragon egg!

"Who are you?! Why were you sealed in crystal?! Where did you come from?!" Marshal questioned her only to pause when he felt her body growing cold and felt a warm liquid flowing onto him. He looked down her body noticing the stab wound in her chest and gulped…. She was dying.

Marshal looked to her meeting her eyes, "I'll protect your egg… You have my word… I'll raise you child like my own child."

She smiled softly, "H-his name is Shadow… His father is Kashiin… I-I-I'm Noir." She wheezed before her body went limp. Her body was ice cold, and he blinked, and frowned upset with himself for not having healing crystals with him. He had to use them on himself earlier. As he looked to the egg Marshal stood up and placed the egg in a warm cloth moving around items in his pack into his pouches on his body and placed the egg inside with a heated coal pan under it to keep it nice and warm. Closing it up he picked up her body burying her in a soft patch of dirt. He used his wind to cut into the stone writing in her name above the grave he just dug up, placed and buried her body in.

Here lies Noir

She gave her last protecting her egg

He nodded looking at the grave marker and picked up his pack. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you." He whispered to her as he left heart heavy. He did not know her, but he hated having to feel the death of another dragon in his arms. He lost so many friends and family to the cursed armies of Malefor. With a snarl he kept walking. At least until he felt the wind dying down until it was nothing but a gentle thermal breeze.

"Easy flying… Don't worry young one. I'll protect you." Marshal whispered to the egg as his massive double jointed wings extended before he dove down the thermals taking hold as he took flight flying towards Warfang. He would keep this vow to that unknown dragoness.

Marshal couldn't help but feel like something or someone had been watching and waiting to see what he'd do. With a soft sigh the wing dragon flew faster creating a pulse of wind with a scooping flap of his wings shifting them into a speed glide. Who ever that dragoness was he noticed she had the clean scales of royalty. Her scent under the smell of blood, hinted this as well. But he wondered something else. How long had she been sealed in that crystal. Who put her there, and why? Something was stirring and it worried him. He couldn't help but think this dragon egg is going to be at the center of this.

"He must hide who and what he is until he is ready to face what ever had his mother scared…. I hope I can help him… I am sorry little one… but I must hide those scales of yours." He thought to himself. With war fang coming into sight the dragon pushed aside his negative thoughts and dove for the city at a angle. He hoped she could help him hide his scales until he's ready to face a world full of hate….