Dragon on the Plains, part 2

Spyro and Sheila helped Chief Kane climb from the river. His clothes and fleece were soaked through, making him heavy to pull out.

"Chief, are you hurt?" an Atlawa asked.

"No, I'm fine," Kane panted. "A little dazed, but nothing serious." He looked at Sheila. "Sheila? Never thought I'd see you again…"

"Nor I, you," Sheila said, her arms folded.

Kane turned his gaze on Spyro. "You again? Why would you help me? Aren't you in league with that crazy Sorcerer?"

"I am not," Spyro said, trying to inject a sense of dignity into his words. "He's just as much my enemy as yours. Besides, have you forgotten that you once lived in harmony with the Earth Dragons here?"

"Well, yes, but that was before…"

"Yew could at least say thank you, Kane!" Sheila snapped. "Were it not for him, you'd have been washed away! Stop being so stubborn for once!"

Kane sighed. "Fine, thanks for the help, I guess… But why bother saving me at all?"

"It's mostly a good guy thing," Sparx said.

"Yeah, we wish to help everyone who lives here," Spyro said. "And we need to find the Ice Guardian, Cyril. He's being held at the Shrine. Can you help us get there?"

Kane ran a hand over his face. "Given how many enemies there are, I doubt you'll make it."

"Hey, we're prepared to try!" Sheila shot back. "Come on, Chief! 'Elp us out!"

"All right then, but we need to get my people to a safe spot first," Kane said.

"Okay, then we got a deal," Spyro said. "But first, let's take care of those Rumble Brutes!"

Said Brutes had, at that moment, just come down from the top of the waterfall. A Brute gave a roar and ran at Spyro, who dodged its arm. Remembering what he'd done moments ago, he hit the Brute with a blast of Ice. Sheila finished it with a hard punch, causing it to shatter. Another went for Kane, who dodged and pushed it into the river, where the Brute sank like the stone it was. The third swung at Sheila's head. She ducked just in time. Spyro zapped the Brute with Electricity, knocked it into the air. Then he whipped it about with his tail and claws before slamming it into the ground. Kane severed the Brute's head with his staff.

"You fight well, young Dragon," he conceded. Sparx was amazed that he had said that, but before he could say anything, they heard screams and yells. Next moment, the green-robed Thieves emerged from the foliage, some of them holding Elora, Sapia and Zen.

"Elora!" Spyro gasped in shock.

"We have found you, Dragon!" the Thieves' leader said, pointing his sword at Spyro.

"Let them go, creep!" Spyro shouted.

"Don't test us, Dragon!" Bianca said, raising a wand threateningly. "If you want your faun friends free, surrender to us and we'll release them. And believe me; I'd prefer it that way!"

"Hmm, how about NO?!" Spyro said, and he charged forward in a burst of fire at the bounty hunters, but they scarpered out of the way.

"Alright, you asked for it!" Bianca aimed her wand at Spyro to cast a spell, but all that appeared with a single fluttering butterfly. "Bother! Still getting the hang of this thing!"

"We'll handle this!" the Thief leader said.

The Thieves drew out various weapons. Spyro, Sheila and Kane readied themselves for a fight, while the other Atlawa and Goats ran for cover.

"You really think you can beat me?" Spyro challenged.

"Heh, you may not have heard of us, but we're expert thieves!" one of them said. "We've caught many Dragons over the years, much bigger than you!"

"I'm the Purple Dragon!" Spyro said. "So…"

He whirled himself up into a Twister and spiralled toward the Thieves, but again, they avoided the attack. One took advantage of this to throw a bola at Spyro, which wrapped around his body, trapping his wings and causing him to fall to the ground. Spyro struggled against his ropes, and tried to burn them off, but it was no good.

"Wire cables," the Thief sneered. "Completely fireproof."

"But you're not," Spyro said, aiming a jet of flame at him, only for the Thief to raise a shield in defence.

The other thieves went for Sheila and Kane. Sheila wrestled with two at once, while Kane battered the third with his staff.

"Stay back, you Thief!" Kane said.

"You'll regret that, llama!" the Thief growled.

Sheila kicked one of her opponents into a tree, dazing him. His companion quickly pulled out a blowpipe to fire a dart at the kangaroo, but Sheila was quicker. As the Thief put the pipe to his mouth, Sheila blew into the other end, sending the dart into the roof of the Thief's mouth. The Thief cried out in pain. The poison in the dart took effect and he collapsed, unconscious.

Sheila sprung over to Spyro in a single bound. As she landed, she kicked hard into the ground, shaking the Thief that had trapped Spyro off balance. Shiela followed through with a right hook to the Thief's face, knocking him out cold.

"Thanks, Sheila," Spyro said.

"No problem mate," Sheila smiled. "No time to untie you, but how about this?"

She lifted Spyro up like a small cannon, allowing him to aim with his breaths. The Thief Sheila had slammed into a tree charged forward; a mace raised over his head. Spyro shot a blast of Ice at him, freezing him where he stood.

At that moment, however, the Thieves holding Elora, Sapia and Zen pointed their weapons at the three Fauns.

"Surrender, Dragon," one said, "or watch your friends die!"

"Actually, I have a better idea!" Bianca interrupted. She waved her wand, and she, the Thieves and the Fauns vanished.

"What the?! Where'd they go?" Spyro exclaimed.

"I don't know! How'd they vanish? " Sparx asked, worried.

"Through magic," Sheila said, with a grim face.

"We have to follow them!" Spyro cried.

"But they could've gone anywhere!" Kane said, having just pinned his Thief down. "Probably far away from here!"

"And where could that be?!" Spyro demanded, just as Sheila managed to untie him.

"Maybe this mongrel will know," Kane said, gesturing to the Thief he had pinned down.

"I am not telling you anything!" the Thief declared.

"Oh, you will mate. Or me purple mate, here, will cook ya!" Sheila glowered.

"Ha, you think that'll scare me?" the Thief said. "We're trained to resist torture of any kind! Do your worst, Dragon!" He said the last words with a sneer.

Spyro felt angry; rage was bubbling up inside him like potion in a hot cauldron. He reached out and grabbed the Thief by the throat.

"Where. Have. They. Taken. My. Sister?!" he snarled. The Thief just smiled wickedly.

"Whoa, easy there, bro!" Sparx said, nervously.

"If yew kill him, mate, he can't tell us anythin'," Sheila said.

"I don't care! He will tell us!" Spyro growled.

"Maybe I will and maybe I won't," the Thief mocked.

Back in the Forgotten Realms, Bianca had brought the Fauns before Deina.

"Bianca," Deina said dangerously, "are any of these three purple, or a Dragon?!"

"Mistress, I know these three aren't who you asked for," Bianca bowed deeply, "but I reckoned we could use them as bait; lure Spyro into a trap. He and his friends are tougher than we thought, but if they were in, say, an environment more favourable to us, he should be easier to apprehend."

Deina thought for a few moments, before smiling slowly.

"Excellent! Maybe you'll amount to something amazing yet…"

"What do you want with Spyro, you old dinosaur?!" Elora hissed, glaring at Deina.

"It's none of your concern, young Faun," Deina said, grinning. "Guards, take these three deer and send them to Red at Dino Mines. They should find some good company there."

"Yes, Mistress." The Guards shunted the three Fauns out of the room.

"Spyro won't be captured so easily!" Elora yelled, as she was dragged away. "He'll die before he becomes your prisoner!"

Deina just laughed at her. "Oh, I'll wager you won't be so sure of that once he and I have made our acquaintance."

"You will pay for this, Deina! We swear it!" Sapia shouted at her, as they disappeared from view.

"If you don't mind, Mistress," one of the Thieves said, "we'd like to return to Tall Plains. I know your plan is to lure the Purple Dragon into a trap, but I reckon the sooner we catch him, the better for us all."

"That can be arranged," Deina said. "And I will have my Rhynocs to assist you."

"Thank you, ma'am," the Thief said, bowing in respect.

Back at Tall Plains, Sheila and Kane had to wrestle Spyro away from the Thief. Shortly into the interrogation, Spyro's rage billowed and he drove his claws into the Thief's robes, drawing blood. Spyro fought against the arms holding him. His wild glare never left the Thief.

"Stay away from me, Dragon!" the Thief cried.

"Not until you tell me where my sister is!" the young Dragon hissed.

"I don't think he's gonna talk, mate," Sheila said. "I think we'll have to find out another way. But for now, we should get to rescuing Cyril!"

"What about my sister?!" Spyro and Sparx said together, both afraid and angry.

"We'll find her and the others, I promise," Sheila assured them. "But now, we need to find Cyril. Maybe he can help."

"Fine… then, we need to find the Shrine." Spyro said, a severe edge to his voice.

"Agreed," Sheila said. "But first things first, we need to finish our work here. Let's get the Fountain back up and running; then, we'll head for the Shrine."

Kane shook his head. "The Shrine God won't be very welcoming, young Dragon. Ever since Cynder's forces came here, we haven't been able to pay proper tribute. He'll be angry if you manage to reach his Shrine."

"Nice little ray of sunshine, aren't you, Kane?" Sheila muttered.

"Hey, I'm being realistic, Sheila!" Kane snapped. "I don't have false hope like you!"

"False 'ope is when there's no chance of regainin' our home!" Sheila said. "And I see there's a good chance of that happ'nin'! But I'm obviously wastin' my breath for you! Come on, Spyro!"

"All right…" Spyro said. He and Sparx followed Sheila up the river.

"Umm, Sheila," Spyro said, distracted from his worry about Elora. "Is something up between you and Kane? You appear to know each other well."

"Yeah, me and Kane have a bit of history," Sheila explained. "I was a good friend of his when we were young. But, well, we fell out because of our different approaches to life; I love adventure, whereas he prefers caution."

A large fountain came into sight. "Here we are mates, the fountain," Sheila said.

Just then, Apes came running at them from around the Fountain. The first met Sheila's fist, while Spyro tore into the rest, with surprising ferocity.

"You Apes are really getting me in a bad mood!" Spyro growled.

The nearest Ape soldier laughed. "Bring it on, Pipsqueak!"

He soon regretted that statement, as Spyro unleashed a tirade of slashes, bites, whips and Elemental blasts. Sparx and Sheila were a little unnerved by this.

"How do you like that, creeps?" Spyro asked the Apes that were still standing, albeit with burns, cuts and bruises. Terror quivered in their eyes.

"Retreat!" The injured Apes ran off. Sparx was impressed, but still settled.

"Nice job, bro!" he said, offering him a high five, but Spyro ignored him.

"Those Apes really get on my nerves!" he snarled, steam issuing from his nostrils.

"Whoa! Easy there, bro!" Sparx said nervously.

Spyro groaned. "Sorry, I'm just having a bad day."

Sheila went over to the fountain, and opened a hatch to examine the plumbing.

"I may need a few moments to get it goin' again, mates," she said. "Muck has built up due to inactivity."

"Yeah, yeah, fine," Spyro huffed. He proceeded to stride about anxiously.

"Calm down, bro," Sparx said.

"HOW CAN I?!" Spyro yelled, making Sheila jump and bang her head. "FIRST, I'M TREATED WITH DISTRUST BY THE NATIVES; THEN I SEE A DRAGON GET KILLED RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME; AND NOW MY SISTER HAS BEEN CAPTURED AND TAKEN WHO KNOWS WHERE!"

"Our sister," Sparx reminded.

Spyro glared at Sparx, who glared right back.

"Spyro, would you be so kind as to not yell?" Sheila said, rubbing her head. "It's not going get us nowhere."

"And standing around here doing nothing isn't any more productive!" Spyro hissed. "What if they kill Elora?!"

"Somehow, I doubt it," Sheila said, as she searched her bag for something to help her. "I think they captured her and those other two for hostages."

"How would you know?" Spyro asked.

"Because, if you remember, I was a prisoner of Deina. And knowing her, she would leave her prisoners alive for a reason or another."

Spyro simmered for a while before speaking. "Fine, but once we save Cyril, we go and confront this Deina!"

"Whoa, whoa!" Sparx said. "I want Elora saved and the other two faun pals as much as you do, but we don't know where they are, or who this Deina lady is."

"Deina is a Sorceress who lives in the Forgotten Realms," said a voice. Kane had just emerged from the brush with a few Atlawa. "That Rabbit you saw earlier; that was her apprentice, Bianca."

"And why are you here?" Spyro asked hotly.

"I was thinking about what Sheila said," Kane said, "and I've decided to help you get to the Shrine. But first, we'll get the Fountain going again."

"Glad you'll be able to help," Sheila said.

Spyro sighed, knowing he needed to calm down. "All right… let's fix the water."

Sheila didn't have any tools to unblock the pipes, but Kane had another idea. He and his tribesmen took some nuts from a nearby tree, ground them up and put them in a metal container. They asked Spyro to heat the water to boiling point. This helped produce what Kane called a detergent, which – once boiled – was poured into the pipes to clear the muck. As there were several pipes, this process was repeated several times over until the pipes were cleared enough to enable the Fountain to function properly.

"Alright," Sheila said. "Here we go." She and Kane started up the pump that drew water up from underground. Soon, the water was flowing freely, and the river began to clear.

"Well glad that the water is back to normal," Sparx smiled.

"Yes… But we do have the Shrine God to deal with," Kane said. "And there are still people to be saved."

"Then, let's get to it," Spyro said.

"Hold up, mate," Sheila said. "There's also my home in the mountains that needs to be liberated too. You promised after all."

"But Elora-!"

"No offence to your sister, but the world's bigger than just you three."

Spyro sighed. He had given his word, after all. "Fine…"

"I'll go ahead to the Shrine and see what it looks like up there," Chief Kane said, and he hurried off.

Spyro, Sparx and Sheila left the Marsh and began to make their way towards the Mountains, where she and her Goat friends lived.

"There should be a Portal that leads up there," Sheila said. "If my memory serves me right, it should be close by. But be on your Guard, boys."

"Right," Spyro & Sparx said.

Sure enough, a Portal came into sight. Rhynocs and Apes stood around it, weapons at the ready.

"Let's create a diversion," Sheila suggested. "It should give us the element of surprise for the blokes in the mountains."

"How about we ask where this Deina may have seen prisoners?!" Spyro hissed.

Sheila sighed. "Spyro! You know we need to save the Plains before we find your friends."

"Look, I'm not going to wait around, while they get imprisoned or tortured or worse! Plus, dealing with them would be quicker!"

"It's also more likely to get us hurt, or worse! I'm all for action, kid, but my experiences have taught me the importance of treading carefully around the enemy!"

"Look, can we just do something?" Sparx cut in. "Arguing isn't going to get us anywhere."

"Fine." Spyro sighed. "But if we find out Elora's been killed, I'm holding you responsible for us not saving her in time."

With that, Spyro lit a bush on fire, getting the Rhynocs and Apes' attention.

"What is that?" A Rhynoc exclaimed. He and a few others went to investigate. Knowing how dangerous wildfire was in a forest, they worked swiftly to put the fire out. The remaining Apes by the Portal were tackled into it by Spyro with a Fire Dash, while Sheila snuck up on the others, under cover of the fire's crackling, and took them out with a few well-aimed punches. Then, she and Sparx followed Spyro into the Portal.

On the other side, where Spyro had frozen the Apes he'd tackled, they arrived in a mountainous region, with tall pines, high steps and a high view of the clouds below.

"Whoa," Sparx breathed. "You guys have amazing views."

"Thanks," Sheila said. "Come on, let's get movin'."

She bounded over to the steps, took a bound straight up. Then, just as she came back down, she slammed her feet down and she sprung up even higher, allowing her to reach the top of the steps in a single bound.

"Wow!" Spyro said, as he and Sparx followed. "You really have a spring in your step."

"Comes with bein' a kangaroo," Sheila smiled.

"Hey, you!" A Rhynoc had noticed them. There was also another Dragon statue nearby.

Spyro charged at the Rhynoc. He tried to defend with a shield, only to be knocked down by the young Dragon's charge.

"Okay, creep, why are you here at Sheila's home?" Spyro asked.

"Guarding the place for my men! But I'm not telling you anything else!" the soldier said.

"We don't expect you to!" Sheila said.

"Well, how about you tell where your ruler Deina might have taken my sister Elora and her friends?" Spyro snarled.

"The highness takes a lot of people. I don't care why or to where, dragon!"

This made Spyro angry; he opened his mouth and torched the side of the Rhynoc's face, causing him to scream in pain.

"OKAY! OKAY! She takes her prisoners to the Dino Mines where Red asides! Red keeps the captives alive so they can mine for Dark Gems for the Dark Master! That's all I know, I swear!"

"Well, tell your boss this, after I free my friends, I'm coming for her! And Red should beware as well!"

"Red isn't the only one you should be worried about! There's also Ripto and his pack!"

"I'm not afraid!" Spyro said. And he head-butted the Rhynoc, knocking him out.

"Now I know where Elora and the others are. We'll go there after we save Cyril," Spyro said.

"Sounds like a plan," Sheila said. "But first, let's free that Dragon."

This Dragon wore a purple cape, loincloth and hat. A blue orb hung from his tail, and a satchel carrying books was slung over his shoulder, while a key on a necklace hung around his neck.

"Ah, thank you, little ones," he said. "I am Kelvin."

"Any advice on how to get rid of the Rhynocs who occupy this place?" Spyro asked.

"They live in huts, on the other side of the cave," Kelvin said. "Take out those huts, and they should be unable to keep their hold on this place."

"Cheers, mate," Sheila said.

Just then, more Rhynocs came at them, but Kelvin froze them in ice, allowing Spyro to finish them with a blast of Fire. Thanking Kelvin for his help, Spyro, Sheila and Sparx proceeded up more steps towards a log cabin, where more Rhynocs were waiting for them.

"It's Sheila and that purple dragon!" one of the Rhynocs cried.

"Let's get them!" another said and they charged at their attackers, but they had no more luck than the others.

Spyro and Sheila proceeded onward into a cave, where they were almost bowled over by a mad moose. "Whoa, that guy seems angry!" Sparx said.

"Well, let's see if he's up for a charging match!" Spyro said and he charged at the moose his head bent, only to be knocked back, due to the moose's greater weight. Shaking his head, Spyro tried again, this time aiming for its side. However, the moose avoided this too. Losing patience, Spyro delivered a blast of ice to the floor, creating an icy sheet on the stone.

As the moose charged again, its feet slipped on the ice and it crashed into a wall. Spyro smirked. "That'll show him!"

"There'll be more," Sheila warned. "Like the Brutes, they've gone crazy!"

They proceeded quickly through the caves. Then, as they emerged into a larger cavern, an arrow suddenly flew over their heads. Sparx shrieked and dived into Sheila's pouch for cover. The green-robed Thieves had found them.

"There you are Dragon! We've found ya!" The Leader said.

"You guys! You'll regret facing me!" Spyro glared at them.

"Oh, we're so scared!" One of the thieves said in a mocking tone; and he laughed, making Spyro mad. The young Dragon sent a fireball at the Thieves, making them jump back.

"So you like to fight huh? Well, we'll give you a fight!" The Leader challenged as he drew a blade.

"Surrender now, and we'll go easy on you!" Spyro threatened.

"Sorry, but we never surrender!" the Leader said, and the Thieves charged.

"You'll have to take us down first, mates!" Sheila said. She bounced forward to deliver a powerful punch, but the Thieves managed to avoid her. One aimed a crossbow at her and fired. The arrow clipped her arm. Sheila cried out in pain. Spyro, meanwhile, moved in to engage the other Thieves, who attacked with swords and spears. Spyro dodged their blows and responded with Elemental bursts. However, the Thieves, like the Apes in the Swamp, were prepared, using shields to block his attacks.

"Heh, is that the best you can do?" the leader taunted, smiling like a maniac.

"No fair using shields!" Spyro snapped.

"All's fair in war!" The Thieves swung their spears and swords at Spyro, who parried with a tail whip. The swords left cuts in Spyro's tail, making him wince in pain. In anger, he lashed out with Fire, which was blocked by the shields, but did manage to nip their feet, making the Thieves dance on the spot in pain. Sheila bounded up into the air and brought both fists down on two Thieves. Both Thieves collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"Impossible!" The leader shrieked.

"Well, looks like you're toast!" Spyro smirked as he charged into him, knocking him to a wall. The leader was dazed by the blow, but rallied at once and kicked out at Spyro, knocking him back. He then threw another net at Spyro, trying to trap him again, but Spyro was ready, using his Wind abilities to evade the net, before grabbing it in mid-air and throwing it back at the leader. The leader managed to run through the net with his sword, but he was slightly tripped up by the two halves.

"Impressive, little dragon," he said. "Mistress Deina has good reason to be interested in you!"

"Well," Spyro said, before whirling himself into a Twister, interlacing it with Electricity, sending bolts everywhere, throwing the leader and some of his cohorts into a small cavern, while Sheila kicked the rest after them. Spyro then sent a powerful bolt into the ceiling, collapsing a portion of rock to trap the Thieves.

"...tell her from me that I'm coming for her," he finished. "That is, if you can get out of that!" he added with a laugh.

"Curse you Dragon!" the leader shouted.

"Whoa, nice job bro. You sure showed them," Sparx said, as he peeked out of Sheila's pouch.

"I did help, too." Sheila said. "Also, could you please be kind enough to get out of my pouch?"

"Oh right," Sparx said, flying out of Sheila's pouch.

"Let's just finish your business here," Spyro said.

They left the caves at last, and saw a number of huts, with Rhynocs swarming around them, along with another statue standing nearby.

"These are the huts, just as Kelvin said," Spyro said. "Take these out, and you should be able to get your home back, Sheila."

"I am counting on it!" Sheila said, ready for a fight.

"Well, time for us to make a house call," Sparx said.

"I'll smash down the houses. You get them horn-heads!" Sheila said.

"Got it!" Spyro said. Sheila made a huge bound into the air and then slammed both feet down hard onto the huts, smashing them and startling the Rhynocs. Spyro, taking advantage of their distraction, lashed out with his Elemental powers and claws. The Rhynocs put up a fierce fight, as always, but they never stood such chance. Soon, they were defeated, and Sheila's goat friends were able to return home. The Dragon freed was Ajax. Like Kelvin, he wore purple, which matched his horns, and carried a crescent-topped staff with an icy blue flame burning.

"Oh thank you, Sheila, thank you!" Billy said.

"Thanks, but I couldn't have done it without Spyro & Sparx here."

"Indeed not," Ajax said. "You have great potential, young Dragon. We're lucky to have you."

"It was nothing," Spyro said. "Now, let's get to the Shrine."

As the trio made their way back through the mountainous area, they saw Apes and Rhynocs boarding a flying ship in the distance.

"Maybe that's what will get to the Shrine," Spyro said. "Come on; let's get aboard."

"Are you crazy?" Sparx said. "It'll be crawling with bad guys."

"Nothing we can't handle," Sheila said.

"Why do I bother?" Sparx asked himself, as he, Spyro and Sheila boarded the ship, just as it moved off.

As it turned out, both Sheila and Sparx were kinda right; while the Dragon and Kangaroo had managed to handle the Apes and Rhynocs aboard the flying ship, as they had approached the Shrine, the ship was hit by fireballs, which caused it to crash land, with our heroes barely making it off in time.

"Told you it was a bad idea to go on board that ship," Sparx complained. "But of course, nobody ever listens to me."

"Sorry about all that, bro," Spyro said. "But at least we're here now."

They proceeded onwards, passing several columns with etchings on them depicting various things, like Dragons wielding the elements, Atlawa worshipping their god, obscure symbols and more. They also noticed various large logs hanging from ropes. At first, the trio hesitated, wondering if the logs would start swinging, but they didn't. The logs had been secured.

"That must have been Kane," Sheila said. "He did say he was going ahead to the Shrine."

Sure enough, they found Kane waiting by a long rope bridge.

"I have to admit, you three have managed to impress me," Kane grunted. "You did better than I thought possible."

"Ha, ha, saying that had to hurt," Sparx said with a smirk.

"I bet it did," Sheila said, with a similar expression

"More than you can imagine, Sheila," Kane muttered. "Please, don't rub it in. I'm not in the mood."

"You never are," Sheila said under her breath.

"Now, there are some things I need to warn you about the Shrine before you enter."

Just then, they heard a familiar dragon roar. Everyone looked ahead and saw Cynder flying away with an orb in tow.

"And… I think we're done here…" Sparx said nervously.

"Not yet; not until we save Cyril," Spyro said to Sparx. "We should at least get him out of there."

"As you may have gathered," Kane said, "our Shrine has been desecrated and its god hasn't been given tribute since the Dark Armies came. But if you can subdue his anger, balance will be restored… and we can rebuild our home."

"That's fine by me," Spyro said, "but I'm mainly here for Cyril."

"I think you'll have to go through the Shrine god to save him," Kane said.

"How did you know you'd say that?" Sparx said, as Spyro and Sheila proceeded over a long wooden bridge towards the Shrine. Once they reached the other side, they saw a bright blue Dragon, undoubtedly Cyril, tethered to a bamboo mesh between two stone pillars. Cyril's robes were a royal purple; his claws looked very well-manicured; and what looked like a pair of glasses lay in the grass in front of him.

"Well, here he is!" Sparx said.

"Be careful, remember last time," Spyro cautioned.

"Yeah, I know, but Cynder's just left and there are no Ice Kings or Dark Wizards about here."

Suddenly, the ground started to shake, and what Spyro had initially taken to be a stone construct in front of where Cyril was tethered came to life. A giant golem unfolded two massive arms. Grunting deeply, it pulled itself out of the earth. Displaced mud and grass tumbled off its body. The golem beat its chest and gave a loud roar that echoed throughout the shrine, before turning its gaze onto Spyro, Sparx and Sheila.

"That's the Shrine God," Sheila gulped.

"Oh great… when will I learn? When things look good, run for the hills!" Sparx said, diving behind a pillar.

"Sheila, stay back!" Spyro growled. "I'll handle this!"

"I appreciate the gesture, mate," Sheila said, "but I ain't going nowhere!"

The Stone Monster roared and fired a punch at Spyro and Sheila. They dodged the blow, and Sheila leapt at the Stone Sentinel and kicked him hard in the chest, making him stagger backwards. Spyro took advantage of this opening and breathed fire on the Sentinel. This made the golem stagger backwards, but he regained his balance, grabbed the dragon and tossed him aside.

"He is tough…" Spyro said as he got back up.

"He ain't the Stone Sentinel for nothin'" Sheila said, worry creeping into her tone.

The Stone Sentinel aimed another punch at them. Fortunately, it missed, and the fist got stuck in the ground. The Sentinel struggled for a moment to pull his fist free. Spyro, seizing his chance, shot a large fireball at the golem, leaving a large hole in the creature's body, while Sheila delivered a punch that severed the Sentinel's arm.

"Ha!" Spyro said. "That got it!"

But then, the Sentinel's body glowed; the smoking hole Spyro had blew into it healed and the vines that made the upper arm reattached to the shoulder.

"Or… not," Spyro said.

"This will be tough…" Sheila grimaced, as she dodged another of the Sentinel's attacks with its fist, while Spyro sent another fireball at it. The burst burnt the Sentinel, but it was still standing.

"Guess I'll have to try something other than Fire." Spyro tried his Electric stream, sending bolts crackling along the Sentinel's body, making it spasm and jerk, but it was still standing. It roared and slammed both fists down on the ground, causing cracks to appear in the ground beneath Spyro and Sheila's feet. Spyro quickly lifted off with his wings and Sheila bounded away from the cracks. The Sentinel then raised a slab of earth from the ground and hurled it at them.

"WHOA!" Spyro gasped as he dodged from the debris. He decided to use Ice next on the Sentinel, hoping it could stop him. Thankfully, the blast froze the creature's feet, allowing Sheila to leap at the monster and kick him in the face. The Sentinel staggered backwards, but managed to right himself, snarling, and sent his fist shooting at them again. Spyro was growing a little concerned.

"Kane said to subdue this thing's anger," he said to Sheila. "Though it seems like all we're doing is making it madder."

"Hmmm, maybe instead of brute force, maybe try calming it down?" Sheila suggested as she dodged another blow.

"I guess it could work." Spyro flapped his wings and cleared his throat.

"Erm, Mr Sentinel, I apologise for trying to hurt you with my Elemental powers," he said loudly, dodging another punch. "I realise the presence of Cynder's forces have angered you, but you don't have to be angry anymore. I, the Purple Dragon, am here now, and I've managed to free the people of this land, and-"

The Stone Sentinel took a swipe at him, narrowly missing the young Dragon.

"Well, so much for that!" Sparx called.

"Keep talking to it Spyro!" Sheila said, as Spyro flew up from the Sentinel reach.

"I don't want to fight you; you have to listen!" Spyro said, struggling to remain calm. His next shot of ice instead came out as a jet of water that caused the Sentinel to fall over on its back. As Spyro locked eyes with it, he suddenly heard a deep voice in his head, along with a surge of anger and pain.

Can't listen… must make Dragons pay! So much pain!

Spyro was initially creeped out by the voice, though as it wasn't the first time he'd heard voices in his head, the shock didn't last.

I know the Dark Armies have caused pain here, he answered mentally. They've caused pain and suffering everywhere. I can't imagine how that must feel for you, but please, let me help you.

Why would a dragon help me? You have never helped me before!

I know, but I want to help now; and I will stop those Dark Armies. That is a promise. I understand your anger because I'm angry at them, too.

Ah, yes. I see it now. Your parents; your sister; your home; all taken from you. They must pay for their insolence!

Yes, but I don't want innocent people hurt in the progress. I just need to free the Ice Guardian and your people in this area.

The one named Cyril, I assume? And I see you got on Kane's good terms; as well as this young kangaroo.

Please… I'm here to help. You don't have to be angry anymore. Do it for your people.

The Sentinel gazed at Spyro for a few moments. Then, he climbed slowly to his feet and bowed slowly to Spyro.

Thank you, young Dragon. For one so young, you have a grasp of wisdom. Be sure to remember that.

"Hey, you did it Spyro," Sheila said, impressed.

"Wow, I am impressed bro," Sparx said came out of his hiding spot. "So you tamed this big rock guy?"

"Well kinda, it's a new power I got," Spyro said. "I was able to connect with his mind and ease his anger."

"You just keep getting weirder and weirder," Sparx muttered.

"You don't say…"

"Hey, what's going on?" came a smooth, rather snobbish voice.

Cyril had woken up. He squinted around, unable to properly see without his glasses. The Sentinel turned his hand towards Cyril, and next moment, the structure binding the Ice Guardian fell apart, freeing him.

"Ah, well, thank you, big rock creature," Cyril said, picking up his glasses and putting them on again. Then, his eyes fell on Spyro.

"Egad, a Purple Dragon!" he said, brushing down his robes.

"Hello. Cyril is it?" Spyro greeted him.

"Why, yes. Do you know me?"

"We're friends with Ignitus, seeing as we saved two other pals of his," Sparx said.

"Ignitus is alive? I am amazed," Cyril said. Just then, they heard chanting and looked round to see the Atlawa cheering for Spyro and bowing to him. Kane was there too.

"You subdued the God of the Shrine," he said, bowing to the Sentinel as the golem itself sank back into the Earth. "Thanks to you, balance has returned to our season, our lands and our people. The Atlawa want to worship you now."

Spyro felt rather uncomfortable about this, but Sparx took it as a great thing. "This is what I'm talkin' about!" he said. "Now, I can have the respect I deserve; the praise that should be mine!"

Ignoring this, Spyro said, "That's nice and all, Kane, but I need to save my sister and her friends; and figure out how to stop Cynder."

Sparx waved at the Atlawa. "My dear Atlawas, I am the mighty Sparx, scourge of despots…"

Cyril cut him off. "Yes, yes, old boy, we'd like nothing more than to stay and be part of your primitive, barbaric society, but duty calls, duty calls…"

"If you must, if you must. But know that you're now part of the Atlawa Tribe… one of us," Kane said. "Oh, by the way…" He held out what looked like an elaborately decorated cane to Cyril. "I believe this is yours. We retrieved from one of the Apes' storage cells."

"Ah, my sceptre," Cyril said, taking it. "Thank you,"

"I am the might Spar… ah, whatever," Sparx gave up as Sheila chuckled. Kane turned to his old friend.

"You were right, Sheila. There was reason to hope; I apologise for being so short with you earlier. And yes, saying that hurt too."

"I reckoned," Sheila said. "But I am pleased you came 'round, Kane. Maybe we can stand our friendship over…"

"Perhaps," Kane said, with a small smile. "You gonna stick around at all?"

"Nah," Sheila said. "It's tempting, but I want to help Spyro save his friends."

"Always the adventurer, Sheila," Kane nodded.

"It's who I am, mate," Sheila said, as they began to walk, or in Sheila's case, bound, back towards the bridge, Spyro, Sparx And Cyril in tow.

"I say, young Dragon," Cyril said, "have you managed to save any of my Ice brethren?"

Spyro's face fell. "Yes, but I'm afraid one of them is dead."

"Oh dear... what happened?" Cyril asked.

"The Rhynocs killed the one called Aurora," Spyro said.

"And a group of thieves kidnapped Elora, Sapia and Zen, bringing them to this Deina chick," Sparx added.

"This is very serious; we'll have to discuss this with Ignitus right away."

"Agreed," Spyro said.

"Where is Aurora now?" Cyril asked.

"We left her body with a group of fauns," Spyro said. "In the Mystic Marsh, where they'd bury her. We felt she deserved it."

"That is good. Hopefully we'll stop those Dark Armies before they take more innocent lives," Cyril said.

They reached a portal to travel back to Ignitus and the others to tell them what had happened.