Later that night when all in the temple were sound asleep both purple drake and black dragoness snuck out of their rooms. Before slinking their way down the hall as quiet as can be to avoid being detected as they made their way toward the dungeon. Unbeknownst to them that while they had managed to avoid being seen or heard by anyone from their room's to the entrance to the stairs, They were being watched by a pair of blue eye's from afar as they descended the steps, Cynder closing the door quietly behind them. When they got to the purple dragons cell and sat down just outside it's bar's they were greeted with a wide awake Malefor who promptly began to disucss the future and what could be should thing's go their way. Malefor could not stress enough what could happen to both their reputations by taking his side in a public trial. The small golem had opted to sit in Cynder's paws while they conversed, her claws idly rubbing it's stone skin. "You say Volteer is working out an argument for my innocence?" Spyro nodded and repsonded. "We told him most of what we heard from you and we came to the agreement that you aren't fully to blame." Cynder spoke next. "He also believe's that if you were to go free, the information you possess from your time with the old guardian's would be invaluable, because if you know all this stuff you could teach it to us and we could help teach those techniques to other's. It doesn't make sense for those skills to die with you when you can help to pass them on to the younger generation's." She explained.
Malefor nodded in response. "That would be a significant piece of info to involve in the trial, because as it stands Terrador is the only other dragon I know of who was able to master some of the previous earth guardian's techniques, and even then he didn't know all of them nor did he learn skills from the other three." He turned to Spyro before continuing. "More than just those I can help teach you how to use the wind element, and how to create golem's of your own, and perhaps together we could learn how to properly harness Convexity because as it is we still know so little about it." He offered.
Spyro agreed that all of these made good points. "But all of this won't be enough will it?" He asked voice plagued with concern. Malefor shook his head in response. "No. But from what I know of tradition from the past, if the trial is anything like I think it will be all four guardian's would normaly hold a vote each, after they each had a turn to vote, if it were a public trial next those in the community would provide their stance, usually in the form of a show of hands or filling out a card or sheet of paper. In order to win the trial I would need all of the guardian's to vote for me because as it stands now the public being on my side is immensely unlikely and combined the votes of the citizens would be equal to 3 of the guardian vote's." The purple dragon explained.
Spyro could tell it wasn't a winning battle to be fighting, but they had said they would try to help and they were going to do it. Suddenly though a thought came to him that didn't add up, turning to face the other male he proposed a question. "But wait, there are only 3 guardian's Ignitus.. Isn't here to vote." Malefor held a claw to his chin in thought before answering. "I'm not certain what will be done about that but if I had to guess they will likely call upon someone they trust to take on that role to temporally fill the vote." Spyro nodded. "So then there could be a chance I could fill it in right?" Malefor began to mutter almost too quiet to be heard. "Hmm perhaphs they would choose you but, even with you and Volteer, that's only two vote's I would need both Cyril's and... Terrador's to win." Cynder had an idea deciding to voice it. "Hey maybe we can convince Terrador if we just told him the truth, after all he doesn't know your side of the story so maybe we can convince him to give you a chance?" Malefor wasn't very confident in that plan working out for several reasons, but he had allowed himself to begin to hope. Cynder contiued. "I don't know what we're gonna do about the fourth vote though, I dont think we can do anything to convince Cyril tha-" she was suddenly cut off by a cold, professional voice from down the hall, one that gave off a presence of power and authority. "Convince Cyril of what young one's?" It spoke in a very condescending tone. Both Cynder and Spyro Whipped their heads to the left to see none other than the ice guardian in question walking toward them, his head held high and his muzzle twisted into a frown. Spyro attempted to speak but the sudden shock of being found by the ice guardian cause him to trip over his words. "C-Cyril this...this isn't what it looks like... We were just... Just..." Spyro had begun to trail off unsure of what to say. Cynder opted to remain silent casting her gaze away from the judgemental ice drake. Cyril having had enough of Spyro's stuttering raised a paw to silence him, his eye's closed for a moment to gather his thoughts before he spoke, now having traversed the long hall to stand right in front of their semi prone forms.
"Just... Explain to me exactly what is going on, tell me what you are doing down here, and why I overheard you two plotting a case to defend Malefor in trial?" He voiced it as a question, though all three younger dragons could tell it was a demand. Cynder was the one to speak first. "We decided to prove his innocence because we heard his part of the story, it doesn't seem fair that he be punished so severely for something that he couldn't have truly known would happen. Also if I haven't been punished for the thing's I did when I was the terror of the skies then why should Malefor be any different!?!" She snarled to the ice dragon her teeth bared in defiance as she clutched the small golem to her red underbelly. Spyro gathered his thoughts enough to speak up next. "Not only that if you were listening Cyril, than you must know of the loss of knowledge that Malefor's death would cause, he is one of the only dragons from that time that has the ability to teach the skills of the old guardian's to other's, even Terrador can't do that, he never learned from all four of them, but Malefor has, to have that knowledge be available to everyone in Warfang would be a blessing." The purple drake in question spoke for himself now. "More importantly I still am a skilled fighter, I have large reserve's of mana and more than just elemental knowledge i could provide, there will always be danger to this city, in the future having more than one purple dragon would be beneficial would it not?" He proposed, causing Cyril's snout to scrunch up in thought.
He sighed, before looking to Spyro and Cynder. "I will consider these thing's you two, I won't interfere in your...Endeavours. But I will do what i believe will be best for Warfang and it's people, no matter what that entails." He spoke in his cold tone. His cyan eye's softened next, and his voice took on a slightly warmer tone. "But...for now please wrap up your conversation and go back to your room's and get some sleep, all your hard work and planning wouldn't do anyone good if your too tired to remove yourselves from bed in the morning, go now and get some sleep. Come morning you will need your strength for you never know what challenges each day may bring." He turned and began walking toward the stairs from where he came disappearing as he ascended the stone bricks.
Spyro glanced at Cynder and Malefor before joking "well at least we don't have to explain it to him now" then his tone became slightly more serious. "We just gotta hope Cyril will take your side I guess, there isn't really a lot we can do to change his mind once he's made it up, so our main focus should be talking to Terrador next time. Both other dragons nodded in response before Malefor gestured with his head to the stairs down the hall. "You two should head back up now, he isn't wrong you'll need your rest." Spyro nodded in response before stranding up on all fours, and shaking the figurative pins and needles from his paws walked past Cynder who before getting up offered the golem to the purple drake in the cell. Malefor gladly accepted the creature into his claws, as he watched his two new friend's depart. Soon he was alone in his cell once more. Suddenly he heard a chittering sound from below his muzzle. As if sensing his thoughts the golem had looked up at him as if to say he wasn't alone.
Malefor smiled at his little friend's awareness, being rather impressed at just how much it's mind has grown to process information after only a day of existence, before he spoke in a soft tone. "Right my bad, how could I forget you my little friend?" At that moment he realised it would be odd to continue to call this creature by that term for very long, and upon realising that decided he would have to come up with a name for his friendly little construct. As he sat there affectionately rubbing it's stone head, a chill could be felt in the air, as the torches by Malefor's cell began to waver before being snuffed out. The golem began to whip it's head about for a moment before it focused it's vision on the corner opposite it's master.
Malefor could already tell exactly what was going on as once more a faint purple mist began to waft in through the bar's of his cell, appearing from thin air, Malefor simply glared in the same place the golem was watching, as the mist began to swirl about just as it had not too long ago the other day. When the wind stopped, Anise had appeared just as she had before, violet ethereal body shimmering and a smirk upon her face. She spoke in a condescending tone as she began to take two tentative steps toward the purple drake. "So you seem to have it all figured out don't you Mal?~" Malefor said nothing in response simply maintaining his stare. She continued "you made some new friend's I see, oh so eager to forget what happened all those year's ago hmm? Do you really think you can win that little sham of a trial of theirs?~" she leaned her head down to gaze into his dual hued eye's with her violet pools. The golem in Malefor's grip stretching it's stony neck forward to emit a hissing sound at the spectral intruder, Anise choosing to ignore the offending creature.
She went on "You do realise even if you do somehow manage to win, that Terrador will never forgive you right? If so than what is the point of trying when your just going to be left alone all over again sooner or later?" She leaned closer still, close enough that had Malefor moved an inch forward their noses would connect. Malefor breathed inwards, closing his eye's for a moment before exhaling and with a steely gaze looked this ghost from his past in the eye, and spoke. "Your absolutley right, It's very likely Terrador will never be able to forgive me for the thing's I have done, intentional or not." Anise began to smile wider for a moment thinking she was getting to him, before her hope's were dashed as he contiued. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to beat myself up over it anymore, instead I will use my own strength to help ensure a brighter future for all I hold dear, for this city which was my home so long ago, and for the new friend's I have found here as well." He stood up causing the shocked Specter to back up in surprise, her previous smug demeanour vanishing in an instant. "I'm going to decide my own fate from here on out and when I come out of that trial a free drake, I expect you to see it, because when it is all said and done I will finally be rid of you. I will use this second chance I have been given, I refuse to let it go to waste Anise." He stated his voice full of a determination that Malefor had never truly felt before, his own word's managing to suprise him for a moment.
Anise appeared to grit her teeth in annoyance, transparent snout twisted in slight anger. She regained her composure before taking two steps backwards her body beginning to evaporate and disappear in a plume of smoke, but before she left she spoke once more. "Have it your way Mal but don't forget what you did, what you are. You already let darkness into your life, and you can't get it rid of it now." By the time she finished her sentence only half of her head remained, a single purple eye gazing back at Malefor. "You are forever tainted and you'll regret not ending it all when you had the chance back in the core, remember your the one who chose to hold back when you were so close to your goal..." And with those word's she was gone, every trace of smoke with her.
Malefor was glad to have the peace and quiet back, his golem now pleased the offending creature had departed rested it's head in the purple dragon's claws once more. The former dark lord glanced down at his creation a thought coming to mind. "Guess your glad she's gone too huh..." His face twisted in a thoughtful expression before he continued. "...not sure if I should be happy you can see her or not, almost makes me wish I was insane, it would make this whole ordeal less frightening." He decided to bury thsoe thoughts before long not wanting to lose what little sleep he could gleam from tonight, he retrieved the gray blanket from the corner of the cell, proceeding to wrap it around himself as he lay upon his side. The small draconic construct layed itself near it's master before it lowered it's head to the ground, the gems that made up it's eye's going dark as the one's that adorned it's body became slightly darker, but still maintained their periodic glow.
The next morning when Cynder had awoken, she began to stretch and bask in the morning sun filtering through her window, enjoying the peaceful serenity that came with the silence. Until moment's later that tranquillity was shattered by a knock at the door, sighing at the end of her stretch she stood up and walked toward the door. Upon opening it she was greeted with the familiar friendly face if Spyro as well as someone she had not been expecting to see that morning. Standing beside the purple dragon was the face of a familiar red drake they had met the day before, his large smile already an indication of his good mood. Flame spoke in a cheery tone waving a paw in greeting to the still somewhat sleepy black dragoness. "Heya Cynder, nice seeing you again!" He exclaimed. Cynder rubbed the exhaustion from her eye's with a paw before returning a smaller smile. "Nice to see you too Flame, what are you doing here so early though?" She asked looking to Spyro for an answer.
The purple drake responded with chuckle and explained how he had come across flame, that morning by sheer accident having bumped right into the fire dragon when he was walking out of his room to come see her. "I will admit that when i was hoping we'd run into you again, I didn't think it would be literally." His purple muzzle twisted into a smile. "Anyway Flame was just telling me he's got some friend's he's meeting down in the market today, he offered to introduce us. You uo for it?" He offered. Cynder was hoping to speak eith Terrador regarding Malefor's fate, but then she realised that they still had some time before any trial would be happening, considering the former dark master's presence has yet to even be revealed to the city. She decided it would be good to get some interaction with other's her age.
She nodded a yes to her friend's. "Sure I don't see why not, I could use the fresh air after all the time we spent inside last night." She let slip that she and Spyro had been up late, realising as soon as the word's had left her mouth what she had said. Spyro's own face briefly twisted in a panicked expression out of view of Flame's sight. The red drake rasied a brow. "What were you guy's up to all night that cost you your sleep?" He asked genuinely curious. Cynder almost panicked but regaining her composure decided not to lie but rather tell a half truth. "It's nothing too big Flame, just a friend of our's got into some trouble so we have been trying to figure out how to get him out of it, it just hasn't been easy is all." She explained making sure to make her details vague enough to keep him unaware but specific enough to explain the situation.
The black dragoness then stepped out of the doorway closing it behind her, before she and the two male's made their way down the hall toward the front entrance of the temple. As they walked Flame began to ask questions of the duo. "So what kind of trouble is your friend in? If you dont mind my asking. Maybe I can help somehow." Cynder smiled a slight concerned Flame was still asking questions. "It's just a little bit of legal trouble it's not that bad, don't worry about it." She assured the fire drake. He nodded, reluctantly agreeing to drop the subject. When they exited the temple, Spyro spoke. "Well lead the way Flame, we'll follow you." Flame nodded in response before flapping his red and yellow wing's. The flapping quickly providing enough force to lift his gold and crimson body into the air, both Spyro and Cynder following shortly.
As the three dragon's flew toward the market, Flame began to speak to the duo. "So I should probably mention this before we get there some of my friend's might be a bit...cautious with you Cynder" he spoke glancing at the dragoness flying beside him. "She raised a brow, though she had a feeling she knew where this was going. "Some of them aren't sure what to make of you, some are like me who believe you've changed, I just wanted to let you know not to take it personally." Cynder sighed as she realised it was going to be a tad difficult to move beyond the past even after she had helped save the world. "It's fine, nothing I won't be able to handle." She assured.
As they arrived above the market that Spyro and Cynder had visited yesterday, they began their descent. Flame looking back and forth searching for something, likely the group of friend's he had mentioned Cynder presumed. Suddenly they heard a female voice shout out. "HEY FLAME OVER HERE!" The three looked toward the source of the sound only to see a snow white dragoness with a cyan underbelly and two short horns pointing straight backwards from her skull, her back was lined with multiple small cyan coloured ridges, her wing's also had a distinct diamond shape pattern on their blue membranes and her eye's were alight with a brilliant blue. Flame grinned upon seeing the white dragoness, and flew toward her, both Cynder and Spyro following close behind. When they landed, Flame approached the female before wrapping her in a tight hug, the dragoness sighing but with a smile patting gim on the back lightly. "Crystal so good to see you, where are the other's?" He asked. The dragoness now recognized as Crystal was about to reply when she paused to glance at the company Flame had brought with him before she resumed her train of thought. "Their waiting for us at the usual spot, you gonna introduce your new friend's?" She asked returning her icy blue gaze to the new arrivals. Flame nodded before gesturing to the duo and introducing them. "Right my bad, this is Spyro of course, and that's Cynder." Crystal took a step closer to Cynder casting a brief glance at Spyro first. "So your the terror of the skies?" She asked bluntly. Spyro spoke up immediatly somewhat annoyed at the question which he believed to be an attempt to be rude to his friend. "Hey hold on a second Cynder is no-" he was promptly cut off by said black dragoness, who smirked and remarked "yea I am, so maybe you should be careful or I might eat you." She jabbed, her smirk becoming a toothy grin. Crystal only maintained her icy gaze for another few seconds before allowing a small smile to wrap around her muzzle. "I think you and I gonna get along great, put her there Cynder." She spoke holding out her paw for the other dragoness to shake, which she promptly did.
Spyro was simply shocked at how quickly and easily Cynder had played that off. Cynder must have noticed his confusion because momentarily she smirked at him and said "don't worry about it Spyro, it's a girl thing you wouldn't get it" she joked. The ice dragoness shared a small laugh with the former general. Crystal began leading the group toward a more populated section of the market, where instead of the usual stall or salesperson, there were actually a few building's including a homey little restaurant that seemed to be where Crystal was leading them. What baffled Spyro and Cynder was that the place seemed to be closed if the sign on the doorway was any indication.
Crystal began to knock a white scaled paw against the door. After a few moment's the door opened revealing a rather large electric dragon who stood almost two head's taller than Spyro, with yellow scales, a black underbelly and four horns atop his head, one set pointing straight with a slight curve not unlike Spyro's own golden horns, while the second pair curled around the side's of his head like a rams. His wing membranes were black like Cynder's midnight scales, with multiple yellow lighting bolt patterns adoring them. While his eye's were a bright shining amber color. Upon seeing Flame and Crystal he gave a large toothy grin, before grabbing both of them in his arm's and enveloping them in a bear hug. "There you guy's are we've been waiting all day for you to show up!!" He exclaimed before finally noticing the two extra dragon's who had arrived with his friend's. He immediately let go of the two thoroughly squished dragon's allowing them to fall to the ground in a heap. He quickly made his way over to Spyro and Cynder before grabbing both their paws in his own much larger grip, shaking them vigorously. "OHMYGOSHYOUMUSTBESPYRO!!" He rambled rattling the purple drake before his focus was on the unfortunate black dragoness who was now the target of his greeting."ANDYOUMUSTBECYNDERITSSONICETOMEETYOUTOO!!!" He spoke with a speed that made Volteer's quick speech seem slower than a snail. When the yellow and black male had finally released the two from his grip, they were a little shaken before managing to regain their bearings.
Spyro chuckled nervously before speaking. "Um... Nice to meet you too...?" "Hercules" he finished with a large smile. Flame having picked himself and Crystal off the floor, walked over to the two of them grasping his side. "As I'm sure you two just learned this big fella here" he patted the large male on the shoulder for emphasis. "Is Hercules but we call him Herc for short." Cynder smiled at the large yellow dragon. "It's a pleasure to meet you to Herc, and great to see another friendly face." She said to him with an internal sigh of relief that do far she had made a good impression with two of Flame's friend's so far. "Here come in and join us we were just about to eat." Crystal glanced at Spyro and Cynder before stating. "It's fine for us to be here, Herc and his boyfriend own the place."
As the group entered the small two story building, they were greeted by the sight of multiple empty table's and over behind the counter Cynder and Spyro could see another dragon in what appeared to be the kitchen. As Flame and the rest of his friend's were heading toward that room, the duo silently followed behind them. Now being much closer to the other person in the room they could make out their unique characteristics. The dragon in question was a gray scaled drake with an assortment of black spots covering his otherwise pale body, including a very noticeable patch of color over his right eye, his wing membranes were black with streaks of green going across them in three large horizontal lines, with striking green eye's. Currently he was preparing what appeared to be some kind of food, but what caught Cynder's attention was he appeared to be juggling a soft wiggly flat and pale mass in the air without touching it, upon closer inspection plus the added use of her wind element to sense the air currents, she discovered he was manipulating the air below the stretchy beige mass in such a controlled way that he was keeping it afloat without sending it into the ceiling the inly indication he was doing anything at all being his paws waiting below it to catch it should it fall.
Herc proceeded to approach the male before holding his hands under the dough, the other drake allowing it to fall at last as it was caught by the electric dragon's larger claws. Herc then turned to the left placing it upon a small wooden board with a wooden handle, grabbing the object by the end of it's handle placed the dough inside a brick oven that was built into the wall, as he held it there the wind dragon glanced at Cynder narrowing his eye's in a clear attempt to examine her. Flame noticed the slight tension between them almost instantly, moving in to hopefully save the situation he introduced them.
"Hey Ventus buddy, I see you noticed our new friend's Spyro and Cynder" he spoke gesturing to the purple and black dragon's in question. Ventus nodded curtly muttering quietly "so we're serving general's of the dark army and superheroes now, well isn't that somthing?" Cynder peeked at her purple friend wanting to see if he had heard the wind drakes statement, judging by his brief frown he had, but chose not to say anything unlike before. She decided to try and break the ice by asking Herc a question. "So what are you guy's making anyway? Smells really good." She complemented, sniffing the air. Herc flahsed a pleased smile before responding. "It's something we learned from the mole's, they call it pizza!" Crystal stepped forward and tapped the black dragoness on the shoulder before speaking. "Hey mind helping me set up one of the table's for us to eat at?" Cynder agreed, happy to help someway. "Sure lead the way." She said with a small smile, trying not to let Ventus's remark from before worry her.
When both dragoness's had left the room to set up a place for everyone to eat, Flame walked over to the scowling wind drake. "Cmon Ventus I know what people are saying about her but she ain't a bad person I promise." Ventus turned his head away to look at the dough which was still baking in the oven. Flame was about to continue speaking before the large yellow drake beat him to it, leaning a single large paw over the smaller male's shoulder. "C'mon Ven, please just give her a chance, Flame is vouching for her, and Crystal hasn't insulted her yet so that's gotta mean something right?" He pleaded with the wind drake, before a few moment's of silence later he sighed. "Alright I'll give her A chance, one that's it. The moment I think something is up I won't hesitate to protect what i care about." He glanced at the purple drake he had glossed over in his refusal to acknowledge the black dragoness from before. "Hey sorry for being a little rude there I ain't really...the best with new people, and the war took a toll on me, took a toll on...a whole lot of people. It's just a little jarring seeing someone who used to fight for the enemy here is all." He held out a gray and black paw, in an attempt to be civil. "No hard feelings?" He offered. Spyro wasn't pleased about the harsh attitude toward his friend but not wanting any bad blood between him and this drake, grasped his paw in his own giving a firm shake. "None whatsoever." He assured.
Herc who had been watching the whole exchange smiled proudly at Ventus, before pulling the now hardened dough from the oven setting it on the counter next to him. As the wind dragon came over to the counter to prepare their meal for the night, Herc leaned down and wrapped the smaller male in a bear hug, before reluctantly letting him go allowing his feet to return to the ground below. "Thanks Ven." Herc said, before grabbing multiples seasonings and handing them to the small drake
Meanwhile in the other room, Cynder and Crystal had finished preparing a table, just in time for the boy's to exit with Spyro entering first, Flame following him with Ventus on his tail, and the last one out was the large Herc, carrying a large wooden tray with something hot and steamy on it from what Cynder could see. As they all began to sit down waiting to be serverd, Everyone began to talk about their lives here in warfang since their return, while both Spyro and Cynder awed the group with their stories of battle and danger. Cynder spoke of her mock battle in the pirate's arena against Spyro, while Spyro would tell stories of how he had come to meet the guardian's, and when those were told they had begun moving on to the most recent adventure of their lives.
For the rest of the night all was good, both Spyro and Cynder forgetting all about their troubles for a few sweet hour's. It was good for them to find the time to have fun, because soon the most difficult battle they would have yet would take place, and this battle couldn't be fought with fire or poison but word's, and it's outcome could very well decide Warfangs very fate.
ok ill admit i had some trouble writing this one as there were just a few too many characters for me to comfortably keep track of this time, so ill keep that in mind next time, but were getting close to the fateful day i can feel it hoep your all as excited as i am!!