Every night, before Cynder went to bed, she would sit outside to watch Zella and Adrano as they shined brilliantly in the night sky. She never took the time to appreciate them before outside of her and Spyro's flight down the twilight falls. Their majesty, even with her knowledge of the eclipse they brought about, was nothing short of a majestic starbound treasure. They were always a comfort for her.
Cynder had never slept right after Spyro had brought her back to normal, or even after Malefor's defeat. She always had trouble sleeping. The nightmares she had now weren't as bad as they used to be. Still, she could never sleep alone by herself anymore. Before they had their kids, Cynder barely slept at all; always resting close to Spyro, always late to bed and early to rise.
However, in the following weeks after they had saved the world, on that one night when the moons were full, Spyro reciprocated her love for him. Not just with words but with actions. For the longest time, Spyro had a crush on her. She was the only other dragon he knew of after discovering who he was. And even after, when he had saved her from Malefor's control. Yet what plagued the two's minds was the prospect that… maybe their love wasn't real.
They were each other's support, their rock in a sense, to keep each other from falling. But now there was no rock, no chain so to speak. They had time to talk, time to think, time to be on their own. One night when Spyro asked her out for a midnight flight, she took it. Neither of them couldn't sleep. The war had left many scars that were still in need of healing. Some scars ran deeper than others.
Twas that night though she realized just how free she truly was. She wouldn't have to live in fear of the past anymore. Cynder still had to find her center, much like how Spyro still had to find his. But they found peace within each other, and that was enough for them.
"So, what are we even doing up here?" Cynder asked as she and Spyro flew through the clouds. "There's not like we can do much but taste the frozen water vapors."
"I read something in Ignitus' books about dragon courtship. One of them is sky dancing. And… well… What better way to have a dance than in the middle of the night?" Spyro beamed as he began to spin around Cynder in the air. "Breezing through the clouds without a care in the world… sounds like a good way to make a first impression, right?"
Though the whole 'sky dancing' might have been a lot harder than it looked. Spyro nearly lost his balance from that spin and Cynder had to catch him before he started to panic.
"Easy there hero boy. You don't have to show off for me," Cynder replied.
Though it wasn't like she knew how to sky dance either. But that didn't mean she wasn't willing to learn. While the fighting was long behind them, she did remember Cyril's lectures on how fighting is like dancing in a way. With patterns and movements often best to avoid your enemies' attacks and engage them when they're flanked. Perhaps the opposite could be said too?
After a moment's thought, she chimed up; "Maybe try picturing dancing like fighting. Remember how you always had to fight in mid-air? Try something like that, going by your instincts to keep your balance."
"Did you say like… instincts?" Spyro asked as he tried to do a spin again, only to lose himself in the clouds.
The black dragoness couldn't help but giggle at Spyro's repeated attempt and flew over to pull him out. "Like instincts. Just don't overdo it maybe? Better yet…"
She grasped his forepaws together with hers. His paws felt so soft, even with how many grublins and apes fell to his claws. Clean, soft, and gentle. In comparison to hers, they looked no different. But she always perceived her own paws as tainted, rough, filled with the blood of the many dragons she had slain in the past.
How can this dragon hold her and look at her and think 'this is the dragon I want to spend the rest of my life with.' Why was she so stupid? Why did she tell him she loved him? There was no way he'd reciprocate those kinds of feelings to her. Not after all she had done.
Yet, Spyro didn't care. He was still the same dragon she had met all those years ago: kind, caring and always helpful.
"Your paws are so soft…" she whispered.
"So are yours…" he answered back as his grip gently tightened around hers.
"I don't see how. I still see the blood that taints these claws."
Spyro's expression softened as he began to pull Cynder, beating his wings in sync with hers to keep themselves balanced in the air together.
"You've already learned to let go and accept what happened," the purple dragon brushed his head against hers as he rumbled. "But now you have to learn to accept yourself, Cynder. Stop expecting a monster in your reflection. That's not who you are anymore."
Spyro gently pulled her along as they breezed through the clouds. As they spun around, keeping their claws interlinked, they came through a clearing. He was able to see the soft emerald gaze in the dark dragoness' eyes, how they glistened beautifully beneath the pale moonlight. Soft, kind, even beneath all the pain and struggle, she was still the same dragon Spyro saw. Just like him… struggling to understand herself, trying to establish her own identity now after being lost in conflict for so long.
"Come… cross the skies with me," Spyro said.
Cynder looked down at their claws still latched together. "Will be a bit of a struggle given… well… we're locked like this."
"Oh, don't worry. I'm sure it won't be too hard," he said with a wink.
With that, Spyro threw his head back and began to spin, holding on tightly to Cynder as they began to descend. Eyes closed, with only the wind to carry him, trusting in only his instincts. Cynder had no idea what Spyro was doing, but the sudden spin and drop began to make her feel dizzy. She just had to trust him, and close her own eyes, and wait for the next move.
The pinwheel descent soon became that of a twister, as Spyro adjusted both his and Cynder's bodies to a complete downward descent, nosediving as they spun together. They were beneath the clouds now, but it wouldn't be long until they got back up.
"Spread your wings and swing up," he whispered.
Nearly in sync, the two dragons stretched their wings as far as they could, letting the air current and resistance swoop them back up. There was pressure within the muscle of their wings as they went flying against the pressure when they dropped, but the force and speed was enough to propel them back up, shooting through the clouds and popping up above them.
It was then that Spyro let go, turned, and watched for Cynder. With a smile and a nod, expecting her to follow, he dove back down into the clouds. Like dolphins across the wide open seas, the purple dragon popped up and down, up and down, dragging the frozen water droplets along with him, creating patterns in his wake.
Cynder was caught in the moment of watching her mate ebb and flow through the clouds. The white streaks made by his pull of the smoky looking frozen vapors of water. A smile streaked across her face as she followed right behind him, matching his movement patterns by diving and rising through the clouds. Chilled droplets splashed against her face, cool and refreshing. She couldn't help but laugh and open her mouth to catch them.
Then Spyro appeared from beneath her, flying upside down, just to sneak a kiss on her lips. "Gotca," he chuckled and sped up.
A grin spread across her face as she matched his pace, soaring through the clouds while Spyro dipped below and shot straight upward again and again. As if chasing a butterfly through the sky, she chased him up high, dove low again to meet him halfway. Their tails whipped wildly in the air as they flew side-by-side in tandem, passing over the tops of mountains, over rivers, and between trees.
Their tails crossed and intertwined several times as they passed by each other. Sometimes he'd spin her around with his tail, but he'd pull her right back to her previous position. Spyro was always finding ways to surprise her, even in midair.
Then suddenly Spyro slowed down and pulled away. Something caught his attention from the corner of his eye.
Cynder turned back and followed his gaze. "Oh no, I know that look. What are you doing?" she asked.
Spyro had his head turned as he looked to see a large formation of storms gathering in the distance. Cumulonimbus clouds from the looks of it. With a smile, he turned to Cynder. Another fun foolish plan was cocked up in that purple brain of his.
"Trust me," Spyro said with a wink. "It'll be fun."
"Dancing in a stormcloud is not what I call 'fun' Spyro." Still, Cynder couldn't help but find the prospect of storm dancing exciting.
With that, he was off. Cynder made sure to pick up her pace to follow behind him. "You know you certainly don't fool around when it comes to danger!" she called out.
The purple dragon rolled his eyes and smiled. "Please. Like we're in any real danger."
Cynder cocked her brow at him, then turned and looked back in the direction of the booming clouds. "Spyro, that's a storm."
"Yeah? And I faced you. And Gaul. And we faced Malefor. What do you think a storm's going to do, huh? Throw us off course?" The dragon was bold and confident with his words, and he was sure of himself.
It certainly wasn't unusual to see him get so confident. Still, it was amusing to Cynder seeing how the purple doofus was going through all this effort just for her.
"You better not get yourself hurt, you cocky dragon!" she called out.
But Spyro couldn't hear her as he spun through the storm. The rain pelted against his scales hard, but he never faltered or slowed down. If anything, he seemed more determined than ever. All because he wanted her to believe in him. And he would do whatever it takes to make her happy. Even if that meant taking wild risks like this.
He knew she trusted him; he just needed to prove it. So instead of slowing down, he increased his speed and continued to spin faster and higher into the clouds, where the cold winds blew harder and colder. It was getting harder for him to maintain control of himself with every turn. He felt the pressure building inside of him and hoped he didn't get struck by a bolt of lightning.
For a moment he slowed down, just to get Cynder close enough for him and her to spin and dance through the open air-pockets within the massive cumulonimbus. Lightning streaked across from one end of the cloud lumps toward another. If they were in any real danger though, the purple dragon would have used his elemental breath of electricity to re-divert it.
"You know Spyro… in all my years, this has got to be your craziest idea yet," Cynder said.
"And? Can't help a fool in love.." His purple eyes gleamed when he said that as the purple dragon started to nosedive back into the storm clouds.
Streaks of lightning passed by him as he started to pick up speed. With the element of electricity coursing through his veins now, he brought the discharges from the storm to him. A bright golden glow erupted from the purple dragon, causing a great boom like noise. Spyro shot forward at an incredible speed that dispersed the clouds around him. Or perhaps it was the boom that had.
The storm ceased, the clouds were calm, and the rain fell like soft mist. Cynder's scales gleamed under the moonlight that shined through the gaps of the cloud. And there was Spyro, whose spine patterns and scales had an entirely different pattern to them. Golden, bright, with electrical discharges sparking off of his body.
"Spyro… What in the world did you do?" Cynder asked with an incredulous look on her face.
It was clear she was very impressed though but it was the most mind boggling thing she had ever witnessed.
"I don't know but I feel my heart racing. Might be because of you." Spyro smiled brightly at that.
The black dragon thumped at his chest with her claw. "Or it could be the thousands of volts of electricity currently running through your body right now. How did you do that?!"
Spyro looked at himself and spun around to notice the new weird changes. He felt supercharged. The purple dragon could scarcely believe it himself. The rush was unlike anything he had ever experienced.
"I… I don't know! But it feels… It feels great! Almost as if I could fly around the world!" He paused for a moment to consider that thought. "Maybe not. I could get lost."
The two looked at one another, eyes bright, full of childlike wonder.
—
Those perfect memories… they were so warm and sweet compared to what she used to deal with. Her sleep had gotten better in these past couple years though. Her insomnia became less and less severe as time went on. Now she only had peaceful dreams of recent memory and wonder. She was surrounded by the family she and her purple beloved had made.
Cynder's only fear now was losing it all. While she knew that they would never let that happen, it was a fear that still haunted her. It was one of the reasons why she was training Ashes, outside of teaching him to control his powers. Spyro did not want any of his kids saddled with the prospect that they would be fighting at such a young age.
Their kids were getting older, Spyro wouldn't be able to coddle them anymore. Not like he had the luxury to try so anyways given how much the council pulled him and Cynder away from what really mattered to them.
"Remember Ashes: Shadow can be a tool to strike at your opponents when they least expect it. The trick of your element is to blend in with the darkness around you, even if you are blanketed by light. There will always be some semblance of shadows, like beneath the earth, that you can blend in," Cynder lectured during the heat of training.
The ape dummies clattered and rattled their wooden limbs about as they charged at Ashes again and again, who only dodged away from their wild and aggressive attacks. Their movements were predictable, not unlike the actual apes that his father fought. But low level dummies could only teach him so much. Which was why there was a larger ape dummy leading the others.
Ashes' maw was dripping with dark sparks of flame, black smoke emanating from him as he began to coat his body with the smoke. When it looked like the little dummies began to surround him, the black dragon dipped beneath the stone floor, seemingly phasing through and avoiding the dummies as they collided with one another.
When Ashes delved beneath the earth, he couldn't help but feel a sense of calmness. It was cool, quiet. For such an element that was considered unnatural and abnormal, Ashes felt at peace and ease. Everything was dark, pitch black. Yet he could tell where he was. He could sense and hear everything above him. The patter of feet, the clattering of wood, and he could even see where his targets stood.
Darkness helped hide Ashes, keep him away from those that wished to do him harm. But now, darkness helped him fight. It helped him to protect himself, but to also strike, as Cynder had taught him so many times in the past. Only now he was one with darkness, and darkness was one with him.
The big one looked around, clicking its wooden teeth together as it tried to get a read on where Ashes could have gone. Only for seeping black smoke to rise up from beneath it. Before the dummy could notice, Ashes spun up and tore through the wooden dummy, sending splinters and straws to scatter everywhere before torching the rest of it in dark flames. With the little ape dummies distracted, it took the black dragon a few seconds to rush on over and charge through them with a shadow enhanced whirlwind attack, knocking them aside and setting them ablaze.
Cynder had a proud look on her face. Ashes had grown well. His attentiveness to Cynder's teachings and quick wittedness allowed him to far exceed what she had expected from today's session. When Ashes turned to look at his mother, he smiled right back, tail wagging.
"I did it mother! I did it!" he exclaimed. "I couldn't believe it! I actually did it! It was so dark down there but I knew where I was going! I could breathe, I could see, even when there was nothing! And-and-and-"
Ashes was quickly silenced when his mother slowly clasped her claw on his snout. "Now, now, calm yourself before your powers go wild. You did good Ashes," Cynder smiled and slowly pulled her claw back. "I think that's enough for today. We should take a breather now."
Ashes pouted. "But mom, we only practiced for an hour! I want to try it out a bit more!"
Cynder chuckled and reached down to nuzzle her son. "There will be time to train later. I do not want to overwhelm you, especially when you've just learned that new technique of yours. Such moves can deplete your mana quickly and leave you vulnerable. Without proper efficiency and training, you won't be able to master your techniques."
"Which is why I wanna try more!" he protested.
"I don't know about you but I don't see any green gems around," Cynder smiled as she gestured toward the already depleted cluster. "We will have to wait anyways for them to grow again. For now, take a break. You earned it."
Ashes bowed his head toward his mother and smiled. "Alright then. In that case, I'm going to play sky ball with Brisk. Thanks mom. Just as he was about to leave though, he stopped and turned to Cynder. "Oh, and ma?"
"Yes, Ashes?" Cynder turned her head back to him. "What is it?"
Ashes' tail swished from side to side curiously. "Dad was raised by dragonflies. But what were you raised by?"
Cynder felt a lump in her throat and a few beads of sweat dripped down her scalp as she muttered under her breath. "Uhh… well… I mean… that's a long story. And we should probably say that for another time! Let's go see how your brothers and sisters are doing huh?"
The young dragon grumbled under his breath; "Oh that's n o fun…" and turned back to trot off to look for his siblings.
Cynder stood alone in the training chamber. Slowly she turned her head around, examining every inch of the room. Ever since she saw that unusual dragon, she had been on her guard. Her first thoughts were that perhaps there was an assassin in their midst. She would have seen a pool of visions chamber full of bodies if that was the case. Still, it was hard for her not to think about that prospect.
Cyril once gave Cynder a lecture during their first years as king and queen. No dragon on the council of Warfang wanted to officially recognize Cynder as nobility even when they had married. Even with the prospect of their children being legitimate, they were now a constant threat from those vying for power. Rupture being a more obvious example. Neither Spyro or Cynder ever imagined anyone will willfully harm their children in any way possible but reality showed them how much the two of them were put in harm's way one too many times during their own youth.
It was especially dangerous since neither had named an heir to take after Spyro. It wasn't about titles they were concerned about, it was about getting their jobs done for the good of the realm. If someone thought that they weren't doing a good enough job for their liking and wanted the throne for themselves, well that was trouble. She had to prepare their kids for that moment when they will have to defend themselves.
At first, she thought she was being paranoid. There was no way anyone would be stupid enough to want to off Spyro and the kids. But then again… there was Rupture, so who knows? She hated having to think like that. Just as she was about to discard the thought, she heard something land in the center of the chamber. It was the softest of steps; subtle, quiet, but it was there.
Cynder didn't react immediately. Rather, she waited for an opportunity for the intruder to strike. When it seemed as though the threat didn't show itself, she called out; "You are not trying to hide from me, are you? There are no corners for you here and I could already hear you."
After a second or two passed, the intruder called out; "I am not here to fight you, young Cynde,," her voice was old, weary, and almost as quiet as her steps.
The black dragon turned, her bladed tail at the ready to strike. What she saw was nothing more than an old, gray scaled looking dragon, shrouded in brown cloth. Old, lanky looking, almost as if she was a corpse.
"Who are you?" the black dragoness asked.
"I am Ventrus, and I will be your teacher. Tell me, when you peered into the pool of visions, what did you see?" the old gray dragon began to pace around the chamber slowly.
There was no way it had to be this dragon. Cynder couldn't understand how this old dragon was the one from yesterday. And to think, she wanted Cynder to find the pool and use it. But for what purpose exactly?
"Why should I tell you? You broke into my home, twice. Now here you are, telling me you're my teacher and asking me questions," Cynder clicked her tongue against the roof of her maw in agitation. "You are in no position to make demands here, Ventrus."
A soft chuckle escaped her old lips. "Do not be quick to turn aside aid. While you have every right to distrust me, 'Terror of the Skies,' I know the feeling of the taint that festers within you, and the feeling of losing every semblance of your freedom and identity to the darkness that binds you."
The draconian hag slowly approached the black dragon, her eyes pale white. It appeared as though she was blind, but she seemed to be staring right at her. Something about this old woman rubbed Cynder the wrong way, but she couldn't help but but wonder why she was doing this.
"How can you possibly know what that is like? Who are you, who I barely even know, make such a comparison?" Cynder lowered her tail down cautiously, but still kept her eye on the older dragon.
Ventrus' expression was calm and still as she addressed her; "If you are curious to learn more about me, Cynder, and how we are more alike, meet me at the top of the palace, in the chamber of the pool of visions. I care not whether you tell your husband about me. His training will come in time, but not now. I have to teach you about that power you wield, and of your true element, wind."
"But why me?" the black dragon asked. "Why me out of all the dragons? You could have asked just about any other wind dragon."
"Because it has to be you," the elder added. "Another guardian of fire will come in time… but ones of wind and water are another matter. Where one, the closeness to the Aether, the element, is dependent on the primary elements. Secondary elements will only strengthen that. And not only Spyro, but your son Malachite will as well."
Cynder's eyes widened. No one had ever known Mal's actual full name before. He never really liked the name Spyro had given him. Well, since Mal started his training that is. Her husband named him after that in reverence to Cynder's own naturally bright green, emerald like eyes. Though for Mal, his eyes were a darker shade of green.
"How did you-" but as soon as Cynder had uttered those words, the elder vanished in a trail of wind and smoke.
The Soulfire Clan had made its home in the Burned Lands, nested within the now dormant volcano from whence The Destroyer descended in during the waning days of Malefor's terror. It was the only region that the Kingdom of Warfang was not able to reclaim thanks to Rupture's constant presence. Even as the land healed, with grass growing, water flowing, and trees blooming, the region was still considered to be uninhabitable.
It was still their refuge though; the Soulfire Clan would not give it up. Only the coming days will see whether or not they are victorious or not, but Rupture assured the clan they will be. However, his fight with Flame had put a dent in his current plans. The injuries he sustained would take quite a bit to heal.
Rupture had barely enough red gems to restore his health and that of his clan members. Worse yet, the numbers he had lost to the Firekeeper Battalion had drastically reduced their manpower. They had the advantage, once. Now they were desperate. Their food supplies were dwindling as well as their gem stock. The wind dragons from the Windcleaver Clan had not bulged since the Soulfire's last attempt to claim their territory.
This was no fault of his own, such as his fight with Flame. He was foolish enough to let his guard down. Now he was held up in his den along with the rest of his clan members. There was one thing he hated and that was doing absolutely nothing at all.
"That rotten upstart. I swear I'll gut him when I get my claws on him," Rupture snarled. "We should plot out our next move."
Efris, Rupture's right hand, was still at work tending to his boss' wounds. Every so often he had to change the bandages for fresh new ones. The constant movement from the stubborn drake caused him to hiss out.
"Rupture you daft fool! If you keep on making movements like that, you're sure to open up your wounds again."
Efris did not take any smack talk from anyone. Especially from someone like Rupture. The Soulfire Clan demanded obedience and strength. They all answer to Rupture, and never question him. All except for Efris.
The other fire dragon was quite young and more clean looking than the other drakes here. He had crescent osteoderms on his shoulders, and bore three sets of horns on his head, and a dark red mohawk mane. There were certain characteristics to him that many of his kin saw as unusual. Only Rupture knew the story behind Efris.
"You best keep your hatred focused on Cynder. Having Flame as a target now will only leave you open to more opportunities to make mistakes. Remember; you have to learn and bide your time," Efris finished with wrapping the new set of bandages around his wounds. "And never leave your guard down."
Rupture hissed,"If you were any other dragon, I would have snapped your neck for this insult. But I cannot deny your words," the warrior drake turned his head away to stare at the stone wall in front of him. "Those damned cheetahs. Warfang's influence has grown strong enough that the non-dragon races have begun to flourish to their side again."
"I will admit, they will become a problem for us down the line," Efris replied as he maneuvered around to face his leader. "They are fast and cunning hunters after all, and they can be efficient messengers. One cheetah is enough to bring back an army."
Rupture turned back to Efris and shifted to his side. "Have our emissaries returned with word on the gryphons standing?"
Efris shook his head. "They want nothing to do with us. Their hatred seems to be directed at all dragons, not just Warfang."
"Hmm… wish we could figure out what it was they hated us for. Oh well, it does not matter," Efris slowly picked himself up to where he could sit on his haunches.
"What have I told you, Rupture?"
"Relax.. I'm well enough to stand. I can't just sit in my chambers when there is work to be done."
Efris made a grunt in frustration. "Stubborn old dragon. You should learn your limits. You will never get better if you are careless with your body. Why do you even want to get up?"
"Because I need to talk to an informant of mine. He should be here soon. If anything, he could tell us about-"
"Rupture!" a voice cried out from outside his chambers. "Rupture! We got trouble!" A young ward appeared from outside his chamber, huffing and panting. "Krisp is dead! We brought his husk in. He's in the main chamber!"
The watchman we posted on the roads? The Clan Leader thought to himself. There's no way that fool could have gotten himself in a fight. The dumbass should know better.
Rupture and Efris immediately made their way out and toward the central chamber. Several of the Soulfire clan members who weren't bedridden had all gathered around the shriveled charred husk of a dragon. This was supposed to be Krisp, but his head was missing. One look at the corpse and it was all Rupture needed to pin this on Cynder.
This horrible display of desecration of a dragon's body and destruction of his head was nothing short of the Terror of the Sky's work. As though all the life had been sucked out of Krisp, left as nothing but a husk. This was what that witch was capable of.
"Cynder… that wretch," Rupture hissed under his breath. "What happened here, soldier? Was there anyone within the vicinity when Krisp was attacked?"
The dragon he addressed was the one who brought the news. But he was nothing short of a messenger. "It wasn't me who found him sir! It was-"
Before he could answer, a massive, hulking red dragon stood before the clan leader. "I did, lord Rupture. I was leading my band on a routine patrol after we suspected the Windcleavers were encroaching on our territories."
"Did you see the black devil then?" Rupture asked.
"No. We saw nothing, nor had we heard anything. We weren't sure how long he was dead since it looked like he had been dead for centuries," the big dragon brushed his claws against the corpse. "We did find a pair of tracks though. Small, bipedal, heading toward the Mouth of Malefor."
Rupture narrowed his eyes and looked at the body. There was no way a small creature was capable of any such strength to kill a fully grown adult fire dragon.
"Impossible. There has to be another explanation," Rupture clicked his tongue along his roof. "No creature of that stature would have the magical capacity to defeat a dragon. And there are no more apes capable of fighting dragons anymore."
"But what if he is a witness?"
"Well finding him is going to be a difficult task given how many bipedal species there are in this realm. Send a few of your finest scouts anyways Burntis. Just in case we get lucky and find him. But this bears the foul odor of dark magic."
Indeed, Rupture knew enough about that to tell this was the worst kind of magic there was. The kind of magic that made apes artificially harness spirit gems. The same magic used to enhance the apes' martial and magical capabilities. It was also the same magic that tore apart the Inferno Battalion.
However, he had never seen anything like this. It was as though his very life force was sucked from him. There were no other signs of damage, and the damage he could see was post-mortem. Nothing else of Krisp was left.
"I do not like this one bit…" Rupture said. "Make sure your scouts are careful, Burntis. Report back to me if there is anything out of the ordinary.
The large red dragon bowed and turned toward the opposite end of the chamber.
"Alright. I want this body out of here. Bury him. Do whatever you need to do. Then get back to your duties," Rupture ordered. "I will be meeting with our informant soon. Maybe he might also shed some light on this."