Competence
While dragons can bring their might to bear directly and often do, their ability to indirectly achieve their goals is not to be underestimated. One of the ways they manage this is with enchantments, which can be used to protect treasures, set traps for enemies, or empower lesser creatures. A long-lasting example of this is Sparx, the dragonfly, as he has been permanently empowered by dragon magic since the day he was born alongside Spyro's hatching. The most powerful and practiced enchanters can even enhance the magical abilities of those who were already exceptionally powerful, as fairies will when it strikes their fancy. Even compared to dragons, fae magic is exceptional, and they surpass all others in the field of enchantments. When a dragon needs a powerful enchantment that will last for centuries, that dragon will pay for the services of fairies.
- Excerpt from "A Study of Dragons" written by "The Professor", published 2222 A.E.
The unique magical signature of Sparx the dragonfly would allow him to pass through the defenses of Spyro's castle unmolested, his security clearance as high as that of Spyro himself. He preferred to perch in Spyro's bedroom to sleep, and was eager to be in the dragon's presence again after their week apart, so he flew straight in through the bedroom window the night he returned from his trip to Dragonfly Falls. To his shock, Spyro wasn't alone in his bed, but was in fact sprawled out over the legs of three girls Sparx recognized. The room smelled of sex and Spyro's lovers were covered in his dried cum, cuddling together in their sleep. Sparx hadn't expected his goading to lead to such spectacular results, but that just left him all the more smug as he drifted to sleep on the window sill.
When Cynder had been teaching Spyro how to keep the gangs on his good side and work the streets, Sparx had been there. When Spyro was helping Elora save Avalar from Ripto's rage, Sparx had been there. When Ember had retreated from her parents and her troubles to be with Spyro instead, Sparx had been there, though he had begun to disappear for a week at a time on occasion by then. They were as happy to see him as Spyro himself that morning. They couldn't fully understand everything that Sparx was buzzing about, but Spyro assured them that his brother was capable of forming full sentences. There was a psychic effect involved, and already Hunter could understand the dragonfly. Spyro assured them that the more time they spent close to Sparx, the better they would understand him.
Their morning was happy and slow, their bodies sore from the love they'd shared the previous night, and they eventually made their way down to the den, at peace with what the future would bring. "I never thought you'd be able to get all the girls you were lusting after at once," Sparx buzzed in a tone the girls hadn't much heard from him, the lot of them trying to riddle out what the mildly mocking noises meant.
Spyro just rolled his eyes and huffed. "Lust is often felt alongside love, yes. I'm trying to be happy to see you, so don't blow it." Sparx flittered a little higher and then back down in his approximation of a shrug, hovering happily over the couch as the others took seats there, lounging lazily, with the exception of Ember. The pink dragoness had been behind the others, insisting she needed something from the closet, and they finally noticed what she meant when she sauntered past them to the kitchen. A black skirt with white frilling hugged her hips, being far too short to cover anything up and only serving to draw eyes to her rounded rump and swaying tail, but the white apron tied at her neck and waist, while also frilled and quite pretty, seemed like it might actually serve its traditional purpose. Spyro stared as she went in mild shock. He'd known that she wanted to cook for him, but seeing it happen made it all the more real, and he wasn't sure how to react.
"What should I make us for breakfast, Spyro?" He felt warmth flood his body as she said that, looking back at him with affection and a desire to please.
Spyro smiled at her as he leaned back into the couch, Cynder watching him with interest. "Whatever you want, babe. Feel free to be a showoff."
"Well, you've certainly shown me how to manage that." She winked at him before carrying on, swaying her hips as she passed the threshold to the kitchen, humming to herself as she got to work, reveling in the massive kitchen and all the things she'd bought for it the previous day.
"She'll need an assistant who knows what she's doing," Elora said, "but I guess she'll have to settle for me instead." Resolved to help Ember, Elora stood and straightened her newest leaf dress. Spyro's latest version had patterns of flowers forming draconic symbols of power on the skirt, which was a few inches shorter than she was used to, and the chest-covering was just high enough to cover her nipples, a vine supporting the weight of her breasts and lifting her cleavage into permanent display. "I'll definitely draw a few more stares walking around in this thing." Elora had been too tired to fully appreciate the new dress before, but as she twirled around in it she felt her heart flutter in her chest. Not only was it gorgeous in its own right, but it also made her look all the prettier, and that was the mark of a fantastic dress. She could hardly believe Spyro managed to craft it so shortly after they'd woken up. She leaned down and gave Spyro a long, passionate kiss in thanks before trotting into the kitchen to help Ember.
"Well now that I'm awake enough to see it," Cynder began, tilting her head. "I've been left out of the skirt-wearing fun. I'm sure Ember picked something out for me that's just as skimpy so I think I'll find it right now."
Spyro kissed her cheek, stroking the joint of her wing. "Don't take too long. I could use some company soon."
"As I've said, you're insatiable."
"You got that right." They kissed deeply, their tongues playing together for a few solid minutes, and then Cynder breathlessly pulled back, sighing with pleasure. "Now get on and get back, missy." Cynder rolled her eyes as she started to leave, but compulsively moaned as Spyro gave her ass a firm slap. She turned back with false indignation, but Spyro saw right through her facade and just winked, Cynder speeding up so she could get back as quickly as possible.
"She's a feisty one, Sparx." Spyro relaxed all the more, pulling his phone from its pocket dimension and placing it on the coffee table. Dragons didn't like wearing clothing everywhere, but mobile phones were becoming exceedingly important to everyday life, so carrying unflattering bags or cases had become common practice. The Professor had given Spyro his prototype pocket dimension phone, and Spyro was sure that it would be a huge commercial success. It would just be more riches for the both of them thanks to Spyro's funding and The Professor's brilliance. Still, it wasn't enough to distract him from his concerns, and he put voice to them now that he could speak to his brother again. "I am worried about her interest in a spellbook of dark magic, but I just can't trust it out in the broader world. High-Five was distraught when I spoke to him about it. He said it could influence people directly, as if it's alive in a way." Sparx gave a confused buzz, and Spyro chuckled, shaking his head. "Sorry, pal. I guess there's a lot I need to catch you up on."
While Sparx was contemplating this, Spyro's phone began to ring, and he answered the moment he saw who it was. "Gnorman! My main money gnorc! How's the park doing?" Gnorman was the treasurer for the Dragon Shores park, and he called to give Spyro a financial report once a month, as his public function as salaried mascot wasn't all that Spyro did for the park. He could be counted on to provide loans with downright friendly interest rates when Gnorman knew the savings weren't enough for a particular expansion. For the next several minutes the dragon would be talking business with his gnorc friend, so Sparx decided to fly over into the kitchen to watch Ember work. As a predatory insect he didn't have any interest in the sorts of prepared meals that most other sapient creatures enjoyed, but he could tell by Ember's demeanor and how cheerfully she greeted him that she was confident in what she was making, Elora clearly impressed with the smells in the room.
Having a moment to himself while speaking with Gnorman, Spyro's mind began to wander a bit. He didn't wish to be rude to Gnorman, but couldn't avoid feeling some anxiety about the stunt he was about to pull with three traitorous Mountain Crackers. He was made yet more uneasy by the contemplation of Slither's lack of contact, unsure why she let Cynder step down from the ranks of the Knifetails so easily. His heart told him to ignore all of that, to accept that Slither respected Cynder enough to let her be happy, and that no dragon nor other resident of the realms was stupid enough to cause trouble with the dark tome. Unfortunately, he was never very good at fooling himself, and logic made way for worry.
Hoss paced in his private cavern, no longer towering over his underlings as he usually did, far too busy considering their odd behavior of late. He was twice as tall as the zeroes he led, already 273 years of age himself, not nearly old enough to be a full adult, but older than most draconic gangsters. Whatever impulse drove aging dragons to take to slower methods of amassing wealth had not hit Hoss, and the Mountain Crackers continued to control the communities of unruly cave-dwelling beings, extorting tithes for protection and concealment. It was lucrative enough to sustain them, but the recovered treasures from ancient dwarfish holds and long-abandoned dragon mines brought in more prestige and fetched fine prices. It seemed the Tome of Valenar would be no exception.
The problem lied with the three young dragons meant to guard that very book. They were up to something, but he wasn't sure what. He couldn't accuse them without evidence, but neither could shake his intuition, warning him that they were plotting something. They were still zeroes, and zeroes were ambitious risk-takers. The only way to keep them in line was to pit them against each other, and if he couldn't be sure what they were planning then doing so was his only option. Trying to split the three up wouldn't work, not while they were so deep in a conspiracy together, but he could use another member of the gang, so long as they didn't see it coming. "That's it." He said to himself, devising a plan of his own.
Rock, High-Five, and Camo seemed far too interested in that tome they'd almost lost to Cynder. It would be a shame if they lost the honor of presenting it themselves when the meeting finally came to pass.
A few days later...
It was nice to get away from the constant bickering of the mountain goats and spend some time out in the open fields, watched over by calm and good-natured dragons. Tomas, a musician, was chatting away at Delbin, a painter, and Tomas, an Elder who was quite adept at magic, particularly teleportation. Artisan Tomas thought it was infinitely amusing that he shared a name with such a powerful Elder, and Elder Tomas did an admirable job pretending that he didn't mind the banter, but Sheila could tell that he did. She spent a lot of her time pretending that Billy, Bobby, and Pete didn't make her want to strangle them with their constant, over-the-top pranks on one another. As such, she decided to hop over to help him out.
"G'day, Tom! Other Tom, Delbin." The blue-scaled Elder stepped back as Sheila hopped forward, inviting her into their informal gathering while she nodded to each of the dragons in turn. "Long time, no see, mates. What's new in these realms?" The Elder quietly sighed in relief at the change in subject, but his expression was still anxious, as if the news was concerning for him.
"Well," Delbin began. "A new expansion for Dragon Shores has just been announced. They're using some new technology from The Professor to build an underwater roller-coaster. Spyro's already filmed an advertisement for it."
"If you ask me," said young Thomas, "it's about time they had a ride themed after The Great Sea Dragon. She's quite an important figure in our history. Over the ages, there have been seventy-six songs entirely dedicated to Her and Her story, and She is mentioned in one way or another in over a thousand songs."
"Oh yeah," Sheila replied, a wide smile on her face. "I've read about her. She died on Dragon Shores, 'ey? Swam all the way there from The Forgotten Realms before any portals could connect the two, saving her young from The Sorceress."
"Aye, that is correct." Though Elder Thomas said it with a tired confidence, as if he'd confirmed it to many tourists before, Sheila had the unshakable impression that he was somehow hiding something. Regardless, he continued to another topic. "It is unfortunate that not all of the recent news we can give you is so positive as the continued success of a popular theme park." The Elder leaned on his staff, craning his neck to bring his face closer to the kangaroo, his expression sad. "I'm afraid that gang activities have been on the rise, and I suspect that Spyro is still involved in spite of my warnings."
"Awe, no, the lad is fine, you old Tom." The musician said with a cheeky smile, Delbin nodding along with him. "The streets are a familiar battlefield for young Spyro, and I'm sure any current opposition pales in comparison to what he's faced in the past."
"Regardless," Elder Thomas said, pressing forward and mildly annoyed. "I believe it is good that you are here, Sheila. Spyro has more connections with races younger than ours than any other dragon his age, and I know he cares for you deeply. Perhaps you could bring my concerns to your shared friends for me? Let the others know that the Elder Council is concerned for Spyro's well-being?"
"No worries, Tom. I'll pass it along to 'em. I'd try an intervention, maybe, but it's no good trying to tell old Spyro what to do. Stubborn as a horny billy-goat, that one." Sheila smiled apologetically, shrugging her shoulders with exasperation.
Thomas nodded thankfully anyway, appreciating that she would make the effort. "That is all I can ask of you. I worry about that boy, you know."
"I, for one," Delbin began, "have faith that Spyro will be safe, especially with his little magical protector following him around everywhere. He is the youngest Master of Dragon-kata in history, afterall." Delbin gestured slightly, with a disarming twinkle in his eyes and a charming smile, clearly speaking with the best of intentions. "As I understand it, the Elder Council was responsible for that training, and trusted him to save the Dragon Realms from the greatest threat we'd yet faced."
"Fine, you have made your point quite clear." Elder Thomas straightened his spine and held his staff forward, giving a small bow of his head in recognition. Sheila was always a little overwhelmed in moments such as this, seeing an ancient and powerful dragon shift from a friendly, grandfatherly figure to a regal beast with great magic and infinite wisdom. Indeed, it seemed those things were only distinct in her own mind, and had she enough wisdom herself she may not ever see only one or the other again. "It is with all of my heart that I hope you are correct, Artisans. As I have a prior engagement with the Magic Crafters, I will leave you and our guest to enjoy today's public event." When the Elder was finished with his farewell, the other dragons bowed back and wished him fair winds.
Sheila watched him take off after a short sprint, flying from the landmass of the Artisan worlds toward the mountains of the Magic Crafters. "He's always fun, innit he?"
"Old Tom might be a worrier, but I was much the same, once upon a time." The younger Thomas mused. "Still a great guy. Lot's of patience, too."
"That public event he mentioned is an art show on the West side of town." Delbin explained, tilting his head in the appropriate direction. "We'd be more than happy to have you along for a few hours, before you go to see your friends."
Sheila straightened her coat and nodded, her bright hair giving an alluring little bounce as she did. "Now that does sound like a fun time; a real banger iffin Tom'll be playin' there, 'ey?"
"I will indeed, my dear." Thomas gave a good-natured wink as they began to walk together, enjoying the fine weather. "We're in no rush, so it will be our pleasure to escort you here on the ground."
"Ah, still afraid of fallin' then, 'ey?" Delbin snorted to suppress a chuckle, but the only sign Thomas gave of his annoyance was a small twitch of his wings.
The Artisan dragons were always friendly to Sheila and other visitors of her size, enjoying the enthusiasm of younger species for art in all its forms. The Artisan Home world was second only to Dragon Shores in visitation, partly because Spyro and Sparx had hatched in an Artisan territory, and largely because every visitor spread the word of the stunning art the dragons were capable of, as well as telling of the beautiful, untarnished nature that inspired it.
As such, it was no surprise that the art show was an impressive display, with tourists spending all manner of exotic currency to take home pieces of art. There were paintings, sculptures, and even short stories penned onto parchment the old-fashioned way, all of it being traded while musicians took turns playing for tips, announcing the next dragon in the line-up when their own sets were complete. There was even a small band of much younger dragons showing off digital art in their own little area, some familiar faces facilitating the creativity of the others with an impressive array of screens and speakers. After tossing some silver coins into Thomas' lute case, Sheila headed in that direction, eager to catch up on lost time.
"Hey there, Professor! Seems you're all settled in and comfy here in the Dragon Realms. Even have your own space in the art show." A little to the mole's left, Drobot and Drobit were arguing over some statistics pertaining to some form of software, perhaps a game, though Sheila wasn't sure. Drobot seemed to care a lot less about it than his little brother, but the arguing went on regardless. On The Professor's other side was Flame, his hot-red scales shining brilliantly in the sunlight as he practically skipped in place, a menu for a pixelated game on a screen behind him. He must have cleaned himself thoroughly for this presentation, even buffing his scales and scutes by the look of them.
"Oh no," The Professor answered. "It's not my space. Drobot and I are simply here to allow others to express their art. This space is for the young dragons here."
"Sheila!" The kangaroo started at Flame's sudden call, only having met the young fire dragon a few times when visiting Spyro. She had a distant friendship with him, much like her relationships with the older Artisans, but he seemed much more excited to see her than she'd expected. "Bianca was holding out on me all these years, you know." Sheila blinked in confusion as she turned to face him fully, not sure how to respond to that. "She's been a fantastically skilled gamer this whole time, and only just let her skills be known a few days ago. How crazy is that?"
"Absolutely lunar," Sheila said, pretending she knew what he was talking about.
"Uh, yeah." Sheila noticed he seemed distracted by something for a moment, but he was still looking right at her. She tilted her head at him, his eyes following the sway of her fiery red hair, but he managed to pull his thoughts back together after that. "Anyway, my point. I wonder, are you hiding any secret gaming talent as well? You two are pretty close, right?"
"We were, before she moved out here with Hunter."
"Oh..." Flame whispered, fidgeting his claws awkwardly. "Sorry for bringing it up then."
"S'alright, blokey. Bentley and Sergeant Byrd have moved out this ways too. Ah know Agent Nine 'ill be lurkin' roundabouts The Professor's labs, and they're all here now. Been thinking about moving out here myself too. Lemme tell ya, this roo needs a boomer by now, but none of the bucks in the Forgotten Realms quite measure up." It was Flame's turn to blink in confusion, not sure what she'd just said exactly, but whatever it meant had The Professor blushing for some reason. "So what's your treat for the people today, Flamer?"
Flame perked up at that question, gesturing behind himself with flair. "This is a video game I've been developing independently, with Drobit's help, of course. We're showing off a demo level today. Want to have a go at it?"
"Heck yeah! Just show me how to get started. Ain't played many of these things before, ya know." Flame grinned and fanned out his wings excitedly, sliding over to Sheila's side and directing her by gesturing at her controller. He soon realized she wasn't kidding when she said she didn't play many video games, but he patiently provided pointers and helped her to avoid the glitches he hadn't worked out yet. She listened closely to everything he told her, but she was admittedly a little distracted by his physical closeness. While he was standing upright as he was, he was almost a head taller than her, not counting the horns, and she was a bit hunched over to study the controller and screen already.
Sheila finally saw the signs of what The Professor had been talking about, that young dragons matured quickly, and often experimented with the shorter-lived species in their youth. She wasn't stupid, and she'd picked up on how Flame had studied her hair and face earlier. It was clear that he found her attractive, but she wondered how far that could take them before he lost his nerve. "Oh bull dust!" Sheila missed a jump by a few pixels, intentionally, her tail thwapping Flame's hip as she flicked it in faux frustration. "I think we'll be here all day if you don't give me some hands-on help with this one." Before he could reach for the controller she shifted her position, so that he'd either have to move over to her other side, or just reach over her shoulders for it.
Flame tensed up as he realized what she was doing, glancing at the others to see if they would notice. To his relief, The Professor had been dragged into the heated debate that Drobit and Drobot were having, so he turned back to Sheila, observing her figure from behind. By the time his gaze traveled back to her hair, she was looking back at him with a small smile, her emerald eye shining brilliantly in the sunlight. Only a fool would pass up what she was offering, or so Flame thought, so he stepped forward and leaned his broad chest into her back, his claws gliding through the fur on her arms until he was loosely gripping her hands, his thumbs gently prodding hers in the right direction as she tried the jump again. He felt her tail hike up his own, his hips straddling her rear as they settled into a position that was anything but innocent, even as they both pretended it was.
Sheila felt warmth flooding her body from the contact, the smoky scent of the fire dragon distracting her so much that she really did need his input to make her way through the demo level. The feeling of his firm belly-scutes digging into her jacket and fur, of his scaled arms against hers, and his strong hands gripping hers left her in a state of euphoric sensory overload, the need she'd tried to manage with males in the Forgotten Realms burning in her core all the hotter.
Flame pressed his snout into her neck, taking a deep breath of the perfume in her hair, a healthy serving of her natural scent mixing in as he did. She felt so soft beneath him, stirring something within him, something he'd felt to a lesser extent just talking with Bianca. He stroked the soft skin of her hands, completely ignoring the demo he'd worked so hard to put together, focused entirely on the kangaroo, closing his weight in around her. He felt his firm muscles pushing against hers, her strong thighs especially enticing him, and she moaned quietly. She'd managed to muffle the sound, but they were so close that Flame could still hear it easily, responding by giving her cheek a light kiss. "Fuck me," she muttered breathlessly.
"Sure thing." His smooth reply to her impulsive exclamation left her blushing, but his own words surprised him too, and they stared into each other's eyes for a good few minutes. The conversation of the others had gone strangely quiet.
Then, Sheila smiled. "Ace, mate. Later, though. Let me settle in first, yeah?" Flame couldn't hide his excitement as he nodded, lifting his arms and stepping back so she could step away from the console, facing him directly. "Don't think we've ever exchanged numbers, Flamer. Get your phone out and put mine down, so ya can call me sometime." Flame did, looking to be in a bit of a daze, and afterward Sheila hopped off, waving cheerily back at him.
Flame looked back to see that The Professor, Drobot, and Drobit had all been watching him for the past few minutes, and he chuckled nervously. "Did I just secure a booty-call?"
"More than one, I'd say." Drobot replied nonchalantly, turning back to the station to study one of the cable locks. "Depending on how well you perform the first time, that is."
"Ah, fuck. That's a good point." Flame turned contemplative, watching the majority of the dragons and tourists ignoring the little tech station in favor of the more classical pieces. Most people went to the Artisan Worlds to experience the work of old dragons, to see art forms that had died out in their own societies, but that was alright. Surely, they'd be busier when more zeros left their day-jobs, and it just gave him time to think on his situation. Slowly, Flame's face lit up with satisfaction, and he nodded to himself. "Spyro seems to have become an expert at this stuff in only a few days, if his Realmbridge posts are anything to go by. I'll just ask him for some pointers tomorrow."
"Fascinating." The Professor exclaimed quietly, taking down notes as he listened in. The three dragons around him all turned in his direction at once, and the mole shrunk down into his lab coat. "I did it again, didn't I?"
"Don't worry yourself over it, Professor." Drobot said, gazing down at the scientist through the optics that had replaced his lost eyes. "I find those little outbursts to be… endearing." Flame smirked, he and Drobit wisely turning their attention elsewhere.
The mole fidgeted with his pencil and clipboard, his eyes rapidly scanning all the areas where Drobot's scales met his cybernetic parts. "Are all of your systems still running smoothly?"
"I've had a few glitches with the right optic after a tussle with a Lightbringer this morning."
"Spotlight again?" Drobot nodded as the pair of them moved over to a workbench, The Professor digging some tools out of a wheeled tool-cabinet. "Why can't she just leave us to do our work in peace? Haven't we proven we aren't a threat by now?"
Drobot shook his head, before stilling so The Professor could start his checkup. "Her suspicion is admirable, if misplaced. I'm glad that she keeps the Knifetails in check."
"And I'll be glad when she stops ambushing you without cause. Anyway, hold perfectly still: I'm about to check the circuits."
The next day…
"You weren't kidding about these souffles." The sound of slapping hips echoed in Spyro's kitchen, the skilled cook amongst his mates bent over the counter and drooling over the desserts she'd just made, her little apron and necklace swaying with Spyro's every hump. He'd mounted her several minutes ago, when Ember had offered to have him judge the dessert she'd bragged about a few days ago. Now he'd finished the souffle, but he wasn't done with his real treat, his massive cock slamming deep into her pussy at a relaxed pace, flooding her body with warmth and pleasure. He then leaned down over her back more closely, lifting his hand in front of her face, and she mindlessly started licking the crumbs from the souffle off his fingers. Her moans were soon muffled as she started to suckle, and Spyro chuckled at her, feeding her a bit of magical water from his claws, a trick he made frequent use of.
"That's my good girl." Spyro praised her, slapping Ember's shapely ass with his free hand while he picked up the pace, slamming her knees into the cabinet doors below with his powerful thrusts. All of his girls liked it rough, and he took full advantage of that, releasing a bestial growl while Ember's eager cunny gripped him even tighter with his increased force. Ember was taking yet another rough pounding from her hero, and it sent her mind reeling, her eyes rolling back as he savagely fucked her. She didn't have the space to move or the speed to keep up with him, but she made up for it by focusing on the grip of her love tunnel, squeezing around his throbbing cock each time his tip hit her cervix, her soft inner flesh embracing him snugly before he pulled back to slam in again, his smooth barbs digging into her whenever he reared back for the next thrust.
"Wreck me, Spyro," Ember mumbled around her mouthful of his fingers, and he purred deep in his chest when he heard those words, pulling his fingers from her soft lips and gripping the back of her head with that hand. Ember deftly slid the tray of souffles to the side and the moment they were out of the way she felt Spyro shove her face down onto the counter, his other hand gripping one of her wing joints firmly as he paused in his thrusting to shift his legs against hers. "Ooo~" She cooed happily, gyrating herself over him needily until he was ready to shove into her again, slamming deep and at the perfect angle to stimulate all of her most sensitive spots. He'd gotten quite familiar with her body in the past week. "Nnngh… Yes, right there."
A short distance to their left on the counter, Spyro's phone began to ring, and Spyro purred playfully as he nuzzled the back of Ember's neck, letting his grip on her head loosen a little. "Why don't you answer that for me, sweetheart?" Spyro felt her tremble beneath him at the mere thought, unable to contain the surge of exhibitionist excitement as she desperately clawed for the phone, barely glancing at the caller ID before answering.
"Hello, this is Spyro's phone, mmmm… f-fu.. Ember speaking. -AAAAH! Oooo..."
Flame responded with clear nervousness and arousal, sure that it would be polite to merely call back later, but too enthralled by what he was hearing to do so right away. "Uh… Is Spyro there?" Flame already knew that he was, but felt the need to ask anyway. "I need to ask him if I can swing by today."
"One- Haa! S-second." Ember dropped the phone, her hips quaking as her body was nearing its peak, and she turned her head back to look at Spyro with half-lidded eyes and a strand of drool falling from her lip. "Fl-Flame wants to.. talk to- Mmmph!" Spyro surprised her with a deep, passionate kiss, the hand holding her head switching to gently caressing her crest, while his other hand lovingly stroked her wing joints and spine, the sudden shift soothing her sore body. He humped into her hard and slow, hitting all of the right spots and finally hilting in her when she couldn't take any more. Ember groaned girlishly into the kiss, her peaking pussy milking cutely at his firm cock, pulling him over the edge. With Sparx still hovering above them like a silent sentinel, Spyro filled Ember's insides with his warm seed, slowly pulling back to coat as much of her needy pussy in his cum as possible. Finally, while he was letting the last of his release land on Ember's backside, he set his phone to speaker mode, grinning to himself when he saw that Flame had stayed on the line.
"You enjoying yourself over there, buddy?" There were a number shuffling sounds from the phone as Flame rapidly changed position on the other end, trying and failing to cover it up by clearing his throat. Meanwhile, Spyro pulled Ember back by one of her horns, shoving her down below the counter and slapping her face with his cock, their combined sex fluids staining her lashes. "Clean me up now, sweetie." She giggled quietly while she nuzzled his crotch, stroking his thighs as she started on her task, licking up and down the length of his cock, her attention preventing it from softening much.
"I could call back at a better time if-"
"Too late for that, buddy. What's important enough for you to become a voyeur?" Spyro grunted when Ember suddenly slipped him into her mouth, her soft lips tight around him and her tongue swirling against his tip. He was only paying slight attention to his conversation, letting Ember distract him from the stress of what they'd be doing later that day. "Mmmm… Good girl, Ember." She hummed happily around him from the praise, taking his dick deeper as he started to pet her head, letting him glide into her throat.
"What you're doing right now is why I'm calling." That caught the attention of both dragons on the other end of the line, but, after a few seconds of contemplation, Spyro pulled Ember's head closer to him and she took the hint, starting to bob her face into his groin. She didn't need to worry about the conversation happening above, not when she had something far more important to take up her attention. "I need your help, dude. Sheila came on to me yesterday, and I'm completely new at this stuff. I don't want to mess up the first time, because I want there to be a second time. Could you give me some pointers if I come over?"
While Flame was talking, Spyro started to hump into Ember's face, her body trapped against the cabinets as he plowed into her throat, his girth making her gag and drool. He was free to use her as roughly as he wanted, since they kept their nonverbal signal for when someone might need a break, and Ember obviously didn't want him to stop if she wasn't using that signal. "We're gonna be really busy today, so let me tell you how this works right now instead. Take notes." There were more shuffling noises and Spyro chuckled to himself, shaking his head. He felt Ember squeeze his right thigh and tap his left twice, slow down and back up, is what that signal meant. He shuffled back and splayed his hands against the edge of the counter, gazing down at her with inquisitive eyes. She just winked thankfully at him and used the extra space to position her throat at a better angle from his crotch, so his cock could glide deeper more easily.
Ember shoved her face forward again, managing to take him to the base that time, her hands pulling at his hips to give him the signal to speed back up. "Alright, I'm ready. What do I need to do?" Spyro hummed in approval, slapping his balls into Ember's chin as he started to fuck her face in earnest, unable to keep the possessive grin off his face, nor out of his voice as he spoke back to the phone.
"There are two things all girls want from a roll in the nest. They want to feel taken care of, and they want to take care of you. There's a lot of different emotions, wants, and needs that we could get into, but they all trace back to one of those two things, so figuring out which of the two your girl leans into will let you play her like a pan flute." Ember's laugh at that little joke was muffled by his cock, and the well-practiced dragoness started twisting her neck one way or the other when he hilted, massaging his shaft with her wet throat. "Nnnff… Oh that's good. There's also nuances to the reasons why they want certain things, and it'll change with their moods because of course, that just makes sense. Don't do anything too kinky without establishing safe words, but remember to test the waters without starting with the safe words occasionally or it won't feel spontaneous enough and she'll get bored."
"Wait, how will I know if I need to be spontaneous or play it safe?"
Spyro looked down at Ember's gorgeous face, her scales shining brilliantly and her wings gleaming from her rigorous hygiene routine. The sight of her was breathtaking as he railed his cock into her face, her eyes glancing up at him with clear devotion in their depths. He could smell her pleasure rising as she delicately dug her fingers into her slit, her pleasure and his seed leaking from her to pool on the floor. "Look at her, Flame. Give her the respect she deserves and look her right in the eyes. Then, you'll know what to do." Spyro lowered his face past the counter, leaving the phone behind for a moment, giving Ember his full attention. "Cum for me, baby." She moaned over him, digging her claws into herself faster and rougher, mashing her thumb into her clit, forcing her body into the state he wanted her to reach, and then she did what he wanted, squirting their mixed juices into her hand.
"Mmmff!" Spyro gripped Ember's skull and savagely fucked her throat at a rapid pace, slamming deep and holding himself there before she was finished, feeling her gulping weakly around his throbbing cock while he sprayed his load into her throat. He blew fire into the air from his nose, growling while he finished in her yet again, his wings twitching with fulfillment. He gave her more than she could keep up with, his virility coating her lips and dribbling out of her nostrils as she gagged, still playing with her trembling pussy. She let his dick rest in her while he caught his breath, closing her tearing eyes and focusing on the full sensation, his musk and presence overwhelming her senses.
"Still there?" Spyro asked between panted breaths.
"Y-yeah."
"Good. I wanted to say one last thing. Don't fuck up my friend's first time with a dragon. Oh! And try not to spit fire on her, too." With that, Spyro ended the call, stepping back to let Ember up. She followed him with her face, however, suckling lewdly at his dick as it gradually slipped free until it was mostly clean, taking all of his seed into herself and leaving him with the ghost of the sweet embrace of her body.
"There," she panted, "all clean." Spyro dropped down in front of her, smiling mischievously.
"Not yet. There's still some on you." He playfully licked at her snout and lips, collecting his cum on his tongue before kissing her, letting her lick it from his tongue with her own.
He broke the kiss to finish the job, but she put a hand on his chest to stop him. "Don't clean all of it. I love being marked by you in the morning. I'll just wash up before we leave."
Spyro chuckled, pulling the tray of souffles off the counter. This put his firm rump into prime snuggling range, and Ember took full advantage, nuzzling her wet snout against the base of his tail. "Since you won't let me finish cleaning your face, you will just have to clean every spot that you nuzzle." She giggled apologetically in response, gently licking his backside until he was far enough away for her to start following him out. "Considering what Cynder and Elora have been up to all morning, I think they'll need a few of these."
A few moments earlier…
An otherwise nude faun was restrained by leather and metal connectors on Spyro's bed, her wrists trapped under her back and a spreader bar keeping her ankles apart. A dragoness took great pleasure in taking advantage of the faun's state of bondage, again and again. Their bodies glistened with sweat, staining the sheets along with their arousal. They had needed to wash the sheets daily for the past few days, driven by lust and the thrill of discovery, as well as the desire for plenty of distractions.
Cynder worked her hips down over Elora's face, gyrating her hips while Elora obediently licked and suckled. Cynder's tail was wrapped around the faun's breasts, her clawed hands kneading the soft flesh and pinching delicately at the nipples. "Such a good little goat." Cynder praised, humping down roughly to force Elora's snout deeper, her clit mashed into the short fur of the faun's chin. "Ready to bleat for me again?" Elora whimpered into Cynder's pussy, but her own winked with anticipation, giving away how much she enjoyed the treatment she was receiving that morning.
Cynder growled over the ravaged body of her lover, small red marks visible past the fur in a few places from the last time they'd done this. Then, she started to nip, closing her sharp teeth over Elora's boobs, torso, and thighs. She didn't bite hard enough to draw blood, nor even to hurt much, but the slightest hint of those teeth closing over her body sent shivers up Elora's spine, her limbs straining against her bonds as she squirmed excitedly. "Mmmff..." The fact that her sight was obscured entirely by Cynder's tight vent, the base of her tail, her shapely butt, and the bit of her wet slit that encompassed her snout meant that she couldn't be sure where Cynder would bite next, and that made it so much more titillating than it already would have been.
"Oh yes, you know how much I like lavender, don't you? Flavored these legs for me with your last shower, huh?" Cynder felt Elora work her tongue more frantically into the dragoness' slit, as she always did when the nibbling started to really work her up. Cynder drove her hips down again, using Elora's face like a sex-toy and viciously play-biting her thighs, drooling into the already sweat-stained fur. The bitter taste of sweat mingled with the traces of lavender soap, Cynder purring around her snack. She bit down harder, hearing the sweet, muffled sound of the faun bleating into her pussy, and that was all the prompting Cynder needed to get even rougher with her hips. The constant slamming made Elora's snout sore, Cynder's tail swaying above, and her own snout hovering over Elora's cunt. She finished again, growling over her bound partner, forcing Elora to drink down another load of feminine juices and staining her facial fur with more of her own scent. "That's a good bottom bitch." After her quiet muttering, Cynder licked her lips, then giggled to herself, before finally giving Elora's clit a gentle nibble with her sharp teeth.
Elora was bucking up at the air in the next second, moaning in ecstasy and adding more fluids to the stain that had been growing between her thighs and under her large rump. Cynder just kept giggling, still sitting comfortably on Elora's face, leaning back against the head-board of the bed. "Wow. I don't know why you were a politician for so long. Being a seat for dragons is clearly your true calling." Elora tried to mumble something back, but Cynder just wiggled her ass over her, preventing her from getting a word in. "Sorry, I'm not quite satisfied yet. Why don't you keep working while I relax for awhile?" Cynder lifted herself long enough for Elora to take a full breath, though the air was filled with Cynder's smell. When Cynder settled back down she had her vent over Elora's lips and wiggled her ass down again. "Just eat my ass out for me and I'll consider letting you up." Elora shuddered with arousal, her ankles kicking and straining against the bar between them, and she didn't muster any protests while she got to work on her latest task.
"Nnnn..." Cynder stretched her limbs out and screwed her eyes shut, her body tingling with compounding afterglows and the pleasant sensation of having her vent licked clean. Elora's tongue spread the tight, draconic sphincter just past the lips of the vent, and she wormed her way as deeply into Cynder's bowls as she could manage with her wide, mammalian tongue. All Cynder had to do was relax and sink down, letting her weight give Elora the smothering she craved. They had all done so much experimenting in the last few days, learning about each other, discovering their shared fetishes, and Elora loved being bound and helpless. She especially enjoyed the warmth of a dragon's insides, particularly when it was trapped against her face by a shapely ass and tail until it went from warm to hot, and Cynder very much enjoyed being eaten out. This was perhaps Cynder's favorite part, basking in the bliss of several orgasms while her worn-out faun eagerly slurped at her asshole. Elora knew to just stop and whine if she needed a breather, so Cynder just crossed her legs and propped her feet on Elora's belly, slapping Elora's boobs with her tail.
The longer they kept at it, the more Cynder moaned in quiet approval, her eyes half-lidded and her body at peak relaxation. She uncrossed her legs and straightened her knees, letting her feet slide closer to Elora's groin, her ass sinking a little further over Elora's face. She felt her stomach rumble hungrily and started to stroke her belly-plates, feeling something stirring she might have been embarrassed about with anyone else. In this case, she knew the faun loved what was coming her way. "Have some air down there, goat." Cynder let a fart out over Elora's tongue and directly into her mouth, the furry muzzle muffling the noise completely. Elora's eyes rolled up as she breathed it in and kept licking at an indulgently slow pace, her body shivering from the sensation. Her dragons really did spoil her, fulfilling her wildest fantasies again and again. "There's more where that came from. Ember and Spyro are taking their time getting back up here, and I'm pretty hungry."
Cynder lost track of time as she waited patiently, and Elora certainly wasn't paying any mind to anything other than Cynder's wonderful rear end. The dragoness let out a few short burps every few minutes, but occasionally her tummy released the hot air in Elora's maw instead, making the faun moan and shudder every time. When Spyro finally came back into the bedroom he was carrying the souffles, and Ember was still licking his butt as she followed after him, his cum still staining her face. Cynder giggled at them, fluttering her wings in anticipation. "So glad you're both back. Help me finish off the main course before we try Ember's dessert."
Elora's ears flicked up when the meaning of Cynder's words finally registered, the serpentine dragoness lifting her rump and bending forward, sliding her claws along Elora's back. Finally her mouth was free, and soon Cynder had unbound her wrists as well, kneading them as she pulled Elora's arms out from under her. Spyro and Ember crawled onto the bed with predatory motions, making their way to Elora's ankles and freeing them of the bar, pushing the piece of metal off the bed. There was a clang as it clattered down, the sensation of mild electric shocks from Spyro's fingers, and then they all lightly bit her limbs simultaneously. The playful nips were just as harmless as the ones Cynder gave her earlier, but they were all the more relentless, and from three dragons at once.
Elora didn't fight, closing her eyes as she was fondled, nibbled, licked, and caressed. They stalked around her as they went, teasing every inch of her body. Eventually Ember made her way to Elora's face and drew her into a deep kiss. Elora could smell Spyro's seed on Ember's scales. On and on it went, the dragons changing positions and passing Elora's arms and legs around, teeth brushing over her skin and tongues cleaning off her sweat, until her form was shaking with need. She felt one maw move away, opening her eyes to see Cynder suckling one of her own fingers, lubing it up, and then she slid it into Elora's ass, Spyro and Ember each forcing a finger into her pussy at the same time. Cynder was stroking Elora's side with her other hand, Ember had a handful of faun boob, Spyro sat on one of her thighs, and a bit of extra heat inside her from his magic as all their fingers curled in a different direction was enough to bring Elora to yet another climax. She grabbed Ember and Cynder at the shoulders, riding out her orgasm while the dragons made adoring little purrs for her, the mammal gasping for breath when it was over.
They helped Elora sit up and Ember scooped the tray of souffles from the floor, the girls digging in to the sweets. Ember was again showered with praise for her cooking skills, but Spyro seemed quite distracted by his phone. He sighed and stowed it in its pocket dimension, waiting for his girls to finish their late breakfast. When their conversation died down and they turned toward him, he spoke. "It's almost time. We should make ourselves presentable. Remember, if Hoss gets hostile, let me handle him and protect Elora. She won't survive a direct hit from him." Hoss had risen to power when he was still a zero, and had held his position since then, growing stronger as the years passed. Since the meeting was meant to be peaceful, the heads of either side were honor-bound to bring their mates along, but Hoss had none. Any number of other representatives from the Mountain Crackers could accompany their leader without consequence, and if Spyro informed any of his older allies outside of the gangs it would only damage his reputation with the gangs and scare the Mountain Crackers out of doing any business with Spyro at all.
For these reasons, Spyro dearly hoped there wouldn't be a fight, but if there was, he would be ready.
The Night Lotus Skatepark was owned and operated by dragons who took an agreed amount of money from each major gang on their list every month, not accepting any more to maintain their impartial position. It let the space function as a neutral meeting place and kept the steady income flowing from gangster patrons and their leaders, as the lack of favoritism prevented any from being chased off. The world that held the skatepark was quite cold, as it was night there more often than day. While it was midday in the primary Dream Weaver world, which this frigid world was connected to, the sun was already setting at the place of the meeting, somewhere deeper in the dark world than the Dark Passage itself.
Spyro noticed that something was wrong right away, seeing the trio of his conspirators somewhere off to Hoss' left, while a strong, brown male was directly to his right, carrying the bag Cynder had tried to steal the book with. All Hoss had to do to ruin Spyro's simple plan was have a different dragon hold the item to be bartered, and he'd arrived in full force, several dozen young dragons with earthy tones to their scales standing behind Hoss. The brown male was beefy and tall for his age, but Hoss still towered over him, shifting to a bipedal stance as he approached. His smug smile spoke volumes, but he was met with Spyro's determined glare, deep purple eyes locking with freckled brown.
Hoss spread his sand-tan wings and green arms, palms out, bringing his procession to a halt whilst Spyro rose to meet him. It was strangely infuriating for Spyro to see him looking down at him so confidently, in a disturbing parody of how his enemy-turned-friend had done the same when they'd first met. Red was a much worthier opponent, Hoss seeming so much pettier by comparison. Spyro's disgust and disdain must have shown on his face, because Hoss almost let his grin fall into a frown, but whatever they could see in the expression of the other wasn't obvious to any onlookers, both of them successfully putting up a jovial front. "Greetings from the Mountain Crackers to the Great Mediator, Spyro, and his mates."
"Boss Hoss, Master of the Caverns. I'm glad you agreed to meet me here. The Tome of Valenar is dangerous, and I need it to be lost once again." Hoss took the hint, gesturing toward his aid, who took to a bipedal posture as well at the signal, pulling the tome from the bag and presenting it. He was standing behind Hoss still, such that Spyro wouldn't be able to snatch it up, not that he would be foolish enough to employ such a childish strategy. "Very good. Please, state your price."
"One million gold pieces worth of gemstones." Such a price would be taxing even for Spyro's resources. Spyro merely narrowed his eyes, but Cynder had lowered herself as if ready to pounce, hissing angrily. Elora was shocked, several of the Mountain Crackers looking mildly uncomfortable when the offer was made, but still more were fighting to suppress laughter.
Spyro took a step back, allowing a sneer to clearly show on his face. He motioned a wing back to Cynder, showing his willingness to let her speak, and when she did her voice dripped with venom. "Is that ludicrous price the toll you expect your protector to pay you for the honor of saving your scales yet again?"
"You are a treacherous snake, Cynder." The dragoness bristled with anger, Ember laying a hand on her shoulder to remind her to stay calm. "I put no stock in your words, especially not after your attempt to steal this book from us. If a former Knifetail is to have access to this dark magic, I'm not sure it's a good idea for us to sell it at all."
Spyro internally cursed himself for letting Cynder speak. He knew she was seething with rage, and in his own ire he had wanted to let her rage loose, if only for a moment. It had cost him quite a bit of ground. "She successfully stole your book, and then gave it back, because she was proving a point for me. You don't have the means to protect it from those who understand dark magic, but I do."
"Of course you do, but this tome belongs to us." Hoss indicated the assembled earth and life dragons behind him with his wings, grinning more widely. "One young dragon has had immense luck in battling dark sorcerers, yes, but he would be brought low by one pretty spy. As much as you wish to believe that Cynder has cut her ties with her former gang, I lack that level of foolishness." Spyro felt the sudden urge to rip Hoss to pieces, but he somehow managed to restrain himself, merely clenching his fists. "If you possess the technology to keep the tome safe then simply provide it to us. No dragon of life would dare tamper with such dark magics. As you've alluded to, Cynder has quite the talent for it. It would corrupt her, and destroy you."
"You demand now that I freely gift you with experimental, potentially dangerous technology that your rivals can't yet buy, all the while gaining nothing for myself. I would not even have the security of knowing that the tome goes unread." Spyro shook his head, squaring his shoulders. "That is unacceptable, as is your initial price, but I will grant you the chance to claim the latter, if you are brave enough to face me in single combat." Hoss huffed, trying to hide his obvious trepidation. Spyro gestured to the dragons around him, speaking to the crowd. "I put my trust in the trustworthy and the bold, and do not damn by association. No matter how greatly Hoss insults me, I will think no less of any of you. Regardless of where Cynder came from, I know and trust her by her own merits. Any who trust me for what I have done are invited to step down from the Mountain Crackers and take a place at my side instead, right now."
"Laughable." Even as Hoss spoke, the trio he had suspected of treachery stepped forward, reaching Spyro's mates before stoically turning about, many other dragons fidgeting uncomfortably, each in deep thought. Hoss himself was stewing in agitation, control of the situation and even his own gang slipping away from him. He would have to find a way to make them understand the gravity of their mistake, a plan already forming in his mind.
"What is your name, book-bearer?"
Suddenly having Spyro's full attention, the brown dragon flicked his stumpy wings and thrashed his tail, trying not to look nervous. "I am Bash, Mage-Slayer."
"You seem an honorable soul, though you stand by the one I am soon to fight. I trust you to be the mediator in our dual, should he accept my offer. Will you do it?" Bash nodded, shuffling away to the side, the tome in his clutches. "You now have two options, Hoss. You can allow me to pay the price the book is worth and then give it to me, which will see you leaving here with the two thousand pieces worth of gems that I brought, or you can accept my challenge. You win the fight and I will give you the price you demanded, and you keep the tome, but if I win then you will give the Tome of Valenar to me without payment. The first of us to bleed loses, and Bash will count us in. So, take your pick, Boss."
Angered into foolhardiness and skeptical of the famed might of the much smaller dragon, Hoss didn't hesitate, his judgment further clouded by greed. "Count us in." Hoss planted his feet firmly, spreading his arms as rocks began to materialize over his scales to act as armor and armaments. Bash started to count down from three. Spyro gestured for Sparx to hover away and lowered himself to all fours, closely studying his larger opponent. He hadn't defeated armies of physically stronger enemies by rushing blindly into battle.
The count ended and Hoss spat a deluge of thick, sharp rocks from his maw, Spyro rapidly doing the same on impulse to protect himself from the blast. Too late, Spyro's mind registered that the trajectory of Hoss' blast was completely off, his counter-blast smashing against the conjured armor on Hoss' shoulder. There were yelps of pain and surprise, and Spyro looked over his shoulder to see his mates rushing to the aid of the life dragons near them, the smallest of whom was buried in rocks, Rock and Camo frantically pulling them off to see if their friend was alright. "I think one of us is bleeding, and it happens to be a dragon on your side. Bash, take his money. We'll collect the rest later."
"I said single combat!"
"You really need to word your challenges more carefully." Bash had yet to move from his neutral position, causing Hoss to growl in frustration. "Go to his mates and take the money already! Any of you!"
"Sir." Bash was trembling as he looked up at Hoss, but he managed to keep a quiver out of his voice. "Attack only your opponent from now on, or I will declare you the loser by default." Hoss leered down at his underling with an indignant snarl, reminding Spyro of the time Red had threatened The Professor, and he wouldn't let it go any further.
"Hey jackass!" When Hoss turned back toward Spyro, a flaming rock smashed into his snout, chipping away at his protective covering. "Annoyed that I'm turning your own gangsters against you?" Hoss spat more rocks, this time aiming for Spyro, who rolled to the side to avoid them. His ploy was already working. "Why don't you take out that frustration on me, huh?" Spyro was the youngest dragon at the meeting, though not quite the smallest, and it was clear that being taunted by the youngster was driving Hoss mad, regardless of Spyro's fierce reputation. Hoss' tail was fortified into a massive club of stone, and he spun it at his opponent. Spyro hopped over the swing, lifting his arms to block Hoss' following backhand, unfurling his wings to spin away with the momentum of the strike.
"Hold still, you uppity whelp!" Spyro twisted and turned in the air to avoid more earth blasts, waiting to see if Hoss had any other tricks as well as leading him further from the other dragons and Elora, his speed in the air forcing Hoss to take off to keep up. The dragons using the skatepark were accustomed to ignoring disputes of this nature, as it came with the territory, but they were gradually dropping their facades of disinterest, everyone watching the apparently one-sided battle unfold. They had all heard that Spyro was invincible, but here he was, fleeing from another dragon. "Is this the great Mage-Slayer!? Too busy flying away to fight; afraid to get any dirt on his perfect scales!" With all eyes on the two combatants, none of the onlookers realized that storm clouds were coalescing in the dark sky by magic, drawn by the spell Spyro was muttering under his breath, etching symbols into the air with his claws. Hoss, not slowed by the need to dodge, caught up with his quarry, reaching out with intent to grapple his opponent out of the air, and just as Spyro was satisfied with the distance between them and the onlookers.
Then, Spyro disappeared. "What..?" Hoss felt a foreign presence seeping into his armor from behind, another practitioner of earth magic, one with more power and better control, seamlessly drawing Hoss' own conjured stones to himself for a new purpose. They slid from their place as armor and coated Hoss' wings, making flight impossible and forcing him to the ground. When he landed with a dusty crash, Hoss managed to take control of the stones again, blasting them off his wings into the air around him, but Spyro had seen it coming and disdainfully backhanded a stone away. "Tricky little-" Hoss' voice caught in his throat as unbearable frigidity coated his wings, ice magic from Spyro's maw causing them to freeze in place, blistering with small clumps of ice shards. Hoss tried to turn, but vines burst from the ground, snaring his legs and stabbing venom-coated thorns between his scales. With his head craned back, he could see electricity sparking over Spyro's horns, and then Spyro dove straight down with conjured wind increasing his speed, smashing through Hoss' left wing, shattering the frozen membrane. While Hoss was still snarling in pain, Spyro charged around his front and jumped, destroying the remaining wing in the same fashion.
Hoss roared and ripped his wrists and ankles free of the vines, twisting around and barreling toward Spyro with reckless fury, ignoring the blood seeping from the cuts the thorns had caused. Bash wasn't close enough to see that, so Hoss could still achieve victory if he beat the purple whelp's skull in. Spyro stood with absolute calm before this charge, making small motions in the air with his claws. He formed the symbol for a thunderbolt three times, the storm clouds above roaring to life. The sheer concussive force of the first lightning strike bounced Hoss along the ground, the second slamming him down and ceasing his forward momentum, the last causing his body to jolt and convulse, the felled dragon coughing up speckles of bright blood.
Bash was shaking with fear and awe as he tentatively approached, seeing Spyro begin to levitate in the air, streams of elemental power spinning around each other and him in intricate patterns. An intense glow was building, as if Spyro was readying another attack, and Bash mustered the courage to stand between him and Hoss. "Wait! Hoss is already bleeding!" Spyro tilted his head curiously, surprised that the fight might end fairly after such a rocky start, but he dispelled his magic and fluttered to the ground all the same, Sparx returning to his side. Spyro noticed the dragonfly's glow was blue, and looked over to where High-Five had been excavated from the rocks, not a scale out of place.
"Thanks for shielding our new friend like that, buddy. Just don't over do it before you recover." Spyro held his claws out toward Bash, motioning the nervous mediator forward. "The Tome of Valenar, Bash."
"Idiots!" The earth under Bash shifted and a wind-blast bowled him over as Spyro used his elements to move him away before Hoss could charge right through him. "A massive payday turned into a total loss!" Spyro used stones to protect his arms when he blocked Hoss' savage strikes, but unlike his opponent he only conjured the stones at the last possible moment, so they never slowed down his movements. After blocking a dozen strikes, Spyro saw an opening, stabbing his open hand forward, fingers-first, collectively using his claws like a single dagger. The attack slipped perfectly between two of Hoss' chest-plates, then another attack further down, stabbing at the skin beneath the scutes. Hoss grew gradually more sluggish during the exchange, Spyro striking more often, until the momentum of the combat was completely reversed, Hoss' blood streaming down his body and staining the ground.
"Yield, Hoss! I don't want to kill you." It was far too late for reason to reach the enraged dragon, and he defiantly struck the ground with both of his fists, a shockwave of earth magic cracking the ground and spitting rocks in all directions. That Spyro easily avoided the attack to glide off toward one of the onlookers only enraged Hoss further.
"You'll pay for ruining my wings, whelp!"
"Doubt it!" There wasn't much that could distract Spyro in the middle of a fight, but an attractive young dragoness was one of those things, and he slowed to a stop in front of the most gorgeous earth dragoness he'd ever seen. Her coloring and organic crystals meant she was certainly of Dream Weaver descent, and she was away from the majority of the Mountain Crackers, apparently simply a patron of the skatepark itself. Spyro focused his power through his foot, a giant slab of stone fissuring the ground as it rose directly in Hoss' path, the larger dragon disoriented as he split the slab with his skull. "What's your name, beautiful?"
She hadn't expected to meet her obsession so closely before the snowboarding contest they were both in, only there to practice her skateboarding form, but she kept her composure and batted her lashes at him anyway. "Flashwing."
"Mind if I borrow this, Flashwing?" She felt her heart flutter in her chest when his grip closed on her elegant, ivory skateboard, releasing her hold instantly.
"Not at all, Spyro." He grinned at her flustered face, but left her dignity intact with a respectful nod, throwing the board forward and jumping after it when Hoss reoriented himself. Hoss smashed a hand against the steel of the coping, Spyro already racing toward the opposite half-pipe.
"Try to keep up, gramps!" The concrete cracked under Flashwing's board, Spyro veering to the left before straightening back out. "Hey! Watch the borrowed merchandise!"
"I'm gonna kill you!" Spyro rolled up the half-pipe and started spinning in the air, Hoss tumbling awkwardly down into the flat-bottom in his haste to catch up. "You mock me with tricks!?" Several spiked stones materialized in either horizontal direction from Hoss' face when he charged at Spyro, but the purple dragon just boarded straight toward his enraged adversary. Spat water from Spyro's maw made Hoss trip, sliding over the flat-bottom while Spyro leaned back to perform a wheelie. He used the stones over Hoss' head as a ramp, rolling over his opponent and twisting along the concrete afterward to halt himself. There was a fresh gash on Hoss back where Spyro's claws had dug in during his passing, and when Hoss shakily stood and turned around he was immediately knocked back down by a trio of flaming rocks.
"Are you going to yield while I'm still just screwing around?" Spyro asked, genuine frustration returning to his voice. He held Flashwing's skateboard in one hand the side of Hoss' face in the other, his thumb poised over an eye and electricity sparking dangerously on its tip. "Or should I really start beating your tail?"
Realizing that he was moments away from losing his eyes forever, Hoss was finally filled with enough fear to extinguish his anger, his voice croaking from exhaustion. "I yield! I yield! You can have the damned book, just let me go!"
"And you'll pay for the damage done to the skatepark?"
"The Mountain Crackers aren't permitted to give the Night Lotus more than our monthly payment." Spyro's thumb sparked again, and Hoss started panting and sputtering. "B-b-but I-I have a personal hoard! I-I'll p-pay for it myself! Yes!"
Spyro leaned down to whisper into Hoss' earhole, too quiet for the awestruck onlookers to hear, his voice dripping with barely contained hatred. "The next time you start a dual by attacking someone outside that dual, I will find out, hunt you down, and castrate you. Do you understand?" Boss Hoss, the cunning leader who extorted others to swell his wealth, who controlled several other dragons and the proud warriors of wayward dwarfs with ease, and who dared to accept a challenge from the Mage-Slayer, whimpered and trembled, nodding weakly beneath the gaze of the much smaller dragon. "Good." Spyro let him go, taking a step back. "Now get out of my sight."
While Hoss was busy scrambling away, Spyro flew back out of the pool, passing a stunned Flashwing her skateboard back. Bash tried to speak, but couldn't push any words past his lips, holding the book forward for Spyro to take as he passed. Sparx made a series of buzzing noises that almost sounded like laughter. Spyro waved his horns, and his mates, Rock, High-Five, and Camo followed him toward the nearest gateway back to the Dream Weaver's homeworld. "You all did an excellent job keeping your cool throughout these proceedings." Spyro said over his shoulder to the assembled dragons. "Consider yourselves invited to the celebration of my castle's completion, a fortnight from now. Check my Realmbridge events to RSVP!"
Hidden within an illusory statue of Bahamut, Lateef stroked his chin, considering the implications of all that he had observed that day. If the Tome of Valenar had reemerged, it was entirely possible that it might be used to bring ruin to the Dragon Realms once again, and Spyro still didn't know the full extent of what the spellbook could be used for. "Curious. What forces continue to draw you toward evil, Spyro?" Lateef knew not that there were other hidden observers, nor their intentions, but the eyes of the powerful followed Spyro as he left all the same.
End of Phase One
