(Would you look at that, it's the first chapter of 2020, let's hit the new year with a bang, shall we? Now, enjoy the chapter)

Chapter 12: the First Offense

Malefor paced from side to side, growling in impatience, Rose was expected to give a reconnaissance of the Temple, he had planned a small attack force to attack Spyro and Cynder while they were alone, but Rose hadn't returned yet.

"If she's late, then I'll have to give her a lesson..." he growled, his patience was wearing thin, suddenly she burst into the room.

"I'm...back..." Rose panted as Malefor growled.

"What kept you?" He asked rather irritated.

"Got held up...by the locals, but I'm here now" she handed Malefor a shcematic of the Temple.

"Excellent, this is what we need to use against Spyro and Cynder, now, when are they often alone?" He asked as Rose shrugged.

"Usually during their training sessions, they happen at around noon every day" she explained as Malefor grinned.

"Now is the time to attack, when they're alone, prepare a small strike force to attack during training today" he commanded as Rose saluted and rushed off, leaving Malefor to keep brooding...

"Wake-up sleepyhead" Cynder whispered into Spyro's ear within their bed as the sun risen up the horizon, causing Spyro to stir.

"Morning, beautiful" he smiled at her as he saw her face, her form lay on his as their wings draped over each other.

"Well, I think we should try to get some training" Spyro suggested as Cynder blushed and smiled as she stood up and allowed Spyro to sit up.

"I suggest we should continue practicing your Wind abilities today, we can get a good amount of training in before lunch today if we move now" he suggested as Cynder giggled, and coiled her tail around his.

"Come on, let's go" Spyro said to her as they opened his room door and they walked out, with Cynder grabbing Spyro's bag.

"You almost forgot this" she told him and put it over his head.

"Thanks..." Spyro replied with a stupid grin as Cynder giggled again, and they walked off to their clearing to begin her training, as they arrived, Spyro placed his bag against a boulder.

"We'll begin with physical preparation, so that means some review, in other words: show me what you know so far" Spyro explained as Cynder started demonstrating her various elemental attacks, as she did this, two yellow eyes watched from the bushes, ready to pounce...

Shard felt the sun hitting his face as he opened his eyes and looked around, no one was awake from what he could hear, and he slithered out of his room, maybe he'd do what Glacia suggested, maybe he should confide in Spyro.

"He's usually awake at this time with Cynder to train..." He muttered, when he suddenly heard a scream coming from the woods, and almost by instinct, he rushed to find the source of it...

"Stay back!" Cynder snarled at the Ape who had cornered them, he had ambushed Spyro while he was distracted and got a good scratch on his shoulder with his spear.

"Malefor will reward me for this..." he held the spear high in the air, ready to strike, when out of nowhere, Shard and Janne leaped out of the bushes and struck the Ape.

"Surprise!" Shard hollered as he rammed into the Ape, knocking him to the ground.

"Argh! Fool! Your interference will be your undoing" He growled, prepared to attack, but was slashed across the face by the ice dragon.

"Get out of here! Or suffer the consequences" He snarled as the Ape ran off in pain, dropping his spear in the process.

"Spyro, are you alright?" Shard asked as he nodded.

"Yeah, I'll live, but I'm gonna need more training myself if I'm gonna stop anymore ambushes, Malefor really wants us dead" he replied, and then gazed at the two.

"Hold on, how'd you get here so quickly? I could've sworn me and Cynder were the only ones up" as he investigated, Shard sighed. "It's not important...not anymore..." He said in disappointment as Cynder raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Well alright, but we should go back to Ignitus and tell him about this, come on" he gestured to the others as he picked up his bag and they walked back to the Temple.

"Looks like we'll have to postpone today's training session, Cyn, just stay close" Spyro said to her as something caught her ear.

"Did you just call me Cyn?" She asked as Spyro was a little nervous.

"Oh, I'm sorry, It just...slipped out" he replied with a stupid grin, but Cynder kissed him on the lips briefly.

"I like it..." she trailed off and left Spyro to himself as she backed up to Shard

"So, what were you really doing out in the woods so early?" She asked him as he sighed. "It's something I'd rather talk to Spyro about..." He trailed off, which slightly irritated Cynder due to how cryptic he was being.

"What's he hiding?" She wondered as they all returned to the temple to inform Ignitus of what happened.

"How could you fail!? You were given all the tools you needed!" Malefor roared at the Ape who was assigned to kill Spyro and Cynder.

"I say he chickened out, and gave himself wounds so he could lie" Rose smirked as the Ape grew outraged.

"What!? How dare you pin this on me, you whelpling!" He retorted as Malefor roared.

"Enough! You have failed me, Gaul, and you must be punished!" He grabbed the Ape by the neck, and ripped out one of his eyes.

"Yargh!" Gaul cried in agony as he was dropped to the ground.

"Maybe next time this can be a good motivator for you, now get out of my sight..." Malefor spat was he walked away, with Rose giving Gaul a smug look before following Malefor, leaving Gaul as he felt the place where his eye was and felt the blood dripping from it.

"My lord, should we dispose of Gaul? He seems completely useless" Rose suggested as Malefor grumbled.

"It matters not, Gaul is useless, but he could step up his worth with that lesson I gave him, but we have more pressing matters, like you" he replied as Rose grew confused.

"What do you mean?" She asked as Malefor chuckled.

"Look at you, your practically the size of a hatchling, we need to buff you up...so come with me..." he led her into a large, circular room.

"My lord, all the preperations for your ritual are in place" an Ape told him as he nodded.

"Very good, now leave us..." he replied as Rose looked at him.

"Ritual?" She grew confused as Malefor looked back at her.

"Yes, with the right spell, you shall become even more powerful, and rule as my general" he had her sit in the middle of the room, and Malefor used his magic to chain her arms, legs, and neck.

"Um, my lord, is this safe?" Rose asked as Malefor chuckled.

"Of course it is" he started reciting the Incantation.

"Not..." he grinned as he released the magic onto Rose, and she started screeching in pain, watching as the magic flowed through her body, and watched as her entire body started to enlargen, her wings grew ginormous as they started gaining tatters, her limbs became huge as her claws became more sharp, and her face became much more terrifying, and her eyes lit up a bright yellow, she was then released from her chains, and fell to the floor, and looked up at Malefor, who inspected her.

"Hmm, the enchantment seems to have worked, your much more deadlier it seems, from what it looks like, you also appear to have changed...cosmetically" he looked at her form with interest as Rose stood up.

"Thank you, my lord..." she bowed as Malefor grew intrigued.

"For what, exactly?" He asked.

"For this gift..." she replied as Malefor smirked for her apparent submissiveness.

"Come, my general, we have more work to do" he told her as they walked off to start another scheme...

"Ignitus!" Spyro rushed into his office with Cynder, catching his attention.

"Young Dragon, what happened?" He asked in concern as Spyro showed him his shoulder.

"An Ape ambushed us during Cynder's training, but he was bested, I don't know how safe it is to be outside the Temple, but what matters is that Malefor still wants us dead, and isn't defeated by a simple loss" Spyro explained as Ignitus considered the situation.

"Well, this is troubling, go and see Glacia, she'll be able to patch you up" he sent him off, but when Cynder was going to follow Ignitus stopped her.

"Cynder, please, wait a moment" he said to her as she looked over.

"What is it?" She asked as Ignitus turned to see that Spyro as he disappeared around the corner.

"Now he won't admit this, but Spyro is fearful, not just for himself, but for you, I need you to keep him safe, I cannot do that anymore...so I need you to keep him safe" he explained to Cynder as she nodded.

"I'll do my best..." she replied as Ignitus smiled."Thank you, that's all I can ask" he said to her as she left the office, leaving Ignitus to himself, and he walked up to a portrait of Incendia.

"I could really use some guidance from you right now..." Ignitus whispered as he walked off to think to himself...

"What are we doing, my lord?" Rose asked as Malefor appeared to be using his magic on some kind of an orb.

"When I was attacking the Temple, I did something that traumatized many Dragons, and if we can bring what I took, back, we can pull on their heartstrings, and destroy them emotionally..." Malefor chuckled and cast out the spell, and all they could see was a hand bursting from a grave.

"First, we strike at their hearts..." he trailed off and grinned evilly.

(Hello, hey, sorry for this chapter's long awaited arrival, school has started up again, so I need time to work on this, plus I'm working on a one-shot and Worlds of the Past, so peace out!)