A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a long time T_T. Grand Chase is now a drug I'm addicted to _.

Chapter 4: Capture

Cynder and Spyro landed at the temple after leaving the cave. Cynder sighed and said "Go inside without me, I'll come in later."

Spyro turned around to look at her and walked on without saying a word.

Cynder turned around to face the Sun descending in the twilight. He's mad at me, but I don't care. Fireball and his mother have a hard life as it is already. But I think something bad is going to happen. Cynder turned around to head into the temple. I'd better check tomorrow on them she thought.

*****

"Sir we've found the location of the escapee," the Skavenger Commander reported.

"Ah, yes. Full speed ahead Captain," Scratch ordered from Skabb's shoulder.

The small boat turned slowly as the Captain turned the wheel. The boat lowered into a mountain range and stopped at a large cave opening.

"Okay," Scratch said as Skabb walked out of the boat "I want you all to do a full search of this cave until you found that Skurvywing."

The pirates looked around the cave. The cave looked big and they were feeling tired at this time of the day.

"You heard the man!" Sniff said from Skabb's back "Search now or return to the ship with a sword through your gut!"

The pirates started searching immediately at Sniff's threat. They searched long and hard around the cave, but they still find any source of life. The search party were thinking of quitting until one of them spotted some movement. One pirate moved closer to where the movement came from. At that moment Fireball sprang out in front of the pirate. The fur of his mane was standing on end and he made a small snarl.

"I found one," the pirate called to the others.

The other pirates sped over to where the commotion was.

"This is what we were looking for? It's tiny," one of them said.

"Well if the Cap'n wants 'im, then we've gotta get 'im," another said.

The group started closing in on Fireball who was still snarling at them. Fireball gave a little roar which the pirates laughed at.

"Heh, this little runt thinks he can scare us how pathetic."

Fireball tried to roar again but the pirates weren't intimidated. One of the pirates raised their sword to slash at the little Skurvywing but stopped as a growl came from inside the cave. The pirates backed away as a larger, more ferocious Skurvywing cave forward.

"It seems you thieving pirates don't know whose territory this is," Tempest said sarcastically "Well let me show you who owns this place!"

Tempest launched a fireball at the group of pirates as they started to run back. She let out a loud screech that echoed around the cave. The pirates scattered and bumped into each other as fear overtook them. Tempest chased after them and fired a volley of fireballs at them. Many of the pirates were singed and burned but kept running. She leapt in front of them to block the way between the group and the cave opening.

"Don't you want to stay and fight me? Or are you too scared," she questioned sarcastically.

The pirates cowered before the Skurvywing. Tempest opened her mouth to launch another fireball when she felt a splitting pain in her back. She screeched and thrashed at the pain. She then turned around and saw that Skabb had slashed her back.

"You fools can't even take down a little flying fur ball? Hah, that's pathetic," Sniff commented "Get your act together and grab her!"

The pirates snapped out of the fear and leapt on top of the hurt Skurvywing who had no time to react. Tempest kept thrashing caves walls to throw the pirates off but they still clung on. She then felt herself getting cut by the pirate's swords and uttered a hoarse screech and fell to the ground. These mongrels are too persistent she thought. She felt herself getting weaker but still tried to throw the pirates off.

Fireball who was watching the fight decided to help his mother. He walked beside the cave wall, so that the pirates couldn't see him, and leapt at one and succeeded to knock him off. Fireball kept repeating this until he got hurled by one of the pirates and landed at the feet of Skabb.

"My, my, what do we have here?" Scratch said as he looked down at Fireball "Another little abomination. Pick him up."

Skabb picked Fireball up as he squealed in his hand.

"Well it seems we have a proposition for you, Skurvywing."

Tempest turned around to see her son in the hands of a 'mongrel'.

"Give him back!" she snapped.

"Only if you agree to come with us."

"You've got to be kidding. To come to your 'service' to be ridden on like a horse and sent to battle which is pretty much a suicidal mission."

"What do you cherish more? Your son's life or your freedom?"

Tempest snarled at the parrot at tossed the last pirate off her. She stayed silent as she looked at the situation.

"You're blackmailing me," she said finally.

"It's what we are good at. Now are you going to accept our offer?"

"I don't like accepting blackmail."

"So you chose for your son to die," Scratch stated.

"No," Tempest said as she let for Skabb and pinned him to the ground "I prefer stalemate!"

Scratch and Sniff had flown off Skabb had been knocked down and hovered in front Tempest. Fireball had escaped Skabb's grip when he fell and was standing at his mother's side.

"Now I've got a proposition for you. Get out my cave or your leader here gets his neck sliced to ribbons."

"You think he's the leader? Pah, we don't need him we can just-" Sniff started but was interrupted by Scratch.

"Oh you do know how to handle situations," Scratch said sarcastically "Now!"

The pirates behind Tempest leapt on her again which made her lose balance and fall to the ground.

"Grab the fluff ball to!" Sniff ordered.

"You cowards! I'd like to see both of you take me on yourselves you thieving cowards-" Tempest started but got knocked out by the hilt of Skabb's sword.

"Well done Skabb, now we can finally extend our forces. Bring her to the ship," Scratch said.

Fireball squealed as he was carried away from the pirates.

"Momma, don't go..." was the only words he could come out of his mouth as he was dragged away from his mother "Don't....go."

*****

The next morning Cynder woke up very tired. She couldn't sleep the night before due to her dreams about bad things happening to Fireball and his mother. What's wrong with me? she thought I know those dreams can't be premonitions, but I've got a bad feeling that something has happened. Ugh! I've gotta go see them now! Cynder left her room and headed for the temple balcony. She took off immediately and headed to the mountain range.

Cynder was having a hard time remembering were the range was. Was it here? Or here? Ack, I'm so stupid I should have remembered where I went. Cynder flew onwards hoping to find the range but still no success. She was about to turn back when she saw a small boat flying away in the distance. Boats don't fly... unless she thought to herself. She flew to the direction from where the boat was leaving and came across the mountain range. Found it!

Cynder entered the cave opening and looked around for the Skurvywings. She didn't find them. Maybe they were in another cave. But I'm sure there were here. She searched frantically around the cave. After a while she gave up hope and sat at the cave mouth. She looked down at the ground thinking that she would never see them again. But then she noticed something shimmering on the ground. There was a small drop of red on the ground surrounded by some sort of fur. Cynder looked at it for a while and noticed a trail of it going inside the cave. She followed and stopped when she stepped on something sharp.

"Ow, what's this?" Cynder asked out loud.

She picked the fragment off her claw and saw it was a piece of armour that she recognised.

"Cynder!" a voice called from behind her "Why'd you come back here? It's dangerous."

Cynder turned around to see Spyro entering the cave. She knew that he obviously saw her fly away and followed her. Tears then started to come to her eyes.

"What's the matter?" Spyro asked.

"It's Fireball. They took him away," she said through sobs.

"Who are they?"

"Fellmuth pirates."

A/N: Hope your enjoying the story. I know that some scenes may not be that detailed but I'll try my best to make it some scenes better. ^_^

(Critics encouraged).