Once Spyro and Cynder were out of the room Terrador signaled Gabriel and Volteer off. Gabriel nodded, picked himself up, and wobbled as best he could with Volteer to the training grounds near the gardens.
Gabriel lagged behind as Volteer led him through the temple and out the front entrance where the dark crystal was. Spyro had removed it the day previous but its energy was still felt by Gabriel and his chest burned slightly. However once they were outside and away from the crystal, he felt fine.
Fresh morning dew was covering the blades of grass and flowers around him. The scent was amazing. Flowers of all kinds were present, lilies, roses, daisies, and other flowers that Gabriel had never even seen before surrounded the two dragons.
"Alright, we are here test the aptitude of your stamina, endurance, and survival skills." Volteer stopped and spoke suddenly.
"Wait what was the last one?" Gabriel asked, a little caught off guard by the guardians rapid fire speech.
Volteer either ignored his question or could not hear him for he continued speaking. "Now see that archery range over there?" Volteer pointed to the targets that stood on sticks in the distance. "I want you to run there and back twenty times in ten minuets."
"Wait what?" Gabriel asked again.
"Go." Volteer said.
"Oh come on, I can hardly walk much less run." He said as he tried as best as he could to sprint to the targets without tripping over himself.
After he made it to the target he looked back at the matted down grass that he had made from his several falls. Gabriel noticed Volteer had signaled him back and rolled his eyes.
"Nine minuets." Volteer said plainly as soon as Gabriel returned.
Gabriel growled and turned around to make his second trip back. Gabriel had only made it back a two more times before he collapsed in front of Volteer gasping for air and begged for him to stop.
Volteer ignored his request and continued with his countdown. "Six minuets."
Gabriel groaned and picked himself off the dirt. "I...can't..." He gasped for air and coughed hard.
Volteer leaned in close to the dragon who's legs trembled from the exercise. "You can, you merely have to look deep within yourself." Volteer said. "Even if you were not a dragon before, you are now, all you need to do is unlock the power within." Volteer smiled and counted down again. "Five minuets."
'Look within...' Gabriel thought. 'Within...'
Gabriel closed his eye's and sat down on the grass. The wind had picked up and blew a cooling breeze over the dragons. The birds chirps grew quieter and quieter as Gabriel meditated on Volteers words. He focused on his goal, get to the targets and he opened his eye's and gasped.
He had found himself sitting not in front of Volteer, but in front of the targets that he had just focused on. Volteer was shocked as well, his mouth almost to the ground in surprise.
Gabriel smiled widely and couldn't keep his excitement in him. "Cool." He said and laughed as he tried it again.
Gabriel closed his eye's and teleported once more to Volteers side, then to the target and back again.
Volteer was left speechless. Never had he seen this power in any dragon. He could have sworn by his horns and color he was an electric dragon, but this skill he possessed was not natural to any dragon. Spyro could control the flow of time, but only if for a few seconds and the dragon that was continually transporting back and forth between the goal he had marked and his spot was a mere hundred yards! There was no way he could have slowed down time and made it there that fast and back.
Gabriel was enjoying the new technique very much. He attempted to do it with his eyes open just a crack once to see how well it would work. To his success each time he would transport closer to the destination he desired from being able to see where he wanted to be transported.
Once he was satisfied by meeting the goal of twenty he transported himself right in front of Volteer. "So, has it been ten minuets yet? Am I done?" Gabriel asked sarcastically.
"Uh... yes... I mean no... good work..." Volteer was speechless.
Gabriel laughed at the way Volteer reacted to being beat at his clearly unfair challenge. His laughter only lasted a moment though, for when his legs buckled beneath him and his body gave way and fell to the dirt with a thud. "Can't... move..." Gabriel said.
"I suspect it was an over use of your new powers." Volteer said as he rubbed his chin. "Stay here for one moment and I'll get you something."
"Please take your time." Gabriel would of laughed again if he weren't so exhausted, but he did have enough energy for one more sarcastic remark. "Like I could go anywhere right now anyways..."
Volteer hurried off towards the temple and Gabriel rolled over to get his face out of the dirt. He was now facing the gardens and admired the beauty of it. As much as he wanted to go over and relax by the sweet scented flowers, his body was refusing to get up despite his best efforts.
Gabriel sighed and looked at the ground in front of him. A small butterfly had perched itself atop a blade of grass in front of his snout. The butterfly rubbed its antennae on his nose and when it had felt it was safe enough, the butterfly walked on his snout. Even though it tickled his softer facial scales, Gabriel watched it without moving crawled around on his snout and moved to the tip of his nose just in front of his eyes. The butterly sat down with its head cocked as it stared at him perplexedly.
Gabriel smiled and closed his eyes. It was peaceful out here, minus the fact that he just ate a face full of dirt from hitting the ground, it was nice. The slight breeze blowing on his scales soothed and relaxed him, the soft grass that did not irritate his new scales as it would have in his human body, the nature's wild life daring to get close to him, though it was merely a butterfly, it gave him some company. It was wonderful.
Gabriel could have fallen asleep if he didn't hear the guardian calling out for him. Gabriel sighed quietly to himself, 'Damn'
"There you are!" Volteer said as he jumped back in surprise.
Gabriel snapped his eye's open quickly. The butterfly had flown off away from him from the noise and movement.
"I almost didn't see you there for a second, were you laying here this whole time?" Volteer asked.
"I haven't moved since you left me here, why do you ask?" Gabriel said as he lifted his head.
Volteer didn't say anything and scratched his chin again. 'He is quite the intriguing fellow now isn't he...' Volteer's thoughts went over and over in his mind. 'I could have sworn I looked here a moment ago...'
"You said you were going to bring something to me right?" Gabriel asked, interrupting Volteers thoughts.
"Oh yes I do, er, did as a matter-of-fact." Volteer said and scrambled in a sack that had been thrown around his tail. "Do you know what this is?" Volteer asked as he pulled out a green crystal that was similar to the red one from before.
"Those are like the healing crystals right?" Gabriel asked.
Volteer nodded. "Correct, but these don't heal wounds, these give you a boost of stamina and energy so you may continue using your powers, running, flying, et-cetra."
Volteer handed the crystal to Gabriel. Nothing happened. "Strange..." Volteer said as he once again rubbed his chin. "Either you're full of energy, can't absorb the crystals power, or both."
"You know now that I think about it, I feel great." Gabriel said lifting his head higher. He carefully picked up his body off the ground and stretched his sore joints. "Apart from the soreness I feel better than ever!" Gabriel smiled.
"What were you doing just before I got here?" Volteer asked.
"Well I guess I was... I don't know, I was just lying here on the ground and I... I just felt... peace." Gabriel said shrugging his wings. "I was just laying on the grass and it felt as if the world around me were one. Sounds a little corny I know, but it's the best I've got."
"Do you think you can do it again?" Volteer asked. 'Very strange indeed.' His thoughts continued.
Gabriel shrugged his wings again. "I'll try."
He closed his eyes and slumped down to the ground once again. He allowed his every muscle and scale to relax and be cooled by the wind just as before. He felt the comforting grass beneath him, smelled the flowers in the air. He was in a blissful trance again, he was at peace.
"Gabriel, open your eyes." Volteer said sternly.
Gabriel didn't open his eyes. He wanted to stay there in his peace of mind forever. He didn't have a care in the world. The burning in his chest was gone, he forgot of his worries and troubles as they all seemed to melt away as he continued to stay in his meditative like state.
"Gabriel." Volteer said more seriously again.
Gabriel's voice was relaxed and calm, it almost had no specific sound. It was as if the wind carried it away and spoke to the guardian. "Yes, Volteer?"
"You're gone." Volteer said.
Spyro's tears had stopped but he was still shaking. Cynder pulled the covers over him and draped her wing around him to give him a little more warmth.
"I'm sorry Spyro." She whispered to him and kissed him on his cheek.
Spyro just looked away from her. His eyes burned and were bloodshot and his breathing was shaky.
"Is there anything you want that I can get?" Cynder asked sincerely.
Spyro just shook his head slightly and closed his eyes. He didn't want to talk to anyone right now.
Cynder sighed and moved under the covers with Spyro. She pressed against his side and even though Spyro wasn't in the mood to talk, he still blushed at the contact. "I love you." She whispered.
Spyro didn't say anything but mouthed 'I love you' back. He sighed and turned his head away from the dragoness and thought about what was to come in the following weeks.
The day passed slowly for the two dragons and just as night started to slowly engulf the dragon temple someone knocked on the door.
Cynder looked at Spyro. He had finally fallen asleep and was snoring softly.
Cynder kissed him on the cheek and moved out of the bed slowly so as not to wake him.
When she got to the door someone knocked on it again. "It's locked from your side." She whispered.
"Oh sorry." The voice from the other side said back.
The lock clicked quietly and Cynder opened the door a crack. Gabriel had stood outside with two plates of food behind him.
"What do you want?" Cynder whispered angrily. She wasn't exactly on good terms with the dragon but she kept her voice low so she wouldn't wake her mate. 'My mate...'
"I came to apologize for earlier." Gabriel said hanging his head. "It was not right of me to invade in your personal life and make fun of you, and, I'm sorry."
Cynder was taken aback by the sudden kindness of the dragon that stood before her in obvious humility. Nobody had ever respected her, or valued how she felt other than Spyro, yet the dragon that stood just outside her door, one who had never met them until just recently, was apologizing.
Cynder smiled. "Apology accepted."
It was Gabriels turn to smile now. "Thank you."
Gabriel was about to leave when he remembered the food he had brought. "Oh I almost forgot, here's your dinners." He said nudging the plates of cooked venison forward with his snout. A disgusted look crossed his face when he did.
Cynder smiled but stopped him just as he turned around to leave. "What about yours?" She asked.
"I don't eat meat, I'm a vegetarian." Gabriel said proudly.
"You don't eat meat?" Cynder asked shocked. "How do you live like that?" Cynder imagined herself as nothing but bone from a lack of sustenance.
Gabriel frowned slightly and turned around but Cynder stopped him again.
"How about I help you get some food?" Cynder asked. "It's the least I could do since your new around here." Cynder lied. She wanted to help him because he helped her. He showed her kindness, humility, he was... friendly.
"That's alright, just stay here with Spyro, I'll be fine." Gabriel said, but his stomach on queue growled loudly and made Cynder giggle. "Actually... maybe some food would be nice."
Cynder giggled again and moved the second plate of food in front of Spyro for when he woke up. Cynder ate her food in seconds and was ready to go.
"So when he meditated on the world around him he just, vanished?" Terrador asked in disbelief. The guardians had been in a meeting for a few hours and were just joined by Volteer by the pool of visions. Gabriel had tried his new trick several times both the transportation and when he disappeared and now that it dark, Volteer had called it a night and sent him off.
Volteer nodded. "It was stupendous! Superb! Amazing!" Volteer shot rapid fire adjectives to his fellow guardians. "It was as if the world around him had connected together becoming one!"
"Are you sure you're not going senile Volteer?" Cyril asked in disbelief. "I mean we are all getting old but I think you should lie down. It has been very exciting for your mind."
"I am not senile you pampered old fool." Volteer growled at Cyril in anger.
"What did you call me?" Cyril growled back. Both dragons rose from their spots and were in each others faces.
"Pampered. Old. Fool!" Volteer bellowed.
Cyril swung a claw at the electric guardian but he had jumped backwards swiftly to avoid it.
"That's enough!" Terrador shouted at the top of his lungs. Both Cyril and Volteer coward backwards to their spots. "We cannot be fighting amongst ourselves at a time like this! Both of you will retire to your rooms immediately!"
Volteer was the first to leave. "I would be more than happy to." He said. Electric currents buzzed off of his tail blade and zapped the walls around him as he passed.
Cyril scoffed and went out the opposite door. He blew a cloud if icy particles in the air and grumbled to himself as he left.
Terrador sighed. "Are they still upset about her..." He shook his head and looked deeply into the pool of vision. Nothing.
"Anything specific you like?" Cynder asked. A basket hung on the curve on her tail blade.
Gabriel's stomach growled again. "Anything sounds good right now."
Cynder giggled. "Well we might have some pekilia berry's over in the garden, they make a good meal, but they are a little sour." She suggested.
"Sure sounds nice." Gabriel smiled.
He was enjoying the hospitality that Cynder was showing him now. He had never experienced this feeling especially from a female. Friendship.
Cynder sniffed around for a moment and came to a small red bush with many white berry's growing on the branches. "Here they are, want to try one first?" She asked and plucked a pair of the pekilia berry's from a branch. She handed him one and threw the other in her mouth. Her faced scrunched up slightly and she shivered.
Gabriel popped his share into his mouth and shivered as well. "Wow those are delicious!" Gabriel exclaimed and picked a few dozen more of them.
Cynder giggled again. "Told you so." She smiled and helped him pick a few more for herself.
"Hey Cynder." Gabriel said when they started their trek back to the temple.
"Yeah?" Cynder said.
"Thanks." Gabriel said and blushed slightly.
Cynder blushed as well but thankfully her scales made it hard for him to tell. She decided to get a little even for earlier even though she had accepted his apology. "Ya' know, Spyro would probably kill me if he heard me say this, even though your not really a dragon, your kind of cute." She said and gave him a wink.
Gabriel's face was as red as a cherry now. He laughed nervously. "Thanks..." He said, and hung his head so as not to show how embarrassed he was.
Cynder laughed and nudged him with her elbow. "I was only kidding." She said.
"So does that mean you're calling me ugly then?" Gabriel said sarcastically.
"Can't take a joke huh?" Cynder giggled knowing full well that he was just trying to get on her nerves.
Gabriel laughed. "Got me."
Cynder joined in with him and laughed together as they walked back to her room.
Spyro had woken up a few minuets ago. The smell of the food had woke him from his light slumber and his stomach growled. He refused to eat though, he wasn't in the mood.
'Where is Cynder?' He asked himself.
He didn't need to wait long. A few moments later he heard laughter down the hallway that was hushed when it reached the door. The lock clicked again and the door opened slightly. Cynder walked in with the basket and placed it in front of the door.
"Hey Cynder." Spyro said quietly.
Cynder jumped in surprise and yipped slightly. "Oh you're awake."
"Sorry." Spyro said and averted his eye's.
"It's alright I just didn't think you'd be awake. You can come in if you want." Cynder called out to Gabriel who entered in after she asked.
"Hey Spyro." Gabriel said.
"Hey." Spyro said quietly. He was still pretty upset and Gabriel didn't want to say to much.
"Spyro you need to eat." Cynder said with concern when she realized he hadn't touched his food.
"Not hungry." Spyro said.
"Don't give me that crap Spyro, you eat more than anyone I know!" Cynder said. She giggled and moved towards him. She nudged the plate to his nose and the smell made his stomach growl again. "Now please, eat."
"I'm fine Cynder." Spyro said. His voice was raised a little more.
"Spyro please..." Cynder said.
"I said I'm fine!" Spyro shouted in her face and knocked the food away. The plate smashed on the wall and the food slid to the floor. Cynder coward backwards to the door. Spyro had never shouted at her like that.
Gabriel took a bold step forward. "Hey Spyro calm down, she's just trying to be nice." He said angrily. Upset or not that was no way to act.
"Leave me alone!" Spyro shouted louder than before. He spit a ball of fire at Gabriel defensively. Gabriel jumped backwards and the ball of fire hit the ground in front of him. Gabriel growled and took another step forward.
"Spyro!" Cynder shouted. "Why are you attacking him? We just want to help you!"
"I don't need your help and I don't need you!" Spyro shouted and shot another ball of fire at the bars on Cynders window and flew out.
"Spyro wait!" Cynder shouted. She was to late, he was gone.
"Cynder, let him go, he just needs to be alone right now." Gabriel said and patted her on her shoulder.
Cynder turned to him, her eye's full of tears. She buried her face in his side and fell to the floor.
Spyro flew through the trees and landed just outside of a swamp. In his anger he smashed a tree with his tail blade as he passed sending it crashing to the ground. He reared up to his hind legs and punched a tree continually until his paws started to bleed. The entire time he vented his anger, tears fell to the floor.
"Why!" He shouted as he continued to punch the tree. "Why do I have to deal with this, It's not fair!" Spyro screamed. "It's not fair, It's not fair, It's not fair!" Blood from his paws splattered the ground and when he couldn't continue he sent a beam of Convexity through the tree burning it, and several others behind it to ashes.
He fell to the floor and wept heavily on his bloodied paws. He cried himself to sleep that night. 'It's not fair...'
Not far off Greg was watching him with an evil grin plastered to his face beneath his hood. "Should we now?" He asked.
A cold disembodied voice answered back. "No not yet, why should we do all the work when others will be so willing to do it for us?" Both Greg and the voice laughed maliciously into the night. Their plan was set.
Gabriel had slept inside Cynder's room on her floor to keep her company. Neither of them had touched the berry's they had picked the previous night and they were starting to get dry. Gabriel woke up with the sun shining on his face and he groaned slightly.
"Just five more minuets..." He said and rubbed his face. Once his eye's had adjusted to the light in the room he saw Cynder had curled up into a ball beside him. Her eye's were puffed up and her face was scrunched up into a frown.
'She's really upset...' He thought to himself. 'I guess I better go, Volteer is probably wanting to see me by now.'
Gabriel sighed and grabbed a few berry's for his breakfast. An idea struck inside his mind when he did.
He looked back at Cynder and she was in a deep sleep. 'Maybe...' He concentrated again on the world around him. He thought of the other side of Cynder's door and focused. When he opened his eye's he stood on the opposite side with the berry's safely in his paw.
Gabriel smiled and threw the berry's in his mouth as a triumphant little snack. He then hurried off to find Volteer.
Both Cyril and Volteer had finally calmed down by morning but didn't speak to each other and sat in silence by the pool of visions. Terrador watched them in case they tried anything again and noticed they weren't even making eye contact with each other.
Terrador sighed quietly to himself and shook his head. A tap on the door startled the guardians and Terrador moved to open it.
Gabriel waited on the other side sitting on his haunches when Terrador opened the door. "Good morning." Terrador said.
"I'm here to continue my training with Volteer." Gabriel said proudly.
"I see, he has told us some strange things about you." Terrador said. "Are they true?"
Gabriel nodded. He focused on Volteer's side and transported himself to the spot where he was looking. Volteer was startled by Gabriel and fell backwards in surprise.
Cyril would have laughed if he weren't ashamed that he was proven wrong. Still a grin from seeing his fellow guardian fall back tugged at the side of his mouth.
Terrador scratched his chin. "Very interesting." He said.
"I can also move things with me." Gabriel said and grabbed a small pebble from the floor. He transported himself to Terrador's side again and handed him the small stone.
"And apparently I can turn invisible or something." Gabriel said and shrugged his wings. "I can never tell that I'm doing it unless someone tells me or breaks my concentration." He pointed to Volteer who was now back on his feet.
"Volteer take him and help him practice with his new powers if you would." Terrador asked. "I will get Cynder and Spyro and help them prepare for next week."
Gabriel interrupted Terrador. "About that..."
Flame woke up with a terrible pain in his head. "Where am I?" He asked aloud.
"Oh good, you're awake." The healer that helped Gabriel said from behind him.
"Where am I, what happened?" Flame asked again.
"Do you remember anything?" The cheetah asked. He moved to where Flame could see him.
"No, nothing." Flame rubbed his head. "I have this headache that hurts like hell though."
"Well it looked like you got quite the beating, and from what the others have told me, Ember did as well."
"What!" Flame shouted raising himself off the bed. He clutched his shoulder in pain and fell to the bed again.
"Hey hey hey, slow down there buddy, you were attacked and held for a ransom, no doubt he intended to keep you but when he knew he wouldn't get his way he hurt you, so I wouldn't move around to much right now." The cheetah said trying to calm him down.
"Where is Ember?" Flame asked.
"I would speak to the guardians about that, it appears to be a need-to-know basis at the moment." The cheetah answered.
"Do we have any healing crystals?" Flame asked.
"Yes, we have one left that hasn't been used." He said and moved towards the bed where Gabriel was in.
He returned a moment later and gave the crystal to the dragon and the power flowed into him.
Flames bone popped back into place and he rolled his shoulder and sighed.
"Now I want you to take it easy for a little while, your bones are fixed but they still may be a bit sore, I'll let the guardians know that you're okay no-" The cheetah couldn't finish his sentence.
Flame had drilled his claw into the back of the cheetah's skull, killing him instantly. He quickly hid the body and licked the blood off of his claws. He walked out of the room with a grin on his face.
A black flame on his back glowed with red energy. "Where are you, Spyro." He said and walked off in search of his next target.
"Alright, since we now know you can move objects, lets try some that are a little bigger than just a berry or a pebble." Volteer said to the anxious Gabriel.
He couldn't keep his excitement contained. He never dreamed of powers like these... well not technically anyways.
He nodded and Volteer handed him a rock that was slightly bigger than the one before.
Gabriel concentrated again and transported himself to the targets from the day before and back with the rock still in his paw.
"Very good. Now lets test your reflexes and accuracy." Volteer said. "I will throw this rock and you have to catch it before it hits the ground."
Gabriel nodded and prepared himself. Volteer tossed the rock a good hundred feet before Gabriel tapped into his power and caught the rock just before it hit the ground.
"Very good and now that your over there." Volteer shouted from across the field. He signaled over several cheetah archers. "Lets test your reflexes!"
Gabriel gulped hard. "Uh oh..."
"Fire!" Volteer shouted. The cheetahs pulled back on the bow and let loose a flurry of arrows at the dragon.
Gabriel dodged a few but had to transport himself out of the way a couple of times.
Unbeknownst to him Volteer had given specific orders to the highly skilled archers not to hit him unless told so. Now was the time. "Alright hit him, but try not to kill him." He patted one of the archers on the back causing him to stumble forwards.
The cheetah growled slightly as Volteer merely chuckled as the archer steadied himself once more. The other archers had stop firing to let this one concentrate.
The archer pulled back just as the last arrow had missed Gabriel by inches and let go.
Gabriel panted. "Are they done?" Just as he said that another single arrow had grazed his cheek followed shortly after by more lone arrows. That could of taken his life. "What the hell!" He shouted. "Are you trying to kill me?"
Volteer laughed. "It's just one at a time now you can avoid them!" Volteer shot back.
"Not when they are actually trying." Gabriel retorted quietly to himself.
"Now." Volteer told the archer.
The archer shot several more arrows at the dragon. He aimed several life threatening arrows at him and just as he dodged one another took its place.
Gabriel growled as he avoided the arrows. The ground was wet due to the morning dew and it made his movements sloppy. Just as he dodged another arrow he slipped and one was shot directly at his face.
Gabriel shut his eyes tight and waited for the arrow to strike but it never did.
"Cease fire." Volteer said and flew over to the cowering dragon.
"Open your eye's." Volteer said.
Gabriel opened his eyes and saw what not only surprised him but the guardian and other cheetah's as well. The arrow tip stopped just short of his snout and hovered just above the ground. A faint golden glow surrounded the arrow as it hovered before the two dragons.
"D-did... Am I doing that?" Gabriel asked.
Volteer did not answer.
Gabriel stood up and the arrow followed his movements. He looked at the arrow hard and tried to concentrate on it as best as he could. The glow grew slightly brighter and Gabriel waved his paw over it. The arrow in turn flipped and faced towards the archers. The archers saw this and backed off and readied their weapons.
Gabriel rotated his body towards the targets behind him pointed at them. He let go of his minds grip on the arrow and it shot towards his mark at a lightning quick speed. Direct hit.
"So how did I do?" Gabriel asked without looking at the guardian behind him.
"Very extraordinarily, I suppose." Volteer said with a paw to his face. "I think we've done enough for today, go rest up."
"Will there be any arrows involved with my time off?" Gabriel asked with a slight scowl on his face.
Volteer didn't answer. Something had caught his attention and he walked off.
"Geez whats his problem?" He asked himself. He shrugged his shoulders and walked into the gardens for some peace and quiet.
Volteer had seen a red blur flash by in the trees behind Gabriel and hurried off. "What is he doing up?" He asked himself. He stopped in his tracks and flew back to the cheetah archers who started to walk off to go train elsewhere.
"Excuse me, would one of you mind going to the cheetah in charge of the infirmary and bring him here please, I need to speak to him." Volteer asked.
One of the cheetah's nodded and walked off to the infirmary. "Please hurry." Volteer asked the cheetah.
The cheetah nodded again and quickened his pace to a light jog to his destination.
"I pray I'm wrong." Volteer said to himself.
Spyro had woken up sore from sleeping on the ground all night and was slightly cold from the morning chill. He had calmed down drastically from the night before but a knot of guilt clenched his chest. He had yelled at Cynder, and why? Because he didn't get to talk with Ignitus. He knew it was selfish of him and at the time he didn't care but now he realized his actions were wrong and hung his head in shame as he slowly walked back to the temple trying to think up an apology for Cynder.
Spyro sighed deeply and breathed in. It was warmer now. How was that possible it was cold just a moment ago. Suddenly Flame had jumped out in front of Spyro.
"Oh hey Flame." Spyro said. He jerked his head up in surprise. "Flame?"
"Hey Spyro whats up?" Flame asked. He was still grinning.
"What are you doing up? They said your shoulder was broken yesterday." Spyro gazed at him in curiosity.
"Well its fine now see." Flame rolled both of his shoulders to prove he was fine. "See? All better."
"What are you doing out here?" Spyro asked. He remembered he had gone further in the forest the night before and nobody knew he was here except for Cynder and Gabriel. Flame couldn't have known he was out here unless they told him and he was far enough away so nobody could just wander into him. Why was he here?
"I could ask you the same thing." Flame said back. "This is pretty far out here, its quiet and nobody seems to be hanging around."
"I came for some peace." Spyro stated blandly as he glared at the dragon who was acting very strange.
Flame looked down at Spyro's paws and saw they were bleeding still. He licked his lips in and couldn't keep his paws still.
Spyro noticed what he was staring at and looked down. "Flame are you alright?" Spyro asked now backing away from Flame who started to take a few steps forward.
"Spyro, nobody is around here right?" Flame asked without fixing his gaze from Spyro's blood.
"Yeah..." Spyro said and backed up further from Flame.
"Good." The black flames started to burn once more. "Nobody will hear you then." Flame fixed his gaze on Spyro again with a vicious look in his eye's.
Terrador had been meditating while Cyril was reading a few scrolls. Cyril jotted down some notes from his reading and let out a sigh.
Terrador cracked an eye and gazed at the ice guardian. "What seems to be the problem Cyril?" Terrador asked.
"Nothing." Cyril said and turned his head away from his fellow guardian.
"Cyril you and Volteer have to let it go." Terrador sighed.
Cyril cringed slightly as if his mind had been read. "I don't know if I ever can..."
"She died doing what she loved and there was nothing you or he could have done. I know you both loved her dearly, but she is gone."
Cyril cursed under his breath. It had been several years since the apes raided the dragon eggs. It had been several years since their love had died.
"Cyril, I'm sorry." Terrador said breaking the silence that had lasted for several minuets.
"No. No... you're right." Cyril said and gave a heavy sigh, spewing out ice particles into the air.
Terrador gave a silent sigh just before a cheetah opened the door quickly.
"Master guardians." He said with a quick bow. Before Terrador could speak the cheetah continued. "Master Flame is missing and the body of the cheetah in charge of the infirmary has just been found."
"What!" Terrador shouted. He raised himself from his position and moved to the door. Cyril followed and the three hurried off.
"When did this happen?" Terrador asked the cheetah who was in a light jog to keep up with the large dragon.
"We do not know sir, Master Volteer asked me to go check on Master Flame and when i arrived he was nowhere in sight. I looked around the infirmary and found the cheetah stuffed in a closet in his office. And that's not the worst."
"Not the worst?" Terrador repeated.
The cheetah shook his head. "The body sir, it had puncture wounds. Made by a dragon."
Peace and quiet, and thankfully no arrows. Gabriel had ventured deep within the gardens to find a relaxing spot to hide in in case the guardians came looking for him. Once he found a spot he crossed his paws and rested his head. He sighed in comfort as his laziness soon brought him sleep.
Ignitus sat on his haunches reading one of many scrolls from his vast library. He was now the chronicler, so knowledge was his new interest. Thousands upon thousands of scrolls, documents, books, and other instruments of the world surrounded the pale blue dragon. He had just finished the scroll in front of him and jotted down notes of what he had learned.
Suddenly a small flash of light from behind the dragon and a loud thud issuing a small groan afterwards startled the chronicler.
Gabriel lay on the ground behind him.
"Dear me what are you doing here?" Ignitus asked stunned.
Gabriel groaned and rubbed his jaw. "What's with my face and the floor?" He asked himself rhetorically.
Ignitus cleared his throat and Gabriel turned around suddenly. "Well hello there young dragon." Ignitus said, still a little surprised by the sudden appearance of the gold dragon. "I had not been expecting you, not so soon at least."
"Where am I?" Gabriel asked as he continued to rub his jaw.
"This would be my library." The chronicler answered as he extended a paw that showed off his vast collection.
Gabriel was silent as he stared all around him. Never had he been to a library this big in his life. He loved a good book and this place was sure to have thousands!
"Now, may i ask why you are here?" Ignitus said, bringing the dragon's attention back.
"I'm not sure." Gabriel said. "I was just sitting in the gardens outside of the temple and i guess i fell asleep."
"It is very strange that you would visit me here through your dreams." Ignitus said. "Not many dragons can do what you've done."
Gabriel laughed under his breath. 'Well there's another thing to make me different.'
Ignitus peered behind Gabriel at a small pool of water that was very similar to the one in the temple. He looked down into the water and sighed.
"Well i do not have time, rather, you do not have time to talk with me at this moment."
"Why is that?" Gabriel asked. The chronicler was being very serious now.
Ignitus sighed again. "Try to contact me again soon, I will be waiting." Ignitus said and turned to the gold dragon.
Ignitus raised a paw. "What are you..." Gabriel said. He didn't need an answer.
A force that came from Ignitus' paw forced Gabriel through the wall without collision. He flew through the air at a lightning fast speed back wards.
His body jerked suddenly when his dream self had connected back with his real body.
The gardens before him were ablaze. Fire spread quickly around the flowers, bushes, and trees. Small animals scattered away from their homes as fast as they could. Those unlucky enough to escape in time were heard crying out in pain as the fire consumed them.
Gabriel acted quickly. He transported himself just outside of the gardens to see that it was completely destroyed. He growled angrily and saw both Spyro and Flame clashing behind him.
Gabriel's paws clenched tightly and his eye's glowed with golden energy. The destruction of the gardens had struck a nerve in him and he roared with anger.
Flame and Spyro were breathing heavily. Both dragons had accumulated several cut, burn, and bite wounds from their brawl. The black flames on the red dragon were slowly dying away as Flame started to run out of energy.
Gabriel walked over to the dragons who had paused momentarily. "Who destroyed the gardens!" Gabriel roared.
Spyro saw the anger in his eye's and pointed a finger at Flame so as not to get his wrath.
Flames face drained of color as Gabriel growled at him. Gabriel stood on his hind legs several feet back from Flame and reared his arm back to punch him.
"You're joking right?" Flame mocked, sticking his tongue out at the gold dragon.
It only took a second. Gabriel swung his paw at the dragon who stood still thinking the gold dragon was crazy. Gabriel transported himself right in front of Flame and his fist connected with his snout.
The punch was strong enough to send the red dragon back several feet. Flame saw stars just before he passed out.