Hey folks! I am finally back with a new chapter! After about a week of slight writer's block and Goldeneye taking up my schedule, I finally decided to just write out the fight scene with a few slight changes and additions, and end the chapter right after. If it's a bit short, then sorry about that, but I'm still trying to figure out how the next chapter should go, so if I didn't end this chapter where I did, you wouldn't be reading this right now. Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter 5: It Has Skills

They all quieted down, and turned toward the source of the rustling. Spyro and Cynder looked at each other. Then, they nodded a confirmation to each other that they were ready, and began to move forward. Just then, Shike held a hand in front of them.

"Don't do anything," he whispered, "just watch. I'll take care of this my own way."

"But why not us?" Spyro asked.

"Because, you guys will be heard by the other people nearby, which will cause a ruckus. MY way will be silent, just as effective, and a little faster."

"Good point," Cynder whispered back.

"Now, I need you to back up a bit so I have room."

The two dragons and their dragonfly did as they were told. A grumbling sound could be heard in the bushes now.

Grublins, Spyro and Cynder thought to themselves.

Grumblins, Sparx thought to himself, chuckling lightly at the pun.

Shike moved forward a bit, forming a sort of battle-ready stance as he did, and then moved his right hand toward his somewhat bulging right pocket. He put his hand partway into his pocket, and pulled out a shuriken throwing star. This one was odd though, as it had small hollow grooves cut into the blade, two in each edge for a maximum of 16 grooves. Shike reached his arm back, and threw it like a normal person would: with his hand on top, his thumb underneath. About a half-second after releasing, flames came out of the grooves, turning it into a spinning, bladed disc of fire. It passed into the gap in the trees where the bushes were, illuminating them as it did so, revealing about seven grublins hiding behind the bushes. Shike was already prepared with his hand hovering just above his pocket. He pulled out another shuriken, this time with small holes in the top and bottom.

"Shut your eyes!" Shike yelled quietly to the trio.

They did so, but kept their eyes open a little out of curiosity. Sparx kept his eyes wide open, thinking, I've seen enough blood and gore in my time with Spyro to not care about it. Why should I shut my eyes?

He threw it into the gap in the trees, and it suddenly made a small "pop" and a blinding flash was emitted from it. The whole trio suddenly shut their eyes tight, as Sparx yelled "Help me, I'm blind!" The grublins were all suddenly blinded as well, and started to freak out, running around like crazy. One the group hadn't seen even fell out of a tree, the count rising to eight. Shike then pulled out a few more shuriken, but with four in each hand, rather than one in his right. They were grooved, just like the first one. He moved them in his hands so they were positioned between his fingers, and then crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned back. He then flung his arms behind him, throwing the shuriken in such a way that every one of them headed for a different grublin. Just like before, flames shot out of them a half second after release. The ones that struck their targets began to burn them to death, as the fire not only spread along their wood-like skin, but also began burning them on the inside due to the large cuts the blades had made, killing them quickly and effectively. The ones that missed struck a nearby bush or other form of plant life, lighting it on fire and scaring the target grublin away. The same grublin that fell out of the tree seemed to be more intelligent than the rest, because right after it was hit, it ran to the river and jumped in to put out the fire on its body. It then remembered one crucial fact, which also proved its still-dominant stupidity: it couldn't swim. After about a minute, its body floating in such a way that its face stayed under water, it drowned.

Shike waited for just a bit, allowing the small fires to die down from lack of dry wood and making sure there were no grublins left, and then started walking into the small gap to collect his shuriken. Just as he passed by a bush, a grublin lashed out at him from the left. It didn't get the chance to hit him, however, because just as it got within range, Shike kicked it with his left foot, then pulled one of his swords out of its sheath and stabbed it downward into the creature. He then pulled his sword out, wiped it with a handkerchief he pulled out from his back pocket, put his sword back into its sheath, and proceeded to retrieve his shuriken.

Sparx, no longer blinded, decided to state the obvious. "Dang, it has skills! And I thought Ignitus had skills for a dragon his age!"

Spyro just looked at him, and then shook his head in embarrassment. He then decided to ask Shike something that came to mind.

"Shike, exactly where did you get throwing stars like that? I've never seen anything that could do that before."

Shike pulled out one of his shuriken that had lodged in a tree, and turned to face Spyro.

"I designed them, actually. How they work is a long story, and if I told you, you wouldn't understand, because they use technology you don't have yet."

Spyro just decided to go along with that, as he didn't really have much choice anyway. It's not like he would understand it, after all. Not unless it was magic.

"Now," Shike said, "let's continue this party as if nothing had happened, shall we?"

The cliffhanger has fallen to his imminent doom! XD So what did you think? Chapter six may not be up for a while, as I mentioned before, but until then, please review and subscribe!