Late again. Why don't you try updating when you don't have access to internet at home anymore? Not easy especially if your landlines are dead and the verizon internet is $80 plus a month so no go on that and to top it off verizon says that their internet is not available where we live. Hughes net is also a no go because I live in the basic woods and satellite signals are hard to get.

Chapter 8

Friendly Foes

"Spyro! Wake up we're being attacked!",Ember exclaimed.

Spyro only made a moan and rolled over making Ember go shake him on his shoulder. Spyro stirred and looked up, "What is it?"

"I heard someone yell there were grublins outside the walls",Ember explained.

"Grublins?",Spyro repeated as he stood to his feet on top of the carpeted floor. He walked at a fast pace to door and opened it then made his way outside. He looked up at the nearest tower toward the right of him to see two cheetahs watching and pointing.

"What's the situation?",someone yelled.

"I see a few of them gathering near the front gate!",the cheetah from the tower replied back.

"Get some cheetahs out there and find out why they are here!"

Spyro watched the cheetahs make their way to the front gate. Spyro walked outside and looked around. Most of the cheetah's didn't pay him any attention but Spyro happened to catch one of the cheetah's attention. The cheetah stopped in front of Spyro in wait.

"Does the village need our assistance?",Spyro asked.

The cheetah looked around in thought then answered, "You may head to the front gate and wait there just in case we need some help."

The cheetah then ran toward the front gate with Spyro and Ember behind him. When they arrived at the front gate Spyro and Ember stopped just like the cheetah asked. The cheetah still ran toward the other cheetahs standing a few feet away from the grublins. But Spyro noticed something about the grublins. They wasn't armed with weapons.

"What are you doing in our valley?",someone asked.

The grublins just looked at one another while a few cheetahs made their way over to them. The grublins just waited there with a sign of fear in their eyes. A cold breeze suddenly blew toward the southwest making the grass and trees sway with the wind and making Ember shiver her shoulders. As the closest cheetah approached the grublins the grublins made a few steps backwards. The cheetah stopped a few feet away from them and looked back toward his superior. The slightly taller cheetah superior made his way over in front of the grublins and examined the grublins closely.

"They are just mere children",the superior cheetah softly murmered.

The cheetah beside him drew out his spear. "We should kill them where they stand."

The superior stood in his spot making Ember turn to Spyro, "He's not actually considering that is he?"

"I hope not",Spyro shuddered.

"What is going on here?"

Spyro turned around to see Hunter observing the scene in front of them. "Grublins."

"They don't look like they came looking for trouble",Hunter replied.

Spyro said nothing as he watched the cheetah superior. He waited with anticipation as much as the cheetah with the spear did. Then a small but barely noticeable nod came from the superior.

"Do it."

Ember grew wide-eyed, "No!"

The cheetah's all turned their attention to her except for the grublins who had the heads low and covered in fear.

"What makes you think that these grublins would kill us in the later years? The less of them the better",the cheetah said with the spear.

"You can't just kill them! They are just children!",Ember exclaimed.

"Who knows what they could turn into to? They could turn into killing machines?", the cheetah said as he waved his weapon around. "We would be doing ourselves a favor if we get rid of them right now."

"And you would turn yourself into a heartless murderer",Spyro said.

"Oh so the purple reptile speaks, it's not murder, it's giving ourselves a brighter future knowing there are three less grublins in the world.

Spyro slowly walked over to him with every eye set on him including the grublins. "They are just children and they are unarmed. If they wanted to do harm unto us they would at least have brought weapons."

The grublins watched the dragon walk in between the cheetah and themselves.

"I have nothing else to say other than they must be dealt with by my spear. So move aside dragon or I'll go through you",the cheetah threatened lowering the spear at Spyro.

Spyro sat down in front of the cheetah, "Do you really want to do that? Your making such a big deal out of this. It's three grublins not your makers."

The cheetah bared his teeth together as he tightened his grip on the spear out of aggravation. "We shall see you foolish dragon. Soon you shall see your makers."

The cheetah reared his spear back and thrusted forward towards Spyro's open chest. Ember immediately began running toward the cheetah but there wasn't enough time to stop him. But she noticed someone else had already did. The superior cheetah had his hand on the spear handle with a tight grip.

"You stop this nonsense",the superior said as he pulled the spear out of the other cheetah's grasp.

"Nonsense? Your the one who ordered me to do it."

"I figured you wouldn't do it but it turns I am mistaken. I was testing you. These grublins are no harm to us and you knew that. You were even willing to kill the purple dragon to kill three mere grublins. You are the one that is mad."

The superior then tossed the spear to the nearest cheetah. "Someone take this fool to prison."

The cheetah grew wide-eyed, "What!? What did I do?"

The superior turned toward him, "Attempt to kill three children and a dragon. And getting on my last nerve."

The cheetah was then grabbed on his left arm by a cheetah clearer larger and more muscular than him. He knew he would get a serious beatdown if he tried anything funny just by looking at the muscular cheetah's smirk. The cheetah was then pulled away from everyone back into the village where he was no longer seen.

"Thank you Salvador",Spyro said as he looked at the three grublins behind him.

"No thanks is needed Spyro",Salvador said he knelt at the grublins. The grublins still felt a little frightened but not as much. "You protected me, I protected you. However these grublins are my enemy, I couldn't have them killed. It's just . . . wrong."

Spyro nodded in approval then noticed Ember standing beside him, "Oh hey Ember."

"Please don't do that",she replied.

Spyro chuckled, "Do what? Risk my life for these grublins? There was no risk at all Ember."

"He was going to stab you! I can't believe you were just gonna let him do that."

"Spyro knew",Selvinus began.

Ember turned to the superior, "Knew?"

"Yes he knew I was going to save him. Especially since he saved me 7 months ago."

"A year actually",Spyro added.

"Has it really been that long?",Selvinus asked in thought.

"I think so. I still remember when I first visited your village about a"

"Stow the chit chat",Ember interrupted. "What are we supposed to do about these grublins?"

Selvinus looked at the grublins. They just stood there waiting in patience for the answer. "They sure are loyal though. They haven't moved. Usually they would run at the first sight of danger but these are different somehow."

"How so?",Ember asked as she looked at the grublins also.

Selvinus thought about it for a few seconds then answered, "It doesn't matter." Selvinus stood back up to his feet and turned to all the villagers. "You can all go back to your homes, I will take care of the grublins and ensure they safety as they leave our boundaries."

One by one the cheetah's obeyed and they headed back into the village, back to whatever business they had to attend to.

"Is there anything we can do to help?",Spyro asked.

"You can go back to your business",Selvinus said. "I don't want this to be a burden on you."

"It wouldn't be a burden",Spyro replied.

"I will just be leading them back into the forests from whence they came then I'll be coming back but if you want to come along then it wouldn't be a problem."

"You can go if you want Spyro but I'm going to Hunters home so I can get something to eat",Ember said.

"Alright Ember I guess I'll be seeing you later."

Ember walked back into the village past Hunter and made her way back into the hut. Hunter made way toward Spyro and Selvinus.

"That was good work Spyro. I couldn't have done any better myself."

"Quit with the bragging Hunter",Selvinus said. "If you want to come along you can. I already am being assisted by a dragon but I could always use the help."

"Alright Selvinus. I'll tag along."

Selvinus looked down at the three grublins to see them pointing down the river. He looked in that direction which seemed to go for a few miles.

"Seems they want to go that way. Maybe that was where they were headed before",Hunter implied.

"Then we shall go that way as well. You ready Spyro?",Selvinus asked.

Spyro nodded, "Yea lets get going."

Selvinus began leading Spyro and Hunter and the three grublins away from the village. The grublins seemed to want to head on first so the other three decided to follow them until they were safely in the forest down the river. Then the grublins seemed to stop in front of the swaying trees by the wind and looked at the dragon and two cheetahs. For a minute or two Hunter didn't know what they were waiting for but then realized.

"They want to go on alone now."

The superior cheetah nodded in agreement, "I agree also." Then the cheetah turned to the grublins. "Are you sure you can go on without us?"

The grublins nodded yes then one by one the grublins made their way into the forest. All except one who was still looking at Spyro. Spyro looked back at the grublins in the eyes and could see a sense of gratitude in them. The grublin bowed his head then slowly made his way in his brothers footsteps.