A loud roar thundered through the cave. The candidate's heads all jerked straight up.
"Shit! Here we go!" Tremor growled.
"Wolves!" A sentry shouted from atop the farthest wall. A split second later one of the canines sprang onto the dragon's back and bit down. The dragon bellowed and turned to try and tear the beast off. When he couldn't get it off the dragon flopped down on its back hard, crushing the attacker underneath. Before the dragon could recover another pair of wolves pounced on him and began to attack his softer belly scales. The dragon cried out and struggled to knock the wolves back as the other guards hurried to help him.
Spyro, Cynder and Sparx rushed out into the halls. Already the city was alive and filled with the noise of dragons rushing to defend their home from the snarling invaders. Flame and Ember rushed up with Stella and Gaia close behind.
"Where's Tremor and Candice?" Spyro asked, his eyes searching for the two candidates.
"I don't know." Gaia shook her head. "He was gone when I woke up."
"Last I saw, they were with each other." Stella piped up. "I'm sure they'll be okay together."
"Granted they don't kill each other first." Sparx shook his head.
"As long as they have each other, that's better than them being alone." Spyro nodded. "Come on! We have to help defend the city!"
"Right!" The other dragons nodded. The guardians dove over the nearest railing and shot towards the outer walls. The wolves were rushing the wall in mad bloodlust and the sentries quickly found themselves being overwhelmed. The dragons sprang off the wall breathing their various elements as the canines scrambled over each other, eager for an early kill.
As the guardians soared over the city they spotted the wolves that had managed to get past the outer defenses, the dragons in the residential area of the city.
Spyro turned his head back over his shoulder to the candidates. "Help them get to safety! Cynder and I are going to head for the outer wall and help any way we can! Maybe we can slow them down long enough for you to get them to shelter!"
"You got it!" They called back. The dropped to the ground as Spyro, Cynder and Sparx flew on ahead. Flame was the first to charge in. He slammed into a wolf that was trying to grab at a dragoness trying to protect her hatchling.
"Run!" Flame shouted to the female over his shoulder. "Get to the shelter! Hurry!" The dragoness didn't need to be told twice. She clutched her hatchling close to her chest and sprang into the air towards the far shelters.
The wolf Flame had attacked watched as his prey flew away and turned his yellow eyes on the fire guardian. "That was a mistake dragon." He snarled and bared his fangs.
"You're the one making a mistake flee-bag. I'll make you regret that you ever attacked my home!" The combatants lunged for each other and clashed in a deadly brawl of teeth and claws.
"Flame!" Ember cried.
"Ember! Duck!" Gaia shouted. The pink dragoness leaned down as a blade whistled over her head and stuck in the wall behind her. The wolf charged straight for her with claws fully extended. Ember readied herself and ducked as the claws passed over her head. She braced herself against the ground and rammed the wolf in the chest as hard as she could. The beast coughed and choked as its chest wall shattered from the impact. Ember through it aside to writhe in pain as it's life slowly came to a gurgling halt.
"Above!" Stella shouted. Up on the roofs, several more wolves growled angrily at the young dragons before them. Stella jumped in front of her friends as the attackers sprang into the air. The dragoness spread her wings wide and her body shuddered. When she opened her mouth a spray of electric bolts engulfed the wolves. They yelped in pain and fell to the ground dead, bodies still convulsing from the shock.
Flame roared and smashed his head against a wolf's long snout. The body crumbled to the ground, nose and mouth bleeding openly. Another attacker leaped between two pavilions and attempted to take Flame from behind. The fire breather swung his horns and caught the wolf's arms in them. In a slit second, Flame saw his attacker's eyes widen in surprise and he grinned. Flame used his opponent's momentum and himself around once before hurling the body into a stone wall.
The previous wolf Flame had hit opened its eyes and glared at the young dragon.
Ember spotted the monster get up. "Flame, behind you!" She cried and drop-kicked a wolf into several of his pack-mates.
Flame turned his head just as the wolf grabbed him by the horns. The monster lifted him up and slammed him head against the ground. Flame saw stars as he was lifted again and slammed into a wall. The wolf grabbed Flame by the throat and sprang high into the air.
Ember saw time begin to slow down as the wolf readied to put a quick end to Flame's life. The beast raised its hand holding the dragon high over its head as it began to let gravity pull it back down.
Flame saw Ember's mouth open in a scream but heard nothing. He watched as the ground rushed up to meet him.
Just before the wolf could turn Flame into a bloody smear on the ground Gaia sprang into the air and smashed her horns into the wolf's arm, forcing him to release the guardian. Flame's body bounced across the ground and slumped against a way. High up, the wolves spotted the dragon body fall away from the relative protection of his companions. They barked in anticipation and leaped into a high arch.
"Oh no you don't!" Ember shouted as she watched the wolves descend upon her mate. "He's mine!" She threw herself in front of them. A tremor ripped throughout her body and she let loose an ear-shattering cry. The wolves cringed and covered their ears at the high-pitched noise. A split second later, flames erupted from Ember's body. The swirling barrier of fire burst into a spiraling tornado of energy, engulfing the wolves and turning them to ash.
Off in the distance, Sparx saw the display of power and gulped loudly. "I really hope that was our guys."
"Flame? Flame!" Ember bent down and nudge him with her snout. "Are you okay? Can you walk?"
"Ugh." The fire guardian groaned and shut his eyes tight to try and stop the spinning. "I'm alright Ember. Just a little dazed."
"Are you sure?" His dragoness leaned hi until their snouts were almost touching. Flame opened his eyes and nodded.
"I'm not going anywhere. Come on. Let's get back to work."
There was a loud scream in the streets. The young dragons looked around to see several wolves dragging several dragons away.
"Let go of me!" One of the dragons hissed and slashed at a wolf's arm. The wolf growled and struck the dragon across the head, knocking it unconscious.
"We have to help them!" Ember shouted and charged the group of wolves.
Flame glared at the invaders. "Gaia and Stella, take the east side of the city. It's a longer route for them to escape but it should be easier to take them from there."
"Gotcha!" Stella nodded and took off after Gaia. The two dragons darted down a side street just as another group of wolves appeared on the scene. They turned towards their direction and were ready to pursue when a towering wall of fire blocked their path. They yelped in surprise and turned to see Flame stalking towards them with teeth bared.
"You guys aren't going anywhere." He growled and the wolves cringed in fear for a moment. "You're time has run out." The wolves snarled and lunged for Flame's throat.
Stella and Gaia raced through the streets as fast as they could. The echoing sounds of wolves howling and dragons roaring was enough to scare the wits from any dragon, let alone dragons their age. The two puffed on as several wolves appeared overhead in the pavilion rooftops.
"We've got company!" Gaia called, without looking back. She could hear their claws on the stone and feel their presence though the earth.
"I'll hold them off!" Stella called. "You keep going to the east side of town!"
"Can you take them?" Gaia gave her fried a worried look.
Stella only smiled. "Of course I can. I'm a guardian. I do what I have to."
"Alright then. Good luck." Gaia spread her wings and shot low over the ground. "I'd better see you alive after all this is done!" She called back over her shoulder.
Stella chuckled to herself as she spun to face the enemy. "Count on it!" She growled and bolts of lightning crackled around her body. The wolves dove for her with weapons aiming for a quick and decisive kill. Stella hissed and spat four quick bolts. The attack stunned the wolves and knocked their weapons from their hands. One by one they fell towards the lightning guardian; and one by one she struck them down.
Her concentration was interrupted when she heard a cry from down the street. Her head snapped around in time to see three wolves grab a young black dragon and begin to drag him away.
"Let me go!" The dragon shouted and breathed black fire into the face of one of the wolves. The beast howled in pain as it clawed at its burning fur. The dragon fell to the ground after being dropped and scrambled to get away. The other two wolves bared down on him quickly. The first stepped onto the dragon's back, pinning him and smashed his head into the ground. The second drove the jagged tip of its weapon into the dragon's shoulder just above the wing. The black dragon hollered in pain and sank to the ground. The wolves laughed as they watched the dragon glare back over his shoulder at them with pure defiance in his eyes. He wasn't going to go quietly.
"Get your filthy paws off of him!" The wolves and dragon turned their heads to see Stella soar through the air and smash into the wolves sending the canines tumbling over the ground. The black dragon stared up in awe at the dragoness standing before him. Her scales were a warm yellow and her breast scales were almost a perfect golden brown. She looked down at him with a comforting smile. The black dragon struggled to get to his feet but the stab he had received immobilized him.
"Just relax." Stella said in a gentle voice. "You'll be okay. I won't let them get you." She turned back to the wolves and hissed menacingly and spread her wings wide. The wolves growled angrily and gripped their weapons tighter. Blood stained their fur and trickled from their curled lips. The larger of the two howled loudly. Stella watched as another dozen of the invaders seemed to appear from out of nowhere, from alleys, rooftops and behind corners.
"Oh so that's how you want to play then?" Stella's teeth flashed as the electrical charge within her built up. The energy radiated outward from her body and the crackling turned to a loud screeching. Stella's eyes began to glow yellow as her energy began to manifest into the form of a large female dragon. The guardian and the manifestation reared up on their hind legs, clawing the air wildly. A shrill roar pierced the wolves ears and they fell to their knees trying to tear their ears off to get away from the stabbing pain. Stella's roar died off and she waited for the wolves to rise before a grin spread across her mouth.
"Let's go you monsters!" The manifestation spread its wings wide in a brilliant display of power. There was a flash of energy and an angry roar thundered throughout the city.