Candice's heart pounded in her chest. The blood in her body seemed to be on fire. Her eyes were wide from shock as she stared at the earth dragon whose lips were still pressed against hers. She recovered from the initial shock of his words but the kiss had rendered her paralyzed. Her mind raced, unable to concentrate on anything but the earth dragon before her.
"What's going on?" She screamed in her mind. "What's happening to me? I can't move! Why? Is it..." She blinked and almost instantly her mind began to settle down. She began to notice the warmth of Tremor's lips, and the relaxed expression on his face began to put her mind at ease. She delved into the feeling that tingled throughout her body. She had never felt like this before. Not even with the previous male dragons she had crushes on as a hatchling. Her eyelids drooped and finally came to a close. She leaned into the kiss, pressing her lips back against Tremors. The feeling was tantalizing.
"I can't believe it!" Candice thought to herself. "My first kiss! My first real kiss!" Feeling bolder, she let her long tongue slip through the gap in their lips. She felt Tremor's tongue twitch in surprise and she felt a sense of glee from his reaction. She let the tip explore the edges of his mouth, gliding along his gums, over his teeth, under the roof of his mouth and beneath his tongue. "This is amazing!" She cried to herself. "I never knew it would feel like this! I'm actually kissing a boy! And it's Tremor of all dragons!"
Just then her heart began to beat faster and her eyes snapped open. "Wait a minute! What am I doing!" She shouted in her mind. She pulled away and turned her back to the bewildered earth dragon.
"What's wrong?" Tremor asked, nervously. He noticed the way she held her face away from him. "Candice?"
"I'm sorry." Candice shook her head. "I just can't."
Tremor recoiled. His chest began to tighten into a knot. "What do you mean you can't? Can't what?"
"I'm sorry Tremor." Candice shook her head. "I just can't. I can't return your feelings. It just...feels..." She tried to find the right words to describe what she was feeling.
"Wrong?" Tremor wore a hurt expression.
"I...I don't know!" Candice cried. Tears were beginning to flow from her eyes. "It just...I just..." She burst into tears, unable to control her emotions anymore. The ice dragoness took off running, leaving Tremor in a lost and broken state.
Tremor felt his heart shatter inside his chest. He stared down the ground, unsure of what to say or do. Candice quickly disappeared from view and at last Tremor dared to move. He gave an exhausted sigh and looked over at the tree in the patch of green. He drew in a long breath before exhaling loudly.
"Well that could have gone better." He forced a laugh to keep from bursting into tears himself.
"Flame!" Ember called. "I think I found something!" The fire and lightning guardian bounded over the dragoness. She stood in a corner staring at the wall on the left. There was a small hole in it. Too small for any wolf, but large enough for them to squeeze through.
"Should we give this a shot?" Stella asked looking at her fellow guardian. However, most of the entrance was blocked by dead wood.
"I dunno." Flame muttered as he leered into the darkness of the hole. "I thought Spyro said the hole was large enough for a wolf to fit through."
"Maybe it's a secret entrance." Sparx suggested.
"Somehow I doubt it." Flame shook his head.
"So now you're a pessimist?" The dragonfly crossed his arms.
"You girls stay here." Flame said, ignoring the dragonfly. "I'm going to check it out with Sparx. Shout if there's trouble."
"Be careful." Ember nuzzled him worriedly.
"You do the same." He kissed her cheek. Flame turned and spat a ball of fire. The wood splintered, clearing the entrance up. Sparx handed Tremor's bouquet to Stella before disappearing into the darkness after Flame.
Inside the catacombs Snarl heard the echoing sound of breaking wood. He turned his nose up and sniffed the air.
"The guardians are closing in." He turned to his pack. "We will finish them off here, before they can attempt to rescue the purple one." The pack growled mildly. They knew they needed to be quiet in order to set up an ambush. Their tails wagged in eager anticipation.
"That will not be necessary right now." Snarl and the other wolves jumped in surprise. The lanterns in the tunnels burned out as the shadows drew closer to the pack. The wolves shrank back as the dark magic reached out for them before taking shape. Malefor glared down at the wolves and curled his lips.
"Why are you ordering us to wait?" Snarl grumbled. "I thought it was the purple one you required. Not the guardians."
"That was the plan originally." Malefor turned his evil eyes on the Alpha. Suddenly he reached out and grabbed Snarl around the throat and lifted him off the floor. "But thanks to you and your undisciplined pack, you cost me my crystal! It was the surest way for me to retrieve my power and you fowled it up!"
"That was not our fault!" The Alpha wheezed, struggling to break free of the Dark Master's grasp. "The black dragoness..."
"No excuses!" Malefor roared. His voice echoed back to the tunnel opening.
"Did you hear that?" Flame froze.
"Yes, sadly." Sparx whimpered and hid behind Flame's head. "Can we go now?"
"Not unless you want to leave Spyro behind." Flame cringed. He was not looking forward to facing the forces in this dark place where he had no room to fly.
"Man, the things I do for Spyro." Sparx shook his head.
The wolves drew closer together, pressing towards the back wall. Malefor narrowed his eyes at Snarl. "I warned you fairly not to take those two young dragons lightly. But even then you failed to head my warning. Perhaps then if you won't obey orders, I will find someone else who will and dispose of you!"
"No!" Snarl barked. "We will not fail you again! I swear it!" There was an authentic tone of fear in the Alpha's voice.
Malefor's lip curled, revealing his long serrated teeth. He paused for a long moment, debating if he should end the pack leader's life now or later. "Very well." He growled reluctantly. He released Snarl and dropped him to his knees. "You have one more chance. But if you fail me again, you will suffer a fate worse than death. Do I make my self clear Pack Leader?" He brought his nose right up to the wolf's so Snarl could feel the full evilness of his intentions.
"I understand." Snarl bowed.
Malefor's aura drifted back into the shadows and vanished within his host's body. The black dragon's eyes glowed purple. "There isn't much time." He hissed, Malefor's presence still lurking in his voice. "Three of your wolves will stay behind and provide a distraction for you and the rest of your pack to escape. "Bring the black dragoness to me! I may have to use her if I'm to restore my true power."
"And what of the purple one?" Snarl rose to his feet, rubbing his neck. The dark magic had burned through his fur and left him with a nasty burn. However, the Alpha was unwilling to show any weakness in front of the dragon.
"Leave him. His friends will surely find him."
"I thought you needed him to regain your powers?"
"He's no good to me dead!" The black dragon bellowed. "He must recover in order for me to drain his power again!"
"Forgive me." Snarl hung his head slightly, biting his tongue. He despised this dragon deeply.
"Go! Make sure your warriors do not fail me again!" Snarl barked over his shoulder and the pack yipped to life. They scattered into the various tunnels as fast as they could. As Malefor had ordered, only three remained behind. Snarl nodded to them. The warriors bared their fangs and their fur stood on end. The Alpha hated to send his own comrades to their deaths. But he felt it necessary this time to save the rest of his pack.
The Alpha left the three where they stood and returned to the dungeon. Cynder was shackled inside a cell, her legs bound together and her muzzle tied tight. He grabbed a wire net that hung on the wall and dropped the unconscious dragoness into it. He threw her over his shoulder, not caring how roughly she was handled. The wire cut into Cynder's scales, drawing little drops of blood. The wolf leader snarled in disgust and disappeared into the darkness.
I kept smiling and laughing to myself when I wrote the beginning of this chapter. I'm sure Aduro is pretty pissed right now because of it. Lol. Set the scene up like a lemon then kill it from left field. *Maniacal laugh*