"How are you feeling?" Stella asked as she looked Liun over for any wounds. Surprisingly the black dragon didn't have a scratch on him.
"I'm doing alright." He replied. "Just a little chilled." He gave a slight shiver.
"Aw, you poor thing." Stella smiled playfully and scooted closer to him and draped her wing around him, pulling him closer to her. "Is that a little bit better?"
"Much." The dragon smirked and pressed himself closer to her. He looked back at the entrance to the cave. "Do you think they're alright?"
"I'm pretty sure they are." Stella sighed. "I'm more worried about Spyro and Cynder's safety right now."
"Hm." Liun bobbed his head slightly. "Say, where are the other two?"
"Huh?" Stella cocked her head slightly.
"Tremor and Candice. Are they..."
"I don't know." Stella looked him in the eye with worry written all over her face. "I hope they're safe. We separated a while ago."
"Shouldn't we go look for them?"
"We'll find them after Flame, Ember and Sparx return."
"Ok..." Liun sighed, almost seeming disappointed. He glanced up at the sky. The sun was beginning to set, casting streaks of red, orange and yellow across the sky. He heard the leather beating of wings against the wind and turned to see Candice coming in for a landing.
"Candice!" Stella called and waved a paw. The ice dragoness set down in the snow and walked over to the two dragons huddled together. Stella was excited to see her but her smile disappeared. Candice was trembling all over. Her lips quivered uncontrollably and her eyes were red and puffy. Stella was about to speak when they heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Stella turned back to the cave entrance to see a light coming towards them. "Sparx? Is that you?" She called.
"Yeah, it's me." The dragonfly called back. "I've got Ember here. She's not doing too well, you may want to make some room."
"Is she alright?" Stella gasped. She and Liun backed away from the cave entrance. Ember staggered out of the darkness and immediately collapsed onto the ground. "Ember!" Stella gasped and moved to the fire dragon's side. Ember lay in the snow, breathing hard, her sides heaving and her stomach convulsing.
"You may want to give her some space." Sparx warned. "She's been throwing up the whole way back."
"What? Why?" Stella looked up at the dragonfly, almost afraid of his answer.
"We found Spyro." Sparx shook his head sadly.
"Oh, my god!" Stella jerked her head back. "Is he..."
"He's alive." Sparx wiped a hand across his forehead. "But he's in pretty bad shape. I've never seen him that messed up before in all the years we've been together."
"Oh man." Stella murmured. "Where is he? Is Flame with him? Is he alright too?"
"Flame is with him." Sparx nodded and looked back down the hole. "He told me to take Ember back and that he'd be right behind us."
"Should we go in after him?" The lightning dragoness took a couple steps towards the cave entrance.
"No." Ember wheezed. She opened her eyes and looked up at her friends. "Flame will be here shortly. I know he will." No sooner had she spoken than they heard the fire guardian's voice from inside the hole.
"Hey, I need some help in here!"
"Flame!" Ember called as loud she could. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine!" Flame's voice called back. "But I need someone to take Spyro from me so we can get him outside. I can't get up this ledge with him still on my back."
"Alright! Just hold on!" With a loud groan, Ember forced herself onto her stomach and struggled to rise.
"It's okay, I'll go." Liun stepped forward much to everyone's surprise.
"Thank you." Ember whimpered before collapsing again.
Liun slipped into the hole, his black scales making him disappear from view almost instantly. He moved deeper in and came to the ledge that opened up to the corridor. He looked down and saw Flame with Spyro's body draped over his back. The ledge was a good six feet up from the floor. Flame stood about four and half feet and could have easily made the leap but with the purple dragon slowing him down, it would not have been any easy task to reach the ledge without dropping Spyro.
"Sorry to ask this, but I might need you as a stepping stone." The fire breather panted. Liun looked down at Spyro for a long moment in silence. "Hey, Liun. You alright man?"
"Huh? Yeah." Liun dropped to the floor and squatted down in front of Flame with his back to him. "Go for it." He said when he was ready. Flame reached up and placed his paws on the black dragon's shoulders before stepping onto his back. He wobbled slightly as he tried to maintain his balance with Spyro on his back and climb the black dragon at the same time. Slowly he reached out and grabbed the top of the ledge. Liun lifted himself up and boosted the two dragons up.
"Got it, thanks." Flame called. He moved towards the light as quickly as he could. Once outside he staggered forward, nearly dropping Spyro. "Stand aside." He warned the others. The other dragons all moved away from the wall as Flame blew a wave of fire against it. The snow melted and exposed the muddy earth beneath it.
"What are you doing?" Sparx demanded. We need to get Spyro out of here now."
"It's too risky Sparx." Ember pointed out. "He's already badly hurt and it will be night soon. We should wait until morning before moving him and when we can see better."
The dragonfly bit his lip. "Alright." He sighed reluctantly. "Where are we setting up camp?"
"Right here." Flame gasped for breath and breathed another wave of fire. The mud slowly began to harden as the snow evaporated. After several more blasts, he set Spyro down on the warm ground.
"He looks terrible." Stella shook her head as she eyes the dragon in the fading light. Spyro's wounds still bled openly and his once brilliant purple scales seemed to be faded.
"Let;s just focus on keeping him warm right now." Flame said as he walked around Spyro to a pile of broken posts. "Ember, if you're up to it, see what you can do for him. I'm going to start a fire to help keep the chill away."
"I'll do my best." Ember nodded. She sighed and let the cool vapor chill her mind, relaxing her and settling her thoughts. She moved close to Spyro and placed her paws on his side. She closed her eyes and her pendant began to glow. Liun emerged from the cave and watched her go about her business for a moment before looking at Stella who smiled back. It was then that Stella turned back to Candice gasped.
"Candice! You're nose is bleeding!"
"It is?" The ice dragoness wiped her snout with a paw. It was bleeding alright.
"Are you alright? What's going on?" Stella walked over and eyed her friend closely.
"I'm fine." Candice squeaked, trying to hide the blood. She clenched a paw over her snout and squeezed gently. "Really."
Stella wasn't fooled for an instant. "Candice, something's wrong." She narrowed her eyes at the dragoness trying to find what she was hiding. Then she realized what was missing. "Wait, did something happen to Tremor?"
Candice's eyes locked onto Stella's. She was frozen, unable to respond.
"Candice?" Stella leaned in closer. "Did something happen to Tremor?"
"No, and you can stop asking." Every head snapped around and up. High above them on the wall stood the earth guardian in the last of the fading sunset. Candice noticed the glow the light gave his scales. He looked like an epic hero, standing triumphantly in the sunset. But the ice dragoness knew better. She turned her head away, unable to look at him.
"Where have you been?" Stella demanded. "We were worried about you."
"I appreciate the concern." Tremor sighed. "But you don't have to worry anymore. I'm here and that's all that matters."
"We're still missing Cynder." Flame pointed out as he smashed a piece of dead wood. He had already managed to compile a good-sized stack of the splintered chunks.
"Hm..." Tremor looked around the group. Ember was still concentrating on Spyro. Liun just sat nearby watching everything. When his eyes drifted to Candice, his heart sank lower and the tiny remains of it broke yet again. He felt the knot rise in his throat and he coughed to clear it out. "You guys keep doing what you're doing." He said and puffed his chest out to make himself look bigger. "I'll stand guard and keep an eye out."
"What? Are you sure?" Stella asked, the concern clear in her voice.
"Absolutely." The earth dragon nodded. Then as he turned away, her added. "It's not like I'm going to be getting much sleep as it is anyways."