"What the hell was all that about!" Snarl roared at the young dragoness. Cynder had snatched him and his remaining wolves up just before leaving the battle ground and had retreated back to the wolves cave.
"That does not concern you." Cynder muttered and turned to walk away from him. Snarl jumped in front of her, teeth bared and ears pinned back.
"It does concern me when you expend the lives of my pack without explanation and without regard!"
"I told you to stay out of my way! If your warriors got killed then it's their own fault! I gave you fair warning!"
"We could have had the purple dragon but you fouled up the plan!"
"You fouled up the plan! I think he saw you and your flea-bitten friends snooping around and that's why he went on the attack!"
"Then why didn't you finish him off? You have the power, so why not use it!"
"The plan is to capture him, not kill him you moron!" Cynder spat black fire at the Alpha, signing some of his fur in the process. "If I used my full power I would have killed him for sure! But since our master wants us to exercise restraint in this matter, my options were limited!" Snarl glared menacingly at her. "If I fouled up at all, it was letting my subconscious go unattended. And now we have to wait until the purple one is fully recovered before we can make another attempt at him."
"So how long will that be? I don't think our master will want to be kept waiting much longer."
"I don't know." Cynder shook her head. "Perhaps a day or so. In any case I need to rest."
"Fine. Then you can rest where you have been."
"What?" Cynder was promptly snatched up and dragged down to the catacombs. Snarl hurled her into a new cell beside Exile's and stormed out of the dungeon. "Hey! You can't do this to me! I'm the Dark Master's general!"
"Not while you're in my village." The wolf spat and slammed the doors with a loud clang.
Cynder's temper flared and black flames spread from her body.
"Be calm young Cynder." Exile's soothing voice came from the neighboring cell. Cynder took several deep breaths before settling down. She lay on the cold stone floor and rested her head on her paws. She suddenly felt more exhausted than she realized. "Tell, me. What happened?" The old wolf moved closer and sat down.
"Well, I was hoping not to run into Spyro, since the Dark Master needs him for his plans. I managed to track down my friends who I thought he might be with. Luckily he had taken off so I was thinking about trying to find out where he went so I could lead the wolves on a wild goose chase..."
"But what would you have done when they found out that you were leading them nowhere?" Cynder fell silent. She had never thought about her plan that far ahead. Her main concern was keeping the Dark Master from getting Spyro. "Perhaps that is why you failed in your mission."
"I guess so." Cynder sighed and a sob escaped through her lips.
"Don't cry Cynder." Exile reached through the bars and stroked the dragoness's back. "Your heart was in the right place. You just need to learn to put your mind there as well, as difficult as it might be."
"I just feel so helpless." Cynder whimpered. "I have the power I need to protect Spyro but it feels like it's no good."
"You already have the physical power my dear you just need the right mentality to go with it."
"But what if I don't?"
"Don't ask, what if you don't." The old wolf shook his head. "I wouldn't have taught you if I didn't think you had the heart or desire to control these new powers."
"But I just felt so horrible. Having to fight Spyro and the others. I hurt them. My best friends in the world and the dragon I love the most."
"It's tough because they have no idea what's going on." Exile pointed out. "They only saw you as an enemy. Not as a friend working to help their cause."
"But how do I tell them? How do I show them?" Cynder looked down at her forelegs which had a couple of mild cuts on them from Spyro's attacks. They didn't hurt but she could hardly believe he had outright attacked her. But then she couldn't really blame him either. She had joined the one dragon they both despised without so much as a word of explanation to him about it.
"I don't have the answer to that my dear. That solution is up to you."
Cynder sighed and rose to her feet. "I need some fresh air. I'll try and be back soon."
"Try not to be gone too long." Exile warned her.
"I'll try." Cynder nodded. Black flames began to emanate around her body and she disappeared into the shadows.
The old wolf sighed and rubbed his goatee. "These dragons as fascinating creatures." He smiled to himself and sat back against the wall of his cell. "Good luck my dear."
Tremor hissed loudly as Candice bandaged up his wounds. The guardians had moved several miles inland towards the mountains where the forest had been untouched by battle. Here they had set up a new camp sight and found several trees that produced medicinal fruits. Flame and Ember had regained consciousness and had helped eat the fruits. Now Candice and Stella were busy binding the rinds to the wounds on Tremor and the fire breathers. Sparx had taken charge of fixing up Spyro, feeling that his best friend could use some brotherly comfort.
"Stop whining." Candice scolded. "If we don't get you patched up, your wounds will get infected."
"I'm already in enough pain as it is." Tremor groaned as the dragoness did her best to tie a vine around the rind on his badly injured shoulder.
"I know." Candice sighed sadly as she stared at the scabbing wound. The wound was healing better than expected but Candice was almost certain the he would be left with an ugly scar for the rest of his life. "I just got you back and you're already thrashed again."
"I'm still breathing Candy." Tremor nuzzled her affectionately. "So let's be happy about being able to be together."
Candice just shook her head and smiled. "I suppose your right." She rubbed her cheek against his, watching for his horns and brushed her side against his.
"Hey, sorry to interrupt you two..." Stella spoke up, catching their attention. "Where is Spyro?"
It was then that Tremor, Candice, Flame and Ember noticed that the purple dragon was nowhere to be seen.
"I thought he and Sparx were just over by that tree." Flame thrust his head towards an old willow. The guardians all exchanged glances.
"I'm gunna go look for him." Stella said. "Would you mind?" She looked to Candice.
"Leave it to me." The ice dragoness nodded.
Stella nodded back and disappeared into the darkness of the forest.
"Damn it!" Spyro cursed and slammed a paw on the ground in frustration. "Why can't I use my elements anymore?" He had snuck away from the group and had been trying to summon his ice and fire elements. But he was only managing to unleash severe fits of coughing and sputtering.
"Maybe you just forgot." Sparx suggested. "I mean, it could just be like when you defeated Cynder."
"But I didn't forget. My powers were just drained and needed to recharge."
"Maybe with everything going on, your powers are beginning to drain away again."
Spyro's eyes widened in horror at the thought of his powers disappearing.
"No." He shook his head in disbelief. "No, that can't be. That can't happen. Not now. Not with Malefor on the loose again."
"Hey, hey, hey. Take it easy buddy." Sparx floated closer to his brother and gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "I know how you feel. It's frustrating."
"Sparx, I feel so helpless!" Spyro gasped and collapsed on his haunches. "I've lost Cynder to Malefor again. I'm losing my powers and I don't know if I'm gunna be strong enough to get her back."
"Don't talk like that Spyro." Both boys heads snapped around to see Stella push aside some tree branches and stop to face them.
"Stella." Spyro gasped in surprise.
"You of all dragons should know better than to give up when you have someone to fight for. If you start doubting yourself you'll just be showing Cynder that you're already planning on giving up on her."
"But...I don't want to give up on her!" Spyro stammered.
"Well I don't know how Cynder thinks, but I would feel like I wasn't being given a chance if it were me you were talking about." Spyro jerked his head back. He felt like he'd been slapped and he hung his head in shame. Stella frowned. She walked over and placed her tail spade under his chin and brought his eyes to meet hers. "Don't hang your head like that. Hold it up. This fight is far from over."
Spyro was shocked by the ferocity he saw in her golden-brown eyes.
"Do I make myself clear Spyro?"
"I think she has you there buddy." Sparx laughed when he saw his brother left speechless.
"Sparx, would you give us some time?" Stella asked politely with a gentle smile.
"I suppose if it make s Spyro feel better, I can go bother someone else."
"Thank you." The lightning dragoness bobbed her head courteously and waited for his glow to disappear into the darkness of the woods. When she was sure he was out of earshot she sat down beside Spyro and gazed up at the sky. The stars were covered by dark clouds. A tingle rippled up her spine. "It's gunna rain soon." She said in almost a whisper.
"How can you tell?" Spyro asked giving her a curious glance.
Stella just looked at him with eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness. "Because I'm relaxed." Spyro's head tilted inquisitively and Stella just smiled. "Go on. Smell." She lifted her nose and sniffed the air. Spyro followed her lead. He inhaled deeply, letting the cool night air fill his lungs. Sure enough he could detect the faint smell of the water in the atmosphere. Stella sighed with relief as she relaxed again. "Sense it now?"
"Yeah." Spyro nodded, a little embarrassed that she had noticed the change in the weather before he did.
"When you relax your senses are are their strongest." Stella pointed out. "When you let yourself get too tense, you block off your senses and soon you're left with nothing to rely on but your brute strength." She turned and look him in the eye again. "Spyro, fighting the Dark Master is not just a battle of strength but one of smarts too. We all have to stick together and use our heads if we want to beat him once and for all."
"Stella, do you know what it's like to fight Malefor?"
"No. Should it matter?"
"The way Malefor works is he takes everyone's deepest and darkest desires and grants them their wishes. In return he turns them into his slaves. He just has so much power that it's just too irresistible for anyone to turn down."
"I don't believe that." Stella shook her head.
"What?"
"If that were true, then how come you can turn it down so easily?"
"I...I don't know...Ignitus...the last fire guardian said that my heart wouldn't allow the world to be destroyed or consumed by evil."
"Well I think he was right." Stella puffed her chest out to make her point. "You have a good heart and a strong one at that. And that's what I admire so much about you."
"Stella?" Spyro's cheeks began to flush. The lightning guardian just laughed.
"Don't worry Spyro. I like you a lot, but I know your heart is Cynder's and it's not my place to interfere with your relationship." Her smile widened and she gave Spyro a playful nudge. "But I do envy Cynder though. She's very lucky to have someone like you to care about her so much. So do me another favor, and don't ever let her go."
Spyro's heart began to settle down. He smiled at the dragoness and nodded. "I won't. Thank you Stella."
"What are friends for?"
Spyro just grinned and took another deep breath before looking up at the sky. The clouds were growing darker and he thought of how they reminded him of Cynder's dark scales. "Can I tell you something?"
"Anything." The dragoness nodded.
"I've never been good with expressing my feelings openly. Especially with Cynder. But I was doing some research in the library at Warfang and I came across something that I thought might let her know how much I really care about her."
"Oh?" Stella tilted her head slightly.
"Well, apparently, back during the times before Malefor, dragons would collect armor, gems and other treasures. They did this so when they came across a female they wanted, they would present her with a treasure to show their worth."
"I don't think Cynder would want any piece of treasure to know how much she means to you."
"I know." Spyro nodded. "But I got this idea from looking at the treasures. You know how Cynder has those silver gauntlets on her legs, neck and tail? Well I came up with a design for one. It's based on the whole idea of presenting the dragoness of your dreams with your most valuable piece of treasure. But I was planning on presenting it to her when I asked her to... well...you might think I'm being childish by saying this..."
"How bad could it be?"
Spyro sighed and took in another deep breath. "Well, I love Cynder so much, I wanted to ask her one day if she would be my life-mate." Stella's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She was completely taken by surprise with this news.
All of a sudden there was a rustle in the bushes off to the side. The two dragons whirled around to face the potential threat. A slight gust blew into their faces and Spyro's nostrils flared. Then his eyes grew wide as he recognized the scent.
"Cynder!"