Stella paced impatiently around her cell. The hours had passed by at a snail's pace. She had not had any contact with anyone other than the wolves that guarded her. The beasts were enthusiastic about watching her when she had first awoke but now they were beginning to grow bored. The lightning guardian tried to ignore them as several of the mutated canines bickered over food and who got to sleep where. The noise had gotten to her so much that she made an outburst of lightning fury upon her captors. The attack had proven quite useless as the wolves just shook off the electricity as if it were nothing at all.
"Damned mongrels." Stella hissed furiously as she continued to pace. The beasts had also been making a game out of jabbing at her with their long spears through the bars of the cage. Several had managed to break her skin and she had dealt them a stern lesson that they wouldn't forget when they woke up, if at all. The first wolf sat in the far corner clutching at his bleeding eye which had been stabbed out by the dragoness. He seemed to be wearing down from the loss of blood and the dragoness found a deep sense of satisfaction at the wolf's suffering.
He hadn't been the only one though. Several others had missing eyes as well and several had been taken away immediately when Stella had slashed their throats through the bars. The strikes hadn't been effective enough to kill them but it got the point across. After a while a larger wolf came down and barked several orders at his warriors about sending him more wounded than was necessary. He had given Stella a distasteful look and had spit on her before leaving. The guards had not bothered her since.
At long last she grew tired of pacing and flopped down at the back of the cage where she might be farthest from her captor's prodding spears and watchful eyes. She had been restless since she had woken up in this blistering hot place. She had deduced that she was being held inside the volcano at Munitions Forge. What she was still alive for was beyond her comprehending.
Stella closed her eyes and tried to imagine herself alongside her fellow guardians in the comfort of the dragon city. She missed home; not just the place itself but the warmth of security and comfort that came from living within the city walls. Stella sighed and began to drift into a light slumber.
Hours later, her nap was interrupted by a loud explosion and tremor that shook the cell block she was being held in. The wolves perked up at the noise and rumbles beneath their feet. A loud roar echoed throughout the caverns and Stella's head perked up.
"Flame?" She murmured to herself as she looked towards the dungeon entrance. Another tremor shook the walls around her. By now the wolves were fully alert and grabbing their weapons. The mutated canines started to clamber into the stairwell in a cluster of fur-covered bodies, shoving each other to get first access. The disorder cost them dearly. Another angry roar sounded from the stairwell and the wolves howled in pain as a giant wave of fire blew down the corridor. The bodies burned and Stella ducked behind her wing to shield herself from the overpowering heat.
When she peaked over her wing the wolves lay on the floor in a scorched mess of bloody, smoking bodies.
"Down here!" A familiar voice called. A gleaming yellow dragonfly appeared in the entrance to the dungeon and looked around.
"Sparx!" Stella yelled excitedly and pressed her face against the bars of her cage.
"There you are!" The dragonfly exclaimed and flew over to her cell. "Hey! I found her!" He called back over his shoulder. There was another loud roar and another searing wave of heat. Flame backed into the cell block area and spewed another wave of fire back up the stairwell. Another howl echoed through the chamber as he bounded over to Stella's cage.
"Good work Sparx." He panted stiffly as he examined Stella's cage.
"Use a key!" Sparx urged keeping an anxious eye on the stairwell.
"There's no time!" Flame shouted. He grit his teeth together and began to glow with deep crimson energy. Stella backed away from the bars between her and the red dragon as the fire-like markings spread across Flame's body. There was something about this power that frightened her almost as much as Dark Spyro. Flame focused his energy towards his paws and slashed the bars. Sparks flew, leaving deep gashes in the thick iron. He slashed again and again, each time burning through the metal even more. On his sixth swipe the bars shattered, falling to the ground with a loud clang.
"Stella are you okay?" Flame asked as his power subsided and his markings disappeared.
"Flame!" Stella tackled him giving him a relieved hug. "Thank the ancestors you guys are alright!" It was then that Stella noticed he had several cuts along the length of his body.
"Thank the ancestors that we found you in time!" Flame smirked back. "We're running out of time, we need to go."
"Right!" Stella backed off of him and followed him to the stairwell. Sparx led the two dragons back up the staircase.
"Where are the others?" Stella called as she clambered over the burned bodies.
"We all split up; they're waiting for us back in the main chamber of the volcano. We need to..." His voice faded away as a rumble shook the burning mountain. Flame, Stella and Sparx came to an abrupt halt at the top of the stairs. The corridor ahead was filled with mutant wolves. A growl from behind caught Stella's attention and she squeaked in fright, bumping into Flame. The bodies that littered the stairwell began to rise again.
"Oh come on!" Sparx whined. "Can't you guys just sit and stay like you're supposed to?"
"Something tells me this hasn't been the easiest task for you," Stella muttered as she took up a defensive stance at the top of the stairs, waiting for the wolves to charge.
"Nothing has been lately." Flame spread his wings and his markings illuminated the hall in a deadly crimson glow. "Sparx, Stella. Stay close to me."
"Got it." Stella nodded without turning away.
The dragons let out angry roars and attacked.
"Damn it! Where did these guys all come from!" Candice shouted as she side-stepped the attacking mutant. The slammed her tail across his face, leaving a wretched gash where his eyes used to be. The beast howled and staggered back clutching at his face as two more wolves pushed passed him.
"Who cares?!" Ember snapped and released a barrage of fireballs. The wolves burned as their bodies were sent flying in all directions. "We need to push them back to the main chamber! Flame will need a clear path to reach us when he finds Stella!"
"Easier said than done!" Candice hissed as she cut one of her attacker's inner thighs as she rolled between his legs. The wolf winced and dropped to one knee. A split second later, Candice's blade plunged through his throat. Another wolf reared up to pounce on the ice dragoness with claws ready for an instant kill.
"Duck!" Ember whirled around, sending a stream of fire into the canine's face. The wolf staggered forward, tripping over the two dragons before being knocked into his comrades behind Ember.
"Go!" Candice ordered and sprang over the mass of scrambling bodies.
"I'm right behind you!" Ember called and followed close. The wolves clawed at their bellies as they soared through the air. The two dragons reached another hallway intersection and paused to look around. It was then that Candice spotted a group of shadows coming towards them from their left.
"Go right!" She shoved Ember towards the hall and the pink dragoness took off running. Just before she followed after her Candice turned back to see the Alpha wolf emerge from around the corner. Snarl immediately noticed the blue dragoness and their eyes locked. Candice felt a fire burn deep inside her as she recognized who he was. She visualized herself locking her jaws around the Alpha's throat and crushing him beneath her might.
A sharp bark brought the dragoness out of her trance. Candice stepped back as her eyes began to glow white. She let loose a shriek as a beam of energy burst from her mouth, freezing the entire hallway intersection in a thick layer of ice. The dragoness hissed in spite and turned to catch up to Ember.
"We're not getting anywhere!" Stella cried. She ducked under a blade as it swished over her head. She sprang forward, slamming into the wolf and knocking him into a pile of his buddies.
"Sparx!" Flame called over the howling and barking. "See if you can find a way out of here!" The fire guardian slammed his tail against a falling sword, knocking the weapon away before delivering a concentrated burst of fire through the wielder's stomach.
"I'm fine with that." The dragonfly zipped over the heads of the mutants pushing against one another to get at the dragons. The bodies had all become a furry, snarling mass of weapons and limbs. Sparx flew on down the hall and saw no break in the wolves formation. "Oh no..." He gasped as his antennae drooped. He yelped in surprise as a wolf swiped at him from below. He rushed back to Flame and Stella who were being pressed closer and closer together in the cramped hallway.
"Well?" Flame grabbed a wolf's arm in his jaws and hurled him over his shoulder into Stella's group of attackers.
"There's no end to them! We're trapped!"
Stella finished off the warrior before her and turned a horrified look on the dragonfly. Flame breathed a wave of fire into the faces of the oncoming horde. He and Stella locked eyes for a second.
"Then we make our stand here!"
Stella bit her lower lip and nodded. "Let's give these guys a taste of what real power is!"
Another wolf lunged for Flame. He reared up on his hind legs and plunged his front claws into the wolf's throat. The wolf's eyes gaped in shock and blood spattered across Flame's face. The red dragon roared as the markings on his body burned bright. Behind him Stella let loose a piercing shriek causing Sparx to cover his ears. Both dragons released a wave of lightning and fire consuming every mutant wolf in their path. Their cries were overwhelmed by the roars of the guardians.
When the light and noise died down both dragons gasped for breath. The stone on the walls had been become as smooth as glass from the intense heat and concentration of energy.
"Did you get them?" Sparx asked anxiously.
"I hope so," Flame panted.
"We should move now," Stella advised and headed down the hall.
"Hey wait for us!" Sparx called as she disappeared around the first corner. Flame chased after the dragonfly as they tried to catch up with the lightning guardian. All of a sudden they heard a scream and Flame ran into an all out sprint. Sparx suddenly came to a stop right in front of him and was knocked into the mutant wolf's chest. As the dragonfly pealed himself off he stared up into the beast's gleaming yellow eyes. "Uh...Hi." He chuckled nervously.
The wolf swatted him out of the air. Flame jerked and caught the tiny insect in the membrane of his wing.
"Put me down!" Stella hissed furiously. The dragoness dangled helplessly by her tail in the wolf's strong grip. The beast only smiled as he raised his blade over his head.
"No!" Flame shouted and charged forward.
All of a sudden, the wall exploded. The wolf howled as the force sent him crashing through the opposite wall. His cries died out as he fell into the main cavern of the volcano. Stella coughed hard as she picked herself up off the floor. When the dust cleared Tremor and Spyro stood before them.
"What would you guys do without me?" The earth dragon smiled.
"I don't want to find out." Stella shook her head with a light smile.
"Come on!" Flame urged. "We need to get back to the main chamber. Candice and Ember are waiting for us."
"You guys go on ahead." Tremor thrust his head over his shoulder. "I'm going to stay here and destroy this crystal to make sure that Malefor doesn't get his claws on it."
"No way!" Stella gasped in shock. "You can't be serious!"
"I agree with Stella." Flame nodded. "We're not going to lose someone on a rescue mission!"
"This isn't a rescue mission anymore!" Tremor snapped. "If Malefor gets his hands on Spyro's powers then the whole world is at stake!"
"Tremor, we're not leaving you behind." Spyro placed a paw on his shoulder. Before the earth dragon could say anything a howl echoed down the tunnel.
"Go on you guys." Tremor stepped towards the hole he had made when attacking the wolf. "I'll buy you the time you need to get Spyro and Stella out of here."
"What do I tell Candice?" Stella asked, knowing full well what could happen.
Tremor just shook his head. "You don't have to tell her anything." The other guardians were silent for a minute.
Flame was the first to speak. "Tremor... in case...you know... I'm proud to have known you."
Tremor just rolled his eyes. "Get going you guys. You're running out of time." With that he dove through the hole towards the lava far below.
The others watched him glide down to the bottom. "Let's move out." Flame sighed sadly and led the way up to the main chamber.
Down below Tremor slammed the crystal he carried against a rock. The crystal chipped but refused to break.
"Damn it! You piece of junk!" He shouted furiously, slamming it harder and harder. "Why! Won't! You! Break!" At last he managed to crack the crystal. The energy from inside began to shine through its violet core. "I guess that works." The crystal began to quake in his paws and continue to split. The earth dragon turned and tossed the fracturing stone into the lava. An instant later the entire volcano shook violently.
Spyro, Flame, Sparx and Stella dashed down the corridors littered with the bodies of fallen wolves. They all staggered when they felt the volcano shake.
"What was that?" Stella asked looking around with wide eyes.
"My guess is it's either Cynder fighting Liun, or this volcano is going to blow."
"Huh, which would be the lesser of two evils?" Sparx scratched his chin as he pondered aloud. "Blown up by an exploding mountain, or being blown up by an insane black dragon. And I don't mean Cynder."
"We need to keep moving." Flame nudged Stella with his nose. "We should be close to meeting up with Candice and Ember.
"Goody." Stella muttered to herself.
The four of them pushed through the last line of dead bodies and out into the volcano's main chamber.
"Flame!" Ember cried and bounded over to him. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. "I was so worried about you."
"I'm alright." Flame sighed. "I'm glad to see you're safe too Ember." There was a certain tone of despair in his voice.
Candice came trotting up beside the pink dragoness and smiled at her friend. "It's good to have you back Stella." She smiled. "How are you feeling?"
"I've felt better," The lightning dragoness murmured.
Candice tilted her head curiously and looked around the group. "Where's Cynder and Tremor?"
"Cynder is fighting Liun to give us some time to escape." Spyro replied darkly.
The ice guardian began to get a sinking feeling in her stomach and she dug her claws into the stone. "Wh-where's Tremor?" She asked fretfully.
The other dragons looked at one another.
Ember looked at Flame but he turned his gaze away. "Flame?" She turned his face back with her tail spade.
"He's staying behind," The fire guardian replied with deep regret.
"What?!" Candice gasped and took a step back, shaking her head in disbelief. "No. No! H-he can't be!" The volcano shook again, more violently this time.
"Will guys come on?" Sparx demanded. "We have to blow this joint before it blows us sky high!"
"But you guys, we can't just leave him behind like that!" Candice protested.
"Candice, we have to go! Now come on!" Flame forced a determined stare trying to hide the pain he felt. He pushed past the ice dragoness and the others followed suit. Candice stayed where she was, shivering in shock and fear of losing her mate. She turned and walked to the edge of the bridged path they were on. Far below she could see Tremor standing at the edge of a lava pool staring into it. The earth dragon felt her eyes on him and turned to look up at her. He smiled sadly up at her; every time they were in danger he always seemed to notice her beauty even more.
"Good bye Candice," He whispered softly.
The dragoness shut her eyes tight as three tears dropped to the burning rock below. "Tremor, you have two minutes!" She shouted down to him. "Do you hear me?" Tremor simply continued to smile as the shaking of the volcano increased. Candice turned and ran after her team mates leaving Tremor alone with his thoughts.
He wasn't alone for long, however. The sounds of footsteps brought the dragon out of his daydream. He turned as a large group of mutant wolves came charging down the ramp that brought them to the bottom level near the lava pools. Tremor took up a stance and spread his wings wide. He let loose a roar and charged his attackers. He slammed the leaders across the face with his club tail. The wolf fell back into two others while Tremor sprang off its chest and drop-kicked the one behind it. Another wolf slashed with its weapon and Tremor dove to the side nearly tumbling into a pool of molten rock. He scrambled to his feet and leaped for the nearest wolf, latching onto its face and firing an earth bullet. The beast fell to the floor with its face bleeding profusely. Tremor leaped into the air and latched onto the far wall. He fired an earth missile, catapulting himself back over the wolves heads as a stream of lava burst from the rock. The mutants screamed as the melted rock burned them to nothing.
Meanwhile the other guardians raced through the halls towards the main exit of the volcano.
"We should be close!" Sparx called over his shoulder.
Suddenly the hallway collapsed in around them. The dragons skidded to a halt as the dust and ash filled their eyes and lungs.
"You're not going anywhere!" An angry voice snarled. The guardians hissed defensively as Liun stepped towards them. The black dragon was covered in blood and the sight nearly made Spyro's heart stop.
"Oh no you don't!" Another tremor shook the volcano as Cynder came crashing through the wall. She slammed a massive talon into the black dragon and the two smashed through the tunnel into the open vent of the volcano.
Liun squirmed free from Cynder's grasp and dove away from her.
"Your tenacity is admirable Cynder." His eyes began to glow like Malefor's. "But futile none the less." Cynder unleashed a ball of shadow fire, but Liun evaded the attack. He ducked low and plowed into Cynder's stomach. The dragoness felt the wind rush out of her as the black dragon slammed her into the wall. Her head rocked back and hit the wall making her see stars.
"This time Cynder," He brought his tail blade to the damaged scales on her chest where he had stabbed her previously. "I will be more thorough in killing you!"
Cynder watched as his blade twitched in eager anticipation. Suddenly the black dragon cried out as a bolt of lightning struck him from the side. A moment later Spyro hit him with a beam of convexity. The black dragon hit the wall of the volcano and plummeted towards the bottom.
"Cynder, let's go!" Spyro called as he hovered close to her.
"I'm with you!" She nodded and followed closely as he slipped back into the tunnel and towards their exit.
Tremor roared as he fired another earth bullet. A pillar of lava burst from the floor and caught the charging wolf by surprise. The dragon covered himself in stone and rolled on top of the spraying lava, causing it to spatter the remaining wolves. He yelped and burst from from his protective ball and hovered in the air. His paws were beginning to burn from the blistering heat of the stone.
The volcano began to shake repeatedly as the crystal continued to break apart releasing the massive quantity of Spyro's earth powers. At last the crystal shattered and the energy burst from its prison. Tremor braced himself for another wave of wolves but stopped when the lava pools around them began to rise.
"Uh oh..." He thought. He spread his wings and took off straight up the main shaft of the volcano. The ash stung his eyes and choked his lungs. He hadn't gone more than a few yards when he began to cough uncontrollably. He couldn't see or breathe anymore. He struggled to open his eyes but the volcanic ash hurt worse than sand. He continued to beat his wings against the air but his coughing refused to yield. At last he collapsed back down to the bottom. The wolves snarled and began closing in for their last kill.
"There it is!" Cynder shouted. She and the guardians rushed towards the exit. As they drew closer a trio of wolves stepped in their way.
"Move it!" Ember roared and released a shower of sparklers, blinding the canines. The guards howled in distress and clutched at their eyes. The dragons barreled through them, knocking them off the ledge before immediately taking flight. They soared out over the beach and didn't stop until they were a safe distance from the burning mountain. Once they felt safe they turned back around just in time to see the volcano erupt in an explosion of fire and lava.
"No," Candice cried silently. "Tremor." The guardians all watched in horror as the fire and lava burst from the mouth of the mountain. They moved away as the volcanic bombs began to fall all around them.
Stella flew over to Candice and placed a paw on her shoulder.
"Why?" The ice dragoness whispered. "Why does Tremor always have to be so reckless? Why did he have to play the hero this time?" Stella didn't answer. "Why?!" Candice shouted with tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Because he loves you," Stella replied. Candice looked to her to find the lightning dragoness was crying as well. "He was willing to give his life to protect you. All of us."
Candice just shook her head. "He's such an idiot!" She sobbed. A large bomb hit the water close by causing the dragons to move away more. Candice stared down at the black water and watched her tears fall into it. "I hate you Tremor."
As the guardians grieved, a mysterious object caught Sparx's eye. He flew towards it a little and squinted hard through the ash and smoke. "Um, guys," He called nervously. "What is that?"