Author's Note: Here it is, Act II of Trial of the Heroes. This time, the Heroes must face Erol and Cortex's armies in the Dragon Realms, can they do it? Read and find out, and review if you want more.

Act II:

Spyro's World

Chapter 1:

Return to Avalar

Spyro launched out of the wormhole into a familiar bright blue sky. A gigantic valley opened up before him, full of green grass and trees with a wide river running through the middle of the valley. The purple dragon was able to identify the valley easily as the Valley of Avalar. He floated down and gracefully landed on the grass, a feat envied by many of his fellows. Cynder landed as gracefully (if not more) as he did and even Jak managed something of a graceful landing using his Light Eco Flight ability with Daxter clinging to his neck and Kiera held bridal-style in his arms. The Bandicoots however, had a less graceful landing….much, much less graceful. Crash spat out several handfuls of dirt and grass and began wiping his tongue off. Coco had managed to do a rolling landing so she wasn't quite as beat up and even Crunch managed to prevent his snout from being buries in the soil with his mechanical hand.

"Don't worry," he laughed as Crash continued to clean his tongue, "my first landing wasn't so graceful either, though I'm grateful that it was in snow." Crash shot him a glare and spat out the last ounce of dirt. Spyro turned to Cynder with a laugh, but stopped when he saw her expression. "What's wrong?" he asked her.

"Something just doesn't feel right, can't you feel it?" she asked. Spyro closed his eyes and allowed every bit of his surroundings to sink in. He too noticed that something didn't seem right.

"Yeah, I feel it." He opened his eyes and turned to the rest of the group. "Let's get moving, maybe we can figure out what the Villains are doing here." They walked forward through the valley into a forest. The procession through the trees continued until Crash suddenly tripped.

"Dang tree root!" he swore, looking back. However, instead of finding a tree root, he saw an egg shaped yellow gemstone. "Hey guys, look at this!" he called out. Spyro, Cynder, Coco, Crunch, and AkuAku seemed just as mystified as Crash at the strange stone. Jak and company, however, took defensive poses.

"Metalheads!" he hissed, holding the Eco Staff like a gun. Crash and Spyro didn't have any idea what Metalheads were but followed Jak's lead to take defensive positions, Crash pulling out his Bazooka. The three Heroes along with Crunch kept their defensive poses while circling around the group as they walked. The tense air was broken by Coco's timid voice

"Err, Jak?" she asked. Jak grunted to show he was listening. "Um, what exactly is a Metalhead?"

"Metalheads are fierce, intelligent creatures capable of killing many. They come in sizes from the size of Daxter to larger than five KG Prison Zoomers lined up back to back. All of them have these gems in their skulls; no one knows quite what they're for." Coco seemed even more frightened after Jak's explanation. She moved much closer to her brother, hoping that Crash's bazooka would be enough to protect her.

Their ears perked up at the sound of clashing metal and strange shrieking noises from a clearing up ahead. They ran ahead to find a fort-like structure made of logs being attacked by a variety of strange, biomechanical creatures: Metalheads. The people they were attacking turned out to not be people but a race of anthropomorphic cheetahs. An especially large cheetah wearing a red cloak and carrying a bow leapt up and shot down one of the large ape-like Metalheads. He noticed Spyro and Cynder and smiled.

"Spyro, Cynder, I am glad to see you have returned. Strange creatures have begun attacking the village, we need your assistance and –if possible- your friend's in getting rid of them," he announced. Spyro turned to the others.

"Anyone interested in defeating some Metalheads?" he asked with a grin. Everyone except for Coco, Kiera, and Daxter nodded. "Then, Hunter, you've got your allies." The cheetah named Hunter nodded and led the fighters into the fray. Spyro and Cynder took off to lead the way into the battle, and therefore got the first view. The horrific creatures known as Metalheads were striking ferociously at the cheetah warriors fighting against them to protect their village. One of the larger ape-like ones leapt upon the cheetah leader, Chief Prowlus. Prowlus threw the creature onto its back, drew out his gladius and stabbed the creature in its chest, grinding the sword around its rib cage. Another one pounced at the Chief, only to be shot down with an arrow by Hunter. Crowds of Metalheads began breaking through the barrier, signaling that the time to watch was over, the time to fight was now. Spyro swooped down upon a crowd of the scorpion-like Metalheads and unleashed a torrent of fire to fry them down. Cynder then swooped upon several ape-like Metalheads, began spinning, and flung them around in a huge cyclone. Spyro unleashed a flood of fire into Cynder's cyclone, frying the apes to a deep crisp. Many of their company who had never seen the two dragons fighting side-by-side were mystified by the skill and power they presented, thought snapping out of it long enough to beat off several Metalheads. Presented with the might of the Heroes, the Metalheads quickly retreated from the village into the dark forests surrounding it. Chief Prowlus lead a cheer of victory before walking towards the Heroes. His attention was brought to Spyro and Cynder and he bowed in thanks.

"Yet again you have proven yourselves worthy of trust, and yet again you have saved our village from attack," he said graciously. "However I have not met your friends who have proved themselves as great fighters." Spyro nodded and walked over to stand next to Jak and Crash.

"This is Jak," Spyro said, indicating Jak, "and this is Crash, all three of us are considered Heroes."

"I see, your friends fight with strange weapons," he said, indicating Crash's Bazooka and Jak's Eco Staff.

"Yeah, it would seem that my society is much more technologically advanced than yours," Jak said.

"Yeah mate," Crash agreed, "this place is medieval." Spyro coughed for attention which was then given to him.

"Chief, can you tell us what's going on here?" he asked of Prowlus.

"Yes, those creatures have been attacking us day in and day out since you disappeared. No word has come from Warfang yet as to what's going on now. It is too dangerous for messengers to travel between the settlements now, even through the forbidden way." Spyro nodded in understanding.

"We need to return to Warfang and see what's going on there, I have to know." Prowlus nodded in understanding.

"Hunter will lead you down the forbidden way, as you know it will take you straight into the city," he said. Spyro nodded in thanks.

"Alright guys, let's go," he called to the party behind him and together they followed Hunter out of the settlement, through the once beautiful now burned landscape, and into the tunnel that lead to Warfang, the Dragon City.