The next two weeks were very busy for the dragon city, word spread quickly about the rumors of other surviving dragons and the need for a new guardian of fire had everyone helping where they could in preparation for the arrival of an unknown number of dragons.
Terrador was aware of this and had new establishments meant for housing a family of four full grown dragons, and some even bigger to house eight. It might have been a little much but it was better to be prepared for it than need it and not have the space to house such a family if one that size came. Spyro and Cynder helped a lot with this during the two weeks as most of their time was spent with the construction teams. Now we find Spyro and Cynder back in their room resting after another hard day of work with Cynder getting a massage from Spyro, who was rubbing her back mindful of his claws.
"Mmm...a little to the left Spyro." Cynder spoke to him and purred when he hit a sensitive spot next to her wing joint. When Cynder first started to complain about pain in her back she suggested with a blush to go with it Spyro help her by giving her a massage; she was already laying down when she said that so she didn't see Spyro's change in scale color from purple to red and almost passed out but held on to conscious thought her he heard her groan in pain; at first he was shy when it came to touching Cynder in such a intimate way but when she groaned again he swallowed his shyness and approached her and tentatively kneaded her back muscles and from her spoken responses and moans of approval he quickly got used to such intimate contact with her and freely gave her a massage when she needed one or if she just wanted to relax under his touch.
"If I didn't know any better Cynder I'd say you only come to me for your own selfish purposes." Spyro said playfully as he continued to massage around her wing joints.
She heard the playful tone he took and thought for a moment before responding.
"Well you never asked for something in return so I thought it was a free service you were offering." She replied with a playful tone as she turned her head to look at him as he now moved in-between her wing joints with a look that showed an innocent face so believable Spyro thought it should be made illegal.
"Well how about for payment, this beautiful dragoness accompany me on a date tonight."
Spyro and Cynder hadn't gone out together as an actual couple and he thought it was over due for them to be seen as such. Cynder widened her eyes as she heard what he wanted from her but courting dragons did do this and hid her face under her wing with a smile on her face. He knew she was considering his request for an outing tonight and lightened up on the massage so she could 'think' about it. Cynder was absolutely giddy at the thought of finally going out and being seen as a couple. She just sat there and waited till Spyro was done before removing her wing from her face and spoke.
"Why Spyro I thought you'd never ask I'd love to go on a date with you this evening."
Cynder answered with a warm smile on her face.
"I'm honored that such a beautiful dragoness would grace me with her presence, I'll be ready in thirty minutes or so, I'm going to reserve us a table." Spyro said still in a playful tone before standing up fully and leaving. On his way out he ran into Sparx who backpedaled to avoid smashing into the purple dragon.
"Whoa Spyro, what's up where are you going?" Sparx asked the grinning dragon.
"I'm leaving to make a reservation for me and Cynder for our date."
"Oh yeah? Well it's about time you finally took her out and be seen as a couple instead of hiding it from the public."
Spyro stopped paying attention after the 'couple' part and started walking off to continue with his plans of a reservation for him and his dragoness. Sparx seeing as he was being ignored just 'hmped' before continuing into the room and seeing Cynder rummaging thru her treasure chest looking for something. "Hey Cynder, what are you doing? Shouldn't you be getting ready for you date?" Sparx asked wondering why she was playing with the contents of her treasure chest and not getting ready. At that Cynder poked her head out and looked at the dragonfly questioning her.
"I am. Spyro said he was going to reserve a table for us and would be back in thirty to pick me up. And I can't find good armor to wear." Cynder replied back before looking back into the treasure chest At that Sparx came over and looked into the chest and decided to help out. "Well I'm no fashion genius but I'd say why not the piece of you silver armor set. Sparx suggested as he looked thru with her.
"Why these three?" She said as she pulled out said pieces.
"Well for one they go with your jewelry," At this he pointed to her chocker and tail ring.
"And in the right light it makes those markings on you," Once again he broke off to point out the markings on her head, shoulders, and her back. "Shine silver like them so I figured it would make sense." Sparx finished as he just drifted on his back floating around her. Cynder just looked at Sparx like he grew a second head and started talking a different language.
"Well Sparx, you actually sound like you know what you're talking about." Cynder said amazed.
"Well we all can't be geniuses in what we do." Sparx said puffing his chest out making him seem 'bigger.'
"Of course Sparx, of course." Cynder sarcastically agreed pulling her armor out.
"Wait was that sarcasm I heard in your voice?" Sparx asked.
"No of course not Sparx." Cynder placated the dragonfly.
"Well our welcome, and its about time you two come out with this and finally be seen as a couple, instead of just friends like you two have been acting in public." Sparx bluntly spoke as he came to a rest on Cynder's now closed treasure chest and watched Cynder put on her bracer piece when he noticed something on the inside of Cynder's helmet.
"Hey Cynder, what is that on the inside of your helmet?" Sparx said as he amazingly flipped the helmet over on it's 'face' and looked into it with Cynder; what they saw was a emblem of some kind right where her marking on her forehead was, it was three streaks of some kind and they were tinted orange just a little.
"What are those things did you put them there?" Sparx asked her thinking back to when she first got it and if at some point when he wasn't looking that she did this.
"No, this is the first time I've even noticed them when you pointed them out to me, hey it's even on the bracers." She said undoing one to look at and another mark just like the one on her helmet was inside.
"What's on your bracers?" Spyro said coming back to the room hearing the last thing Cynder was saying about her bracers.
"Here, look, there's an emblem of some kind inside my helmet too." Cynder said passing Spyro her armor pieces. He looked at them both and saw the same emblem they did.
"What is this?" Spyro said finding an interest in the emblem, for some reason it looked familiar to him, despite this being the first time he'd even seen it.
"Your guess is as good as mine, Sparx saw it first and I looked at the other pieces of the set and there in the middle were the same streaks in it." Cynder responded just rolling a bracer back and forth in her claws.
"What about the other pieces?" Spyro asked curious if they all had the mark or if it was just this set. At his question she put the bracer down and turned to her chest opening it again she pulled them out looking inside them then putting them to the side. "They all have it!" Cynder said flipping them over displaying the same mark with the same tint in them all as the first set.
"Well, what about you Spyro, if mine has it maybe yours does too." Cynder questioned. At this Spyro went to his chest and went about looking at his armor pieces.
"Yeah they have it too." He said showing them the back of his defensive helmet and there it was; three streaks tinted orange.
"That's good and all, but what does it mean?" Sparx asked not seeing the point in looking for the emblem in the armor. "The point is that; whoever made mine also made his as well." Cynder clarified. "Yes it makes since this armor didn't just appear out of no-where." Spyro reasoned then remembered what he came back for. "Oh that's right, I came back to pick our up for our date night." Spyro informed Cynder getting sidetracked from the mysterious mark of the armor. At this reminder Cynder's blush returned and she fidgeted a little. "Oh right I was getting ready when Sparx first noticed the emblem." She informed him semi-glaring at the dragonfly who shrugged his shoulders and drifted over to Spyro.
"I guess this means you're ready yet?" Spyro asked he too being sidetracked by the conversation.
"No, I'm n-" Cynder began until Sparx interrupted her coughing and 'subtly' pointing out the armor he suggested earlier. "Actually I am ready." Cynder corrected putting on her bracers, and helmet, but needed 'help' with her tail piece. "Spyro, would you help me please?" Cynder asked with a flirtatious look in her eye, combined with her helmet on it gave her a royal elegant look. Spyro nodded dumbly, too out of it to realize he was staring at her. With precision that came from doing it before he snapped it into place, however while doing this he noticed things he couldn't at the time. He noticed that she was lithe of course no fat whatsoever clung to her it was all muscle not enough for a strong hit but for speed, but beside that she was beautiful no matter the angle in which he looked at her it went with out saying; but didn't realize he said that last part out loud.
"Did you mean it?" She asked with a furious blush on her face. Spyro realizing he said that last part out loud flushed too, his facial scales darkening.
"Yes you truly are the most beautiful dragoness ever." He said sounding confident that no one could be more beautiful than her. And to back up his point he came around to her front and nuzzled against her face lightly kissing her, and purring back when she returned his affection. A gagging sound brought them out of the loving spiel they were sharing. Both looked to see Sparx sticking tongue out at them. "While I'm glad you two are making it official to everyone, that doesn't mean I want to see your lovey-dovey acts with each other, go you two have a date and if that's what you two are going to do then I'll just hang back here and chill." Sparx said flying up to the door post and lying down for a nap to prove his point.
"Alright Sparx we'll see you later then." Spyro said grabbing his offensive set (Nuclear hit) and after having Cynder help him put it on they went out. On their way thru the temple to the main floor moles and cheetahs alike stopped what they were doing to stare in awe at the couple. True; their outfits were meant for battle, but all who saw them couldn't help but notice how handsome Spyro was; he looked like he was going to meet royalty; even the though the armor could use spot cleaning here and there it did not detract from his appearance. Or how beautiful Cynder looked she too looked as if she were meeting a royal family as unlike Spyro's set her was totally clean and shined in the waning sun light. They both heard the whispers of the crowd and on how handsome/beautiful they looked and couldn't help but be a little embarrassed b the quiet compliments.
"Look at her, walking alongside our savior like she has benign intentions." A female Cheetah whispered to her co-worker.
"Yeah I know; she's probably trying to seduce him and turn him over to the dark side." Cynder could hear the quieter of the gawking crowd and hid her face a little under such an accusation. 'I didn't choose to serve Malefor, stop saying I'm evil.' Cynder cried to herself at the evil of those who wouldn't let her move on with her life.
"Hey Cynder?" Spyro called to her when he saw her hide her face.
"Yes?" Cynder replied.
"You shouldn't hide your beautiful." He said after he tilted her head back up with his right forepaw when they were out of the temple. She blushed at his compliment on her looks and returned his compliment.
"And you look handsome yourself my purple hero." Cynder complimented back, thankful that he didn't hold her less then stellar past against her. By now they were walking thru the business district with just two more corners to turn when they almost ran into a cloaked individual. Thankfully at the seemingly last second he jumped over them with a flip, 'That looks like grandpa's work.' The cloaked figure thought to himself as he looked at the pair's armor. Once back on the ground he continued forward but not before calling back to the two he barely avoided a crash with. "Sorry about that!" And with that her turned the at the next corner.
"He sure was in a hurry." Spyro spoke out as they watched him turn the corner and disappear.
"Yeah but at least he apologized for the near collision with us." Cynder stated, appreciative that she could say that if she had to meet him again that she got at least one sincere apology out of him; ever if it was a bit rushed.
"Well come on lets eat." Spyro led on as they walked into the restaurant and got on with their evening together.
Later, after their night out the two dragons find themselves flying just above the establishments on their way back to the temple for the night and while they both were satisfied with their meals they were disappointed that the night had to end so soon for them. But they had to turn in for the night so they could be well and rested for the dragon city restoration. Once back in the temple they made for their rooms when a voice stopped them.
"Spyro, Cynder a moment please." They recognized the voice as Volteer and turned to see him in the pool of visions chamber alone with the cloaked individual or perhaps someone in the same kind of cloak as him in the room as well. "Good evening Volteer, why'd you call us?" Cynder asked, curious as to why they were needed.
"I know its late and you two have a early start tomorrow, but that's why I called you two, you've been given the day off, and I thought you'd want to meet one of the candidates' for guardian of fire." Volteer answered. Immediately perking the two dragons up and catching Spyros' attention since he's been waiting to meet other dragons.
"Well, not quite," The person said. "I'm just delivering the message that the rest of the group will be here tomorrow and to say hi to the familiar faces of the guardians." When he finished he pulled off his hood so they could see his face. He was...different. Instead of seeing a furry muzzle or a scaled face he was hairless except for on top of his head, above his eyes, and between his nose and mouth, and just under the guardians shoulder in height. And they could see that on his back he had two handles angled for his right hand, his weapons they assumed.
"Good evening Spyro, Cynder, I'm Caleb R. Berserker; or you can call me either Caleb or Redd." The now uncloaked being said with a small nod of the head at the two dragons with a smile on his face. Both dragons just stared at the new comer; never had they seen anyone or anything that looked like this. Seeing the looks he spoke again.
"You know, it's impolite to stare." He chided them. They both shook themselves at this and stopped.
"Sorry about that, its just we've never seen anyone like you before." Spyro explained.
"You'd think that after everything you two of all people have seen that you'd realize there are more beings other than the few you've seen thus far; the world is bigger than you think it." Caleb logically replied in response.
"Any way you two," Volteer called attention back to himself. "I also called you so you could take him to his room; it's on the same floor as yours so it'd be more efficient to have you take him there." Volteer finished as he stood up as well.
"Since that was all I was waiting for I'll be heading back to my chamber for some personal studies." With his piece said he left the three in the pool of visions room.
"Well if you two don't mind?" Caleb requested.
"Not at all Caleb this way." Spyro led the way out and up the multiple flights of stairs.
"Ya know it's a real honor to meet you both in person instead of hearing stories of you both." He started off trying to start a conversation with either of the two dragons.
"Really?" Spyro answered surprised that this...whatever he was heard of them. Cynder cringed at this believing she lost an individual to the gossip of her still being evil.
"Your legends surpass you both," Caleb continued glad to have a conversation with the purple dragon. "Stories of your lives have spread since you saved Cynder from Malefor's influence to the recent past of you saving the world from his plot with The Destroyer."
"Wow I didn't think we'd be that famous." Cynder jumped in hearing that she was free of the dark master and helping Spyro defeat him and saving them all.
"You're too modest Cynder, Ignitus w-" He was cut off by Spyro who spoke in a shocked voice. "You knew Ignitus?!" "Yep I knew him; he was the one who sent out the word of your rescue, your disappearance, and your reemergence after the three years you two went missing. And Cynder?" Caleb singled her out since she got involved.
"Don't worry about any discrimination from any of us when the rest of my group arrives," He informed her aware she was being defensive in her stance and speech since the start of the conversation. "Ignitus made sure to include that you didn't make the choice of serving Malefor willingly." And with this she let loose a sigh of relief at hearing there were others that believed her innocence in the dark master situation.
"It's good to know there are others that believe I didn't willingly choose to serve him."
Cynder thanked him looking into his eyes and seeing no hate in his eyes over her situation, and understanding? That last emotion confused her when she saw that and was about to speak up again when he broke off the look and brought Spyro into view.
"Hey do you two mind if I ask you something?" He asked and continued when he got a nod from them. "Those armor pieces your wearing where did you find it?" He queried them.
"These? We found them here and there when we were traveling around after we were woken up." Spyro answered. "Why do you recognize them?" Cynder queried back at Caleb.
"Yes." His short answer caught them off guard and they stumbled but caught themselves a second later and looked to him to continue. "If it's the same set that I'm thinking about then my grandpa made them." He clarified. 'So his grandfather made these.' They thought in awe that he made such powerful armor and they all fit them perfectly.
"If its his then there should be a-" He got cut off as a glowing ball of glowing light shot out of the room in front of them and flew into the trios walking path blocking further advancement.
"Did you two enjoy your date?!" It asked when the light dimmed and revealed Sparx grinning like mad and flew circles around the three; not noticing the third.
"Wait I was interrupting a night out between you two? Sorry about that if I had known I would have asked for one of the moles for help instead of waiting for you two." An unfamiliar voice spoke and Sparx turned and came face to forearm with the voice, then looked up to see who spoke. What he saw was..."You're the ugliest ape I've ever seen!" He yelled back flying over to Spyros' side thinking an enemy was among them. When Caleb heard the annoying mosquito insult him and felt his eyebrow twitch in annoyance.
"What was that? Squash you like a bug? Well if you insist." He said reaching for one of his weapons from his back between the cloak undergarments.
"Whoa, Caleb don't he's my brother." Spyro defended when he saw him beginning to pull his sword, he believed it to be. At the new information about the dragonfly he re-sheathed this weapon. "And I'm no Ape, I'm human you annoying mosquito." Caleb clarified. Now that Spyro and Cynder knew what he was in regards to species, the relaxed as well; when they heard Sparx accuse him of being an ape they tensed up as well but calmed down when he stated what he was. "And not just any human but a red berserker." He continued swelling with pride at that.
"You're a red what? What does a color have to do with anything?" Cynder asked curious about that bit of information since she heard him introduce himself. He was about to answer when he broke into a yawn.
"Excuse me. Sorry about that, can I explain in the morning or you can ask Volteer about it now or wait till morning again for an explanation because I'm dead on my feet right now." Caleb requested of them needing sleep.
"Yeah sure the spare room is right across the hall from us." Spyro pointed out to the vacant room. After thanking them and entering the room to sleep they turned to each other and a silent agreement was made between the two dragons; drop the armor, find Volteer and get him to explain what a color and berserker meant. After a quick change of de-armoring they free fell out their windows opening their wings to slow their descent and went to Volteer's chamber which was next to the library. They knocked on his doorframe and when no answer came they figured he was back in the library studying who knew what again. They asked the librarian on duty if Volteer was around and got a guide to where he was. He was in the mythological section just now closing a book when they came into view and reaching for another.
"Master Volteer, you have guests." The Cheetah informed with a bow in a whisper so as not to disturb any reader that may be near by. He looked up to see who she was referring to and saw the two dragons Spyro and Cynder with Sparx hovering behind them.
"Young dragons what mysteries can I unveil for you today?" Volteer questioned after thanking the cheetah.
"We heard Caleb say thru out when we first met him and in the end about being a red berserker in our conversation. And we wanted to know what he meant by that." Cynder replied.
"Oh so you two caught that? Not many people do, berserkers are rare now a days even for his color." Volteer rambled not really answering their question.
"Hey big guy, head out of the clouds and start from the beginning." Sparx snapped his fingers several times, heedless of the librarian 'shushing' him as she passed by again with a few scrolls and books in her hands. Volteer snapped out of it when he heard the cheetah and started from the beginning. "This can be a bit graphic are you sure you want to know?" He cautioned when he received a nod from them he put the book he had to the side and walked away.
"Come over you three so you can see for yourselves." He started after getting another book in the 'B' section of the area. When they were comfortable next to each other with Sparx on top of Spyros' head he started story time. "Right, so, generations ago there was a race of warriors that were known as berserkers, they were fierce fighters few wanted to meet in combat." Volteer began turning a few pages to show a depiction of a battle between two groups on the left were apes and the right they correctly assumed were the berserkers. "They were amazingly strong for such small frames; they could do seemingly impossible feats of super strength." He described turning another page showing one male picking up and throwing a large ape like he was nothing. Spyro and Cynder sat enrapt attention about Caleb's ancestor's prowess in battle and hung off every word from the guardian's mouth.
"For as far back as we can look into their history they've always fought just to fight, they didn't really care who or what they fought, as long as it was a fight." Volteer continued turning another page showing some berserkers fighting apes, dragons, even each other if they could kill the one they were done fighting.
"So they were just monsters then?" Sparx concluded holding his lunch down at some of the things they did to their enemy's. Spyro and Cynder thought the same thing at his question.
"At first, yes," Volteer answered turning two pages more to show a picture of two berserkers standing side by side on top of a hill, and down in the valley the hill rose out of were a horde of berserkers fighting; what caught their attention was the three streaks of red on the left one and the silver streaks on the right one. "Until generations down the line these two spoke of peace; only fighting when a life was in danger." Volteer explained when they sported confused looks about why these two were being singled out.
"At first no one listened to them and was banished by their king when he heard them speak of peace for the war-like race." The next page showed the same two being kicked out by a blue streaked one and the two walking away. "It wasn't until a strange sickness struck, that the rest still in the city and the king asked for their return. But it was a lie by the king who wanted them dead for the lives they were living while his kingdom fell by his own dark hand." He turned the page showing the blue one putting a dark crystal into the berserkers.
"Why did he do that?!" Spyro growled out at this seeing more of the picture and how most who got the crystal implanted in them died, and those few who were lucky only lost their color and became normal humans.
"It's been speculated that he wanted his warriors stronger then they were and thought dark was the answer, just like Malefor." He replied saddened for the many that died in the king's quest for power. "But to make a long story short the two banished berserkers stopped him and took in the few who survived the crystals and destroyed the dying kingdom and now live in peace." Volteer turned again showing the two destroying their former home and leading the refugees to their new home. "What is that word? Mar-kayae?" Cynder read along the bottom trying to read the name of the new home of the berserkers.
"It's pronounced Marque." Volteer corrected perking back up.
"Okay I'm bored with the history lesson; now what's so important about the color."
Sparx started the next part of the subject that brought them down here. Then he had to grab a horn when Spyro started to shake his head to throw him off.
"Yes I suppose I haven't explained that part have I?" Volteer rhetorically asked and turned to the next page. This page just showed a graph of colors. Starting from the bottom up it was: Black, Green, Brown, White, Yellow, Purple, Blue, Orange, and at the very top side by side; Red and Silver. "I'm sure you can guess what this is but I'll tell you anyway; this was the power rating in regards to how strong a berserker was." Volteer explained.
"Like Spyro here, the colors red and silver are rare and only come every few generations." Volteer explained to the trio of hungry minds and closed the book.
"So Caleb and whoever the silver one are, are the ones who freed the other humans from their doomed city?" Cynder asked.
"Oh heavens no." Volteer shocked them with this getting a chuckle out of their confused expressions. "Their both rather special though, and it was their fathers who liberated the city." Volteer explained again.
"How are they special then?" Spyro asked trying to understand what it was that made Caleb and his silver counterpart so special. Cynder thought for a second before a theory hit her.
"Their special because they were born in their awakened state from the previous red and silver berserkers, which shouldn't have been so; since those two colors happen at least five generations apart, though since the two colors are so rare, there's no way of knowing of often the two colors occur; so when all involved saw this they were shocked beyond belief that the color went from father to son." Volteer ventured further into the story.
Which got expressions of awe from the trio as they couldn't believe this. Caleb and his silver counterpart were miracle births.
"Well there you have it young dragons that is all you need to know about Redd and his ancestors, anything else you can ask him or Laurence themselves, well when he gets here or maybe their fathers, if they decide to come." Volteer said rising to his feet putting the book back to its place and turning to exit the library now. With Volteer gone the trio just sat there soaking up what they had learned. Caleb was right, the world as they knew it was much bigger than they knew; with this they just trudged back up the several flights of stairs to their room and bunkered down for the night; mentally exhausted from the history lesson of Caleb's ancestors. Little did Spyro know that a new adventure, possibly even bigger than what he's lived thru thus far was sleeping across the hall from him and on its way to Warfang.