Warfang was a mess. A fourth of the buildings were in ruins, plums of smoke rose up across the streets, and riots were now at a weekly basis. Even at the center of it all inside the castle, things were taking a turn for the worse as even those once loyal to the crown were beginning to discuss replacing King Flame with someone else.

Flame pacing back and forth across his thrown room, the doors locked tight, as so that no commoner could come in. Ever since the riots started to get worse, there had been five attempts at the king's life, and now only a handful of people were allowed into the thrown room, and most communication from the king had to be done by a messenger.

Flame was walking around the room, trying to figure out someway to retain the peace, yet each idea he'd come up with would have a large flaw to it. He'd thought of increasing the amount of security and patrolling solders along the streets, however, he already has nearly every single solder out on the streets already, and it was doing little to no good, and if he spared anymore there would be no way to protect the city from an invading force, and no one to search for Spyro. He thought of trying to recruit more people and increase the number of patrols that way, but when half the town was scared to death and the other half were rioting across the streets demanding that he do something about Spyro, there aren't many people left who would be willing to do so, especially now that they are guaranteed to get hurt daily. He already had to expand the dungeon, as he had nearly a sixth of the city's population locked away for getting into fight, stealing, murdering, and other worse things. At this point all Flame could do was hope and pray that they find Spyro soon.

There was a knock on the back door, breaking Flame out of his thoughts. He looked over and smiled when he saw a familiar face walk inside, his ever so trusty adviser. Before speaking, the mole held up the keep and locked the door behind him, just to be safe. "Sire, I've come with some news."

Flame sighed and continued his pacing. "Unless it has something to do with Spyro, I don't want to hear it."

The mole walked over to Flame and put a hand on his arm. "Flame, I understand that you're in a lot of pressure right now, but please try to relax."

"How can I?" Flame snapped. "The city is falling apart, people are going to war with their neighbors, I'm about to lose my heritage, and to make matters even worse, everyone is more worried about Spyro crafting this master plan to end the world, than their own safety." Flame let out a tired sigh, and needed to sit down. He slumped into his throne, and tried to think of something that would help.

"If you don't mind me asking Flame, what do you plan on doing once you captured Spyro? How does catching him change anything?"

"I want to show him to the people, I want to show them that he isn't this evil creature that they all say that he is. You remember what he looked like when he standing in the throne room right? He looked like he hasn't eaten anything in days, his body looks a fragile as glass, and he is even missing a wing. Does any of that sound like a man who will one day become a tyrant to you?"

"No not really." His adviser scratched the back of his head, finding it sickening that the whole city was turning on its self over the thought of Spyro killing them all. "I have to ask though, what if they riot again when they see him? What if they attack again? Who knows how many people will get hurt."

"That's why I plan on giving some speech before unveiling Spyro to the people. I can only hope though that they'll stay calm once they see him."

"And what if we can't find Spyro?" Flame stayed silent, knowing that he didn't and couldn't think of any other plan. His adviser nodded, understanding the predicament the king was in. "Well… I don't know how much this will help, but one of the searching parties have sent a letter saying that they have found the city Blacktooth, and if you'd like, they believe they have the forces to destroy they city and free anyone trapped there."

Flame sighed and rubbed his head. "If they think that they can save the people there… then fine, tell them to go ahead with whatever plan they have, but as soon as everyone they save is safe, they are to continue their search for Spyro."

The mole bowed his head. "As you wish sire. I'll send a messenger bird to them right away." His advisor walked towards the door he had come in from, and unlocked it, but before he left he turned to Flame with a sad and worried look and said "I'm sorry to say this my king but maybe it's time to find someone else to take th-" Before he could finish his sentence he ran through the door, scared half to death, to dodge a fireball that Flame shot at him. Flame snarled until he heard the key lock the door again and he relaxed. He stayed their motionless for a moment, taking the moment to clear his mind. He then got up and began to pace again.

Terrador and Elora returned to the camp almost a day later, and everyone parted ways. Spyro thanked Elora for all her advice and help, and he wished Ember the best of luck finding her parents. He asked if they would have see them again, and Elora nodded, saying that she'd come find him sometime in the future. Once they left their camp, Spyro had to ride Terrador's back, if they wanted to get to the Great Wood Forest in a timely manner.

"Feeling nervous Sparx?" Spyro asked, looking down at Sparx who was also on Terrador's back.

"Why should I be? This mission is going to be easy. You're going to get captured, and at the last moment I'm going to swoop in and save all of you, and then we'll beat up those pirate creeps." Sparx boasted, despite the clearly nervous look in his face.

"Well at least you're confident in yourself." Spyro chuckled. "I know you can do it, though."

"You really think so?" Sparx asked, looking shocked that Spyro would say that. "I mean I am just a dragonfly after all. There isn't a lot that my kind can do."

Spyro shrugged. "I wouldn't say that. I mean, if it wasn't for you, I would still be imprisoned with Elora and Ember. So, yeah I trust that you can do this." Sparx still looked at Spyro confused and surprised.

"Hu, I have to admit, it feels strange to have someone that isn't five inches tall believe in you. Thanks, Spyro."

Before Spyro could say more, Terrador spoke up. "We are getting close. I'm going to land and me and Spyro are going to walk the rest of the way. Sparx you stay hidden and for ancestor's sakes, please stay quite."

Sparx looked offended by this, but said nothing of it as he hopped off and flew towards the ground with the others. Terrador landed, letting Spyro get off his back while Sparx stayed along the tree tops.

"Think this is going to work?" Spyro asked as he and his father began to walk. Terrador didn't say anything, trying not to discourage his son. They walked for a while, only knowing a general location of this hideout. Based upon what Elora could dig up, they needed to go north, but not much else could be said. Still, it made Spyro feel a little better knowing at least they sort of knew were they needed to go, and even then, they were didn't even need to find Blacktooth, so long as they got captured.

That was when a thought crossed Spyro's mind. "What if they don't catch us?" Spyro asked, looking up to his father, hoping for some sort of answer. Terrador look back at his son. He looked like he wanted to say something, but no words could form in his mouth. Terrador gave his son and sympathetic look before looking back in the direction they were heading, saying nothing once again. Spyro kept his eyes on his dad, hoping that he would say something, but he never did. Now starting to worry a bit, Spyro looked up towards the trees. He saw Sparx dash through the branches. He was about to call out to Sparx, asking him if he saw anyone, but realized that if there was someone around he would be blowing Sparx's cover.

Spyro began to wish that he had come up with a better plan. He shook his head, trying to calm himself, but it didn't help much. He then tried finding some comfort with the last person he'd ever expect to.

"Think we'll see them again?" He called out to his dark counterpart.

"What?" Dark Spyro sounded confused that Spyro was talking to him. "I don't know. Probably not if I'm to be honest." Spyro scoffed, more at himself for thinking that Dark Spyro would have been much help.

"Hey, don't get mad at me." Dark Spyro said. "If it makes you feel any better, they are probably safer far away from you anyways."

"If what my dad says is true, they could be fighting to the death right now." Spyro argued back. "How could that be any better?"

"Well, if they were here, they would already be dead thanks to me."

"You're never getting out again. I told you this already." Spyro snarled and accidently verbally growled, catching Terrador's attention.

"Everything alright?"

Spyro jolted back, not expecting to be suddenly pulled out of his thoughts. "What?" he had to take a moment to realize that he growled in real life, and not in his head. "Oh, sorry about that, I was just thinking to myself." He said bashfully. Terrador looked at him puzzled, but thankfully he left it alone. In the back of Spyro's mind, he could hear his dark half laughing. "Would you just shut up already?" Spyro snarled, keeping it in his head this time.

"And why shouldn't I laugh? Here you are, walking around nearly aimlessly, trying to find a group of thugs and cutthroats, hoping that they will capture you and bring you to your friends. Tell me Spyro, had it ever accrued to you that they might just outright kill you?"

"No," Spyro said honestly. "However, they won't kill me."

"And why do you think that?"

"Because I'm the purple dragon. I have bounty on my head that says that I'm needed alive… So long as that bounty stands, then I should be fine."

"And what about your dad? What protect him?"

Spyro didn't really consider that either, and he stopped in his tracks. He looked over to his father, now worried about his safety. Terrador was looking back at his son, confused as to why he stopped.

"Is everything alright Spyro?"

"Maybe we should leave and think of another plan." Terrador shook his head.

"To late for that." Terrador whispered. "We are already being followed."

"Wh-" Terrador cut him off, hushing him.

Terrador got closer and whispered more into Spyro's ear. "We don't want them to know that they are around. If you want this plan to work, then we must pretend that they aren't here. They need to think that they caught us off guard or else they might think that something is up." He stepped back, and offered Spyro to walk beside him. Spyro tried to hide his nerves and continued to walk with his dad.

They walked in silence for a couple of minutes, and still not much had happened. Spyro couldn't hear any one else walking, making him feel worried. What if his dad was wrong and they'd never found the others? This worry soon disappeared when he heard someone screaming for help. Spyro looked up at his father, wondering what they should do. Terrador didn't need to say anything as he began to run towards the voice, with Spyro following close behind. They saw a female mole running for her life from three cheetahs and an ape, each with a sword drawn. The pirates were whooping and hollering at her. They could easily capture her whenever they wanted, but they felt like terrifying her first.

"Leave her alone!" Terrador shouted as he dived between the mole and the pirates, knocking two cheetahs' down with a single swipe of his tail. Spyro stopped a little behind his dad, giving him room as so that he didn't get in his way. The mole ran up beside Spyro and hid behind him.

"Thank you, thank you!" The mole cried, holding Spyro's side.

Spyro smiled and tried to comfort her. "Don't worry, we are going to get you out of here."

The cheetah's got up and groaned. "Who do you think you are?" one of them asked.

"Hush Draksin, maybe if you were paying attention, you wouldn't have been knocked on your ass." The ape snapped. He then looked over to Terrador and took a step forwards. "How about you give us that little tart and we'll let you both leave with your lives." Spyro assumed that the ape was the leader of the group.

"I think I can take on some wannabe thief's." Terrador said confidently. The ape chuckled and shrugged.

"Alright boys, you heard him." Without another word, to cheetah's circled to the right, while the other one went left. The ape jumped at Terrador, holding his sword up high. The ape was met with a pillar of stone jutting out of the ground and hitting his jaw, sending him to the ground. Terrador jumped back to dodge an attack from the cheetah on his left, when the two on his right sliced into his side, causing him to howler in pain before whipping his tail at them. He hit both of them, making them collide into one another. They both fell to the ground. One got up and rubbed his head, while the other one stayed on the ground. Spyro assumed he passed out.

Terrador walked backwards to dodge another attack for the cheetah on his left, just as the ape lunged forwards with his sword. Terrador shot an earth missile at his chest, once again knocking the ape on the ground. He then knocked the cheetah on his left to the ground with a swing of his paw. Before the cheetah could recover, Terrador pressed his weight down on top of him and was raised his claws up to tear the pirates face off.

"Dad, wait!" Spyro shouted, catching Terrador off guard. He looked over to Spyro, and growled. The mole was chuckling as she held a knife to Spyro's throat.

"Not bad big guy, I like your style. You'll be a fine addition to the arena. Now do me a favor and get off him. You don't your poor son to get hurt do you?" Terrador hesitated for a moment, but complied. The cheetah he was standing on coughed and wheezed as air entered his lungs again.

"You couldn't have done that sooner?" He bickered, picking himself up along with the others in his group.

The mole rolled her eyes. "Shut up and bind his wings already."

The cheetah grumbled and walked past Spyro who just noticed the two other apes that were behind him. One of them handed the cheetah some rope, and he walked back over to Terrador and he began to wrap his wings together and his mouth shut. Terrador didn't move, not wanting them to hurt Spyro. "Good, now get moving." The mole ordered once the cheetah was done. The pirates that Terrador was fighting began to walk, and Terrador followed them. Spyro moved behind his dad slowly keeping the same pace as the mole. "Now what kind of fighting was that back there Yezen?" The mole barked at the ape. "What are you, some sort of dancer? Were you trying to intimidate him, or impress him?" The others around him began to snicker and the ape growled.

"Fuck you!" he shouted back at the mole. The rest of the walk as nothing but bickering between everyone in the group, and when they did get to a large tent, Spyro was almost relieved that the group that captured them left. That was until he saw who was in the tent.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't our favorite money maker!" Scratch proclaimed as he flew right up into Spyro's face.

"How'd you escape?" Sniff asked, also flying up to Spyro's face. Spyro tried to back up be was stopped when he bumped into a dragon guard who just growled at Spyro.

"Who cares," Scratch laughed as he flew back to Skabb and landed on his shoulder. "It just means more money for us!" Skabb made strange noises, which Spyro just assumed was him laughing.

"What do you want from us?" Spyro asked. He looked over to his father who was struggling in his bindings, before looking back to Sniff.

"Well since you generously came back to us, we are just going to sell you off again to the highest bidder."

"As for this fool," Scratch interrupted. "We'll send him to the arena where he will fight till he dies or until we get bored of him. Skabb waved his hand to the guard behind Spyro, and the next thing Spyro knew, there was a sharp pain to the back of his head before the world went dark.

Thanks again guys for reading. I had originally planned to make this chapter super long, adding in the up coming fight, as well as what happens when that scouting group comes by, but I figured that this was a good enough stopping point and I didn't want the chapter to go on for too long. Like I said in the last chapter, I will be finishing this story by the end of the year, so expect the next chapter within the next few days.