(In the present, in Warfang…)
It was night and the unrest that had gripped the city the day before continued until that moment. When the celestial moons rose, they had dimly illuminated the now densely populated areas as hundreds of Moles at Arms and dozens of dragon warriors lined the city's walls, eagerly peering in every direction. Throughout the afternoon and into the night, there had been a heightened state of alert as the entire garrison was mobilized and the number of dragons patrolling the skies above and around Warfang had intensified throughout the day.
Every second that passed was filled with suspense at the prospect of the enemy coming at any moment and what it could mean for the citizens of Warfang and all the realm.
Spyro stood with the guardians Thorr, Ray, and Johnny on the roof of the tallest of Warfang's towers, Castle Hill, the base of the city, as they looked out across the city and the night green western horizon from which they expected came the army or one of the Dark Ones.
"The tension is growing with each passing minute," Ray commented, "I wonder if the young dragons have succeeded in their mission?"
Jhonny took out the twin crystal and realized that it was still off.
"There are good news?" Spyro asked.
"None" replied his friend, "It seems that they have not yet returned from the past, because if so, the gem would indicate that its twin exist"
"Okay, so what's the plan?" Ray asked, "Shall we stay on the defensive or go on the offensive?"
"The army appears from the ground and from the shadows," Thorr suggested, "We cannot launch an offensive without knowing where they are attacking us from and, more important, how to get to them."
"We've only defeated five dark ones," Spyro said, "According to Cyril, the young ones defeated another and according to a Hunter letter, one that was enslaving Avalar was also defeated…"
"There would be no risks of the past being changed, right?" Ray asked.
"I don't think so: if that had happened, some change would have already happened" Jhonny suggested, "We have to trust that the young dragons will accomplish this mission without risking too much. But if the account does not fail me, there are still six Dark Ones that must be defeated"
"Don't you think that their strategy is strange?" Thorr asked, "I mean, they are... or I must said, they were thirteen. If all of they had attacked us, maybe we could lose"
"Yeah, it's very strange... We have beaten them only one by one"
"How's the surveillance going, Magnus?" Spyro asked a mole who was with them nearby.
On either side of the roof, two moles were peering through their large spyglasses, searching for any sign of approach.
"Only the scouting dragons that keep circling in the distance" replied the mole.
Spyro looked to his right through the line of his friends and colleagues as they all looked up at the sky expectantly, but also fearfully. On the outskirts of the city they saw another patrol of six dragoons flying back into the city while another formation of six flew in to greet and relieve them.
It was the first time in several years that Spyro had seen such an amount of military activity in the city, which brought back memories and feelings that had been numb and forgotten by a large part of the citizenry and the soldiers below. But there was only one cause for all the suffering that befell his friends and loved ones: Malefor.
He still remembered his voice, he still remembered his appearance, he still remembered his strength… and, even more, he remembered what he had said to him:
"You can't defeat me, I am eternal!"
"Are you okay, buddy?" Johnny asked him, waking him up.
"Eh, a little…" he replied, "Jhonny, do you think Malefor is immortal? I mean, Cynder and I stopped him and locked him up… Nina and the others destroyed him and his consciousness is still alive… can't he die?"
"I don't know… but if I've learned anything, it's that the fight never ends. Not in my world, not in yours. That is why we must always fight; now, we must destroy even the smallest fragment of his soul to ensure victory this time, we cannot give up."
"Yes, I know…"
"I hope Edel and Cynder are okay, they haven't communicated since they made sure all the refugees were safe in LunaVillage"
"Yes, I hope they are well too..."
There was a minute of silence in which several dragons below began to eat the food brought by the hunters that had been sent out. One of them brought two pieces of venison to the four friends. Since Magnus was a mole, he didn't like meat.
"Thank you Syrus" Thorr thanked him receiving the prey, "You are an excellent warrior"
"Thank you very much, masters..." the dragon replied and returned to the others.
Once Jhonny had cooked the meat and while they watched it burn for a moment. Ray asked:
"What do you think Malefor's real plan is?"
"I don't know," Spyro replied, "It's hard to think about how he acts. So far, his Dark Ones have been powerful, but we've managed to defeat them. I have a bad feeling they were just the tip of the iceberg."
"Me too..." Thorr commented.
Johnny sighed before saying:
"I can't believe Malefor found out about the human world. I think this war is my fault: maybe he noticed my natAsthereza and wanted to find out more… "
"Don't blame yourself," Spyro stopped him, "You're a great friend and we've kept the city safe together. Malefor is the cause of all evils. I know… that he is also a purple dragon, but I am sure that at no time will I fall into the same darkness as him again "
"Power corrupts many, Spyro" Jhonny explained, "In humans, the one who truly deserves power is the one who has never wanted it. Many who have enlisted as leaders of their nations have either been of little help or have been swept up in power. That Dark One that our kids defeated, was one of those"
"The one from Avalar?"
"That guy, as Hunter described him, was part of a group that caused a great war in the human world. Not only did that 'race superiority' nonsense go to their heads, but the methods used to eliminate his enemies were most monstrous… an instant death was even more merciful"
"Were they that cruel?" Ray asked, interested in the story.
"Yes, but in the end they managed to be defeated. Although some survived, hiding their ways in a more peaceful world. They are… people who do not understand anything about empathy"
Jhonny sighed as he looked at the night horizon.
"I'm glad to know that guys like him won't be able to cause any more pain," he said, "Now, we must keep fighting to keep the peace in this one, okay?"
"Of course," Ray told him.
"Absolutely," Thorr replied.
Spyro got up and walked over to Jhonny, extending his paw to bump into him.
"For a victory towards a world of peace" he told him.
"That's how it will be" answered Jhonny, bumping his paw.
"Now, let's get our strength back and get some sleep, we must continue fighting in the morning"