Chapter 7

She managed to fall asleep, her troubled mind quickly discarding the events of the last day, all she remembered was that in her state of panic she asked for many random things, every idea circling around one wish- to get out of here.

Of course Amela agreed to fulfill her wishes and that was that really, when she was once more left alone in her room the tired, scared mind demanded rest and forced her eyelids to shut. She had to toss about in her sleep, her shoulder burned, yet she ignored the pain for now, keeping her eyes shut for a little while longer.

It won't help her.

But at least sleep provides a tiny bit of relief, safety, after all when you close your eyes the horrors of the outside world can't touch you.

How she wished that the ideas she had as a child were true.

She let out a painful moan.

The door to her room opened, the sound of creaking hinges exploded inside her head as if a stack of dynamite would blow up just right past the wall of her room. Her heart froze, she could even feel her veins clogging, every part of her body falling into a state of pretending to be dead.

"Amela! Amela! She's awake!"

Sparx.

It was Sparx' voice.

Her eyes snapped open, she couldn't decide if she was shocked by the fact that he ignored her wishes or relieved that she will again get the chance to see a familiar face.

All of that however became unimportant, all because of this strange sense of worry that suddenly overwhelmed her. She felt as if the silence stretched out, becoming thin as a rope that kept making rounds around her neck, tightening and tightening, stealing the air from her lungs.

She felt numb all of a sudden, everything seemed to slow down, she felt as if she was in a dream, rolling of the bed and falling onto the floor, heavy and so strangely hollow. A dream so familiar that she knew the consequences already, awakening just before she touches the ground, been there done that.

Her soul smacked against the floor.

This time she didn't awake.

Her mouth parted open in an expression of a silent scream.

"I'm here" Sparx called out softly, appearing in front of her eyes

His hands were fidgeting, fingers doing absolutely everything and nothing at all. Scratching the head, scratching the chest, wrestling with each other and many other things. His face was contracted in a thoughtful expression, as if he would be concentrating, something that he probably did since she could clearly see in his eyes that he wanted to touch her, grab her toe at least and squeeze it in a comforting hug.

Yet he was afraid of doing anything, afraid that his supportive move would cause pain to her.

Her mouth twitched, every fiber in her being demanded that she smiles, that she acknowledges his sweet reaction, yet the lips never reaching their destination, freezing somewhere in between, remaining wide-open as gates to a castle.

Sparx tilted his head, corner of his mouth twitching into a smile that he desperately fought back into obedience, most likely deciding that it won't appropriate.

"You're lucky that I'm the only fly around and I don't really look forward to gluing myself to your tongue"

She remained motionless, staring back at him with the same expression, snout paralyzed as if she would be posing to some invisible artist who is busy painting her.

He swallowed, extending his arm he gently touched the upper, blue lip and gently urged it down, wincing and hissing all the way as if expecting that the mouth will explode after one, small wrong move.

Coriza's usually wonderful eyes were locked at him all the time, he never had troubles looking into them, they were always so inviting, but this time he avoided her gaze at all cost. The gold orbs that were looking his way had none of the charming, warm energy, they were haunted, reminding him of the eyes of someone who tasted way too many forest mushrooms.

He locked the soft lips together and pushed away slowly like he would be retreating from the sight of a fierce predator that just waits for the slightest sign of provocation from his side.

"There" he gave the closed mouth a gentle nod, one hand moved behind the shoulders, scratching the back of the head there "You're safe now"

Safe

She was anything but safe.

"Good morning my dear, young patient" cheerful, warm voice echoed inside the room, followed by a ruffle of papers

Amela entered the room like she did yesterday.

"It pleases me greatly that such young people know how to respect the tender boundaries of medicine" the cheetah stopped in front of the bed, exchanging places with Sparx, hands hung in front of the medical coat, one palm was holding the papers while the other rested on top of the first

"I hope that you had a good rest, if you woke up during the night and saw no one besides you then know that it was my decision entirely. Sparx wanted to keep vigil but I forbade him from entering"

She could swear that she heard one fold of her brain cracking open under the pressure that accumulated under her skull. Right, wide opened eye began to blink on its own.

She had a stroke, there has to be something going on with her, it might as well be a stroke. This insanity could not be made up by a healthy mind.

Amela asked her the same question yesterday.

Sparx fidgeted the same way yesterday.

This was not a dream. It is real, this day begins exactly like yesterday.

This is too much to be just a coincidence, these people are acting like they are here for the first time. Either they are toying with her and this is some sort of a therapy, or something very wrong is going here. Either way the effect was the same.

It was changing her mental state.

Amela's expression became sour, as a healer, an experienced one at that, she had no troubles reading the mood of her patients. Her curling fingers against the papers she was holding clearly showing that this moment changed tones, shifting from sweet to serious very quickly.

"Darling?" she leaned over the lying dragoness, keeping the respectful distance, yet the eyes kept scanning the body, looking for any sign of trouble that could be responsible for the distress she sees

Patients come in many forms, some are simply unaware of their condition, others however don't present their true shape out of shame or pride. It mostly is the case when it comes to the young, their youthful strength blinding them, confusing them, making them unaware that sickness and injury doesn't care how old are you. Bodies, both young and old are constructed in such a way that they always have a weakness somewhere, it is sadly always the matter of finding the breach.

"Is everything alright? You look stressed, does something hurt you?"

Hearing this Sparx jerked back as if he burned himself, he immediately began to fly closer to his friend, worry pushing his wings.

Amela immediately threw her arm in the air, the papers fluttered like a cloak, freezing right on the path of the dragonfly who was instinctively pushed back by the sudden obstacle appearing in front of him. The huge eyes that he aimed at the cheetah were ignored, the healer focused entirely on her patient.

"If privacy is what you need, we can arrange that" the healer whispered kindly, a corner of her eye following the hovering in the air ball of light

Sparx gulped at the sight, the cheetah might be old, her bones cracked, fur was grey, body frail and thin, but the eyes, the eyes were full of life and the narrowed orb directed at him the most passionate of them all. If he didn't know that the cheetah in the medical coat was a healer who helps people he would take her for a hunter in disguise.

That look belonged to a warrior, a blunt, raw warrior who doesn't take jokes and takes his job seriously, beheading as one of his professions.

Coriza remained silent for a long, long while, her eyes shifted though, the only sign telling the people around her that she is alive because at some point even her chest stopped rising to the delicate inhales she was taking.

The nude wall on the other side of the room seemed especially enticing.

As empty as her mind was now.

Surreal.

"Priestess?"

"What day is it?" her blue lips finally uttered the first words of this morning, their taste as rancid as the fear eating away her heart

"Duni twenty fifth of Year of the Mole" Amela replied, paying close attention to the cleric who looked like she was disconnected from the world

Which was strange, considering the fact that she suffered no injuries that would make head trauma probable in any way.

Coriza trembled. The date was correct, she was certain that yesterday was twenty fourth, the day when she lost consciousness. The chances that she slept through the entire day were high considering the situation they found her in.

One day.

Exactly one day.

There was no logical explanation for this conversation to already happen, she shouldn't be remembering it happening.

The blood in her veins began to boil panic was slowly making its presence known. She shut her eyes, she wanted to scream, but was also aware that the world won't hear her. Not after everything that happened in the temple, there was absolutely no way that the city wouldn't notice a blue dragoness being thrown out of the window.

At least now she somehow could struggle to understand why Sparx acted the way he did. Something was making him blind to the truth, whether it was the crystal or Capro blackmailing him she had no idea, everything seemed probable and entirely insane at the same time.

She didn't know what was right or not any longer.

All she knew was that she felt extremely lonely all of a sudden. She wanted to pray, but the presence of the Divine she believed to be guiding her in the temple was there no longer, or perhaps it was never there in the first place and all that pushed her into action was just a figment of imagination.

She wanted to believe that there was a holy claw guiding her, that it was still there, after all she is still alive, even if trapped in what seemed to be the illusion of the Realms she knew. She wanted to pray, she didn't know what else to do, yet her mind as well as her lips remained silent.

Too afraid to say anything.

It was hard to tell who or what might be listening.

Capro had no troubles reading her mind after all.

Help.

Somebody help me.

"You are worrying me sweety" Amela whispered, her fingers running over the papers back and forth as if trying to erase whatever was written there "Is there anything bothering you?"

Her heart bounced in her ribcage, sending a pulsing shiver throughout the entire body. She listened closely to the ringing, something that shouldn't be recorded by the brain, to her sounded like an alarm. She listened, intently, what else was there for her to do.

WAKE UP!

She heard her own voice screaming inside her skull, her scared heart throbbing with desperation for survival that awakes in every cornered animal.

Her eyes widened.

It was a simple question.

An innocent question.

A test.

A trap.

You don't know who might be listening.

She blinked, exhaling a whizzing breath that radiated her elemental magic, as cold as ice, the exhaled mist making her shiver. Instinct kicking in, the heart that screamed taking the reins of leadership, the predator she was dealing with was blind, had no sense of smell, but it could hear, very well perhaps.

Her silence was betraying her position.

This is not how the day played out, this is not how you would react after falling from a staircase. Act normal, right now.

Right now.

RIGHT NOW.

"I'm confused" she finally muttered, her voice wavering and weak "Everything happened so quickly"

Her gold orbs sought out Sparx, this time though they were not there seeking support, something that her friend would gladly give in every other circumstance. No, this time they were searching for a verdict, Sparx was not her friend, but a judge.

A judge what knows when she is not herself, knows that she cannot lie.

The words that she needs to use must be believable, otherwise everything will be lost.

She didn't want to find out what it meant exactly.

Sparx face remained wrinkled by worry, a sweet, supporting smile creeping at the corners of his lips, looking at her with that protective attention like always, as if she would be a child learning its first steps.

Affection.

Her heart broke at the sight.

He knew that she was real, that she is herself in every regard.

She would give everything right now to say the same thing about him.

Amela smiled, her posture relaxing, she acknowledged the sentence with a sullen nod.

"Health never makes it easy, if medicine would be a trivial matter, we would all be immortal by now. It's the little reactions of specific people that make the matters complicated and I can imagine how it feels to remember being in one place and suddenly wakening in another. This childhood privilege is no longer such welcoming when our minds are working on the rational, yet boring level when we come of age"

She nodded, neck stiff as a board that even such a simple move hurt, she took her eyes off Sparx, aiming them at the wall once more. It all looked so normal, painfully normal, usually when you imagine horrors you think of monsters and darkness that is twisted and vile.

She would never expect normality to feel so creepy.

"Still" Amela continued, folding her arms in front of herself "Despite everything health allows us to regenerate our wounds, I can already see that your pain is subsiding" she took a quick glance at the papers she was holding "Which is quite the miracle considering the information I have gathered regarding your specific condition, seeing how quickly you recover after such an ugly accident makes me believe that you won't be my guest for long"

Her eyes widened, the spoken words struck her like a golem's fist, she was so lost in the events that she completely forgot about her wounds, wounds that weren't bothering her as much as they did yesterday. The day before was a menace, even if she was still the injuries didn't let her forget about them, always burning and poking.

This time there was nothing.

It made her realize that she didn't have to speak wrong words to betray herself to the powers ruling over the city right now. She fell from the staircase according to them, while confusion has many shades and can be stretched to still be believable, pain was blunt and straightforward, acting as if it's not there leads only to one conclusion.

This scary thought made her roll, she did it impulsively, ruled by the pitiful survival demand, in every other situation such a move would be a very terrible idea, luckily right now it was only bad.

Pain exploded throughout her entire hurt body, momentarily reminding her that she isn't the toughest of specimens from her kind. Her vision blurred, paws automatically stretched out, spread toes freezing in place and turning even more blue as if the blood flow would be cut out from them.

The obscured vision was eaten by darkness on the corners of her sight, black blobs clearly stating that they not wish to be bothered further.

She let out a pitiful whimper.

Sparx winced with a hiss.

"Darling! Darling!" Amela jumped, placing her hand on the scaly flank to pin in to the bed "Just because you don't feel pain doesn't mean you're healthy. Be careful, no sharp movements, your bones still remember the stress they went through"

"I'm sorry" she hissed through clenched teeth, tears rolling down from her eyes

If there was anything that could convince the people around her that she is participating in their game, then this was it. She was a bad liar and the agony that ruffled her nerves made her as genuine as it was possible.

"Just rest sweetheart, if you really want to move we have special crutches and stabilizers that can help you out. I'm afraid that for some time you will have to rely on those devices, you won't be able to support yourself without them if you want to avoid pain"

The first thought that crossed her mind was to kindly decline the offer, if the day keeps repeating itself then she will recover without anyone knowing, it would take some days, but eventually she would be able to walk on her own, pretending to rely on the clutches wouldn't be too difficult, she was clumsy already, any pretext to walk more carefully is welcome.

The thing is however that as ironic as it might seem, she felt that she didn't have unlimited time. Maybe not her per se, but the people in Warfang, take Sparx and Amela for example. She didn't know the purpose for this whole insanity, but she believed it can't be anything good.

Excluding that obvious danger there was one more thing that was worrying. If the people keep reliving the same day over and over again then that means there is a chance they won't do things that are required to sustain their bodies. Sparx for sure won't eat much, if anything this day, feeding on worry for her.

It can work for a day or two.

But imagine a week, a month, a year.

He will starve to death, or more probably wither like a plant due to lack of water.

The whole city might die out without people knowing about it, citizen after citizen will drop dead with a smile on their faces.

Who needs horror stories with monsters, when life alone is stressful enough.

She can't stay here.

"Can I have the stabilizers please? I'm grateful for the assistance, but I would like to ask for some walk in fresh air. Hospitals remind me of my condition too much" she pleaded, her voice gaining on the typical melodic tone, it felt extremely comfortable to speak from the heart not worrying about anything, but just being yourself

She doubted that she will have many chances to repeat such a thing in the near future.

"You sure about that Cor?" Sparx cocked his head, fingers fidgeting "Isn't it too fast? Maybe rest for a day"

She swallowed, she couldn't deny that there was wisdom in Sparx' voice, who in the right mind would want to leave the bed just after their accident? Her gaze hid underneath blue eyelids, her whole body started to tremble due to the unnatural cold that organized a race up and down her spine.

She would totally accept his plan if not for the fact that he will have the same worries tomorrow and day after tomorrow and even in the next days to come.

He shoved her into a corner, arguing with people, forcing her ideas across was never her strong side, she always succumbed to the nudges of someone else or simply withdrew from the conversation when met with any sort of resistance.

Like now.

She will rot here.

"It would be best if you stayed under observation at least for a whole day" Amela acknowledged with a nod "Yet, you are still a dragon with regenerative abilities, that and I can see that you aren't hurt that much. Medicine is medicine but it is a proven fact that good mood pays a big role in the recovery process. I would be a terrible healer if I wouldn't support my patient's wishes, in a rational range of course"

The healer straightened, folding her arms behind her back as if preparing to announce something very serious and very official. What prevent her pose from reaching a true royal stature was the big, warm smile stretching her lips.

"I will get you everything you need my sweet child"

Her eyes sparkled with flames, full of gratefulness orbs aimed themselves at her companions who at the sight of them seemed to avert their gazes as if something blinded them.

"Thank you very much" the words came out of her throat like a breath of someone who nearly drowned, relief washed over her the tension collapsing with audible only to her imagination thud like chains wrapped over a prisoner's ankles

Amela rubbed her eyes with a sleeve, jerking her head back when the papers she was holding pinched the tip of her feline nose as they danced in the air.

"You're welcome sweety" she glanced at the pile in her hands "These can wait" she discarded her thoughts with a shake of her head and turned towards the door "I'll get the clutches darling, prepare some patience however, putting them on is not a very nice thing"

The door shut behind the cheetah.

Sparx grinned.

"I never thought I would ever see you as one of the training dummies Spyro smacked around when he was learning all the fancy stuff. The outfit will go well with the stick you carry in your butt"

She smiled, it was genuine enough, Sparx didn't have to know that the expression she offered him with dictated mostly by pain.

That crystal has to be the source of this disaster, when Capro threw her out she remembered the room flaring back up with darkness again. The parasite had to spread, there was no way it could hide after such display, the Guardians would make a short work of it.

Corruption manipulates.

Her hind paws bent tail making a bounce off her rump when suddenly a very strong itch bit her in the butt.

The stick.

Seriousness.

Carefulness.

Logic.

For the very first time in her life Sparx' tease worked like a motivational speech of sorts, in this crucial times she will need that stick.

And she was glad that the clutches will make her even more stiffer.

At least tripping over will be ruled out from the dangers that could stand in her way.

And there will be plenty of dangers to face.

"Merciful winds I'm scared" Cloudas uttered as he crossed another small rise right after Hunter, the feathers on his wings rustling like leaves on a creaking, old tree

"Fright is not a hindrance my friend" Hunter intoned, ducking under a stretched out tree branch right on the height of his forehead "Not if you control it, fear in dire circumstances like this, when used appropriately, is more potent than any enhancing drug"

He looked up, the gentle hill they were scaling was coming to an end.

"The top is near, just a few more steps"

"Why are we climbing this hill again? The scary city is the other way"

"Every scouting mission needs information to succeed, the privilege of a cheetah scout is that he doesn't have to be there personally to pass the information"

"What do you mean?"

Hunter hacked down one pesky, thin branch that protruded from the earth and seemed to do everything in its power to make them break their legs, twisting in every direction at every angle.

"Quests like these are hazardous my friend, scouting mission yield a great risk, a risk that can make our possibility to return impossible"

"Hold on a moment!" Cloudas stomped his paws, the goggles that were attached to his small horns bounced off the base of his snout

"You want to say that we won't be coming back?" he began rubbing the irritating spot

Hunter froze, ears flattening on his skull, he didn't dare to look the dragon in the eyes.

"There is such a possibility"

"I didn't sign up for a suicide mission!"

"Death might not necessarily be the guardian that will block our path"

"But it doesn't mean that there is a high chance that it will, right?"

Hunter gazed back at the young drake, he didn't really need to hear the shaky tones in his voice to know that he was scared, his stiff body was all the proof he needed. The sight made him guilty.

"Yes"

"Great" Cloudas grumbled, spitting the word at the ground in disgust "I'm going to die for people I don't know, trying to save people I've never seen in my life. Why I never learn? Why I always need to stick my nose where it doesn't belong?"

"You are a dragon my friend. There is no place where you don't belong, your kind rules the world with tender paw the world is your home"

The wind dragon sighed with a shrug.

"You got that right. Even the world from the time where I come from wanted me dead. Home sweet home" he shook his head, scratching the tuft of feathers on his cheek as he looked at the cheetah with pleading eyes

"You know I'm a bad fighter. Tell me, honestly, is there anything on our side that can increase our chances of survival?"

Hunter's hand automatically reached to his coat, finding the medallion there in a spite of a second, fingers rubbing against it devotedly.

"Hope"

Cloudas snorted with a roll of his eyes.

"Wonderful. Hope always made wonders for me"

"I'm sorry" the cheetah's spotted tail made a nervous twitch "Hope is yin-yang, black and white, not everyone get on the good side of it. Hope is crucial in my profession and it served me well"

"Well, it did not for me. I've made some stupid decisions when I was a kid and I keep paying it still, it never got better even when I hoped it would" another shake of the white head, followed by the tail that roughly dropped onto the earth with a hollow thud

Defeat.

"Let's just go on and do whatever you want us to do here"

He nodded politely and continued his climb, leaving the thoughts that spun around his mind for himself. The boy behind him was smart, logically thinking and presenting the thoughts in a manner that just could sway you on his side, something of a true trader's hunch. Still, being away from Spyro and Cynder, the Shapers as Cloudas calls them killed the excitement and the will of submission in the drake, making other colors of his soul to flourish.

Showing him off as bitter and apathetic.

In such a young age no less, he wasn't the one capable or worthy of judging a dragon, but if he would have any say in this he would conclude that such traits in someone so young can't be good, especially for the one wielding them.

They reached the top.

He pulled the hoodie on top of his head, shielding his squinting eyes from the sun. There was no one near the gate, this alone was strange considering that the capital of the Realms gets lots and lots of people passing through daily, be it merchants or travelers.

Maybe when the people noticed the dark tentacles of magic above the city they decided to keep away from it knowing just how disastrous black magic was before. Or they are gathering somewhere, observing the situation and deciding on what to do.

He didn't let any other thoughts get to him, even if some parts of his brain suggested that the reason for such an absence could be a more dreadful one.

One way to find out.

"Stay with me" he whispered reverently, the chain holding the medallion let out a soft chime at the plea

It had to be the wind playing its song against his jewelry.

He extended his arm straight to the right and whistled a tune that he learned and mastered the moment he was gifted the feather symbol of his village.

He shut his eyes, a cold shiver pulling at the strands of his fur.

Delicate vibration in the air.

Gentle waver of the wind's song.

Another force had cut through the harmony.

Flapping of wings.

A call.

Pointy, furry ears perked up.

A shrill call of a falcon.

A smile stretched his lips.

"Hello my friend" he huffed with affection, opening his eyes and rising his eyes to the sky just in time to notice a brownish shape diving right at him

"Watch out!" Cloudas yelped, dropping onto the ground and covering his head with his paws

Hunter chuckled.

The diving bird let out another cry, its own display of amusement.

Seconds passed and nothing happened, to Cloudas' surprise his head was still intact and there was no blood being spilled anywhere. He let his paws drop and head rise up, everything seemed to relax besides his jaw that momentarily hit the ground when his huge, green eyes landed on the feathery monstrosity sitting on Hunter's arm.

The falcon was staring back at the drake, its posture proud and loyal, black, beady eyes and silver beak glowing nothing more but contempt and arrogance.

"Look at the size of this thing!" Cloudas gasped from the ground

Hunter couldn't fight back the smile that housed itself on his face, instinctively reaching to the bag he always carried with himself and feed his feathery companion some seeds, seeds that the falcon devoured eagerly.

"You can get up, he's a friend"

"What the hell is this thing?" the dragon scrambled from the ground, his eyes never leaving the falcon, observing it with sheer anxious excitement

Hunter frowned.

"There are no birds in your world?"

"There are, but not as big as these!"

Furry hand offered another portion of seeds to the bird.

"This specimen is called a falcon, he's my loyal friend and companion who I raised and trained since I was a child, we grew up basically together. It's a tradition in our village"

"He's so cool!" Cloudas bit his lip, toes of his forelegs twitching nervously "Can I pet him?"

Hunter giggled, making the bird tilt its head in confusion.

"I would advise to hold back with your desires, these birds are proud creatures, they don't like to be treated as pets"

He gazed at the bird affectionately.

"They are soldiers and companions, specialists and they demand to be shown respect and for good reason. This will be our messenger that will carry out any news if we fail to deliver them, also another set of eyes is always welcome, especially since animals of Mother Nature as expected are unaffected by magic"

"So this bird is all the reason we climbed up here?"

"Yes, a scout is blind without his companion. I cannot imagine any mission to be successful if my friend wouldn't be there with me"

"I didn't see you having a bird when you came to get me"

"That is true" Hunter admitted sadly, eyes never leaving the bird as if they wanted to make up for lost time "Mother Nature as wonderful as she is has certain fundamental rules we should never mingle with. These rules are gathered in one word, ecosystem"

"We don't know what creatures lived in the past, inviting a difference race into the animal kingdom would have dire consequences either for the falcon or our own world if the falcon would return. There is always a possibility that your world was home to greater airborne predators who would devour my friend here, or your world would have many unknown prey to us that the bird would find appetizing enough to dine on. The potential diseases and bacteria that could infest the bird would be disastrous for the ecosystem that thrived without it. Nature would adapt of course, but the consequences of such a change would wreck destruction to all known life, either blunt like a natural catastrophe or more subtle as making the food that we eat toxic"

"All of us are animals my friend, one more glorious than the other, but we all live in the same ecosystem, we all are part of the same ecosystem. The shift would influence all of us and nobody tolerates rough changes, especially sentient beings"

"Whoa, you know a lot about this stuff"

Hunter straightened proudly at the compliment, he might have discarded the traditions of the cheetah people and followed his own path, but that didn't change the fact that he never forgot his heritage. Receiving a compliment from a dragon was the greatest honor of all, even more so when in truth his whole entire kind got praised instead of only himself.

"Thank you, but it is not me who should be the receiver of your words, but my teachers and mentors, they are the ones who passed the teachings of the cheetah people onto me"

Cloudas cocked his head, the mane on top of his head making a slight bounce to an unheard rhythm.

"Are you always this modest?"

The falcon cawed, turning its sharp eyes towards its owner, if the bird would project any facial emotion, one could connect the cry with a giggle.

One of Hunter's ears collapsed at the joined attention of his companions, he wasn't used to compliments, not by dragons, most of all he wasn't used to attention. Serving Warfang as a scout and traveling the wilderness in general taught him that the best way is to keep to the shadows, something he brought back from work to his daily life.

Being complimented, focused on, made him more defenseless than when being surrounded by enemies from all sides.

"I'm speaking the…truth" he stammered, wiggling his shoulders to rearrange his weight

"Yeah, I get that, but learning and following lessons is one thing, sticking to them and not tripling over is another" Cloudas pulled at the strap of his goggles "I get hiding failure, but success? People forget easy, reminding them that you're worth something is always worthwhile"

He snorted suddenly, as if a fly would get inside his nostril.

"Fame is fragile, so easy to shatter and nearly impossible to fix. Having something to rely on when you eventually screw up is a great boon"

"I appreciate your advice my friend" Hunter nodded gratefully "But I believe that the most worthy opinion is that of your own"

The drake chuckled.

"Yeah, right, think what you will, but in the end its all about the people who stand higher than you that matter"

"I sense a lot of regret and contempt in your voice"

"You bet!" Cloudas growled, flaring his wings, feathers standing on end like tips of sharp daggers "We wind dragons spilled our guts out and yet only a handful got accepted into the Shade! Even when the things we did were great, when the way of our lives were great. In the end it was all about the view of a single black dragon that mattered the most, it didn't matter that most of us felt that we did better than the one chosen"

Feline ears perked up, a brow rising in surprise.

"Not so long ago you adored the Shapers and now you reveal hidden grudge? Such feelings do not match"

"The Shapers are great!" the drake exclaimed, cringing and looking around in fear as if checking out that there was someone listening to his words, words that were audible enough for any eavesdropper to pick up

"But power corrupts, creates flaws" he hissed through clenched teeth "You do everything and yet it's not enough, then you find other ways to do better and then…" he shut his mouth with a clamp, so hard that Hunter's ears twitched, catching the muffled sound of rattling teeth

Cloudas shook his head fiercely, the mane on his head flailing back and forth like arms of a fan dancing to the song of his favorite bard.

"It's not important, let's get to this city and hope your bird will help us out. Sitting here messes with my head too much"

Hunter sighed, scratching the fur in between his ears.

"I would like to believe that this moment here was the hardest stress we will face this day" he looked at his falcon, the bird's sharp gaze reeked of seriousness and concentration

"I would like to believe…"


"What is taking them so long?" Spyro mumbled to himself, claws restlessly tapping against the earth, the traveled road leading to Warfang, a spot he never left since the departure of his friends, keeping his eyes fixed at the Dragon City

"No way!" Flare's excited yelp resounded from behind him, a short burst sounding like a blow of an recently fed fire followed soon after "You were really so tiny?"

"Oh yes" Danox replied with a chuckle, he was on his back, all paws up towards the air, his whole body coiling restlessly around the earth like a worm wiggling into a rotten meat

He's pressed against the ground head danced together with the rest of his frame, eyes aimed up, in the same direction like the paws with the difference being that they were looking at a red, excited snout of a young dragon who was looking down at him from his sitting position.

The warm, red light illuminating his body heated his black, dirty scales.

"I wasn't always so big my friend, in my hatchlings days I was rather skinny, a small, long lizard looking like a wet cat, ideal target for the stronger children, the color of my scales didn't help the matter either" he grinned "There are days that make me think that perhaps the constant beating I was the proud receiver of shrunk my dimensions a little"

"But if you were so small you could fit anywhere! I wish I could do that when I was in prison!"

"It's not so pretty" Danox tapped the elongated tail against the ground, kicking dust in the air as a result "When you're small people kept stepping on you, did you know that I had my tail between my legs all the time that people thought I had some mental disorder?"

Iris snorted, sitting away from the group, on the grass, licking her wings as she listened to this crap, annoyed and angry. Stopped by another obstacle to her goal, surrounded by idiots who share the stories about their retarded existence as if it would be humoristic or interesting.

It's not you wankers.

Nobody likes to listen what big failures you are, everyone knows or already.

Fucking shit, all her life she had to deal with idiots.

"It was the right decision" away from the trio Cynder intoned softly, standing right next to her mate, shaking on her entire body

There was hardly any space between their flanks, but she didn't mind, the occasional trigger making her scales brush against his, it was so wonderful to feel the closeness of her loving partner, especially in her condition.

Spyro sighed, having doubts about it, the exhale provoking his mind into a thinking process, a process that told him that no matter what he would suggest and do, it would always have the same effect.

Unending worry and choking guilt.

"I'm serious Spyro, it was a smart decision and I'm sure it will work out in the end. Just you see"

He almost nodded, accepting the hopeful words, yet the attempt was crippled by the unexpected cry cutting through the air.

A familiar cry.

A bird's cry.

Everyone raised their eyes towards the sky, everyone except Iris who growled loudly, lips shaking under the pressure of the fangs that slipped past them.

That sack of worthless, feathery shit, how she desired to rip its head off.

The falcon dashed down, pressing its wings to its body it cut the distance in such a fast pace that it was hard to record it. It landed on a branch near Spyro and Cynder, the twig wiggling from left to right as the heavy weight of the bird put a hard stop to its fall by clinging to it.

Strands of bark and leaves fell onto the ground when the sharp talons dug into the wood.

The falcon let another shrill cry, clearly demanding attention.

Spyro, Cynder and Flare obeyed the order, Danox merely smiled while Iris glared at the bird with the corners of her eyes, mist of magical ice wafting from her snarling maw.

"This is Hunter's bird" Cynder announced and automatically with Spyro she started to examine the falcon, looking for any strapped paper that would carry a message with it, a technique they practiced with Hunter many times over already

There was nothing of the sort attached to the bird.

Nervous gulps stretched their throats.

The falcon cried out in steady rhythms, swaying on its legs from side to side, the sounds it was emitting were cut off abruptly after some time by a sudden clap of the beak just to return to making noise once more.

All this time it was swaying.

Flare chuckled.

"It's funny" he leaned in closer, his body brightening up with more intense flames, a wide smile stretched his lips "What's wrong with it?"

Spyro and Cynder had their heads cocked, observing the strange movements of the bird, wanting to ask the same question Flare did.

The bird noticed their reaction and was clearly not pleased by it. It threw its body forward, jerking the tightly gripped branch and swaying in their direction, wood creaking in pain. It spread its wings, feathers standing on end and let out such a raw shriek that it scared off some animals hiding in the nearby bushes.

If the bird could speak, Spyro was quite sure that it would just insult them, calling them, if they were lucky, idiots.

The falcon returned to its natural position a moment later, tilting its head to one side and then to the other, giving the group an intense glare with each, black eye.

The poses of the three dragons remained unchanged.

With another cry the bird leapt from the branch, dashing through the air, flying straight at them, every dragon jumped out of the way with startled gasps, air whizzed in front of them as the bird cut a path through the sky. Their eyes trailed after it until the falcon eventually returned to the same branch.

It cried out once more, this time though its voice was a little more pleasant to the ear, it even began to flap its wings, stretching then forward as far as it could and nearly beating one against the other, as if clapping.

"I think it wants us to focus" Cynder intoned thoughtfully, scratching her choker she observed the creature with keen eyes

The falcon let out another, similar sound and clapped its wings even faster.

"You're right" Spyro admitted with awe, surprised by the bird's intelligence "I'm thinking that it wants to tell us something

Another cry, another fervent clapping.

Flare laughed, bouncing up in the air happily.

"We're talking with a bird! I didn't know we could do that!"

The feathery creature ignored the joyful red dragon, focusing its stare on the pair of heroes.

It started to dance on the branch again tilting its head to look at them in rhythmic pulses.

"That stare its giving us symbolizes watching, looking, staring or something like that I believe.

"An approving bird cry.

Flare chuckled once more.

"The way it tries to walk is funny, like Iris when she's angry, all tense and all that"

"I've heard that you-"

Iris' angry response was silenced by another approving cry.

"Walking!" Spyro exclaimed triumphantly "You got it Flare!"

The red drake frowned, wincing in bewilderment.

"Got what?"

"Walking, watching" Cynder mumbled, claws making another after another scratch on the choker "Plus it's Hunter's companion. Is it trying to tell us that it was watching Hunter maybe?"

The falcon cried out, clapping its wings.

"Heh" Cynder smirked "Would you look at that, I know birdly" she wiggled her eyebrows

The avian changed its posture, spreading its wings wide it closed them over itself a second later, nearly vanishing behind the feathers entirely. After another second it opened the wings up and looked around, letting out a soft cry.

It kept repeating the same gesture over and over again.

"Watching…walking… covering behind the wings…did you follow Hunter and Cloudas until they hid?"

A short cry, by the sharp tone they could easily guess that the answer was a negative.

"Not hiding…close I think, but there has to be something else, this moving head has to mean something"

Flare kept staring at the bird for a while longer until eventually he gave up, snorting with a shake of his head.

"This is too confusing, my head starts to hurt"

Spyro felt a bolt of enlightenment shooting through his mind, his eyes widening.

"Walking, watching, confusion…" he repeated the words several more times, every next attempt quieter than the previous one

After some time of lonely contemplation his tail eventually stood on end, the gold tip at the end of it seemed to glow, like a mole's helmet when it discovers something valuable.

"They didn't hide…they disappeared"

The falcon reared back, letting out a powerful cry of despair into the sky above, some bird in the distance responded with a similar tone.

"They disappeared" Cynder repeated gloomily after her friend, heart racing in the chest even faster that it even began to hurt

"Whatever it happening in Warfang right now took our friends"

Spyro announced, stiff tail making a flick, gathering air towards them that hung in the atmosphere for all this time.

Air that told them that Time won't allow itself to be tricked so easily.

A figure was moved on the chessboard inside Spyro's head, knocking one of his own down.

This game won't be so easy to win.