Chapter Four: The Council

Let me go!...

Please stop…

LEAVE ME ALONE!

Ezzara gasped loudly as her eyes shot open only to wince as the sunlight flooded into them. She had almost forgotten where she was as her eyes became adjusted to the light and she took a look around the clearing of the village. She smacked her lips softly to moisten them. Thirsty… she thought to herself as she tried to move a bit to get more comfortable.

"You talk a lot in your sleep…" River's soft voice broke the silence. Ezzara spun her head to the side to see the white cheetah cleaning a small needle. She let out a soft growl as her eyes moved from the needle to River.

"Don't even think about it." She warned through a hiss.

River only returned the gaze with a soft smile, "Oh it's done already. I gave you some medicine to keep you relaxed while I cleaned your wounds."

Ezzara raised a confused eyebrow as she looked down to her side and leg, seeing them both cleaned and stitched up, "I… I didn't feel anything…" she stammered.

"That's the point," River chuckled, "I'm rather gentle with my hands." She wrapped up the freshly clean needle and herbs in a rucksack and laid it across her lap.

"I see that… thank you…" Ezzara said softly as she turned her head back to look straight out. She could see a distant river over the wall of the village, and she let out a soft whine.

River smiled and held up a small waterskin, "Here. Figured you would be thirsty when you woke up," River held the vessel above Ezzara's face and tilted it just a bit, waiting for her to oblige.

Ezzara eyed the waterskin and opened her mouth allowing River to pour some water in. She gave a sigh of relief and leaned her head back on the post with her eyes closed, "So this is your job? You're a healer?"

River nodded her head, "Yep! Not to brag or anything but… I'm probably the best in the business," she giggled and turned in her spot to look down into the valley.

Ezzara opened her eyes and looked over to her, "Won't your brother be pissed you're so close to me? Who knows I could slip out of this at any moment…" She jested.

River scoffed and continued looking out to the valley, "Hunter left early this morning for Warfang. No doubt about you," she turned to face Ezzara, "and no. No, you can't break out of that." She smirked.

Ezzara only smirked back and looked away; the binds were tightly bound around her hands. Even if she wanted to break loose it would surely take some time.

"What were you dreaming about?"

Ezzara turned back to her, "What do you mean?"

"Well like I said, you talk a lot in your sleep… something about and Ashten. Is he your lover?" She asked like a cub talking gossip.

Ezzara growled loudly and clenched her fists behind the pole, "No. He-… it's nothing."

"Are you sure? You can te-"

"I said it's nothing!" Ezzara snapped and hissed at the Healer. It caused River to flinch back, her hair standing up a bit.

"S-sorry… Didn't mean to pry…" River apologized with her ears down.

"Hmph-" Ezzara scoffed and sighed heavily, her face softening, "No it's… it's fine. Just a sensitive topic is all…" She took a moment before saying anything else, "So this Warfang. It seems important…"

"It is. It's the capital of Avalar now since the war. It's also the home of the dragons-"

Ezzara's ears perked up, "Dragons? And this is a 'good' place?" She asked incredulously.

"Oh yes! It's a wonderful city. Do you not have dragons in… where did you say you were from?"

"Elsweyr, and no. Well… there was one in Skyrim that caused a great amount of trouble, but he was killed along with the ones he summoned."

"There are no good ones?" River asked confused.

Ezzara shook her head, "Not that I know of…"

"Well, that's strange indeed… sure we have our share of villainous ones, but we have an amazing bunch of just the kindest dragons in Warfang. One in particular; Cynder. She's just… amazing…" River said with a sigh.

Ezzara stifled a giggle, "You're hot for a dragon? Isn't that kind of… impossible, giving your differences?"

River blushed like crazy and hid her face, "Shut up!" She shouted, "Ancestors you and Hunter are more alike than you think!"

"Doubtful." Ezzara scoffed out, "Tell me about her."

River uncovered her face, and she leaned back on her paws, "Well… she's a black dragoness. Frankly, one of the last female dragons in the realms to our knowledge-"

"Oh? The rest are males?"

"Well, there's one other dragoness we know of but… she's not worth noting," She brushed it off and went back to talking about Cynder, "anyway, most dragons only have possession of one power. Cynder can use multiple thought due to her- um… origin. That's a whole other story for a different day though…"

"Wow… she seems important." Ezzara had her eyes trained on River as she went on.

"Oh, she is! Not so much as Spyro though, he's the chosen one."

Ezzara rolled her eyes, "Another female overshadowed by a male, huh?"

"RIGHT?! What is up with that?" River threw her hands out in disbelief, "Anyway, he's the legendary purple dragon. Also able to wield multiple po-"

"Wait…" Ezzara interrupted her. 'Purple dragon'… like the one Dain spoke of, "You said purple dragon?"

"Y-yeah?... why?"

Ezzara thought to herself a bit before responding, "N-nothing… just curious about the scale color is all. Not entirely frightening," She covered up.

River chuckled loudly and almost fell over, "Yeah, I guess you're right! But he is incredibly powerful. He is in control of the four primary elements; fire, ice, electricity, and earth."

"You must be pretty close to them to know all of this…"

"Who me? Oh no, this is only from what my brother has told me. He actually knows them on a personal level. I wonder if they'll be back in Warfang,"

"Why wouldn't they be?" Ezzara questioned.

"Well since they defeated the Dark Lord and saved the world, they've been… missing, I guess. Probably resting after such a fight…"

Ezzara chuckled softly, "Among other things perhaps…"

River took a moment to process what Ezzara was saying, and she gasped loudly and elbowed Ezzara softly, "That's disgusting! Well not disgusting but… I don't know, not right!" River retaliated with a soft laugh.

Ezzara only chuckled softly, not really bothered by the elbow, "It's only how life goes. You spend so much time with someone and do such an arduous task with them… you develop feelings." She shrugged.

"Is that how you feel about your friend you've been looking for?" River asked her curiously.

"No, Moirr and I aren't and will never be a thing," She assured her, "He's… well he's more into the male species let's just say. Plus, he's more of a brother to me…"

River nodded in understanding before standing up and stretching, "Well hopefully you find him in Warfang," She smiled, "unfortunately now I have to attend to my other patients. I'm sorry you're not able to walk freely… the valley really is beautiful,"

Ezzara smiled softly, "It's fine It's not a bad view from here."

River returned the smile and bowed her head softly in goodbye before leaving for her tent.

Ezzara was once again alone at the post staring over the wall to the valley. Even if most of the details were obscured it was rather beautiful still in the daylight. Her mind still sat on Moirr though, "My friend… I hope you're okay…"

Hunter moved through the different streets and alleys of the bustling city of Warfang. The brilliant city was larger than it ever was with buildings stretching to the sky and the walls now fortified with better cannons and even some ballista. The moles attending to their various duties, the cheetah warrior made his way up the steps to the newly built Dragon Temple which housed the Guardians. As he reached the summit of the steps, he let loose a soft smile as he looked up to a gilded statue of Ignitus; the fire guardian who sacrificed his life to save Spyro and Cynder in the wall of fire. It reminded him that his village was planning a celebration of life for the fallen warrior; one he hoped to see Spyro and Cynder attend. He approached the gates of the temple which was guarded by a set of four moles who immediately recognized him and opened the doors for him. Hunter gave a gentle bow and entered the inner courtyard to see Volteer training a few dragon younglings.

"Brilliant footwork, absolutely marvelous! Though it could use a bit of work still, but jolly good effort!" The lightning dragon cheered on the few in front of him. The sound of the door opening caused him to crane his head around to see Hunter approaching, "Oh Hunter! What a delightful surprise-" he turned to the group, "that's enough for today young ones. You are all excused."

"They got you on training duty, I see?" Hunter said with a soft chuckle.

"Oh, I would hardly say that my good fellow. It is a treat to be able to train the newer generation, an absolute privilege. Afterall, who better to teach them than a scholar? I do pride myself on knowledge, speaking of which if you have a moment I'd love to-"

"I'm sorry my friend but my time here is limited," Hunter stopped him before he could ramble further, "I actually came to ask an audience with the three of you. Something… troubling has come to the village…"

"Troubling? Oh dear, how so? Is it a life or death troubling or is moreso a kind of troubling that creates an uncomfortable feeling in one's stomach?"

Hunter stood there speechless for a moment, blinking a few times, "I… guess both of them,"

"Well, that is troubling indeed. I shall gather the remaining guardians in the Vision Pool room. You know the way, yes?"

Hunter nodded and the yellow dragon took off into the air and flew into the temple to gather his peers, "It's far too early for that…" Hunter rubbed his temple and shook off a headache before entering the temple. The floor was made of stone bricks, the walls a dark oak wood. Several sconces aligned the walls with lit torches to provide light enough to see every inch of the room. In contrary, the Vision Pool room was dimly lit aside from the glowing pool water in the center. Hunter entered the room to see the other guardians waiting patiently, "That was fast,"

"Indubitably so. With such matters it's best not to take one's time…" Volteer started.

"Yes, thank you, Volteer." Cyril spoke up. The ice dragon cleared his throat and turned to Terrador; the earth guardian who had taken up command of them since Ignitus' passing.

"You have our ears, master Cheetah," Terrador spoke in his deep, commanding voice.

Hunter stood before them and sighed gently, "Something has happened to the Cheetah Village… a newcomer has appeared on our shores. One no one has any recollection of, nor does she of this place,"

"Most interesting…" Cyril sat, intrigued by Hunter's tale.

"She resembles my kind, yet she's shorter than any I've seen. And she spoke in some foreign language… I think she may be in league somehow with the Dark Master," Hunter continued.

"The Dark Master is destroyed, Hunter… what evidence do you have that supports your claims?" Terrador questioned.

"I have none… but not more than a few months since his defeat she appears on our shore and, quite honestly, she's more a mystery to me than Volteer's thought process… no offense master dragon," Hunter bowed his head in apology to the lightning dragon.

"Oh, not at all, Hunter, my intellect is vastly superior to many. Being a scholar and blessed in knowledge and lore, it has left with me with an incredible sense of-"

"Volteer, please." Terrador interrupted before turning back to Hunter, "I understand your concerns, Hunter. But I sincerely doubt this goes as deep as Malefor," He moved a bit in his position, "nevertheless, this troubles me greatly. Your kin is rather close-knit, even those who have distanced themselves… the appearance of one whom no one has ever seen nor heard of is not something to brush aside,"

"What do you suggest? Bring her here for questioning?" Volteer asked.

"I have her currently bound in my village. She had desire to come here in search of someone who may have been brought in, probably from another fishing village."

"If such a person showed up, we would have heard about it. Or at least I would have," Cyril interjected, "not much goes on in this city without my knowledge of it." He scoffed softly.

"I suppose I'm more fearful for River… she is too careless and way too easy to warm up to people. I don't want her getting hurt…" Hunter said with his ears down a bit. His love for his sister ran deeper than anything in the world.

"Hmm-" Terrador thought for a moment, his eyes turning down to the pool, "Nothing has appeared in the pool to suggest such transgressions. Perhaps the newcomer's appearance is something unforetold, or something that was never meant to happen. Both ideas I'm equally not comfortable with," He looked back up to Hunter, "Ignitus' celebration of life is still in a few days, correct?"

Hunter nodded in response, "Yes, Terrador."

"Then we shall meet her then. Keep her bound and try to keep her from the members of your village until we are certain she isn't a foe,"

"My thoughts exactly. "Thank you," Hunter bowed his head slightly, "That was all. I'll take my leave now,"

Hunter left the room and continued down the hall but was met by a familiar voice, "Leaving without saying goodbye?"

Hunter turned to see Spyro leaving a side room, a smile on his face. Hunter chuckled softly and fully turned to face him, "I'd never dream of it, my old friend…" he approached the purple dragon and hugged him, Spyro offering one as well.

"I'm sorry we were away for so long, Hunter. We needed time to think and rest."

"It's not necessary, young dragon. I'm just glad you two are alive and well. Where is Cynder now?"

"She's asleep. Sparx as well, though that's nothing new…" He chuckled lightly, "So why were you here?"

"I sought out audience with the guardians. Someone new has come to our village and it just… I'm uneasy about her is all. The guardians can tell you more. I'll see you at the celebration?"

Spyro nodded softly, "Of course, all three of us. Thank you again for hosting it; it really means a lot to us." Hunter smiled and nodded in response.

"Tell Cynder and Sparx I said hi, will you? I must be getting back now."

"Sure thing, Hunter," Spyro gave him one last hug before letting the warrior leave the temple.

The rattling of chains and soft whispers echoed in Moirr's ears as his vision blurred in and out of consciousness. Soon enough his eyes opened, though his vision still a bit blurry he made out a dark room with fire burning around the expanse of the room. A few small, green creatures stood before him looking down at the gray figure.

"Oh good! He's awake, get the boss!" One spoke in a high-pitched voice as the other ran out of the room.

"Wh-Where am I?" Moirr asked groggily only to be met with a lash of a small whip across his face. He groaned and hissed in anger.

"Hush you! Everything will be made clear soon…" The creature jumped away from him just as the other reentered the room. What followed sent a shiver down Moirr's spine.

"Good morning sunshine… Sleep well?" the large, black dragon spoke in a hissing tone. Red smoke filtered between the dragon's teeth, his eyes blood red and a long scythe-like blade hanging off his tail, "You've been out for a while. I do hope you were comfortable…"

"Who are you?" Moirr asked, daggers in his voice as he hissed up at the looming figure.

"Temper kitty… we wouldn't want to make a mess, would we?" The dragon menacingly chuckled as he ran a claw across Moirr's face to turn it, "You look different than the rest. But the resemblance is uncanny…" he scratched Moirr's face as he brought the claw away, a small trickle of blood dripping from the cut.

"Where am I?" Moirr asked again.

"That's not important. What's important is you're still alive, and if you want to stay that way you will shut up…" The dragon growled, the red smoke wafting over to Moirr who turned his head away from it, "Oh? Not a fan of fear, hm? I love it…" he purred, inhaling the smoke and sighing loudly, "it's intoxicating… and you, cat… reek of it,"

"Just tell me what you want!" Moirr roared up at the dragon. The black figure only chuckled softly.

"You are feisty! Okay, I'll bite," he brought his tail blade up to Moirr's neck and pressed it, "One more word. Go on…"

Moirr only sat there silently, unable to move as he felt an unnatural sense of fear build up in him just being in this dragon's presence.

"Ah, see he can listen! That's better, isn't it?" He removed his tail blade from Moirr's throat and curled up into a lay in front of him, " My name is Dredge. And this, by all accounts… is my home. Now that I've answered, how about you tell me what you're doing here?"

Moirr took a moment to respond, "I don't know…"

"Playing dumb, are we? Not a good move…" Dredge replaced the blade to Moirr's neck once more, "One more time. Why are you here?"

"I'm telling you the truth, I don't know!" Moirr pleaded, overcome in fear as his eyes teared, "I was on a ship when we were attacked, and I woke up here…"

"'We'?" Dredge dug deeper, "Who is we?"

"A friend of mine… we got separated after the attack. That's all I remember! I swear…"

Dredge stared at Moirr as if peering into his soul before removing his blade from his neck once more, "Okay then. This 'friend' of yours, is she like you?"

Moirr was silent now. He didn't want to tell him anymore about Ezzara as he only stared up into Dredge's blood red eyes.

Dredge rolled his eyes and grumbled, "Let's try this way…" he blew a small stream of red smoke that enveloped Moirr causing him to strain and try to move, but he was stuck in place, "Are they like you…"

"Yes! Yes, she's like me, just stop! Stop please!"

"Was that so hard? It actually narrows it down where she might have ended up…"

Despite the fear encircling him Moirr's eye darkened and he snared up at Dredge, "If you hurt her… I'll fucking kill you…"

"Oh really?" Dredge laughed loudly and shook his head, "He's threatening me. How adorable…" there was a sound of scattered chuckles and snickers in the room, "You've got guts, cat…" Dredge placed his paw onto Moirr's stomach and pushed, his claws digging into his skin, "let's see what they look like…" He growled.

Just then a smaller, wingless dragon entered the room, "Master! We have news of Avalar…"

Dredge smirked down at Moirr who was bracing for the attack, but he only removed his paw, "To be continued…" he then turned to the smaller dragon, "What is it?"

"Our spies have returned from the valley. The Cheetah Village prepares for some sort of celebration. No doubt he will be there…" the dragon hissed and looked over to Moirr bound, "New plaything?"

"It doesn't concern you, whelp." Dredge replied deeply causing the other to wince and hunch down in fear, "summon the others. We march tomorrow…" He turned back to Moirr as the other ran out the door, "Looks like we'll have to put a pin in this until later." Dredge then huffed with a smirk and left the room.

Dredge walked down the hall to a much larger room, completely empty aside from a pedestal in the middle with a black gem sitting on top of it. A black and red smoke emanated off of the gem and a soft whisper came from it in an ancient tongue, "Soon my master…" Dredge clutched the gem in his claws, "You will be reborn… and we will destroy the Purple Dragon and the worthless traitor…"