AN: I've had this story idea for some time but never really went through with it ever since I began writing my own original story involving dragons. But recently the story came back into my head and I wanted to try my hand at it again. For those familiar with the games, the first few chapters of this story will be summarizing and be my sort of take on the overall story of Dawn of the Dragon as well as try and add some things to it. The 'real' story will begin when we reach the end of where the game ends. Likely these chapters will be longer on average than my usual chapter length as I'll be converging a lot of stuff that occurs in the games into single chapters as I wanted to give this style of writing a try. Likely once we get past Dawn of the Dragon's timeframe, I'll shorten the chapters up some. Also just know I won't be including every single conversation and moment from DoTD, at least before the battle for Warfang (which will also be shortened up some. This is ALL just a staging ground for the story which comes after the events of DoTD) For now, enjoy! R&R and as I always say – I in no way own Spryo the Dragon in any way. ALSO if you read any of my other stories like my TFP stuff or A Warden's Oath and see this- I'm sorry for being gone so long but I haven't forgotten you. I plan on finishing A Warden's Oath finally, but the TFP stuff will be waiting for a while as I'm taking a break from it. Just know that I love you all.
Spyro…Spyro…Spyro…
Spyro!
Weary eyes began to slowly open at the sound of voices that felt so distant…but growing closer.
"Spyro! Spyro open your eyes! Please wake up!" The voice grew louder, and soon enough a figure filled their eyes- a dragon. Black in scale with a red underbelly and wing membranes, lovely emerald eyes as color returned to their vision.
"Please…ancestors let him be okay…" Cynder muttered, though too quietly under her breath for Spyro to hear. He quickly took note that she looked different than he remembered in what felt like seconds ago.
He remembered…a flurry of memories flowed into his head. The Mountain of Malefor…the battle with Gaul…the gap in memory when he fell into the beam of Dark Aether…and the collapse of the mountain around them.
'Spyro STOP!' He heard Cynder's voice cry out.
'I can't…'
'Get close to me- NOW!' The words thundered into his memory, and he was suddenly brought back to reality, glancing around to find the two young dragons in complete darkness.
"Cynder? Wh-what happened?" Spyro stammered, he was alerted but groaned as his entire being ached from what felt like an extreme training session in the temple with Terrador.
"I…wish I knew. All I remember is seeing you and Sparx and a flash of light…and then I woke up here next to you." She explained, checking over their surroundings again. All they could see was sandy-toned stone structures in the dark and long intricate carvings along the walls.
"Was Sparx with us when you woke up?" He noted the lacking presence of his glowing companion, worrying for the dragonfly who wasn't actively talking their ears off.
"No…I only woke up a few moments ago…I haven't seen Sparks."
"Aghh…my head is pounding…" Spyro clutched his head with a paw, feeling as if he had next to no strength in his being. He also quickly realized his horns had grown some. Questions needing answers later. For now, they had to assess the current situation.
"It's not your head…" Cynder said in a grim tone, as if on cue braziers lighting up all around them. They quickly found themselves in what looked like a massive underground tomb, silhouettes of hundreds of malformed and hideous looking creatures surrounding them.
"For once I wish it was Sparx waking us up…" Cynder hissed, claws scraping across the stony ground in a defensive manner. "Get up Spyro, whatever these things are, they don't look friendly."
Spyro got to all fours as quickly as he could, wings stretching some as his muscles flexed for the first time in what felt like an eternity.
"We can still fly out of here, come on!" Spyro called, trying to flap his wings and lift off the ground, Cynder doing the same as she followed after. But the two yelped in surprise as they flopped back to the ground as something seemingly yanked their necks back to the ground level.
Spyro was up quickly and would nudge Cynder some with his snout as he helped her get back up.
"What just happened?" She asked, their eyes tracking the tug on their necks to a translucent green beam that was leading to both of their necks, alerted to emerald colored snake pendants wrapped around their necks and resting over the crest of their chests.
"What is…-" Spyro began to ask, before the ground around them started to shake and give way as some of the small gangly creatures seemed to burrow their way to the platform they found themselves on.
They charged the purple and black dragons, wielding crude weapons which looked even lesser in quality than the creations the apes had once wielded in battle, Gaul being the exception. Spyro snarled as one of the creatures came too close and quickly found itself on the end of a strong paw of his sending it flying off the platform.
Cynder would spin around and eviscerate one of the foul creatures with her scythe-like tail blade, the black dragoness' tail like a whip as it span around. Spyro would try to unleash a torrent of fire, but let out only sparks as he realized his magic reserves were drained!
"I can't use any of my powers, what about you?!" He asked, swiping at another of the beasts as they came near him, rending it apart with his claws. He blocked a few attacks with his wings before tilting his head forward to horn-bash his foe away from him.
Cynder thought about it before she'd try to muster a gust of wind from her wings, only to feel nothing happen. She knew the element better than any of the others she could wield, growling as she'd tear into one of the hideous creatures like they were made of butter!
"No luck- we need crystals!" She called back to her purple companion, trying to close the distance with the monsters before they could, yelping again as she felt her neck being held back.
"Curse this…thing! It's holding us back!" She looked back at Spyro who tail-slapped one of the creatures off the platform. His amethyst gaze traced the energy back to a round object placed in the middle of the platform, it seemed to be anchored into the device like a rope.
"Cynder, this…chain, it's anchored to the center of that device. I need to try ripping it out, watch my back!" He barked out before going to the strange device in the center, wrapping his strong paws around the odd magical beam, biting down on it too as he'd try to pull it free.
Cynder was covering him in an instant, the black dragoness defiantly refusing to let the annoying creatures reach Spyro as he worked on freeing them. She slashed and bashed every one of them that got too close to the duo. Their viscous blood coated her razor-like claws as she gave no ground to their foes, even going as far as to close her jaws around one's head and throw it from the platform!
Spyro pulled hard, his muscles screaming at him to stop as the magic refused to relent from the device. He almost gave up, but with one more strong pull the purple dragon would rip the magical rope from the center! He let out a relieved groan as he turned back to Cynder, who had dutifully protected her friend's flank.
"We're free- I think!" He called out, before a tremor shook the entire cavern around them! Rocks and jagged shards of stone fell from the ceiling. A harrowing roar rang in their eardrums before two monstrous hands reached up from the smoke-hidden edge where Spyro and Cynder could only imagine lava resided.
From the choking heat came a horrific creature the two had never seen the likes of before! It had a long body and a menacing face lit alight with an internal flame source.
"Ancestors…what is that?!" Cynder's eyes were wide like saucers, before the creature reeled it's right hand back, forming a fist before swinging down at the two dragons!
"Get back!" Spyro shoved the black dragoness to the side as the fist crashed down behind them!
"Get off me! I can move to the side on my own, thank you very much!" She growled some as he got up, silently apologizing. The creature reeled back another smash before the two dragons dodged out of the way and flew off of the platform. The two tried to go in differing directions, before being yanked back a certain distance together!
"Gah- what's your problem?!" Cynder snapped, making him flinch some…she regretted her words as they left her mouth, she hadn't meant to bite his head off.
"It's not my fault! This thing is still connected to us, we have to stick together so long as it's attached! Follow my lead!" He retorted.
"I'm the stronger flyer, I should-!" She started speaking before Spyro's eyes widened again and he clutched her close and flew them down.
"DOWN!" He yelled as a burst of flames nearly engulfed the two of them! Once they were free Cynder relented, her hardened expression softening some.
"Alright- you lead…" She sighed, clearly not used to following.
The two flew around the catacombs to avoid the monstrous being, trying desperately to find a way out as they soared! Hundreds of those smaller creatures chanted at them in a tongue neither of the two dragons could recognize.
Just when they started to worry about not being able to safely find a way out, Cynder let out a yelp as what looked like a stone wall stopped Spyro in his tracks! The purple dragon cried out as the monster grappled the purple dragon into their grip, attempting to crush him!
"SPYRO!" Cynder cried out, lunging at the giant fist as she clawed and bashed at it, their skin was strong but under assault from a dragon's claws it would still give away and lead to the beast's burning lava-like blood trickling down their fist!
Despite her efforts, their grip on Spyro wouldn't let up, Cynder desperately tried to free her friend only for the monster's grip to start tightening down more! But from nowhere an arrow whistled past the two and sank directly into the creature's left eye! It released Spyro in an instant and the two were able to break free, and shortly after howling in pain it would retreat down into the lava from which it had emerged. The creatures throughout the catacombs receded and would vanish back into the tunnels.
Once the two dragons felt they were safe for the moment, their gazes found the source of the arrow, a hooded figure armed with a bow perched up on a ledge in the catacombs, some dead creatures surrounding him. But before their eyes came a familiar buzzing figure!
"Spyro! You're alright!" Sparx cheered, hugging his brother's chest. His voice sounded a bit more toned down than when their memory faded to the Night of Eternal Darkness.
"Sparx! I'm glad to see you safe too!" Spyro let out a happy sigh, but the dragonfly pulled away and gave a mock scowl. This was typical of the dragonfly, using humor and sarcasm to hide the true meaning behind his words.
"Who said I was glad to see you?" He'd jest, but under the surface Spyro knew Sparx was glad to see them.
"And Cynder- glad to see you haven't run off again." Sparx verbally poked her, and the look Cynder gave in return was less than impressed, to which he'd relent and hold up his hands in surrender.
Spyro's gaze turned to the hooded figure perched and seemingly waiting for them.
"Who is that?" Spyro asked of his dragonfly brother.
"Him? Not sure, all he told me was 'SHHH! You're making too much noise!' when he found me. But I think he's on our side." Sparx explained, seemingly not as pleased with their rescuer.
"Well I like him already." Cynder gave the dragonfly a rare smirk, earning an eyeroll from their glowing companion. The two dragons and dragonfly would fly to the perch where the hooded figure had vanished from and passed into the doorway that they presumed he and Sparx had arrived from.
When they landed, they were greeted by him pulling his hood down, revealing his feline face. Fiery fur speckled with black spots that they spotted on part of his exposed legs, paws…but standing on only two legs. He was tall, but Spyro was sure that he and Cynder were taller than he remembered them being, going almost as high as the feline's torso, not counting their horns of course.
"At last…Spyro, Cynder – are you both alright? Injuries? Anything?" He knelt down closer to their level, showing warmness with those soft green-teal eyes of his
"Nothing serious…I feel drained but we're mostly unharmed…and thanks for the save." Spyro nodded affirmingly, returning the kind gaze from the bow-armed warrior.
"I am glad…it has been so long that I almost hadn't hoped to truly find you three." He let out an almost relieved sigh.
"See?! At least someone acknowledges me!" Sparx puffed out his chest proudly, but quickly shutting up when Cynder gave him a rather evil glare.
"Thank you for your help…but who are you?" Cynder asked now, one of her brows raised curiously.
"Apologies…I never thought I'd get far enough for introductions; my name is Hunter of Avalar." Hunter answered, a hand resting on his chest as he bowed his head ever so slightly.
"Hunter…I remember that name. On the Skavenger ship, you've been tracking me all over and ended up imprisoned like Cynder and I!" Spyro's eyes widened, remembering his time with the pirates that had captured him from the grotto in his visions before the Night of Eternal Darkness.
"For far too long have I searched…when the trail went cold after I followed your path to the Grotto the pirates fell upon me, and I was overwhelmed…Ignitus sent me to find you when you never returned to the temple…it has been…three years since my mission began." He explained, earning confused glances from all three present.
"Three years…?! We've been gone that long?" Spyro clutched his head with a paw.
"That's impossible- surely someone would have found us before then!" Cynder stammered, wings flaring some.
"Oh man…mom and dad are gonna kill us if we ever go back to the swamp." Sparx flew around in circles as if he was pacing.
"I know this is a shock, I'd be distraught in a similar fashion as well but-" He explained, but soon another roar and tremor in the catacombs shook everything all around them. "-we're not safe here. Once we get out, I'll be happy to catch you three up to speed…much has changed."
"One thing though- what are these creatures who've been attacking us? I've never seen the likes of them during our time fighting the apes." Spyro asked of the Cheetah warrior, who turned back to him.
"They are Grublins, vile creatures they are. I'll explain everything once we get out of here. Quickly!" And with that Hunter drew his bow again and darted off into the catacombs.
After several life-threatening attacks from the giant monster had ensued, leading the thing to lose an arm due to slamming its fist into a waterfall, the group were no longer hindered and made it to a clearer room in the catacombs. Spyro and Cynder let out sighs of relief as they spotted one of those fantastic green crystals just beckoning them to finally restore their reserves.
"Hunter…give us a moment. We need to regain some of our strength." Spyro pleaded, earning a confirming nod from the Cheetah.
"Fascinating race you dragons are…drawing your fantastic powers from these crystals. Dragons truly deserve better than the low point they find themselves in." Hunter looked on in slight awe as he watched the two approach the crystal.
"Yeah, it's cool and all…until a dragon tries to eat you like an afternoon snack. And by a dragon, I mean her!" Sparx pointed at Cynder, earning an almost hurt glare from her, but Hunter shook his head.
"I am aware of Cynder's past, Ignitus made sure I knew the stories in their full extent. We cheetahs have been faced with the Terror of the Skies. What I see is a young dragon who had her life ripped away from her until Spyro came along. I trust Ignitus and he trusts Cynder. That's all the affirmation I need as to her innocence." He spoke in an almost proud manner regarding the black dragoness. Cynder gave the dragonfly a cheeky grin in return as well as a stuck-out tongue.
The two would approach the crystal and embrace it as they were brought face to face with the Chronicler once more to remind them of the powers they could wield…much as they didn't feel they themselves needed a reminder of. Though, Spyro raised a brow as he listened to Cynder's dark elements being listed, not having known the true extent her own…though, wind was a rather innocent one.
"I never knew you could wield four elements like me, Cynder…" He sheepishly smiled, earning a slight smile from her.
"I…never really used them while I was at the temple with you and the guardians. I was too afraid to show them I still had access to my old powers." She tilted her head down some, but he placed a paw on her shoulder, offering that same warm smile which made her feel a bit lighter.
"I think they're remarkable." He affirmed, before quickly retreating his paw, the two dragons averting their gazes from each other a moment. Hunter broke their concentration as he cleared his throat.
"We must keep moving- but with those crystals you two should be in more fighting shape. Perhaps getting out of here will go more swiftly now." Hunter readied his bow as he leaped impressively to the next level which led to the way out.
"Where are we going Hunter? Before we ended up here, we were in the Well of Souls..." Spyro tried to wrap his head around their current predicament. Cynder didn't voice her own concerns, but she had the same worries as Spryo. Three years of their lives gone in the blink of an eye seemingly.
"An abandoned catacomb in the Valley of Avalar's outer reaches…that's all I can say for now. They grublins carried you both a great distance from the Mountain of Malefor." He explained to the two dragons and dragonfly.
"Remind me…how far is Avalar from the swamp?" Sparx asked, trying to stay involved.
"A few hours flight likely if the old maps Ignitus showed us at the temple were accurate…and since Volteer confirmed it…they definitely were." Spyro reminisced on his old teachers, wondering how they'd view him for being gone so long.
'What will Ignitus say?' He thought to himself, worry gripping his heart.
"We're almost out I think…I'm starting to feel a draft on my fur…there must be a way out, come!" Hunter called back to the two, the both of them flapping their wings and following after the Cheetah with Sparx in tow.
The trio led by Hunter were approaching the end of the catacombs, but they all couldn't help but feel that this was far too easy of an escape…and they would be all too right, unfortunately.
Before their way out appeared a small horde of grublins, waving their crude clubs and other various weapons, charging at the group. Hunter drew his bow and put an arrow right between the eyes of one of the grublins. Spyro and Cynder charged into the fray to meet the beasts in battle…while Sparx hid behind the Cheetah!
"Mind if I just stay here?" The dragonfly asked in a rather skittish manner, to which Hunter just grunted as he drew another arrow before releasing it! Each time he let loose an arrow, a grublin fell and he seemingly never missed his shots.
Spyro glowed with green energy as he turned into a ball of earth energy, rolling into the crowd of grublins like a flail, carving a path into their crowd which Cynder followed through, letting out a gust of wind to knock them all off balance! She'd cleave into a few with her claws as Spryo came charging back to her side, comet-dashing into a trio of the misshapen creatures, sending them flying into some of their allies.
The two kept tugging against each other when they got too far apart from each other, groaning as they had to adjust to fighting back-to-back. The two fought completely differently, but they also mirrored each other's strengths and weaknesses. Where Spyro could rend through them with his claws and tank hits which connected on him, he could shrug the hits off better and counter-attack. Cynder was fighting tooth and nail to keep herself from being struck, like a blur she tore through the monsters at lightning-like speed! The grublins were simply too slow to strike at the black dragoness. Her tail whipped around like a scythe as it cut through the monsters, poison lining the blade. If any grublin survived the initial attack from her tail blade, the poison would finish them off in mere seconds following the attack.
All in all, the two were a lethal duo despite their odds with the chain keeping them connected. Hunter could only note that they were clearly frustrated at being tethered together, but he also noted that…they worked extremely well together.
'Their bond must be stronger than Ignitus could have guessed…or perhaps he knew more than he revealed to me.' He thought to himself, before sinking another arrow into the head of a grublin which had tried to sneak up on him!
"Orcs!" Hunter called out as another trio of grublins appeared, these ones being taller than the others armed with crude axes. The two dragons had nearly finished off all of the little ones before their gazes fell on the larger of the creatures. They charged to join the battle, axes raised and chanting in their strange, unknowable language!
Hunter stowed his bow and drew a shortsword on his hip as he charged to join the young dragons in battle, not wishing to leave them outnumbered…even if he felt they could handle it. He closed the distance with the one on the far left of the group, sword clashing with the haft of their axe! He was taller than the grublin and stronger, but they were still vicious and lashed out at the cheetah.
Spyro played the fight defensively, green energy surrounding him before he'd raise his forepaws up, slamming down and creating a pillar of earth which uppercut the orc! It fell to the ground with a screech before he lunched at the monster, bashing and cutting at it with his claws!
Cynder, however, went on the attack immediately, her body being surrounded by shadows as she seemingly submerged into the ground! The orc looked around confusedly until the black dragoness sprung right back up and slashed an uppercut to the beast! But the orc didn't fall back and managed to recover in time to swing her way- they were tough for sure! She avoided the axe and would go in to slash with her tail, but the orc would pull the axe back and block her tail's attack before it could land.
The orc Spyro was attacking managed to shove the purple dragon away and swung in a flurry of attacks, the blade was so dull it would be lucky to pierce his scales, but it still hurt to be struck by! He blocked with his wings before leaping up to catch the axe's haft between his jaws, reeling back to disarm the orc, swinging around to sweep their legs out with his tail!
"That's it Spyro, give'em the ol' one-two!" Sparx cheered on his adoptive dragon brother!
Cynder managed to recover the offensive against the orc, truthfully they weren't a great fighter but the two dragons weren't familiar with how they fought, unlike the brutish apes who relied on pure strength alone. Cynder would note the orc was rather bad at protecting the head, to which she took full advantage of with a gust of wind before letting out a piercing blast of what she liked to call fear-fire! The black and red flames set the orc ablaze, the hideous creature screeching as the flames burnt past their stony skin.
Hunter managed to block and avoid the axe of the orc on him, disarming the orc with his sword before thrusting the sword into the orc's gut, their dark and corrupted blood painting his blade before it fell to the ground in a heap.
"These creatures are hideous…eugh…the smell isn't much better." Cynder gave a disgusted sneer as they were no longer in a haze of battle, the smell of burnt grublin flesh now more than apparent.
Hunter could only chuckle in response. "I'm afraid it doesn't get better…nor does the smell improve, I'm afraid."
"That's unfortunate…" Spyro huffed, he wasn't as bothered by it, but nothing about these creatures was pleasant. The moment, however, was broken up when the catacombs shook once again and a massive fist rose up and slammed down near them, blocking their to-be exit!
"Oh man oh man…! We're gonna die…we're gonna die!" Sparx kept repeating himself, doing his best to not even be seen by the giant monster.
The monster reappeared and let out a shaking roar as it tried to slam it's fist down onto the ground near them, trying to smoosh the two annoying little dragons which had made it lose an arm! They were quick to move aside, but the creature seemed determined to get one of them and set their sights on Cynder!
It would swing the massive hand back and swatted Cynder into a nearby wall, Spyro skidding along the floor as he was dragged a bit from the impact of the smack!
"Cynder!" He yelped, going to her side to get her up in an instant. He nudged her with his snout and she was quick to reopen her eyes, her own widening like saucers as she suddenly grabbed the purple dragon and rocketed them to the other side of the room with a gust of wind as they avoided another devastating slam from that fist!
They landed with a thud, Cynder rolling atop him! They two eyed each other a moment as their cheeks warmed up some, but they quickly shrugged it off as she clambered to her paws. Hunter drew another arrow back and let it loose, but he didn't manage to land his shot this time and missed the beast's eye, dodging aside as it tried to crush the cheetah!
"We can't fight the golem here, but it's blocking our path!" Hunter growled, trying again to land a shot! But the arrow just bounced off of the golem's stone-like skin!
"I've got an idea, but I need to get closer to the exit! Follow my lead!" Spyro called out, none of the group argued with him- though Sparx was still hesitant to leave his hiding place! But the two dragons, dragonfly, and cheetah would charge to the entrance. They had to avoid a fist-slam on the way, but once they reached the exit behind Spyro, the golem would reel their fist back once more and go to crush them that instant!
But Spyro would stop at the entrance, confusing them all before green energy surrounded him once more, and with a roar he'd rise up and slam his forepaws back down into the ground! With a shuddering crash, a wall of stone would shoot up from the ground and intercept the golem's fist before it could crush the group!
"Go, now!" Spyro called, he and Cynder taking to the air before the stone wall could give way to the golem with Sparx after them, Hunter moving in a full sprint after the two young dragons!
Cynder was still reeling from the slap she'd received, slowed down some. She could hear the stone wall come crashing down and she soon saw the fist chasing after her! But she wouldn't end up grabbed by the monster, she wouldn't give it the satisfaction as she'd muster her strength to let out another gust of wind, quickly darting out of the passage and away from the golem's reach!
There was a final tremor-like crash in the tunnel and a roar from behind, but they paid it no mind. All they cared for was escaping the accursed catacombs.
The flying trio followed Hunter as he leapt and darted throughout the cave system leading out of the catacombs. They had guessed they found the way out when they started to feel a draft of air passing through the caves, creeping over their scales, fur and…whatever dragonflies were made of?
"I see some light, should be our exit!" Hunter called back to the flying trio as they darted through the cavern and over the water which was now rushing in the same direction they flew. Moonlight started to peak into the caves, and they spotted what looked like clouds at the mouth of the path!
"Finally, the open sky!" Cynder said happily, having seen enough of the insides of mountains to last a lifetime. Spyro smiled as they flew alongside each other, the cool air of the water going over their scales as they finally exited the mouth.
They were greeted to the gorgeous sight of the Valley of Avalar's distant fringes, looking down over the expanse from the tip of a waterfall which stemmed from the cave. The celestial moons shined down upon the land like a soft blanket of white light, the greens and blues of the valley pleasing to the eyes.
Spyro marveled at it before his sights fell upon Hunter, who was (seemingly) effortlessly leaping and jumping down the rocky slope leading down from the falls and cave. He could only wonder if all Cheetahs were as agile and skilled as Hunter, or if he was an outlier for his people.
Soon the ground would come into view and the trio would land, giving their wings a moment to rest. Hunter kept his bow at the ready, his eyes carefully darting around.
"I'll go ahead to find us a spot for a fire which won't give us away, give it an hour…the valley will be swarming with grublins. When you're ready-" He'd point one of his paw-like hands up to a tree line past a cliff edge higher up. "-find me there. We'll rest tonight and start for our destination come dawn. For now, take water while I gather us firewood…and a meal."
With that, the cheetah was off once again, quickly vanishing into the brush of the woods, leaving the two dragons and Sparx alone.
"Well while he gets food suitable for you three, I'm gonna wrestle with some butterflies and get a bite! I'm starving!" The dragonfly zoomed off into the woods as well.
"Come back and meet us here when you're done, and stay out of trouble!" Spyro called back, rolling his eyes as the duo turned to the streaming river leading further into the valley. Cynder didn't say anything before she sat down on her haunches, dipping her long neck down as she'd start to slowly drink from the cool water, a soft and relieved exhale leaving her snout.
Spyro sat down next to her, sitting down on his own haunches as he leaned down to dip his mouth into the water as he began to take deep gulps of the cold and refreshing water. But when he pulled himself back, he turned his attention to the black dragoness to his right…he had always thought Cynder was pretty…but now under the moonlight in these different forms they now seemed to possess after being frozen for three years…
'Stunning…' He thought to himself. Spryo took quick note of something else, however.
"Cynder?" He asked softly, getting a glance from her left eye in his direction, but she didn't stop drinking from the river as she listened to him.
"Where are your anklets? Your tail ring…your choker? I know you were wearing them at the Well of Souls…at least, I remember you wearing them…pretty sure…" The purple dragon fumbled with his words some, earning a bit of a stiff reaction from her as she pulled her muzzle up finally, wiping some water away from her chin.
"While the chronicler spoke to us…I removed and buried them as he spoke to you of your powers." She said a bit dryly, as if she was hoping this discussion wouldn't come up.
"But…the guardians enchanted them to protect you from Malefor's control. I just don't…I don't want you to be put at risk." He sounded sincere, but a dark look crossed her face.
"And this bothers you?!" She hissed, another exhale leaving her snout.
"I…a little…as a matter of fact." He spoke firmly now, not backing down from her less-than welcoming retort. "Ignitus and Volteer put a lot of work into those enchantments to keep you safe."
The memory of how the guardians had taken their own steps into showing their regret for her egg being taken made her heart ache a little. Ignitus most of all only felt sorrow for her plight when she was stolen during the Year of the Dragon.
Even still…this seemed to cut deeper than even he could see.
"They may have changed them for the better…but every time I looked at them in a mirror…I could only remember being the monster who once wore them. They're from the worst part of my life and I'd sooner bury it than be reminded every day of the fact I was a slave to Gaul and the Apes…a slave to him." She hissed, and Spyro could only imagine the pain she felt in the memories from serving the Dark Master.
"I will not be the monster they made me…not again, not ever." She huffed, looking back down into the water and away from Spyro.
At times, Spyro had contemplated Cynder's life if somehow her egg had been saved.
A life she deserved more.
"You were never a monster, Cynder…I'm not asking you to forget. Never forget what they put you through. I just wish you would stop blaming yourself." Spyro gave her a firm look, she almost looked like she'd retaliate, but seeing his look told her that she was rushing to judgement.
"I did awful things Spyro…I can't just act like I'm innocent, even if I'm not who I once was." Her shoulders slouched some, wings also flattening and drooping to the ground.
"You didn't do those things, the Terror of the Skies did. Last I checked, they've been lone gone for three years, you're Cynder...someone who I know would never cause such terror, and the fact you feel remorse for is telltale enough." He stated firmly, turning his attention to the water and letting his words sit with her. She almost spoke up, but she remained silent as the words hitched in her throat.
'Thanks, Spyro.' She mused, silently cursing herself for not just simply telling him.
They were there for what felt like forever before Sparx returned, alerting them both as he let out a bellowing belch!
"Sparx!" Spyro groaned, rubbing a paw over his face tiredly. Cynder just gave the dragonfly a sneer and eyeroll.
"What?! Just my compliments to…well there's no chef but those were some pretty tasty moths." Sparx said with a little chuckle. Spyro turned his attention back to the water, but Sparx wasn't done.
"So I gotta ask…my voice has changed some. But you two…you've literally grown. What's up with that?" He asked. "You'd think being frozen in time would still have you both looking not a day older than sixteen…" Sparx rubbed his chin, not really knowing how dragon time worked.
"Actually…that's a good question. When we were stuck like Hunter says we were, we should still look like we did three years ago…but that isn't the case." Cynder finally spoke up, turning her head to Spyro.
"I had a theory about that actually…when I used dragon time to freeze us…I was in a way winging it." He smiled sheepishly. "When I encased us in the crystal, I think…I may have just frozen us in time, but I was still learning dragon time. I think of it…Sparx, you remember some of the gas bubbles that would come up in the swamp? They'd release the fissure gas and it let out air when they'd pop." He asked of his dragonfly brother, who nodded.
"Yeah, and it smelled awfully, almost as bad as you!" Sparx jabbed, but Spyro didn't honor him with a retort.
"Well…when the crystal was found by the grublins and opened, I theorize that…the 'contents'…being us, were released. Time has a certain energy to it and it was merely bottled up in that crystal for three years. Once the crystal opened up, I think we aged three years in a matter of seconds." Spyro looked between the two of them for their own thoughts.
"If that's true…we could have been trapped for a thousand years but wither away in seconds if released." Cynder shuddered at the thought.
"Greeeeeat, I really needed to picture that." Sparx whined, his light fading ever so slightly. "So you're saying…or, you think, we aged three years the moment that crystal was popped open. Well, makes sense why you don't look as round as you used to. That weight had to go somewhere and you got taller." Sparx would poke the purple dragon again.
"Speaking of three years ago…" Spyro's gaze fell back into the clear water of the flowing river, looking at himself in the reflection of the water. "I have to ask…my memory has been coming back. But…when the celestial moons aligned the night I fought Gaul…what happened to me?" He asked, though he didn't turn to face either of his companions.
Cynder and Sparx both froze, their muscles going stiff as they were suddenly at a loss for words. They both remembered the awful sight of Gaul's body being turned to stone and the chilling sight of the shadowy form of Spyro with those piercing white eyes.
The memory chilled them both to their core.
Sparx looked as if he was about to say something, but Cynder gave him a glare which shut him up.
"No…we don't remember Spyro. All we remember is the beam of dark aether and you striking down Gaul before we were frozen in time. I'm still recovering my own memory as well." She tried to move them past this topic for Spyro's sake more than theirs.
She feared deep down how he'd react to the dark truth of what happened that awful night. What would he say if he was told how he killed Gaul?
"Something…had to have happened. All I remember was falling through the floor when Gaul broke it…only to wake up and feel so drained and you shouting at me to…stop? I…it's just so frustrating. Something had to happen cause when I woke up Gaul was gone and the mountain was falling apart around us." Spyro seemed distraught about it, and Cynder felt guilty about hiding the truth. But she felt as if it was the right call to not tell him the full extent yet.
"Yeah…sorry bro but I'm drawing a blank." Sparx said, giving Cynder an understanding nod. "But maybe we'll figure it out another time."
Before they could say anything more, a flame-lit arrow shot up from the tree line above them.
"Looks like the cool cat's back." Sparx tried to change the subject. "We best get up there." Cynder nodded and went to Spyro as she nudged him a bit, and he just let out a sigh before they lifted off the ground, turning to fly where Hunter had signaled them from with Sparx close by.
Hunter had made quick work of gathering firewood, filling up waterskins, and finding some game for them to fill their bellies in the form of a trio of rabbits.
Hunter was catching them up to speed on what had transpired while they were frozen away, a skewered rabbit in his hand as he told the story.
"After the Night of Eternal Darkness, Malefor returned to the world and created his new layer…which he has suspended above the land in the Burned Lands past the Belt of Fire." He accented his point as he directed his skewered rabbit to the menacing fortress far above the volcano in the dark region off in the distance from the valley.
Cynder and Spyro could only shiver some at the sight, the dark and floating fortress suspended above the active volcano had a dominating presence…deep down it churned in their bellies to think that Malefor had created it in such short time.
"What about the apes?" Cynder asked, though there was some poison to her her voice before she bit down into some rabbit, taking out her anger for the very race in that bite it seemed.
Spyro, and even Sparx sometimes, worried about her when she got that way. Even back at the temple three years ago, she had moments where she lashed out at the very thought of the apes.
"Ah…Malefor returned to the world and was presented a leaderless apes. He rewarded them for their lack of loyalty to him with a curse…at least, that's what my people believe. We haven't seen them ever since he returned, but I don't imagine the bounty they were given was what Gaul promised them for their service to the Dark Master." Hunter rubbed his chin.
"So, the grublins…they serve him now?" Spyro asked, having a bite of rabbit, to which Sparx gagged some from the prospect of eating meat.
"Yes…a rather tragic race they are. Malefor created them after the apes vanished, they know only violence. We cannot reason with them, nor can we strive for peace with their race. Unlike the apes who served Malefor by choice…the grublins were created to serve him. They're bred to bring an end to the world of dragons and nothing more." Hunter explained. "We know not how to fully speak their language, but some of the dragons attempted to learn it and during the long three years we waited for your return, some attempted contact with the grublins…it only ended with violence and never bore fruit."
Spyro sighed sadly, earning a raised brow from Hunter and Sparx, while Cynder gave him a sympathetic look. She never shied away from fighting and defending herself, but the purple dragon had a good heart and he never liked seeking fights unless necessary.
She draped a wing over him subconsciously, making his cheeks warm up. She hadn't realized what her body did but…it was happening.
"So, there's no way to make peace with them?" Spyro asked, hoping for some good response from Hunter…only for the cheetah to shake his head.
"I wish it were possible Spyro, but they're bent upon our destruction. Nothing less will satisfy them as it is what their master created them to believe." He leaned forward, having another bite of his rabbit as he took a breather before continuing.
A piercing screech sounded from above, drawing their gazes to the sky as a feathery figure soared down towards the group. In the light of the fire came the shape of a gorgeous falcon as Hunter raised an arm for it to perch on one of his gloves.
"Ana." He smiled, ripping off some of the rabbit as he offered the falcon a small sliver of the meat before turning his gaze back to Spyro and Cynder. "She has been my closest companion for many winters. She carries messages for me in short time and acts as my eyes in the sky." The cheetah explained.
Spyro and Cynder admired the pretty bird of prey…while Sparx cowered in fear behind one of Spyro's horns as the bird darted it's gaze around those present.
"Don't let it eat me!" He cowered, earning a scoff from Cynder.
"Fear not Sparx, she wouldn't attempt to do so unless I ordered…probably." The cheetah smiled, earning an annoyed frown from Sparx, while he reached down to one of his pockets and retrieved a small scroll of paper, the falcon taking it into one of their talons.
"Tell Ignitus I've found them." He ordered, letting the falcon take off into the sky once more, vanishing into the night.
He turned back to the dragons and Sparx, raising the rabbit up to finish off before setting his skewer stick aside. Spyro and Cynder had finished their own rabbits shortly before, it wasn't enough to fill their bellies fully but it would keep them appeased for now.
Spyro glanced down at the translucent rope connecting him to Cynder.
"Do you know what this is, Hunter?" Spyro asked of the cheetah, who shook his head grimly.
"Afraid not young dragon…I've never seen anything like it." Hunter frowned; it was clear he didn't like being uninformed.
"I find it pretty funny seeing you two bicker when you get caught up on it." Sparx chuckled as he watched the two of them, earning another scowl from Cynder.
"We just have to accept that we're stuck with it…maybe we can get help breaking it off when we return to the guardians." Cynder suggested, and Spyro just gave her a nod in agreement. Cynder however returned her gaze to Hunter.
"What about that monster that attacked us, Hunter? You called it a…golem?" Cynder asked softly. "I thought the golems were just myths after studying with Cyril."
"I'm afraid that old belief couldn't be further from the truth. They're the embodiment of destruction and were awakened by Malefor himself to serve in his mission. Though that one…it was easily the largest of the ones we've seen. The guardians have confronted a few before but not so large…we're lucky to have made it out of the catacombs safely." Hunter seemed to be deep in thought regarding the golems.
"We've been at war ever since Malefor's arrival, the remaining dragons rallied to the guardians, but their numbers continue to dwindle…the rest of their mortal forces lose hope by the day." He let out a heavy sigh.
Spyro also had a worried look on his face, eyes looking down at the ground.
Sparx knew his brother all too well to know he was just 'fine'.
"Hey bro, you alright?" Sparx asked of Spyro.
"No…I'm really not, Sparx. If I hadn't vanished for three years, I could have stopped this from happening maybe! I could have stood against Malefor and kept this from getting worse." Spyro stammered, his wings furled with frustration.
"Spyro man we're barely past being teenagers now, I'm sorry to say this but if the big bad dragons back then couldn't actually stop Malefor and had to trap him instead, I'm not so sure you could beat him either." Sparx tried to affirm Spyro's actions.
"He's right Spyro, had you been here, Malefor could have come after you before you were prepared. If you had been struck down then, all hope would have died in that moment." Hunter comforted the purple dragon. "You have a chance to prepare further to face him now."
"But if I hadn't been gone for three years I could have spent it training to face him if I-."
"If you hadn't come to save me." Cynder sighed, sadly looking at the ground now, Spyro's amethyst gaze darted to her in an instant, regretting his choice of words.
"N-no…I don't regret coming to find you in the Well of Souls." He gave her a sad look. "I wouldn't let you be killed or turned back to Malefor's side…I wouldn't let you be used again." Spyro said firmly now, rising back to a standing position before he instead sat on his haunches. "If I had to make the choice again, I would."
Cynder would have said something to retort, but his confident expression in regards to the decision he made said everything. He spoke no lies. He had no regrets about coming to her aid.
Before they could share more words, a flash of green energy surged out of the brush and struck Cynder! She collapsed in an instant, eyes shut and unresponsive.
"Hey is she that sleepy?" Sparx asked, Spyro spinning around to the brush before he too was stuck by another green bolt, out cold like Cynder was!
Sparx could only wince as one came flying at him, the dragonfly falling to the ground between the two dragons.
Hunter was on his feet in an instant, but his bow was lowered when he saw familiar figures appearing from the brush, stowing his bow and simply raising his paws up in surrender
"Oh no…" He let out in a breathy sigh.