PROLOGUE

Amber shivered.

Normally, her fur would keep her warm, but a brush covered in thick, black ink traced along her face, neck, and shoulders, leaving behind a trail of cool patterns that made her squirm.

"Amber, be still."

Amber stiffened, doing her best to ignore the cold, tingling sensation that was repeatedly running along her neck. Each stroke urged her to reach out and smack the source of annoyance away, but she held herself back. This was important. The ordeal couldn't be much longer now.

She endured another few minutes of tickling before the other cheetah set down her brush and inspected her handiwork. Her paws gently guided Amber back and forth, turning and lifting her head when necessary. Once she was satisfied, she smiled and stood, reaching a paw down toward Amber and helping her up.

"You're ready."

The words filled Amber with excitement and dread. It had been a long, arduous week of effort, but she had proved to herself and everyone else that she was capable of taking her place among her people. Traditionally, every cheetah that came of age was required to show the accumulation of the teaching and training they had received during their life through various tests. Hunting, fighting, singing, and dancing were a few of them, and each was representative of her inheritance.

Amber found it sad, then, that some of the cheetahs that lived in the city didn't follow the traditions that her people had practiced for generations. Life in Warfang came with its own culture and customs, causing some to take those on in lieu of their own. Amber's mother, Ruby, was one of these cheetahs, and it was a sore point between them. Amber thought that their culture was important and should be preserved, no matter where in the Dragon Realms they lived, but her mother thought differently. Perhaps this would change when Amber showed her the marks she had earned, but only time would tell.

Amber looked around the dimly lit room. The shadowy figures lining the walls were almost invisible, if not for the flashing of their teeth. They whispered amongst themselves eagerly, making her wonder if they disapproved her for some reason.

She crossed her arms and scowled. Why would I care about what they think? I don't need their approval, let alone anyone else's. I've proven that today.

Was that true, though? Amber winced as the concerned and disappointed face of a certain human came to mind, making her paws curl inward. She didn't need to care about what he thought. He was lost, having been bewitched by the spawn of evil herself, and unless she and those who believed in Vesper's vision acted, he would remain that way.

I won't let that happen. Not while I have the chance to change everything.

Amber bit her lip angrily. She wouldn't have to be doing this if she had been more protective of him. Why had she ever decided to let Nova near him? Had she been fooled too? Had she let herself falter because Kiran was so good at making her drop her guard? Or was it something else? Something deeper, that she didn't want to consider, that had led to this horrible mistake?

Whatever it may have been, Amber knew without a doubt that it was a regret that burned deeply within her heart.

And she hated herself for it.

A hush fell over the room when a cheetah stepped forward and raised her arms. Amber stood tall, her tail flicking back and forth, and lifted her chin as Vesper stepped into the candlelight and motioned Amber forward.

"Your ancestors would be proud of what you've accomplished," Vesper said with a widening smile. "Not only have you shown that you're as capable as any other, having upheld the traditions of our people, but your prowess in combat is a sight to behold. Allow me to extend my compliments for such a fine display of skill and welcome you into the world as a fully-fledged adult. Please, give Amber your praise!"

The crowd purred happily and clapped their paws together. A deep sense of pride washed over Amber. She couldn't help but lift her head higher, beaming, before a thought caused her elation to come crashing down.

I wouldn't be nearly as exceptional if it wasn't for Kiran, would I? He gave me a gift no one else could and trained with me. Would I be receiving the same praise if he hadn't?

Amber growled inwardly and shoved that thought away. She had worked hard for this moment and wouldn't let any lingering pain ruin it. She continued to enjoy the moment, although slightly less than before, as the cheers gradually died down.

Vesper began to speak again, though her voice was now low and full of tension, filling the room with silent unease. "Though today is a day of celebration, we also gather for another reason. Few are willing to admit that a problem exists within Warfang, and even fewer are willing to speak. Of those that do, only a pawful have the strength and courage to act."

A murmur of agreement followed. Amber dipped her head and squared her shoulders to forestall the unease creeping up her spine. Something about Vesper's silky-smooth voice unsettled her. It shouldn't, as it held the comforting and boisterous tone a politician always carried, but there was an underlying sweetness to it that felt off.

Amber didn't know why that was, but it didn't matter. She had respect for Vesper. She had done everything she could as a councilwoman to change the city for the better, minimal as that may have been, and truly cared for her people. It wasn't her fault that she couldn't do more, as the dragons held their power jealously. It was a never-ending battle to whittle away their strength. No tricks, no games, just a straightforward and lawful assault on a monster that only seemed to grow stronger.

This was the way things were. At least, until Nova shattered any hope that existed to see equal justice within Warfang. Her pardon had proven that the majority of the council was corrupt and that they only cared to serve dragons. Their grip was absolute, and if something wasn't done, it would only be a matter of time before their natural corruption began another catastrophe.

Amber couldn't let that happen, and Vesper was the only cheetah she knew that was willing to do something about it. So, when whispers of Vesper's resistance reached her ears, Amber jumped at the opportunity. Alone, she could do nothing, but with others that believed the same that she did?

Anything was possible.

"The dragons are a menace that must be stopped," Vesper said, slowly raising her voice. "They will continue to trample us into the dust until there's nothing left!"

A deep murmur rose up from those gathered, growing in noise. Amber felt her paws begin to tremble as her anger with the city and its leaders grew.

Vesper waited for the crowd to settle before she continued, filling her voice with a deep, menacing growl. "For too long, we have sat idly while the demons that perpetuate injustice bask in their lofty positions over us. For too long, the equality and strength that we deserve has been kept from us, with no intention of change!"

Instead of murmurs, there were now deep, hate-filled growls. Some spit on the floor in disgust, while others flexed their claws angrily, as if pressing them around the neck of some unknown foe.

Vesper's paw cut across her chest. "BUT NO LONGER!" The room went deathly quiet, and no one drew a breath as they waited eagerly for what she would say. "For we hold the future of our lives, nay, the world, in our very paws! Many of you have already received the gift that will allow us to take back what is due to us, and soon we will do what is necessary to secure the future that we have envisioned. I yearn for that day, but tonight, we once again gather to invite a courageous and virtuous cheetah into our midst."

Vesper motioned toward Amber, and all eyes in the room focused on her. Her heart skipped a beat, but she refused to allow any weakness or doubt to show. She held her head high, puffed out her chest, and laid bare all the marks that proved she was as worthy as those around her. A few heads inclined her way, but some of the eyes that glimmered in the dark shot her doubtful looks. Amber glared back at them, daring them to challenge her, but her focus snapped back to Vesper as the cheetah stepped toward her.

"Amber," she said, stopping a few feet away. "Are you ready to do what is required to save not only yourself, but all the people of Warfang?"

There was a sliver of hesitation in her mind. Was she? Was this the right thing to do? What she would be agreeing to would be considered criminal, if not treasonous. Worst of all, if it failed, her future and those of her people would be placed in jeopardy.

However, if she didn't join this movement, the dragons would continue to throttle any that opposed their rule. Kiran would never be free from Nova's grasp, and there wouldn't be any chance for the Terror of the Skies to finally face justice for what she had done.

Her doubt was washed away in an instant. She knew what she had to do, and she would never give up on Kiran. No matter what pain she had to endure, no matter what mountain she had to climb, she would do whatever it took to save him from his fate. He was her friend, a ridiculous, bumbling, hard-to-understand one, but Amber valued him more than he knew. He had helped her to grow stronger than she ever would have on her own and was kinder to her than she sometimes felt she deserved.

No, there were no doubts anymore. It was time to act.

Amber nodded. "I'm ready."

Vesper smiled, though Amber felt it lacked the warmth she would have expected. Vesper snapped her claws and a cheetah emerged from the shadows. They carried a small, ornate wooden box with a golden engraving of an eagle and handed it to Vesper with a bow. Vesper accepted the box, waved them away, and carefully brought the box forward.

"This," she said soberly, "is the key to our future. I pray to our ancestors that you will survive to harness the power it provides."

What? Survive?

"I don't understand, Vesper," Amber said. "I thought—"

"You cannot gain the power you desire without risk," Vesper hissed, making Amber flinch. "You must commit to our cause or be cast out like the rest of the doubtful fools before you. It's your choice."

Amber's chest swelled up with anger. She wouldn't turn back now, not when she was so close to acquiring this secret power that would allow her to do what she had always wanted. In one swift motion, Amber kneeled in front of Vesper and presented her right paw to her. Vesper took her paw with a surprisingly strong grip and flipped the lid of the box open. Inside, resting on plush, purple cushions, was a pulsating and vibrant dark crystal that crackled with energy.

The sight of the crystal made Amber's stomach heave, and she took in a sharp breath. That's the source? One of those damned crystals?! That… that can't be right!

Reflexively, she pulled her paw back, but Vesper had an iron grip on it. She leaned down while rolling her paw over Amber's in a comforting way. "Trust me, Amber," Vesper said with a sickeningly sweet voice. "Your strength, if it is sufficient, will pull you through your last trial."

Amber's eyes widened with fear. She tried to pull away but was no closer to doing so than moving a mountain. As her heart hammered against her chest, she felt the crystal press against the back of her paw.

For just a moment, nothing happened.

Then, everything was drowned out as a horrible, piercing pain seared every fiber of her body. She fell to the ground, writhing like a fish snatched from a river, and screamed louder than she ever had before. Her mind filled with nothing but the sound and feeling of her own destruction, and it wasn't long before darkness overtook her.


Spyro gasped for air as he lurched awake, trying to rid his lungs of the non-existent smoke that he had been drowning in. A paw flew to his chest, gripping at his thundering heart, and it took a few seconds of agonizing wheezing before his body and mind realized that he was safe. Slowly, he escaped the sleepy haze that shrouded his psyche, finally noticing the foreign paw pressing onto his shoulder.

"Spyro, what is it? What's wrong?" Cynder's familiar, comforting voice asked.

Spyro let his head fall onto her shoulder and shook it with a grimace. He opened his mouth to speak but only succumbed to a coughing fit.

"N-nightmares," he croaked.

That only deepened the frown on Cynder's face. She pulled Spyro into a loving embrace and nuzzled him softly while intertwining her tail with his.

She softly brushed a wing along his back. "Is it about the Belt of Fire again?"

Spyro shook his head a second time, though he could understand why she would think that: Occasionally, he would have vivid dreams about the moment that Ignitus had sacrificed his life for them, and it tore open previously closed wounds. He would never be able to forget what had happened on that day, and whenever that particular nightmare occurred, it left him wishing for things to be different. That would never come to be, and the guilt for leaving Ignitus behind always lingered in his heart, although it had lessened over time.

It was odd, then, that this nightmare was so different.

Warfang, the city that he had bled and fought for on more than one occasion, was burning. Battle cries filled the air as teeth and claws, swords and shields clashed in the dim, smoke-filled streets. Spyro found himself flying overhead, bloody and battered, striving with all his might to get somewhere.

He scrunched up his face in concentration. Where was it? What was he searching for? It was on the tip of his tongue, he could have sworn it!

The memory hit him like a sack of bricks across the face. Gasping, he jumped out of his bed, which surprised Cynder.

"Spyro! What's going on?!"

He ignored her. He had to make sure that she was safe, that his nightmare wasn't true! With grace and speed that didn't match his size, he dove out of his bedroom and tore through the halls of his home, with only a whisper of wind following him. In seconds, he reached Nova's door and ripped it open, his mind racing with images of what he might find.

Please don't be true! Ancestors, let her be safe!

His fear had been for naught. Nova lay on her bed, uninjured and undisturbed, without any sign that anything was wrong. Spyro let out a shuddering breath, realizing with a start that he had been holding it in the entire time. A moment later, Cynder was at his side, digging her claws into the floors with clear distress.

"Spyro!" she whispered harshly. "What are you doing?"

Spyro let his head fall and closed the door, thankful that Nova hadn't been woken. He turned to Cynder and wiped a tired paw across his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Cyn," he said, meeting her gaze. "But I don't think my nightmare — Nova, she was —"

Cynder brushed her snout against his, putting an end to that line of thinking. "It's alright, Spyro. We're safe. She's safe."

"I know, I just…" He sighed. "Thinking about it, I don't think it was a nightmare. It was too vivid, too real, just like the visions I had when I was younger. There was something about them that just scared me in a way that a dream couldn't."

"So, you think you had a vision?"

"...I do. And that's what worries me."

Cynder took some time to contemplate his words. "If it was a vision, and it has any semblance of what may come, then we'll prepare. We'll make sure that the future that lies ahead won't be the one that you see. I refuse to allow it, and I know you won't either."

Cynder was right, like she always was. He knew that they would both do everything they could to keep the city, and more importantly, their family safe. Nothing in this world would stand a grublin's chance in hell of hurting his family while they were alive. He would see to that and shuddered at the thought of anyone facing himself, let alone Cynder, when they were defending their family. What chance would anyone have? They wouldn't, and no prophetic dream or vision would change that.

Spyro took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and let Cynder's familiar scent calm his mind. She smelled faintly of cinnamon, making him think of the sweet smells that he was often overwhelmed with when he walked through the marketplace. He pressed into her, thankful that she had been so patient with his sudden midnight escape, and let his swirling thoughts slowly subside. He could think about this in the morning, when his head was clear.

A tug from Cynder's tail pulled him away from Nova's room. He smiled, letting her pull him along, and let himself and his worries be dragged away. All of it except for a small sliver that burned like a defiant ember in the recesses of his mind, refusing to be extinguished.

Spyro hoped, as he lay back down in bed with Cynder, that it was nothing. That this was just a machination of his mind as he dealt with the stress and worries of his life, and that this night would be forgotten and unimportant, like so many others had been before.

Only time, he thought quietly to himself, would tell.


A/N

Thanks to Author-san for proofreading this chapter and letting me bounce ideas around. You've been amazing man!

I also want to thank everyone for their reviews on my previous story that I wasn't able to respond to. Just know that all the feedback I received is helping me to plan out and mold this story into something greater because of it. As always, I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review! I'd love to hear what you think!