Aimless

by The Silent Insomniac

Joshua Renalia finds himself lost in the Dragon Realms with nothing but his sleeping clothes, his knowledge of Spyro lore, and a power beyond his understanding. Cut off from all he knows, the human discovers Spyro's world is alien, unforgiving, brutally shattering his naive expectations. How long can he live here before going insane? Is there a way back home? Why is he even here?

34. (City Life) (37D) Infighting 1

Author's Notes:

Takes place right after "Teacher's Pet 1B".

Strykeruk here, thought I'd just say thanks to all the reviewers, even though I know Silent will anyway. It's always interesting reading your comments, especially when you raise points Silent and I have already discussed haha. As always kudos to Silent himself who somehow keeps up the insane writing speeds. Without further ado enjoy the chapter! I know I enjoyed editing it.

Timestamp key: "D" for days, "W" for weeks, "M" for months, "Y" for years, "EM" for early morning, "LM" for late morning, "EA" for early afternoon, "LA" for late afternoon, "EE" for early evening, "LN" for late night, and "AD" for all day. Note that the Realms follows the sexagesimal system for keeping time, just like Earth. (In other words, 60 seconds per minute and 60 minutes per hour.)

Snip category key: There are four categories of snips. "Settling In", "City Life", "Beyond the Wall", and "The Journey Home". All four represent parallel storylines that take place within Aimless, and other than "Settling In", each snip category has at least two subtypes. Those subtypes aren't listed due to potential spoilers.

Enjoy!

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City Life – Threads of Gold

Chapter 34: Infighting 1

"The thing about loving someone is that yelling at them only feels good while you're doing it—as soon as they're gone, all you want to do is take it all back."

- Lauren Barnholdt in "Getting Close"

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[37D/EA]

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"Apes in the north? Is this true?"

"Y-yes, Lady Cynder. Our villages have had little contact with merchant caravans this year. The latest one arrived in blood and dirt, with few survivors. Bandits, they said. Apes. Huge apes. We think they're remnants from the War."

"And where are you from again?"

"December, Your Grace. We live near the cliffs."

December. That region was situated near the northern borders of the Allied Territories, around two weeks from Warfang by flight. It was famous for impassable geologic features. Crags, buttes, and mesas dotted its harsh tundra landscape, forming a natural boundary between the more fertile areas of Warfang and the snow-covered forests of Devil's Reach, an eerie, desolate place said to contain predatory wildlife that even preyed on fully-grown adult dragons. Cynder had never gone that way all her life even as the Terror of the Skies, but she had heard of Devil's Reach and its infamous reputation once or twice, for anyone traveling to Castle Shadowstone must survive this place and the polar desert of Aorathan beyond it.

Cynder's emerald gaze scanned the six messengers seated in front of her. All were Ice or Earth dragons, none older than her. Fresh scars afflicted each dragon. One had a bandage tightly wrapped around their flank; it was beginning to stain red. Clearly they encountered trouble along the way.

What troubled Cynder most was the fact these messengers introduced themselves as the youngest whelps of the village chiefs or their families. Obviously it hinted at the gravity of the situation up in December.

"Lady Cynder, our Savior," one of the messengers pleaded. "Please help us. We're worried for our families. They must be starving. There isn't enough game to sustain everyone over there."

Another said, "Several hamlets in December have already been completely annihilated. In Eyria—my village—our patrols are glimpsing Ape scouts lurking in the wilderness." This was the wounded messenger. An Ice dragoness. She scrunched her eyes, and a sob wrenched itself from her throat. "It's, i-it's only a matter of time before they get bold enough to, t-to..."

"I understand," Cynder replied. "Warfang will send a garrison of knights to December and rout the Ape forces. Spyro and I will make sure of it. You have my word."

Smiles broke out on their muzzles. The dragons turned and gave a congratulatory hug to one another. "Did you hear that?" One said. "Thank Azeroth! They're finally getting help up there."

"Spring of Fortune," exclaimed the injured dragoness. "This means so much to us, Lady Cynder. Uncle Gileao would be so relieved."

Another messenger bowed multiple times her way. "Thank you, Your Grace. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Alona's wings, you truly are one of the Saviors."

Their smiles were contagious. Even Cynder's impassive expression yielded to their influence. "Don't mention it," She replied. "That's what we're here for. Warfang won't stand by and leave you all behind to—

Three loud thumps interrupted her. She swiveled around and eyed the wooden door at the back of the room. It slid open. An atlawa clad in armor sauntered in. He took a small object from his pouch and raised it for her to see. Cynder recognized a badge of Talonpoint Keep when she saw it. This must be serious. "What is it?"

"Lord Spyro is calling for you in the Temple, Your Grace. He will be at the Audience Chamber."

Spyro? At the Audience Chamber? Wasn't he overseeing the remedial classes today?

"What's going on?" she asked. "Did something happen?"

The atlawa leaned closer to her. "According to the messenger," he muttered, "he caught the furless ape skulking around Alona Hall." His face contorted from anger. "He was stalking helpless apprentices and subjecting them to his evil magic."

She felt her head hurt. Ohhhh no. Why was he flying through this crevice again? Again! They had a fight over Joshua the other day. Why bring it up again, and so soon? Cynder growled. Every time she thought their relationship was returning to normal, something like this would come along and ruin it all.

Cynder glanced back at the six messengers from December. Judging by their faces, it looked like nobody heard them. Good. "I need to leave," she said. "Ancestors be with you."

"And with you," they replied.

She turned to the atlawa guard as she made her way out. "Take care of them," she instructed. "Make sure they have a place to stay for a few days."

"As you wish, Lady Cynder."

Cynder ambled out the room and shut the door behind her, leaving the Talonpoint knight to manage the six dragons recuperating from their travels. Unlike the Temple, the utilidors within the walls were much easier to navigate. To prevent the loss of defensive strength, only one main corridor ran through the length of the wall, with rooms branching out from it in equal intervals. Aside from the walltop, the Moles built in three levels, each separated by stairwells.

Cynder's eyes passed over a few knights, squires, and messengers as she walked to the nearest stairwell. Species diversity was far greater here than the center of the city, and there weren't as many people, since Warfang wasn't at war anymore. I hope it stays that way too.

Her earholes picked up a mocking snort. "And will you look at that! The Terror of the Skies, rushing to defend her precious ape. Some things never change."

She snapped towards the voice. A dragon knight, taller—older than her. Ice Element. Her eyes glared up at into his. "I've been fighting for Warfang for four years," she hissed. "Four years, and I'm still making up for it. But all I get is this thankless indignity from most of you. When will you all learn?"

"When you've proven yourself," groused the knight. "This city will rest better the day you and the furless ape die."

"Suck an egg! Spyro wouldn't have defeated the Dark Master without me!" Cynder spat. "And we haven't had any major incidents with Joshua since we took him in."

A passing mole eyed her through their elongated spectacles. "There will be nothing good from keeping that dragon killer alive, Lady Cynder!"

Cynder turned her head. Quite a few people have already gathered around them. All were gazing at her, and intensely so. They either said nothing or muttered to themselves, but she sensed the jaundice in their stares.

"The Temple doesn't represent Warfang, Terror of the Skies. One day we will have justice."

Cynder whirled and faced the dragon knight again, studying his muzzle. It took a few seconds before recognition set in. He was a student of Infernus. She frowned. The Guardian Candidate had been dead for nearly one red cycle yet his influence still soared high. "You know nothing!" Cynder said. "Joshua and I aren't who you think we are." She turned away from the bigot and continued on her way.

"That's also what Lord Spyro said about you," another spectator—another dragon knight—spoke. "But we aren't cloaca-smacked like him, 'Lady Cynder'. We know who you really are. One day you will prove us right."

Fine, keep waiting for a storm that'll never come.

"Go fly in a volcano!" Cynder yelled and left them to their delusions.

.

.

.

Cynder took flight the moment she felt the heat of the sun caress her ebony scales with a single powerful leap and several flaps of her wings. Her actions drew attention from every guard within three adult dragons' length.

Cynder smirked. There wasn't anything they could do about it. With her responsibilities and accomplishments, she had one of the most sought-after privileges in the City of Dragons: the permission to take off, fly, and land anywhere, anytime. She didn't have to queue up in a line and jump off one of the many VTOL platforms extending out from the wall. Neither was her flight path restricted to speedways, a fact Cynder unhesitatingly demonstrated when she soared well beyond and well above the path formed by various rails, lampposts, and arches in full view of the city guard.

Cynder set her sights on the plateau rising up in the middle of the city and, following a couple barrel rolls in midair, flew towards the Temple's central tower with the wind on her tail. At her speed the flight would take no more than ten minutes.

Ten minutes she spent ruminating on Spyro.

Her relationship with the Purple Dragon experienced relentless turbulence ever since they spared Joshua Renalia and brought the human into the city, not to face torture or execution but to study his Element and—more importantly for her—to repay his kindness in saving her life from Infernus's schemes. A feeling of pride churned at the memory. It felt good, knowing that Joshua looked at her as one of his heroes despite her history and reputation.

She didn't—she couldn't understand why Spyro was infuriatingly stubborn about him. He was Joshua's hero too, yet her fellow Savior wanted the boy dead and fought for his case. She understood his feelings to some degree, but to ignore the growing evidence that the human was merely a victim of his own power and that Warfang could've avoided the tragedy in the first place had the guards exercised a little more diplomacy? Cynder found her beloved's insistence perplexing.

At first Spyro focused completely on Joshua's species. He was an Ape, therefore he should be put down. The whole argument was lost the second the guards reported Joshua's docile behavior and his loving relationship with Kilat.

Now, he burrowed his snout into Joshua's activities. He'd scrutinize every little thing he did. Her lover would regularly visit Talonpoint Keep, Volteer's study, or the Office of the Keeper and demand to see the daily reports they had on the human. Proof that he was a spy for Lord Caesar, an agent of Skylands, or even a servant of Malefor.

That accusation struck a chord with Cynder, and the last time Spyro mentioned that to her snout she almost smashed her wing on him. She didn't only because she loved the cute, purple oaf.

But why? Why would he do this? He was all right with everybody else. He was still the great hero who saved the Dragon Realms. Still her precious lover. Still the same dragon who gave her a chance when Sparx wanted her left behind in the realm of Convexity for dead. Just what did Spyro have against Joshua? By the Ancestors, they probably wouldn't be fighting so much if the stubborn reptile wasn't always insisting "nobody would understand" whenever she pressed him for real answers.

The wind howled deafeningly at her earholes. Cynder ceased her cogitations and focused on the destination ahead. "There it is," she murmured to herself, eyeing a VTOL access near the top of the central tower. "The Audience Chamber."

The dragoness veered straight for the open platform. She wrapped her wings around her body and fell with all the speed of a massive brick. Her stomach lurched at the acceleration; Cynder ignored it. It was all a part of the flight. She unfurled herself at the last second and touched down with all the grace and splendor of a master flyer. Not even Spyro could pull this off.

Cynder craned her neck for a quick stretch before sauntering elegantly into the Audience Chamber. She had not been in here since she and Spyro convened with Councilor Tuconsis and the three Guardians to confront Skydancer over Submaster Kaos's actions the other day and his mystifying interest in Joshua Renalia.

"I'm starting to get sick of this place," she said.

The Observers' Box was empty. The pedestals where the Guardians sat on, also empty. Air occupied the seats reserved for the Warfang Council.

It took only one look for Cynder to find Spyro and Volteer at the center of the room. She spotted Joshua lying by her lover's paws, encased in rock. He looked asleep. Her heart fluttered at the sight of Spyro, not out of ecstasy, but from anxiety. This did not bode well.

"Good!" Spyro exclaimed. "You're finally here."

"You flew with the wind on your tail," Volteer noted. "Arrived much faster than either of us anticipated. Graceful landing, if I may add."

"Thank you." Cynder then bowed her head slightly, to acknowledge the two. "Clear skies, Spy, Master Volteer."

"Steady winds."

Spyro did not answer back. He merely nodded at her greeting before diving into work. "Cynder," he said, not bothering to call her by her nickname. "How was your visit to the Gates? Any news from December?"

Cynder bristled at her lover's cold reception. No response to her greeting and calling her by her full name? He was angry. She could see it in his posture. His tail was taut, and his paws clenched in tension.

She was not stooping to his level. "Spy, they brought reports of Apes up north. The situation isn't good. We need to send help."

"What happened?"

"December is being cut off. The Apes are raiding merchant caravans and hamlets in the area, and it's brutal—they try to leave no survivors."

Spyro nodded, and continued to listen. Cynder went on, "One of the messengers said their scouts have recently been seen near the villages, and the sightings are increasing in frequency."

"It sounds like they'll mount a full-scale attack soon," Volteer hummed.

"Yes," Spyro agreed. "I think so, too. Do you think these are stragglers from the War?"

"That's what the messengers believe," Cynder said, then she shook her snout in disagreement. "But I don't think that's the case here. You remember how some Ape calling itself Lord Caesar appeared out of nowhere?"

Spyro scowled. "Of course I do. I remember all the cleanup you and I had to do as soon as we found our way back to Warfang, instead of the peaceful life we were supposed to have." He sent a fleeting, if accusatory, glance at the only Guardian in the chamber.

"S-Spyro!" stuttered Volteer. "None of us expected the Apes to come back after the Dark Master's transmogrifications unraveled. We even assumed they'd welcome diplomacy after years of fighting! We most certainly, most assuredly did not anticipate the Apes to scatter themselves into hidden villages of banditry, thievery, and other detestable, abhorrent atrocities."

"Just as you didn't expect Malefor's magic to mutate a small group," Spyro grumbled. Cynder knew he referred to the irregularity of Lord Caesar's characteristics. Dark fur, a straight posture, and eyes bearing unusually high intelligence. "We're lucky he chose peace and exile in the Blackstone Mountains along with his apes."

Volteer interjected, "But if the Apes don't stray very far from Aldozira, why are they present in December? The scant scrolls we have on Lord Caesar tell of his comprehensive flight plans. Ruthless, fierce, and thorough on the details. Someone like him couldn't have overlooked this new group."

"It definitely couldn't be Skylands but, could it be the Sorceress?" Spyro suggested. "She might be eyeing an expansion of her master's territory."

"There's no basis for that," Cynder countered. "You remember when her student visited us three years ago?"

Spyro went quiet for a couple seconds. "…You're talking about Bianca, right? That rabbit?"

"Yes. She said Sorceress Cauldra and her master are only interested in magic. Aorathan and Devil's Reach are richer in mana than anywhere else on Markazia. They don't have a reason to look elsewhere."

"Then perhaps Lord Caesar's choice for his species was an unpopular one?" Volteer proposed. "The Apes are barbarians to the core. Uncivilized, vulgar, and astonishingly boorish. Violence is their way of life. Even now they still prey on any reckless traveler foolish enough to journey near Blackstone Pass and Sunburst Woods. Vulcan's Flames! Terrador and Cyril would have pushed for action cycles ago if we weren't so exhausted by war!"

Cynder said, "You're implying someone went rogue and took a group of apes to make trouble."

"Indeed I am."

She hummed her assent. "It's the only thing that makes sense." Her emerald eyes turned to her mate, whose muzzle had a pensive expression. "Spy, whether we're dealing with a rogue Ape or something bigger is starting to take flight, we need to do something. Warfang can't abandon those villages."

"I'm with you on that. I'll talk to Councilor Tuconsis later about sending a centain of our soldiers to December."

"What about the species composition?"

Spyro turned to the Electric Guardian. "Do you have our necks, Master Volteer? What's your advice?"

"The terrain in December is rough, mountainous, replete with natural hazards," intoned Volteer, his voice stern and professional. "Flight should be difficult, even in this time of the year. The species comprising this unit must be resilient yet adaptable. I recommend three-fifths of the centain be a combination of bears, gnorcs, and atlawa with Ice and Earth dragons filling up the remainder."

Last week's event in Proudtail Hall flashed in Cynder's mind. They couldn't afford antagonizing the Empire at all, not for long, and certainly not now. "This is also a good opportunity for a little diplomacy," she said. "Let's put two Wind dragons in the group. They're accustomed to cold, stormy air."

Spyro growled, "But they're Skylanders."

"The less reason they have to declare war the better," Cynder retorted coldly. "Submaster Kaos is fickle, but we can't ignore his influence over the Sky Empress. Besides, we still haven't received any reports from them about"—she glanced at Joshua—"you know."

"I concur!" Volteer added. "Cynder's points are valid. I will get Terrador and Cyril flying with us."

Spyro shut his eyes for a moment and inhaled. "Ancestors, fine. You got me there. Very well, let's go with that."

Cynder and Volteer affirmed the decision with smiles on their muzzles. But the former's chest sank now that this part of the discussion was over, because Spyro's mood darkened at the same time he quickly thrust the real topic at them both. "And with that stormcloud out of the way, I want to move forward with the reason I called this meeting in the first place."

The Savior peered down at the human lying by his rear legs. "Wake up!" he bellowed, whipping his thick, purple tail at Joshua's face.

"UGH!" the human awoke with a jolt. "Mother of God, Spyro, you already have me bound in rocks! Would it kill you to be gentler? Wasn't dragging me to my room enough for—

Joshua's eyes blinked. He turned and twisted his head as far as his earthen sheathe permitted. "Where the f*ck am I? Why did you—huh? Cynder? Volteer?"

"Spy, couldn't this have waited until tomorrow?" Cynder tried to delay this. "You were supposed to lend your guidance to struggling apprentices today."

"We talk about this NOW, Cynder! This is more important than anything else on my schedule." He insisted. "And don't worry about them. I managed to find a few Dragon Knights to take my place." Spyro glanced down at Joshua. "I know you and Master Volteer have been giving your"—he paused and took a couple seconds to speak—"your pet ape—

Cynder let out a light growl. He didn't have to belittle Joshua like that.

The human responded no differently. "What the f*ck, dude!" He exclaimed, perhaps taking the words right out of her muzzle. "Pet? Pet? I'm nobody's f*cking—gah!"

His earthen sheath made some noise as it took on a green hue, shifting and tightening in certain places. It was so sudden it effectively silenced Joshua for a moment.

"—multiple privileges for behavior that was merely demanded from him," Spyro went on as if nothing happened and began enumerating, "Training sessions in Proudtail Hall twice a week, mobility in the unoccupied floors of the Residential Area, and basic employment under the Office of the Keeper." The dragon frowned. "You know these aren't things we give lightly to anyone, Cynder. You never know if they could be spies, infiltrators—

"Spy, we've talked about this before. Joshua's proven himself several times. We can trust him."

"You're wrong!" Spyro shot at her. "You're both wrong! That's not what I saw in Alona Hall!"

"A-Alona Hall?" Cynder stammered. That was a lecture hall with its own arena and VTOL point, located in the tallest of the Temple's four spires. It was also where Spyro was supposed to host his classes today and guide all the young dragons at risk of losing their apprenticeships. "I, I-I-I, I don't understand."

Cynder couldn't push anything coherent out of her mouth. "H-how—how did he—what—I, I..." She ogled the human lying by Spyro's feet. Her chest ached. She felt betrayed. Joshua wasn't supposed to be there. Today was Meredy. The second day of the week! He should be in the utilidors right now working with one of the groundhogs. Why was he here?

Volteer exclaimed, "But that's impossible! Highly improbable! Just how in the Realms could he even get there?" Cynder noted the look of astonishment that fell on his snout. "He had guards watching him at all times. Egeria's wings, Spyro, Joshua couldn't have slipped past them! To say or imply otherwise is completely preposterous!"

Worry etched itself on Joshua's hairless mien. "Cynder, Volteer, I can explain! I was just—

"You can't fool us anymore!" Spyro cut him off. "I saw what you did to that poor girl!" The Purple Dragon locked eyes with Cynder. "Listen to me. Joshua—this ape isn't who you think he is. I caught him assaulting one of the apprentices in Alona Hall. Subjecting her to insidious experiments with that bizarre magic you all call an Element."

Joshua raged. "Motherf*cker!" His earthen prison quaked. He writhed, unable to move anything but his head. "He's lying, Cynder! That's NOT what I did! I was—MMPH!"

The rocks shifted to Spyro's will and a small stone rolled its way on top of Joshua's mouth. Her lover added a strong blow to the encasing for good measure. Minutes ago, Cynder would've leapt to Joshua's defense. She might have even lunged at Spyro for hurting him. Now she watched in silence. An ember of anger and hurt filling her from within, and rising.

"Ancestors know how he's eluding his security detail, but it doesn't matter. His flight plan isn't shrouded in fog anymore. Cynder, Master Volteer, he aims to fool us all. Deceive everybody into thinking he's some nice, law-abiding person, then fly behind our backs and subvert someone to his will. He's had access to the utilidors for three weeks now. Plenty of time to find unsuspecting apprentices and strike. What else could he have been doing all that time?"

"...was bored," Joshua screeched into the stone. He spat out a few pebbles and turned his head, clearly desperate to get his muffled voice heard. "I was just f*cking"—Thump! —"hn!"

Cynder clenched her teeth. "Spy."

Spyro straightened his posture. His voice, confident. His eyes, determined. "I've been telling all of you for days that he's dangerous. Warfang—no, the Realms are at risk as long as he lives!" Spyro glowered at Joshua.

"Spyro, ground yourself. Give me a few moments—

"Look! Look at him, Cynder! He isn't 'human'. Can't you see he's just another bloodthirsty Ape? We must kill him now and—

"I said stop, Spyro!" Cynder yelled. "Stop it!" She still couldn't believe this. Still unable to digest the information Spyro was overloading her with. She needed to process the news. Set aside the rumbling heartbreak stewing in her gut and evaluate. "This isn't making any sense." She bared her fangs and snarled. "I am furious at Joshua for letting me down like this, but how do I know you're not feeding me dung too? I—

"Azeroth's cloaca! Why would I do that? Cynder... my dear Cyn, I love you. I'm just worried about you."

Cynder faltered. Her doubts ebbed. "I, I-I love you too, Spy. But, I, I don't—this can't be true." She turned away. "I need, t-to think."

"We need to do something now. I sense great danger from Joshua, Cyn, believe me! It's been getting stronger ever since Submaster Kaos visited Warfang himself last week."

"Don't be too hasty, young dragons," Volteer challenged. His rational, if not joyless, cadence denoted he was embodying his authority, his experience as the Electric Guardian. One of the most respected leaders in the entirety of the Allied Territories. "I will not deny that Joshua Renalia's Element may prove to be dangerous, and exceedingly so. Spyro, even if you are the Savior, the great hero of our city, I will not—I CANNOT accept one dragon's account at face value when it contradicts all other direct and circumstantial evidence in specie!"

"'All other evidence?" Cynder questioned. She teetered between the lingering feeling in her gut and the urgency in her lover's words. Indecision continued to gnaw at her. She hoped whatever Volteer had to say would finally put an end to her diffidence. "But they could've been faked! All those reports Over Steward Hoffbar has in his office, they were filed by people who could've been compromised!"

"I disagree. I interacted with Joshua much more frequently than you and I was also present when Submaster Kaos came and forced a violent reaction from the Unknown Element. I have done a great deal of ratiocination on several topics concerning our human guest and I have long concluded that there is absolutely zero proof supporting the hypothesis he is even capable of such complex mind magic as Spyro suggests. Intimidation is also highly unlikely, considering Joshua's disposition and its consistency throughout the entire duration he's been our guest in Warfang."

Volteer leveled a stern glare at the two heroes. Cynder wilted and bowed her head. He was probably—he was definitely angry at them both. Angry at Spyro for resuming his baseless and unfounded attacks on Joshua; and angry at Cynder for allowing her emotions to sway her reason.

"Master Volteer, I am so sorry..."

"Good. As long as you keep your head free from turbulence and stay rational you will soar very high in your lifetime. Joshua is a good whelp. The red cycle is about to begin anew and as you know, we've already received promising feedback." He eyed Spyro. "Some from the Talonpoint Knights guarding him." The Purple Dragon had no words to respond to that.

Cynder recalled reviewing their scrolls a few nights ago. She had curled to sleep that night, relieved to know she did not make a mistake with her decisions and happy at the human's progress. "I remember what the scrolls said. He doesn't discriminate. He's friendly. And his relationship with Kilat is genuine." She found herself agreeing with all three. She had experienced that herself several times.

"Indeed. Hoffbar also wrote me a letter praising Joshua for his work ethic. Manual scavenging is a very distasteful job for non-Moles and I am not surprised how much this young man verbalizes his, err, dissatisfaction. In spite of his personal feelings he still puts great effort into his work. Apparently the clouds all say he is making excellent progress. Setting aside that bullying incident last week, of course."

"If that's the case," Cynder muttered to herself, "then it wouldn't make sense for him to undo all that effort and goodwill." She rounded on her lover, scowling. "What do you say to that, Spyro?"

Spyro lowered his gaze and averted it from her eyes. "Uhm... well..."

Volteer also moved, taking a step closer towards him. Spyro moved back a few steps, but—likely avoiding Cynder's gaze—maintained a rebellious glare at the old dragon towering over him. "Spyro, perhaps in your eagerness to cast doubt on our guest you forgot he rejected Submaster Kaos's offer last week? Joshua's life here is far from easy and your efforts to see him dead do not help. Anyone else in his place would have left. Yet, he, didn't. I don't suppose you have a mental model explaining that?"

"I, I don't, but! B-b-but!" Spyro scrunched his claws and left marks on the stone flooring. "I can't give you an answer, Vol—Master Volteer! But I know he's planning something! Why else would he be in Alona Hall?" He gaped at Cynder, the look on his face screaming for her help. "Cyn! I can't speak for your furless ape! I wouldn't know why he'd try something like that. Maybe he just didn't expect to get caught! Maybe... m-maybe he's staying here under orders from—

"From who?" Cynder deadpanned. Spyro's arguments had lost their lift, and they were spiraling downwards by the second. "Orders from who? Joshua is under heavy watch and there aren't any signs of him colluding with anybody outside Warfang."

"I DON'T KNOW!" Spyro yelled. "He's just dangerous! That's all I know, I swear to Azeroth! To Ignitus! I'm not lying to you. There's something off about Joshua! As if, a-as if he doesn't belong here! He SHOULDN'T be anywhere near here in the first place! We need to kill him right now or-or-or—

White light suddenly gushed out of Joshua's earthen coffin and blanketed the Audience Chamber in a brilliant flash. It caught everyone by surprise. Volteer flared his wings and jumped back. A shocked yelp slipped past Cynder's snout as she flinched and shut her eyes. Spyro shouted unintelligibly. Cynder heard the young dragon dive for the floor, body hitting the stone with a loud thud and sliding across it for a bit.

For a moment, the three dragons could do nothing but gawk, each too stupefied at the sight of Joshua Renalia picking himself up from the floor. The stones and pebbles confining him moments earlier now rattled harmlessly, impotently on the ground as they fell from his damp and sweaty clothes. "At last!" He blurted in jubilation. "Finally got that stupid goddamn thing to work."

Volteer and Cynder were the first to react.

"A-amazing! H-how? J-just what did you do, my boy?"

"Joshua! You're free! Are you all right?"

Joshua, his eyes as green as Cynder's own, glanced at her for a split-second with an indecipherable expression before facing Spyro and glowering at him. He raised his hand and pointed at the dragon. "And you! Spyro, you f*cking c**t! I, I'm stopping your bullshit right here!"

Cynder was speechless at the sight of Spyro shrinking before Joshua, curling in on himself with what she felt was fear pooling inside his purple eyes. Yet this unusual state did not last. In an instant, the famed hero of the Dragon Realms regained his composure and bared his jagged teeth.

"See?" Spyro hollered. "He's been hiding his true power all this time! I was right! I knew it was true! Cynder, Master Volteer, he's really—

A white aura lit up Joshua's forearms. "SHUT UP!"

Spyro jerked at the sight. He backpedaled again. "N-no! NO! Not this time. You're not getting me this time!" He raised his forepaw as though he was the one being suppressed and, without thinking, released a stream of fire from his maw.

Cynder blanched. Why—since when did Spyro start reacting so badly to the human? He wasn't the one in danger. Why was he acting like it? The uncharacteristic terror in his eyes was unsettling enough to stay in her memory, but certainly not enough to distract her from the disaster unfolding right there. "Spyro, no!" She bolted to the human with the intent to tackle him down and away from danger. It was a scant few steps, but Spyro's attack was much faster than her legs, reaching its target a second faster. "Joshua!"

The adolescent human did not glance at her direction. He held his gaze on the blazing jet of fire all this time. The world had fallen away from his sight. Cynder never realized, not until hours or even days later, that this level of concentration enabled Joshua to repeat a miraculous feat last seen during the Incident.

Joshua's glowing hand clutched at something invisible an instant before the young man dragged—hurled this unseen object off-center with all the might his weak, feeble body could gather. Illogically—in apparent defiance of both nature and magic, Spyro's fire followed suit and careened away from Joshua's face. It crashed into the Observer's Box and dissipated into the air. It left behind scorch marks on the enchanted stone.

An awestruck Volteer murmured in utter amazement. Had Cynder possessed the luxury of admiring Joshua's feat, she would have been just as stunned, since Joshua had redirected Spyro's fire so naturally anyone might have mistaken him for a Fire Dragon. In reality, Cynder simply barreled into the boy a moment after the stream of death narrowly missed his face. Luckily for him, she turned her head at the last second and spared him the pain and agony of her six, sharp horns penetrating his body.

"Whoaaaaaa!"

The two fell to the floor and they rolled a couple times, coming to a complete stop with their limbs practically entangled with each other. A few moments passed, with both human and dragoness trying to process what just happened. Cynder tried to pick herself up, reaching for the nearest solid surface, only to feel the human's soft face on the pad of her foot.

"Cynder, please move your paw off my face..."

The dragoness glanced down and saw the boy sprawled beneath her on his back. Cynder winced. She had completely forgotten how much bigger she was compared to Joshua. She had only just begun to comply with his request when the solid doors to the Audience Chamber burst open and a group of Talonpoint Knights rushed in. "What's going on here? We heard—Azeroth's horns! Lady Cynder, Lord Spyro, are you all right?" The lead knight, a dragon, sauntered closer, training his eyes on the scorch marks on the Observer's Box before continuing on to Joshua Renalia. "What did the furless ape do?"

"He attacked us!" Spyro stated as he took the initiative. "He was using that 'Unknown Element' of his to kill us off."

Before the knights could move, Cynder got on her feet and stood protectively by the human. She placed her body directly over his. Nobody—not one person, dragon or otherwise—would take Joshua away without her permission. "Stay away!" she shouted at the group. "Leave us alone!"

"But, Lady Cynder, Your Grace—

"I SAID GET OUT!" Wisps of darkness pooled around her. The red glow of the Fear Element shone on her wings, her claws, as she channeled all the Elements at her disposal.

The knight bowed his head in obedience. "Your Grace," he said, before leading the knights out the Audience Chamber. "We will be right outside if you need us."

"As it should be. Now go."

As soon as the doors leading outside slammed shut once more Cynder focused on Spyro and narrowed her eyes at him. "Spyro! What is WRONG with you? You're the one who attacked first! You could've killed him!"

"Yes! So what?" He snarled at her. "He was threatening me!"

"Threatening you?" Cynder growled back. She bent her legs down, paws clenched. Her body stiffened. She hoped it wouldn't come to this, but if she had to fight Spyro in a fight she would. Her heart lurched at the thought of even hurting her lover. "You? You're the Purple Dragon! The Savior! You overturned the War all alone! I wouldn't be here right now if you didn't defeat me or King Gaul by yourself." Cynder lashed her prehensile tail at the stone. The sound reverberated across the Audience Chamber. "Look at him, Spyro. Look at Joshua! Have you lost your scales? How can someone like him threaten you?"

"Y-you don't understand, Cynder! I went dark because of him. I, WENT, DARK! I'm not letting that happen again!"

"You went dark because Submaster Kaos did something to Joshua! We don't know why it even happened in the first place! Joshua wouldn't do that to you on purpose. I know he wouldn't!"

"It doesn't change the fact he's dangerous!"

"This again?" she scoffed. "You're the only one who thinks so! Have you even tried talking to him? I told you, he isn't who you think he is."

"Ancestors, why would I? He killed so many people earlier this cycle—

"And I killed THOUSANDS before you set me free! Why are you blaming him for something that wasn't his fault?"

"This is different—

"No it's not! What happened at the eastern gate wasn't his fault."

"Yes, it is! He knew how people would've reacted to him, didn't he? He knew it and he still did what he did."

"We already went over this, Spyro! Several times! But nothing's getting through to you. You keep looking for stormclouds where there aren't any, and you're already going as far as putting words in Joshua's snout. You're acting just like all those people who still hate me!"

"What? NO! Cynder, I, I-I... I would never..."

"But you did. You did, just a few minutes ago! I can't believe I almost fell for it."

"He really was there, Cyn. He was in Alona Hall! There was an apprentice next to him, and he was using his Element on her. Really! You have to believe me on this."

Cynder believed that, at least. Spyro wouldn't have cancelled his lectures if he hadn't found Joshua in there. But did he really have to push his biases onto her like that? He should've permitted Joshua to speak and defend himself instead of imprisoning him in rock and stifling all his attempts to speak out.

"I believe you," she finally said. "But let's hear what Joshua has to say about this." Cynder stepped to the side. She brought her snout to the human and, biting down on his tunic, pulled him up. She glared at him, her emerald gaze boring down on his eyes. Joshua shrunk away, as though fearful of her wrath. "Now, how about you enlighten us all why you were up there in the first place, hmm? You're NOT supposed to be anywhere outside Proudtail Hall, the utilidors near the Office of the Keeper, or the 3rd floor of the Residential Area without permission from Master Volteer or myself."

Joshua began to fidget. "Uhm, uhhhh..." He squirmed in place, rubbing his arms nervously. He couldn't meet her gaze. "Well, the thing is, errr..."

"Out with it, Joshua!" Cynder snapped.

"I was bored," he muttered.

"You were what?"

Joshua barked, "I was bored, okay?"

"You snuck away from your guards, because you were bored?" Cynder shoved her muzzle at his face. A wave of irritation burned within her. She couldn't help snarling at this Ancestors-damned child. "Why would you even have the cloaca to"—she growled again—"You're so stupid! What are you, a hatchling? You know people here don't like you. They still HATE you!" She unfurled a wing and gestured at Spyro, who had joined Volteer in awkward observation. "If he can't let it go, what more the others? They wouldn't have any problems dragging you to the nearest VTOL point and throwing you out to your death!

"The knights Master Volteer and I assigned to you are there for your safety! We also went to the trouble of making sure they were all from Talonpoint Keep so none of them would succumb to the temptation of murdering you in your sleep. The Temple isn't safe for you, Joshua! You don't have friends here. You—

"I get it!" Joshua cried. "I get it already, Cynder! F*ck, I was stupid, okay? Even I knew that when I made the decision to go and goof off somewhere."

"Then why did you do it anyway?"

"Because I couldn't take it anymore! I HATE MY F*CKING JOB! I'm tired of scraping literal shit almost every single f*cking day. I try—I try my best every goddamn day I go down there but between two daily 'dragon baths', an endless struggle NOT to get any crap on myself, and annoying dragon fanatics, I, I had, I had to take a break. I just wanted to go somewhere else."

"You could have gone to the balcony on the fifth floor."

"I wanted to explore! This city's gigantic! Even the Temple's huge as balls! I haven't been anywhere else other than Proudtail Hall and the utilidors, and I'm already f*cking sick of that balcony. I needed a change of scenery!"

"And that's how you ended up in Alona Hall?"

"Jesus-Mary-Joseph, I didn't know where the F*CK I was going! I got lost! I wandered all over the place. Went up a bunch of stairs, avoided as much people as possible... of course I didn't want to be found! When all was said and done, I ended up in that lecture hall! At the very top of the Temple! How was I supposed to know Purple Boy here was going to show up in the same place I decided to hole up in and teach a group of more dragons? I was panicking when they started flying in one after another. I had nowhere else to go!"

The more she listened to the human, the more Cynder felt like tearing his horns off. She shut her eyes and took deep breaths, to try and calm herself. All this trouble because he didn't want to work for the day. Getting himself trapped in turbulence the second Spyro spotted him in there. The minuscule progress she had made with her mate had been completely undone; even now important work continued to be delayed simply because Spyro always lost his scales every single time Joshua was involved and she had to clean up the mess.

Cynder curled her forepaw into a fist and clobbered the stubborn teenager in the chest. She was being gentle, or at least she thought, because Joshua staggered backwards from the blow. He nearly fell on his rump. Cynder sighed at the pitiful sight. She forgot about their size difference, again. However, she couldn't show him any sympathy right now. "Don't do that again," she warned him. "Do something this stupid one more time and I'll personally strip you of whatever privileges you've earned to date. Understand me?"

"Y-yes, ma'am," Joshua squeaked.

Cynder turned to Spyro. "Spyro," she called, her gut still churning at the memory of his deranged behavior earlier. "Repeat what you were saying about Joshua. Volteer and I need to know exactly what was happening. Was he really using the Unknown Element on an apprentice?"

His muzzle contorted. The dragon also winced. "Cyn," he said, "Do you... d-do you really think I'll actually lie about that? To you?"

"Judging by the way you've been flying about this whole time I won't be surprised if you actually were." Cynder felt as though she had swallowed an enormous stone and it settled uncomfortably in her stomach. Spyro, the Hero of the Realms, the Purple Dragon of Legend, her fellow Savior, her first friend, her lover... her mate... had finally flown low. He resorted to schemes, like those despicable bears. Like all the other dragons in the city who wanted her dead. "The Spyro I know wouldn't omit details and twist things around. The Spyro I love, he, h-he wouldn't..." Cynder struggled to say the words. "He wouldn't break—

"Cynder," Joshua's voice cut into the words she was fighting so hard to force out her mouth. "Spyro isn't lying. I really did use my Element on Vara."

Cynder's eyes dilated. Her jaw fell. She whipped her head around to face him. A combination of shock, anger, and frustration made her clench her teeth. Shock at Joshua's own admission of the very sin Spyro accused him of. Anger at the possibility an innocent dragon could've been hurt, or worse. And frustration at Joshua's own decision-making. Had he lost his scales too?

"So you admit it!" Spyro bit down on the juicy meat offered to his face without hesitation, exclaiming faster than Cynder could respond. "You were doing something to her!"

Joshua retorted just as quickly. Cynder's worries over the apprentice were quickly replaced with relief, but it didn't last long.

"I was HELPING her, r-tard! All that f*cking guidance you had for Vara didn't do shit! I don't care how good you are with the Elements; you're an incompetent teacher! She was so desperate to get better she actually asked me—ASKED ME!—for help. Jesus f*cking Christ, like hell I was going to abandon Vara after—

"You don't know what you're talking about, you dumb ape!" Spyro snarled. He started taking a few steps forward. "Incompetent, am I?" The strange, blurry haze of Dragon Time draped itself over the Purple Dragon. Black tendrils of darkness emerged from his shadow. Green poison trickled out of his claws. "How about we put that to the test right now? I'll show you incompetent!"

Joshua neither stepped back nor shrunk into a quivering mess at Spyro's approach. To Cynder's surprise, he straightened his posture. In a quick moment, clouds of white mist appeared and clad itself around his arms. They were as ethereal gauntlets.

This turbulence was swiftly becoming a storm. It was horrifying to watch Joshua channel his Element. She didn't know what it could do. It could kill, or it could incapacitate. Cynder admonished the human. "Joshua, how did you—no, never mind that, just don't—

"I'm not afraid of you," Joshua pronounced. He strengthened his voice and projected confidence into it. "I'm not afraid of you! BRING IT, YOU F*CKING SNAKE!"

Yet his body betrayed his own words. The pale energy wrapped around his arms like bracers wavered in intensity, dimming in color and returning to its original radiance in what appeared to be random patterns. Cynder felt the vibrations coming off his shivering legs. Her ears registered the quickening beat of Joshua's heart. She could even taste the saltiness of his nervous sweating in the air.

"Really now," Spyro said, skeptically. Derisively. He bent low in an aggressive posture. "That's not what I see."

Cynder recognized this stance. She had seen it innumerable times, when she had been magically bound to him four years ago.

She had to act immediately.

And she did.

Cynder raised her tail and slammed the thick of it into Joshua before he could do anything with the Unknown Element. The clouds on his arms vanished in an instant. Then she jumped sideways to block Spyro's line of sight with her own body. The dragoness popped one wing open and, channeling her mana into the element of her choice, fired a burst of wind at her fellow Savior.

Spyro not only stopped. He stumbled.

"Get back, Spyro!" Cynder shouted. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Stop protecting him, Cynder!" Spyro shifted his body and ran to the side. "He asked for it!"

With a loud snarl thundering from deep within her throat, Cynder soared to head Spyro off. She twirled expertly as she landed and whipped her tail at the space between him, Joshua, and herself. Green light enveloped the appendage and in one fluid movement a glob of poison materialized from pure mana and flew in that direction. As she expected, Spyro's speed had increased immensely with the aid of Dragon Time, and he reacted to her by instantly switching targets and charging towards Joshua, who was just picking himself up from the floor.

Spyro came to a complete and sudden stop. The poison narrowly missed him. He faced Cynder, glowered at her, and roared. "I can't believe this! Are you serious? That attack would've hurt!"

But Cynder was no longer there. She had vanished into a pool of darkness seconds ago. Spyro rounded on Joshua, only to see his beloved partner flying out from another large shadow beneath the human and, in a graceful somersault, shot a pillar of wind at him. It howled in his ears. Spyro appeared to be so stunned that he couldn't respond in time and was hurtled back by a length equivalent to two dragons from head to tail.

Spyro grimaced, quaking. He gritted his teeth, gaping at Cynder with an unreadable expression. "So it's really come to this, huh..."

"Spy, don't make me do this. Ground yourself. Please!" Cynder beheld her lover, trying to hide the agony in her heart behind callous anger. "I will not hold back next time."

Fortunately for her and for their relationship (or what's left of it), Volteer finally moved. A bolt of lightning slammed the floor right in front of Spyro, the force so strong that it chipped even the enchanted flooring.

"I have seen enough!" Volteer bellowed. "Cease your actions and refrain from fighting at once! What are you two doing? You're partners—lovers! You mustn't fight each other! Now ground yourselves before one of you makes a mistake you'll regret forever!"

The Electric Guardian reappeared between Spyro, Cynder, and Joshua in a blur of yellow lightning. He glared at all three of them. "It is ostensible to me that there is a detail both of you overlooked." Volteer approached the human. "Our little, 'dude', mentioned the victim by name, twice, and he claims to have 'helped her'." He bent his head down and asked, "Joshua, is it right for me to assume that you're actually friends with that dragon?"

The boy groaned in indignation. "Damn right I know her! Vara wouldn't have gotten better with her Ice if I hadn't done anything about it. There's no way in hell we wouldn't be friends after that!"

"Are you sure about that? If you're wrong, the consequences will—

"Go ahead! Call her in. I'd bet my life on it!"

Volteer looked back at them and smirked. Cynder felt this was directed more at Spyro. "I propound that we summon this apprentice to the Audience Chamber for questioning. This is the best way we can put an end to this disagreement."

The old dragon's proposal made a lot of sense to Cynder. Truth be told, she felt a little stupid that she had overlooked this detail just as Volteer said. She was supposed to be on Joshua's side, but even something like that escaped her notice. Cynder couldn't believe it. She was normally observant enough to notice things like these. Why didn't she catch that? Maybe Spyro's obstinacy as well as her melancholy over the fact they had actually begun fighting in earnest had drained her attention span in its entirety.

For some odd reason, Spyro resisted this proposal for as long as he could. Cynder couldn't fathom why he rejected something so sensible, something so easy and irrefutable. Volteer eventually overwhelmed his emotional arguments with ruthless logic. Spyro relented in the end, and Cynder felt confident enough to call for the knights outside and have them run a couple errands. Namely, retrieving a copy of Vara's scroll case from the Office of the Keeper and seeking her out to bring her to the Audience Chamber. Joshua knew her, so it was only a matter of finding a dragoness that fit the description he freely gave out. It wouldn't matter if she had already left the Temple; her residence should be properly specified and documented in her scrolls.

Time passed. Forty minutes, by Cynder's own reckoning, since the Audience Chamber didn't have a pendulum clock, being a cavern with an opening to the outside world. It was enough time for a quick snack, but unfortunately nobody expected this meeting to last so long that food was needed.

By the time the Dragon Knights came in to announce Vara's arrival, the group of four had separated. Spyro had retreated to the Observer's Box and laid down, head on paws, wings wrapped tightly around himself. He couldn't look at anybody in this room for long without his muzzle crumpling into a frown. Cynder had left Joshua with Volteer and, as the young man pressed the old dragon for updates on his adopted sister, padded to the edge of the Audience Chamber and sat on her haunches. She stared at the skyline of the City of Dragons, marveling at the landscape of the place she called home. Cynder couldn't help dwelling on today's exchange of blows. She never expected this from Spyro—never thought today would be the day she raised her wings and claws at the only dragon she ever loved.

Cynder suppressed the urge to cry, yet the limitless sky unceasingly, relentlessly called for her. The impulse to let it all go, to fly off into the air and weep until she no longer felt the spike sinking deeper into her heart intensified by the minute. Her willpower was on the verge of surrender when the guards returned. The Savior welcomed the new development with open wings for it gave her the opportunity to set aside her internal turmoil. She returned to the center of the Audience Chamber, green eyes falling upon the apprentice who'd been either wronged (according to Spyro) or assisted (according to Joshua).

"Clear skies, Vara," she greeted.

Volteer joined her. "Clear skies, Little Wing."

Cynder assessed the young dragoness before them. Light purple-blue colored her scales, reminding the Savior of orchids. She would've believed Vara was a monoscale if she didn't see that her frills and wing membranes had a healthy shade of turquoise. Vara also had a fresh scar on her flews; it looked like a dragon had inflicted it.

She was also quite small, for an adolescent. Joshua stood taller than her, with Vara's head reaching only his chest. "S-stea-s-steady winds," Vara replied. Oh dear. She was quaking violently in their presence. Cynder saw fear in her gaze. "L-L-Lady Cynder. Mas, m-master Volteer." The apprentice swiveled her head to the Observers' Box, where Spyro impassively observed them. What was he thinking now, Cynder wondered? "And, a-and to, to Lord Spyro as well, if... i-if he could hear me."

Cynder turned to Volteer and whispered, "Master Volteer, look at her. She's terrified."

"Psst! Vara. Vara! Over here."

"H-Hairless?"

"C'mere!"

Volteer replied matter-of-factly. "Cogitate on it from her perspective. She's merely a regular student on the verge of losing her apprenticeship. An average person like her has virtually no business interacting with dragons of our position in any capacity. I'm not surprised she's staring at tornadoes right now."

"But she's done nothing wrong," Cynder said. "We only summoned her to answer a few questions."

"Hey, what's, what's going on?"

"Don't worry. It's just Spyro being triggered—uh, breathing hellfire over earlier. He and Cynder are at an impasse over what happened upstairs."

"...Vulcan's Flames! What did you tell them? A-am I trouble too?"

"Of course not! Look, they just want you to answer a couple questions about—

Volteer heaved a sigh. "Cynder, it is most likely that, with the urgency of our situation, the guards did not bother apprising her of the circumstances. For all we know, she had every intent on spending the afternoon with friends and our summons interrupted those plans. Perhaps she's frightened of being implicated in Spyro's accusations. Losing her apprenticeship would be the least of her worries there." He raised his paw and gave her shoulder a gentle stroke. "You've never lived the life of the average dragon. It would be difficult for you to understand."

"Oh thank Azeroth. For a moment there I thought—wait a minute... a couple questions? You mean this is your fault? You're the reason I had to cancel on Serenya? Ancestors, your timing is terrible! We're supposed to fly over to Fracture Hills together!"

"I'm so soooorrry, 'Princess'! How could I possibly know that you've got your entire day fully booked—

"You're right. I don't understand." Cynder smiled up at the old dragon. For all his loquaciousness, Volteer still had plenty of wisdom to share. He was not a Guardian for nothing. "But we can clear her worries once we start—

"OWW!"

Cynder and Volteer heard the sound of a wing suddenly unfurling and slapping someone. They turned their heads to the source and found Joshua and Vara together. Cynder watched the young man rub the side of his face. "Vara!" he whined. "What the hell! You didn't have to do that."

"Do you have any idea how frightened I was, Joshua?" Vara thrust her muzzle at his face and growled at him. "Talonpoint Knights appeared out of nowhere and surrounded me! They didn't tell me anything other than the Saviors demanding me to come up here. For all I know, I was about to be expelled, or worse!"

Joshua raised his hands defensively and backed away from the sudden move. "Sorry! I didn't know! But you're the only one who could fix this. It was either this or SpyCy were going to keep fighting until—

"Spicy?"

"Spyro and Cynder!"

"Hmmm. In shoooort, I'm the only one who can fix this, huh?" Vara gave Joshua a cocky smug and crooned. "It sounds like the scary, muuuurrrrderous ape owes me another favor."

"Oh come on! You can't go by that logic."

She stuck her tongue out and made a face. "Yes I can."

Watching the two talk like this brought a smile to Cynder's muzzle. There were no signs of fear or submission in her mustard eyes. Her movements were natural. She could even tell Vara was comfortable approaching the "dragon killer" and aggressively posturing at him. The human was reacting with such familiarity to her mannerisms that it was painfully obvious to any observer that he considered Vara a friend, and so did she. If Cynder didn't know any better she might have thought they knew each other before the Incident.

And with that, the lingering traces of doubt and suspicion in Cynder's head—the accusations still ringing in her ears—finally evaporated into nothingness. Spyro's arguments had completely fallen apart. Joshua Renalia was truly making progress. Clearly, he and this apprentice were destined to be good friends in the foreseeable future.

As expected, Spyro wasn't giving up without a fight.

He took to the air and landed blaringly on the enchanted floor. The deafening crash brought Joshua and Vara's relaxed bickering to a halt. Spyro's claws rattled clearly as he walked up to them, eyes glaring down at them. At Vara, in particular.

"We meet again."

Vara ogled Spyro. She gazed up at him, jaw agape. Her relaxed bearing vanished. Her slender body quaked in a matter of seconds as trepidation set in. She trembled before him, unable to speak. "Uhm, uh, uh... uhh..."

Cynder watched Vara step back, only to take a deep breath and force herself to plant her paws between her and Joshua. She unfolded one wing and let it flare just enough for the human to hide behind. The meaning of the gesture was apparent to anyone paying attention. "Y-yes, Your Grace. At Lady Cynder's request."

"Step forward, Vara," Spyro commanded.

"Of course."

Vara immediately moved to obey, only to freeze mid-step. She goggled at the legendary hero, then turned away and weakly fixed her gaze at Joshua Renalia. Cynder couldn't see her expression from where she stood, but Vara's body language and the near-imperceptible smile he sent in reply—while briefly clasping the tip of her tail—revealed plenty. A good sign their relationship was genuine.

Visibly, Vara swallowed her fear and presented herself before the Savior.

"Cynder had you summoned here because she feels you can give us answers to certain concerns for us," Spyro asked, glaring at the human who started this whole storm.

"I, I know, and I'm ready."

"Good. Let's begin. You were at Alona Hall this morning, correct? Why were you there?"

"Your Grace, I wasn't hatched with talent in the use of my element, and I could lose my apprenticeship in the next red cycle because of it. Last Rhetorsha the Fellow handling my lounge informed me you were hosting special lectures in Alona Hall today, specifically for struggling apprentices like myself. I had to go."

"Were you the first to arrive?"

"No."

"Did you see the furless ape anywhere there?"

"No." She glanced at Joshua before adding, "Your Grace, I wasn't the only apprentice there. There would've been stormclouds otherwise."

"But you've heard about him before?"

"Yes," she said. "Who hasn't? Over sixty people died earlier this cycle."

"What did your fellow apprentices say about him?"

Cynder frowned. Although Cyril, Terrador, and the Warfang Council weren't present for this meeting, she sensed malice in Spyro's line of questioning.

"I... L-Lord Spyro, my, my friend Serenya told me—

"Not just your friend, Vara. What do the other apprentices say about him?"

But why? This wasn't an official hearing. It was just the three of them in here. Spyro, Volteer, and herself. There shouldn't be any way he could use Vara's responses to—Cynder paled.

"That he's, a butcher. A bloodthirsty monster who'd go after helpless people like us if he had the chance."

"And did you believe that?"

The guards. The same Talonpoint Knights who brought Vara here. She couldn't recall them leaving the Audience Chamber; they also didn't appear to be part of the group entrusted with safeguarding the human.

"I, uhm, I, well, I-I used to."

"How did you find the furless ape, if you didn't see him there the first time? There aren't any hiding places in Alona Hall."

"I don't know, Your Grace. He just appeared suddenly."

"How did you feel when that happened?"

"I..."

If Spyro called an emergency hearing sometime this week and presented these guards as witnesses, he'd be able to play on the others' prejudice towards Joshua and steer them towards the judgment he sought this entire cycle. Cynder eyed the shut passage to the utilidors near the back of the Audience Chamber. Were moles eavesdropping on them too? Their excellent hearing would be an asset in this scheme.

"Answer me, Vara."

"I, I-I, I felt... Ehrrrmm..."

"Don't look at him and answer me!"

"I was surprised! But I knew he wouldn't kill me."

This was bad. Very bad. If this went on, Cynder and Volteer would soon find themselves hovering between a storm and a mountain. Vara needed to take control. She was quivering in front of Spyro. An oppressive air settled around them. Fear of the Purple Dragon's rage unnerved the adolescent dragoness.

"Tell us the truth."

"But Lord Spyro..."

"Tell us the truth!"

Volteer recognized this as well and tried to help. "Spyro, stop! You're frightening her. You—

"I thought he was going to kill me, okay?" Vara suddenly yelled. "I've heard so many horrible things about him that I nearly dirtied myself when he suddenly appeared out of nowhere!"

Spyro smirked. "All right, Vara, that's—

"No! I'm not yet done!" The apprentice glowered at the Hero. Her flews glistened with fresh tears. She may have been trembling like a terrified hatchling staring at tornadoes, yet she still bared her fangs at Spyro. "The first thing he did was kneel on all fours and—

"Enough!"

Cynder countered, "She's not done yet, Spyro!" She locked eyes with the smaller dragoness and assured her, "Vara, please continue. It's okay."

A change came over Vara. Frightened as she still was, she wiped her snout clean and straightened her posture. "He knelt down and presented his neck to me! He was also begging for me to keep quiet. I, I-I could've killed him if I wanted to, but I didn't—I couldn't."

"I said that's enough—

Cynder growled. By the Ancestors, were they going to fight over this too? "Let her talk!"

"Cynder, stay out of this."

"Volteer and I called her here! She's done when we say so, not you!"

With Spyro unable to reply the older dragoness rounded on Vara, who'd clearly been fidgeting, apprehensive of being caught in the middle of an argument between the two Saviors. Cynder did her best to soften the angry glower on her muzzle and gently encouraged the apprentice to speak.

Vara faced her. "L-Lady Cynder, Your Grace, honestly, I'm the reason Joshua stayed in Alona Hall. It was my idea. I forced him to stay there in exchange for my silence."

This time Joshua stepped forward and placed a hand on her withers. "Vara, no! Don't do this."

The orchid dragoness swiveled around and shoved him back. "Out of my way, Hairless! Can't you see I'm trying to help you? To think you're the dumb cloaca who dragged me into this storm to begin with!"

"Please reconsider! I don't want you to lose your apprenticeship."

"I'm simply telling the truth. There's nothing wrong with that."

"But Vara—

"Joshua, if I, i-if I lose my apprenticeship for defending a friend from obviously ignoble schemes then, Valorem's light, it only shows how low Warfang's fallen since the War." Vara wilted when she verbalized these words. Spoken like someone who loved their kingdom, the place they called home. Her ears, her tail, her snout all sagged at the mere suggestion of the city's state of affairs.

"I"—Joshua sighed in defeat—"I understand..."

Cynder ambled over to her. She sent her mate a warning glare before questioning Vara herself. "Is what you said true? You forced Joshua to stay? Why?" Another fleeting glance at Spyro. She might as well give him a little consideration. "He didn't actually just brainwash you, did he?"

Vara laughed. Cynder heard a tone of ridicule in her giggling. Joshua sulked but did not say anything, instead opting to cross his arms. "Gintomyr save him, even if his element can actually do something that scary, it's still too much for the poor thing. Joshua's almost like a hatchling; he's so harmless it's kinda cute."

"Yeah, yeah," the human grumbled. "Laugh it up why don't you..."

They ignored him.

"Uhm, no offense to Lord Spyro, but his teachings did nothing for me. They did nothing for everyone, now that I think about it. Joshua gave me words of encouragement when he appeared. I wasn't, I wasn't really sure if he was simply saying it to make me feel better or if he actually saw something the Savior didn't, but I was desperate. I needed all the help I can get."

Spyro said, "I admit teaching isn't suited to me. I could only put my best effort into it. But letting the furless ape stay and use his magic?" He rumpled his muzzle. "Are you a dumb egg? That was reckless! Idiotic! I ought to have you expelled."

Vara flinched at his remark, whimpering.

"Spyro, be more considerate," Cynder reproached. "She would've been expelled anyway."

Volteer accosted the apprentice. "Little Wing, I must ask you this. How exactly did Joshua help you? Did it work? How was the experience? What were the sensations?"

Vara perked straight away. Her tail swished in the air a few times as she gushed. "Oh Master Volteer, I don't know where to begin! Hairless directly supervised my channeling. I can't tell you how he did it—how it's even possible—even how weird it feels, but Egeria's wings, it's amazing!"

She sat down on her haunches and raised a trembling paw, pads up. Slowly, a small sphere of ice formed above her claws. Cynder recognized the shaping exercise. She inspected Vara's work, having seen veteran Ice Dragons and her beloved partner masterfully wield the frigid element. With those as her reference, Vara performed rather poorly in comparison. She gnashed her fangs from pain. Cracks lined the surface of her sphere. It wasn't spinning. Instability caused it to quiver. And it was small. The snowball was so small that Cynder knew her Ice attacks wouldn't be very strong, if they had any power at all.

However, Vara was merely an apprentice. A novice with no natural talent, at that. The dragoness's next words even reinforced this. "See? Look! Until this morning I, I c-couldn't do this at all!" She dispelled the snowball and happily swung her tail across the floor.

"But how—

"Mother of Knowledge, I don't know! The first time I showed Hairless what I could do, he described my problem with so much detail I thought he had experience with Ice! Then he just grabbed my arm and told me to channel my element, do that snowball exercise again. I wasn't expecting much—now that I'm thinking on it, I was maaaayybe a little disappointed the process didn't impress me. But then he made my mana move in a way I never thought possible!" Vara's tail continued to swish across the floor as she excitedly recounted her experience.

"It felt so weird—and scary! It's as though I'm the one directing my mana but at the same time, it's not! I don't know how else I can explain this. I was so nervous I was just about to cancel the whole flight when my snowball suddenly got bigger! Better! More stable than ever! It's only been a few hours, so I still can't do it properly by myself. But I still remember the feeling."

Her eyes had life; a sense of determination infused her posture, her words. "As long as I don't forget that, I'll eventually get there. I'm not sure if it'll be enough to pass next cycle's exam, but Hairless—I mean, Joshua—Azeroth bless him, Joshua helped me break through my bottleneck." Vara glanced at the human, mustard eyes gazing warmly at him. "He gave me my hope back." Her lips curled into a smile. Cynder believed the young apprentice felt immensely grateful, her demeanor identical to those of struggling students and their appreciation for such help.

The Audience Chamber went quiet. Volteer and Cynder ogled each other as they individually processed Vara's emotional narrative. There was a lot of information to process, but Cynder kept coming back to one solid conclusion: Warfang's leadership had honestly and truly undervalued Joshua's potential to contribute to their struggling, post-war society.

Joshua was able to give direct assistance to elemental channeling? Cynder internally gasped. That was huge! She considered the combat applications of this ability and, for a moment, felt it prognosticated stormclouds in the horizon. She shook herself free from such thoughts and concentrated on what she already knew of Joshua's personality and capacity—of the potential he'd shown since his arrival.

The more Cynder pondered over what Joshua could do within the walls of the city, the more she believed he could do much good. Enough to actually win over the people who abhorred him today—many of them the very same ingrates who believed she was still the Terror of the Skies.

Was this merely one of the many things Submaster Kaos saw in Joshua? No wonder he wanted to bring him into Skylands! If the human were to be properly nurtured...

She snapped her snout at Volteer. Cynder noted the knowing glint in his eyes. She was certain now; the Electric Guardian felt the same way as her.

"What a fascinating story!" Volteer blathered. "T-t-this information is valuable, eye-opening, enlightening. I suspected the flexibility of the Unknown Element in light of the passive abilities it bestowed upon our human guest, but never did I consider an attribute this novel. By Egeria! This warrants tests, trials, experiments..."

While the Guardian trailed off into his own world, Vara's gaze alternated between him and Cynder. She avoided looking at Spyro, who sulked at the side, silently observing them. "Sooooooo, is Hair—is Joshua going to be alright?"

Joshua frowned as he did every other time Vara bungled up his name. It had clearly become a moniker to her. It was funny; Cynder would have snickered if the situation hadn't been so serious. "Yes, Vara," she addressed the apprentice's question. "He'll be okay." After I'm done with him, she quietly added. Cynder couldn't forget that the stubborn adolescent blatantly disobeyed her rules for unimportant reasons. An appropriate punishment would come for him soon.

"Your personal experience with Joshua also shows he is not the threat certain people perceive him as." Cynder then peeked at Spyro for emphasis. The irked expression on his muzzle did not go away. "I believe it will be acceptable grounds for a few changes. The rest will be up to him."

Vara bowed her head. "Thank you, Your Grace," she said in relief. "That's really good to hear."

Cynder smiled at the young apprentice, her concerns on Joshua's immediate future mollified. If he could befriend a dragon he never met, who knew the human only through his infamy, then there was hope for him. Cynder felt a little jealous at that. Maybe soon, she too would meet ordinary people who would see her for who she was, not who she'd been.

"Alright, I think that's enough," Cynder spoke. "The three of us can talk privately about this matter. Volteer? Spyro?"

Spyro said nothing, his affirmation communicated through his silence.

Volteer answered, "Indeed, we have more than enough information to proceed with in our private exchange." The old dragon gazed down at Vara. "Little Wing, thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. You may leave now."

"What about me?" Joshua asked. "Do I have to stay here?"

"No," Cynder replied. "Master Volteer and I will butt horns with Spyro, so you're free to return to your quarters. However, for your own safety, you must go through the utilidors."

"I'll have the guards outside summon Joshua's escorts," Volteer said and ambled over to the doors.

Meanwhile, Joshua and Vara momentarily glanced at each other. Cynder felt they wanted to talk about this amongst themselves, maybe schedule some kind of flight later. It was only natural for a pair of new friends. She didn't want to keep them apart, but so long as Joshua's overall reputation among all Temple apprentices and fellows was still stuck on the ground, it had to be done.

What a pity.

"...Fine," the former acquiesced. "I understand." He walked over to the orchid dragoness and patted her withers. "Thanks for the assist, Princess. Until next time."

Vara nudged her snout on Joshua's shoulder. "Anytime, Hairless. And don't forget, you owe me!" She brought her mouth to his ear and whispered something neither Cynder nor the other two dragons could hear.

Joshua looked horrified. "Oh my god, you wouldn't!"

Vara simply gave him a predatory grin and walked away. The dragoness walked herself out the doors of the Audience Chamber gracefully. She was immediately replaced by the familiar sight of Copeland, Streeg, and Balagog strolling in to accompany Joshua through the utilidors.

Before they left, Cynder questioned Joshua, "What did Vara say to you?"

"That she'll make me work extra hard the next time she sees me," he said, a defeated expression on his face.

Cynder laughed. That apprentice was that kind of friend, was she? "Sounds like you'll have your hands full. Just so you know, even with her testimony we aren't simply going to set you loose into the Temple unchecked. Master Volteer and I still have many things to consider. You'll have plenty of time to think about that."

"I understand." Joshua brought a hand to his chest and bowed. A custom from his home, she thought. "Thanks again, Cynder, Volteer, for everything you've done for me. I won't forget it. I'm sorry for causing you all this trouble."

"You're welcome. And don't worry about it; we'll have an appropriate punishment for you ready by tomorrow."

Cynder slyly smirked at him. The human paled, but opted not to answer. She speculated Joshua didn't want things getting worse for him, and he was probably right.

"Now go. Master Volteer or I will make sure you are promptly updated."

Joshua gave the both of them another respectful bow before walking to the three Talonpoint Knights. They led him out the inconspicuous door on the other side of the room, in the back.

The second Joshua left the Audience Chamber...

That very moment the door leading to the narrow passages of the utilidors slammed shut behind him...

"I know what you two are planning," Spyro spoke up before either Cynder or Volteer could. "I can see it in your eyes. Don't do it! Joshua is too dangerous for that level of exposure."

Cynder sulked. "You heard what Vara said. He brought her hope back!"

"I disagree as a matter of principle."

"As a Guardian," Volteer replied, "I understand where you're coming from. For sure, Cyril and Terrador will react the same way. And I shall reply to you with this.

"Even if we all unanimously wished to embark toward a new beginning and fly to a bright, new, future, there would always be those who resist change and believe we are making the first step toward disaster." Wisdom shone in his eyes. "Young dragon, I feel even Ignitus would take a chance with our human, given his overall behavior and the new information Vara supplied to us."

The Purple Dragon shook his head. "No... no, I don't think so. Not if Ignitus knew—

"There is no evidence at all behind your accusations!" Cynder cut him off. "Ancestors, Spyro! Don't you realize it's all baseless? Have more faith in Joshua!" The same way he had faith in her, four years ago.

The words made him snap. Spyro bared his teeth and let out a guttural, intimidating growl. "You should have more faith in ME, not the furless ape! Do you think I'm lying to you whenever I say I feel great danger overflowing from him? Every time he taps into that Element of his, I feel, I... I—!"

He snarled and slammed his tail on the floor. It left a mark. "You know what? Fine! Do what you want! Go right ahead with this flight plan. You two are going to do it whether or not I agree with it anyway!"

Spyro flared his wings and flew to the edge of the cavern. He stopped at the support columns, right on the path leading to the VTOL point outside. "Just, j-just be careful about it. Because if anything goes wrong, it'll be on your necks."

Spyro moved to leave, only to pause in his tracks, and hesitate. He craned his neck back at them—at her, and stared into Cynder's eyes. She stared back at his, an alluring and comforting purple, just like his own scales. The dragoness fidgeted, heart still recalling how they exchanged blows minutes ago. It was all coming back to her now that Joshua was gone.

Was... was Spyro seriously going to leave without saying anything about it? But why? They had a relationship. They loved each other...

He tried again, but only to hesitate and glance back at her once more. He tried a few more times, and gauche, Volteer took a few step backs, to give them space.

"Spyro," Cynder called and stepped closer to him. She couldn't say anything else. She was too astonished by his attempts to leave.

After a long minute or so, he finally turned around and faced her. Spyro ambled closer, yet he kept a certain distance between them. He shut his eyes and hissed. "Cynder, I'm, I... I'm sorry. I'm sorry for fighting with you. I, I didn't mean to bare my fangs at you. I love you."

"Spy, I... I love you too... But—

Cynder might have actually forgiven him right here, on the spot, if he hadn't kept talking. "I love you, Cyn. I really do. But you gave me no choice. You're just too stubborn! You can't even see something so obvious!

"At first I thought all I needed to persuade you was information—proof of my claims." Tears dripped down Spyro's muzzle as he lamented, "But I was wrong, wasn't I? You were never open to persuasion to begin with.

I, I, I expected better from you, Cyn! After all we've been through together. I really, really thought you had my neck."

Spyro shook the tears off and rushed out to the VTOL point.

"Spyro, wait, come ba—

It was too late. He was gone. He dropped off and soared far into the sky.

Cynder didn't feel like pursuing her lover. All the sadness and pain she had been suppressing deep within resurfaced with great force. Agony stabbed at her. Tears broke out and she collapsed, sobbing. In this state, how could she notice the gold streak of light flying out from one of the Audience Chamber's support columns and chasing after Spyro? She didn't even feel Volteer walking up to her to put a comforting paw on her withers.

Every single thing Spyro said to her just now, she could've thrown them back at him, word for word. He was the stubborn one! He was the one who couldn't see the obvious! Why couldn't he see that? Why couldn't he accept that?

Alona help them both.

What Spyro said hurt.

---

Author's Notes:

About damn time I brought in one of the canon characters as a POV.

Hey bizzleb, if you're reading this… did you catch my reference to Whispers in the North? :D :D :D

Replies to reviews:

Abysmal Void. Hehehe, yeah. That's because I was already halfway done with the last part of "Glorified Peon 3" when I decided to put up the second one. I was eager to get it out of the way.

And thank you for the review!

SonicDJM. Great! Looking forward to your feedback in the future then. Thanks for the review.

Ecto Protonix Supreme. Or maybe Joshua just needs to go and learn to draw? Surely there'd be a mole specializing in this craft. No need for otherworldly magic powers to visually show off his home, tbh.

Besides, as versatile as the Unknown Element is, it can't do something like that to begin with.

Chaoscontrol108. Hello and thanks again for your feedback :D

Yep! I had to keep going after finishing "Glorified Peon 2", so I could finally move on. And yes, that's the sort of story I'm mainly going to tell. Joshua starts off in pseudo-imprisonment, alone, with all but a few hating or fearing him. It'll be an interesting story to read. Of course I have an overall plot too (because Joshua ultimately wants to go home) but my plan is to eventually alternate between that and, well, life in the city.

And the Moles are meant to unnerve you. Encountering diversity and facing it head-on often puts people in a position where their worldviews are challenged and their adaptability is tested.

See you next chapter!

KingKratos. Thanks for the review.

I didn't know what the Fel is until you showed me the Youtube video—and I googled the topic of "Fel magic".

In terms of how Joshua's Element works, I would agree with you. But with respect to how it must be utilized, it is more in line with the way arcane magic is wielded: with precision and concentration.

TheEyeOfKaguya. Really? You find that the way he acts like a child is a problem? Joshua is fifteen, and the life he's lived is that of a sedentary lifestyle with zero life experience, having never undergone real, character-building hardship. That he would react this way is completely expected.

If you're looking for characters who know how to use their powers and do stuff with it, perhaps you can turn to other stories? There should be other HITR fics that fit your preference. I suggest trying A game of Death and Life MK2 by DatXeno91. Maybe that'll do. There's also The Forge Summoner by LauncesMechinist or The Electric Dragon: Into the Abyss by Superdale33. I'd also put in bizzleb's Key series of Spyro fics since they fit the genre and, while clichéd, are good reads.

I also have multiple recommendations if you're into translated webnovels, because I follow several of these. I can suggest three right now: The Second Life Ranker, The Novel's Extra, and Stop! Friendly Fire.

SKDaGamer. Heh, the kid was taken down a notch, and what better way than to force him into degrading manual labor?

And yeah, you should've seen this coming. It strikes me as strange as I haven't seen this sort of thing from other Spyro fics.

Djax80. Thanks for the review! Haven't seen you in a bit… guess you were waiting for things to get interesting, huh?

Anyhow, I got you covered this chapter! This time around we are looking at things from Cynder's POV, almost one (local) month after Joshua's arrival.

Glad the trigger warning helped you. But don't worry, we won't see something as intense as the chamber below the lavatoria anytime soon.

Still, Joshua has a long road ahead of him. Merely acknowledging his nature is just the start.

Guest 1 (Guest). Refer to my reply to Absymal Void earlier. :D And yes, poor kid. He'll feel terrible every morning.

Again, I'm not interested in writing an original story. I'd probably have turned this into a webcomic if I had the talent of drawing, though.

Majiri. I couldn't reply to you because you disabled PMs to your account.

People who get shitty jobs like this never "accept it" as their lots in life. They usually get it because they're desperate for work for whatever reason. The job doesn't even have to have unsanitary conditions. It just HAS TO SUCK. There's a discord server I'm a part of where a guy roughly ten years younger than me had to quit a job within a week of getting it because the setting was a factory in Ohio where OSHA requirements aren't being complied with. We're talking zero PP&E, dangerous practices for maintaining or troubleshooting the industrial machinery, and crap like that. Yet in spite all that there are people who've been working there for decades.

Also, Joshua didn't mainly stay because he was a fan of Spyro. It was merely one reason—that's why he said that to him when he asked—but the reality is that he owes a life debt to Cynder and not taking Kaos's offer was the best way he could repay her for her hospitality. You clearly would have chosen differently. TBH, I would have left too.

However, Joshua—the real person, not his namesake in Aimless—grew up in a culture that emphasizes "debt of gratitude" as existentially important. People are even told to repay that debt in irrational ways. I've read about people who are forced to forsake their dreams and aspirations—to give up their own futures—just to stay at home and take care of their parents or grandparents REGARDLESS of their personal feelings. And if they choose not to do so, they risk being shamed/ostracized by both family and friends.

Anyway, sure, stick around for a bit. Hopefully the story will be more to your taste in the next chapter or so, but if it doesn't, you can always go for what I told another reader—hfort307—to do: skip everything in Joshua's first month in Warfang. Avoid anything that has to do with Joshua if the timestamp is set at 40 days and earlier.

Thank you for your feedback.

LoNeWoLf (guest). Yeah, freaking Moles and their lack of hygiene. -_- I'm totally with you on that one.

Iceman3423. Hello! And yes, that's right. It is nasty work. You might've been able to spoil yourself had you looked it up though, since "manual scavenger" is a real job in the world.

But, as I tell others, pay attention to the timestamps!

Joshua is damn lucky to have Kilat as his adopted sister. It's funny how he gets a relationship like that with a dragon instead of his blood sister. (Oh wait, I never mentioned that? Oops. Irrelevant, minor spoiler? XD)

Hoped you like this chapter. :D

TheKazostkyKicker. Hello, and thanks for your review! Well, yeah. He needs to do that. The way people would take the revelation is unpredictable. XD