Today was a big day for Von and Star. Today, their class was going to take a tour around the city. Finally, they could learn a little bit more about where they were. A week ago they had been enrolled in the academy at the temple. It was great for Von; only because it was allowing him to learn more about dragon history. He did give most of the credit to his AI. Thanks to Star he learned their entire history in an hour. Although, he considered it cheating. Star did make it clear that it was nessecary for them to learn as fast as they could. Not only were they learning from the teachers. But, they were also learning from their mentor, Cynder. She was a very good mentor. She helped him when he couldn't figure out a problem. Taught him some history that was not written in the books. She even explained to him her elements. He felt sad for her as she told him how she got them. Yes, it had been an eventful week. But, there was only one problem. The guardians didn't allow hatchlings to leave the temple.
The city was on constant alert for potential attacks. The war may have ended. But, the apes continued to fight with the dragons. They were determined to not only take the city. But, they were also trying to finish off the dragons. They were trying to push them to extinction. It was a thought that made him shudder a little. He had already survived one extinction level event. He didn't feel like having to survive another. He shook the thought from his head and continued to get himself ready for class.
"Don't forget your satchel." Star reminded.
"Thanks, Star." He thanked it while picking up said item. He placed it on his back and secured it around his barrel. He had gotten better at it these last few days. He groaned in annoyance as it played a clip of him falling on his face. "Do you have to remind me?"
"It was funny." It admitted. "But, it's also proof that you've gotten better."
"Yeah, yeah." He replied. "How's the ice profile?"
It showed him that it was fifty percent complete. The crystal in the library was where Star found the information. But, it was only partial info. It figured the rest was inside the crystal in the guardians chamber. It suggested sneaking in. A plan he was wholeheartedly against. The thought of using another element excited him. But, he didn't want to go behind their backs. There had to be another way to learn it.
"Your class starts in ten minutes." It warned him.
He nodded and quickly exited the room. He entered the hallway and began to make his way to his class. Over the week Star helped him learn more about the temple. He learned that it was built when the city was first built. How it was originally used to train new guardians. Only to be converted into an academy and temporary housing for young dragons and new guardians. It also had a defense system that kept it standing during the war. He shuddered whenever that war was mentioned. It was a cataclysmic war. A war that nearly lead to their kinds extinction. But, thanks to Spyro they were all saved. He actually met the purple dragon during a study session with Cynder. He was a very nice dragon.
"Turn left now." It alerted him.
He turned left down another hall. There were a few dragons standing in the hallway. They talked amongst themselves as he passed them. A few of them waved or smiled at him. He would respond in kind. He envied the older students. They could leave the temple freely. But, they had to be back by nightfall. Hatchlings like him were not allowed outside the temple. Unless their mentors accompanied them. He would love to see the city as often as he could. But, Cynder had her life and her studies. So, he was very thankful that his class was seeing some of the city today. He turned down another hallway and made his way towards the classroom. He entered it and he could hear the commotion on the inside.
There were a few hatchlings inside the classroom already. Some were playing with each other. Others talked amongst themselves. There were even a few that were just waiting patiently for their teacher. He felt a paw pin his tailblade to the floor.
"Right, on cue." He sighed as he turned around. "Hello, Tide."
"Hi, Von." The dragoness greeted him with a smile.
Tide was a water dragoness who appeared to take a liking to him. That was what Star suggested it was. Normally, a child his age would act in disgust. But, before he was put to sleep, he was instructed on what was expected of him. The chosen were tasked with rebuilding civilization. That not only meant rebuilding, it also meant repopulating. Thankfully, he was not of age yet. But, it was still a really awkward talk.
"You still feel awkward about something natural?" It questioned.
"Not now Star." He thought.
"Are you excited? We get to see the city today." She was beaming with excitement.
"I am." He smiled at her. "Um, Tide." He looked down at his tail.
She giggled again before taking her paw off his tail. Both of them heard some laughter from their classmates. It came from her friends. He noticed one of them making a disgusted look. It looked like she was gagging. A typical reaction for a dragon her age. There were even a few boys making the same face. The action caused him to chuckle a little.
One of the male dragons walked over. He was an electric dragon by the name of Hertz. He was one of the male dragons he made friends with over the course of the week. His power was unique, not only did he have the power of electricity. But, he also had a connection to the fire element. His father was an electric dragon and his mother was a fire dragon.
"Hi Hertz." He greeted him.
"Hey." She greeted.
"Hey, guys." He smiled at them. "Talking about our trip today?"
Both of them nodded; everyone was talking about the trip around the city today. Some of them were eager for the trip to start. Some of them hoped to see the market. It was set up somewhere in the center of the city. It was big and there were a lot of stalls. Others hoped to see the top of the defensive wall. They not only wanted a glimpse of the city, but also a view of the surrounding countryside. Yes, everyone in the classroom was excited.
A cough from the door caught their attention. All of them turned expecting to see their teacher. So, it was shocking to see Cyril standing in the doorway. Von noticed the apologetic look on his face. Something must have happened to their teacher.
"Hello, everyone." He greeted as he stepped in. "I'm afraid I have some bad news."
"Bad news?!"
"Oh no."
"I wonder what happened?"
He heard all the questions and he sighed sadly. "I regret to inform all of you. But, your teacher has come down with a cold." He sighed again. "I'm afraid the trip has been called off."
Most of the hatchlings in class groaned in sadness. All of them were looking forward to the trip outside. Cyril felt bad for all of them. He knew how important this trip was for all of them. Normally, he or one of the other instructors would fill in. but, sadly, Volteer and Terrador were at the eastern temple and most of the instructors were out on missions today. The remaining ones were giving important lessons today.
"I'm sorry." He apologized again. "Please, take your seats. We'll pick up on the next lesson."
"I recommend we sneak out." It suggested as Von took his seat.
"Forget it, Star. There's no way I'm skipping class." He thought as he pulled out his text book.
"It can be done. There is a blind spot in the guardians vision." It showed him the path and how fast he had to move. "If you make a move at this exact moment."
"Are you planning on sneaking out?" Tide whispered to him causing him to jump.
"If you are count me in." Hertz added.
He looked between him and her. Before he even had a chance to speak; his AI companion showed him all of them could sneak out unnoticed. He sighed and mentally cursed his companion. He looked between them again before informing them of the plan. The first to leave would be Hertz. He was the slowest out of the class. He watched as Cyril continued to instruct the class. The moment he turned towards the board; he gave the signal to him and he quickly made his way out. He barely managed to leave the room before Their teacher turned to face them and continued the class. He was unaware that a student had sneaked out. He turned again and he signaled her to move. She made her way out of the class and just like him, she managed to get out without being noticed.
"As soon as he turns, go." It instructed him.
He nodded and waited patiently for him to turn again. He was a little surprised that no one noticed the others. As soon as he turned he made his move. He moved as fast as he could and exited the room. The moment he stepped out into the hall; he was grabbed by her and pulled to the side. She motioned for him to stay quiet. He gave her an annoyed look.
"Okay, now what?" Hertz asked.
"We get moving." Tide spoke while releasing Von. She stepped away from them and motioned for them to follow. "Come on."
She started walking down the hall with Hertz following close behind. They turned down a hallway. Von sighed and followed them. They had to move carefully through the halls. Some of the other teachers were walking the halls. It took a little bit but they eventually reached the exit of the temple. They were filled with excitement as they pushed the door open.
None of them could believe how large the city was. To say the place was large of a gross understatement. It was massive. It was a fantastic titan of a city. As they walked through the city; Von had to make a mental note on certain areas. Star informed him that it will not help them get back to the temple. It explained to him that this was a good test of his memory. At the moment they were passing a flower stand. It was the only stand closest to the temple.
"Hey, you guys wanna go check out the fountain?" Hertz asked.
"The one in the middle of the city?" Tide questioned. He nodded and she motioned for him to take the lead.
Hertz smiled and moved to the front of the group. He began to lead them to the center of the city. As they walked Von continued to make a mental map back to the temple. There were a lot of dragons walking the streets. There were also some moles and some cheetahs. None of them noticed them walking amongst them. He figured that was a good thing. It was a good walk for all three of them. They had passed by multiple stalls and buildings on their way to the fountain.
"Here we are." Hertz said happily.
The fountain was a beautiful piece of artwork. It had a unique design that fit the area. There were a lot of creatures near the fountain. Mostly, couples that were enjoying the scenery. Von was amazed by the sights they were seeing. All of them were so caught up in the moment; they hardly noticed the storm clouds approaching.
It wasn't uncommon for rain this time of year. But, there was usually a warning before a rain storm struck. The rain soaked the city and the inhabitants in the streets. Von and his friends ran down one of the streets; they were trying to get out of the rain. Lightning flashed across the sky. Followed by the rumble of thunder. As they ran he noticed something and turned towards it.
"This way!" He called to them as he ran towards what appeared to be a tunnel.
His friends followed close behind and all three of them took shelter from the storm. Tide was laughing happily. While Hertz was more annoyed. All of them shook themselves dry of the water.
"That was fun." Tide giggled as she looked out at the storm. She gasped in awe as she saw a bolt of lightning flash across the sky. "Whoa! Did you guys see that!?"
"Yeah, yeah, we saw it." Hertz groaned. "Dang, why did it have to start raining now?" He complained while looking out at the storm.
"Hey, Star. How long have we got on this rain?" Von thought while he looked at the storm with them.
"Fifty minutes." Star informed. "Von, could you look down this tunnel?" It asked.
He did as instructed and looked down the tunnel. It then activated a program that allowed him to see far into the tunnel. They were in a maintenance tunnel. It stretched far into the wall and then it led to a spiraling staircase. The stairs went all the way to the top of the wall. It quickly made a map for them to follow.
"If all of you want to see an amazing sight. I recommend you take this path." It suggested.
Von nodded and turned towards his friends. "Hey, guys." They looked at him and he motioned for them to follow. "Let's see where this leads." He suggested. "I bet it leads to the outside." He added.
The thought of being outside the city excited them. Although, Von knew exactly where it would lead. He couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement. They followed the tunnel all the way to the staircase. They climbed the stairs all the way to the top. Their legs were horribly sore when they finally reached the door. But, it was worth it for the sight they were about to see. The moment Von opened the door at the top; at first they were blinded by the sun. then, their eyes adjusted and they saw a beautiful sight. The rain and clouds had just cleared. Allowing all of them to see the surrounding countryside clearly. But, that was not the only thing that they saw. There was a beautiful rainbow arching over the green fields and forests.
"Whoa." Hertz commented in a voice filled with amazement.
"Pretty." Tide commented while taking a single step closer.
"I'm glad we didn't miss this." Von spoke. "Star, Th-."
"Tell, Tide to step back now!" Star suddenly alerted.
Before Von had a chance to react it happened. A piece of the wall suddenly crumbled beneath Tide's feet; she gasped only to scream out in terror as she started to fall towards the ground below.
"TIDE!" Both of them shouted before jumping after her.
As they fell none of them yelled or screamed in terror. Tide was too focused on the fast approaching ground. Hertz and Von were focused on getting to her. Both of them managed to catch her and all three of them clung to each other as they fell. It was unreal to all of them. They had only wanted to see the city and now they were probably about to die.
"Star!" Von thought as they continued to plummet. "Star, what can I do?!" He continued hoping his companion would have an answer.
"Two seconds!" It answered. "Best possible action. Your friend, Tide, is a pure water dragoness. If you allow me to enter and scan her mind. I can create a water profile." It suggested.
"What good would that do?" He questioned.
"Trust me!" It all but yelled.
"Do it, then!" He ordered.
It quickly left his mind and entered hers. In a nanosecond it scanned her brain for the information it needed. Soon, it found the knowledge of the water element. She knew limited styles, but that was okay. Her mind held the secrets of it inside her dna. It learned of all the styles and attacks the water element had. Her mind was just as good as a crystal; but instead of countless memories from various points in time. It had to just filter through her memories. It made a quick copy of a certain memory. It soon returned to Von.
"Star, are you back!?" He asked. They were getting closer to the ground.
"Yes, although, highly ill-advised, I recommend the ABP!" It suggested knowing the risk it posed.
"DO IT!" He ordered.
The program activated and ran it's course. In an instant the water profile was created and mastered. Years of knowledge learned in an instant yet again. Von gasped as he felt the strain of the program hit his body. It felt like he had ran a hundred miles without stopping. Images and face flashed before his eyes. Warriors using the water element for not only attack. But, for also defense.
"Both of you take a deep breath." He told them. They looked at him curiously. "TAKE A DEEP BREATH NOW!" He ordered.
They did as instructed and Von activated the water profile. His eyes glowed with elemental energy. He breathed out a stream of water. The water formed into a sphere around them. Just as they crashed into the ground below. The moment the sphere made contact with the ground it burst open. Not only sending water in all directions, but it also carried them from the wall. All of them layed there on the wet ground. Stunned by not only the fall. But, also shocked to still be alive.
"Are we still alive." Hertz asked between breaths of air.
"Yeah." Tide confirmed. "I think so."
Gagging coughs caught their attention and they turned to look at Von. He was vomiting large amounts of water. Tide quickly got up and ran over to him. She knew what was happening to him. His lungs were filled with water and his body was trying to get it out. It happened to all water dragons. But, Von wasn't a water dragon. At least she thought he wasn't. She got behind him and grabbed him. She then wrapped her forelegs around his torso and started to squeeze. Von continued to painfully choke on the water. It felt like he was puking a whole ocean. Then, in one single wet cough it stopped. He began to gulp air in.
She let him go and stood next to him. "No, Von." She said. "Slow, deep breaths."
He did as instructed and took in a single deep breath. He then slowly exhaled and repeated the process three more times. Hertz had got up and slowly walked over to them. He turned to look at the two and then all three of them looked at the area where the wall had hit. For a moment all of them looked at it in stunned silence. None of them could believe they had survived a fall like that.
"Von, your mentor is coming." Star warned.
Almost as if on cue Cynder landed behind all of them. They turned to face her; Von felt the most fear from her glare. She turned her head towards the sky and shot a flare. "What were all of you thinking?" Her voice was cold as ice. "Do you know all the trouble all three of you caused?"
They were getting the second degree from her. It was the guardians that were going to give them the third degree. Though, Tide and Hertz might get it worse from their parents. She continued to inform them of the panic all three of them had caused. When Cyril and another instructor reached them; all three of them were carried back by him. As they were taken back to the temple; Tide and Hertz looked at Von. It was then both of them nuzzled him and thanked him.
"Thanks, Star." He said to his companion.
"Always here to help." It replied. "I'm also sorry for running that program again." It apologized.
"Don't be." He groaned as a horrible headache hit him. "These side effects are the worst." He complained.
End of Chapter 3