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Chapter two; Fires of war.

Cynder could smell the apes from a few hallways down. She dreaded to speak to them again; she did not know how many were loyal to her and how many were loyal to Malefor. She steeled herself by listening to the taps that her claws made on the stone floor. A softer set of taps was not far behind her as Spyro followed her through the corridor. It's smooth for her to know someone was with her for sure, even if Malefor materialised in the throne room that was used for the meetings.

There was this nagging idea on her mind of how to introduce Spyro. Many an ape general had lost some of their best soldiers and lieutenant to Spyro. She surely would get a protest when he entered the room.

The good thing about thinking and walking was that you couldn't just endlessly mull things over, but that was also the biggest disadvantage, a disadvantage that she cursed when she arrived at the massive oak door that opened into the throne room. She still had not decided about Spyro.

Cynder took a breath and turned around to face the dark purple dragon who was following her. He looked out at her with his brilliant eyes. Those eyes were perhaps the only thing that was not corrupted, and she wouldn't have it another way.

"Wait here until I call you, and I must prepare you for some vocal feedback." Cynder called up her honed tone of authority. She had to admit to herself, it was hard to do so after the night of passion they shared but, this was how it was. She was his Queen and Mistress.

"You think they will remember me? My queen." Spyro asked, his head slightly bowed. Cynder could not help but to trace a claw along his yaw, pushing his head upwards. "Oh, they will, but wear your head high and proud. I can't have my general walk like a submissive wolf through the walls. We are dragons. We are superior to them." Slowly, she pulled away from Spyro. She received all she needs to hear by a single 'yes my queen,'

'Glad to know he takes his role well. Can't have him slip up, not now.'

She swung open the door into the Throne room, gazing across the ape generals that were impatiently standing around the room. Cynder looked at the smaller pillow that she used to sit on, right next to Malefor's throne. The onyx stone that it was made of contrasting with the white in the room. Cynder took care to block the view of Spyro with her body while pushing the door closed with her tail.

"Great, you are all here," she said to the generals, putting on the stern tone they knew of her. She walked to the front of the room like she had done so many times before. Yet this time she was going to claim the one that belonged to her. She expected protests to come when she placed herself in the golden and silver throne that was meant for Malefor, and she was right.

"Cynder! That's heresy!" One of the older generals jumped forwards, but she did not show any remorse. Instead, she roared above the protests to silence them.

"If you will all be so kind and wait for your turned so, we can discuss things in a more civilised manner." Cynder started, but was again interrupted by a general with a rather rude tone.

"You blasted dragon! Where is Malefor!"

Cynder gave a soft hiss. Well, this was a good as a time as any to test some of Spyro's powers. With a small wheeze and a roar, a ball of ice escaped her yaws, flying towards the general and trapping him in ice. Sudden fear caught in the eyes of the other generals.

_'Good, make them fear you'_It was perhaps one of the few useful lessons she had got from Malefor.

"As I was saying, let's have a civilised discussion, now the first order of this meeting, Updates about Malefor as usual," She kneaded the soft fabric under her paws, oh how this throne was sitting so much better than her old pillow.

"Malefor will not be joining us today. Nor he will join us ever again. From now on you might address me as your highness or Queen. Is that understood?"

There was not a word while the ape generals tried to grasp what was going on. There was one ape who stepped forward, his fur burned away by steam. He no longer had the grandstand he once had, but alas, he was not easily killed.

"Yes, Conductor?"

"My queen, my apes will follow you, but I have one question. What about our forge? We need the heat of the volcano if we are to build an army."

Cynder mulled it over. "We will see what can be rescued from the fires. Though my priority is to take the temple and break the will of any that stand in our way. And I just know the one to do so. "

"And that is my queen?" the conductor said again.

"General, enter," she called out, intentionally leaving out Spyro's name. It also turned out as expected, especially with Spyros suddenly flare for the dramatic and swinging the door fully open before entering. First, a silence fell across the room when they gazed at the purple dragon. Then a mumbling, some angry looks, especially from the Conductor, whose burns were still fresh. Last, Apes shouted bloody murder. Spyro bared his teeth, ready to defend himself from the Ape. It was good that he couldn't use his breath anymore. Else, this would have been a big mess to resolve.

Cynder roared again, yet this time it was not as easy to get them to quiet down. She stood up from the throne and breath down fire in the middle of the generals. The embers and heat blasted into the room. The conductor, who was perhaps the loudest, jumped away and groaned in pain when the heat touched his burn wounds.

With the scent of brimstone in the room silenced, giving Cynder a moment to get the attention of Spyro to call him forwards with her paw. She petted the onyx pillow to her right with the blade of her tail. He got the hint, walking over to sit uncomfortably at Cynder's side.

He could feel eyes of the ape generals gazing at them with a burning hatred. He did a quick count to those who he had defeated in battle before. The one who had perhaps the most hate in his gaze was the conductor who he burned in the Boyzitbig volcano.

Cynder waited patiently before speaking until Spyro was fully seated. Trough before she could speak again, the large doors of the throne room swung open and Gaul, the King of the dark armies, entered with an angry snort.

"Cynder!" he called angrily, then he paused, taking in the sight of Cynder sitting on the throne with Spyro at her side. "I came here hoping the stories of your betrayal were fabrication, but now" He took one of his blades and pointed at Cynder. "I see that you indeed betrayed our dark master. "

Slowly the other ape generals backed away, to the side, even pulling the one general still trapped in ice along. Giving the two rooms. Fearing an inevitable confrontation that was to come. Yet Cynder did not seem impressed by all that bravo that the ape king put up.

"Gaul, surely you see Malefor is weak. He needed me to free him. He was at my mercy. But you are not. You can join me as one of my generals." She said with a deep rumble in her voice that shook the marble walls.

The ape king was a little impressed by the dragoness's offer. "Cynder, don't forget who the senior to you is. I see I have allowed you too much of a free rein. Don't forget who made you to what you are now. Now cease and I will spare your life."

Cynder snorted, lowering her head with a rumble, smoke from her mouth and looking straight in the eyes of Gaul with a murderous look.

"I remember." She spoke. "I remember everything. I remember you torturing me, chaining me down and wrecking my body till my tears ran dry and my howls of pain where nothing but horse whispers. You were enjoying the torture. I remember you forcing me to murder every single dragon I put my claws on." As she spoke, a single tear rolled down her cheek. "I remember the pain." She finally said, raising her head more. "You know what? I will not spare your life. I wish I could throw you in the dungeons and make you suffer like I did. Through, I don't fancy you escaping."

Before Gaul could raise his swords and run at her, she called on some of Spyro's powers she had seen him use and cast a powerful gale of wind that send Gaul flying backwards through the doors and onto the bridge that connected the throne room with the rest of the castle. On each side of the bridge, ape soldiers were standing, fully armoured and ready to strike.

"Well Gaul, it seems you are prepared." Cynder rumbled deeply. "Do you honestly think soldiers can kill me?"

Gaul groaned while standing up. Caught off-guard by the dragoness' newfound powers, he took his moment to re-evaluate his position. Trough he smiled when he saw one of his generals sneaking up behind Cynder. The conductor unsheathed an emerald shard blade laced with poison. Trough before he could do anything, there was a thunderous roar, and the conductor was sent flying against a wall with a blow of a claw. He fell to the ground and slumped, not breathing. In the place where the conductor there was Spyro, growling and hissing. He turned around to cover Cynder's back, looking with suspicion at the remaining generals that were still in the throne room. They would not pass.

Cynder did not let it show that the sudden attempt at the back stab got her spooked. "Trust only Spyro," was what her mind said. She fully knew that she could not win any war without an ape army, but with Spyro, she could feel safe.

"Seems you have a pet," Gaul said. "We agreed you should give him to your master. I should have known you would keep him. You reek of sex. If you were that desperate, you should have just come to me. Just like old times," He let a knowing grin fall that send Cynder's blood boiling.

Slowly she took a step forward, towards the ape. Towards the face that only looked smug, Soldiers closing in, surrounding her with every beat of her pounding heart. Fear would not work on those who did not have any acid. Oh, how she would love to watch him melt away. Fire? Let him scream and burn, oh that would do fine.

When the soldiers got too close to her, she let out a red mist filling the air around her and sending the soldiers into a fear induced hallucination when they breathe in the fog. Some simply ran, some jumped from the bridge, some would attack their fellow soldiers. And in all this panic there was Gaul, whose face turned from smug into worried. Cynder revelled knowing that she was no longer at the mercy of him and Malefor.

Gaul always had this talk about him when he was about to attack, a twitch in his arms, muscles tightening and preparing to strike just before he leaped. She waited to leap forwards, waited till she knew where he landed. Her yaws opened and let out a thunderous roar that even send the soldiers running that were not affected by her fear magic running. When the roar stopped, blue fire escaped her maw, a plume of fire that licked across the surface of the bridge.

She looked at Gaul while unleashing her hell on the bridge. She could see his fear just before he landed and was enveloped in fire. He tried to walk forward, or at least throw his swords at her, to make the fire stop, but it was no use. The swords missed landing on each side of Cynder and landing against the stone of the bridge.

She had to give him some credit for the length he tried to suppress his howls of pains and tried to crawl from the torment of fire. But in the end, he succumbed to the fire and gave a howl of pain while the fire burned away his hide. There was little he could do. He had to breathe eventually and when he did; the fire filled his lunges and burned him from the inside out. The scent of burned flesh and hair was thick in the air and appealing to smell.

When the heat of her fire became too much for even Cynder to maintain, she eased off, slowly the fire died off, going from full blast to a small flame to completely dying off. The stone pathway on the bridge was cracked from the heat and smouldering from the cracks. The unfortunate apes that were caught in the blast were nothing but smoking corpses, Gaul himself was almost turned into a charcoal. Blackened by the fire, with small red cracks showing the cooked flesh underneath him.

"Good riddance, that was that," Cynder spoke with a huff, turning around to face the ape generals who were in the throne room. Part of them were in fear, part of them showed pure disgust. Those who showed fear bowed for Cynder. Those in disgust just stared at her while she walked past Spyro and re-assumed her place on the throne again.

"So, with that unpleasantness dealt with. Let's discuss our plans." She spoke as if nothing had happened. Her mind was cleared, the fog that once haunted her whenever she saw Gaul or heard his name had cleared. "Spyro, close the doors," she called to the purple dragon.

She to discuss the rest of the plan for Spyro to come back and take a seat next to her again. She knew that some generals that were here now were going to betray her and leave her. Trough she could show none of them she did not have a plan, that should just sit here as if she now owned everything. No, they had to take out the guardians before she could take on the dragon city of war fang.

"The dragon city, only logical that would be my seat of power. "

Her plan was simple: send Spyro in alone for him to prove himself. Let him capture the dragon guardians while she and the apes were hidden to attack, just in case Spyro was not as capable as she thought or that he would betray her. The last thing she wanted was anymore dragon deaths.

"You really think I would betray you? My Queen" Spyro asked while he and Cynder walked along the corridors back to their room. Spyro hoped Sparx would be awake, even though talking to Sparx after last night send his stomach into a knot.

"That is for you to answer," Cynder said first, looking to her side at the purple dragon. "After all, you choose me out of your own freewill, you were not under my magic. Besides, if you wanted to kill me, you had more than enough time to do so in our moments of pleasure. "

Spyro could not help but to heat a bit when she talked about the night they shared. His body responded as if she commanded it. He did not want to think about that night that much, afraid he would 'show off' while he wanted to talk to his brother. He did not want to come over as a sex crazed dragon who only thought about sex while he spoke with his brother.

"On more thing," Cynder said, pausing at the door to her chambers. "If you are to free him, you mustn't tell anything about our plan to capture the temple."

Spyro nodded in response and pushed through the door. Sparx was indeed awake and looked at his brother while he entered. He could see the terror of the night just behind him, trough she did not enter, just closing the door behind Spyro. Leaving the brothers alone to talk.

"Sparx, you are awake," Spyro sounded almost like his old self, trough there was this deep draconic rumble in his voice that came with his larger body.

"No, thanks to you." Sparx said. He was rather suspicious while his brother reached up and opened the cage. It was good to spread his wings again but now he could properly see Spyro, his heart sank. He looked at his darkened scales, at how his horns had changed colour.

"So, you are one of them now," Sparx said sombrely. "You now are a puppet of the monster?" He kept his distance to Spyro, despite the dragon wanting to come closer.

Spyro's own heart sank when he saw the reaction from Sparx to seeing him, trough it was not unexpected. "Come on, it's not like I had much of a choice... What was I supposed to do? Try to fight and break free, perhaps having to kill Cynder and then fight the whole ape army or..." He looked behind him. "She is perhaps the last dragoness, Sparx. Even if we were to fight and be victorious, we risk losing any hope for dragon kind."

Sparx just gazed at Spyro. There was sorrow in the dragon's eyes. Sorrow but also hoped. "So, you just gave up and handed all your power to Malefor's monster?"

"Sparx, she does not belong to Malefor, or at least not anymore. I doubt she ever really wanted Malefor to escape if I hear her... Perhaps when you hear what I heard when she spoke about how an ape general or king trapped her and tortured her... you might give her a change." Spyro spoke solemnly, trying to both explain his position and try to avoid an all-out war. "I don't want the dragons to go extinct, and she might be the best option for that. Plus, she promised our family to be safe."

"Well, I certainly believe that you are trying to save the dragons last night. Just don't forget who killed all those dragons," Sparx said with a dry laughter. "But by the ancients, Spyro. Her? She is still evil! You gave up your powers for this. What if she betrays you? What if she will storm in and just kill me? You can do nothing but watch! Look what she did to you. You almost look like her now. You are just a steel collar away from being her copy." What Sparx did not expect was a tear to form on Spyro's cheek and roll down. It splats on the ground, wetting the stones below him.

"I don't want to lose you. I don't want to lose mum and dad. I care about them all..."

Sparx interjected Spyro. "And what about her? Do you feel anything for her?"

Spyro took a deep breath before speaking again. "I love her, that's true. She accepted me as her mate and general. I have accepted her as my Queen... I," Spyro wanted to speak more but paused. Looking at his brother. "I don't know. I am unsure about a lot of things, but I am not unsure of the choice I made. This is the best choice I could make. Not just for me, but for us all."

The door opened, and Cynder entered, sending a shiver of fear across Sparx's back. He felt back in the cage, hoping that would keep him safe from harm. "It's true I killed my kind Sparx," she spoke "Yet I was as trapped in my body. I know Malefor has corrupted me, but there is nothing to be done about it now. I can only accept myself for who I am and do what I do best. To rule," she traced a claw along Spyro's neck.

"I keep to my promise Sparx, You and your family, Spyro included, have nothing to fear from me. I shall guard your valley so you can live in peace. That was part of our deal." She spoke calmly, though she was not sure why. She was a Queen she had to command.

"And you want me to accept you as Queen too?" Sparx snorted. "You think I will not forget you hunting us, nearly killing my brother!"

"I want you to accept me. I do not want my general, my pet, my love, to be removed from his family. But reality is often complicated Sparx. You are free to go home or stay here to see that your brother will be fine, but don't forget. I am Queen now. You can choice not to accept me, but I am still your Queen. "

Sparx gazed at the terror of the skies. He did not know what to say for a while, his gaze going back and forth between his brother and the monster that was standing next to him. He wanted to stay with his brother and make sure he was fine, trough his heart yearned to go home, he was just drained. Why would he need to fight when Spyro already gave up and handed himself over to the evil queen? His decision must be made, even though it did not feel good while Sparx flew through the empty corridors, following Spyro towards the exit of the castle. He stayed close to his brother. The apes they encountered gave hungry gazed at him, trough none dared to approach Spyro. Would his brother really trust these savages to keep them safe? Perhaps he must inform his parents to flee somewhere no one, not even Spyro, could find him.

The goodbye was tasting bitter to Sparx, and last time that Spyro asked Sparx to stay, but he would not have a single thing about it. In all honesty, it was perhaps because he could not see Spyro in the same way after last night. How would you see your brother in the same way when he willingly howled the name of your enemy out in pleasure and ask for more?

Spyro was not left with too much time to reminisce about the goodbye of his brother, while he did not know if he would see him again. There was a pressing matter that could not wait, the attack on the temple. As soon when Spyro returned to Cynder, the plan gone full steam ahead. By the time the night fell, they had set the date for two days from now.

"Would I really be able to fight the guardians?" Spyro wondered to himself, listening in on the plans as they rounded of the war meeting. It felt wrong to betray them like this. Perhaps he should air his grievances? Trough not here, not now. Not with all the generals listening and judging him. He could see those gazes of them. None of them trusted him.

"Dismissed," Cynder finally called when she herself heard enough. The plan was set in motion, and they were just talking in circles about minor details and wanting extra securities against Spyro betraying them. Cynder waved these thoughts away, not like she has defeated Spyro before. Trough when they were alone, she was blind sighted by a question from Spyro.

"My Queen," he spoke, "What if I can't fight the guardians?"

"Of course you can fight. They don't have their elemental powers, and I have defeated them before. So, it should turn out fine."

"No," He said, "I mean if I can't bring myself to hurt them. "

Cynder's eyes snapped to, looking at the purple dragon. "General." She said in a stern voice. She watched as Spyro almost jumped back, not expecting it. "Act like it. You have fought before. You made the choice, don't you? To prove yourself, you must be by my side. I can't have a general that can't fight my enemies."

Quickly, she pinned Spyro against the wall and whispered in his ear. "I will not hold it against you, but if you don't want to be my general anymore, I can always just let you be my pet, my slave, my submissive little purple dragon, and nothing more. So, what do you say? You want to be my General? Proof yourself to be worthy of the title to be my royal consort?"

Spyro gave a soft wheeze when he was pushed against the wall. The sudden force knocked the air out of his lunges. He felt claws along his neck, pinching him slightly. For a moment he was afraid, then the look in her eyes settled his fears slightly. There was not much anger in them, rather disappointment.

"I will try. "

"Good" She let him go, immediately giving him a kiss on his neck. "I hoped you would answer that. I want you as my consort."

"Then," Spyro looked around to see if no one was listening in. "Why this hard/soft treatment, Cynder? I sometimes cannot get a read from you. "

"Our here I am still your queen, Spyro," she leaned closer again. "And in our bedroom, I am your Mistress." She smirked when she saw the reaction from the purple dragon. "I see you enjoy that. Now let's use my proper titles. Queen or Mistress. No more Cynder. You maybe call me Cynder only when I allow you to."

Spyro could not deny the growing arousal he felt when she was close and whispering in his ears. If dragons could blush, he would have done. Instead, he walked behind her, head a little lower to show his submissiveness to her. Following her back to her, well, their shared bedroom.

He was barely inside before he was pulled across the room with his mistress's tail and pinned to the bed. "Oh, how I waited for this," she let out a low growl. Her yaws came down and bit down on Spyro's neck. He couldn't help but to give a moan when the teeth pushed against his scales. Her tail traced up along his tail, slowly letting the tail-blade tease his scales and soon pushing against his tail hole. Teasing him a bit. He grunted when she pushed the tip of the tail blade into him.

Soon, his member slid out of his slit and stand at attention for her. Cynder pushed her hips down, grinding her already wet slit against his member. Teasing him more while his tip rubbed against her clit.

"This is going to be a long night," He thought while she pushed down, his member tip pushing into her opening. Edging him on and teasing him. But when the pleasure built, she pulled from his member. Leaving him throbbing and drooling pre.

"Oh my," she rumbled. "My little pet is needy. Well, I hope you learned your manners," she said in a soft huff. Moving her hinds up again and pushing her slit against the nose snout. Eagerly, Spyro opened his mouth, pushing his own tongue against her slit. Cynder rumbled in sweet pleasure, quickly becoming intoxicated with the lust, he would do fine.

"I should put a collar on my purple dragon," she thought in gasps of pleasure. Her tail coiling out his member, pumping it and teasing him. Trough every time she felt the member throb and getting close, she stopped. Her tail blade scooped up some of the delicious pre that drools along the length. Delectably tracing the blade along his member, making him shiver under her. Growling in pleasure into her slit.

His pre was tangy, just the way she liked. She enjoyed the scents in the air, the feeling of his tongue against her and the pleasure of him servicing her. She edged, getting closer and closer. Eventually pushing down so the whole tip of his snout was pushed into her slit. It did not take long for her to climax over him, coating his heat in her juices and scent.

Spyro was lost in a lust fuelled haze. He could smell nothing but his mistress's scent and need in his nose. Taste nothing but the taste of rich pheromones in the air. If this was how she was normal, he could only imagine how she would be in heat. Slowly, the slit was pulled from his heat. Yet that was not all. He could feel her intentionally dragging her slit across his scales and down towards his member. Coating him with more of that delicious warm juice. Slowly bringing her head down to lick her own juices from his face.

Soon enough they locked in a kiss again, tasting each other and their juices while Cynder brought her hips down and pushed into his painfully throbbing member. The sheer feeling of her heat against him was nearly enough to push Spyro over the edge. Trough he had something special planned for his mistress. He curled his tail up and coated the tip in both their juices. Waiting for Cynder to fully impale herself before sharing his surprise.

With a long loud hiss, Cynder pushed down, never letting go the kiss they shared, kissing his genital slit with her own.

"now" he pushed his tail up and placed the tail tip against her tail hole. He pushed in slightly, teasing the opening and coating it too with wetness. Cynder let go of the kiss to look down, surprised, but soon the pleasure took over again.

"My little pet wants to play?" she said. She curled her own tail around his and pulled his tail away. "Well, let's give him what he wants, shall we?"

Cynder pulled himself from his member, receiving a complaining mew from the purple dragon. Trough it soon was replaced with a lusty roar when she pushed his member against her tight rear entrance. Slowly she pushed down, forcing herself to open on his member. As soon as she was halted by his shaft, she thrust. Her head came down to bite into her neck. Piercing his scales and drawing blood from the puncture wounds her teeth caused.

Spyro was sore when he awakened the next morning. Against, reeking from the scent of sex. His scales covered in scratches from his claws, his neck sporting an array of bite marks. Cynder was no longer next to her, instead she was sitting next to a mirror, running a red healing crystal across her body to heal some wounds. When she saw Spyro awake, she winked.

"You want?" She said while offering the healing crystal.

Spyro approached her, but when he was close enough to grab the crystal, Cynder grabbed one of his horns and pulled him down between her legs. Down until he was face to face with her messy slit. The scent of both their juices filled his nostrils. Her slit was slightly gaping from the night they spent, and both her tail-hole and slit were drooling his seed.

"Seems like you made a mess pet," she said, her tail coiling around his neck and pulling his head down to her groin, forcing him to be faced to face with the sight and smell of her drooling holes. The scent of their combined pheromones was overpowering his senses to the point he licked her without even thinking about it. Eating his own seed from her slit and cleaning her with his tongue.

Cynder rumbled softly at the feeling, both enjoying the feeling of power she had and how his tongue was rubbing her slit. The walls of her vagina contrasted, pushing out more of his seed into his awaiting mouth. She gripped his horns to push Spyro against her slit. She just couldn't have enough from the feeling of his tongue working inside her. It sends her into a rapid orgasm, spraying his face once more with her juices.

When she finally let go of Spyro, her groin was even more messy than when they started, but at least most of his seed was no longer clinging to her scales, instead just the scent of sex clung to her scales. Yes, another bath was in order before starting the day. She did not want to have an ape getting any funny ideas that just anyone could have for her.

She pulled Spyro up with a claw under his chin. Oh, how he looked dreamy out of his eyes, how he was putty in her hands. She kissed him deeply, tasting her juices and his seed on his tongue. She broke the kiss with a trail of combined saliva and seed connecting their lips.

"My dear pet, let's go have a shower. I don't want the guardians to blow your cover with just one whiff," Cynder spoke, leading Spyro behind her to their private bathhouse

The wind was icy cold on Spyro's scales. He felt alone, so utterly alone. Cynder made sure of it that none of her scent. It made him feel empty to no longer smell his love on his scales. He knew why he was doing this. He knew his queen was only a few minutes behind him. Hiding away in the shadows while he flew onwards into the temple to cause a distraction.

This whole situation made his scales irk. Would his brother Sparx have come to the guardians to talk about Spyro's change of heart? Would they find out that his new body was the work of Cynder? Would they try to kill him?

He did not have enough time to decide. The balcony of the grand temple was where he landed. He struggled with a firm grip. The balcony was far more cramped with his larger body. He took a moment to balance himself on the ground before walking into the temple. He looked back to the forest, looking if he could see any sign of what was watching. He knew his Queen was there with an army hiding, yet he could not see a thing that would sign on something that was amiss.

"Ah, Ignitus, you are back," Spyro heard Volteer speak the room close by the balcony. Spyro tried his best to remain quiet and walk towards the source of the voice. One of the larger rooms that he used to train his abilities in.

When he was about to reach the entrance to the room, he had got face to face with Volteer, who just exited the room.

"Spyro!" Volteer said, overcame with both joy and another hard to place emotion. Was it disgust? No, perhaps distrust? Shock? Awe? Spyro did not quite know, gazing at the yellow dragon with an emotionless face. Spyro felt his blood run cold, knowing what he had to do. What he wished for was more time. He even secretly wished that the guardians would overpower him, so he did not have to fight.

Volteer left him no choice. Spyro could see the hint of recognition in Volteer's eyes. In slow-motion, Spyro watched Volteer's mouth to open, ready to shout for help. Before he could do so, Spyro slammed into Volteer's body, sending the guardian flying backwards into the room and crashing into the statue of Malefor. Volteer let out a pained growl, stunned by the sudden attack and unable to do much against Spyro, rushing into the room for another one of his attacks.

The guardian received a nasty swipe of Spyro's claws, causing him to bleed from his flank before he was pinned by the dragon with a bite on his neck. It was sudden and overwhelming. The more the yellow dragon struggled, the more blood and pain was drawn from him. He roared loudly in pain, warning other guardians that something was amiss.

Spyro took Volteer's neck and used to slam his head against the ground repeatedly until he stopped roaring in pain and passed out. When Spyro finally let go of Volteer, he slummed down on the ground, covering the ground with his blood.

Spyro spit out the metallic taste of Volteer's blood. He looked down at the yellow dragon, watching his chest grow and fall with shallow breaths. Well, he was not dead... that was good. Trough when he turned around, he was greeted by the ice blue and green faces of Cyril and Terrador, who looked at the scene in terror.

Spyro's maw and claws were covered in the blood of their fellow guardians, his dark purple scales, and almost silver horns together with the blood lust in Spyro's eyes painted a harrowing picture of the once hero. They did not have the time to think of what to do next. Spyro ran at them with incredible speed and slammed into Cyril to push him against a wall. The ice dragon landed rather unluckily with his head and slummed down almost instantly. He was not out, but he was gazing around with a dazed glance in his eyes.

Spyro almost turned on a dime to face Terrador, who prepared himself for a confrontation with their old hero. The large earth-dragon side stepped into Spyro's advances to slam into him. He tried to claw at Spyro, but with his age, he also was a fair bit slower than Spyro. Who in his turn, used his tail to hit across Terrador's head. The green dragon let out a howl of pain that echoed through the corridor. A trickle of blood flowed from the scales where Spyro's tail hit.

"Spyro!" He tried to call out between the pain. "Get a hold of yourself, this is not you!"

The only response he received was Spyro jumping at him and pushing him against the ground, clawing and biting the earth-dragon's body. Spyro could only get a few bites in before Terrador kicked Spyro in the stomach and pushed him with a force against a wall. The earth-dragon did not get another hit in, instead he rushed to the balcony, just a few more steps and he would be free. He had to warn Ignitus.

A large shade blocked his view, dark scales, dark purple wings, red eyes, and a roar that stirred memories he hoped to suppress. He was stunned, looking at Cynder landing and entering the corridor. In fear, he tried to run the other way, but he only ran into Spyro.

He looked over his back to watch Cynder, then back to Spyro. Both slowly closing into him, both with mean grins on their faces. In a last-ditch effort, Terrador tried to force himself past Spyro, trying to slam him with all his might. The only thing that happened was that Spyro slammed Terrador to the ground, using the momentum of his own attack against him. The purple dragon pinned him, making sure that he could not move while Cynder reached up to him and leaned down, getting face to face.

"Hello Terrador" she said with a delight.

"Cynder...." Terrador answered in fright. "What have you done?! What is happening" He received and sharp pain when one of Spyro's claws dug into his flank, making him blood.

"Queen," Spyro said, correcting him. "That is Queen for you"

Terrador looked in pain and confusion at Spyro, then at Cynder again. Again, was his question why, why being Spyro helping her, why were they doing them and what they were planning?

"I only gave my dear pet a simple question. Something you never gave him." Her voice was judgemental towards him. "No, you forced Spyro to become a hero regardless of his own desires... I have freed those desires and gave him a choice." She traced a claw along Spyro's neck. Receiving a shiver from the purple dragon. "And he was mine, and who am I to disagree with such a choice?"

"But the dark master!" Terrador shouted in protest. "We will kill us all. You should know that."

"Oh, I know Terrador, I know more than you know about Malefor's deepest desires. But he is no longer a concern of ours, so instead you shouldn't worry about him, rather worry about your current choice." Cynder's voice was low, rumbling and deeply.

"My current choice?" He said in reply. He couldn't quite look at the black dragoness. Spyro was blocking most of his movement, forcing him to look side eyed at Cynder. Seeing only the tip of her black muzzle.

"Yes, swear loyalty to me and I reward you with your own region of my kingdom to rule as you see fit under me... or choice to disobey me, in which case I can't protect you or the temple against hordes of apes attacking you. And honestly, I would not know what they will do to you."

Terrador grunted when he tried to move again, feeling Spyro's teeth push further into his neck. "you say I have a choice. Yet the choice you give me is between a lifetime of servitude and my life." He said with a low rumble, trying to appear more threatening than he could be.

Cynder lowered her head further to be eye to eye with the green earth-dragon. "It is more choice than Malefor would have given you. He would have ended your existence. But Luckily Malefor is no longer of our concern."

Terrador's eyes widened at the news. "You mean Spyro won?" He said, confusion laced his voice. He could not believe Spyro would have defeated Malefor and then succumbing to the evil queen of the skies.

"No" Cynder said sharply. "I have won."

"What about the others?" Terrador asked. "Would they be saved?"

"If they make the same choice, they would be," Cynder spoke, signalling for Spyro to let go of Terrador's neck to allow him to stand on all fours again. He could now attack Cynder, perhaps grip her neck, but he had no energy left anymore. Even when he did not want to admit it, his mind and body choice for him.

"How are the defences?" Ignitus asked the engineer in the dragon city of war fang. "I am sure of an impending attack."

"We can hold off apes. Just like we did so before, even the terror of the skies will have a hard time breaching the city." The engineer said in a reply. "Trough, you better have a good explanation why that purple dragon of you is not here and helping us."

Ignitus sighed. "Terrador is planning a plan with the other guardians to find Spyro. We just don't know where he is."

The engineer snorted. "Typical. Dragons are nowhere to be found when we need them. Just like before."

Fires of war © 2022 by Tretronare licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0