FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 14

The sun had enough, after hours of hard labor it was beginning to feel sleepy, it yawned when it hid behind a cloud only to emerge soon after. However it couldn't pretend to be alright, its weak rays betrayed it just like tired eyes betray an exhausted person. With an another yawn the sun slowly began to retreat to its safe heaven behind the horizon much to the sky's displeasure, however where one takes a break another takes his place, the moon was waking to take over the duties of his brother. The sky rejoiced, offering the moon many smaller glowing colleagues to keep it company while it graced the sky with its majestic presence.

The same lethargic atmosphere has befallen on Warfang just like the Dragon City wanted to keep up with the things that had been happening above it. The alleyways were slowly becoming gloomy as the sun's rays were slowly leaving Warfang's marble paths and brownstone walls. Many residents decided to follow the yellow beam's advice, the city was slowly becoming quiet as the workers began leaving their tools in a safe place. It was one of these hours when the city's streets were becoming crowded with different species, however this time the streets echoed with happy conversations and sighs of relief, instead of orders and grunts of pain and exhaustion.

There were also those who resisted the sun's luring call, they kept slamming their hammers on the walls while some others were dragging carts filled with debris across streets. If some stranger would see this picture he or she would never believe that the city was slowly retreating for the much deserved rest. Two young dragons and a dragonfly listened to the workers rather that the sky above them, and they were not the only ones, judging by the crowd located on the first level there were also many others who remained deaf to the sky's call.

Despite the fact that it was getting dark the first level of the city was still pretty crowded, especially the thick brownstone wall attracted the most attention. Even if the war was over, the past events taught the people of the Realms that an attack may come in the most unexpected moment, hence the increased number of soldiers on the wide ramparts.

Besides the guards there were also many civilians walking back and forth from the marketplace or visiting the still opened workshops. The group had one goal in mind- to find someone who can remove the silver yet still slightly magical necklace from around both young dragon's necks. Following Terrador's advice the best place to find such a person was to find a smithy. Warfang didn't change much after both dragons visited it for the last time, however during the war some workshops were abandoned or relocated to some other places. Knowing that it would take them a while to find a blacksmith they decided that the best way was to let Sparx take the lead, after all the dragonfly was here longer than they had so he definitely knows about a shortcut or two.

As they walked the streets Cynder kept looking around, but she was not interested in the debris, or the ongoing repairs, what really interested her were the many glances which the inhabitants of Warfang threw Spyro. Their looks were full of gratefulness, happiness, hope and pride, however their expressions changed drastically when they noticed her following the purple dragon. Cynder could see that all of these good emotions vanished instantly just to be replaced by sheer anger, hate, disdain and insolence. Part of her was in pain when she had seen those faces which only reminded the black dragoness of her dark past and the horrible things she had done. However the angry faces not only woke her guilt but also stirred Cynder's fighting spirit which demanded that she will face these taunts. And that was exactly what she had done, with her head held up high she walked slowly down the street behind her friends much to the crowd's displeasure.

Thanks to Sparx guidance they've located the blacksmith with much ease. It was a simple building with a single door which were wide open and some windows. During colder seasons all the work regarding the creation and selling of weapons and armor is done inside while during the warmer times all the blacksmithing is done outside. A small wooden fence surrounded the store which prevented some more clumsy residents or children from hurting themselves. It was a necessary precaution since the outer place of the store was filled with everything that a good blacksmith needs like: a barrel of water, a furnace, a grindstone and an anvil. Not to mention the many tools and other sharp finished and unfinished pieces of weaponry hanging above the furnace or lined up against a wall.

A warmer climate has reached this part of the Dragon Realms that's why all the work was taking place outside the store. The anvil was tended by a burly looking mole who was currently busy forming a sword. Expect for the typical goggles and short yellow pants the mole wore absolutely nothing, he had to adapt to the heat somehow. The blacksmith was different than the other male moles Cynder saw, even if his back was facing them she could see how his muscles bulged under the black coat on his back as he worked. It was strange since most moles were slim and looked quite frail, no wonder since most of their lives they dedicate to study and invention, but this particular mole looked like he has spent his entire life near an anvil. With such powerful muscles this blacksmith might as well be able to lift a young dragon above his head such as herself or Spyro.

" Told you that I'll find it!" Sparx grinned with pride

" No wonder you remembered where this place was, it's not that hard to miss" Cynder replied with dumbfounded voice as she stared at the mole with wide eyes

" Thanks Sparx, you are the best" Spyro patted his brother on the back before he approached the blacksmith " Hello, could you help us?"

An incoherent grunt from the blacksmith was all that Spyro managed to get

" You see, we have a problem and we've wondered if you have the right tools to help us"

The mole replied in the same manner

Cynder craned her neck towards Spyro " He could probably rip this necklace with his bare hands" she whispered

Spyro looked at her with a corner of his eye before concentrating on the smith " Terrador told us that you might know a way how can we get rid of this necklace"

Another incoherent grunt could be heard

Cynder looked at the dragonfly " Sparx get over here!"

The dragonfly flew closer with a surprised look on his face " Yeah?"

" You will be our translator"

"Me?"

Cynder nodded " Yeah, that guy over there makes no sense, so seeing that you have a thing in common I thought that you might be able to help us here" she smirked

Sparx burst out with a faked laughter before looking at the dragoness with an angry frown " Hilarious"

Spyro chuckled and shook his head before focusing on the blacksmith again " So at least could you show us who might be able to remove this from our necks?" he slid a claw under the necklace and arched it forward so the mole could see what he is talking about

The blacksmith grunted once again but this time he pointed at the opened doors with his free hand

Spyro followed the mole's lead and headed for the doors " Hello? Is there anyone-"

"I'm coming! Please wait!" an excited shout came from the interior of the building

Soon another mole emerged from the store, however he wasn't dressed like the other moles they met so far. Instead of the typical goggles he wore a single reading glass on his right eye, a stroker hat with a silver feather on top of it could be seen on his head. What was more peculiar- the mole didn't wear the usual outfit workers or blacksmiths do, a quite expensive looking red shirt with silver buttons and a slight neckline covered his chest, below it a white vest could be seen. Pants of the same color protected his short legs which ended with a pair of golden boots on his paws with some holes in them so the mole's claws could easily protrude from the shoes. The outlines of his shirt and pants were covered with gold fringes. The mole looked more like a merchant than a laborer or a blacksmith for that matter.

" Who do we have here?" the shopkeeper asked while rubbing the single glass on his nose " A customer!" he exclaimed excited " and one of great renown no less! Dear friend ask, ask and I'll provide!"

" Umm... we already asked your friend over there if-"

A sudden outburst of laughter cut Spyro off " Asked you say?" the mole coughed and rubbed the reading glass on his nose before regaining his composure " Hogger there is not a mole of many words but the things he can make by using that hammer " he sighed in awe " Simply brilliant"

" I don't doubt that, however we are only interested in-"

The mole clapped his hand startling Spyro " In the best things of course! My friend you've came to the right place!" the merchant exclaimed loudly gaining the attention of the nearby passers-by before he disappeared into the store. He momentarily returned carrying a piece of armor with him " This particular piece of draconic armor would suit you perfectly!" he ran his paw alongside its surface " Pure achromantine with a delicate layer of silver. See how it shines? That's because my dear friend achromantine is no ordinary metal. it can be harvested, yes harvested. not mined! Only in the most brightest places in Munitions Forge, it grows in the deepest parts of the mountain where the walls are the most jagged. That's why it is so special, I don't have to tell you that light is very difficult to come by below ground. that's why my friend say thanks to your Ancestors for the lava, without it this beauty would never exist."

Spyro managed only to open his mouth and the mole continued his story " Not to mention that it looks like glass. Why the layer of silver you ask? Because my friend this magical metal is quite frail that's why the smiths add silver so it won't shatter after a powerful blow. Not very useful for common soldiers but for dragons..." the mole inhaled deeply " It's made for dragons! You are airborne creatures and this wonderful piece of work deflects arrows and spells with ease! The most famous wind dragons wore them, don't believe me? Just ask Volteer!"

" No, you don't understand, we-"

The mole clapped his hands once again cutting off Spyro " You are right of course! A single armor is of no use, we need a complete set!" the mole dashed inside and soon returned with a helmet " Do you see the clearly thicker upper part? Steel, steel and once again steel mixed with adamantine. This two metals make the upper part of the helmet extremely tough, its ideal for diving from the sky and wreak havoc among the enemy ranks. However such a heavy piece of armor would overburden your neck."

The mole pointed at the bottom and the inner side of the helmet " That's why the lower part of this piece is made from a different metal. Now we never found the proper name for this metal but its popularly called feather. Extremely light and for a metal quite flexible. This kind of alloy presented it the helmet allows the user to ram his opponents with these two powerful horns with ease while granting a good protection from the incoming strikes and allows its wearer to move his head freely without any encumbrance. Commonly used by the War Dragons during the recent battles, so as you can see my friend this helmet is only for the best!"

" That's very interesting but-"

The merchant repeated the same move again " My dear friends!" he exclaimed loudly " We've got here a dragon who knows what he is looking for! That's the spirit! A good customer knows when he is satisfied! Moment!" the mole dashed once again into the building, when he was gone Spyro looked at his friends with tired and pleading eyes but they just shrugged simultaneously. Soon the merchant returned with another piece of armor.

" Since dragons don't use weapons we invented this special 'gloves'. As we know claws are your swords and to make use of them you need to raise your paws, powerful but leaves you vulnerable. But no worries my dear friend, we found a solution for this inconvenience! This plate 'gloves' will fit your paws perfectly, they are also reinforced with the previously mentioned feather at the most crucial joints where they meet with your shoulders and waist. We also added some extremely sharp spikes on its ends, an enemy tries to hold your paw or is trying to bring you down? No problem! Just yank your foreleg and he will be gone in no time!"

" Remember the claws we mentioned? Look at this" the mole pointed at the bottom side of the 'gloves' where a bunch of dark plates were protruding which looked like claws. " Hematite my dear friend, an iron ore melted with obsidian, a difficult combination to achieve but Munitions Forge is renowned for its great smiths! Tough and thanks to the magical potential of this world sharp as the most deadly blade! One slash, one slash my friend and your enemy will be rolling on the ground trying to hold his guts from falling out! It goes without saying that this masterpiece was used in the war right? It doesn't need any better advertisement!"

"I'm sure they are all very useful but listen-"

" But that's not everything! I hear you! A moment please!" the mole once again disappeared into the shop and returned carrying yet another quite thin and long piece of armor " This particular piece will suit your tail perfectly, the same alloy like in the upper part of the previously presented helmet was used to create it, however as you can see there are added some extremely sharp spikes on the top of the armor and some blades at both its sides, for those dragons who don't have natural spines. And these babies are sharp as a tip of a spear, rings a bell? Of course it does!" he traced his claw delicately across the armor's surface " The same alloy that was used to create our claws plus the alloy that was used to create the upper part of the helmet allowed to achieve a most deadly combination! Ideal for those battles when you have to face multiple fast enemies who just can't wait to stab you in the back, a perfect protection for those expected..." he threw Cynder a quick glance "...and surprise attacks" the mole focused his gaze on Spyro " One swing of your tail will be enough to teach these dirty fighters to never try such a move again! A famous artist created a painting on which Ignitus himself, may he rest in peace, defeats overwhelming waves of enemies with this beauty on his tail. True story not a fiction! If you don't believe me just seek out the artist, he will tell you everything"

The mole clapped his hands obviously content with his monolog " So my dear friend, anything that catches your eye?" he grinned

Spyro sighed in relief, the introduction is finally over " These things look really, really great but we need something of umm... less militaristic value. We-"

" Life and soul of the party I see!" the merchant exclaimed loudly cutting Spyro off once again " And what a dragon of your stature is looking for? Distinguished armor to impress the ladies? Or perhaps a crown which will intimidate the honorable Guardians themselves?"

Sparx' bored eyes sparkled with interest " A crown you say?" he approached the mole " Is there a one which would fit me?"

"Sparx" Spyro hissed with a rather scoldful tone

" What?" the dragonfly blurt out indignantly "I would look great in a crown" he adopted a proud posture

" You know, to be a leader you need respect and be well..." Cynder looked the dragonfly over " quite bigger" she winced " Nobody needs a king who looks like an insect"

Sparx turned to face the dragoness with an angry frown " You know what would be the first thing I would do as a king? I would lock up every evil looking and big- headed dragoness."

Spyro rolled his eyes " Cut it out, both of you" he focused on the merchant " Don't listen to him, he's just kidding about the crown"

"Perhaps, but I would support his first move" the mole muttered to himself while eyeing Cynder

"Hey!" she exclaimed angrily "I've heard that!"

Sheer anger filled Spyro when the mole said that, but he had to bottle it up for the time being, he might be the only one who can help them with their problem " Anyway, we came here to ask for your help" he arched the necklace forward " Can you remove it?"

The mole clapped his hands " Why didn't you say so earlier my friend? I wouldn't waste your time" he took the necklace in his hands " Another lock got stuck probably, let me take a look and we will take care of it" he began running his claw alongside its surface " Now where are you... wait a minute " he rubbed the glass on his nose and began inspecting the necklace more closely " This is no ordinary jewelry. Hogger get over here!"

The burly mole left the already finished sword on a nearby table and approached the merchant

"Look" the shopkeeper arched the necklace towards the blacksmith

The muscled mole took the necklace in his hands, began inspecting it and grunted something incoherently

" Clearly magical"

The blacksmith grunted something again

The shopkeeper jerked back startled leaving the necklace in the other mole hands " You are right!" he exclaimed and took the amulet into his hands again

Sparx furrowed a brow " This actually works?" with that he began flying in circles around Cynder while grunting something incoherently

" Will you shut up already?" she hissed angrily after a short while

" Hey it does!" Sparx exclaimed happily

" Dark magic" the merchant huffed in awe " Faint but still dark magic "

The burly mole grunted something while releasing the amulet before he returned to the anvil

The shopkeeper looked at Spyro curiously " What did you do to earn this prize?" the moment Spyro opened his mouth the mole waved his hand dismissively " Don't answer I don't want to know" he shook his head " I don't envy you my friend, to be shackled and see things that you would never like to see must be horrible"

Sparx looked at the black dragoness next to him " I know something about this"

Cynder frowned and poked her tongue at the dragonfly after understanding his sarcastic remark

" I know this is not your usual line of work " Spyro said apologetically " but are you able to remove it?"

The mole clapped his hands in excitement " My dear friend for everything you have done for us I would even figure out a way to move a mountain if you just asked. Normally we wouldn't be able to remove the necklace but today is your lucky day my friend! I have the right tool for the job! Moment!"

The mole as always jumped into the building and returned seconds later but this time he was holding a red simple hand axe. " Behold!" he exclaimed loudly with palpable excitement, drawing the crowd that surrounded the store a bit closer.

Cynder jerked her head back in surprise " An axe?"

The mole shook his finger at her " This is no ordinary axe, don't let it mild appearance fool you, this is the most destructive weapon ever created!" he touched the tip of the axe admiringly " This is my dear friend a metal known as orichalc, it is also called a Fire Shard. I agree that it doesn't make a good first impression but orichalc is the most destructive metal our Ancestors discovered. It cuts through everything steel, iron, magical, non-magical, stone, you name it! It's unstoppable!"

The merchant started to examine the axe " As much as it is dangerous it is also very fragile, a couple of swings and this thing breaks" the mole shrugged " You can't have everything" the merchant cleared his throat " You know the reason why I said that you are lucky is that orichalc is depleted, nobody saw it for thousand of years."

The mole sighed sadly " Our Ancestors also made mistakes, back then they didn't know that orichalc flourishes only in handful of places all around the world, they believed that it could be found in every mine, you just need to dig deep enough. The moment they discovered its properties they began mining the metal relentlessly until they exhausted all of its veins. Normally nothing's wrong with that, when you exhaust a vein you just need to give the stone some time to regenerate, but it was a different story with orichalc. You see I believe that it isn't called a Fire Shard for nothing, I think that when our Ancestors exhausted the veins they extinguished the spark within them, killing the stone in a way as a result."

The mole grinned " You have to understand my shock when I found a chunk of it laying on the ground where the mine once was. You know that orichalc was found in caves below the volcanos? They have been dormant for years but I think that they erupted for the last time when the spark of the Fire Shard was extinguished, destroying the mines in the process in revenge."

Spyro stared at the mole with wide eyes " Wow" he sighed in awe " That's very interesting, I didn't know such metal existed myself" he looked at the axe " So you say this can solve our problem?"

The merchant nodded confidently " Precisely" he patted a single slab of stone laying on the ground " Just put your head here and Hogger will take care of the rest.

"Sure"

"Now if you'll excuse me" the shopkeeper gave the axe to the burly mole and went into the store

" Wait" Cynder whispered as she quickly jumped towards Spyro " You sure about this?"

Spyro threw her an surprised look " What's the matter Cynder?"

" I.. I mean... Just look at the guy" she nodded towards the blacksmith who was swinging the axe in the air just like he tried to get accustomed with it " He doesn't strike me as a mole who cares about safety"

He chuckled " You think what? That he is going to chop my head off or something? He will probably just cut the necklace delicately"

" Ohh I don't think that he knows what delicately means"

Spyro smiled comfortingly " Cynder relax, he knows what he is doing"

She snorted quietly " Yeah, easy for you to say, you won't get beheaded since you are the hero and all, but me...well as we both know people here are not my biggest fans, he might accidently miss"

Sparx approached them with a wicked grin on his face " Owwww our little evil dragoness is scared"

" I'm not scared... I'm just taking precautions that's all"

" As always"

" Come on guys relax, as I said he will cut the necklace and not try to chop it off" Spyro scoffed and smiled " Please tell them" he looked at the blacksmith, his eyes shot wide open and his smile disappeared momentarily when he saw as the mole swung the axe vertically and split a huge round boulder with a chain wrapped around it in half, just like somebody would split a melon.

Cynder craned her neck forward " You were saying?"

Spyro gulped " That doesn't mean anything he's just...warming up I'm sure"

The blacksmith inspected the axe and nodded satisfied, with that he stopped near the slab of stone, raised the axe above his head, looked at Spyro and grunted something incoherently while meaningfully patted the stone with his other hand

" You are not planning to swing that thing vertically, right?" Spyro asked with a wavering voice

The mole grunted and patted the slab once again

" Oh I think he does" Cynder whispered

Spyro swallowed hard once more " There...there has to be some other way"

The blacksmith repeated the same gesture but this time his grunt sounded more irritated

" I'm not sure but I'm guessing that he said that there is no other way" Cynder cautiously took a step backwards

Spyro chuckled nervously " We can work something out, right?" he looked at the mole pleadingly

The blacksmith has done the same thing but this time his grunt sounded even more irritated than before.

" Let's just get the hell out of here" Cynder whispered

" I hate to say it" Sparx whispered " but she's right. That guy means business. Let's not waste any more time, tactical retreat"

Spyro laughed nervously and started to retreat slowly " You know, now when I think of it" he arched the amulet forward " I've really became attached to it, this necklace reminds me of my past. You see I'm a rather sentimental type"

"Yeah!" Sparx exclaimed " That's the truth, he still collects colorful flowers because they made him prettier when he was younger

" That's right!" Spyro exclaimed thoughtlessly " As we can see there is still a lot of work ahead of me, so..." Spyro nodded quickly " it was nice seeing you but-"

He only gasped when a strong paw grabbed his necklace and placed his head on the stone slab. Cynder and Sparx only yelped while the dragonfly covered his eyes with his hands and Cynder hid behind her black wings when the axe came down. There was a loud cling and then silence, after a while curiosity got better of them and they slowly uncovered their eyes. The first thing they saw was Spyro, he seemed to be frozen in place, he was touching his head and neck with a shaking paw, just like he was making sure that his head is still in the same place.

The blacksmith raised the axe above his head pointed his claw at Cynder and then on the slab of stone while grunting something incoherently, clearly bored and irritated.

She cackled nervously and slapped her forehead" Silly me I completely forgot about it" she gave the mole a wavering smile " I...I knew th...that I had to do something" with every word she made a little step backwards " It's a girl thing really, a very important girl thing really, so.....rain check!" she exclaimed and turned around quickly, but before she made a step a firm paw grabbed her necklace and pulled her back making her eyes to shot wide open while she gasped.

Cynder gasped again when her head was forcefully placed on the slab " No, no, no, WAIT!" she screamed and squealed soon after as the axe came down. The surrounding crowd held their breaths, all of the people around the store began craning their necks just to see what the end result is. They saw the burly mole retreating while he tossed the axe on some pile of other weaponry. There was an awkward silence, everybody was shaking in anticipation, soon they saw a black body raising slowly, the dragoness tail bumped upwards, then her black scales on her draconic back were revealed, then a sleek onyx neck with a magenta hue could be seen, and finally.... a still attached head onto it. A loud groan of disappointment could be heard as they noticed that the dragoness is alright, with nothing interesting going on the crowd scattered with their heads hanging low.

Sparx shook his head while holding it in his hands " Wow that's one hell of a brave special girl, that was your warrior's call or something?" he gave his head one last shake " Boy, it still rings inside my skull"

" Shut up" Cynder snapped

" T...Thanks for your help, how...how can we repay you?" Spyro mumbled still shocked from the experience

" Free of charge! Have a fine evening!" a familiar excited shout came from inside the store

Spyro rubbed his neck" Then... then we will be leaving now. T...thank you again" with that he tottered away from the smithy with his friends following him

Sparx flew around both dragons, completely unconcerned, just like nothing ever happened. " I don't know about you but after a show like that I need to grab a bite" he tenderly patted his belly

Cynder frowned " All of this made you hungry? Nothing else?" she snarled at the dragonfly

" Pretty much, yeah"

She growled quietly

He rolled his eyes and sighed before hovering in front of Cynder and placing a hand on her shoulder " Don't worry, that squeal of yours will haunt me for the rest of my days, I'll never forget it" he smirked

Cynder snapped her teeth angrily scaring away the dragonfly as a result

Between sarcastic remarks or other similar comments they decided that Sparx was right, it was time to eat. The marketplace was still welcoming customers despite the late hour, however all of the food stalls were closed. They've learnt that all of the food is transported to the City Hall so it can be later distributed in the Mess hall, the siege resulted in many destroyed buildings, most of them were the homes of the residents, that's why it was decided that food will be distributed in one place, so the inhabitants who lost their home won't feel left out.

As both dragons kept following the dragonfly they've found out that the Mess hall is nothing more than the wide and tall building which seemed to be connected with the hospital. After a short while they located the big simple doors, they had entered the building after a pair of cheetahs.

The building's name spoke for itself, it served only one purpose- feed Warfang's hard working citizens while they spend the time in some good company. The interior was rather simple, only a handful of paintings could be seen hanging around the wall, with some brightly burning torches on the columns and simple lamps on the tables. On the other side of the room a door could be seen which lead to the hospital, that was a good idea, the wounded need food so they can recover their strength. In the corner a wide entrance could be seen, its walls were familiar, it most likely was an underground tunnel which was connected with the City Hall.

As befits a true Mess hall the interior was filled with tables, nothing fancy, just a simple top with four legs. They all differed from each other, some were smaller others bigger, some curved, others flat. However they all had one thing in common, all of the tables had chairs around them, but there were many free spots around them. After all not every resident requires a chair to sit so he can enjoy the food.

Near one side of the wall another door could be seen, judging by the smell it led to the kitchen. Next to the door a wide counter with a couple female moles standing behind it could be seen. Judging by the looks of it and the many people standing near the counter, they could assume that's where one gets his portion of the food.

All of the tables were mostly occupied, even if cheetahs and dragons weren't on the best of terms, some of the tables were taken by citizens from both species. It seems war brings people together. Only one table in the corner of the room was empty and since they didn't want to intrude on anybody's privacy they made their way towards it.

Spyro looked around the room while he sat near the table " So many people, almost like in the cheetah village"

Sparx hovered next to his brother's head while scratching his chin thoughtfully "If I remember right, this was the idea of one of the kitties, he looked familiar, he had a robe-"

"This was Meadow's idea?" Spyro cut off his foster brother

The dragonfly shrugged " Maybe, I don't remember the name" he clapped his hands " Anyway I'm going to grab something to eat and you should do the same, if you are hungry you need to get it yourself"

So both dragons followed the dragonfly to the counter, they had to wait a little for their turn but soon Sparx received his portion of the food. Since dragonflies don't eat meat, his plate was filled with all different kind of fruits, there weren't many of them, seems like Sparx isn't as hungry as he said he was. He didn't say anything, just waited patiently for the mole to serve him food, it was obvious that he had done it more than once since the mole knew exactly what to serve him.

"Next!" A loud female shout could be heard as the dragonfly prepared to leave.

After Sparx made his way towards the table, it was Spyro's turn to get something to eat. He opened his mouth to order something but the mole only threw him a brief glance ad disappeared into the kitchen. Soon she returned carrying a plate of food which she placed on the counter.

"Next!" the mole yelled, ignoring Spyro completely

He looked at the plate, there was a single piece of lamb meat on it and some salad. A SINGLE piece of meat, ok it was quite big but it was impossible to satisfy his hunger completely with it. He won't starve of course but dragons are carnivores and carnivores like to feel full after a meal, and this pitiful piece of meat won't help him to achieve that state. He was still young but if adult dragons also received this kind of treatment he couldn't help but feel pity for them.

"Ummm I don't want to sound rude, but can I ask for some more meat?" Spyro looked at the mole with puppy eyes

"Next!" the female mole yelled again not paying Spyro any attention

"Please?"

"Next!" her voice sounded more irritated

Spyro cleared his throat " Excuse-"

The mole looked at the young dragon with fiery eyes which made Spyro to jerk back slightly in shock " Listen kid, you might be our savior and everything but there are a lot of other people hungry here, waiting for their turn, so MOVE IT!" she snarled "NEXT!" the mole averted her gaze from the young dragon and shouted angrily

"Gosh" Spyro muttered quietly and took the plate in his maw

Cynder emerged soon after when Spyro turned away from the counter. A loud gasp of surprise echoed throughout the Mess hall when the female mole spotted the black dragoness in front of her. She didn't do anything, just stared at the black snout in front of her for a while before she exchanged shocked glances with the other female moles.

" Is something wrong?" Cynder asked with a palpable dose of sarcasm in her voice

The female mole shook off the surprise and narrowed her eyes on the dragoness "You've got a lot of nerve, showing your snout around here" she hissed " Be on your way, there is nothing for you here"

" The smell tells me something else"

" Whatever you are smelling, I assure you that it's not meant for you"

" I just came here to ask for my food, and I won't bother you again"

" As I said, there is nothing for you here" the mole pronounced each word slowly

" Cynder is there a problem?" Spyro stopped next to the black dragoness while his pupils jumped between her and the mole

The female mole looked quite startled and troubled after the unexpected occurrence " Of...of course not" she mumbled and vanished into the kitchen. Soon she returned with a plate filled the same amount of food which she placed on the counter.

The mole took a few steps back "Next!" she shouted tentatively

Cynder grinned " Thank you" she took the plate and returned to the table with Spyro swaying her tail in a taunting manner as she did so

Both dragons were curious about the recent events in the city, and since Sparx was the only one from their group around back then, all of the questions were directed at him. He kept answering them in his own way, meaning it was hard to tell if he was saying the truth or is he making all of this up. As always Sparx and Cynder found the time to exchange some snide remarks. They decided to leave Warfang for the time being and concentrated on some other topics"

" So what are you going to do with your freedom?" Spyro asked and took a bite of the meat

Cynder impulsively rubbed her neck where the necklace was previously. Once she would be thrilled to be free from the shackles that held her in place, once she would scream in joy when she could do whatever she wants without anybody telling her to stop or reconsider. Now, now whenever she thinks about the past it feels like a dream, but not a pleasant one but a nightmare.

Over time her point of view changed, the magical necklace wasn't a chain for her anymore but it began to feel like a bond, a bond she believed was unbreakable. Today that bond ceased to exist and instead of happiness she felt sadness, something created by the most evil creature she ever knew turned out to be the thing that she craved mostly. Oh, the irony.

After Spyro defeated her when she was corrupted and nursed her back to health with the help of the Guardians she felt lost, out of place, hated and unimportant. That magical chain gave her purpose, even if she really tried to deny that fact in the beginning. It allowed her to find destiny, it didn't matter for her that it wasn't hers. A destiny is a destiny- a goal, and that thought allowed her to carry on despite the circumstances.

She couldn't shake off the shock when that destiny became unimportant one day, her focus completely shifted just to stop on her partner. Her vanquisher became her best friend, and that bond between them never allowed them to go their separate ways. Her heart couldn't stop screaming with joy when that friendship evolved into something new for her, into something blissful, into love. She never had the strength to reveal her feelings towards him, but she was happy nonetheless because she knew that bond won't allow him to leave, he will be beside her, he will be hers even if he is oblivious or doesn't share the same romantic feelings.

Now everything was gone, the love of her life can run away, the destiny, her goal vanished, and nothing replaced it. However all the fighting taught her that you can never let go and that's why she won't allow that destiny escape, she will fight to reclaim it and if Ancestors will ever forgive her than maybe they will allow her to be loved by the only dragon she cares about. A fool's dream perhaps but a one that will keep her going.

Cynder's mouth twitched into a smile for a brief moment before disappearing " Oh I don't know, I'll think that I stick around"

Spyro furrowed a brow but she noticed him smiling for a second " What happened to your independence?"

"It's still there but I've got used to following you, old habits die hard you know" she gave him a loving smile

Sparx swallowed a piece of some fruit " Good, because we all enjoy your company" he said with a sarcastic tone and burped after these words

"Sparx!" Spyro exclaimed admonishingly with a chuckle

" Gosh, you are disgusting" Cynder giggled

The dragonfly only shrugged and continued his dinner

After some happy conversation Spyro felt a hand on his shoulder, he turned around to see a mole with a grateful and full of awe smile standing behind him, watching him closely

"I can't believe that I'm looking on our great heroes" the mole mumbled

Spyro blushed " I'm no hero, just please call me Spyro"

"Don't forget that not all of us have the same objections" Sparx added and took another bite of some sweet fruit

" I just want to thank you for everything you had done for us. I don't know how we will ever repay you" the mole said with the same admiring tone while watching his savior closely

Spyro's cheeks became even more red " No...no you don't have to repay us, really it's no big deal"

"Your too modest" the mole patted his shoulder and looked around the room, stared at something for a while, nodded and looked at the purple dragon again " Would you do me the honor and join us at the table? There are some people who really want to meet you"

"I..." Spyro hesitated and looked at his friends, Cynder just shrugged while Sparx was nodding his head quickly. He sighed, he has to face this sooner or later anyway " Why not?" he got up " Sparx, Cynder come on"

" Hell yeah, fans!" Sparx exclaimed and started to fly around in circles in joy

The mole's eyes shot wide open "Cy..." his voice trailed off as he looked at the gathering of people on the nearby table. Spyro saw with a corner of his eyes as they were shaking their heads quickly. The mole scratched the back of his head nervously " I...I completely forgot!" he chuckled nervously " We arranged a meeting, some other friends will join us soon and the table will be full. Sorry, maybe some other time. Good evening!" the words came from his mouth one after the other, almost Volteer-like, and the mole was gone in seconds.

Sparx hands fell down in disappointment beside his chest and the look on his face quickly turned to that of resignation and utter defeat " Great, with her around we sure are going to meet some fans" he sighed

" Hey, why so sad? I'm sure that was only an exception, if somebody else will approach us I'm sure he will invite us, don't worry" Cynder smirked under her nose

Before they could return to their dinner another mole approached them, grinning from ear to ear" Excuse me, my friends wanted to know if you would be so kind as to join us at the table?"

Spyro sighed " Of course, it would be our pleasure, Sparx, Cynder, come"

"What?!" the mole exclaimed and coughed soon after " I mean..." he looked at his friends with terrified eyes while pointing his claw at Cynder, he didn't even bother to hide what this is all about. Spyro noticed as another group of people were shaking their heads and when they noticed him looking at them, they returned to their dinner just like nothing ever happened.

Spyro turned his head to look at the mole who was staring at him with wide eyes " You know... funny thing... I mean..." the mole mumbled and soon his voice trailed off. After a while he took a deep breath "Bye!" he exclaimed and dashed towards his friends.

"See?" Cynder looked at the dragonfly with a corner of her eye and returned to her dinner completely unconcerned about this whole situation

Sparx stared at her with an angry frown on his face ' Seriously bro, you have to ditch her somewhere, this is not funny"

Cynder burst out laughing " I beg to differ"

Spyro looked at Cynder with concerned eyes " Cynder I'm sure that they didn't mean-"

She giggled " They did and we both know it"

" This isn't right, I have to-"

"No" Cynder cut him off with a firm tone and smiled cheerfully "It's ok Spyro don't worry about it. I can take care of myself" she sighed 'Let's just forget about it, ok?"

She could see him battling with his thoughts but after a while he nodded, even if reluctantly.

They continued their dinner but this time quite loud murmurs could be heard in between other conversations. They didn't have to see faces to know that the whispers were about them. However it didn't bother them as they continued a cheerful talk of their own.

Spyro stared at his empty plate with hungry eyes " Is there a possibility to get seconds here?"

Sparx raised his hands in the air " Whoa, whoa bro take it easy, you sure that you need any more food? Just look at yourself"

"Seriously Sparx this joke stopped being funny years ago"

The dragonfly snorted " If you are really that hungry just go ask them"

Spyro threw an incredulous glance at the couple of female moles who were serving food " I doubt they will even listen to me, they didn't strike me as the most helpful type"

Sparx shook his head " Not them" he pointed his finger in the direction of the counter " See those doors? They lead to the kitchen which is run by the most friendly and caring cheetah you ever met. She will give you whatever you want" he flew closer towards Spyro " But hush, you never heard this from me, if all the people here would know about this you know what could happen?"

Spyro licked his mouth and got up unhesitatingly " Be right back" he followed his brothers advice

When Spyro took a few steps away from the table Sparx grinned mischievously " Watch this"

Cynder cocked her head but she knew Sparx well enough, she could tell that something is going to happen soon. Curiously she turned around to see Spyro disappearing into the kitchen.

At the beginning there was nothing, only the sound of many conversations could be heard. However soon a loud noise came from the kitchen which sounded like an extremely angry shout, whatever it was it silenced the Mess hall completely. Everyone was staring at the kitchen doors. Soon after another noise reached the room, it sounded like something just broke and not once but a couple of times. It wasn't long before Spyro barged into the room through the kitchen doors, when the doors swung open people could see a frying pan crashing into the wall behind the purple dragon.

Spyro ran with his tail between his legs until he reached his table and hunkered behind a chair, only his gold horns could be seen. Soon an extremely burly female cheetah emerged from the kitchen, in one of her hand she was carrying a frying pan with two indentations which really resembled Spyro's horns. The cheetah stopped at the doorstep panting heavily while waving the pan in her hand in a threatening manner.

" How many times do I have to tell you that there won't be any seconds!" she yelled at the top of her lungs " It's not my problem that you dragons eat for three, go on a diet or hunt something if you are so desperate, I don't care! You won't get anything from me! I swear the next dragon who enters my kitchen will land in a pot and I will boil him myself! You will have your meat then! Oh and if I find the guy who spreads this false rumors about free meals here, I will eat him myself!" with that the cheetah disappeared back into the kitchen.

All of the people stared at the door for a while before all the eyes focused on Spyro. When he raised his head and the residents noticed his terrified expression, the whole Mess hall burst out laughing, forcing a blush on the young dragon's snout. Sparx couldn't stop grinning mischievously.

" Was this joke better bro?"

" You are such an ass!" Cynder's voice had a squealing tone as she tried to form words between laughs

" She's crazy!" Spyro exclaimed in horror " She chased me through the whole kitchen!"

Sparx shrugged " Who could have known?" he said with an innocent voice

Spyro narrowed his eyes on his brother " You!" he hissed angrily " You've set me up! You...you..."

" Genius?"

" I should..." the purple dragon snorted, after a moment of silence his eyes widened " I know! I'm going to tell her it was your idea, ha!" he smirked

" Go right ahead" Sparx pointed at the kitchen's door with his hand " I'm sure she will listen to you"

One look at the door was enough to drain Spyro's confidence " She's... she's probably busy, I'll talk with her some other time"

Another laugh from Cynder drew his attention. When she noticed his angry frown she coughed " Sorry Spyro but that look on your snout..." she started to laugh again

Firstly it irritated him greatly but after he exchanged some glances with his brother and noticed him smiling he couldn't help it but to start laughing with Sparx joining both dragons momentarily.

Sparx patted his swollen belly after swallowing the last piece of fruit " Now that's what I call a dinner. I'm full how about you guys?"

Both dragons looked at the dragonfly with angry expressions on their snouts " Shut up" they said simultaneously

Sparx only cackled wickedly

" May I join you?" a familiar voice came from behind Spyro

He turned around to see Hunter standing behind him " Hunter! Sure, take a seat"

"Thank you" the feline joined them

He looked different than usual, the brown coat and the reddish cloak were gone in addition with his bow, quiver and red bands. He looked like a typical worker with only one single dirty brown shirt, the same colored dirty pants and boots. The sharp color of his fur was gone as it intertwined with the dust, even the white colored fur was slightly darker. But from the looks of it he didn't mind it at all, he was tired and dirty but he seemed to be overjoyed, with a smile he began eating his dinner.

Cynder couldn't help it but to smile as she watched the feline " You look happy"

" I do?"

"Yeah, I might say that you are even beaming. Something you want to tell us?"

" Well..." he smiled from ear to ear " I've talked with Meadow, about my future"

"Your leaving?" Spyro asked with a glimmer of sadness in his voice

" Quite the contrary, I've decided to remain in Warfang"

Cynder furrowed a brow "You are staying, why?"

"If you are here to steal our fans, not that we have many" Sparx looked at Cynder and nodded " Thank you very much" she responded him only with a smile "Remember who saved the world"

" You can sleep peacefully, I'm not here for fame." He smiled and looked at the black dragoness " To answer your question Cynder, I've been thinking and decided that it was time that I left my village for good, I realized that I don't fit in there "

" But you have fiends there, people who would follow you, and-"

"... the Chief and constant rivalry" Hunter cut Spyro off tenderly

" And legends and symbols" Spyro added quickly

The feline's ears flicked " Symbols?" he thought for a moment " Oh, I see. Meadow's been telling you about the Blessed Ones and The Fortune I presume?" Hunter asked without any emotion in his voice

" You don't believe in them?" Spyro asked surprised " I thought that every cheetah does"

Hunter shrugged " For me it's just a tree, you don't need some mythical ancestors to find strength to push on" he snapped his fingers " Another reason why I decided to leave"

" So what are you going to do here? In Warfang?" Cynder asked curiously

" For starters I'll help to rebuild the city, the walls are almost finished but there are still many homes needing repairs and that's a lot of work"

" How can we help?" Spyro blurt out

" Hey, slow down there dude" Sparx protested

Hunter smiled gratefully " That's very kind of you but this time we will handle this ourselves"

Sparx pointed his finger at the feline " Finally someone who makes some sense!" he exclaimed " Listen to this guy bro"

Spyro ignored his brother, he was entirely concentrated on the cheetah " Are you sure?"

Hunter nodded " Yes, don't worry. Get some rest"

Cynder yawned " Now that sounds like a good idea"

Three friends made their way to the City Hall through now almost completely empty streets. Even the Hall itself was abandoned, there was only one Guardian sitting behind a table which was illuminated by a single candle.

" Welcome back" Terrador greeted the group " Tell me, what's your opinion on Warfang?"

" The city took quite a beating, I wish we could stop the siege sooner. All these people..." Spyro shook his head sadly

" This is war Spyro, it knows no mercy"

Cynder seeing the poor mood decided to lighten it up a bit " You are doing a great job in rebuilding, the city almost looks like new"

She could see that Terrador has read her intentions, his knowing smile only confirmed it " You are correct, great times await us"

Spyro sighed just as if he tried to forget about the bad thoughts " It's late, what are you doing here Terrador?"

" I've been waiting for you actually, someone has to show you to your rooms. Please follow me" the Guardian made his way up the stairs while carrying a small key ring with him"

The group followed the dragon through a wide corridor illuminated by burning torches with many doors on the opposite sides. The Guardian stopped near one of these doors.

" This is where Sparx stayed when you were gone, so I thought it would be appropriate to house you with your brother, as you haven't seen each other for some time. Here is the key"

Spyro took the simple silver key " Thank you"

Terrador pointed at the next door " Cynder this is where you will be staying, I didn't want to separate you much, I know how fighting side by side brings people together. Here is your key"

Cynder eagerly took the key and bowed " Thank you very much Terrador"

The Guardian smiled " I hope you will like the rooms we prepared for you" he bowed his head " Good night" he prepared to leave " Oh," the dragon blurt out and stopped " I almost forgot, Volteer wants to speak with you, he said that" Terrador cleared his throat " This is prominently urgent matter, because if he is correct, it may distort the way we perceive our universe." he chuckled " Anyway I suggest you visit him, maybe you will be able to finally pull him out from the library" he smiled and bowed his head once again " Good night"

"Good night" all three of them responded

" Finally" Sparx yawned and clicked his tongue when the Guardian disappeared around the corner " That guy likes to talk" he stretched " All right guys it's time for my beauty sleep. See ya!" he waved his hand and flew inside the room through the shutter which was located above the door

Both dragons looked at each other impulsively and chuckled

" So..." Cynder started uncertainty while shuffling her paw along the ground

"So..." Spyro replied her in the same manner

" What a day, huh?" Cynder blurt out nervously " We almost lost our heads today, literally"

Spyro chuckled " Yeah, it would be a shame, I feel quite attached to it"

She laughed " Anyway after all this time it will be great to lay in a warm bed, between you and me I'm tired of sleeping on cold cave floors"

" You and me both, at least I won't have to pitifully make a fire again for a while"

" Yeah that was quite pathetic" she teased him and they both began to laugh, after a while they stopped and began to stare in each other's eyes. Cynder cleared her throat and averted her gaze " Listen Spyro I..." her voice trailed off " I never thanked you for giving me a chance"

"Huh?"

" You know after my corruption and utter defeat, you took a risk by saving me, I mean you had no reason to believe me, I was evil after all." she sighed gratefully " Thank you for that"

" Cynder..." Spyro admonished her softly " You don't have to thank me, there was no risk, I knew from the beginning that you are not evil, I've always trusted you and I will trust you no matter what happens"

Her eyes sparkled " I should really consider making a statue of you in my room" she smiled wryly

" Do that and I'll kill you" Spyro chuckled

Cynder giggled and stared in his eyes for a while before retreating towards her doors. " Good night" she whispered tenderly and pushed the door open.

" Good night" he found himself whispering back impulsively and watched her until her blade-like tip disappeared inside the room. With a dizzy mind he entered his own resting place.

The room was nothing special, it was pretty simple really. A single bed stood in a corner, a desk, a closet for those who need it, a bedside table, a bunch of drawers, a couple of paintings and some plants with some candles or lamps here and there. A single glass door were located on the opposite side of this place which led to the balcony. The whole room was illuminated by the silvery light of the moon which looked like it was peeking through the windows, to check what's going on in the City Hall. A loud snoring broke this serenity, it was coming from a single alcove shelving located near the ceiling- Sparx.

However Spyro was completely uninterested, he didn't care about the furniture or the noise, the moment he closed the door behind him, he leaned against it with his tail and smiled, he didn't know why but he felt extremely happy. After a while he pulled himself together and arrived on the balcony, there was a spectacular view on Warfang from here, many streets could be seen which were illuminated by the burning lanterns, beside a shadow passing here and there the city was silent.

He didn't admire the sight for long as his head traveled to the balcony next to his. Spyro's smile only widened when he thought about his friend, even if they just talked minutes ago he felt a sudden urge to see her again, something told him to leap from his balcony, land on hers and enter her room, just like that, spontaneously. Only thinking about such scenario forced his heart to pump blood faster, the unfamiliar awkward feeling returned but this time it wasn't an entirely pleasant sensation, his heart started to ache just like it craved for something. A part of him wanted to tell her about this strange feeling but he couldn't force himself to do it, she would most likely worry about him, and that was the last thing he wanted, she has enough problems with the people here. He decided to shake off the feeling.

Spyro concentrated on the moon instead, after a long time he can look at the sky without thinking about the next day, what will it bring or if he even survives to see another one. For the first time after he left the Swamp he can look at the darkened sky with no worries because when the moon will depart to allow his brother to rule the sky he knows that it will bring with it a peaceful day and nothing else.