Chapter 1: 8 Years Later

A dragoness walked down the halls of the Warfang dragon temple. Her yellow scales were matched by her white belly.

"Something bothering you Volia." Said a male voice.

The dragoness turned around and her sky blue eyes met Volteer the former electricity guardian. Volia had just recently received the position from him on her 22nd birthday. She was so pleased and she took her position seriously, even with her very cheerful demeanor.

"No just trying to find the other guardians." Volia said.

"Very well then, I must return to my rather serendipitous studies." Volteer said as he turned and left.

Volia continued walking to the guardians meeting room. She noticed the dark grey dragoness standing there but the other guardians were nowhere to be seen.

"hello Vinda." Voila gave a low bow to Vinda who returned it. "where are the others?"

"today's meeting was cancelled my little sister." Vinda said. "Flame decided to spend the day with Ember, Quake is probably talking to Military Councillor Terrador, Frostbite is at the marketplace, and I'm not sure where the others are."

Vinda and Volia left the meeting room and walked among the temple.

"its been eight years since The Dark masters defeat." Volia said.

"Have you heard from Spyro?" Vinda asked.

"No." Volia answered. "Ever since he returned from his training seven years ago him and Cynder have been trying to form a relationship, but it fell apart."

"Really?" Vinda asked in shock.

"yeah Cynder left six years ago, I never got a reason, but Spyro was disappointed and is growing up without the dragoness he loves." Volia said.

"what has he been doing?" Vinda asked.

"before he left he helped around the city, he also helped the Poison, Fear and Shadow dragons be welcomed back into society." Volia said as they opened the Temple door and walked into the city of Warfang.

A dragon covered from head to tail in golden armor and just a bit bigger than them looking to be about the same age walked past them he spread his armor covered wings and took off.

"Odd." Vinda said.

"Never seen him before?" Volia asked.

"No I've seen I have just never know him to be in such a rush." Vinda answered.

They continued walking along the streets of Warfang to the marketplace, commonly crowded on any normal day, it was not today.

"odd." Volia said noticing that most stalls were unoccupied.

"no its just lunch time most are away eating or at other parts of the market." Vinda explained.

Volia just nodded to her and they continued off to find something to eat.

A black dragoness dragged a deer carcass as she walked along the forest path. Her slender curvy body, matched her young age, She estimated herself to be 24, but she was not sure.

"Cynder." A female voice called.

Cynder turned to see a dark green dragoness with green belly scales approach her.

"Hello Chi." Cynder said kindly.

Chi matched Cynders pace as they walked side by side.

"Think the other hunters have caught anything?" Chi asked.

"most likely." Cynder answered. "Have you found all the herbs you need?"

"Yep, I should be able to prepare a remedy should illness strike." Chi chimed.

"good to know." Cynder said.

She had been living with this village of outcasts for five years, leaving everything she once knew behind. Not that she did not have her regrets but things were not well, Spyro had grown distant from her and that disappointed her.

"You ok?" Chi asked.

Cynder pushed the thoughts from her head.

"yeah just thinking." Cynder responded.

They continued walking until the reach the wooden was that protected the village, at the gate were two poison dragons. They gave both dragonesses a quick nod as they passed. Cynder looked around she always love this village, It was very peaceful for a large settlement. Its inhabitants were Dark green poison dragons, Crimson fear dragons, and Black Shadow Dragons. Many of them were outcasts of society due to their element. They passed by a lonely Poison dragon who gave them a slight nod which they returned, the poison dragon the sighed and let his head lay back on the ground again. Near by a Maroon Fear Dragon and a lime green poison dragon, were whispering to each other.

"Venik seems unusually depressed today." Cynder said with concern.

"He is just put out that he missed the hunters, you know how much likes to get out of this town." Chi stated.

"hmm." Cynder said.

A Dragon with Dark green scales and light green belly scales approached them he unlike Cynder and Chi was a full-fledged adult and not in between late Adolescents and full-fledged adulthood.

"Tixir." Cynder said giving a quick respectful bow to the dragon.

"Greetings Young dragonesses." Tixir said as he returned the bow. "its good to see that you too bring in a decent haul."

"Third deer today." Cynder said proudly.

"Between you and the other four hunters, it's good to see you are all doing your part." Tixir said happily. "Take the rest of the day off, you both have earned it."

Both nodded to him then turned and made tracks to Chi's hut which doubled as the villages medical center. When they entered Chi undid the pouch around her front left leg, she placed it down on a counter where she stored the rest of her medical ingredients and she then quickly organized and stored them.

"We have the rest of the day to ourselves, is there something you want to do?" Chi asked.

"Why don't we just go and see how everyone else is doing, maybe we can find someone to assist." Cynder answered.

Both turned and left strolling among the village.

In the distance of the forest on a cliff overlooking this rather obscure valley a dragon landed, coated in golden armor with a blue crystal at the base of the neck just above his chest he looked among the valley, the village was easy to spot in the distance but it was no concern of his, as long as they were not of bad intentions he would not have to deal with them. The dragon looked around trying to find his targets. After two scans over he noticed two creatures taking off above the forest canopy. They looked like dragons but they had wings replacing their front legs and their tails ended with a pointed stinger.

"Wyverns." The dragon said to himself. "Knew they would be the cause of this trouble."

He spread his wing revealing the radiant orange membranes. He then took off keeping himself high in the sky to ambush them. The wyverns cruised along calmly. Communicating by chirps they picked up the pace a bit. A flaming orb came from the sky and hit one the other gave a shrill chirp of alarm and three Wyverns in the nearby area heard it and came to assist. The armored dragon ended his comet dash smashing the wyvern into the ground, leaving it a mass of charred flesh and bones. He turned his attention to the other ones. Taking off into the sky he met with the four other wyverns. One met His Fire breath head on and fell to the ground shrieking trying to douse the flames as it fell. One of the other tried to Hit the golden dragon with his tail stinger but it was blocked by the armored blade of the dragons tail. The dragon flew at the wyvern and shredded it with one hit of his claws. The other two wyverns took off in the general direction of the village.

They landed at a lake and looked around hoping they lost the dragon. But the dragon landed nearby, the sun had set and the two Wyverns time expired. The Dragon launched himself at them moving as if the armor weighted nothing. The first wyvern was caught but the second managed to sink his stinger into a joint where the plating of the armor split piercing the chain mail and letting the wyvern poison its target. The dragon bit the first wyverns neck choking it till it died then it turned on the second which just pulled out its stinger. It looked at the dragon and realized that its fate was now sealed. The dragon gave an enraged roar that startled any creature in the area. The dragon leapt at the wyvern which let out a shrill shriek of fear and pain before it was interrupted and silenced. The dragon began stumbling as the poison began to take effect he kept desperately trying to walk but slowly fell unconscious.

Cynder and Spyro stood on a cliff looking over the Valley of Avalar.

"you did it Spyro." Cynder said.

Spyro looked at her.

"No we did it together; I could have never done it without you." Spyro said putting his head to Cynders.

"Spyro." Cynder said as their muzzles met.

They took part in a passionate kiss that seemed to last forever. They slowly separated.

"Spyro do you truly feel that way about me?" Cynder asked.

"Yes I do, you are my everything Cynder." Spyro said his voice seem to be getting quiet and more distant. "I will always L…"

Spyro's voice became unintelligible and he began to fade away

"No!" She shouted and began running. "Don't leave me please."

Spyro disappeared, Cynder collapsed Crying.

An enraged Roar reverberated through her mind.

Cynder woke up. She looked around. She was sleeping on a large cushion in Chi's hut. Chi had awoken.

"You look like you have a ghost." Chi said.

"bad dream." Cynder said.

"Why don't we go, to the lake, look at the stars maybe swim a bit, that should help." Chi said cheerfully.

Cynder nodded and they both left the hut. A few other dragons were awake and looking around, the lonely dragon from before approached them.

"Did you two hear that roar?" He asked.

"Sorry Venik, Cynder waking up was what woke me." Chi said apologetically.

"so I did not just imagine it." Cynder said.

"it was probably just a dragon having a nightmare, anyways we are heading to the lake want to join us Venik?" Chi asked.

Venik hesitantly nodded. They walked down the trail. Only the chirping of insects and the occasional bird could be heard. Creature that looked like more tame forest versions of the Grove worms slithered through the forest some would glance at the dragons but unlike their volcanic or poisonous brethren, these docile beasts ignored them. They reached the lake. The sky was clear and the stars were bright the two moons could be seen clearly in the sky both separate but close. Cynder looked around lake the water was smooth and untouched. Cynder then noticed the scene of carnage on the other side of the lake the others saw it too. They quickly ran around the lake and stopped at the edge of the carnage.

There were two wyverns lying dead one had a large bite wound on its throat, the other was hard to distinguish as it was nearly mutilated. Most unique was the dragon encased in golden armor his scale colour was a mystery, but he looked their age. There was a wound on his Right Back leg that was bleeding. Chi moved to check him.

"the wound is from a wyvern stinger, he's poisoned." Chi said.

Cynder stood straighter.

"We will not leave him here." She stated before turning to Venik.

"Venik You will help me carry him." Cynder Ordered.

"o-o-of course." He stuttered.

Cynder turned to Chi.

"Return to the Hut and find an antidote, if you can't find one then make one." Cynder ordered.

Chi just nodded and took off.

Cynder adjusted herself and placed the armored dragon on Venik's back.

"the dragon is actually not as heavy as you think, the armor is surprisingly light" Venik said in his usual shy tone then his voice became confident. "I can handle this myself."

Both walked back as fast as they could. The night guards gave suspicious looks at the comatose dragon but Cynder waved them away. They entered Chi's hut and found her preparing an antidote.

"I'm almost finished." Chi said. "Put him on his back on the patient bed there."

She pointed at a cushion at one end of her hut. They placed him down on his back on the cushion then they waited a few minutes. Chi came over with the antidote and some sort of plant. She handed the plant for this then pointed to the holes on the helmet where his nostrils would be. She then gently grabbed the plating on the bottom of the dragons head and pulled I down revealing that it opened to allow dragons to breathe their elemental abilities.

"Burn that it will make him swallow, we need to time this right so he does not choke on the antidote." Chi said.

Cynder readied her shadow flame. Chi nodded and Cynder set it aflame and put it close to the Dragons nose. After a few seconds chi poured the antidote into the dragon's mouth and the dragon swallowed. The dragon struggled for a moment then relaxed. Chi turned away and went to check over her ingredients.

"thank you for all your help both of you." Chi said then turned to Venik. "You should go get some sleep."

Venik nodded then walked out of the hut. Cynder just sat there a moment. She turned to go to her own cushion.

"Cynder." A familiar voice whispered.

Cynder turned around and looked at the Armored Dragon.