The Legend of Spyro: Wrath of Nether Lord

Chapter 1: A New Darkness

It has been 5 long years since Malefor's defeat. Spyro and Cynder led quite peaceful lives. They have fun together, slept together, ate together and did almost anything together. The dragon elders were having some good times too and everything was bliss. The threat once posed by the Dark Master Malefor has been erased for good…or has it?

On the other side of the world, trouble has been brewing ever since Malefor's demise. Not many knew about it because the situation didn't seem dangerous at that time. However, the emergence of more undeads near the Epicenter, a hole that was never covered after the world came back together, proved to be a bad omen. Rumors emerged that the Epicenter led directly to the Netherworld and Convexity and the existence of the undead has proved the rumor to be true.

Following the rising of such rumors, the dragon elders assembled a team of scouts to investigate the Epicenter. They never returned after that and the last message the elders got was concerning a rapid spreading of dark purple crystals along with rarer red ones. All of them were found growing outwards from the Epicenter itself. Concerned that this has to do with Malefor, the elders sent Spyro and Cynder to the Epicenter. The young dragons were not aware of what is waiting for them.

"Cynder, wait for me!" Spyro called out. "You're flying too fast!"

"Oh c'mon Spyro, don't tell me you can't outrun a girl," Cynder mocked.

"We're not here to play catch, Cynder. Terrador has an important mission for us," Spyro said as he caught up.

"I'm feeling rather lazy now. We have so much fun these 5 years and now they're pulling us out from our holiday to investigate something evil," Cynder complained. "It sucks."

"Evil never seems to quit even when you defeat them a few times. Just makes you wonder if there will ever be an end to it," Spyro said.

"Well, with so many potentials for evil to rise again, I doubt we can have eternal peace," Cynder shrugged and looked behind her before looking front again.

"If Malefor is behind this, I'll make sure he stays dead permanently. He'll threaten more lives if he lives," Spyro said.

"Indeed," replied Cynder.

As they flew past the Valley of Avalar, Chief Prowlus waved to them, beckoning them to come down.

"Spyro, Cynder, thank the ancestors you have passed by here. I have some news for you," the feline said as the two dragons landed down.

"What do you have in store?" Cynder asked.

"I have some scouts who went to investigate the Epicenter and they have found more and more undeads rushing out from that hole. They were busy harvesting the crystals and breaking them apart," Prowlus said quickly.

"Slow down Prowlus, there is no need to rush. What next?" Spyro asked inquisitively.

Chief Prowlus took a deep breath and exhaled. "My scouts noted that blue spirits of an unknown race were released as the crystals broke open. They possessed any living creature and turned them into mindless animals with a thirst for blood," he said more slowly this time.

"Maybe that explains why there are attacks on anyone that ventured into forested areas. So where are your scouts?" the purple dragon asked.

"I'm not sure but I fear the worst. They have not returned and there have been no contacts since I received the last message from them. I have sent Hunter to check things out but he has yet to inform me of anything," Prowlus replied. "I called you down because I need your help to check and see if Hunter is still alive," he continued.

"That can be easily done. How do I contact you if I find him?" Spyro asked.

"Use this crystal. It can act as a contact device as well as a light emitter. The place you're traveling to is a dark realm so you need some light," Prowlus said and he handed two small crystals to Spyro and Cynder.

"If there is nothing else, we'll be on our way," Cynder said.

"Of course, you are free to leave. Be careful if you near the Epicenter, my scouts also say a dark fortress is being built," Prowlus whispered.

The two waved a hand of goodbye to Prowlus and took to the skies. The two flew among the clouds and barrel rolled as they played with each other happily. The land beneath them was lush green and they occasionally saw villages and cities. The Great River ran beneath them and it was said to branch to the Silver River. The Great River was a very long river that originated from the Mountains of Kaderah and the river flowed from the mountains to the Shining Oceans 500 miles away.

Spyro loved the scenery and he can't imagine such scenery being destroyed. It would be unthinkable. Cynder tapped Spyro's shoulder and pointed a finger downwards.

"Look Spyro, it's the Great River Riders," she said excitedly.

Spyro looked down and smiled. The Great River Riders were a group of daredevil cheetahs looking for a canoeing challenge in the more rapid side of the Great River. They were great warriors but they rather do stunts than fight. As the dragons flew by, one of the Riders looked up and waved to them.

The two waved back and went on. Since they can't reach the Epicenter within a day, they landed near a tropical forest which the Great River also ran through. They rested near the place and set up a place to stay for the night.

"Hey Spyro, this reminds me of the camping trip we had with the moles. Remember the time when Mason overcooked his food?" Cynder asked with a chuckle.

"Yeah, he was like 'Did you smell something on fire?' and Volteer was like 'I'll save your food!'" Spyro joked while imitating Mason and Volteer's voices.

Cynder laughed and revealed a nice pair of teeth. "It was merely an excuse to snatch away Mason's food," she replied with a laugh.

"I didn't know Volteer had a liking for earthworms," Spyro muttered.

"Heck no, he thought they were noodles. Makes me wonder if he has problem with his eyesight," Cynder said. "The 'noodles' were moving and he didn't even notice it," she continued with a small chuckle.

Spyro stared at Cynder's eyes which seemed to sparkle. Cynder's heart skipped a beat or two when she saw him staring at her like that.

"S-Spyro, why are you staring at me?" she asked nervously.

"I'm just mesmerized by your beautiful eyes," he replied softly.

"Your eyes are just as beautiful," Cynder said softly.

Spyro placed a paw over her face. Their lips got closer, about to kiss when a bush nearby rustled. The two suddenly snapped to attention and went into a defensive stance.

"Stay here Cynder, I'll go chech it out," Spyro whispered with caution.

Cynder nodded but did not let down her guard. Spyro got closer to the rustling bush, ready to pounce on the intruder. However, before he could look into the bush, a cheetah walked out of it. Spyro let out a scream of startle and the cheetah did so as he was also startled. Cynder just froze in shock but recovered quickly.

"Hunter, is that you?" Spyro asked.

"Spyro? What a pleasant surprise. I was just finding my way back," Hunter said.

His face was full of scars and a few sword wounds were visible over his skin. He had one eye bandaged and one wrist wrapped up. He looked terrible.

"Whoa Hunter, you look like a mess. What happened?" Cynder asked.

"I was in enemy territory, trying to gain some intelligence on these undeads but I was spotted and they went after me. I've been on the run for two days and those boneheads are relentless. I managed to lose them but they had a few hits on me," Hunter said in a voice that indicated that he was controlling the pain.

"Chief Prowlus was worried because you have not contacted him," Spyro said.

"My crystal was shattered as an arrow flew at me. It hit the crystal that was hanging on my neck. If it weren't for it, I would have died," Hunter explained.

He took a sit and let out a sigh. Spyro offered him some roasted lamb and Hunter accepted it. He gobbled down the food and licked his fingers.

"Ah, that was satisfying," he said with a satisfied smile.

He lay back on a tree and remained silent.

"Hunter, should we escort you home?" Cynder offered.

"You two out here alone means that you two are on a mission. I'd rather walk back myself since I don't want to trouble you. You should contact Chief Prowlus for me and inform him that I'm safe. The undeads are not after me anymore so I won't have to be afraid of anything," Hunter said.

"It's a long walk back to Avalar," Cynder said.

"I can manage it," Hunter said confidently. "All I need now is some rest," he said and slowly closed his eyes. Moments later, he was snoring.

"Let's not bother him. I think we should turn in for the night as well," Cynder whispered.

"Agreed," Spyro nodded.

The two cuddled up and kept each other warm. Spyro used his left wing to cover Cynder and keep her warm. Cynder smiled and went to sleep. Spyro stroked her head and after a few minutes, he too dozed off into the Realm of Dreams. The night seemed peaceful but unknown to them, skeleton warriors were watching them but dared not get close because the fire was burning. They let out some low screeches and their bones made soft clanking noises.

After some time of observing, they went away and let them sleep. The next morning, Spyro's eyes fluttered open as the morning sun shone on his face. He let out a yawn and stretched his body. Cynder was still asleep so he thought he'd prepare some breakfast before Cynder wakes up.

"Hey Hunter, want something to eat?" Spyro asked while turning to face Hunter.

However, the cheetah wasn't there anymore and strangely, Spyro saw bandages on the ground and something was written on a strip of it. It read: "Spyro, I have left for Avalar. Good luck and may the ancestors guide you".

"He left that early? I wonder what the hurry is," Spyro said.

He caught a boar wandering nearby and roasted it. He brought the roasted boar back to Cynder and placed it in front of her. She caught the whiff of the fragrant smell and smiled while her eyes were still closed.

"You have a way of enticing me, Spyro," she said.

"Just a little something for my love," he replied with a warm smile.

Cynder yawned and stretched before sitting up. Her eyes locked onto the roast boar and her mouthed drooled.

"Looks tasty," she said.

"It sure does. C'mon, let's chow down," Spyro said, his mouth was also drooling.

They ate the boar hungrily, tearing large chunks of it and chewing it like hungry carnivores. There were some blood stains on the side of their mouths but they didn't mind. They stripped the boar of its flesh and left only the bones and some ligaments. Spyro patted his belly and let out a burp.

"Wahoo, that was satisfying," Spyro said happily.

"Yeah, I loved it. You turned out to be a good cook," Cynder said.

Spyro stared at the skull of the boar and felt a sudden coldness. It was as the skull was staring back at him with melancholy. Spyro felt uncomfortable so he knocked the skull into the river.

"What was that for?" Cynder asked inquisitively.

Spyro shook his head and forced a smile.

"It was nothing. I just wanted to hit something," he replied.

"Oh," said Cynder.

Spyro didn't want to tell her that he saw a red glow in the eye sockets. He thought it might scare her.

"C'mon, let's get going," he suggested.

"Yeah, we shouldn't waste our time," Cynder continued.

As they left the place, it became quiet. Suddenly, the remains of the boar reassembled and the skull that sank into the river came back up and attached back to the neck. The eye sockets of the skull glowed bright red and the undead boar stared towards the direction where the two dragons went. It let out a screech and went after them.

Ignitus, now the new Chronicler, was watching. Worried lines creased over his face and he shook his head.

"The situation is getting worse. The Epicenter is worse than Malefor's fortress and the enemies are far more deadly. I hope Spyro and Cynder live through this because they are dealing with an ancient race that once ruled this world, wiped out by Malefor during his rise to darkness," he said to himself.

He looked into one book that the previous Chronicler had in the shelves. It wasn't a book that depicted the lives of multiple dragons; it was a book of necromancy created by the ancient race.

"I fear that you're dealing with something more powerful and sinister. Be careful Spyro, the humans are not to be trifled with," Ignitus said darkly.

At the entrance of the Epicenter, a dark warrior sat on a demon horse with horns and red eyes. He wore spiky black armor and wielded a massive broadsword. His face was covered by a helm but the glow in his eyes was visible. He let out a breath of dark air and grunted.

"Find the purple dragon and kill him. Do not return if you can't find him. I want the black dragoness alive," he said in a deep hollow voice to his skeleton soldiers.