Chapter 17: The New Age

Spyro and Cynder attacked first. Spyro broke Kharnak's protective aura while Cynder clawed at Kharnak. Hunter and Morpheus used ranged weapons to hurt Kharnak while Valcor helped the dragons in their battle. While they put up a good fight, Kharnak was very strong and they couldn't deal damages to him easily.

"I'm not going down that easily!" Kharnak snarled angrily.

Valcor launched a fireball attack at Kharnak. Kharnak grabbed the fireball and threw it back at the dragon, which he deftly dodged. Spyro tried ambushing Kharnak from behind but he used his hind legs to kick Spyro away like a ball. It nearly broke one of his horns but it held. Spyro rebounded and Cynder gave him a boost towards Kharnak. He got onto Kharnak's back and bit on the centaur's neck. Kharnak yelled in pain and tried to grab Spyro but he hung on so tight to Kharnak that it hurts him just to remove Spyro. Valcor punched Kharnak and sent him sprawling head over heels.

"That is for the Dragon Temple!" Valcor snarled.

Before Kharnak could get up, Valcor pounced on Kharnak and punched his jaw.

"That is for Warfang!" he continued in an angrier voice.

Spyro came towards Kharnak and punched the right side of his face.

"That is for Cynder," Spyro said angrily.

Kharnak kicked them away and charged at them with his shield up. The others dodged his charge but Morpheus didn't dodge in time and he got bashed into a wall. It crushed him so hard that blood flowed from his mouth. When Kharnak backed off, Morpheus slumped to the ground.

"Who's next?" Kharnak growled and he looked at Hunter.

"Uh oh," Hunter muttered.

Kharnak charged again and Hunter was bashed, rolling head over heels until he hit into a wall. Kharnak proceeded to attack the others but they could fly and his charge attacks were useless against him.

"Spyro, remember the spin technique we learned at the Dragon Temple?" Cynder asked.

"Why would I forget?" Spyro grinned.

The two rose up into the air, holding each other in the paws.

"Horn Drill Spinneret!" the two said together.

The two spun downwards towards Kharnak at top speed with their horns pointing at the centaur. They hit him and made a puncture wound in his back. They disengaged and landed on the ground at the same time.

"Very nice but that attack is nothing to me," Kharnak grinned evilly.

He tensed and summoned rocks from the ground. With a 360 degrees swing from his sword, he sent them flying everywhere. Spyro and Cynder dodged them deftly while Valcor blocked them with his wings. The two retaliated by flying in circles around him and firing breath attacks towards Kharnak. Kharnak slammed the ground with his fist and sent spikes shooting up from the ground. The two dragons were knocked from the sky and they fell to the ground. Kharnak threw another shockwave at Spyro and Cynder but Morpheus got up just in time and absorbed the attack with his sword. He returned the attack with a swing of his sword but Kharnak dodged it.

Kharnak intended to punch Morpheus but he grabbed Kharnak's knuckles and held there in a deadlock. Using his free hand, Morpheus unslung his rifle and fired a point blank shot at Kharnak. The shot went right through his stomach and out from the back. Kharnak's strength weakened a bit and Morpheus had the leverage. He gave Kharnak a kick and shoulder bashed Kharnak. Spyro and Cynder took this chance to attack him and attacked his back.

"Enough!" Kharnak yelled.

He tensed and sent a powerful circular shockwave out from his body, knocking everyone backwards. He raised his hand to the sky and made a pulling gesture. Immediately, hails of fiery meteors fell and impacted the place. They got hit badly. Without even letting them recover, Kharnak punched into the air and an earthen fist erupted from the ground, hitting everyone.

"I am the God of Destruction and I will not have anyone get the better of me, especially mortal whelps like you! No one will get in my way of ruining this world! No one survives" he roared angrily.

"Kharnak!" a voice called out.

Kharnak saw someone standing on the west bleachers of the arena. It was Salvador and he didn't seem happy.

"So, my pawn has some business to attend to," Kharnak said.

"I was wondering that something fishy is going on when you told us to attack other races. I have already suspected something wrong about the Netherlord right. You are disguised as the Netherlord," Salvador said.

"I don't know who told you that but you're right. I am the one disguised as the Netherlord. I was surprised on how stupid you mortals can be," Kharnak mocked.

"Stupid? I was expecting a better word from you but alas, you are no different from us," Salvador mocked back.

"What do you mean by that?" Kharnak growled softly.

"I mean that you are a fool and you think that all humans never suspected who you are. I didn't know at first but as time passes, I came to realize that I was serving a demon," Salvador said.

"And that was what, an hour ago?" Kharnak asked rhetorically.

"So what if it is? Now that I've known your identity, I'm going to kill you. I may hate dragons but I hate demons more than I hate these reptiles," Salvador growled.

"Salvador…" Morpheus said weakly.

"Morpheus, I'm not sorry for what I did to you but I'm not very happy that I hurt a friend. I will join this fight alongside you," Salvador said.

Salvador leapt into the arena.

"Come, let's fight," he said.

They continued the fight with more vigor and fought bravely. However, Kharnak seemed to get stronger with every damage he took. They fought and fought like hell and sparks from the clashing swords spewed everywhere. Sometimes, each sword clash was so powerful that it knocked them back.

"Spyro, we cannot continue like this. Our people on the surface....they are being slaughtered. We must hurry," Cynder pleaded to Spyro.

Spyro nodded and used Death Bringer on Kharnak. It worked this time and Spyro tore out a massive fragment of Kharnak's soul form his body. It weakened Kharnak badly but it also had an effect on Spyro. He felt darkness engulf his heart and he has one last use before darkness engulfs him.

"You wouldn't dare," Kharnak growled weakly.

"Tell that to someone who cares," Spyro said darkly and tore out the remaining soul from Kharnak.

Now, the centaur was lifeless and his dead hulk fell to the ground. Every immortal has an inner soul called True Life and if they are destroyed, even immortals die. Kharnak is soulless and he is dead. However, Spyro has corrupted his soul with that power and he has crossed over to darkness. But…only a miracle can save.

10 years later…

"Spyro, look at this view," Cynder said to Spyro.

"Yes, it sure is beautiful," Spyro replied.

They stood on a cliff that gave a great view of the setting sun and it was the dawn of a new age and they are the rulers of Dragon Realms. Spyro has grown bigger and he was more muscular. Cynder on the other hand was more slender and beautiful. She wore a tiara of diamond and gold while Spyro wore the Necklace of Eternal Dawn.

"Cynder, this sunset reminds me of the day when you saved me from going to the dark side. I was completely engulfed…until you reached out to me. This view reminded me of that when we got out from the Epicenter," Spyro said as he held Cynder's paw.

"It was the least I could do," Cynder smiled warmly.

"We have ushered in a new era and the humans can all rest in pace after Kharnak's destruction. I can never forget Morpheus and the things he did to help us," Spyro remembered.

Terrador and Volteer came up to the two and sat beside them, admiring the sunset together.

"I hope we're not disturbing your privacy," Volteer said quickly.

"No, not at all," Cynder said.

"It has been a while since we enjoyed the sunset and this one is just mesmerizing," Volteer said as he looked at the distance.

"Spyro, what are your orders?" asked Terrador politely.

"I have none so let us all enjoy the sun for a while," Spyro said.

Suddenly, they heard something behind them. They saw a blue spirit materialize and Spyro was happy to see that spirit.

"Morpheus!" he said happily.

"Blessed are you, Spyro the Dragon. You have chosen to usher in an era of peace and this is your reward," Morpheus said in a hollow yet benevolent voice.

"I couldn't have done it without you and your fellow human friends," Spyro said.

The spirit laughed and shot a blue ray into the sky. It became fireworks as today was the Year of the Dragon.

"Cynder, you are expecting, right?" Morpheus asked.

"Yes," Cynder said softly as she rubbed her belly. It was bulging, a clear sign that she was pregnant.

"Then this display is for you. Titan has asked me to give you blessings and your brood will continue your dynasty until the end of time. Your family shall reign," Morpheus said before becoming a blue ray and shot towards the sky like a meteor streak.

Terrador gave a small chuckle and looked at the fireworks display.

"That was a short blessing," he said.

"Meaningful nonetheless," Spyro said.

Below the cliff was a rebuilt Warfang and it looked more industrialized and modern with creatures of different species living together in harmony. The humans maybe no more but Morpheus' legacy lived on and his statue is erected as a memorial. Sparx was enjoying a comfortable royal life since his adopted brother had risen to royalty.

"Come on, give me some of that butterfly," he said to a dragonfly maid.

He was served with a colorful butterfly and he gulped it down in one bite.

"Oh yeah, that hit the right spot," he said.

Sparx rested his head on a pillow and closed his eyes.

"Ah, now this is the life I've been yearning for. Oh Venomtooth, could you get me more of those colorful butterflies? I can't seem to get enough of them," he said while tinkling a bell.

The ape in maid uniform grumbled and went to the kitchen. Sparx grinned gleefully because he was able to make the apes do his bidding instead of them bullying him. He took a sip of bug juice and laid back.

"I'm sure you readers will be wondering where I am all this while. Well, let me give you my story. There I was, surrounded by a group of skeletons. They thought they can beat me but I showed them. I gave them a left, then a right, then a good coup de grace! However, one cornered me and tried to cut me but I was too much for him! I gave him a pound in the jaw and I turned him into bones! Oh yes, the battle in my dreams was an epic one," Sparx said gleefully.

"Oh stop talking to yourself. You were hiding in Warfang throughout the entire time and you didn't bother with anything except sleeping," Venomtooth grumbled.

"I didn't ask you to clarify things for me," Sparx said.

"I wasn't born to serve an insect like you," Venomtooth argued.

"Okay, now you're just making me mad," Sparx said with his arms crossed.

"So what if I am? You can't hurt me," Venomtooth said as he loomed over Sparx.

Sparx backed down a little.

"Um, I think I heard Spyro calling me. Gotta go," said Sparx and he quickly escaped.

Venomtooth gave a snort and looked around him. Since he was in the royal bedroom and his master and mistress weren't back yet…

"Whoopee!" he cried out happily as he leapt onto the royal bed.

He took of the maid outfit and switched to a more elegant rich man's outfit and he put an antique pipe in his mouth. He then laid back onto the pillow and pretended to smoke on the pipe.

"Even apes need a life," he said with a raised eyebrow.

Ignitus closed the book he was reading and smiled as he watched the two dragons having a good time with each other and interacting happily with everyone else.

"Darkness and Light are finally balanced. Spyro, you have taken your step and this is the Fourth Age of Dragons. The new age has begun and your life as a true dragon of destiny has just begun," Ignitus said.

Okay, so it's a little quick but there will be a sequel where they will embark on new adventures. Humans will be given a chance to rise again and live side-by-side with the dragons. I promise a longer story and of course, more wackiness from Sparx and Venomtooth. Note that do not own any of the Spyro characters but I do own the human race! The next time the humans rise to power again, it will be an equivalent to our modern age. Like what Ignitus said: The new age has begun .