FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 9

"Remember that I have warned you Sire" Danox intoned, his voice unusually full of energy

Spyro turned around, his muscles flexed to the brim, stretching out the scales they his under way past their natural, healthy limit.

"What do you want me to do?!" he snarled at the dragon, two tears of sweat slipped down his cheeks, his whole frame glistening under the sun

"Wait and hope that they make it out?!"

"Oh no, no, no, no" the black drake shook his head so fiercely that it was impossible to tell that the ruffling sound he hears is coming from the nearby leaves shook by the wind or is it Danox' brain rattling inside his skull.

"No waiting, I propose to continue onwards" he grinned, his massive, deadly fangs shining with saliva as the lips stretched into a predatory smile "I forgot how it feels" he stretched out his wings, they convulsed on their way like a still shaking fingers on a severed hand

In any other situation, away from the begging cries that echoed in the sky and the invisible talons of energy grazing his nerves he would listen to the dragon and probably even pay some attention to his words.

Right now though his only desire was to kill them all.

For him to be silent.

"Good!" he exclaimed, stomping his paw, dark, faint mists of energy wafting from the crushed earth "Our friends are in danger and we must help them!"

Danox laughed heartily, the blare that came out of his mouth seemed to force the clouds to skitter away.

The falcon in the air stopped its flight, straightening into a stiff position, flapping its wings quietly as if awaiting for an invisible predator to move out of the way.

"Naturally Sire!" the mouth clamped shut, the usually lifeless eyes sparkling with energy of someone who no longer gave a damn about the entire world

Like a prisoner deciding to throw himself at the rows of spears pointing his way, putting everything on his risky move, no longer caring what consequences it will have.

Recklessness.

He could see himself in those black eyes.

They had the color of his heart.

They looked like the sky in the night.

"Never promised we would be ourselves doing it though!" Danox unexpectedly dashed forward, towards the gate

They blinked, the gust of wind he created irritating their eyes.

When they opened them up again, Danox was gone, only a trail of dark strand, from the distance looking like a piece of black hair, hung in the air where they expected him to be. Even that disappeared soon after, devoured by the wind in an unknown direction.

The gate to Warfang was as empty as always.

"What just happened?" Flare mumbled behind the remaining trio of dragons, his body pulsing separately, the front side glowing brighter while the other dimmed, just to repeat the process the other way around soon after

As if the burning parts of his body had a heart of each own, beating to its own rhythm.

"Guys?" he prompted once more under the flash of his upper body, deep, almost otherworldly voice mixing itself with the usual soft one

They did not react, friends ignored him, something they never done before. He titled his head, narrowing his eyes on the three of them, the signs so easily to decipher.

The Beasts are awakening.

And that meant nothing else but trouble.

"Let's go" Spyro ordered and pressed onwards, making two steps only before he glanced back, realizing that his claws were the only ones that were making any sound

He quickly realized why.

"Sugaaar" a hollow rumbled echoed all around as if the wind would be speaking to them

Black figure grew from the ground, rising from the earth and forming a shape of a dragon, adopting form like a pot constructed from clay.

The trail of shadow stretching out from Cynder's blade tip, having its swirling, black origin right in the space in her natural blade. The black orb sprawling down the edges of the tip like blood staining it black.

The sight of it wasn't as disturbing as the sight of the owner. Cynder was panting heavily, every paw shaking wildly, even though she was young, right now her posture reminded everyone of an old grandma at the brink of death. A long vein pulsed through her neck in what seemed to be extreme stress as if keeping her head aloft would put an impossible strain on the muscles.

Creep.

How naïve he was to believe that they won't see him anymore, especially now?

Spyro growled angrily. The thing merely appeared and he already wanted to.

Devour it.

Kick its ass to the Dark Realms beyond.

"Suugaaar!" Creep moaned as he popped from the ground, his black, slithery shape twisting in every direction, as If every part of his body wanted to go the other way

"This is the fucker who screws Tat when Goldie isn't looking"

Spyro was drawn to the soft mumble like to a fire, burning eyes landed on Iris who wasn't even looking their way when she spoke those words, staring off in the distance, as if there would be someone in front of her she could only see.

She wanted to fuck him all this time, he can't wait till he gets the chance to fuck her up, after that she won't get up ever again.

He can't wait until he will be far away from her to avoid her wrathful comments in a time like this.

"W-What did I-I tell you C-Creep?" Cynder rasped, licking her mouth again and again, no longer bothered by the spicy taste of saliva on her tongue

The bleeding caricature of Spyro dropped on the ground, sliding across the earth until his head landed directly below her lowered one, meeting her tired gaze with his surprisingly full of life eyes.

"You must not enter, the grip on the knot is too tight. You will lose yourself Sugar"

"I'm not... " she whizzed, she breathed, but the air that was coming out from her mouth was far more choking than any rope around the neck "...not staying here"

"Safety requires we enter as one"

"Get to the point" Spyro snarled, clenching his paw over the grass sprouting from the earth, it withered under his touch

Creep sunk into the earth, for a moment disappearing completely from their sight. He reappeared on the opposite side of Cynder, his undulating shape stretching far into the air, towering over his host as if setting up the most basic of defensive systems that rule Nature.

Intimidation.

"City. Darkness. Powerful. Consuming. Manipulative. It squeezes the knot, reaps by strands, shreds random, chaotic. End uncertain, dangerous, impossible to predict, impossible to survive intact" Creep's shape bent forward forming a protective outcropping of darkness above his host

"Sugar too young, too frail to withstand"

"I'm not afraid" Cynder rasped "I'm not so easy to kill" with those words she glanced towards Iris

The ice dragoness surprisingly paid them no attention, her mouth kept moving, busy with whispering words that were beyond their reach. White eyes tilted upwards as if looking at someone next to her, someone far higher than her.

Like an adult dragon for instance.

"Death is not the peril. Corruption is. You need your friends Sugar"

Cynder balked, seeing Spyro doing exactly the same. Trauma is a bitch, provoking the return of it woke her up from her stupor immediately. There was something entirely creepy about having your mind stolen from you, it took her much time to shake off the consequences of such depravation. The countless fights she was in were never as creepy as the single time where she couldn't control her own body.

Sweet Ancestors.

Is this one of the hard choices Terrador spoke about? Hearing about Cynder getting corrupted, something that was quite probable considering what was going on with her made all the determination to chase after his friends fade away. All he wanted to do right now was to tuck his tail between his legs, grab Cynder and run away, far, far away.

Not because of cowardice, maybe not completely.

Mostly because of the desire to for once enjoy life for himself.

WEAKLING!

Spyro grabbed his head with a wince when the shout exploded inside his head, tips of his toes flickering with black hue.

"I don't like what is happening with you guys" Flare noted coldly, out of all of them he seemed to be most collected one

The realization made his blood freeze.

"What do you mean?" all of them asked at the same time, their heads snapping in his direction, voices full of strange suspicion, speaking like the people that interrogated him over and over again back when he was still a test subject

Never believing him.

Even Iris, who was unusually silent and suspiciously ignorant of them all showed suddenly the same amount of interest like the rest of the group.

The only being unmoved by his words was this creepy black goo. It was difficult to tell where its head was exactly, for him, all this slithery mass looked the same, almost similar to the creatures that the prisoners became after spending much of their lives in the Vents to which they were cast down.

However as he kept looking at it he could feel its gaze on him, he had no idea what exactly it wanted, he could feel absolutely no emotion from it. Nevertheless this empty gaze made his body darker, choking the fiery light surrounding it, his light tried to push through but was unable to do so, like there would be an invisible roof of darkness hanging above it.

"Manipulator fears being exposed the most" the sky itself seemed to echo around him

He looked around in shock, at the sky at first, then at his friends, neither of them seemed to react to the echo, their eyes locked on him intently.

The voice, it had no physical originator, no mouth, no throat and yet he had a feeling he recognized the hollow rumble from somewhere, he could feel it was the black goo speaking to him.

But if its voice came from the sky then how his friends didn't hear it?

He scratched his chest nervously.

"We remember Diazen do we not?"

Every rumbling word making his paw bounce from the chest.

He gazed down, deep frown crunching his forehead, silent lips mumbling only one thing.

What the fuck?

"We remember what he did when he lost control"

His eyes widened at the sight of his widening chest, flesh underneath undulating in perfect accordance with the words he heard as if there would be a mouth hidden there.

"Diazen rules Warfang now, rules the susceptible, safe when unaware. Do not betray"

His chest is speaking to him.

He giggled.

Part of his mind wondered for a second why he wasn't scared, he had been through much there was hardly anything people could do to him that he didn't went through already. This time however it wasn't a sentient being of flesh and bone speaking to him, but something from within him.

Not the Beast.

Something else.

New.

He raised his gaze, meeting the emotionless form of the dark creature once more.

No, not new.

They were already introduced.

And when Creep demonstrated his form to all of them in that cave not so long ago... that wasn't their first meeting.

How do I taste?

Why nobody, him included is surprised by a damn, black, gluey monster right next to Cynder?

"What's the matter Flare? Speak"

The feminine, rough voice shook him back into reality, it wasn't the tone however, not the tender , almost sweet sound, familiar, yet different. What surprised him the most was the fact that this voice called him by name.

His eyes immediately found Iris.

She never called him by name so openly before.

He didn't need the weird voice coming from his chest to recognize that something was wrong. Her voice squeezing his heart was enough to open his eyes to reality. It wasn't however the sweet grip he felt whenever he saw her plucking her feathers, no, this clench was firm and life stealing, a grip of a steel glove bleeding his heart dry like a fruit.

He didn't get enough opportunity to hear her speak with her melodic, deep, accented voice, now she used it together with his name, openly and honestly, how he wished that something like this would be true, but on the other paw he knew his partner, she wasn't the one to give to emotion easily.

The Beast has a strong grip over her.

Or perhaps she is the Beast as Coriza said.

He never believed that he would ever think of wishing that this dilemma would be the only case of worry for him.

He opened his mouth as she commanded, yet no words came out of his mouth, it was a strange sensation, never before he had troubles speaking his mind, or simply conversing with his friends, the world was big and there are still many thing he doesn't have a clue about.

This time though, for some strange reason it all seemed familiar, unbelievable.

He was speechless.

"You display no fear, Flare feels dread" Creep intoned, his hollow voice echoing like water in the depths of a cave "Dangerous odds await, intimidating to most. Flare is scared of danger, yes?"

He winced, feeling a throb in his chest, screeching sound filling his skull. He felt as if there was a chalk moving across his ribcage, cutting a single bone, not in a random pattern, but with purpose.

A word.

"Yes" he replied finally, hearing his decisive voice but not recognizing it

It worked however.

The heads of his friends moved in their separate directions, the force that made them turn releasing their grip, or they pushed through it without noticing it, returning back to their unusual selves. Nevertheless seeing part of their normal personalities returning to their eyes and body language was a somewhat comforting thought.

He played this well.

Since when he was so smart and clever?

"You want to say that when Cynder crosses this gate she will become corrupted?" Spyro inquired and if Flare didn't see his strange reaction just a moment ago he would never suspect that something was amiss.

The undulating, black mass that was Creep crawled closer his host, his dark body touching her scales as if ready to protect her with his body.

"Yes. Black dragons vulnerable"

"Danox went inside..." Cynder huffed hissing her discomfort through clenched teeth, the fake excitement she felt tired her muscles, legs quaked like sheep without their wool. Ass hurt like hell, the muscles there fighting back the exhaustion, yet giving clear signs that they don't have much patience left anymore to support her frame

"...And he's a black dragon t-t-too"

Creep recoiled back from her, it was like his rump that recently guarded her got burned suddenly, making him jump forward in shock. He turned around, brown eyes sinking into her green ones, the black mist surrounding him grew thicker, obscuring the top of his tormented wings and hiding the tips of his horns.

His eyes were emotionless as ever and yet he had this strange feeling creeping over her soul that she somehow accidently offended him.

"Abomination devoured the knot. A single entity beyond the boundaries of Balance. Fake. Extremity. Unbound. Do not compare to yourself Sugar. I like you"

Spyro grinned, seeing this creature getting so railed up by Danox was satisfying beyond belief. Just an opening he needed to poke the parasite a bit more.

Hurting it on purpose was so fantastic.

Hurting it on purpose was so wrong.

A tease however never caused any serious injury though.

"Independent then. Seems like a dream come true Cynder"

Creep spun towards Spyro so fiercely that Cynder yelped when she felt a tug on her tail, the black tears springing forward at the brink of breaking and snapping at Spyro. She pulled her tail back immediately, giving a clear sign that she won't tolerate such reactions.

Creep didn't know what a joke is and for some reason praising Danox in any way made him rabid.

The black mass ceased its frantic movement, the tug his host forced silencing him into obedience.

"A slave. Liar. Delusion. No life. No experience. No purpose. Only Hunger" the form of Creep shrunk visibly, it was Cynder only who truly saw what was happening with him

The healed wounds on his body opened up again, black ichor slipping through the cracks.

"Failure"

There weren't many times where Creep showed emotion, hard to say really if she wasn't making this up, or is it because of their peculiar connection that she feels something he cannot really show. Whatever the case made be, his last word birthed a single, small tear in the corner of her eye.

Depression.

"Not us. Not possible"

Spyro's expression froze somewhere between a grin and surprise, out of the two strange companions they now had. One a monster sitting inside Cynder and the other Danox, a creepy, mysterious black dragon, he couldn't decide who to trust more any longer. Every sane thought demanded that he will ignore an artificial creation of magic that is his mate's personal bodyguard, but then on the other paw there was no denying the fact that Creep really seems to care about Cynder's well-being, in a way of course that he doesn't like much, but he at least tried.

Jealously aside, he was quite certain that Creep had his own agenda in it, that alone was enough to make him question every decision and intention of the creature, no matter how noble towards Cynder it may seemed.

On the other side was Danox, Danox with his own goals, the only difference being that he treats everyone around as toys and is honest about it.

If not for the certainty that deciding between the two will surely have serious consequences in the future, this was a choice that had no good option.

It was like choosing if you want your leg to be amputated by a hatchet or a clever.

There was no choice allowing its preservation.

What a simple solution.

What a deadlock.

Death solves all troubles- no life, no trouble.

There is no way to solve it.

"I know!" Iris suddenly exploded with a joyful squeal, paw slamming against the mouth, glistening eyes gazing at someone above only she could see

She laughed inside her paw, muffling her happy snort.

Flare jumped like a spring, slamming his legs into the ground, body exploding with fierce flames. Eyes wide and mouth opened, the usual black sits growing into orbs, staring at Iris and everyone around.

She laughed!

People!

She laughed for the first time!

Come on people!

Everyone was ignorant.

Nobody cared.

Nobody paid attention.

The excitement vanished from his snout, flames dimmed once more, yet the fire didn't die out, it was burning still inside his eyes. Anger, anger was filling his veins, he didn't like what was happening with his friends, he didn't like where this was going. The Beast, the Beast was coming and this time he welcomed it gladly.

"Silence!" the voice inside his chest punched against a bone" Remember Diazen!" another strike, it made groan in pain, the flames inside his eyes died down, becoming nothing more than sparkles now

He has to keep it cool, for his friends, they are the most important.

But isn't being silent about the danger doesn't make him a manipulator himself? Is keeping them unaware of the situation the right way?

He didn't think so.

It was wrong. It was wrong.

"It looks so silly" Iris shook her head, fondling with the gold bracelet on her right leg nervously "Talking with a creature that looks like sewer waste. We are the only ones normal mom"

She stretched, eyes snapping shut dreamily and feathers fluttering happily as if someone just now would give her the pet of her life.

"What's your plan Creep?" Cynder mumbled tiredly "S-speak up. Since I'm a b-b-big part of your p-p-plan then you better h-h-h-hurry" she dug her claws deeper into the earth, or at least she thought she did, it was hard to tell, she lost the feeling in her toes a while back already "My butt w-w-wants to take a rest"

The wounded copy of Spyro dropped down on his haunches in front of her making everything that was possible to make himself look meek and weaker than her, which in her current state was quite a feat to achieve.

"Become one, protect you, hide you. Safe. I like you Sugar"

She smiled weakly.

"Need more details"

"Become one like in the day Iris wanted to hurt us" he remained focused on her during the confession, yet the black tendrils surrounding his body mischievously twirled in the direction of the blue dragoness, tips forming black spikes

Her eyes widened, the proposition surprising her, yes, but more because of fear, she expected Spyro to leap at Creep in any moment now.

"You must be kidding me" Spyro snarled

"No other way"

"First you talk about Corruption and now you want to do the same? You are Corruption for Ancestor's sake!"

Creep didn't turn to face Spyro's accusations, his obedient eyes remained locked on his mistress.

"Sugar knows the truth"

Cynder examined the bloodied copy of her mate with a slight dose of sadness.

"I don't know what are you Creep" she sighed just to take a big, full breath soon later, her lungs seemed to become smaller and smaller with each new inhale "All I sense that you don't want to hurt me. You either care for me, or you need me"

"I like you"

"Yes, yes and you like me. But the thing you ask for, you know I've been corrupted once already, I don't want to lose my mind again. I don't know if I would get up after another such round"

"Sugar, no. I like you, I like you" the wounds on Creep's body seemed to pulse, each beat of bloody injury connected with her worried thoughts as if they would be absorbing the accusations

There wasn't much that could be said about Creep's body language, but right now she was quite certain that he was pleading.

"Safe. Safe. In mind and flesh. Safe. Like me"

She cocked her head, someday she has to congratulate herself for the ability to read Creep's intentions better and better. He was like a book with riddles, you see the pictures, the words, you understand them, but its all a mess anyway. What you learn with that is prediction and she got quite good in the prediction department lately.

"Like you? You want to say that I will be like you?

"Yes Sugar. Bliss, rest, true meaning of relax. Repower. Absorb. Learn. Become one. If too scared, if I fail, always ready to guide, take over, cast me back" he pointed a black claw at her, the dark aura surrounding it swiveling in her direction like smoke from a recently cooked pie "Mistress" the claw returned back to point at himself "Servant"

Cynder swallowed, the perspective of letting something take her body for a ride was scary, especially after the Terror of the Skies episode was terrifying and it always will be, the traumatic experience left a scar on her soul that will never heal.

She couldn't deny however the curiosity.

If Creep speaks the truth and wants to protect her, something that she was sure he wanted to do, the idea of becoming a bodiless mastermind was a somewhat enticing idea. For a short term of course and if this could shield her from the Corruption ruling the city all the better, also if she understood it right, by switching places with Creep she becomes magic so to speak, it would allow her to gaze into her abilities more and perhaps develop them further.

All in all it was weird, just imagining her paws touching her own scales, examining them as if it would be like a result of some experiment sent shivers down her spine. That would be quite a new level, creepy level of self admiration and masturbation.

It had its perks in this current situation, it was undeniable, but she wasn't certain that the disadvantages she sees now are the full spectrum of probable consequences. This uncertainty was scary, after all there was nothing natural in surrendering her body to an external force.

But there were two external forces at play here, one she knows, one dominating, turning her into nothing more but a merciless, cold bitch.

Iris basically.

Thinking about it now, just the chance to becoming like that blue slut made her doubts go away. She would do everything to avoid becoming the hollow shell Iris is.

That aside though, the other external force in play here was Creep, a force as mysterious as helpful, a huge, damn, question mark. While she believed in his intentions, she wasn't certain he himself knows where they lead in the end. This unknown was as welcoming as scary, it could go either way.

The question is was she willing to take the ugly path, or the path that can turn better, but at the same time become more tragic than the known road?

She bit her lip, Ancestors help me, how she wanted to scratch her choker right now. Damn tiredness.

"It doesn't sound that bad"

"Don't tell me you're considering it!" Spyro exploded in anger

Cynder gazed towards her mate sadly.

"What other choice do I have?"

"What about stay away from this city until this is sorted out?"

"No escape, Corruption would call" Creep commented

"Bullshit!" he growled "Somehow nothing called us when we didn't know what was going on!"

The darkness surrounding Creep stretched out, visible only to Cynder, the tendrils flew towards Spyro, stopping above him, tips forming spikes, they hung there like spears from a trap ready to be sprung.

The purple dragon didn't see anything, yet his body language betrayed that his instinct felt worry.

"Words do not have to be present to hear the call"

"Creep is right Spyro" Cynder commented, glaring at her magical companion, under her sight he immediately withdrew the quite blunt hint from Spyro's personal space "Maybe the magic wouldn't get to me directly, but we both know that I wouldn't be able just to sit it out while you deal with a force that once made me its doll"

Spyro snarled, fangs running over crunched lip back and forth, it was quite obvious he didn't like the outcome he was forced to face. She didn't blame him.

"Can someone tell me what are you two..." Flare cleared his throat "...three arguing about?" he pulled at his fiery mane in irritation "I don't understand any of this!"

The black dragoness smiled sweaty at him.

"We are debating whether I should become a sex doll or merely a puppet"

"What?"

She giggled, the short reprieve felt wonderful.

"As a black dragoness I'm very sensitive to the magic that rules Warfang right now. A fight that I will lose if I don't make a trick. Creep here offered a solution that will protect me, but for the next few hours I might not be myself. Our magical friend here will take control of my limbs"

His eyes widened, the flames surrounding his body seemed to freeze in time.

"You w-w-want to let t-t-the Beast i-i-in?" his whole body exploded in a ball of flame, small ring of fire stretched out from underneath his paws, scorching the surrounding earth "You can't do that!"

All three dragons that were in an argument earlier recoiled back at the sudden outburst.

"When the Beast tastes the smell of life it won't go away anymore! I know! My torments me all the time! It will push and push, making it harder and harder to win with!"

He shook his head, sparks bouncing off his burning mane.

"Don't do it, there has to be a better way. You won't even know when you become a monster"

Monster.

This is how Volteer called Flare after examining him when he succumbed once more to one of his outbursts. What they didn't know however was the fact that Flare seemed to be aware of his condition, troubling news considering that he is a very joyful dragon, nobody would ever expect him to have such identity problems.

Problems that he makes very dangerous and yet deals with them personally quite well.

Creep's aura dimmed sadly in front of Cynder's eyes, he looked like someone who just won the main prize in some lottery, but just when he was about to collect it, his winning ticket was stolen by the wind.

"Servant. Only servant" the hollow rumble was almost depressing

"I knew you couldn't be trusted!" Spyro exploded in anger once more, fire wafted from his nostrils, his outburst startled Flare who was the only one shocked by the purple drake's unusual aggression

This was the first time he saw a purple dragon bending under stress, usually they are calm and collected, like Spyro.

No other purple dragon however stood before the gates of a city clouded in dark magic.

"We don't have time to play the trust game now!" Cynder yelled, nearly dropping on the ground when one of her legs gave under the tension, yet in the end she managed to push herself back up

"Beast or no Beast, I don't have a big choice in the matter. I don't want to become corrupted again, if Creep is offering a solution I'm willing to risk it. Besides, out of the two, I can manage Creep, Corruption, not so much"

She looked up at the boys, her eyes traveling from one set of eyes to the other.

"I don't want to be alone in my decision. You know my opinion, now I'm waiting for yours. You're my friends and I trust your judgment"

Spyro and Flare exchanged glances, in other circumstances the fire drake would be excited to have a purple dragon valuing his opinion, but right now it was not about pride. It was about Cynder, if this Corruption deal is serious as she makes it to be, he didn't know if he would have it in him to fight her if it came to that.

"I don't like this" Spyro commented roughly

"Me neither" Flare agreed

The fire drake was the first one to let out a defeated sigh.

"But if it means you would become evil and do bad things and we would have to stop you and..." he shut his mouth, giving a shake to discard the ugly thoughts away, just considering the option that he would have to hurt Cynder made him feel that part of his heart just broke

"Fight with the Beast then, it is weaker. I can take it, so for sure you can too"

"Fine" Spyro grumbled, spinning towards the black mass, without warning he lunged towards it, stomping his paws roughly against the ground

Creep's form shattered in half and sunk into the earth, the shadowy hole he turned into swam across the ground and behind Cynder where he gently reappeared, hiding behind the black paws.

He was terrified of Spyro.

"But if I catch you doing something fishy, if you will take advantage of Cynder in any way. I swear I will tear you out from my friend and rip you to pieces, do you hear me parasite?"

As always nobody was shocked by Spyro's intimidating tone, Flare also caught himself that he was slightly getting used to it by now.

However his eyes were still wide and glaring at the purple drake, his tense shape and bulging muscles. His eyes however were drawn lower, to the paws, especially the part below the elbows and knees.

All four of them were black.

"Safe. Protect. I like you Sugar" Creep intoned quickly, despite his promises he didn't dare to show himself to Spyro more than it was necessary

Cynder swallowed, mustering as much strength as she could she straightened up proudly.

"Alright then. Bring it Creep" she clenched her teeth and closed her eyes, expecting the worst

"Safe" the otherworldly companion said before his form disappeared under the earth, the shadow he was moved below the feminine black paws.

Spyro and Flare held their breaths.

"This is how you get fucked" Iris mumbled quietly, yet her voice was hardly a whisper, head nodded several times in the direction of the black dragoness, clearly pinpointing the direction someone should look

Cynder hacked a soft breath.

Besides that nothing changed, her body was still the same, even the black orb inside her tail remained where it was.

Spyro cocked his head, did it not work?

"Cynder? Are you there?"

"HOLY SHIT IT WORKED!"

This time everyone around the black dragoness gasped in surprise, the voice was as loud as a bell, it was clearly feminine, yet also empty at the same time. Like a roar muffled by hands pressed against the snout, the tone of it naturally, not the noise, the noise was skullcrashing.

Unnatural or not it was no denying that the voice belonged to Cynder.

"Fuck! Shut up!" Iris howled, digging her claws into her temples "A tone louder and you'll send the sun crushing down on us you stupid bitch!"

"SORRY!"

"Still too loud!" Flare cringed

There was a pause.

"Now?"

Everyone looked up at the still body of the black dragoness, she still had her eyes closed, the black orb inside the tail tip pulsed lively. The voice now on a tolerable level.

"Better" Spyro commented, giving his mate an intense look, all over, he didn't really know where to set his gaze precisely

"Calm then, hard to process emotions, check"

He leaned towards the black snout, catching the sight of the lips just when the last two words echoed in the air.

The mouth never moved.

"Cynder?" he mumbled, gulping, he gazed towards the black orb

"I'm here" the rumbling voice clearly came from the orb

"You're in the t-tail" he stammered, he couldn't decide if he was scared or in awe

"Really? I don't see anything. Sec, there has to be a switch here some-there!" the orb flickered "Ha you guys look like you've seen Malefor!"

Flare craned his neck, tilting his head, one of his wings glimmered weakly as if unable to find the tinder that made it ablaze. He felt a strange void inside his chest.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I would be in an ocean truth be told. It's so calm, silent and empty, hard to describe, I don't feel a thing. It's like my head would be free of all the worries with a snap of a finger like I would be an innocent hatchling all over again. Everything new and so alien at the same time. I wonder if this is how fish feel like when they swim in the dark depths of a sea?"

He licked his lips, gazing at Spyro and Iris in confusion.

"Is this good or bad?"

"Strange" before any of them could comment it was Cynder who answered "I don't know what it means, but this ocean guys...it's limitless and all for me. I really feel here like fish in a water"

"Addiction" Spyro jumped back at the sound of the voice, voice belonging to no one else but his mate, his startled purple orbs immediately turning towards the black snout

"I never understood the meaning"

The lips moved, the black head rose.

He felt his heart beating faster.

"When I do now, I do not want to stop. A dangerous mistake"

The black head turned towards him, he gasped in shock.

"Is this pleasure?"

Cynder's eyes were black as coals.