TLOS legend of the black dragon chapter 13 last minute entry
The legend of Spyro
Legend of the black dragon
Chapter 13 last minute entry
"Why can't I play with them anymore?"
"A dragon as special as you can't be seen playing with those lizards"
"What's going on here?"
"I caught her interacting with lizards"
"They aren't lizards!"
"She is free to play with however she wants"
"But you can't seriously allow her to-"
"Do I hear you going against me?"
"Of course not"
"Good, now go back to your post and stop bothering her"
Cynder opened her eyes as Spyro's snoring woke her up.
"There the next one is it seems" She thought "I haven't had one in 3 days now so I was already wondering when the next one would come"
"This time it seemed to be about someone who wanted to play but couldn't because another person thought they weren't worthy" (Calling a dragon a lizard is considered a downgrading insult).
"The whelpling that wanted to play was the familiar voice that keeps returning to me, I'm sure of it" Cynder decided because although the voice was more high pitched than usual she was sure it was the same one. "This one must be about the past, but just how long ago did this take place?" Cynder thought as the dreams always were strange.
Cynder decided that she had thought enough about it and shifted her mind to other matters.
"This is the final day of registration" she thought "Then we can stop acting like messengers"
She got up and stretched her body, letting her joints pop.
"Can't sleep?" A female voice sounded.
"Oh Ember" Cynder said muffled so that she wouldn't wake up Spyro. "No, I always wake up early"
"I wake up early as well, but mostly I can go back to sleep after a few minutes" Ember replied.
"Wish I could" Cynder replied smiling.
Cynder mostly could go back to sleep if she snuggled up to Spyro but she didn't want to do that if they had someone sleeping over.
She just laid back down and waited for Spyro to wake up as well.
Georga now yawned and stretched out. Her room was mostly repaired after her ordeal with Cynder and she only had to sleep together with Volt for 1 night.
"I wonder why I couldn't go" She thought.
Georga had asked Volt why she couldn't sleep over the moment she got back home but Volt wouldn't allow it.
"Well maybe next time" She thought and wondered about what to do now that she was awake.
Georga decided to go and visit Oxidus before she got to work.
She silently walked out of her room and sneaked towards the door.
"And where do you think you're going?" A suspicious voice asked.
Georga jumped up from the surprise of hearing Volt's voice. "I was just going to visit Oxidus" Georga said after recovering.
"Oxidus? I thought he didn't talk to you anymore" Volt appeared from the curtain.
"I will make sure he will" Georga said confidently.
"Okay then" Volt sounded a bit reluctant "Just be careful"
"I will" Georga replied "After I have my talk with him I will head straight for my job so I won't see you again till late in the afternoon"
"Okay, have fun" Volt yawned as he walked through the curtain to his bed to get back to sleep.
It took Georga about 9 minutes to reach the tiny house of Oxidus.
She knocked on the door and waited for someone to open.
After only a few seconds Igüsa appeared in front of her.
"Ah Georga, it's always a pleasure to see you" Igüsa said in her usual cheerful and kind voice.
"Good morning Igüsa, is Oxidus home?" Georga knew it was a rhetorical question since she was sure he was home.
"He is, but he is still asleep" Igüsa replied.
"Asleep?" Georga was very surprised because Oxidus had never slept out.
"He had quite a rough night" Igüsa said although it sounded a bit reluctant.
"Too bad, I will try later then I guess" Georga signed.
"Okay, maybe you can try again tomorrow" Igüsa offered.
"That's fine, bye" Georga said before turning back home.
"Bye, Georga" Igüsa said.
Igüsa closed the door and thought about Georga's arrival.
"Was it really okay to lie to her" She thought, Oxidus was in fact fully awake and was pondering in the garden as usual.
Igüsa hated it to lie to Georga who she had always liked very much but she just couldn't stand it if another incident happened like the one Spyro and Cynder told her about.
Igüsa decided it was the right thing and walked up to the garden to try and convince Oxidus to go and enter the cup.
"I am not going" Oxidus said like a stubborn little whelpling before Igüsa even had asked the question.
Somewhere inside, his whelpling like refusal filled Igüsa with happiness because at least it was a chance from his down and depressive attitude.
"Come on Oxidus, why not?" She had been arguing with him for days now but still he wouldn't budge.
"I am too busy for something like that!" Came his usual response.
"You and I perfectly know that isn't true" Igüsa said dry.
"A dragon like you should live for these things and I know that deep inside you would love to be involved".
"Then you don't know me very well" Oxidus shot back.
"I know you all too well" Igüsa repelled "I have been with you ever since you hatched remember"
"Well I still can't figure out Furno" Oxidus replied.
"And what does that have to do with it!?" Igüsa exclaimed
"I have seen him hatch as well"
"He's 3 and you are 13!" Igüsa pointed out.
"So?"
"So you grown up and I have seen that" Igüsa replied.
Igüsa saw that he was trying to lure away the reason of the conversation so she got it back to the subject "You know you are one of the strongest fire dragons around, so why won't you fight"
"I know that I am the strongest, so what do I have to prove?"
"You know, make it official" She said getting agitated.
"And possibly sacrificing my job and our income for some stupid tournament to prove what I already know" He concluded scenically "Not a chance"
"Almost all your students are entering as well so there aren't any lessons anyway" Igüsa was starting to get really tired from the constant and never ending arguments with her brother.
"I won't enter" He said stubborn "And you perfectly know that you can't force me"
Igüsa knew Oxidus had an excellent point in that one. She didn't have even close to the amount of power Oxidus had so she had nothing to back up her rule over him.
Igüsa signed in defeated and left Oxidus to his pondering.
"Why can't I do it" She grinded her teeth in frustration and angrily stomped on the floor.
"I have been arguing with him for days now and I can't make him even consider it" she hissed with her jaws closed.
"Iga" Furno chirped.
"You're awake" Igüsa's instantly switched off her anger and became the caring maternal dragoness again.
"You and Oxus are bad!" he said in an accusing tone.
"Oxidus is bad" Igüsa corrected.
"Why Oxus bad?" Furno asked looking very intrigued about why his big brother was bad.
"He should enter the cup and he just is too stubborn to do it" Igüsa explained but she was curtain Furno wouldn't understand that.
"Why won't he?" Furno asked.
"I don't know, he just won't" Igüsa almost snarled dropping her head.
Not feeling satisfied with the answer Furno ran into the garden and grabbed one of Oxidus' paws with his mouth and put his claws into him.
"You make Iga sad" He said accusing to his big brother.
"How did I do that?" Oxidus didn't move but it was clear he didn't like Furno's claws seeping into his scales.
"Oxus must enter cup!" Furno declared in his high pitched voice while he didn't let go of Oxidus' paw.
Igüsa looked very surprised at the scene. Was Furno now trying to convince him to enter the Igus cup?
"I won't enter that stupid fire cup" Oxidus barked at the little whelpling.
"Oxus must enter cup" Furno declared again.
"Oxus isn't going to enter cup" Oxidus said sounding very angry and he shook his paw but Furno held on tightly.
"Oxus must enter cup" Furno declared once more doing his best to hold on to his big brother's paw. Igüsa's instinct told her to stop it but something in her prevented it.
"I am not going to enter anything!" Oxidus snarled, he moved his other paw and swiped Furno off his paw with his claws. Furno got hit in his chest by his brother's claws and collided with the wall of the house.
"Wheeh!!!" Furno started screaming his little lungs out.
"Furno!" Igüsa ran over to him and quickly inspected him to see if there was any serious damage.
She gasped as she spotted multiple trails of blood coming Furno's belly. She looked and it and was shocked when she saw 3 large gashes in the little dragons chest that reached from one side of his body all the way across to the other.
"Oxidus! How could you!" Igüsa shouted clearly shocked and very angry.
Oxidus stared in disbelief at his blood covered claws and didn't move nor say anything indicating that he had heart her. He looked like he was in an entirely another world.
"Oxidus!" she shouted now boiling with rage, Igüsa was not going to let this one slide no matter how hard it was going to be.
Still Oxidus didn't reply. "What would Thundus and Fuoca think about you injuring Furno and not even feeling any remorse for it at all!" She scolded to Oxidus having much hate in her voice.
She could hear that Oxidus was starting to cry in the garden however she didn't care about that anymore.
Igüsa was totally furious at Oxidus now. She stormed towards him and lashed at him with her claws full of rage. Oxidus didn't resist it and she made a set of deep claw marks on his side and knocked him on his side. Oxidus however didn't utter a single sound from it as blood was seeping though the triple set of wounds on his side. He was gasping in shock but it wasn't from the wound.
"Wheeh!!" Furno screamed from his injury and that drew Igüsa's attention back to him now.
Although she hated to do it Igüsa had no other choice but to let it go for now because getting Furno to the healer had priority now.
She lowered her head to the ground "Don't worry Furno, I am going to take you to the healer and nobody is going to harm you" She nuzzled him before looking back at the garden "Oxidus, are you coming to?" She asked as she already was feeling a bit guilty that she had attacked him.
She was sure Oxidus had heard it but all she heard was him sobbing in the garden so she just took that as a no.
She still was angry at him for injuring little Furno but that had to wait for later. She took Furno in her paw instead of in her mouth and flew towards the healer. Furno kept screaming and crying during the entire flight. The flight was a nightmare for Igüsa as well as she could feel Furno's blood tickle her belly as it ran down her chest because she held Furno close to her to comfort him.
Ember was eating her breakfast together with Spyro and Cynder.
"You two are truly amazing" She had been listening to Spyro telling his adventure together with Cynder.
"Yeah we have noticed that" Spyro said sounding annoyed because of the constant praising.
"Don't let all the praising bother you" Ember said kindly instantly getting what was the problem.
"But also don't let it go to your head" Cynder added chuckling.
"Oh no!" Ember exclaimed.
"What? What's wrong" Cynder asked surprised by her sudden shriek.
"Look at the time" Ember said more to herself then to Cynder "It's been very nice to sleep with you and I hope we will see each other again soon" She spoke very fast and bowed quickly before racing out of the kitchen.
"What do you think that was about?" Spyro asked Cynder.
"Maybe she has a job like Georga has?" Cynder suggested.
"Maybe" Spyro replied.
"Well it isn't important anyway" Cynder said ending the subject.
"Right, what is important is Oxidus" Spyro said.
"Has he entered already?" Cynder asked although she already knew the answer because Spyro brought it up.
"No, Igüsa said that she was doing everything she could but that he still refused"
"Right, so what do you suggest we are going to do about that?" Cynder asked.
"About what are you going to do something? May I ask"
Spyro and Cynder turned to see Terrador walk into the kitchen.
"We have a friend that has to enter but he keeps refusing" Spyro told him.
"Has to? If he doesn't want to enter than that's his decision" Terrador replied.
"No, the idea for this tournament came to lift up his spirit and get down to the source of his depression so he has to enter" Cynder said.
"I see, have you tried to confront him with it?" Terrador asked them.
"Well no, but his older sister has been trying it for days now and if she can't do it I doubt that we could" Spyro said diverting his gaze.
"Know anyone else who could convince him, a young generous female maybe?" Terrador suggested like it was the just a random thing that came to his mind.
"Maybe that's the right idea" Cynder exclaimed as she understood what he was getting at.
"Huh? Who are you thinking about?" Spyro asked not getting the hint.
"The only one who could possibly have even more persuasion power over him than Igüsa has" Cynder hinted.
"Georga" Spyro said as he understood it now.
"Right and we know where do find Georga at noon, don't we" She said suggestive.
"Timpetampe" Spyro said.
"So let's go" Cynder jumped up and together with Spyro walked out of the kitchen.
When she passed Terrador something came to her mind however "He obviously was referring to Georga but how did he know it was Oxidus who wouldn't enter?" They had told the guardians that it was a friend who needed it but they never told them it was Oxidus but it was obvious that he knew as he suggested Georga.
She dismissed it when they had reached the front gates and then she took to the skies together with Spyro and flew towards the day-care.
Meanwhile Ember had arrived home panting heavily from flying as fast as she could.
"Where were you?!" Her mother asked sharply and punitive.
"Sorry I just lost track of time" Ember whimpered as an idea of what was going to happen now instantly formed itself in her mind.
"You know what the consequences are for naughty behaviour" Her mother said grievously. just like Ember had expected her to do.
"Yes mom" Ember didn't even try to argue with her mother and just walked meekly up to her mother and like usual her mother shove her tail under her and lifted Ember onto her back where Ember grabbed her mother's spikes.
Wilmfe looked at their crystal clock; a crystal clock is cheaper but not as accurate as a mechanical clock. It indicates the time with intervals of 5 minutes.
"1 for every minute late" Wilmfe said harsh.
Ember lifted her had and looked at their clock. Her heart sank as she saw that it indicated eleven forty.
"40" She thought out loud her voice shivering.
"That's right" her mother replied sounding ice cold.
Like usual she crossed her wings over her and trapped Ember on her back.
She brought her tail blade up and proceeded to give Ember another spanking.
Ember cried as her mother spanked her like she had always done.
"Why do I deserve this?" She thought as she grinded her teeth from another smack.
She looked at her mother's head while she cried from the harsh punishment. She truly loved her mother but that made this punishment only worse.
Ember closed her eyes again like she often did during a spanking and just tried to hold back as many tears as she could while she waited for her mother to finish spanking her. She tried to keep as silent as she could but it was in vain and squalls of pain and sadness escaped her mouth. It didn't matter for her mom however, she would receive 40 strokes, no less.
Like always Ember counted the blows as they reverberated through her body.
After the designated 40 blows she was crying like she always was after a spanking and her mother put her back on the ground.
"You are going to stay inside the naughty corner for 40 minutes, understand?" Her mother ordered sharply.
Ember didn't utter a reply but just walked over to the naughty corner and laid down on her belly to keep her burning behind away from the grinding floor.
"Stay there and don't dare to move even a wing" Her mother said threatening
"'Sob' yes mommy 'sob'" Ember whimpered as the thread made the punishment even worse than it already was.
She buried her head in her paws to cry out the pain without letting the outside world see her tears. She quickly drifted away as she shed some more tears and thought about how she could be so stupid and forget the time while she knew that it would end up in another spanking.
Meanwhile Georga had arrived at the day-care.
"Ah Georga there you are" The voice of Zorgna sounded.
"Yeah, any trouble?"
"No trouble but there is something I think you like to hear" Zorgna stepped out from behind the curtain so that she could now see Georga.
"Well, tell me" Georga asked.
"I heard something from Igüsa when she brought him this morning" Zorgna started whispering like she was gossiping.
"And what might that be?" Georga asked very dry, prepared to defend Igüsa, Furno or Oxidus if that was necessary.
"She told me to take care of Furno since Oxidus injured him" Zorgna sneered.
"Oxidus hurt Furno?!" Georga exclaimed in disbelief.
"Yeah, that's what I heard from her"
Georga could never imagine that Oxidus would ever hurt a defenceless whelpling and especially not his little brother.
"I know what you are thinking and it isn't going to happen I'm afraid" Zorgna sneered. "You are going to finish your shift!" She said with a fake sternness.
Georga heard it but didn't pay much attention. She walked into the whelpling's playroom and as usual was greeted by the little dragons.
However her attention was quickly drawn towards Furno who did walk up to her but didn't seem close as energetic as he usually was.
"Furno, something happened?" She asked although she perfectly knew the answer and she could see the tears in his eyes.
"Oxus did me pain" Furno replied as he thrust his chest forward what showed a set of dragon claw marks on his body. Although they were clearly healed and didn't bleed anymore they were still very visible and looked like they wouldn't go away until a few days had passed.
"How horrible that he would do that" Georga replied feeling sympathy for the little fire dragon but also feeling that there was very little she could do about it.
"Hey there Georga, how are things here" Georga turned and spotted Spyro and Cynder appearing from the curtain.
"Oh, Spyro, Cynder what are you doing here?" Georga asked surprised that they just visited her at her job like that.
"We didn't have much to do so we figured that maybe we could give you a hand" Cynder offered.
Georga had to think about for a minute "Last time they were more of a burden than a help, however that was their first time so maybe they would fare better now that they have done it before." Georga always had her hands full with the whelplings and with Furno to comfort she could use some help.
"Okay, why don't you do the drills today" She suggested.
"I will do it" Spyro said.
"Spyro is going to do the drills today so pay close attention" She instructed.
"Okay" all the whelplings replied however Furno who just stood idle while he slowly cried.
Spyro did his drills and Cynder did her drills after him. It went better than last time and she managed to control herself. All the whelplings did their best except Furno who didn't move.
After the drills were over it was nap time and Spyro, Cynder and Georga finally had some time to talk.
"So, he still won't enter the Igus cup" Georga said.
"No, Igüsa is doing everything she can but he won't budge" Spyro said.
"We were wondering if you would try and give it a shot Georga" Cynder said.
"Me? Would could I do what even Igüsa can't do"
"You know him perfectly, you are the same age and you are also of the opposite gender" Cynder summed up "You have more power over him than you realize" She said then she grinded turned towards Spyro.
She scraped her tail blade gently over his back, tickling him "Isn't that right little Spyro" She said with a seductive and playful voice.
Spyro jumped up from the sudden feel of her tail blade and stared at her in horror "Don't ever do that again Cynder!" He shouted more in surprise than in aggression.
"See my point" Cynder sneered while she turned back to Georga.
"Yeah I get it" Georga chuckled at the sight and that caused Spyro to turn his head away so Georga wouldn't see his blush.
"Geora?" A little voice asked.
Georga turned and spotted Furno walking over to her.
"Yes what is it Furno" Although Georga knew what was most certainly at Furno's mind right now.
"Why Oxus attack?" he asked Georga.
"Oxus attack?" Cynder repeated the whelpling's words.
"Why Oxus attack?" Furno asked again.
"I..." Georga didn't know what to say.
"I Oxus bro?" He asked in a whimpering voice as he started to cry again.
"Of course you are" Georga said soothing although she knew that it didn't mean all that much if it came from her.
Cynder was about to step in but Spyro raised his wing in front of her in order to stop her.
Cynder looked at him angrily but Spyro shook his head indicating that they shouldn't get involved.
"I'm sure he loves you" Georga petted the little dragon's head what seemed to lift up the spirit of Furno by a little.
However that didn't stop him from crying and knowing no way to console him Georga carried him back to his bed and let him cry himself to sleep.
"I am going to get Igüsa" Georga declared.
"What?" Cynder and Spyro both exclaimed.
"Furno is in no shape to be here" Georga said convinced.
"Wait Georga!" Cynder stopped her.
"I will go and get her, you have to stay and care for these whelplings" She said kindly.
"Thank you Cynder" Georga said warmly and was very grateful that she would do it for her.
Cynder flew towards the place she knew Igüsa was at this hour.
When she had reached the high regions of Warfang she landed in front of a bright yellow building.
She banged on the door using her tail blade, not willing to patiently wait for someone to open.
"What is going on here?" An agitated male voice asked.
The voice sounded very familiar to Cynder and she felt her temper flare up even more.
"What do you want?" the dragon asked patronizing when he spotted her.
"I'm here to say something to Igüsa!" Cynder said very fierce not having the patience to be polite.
"She is at work and therefore cannot come" The dragon snorted and slammed the door shut in Cynder's face using his tail.
"I'm going to kill that guy one day!" Cynder cursed full of rage. However this wasn't the time to worry about the attitude of Frost's father.
Cynder walked around the house and spotted an open window.
She used her shadow powers to merge into her own shadow and seeped through into the house and revealed herself.
"Cynder what are you...?" A surprised female voice asked.
"What in the! Didn't I say she can't come!" The gruff ice dragon shouted.
"Cynder, why are you here?" Frost now also joined the conversation sounding like he was oblivious to his father's barking.
"Igüsa needs to..." Cynder started.
"She needs to do nothing but go and pile up the stuff in the kitchen now" Frost's father barked like a wild animal.
"Pick up Furno at the day-care" Cynder finished her sentence like the ice dragon was even there.
"What happened?" Igüsa asked gasping.
"It's none of your business maid" The ice dragon snorted.
"Now, now, she has done everything she had to do for the day so why can't she go now?" Frost was trying to reason with his father.
"She can't leave, I'm paying her and I say she stays" The ice dragon snorted.
"I will do the remaining chores myself and she won't be paid for this day at all so isn't it okay?" Frost tried to negotiate.
"I am going" Igüsa said determined.
"Come on dad, all the chores are over and she won't be paid so why isn't it okay"
"Okay then" Frost's father finally seemed to listen "But I want all the chores done before 4 o'clock young man" He snarled at Frost.
"Frost" Cynder whispered to herself smiling, she had disliked Frost at first but he really was willing to take over Igüsa's chores just so that she could get finish early this time.
"Okay I will dad" Frost said without any hesitation.
"Now as for you two, get out of here" He barked again at Igüsa and Cynder.
Cynder and Igüsa proudly walked out of the house to show that they weren't intimated by the barking ice dragon.
"Thanks Frost" Igüsa whispered to the young ice dragon when she passed him.
"Any time Igüsa" Frost whispered back.
Igüsa and Cynder took to the skies and flew back to the day-care.
"What is wrong with Furno?" Igüsa asked although it was an unnecessary question for her.
"I don't know, he didn't do anything and never stopped crying so Georga concluded that you should come and pick him up"
"I see, that makes sense" Igüsa had to go to her job because otherwise she would have been fired. After she had been to the healer with Furno he never had stopped crying. It had pained her very much to leave him at the day-care like that but she didn't have another option.
"I heard that Oxidus attacked him, is that true?" Cynder asked.
"Furno was trying to convince him to enter the Igus cup and he grabbed Oxidus' paw. To shake him off Oxidus used his claws and swooped him off his paw." Igüsa said.
"He did?" It made the situation a bit more bearable for Cynder although it still made her feel something against Oxidus.
They arrived at the day-care just a few minutes later.
"Iga!" Furno ran over to his sister the moment she entered the playroom.
Cynder just walked back up to Spyro and they kept the other whelplings busy so that Georga could speak with Igüsa.
"Hallo there Igüsa" Georga walked up to the adult fire dragoness.
"Hallo Georga, you know why I am here"
"I know, I really hope you can get things figured out" Georga replied.
Seeing no reason to continuo the conversation Igüsa picked up Furno in her paw and pressed him against her chest, still not willing to put him in her mouth like usual.
Igüsa took the skies a bit clumsy with Furno in her paw and she flew back towards her home.
Igüsa reached her home after about 8 minutes of flying.
She fluttered with her wings above the ground and landed very gently, she had to because she still had Furno in her paw. She put Furno back on the ground and walked into the house.
She was shocked to see Oxidus still in the garden.
He also had a job and he should be giving lessons by now. However as she walked up to him she spotted that he was actually asleep.
The wounds on his side weren't severe and had already stopped bleeding. They were still very visible however and Igüsa knew that they were also still very sore.
Igüsa now gasped at the size of them. "I gave him those!?" She couldn't believe it that she could have done something like that to her own brother.
Now that she recalled it, the injury that Oxidus made on Furno was an accident. Furno was actually attacking him and he swiped him off. However Igüsa truly lashed at him and hurt him truly on purpose.
"Oxidus" Igüsa said softly while shaking his body a little with her paw.
Oxidus opened his eyes and looked at her his eyes blood stained from all his crying.
"I'm sorry Igüsa" he whimpered as new tears quickly started to form "I am so sorry for what I did"
"Oxidus" It was the only thing Igüsa could say.
"Is Furno anywhere?" Oxidus asked sobbingly.
"Yes he is in the house"
Oxidus walked into the house, despite his apparent guilt Igüsa kept a close eye and made sure she would intervene this time if things got out of control.
"Furno" Oxidus said very honestly and also sounding very sorry.
Furno turned his head and immediately sprang back into tears at the sight of his older brother.
"Oxus you hurt me!" He said sounding almost angry but mostly sad.
"I am really sorry for what I did Furno" Oxidus now had tears rolling down his cheeks as well.
Oxidus moved his snout closer to his little brother. Furno took a step back still a bit unsure.
"Please Furno" begged Oxidus.
Furno looked very scared at Oxidus who was easily like 6 times his size.
"I won't ever hurt you again, I promise" Oxidus said with the most soothing voice Igüsa had ever heard from him.
"Big bro" Furno grabbed his brother snout in a hug still crying.
Igüsa now stroke away a tear of her own. She had never seen Oxidus this guilty and sorry in his life before. She just couldn't bring it over her heart to be angry at him anymore so she forgave that he had hurt Furno.
"Oxus enter cup now?" Furno asked.
Igüsa was stunned. That Furno would bring that up right now.
Oxidus didn't reply to the question.
"Are you going to enter the Igus cup?" Igüsa smelled that there was a window of opportunity so she decided to make her move now.
"No, I am not ready for that" He replied.
"But Oxidus..." Igüsa started.
"I am not going to enter the Igus cup" Oxidus said clearly cutting her off.
Because of the situation Igüsa just couldn't bring herself to push the subject any further.
Oxidus walked back to the garden and although he had said sorry for his aggression it looked like the overall situation hadn't improved at all.
"Just what is going on inside his mind?" Igüsa thought as she couldn't figure Oxidus out despite that she already knew him for a full 13 years.
"Big bro loves me" The high pitched voice of Furno chirped.
"He sure does Furno" Igüsa said to her little brother "He sure does".
"I think he loves both of us" She smiled at the thought.
"Oxidus, shouldn't you be at your job right now?" Igüsa then asked him.
"No, not today" He replied although it did sound a little weak.
Igüsa didn't need to question him further since she could fill the rest in herself. He was much to upset and broken to go and give lessons. Oxidus had always been very responsible and knew his limits well. If he decided that he couldn't go to his job than that meant that it was true.
Igüsa just left Oxidus where he was because she couldn't think of anything more to say to him. She spend the remainder of the afternoon playing with Furno to try and lift up his mood.
After about 3 hours playing she got up and started to clean up the house and then make dinner.
Georga gulped as she stood before the door of Oxidus' house.
Cynder and Spyro had almost pushed her to the front door and had only just left.
"What could I possibly say?" She doubted her own persuasion power.
However she gathered up her courage and knocked on the door with her claws.
The door opened and like she expected Igüsa appeared in the hallway.
"Well, Georga it's always a pleasure to see you" Igüsa sounded friendly again and full of joy. However Georga knew it was partly fake but Igüsa also really seemed to be in a better mood now than she was in the day-care
"I have come to talk to Oxidus" Georga said using all her courage to bring it as confident as she could.
"Well he is..." Igüsa started.
"I want to talk to him" Georga said trying to sound strong but it sounded more like pleading than anything else
"All right then" Igüsa stepped aside to let Georga enter the house.
"Geora!" The voice of Furno chirped.
"Hi there Furno" Georga was very glad that he was cheerful again.
She couldn't see Oxidus but she knew where she could find him.
She walked through the back door and as she expected found Oxidus pondering in the middle of the small garden like usual.
"Hello Oxidus" Georga started.
"Hallo Georga" Oxidus replied like she was a guest.
This came hard to Georga but she quickly dismissed it.
"So, are you entering the Igus cup?"
Oxidus didn't reply and looked away. This irritated Georga as it seemed he didn't even want to listen to her.
Georga ran around him so that she was looking him in the eye again. "Come on Oxidus, why won't you enter?"
"I just won't okay!" He snapped back.
"But I know you live for these kinds of things!"
"Then you don't know me very well" Oxidus used the exact same sentence that he used against Igüsa this morning.
"I do know you well enough to detect when you don't mean something!" Georga replied dryly.
"Quiet you!" Oxidus snapped.
"Why did you injure Furno?" Georga said using the same aggressive tone as Oxidus.
"He attacked me and I defended myself"
"He attacked you" Georga exclaimed in surprise.
"He wanted to force me to enter that stupid Igy cup" Oxidus deliberately said the name wrong.
"Why are you so fiercely against entering?!" Georga asked "What is wrong with the Igus cup?"
"I don't have anything to prove!" Oxidus snapped, once again using the same argument that he used against Igüsa.
Now Georga smelled an opportunity since she spotted a major flaw in this argument "Sure you do"
"I have heard multiple dragons saying that they want your spot in the dojo" She said slyly hoping it would work.
"That spot is mine!" Oxidus snapped angrily.
"Sure? If you are to afraid too prove your power than you I don't think you deserve it" Georga kept up her mocking and downgrading tone now that she knew it worked.
"I am not afraid of anything, you hear me!" Oxidus shouted.
"So, you want to put that to the test or are you really as wimpy as a little hatchling?" Georga said bullying saying the word 'hatchling' very high pitched.
"Those other ones are going to experience hell when I am through with them" Oxidus barked as he rose up and for once looked like the strong and fierce dragon Georga used to know.
"Cynder's advice" A voice suddenly sounded inside Georga's head.
"That's the Oxidus I like" Georga said seductively and she licked his exposed belly.
Oxidus moved his paws over his belly to block her. He snarled at her but Georga just giggled.
"Oxidus what's that!" Georga gasped as she spotted the set of dragon claw marks on his side.
"Igüsa's punishment" He said with his voice dropping down quickly.
"Igüsa's..." Georga swallowed her words as she knew that she was quickly ruining her narrow window of opportunity.
"So are you ready to prove your strength over all those lame fire lizards!" She said trying her best to bring the fierce Oxidus back up before it was too late.
"Yes, no one is going to mock me and I will prove to them I am the strongest fire dragon that has ever lived" Oxidus' boasting filled Georga with happiness.
"Well than let's move it then" Georga said as she guessed that it must be near 5 o'clock by now.
"Yes let's" She had managed to get Oxidus totally fired up.
Oxidus and Georga then raced towards the citadel to get him registered.
They landed panting in front of the gates but Oxidus quickly found his energy again and ran towards the counter.
"Sorry but registration has already ended ten minutes ago" The mole said as he was packing in the last papers.
"This can't be" Georga suddenly felt empty inside, she had failed! All their ideas and all their plans were not going to succeed.
"On the last day the registration stays open for another hour" Georga spotted Terrador appearing.
"How come I wasn't informed" The mole said angrily.
"Sorry, must have slipped my mind" Terrador sounded very senile although Georga knew that was only an act.
"Well I am out of here so you can do it yourself" The mole stood up and walked away. Terrador didn't stop him however and walked to the counter to have Oxidus registered.
"Just say your name, age and fighter's name" Terrador asked Oxidus.
"Oxidus, aged 13 nicknamed volcano master" Oxidus said boastful.
Terrador dipped his claw into a small glass of ink and wrote down what the young fire dragon had just said.
"Now put your paw print here" Terrador handed him the form and shove a tray of ink towards him.
Oxidus took a step back now starting to doubt his entry into the Igus cup.
Georga spotted the danger and acted fast "Does a real warrior ever have second thoughts?" She asked mockingly "If you don't even have the guts to put your paw on a piece of paper than you might as well give up the place of teacher right now"
Apparently the taunting worked and Oxidus angrily slammed his paw into the tray of ink.
The ink splashed up high and Georga, Oxidus and Terrador were all covered with ink.
Oxidus pressed his paw hard on the paper and made a clear paw print while also soaking the rest of the paper, it was still readable however.
Having an annoyed look on his face Terrador picked up the form that was now dripping of ink.
"Thank you" He said very dry.
Georga smiled that Oxidus was finally fired up again. "At least it's a start" She thought as he did show emotion now, that being a negative emotion but it still felt so good for her to finally see him show any emotion at all.
"See I am scared of nothing" Oxidus snapped as he proudly walked out of the citadel.
"You sure are brave Oxidus" Georga said softly as she ran up to him.
However Oxidus shove her aside with his wing and the ice cold look in his eyes prevented Georga from trying it again.
"Guess, one step at a time" She thought as she had made progress but it looked like Oxidus was very still closed off.
"I think Volt is going to be worried now" Oxidus said.
"Yeah, you're properly right" Georga knew it was true but she suspected that Oxidus just wanted to get her away.
Oxidus took to the skies without saying anything back at Georga and Georga kept watching him until he disappeared into the distance.
"Oxidus" Georga felt her heart getting warmer as the thought that she had really helped him right now filled her with happiness.
She now inspected her body and wasn't pleased by the number of ink spots on it.
"Oxidus!" Georga cursed him now instead of enchanting him.
She took to the skies and flew back towards her house.
"Georga! What have you been doing?" Volt asked inquisitive as Georga walked into the house covered with ink spots.
"Oxidus got a little overexcited with registering" She said although she knew that it was very weird.
"You go and take a bath right now young lady!" Volt ordered.
"Good idea" Georga said cheerfully as she walked into the bathroom.
The bathroom was tiled like was normal and had a large white tub that was big enough for an adult dragon. Theirs was an 'XL' model.
However Georga just jumped under the crane and let the cold water flow over her scales she then used her paws to wash off the ink. She didn't plug up the drain because just flowing water was enough for her right now.
She then took a deep breath and closed her eyes before putting her head into the cold stream to wash her face as well.
When she thought she had washed off all the ink she jacked the handle back up with her tail and shook off the water. (Since dragons don't have fur so they can easily shake off the water on their bodies). She checked the water level and saw it a bit low.
Georga then walked out of the bathroom and saw that Volt had already prepared dinner.
"Hey Volt don't forget to fill up the water tank okay" Georga said as she walked up to the dish with food.
"Is it empty already?" Volt asked annoyed. "You really shouldn't pay so much attention to your appearance you know"
"Hey, most water is used by you and you know that" Georga shot back.
"Georga" Volt said punitive.
"Yeah, yeah we both use too much" Georga was in a good moot right now so she just laughed.
"So how did your day go?" Volt asked as he ripped off some meat.
"It went great, I finally managed to force Oxidus to take a sneak peak from underneath his shell" Georga said enthusiastic.
"You did?" Volt asked surprised while he still had meat dangling from his mouth.
"Yes. Although something bad happened today as well" Georga said a bit sadder now.
"Oxidus had hurt Furno and then Igüsa in turn attacked Oxidus".
"Igüsa attacked Oxidus!" Volt exclaimed in disbelief.
"She did" Georga replied although she was more shocked about Oxidus injuring Furno than Igüsa attacking Oxidus.
"Well I would never have expected that of someone like her" Volt still sounded very shocked.
"Neither did I" Now that Georga thought about it, the idea that Igüsa would deliberately strike at her own brother sent a chill down her spine.
"But alls well that ends well" Volt trying to close the subject.
"You're right in that one Volt" Georga smiled at her guardian glad she had him to care for her and that he loved her so much.
Meanwhile in the valley of Avalar Hunter was busy catching his dinner.
He sneaked silently through the bushes and spotted a good deer to eat.
He readied his bow and took careful aim knowing that one misplaced shot would ruin the chance.
He released the arrow and it landed right in the neck of the deer, paralyzing it but not yet killing it.
Hunter quickly fired another arrow and that one hit the deer right through the trachea.
The deer coughed and then quickly fell down, dead.
Hunter was about to go and pick it up then he was startled by a loud screech from above.
Following instinct he quickly got back into his cover before he looked up to see what was making the noise.
He almost couldn't believe his eyes as the Terror of the skies came down and screeched while turning around to chase away any creature that might still be in the vicinity.
Hunter covered his ears to protect them from the painful high pitched shriek of the dragon.
When the dragon was sure that all creature were chased away she walked up to the deer hunter had just killed and began eating it.
Instead of ripping the meat off piece by piece like was normal the dragon put the entire deer into her mouth and swallowed it almost whole with bones and all making gorging sounds.
Now that she was standing still Hunter could observe her.
She indeed looked a lot like Cynder did when she was under the control of the dark master. However hunter could see that this dragoness was very unhealthy. She was clearly famished and her body was covered with cuts and bruises some of which were half healed and some others were still fresh.
In spite of her terrifying appearance however Hunter really felt pity for this dragoness. It looked like she must have been chased for months.
The dragoness had swallowed the meat in just a few minutes and then settled down to catch some sleep.
Feeling that this dragoness wasn't as evil as she appeared Hunter got out of his cover and slowly walked towards the dragoness.
The dragoness quickly got into her battle stance and glared and hissed at him, clearly more in fear than in aggression.
"Don't be afraid" Hunter said gently as he slowly walked up to her doing his best not to appear as a thread.
"I want to help you" He said soothing trying to calm her down.
The dragoness didn't respond and just continued to hiss and glare at him.
When Hunter had approached her close enough she launched her tail blade at him.
Hunter jumped away from the razor sharp blade only just in time and instinctively grabbed his bow, put an arrow on it and pointed it at the dragoness' heart.
However he then quickly lowered his bow and arrow as the dragoness cringed from unleashing her attack and he saw just how injured and tired she really was.
The black dragoness took to the skies and flew away and Hunter watched her disappear into the distance.
"Now, who could that have been?" Hunter thought.
Just then his stomach growled and he noticed that he still had to catch and eat his dinner.
He caught another deer and this time no dragon came down to steal it from him. Although by how emaciated, hungry and weak that dragoness was, the thought that she had eaten his meal made him smile instead of making him of angry.
When he had eaten he got back to the village.
The village was still damaged from the attack of the grublins when he was chained down but it was quickly restored. Luckily for them they haven't had any other attacks because although Warfang and other strongholds were save, the roads and most points were still very dangerous and were crawling with the remnants of Malefor's army.
"Ah Hunter we were waiting for you" The voice of chief Prowles sounded.
"Sorry I just couldn't find something tasty" Hunter lied; he didn't want to tell about the black dragoness because it would only make the village even more uptight.
"You really are picky aren't you" Prowles sighed "We have received a letter that specifically has your name on it" He handed Hunter a white letter with a two small dragon paws on it one was thicker and the other one had longer claws.
Hunter smiled as he took the letter, knowing very well from who those paw prints were.
He opened the letter and read it aloud:
Dear Hunter
Maybe news has already reached your ears about the upcoming tournament.
The tournament is called the Igus fire cup and will be held the day after tomorrow in Warfang.
Close to 100 fire dragons are entering and it will be a battle tournament on an unprecedented scale.
The winner get's the title of master of eternal fire. He then get's a one on one match with either Spyro or Cynder, depending on who he or she chooses.
The winner will also be the number 1 candidate for the guardian trails that are starting over 4 years.
The tournament is held in Ignitus' honour and the banish the memory of the war.
We would like to invite you and your tribe to come and watch the matches of fire dragons.
The tournament will be started by an exhibition match between Spyro and Cynder.
As their friend we would really appreciate it if you would come and watch the tournament with them.
Any provision will be taken care of so you do not have to bring anything with you.
The exhibition match will be held tomorrow at the citadel at noon.
We hope that you will be there.
Of course any member of the cheetah tribe is more than welcome as well so feel free to bring as many with you as you desire.
Terrador
"The tribe is mine not his" Hunter heard Prowles whisper to himself.
"Well Prowles what do you think?" Hunter asked him.
"You can go Hunter, those dragons have invited you and therefore you have to go" He said like it was a command.
"Are you coming as well?" Hunter asked in a serious tone like they were going to battle.
"I can't, the village has to be rebuild and I can't be absent" Prowles sighed.
"Well then I better move it now if I want to reach Warfang before noon tomorrow" Hunter said.
"Anyone else want to come?" He shouted to make himself audible for the entire village.
Most cheetahs had to think about it for a minute but then many cheered and walked over to Hunter.
"Only 3 will go" Prowles said stern worried that he might lose the entire village.
"Aw" The cheetah's signed as they knew that it meant only 2 since Hunter would go for sure.
"You get to choose Hunter. You can pick anyone except me" Prowles said.
"Hmm" Hunter muttered and put his paw under his chin.
The crowd of cheetah's held their breath, all hoping that they would be chosen.
"I think I know who are coming along with me" Hunter said after a while having decided.