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The Legend of Spyro: Path of Delusions

Book II: No rest for the wicked

Chapter 1

The flipping of the pages eventually stopped at a blank page and the moment it happened the yellow light grew darker as the book was slowly leaving its embrace. There was a sharp tug that ruffled the pages as the book returned under the yellow light, with another flip the beautiful text revealed itself indicating that whatever has started is not about to end just yet.

A room where nothing is what it seems, where different landscapes were visible through the many tightly locked windows, where one of the windows showed a city built at the bottom of the mountain while the other kept the empty black void at bay. A room where almost every item looked out of place, items that at first glance where motionless however such revelations are impossible in a room full of paradoxes, what never moves is never still after all.

A room where only a single pair of doors allowed entrance to the eerie real outside which was surrounded by an empty space with small pieces of rocks hovering in the air, . A single marble bridge ran from the doorstep and into the void leading nowhere else but into nothingness. A single grayish-light blue dragon stood amongst this unnatural scenery entirely focused on the huge tome sprawled on one of the pedestals.

" The power bestowed upon the race of the dragon kin is beyond any creatures understanding, Our Ancestors, our Creators they say, granted us that boon, a boon that is capable to twist and shape the reality in ways perhaps that it should never have been molded. We should ask ourselves, if there is a power that can change the entire perception of the current era should it be wielded so carelessly by mortal creatures? Should the power of divine beings be grasped only because it's within a hands reach?"

" These questions are simply overthrown by the current denizens of this era, because only the purple scaled serpents can wield such power it means that they have been chosen by the Ancestors themselves. Even if that is the truth we tend to forget that such individuals are fighting not with weapon wielding enemies but themselves. The eternal dispute between ones heart and mind leads mostly to an unexpected outcomes, mortal creatures are prone to mistakes, with such power in one's blood these mistakes cannot be corrected. This forces us to contemplate once more, bestowing such a gift upon creatures that may have a false understanding between what is good and bad is some sort of a test? Or perhaps the Divine beings deemed worthy the mortal creatures of such power? Or perhaps the Ancestors had nothing to do with it in the first place?"

" The gift of manipulating the particles the world is created from is no small feat that can be trifled with. One can only wonder if meddling with the spine of every life's existence has any consequences. For some Time is the beginning and the end, a road connecting one point to the other, some imagine it as a waterfall from which you keep falling and falling until you crash on the rocks below, some picture it as a jump down a deep chasm. It is something uncontrollable, something that is unchangeable. That is the most popular assumption, but what if we could be able to drop a tree onto such road and block it? What if we could halt the flow of water by placing a huge boulder on its path? What if we could tie a rope around our waist before jumping into the chasm? Some individuals are capable of such things, so if they can alter or completely avert the presumably unchangeable current can it still be called Time?"

" If death is considered as the end of one's Time, as the final destination, as the unavoidable fate of every living creature, as the eternal rest, then can we say with absolute resolute that Time is really the end? As we already know, using or placing trust in the power of life, power which nobody is capable to fully comprehend is a dangerous thing to do, even if we used that power unintentionally"

"Meddling with Time may have unforeseen consequences, what if the purple scaled drakes could not only stop but also reverse the eternal flow and bring back a past era with all its horrors? Are the current inhabitants prepared for such an outcome? Now the final question: If death is considered to be the end and we bring a person who already reached that line back without using any restoration magic can we really say that Time is the end of the line?"

"What then is Time? If no one asks me, I know what it is. If I wish to explain it to him who asks, I do not know"

Excerpt from the Book of Time Legacy of the Ancestors

" She tried to cook me!" a terrified dragon scream filled the entire Mess Hall as soon as the tail of a female cheetah disappeared back into the kitchen.

Momentarily the whole room burst out laughing from another victim of Sparx mischief

" One day they are going to throw you into a pot themselves" Spyro stated smiling

Sparx shrugged " What for? I do it to teach people a lesson, same thing was with you"

" Yeah? And just what did you try to teach me?"

" That my jokes are always funny"

Spyro chuckled " I wonder what that guy did to offend you"

Sparx snorted " Can you imagine that he said that I'm not much of a help and just get in the way?". There was a moment of silence after his words " Something is wrong" he turned his head and saw Cynder sitting on the opposite side of the table with her head hanging low, snoring softly

" That explains everything"

Spyro arched an eyebrow " Is she sleeping?"

The dragonfly whistled loudly, Cynder snapped out from her sleep, she squealed gently and balked instantly at the shrill sound.

Sparx grinned " Nope, she's not"

Spyro threw his brother a scoldful look before he concentrated on his female friend " Cynder is everything ok? He asked tenderly

" Yeah" she muttered while rubbing one of her tired eyes with her paw " I just didn't get enough sleep" she yawned

The dragonfly snapped his fingers " You know what would wake you up? A hot soup"

" I'm not going into that kitchen" she retorted firmly

Sparx threw a blueberry into the air and positioned himself just below the fruit so it fell directly into his opened mouth " Suit yourself" he munched the sweet fruit

" Cynder when you will finally tell me what's going on?" Spyro asked but this time without any hint of tenderness in his voice

Her eyes flared up at the sound of his tone " And just how many times do I have to tell you that nothing is wrong?"

" I'm just worried about you"

" You are always worried about me, just give it a rest"

" If you could just tell me what's wrong then maybe-"

" Stop, just stop" she hissed cutting him off while rubbing her forehead " I didn't sleep well, that's everything, it won't happen again" she winced and began massaging her shoulder

Spyro stared at her, whatever is that she's hiding can't be any good, he wasn't angry at her for lying to him, Spyro knew her well enough, if she has a reason to deceive him it has to be a solid one. For now he decided to keep an eye on her and wait for the right moment to act

" Nothing makes a day better like a friendly talk in the morning" Sparx said sarcastically while munching another portion of his breakfast

" Nothing is better than to get something of your chest during a breakfast with your friends" Hunter who was sitting next to them in his worker's outfit retorted while eying Cynder intently

She understood the hint precisely however she decided to play dumb and gave the cheetah a fake warm smile " Hunter how is Warfang? Still a lot work ahead of you?" Cynder quickly changed the subject

The feline kept staring at her " Warfang is faring better, however the city is vast, it has secrets that we need to uncover, it would be better for all of us" as the cheetah spoke he put emphasis on secrets

She narrowed her eyes on him, she understood perfectly the meaning of his words and he knew it " Vast cities are complicated and that's why they have secrets, to make our life easier. If we will relentlessly pursue that knowledge we might find something that we really didn't want to find"

" We are the citizens of Warfang, it's our duty to help the city to reveal its secrets even if dangerous because only together we can face every trouble"

His words pushed the right button, Cynder averted her gaze and began to think if she is doing the right thing by deceiving Spyro " Warfang's duty is to protect the citizens and as every protector the city tries to keep everyone out of harm's way and cope with the problems alone. I think that Warfang will reveal its secrets if it will be necessary" she gave the feline meaningful look

After a moment of consideration Hunter nodded slightly " As citizens of this city we have to respect its wishes"

" Sorry guys but I think you treat Warfang a bit too personally" Spyro replied cluelessly

Both of them gave the purple dragon amused glances before they looked at each other again, the moment their eyes met they both laughed

Spyro jerked back slightly " What did I say?"

Hunter chuckled " Nothing my friend, don't bother yourself with it"

He threw quick glances between the cheetah and the black dragoness, after a while he shrugged and continued eating his breakfast

" Tell me, what do you think about the recent events? The Guardians didn't want to say much, but I could tell they were worried, at least the two of them were" the cheetah put a piece of some meat into his mouth

" It scared me at first if I have to be honest, but I gave it some thought while in bed and I think that we are overreacting, I mean If somebody is lucky and manages to jump through a portal into our time is it really a bad thing? We know now that the veils don't last long, the one Brill came through is gone now so if a bad guy comes through a portal he won't be able to pull his friends with him. Besides we don't even know how many veils are out there, what if only two of them appeared? One is gone already" Spyro replied

" Dude seriously" Sparx interjected "Find a room, we can't sleep together, you are creeping me out"

One of the cheetah's ears flatted on his skull " The Guardians seem to think otherwise"

The purple dragon furrowed a brow " How so?"

Hunter took a sip of water from his mug " The venerable dragons requested that I've sent my falcons to the nearby villages and cities for news of any unusual sightings, the recent events put them on edge, only Volteer seemed to be calm"

" When that happened?"

" Yesterday, Terrador called for me and asked for my assistance, I think some of the birds should be returning today"

Spyro blinked in concern " This can't be good, if Terrador thinks that something is out of place then I was wrong and we might have more troubles then we thought"

" He isn't infallible you know" Cynder added

" He is a veteran, he can smell trouble, tell me when was the last time his instinct has failed him?"

She scratched her choker thoughtfully " Ok I don't remember" she saw Spyro opening his mouth " But that doesn't mean anything!" she cut him off

" Yeah bro, listen to Sleepy head" Sparx pointed a finger at Cynder" She's not very bright but sometimes and I mean sometimes she is right"

She nodded her head towards the dragonfly " Remember bro that Third Wheel is stupid I mean always stupid but sometimes he is right"

" Yeah, maybe you are right" Spyro muttered

Both the dragonfly and the black dragoness jerked back with a frown on their faces " Thanks a lot" they blurt out indignantly at the same time

His eyes grew wider when realization struck him " No, no" he blurt out " That's not what I've meant" Spyro muttered quickly

Hunter just chuckled and shook his head before taking another sip of the fresh water

Quiet murmurs could be heard all around Warfang's streets, rumors spread like fire it seems, as they walked down the marble roads they could tell that people were worried, curious or even excited. Some of the words reached their ears as they walked, some were making sense and were almost accurate like they knew exactly what is happening, some however were completely misguided, they could only wonder if imaginations of a mind has any bounds. Even if they wouldn't hear the words they could tell that people smelled something is going on since as they ambled through the streets the inhabitants threw them quick curious glances, when they wanted to look at the gossipers they quickly averted their gazes and pretended like nothing ever happened.

It seems that people didn't know or didn't care that some stones are better left unturned, ignorance is bliss they say. The three friends knew better however, and the inhabitants seemed to feel it, none of them dared to approach them to satisfy their curiosity fully for which they were very glad they don't know what exactly is happening yet themselves, spreading uncertain news would only sow panic. As they were slowly returning to the City Halls to meet Hunter and the Guardians and wait in anticipation for the news from the nearby settlements, Cynder unexpectedly took a turn near the now familiar fountain and directed her friends towards the building with a shape of an empty bed carved just above its entrance.

The hospital wasn't empty this time, it wasn't crowded either but there were some patients in the main hall waiting for their turn to get patched up, cheetahs and moles were the only species inside the building. The reconstruction of Warfang like any other worksite sometimes punishes the most unfortunate ones, accidents happen after all. The injuries that the workers filling the room suffered were nothing serious, a bloody scratch here, a minor laceration there, nothing that a simple treatment can't handle. It wasn't surprising that no dragon was present in the room, the draconic kind had the natural ability of regeneration so it was pointless to visit the hospital and drain its valuable supplies when time takes care of any minor wound on dragon scales.

Some of the desks were occupied by mole and cheetah nurses, every single one of them was quite busy. Patients waited in lines for their turn to be treated, the ones who already received help were leaving the hospital with bandages covering injure parts of their bodies. Since the wounds weren't drastic bandages were in high demand, only when the injury happened in a uncomfortable place the patient was offered a poultice to speed up the healing process. Even if Cynder could find the thing she was looking for here she led her friends, much to their surprise towards the once used corridor much and knocked on the familiar door.

" Come in!" a familiar female kind shout came from within

Cynder opened the doors and saw the female cheetah doctor arranging the frame of the only painting in her office " Hi Amela!" she exclaimed a happy greeting

The cheetah averted her gaze from the painting and looked at the black dragoness with a warm smile on her face " Hello Sweetheart it's good to see you alright, how is your head?"

" The wound healed, thank you, that paste or whatever it was made wonders"

The feline nodded smiling " I'm glad"

" Hi Amela!" Spyro's joyful shout came from the corridor

The cheetah leaned a bit to see behind the black dragoness and waved her paw in a greeting manner the moment she spotted him behind the opened doors, the kind smile never disappearing from her face " Oh, hello Darling!"

Cynder frowned and tilted her head slightly at the sound of his voice, with that she forthrightly slammed the door shut with her tail, much to the surprise of the doctor and Spyro himself " He won't be joining us, he is afraid of needles, the last time he was here he almost fainted, you know how it is" she gave the feline a sarcastic smile

She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes on the black dragoness " I see, phobias are not to be trifled with" she responded with the same sarcastic tone and made her way behind the desk " What's on your mind Sweetheart?" she asked the moment she sat on the chair while placing her chin on her crossed fingers

" I need some sleeping pills"

The cheetahs ears flinched" Sleeping pills you say? You can get those easily from the nurses at the main hall, why come to me?"

Cynder scratched her choker " Umm... I need some really strong pills, ones that would knock me out off my paws"

"Why?"

She cleared her throat " Why? I can't sleep obviously"

Amela straightened in her chair " Sweetheart the medicine you are asking for is not a one that I would give away freely, we use it to put a patient into sleep during operation, I just can't give them to you because you ask for them, it might be dangerous"

She looked at the cheetah with pleading eyes " Please Amela I really need them"

The cheetah's brown eyes shone with sincere concern " I believe you came to me for a reason and the pills you are asking for are only a secondary problem. Am I right?"

Cynder lowered her head, she came to the feline not only for the pills but also to find someone to talk to, she didn't want to drag Spyro into this, not yet however. Bottling things up might only make the whole situation worse and since Amela can keep a secret and understand her without words, she was the first and only person in the whole city she could turn to.

" Yes" Cynder whispered

Amela stood up and patted the sheets of the bed in her office " Sit we will talk"

She slowly made her way towards the bed and sat on it. Awkwardness and uncertainty filled her entire being, both sensations forced her to bit her lower lip " I...I don't know how to start" she muttered nervously

Amela smiled kindly " I'll help you get through this" with that she pulled the chair positioning it in fornt of the black dragoness, the cheetah sat and leaned against its backrest " Before we start Sweetheart I want you to relax"

"O...ok" Cynder wriggled her shoulders

" This is not an interrogation, I want you to understand that"

" Of course I know that!" she giggled nervously before clearing her throat " I mean, you are the only person excluding Spyro of course, that didn't try to kill me, maim me, beat me or insult me on sight. Amela sorry for my nervousness but I'm not used to talk to other people so openly, Spyro is the only one who ever listened and trusted me"

The cheetah's eyes glowed with sincere concern " That's horrible Sweetheart! I'm so sorry"

" Don't be, this is my penance for all the awful things I've done, I can handle it"

" That's a sweet delusion but unfortunately we all crave for acceptance be it a guilt filled person or a father of two children. Despite our differences that one weakness we all have in common, in your case Sweetheart it will come easier if only you just let the past where it belongs and move forward, the guilt will kill you"

Cynder sighed with her head hanging low " If it were only that simple"

Amela smiled kindly " Oh Dear, nobody said life is easy"

She raised her head and arched an eyebrow as she looked at the female cheetah " There is something I need to tell you I..." her voice trailed off as she was lost for words, Cynder began scratching her choker nervously " I don't know how to explain this but something directed me to this room, I feel strangely umm attracted to you" she bit her lower lip

Amela's ears flinched, she seemed startled " How so?"

" I...I can't really explain this, somehow I know you or, or maybe I don't and only think that you understand me or maybe I know that you are the only one who can help me. Something deep, deep inside tells me that maybe..." Cynder sighed " I don't know, forget that I said anything. It has to be kinda creepy anyway to know that a murderer is interested in you" she emitted a stifled giggle

" Firstly, you are no murderer, secondly, your interest isn't troubling me at all, in fact I'm quite flattered, in my age it's really difficult to experience any kind of attraction"

Bothe females began to laugh heartily, it was something new for Cynder, it was a very pleasant feeling to laugh with someone outside of her limited group of friends. Cynder was filled with that awkward feeling, just like she just found something she has been looking for a very long time.

Cynder coughed and calmed herself " Tell me Amela, have we met?"

"No" the cheetah responded quickly with a raspy voice before she cleared her throat " No Sweetheart, when you visited me with Spyro some days ago it was the first time I laid eyes on you"

" Oh well" Cynder shrugged " Just an another argument that I'm crazy. Nothing to worry about " she replied with her typical cheerful sarcastic tone

The cheetah narrowed her cunning eyes " Another one? Perhaps you'd be willing to tell me about the first one?"

Cynder winced as she realized that she said one word too much " Umm... there is nothing to talk about really"

" Remember Sweetheart that you came here looking for help. I won't be able to assist you if you won't tell me what's going on"

She sighed, the healer was right, hiding the truth makes no sense, she is already here after all " I have nightmares Amela and not the ones that wake you up in the middle of the night so you might forget about them and fall asleep again. The ones I have feel really and I mean really real, just like I would be looking through somebody's else eyes...my eyes" her voice trailed off

Amela leaned closer " Keep going Sweetheart"

" I kill people there, lots and lots of people. I watch them die by my paws and that's not the worst thing, when I wake up my muscles are sore. I can taste their flesh and blood inside my mouth, it's horrible."

" Don't take other people words to you heart, you already feel guilty, don't let them mess with your head"

Cynder took a deep breath " That was my first thought, that I'm too hard on myself, but when I think of it I've always felt guilty from the moment Spyro saved my life I blamed myself for everything and from that moment forth people constantly taunted me but I've never had bad dreams about it, but never ones from which I couldn't wake up. I think it's something else, I think that I'm seeing glimpses of my past... I think that I'm beginning to remember things and it really scares me"

Amela kept observing the dragoness with concerned eyes " Don't think about your past, you are not the same Cynder that you were under Malefor's cruel paw. Even if the dreams feel real they are still only dreams, don't forget that."

" I've tried, I really tried to ignore it but I just can't" Cynder sighed in defeat and swallowed " Whenever I'm dreaming I feel...happy, I just love to watch the eyes of my enemies when I rip their throats, I can't stop smiling when I butcher all of the village's inhabitants. Who the hell does something like that? It's creeping me out, I just can't stop but to think that I've never been corrupted in the first place, it was me back then, not Malefor's influence, and now my memories are returning after when Spyro put me into an amnesia" she said with palpable fear in her voice

Amela snapped her fingers unexpectedly which forced a startled gasp from the dragoness" Enough!" the cheetah admonished her " You are no the Cynder from your dreams, no amnesia is capable of blocking completely a person's personality. Believe me, I've been walking this world for many years and I never met anyone like that"

Amela's expression once again changed to that of a caring mother " Sweetheart you have a good heart, don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. An evil dragon wouldn't be capable of showing such care for your friends, amnesia taints one's mind but not soul"

Cynder sobbed and a tear feel down from her emerald orb, she quickly rubbed her eyes " Look what you have done" she emitted a sobbing giggle " I'm crying like a little baby"

The cheetah hugged the dragoness " There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love" she whispered tenderly " As you can see Sweetheart there is absolutely no possibility that you could be dragoness you were out of your own free will"

The cheetah's words lifted Cynder's spirit up " And I wanted to avoid you when Spyro dragged me here" she laughed " Look just how stupid someone can be"

Amela broke their embrace and giggled " I don't blame you, just look at me, I'm not the most healthy and good looking cheetah here"

Once again both females laughed heartily

" I don't want to bore you " Cynder said after a while " but since we are on a streak can I tell the rest of my story?"

Amela smiled kindly " Sweetheart that's why I'm here for"

" Here goes" the dragoness took a deep breath " Nightmares are terrifying but the thing that happens just when I'm about to wake up or after I open my eyes is even more so. Every time I dream there is that dragon there, he..."

She swallowed "...he looks like Spyro but his body is completely torn, his scales are ripped apart and bleeding wounds cover his entire flesh. However his eyes are different, instead of his amethyst ones the Spyro in my dreams has brown eyes" she rubbed her neck and swallowed once again " Whe...whenever my nightmare is about to end he is there and every single time he reaches for my throat with his teeth, that's when I wake up"

Amela leaned back in the chair and crossed her fingers on her stomach " I believe that this is no coincidence that you see someone very close to you, I think that ghosts of the past haunt you, not literally of course, a guilty heart can play tricks on you. As every living creature we have a conscience and you Sweetheart are putting your own constantly to a test, that's why I believe that it takes the form of Spyro to taunt you, remind you of your wrongdoings."

The cheetah scratched her ear thoughtfully " The devils is in the details" she muttered to herself before clapping her hands " I know! Sweetheart focus and tell me, in your dreams was there a dragon who swore vengeance upon you? Brown eyes will be his identification mark"

Cynder scratched her choker, her mind traveling back, sorting through every dream she had looking for the dragon the healer mentioned. After a moment of silent concentration Cynder's eyes shot wide open.

" There was a dragon like the one you mentioned in one of my nightmares. I remember that I've ordered my men to slaughter an entire village, during that attack I've met him, he was barely alive guarding his fallen mate. Before he made a last attempt to strike me down which turned out to be a suicide in fact he cursed me, like you said he swore vengeance. Not...not to mention that I also butchered his son later that night" Cynder shivered

Amela nodded sullenly " That explains everything, we as a mortal and emotional creatures tend to think about the past, our deeds and the like. Sometimes involuntary we rub salt into a wound that we would want healed, it's especially uncomfortable when our contemplation triggers guilt, depression or sadness, as in your case Sweetheart"

She offered a kind smile " All these emotions wrapped themselves around that dragon image from your dream and unfortunately we are weak creatures, if our heart is already heavy with guilt then the past adds to that burden even further. I think that's why you are seeing that Spyro with brown eyes, the dragons words embed inside your mind that's why the guilt takes the form of that Spyro, your closest companion to torment you further, so your heart can now the pain of that dragon after he lost his loved ones. It's crucial that you let the past go Sweetheart, you won't be able to bare it, trust me"

Cynder sighed sadly " Perhaps you are right but I'm not quite sure that is the case, I would be convinced if not for the hallucinations"

The cheetah arched an eyebrow " Hallucinations?"

The black dragoness nodded " After I wake up and finally shake off the dread sometimes I see strange things, some creatures to be precise. They look like shadows and..." she shook her head after a while of silence " I don't know how to describe them, anyway every time it happens I feel that scary and somehow addictive influence filling me or it might be that my stomach only curled from all these weird things. Hard to tell when you are crazy I suppose"

" Disturbing" Amela huffed concerned " A tired mind tends to play tricks on you, but to that point? Strange" the cheetah slapped her hands on her knees as she raised from the chair " Ok Sweetheart you convinced me I'll give you the medicine but not the one you asked for, I'll offer you something less dangerous" with that the cheetah went to the medicine cabinet near her desk just to return with a pouch that contained a flask with a brown root in it " Here, mandrake mixed with rosemary, the aroma will allow you to drift away into a pleasant sleep, just uncork the flask and heat it a little"

" Cynder eagerly accepted the medicine " Thank you Amela" she smiled gratefully

" One last thing Sweetheart " the cheetah sat on the chair once again " My opinion is based solely on the medical point of view, I may be wrong if magic is involved, I'm no expert in that field. If that would be the case I suggest filling Spyro in"

" I'm sure you are right" the dragoness responded without thinking and prepared to get off the bed

Amela placed her hand on Cynder's shoulder holding her in place " Heed my warning, tell your friend about everything"

She lowered her head " I can't"

" He might be able to help"

Cynder took a deep breath " I don't want to drag Spyro into this because he will turn the world upside down just to find a way to help me. We are both aware how people treat me, I don't want him to get involved, he might ruin everything just to protect me." She looked at the cheetah with pleading eyes " Please Amela don't tell him, I don't want to make his life miserable"

Amela released her shoulder and nodded " If that's your wish I'll respect it"

The dragoness smiled " Thanks" she hung the pouch around her neck and jumped from the bed " And thank you for hearing me out, I really needed that"

The cheetah smiled kindly " It was my pleasure"

Cynder scratched her choker nervously " Can I...can I come here sometimes to talk? If that's not too much to ask of course"

The smile on Amela's face grew wider " You are always welcome here Sweetheart"

"Great!" she exclaimed and bit her lip soon after " I mean, goodbye and thank you once again " she bowed

The cheetah chuckled " Take care"

Cynder left the office and looked around the corridor for her friends, she arched an eyebrow when she saw Spyro and Sparx holding a pair of burning pants on some sort of a stick. The moment they heard the door closing they turned their heads in the direction from which the sound came from, when they noticed the black dragoness staring at them they froze

" Should I ask?" Cynder asked dumbfounded

" I would prefer not" Spyro replied

They left the hospital and the moment fresh air hit her snout Cynder took a deep breath filling her lungs with the refreshing chill. She felt better after sharing her worries with someone, her heart was somewhat lighter than before, it was a really nice feeling.

"What's in that bag?" Sparx asked

"It's a pouch" Cynder corrected him with a bit of amusement in her voice

He sighed and rolled his eyes "Fine, so what's in that pouch?"

"That's none of your business" she smirked

The dragonfly growled " Spyro punch her!"

She giggled

Spyro tilted his head a bit and focused " Can you hear that?"

The group began to listen intently, the sound of many different voices was coming from ahead, just like there would be quite a big crowd gathered somewhere. Just as they began making their way towards the noise the sound instantly died down, only one barely hearable voice resounded through the streets. When they reached the fountain everything became clear, near the temple a crowd of people gathered, not to mention that the main road to the holy building was blocked, the voice was louder but it was still impossible to make out any words.

Driven by curiosity the group took one of the side alleys that was still under reconstruction to reach the temple, their wing allowed them to land in a pretty clear and desolated road. As they made their way through one of them the crowd suddenly yelled in approval and a loud applause could be heard soon after. During that applause they rounded the corner and set their eyes upon the inhabitant who was giving the speech, he was standing on a pedestal nodding his head slowly, Spyro eyes flared up with anger when he realized that the mole who is giving the speech is no one else then Brill himself, in the front row stood a powerfully built malachite dragon.

The mole extended his arms with his palms opened, calming the loud crowd as a result " My friends, my heart beats with joy when I see that nothing has changed, that you still value that what is important, that what is sacred. I rejoice when I see that you haven't changed" he bowed solemnly accompanied by the sound of some happy shout from the crowd " Nothing could be done without you, thank you!" he yelled at the top of his lungs

The mob began to cheer once more, and as they did so the main actor began to clap his hands, thanking his audience for the reaction. The malachite drake turned his head around to observe his neighbors faces, they were all committed to the cause and as his head kept turning he finally noticed a black snout protruding from one of the side alleys. As feeling his gaze, the black dragoness impulsively looked at him and the moment their eyes met the male dragon grinned evilly.

Capro's expression turned quickly into that of an oblivious peasant as he looked at the mole on the pedestal " Tell us Sir, what you are plans? How can we help?"

The crowd stirred at the questions and went silent instantly as every mole, cheetah or dragon waited in anticipation for their leaders response. Brill raised his head with an angry frown on his face

" What I saw here my friends is an outrage! A sacrilege!" he yelled and stepped aside gesturing at the temple behind him " The most sacred of places defiled like that, we built it with our own hands to honor those who deserved it the most and today it stands defiled!" the mole looked at the crowd with a painful expression " This is our heart friends and it bleeds, bleeds with a tainted blood, someone carved a name of the one who should have been long forgotten, it's a disgrace for us and everything this city stands for. Tell me friends, for this I gave my life for?! For this we spilled our blood?! Tell me friends!" he shouted at the top of his lungs

A loud sound of disapproval broke from the crowd

Brill squeezed his shirt exactly in the place where his heart was just like he tried to clutch the vital organ " The Ancestors are in pain, that's why they brought me back, to help them. I won't be able to do it alone, only together" he clenched his fist with determination" we are strong enough to squeeze the poison out from the heart" he pointed at the sky " They are watching us right now, our loved ones, the venerable dragons are observing us and are asking for our help. Look at them"

Every male and female rose their head and looked at the azure sky above

Brill's extended finger shook slightly " Will you tell them that everything is alright? Or will you tell them that you will help? Everything..." the mole raised his voice gaining again the attention of the crowd "...everything happens for a reason. I've been sent back to show you the right path and with the blessing from our Ancestors help you to remain on that path. Only together we will be able to cleanse the taint, together my friends we will face the corruption and achieve victory!" he yelled

The mob once again cheered and cried motivated, just like soldiers on a battlefield

Brill slammed his fist against his opened palm " With the blessing from above we will start today! Today we are going to root out the taint from the very heart, today we start to fulfill the Ancestors wish! Let there be peace once again!"

Capro stood there in the front row amongst the cheering crowd, the corner of his mouth turned into a smirk when once again he looked at the group of friends hiding in the alleyway, he especially focused on the furious looking purple snout. Adopting the oblivious and angry look he focused his gaze upon the main actor of this show " Who defiled this sacred place? Who committed such a crime?" the malachite dragon's questions resounded like a thunder

The crowd took the bait, it instantly turned into some sort of a lynch mob, people were screaming for answers, they demanded to know the name of the culprit who succumbed to the taint as they called it

Brill frowned " The ones touched by darkness are cowards, they are afraid to face the truth, but it's not their fault, it's the poison that corrupted them, they are lost." He threw his arms aside " If you are among us, step up! I will show you the path, I will clean you from the taint! I will grant you the courage to face the corruption. Step up!"

Cynder grabbed his purple tail " Spyro don't!"

" I'm not going to stay here and watch" he replied fully focused on the mole, anger and hate clearly palpable in his voice

She threw the malachite dragon a quick glance" He is provoking you!"

" I'm not going to let them insult you" he looked at her, his amethyst eyes were burning furiously

Sparx hovered in between both dragons " Bro, I agree with her, just look at the guy, let's just leave the crazy ones alone I'm sure he'll be hoarse soon enough"

" If you don't want to go then stay here" Spyro retorted icily

" You know I've got your back I just whine a lot " he cracked his knuckles " Let's show the zombie who's boss"

Seeing his determined eyes staring at her Cynder reluctantly let his tail go, the moment he was free he instantly went towards the pedestal, it will bring nothing but more trouble. She sighed

Sparx hovered at the side of her head and covered his mouth with his hand " When Spyro is acting like that he surely beats you, and here I thought that you are the most crazy dragon I've ever met, but don't tell anyone, we don't want to get on his bad side after all" he took a deep breath " Alright, to battle!"

Brill clenched his fist " My friends, this is the time to change-"

" I carved that name and I'm proud of it" Spyro cut off the mole as he stepped up in the open

The crowd gasped and held its breath, two symbols of power and authority stood before them, two symbols who differed from one another. It was like a clash of legends for the people, on one side was the inventor, the constructor, the forger of better and more secure times, on the other one was the savior, the hope, the golden heart of the todays Realms, their future leader. Capro however didn't feel attached to any of them, he just smirked knowing that his little provocation is working.

" This temple was built for those who exceeded everyone's expectations and did something great for the world. Did you forget its purpose?" Spyro asked, his claws scratching the marble floor in anger

Brill seemed to be shocked " You want to say" he gesticulated towards the crowd " You want to say that all of these people here who created statues for those who deserved it, that they are wrong, that they are liars?!"

Spyro shook his head " I didn't say that, I want to show you that Cynder deserves this honor more than me, you have no right to insult her" he growled

" You have no right to call these people slanderers boy!" the mole admonished him fiercely " We are fighting for that what is important, for the sacredness of this place. This temple can't be tainted by that foul presence, it is a disgrace for us and those who are the essence of this structure" he narrowed his eyes on the purple dragon " Tell me boy, who is insulting who?"

"Can't you see?" Spyro asked with a hint of disbelief in his voice " If not for Cynder there would be no temple, there would be no Warfang, there would be nothing!"

Brill clenched his fist in anger " You are calling this people blind?" he unclenched his hand and pointed at the crowd " There people gathered here constructed this temple with their own hands and paws, and you boy are judging their faith? Show respect" he admonished him

" Bro" Sparx whispered when he hovered near the dragon's head " This zombie guy is playing dirty, he is turning your every word against you. Watch out"

Brill's expression turned to that of sadness " You are today's incarnation of draconic strength and wit, you are a being to worship but unfortunately you are lost" he turned to the crowd " This shows us my friends..." he shouted while pointing at Spyro "...that the poison in all its cowardice is powerful, it confuses even the purest of us!"

" What are you talking about?" Spyro blurt out indignantly " I don't want to be worshipped and for sure I'm not tainted, I'm just showing you the truth"

Sparx rose in the air making himself clearly visible to the crowd " On the side note I have no objections about being worshipped, if you want to talk about details I'm in my room at the City Hall every evening. Thank you for your time, I'm shutting up now" he descended towards his brother and shrugged when his noticed his amethyst stare " Worth a shot"

" We can't stand idle and watch how the darkness slowly consumes us" The moles voice gained again everyone's attention " In my death I've seen what it is capable of, we cannot allow it to spread, we have to destroy it! Cleanse it from our life, we all can see how the taint works on us " he pointed once again at Spyro " This boy speaks blasphemy and even committed sacrilege! He who is the symbol of the draconic race" the crowd visibly stirred hearing his words. Brill instantly raised his hands to calm the mob " But this isn't his fault! It's the corruption, it plays with us, confuses us and our best defense against it is a counter attack, we have to strike it and kill it before it will infect the rest of us!"

Spyros eyes sparkled with sheer hatred " If I am the symbol of the draconic kind, if I am the being to worship then perhaps allow the people to decide if I am infected with that so called poison? Or are you implying that they don't have a mind of their own?" With a delicate smirk he turned to the crowd " When I stand before you right now do you see that I'm tainted?" before the crowd could utter a sound Spyro continued " Or better, tell me when the corruption managed to get a hold of me. Was it then when TOGETHER with Cynder we defended Warfang during the siege? Was it then when TOGETHER with Cynder we stalled The Destroyer? Was it then when TOGETHER with Cynder we stopped Malefor?" he shrugged " Tell me when it happened because I really don't know"

Sparx hovered in front of his brother's eyes and rose up two of his thumbs in approval " Nice" he whispered

Capro observed and listened to the reaction of the crowd and from what he could tell it wasn't going exactly as he has planned. People respected the purple dragon to the point where they've cast the religious devotion aside, that's why they are hesitant. Different murmurs reached him, one supported the purple drake, other followed the mole. The crowd was divided, it is the worst possible outcome, in times like this he needs unity otherwise his plan will fall flat.

However nothing is lost yet, there is still a chance to turn the tide, he only needs a scapegoat and luckily there is somebody who will fit into that role perfectly. Religion is a touchy subject one can possible trigger hate and change someone's point of focus with ease is he is a skilled speaker. Brill is capable of doing such a thing, what he needs is a little nudge and slowly, step by step she will pay for everything.

Capro pointed at the side alley with his claw from which a black snout was peeking " Defiler! She is here!" he screamed like a terrified peasant.

The dumbfounded and religious crowd began to stir, as people around him started to shout and scream Capro couldn't stop smiling.

Brill pointed at the alley while looking at the fidgety mob " This is what I was talking about! The taint is always there, stalking us, confusing us!" he looked at the alley " Step in the open Shadow!" he shouted with a commanding tone " Stop hiding and face us coward!"

Sparx winced " This can't be good" he mumbled

The moment Cynder left the safety of the alley and stepped in the open, the crowd became even more louder, fingers and claws were pointing at her, accusations, insults, threats for the defiling their temple were thrown at her. The devoted mob found their scapegoat, found the reason behind their misfortune, from somewhat calm listeners they became a chaotic crowd unable to see reason, the people became aggressive even

The leading mole kept pointing at the black dragoness " You see my friends that we can't feel safe, the darkness is there always! Whispering to our ears, sowing doubt within us until we succumb to it. She my friends, she is The Taint itself!" he shouted which only aroused the already loud mob even more

" Weren't you listening to me?!" Spyro roared angrily " Didn't I just tell you that she helped me? Didn't I just tell you that she saved all of us?!"

Spyro's words had no effect, the zealot crowd ignored him completely however Brill seemed to enjoy this atmosphere, he was happy as a clam " We don't know what is she planning, the constant plotting confuses even the most witty mind, what seems good at first glance brings dramatic effect later on" he pointed at the temple behind them " Tell me friends isn't this enough proof? The most sacred place defiled with the name that should be forgotten, erased completely from history!"

" Cynder deserves as much respect as every single one of us!"

The crowd once again ignored the purple dragon, they were entirely focused on Cynder and their leader. Brill didn't waste the opportunity and continued his charade " In my death I've experienced what Shadow is capable of, we failed because we allowed her vile infection to spread!" he clenched his fist again " My friends, the corruption has already started and it's up to us to eliminate it while it's weak!"

The crowd emitted a deafening war cry " We will protect ourselves and our sacred Ancestors!" the mole shouted once more accompanied by the cacophony coming from the snappy mob. Brill rose his arm into the air " We will cleanse the taint! Shadow won't triumph!"

Cynder only stood there shocked and hurt, insults, threats and many other unpleasant words were thrown her way, blaming her for everything. Suddenly out of nowhere a small was thrown at her which struck her right in the head. Cynder had enough, she couldn't stand it any longer, when a drop of her blood splashed on the ground she ran back into the alley, but even when she disappeared from the angry mob eyes the insults didn't stop.

Sparx noticed her reaction while Spyro was entirely focused on the fanatical crowd. The moment her black tail vanished from his sight Sparx turned around and tugged his brother's horn " Spyro let's get out of here"

The purple dragon was unmoved by his brothers pleas, his whole anger was directed at the unfair crowd " You can't judge Cynder for actions she couldn't control!" Spyro roared " She saved your lives by putting her own at risk, doesn't it mean anything to you?!"

The mob ignored Spyro completely, their loud cries were probably heard in the whole city, not to mention that Brill with his constant incitement didn't allow the people to calm down. Capro seeing what is going on left the courtyard with a wicked grin on his snout. The shouts and screams continued until two powerful gusts of wind managed to silence the mob. Two Guardians landed in front of the people, earth and ice parted the two sides of the conflict

" ENOUGH!" Terrador's baritone roar quieted the mob instantly

" Return to your homes people, there is nothing to see here" the firm tone of his voice left no place to argue so the mob was slowly beginning to thin

" HOW DARE YOU?" Cyril roared at the mole

Brill narrowed her eyes on the Ice Guardian " Cyril you were always ungrateful for what I have done for your kind"

The dragon snorted, icy mist excaped his from his nostrils " We never asked for your help, mole"

The mole shook his head " Cyril, oh Cyril you are to pride and arrogant to admit..." the mole's voice trailed off since instantly Sparx lost interest in the argument. Impulsively he looked behind him at the empty alley, soon he looked once again at the arguing group, Spyro joined the group but somehow he was still uninterested in this whole affair.

Making up his mind he flew into the alley, Sparx didn't go far before he spotted her, she was leaned against a wall in a sitting position while covering herself with her black wings " The party is getting more interesting and you decide to leave. Great timing" Sparx said with his typical sarcastic manner as he approached her

Cynder folded her wings " Sparx?" she said surprised " What are you doing here?

" Couldn't waste the chance to annoy you further" he grinned but the moment she looked at him his smile vanished, the dragonfly noticed some wet spots on her cheeks and around her eyes. He balked at the sight " Were you crying?"

"What?" she blurt out nervously " No!" Cynder exclaimed and began rubbing her emerald orbs " Something...something got into my eyes"

" Yeah..." he admitted with a hint of uncertainty, even if he knew the truth ' ...yeah I hear you, it's those cheetahs with their sticky fur, dusts get everywhere" he began to rub his eyes " Even now my eyes sting. Damn cats"

'Yeah it's the dust!" she exclaimed nervously " Damn thing is everywhere, even here" she emitted a stifled giggle

" Needed a break from all that praising huh?" Sparx asked with a smile after a while

Cynder recognized the tone of his voice ' Yeah, fame is overwhelming" she replied sarcastically

" I wouldn't know" he answered bluntly

Cynder laughed " Not surprising you are an insect after all" she gave him a teasing smile

" Said the fat lizard" Sparx retorted with a scornful smile of his own.

They both laughed from their innocent teases, after a while the alley grew silent. Sparx nodded towards the exit " Let's go to Spyro, your fans are gone"

Cynder after a brief moment of concentration got up and followed the dragonfly

" How could you let this happen?!" Spyro shouted angrily at the Guardians

" Spyro calm down" Terrador replied leisurely

" You promised me that Cynder would be safe!"

"I've never said such a thing" Cyril responded icily

" We are doing our best Spyro, but unfortunately we have to also somehow calm down Brill's fanatical group" the Earth Guardian added

" If they want this temple so badly let them have it" the Ice Guardian rolled his eyes in irritation " Let them renovate it as they see fit, anything to keep them busy"

Terrador nodded " We will discuss this matter at a better time, for now please Spyro and the rest of you come with us to the City Hall, Hunter's birds have returned with news, Volteer is perusing through them as we speak"

" Most of these reports are frivolous, they don't beseech our instantaneous absorption, however there is one that piqued my inquisitiveness" with that the Electric Guardian picked a rolled parchment from the pile of papers scatter about on the table and gave it to the Earth Guardian

Terrador snatched the paper eagerly and began to read through it instantly " There was an unusual sighting at one of the southern villages. A strange crumbled structure appeared in the valley which was abandoned for years. More and more children went there and upon their return they've told tales about ghosts and wisps floating somewhere around there. However when the village sent scouts there they haven't encountered anything like that, probably just childish imagination, but the structure the children were talking about was there. The village Elder also mentions that it may be nothing, no one ventured into that valley for years, it is possible that the crumbled structure is a remnant from the war so it is very likely that the building was always there"

Terrador folded the paper " It may be nothing but I believe it is still worth taking a look, after the recent events I'm about to believe in everything" he looked at the three friends " Spyro, Cynder, Sparx, I want you to investigate into this matter"

Spyro was about to protest but Cyril cut him off " We will try to sort things out here and honestly it would be much easier without you three constantly reminding people the latest unfortunate moments" the Ice Guardian stated with his typical cold tone

" I agree with Cyril" The Earth Guardian replied calmly " It would be for the best if you left the city for a while"

Spyro fought with his thoughts, part of him wanted to stay and shatter Brill's fanatical ideas, the other part however warned him that messing with political matters would bring more harm than good, maybe it was for the best to let things calm down on their own.

Spyro sighed " How can we get there/"

" My falcon can show you the way" Hunter tenderly scratched the birds head, the animal on his shoulder responded with a delicate purr

" It is settled then" Terrador acknowledged obviously relieved that the purple dragon agreed to take part in this mission " Best of luck to you" he smiled

With that the group left the City Hall, the recent events troubled Spyro greatly, but for the time being he decided to focus entirely on the matter at hand. It didn't really help his mood, his worst worries are coming true after all. There are more veils it seems which may bring even more trouble because who knows what was buried below the sand of time. Whatever it was Spyro only hoped that his instinct was wrong, maybe this time is is only a simple misgiving, how he wanted it to be that way. One can only hope.