FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 4

" Can you remind me again why we won't be flying?" Sparx snorted irritated

" Because..." Spyro took a calm breath " we don't want to let people find out that we discovered something in the ruins they thought were abandoned, there is no need to start a panic. Besides it's getting dark, we will spend the night in the forest, far from prying eyes and that way we can keep a close look on our new companion, maybe get to know him better and in the meantime get some rest. That fight was tiring"

The dragonfly folded his arms" You've got it all planned already?"

" That's why Spyro is our true leader while you are just a sidekick pretending to be something more than you actually are" Cynder added spitefully

" Sidekick or not that guy behind us still believes I'm the boss here so you better watch it"

" I don't need to remind you that it's getting dark right? You know how hungry I become in the night" she began to rub her teeth " My teeth are already itching"

Sparx ignored the dragoness and focused on his brother instead " Bro you still think it's a good idea to bring that guy with us?"

The purple dragon nodded confidently " Yeah, why not?"

" Just look" the dragonfly motioned for the group to turn around

The red drake was quite a distance behind them, completely lost within his own world

" I'm Flare" the dragon introduced himself with a proud smile to some invisible person " What do they call you?" he muttered with a different tone of voice as if pretending to be someone else " I'm Flare" the drake responded with the previous proud smile soon after " Thank you for saving us, what do they call you?" once more he asked himself using even more different tone than before " I'm Flare" sounded the same response " What do..." he jumped to a side " I'm Flare" he announced proudly and pranced forward swaying his head and tail in a happy motion

" Any more questions?" Sparx whispered

" So what?" Spyro blurt out the question without any sign of uncertainty in his voice " He's just happy that he has a name, what's so wrong about that?"

" Oh yeah because jumping around the moment you hear your name made up by two guys is perfectly normal"

" Ok he might not be the perfect example of normality" Cynder added " He's a bit clueless and naïve but at the same time he is unique. I mean just look at him, I myself find him interesting"

Sparx sighed defeated " I don't know how you do it bro but you attract all sort of crazy"

" We all are crazy in our own way" she muttered quietly

" I just hope he won't burn down the forest with those wings of his" Spyro said cautiously

The dragonfly threw his arms aside " One way to find out" he turned towards their new companion " Hey dude...I mean Flare-"

" Yeah?" the drake perked at the sound of his name

"...can you turn down the heat a bit?"

Flare cocked his head to a side in confusion

Sparx shook his head and pointed at his wings " Your wings, can you extinguish them so you won't burn everything around you?"

" Oh these" the dragon flapped his fiery wings delicately " No, no don't worry nothing like that is going to happen I've learnt to control them, they are hot only when I want them to" he yanked his wings forward " Here, check it out"

" No there's no-"

Sparx' voice trailed off when Cynder passed by his eyes, she confidently made her way towards the strange looking dragon. She extended her paw, her foreleg was moving quickly at first but as soon as it got close to the flaming wing her moves slowed, just like a sixth sense would trigger in any living being when danger was close. Her paw was mere inches away from the blazing wing and no heat could be felt nor the usual mirage could be seen when encountering extremely hot places. With a breath of anticipation she reached for the wing.

Firstly she delicately nipped the wing with her claw and to her surprise it didn't went through the wing as she expected but instead it encountered an obstacle, just like she would be touching a wing of every other dragon. Cynder pressed her paw against the surface of the flame and exhaled a pleasurable breath, the flaming surface caressed the inner side of her paw with delicate yet very soothing warm, it sent a shiver through her entire body. She slowly moved her paw along the wing, the enchanting flames danced in her emerald eyes, she never thought that it was possible to touch a flame but in the world ruled by magic everything is feasible it seems.

Cynder couldn't get enough of the warm and the sight of the flames right in front of her nose and under her touch. The surface of the wing was extremely soft, no bones could be felt along the way like in her wings for example, as dangerous as these wings looked like from a distance they were extremely delicate when touched, she would never expected that. Deadly innocence experienced first-paw one could say. As she was about to reach the end of the flaming wing she could feel it getting a bit edged but still not in such a rough manner like the wings of any other dragon, it was only a tender edge indicating that the wing was about to end. She never reached that point, Cynder was so bewitched by the fiery wing that she began sliding her paw back along its soft surface.

" They are beautiful" she mumbled, her whisper ringing with awe, bewilderment and pleasure

" They are what?" Flare responded surprised and looked to the side where his second wing was left without any attention and examined it closely " It's a normal wing" he said forthrightly

" Normal is a wrong word here" Cynder replied in the same enthralled whisper " Your wings are special, you are special Flare"

He once again examined his lonely wing and shrugged, for him it was just a wing, there was nothing special about it. It perhaps looked differently but it was still just a wing

" I would never imagine that I would be touching a flame one day. The feeling is amazing" Cynder continued to whisper

Flare observed the black dragoness, glee and gratitude sparkling in his yellow eyes, nobody ever considered him to be special in such a way as she did, it was a pleasant feeling, one that he never experienced before. Someone was sincerely interested in him and seeing her fascination was enough of reward for him, it was a way to repay for her kindness even if he wasn't really doing anything special.

A sudden click and crunching of grass broke his concentration, he turned his head to see the purple dragon approaching. His slits narrowed on the draconic shape, glee disappearing from his eyes instantly, he impulsively took a step back, fear and hate rousing in him. Flare was so focused on the purple dragon that he completely forgot about the world around him, hate and fear overtaking his body more and more with each step the purple dragon made his way. That one thing was enough to impulsively flare up his wings with an intense hot flame.

" For fuck's sake!" Cynder squealed painfully as she jumped away from the red dragon the moment her paw got burned

Flare instantly turned his attention to the springing black dragoness, guilt roused within him when he realized that he hurt her, even if it was an accident " I'm sorry!"

" It's not your fault" she hissed painfully before shaking her burned paw " Shit this hurts" she hissed once more, this time more quietly so the red drake couldn't hear her

" I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you!" Flare once more asked for her forgiveness

However before Cynder could answer Spyro was immediately next to her, he took her paw and cooled it with a bit of an icy mist from his mouth which forced a pleasurable moan from her throat

" There is nothing to be sorry for, it was an accident" she huffed pleasurably as Spyro's cold breath caressed her burnt paw

Flare observed the scene before him, not exactly sure what is happening, that purple dragon actually is helping the dragoness out of his free will, why? Then he was reminded of the strange bug-like creature- the dragonfly, he was his master so probably he taught the dragon to protect his partner. The whole situation was strange for the young drake, a purple dragon being whipped was beyond his comprehension but no matter how it looked like he still won't trust that dragon, not even a bit.

" Thanks" Cynder exhaled a breath of gratitude after the pain was completely washed away by his cooling mist, she watched the back of his head and mused to herself that she couldn't wish for a better friend.

Spyro raised his head and smiled, his amethyst eyes piercing right through her as they made contact with her emerald orbs. He was still holding her paw, not firmly but softly and gently like she would be made of ice herself. Cynder couldn't get enough of his purple orbs, time seemed to slow down for her, she felt like she was drowning in his amethyst gaze, a simple act of friendship meant so much to her.

All those romantic feelings for him she tried really hard to bottle up returned just like a boomerang, they roused her aching heart, forcing it to work at such a pace that threatened to break the clutches of her chest. Cynder didn't care, she wanted this moment to last, she wanted to hear him saying that he cared for her in the same way, she wanted to be with him.

Before Cynder could realize what is happening her neck was already craning towards him, her lips making their way to his, very slowly yet confidently and she just couldn't stop it, just like it was meant to happen.

" So can we go now?" Sparx annoyed shout broke Cynder's trance, as her senses returned to her she chaotically withdrew her paw from Spyro's gentle grasp and looked to the side blushing slightly

" I don't want to be here when one of these rocks decide to wake up and try to kill us" the dragonfly continued

" Where are we going?" Flare asked curiously

" To the forest my friend!"

" Oh, ok" with that the red drake made his way towards the hovering dragonfly

Spyro however turned his head to look once more at his female friend " You okay?" he asked tenderly, her well-being was more important for him than anything else

" Yeah..." Cynder huffed longingly " I'm fine" she muttered

He smiled, that was everything he wanted to hear " We better get going or Sparx might once again start playing our boss" with that and after making sure she was alright he started to walk towards the woods

She watched his swaying tail with aching heart, it demanded attention, it demanded the cure for its pain and there was only one mean for salvation " Spyro!" she shouted after him

The purple dragon stopped and turned around " What is it Cynder?" his question was ringing with concern

" I...I wanted to tell you..." Cynder mumbled nervously, she really wanted to speak her mind but she just couldn't, his eyes intimidated her, not even a bloodthirsty troll triggered such fear in her. She was terrified that if she would press the matter further she wouldn't find salvation for her heart but instead would present it to the kiss of death

She shook her head " Thanks again for the help" Cynder finally said waving her not so long painful paw and smiled gratefully, it was a fake smile, she had to struggle to maintain it.

" Don't mention it, that's why I'm here for" Spyro offered her a smile of his own before turning around and making his way once more towards the woods

She just stood there watching him with sad eyes, it hurt, it hurt so much to see him leaving without even a word of comfort, she didn't blame him for her misery, it wasn't his fault after all, nobody forces him to love her. With every such painful notion came the urge to tell him about her feelings towards him but the fear of hearing his discouragement overcame the ache, moments like these constantly reminded her that she would rather live in pain than in truth.

Cynder was so focused on her leaving friend that she didn't even notice Sparx hovering just next to her. The dragonfly observed her curiously, she seemed to be staring constantly at the same spot, he followed her gaze just to see his brother's tail swaying in the distance. With a frown his gaze returned to the black dragoness

" Fine piece of an ass huh?" Sparx asked with a girly voice

Cynder balked at the sound of his voice " Sparx?!" she yelped surprised

" These bulging muscles, that sexy butt..." he shivered excitedly and licked his lips" I could munch him" he continued to talk with the same girly tone

She frowned in disgust " Dear Ancestors Sparx, you are family get a hold of yourself"

The dragonfly cleared his throat and shrugged " What? Seeing how you were just staring at my brother I just wanted to start the conversation in the right way"

" What?!" Cynder exclaimed uneasily " I...I wasn't staring at him!" she protested nervously " I...I was looking at..." her voice trailed off as she began to examine the surroundings " I was looking at the forest wondering how big it is. That's all!"

Sparx folded his arms " You don't say? And here I thought you were interested in a very particular purple dragon..."

" You are delusional" she retorted quickly

He pointed a finger at her " You know what? I'm sure you are picturing yourself with him in that forest. You two all alone, taking a romantic walk in the forest among the singing birds, holding tails and-"

" This conversation is over" Cynder cut him off firmly and immediately made her way towards the two dragons, however after some steps she stopped and looked behind her shoulder " Seek help Sparx, you are sick" with that she quickly renewed her walk

Sparx observed the black dragoness for a while " Am I sis?" he muttered to himself before he began making his way toward the group of young drakes

They've entered the forest, just like before it was twisted and everything looked the same yet Spyro confidently led them through the nature's maze. They didn't want to run into Boven's inhabitants and since they knew this woods like the back of their paws Spyro decided to lead them in a completely different direction. They could just fly despite the things he said about panic, there is plenty of space in the air, people wouldn't see them but he really wanted to get to know the red drake better, most likely find out why he hates him so, this also is a perfect opportunity to hone his survival skills and take a well-deserved rest. Everybody's a winner

Flare didn't seem to mind that they aren't flying, in fact he walked behind them in complete silence. However every time Spyro looked behind to check on the dragon he frowned thoughtfully, the dragon was not even paying them any attention, his head was constantly directed on the ground, only occasionally her rose his head to threw a quick glance ahead just if checking that he didn't lose them.

Flare's steps were uneasy and clumsy, he looked just like a child unsure of his surroundings as if he would be seeing the flora for the first time in his life.. He took each step slowly, gradually putting his weight into his paws to crunch the wigs and grass below it, as if cautiously checking if it's safe to walk there. Every now and then he bumped into a tree, and every time he did that he froze for a second and stared at the brown trunk with wide eyes just to curl soon after and avoid it from a safe distance just like a scared dog.

Sometimes a fallen log blocked their path, Spyro and Cynder just jumped or walked over it but Flare always craned his neck to see what is behind it, as if checking if there a bottomless pit on the other side. Every time they had encountered such a log Flare always circled around it and always looked behind his shoulder at the ground near the fallen branch like he wanted to make sure nothing is chasing him before catching up with the group again.

Spyro constantly looked behind him at the sound of chaotic crunches and snaps of twigs, he wasn't the only one who noticed it Sparx and Cynder were also dumbfounded about this whole thing. However none of them said a word, they just exchanged silent confused shrugs and glances. Whenever Flare snapped a twig underneath his paw he jumped slightly, the noise seemed to constantly startle him, he always bit his lip when that happened just like he was thinking that he did something terribly wrong.

As they've made their way further into the woods they started to encounter bushes along their way, the red drake seemed to be shocked every time he noticed them. He always cautiously sniffed the little leafs as if they were some kind of flowers. Sometimes they even heard a startled gasp coming from the dragon when the bush shook and rustled suddenly, moved by some small animal or delicate gust of wind.

The woods began to get denser, the trees seemed to be forming a thick unpassable wooden cage around them. Even the rays of the fading sun had difficulties penetrating the protective green crowns above them. As they walked everything started to look identical, thick bushes started to block some of the paths, fallen logs formed patterns that were almost the same and no matter which direction they chose the trail looked like it was recently used.

Was it them walking in circles or perhaps the traces left by the children they had no idea. As time has passed Spyro started to admire the kids, they could find their way through this maze in such a young age without getting lost. That was a remarkable feat and they've accomplished it without receiving any special training.

As they ventured forward Spyro began to feel lost, he hasn't been wandering in an unknown wilderness for quite some time, such a long break roused doubt and the awkward feeling of being rusty " Remember every lesson I teach you young Spyro, your destiny is tied to a prophecy. An arduous journey awaits you and nobody knows what Fate has in store for you. Try to learn something about everything and everything about something but don't forget that study no matter how thorough won't be much of an use without practice. Practice makes perfect, if you have a control over a certain situation you have already succeeded before a test has even begun"

Ignitus' words rang in his head, the Fire Guardian wouldn't be proud knowing that he had succumbed to the will of his surroundings. The woods became dark, tight and unpassable, the trees seemed to arch just right above him, mocking, taunting and laughing at his powerlessness. This is the purple dragon who is meant to be the peoples' leader? This is the purple dragon who should be an example to follow? He can't even find his way through the damn woods. He is leading his friends in a direction not even the Ancestors themselves know what hides there, for all he know he could be leading the group straight at the village he wanted to avoid.

" So..." after a moment of another silent walking Flare's voice could be heard "... where is that forest?" the dragon asked while flicking away a bit of a twig that got snapped under his paw

The three friends stopped like hit by a lighting and slowly turned around, looking at the red dragon with an incredulous frown on their faces

Flare just looked at them back with innocent and clueless eyes, either he didn't notice their meaningful glares or didn't understand them. He just stood there like a curious child wagging his fiery tail slowly back and forth

After a while Sparx shook his head snapping of the surprise " Dude, can't you see the trees?"

" Oh..." Flare mumbled like he just realized what a stupid question he asked " Of...of course I see them!" he chuckled bashfully

" Flare do you know what a tree is?" Cynder asked, concern could be felt in her voice, just like she would be addressing an innocent child

" Yes!" the red drake exclaimed and looked around nervously " Umm...." His eyes widened and he jumped towards a nearby bush " This is a tree" he replied with a smile

The three friends just stared at the drake in complete silence

Flare could feel the weight of their looks at him, the smile vanished in a moment as he began to scan the surroundings, his eyes were impulsively drawn down where the little twigs were scattered on the ground. He picked one of them " This is a tree" once again he smiled

" Close" Sparx commented icily

His fiery wings flattened on his back just like ears of a dog, shame and insecurity filling him. He looked around and noticed a sturdy looking woody something, his eyes traced along its surface quickly just to see some the things similar to the one he held in his paw above him, yet more larger. He swallowed and delicately nodded his head towards the trunk " This is a tree" his voice barely a whisper

Sparx threw his one arm with a clenched fist in the air " Score!" the dragonfly exclaimed

Flare offered them a weak smile before bending on his paws and taking some steps backwards while wagging his tail nervously, just like he tried to make himself invisible.

" Flare" Cynder addressed him in the same kind tone as before " How is it possible that you don't know how a tree looks like?"

" Because I've never got the chance, I've been locked up all my life!" the red drake responded throwing an accusing glance at the purple dragon

It didn't escape Spyro's notice, he frowned " Why do you blame me for everything? I hadn't done anything to you"

Flare threw an angry and scared glance at the dragonfly " Why do you allow him to talk without permission!?"

Sparx shrugged " Freedom of speech"

" Spyro didn't do anything wrong" Cynder interjected " He is the good guy here, always ready to help. He is a friend one could always wish for, he would never do things you accuse him of, to you or anyone else for that matter"

" They always seem that way in the beginning" Flare growled " They play nice but before you know it you become a toy that was fooled all its life. You are blind like I was, like everyone else was, the sooner you realize this the better, at least you won't let them toy with you anymore"

" I'm not blind Flare" she disagreed gently " I will stand beside Spyro no matter what, the things you say are not true. If you knew what I know you would see that. You can't tar everybody with the same brush"

Spyro observed his female friend, a grateful yet somewhat embarrassed smile was plastered on his snout. He knew about her unyielding loyalty and friendship but being reminded of that aloud sent an pleasurable pulse through his heart

" Because of the dragons like him I've never got to see the outside world!" Flare roared angered and saddened " Every day, every single day I had to fight for my life. I've never had any friends, I've never even talked with the other dragons. We were prisoners, we fought for our life, do you know how it feels to know that when you open your eyes you will have to gut your room-mates so you can see another day?"

Before Cynder could answer he continued " I fought them, I killed them, I didn't like it but still I've slaughtered them without remorse because I knew that when I would lose, death awaited me. If I tried to run, death awaited me, If I disobeyed an order, death awaited me, If I would rise a paw on my trainer, death awaited me"

He winced, squeezing his eyes tightly but even that didn't prevent the glowing tears forming in the corners of his yellow eyes " You can't imagine the things I've done for their amusement" he muttered sadly " For them it was just a show, for me it was survival. I don't deserve to be free after everything I've done"

An awkward silence has befallen on the group as they watched the cast down dragon with painful eyes

" I'm sorry" Cynder finally whispered agitated " But I believe you were saved form that fate for a reason, and you know why? Because you truly regret the things you've been forced to do, you know they were wrong, it was a kill or be killed situation, you had no other choice. Flare it shows that you have a good heart, don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. Believe me I know what I'm saying"

Flare looked at the dragoness and sighed somewhat longingly yet quite painfully at the same time " I was like you once, I knew someone who I could trust, at least I've thought so. He showed me the difference between right and wrong, he told me to never give up, do the things I did but take no joy from it because then I would become like the rest of them. He told me that I'll be rewarded for the whole pain one day. His lessons were entirely focused on the moral aspect of my deeds, he never taught me how a tree looks like for example or how to tar everybody with the same brush"

Sparx cleared his throat " Actually...this whole tar thing is an idiom, you don't..." his voice trailed off when he noticed a pair of scoldful purple and green eyes staring at him. He waved his hand " Never mind"

Flare sighed once more, a tear splashed on the grass below " In the end he betrayed me and became like the rest of them, but...but I've never forgotten his lessons, I swore that I'll remember them no matter what happens" he rose his saddened eyes " You might be more lucky, you have a generous Master who won't allow your so called friend to betray you"

" About that whole Master thing-"

" You are absolutely right about me!" Sparx interjected cutting Spyro off

The purple dragon frowned and leaned closer " We can't lie to him forever" he whispered

" Bro chill it's a harmless lie, he isn't the first one I've tried this trick on" Sparx whispered and threw his brother a meaningful glance " And they've turned up pretty well"

" Someone very wise once told me to leave the past behind where it belongs" Cynder said quietly with her eyes twitching slightly as she tried to hide the fact that she fails to follow that advice herself " Maybe you will have better luck than some people..."

Her words piqued Flare's interest " Leave the past behind? How?"

" You mentioned some kind of reward right? So perhaps your jump in time was exactly that reward"

" What do you mean?"

" Look. Once you were a dragon who was forced to do terrible things, a dragon without a name who endured this horrible things despite the odds" she took a breath " Now after all this time you traveled in time and received a name. Like you've been born anew, the dragon who fought for survival is gone replaced by the dragon named Flare. You have a clean slate, it's up to you how you fill it"

Flare looked around, he examined his paws, wings and the surroundings after that he looked at the black dragoness with confused eyes " I don't see any clean slate"

Cynder giggled and smiled gently " It's an idiom, it means that your past actions, your former life is forgotten and you now can start everything from the beginning"

His eyes widened, hope sparkling in them " Really?"

She kept smiling and nodded " Really"

" Yay!" Flare exclaimed childishly while slightly pouncing in the air, but after a while he started to look around in confusion once more " But I don't know how to start" he muttered sadly

" Every new meeting starts with an introduction. What's your name?"

" Flare!" he blurt out excitedly

She touched her chest " I'm Cynder" she pointed at the dragonfly " That's Sparx" he waved at the red drake. " And this is Spyro" the purple dragon nodded.

Cynder noticed as the red drake narrowed his slits on the purple dragon and took a cautious step backwards " You know also what is the meaning behind introductions?" she asked gaining the attention of the odd drake " It means that you can't mistrust people just because of their looks, give them a benefit of the doubt and perhaps you will be pleasantly surprised. Don't judge at first glance, this is the worst mistake someone can make, there is always more to people than meets the eye. Don't start your new life Flare by making enemies, leave the past behind like it never existed"

The red drake observed Spyro, Cynder could see as he was battling with his thoughts and bad memories, as bad as it looked like it was in fact a good sign, at least he was taking her words under consideration. Whatever his been through must leave a bitter scar on his soul since a long while had to pass to see him finally reaching a decision.

" I don't trust you Spyro but I will tolerate you, don't count on anything else" Flare finally said, his tone betrayed glimmer of uncertainty

Spyro nodded " I understand, thanks" he didn't but it was better to leave it that way

" Great, good decision Flare" Cynder patted the young drake's back " If we are going to travel together we have at least be able to stand each other" she smiled " So with that out of the way, how else do you plan to fill your clean slate?"

Flare didn't thought for long, he instantly looked at the brown trunk next to him " So this is a tree huh?"

" Yep. And what do you think?"

He eyed the trunk from top to bottom " Big" he finally stated the obvious

Cynder giggled

" Umm... does it do anything special or it's just for blocking our way?"

" Trees produce air, without them we would suffocate, so as you can see they are rather important"

Flare frowned " Only air? Nothing else?"

" Dude it does a lots of other things!" Sparx joined the conversation the moment he made his way towards the tree " For example if you press your head to its trunk and listen intently you will hear it drinking water it accumulates through its roots in the ground." He couldn't help himself, seeing the dragon's cluelessness and naivety only forced him to make up a stupid fake story

The young dragon pressed his head to the trunk " I don't hear anything"

" Sparx seriously?" Spyro rolled his eyes

" Silence!" the dragonfly exclaimed with a commanding voice " Your Master is speaking now" he turned towards the red drake " Then you have problems with your hearing dude..."

Cynder approached Spyro and leaned closer " What is he doing?" she whispered

The purple shrugged " Selling crap" there was no response, he turned around to see her confused frowned expression " When we were young Sparx always kept telling me his own made up stories, I was quite naïve back then s I believed in everything he told me. Sparx likes jokes and if he can make someone believe them while making a fool out of that person all the better"

"...if you dig deep enough you'll reach the water eventually" Sparx continued to fool the red dragon

Flare following his advice kept tearing the bark from the trunk

" Put your heart to it! Go! Go! Go!" the dragonfly encouraged the young drake

" I can hear something!" Flare announced after a while and pressed his head to the trunk " It sounds like...scratching"

Sparx frowned in surprise but shook off the confusion second later " You are close! Keep going!" he urged the dragon despite his consternation, he had no idea how the drake could hear anything, he made this whole thing up after all

Flare kept digging farther into the trunk, his claws made short work of the wood. After a while he encountered a piece of the tree that looked differently than the rest. That particular piece of wood was darker than the rest of the trunk and seemed weaker. However the scratching coming from that part was louder than anywhere else.

Flare nipped the wood with his claw, to his surprise it went clean through, effortlessly. He pressed his paw against the dark wood and pushed, the woody part cracked inwards leaving a big hole in the trunk. Flare's eyes went wide, not because of joy and excitement but of horror and shock.

Instead of water a swarm of tiny white worms poured forth from the hole, he didn't find a source of the water but a lair of termites. The swarm of slithering worms sprawled on the ground below, complete terror overcame Flare when the worms reached his paw. He screamed loudly and momentarily dashed to the other side of the forest leaving a trail of dust hanging in the air behind him

" Would you look at that" Sparx stated in amazement " he actually did hear something" he waved at the pitifully hidden red dragon " Come check it out!"

" N-n-n-n-no!" Flare emitted a stammering terrified shout

" Dude chill they are harmless"

" L-l-l-let's g-g-g-go!" the dragon emitted a wavering shout and without waiting for any response darted quickly farther into the forest

" Flare wait!" Spyro shouted after the fiery dragon but when he noticed that there was no reaction from his side he dashed after the drake with his two friends following in his wake

Snapping of twigs and occasional grunts of effort echoed throughout the woods as the three friends were chasing a single red dragon. The forest became quite dark after all this time, they would most likely lose the dragon in the nature's natural maze if not for the light Flare's blazing parts emitted.

" Flare!" Spyro yelled once again but as before there was no reaction.

He wasn't constantly running in the same direction, every now and then he changed the path. Flare's turning, the logs and other things blocking their way confused Spyro even further, he had a feeling of being lost when he started his pursuit some time ago but now he was certain of it

" Flare!" Spyro yelled again, louder tis time but still there was no reaction

" I'll get him" Cynder panted next to Spyro

She kept running but at the same time she channeled her dark energy fueling her Shadow element. The air in front of her began to distort and shake, the shadow encasing the forest acted like it heard her call, it began to swirl, opening itself for its Mistress, inviting her in. She compelled, such an interesting invitation cannot be refused. Cynder ran directly into the swirling black mass and disappeared within its bowels

" I'll never get used to this" Sparx muttered under his breath

Flare kept running, not even looking back. He wanted to be as far away as possible from that tree, only something really unexpected would make him stop

" Flare!" Cynder shouted the moment she appeared in front of him out of nowhere

His eyes shot wide open at the unexpected sight, the sudden appearance of the dragoness drew a startled yelp from his throat and forced him to cease his escape. He firmly thrust his claws into the ground, tearing off grass and patched of dirt as he slid. He managed to dispose of his momentum right before their snouts, it was then when he landed on his butt.

Flare looked behind his shoulder just to look at her moments later while cocking his head slightly " How did you get here?" he mumbled shocked

Cynder smirked " I'm just full of surprises"

Soon after the rest of the group caught up with them " Dude you are fast" Sparx panted " What's gotten into you? You act like you've seen a ghost"

" I don't what to talk about it!" Flare snapped, his voice rang with fear and anger at the same time

" Whoa chill, if you don't want to talk-fine"

He stared at the dragonfly, the anger seemed to slowly vanish as he began to realize that he directed his ire at the wrong creature, the dragonfly is the Puppeteer after all

" I'm sorry" he mumbled like a meek heel hound

Spyro frowned after seeing Flare's reaction and turned towards his friends " This whole lie about the Master and all that crap has to end" he whispered irritated " Just look at him, he thinks you are the powerful Master Sparx, he won't be able to leave his past behind when you constantly remind him of his trainers"

" I agree" Cynder's angry yet compassionate whisper joined with Spyro's " You have to end it Sparx"

" But I'm not doing anything!" the dragonfly blurt out an indignant whisper " When was the last time I've played the boss card?"

" Doesn't matter" Spyro commented " You remind him of bad times, it has to end"

" What makes you think he won't run away again? He'll find out soon enough anyway, let's just wait till we get to Warfang"

As much as Spyro hated the idea of lying to their new companion further, Sparx had a point. The fake story behind the almighty dragonfly might be the only thing that is keeping the drake with them, not to mention that Sparx might be the only thing preventing Flare from attacking him. He said that he will tolerate him but who knows if he wouldn't snap if he knew the truth, it was not worth the risk, better to wait a little longer. Cynder's expression spoke volumes, she obviously came to the same conclusion

" Ok fine" Spyro agreed " But the moment we get to Warfang you tell him the truth"

Sparx shrugged " Sure, one question though. You know here we should be going? We better not run in anybody if we want to keep this boss thing believable"

Spyro looked around the dark forest, they've been chasing Flare for quite a while, the fiery dragon led them into parts of the forest that were definitely not the ones they were looking for if they wanted to leave the woods unnoticed. That was certain, the problem now was to find the correct route, they might be returning to Boven for all they know. It was time to remember the lessons Ignitus taught him, the Fire Guardian in all his wisdom prepared the young purple dragon for any situation. They need to rest but now it was time to regain the control of the situation.

" I do" Spyro replied confidently and marched forward into the black woods with his companions following him