Dark Legacy 2: Chapter 14: Part 2

Chapter 14: Old Friends
By Dardarax

Disclaimer: I, Dardarax, do not own Spyro, Cynder, the Dragon Temple, Warfang, or any other character or place that belongs to the Spyro Franchise. I think I’m starting to run out of ideas for jokes… I wonder if I can find any in these boxes of– *is run over by a school bus of ballerina rhinos* Nope… I think I have some ideas left… I own a few characters here… they’re listed at the bottom…

Aephion sat up sharply as a great clamour rose outside the chamber, a rabble of voices and conversations all seeking to be heard over one another. The armoured wind dragon cleared his throat and moved to stand in the center of the doorway with a gesture to the feline guards to open the doors for those on the other side. He shook out his lithe body and gave his paws a quick polish as the stone entryway began to open before he looked back up and gave his most presentable and respectful smile.
Almost as soon as the doors began opening Midnatla stepped through, her deep-green eyes casting about the room for any sign of threats. The room was lavishly decorated compared to its regularly drab appearance. The ring-shaped circular table was laid out with a flush black and red cloth. The cushion-seats had been replaced with satin pillows, each coloured after the Guardian that would sit upon them or, in case of the visitors, with similar trappings as the cloth. Banners from all the kingdoms hung, from the United Kingdom of the Realms to the Feran Empire and the Shadow Clans.
Aephion gave a deep bow to the black dragon queen, kneeling so low that his snout brushed the stone floor. “Queen Midnatla, it is an honour to meet you.”
Green eyes fell upon Aephion and the queen scoured him. After a moment she nodded.
“Same to you, General Aephion.”
The doors finished opening and the remainder of the crowd entered. The Guardians entered first, each giving a nod of their heads towards the general as they passed, a gesture which he returned in kind. Then King Eclipse sauntered in, gazing all about the chamber with an open and curious expression. Aephion bowed deeply to him as he stopped by his mate in front of the general, looking down at the prostrating grey dragon.
“Ah, General! It is a pleasure to see you again. What brings you here?”
“A slew of things, your majesty.” Aephion gave a stiff smile and rose to look the black drake in the eye. “Firstly I am here for everyone’s protection. I am security to ensure that this momentous event goes without issue and that all of us are safe.”
“I suppose the extra security would be useful.” Midnatla gave a terse smile and a nod in his direction.
“In addition to the protection of the Temple itself, of course.” Aephion smiled back as he continued his speech. “After the events last year my lord Pyron thought it wise to supply greater security to this grand monument.”
“A sensible choice, though why you did not do that before is beyond me. The Sanctum of Shadows has a standing army ready at all times. A small army, but an army all the same.”
“If only we had thought that necessary,” Aephion sighed. “And lastly, I am here as a representative of King Pyron in this affair. As well as the caretaker of our feran dignitaries…” His eyes flickering behind Eclipse and the two royals looked back as Tantius and two other ferans stepped into the room. The ferans gave a deep bow to Eclipse and murmured a verse in a strange tongue. Eclipse repeated the verse and gave a bow of his head in return.
Aephion raised an eye-ridge at this and Eclipse chortled.
“Our two people have had frequent relations in the past. They were our main trading partners for the longest of times.”
“Ah, I see. Well that’ll hopefully make these last negotiations easier.”
Together they turned and strode into the chamber, to find their seats. A set of guards from each faction stepped in: two shadow dragons and two panthers to accompany the two cheetahs. The remainder were left outside to guard the entrance.
Terrador glanced around, eyeing each one as they sat at the table. He frowned and opened his muzzle to ask where Spyro and Cynder were, only for a corner of the room to burst upwards with shadow. The shadow dragons were immediately on guard, black fire crackling at their muzzles as Spyro, Cynder and a shivering messenger emerged, bickering.
“See! I told you this was faster!” Cynder snapped.
“Well, to be fair Cyn, I really did think that was a shortcut.” Spyro winced, letting the young messenger drop down from his back.
“A shortcut to the kitchen maybe. How can you not know this?! And why didn’t you tell him it wasn’t?” Cynder glared down at the messenger in frustration.
“S-sorry ma’am… I tried–”
“To be fair, love, I never got breakfast. My stomach probably just guided me there on instinct.”
Cynder sighed and opened her muzzle to reply, only to become aware of everyone in the meeting room staring at them. She flushed slightly, thankfully hidden by her black scales and looked up at them with a smile. “Apologies for being late my lords. We got sidetracked. I hope we didn’t miss anything.”
“Not at all, we were just getting seated,” Eclipse smiled. A few seats away Tantius was coughing into a kerchief, trying and failing to hide his laughter.
“Ah, it is good to see you again Cynder.” Midnatla rose and gave a short bow to the slim black draken. “It has been too long since we’ve seen one another, claw-sister.”
“Same here,” Cynder gave a small but delighted smile and a much deeper bow. “How have things been for you?”
“Dull,” Midnatla admitted with a shrug. “It’s been months since I’ve had a chance to dig my claws into the flesh of another…” She paused and then turned to Spyro with a hopeful expression. “Lord Spyro, would you honour me with a duel?”
Spyro gulped and took a step back. He forced a smile onto his face and shook his head. “Sorry. I’m going to have to decline. I’ve got classes I’ll need to attend to… every day. For the entire rest of the year.”
Midnatla sighed in disappointment. “Fine. Perhaps another day then.”
Spyro scampered over to his seat and sighed in relief. Cynder snickered and sat down beside him on her ebon pillow. “You really should take her up on it,” she whispered, a snarky smile twisting her slim, beak-like snout. “She’s wild in the arena, and she’d make a good fight. Plus, I heard a rumour that, if you beat her she’ll take you to bed as wildly as she fought you.”
Spyro’s eyes flew wide. “W-what? Cynder, what are you…?” he stammered back, as quietly as he could, so as not to be heard over the other conversations. “You can’t be serious!”
Cynder didn’t reply, simply smiling at him with a sly twinkle in her eye.
“No! For a number of reasons! Besides I’d rather not have chunks of me torn out, thank you.” Spyro shuddered. “I saw one of the duels she was in. She isn’t joking about the claw thing.”
“Don’t be like that. She’ll go gentle on you. Well, gentler than usual anyway. She wouldn’t want me to lose such a good mate like you. We are claw-sisters after all.”
“Not taking that chance. Besides, I know you’re not serious about that.”
Cynder shrugged and turned back to the others with a smug expression on her face.
Cyril rose and coughed loudly to get everyone’s attention. “Now that we are all here, I think it is time we begin. Now, primary goal is to review the documents we’ve been finalizing and decide on a few last tweaks and adjustments before we call upon all participants of this treaty to sign.” Cyril turned to Eclipse with a firm gaze. “Your majesty, how long do you think it’ll take for your chieftains to arrive here?”
Eclipse sighed and sat back, pondering. “I can only request they’ve come after I’ve read and made suggestions for the document. Then I have to send it to them for them to look over and make adjustments themselves. Only then will they come. That combined with the difficult travel here and it is likely that they won’t all arrive for a few months.”
“I see. That is longer than I had hoped but it’ll have to do. This will give us plenty of time to work out any loopholes we might have missed in this review.”
“Now then, here are each of your…” Cyril started, giving a nod to Volteer as he dragged over a huge pile of paper. He was silenced, however, by the door opening. A number of guards entered, along with a small posse of robed dragons. The guards were formed tightly around them, weapons at the ready. The dragons seemed completely at ease however, their thick, red-brown robes flowing serenely. Each dragon was decorated with bead necklaces and various dragonic holy symbols. The ten figures stopped and each bowed deeply.
“What is the meaning of this?” Aephion snarled, standing up and stomping over to the guards. “We are having a very important meeting and we weren’t supposed to be interrupted!”
“Apologies sir, but these pilgrims were very insistent upon meeting with the Guardians as soon as possible.” A wolf warrior saluted. “They simply would not take no for an answer, even after hearing what was going on.”
“Pilgrims?” Terrador, Cyril and Volteer glanced at one another, astounded. Inferna simply gazed at them in confusion.
“Your eminencies.” The head pilgrim bowed deeply, his bright orange scales flashing in the light. A faint, unidentifiable accent permeated his voice. “We have travelled long and far to reach this place and we are most sorry for this rude interruption, but it is tradition that we meet with the Guardians as soon as we arrive, to finalize our journey.”
The three elder Guardians looked in unison to Eclipse, who was gazing at them quizzically. Midnatla was furious, her eyes wide and staring vehemently at the ten, ready to pounce. Eclipse met the Guardian’s eyes and smiled.
“I see your Temple is not so different from the Sanctum. Please, go ahead and deal with them. I understand. Many a wandering band of pilgrims have interrupted my work thanks to tradition.”
Terrador nodded his thanks and rose to greet the Pilgrims. “Welcome travellers. We are honoured by your visit but I must profess that this Temple hasn’t been used for worship in some time. You are the first true pilgrims we’ve seen since before the War with the apes.”
“Is that so?” an elderly fire dragon from off to the side exclaimed. His tone was gruff and exasperated more than angry.
“It is a most tragic and woeful state of affairs.” Volteer shook his head sadly. “Many of our artefacts, symbols and tomes were destroyed or lost when Malefor rent the old Temple out of the earth. WhatIwouldgivetohavethemback. Wehavetriedtomakeduebut… much has changed since that time.”
“Do not be discouraged though, friends.” Cyril beamed. “You are still more than welcome to stay here to continue your rites. While the old worship rooms were lost and the tomes you wish to recite from were destroyed we can still try to accommodate you.”
“You are most gracious, Guardians” – the lead drake bowed deeply –“and we would be humbled to accept.”
“Indeed,” the elder dragon grumbled. “While this is a worse state of affairs than we realized, we can make due.”
“We would be most pleased to join you in your rites once we have finished.” Volteer smiled. “Perhaps we can share knowledge on this subject to help restore our wisdom.”
“Speaking of which, from where do you hail?” Terrador cocked his head curiously. “Is there a Temple still active that we do not know about?”
“Where indeed.” Aephion watched them with narrowed eyes.
The elder grunted. “We are from the far south. And while we come from a secular and faithful place, it is not a Temple. Perhaps a monastery would be a closer term.”
“To the far south? Do you mean beyond the jungle?” Tantius spoke from the back of the room. All turned their gazes to him. He paused for a moment, tensing at all the attention. Then he cleared his throat and continued. “I know of no villages or cities south of the jungle. There are only mountains and an endless savannah stretching out into the distance. Most explorers never return.”
“Not surprising. Many grublins and the like have set up many territories in the Great Expanse,” the leader explained. “Our monastery is in a secluded location away from harm, and we have travelled the Expanse many times and know its secrets. Most outsiders would die of thirst or starvation or be shot out of the sky long before they reach our home.”
“Then you have come a long way indeed.” Cyril bowed his head. “We are humbled by this visit. To think that our fame has spread so far.”
“It has indeed. We heard many tales but only recently learned of where to find this place. Still, we have dragged on too long and should go and rest. Besides, you have your own issue to contend with, do you not?”
The pilgrims looked pointedly to the circle of dragons waiting patiently for the return to topic. The Guardians gave a swift nod and bowed their heads once more. “We shall have a servant bring you to a suitable room.” Cyril looked to the ice dragon messenger who had been standing by the entrance the entire time. “Would you please?”
The messenger saluted and scampered off, out of the hall. The pilgrims bowed once more and left, trailing out two at a time. The door shut behind them and they let out a long sigh.
“I must apologize for the inconvenience,” Terrador explained as he returned to his seat. “That is a old and important tradition that we have not had to uphold for the longest of times. Thank you for your patience.”
“I wasn’t aware that we had such a function,” Inferna laughed. “Though I suppose the name ‘Temple’ should have given that away, shouldn’t it?”
“Indeed. That is yet another thing you have yet to learn Inferna.” Cyril smirked. “The proper religious decorum.”
“Well, to be fair the same can be said of Cynder.”
Cynder glared at Inferna half jokingly. “Don’t drag me into this.”
“So I take it you have stopped teaching it because many of your religious icons have been lost?” Eclipse leaned forward, curious. Volteer nodded and explained that such simply had not been their priority. They, as Guardians, were originally meant to protect the Temple, and the eggs, and students within. That teaching was originally only a minor issue that pilgrims and other scholars would deal with. But when the war escalated and many of those assets were lost, spirituality had to be set aside in favour of survival. Now trying to teach magic and the fading history of the dragon race was more important than teaching the glory of the ancestors. After all, most dragons in the realms already venerated and understood the faith to some extent anyway, and that the trappings of the faith were burdensome and difficult to carry out.
“Perhaps, with these pilgrims’ help we’ll be able to restore some of that though,” Volteer exclaimed giddily. “We might be able to restore old tomes and recreate some idols. Perhaps we can begin teaching that again as well!”
“Assuming they are who they say they are,” Aephion said, finally speaking up.
“Oh?”
“As Tantius has said, we know of no villages or towns further south than the jungle, and those could be any dragons masquerading as pilgrims. We never even got their names.”
“Perhaps.” Terrador’s muzzle tightened.
“And to barge in abruptly just as this meeting is taking place? I smell something fishy.” Aephion shook his head. “It is possible I’m jumping to conclusions, but my job is to be paranoid. I’m going to set a watch on them.”
“That is probably a good idea.” Terrador nodded. “We do not want a repeat of the last infiltration of the Temple.”
“I’m glad you’re willing to see it my way.” The grey dragon general smirked. “Guards!” the two cheetahs at the door snapped to attention. “I want you and two others to keep watch on those ‘pilgrims.’ Don’t let on that they are being watched, so do your best to remain subtle. If they do anything suspicious alert me immediately.”
The guards saluted and stalked out of the room, snagging an ice dragon and a hawk to aid them.
“So, if that is all over and done with” – Eclipse looked back at those sitting around the table with a large smile – “perhaps we can start the feast? I am utterly famished.”
“Thank the ancestors!” Spyro groaned. “Finally someone who speaks my language.”
…
The elderly red gazed about the room with a critical eye as the door shut tight behind them. It was a large chamber, and was probably intended to be an auditorium for classes. The elder gave a stiff nod. This would do, even if it would lack some privacy. Behind him the younger red, the one who had spoken with the Guardians stepped forward with a dreary sigh.
“I was hoping for better accommodations. Then again, we are disgui-”
The elder glanced back at the younger with a glare, silencing him. “Hush your tongue! You think that just because we are in a room now means we aren’t being watched? Or more likely listened upon?”
“Do you really think they would? Why would they spy on us, Mirrolus? We’re just pilgrims after all. Or do you think students are doing it?” the younger said in a hush.
The disguised Mirrolus snorted and whispered back. “I know they would, Lumos, since I saw some guards tailing us. They were trying to be subtle and if I wasn’t looking I wouldn’t have seen them.” Mirrolus eyed his compatriot with a smirk. “I’ve learned from hard experience that in our line of work, paranoia is the greatest benefit one can have.”
Lumos sighed tiredly. “That’ll make this infinitely harder than I had hoped.”
“Nonsense.” Mirrolus smirked. “This is exactly what I had expected. For now though we should find a better spot to discuss this, where we won’t get heard.”
“And where would that be?”
Mirrolus ignored Lumos and turned to the other disguised light dragons. He hissed a few orders and the drakes and draken nodded, turning to set up their indoor camp and shrine. Two walked over to the open windows and shut them tight, tying the drapes together so that they could not be easily pried open.
“Follow.” Mirrolus strode over to the last remaining open window. He shimmered and vanished as he came to a stop, with only a slight twinkle of light floating from the tip of his tail giving Lumos any indication where he was. He supposed he should be thankful that Mirrolus gave him even that luxury as he followed suit, concentrating his magic around him to vanish from sight. They soared out of the window, which closed behind them and flew out into the open air. Mirrolus dipped down and flew along the windows a few floors down, searching for a small but empty room they could go into. He found it after a few seconds of searching and landed outside of the window, prying it open with his tail blade. Lumos landed alongside him, gratefully lowering his invisibility and the shroud of light that changed his scale colour.
“I have no idea how you can manage to hold that for so long, Mirrolus.” Lumos panted as he flopped down on a rug, watching the elder shut the window and close the curtains before he himself reappeared.
The old warrior laughed. “I’ve been practicing for more years than you’ve been alive, Lumos. I barely even notice the strain anymore.”
“How long do you think the other soldiers will be able to hold their shrouds up?” Lumos queried as the elder sat down across from him.
“A few hours. By then the guards should lose interest and probably won’t be spying very thoroughly anymore. Besides, in that room there aren’t many places for them to hide, so it is unlikely they were spying on us visually.
“I suppose you’re right…”
“Now then, to answer your question I did expect this sort of welcome. And while it means we must be cautious it is also the environment that I’ve grown up in. Leave the reconnaissance to me. You focus on gaining their trust by not doing anything stupid.”
“Thank you for the vote of confidence, Mirrolus.”
“You’re here to convince them to join our side. I’m here to make sure that they are not enemies.”
“Speaking of which”– Lumos smiled – “It appears we arrived at a most fortuitous time.”
“Huh?”
“There was a treaty being written, if you hadn’t noticed.” Lumos smirked. “One that involved all of the dragon kings.”
“So it would seem.”
“If we play this right, we could get all of the kings to join with us in one fell swoop!”
Mirrolus gazed at Lumos sceptically. “Do you really think it’ll be that easy?”
“Perhaps, perhaps not.” Lumos smirked. “That’ll depend on their sympathies and whether or not they are enemies, as you put it. Still, it is plausible.”
“If the state of affairs here is anything like the Guardian’s suggested, I doubt it’ll be that easy. They don’t follow the old ways anymore.”
“But will they have a choice, once they learn what we know?” Lumos raised an eye-ridge. “Once they know who we are and what we can offer them?”
“Again, paranoia Lumos.”
“You are such a pain to be around.”
“That’s part of my job description.” Mirrolus snickered.
Lumos rose up to sit on his haunches, gazing at Mirrolus from the corner of his eyes. “What do you think of the Guardians so far? Of Spyro and Cynder?”
“The Guardians are about what I expect. And I think they’ll be our best allies,” Mirrolus muttered. “As for those two… I don’t know. They didn’t say much when we arrived. Spyro was a bit of a shock. Almost like seeing a smaller Dark Master, if less intimidating.”
“And Cynder?”
“She looks so different, and yet so similar,” Mirrolus sighed. “It is her, but not the Cynder I remember.” He trailed a claw down the deep scar on his chest.
“How dangerous are they?”
“It is hard to tell.” Mirrolus sneered, turning abruptly to the window. “This place is permeated with the taint of convexity.”
Lumos blinked in surprise. “What?”
“Yes. A slick, oily coating on everything,” Mirrolus shuddered. “Not much, but enough to be noticeable. Its far more corruption than I was expecting.”
Lumos swallowed hard. “So they’re a threat then.”
“I do not know. It doesn’t seem to be coming from them but rather all around us.” Mirrolus let loose a deep breath. “I’m going to be watching them carefully, Lumos.” He turned his flat, hard gaze back to the ambassador. “Very, very carefully.”
…
The sun was setting over Avalar valley as a hooded figure hobbled away from the cheetah city and along the riverbed. The ancient blue-grey cheetah wandered through the meadow, stopping his slow walk only to pick herbs and flowers he found along the way, to store in the basket he carried. His intricately carved crystal-topped staff dug deep into the fertile earth with each step, the cheetah leaning upon it heavily. Squirrels, rabbits, and other small creatures gathered about him, to sniff his paws and rub against his legs, while the predators of the meadow turned aside, giving the hobbling figure a wide, respectful berth.
The stars had only just begun to wake from their slumber when he reached the waterfall. The old hermit paused and gazed down into the swirling depths below. He smiled weakly and raised his hand, his quivering claws tracing a couple bright runes into the air in front of him. The water churned upwards, geysers of frothing water bursting into the air. They levelled off, forming a platform of dense water all the way across the chasm before him. With greater purpose than before, the hermit stepped onto the water, which held firm under his weight. He walked over the bridge, the blue crystal atop his staff glowing faintly as darkness began to fall.
After a minute of walking the hermit stepped off the water bridge and onto dry land. He took a deep breath and gazed about the secret grove where he had made himself home. The hermit staggered up to the door of his abode and unlocked it with a trio of carefully drawn runes. Then he stepped in and set his basket down to rest for a moment. With a curious smirk he emptied his basket and removed a small stone tablet engraved with runes. He looked over it again, his distant eyes lingering especially long on the gem in the center. His finger hovered over it, and then he set it aside with a sigh.
“It is not this one’s place to look into another’s private property,” he cackled and rose, leaving his home and locking the door behind him. He hobbled down to the grove once more and set off into the nearby trees, towards the small cave he could just make out from his home door. He knocked on the amateurishly constructed wooden barricade blocking the cave with his staff, tapping over and over again until the large, heavy wood door swung open and an irritated dragon emerged.
“You know you only need to knock once. I can hear after all,” she grumbled, head turned in the hermit’s direction.
The hermit cackled. “Guiding the way is second nature to me, Yeras. It is a difficult task to give up.”
“Oh just get in here,” Yeras sighed stepping back in to let the hermit through.
The hermit wandered in and looked about the cramped cave, picking out every new detail. Then his eyes fixed on Yeras. He noted how strained her blindfolded face was, how dusty and lustreless her unnaturally dark purple scales were and how her ice-white-coloured paws were stained with bright herbal juices. Her white quill-mane was a shamble and filled with dirt and burs, and the cloth about her eyes was stained dark with wetness.
“You have peered through the veil once more, haven’t you?” the hermit murmured, shakily settling down on the one stool in the entire cave.
“I… yes,” Yeras sighed, walking unerringly to the table the hermit sat at and flopped down on the straw pillow. “Was it that obvious?”
The hermit smiled. “As obvious as the wind’s touch on autumn leaves.”
Yeras huffed but couldn’t help but smile. “You should really take up poetry. Get some productivity out of your numberless anecdotes. ”
The hermit cackled. “My words are reserved for those who need or deserve to hear them. But that matters little now; tell me what you saw.”
Yeras hesitated, her muzzle slightly agape. Then she shivered and shook her head. “It wasn’t much. And I would rather not have to describe what I did see.”
The hermit was quiet for a moment, a small ‘ah’ escaping him at this revelation. “It was one of those visions then.”
Yeras nodded sombrely. “Something is wrong, but I haven’t seen what yet. The visions are even less clear than usual, and I can only make out small fragments of what is happening. And they are happening more often than usual.”
“Danger approaches,” the hermit murmured under his breath, almost too low for Yeras to hear. “That is what you mean, is it not?”
Yeras sighed once more and shook her head. “I don’t know. I just don’t know.”
A small, sniffling sob from the back of the cave startled them and they both looked towards the source of the noise. Nestled in a bundle of tattered blankets and towels was a small grey draken, with surprisingly large red ram horns. The tiny, quivering figure was curled up in a tight ball, a small wing cast over her head as she simpered and sniffled in her sleep. Yeras gave a small sigh and rose from her seat with an apologetic smile. She shambled around the splintered tables and the herb piled counter to the basket the hatchling slept in. The hermit watched from the back, his hooded eyes peering unblinkingly at the two as Yeras cooed and coddled the hatchling, who hesitantly opened her eyes. She looked up at Yeras with a tearful gaze, trying her best not to cry. Yeras leaned down and gave her a gentle nuzzle and then turned to the bucket filled with ice in the corner. She blew another coat of icy air over it, to refresh the cold and then fished around in it for the rabbit she had stored in there. She carved off a small chunk and drew out the cold from the hunk, thawing it out. Yeras turned back to the hatchling with the bloody hunk of meat and placed it against her muzzle. The hatchling smiled sleepily and reached out to snag Yeras’ paw to hold it in place. She sank her tiny fangs into the meat and sucked gently on it.
“Thanks mommy,” she mumbled tiredly, nuzzling Yeras’ paw once she had finished eating the meat.
“Happy dreams, Viri,” Yeras whispered, turning away from the bed as Viri dozed off once more. The darkened dragoness stepped back over to the table and slumped down, apologizing once more to the hermit, who waved it away with a cackle.
“When you’ve seen more springs than there are hairs on your body, a few mere moments comes to mean nothing.”
“I doubt you’re that old.”
The hermit smirked. “Old am I, yes, but not as aged as the wisdom that you perceive.”
“I would hesitate to call my visions wise. They rarely seem to have any rhyme or reason to them at all, even after I figure them out.”
“Some call me wise, others call me insane. Is there a difference?”
Yeras’ shoulders slumped and she shook her head in exasperation. “As much as I appreciate your profound sayings, I don’t suppose there’s another reason you came here? It is getting late and I will need to rise early tomorrow to hunt for some more food for Viri.”
“I have indeed.” The hermit reached inside of his robe and produced the tablet. “You have indulged my need for speech long enough, so I give you this token that found me in the city. A gift from an old friend of haunted eyes and twisted scales.”
Yeras perked up. “Cynder? Cynder sent me something?” A wide grin spread across her muzzle and she eagerly took the tablet he offered, feeling it over carefully. The hermit sat back, watching her with a knowing smile.
Yeras’ claws found the crystal and she eagerly pressed on it, causing the tablet to glow.  The faint projection of a black dragon appeared above the tablet, though Yeras had no way of knowing that herself. The black dragoness cleared her throat and began speaking.

Dear Yeras,
It has been a long time since we last talked, well over five years now and I thought it was finally time to get back in touch. I hope you have been well and not too lonely back in Avalar. I know how hard it is for you sometimes and I really should have been more considerate. That’s why I was hoping to invite you to the Temple sometime in the next few days, formally of course. Everything has already been arranged and you are welcome to show up any time you want. I included train fare in the package this came in, in a sealed bag so you won’t lose it.

       The hermit frowned and dug about in his pockets, producing the bag of coins.

       I hope you accept. Spyro and I would love to catch up with you and show you around the Temple. Also, I was hoping you might be able to help with an issue Savron is having, though I won’t trouble you with that yet. I hope you come as soon as you are able, and once again I’m sorry for not sending you more messages.
Sincerely, Cynder.

Yeras’ face was split with a huge grin as the image of Cynder faded. A cackle rose up from the Hermit’s throat as Yeras hurried up and about, starting to pack.
“So eager to escape this place I see? Tiring of my company?”
Yeras stopped and turned back to him with a smile. “You shouldn’t tease. You’re terrible at it. But no, it’s just that it’s been so long that I’ve talked with her that I shouldn’t miss this chance.”
The hermit nodded distantly, his eyes hooded by his cowl.
“Before you go, Yeras, I would give you a warning; as a friend.”
Yeras paused and looked back at the hermit with a furrowed brow.
“On the rays of dawn danger approaches. Should you go to the Temple, you will find yourself walking into the mists of catastrophe. You, like many others may lose yourself there.”
Yeras was silent for several long minutes, her muzzle twisted into a fine line. Then she sighed and turned back to continue packing. “All the more reason to go then. Cynder said there was something she needed my help with, and I won’t let her down.”
The hermit’s mouth twitched upward in a small smile and he rose, leaning heavily on his staff.
“Then farewell, Yeras. I wish you good fortune. It was a great pleasure to live alongside you, even for this short time.”
Yeras looked back to the hermit as he shambled out of the cave, puzzlement tingeing her voice. “Don’t say it like that. You know I’ll come back once whatever’s happening there is done.”
The hermit paused only briefly in his walk before the door swung shut behind him, the aged cheetah’s silence drifting on the air in his wake.