darkSpyro

"It is an honor to be here your highness" Alex said with a bow. She sat down on the cushion while Kora sat on her head. "Yeah, it's a beautiful place. I wish we lived here instead of the outskirts" Kora said. Alex stayed silent and closed her eyes.

"We saw the garden on the way in. It's beautiful." Firefly said, speaking a little more calmly now. It seemed that her nerves had died down for now.

"Yeah, I could move in there." Flash chuckled. "Can't wait to find out why we're here. Firefly has been asking me all day what a queen could possibly want from her." He said.

"Flash, shh!" Firefly whispered. He looked at her and shrugged.

"What?" He asked, innocently.

A tear fell from Alex's face as the memories came flooding back to her. Abandoning. Coldness. Loneliness. "Alex?" Kora asked. "Huh? I'm fine" Alex said as she looked up. Kora knew what Alex was feeling. She too had been through the same thing. They both stared at the floor in silence.

Cynder smiled. "I understand your curiousity, and you will all be enlightened the moment our last guest arrives. I can tell you that you're all invited to spend the night in the palace though!"

Aethra looked up in surprise at this, then shot a look at Kokoro, wondering if he had known about that. Cornelius didn't appear to mind.

"Wait, we get to sleep in the palace?! Whoo! Hey, Fire, did you hear that? We're moving on up! No damp floor for us tonight, we get to sleep in the lap of luxury!" Flash cheered.

"He means 'thank you'." Firefly said, politely.

"Thank you your highness" Kora said. Alex couldn't say anything at the moment. She was too caught up in her past. "Alex? Alex? Snap out of it" Kora said while flying in front of her face.

Cynder laughed. "No need for thanks." she said. She tilted her head slightly, listening to the air for a moment, then sighed. "Sadly, our last guest will not be arriving as soon as I hoped. They will have to be filled in later on. For now, I will explain what's going on to you four."

The queen rose from her throne and stepped forward to perch on the edge of the platform, the lighthearted smile fading into a note of seriousness. "Many, many years ago, during the festival for Year of the Dragon, a creature of darkness attacked our fair city. My mate, the late king Spyro, managed to banish the dark essence from our lands, but at a terrible price. He was infected by the creature, and not a single healer in all the lands could figure out how to help him. Unfortunately, he died only days later."

She closed her eyes and opened her wings slightly. "We've received word from some special agents that it seems this dark force is returning. We don't know much about it, but we know that the wyverns that worship and serve it refer to it as Carolina. This is incredible news to us, and I've already had experts begin to research what they can. However, it's not enough for us to pin down any information about this threat, and the wyvern armies are beginning to build up."

Cynder lifted her chin and locked eyes with each of those she had summoned. "I've called you here because Warfang -all of the lands of Avalar- need your help. Wyverns haven't been this large of a threat to us yet, so our knowledge of them is not enough to know how to battle them. Our soldiers cannot walk blindly into battle without knowing what they're capable of, and they aren't the most...inquisitive creatures. We need new, observant recruits to take them down, and slowly move to the top to stop this Carolina creature once and for all."

She sighed and folded in her wings. "I understand what I'm asking a lot, but you don't need to take out the entirety of the army on your own, only key points and commanding officers. And this...Carolina will be personally taken care of one of the strongest dragons we have at our disposal."

Aethra took a few steps forward, sun bouncing off of her shimmering scales, yet she still did not make eye contact. "I've a score to settle with the wyverns..." she said in a monotone.

"I ask you to be her personal soldiers in this battle, and it won't be an easy one." Cynder said solemnly. "There is potential that you could get very hurt. However, if you do accept, you will be rewarded handsomely. You will get all the gold and jewels you can carry, and fame across the lands of Avalar and beyond. You will also be offered knighthood, and as such, permanent residence here at the palace."

"So what do you say?" Cynder asked, glancing over the four. "You do not need to make your decision now, you may stay at the palace for the rest of the day and night, and tell me your decision in the morning if you wish."

Finally, Aethra looked up. Concern and a bit of hope mixed together on her face as she nervously glanced at those Cynder had called upon.

Alex listened very carefully. "I've a score to settle with one particular wyvern. He destroyed my home and family, making me the dragon I am now, an outcast. I will be willing to accept your offer." Alex said. "Alex, you can't be serious. shouldn't you think about it?" Kora asked. "I've made my choice" Alex said. She looked at Cynder and bowed. "I am at your service" She said. Kora just stood there thinking.

Kokoro sighed looking at them. He knew, that this meant a harrowing quest. Filled with danger, death, and demise. Kokoro blinked. He never wanted to do something like this....never...........he's to scared. To worried with what might happen to him. There's going to be strong enemies. Very strong ones. Ones that will be able to defeat him in every area. Speed. Power. Defense. ......Elemental.... how would he defeat an opponent like that? How would they? If they face something like that, will it be over? So many doubts ran through his mind. Sure, Cynder asked him...but is this quest really worth fighting for? Making sure it succeeds....that was what Kokoro was told to do. Am I willing to follow through?

Aethra let out a small sigh of relief.

Cynder smiled warmly. "Alex, is it? Thank you very much for agreeing to help."

"Always a pleasure" Alex said with a nod. "I-I-I accept too. I may be small but I shared the same life as Alex. I'll always stay by her side no matter what" Kora said as she bravely stepped forward.

*whispers*
Is it too late to join?

Upon walking closer to the palace shadow notices two guards, that unlike the others, are in golden armor. She showed them the envelope.

Pirra lounged in a dark corner of the marketplace, almost invisible with the exception of glowing amber eyes. Epsilon tweeted softly, perched as he was by her head.
"So," the shade voiced after a while, startling a young dragon that wasn't aware of her presence. "Anything interesting, Eppy?"
The firebird's song cut off as he ruffled his feathers in annoyance. "I heard that the Queen's doing something. I haven't quite pinned down the details yet."
"Oh?"
"Just a backalley rumour. It could turn out to be significant."

Firefly stared down at the ground, in deep thought. Yes, this would be a difficult and scary experience. She had never been in a situation like this before. She could very easily lose her life in a battle like this. But what did she really have to lose besides that? She had no real life, nothing exciting or important to live for. She had no family, and her only friend was Flash. Even her home out in the forest was nothing special. She had no real reason to say no. And if she accepted and succeeded, she'd have a reason to live, a purpose in life. With all that in mind, Firefly looked up at the queen. She stood up and took a step forward.

"I accept. I'll help you." She said calmly. There was no nervousness to her tone of voice, no fear in her eyes. For the first time since her arrival, she seemed truly brave. Flash gasped and stared at her a moment. He was surprised that she agreed to help so quickly.

"Are you sure, Fire? You don't want more time to think about it?" He asked quietly. She glanced at him.

"What is there to think about? Either I stay and help, and have a reason for living, or I go back home, and continue to have no purpose. I've chosen to stay here." She said. She looked back at the queen. "I'm at your service." Flash looked at the queen as well.

"Heck, if she's going, then count me in, too. I'll even get out my trusty boomerang to help out." He stated proudly, getting out his boomerang and striking a few heroic poses with it.

OOC: *whispers back* It's never too late to join

The guards at the palace gate looked at the letter. "Ah yes! The queen is expecting you! If you hurry, you might make it in time to hear what the fuss is all about. Just follow the path through the garden and you'll get to the main entrance into the throne room." The guards stepped aside so that Shadow could enter.

-

Cynder's smile widened. "Thank you, thank you all so much. You're doing a great deed for the fair lands. All of Warfang will be in your debt if you succeed. Now, we will get down to the finer points of this mission over supper, in the dining hall on the second level. I'll send some of my grandchildren to give you all a short tour of the palace, and then you will be allowed to do as you please until supper." With that she rose from her spot and began to trot toward the hall. "If you have further questions, Aethra and Cornelius here will be happy to answer them. Kokoro? You can either come with me to talk to some of the guards, or you can get acquainted with our guests."

Aethra held back a sigh, but smiled in agreement. Cornelius stood and stretched out like a cat, his odd fins sticking out as he did so. Aethra glanced nervously at those who agreed to fight by her side, wondering what they thought of her and Cornelius.

This must be a strange day for them. she thought. First they're called to the palace, then they're asked to fight alongside a weird, golden dragon and her finned friend? This is no doubt the first time they've seen a Goldenchild, and a water dragon since Cornelius' kind lives in hiding...

Firefly stretched a bit and then glanced at Flash, before looking back at the golden dragons. Firefly didn't know how useful she would be in a battle, but she was willing to do her best. She just hoped she wouldn't let them down. Firefly hoped she could make use of her Empathic powers and not be treated differently for being a rare species of dragon. Since she had found little information on her species, she figured Empath dragons were unheard of by most. She wondered if Cynder knew of her kind and called her here for her unique abilities, or if it was simply a stroke of luck that she was called here. Whatever the reason, she would give her all to the cause. And she knew that Flash would stay by her side until the bitter end.

Name:Faerse (FAIR-sehh)
Gender: F
Age: teen dragon years
Species: dragon
Appearance: Like this But her horns, teeth, wing webs, claws, tail spade,etc are gold. Her armour in the pic is actually her real scales. She has large claws and wings. She’s built for strength and stealth.
Personality:She’s a mercenary type dragon. She’s a loner, prefers to be by herself. She’s crossed the line a few times, but her heart ultimately rests on the side of good. She only talks when she needs to and doesn’t play second fiddle to anyone. She has “chain of command” issues and likes to do things herself. When fighting she likes to assess first then attack. She doesn't treat anyone with respect until they earn it.
Powers/Abilities :Kung fu type hand to hand (foot to foot?) combat. Breathes a volatile, zappy, explodey type of fire. Can slip away unnoticed from most situations.
Other:Um… can’t think of anything else right now.

OOC: That picture link doesn't seem to work :s

Cynder decided that she could take her leave since no one was asking questions. An awkward silence hung in the air as Aethra continued to stare at the floor. Cornelius sighed softly, then stepped down from the platform, and smiled at Firefly.

"Hi there, I'm Cornelius!" the water dragon said with a grin. "What kind of a dragon are you? I want to say fire, but you have so many white spines."

Firefly smiled back. She hoped she could make friends with the other dragons. She normally only spent time with Flash, which was fine for the most part, but she still wanted to be in the company of dragons. She just hoped that they wouldn't be too quick to judge her because of her powers.

"Uh, hi, I'm Firefly. But, um, I'm not a fire dragon. I mean, I can breathe fire, sort of, but, um...." she muttered, not sure exactly how to explain.

"She's an Empath dragon." Flash cut in. "She can use multiple elements, you know, if it suits her mood. She can breathe fire, but she has to be pretty angry first."

"Both require socializing, your highness...." Kokoro said decisively. He frowned. "And if I'm going to work with these dragons, I might as well know them a little better." Kokoro blinked once, but didn't really move from his spot.

Aethra slowly trotted over to Kokoro. "So... You're coming on the mission too?" she asked quietly.

Cornelius tilted his head. "Empath? I don't think I've ever heard of a dragon type like that, that sounds pretty cool!" he smiled.

"You... You really think so?" Firefly smiled. She seemed surprised by that. She obviously hadn't met very many who thought her powers were cool.

"You bet it's cool!" Flash grinned. He had seen her in action, and knew what she was capable of. "You should see her when she really cuts loose. When she gets moody, she can unlock all kinds of powers. And if she is able to switch in the middle of a fight, the bad guys don't know what's going on, and they're left all confused like they don't know what hit 'em! Firefly can really be a wild card fighter, so it's no wonder why she'd be useful to the queen." He stated proudly.

"I'm really nothing special...." She muttered.

"Are you kidding? Empath dragons are very rare. There's not even much information about 'em in books. At least, we haven't found anything."

Alex and Kora were just watching everyone being social. They didn't want to barge into anyone's conversations so they sat there doing nothing. Kora got comfy on Alex's head and started to fall asleep.

Kokoro nodded his head silently. "If that is what the queen wishes." His tail flicked a bit.

http://draggincat.deviantart.c...Thief-349072380
Now?

OOC: Okay, accepted!

Cornelius grinned. "Hey, how about we head to the royal library and we all search for some info there?"

"But...I've never really seen you get into a fight." Aethra said uncertainly.

Just then, a young silver dragoness trotted and stopped in front of Alex. "Oh, hello there! You must be one of grandmas guests, I'm Glimmer!"

"The royal library?" Firefly asked, smiling wide.

"Sounds great. Fire here is a total bookworm." Flash chimed in.

"Well, yeah, sort of." She chuckled a bit. "That sounds like a great idea. Surely there's some information there."

"I hope I'm not interrupting this... enthralling get together."

Faerse emerged from a shadow near the doors and inclined her head to Cynder.

"My Queen."

"It's my job to protect you, right? Then I shall do so. My skills are irrelevant." He shrugged. "Besides, this armor isn't for show." Kokoro turned to look out one of the beautifully embroidered windows.

"Oh hi. I'm Alex and this is Kora." Alex replied. "You are adorable!" Kora said as she flew to the ground. Alex smiled and watched Kora. She loved to watch the little dragon from time to time. It made her laugh at how funny Kora looked.

"Goodness I hope they aren't waiting on me"
She race-walked down the path arriving at the throne room.
"Forgive me m-" She noticed that Cynder wasn't in the throne room.

Is this dead?

ooc: BUMP

Kokoro blinked and took a deep breath. His tail flicked about nervously.

She turned to an orange dragoness "I'm quite late aren't I?"